Winston smiled to himself as he looked out on Tundratown's main square. The hour was late and very few of the city's inhabitants were out at this hour. He breathed in the sector's artificially chilled air. To most who lived outside of Tundratown, the air felt stale; artificial. To the residents, however, it felt fresh as ever.
"Sir?" a voice said behind Winston, "are you ready?" He turned to find Dafner standing there. The bulky cheetah stood there, patient as always like the good bodyguard he was.
"Is everyone in attendance Dafner?" Winston said, looking beyond his bodyguard to gaze at the small crowd inside.
"Everyone that said they were coming," Dafner said, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. He knew that Winston hated having people not attend one of his little parties. Then again this wasn't just your everyday party, this was something of a special occasion.
Winston sighed, glancing one more time over the square. "Very well. I guess now would be the best time." He turned to head back into the building.
A bell rang somewhere in the city. Winston froze Turing back toward the square. "Sir?" Dafner asked taking a step toward him, "is something wrong?"
that bell... That couldn't have been a clock tower bell could it? "Dafner" he snapped still gazing out upon the square "are there any clock towers in Zootopia?"
The cheetah was taken aback. "Clock towers, sir?" He brought a paw to the side of his face scratching his cheek. "None that I'm aware of." There were more reasons Winston had Dafner as his personal bodyguard than just his species. He also knew the city like the back of his hand. You wanted to do a heist? Dafner knew which buildings had out-of-date security, which had better getaway routes, which would yield the most cash. You wanted to eat at a small time restaurant? Dafner had you covered. If he said a building didn't exist, it didn't exist.
"Interesting," Winston said still peering into the night.
"What was that sir?" Dafner asked, taking a hesitant step forward.
"Nothing Dafner," Winston said waving him back. The cheetah frowned but obediently stepped back. Winston turned and started to walk into the party room. Before the door closed however he looked over his shoulder one last time. "Sounded like the one from the dream..." He turned back around shaking his head.
"Focus," he thought as he smiled approaching the nearest group of people, "this is not the time for daydreaming man! We have real work to do!"
This wasn't your everyday party; this was a special occasion. He passed elected representatives, celebrities, police officers, and even the mayor himself but this only made up half of the attendees. no matter what, everyone here had one thing in common: corruption.
Winston smiled again as he passed Jordan Tagen, the weasel who runs smuggling operations in Sahara central. With him was Betty Kopity, a small sheep who runs drug distribution in Savannah square. Half of the attendees were officials of one kind or another, the other half were crime lords.
Winston's fake smile broadened as he heard the musicians start to play. The retro sound of a violin and a cello filled the room. Their low tune implied many things dark deeds were one, good thing he planned for tonight to be a dark deed. Winston made his way to the center of the room, he grabbed a glass of wine as one of his servers passed and took a sip. He sighed at the vintage, 1937 Zisttopia wine; nothing better.
Once he reached the center platform which contained several items he was auctioning off and turned to Dafner. "Lift me up," he said and Dafner reached both his hands down as if they were a small platform. Now Winston was standing at best slightly above everyone else. That pleased him as he raised his paws high to either side of his head. His polished, silver watch shone in the light, and caught the attention of several guests immediately.
Winston's blue eyes scanned the crowd, he was still surprised at the number of people who came. Including bodyguards, there had to be around 200 people. He had thought at best there would be half this many people here tonight. "Guess they don't care if I'm a fox, do they?" he thought as he made his proclamation.
"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice boomed through the room, "welcome to my little auction. Bidding begins now and will end when I hear the offer I like most, I suggest you get to it" he finished with that and gestured for Dafner to let him down. The items in question were nothing special. An old pocket watch made of precious metals, an old tome of architecture, a rusted sword, a treaty for two ancient kingdoms, signed centuries ago, etcetera. They were worthless in truth -the treaty and tome were very convincing forgeries- and they were what the public would think the auction was really about. It wasn't.
Winston leaned back against the pedestal waiting for his first bid to arrive. He wasn't gonna go to them, let them come to him. His first bid came almost immediately.
Bernard was a thin thing, as hyenas tend to be. He looked rather scruffy with a few days' worth of unkempt fur around his face and chin. Winston had to force back a sneer, not because of how he kept his body but what was on his arm. A female Arctic vixen strolled along beside him with an obviously forced smile on her face. As the two approached, Winston leaned over to Dafner. "Watch the girl," he whispered, "I don't trust her one bit." Dafner didn't have time to argue that they check all attendees before the pair arrived.
"Winston!" Bernard happily exclaimed, "senator eh? Still can't believe they voted a fox into the position." He took a swig from a mug containing ale, some small drops dripped onto his wrinkled suit.
Winston did sneer this time, if it wasn't for the fact that he ran the underground fight clubs in Tundratown, Winston wouldn't have even considered inviting this creature. The vixen's composure never wavered, despite the ale sloshing onto her sleeve.
"how'd ya do it?" he said eyeing his now empty mug. "Becoming a senator and all?"
Winston sighed. Was he going to make a bid or not; he's holding up the line.
"That my dear Bernard is a rather delicate secret, one that I'd rather not share at the moment."
"You killed your opposition, didn't ya?"
Winston was taken aback by how tactless and blunt he was. And he was rather close to the truth actually. He chuckled, "my my Bernard slow down! If you uncover any more of my secrets then you might be next on my list." Winston gave a quick glance at Dafner, bodyguard had very different meanings if you look at it the right way. Winston turned back and gave Bernard a wink and shooed him off, then he leaned over to Dafner "after the party follow her, if she leaves brenard for any reason see to it that she has an 'accident'" Dafner opened his mouth "don't give me the argument of 'but we check everyone' obviously you missed one!" He said in a low threatening whisper. Dafner paused then closed his mouth backing away, his head bowed. Winston turned back toward the crowd and forced a smile as he saw his second bid coming in.
A short time later Winston stood in the same spot when the last of the bidders walked away. He had to force himself to hold back his smile that was begging to be released. He had not expected such enthusiasm when they were making their bids, he had expected that the reason for this many people being here was to be seen here. Regardless, with all the bids to choose from it wasn't hard to pick the highest one. He was so excited he didn't even bother with a second round for he knew no one would dare top this bid. So he gestured to Dafner to hoist him up, once raised by the cheetah he raised his paws to either side of him again gaining everyone's attention. If Winston had been paying attention he would have noticed that his violin players had changed songs, playing a song that he had approved. This song was slow and a cello dominated the orchestra with long, low notes. Winston stood, arms outstretched to either side ready to make his announcement.
At that moment however, the lights began to flicker. Everyone started to look about and concerned whispers could be heard throughout the crowd. "Don't worry everyone," Winston yelled trying to calm the crowd down, "it's just another power shortage!" the more he yelled about it being a power shortage everyone slowly began to calm down and quiet, the lights still flickered "please! Please! Everyone just calm down! We all know that there was a Gazelle concert tonight, and we also all know just how much power one of her shows takes!" He got some chuckles out of the nervous crowd.
Then the lights changed. They were still flickering but at the same time they weren't. Pulsing was the only word Winston could use to describe it. The lights dimmed as if they were flickering but then they would brighten slightly and then get even dimmer than the first time leaving the room in almost complete darkness every few seconds. The musicians still played the same tune, low and slow, and now threatening.
Winston was suddenly dropped by Dafner and he quickly grabbed him a tugged him toward the main doorway out accompanied by several other guards. Before they took even a single step they all froze, the main door was open but at the wrong angle. The doors were designed to open into the chamber but now they were opened in the chamber on the other side. That in an of its self was odd but that wasn't the reason the small procession stopped in horror.
The other side of the doorway was dark, more than dark, it was completely filled with a black substance. It wasn't smoke for at least smoke moved about churned upon itself; a million different streams flowing every which way. The darkness on the other side of the door however was not smoke. It looked solid, like an enormous slab of onyx had been erected to prevent escape.
"No no no no no no," Winston repeated in a shaky voice just above a whisper. He looked around in desperation looking for any other way out, there were none. "It's happening," he thought, "just like in the dream it's happening again but this time for real!" He started to panic still looking for any way out of the suddenly cramped room. "Any moment now," he thought, panic rising, "any moment now he'll-" A sound interrupted his thoughts, and he swiveled his ears to better hear it.
They were soft, very soft if it weren't for the claws tapping against the floor Winston would have never heard it. Footsteps, slow and menacing. The lights continued their strange pulsing, and Winston realized with horror the footfalls were timed to the pulsing of the lights.
He was close. Any second he would be on top of them, so Winston scrambled backward turning toward his balcony intending to jump off. The fall would most certainly kill him, but that would be preferable to what was coming. Halfway there however he froze, not of his own free will something was forcing him to halt his escape and turn to watch.
Out of the darkness he came. A dark figure whose clothing matched the color of his fur but if this creature was the same as the one in his nightmare then Winston already knew that that wasn't fur, but scales. He walked with the grace of a skilled predator sliding from one foot to the next. The figure wore a dark elegant gentlemen's suit with red lining around the collar, the red tinged with decorative gold. His black hat was narrow, and folded upon itself, curving upward. There was something sticking over the creatures back and a few steps into the room, he reached a black, clawed hand up to it and gripped it tightly.
He lifted the object slightly and then with all its force brought it over his head and to its side flipping the blade outward. For the spit second before the blade extended outward Winston could see that the blade was folded against the material it was connected to. When the creature held the weapon still it was a long menacing scythe with the other end of its staff poking over the creature's other shoulder, a spike at the end of it.
Winston couldn't see the creature's face because of its hat but if he gazed at the blade of its weapon he could clearly see the whites of his sharp teeth, his lips curled upward in a sinister, playful smile. The creature reached his guards and they tried to stop it but with one fluid motion it cut them down, the guards falling to the floor as their legs below the knee were severed. It walked ever on, until it reached Winston.
"Winston," it said with a surprisingly low, smooth voice that made him flinch, "you know what is coming." Winston shook with terror unable to move. "Are you ready?" The creature brought a clawed hand up to cup Winston's chin and raise it. He met the creature's eyes, they were dark red, the pupils slitted. Winston looked into those eyes and gave an ever so slight nod. "Very well," it said raising its scythe. All went black.
"This is soooo boooorrring," Nick protested as he and Judy waited outside of the party being held by the senator Winston.
Judy glanced over at him. "Sorry Nick, orders are orders."
Nick heaved a heavy sigh. "I know! But the lights have been off in there for the past half hour that means the party's over right? And if we split now we could still be able to catch the end of the gazelle show!"
Judy looked at him sternly. "No! Nick we both know that this stake is important. We can get footage of locally known crime lords leaving Winston's house, then we got him!" Nick put on a sour expression. "Oh don't give me that Nick. I wanted to go to the gazelle show too but this is too important."
"You always say that," Nick muttered turning away, he continued speaking quietly thinking that Judy couldn't hear. "Even if it's a one time only drug deal you always pick work over us." His scowl deepened at this.
Judy looked over at him, her ears dropping to smack the back of her head as she looked at the steering wheel in front of her. Since the car was currently off she bumped her head against the wheel and whispered, "you're right." Nick looked at her sharply just now realizing that she had heard him. "You're right I do always pick work over us and I'm sorry Nick."
"Hey now," Nick said reaching over and pulling her into his lap, "I didn't say that I hated it I was just pointing it out." Judy opened her mouth to reply but was cut off as Nick continued, "besides, I'd like to think of it as..." He gazed off in thought before turning back to her. "I like to think of these late stakes as a mandatory alone time with you," he said pulling her close into his chest and kissing her head softly.
Judy was dumbstruck. "N-Nick that's-" she was cut off as Nick tensed, she looked up at him. "What? What do you see?"
"The windows," he whispered, as if someone else was listening.
Judy cocked her head to the side confused. "What about them did they turn on?"
Nick shook his head a look of horror starting to creep onto his face. "Not exactly," he hoisted her up and pointed, "look."
She did so, and what she saw Shocked her. There wasn't anything distinct about the window other than the fact that some kind of dark liquid was being splattered against it. Immediately she thought it was wine but wine would have dripped faster down the window, there was only one liquid that went at that speed. Blood.
They quickly threw open the doors of their car and beelined for the building, removing their weapons from their holsters as they neared the doors. "You ready?" Nick asked as he and she waited at the doorway leading into the main chamber. Judy nodded and he turned towards the door and said, "here we go," as he opened the door.
It was completely dark inside. They both reached for their flashlights at their belts. Before they reached them a light started to flicker inside the massive room. The light wasn't bright but it was bright enough to light up most of the room and what they saw inside made them freeze with horror. Corpses and body parts riddled the floor, walls and ceiling. A thin vineer of blood covered the floor, the deep red shimmer it cast only adding to the horror.
The bodies were in various states of mutilation. Some were simply left were they fell, others had been torn apart with such fervor that the species was unidentifiable. Several corpses hung from the ceiling by nooses made of muscle fiber, bone, skin, innards. Whatever could have been used, had been.
The center piece of it all was the host of the party: Winston Kratz, the senator of Zootopia, was impaled a piece of wood that looked to have been shattered from the pedestal upon which the auction items had been placed. He had been impaled from his foot all the way up his body and out his right shoulder. His own sword which he had been auctioning was jammed down his throat, his hand also held what remained of his tail. The other arm was missing from the elbow down, ripped from the rest of the limb. It had been used as an impromptu spear for it had been thrusted into Winston's gut after it had sliced it open his entrails spilling onto the floor. Half of his skull was sliced clean off and the innards started to leak out the top and onto the already ocean of blood and mini islands of entrails.
"Do you like it?" came a voice from within the room. Nick and Judy raised their weapons in alarm. "I worked very hard to get it the way it is now." Nick and Judy remained where they were, not daring to enter the vast room. "I hope you like it as much as i do." A figure formed at the other end of the room, slowly walking towards Nick and Judy. The two raised their weapons, the figure however just stopped beside Winston's corpse and gently stroked his fur. "The best performances," it said still looking at Winston, "are the ones you can only show once." It started to laugh hysterically. "But don't worry your pretty little hinds off my dear wildehopps this is only the beginning." With that the figure fell into the ocean of blood and was gone.