Chapter 8 – What Choice is Right?

Nick pressed his foot as hard against the pedal of the squad car as he could, weaving in between cars that pulled over and others that didn't, "Remind me to give them a ticket for not pulling over for authority!" Nick said calmly to Judy.

"Remind me to give you a ticket for speeding." the doe said in response, her claws nearly embedded into the leather seat.

"I have the siren on!" the fox retorted.

"And you said bunnies were bad drivers!" Judy commented.

"Hey, I'm in a hurry!" Nick told her, and quickly skid to a halt as he finally looked up instead of out, they had arrived at their destination, and outside stood a crew of workers. "What's going on?" he asked as he and Judy hopped out of the vehicle.

"Oh great, you guys made it!" one of the beavers said, "There's this crazy chick inside the building attacking everyone who enters in. Makes all kinds of weird noises."

"What do the noises sound like?" Judy asked.

"Um…I dunno, kinda like…Ah" the beaver said, and turned to the crew, "Hey Jake!" he called out, and a teenage looking otter turned around, "How did that sound she made go again?"

"Uh, like, it was something like, 'Yama tomato' or something." Jake said, obviously not really paying attention.

"There you go, 'Yama Tomato'!" the beaver said, "You gotta get her out, we're about to blast the supports but we can't with her in there."

"Pandanese!" Nick said, and pulled his phone from his pocket, "I got just the translator!"

Back at Nick's apartment, Gurē jumped as the phone rang. He glanced around, from one side to the other, seeing no red fox, he gingerly reached for the device. "Hello?" he asked calmly.

"Sup, G!" he heard Nick ask from the other end.

"Nick-o-san?" the black fox asked.

"Wait, your apartment has a land line?" he heard Judy ask.

"Not important right now?" Nick said, "Is there a word in Pandanese that sounds like Yama Tomato?"

"Is dat Nick-o-san?" the red tod heard from his phone.

"Um, is Ai there with you in my apartment?" he asked, Judy chuckling at the turn.

"Yes, de two of us have-e not spent any time together since we awoke from-e de crystal." Gurē retorted.

"Focus you two." Judy told them, "Yama Tomato?"

"Oh, I know dis one, Yameteyo! It is a rude way to say 'get out'!" Ai shouted.

"Uhgh," Nick said, "Ok, stay on the line!" The two of them then looked up, right after a shadow passed over them.

"ADRIAN!" Judy shouted.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers!" Nick said as the two of them watched the badger land on top of the roof.

"Nick-o-san?" Gurē asked.

"Gotta go!" Nick said quickly, "Adrian just got here, and I think he's trying to get to Bakeneko before us!"

"Nick-o-san?" Gurē asked, "Nick-o-san!" His only response was the disconnected ring tone.

"What is wrong?" Ai asked as the black furred fox gingerly placed the phone back on the receiver.

"We are going to battle!" was all he said.

"Careful Carrots!" Nick whispered as the two of them reached the first solid wall they could find.

"This is Officer Hopps." the doe whispered. Nick turned to her, seeing her lifting her walkie to her mouth."

"This is Clawhouser." the two of them heard, and Judy adjusted her volume so that it didn't project loudly, "What's up Judy?"

"Nick and I have located Bakeneko!" she said.

"That's great!" the chubby officer said.

"But so has Adrian. Nick and I are inside the building to try and reach her before he does."

"What?!" their friend nearly shouted.

"How far off is chief Bogo?" she asked.

"What are you talking about, where are you?" the cheetah asked in return.

"We're in the abandoned apartments in west Savana Central." she told him, "The workers called in a report about a mammal that refused to leave the premises. How far away are they?"

"Uh…" Clawhouser stuttered as he tapped away at his computer, "Five minutes!"

"Great!" Judy said.

"I'll send the Chief out to join them at backing you up!" the cheetah added in.

Judy looked to her partner, then back to the walkie, "We'll work fast!" she said, and placed the device back onto her belt.

"Hopps? Wilde?" Clawhouser asked as he pressed the button on his receiver, "HOPPS?"

"What's going on?" the large cheetah heard from his side. He quickly turned to the voice, a gruff sounding speech with authority behind it. There stood Chief Bogo a very large cup of coffee in his hoof.

"Chief!" Clawhouser said, "Hopps just called, they found Bakeneko!" he said.

"Good, tell the others!" the buffalo said and turned to go back to his office.

"But so has Adrian!" Ben said with alarm. These words alone got Bogo to stop in his tracks, his cup of caffeinated drink just inches from his mouth as the chief let his eyes open wide ins shock. "He's there now, and Hopps and Wilde are trying to reach Bakeneko first."

"What's the chances of them getting to Bakeneko first?" the two of them heard. Clawhouser was the only one to turn, and there stood Wolford. "Not good, Bakeneko speaks Pandanese, but neither Judy nor Nick know much of the language at all! Maybe like three words!"

Suddenly Bogo slammed his cup on Clawhouser's desk, "Wolford, with me!" he ordered, "We've got a few words for Adrian, don't we?"