Chapter 10
'Revelations'
Fang felt nothing but regret as he knew there was no escape from this. All his strength had left him. He even resorted to silently praying for a miracle to save him, one which he knew was likely to go unanswered. Despite being nearly killed several times already today, the realisation this time was overwhelming… nothing could prepare the White Wolf for his sudden and violent death.
There was still so much he had wanted to do in his life-
But in his barely conscious state, expecting to have been dead a second ago… the White Wolf felt a sudden freedom as a ringing affected his ears.
He was actually confused, whether or not he had just been killed.
The She-Wolf's hold on him had loosened…
No… not just loosened.
It had disappeared.
Now nothing was holding him up, Fang fell limp from his exhaustion, and slumped to the floor.
Still half conscious, he realised he was now lying on the tiled corridor flat on his back. Fang managed to force his eyes open, his blurred gaze looked up to the ceiling, only just now noticing some of the suspended ceiling panels were missing and the fluorescent tubed light fixtures were flashing with an annoying and consistent flicker.
It forced him to blink slowly several times… as he lay there in disbelief, exposed on the broken tiled floor.
He was still alive…
But… how?
…
He was sure that was it… game over… life done.
…
And all of a sudden, it became clear that his prayer had been answered… as the most beautiful Snow Leopard entered his sight… and he heard her say his name;
"John…"
It was muffled, as his hearing was still impaired… but he heard it clear as day.
He knew that face and he knew that voice…
"Catherine…" he replied, his voice dry and croaky.
She may have looked a bit worse for wear; her fur was ruffled and dirty, and a splatter of blood had stained her face.
But he didn't care…
Her grey and white fur shined even in the dim light, making her black spots ever more prominent. Her blue eyes shone like the most pristine pools of water… filled with nothing but comfort as he gazed into them… as if he had just been sent an angel from heaven.
It was almost too good to be true. Fang made another long blink just to be sure she was really there, but when he opened his eyes again and his vision cleared, she really was.
"I really must be dead…" he murmured.
"Don't you even dare use that cliché on me…" Catherine soothed jokily, making a wide smile; she had got here just in time.
Although she knew Fang was very likely unable to think coherently, she was still put off by how confused he looked at her. She spoke soothingly again, placing a paw on his shoulder and looking him directly in the eyes;
"John… you're alive…"
He heard her clearer now, his hearing had returned… as had his other senses. Fang noticed it when he cringed heavily in pain as he tried to sit up.
"Easy… you've taken quite a bit of a beating," Catherine helped him.
Fang glanced to his left, his eyes landing upon the feminine lupine form of the Red Wolf he had just been duelling… dead. Limp and lifeless on the tiled floor; an ever expanding, viscous pool of crimson formed by her head, turning her red fur ever redder as more of her blood drained out.
It was all clear to him now; he looked at the Snow Leopard, saying;
"You saved my life…"
"Don't sound so surprised," Catherine lightly chuckled, "I've got your back… always have,"
Fang made a light smile of admiration as he looked at her;
"Thanks…"
"Well…" Catherine began, almost nervously, "… I couldn't let that bitch kill you…" She made another long and nervous pause, "… not at least before I got to do this…"
There was no hesitation at that moment, when Catherine placed her lips against his...
If he was honest… It took Fang by surprise, but he didn't pull back, nor did he push her away. He graciously accepted Catherine's loving advance, realising himself, how much we wanted it. He brought a paw to the side of her face, lightly stroking her silk-like fur, as she cupped a paw lightly under his bruised chin, the two of them engrossed in the others affection. Lost in the moment of bliss, Fang leant further up, moving his paw behind Catherine's head, and pushed further into the kiss…
Unfortunately pressing Catherine's nose with his own broken nose-
"Ah!" He gasped as he pulled back.
"Oh, sorry!" Catherine apologised, thinking it was her.
"It's ok… my fault," Fang smiled, as he rubbed the bridge of his muzzle, muttering; "I think my nose might be a bit broken,"
He was taken aback suddenly when Catherine made a light peck on his nose… Fang could have sworn the kiss did actually make it better already. When she backed away, he looked intently into the Snow Leopard's crystal blue eyes, enticed by her beauty and loving gaze…
"That was… err…" Fang began, trying to think of a suitable word to describe what had just happened; "… Nice…" He paused, silently cursing himself in his head and immediately asking; "… so... How long have you been wanting to do that?"
"A while I guess…" Catherine pondered innocently, "… took nearly getting killed several times to finally realise it I think…"
"I think I can relate to that…" Fang smiled warmly; "… And there's me thinking this was gonna be a bad day…"
Catherine didn't reply immediately, as she looked away, now speaking in a worried tone; "Might still be…"
Fang looked puzzled, not expecting such a statement from her so suddenly… but that's when he noticed, as he took the second to look around...
Catherine was alone;
"Nick… Where is he?"
…
Outside…
In a world of his own.
Nick was lying on something solid… he couldn't tell what; to him, he still felt like he was falling.
Barely conscious himself, he lay, exposed on his back… his breathing heavy, long, dry…
And fading.
His eyes were only half open, the smallest slit of his emerald iris visible as his pupils constricted due to the blinding and heavenly gaze of the sun high above him.
The light from the omnipotent orb seemed to become brighter as he lay there staring with his squinting eyes, almost creating a long tunnel.
There was something comforting about the warmth the sun gave him right now… it was reassuring, loving, almost like it was trying to take him away from reality…
…
Nick closed his eyes.
He let his muscles relax.
And allowed his breathing to calm… ever slower.
…
It felt right for the moment.
…
Nick knew what was happening.
It didn't take a genius to know…
He knew he was dying.
…
It somehow felt… blissful.
Calming.
…
And yet, it was the last thing he wanted.
…
But he couldn't stop himself.
His body was giving up.
All he wanted to do was rest.
Just leave his eyes closed and fall asleep.
And rest his weary self.
…
Nick just lay there, unable to move… drifting away from reality.
He felt nothing.
He heard nothing.
He smelt nothing.
But he could see… everything:
Images began to fleet through his mind…
The forms and faces of all those most dear to him, the ones that were there for him in a time of need.
From the moment he was born, and first opened his eyes as a little fox kit, taking in a whole new world. When he first heard the soothing words of his Mother and the everlasting maternal love she gave him.
His time in school, including a very distinct memory of him running around the playground in a game of Tag… no one could catch him, except for one vixen.
His first kiss.
His first love.
His first loss… first heartbreak.
Since then, many happier events:
The memory of his first successful hustle.
And the best hustles since.
And all the best times with his closest friends from his childhood… and from those old hustling days; and all those friends since, who never turned on him when he put on the blue uniform and the gold badge, trying to make a difference… and the friends he had made as soon as he did-
…
Suddenly, Nick's flashback paused itself, as one image stood out among the rest.
One experience that stood out among the rest…
Those particular forty-eight hours that changed his life… and the years beyond it-
That one last image was fuzzy …
Grey, and fuzzy.
With a slight shimmer of purple- a pair of amethyst gems, staring at him with the warmest and most comforting gaze, accompanied by the most loving of smiles...
One he had hoped to see one last time.
And tell her how he felt about her.
…
As Nick lay there, his eyes still closed, his breathing steadying to a stall… on the cusp of death… Only one word escaped his lips.
One name.
…
"Judy…"
"Hopps… you should be in hospital,"
"I'm fine Chief…"
"You're not fine. You were shot in the leg."
"It's healed… magically," Judy lied, in a mischievous tone that had rubbed off on her having spent so much time with her vulpine partner; "… medical science has advanced quite far in recent years Chief… have you not seen the news?"
"Really? …" Bogo obviously wasn't convinced, "Go on then… stand on your injured leg…"
She dropped her oversized crutch, standing (mostly) firm on her two legs before shifting her weight;
"See…" Judy winced, "… perrrfectllly fiiine… AH!"
The Bunny collapsed in heap on the floor, making a dull thud as she brought her arms up to break her fall.
Bogo approached her, offering a hoof to help her get up to her good leg and crutch;
"Hopps, go back to the ambulance… I've got enough to worry about without having to look after you-"
"Chief please," Judy practically begged, as she clasped hard to her crutch, "… I can't just sit back there and do nothing… Not while my friends and colleagues are in that hellhole getting shot at…"
"For now Hopps, the best thing you can do is rest your injury-"
"No… there must be something I can do to help them!"
"Judy…" Bogo began, showing his concern by very uncommonly using her first name; "… How many times do I have to say it… you're injured, you need to rest… why are you so determined to help at the risk of your own health?"
"Because… it's my job!" Judy exclaimed, "I should be helping them! I should be in there with them… I should be in there with…"
"With Nick?" Bogo questioned.
Judy didn't respond… she looked away from the Buffalo.
Nothing rarely got by the Chief without him noticing. Bogo noticed Judy would not be so defiant of resting her injury if Nick had remained with her… He decided then, considering the situation of the mission, what was best for his injured Officer at the moment;
"You shouldn't be here Hopps… you need to go to hospital,"
"No Chief," Judy wouldn't yield, "… there must be something I can do!"
"You shouldn't be here…"
"Why not!?"
"Because…" Bogo made a disheartened huff. He didn't want to disclose the state of the mission to Judy for her sake, but he knew she would never back down;
"… We lost contact with Team 1 over twenty minutes ago…"
He paused as he noticed the news hit Judy's ears: they fell backwards behind her head, but he continued regardless;
"… After that we heard gunfire but then that was it…" he made a long pause, "… Grizzoli isn't answering his radio-"
"Are you sending back-up?" Judy interrupted.
"All back up has gone in to assist Teams 2 and 3, who are still engaging hostiles… they radio check every three minutes-"
At that moment, as if some sort of wish fulfilled excuse to escape the Bunny's fiery determination and persistent questions, one of the Officer's outside entered the MCC, speaking to Bogo;
"Sir, we have a fire in the Containment Zone… a big one,"
Bogo acknowledged. He turned to Judy one last time;
"Stay put," he ordered, before he exited the vehicle…
Leaving Judy alone, with the exception of the few mammals monitoring the computers in the Mobile Command Centre.
…
Her determination had dissipated. She fell completely silent as she came to comprehend the news, and how it tore mercilessly through her mind…
No contact.
No radio response…
After a spate of gunfire?
…
But that could mean anything.
It didn't mean they were dead.
It didn't mean Nick was dead.
…
So why did she suddenly feel so empty?
Why did the world suddenly feel quiet… like reality had faded away around her?
Judy felt faint, bringing a paw to hold her head and lean more on her oversized cutch as she felt herself become unbalanced in her standing position.
Tears began to form in her eyes. She shook her head as she disagreed with herself…
No… he couldn't.
He just couldn't.
Judy's breathing became erratic as the possibility became evermore real to her.
No… it's not possible… She would know if Nick was dead.
She cared about him so much… she would feel it in her heart…
But maybe that's why it hurt so much right now… the thought of losing him… It was too much to bear.
Leaning on her crutch, her head facing down looking at her feet… the Bunny closed her eyes and muttered to herself, in a vain effort to think somehow, somewhere in that battleground, he could hear her tender voice;
"Nick, you promis-" she stuttered, "… you promised me… You promised me you'd come back…"
…
"… You better keep that promise…"
"I promised you, Judy…" Nick murmured, "And I'm gonna keep it… I'm gonna live through this…"
…
"And then I'm gonna tell you that I love you…"
In that moment Nick decided… even if he had to travel to the ends of the earth… even if he had to stare death in the face a million more times… even if it meant having to kill again.
He would do anything to see that Bunny one last time.
…
With the scrap of his re-found strength from his determination to keep his promise… Nick pushed away the grasp of the grim reaper, and forced his eyes open.
He wasn't finished yet…
A/N: Sorry for the relatively short chapter. That one was previously part of Chapter 9 but I decided to change it as I think it did better on its own. As for now this also concludes the second part of this story… with plenty of action still to come ;) Unfortunately, I'm going to have to leave another two week gap for the next chapter as my productivity has been pretty pathetic recently… so, sorry about that.
Once again though I have to say, thank you for reading my story, and especially for the kind words in the reviews and for hitting that follow/fav button if you have. It really means a lot, thanks :) and I also hope you stick around for the rest of the story too… like I said, plenty of action still to come.