Chapter 10:

Drastic Measures

Shepard lowered his weapon upon hearing Matthews voice pleased that the fox came under his demands, yet his was disturbed by the thought. It was unusual for Matthew to risk himself over someone. Why was this 'bunny' important to him, but Shepard didn't care, Matthew came and that's all that matters, yet… he was as curious as to why. This was something he would never expect from the fox knowing how much he changed in recent years. He didn't question how Matthew managed to infiltrate the building either, considering he was always the stealthy type, always hiding in the shadows. It was nothing new to him aside from popping out into the open and appealing to his demands.

The guards shifted in place staring at subject zero-one griping their weapons tightly knowing what he is capable of. Even though they possessed weaponry capable of killing someone in an instant, they felt insecure in the presence of the subject. The only person who didn't feel distressed was Shepard who continued to smile ever so evilly, delighted that the elusive was within his grasp.

"Matthew…" he started looking back and forth between Judy, motioning his revolver at her. "To see you risk you're for someone… is something I never thought I would see in you." He chuckled at what was occurring and shook his head. "She must be someone of grave importance if you came."

Matthew… no" Judy said weakly.

It was in the heat of the moment of where Matthew had to act before thinking, something he wasn't fond of and not have he acted a second later and revealed himself to Shepard she could have killed her. Matthew mind however begun working on options of escaping with Judy and Nick but as of so far everything seemed far a good plan. There were guards nearby, they were in a seven story building and Judy was immobile. Matthew was unsure of how to get out of this one. He took in surroundings the best he could search for a possible exit route. Most of the walls on the floor were either incomplete or destroyed by years of decay.

The front of the building where Judy and Shepard were positioned had an entire view of the Slums with the bright sun creeping inside the building. The walls to his left draped with tarps that fluttered heavily against the wind while the walls to his right seemed weakened as if it was ready to give at any moment. The wooden floors seemed dislodged in some places allowing small gaps through the flooring and his mind gave the thought of being able to squeeze through there. It was shot off knowing that they wouldn't have enough time to get all of them through there if they managed to somehow rescue Judy and escape. The area had some decent cover with large objects such as couches and certain furniture that could've been place here during the construction but were either old or rotting where it stood.

Anything to his rear he was unable to see as were some part of the crates where Nick was and didn't get the chance to see anything upon their descent. His eyes eventually fell onto Shepard and the grin he had smudged across his face.

Matthew glared at him never taking his gaze from him and sense the guard slowly moving around to encircle him but kept their distance. He casted his eyes to where the large amount of crates were stacked, searching for Nick was and then notice something creeping in the shadows ever so silently seeking cover every chance it got to avoid the eyes of the guards. That's when Matthew knew it was Nick moving around questioning what he was doing and then realized what he had planned. But for it to succeed he needed to lure Shepard away from Judy. But for right now he can only continue to talk to the large wolf and seek whatever chance he could get to provoke the wolf to move closer.

Matthew eyes stared back over at Shepard at relayed back, "Maybe I'm finally done watching you kill the people around me, Shepard. Maybe it's time for to stop running away like a coward and face you." Bold words Matthew said but it was too only prolong the conversation. He could have attempted to ask Shepard to released Judy in his place but he knew Shepard, he would never agree to that. He was always the type to toy with someone's emotions. This bunny wasn't exactly important to him, but he knows how important she is to his son.

Shepard snorted as if amused by his words. "Such words can only get you so far, Matthew… but cowards live to see another day and you?" He pointed the revolver at him and Matthew tensed up. "Your time has come…" he said simply. At that moment Matthew expected to be shot by Shepard but the wolf remained motionless as if he was thinking. He noticed Nick was edging closer to Judy but stopped behind a dresser that was worn of age unable to get any closer. Moments passed and Shepard raised his weapon into the air. "Actually, you may be still of use to us, Matthew," he said, changing his mind. His eyes seemed to gleam with something, but it disappeared too quickly for Matthew to decipher what he was up too.

That's when he reached behind his pants and unclipped something from his belt. Holding a silver metal collar out in front of him his extended his arm to allow Matthew to see it clearly. "Do you know what this is…Matthew?" Shepard asked, dangling the collar in front of him. Matthew seemed to question by what he meant and stared at the collar taking in its design and then suddenly he eyes widened at what the device was.

It was a shock collar…

"You should remember, Matthew," Shepard snorted admiring the beauty of it. "You designed it after all."

"How…?" That was all that Matthew could say, shocked by the presence of it. That 'thing' in his hand should never have existed and Matthew thought he would never see it ever again, as it supposed to be deleted and lost all along with his family.

Nick and Judy were absorbing the information like a magnet, questions going through their head as they listened to the conversation. They were both confused at it, but Nick snapped back to his plan wishing the old, ugly fox in front of him would just move an inch.

Shepard chuckled at Matthew's expression on his face. "It's amazing what technology can do today, providing us with such devices. These were built to quell prisoner rebellion, right? However, it seems that the animal kingdom had a better idea to ensure us Predators stayed in line," he sneered. He stared at Matthew and then tossed the collar in front of him. Matthew watched as the collar slid to stop before his feet and then Shepard said in a stern voice, "Put the collar on, Matthew or she dies."

Matthew bared teeth, growling under the demand but he soon became silent. He stared briefly at the collar before Shepard repeated himself. "Put the collar on, Matthew."

Matthew clenched his fists together and then tore a glare at Shepard as an idea formed inside his mind. "Why don't you come do it yourself, Shepard, I always knew how personal you been with me."

Shepard laughed at his response before it died out and a more serious expression fell onto his face. Shepard pointed the weapon at Judy signaling his intent to kill Judy. "I'm serious, Matthew, put the collar on." Judy winced at the pressure against her skull and Nick was trying to determine what his father was doing, panicking once the revolver pressed against Judy.

Matthew refused to submit to the threats and voiced himself stronger, showing no fear to the large wolf and his actions. "And I'm serious too Matthew, are you afraid to come even close to me, afraid to lose another eye? Why don't you look into mine and tell me… how much you despise me, hate me, your intent to kill me, unless you to scared to come face to face with me."

Shepard snarled profusely at the fox, damaging his pride to such an extremity and glimpsed at the guards around him. They dared not stare at the larger wolf but he could tell they stiffened at the fox's words, questioning whether or not the wolf would approach the fox. Matthew dropped to his knees and placed his arms in between his thighs to strengthen his words. Shepard glared into Matthew and too everyone's relief Shepard lowered his weapon and pointed it at Matthew. "Watch him…" the wolf ordered the guards. They all pointed their weapons at the fox and slowly watched as Shepard started moving forward towards Matthew.

This gave Nick the time to creep forward behind Judy and cover her mouth with his paw. She yelped at the sudden presence and soon her amethysts met his emerald ones. He motioned his paw to his muzzle and made a gesture to shush her. She nodded slowly and he let go of her mouth, watching tears stream from her eyes at the presence. "Like I said, I'm always there for you," he whispered with all the sincerity in his heart and with that he saw more streams of tears escape her eyes. She would've hugged him so tightly if she wasn't bind with ropes and the situation she was in.

She couldn't even express her gratitude either, trying hard to fight up the sniffles and coughs that wanted to voice themselves. He worked as quickly and quietly as he could to unravel her binds and frequently kept checking to see if he has been spotted yet. Judy cooperated with Nick the best she could and once one of her paws were free from the binds she worked on the other as Nick worked on her ankle binds.

Stopping in front of the Matthew, Shepard took a knee still towering over the fox like a giant and stabbed Matthew's eyes with cold intentions. Grabbing Matthew's throat roughly and tightening his grip into a choke hold, Matthew winced and whimpered at the pain, but did nothing, letting Shepard has his way with the fox. Shepard grabbed the collar on the ground and latched it around his neck, clicking it into place and listening to the sound of the collar beep with activation.

He then spoke into his ear softly in the most threatening voice he could muster. "I yearn… for the day that you become useless and the day I tear into and torture your body until it heals and then repeat the same process over and over." He tossed Matthew to the ground and stood up to stare at the guards. "We are done here," Shepard said bitterly staring at Matthew in disgust. Before he could command his soldiers, he heard something creek behind him and turned his heads to see another fox that looked like Matthew alongside the bunny who escaped from the chair moving away into the shadows towards the corner to the right.

Nick flinched at the creaking of the flooring, damning its old age and felt a thousand eyes stare at him. He shot his eyes to the right to stare at the soldiers and Shepard's. Matthew meanwhile looked up in horror as he started to get up. The guards shifted their weapons at both at them, wondering who the other fox was questioning what sorcery this was.

Shepard's mind snapped as he recalled such an appearance and realized who it was. "Nickolas," Shepard breathed.

Matthew eyes narrowed at the sound of Shepard saying the name of his son and felt an overcome of instinctual protection fall over him. "Run!" he screamed, entering into SCI and used this profound strength and power to tackle Shepard and lift his body weight. Shepard didn't expect such brute force and before he could land his feet back onto the ground he felt nothing beneath him and felt his body become weightless as Matthew pushed him and himself off the building, dropping to their deaths.

Nick and Judy dashed away from the guards as their attentions shifted to Matthew as he threw them off the building watching in horror as their commander fell. Nick had the same thing going through him as he watched his father suffer the same fate, but somehow… Nick felt that his father would survive. The guards then redirected attention to the duo running from them and opened fire at them. A snap of explosions echoed that sounded like someone tossing firecrackers onto the ground. His ears smacked against his face hearing the loud and unfamiliar sound up so close and felt something graze his cheek, slicing into his flesh searing it. He heard several whizzes of something fly past him and Judy and they managed to dive in time behind the stack of crates where he and Matthew descended from.

Bullets contacted wood and shredded through it, snapping the solid material from place and casted splinters everywhere. Luckily Judy and Nick were of small size and the bullets passed over them without harming either of them. Any taller and they would've been killed. Nick and Judy covered their ears at the sound of it. Soon the firing stopped and the sound of magazines being ejected from the weapons collided with the ground. Nick took notice of this and used what precious time to locate a quick escape. He knew the roof wasn't an option after the pipe falling and the fire escape was destroyed.

Judy then pointed out a small gap in the rotten flooring and darted towards it. Weapons cocked nearby and one of the wolves ordered the others to their positions. Judy slipped in first and Nick came next, nearly getting snagged against the sharp boards. Dodging another ray of bullets, Nick fell onto the flooring beneath him failing to spot that the floor was collapsed and rolled downwards into the next floor. Nick rolled onto Judy, chest pressed against hers and they locked eyes briefly.

They didn't have time to process the awkward position in their minds before hearing the wood above them getting pierced by bullets. Nick jumped up and grabbed Judy's paw before pulling her with him to the nearest cover. Small gaps of sunlight broke through the surface of the wood and dust kicked up. Nick and Judy kept their heads tucked against them as they crashed into the room next to them and jumped behind the couch as if they were expecting the bullets to come straight at them. The gunfire soon ceased and the duo tried to catch their breath. Nick tightens his grip around Judy as she was cushioned against him. He had one arm draped around her head and his other pulling her body against his to make them become a smaller target.

He rested his against Judy's and she felt a warm liquid travel along her scalp. Judy's eyes quickly darted to Nick whose cheek bled profusely. He didn't notice her gaze at he was peeking over the couch to see if there was anyone coming as moment was heard throughout the building followed by the barking of orders. "Nick…" Judy mewed at the sight of him bleeding and almost didn't notice the amount of seriousness in Nick's expression. Unlike other times during operations, Nick would joke around somewhat and be unprofessional times even in most serious situations like the jokester he was, but this time it was very different. Maybe it was because they were fighting for their lives, but it felt so different from that.

Nick didn't looked at Judy at the sound of her voice and instead squeezed her tighter against, however, the thought of her being struck by the piercing objects came into his mind and his gaze shot to her. His eyes searched her entire body searching for a wound and then noticed the blood on her head. He was wretched in horror at the sight of Judy bleeding from her head imagining her being shot, but once he heard her concern his worries faded away. "Your cheek," she said, reaching up to study to the wound. Nick winced at the touch, feeling his skin burn at the contact and Judy retreated upon hearing his pain.

"I'll be fine," Nick responded in reassurance, but Judy still worried over the fox's wounds. They held each other gaze for several seconds before Nick loosened his grip on her and diverted his gaze to the doorway. "We need to get out of here." Judy nodded in response and they stood up and crept towards the door leaning against the wall. He could hear the heavy steps of the wolves scamper up the stairs and heard someone barking orders from above them.

Ensuring it was safe Nick grabbed Judy's paw again, making sure she stayed close to him, afraid that she would disappear if he didn't physically feel her presence. She flushed at the contact but didn't pull away nor question what he was doing. "This way," he finally said and started to run carefully and quietly to towards the stairway that led throughout the building.

They passed the destroyed entrance hearing moment above them echo through the narrow area, and Nick ushered themselves to run down the stairs. The sound of voices and stomping feet made the duo run even faster as they raced towards the bottom never stopping until they reached the ground floor. Opening the door to the ground floor he spotted several guards yelling out into the lobby. At first he thought they were spotted but instead they rushed outside towards the Black SUVs. Aware of the enemy presence in the front and the incoming behind them, Nick pulled Judy and ran to the rear of the building, searching for an exit.

Thankfully there was a rear exit and he crashed through the door with Judy behind him. They ran around the building and sprinted a block down the street before resting against several buildings that covered them. So far he could tell they weren't followed and leaned against the wall as his body demanded rest. While Nick attempted to control his breathing his eyes shot open as his mind crossed over about his father. He didn't want to think about it, his father falling from a seven story building and just thinking about it made him sick to his stomach. There was no way someone could survive such a fall but in his naïve mind, he begged for his father to be alive, believing that he somehow manage to survive. Peering around the wall, Nick searched the hotel until his eyes fell onto the black SUVs.

He noticed a grey shape lying along the distorted roof of the vehicle and assumed it was the body of Shepard. His eyes then snapped to a distinct figure not too far from the vehicle lying lifelessly along the ground. The image hit him hard as his mind tried to absorb what was happening. His body trembled as fear and grief took hold. Judy noticed his actions, questioning what he was staring at and then it hit her like a bullet: his father.

Judy felt a thousand emotions fall onto her as she watched her partner and friend witness his father's death and felt the need to comfort. She slowly approached him and guided her hands around his waist, feeling him tense up at the contact. He heard the sniffles and chokes in his voice. "He…no…he…he…can't be…" Nick never thought he would become to feel himself becoming attached to his father on a certain level, knowing that it would take a lot longer for them to heal old wounds and share a father and son bond that they were deprived of for so long. The death, however, struck Nick's heart with a knife, inching more and more into him as he stared at his father's body.

Those days of being together, and possibly being a normal family, was now over and Nick was tossed into an emotional hurricane unable to cope and understand.

His father was dead…

He felt a warm liquid travel along his cheek, knowing all too well that it wasn't blood, but tears forming in his eyes. Judy pulled at Nick trying to grab his attention. "Nick…don't look," she whispered unable to see Nick in such a state. All she wanted was to comfort the fox in any possible but to comfort someone that just lost a relative…it is extremely hard because if switched in the same place, Judy knew that she would be in the same if that were her father out there, but she didn't allow that to stop her from giving all the comfort and sympathy in the world to the fox.

He was in a state of shock and grieved his father, just like any other animal would do, because it was all they could do.

Nick felt his body weakened and started to sink into the ground. He didn't know how but his body turned and he fell onto his knees, his face crashing into Judy's chest as he sobbed dreadfully, unable to hold back the pain inside his emotions. Judy held the fox with her arms and like it was a mother's instinct, she began to stroke the top of his head, reassuring him with the most heartfelt voice she could provide. Surprisingly, Nick sobs and coughs began to slow. Soon It was just his body twitching every several seconds and Judy found herself soothed by his calming body.

Eventually all she could feel were his rough breaths against her chest and she partly smiled at the fact that it felt like she was caring for a child, but the smile faded because she knew that Nick lost something that was a part of him. She almost thought he fell asleep, but she heard him mumble a thank you through his dried throat.

She felt her own tears slide against her cheek and without thinking planted her head against his head and kissed him in the center of his head. Coming to total realization of what she was doing she quickly retreated a fair distance from his head, mentally slapping herself asking if such a thing was appropriate or not. In horror she thought Nick felt what she did as his ears seem to perk up in response, but soon they slowly returned flat against his head.

She then stared out back towards the hotel where howls became ever so present with the wolves gathering in the front courtyard and then suddenly she in total shock, unable to believe what was occurring. "Nick," she whispered, breathlessly. "Look." Nick hesitated at first, but something pulled him to look at what she was seeing and almost stiffened at what he was witnessing.

Matthew's POV

The world to Matthew was unclear in terms of noise and a bright light protruded his eyes. His body was extremely weak and screamed with pain. He could barely move at first and wanted to rest at first, giving in to his body's demand and closed his eyes. His memory was foggy and his head pounded with such force that he begged for it to stop. It took several minutes for him to go through his mind and recollect what occurred. It was fuzzy at first, like it something that was blurred away, but as soon as the word Nickolas hit his mind and repeated just enough for him to recognize the name and its meaning.

It was his son's name, and he was alive, and in extreme danger. Snapping his eyes opened he growled in frustration as his body refused to move, but he gathered his strength and pushed his body to get up. His entire body was numb to the bone, but he pressed to move them and slowly felt his limbs start to shift. Starting with his arms he scooted them beneath his chest and began to push upwards. While he arms lifted his body, nearing falling to the ground in shortness of strength and pain ripping through his body, Matthew moved his legs forward, squeezing them under his body until he was on his knees. The toughest part came when he managed to get one foot planted against the ground and nearly lost footing, but he caught his balance by using his hands as support. He refused to die while his son was still out there.

With one last push, he clumsily rose to his feet, shuffling in place as to maintain his balance. His arms then fell limp against his body and Matthew gasped as if his body wasn't breathing properly. He then stared into the sky to stare at its blue beauty as he focused on regaining his senses. His vision was blurred for a long period of time but it eventually cleared and he able to fully take in his surroundings. He understood what his body – or the toxin within his cells – was doing.

The toxin was in overdrive as it began drawing energy from his body and used it to rapidly begin healing his body at an accelerated speed. He questioned why such ability did not heal him any quicker from the crash site at Oprius, but he assumed it was because of the elements he was faced with. The toxin draws energy which is the same energy that heats the body and prevents it from succumbing to hyperthermia. This time it was different as he was not freezing, but falling from a seven story building brought questions in mind. He had no broken bones, other than bruises and his head wound opening up. That's when he remembered that he used a cushion upon landing, and that cushion was Shepard.

Speaking of which, Matthew casted his gaze towards the black SUV where Shepard's body laid, indenting a large portion of the roof. Matthew thought the wolf was dead, but his slow and rasp breaths told him otherwise and soon the wolf stirred to his surprise as he cough and whined at the wounds he possessed. Matthew snarled at the wolf's survival. He wanted to strike while he could, and gorge the wolf's throat out until he notice several soldiers appear around him with weapons pointed. A medical team assessed Shepard as he coughed up blood, showing signs of broken ribs. He slid off the roof of the car, gritting his teeth together and held a hand to his chest while the other pressed against the side of the vehicle, smearing blood along the black paint.

He shot a death glare to Matthew who shot one back at him and slowly begun to approach him. Matthew willed his body to move, but it would be impossible given the surrounding soldiers would fire at the second he made a move and his body was too weak to move quickly enough. He would deliver a killing blow, or attempt to at least to erase Shepard from history. Once Shepard was close enough distant, ignoring the medics that tried to get him to stop moving around and allow them to treat his body, he pulled a small remote from his hand. Pressing the button Matthew felt a jolt of electricity shoot through his body and send his already tired body crashing onto the ground, destroying his plan at striking the wolf.

He forgot that the shock collar was around his neck and twitched violently to the jolts. Shepard kept this going for a minute which felt like hours, snarling offensive words to the fox before releasing his finger off the button. Matthew breathed heavily and felt his stomach turn on him, releasing the contents onto the ground.

It was then where Shepard snapped in a thunderous rage to his guards. "Secure the subject and find me his son! I want him alive! Do anything you see appropriate to find him and bring him to me!" The wolves snapped to it and begun assembling teams for tasking. One was to take subject zero-one to a hidden research base within the Slums while the other teams were to patrol the area and search for the subject's son.

Meanwhile Shepard was being prepped for immediate treatment and to be sent back to the base with the use of the other SUV. The medics spent no time in transporting Shepard, but before Shepard could leave, Matthew left one last threat "You…leave him alone…Shepard, or…I will… kill you," he said weakly unable to form a full sentence without having to pause. The large wolf paid no attention to the fox's words, to pissed off by what happened. When he heals, he will have a long talk with Matthew

Matthew was handcuffed and tossed into the trunk of the vehicle, not able to move a muscle after what his body was going through. He could only close his eyes and hope for one thing.

He hoped that his son was safe…

Nick's POV

Nick found it impossible to see his father survive from such a height, but then again it is his 'father' and from what he seen so far, Matthew survived about everything that was thrown at him, whether it be facing off against rhinos or falling from seven stories buildings. His father was something else entirely and at one pointed, Nick thought he was immortal. To see his father standing strong all the grief washed away from his body and fill with joy, his father wasn't dead, he was alive. He wanted to run to him and hug him like no tomorrow, but he froze as he watched in horror as the soldiers poured from the lobby entrance and surrounded Matthew. It became obvious that Matthew was severely wounded in his current state as he didn't flee the scene from the approaching soldiers. It was a seven story drop after all, it he managed to survive it then no doubt his body was destroyed in such a way, it was amazing to see him stand.

And if things weren't already bad enough, Shepard's body stirred and shifted, alarming everyone that he was very well alive. It should be impossible, seeing people rise from a drop that should've killed them. Nick didn't care, he was glad his father was alive, barely. Shepard pushed himself off the roof and slid along the opposite vehicle, disappearing from Nick's sight, but he soon reemerged to the rear of the vehicle, raw amounts of anger and hatred present in his eyes. A medical team attempted to have Shepard to stop and rest in place as they would check his injuries but he refused to listen to them as all attention was focused on the fox in front of him. He then approached Matthew and for a second Nick thought he was pulling a weapon from his back, but instead it was something of smaller size. He focused his eyes on what Shepard was holding, but from such a distance he could not determine what it was. He held his hand out to Matthew and then suddenly without warning his father fell to ground and started to twitch in place.

Nick was about to rush to the scene, but something held him in place and he looked down to see Judy had a tight grip around him. "Nick, don't, there is nothing we can do," she said. As much as Nick wanted to disagree, she was right. They were outnumbered and the soldiers possessed weapons that proven more than enough that it was able to kill someone. The graze on his cheek that burned reminded him that this was no normal group of criminals. These crooks were something else entirely, unlike the usual gangs they encountered during their patrols. And Shepard, he was someone crazed with Matthew and now that he saw him, it was no wonder his father threw him over the building.

It was a lot to process and handle and Nick could only stand and watch from around the corner as his father convulsed in place. His death was something that tore him apart, and now the torture was something worse. Once Matthew stopped in place and didn't move another muscle, Shepard barked commands with whatever breath he could muster before the soldiers started handcuffing and loading up Matthew into one of the vehicles. Shepard mounted into the other vehicle that wasn't damaged and the medical team spent no time rushing him to wherever they were headed.

Matthew's vehicle started to pull away as well and Nick watched helplessly as they took off onto the street soon after Shepard vehicle left. A team of wolves formed together and started a patrol into the city, no doubt to search for him and Judy. Two remained behind to inspect the vehicle to determine that the roof wasn't low enough to prove a problem in terms of vision when driving. Nick questioned where they were taking his father and wondered if he was ever going to see him again. His mind was plagued severely. He thought he witnessed his father's death, but instead watched him get shocked to near death and tossed into the back of a vehicle only to be taken off into the distance. It pained him so much to watch the events unfold and felt the arms around him drift away as if the only comfort he had disappeared with his father.

Nick turned to Judy who was already formulating a plan inside her mind which concerned Nick of what she was thinking. She had her notepad out and was prodding the back of her carrot pen against her cheek as she scribbled words and was entranced in deep thought. Nick took the time to reevaluate each other and searched Judy's body more in-depth to search for any wounds. The image of her almost being executed haunted him and he wanted to push in back into the back of his mind. He was her partner, and they were supposed to look out for each other, something he failed at miserably as she was captured by Shepard's men.

Mixed feelings enveloped his body searching for forgiveness. He was angry and hated himself, but at the same time he was happy that Judy was beside him again, but also felt his body twist tightly as his father pretty much traded himself for Judy. He was thankful that his father survived and now he was once again a prisoner under Shepard's grasp. Nonetheless he focused on who was in front of him, and someone that he cared about deeply. Before Judy could mention anything she was pulled into Nick in a quick motion and he squeezed her tightly against him. She blushed at the sudden close contact with her partner and looked into his eyes to see fresh tears pouring from his eyes.

"I'm not leaving you out of my sight ever again," he whispered, planting his head over hers. Judy was in a state of shock at Nick's actions, but shouldn't be surprised. She was taken hostage and held at gunpoint and most likely would've been killed if they haven't come. She shivered at the feeling of cold metal pressed against her skull and was relieved deeply when they escaped from Shepard. However, it didn't come without a cost as Matthew was captured.

She was surprised and in shock when the fox rose from the ground after falling from such height and was even surprised when the large wolf rose from the dead as well. She knew if she fell from such distance her fragile body would just shatter like glass. Watching Nick go into a state of misery, she hadn't seen it since that time when they got into an argument after the interview she was giving during the Night Howler case. That time Nick was hurt by her actions and Judy felt guilty and miserable herself, taking back everything she said. This time, however, Nick was crying for the death of his father, which he is actually alive. Now she could feel how guilty he was not being there when she needed him the most.

As partners it's their job to look after each other, not only ensuring each other's safety, but looking after each other wellbeing. Nick was an emotional roller-coaster at the moment, which is understandable, and Judy knew what Nick was just thinking by his actions. He failed to look after her and he wanted forgiveness, which Judy was willing to give. She returned the hug and Nick was at a loss for words, distraught by everything that has been lately. "I'm sorry, Carrots…" was all he could say.

It was a whole amount to take in today, first her being kidnapped, Nick's father nearly dying, and now Nick feeling like a failure to Judy. "Nick, it's okay, I'm here now, but right now we need to find your father," she suggested, fearing the worst for his father.

Nick looked into her eyes with a concerned face and shook his head. "No, Carrots, I'm not putting you at any more risk," Nick responded, sternly.

"Nick, he's your father and he's alive, don't you want to go find and save him?" she asked, trying to reason with him.

Nick stared at the ground for quite some time and finally said, "But I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you." There was a large amount of care and concern for the bunny by what Nick demonstrated, but that didn't turn Judy's decision to find Matthew.

"Nick," she started, putting distance between him and her, "I know you worry over me, but we are officers of law, and it's our job – our duty - to serve and protect the public of Zootopia," she pointed out, flaring her badge to serve a reminder of who they were. Nick wanted to say something, but Judy cut him off. "Your father right now needs our help right now, and I'm not willing to run away and abandon him." She straightened her stance and crossed her arms. "You Nick, of all people, know what we signed up for, and if it was father, I would travel to the end of the world to save him."

Judy's words hit Nick like a bus, and wanted to say something otherwise that it was dangerous, but he remained silent and lowered his head. She was right – they are officers of the law – but he couldn't get the feeling of guiltiness out of his mind that if something would happen to Judy, he would never forgive himself. His father on the other hand would've wanted them to leave Zootopia and get away from Shepard however they could, forced to live in exile. It suddenly dawned on him, gnawing on the back of his mind of how he would live for the rest of his days knowing that he left his father behind.

It also made him concern over his mother, how would she react to knowing that he was still alive, but would never get the chance to see him like he has. Nick lowered his head in submission, forced to decide which the best course of action was. He didn't want to risk Judy getting injured or worse from what he witnessed already, but he didn't want to see the look on his mother's face nor live with regret that he left his father behind to some crazed wolf. His own career was against him, as he joined the ZPD to become Judy's partner and live up to her expectation. Turning on that was like betraying her and what he was representing.

Judy noticed the turmoil going through Nick and searched for something to help aid their cause and hopefully lighten the weight off Nick's shoulders. "What if we called Chief Bogo, and get the entire ZPD on this, maybe we can stop Shepard with their help," she suggested, hoping she would shine a ray of hope.

Nick ears perked and he quickly shot up to stare into her and whatever she was hoping for was the complete opposite. "No way, that's a terrible idea!" Nick exclaimed, failing his arms. Judy flinched at his sudden outburst before Nick explained to her why contacting Bogo was a bad idea. "If we tell Bogo that we're here and the situation that's occurring, he will no doubt send everyone, but this is the Slums! If ZPD start showing up in numbers then there will be more chaos with locals than with whatever Shepard has to offer. Things could get real bad before they even begin, Carrots."

Judy ears lowered against her back as her plan backfired and lowered her gaze, avoiding Nick's eyes. "Oh." Was all Judy could say, and Nick bit his tongue thinking that he went a bit too extreme with that, but he was right, if the ZPD showed up in brute force then chaos would erupt. Gangs would rebel against the ZPD presence and officers could get injured in the process. The people that lived in the Slums felt that they were abandoned by Zootopia long ago and Nick felt what they did. The slums were a world of lost hope and poverty, and he never seen the ruins of the place ever change in his years of living.

"Sorry, Carrots," Nick apologized and sighed slightly. "It's just I been here long enough to know how the Slums work and I was lucky enough to make it here before the entire block came down on me. I may have street credit back in the day, but now that I'm an officer, things changed dramatically and I wouldn't be surprised that the people here that knew me felt that that I betrayed them."

Judy shifted uneasily before she looked around at their surroundings. "So we are on our own," Judy mumbled, but a then a fire burned in her eyes. "I'm still going after Matthew, Nick," she firmly said, giving no ground.

Nick sighed at her stiff resistance and eventually gave into her pressure. "Fine," he cried, throwing his arms into the air in defeat. Judy smiled somewhat but it disappeared seconds later at Nick's questions and concerns. "We don't even know where they took him and if we do figure that out how are we going to rescue him without getting caught?" He pushed.

Judy crossed her arms and mused over it. He was right, they didn't even though where Matthew was taken and as far as infiltrating? "We'll cross that bridge when we get there but right now let's start with searching for those SUVs in the area. Maybe they took him somewhere here," she proposed.

Nick was hesitant with concern over there safety, but he knows he was already on the path of no return when he gave into Judy's pressure for them to search for his father. He thought about a means of searching the Slums, doubting they would find anything coming close to the whereabouts of Matthew. The only leads he could figure out so far that he was taken away in a SUV and the odds of finding that in the Slums is slim to none.

Right he now he supposed that the first course of action was return to Finnick. He could drive them around and increase their coverage greatly and in a fast way as well. He was disturbed by the thought to get Finnick any more involved than he already was, but Nick knew that to search the Slums on foot is suicide. He knew there were animals out there that wouldn't take kindly to their presence in the Slums, and with them wearing their uniforms they stuck out like sore thumbs. At least Finnick's fan kept them out of prying eyes. Thinking of a plan, Nick turned to Judy and caught Judy's attention.

"Finnick can help us get around the Slums efficiently without us becoming a problem for the locals," he started.

Judy's ear shot up at the mention of Finnick's name. "He's came with you guys?" she asked.

Nick nodded in response and turned around, motioning for her to follow him. "Let's get back to him before something bad happens to us while we are out in the open." Nick started walking off and Judy followed behind, but she noticed Nick slowed down until he was beside her and then grabbed her paw which caused her to blush furiously at the surprising contact. She made no movement to pull her paw form his grasp though and her eyes darted to meet his where she was met by a soft, but serious tone. "I'm not leaving you out of my sight after what happened already."

There it was again, a look that she didn't recognize from Nick, unless it was something she rarely sees. The tug on her paw made he remember that he was still holding her hand as he started to walk faster. She frequently stared at the grip he had on her, unsure what to think of what she was feeling, but she didn't overall dislike the feeling. She still had a slight red face as they walked to wherever Finnick was. Judy had to keep reminding herself that Nick was being overprotective, but she didn't blame him.

They walked down several alleys' attempting to avoid the main roads where they could be easily seen and nearly came close to being spotted by Shepard's men as they patrolled the area's searching for them. It took a lot longer than usual to evade the soldiers but at least the Slums were much emptier with the gangs avoiding their paths. The atmosphere changed significantly and it got a lot quieter around the residences. After an hour of waiting, running, and close calls, they finally emerged back to the area of where Finnick was last at. Nick was glad he held onto Judy's hand as it physically told him that she was still with him. Moving into a familiar area where there were less gang presence than before, Nick glanced over at the bar with narrow eyes, recalling the terrifying events that unfolded there.

He noticed that the opening of where his father tossed the rhino into was being patched with a temporary tarp before they could reconstruct the bar. It was a story that was worth telling Judy, but it wasn't the time to share memories, and Nick didn't want to think about his father, just imagining what was happening to him at this very moment. Once they reached Finnick's van, Nick nearly froze in place once he saw Mr. Big's lieutenant having a conversation with Finnick.

Nick took a deep breath and just stared from a fair distance, while Judy wondered why he stopped and then swapped glanced between Nick and the raccoon. The raccoon must of heard them coming as his ears twitched of the noise coming closer and he turned around to stare into Nick's eyes.

"Nick, why are you still here!" The raccoon blurted out surprised and nearly fell back at horror at his cheek. "And what happen to you!" Nick sighed and rubbed his cheek, feeling the burning presence still present. More problems to deal with, he thought to himself.

Author Note: After planning the next chapter for a good bit I decided to make the next chapter to focus solely on a group of individuals I been dying to get involved into the story, so I extended chapter 10 and hope you guys find it to your liking. Thanks for the support and can't wait to post the next chapter. Probably won't post until next week, thank you. :)