Prey - Part V
The Beginning is the End is the Beginning
Getting yourself to prison wasn't too hard a task in Zootopia. All you had to do is commit a crime, plead guilty, the judge saying that too, and you've earned yourself a stay up the river. Breaking out of the prison was a much harder task, although not unheard of. There was always a mammal, brave or foolish enough, to try, and sometimes even succeed. Prison breaks were legendary within Zootopia, and those who worked at ZPD knew that some weren't mere legends but the hard truth.
However, breaking into a prison was something nobody in their right mind even thought of. Except for Nick and Judy, who travelled to the outskirts of Savanna Central, where the prison laid. It was now way past midnight, with nighttime transportation filled with nocturnal mammals. As the bus got more and more away from the center, less and less were on the bus. Finally, only Judy and Nick remained and they rode all though the end terminal.
It was still a good mile's walk to the prison, and they hurried as fast as they could. Even from afar, they could see the large, foreboding concrete block that was Zootopia Penitentiary. They arrived at its massive gates, every pillar of concrete topped with razor wire, guards scanning the area from their watchtowers.
- Any idea on how we'll get in? – Judy asked, making Nick whip out an expression of utter astonishment.
- Wait, I thought you had an idea!
- Prison breaks are not my specialty. And that includes inverse prison breaks.
- Okay, sweetheart, let me think. What about walking in through the front gate?
- Yeah, and they'll tranq us down so hard we'll be out cold for a month.
- Do you still have your police badge? – Nick said, already pulling his badge from his pant pocket.
- You gotta be kidding me!
But Nick was serious. He walked up to the front checkpoint, with Judy trailing behind him, showing his badge to the panther sitting in the security booth.
- Hi, my name is Piberius Savage, this is my partner, Annabelle Cottontail. We're the special operatives ZPD's informed you about.
- What are you talking about? – the panther asked, looking skeptical.
- Wait, didn't you get the memo? – Nick said, miming annoyance – Good grief, it's one of those days again. Am I right, Agent Cottontail?
- Absolutely. – Judy said, trying to sound indignant.
- I received no memo on you. – the panther said, sounding irate.
- Okay, buddy, let me get this straight: nobody ever told you that ZPD's sending two undercover agents to question ex-Mayor Lionheart?
- Like I said, I got no such info. – the panther was almost growling.
- Agent Cottontail, fetch me a pack of ice, I feel my temples pulsing. – Nick sighed theatrically. He turned back to the panther – Listen, pal, I'm not the kind of person to hold a grudge. We all make mistakes, don't we? Just let us in, ask that moth-eaten lion a couple of questions, and off we go, as if nothing had happened. I won't mention you in my report, scout's honor.
- Oh... allright. – the panther said, giving in – You go right in, I'll phone the others inside.
- Thanks, buddy, you're a real sport. – Nick quipped – Come, Agent Cottontail, let's get this show on the road.
He marched off, Judy catching up with him after a few seconds of utter shock.
- You enjoyed bossing me around, didn't you? – she asked, more in good humor than with annoyance.
- Oh, I enjoyed every minute of it. – Nick grinned impishly.
Once they were inside the prison building, Nick told the guards posted there the same story. When they didn't believe him, he asked them to ask their panther colleague at the front checkpoint, his hustle coming to a full circle. The guards led them toward Leodore Lionheart's cell, through unlit corridors illuminated only by the city lights outside. Mid-way, Nick stopped in his tracks, clutching his stomach.
- Guys, I'm terribly sorry, I need to use the little foxes' room. Please be the nicest ever and show me the shrine of the porcelain god.
The guards, a bison and a jaguar, showed Nick the restroom, where he meandered in with an expression that looked as painful as possible.
- Here's the wisdom of experience. Never eat curry after midnight. – Nick moaned – Agent Cottontail, don't wait for me, this won't be over quickly. I'll catch up.
He made a retching sound and closed the door behind him.
- Agent? – the jaguar guard asked cautiously. Judy shook her head.
- I always tell him curry'll be his undoing. – she sighed – Okay, gentlemen, show me where our former mayor is.
She followed the guards, trying to find an excuse to go back to Nick. After a few minutes, she gasped aloud, clutching her heart.
- My goodness, the medicine! – she cried.
- Is something wrong, Ma'am? – the bison guard asked.
- My partner, he's on prescription medicine. If he hasn't taken his daily dose, he might pass out! Wait for me here!
She ran back, hoping to remember which turns to take to get back where they left Nick. She sprinted though the concrete hallways, until finding Nick after taking a turn at a corner, leaning at the wall, looking utterly pleased with himself.
- We're back in the game, Carrots. – he grinned – Now let's find our favorite lamb.
Getting to Bellwether's cell wasn't a hard task. They were there when she was locked inside, after all, and even visited her later on for questioning. She was held in solitary confinement, for her own sake: half of Zootopia wanted this sheep fleeced. Judy and Nick found her sleeping on her cot.
- I wanna pet her wool so bad. – Nick said in a sing-song voice, making Judy scowl.
- Playtime's over. – she whispered.
- Oh, sweetheart, playtime hasn't even begun. – the fox pulled out an access card from his pant pocked and flicked it to Judy.
- What the...?
- Just your standard "go anywhere you'd like to" card. I snatched it from the bison.
- Nick, you're the most impossible person ever. – Judy sighed, sliding the card into the reader on the wall.
- Yeah, they usually say that. – Nick said, opening the cell door and stepping inside – Good evening, Dawn. Have you counted yourself before you dozed off?
Bellwether awoke with a snort, jumping up in her cot, looking as if she'd seen a ghost.
- This is the worst nightmare ever. – she moaned, still half asleep.
- You have no idea about nightmares. – Nick growled with bitterness and frustration in his voice – We know about Idube's plan. It's over.
- Idube sacrificed you. – Judy continued, in an almost friendly, good-cop way – He was using you from day one. You're here because he wanted you to be here.
- Liar! – Bellwether spat – Patrice Idube is a great mammal! He's prey, but he's powerful. He helped me a lot. Zootopia would have been so much better with mammals like your fox friend here muzzled and collared!
Her words almost made Nick lose control. A low growl started in his throat, he bared his fangs.
- You see, Judy? – Bellwether said in a sing-song voice – You see what he is? Come on, fox, rip me to pieces. Show your naive little bunny friend who you really are.
- You want to know who I really am? – Nick said slowly, calmly. He closed his eyes, stepping closer to Judy, who took his trembling paw in hers – I'm a fox. I'm a cop. And I'm hers.
A sound of clapping came from the outside, echoing in the silence of the concrete walls. It was an eerie sound, that of two bony hooves colliding. Judy, Nick and Bellwether turned toward the sound only to see Idube standing outside.
- What a moving little speech, Officer Wilde. – he said, his grin eerie in the twilight.
- Idube! – Nick cried out.
- Oh, Patrice, thank you! – Bellwether jumped off of her cot, looking at the zebra the way one looks at a deity – I know you'd come to save me from this horrible place.
- Save you? – the zebra laughed – Dawn, my dear, creatures like you have no place in my Zootopia!
He pulled a pistol from inside his jacket and pulled the trigger. A small pellet shot out at the speed of sound, hitting Bellwether on the neck, bluish liquid seeping through her wool. The sheep staggered backwards, her eyes wide, her pupils reduced to pin points.
- Oh, sweet Dawn Bellwether, how nobody in this world will miss you. – Idube cooed.
- Allright, you stripy sod, it's over. – Nick growled – It's just you and us, like it used to be.
- Oh, I remember the last time. – Idube said – I remember leaving you to kill the only person you ever cared for in your sad, sorry life.
- And yet we're both here, alive and in good health. – Judy said – You failed, Idube, and you'll fail now.
- Will I? – Idube hummed – Who knows? It's two against one. But it's two third-rate flatfoots against the most dangerous mind ever to have visited this city.
- Muzzle him, Judy, the guy's got an ego complex. – Nick quipped, trying to keep his calm. Behind them, Bellwether gave a painful cry: the cry of a prey when caught by the predator.
- Please, help me! Please! I beg you!
Judy turned to her, and even that movement caused the sheep to crawl backward, curling up in the corner. It was a painful sight, and although Judy loathed her, she reached out to comfort her.
- No! – Bellwether shrieked – No, leave me alone!
- What an interesting new brew. – Idube laughed, waggling the pistol in his hoof – It's something extraordinary, I say so myself. It makes everybody go into prey mode. Even predators. Imagine a lion being afraid of everything. Or a tiger panicking at the sight of a little squirrel.
- You're one sick no-good mongrel! – Judy hissed, turning back to face the zebra.
- Careful now, Sergeant Hopps. – Idube hummed – Watch your language. Or is it the savage part of you speaking?
He pulled out another pistol from under his jacket, one barrel now trained on Judy, the other one on Nick.
- I always wanted to see that side of you, my pretty little fluffball. – Idube laughed – A bunny, being the predator, that's a classic. Now imagine a fox being the prey.
Judy looked at Nick, who was frozen on the spot. Judy too felt overpowered. One wrong move, and both of them were done for.
- Using an unsecured line to call your friends, such an amateurish move. – Idube said – Not that decrypting a secure line would've been a bigger challenge for me. I know the way you two think. I know your deepest desires and fears. Tell me, Mr. Wilde, do you enjoy hurting her in your dreams?
Nick was speechless. He stared into the cold, black eyes of the zebra.
- What about I give you one final nightmare? – Idube said slowly – I give you the same formula I shot sweet Dawn with. As for you, Miss Hopps, I made an extra strong predatory formula. Just for you.
He laughed out loud, his unearthly cackle echoing through the walls.
- You know what the best part will be? – he rambled on – You will kill the fox you love, tearing his throat out like a savage beast. And once they find you and cure you, you'll have to live with it for the rest of your days.
His bony digits tensed on the two triggers, when suddenly, he was thrown aside, flying through the corridor and crashing down with a loud thud. Judy and Nick saw in amazement as Chief Bogo appeared in the dim light of a corridor window. There were moments when they thought the Chief was terrifying, but they were wrong. The expression of the buffalo was the very definition of terrifying.
- Leave them alone, you mongrel! – he bellowed and lounged himself on Idube. He punched the zebra, knocking the pistols out of his hooves. But Idube was also a force to be reckoned with. He kicked and punched, and Bogo found his match in him. The Chief tried to subdue him with his tranq gun, but it was knocked out of his hoof, breaking into pieces as Idube stepped on it. With a powerful kick, Idube sent Bogo crashing on the ground.
Judy and Nick looked at each other and jumped to action, trying to hold down Idube. But the zebra was mad and that made him powerful. He sent Judy flying, knocking her to the wall. Nick cried out in fury, punching the zebra with all his might.
Judy opened her eyes. Every inch of her body hurt, her vision was blurry. He saw Idube grab Nick's throat, punching him in the guts and throwing him on the ground. He tried to stomp on his head to crush him, but Nick was one quick fox. He jumped away, ready to attack the zebra again.
- How does it feel, predator? – Idube cackled – Enjoying the thrill of the hunt?
- I'm not hunting you. – Nick snarled – But I'm bringing you down!
He lunged at Idube, but was sent back crashing on the concrete floor. Judy saw the zebra move closer, readying himself for a finishing blow. Judy's heart was racing. She was hurt and she was tired. Under ideal conditions, she could have taken down a zebra alone. She could try her chance now, but she knew well she'd end up dead. She has failed one final time. She couldn't save herself, and couldn't save the one she loved.
And there, at that moment, she saw one of Idube's pistol within an arm's reach on the ground. She reached for it, grabbed it in her trembling paw and cocked it. She stood up, her whole body aching.
- Hey, stripes! – she cried out.
- Oh, my goodness, look who's back. – Idube laughed – Are you going to shoot me with my own weapon, Miss Hopps? What if it's the one with the predator formula? Have you ever been bitten by a zebra?
He was right and she knew it. But this was their only chance. Her body was acting on the instinct of a cop, and of muscle memory. Without even thinking, she took aim, pressed the trigger and fired the pistol.
The blue pellet hit Idube square in the face. He gave a wheezing sound, falling to his knees. Judy stepped closer and Idube cried out:
- No! Please don't hurt me!
Nick picked himself up from the floor. The world was a blur around him, but she saw Judy with the pistol in her paw, and Idube kneeling before her. He put two and two together, and knew it was over. Well, almost over. He walked up to the whimpering zebra, cracked his knuckles and hit him square on the jaw, knocking him out cold.
Judy ran over to him and embraced him. She was crying, but it were happy tears.
- Nick, are you allright?
- I think I broke my paw. – Nick said with a sigh – Damn that stripy sod, he's got a cast-iron jaw.
- Oh, Nick! – Judy embraced him tightly, making him wince.
- Judy, this is animal abuse.
They turned to see Chief Bogo sitting up, massaging his forehead.
- Chief, are you allright? – they asked in unison.
- He knocked me out. Can you even believe that? – Bogo growled – I'm gettin' too old for this job.
Even though Judy and Nick were happy for finally doing away with Idube, nothing could prepare them for the dressing-down the Chief gave them once back at Headquarters.
- You've disobeyed a direct order from your superior officer. You went off the grid, disregarding everything! You could have gotten yourselves killed or worse! – Bogo howled, leaning over the two to look them in the eye.
- We had to do it, Chief. – Judy mumbled.
- Oh, so you had to? Let me tell you, Hopps, what you and Wilde should have done: sit on your tails till we caught Idube!
- Sir, with all due respect, we did more in two days than you all did in almost a month. – Nick said, making Bogo even more furious.
- And what on Earth makes you think that, Wilde? We had new leads, we even ousted that stripy son of a gun from his hiding place. We were hot on his trail and were ready to make our final move, but no, Mister and Miss Hotshot had to come around to throw a spanner in the works.
- We had some leads of our own, Chief. – Judy said silently.
- Hopps, I couldn't care less about your leads! You put your lives in danger because you couldn't sit on your butts! That's not how a Zootopia Police officer should behave, that's how a stupid kid does!
- Chief, you don't understand! – Judy cried out – It wasn't just us anymore. Everybody was at risk. You haven't seen a rampant mammal, we have been rampant ourselves. And we couldn't let him do it to anybody else. No more Night Howlers, no more nightmares, no more Patrice Idube!
Bogo gave a grunt and shook his head.
- If I listened to my heart, I'd kick you out of the Service so hard, you'd both land in the middle of next week. But not now. You'll get nine demerit points. One more and you're out of the Service. Did I make myself clear?
- Sir, yes Sir! – Judy and Nick said, saluting.
- Now get the heck out of my sight! You can sleep in the rec room. Briefing's at Oh-Eight-Hundred. I don't want to see you till then.
Judy and Nick nodded and turned to leave Bogo's office. However, Judy turned back at the doorstep.
- Chief?
- What is it, Hopps? – Bogo growled.
- Is Doctor Medvedev allright?
- Of course he is. We're not amateurs. He's fine and safe. Says you two still owe him a toast.
Judy smiled at Nick who responded with a playful wink. They left the Chief's office to head for the recreation room. It was the same dingy repurposed broom closed Nick witnessed Judy's return from death all those months ago. He eased himself down on the sofa, his tired body finally succumbing to gravity. Judy snuggled into his embrace and sighed deeply.
- I can't believe it's over. – she said.
- Well, it ain't over till the fat lady sings. – Nick said with a small laugh – Imagine the paperwork we'll be given tomorrow.
- For once, I think I'll actually like it. I need some peace and quiet.
- And yet you stuck with a fox of all people.
- I'm not stuck with a fox. I'm stuck with Nick Wilde of all people.
She turned her body so she could kiss him. Nick pulled her close, enjoying her warmth.
- Sweet dreams. – Judy said, her eyes closed, already half asleep.
- You bet. – Nick said, smiling a content smile, closing his eyes – The nightmare is over.
Written by: thefirstfleet (David Metlesits)
Notes:
- The final part of my Zootopia trilogy midquel
- I actually wanted to include Big Top's Nemesis quote from the movie Snatch, with Nick remarking he's already seen that movie. I lift it out as the final showdown ended up more dramatic than I originally intended
- When I wrote the line about "the shrine of the porelain god", I literarily started laughing out loud. Yeah, toilet humor is so much fun
- Chief Bogo in action, oh yeah! I wanted him to do something badass, and he did. And yeah, I made him go "Lethal Weapon" with the Getting too old line
- Nick is finally healed, thanks to Idube beind done away with and by Judy's love. He really needed a happy ending, poor thing