Chapter 14- The Attack
Nick winced in pain as the monster possessing Judy sank it's jagged teeth into his arm. He kicked and pushed, eventually peeling the savage rabbit off of him and throwing it as far away from him as possible.
"Let's make this more interesting, huh?" Croc smiled from his safe circle of body guards. "Here." He said, sliding a gun across the floor.
Nick looked warily at the gun, his mind trying to process every possible outcome and action plan. He could take the gun and shoot her. It was a possible option, he might've even be doing her a favour, but he just couldn't. Even if there wasn't a single shred of Judy left inside of this beast, even though he highly believed she was still in there somewhere, there was no way he could ever kill it because it still looked like her. His Judy. The bunny that stole the fox's heart.
He could, however, use the gun in a more admirable way. He had no chance of getting a clear shot at Croc, and Croc had made sure of that. To him this was just entertainment, it was all nothing but a show.
The only other person he could use the weapon on was himself. He would rather that he was the one to do it. He couldn't let Judy have murder on her conscience.
But what if she came to?
Was he really prepared to take his own life to spare Judy from doing so, but in the process leading to her waking up to find him dead?
That was going to be the case either way. Judy was either going to wake up to Nick's dead body by her own hand, by his hand, or she wasn't going to wake up at all.
Nick's head was spinning.
Eventually he reached for the gun. At the sight of the movement, the wild bunny came charging towards him.
At first he held the weapon out at her, pointing it at her small body. She stopped suddenly at the sight of the gun, like she knew what it was.
Nick prayed that was a sign that Judy was in there, trying to take back control of her body.
"Judy," Nick's voice came out shaking and unsteady, he cleared his throat and closed his eyes to stop his hands from shaking. He tuned out the shouting and whistling from Croc's spectators and focused on speaking from the heart. "Carrots, I don't know if you can hear me in there, but I need to try. You need to fight this, fight this urge to kill. I mean, I know you want to kill me most of the time, and maybe I shouldn't tease you as much, but I can't help it, because you're so damn adorable when you're pissed." He searched the animal's eyes from his position, they were almost familiar and a lot less primal than before. He could almost see the small specs of purple returning. "Carrots, you're the strongest mammal I know, especially for your size. And I care very deeply for you. I used to be so cold and honestly never believed in love because, let's be honest, who would love a sly fox? But somehow you seen past that, you seen me for the person I am, and you know what, Carrots? Right now I can see the person you are. Behind that crazy, animalistic mask, you're in there. Judy Hopps I can see you. Because if you weren't still there, then I'd already be dead. So I'm asking you Judy, from the bottom of my heart, to regain control of that body, and stop me from doing this."
He cocked the gun, hearing Croc's men inhale excitedly, and then there confusion when he pulled the gun up to his own head, his finger on the trigger.
"We're not going to play their game, Carrots. I won't let you kill me, and I won't kill you. C'mon, I know you're in there." Nick pleaded as the bunny twitched and twisted, clearly trying to restrain herself from attacking.
To Nick's horror, Judy flung herself in Nick's direction, and knocked the gun out of Nick's hand before he had the chance to use it.
Pinned to the ground, Nick truly did fear the bunny on top of him. She went straight for his neck,
"I forgive you, Carrots." Nick said before she struck, wanting his last words to ring with truth and if in the chance that there was a greater being up there, that they would see that this truly was not her fault.
He expected to feel searing pain when the bunny went for his neck, but frowned when he felt nothing but the gentle brush of soft lips.
"Play along." Judy whispered.
Nick has to stop himself from grinning like a Cheshire Cat as he began to fake his death- again.
His Judy was back, and as clever as ever.
Judy stayed on top of Nick as he dramatically played the tragic part. She had only snapped out of her trance a minute ago, so from the corner of her eye she tried to pin point how she would retrieve the gun and then get a shot at Croc.
Finally Nick stopped fake dying, giving Judy the chance to take centre stage.
Croc began to slow clap, "Bravo, Bravo. That was dramatic I have to say. What did you think, boys? It is sad that he thought that she would somehow just snap out of it. How bizarre is that?"
Seizing her moment, Judy jumped off of Nick's 'corpse' and grabbed the gun, taking no time at all to point it at Croc's circle of guards.
Croc's jaw almost hit the ground. "How? That's impossible… I shot you with a dart… You should be savage now? It doesn't just stop working!" He growled.
Nick took that opportunity to sit up dramatically and get to his feet.
"You too?" Croc said in disbelief, "you could've at least killed him before you regained yourself." He scoffed.
Nick leaned an elbow on Judy's shoulder, happy to finally be close to her once again, "Can I call this a hustle, Sweetheart? Or does this not count?"