"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Nick?"

"That's me,"

"Good, now listen carefully. I have your precious Judy, so you will listen to everything I have to say or she dies, right here, right now!" said a voice with extreme malice.

"Wait, who is this? I know your voice. MICHAEL?" Nick cried out as he put it all together finally. "You're the killer?"

"Took you long enough to figure it out. Judy only found out moments ago. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps." Nick could hear a slight chuckle from the other side of the phone.

"I swear to fucking god if you do anything to her, I. WILL. MAKE. YOU. SUFFER!" Nick let out a growl that was more animalistic than he had ever let out before.

"Well then, I hope you and the ZPD can follow my directions correctly. If not, then all you'll see of her again is a mangled corpse and a bag of fur!" Nick had no time to respond when the phone call ended without any warning.

"You bastard! You coward! How dare you hang up on me!" Nick screamed. McHorn eyed the fox with caution as he had never seen Nick so pissed before. The rhino was afraid to invoke his wrath.

Michael dropped the phone the moment he hung up and looked over at the now-unconscious rabbit laying in the middle of the parking lot. With a smile, he walked over and knelt down next to her. He reached out to her face, mere inches from her nose before suddenly grabbing the radio on her shoulder. He pressed down on the button, his knowledge of this equipment never having left him from his days at the Academy. In fact, those skills had helped him more than once during his killing spree as he avoided just about every camera except for one location. But that was on purpose.

"Hello, ZPD. My name is Michael Yellowtail, the Butcher of Zootopia, and I have Officer Judy Hopps as my hostage. I also have three simple requests. Should any of these not be met, Officer Hopps dies. My first request is that no one comes near my location save one mammal: Officer Nicholas Wilde. My second request is that Officer Wilde comes alone. I understand that I am in possession of the only police cruisers that he is capable of driving, so he may be dropped off by another officer. My third and final request is simple: no one interferes or I cut her throat the moment I suspect anyone trying anything. These are my demands. I'll be waiting in my apartment. Goodbye for now." Michael gave no one any time to respond as he stated his demands. The moment he finished and took his thumb off of the button, the radio went wild as everyone started talking at once.

He had done well, completely throwing the ZPD into disarray with his sudden demands and hostage. He wrapped his arm under Judy and lifted her quite easily, looking around one last time before he began to carry her limp body towards his apartment. Michael climbed the stairs with a light skip in his step. He was excited. All this time planning and working was coming to an end. He was ready, accepting, and unsure of how it would all end. What he was sure of, though, was that his crimes would not go unpunished. He would either die in the coming confrontation with that damn fox or rot in prison.

Michael was a monster; prey turned predator. The city saw predators as animals with claws and large teeth, but today - today they would see a different kind of predator. They would learn the dark truth of all the pain he had held inside for so long. That carrot pen of Judy's would make sure of that.

Reaching out, he opened his door and walked in, careful not to hurt the rabbit he was still carrying on his shoulder. The smell of Ocean Breeze-scented air fresheners was almost overpowering as he entered with Judy. "Good thing I sprayed this stuff in my rage, otherwise that fox would have smelled everything the other night," thought Michael as he took the unconscious bunny straight to the couch that sat opposite to him and set her on the cushions. He sat down next to her and stared at the door. "It will be at least an hour before he shows up, so what to do till then? What to do, indeed?" asked Michael to no one but himself. He looked around and noticed the blood smeared across the floor, and the pool of dried blood in the center of the living room.

"I guess I should get everything set up for the guest of honor. But first things first, let's get down to business!"

...

Nick couldn't believe what he had heard come across the radio just now, and neither could McHorn. Michael was threatening Judy, his partner, his lover, his everything. He was shaking with rage and could barely see straight as his paws turned to fists.

"Wilde, calm down. As long as we follow these requests, she will be fine. But, we need to hurry up. I'll call the chief and tell him we are already on our way there. Good thing this car is much faster than yours, so we will get there soon," McHorn explained in his best attempt to calm Nick down.

Nick watched with mixed emotions as McHorn picked up his radio and quickly informed Bogo that they would be there in an hour, staying true to his word.

...

Bogo stomped down the stairs as he and his best officers followed him. This was serious; one of his officers was now a hostage, and the killer had managed to deceive everyone, setting them all up for a showdown he had complete control over. Bogo was pissed and embarrassed with the whole situation his precinct was in now. He ordered Clawhauser to take over while he was out; this hostage situation needed his full attention and presence. He was not about to sit back and watch a psycho kill one - maybe even two or more of his officers if he had anything to say about it.

Bogo and the other captains ran to their cruisers and pulled out of the parking lot quickly. Speeding down the road, they set their sights on Nick and Judy's apartment complex.

...

Nick sat quietly as he faced forward, taking deep breaths to calm himself and looking at everything with a clear mind. It was hard - so very hard. He was mortified, nervous, furious, numb; he felt everything boiling and churning within him. It was rough, and he wasn't sure how long he would last now. It had been nearly forty minutes since Michael had made his announcement and was most likely listening to everything. Even if they did change the setting, he could easily find it with Judy's radio. Everyone was forced to use cellphones and other means to communicate with each other. Nick was in fact being called by the Chief right then as his phone began to ring.

He brought the phone to his ear, "Yes sir?"

"Wilde, we are gonna have to send you in alone. His apartment is in the center of the building and next to your own home, so there are no windows that will allow us to get into position to take him out. Officer McHorn will drop you off, so you will have to apprehend Michael quickly and without any issues!" Nick listened carefully as Chief Bogo barked orders to him. Nick told McHorn what Bogo had said and, with a silent nod, he agreed with the Chief's plan. They would arrive at the apartment complex in just a few short minutes and talk with Bogo just before Nick entered the building.

Nick gripped his seat so tightly that his claws dug themselves into the leather, starting to tear the seat apart. "Calm down Wilde, I like this cruiser and don't look forward to using one I'm not used to just because you're pretending that the chair is Michael," McHorn said as he attempted to make the fox laugh so he wouldn't be so tense. It was clear that he might have been successful as Nick let go of the seat. Before McHorn could say anything else, Nick punched the dashboard in front of him, hard.

Nick regretted that almost instantly as pain shot up and down his arm. "Ughhh, that hurt," mumbled Nick as they quietly drove the rest of the way.

...

Michael stood in the center of the living room with a wide smile on his face. The room was no longer cluttered, and nothing stood in the way between him and his target. Still in her uniform, Judy sat in a wooden chair just before the hallway leading to the other rooms of the apartment. Her paws were tied behind her, and her legs were tied to the feet of the chair. The demented bunny gazed upon her unconscious form and simply smiled. "I should probably put my shirt back on now that we are done with everything. Well, I did all the hard work," Michael spoke to her even though he knew she was still out cold from the drugs in the dart he used to kidnap her.

He quickly walked into the next room and grabbed a clean shirt and pants, changing as fast as he could. He didn't want them showing up while he was not decent. He longed for everything to be perfect and so far, it had been. Today had been amazing, and he intended for the end to start his way. Just as he had put on his pants, Michael could hear someone heading up towards his apartment. He quickly grabbed his large, five-inch knife and went right for Judy. He stood right behind her and placed the sharp blade against her neck and waited for the identity of the "visitor".

...

Nick stood in front of Chief Bogo with a fire in his eyes and heart; he was ready. Today, Michael's madness would end. Nick had been given a brief rundown of the whole situation, so he already had a good idea. But, it needed to be clear to every single officer at the scene that no one was to interfere. Nick would be wearing a wire, just in case he got into a scuffle with the killer so he wouldn't need to radio for backup. They would be waiting to charge in and end it all if it came down to it.

Nick saluted Bogo before turning around and walking back to get into Officer McHorn's cruiser. As was agreed, he would be allowed to be dropped of in front of the complex, and since Michael was a rabbit in an empty building complex, he could easily hear everything outside. Nick sat, quietly loading his small sidearm. There was no need for darts as he had been granted permission to use deadly force if he needed to. Nick was scared not for himself, but for Judy. She had been the demented bunny's hostage for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes. She could be dead for all he knew; they had no proof she that was still alive.

These dark thoughts haunted him, but suddenly stopped when he pressed the final bullet into the magazine with his thumb. With a quick motion, he smoothly shoved the magazine into the handle of his pistol. With a click, it locked into place. He pulled back on the slider and with another click, the bullet was loaded into the chamber. Sighing, Nick placed the gun in his holster and stared at his paws in disbelief. "Am I really going to kill someone today? Will I become a murderer just to save the one I love? Will she look at me differently because of my actions?" Nick's thoughts were a mess as he tried to prepare himself for the coming confrontation with Michael.

Nick was pulled from his dark, mountainous thoughts when McHorn tapped him on the shoulder. "Wilde, it's time," McHorn spoke with a quiet and deep voice, one that gave Nick the strength to open his door and step out. He quickly closed the door and began to walk toward his home? His grave? His lover? His killer? He didn't know what he was expecting, but he moved forward with lead-like legs. Step after step pulled him forward to that dreaded meeting. He reached the stairs and found he didn't have the strength to lift his feet high enough to climb.

Try as much as he might, he just couldn't get his foot to rise high enough. It was only when he imagined Judy smiling as he saved her did he find his second wind and took nearly three steps in one go. He climbed the stairs at an alarming rate and was swiftly heading towards Michael's door. Nick didn't realize how fast time went by until he was standing face to face with the final barrier between him, Michael, and Judy.

Nick made a quick knock on the door and immediately heard a response. "Nick is that you? If not, Judy dies right now!" called Michael from the other side of the door.

"Yes Michael, it's me: Nick Wilde! I'm alone just like you requested. I'm coming in!" answered Nick as he placed his paw on the doorknob and turned it slowly. With a deafening creak in the otherwise quiet hallway, the door opened. Nick was hit with the sickening smell of sweat and air freshener. The latter was nearly overwhelming as he pushed the door open even further. Something lingered deep under the smell of dried blood, sweat, and air freshener that he couldn't quite place.

The door was completely open. With it out of the way, Nick stared in shock at the sight before him. Michael stood behind Judy, who was tied to a chair, unconscious and unmoving. What scared the fox the most was the blade pressed against her neck as Michael held her head up by her ears.

"Welcome, Nick Wilde. I do hope you are prepared for this lil' chat of ours. Otherwise, there's just no point in talking to you. Now, unless you want me to start Judy's bloodbath early, I suggest you close and lock the door behind you," Michael smiled and chuckled as he spoke with an unnerving voice.

Nick did as he was told, closing the door. He made sure to lock it in such a way that Michael could see. Once that was done, Michael lowered his knife from Judy's neck, but still held it close by. Judy was no longer in immediate danger from its sharp edge, much to Nick's relief.

"Why?" Nick asked, shattering the silence that had fallen over them.

"You want to know why? Well here you go!" Michael pulled the carrot pen from Judy's belt and tossed it to Nick. The fox was quick to catch it. Staring down at the little device in his paw, he knew there was something on this that the bunny wanted to share with him. Nick looked up at Michael once more before he clicked the play button on the side. Suddenly the room was filled with Michael's and Judy's voices. Nick listened to the whole thing as Michael stared him down like he was gonna try something soon.

Nick was conflicted. Michael's story had hit him hard; he had been unaware that Judy's actions would have caused something like this to happen. But the fact that Michael had still done all of this was insane. Nick stood in silence as the recording ended, the fox unable to form words.

"What's wrong? Rabbit caught your tongue?" taunted Michael as he held the blade menacingly. Nick snarled at the demented bunny and was about to say something when Judy suddenly shifted in her seat.

"Judy? It's going to be alright! I'm here for you!" shouted Nick as he took a step forward.

"Back! Up! Now!" ordered Michael as he pressed the blade against her neck, drawing a thin trail of blood. As Nick backed up, he took a quick glance at Judy and could see her eyes fluttering open. "Aww, look. She's finally waking up! Though I doubt she's fully functioning due to the drugs from them vicious little darts!" Michael let out a chuckle as he let go of her ears and pulled the knife away from her neck once more.

"Ni… Nichh… Nick?" sputtered Judy. It was like she had a numb mouth and was trying to pronounce an incredibly difficult word. She completely butchered his name, but the fox knew what she was saying all the same.

"Yes, Judy. It's me Nick! I'm here to save you!" Nick tried his damndest to not run forward and embrace her in a hug. Had he tried, Michael would ram that blade deep into her neck before the fox cop even made two steps.

"You know, maybe after all this is done, and you're lying in a new pool of blood, I could get to know Judy even better!" Michael's voice raised quickly till it seemed that it was about to crack.

"The hell is that supposed to mean, you bastard?!" Nick asked as his snarl grew more pronounced and hardened.

"Here, let me show you!" Michael suddenly grabbed Judy's head and turned it towards him as he leaned forward. Nick stood in horror as Michael maliciously kissed Judy on the lips. It didn't stop there as the fox could see her cheek bulge a bit as the rabbit took full advantage of her drugged state. Before Nick could say anything, Michael pulled back as a long trail of saliva hung from their mouths.

"Damn! If only she was awake earlier!" commented Michael as he turned his attention back to Nick. "Let's get this over with, you damn fox!"

Nick shook with rage as Michael twirled the knife in his paws expertly. "You kissed my partner like she was yours!"

"Oh she is mine! Nothing you can do will change that!" yelled Michael as he lunged at Nick with the knife.

Nick barely had time to react as he jumped to his left, attempting to dodge the blade being thrust at him. Nick landed in a smear of Gerome's blood and quickly pulled his gun out and aimed it at Michael. The rabbit anticipated this and ran to his right as Nick fired two bullets in quick succession. Both projectiles missed and embedded themselves into the far wall.

"Shots fired, shots fired! Go, go, go!" buzzed both Nick and Judy's radios. Judy rolled her head to the sounds around her as she tried to understand what was happening.

Nick was just about to shoot one more time when he realized why Michael ran in that particular direction. It wasn't because there was nowhere to go, it was because if Nick missed now, he would hit Judy. Just as he saw Judy behind Michael, he quickly tried to get up again, only to be tackled by the male rabbit. The wind was knocked from Nick as he was carried into the wall, both mammals landing with a crash. Nick could only raise his arm in time to block the slash that was aimed for his that was aimed for his neck.

The blade drove deep as it made its way through Nick's fur and skin. Blood suddenly sprayed, causing the rabbit to yelp in surprise as the red liquid covered his eyes. Nick, realizing that he had the upper hand, raised his pistol and took aim; with Judy not directly in the way, he could fire and not hurt her. Michael took a couple steps back and swung wildly so he could protect himself should Nick try to tackle him or anything. Nick pulled the trigger three times, only to have the gun jam on the first one.

"FUCK!" screamed Nick as he threw the gun at Michael before going in for a tackle of his own.

Michael heard the click and was relieved that he hadn't died yet. He heard Nick curse and just as he wiped the blood from his eyes, he was hit in the chest by the firearm. The weight of it made him stagger, and before he could recover, he was picked up off of the ground by a powerful tackle. He blinked once as he watched the ceiling grow distant. With a mighty crash, he landed on the ground with Nick next to him. The force of the impact had thrown his knife from his grasp. He had no idea where it was, but now he was at a disadvantage against the fox.

He tried to roll over, only to be stopped by Nick's knee on his chest. Michael glanced up just in time to see a fist violently crash into his jaw.

Nick continued to punch Michael with all his might, even as the bunny lifted his own paws in defense. Nick was in a state of pure rage. His pupils were mere slits, and his teeth were bared to the world in the most savage way possible. A low growling could be heard emanating from deep in his chest as he attacked Michael. Slowly but surely, Nick's punches turn to swipes as his claws unsheathed. Blood began to spray as he tore into the rabbit's arms and face. Nick couldn't control himself as he leaned down and bit into Michael's ear, pulling as hard as he could.

Judy watched with blurred vision and impaired hearing as the two violently fought in the room. She could barely comprehend the whole thing. One thing she did know was that Nick was winning from the screaming and crying coming from Michael.

Michael began to kick and punch at the savage fox on top of him, but to no avail. Nick tugged and tugged until finally, with a horrible shredding sound and the sickly, sweet scent of blood filling his nostrils, he had torn off half of Michael's ear. The sudden lack of resistance caused Nick to fly off of Michael and land on his back. Scrambling as quickly as possible, he got back on all fours and lunged towards Michael once again. Just as he fell onto the rabbit, who had his back turned turn to him, Michael suddenly turned around, and with a flash of steel, a quick scream of pain could be heard.

Hearing that quick sound of distress was enough for Judy grasp onto reality. "Nick? Nick are you okay?" asked Judy, looking around the room. Her eyes quickly fell onto the still form of Nick lying on top of Michael. Judy was about to call out his name when Nick began to rise. With a smile, she watched as he slowly rose even further. Her smile disappeared, though, as he suddenly flopped onto his side as Michael was now sitting up. He was a disgusting mess. His face and arms were bleeding horribly, and his right eye was missing. Judy watched in horror as he reached over and picked up is dismembered ear. He growled angrily before he pulled his knife from Nick's stomach. Now that he was standing up, the twisted rabbit looked down at his bloody knife and ear. After a second, he tossed his ear to the ground and looked at Judy.

"There isn't much time left. Come here, Judy, it's time for round two!" croaked Michael as he stumbled over and grabbed her by the ears. Judy could do nothing as both her and the chair were dragged down the hall of the apartment. Judy began to scream for help. The pain in her ears thanks to the rough handling was unbearable.

"No! No, please! Don't do what ever you are going to do! Someone help me! NICK, HELP ME!" Michael only laughed as her cries for help fell on deaf ears.

"No one is going to save you! You'll be dead by the time anyone shows up!" barked Michael with a victorious tone.

"Nick, help me! Please, someone help me!" Judy continued to scream as they drew closer to what she assumed was his bedroom.

"Bitch, I said shut the fuck up!" Michael shouted.

BANG

Michael cried out in pain as he fell to his knees, bringing Judy down with him. Judy watched as he held onto the back of his leg and crawled behind her for cover. That did him no good as a flash of orange jumped over her and began to wrestle with him. Judy couldn't see any of the fighting behind her, seeing as she was still immobilized. Instead, she could only listen to the punches being exchanged and the swishing of a blade being swung about. Suddenly, there was a loud crunch of something breaking and a soft thud as a body fell to the floor.

Silence

Silence was all she heard before she suddenly heard someone breathing in her ear.

"Carrots? You okay?"

((((Author's Notes))))

Nick has saved Judy while mutilating Michael in the process.

This had been an intense chapter to write and I do hope you all have enjoyed it as much as me. Again a huge thanks to

Blenderguy15 for agreeing to help edit this chapter AND editing my entire story, chapter by chapter.

I will be taking a couple weeks off to read some stories I have yet to finish. Stories that I have neglected for far to long. XD

Please have a wonderful week!