Howle led them through the backstage area, which was far more crowded than the last time they had come by. The place was full of various stadium staff loitering about, looking nervous. Whether it was prey seeking the safety of a herd, or a predator wanting the protection of a pack, when danger closed in everyone felt safer in a group.
Nick and Judy followed Howle over to a small crowd of crew animals in the back that had gathered around a narrow doorway. A sign above it read: small staff only. Inside was a wooden staircase, dusty and poorly lit. All the animals were watching it warily. Like they expected a monster to appear from the gloom at any moment.
"Where does it lead?" asked Judy.
"It used to lead to the catwalk," said Howle. He said used to because more than twenty planks had been snapped in half, as if whoever had gone up it had put their foot through each step as they went, leaving more than half the staircase unusable and the catwalk itself inaccessible.
"Tibor must be up there," said Nick.
Howle nodded. "That's what I think too. I've asked around, but this is the only way up."
"What about a ladder?"
"They don't have anything tall enough. We could call the fire department to bring us something but…"
But it might not be in time to stop whatever was happening upstairs.
Judy eyed the distance to the first intact step, gauging the height and angle.
"I can make that," she said.
Nick followed the direction of her gaze. His eyes went wide. "You can't be serious. That has to be over twelve feet!"
"I've done fifteen."
"That was for training. There were safety measures in place. Plus, that was straight across. This is up."
"I can make it," Judy insisted.
"Well I can't," snapped Nick. "And there's no way you're going up there without backup."
"I'm better than nothing, which is what Gazelle and Hunter will have if I don't go," Judy pointed out. "You don't really think Tibor went up there alone, do you? They're in danger, Nick."
"And you joining them will help them out—how? Do you have a plan? Information on the situation that I don't have? Because if you do, by all means, enlighten me."
Judy raised her chin. "You know I don't. But we don't have time for any of that. I'll just have to wing it when I get up there."
"Wing it." The words came out faint. "Like how you winged it in the tunnel?"
The words stung. Judy's ears went back. "That was different. I was caught off guard then. I'll be going in prepared this time."
"We must have very different definitions of what constitutes being prepared," said Nick. He looked her over. "You didn't even have your tranq gun with you."
"No…" Judy drew out the word. "But I do have a very clever partner who thought to bring his along." She held out her paw with a guileless smile. "You'll lend me yours, won't you?"
Nick did not soften at compliment or the smile. He turned to Howle in appeal. "You can't agree with this crazy strategy?"
"It's not ideal," the wolf admitted. "However..."
"However?" Judy urged, earning a scowl from Nick.
Howle shot the fox a sympathetic look. "However, I saw the bodies of the security guards. It wasn't pretty. Whatever Tibor has planned, he means business. I don't believe he means to leave Gazelle or Hunter alive."
"All the more reason why Hopps shouldn't go up there alone," snapped Nick.
"All the more reason why I should," said Judy.
They stared at each other in a silent stand-off. From out in the stadium they could hear the growing noise of fans taking their seats: laughter, yipping, and even the occasional excited howl filtered though the many layers of thick curtains and moveable wall dividers. They had no idea of the violence that had already happened just below the stage, or the danger their favorite singer was in.
Judy looked expectantly at Nick.
She saw the moment when the fight went out of him. His whole body seemed to fold in on itself and he sighed, a deep, resigned sound. He pulled out his tranquilizer gun and handed it to her. "At least promise me you'll be careful up there, Carrots."
"Of course I'll be—"
He reached out and cupped her face, drawing her close. His paws were so big they cradled Judy from her cheeks to the base of her skull. She felt engulfed by him, both physically and emotionally. His gaze bored into hers, dark and serious.
"Not like that," said Nick, "I need you to promise me that you will take every precaution up there. That you won't just dive into something without thinking about what could happen to you first."
"I always try to do that."
"But this time I need you to do better than try. I need it to be at the forefront of your mind the entire time. I need you to promise me, Judy. Please, just—" He pressed his forehead to hers, as if he could will her to say the words and mean them.
From the corner of her eye, Judy saw Howle pointedly turn away and start peppering the crew animals with questions.
"I promise." She tried to mean it. She didn't intend to fail; she never did. But they both heard the acknowledgment of the possibility in her voice.
Nick blew out a hard breath and released her. Judy felt his paws fall away and had to stop herself from grabbing them back. She felt bereft and strangely guilty and wasn't sure why. Surely she was making the right decision here? Animals were in danger and she had the ability to try and help. Didn't that mean she had an obligation as an officer to give it her all?
"And what, exactly, do you consider your obligation to Wilde?"
She tried to fling off the unwanted memory, but the small fox's words stuck like a particularly painful burr in her paw.
Nick had turned away from her and was sizing up the broken staircase like a dragon he intended to slay.
"I'll figure out a way up as quickly as I can," he told her, his voice hard with determination. "There might not be a ladder, but if I have to build a new staircase out of costume racks and lightning equipment in order to get up there to you then that's what I'll do."
And if that bravado-laden proclamation wasn't enough, he followed it up with an overlarge smile and a cheesy wink. Still reassuring her, still promising to protect her, still giving her all the freedom she could ever desire even as his every look and gesture screamed his unhappiness.
From out in the stadium animals had begun chanting for Gazelle, a violent tolling sound that said they were running out of time. If Judy was going to do this now was the moment.
Still, she hesitated.
"You can preach from your soapbox about police responsibility all day, but when it comes to sharing your life with a mate you haven't got a clue."
Except Finnick was wrong. That was the most frustrating part about it. If Judy had simply been clueless, how much easier things would be! If someone just had to point out to her what she was missing so she could fix it…
But Judy wasn't clueless. She knew exactly when she was hurting Nick and why. When she took a risk that scared him. When she put her job before "them." She was always intensely, acutely, painfully aware. She was just at a loss as to what she could possibly do differently.
The chanting grew louder, rising in excitement and speed until it was nothing but a senseless roaring. Booming vibrations through the floor announced the arrival of the bigger animals taking their seats. Elephants trumpeted.
Still Judy didn't move.
"Carrots? You all right?"
"I should have planned better." The admission came quietly. If Nick had been any farther away he might not have heard it over the noise of the crowd.
"You never plan for anything," he said, and though he didn't say it like a judgement, for the first time the truth made Judy feel lacking.
"Still, I should have planned for this. It's important. It might be the most important thing. And I knew it would be hard and I still thought I could just go along and everything would turn out okay."
Nick cocked his head at her. "You know you're not making much sense here, right, Carrots? If this little speech is supposed to be making me feel better about you going up there alone then I have to tell you you're missing the mark."
"That's just it. I'm so used to going it alone that even after this long it's the first action I turn to. I can't keep doing that. More importantly… I don't think I should."
She stepped away from the staircase and closer to Nick. The poor fox looked utterly confused now. "What's with this sudden turnaround?"
"Call it… second thoughts? You were right before," said Judy. "I shouldn't face Tibor alone. He will be a tough opponent even in the best of circumstances. I want—I need—my partner there with me." She held out her paw.
Nick looked down at the proffered paw, and Judy saw the surprise and relief that passed over his face as he started to take it. But then doubt clouded his expression and he hesitated. "Are you sure about this, Carrots?"
"When it comes to my partner," said Judy, "I am always sure."
"Thank the Great Turtle." The words came out a whisper. His big paw wrapped around hers, sure and strong, and Judy thought that whatever the outcome, she wouldn't regret this decision.
Together they both looked over at the broken staircase.
"You've already thought of another way up, haven't you?" said Nick.
Judy smiled. He knew her so well. "Maybe."
"I'm not going to like it, am I?"
Her smile widened. "Not at all," she said, because she knew her fox well too.
Nick took a deep breath in and nodded. "Okay. Let's do this."
"Together," she said.
"Together," he agreed.
"I've changed my mind. You go up without me."
"It'll be fine," said Judy. "Francine has great aim. Don't you, Francine?"
The elephant puffed out her chest. "Champion of the javelin throw three years in a row on my track and field team in high school."
"I am not a javelin," said Nick.
"No, you're more like a noisy dart," agreed Francine. "Now hold still, will you? Otherwise you might find yourself crowdsurfing."
Nick went rigid in the grip of the elephant's powerful trunk. He was still muttering curses even as she lifted him up and let him fly.
Luckily, her aim was as good as her word. Nick started to lose speed just as he reached the first set of intact stairs. He grabbed for the solid pieces of wood, caught hold, and pulled himself up.
He was still clinging to the step when Judy landed with a graceful leap beside him a minute later. On instinct, he reached out and caught her by the wrist. But her balance was perfect, of course, and she smiled at him as if his fear of her plummeting to her death was the cutest thing in the world.
She turned and waved down at Francine, Howle, and the growing collection of backstage workers who clapped and whistled like they had just been shown an entertaining trick. Howle shushed them with a growl. "This is serious police business."
Nick forced himself up on wobbly legs. "Okay, now what?"
"Now we go find Tibor."
"Uh-huh. And then what?"
"We, um, catch and arrest him?"
Nick gave a quiet laugh. "You really are terrible at this planning thing."
"It's a work in progress," said Judy. "Now let's go."
She bounded up the stairs, silent and quick as only a bunny could be. Nick followed more carefully behind. The sign above the doorway hadn't lied. This area really wasn't meant for animals over a certain size. The floorboards felt soft beneath Nick's feet. No wonder Tibor had been able to break the stairs so easily.
They reached the upper landing, which stretched out into a network of narrow, rickety walkways that zigzagged above the stage, held up by fraying rope and sketchy metalwork. As loathe as Nick was to agree with Oskar about anything, he had to admit the pallas cat was right that this part of the theater at least had seen better days.
Below them, dozens of spotlights illuminated the stage. Their blinding glow reflected off the glossy floor of the stage and back up into the rafters, rising around them like a strange, artificial dawn, complete with a musty smelling heat that made Nick's nose itch. He did he best to rub the sensation away. The last thing they needed was for him to give away their element of surprise with a sudden fit of sneezing.
Judy tapped Nick's arm and pointed. At the very far edge of the catwalk, directly over the stage, was Tibor, Gazelle, and Hunter.
Nick and Judy took cover behind a dust-caked pile of lighting equipment and took stock: Gazelle and Hunter were lying prone with their wrists and ankles bound. Both were dressed for the stage with Gazelle in sparkling sapphire gauze and Hunter in black sequined lycra. Gazelle's hair had been swept into a tumbled updo that now looked more tumbled than up, and she had one of her legs tucked against her in a way that made Nick think injury. Hunter sported signs of abuse too, with significant swelling around his left eye, and his tail, sheathed as he'd said it would be in more glittery spandex, bent at an unnatural angle that made Nick's stomach turn.
But the most distressing thing of all was the coil of rope tied around each of their necks.
Tibor had his back to Nick and Judy. His shoulders were hunched, his movements fast and jerky as he bent to check Gazelle's and Hunter's bindings, adjust the tightness of their nooses, or peek over the railing at the swelling crowd below. He didn't speak to Gazelle or Hunter, who seemed docile enough that Nick wondered if they had been drugged or beaten far worse than they first appeared. The only sounds came from the animals below, the groan of the floorboards as Tibor went about his preparations, and the hyena's own quiet panting.
Nick had a moment to hope that perhaps his former colleague—former friend—was anxious. That maybe he could still be talked down, made to see that what he was doing was wrong. But then Tibor leaned over the railing again, his face caught full in the glow from the spotlights, and Nick felt his hope turn to ash like a paper scrap in a bonfire. Because the expression that illuminated his face wasn't one of nervousness, but excitement. His lips were turned up in a smile, and there was a crazy light in his eyes that had nothing to do with the spotlights. This was not a creature conflicted by moral doubt.
This was not a friend he could save.
Beside him, Judy started to pull out the tranquilizer gun, but Nick covered it with his paw and shook his head. Tibor was too big, too determined, and too close to the edge of the catwalk. The sedative wouldn't work fast enough to drop him before he dropped Gazelle and Hunter first.
Judy looked at Nick in silent question. Nick mimed a noose and pointed up into the darkness of the rafters where Gazelle's and Hunter's ropes were tied. First, they needed to remove the threat of hanging.
He pointed at himself and then Tibor, and then at Judy and the rafters. I'll distract Tibor. You climb up and untie the ropes.
But Judy shook her head and waved a paw in front of her face, then gestured up. It took Nick a second to figure out what she was trying to get across. The lighting was poor. It would be even poorer higher up. And Judy was brilliant at many things, but seeing in the dark was not one of them.
She then did some pointing of her own: Herself, Tibor; Nick, rafters.
It was a valid plan B.
Nick hated it.
Judy laid a paw on his arm. She waited until he met her eyes, then pointed at herself and made a "cross my heart" gesture over her chest.
It was ridiculous that she thought such a silly gesture in the face of real danger would make him feel better.
It was ridiculous how much it worked.
He pointed a claw at her in warning, just so she knew he wasn't a complete pushover. She rolled her eyes and shoved him away, and Nick pretended not to see the smile she shot him. He slipped off into the darkness and started to climb.
Judy waited until Nick was a shadow in the rafters before turning her attention to Tibor. The hyena had returned to watching the stadium. His wide mouth was pulled back into an unnerving smile as he surveyed the animals below. The sheer glee in his expression was terrifying.
Time to put a stop to this.
Judy stepped out from behind her dusty bit of cover and purposely let her feet scuff over the floorboards.
Tibor whipped around, claws extended and teeth bared. If Judy had been within reaching distance she felt sure he would have slashed first and not bothered with questions later. Even in the gloom with her poor vision she could see the blood that caked the front of his uniform. Her stomach flipped and she had to swallow back the grief that rose in her throat. He hadn't just killed those security guards. He had slaughtered them.
Tibor spotted her immediately. It was a chilling reminder for Judy that hyenas were famously known for their superior night vision.
His grin widened at the sight of her. "Hopps."
Judy inclined her head fractionally. "Tibor."
His gaze snapped to the darkness behind her, then to the left and right, searching. "Where's Wilde?"
"Still stuck in traffic, I'm sure," Judy lied. "He just went to visit a classmate of yours. Your secret's out, Tibor. Everyone knows it was you."
Inexplicably, this caused him to laugh. That high-pitched, yipping giggle raised the fur along Judy's spine.
"Did I say something funny?"
Tibor shook his head, shoulders still shaking. From below, the howls of several excited wolves rose up, reverberating off the metal ceiling above them.
"It's almost time," Tibor told her. "For Nick's sake, I'll give you one last chance to run. Fair warning though: once I'm done up here, I'm coming after you."
"For Nick's sake? You honestly expect me to believe you still care about Nick's feelings?"
"Of course I care." The hyena sounded offended. "I'm his friend."
"You're joking."
The manic grin finally faltered. He looked at her cooly. "I understand him better than you ever will. We come from the same background. We face the same prejudices. We know how the world really works. How unfair it is."
Behind him, the rope from Gazelle's noose went slack, and then fell with a quiet whumph onto the wooden boards.
"The world is unfair to all of us," said Judy. "That's why it's so important that we keep fighting. To make things better."
"For once I'm in complete agreement with you. It's why I've worked so hard at this."
"Meting out your own brand of justice on those who don't conform to your personal beliefs is not how we make the world a better place," argued Judy. "Who gave you the right?"
Tibor smacked his chest. Flakes of blood broke off and floated down like mutilated feathers. "I gave myself the right. That the whole point! And once I've proven myself, then he'll see."
"Killing animals won't prove anything to Nick besides that you're sick," said Judy.
Tibor cocked his head in confusion. "I'm not doing this convince Nick of anything. I know I'll need a different approach when it comes time to make him see. But I'll get there eventually. He's too smart a fox not to realize the truth. And you'll be long gone by then, so that will make things easier too."
Judy felt her temper flare. Not because of the casualness with which he spoke of her impending death, but of his confidence that he could get Nick to join him in committing such atrocities.
"Nick will never be part of your pack, with or without me around."
"We'll see," was all Tibor said.
At that moment the lights started flashing, off-on, off-on. A signal for the audience to take their seats. Apparently no one had remembered to tell the workers over in the tech booth that things had gone awry. Each flash sent Judy's world from pitch black to gloom and back. She grabbed the handrail as vertigo swept her and her balance tilted.
Tibor adjusted his blood-soaked cuffs. "That's a good enough cue as any," he said. "Last chance to run, rabbit."
Hunter's noose wobbled and then dropped. Judy dared not risk so much as a glance upwards. Inwardly though, she cheered. Now she just needed to hold out until Nick could get back down to her. Then they would figure out a way to turn the tables somehow…
The tiger stirred the second the noose went lax around his throat. Very gently, he began nudging Gazelle with his nose. But while he seemed to have been feigning unconsciousness, the signer appeared to be genuinely groggy. She rolled onto her side with a quiet moan, tucking her hurt leg in tighter.
Tibor started to glance back. Judy rushed forward. "Stop this!"
The hyena looked back at her, one eyebrow raised. The sight of a charging bunny probably looked comical to him. Judy was more concerned with how close she had gotten. There was barely a tail's length between them now. But she didn't retreat. She raised herself to her full high, ears erect, demanding the hyena's full attention.
"Killing me won't help you get away," she told him. "There will be at least a dozen officers waiting for you below and the only one way down. There's no escape."
"Escape was never part of the plan," said Tibor, as if she were missing the obvious. "Once I finish killing these two I will be turning myself in. It will be a completely peaceful process."
"And killing me, of course," Judy added.
There was that creepy grin again. "Of course."
That seemed to be all there was to say. Still there was no sign of Nick. Tibor watched her, a bloody specter in the dark, blinking in and out of existence as the lights continue to flash. Judy cast around for something else to say to keep him distracted.
"Why have you been trying to kill me?"
Tibor shook his head. "You're just stalling now. Run if you want; grilling me won't save you."
She was stalling, just not for the reason he thought. "On the contrary, I think I have a right to know why you''ve been so set on killing me."
"I haven't been trying to kill you," Tibor denied. "Those were just warnings before. I give everyone a warning. But I'm not surprised you didn't listen. Few do."
"So because I didn't listen you've decided to kill me?"
Tibor shrugged. "I can't let you get away with what you've been doing just because you're partners with a friend of mine."
"And what have I been doing?"
Tibor snarled at her. "You know exactly what you've been doing. Putting strange thoughts into Nick's head, ruining his true nature. He'll be far better off without you."
"Your sense of altruism is staggering. Truly."
He waggled a claw at her. "Sarcasm doesn't become you. Still, I will admit it's not just about upholding my moral code and freeing a good friend from a toxic relationship. There's a selfish reason mixed in there too."
"And that is?"
Tibor gestured to her, a sweeping motion that encompassed everything from the tips of her ears to her fuzzy toes. "It's you."
"What does that mean?"
"You're the favored officer of the ZPD. Zootopia's hero. The preys' sweetheart bunny. Killing you will impress him more than all my other achievements combined."
"Impress who?"
"I'm afraid that's a secret you won't get to find out. Still, you should be thanking me for sparing you this long. I really have let my mouth run away with me. You always were easy to talk to. I will miss that."
Judy felt the shift in him. She was going to have to run. Still, she tried one last time. "Tibor, don't."
"Sorry, rabbit," said Tibor.
And then he pulled out a gun and shot her.
Nick had been trying to find his way back down when he heard the shot. The sound exploded off the rafters like shrapnel; freezing his steps, freezing his heart.
Through the crisscross of beams and rope and shadows he saw Judy. She stumbled back, yanking something out of her shoulder and tossing it away: a tranquilizer dart.
Nick forced himself to breath again. It was just a dart. Not a bullet. There was still time…
But not much. Already the sedative was starting to take effect. Judy's movements became wobbly as she backed away from the advancing hyena. Each lurching step sent her teetering dangerously close to the catwalk's rusted railings.
Tibor took one shuffling step after her at a time. If they had been on the ground, he would already have been able to pounce. But the catwalk was too fragile for an animal as heavy as he was to go leaping across it. Nick still had time to do… something.
Nick spared a precious moment to look back at Hunter and Gazelle. The tiger had already chewed through the rope binding his and Gazelle's wrists and removed their nooses. Gazelle leaned heavily against him. Her delicate features were pulled tight in pain as she clutched her leg. Blood stained her dress. When Hunter lifted the delicate fabric, Nick could see the break in the bone even from so high above.
As if he sensed Nick's gaze, Hunter looked up. He met Nick's eyes and swung a decisive paw in Judy's direction. Go.
Nick didn't have the luxury of doubting him. He took off across the metal rafters, nearly slipping twice in his haste.
Below, Judy tripped and went down. When it was clear she wasn't going to be able to get herself back up, she rolled onto her back and yanked out the tranquilizer gun she had taken from Nick. She fumbled it, caught the weapon and swung it up just as Tibor reached for her.
She fired off a shot.
The hyena let out a fur-raising shriek and threw his head back, his great claws scrabbling to pull out the dart now embedded in his left eye.
Judy half-crawled, half threw herself behind the pile of lighting equipment that had served as their hiding place not ten minutes before.
Tibor had gotten hold of the dart, and with a pained howl, pulled it from his eye. He took off along the catwalk, his furious steps sending up squeals of protest from the thin wood planks. He was ten seconds away from reaching Judy. Seven seconds… five…
Nick watched in growing horror. There was nothing he could do from so high up, and there wasn't time to get down. If only he had some sort of weapon, or even just something he could throw…
That's when he noticed the sandbags. There were dozens of them all along the rafters. Counterweights and spares, poorly-maintained or forgotten entirely.
They would have to do.
Nick made his way over to the nearest one, took aim, and shoved.
The sandbag whistled down, striking the hyena across the back and sending his right foot crashing through the floorboard. He pitched forward but caught himself against the railing. The whole thing squealed and buckled, and Tibor straightened away from it, yanking his leg free. He shuffled away from the compromised spot. Fresh blood matted the fur on his leg.
He looked up at the rafters, paw cupped over his injured eye. "Is it you up there, Wilde? It is, isn't it? Come down. We don't need to do it like this."
"You're right." Nick pulled out his cuffs and tossed them down. They landed with a clatter in front of Tibor. "Get on your knees and cuff yourself. Then we can end all of this right now."
Tibor looked down at the cuffs. "If it will make you feel better, then of course I will do as you say." He looked up at Nick. "But I have to finish my job here first."
He whipped back around and started as fast as he dared towards where he had left Gazelle and Hunter. When he saw them standing there, awake and free of their bindings, true rage flashed across his face. He increased his pace, the boards bending with every step. Nick ran for the next sandbag and pushed it over.
This time the hyena was prepared for it. Sharp claws flashed and the sandbag exploded in a shower of gritty rain. The hyena howled as particles got in his injured eye and he shook his head in an effort to clear his vision.
It was all the distraction they needed. Gazelle reached up and wrapped her arms around Hunter's neck. In a flash he had scooped her up into his arms and darted off into the shadowy maze of footbridges.
Tibor spun around with snarl. "None of you are getting out of here without going through me first!" he shouted at them. "So you might as well come and face the music now." He abruptly broke out into a fit of yipping giggles. "Get it? Music? We're at a concert? I'm about to snuff a singer? Come on! I thought that was pretty good."
A clatter came from Judy's hiding place as a single dart rolled across the catwalk. Apparently she had been attempting to reload the tranquilizer gun. Tibor ran for her, no longer being careful with his speed. Nick threw down another sandbag and this time Tibor caught it. The boards below his feet made a noise of distress and he tossed the heavy bag away quickly. He kept going.
Above him, Nick flew across the rafters. There was another sandbag across the way but the angle was bad and the next closest one was too far.
Tibor reached Judy's hiding place. Nick shouted a warning and Judy leapt drunkenly away just as Tibor grabbed for her. Lighting equipment scattered. Tibor landed hard on his stomach and the whole floor bowed. He made a wild swipe for Judy, those long claws catching her in the side. Judy cried out.
Nick didn't think. He grabbed a coil of rope, checked that the end was tied off, and jumped.
The dusty air stung his eyes, but Nick kept them open, trying to aim as best he could while freefalling.
He landed directly on Tibor's back. The floor below the hyena gave with a deafening crack. Tibor yelped and tried to roll to safety, but the break extended too far and he fell through.
Judy, too, got caught in the collapse. Nick grabbed for her as she started to slide down. It wasn't a gentle or graceful move. He threw out paw and managed to grab a clawful of the back of her shirt. He yanked her as securely against him as he could. With his other paw he held tight to the rope. But they were still falling, the rope continuing to unspool at an ever-increasing speed.
The world went white as they fell beneath the beams of over a hundred spotlights. The momentary blindness spared Nick from seeing Tibor hit the stage, but he still heard it. The crunching thud. The silence that followed. Nick pulled Judy's limp body closer and thought: This is it.
The rope snapped taut. Something popped in Nick's shoulder and fire burned through his paw as the rope was ripped from his grip. He hit the floor feet first, bolts of pain shooting up his legs as momentum sent him sprawling across the stage floor.
Nick lay there, trying to breath through the pain that seemed to emanate from every part of his body. Not one inch of him didn't hurt. His shoulder was a throbbing drum of agony, and his paw felt like he had stuck it in a fire and cooked it for five hours. His right arm didn't feel right; it didn't hang right. Just looking at it made Nick feel ill. He had never in his life wanted to pass out so badly. The option was there. He could feel it hovering on the edges of his mind, waiting for him to give in to it. But then he remembered: Judy.
She lay just out of reach on her side, unmoving. The sight was terrifying enough to get Nick up and moving. Clutching his messed up arm, he tried to rise, but putting weight on his feet was like trying to walk on a floor made of electrified needles. Instead he half-dragged, half-scooted himself those precious few inches over to his partner's side. With his good paw he tried to check her over for injuries. There was a good-sized lump already beginning to grow near her temple where she had struck her head, and she moaned when he touched her left wrist, but nothing stood out to him as needing emergency first aid. Her side where Tibor had slashed at her was bleeding but the cut looked shallow. Already the edges had started to clot. Her breathing was sluggish, but that could be from the sedative.
Nick ran a paw over her belly, checking for any signs of internal damage. Her eyes fluttered. Blown pupils struggled to focus on him. "Did we… stop him?"
Nick spared a glance at the unmoving mound on the other side of the stage, crumpled beyond hope. The was a surreality to the sight that Nick didn't yet know how to process. He had never killed anyone in the line of duty before. And though he wanted to say that it hadn't been his intention, that he hadn't thought past protecting Judy and the others, admitting he had killed someone thoughtlessly didn't make him feel any better.
Not just someone. Tibor.
Nick shook the thought away. Later. He would think about that later. Now he needed to get Judy help. Get himself help. Where were all the other officers? Surely they had heard what had happened from backstage?
"Shot," Judy slurred, rubbing a clumsy paw over the spot where the tranquilizer dart had struck her. "Dumb… Got too close."
"Just relax," said Nick, catching her paw. "Do you hurt anywhere?"
Judy jerked her head. "Li'l bit. Mostly just… sleepy."
"Then sleep."
But even as he said it, the stadium started to buzz with the whisperings of thousands of mammals as the shock of what they had just witnessed started sinking in.
—What is going on?
—This can't be part of the show, can it?
—Did that hyena really just die on stage?
—Where is Gazelle?
—Is that Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde?
—Should someone call an ambulance?
Nick tried to ignore it all. Just staying upright was enough of an effort right now. As far as he was concerned, his job was over. Let Howle or someone else take over soothing the frightened crowd.
But then someone in the audience screamed. Adrenaline shot through Nick's exhausted body and he whipped around, wondering if he yelled at them to be quiet if they would hear him without a microphone.
Then he saw what had made them scream. Nick's stomach dropped.
Tibor was moving. No, he was getting up. Those long claws scrapping across the wood as he fought to rise. Blood flow freely from his head. The entire right side of his face was covered in it. Something was wrong with his jaw. It looked crooked. His sharp fangs were exposed in a way that was unnatural. Pink saliva hung in ropey strands from the corners of his mouth as fought to breathe.
"—ruined it… you ruined it…" The words came out thick, garbled, and angry. "After e-everything I did… you and tha' bunny…"
Nick moved in front of Judy protectively. "You have to stop now, Tibor. It's over. All you're doing now is making your injuries worse. Stand down so we can help you."
"Help me?" Tibor let out a whine, ragged and raw. He clutched at his chest. it was oddly sunken. Nick could see the white points of bone sticking through the gray speckled fur.
"If you want to help… T-then move. I can still… finished this. I can still show him…"
Judy's small paws were suddenly at Nick's back, weakly pushing at him. Did she really think he would leave her there and save himself? Dumb bunny.
With his good paw Nick reached behind him and caught her paws in his, stilling her.
"I'm not letting you have Judy," said Nick. "That's just not going to happen."
"She's just some hare-brained—"
"My partner."
"A n-nuisance."
"You're not getting her."
Judy's paws went limp on his. Her head lolled against his back. Nick told himself it was just the tranquilizer. Nothing more.
"Why?" The question came out a wheeze. Blood bubbled at the corners of the hyena's mouth.
"You know why."
"Say it!" The words were shrieked through torn muscles and punctured lungs, blind rage giving them a strength they had no right to have.
"Because I love her," said Nick. He bared his teeth in a fierce smile. "I guess that puts us both on your hit list now."
Tibor shook his head, flinging blood and spit. "It's a mistake…"
"No, it's the best choice I've ever made," said Nick. "You're the one who's made the mistake. I can only hope you live long enough to realize that."
"Left me… no choice."
"You still have all the choice you need," said Nick, but Tibor was already starting towards them. He couldn't straighten all the way, forcing him to stay on all fours. His breathing was growing more labored, a wet sucking sound that made Nick feel like choking just by listening to it.
"Have to... kill you both."
"Stop being an idiot and listen to me for once!" Nick shouted. Still the hyena didn't slow.
Nick released Judy and angled himself as best he could to defend against the incoming attack. He had one working arm and enough strength, maybe, for one last fight. It was going to hurt like a beast, but if he managed to time things right, with Tibor in the condition that he was, there was at least a small chance Nick could win...
Heavy steps suddenly pounded across the stage, and Nick sent up a prayer of thanks. Backup to the rescue. Finally. And in the form of Officer McHorn, if Nick were to guess by the distinctive tread.
"Took you long enough," Nick started to say. But then he caught sight of the approaching figure and realized that while he had been right about it being a rhino, he had been very wrong about which rhino.
It wasn't Officer McHorn.
It was the rhino from the fight club.
Looks like Tibor is going to have to get in line, Nick thought as the hyena froze at the sight of the charging rhino. But whatever small amount of satisfaction Nick took in seeing Tibor's final plans sabotaged was quickly drowned in a wave of inevitability. Because whether it was hyena or rhino, Nick could no longer fool himself into believing that he and Judy were going to survive this.
He turned and pulled Judy against him. It was awkward with only one arm and it hurt, but he'd be damned if he was going to leave her undefended in their final moments. Her sleeping form sagged against him and Nick was grateful she had at least been granted this one small mercy. He curled himself around her as best he could and prayed for a miracle that at least she somehow might live.
Out of the corner of Nick's eye he saw a blur of white and gray explode from the backstage curtain and streak towards them. Howle to the rescue at last.
But it was too little, too late. He reached them just as the rhino was closing in. With no time for anything else, he threw himself between the pair and the rhino, his teeth bared and hackles raised, as if one lone wolf was somehow going to be able to stop five thousand pounds of charging muscle. Nick didn't even have time to call him crazy—or thank him for trying.
The rhino blew by them like a rocket. Nick felt the gust of air as he barreled past and had a moment of utter confusion—how could he have possibly missed them?—But then he realized.
He looked around just in time to watch the rhino slam into Tibor at full force, lifting the broken hyena off his feet and sending him flying backwards off the stage. Nick never even heard the impact over all the screams.
A lot of things happened at once then.
More officers rushed onto the stage. McHorn, Francine, and Chief Bogo all tackled the unresisting rhino and cuffed him. Officer Delgato read him his rights. The rhino made no attempt to struggle or speak the entire time.
Theater workers appeared in the stands and began escorting the audience out one row at a time.
EMT's came. They swarmed around Nick and Judy until Nick could no longer see the edge of the stage where Tibor had gone over.
"Tibor too," he said, shaking off the paws the gently tried to push him down. "You need to go help Tibor too. His injuries are far more serious than mine."
"Someone is already down there taking care of it." This came from Howle.
It. Not him. Nick felt himself bristling. "Just one? He needs way more help than that. Stop touching me!" he snapped as a lemur tried to inspect his injured arm. "Go help Tibor. I can wait—"
"Wilde, you're in shock," said Howle. "Calm down and let them look at you."
"But Tibor—"
"Can't be helped," said the wolf, not unkindly. "Not anymore."
Nick wasn't consciously aware of trying to move until he felt pain flare up his legs. The EMT's all made noises of alarm and started to reach for him, but they were prey animals in the end and he was a fox, and one snarled, "Don't touch me!" had them all shrinking back.
All except for Howle. The wolf caught him by his good arm and yanked him back, jostling Nick's bad shoulder and sending a wave of pain-induced nausea through him. "I understand you're upset. But causing a scene isn't going to help. What are you trying to do?"
"I need to see."
"Seeing won't make you feel better," said Howle. "You need to—"
"Help me or let go," said Nick. "I'm not going to ask twice."
"You're not asking now," the wolf pointed out, but he helped Nick get to his feet.
It was bearable. Just.
With Howle's support Nick hobbled across the stage. The rhino had been taken away, leaving only officers to finishing making notes and taking evidence of the scene. They shot Nick looks as he passed but he ignored them. All his focus was on that single point beyond the edge of the stage.
There was an EMT there, just as Howle had said, along with a few other officers and stadium crew members who had been tasked with clearing the audience from the immediate area.
And then there was Tibor. Until the coroner saw him, they wouldn't know if the official cause of death had been impalement by horn or a broken neck from the fall. Either way, Howle had been right. Tibor couldn't be helped by anyone. Not anymore.
The wolf had been right about one other thing as well: Seeing it didn't make Nick feel any better.
"Did you find Gazelle and Hunter?"
"They're on their way to the hospital as we speak."
"Gazelle's leg…"
"You should be worrying about your own legs right now," said Howle. "And your arm. You know it's dislocated right?"
"Hadn't noticed."
Howle muttered something under his breath. "Wait here. I'll have them grab you a stretcher."
He waited like he expected Nick to argue, but honestly the idea of walking back sounded like torture, and all Nick felt now was tired.
Before going, Howle helped him to sit. When the wolf still lingered, Nick said, "I promise I won't go anywhere."
"It's not that," said the wolf.
"Then what?"
"We could hear you up there, you know. On the catwalk. Your voices echoed."
"So at least the acoustic here work," said Nick. "Score one for the theater."
"The way Tibor was talking, it sounded like he was working for someone."
"More like he wanted to work for someone."
"Do you have any idea who he meant?" asked Howle.
Nick looked down at the body of what had once been his partner, and possibly, in his own twisted way, his friend.
"No. But I intend to find out."