Chapter 25

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Racing towards the stairs, and the doorway they came in through, Nick felt the cries and screams begin to call down thick and fast. Here, there and everywhere, the residents were reacting to his presence and, while half of them were cowering in fear from the Con-Fox in their midst, the other half were ready to get some glory. Hoof beats began ringing out across the complex, racing across the access decks as angry Rams and hot headed Billy goats began charging towards him, ready to serve some rough justice. Nick needed them out of the way, fast, and he knew just how to do it. Diving into his pocket, his paw grasped the hard plastic inside and held it aloft into the air, easily visible as evident from the horrified screams coming out from the crowd.

"That's right ladies and gents! I'm as collarless as the day I was born!" Nick eagerly shouted, as he swung the Wolf's collar around for all to see.

Racing down the two flights of stairs to the level of the back door, the path had been cleared as the former vigilantes', now terrified at the prospect of facing an 'essentially savage' predator, fled back into the safety of their houses and locked their doors shut. Skidding around a corner, Nick saw the exit door coming up a stone's throw away, only for it to be blocked as a hulking Ram planted himself in front of it, holding up a heavy chair in front of him as if he were a lion tamer. Bulging out, evident even through his thick wool, his limbs were covered with thick muscles and his head sported two thick horns that curved out and terminated in a set of viciously sharp points, while a black eyepatch covered one of his eyes. The other one fixed intently on Nick, its strange oblong iris scanning the creature in front of him hatefully. Screams and cries were raining out from up above, imploring him to flee and to save himself, yet all he did was stand and laugh.

"He's Bluffing! That Chomper's still got his coll…." He began to shout, only to be cut short as Judy's legs smashed into his face, knocking him onto the back wall and out cold. Nick, with nothing blocking his path anymore, carried on running and shot out of the door with Judy in tow, while furious cries rang out from behind.

"Doug's right boys!"

"He's still got a collar on!"

"That one must be a spare!"

"Let's get him!"

The mob was back, and now they were clued up there was no chance of playing the same trick again. As he turned the corner and began racing back towards the rope bridge, Nick glanced over his shoulder to see them charged out into the open, various improvised weapons in hooves.

"Take my hand!" Judy suddenly shouted, thrusting her arm out invitingly. Nick didn't think twice about taking it, most of his mental energy desperately trying to keep his fear and excitement in check, his collar shining dangerously orange as it was. He did have second thoughts, however, when she led him past the bridge and towards the ledge.

"Don't tell me we're going to jump!"

"WE'RE GOING TO JUMP!"

"Carrots…."

Before he could finish the sentence, they were at the drop and both leaping out into the void. Rising up, Nick felt himself begin to plummet as the second building, which they were rapidly approaching, rose up to meet them. His paw pads slammed down onto the soft ground and he felt himself tip over, entering a bone shaking roll as he slowed to a halt, finally stopping inches from the deadly precipice with one arm hanging out limply into the void. Not wanting to look down after what he just did, Nick scurried away from the cliff and set his eyes on Judy, before his legs buckled and he almost collapsed from the stress.

"Nick! We've got to keep going!" Judy desperately urged, as she got up as well, before starting to racing on.

But Nick was kneeling weakly on the floor, head thrown down and panting hard, while he weakly muttered out a set of words, attempting to make them calming but failing badly as they came out tired and tense. "Keep calm, happy thoughts; keep calm, happy thoughts; keep calm, happy…"

"Nick! We have to go!"

His ears shot back from the order, and he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he repeated the same words faster and faster. "Keep calm, happy thoughts; keep calm…"

"NICK!"

He snapped, his eyes opening and fixing themselves fiercely on his friend. "ARE YOU TRYING TO BUZZ ME…" ZAP… Judy winced as Nick yelped sharply in pain, before surging forward and holding out a friendly paw. Slapping his paw into hers, the trembling Fox rose up and shook his head to clear his thoughts, collar going down to green as he looked up and smiled; before it beeped up to yellow again as a loud thud rang out from behind them.

"Leave the Bunny alone Fox! Then I'll only beat up you badly!" screamed a large ram who was kneeling by the edge, his anger radiating from him as he was joined by several other sheep, each one having taken the jump.

"Carrots, we have to go!"

Turning away and running forward once more, Nick and Judy began racing along the pathway as it snaked around the second building, hugging the wall as they ran downwards, fast approaching a third tower.

"Get onto the fire escape!" Judy called out, and this time Nick didn't think twice when he grabbed her hand, nor when they leapt. Sailing through the air, they hit the cold metal balcony hard, the iron grating cutting into their paws while their heads and torsos slammed against the stone wall with a sickening thud, before they shook themselves out of their daze and got to their feet again. Before the first ram even had a chance of making a leap, the two were rapidly descending the long chain of ladders and stairs, ground level rapidly approaching. However, the entire structure was shaking as hooves marched down above them, the mob of angry sheep catching up fast.

"Jesus Capybara, where's Honey when you need her!" Nick cursed under his breath as he leapt down yet another set of stairs, fast approaching the end of the long chain of walkways, located next to a fast flowing river.

"I know, is there anything that will stop them?" Judy agreed.

"What about water?" Nick suddenly suggested, as they finally reached ground level, the cold moorland of up above giving way to a thick layer of cloud forest that hid them from view.

"What… No!" Judy replied, immediately catching on to Nick's plan as they raced away from the stairs, towards the rush of the river regardless of her concerns.

"Got any better idea?"

"…."

"I'll take it as a no then, but I need you to share my shocks!"

"What?" Judy asked incredulously, desperate for clarification.

"Stick your hand under my collars shocker and hold tight!"

Reaching the edge of the river, Judy looked up and down for any alternative, but with no conveniently placed logs which they could use to cross before kicking in, she gave up and went for it. Jumping up into Nick's arms and their vice like grip, Judy thrust her hand between his collar and neck, before he took the leap.

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The water took them immediately, dragging them along before they even had a chance to register its mercilessly cold embrace. Kicking with his legs while paddling with a spare arm, Nick tried to keep the duo upright, struggling to make sure that Judy's head never went under more than it needed too. However, a sudden hit from a jagged rock slammed both of them sideways, sending them tumbling through the freezing water. Before they could right themselves, they hit another rock, and then another, bouncing around like pinballs as they were rapidly carried along. Each hit knocked more breath out of them and tore at their frigid muscles, each one still trying desperately hard to do its duty and hold onto each other tight. Breathing was now a matter of seizing the opportunity, taking in a rapid breath when you were in the air and sealing your lungs shut before you were dragged under or tumbled around once more. The assaults kept on coming on and on, remorselessly stabbing and punching until it was finally over and they entered a clear part of the river. Still tumbling, even after they left the squalls and rapids, it took every last little strain of effort for Nick to right themselves once more, both mammals' heads finally sticking out of the water as they sped onwards, desperately trying to catch their breath.

"Hey… Fluff… just orange… seems like… I didn't need you!" Nick hoarsely joked, each raw word spoken out between the deep breaths that were attempting to quell the fire coursing through his oxygen starved lungs.

"Good for you," Judy managed to reply, face awash with relief as she pulled out her hand and began stroking Nicks head, her paw fussing the fur on his crown and stroking up the outside of his ears. However, as her ears picked up a distant rumbling, that relief, along with Nick's, instantly vanished as the two look forward with horror. "You've really done it this time Sliiiiiiiiiiiiick!" she screamed, the nickname dragging out into a terrified cry as the two fell over the lip of a huge waterfall, dragged down with the remorselessly falling water. Plummeting with the massive cascade, Judy managed to straighten up into a jumping position while Nick flailed around screaming, his body lighting up electric blue as multiple Zaps… rang out. The sounds, almost drowned out by the roar of the water entering the plunge pool, were silenced as the two mammals hit the water with a splash and a massive crash. Bar the glinting moonlight, nothing disturbed the waves and mist on top of the pool for several seconds until Judy burst out, rising to the surface while desperately scanning around, her mouth trembling with utter horror.

"Nick! Nick! NICK!" she screamed, her ears scanning around as they desperately sought out a reply, finally twitching into position when they heard the weak pleading.

"Help…"

Her eyes set on a red blur, weakly paddling as it struggled to keep itself out of the water, before she swam forward to his rescue.

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The rain was falling again by the time the two made it to the shore. Taking the lead, Judy hauled Nick by his shoulder as he crawled limply out of the river, water running off his clothes and suit as he did so. Slowly getting up onto his feet, trembling as they took his load, he strolled over to the shelter of a large palm leaf, hunkering down in the relative dry as the water poured down remorselessly around him. Looking down at his father's suit, torn and stained and water logged, he couldn't help but chuckle at the mess he had made. Holding up the fabric to his eye, carefully scanning to see if it was salvageable or not, he was snapped back to attention as Judy threw herself onto the floor behind him, before pouting glumly.

"What's the matter fluff?" Nick cheerily asked, looking over his shoulder to see the depressed Bun.

"We failed…" she slowly muttered, "I've been trying to work out the causes of the savage attacks for months. Heck, I thought I'd found it for a minute or two with your amusement park thing…"

"The one and only Wild Times you mean?" came the smug, boastful reply, before Nick quickly finished off with a rushed addendum, "trademarked to Nicholas P Wilde productions…"

Judy rolled her eyes and looked away, staring at the ground as she began shouting out with frustration, arms wildly gesturing out as she did. "But this Wolf guy, with his changeable accents and poison gun… he was the culprit and no-one had any idea! And I finally track him down and find all the evidence, and get discovered before I can call in the cops! We could have ended this tonight! The cops come in and find all this, then you're free and everyone's happy! But no! We have to get found out and chased down by a mob of Sheep, and you almost drowned, you idiot!"

"An idiot who got us away from said mob," Nick calmly replied, as he leant over and put a reassuring paw on Judy's shoulder. A small smile, but a warm and genuine one, grew on his face as he saw the tension and anger release from Judy's muscles, as she turned round to smile at him. "… and a Bunny who did find out the truth and who shouldn't be beating herself up so hard. Who's sitting there, looking at me with that 'I'm going to kill you' stare, her nose breaking the twitching record and… Finnick was right, I am so tempted to say the C word right now! Must resist…!."

Judy barely stifled a laugh as Nick joked out, before shaking her head and looking sadly down at the ground again. "But we're back the square one, and we've lost our only lead."

"Shame," Nick agreed, nodding as his paw dived into his pocket and fished out the Wolf's collar, "without it, how will we ever keep this piece of trash charged!"

Judy's eyes opened up and brightened, while her ears shot up to attention, as she trembled with excitement at the evidence in front of him. "He's trapped!" she exclaimed as she took the collar from him, "he can't go out in public anymore, and all we need to do is call the police on him and he's had it!"

"Even if that fails, I've got a loud of wet documents and stuff in here," Nick added as he patted his breast pocket, "there's got to be something incriminating in there!"

"Exactly, let's get back to Honey's place and sift through everything," Judy eagerly suggested as she got back onto her feet and began walking off, Nick following in tow. "Our little incident up there should throw the sniffers right off!"

"Yup!" Nick agreed, "Even I couldn't follow a scent trail after that! Let's just find a way to get across town incognito..."

A sudden snap from the side stopped the two in their tracks, Nick's collar going orange as the pair slowly turned their heads to face the sound. There was another snap, then a loud crack, while a set of heavy footsteps and the sound of rustling vegetation got closer. Looking up, Judy motioned for Nick to get behind her as she grabbed a bottle of Fox-repellent from her belt and held it up, ready and waiting. The noises got closer, the vegetation in front of them shaking, before the head of a large black bear poked out. He quickly glanced sideways, before he looked down and registered the two mammals, his eyes widening and collar beeping orange as he recognised them!

"Wilde!?" he exclaimed, as the Fox in question stood up and smiled.

"The one and only!" Nick proudly replied, with his signature wide grin and two thumbs up.

"You look rough man; I saw your collar go off as you fell down that waterfall! I'm just glad you're alive…" he said, voice filled with relief, before he paused and pointed a finger at Judy. "Although, we might not be for much longer with her around!"

"She's good, she's good!" Nick immediately reassured, planting himself between the Bear and Judy while holding out his paws defensively to keep him off. "Both of us know that someone is turning Predators savage; we need to get to a safe place to sort out our evidence."

The Bear backed off, pausing for a moment as he mulled over the proposition. "My car is nearby, I can drive you to anywhere within the district, no questions asked," he said, fishing out his keys juggling them in a paw for emphasis before dropping them back in a trouser pocket, smiling as he did so.

"Fantastic!" Judy exclaimed, giving a mock salute as she walked forward. "It seems like something is finally going OK for a…."

She never got to finish her sentence, interrupted the loud thud of something hitting the Bear's head at speed, sending him tumbling backwards to the ground. Judy raced forward to assist him, trying to see what was wrong, only to be grabbed tight by a terrified Nick, who began dragging her away.

"Nick! He needs help!" she screamed, but he didn't care. He knew those symptoms; he'd seen them play out on a bear not too unlike the one in front of him. The deep ragged breath that went in and out rapidly, straining to fill hungry lungs. The trembling and twitching of the limbs as the mind lost control. The eyes frantically blinking, before closing hard and then opening to reveal wide black windows into an empty and hateful soul.

"He's gone Savage!" was all that Nick could shout, before the Bear got up and charged. Thundering towards them on all fours, mouth roaring out guttural screams and moans, he set a bee-line straight for the two smaller mammals. Before he could think, Nick threw Judy to the side and dived under the savage mammal, letting its momentum carry it and its deadly natural weapons away from her as it smashed through the nearby undergrowth. Twisting around as he slid, he grabbed the unfortunate Ursine's shirt and pulled himself up, reaching out with his paw and grabbing the keys from its trouser pockets. Registering the potential prey clinging beneath him, the savage ground to a halt, bouncing up and down to try and dislodge him before rising upright, standing on two legs so that his paws could try to tear him off. Having been frozen in fear during the bouncing stage, Nick snapped back to attention and leapt off, charging forwards into the undergrowth with the keys held tight in his paw.

"I've got the Keys Carrots! Let's get out of here…." He began to call, before his shout trailed off as a reply failed to materialise. Nick nervously glanced over his shoulder before halting out of horror as he saw what was going on. The Bear's attention was no longer focussed on him, instead aiming for Judy. Although tough, the Bunny knew she had no chance against a fully grown bear so she had fled. Bolting for the low undergrowth, she hunkered down and often resorted to running on all fours, all the while weaving through the stems of shrubs and undergrowth, ducking under fallen branches while her attacker smashed through behind her. Like a bulldozer, he kicked up the detritus from the floor with each step, showering Judy with waves of filth as she tried to escape. His head, drooling with saliva as it swung left to right, brutishly clearing a path, reached down and attempting to snap at Judy, narrowly missing her tail. From his vantage point, Nick saw the path of destruction circle around from the right before changing direction, rapidly approaching him. In the seconds it took him to register what was going on, it was already too late. The ferns in front of him burst open as Judy leaped out, her head smashing into him in the chest and winding him, forcing him backwards into the undergrowth where he landed painfully on his tail. Before he had time to recover, his lifting face registered the snapping maw of the Bear leaping right at him.

"AAAAAAHHH!" he screamed, welding his eyes shut and desperately batting the air in front of him with his unsheathed claws, before a familiar Beep and ZAP! made him scream out again, out of pain this time rather than fear. His paws reflexively surging to his neck, Nick hunkered down and braced for the terminal assault, only for it to never come. Still shaking out of terror, his collar a dangerously high orange, Nick slowly opened one eye to try and see why the Bear, still pounding and roaring, hadn't killed him yet. Flinching back as he saw the savage, still dangerously close, he finally relaxed when he saw the handcuff that was fixing one of his rear legs to a small tree, its trunk bending and creaking from the strain. Spotting Judy to his left, Nick nervously made his way over, keeping an eye on the bear at all times until he was well out of view.

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"Nick, didn't something seem off? I'm having a hard problem putting my finger on it" Judy quietly asked, as they emerged from the undergrowth and made their way to a small street, a small camping setup and a solitary car parked a short distance down it.

"Don't think so." Nick replied, "all I know is that removing our Wolf friends collar…" He paused slightly, repeating "collar…" several times before his eyes widened and ears shot up with the epiphany. "The Bears collar was green throughout! Whatever hit him must have stopped it triggering!"

"Yes…!" Judy exclaimed with agreement, before pausing. "But how?"

Nick shrugged, "I guess it might limit the heartbeat and suppress his adrenaline… So despite being mad… our guy doesn't feel mad."

"But that's never occurred with any other case…" Judy quietly mused before she shouted out in realisation. "Batch two!"

"What?"

"The Wolf mentioned not having a chance to test batch two!"

"Well, he does now…" Nick grimly said, pausing as his ears pricked at the sound of a loud snap from far off. Then there was another snap, then the thunder of feet on the ground and the crashes of vegetation being bulldozed as something big charge forwards. The two mammals paused, turning around to face the source of the sound, gulping and turning to each other as they spotted the shaking plant life getting ever closer.

"The tree must have snapped…" was all Judy managed to say, before the hulking mass of black fur and muscle careered out of the undergrowth, eyes dead set on Judy. She braced for impact, only for a raised paw to come swooping down at her before she could react, smashing into her and knocking the wind out of her chest. Small and light enough to be batted about, she felt the world go spinning as she was launched over to the side, tumbling over the rough gravel road until she painfully skidded to a halt. Although the claws had pushed her along, rather than tearing into her flesh, she felt four stinging puncture wounds on her torso, along with the aching cuts and bruises from her hard landing. Shuffling backwards along the floor, no weapon or backup available, she could have sworn she saw her life flash before her eyes as the bear rose up above her, roaring as his raised paw began its final, deadly sweep down. Only, it wasn't the end, as a screaming red flash leapt up onto his neck, clamping its muzzle around it before lighting up blue with a hideous BUZZ…. The Bear, shaking and roaring in agony, latched onto its attacker with his claws and tore at him, throwing him off. His clothes and fur shredded, Nick was flung far away, a screaming mass of red and flashing blue that tumbled through the air before crashing hard into the ground, its loud BUZZ and desperate cries of pain and agony continuing on and on as he rolled to a halt and stopped, shaking on the floor as his screams still echoed out into the night. Turning away from its assailant, the bear looked down at its prey once more only for a small pink object to lodge in its mouth. Clamping down and thrashing it about as if it was a fish, it suddenly halted as the canister exploded in its mouth, before its eyes widened and whole body collapsed to the floor. Spitting out the mangled plastic, the black beast began retching violently, desperately trying to rid its mouth and sinuses of the unbearable burning inside of it. His eyes watering and welding shut, horrible moans escaping his mouth, the fate of its prey, or attacker, didn't even register on its list of concerns. Instead it turned to the ground and took a great bite out of the earth, trying to use the soft soil to quench the awful spice, and hardly noticing the grey bit of food running towards the convulsing, screaming mass or red, white and blue off in the distance.

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Burning... Burning pain…. It was all Nick could feel, and all he could think about. A remorseless fire coursing from his neck and snaking through his entire, writhing body. Simmering in the stinging gashes on his torso, slowing eating their way inside of him. It was even piercing his eyes and sinuses, making them itch and swell as if thousands of miniature swords were stabbing and clawing at the skin, the caustic pain mercilessly trying to strangle him off. He had no time to think about, or even register, the three or so different sources of unbearable agony, instead only reflexively tearing away at the source of the greatest, still strapped tightly around his neck and letting out a sickening BUZZ… that seemed to last for an eternity. Everything hurt, everything was burning, he just wanted it all to end. Please… just end it all…. and then, suddenly, the worst of it was gone.

The coursing fire that had torn through his neck and travelled through his body, piercing each and every limb, was no more. Although he still shook and trembled as the ghosts of the shocks echoed through him, he no longer flailed about manically as if he were in the midst of a fit. The embers in his stomach were still burning hot and wet, though. His sinuses, eyes and the back of his throat were still stinging like when he had been sprayed with Fox-repellent by the Wolf, a pain that was getting worse and worse as time went on rather than better. His neck… it still felt like a hot knife had been hammered into it, a burning sting still throbbing out… and he smelt an acrid scent of burning fur.

"Nick…."

A quiet voice, far away and distant, seemed to break the silence. Nick tried to think but couldn't, his mind so tired and weary. He saw a grey blur run up to him and over, its mouth moving but only hints of sounds coming out. Somehow, feeling safe as it cradled his head off the ground, Nick decided he needed to smile. His worn and tired muscles straining with all their effort to produce a weak, trembling grin. And then, as the exhaustion and pain caught up, the world faded to black as the darkness took him.