AN: Music- Adele, Skyfall.
Chapter 26
Nick and Judy were put back behind the bars of their cell, which were as merciless and cold as the hearts of their captors. But from what the reptiles had told them, they knew they wouldn't remain there for long.
It took several hours for the Dragon's poison to wear off. After the two prisoners were finally able to move again, in a dark grief of failure and imminent death, they each sat in opposite corners of their tight, depressing prison.
Sore all over, barely managing to stop the gash on her chest caused by Jimmy Hunt's claws from bleeding, Judy still clung to the resolution that she should continue to look for something, some way in which they could still escape their inevitable doom… But seeing Nick, her friend, curled up in complete despair on the other side of the cell made her so sad she couldn't think of anything else.
Lifting up from the ground, she shuffled over to his side slowly, though each motion caused her extra pain.
She noticed that the fox was crying.
Heartbroken, she stooped down to his level, though he didn't seem to pay any attention to her presence. The female then delicately put her paw on his shoulder.
He lifted his head and looked at her with tearful eyes, indicating to her that he had not lost his sanity after all. But what he said made Judy feel even worse.
"It's all over…" he mumbled, his voice resounding with a deep, overwhelming sorrow. He was struggling to utter the words in between sobs. "We're… we're dead meat, Carrots. The reptiles… they'll kill us… and then they'll take over the city."
No. It couldn't be like that. She just couldn't let that happen! But what could she do? What could she still say to her friend to convince him otherwise?
"Nick… don't say that!" she pleaded. "I-if you believe in that, you'll let the reptiles win…"
"They have won, don't you see?!" the fox burst out. But then he turned his face away, remorseful. "I can't… I don't want this to happen. I-I want to… go back up… see the sun again. I wanna see… my mother… S-Scarlet… W-we were supposed to start going to therapy together, you know…"
"What?" Judy inquired about that last part, realizing both that she had no idea what Nick was saying, and that maybe speaking about it would sooth him a little bit.
"Y-yeah," the fox stammered, remembering his girlfriend. "Scarlet used to be a c-carnivore… just like me. I-I never told you 'cause… you'd have put her in jail. It's not important now, anyway. W-we both decided to quit, b-but it's not that easy… And then there's the kit. Scarlet's nephew. I-I… W-we were supposed to…"
Unfortunately, those memories caused more pain than anything else now, as Nick realized that he would never see Scarlet, or Ezra, or anyone he knew, ever again. That, plus his complete mental and emotional exhaustion, caused him to break down completely.
Unable to say anything anymore, he motioned at Judy in order to indicate to her that he needed a moment alone. Though it pained her, she obeyed his request.
As the rabbit proceeded to walk around the cell, seemingly looking for some sort of magical means of salvation, Nick remained seated on the pavement, attempting to control the convulsions of his body, caused by both physical and internal suffering. It was only recently that his life had changed so radically for the better, with a new lifestyle, a new job, and someone he thought he could spend the rest of his life with. And now, it was all about to come undone. He was going to die a horrible death here, in this hell. The poor fox just couldn't understand why it was to be like that.
No help came from the ZPD, nor anyone. Down here, nobody was on their side. All he could do was to mumble a prayer mindlessly, waiting for his executioners to come.
Suddenly, Nick felt the touch of something warm, and flinched. Hiding his face in between his knees, he completely failed to notice what Judy was doing in the meantime. When she put her paw on his shoulder again, he gazed at her, wondering what she wanted.
The rabbit stretched out her other paw toward him. She was holding a couple of mushrooms.
"I… I can't eat," he mumbled, thinking that his partner wished to share a meal with him. He was, of course, starving, but in this state, he wouldn't be able to swallow a single bite.
Judy, however, shook her head negatively.
There was something completely different on her mind right now.
"You don't understand," she spoke to him very seriously. "These are not regular mushrooms. They belong to the genus Amanita ocreata, the 'Angel of Death'."
Unable to comprehend much from the rabbit's farming jargon, Nick wrinkled his brow. Then, a bit more quietly and with a sad glow in her eye, Judy briefly explained to him the nature of the fungus.
"They are poisonous."
Now he knew what her plan was… and it made a shiver run down his back. His partner, unlike him, looked like she was ready for death. Perhaps it was because she always knew that was a possibility, from the day she decided to become a cop?
The Dragon had informed them that 'the worst was yet to come'. After what both of them had gone though, the fox could definitely see how someone would want to avoid even worse horrors, and deprive the reptiles of the satisfaction they took in torture. Even Mathilda had done the same…
But still, Nick felt it was wrong. And that he couldn't do it himself.
Looking in Judy's purple irises, he stuttered:
"Carrots… I don't want to… c-commit suicide…"
But when he said that, oddly enough, the rabbit's face was covered with something as close to a smile as was possible in these circumstances.
"No no, it's not like that," she then explained. "It would take hours for these mushrooms to kill us. What I suggest is that, right before those herps finally come to get us, we'll swallow them and let the poison fill up our veins. So that, when they do eat us… they'll sign their own death sentence. Get it? This way, it won't be suicide. It'll be… our victory."
She revealed her ultimate scheme with so much zeal and determination, as well as a fair amount of lust for revenge, that Nick felt inspired by her attitude. And that almost made him chuckle as well.
"Huh. Y-you really don't know when to give up, don't you?" he said, smiling in spite of his tears.
"No, I don't," Judy answered, as confident as always. "This Dragon said he knows what we fear most. Well, your buddy Chase's assessment he once made about me was right. The thing I'm afraid of most is failure. This is why I will not give them the satisfaction of defeating us! Even... even if I have to die."
Nick looked at the 'Angel of Death' mushrooms in her paw, and then back at her again.
"And neither will I."
Within the very core of darkness, the duo of friends shared a smile. It was much easier to come to terms with death together, and knowing that, perhaps, their sacrifice could still be of some use.
"Sometimes we come last, but we did our best…" quoted Judy, sitting by her partner's side.
"Who knows, maybe if the carnivores who eat us really do kick the bucket, their rampage in the city will be stopped? At least a little bit?" Nick wondered, a strange type of gallows humor kicking in with him again. "I just hope the guys from the ZPD find them, eventually…"
"There's always hope," whispered the rabbit, putting her head on his shoulder.
The herps started moving about, on their way to the main chamber, and Judy was able to estimate that they were finally getting ready for the big event. With a deep gasp, both of the prisoners then stood face to face, each with an 'Angel of Death' in his paw.
They both shook like leaves, awaiting the inevitable.
"You… ready?" mumbled Nick, feeling his throat tightening.
"No…" answered Judy. Her nose was twitching like crazy, and her pupils were wide as dinner plates.
"L-let's do this together, okay?" Suggested the fox.
His partner nodded.
"One…" he said, lifting the mushroom up to his mouth, looking her in the eyes.
"… t-two…" responded she, doing the same.
"… three."
The two animals put the poisonous fungus in between their teeth. Then, they started chewing. The taste was bitter and spicy, as if to indicate the deadly nature of the food.
On cue, both of them swallowed.
"Our final hustle…" the fox said silently.
"With the emphasis on final…" the rabbit whispered back.
Facing the bars, they held each other's paws, listening to the approaching pawsteps of their jailors. The shivering of their bodies, which they were no longer able to control, intensified.
The crocodile known as Gnarlathotep then entered the chamber, along with Rufus the bobcat.
"Your time has come," uttered the reptile passionlessly.
"Don't resist. It's pointless," the mammal added, smirking.
They afterwards opened the door. Taking out a leash, Rufus fastened it around Judy's neck. But when Nick saw the muzzle which Gnarlathotep pulled out of his pouch…
"NO!" he screamed, jumping back in despair, crumbling in the corner. "Take that thing away from me!"
The sight of the item he feared almost made him go totally insane… Worried for her friend, Judy cried out to him.
"Nick! Hold on, I'm here! You can take it!"
Grinding his fangs, he glared from her to the approaching guard, shaking like a cornered prey animal.
"Come peacefully!" the feline spoke softly, obviously mocking him.
The fox then closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and using the little strength he had left in him, permitted himself to be restrained.
When Rufus pulled him out of the cell, he was turning his head, yelping miserably. He grasped Judy's paw very hard.
And so they went on to their execution, not even able to imagine what horrors awaited them with each new step they took. It was a walk of death. But the only thing that still gave both of them hope was that it was not only their death approaching.
The main chamber was illuminated with the light of many tallow candles. Carnivores were gathered there, naked and down on all fours, voracious beasts ready for the feast. The Dragon stood against the wall, underneath the large skull of a goat which hung above his head.
The two police officers walked in standing upright, deprived of their uniforms but not their dignity, not showing their fear. They were at once surrounded with the roars of the gathered mammals, as well as the reptiles' bellows.
Gnarlathotep and Rufus removed their restraints, and joined the circle. Freed from his muzzle, Nick looked around with a final expression of disdain and defiance.
Gazing Judy's way, Jimmy the cheetah and Kiara the lioness, who were also in attendance, rapt in utter rage, both howled:
"This is for the Butcher! Blood for blood!"
The rabbit answered them nothing.
Allastor the Grand Lizard, acting as the carnivores' representative, then stood before the prisoners.
"You won't win! There'll always be predators who will stand against your savagery!" the fox yelled in his face, knowing he had nothing more to lose.
The alligator sent him a glare of mocking disdain.
"Predators such as you? Then, we have nothing to fear."
He afterwards turned toward the Dragon.
"Festum Mortis celebrantes, adsumus!" cried the Grand Lizard.
"ADSUUUMUUUS!" answered the others.
The monitor shook his mighty head, blew air from his nostrils and, testing the air with his tongue, proceeded to slither toward Nick and Judy. The two animals, who continued holding each other's paws, wished they could move away from him… But they had nowhere to go.
Halting before them, the Dragon lifted his golden-black eyes, which were as deep as some evil abyss, to look into their frightened faces.
"Ah… a rabbit and a fox. Like a scene from the Garden of Eden in this hell of ours," the disgusting reptile uttered in his outlandish voice of a demon. "Friendship is stronger than love, isn't it? Yet, there is something even stronger. Stronger than friendship, stronger than forgiveness. That which can shatter any illusion of a heaven on earth. That which overcomes both mind and will… You call it madness. We call it passion."
Delighting in the fear his cryptic words instilled in the hearts of his victims, the beast then turned to his minions and nodded, giving them some signal.
Gnarlathotep went to get his pouch, while the Dragon continued to gaze straight in the rabbit's eyes…
"W-what are you doing?" she asked, her voice shaking insecurely.
The reptile master exhibited the most revolting of smiles.
"I've told you. I know what you fear most, Judith."
Two other carnivores stood behind Nick's back, grabbing him by the elbows, while the Sentinel took out a bottle filled with some liquid.
"What.. is that?!" gasped the fox, feeling that his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
The Dragon did respond to his question, though he was still looking at Judy.
"That is the most horrible thing in the world."
Nick then heard the voice of Ra the python, hissing by his side.
"Do you remember the dueling crocodilesss? They use that sssubstance to fall into a ssstate of battle rage. I believe it is called... the esssence of Night howler."
"Drink this, suckling!" Gnarlathotep then ordered him, uncorking the bottle.
The fox's eyes went wide… He turned his head and gazed at his rabbit friend, noticing that she was now completely terrified.
"Go on! Show her how much you love her!" Allastor screamed at him as the other carnivores began to laugh.
When the Sentinel made another step his way, Nick forcefully shook, attempting to break free. The crocodile immediately punched him in the stomach.
"Puh!" the Dragon snorted in disdain, turning away and returning to his spot. He then yelled to the Grand Lizard:
"Clamorem istorum audire volo!"
Nodding in obedience to his master, Allastor went over to face the captive fox, who was squirming in pain, held tightly by the other guards.
"Drink that, or I will pour it down your throat!"
Nick lifted his eyes at him, and spat the reptile in the face.
"RAH!" he roared in reaction, now completely overcome with fury.
Brandishing his sharp talons, the alligator buried them in the shocked mammal's side, making him cry out in agony.
"NICK!" Judy screamed, attempting to run to her friend's aid, yet quickly detained by the other carnivores.
With his other paw, Allastor then took the bottle of Night howler essence from Gnarlathotep, and ordered the guard:
"Hold this vermin down!"
The huge croc grabbed the screaming fox by the scruff of his neck, bending his head back. In the meantime, Allastor shoved his claws even deeper into the mammal's flesh. He wanted to close his mouth and clench his fangs… but he just wasn't able to.
The Grand Lizard then poured the serum into his mouth. Nick had only two options- either to swallow, or choke to death.
He started swallowing.
In the blink of an eye, everything was over. The guards let go of both Nick and Judy and stepped back, leaving the predator and the prey completely free, standing in the midst of their circle, stunned and shivering.
The fox gasped for air. Feeling in his stomach the bitter taste of Night howlers, he glared at the reptile who had done an unimaginably cruel thing to him.
But Allastor just jeered, turning toward the Dragon and saying:
"A sacrifice of innocent blood!"
Nick then turned his eyes at his rabbit friend. From her expression, he could clearly see that she was now just as frightened as he was when the reptiles first put a muzzle on his face... or perhaps even more.
"I'm sorry, Judy…" he whispered as a tear fell down his cheek right before he collapsed to the ground with a savage howl.
The last thing he could remember was the dream he had, in which he himself was taking part in the feast where none other than his closest friend was to be the main course.
AN: Like in Orwell's Ministry of Love, the Dragon's lair is the place where all your worst nightmares come true. Nick was afraid of muzzles. The greatest fear of Judy, his dear friend, is...
... well, being eaten. By a fox.
But... if Nick eats Judy... then the poison she took won't kill any reptiles ;( Will he, though?
In any case, bear with me a bit longer. The climax is nigh.
(Translation of the Latin:
- Festum Mortis celebrantes, adsumus - 'celebrating the Feast of Death, we attend'.
- ADSUUUMUUUS! - 'WE ATTEND!'
- Clamorem istorum audire volo! - 'I wish to hear them scream!')