Ch. 28: Primal Instinct
"Okay, someone clarify for me," Finnick spoke up from behind the wheel of his van. "How did I get a wounded cop, a honey shining polar bear, a wolf in a muzzle, and the former mayor in my van?"
Judy sat in the passenger seat with Bellwether, Perry and Fidget sat in the back with Casper and Wade, the latter being muzzle free.
When Judy had tried to leave the house Finnick had quickly blocked her way, telling her she wasn't doing this without him. Nick was his friend, and that was his van too. Fidget and Perry were quick to offer their help as well, Perry did still need to take the antidote to the city and Fidget didn't want his friends to have all the fun.
But the bat had turned to Frothy and Casper, "Wanna help?"
"You have no idea how much I want to get out of this house to fight a crazy cop," the wolf spoke up, but then lifted his leg to show off his anklet. "But tragically we're stuck in this place."
While Fidget pouted Finnick stepped closer to Judy to whisper in her ear, "Do we need their help?"
"If they're willing…We need all the help we can get," Judy answered honestly.
Finnick nodded with a resigned sigh and stuck a paw into his pocket to pull out an old paper clip. "Hold on," he spoke up to the room and walked over to Wade. He stuck the clip into the keyhole of the anklet and only a few moments later the device dropped off the wolf's ankle.
Frothy stared down at the fox in shock as did the rest of the room. Finnick shrugged, looking bothered by the attention, "I'm a con-artist, I know tricks. Are you going to help us?" Finnick asked Casper.
The bear didn't look completely ecstatic at the thought but eventually shrug, "If just to prove that just because I'm a honey shiner doesn't mean I'm a bad mammal."
While Finnick freed the bear Judy cautiously walked over to Bellwether who hadn't moved from her spot. It was awkward to say the least, to be in this house with the sheep in the first place. But Judy knew Bellwether was smart, as evil as her Night Howler plan had been it had taken Judy until the last second to realize she had been behind it all.
She needed such smarts. "Will you help us?" she asked quietly.
Bellwether's eyes narrowed, but her eyes didn't show the hostility Judy had expected. They flashed with an emotion she couldn't decipher. "Why should I? He's doing the exact same thing I had planned to do."
"You hadn't planned on using predators as weapons," Judy replied. "You wanted the city to fear them."
"Yes, so why would I help them now?"
"Because it's been a year and I had hoped you were good enough to want to make amends." Judy looked to Casper and Frothy who were celebrating over being free of their anklets. "You are living with a wolf and a bear now."
Bellwether was silent for several seconds, and just when Judy was ready to turn around and tell the rest of the group it was time to go, she spoke: "I won't help you for your or the city's sake… It's for my sake…"
So minutes later they were all driving through the Meadowlands, Judy's head running with different rescue plans as Casper spoke, "I'm not a polar bear, I'm a black bear that just happens to have white fur."
Fidget stared up at her in shock, "How…unusual…Do you play drums?"
"Priorities, Fidget," Perry reminded his friend.
Frothy then poked his head between the seat to look between Judy and Finnick, "Hey, actually, about my muzzle…I'm sure I can be of much more use if I had it off."
Judy looked up at him, "You have to wear it because you couldn't stop biting animals."
"It's a medical condition," the wolf insisted.
"Sit back down and we'll think about it," Finnick told him with his eyes on the road. "Hopps, what's the plan?"
"Perry needs to get to the hospital with the jump drive," she said, "And the rest of us need to find a way to stop Ronno from releasing those predators at Gazelle's concert."
Bellwether spoke, "How? Are we going to be waiting at the concert for all those mammals to see us? We might be too late," she added, while it was a pessimistic thought it was a valid one.
"I don't think they've made it to the concert," Perry spoke up. "In fact I say we're ahead of them."
Fidget glanced at his friend, "Are you a secret physic like you're a secret doctor?"
"No," Perry said, "I'm just looking in the passenger's side mirror and see that a bigger van is right behind us and being driven by a silver fox wearing a collar."
The others could hardly comprehend the words a delivery van appeared at their side, Judy's eyes bulged when she saw Ray at the exact same moment the fox glanced to his left and saw her as well. His eyes widened then narrowed, glinting with maliciousness.
"Brace yourself," Judy warned everyone.
With a screech Ray slammed into Finnick's van, nearly making them skid off the road.
"Did he just…" Finnick spoke slowly; his wide eyes indicating that he couldn't believe what just happened.
"Hit the gas!" Fidget and Frothy spoke in unison, the bat's voice being frantic and the wolf's was excited, clearly he was having fun with such an experience.
Ray slammed into the van again and Judy and Bellwether nearly fell out of the passenger seat. The sheep was scowling at the silver fox, her eyes calculating. "Anyone have any ideas on how to lose him?"
"Lose him?" Finnick asked, sounding breathless. Judy and Bellwether looked at him and nearly scooted away from the murderous look in his eyes as he stared at the road.
"Oh, no," Finnick seethed. "I might have hallucinated that first time, but that second time that fox definitely just slammed that rusty piece of metal into my van. I bet he scratched it to, maybe even a dent. No one touches my van!"
"Judy," he continued, lifting his paws off the steering wheel, "Take the wheel."
The bunny hurriedly obeyed, snatching the wheel between her paws as Finnick crawled across her and over Bellwether's lap as he rolled down the window.
"What are you doing?!" the six mammals demanded.
"Kidnap my friend, whatever, he gets himself into stupid situation," Finnick growled, "But if you mess with my van oh, you better be ready to kill me before I get to your throat." And then he jumped out the window.
They all let out shocked screams but somehow Finnick landed inside Ray's vehicle, landing on the fox's lap before whirling around and going for his eyes.
Panicked, Ray hit the brakes and the van skidded to a halt, sliding across the road before slipping off it entirely and crashing into a lion-shaped rock.
"Did that seriously just happen?" Casper asked as Judy stopped the van and jumped out, the group following her out and to the delivery van. Just as they reached it Ray opened the driver's door and desperately climbed out, scratches and bite marks across his face and ears as he tried to make a run for it.
Judy and Frothy jumped on him, pinning him to the ground as Finnick leapt out of the van, still looking furious. "I'm going to gut him like a fish!"
Fidget and Perry quickly stepped in front of their friend. "Easy, easy, Finnick," Perry ordered. "We need him for information."
Ray growled under Judy's and Frothy's paws, "Like I'll tell you anything."
Judy scowled at him, "Why would you be loyal to Ronno after what he's done to you?"
She glared at the collar, the same kind that was choking Nick as they spoke.
"It's not loyalty to that deer," Ray replied, "It's loyalty to Moriarty!"
Bellwether looked from the fox to the delivery van, she walked toward the back of it and opened the door. She was greeted by ferocious snarls and she jumped back in surprise, a jaguar and a lion snarled at her from two separate cages. The sheep instantly recognized the feral look in their eyes caused only by Night Howlers.
Judy left Ray pinned under Frothy and hurried over to the sheep's side, she looked inside the van and cringed while the others stayed at a safe distance. "He was going to release these two at the concert," Judy spoke then glared at the silver fox. "Weren't you?"
The fox remained silent and the wolf grinned. "Officer, I think this fox needs some gentle persuasion to get to talking."
Any other time Judy probably would've tried her own tatics, but with Nick and Eleanor stuck in cages, her family crying because they were told she was dead, and Ronno ready to kill innocents just to get his way, her patience was nonexistent.
"Do it," she said.
Frothy pressed his foot into the fox's windpipe, Ray's eyes widened in fear. "Let's play this game called the Pecking Order," Frothy told him. "Who's higher up your list: this Moriarty?" He pressed his foot down, "Or air?"
Ray spluttered under him as Judy stepped forward and loomed over him, "Where's Ronno?"
"Still-still at the asylum," Ray stammered, "All still at the asylum-haven't picked the collared preds yet."
"And he won't get a chance," Judy replied, she looked up at Frothy. "Please throw him into the back of the van."
While the wolf obliged (Ray kicking and screaming as he did so even though there were no other mammal for miles in the flat country side) Judy turned to Perry, "I need you to take this van and get the antidote and those predators to the hospital."
The platypus nodded and Fidget stepped closer to his friend, "I'll go with him."
"And me," Casper added, she had watched the entire scene in nervous silence, clutching her paws together. "Sorry but I don't think I'd be much help in an asylum."
Judy nodded, "Okay." She looked to Bellwether, "Then it's us, Frothy and Finnick." The latter was examining the damage done to his van, steam coming out of his oversized ears. If violence was necessary, and odds are it would be, Finnick would have no trouble jumping into the fray.
.
They had parked at quite a distance from the Cliffside Asylum, Judy's mind racing on how to sneak in but luckily she didn't have to. Bellwether knew the asylum like the back of her hoof, she admitted it had been her who had had sneakily planted the idea to hide the savage predators here into Lionheart's head.
She knew one side of the cliff that was climbable and it should keep them out of the sights of any mammal that looked through the asylum's windows.
Judy looked up at the cliff with dread, her wounds already pulsing in pain at the thought of such a climb. But then she remembered why she wad doing this and took in a breath before starting the climb. The others followed after her.
The sharp stones dug into her paws and feet as she scaled the cliff side, her arms and side aching. If she survived this she was never going to be able to leave the hospital.
Her foot pressed down a piece of rock that slid free and Judy almost fell, with a gasp of fright she pressed her body against the cliff.
"Hopps?" Finnick climbed up to her. "Are you okay?"
Judy nodded and forced herself to continue, her arms shaking in fear. Finnick frowned at her and stayed close as if he planned to catch her if she fell.
Frothy (having been freed of his muzzle by Finnick) glanced down at Bellwether who was behind them all, "Need some help?"
She shook her head stubbornly. The wolf rolled his eyes.
Judy finally reached the top and climbed up, now she was shaking with relief as Finnick and Frothy joined her. A moment later she forced herself to stand up, ignoring the ache in her limbs and looked up to see the back of the asylum. She noticed there was a back entrance and started forward toward it before she realized Bellwether wasn't around.
She turned around and with Frothy looked over the edge; the sheep was only halfway up.
"Go on without me," Bellwether yelled up to them. "I'll catch up."
"I'll wait for her," Frothy assured Judy. The rabbit didn't know if he could be trusted to do so but they hardly had the time to spare. She nodded and followed Finnick to the entrance, the door was already unlocked and Finnick voiced his concern over that as they walked through the dimly lit hallways, ears pricked for any unfriendly sounds.
"This asylum hasn't been used in ages," Judy told him. "Odds are Ronno wouldn't even know there was a back entrance.
They tried to run through the labyrinth of hallways but all Judy could manage was a fast walk, her breath coming in pants from the pain. Finnick kept asking her if they should stop and rest but she shook her head, they couldn't afford to. She need to find Nick.
Sudden snarling had them both skidding to a halt. Judy's ears flicking to and fro while Finnick's ears twitched. They followed the snarling farther into the hallway, keeping themselves pressed against the wall until they stopped at a metal door. The snarling was coming from the other side.
"Finnick stay behind me," she warned the small fox.
Finnick glared, "What do you expect to do if a giant feral cat comes out of that door?"
"If Nick is in there I'm going to need you safe so you can unlock the cages," Judy told him, then glanced at him. "You can open the cages right?"
He pulled out the paper clip, "If it's got a keyhole I can unlock it."
Taking a deep breath and bracing herself Judy pushed the door open just a crack and peered inside, she could see dozens of cages, some full of felines that were either snarling or asleep, some void of any mammal. Not spotting Ronno or Moriarty she opened to farther and she and Finnick slipped inside.
The door closed behind them as they stepped into the room, Finnick staying close to her side as they walked past cages full of jaguars, cheetahs and tigers. Whether he stayed close to protect her or out of fear Judy didn't know.
"Nick," she called out softly, scared to raise her voice. "Nick?"
"Officer Hopps?" a surprised squeak came from her right. Judy turned to see Eleanor Sugar, staring at her like the sugar glider couldn't believe her own eyes. "You're alive?"
"Eleanor," Judy scurried over to her, Finnick on her tail. They knelt before her and Finnick immediately went to work on unlocking the cage. "Are you okay?" she noticed how her fur was messed and she could make out bruises and cuts on the mammal's small body. Anger twisted Judy's gut.
"I'm fine," Eleanor insisted. "How did you survive? I thought you fell over the waterfall."
"I don't have time to explain," Judy said. "Where are Nick and Billy?"
"I don't know where the fox is but Mr. Beardby is over there." She pointed over Judy's shoulder. A few feet away the goat's cage was placed between the cages of a lion and panther.
With a click Finnick unlocked the sugar glider's cage and she sprang out in an almost frantic way. Judy picked her up as she and Finnick hurried over to Billy and the fennec fox went right to work. Hearing them Billy raised his head, eyes bulging when he saw them.
"You're rescuing me?" the goat breathed.
"Of course we are," Judy told him.
"But I…I helped him make those awful collars," Beardby pointed out.
"So did I," Eleanor said in a tired voice. "We had to do what we must to survive." She looked up at Judy. "Is my baby still okay?"
"She's still with Nick's mother," Judy replied. "I'm sure she's safe and soon you're going to see for yourself."
"What about my brother?" Billy asked quietly.
"He's going to be fine too," Judy replied. "Eleanor, I found that jump drive you hid in Suzy's rattle."
The sugar glider smiled in relief as Judy placed her beside Finnick. "I'm going to go look for Nick," Judy told the fox. "He's gotta be in here somewhere, come look for me when you get Billy's cage opened.
Finnick nodded, still focused on the lock and Judy hurried off. She moved past the cages, at one point having to jump back when a tiger reached his paw out to try and get her. Ronno already had them wild and ready for his plan.
"Nick," she called out again, she was starting to get frantic as she couldn't spot him. "Nick, where are you?"
"Carrots," the voice was a soft whisper of disbelief that sent a bolt of joy through Judy's heart. She whirled around and spotted her partner in a cage, on his paws and knees and staring at her as if he couldn't believe she was there. His paws were still stained in crimson and his eyes were bloodshot.
Judy shot forward and kneeled before the cage, wrapping her fingers around the bars, she was so happy to see him she didn't notice how Nick pulled away from her.
"You're alive," she breathed in tearful joy. Now that she was looking at him she finally accepted how sure she had been that Ronno had killed him.
"So are you," he said, his voice aching and he reached his paw out as if to touch her before letting it drop. "You're alive."
"Hopps?" Finnick's voice called out.
"Finnick, I found him!" she cried out and a few moments later Finnick appeared, followed by Billy who was carrying Eleanor. The fennec fox's face was a mask of relief when he spotted Nick. He hurried over and moved to unlock the cage.
"Finnick," Nick's voice was hard as he spoke. "You better know how to take this collar off me if you plan on unlocking that cage."
Finnick studied said collar, "There's no keyhole."
"Then don't unlock that cage," Nick replied.
"What are you talking about?" Judy demanded, "Finnick, get him out."
"Don't you dare," Nick snapped at his friend.
"We're not leaving you alone here, Nick," Judy said in an exasperated tone. Finnick looked torn on what to do for a moment before he shook his head and started to unlock the cage.
"Finnick, stop!" Nick snarled but didn't move closer to stop him; he stayed crouched in the far corner.
"You stop, Nick!" Judy was thrown by the fox's strong objection to being freed. "We need you-"
"What's it gonna take, Carrots?" Nick demanded of her, his eyes wet as he snarled at her. "Do I need to tear your throat out for you to realize you're not safe around me!?" He grabbed at the collar, "You can't be around me while I have this on my neck. Don't you get that!?"
His words were met by silence and a moment later the cage's lock clicked open and Finnick swung the door open. Nick didn't budge.
Judy sighed and looked to the fennec fox, "Get Eleanor and Billy out of here."
"What are you going to do?" Finnick asked her.
"I'm going to get Nick out of here if I have to drag him," she replied.
He looked at her for a moment then nodded, ushering the mammals out the door, neither needed coaxing. As soon as the door shut behind them Judy knelt down and extended her paw to him. "It's time to go."
"No," Nick replied, pressing his back against the bars. "I nearly killed you. I'm not going to let it happen again."
"And I already left you behind once," Judy replied, trying to keep her voice even but it cracked with emotion anyway. "I'm not doing it again, not ever again."
"Well, you should," he snapped.
"No," she replied just as viciously. She crawled into the cage and Nick's eyes widened in fear. "You never left me behind! I won't do the same again. That's never happening."
"Carrots," his voice choked with an emotion. "Why do you have to be such a dumb bunny?"
"The same reason you have to be such a dumb fox," she repeated and reached out and grabbed the paw that was still coated with her blood. Nick flinched.
Judy tried to drag him out of the cage bur Nick resisted. "We need to go home, Nick," she insisted, "Everyone's waiting, the ZPD, Suzy, our families."
"Then get back to them," Nick told her, trying to shake his paw out of her grip. "Ronno is still here, Carrots. Get out of here before he finds you and makes me hurt you again!" His face twisted into pain, "I'm not worth saving, Judy."
She met his eyes with a fierce glare, "You're my partner, Nick, if you're staying here then so am I… There's no Hopps without Wilde."
"I'll make sure they write that on your graves."
Nick pushed Judy out of the cage, the rabbit landing on her tail. She looked over her shoulder to see Ronno standing before her. He was calm as day, his hooves clasped behind his back. Behind him Judy saw Moriarty, he had Finnick and Eleanor pinned down with his paws and was sitting on Billy.
Fear had Judy's heart picked up as she met Ronno's eyes.
There was a savagery in his eyes that was far greater than the wild predators surrounding them. "I told you to die."
.
Bellwether led Frothy through the asylum's hallways. Her legs still straining after that exhausting climb and now she was alone with a wolf she partly blamed for her bad life choices.
Said wolf had his nose in the air, sniffing. He glanced over his shoulder, "That bunny and fox went the other way," he pointed out.
"Okay," Bellwether replied, not breaking her stride.
"…Aren't we going to go after them?"
She shook her head, "They're here to rescue their friend. But I for one refuse to let this deer get away, if I couldn't outsmart them he certainly won't."
"So we're going to…" Frothy broke off.
"We're going to find the surveillance room and record him saying whatever he'll say to prove he's behind all this. And odds are he's going to be saying such any minute now."
She turned a corner and hurried forward, knowing the surveillance room was just around the next corner.
But then a feral snarl echoed in the hallway and Bellwether was pushed to the floor, she stared up in shock and slight fear as Frothy crouched over her, his eyes glaring forward.
Bellwether followed his eyes and flinched, stepping out of a corner on all fours was a hyena. She wore a collar similar to that of that silver fox's. Her eyes were wide and wild, saliva dripping from her bared fangs.
The ground started to shake under her, but then Bellwether realized that was her shivering.
"Cottontail," Frothy whispered to her. That was a name she hadn't heard in years. "I'm going to distract her; you need to run to that surveillance room."
Her brow knit, "You're helping me?"
He nodded eyes still on the hyena, "Yep."
"Why?" she demanded quietly.
He smirked and looked down at her, "For one thing as a predator I'm offended by that deer's master plan. And the other…I like you. And if you die who'd make me those strawberry muffins?"
And then he lunged toward the hyena who met him half way, the two grappled and rolled around the floor. Despite Frothy not being savage he had no qualms with using his fangs either.
Bellwether jumped to her feet and hurried down the corner, the snarling of the two predators ringing in her ears as she made it to the surveillance room. She opened the door and walked inside, the wall was covered by computers that showed off the entirety of the asylum. She moved to shut the door but hesitated, still hearing Frothy fight that hyena, both for the city and here.
She sighed, she was an idiot. "Get in here!" she screeched out and a few moments later Frothy appeared around the corner. He ran into the room and helped her slam the door shut; a second later they felt the hyena slam her body into the door. Bellwether locked the door as claws scraped against the door.
"Thanks, Cottontail," Frothy leaned against the door, panting. Despite the fact it had only taken less than a minute for Bellwether to reach the surveillance room he was covered in bleed scratch and bite marks. "I kinda bit off more than I could chew there."
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked him.
When he nodded she hurried to the cameras and studied the screens, her eyes widened when she saw a room full of cages, the deer was there…along with Judy.
.
"You know what? I'm not going to say anything," Ronno said. "I obviously made an err in judgment when I decided to let that waterfall end you. That's not going to happen again, Hopps. Now, I'm going to sit back, relax, and watch with unblinking eyes as Wilde there rips you to pieces."
Nick's body tensed up but Judy scowled. She rose to her feet to glare at the deer, "You're plan isn't going to work, Ronno. We stopped Ray from taking those predators to Animalia."
The deer smirked at her, "You figured my plan out; I knew you were a smart rabbit." His eyes narrowed, "Sadly smart doesn't mean not suicidal."
He lifted an arm up and there in his grasp was the remote, Judy's muscles coiled, ready to jump and snatch the remote. But then he clicked a button, "Sic her, Wilde."
"No," Nick breathed shaking his head frantically, "No, no, no-" his words ended in a whimper. Judy turned around to see him clutching at the collar, his back arched and his teeth gritted together.
"Nick," she and Finnick spoke in unison. But then the red fox's muscles relaxed and his paws dropped to the ground. A moment later he lifted his head, his pupils dilated and his hackles rising. His eyes narrowed in on Judy.
"Judy, run," Finnick told her and the rabbit complied.
She turned and sprinted farther into the room, with a snarl Nick raced after her. Ronno's menacing laughter rang in her ears along with Finnick and Eleanor's struggling.
Judy hadn't been running for long before she realized she wouldn't be able to keep it up, she was just so tired and in so much pain. Nick was catching up to her as she tried to take as many turns around cages as possible, the predators inside watching with glinting eyed interest.
Judy had made a full circle around the large room before she finally tripped and collapsed to the floor, only feet away from Ronno and the others who watched her fall. The deer's and Moriarty's eyes were alit with blood thirsty excitement. Finnick and Billy looked at her with horror and Eleanor had her eyes shut.
There was a growl as Nick crept toward her, his shadow falling over her. Judy looked up, her aching body shivering as the fox loomed over her, his muzzle extending toward her. She closed her eyes and waited, waited for his teeth to bite down on her throat, waited for the pain and the blood and the darkness.
Nick opened his jaws, his white teeth flashing and then he leaned down…and licked her cheek.
Judy's eyes popped open and she stared up at Nick, his eyes were still that of a wild animal, he was still on all fours, but the hostility was gone. He nuzzled against Judy's neck as if he was a newborn pup and the rabbit had absolutely no idea what was going on.
No one else did either.
"What's going on?" Ronno spat, he turned to look at Eleanor and ripped the sugar glider out of Moriarty's grasp. He held her by the neck and snarled at her, "What did you do with the Night Howler serum!?"
She flashed him a condescending look, "I did exactly what you told me to do. It enhanced the predator's most primal instincts." She pointed at Nick who still nuzzled protectively against Judy. "There's his most primal instinct."
Judy's eyes bulged as she remembered when Nick had first turned savage and fought the hyena…Judy had been trying to break up the fight, she had been too close to danger when Nick clawed her, it had been an accident. He hadn't been trying to hurt her he had been pushing her away from the fight!
Enraged Ronno let out a frustrated hiss and threw the sugar glider to the floor, making her let out a painful cry. Judy stood up but just then Ronno placed his foot over Eleanor's throat. "I'm going to have Moriarty kill that rabbit," Ronno seethed at Finnick and Billy. "If either of you try to interfere I will break Dr. Sugar's neck."
The two only glared at him as Moriarty released them, standing up and stretching. He faced Judy and Nick with a happy grin, the bunny could tell he had hoped something like this would happen. He wanted to kill Nick.
Ronno pressed another button on the remote and the maned wolf dropped to all fours, snarling and snapping his fangs. Judy took a step back, unsure what she could do when she was too weak to run from those teeth. But then Nick jumped in front of her, blocking her from Moriarty. Her partner let out a fierce growl as if he daring the wolf to come closer.
The two predators circled each other as Judy stepped away, her mind racing. Moriarty roared and ran at Nick who was ready with teeth and claws. Judy flinched and looked away as the two fought, claws sliding through fur and teeth nipping at necks. Judy's eyes went to Ronno who was watching the fight with glee. Her eyes trailed to Eleanor who was struggling under his foot, then to Finnick.
Feeling the rabbit's eyes on him Finnick looked up at her, Judy indicated to Ronno, showing the deer was distracted. The fennec fox's eyes narrowed, his muscles tensed, and then he shot toward Ronno, slamming into his leg. The deer fell forward with a startled noise, the remote sliding across the floor as Finnick picked up Eleanor and carried her back to Billy's side.
"No!" the deer cried out and scrambled for it just as Judy made a run for it. Frantic she managed to kick it out of the deer's reach. Ronno slammed his arm across her, making her fall to the floor with a huff of pain; she could feel the stitches that held her wounds together stretching. Ronno crawled for the remote and Judy's vision nearly went red as she jumped on top of him, wrapping her arms around his throat.
"Finnick, get the remote!" Judy screeched as the deer struggled under her, trying to tear her off him. He rolled onto his back and pressed his weight against her, Judy let out a scream of pain as she felt her ribs pressing against her lungs.
Nick was being pinned down by Moriarty, clawing at his eyes, when he heard Judy cried out, spotting her being crushed under the deer he kicked the maned wolf in the throat with his feet. The wolf jumped away, making a gasping noise and Nick lunged toward the deer.
Still being pressed against the floor Judy's ears perked as she heard Ronno scream. The deer leapt to his feet and tried to rip Nick off his shoulder, the fox's teeth digging deep into the flesh and his claws tearing at the police uniform the deer still wore.
In the corner of her vision Judy saw Finnick reached the remote and without further ado crushed it under his feet. Judy slipped off Ronno's back with a wave of relief. She jumped away as the deer still struggled with Nick's jaws clamped on his shoulder.
"Nick," she called out, not wanting to see her friend rip out a hunk of flesh from Ronno's shoulder.
The fox's ears perked and he jumped off the deer who feel to his knees, blood pooling from the bite mark. Nick hurried to Judy's side and frantically sniffed her but the rabbit kept her eyes on the deer and maned wolf, the latter managing to suck in breath from his sore throat.
"No," Ronno stared at the shattered remains of his remote, "No." He glared at Judy, "This isn't over! I can build another one! You haven't beaten me, you haven't!"
"I have," a voice suddenly crackled over the intercom.
Judy stared up at the ceiling in surprise, "Bellwether?" After everything that had happened Judy had forgotten the sheep had come along.
"Who is that?" Ronno demanded, his head turning this way and that.
"Just someone who has using the security cameras to record everything that's just happened…which includes everything you just said." Judy noticed one of the security cameras hanging in a corner of the room.
"Don't you dare," the deer seethed. "I know who you are; you're that former mayor Bellwether! Why are you helping them?! You wanted to get rid of the predators!"
"I know," Bellwether stood in the surveillance room with Frothy by her side. The wolf watching her with impressed eyes as she smirked at the screens, "But let's just say some mammals change…and I'm one of them."
"You lost, Ronno," she finished with finality.
The deer looked like he broke. Judy's eyes turned from him to Moriarty who was still very feral and was looking around the room with a hungry glint to his eyes.
"Billy, Finnick," she spoke up, "Get Eleanor and get out of this room."
The goat picked up the sugar glider and followed Finnick out; Judy followed a few steps and was relieved when Nick followed after her.
Moriarty snarled and Judy ran, Nick keeping pace with her but she noticed he was limping.
"Get back here," Ronno suddenly screamed, looking over her shoulder she saw Ronno rising to his feet and charging after them.
Nick snarled and Judy panicked that he wouldn't follow her. "Nick, come on!" she begged running faster toward the door. Finnick was holding it open, urging them to hurry.
The desperation in her voice must've worked because Nick stayed by her side, running with her. They made it to the door, Judy whirling around and alongside Finnick slammed the door shut.
Ronno tried to force the door open but Judy and Finnick, along with Billy helped keep the door close. Judy heard the snarling of Moriarty coming to the door and then Ronno stopped trying to force the door open.
"No," Ronno's voice called from the other side of the door, panicked and frightened. "Stay back! Don't! Don't-" There was a howl, followed by a scream and the sound of something being torn and ripped. Judy fought back a wave of nauseous.
The five walked away from the door, walking aimlessly as they tried to find either Bellwether or the door. Nick stayed close to Judy's side; by the way he pressed his shoulder against her she guessed he could sense how exhausted she was.
The drone of sirens made her stop in her tracks, "The ZPD are coming."
Billy and Eleanor sat down with relieved sighs, taking that as a sign they didn't have to walk anymore.
She looked at Finnick, "How did they…?"
He shook his head in a exasperated/fond way, "Perry and Fidget aren't good when it comes to following plans."
Right then Judy wanted to give the platypus and bat a hug, but instead she dropped to her knees. Her limbs were lead, her wounds throbbed, she was so tired and in so much pain. Nick wrapped his body around her, resting his head in his lap.
And she was so happy.
She wrapped her arms around the fox's neck and buried her face into his neck ignoring the collar, he still smelled like the Nick Wilde she loved. The weight that had been crushing her since she snooped through Nick's phone finally left. They were together, Ronno was dead, they found Eleanor, and they were all safe.
With the case officially solved she closed her eyes and drifted off, Nick's warmth fur wrapped around her.
Okay, some may say this was too quick paced and not too detailed and honestly…I kinda don't care. I mean I hope you guys think this is good but now I just have to do an aftermath chapter and then I can work on the final three chapters. And I can assure each and every one of you the ending of this story is the best part.
