The Pursuit

by Lagarde

The Pursuit picks up where Zootopia left off, moving forward with the growing friendship between Nick and Judy, as well as their next case. This story does contain some violence and mature themes, though most are later in the story. Expect some drama along the way, as this story is NOT short and will twist and turn over its course.

35. Chapter 8-4

The Pursuit, Chapter 8.4 – Challenge

July 20th, Wednesday – Tundratown Outskirts

The cruiser's brakes screeched as Judy slowed near the archway of Mister Big's home. Nick sat up straight as he unclipped his still-holstered tranquillizer pistol. He expected a fight from the moment they arrived, but as the car rolled up to the entrance, a large brown bear in a suit lowered the chain that normally blocked the road, allowing them in. Everything appeared more or less normal, which frightened him even more.

As an afterthought, Nick checked the syringe Judy had given him, tucked in his vest. They could not be too careful.

"You see anything, Carrots?" he asked, leaning to look around the yard from different angles as they rolled to a stop in front of the house. "I've got nothing."

"No," Judy answered, her nose twitching as she searched the area, too. "Everything looks the way it always does. Do you think he faked the picture?"

Nick looked down at the phone again, but the image looked genuine. "It's possible. We can't take the chance it isn't true. We'll know pretty fast if it is."

Opening the door, Nick stepped out cautiously, keeping one paw on his weapon. With his other he verified his regular handgun was still safely tucked into the small of his back. It was more firepower than he had ever carried on duty, but still felt like far too little, given the damage he had seen the mysterious sender of the pictures do to others.

A moment later Judy joined Nick, also with a paw on her weapon, though she was doing a far better job looking relaxed. If he did not know her so well, he might have missed the tension across her shoulder muscles and the way her ears hovered just shy of lying flat.

"Now what?" she asked, squinting at the front door of the mansion.

Before Nick could come up with a reasonable answer, the bear who had allowed them entrance tromped up beside them and opened the door, then ushered them inside. They followed their usual path through the house, navigating art-lined halls.

"No Raymond today?" Nick asked, trying to pretend he was not scared out of his mind. True to form, the bear grunted, but gave him nothing. Some things never changed in that house.

Actually, some things did. Nick hesitated and looked back at the bear. The suit was normal, as was the escort, but he had never seen a brown bear among Mister Big's guards. They were all polar bears. Every single one. This was arguably the largest brown bear Nick had ever encountered and could have been kin to the polar bears, but his fur coloring stood out in Tundratown.

"Are you new here?" Nick asked, stopping a few feet short of the room where they always met Mister Big. At his side, Judy's paw went to her weapon. "I don't think we've seen you before."

The bear stared at him patiently, saying nothing. After a moment, the bear motioned toward the room, holding his ground, barely moving enough that Nick could tell he was actually more than a statue.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!" Nick snarled, drawing his weapon but keeping it at his side. "Where are Jack and my mother?"

Smirking slightly, the bear pointed at the room. To Nick's surprise he could see long fangs in that partial smile, far longer than any bear he had ever met. A glance at the massive paw which still was extended showed incredibly long claws. This was no species of bear Nick had ever met. A few sniffs and Nick confirmed the bear had the same scent he had picked up in his mother's condo.

"You can go see them or you can stand here threatening me," the bear said with a deep rumbling voice Nick recognized from the phone. "I can assure you that you cannot do both."

Nick quickly assessed his situation. He was barely out of arm's reach of the bear, who was far too close for comfort. He could raise his weapon and fire, but the bear could probably close that distance in a second and it would take more than one shot to down him. Judy's weapon was not drawn, which meant another delay before she was firing. Even if they did both hit him, the bear would be able to fight for a minute or more before the tranquillizer darts took effect.

"Are they alive?" Nick demanded.

"Of course," the bear answered, smiling more broadly. Those fangs could not entirely be covered by his muzzle and made Nick feel a sense of instinctual terror. "Nothing they cannot recover from. I do not break those I keep as trophies. There is no sense in that. Now, will you attack me or will you go to them? I'm actually rather curious. I do have precautions set for both, of course."

"You'll run if we leave you," Judy said, shifting a step away from Nick, likely to ensure the bear could not strike them both. "Drop any weapons right now."

The bear shook his head and let his paw drop to his side. "No, and I will not leave right away, even if given the chance. Besides, I tend not to run. I prefer to plan my actions more carefully than that. Now, let the predators speak, bunny. You should learn to keep your mouth shut around your betters, or your tongue can and will be removed. I'm certain the fox will find uses for you with or without it."

Nick was done negotiating the moment he picked up the scent of his mother in the area. Raising his weapon, he managed to get a single shot off, hitting the bear in the chest. The second shot went wide as the bear lunged in, backhanding Nick's chest to knock the wind out of him before shoving his weapon against the wall, smashing it. Blood ran down Nick's chest from his old gunshot wound, but he felt as though the bear had not meant to cause any real damage, as none of his ribs were broken.

"Do not fire, rabbit," the bear warned, adjusting his grip to keep Nick pinned to the wall by his wrists. The bear's paws were large enough that he could nearly cover Nick's forearms to the elbow with a single paw, and the strength Nick could feel in the bear's grip hinted that killing Nick would be trivial. "Each dart takes three seconds to fully empty and up to a minute to spread through one's body. Four full darts might be enough to put me down, but I can assure you that I will have removed your mate's arms in that minute and have likely killed you, as well. I don't intend to kill either of you myself unless you force me to. Go…tend to your family. We will talk again at some point. I merely wanted to see the two of you in person. The rest of my message can wait until you calm down. This is not the time."

Nick strained to move his arms, but the bear did not budge. Under his fingers, he could feel the broken remains of his weapon leaking some of the tranquillizer fluid across his fur, numbing the skin faintly. Over his shoulder, he could see Judy was hesitating, watching him for some clue as to whether it would be safe for her to fire.

"Judy," Nick grunted, trying to struggle, but the bear was far too strong for him. He desperately wanted her to shoot the bear before he could hurt her. The truth was, it simply would not do any good. "Get them out of here."

The bear chuckled and shook his head. "No, that won't do. Both of your kin have been poisoned, and I'm afraid I won't give you the antidote until you are both in the room, allowing me to leave. I did say I had precautions. While I won't run, I do not intend to stay here indefinitely."

"You're lying about the poison," Judy snapped, her tranquillizer gun still leveled at the bear.

"I can see how you might think that." The bear tightened his grip, and Nick shrieked as the bones in his paws began to shift. "Does it matter? I give you my word that I will not kill any of you if you obey me, rabbit. Drop the weapon and take a step into the room. You disobey me and I begin breaking his bones. When I make a promise, I keep it. You continue to challenge me and I will kill you with your lover's corpse."

Judy hesitated a moment longer, her gaze shifting from Nick and then back to the bear. Cautiously she lowered her pistol to the floor and raised both paws before backing away.

"Very good. The other handgun too, if you don't mind," the bear practically purred, grinning broadly, showing the massive fangs Nick had glimpsed before. The only place Nick had ever seen any mammal with fangs like those were the sabertooths in the museum. Behind him, Nick heard Judy drop her backup weapon. "I see she can be taught to obey orders. Maybe, just maybe, you can both be spared, so long as you learn to properly leash her, fox."

Nick growled and the bear smiled down on him, completely unimpressed.

"Continue into the room," the bear ordered Judy, and she backed away into the office. "Once inside, please tell your mate what you see."

Judy did as she was told, disappearing into Mister Big's office. A moment later she called out, "My brother, Nick's mother, and Mister Big are all tied up in here. None are conscious."

"As I said," the bear told Nick, pulling his paws away from the wall. He continued to hold Nick's arms, keeping him from moving away. "I am going to put you in that room now. In the desk drawers, you will find antidotes to wake up your family members. I will give you a moment once you are inside before I explain further."

Still struggling to get either paw free, Nick demanded, "Who are you?"

"Rolen Ursius," he said, leaning close enough that Nick could feel the bear's hot breath on his nose. "Do remember that name. I intend that everyone will, soon enough. Now get into the room with your precious little bunny."

"If I refuse?"

"Then I break her arms off and allow you to watch her bleed to death," Rolen replied smoothly. "This is how you train slaves. You punish others for their failures until they decide to be more obedient. Silvia's pain did not motivate you nearly so much, but now I have the leverage I wanted. The bunny suffers if you disobey. If she disobeys, I punish you. It's a rather elegant solution to a complicated problem of mammals thinking they have the right to ever disobey me."

Nick lunged, trying to bite at Rolen's arm, but the larger mammal slammed Nick against the wall again, dazing him. Suddenly Nick felt as though he was flying, then came down hard on the floor and slid to stop inside Mister Big's office. Looking around, he found he lay against the desk with three chairs around him—one with his mother, one with Jack, and a third tiny chair with Mister Big himself. Nearby, Judy scrambled to his side as the room's door closed with a dark finality.

"Nick!" she yelled, dropping to her knees beside him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, though he could barely breathe. It felt as though the skin had broken open on his chest and back. Reaching behind him for his other weapon, Nick found it was gone. "Are they okay?"

Judy shook her head, flopping her ears a little in the process. "He wasn't lying. Their pulses are awful. I didn't have a chance to grab the antidote yet."

"Do it. I'll be fine."

While Judy ran around the desk, Nick slid up so he could lean against the leg of the desk. Behind him, he heard drawer after drawer get yanked open, followed by the rattle of several objects and a distinct "ah-ha!" from Judy. Ignoring her, he slid his paw into his shirt and felt a lot of blood on his fingertips. Clearing his throat as best he could without drawing attention, Nick also tasted a tiny bit of blood. No major damage, but he was in no shape to fight. He would have to keep the blood hidden until after they were safe or Judy would worry.

"How far behind us was the backup?" Nick asked, trying not to sound concerned as Judy went to his mother and injected something into her arm.

As Judy moved to Jack, she answered, "No more than ten minutes. We stalled a little, but we've got a few minutes to kill."

A groan from Nick's mother let him know she was waking up. Nick had not expected Rolen to tell the truth, let alone for the antidote would work so quickly. By the time Judy was working to inject Mister Big with the smallest syringe, Jack had begun to stir as well, his large eyes staring around the room dazedly.

Nick shifted his position and realized the back door to the room was open. Rolen likely had not taken the time to fully explore the building yet, and that gave them a chance to get the others out in a hurry. They only needed to hide until reinforcements came.

"Mom," Nick gasped, getting up as quickly as he could. He hurriedly tore off the ropes holding his mother to the chair and ripped away the muzzle she wore. Swollen bruises around her cheeks and nose reminded him how badly she had been beaten, but he ignored them and gently shook her. "Can you hear me, Mom?"

"Yes, Nicky," she whispered back, grabbing his arm weakly. "What's going on?"

"Crazy cop stuff. We're going to get you three out of here. Can you walk?"

His mother nodded and stood unsteadily. That was all the reassurance Nick needed, and he moved to Jack's chair and tugged at the knot holding the bunny's ropes. By the time Jack was free to move, Mister Big was awake and Judy had finished untying him.

"Everyone get moving," Nick ordered, motioning toward the back door. "If you can get to the road, hide in the trees until the other ZPD officers arrive. Judy and I will deal with Rolen. Do not face him, no matter what."

With Mister Big leading the way, the three former captives walked quickly into the hall beyond the room. The moment Nick's mother had cleared the threshold, the door slammed shut and locked.

"Quite the setup that Mister Big has here," Rolen's said, and Nick had to search for the source of it. He soon spotted speakers in the ceiling. "Nearly every door in this mansion can be locked remotely. That is ingenious. We work with so much less back home. To think a shrew can become a fearsome master of others in this city is something I had not expected. I begin to understand why. Perhaps I should have gone after him first. Controlling his empire would have made my plans so much easier."

Judy ran to the rear door of the room and began fighting with the lock.

Turning to the door they had entered through, Nick put a hand on the wood and immediately knew they were not getting out easily. Despite appearances, the door was steel painted to look like wood, and the hinges appeared to be reinforced. A ZPD battering ram would take time to get through it.

Nick gave up on the door and slowly made his way around the office itself. The windows along one wall were mostly for show, with metal gratings outside them and bulletproof glass. The few vents he could see near the ceiling were screwed into the frame. Either he or Judy could probably fit through the ducts if they could remove all the screws, which would not be easy without tools.

A bright light came on across the room, and both Nick and Judy turned to look as a television mounted into one bookshelf filled with the face of Rolen.

"Ahh, much better," Rolen said, grinning wickedly. "All of my cameras are now working. Please be kind enough to wave or state your names for the audience."

Judy gave Nick a worried glance before asking, "What audience?"

Rolen chuckled and appeared to lean back in a chair. "The city of Zootopia, of course. Bellwether was sloppy in her attempts to tear this city apart. She wanted too much from the city, and that led her to make mistakes when I tried to use her. I am patient and willing to see it all burn. Watching their heroes turn on them will be enough to push them over the edge now. Every mammal in this city will see what can happen, and they will destroy the city for me or abandon it entirely. I have cast aside my fellows, as I no longer need them. You are only dealing with me."

Nick growled and sat in the chair his mother had been tied to. "Please tell me you're not going to go through with the same insane plan she had?"

"Not at all," Rolen replied quickly. "Bellwether stole my chemist and his recipes. I had far more intricate plans than she did. Not that it will matter to you. For the two of you, the results will be much the same…though I can assure you I do not use blueberries. Sadly I was unable to spare much of my remaining serum for you. There is precious little left in the city after Doug was incarcerated. I need what I have left, as I cannot make any more."

Nick and Judy met each other's eyes. He knew what this meant. Rolen wanted to see him kill her, the same way Bellwether had tried. He wanted to punish those who opposed him by making them murder those closest to them, and this time he was filming the whole thing to show the world what Nick had done.

Reaching into his vest, Nick searched for the Night Howler antidote syringe, but his fingers brushed against shards of glass and a thick liquid in his pocket. Looking down, he saw that the pocket of his vest had been right where Rolen had struck him during their initial fight in the hallway.

Nearby, Judy raised her own syringe close to her chest to show Nick that she still had it, but hopefully hide it from view.

"Before I go," Rolen went on, stepping out of the picture on the television. "I want you both to know what will happen. I will dose you, and then you will have about five minutes to say your good-byes. After that, the change will be swift and last until you receive an antidote. You will remember everything, including your actions, the scents, the tastes of your lover's blood, and the screams. By the time you are saved by the rest of your officers, I will be long gone. Having studied you both, I do believe this will break you. How long will either of you be able to go on, knowing what you have done?"

Nick lowered his voice, hoping the mics in the room might not hear him, even if Judy could. "Mine's gone. What do we do?"

Walking over to him, Judy subtly pressed the syringe into his paw and kept her voice barely above a whisper. "He's not going to dose me. We know how this goes. You're the predator. You're more dangerous. No one's afraid of a bunny. When he comes in, we try to find a way to stop him, but he'll make sure he at least shoots you. If he sticks around to dose us both, maybe we can fight long enough for the other officers to arrive."

Nick stared at the syringe and realized he had no grounds to argue. There was no one in their right mind who would pick the bunny over a fox, especially if Rolen did not know they had the antidote with them. A quick act once he was dosed might work on Rolen as well as it had Bellwether. He just needed to do well enough that Rolen moved on, thinking the job was done, even if it meant putting Judy in danger briefly until they were certain Rolen was no longer watching. Deep down, he knew that meant he might be forced to actually hurt her, if it meant saving both of their lives in the long run. The thought terrified him, and he wondered if he could actually do that…or if she was ready for that possibility.

"Nick," she whispered, putting a paw on his. "Whatever it takes. I trust you. We've been through worse. I know you won't really hurt me. I'm tougher than you think."

Nick put a paw to Judy's face, smiling sadly. "I know you are."

"How touching, even with you two whispering," Rolen muttered, coming back into the television's frame. "Maybe a hug or cuddles before we proceed? Please speak up for the audience."

Judy's hateful glare seemed to even make Rolen hesitate.

"Very well," he added a moment later. "Let's see…which one of you will I turn against the other? We need to make a good show of this."

Nick slid the syringe down along his leg where it would likely not be visible on cameras and popped the cap off. He knew he needed to inject himself and soon, but he met Judy's eyes and dearly wished he could be certain. He wanted her safe, and if he were hit with the serum, there would be little chance of her overpowering him. Still, his mind raced with possibilities of ways using their only antidote might still leave her in danger.

Without a word, Judy grabbed Nick's paw and slammed the syringe into his thigh. The chill liquid burned across his muscles, then faded quickly as it dispersed through his body. There was no changing his mind now.

"I suppose you both have a plan," Rolen went on, smiling into the camera, baring those deadly fangs. "I always do too. Good-bye, officers. Your sacrifice will be remembered by everyone in the city each evening in their nightmares. This is the moment I spared you both for. Two of the most cherished officers this city has ever had, dying on television."

Clasping Judy's paws in his, Nick waited for the doors to open. He knew it was coming sooner or later. Rolen would open the doors, and Nick would hear the awful sound of the air pistol going off and feel the sting of the serum hitting his fur. Antidote or not, he had to believe he would feel something, some sense of rage or ferocity toward the only person he had ever truly loved. Nick only hoped the antidote would allow him to keep his head clear enough that Judy did not have to see the hate in his eyes for even a moment. He never wanted her to see that in anything more than an act.

A faint click from above drew their attention to the ceiling, rather than the doors. Along the ceiling, four fire-suppression sprayers had dropped slightly.

"In case you were wondering," Rolen continued, as he got up on screen again. "I do hope that the bunny is the one to go savage, if not both of you. Imagine what that will do to the people of this city when their decorated hero—a harmless bunny—tears her lover apart? No one will ever feel safe again. I look forward to whatever comes of this. Good luck."

As the television went dark, a fine mist began to fall on Nick and Judy. The pungent stench of Night Howlers immediately filled Nick's nose, and he closed his eyes, dreading the fear on Judy's face. Frantically he swept his arms over her, trying to cover her completely from the sprayers.

"Nick, just stop," she said, leaning to put her head against his chest. When Nick looked down, he saw her fur was already discolored from the blue-purple of the serum, even after his efforts to shield her. "It's going to happen. I'm sorry…"

Pulling her into a tight hug, Nick tried to keep the fear out of his voice. False humor was all he could come up with to fill the silence as the sprayers slowly finished overhead. "You'll be fine, Sweetheart. A cute little bunny…you're not scary. We'll get through this. You might nibble a little, but I usually like it when you do."

Judy laughed sadly, tugging at his shirt to keep him as close as possible. "Promise me you'll do whatever you have to. Don't put yourself in danger just to spare me. If I get aggressive, you don't have to act like a gentleman. Hit me if you have to. Pin me, bite me, whatever it takes to keep yourself safe until you can restrain me."

Nick kissed the top of her head, tasting the bitter extract from the flowers coating her fur. "I can't do it, Fluff. Savage or not, I can't hurt you."

"Nick, do what you have to do. That's an order."

"You don't understand, do you?" he asked, nuzzling her ears. "I can't. I really, truly can't. I know I have to and it would be to save both our lives, but I don't think I can hurt you even then. We've got a few minutes. I'll tie you down on Jack's chair. If you get away…I don't know what I'll do. I can't hurt you, though. Even if it gets me killed, I can't…I won't."

"You can't just sit there and let me…hurt you."

"Nah, I'm not stupid," Nick said, smiling sadly into her fur. "I'd fight back a little. I just don't think I could really fight. I've been scared of hurting you for too long. I'm scared of what I could do to you. Proving it now would destroy me, even if you came out of it fine. I'd always know what I did."

Judy looked up at him with those huge, sad violet eyes, and Nick thought his heart would melt on the spot. "Then how good are you with tying people up?"

His sense of humor getting the better of him, Nick blurted out, "At a time like this? I didn't know you were into that, Carrots. You really should have brought that up at the apartment and not here."

The solid punch to his arm was at least a little reassuring that she recognized he was trying—and failing—to be funny. As she pulled her paw away from his arm, they both looked down, and Nick realized Judy was trembling. She appeared to try and stop the movement by clenching her paw, but the shaking continued.

"Nick, we don't have long," she reminded him, sitting up so she could kiss his cheek. As soon as she pulled her lips away, Judy went to the chair where Jack had been tied up and sat, closing her eyes as she placed both arms on the armrests, her ears sinking as low as they would go. "Do it quickly. I'm sorry for anything I say or do. While I'm still myself, know that I love you."

Getting up, Nick went to join Judy and set to untangling the rope that they had tossed aside when freeing Jack. He wanted to rush, but if he was not careful, Judy would easily slip free. He had to be calm—which was far from how he felt as he saw Judy's hind paws trembling and the twitches that were spreading across her muzzle. It would not be long before whatever was coming began.

Nick soon had the rope untangled and began looping it around Judy, tying off several times as he worked, securing her legs and then her waist to the chair. He moved to her arms next, with plenty of rope to spare. Three more sections: each arm and then her upper body. Once the final knot was tied, he doubted there was much she could do to him until he could get another dose of the antidote for her. Everything would be okay.

With a shriek Judy doubled over, causing Nick to lose his grip on the wet rope. He reached for her without thinking, intending to make sure she was not in pain, but the gaze that turned on him was not the Judy he knew. Wide, horrified, and entirely instinctual eyes met his, and the utter panic radiating from Judy made Nick want to weep. She let out another shrill cry, flailing as she tried to get free, to get away from him.

Despite the pain seeing Judy trying to run from him caused, Nick was somewhat relieved. Fear was easier to deal with than an attack. The other way around, he knew he would have tried to kill her. If Judy was terrified of him, it hurt, but he could still restrain her.

Nick reached down to grab the rope to finish his work, but Judy flailed, trying to get away from him. He finally got a grip on the rope and moved to loop it over Judy's shoulders when she abruptly threw herself sideways, screaming as the ropes bit into her legs. He could see blood on her uniform and realized she was willing to tear herself apart to get away.

Grabbing Judy's shoulders to steady her, Nick had to recoil immediately when Judy bit him, drawing blood. He stared in disbelief at the shallow gash in the back of his paw. Looking back to Judy, he could see blood on her large front teeth. Before he could decide what to do, she pulled free of the ropes on her legs, dove off the chair, and slipped through his paws as she scampered into the shadow of the nearby desk.

Nick stood near the chair, glaring at the bloody wound on his paw. He was not sure what he had expected, but being bitten by Judy was still startling. Finally he managed to drop his paw to his side and searched for Judy.

"Carrots?" Nick said, trying to keep his voice as soothing as possible. "Judy? It's me, Nick. Fuzzy, lovable Nick. Wouldn't hurt a bunny. Didn't even hurt the bunnies that stomped on my tail. Remember that? No trail of bodies, no matter how much I wanted to."

A faint chittering coo came from under the desk, and Nick hoped it meant Judy was still vaguely recognizing he was no threat to her. Inching closer to the desk, Nick slowly leaned so he could see underneath, where Judy was curled tightly into a ball, her huge frightened eyes staring out at him from the dimly lit corner, trembling as she tried to make herself as tiny as possible.

Nick lowered himself to his knees to reduce how threatening he might appear. He took his time getting down to where his chin was almost on the floor, attempting to put himself below Judy's eyes. "Nothing scary about me," he assured her, feeling almost as if he were talking down a small child. "Please don't bite me, Judy. I might take it personally. I love you and…well, damn…now I can say it. How messed up is that? Anyway, I love you, and I want to help you get better. Just come out and we'll tie you up like we're playing some kind of kinky game…"

Nose twitching spastically, Judy inched a little closer, bringing one paw just barely ahead of the other. Nick could see her legs tensed, ready to leap, but her face gave him no hint that she intended to run, at least not yet.

"Okay, that's good." Nick slid his hind paw over to the side of the desk, snagged the rope that had fallen when he had freed his mother, and used one toe to drag it closer. "I promise you a big bundle of tasty flowers if you let me tie you up—wow, I hope you don't remember that line, or I'll never be able to use it again. Anyway, let the big scary fox get a little closer…"

Nick got himself partway under the desk without Judy budging. She seemed to shrink back a little, her eyes widening still further—if that were possible—but she did not run. Taking that as a good sign, Nick eased the rope up to his front paws and kept up his best smile as he slid over to Judy. He only needed to get hold of her, certain he could overpower her without having to hurt her at all. Nick weighed far more than her, and he was confident that he had more upper body strength than she could overcome, even in her state. It was only her hind paws and teeth he had to worry about.

Nick inched forward one more time, bringing him almost overtop of Judy. Taking the rope in one paw, he poised to pounce with his free arm. He figured tackling her would be best and give him a chance of looping the rope around her arms in a hurry.

As he jumped at Judy, Nick realized too late that Judy was rolling away from him, bringing her hind paws toward him. The resulting kick threw him backward, clutching his face as the rope slid away. He was certain nothing was broken, but his whole jaw and muzzle throbbed horribly. When he checked his paw, he found a small amount of blood and could taste more across his gums, especially near one loose fang.

"Okay, I'm done being the nice fox," Nick muttered, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Foxes eat bunnies. I will not get beaten up by one small bunny just because I won't really hurt her."

Rolling back onto his knees, Nick now faced Judy just outside the cover of the desk. Unlike the last time, her eyes had narrowed and she had her mouth open, ready to bite…with blood still visible on her front teeth from when she had nipped his paw earlier.

"Judy?" Nick backed away slowly, and she advanced with him. "Please don't embarrass me. The other officers will never forget it if you kill me…"

Snarling, Judy lunged and slammed into Nick harder than her size would indicate, using her hind legs to drive herself forward. Those two sharp front teeth snapped dangerously close to Nick's neck as he rolled to avoid her attack. Even Judy's short claws raked his uniform, tearing away part of his shirt.

Nick tumbled backward, managing to extricate himself from Judy's mindless flailing. As he got his paws under him, he dove for the desk, trying to pull himself out of harm's way. He never made it. Judy soon latched onto his lower leg, biting deeply, her teeth mostly tearing away fur and his pant leg, but still managing to cut him slightly.

"Dammit, Judy!" Nick yelped, falling back to the floor as Judy skittered away. Panting, Nick searched for anywhere he could escape to, but the small closed room left him few options. A glance down at his leg showed a single line of blood where her teeth had raked him, but he doubted it would bleed for too long. "We are investing heavily in bite-sticks for you once things are back to normal!"

A distant crash outside the office gave Nick vague hope that the other officers had arrived, but that moment of excitement faded quickly when he saw Judy was padding slowly around the floor, moving so he was all but cornered.

"Carrots, I need you to concentrate," Nick said, rolling back onto his knees. Flexing his ankle, Nick was certain he could stand if he needed to. "Go with your instincts. Run. Hide. Be afraid of the fox. Anything, other than attacking. Bunnies don't do that!" Nick realized as soon as he said those words that if there was any part of Judy left in the cute yet feral monster stalking him, he had said exactly the wrong thing. Sure enough, Judy bared her teeth and leaped at him—likely her way of reminding him that she could and would do anything she wanted.

Sweeping his arm across his body, Nick barely managed to get his forearm in front of his neck before Judy slammed into him, bowling him over. The sharp edges of her snapping teeth tore at his arm, leaving painful slashes that thankfully did not cut too deep.

Nick rolled her off him and flipped over before Judy could get away again, diving atop her as she scrambled to get out of reach. He grabbed at her arms and body, fighting tears that came unbidden as Judy shrieked and flailed, sounding as though he were killing her. It took all of his resolve to even attempt to hold her through those cries, and he expected he would be hearing them in his sleep for some time to come.

"I've got you," he whispered, wrapping his arms around Judy, keeping her facing away from him so her teeth were no longer a threat. Her tiny claws on her front paws scraped along his shirt, trying to get enough purchase to pull free. More than once, her hind paws slammed into his hips, but Judy did not seem to understand how to maneuver to properly hurt him. Soon she went limp and cried in his arms.

Nick wiped his own tears against the back of Judy's head and ears as he clung tightly to keep her safe. "It's okay, Carrots. I'm here. I won't hurt you. I'm not going anywhere. Fight if you have to. I'll take it. Whatever you need to do. Nothing you can do to me will chase me off. I know this isn't you."

A few minutes later, a booming crash against the room's door set Judy to squirming again, but she settled into his arms again when she found she could not escape. The animalistic wailing resumed, and Nick could not help but join her, despite the crack of the door being ripped off its hinges as ZPD officers broke in. He could feel her heart racing against his arms, even when she appeared calm.

"Officer Wilde? Hopps?" asked a young wolf from one of the other precincts, who stared at Nick and Judy with something mixed between shock and horror.

"Yeah," Nick answered, still not budging, even when Judy tried to bite him again. "Get some Night Howler antidote in here. My…my partner's not doing well."

The wolf inched closer and knelt near Nick. "I don't think we have any with us, but my partner will go check. If not, it'll take an ambulance another ten minutes to get here. How long has she been like this?"

Judy snarled again, but Nick held tightly, caught somewhere between a hug and restraint. "That's fine. Get them here. I've got her, no matter how long it takes. I think we're going on about ten or twenty minutes. Hard to say. Lost track of time after she turned."

Sitting down, the wolf waved off another officer, who likely went to go call for the ambulance. "Sir, you're bleeding."

"I know," Nick replied, laughing weakly. "Fiercest bunny in the city right here."

"The cuts on your leg and chest look pretty bad."

"I'm fine."

"I can grab a tranq gun, and maybe if we give her a small enough dose…"

Nick shook his head. "I promised her I wouldn't leave her, no matter what happened. I'd rather have her bite me again than wonder if she'll wake up. Besides, the tranq guns can be risky on a mammal her size unless you fire from pretty far away. I swear I'll be fine."

The wolf looked between Nick and Judy several times before sniffing a little louder than he probably intended.

"Don't bother trying to figure it out," Nick warned, leaning back against the desk as Judy struggled again briefly. "I don't know what all your nose is picking up, but please don't ask. Judy is my partner. Let's leave it at that for now."

Shaking his head, the wolf appeared distinctly uncomfortable. "We found the other three on our way in. Do you know if there's anyone else on the grounds?"

"Rolen Ursius. Big brown bear of some kind. He's the one who did this and the one who attacked Meadowland Health."

"No sign of any bears," the other officer assured him. "Want me to call that in?"

"Please. I don't want him getting the drop on anyone else today."

Nodding, the wolf backed away and stood, taking out his radio. "Officer Cannus to dispatch."

Nick shifted his grip a little, feeling Judy squirm and struggle even more briefly than before. Once he had her settled again, he was able to slowly pet her ears. Thankfully that seemed to calm her even in her enraged state. It took almost a minute, but she soon settled against his chest, purring faintly.

"Cannus to dispatch, please respond."

Nick kept gently stroking Judy's head, satisfied with the way it eased her racing heart and the fear and anger in her eyes. Not long after that, Judy had relaxed so much that Nick wondered if she might actually fall asleep in his arms.

"Clawhauser here" came the reply at length, though Benjamin sounded entirely winded to Nick.

"We have Wilde and Hopps at the mansion," Cannus explained, smiling at Nick. "They're hurt, but alive. My partner has called in for a dose of Night Howler antidote, as Hopps appears to be affected. Wilde wanted me to report in that we have a large bear named Rolen Ursius at large and may be involved in this attack."

"Roger that," Clawhauser replied. "I'll call it out…what was that? I'll get back to you, officer."

Putting away his radio, Office Cannus pulled one of the chairs closer and sat down to watch Nick and Judy.

"How's your day going so far?" Nick asked, trying to sound casual, even as Judy snapped again near his neck before calming under his petting.

"Not nearly as strangely as yours, I'd wager," the wolf answered, shaking his head a little. "You sure I can't get you anything?"

Nick shook his head. "Nah. Got everything I need here. Rabid bunny, sucking chest wound, and the dire need for still more stitches. Pretty normal afternoon for Precinct One. Coffee would be nice, but I doubt I can drink it without a long straw."

"You remind me of why I work Precinct Nine."

Nick chuckled and shrugged. "Wouldn't be fun if it wasn't a challenge, right?"

A deafening explosion rocked the building, and Nick heard windows shattering in all directions. He was so surprised that he very nearly lost his grip on Judy when she began thrashing again, and it took him another minute or two to settle her enough that she would allow him to hold her, though her eyes remained wide and frantic and her heart was pounding.

Cannus ran for the door of the room but was almost immediately met by his leopard partner, who was covered with dust.

"There was some kind of explosive in the front drive," the leopard explained, panting as he collapsed. "Both our cruisers are…well, there's nothing left. The three mammals we rescued are safe in one of the other buildings."

"Don't suppose you found any antidote before things went sideways?" Nick asked, though he did not take his eyes off Judy and only watched the others from the corner of his eye.

"Actually, yes," the other officer replied, coming over cautiously. As soon as he took a step into the room, Judy began fighting to get free again. "If I remember what they told us when they passed these out, she has to take it within the hour or it'll take days before she recovers. I got lucky that I found it and got away before the cruiser went up in flames."

"Just toss it over," Nick begged, locking his arms around Judy. He felt her teeth brush his sleeve, but it was her feet that worried him more. A solid kick to his thigh made his whole leg ache, and the way she was squirming, she had a good chance of aiming a kick at his torso or groin. "The fewer threats she sees, the better."

A faint clatter let Nick know the officer had done as he was asked. Looking down, he saw a standard needle filled with liquid—not one of the automatic syringes they had been given.

"It's old," the leopard warned, apparently noticing his concern. "We got that after Bellwether. I don't even know if that stuff goes bad. It's all we're getting for a while, though."

Nick took a deep breath and tried to evaluate whether he would be able to pick up the needle and use it in any manner without exposing himself to a bite or kick. The odds were not in his favor. The moment he eased his grip on Judy, she would have the leverage to hurt him badly.

With one paw, Nick began stroking Judy's ears again, until she leaned against his chest and cooed faintly. Using that as cover, he slowly let his other arm drop—knowing it meant Judy was entirely free to run if she noticed—and grabbed the needle. He flicked off the cap with his thumb-claw, maintaining the steady strokes on Judy's ears throughout.

"Please don't bite me," he whispered, wrapping the arm with the needle around her to position it behind her back and hold her somewhat still.

He pushed the needle into the soft area of skin on Judy's right arm, near the shoulder. She did not react immediately, but as he neared halfway through, Nick felt her tense and her ears shot up despite his efforts to pet them.

"All done," Nick purred at her, tossing aside the needle. Moment by moment Judy started to relax again. "See? Fox isn't so scary at all."

Looking toward the doorway, Nick found that Officer Cannus and his partner sat on the floor just outside the room, watching. Both smiled at him reassuringly, though Nick knew he was not safe yet. Until Judy was able to recognize him and talk, she could still attack at any moment.

"Did you call in the explosion?" Nick asked, once he was certain Judy was not going to immediately bite at him.

"Yeah," the leopard answered. "No idea if they're sending anyone. Sounded like they were really busy at dispatch. Figured I'd try again in a few minutes. Not like we're going anywhere."

Nick was willing to let that be and focus on Judy's recovery. The incessant racing thump of her heart had begun to slow and she was breathing easier. Whether that meant she had gotten the antidote in time to avoid longer recovery or if that was normal for the antidote, Nick was not sure, but he was happy she did not feel as though she were in immediate danger.

"Go get the others," Nick told the officers. "I want everyone able to see each other. No more surprises."

Cannus hurried off, leaving Nick, Judy, and the leopard in the office area. Slowly, Judy settled into a soft purring and nuzzled at his neck, her paws gently tugging at the tatters of his shirt. She seemed to have entirely forgotten she was cuddling with a fox.

"That's going to be an awkward story when she comes to," the leopard noted, smirking as he nodded toward Judy.

Nick smiled and decided to keep some semblance of decorum. "Yeah. Probably be horrified that she's being cuddly with some sketchy fox. Better than biting or clawing, though. I'll take it."

Minutes passed and Judy began to squirm, gradually turning to face him as she continued pawing at his chest. Soon her nuzzling grew a bit more insistent, and Nick started to wonder if perhaps something was wrong with the antidote. She appeared uncomfortable and whined as she ran her claws over the buttons of his shirt. After a moment of frantic pawing, she tried to bite one button off his uniform.

"How far to Tundratown Medical from here?" Nick asked, noticing the leopard also had begun to look worried. "On paw, of course. We might need to get her there is she gets any worse."

"Twenty minutes, give or take."

In the hallway Nick could hear Cannus talking to someone. Faintly he heard his mother's voice and Jack's shortly after.

"Okay, so here's what we're going to do…," Nick said, when Judy started using her legs to tug at his pants.

More than a little surprised, Nick stared down at her, while she continued to whimper and scratch at him. Her forepaws were moving farther down his shirt, and for a moment, he wondered what her drug-addled thoughts were triggering her to do. A bunny should have been scared and trying to run. The only other thing a bunny might…

"Oh shit," Nick muttered as a sweeter scent caught his attention and he waved at the leopard to get his attention. "Keep the others out of the room!"

The other officer sat bolt upright, putting one paw to his tranquillizer gun. "What's wrong?"

"Just keep them out! She's still…uh…affected by the Night Howlers."

"Wilde?" the leopard asked, easing his paw off the weapon but still not acting to keep the approaching mammals from coming to the doorway. "I'm not seeing any savage behavior. That looks more like…"

Judy's paws slid down onto Nick's crotch, and he did his best to hide how much he wished Judy were fully herself. The cooing and nuzzling was not helping one bit, nor was the way she was trying to keep her hips firmly against his. Another time and place without drugs involved and he would have been thrilled, but this was all wrong, especially with an audience.

"She thinks she's in heat," Nick told the leopard, banging the back of his head against the desk. "This is all going to be embarrassing enough without her brother or my mother watching her try to…you know."

The leopard officer's eyes widened, and he looked like he was going to be sick. "Animals haven't gone into heat in thousands of years…"

"And they don't go savage, right?!" Nick snapped back as he tried to push Judy's paws away from his groin. She refused to back down and kept trying, apparently struggling with confusion over how his pants worked. That might have been the only thing saving him from far more embarrassment. "I'll deal with my partner. You keep everyone out of here until she's back to normal."

Scowling, the leopard moved out of sight, and Nick heard him talking to the others. Thankfully he avoided the details and instead told them that Judy was still savage and that Nick had asked them to stay close, but not in sight. Nick heard them all sit in the hall somewhere nearby and begin talking.

"We are going to have a great big laugh about this later, Fluff," Nick whispered near Judy's ear, as she pouted and tried one more time to tug at his pants. A moment later she began pawing frantically at her own belt and pants. "I won't hold you responsible for anything you do or try to do."

Judy turned around in his lap and shifted as though trying to coax him into mounting her.

"A greeeeat big laugh," he told himself, pulling her back into a hug. With luck he would not have to stand up anytime soon, lest everyone see exactly how he felt about Judy's behavior. The decision to keep her in his lap immediately felt like a mistake as she began rocking her hips against his. "Oh my gods, this is not happening. Insane crime lord tries to kill us all and instead I end up with a horny bunny."

Nick froze and looked around the room, realizing Rolen's comment about there being cameras meant others might be watching the scene unfold. Grumbling, Nick dragged himself and Judy to the underside of the desk, where it was highly unlikely anyone could see them.

"Okay, now you're safe," Nick reassured her once they were hidden away. "Act as silly as you want. You know I'll forgive you. Just leave the pants on."

For the next ten minutes, Nick felt as though he were getting the strangest and most ill-advised lap dance of all time. Judy kept turning about, trying to find some way to get through his and her pants, kept pawing at him, and when that would fail, she would flatten out against his chest, nuzzling. Gradually, her frantic behavior slowed and she began to calm down. After about twenty minutes, she lay snoring softly on his chest, her paws still occasionally sliding over his shoulders gently.

"I think we're all safe now," Nick announced, coming out from under the desk. Pulling Judy into his arms, he carried her toward the door as the other officers moved into view.

"Everything okay?" asked the leopard, watching Judy warily.

Beside him, Cannus sniffed a few times and smirked, but thankfully kept his mouth shut.

"Yeah, she's about as relaxed now as she's going to get," Nick explained, trying not to acknowledge the twitch in Cannus's muzzle at a joke best left unsaid. "Her eyes are almost back to normal. Have you heard anything from dispatch?"

Cannus shook his head. "Nothing. Never even heard them put out the call about Rolen. It's been dead silent."

Frowning, Nick held on to Judy with one arm and pulled his radio with the other. Thumbing the button, he said, "Clawhauser. Wilde to Clawhauser. Where's our medical team?"

Silence.

"Clawhauser? Dispatch? Anyone at the precinct?"

The faint hiss of the radio was steady for a full minute without any reply.

"Bogo?" Nick was starting to get concerned. "Wilde to Precinct One? Can anyone hear me?"

This time the radio clicked as a familiar voice came on the line.

"Hello, Officer Wilde," Rolen replied, the bear's deep voice sending shivers through Nick's skin. "I'm afraid the precinct is unable to respond at this time. I take it that you have dealt with your bunny problem?"

Nick looked down at Judy, still napping in his arms. Forcing his voice to sound grief-stricken in the hope that Rolen might misunderstand, he answered, "I did, you bastard. I put her down. What have you done to the ZPD?"

"Not much, yet" came the immediate response. "Still setting up cameras for another big show. I should have this filmed by the time your fight with the bunny goes to air. You may as well sit back and relax. I do know the traps I set went off, so I doubt you have any way to get back here. And I seriously doubt you'd want to see the results of my work, anyway."

"Don't you ever get tired of Night Howlers?" Nick demanded.

Rolen laughed. "I do, actually. They serve a purpose once in a while. I actually prefer to do things with my own two paws. No Night Howlers here. Those are for special occasions."

Nick shoved his radio back into his belt. "Anyone have any ideas how we can get to Precinct One in a serious hurry?"

Cannus and the leopard both shook their heads.

"There's no other cruisers on the road today," Cannus admitted sadly. "If we can't get to dispatch, we won't get backup from another district."

The leopard added, "This far out in Tundratown, there won't be civilian cars either. It could be hours of waiting or easily half an hour of walking just to find someone. We're better off hiking to the hospital."

"Civilian cars," Nick repeated, slowly forming an idea. Digging through one of his belt pouches, he found his cell phone and began typing on the screen. Thankfully he had the number memorized.

The phone rang and rang, making Nick wonder if perhaps he had gotten the number wrong or the mammal on the far end was unavailable. Finally the line picked up right before voicemail.

"Hello…"

Nick opened his mouth to reply, but held on a moment just in case.

"…there?"

Smiling, Nick replied, "Flash, Flash, Hundred Yard Dash! You still on a suspended license?"

"Fuck…"

Nick tapped his hind paw, waiting.

"…you…"

Taking a deep breath, he let Flash finish.

"…Nick."

"What if I told you I can get your license back?" Nick offered, hoping he was not lying. The lack of any breath intake to reply let him know Flash was listening. "One day free pass to drive as crazy as you want. No tickets, and if you help us out, you get your license. Sound like a deal? If so, come to 88 Badger Lane, Tundratown."

Several long seconds passed, and Nick hoped the faint noise he heard was Flash grinning.

"It's…"

Nick began pacing, wishing he had another mammal he could call. Finnick might answer, but knowing him it would be an hour or better.

"…a…"

Kissing Judy's head, Nick wanted to throw his phone, but he managed to keep his cool a little longer.

"…deal."

The sound of an engine accelerating filled the phone, making Nick look down.

"Were you already driving?" asked Nick incredulously. "Flash, were you driving without a license?"

"See you…soon…Nick."

The line went dead after a squeal of tires.

"I am going to kill that sloth," Nick muttered, putting away his phone. Both officers looked at him as though he were insane. "Don't even say it. Yes, I know who I called. He'll be here to pick us up sooner than you'd think. If I have to give him back his license to get us into town, I'll be happy to be the one to arrest him again tomorrow and take it away."

Drawing his service pistol, Cannus shrugged as he eyed the clip. "I don't care who you called. I'll take a garbage truck if it gets us to the precinct before anyone else gets hurt."

The leopard verified his own tranquillizer pistol. "Agreed. Lead on, Officer Wilde. I think we're all done playing that bastard's games."