Raiding the base is still not a good plan... Enjoy the chapter!
When Vosch pushed the button everyone –except Nick who did not know what it did- expected for Cotton to 'pass out' but instead, she just stood there still breathing and almost crying leaving Judy shocked in a huge sense of relief while the bear was angrily confused pushing the button harder a couple of times.
"They got it out!" shouted Vosch extremely furious slamming the controller to the ground and leaving the room "Watch those two!" he commanded for the soldiers to check out on Judy and Nick.
Judy was impatient, relieved by the fact that whatever happened, it saved the life of her niece and she wanted to get her out of that chair immediately.
Meanwhile, Nick was slightly confused; he figured out that the button should have killed Cotton yet it didn't because 'they' got it out, that action itself screamed "Zachy did this" but he wasn't entirely sure about it because the fact that someone like Zachy would shut down an electrical thing in a completely unknown base seemed too far-fetched.
As for the soldiers, they both simply stood there with each pointing at Nick and Judy.
It was an awkward moment but neither of them could move without getting the two soldiers to shout at them to sit down again, they were sitting there for around ten minutes with no dialogue but only stares exchanged, stares that said a thousand words.
However, Nick heard a light metallic 'thump' coming from above, Judy noticed it but the guards seemed unfazed, the fox tried to hear more sounds but he was unable to, however, he did notice a ventilation duct on the roof so something was moving inside there.
Suddenly, out of nowhere and without warning, the ventilation duct fell followed by a hyena that immediately went for the two soldiers taking advantage of their light confusion to try and gain the lead in a fistfight to further incapacitate their reaction speed but instead of using fists, he used the back of the rifle and then finishing the two guards with a single shot straight to the head for each finishing them both.
"I thought it was going to be harder," he said before looking at Cotton and shattering the glass as well "You can now free her," he said at Judy who immediately did it before saying anything to their 'savior'.
The hyena was, of course, Zachy who looked at Nick waiting for the fox to say anything. Nick left his seat and stared at him for a few seconds with a very disappointing look while Zachy was just with a light smile completely accepting Nick's stare.
"You know, I've been thinking that I deserve a slap," said Zachy slightly teasing him.
"And you're lucky to be with me because I'm not in the mood do it".
"Look!" Zachy sighed "I know I messed this plan a lot, and by a long shot but I think I've gained a bit of an advantage and… you found her! At least you found what I wanted you to find!"
This last sentence took Nick by surprise.
"You- you knew she was here?"
"I knew she had been here, but I didn't know if she was currently at this place".
"Nick," said Judy who had finished freeing Cotton from the chair "Who is he and how does-"
"My name's Zachy and I am your… special partner's friend" Nick glanced another death stare to Zachy before he continued "I know about you because we talked about you and… other things".
"Wait," said Judy "Nick, is he the hyena you told me about?"
Nick sighed.
"Yes, he is- was Finnick's partner and is now helping me".
Judy's mind dropped at the thought that she had killed the friend of two people and those two people were right in front of her, but the thought immediately vanished after she focused in the last part of Nick's sentence.
"Helping you in what?"
Nick hesitated a bit in telling it but Zachy went straight to the point as if it was the most casual thing.
"We're raiding this base".
"You're what?!" she said shocked, confused, and surprised at the same time.
"Wait!" interrupted Nick "Not that we were actually, actually, going to raid it, it's more like a way of saying…"
"-That we're going to raid it," Zachy interrupted giving a disappointed look to Nick "C'mon! We've been talking about it since we left Zootopia! Just because someone's in front of you doesn't mean we'll change it!"
"Yes, but you never bother to explain to me how it worked!"
"Nick!" shouted Judy catching the attention of the two "What would you expect by raiding it?"
Zachy and Nick exchanged looks each waiting for the other one to talk.
"I was thinking of stealing things or information," said Nick.
"Maybe destroying it- and you know it," said Zachy at the same time but adding his part causing Judy to sigh.
"Just tell me how are you 'raiding it' and what is your escape plan..? If… you have one".
"Well, even if we have one he hasn't told me which one is it," said Nick pointing at Zachy.
"I heard they're evacuating everyone in some sort of planes… maybe we can sneak in" Zachy added.
"What?" said Judy "Those planes are being taken to another base like this one, maybe worse, who knows, but we cannot go there. We have to go back to Zootopia; we must get out of here".
"Wait, Judy," said Nick "How long were you here? Maybe you know how we can escape".
"I've been here for a week… we weren't exactly exploring the base but I think I have an idea".
"And that is..?" asked Zachy.
"Nick still has… that outfit so he could ask for directions to an emergency exit; I only know there was one".
"Yeah, no," Zachy said now reloading his gun with bullets from the two dead soldiers "If there was an alarm that a hyena and a fox had invaded the base then everyone's suspicious".
"Well, I suppose you killed Pam then why didn't you do the same with the driver?" asked Nick in a teasing manner.
"I forgot," said Zachy carelessly.
"Can we just please go?" said Judy starting to become impatient "Vosch can come at any moment".
"I agree with her," said Nick looking at Zachy hoping for a plan.
"Don't look at me like that! The last time we faced Vosch is way different from this one!"
"You faced Vosch before?" asked Judy to Nick but he had already started arguing with Zachy.
"Zachy, of course I'm looking at you, you got us into this huge base and told me to go straight to the eye of the storm so now you should try to get us out of this place".
At this point, Zachy face palmed but he rightfully knew that everything that Nick was saying was true so he was left with no choice but to come up with a plan.
"Look, your bunny's right, let's get out of here first, and then we'll improvise," he said being the first one to casually leave the room.
Judy prepared Cotton for a piggyback ride also removing her uniform as well as the tracking device while Nick and Zachy discussed.
"Nick, do you really trust him? There's something about him that seems off".
"Well carrots, believe me, I do trust him… one hundred percent" Nick replied smiling leaving the door with Judy behind him.
Just as they got out the mood of everyone quickly changed as a loud rumble was felt that the first thought was that an explosion went off but from where?
"And now the stakes are higher than ever," said Zachy very casually "You guys solved a high-level case, can't you come up with something?"
"It doesn't come up like that," added Nick "Unless there's a secret passage or all the guards have disappeared we'll have to fight through this"
"Judy, wait!" called Dante before Judy left the ZPD entirely "There's a backdoor for the base, don't know where, but I overheard a squad talking about it, maybe you can use it for your escape you can ask about it before it's too late… Good luck by the way".
"The backdoor!" shouted Judy in excitement out of nowhere "Nick! There's an exit in this base we can use, it's not a secret passage but we need to find it. Do you casually know where that is?" she asked to Zachy.
"Nope, if I did, I would've already told you".
Another tremble, it was getting clear that this base was -somehow- falling apart and quickly.
"Judy, take us there!" said Nick.
"I don't know where it is!"
"Wasn't the backdoor exit where our last practice took place?" said Cotton very lightly surprising the three of them with Zachy being legitimately surprised that she could talk.
"What?" asked Judy trying to comprehend was she was saying.
"I drew a map of the base as far as I knew, but I left it in our room… I think the backdoor is where we practiced for the last time".
"You mean the outside shooting? The 'simulator' of the battlefield?".
Cotton nodded lightly; maybe this was what they needed to escape.
"We may get ambushed you know," said Nick.
"Nah, man, it'll be fine" replied Zachy and exactly at that moment, another rumble was heard, this sound was closer so the sound of the explosion confirmed everyone's fears "Also, the time's running out so we can take our time, let's go".
The trio –and Cotton- wasted no time to begin running away or more specific, jogging since the halls were almost like a maze and Judy was trying to remember the walls and rooms to guide herself to the 'backdoor'.
Judy was excitedly frightened since they were maybe minutes away from leaving the same walls she had been seeing for a week and away from all the lies told by Vosch along with the pain of the thoughts of losing, not her squad, but her friends in self-battle they created. But the best part of it was that she was going to escape with Nick.
Nick was frustrated with Zachy for his lack of planning but at least he admitted it but he was slightly mad for not telling him that Judy inside the base, if the hyena did it for drama then it was kinda like a douche move, but it didn't matter since they all were now running for their freedom. Enduring earthquakes, tsunamis, the loss of friends, a mass shooting, and sleeping next to Zachy, all of that was worth it if it meant having Judy next to his side once again.
As for Zachy, right now he wasn't sure if what he was going to do was worth it, Nick and Judy –especially Judy- seemed to have everything under control and ready for an escape better than what he ever thought, but maybe not doing it could lead them to an unimaginable fate for everyone regarding of the plan. He just didn't want to lose Nick, not now.
Trying to cover those thoughts he tried to pay close attention to his surroundings… After all, he needed to be careful about which bombs he was detonating.
And another chapter is done! I love cliffhangers what can I say? :) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one because I am having a blast with these last chapters, another of my favorite moments is also coming.
See you soon!