AN: Hey again all. Here yet again with another chapter post! This one took a little bit longer than I would've liked, had some real life complications slow things down a bit. But managed to push through and get it done. Hope it was worth the wait for you guys. Anyways, time to read on about Nick and his friends doing treasure hunty...type...things...
Again? Seriously, Nick? Captured again? You really need to get your shit together.
"That was quite the fall, you two had me worried," Dante said in a mockingly insincere tone. The zebra's voice was smug, but there was an edge of anger to it as well. Nick couldn't tell if he was trying to hide it or not.
Won't be able to get my shit together if Dante kills me first. But he hasn't blown my brains out yet, so maybe he's still in the mood to chat?
Given the hoof he could feel pressing into his back and the bindings on his paws, Nick knew struggling would be pointless.
The bunny next to him wasn't faring any better, soaked from her fall into the pool and pinned to the ground by her lion and weasel tag team, her paws bound as well. Despite the circumstances, her eyes were still burning with determination. She wouldn't beg, she was too proud for that. But Nick wasn't about to let her die for the sake of her stubborn pride, so he might as well see if he could talk his way out.
"Okay Dante...so here's the deal," the fox started. "I've been giving it some thought...and with the way things have been going, I decided that I will take you up on that partnership offer of yours."
The zebra didn't give an answer. He just smirked and chuckled at the treasure hunter's audacity.
That's probably not a good sign.
"So...that's a no, then?"
"Sorry Nick, but that offer came off the table the moment you bashed my face into the cell bars…" The zebra's mocking tone started to falter as he said the last part through gritted teeth, the harsh edge to his voice more poignant.
Guess I should've seen that coming.
"Yeah," Nick said with a relaxed sigh as he let his spite get the better of him. "That actually felt pretty good."
You're an idiot and you deserve whatever's coming next for opening your big dumb mouth like that.
"Hmph, cute," Dante scoffed, followed by a swift kick to the fox's side. His ribs exploded with pain as the air was forced from his lungs in a violent fit of coughing.
"Nick!" Judy cried out in alarm, struggling against her captors.
Told you…
"Did that feel pretty good?" Dante asked.
"Not particularly…" the fox wheezed. "Think I'll just shut up now."
"Smart move," Dante smiled, the smugness returning to his voice for the most part, although that hard edge hadn't completely faded. "I think we're ready to move on to the reunion then. That's why you two came all this way, isn't it?"
Nick felt the pressure on his back lift as his captor stepped off and picked him up, a hoof gripped firmly on the back of his neck as he was half carried and half dragged toward the pedestal that had risen out of the floor right before everything went to hell. Looking over, he saw Judy's entire upper buddy engulfed in the lion's paw.
At the pedestal, he noticed Finnick on his knees, paws bound just like theirs. Before Nick even had a chance to say anything, a mammal's rifle swung into his mentor's face, knocking him down. The offending mammal being none other than Tanger, a look on the mammal's face that was a mix of satisfied and furious, his cheetah partner beside him and looking on with a slightly anxious expression. It didn't seem like the nyala had quite gotten over the incident with his horn and balls yet.
"Hey! Leave him alone you ba-" Nick struggled to shake his captor loose when he and the bunny were dropped onto the floor, both landing on their sides. The fox tried to move only to freeze up as he felt the barrel of a Coastline rifle being jammed against the side of his head. It was still warm, clearly having been fired recently, and most likely at them.
"He wouldn't give you up," Dante remarked. "Despite our best efforts to 'persuade' him otherwise."
Nick glared at Dante, eyes narrowed and teeth baring slightly. It felt like his hackles were about to raise at any moment, but he fought against that urge. What good would that accomplish beyond getting him smacked around some more? Plus, a soaked fox lying on his side with bound paws probably wouldn't make for a very intimidating sight.
"I've got to admit, Nick, you got yourself quite a good partner here. Very loyal, very stubborn," the zebra continued, intent on twisting the metaphorical knife. "I mean he'd have to be to endure everything we put him through." He left the last part to Nick and Judy's imaginations. "A bit slow as guides go, but then, I guess that was for the benefit of you two. Isn't that right, Finn?"
"Was hoping you idiots would just blow yourselves up if I took long enough," Finnick growled from where he lay, a small pool of blood forming beneath his muzzle. The desert fox was in bad shape, his right eye was swollen while his face and arms were covered in cuts and bruises, the blood soaked into his fur. "Didn't think you two would actually be stupid enough to come back for me."
"Oh Finn…" Judy lamented, ears drooping as she looked at the desert fox's battered form.
"Hey, buddy…" Nick started, unable to hide the worry in his voice. "You alright?"
"Ah, don't get your panties twisted, it's not as bad as it looks," Finnick groaned, tilting his muzzle towards Tanger. "Mono-ball over here can't hit for shit."
"Shut it, brak!" the nyala growled, kicking the desert fox in the side. He winced from the blow, letting out a mix between a cough and a yelp.
"See?" Finnick wheezed. "Barely even felt that."
"Leave him alone!" Judy yelled in protest.
"Can we move this along?" another familiar voice growled impatiently. Nick looked up to see Cackler standing right behind him. The hyena's arms were folded and his usual irritated look was plastered onto his scarred muzzle. "You've had your fun, but it's time to get on with what we came all this way for."
"If you insist," Dante nodded. "Bring them with us, they might be of some use."
"Right, you two," Cackler barked, pointing at Tanger and Baju. "Search them."
The nyala and cheetah nodded, both sitting the fox and rabbit up to pat them down. Tanger began searching Judy while Baju took Nick.
"You ain't gonna try anything, right fox?" the cheetah asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Well...I was planning on headbutting you and kicking my way through every last one of you Coastline clowns with my paws behind my back," Nick answered sarcastically. "But damn, guess I can't do that now that you've gone and asked me about it. Curses, your probing foiled my plan!"
"Ha! Got you good!" The cheetah smiled, oblivious to the sarcasm. "Hear that, bru?" he asked Tanger. "I foiled his plan!"
"Gods, I want to shoot you almost as much as them..." the nyala muttered, clearly not in the mood for his partner's ineptitude.
Nick began to open his mouth, ready to blow everyone away with a witty observation of the two mercs.
"Not another word, Wilde," Cackler growled at the fox. "Just keep still and shut up."
"Gonna have to go with the scarface on that, Kid," Finnick agreed, getting a glare from the hyena. "I've been through enough shit already without having to listen to any more of that jabbering you call 'wit.'"
Being hit from all sides, Nick relented, letting the cheetah pat him down in silence.
When Tanger finished searching Judy he held out a carrot shaped pen. "Nothing on the bunny but a flashlight and some stupid novelty pen." The mercenary tossed the pen into the reflecting pool. He didn't notice the rabbit wince as it plopped into the water with barely a splash. "What about you, Baju?"
"Nothing," Baju answered cluelessly as he held out Sir Francis' journal in one paw and the flower artifact in the other. "Just an old book and some metal flower." He glanced at Tanger, "Think we can sell 'em for anything?"
"Wha...tha...you…" Tanger angrily sputtered, mouth foaming and nostrils flaring as words failed him. "Give me that! Do you seriously use your own brain as a scratching post or something?" The prey mercenary tore the journal and artifact out of the predator's paws and thrust them into Dante's hooves.
"How the hell have so many of our other guys been killed, and yet you two idiots are somehow still alive?" Cackler groaned in frustration, smacking a paw against his forehead.
"Well that was certainly an interesting little demonstration of the kind of idiots I've been paying for all this time," Dante muttered, rolling his eyes as he pocketed the journal and closely examined the artifact. "So...this is the fabled 'Flower Key.' I'll give you this, Nick, as troublesome as you've been, your work really ended up paying dividends for me. I'm not sure I would've been able to find this key, let alone the island itself, without all that due diligence of yours."
"Well, you know me," Nick shrugged. "I may not always look to leave mammals satisfied, but I certainly aim to impress."
"Godsdammit, kid…" Finnick growled.
"Oh, I'm well aware." Dante stepped up to the pedestal, artifact held in hoof as he brushed away the dust at the center. "It really is a shame you proved so difficult, we could've made quite a lot of money together if you had put those skills and wits of yours to better use. But surprise, surprise, the shifty fox proved to be too shifty for his own good. I guess you weren't so different from Alex and the rest of our Junior Ranger pals after all," the zebra taunted as he locked the artifact into place on the pedestal and twisted it. "They couldn't escape their instinctual mentalities either."
A series of audible clicks could be heard as something was triggered. A few moments later the groaning of metal started to resound from somewhere behind the walls, becoming louder and more rhythmic as ancient gears that had remained undisturbed for countless ages finally awoke.
A sudden rushing of water echoed through the chamber as the stone bottom of the reflecting pool pulled apart and its contents began pouring through the new opening into a seemingly endless abyss. In the middle of the opening lay a set of stairs to a walkway leading further into the temple, a massive set of metal doors at the end. Aligned on each side of the wall between the abyss and the walkway were statues of mammals, still dripping with water from the drained reflection pool.
"Amazing," Dante said, although not in awe, it sounded more like he was boasting. "Are the surface teams still tracking our location?"
Surface teams? What are you planning, Dante?
"One sec," Cackler raised a paw as he pulled out his radio and listened in. "Yeah, they still got us pinned," the hyena nodded.
"Good," Dante grinned. "Time to see what lies in store, then." The zebra stepped onto the stairs, following them down to the walkway.
"Move out," Cackler barked, motioning for the small army of mercenaries to follow. "And get them moving," he pointed at the captives.
"On your feet," a voice ordered from behind, pulling Nick up and shoving him forward so violently that he nearly stumbled.
"Okay, okay, watch the tail," Nick protested as he struggled to keep from tumbling down the stairs. Judy and Finnick were both shoved next to him as the trio were forcibly marched forward. "You guys alright?" he asked.
"In the grand scheme of things? Not so great…" Judy answered, receiving a jab in her back from the goat 'escorting' her for her troubles. "But for somebody with a gun in their back, I guess it could be worse…"
"What about you, old timer?" Nick asked, looking at the desert fox limping along next to him, being escorted by a badger.
Finnick didn't even look over, just giving a disinterested grunt in response.
Okay...not sure what to make of that.
"Come on, Gramps, talk to me," Nick insisted.
"More pissed than hurt," Finnick finally answered.
"Yeah," Nick let out a half chuckle. "Pretty sure I can relate."
"Not at them," the older fox barked. "Well...obviously at them. You'd have to be the freaking Dalai Llama to not be pissed at them if they had slapped you around that much. But when I said pissed, I meant at you!"
"Wait, me?" Nick's ears flicked in surprise. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting. Well...not entirely true, he was expecting the grumpiness, that was just Gramps being Gramps, but he certainly wasn't expecting the old fox to be mad at him.
"Yes, you!" Finnick growled. "Are you both ugly and stupid?"
"Ugly?" Nick asked, a little taken aback. "Wait...why is that the part I'm hung up on? Nevermind, more importantly, what the hell, Gramps? I was expecting a little more gratitude given Carrots and I came all this way and risked our asses to rescue you."
"Rescue me!?" Finnick spat in disbelief. "Oh, this is what you call a rescue, is it?"
The old fox had him there.
"I'll admit...it hasn't really played out according to the best case scenario…" Nick tried to justify, not exactly sure what to argue. Glancing around, he noticed they were halfway across the walkway, a set of floral patterns visible on the doors at the end.
Finnick still wasn't looking at him, but Nick could imagine the smaller fox rolling his eyes. "Okay, then, tell me this, Kid. You and the bunny have any sort of plan?"
"Uhh…" Judy struggled, unable to come up with anything.
Way to drop the ball, Fluff.
"We...sorta...did?" Nick answered, trying and failing to fill in.
Okay, that wasn't any better…
"Oh really?" Finnick snorted skeptically. "And did this 'sorta plan' involve the two of you getting caught?"
"Well…" This really wasn't Nick's day.
"Of course not…" Finnick sighed frustratedly. "Of all the dumb things you could've done, you just had to charge straight in and get yourselves caught like a pair of godsdamn idiots."
"Finn!" Judy objected.
"Hey, ease off old mam!" Nick snapped. "We came back for you!"
"That's the problem, you should've just cut and run," Finnick shot back. "Coming for me was the dumbest move you could possibly make!"
"So...what? You saying we should've just left you to die?" Nick asked rhetorically.
"Yes!"
What the hell, Gramps? That was supposed to be rhetorical!
"Seriously?" Nick growled in offended disbelief. "Do you think that little of me? That I'd just leave you at the mercy of a psycho like Dante? After everything we've been through?!"
"How flattering…" Dante chimed in, his tone suggesting that despite the insult, he was finding the whole exchange rather amusing. That smug asshole was really enjoying himself, watching as they aired out their dirty laundry.
"Look, Kid, here's the thing. I'm old and I knew the risks," Finnick explained. "Your dumb ass is worth a hell of a lot more than mine at this point. But stubborn moron you are, you not only go and throw your own life away on some damn fool's errand, but you drag the bunny along with you. What did I tell you back at that shitty motel? This wasn't worth your lives!"
"I can speak for myself, Finn," Judy cut in. "Coming to save you was my choice to make, Nick didn't 'drag me along.'"
"Well, then you're just as big of an idiot as he is," Finnick snapped back. "Now, instead of one corpse, we're gonna wind up with three, congratu-freaking-lations to the both of you, I hope it was worth it."
"Alright, alright, that's enough," Dante cut in as they finally reached the set of metal doors. "As much as I'm enjoying this little show, we've got more pressing matters to attend to."
A rhino and hippo stepped up to the doors and threw their weight into them, grunting in exertion as they forced them open.
Taking advantage of the diversion, Nick leaned in close to Finnick. "We'll talk about this later," he whispered. The desert fox flicked his ears twice, a sign he got the message loud and clear. Nick had a plan and he'd best be ready for when it was time to act. He didn't, actually, but Finnick didn't need to know that part. He'd probably figure something out if he managed to delay long enough. As for the bunny, she was a quick learner and had sharp instincts, he was confident she'd pick up on what's happening in time.
Assuming we get the chance...
The doors screeched against the stone as the mercenaries finally managed to force them open, the sound somewhat resembling claws scratching a chalkboard, only even more obnoxious. Dante and Cackler were the first to step in with the mercenaries filing in behind them. Not wanting to get another jab in the back from their escorts, Nick and the others followed.
The fox was nearly blinded once he stepped inside. The vault within was practically glowing as light glinted off all the treasure. The entire room was radiant with stockpiles of artifacts and jewels of all shapes, and sizes. Gold, rubies, sapphires, jade, if there was a shiny rock or metal that was valuable, there was an artifact either made from it, or at the very least encrusted with it. The place was a veritable cornucopia of riches and artifacts, nearly priceless in both material and historical value. Nick had spent his entire life searching for something like this and in any other circumstance, he would've been elated. This would've been enough to not only set him up for life, but to solidify the Wilde legacy in the annals of history.
"Holy shit…" was all he managed to utter.
Really? You just made one of the single most historic discoveries in mammalian history, and 'holy shit' is the best you got?
"So much knowledge...so much history…" Judy whispered in awe. "There's so much we could learn here...about who we are...about where we came from."
Damn, that's way better than mine.
"Godsdamn, there's enough shiny rocks and swag in here to light up every stripper joint from here all the way to Zootopia to the point where you'd be able to see them from freaking orbit," Finnick colourfully remarked.
Shit...even Gramps' was better...
"Well Dante, you did it, you found the treasure. If my paws weren't bound right now, this would be the part where I give you the slow clap," Nick mocked. "Way to go, you've shown what a mammal can accomplish when they have nearly limitless amounts of cash, the willingness to murder their own friends, and an army of expendable grunts. Truly you are an exemplar of the Zootopian dream."
"Interesting little trinkets," Dante said, not sounding even remotely impressed as he looked over the treasure trove. He picked up a golden goblet, a pack of lions carved into the sides alongside glistening sapphires, the money Nick could've made off that single artifact alone probably would've been enough for him to just relax and chill on the Angkor beaches for years. "But I didn't come here for shiny baubles only fit to impress simple minded idiots." The zebra unceremoniously tossed the goblet behind him, it clanged against the ground and rolled to a gradual stop.
"Uhh….okay…" Nick blinked. "Not exactly the reaction I was expecting from finding the Sacred Garden. What, is it not shiny enough for ya? Did you want enough gold and gems to burn out every single retina in the room?"
"You think this is the Sacred Garden?" Dante asked. Despite the question, the smug cockiness of his tone made it very obvious he already knew the answer. The confused glances from Nick and the others confirmed it. "So you never figured it out?"
"Uhh...figured what out?"
"You really haven't then…" The zebra shook his head. "I guess you're not the treasure hunter I thought you were, Nick. How disappointing…Seems like you were only good for grunt work after all."
"Can you just go ahead and skip to the part where you shoot us, already?" Finnick barked. "It beats sitting here and listening to your face-bitingly smug ass try to sound clever and cryptic."
'Face-bitingly smug ass?' I'm guessing Gramps didn't think that one through...
"Let's just say you didn't steal all of my files," Dante said, approaching a wall and tapping it with his hoof.
Nick watched the zebra's ears swivel as he went along the wall, tapping at intervals. After several attempts, his ears flicked up, picking up something Nick was too far away to hear. Although now that he was looking at it, the section of wall Dante was tapping looked different from the rest, the stonework less organized, almost like it had been patched over quickly to hide something...
"This is it," Dante announced, turning around and pointing a hoof at the rhino who had helped pushed the door open earlier. "You, break this wall down."
The rhino looked around in confusion before realizing he was the one Dante was addressing, "Uhh...say what, now?"
The striped equine sighed in annoyance. "Are you deaf and stupid? Smash. The. Damn. Wall. Down!" He practically spat out each word. "You have a horn, right? Use it! It's what you're getting paid for."
The rhino blinked in confusion, staring at Dante and then the wall before shrugging at Cackler, uncertain what to do.
"Do it," the hyena nodded. Whatever Dante knew, the merc commander was apparently privy to it as well.
The rhino faced the wall and lowered his head, pawing the ground with his feet and snorting, then charged at it full speed. Nick braced for the worst only to be shocked at the sight of the megafauna smashing right through the wall like it had been made of matchsticks, scattering bits of stone everywhere. Peering through, he could see the rhino picking himself up from inside of a second hidden hallway.
"That what we're looking for?" Cackler asked, looking over at Dante.
"That's it," Dante nodded.
"Alright then, move it out," Cackler ordered.
"But...but…" Tanger stammered, his gaze fixed on all the treasure. "What about all this loot? We're not seriously gonna leave it all behind, are we?"
"Quit your whining, Tanger," Cackler snapped at the antelope. "Got a team already picked out to gather it up later. This is our priority."
"Plus, he totally doesn't trust you not to skim some off the top," Baju whispered into his partner's ear at a bafflingly loud volume.
"You know, whispering only works if you do it quietly, moron," Cackler growled, eyes narrowed at the cheetah. "But yeah, that's the other issue. Thanks for airing it out in the open like that…"
"Oh…" the cheetah's ears flattened against his head in embarrassment. "Sorry…"
"Blimmin' dompkof," Tanger mumbled as he shoved his partner aside and made his way into the hallway along with everyone else.
"Keep moving," a voice growled from behind as Nick felt a rifle being shoved into his back again.
"Alright, alright, I'm going," he said. "Wouldn't kill you to ask nicely."
Nick's sass was rewarded with another shove that nearly caused him to stumble over, he probably would've fallen over completely if he didn't bounce off the foot of an armoured elephant merc next to him. "Oh yeah, real mature." Nick rolled his eyes at his escort.
"Nick, maybe consider not antagonizing the mammals holding us at gunpoint," Judy quietly suggested. "You're no good if they just get sick of your 'charm' and just shoot you in the back or break your legs."
"Don't worry, Fluff, they won't kill us unless the bosses order it and breaking our legs would just cause extra problems," Nick assured. "The worst they can do is shove us around if we get too annoying."
The oryx escorting Nick must've interpreted that as a challenge, because he immediately shoved him again, this time Nick did stumble over, crashing face first into the stone floor. "Ow…" he grunted as his muzzle took most of the blow.
"You were saying?" Judy asked rhetorically.
"Kid really knows how to botch the simplest things," Finnick grumbled. "Like, don't give your captor a reason to smack the shit out of you."
"You know what…" Nick mumbled as he felt his escort pick him up and set him back down on his feet. "Think I'll just stay quiet for a bit…"
Unlike the vault, the concealed passageway was shrouded in darkness, illuminated mostly by the mercenaries and their flashlights. As their lights danced across the walls, they illuminated more carvings. Like the ones before, they depicted mammals, but these looked different. They were far more monstrous and feral in appearance, sporting sharp claws and fangs. Even their postures were different, letting out ferocious roars or poised as if they were about to strike. If anything, it almost looked like they were savage.
What the hell is up with these mammals? And what kind of secret is so important that they have to keep it separate and hidden even though it's already locked up in a freaking vault?
The hidden passageway opened up to a room similar in size to the treasure vault, although this one was lacking in actual treasure, being far darker and more barren. Various shapes and symbols were lit up by flashlights as the mercs scanned the room, but the fox's attention was drawn to a set of metal doors at the back end of the room, each with a large flower emblazoned on them.
"Get those doors open," Cackler barked. Motioning for the rhino and armoured elephant. They both began pushing but the doors stubbornly refused to budge. Upping the ante, they both threw their weight against the doors, only to bounce off with a loud clang. The doors rattled slightly, but otherwise barely even registered the hit.
The elephant rubbed his arm with his trunk as he glared at the door, his pride looking to have taken most of the blow. "Lousy blimmin' door," he growled in a deep booming voice, gripping his GRLK machine gun tightly and pointing it at the set of doors. "Time to blast this damn thing apart."
"Don't shoot, you damned moron!" Cackler barked at the large mammal. "If your weight wasn't enough, that gun of yours sure as hell won't cut it. Probably would just end up killing half us from the ricochet alone."
The elephant took one look at his boss and stood down, letting out an annoyed snort.
"This isn't one of your typical jobs, you can't just brute force your way through everything." Dante pointed to an upright skeleton pinned to the wall just left of the doors. It was being held in place by a series of spikes protruding from the wall and floor. "Some things need a little more finesse."
The skeleton was a canid of some sort, probably a wolf, given the size. From the tattered clothing it was wearing, it looked like it had been a member of Wilde's crew. As Nick looked at the body, he noticed a small opening in the wall the dead mammal had stuck his arm into.
"What the hell is that?" Tanger asked, poking the skeleton.
"Looks like some sort of test," Cackler observed as he slapped the antelope's arm away. "Don't touch it, by the way."
"Indeed, a test," Dante nodded, reaching for the skeleton's arm. "And this guy clearly failed." He tried to pull the skeletal arm free but was met with resistance, like it was holding onto something. The zebra dug in and tried again, ripped the arm right out of its socket. The spikes suddenly retracted back into the floor and wall and the skeletal wolf collapsed into pieces on the stone floor. "Interesting..." He dropped the arm and it clattered unceremoniously against the stone floor.
"Yeah...real interesting," Nick muttered, glancing around. "Well then…" He started taking gradual steps backwards towards the passageway. "Looks like you guys got this from here, don't really need the three of us anymore. We can tell we're only going to be a nuisance, so we'll just get out of your fur and be on our way."
Nick didn't even have a chance to turn around before he felt his oryx escort grab him by the scruff of his neck and practically throw him forward. It was all he could do to screech to a halt without stumbling over and landing on his face again.
"Or...I guess we can just hang around here…"
"Don't tell me you want to leave already," Dante mocked, pointing a hoof at the fox. "Surely you want to see what lies beyond, no?"
"You mean the Sacred Garden?" Nick asked, briefly glancing at Finnick and Judy. They were lined up with their escorts standing directly behind them, both looking expectantly at Nick. "Honestly, I think we're kinda over it at this point. True treasure being all the friends we made, adventures we had, shit we blew up, you know, that old chestnut."
"Oh don't be so coy, Nick," Dante scoffed. "You know as well as I do that this is about so much more than treasure. We're on the brink of discovering the truth behind one of the greatest mammalian civilizations the world has ever known. The true source of their strength and power. A secret so world-changing, that Sir Francis Wilde himself took it with him to the grave. It's nearly within our grasp, all you need to do is get us through that door."
To Nick's surprise, he felt the oryx behind him cut his bindings loose and push him forward. "You're kidding, right?" the fox asked as he rubbed his now free paws.
Dante just narrowed his gaze at the fox. "Have you ever known me to be the kind to kid around when it comes to a score like this?"
"Nick?" an uncertain Judy called out.
"Don't you do anything for that black, white, and shit all over prick," Finnick barked, getting jostled by his badger guard for his troubles.
"Don't worry, guys," Nick said, chuckling bitterly. "What possible reason does this deranged psycho have to think that I'd ever be willing to help him?"
Dante's reason came in the form of a cocked pistol being leveled at the fox's head, a hooved digit hovering right over the trigger.
"You know...a gun to the head usually makes for a pretty strong argument," Nick responded coolly. "But I gotta say, I'm just not feeling it today. I mean...I'm pretty sure you won't be able to get in there without me...not without running the risk of blowing up that 'garden' and burying yourselves alive, anyways."
"Ever the stubborn fox," Dante said with a snort as he lowered his weapon. "You may be cocky and prideful enough to gamble your own life…"
Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw Cackler make a signalling motion with his paw. Spinning around, he witnessed in shock as Judy and Finnick's escorts struck them both in the back. They both let out pained cries as they were forced to the ground, a pair of rifles jammed into the back of their heads.
"But I wonder if you're as willing to gamble theirs…" Dante said, his voice as cruel as it was mocking.
Nick's heart raced, tail puffed out and fur standing on end. His eyes frantically darted between just about every mammal in the room as his mind raced to figure something out, anything.
This is insane! He's gotta be bluffing, right?
He looked at Dante, the zebra's gaze was sadistic and delighted. The sick bastard was enjoying this.
"What's it going to be, Nick?"
Cackler looked cold, paw held up as he waited to give the signal. Nick tried to figure out if the hyena was bluffing, but his gaze was unreadable. Having lost his patience, the commander's arm began to move.
"Wait!" Nick shouted, paws shooting out. It was enough to make Cackler pause. "Just...wait," Nick repeated in a deflated tone. He turned his gaze towards Dante, shooting him the most bitter glare he could manage. "You win...we'll do this your way...you sick son of a bitch."
"Glad you could be so agreeable," Dante grinned smugly, savouring the moment. He pulled out Sir Francis' journal and tossed it to Nick who caught it in his paws. "Now get to it."
The fox let out a weary sigh "Wonderful…"Holding the journal in one paw he started looking around the room. "Okay, Nick...think. Does any of this look familiar?"
Not even a little bit.
"Shit…" The fox approached the set of doors, seeing if anything stood out. Failing that, he checked the pile of bones that had been the last mammal to try their paw at opening the doors. "Probably a switch in there you reached for," he thought aloud. "Not that pulling it seemed to do you any good..."
Staring back at the doors, he noticed something hanging above them; three circular shapes set in a triangle pattern. Each circle was an identical ring divided into segmented symbols.
Wait a minute...that looks familiar. Nick started flipping through the journal until he found a drawing of the same rings. Okay then, Wilde, how did you figure this out?
Pacing back to the spike trap, Nick noticed a second switch on the adjacent wall. His first instinct told him it was another trap, but he couldn't see any markings or holes where spikes could come through.
Better make sure before I give it a try. Would really suck if I got this wrong and took a surprise spike up the-
"You'd better not be stalling," Dante warned, breaking the fox's train of thought.
"Ease up, Stripes," Nick snapped at the zebra. "This may come as a surprise to you, but shit like this takes time. If you want this done, then shut that trap of yours, I can't focus with you yapping."
"Just get it done," Dante growled.
Nick shrugged and started examining the switch again.
Was snapping at him a smart move? Probably not. Still felt good though, and not like he's going to let us live at the end of all this anyways…
Letting out a sigh, Nick damned the consequences and pulled the switch. It was probably safe enough, and an impatient Dante was just as deadly as any spike trap.
"What did you just do?" Dante asked, a hint of anxiousness in his voice.
"Not quite sure…" Nick answered. Stone grinded against sone as another pedestal rose out of the ground near the back of the room. "Although I'd guess I just got one step closer to getting those doors open."
Heading to the pedestal, he looked over at Finnick and Judy to see how they were doing. Judy looked anxious, not surprising since she probably hated the idea of being unable to help, but that was something she'd just have to deal with. Finnick had the same grumpy look as always, albeit much worse for the wear, but at least he was still keeping his composure. Nick gave them both a reassuring nod, hoping to convey the message that things were okay for now. Well...relatively okay, more like.
"Don't try anything funny, Wilde," Cackler growled seeming to have noticed Nick's interest in his friends. "Or the three of you will never make it out of this room alive."
Damn, that guy doesn't miss a beat.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Nick said, dismissively waving at the hyena as he looked down at the pedestal. It wasn't that different from the last one he had used, but instead of levers, this one had a brazier in the middle and three dials.
Guessing these control those rings above the door…
He tested the dials, and as expected, each one controlled a different ring, rotating in sync with the dial.
Alright, now how do I know which symbol it's selecting?
He looked at the symbols and then down at the brazier. From what he could tell, there was oil inside of it. Looking closer, he saw that it was built into the pedestal itself, lacking a visible bottom. There were also markings leading all the way down from the brazier itself and across the floor towards the back wall. As he started at the markings, it dawned on him what they were hinting at.
"I need a lighter."
"What?" Dante questioned.
"A lighter, come on." Nick stuck a paw out expectantly, only to be met with tense silence and awkward stares from every other mammal in the room.
"Really? Nobody?" Nick asked, searching for volunteers and finding none. "Gramps should have one, grab his."
Cackler nodded at Tanger to grab the lighter, and Nick couldn't help but feel like the mere suggestion of it had caused the prey mammals bandaged muzzle to start bleeding again. As Tanger looked down at the small fox, Finnick just looked back and angrily bared his teeth at the mercenary.
"Get near me again and I'll bite the rest of that face of yours off-" Finnick's threat was cut short as Baju's paw wrapped around his muzzle, forcing it shut.
"Huh, so you do have a brain after all." Tanger bent down and reached into Finn's pocket, rifling through and pulling out a small metal lighter. "You really should try using it more often."
When Baju finally released his grip on Finnick, the fox glared back at the cheetah but made no move. As pissed as he probably was, he still knew better than to try anything.
With a snort, Tanger threw the lighter to Nick. The fox nearly stumbled as he grabbed for it with both paws, the mercenary having thrown it far harder than necessary. Nick wouldn't have been surprised if the larger mammal had been hoping to nail him in the face, he was certainly the type.
"Very energetic throw," Nick noted sarcastically as he flicked on the lighter and ignited the brazier.
A small gout of fire shot up as Nick heard the flames moving down below him and up into the back wall. Three holes in the back lit up, creating beams of light that illuminated the topmost symbol on each of the rings above the doors.
"Okay, got that part taken care of," the fox said as he glanced back at the journal page. In addition to the drawings of the rings, there were two symbols displayed at the center of the page.
"Two symbols," Nick noted. "Just need to match those up with the...wait a minute...two?"
There should be three...
He double checked the page, flipping to adjacent ones as well to see if he was missing anything. But there was nothing, no extra symbols, no other pictures, not even a written hint, just the two on the page.
Shit...he never finished this one…
A wave of dread washed over the fox, but he was quick to push it down.
Okay, okay, take it easy. Freaking out will get you killed even faster. This just means you improvise a bit, you can do that. Can't have Sir Francis always holding your paw. Should be a piece of cake...right?
Nick couldn't help but glance at the pile of bones next to the doors.
That guy would probably say otherwise if he hadn't been turned into a pincushion.
"Alright then, guess I'll start with what I know…" Nick cracked his knuckles and began turning the dials, rotating the bottom two rings so that the symbols matched the journal. "Two down...now to figure out what the hell the third one is…"
Two on the bottom, one on the top...could they be related in some way?
Nick began manipulating the top dial, cycling through symbols as he tried to interpolate the correct one. "If they're related...then that means no repeats, so that'd eliminate two of them…" he continued, thinking out loud. "Still leaves me with some very high odds of getting skewered…"
"There a problem, Nick?" Dante barked at him, the zebra steadily losing his patience. "Seriously, move it along already."
"Lay off, would you? I'm trying to concentrate," Nick fired back. "I only get one shot at this, or did you miss the part where the last guy got turned into a wolf-kebab?"
"You'll find yourself wishing that's what happened to you and your friends if you don't hurry it up!" Dante threatened.
"He's already doing his best to figure it out, Dante," Judy chimed in. "You're not going to get anywhere by tossing out pointless threats."
"Don't bother telling him that," Finnick grumbled. "Dante's the kind of guy who thinks his toaster will cook the bread faster if he threatens it enough."
"Quiet, both of you!" Dante snapped at them.
"Thank you, Gramps, thank you Carrots, I've got it from here," Nick said, silencing the argument with a half-hearted wave as he flipped through the journal. If he could translate the two known symbols meant, it might give him a better idea of the third one.
"Okay, let's see, the left symbol is...associated with a structure? No, more like...a group of structures...city maybe?" He looked at a page showing a map of the known world. It had no names, just symbols that represented the different cities and regions. On an island in the middle of the ocean was the same symbol as the one meant for the left ring. "Not just a city...it's the city...Henosia."
Now time for the other one.
As he continued flipping through the journal, he found the other symbol coming up in pages containing powerful looking mammals and warriors. "Strength, maybe?" As he kept looking, he began to notice the symbol didn't seem to emphasize individual mammals, but groups of them. "Not just strength...but group dominance. Like...power, or might?"
Having what he hoped was a good enough estimate of what the two symbols represented, Nick started rotating the top circle, checking each symbol for a meaningful connection. "Okay...so something relating to Henosia...and...power...or might."
He kept moving the ring until it highlighted a flower, the familiar image causing something to click in the fox's mind. The flower was more than just a symbol to Henosia. They wouldn't have revered a simple symbol so strongly, not to the point where it was worshiped more than the gods themselves. There was more to it, these flowers weren't just symbolically important, they played a much bigger role than that.
These white...night howlers? They're the source of Henosia's might? Is that what this riddle is getting at?
"Is that it?" Dante asked. "You got it figured out?"
Nick stared at the flower, blinking as he considered the possibility he could be wrong. He'd only get one shot at this, but then again, testing Dante's dwindling patience wasn't exactly a viable alternative. "Only one way to find out." Nick finally answered, returning to the doors.
Just as he was about to reach into the hole and pull whatever that dead mammal had been messing around with, he looked back at Dante. "Unless you'd rather do the honours. You know...since this is your big moment and all. I'm apparently just here for the 'grunt work.'"
The zebra just gave the fox an annoyed glare as he impatiently tapped his hoof.
"Yeah, didn't think so." Turning back, Nick took a deep breath as he reached inside. "Alright then, pal, just what were you reaching for back here?" He pawed around in the darkness, finding the sensation rather unnerving. "Ugh, why does it feel slimy?" Fighting off a shudder, he kept going until he grasped what felt like a lever. "Got something!"
"Well? What are you waiting for?" Dante urged. "Go on and pull it."
"Yeah, sure Stripes, no biggy," Nick mumbled to himself, rolling his eyes. "Not like you're the one risking his life or anything." The fox braced himself to take the metaphorical leap. "Gods, please let this work…"
Nick pulled on the switch with a loud snap, his fur standing on end as he tensed up, half expecting to acquire an unhealthy amount of rusty piercings. Instead, he was treated to the sound of clunking stone and gears as the doors slowly began to swing open with a metallic screech.
Everybody looked on, breaths collectively held in anticipation as they waited to see what was on the other side. When the doors finally opened and all they saw was a dimly lit hallway, the room erupted in groans of irritation and complaints.
"You've gotta be kidding me..."
"Another blimmin' hallway?"
"How long does this damn thing go on for?"
"We're not getting paid enough for this shit…"
"Quit your whining, what are you all, bunnies or something?" Cackler cut in, silencing the crowd and getting a very pointed look from Judy. "We good here, Dante?"
"Yeah," Dante nodded. "I think we're more than good."
"Alright then," Cackler pointed to Nick's guard. "Get Wilde bound and back with the others, don't want him trying anything."
"Really? Back in the zip ties again?" Nick objected as the oryx forcibly grabbed his arms, folding them behind his back and binding his paws together. "Aren't I at least entitled to a little freebie or something for getting that door open?"
"Of course," Dante said. "Why do you think we haven't shot you yet?"
"Oh gee, thanks a lot," Nick grumbled as the merc shoved him back to Judy and Finnick.
"This is the part where you reveal your master plan, right?" Judy whispered to Nick as they were forced to follow the group.
"Just be ready to move," Nick whispered back. "You'll know it when it happens."
"'Know it when it happens?'" the bunny questioned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means he's got nothing," Finnick answered.
"What? No, not nothing, Gramps," Nick objected. "I'm...just making it up as I go."
"Are you kidding me?" the reporter whispered frustratedly. "That's not a plan, that's what you always do."
"And it always works," Nick tried to point out. "...Okay, maybe not always." There was a sharp spike of pain in his back as he was hit by the butt of a rifle.
"No talking," the oryx merc ordered. "Just shut up and keep moving."
As they moved into the new hallway, Nick started trying to put together some sort of escape plan, looking around for anything that might give them the slightest opportunity to take advantage of. The only reason they were still alive was in case there were more obstacles or traps for Nick to figure out. The minute Dante found whatever he was looking for, Nick and his friends were as good as dead. They needed a way out before that happened, but he was drawing a blank.
Come on brain...don't crap out on me now! Think!
*Click*
The sudden noise caught the fox's attention. Ears flicking as he looked for the source, he noticed a lion stepping on one of the floor tiles, causing it to sink. The feline mercenary just looked down in confusion.
"What's that?" a nearby jackal asked.
"No clue," the lion answered. "Probably loose or something, ei?"
There was the sound of clunking metal, stone and ancient machinery churning. Something had been activated. Faced with a possible opportunity, Nick looked around the room for any clues as to what it could mean. At first, he didn't see anything useful on the walls, they were all just lined with mammal statues, but as he looked again, he noticed something different about them. There were holes, a lot of holes, the walls were littered with them.
Wait a minute, Nick began to realize.
Long hallway...lots of holes...weird gear noises...and a pressure sensitive tiles...that means...shit, no time to think, just run!
"Now!" Nick blurted out, charging forward and hoping the others would catch on.
"Hey!" the oryx shouted in alarm. "Sto- Hrrrk!" the mercenary's order viciously interrupted as he was struck by the first of many darts now flying out of the walls.
"Ambush!" somebody yelled as all hell broke loose. The situation rapidly deteriorated into a frenzied mess of shouting, cries of pain, and gunfire as mammals either went down in a flurry of darts, tried to find cover, or just fired blindly at the walls in the hope it would somehow stop the madness.
"Ha! And to think Dante kept us alive to prevent this kind of shit from happening," Nick laughed as he charged forward, ducking out of the way of distracted mercenaries and flying darts. As hard as it was to do with his paws bound behind his back, he was managing somehow. Being one of the smaller mammals certainly gave him an edge, making him a harder target for the darts than most of the others in the hallway.
"I'll appreciate the irony when we're not about to be murdered!" Finnick yelled, racing to keep pace with Nick.
"Please tell us you actually have an idea of where we're going," Judy shouted.
"Away from all the psycho mercs for starters!" Nick answered. "Haven't really thought past that." As they ran, Nick briefly glimpsed Dante and Cackler, both yelling at each other and using a badly wounded rhino as a shield against the darts. He quickly shook his head, they'd have to worry about those two later. For now, they needed to focus on getting the hell out of here without getting nailed by darts.
"Almost there!" Nick yelled as they approached the end of the hallway. "Just a little- shit! " He cried out in surprise as the floor opened up right beneath their feet, sending all three of them plummeting into a dimly lit room down below.
The fox painfully crashed on his side against the stone floor, feeling his bindings snap from the impact as Finnick and Judy both fell next to him, each letting out pained grunts of their own as they landed. All the while, the sounds of frantic shouting, gunfire, and flying darts raged on above.
"Why do all the best options hurt so much?" Nick groaned as he pulled himself up. He noticed the remains of several mammals, Blackhorn soldiers from what he could tell of their uniforms. Their bones and armour had been reduced to shattered fragments. It was apparent the three of them hadn't been the first to fall for this trap.
"You guys okay?" Nick asked as he started cutting Judy and Finn's bindings.
"Almost wish I was still writing parking tickets…" Judy grumbled as she rolled over, rubbing her wrists and arms as she slowly got up. "A lot less time spent getting shot at and falling on my face."
The room suddenly started to dim to the noise of grinding gears and moving metal above. All three mammals craned their heads up, seeing the opening they had fallen through begin to shrink as four metal slabs converged together.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Judy shouted as the metal pieces connected, sealing them inside.
"Relax, Fluff, could be worse, right?" Nick said with a nervous chuckle.
*Shunk!*
Nick's rhetorical question was answered as a set of metal spikes came out of the ceiling. As soon as they were fully extended, the ceiling began to slowly descend. "Okay, that's worse…"
"Do me a favour, Kid," Finnick growled as he stared at the spike-covered ceiling. "The next time you get it in your head to try and rescue me, don't. I think I was safer with Coastline…"
"Spikes…" Nick muttered, not paying the old fox any attention. "I hate spikes…"
"Uhh...guys?" Judy cut in. "Ideas?"
"We need to find a way out of here, fast!" Nick answered, doing his best to resist the urge to panic.
"Oh, really?" Finnick growled. "I was thinking we just wait and see what happens, maybe we'll like being hole punched pancakes!" He pointed to the skeletal remains. "These guys certainly don't seem to mind."
"Not helping, Gramps," Nick shouted back, eyes frantically darting around for some sort of solution.
"Speak for yourself," the desert fox grumbled as he picked up a discarded sword off the ground and carried it to one of the walls. Wondering what he was up to, Nick noticed a set of ancient gears turning just as Finnick raised the sword and jammed it between them. The gears stubbornly tried to keep turning, but the sword managed to effectively jam them and they ground to a halt, the ceiling screeching as it ceased its descent. "See? At least I'm doing something."
"Okay, that'll buy us some time," Nick said. A loud snap assaulted his ears as the sword suddenly shattered beneath the weight of the gears and the ceiling started descending again. "Or not…"
"Well…" Finnick shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea…"
"Yeah, well good intentions don't really matter to freaking spike traps!" Nick snapped.
"Guys, shut up and look," Judy waved them over to an old grating at the center of the room. "We can get out this way if we smash it open."
"We don't even know where it goes," Nick argued.
"Do you seriously think it'd be worse than staying here with that thing?" Judy shouted back, pointing up at the ceiling spikes gradually getting closer.
"Okay, fair point." Nick looked around for something to smash the grate open with. Spotting a piece of armour that wasn't too large, he quickly grabbed it and started swinging it against the metal grating.
Judy and Finnick both joined in, grabbing pieces of shattered armour and frantically bashing them against the grate, the metal structure bending and crumpling beneath their onslaught.
"Faster guys," Judy urged.
"Going as fast as I can, bunny," Finnick snapped back, furiously bashing away.
"Think it's almost done," Nick shouted as they kept bashing until the grate finally gave in and fell loose, falling into the darkness below. "Got it!"
"Jump!" Judy yelled, she and Finnick both leaping into the abyss.
Nick looked up one last time and immediately regretted it, the ceiling spikes now literal inches away from his face.
"Shit!"
The fox didn't even look, just throwing himself backwards into the hole and the darkness within.
AN: Damn, Nick, Judy, and Finn just bounce from one bad spot to the next. But hey, better than being held at gunpoint...right? Anyways, I'll be getting to work on the next chapter. Until next time, Sic Parvis Magna (I've been saying that at the end of every post on AO3, so figured I should start doing it here as well. Hey, better late than never, right? :D )