The road leading toward the warehouse was dark, given the fact there was a substantial lack of any artificial lightning. Nick glanced around for some, but the only ones he could find were two lamp posts that were burned out, along with a very dimly lit bar sign that hung on a dilapidated wall across the street, which was practically hanging on by a thread, only being supported on one side. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and set the flashlight to its minimum setting, then scanned the area. The sidewalk was horribly paved—or at least poorly maintained—and a rusty metal fence lined his right side, which kept going down the sidewalk until suddenly ending. As Nick got closer he realized that there was still fence—picket fence—that continued after the rusty metal fence. After scanning the area for a moment he discovered a hole in the fence.

Quickly he stuck a foot through, then another, and then, after setting his phone on the ground, using his paws as support, he guided himself through the tight space. Then he quickly reached back through the gap and grabbed his phone and continued into the yard he had entered. With the help of the illumination, he found a poorly maintained walkway that led around the corner of another building. After walking some more, he stopped at a flat wall with a single light illuminating his surroundings. He glanced around for an entrance, then slipped through the crack on the right side of the wall that was made between the two buildings. This space was also poorly lit, and he found some more picket fence lining the right side of the alleyway he was in. On the left was the brick wall, which was empty except for a metal door with a light above it.

A smile grew on the fox's face. He made himself a little smaller and walked along the wall, keeping his body close to it while staying in the shadows. He also took hold of his tail and wrapped it around his hip so it wouldn't stick out. Once he had reached the end of the wall, he jumped to the little area on the far end of the wall, so he was facing the way he had came and had a paw ready to open the door.

He let go of his tail and drew his pistol. Semi-automatic, it was loaded with six shots and could fire all of them in under ten seconds. He knew this because it was standard for all officers, and unless Wolfard had acquired another gun, this was the one he was familiar with. The bullets were big enough so he could blow Bellwether's brains out if he needed to, but small enough so he could fire them from a pistol. Hopefully killing was out of the question, though he didn't hesitate exploring the possibility. A smile grew on his face.

His smile slowly faded, though, and he reached his paw out again for the door. In there, Wilde, he thought, is life or death.

Nick closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then turned the knob. He'd expected it to be locked, but for whatever reason it wasn't. He bit his lip. This could mean two things—either someone was forgetful or, the option he was most afraid of—this was a trap and they'd expected him to break in. Nick shook his head lightly, brushing off the thought as he walked into the dark room. Gradually as his eyes became adjusted to the darkened room, he realized this was some smaller room. He found another door, which had a thin yellow line underneath it. There were lights in here. He opened the door quickly and slipped through the narrow crack he had made, then shut the door after slipping behind a shelf full of empty storage totes and lids.

There wasn't much noise, and after a second the door creaked. Nick slid onto the shelf and behind the totes, peering over the top. He was only able to see half of the character who had entered, but he knew immediately who it was. He wanted so badly to jump out of his hiding spot and blow her head off. He shut his eyes and bit his tongue. He knew better than to do that. As much as he hated to admit it, she was a genius and always had something up her sleeve. Nick let go of the grip on his pistol, letting it rest in the holster. Eventually he heard a voice.

"Bellwether!" A voice asked in surprise.

"Grant. Let's not waste time here messing around." There was a jingle of something like keys or jewelry. "Where is she?"

"In that closet."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's try it out."

"I'm sorry, but I have to interrupt—you didn't explain it the best on the phone."

"What now?"

"Well, you said this was the new serum. It confuses and changes personality, right? I mean, what else is there to accomplish?"

"Oh, you foxes, so wrapped up in the practical." She paused. "There is nothing else!" she snapped. "With this serum, I can not only destroy the…" She cleared her throat. "…beloved relationship shared between two antagonistic species, I can also do it with every other inter-species relationship. Keep the predators at bay and leave the prey to rule Zootopia forever."

Nick's eyes widened. He quietly stepped from the shelf and moved to the next closest one, hiding behind a stack of wood. "And we can finally get rid of that stupid Nick Wilde," the male voice said.

"Oh, I won't need to get rid of him. He'll be so broken by the loss of his friend, he'll just kill himself."

"Even better," the fox said. "If he doesn't, can I do it for him?"

"In that unlikely case, I'll let you capture him first. Then we'll play around with his emotions." Nick stepped over the stack of wood and hid behind the next shelf. There were still a few more to go. "Then you can kill him however you want."

"Yes." He went quiet. "Say, isn't it weird how I'm working for you? I mean…"

"And?"

There was a sheepish whine. "Nothing."

"I thought so. Keep it tamed, fox, or I'll inject you next." There was some more footsteps, and in the meantime, Nick moved to the next shelf forward, hiding behind a stack of cardboard boxes. Once Nick had settled, there was a creak of a door, then a rustle of fabric. Then a groan. "Judy?" Bellwether said.

Nick's heart raced. She was just out of his view, only about twenty feet away now. He tried to find a spot to squeeze through the boxes, but he didn't want to risk making noise. Instead he went around the shelf and hid behind the second to last one, which was stocked with old boxes of gadgets. Just before Nick got settled, Bellwether spoke again. "Judy, hon. You alright?"

Another groan, then a pained voice. "Bellwether?" There was some sound of sliding fabric. "Where am I?"

"You're home, Judy. To a new life."

"Where's Nick?"

"Oh, Judy, he's dead. I'm sorry."

Silence. "I'd believe you if I didn't know you were a pathological liar."

"What if I gave you proof?"

"Bring me his dead body, then."

Bellwether looked at Judy. "Clever little bunny we have here. What if I said I'd just thrown him in a lake?"

"I still wouldn't believe you. You're a criminal, a liar, and a worthless piece of crap."

"Now, Judy…" She smiled. "We don't need to get explicit here."

"Tell me. Where's Nick?"

"I already told you." She giggled. "He's dead, honey."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I may be lying, I may not. But that won't matter in a few minutes."

"What do you mean?"

Nick pushed the box of gadgets aside and slipped across the shelf, then hid behind the last shelf. Judging by the boxes labeled 'fragile,' he figured they were glass. He carefully positioned himself, and then he was able to see the scene unfolding.

"It doesn't matter. None of this matters. The only thing that matters is right now, you're going to make a difference in the world. And simultaneously rip someone else's apart." She adjusted her glasses. "Actually, several of them."

"I still don't follow," Judy said.

A chill shot through his chest when he managed to recognize Judy. She was dressed in her uniform with the bullet guard stripped from her. And the one thing he could tell already was how frail she was. She'd been gone for at least a day already and looked tired, sick, and drained lifeless. He clenched his fist and reached for his pistol. Any moment now…

"I don't think it would be a good thing if you did. You see, Judy, they say ignorance is bliss. Millions of little mammals around the world are starving, grasping their parents for food when they can barely afford to eat themselves. If you actually saw the devastation, you wouldn't want to eat another meal again." She paused. "This city has begun to feel the effects of the influence you've made on them. You tried it with your friend Nick…"

"Don't talk about him."

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it? He won't exist anymore."

"Are you saying he's still alive?"

"He could have died ten minutes ago. How could I know?"

"But… what you're saying, you think he's still alive?"

"Ignorance is bliss, honey. What I'm saying doesn't matter. That's why I've created your destiny." She gestured at the fox standing beside her. "As I was trying to say. You tried to make it work with your friend Nick. Your view on foxes, on predators and prey living together in harmony, just makes me sick." There was an audible kick and a groan. Nick squeezed his eyes tight.

"I don't know how on this green earth of ours you can think breaking the biological norm is anything but punishable. You're a rabbit, honey. You are not compatible with foxes. Throughout history, you both have been antagonists. Rabbit with rabbit. Fox with fox. Nature has always been that way."

"Is that why I'm here? So you can tell me that my relationship choices are wrong?"

"If I planned to just tell you, I would have walked up to your front door and told you. You see, people learn by doing. Or, better yet, becoming."

"Becoming what?"

"May I state what's already obvious? Repulsive, disgusting, a freak of nature? And what you will be: a source of my ultimate plan of predator-prey segregation. After I have injected you…"

Judy jumped. "Injected me?"

"Oop, I've already said too much."

"What?"

Nick took a breath. It was time. He stepped away from the shelf, drawing his pistol. With a swift movement he shot the ceiling, knocking down a light fixture and making it crash onto a pile of bricks. Bellwether turned her head and a devilish smile crossed her face. "Oh, look who decided to show up. Judy, hon, there's your answer if you ever needed it."

"Nick!" Judy said, trying to stand but falling, since her ankles were tied.

"Let her go, Bellwether." He cocked his gun. "Or there's gonna be hell to pay."

"Nice pistol. Usually six rounds, and you just fired one, so… five left? I presume you packed enough so you can blow out my brains at least once."

He laughed. "You don't deserve the mercy of an easy kill. This is .45 caliber." He gestured at her stomach. Tiny hole through the front, and it'll disintegrate your kidney. You'll bleed out straight through your aorta."

He shook her head, then reached behind the cement corner, bringing out a shotgun. "You see, Wilde, I play my games differently. There are two ways I go about my plan. The simple way—injecting your friend with my psychoactive serum and leaving you to soak in your own guilt for a few hours before I finally hunt you down or you eventually kill yourself. Or, the hard way." She cocked the gun. "This is a G2 slug. The bullets are designed to rip you to shreds. Each slug is filled with tiny little pieces of metal designed to leak your body fluids. First I'll shoot you in the stomach, ripping your organs to shreds. That will leave Judy begging for your life. And as soon as you're still there, your blood pooling away from your body, I'll blow your head off, blowing blood and brains across the floor. It will be Judy's last memory before she's turned into an unfamiliar, babbling idiot." She stared at Nick. "What will it be?"

Nick was silent. "May I say a word? It's only fair—you gave such a wonderful presentation."

Bellwether smiled. "I figured you might say that. But trying anything won't help."

"What do I try? I'm stuck." He shrugged. "When I discovered you'd stolen her, I was furious. Beyond anything you'd ever seen. And the ZPD tried to pin it on me. As if I'd ever steal her." He pocketed his pistol, staring down the barrel of the shotgun. "And honestly, if I ever had a word left, to say to my beautiful girl, I'd tell her the moments I've spent with her have been the best I've ever had. It wasn't the time I almost proposed to that vixen or that time I first met Finnick. No." He shook his head. "Not even close. And I have to say something to you, Bellwether. And if you hate what I say, feel free to shoot me. Because honestly, it's what I deserve."

"Nick!" Judy said.

Nick made a face at her. It was one-of-a-kind, a mix of surprise and recognition. And it was subtle enough, it looked normal to everyone else. Judy had only seen it once, but she knew exactly what it meant.

She knew what he was doing.

"I have to agree with you, Bellwether, at least on one thing. Predators can't be trusted. We have to be muzzled—and rabbits have to carry around fox spray to protect themselves." He looked at Judy. "I don't think the problem here is that predators are impeding on the prey. Predators are naturally accustomed to hunt prey. But prey are also accustomed to avoid predators. It's nature."

"Don't try anything, I said." Bellwether held up the barrel of the shotgun.

"I'm not. The only reason you believe predators and prey shouldn't be together is because you believe they're antagonistic. And they always have been. And that won't change anytime soon."

"You're not making a good point."

He smiled. "Gosh, I didn't know that." He looked at her. "I'm just the distraction."

"Huh?"

"I'm not supposed to be here, if you didn't know."

"Well, duh."

He shook his head. "No, I mean, you're not the only one saying that." He smiled and glanced upward. "You're not the only one they're coming for."

"I'm not looking anywhere. You're trying something, fox!" She put her finger on the trigger.

He smiled. "I'd rather go out with a bang than in a helicopter fight."

"What?"

Nick put on his smirk and pointed behind them at the window. A gradual humming sound got louder, along with a crash. Bellwether took her eyes off of Nick for a second. Nick shot her in the leg and she quickly fell, pulling the trigger on the way down. Nick felt a gust of air, and then a crash came from behind him. Another light fixture had fallen and crashed onto one of the shelves.

Nick walked forward and grabbed the shotgun from Bellwether. She almost fired again, but Nick managed to twist the gun out of the way. "Now." He smiled. "How about we try a shot to the stomach?"

"Fox!" Bellwether said. "Now!"

The fox removed a needle full of dull yellow fluid and walked toward Judy. Nick quickly got close and knocked the fox out cold, and he fell backward with the needle still in his paw. Nick quickly smashed it with the butt of the shotgun.

By now the officers that had smashed the window had arrived, and two of them stepped forward with guns in their paws. "You are under arrest! Stay away from the rabbit!" Bellwether put her arms under her head as the two officers came up and apprehended her. Wolfard and Bogo approached.

"Wilde! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Bogo said, grabbing one of his arms.

"What are you doing?" Nick said. "I saved her life!"

"You still breached too many orders."

Judy suddenly but in. "Chief. Don't arrest him. He saved my life."

Bogo looked at her. "Hopps. All I need you to do is stay quiet. This does not concern you. Wolfard, untie her. Watch out, there's a needle on the ground."

Judy was silent as she watched Bogo cuff Nick. She didn't know much about what he'd done. Judy frowned, then spoke up again. "Sir. I need to say something. Please."

"Hopps—"

"At least let her say something," Nick muttered, frowning. "If you have any dignity."

Bogo sighed. "Fine. Make it quick."

Wolfard cut the ties on her ankles and wrists, and Judy hobbled to her feet, rubbing her wrists. Wolfard tried to help her, but she pushed him away. "Sir. I know it's hard to trust that Nick didn't do anything wrong. But he didn't. He may have directly disobeyed you. He may have, what, stolen a police car to get here?"

"And a gun…" Nick said.

"But I didn't exactly follow your orders either. I directly disobeyed you in the Night Howler case. I got involved with something I shouldn't have. Just like Nick. And I brought him along, and I trusted him like a regular officer. That's got to break a lot of rules, right?" She smiled. "Sir. Nick disobeyed you. I did too. I feel like sometimes, sir, with all due respect, you can be wrong, too."

"That was different," Bogo said. "You had my permission."

"Not entirely. We went through the government to tap into the cameras without your permission. Plus, we ran a plate without permission too."

"This is more severe." He passed Nick over to Wolfard and another officer. "We'll see you at the station, Hopps."

"Wait. Sir. Please. He saved me."

"Yes, I'm aware. And now he's being punished."

"For what? Saving me?"

"Hopps. I've already gone over this."

"Yes, sir. You have. But it's flawed. Nick. Tell him."

"I solved the case, sir," Nick said. "I found a bag with a company's logo on it. It's associated with this warehouse. So I came here. If I had told you, you would have taken me back, and Judy would have been turned into a babbling idiot."

Bogo sighed. "I suppose solving the case does lean forward in some things."

Nick nodded. "Yes, it does. Please. Just let me go."

Bogo looked at Nick, then at Judy. He took the handcuffs off Nick. "All right. But if anything comes up that I don't know about…"

"I hear you." Bogo began walking off, but he turned around.

"Wilde. We're still talking about this, you hear me?"

"Yes, sir." After Bogo walked off, while a few officers looked around the scene for evidence, Nick smiled. "It's good to see you, Fluff."

"You too, Nick." She hobbled into his arms, and Nick wrapped her in a tight hug. The sensation filled his body again. It was amazing—just like it felt when they had hugged that way for the first time. Then he kissed her, their eyes closed, and Nick let the sensation and pleasure fill his body. And then he let go. And kept hugging her. It was so good to see his rabbit again.

"Aren't you glad I didn't get my brains blown out?"

"Don't bring that up, Nick. That scared me."

"I thought you weren't scared of that type of stuff."

"Well, if it involves you not being alive…" She kissed him on the cheek. "Then I get pretty scared. And you having no head kind of freaks me out. That's where that cute smirk is."

Nick smirked at her in response, and then an officer approached Judy and tapped her on the shoulder. "Officer Hopps, it's a pleasure you're back with us safely. We'll need to get you to the hospital for evaluation." He looked at Nick. "You with her?"

Nick shrugged. "I mean, you saw us hugging earlier…"

He smiled. "I'm totally kidding, man. All of us know about it." He offered Judy a rope. "Can you grab on?"

"I don't know if I can. My wrists still hurt."

"That's not a problem. Wilde? You mind piggy-backing your maiden?"

"Not at all." He crouched and patted his shoulder. "Up and at 'em, Fluff."

Judy tried getting on, but after a couple attempts, she sighed. "It's kinda hard."

"I'll help," the officer said, grabbing under her shoulders and helping her onto his back. "Just grab the ladder, and we'll help you up."

"No problem." He got near the window, then grabbed hold of the ladder that was extending down the wall from it. Once he had a secure hold, the officer tugged on a spare rope and they both began moving. Nick had to maneuver a bit to not get cut on the shards of glass left over from breaking the window, but once they were out, they were lifted to the helicopter where Judy was put on a stretcher, with Nick by her side.