Seventeen
Judy was standing in the street. The sun was hot and bright above her—unnaturally so. A hazy white glare covered everything, making it impossible to see clearly. Something about that struck her as off, but she couldn't say why. She knew the bar was ahead of her. The van was tucked away in the alley to her left. She could sense her friends around her, indistinct forms that she recognized more by where she knew they should be then what she could actually make out of them. They were all shouting at her, the words unintelligible and echoing as if they were enclosed inside a tunnel instead of out on the street. That was wrong too. The yelling hadn't come this early. No one had known to shout anything until—
She looked back towards the alleyway. As if on cue, the figure rushed out at her.
Ah, thought Judy, here it comes.
Heavy paws struck her shoulders, knocking her off her feet. Deadly sharp fangs pinched tight around her throat, choking off her air. She could feel herself falling; it seemed to take longer than it should. The sun was hot and bright above her and her friends were yelling and then—there—a feeling of impact and pain and—
Judy lurched upright, paws flailing as she clawed at empty space. The animal who had attacked her was gone. The heat and light, gone. Her friends, gone. She stilled, struggling to get past the disorientation. She was no longer outside but in a dark room. The floor was cool cement beneath her, the silence perfect but for the sound of her own labored breathing.
Her paws flew to her throat. The skin was sore and tender under her fur, but there was no blood, no gashes.
Still alive.
Judy dropped her head into her paws and took several slow, deep breaths.
I'm alive.
She hadn't expected to be. When Ciara had come at her, the cat had looked for all the world like she was coming for blood.
Ciara. Judy had found the enigmatic feline after all—or more accurately, Ciara had found her. Rushed her, more like. knocked her out, and brought her to this gloomy place. It was all very cloak and dagger. Focusing on the intrigue of it helped calm Judy and reminded her that she still had problems to solve.
She looked around more carefully. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark as well as they were going to. She still couldn't make out much, but then there wasn't a lot to see. The room was bare with one small window too caked with dirt for even the light to get through. A door on the far side stood ajar; Lighter shadows spilled through the doorway from the room beyond.
Judy debated her options. She could cut her losses, pry open the window and leave. It looked half rotten in its frame. She was confident she could get through it if she wanted. Or, she could take the invitation the open door presented.
She didn't want to leave. More importantly, she couldn't afford to leave. Not without answers.
Judy stood, carefully checking the status of all her aches and pains: everything still hurt about the same. Small mercies. She quietly went over to the door and peeked out.
The space beyond opened up into a much larger room. It looked to be a warehouse of some sort. Piles of rubble and rusted machinery had been shoved to the sides. Discolored sunlight filtered through grimy, narrow windows set high up near the vaulted ceiling. Peeling paint decorated the walls in frilly patches like white barnacles. The place smelled like dust, metal, and mold; Judy stifled a sneeze.
In the middle of the room a small tv glowed with the No Signal test pattern. It was by far the brightest thing in the room. The glow illuminated the collection of cushions piled in front of it. It looked like each cushion had been scavenged from a different piece of furniture. They were lumpy and tattered, with visible stains and exposed springs and stuffing. And yet somehow, Ciara managed to recline atop them as elegant as royalty on a throne. A laptop was open on her lap, one earbud in her ear. She tipped her head in acknowledgment of Judy's presence as she came closer.
"Sorry about the rough treatment," Ciara said in a tone that sounded more bored than sorry. "I had to make it look good."
"Why did you come at me like that?" Judy's voice cracked. She coughed and rubbed at her throat.
Eyes bright and hard as emeralds looked up from the laptop. "I can hardly be caught associating with someone from the ZPD. Safer for me if the Natural Order thinks I killed you." Her attention returned to the computer. "They won't wonder or care what I do with your body afterwards."
"You staged a fake murder? My fake murder?" A terrible thought occurred to Judy. "My friends were there. Do they think I'm dead too?"
"If their screaming was any indication."
Judy gaped at her, horrified. Fru Fru would be a mess. And Finnick was already worried about Nick. Scarlet, Will and Little John would also be—
"Relax, will you?" said Ciara. "It's not like I killed them—which would have been the safer option for me, FYI. Less to convince the Natural Order of when you come crawling back from the dead. Now I'll have to come up with an excuse for a failed kill and a pawful of witnesses. You should be thanking me for my mercy."
Thanking her? For her mercy? Judy fisted her paws. Ciara didn't care what trauma she had made Judy go through or what might've happened to the others after watching the cat run off with their dead friend. Judy wanted so badly to lecture her, but it was going to be hard enough winning Ciara over without cheesing her off first.
So Judy swallowed her anger and tried to focus on the important bits instead. "Why did you come at all if it'll hurt your reputation?"
"Because you said you were looking for me. And I was curious."
Catching the curiosity of someone like Ciara felt like a dangerous thing.
"How did you know I was looking for you?"
Ciara scoffed. "Do you think Scarlet is the only one in Zootopia who knows how to do surveillance? Everyone in this city is so naive. Even your hackers are soft. It never occurred to the fox that someone might use her own tech against her. I overheard you at the bar." She gestured to her laptop. "I've got bugs planted everywhere. You said you were looking for me. Since the last time we spoke you did nothing but babble about my playing, I had to assume my cover was blown. Better to confront you directly than leave you wandering about where you might start blabbering to the wrong mammal. So, how did you find out?"
Judy debated over how much she should say. "I was informed by someone who believed it was worth the risk of giving you the benefit of the doubt."
The serval rolled her eyes. "Mahery. That meddling fossa just can't leave well enough alone."
"You think what's happening out there right now is 'well enough' for anyone?" demanded Judy, unable to stop herself. "Do you honestly like having to live like this?"
Ciara's ears flattened. Her tail started flicking back and forth in agitated jerks. "I like living. Period. And I'll do what I have to to stay that way."
"Still," said Judy. "I don't think I'm wrong in guessing you'd be happier without the Natural Order around. That's why you really came when you heard I was looking for you, isn't it? And why I'm standing here in front of you now, alive. You weren't just curious or trying to shut me up—you were hopeful."
Ciara curled her lips as if to hiss, but no sound came out. She plucked the earbud from her ear, snapped the laptop shut and set it aside. "Don't presume to understand me, rabbit. Hope is for those without power. Like you. I still have options. But you don't, do you? That's why you risked your life to come out and find me. Because you're hoping I'll be able to save you. See? I can deduce the obvious too." She gave Judy an arch look.
The unflattering description chaffed, as if Judy were some desperate and needy weakling. But the feline wasn't entirely wrong, either. She was desperate and she did need her.
"I guess we were both looking for help," said Judy.
The cat scoffed. "I told you, I don't need help. And I won't throw my life away on a lost cause. Whether Zootopia falls or the Wildland's burn, my only priority is my survival."
When Judy hesitated to respond to that, Ciara said, "You think I'm being selfish, don't you? Of course someone like you would think so. You who are spoiled with allies foolish enough to risk their lives defending you. Well I don't have the luxury of that kind of protection. The only one who will look out for me is myself, so that's what I'm going to do. I don't care who judges me for it."
"You're right," said Judy. "I do have friends who would risk everything to protect me."
The serval rolled her eyes. Judy raised her chin and went on, "But I would also do the same for them. That's how friendship works. That's how herds and packs stay safe. By standing together. You could have that too, if you wanted. You called Scarlet naive, but she took you in and gave you a job without question. You think Mahery is meddlesome, but he still thought of you even years after he left. Your musical talent alone garners affection and loyalty from every mammal who comes to see you, including me."
The serval looked away, ears still back, tail flicking. "You're only saying that because you want something from me. If you didn't think I was useful you wouldn't have spared a thought for me at all. Don't try and get manipulative, rabbit. I grew up wise to the best of them. You won't trick me."
On the TV, the test pattern suddenly cut out. The screen flickered, blackness interspersed with white fuzz before the image stabilized, showing feed of an empty news set. A glossy desk sat center in the foreground with a still image of Zootopia's skyline behind it.
"That's ZNN studios," said Judy. She wanted to feel hope at the sight, but the continued shot of the empty desk left her uneasy, and Ciara's silence only made the feeling worse. Where were the newscasters? Where was anyone? If they had information to share…
There. Low in the lefthand corner of the screen, something long and dark rippled into view. It glided smooth as water up onto the desk, coiling itself up in what felt like an endless spiral. Its body was a limbless expanse of bulging muscle, each stacked curve more massive than the last. Snake. This was a snake. In the ZNN studio. The sight was so shocking and surreal, it took Judy a minute to even notice its head, thick and smoothly scaled as the rest of its body, slowly rising up until it was level with the camera.
Judy felt every muscle inside her seize except for her heart, which had never pounded so fast or so hard in her life just from looking at another animal. Her instincts were surging into overdrive even as her mind was still trying to process what she was seeing: A Predator. Not a predator in the way Zootopia liked to label certain species—that kind of classification had never felt more outdated and hollow than it did in this moment. A Predator wasn't a species. A Predator was whatever lived behind this snake's eyes.
This was Silos. The one who had orchestrated all of this chaos and destruction. The one who had abducted Nick.
The snake lifted his chin. Judy thought that if he'd had paws, he would have raised them dramatically.
"Animals of Zootopia, I come to you with words of reassurance, for I have seen your terror at what is happening in your city, and I am here to tell you that such feelings are needless. Do not cower, for the Natural Order is here to liberate you, not oppress." He spoke like he moved: silkily, with an undercurrent that a greater force was being held back. "No more will you have to live by the wills of others, caged by pointless laws. Only the Laws of Nature matter now! From here on, your life will be in your own paws. Be strong in body and mind, and you will rise to heights of power you never before dared to fathom. This is a rejuvenation for all species, great and small!"
The snake sunk lower over his twisted body. His dark scales glistened under the bright lights of the studio, making the pattern that adorned them even more disorienting to look at directly.
"And to the leader of this city—you who dares to challenge the will of the Natural Order—I will not abide your false rule any longer. Come forth and face me, and we will settle who is the apex predator once and for all. Ignore this invitation or try to hide, and the Natural Order will hunt you down as the coward you are."
The camera panned right, a jerky movement that made Judy think the mammal behind the lens was either scared or inexperienced. Dozen's of furry faces filled the screen. They filled the entire studio. The camera made a 360 sweep, face after face staring out. There were too many to focus on, but each of them gave their most vicious look to the audience: hackles up, fangs bared, claws out, snapping, slashing.
The camera panned back around to the desk and stopped. Silos' lipless mouth curved as he stared into the camera. "Come to City Hall. I'll be waiting."
The screen flashed, white fuzz engulfing everything before it returned to the flat test screen pattern.
Judy looked at Ciara. The cat pinned her ears back. "Don't even start."
"But you just saw—"
"Yes, I saw. Not that I needed to. You forget, I lived through that. For decades. I'm not about to waste everything I suffered through just to do something stupid now."
"You don't want to be involved. Fine," said Judy. "But I know you know things that could help us. Whether it's a lost cause or not, it's our choice to keep fighting just as it's your choice to stay back. All I'm asking for is a chance."
When the cat just lashed her tail angrily, Judy added, "I swear to you, I won't tell anyone where I got the information. I won't come looking for you anymore. If we run into each other on the street, you can come for my throat again all you want, for real this time."
"As if you could stop me," Ciara muttered.
"Is that a yes?"
Thump, thump, thump went her tail against the cushions. Each hit sent up a little puff of dust. Judy found herself clasping her paws together and wasn't sure if she was begging to the serval or the Great Turtle Itself.
The tail stilled.
"He's afraid of birds." The words came out tight, forced between her clamped jaw.
"Birds?" Judy felt her hopes plummet. Of all the things... "But they don't even exist anymore."
The cat looked at her like she was an idiot. "Just because something doesn't exist doesn't mean you can't fear it."
"Right. You're right," said Judy. "But in case an army of birds is too hard to find… is there anything else?"
Ciara cast a glance up at the dirty windows. "If you're dumb enough to try and confront him, stay far away from the flood zones when you do. One of his scarier monikers is Water Wraith. He's fast on dry land and deadly in the trees, but he can cut through water like a scythe. You won't stand a chance. Well, you won't stand a chance anyway, but you get my point."
Judy chose to ignore that last bit. "Stay out of the water. Got it. Any other specific weaknesses? Something we could exploit? Bad eyesight? Thin skin?"
The cat shook her head. "His eyesight might not be the best, but his tongue can pick out almost any smell. If you're in a room with him it doesn't matter where you hide. He'll find you. And he might not have the thickest hide, but he's fast. To even get close enough to land a blow, and still somehow avoid his fangs… I've never seen it done."
A beetle skittered out from the exposed stuffing of one of the cushions. Quick as lightning, Ciara speared it through the middle with the tip of her claw, cracking clean through the carapace. She held the insect up, inspecting it as the legs continued to wriggle. Judy fought the urge to yank on her ears in frustration. "So there's nothing?"
"Not unless you have the power to affect the weather."
"The weather? You mean, like the Climate Wall?"
"Mm. Why do you think Silos ordered it destroyed?" With her remaining beetle-free claws, Ciara starting ticking off reasons. "It's an easy chaos inducer. It's a statement maker—nothing unnatural shall remain, blah blah blah—it gives him more watery areas to work in, in case that deck wasn't stacked high enough in his favor already. And it eliminates the one thing that could've dulled his edge."
"The cold," said Judy.
"Got it in one." Ciara flicked the beetle away. She stretched and rolled onto her back. "He can't control his body temperature. It's a snake thing. Out where we live it stays pretty hot and humid all year around, but I remember we had a cold snap one winter that laid him out for a week. Thought he might actually die." Ciara contemplated the ceiling. "It was a nice week."
Ok, thought Judy. The cold. It was more helpful than birds, at least. She could work with this. Finally, it felt like some light was spilling through the clouds.
"Thank you for your help," she told the cat. "Really. We're going to win this. You'll see."
The cat rolled her eyes.
"We will," insisted Judy. Just saying it aloud gave her a renewed rush of determination. Feeling bolder, she added, "And when that happens, I hope we'll 'run into' each other again. We'll have a girls' night out with my friends, and I promise no one will ask anything from you except that you pay for your round of drinks."
"And I promise that when Silos kills you, I'll bury whatever the scavengers leave of your body."
Judy burst out laughing. It shouldn't have been funny. No doubt the cat believed what she said. But Judy was still riding high on optimism. Not even a ridiculously grisly vow could put a damper on that.
"Rabbit's lost her mind," muttered Ciara. "Does all that laughing mean you've thought of a plan?"
"Not even close," said Judy, still beaming. "I'm terrible at planning ahead, actually. But as you pointed out, I've got lots of friends who can help me figure something out. I'll need to get back to the station and figure out a way to secure Mayor Lionheart first anyway."
"Lionheart? What's he got to do with anything?"
Judy waved to the TV. "You heard that snake. He's going after the city's leader."
"Oh, that." Ciara gave another big stretch before curling up onto her side. "That's not who Silos meant."
"Who else could it be?"
"Eh. You know him already. Scarlet's boss? That fox, Robin Swift. It's one of the reasons I was sent here, to dig up information on him and send it back to Silos. Apparently someone in his family led an uprising that killed most of the snake's family back in the day. So now Silos has got it stuck in his sick head that if he fights him and wins, it will magically make him king again or something."
Judy's happy bubble officially popped. "Is that really true? But that's not good! I have to go warn Robin."
"Why? In fact, why bother yourself with any of this, rabbit?" Ciara propped herself up on an elbow. "Look, it's obvious you've got some issues, but you seem like the smarter sort. Capable. Instead of fighting against a tsunami, why not ride it out instead?"
"You mean like you?"
"Like me. And your mate."
"Nick wouldn't betray Zootopia."
"Please. Who do you think nailed that contract to the police station's door? I know all about where his loyalties lie."
"Nick is not loyal to Silos."
"Who said that he was? We all know that contract is bull crap, but we still sign it. We still take the pledge and do what Silos wants. Why? For survival. Your own, or I guess someone else's—if you care about that sort of thing. You might judge me for not making stronger ties with others, but each tie is one more that Silos can pluck to make me do his bidding. What would your fox do to save himself? What would he do to save you?"
"Nick is smart," said Judy, "He knows how to play the game when he needs to. But his morals are true. He won't lose himself."
"Really? Then where is he now? Last I heard, Silos let him walk away freely. He wouldn't have allowed that without a reason."
"You're wrong."
"You hope I'm wrong," corrected Ciara.
"It has nothing to do with hope," said Judy. "I know Nick. Still, I suppose I need to thank you. Now I know where to go to find him."
"Oh?"
Judy nodded. She turned to leave, then stopped. She looked back at the cat. "Before I go... I owe you an apology, Ciara. You were right earlier when you said I was judging you for your choices. I can't say I agree with them, but I can't imagine everything you had to go through to make it this far. You finally found some safety for yourself, and I had no right to try and take that away from you, no matter the reason. You stuck your neck out to come find me and hear me out when you didn't have to. Thank you for that. And also... I want you to know that I think you are a super impressive, and talented, and cool cat. And I hope that whatever else happens in the future, that you find a place where you can be happy."
Ciara wrinkled her nose. "If that was some last ditch effort to get to me it didn't work." She rolled over on the pile of cushions, giving Judy her back. Her tail ticked out a metronome beat against the worn fabric. "If you're done bothering me now then go. And try to be subtle about it, if you can manage that much. I'm going to be really grumpy if the Order traces me back here because of you."
"I'll be careful, don't worry. Goodbye, Ciara."
The cat gave a dismissive grunt. Judy smiled and skipped out.
It was time to get her fox back.
Nick spent the next couple of hours in a numb kind of daze. At some point he commandeered Reynard's chair over in the corner, though exactly when and how he had done so he couldn't have said. Finnick sat on the floor in front him, cleaning his bat and warning off anyone who tried to approach Nick with questions about how he was feeling or what he planned on doing now. Nick had never felt more grateful to him.
Little John, along with an insistent Vixie, took up security, conducting regular walks of the property's perimeter and keeping an eye out for invading Order members or civilians looking for a place to hide. By the bear's reports, so far only a pawful of animals had passed by the outskirts, and they had all been running off to somewhere else. It seemed no one thought of the woods as a refuge anymore.
Todd sat with Fru Fru on the couch. The young fox was still diligently checking the news stations. The shrew had finally stopped crying and was now watching the channels flick by with swollen, red eyes. Every so often she'd give a sniffle. Every time, Nick hated her a tiny bit for it.
The rest of them—Robin, Marian, Reynard, Will, and Scarlet—had gathered at the kitchen table and were discussing possible plans, none of which included going to look for Judy. It felt like they had already written her off as dead, and Nick hated them a tiny bit for that too.
He didn't care what they believed or what dumb plans they were making. He wanted out of here. He wanted to go to that bar and track down the cat that had kil—taken Judy. But if he left and they all decided to head out before he got back who knew when he'd be able to reconnect with them or what might happen to them in the meantime. He was stuck, stuck, stuck and he hated all of them for it.
From the couch, Todd gave a terrified yip at the same time Fru Fru gasped. The sound sent everyone lounging from their chairs.
"What is it?" asked Marian, at the same time Robin asked, "What's the matter?"
Fru Fru mouthed something soundlessly, her whole body shaking. Todd pointed at the TV screen. It was a still shot of the ZNN studio. And there, enthrones atop the desk, was Silos.
Little John, who had just returned from another walkabout with Vixie, whistled low. "Well I'll be."
"Now there's an animal you don't see every day," said Will.
Robin cut a look to Nick. "Is that who I think it is?"
Nick's lungs constricted. "Yes. That's the head of the Natural Order. Silos."
"Head of the Order, huh?" said Scarlet. She had just started to perk up a bit since her flight upstairs. Now she looked like she might be sick again. "I've never seen a real, live snake before."
"This is as close as you want to get," said Nick. "Believe me."
They all listened as Silos gave his little speech. It was about what Nick expected a speech from a megalomaniacal reptile bent on revenge to sound like.
"I'd hate to be the mayor right about now," said Little John. "He's got a whole evil organization out hunting for him now."
"Karma does seem to be overdoing it a bit," agreed Robin.
Suddenly Marian gasped. She rushed over to the tv and dropped down so she was crouched right in front of it. "Oh! it is him! Look, Robin, look. Right there. It's Craven!"
Everyone leaned in close to see. There, in the back of the crowd of snapping, growling animals, was the subdued face of a familiar fox.
"He's right there!" Marian pressed a paw to the screen as if she could reach in and grab him. The camera panned away and she let out a pained whine. "Robin, he was right there!"
"I saw, my darling." He pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple then turned to Will. "Can I trust you to watch the kits while we're gone?"
The caracal straightened. "Of course."
Nick got a sinking feeling in his gut. "You can't seriously be thinking of running over there now."
"I won't leave Craven with that snake a second longer than I have to," said Robin. "Little John, grab the bags."
The bear moved to the closet and pulled out a collection of small black knapsacks that he started passing out to the others.
Nick rose from his place in the corner, a terrible sense of inevitability falling over him. "You can't just waltz up there and demand they give Craven back."
Robin gave him a look. "I'm not an idiot, Nick. We'll think up a plan on the way."
"And you think something made up last minute like that will succeed against this creature?"
"He didn't look so tough to me," said Little John. "No legs, no arms, no claws." He flexed his own and took a swipe at the air. "I bet we can cut the head off this organization and watch it fell apart by dinnertime."
No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't happen.
"You can't underestimate him," said Nick. "He's strong, and he's fast, so much more than you think—He doesn't need legs or arms or claws to kill you. One bite is all it'll take."
"We'll be careful," said Robin. But Nick knew it was an empty platitude. He didn't sound remotely scared or doubtful. This was just another heist for him, an important one he was itching to get done.
"Did you forget about the army of animals Silos has at his disposal?" Nick demanded, but that concern was also brushed away.
"They'll be too busy looking for Lionheart to notice an extra fox or two among their numbers."
"An extra fox is exactly who they'll be looking for, you idiot!"
"Hey, now," said Little John. "We know you're stressed about this, but there's no need for name calling."
"Why would they be looking for foxes?" The question came from Will.
Everyone looked at Nick. He looked back at them all. Had he actually expected to be able to avoid this? What a dumb fox he was. How naive. This moment had always been coming, from the very beginning. It was over. He couldn't hide the truth any longer.
"Because Silos isn't after Mayor Lionheart. He's after Robin. And anyone that might help him get to Robin."
A confused silence fell. Nick waited, knowing what was coming.
Scarlet was the one who spoke up first. "But he said, 'the leader of this city'…"
"Silos believes that Robin is true leader of Zootopia."
Instead of horror, Nick received several bemused looks.
Little John laughed. "Hear that, Rob? All this time we've been scrabbling in the shadows. We should have had you running for office."
"This isn't a joke." Nick looked at Robin. "You said it yourself; your family's been in the area for centuries. Before Zootopia was even founded. Apparently your ancestors wiped out most of Silos' ancestors who ruled the area, which makes you the de facto king in his eyes." Nick glanced over at Vixie. "I don't know if he knows about your sister yet. I wouldn't put it past him to challenge her too, in that case."
"This is crazy," said Robin. "I've never heard such a story from anyone in our family."
"The shrews know the story." The whispered words came from the couch. Fru Fru looked up at Robin, taking him in anew. "The mice and rats too. We just didn't know who."
"Crazy," repeated Robin. "I'm not in charge of anything in Zootopia. The extent of my powers are honorary at best. Killing me wouldn't overthrow anything. That's the truth."
"It doesn't matter if it's true or not; if it makes sense or not," said Nick. "Silos believes it, and that's all that matters. It's time for us to face the reality that is." He looked Robin in the eye. "Him showing Craven on TV like that has to be a trap. You can't go. You won't make it."
Vixie gave a distressed whine. Robin stilled. He glanced over at his sister, then back at Nick in silent warning. "Can I speak with you privately for a moment?"
He headed outside without waiting for an answer. Nick followed him. Robin didn't stop until they were hidden by the trees. Then he crossed his arms and looked at Nick. "You knew about Craven all along, didn't you?"
Nick laughed bitterly. "And you know what the funniest part of it is?"
"I didn't realized there was anything funny about this."
"The funniest part is that it was all completely unnecessary. I knew it the second Silos told me he wanted you. From the beginning he knew all he had to do was wave Craven in front of your face to get you to come running. He didn't need me to get to you. He probably knew I wouldn't betray you even before he made the offer. But he put the burden on me anyway. Just for the fun of making me suffer that much more."
"So you lied to me."
"It was a no-win situation. I was hoping I'd come up with plan in the meantime and avoid having you involved at all. You and your family could stay safely hidden and I wouldn't have waste time arguing with you about why running out to your death is a bad idea."
"That wasn't your call," said Robin. "It's up to me whether or not I want to risk my life saving Craven."
"This isn't just about Craven, though," said Nick. "You're the only thing Silos wants. The only thing he cares about that might be used to manipulate him the way he's manipulating us. If he kills you then that possibility goes right out the window."
"So you want to use me as a bargaining chip? And risk sacrificing Craven in order to do it?"
"That's not what I said—"
"What happened to you out there, Nick?"
"You don't understand. Things are so much worse than they look, and they're already looking pretty darn bad. I need allies. I need… I need help."
The trees rustled overhead. Somewhere, a frog let out a single croak.
"I'm sorry," said Robin. "But I'm not here to help you or Zootopia. Right now my first and only priority is saving my family. And I'll do whatever I must to get Marian's brother—my brother—back safe."
For a long moment they stared at each other. Nick was suddenly acutely aware of Judy's tranq gun tucked against the small of his back. He could use it now on Robin. The others wouldn't make a move without his say-so. It would buy Nick a few hours and spare Robin and whoever he took with him on his suicide mission. But then what?
A sense of futility washed over Nick, warm and gentle as a breeze. He couldn't keep going like this. He didn't want to keep going like this. If he had to keep playing the bad guy in order to keep others alive, maybe that meant he was wrong to try.
He pulled out the tranq gun and held it out to Robin. "Here. You need this more than I do."
"You're leaving?" Nick was surprised to hear genuine regret in his tone.
"I'm going to look for Judy."
"What about Finnick? He'll want to come with you."
"He's safer here. Give me a ten minute head start before you tell him ok? He knows when to cut his loses."
"Still making decisions for others."
Nick gave a crooked smile. "Yeah. I'm selfish that way."
Robin put a paw on his arm. "Nick… you know that Judy is probably…"
Nick jerked away. "We're both gonna do what feel we need to. Don't worry about me. You've got enough on your plate already."
Robin stepped back. "You're right. Well then, I wish you luck."
"You too."
He watched Robin retreat to the house. Then he started the long trek back towards the street. He tried to sort out what he was feeling, but there was this blotchy numbness inside him that made it difficult. A sense of failure pervaded him. Judy would have done better. She wouldn't have given up until she'd convinced Robin towards a wiser course of action. She would have yelled at Nick for going to find her when all evidence said she was gone. But he was not her, and she was not here, and just because he knew what she would want didn't mean he could just keep going and going and going…
Nick stopped. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, wishing for another breeze to carrying it all away, but the air was still.
"I have to go back, don't I?" He had to try again. He had to make Robin listen, and barring that, he would go with him and pray it was enough.
"Please wait for me a little longer, Carrots."
"And if I'm tired of waiting?" Her voice came to him, so clear and close. Nick thought for sure he had finally lost his mind. He turned, and there she was, his bunny, with those bright purple eyes filled with so much love and determination it took his breath away.
"Judy."
She started walking towards him. "You know you've got a lot to answer for, buster."
"I know." More than she even realized.
"I hope you've thought long and hard about how you'll make up for it."
"Can I make up for it?"
Maybe she caught the note of real fear in his voice because she stopped. She was within touching distance but he didn't try to reach for her, much as he wanted to. He watched her take that in too.
She cocked her head at him. "Don't you know the answer to that already?"
"I thought I did," said Nick. "But so much has happened. Judy, I've done things that I don't... that I'm not proud of. What if—"
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Silly fox. The answer is still the same: Always."
His vision blurred as tears filled them. He caught her up tightly, reveling in her gasp as her feet left the ground. He buried his face in crook of her neck, feeling the softness of her fur against his muzzle and breathing in the scent of her. She smelled like bunny and him and dust. A lot of dust. He pulled back and let out a great sneeze.
Judy laughed self-consciously. "Sorry. I haven't exactly been lazing around a spa lately." She reached up and flicked the brim of his ball cap. "I like the hat. you worrying about sun glare at a time like this?"
"I'm blending in," said Nick.
"Sure you are."
"I'd make a comment about the shirt, but it's mine so all I can say is you have excellent taste."
She gave him a cheeky smile. "Of course I do. Now, you ready to go save Zootopia?"
Nick felt the weight on his shoulders come crashing back down. He lowered Judy to her feet. He couldn't hold up both. "And how do we do that?"
Judy tapped her chin, pretending to ponder. "Hmmm, I was thinking... together."
There was no reason at all to feel so buoyed by that. They still had so many problems with no real solutions. But together? Together those feelings didn't feel quite so insurmountable.
"Sounds like a great plan to me, Carrots."