I think I know who I am now- and I don't like it, not one bit… all of this is much, much, much too close for comfort-
I wake up slumped on top of the platform where they hauled all of us, face hot, wet… I don't know what it is, but I don't want to find out. The Mayor is slumped not too far from me, her breathing ragged. I want to do something I know I'm not supposed to- but I won't… even after she's done so much to me, I still have a freaking sense of decency… I also have a surging rage in my chest that just won't go away, and I don't know if that's because of the drugs, or because of adrenaline, or what.
I get up to move, and the guards are on me, lashing out, slamming with batons, the pain-
-but my teeth are sharper…
"Get the hell away from me!"
They don't listen, they keep trying to press closer, to cart me off-
Oh no they flocking don't…
I plead with them, let me go, let me. GO!
They still don't listen.
They think that a kicked dog won't fight back? That they can bite me hard and whimper and run away?
Hell no, I'm going to prove them wrong-
I bite harder. Teeth find fur, find metal- I taste blood, spit it out, repeat-
Now they listen, their paws bloodied. Every news network in the city is turned on me, standing over their presumably dead Mayor- she's still bleeding and I've barely grazed her, I know this is a trap but I have to keep up the look for the cameras.
We're not far from the edge of the building…
That wouldn't be a fun way to go, nope, no way no how…
"Listen to me," I say, keeping myself calm and my tone level while still trying to keep an eye on the sheep slumped on the ground-
"She's done, leave her… this city is free…"
"Not- yet-" I hear a gasp, and the sheep is up and running at me, and I barely have the chance to sidestep her, otherwise she'd have thrown me over the edge… we're not that high up, maybe-?
She pauses short of me, looking at the group. "You have a choice, freedom," she says, putting a hoof over her heart- "or him," she adds, pointing to me- and I dive for her, managing to get her around the ankles- and she runs, dragging me along, trying to kick me off and she's so close to the edge…
A twist, and she rips into me… oh gods that's gonna hurt-
"Nick!" I hear the scream, but no, she's dangling now, and this is- this isn't how I wanted things to go…
But she's making me bleed and my arm shakes without me realizing it and I can't look, I can't-
The screams are deafening… I tune them out as best as I can...
I think I know who I am at this point: Nick Hopps, son of Bonnie, the missing. I'm a fox… and most importantly of all, I'm responsible for the downfall of the city that feels like it's coming harder and faster, and the world is spinning around me…
What have I done…? What did I do, oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods…
They're gonna kill me now aren't they oh my gods they so totally are and I'm dead I'm dead I might as well just go ahead and try and join her-
But that's foolish Nick!
Well they're gonna kill me anyways!
You don't know that!
But no, Nick, what you do know is that you've almost accomplished what you set out to do, you came here to take care of the mess… now you have to find your mother…
That's gonna be one hell of a challenge, but I think I can do it.
No. That's not enough.
I know I can.
I'm strong… I'm terrified right now, but I can do this-
I can do that. I can do this… I am strong, but we're stronger together…
The guards aren't doing anything at this point- are they still alive?
I go to kick one where it'll hurt the most- only to end up yelping in pain…
They're robots?
No, they're- they have flesh, what are they?
Flesh means that they're cyborgs, don't you remember scifi, Nick?
Yeah, but this is real life-
The real question then is-
Who are they?
After all this, why does it feel like this is just the beginning?
What's next?
After all I've been through, that's the thought that scares me the most…
Bellwether, what happened to her, I don't know…
No, that's wrong, I absolutely know what happened to her, and I did it to her, now I just don't want to admit it…
All the guards are looking at each other- and I can't tell if it's shock or awe or fear or anger or even a little bit of that good ol' Option E, all of the above...
Now if you'll excuse me-
I'm gonna pass out-
When I wake up, I'm surrounded by armed mammals- real mammals this time- and they have guns… real ones.
Oh boy, well this isn't gonna be good…
"W- what do you need from me?" I ask, and for a long while- or maybe not and it just feels like forever because my heart is bounding inside my chest- nobody says anything. Eventually, though, one of the soldiers speaks.
"Answers. Who are you, fox. Where did you come from, why are you here, what the hell did you do to the Mayor?"
"Well, she basically did that to herself," I say, letting out a breath and finding out that my ribs are seriously sprained right about now- can't tell them, can't let them see. No weakness, Nick, strong, strength, I am strong, I am terrified oh gods no I can't let them see that...
"Well, sit down," I say, trying to relax despite myself, "it's gonna be a while."
"Make it quick," another guard commands, this one from the left of where they have me pawcuffed to the rails of this damn bed.
"As you wish."
"No, that was an order," yet another soldier says, and I can't help but to grin.
"Oh, no I got that, but seeing as your mayor is dead, I don't think you have any other sources of info now, do you?"
They grumble, I've got them there.
Who am I?
Nick Hopps. That's easy. For these hunks of metal? I'm gonna be their worst nightmare.
AN: Wow life gets in the way. What do you guys think of this?