Night Wolf0179 A/N: Welcome to part three! It's so strange to upload two chapters so close together, especially considering how large these two are. It took time to write these, but we were able to get over ten thousand words out to you all in around a month. I'm happy about that.
Even more interesting… this chapter was written before chapter five, if you disregard the edits we have made recently. It's been sitting here, eagerly awaiting its upload. XD
And finally… we may have some fluff waiting you all. Enjoy!
JKnight97 A/N: Welcome, one and all! So, we finally have the chapter you've been waiting for. It's not all fluff but after months of laying the foundation, we are now about to launch the SS WildeHopps for a quick spin around the marina. You will see more of her in the next chapter (Yes! Two fluffy chapters in a row). As for now, we ask you to buckle up, relax, place your feet up and enjoy the fluffiness!
Now on to answering some of the reviews/comments we've received:
Cimar: Thank you for all the reviews! Yes, Josh is a major jerk and Chapter Five went deeper into his backstory. And since you were the first to ask, yes, Ramic, your Zoosona shall be one of the major players in his downfall. ;)
Jack_Kellar: Like I said before, we're big fans of Karma and we hope you stick around long enough to see her role in the story. And although you said you don't like flashbacks in the middle of a cliffhanger, we felt the previous chapter was necessary. However, this new chapter should make up for the long wait.
Guest review on NightWolf0179's profile: We know we could've posted the story on one single account. But when I asked Jknight to co-author with me, I wanted this story to benefit the both of us. If we uploaded it on my profile only, what would he gain from it? Only I'd get the follows, the favorites. It wouldn't be fair.
And yeah, we considered just sharing a whole new account… but again, it would not benefit our personal accounts. This is a compromise, one I happily made.
J Shute Norway: Thank you for your latest review. Your words warm our hearts and give us more inspiration to continue writing for our readers.
VenomHeart the Dreamer: "Damn" is right. XD This story has been very… dark. We realize this. But not to worry, there will be light at the end of the tunnel!
Vince Fangway: Yes, it is dark. But these two foxes have survived slavery for the last ten years. They will stop at nothing to make sure they remain free.
CombatEngineer: I hope we were able to satisfy your demand. And there will be a satisfactory ending in a Collar AU, we promise. ;)
Stubat007 and DancingLunarWolves: You've been our beta-readers and editors from Day One. So you know we're going to push the envelope as far as we can. (starts singing "Hello Darkness, my old friend") XD
Fail-Seeker and OptimusPower92: We're happy that you like the story. We hope that the newer chapters are to your satisfaction as well.
InTheLionsDen: This chapter will hopefully answer your question. :)
Many thanks to all those (including Guests) who left Kudos, Favorited, Followed and/or Tagged our story. They mean a lot to the both of us. We shall do our best not to disappoint.
Disclaimer: All characters except OCs are owned by ©Disney. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental. We do not own Zootopia but...darn it, I wish we did.
Part Three
Tearing the RV's door off its hinges, the zebra was immediately hit by the stench of vulpine. Nostrils flaring, he shoved half of his body inside, feeling the frame of the doorway bend and scrape against his ribcage as he struggled to enter. His hooves flailed around as he tried to find something sturdy in the RV to pull himself further inside with, nearly hitting the female otter with each pass. Now panting, he began to salivate as he opened his maw, sucking in more oxygen. Grinding a bit further inside, the doorway squeezed his body more and more, making any further movement painful. In a crazed frenzy, the officer was able to retract his body a bit, giving him enough clearance to grab his gun. Thrusting his hoof into the RV, he cracked the gun against Olivia's head as she was tending to Emmitt's inert body, yelling, "Where are they!" Flicking off the gun's safety, he pointed it at her. "I can smell they were here. Where the fuck are they? Tell me!" he demanded.
Olivia's eyes went cold as she glared at the crazed equine, cradling Emmitt's head to her chest, her collar light edging into the citrine zone. "Get that gun away from me, you foul-smelling piece of shit!" she snarled, slapping the gun away with her paw. Her face contorted as she thought of all the things she wanted to do to the zebra. Voice becoming deeper, darker, several times more sinister, the otter slowly growled out, "You'll pay dearly for what you just did to my husband."
The zebra sneered as he raised the gun, bringing it closer to his muzzle. Looking through its sights, he pointed it directly in between Olivia's two green eyes, his hoof ready to push the trigger button.
"Corporal! Stop whatever in God's name you're doing!" a booming voice shook the RV.
An immense trunk wrapped around the zebra's neck, ripping him out of the doorway and flinging him like a rag doll across the road. The zebra bounced several times on the hard asphalt before coming to rest at the feet of his subordinates who hurried to help him up.
"I should strip you down right now after that display and have your reject backside sent back to the predator food factory! You're not fit to wear the Predator Patrol uniform! What do you have to say for yourself, Haughton?"
Grabbing at his neck, Joshua wheezed as his windpipe slowly opened up. "C-C-Colonel H-H-Hathi," he coughed, feeling nauseated as he gazed up at the elderly massive bull elephant clad in the upper echelon's darker version of the PP uniform. "They disrespected-"
"What'd they do? Insult your mommy? You're out of line, you putrid piece of rotting flesh!"
"Sir, I-"
Hathi stomped closer to Joshua, the elephant's eyes boring straight through the zebra. "You're an embarrassment to the uniform, you waste of space!" he hissed, his large ears sticking out in anger. "You really haven't learned your lesson, have you? There are reasons why we have rules and guidelines. We-"
Shaking his head, he fixed a murderous glare at the zebra. "You know what? You don't deserve a lecture! I already took your stripe away, and you're still as idiotic as ever! One more mistake and I'll personally bust you down to Private! Now, get out of my sight before I do something you'll really regret! I'll deal with these suspects."
Gulping, Josh scrambled to obey his superior as he and his crew took off down the road in their vehicle.
Muttering under his breath, Hathi turned to the wrecked RV and paused before the open door. "My apologies, madam," he spoke gently to Olivia as he tipped his cap with his trunk as he held a swagger stick underneath his armpit and his other hoof behind him. "That useless mammal does not represent the fine traditions and values of the Predator Patrol. However, it will still be necessary to inspect the interior of your vehicle. May I ask you to step out, please? We'll call an ambulance to look over your mate and a mechanic to reattach the door. Free of charge, of course."
Veronica was enjoying a snack when she heard all the commotion. She wasn't at all surprised to find that Haughton, that idiotic zebra, had done yet another stupid thing. It was expected, at that point. Everyone was wary of him. Sure, he hated predators just as much as everyone else, but they had guidelines to follow, rules to abide by. She didn't even know how he lasted so long in the Predator Patrol to begin with.
And now, because she herself was foolish enough to check out what new mess Haughton had created, she was stuck with investigating that damn RV.
Putting on a professional face, she donned a pair of gloves and waited for the two otters to leave the vehicle. She noticed a suspiciously-nervous look on the female's face as they passed by, and she made sure to also grab her knife, just in case she needed it.
Hopping inside the RV, the pudu picked up a faint odor, presumably what that crazed zebra had smelled, bringing her mind back to what had just transpired. While she too was repulsed by the corporal's behavior, she didn't know what her superior was up to. Coddling predators will definitely raise a few eyebrows and make tongues wag over at the Officers' Club. He'll surely get reprimanded, she thought. Opening up the nearest cupboard, Veronica poked her head inside and raised an eyebrow at its emptiness; not only was it missing a stowaway predator, but also food. She suspected they were heading back to Deerbrooke, so it would be foolish for them to not bring enough food for the long trip back. After all, it would be difficult for them to get reasonably priced food in any of the towns of Bunnyburrow. No one wanted predators in their stores unless those same predators were carrying out orders from their masters. Shrugging, she moved on to the other cupboards, finding them also devoid of anything besides disturbed dust.
Walking her way to the fridge, she found it nearly empty, only containing some jugs of water. Closing it, she sighed irritably, knowing she'd now have to open the top freezer. Why she was the only small Predator Patrol officer at the checkpoint, she hadn't the slightest clue. Taking a running jump, she grabbed hold of the freezer door handle and hung on, opening it with her hind legs and peering inside. The pungent stench of fish on ice wafted towards her, and she had to hold her breath to keep herself from gagging.
Making sure she closed the freezer door, lest she puke from the overpowering stench of dead animals, she dropped from her hold on the handle. She continued her search throughout the rest of the RV, checking every corner, every crevice, for any sign of a hidden predator.
She knew RV's liked to cram in as much storage space as possible. As such, when she came around to the couch, she knew it was likely hollow. And it was decently sized, too; if there was a mammal hiding in the RV, that place would likely have the most space.
Stepping closer, she noticed the odor she encountered when she first entered the RV was growing stronger. And it smelt vulpine, distinctly different from the fish and making her inwardly cringe at the thought of having to deal with a disease-ridden fox. Pulling out her knife, she grabbed hold of the seat cushion.
Colonel Hathi approached the two otters as they rested inside the ambulance. The male was being treated for electric shock while the female had a bandage above her left eye covering the gash on her left temple. He politely harrumphed to get their attention and signaled the medic with a nod of his head that he wanted to speak to the two in private. The beaver snappily saluted and left the pair of otters alone with the elephant and his adjutant.
"How are you two feeling?"
Emmitt managed to sit up while holding his wife's paw in his. "Thank you very much, Colonel. You saved us from that lunatic. We are in your debt."
"It's nothing that an officer and a gentlemammal wouldn't do. However, unless you can explain certain inconsistencies we found in the RV, I may be collecting on that debt much sooner than you think. Captain, would you care to explain what your findings were?" directing his question to the petite deer by his side.
"There was the unmistakable stench of fox all over the RV. The scent is strongest in the empty storage space inside the couches. Then, there is a significant lack of food in your vehicle save for a few frozen fish inside the freezer. Given how you're in the country of Bunnyburrow and the only way for a predator to get food is for their master to order it in advance–which would also require you to be a slave–then you're in for a long trip without the necessary supplies to sustain yourselves. It's a bit suspect. What's your business here?"
"We were originally in Zootopia to sell predator food to the local food suppliers and we have been trying to meet with the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the Department of Corrections to make arrangements to do so. We've been unable to sit down with them and finally decided to give up. We were on our way back to Deerbrooke via the Bunnyburrow route as it happens to be nearer to where we live. We planned to meet several of the local grocers along the way to introduce our products for their consideration." Emmitt responded automatically, slipping easily into the cover story he had prepared for such an event. "Now that all the food is gone, we're going to have to cut the trip short and head home directly."
"That still doesn't explain the smell of fox all over your vehicle or what happened to your food. This is a long trip, you'd need to stock up your vehicle if you wanted to avoid starving." insisted the minute doe. "We could charge you with aiding and abetting criminals and given the current state of affairs, I don't think your Deerbrooke citizenship will protect you under the current treaty."
"Captain? If I may explain?" interjected Olivia. "My Emmitt will not tell you what happened, being the gentlemammal that he is. It involved a little bit of...impromptu skinny dipping in a river that we came across. You see, we are both members of a naturalist club in Deerbrooke which encourages us to revert back to our natural habits every so often. It leads to a wonderful and fulfilling sex life. That's also where we got the fish that's in the freezer."
"Olivia, you don't-"
"Hush, Emmitt! I prefer to tell them the truth rather than lie about our...kinky side." she admonished him, slightly blushing as she did. "Anyway, I saw this beautiful spot and I insisted Emmitt park the RV inside the forest while we 'frolicked'. We must have left the door open while we were away. I surmise that's how the two foxes got in without us noticing. When the incident with the Corporal happened, they suddenly burst out of the baggage space and managed to grab all our food before they escaped. I was tending to my Emmitt. Did you expect me to stop them?
"Speaking of that insane mammal," her face contorted with rage, "I will be reporting this abhorrent treatment of Deerbrooke citizens to our government and you can be sure there will be repercussions."
"Now, hold on!" the pudu indignantly exclaimed, "If anyone should be held accountable, it's you two. How come you weren't able to smell those two foxes inside your vehicle? I definitely got a snoutful the moment I stepped in. Why should we believe you? And why didn't they kill you while they had the chance?"
"Captain," Olivia replied coldly, "did you happen to notice a can of Musk Mask on the floor?"
The tiny deer chose not to answer, choosing to glare accusingly at the pair she was interrogating.
"Captain?" asked the elephant quietly, "I believe she deserves an answer, don't you think? After all, it is the polite thing to do." he gently chided her.
Grudgingly, the pudu nodded her head, mentally recalling that had been one of the many inconsistencies she had noticed.
"There's your answer, Captain," Olivia shot back, her eyes fiery with emotion. "They took my Emmitt's stash of expensive Musk Mask to hide their distinctive scent. As for why they chose not to kill us," she shrugged, "I can't answer that. Your guess is as good as mine."
Veronica didn't like the attitude of the female otter. She clambered up onto the top of the examining table in the ambulance and was about to tear into her when she was interrupted.
"Captain," interrupted Colonel Hathi, "the purpose of the surprise checkpoints was to flush out our quarry. It worked, but the longer we linger here, the farther they'll get.
"As for our guests ," turning to face the otters, "it seems we are at what they call a stand-off. Unfortunately, we cannot corroborate their story nor do we have any evidence to the contrary. And although we could press charges, we do have the unfortunate incident started by one of our own.
"Now, my dear," he directed his words to Olivia, "in this situation, we could both go ahead and press charges against one another. This will mean that we will have to detain you while we process your case. This could take anywhere from a week to a month. And, I did happen to see a beautiful photograph of a loving family on the dash. If you've been here in Zootopia for some time, I would hate to delay a long-awaited family reunion because of red tape. If both parties agree that this incident never happened, I think we can let you both go once the repairs on your vehicle are done. What say you?"
Nick and Finnick melted into the cover of the forest, putting as much distance between themselves and the RV as quickly and quietly as they could. After the zebra had walked away, Nick had tried to help Emmitt as he writhed on the floor, his body violently twitching as his muscles spasmed, but Olivia instructed them to use the maintenance hatch in the floor to escape under the RV. Finnick had to drag Nick out by his tail as he did not want to leave them. In Olivia's haste to return to her husband's side, she inadvertently lost her grip on the hatch as she was shoving their backpacks through, causing it to thunk down loudly. The noise had caught the attention of that zebra. As the foxes hid under the RV, they felt the entire vehicle shake as it nearly crushed their heads as the sound of tortured metal groaning and shattered glass tinkling assaulted their ears. The suspension creaked as a large mammal attempted to force its way into the RV. Hearing. the zebra's threat, it took all of Finnick's strength to prevent Nick from jumping out to Olivia's defense. Once the ruckus had died down, they used the brief moment of reprieve to scurry out on the opposite side from under the vehicle, sprinting as quietly as they could to the safety of the forest using the thick foliage near the road as cover. Once they were in the safety of the woods, they turned back to check if anyone was following them. With no sound of pursuit, it seemed they had not been seen.
Despondent, Nick prayed to whatever gods he could think of to watch over the pair. It ate away at him, knowing he had abandoned them like a coward. But he had not been given a choice. If he had stayed and fought, they'd be full of bullet holes. And he had to think of his friend as well. The bitterness of the situation was a hard pill to swallow. To cope, he forced himself to focus on their escape for now. He would let his inner demons torment him later on; for now, they needed to put as many miles between the RV and themselves as possible.
With each step they took, he grew more and more anxious. That checkpoint was such a close call, his fur bristled the entire time. And if the PP somehow found out they were hiding in the couch, then they'd soon have prey on their trail. They had no way of knowing, though. They could fall asleep one night and wake up with a gun to their foreheads, or never be haunted by the Predator Patrol again.
As such, they tried to move as quickly as possible, despite the heaviness of their backpacks. The weight was unpleasant and cumbersome, hurting their backs and adding pressure to their legs. What would have been an easy hill to climb became something seemingly twice as steep thanks to the added burden on their backs. They could not complain, though. What they carried were the personal sacrifices of their newfound companions. Those otters had given them everything they themselves needed for the long trip back to Deerbrooke, and that thought was like an arrow through Nick's caged heart. He was officially a burden to those kind mammals, and they might never even make it back to their home. They could end up in prison for the rest of their lives, if they were lucky. Their kindness could rip apart their entire livelihoods, leaving their kits orphaned, fending for themselves. It hurt him. It hurt him so much that it reminded him of the intense pain he felt back when he realized his own life was condemned to a plantation under the Robinson name. How much he cried while he frantically clawed at the mud beneath his paws, desperately trying to make it back to his wonderful mother. Nick couldn't even scream as a muzzle was strapped around his head, squeezing down on his jaw, nearly cutting off circulation. He still remembered her expression as he was taken away from her. Now, anytime his thoughts drifted to his old life, he'd only see that distraught look chiseled onto his mother's face as she too fought to remain by his side. Her wails were forever entrenched in his memory, as were the streams of tears that flooded down her face.
Shucking the backpack off and into the dirt, Nick collapsed against a tree and planted his face in his knees. His emerald eyes grew misty, darker and lifeless, as they hid behind his eyelids.
"C'mon, Nick!" Finnick whined. "We can't stop here to take a break. We need to keep walking or else they'll catch up to us. We can stop somewhere else later on and have some of those sandwiches Missus O' made for us."
"I can't, Fin!" Nick wailed in anguish, throwing his paws up in the air. "They're goners, for sure. We put them in danger. Now, while we're scot-free, they could be rotting in prison or worse, dead! They didn't deserve that! I should have stayed and surrendered to the authorities. That way, they'd both be alive now."
The fennec reached a paw out, placing it on his friend's shoulder. "Hey," he whispered, "I don't like it either. They're good folk. But it's too early to say that they're dead. Besides, if ya'd gone and did that, there's no telling what those bastards woulda done. They mighta killed ya and the O's as well."
Nick chose to further bury his head in his knees, curling his body into a ball, openly weeping.
Finnick sighed and sat down besides his partner. He grabbed a bottle of water from his pack and took a much needed sip. Dusk was falling and they had been on the run for close to six hours. Looking around the spot they were in, he realized it was as good as any to set up camp for the night.
"Why?"
Finnick leaned back against the pack he had been carrying, paws clasped behind his head, choosing not to answer the sobbed question as he looked up at the sky. Although he had star-gazed before while in the slave camp, it was different this time. As the stars slowly presented themselves in the darkening night, he reflected that he was seeing them now as a free mammal. And they never looked so good.
"Why do bad things happen, Fin? Especially to the mammals we love and care for? What did they ever do to deserve their fate?"
The fennec shrugged. "Ya got me there, Wilde. I ain't got no time for that philosophical shit. But, I can tell ya that if we stay here, ya'd be throwing away their sacrifice and that'd be a damn shame."
"But they shouldn't have had to make the sacrifice in the first place, Fin!" Nick whined in frustration, wrapping his tail around himself. "We would've been fine if we had refused their help. They'd be fine."
Finnick sighed. "Listen here, bud. Remember what Mister O' was telling us in the RV? We're heroes! Other preds look up to us. We're an inspiration to them. If we give up now, just as we're this close to the border," holding up his thumb and forefinger an inch apart, "then, whaddya think's gonna happen to our friends back in the camp? Or for that matter, them other preds in slave camps all over Zootopia? They'd give up, too, Nick. They'd just roll over and let them dirty prey do whatever they'd want to do with them. And how many more kits're going to suffer coz we just up and quit? For fuck's sake, them Robinsons just bought ten new young vixens! You damn well know what's gonna happen to them!"
Nick was brought back to the beginning of their impromptu RV trip. The radio was turned on by Emmitt, hoping to catch some good music. But similar to their time shortly after their escape, they heard the radio station once again speaking about them. This time, it was describing the latest crisis: slaves were becoming rowdier back in Zootopian homes and prison camps. Apparently, those predators routinely talked about the escaped foxes, rooting for them, even calling them heroes. It added much more weight to their escape. Now, they were not just doing it for themselves and their companions at the Robinsons'; they had millions of slaves watching them, being inspired by them. They were giving hope to the hopeless.
Shaking his head, Nick brought himself back to the present. "...That's not fair, Fin."
"Life ain't fair, Wilde. Ya shoulda known that by now."
"We didn't ask to be heroes," Nick whispered. "All we wanted...was to have a taste of freedom. Is that too much to ask?"
"That Louis King fellow didn't ask to be a damn martyr, Wilde. Yet, he died trying to do something good for us preds. Sometimes," the fennec shrugged, "greatness is thrust onta ya and ya gotta take it by the horns and ride the tiger by the tail."
"...What the hell are you talking about, Fin? You sound like a stupid fortune cookie wasted on weed."
"Don't get up my ass, Wilde!" Finnick snarled. "I ain't no gaddamn psycho-whatsis! All I know is that when fate hands ya a buncha lemons, ya don't go whinin' about how sour they are! Ya go make some fuckin' juice wid it, 'kay?"
Nick sighed as he nodded. He hated to admit it, but the little fox had a point. They had become heroes, albeit reluctant ones. They now had an obligation to their fellow slaves to do their best to cross over into Deerbrooke, tell their story to the mammals in charge and hope that they could help them. Although, while he didn't know if the Deerbrooke government could do anything, their story could at least be told to the rest of the world. And he had a debt to repay to the Ottertons. If they didn't make it back, then he would make damn sure that their kits would have someone to look out for them.
Putting on a neutral face, Nick tried to bring them back on track. "Well, if we're going to even make it to Deerbrooke... then we need to stretch out our food. No telling how long it'll take us to get to there on paw. As per Emmitt, Bunnyburrow is ninety-five percent prey and we may not be able to go into town at all. Our faces would stick out like a sore paw among these country bumpkins."
"Fox, I'm eating tonight. Rationing can wait."
"Okay, Fin, we'll eat tonight. But that means we'll have to watch it from here on out. Okay?"
Finnick groaned. He wished he never got used to eating so much back at the Ottertons'.
Cracking open one eye and peering through a branch of leaves, Nick was greeted by the dark, smudgy blue of the early-morning sky. Faint dots could still be seen, no longer shining like stars, dulling out as the sun slowly rose to take their place. Nick noticed a cool, moist breeze ruffle his fur, nearly making him shiver as if his fur itself was wet. Slowly breathing in, the fox smelt the freshness of morning: the dew on the grass, the fragrance of nearby flowers, the distinct smell of dried sap from the tree he and Fin had climbed in case they were being tracked. It was a wonderful combination, and it almost lulled him back to sleep.
His muzzle opening widely, Nick shut his eyes again as he stretched every limb of his body, lifting his arms and legs off the large branch he lay on as a deep yawn escaped him. He really didn't want to get up. That stretch only made his body feel heavier as his limbs fell once again, unmoving as he pondered why exactly they had to start moving again so soon. His back was killing him. Trees were not known to be comfortable .
So he laid there, his thoughts his only company as they desperately tried to both entertain him and keep him awake. By the time he had opened his eyes for the second time, the sky had turned brighter with a slight pink hue to it. A single bunny-shaped cloud had also moved in, taking in the color of the backdrop it traveled upon. He frowned as it seemed he had seen that very same cloud just after their escape. Dismissing it as a figment of his imagination, he went back to reviewing the world around him.
He normally found little interest in the colors of the morning. But with his newfound freedom, despite being a fugitive, he was learning to appreciate natural beauty a little more. It added to his freedom.
He still hated mornings, though. Foxes, while originally crepuscular, had evolved to become nocturnal mammals. This meant that most foxes despised mornings with an extreme passion. Nick was one of them.
Not knowing whether to be angry at the fact it was already morning or to be amazed by its beauty, he decided to ignore it. Sitting up, he brushed out his fur with his paw, flattening some particularly-ruffled spots. Feeling a certain emptiness in his stomach, Nick reached over and grabbed his backpack. On top were several jars of home-canned salmon, courtesy of Olivia. Bringing two out, he immediately began to open one. He was starving.
The moment the smell of fish hit Finnick's nose, he awoke from his dreams. "Argh… Fish?" he murmured, his eyes squinting in the growing light. "Yo, open…" he yawned, "...me one."
"Nope. These are for me. Get your own." Nick was grinning as he said this. Of course the second jar was for Finnick. "C'mon, wakey wakey."
Sitting up, Finnick tried to snatch the unopened jar from Nick. "Give," he barked.
"Here you go, bud," Nick said sweetly, chuckling at the groggy fennec as he tossed it over. "You know, Iwas going to open yours, too."
"Pfft." Rubbing at his eyes, Finnick's mouth began to water.
Shrugging, Nick began to eat his food. It was barely anything, and he wished he could've dipped his paw back into the backpack for another. But they had quite the journey ahead of them. They had to conserve what they had. And perhaps they could find something along the way. Only luck was stopping them from finding some wild fruit.
Taking a moment to yawn, Nick then stood up and began to climb further up the tree. "Whatcha doin'?" Finnick asked, slightly bewildered.
"Just taking…" he paused to jump up a little, grabbing a branch, "a look around."
Rolling his eyes, Finnick went back to eating. A few leaves and twigs fell down onto his head when Nick hopped onto a branch directly above him. "Idiot, watch it!" He grew more annoyed as he heard that damned fox chuckle. "Ya goin' to kill yourself!"
Pointing to himself, Nick said, "Fox, remember? I'm fine."
Reaching the top, Nick noticed just how few trees there actually were. If they had continued walking instead of sleeping, they would've quickly emerged from the trees and into a very open and vast plain. Thankfully, the road they had been following did not have a good view of the area as it was elevated far above it and angled away. But anyone could just take a minute to stop by the edge of the road, look down, and see them quite clearly. Nick barely resisted the urge to pull at his sweater's collar.
"Yo, Fin. You're not going to like this."
"Not like what?"
"Well… come up here and take a look."
Running his paw down his face in exasperation, the fennec climbed up after his companion. When he saw the layout of their route, he scowled. "Great."
"The grass is tall, at least. We should be able to use it for cover."
"Well c'mon, lanky ass, daylight's burnin'."
"Why did I bring you along, again?" he huffed in a joking manner.
After three days of trekking through the forest while consulting Emmet's map to avoid the known PP routes, they finally reached the edge of a town called Harrington. Passing by its welcome sign, Finnick's mouth hung open as he saw the population counter gain another thousand bunnies every five seconds, slowly reaching twenty-million. And judging from the map, this town was relatively small.
"Holy shit," whispered Finnick as he tried to read the sign. "That's a lot of bunnies!" he gulped. "This town is tiny, where could they be hiding?"
Nick shook his head. "No way, Fin! It's a hustle. Twenty-million bunnies, in this small of a town? We'd be up to our ears in the furry devils if that was true. Though… it's probably still a lot…" he trailed off, taking a moment to shudder at what a town must be like in this country. All the bunnies running around, spitting their anti-pred nonsense. It made his fur stand on end, his muscles nearly freezing in anxiety. He couldn't imagine what they'd do to them if they were caught. "Let's... not go near Harrington, alright? Or any other town."
"Don't have to tell me twice," his companion agreed, giving Nick the map. "Just point me where to go."
Withdrawing further into the forest, the two foxes sought a secluded glen where they would not be seen or heard. By chance, there was a large hollow tree that had been uprooted during a storm lying on its side where the two made shelter for the night. As Nick carefully rationed out their food, Finnick went to a nearby stream to refill their canteens. After adding the purification tablets and shaking them gently to make sure they dissolved properly, he turned to go back to their hidden campsite. Something dark blue caught the corner of his eye. Taking a better look, he noticed it looked like a blueberry bush. Grinning happily, he took several pawfuls and stuffed them into his pants. Damn, these'll make a tasty dessert. It's been sometime since we had these. Missus O' made a damn good blueberry pie.
The memory of the kind female otter made the small fox stop in his tracks to wipe a tear from his eye. All they had left of the otters was the supplies they had so generously given them. By now, they were probably languishing in prison, and he'd never be able to give them proper thanks for all they had done.Damn, can't let Wilde see me like this. He's gonna yank my chain all the way to Deerbrooke. He don't need to know nuthin' 'bout stuff in my head right now. Once we're in Deerbrooke, we can see how we can help the O's...if they're not dead yet.
The fennec joined Nick back inside the log and they slowly ate the food Nick had rationed out for them. Although he knew why they had to stretch out their food, it didn't make the small fox happy. He was used to eating two square meals a day and their escape was putting a toll on his smaller body given that they had initially been eating whatever they could find along the way. The time with the Ottertons had revived his ravenous appetite and try as he might to control it, his stomach demanded a reckoning each night.
Remembering the blueberries in his pockets, he waited till Nick went to refill their canteens. He emptied his pockets, eyed the pile then split it three ways. He quickly gobbled up one pile in case the taller fox came back. Urk! These ain't as good as the ones Missus O' served us, grimacing at the slight off-taste. Oh, well, probably needed a few more days on the vine, he surmised.
When Nick came back, he waved at the remaining two piles. "Don't say I never did anything for ya, Wilde. Found some blueberries near the river. There's your share over there. Not as good as the ones in the pie Missus O' made for us but, hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?" he slyly grinned.
"Sure, Fin, sure," Nick said, rolling his eyes dramatically. Reaching out for a berry, he paused as he inspected the fruit. "Where did you get these?" he asked nervously.
"Near the river. Why?" asked the fennec, as he continued to toss more berries into his mouth.
Quickly grabbing the small fox's paw, Nick knocked the berries out of them.
"What the fuck, Wilde?" he snarled, snatching his paws away. "Ya gat a death wish or sumthin'? Those were my berries. I'm still hungry, 'kay? I oughta bite your face off for that!"
"Fin," Nick began, worriedly wringing his paws, "remember you had me memorize the Scout's Manual?"
"Yeah, so?"
"I'm pretty sure those aren't blueberries. Real ones are dusty blue. In fact, when we were at the farmhouse where that young hyena got shot, I had a couple from a bush nearby where I was hiding. These," pointing at his pile, "are dark blue, almost violet. If I remember correctly, these are nightshade."
"Wh-wh-what do you mean?" the fennec began to pull at his sweater collar, sweating nervously, not liking where the conversation was going
"I only remember that there were many warnings about this particular berry as it looks too similar to the blueberry. There was a footnote about how in olden times, assasins used this as their choice of poison to kill their targets."
"Shit! Aah'm a gonna die?"
"Well," nibbling nervously at his knuckle, "not if you only ate one or two. A pawful could be deadly. I'm glad I stopped you from eating anymore though." he smiled.
The little fox managed to turn as white as a sheet despite his sandy fur covering.
"Stupid, greedy fennec stuffing his face with all sort of junk and now I gotta get him an antidote 'coz he couldn't stop feeding his face." Nick grumbled as he made his way into the nearby town.
He stuck to the shadows and dark alleys, effortlessly slipping in and out, all the while keeping alert for any strange noise or scent. He felt twitchy all over as he moved, nervously scanning the streets for any rabbits. A few times he mistook a strange object or shadow for one, causing him to stiffen as his muscles tightened. He wanted to avoid any populated area as much as possible. He couldn't help but imagine the cruelties the bunnies would inflict upon him if he was caught.
As he navigated the streets, his mind wandered to the conversation he and Finnick ended up having with Emmitt while they had stayed in his cottage. To get the medication Finnick needed, he'd likely have to talk to a store clerk and closely follow the otter's advice.
" Now, boys, you should avoid going into any towns or cities in Bunnyburrow since you would be instantly recognized. However, if you really need to do so, use these old sweaters and pull them up all the way your neck as if your hiding a Shock Collar, like I did when you first met me. Now, the laws regarding predators are not as strict in Bunnyburrow unlike in Zootopia. Predators are allowed to run errands for their masters unescorted, however you need to act like a slave. If you don't, then they'd grow suspicious and the jig would be up ."
Utilizing his pawpads, he silently padded over to the side of a building where he spotted a store where the sign said, Hopps' Apothecary . Judging by the universal symbol of the winged staff surrounded by two snakes plus a mortar and pestle on the window, Nick figured this was the local drugstore. He scanned his surroundings, making sure there were no prey hanging around. Pulling up the turtleneck sweater he found in his knapsack, he trotted over to the door, and quickly entered, hoping to sneak in and out without alerting the proprietor. Unfortunately, the bell attached to the door scuttled his plans. He heard someone call out, "Coming!" and he had no choice but to revert to Plan B if he wanted to save Finnick.
Using what time he had, Nick scanned the closest shelves to him, looking for some sort of antidote for the plant's poison. He didn't want to steal but he had no money to pay for the medicine. Or, he thought, Maybe I could guilt trip them into giving me the medicine. Say I'll pay them back later.
"Be right with you!" the voice called out. "Just have to bring these boxes down. No one else is here so you'll have to bear with me. My dad said he needed this stuff tonight so you can imagine the fuss he's going to raise if I don't bring it home. He's been after me this whole week. I tell you," he heard a definitely female voice continue making small talk, "I swear if I didn't have my head screwed down, I'd be walking around like a headless chicken." he heard her laugh. It was musical, almost magical. The female voice was soothing, making him feel welcome, not unlike the way Olivia had welcomed him and Finnick into their home. It made him to want to just relax and curl up in a corner.
Regaining the seriousness of the situation, he shook off the feeling and mentally chastised himself. This was likely a prey mammal in a land that supported predator slavery, and that meant they were dangerous. He was not safe.
But he felt safe. He couldn't understand it.
Realizing he had a larger window of time than he expected, he decided to not let it pass. "Take your time, miss. I'm in no rush," he called back as he hurriedly rushed up and down more aisles of the shop, looking high and low for any medicine he could snatch. That was until he heard the voice in the back yell, "Look out!" followed by a thud and a resounding crash. He rushed to the back where the sound came from and found a large box on its side along with a broken ladder lying on the floor. But there was no sign of the owner.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Nick called out.
"Oh, dear," the voice squeaked from above, "I'm just as clumsy as well as forgetful," she sighed as he glanced up to see a grey doe hanging just by her paws to the top of the shelf as she looked down at him. Unfortunately, her skirt had ridden up and when he looked, the sight of a perky panty-covered behind topped by a cute little tuft of a tail with legs to die for made him blush to the roots of his ears.
Looking quickly back down, he stammered out, "H-h-how can I help?" He couldn't believe what was happening.
"Can you just put the ladder back so I can make my way down? I don't mind hanging here as it's good exercise for my arms but I can't gain a pawhold on the shelves and I need to make my way down. Father will be needing that box tonight. Be a good mammal, please, kind sir."
She seemed unaffected by his presence, his predator aura, he noticed. It has to be a trap , his instincts supplied. Get out while you can. "I'm afraid the ladder is broken, miss." Nick didn't understand why he remained there. His body refused to move.
"Oh...now that really is a bother. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to catch me, then."
"What!" Nick's mind was awhirl as he looked up only to see her let go of the shelves. He instinctively put out his arms to catch her. He swore he heard her screaming, "Whee!" as she fell. A second later, he found a beautiful bunny in his arms as he stared into her piercing amethyst eyes while she grinned from ear to ear. His fur was puffed out, but out of extreme fear or something else, he couldn't tell.
"Well done, good sir," she gleefully clapped. "I am forever in your debt. Do you make it a habit of saving damsels in distress?" she giggled, covering her mouth with a dainty paw.
Nick stood frozen, mouth open, completely lost in the doe's lavender eyes, surrounded by her scent of spring flowers after a rain. She lay relaxed in his arms, not scrabbling to get out of them, despite the fact that he was a predator. He had stopped thinking at this point and was shaken out of his reverie when she cleared her throat.
"Err...not that I'm ungrateful, but I believe a gentlemammal waits until at least the third date to start feeling up his partner's rear."
Completely embarrassed, Nick gently set her down, unobtrusively arranging her skirt, and then took on the slave position of obeisance as Emmitt had taught him: head down, not looking up nor looking directly into their eyes, paws at his side and kneeling down. He knew he was screwed. There was no way out of the situation he had gotten himself into. The only chance he had was to put on an act.
"Forgive this poor wretch, miss," he whispered, "I should be punished for my indiscretion. If you wish to lash me, I will not object for I am not worthy to be in the same room as you. My master will be pleased that you dealt out the proper punishment." he grovelled. He had suffered the whip before in the prison camp so his backside was not a stranger to the pain. He hoped to convince the beautiful young doe that he was on an errand for his master so that she would not ask too many questions. Hopefully, she would believe his story and he'd get back in time to save Finnick from the slow death from the poison.
He did not expect what happened next.
She came up to him, placed a paw on one shoulder while she lifted his chin so that he looked directly into her face. He tried to look away as Emmitt had instructed him but she would not have any of it. "No," she gently admonished, guiding his chin back in order to make eye contact, "you have nothing to be sorry for. You are a mammal just like me. You breathe the same air as I do. Granted, we may have different diets, but other than that, if you were to bleed, I am sure the colour of your blood would be the same as mine. And I am sure you weep, laugh and feel emotions just like I do. Please," throwing her arms around his neck to hug him, "never say that you are inferior to me. You and I are more alike than what the current laws unfairly state. And it is I who is in your debt, not the other way."
Nick's mind short-circuited. A prey mammal was hugging him. And not just any prey mammal. A bunny. The kind his ancestors had hunted and eaten millennia ago. He was her ancestral enemy. And yet, she did not hesitate to throw her arms around his neck. Freely. Unafraid. She did not care that his sharp teeth were inches from her throat. He just hoped she would not notice he was collarless.
Slowly, he raised both paws up to her shoulder level. They trembled and shook uncontrollably. Finally giving in to his instincts, he forced them to move...and returned her hug. Closing his eyes and melting into her embrace, he sighed as he drunk in her scent. He greedily partook in the hug, his body hardly remembering the last time he had even received one. That is till his mind supplied the missing connection: his mother was holding him the night before they were separated, whispering a sweet lullaby as she tucked him into bed. He had to hold back his tears as it would not do to let a prey see weakness.
They stayed that way until his knees began to bother him. "Er, miss, not to be disrespectful, but this position is rather uncomfortable. Do you mind?"
Sighing, she released her hold around his neck. "It's Judy."
"I beg your pardon?"
"My name is Judy. Judy Hopps. Owner and proprietor of this store. Please call me Judy. Miss sounds too pretentious."
"Judy it is, then. Thank you." he nodded as he got back on his paws and tried to assume the submissive position again. "I'm here on an errand for my master. He needs medicine for food poisoning. It seems he had foolishly eaten the fruit from the Nightshade plant and I'm here to procure some for him. We're not from Harrington. We're visiting from out town and he was too ill to come here which is why he sent me. He did not have any cash on him as we arrived when the banks were all closed but he promises to settle his bill before we leave town."
"I see," the young doe said, repeatedly tapping her left hind paw on the floor adorably, as she cupped her chin in her paw as she looked up at him, "and how dumb of a bunny do you think I am, Mr. Fugitive Fox?" she snickered.
Stunned, Nick quickly shook his head in the negative, "I don't know what you mean. I'm a slave-"
"Stop that!" Judy scowled impatiently. "It's insulting to continue this charade. Now, unless you want me to alert the authorities, I think I am entitled to the truth." She wasn't actually going to do that; she couldn't do that to the poor fox, but she needed answers.
Sighing, Nick slumped against the wall, rubbing his eyes with his paws. "What gave me away?" he finally murmured, watching the bunny carefully. This is what he was afraid of. He needed to figure something out, and fast. Perhaps he could get her talking, buying him more time to formulate an escape plan.
"Well, for someone who claims to be the slave of a prey animal, all I could smell was yours and another fox's scent on you. Then, you readily agreed to call me by my first name. Slaves who have been indoctrinated for a long time find it hard to overcome that, no matter what the situation. Then, there's your story. If a rabbit truly ate the Nightshade plant, he would not fall ill. The only ones who would be affected are canines and felines. Lastly, I didn't feel a collar around your neck when I hugged you." she smirked.
"I was worried you'd notice that," he sighed. "This is the best I was able to come up with in such short notice. You are quite observant, I'll give you that. Have you ever thought of becoming a detective?"
"And now you are deflecting. Nick, why are you here? Is your friend ill?"
Doing a double-take, he stared at her wide-eyed. "How did-," he began until he realized that their names were probably well-known in prey-controlled areas. "Of course you'd know my name," he scowled.
Rolling her eyes, she waved a paw impatiently as she continued. "Well, how many fugitive foxes has the Zootopian government in a tizzy? Really, you've been on the airwaves so much, every kit in Bunnyburrow knows your name by now. You would not enter an area populated by prey not unless it was very important. And since your friend isn't with you, I surmise that he's the one who needs the antidote, am I correct?"
Nick nodded dejectedly. "You are."
"Then, why are you wasting time?" she raged. "Time is of the essence. The sooner we get the antidote to him, the better his chances are of recovering!" She spun on her heel and took out a medical bag from behind the counter.
Quickly striding towards the front of the store, she reached out to grasp his paw as she passed him, pulling him along. "C'mon! Take me to him and hurry!" she urged.
Yanking his paw from her grasp, Nick's ears flicked back as he jerked away from her, stopping his subconscious growl. "So that you'll know where he is? So that you can call the Predator Patrol on him? Over my dead body, bunny . You may have sussed me out, but you're not getting your paws on him. I know what happens to a slave when the PP catches them. I'm sure he'd prefer to take his chances with the poison rather than let himself fall into their cruel paws."
Judy's features softened when she heard that, making a note to ask him about it later, if he'd be willing to share. She knew how ruthless the Predator Patrol was, and she did not want to imagine what they would've done to someone Nick knew. "I'm not like them, Nick. Haven't I done enough to earn your trust?" She moved her paw to caress his cheek, but noticed he retreated from her, flinching as his eyes narrowed. "Despite me knowing your identity, I've yet to alert the authorities, even though I've had plenty of opportunities. And the best way to ensure your friend's survival is for me to be there. The antidote will only work if it is administered properly. I will need to adjust it based upon his species, the amount of poison he ingested, and his body weight. I've treated this before. You haven't, right?"
Nick's eyes moved to the floor, torn apart by his emotions. He had been thinking of jumping her to wrench the medical bag out of her paw as Fin's salvation seemed to be in it. But her words made sense. He might end up killing his friend instead of being his savior.
"I know you've been hurt by prey, particularly by rabbits. I actually know a few Robinson's, and believe me, I wish I could knock some sense into those bastards." Stepping away from Nick, she gestured to the back exit of the shop. "Obviously, I cannot do that. But I can still give them the metaphorical middle finger by helping you. What do you say, Nick? Please, give me a chance."
Whining in frustration, Nick paced around in the shop, clutching his tail around himself. Her logic was sound, yet he couldn't bring himself to trust her. Why would she risk her own life to help him? Unlike the Ottertons, she was prey. She had less reason than even they did. Why would she care about him at all? He could only imagine the exaggerated stories she had been told about predators. Ones that depicted them all as bloodthirsty savages that would steal brothers and sisters from them in the middle of night. She should be running from him.
Just as he decided that he and Fin would be safer without her around, she suddenly returned to his side and grasped his wrists, effectively stopping his pacing. His head snapped back to her, and she could swear she saw him began to snarl. "I meant what I said," she whispered, looking deep into his emerald eyes. "We are equals. The current laws are beyond cruel to you, to all predators. I wasn't even going to call the authorities on you; it was purely a bluff to get some answers. Plus," she paused, her voice trailing off as she slowly raised a paw to his muzzle, just barely stroking his fur as he exposed more of his canines in a snarl, "he is your friend, and I am in your debt. I want to help you both. What can I do or say to prove to you that I care?"
His jaw relaxed and tail began to slowly wag as he lost himself in her determined, lavender eyes. He thought of something before he lost all focus. "Would you be willing to come blindfolded? Would you trust me enough to guide you there, despite me being a wanted mammal, an uncollared predator? You won't be afraid to leave your life in my paws?"
Chuckling, Judy scritched his neck, making Nick's tail wag harder. Seeing that lifted her spirits. "Dumb fox," she teased, "I'm already alone in here with you. My life is already in your paws. Sure, as long as you lead me. Now," she started, her eyes wide and pleading as her bottom lip quivered, "can we please go? I've got a fennec to save."
Each second he looked into her face, his resolve broke little by little until he finally gave in with a groan. "That look should be illegal, Carrots," he teased. A grey blur shot out and punched his arm, causing him to squint in pain.
Nursing his arm, he held onto the blindfolded, grinning doe's paw as they made their way to the camp. Who knew rabbits could hit so hard? He took a quick glance back at his adorable companion. Totally worth it, though, he thought, smirking.
This story will also be posted in our respective individual accounts in AO3, and DA. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave us comments! We live for those. XD