Goldyx- This story starts out semi-innocently, and then BAM, it gets dark yet really fluffy. Crazy, right?
just-a-guy-having-fun- I wonder if Bogo and Clawhauser will be included... ;D
Crazyanimaltlou- Yes, I expect it to be anywhere from 30-35 chapters, actually! :)
Ash3d- The end still is relatively far away. I expect this story to range from 30-35 chapters, depending on what I decide to do with the ending. I suspect there will be an epilogue, that is if I don't kill everyone off! ;)
Leozkin- Lol, I can answer that question with a definite no. I don't include any lemons in my stories. Also, yes, there are plenty more original characters as well as characters that were included in the film that have yet to be introduced.
The Mexican- This story won't be super-gory or anything, but considering it deals with harsh issues in society and tough family matters, it will get pretty intense at times. Not M-rated dark, but not your average feel-good fanfic (at least not entirely).
Smile 456- Like an epilogue? Keep your fingers crossed! ;)
Guy who reads- Thank you very much!
Sorry for the (relatively) lengthy wait, but it was a busy week for me! Anyways, I hope I didn't stretch anyone's patience too much! Anyways, no time for chat! Read on, lads and lassies! (I hope that's how you spell that)
Vince (Nick's Dad) POV
I hear the sirens of the police cars drive past our hideout, not the least bit concerned that they'll find us.
I'm too deep in the valleys of my demented thoughts to worry, anyways.
The sound of police sirens has been a sound I've become accustomed to, to say the least. I think nothing of it when I listen to the approaching wail, unlike others who cower, fearing the force that fights so avidly against us.
I remember the doctor telling me when I was younger that I had a condition known as "Intermittent Explosive Disorder", and that there was a reason everything seemed to upset me more than the usual citizen.
I remember my parents telling me that sometimes when I felt mad, I was simply overthinking it.
And then I denied it.
I was going to be normal! Who cares about mental disorders?!
And then came the night where I hit my wife for the first time.
She told me I was crazy, and gee, I didn't like that too much.
She deserved it! That vermin! How dare she turn me over to the police?! She hates me! Her and that spoiled son of hers deserve to burn!
She was always against me. She always hated me. I may be crazy, but I can see clearly decipher the intricate details of her hatred even through the mist of who I've become.
You're not overthinking anything, Vince! They all hate you! The government hates you! You have to fight away the people that hate you!
Think of her face, Vince! The face that betrayed you! Called the cops on you! Imagine fire on her face! Imagine her burning!
I snicker to myself as I tap my fingers on the cold marble countertop in front of me; my mind seeming quite desolate in terms of ideas at this point, and honestly, my plans have began to shift.
I may contain unexplainable hatred for all of Zootopia deep in my heart, but since my plans were foiled by that lion, I haven't thought of much besides finally getting to her, and those who have directly wronged me.
My son, my wife...well, formerly; they are my priority, even if I continue to deny it. I want to find them.
I want to see them suffer the way I did in prison for all those years until I finally came back.
And then, what happened after that?
She called me a monster.
She held a gun to my face, telling me to get out.
I had just gotten back. I was beginning to better myself. My beatings no longer drew blood, but simple bruises.
In that moment, I realized that my family and my allies were no longer parallel; but what was I to do?
Forced from my home, yet again, but I knew that it was far from over.
They're the enemies, not me! I'm simply ridding myself of this constant parasite that seems to suck the life out of everything I stand for.
Am I insane? Maybe.
It doesn't matter, though. I will not give up or draw back until I rid the world of all who dared to stand in my path.
I'm in control. Not them.
I'll show them.
I'll make sure they never forget.
Judy POV
Although we seem calm as we sit around my home, conversing with one another casually, there's a fear that's all too real that seems to be constricting us.
I gaze into Nick's eyes from across the room as he converses with Melvin and Kygo, and I notice that he seems stricken with two things:
Love and terror.
One of them is something I'm glad to notice in Nick's irises, but the feeling of terror is something I wish would spare him for a while; or forever. Hasn't Nick faced enough of that already? Having a monstrosity as a father
"Judy!" the voice beside me grunts, and a paw moves back and forth in front of my face to gain my attention.
"Huh?" I ask, shaking my head in order to ensure I don't drift away from reality again.
"Did you not hear a word I just said?" Violet asks with eyes narrowed; clearly a bit frustrated.
I glance around the room anxiously.
"Oh, sorry, I was just..." my words drift away, "you want to get a drink or something? I'm kind of thirsty".
Violet chuckles.
"Oh, yeah, you're thirsty alright" she jokes, and I simply disregard her comment as I walk towards the kitchen, Violet snickering to herself in her usual tone.
I pour myself a glass of carrot juice and sit down at our kitchen table beside Nick. I immediately notice that they seemed to have stopped talking, looking quite uncomfortable.
"Is something up?" I ask as our parents continue talking in the den.
Kygo snickers as Nick glances at me, holding his gaze a bit longer than usual.
"I'm giving Nick life advice" Kygo informs me in an amused tone, patting Nick on the shoulder.
"I'm not sure that's..." I begin.
"Of course it's necessary! Who knows more about life than me?" Kygo asks with a touch of sarcasm.
I lean close to Nick's ear, concerned for his well-being.
"You okay?" I whisper, knowing the news isn't easy for him to cope with.
He seems to brighten up a bit as he hold contact with my eyes.
"Yeah, it's okay" he tries to assure me, "he doesn't know where we are".
"But it's still scary" I tell him truthfully.
He shrugs as if it's no big deal.
"My whole life has been scary".
I take a moment to consider Nick's words, emulating the past predicaments that have faced Nick so persistently.
"Right" I speak with a touch of sadness, "and I want that to change".
While I was speaking, I must have unconsciously wrapped my arms around Nick, because next thing I know I'm holding him in an intimate hug.
Kygo groans as she leans back in her chair a bit, rolling her eyes at the sight.
"You guys are so cheesy" she states dully, sliding her chair over a bit, to Nick's amusement.
The next few minutes pass with little eventfulness other than general conversation; excluding one thing:
Violet and Melvin won't stop talking to each other.
It's a very odd combination of friends, but I guess life works out in the strangest of ways sometimes.
Well, I know that.
Melvin POV
My parents have always been very encouraging people, no way to lie about that. They've always been there to show me the best ways, the brightest paths, and help me through each and every conflict that has faced me.
During the darkest times of my life in which I harassed others to boost my own self-esteem, my parents didn't like it. They've always endorsed treating others better than yourself above nearly everything else, and I'm glad they finally got through to
me.
When I proclaimed to my former "friends" that I was through harassing others, I was expelled from the group and treated as a walking joke.
However, what I received in return was something I truly had never experienced: true friendship.
I know it sounds cliché or whatever, but it's such a new concept for me to grasp.
Now, it's true that I never imagine my first real "best friend" to be anything like Violet, but beggars can't be choosers.
I glance at Violet as she toys with her snack, Nick, Judy and Kygo all deep in a conversation as we sit alone.
She seems a bit distant from the rest of the world, but then again, she always does. Her eyes appear much different today as she isn't wearing any of her usual dark eyeliner.
"What are you looking at?" Violet asks in a bit of a hostile tone, but I know it's out of simple insecurity.
"Nothing" I reply, "just the air".
She sniffs, obviously finding my remark funny.
"Good recovery, fleece-face".
"Thanks, fur-face?" I respond, sounding more like a question than an attempt to comeback.
There's a brief moment of semi-silence before Violet speaks again.
"What do you think of them?" she asks me, gesturing to Nick and Judy.
"What about them?".
"You think they're into each other?" she questions me casually.
I let loose a laugh, knowing full-well the obvious answer.
"I've already talked to Nick about it".
"So that's a yes?" she asks, smirking at the two of them as they argue about something with Kygo.
"That's a 'duh'!".
We observe their body language as they interact with each other, and we come to the conclusion that the two of them are definitely involved on an intimate level.
I wonder if they've already told each other? I suppose it's possible. What a shock that would be.
"It's weird to be in another fox's home" Violet states flatly as we watch them, "I get sick of the howling in my house".
"I'd imagine. That's gotta be the most annoying sound in the world" I say back, recalling the obnoxious sound that is the howl of a wolf.
"Besides your voice" she replies teasingly.
"You mean yours" I say instinctively, definitely one for enjoying our little arguments.
She shakes her head in shame, and then shifts her eyes to me.
"You really need to learn some good comebacks".
"Well, you're the master".
She grins as if my remark is a genuine compliment.
"That's common knowledge, isn't it?" she asks.
"Definitely" I reply somewhat cynically, but she doesn't seem to catch on.
"You know, that might be the first time I've ever received a compliment" she informs me.
"Seriously?" I ask, "that's weird. Didn't I tell you that you're my best friend?".
"How is that a compliment?" she asks, and I think she's serious until she chuckles a bit.
"That's the question: is it?" I ask her, and she leans back in her chair a bit, acting as if she's pondering deeply about the question.
"That's an awfully self-glorifying compliment" she responds, "but I guess I'll take it".
I sort of halfway frown at the sound of the words "self" and "glory", recalling how rude and selfish I used to be.
In fact, I look awfully down for just long enough for Violet to notice.
"Did I say something?" she asks in a tone that grazes one of sympathy.
"No, it's not your fault. I'm just...sensitive about the way I used to be, well, because...I hurt a lot of people with...immature words" I speak with regret, staring down at the floor now.
She shifts in her chair to face me more head-on, propping her head onto one of her elbows as if she wants to speak a bit more seriously with me.
"I'm still sorry" she says to me, "I know how you feel".
I flash a smile at her, not wanting to see her stable happiness drop on any level.
"Don't worry about it" I tell her kindly, "it's cool".
Vince POV- One Hour Later
"Sir, we've fetched security camera data" Trevon speaks to me, placing a laptop down on the cold metal table in front of me.
Trevon has been my friend since high school perhaps, and shares the same hatred for the world as I do.
It's somewhat difficult to explain him, but I can start by saying he is the only tiger I've seen with such a stable demeanor. He seems to never crack under any sort of pressure, and he follows orders flawlessly.
"For what?" I ask harshly, glaring at the laptop.
"To find your family, or...whatever you'd like to refer to them as".
"Oh, right!" I say, sitting up straighter in anticipation.
I stare at the screen intently as Trevon struggles to play the video, and I grunt in impatience.
"Will we get to see it today?!" I ask grumpily, and he simply shrugs.
"That's weird. It was working just a minute ago" he mutters, and I know I'm beginning to grow weary.
"But we do have something that will make you happy, sir" one of my colleagues speaks proudly.
They lead me to the back room where he closes the door behind me, revealing a bodybag to me. Bryson, another of my accomplices drops the large body bag onto the floor and unties it swiftly.
A struggling lioness falls onto the floor, bloodied and bruised, gasping for air with a traumatized expression.
"What a pleasant surprise!" I say cynically, rising from my seat, approaching her with crossed arms.
"Oh, Vince! I'm so glad to see you! Your crooks...they were merciless and...and violent towards me!" the lioness screams to me, quite out of breath.
I glare down at her with my usual cold expression; although many people claim to have spotted flames in my eyes at times, and I crouch down next to her in mock-empathy, placing a hand on her.
"Oh, Ms. Willis, I'm afraid we ran into some...trouble today" I say in an artificially calm voice, masking my madness.
"Did-" she pauses, spitting some blood out of her mouth to avoid choking, "did you?"
"Oh yes" I reply, "and it involved your daughter".
"Kygo?" she asks me in shock.
I nod slowly, not making my anger evident just yet.
"Yep! Little Kygo ruined our operation at the school" I mutter as if it's no huge deal.
"What? It was her?!" she asks in outrage, "Don't worry sir, I'll teach that little brat a lesson".
I let loose a cold, long laugh of insanity, puffing out my lower lip in fake sadness.
"I'm afraid that we'll be taking care of that...poor, confused Kygo" I inform her, "you don't even have to worry about it".
She recoils as I speak.
"Wh-what?" she asks, beginning to sound a bit unsure.
"You told me I could trust her" I speak simply, and I think that she's beginning to catch on a bit.
Her eyes grow wide with terror as Trevon and another henchman grab her arms and wrap her arms behind her, rendering her defenseless as she gasps in terror.
"Vince, make them stop! What is this?!" she asks, sounding quite betrayed although I'm the victim in this case.
I am the victim.
"I'm afraid" I begin cooly, "that you must be held...accountable...for what you've helped to create" I speak officially.
She writhes in horror, attempting to tear her already wounded arms from the grasp of my henchman, to no avail.
"Now, now, now, don't struggle, my dear" I say, holding her face in my right hand, "it's not always a bad thing to be held accountable, is it?".
She shakes her head slowly without speaking, silently begging for me to spare her.
"That's right! It teaches...responsibility, doesn't it? Yeah?"
This time she simply stares straight ahead, tears forming in her already swollen eyes as she realizes that the end if near for her.
I like to refer to myself as a...just fox, and well, not putting an end to the problem at hand would be quite detestable by my standards.
"Please" she mutters though her bloody lips, "I've spent my whole life on this...helping you...planning-".
"Do you not get it?!" I scream, "your daughter has ruined everything!".
I punch her across the face viciously, eliciting a sickening scream from her as she sinks to the somber floor, sobbing upon further realization of her inevitable fate.
Oh, isn't justice a beautiful thing?
I give the cue for the henchman to begin beating her with their spiked gloves, specifically designed for circumstances like these.
"Don't stop until you're sure she's dead" are my final words as I walk through the door behind me, closing it after I pass through in order to block out the tortuous shrieks as my henchman enforce my will.
No one will betray me and live; that is one promise I will always keep deep in my heart.
Well, if I still have a heart.
As the other henchman stay behind, Trevon stays with me, walking back over to the laptop calmly, and a smile creeps on to my face.
Trevon stares at me with a bewildered face.
"Aren't you still angry?" he questions me.
I snicker at the stupidity of the question.
"My feelings don't matter at this point in time, Trevon" I speak bitterly, "but one thing does".
"Which is?".
I glance at him as he opens the laptop.
"Chaos" is all I respond with.
"Chaos?".
"What do people fear most in a peaceful city like Zootopia? Chaos. Madness. Turmoil. Lack of order" I explain to him in a shaky tone.
"What part does that play in our plan?" he asks.
"Forget the plan" I say, "Kygo ruined that".
"But sir, we planned that for ye-"
"I said to forget it! My mind has moved on to more sensible things..."
"As in?" he asks me.
"Making things right. Revenge is our first priority. Kygo has to be the first to die, then I'll focus on ridding the world of my...former family. From then on, we can focus on causing chaos, because...the world hates us. Why show mercy? Why hold back?"
I ask him in a devilish tone, envisioning the conflicts we could spawn throughout the world.
"That's speaking somewhat generally" he replies to me as he messes with the video feed, "what do you mean by "causing chaos"? Does that mean-".
"Shh!" I chirp in order to quiet him down, "Don't worry about what's to come. That's not our job" I tell him.
I point in the direction of the outside world with a smirk, narrowing my eyes.
"It's theirs".
Nick's Mom POV
I constantly think back to the days of when I could say I had a husband.
I think back to the moments that I spent with him, all completely blissful and happy. Nothing could go wrong, and we would live happily ever after.
It's safe to say that those were the brightest times of my life, but it's also safe to say that sometimes happily ever after is nothing short of a delusion implanted in my mind by the misleading concept of hope.
Vince wasn't always his cruel self, obviously. He was the fox of my dreams back in college, and I thanked the stars for him every day that I could.
However, it was the things that he left me in the dark about that wandered into the shadows to haunt me for the rest of my life up until now.
Now.
What's different now?
Everything.
Well, nearly everything.
I'm a single mother now with the burden of raising a child that is wanted dead by thousands.
Wait, no. Not a burden. That makes it sound like Nick is a burden.
Nick has been the most inspiring animal I've had the privilege to know in my life, and he continues to astound me everyday with perseverance even through dark times like today.
Well, it hasn't been solely Nick himself that has gotten him through this troublesome era.
Judy has been a tremendous plus to have around, as she seems to help him through even the hardest of days.
From his perspective, she must be a miracle straight from the heavens above. My son, well, he hasn't really been a social type for most of his life, but that's not his fault.
I've taught him that no one was worth his time if they all judged him by appearance, and he took that message to heart.
As I stare off into the eyes of Judy's parents in front of me, I can't imagine the amount of criticism they must have faced with raising Judy to be the non-discriminatory bunny that she is.
From recent memory, I don't think I've met anyone that's a rabbit that I can call a "friend" aside from Bonnie and Stu, but that has certainly changed.
They've allowed Nick and I to live under the comfort of their room, even if it compromises the safety of their own home.
Although the home is currently surrounded by police, the thought of having two strangers living in your home is quite unsettling.
Or are we strangers anymore? We're friends now.
It's new concept to live in a home in which I'm not scared of the people living with me.
However, it's the outside that scares me now.
The outside that will eventually find us.
Nick POV- 7:49 PM
There's no way to explain today completely in less than a paragraph, quite honestly.
After experiencing the best moment of my life by far earlier today and hearing some of the most dreadful news of my life just minutes later, the remainder of my day was spent talking with my friends, playing video games, trying my best to act like Judy
and I are clueless about each other's feelings, yada yada.
When are we going to tell everyone? I have no idea. I guess once this hurricane settles down, at least a bit.
For my mother, knowing her son has a girlfriend would be a bit of a shock to her, especially considering the conflicts and distractions bugging her tremendously already.
I wave goodbye to Violet and Melvin as they exit my home, guided by security. It's a strange feeling to have police around us in a nearly suffocating manner, but at least it ensures safety, not to mention that I'd rather feel restricted than burn alive.
The door closes behind my two friends and I turn to a strangely quiet Kygo; come to think of it, she's been relatively quiet for the past few hours or so.
"Kygo, when are you leaving? I don't mean to sound rude, but-"
"I kind of wanted to talk with you about that" she speaks before I finish, her words laced with her heavy accent.
"Oh" I respond, glancing at her in curiosity, "what about it?".
She looks quite tense as she stands beside the doorway to my home, her arms straight at her sides, her back as straight as a wooden plank.
"I...don't have anywhere to live anymore" she states bluntly, sounding more downcast than I've perhaps ever heard her.
"Really?" Judy asks her, "did something happen?".
Kygo sighs, rubbing the top of her head with her paw.
"It...it doesn't matter. I just need to know if I can stay here, because, well...I don't know where else I'm gonna go".
"Temporarily?" Judy asks her, and Kygo shrugs.
"Until I buy an apartment or something" she answers.
"You're going to live alone?" Nick asks her.
"Don't have any choice at this point" she tells us, "and I can take care of myself. I'll be fine" she assures us, and I don't really doubt it at this point.
If I had to choose an adolescent who I suspect can truly "take care of them self" with little trouble, I would say Kygo would be the number one pick.
"And I want to be here in case something happens".
My stomach whirls at the sound of her words, wondering if she knows something we don't.
"W-what do you mean by that?" I ask worriedly.
"Well, you do have a psycho-dad on the loose, correct?" she questions me.
"But how would he find us?" I ask.
She takes a moment to think before she answers.
"I'd suspect that your father is a pretty assertive guy, correct? If he really wants you dead that much, he'll find a way to get to you" she replies.
"Well, I guess you should stay here then, since you're good with guns and all" Judy tells her, "but I need to ask my mom and all that".
"I'm sure she won't mind the extra protection" Kygo speaks, "God knows I wouldn't".
Perhaps it is best to have an extra layer of defense in times like these, but as for the moment that something does happen, I really hope my father doesn't make it to us.
I glance over at Judy just as she looks at me with a glint of love, and I feel my heart sink as I try my best to embrace this relatively peaceful night.
"I'm gonna go ask my mom" Judy says, walking in the direction of her parents' bedroom, and I nod in reply.
The second she closes her parents' door behind her, Kygo glances over at me.
"You guys are totally in love, aren't you?".
I decide that I better answer honestly, once again defying the stereotype that foxes are liars and deceivers.
"Um...yeah" I answer, and Kygo chuckles.
"And does she know that?".
"Yep" I reply happily, recalling the surreal events of earlier.
"Well then" Kygo replies, cocking an eyebrow, "congratulations?".
"Just don't tell anyone" I tell her, "I don't want anyone to be overwhelmed".
"Overwhelmed? Dude. You don't think your mom knows already? Trust me, it was obvious from the day that I met you that you guys were all lovey with each other. It's not really a big deal" she tells me.
"I'm just...scared" I speak gingerly.
"Scared about what?" she asks, "I mean, besides your lunatic-dad".
"I don't want any of this...uprising to hurt her. If she ends up dead from this, I swear I'll jump off the roof of a building or something" I tell her, despising the thought of Judy's absence with every but of my being.
"I don't think it's her that your father is after" Kygo tells me.
"And how would you know?" I question her, confused by her confidence in her statement.
She shrugs slightly before replying to my question.
"Just a hunch. But anyways, there's something I think you should know" she speaks somewhat gently.
"Wait, what?" I ask, expecting it to be nothing major.
"I'm still shocked no one has told you this, but...".
I feel my heart sink a bit as I realize that the news Kygo is holding back is almost certainly not good.
"The one who died at the school?" she begins breathlessly,
"It was that Finnick kid".
Uh oh! The king of cliffhangers is at it again! (Please don't mug me)
Nick's dad truly is a monster, isn't he? Let's hope he doesn't reach the Hopps household...
But gee, twenty chapters in! Time flies by. I want to thank everyone for the continued support as the story continues to evolve, and I hope that each update matches or exceeds everyone's expectations! I hope that I can get Chapter 21 up relatively soon, but that depends on if the next few days spare me the time.
Anyways, thanks for reading, and please leave any thoughts in the reviews!
Until next time!
