A/N:

Soooo... Yeah...

Minor SNAFU with posting the wrong chapter. I blame the massive head cold I'm fighting. Sorry about that. Here's the read deal. Now, back to bed for me

The hunt had not been kind to her. Judy had been forced to spend several days surreptitiously zeroing in on her prey while not tipping her paw to her boss. Catching the scent of him was a challenge all on its own. Between the alien scents she had to sift through and the pollution, not to mention the numerous foxes that kept snapping her head around, it was several days before she even caught a whiff of brimstone.

A hint on a gust of air as she sat at her now favorite cafe; a tendril wafting by as she got off a bus; a fleeting gust laced with Sulphur and ash. That was all she got for days. She had been sitting miserably on a park bench, absently picking at a salad when he'd appeared again, meandering by without a care in the world. Irritation burned away into elation at the speed of her twitching nose and then she was in her element. This she knew.

The old skills came back, albeit with a bit of alteration. She still wasn't used to the city, so it was a little awkward at first. This was just stalking her prey. Quickly, she found her groove. The groove became a rut very quickly.

The Wraith was slippery to say the least.

Judy grumbled as she tailed him. It amused her in a twisted way that she was making progress on her transition checklist. Following his path left Judy with a decent amount of opportunities to eat and drink at various places, or experience miscellaneous tidbits in the city proper. That did not compensate her for the moments of panic. If she looked away for just a moment, she would find he'd turned a corner and she'd have to sprint to catch up. If she thought she'd projected his next move, he'd change directions. She couldn't anticipate him, or manage to flank. His movements were haphazard and yet completely natural. If she didn't know better, she'd have sworn he was a mortal, himself.

That realization frightened her. He was experienced, she knew, but to see it in action was daunting. His behavior never caused even the most sensitive mammals to bat an eye. That was cause for concern in another way.

Somehow, her prey managed to always be around mortals. It made her plan to trap him exceedingly problematic. On the one hand, involving a mortal was a huge risk. She had no desire to place a mortal in danger, especially when a trapped hellspawn was involved. The fact that she knew almost nothing about her prey only added to her conviction. There was no predicting what he would do when threatened without even knowing what type of demon he was. On the other hand, there was the problem of subtlety. Exposure to the general public was a taboo. Witnesses could be handled in a variety of ways from the mundane to the unsavory, but it was wiser to avoid it in the first place. She needed to get the Wraith into a secluded space with no mortals in the middle of a city loaded with them. No small task.

Judy ground her teeth as she slipped into a shadow across the street from her quarry, as he waltzed into yet another night club. After four days and fifteen hotspots for the city's nightlife, Judy was questioning if the hunt was worth it. Judy had spent more time in grimy alleyways than she was comfortable with, but still knew nothing of her target's nature. To know the nature was to know the weakness. Sadly, all she knew so far was he was a demon. He did everything one would expect of any hellspawn newly arrived on the Mortal Plane; booze, food and females.

The fact of casualties during war was nothing new to Judy. She'd seen battlefields and knew the score. That didn't stop her from wanting to drag the females who accompanied him away, so they wouldn't get hurt. The wanting and the doing, though, were different.

Judy had watched several females of various species and, sometimes in groups, accompany the fox back to his hotel. They all emerged again later and her senses were unable to detect any demonic corruption. It really did appear they were just… well… Doing what mammals do in hotel rooms, of course. No possessions, enthrallments, or even a watcher spell. Nothing at all.

The absurd idea of a demon on vacation flitted through her mind and was quickly dismissed for two reasons. The first was that no demon would come to the Mortal Plane and just relax, especially during a crisis that may spark open conflict. This was a warzone for both their sides, not a resort. The second reason was that he had just stepped out onto the street.

Alone.

Judy was instantly on guard.

Her target looked the same as he always did. Dark trousers, long coat, no shirt, and a collar by way of clothes. Russet and cream fur, indifferent smirk on his mouth and eyes like jade fire. However, something felt different. There was purpose to his lackadaisical gait and his eyes darted. The air around him crackled with intent. Something was absolutely different. Judy had to take him down before he did whatever he was planning.

The evening was still young. The sun was down, but night hadn't settled in for the duration just yet. Mammals were scarcer on the street than they had been earlier and this continued as they walked. Before long Judy found herself in what she would call a rougher neighborhood. This was good. Less possibility of collateral damage. It was a tremendous stroke of luck! That feeling only continued as she watched the Wraith strut into a shipping dock area for a defunct industrial building. High walls, sturdy construction, complete isolation and no witnesses. It was a perfect spot for her to attack.

Judy ran a paw over her gear, pulling the taser and loosening the short sword in the scabbard strapped to her back. Elegant, it was not, but the limits enforced to maintain the Wager's integrity prevented her from using her heavy-duty powers. Illusions and subtleties, were allowed. In combat, some enhancements and low-grade combat magic were acceptable. Anything higher grade was limited to twenty seconds, up to full manifestation. A fully angelic presence in the Mortal Plane was an instant death sentence.

Fortunately, there were advantages. A mortal form meant mortal weaknesses. A stun gun was a hopelessly poor weapon against any form of demon, unless they were here. Here and now it would be enough to at least distract him. Then, her short sword could come into play. With any luck, she'd be able to hurt him enough to subdue him and bring him in. If not that, then she should be able to hurt him enough to affect a speedy escape.

She had everything she needed for a successful capture on a lesser hellspawn and options for escape if he turned out to be a greater demon. At the very least, she would get information she could use for the next time. Even a bit more insight into Wraith would be valuable.

Judy was not prepared for him to speak.

"Any time you're ready, sweetheart."

Shaking off her surprise, she hazarded a peek around the edge of the building. The fox stood in the center of the space, perfectly relaxed and fiddling with his phone. For a moment Judy was sure he had been speaking to someone else.

"Listen, rabbit, I haven't got all night."

And that idea went out the window. A flare of divine power coursed through her and she was sprinting at the edge of sound.

"Finally."

Her paw was stopped in mid-air, as was the rest of her. Her forearm was held in an iron grip, the taser's electric arc was dancing its jig just close enough to her target's neck to singe fur. So close. Her body twisted and her foot impacted his arm just below the elbow. The grip loosened and she landed with her short sword already clearing the sheath. Her first swing hit nothing but air, as did her follow up and the tertiary strike with the taser left her with one hand empty. The taser tumbled through the air and cracked hard against the concrete. The blue smoke leaking from the chassis indicated it was dead, but neither rabbit nor fox was paying attention.

Her initial assault had failed. She had to either commit, or run. Her decision was made as soon as she clapped eyes on his condescending smile. It was worth the risk. Unsealed, she had twenty seconds of her full power to use without consequence. Ample time to wipe that smirk off his face. She tapped the two bangles on her left wrist and growled their Names. They vanished, as did her restraints and her power flowed through her like a flood. She wasn't manifesting, but she was close. Ample power to crush one obnoxious demon.

The fox screamed. For a breath she was sure of her victory.

Then he laughed. "Really, Carrots? Do they still teach you dopes that we cower in the presence of divine light? This isn't a fairy tale."

Judy goggled. He was completely unaffected. He was mocking her!

A bell chimed warning her that half her time was past. Half her time wasted! As Judy gathered herself to charge, a pebble smacked into her nose. Her eyes snapped closed and her paw went to the injury. Another pebble bounced off her paw and another, her shin. By the time she shook off the pain and surprise, the second bell chimed. The bangles were back around her wrist and her power was sealed until dawn.

Judy was horrified.

"Now, are you done?"

Judy struck. She was angry. She had been stopped cold at the height of her power and by a few pebbles. The humiliation was more than she could bear. At least this time she was connecting. Sparks flew as her blade time and again met the palm of his hand. Their dance was brief, but vicious as Judy pulled out all the stops to split his flesh. She was unsuccessful.

Her anger pushed her to over extend a strike and her exposed flank met demonic fist. Judy found herself gasping for air as she knelt on the ground.

"Carrots, why are we doing this?"

His openly feigned ignorance spurred Judy into another assault. Her ribs hurt, probably bruised. Another burst of power compensated, but she was slower in her movements. She found encouragement in that her slashes and thrusts were connecting. She pushed herself to move faster and put more strength into her attacks. Thus, her lack of experience with possessing flesh caught up with her.

All too soon she was panting and her limbs were heavy. As she gasped for breath, she took stock of her sorry state. She was dead on her paws, muscles shaking from fatigue. Her breathing was labored. She could barely keep her head up.

As she stood there she finally looked at something that she realized should have been important. All this time he had been stopping her divine blade with just the palm of his hand. That made absolutely no sense. Her sword should have cleaved the limb to the shoulder on the first strike. By rights, he should have been a pile of screaming ribbon after the punishment she had dealt out. Instead, he was standing there, looking at her sardonically. Her eyes flitted to his paw.

Metal coated his palm. It looked gangrenous and ashen in the limited light as it looped around his obsidian claws. There was no pattern to it. Craggy spurs and threads of oily mineral traced across the expanse and flowed up his wrist, only to vanish under his sleeve. It was a horrible mockery of flesh and bone, assembled by a perversely lunatic mind. Perfect for a demon.

"You like?" He queried, holding up his paw and wiggling it. The light glistened on the random collection of metal flesh and Judy gagged. "No? So, are you ready to talk to me like a civilized mammal, now, or do you want to just attack me again?"

Judy would not rise to the bait. Conversing with demons was the first step to temptation. She had made every other rookie mistake this night, but she would not make that one! She had to have some form of self-respect.

"Alright, little angel, you just wobble there and pant. I've got places to be. Buh-Bye!"

That said, she couldn't let him escape. If he was willing to talk, she could get information. "Demon!"

"Oh! So, you aren't a mute. Yes?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Are you a really delayed echo, or something? We're here because you've been following me for almost a week and I got tired of waiting for you to find the spine to make a move. Would you care to tell me why you've been following me?"

"Because you're responsible for the lost souls!"

"I'm what."

"You heard me, demon."

"You really like that word, don't you?"

"What?"

"You've used it twice as often as literally every other word I've ever heard you use."

"Stop distracting me and tell me how you're siphoning off the souls."

"That's funny. I was going to ask you the same thing. My people are convinced it was your side's doing."

"We would never!"

"Sure, you wouldn't." He did nothing to hide his eye roll. "Figures..." he muttered before making to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, dumb bunny? Here, lesson time! You claim your side isn't responsible for the situation and you can't lie. Correct?"

"Yes! Wait a second. How do you know that?"

"Now, I know my side isn't smart enough to pull this off. If they had, they'd be too busy bragging to accomplish anything as sophisticated as create a smokescreen. Also, they wouldn't have sent me."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm too high a risk for them to send on a minor errand, like a few missing souls." The demon flexed his paw and muttered, "Alright, we're done here." The armor haphazardly gracing his paw turned to liquid and receded under his cuff as he turned to leave.

Judy's eyes bugged, both at the armor and the unsettling sense that he was telling the truth. His dossier, equipment and the proof of his skill was overwhelming. The record of his accomplishments was extensive. He had engaged her on her own terms and beat her without breaking a sweat, using one paw and a handful of rocks. Then there was the armor.

Living metal weapons were a relic of the War. Ancient, powerful and sentient. They were very rare and, supposedly, extremely picky about whom they served. The myth of warriors communing with their weapons and building rapport with them began with those armors. In this case they were not simply objects to be used. They were a symbiotic relationship and ally. One that could be lost if not treated to their standard. Judy had never seen one before, but the stories she'd heard were legion. Any demon possessing one was to be avoided by any but the High Seraphs.

As her mind churned over the implications, Judy almost missed her opponent traipsing off. Realizing her gaff, she scrambled to catch up. He had apparently decided their conversation was over. She sheathed her short sword and drew a dagger as she raced to block his path. Her forte was the longer blade, but the dagger was a more dynamic weapon against larger enemies. She had a better chance of causing him some injury, though on a smaller scale.

The demon sighed. "What do you want, now, rabbit?"

"I'm not letting you leave without answering some questions."

"A moment ago, you refused to speak to me. Now, you want a chat? Are all angels bi-polar, or is it just you?" So saying, he moved to brush past her on her unarmed side.

Spinning on her heel, she drove the pommel of her dagger into his side with a back fisted hammer strike. She was satisfied at having finally hit him. It was a small thing, but it was at least proof he had underestimated her a little.

The demon grunted and winced at the impact. That bought her time to block his path and fall into a solid position to defend from. When he looked up, she saw he was in a much less pleasant mood. She smiled into his now pitch-black eyes.

"Like I said, you aren't going anywhere until I get answers."

"Alright. You got in your little face-saving blow. Good for you. I'll give you a chance to ask one question. If it's good enough, I won't rip you apart, feather by feather."

It was time for a really, really big gamble. "If your side isn't blocking the soul traffic and my side isn't then who is?"

Slowly, the black bled out of his eyes. By the time the green was back, his expression was pensive. "An excellent question. I can't claim to know that. I also presume that you are unaware?"

"Obviously. Until a moment ago, I was sure you were the culprit."

"True." He rubbed his lip, contemplatively. "When I find out, I'll take care of both our problems, then."

"You think I'll leave something this important to a demon? You could steal whatever it is and use it against us!"

"Those are my orders, if it's possible, but not really anything you can do anything about." He smirked at her indignant stammering and leaned in. "Your side must be desperate to have someone as green as you on this case. After what just happened, do you think you could possibly keep me in check?"

"I know I can hurt you."

"And I know I'll never give you another opportunity. You blew your element of surprise and I won't underestimate you again. Now, what do you think you can offer to make this anything but a joke?" Judy was stymied and could do nothing but watch as she slipped past her. "Like I said, I'll take care of it. Oh, and you really should pay better attention."

Judy looked up at those words and saw her dagger in his paw. He waggled it playfully before spinning it through his fingers like a baton and snapping his arm down. The blade rammed into the concrete floor of the dockyard point first and slid in to the hilt. The impact sent spiderweb cracks radiating out from the hilt as it struck.

Impossible. Utterly impossible. Demons were not able to handle divine weapons. Any angelic weapon would burn the corruption out of whatever they touched, yet he wasn't even singed. This demon was more than a puzzle. He was a nightmare! Absurdly dangerous and powerful, for a start. Any sane mortal, angel or even demon, would thank their lucky stars never to meet such a being. She should be thrilled to be walking away from an altercation with him with only a few sore ribs and an equally bruised ego to show for it.

However, in that same altercation she had more than tripled the information in his dossier. She had him talking. It was a once in a reality opportunity.

The words were out of her mouth before her mind caught up. "I can offer information!"

He turned enough to cast an eye back over his shoulder. "Oh?"

She had his attention. Now she needed a hook. "I'm sure you know my side monitors demonic presence in the area. Not long ago, all but a few minor demons were recalled from active service. Now, you're here. You have to be a major power to require that much of a personnel shift."

"Well! That must be the nicest thing an angel has ever said about me! I'm touched. Do you have a point?"

"You can't have much in the way of resources, or support. A couple errand-runners, maybe?" He turned to half-face her. She was making progress. "If you're this strong, playing by such odd rules, and complaining that you're a high-risk operative, I can only guess that your handlers aren't doing you any favors. You're flying blind, aren't you?"

The silence stretched, taut and uncertain. Now, he was staring. His eyes never wavered, but they were not threatening. If anything, they were amused. Judy was willing to give him that if it bought her more opportunity to observe the Wraith.

At length, he chuckled and the tension blew away like mist in the wind. He lifted a pack of cigarettes to his lips and pulled one free. Indigo flame from a claw saw it lit and a long puff later, he asked, "You got a name, sweetheart?"

"You give me yours, I'll give you mine."

"Nick Wilde."

"Judy Hopps."

"A pleasure."

"All yours."

He barked a laugh. "Alright, Hopps. Why don't we talk this over in a less combative manner? Dinner?"

"Are you seriously asking me to dinner right now?"

"It's more civilized than chatting between sword blows. Plus, it'd be an item on your transition checklist, if I'm not mistaken. Having a meal in public with a companion, or something?"

"How do you know about that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Stick around long enough and you learn everything. So, how about it?"

"What do you get out of this?"

"Until we actually talk?" He shrugged. "Nothing but the company of a cute little bunny with angel wings."

"Don't call me cute."

"Yeah, ok." He exhaled a large puff of smoke which billowed around her. "I'm hungry, angelfluff, so I'm going to get something to eat. If you decide to join me, that's your call. Just remember, you offered first."

"Offered what?"

"Information, rabbit. Really? It was two minutes ago!"

Her embarrassment was cut short as she felt a ghostly paw slide over her hip and pinch her right on the rump. She had intended to accompany him for the purpose of information gathering. The information she had offered was a gamble and she would have to play a very careful game. Dealing with a demon and offering information; this could get her branded a traitor and executed very easily. Not to mention Falling. Judy had no desire to become a fallen angel. However, all that was set aside in her mind once her feet touched the ground, again. Now, she was going to follow him just to pummel the smirk off his face for copping a feel like that. The rest would just be gravy.