Chapter 3 Pulling the Trigger
Edited by BeecroftA
"You can do this, you've done this before many times. It isn't that hard. One bullet is all it takes."
Nick paced back and forth across the floor of his apartment. It wasn't shabby by any standards, but the carpeting was getting a bit old and worn and while the furniture wasn't exactly considered 'gaudy', it wasn't necessarily up to the latest trends either.
Nick sat himself down into one of those 'less than posh' armchairs. It had been a cheap buy from a garage sale and was large enough to be considered a rather comfortable bed whenever he fell asleep in front of the television. But right now, it was not the restful spot he so enjoyed after a long day, even if it wasn't even noon yet.
Nick groaned as he slumped further into the cushions, rubbing his temples with both paws. This latest assignment of his was beginning to get to him. He'd gone to bed certain of what he'd do today, only to have dreams of a soft-furred doe sashaying towards him, a loose sleeping shirt two sizes too big for her slipping off one of her shoulders as she looked up at him, asking if she could stay at his place as she couldn't sleep. He'd woken up panting heavily, and then taken a long, cold shower to wipe the memories of the transfixing sight dream-Judy was as she slipped her arms around his waist, nuzzling into the exposed fur of his chest before leaning up towards his lips…
NOT HELPING!
Nick let out another groan as the dream invaded his mind yet again, unheeded and unwanted. I'm going to need another shower at this point...he groaned inwardly. He was amazed at just how much this bunny had invaded his mind and wrapped herself around his heart in so little time. He'd never been attracted to any of his targets before. Even Skye, who most considered a lovely vixen, didn't cause him to bat an eye when he had gotten her as one of his first targets.
But this bunny...
Shaking his head again, he pushed himself off the couch and went to grab his phone which lay on the coffee table in front of him. Might as well set this up and finish the job before I can't... A quick dial of the phone and he connected to the desired contact, 'Dumb Bunny'. Smirking at the contact name, he waited four rings before a familiar bubbly voice answered.
"Nick!" Judy joyously stated. "How are you? How'd you sleep last night?"
Not good at all...he grumbled inwardly. "Fine, perfectly fine. How about yourself? How did that emergency meeting go?"
"Fine, it went fine," she replied, though a little too hesitantly in Nick's mind.
"Want to talk about it?" Nick asked.
"Can't," Judy replied. "It's an ongoing investigation so I can't comment."
"Oh..."
"Yeah..."
The pair slipped into silence. Both wondering what to say next.
"So I was thinking-"
"I was wondering if-"
Nick paused. "You go first." He practically heard Judy's nod over the phone.
"Alright, I was wondering if...you'd like to go out again tonight? I know you're probably busy with work but..."
"No, tonight's fine," Nick replied in a hurried tone. "It's great even. I was looking forward to seeing you again."
Silence greeted him on the other end of the line. "Is something wrong, Carrots?" He heard a release of a held breath, as well as a slight sound come through the phone. Is she...crying?
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes..." came her hushed reply. "Just...could we meet out at the old 'Wild Timez' building at 6pm? I think we have something to...I'll talk to you later."
With a click the call disconnected, leaving Nick blinking at the device in both concern and bewilderment. With a slowly-building feeling of dread welling in his gut, he pulled up the internet and looked up 'Wild Timez'. As soon as he saw the structure, the feeling only worsened. It's like she's setting herself up for me...why would she chose that location?
The building was a dilapidated factory that at one point was going to house an amusement park. After a construction accident that had left four workers hospitalized, the project was abandoned as building inspectors descended on the place. It had one road leading in, and a wide open field surrounding it. A line of trees blocked the line of sight towards the rest of Zootopia and behind it was just more empty fields and buildings.
All his senses were telling him this was some sort of trap. That the bunny had somehow figured out what he did and was planning a ZPD ambush. But even with that thought lingering in his mind, he figured that this would be the best opportunity to silence the rabbit, complete his task, stay on the good side of the group...and then most likely drown himself in alcohol and hope the dreams of a beautiful grey doe with captivating amethyst eyes wouldn't come back to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Nick made up his mind. Walking to the cabinet, he took out the bottle of scotch that he kept for special occasions and downed half the bottle in one go, wincing as it burned his throat on the way down. Tossing the bottle into the trash, he set himself to work, studying the geography and layout for the planned assassination of Judy Hopps.
Judy arrived early to her meeting with Nick Wilde. She'd gotten approval from Bogo to leave for the day after meeting her ticket quota early. He'd been a bit skeptical as to why she needed to leave, but gave in once she offered to fix the coffee machine in the break room before roll call the next morning.
Which is why she stood in an abandoned field, waiting next to a bridge that had seen better days, waiting for a fox that was most likely coming to…
To what, exactly? She really couldn't get a glimpse into why this fox had taken an interest in her. She had seen a cougar slip him a note as they bumped him at the mini-golf course the night before, which sent off several alarm bells in her head. Dead drop for the mob, doctor's appointment note from a friend, note to call his mother...all sorts of situations came up in her mind at what might have caused him to go from friendly and outgoing to nervous and cold.
She knew meeting him out in a place like this was a gamble. If he was involved with something shady, there was nobody around that could help her if he attacked her. Judy trusted her police training though, and also made sure that under her coat she still had her ZPD radio, police baton, cuffs and, just for extra precaution, a bottle of fox repellant.
On the other paw, maybe there was no malevolence behind the fox. Maybe he was just unusually shy around a crowd. If that was the case, the doe was hoping that a place like this would allow him to be comfortable enough for him to reveal his feelings. She had found it while metering one day, and the emptiness of the fields reminded her a bit of home. Judy often found herself coming here when she'd try and figure out if what she was doing with her life was worth it, and hoped that feeling could persuade her vulpine friend to do the same.
Maybe she could as well, if she could figure out the jumbled mass of emotions that were flying all over the place within her. Nick made her feel wanted for the first time in nearly a year. His constant smiles, ringing laugh and kindness he treated her with weren't simulated, at least, they weren't until that note passed into his paw.
Whatever that note said, maybe I can help him with dealing with it.
The soft pawfalls and clicking of claws on gravel came to her attention. Her ears swiveled towards the sound, the rest of her body following shortly as she watched a fox walking nonchalantly up the path towards her. Both mammals remained silent until he stopped a few feet from her.
"Evening, Judy," he said in a kind voice, though his eyes showed a hint of sorrow in them.
"Nick," she replied with a bit of sadness, moving forward to give him an uneasy hug. She wrapped what warmth and emotion she could into the embrace, hoping it would ease him into the conversation that was to come. Yet all it did for the fox was bring his mind back into a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions.
Trying to distance himself, Nick pulled away from the embrace, though was surprised by how much his body wanted to rebel against the movement. His mind won out, however, and the bunny was left to herself as he shoved his paws in his pockets. "So, what's with the abandoned field?" he asked, glancing about, looking for hidden ZPD sniper nests or places where a SWAT team might be hiding. He'd already planned several escape routes for after the deed had been accomplished, so he just needed to double-check after combing the perimeter the past hour.
To his knowledge, she was here all alone.
The part of his mind that lived for the job was screaming at him at how perfect the situation was. The forest would muffle the sound of the gunshot from being heard from that direction, and the same would go for the abandoned factory building. He just needed to find the perfect place...
Nick yelped as he felt Judy take his paw, removing it from his pocket as she led him down the road, stumbling the first few steps. He heard that pleasant giggle come from her as she laughed, and again his heart threatened to betray him.
"This is one of my favorite places in the city," Judy replied, finally answering Nick's question. "I come here when I want to figure things out, or be reminded of home."
"Back in Podunk?" Nick asked, earning a groan from the bunny.
"No, I grew up in Bunnyburrow. It's much better than Podunk."
"There's a difference?" Nick chimed, gaining a frown from the grey doe.
"Har, har..." she drawled, yanking on his arm a little to cause him to stumble. The chuckle that escaped his lips wasn't of his own doing, and he found himself once more trying to clamp down on his emotions.
It was becoming a lot harder to deal with Judy here he found. There was such a big difference between planning this out back in his apartment to her actually physically being here. To feel the way she gripped his paw, to listen to her melodious laughter. To see the twinkle in her eyes or smell her sweet scent, her tail flicking…
Nick reached for his gun, trying to halt the flow of thoughts that were going to make his job harder, only to nearly tumble into the bunny when she stopped.
"Sorry," he said, hastily pulling back his paw from his jacket. "Was admiring the scenery."
Her tail isn't scenery...his mind reminded him.
Judy's eyes wilted for a moment as her gaze travelled from his eyes to his jacket. But only for a moment before her grin was back on. "Come on, we're almost there."
And again they were moving.
Nick's curiosity got the best of him as they wandered around the area, Judy pointing out the areas that reminded her of home while they walked. It was entertaining to say the least, watching the grey bunny excitedly point towards a grove of trees, or tell him stories about games of tag in the wheat fields back home with her siblings.
Eventually, the pair reached a dry creek bed, where a single lawn chair and overturned bucket were the only items that showed that civilization even touched the area. A bridge further down ran across the empty stream, the rocks making up the edifice crumbling slightly, returning to nature.
Judy flipped the bucket onto its top, sitting on it as she motioned for Nick to do the same in the chair. He weighed the intelligence of the decision, again his mind and heart waging a war within him.
It's the perfect time, she can't escape! Do it or you're dead!
You know you don't want to do this! You can come clean! You can start now! Let her live!
"Nick?"
The small, sweet voice tore him back from his inner battle. "Oh, sorry...what was that, Fluff?"
Judy was staring at him with sad eyes. "I was asking if something is wrong. I noticed last night when I came back from the restroom you seemed more down than usual. I know we've just met but...is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Nick lied, surprised at how much it hurt to say those two words. "Just work..."
"What kind of work?"
"Hard work."
"Emotional work?"
"Why do you care?" Nick finally snapped, only to wince as the bunny's ears drooped and her nose twitched.
"Because..." she began in a wilted voice. "I want to be your friend. I want you to know that you don't have to suffer alone through whatever is haunting you."
Nick's fingers twitched. "Yes, I do."
"No, you don't," Judy replied sternly. "You have a friend, Nick Wilde. I am here for you, that is what friends do. I want-"
The movement was so quick that if Judy had blinked she'd have missed it. Though she couldn't miss the silenced gun that had suddenly appeared out of Nick's jacket and was pointed between her eyes.
"You are the problem," Nick whined, sadness tinting his words. He wiped a paw down his face as he growled. "So don't be calling me your friend!"
"Nick..." Judy whispered, leaning forward while her nose twitched a mile a minute.
"Don't you Nick me!" he shouted, gun wavering in his paw. "Gah, this is why you don't get close to your target!" he growled, more to himself than to the rabbit. A movement in front of him caught his eye and as he turned, he saw that Judy was silently approaching him. The bunny could have gone for the gun, could have easily splayed him onto the ground and arrested him there and then. He'd noticed the outline of pawcuffs in her pocket, and the little pink bottle on her belt.
Bu...she didn't.
Instead, she walked straight up to the pointed gun, the muzzle of it placed directly between her eyes.
"Nick," she repeated, "Please, tell me what's going on. I can help."
Nick took several steps back, his mind racing and body trembling as he clamped both paws over his ears. "Stop it!" he growled.
"Nick..."
"STOP IT!" he yelled, much louder causing several nearby birds to fly from the dry grass into the air. Even the crickets went silent as the vulpine shout.
The fox was left panting, the gun pointed at the ground. "You don't know what it's like," he whined. "To be at the mercy of the syndicate. To have to do everything they say, like a puppet on a string,to be...toyed with at their leisure. You don't know what it's like to have to stare a mammal in the face before you take their life."
Judy took a step forward. "You don't have to do that anymore, Nick," she replied. "I can help you escape that."
"You CAN'T!" Nick growled. "Why can't you see that you...dumb bunny!"
"Why not?" she asked innocently. "The ZPD has witness protection we can place you in. I'd even volunteer to guard you with my life." She took a step towards him, her words soothing. "They won't get to through me."
"They've already gotten to me," he snarled, pointing the gun back up at the rabbit who halted her advance, paws placed pleadingly before her.
"How?"
"Don't..." he warned.
"How?" Judy repeated. "Why can't you escape this life? I can tell you don't want to be in it, so why? Why don't you just come in. I can help-"
"They have MY MOTHER!" the fox roared. The hammer was drawn back on the gun as he pointed it unsteadily at the doe. Tears soaked his cheek fur as he wept. "They have...my mother. And there is nothing I can do about it!"
Judy nodded, releasing a heavy sigh as her lips trembled. Slowly she got on her knees, placing her paws behind her head as if being arrested, her eyes on the ground.
"What...what are you doing?" Nick asked in confusion.
Judy's eyes slowly, inexorably rose to meet his. Emeralds danced with amethysts one last time.
"Because I want to make the world a better place. And if I can do that by giving you the chance to escape this world you've been stuck in, to eventually rescue your mother, by...by doing this for you..." she hiccupped as tears streaked down her cheeks. "Then that's what I will do. That is what I do, for my friends. I'd lay down my life to give any Zootopian a better chance at theirs. It's what I pledged myself to do in the ZPD, and also pledge to do for my friends."
Nick was stunned. No, completely taken aback by Judy's comments. His paw trembled more and more as he tried to raise the gun once more until it was shaking like a subway car was racing past him. Here was a bunny, that not only thought of him as a friend, but was willing to give up her life, her dreams, her aspirations...just to give him, an assassin...
...a chance?
The war within him raged to new, towering heights. His heart beat at a frantic pace as his emotions swirled as if he was in the middle of a hurricane, no protection around him but his own fur and skin as the wind and rain battered his mind and body.
He took several steps forward until the gun was placed against Judy's temple, the cold, grey steel touching the fur, melding together until they looked as one. Judy could feel the weapon trembling against her forehead, but didn't move. She knew she could have knocked the weapon from his paws. Knew she could have easily dispatched this weeping, horrified fox in front of her. She could have taken him in and gotten recognition for bringing in an assassin...but all at the cost of this poor fox's mother. An innocent victim in all of this.
So she sat on her knees, paws behind her head as she heard the fox weep before her. Finally, she found her voice.
"Save your mother. I believe in you."
Nick felt her leaning into the gun, the pressure on his arm tightening. The struggle between his heart and mind ended with the bunny's words spoken in resignation.
"I'm sorry," he finally whispered. "I'm so sorry."
He pulled the trigger.
AN: Oh boy...what's going to happen next?