Sorry for the long time between the last update and this one but it went through a partial re-write while real life stuff happened. Anyway. Lets get on with the final, epic confrontation.
Nick Wilde cautiously made his way through the warehouse interior, an arrow knocked to his salvaged bow. During the ZPD's initial offensive they had cut power to the building, but a few emergency lights were active in the darkened corridors, casting an eerie glow on his surroundings.
As he silently slipped deeper into Sawbones lair, Nick quietly inspected the bow in his paws. It resembled a compound bow, however there were levers on the end of each arm, presumably to help store energy, which was then transferred to the arrow by a set of recurved, outboard limbs.
Nick was impressed by the construction, his father had been an award winning archer and taught the fox a few things when he was a cub. He had chosen to continue to hone his skill even after he became a street hustler, using it on a few schemes he and Finnick had concocted.
He groaned and rolled his shoulder to try and ease his aching muscles. He had been protected by his riot gear when he hit the crate, but that didn't mean the impact had not been painful. It was most likely adrenaline and willpower that was keeping him on his feet
With the semi-dark no obstacle to his natural night vision, the fox pushed open a door and wandered into an operating theatre. The surgical slab that occupied the centre of the space was illuminated by two bright spotlights, allowing him to see clearly the sets of restraints that were lying on the surface. On the floor was a drain and Nick could see dried blood on the grill.
A nearby cart had a tray of surgical tools on top, many of which he couldn't identify, but there were clearly not standard issue. What surprised him the most was that there seemed to be a great many rodent scale tools and equipment. A mobile platform was parked by the table, with a second sitting in a charging dock by the wall. Thousands of tiny tools say ready on miniscule trays and the bed itself had a small staircase that ran from the surface to the floor.
Looking up, the fox spied a large rig that hung from the ceiling, it was a spiderweb of platforms and paths, yet another thing designed for rodent use. Silver machinery hung from it, limp and lifeless. Saws and cutters glinted evilly in the light, while needles filled with a silvery liquid sat primed and ready, there was even an industrial laser topping one of the mechanical arms.
Nick was to engrossed in his examination that he failed to notice he was not alone.
A hyena, covered head to toe in armour plate, clanked out of the shadows. Nick jumped at the sight and quickly knocked and fired an arrow at the predator, only for it to be caught and crushed to dust.
Getting the table between them, Nick had a good look at his opponent. The only visible flesh on the hyena was his muzzle and left eye, as the right was a glowing cybernetic. He towered over the fox, easily rivalling Chief Bogo in size. One hand had been replaced with a set of wicked, serrated blades, while the other glowed and crackled with barely contained power.
"I see you found my workshop, Nicholas Wilde," growled the predator.
Nick stood his ground.
"So many mammal have been made better in here, so many cripples, idiots and worthless dregs re-born into something more. Of course it wasn't enough, I needed more space, more technology. Dr Clawdons' laboratory was the perfect place, everything a mammal could need. All I had to do was 'persuade' his wife, I will be paying them both a visit after I deal with you."
"So, you must be Sawbones." replied the fox, curtly.
The hyena laughed like the screech of rusted metal.
"Who else could I be? I'm certainly not that bunny you like to fawn over, how is she doing by the way?"
Nick felt a growl rise in his throat.
"I see I struck a nerve, perhaps Clawdon won't be the only mammal I visit-"
He was cut off as another arrow ricochet off his armor with a 'ping'.
The hyena paused, then looked at the impact site. The projectile hadn't done anything except scratch his chestplate. He picked at the mark before examining his finger, almost absentmindedly.
"Interesting, the arrow was tipped with a titanium compound, not enough to break my armour, but still, even a scratch is impressive."
Sawbones smiled coldly.
"How about we see what else is in that quiver of yours."
With a roar he ripped the operating table from the floor and threw it at the fox. Nick ducked underneath the flying furniture and drew his bow once more, shooting an arrow that split into a net. This wrapped around Sawbones arms, pinning them to his torso, but the predator simply flexed his mechanical muscles and tore the net to ribbons, before taking aim at Nick with his glowing hand.
"Oh, come on!" exclaimed the fox, diving out of the firing line as red hot plasma flew towards him. He darted for the door, small explosions motivating Nick to flee much faster.
The cyborg predator was hardly a quiet mammal and Nick didn't need his night vision to hear the clanking, crashing monstrosity that pursued him. Ducking into the first open room he found, Nick slammed the door and slid the bolt closed.
His heart was hammering in his chest and the fox tried to steady his breathing as he turned to see what he had run into. The room was lit by an eerie green glow that came from three, clear glass tanks which lined the wall. In each of them were mammals, a hippo, a wolf and a buffalo.
Before he could consider what had been done to them, the door was blown off its hinges as Sawbones stomped into the room, his optic immediately targeting the fox.
Nick leapt back as the cyborgs bladed hand slashed and stabbed towards him. Grabbing another arrow, he fired it at the hyena, where it exploded into what looked like foam filler. This rapidly expanded over the predator's body until he was firmly encased up to his neck.
"You really do deserve some credit, these arrows are very cool," he quipped.
"They are not meant for you, fox!" The last word was spat with disdain.
"We'll I'm sure I'll love hearing about during your interrogation at the ZPD."
"I disagree," sneered the predator.
Nick's sensitive nose picked up the scent of something burning as the foam started to smoulder. Seconds later, the foam exploded as Sawbones laser blasted it to red hot ribbons.
"I spent years modifying this body, do you think this is going to stop me?"
Nick bolted once more as angry bolts of energy flew at him. The predator was still partially trapped so he made to run around him, only for the cyborgs bladed arm to burst free a moment later in a cloud of shredded filler. Narrowly avoiding a maddened swipe, the fox fired another arrow, the projectile exploding behind him as he fled down the corridor.
Without looking to see if it had any effect, although that was unlikely at this point, Nick barged through a large door and into a rear loading dock for the warehouse. Shipping crates and boxes were stacked floor to ceiling, creating a maze of pathways that were perfect for the fox officer to hide in.
Nick disappeared into the depths of the room as Sawbones clattered through the door a moment later, his hand singed but otherwise uninjured. Growling, the hyena adjusted his optic to scan for the troublesome vulpine.
"Give it up tin can, the ZPD are here and The Flash will soon follow, you've lost!" Nick's voice echoed from in the darkness.
"Have I? Snarled the cyborg. "This is a major setback I'll admit, but I've recovered from worse. The ZPD are little more than bugs compared to my mammals."
"Yeah, well those 'bugs', just took out your circus freaks," quipped the fox, as he snuck between crates.
"Then they were failures! Just like those in the tanks and just like those that should have slaughtered every last one of you interfering creatures in my ambush!"
Sawbones detected a distinctive orange blob moving behind some crates, and quickly made his way into the maze.
"Did you know that every one of my mammals has their own sob story. A malformed limb, a disability, some were just victims of societal bias, I'm sure you understand that, fox."
"Maybe I can, he replied, slinking between a few shipping crates. "But I never felt the need to turn myself into a toaster over it."
"My mammals are more than some petty appliance!" roared Sawbones. "I found them in the worst of places and I made them better! I gave them their tools and they used them however they saw fit. If a few died because of it, I'm not at fault."
"No, you just put the gun their hands," replied Nick, passing a leaky pipe on the wall. "So, do you just trawl hospitals for murderers and psychos? Or is there an application process?"
The hyena chuckled darkly.
"You'd be surprised how few of my mammals are actually trained killers. The rest need some...persuasion, but they all accept it after a while. A mind is so easy to change when you've been poking around inside of it."
Sawbones saw the shape take cover and prepare another arrow as he passed a line of crates. The predator smiled and took aim with his laser.
Nick quickly stepped out and fired. Sawbones arm snapped up and he caught it mid flight.
"Nice try, but this is where you die."
"You first!"
Nick pulled another arrow from behind his back, one that sparked with electric power, and threw it into a puddle on the floor, a puddle which formed from the leaky pipe Sawbones had ignored. Over ten thousand volts raced through the water and up the hyenas metal legs.
The cyborgs body shook and shuddered, metal joints snapped to rigid attention as sparks ran across his armoured frame. His optic shattered in a shower of sparks as he gurgled through a mouth that foamed with spit and industrial lubricants. Finally, his one remaining eye rolled back until only the white was visible and the predator collapsed to the floor in a shower of sparks and smoke.
Nick discarded the electric arrow and moved in cautiously, slowly inspecting the cyborg's body. After giving it a few tentative pokes, he was satisfied that he wasn't going to get back up.
His relief was interrupted when The Flash suddenly appeared at his side.
"Glad to see you're alright," said Barry.
"Me too," replied Nick. "But Bogo isn't going to be happy, I should have brought him in alive, but I kept thinking about what happened to Judy."
Nick's shoulders slumped.
"Well, my ZPD career was fun while it lasted, at least he's not going to hurt anyone anymore."
"Sorry I couldn't help," replied Barry.
"Yeah, but we both know you had to take care of speedy."
"Look Nick I know that your judgement was clouded, it happens to the best of us. Just don't lose who you are because of it, no matter what happens next. Be the fox that Judy loves and you will get through this."
"I will," he replied, the thought of his partner giving him strength.
The pair were about to leave when Sawbones body started to jerk and spasm. Looking at it in shock, the two watched as it managed to unsteadily rise on metal legs.
"What the hell!" yelped the fox, automatically loosing an arrow.
The projectile stuck into the joint of Sawbones shoulder, but he made no attempt to remove it. The predators head lolled back like he was in a daze as he lurched forwards like a zombie.
Barry reacted immediately with a supersonic punch to the cyborg's chest, the clang echoing throughout the warehouse, but Sawbones did not even flinch. One arm swung lazily to smack Barry to the foor.
Nick reacted by firing another two arrows, these exploded against Sawbones metal body, but didn't seem to faze the techno-zombie as it lurched towards the vulpine. The cyborgs gun arm glowed menacingly as it fired several wide shots, forcing Nick to take cover.
"You really don't know when to quit do you tin can!" quipped NIck, but Sawbones response was a screech of electronic noise.
Groaning as he got to his feet, Barry saw Sawbones lurch through a stack of crates with a crash of splintering wood, his bladed hand flailing wildly. Sprinting at the predator, he drew back one arm and aimed another strike at the side of the predators lolling head.
As his fist impacted the cyborgs skull, the head flew clear in a shower of sparks, oil and industrial lubricant.
Nick poked his head out of cover as the body dropped to the floor once again.
"Whoa...didn't see that coming," he said.
"Neither did I," replied Barry. "That punch has brought down criminals on my earth, but it's never killed anyone before."
Nick saw something move by the severed head.
"Maybe it didn't," he replied, going to investigate.
As he got closer, he could hear a voice screeching and cursing until he finally saw what was making the noise.
It was a rat, a rat that was struggling out of the shattered eye of Sawbones skull. Nick grabbed it by the tail and hoisted it to eye level.
The rodent looked pale and thin, with his fur falling out in places. Along his arms, legs and at the base of his neck were what looked like sockets.
"Who are you?" he growled at the hapless rodent.
"Who do you think!" snapped the rat.
"You're Sawbones?"
"Of course you unevolved clod!" replied the rat as he dangled in the fox's fingers. "How do you think the precision work was done, I wasn't about to leave it to those knuckle dragging aides of mine!"
The ranting rat gestured at the headless body that lay ruined on the floor.
"Do you know how long that body took to build? I had it smuggled out of a hospital morgue years ago and I've been tinkering with it ever since. It was the pinnacle of my technology, the very essence of what my enhancements can do. I will make you pay for this, you will all-"
He was cut off when Nick abruptly dropped him into an blug bag marked "RODENTS".
"At least that explains the rodent scale gear I found, let's get back to the ZPD. This is going to be a long story."