Chapter 19 You Sunk my Battleship!
Edited by R3D Fawkes & KungFuFreak07
Judy watched the ship in front of her from her position secreted behind a large crate off of Pier 3. It was a small sloop, not too big, though large enough for the mixed sized mammal crew manning it at the moment.
For the past fifteen minutes she had been watching them unloading the freight with the dock hoists, lifting the net encased cargo out of the hold of the ship and onto waiting carts. The winds were blowing out across the bay, keeping her from even getting the slightest smell of what could be inside the containers.
The note said drugs, but I can't just walk up or else they'll dump all the evidence...
Judy let out a frustrated huff as she continued to watch the mammals unloading crate after crate. So far her planning had all been for naught. The natural curve of the bay turned this portion of the city into a small peninsula with deep channels on either side of it, perfect for shipping, but bad for planning ambushes. Especially when said smugglers land at the center most dock, only in view to the ones just to her right and left, and far out of visual or verbal contact with her troops awaiting her commands.
"I should have at least consulted a map before planning this," she groaned in to her paw. "At least then..."
A sound to her left caught her attention, her ear swiveling towards the sound of clawed paws on hardened wood. She turned and saw the source of the sound, a monk wearing a brown robe from head to toe walking along the wharf, paws held together in his sleeves as he chanted quietly to himself.
Checking the unloading ship one last time, she turned and ran towards the mammal, careful to stay behind the line of crates she had been using as cover.
"Good sir," she began, "I would advise you to leave the area as quickly as possible for your safety." Keeping watch on the figure, she paused, nose twitching and eyes going wide as the monk passed her by, seeming oblivious to her request as he continued his chant.
"Sir, please, I have to advise you to leave the area, it isn't safe."
"Pie Iesu domine, dona eis requiem," the monk chanted softly, shuffling forward as Judy walked by his side, careful to avoid the mammal's swishing black tail, growing more worried with each step he took towards the docks. She snuck a quick peek around the robed mammal, breathing out a sigh of relief as she noticed none of the sailors had noticed them yet.
"Please...good sir monk, I have to ask you to leave for your safety." The brown robed mammal finally stopped and Judy sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you sir, now if you could-"
She stopped as the monk turned directly towards the dock and started down it, heading straight towards the very mammals she was trying to get him away from.
"Oh no..." Judy groaned, shoulders slumping as she ran forward, hiding behind his large cloak to at keep somewhat hidden from those she had been watching as the monk continued his chanting.
This is bad...this is bad, this is very bad...Judy thought as the sound of the monk's chanting grew louder. It wasn't until she heard the same line repeated three times that her ears shot up in recognition.
"Unloading catnip as we speak, catch them we will. Yes indeed."
"Wh-what did you say?" Judy exclaimed, not even attempting to hide her surprise.
"Hey you down there, Monk! Get outa here!" She heard the shout come from the ship, and was surprised to see that they were nearly at the gangplank leading up to it. She couldn't see the speaker belonging to the voice as she was concealed behind the monk's robe. She looked up at the back of the hooded figure's face.
"Did you just say..." she began, only to see the figure turn. Her astonishment was at near record levels when she saw the grinning masked face of Zorro looking down at her.
"Hey, look at me when I'm talkin' to ya, ya bum!" the now angry voice of the sailor said. Judy heard the creaking of wood as hooves cloped what must have been down the gangplank as Zorro lifted a paw to his lips, wishing her to be silent.
"Ready for some fun, Capitán?" he asked, his grin broadening as she saw a rather large hoof settle itself upon the shrouded fox's shoulders.
Oh not again...was all Judy could think as she caught the gaze of a yak staring down at her from over Zorro's shoulder.
"Hey, I ain't the captain..." was all the mammal got out before Zorro struck, landing his elbow straight into the larger mammals lower region. The yak let out a high pitched whine before toppling backwards and off the dock, splashing into the water below just as Zorro tossed off his disguise. The robe fell behind him, right atop Judy who struggled against the fabric.
"So, interested in helping me take down another drug ring?" Zorro asked as she finally clawed her way out of the robe. She sent an angry glare his way, before noticing the shouts of the crew around her.
Ten...eleven...twelve...angry stares she counted glaring down at the two of them.
"I daresay I could use your help about now," Zorro chimed in, offering a paw towards her as several mammals that were further down the docks started towards them, grabbing whatever they could find nearby to use as weapons. Several picked up planks of wood while others settled upon discarded belay pins or the large hooks attached to the wenches moving the freight about the dock.
Judy looked at the extended paw for barely a moment, and with her level of annoyance growing within her, she shook the paw of the one mammal she had never thought she'd ever team up with.
"Deal."
The grin the black toned fox gave her was slightly infectious. "Wonderful!" he chirped, drawing his sword as she drew her own, the pair standing back to back as another group of sailors were walking down the gangplank towards them. "You take the docks? I take the ship?"
"Fine by me," Judy growled, before the aforementioned groups charged.
Her senses honed by years of practice, Judy timed the oncoming groups movements before darting towards them, leaping up and high above them, with them trying to follow her movements as she landed on the ground behind them. Thankfully the mongoose at the tail end of the group had yet to see what had happened in front of the larger mammals, and failed to stop when the others had, running directly into the shin of the rhino in front of him.
With a quick slam of her hilt to the back of his head, he was out like a light, leaving five mammals left in front of her.
Only one way to fight a mob...she decided, before darting directly into the middle of the group with a ferocious war cry.
Zorro watched Capitán Hopps leap over her group of mammals, silently praising the rabbit.
She's good...he thought, still watching her as he brought his sword up to counter the downward swing of a scimitar aimed at his skull. He turned to face the mammal, whose wide-eyed expression showed his surprise at being so effortlessly blocked.
"Maybe try a horizontal slice next, no?" Zorro asked with a cheeky grin as he pushed the surprised mammals blade back, as well as the startled deer himself.
"A whats-is-zontal?" he asked in confusion, only to find the fox's two feet smashing into his chest, knocking him further into the group of mammals coming down the gangplank. The bear behind the deer was caught off guard, paws waving in the air as he tipped off to the side of the gangplank, grabbing onto the only thing he could as the effects of gravity took a hold of his heavy frame. Both the bear and the deer fell from the gangplank, splashing down next to yak who was holding onto a buoy.
Laughing merrily, The Fox ran forward, ducking under the swing of an axe from an elephant, before dashing between his legs and up the rest of the gangplank. With the mass of the elephant blocking the view of the two mammals behind him, he was easily able to skirt between their legs before arriving on the mid deck of the ship before the other mammals could even notice what was happening.
"Looking for someone?" he asked with a laugh, causing the three mammals to turn to see him now smiling above them, his paw resting upon the staves before he kicked the heavy cask down the gangplank, hitting the caribou nearly instantly, bowling the animal over before the barrel was launched into the air, skipping right over the head of a jaguar before smacking into the elephants face. The pachyderm fell backwards, a loud crack sounding through the air as he hit the wood of the gangway. All three mammals looked up at the fox with fear in their eyes as the wood cracked and broke beneath them.
The three mammals in the water looked up just in time to see the board finally snap in half, and the backside of an elephant heading straight towards them.
"Ah cripes-" the yak grunted before the grey mammal was all he could see.
Nick watched in satisfaction as the massive splash rose directly above him, as well as wetting the wharf where Judy was currently down to fighting just two mammals, the rabbit deftly running between the legs of the elk and rhino, causing both to repeatedly smash their belay pins into each other instead of their foe.
She's knocked out a lion, a tiger, and a bear...oh my...Zorro thought in amazement, before an angry snarl from behind caught his attention. He turned, eyes widening as he saw a massive cannonball arching towards his face.
"Yeowch!"
Judy grinned at the pain filled scream of the elk as the rhino again smashed the elk's hoof with a belay pin, missing her by just inches as she skirted around the slippery deck, the wood causing her to slide a little more than she liked for her comfort.
"You'll have to do better than that," she mocked, weaving behind the rhino and slashing his tail with her sword as she passed. The large mammal grunted, jumping forward and into the elk, causing the latter to fall backward onto the deck, smashing his antlers into several crates, impaling them.
"Why you little jerk!" the rhino shouted as he turned, his partner trying frantically to release himself from the crates currently holding his head hostage.
The rhino took a step forward, only for both him and Capitán Hopps to be distracted by a loud yelp from on deck. Both turned to see a cannonball sail over the railings of the ship, nearly hitting the rhino in the face.
"What the-?!" the rhino shouted, turning to see several more cannonballs flying over the railing. Judy saw her chance and timed her jump.
This is going to sting...she thought, before leaping into the air at an incoming metal ball. She rotated her body in a full circle, before nailing the sphere in the middle of her second turn. A blast of pain shot through her foot, but she grinned when her efforts were rewarded and the cannonball diverted course just enough.
The rhino had barely turned back to face the Capitán, when he saw her foot connect with a large metal object, sending it directly into the rhino's horn, snapping it in half before hitting the large mammal directly between his eyes.
Judy landed on all three paws, her sword held out behind her as she glanced up at the rhino stumbling in front of her. The large mammal groaned, then giggled before turning 180 degrees and began crashing toward the ground.
"Finally"...the elk breathed as she freed his final point from the crates, only to hear a creepy giggling sound ahead of him. Looking up, he saw the stupefied expression on his fellow sailor's face before the rhino toppled on top of him.
Judy turned from the dust and debris, that flew up when the rhino crushed the boxes littering the docks. The jaguar next to her feet groaned as the dust cloud billowed around them, Judy quickly grabbing her sash and holding it over her nose, mouth and eyes while backing away. The feline was caught in the middle of the cloud, which settled over him, causing his nose to twitch frantically. The cat bolted upright and on all fours, a maniacal look in his eyes as he dashed forward towards the crates. Judy heard the sound of splintering wood and hazarder a look, only to shake her head and roll her eyes.
Playing in a pile of catnip was the jaguar, rolling around in the pile and covering his clothes in it as he purred contentedly.
"Glad I'm not a cat," Judy muttered, before hearing the sound of swords clashing above her on the ship. Realizing that with the gangplank gone, she would have to find another way to board the ship, she eyed a nearby hawser line and scampered towards it while sliding her sword into its scabbard. Carefully making her way up the wide cable, she launched herself the final few feet up onto the railing of the ship, drawing her sword when she saw Zorro currently trying to fight off four mammals that must have come up from below deck.
The fox was doing remarkably well, managing to direct the smugglers thrusts and blows into striking their ship-mates swords or weapons rather than engaging all four directly.
Still slightly winded from fighting the six mammals on the docks below, Judy decided that jumping into the fray would probably only lead to injuries. Wincing at a rather close swipe that nearly hit the fox, a second thought popped into her mind that caused her to shudder.
Just let them beat on each other. Who cares if they beat Zorro? Then you can just go in and arrest them all.
Judy shuddered as the fox rolled around the main mast of the ship before darting up the stairs towards the poop deck begging the smugglers to follow him.
I can't do that. I gave him my word that we'd work together! My word is my bond!
Growling at herself and the horrible thought she had, Judy made up her mind. Again putting away her sword, she grabbed two belay pins from their mooring in the ships railings and hurried up towards the poop deck after the other five mammals.
Reaching the top step, she leapt into the air, throwing the first of her belay pins into the nearest mammal she could see. The gazelle crumbled into a heap instantly, the belay pin bouncing across the deck before sliding to a stop near Zorro's feet. Two of the smugglers turned to face her, a wolf and a margay, though the former went down in a furry heap as her second belay pin crashed into his skull. The lupine gave a small howlish whimper before slumping to the wooden deck, a goofy smile upon his face.
"Oh, you're going to pay for that, rabbit," the margay hissed, grabbing the belay pin still spinning on the deck, a sword in his other paw. The smaller cat nodded to the last mammal who must have been the captain, a scurvy looking fox with ragged clothing and an eye patch over his left eye.
"Captain, you got The Fox?"
"Aye, this landlubber won't know what clocked his gizzards out quicker than a pint of rum would muddle his stomach."
Judy looked over at Zorro, both shrugging their shoulders in confusion at the statement before their foes advanced on them. Judy eyed the margay in front of her, realizing that this foe was not like the other mammals she had faced so far.
Clear eyes, good posturing...Judy took a step back as the margay took a quick jab with his sword, deflecting the attack to the side as she then jumped to the side to avoid a belay pin to the face.
...quick reaction time and speed... Judy grinned as she circled the cat. Finally a challenge.
Nick, on the other paw, was already engaged with his foe as Judy and the margay were studying each other. He always figured the best way to figure out an opponent was to test them, and that was just what he was going to do.
"I see you have an eye for boating," he jibed.
Well, testing them verbally, was also quite enjoyable as well.
"THIS IS A SHIP! NOT A BOAT ye pilfering son of a banshee!"
The captain growled before dashing forward, his peg leg clumping against the wood as he swiped his hook-paw towards the black clad fox. Zorro laughed as he dodged the wide swing, before he blocked a horizontal slash with his sword.
"You quite live up to the presentation of a salty pirate, no? Do you happen to have a parrot?"
Again the captain growled as he began to clash swords with Zorro. "My ole beau' be lost mid davy jones locker ye' scurvy swine!"
"Oh, was that a sneeze?"
Nick's comment only seemed to anger the smuggler captain further, causing him to attack with reckless abandon. His swings became hazardous to all around, as he rotated between attacking low and high, barely missing his margay shipmate who barely ducked in time.
It was the break in Judy's bout that she needed. Twirling her blade around the margay's she twisted it around his paw, swiping the weapon from his paw as it spun over the railing and into the ocean. Judy only allowed a slight grin to cross her muzzle before she re-commenced her attacks. Parrying a jab from the margay's belay pin, she turned into her fox, slamming her elbow into the Margay's nose. The disoriented cat stumbled back from the attack, opening his eyes only to feel Judy's knee pummel into his stomach, not once, not twice, but three times before finishing the assault with an uppercut to the cat's jaw. The cat straightened nearly to his full height, seeing spots as he spotted three bunnies running at him.
"So cute..." he slurred, before a now irate bunny spun in a full circle and nailed the cat in the face with a massive tornado kick. The margay was out before he even flew over the railing and onto the deck below.
Huffing and puffing slightly, Judy straightened her uniform and leveled her bolero before stepping to the railing, eyeing the unconcious cat below.
"I am not just a cute bunny."
"I wholeheartedly agree with that!" she heard Zorro shout from across the deck. She turned to see nobody else on the deck, then turned her attention upwards into the rigging and saw the two foxes fighting amidst the shrouds leading up to the sails.
"What are you doing up there?" Judy shouted, quickly making her way to the rope ladders, jumping upon the nearest one and climbing behind the two foxes who had reached the main sail's boom and had again begun their duel.
"I have no idea, Fluff!" Zorro shouted, crossing swords again with the captain as they fought across the wide beam. With the canvas to Zorro's right, it gave him a slight advantage with his left pawed dueling stance, yet the fox captain showed a remarkable amount of dexterity for a one footed mammal, jumping back and forth as he parried and feinted with the desperado. It wasn't until Judy came up behind the smuggler that the captain began to have trouble. His vision split between dueling with the fox on one side, and the rabbit on the other brought a grimace to his face.
Still, Judy found her opponent to be quite skilled, staying on the defense only with his hooked paw against her while trying to focus on engaging The Fox. After a fairly close brush from the claw that she managed to block, an idea sparked within her as she held her sword within the curve of the hook. Tugging on the metal, she watched as the fox began to stumble atop the boom. Grasping the claw with her other paw, she pulled harder, causing him to stumble even further.
The fox captain turned his attention towards the rabbit with a growl when he noticed her tugging on his hook. "Why you course ball of fluff!"
He swung his hook, yanking the rabbit off the boom and swinging her out above the deck of the ship twenty feet below. The fox completed the turn, throwing the bunny directly at Zorro, who had stepped forward, stabbing his blade forward.
He saw the grey blur coming towards him, but could do nothing to halt his blade as the rabbit swung towards it.
"JUDY!"
The rabbit saw the blade coming towards her, as well as the look of fear in the eyes of the Desperado she was so relentlessly chasing. With all her strength, she curled up around the claw, then clamped around the claw as the blade sliced directly underneath her be a mere inch.
Too close...she thought as Zorro withdrew his sword, glaring at the fox captain with a newfound disgust.
"You will not injure the Capitán," he spoke softly, his usual gravelly tone changing to one that was much more familiar to Judy.
Oh no...oh no, oh no, oh no...not him.
"And what think ye o' the blood of a curr like her?" the captain spat, taking advantage of the rabbits tenseness to fling his arm again over the abyss. This time, Judy couldn't hold her grip any longer, slipping off the hook, slicing a bit of her left paw as she let out a scream. Tumbling through the air, her flight suddenly halted as she landed in a net overhanging the open cargo hatch of the ship. Hearing a growl, she turned her attention to the fight on the boom that had renewed with vigor. Ni...Zorro...its Zorro...she reminded herself, was showing a fury she hadn't seen in him before, his blade slicing through the air at such speeds to create a humming sound as it was handled with precise care.
I didn't know he could fight like that...she thought, watching as he steadily pushed the captain back until he was braced against the edge of the boom, his left hook holding onto the canvas sail to keep himself from falling. Zorro growled at the other fox before performing a feint, followed by a remise, catching the hilt of the captains sword and flicking it away with ease.
"Now hear me, ye landlubber," the captain drawled. "Me thinks we can settle this wi-"
His words were halted as The Fox grabbed the lapel of his opponent, smashing his head into the captain's before following it up with a knee to his opponents gut. The captain wheezed once, spittle flying from his mouth before Zorro smashed the hilt of his sword into the underside of the pirates jaw.
A sharp tearing sound rent the air as his hook ripped apart the sail as he tumbled down towards the deck, flicking him into nearby rigging. He struggled within it, becoming more entangled as he flailed about.
Zorro sighed a breath of relief, turning in relief towards Capitán Hopps, giving her a slight smile.
"We work well together, eh Capitán?" he stated, his normal gravelly tone back in full force. She nodded, words caught in a lump in her throat as she stared pointedly at the fox in black. Moving to stand, she stumbled when the rope and netting surrounding the cannon she was standing on jerked down several inches. Hearing more tearing sounds, she looked at the source of the noise and saw the ship captain tearing away at a cable attached to the hoist holding the cannon.
"This be the end of the line for ye, rabbit," he scowled, slicing more of the line.
Judy leapt up to her feet, looking for a way off the hanging weapon when the whole mess swung and a new weight was added to the mass suspended in the air.
"What...Nick?" she gasped, looking up at the black clad figure standing next to her.
"Who?" the fox asked, raising an eyebrow as he quickly collected the rabbit in his paws, to her slight consternation and surprise. "Hang on," he said, as he brought his sword up to the rope while holding the rope above it with his other paw. With a dexterity that impressed even her, he sliced the rope through with a single cut while swinging forward, just as the rope the captain was slicing was finally cut.
The twin slices had the effect of swinging the yardarm the rope was spun through towards the dock, line whipping through the blocks as it spun the pair forward and lower towards the pier. Judy clutched onto the fox tighter as they flew through the air, finding his paw wrapped around her, the wind whipping her ears back as she tucked herself into Zorro's warm embrace. Behind them, a loud boom, followed by a massive cracking sound split the air as Judy felt her and Zorro's paws land on the pier, their momentum causing him to tumble forward, though his grip on Judy didn't lessen as he absorbed the majority of the impact.
Both scrambled to look behind them, where they saw the whole ship shudder before a second crack sounded and a burst of water shot out of the main hatch in the main deck. The ship listed slightly, its moorings groaning as the ropes connecting the ship to its birth began to strain as the ship tilted hard to its port side.
"We have to go," Judy shouted, hearing a line snap near them, the cable whistling through the crates the jaguar was still rolling in like a hot knife through butter. The impact launched the drug hazed mammal into the ocean as the fox and rabbit bolted the end of the wharf.
"Get down!" Judy shouted, jumping up and pulling Zorro to the ground as another line snapped, slicing right through the spot where they had been standing, her quick reaction saving them from being effortlessly sliced in two. Again scrambling to their feet, the made it to the end of the dock as the ship behind them groaned and finished listing, its gun deck nearly completely submerged as the ship gave a finally groan before fully capsizing, its masts splashing down into the water as a frothery mass of bubbles burst from the ship, signaling its demise.
The two mammals sat breathing heavily, staring at the sunken remnants of the ship, several moments passing before either spoke. Finally, the silence was interrupted by a single comment from The Fox.
"Well, that went well."
His comment was accompanied by another gushing of water from the ship as its hull disappeared beneath the waves, flotsam and jetsam as well as the members of its crew bobbing in the water.
Judy's ears swiveled at the sound of footsteps approaching them. A wall of blue uniforms was running towards the dock from Pier 12, Clawhauser surprisingly leading the group as the cheetah even had his sword held above and ahead of him as he ran.
"I think you should go," Judy stated bluntly, looking up at The Fox who watched the approaching group of soldiers racing towards them. "You save my life today. I am in your debt, so consider this my payment that I'm not arresting you now."
"The lady is quite kind," Zorro joked, pushing himself to his feet while dusting off his clothes. "Though I consider it an improvement in our relationship since we are no longer threatening each other."
"Would you like me to insult you, you dumb fox?" Judy asked, the whisper of a smile gracing her lips.
"Ah, there she is! The Capitán we all know and love," The Fox joked. And with a bow and a tip of his hat, he ran off toward the lower docks as he was spotted by the approaching troops.
"There he is, mammals! Capture him!" Clawhauser ordered as a group of soldiers began to chase after him.
"Stop right there!" Judy ordered, her shout carrying across the wind and halting the soldiers in their tracks. "We have mammals in the water who need help. Anyone who can swim needs to be in there helping them while others tend to the wounded on the dock.
"But Capitán, The Fox!" a polar bear stated, pointing towards the quickly disappearing figure.
"Will get away this time," Judy growled, "as we have lives we need to save. Now get into that water and help those mammals!"
Orders were given, along with threats for those too timid to jump into a boat to help the bedraggled mammals floating in the water. The polar bear soldier from before jumped in headfirst, his natural bouyancy acting as a temporary raft to the fox captain and margay who gratefully climbed upon his back, both gasping for breath.
Judy watched the rescue playing out as a crowd gathered along the line of the bay. She spotted a certain margay in the crowd, nodded at Weidii who offered a rare smile back at the bunny.
Though her thoughts mainly centered around the relief effort in front of her, the nagging in her mind wouldn't stop.
She had heard his voice...she was sure of it. Either that or it was an illusion of her ears in the heat of battle that had caused her to hear him shouting her name.
It can't be him...she thought, suddenly finding herself conflicted. Nick is a red fox, Zorro is a black fox. Nick can't even hold a sword and...he's right pawed. Zorro is left pawed.
Doing her best to erase the seeds of doubt on Zorro's identity in her mind, she went back into her work, hoping that the constant stress and barking out of orders would help clear her mind.
Unbeknownst to her, on a nearby ship, another mammal watched the events unfolding with great interest.
An interesting development I'd say...
The mammal dropped his spyglass from his eye, passing it along to his cabin boy, a young kudu, who grabbed it with a salute.
"Mister Caldwin."
The kudu stepped forward and saluted. "Yes, Admiral Wilde?"
The fox kept his trained gaze upon the scene several docks over. "I wish for you to deliver a message to Capitán Hopps before the evening is up. Inform her that she has been cordially invited to dinner upon the SS Nighthowler tomorrow eve at 5pm. Understood?"
"Yes, Admiral!" Caldwin stated with another salute, before being waved off by the aging fox, his gaze never leaving the sunken ship, and the small grey rabbit walking up and down the pier.
A very interesting development indeed...
AN: Many thanks to Selaxes for helping me out with the terminology and layout of 19th century ships. Couldn't have written this without his help so make sure to stop by his stories and read them as they are really, really, good!
If you check this story out on DeviantArt as well, you can see the art for this chapter drawn by yasminoliveira534 from tumblr, so go check that out and have a great day! :)