Chapter ThirteenDecisions

Days after Outbreak: 11

Days without incident: 5

Savage Mammal count: 799 952 (estimated)

Dead: 9

Survivors: 39


Waking up on a soft bed accompanied with the repeated beeps of the Electrocardiogram that was placed beside his bed, Nick tried to stand only to fall back to his bed, letting out a small groan as he looked under the blanket and saw the absurd amount bandages that were used to keep his injury from being infected, moments later, a medical officer came inside and assessed him, finding the face the face familiar, he looked for the name tag and saw her name; Luna Twilight. She went about the room, checking his vitals displayed at the Electrocardiogram and presumably writing them down at the clipboard she was holding.

"How are you Lieutenant? Are you feeling any pain or discomfort?" She asked as she continued to go about and take down notes.

"Never been better Luna, but there is a slight pain on the wound though, can you call in Jack Savage? And please do me a favor and don't tell the others that I'm awake, I have a few personal matters to resolve." Nick replied as Luna headed for the door and went outside, leaving Nick with silence, something that he barely experienced over the last few days.

Having been out for days, stressful thoughts began occupying his head as the thought of leaving Judy alone for days and being worried for him began to flow into his head as he began to take in the current situation piece by piece. A soft knock on the door was heard before Jack went in. A rabbit of average build, he was one of the lucky ISA agents that managed to survive the slaughter of their headquarters, he was the only person that Nick trusted confidently in the ISA team that was with them as past ISA missions during Nick's time at the ISA saw them looking after their backs from one dilemma to the other. As he approached Nick, he closed the door and sat at one of the chairs near the door.

"What is it about? I could've just told them you know." Jack began.

"How were things while I was gone?" Nick asked.

"First of all, you weren't gone; you were just knocked out for five days-"

"Three days!?" Nick was shocked as lots of things could've happened by then and that means that Judy is worried sick of him.

"I said five days. Second, you are still alive thanks to Skye, you lost a lot of blood and needed an immediate blood donor in order to replace the blood that you lost while waiting for the medevac and the blood bank in this base was not enough, and for that you should give her credit, don't openly hate her, she's still madly in love with you and she never got over it." Jack paused for a rest as he saw Nick's face broke in front of his eyes.

"She still loves me that much?" Nick asked in disbelief. Jack nodded slowly to reaffirm his thoughts.

"After all I did to her, she isn't angry? For leaving her behind, for ditching her and forgetting about her? She isn't angry at me? Why does she still love me Jack? I left her alone and broken for fifteen years!" Nick continued as he underwent an emotional breakdown and making Jack stand up and hold his shoulder.

"Keep it together man! She never gave up on you, she never forgot about you, and you should do the same to her." He said in an effort to calm Nick which only made it worse as the thoughts of him giving up on her made him feel guilty for what he did, thanks to hindsight, he thought that he should have at least kept contact with her, and not just leave her behind like the rest of the ISA.

"And by the way," he added. "Those two have something between them, I can't point it out but it definitely had something to do with you and some sort of decision. Better get ready for whatever it is." He said as he walked to the door. "I have to go, I'm still going to train some police officers of our tactics and techniques." "Do you want me to tell them about you waking up? I could pass by their quarters" Jack offered to which Nick nodded.

"Tell them to come at the same time. It's about damn time I settle this problem and set things straight." Nick added as Jack nodded in response and left him alone once again to ponder on his thoughts that overwhelmed him to the point of a breakdown.


Judy started out her day as usual with Jack in the Surveillance Division when suddenly, Jack was pulled out from his post because of someone's request leaving her to wonder who called Jack, over the past five days during which Nick was unconscious, they were regularly seen talking to each other at the mess hall and breaks, Jack felt a responsibility that dictated him to keep Judy in company as rabbits can often be too emotional to the point that they would go to depression and die because of it or simply committing suicide. To prevent this, Jack went ahead and took the initiative by keeping her in his company after seeing her acting differently and persuaded her to talk about her problems or just plain chit chat to keep themselves occupied and put a little fun in doing their work that is usually bland and serious, they would also crack some jokes to lighten the mood. Although they weren't like Nick's jokes, they were good enough for a few laughs and motivating them in their work.

Since Nick was still asleep, it was routine for Jack and Judy to talk, bunnies will be bunnies and foxes will be foxes, in Skye's case, was not giving up on Nick even when he left her because foxes mate for life, it similar or even the same from what Skye thinks. In the rabbit's case, they would keep each other in company, no funny business, just a small talk to keep each other comfortable and safe.

Nick already knows ever since that Jack always had something when it comes to women, but his stubborn motto of 'Duty before Loving' always stuck to his head ever since he joined, this was one of the reasons why it could be hard at times for Nick to trust him. But if you get close enough to him, you'll see that he is actually the best friend you can ask in a socially awkward person. Socially awkward when it comes to other people, but when it comes to bunnies, he is back to chit chat mode where he could keep his tongue loose just by drinking water with another bunny.


By the time Jack headed back to his post, He stopped by Skye's quarters where she was taking a break and was getting ready to teach the next batch of officers in efficient combat training. Hesitantly knocking on her door, he got himself ready for the storm that might come, as the door opened, he maintained his composure as the door slowly opened, revealing a haggard looking Skye that was not even qualified to train a batch of officers, she is in this current state after asking every hour at the nurse's station for the vitals which kept her awake the whole five days that Nick was out, she was only stopped when Bogo ordered her to get some rest or she will never be updated on Nick and she will only find out if Nick will call for her. Looking at her current state, Jack was stunned as he promised Nick to keep her in tip top condition when Nick left the ISA.

"What on earth happened to you?" Jack was startled at the sight of Skye, a sight that he never got used to.

"Oh it's nothing, just a little under the weather." Skye tried to best to convince him.

"Nope, it's not just nothing. You need to take a rest, as soon as you are done coming with me." Jack said as he headed to the Surveillance room with Skye in tow.

"So what is it about?" Skye asked curiously, trying to get info on the current situation.

"Oh you'll see." Jack said as he continued walking.

"Judy, I need you to come with me." Jack said to Judy who followed him a few minutes later.

"What is it about?" Judy asked, only to be met with the same answer.

"You'll see."

As they arrived at the door of Nick's room, Jack opened it, pushed them inside, and locked them out from the outside, as he waited outside for Nick's signal to open the door.

This is the first that the three of them met at the same time and at the same room, there was a palpable tension in the room as awkwardness and the feeling of being embarrased or ashamed began to take over. Just as they were about to head for the door, Nick spoke up.

"Don't mind trying to get out, it's locked." Nick said, hearing grunts in response.

"What are you trying to do Nick?" Skye asked while Judy remained silent, sitting down at the chair next to the door.

"It's about time I settle this, I don't want this to impede our future operations." Nick calmly said.

"Okay, we'll listen." Skye said.

"I don't want this to happen again so I-"

"She loves Jack, I love you." Skye flatly said.

"Where is your evidence Skye?" Nick asked her angrily as she went up and showed pictures of them on her phone hanging out during their break time, even during lunch they would have their own table at the mess hall that only they use.

"Judy? Is this true?" Nick calmly asked Judy.

"Yes! We're bunnies, it makes sense doesn't it?" Judy shouted out of guilt, jealousy and pressure, and Nick understood it as Judy cheating on him.

"Judy, how could you do this? I trusted you! I know that you listened to my voice recording, but no, you still want ahead anyways, didn't I mention that there will be no one else but you?" Nick said, full of hurt and sadness. "Jack! Get inside!" he said as Jack stepped into the room. "Is this true?" He said as he held up Skye's phone in from of his eyes seeing a picture of them that looked a little to close to the same relationship that they have. "Explain this. You will be the deciding factor of my thoughts." He said as he went back and relaxed on the bed.

"First of all, we're bunnies, it's normal to do that to comfort other bunnies. Second, it's because..." Jack said as his tongue slipped and stuttered.

"What? What's the second Jack?" Nick said, pressuring Jack to say it out loud.

"It's because I already like someone else okay?" Jack said as he caved in.

"Who? Which one?" Nick continued his barrage of words to the bunny.

"It's because I like Skye okay? There, you happy?" Jack said as he gave up on his resistance and let the words flow like a burst dam.

"Jack, you do?" Skye said, dumbfounded by the sudden revelation.

"Yes, ever since I joined the ISA, I looked up to you, and ever since Nick left, I was happier but I just can't muster the courage to do it, you're right, I never should have joined in the first place." Jack said as he kept a silent stance after what he said.

"Okay, since the-"

Three knocks were heard at the door when Agent Charles Atlas burst inside.

"Sir, you need to take a look at this."

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Remember the markings that were found on Lt. Wilde's arm?"

"Yeah, why?" Jack recalled.

"We ran those characters and found out that they were encryption codes for a highly secure radio transmission, we got a spare of our radio listeners and configured it to those numbers, you cant believe what we-" Agent Atlas explained breathlessly to Jack.

"Get to the damn point Agent!" he said, annoyed by the fact that Atlas was wasting his time.

"We have a spy in our ranks sir, we don't know who it is and we don't know how much we are compromised." Atlas said.

"Get everyone to gather in the tarmac, and get a platform for me to stand on." Nick said as Atlas threw a salute and went outside the door.

For a few moments, everyone was silent with a smirk crawling on Jack's face.

"Are you planning about-"

"Its exactly what I'm planning about. Now, who is the mammal that almost everyone appreciates?" Nick asked in a devious tone.

"Uh, no, its too harsh Nick!" Skye reasoned out only for Nick to turn a deaf ear to her pleads.

"The point of it is to be harsh Skye." Nick said as he got his gun from the desk, checked the magazine and placed it in his holster before putting on a standard-issue ISA Bulletproof Vest with KevlarTech from their laboratories.

As Nick was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of Judy, completely oblivious to their plans.

"I know that face, I know that you don't trust me. But please do this time." Nick said in the most convincing way possible; watery eyes, Sniffy nose, and ears drooped backwards.

"Fine, what can I do?" Judy said, giving in to the cute face that Nick gave her.

"Just follow me and don't interrupt okay?" Nick said as they began to walk out of the room, as they went to the hall, Nick stopped by the armory and switched out his USP .45 ISA Standard Issue Pistol with a Desert Eagle Pistol with a recoil reduction apparatus, he changed his holster and slapped the pistol inside and left for the tarmac where all of the 39 survivors were standing up in neatly arranged rows, with Chief Bogo waiting on the platform.

As he went up the steps and walked to the center of the platform, he announced the current development of the day.

"As of today, we had a significant breakthrough in revealing the whereabouts of Max Michaels. But with it came a message that shocked the entire command; there is a spy among us. If you are a spy, please come forward and be assured that we will not harm you." Nick said in a dead serious and flat tone, giving out a message that could decide the fate of the whole force.

"No one?" Nick asked as the crowd was still in attention and looking straight at him with curiosity.

"Ok then, I would like Clawhauser to come up here and stay in the middle please. Agent Atlas, please get the watermelon." Nick said as he heard the suppressed squeal of Clawhauser as he jogged to the center of the platform while Agent Atlas placed a watermelon in a table a few meters to the left of Nick's position.

"What Agent Atlas placed here is a watermelon, and Agent Braun, please cuff and bind Officer Clawhauser." Nick announced while hearing murmurs and some gasps from the crowd. He pulls out his pistol from earlier and pointed it on Clawhauser.

"This right here is a Recoil Reduced Desert Eagle Pistol from the Internal Security Agency, 16 rounds in one magazine and 17 if there is one in the chamber. To show you that this is not a joke…" Nick stopped as he pointed the pistol to the watermelon and pressed the trigger, giving off an awfully loud shot before the bullet hits the watermelon and splatters its red juice all over the platform.

After a few minutes of silence, he put the gun on his holster and went to the place where Clawhauser was bound using an absurd amount of rope to keep him from breaking free.

"Whoever is a spy must come out now before I spill the blood of one of our own." Nick said in a terrifyingly dark and sadist tone as he approached Clawhauser and circling around him.

Without any reactions from the gathered mammals, he took out his gun and pointed it at Clawhauser with his finger on the trigger and with the safety off.

"Get out of there now before I will do something all of you will regret." Nick continued as the mammals themselves tried to find the spy, and even a few blows were dealt when some of them did not listen and insisted that they were not the spy.

In order to take control of the situation, Nick shot three warning shots into the air catching everyone's attention as they realized their mistake and went back to their lines.

"Now you know that this weapon is not a joke. We are dead serious about this matter and all of us are going to pay the price, only one spy is needed in order for Clawhauser to live. Everyone else must not argue. And all of us will be held responsible for his death if the spy will not reveal himself to us." Nick continued as he spotted Judy being restrained by the ISA Agents and a few officers knocked unconscious due to the fight that Judy out up. She was not about to get her best friend be killed by another of her friends, her boyfriend nonetheless, that will become a sadistic killer if the spy did not show up.

"This is your last warning." He said as he cocked the gun and pointed it on Clawhauser's chest. "Who. Is. The. Spy." Nick said at the crowd where a few of the mammals hung their head for the moment that will come.

"Okay then, his funeral." He said as he pulled the trigger and a loud noise followed when the pistol shot its .50 Action Express round into Clawhauser's chest, splattering Agent Atlas with his blood.

Just moments after the shot was fired, a mammal went forward and claimed that he was a spy, an ISA agent shot a tranquilizer dart at him and he fell to the ground.

He was only a second too late to save an innocent and friendly Cheetah's life.


Post A/N:

This is how cruel I can be. Shooting off a beloved character, I cannot wait to hear your reactions on the reviews. And please come back to see what will happen to the rest of the force once their morale lifter and rumor mill is gone. Only imagine how bland and boring their lives are without Clawhauser. Or even try to imagine a Zootopia without a Clawhauser. Don't worry though, there will be something in exchange for Clawhauser in the next chapter. It will definitely be worth it so please stay tuned. The next chapter will be posted in a week because I am reverting back to my old schedule. *cackles with thunder effects*

Until next time

-Nicholas Phillips.