Shout out to Galak0 for helping me get out of the writer's block for this chapter.
Enjoy!
Ch. 16: Betrayal
It was raining. Nick stood under a tree in the park, deserted now that it was night. He looked down at his phone where he had sent a message ten minutes ago. How long would he have to wait?
"You'll have to forgive her for not coming herself," a voice spoke above his head. Nick looked up at the tree to see a figure coiled around its branches. "She still doesn't trust you wouldn't bring in the ZPD to lay a trap."
"So she makes you come," Nick replied drolly.
"Oh I volunteered," Arachnid flashed his teeth. "This is one of the most dramatic things to ever happen to us, Ironclaw was right. You are entertainment in red fur."
"Do you want to know why I'm here or not," Nick demanded.
"Sorry, sorry," Arachnid slid down to be at eye level with the fox, "Go on."
"I wanted to tell Ironclaw she was right," Nick said, his voice heavy, unable to meet the monkey's eyes. "About Judy-the rabbit, she's not my partner anymore. She's going to…she's going to forgot all about me."
"This is the part where I say she told you so but," Arachnid made an amused noise, "You already know that. Are you ready to help us?"
Nick shook Judy out of his thoughts and met Arachnid's eyes, "Tell me what you want me to do."
.
Judy's mind had gone all foggy. She tried to do her best, tried to focus in work, try to help figure out where Ironclaw or Charlie is, called Sven who was still inconsolable and tell him everything was going to be okay when she didn't believe it herself. The only successful thing she managed to do was avoid Nick.
If only she could do the same to Clawhauser.
"Everything's going to fine," Clawhauser said, eating donuts in an anxious pace, his eyes alit with sympathy that made Judy want to hide in a hole. "You two have argued before, right?
Judy nodded, but didn't answer. They hadn't argued like this. Nick had never wanted to stop being partners before.
"You two just need to talk," he continued. "Call him and set a dinner date and you two can discuss, forgive and forget."
"I doubt he'd answer me," Judy replied forlornly.
"Hello Officer Clawhauser, Officer Hopps," Percy walked into the precinct, heading over to the two.
"Mr. Assistant Mayor," Clawhauser said grouchily.
"Hello, Percy," Judy greeted, trying to appear happy but dropped the act when she saw the sympathetic glint in his eyes.
"I heard about you and Officer Wilde," he told her, "I'm sorry."
"Not your fault," Judy replied and hoped Clawhauser wouldn't tell Percy that he was brought up during the fight. "Did you need to talk to Chief Bogo?"
"Actually I was wondering when you're going on break," he asked shyly, "I was hoping to finally take you for coffee."
"You know what," Judy told him, "I could really go for some coffee."
"But you need to talk to Nick," Clawhauser said in an almost desperate tone.
"Clawhauser you heard what Nick says, he doesn't want anything to do with me." She couldn't help a bit of her irritation escape her voice before she turned and followed Percy out the door.
As the two sat in a café and Percy told her about what had happened that day and how he and Lionheart were becoming good friends she realized something, any attraction she had for Percy had vanished completely. She still liked him, he was nice, but any romantic thought was completely gone. Judy knew why and it didn't approve her mood.
"How is the mayor doing," she asked him, taking a sip of coffee.
"He's doing well but he's getting more anxious about Ironclaw, there was another scuffle yesterday."
She sighed, "I know. But with the museum guarded I know Ironclaw is hiding out somewhere else and I just don't know where. You'd think Zootopia would have more than one museum."
"It does," Percy said simply, Judy stared at him. "I mean, it's an old museum, labeled dangerous and there has been talk about tearing it down but right now it's sitting next to the Main River all by itself."
Judy pulled out a pen and paper, "Can you give me the exact address?"
.
Judy called Nick as she drove to the old abandoned museum, not surprised when she was told to leave a voicemail.
"Nick, it's me. Listen I'm really sorry about what happened and Clawhauser is right we need to talk but not right now, we have a new lead. The old museum next to Main River, but I'm not running into it this time. I'll wait for you and then we can decide what to do." She sent the voicemail and then called in Clawhauser, telling him of the lead and that she'd need back up. Clawhauser told her most of the officers were out breaking up another riot but he would deliver her message as soon as they got back and told her to wait before proceeding, she hung up before he could ask about coffee with Percy.
Seeing the museum up ahead Judy parked her car far enough to where it wouldn't be spotted. It looked more like a mansion than a museum and she was surprised it was still standing; it looked like one wind would knock it down. Not only that it was built to stand just over the river, if it fell it would be swept away.
Judy held up her phone again and waited for a text or phone call or something from Nick. She couldn't do this without him, despite what he said to her he was still her partner and partners stuck together.
A sudden tapping had her looking up with a smile on her face expecting to see Nick with that handsome, infuriating grin. Instead she saw a different and unwelcome familiar face before Arachnid snapped his fingers and Judy's entire body went numb.
The spider monkey jumped off the hood of her car and opened the driver door, "I hope you didn't think my hypnosis on you was temporary, little bunny that had been warned."
He dragged Judy's immobile body out of the car and tossed her to the ground, but Judy barely registered the pain. How did Arachnid know she was here? He couldn't have seen the car from the museum. Arachnid grabbed her by the foot and started to drag her across the river bank to the museum, he apparently had guessed Judy's thoughts.
"A little, well, let's call him a bird, told us you were on your way."
What? The only mammals who knew she was here was Nick and Clawhauser and…
Percy.
Can we not have one assistant mayor who isn't crazy? Judy couldn't believe she was tricked again.
She was right about the museum looking unstable, the paint was chipping away and it creaked as Arachnid stepped inside. It really did look to have been a home before it was turned into a museum. They stood in what appeared to have once been a large living room, a spiral staircase led to the top floor, there were no exhibits in here, but a disturbing amount of bones and coats of fur, some piled together and others purposely moved around to make the shape of large predators and small prey, she noticed a few bones had been crushed to pieces.
Arachnid dragged her down splintery stairs into a basement and her eyes widened. A small pack of animals were sprawled around the floor predators and a couple of prey, by their eyes that zoomed in on Arachnid when he came down she realized they were all numb just like her.
She recognized some, Claude, Gazelle's dancer and even the panther that had snapped at her at the fruit stand. She tried to struggle when she spotted Charlie, whose eyes lit up with recognition when they landed on her.
Arachnid dropped her into the middle of the room and crouched down next to her, "She's busy at the moment, she will be an hour tops so how about you entertain me, stupid bunny and hold a conversation."
He snapped his fingers again and Judy spoke: "ARE YOU INSANE?"
The monkey smirked, "Good, keep going."
"I know how talented you are with your hypnotizing; you're more powerful than Ironclaw! She's trying to bring back the Stone Age back when prey like you were eaten! Why would you want me to help her?"
Arachnid leaned back, relaxing, "I may be a criminal but I know gratitude." He waved his tail in her face, the medallion swaying to and fro. "I was an amateur hypnotist before I met her. And then she gave me this incredible medallion, something she couldn't use because one would need experience in hypnotism, and now every animal in Zootopia can bow to my will."
"And yet you take orders from a lioness who hates prey," Judy nearly growled.
Arachnid shook his head, "I don't expect you to get it, dumb bunny."
He leaned forward to be nose to nose with her, Judy could smell his breath.
"She gave me this power; do you turn against your mother for giving you life? My whole life I lived with a distant family and absolutely no purpose. Even if I had come across this medallion on my own I wouldn't of thought of any way to use it efficiently. But she gave me a purpose; she showed me how terrible Zootopia really is. She is strong and graceful and ferocious and she needs me. For the first time in my life someone needs me, and it's someone like her."
Judy's eyes widened in shock as she realized why Arachnid, who could so easily turn the tables on Ironclaw, didn't, "You're in love with her…"
His eyes narrowed but he didn't deny it, instead he stood up and walked out of the room, the medallion flashing.
Judy tried to turn her head to Charlie but it was fruitless.
"Charlie," she called out, "Charlie can you speak?"
There was no answer but Judy kept going, "Don't worry, I'm going to get you out, I'm going to get you back to Sven no matter what it takes. I'm going to get you all out, my partner and the precinct are on their way!"
.
Judy had been beating her brain trying to figure something out, it didn't appear ZPD would make it in time, Judy wondered how bad that riot truly was.
Footsteps had her lifting her eyes to see Arachnid walking down the steps, he walked out of her line of sight and a second later she heard him snap his fingers. Another set of footsteps and suddenly she was picked up by Charlie.
"Charlie," Judy began but saw the cheetah's eyes were blank.
"Personally she's one of my favorites," Arachnid told her as he led them back up to the ground floor, "So dependable, fast and fierce."
Up on the ground floor Judy's heart pounded with fear when she saw Ironclaw. She leaned against the wall, her eyes, dark with thought, were staring down at the screen of a phone. It looked odd to see such a dangerous animal use technology. Then her eyes looked up to see the three and she put the phone away.
Arachnid had Charlie place Judy in the middle of the floor. The wood creaked under her and Judy had two things to fear.
"You know what, little bunny," Ironclaw began as she walked over to leer over her. "I was wrong. I thought I'd never be impressed by you, but I am. You are so much more stupid than I gave you credit for."
Judy tried to sit up but her body was still heavy and unresponsive.
"So what's the plan," she demanded, "Are you going to kill me?"
"Yes," Ironclaw replied mildly. "But not right now. A brand new ally of mine has told me you'd be used best as bait for the rest of the meddling ZPD, and then I'll kill you."
"Brand new ally, huh," Judy growled, "Where is Percy?"
Ironclaw cocked her head to the side, "Whose Percy?"
Judy's eyes narrowed, "The-the rabbit who told you I was coming here, the assistant mayor."
Ironclaw burst out laughing, "That's who you think told us!? I don't know if that's adorable or sad!"
"Well if he didn't tell you who did," Judy demanded.
"Nick, it's me. Listen I'm really sorry about what happened and Clawhauser is right we need to talk but not right now, we have a new lead. The old museum next to Main River, but I'm not running into it this time. I'll wait for you and then we can decide what to do."
Judy would've been less surprised if Ironclaw ripped her heart out of her chest right then. It certainly would've hurt less.
On the upper floor Nick placed his phone back in his pocket, his mouth was turned down into a frown forlornly, and his eyes were unreadable…but clear as day.
"Nick," she breathed, the words sounding more like 'no' to her ears.
The fox walked down the stairs to the waiting mammals, stopping to stand just beside Ironclaw, he was unable to meet Judy's eyes.
"What did you do to him," Judy directed her question at Arachnid who smirked.
Don't look at me, he's not hypnotized. He's doing this out of his own free will."
Judy didn't want to believe that, she refused. They may have not hypnotized him but they did something. Her Nick would never join animals like them.
"If only the rest of Zootopia were like this fox, it might have actually stood a chance," Ironclaw purred.
"If it was still the Stone Age your life would've been worse," Judy snapped. "Making innocent mammals suffer won't make your pain go away, Lucy!"
"What do you know about pain, Carrots?"
Judy forced her eyes to go back to Nick; he was looking at her with an expression that matched her emotions.
"You don't understand," Nick told her then sighed, like the next thing was going to be hard to say. "You're just a bunny."
Judy would've flinched if she could move, she opened her mouth to speak but Nick kept on going. "You can't understand, you…you were lucky enough to have a family that loved you, no one told you that you were untrustworthy or savage."
Judy wanted to scowl, "You're kidding me!"
Ironclaw narrowed her eyes, "Oh?"
"Yes! I don't know what you did to him but Nick isn't like that!" Judy looked back at Nick. "You do have a family that loves you! How could you forget your mother, or the precinct, or my family!" Or me. "No one ever said I was untrustworthy or savage but plenty said I was small and weak but I'm not going to let any of that get to me! I may be a bunny but don't you dare thing I've never been in pain before!"
Like right now, she couldn't look at Nick anymore. I'm in love with someone who will never love me back…
"Nice speech," Ironclaw replied disinterestedly. "But you still don't get it, do you? Why your friend is on our side looking at your numb body sprawled across the floor."
Judy glared at her.
"Tell her, Nick," Arachnid finally spoke up.
Nick was turned away, his eyes bitter and melancholy, "You didn't choose me."
Her brow furrowed, "What are you talking about?"
Nick turned his head to glare at her, "You chose that stupid rabbit over me!"
Judy couldn't reply, her mind was racing a million miles per minute. The way he had said that…was it possible…maybe…
Ironclaw frowned, "This wasn't nearly as entertaining as I thought it'd be. Arachnid, do you have any ideas?"
The monkey looked down at Judy, his dark eyes thoughtful. "I just might, actually."
His tail flicked and the medallion twirled, Judy's eyes unconsciously watching it. Suddenly an invisible force dragged her to her feet.
"I think," Arachnid continued, "It would be a nice gesture to let Wilde do with her as he'd like."
Nick stared at him in shock, "What?"
"Why not," Ironclaw asked; by her tone she found interest in the idea. "I think you deserve such a treat, since she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. If it had been me, I'd take that chance immediately."
"We're different," Nick said the words as if he didn't believe them.
"Maybe you need some 'gentle encouragement'," Arachnid decided and with another snap of his fingers Judy felt her mouth opening of its own free will.
"I hate you!"
Judy gasped as the hateful words came out of her mouth and she tried to take it back but her tongue had turned to stone once the words had come out, she wouldn't be able to say anything unless Arachnid wanted to.
Nick couldn't look at her and Judy felt tears prick her eyes.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
"You heard her," Ironclaw nudged Nick in an almost playful manner. "She hates you."
"You're making her say that," Nick tried to argue but his voice was flat.
"And you think it isn't true," Arachnid asked, "If she didn't before she certainly does now."
"He's right," Judy's traitorous mouth snapped, "I was right to choose Percy over you!"
Shut up, shut up; shut up!
Nick had flinched at her words and wrapped his arms around himself, "I wanted to help you but not like this."
Ironclaw snorted in aggravation, "Arachnid."
Judy's feet suddenly moved and she charged at Nick so fast the fox had no time to react before she slammed into him, causing him to fall onto his back and before he could recover her paws were at his neck.
No, no, no, no!
"What are you doing," Nick directed his question at the laughing Arachnid but it was Ironclaw who answered.
"We've passed the point of 'gentle' encouragement. If you want to stay Wilde you need to prove yourself, your supposed friend is choking you as we speak. Kill her."
Judy's paws tightened on his windpipe and Nick tried to pull her arms away but they stiff as stone. Her tears were overflowing now and she still couldn't speak as she strangled her best friend to death.
Ironclaw kneeled beside Nick and Judy, grinning expectantly at Nick. "Don't let your false guilt stop you Wilde. She left you, just like animals have been doing to me all my life and trust me you will regret not taking this chance for the rest of your life."
"Okay," Nick gasped out, "Okay! I'll do it!"
Ironclaw's grin widened, "You'll do what, exactly?"
"…I'll kill her."
Judy's heart stopped as she released Nick and he sat up, coughing. Ironclaw still kneeled before him like she wanted to be sprayed by the blood about to be spilled.
"Go for the jugular," she breathed, a crazy light in her eyes, "Make a mess."
Nick looked down at her and she could tell they were both thinking about their Great Case, where this had just been a plan, that she trusted him to not hurt her. But this wasn't the Great Case; there were no Night Howlers involved. And she had no idea what to think.
"I-I need to say one thing first," Nick said somberly, his intense gaze on Judy.
"What," Ironclaw asked, her voice still quiet, her rabid eyes still on Judy.
"Gotcha."
Ironclaw let out a scream as, quick as a flash, Nick pulled out a fox taser of all things and slammed it into her gut. The lioness sprang back and fell to the floor, spasming as thousands of electric volts coursed through her body.
Before Arachnid could react Nick tackled him to the floor, standing on him with one foot on his tail, keeping him from using hypnosis.
He held up the taser with a smirk on his face, "Here's the thing, I know I'm just a silly old fox but the thing about foxes is that a majority of us are pretty clever. So clever even that, instead of being insulted by finding a fox taser at the Hopps House, I decided to take it, never know when it would be useful. I was also clever enough to trick you two geniuses.
"However, I can also be quite the grudge holder when I want to be," Nick added, "Which is why I'm doing this!" He stomped on the medallion, crushing it into tiny, useless fragments.
"NO," Arachnid screamed.
Judy felt her body relax and knew she was free, Charlie who had been watching the entire thing in silent, immobile horror, fell to her knees in relief and down in the basement they could hear the triumphant howls of the now freed prisoners.
Nick jumped off him and the monkey desperately tried to collect the pieces and put them back together.
Nick started to make his way to Judy when Ironclaw let out a furious roar and tackled him, slamming him into the wall.
"Leave him alone," Judy yelled and ran to them, jumping onto Ironclaw's head before she could think. The lioness grabbed her and yanked her off with ease, throwing her across the room, only the swiftness of Charlie who caught her kept her from serious energy.
Nick had used the temporary distraction to his advantage. With Ironclaw's focus elsewhere he slashed at her with sharp claws, the lioness let out a painful yowl, covering her right eye. She released Nick and slashed at him, Nick cried out before he fell to the floor, clutching his stomach.
"Nick," Judy called when sudden noise had her turn to see the prisoners running up to the ground floor. Most headed straight out the door to freedom, but Claude the tiger and the fruit stand panther spotted Arachnid and their eyes glittered with righteous hostility. The monkey cowered under their gaze and took several steps back; he couldn't take control of them without his medallion.
Ironclaw stepped away from Nick to Arachnid's side, a paw still over her damaged eye, and she snarled, "Are you angry? Come and get me then!"
The two predators didn't need further encouragement; they ran at them with angry yells but thanks to her hearing Judy also her the creaking of wood, right where Ironclaw stood.
"Stop!"
She jumped in front of the tiger and panther, causing the two to skid to a halt, their eyes wide with surprise. And then the creaking grew louder.
Judy whirled around as Ironclaw lunged at her but before she was even close the wood splintered and broke apart under her and she and Arachnid disappeared, a loud splash following as they were swallowed up by the fast moving Main River.
But the creaking didn't stop.
"Run," she yelled at the predators as she hurried to Nick. His face scrunched up in pain and Judy was too scared to get a good look at the claw marks on his stomach. She slung his arm over her shoulders and tried to drag him to his feet.
"Come on, Nick, we need to go," Judy begged as Charlie hurried over to lend assistance, the other two predators having already left.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Nick gasped out in pain, trying to get his feet to move.
The three made it out just as the creaking grew deafening and half of the old museum fell into the river.
"Oh no," Nick pathetically moaned as he fell down on the sandy bank, "I left your dad's fox taser in there."
Judy fell to her knees as she heard sirens blaring, "Why did you take my dad's taser anyway?"
"I totally wasn't planning on using it on Gideon Gray," he grinned, trying to laugh only to wince and clutch his stomach again. Judy placed her paw on his shoulder, "Hold on, Nick. Help's on the way."
When Bogo and the others arrived he stared at the cluster of former prisoners on the bank that Judy hadn't even realized were there. And then they look to the ruined museum before looking to Judy for an explanation.
And she only had one: "Ironclaw is dead."
.
Arachnid let out a hacking cough, feeling like he was coughing up the entire river. His limbs ached as he crawled across the rocky bank, he didn't even know where he was. He let out a breath of relief when he saw a larger, familiar figure further down the river bank.
"Ironclaw," he called and hurried to kneel at her side.
The lioness was crouched on all fours, staring at the stones underneath her with an almost dead look. Her right eye was nearly sealed shut by four red claw marks and Arachnid felt a surge of protective fury.
"I'll make the fox pay," he told her, "I'll make him claw his own fur out."
"How," she rasped, turning her gaze on him, "You lost the medallion."
He felt a wave of guilt and grief at having lost such a powerful object. But all hope was not lost.
"I'll hone my own skills," he promised her, "Just give me some time and we'll be back to where we were, we'll destroy them all I promise you."
Her unharmed eye narrowed, "Will you?"
He nodded furiously, "Yes, yes, I promise! I won't let them get away with this; I'll make them pay for what they did to you!" He didn't even realize his hand had sought out and touched her shoulder, her fur was surprisingly soft.
"What are you doing," Ironclaw stood up all too fast, stepping away from Arachnid's reach. She held her left shoulder as if she had wounded it but her eyes stayed on the monkey with an almost fearful look. "What happened to you?"
Arachnid swallowed, it was too late to take any of his words back. It was time to tell her the truth.
"I'm in l-"
"Stop," Ironclaw's snarl was nearly a beg and she glared at Arachnid with…betrayal. "Why have you done this? How could you!?"
"I-I," Arachnid struggled to find the words. "I can't help it!"
"You knew better," she snapped, "I trusted you to…" She stopped as realization hit. "That's it…this is all my fault…I trusted you…I let you get close…I relied on you. Well no more, no more!"
Her eyes went back to Arachnid, the crazy light that demanded blood had returned. She spoke and Arachnid found it ironic that the same words that started their alliance would be the same words that ended it:
"Come here, Arachnid. I want to show you something."