Midnight's Anguish
He was undeniably a handsome fox, Judy could give him that. Tall, slick, muscular, the turning point of his character were his eyes. Teal green. They were trapped with infinite lust, and they twinkled with mischief. Half closed and heavy lidded like Nick's usually were, except his were different. They accentuated the darkness of his being. It did not matter if he was small, his eyes alone could bring a lesser animal to their knees, following his every word. Perhaps that was what he did to the dozens of Cleansing members in the room. He placed them all under his dark spell the moment he made eye contact with him. The eyes are said to be the pathway to the soul, and if you stare into someone's long enough, you will see it. Everyone's soul is different, and she knew full well what Nick's looked like. She saw it when he proposed to her, she saw it at the alter with her husband. Impeccably beautiful green pastures as far as the eye can see. A field in which the two of them could dance to their hearts' content. That was Nick's soul, but James, in those evil teal eyes, she saw nothing. In those eyes she saw only his teal green irises, pure white scleras, and pitch black pupils. They were just eyes. Did he even have a soul, the bunny thought.
The other substantial feature was his smile. Every last tooth through his crooked grin was coated in malice. It dripped in his saliva. She thought back to Jake Bengali. How that tiger's visage read verbatim the fox's characteristics, only James' was much, much worse. He was the manifestation of the Cleansing's spirit. He was the dark aura that poisoned its members, turning them into dark, relentless criminals. How could you think to gain equality like this? To start a crime empire and to beat animals on the streets for the cash in their wallets, or the rings on their fingers. How did James think this was the way to express his feelings of growing up on the streets; for one it was a total lie. He never grew up on the streets, he grew up in a warm, safe apartment with Clementine and Nick. A wonderful, tenderhearted mother, and an admiring little brother. He was just a sour fruit. He became dark the moment he beat up the kids that bullied his little brother in the Ranger Scouts troop. Most brothers would stop there and only do it again if need be to protect their little siblings, but James found it amusing. A guilty pleasure even to just hurt someone. Then he became blind to his actions, beating up animals and accusing the police as it being their fault he was like this. That he became a cold-hearted criminal because he saw the police as overpowered, authority bent to their will, and that they would crush anyone who stood up to them. James Todd was a foolish blind leader, and the amount of power he had was dangerous and intolerable. He had to be put down.
For a moment, his eyes caught her off guard. Even though she was wearing blue eye contacts, it seemed as though she was staring directly into her soul, trying to swallow it up, but she refused to have hers taken away. She kept her composure, and offered him her right paw.
"Mr. Todd. What a pleasure it is to meet you." She said with a smile.
"The pleasure's all mine my sister." he says giving her paw a slobbery kiss; tongue and everything. Judy fought back the urge to cringe or even just break his nose then and there. Nick had even more trouble restraining himself. He was touching his wife. 'That damn monster is to close to my bunny.' Nick thought. His grip on his glass grew ever tighter as he listened in to what he was saying. The microphone picked up the sound of his lips and tongue leaving her paw. Now it was all wet and slobbery, the furs sticking in different places. "Billy my friend. Do you mind if I take this dance from you?" He asked turning his head to face his partner. He gave a small nod, and stepped back bowing to offer Judy to him. James wastes no time at all as he brings her close by the waist. The music began to play, and they were given the floor. Every so often he would sneak a paw down to her rump, which she would bring back up to her waist. Shatter. The glass broke in Nick's palm from the pure force of his grip. Animals looked at him,but he just kept his eyes locked on the two of them, until he snapped out of it and played it off somehow.
The floor was given a large gap as the dancing begun to disperse. Judy is guided to the table of honor with James. She and Billy give each other momentary glances, until the fox redirects her vision to him. She played along well, caressing the fox's cheek as she spoke.
"I do love a mammal with power you know."
"I can tell." He says peppering her cheek, his claws were very sharp to the touch unlike Nick's, making his caress more rigid than smooth. Her eyes turned to Mr. Big who sat on the other side of James. He gave her and assuring nod. Judy breathed in. Now was her chance. Get him to spill the beans, she was right there, all she had to do was commit.
"So, tell me if this is true... I've been hearing about this plan to bring the ZPD to equality. What is it?"
"Nice work Hopps. Get it out of him." Bogo said into her earpiece.
"Well, to be honest my dear Penny. I don't give a single shit about equality," Judy's eyes widened slightly, "I go for the ultimate victory. We will overthrow this unbalanced government, and we shall take over in control, and bring true equality and balance back to this city like our ancestors had before us."
Judy swallowed. "How will you do that?"
"You'll see at midnight." He said, his eyes narrowing again as he tried once more to stare into her soul. Judy refused to let him in. She was not going to be intimidated by him. All he was was Nick's older brother, she had no reason to fear him; did she?
"I'm so eager. What time is it now? Do you know?" She asked in a falsely curious tone. Rather, she was curious but said it in that innocent little way. Judy fit the role of ingénue like a glove. The fox lifts his sleeve and checks his watch.
"Five minutes till." Judy felt a cold sweat run down her back. Five minutes until what? What could that vindictive, psychopathic fox have planned? "You know, Ms. Rose. You are quite a rarity from other bunnies. Blessed with beauty, a smile that can make hearts melt. Gorgeous blue eyes." That threw her slightly off guard. Judy almost forgot she was wearing the contacts. His adoring complement bounced off her like a ball hitting the wall. She knew they were fake, and she denied each comment he would make about her. "If I didn't know better, I would make like a prince and marry you right here. What would you say to that?" Judy froze for a second trying to devise a reply. That one sentence threw off her cool composure, but still she breathed and pressed onwards.
"Oh no. I couldn't do that. I just-"
Before she could continue, James spoke back up. "Oh yes of course I understand completely." He took a moment to grab her paw... And another moment to stroke the one thing Judy forgot all about... Her wedding ring.
"Because you're already married?" Judy felt her heart sink, her blood went ice cold and the tips of her ears went red hot. She forgot to take off her ring before they left. She blew it, she began to think. Her mind could not register what to do, she was vulnerable at that moment. Her breath quickened as he leaned in closer. "Isn't that right?... Officer Hopps?"
Judy did not have a single chance in the world anything, before her face was met by the back of James' paw, sending her sprawling onto the floor, and landing with a thud and a grunt of pain. Animals gasped and the air grew silent with tension. Mr. Big raised his eyebrows and Nick was completely taken by shock. James hops over the table and slowly starts to clap, each one echoing throughout the main ball room.
"What a pleasant surprise we have tonight! Ladies and gentlemammals! I present to you, Zootopia's hero! Officer Judy Hopps!" The crowd gasped as the bunny slowly arose back to her feet. Before she could do anything, the fox snapped his finger, and two Cleansing members held her in place. Every time she jerked, their grips would only grow tighter. "Please, officer. You are quite a detectable cop. I kissed you to make sure that it really was paint in your fur. I groped you just because I knew you had a tranquilizer strapped high on your leg. And the funny thing about contacts. If you look closely, you can see the original purple of your eyes along the edges." Her mind registered everything as he listed them off. He gave her that salivated kiss to taste the paint, he felt up her leg for her hidden weapon, and he brought her to the table to get a closer look at her. James hustled her. He tore through her once thought clever disguise like wet paper, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. He got right in her face, she could smell the pungent odor of insects from his mouth. "Here's to equality, Mrs. Hopps," he glanced up at the lion and wolf that subdued her, "do what you want with her."
Judy's eyes shot wide open. Her heart began racing as she frantically tried to escape their clutches. Judy halfway already knew what they were thinking. The lion pulled down her dress to expose her breasts to all that sat at the table. Her minor PTSD kicked in as she remembered that time in the alleyway; Judy panicked. She bellowed out a serious of 'no's' along with pleads and cries for help, but nobody came. They just sat back and watched. Mr. Big, the other bosses, and Billy. They all just watched. Billy knew he couldn't let this happen to her again, but he could not move from his spot. He had an invisible chain around his throat halting any actions of cutting in.
Judy was on the verge of tears, when a shout of anger came from behind him; it was the battle cry of her husband, Nick. James took a moment to look back and watch as he pulled out his tranquilizer and pelt the two animals. They lost their grip on the bunny and fell unconscious to the floor. He leaped over the slumped lion towards the other fox; claws fully retracted. Nick's scowl exposed his slick canines as he let out a snarl, clawing for his brother's flesh. James took a step back avoiding the claws, but Nick managed to take a good deal of his coat with him.
He rejoined Judy's side, as did Officer Fangman. She pulled her dress back up and pulled out her gun, all of them locked onto Todd's chest. James raised an eyebrow at the fox, and huffed with a gasp of fake disbelief. "Nick? Is that really you? Wow, it's great to see you again little bro! How long has it been? Over twenty years?" Nick did nothing but glare at his once cherished brother, but now all he saw was a deranged fox before him.
"Stay the hell away from my wife, you bastard!" he yelled.
"It's over, James! You're not going to hurt anymore innocent animals!" Judy petitioned. The Cleansing admins simply chuckled, and James gave that same crooked grin as before.
"You and what army?" he asks. With a snap of his finger, the three were surrounded by the admins and other Cleansing members locking onto them with their own tranquilizer guns. Nick, Judy, and Arden placed their backs to one another, keeping a fixed aim on as many members as they could. James laughed a bit louder. "It's time for the Cleansing to begin! The authority will see equality, starting with you!"
"No..." James' ear perked at the sound of the small voice behind him. The fox turned around to make full eye contact with Mr. Big. He stood at the edge of the table. He raised his finger to point at the fox as he spoke. "You hurt my son and daughter too many times you son of a bitch... And now...it's your turn to feel their pain." With yet another snap of a finger, a swarm of polar bears walked stepped in, growling as the subdued the animals surrounding the officers. Many more of Mr. Big's thugs came up to ensure the other crime bosses or patrons did not interfere.
James gave a huff. "You traitorous rat, and I thought you were the most respected crime boss in all of Tundratown?"
"If doing this means that pain comes to my family... Then I no longer want any part in it." The room turned into a cops and robbers standoff. Two versus one, but the Cleansing members still greatly outnumbered them. Every one was on the tips of their toes. Who would be the first to set it all off?
James looked down at his watch which read two minutes until midnight. He let out another smirk. "Well, I suppose we can start little early." He says as he pulls what looked like a red tipped cylinder from his coat pocket. Judy gazed at the item in his paw, wondering what it was. Them it hits her as she sees the red tip flash. A detonator.
"You say that it is over, Snow White hare, but I assure you... This is only the beginning. You want to mend this broken city? Well I'd love to see you mend this. Equality will cleanse this tarnished city, all it needs... Is a little push." Just as he says that final word, James presses his thumb down on the button. Nothing. Nothing, then everything.
The bomb exploded.
A deafening sound accompanied by a massive plume of fire and debris can be seen from the glass windows. The bomb detonated right at the borderline of the Rain Forest District, and who knew how much damage it just did. Or worse, how many casualties it created. Nick and Judy rise to their feet. They stare out the window, completely lost in the questions circling their heads. What just happened? Was that real? How many animals were hurt by it? But the most dominating thought for both of them, was shock. They did not know how to process the explosion that just occurred right before their eyes, and neither did Bogo and the team outside. Screams filled the air, and animals scurried out of the mansion with their heads down. At that moment, James pulled his pendant off of his coat. The bunny chasing the fox. He prodded the needle to check the sharpness, and then he executed.
Mr. Big takes a second to look back at the maniacal culprit of this disaster, only to be met with an sudden and intensely sharp pain in his chest. He stumbled as he glared at the fox. He lets out an ominous smile. Mr. Big begins to vigorously cough. He looks down to see his paw drenched in blood, before his mind registered what he was witnessing. Shock had paralyzed the aged shrew. The pendant was stabbed right through his chest. His vision goes blurry as he falls to his knees. His first bear could do nothing but stare, until an admin pelts him with a dart, bringing the massive polar bear to the floor. Nick's head races at a thousand miles a second. "Dad!" he shouts at the top of his lungs. Darkness overcame, and Mr. Big fell unconscious.
Nick Wilde snapped. He prepares himself to rush his brother, but is stopped as the fox throws a small black ball at them. The three stare down at it, watching a red light fast. Arden's eyes widen as he registers a second too late the it is another explosive. He shoves Nick and Judy out of the way as he shrieks. "Get back!" The explosive goes off, sending the wolf flying a couple of feet off the ground before landing with a pained thud. Nick and Judy get up from the floor to see Arden slowly get to his elbows. He had severe burns across his body, and his legs were mangled by the shrapnel. He was still alive, but was barely clinging. Nick and Judy look up to survey the crowds. Billy and James were gone, along with the other admins. They look back at Arden who utters a simple phrase. "I-i'll be alright...go after him."
Nick and Judy looked at each other for a while. They nodded, and left the wolf at his request. He already called for medical attention so that they could go catch James. However, at that moment, Nick and Judy both abandoned the mission. They ran towards the explosion to offer any help wherever they could. Saving the lives of those who still could be saved was more important than catching James and Billy at the moment. Judy thought of her badge. To serve and protect. She knew she was serving, but she didn't know right then if she could say she was protecting. Hundreds were probably killed or severly injured when the bomb first went off. Perhaps there were still some that could be rescued. As soon as they get there,shock fills their bodies. Dozens of animals lay under the debris. Crushed, burned, and dead. Judy dry heaves at the sight of a particularly unfortunate zebra whom no longer had half of his face. The smell of ash, fire and blood was unbearable. Nick looks around for movement, and sees someone that was still alive about twenty feet away. It looked to be a couple of lions. The two rush over.
Nick began shoveling the debris away to get to the couple. He struggled to get the wooden post out of the way, but he managed. Nick fell to his knees as he tried to get the lion's attention; to make sure he was still alive. Nick and Judy wanted to save him, it was their duty to do so. As he brushes the mane out of his face, he froze. That masculine, proud face was all too familiar. The once proud face of Zootopia was now lacerated, mangled, and broken. It was Leodore Lionheart. The lion coughed hard from his chest as his eyes barely flutter open to be met with Nick. His breath was painfully gasped. An enormous splinter of wood stuck out of his chest. Blood spread across his dress shirt every time he took a breath, opening the wound wider. Nick's heart sinks into his chest, and an unbearable cold chill runs down his spine all the way to the tip of his tail. Judy's gaze traveled to the animals that lay next to him. A lioness, wearing what was once a lavender dress was now stained with her blood in large patches. A shard of glass was lodged into her throat, spilling her life essence onto the ground. Her body twitched one last time, before going completely still. Madeline Lionheart, the only animal Leodore believed truly loved him anymore, the only animal who trusted him anymore. Nick's eyes fix back to the nearly dead lion, who wearily lifted his paw up to the fox. In vain, Nick takes hold of it. He could not save him He opened his mouth in an attempt to utter his final words. "I-is... is he o-okay?..." The lion's eyes glossed over, his irises faded into his pupils. He let out one final gasp of breath, releasing his life into the cold ash-filled air. Lionheart's head fell heavy, he lost his grip to the fox; and he was gone.
His heart sank further into his chest. Nick closed his eyes, and sighed, Judy did the same. He reached up to close the lion's eyes, allowing him to sleep. He felt utter remorse at not being able to save the poor lion. Lionheart was forgotten by society when he was discharged from the prison. He fell into hard times. Barely any jobs would hire him due to their distrust in him after the Nighthowler case. Mayor Staggery extended a hoof out to the lion, and offered him to be his assistant; but he denied. His pride got the best of him, and eventually, he got a job at a law firm on the border of Savannah Central and the Rain Forest District. Soon enough, he found Madeline, an angel disguised behind soft beige fur, and captivating sky blue eyes. They were meant for each other, and they married to seal their undying love. Now, they were here together. Dead. At the wrong place at the wrong time, and they were unknowingly taken from life to the precipice of the unknown. He took off his coat and covered Lionheart's resting face, doing the same for Madeline with a nearby plastic cloth he found in the rubble. Nick's mind went blank for a moment, before it filled to the brim with a voice. A voice he prayed he did not hear. "D-daddy?"
They looked up, and their hearts not only sank past their stomachs, they tore directly in half. Nick and Judy's eyes were met by the sight of a lion cub limping over to them. Out of motherly instinct, Judy rushes over to the cub to set him down and save whatever energy he had left. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Judy asked, but the cub did not reply. He just stared at her with that unchanging look of melancholy on his face. Her eyes scan his body for any major damages, and immediately the bunny begins to wallow in misery at the tragic sight. His left arm was gone. Most likely sevored under the sharp scrapmetal and wood. Shock had quickly filled his body, for the dazed cub didn't even seem to notice it was missing. He was too busy trying to cling to life, but his blood drained out quicker than could be stopped. She cradled him like a baby, even though he was the same size as her. She nuzzled his head into her bosom, rocking the cub back and forth. The blood began pouring onto her shirt, and she could feel him grow weaker and colder. Nick stared at the tragedy that laid before him, before he walked to them with a pain plaguing his heart as he had to admit the heartbreaking truth; he could not be saved. "It's okay, Honey. You're going to be okay." Tears began streaming in a constant river down her cheeks, burning the unnoticed cuts that lat underneath her fur. Nick placed his paw on her shoulder kneeling to her height. She looked at him, and her face read what she was thinking; he will be okay, right?
Nick looked at his wife with impossible sorrow, as he ever so slowly shook his head. More tears came streaming down. Her heart was broken at the thought of losing a child that was not hers, but yet it felt right to call it so. She cradled him tighter, she almost wanted to lay a gentle kiss on his forehead; which she did, stroking the poor boy's ears as she held him. At that moment, Judy felt that cub was hers now. With his mother gone, she felt responsible for watching over him; but alas she couldn't. He was fading away fast. Nick pulled the cub out of her paws and he placed him in his lap.
"What's your name, buddy?" he began. His voice as shaky as the rest of him.
"Peter...M-mister...where is my mommy and daddy?" Nick did his absolute best not to cry in front of him as he asked that innocent little question. Nick composed himself with a stuttered breath as he answered the cub's question.
"Your mommy and daddy are taking a nap, Peter. They were very tired, and you look tired too. Are you tired?" Peter looked up at Nick and Judy with curious eyes as he slowly nodded. "Okay...We'll have you take a nap too, okay? Peter, do you trust me buddy?" The cub nodded again. Nick's lip quivered as he kept speaking, Judy doing her best to wipe away the tears. "Okay...just...close your eyes..." As he said it, the cub complied. Remorse was all the two of them felt. Nick shook uncontrollably, and tears began falling down his cheeks, as he pulls out his tranquilizer gun. He was not going to let poor Peter die a slow, painful death. He figured to let him go painlessly in his sleep, to forever be with his parents. Judy covered her mouth in a desperate attempt not to break out into woes and shrieks of anguished agony. Nick brings the barrel to Peter's heart. He breathes in one last time with Nick, before Nick whispers a solemn, "Goodbye..." before pulling the trigger. The cub fell silent, and his body grew still...
And he slept.
Judy broke. She let out woe after woe as she cradled the poor little cub's body. Nick wrapped his paws around them both as he too broke into uncontrollable sobs. She laid the cub down next to his father. It was for the better though. Peter's pain was gone, and he was with his mommy and daddy in a better place now.
Their saddened mourning is disturbed by the sound of laughter coming from behind them. Familiar, dark, monstrous laughter. The teary eyed cops look up to see James walking over to them. The Cleansing admins formed an arch at the top of the hill. "Well here we are. Equality. Now you feel the pain that others have felt that you have neglected to even put into the existence of your happy-go-lucky lives. Looks like we finally broke the faces of the ZPD." The couple's cold and anguished tears soon boiled with burning hatred. James let them take the first hit, and Judy gave him a rage-fueled fist to the cheek.
"Fuck you! Fuck you, you evil bastard! Fuck you!" Judy never swore before, always censoring herself with phrases like 'cheese 'n crackers.' She was filled with emotions that at this moment she had no control over. Anger. Pure anger. Was this what it felt like to be savage? James jumped back, and as Nick came running, he pulls a large switchblade from his pocket. In his blind rage, Nick did not process the weapon. James took his aim, and threw the knife, lodging it into Nick's shoulder. He shouts in pain grabbing at his shoulder. Judy looks back at him. "Nick!?-" as she turns around, she is met with the face of James Todd, along with an agonizing pain dispersing across her body. She gasps at the sensation. Her body twitches involuntarily from the shock. She felt a lake of blood poor from her mouth. She slowly looks down at the knife parted between her breasts. She lets out another gasp as her mind registers that she has been stabbed.
"JUDY!"
She leans her chin on his broad shoulder, and he chuckled in her ear. With a quick swipe of the paw, James pulls the knife out of her chest, leaving the wound open. He watched as her red rose petal dress soon leaked into a deep crimson color as her blood poured out. She stumbled, her head grew light, and she fell. James wore his evil smirk as he wiped the blade clean of blood with a white handkerchief, staining the cloth with her life essence. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and Nick yanked the knife out of his shoulder. He crawled to his wife. He lifted her head onto his lap. Her body convulsed every time she took a breath. In vain, he placed his paw over the wound to try and mend the stab. "No... No, no, no, Carrots... It's okay, Carrots. You'll be okay." He lifted her paw and held it tightly in his. She tried to reach up to touch his face, but she was growing weaker every second.
"N-Nick...Nick..." Her breathing slowed, and her eyes began to close. Nick did not even notice that a large group of Cleansing members, patrons, and just regular animals had formed around them. He didn't even notice that James and his admins fled. Screw that. All that mattered was Judy. That was all that ever mattered.
"No... Judy! No come on, stay with me Judy!... No... No..." His words grew weaker and weaker. Judy's eyes began to blur, and she felt cold. Her eyelids soon gave in, and she fell into the darkness. Nick's ears drooped down his head. He no longer had a heart, for it had been shattered to pieces by now. He clung to his wife close, as he began to sob, then shout in agony at the stars.
"Aaaaaaaah!...Aaaaaaaaah!"
The rainclouds formed above them, and with it came the downpour. Everyone felt Nick's pain as they listened to his deafening cries. Ears drooped, heads fell to the ground, and hearts grew heavy with remorse. One Cleansing member, a wolf, looked at his band. This did not look like equality. This was pain, brutal pain. He slipped the symbolic cloth off of his arm, and let it fall to the ground. Another animal repeated his actions, then another, then another, then another. Eventually, the ground was riddled with the red cloths. Only now did the animals see what they were really doing, and they would not follow such a thing any longer. Operation: Deep Cleanse was half success, half failure; James escaped, but the Cleansing was now dispersed. None of it mattered to Nick as he was drenched in nature's tears. The world felt anguish for him and his wife. Why the fuck could he just not be there to protect her. He never let her go even as the paramedics arrived. Judy was hurt, and it was all his fault. The rain had come, and he did not know how long it would stay. All he knew was that it was just like him. Cold, dark, and all alone.