The torrents of rain would not relent in their onslaught upon the battered jungle floor below, the constantly shifting sheets of rain reducing visibility under ten meters once outside the protective roof of the roots and the duty vehicle. The duo would hastily move to depart the relative safety of their protected cruiser, as Nick fumbles heavily with his less than lethal gear, she would cast a glance over to him, tilting her head slowly as she shuts her as he speaks up thumbing in several electro-slugs, the squat pronged shots designed to deliver a stunning jolt of pre-packaged electricity to stun a target well outside of the range of their conventional tasers, fairly flashy stuff Judy may or may not have "borrowed" from the armory."Uhh Carrots don't you think it's a bit overkill or you… you know a bit much to be running in weapons drawn? Shouldn't we call this in and wait for support?.
She would shake her head curtly as she locks her belt and retention holster, moving to the front of the cruiser "No time, if the perp has even the slightest sense of awareness they will bolt before backup can arrive, as for your weapon, don't think of it in such a way, consider it, proactive insurance against bodily harm, ok?" She flashes him a playfully devious grin as she would take the lead moving briskly ahead of Nick as he fumbles with his belt and snub-nose riot gun, his baton having snared on the door as he moved for a hasty disembark. Judy glances back and watches the scene for a mere hair's breadth, before she sharply begins to gesture for Nick to fall into formation and keep up with her. He rapidly untangles himself from his baton, and the car's own seat belt, before he moves swiftly up alongside Judy, remaining close at her right side. He leans forth as they reach the proverbially lamenting chain fence, their batons drawn, the collapsible steel framed rods click and lock.
Nick wearily looks about and lowers his voice to a soft whisper, speaking into Judy's alert ears… "Hey you sure it's wise to just you know…. Run at someone whilst we are carrying our batons? I mean what if the perp gets jumpy, not really keen on eating one today myself." Judy glances back and rapidly taps a single finger to her lips sharply indicating for him to be quiet, she stills, slender and tall ears swiveling about as she searches for the faintest of noise alien to the forest in this downpour.
When no such sound rang forth, she exhales, nodding curtly towards Nick as she speaks in a low harsh whisper, attempting to convey her certainty… to herself or him? It was unclear. "Shutup….you're speaking too loudly, we won't get pegged if we keep our heads level and alert, yeah? You're acting like a rookie all hyped up for his first bust."
Nick frowns curtly and gestures towards her with a flick of his jaw "Uhh, yeah? News flash Carrots, it is my first bust of this scale, I just got off of street patrol in Downtown with you, remember?"
Judy hisses sharply and gestures for him to follow her, her well rehearsed training kicking firmly in as she moves forward, keeping herself lower to the ground, ears fully at end, sweeping to and fro as the rain batters down mercilessly "Yeah I know! Don't remind me, you're acting like I've done this sorta bust before as well, let's just promise to make it home tonight? Yeah? Yeah." She nods curtly and moves, advancing across the muck strewn shell of the parking lot, her long stride and wide footage, splashing down into the mud a bit louder then she would have hoped for.
Nick follows closely behind, his uniform matted and soaked similar to Judy's own, the duo arrive at the heavy bay door of the warehouse, eyes sweeping the corners, batons at the ready as Nick kneels down sharply, moving to slide his fingers into the slots, and with a deft heave, he hauls it open and advances in, Judy tight on his tail, watching their backs as they enter. Nick comes to a halt within the facility, eyes glancing to and fro from the towering stacks of wooden crates, stacked nearly ten high, towering over them a few meters. Each neat row leading about chaotically, the thick layers of dust over each wooden container lead credence the facility was seldom used. Judy shifts and moves alongside Nick as she glances down idly, tilting her head to and fro, noting the lack of ground floor windows, she frowns curtly and silently gestures upward, a heavy catwalk adorns the building's upper walls, its expanse trailing along the circumference of the buildings interior.
Nick would cast a glance upward and frown slightly, inspecting the broken windows that ran the upper area of the warehouse, he glances around before lowering his baton, he would speak up quietly. "I… could have sworn I saw something moving out here up near that broken window at your 12 o'clock, but there aren't any ground floor windows right? So if someone was to get in, might they still be hiding out in the lot?"
She glances about, her ears twitching slightly as she narrows her brow aiming to hone in on something. She responds curtly and continues her visual sweep, moving to take a few steps on into the building "That's what the floor plans say last I checked, but who is to say someone didn't just nick a hole into the side of the warehouse, those cargo containers out there are empty, it's what's in here that has me enthralled and curious…" Nick shifts uneasily, hand nervously thumbing the activation stub on his riot control gun, he glances about sniffing at the air as the duo worked their way into the facility. Heavy iron rafters overhead groaned with each wave of rain that came hammering down, several clear holes present in the roofing above, allowing water to fall into the building, pooling and ebbing where it lay, the scent of mold hanging heavily in the air.
Judy would shift, moving to press herself against one of the nearby crates as a sudden clatter from within the facility would put both of them on edge, each assuming a prepared stance as they inch their path around the rim of the nearest crate stacks. She would gesture swiftly, indicating for Nick to follow her advance, he pauses for only the slightest moment before giving a firm nod, indicating his willingness to follow her lead. She casts him a reassuring grin, before she reaches the edge of the crate wall, sliding her face forth, she peers about the corner, minimizing her profile and keeping her ears low, eyes sweeping at the beams of fractured like leaking through a broken nearby window.
Laying upon the cement flooring was a heavy crate, split wide open, the nails, despite being fresh and newly hammered, the crates contents were spilled forth onto the pitted and scarred flooring. Judy would shift and advance forward, raising her baton to chest level in a two handed grip as she rounds the corner, speaking up with a firm and commanding tone "ZPD, we know you're here, come out and reveal yourself, We just want to talk." She nods moving about, reaching the squat clearing in which the box lay. Massive tufts of dry packed hay fall in a mock shroud upon the floor, clearly obscuring that which was stored within, however it struck her as estranged that a container of its size would be merely empty. She scans the area, eyes darting about, moving from shadow to shadow within the loading area, her brow tensed in concentration.
All seemed fine, until one of the shadows detached itself from the wall and slowly skulked aside, moving along the catwalks overhead, as it skulked towards a window, Judy exclaims boldly as she moves to place her hand upon her taser, "You there! Halt!" The shadowy figure freezes sharply before attempting to bolt for the open window, scabbering forward upon all fours as they brazenly pushed for their only exit. However as they neared their point of destination, a squealing electro-bearing slug would strike the figure center mass, with a horrendous cry, they would skid to a halt, frozen in agony. Judy blinks before casting her glance over towards Nick, whom had taken upon a faux desperado stance akin to some western folk hero.
He flashes her a grin, flicking up his shades "Told ya Carrots, I've been hitting the range a bit before the shift begins, for just such an occasion…." With a flashy twirl, Nick holsters his less than lethal service weapon. Gesturing upwards towards the catwalks ladder as he nods "You scamper on up there and put the clamps on ol'sneaks aight? I'll clean up this mess down here with our broken crate friend…" Judy would flash a proud smile, a blossoming warmth welling in her chest, she flashes a wide grin and a crisp two fingered salute "Good work Officer Wilde, let's get this wrapped up."
With a defiant move, she clambers swiftly up the metal rungs of the bolted steel ladder, moving swiftly about the circumference of building as she rapidly approached the shadowed figure, the electro-slug still causing their frame to convulse and twitch rapidly as it kept their muscles locked down, she draws forth, unclasping her cuffs from her belt as she leans down, speaking clearly and with vested authority to the figure, "The slug will wear down soon, you are officially being detained under the charges of breaking and entering private property… You want to explain what gives you the right to skulk around in other people's property." She would cautiously advance once more, aiming to lean down and finally catch a good glimpse of what the figure's state was, and much to her chagrin the figure certainly was not a lovely sight. "Listen, you've got the right to remain silent of course, however if you want to make my friend and I's life a bit easier you'll talk, you didn't fight you ran… Clearly you aren't looking for-"
Her sentence is cut short as the figure frantically lunges forth towards her, standing vaguely a few feet taller than her the gaunt and frazzled figure of a canine leaps forth and weakly takes hold of her shoulders, fur patchy and mangy, flesh were visible scabbed and pit marked with scars, the once dense coat of fur that layered the canine, now a patchy mess of faded greys and blacks, a whilst their frame was gaunt and clearly food deprived, their was a wildness about their eyes that caught Judy off-guard, she stares in wide eyed shock as the figure spoke, a fearfully desperate tone strangling their voice "L-Look! Y-You have to help me!- I-I I came here to stop it, you, you can't let this continue! I know what's down there!"
Judy reels back, shocked and caught off-guard by the figures ramblings, she places a paw upon his chest and pushes back sharply, aiming to keep them away from her frame "Calm down! Let me go and step BACK" She raises her voice sharply and throws her weight forward, pushing her weight into the figures malnourished frame, they stagger back and collapse upon the catwalk, clearly tired and in a sharp lack of sleep.
They imploringly look up at her and clasp their paws before them, begging "Please! I beg of you! Hear me, we have to stop it! It's… It's not natural! It's made of us, but not by us, you have to help me destroy it!" He scabbers forth attempting to take hold of her ankle, nearly weeping "Its… Its a nightmare, each moment, eternally awake in the stillness of the night… please! Y-You…." They shift, outspeaking their lungs capacity as they wheeze and heave, gripping their chest as they roll to a side, laying shallowly as their hands clasp and weakly release, throat clenching sharply as their mouth wordlessly continues to speak.
Judy would kneel down, moving to claps her cuffs on the pathetic figures wrists, for her own protection she swore to herself… before she glances back down towards Nick, speaking up curtly "Ahhh…Mhmm, Nick? Don't… Don't touch anything down there alright? I need to radio into dispatch for a medical team and backup, this guy isn't right, He is showing signs of shock, but I don't see any visible wounds on him."
Nick would shift, palming the slight cylinder idly as he fumbles with what he supposes is the latch, before he catches her words, he glances upwards to her, spying the slight figure at her side, clearly down and out for the count, he tilts his head, flashing a confident grin on his face as he slightly continues to fiddle with the container "Aight, well you just be careful up there Carrots, I've got the place down here on lock, It's weird yeah? Easily a meter wide and tall crate and all they bothered packing was this measly little cylinder… Huh it's just weird you know?" He glances back down at the container, continuing to fiddle with its top.
She retorts to him "I know, that's why I am telling you not to toy with anything down there, it's a crime scene, don't tamper with the evidence." He snorts and casts a quick glance up at her and smirks "I am not tampering per-say I am merely extending my investigative abilities to broach the spooky metal cylinder" He shifts sliding his claw atop a slight tab, with some modicum of pressure he feels it move, he gives a self confident grin as he mutters "And, bingo found you, you sly little devil"
His adulation was cut short as the container sharply hisses, the upper reach of the container sharply disengaging with a loud decompressive crack of air, sharply a thick tar like substance rushed for the open air, oozing from the broken seal as it seeped forth, running down Nick's thumb, he blinks sharply, preparing to toss the container down, before the lid sharply ejected itself from the container, a thick bilious cloud of murky vapors rose from the containers inner reaches, wafting upwards into the air as it rapidly expanded, the thick tar upon contact with the open air, rapidly converted itself into the same gaseous state, racing about as it filled the slight corner Nick was now trapped within.
He glances about frantically attempting to see if what he had done was now endangering the facility and most importantly his partner but it was clear this voluminous upheaval of gas was contained and rapidly dissipating, however as this was a boon he himself had sharply inhaled once the container explosively ejected this smog, his lungs swelling with the unknown chemical as he is sent into a hacking and coughing fit, his respirator upon his belt, his hand reaching longingly for the purity of air as he felt his vision grey out along the edges, his frame wavering as he staggers, darkness ebbing about his vision as he collapses upon the cold stone floor, the thick smog dissipating, faintly seemingly across the void of space between them, he could hear Judy, shouting at him, half in cursing tongue half in frantic worry as his vision faded, his last sight was the slight figure of the bunny, leaping down from the catwalk and racing towards his side… With the slow ebbing of the world before him he could feel his body wearily heave shortly before all faded into an empty black empyrean sea, his mind lost among the eddies of the realm of unconsciousness….