Dead Man Walking: A Zootopia FanFiction Series

Part 12: Recovery and Revenge

*Some time later*

When I came to, I thought I had fallen over and was knocked out on the lawn or something, because I was laying on something very soft and was hearing a ringing in my ears. I went to push myself over onto my side, but a stitch of pain ripped up through my left arm and made me fall forward and off of the bed onto my neck. The ringing in my ears faded out enough for me to hear the last few seconds of my tirade, specifically, "Motherfucking Shitty Cunt Fucker!" Taking a minute to recover, during which I pushed myself back up onto the bed and tried to find the motivation to get up.

Finding none, I instead reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. Going into the Music App, I brought up my 'Favourites' playlist and pressed play on one of my favourite songs of all time.

*A.N. If you want the song, look up 'The Real You' by Kerser*

As the last few bars of the song played, I redressed before I looked over and saw Luke standing at the door with Judy a few paces behind. Pausing the beginning of the next song, I rose into a sitting position with a slight smile playing on my face as I waited to see both their reactions to my choice of music. Luke's reaction was typical of him, "Really?" while Judy said nothing before silently walking up to me and wrapping her arms around me, resting her head on my chest.

Putting an arm around her waist, I lifted her up into my lap as she tried to climb up. Making sure I didn't accidently brush against her bruises as she laid her head against my chest, I curled my arms around her and gently petted her head and ears as she snuggled into me and let out a heaving sigh and proceeded to fall asleep in my arms.

Glancing up at Luke with a slight grin, I got up and, cradling my precious bunny cargo, walked with him down to the lounge and slumped onto the couch as he went into the pantry to grab us each a beer. Popping the top against the table edge, I took a swig and felt my eyes water as the bitter burn of the alcohol hit my throat. As I wiped my eyes on her ear, the sigh of air made it apparent that Luke had sat down next to me.

Lying back against the couch, I closed my eyes for a minute before turning my head to see Luke staring at me. Shrugging, I raised my eyebrows in a question. "How long do you intend to keep this up?" He asked, holding my gaze as he steadily looked more worried and upset. "Keep up what?" "This... career of yours. It's not one that you can hope to continue if you want to live a relatively peaceful life."

"Who says I want a peaceful life?" I said, smiling intially before I realised that he wasn't joking. "Honestly?" I asked, gesturing around us. "All this...The hiding, not knowing if the next job I take will be my last, and now what's happened with Riley?" I said, letting out a drawn-out sigh. "I pride myself on my restraint and self-control, but it's getting to the point where I'm feeling worried about being around everyone, especially Judy. Because let's both be honest here, we know if I fly off the handle, there's no telling what will happen or who'll wind up injured or dead." As I finished saying this, Luke clasped his hands together and exhaled heavily into the gap. "To be both honest and realistic, I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulders for dudes in trenchcoats and I want a peaceful way out that lets me live a normal life with an everyday 9 to 5 job that I can come home from and be swamped by loving kids and a beautiful wife, but this life never was renowned for being easy to leave."

Keeping quiet for a minute, I tried to distract myself from the truth of my words by starting to scratch at the base of Judy's ears and massaging them. We all sat there in silence for a extended period, with the only sounds being the occasional smack of lips against bottles or the mews and sighs coming from Judy, who had woken up at some point. "How much did you hear?" I muttered, Luke hearing and listening out for the answer. "Since hiding." She groaned, uncurling and stretching as she yawned. I was about to close my eyes myself when I heard Luke's question.

"Do you want to kill Riley, or should I?" Refocusing my gaze on him, I held it there until he started squirming and made sure he understood my response. "He's not going to die, not yet anyway. I'd like to give him a opportunity to feel her pain and repent." I said, gesturing to Judy. "Besides, I can't be fucked cleaning up brain matter and blood for the next 6 hours anyway." Smiling slightly, he nodded to show that he understood before getting up and offering me his hand. "I can't say I'm already married but..." I remarked, cracking a grin as he laughed and made a remark about me being lucky he didn't hit girls.

Taking his hand and pulling myself up, Judy clung to me before looking up at me expectantly. "What?" I asked "Your legs are painted on are they?" Smirking slightly as she tapped me on the cheek, she dismounted before making a spinning motion with her paw. "Turn around." She said. Deciding to oblige, I turned 180 degrees before feeling a paw on my tailbone and one on my hips, forcing me to bend over. "I'm not so sure I like where this is going sweetie." I got out, before I felt a sudden weight against my back that made me stumble forward a few centimeters. "Giddy-up." She said as I straightened up, wrapping her legs around my waist and paws on my shoulders.

Barely containing a chuckle, I couldn't help but turn to look at Luke, who seemed to be in a similar boat to me. Still grinning, I walked over to the door and slid it open, stepping out and holding the door for Luke before I slid it shut. As we started walking I suddenly had a thought that almost stopped me in my tracks.

Looking up as much as I could, I took Judy's paws off the top of my head into each hand before I spoke. "Are you sure you want to see this?" I asked, not being able to see her eyes but feeling her diaphragm expand and contract slowly as she squeezed my hands briefly. "I'm sure." She said, sounding unsure but determined nonetheless. As we reached the door of the shed, I had to remind myself of what I said earlier as it swung open to reveal Riley, sitting bound to a chair and looking none too afraid as his eyes came to rest on me.

Stepping into the room, I leant down enough to allow Judy to jump off my back and lean against the wall while trying to stop her nose from twitching. Noting her reaction and the reason behind it, I couldn't help but wish that I hadn't left my knife back in the bedroom. Obviously thinking along similar lines, and noticing that I'd tensed up, Luke tapped me on the shoulder and waited unil I'd turned before he spoke. "You know I can't let you near him while you're still packing." Taking a minute, I remembered that I'd actually replaced my .45's in their holsters when I got dressed, and took a moment to consider if I could turn and shoot Riley before I was tackled or shot myself. Not liking my chances, I groaned angrily before I took each gun and ejected the magazines and cleared the chambers, before placing them on a table a good 2 metres from each other.

Turning back, I got suprised when Luke gripped my wrists and lifted my arms to the side before he proceeded to pat me down and check my pockets. "Don't trust me?" I said, a grin playing on my face as he finished. "That and I'm just trying to hold you to what you said about not killing him yet." He said, looking stony-faced as he straightened back up. "You know I can hear everything you're saying right?" Riley shouted, with a smile that I couldn't see yet knew was there. "Remind me why no-one gagged him again?" I asked, only half-joking as I looked around the room at the others. "I haven't even started yet." Riley said, laughing as I bunched my fists and debating breaking his neck.

Deciding against it for the time being, I instead stepped to the side and got another chair and sat down facing him, as I decided how to play this. Silence insued for a moment as we both stared each other down and waited for something to happen. "Was it worth it?" I asked suddenly, suprising him as he straightened up slightly and gave his answer. "Could you be more specific please?" He asked, baiting me into violence. Resisting for the moment, I forced my voice to be as cool as his was when I responded. "You know what I'm asking." I said, trying hard to keep my face blank and emotionless. "Oh I know, but I just want to hear you say it." He said, a slight smile forming on his face. "You want to hear me say it?" I said, scowling slightly as he nodded. "Alright then." I said, leaning back and sighing.

"In what fucking universe did you think that I not only wouldn't find out, but would be okay with you forcing yourself on my girlfriend and assaulting her? Because, news flash, I am not fucking okay with this!" I yelled, standing up and reaching into my jacket only to remember that my guns were on the table. Looking back at them for a moment, I shook my head and said, "I don't need guns to make you pay." Before launching a fist into his face with so much force that it snapped his head to the side.

Stepping back momentarily while I wrung out my hands, I glanced from him to his bindings. "Now, as pissed off as I am, I'm still going to give you the chance to fight back. Cut him loose." I said, looking to Luke who stared back at me like I was insane. "You got a hearing impairment or something? Cut. Him. Loose. Now!" I screamed, shocking him into action. While he cut Riley's bonds, I turned to Judy and said "You probably don't want to see what happens next." "I've seen jaguars going at it with each other while high, this won't be much worse than that." She answered, a defiant steel in her voice that made me fall in love all over again. "All the same, if it gets too much, you need to leave. I don't want you getting hurt." I said, cupping her chin so I could look in her eyes. "Okay." She breathed, eyes wide as she pulled me into a kiss that started off light, but gradually deepened as our need increased.

Finally breaking it, I held her cheek for a second before winking and turning to face Riley, who was now freed and looking apprehensive. "Not gonna pussy out are you?" I asked as I raised my fists in preparation for the first punch. "No thanks, I'm not like you." Taking the barb as intended, I stepped forward and grinned as he stepped back. We matched each other step-for-step for as long as it took until his back hit the wall. As he turned his head to look at what was blocking his path, I decided to move and slugged him in the gut, forcing him to double over as I reached down and grabbed his throat. Dragging him back up, I drew back a fist intending to knock him out as he struck me in the stomach where I had been shot. The pain was easily as bad if not worse than when I got shot, flaring all throughout my midriff as my mind screamed at the sudden sensory overload. As much as I had intended to show some restraint, whatever morals or ideas about a fair fight I had formed left my mind faster than my knee made contact with his kidneys.

Backing away before he could straighten up, I took a minute to recover from the stomach jab and kept a wary eye on him as he got his bearings back. To say I felt angry was an understatement. I was reaching the point where I was seriously reconsidering my no-killing rule.

Just as Riley got back on his feet and I prepared to deliver the knockout blow, I heard something that gave me a reason to uncurl my fist and hold it up for silence. Ducking under the expected punch, I kicked his leg out from under him and wrapped an arm around his throat as I leant close to his ear and whispered harshly "Shhh!"

As he finally shut up, I could better focus on the sound that had distracted me in the first place. All was silent for a couple of seconds, during which I loosened my grip on Riley's throat so I didn't accidently asphyxiate him, until I heard the sound again. It grew louder by the second, until it could easily be heard by all. As the gravel continued to crunch away, I glanced at Luke with raised eyebrows and tilted my head towards the door.

He nodded and started moving but stopped as I flicked my eyes towards my guns and back again. Nodding a second time, he moved towards the door as I released Riley, who collapsed to his knees and gasped for air. While he was busy doing that, I recollected and reloaded both pistols, listening as what I presumed was a medium-sized vehicle came to a stop around the other side of the house.

Slipping out of the shed with both pistols holstered, I walked down the path that led to the drive. While I briefly considered creeping, I discarded that idea pretty quickly, as if the new visitor was who I figured it was, it wouldn't matter how quiet I was. Stopping at the corner, I pulled out one pistol, the sound of the safety clicking off surely discernable to the intruder who was just shy of 15 meters away. Thrusting the gun out in front of me as I turned the corner, I quickly confirmed my suspicions as I was confronted by a gray-furred and black-striped rabbit in a suit.

"Patrick." The lapin said, his dingo guards thrusting their paws into the coats before stopping as he held up a hand. He really didn't look intimidated despite the fact that I was holding a custom .45 that was pointed directly at him. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. He never was one to show his fear. "Savage." I said, keeping my gun steady as he ears flicked to acknowledge that he had heard me.

"I'm going to need the crewmember currently bound in your shed." Jack said, getting straight to business.

"And why would I willingly give you a member of my crew?" I asked, one brow raised as I ran through the reasons why he'd want Riley in particular.

"Because said member is one of mine." Well, fuck me dead if that didn't make sense. "And the contract on Bogo's head? That was you?" While the nod was hardly needed, it did help confirm what his deep blues had already told me.

"Well, I guess we can reach a agreement then Jack, if you don't want to be down two more guards and one flashy suit, you take my man and then you leave. And I swear to God, if you send any more men after me or my girlfriend, you won't be a pretty corpse for the ZPD to find."

To the bunny's credit, any reaction was restricted to a second of his eyes closing and his ears dipping momentarily before he regained full composure. Nodding his head, I lowered my pistol and waved my free hand to Luke, who I knew would be waiting for a decision.

Waiting until Riley was unbound and placed in the rabbit's possession, I turned and took Judy's paw as I walked directly to my room and fell asleep.

A.N. On a sad note, this will be the last chapter for a while as I will be discontinuing this story for the foreseeable future. While that doesn't mean I will never revisit this, I also can't guarantee that I will ever revisit. At the moment I'm thinking about starting a new story in the Grand Theft Auto universe, so that will take up as much attention as I can dedicate to FanFiction at the moment. Sorry.

On a more positive note, I only have about 2-3 weeks until I am finished with Year 12 and school, so hopefully that will mean I'll have more time to dedicate to writing.

Alright that's me done. Again, sorry guys, but it's just a bit hard for me at the moment.

Seeya.