I got Zootopia on DVD!
Ch. 25: R.I.P.
"A great tragedy has befallen Zootopia today as two renowned members of ZPD, Officer Judy Hopps and Officer Nick Wilde, are missing in action and presumed dead. The two had followed alleged clues to an old country road where they had come across a feral jaguar who is a member of the feline-based gang Felino. Reports from ZPD officer Aaron Ronno state the jaguar had viciously attacked Hopps and Wilde before leading them to a rushing river where they vanished. The jaguar had then turned on Ronno but the deer had managed to subdue the predator in time…"
Moriarty watched the newscast on Nick's phone with half-lidded eyes; Ronno's play had gone perfectly. Covered himself and a sedated jaguar (who didn't have a collar), torn at his uniform and taken Nick's badge. He had dropped himself and the feline off miles away from Cliffside and had called in the ZPD. They had eaten up his story like a child with candy. As much as he hated the deer he knew how to wrap what seemed the entire world around his finger, after all he had gotten Moriarty and his pack. They had fallen on hard times, really hard times, when the deer had invited them for lunch, wanting to be a good smartian he had said. Moriarty had decided that after getting a free meal they'd steal his wallet, but then Ronno had drugged their drinks and when they had finally woken up they had shock collars on their necks. Just like that they were Ronno's servants.
Moriarty's eyes trailed to the many cages of the room, some of the felines were still trying to escape but a majority were lying or sitting in a corner of their cages, they knew hopelessness when they saw it. Moriarty placed his phone back in his pocket and walked past the cages, spotting Eleanor who was curled in a ball, shivering, and Beardby who sent him a glare when he passed him.
Finally he reached the newest cage of the room he smirked down at the red fox that was sprawled on the floor. Nick Wilde hadn't moved since Ray and Ed had dragged him to his cage, unconscious and twitching from the volts of electricity from his collar. Moriarty had asked Ronno if they could go ahead and kill him, the deer said no. He wanted to watch Wilde suffer a little longer before his major plan came into play, and then Wilde would join his little rabbit in the afterlife.
"I know you're awake, Red," Moriarty growled. "Look at me."
The fox didn't move.
"Come now, you're not dead yet. Speaking of, they just broadcasted you and the rabbit's deaths on the news. Apparently it's a tragedy."
Nick didn't even twitch.
Moriarty crouched down to get a better look at the fox, "We looked you know, for your rabbit. Didn't find a trace of her, she probably drowned, she did fall off a waterfall…Or who knows? Maybe she's lying on the bank of some river, dying from infection in that nasty wound you gave her. Did you enjoy spilling her blood, Red? Did it bring back fond-"
Nick lunged at the bars, his claws swiping at Moriarty as he let out a feral snarl, his eyes glaring with unbridled hatred as he growled at the wolf, his fur sticky with dried blood. Moriarty laughed raucously, "Keep it up, Red. I wanna see you struggle when I finally get to tear out your throat." He stood up and finally left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Eleanor had watched the exchange and now stared at Nick as his body seemed to give in, sliding down against the bars.
"Officer Wilde?" she called out to him. The fox glanced at her. "Do you…do you really think Officer Hopps is…" she couldn't finish the question, the fox's eye flashed with pain and he laid back down on the cold floor. He curled into himself and a moment later his body started to shake with silent sobs, and Eleanor could just make out his whispered words.
"Judy…" he breathed, his voice thick with tears, "Judy…"
.
"What are we doing here?" Finnick asked of Perry. The platypus sitting before a river bank of a small forest, looking at peace with the world, while Finnick and Fidget were not.
"We need to find our inner peace," Perry told them, his eyes closed as he took a relaxing breath.
"No, we need to find a new drummer for our freaking band!" Fidget snapped, flapping his wings in frustration. "Seriously, Gazelle's concert's tomorrow night! At this point we'll have to settle for any animal that can play drums!"
"We have all day for that," Perry informed him, "Let us calm ourselves first."
Finnick rolled his eyes but sat down next to the platypus, taking in a deep breath. Fidget meanwhile scurried to the river's edge and walked into the shallows, trying to peer through the murky water.
"What are you doing?" Finnick asked him.
"If you two are going to waste time sitting and breathing deeply then I'm gonna waste time looking for pretty rocks…maybe even a river crab or a-AAAGGHHH!"
A paw shot out of the water, grabbing the bat's leg, after his screech Fidget flapped frantically, flying back to the shore and dragging the owner of the paw with him.
"Hopps?" Finnick jumped to his feet as Judy released the bat and collapsed onto the bank. He hurried over to her side and sucked in a breath as he saw the claw marks across her torso.
"Oh that is so not good," Fidget said, peering over Finnick's shoulder at the rabbit. Judy forced her eyes open and looked up at them, "Fin…Finnick…?"
"We need to get you to a hospital," Finnick grabbed her arms but the rabbit started to struggle.
"No, no, I can't…I can't go to a hospital." She looked up at him beseechingly. "Please don't take me."
Finnick's ears drooped; the rabbit looked absolutely terrified, "You need a doctor."
"I'm a doctor."
Finnick and Fidget looked at Perry in surprise, "You are?"
"Well, I don't have a license but I did finish medical school back in Outback Island before I moved here."
"You can help her?" Finnick clarified.
Perry studied Judy's wounds, "If you can find me a house with a first aid kit."
Fidget flew up past the trees and Perry helped place Judy on Finnick's back, fear was starting to tighten the fox's throat. Why was Judy here, in a river, with a dangerous wound? Why wasn't Nick with her?"
"There's a house not to far away," Fidget flew back down, "We can try there."
Finnick started to carry Judy back to their van, Perry keeping a close eye on her wound as Fidget flew above their heads, rambling nonsensically.
"Judy…" Finnick breathed and the rabbit's drooping ears twitched. "Where's Nick?"
Judy shuddered and he knew it wasn't from the cold river water that plastered her fur. She buried her face in Finnick's neck and he could feel her hot tears.
"I'm sorry, Finnick," her voice cracked. "I'm so sorry."
Sorry this is the only update for this story this week guys but for the next chapter it's important it's done right. And I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, suggest you guys going and reading my fic The Ballad of Bellwether if you haven't already, it is in the same universe as It Takes Three and the next chapter will have many references to it.
Also I will explain how Judy ended up in that river.