Nick whirled down the side street, paws hitting heavily on the cobblestones as he ran. Sirens blared behind him. His lungs burned, desperate for air, the muscles in his thighs threatening to give out at any moment.
Down another alley, under a fence.
He knew the route well, it had gotten him out of many scrapes before, part of him was in disbelief he was forced to use it again.
Left, then right.
He stopped before a small brick wall, pushing himself flat to the surface as the sound of voices and radios tugged at his ears. They moved away, but he waited, one minute, then two. His heart pounded, chest heaving.
He climbed the wall.
It was a well practised dance, his body moving by muscle memory alone; he didn't need to think, he didn't need to look, he just had to keep breathing.
Through the door, up the stairwell, onto the fire escape.
The sound of police vehicles slowly began to fade into the din of the city. With the clanging of the fire escape, there were moments he could pretend they weren't there at all.
Up to the roof, along the rooftop, then one more.
His pace began to slow, Nick allowing himself to catch his breath just a little, still forcing himself to remember that he wasn't safe yet.
Through the door, down the stairs. Third floor, then second.
He padded down the hallway, fingers tracing almost fondly over the peeling wallpaper. He arrived at a doorway, a heavy piece of plywood set in a plain frame. He braced his shoulder up against the surface, forcing down on the handle and pushing hard to open it. The door juddered before eventually giving way.
"What are you doing, Nick?"
Nick jumped as he was greeted by the sight of Judy. She stood in front of the window, silhouetted against the fast setting sun.
He grinned. "You know, Carrots, it's real impolite to not call first."
Judy didn't smile, her expression tight and severe, like a scolding mother before an impertinent child. "This is serious, Nick."
Nick closed the door, resting his back against its surface as he slowly sunk down to the floor, eyes calmly surveying the room. The grey carpet didn't sit properly, its edges climbing the wall in the corners, large bumps and ridges across its length where it refused to lay flush with the floor. The blinds fell in a haphazard ladder down the windows, large pools of light escaping through the various bends and missing slats. A single green sofa sat off to the side, stuffing spilling from the cushions where the stitching had come undone. It had been years since he'd last been here, but it looked unchanged since then, a few more cobwebs in the corners, perhaps, but almost perfectly frozen in time.
"They got me, Carrots," Nick sighed, staring in resignation at the carpet. "They got me good." He let his eyes unfocus, too tired to sustain any form of concentration, his chest still heaving.
"Why run?"
He swung his head to the rabbit in a lazy arching motion as she moved closer. "It just happened," He shrugged. "You're in a room with all these cops and you know what they're thinking. And then one starts coming over to you and…" He slumped back down, ears folding under his paws as he ran them over his head, down to the back of his neck. "It just happened." There was a long pause, the blood rushing in his ears as though to fill the quiet. "How bad is it?"
"They think you did it."
"Everyone? Even Bogo?"
Judy shrugged, spreading her hands out in front of her. "The evidence, it's… It's pretty damning."
"What about you?"
"Nick…" She came in close, sinking down to her knees to bring herself level with him, her paws placed gently either side of his head as she drew his eyes to hers. "Nick, I know you, I know you didn't do it. I know you're a good guy."
His arms slipped around the bunny and he pulled her into a tight hug, his chin resting over her shoulder. "Thank you," he croaked. Judy hugged him in return, a paw rubbing his back in slow circles. They stayed like that for a long time, Nick fighting hard to keep the tears from his eyes, frustrated, anxious tears, bubbling just below the surface.
Eventually, Judy pulled back, sitting down opposite him. "We need to get you out of this."
Nick shook his head. "Carrots, you don't understand. They burned everything, I watched them do it. Hard drives, papers… It's all gone."
"There has to be something." Judy remained frustratingly unperturbed. "What about their head offices? They're still in there, right?"
Nick rested his forehead in his palms. There was nothing that could protect him, no evidence that would ever stop these guys. There was no way now that he would ever be safe and Judy… His heart sank as the truth of his thoughts were fully realised. There was no safe. Not for him, not for her. Not anymore.
His mind raced through every interaction they'd had, searching for some small flaw in their operation, some defect that could potentially save them. He'd done it a few hundred times already, but still, he clung to the hope that there was still a way out of this, a way to take them all down. A single quiet memory tugged at his attention, something that he'd seen, something they'd thought hidden. His stomach churned at the thought. It was dangerous and a big risk. He looked up at Judy.
She gave him a smile, as though able to delve into his mind, the resolution in her eyes spreading to him like some hypnotist's trick. This was the only way they'd be protected.
"There is something…" He was uncertain, mouth still downcast. "At the base, it might be enough to end them."
"We can get it."
"But-"
"We can get it, Nick." Judy's violet eyes were full of a familiar determination, her expression a look he'd seen many times before.
A tired smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Okay, Hopps," he said, resigning himself to go along with her dogged drive. "But we need to go now."
The night was always bitterly cold in Sahara Square, a sharp contrast to the day. Nick's fur bristled as he looked up at the rundown block in front of him. It was a low profile building in a rough neighbourhood, the blinds closed and lights off in all but a few windows. They were a long way out from the centre here, the bright lights and bustling noise of hotels and casinos only just distinguishable in the distance.
"You ready, Nick?"
He adjusted his earpiece, snorting in irritation that they never seemed to fit quite right. "Ready as I'll ever be," he replied. He stepped forward, gripping the doorknob and turning it slowly. The door swung open and he slipped silently into the complex.
He knew the labyrinth well, having traipsed these stairs and corridors frequently over the past six months. He cast his eyes with familiarity over the decaying stairwell, the wooden bannister crumbling to sawdust under his claws as he gripped along its length. He moved quietly, waiting in the corner.
"Ready, Carrots?"
There was a pause. "Stairwell camera down."
He climbed the stairs carefully, ears pricked as he listened for any movement or voices. It was late, but Nick doubted any of the occupants followed a nine to five and he knew that many were on the gang's payroll. He stopped again in the entrance to the corridor, waiting for confirmation.
"Corridor down."
He walked slowly, heart pounding in his ears as he passed by each apartment door, the fox praying no one else could hear it.
A door in front of him opened, the warm light of an incandescent bulb falling out into the hallway. He froze, helplessly watching as a small porcupette stepped out and looked up at him with bleary eyes, a teddy dangling from his paw. "Why are you out here, daddy?" he asked with a yawn, his pupils barely visible under his low hanging eyelids.
Nick looked down with panic. "Just taking a walk, kiddo." He braved a smile. "How about you get back to bed? I'll come tuck you in in a sec." He kept his tone low, glancing around nervously at the surrounding apartments.
The child regarded him for a moment, sleepy eyes looking the fox up and down before, seemingly satisfied, he nodded his head and tottered back to his room.
Nick closed the door behind him, his relieved sigh cut short as he winced at the loud click of the latch. He took a moment to catch his breath.
"Everything okay, Nick?"
"Fine, Carrots, just doing some babysitting," Nick whispered, slowly inching himself onward, his throat a desert as the adrenaline coursed through him.
"Second stairwell cameras are down."
He nodded to himself. This was it, he was almost there. He reached the second stairwell, padding slowly up the stairs, footsteps as quiet as he could manage. "Listen, Hopps, if this…"
"Yeah yeah yeah, if this goes sideways, I know, Nick. And we both know that's not happening."
Nick smiled to himself, not bothering to argue. His paw shook as he reached for the office door. The handle clicked. It was unlocked and he moved in.
The office was small, a single worn computer on top of a very generic office desk. He could hear raucous voices in the adjacent room, the paper thin walls doing little to muffle any noise. He knew each of them. He held his breath, ensuring he could pick out eight distinctive voices before moving around to the desk. He slowly pulled open the drawer, the rollers rumbling quietly but not enough to be heard. Granted, it hardly mattered now.
"I got it," he whispered.
"You did? It's there?"
"Sure is." Nick reached down, flicking open the clasps of the container and retrieving an object inside. He held it close to his face, giving a relieved smile as he confirmed it was what he'd initially suspected.
"Alright, Nick, just get out of there. We'll find out what's on it later."
"Sure thing, Carrots." Nick's tone returned to conversational volume and the voices through the wall abruptly stopped. He moved to the door of the adjacent room, absentmindedly rolling the item between his fingers
"Nick? What are you doing?"
"It's all good, Judy. It'll all be sorted soon." Nick felt calm, any uncertainty washed away in a moment of complete serenity. He slipped the object into his pocket and opened the door.
The room was dimly lit, a single fluorescent bar hanging from the centre of the ceiling. It was plain, spacious, a cabinet in the corner for drinks and a couple of foldout tables haphazardly pushed together in the center of the room. The gang all stood around, backs against the whitewashed walls, cigars and drinks in hands. The business was over, this was a celebration, Nick realised, probably of his handling.
A hippo turned to him, surprise flashing across his face before giving way to a look of smug self satisfaction. "Well, aren't we blessed, chaps? It's Officer Wilde. Glad you could join us," his voice rumbled.
Nick felt the attention of the room turn to him, a friendly smile spread across his face, "Hippopopalous! Great to see you, bud." Almost nothing of his demeanour betrayed his thoughts, only a slight tightening around his eyes and an imperceptible tension in his shoulders. "And I believe it's gonna be ex officer Wilde pretty soon." He could hear Judy shouting down his headset, confusion and panic plain in her voice. Each desperate plea sent a pang of guilt through his chest, but they seemed so distant, so far removed from his situation. He pulled out the earpiece, letting it fall to the ground with a soft clatter.
"Well now, you don't know that for sure, you might get a lenient jury." The collective hive mind laughed and Nick's eyes darted to each of them. Everyone was there, all eight, just as he'd counted on.
"Oh I dunno, guys." He scratched the back of his neck, almost bashful. "I don't think there's any jury that would let this one go." His arm reached behind him to close the door, Nick leaning back to push it firmly shut. His other paw slipped into his pocket.
There was a moment of hesitation as the sphere lay between his thumb and forefinger. If he did this, there was no coming back, no chance of reconciliation. The group looked to each other with uncertainty as the silence hung heavily in the air. Anger burned through Nick at their dumbfounded expressions. He'd lost to these guys. Despite all his intelligence, all his hard work, all his training, he'd lost to these morons. The capsule burst and the liquid spread over his palm as he squeezed tightly.
His decision was made.
The hippo regarded him suspiciously, cracking his knuckles. "What are you doing here, Wilde? You're finished."
Nick could feel the serum taking effect almost immediately, his thoughts giving way to instincts, a deep, hungry rage growing in his belly. "I'm not finished," he snarled, holding onto control just a moment longer as the toxin consumed his mind. The fox fell to all fours. "Not… yet…" A growl rumbled in his throat and he let go, lunging forward.
Claws rent flesh, teeth sinking through muscle until they hit bone. Nick was gone, and only a savage fury remained. The blood was warm against his skin, his fur clumping as it seeped through his coat. Screams echoed around the room, spilling out to the hallway, down to the streets below. Blows glanced off of him, and cries fell on deaf ears. He felt nothing, no thoughts of good nor bad, just a sense of necessity; the need to be the only creature moving, the need to stamp out any life around him. He tore through them; a wild, violent whirlwind of teeth and claws that could not be stopped with any words nor actions. Their howls of fear and agony rang out into the night, falling one by one, until eventually, silence.