"Alright, let's get this over with." Nick groaned as he slowly exited the car.
"I feel the same way." Bogo replied as he and Clawhauser followed Nick.
"It could always be worse, we could be dealing with Judy right now. Don't get me wrong, she's one of my favorite mammals in the world, but I feel like that Nighthowler was still working its way through her system." Clawhauser said with a small smile.
"What gave you that idea? Was it the tantrum she threw as we left, or the harsh language that came beforehand?" Nick asked in a teasing tone.
"Both." Clawhauser chuckled as he sat down at his desk.
"Welp, time to get some paperwork done." Nick said to himself as he sat down and cracked his knuckles. While Nick worked on his paperwork, Judy had fallen asleep at the hospital, and the rest of her family was settling in for the night.
"Alright Stu, everyone's finally all settled in for the night." Bonnie groaned as she collapsed into a chair.
"Thank goodness, now we can finally get some sleep." Stu replied as he did the same thing.
"Tell me about it. Goodnight Stu." Bonnie quietly said as she closed her eyes.
"Goodnight Bonnie." Stu replied as he started to fall asleep as well. A few hours passed as everyone slept peacefully, but then around midnight Judy's phone began to vibrate.
"Mmm." Judy mumbled as she reached for the table next to her bed, then patted her hand around it until she felt her phone. She picked it up and answered it in a groggy tone. "Nick, it's too late for this." Judy mumbled into the phone.
"Listen to me very carefully, I have your sister. Do exactly as I say and don't draw any attention to yourself, if you try to alert the police or anyone else I'll turn your sister into a stew ingredient." The caller informed in a deep and electronic voice.
"Who the hell are you?" Judy whispered in a shocked tone, quickly waking the rest of the way up.
"Come alone to the docks, warehouse eight, your questions will be answered then and only then. You have until one a.m to show, otherwise your sister's as good as dead." The caller instructed before hanging up. Judy dropped her phone out of shock as she stared at the wall inf front of her, she only had an hour to travel halfway across Zootopia, and she had no idea what she'd be walking into when she arrived.
"Wake up! Everybody wake up!" Judy shouted in a panicked tone.
"What?! What's wrong?! Did we miss the harvest?!" Stu shouted as he sat up and looked around, followed by everyone else.
"Huddle up Hopps!" Judy ordered as she stared at everyone. Her whole family just stared back at her through tired and confused eyes. "Now!" Judy screamed with fear.
"Honey, what's wrong? Are you feeling okay?" Bonnie asked as she stood up and walked over to Judy.
"I said huddle up Hopps! I need a head count and I need it now!" Judy screamed as she stared at everyone.
"Alright kids, I don't know what's gotten into your sister, but we should probably just listen to her." Bonnie said with a sigh as she started lining the kids up.
"Come on, everybody find your budy! Hurry up!" Judy ordered as she anxiously watched everyone pair up.
"Big sister Judy's being weird." One of the bunnies mumbled as he stood next to one of his siblings.
"Alright, does everyone have their buddy?" Judy asked as she stared at everyone.
"Yes Judy, everything's fine. Maybe you had a nightmare or something, I don't know what you think is wrong but everything's okay." Bonnie said with a smile as she looked at all of her children.
"I don't have a buddy." One of the bunnies said as he raised his hand.
"What?! Who's your buddy supposed to be?!" Judy asked with concern.
"It's Molly, she probably just went to the bathroom. I'll go get her." Bonnie informed as she slowly left the room. She came running into the room a few minutes later with a panicked expression.
"Damn it!" Judy yelled as she jumped out of bed, then rushed out of the room. She ran to the nurses station and leapt up onto the counter.
"Oh jeez! You scared me, is everything alright?" A goat behind the counter asked with a breath.
"Officer Hopps, Z.P.D! I need access to your cameras, now!" Judy ordered as she stared at the goat.
"Okay, may I ask why?" The goat asked in a confused tone.
"We can't find my sister and I have reason to believe that something may have happened to her, but I can't go into details! Please, just let me see the cameras!" Judy begged as she started to cry.
"Okay, okay. Come around and take a look." The goat instructed as she moved her chair so Judy could see the monitors. Judy rushed behind the desk and started looking through the cameras.
"Okay, here's where Nick leaves; and... Oh my God, she followed Nick." Judy said to herself as she whipped her phone out to call Nick, but before she pushed any buttons she watched as Nick walked outside and got into a patrol car. "Wait, where's Molly? She didn't get in the car." Judy said to herself as she watched the patrol car drive away. Molly stepped out of the building a few seconds later, and that's when Judy noticed the side of a vehicle parked almost off screen. "No no no, Molly you know better." Judy quietly cried as she watched Molly climb into the vehicle, then she gasped as the door shut and it drove away. "FUCK!" Judy swore before jumping off the desk and running towards the elevator.
"Attention all staff, we have a code purple. Say again, we have a code purple, all security units report to level three nurse's station." The woman instructed in a calm tone.
"Judy, what's going on?" Stu asked as he ran out of the room to catch up with her.
"Molly's been kidnapped!" Judy answered as the elevator doors closed, separating her from Stu.
"There you go, now you just sit there and be a good girl." A mammal said with a chuckle as they sat Molly on a chair in a small office.
"Okay." Molly replied as she spun around on the chair. The mammal left the room and locked the door behind them, leaving Molly all alone.
"Now then." The mammal said to themselves as they looked at a clock on the wall, then sunk their watch to the clock's time. "Thirty minutes, I'd best get ready for my guest." The mammal said to themselves before walking deeper into the warehouse.
"So Wilde, how's the gut feeling?" Fangmeyer asked with a grin as he walked over to Nick's desk.
"Like something's off. I keep mulling over everything that's happened recently. The concert shooting, the Nighthowler attacks on Judy, and then the raid. Everything just lines up so neatly that it almost feels like we were played. What are the odds that the shooter happened to have connections to scientists at a bio lab that worked with Nighthowler, and what were the chances that out of all of the officers at the concert that night it would be Judy that was present during the threat. Then there's the fact that this mammal knew about our movements the night that I took Judy to dinner. Almost as if they'd been watching us." Nick explained with a thoughtful expression.
"You don't think we have mole in the department, do you?" Fangmeyer asked with some concern.
"I considered the possibility, but that doesn't make any sense. Everyone around here loves Judy, and they're not afraid to say it; so I highly doubt that the culprit is one of us. Though that being said, I think we're dealing with some kind of puppeteer; a smooth talker who know just what to say to get what they want from others and make it sound like it's for that mammal's own benefit." Nick replied as he rested his elbows on his desk, then leaned on them in deep thought.
"You know what's ironic Wilde, it almost sounds like you're describing your old self." Fangmeyer said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I guess I am. That or Finnick." Nick replied with a smile.
"Who's Finnick?" Fangmeyer asked in a curious tone.
"My old con partner, we used to pull cons and scams all over Zootopia together before I straightened out my life. You should've heard him when I told him I was going straight, he was furious; and the worst thing was that he blamed..." Nick started to say with a smile, until he was struck with a sudden realization.
"Blamed who?" Fangmeyer asked with a small frown.
"Judy." Nick quietly answered.
"Judy? Why would he blame her for you walking away from your old life?" Fangmeyer asked in a confused tone.
"Because if I'd never met Judy I never would've been roped into the Nighthowler case, and if that hadn't happened I'd still be walking the streets pulling cons with Finnick. When Judy came along though I worked with her and discovered that I had more to give to society, so I joined the police academy and left my old life behind me; and Finnick was part of that old life that I left behind. He blames Judy for me leaving him behind!" Nick yelled in a slight panic.
"Woah, okay super cop. Let's take it down a notch here, other than you walking away from a life of conning, what reason would this mammal have to go after Judy?" Fangmeyer asked in a calm tone.
"Honestly, probably none. Maybe you're right, maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit here. Yeah, what am I thinking; Finnick pulling off something as elaborate as what's happened recently. That's just ridiculous." Nick replied with a relieved sigh.
The warehouse door creaked open as Judy poked her head through it. The entire area was pitch black, she could barely see her own paws right in front of her face. Judy tiptoed through the door, trying her best to see anything that she could. "Welcome, Judy!" A mammal shouted as several blinding lights turned on. Judy looked up and saw the shadow of a small mammal standing on a balcony.
"Alright I'm here, now where's my sister?!" Judy shouted as she looked up at the mammal.
"She's here and safe, for now. How safe she stays is entirely up to you though." The mammal replied in a cold tone.
"What do you want from me?" Judy asked as she shielded her eyes from the lights as best she could, while still looking up at the mammal.
"First, I want you to go to the stairs on your right and come up here; but don't try anything funny. Or else." The mammal ordered as they picked Molly up by the back straps of her overalls.
"Judy." Molly giggled as she waved at Judy.
"Don't worry Molly, your big sister's here, she's gonna make sure that you stay safe." Judy said as she followed the mammal's orders.
"Keep your head down, no looking at me yet. I don't want you to ruin the surprise." The mammal ordered in a calm tone. Judy complied and kept her head down as she walked. "Stop. Now keep your head down as you do this next part. There's a chair behind you, sit in it and don't move until I say so." The mammal ordered as they stared at Judy. Judy carefully sat down on the chair, never lifting her head once. A moment later she heard some shuffling around, then felt something tightening around her. "Alright, that should hold you for our little games. You can look up now, Judy." The mammal said in a calm tone. Judy slowly lifted her head, her eyes widened in shock when she saw the mammal in front of her. "Hey Judy, long time no see." The mammal said with a grin.
"You. I know you, aren't you..." Judy started to ask, until the mammal interrupted her.
"Nick's old partner? Yes, I am. The name's Finnick, but you can refer to me as the executioner now." Finnick replied with an evil smirk.
"Why are you doing this?! What have I ever done to you?! What has my sister ever done to you?!" Judy screamed as she glared at Finnick.
"Your sister? Nothing, she was merely a... tool that I used to get your attention. You on the other paw, you're a damn pain. You ruined me when you pulled your whole, you can be so much more than what you are, bullshit on my old partner." Finnick spat in reply.
"That's what this is about? You kidnapped my sister and lured me here so you could tell me off for helping Nick down a better path in life?! I thought you were his friend, you should be happy for him that he made a better life for himself! We both would've helped you too if you'd asked for it! Nick chose to be better, while you chose to..." Judy shouted, until she was silenced by a swift right hook to her jaw.
"Don't you dare sit there and play the hero in this! You and I both know that you wouldn't have done anything for me, you hated me, you always hated me." Finnick replied as he punched Judy again.
"I never hated you, I hardly even knew you." Judy said as she spit some blood out of her mouth.
"You hated me, just like the rest of this miserable society. Nick was the only one I had in this entire world, and you came along and took him from me. You took everything from me, and now I will take everything from you." Finnick replied as he pulled a small vial out of his pocket.
"Is that..." Judy started to ask, until Finnick interrupted her.
"The modified Nighthowler drug, incredible what a simple Nighthowler plant can do on its own; but when combined with some amphetamines and a couple of other ingredients, I never would've guessed the results could've been so perfect." Finnick said as he held up the vial. "Of course, I couldn't just use it on you without first testing it. So I decided to test it on some random mammal at a concert. Though I suppose I should've picked my target a little better, of all the mammals there, I ended up darting Thomas's crush. Unfortunately the drug didn't work as intended the first time, so instead of going completely savage, the poor sheep just went a little crazy and took Gazelle hostage. Though it was quiet the surprise when she turned out to be armed, and when she shot you I thought I'd won right there. Alas, you had a vest on, but you did have to kill her, so the test wasn't a complete failure I suppose." Finnick explained with a wicked grin.
"You... You darted Melanie, that's why she did what she did? I killed an innocent mammal, because you dosed her with Nighthowler?" Judy asked with tears in her eyes.
"I suppose you did. Though why she took Gazelle hostage instead of just going completely savage is beyond me, either way, I think the results spoke for themselves. Then it was time for the real target, you. I was planning on having Thomas dart you right when you left the station a few nights after the shooting, but when he told me that Nick came with you I had to change my plans. So I had him follow the both of you to that fancy ass restaurant, I let him handle the rest from there. When he texted me the results I couldn't have been more pleased, in fact I was so happy that I asked him to cook up an entire case of this stuff for me. All he wanted in return was to kill you; now as much as I hated you I had no problem with him doing the deed. Especially because he thought you were the reason his precious Melanie was killed, he never found out that it was actually because I tested the Nighthowler on her that you were forced to kill her that night." Finnick rambled, finishing with an evil laugh.
"You're a monster." Judy said as she glared at Finnick.
"You think that makes me a monster? Just you wait, I have far worse plans for you, and for Bunny Burrow." Finnick replied with a smirk.
"You stay the hell away from my home! If you lay a claw on Bunny Burrow I'll kill you with my bare paws! Do you hear me you bastard, with my bare paws!" Judy screamed as she thrahsed in the chair she was tied to.
"Oh Judy. Poor little Judy, can I offer you some advice? Maybe worry less about your family back there, and worry more about the family that's right here." Finnick calmly said as he looked at Molly.
"No. No please! Don't hurt her, she's only a child! Please don't hurt my sister!" Judy begged as she looked up at Finnick.
"Of course I'm not going to hurt her, I'm not that much of a savage. You on the other hand..." Finnick said as he looked back at Judy, pausing as he pulled a small air pistol out of his pocket. "Are about to be." Finnick finished as he shot Judy with a Nighthowler round, then he casually walked away as she started panicking.
"Judy." Molly quietly said as she watched Judy panick.
"Molly, you need to run. I... I can't control myself, please Molly, g-get out of here." Judy said as she started breathing faster.
"Judy." Molly said as she ran over to Judy, then sat on her lap.
"Molly please, I need you to run away. I don't wanna hurt you!" Judy cried as ahe stared down at Molly.
"Judy." Molly said as she hugged Judy. Judy tried to calm her breathing, but she could feel the Nighthowler in her system, though something felt different this time. She felt stronger and more focused, but she also felt in control.
"Narcotics one oh one, the more times you take the same drug, the more tolerance you build to its affects. I took two whole vials of this crap not too long ago, and that was a single pellet he just used. That fool should've done his homework, his own attempts to kill me just saved me, and Molly." Judy said to herself with a small grin. "Okay Judy, let's see what you've got." Judy said to herself as she started to wiggle out of the ropes. After a moment Judy slipped the ropes off and grabbed Molly.
"Yay, Judy!" Molly yelled as she hugged Judy.
"Hold on Molly, we're getting out of here." Judy said as she started running Molly towards the door. There was a loud bang, and Judy stopped dead in her tracks.
"Well this isn't what I was expecting. You sly bunny, you built up a tolerance to my Nighthowler!" Finnick yelled as smoke rose from a gun in his hand.
"It sure seems that way!" Judy yelled back as she set Molly down and pushed her behind herself.
"You know, I'm actually kind of glad. I was thinking about it, and I thought that it might be more fun to kill you myself, but when you're you, ya know? I want you to be coherent enough to feel the pain I'm about to put you through." Finnick said with a smirk.
"You're gonna wish that you couldn't feel anything, because I'm gonna tear you limb from limb! You messed with my baby sister, and I am going to kill you for that!" Judy screamed as she locked eyes with Finnick.
"Bring it on." Finnick replied as he held his fists up.
"Get out of here Molly, go find help. Call nine one one, okay?" Judy instructed as she put her fists up as well.
"Okay." Molly replied as she opened the door and ran away.
"They'll never make it in time. I'll kill you Judy, right here and now; then I think I'll go after her, maybe adopt her, or sell her to some shitbag for a good penny. How's that sound?" Finnick asked with a smirk. Judy screamed before charging at him, throwing a heavy punch straight at his head, but Finnick dodged the punch and countered with a swift punch to her side.
"Ah!" Judy yelled in pain as the punch made contact, but she shook it off and countered it with a left hook to Finnick's jaw. Finnick stumbled back a bit, but then he steadied himself and threw a roundhouse kick at Judy, but she stepped to the side, dodging it by centimeters.
"You ain't bad for a fluffy bunny, I wonder if your sister's as tough as you are?" Finnick asked as he threw a quick kick at Judy's leg, knocking her to a knee.
"You won't live to find out." Judy groaned as she threw a hard punch towards Finnick's groin.
"Woah! You sure fight dirty, copper!" Finnick yelled as he kneed Judy in the face, then he ran up the steps to the second level. Judy spat some blood out of her mouth before racing after him.
"You coward! Get back here so that I can kill you!" Judy screamed as she stormed up the steps after him. Finnick was starting to panic at this point, he was really regretting shooting Judy with that Nighthowler pellet. Sure she hadn't gone savage, but there was no denying that the drug had enhanced her strength, speed, and endurance. "Kill you! I'll kill you!" Judy screamed as she followed Finnick onto a catwalk. Finnick was halfway to the other side of it, but Judy was quickly catching up.
"Oh shit, what have I done. You messed up big this time, Finnick." Finnick said to himself as he sprinted to a ladder at the far end of the catwalk, then he started climbing it to the roof.
"You're not getting away!" Judy shouted as she started running faster. Finnick scurried up the ladder and opened the hatch at the top of it, then he climbed onto the roof and shut the hatch.
"Damn, that bunny's crazy." Finnick said to himself as he locked the hatch. He listened as Judy banged on the hatch, but he was sure that the lock would keep her from reaching him.
"I'll kill you Finnick! I'll kill you!" Judy screamed as she repeatedly punched the metal hatch, leaving a bloody fist print behind. She didn't care though, her pain receptors were blocked by the Nighthowler, she was a machine with only one job, kill Finnick. "AH!" Judy yelled with fury as she punched the hatch again, and this time it actually bent. She continued punching the hatch until it started to open further.
"What the hell? What kind of monster are you?!" Finnick yelled in a panic as he watched the hatch bend further and further, until the latch suddenly broke and it flipped open.
"DIIIIIE!" Judy screamed in a blood rage as she leapt onto the roof, then charged at Finnick with such speed that he couldn't even react to it. Judy tackled him to the ground and started throwing a barrage of punches at him, then she grabbed him by the throat and started banging his head against the ground. "Kill you! I'll kill you! I'm gonna kill you!" Judy continued to yell as she brutally beat Finnick within an inch of his life.
"P...please, have...mercy." Finnick wheezed as he stared at Judy through blurred and bloody vision.
"I showed you mercy a long time ago, and you stabbed me in the back." Judy growled as she held Finnick by his shirt collar.
"I swear, I learned my lesson. I'll never bother you or your family again, I'll leave Zootopia, I'll leave the damn country if you want! Just please don't kill me!" Finnick begged through tears. Judy was still furious, but she could feel the effects of the Nighthowler starting to wear off, enough that she could think a little more clearly.
"Wh-what am I doing? I can't do this, I'm an officer of the law." Judy quietly said as she slowly got off of Finnick. "What have I done?" Judy quietly asked as she looked down at her blood covered paws.
"You... You just blew it." Finnick said with a grin as he pulled a small pistol out of his pocket. "Ten millimeter, at this range it's more than enough. Goodbye, Judy Hopps." Finnick said as he aimed the pistol at Judy, then pulled the trigger. The small round entered Judy, but due to its small size and Finnick's lack of both ballistic and anatomical knowledge, the round lodged itself in Judy's abdominal muscles, rather than actually hitting anything major that would've resulted in her death.
"Only if you hit the right spots." Judy growled as she stared down at Finnick. Finnick's eyes grew to the size of saucers, he knew there was no going back now. "AAAAH!" Judy screamed with rage as she started beating Finnick again, then she grabbed some old rope that was lying on the roof and wrapped it around Finnick's neck. "This is for Melanie, may your death bring her peace." Judy said through gritted teeth, then she tied the other end of the rope to a vent and slammed Finnick through one of the sunroofs.
"AAAAAH!" Finnick screamed as he and Judy fell towards the ground. Judy hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her lungs, but Finnick never touched the ground. The rope reached its limit and jerked to a stop, snapping his neck and killing him instantly. Judy stared up at Finnick's hanging body, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks as she did.
"I'll see you in hell, you bastard." Judy quietly said before closing her eyes. As Judy laid in the middle of the warehouse, unconscious and broken, a small hero drew on her memories in order to help.
"Nine one one, what is your emergency?" A young penguin asked as she answered the incoming call.
"Hi." Molly replied in a soft tone.
"Hello. Do you have an emergency?" The penguin asked in a kind tone.
"Uh huh." Molly answered through the phone.
"What kind of emergency do you have?" The penguin asked as she typed on her computer a little bit.
"My big sister has boo boos." Molly quietly answered.
"Boo boos? What kinds of boo boos does your sister have?" The penguin asked as a leopard walked over to her.
"What's going on?" The leopard asked as he leaned over her shoulder.
"I've got a child on the line, very young by the sounds of it. She says that her sister has boo boos." The penguin answered as she looked up at the leopard.
"Alright, hold on." The leopard instructed as he put a headset on to listen in. "Hello?" The leopard asked in a calm tone.
"Hi." Molly quietly answered.
"Hi sweetie, what's going on? You said that your sister has boo boos?" The leopard asked in a soft tone.
"Yes." Molly quickly answered.
"What kind of boo boos does your sister have?" The leopard asked in the same soft tone.
"She got boo boos from a bang bang." Molly answered in a shy tone.
"From a bang bang? Can you describe the bang bang for me?" The leopard asked in a calm tone.
"Um, big sister carries one at work." Molly answered in a shy tone.
"What kind of work does your big sister do?" The leopard asked as he looked at the penguin, who started typing some more.
"She's a police lady!" Molly answered with joy.
"She's a police officer?" The leopard asked in a gentle tone.
"Yes." Molly answered with certainty.
"Where are you right now?" The leopard asked as the penguin continued typing.
"By a phone." Molly answered in a happy tone.
"Okay, does the phone or the box it's in have a number anywhere on it?" The leopard asked in a kind tone.
"Um, it has a five, and another number. It's like two S's are hugging." Molly answered with a giggle.
"Which number is first, the five or the hugging one?" The leopard asked as he looked at one of the computer monitors on the desk.
"The five." Molly answered in a soft tone.
"Alright, I want you to stay by that phone until help arrives. Can you do that for me?" The leopard asked in a calm tone.
"But big sister Judy's in the scary building." Molly replied in a sad tone.
"Your sister's in a building?" The leopard asked with some surprise.
"Yes. She came to get me after the van guy brought me there, but then they got in a fight and she made me run away." Molly answered in a sad tone.
"The van guy brought you to the building?" The leopard asked with concern.
"Uh huh." Molly answered in a sweet tone.
"Sir." The penguin quietly said as she looked at the leopard. "There was a kidnapping reported at a hospital less than ten miles from that phone booth. Victim's name was Molly Hopps." The penguin informed as she pulled up an amber alert on her phone.
"Am I speaking to Molly right now? Molly Hopps?" The leopard asked as he looked at the computer screen.
"Yeah. My big sister Judy came and got me from the van guy." Molly answered in a happy tone.
"Okay Molly, help is on the way. I want you to stay on the phone until they get there, okay?" The leopard instructed in a soft tone.
"But I wanna be with big sister Judy." Molly answered in a sad tone.
"I know you do, but your sister would want you to stay safe, and you're safe on the phone with us. One of her police friends will be there shortly to pick you up, so stay on the phone until they get there. Can you do that for big sister Judy?" The leopard asked in a kind tone.
"Okay." Molly answered in a sad tone. "Is uncle Nick coming too?" Molly asked in a hopeful tone.
"Who's uncle Nick?" The leopard asked in a curious tone.
"He's my favorite uncle, he works with big sister Judy." Molly answered in a happy tone.
"He works with your sister? Is he a police officer as well?" The leopard asked as the penguin started typing on the computer.
"Yes. Uncle Nick's my favorite uncle, he's a fluffy fox and he always plays with me." Molly answered with a giggle.
"There's only one fox officer in all of Zootopia, officer Nicholas P. Wilde, he works at precinct one." The penguin informed as she pulled up Nick's personnel file from the Z.P.D data base.
"Connect us immediately." The leopard ordered as he looked at Nick's picture on the screen.
"Damn it." Nick grumbled as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket.
"Still can't get ahold of Hopps?" Bogo asked as he walked over to Nick.
"No, I can't. I can't believe this happened, someone kidnapped my niece and Judy charged in without saying anything. Now she's alone out there dealing with God only knows what; I'm afraid, chief. What if we can't find them in time, what if I can't save them?" Nick quietly asked in a sad tone.
"We're going to find them, Nick. Just stay focused, loosing your cool won't help either of them. Stay calm and focused, your ability to keep it together under pressure is one of your greatest strengths. Use it." Bogo encouraged as he placed a hoof on Nick's shoulder.
"Yes sir." Nick replied as he took a calming breath. His phone started ringing a moment later. "Thank God. Hello?" Nick asked as he answered his phone.
"Is this Z.P.D officer Widle with precinct one?" A woman's voice asked through the phone.
"Yes, may I ask who's calling?" Nick asked in reply.
"I'm a nine one one dispatcher, I just received a call from Molly Hopps, she wants to talk to you." The woman answered in a calm tone.
"Wilde?" Bogo asked as he stared at Nick.
"Put her through!" Nick yelled into the phone before looking at Bogo. "Molly called nine one one, they're patching me through to her!" Nick informed as Molly was connected.
"Uncle Nick?" Molly asked in a happy tone.
"Hey Molly, thank goodness you're okay. You had your family and I worried about you. How are you doing?" Nick asked in a relieved tone.
"Good. Big sister Judy fought the van guy and saved me." Molly answered in a happy tone.
"That's so good to hear, can I talk to your sister please?" Nick asked in a kind tone.
"No, the lady told me to stay by the phone." Molly answered in a nervous tone.
"That's okay, the lady's going to tell us what phone you're at and we'll come and get you; then we'll get big sister Judy. Okay?" Nick informed in a soft tone.
"Okay uncle Nick." Molly quietly answered.
"Dispatch just radioed her location to me, let's go Wilde." Bogo ordered as he started running towards the elevator.
"Okay Molly, I'm on my way, you just stay on that phone until I get there. Okay Molly?" Nick informed as he quickly followed Bogo.
"Okay." Molly answered in a happy tone.
"She's still on the line?" Bogo asked as he lead Nick onto the elevator.
"Yes, but I don't think Judy's nearby." Nick answered as the elevator started descending.
"Put her on speakerphone please." Bogo instructed in a calm tone. Nick pushed a button to put Molly on speakerphone.
"Molly, are you still there?" Nick asked in a friendly tone.
"Yeah." Molly answered in a happy tone.
"Hi Molly, do you remember me?" Bogo asked as he looked at the phone.
"Big sister Judy's funny boss." Molly answered with a giggle.
"That's right Molly, are you okay right now? Are you safe?" Bogo asked as the elevator came to a stop.
"Yeah, but big sister Judy has boo boos." Molly quietly answered.
"Are they bad boo boos?" Bogo asked as the elevator doors opened.
"I don't know, she told me to run away, so I ran away." Molly answered in a nervous tone.
"You did the right thing Molly. Stay where you are, uncle Nick and I are on the way. You're doing a very good job Molly, just keep talking to us and we'll come pick you up." Bogo instructed in a calm tone.
"But big sister Judy's all alone in the scary place. I wanna see big sister Judy." Molly replied with a sniffle.
"I know you do, but she would want you to stay on the phone with us." Bogo replied in a soft tone.
"I wanna see big sister Judy. Bye bye uncle Bogo." Molly said in a happy tone.
"No, Molly, do not hangup the phone! You stay where you are! Do you remember what I said about listening to uncle Bogo? Your big sister and I will get in trouble if you don't listen to him, you don't wanna get big sister Judy and uncle Nick in trouble, do you?" Nick asked in a frantic tone.
"Big sister Judy's already in trouble, mommy and daddy said to stay out of the Nighthowler, but big sister Judy messed with it. Now she's sleeping, and I'm cold. I wanna go by big sister Judy. Bye bye uncle Nick." Molly explained before hanging up.
"Damn it!" Nick shouted as he punched the elevator wall.
"That didn't sound good, we have to move." Bogo replied as he ran outside with Nick. While Nick and Bogo made their way to the pay phone Molly had been using, she was wandering back towards Judy, or at least trying to.
"Judy?" Molly quietly asked as she walked around the dark port, trying to find the warehouse Judy was in. "Judy?" Molly asked again as some tears started to roll down her cheeks.
"Who's there?!" Someone yelled from the shadows. Molly coward a little at the harsh tone of the mammal's voice. "Don't mess with me, I wasn't doing anything wrong! Except trespassing and maybe smoking some grass, but that's not that bad!" The mammal yelled as they quickly smooshed the joint they were smoking against a large barrel. "Hello?" The mammal asked again as they started looking around.
"Judy!" Molly cried as she took off running.
"A kid?" The mammal asked themselves as they watched Molly run away. "Wait! It's dangerous around here, where are your parents?! Stop!" The mammal yelled as they chased after Molly.
"Judy! Judy!" Molly cried as she ran into the first warehouse she could get into, which happened to be the one Judy was in.
"M-Molly?" Judy quietly asked with a wheezy breath.
"Judy!" Molly cried as she laid behind Judy and hugged her.
"M-Molly." Judy quietly said as she coughed up some blood.
"Kid?! Where'd you go kid, its not safe for you to be running around here!" The mammal shouted as they walked into the warehouse.
"H-help." Judy quietly said as she coughed some more blood out.
"Holly crap. Hopps?" The mammal asked as they stared at Judy.
"Who...who are you?" Judy asked with a wheezy breath.
"Just another jerk. What the hell happened to you?" The mammal asked as they rushed over to Judy. Judy lifted a shaking finger and pointed towards the ceiling. "Huh?" The mammal asked as they looked up. "What the hell?! Damn Hopps, I knew you were ruthless but that's just psychotic! You hung a guy?!" The mammal asked as he stared at Finnick's body.
"He...t-took my...sister." Judy quietly said as she coughed up some more blood.
"No more talking, we need to get you on your side before you choke on that stuff." The mammal said as they carefully rolled Judy onto her side.
"AAAAH!" Judy screamed in pain as she was rolled.
"I know I know, but it's better than choking on blood." The mammal said as they held Judy on her side. "Hey kid, help your sister and find something to support her, okay." The mammal said as they looked at Molly.
"Okay." Molly answered as she walked over to Judy, then sat down behind her.
"Good enough. How are ya feeling Hopps?" The mammal asked as they looked down at Judy.
"C-cold." Judy answered as she spat some more blood out.
"Here, put that on. It ain't the most pleasant smelling jacket, but it does the job." The mammal instructed as they took their coat off and draped it over Judy.
"It s-smells like weed." Judy said as she pulled the jacket tighter over herself.
"In your current state you could probably use a puff or two anyways." The mammal replied as they helped adjust the jacket over Judy.
"Th-thank you." Judy wheezed as she reached a shaking paw towards the mammal.
"It's the least I could do Hopps, especially after what I did ta yas." The mammal replied as they grabbed Judy's paw and squeezed it.
"W-what did...you do to me?" Judy asked before coughing up more blood.
"Nothing nice. I stuffed ya in a donut and ran like a coward. I hurt you, and instead of owning up ta my mistake and helping you, I ran. I ran like a coward, just like I always do." The mammal answered with a sad sigh.
"D-Duke?" Judy quietly asked as she tried to look up at him.
"Yeah, that's my name. I'd say don't wear it out, but it's already pretty worn and useless anyways." Duke replied in a sad tone.
"Y-you're not usless, D-Duke. You've made...mistakes, but you're...here for me. There's g-good...inside of you, you h-helped my...sister. Thank...you, D-Duke." Judy quietly said as she closed her eyes and her head rolled to the side.
"Hopps? Hopps?!" Duke yelled as he patted Judy's cheek. "Damn it Hopps, I can't have you dying on me, Nick would literally kill me if you died. Just me being here looks bad, plus I reek of weed, that's not gonna help my case. So you'd better not die on me, you hear me Hopps?!" Duke yelled as he strained to pick Judy up. "Good lord you're heavy, what in the world have you been eating, bricks?" Duke groaned as he started carrying Judy out of the warehouse. Judy just mumbled incoherently in response. "Ah shit, I cannot have you die on me; they'll eat me alive in prison! Literally. Come on kid, we're gonna find your sister some help!" Duke yelled as he started moving faster.
"Judy." Molly said as she quickly ran after Duke, who was already carrying Judy out of the warehouse. Judy started coughing until she spat a bunch of blood onto both the ground and Duke's back.
"Hang in there hoppy copy, I am not letting you die." Duke said as he started running. As Duke ran towards the port's exit, flashes of lights started closing in, most of them being blue and red, but there were also a couple of red and white sets mixed in. "Look Hopps, your friends in blue are here, you're gonna be okay." Duke encouraged as waved at the approaching lights.
"There!" Nick yelled as he pointed out the front window at Duke. Bogo came to a screeching stop just in front of Duke, then he and Nick rushed out of the car.
"Wilde! For once I'm actually glad to see the folks in blue, here, she's in bad shape." Duke informed as he handed Judy to Nick.
"Judy! Oh my God, she's beat to hell and covered in blood; what happened here?!" Nick asked as he held Judy close.
"I honestly don't know, I was nearby and I saw her sister. I thought it was odd that a child was here alone, so I tried to get her attention but she ran. I followed her because I didn't want her getting hurt, she lead me to Hopps and she was in bad shape when I got there. She didn't really explain much, but the fleshy piñata dangling from the sunroof tells me that something really serious happened here." Duke explained in a sad tone.
"Fleshy piñata?" Bogo asked in a confused tone.
"Yeah, she messed that guy up real good. Though if I had a sister and someone kidnapped her, I probably would've done something just as nasty." Duke replied as he looked at Judy. "You need to get her to a hospital, she was coughing up blood earlier and she's been unresponsive for at least two minutes. Go, I'll show your teammates where her little mess is hanging out." Duke instructed as he waved Nick off.
"You heard him Nick, get Hopps and her sister to an ambulance; I'll meet you both at the hospital as soon as I see the mess that Hopps apparently left for us." Bogo ordered as he started following Duke. Nick turned around and rushed towards an ambulance that had just pulled up.
"Here! I have no idea what happened, but she's in really bad shape. I also need another team to check on her little sister." Nick instructed as he opened the back of the ambulance.
"We're on it." A chimpanzee replied as he took Judy from Nick.
"There's another ambulance on its way, it should be here in less than a minute." A moose in the driver's seat informed, just as a second ambulance pulled up.
"Go, get her to a hospital; I'll find her sister." Nick ordered as he shut the back doors and patted them twice. The ambulance started pulling away, and Nick watched for a moment before shaking the fear from his head to focus on finding Molly in all of the chaos.
"Nick!" Clawhauser yelled as he waved at Nick. Nick rushed over to Clawhauser, relieved when he saw Molly sitting with him in an ambulance.
"Clawhauser, thank God. How is she?" Nick asked as he looked at Molly.
"Chubby cheetah." Molly giggled as she climbed over the side of the gurney and onto Clawhauser's lap.
"The same as always." Clawhauser answered as he hugged Molly.
"That's a relief, I wish I could say the same about Judy. She looked like she'd just gotten done with a run through hell." Nick replied as he sat down next to Clawhauser.
"I'm sure she'll be okay, Judy's as tough as they come." Clawhauser encouraged as his radio went off.
"Clawhauser, I need you and Wilde in the warehouse. There's something you both need to see." Bogo informed through the radio.
"Copy that, we're on our way." Nick replied into his own radio. "Okay Molly, you stay here with these paramedics, uncle Nick will be back soon. Okay?" Nick instructed as he picked Molly up.
"Okay." Molly replied as Nick handed her to the medic.
"Should we take her to the hospital, or should we wait for you to come back?" The medic asked as she held Molly close.
"Get her to the hospital, her family is already there waiting. Her parent's names are Stu and Bonnie Hopps, tell them Nick sent you." Nick instructed as he got out of the ambulance.
"Got it." The medic answered as she closed the doors. The ambulance started driving away as Nick and Clawhauser made their way into the warehouse.
"Alright chief, what is it that... Oh my God." Nick started to ask, until he noticed Finnick's body hanging from the ceiling.
"I've never seen anything like it, I can't believe Hopps did this." Bogo quietly said as he also stared up at Finnick.
"There's no way she did this. I'd sooner believe that Finnick did it himself to avoid prison than believe Judy did it." Nick replied as he continued staring up at Finnick's body.
"We'll need forensics to go over this place, we should check the roof for anything else though." Bogo suggested as he walked over to the steps that lead to the catwalk.
"Chief, did you see this?" Nick asked as he pointed at a chair that had some torn ropes lying at its feet, as well as some blood spattered on the ground and parts of the chair.
"Someone was tied up here and tortured, or at least beaten. The question is who? Hopps or Finnick?" Bogo asked as he looked at the blood and ropes.
"It was Judy." Nick quietly answered as he stared at the scene.
"How do you know?" Bogo asked as he stared at Nick.
"Her pen." Nick answered as he knelt down and picked up Judy's carrot pen.
"That doesn't mean she was the one tied to the chair, she could've just been nearby and dropped it." Bogo suggested in a calm tone.
"Let's find out, maybe we'll get lucky and it'll have recorded some of what happened." Nick replied as he clicked the play button on the pen.
"This is officer Judy Hopps with precinct one of the Z.P.D, this recording is for any Z.P.D officer on scene. I've just pulled up to a warehouse that my sister's likely being held in, I will attempt to control the situation and negotiate with the suspect; but I will not hesitate to use deadly force in order to save her, regardless of any consequences I may face. I don't know what's about to happen, but I'm going to leave this recorder going for as long as I can. Also, Nick, if you're listening to this right now, I hope I'm still alive. If I'm not though, I just want you to know how much you mean to me. Despite all of the mistakes I've made, all of the judgments I made about you when we first met, you never turned your back on me. I'm so grateful to you, Nick. You mean more to me than you'll ever know, or I'll ever be able to express. I love you so much Nick, and no matter what happens here tonight, I always will. You're my fox, and I'm so thankful to have met you. I love you Nick Wilde, and I'm sorry if these are the last words you hear from me. Please, if I don't make it, take care of my family for me. Goodbye Nick." Judy's voice spoke as the recording started to play, Nick and Bogo could here her get choked up as she started talking about Nick. The sound became slightly muffled a moment later, likely from Judy hiding the pen in her pocket, but it was clear enough to hear everything else that had happened after that.
"Oh Judy." Nick whispered with a sniffle as he wiped some tears from his eyes.
"Clawhauser, I need you to see if you can get access to the dock's camera system. I wanna see exactly what happened here tonight." Bogo ordered in a calm tone.
"I'm on it, chief." Clawhauser replied as he started walking away.
"I'm coming to." Nick informed as he started following Clawhauser.
"Nick." Bogo said as he put a hoof on Nick's shoulder.
"Chief I have to see, I have to know for myself what she went through; see what happened here." Nick quietly said with a few tears. Bogo lightly nodded before letting go of Nick, who nodded back before slowly following Clawhauser.
"Alright Nick, let's see what we can find." Clawhauser said as he walked into a small security office, then he pulled a device from a pouch on his belt and plugged it into the computer.
"What's that thing?" Nick asked as he stared at the odd device. It was a large, black, and rectangular shaped device with a USB attachment on one side. It also had a small adjustable antenna built into the side opposite of USB attachment.
"It's a hacking device, it's gonna help me bypass the security login." Clawhauser answered as some windows with random bits of code popped up on the screen. "Alright, we're in. Now then, are you sure you wanna see this? There's no telling what we're about to see." Clawhauser asked as he looked up at Nick.
"I don't care. I have to know, Clawhuser; I have to know what she went through. The more I know now, the better I can help her later." Nick answered as he leaned in a little closer to the screen. Clawhauser nodded before clicking the play button on the security video, and though it had no audio, Judy had recorded most of the audio via her carrot pen already. However, hearing what had happened was nothing compared to seeing what had happened. Nick couldn't help but flinch every time Finnick punched Judy, but when he saw him inject her with the Nighthowler drug, he felt tears run down his cheeks as she started convulsing; he couldn't even watch after a few seconds.
"Judy." Clawhauser whispered as he stared at the screen with a sad expression.
"How much more of this is there?" Nick asked as he chocked back a sob.
"I don't know, but I can't believe that this is Judy. My God, she held absolutely nothing back when she went after Finnick." Clawhauser whispered as he watched Judy punch the hatch that lead to the roof until the lock broke. "Her hand's gotta be broken for sure." Clawhauser said as he watched Judy bust the hatch open, then scurry onto the roof.
"He's done beating her?" Nick asked with a sniffle.
"Yeah, but you don't have to watch if you don't want to, Nick." Clawhauser answered as he switched to the exterior cameras to see the roof.
"Yes, I do. She's my partner, she suffered here tonight, I owe it to her to at least watch what she went through." Nick replied as he turned back towards the screen. He watched in horror as Judy and Finnick battled on the roof, gasping when he saw Finnick shoot Judy. He was more shocked, or even horrified, when he watched how violently Judy ended Finnick's life. Nick couldn't believe what he was seeing, he watched as Judy beat Finnick even more so the second time. "Judy this isn't you, don't do it." Nick cried as he stared at the screen. He already had an idea of what was about to happen, but he still didn't want to believe that Judy had been the one that put Finnick in the position they'd found him in. "JUDY!" Nick cried as he watched Judy slam Finnick through the glass roof, leaving him hanging there as she slammed into the ground. "Oh my God! Clawhauser she killed him! She actually murdered him! How could she do that?! That's not like Judy, that's not my Carrots!" Nick cried as he hugged Clawhauser.
"Nick." Clawhauser whispered as he wrapped an arm around Nick. Nick just clung to Clawhauser as he cried, he didn't even bother to watch the rest of the video. Deep down, he didn't even wanna look at Judy.
"I can't... I can't believe that...she killed him. She didn't even have to, she flat out murdered Finnick! I can't believe she did this! I know that she was scared, and angry, and drugged up on Nighthowler; but she went out of her way to murder him! That's not Judy, that's not my Carrots!" Nick cried as he continued clinging to Clawhauser.
"Nick, it's not what you're thinking. She's not a murderer, Nick." Clawhauser whispered as he rubbed Nick's back.
"Not a murderer?! She wrapped a rope around his neck, strangled and beat him, then tied the rope to a vent and smashed him through a window! She had an ample amount of opportunities to stop what she was doing, but instead she just killed him! She murdered him out of revenge, Clawhauser! The evidence is right here!" Nick shouted as he pointed at the screen.
"It wasn't her fault, Nick. It was the Nighthowler, not Judy." Clawhauser replied in a slightly firmer tone.
"No, it wasn't! Didn't you notice that she stayed in control the entire time?! The drug never took affect, at least not like it normally does! She just murdered Finnick out of revenge! It's right there on the video, Judy is a murderer!" Nick shouted as he started to really loose it.
"She's not a murderer, Nick! She was protecting her sister!" Clawhauser suddenly screamed, causing Nick to jump at the sudden change in tone. "I know this isn't easy for you to watch, but you need to take a step back and look at this like a police officer, not as Judy's friend or whatever other relationship the two of you have. She walked in, followed the kidnapper's instructions, and he assaulted and tried to murder her. He forced a drug into her system, threatened her family, then beat her. She escaped, fought back in order to give Molly time to escape, and in the end she did the only thing she could do. She gave him a chance and he shot her, I don't care what anyone says, if any other mammal in the world had been in her shoes they would've killed him too. Even I would've killed him, and that's saying a lot coming from me. So cut her some slack, she did the only thing she could; she killed Finnick to protect herself and Molly. Do you understand?" Clawhauser calmly explained and asked with a sad expression.
"I... I think so. It's just so hard for me to see Judy like this, so angry, vengeful even. Even if that's not the case, it still hurts to see what she did, what she had to become just to survive. I should've been here for her, I'm never there when she needs me; I'm a terrible partner. I'm never there for her, Clawhauser; I'm never there when she really needs me!" Nick cried as he hugged Clawhauser again. "I can't believe she still even wants to see me, how can she not hate me?! She's always there for me when I need her, but where am I when she needs me?! I can't count on both paws how many times I've failed her these past couple of weeks! I don't deserve her, and she deserves so much better than me! I'm so sorry Judy! I'm sorry!" Nick yelled through his tears as he continued to cling to Clawhauser.
"Nick that's not true. You're there for her all the time, but you can't be there every time, it's just not possible. So instead of crying about the times you weren't able to be there for her, wipe your tears and go be with your bunny. She's going to need you now more than ever, so get your tail down to that hospital, Wilde. That's an order from a senior officer." Clawhauser said with a small grin.
"Yes sir!" Nick replied as he gave Clawhauser a sharp salute, then he turned on his heels and ran out of the office.
"Go get her, fox." Clawhauser quietly said with a smile, as he watched Nick run away.
"I think you mean, go get 'em tiger." Bogo said with a smile as he walked into the office.
"I didn't know you were a movie buff, sir." Clawhauser replied with a smile of his own.
"Are you kidding, everyone knows spider-mammal, it's a classic superhero movie." Bogo said with small grin.
"Chief, we have so much in common. We're like twinsies!" Clawhauser said with a big toothy smile.
"Clawhauser, you're one of my most trusted and favorite officers; but if you ever use the word twinsies in my presence again, you'll be scrubbing toilets until you retire." Bogo said as he stared at Clawhauser.
"Yes sir." Clawhauser quickly replied with a nervous expression.
"Now then, let's secure this scene so that forensics can come and do their job." Bogo instructed as he started walking away.
Nick pulled into the parking structure of the hospital and parked the car, then he got out and rushed inside. "Can I help you officer?" A duck behind the front desk asked with a smile.
"Yes, I'm looking for Hopps." Nick answered as he stared at the duck.
"Okay, and which Hopps are you looking for?" The duck asked as she typed on her computer.
"Both of them. Molly should probably be my priority, I assume she's been taken back to her family though. Right?" Nick replied and asked in a somewhat flustered tone.
"I'm not sure sir, but I have her room listed as five oh one." The duck informed as she handed Nick a visitor's badge.
"That's good enough, and what about her sister Judy?" Nick asked as he clipped the badge onto his vest.
"There's no word on her sister yet, she was moved into the O.R shortly after arrival." The duck answered in a calm tone.
"O.R?! She's being operated on?!" Nick asked in a shocked tone.
"Yes sir, though I don't have any details as to why. You'll have to talk to the doctors or her family for more information. I'm sorry sir." The duck replied with a sad expression.
"Thanks." Nick thanked before running towards the elevator. "Hang on Judy, your fox is coming." Nick said to himself as he pushed a button for the fith floor. The doors started closing, but a hand suddenly stopped them from shutting, then they slowly opened back up.
"I'm sorry, I really needed to cath this elevator though." A woman said as the doors opened enough for Nick to see her.
"Gazelle?" Nick asked in surprise when he noticed who the mammal was.
"Nick?" Gazelle replied as she stared at Nick for a moment.
"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you or anything, because I'm always happy to see you. But what's going on, you or someone you know aren't hurt, are they?" Nick asked with some concern as he stared at Gazelle.
"Don't be so dense, Nick. Who do you think I'm here to see? Clawhauser texted me shortly after you left, I came straight here when I heard what had happened." Gazelle answered as the doors started closing again.
"So you two swapped numbers already? That sly cheetah, your fans are gonna be sad that you've been taken." Nick replied with a small smirk.
"I don't think now is the time to be making jokes, Nick. It sounds like Judy's really hurt." Gazelle said in a sad tone.
"You think I don't know that?! I was there, Gazelle. I know how badly she's hurt, why do you think I make such stupid jokes all the time? They keep my mind off of the things that scary me, the things that hurt me. I laugh so I don't cry, Gazelle. It's what I've always done, it's the only way I know how to operate anymore." Nick replied with a sad sigh as he looked down at the ground.
"Nick." Gazelle quietly said as she looked down at him.
"I used to cry more, especially when I was a kid. Being the only predator in an orphanage full of prey mammals was already bad enough, but if they would've seen the big scary fox cry himself to sleep every night they would've eaten me alive in that hell hole. Everyone says how innocent children are, but that's only when the adults are around; the second they walked away though, those innocent little children became monsters. I had to laugh and act like I enjoyed the harassment, the beatings, the overall cruelty of mammals. Eventually they left me alone because they thought I was crazy, but deep down, I was crying through it all; and I still am." Nick quietly explained with a sniffle.
"Oh Nick." Gazelle quietly said as she hugged Nick. "You don't have to hide your feelings anymore, Nick. You have friends, mammals that love you; don't be afraid to show us that you're hurting. We would never tease you for it, we're here for you, Nick. Just like you'll always be there for us." Gazelle whispered as she placed a kiss on the top of Nick's head.
"Thank you. I'm sorry that I still have trouble opening up, I'm just not used to anyone caring like you all do. I spent twelve years of my life without anyone caring about me, if I had died during any point in those twelve years there would've been no one that even noticed, let alone cared. This whole having mammals there for me thing is really new to me, but I really appreciate it, I appreciate all of you. Thank you Gazelle." Nick quietly said as he hugged Gazelle.
"You're welcome Nick." Gazelle replied as she hugged Nick back. The two let each other go when they heard the elevator ding. The doors slowly opened and the duo stepped off the elevator and approached a desk where a flamingo was sitting.
"Ah, officer Wilde; and lady Gazelle. The reception desk on the ground level called ahead on your behalf, you can go straight through those double doors on your right, the room will be the first one on your left." The flamingo informed as she pointed at a pair of wooden doors with a window built into each of them.
"Thank you." Nick thanked as he lead Gazelle through the doors. "I hope Molly's okay, I only talked to her a little bit before she was brought here." Nick quietly said as he looked for the room number.
"I have faith that Molly's just fine, it's Judy that I'm most worried about." Gazelle replied as she and Nick stopped outside the room and knocked on the door.
"Come in." A voice quietly instructed from the other side of the door. Nick gently opened the door and walked inside, followed by Gazelle.
"Nick, Gazelle, it's good to see you both." Bonnie said with a small smile as she looked at them both.
"It's good to see you all as well, how's Molly?" Nick asked as he looked at Molly, who smiled and held her arms out to him.
"She's fine, the doctor said that there wasn't a scratch on her." Bonnie answered as she looked at Molly.
"That's so good to hear." Nick replied as he picked Molly up.
"Uncle Nick." Molly giggeld as she hugged Nick.
"You had your family and I worried sick about you, did you know that?" Nick asked with a smile as he hugged Molly.
"I'm sorry." Molly apologized as she laid her head on Nick's chest.
"That's okay, the important thing is that you're safe." Nick replied as he carried Molly over to a chair and sat down with her. "Where's Mister Hopps?" Nick asked as he looked around for Stu.
"He's in the waiting room of the O.R, he's gonna text me with any news on Judy." Bonnie answered in a sad tone.
"Do you think he'd mind some company?" Nick asked as he looked back at Bonnie.
"I think he'd actually appreciate it." Bonnie answered with a smile.
"Alright, I'll head down and check on him; Gazelle, would you be okay with staying here?" Nick informed and asked as he looked from Bonnie to Gazelle.
"Of course Nick, but please text us any information you get about Judy." Gazelle answered as she sat down, immediately getting swarmed by bunnies as she did so.
"Alright kids, uncle Nick's gonna go and check on your dad, I'll be back later. Oh, and please don't suffocate Gazelle. She's not quite used to bunny piles yet." Nick said with a grin as he left the room. Gazelle looked down at the hundreds of bunnies that couldn't get on her lap, it made her wonder if Nick's last comment was a joke, or if he'd actually meant it.
Stu sat alone in the waiting room, staring down at the floor whilst absentmindedly tapping his feet on the ground out of nervousness. His ears perked up slightly at the sound of footsteps behind him. "I was wondering when you'd get here. How's Molly doing?" Stu asked as he looked up from the ground, seeing Nick standing in front of him.
"Molly's doing just fine, she's with everyone else right now." Nick answered as he sat down next to Stu. "Has anyone said anything yet?" Nick quietly asked as he looked at the doors to the operating room.
"No. No one's gone in or out since she was first rushed through the doors." Stu answered in a sad tone. Nick nodded as he continued to stare at the double doors to the operating room. "Thank you for coming down here, Nick. I have to admit that I was really uncomfortable on my own down here, everything just felt more..." Stu paused as he tried to think of a way to describe his feelings.
"Dreary?" Nick asked in a sad tone.
"Yeah. Very dreary." Stu replied with a sigh.
"I'm sorry, Mister Hopps. I should've been there for her, I'm sorry that I wasnt." Nick quietly apologized in a sad tone.
"Don't blame yourself Nick, you can't be there for her every time; just like I can't be. I don't know what happened out there tonight, and from what little I've been told, you don't either." Stu replied as he put an arm around Nick's shoulders.
"Actually sir, I do. Clawhauser was able to get into the dock's security system, I saw the video. It was terrible, I could hardly even bring myself to finish watching." Nick replied with a few tears.
"How bad, Nick? How bad was it?" Stu whispered as he slowly looked at Nick.
"I hardly even recognized her in that recording. There was so much rage, hatred, even. I'll never forget what I saw her do, and I doubt she will either." Nick answered through his tears.
"Nick, please, what exactly did my little girl do? What happened tonight?" Stu asked as he slowly turned his head towards Nick.
"She... She killed Finnick. She beat the hell out of him and hung him from the sunroof. She actually killed him, and it was so brutal. I felt like I was gonna be sick as I watched it happen." Nick explained as he started crying a little more.
"Oh my God. Judy, what have you done?" Stu whispered as he stared blankly at the floor. "What's gonna happen to her?" Stu asked in a worried tone.
"I don't know, hopefully she can claim self defense if anything happens. He did kidnap Molly after all, he also tied Judy up and assaulted her. He even drugged her with Nighthowler, so that helps her case. She also gave him a chance to surrender, but instead of accepting defeat and surrendering peacefully, he pulled out a gun and shot her. So honestly sir, you'd likely be hard pressed to find anyone to even press charges against her, let alone someone to prosecute her." Nick explained with a straight face.
"I hope you're right Nick, Judy wouldn't survive in prison. They'd tear her apart in that place." Stu said in a sad tone.
"I don't know about that, did she ever tell you about the time we chased down a grizzly bear together?" Nick asked with a small grin.
"Do I even wanna know?" Stu asked with a straight face.
"It's a good story, trust me." Nick replied with a smile.
"Alright, let's here it I guess." Stu instructed as he stared intently at Nick.
"Alright. So there we were, sitting in our car eating lunch, when suddenly we get a call about an armed robbery less than three blocks away at an old antique shop. Judy grabbed the radio so fast that I didn't even notice until she'd started talking into it. The next thing I know I've got half a bug burger splattered on my vest because Judy slammed her lead foot on the gas. She's speeding down the road going at least a hundred miles an hour, we were going so fast that we nearly drove right past the store. Anyways, she stops the vehicle and looks around a little bit before spotting our suspect heading into an alley. So I call it in as we get out of the car, and the second her feet are on the ground she bolts after the perp. I ran after her as fast as I could, but man, when Judy has a suspect in her sights there's nothing and no one that can keep up with her. She tears down the alleyway after the guy, leaps onto his back, then clings to him like some kind of parasite. The poor dude freaked out so much that he knocked himself out when he sprinted directly into the brick wall in front of him. By the time I'd caught up she'd already cuffed the dude and called it into dispatch, she was amazing." Nick said with a smile and dreamy gaze.
"Yeah, that sounds like Judy." Stu chuckled in reply. "Got any more stories to keep a worried dad in good spirits?" Stu asked with a smile.
"Sir, I'm an encyclopedia of good stories." Nick answered with a grin. A few hours passed as Nick and Stu talked, neither one of them had even noticed how long they'd been waiting as they talked about Judy and told stories about her to each other.
"So we're searching everywhere for her, and Bonnie's sister comes running down the road screaming at everyone to get out of the way. I yell to her, Sarah, what's wrong? Well five seconds later, I get my answer as the tractor comes barrelin' down the road like a tank! We all started running for our lives, I look back at the tractor as it's rolling towards me, and all I can see over the steering wheel are these two gray ears floppin' around. The tractor comes to a stop less than a foot away from me, and then Judy's head pops up over the wheel and she says, look daddy, I'm just like you. Then, in my panic, I said to her, I may have thought about running aunty Sarah over with the tractor a few times, but I never actually tried to." Stu said with a laugh. Nick couldn't help but burst out laughing at that as well.
"Oh that's bad, but so good." Nick said through his laughter.
"On the bright side, aunty Sarah rarely visits anymore!" Stu replied with another laugh.
"Wow Mister Hopps, what in the world did that the poor woman do to you?" Nick asked with a grin.
"She tried to convince Bonnie to mary some douchebag from our old high school football team instead of me, we never got along too well after that. But that's okay, because I got my Bon-Bon in the end." Stu answered with a smile as he looked up at the ceiling. "Now all I need is my little girl, and I'll be whole again." Stu quietly said in a sad tone.
"I know what you mean. Judy's the only family I have, I'd do anything for her. I feel so guilty that I wasn't there for her." Nick quietly said as he looked down at the floor.
"It's okay Nick, you're here now, and you'll be here every moment after." Stu replied as he placed a paw on Nick's shoulder. Nick opened his mouth to speak, but the opening of the O.R's doors silenced anything he was about to say.
"I'm happy to say that officer Hopps is stable and ready to be moved to a room, though she certainly scared us more than a few times in there." A mongoose in a surgical gown said as he stepped into the waiting room.
"Oh thank God. Thank you so much." Stu thanked as Judy was wheeled through the doors a moment later.
"Judy." Nick said with a smile as he rushed to Judy's side. "She looks so peaceful." Nick quietly said as he looked down at Judy's sleeping form.
"I'll call Bonnie and let her know that Judy's finally out of surgery." Stu informed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"Where's chubby cheetah?" Molly asked as she climbed onto Gazelle's lap.
"I'm afraid that he's going to be working late tonight, tis the life of a first responder I suppose." Gazelle answered with a sad smile.
"Yeah, that's for sure." Bonnie quietly said with a sad sigh.
"Don't worry Misses Hopps, Judy's as strong as they come. I have no doubt that she's going to be okay." Gazelle encouraged as she placed her hand over Bonnie's.
"I wish I was as confident as you are, but I'm so worried about her. I never wanted her to do this job, none of us did. Despite that though, I couldn't be more proud of her." Bonnie replied with a sniffle as she squeezed Gazelle's hand. A light vibration grabbed her attention a moment later. "Excuse me." Bonnie quietly said as she reached into her purse and pulled her phone out. "It's Stu! Oh thank God, if he's calling then it must be good news!" Bonnie cheered as she quickly answered the phone.
"Bonnie! She's out of surgery, she's okay! Our baby's okay!" Stu yelled with joy through the phone.
"Oh thank God! I'm so relieved to hear that, I've been so worried down here! If it hadn't been for Gazelle I probably wouldn't have been able to keep it together, oh thank you Lord." Bonnie cried with joy as she hugged Gazzelle, surprising the idol quite a bit as she did so.
"I feel the same way honey. How's Molly doing?" Stu asked in a happy tone.
"Molly is just fine, but I think she misses Judy's co-worker, Clawhauser I believe. She seems to have grown quite attached to him for some reason." Bonnie answered with a giggle.
"Well, he is a nice guy, plus he really cares about Judy." Stu answered with a light chuckle.
"Chubby cheetah?" Molly asked as she looked at Bonnie.
"Yes, we're talking about your new friend." Bonnie answered with a smile.
"Well, they're bringing Judy to a room now, I'll text you which one once we get down there. I love ya Bon." Stu informed in a soft tone.
"I love you too Stu." Bonnie replied before blowing a kiss into the phone and hanging up. "Gazelle, I don't know if this is appropriate to ask, but..." Bonnie started to ask, until Gazelle smiled at her and cut her off.
"Go. I'll watch over all of these adorable little rascals." Gazelle answered as she looked down at all of the bunnies.
"Thank you. You're a blessing." Bonnie thanked before leaving the room.
"Where's mama going?" One of the bunnies asked as he looked up at Gazelle.
"She'll be back, she's going to check on Judy. So for now, why don't we have some fun?" Gazelle asked with a smile.