Hello everyone,
Once again, I am requesting your forgiveness for such a long update time. I won't bore you with the details, in short: life sucks.
This chapter was able to come out due to the help of my friends, who made significant contributions to the concept. I want to thank Dagonn for reviewing the sword skills and ScaraMedn for sharing his opinion about the general feeling of some scenes. Thank you.
I wish to direct my biggest thanks to my best friend and a wonderful editor - TheoreticallyEva. If not for you... I don't know how my writing would look like. Thank you so, so much.
And there's one more important thing. As some of you may already know, TheoreticallyEva is planning on starting her own publishing company. It's something with a fresh breeze and a great potential. I would be immensely grateful for your time if you could help out by filling out this questionnaire: : / forms . gle / AqUAoRVsbJFbrH9F8 (just remove all spaces), which explains more about the idea. It's completely anonymous and takes only a few minutes. Thank you in advance. Should the link not work, please don't hesitate to PM me.
Many thanks to all reviewers, I appreciate all of them. And I wanted to send special thanks to an anonymous Guest, who left a lengthy and heartfelt review. Whoever you are, thank you. I wish you much joy in life.
As for the story, to sketch out a plan for you, the next chapter will deal with the organization and number 48 will really kick things into gear.
Chapter 46
Jackie stole a quick peek at the capsule on the ground. "... Maybe they're past the expiration date?"
Judy could hear the disbelief in her voice. From her side, she knew that she couldn't afford taking her eyes off the wolf. The recent warnings from Marcus were burned into her memory. And if a fighter like him was so cautious of someone… You knew it wasn't going to be pretty.
But feeling the legs of her friend and fellow officer behind her, the doe wasn't going to give in. She was the one to rush here, so it was her responsibility to get Jackie out of this place. That's why she tapped the cheetah's thigh with her elbow.
"We need to get to the stairs," she murmured with the corner of her mouth.
"You have my vote on that," Jackie whispered back.
Judy nodded, eyeing the surroundings. Apart from the crates, there were also clothing mannequins scattered around. Nothing they could use to their advantage. "I have an idea," she whispered..
Jackie clicked her tongue. "Okay." She kept her eyes on the strange predator, who began approaching them slowly. "Here goes nothing." The cheetah spun around, picking Judy up from the floor. In the next moment, she was swinging her arm, replaying the scenario from the alley. The doe catapulted off her arm towards Volkov. The plan was to distract him, maybe even knock him off balance. This would give them a tiny window to escape to the stairs. It wasn't a perfect strategy, but the best she could come up with in such a short amount of time.
Two things happened.
The scarred wolf gracefully stepped to the side, letting the bunny-bullet pass by him.
Jackie was supposed to run the moment she threw her friend, but that's when she heard a snarl behind her. Following her instinct, the cheetah ducked to the side, avoiding the swing of a sword.
Judy landed and rolled, springing up to her feet. The stairs were right behind her.
Volkov turned to her, placing both paws on his cane. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Judy immediately noticed the other assassin attacking her friend.
"Jackie!"
The wolf raised a brow in an inquiring manner.
The doe grit her teeth, her blood boiling over the wolf's behavior. He wasn't attacking her in any way, but he was implying that she was not allowed to save Jackie. She viewed this as if he were giving her a choice - either run and leave her colleague to die, or stay and die with her. Judy didn't even need a second to decide, and she moved towards the wolf.
Meanwhile, Jackie had her own problems. Her opponent was no gentlemammal, and from the first swing of his sword, she knew that this was going to be a close cut. She ducked under a horizontal swing, as she preferred her head actually attached to the rest of her body. However, she had to quickly shift back when he followed the first attack with another. The thrust of the second sword almost reached the feline's stomach. Unfortunately, her sudden retreat caused her back to bump into crates and break her rhythm, not a good thing while facing an enemy. He took advantage of that and made a quick step forward, attacking with another thrust, this time at the level of her head. Jackie jerked to the side with a short yelp when the blade's tip sunk into the wood just a few inches from her ear. The girl thought about counterattacking, but that plan was thwarted by another thrust, one aimed at her gut. The feline instantly placed her hindpaw on a nearby concrete pillar to propel herself in the opposite direction and avoid receiving unwanted ventilation for her intestines. She never was more thankful for being a cheetah, as without her natural speed, she would certainly would have been skewered in the first seconds of this fight.
The problem was that she needed to avoid every one of his attacks, while he, with how sharp the swords looked, probably needed to land only a single good one.
He continued his offense, the blades following the constantly retreating cheetah. While she was trained in paw-to-paw combat and dealing with aggressive suspects using various submission holds, nobody had ever taught them how to handle a dual sword-wielding assassin. While this was a new experience for her, hopefully not the last, she was dead certain that any carelessly thrown punch or kick would result in a much shorter limb.
With that in mind, Jackie focused on avoiding the blades, and that was no easy task. The assassin's attacks were coming in rapid succession and different patterns. Swings and thrusts, followed one by another. Still, the surroundings were to Jackie's advantage, as narrow paths between crates and mannequins left little space for maneuvering the blades.
Then, he swung his right sword upwards diagonally from the side of his left leg towards her left shoulder. She frantically twisted and bent her torso back to avoid getting it cut. Missing its mark, the curved sword caught the side of one of the crates, the blade digging deep into the wood.
Jackie saw this as a chance to counterattack. She put her right hindpaw forward to shorten the distance and sent her right paw in a punch towards the predator's jaw. In the next moment, she realized her mistake when he abandoned his stuck sword and took a step back to gain enough room for another swing, mirroring his earlier move, now from right to left.
Jackie hissed and tried to retreat, but she was too close. The tip of the sword sliced the upper part of her chest, right above her breast, and cut towards her right collar bone. The feline yelped and staggered backwards, clutching the wound with her left paw. She could have sworn that she felt the metal scraping on her bones. Her opponent didn't waste the opportunity, and his leg sprung forward, landing a powerful kick on Jackie's stomach. The force of the strike sent the girl back almost flying, and she hit a stack of crates, the impact knocking the air out of her lungs. Wounded and dazed, the cheetah had enough survival instinct to relax the muscles in her legs, allowing her body to drop to its knees. This move saved her from a very bloody shave when the sword cut where her head was a moment ago. Earning this second gave her a chance to recover a bit, and she rolled to the side, right before the assassin brought down the blade in a fluid motion, no doubt fully intending to cleave her in two. A moment earlier, he recovered his other sword.
Jackie got to her hindpaws, still holding the bleeding wound. "Damn, this hurts!" she groaned and stepped back and to the side. "Can't we just talk this out?"
A swing that came from the side in a blur cut swiftly through the neck, causing the head to roll off the shoulders.
Jackie emerged from behind the cheetah-shaped headless mannequin. "Uh, I guess this means no... AAUGH!" She was forced to jump back from another vertical cut aimed to liberate her left arm from the rest of her body. Again, the cut wasn't deep enough to cleave off the limb, but still hurt like hell and caused more bleeding.
"Aarrgh! I just bought this shirt!" Jackie complained, her jokes spiking in the extremely nerve-wracking situation.
The cheetah retreated backwards but stepped on a metal tube, and the world spun before her eyes. She landed heavily on the concrete floor, hitting it with the back of her head. Her vision flashed with white for a moment before she saw the shadow of the assassin over her. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was coming, and her fingers frantically searched the floor to find something that could help. And they did.
Jackie's and the predator's arms moved in the same moment, and slight surprise appeared on the latter's face when his downward thrust was deflected to the side. The cheetah was holding a meter-long metal tube, one of those on which she tripped. By sheer luck, she managed to save herself from a piercing she didn't order.
Her relief didn't last long when the white-furred predator swung both swords down on her. Jackie yelped and raised the tube in both paws in front of her. The metals collided, the cheetah's defense holding out, but she noticed that the blades dug into it for an inch. Her opponent let out a growl and pushed down. He was strong, and Jackie was wounded, not able to muster the full strength of her arms. The tube was inevitably getting lower, Jackie's trembling limbs unable to stop the assassin from pressing it to her throat.
She looked up fearfully into the sharp sapphires staring down on her, as if only now hit by the thought about death. And she found nothing in them. No mercy, no empathy.
The metal kept pressing on her throat, starting to make breathing difficult for her. The assassin leaned on her metal defence, putting his own weight on the tube, his face hovering right above hers.
Even in her dramatic situation, it reminded her of a similar moment with Nick. This caused a crazy idea to pop in her mind. It was completely insane from a normal point of view. Then again, her position was lightyears away from normal. She decided to go for it.
Straining her neck, Jackie managed to lift her head enough to... kiss the assassin's nose.
His eyes widened, and he froze for an instant. This momentary distraction was enough for the desperate cheetah. Gathering every bit of strength left in her arms, Jackie pushed up, lifting the mammal off her. She followed it by making use of her knee, landing it on the assassin's stomach.
This resulted in a groan and made him stagger back, a crack in his dominating role in this fight, and she intended to build on it. With strength and speed borne from fear and adrenaline, Jackie sprung to her hindpaws. The cheetah launched a lightning-fast jab to his face, followed by another, stronger one. With a nasty smirk, Jackie put all her weight and speed into a straight kick to his torso, sending the smaller predator flying, causing him to crash into a group of mannequins, which all fell together into a tangled pile. To add to that, the force of impact was enough to shake a loose crate on top of the highly-stacked boxes right next to where he landed. The crate fell down, right on top of the lying assassin.
Despite her wounds and shortage of breath, Jackie showed a weak grin at the results of her offensive.
"How do you like them apples?"
There was a loud crack, and the crate was suddenly launched upwards and to the side. Two legs were visible among the pile of mannequins, apparently responsible for kicking the object in their way. Right after that, the assassin sprang up, both swords still in his paws. His fur was a bit ruffled, but he seemed completely unharmed. The main difference was his eyes.
Earlier, his gaze was rather indifferent, but now Jackie was subjected to a sapphire stare comparable to a violent blizzard. She felt a cold shiver running down her spine and unintentionally took a step back. The feline had previous experience with dangerous situations, but this felt different. She couldn't shake off a dreadful feeling that she had just bitten off more than she could chew.
With a ferocious snarl, the assassin lunged towards her.
Jackie yelped and, spotting a possible projectile nearby, snatched the head of a mannequin from a crate and threw it at her attacker.
He didn't even slow down when his arms moved in a blur, and the plastic head split into two.
Jackie didn't even have time to curse at that sight, as he was already on her. The sword in his right paw moved with such speed that she could hear the tearing sound of cut air. The feline managed to avoid a diagonal swing by twisting her torso, something she couldn't have done without observing his movements and being cheetahingly fast. She once heard that the tip of some swords can travel with almost the same speed as a bullet. If she read his movements wrong by a fraction of a second, she'd turn into a pile of spotted cheetah nuggets.
Unfortunately, her maneuver left her side open to another attack. A quick jump backwards didn't save her from receiving another cut to the side. There was no time for pain, as the white predator followed right after her when she stumbled backwards. Another desperate thought drove Jackie to try and close in, hoping that the short distance would make his swords become useless. She was fast enough to execute that, and when they were close enough, the cheetah used her left arm to launch an uppercut palm strike at his chin.
The assassin instantly jerked his arm, and Jackie's palm hit the hilt of one of his swords, which he placed there to counter her move. Then he slammed his forehead into the body of her sternum. The cheetah let out a strained gasp and was forced back, once again hitting a stack of wooden crates with the back of her head. It was in a small clearing that offered the assassin the opportunity for horizontal attacks, and he took full advantage of that. He quickly spread his arms, swinging at her neck from both sides.
Even with the wounds, her mind dazed from the intensity of the fight, Jackie was fully aware that this was the end. She had neither the time nor strength to move out of the line of attack. All that was left to watch the last seconds of her life. Jackie found it strange that, in this final moment, she didn't think about her family, friends, or anything similar to that. Initially, she thought about closing her eyes and waiting for the blades to cut, but she couldn't do that. Her attention was focused on the face of her executioner and his eyes. The anger she noticed earlier was gone, replaced by focus and determination. He was looking straight into her eyes. A solitary witness to her death. She was a bit confused by this, as some part of her was feeling a bit of gratitude. For some reason, Jackie viewed this as a farewell stare, reserved only for her. There were only the two of them in the world and the impending end of her life.
It felt almost… intimate.
Ah… They can think me a freak, but it's not such a bad way to go...
Jackie finally closed her eyes.
Sorry, Hoppsy…
.
.
Judy was well aware that the leader of the assassins was stronger than her. Still, she had to help her friend out. Closing the distance to the wolf, the doe planned to test him out first with a low kic-
The tip of the cane was suddenly under her chin.
Judy immediately threw her head back, feeling the rush of air as the metal spike almost brushed her facial fur.
He's fa-
Her legs were kicked from under her. The cement floor greeted the bunny's back with a painful impact.
Having trained instincts, Judy rolled to the side, biting back the pain. The metal end of the cane struck the spot where her throat was a moment ago.
Springing back to her feet, the doe considere-
Volkov swung the cane from the side, aiming at her temple.
She had an instant to decide. Feeling a solid crate behind her back, Judy ducked under the cane.
Wrong move.
The wolf switched his grip and turned the swing into a thrust. The handle hit her stomach with enough force to make the bunny buckle to her knees. This immobilized her long enough for Volkov to grab her by the ears and throw her at a distant crate.
Crashing with the hard surface, the doe let out a strained yelp. Stars burst out in her vision while air was forced out of her lungs.
"I've warned you, but you are foolishly stubborn."
Wheezing, Judy tried to get back to her feet to the sound of a metal tip clicking on the floor.
"Now, I will teach you the consequences of your bravado." Volkov's voice was like an ice pick. She could feel it stabbing at her heart.
A feline squeal of pain ushered back her focus.
The doe gazed up at the impending figure of the predator. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Jackie fighting with the other assassin. She refocused her gaze on the wolf. There was no room for hesitation. The bunny got to her feet, throwing a brief look around her surroundings.
Making a decision, she renewed her attack by lunging forward.
Volkov narrowed his eye at her straightforward action.
Thanks to his earlier attacks, Judy was slightly more familiar with his motions and managed to catch a glimpse of the upcoming thrust. She immediately jumped to the side, right at a concrete pillar surrounded by crates. The moment she touched it, she propelled herself in the opposite direction. This allowed her to land on top of a pile of crates, and she slipped down the other side, out of the wolf's field of vision. Her disappearance lasted only a moment before she jumped out, aiming at Volkov's head.
He readied his arm, but that's when Judy threw a projectile at him. She was only half-surprised, when the master of assassins swatted the can away with a lack of any visible effort.
She showed him a smirk.
Right when he was busy deflecting the first item, Judy was already swinging her other arm. A can, hurled with fine precision, hit the wolf's face, splashing him with paint.
The predator staggered backwards, cursing. Just what she was aiming for.
Even in the dim light, Judy could see his face covered in black, sticky paint. Landing on the floor, she scanned the basement in search of Jackie. She saw her just a few feet away, backing away from a series of strikes.
Having maybe a second or two to make the call, Judy's mind voted for immediate retreat. The doe moved to help her friend. When she made the first step forward, Volkov's claws cut the air, almost slicing off her nose. She jumped back, eyes wide.
The wolf, having his eye closed and covered in black paint, turned precisely in her direction.
"You think darkness is your ally?" He stepped towards her, while she took a step back.
Judy couldn't exactly put it in words, but something changed in the predator's demeanor. Something that caused her fur to rise along with the shiver that crept up her spine.
"You've merely adopted the dark," Volkov kept walking towards her, while his voice grew darker with every step. "I was born in it."
Judy swallowed and made a quick side step.
The wolf followed her movement without missing a beat. "I didn't see the light till I was already a killer." He stepped forward in a blur, jabbing at her with claws.
Retreating from his range, Judy noticed that he kept his cane at the ready with his left paw. However, since she was smaller, he would have a hard time using it in this limited space. That's why she ducked to the left when he swung at her again. The doe threw a punch at Volkov's liver. Or… she tried. A fraction of a moment later, she received a kick to her left shoulder. The impact slammed her body against one of the crates, and the fireworks in her eyes exploded again. Pain radiated from both sides of her body.
Still, the bunny refused to yield and stubbornly rose to her unsteady feet. Hearing Volkov's steps, Judy shuffled in the opposite direction.
That's when the back of her neck was caught by the cane's handle and the wolf pulled. As the doe was jerked forward, she felt a strike to her solar plexus. The force was enough to throw her to the floor, like a rag doll.
Lying on her side, overwhelmed by pain, Judy tried to gasp for air, like a fish thrown out on a shore. Eyes wide, she fought the crushing weight of fear. Never before had she met an opponent who outclassed her so much. The wolf seemed to read her mind and know exactly what she would do. It gripped her heart with panic to see just how easily he turned her into a toy in his claws.
"This is where it ends, Judith Laverne Hopps." Volkov's voice hovered over her. "You could've stepped away, but you simply raced to your demise. After all, nosy officers don't live happily ever after."
Through the fog of pain, Judy felt the tip of the cane touching her cheek, and the wolf pressed it to roll the bunny to her back.
"Tell me," she could see him leaning down, "what made you kill yourself, along with your friend? What is driving your mad pursuit?"
It took a few seconds for Judy to regain enough air to speak, and even then, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Nobody… stands above… the law…"
Volkov raised the brow of his paint-covered eye but said nothing.
Meanwhile, the bunny summoned every remaining bit of strength to drag herself to her elbows. "And I won't… let you corrupt Nick."
She received silence in return.
Using the fact that the master of assassins was busy listening, Judy kept talking, buying time. "Like, what are you… going to do… after killing us? Tell him we had… an accident?"
To her surprise, Volkov simply shook his head. "Nicholas is far more aware of the rules than you think."
She grit her teeth, feeling her strength slowly returning. "Rules? About killing?"
No response.
Judy took that moment to try to crawl back, but the cane followed her relentlessly. "You'll kill me…" The doe slowly tried to sit up, but the cane pressed her back to the floor. Still, Judy kept going. "And… what? That's all you do. Murdering. You're going to kill Vivian, too, if she will stand in your way?"
Volkov did not react.
"Then what? You'll adopt him?" She snorted mockingly. "Even that sorry excuse for a mammal who ran away from Vivian is better than you."
The tip of the cane forced her chin up an inch. "So he's told you about his parent?" The wolf's voice was unreadable.
"I know enough." Her eyes ran around the nearest surroundings, looking for anything that she could use to her advantage. "I know his father left him."
"No." Without any warning, Volkov's paw shot forward, clenching around her throat. Judy gurgled as the blinded predator lifted her off the ground. "I am his father."
Her eyes shot wide open at his words.
Wha-
His fingers clenched, and his grip felt like it was made of iron. But Judy wasn't done. Shaking off the shock, she was ready to act, as this was the chance for which she had hoped. Grasping his forearm with one paw, Judy reached to her belt with the other one. As fast as she could, the doe clasped a pawcuff around his wrist. A moment later, she cuffed herself with the same pawcuffs.
"Oh? What's this supposed to accomplish?" Volkov asked, feeling the metal pressing on his fur.
The bunny mustered a weak grin. "Did you notice how stuffed my pants are? There's a reason for that - I packed them full of explosives before coming here. Now…" She strained herself to reach her ankle. "You may be tough, but I wonder how you'll fare against a point blank blast."
"Impressive." He muttered with a hint of amusement, apparently not fazed by the threat.
That's when Judy's fingers reached the hem of her pant leg and returned holding a small knife that she had strapped to her ankle. With a yell that she hoped would block his hearing, Judy stabbed at the arm holding her.
"Most impressive." Volkov grinned, as his free paw caught the incoming blade.
The doe stared wide-eyed at the drops of blood trickling from between his clenched fingers.
With a twist of the wrist, the wolf wrestled the knife from her paw and tossed it aside. "Well played." His grin turned into a smirk. "Vasily!" Volkov raised his voice, not turning his face from her.
.
.
Jackie dared opening one eye and saw the assassin right in front of her. Based on the fact that she wasn't looking at him from the floor, she deduced that her head was still attached to the rest of her body.
Her opponent was in front of her, and his swords…
Jackie peered down as much as she could, noticing that the blades were merely inches away from her neck. The tips were buried into the thick, wooden crates behind her back.
The cheetah finally remembered that her body needed oxygen, and she took a hungry gasp of air.
At the same time, the predator before her yanked his weapons free, taking a step back. The moment he did so, Jackie's legs gave way, and she slumped on the floor. The exhausted officer looked up at the mammal before her, uncertain what this turn of events would mean. He was still holding his swords and gazing at her with an icy breeze in his eyes.
That's when Jackie heard a sigh from the side. "Vasily… Do I smell blood?" The wolf assassin approached them, with Judy dangling from his outstretched arm, on a pawcuff, like a Christmas tree decoration. "I do believe I asked you to be threatening, not lethal."
The white-furred predator slightly lowered his head in what could be a respectful bow. "Apology, master." He passed both swords to one paw.
Forgetting about the assassins, Judy's eyes were focused solely on her friend. "Jackie!"
The cheetah sported a weak smile. "Still alive, Hoppsy." She shifted a bit and winced with a groan. "Been better, though, I won't lie."
Only now could the bunny see the full extent of the feline's injuries. Jackie was bleeding in several places, but the worst seemed to be her right shoulder, which she was gripping with a paw.
The doe shot the white predator a furious glare, only to be met with an indifferent look.
"Officer Hopps." Volkov's voice shifted her attention to the wolf. He had his cane hanging on his forearm, while he held out his free paw to her. "Keys, if you will."
She narrowed her eyes at the paint-covered mammal, considering whether she should cooperate for now. Logically, she stood no chance, as Volkov already proved himself far superior to her in terms of combat, not to mention that Jackie was out of the fight. Also… Judy cast a brief glance at the other assassin.
"Fine…" She grumbled and reached to the pocket of her pants to take out the keys to the pawcuffs.
"Thank you." The wolf took them with a polite smile and immediately opened the metal rings.
The moment Judy landed on the floor, she jumped to Jackie's side, taking a closer look at her wounds with a mortified expression.
"Now…" Volkov's voice sounded over her head. "Ah, just in time."
The officers turned their heads in his direction, and the doe's ears twitched. She realized that she had been so focused on her suffering friend that she hadn't noticed the sound of incoming footsteps.
Moments later, a new figure appeared from the brightly lit corridor.
Dressed in a light, powder blue blouse and casual trousers, a snow leopardess entered the basement with a large bag in her paw. "All right," she sighed, "anyone left breathing?"
"I am hurt," Volkov smiled at the female, as she got closer and crouched next to Jackie. "I told you that this would be just a spar."
Judy blinked at hearing that. Spar?!
"Hang on a minute!" She got to her feet and glared at the wolf, but he held up a paw.
"First, let's allow the doctor to act. We will talk later."
The doe wanted to retort, but the leopardess raised her voice. "Is this a spar according to you, Vasily?!" She was holding her fellow feline's paw away from the bleeding shoulder so that she could examine the extent of the injury.
The swordsmammal simply shrugged without any trace of guilt on his muzzle.
"Midnight," Volkov leaned slightly towards the newcomer, "can we continue this inside?" He indicated the corridor with a nod of his head.
"We have to, as this is no environment to patch her up. And…" The female turned her head to Judy and gave her a quick once-over. "No, it looks like you're fine. Any broken bones?"
"N-No?" The bunny stammered a bit in surprise.
"Good." Midnight nodded. "Can you walk?"
Judy did a mental self-checkup. "I guess…" She eyed her friend on the ground.
The snow leopardess nodded at the sword wielding assassin while pointing at Jackie. "Carry her inside."
Both officers' eyes widened, and they exchanged cautious glances.
Meanwhile, Midnight was glaring at the white-furred assassin. "You cut her up. Carry. Her."
The mammal kept still, though Judy noticed how his fingers clenched around the swords in his paw.
The feline doctor seemed to notice it as well, and she raised her brow a little. "I'll take them."
The assassin didn't move, though his expression shifted into a frown.
At that, Midnight's approach visibly softened. "I won't drop them, I promise." She held out a paw and gave him a small smile.
Vasily stared at her wordlessly before slowly handing her his weapons.
The doctor accepted them with a nod.
Right afterward, the swordsmammal approached Jackie and crouched next to her.
Finally breaking out of the shock of still being alive and watching her would-be killer being lectured, Jackie tried shifting away. "No, thanks! I really can waAAAH-" She yelped when the assassin smoothly shuffled his arms under her and stood up.
Some part of Judy suggested snorting, even if it didn't fit the context of their situation. Here she was, watching her tall colleague being carried, bridal style, by a mammal a head shorter than Jackie. The feline desperately wrapped her arms around his neck. That wasn't a good move for her shoulders, and she hissed from the pain.
"Not move." The assassin barked at her in his broken English, giving off a cold glare.
Jackie swallowed and obediently let her right arm rest on her stomach, but she still kept the other loosely placed around his neck. She half expected them to fall at the first step, but the predator steadily started walking toward the corridor from which he had come, as if she didn't weigh anything at all. Clearly, the muscles she felt on the arms under her back and thighs weren't just for show.
Judy watched the scene with confusion and a deeply buried touch of humor. However, she was distracted by Volkov indicating the corridor himself.
"Officer Hopps?" he said.
Midnight was already following Vasily and Jackie, holding both her bag and the swords.
The bunny tensed under the blind smile of the master of assassins. Gone was that dreadful feeling from before, but she still couldn't ease up in the presence of this mammal. "Do I have a choice?"
"Please, you are far too smart to ask such insignificant questions."
Indeed.
Judy was well aware that she was given precisely zero alternatives. That, and she would never abandon her friend. Looking at his smiling face, the bunny wondered whether he was intentionally using her morals against her. Still… she obediently entered the corridor, catching up with the rest.
Volkov followed while the door behind them closed with a quiet hiss.
.
.
"Ouchie!" Jackie yelped when the feline doctor peeled off her shirt. Fortunately, the blood didn't have time to dry and glue the fur and material together.
"I'm sorry, dearie." Midnight put away the dirty cloth. "I know it hurts, but we'll make it better in a moment, all right?"
They were in a place that could actually pass for a hospital room. There were shelves filled with medical equipment and supplies, and Judy noticed that the drawers were fully stocked when the leopardess opened one of them to take out some bandages, and even several diagnostic beds of various sizes.
Jackie was seated on one of them, with the leopardess taking a closer look at the cuts, wearing surgical gloves.
Volkov left them under her care while he departed to clean himself up.
Midnight let out a small sigh. "Fortunately, Vasily was holding back, and the cuts are very clean."
She stepped back from the bed and turned to one of the table tops by the wall, organizing a few items on a tray. Judy took that opportunity to focus on scanning the room more carefully with her eyes, looking for-
"Please don't try to snatch anything from here." Midnight warned in a calm voice, before looking over her shoulder. "Oh, don't give me that look, dearie. It's obvious what you would think in a situation like this. I would do exactly the same. Still, please remember that Vasily is just outside the door. That youngster has a fierce sense of loyalty and would not take kindly to your attempts to escape."
Judy briefly eyed the mentioned door to the room, then focused solely on her. Earlier, Midnight convinced the white predator to stay outside, arguing that no male is allowed because she would have to undress the patient. "What do you want from us? Why treat our wounds?"
"Good questions, but wrong person to address them." The feline doctor brushed off the doe's inquiries. She returned to Jackie's side, now holding a syringe.
The cheetah leaned away from her with worry in her eyes. "Uh… Sorry, but are you, like, a real doctor?"
Midnight chuckled merrily at that question. "Of course! Though my primary specialization is toxicology, I have been thoroughly trained in treating various kinds of wounds." To the small surprise of both officers, the leopardess let out a sigh, paired with a worried face. "Unfortunately, our hospitals can be understaffed at times. This has led me to developing other skills so that I could help out in the emergency room."
Getting a hold of Jackie's arm, she positioned the needle close to the wound on her right shoulder. The spotted feline still tried to back away, eyeing the syringe suspiciously. She didn't like the part about toxicology.
As another surprise, Midnight simply paused and showed a warm smile. "Okay, maybe if I explain a bit more, it will help you go through the whole procedure, hm? This," she raised her paw, "is lidocaine for injections. It will numb the area around your wounds and allow me to suture them without additional pain for you. It's only a local anaesthesia, so you will be fully conscious during the whole procedure. Also, you can ask your friend to hold your paw if it will help you to calm down. There, I hope this makes things clearer." Still smiling, Midnight raised her brows. "Shall we? You're bleeding."
Giving Judy one more look, Jackie sighed and sat up straight.
.
.
As he ran, Marcus tried reaching either Jackie or Judy via phone.
Both were unavailable.
Cursing under his breath, the tiger came to a stop, but his thoughts kept pacing. He had too little information. No location, no status on either of them… Knowing the organization, both females could be dead by now.
Marcus let out a snarl and punched a nearby wall, startling a passing gazelle. The prey cast him a terrified look and scurried away.
It took an additional few seconds for the striped officer to regain his calm. There was… one more mammal he could call.
.
.
The sword-wielding assassin raised his head the moment the door opened.
"Relax, it's all fine." Midnight was the first to come out of the room. Judy and Jackie followed, the cheetah walking slowly, with a little help from the doe. The bunny was holding up her arm, letting her suffering friend lean on her a bit. Her bruises also ached, but she never uttered a breath about them, knowing how much worse the spotted feline had it.
"Thanks, doc, I guess…" Jackie muttered, dressed back in her shirt, which now covered the freshly stitched wounds and bandages.
Midnight nodded with a friendly smile. "I did what I could, dearie. Just remember to avoid any sudden movements with your arms, and don't go around swinging them, all right? Especially for the next few days."
"Will do." The cheetah muttered, glancing briefly at the mammal who cut her. He was watching them like a hawk.
"All right." Midnight clapped her paws. "Let's get you two to the living room. Vasily will take you there. I need to clean up first and will be there shortly."
Both officers looked at the white-furred assassin. He looked back.
"Er… Doc?" Jackie stepped closer to the leopardess. "Can't we wait for you?"
"Oh, no need for that, hon. I'll be there in a jiffy."
"But," the cheetah leaned down to Midnight's ear, "do we really have to go with the sword-carrying Mike Myers?"
The doctor blinked, before letting out a hearty laugh. "You'll be fine!" She nodded towards Vasily. "Would you mind escorting the ladies?"
At that point, Judy patted her friend's leg. "Come on, Jackie. Not like we have much of a choice." The doe eyed the assassin again. He had his swords back, holding them in one paw, glaring at them for the entire time.
"Walk," he muttered with a voice like a rumbling storm, shifting his gaze from the bunny to Jackie.
Judy stood between him and her friend, once again gaining his attention and staring him down. She was well aware that this was no time for any reckless actions, but she also wasn't going to let her friend be threatened.
"Oh, don't you mind him." Midnight waved dismissively at the assassin. "He's always like that, our little ray of grumpiness."
"Right…" Jackie couldn't help but swallow as she glanced again at the swords. Still, she and Judy turned and started walking down the corridor, going slowly in order to accommodate the cheetah's condition.
The doe glanced at her friend's anxious expression. "Hey, where's that reckless cheetah who stormed the assassin fortress together with just a small bunny?" She gave a little smile, hoping to reach the feline's sense of humor.
"She's still here." Jackie grunted quietly as she was trudging alongside her. "And I may be reckless, but I ain't suicidal." She hissed with the tiniest nod back at Vasily.
Judy half-turned her head, only to meet a Tundra-like gaze. Clicking her tongue, she kept supporting her friend during their walk.
This underground hideout wasn't actually living up to Judy's expectations. She half-expected it to be all dark and creepy, similar to the charming entrance door. Instead, what she saw was a warmly lit corridor with simple but tasteful lamps and lengthy carpet on the floor. The setting brought to mind a hotel rather than a villain base.
They didn't go far before reaching an elevator, and Vasily instructed them to enter. At first, the doe thought that this was it, that he was going to take them into some deep dungeon, that this was where the charade would end, and they would be either imprisoned or tortured…
The sparkly sticker of a unicorn on the elevator's wall kind of disrupted that vision.
Once they were all inside, Vasily pressed a button, bringing them down just one level. As soon as the door opened, a blur passed right in front of them, disappearing in the corridor.
"Move," came the 'cheerful' command from behind the officers, and they stepped out of the elevator into a corridor similar to the earlier one. The main difference was that this one ended shortly to the left, opening up to a vast space. It was a massive hall, two stories high, with the ceiling held up by four massive pillars. The space was occupied by several couches and a few armchairs, sized from small to elephant-friendly, accompanied by little tables and lamps. Those last seemed necessary for reading, as several mammals were occupying the seats. Some were closer to the center, some by the walls, which were riddled with bookshelves. The readers generally seemed to be divided by the level of personal space they had around them. A few of them had headphones to disconnect themselves from the outside noise.
As for other mammals…
"There you go!" A cheerful voice reached them from the center of the hall, where a tiny feline cub in a diaper was pushing toys around a vast, fluffy carpet. A smiling female jaguar was kneeling right next to it, beaming at the child. She was accompanied by another female, a cheetah, who was sitting cross-legged next to them.
The two officers were seriously confused.
For starters, the atmosphere around the present mammals was absolutely outside the scope of their expectations. Other than the two ladies playing with a toddler, one couch was occupied by an arctic vixen, laying flat on her stomach, and enjoying a back massage from a buck. The bunny had light grey fur covered in black stripes here and there. Another curiosity was a couple of mammals playing chess at a table nearby.
As the officers continued their stupefied observation, a strong voice called out from behind them. "Oi, Clawhauser! What did I tell you about leaving your food in the fridge?!"
The two friends whipped their necks back to see an annoyed wolf looking out from a separate room, holding a plastic box in his paw. "And it's not 'salat', dammit! Learn to spell!" He pointed at the sticker on the box.
Judy and Jackie stared at each other, wide-eyed.
Clawhauser?!
"Not my fault!" A female voice answered from a room across the big hall. A young, slim cheetah face popped up in the door frame, wearing a grumpy expression. "We had a guild raid in the middle of the night! I had no time to clean it up!"
"I don't care for your gaming habits! We share the kitchen, so follow some bloody rules, will you?"
The girl called Clawhauser showed him her tongue and disappeared back into the room.
"Okay, okay, settle down, kids." A new voice joined in, also coming from the room with the wolf. Its owner, a jackal, appeared shortly after, walking out from what seemed to be a kitchen and carrying a huge tray in their paws. "Who wants some pizza?" The tray offered a giant, steaming treat for every hungry mammal within the range of the delicious smell.
The food caused a general commotion, and most mammals rushed, or hurried nonchalantly, towards the jackal with the tray. However, two new faces were in their way. The gathered collective stopped in a rough circle around the bunny and the cheetah.
Jackie wasn't good with awkward pauses, so she made an effort to smile. "Hi! We're from the ZPD-"
That triggered a lot of movement. Among a wave of clicking metal, the police duo suddenly found itself surrounded by a number of firearms.
Jackie swallowed. "And I could use a pair of clean pants."
Another silence fell on everyone.
The baby feline giggled and clapped its little paws, sitting on the arm of the adult jaguar.
"I think I can spare a pair." The young cheetah from earlier volunteered, as she got lured in by the promise of food.
Before either of the friends could react in any way, a familiar voice joined in.
"Stop." Vasily stepped forward, right between the police officers and the wall of guns. "They guests. Master orders."
That worked like a charm.
"Uhh, Vasiii, you could've said so from the start!" Clawhauser exclaimed with a pout. "You're always so slow with these things." She was actually one of the three mammals without a weapon. The other two were the baby and its mother.
There was a general shuffling of arms as the weapons were put away. Still, some mammals maintained suspicious gazes. Nevertheless, nobody objected in the slightest, and the threatening atmosphere evaporated almost instantly.
Even with the nerve-wracking situation, Judy couldn't help but be amazed. All it took to disarm a dozen trained killers was one order from their master. Volkov's influence must have been massive to inspire such obedience. Then again, the doe recalled the fear which caused Uma to confess to her crimes. In a way, she considered this to be an opportunity. Those ruled by fear are prone to break out of their chains at the nearest opportunity.
The only piece that didn't fit into that image was the feline toddler who was now eyeing Jackie with wide eyes. As the mother was helping herself to a slice of pizza with one hand, the baby let out a joyful squeal, reaching out to the cheetah. They were standing close enough for the little fingers to grab the material of Jackie's blouse.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry! She just wants to play." The little girl's mother apologized with a troubled expression, trying to detach her daughter from the cheetah, without dropping the food. "No, Lizzy, that's not your auntie, I know they look similar."
Seeing this situation, Judy couldn't stop herself from intervening. "Excuse me," she blurted out without thinking, "would you like some help?" The doe showed a small smile, offering her paws.
"Really? That would be great, thank you." The jaguar leaned down enough to spark the little girl's interest with a new mammal in her sight. She chuckled merrily at Judy and immediately moved her tiny paws to her. The doe had no trouble taking the girl from the jaguar's arm, even if she was a little heavy. The baby was completely engrossed with the bunny's ears and just had to grab one. Judy winced a little bit from the grip, but maintained her smile.
At the same time, the baby's mother hurriedly munched on the given slice. Seeing how Judy's ear got treated, she almost choked as she tried to speak. "Lizzy!"
"It's fine, I'm used to it. Experienced the same with my siblings." Judy's bunny instincts overcame the general sense of caution and tension, replacing it with care for a child. To some, it might have looked rude, dropping the responsibility of taking care of a child on others, but Judy knew better. After seeing her own mother struggle with multiple children, she was perfectly aware of the value of a peaceful meal. "Wanna see a trick?" she addressed the girl, letting her ears drop at the same time. "Aaand alley-oop!" The doe raised them up again to the giggle of the tiny cub.
"We need go." The familiar grumpy voice behind them announced.
Judy and Jackie turned to Vasily, who was pointing towards the corridor with an elevator.
The cheetah sighed. "What now, ballet classes? Nothing will surprise me in this place anymore…"
"Master will talk with you."
.
.
After another humorless trip with the white predator as their guide, Judy and Jackie entered a room, the cheetah moving slightly faster to swiftly pass next to Vasily. Still, she kept him in her sights. The predator was holding the door for them, now equipped with just one sword, which was resting in the sheath by his side.
The place seemed to be some sort of a conference room, with a long, oblong table in the middle, surrounded by a number of chairs.
Their guide pointed at one end of the table. "Sit. Master will appear soon."
.
.
"I can't exactly say that I'm surprised, Nicholas." The wolf faced the window and gazed at the night, the city illuminated by a web of streetlights, lighted banners, and neon signs.
When the fox spoke on the phone, the words felt grinded by a stone. "Is she still alive?"
Volkov regarded this question in silence, eyeing the dark sky for a few moments, before he replied. "For now."
There was an audible breath of relief on the other end. "Mas- Father, please… I'll do whatever you wi-"
"You know the rules, Nicholas." Volkov brushed the slightly damp fur on his head with a paw. "Whoever poses a threat to us shall be neutralized."
The fox winced, gripping the phone tighter. He could feel his accelerating heartbeat, the rush of blood in his veins… If he didn't do something about the situation, he could lose control over himself in a very short period of time.
"She is not a threat…" He began with a strained voice.
"I will be the judge of that." Volkov's voice was unmoved.
"Father!" The word escaped Nick's mouth as a half growl.
The wolf let out a quiet sigh, pinching the bridge of his muzzle while closing his eye. "My son, you are perfectly aware that I cannot disobey the rules." He opened his eye to look at the city again. "They apply to me, as well."
Nick gripped his phone tighter. "I'll do anything you want." He declared hoarsely.
"Will you now? What if I order you to work again?"
The fox froze. He should've expected that, but… He was solely focused on Judy's safety. *Work…* It's not that he was afraid of it, but rather terrified what Judy would think of him if she knew. To further burden him, all the images from his past came flooding his mind. All that suffering…
But… for Judy…
He felt as if his heart was about to break in two. She felt like a light that pulled him out of the darkness, and now he was given a choice to sustain that very light by submerging himself into that blackness again.
"Just so you know," his father's voice drew his focus again, "your cheetah friend is fine, as well."
Nick blinked, only now realizing that he completely forgot about Jackie. With this thought came a wave of guilt, engulfing his mind. How could he be so-
"My son, you needn't think like that." Volkov's calm voice cut that thought in half. "I understand. It's natural for you to prioritize the safety of your mate."
Nick's reply came almost automatically. "She's not my mate."
The master of assassins responded with a sigh. "Nicholas, you can lie to me or others, but you can't keep lying to yourself."
With his heart pounding hard in his chest, Nick had no answer to such a statement.
"Let's leave it at that." The wolf turned away from the glass and headed back. "I'll keep you posted."
Nick heard the signal of an ended call, and his arm slowly drifted down to his side. Without any word, the fox slumped against the wall of his cellar home, sliding to the floor. It was years since he felt so powerless.
*I… can't… * Bringing his knees up, he supported his arms on them, only to rest his forehead on his clenched paws. *I'm… useless!*
No matter how many scenarios he tried to conjure up, desperately seeking at least one that could let him help his beloved bunny, there was no room for a solution. His father was right, he was very well aware of the rules, and even Volkov was bound by them. If Judy could truly expose the workings of the organization, there was only one fate for her - death.
To make matters worse, he had nothing to use for negotiation, nor for blackmail. Even if he were to track them down, following Judy's scent, it would be pointless. He would stand no chance against Volkov alone, not to mention the entire organization. Supposing that he could scrap together a frontal attack plan on the go, his actions could only make matters worse for Judy. The organization had an absolute rule of secrecy. Those who would break the rule had to face extermination.
The fox clenched his head with both paws, discarding the phone. He had no doubt that his father would kill Judy, should he deem it necessary. This was for the good of the organization. It was of no comfort to the fox that he knew his father enough to realize that the wolf would not consider it personal. It would be an inconvenient necessity.
Nicholas Wilde grit his teeth, fighting back the tears of hopelessness, and his raging urge to run to her aid.