A/N: Just wanted to say before things get started that I am aware of the comic with Jack Savage in it. James is in no way based off of Jack Savage. I didn't see the Jack Savage thingy until after I started writing this. Also, James looks different than JS. I do realize how it could come across that way, but this is my disclaimer. James is my character and Jack Savage belongs to whoever created him.
Sinister Intentions
Judy stepped out of her bathroom, dressed in jeans and yellow flannel. It felt much better to be out of that dress. Nick had untucked his crisp shirt, loosened his tie and tossed his jacket aside. He had his paws in his pockets again. "Ready, Carrots?"
Judy nodded. She followed Nick to the cafeteria. They were in relative silence, both tired from the events that evening. After eating, they wandered out onto the main deck. The night air was cool, causing Judy to shiver. She hugged herself, her ears drooping. She glanced at Nick out of the corner of her eye. He stared ahead, though the corners of his mouth were pulled downward into a frown. "So... How are things with Elise?" Judy asked.
"What do you mean?" Nick asked. They reached the rail of the cruise and peered down at the dark sea below.
"Don't you like each other? I mean, you guys have been hanging out a lot. And she's beautiful." Judy tried half-heartedly. She wasn't sure if she liked Elise or not. But she would support Nick.
"Yeah, she is," Nick sighed, "but I think I love someone else."
Judy widened her eyes. She looked up at him. "Really? Who?"
Nick stared ahead for several seconds. He turned toward Judy, his brows pinching together. He parted his lips to respond, but he was interrupted by something whizzing through the air and hitting him directly in the neck. Nick was thrown off his feet and onto the deck with a yelp.
"Nick!" Judy cried, dropping beside him. She examined Nick's neck. Blue liquid stained his red fur. Judy stared at it, her eyes widening in horror. A Night Howler bullet. Nick trembled and thrashed, growling and snarling. "Nick...?" Judy whimpered.
Nick glanced up at her, his eyes tearful. "Judy... Run..." he snarled.
Judy shook her head. "No, no!"
Nick snapped at her, teeth dripping in saliva. Judy jumped back, gaping at her friend. Nick had gone savage. His eyes didn't recognize her. All he saw was prey.
Judy backed away, tears filling her eyes. "Nick, snap out of it!" she cried. But she knew he couldn't. Nick leaped forward, claws unsheathed. Judy threw up her arms to cover her face. Nick's claws raked Judy's forearm. She jumped to her feet and started running. She could hear Nick pursuing her. She whimpered as she climbed the steps. "Nick, please!" she cried. She sprinted along the deck. She spotted James ahead. "Help!" she yelled.
James widened his eyes. "Security!" he howled. He caught Judy in his arms and thrust her behind him protectively. Nick, still on all fours, bared his teeth and growled. He prepared himself to leap forward, but a tiger guard and a lion guard tackled Nick, who snapped at them. Judy's eyes filled with tears, watching Nick struggle. The tiger pulled out a muzzle. Judy widened her eyes and stepped forward.
"No!" she cried. "You can't muzzle him! Stop!" James grabbed Judy, holding her back. Judy's body wracked with sobs as Nick was muzzled and cuffed. "Nick!" Judy wailed. James restrained her.
"It's all right, Judy, it's all right." he murmured. Judy watched Nick get hauled away.
She wheeled to look at James. "It's not all right! He hates muzzles! They can't do that to him!"
James blinked. He cupped Judy's face in his paws. "Don't worry, I have the antidote. He won't be like that for long."
Judy sniffled. "I want to see him."
"Hold on," James murmured. "You're trembling. You're still in shock. Come with me."
James took Judy to his cabin. He tended to the scratches on Judy's arm. "Nick... Oh, Nick..." Judy whimpered to herself.
"He'll be fine, Judy. I promise. Stay here. I made you some tea. I'll give Nick the antidote." James said quietly.
Judy smiled up at him, accepting the warm mug of tea. "Thank you, James. You've been very kind and helpful."
James put his paws in his pockets and looked at the floor, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Judy, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."
Judy frowned. "What's that?"
James met her gaze. "Since we've been working together, you have completely enchanted me. I didn't mean to fall for you, but I have. I have fallen deeply and madly in love with you." James turned and left the cabin before Judy could respond. She gaped at the door for a solid minute.
James was in love with her? How? They'd only known each other for three days! Judy tapped her foot rapidly. She set her tea down, having not taken a sip. She couldn't sit around knowing Nick was suffering so much. She had to be there with him. She left James's cabin and headed to the bottom level of the ship, where the holding cells were. They were less like cells and more like rooms with metal doors. Judy pricked her ears, listening for Nick. She heard him in one of the rooms on the end of the hall. She pushed open the door.
Her heart clenched at the sight of Nick, handcuffed to a pole, thrashing and snarling behind his muzzle. James had a syringe in his paw. He glanced at Judy. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I needed to be here." Judy replied.
James sighed. "Judy, you really should be resting."
"Give him the antidote!" Judy snapped.
James raised his brows, looking hurt, but he plunged the needle into Nick's skin. Nick whined as James delivered the antidote. Judy watched anxiously, her paws covering her mouth and her eyes wide. Nick slumped, dropping to his knees. James turned. "It could take hours for him to awaken or minutes, Judy. It's best that you get some rest."
Judy stared at Nick, who was unconscious and chained up like a savage beast. Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't leave him." she whispered.
"Judy, this is ridiculous. What are you going to do, sleep here on the floor?" James snapped.
"If I must." Judy replied.
James's eyes stretched. "You... You care for him. You love him."
Judy looked away. "Yes." she said, tears dripping down her cheeks.
"But he's a fox!" sneered James, looking repulsed.
Judy looked at him. "Does that truly matter?"
James stiffened. "I suppose not."
Judy stepped toward Nick, but the ship rocked violently, sending Judy sprawling. The ship groaned and creaked with a loud scraping noise, shuddering beneath Judy's paws. She looked at James with wide eyes.
"What's going on?" she cried.
The tiger and lion security guards rushed into the room. "There's an emergency! You must get out of here!" said the tiger.
"Judy?" grumbled Nick.
Judy looked at him, a smile breaking out across her features. "Nick!" she gasped.
Before she could rush over to Nick, the tiger grabbed her. "Come on, miss!" he roared, dragging her back.
"No! Nick! Nick!" Judy screamed, struggling to get back to her friend.
"Judy?" cried Nick, lifting his head. His eyes were glazed over, but Judy could see his face contorting with terror. He yanked on his restraints and shook his head, trying to get free of his muzzle.
"Nick!" Judy shrieked. But the tiger security guard hauled Judy above deck and into her cabin. Judy collapsed on the floor, sobbing. "Nick..."
? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ?
"For a fox, you're pretty stupid. I don't know why the ZPD hired you."
Nick's eyelids fluttered open. He looked up, toward the source of the voice. His eyes widened at the sight of James. Nick tugged at his restraints. "You."
James snorted. "Yes, me. You followed every single step I laid out for you. Bellweather is a dear friend of mine. I needed to make you and the dumb bunny suffer before I continued her noble work. And then I realized something: you love the bunny! So, naturally, I must stop this ridiculous inter species relationship. It's positively repulsive. I saw the two of you on the deck and a thought occurred to me: the best way to tear the two of you apart is to turn you against Judy. You had to go savage and kill her."
Nick narrowed his eyes. "So why cure me?"
"Well, you didn't manage to kill the brat. And I'm not certain I want Judy finding out just yet. I want to have a little fun with her," James explained. Nick bared his teeth and let out a low growl. James chuckled. "Even if the two of you survive this cruise trip, and you won't, Judy will never look at you the same again. She will certainly be afraid of you now. Goodnight, Nick."
Nick watched James head for the door. "Wait!" he gasped. James paused. Nick's eyes rounded. "Did I... Did I hurt her?"
James turned, looking smug. "Yes." He left the room without another word.
Nick rested his head against the pole. "No... Judy..."
? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ? ﾟﾐﾾ?
Judy walked into the main ballroom, which was crowded with hundreds of different mammals, all huddled together with their respective peers. "Please remain calm," said a voice over a microphone. Judy stood on her tiptoes, looking for the source. Her eyes found a crewman on the platform where the band had played the previous night. "The ship has struck an iceberg. Now, we are prepared for emergencies such as this. Please remain calm and make your way to the upper deck where the lifeboats are located. You will board the lifeboats to the appropriate capacity and remain in the boat at all times. Again, please remain calm."
Of course, the other mammals started panicking. Judy glanced at James. "We have to get Nick." she said.
"Judy, wait!" said James, grabbing Judy's paw. "It's too dangerous."
Judy frowned, staring at him. "I am not leaving him!" she snarled. She yanked free of James and took off for the elevators. She opted for the stairs, since the elevators were out of order. She sprinted down the stairs until she reached the level where Nick was. She hurried down the hall and burst into Nick's cell.
"Nick!" she gasped, dropping beside him.
Nick looked up at her with wide eyes. "Judy! What are you doing here?"
"The ship is sinking," Judy replied, "I couldn't leave you behind." She took off the muzzle. Nick gazed at her, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
"You're crazy, Carrots." he murmured.
"You know you love me." Judy retorted, unlocking Nick's cuffs with her key.
"I do know that, actually." Nick replied. As soon as his paws were free, he threw his arms around Judy. She hugged him back, burying her face into his chest. Judy felt Nick squeeze her a little tighter than necessary.
"You foxes, so dramatic." she teased.
"Are you okay? James said I hurt you." Nick said, ignoring Judy's jibe.
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Judy replied, showing Nick her arm.
Nick, however, frowned. He lifted his eyes to meet Judy's. "I'm so sorry, Carrots."
"Hey, I'm okay," said Judy, giving Nick another hug.
"That reminds me," said Nick, "James is behind all of this."
"What?" Judy said, pulling away from Nick.
"Yeah, he told me everything." Nick replied.
Judy frowned. "We need to get some evidence... Not that I don't trust you, it's just that it's illegal for us to go around assigning blame with no real proof. But it needs to survive the sinking. Nick? Are you listening?"
Nick grimaced. "Uh, Carrots? We need to get out of here."
"What? Why?" Judy asked. Nick, staring ahead still, grabbed Judy by the shoulders and spun her around. Judy gasped. Water was pooling toward them from underneath the door. The Hercules really was sinking.
...
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