End of Days

By: Discord

A/N: Alright folks, this story is a bit out there, so bear with me. It could end up being really cool, or flop horribly. We'll see. A warning – this tale is dark. There is light and humor and romance, but its not always a fun ride for our favorite pair.

Nick and Judy are freedom fighters for the Mammal Coalition in the battle to save their world from a planet-wide invasion. Will they prevail, or topple into extinction?

Chapter One – Before the End

Nick shined his badge with the heel of his hand, admiring its gleam in the mirror. He had been an officer for the Zootopia Police Department for only a week, and the pride he kept tightly-lidded in public still hadn't worn off. Smoothing the front of his already crisp uniform, he gave the reflective pane a smile.

"Maybe today?" He watched his mouth move in the mirror, glimpsing sharp canines. "I could do it today. She laughed at seven of my jokes yesterday," Nick thought of the bunny who had turned his life upside down, appearing one afternoon in an ice cream parlor and forever changing everything.

A knock rapped on his front door. "Nick!" A familiar voice called. "You coming?"

The beginnings of courage evaporated. "Yep!" He shot the mirror a last panicked look before darting from the bathroom. "Just a second!"

"Come on! The car's running!"

Nick grabbed his wallet and phone from the bowl Judy had given him –a futile effort to expedite his morning routines – and rushed for the door, turning the knob and swinging it wide.

A short, gray rabbit carrying two cups of coffee and wearing a uniform identical to his smiled from his front step. "Prompt as ever, eh Wilde?" She wore a gentle mix of amusement and exasperation, unaware Nick found the combination highly alluring.

He gave her a wide, easy grin, betraying none of the nerves her presence brought. "Morning Carrots," he turned and closed the door, locking it leisurely and waiting for her telltale impatience.

Judy didn't disappoint, starting to tap her foot without realizing. "Come on Nick," she said. "Before my birthday."

The fox bumped her with his tail as he came back around, taking his coffee with a wink. "I'm not late, you're early."

She huffed. "You always say that, and we always make it to the station just in time."

Nick left her side, sipping his steaming cup and strolling down the stairs. "You call fifteen minutes 'just' in time?"

Judy joined him, elbowing his side as she bounded past. "Yes," she hurried to the ZPD cruiser parked in the street and ran around its front to the driver's side.

Nick took his time, delighting in her eye roll. "This is good," he lifted the hot beverage, examining the logo printed on its side. "Did you find a new place?"

Judy opened the door. "Yeah, some café down the block," she sat down. "Now get in or you're walking to work."

Nick obliged, opening his own door. "You know, some would call your love of threats a problem. They might say you have control issues you need to work out."

The rabbit depressed the brake and put the car in drive. "Close the door, or I'll show you a problem."

Nick grinned and did as he was told, placing his coffee in a holder next to hers before buckling up. "More threats," he 'tsked'. "So angry."

Judy frowned. "Don't start today Nick. The chief's giving us a new assignment, and I want to be the first ones to the briefing room."

"So if we're not first, we're late?"

"Exactly."

"Oh wait," he started for door handle. "I left my sunglasses inside."

Judy glared. "You have a pair in the glove box."

"Do I?"

"You're doing this just to give me a hard time and make me crazy."

"Is it working?"

"Yes," she shook her head. "You're killing me here."

Nick settled back into his seat, making no move to retrieve them. "You wouldn't have me any other way," his eyes lost their teasing. "Thanks for the coffee by the way, it's perfect. I'll get the next ones."

Judy started to smile when something strange caught the corner of her eye. Leaning over the steering wheel, she saw a bright streak of light sail through the sky. "Hey," her ears fell. "What's that?"

Nick peered up from the dash, stretching his seatbelt. He saw what she saw – it was impossible to miss. A rocketing path of orange marred the cloud-filled expanse above them. "I don't know," his brow furrowed as the light was joined by a second, and then third streak. The streaks coalesced, moving together in an obvious pattern, and changed from orange to red.

Nick's fur stood on end. "Judy…," his voice grew serious. "Put on your seatbelt," the merging lights drew closer. "Now."

Judy continued to stare, dropping her mouth. "What in the world are those?"

"Judy!" Nick reached across the cab, knocking over their coffees as he grabbed for her seatbelt. "Buckle yourself in!" He didn't even register the hot, scalding liquid seeping through the fur of his forearm. "They look like they're coming right for us!"

Judy's eyes widened as the lights grew bright and angry red, and she fumbled with the strap at her shoulder. Nick grabbed it from her hands and clicked it into place. "Drive!" He shouted, staring through the windshield in horror. "Get us out of here!"

The rabbit nodded numbly and floored the gas pedal, making the cruiser roar as it upshifted abruptly.

The lights left the blue stratosphere and sharpened into focus as they neared. Judy raced down the road and barely heard Nick's shocked whisper.

"I think… they're… rockets…."