This update happened 07 December 2018

This is the last chapter of ARC 4!

This chapter is mostly action and only remotely fluffy (but fluffy nonetheless). This is a HARD M Chapter!

Don't stop and leave this chapter before you have read to the end of it.
You might have the inclination to stop beforehand … just don't do that, you won't be disappointed.

Long 20k Words!

I am proud of this chapter^^

Sorry for any inconveniences considering English being not my first language. Grammar and spelling might be difficult for me. I say sorry in advance.

Please review and criticize me, preferably via review button, but keep any insulting for yourself. If you have to be more extensive or want to establish contact with me, PM me and I surely will answer you.

Rated M for foul language and sexual innuendos, Rated HARD M for violence and gore

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Zootopia, they belong to Disney.

Zootopia Bureau of Investigation (ZBI)

Chapter 44: Birth of a Prime

meanwhile, Jasper Quill, somewhere secret

To be smaller than most mammals sometimes was a curse to live with. Not being seen and having the constant problem of avoiding getting trampled on. Having the problem of not reaching most places because you were not tall enough. The problem of not being respected as a real individual mammal but rather a nuisance someone could push around. Many small mammals despised their height. But not Jasper Quill. The squirrel was an investigative journalist. It was quite the advantage compared to all other kinds of animals to be small in this profession. Her job, or in her case, her hobby was not to be seen and gather information in the process. This activity was comparable with being a spy. And she was the best at that. She could hide. And she could watch. And she could listen.

Jasper Quill, lovingly called Jazz by her friends, obviously wasn't the only mammal who thought this way. But she was one of the only ones who acted immediately in extreme situations. The moment the back of this military frigate screeched the side of the riverbank and stopped close to the concrete of Riverside Boulevard, the squirrel decided to not wait for an invitation. She was in full spy mode.

The goal for her infiltration was pretty easy to fathom. This was something she immediately aspired to do. Infiltration wasn't something she did often, but she loved the thrill of rummaging inside someone else's privacy. This skill was now aimed at this vessel and the mammals responsible for an act of terrorism. Now this was different than what she was used to, and she felt a thrill because of it. This was a difficult situation. Not only that, but this was probably a mortally dangerous one as well.

She had her trusty spy camera that was always positioned right under her collar, inside of a medallion that looked much too big on the small squirrel. She just needed to open her cleavage a little bit, so the high tech lenses were capable to record everything that would happen in front of her. She was quickly performing a very silent but still possible and fast microphone check on said medallion, ensuring that her camera was filming and her surrounding sounds could be captured by the equipment easily. All the while she herself was hiding in a shrub just a small ways north of the military vessel, which actually stopped south of the arena.

She was waiting for the right moment to move onto another place while her medallion was filming everything. The footage she obtained would obviously never be as good, as those of professional television cameras. But her technical gimmicks were still top notch and the highest quality money could buy. She was incredibly rich, after all she was financially independent, and doing most of her work as a hobby, not as an actual job she had to do. She loved the thrill and danger. Her medallion was capable of easily filming 8k videos while getting under extreme concussions, for example, was the result of her wealth. It did the job just fine and very accurate.

Her hiding inside a shrub and filming the proceedings of the Sturm and their mammals was mostly a thing of patience for Jazz. She watched what this Sturm was doing, holding it inside her memory card in the process. It was shortly after the helicopter appeared and she waited a little more, when she recognized that the mammals inside the center VIP lounge area were slowly escorted and brought aboard the ship. She could not believe her eyes when she saw the three celebrity friends of the prince who would shortly be thrown onto the ship, only to be gathered by the big lion into the bay area.

Much more shocking was the prince himself, who seemed to voluntarily walk accompanied by the vixen she saw dancing with agent Wilde prior to this whole fiasco happening. This was interesting. So she filmed from her position and made mental notes for the future while the mammals boarded the ship and small commotions happened.

The more she waited, the more she found out. And her moment for doing investigations came shortly after she observed this particular collecting of the Sturm. It came with the actual quite interesting development of two small, very good clothed mammals she had the opportunity to watch. From her position she recognized the director of the ZBI and someone, who might be another agent. Not from the ZBI though because she knew all of them by sight. And it did not seem, as if this hare was with the Secret Service as well. Jazz concluded, that this hare probably was with the SIS, the last one of the government table of knights, exempting civil knighthood.

The thing is, she saw those two mammals behind the arena, calmly climbing down the side of the bank. They were obviously moving to try and board the military vessel from the side while advancing from underwater. She already identified the possible entryway into this frigate. The three anti-air Gunners were busy watching the parameter much further away and were focused on bigger enemies than those two little mammals around the ship. Two small mammals were not seen easily.

If you were able to climb and a decent swimmer, you were able to swim to the side of the vessel and climb towards the sideboard of it which was connected to the helicopter deck via two staircases on the port and starboard respectively. Right under those you could emerge and board unseen.

Much more important was though, that this was the place were the rubber like life boats were stationed as well. So it obviously was the way in, and the way out at the same time. It would be the best entryway.

She wasn't qualified and obviously not legally allowed to scoop around behind two government authorities. But she was a Dame herself. A civil knighthood gave her as much authority to not get into too much trouble for her curiosity, but most importantly, for her work as an investigative journalist as well.

She waited only a short time, before she swung herself to the ground and slowly climbed down the bank, like the two agents did before. The mink and the hare were already boarding the vessel when she herself found the surface of the surprisingly very calm waters. The thing is, that the currents were quite strong despite the water seeming calm. An artificial riverbed and riverbank which mostly funneled the forces inside the river would make it much harder to swim for anyone. Good that she used to swim in the currents of much harsher rivers in her past.

Once she was close enough she was able to listen to some whispering. When she reached the first life boat, she climbed onto it and was hiding herself in one of them. The riverbank was successfully blocking most noise from the panicking mammals on the Boulevard. Her microphone tuned immediately towards the whispering. It was able to record anything important for Jazz.

"We have to locate them first, Jack.", whispered one of the voices. It seemed very agitated but professional at the same time.

"This is a very dire situation. Yes, sir. But I assure you, I know this smell and I know one other friend of mine who is in here. It is easier if I find my associate and she simply can show us the way to find the prince.", this voice was much more refined and seemed noble in origin. This was obviously someone of a higher birth.

"No matter who your associate is, if she is with the Sturm she wouldn't just simply show us the way."

The voices were clear enough, after the squirrel maneuvered closer to them. She could deduct from this words spoken, that the two mammals wanted to somehow free the prince. And as much as she heard, it might have been obvious that the prince would not be with all other captivities in the bay area. He would have a special place to be held. That was clear and logical to assume.

Mammal-A: "Sir. Just trust me on this. We only need a way out of here when I get back with the prince, who might be unconscious if I find him. I suggest those life boats."

Mammal-B: "Those mammals on the anti-air guns will surely shoot at anything that is on a boat and too close to the Locksley. We need to eliminate this threat first. And I might have an idea how to do that. I could try to get my agent on the roof to help us. While I do prepare everything for a swift departure, you might try and find your associate. If you are not back in five minutes, I will come after you and get you."

Mammal:A: "Of course sir."

A small commotion was indicating one of the mammals was on the move. Jazz was interested in how this Jack would accomplish his task of getting the prince. But she could not risk to follow this individual. She deducted that the director would have been the one to stay. He was the one, who wanted to order HIS own agents to do something. The director was leader of agents. It was obvious that the mink stayed, even if she could not see them while she was clutching the wall of the furthermost life boat very closely.

The voice of Gordon penetrated her ears, and with it, a microphone again.

"Warrior, do you copy?"

The in ear piece inside the ear of the mink answered. Jazz was not able to distinguish the words spoken there.

It was the wolf agent who was staying on a rooftop who was contacted. A sniper rifle of the fabrication JM Special 25 was in his paws. He was accurately delivering shot after shot towards any savage mammals, that were close enough to be shot at and effectively to be sedated.

His impromptu new partner was using his customized IM Rifle. He was doing exactly the same as Stanley Gray did, only much faster. He was Officer Mason Wolford. And as Stan was able to see, he was a much better sniper than he himself.

Stan used the sleeve on his jacked, to answer the call.

"Copy General, over."

Gordon: "I need to know if you and our snipers are in an operable condition. Report. Over."

Stanley needed to report on the happenings before. Being blunt and fast was important in this kind of communications.

"The perpetrator who assassinated director Stone was Officer Alan Odabasi. He managed to injure Officer Wolford with a knife in the process of being subdued. Wolford managed to subdue the goat. The goat is bound and captive in one of the closets of the museum. Wolford fights through the pain and is fully operable. When I came here, Wolford was taking Odabasi into captivity while Junior Agent Jenkins stayed at the roof. The helicopter attacked the roof and destroyed the Elephant Stopper and killed Junior Agent Jenkins. Wolford and I are holding the position and help the ground troops from up here for the time being. Over."

The loss of another promising agent. The other officer was injured. This wasn't good. Gordon needed the two of them to make this quicker. "Okay. New Mission. You see the three gunners on the HMS Locksley? Over"

"Seeing them. Over."

"They are a threat and need to be eliminated. You two need to manage this, as fast as possible. The princes and my own life depends on this. I repeat. Your mission is: eliminate the gunners of the HMS Locksley as fast as possible. Copy?"

Stan knew his new mission then and did not hesitate to move. "Eliminate the gunner of the HMS Locksley as fast as possible. Copy."

The last word the squirrel heard, was the "Dismissed. Over and out."

She knew, that this agents mission was to do exactly, what the mink just discussed with this other agent. She could only wait, as long, as the mink would have to wait for this mission to be accomplished. She listened to the noise that indicated the mink preparing the life boat closer to him. Jazz was glad she choose the other one he wasn't investigating and preparing. And it was close to the five minute mark when the hare actually appeared again.

But he did not come alone, it seemed. Evident by the sudden cooking of a gun. An obvious threat of the director towards someone who just came with the hare.

"Whoa. I expected a different greeting, Sir Foreman.", this was Jack's voice.

Gordon warned back, "I am not aiming at you. I am aiming at this fox on your side."

Another voice was chuckling, "Aiming a gun at royalty might get you into trouble, my friend.", this was someone, Jazz recognized immediately. This was prince Henry's voice.

The mink was irritated, "Stop this nonsense, I mean the vixen. Someone I can affirm, to be a prime of the Sturm! A Terrorist!"

"Not so loud, Sir.", Jack again. "I might have to introduce this fine vixen to you. This is *K* and yes, she is with the Sturm. And when I tell you her real name, you will realize, that she is an ally of us. Because, this fine lady here is Kimberly Wilde."

A short, "Understood" was the result. Jazz believed she heard the weapon of the mink being deposited into it's holster again.

"Your majesty, I would like you and Sir Foreman to make yourself comfortable in … "

It was at this moment, Stanley Gray decided to contact his superior again: "General, you copy?"

"Wait a second", the mink interrupted getting his paw to his sleeve.

"Affirmative. Copy."

"The three mammals are down. I repeat, targets are down. I have to commend Officer Wolford, sir. We had to sneak closer till we would be able to hit but didn't need to get too close, it seemed. The maximum range of the sniper rifles we use are one hundred sixty five yards. This officer managed to hit the targets with the help of gravity from a distance of two hundred and fifty yards. This was incredible to see, sir. Over."

"Good Job, Warrior. Make sure to mention this Wolford again when we have to recruit in the future. Do, as you please and help the authorities again, understood. Copy."

"Out there helping mammals again. Over."

"Over and out."

The mink was obviously addressing the other mammals again now. "Jack, your majesty, Kimberly. Would you three please get into the life boat."

Some shuffle was heard by Jazz, while the mammals prepared their departure. But not, before the only female voice was talking, "I will stay here. I can rather help all the captives while staying with the Sturm instead of leaving. Leaving would simply be to risky and I cannot abandon my post."

A small pause. Something wasn't right ... something was definitely not right ... everyone felt it ... this ... pain ... Only a short while, but an oppressive feeling was enveloping the area. Somehow fright would be the appropriate reaction to this. But all mammals present were potential primes, one actually being an awoken one. They felt it but were capable to ignore this. Instead, they wanted to be fast now.

"Jack, in the boat, ASAP!"

"I will stay, too. Sir."

"And what is this about? You wanna play hero?"

"I Kinda do, Sir."

A huff. Jazz could understand why someone wanted to stay, wasn't it her own objective to stay there as well. Gordon gave his last order to the other mammals quickly after a sigh of the mink. Jazz needed to glue herself more into the shadows to stay hidden. "Could you, at least press the button and let the two of us out."

A button was opening the gate on the backside of the HMS Locksley. Immediately after there was enough space for the Life boat which was departing, hugging the wall on the bank, to not be seen if there would still be a flying helicopter above.

Their destination was a secret for Jazz.

The continual talking of this two remaining mammals wasn't though.

A male voice, the one of Jack was asking curiously, "You could have just said, that you couldn't let your mate stay back."

The female Jazz knew as Kimberly chuckled. She countered with the phrase, "You could have said exactly the same thing. As much as I know and with the smell it is quite revealing. I am pretty sure about this: Isn't Liz your mate?"

Who was this Liz? Jazz couldn't answer this question, before Jack explained something, only he and Kimberly would know from this moment on. And the curious ears of one very curious reporter squirrel.

"We are not mated. I would say the furthest you could interpret our relationship would be friends who once had a one night stand. She kinda claimed me then but it isn't ... you know ... I shouldn't say more out of respect ... One thing I have to say though is just this preposterous thing you all didn't get. Liz as in Elizabeth G. Fawkes … really? G. Fawkes, like Guy Fawkes? And Elizabeth, like our queen. I don't know why you didn't figure it out already. It's not her real name, you know. It's a rather bad code name. She normally would be considered one of my colleagues in the SIS. Nice double agent you somehow got to work with you there. Her real name is actually Skye. Skye Winter."

Judith Laverne Hopps

They were still behind the bar with the shot hyena, they found out was called Jasiri, who was laying behind them, caressing her shoulder. Her friend, the Zebra named Debra, was trying to pressure her shot shoulder some more, doing anything they can to stop the bleeding and help the hyena.

It was like an outburst of her. In the chaos around them the three crouched in the safety of a bar stand, so the helicopter and it's occupant weren't able to see them properly, the bunny decided to confidently state this fact. The chopper sniper was not able to shoot them, like they did the big brown bear and the hyena before.

" ... because I love him! ..."

Judy was loud, for all those who were hiding to listen to. She wanted to say it out loud. She wanted to do this desperately for a whole week now. To confirm it to someone else then just her mother, who she confined with without actually saying his name. And here, she was, in an extreme situation, with none other than the father and with the longest friend of the one of her deepest affections. It was surely not the best way to confess something like this to those mammals probably closest to him. Closest to Nick besides herself.

And the reaction was not very promising for her. Her ears were flattening behind her head. The reaction of the small fennec fox was aggravating and troubling her immensely: "That's it? Just some fucking infatuation of yours and you having the illusion that you could just act on that? How could you forget everything. Only because you did just want to go to Nick, forgetting your own safety, forgetting the safety of those around you and most importantly, getting Tuck killed because you irrationally wanted to run out while there is a fucking chopper who tries to kill anyone who is deemed a threat to them. That all, just because you have a crush on Nick? You are a rabbit! You don't even know anything about what love is! You are a lusting dumb bunny! Are you insane?"

The Lord intervened with his paw and a very strict pressure on the shoulder of Finnick, "First, she did not run headless into danger, everyone did. She actually purposefully was doing her duty. Second, Tuck tried to rescue Nicholas by your own command, not Judy's, so this argument is invalid. Third, it is your, I repeat, YOUR job to constantly want to protect Nicholas, but her desire trumps yours into oblivion. And last, last I checked, there is nothing wrong for a rabbit to love a fox."

"Yeah sure. Having a crush on a fox is real good. You know as much as I that this combination is impossible." the fennec responded, "Their natures clash at all possibilities. She is a rabbit! She is not able understand what love actually is. What real responsibility and dedication it entails. Her little crush has the potential to kill Nick in the end. And she doesn't know anything about how dangerous this is!"

It was not the Lord, who rebutted that. It was Judy, with both her paws on the collar of Finnick, holding him close to her face she screamed at him. "Now, shut up! I didn't say I have a crush. I didn't say I lust after him! This is no infatuation! I said I love him! LOVE! In the sense that I want myself marrying him someday and only him, no one else, ever. No one is as good as he is! And much more important. This has nothing to do with this situation here. We have a job to do! We need to get out of there, get this chopper down, rush towards Nick who is battling the Sheriff of Nottingham right now! And help him. So we don't have time for this bullcrap!"

Finnick looked sceptically at the rabbit. Lord Patrick John was torn inside. He wanted to believe this rabbit. He saw them interact. He knew about Nick's not so subtle link with this mammal. Her being in love with him was risky and potentially fatal. He needed to talk with this rabbit once this shit show is over. He knew exactly what Finnick meant and how most rabbits in this world were simply too different than foxes, not knowing anything about certain conditions. And as much as he knew already about Nick, it might be too late to intervene in this ... So the Lord hoped and concentrated on the matter at hand instead of using his brain for matters of the heart. The matter Judy was just mentioning was currently just more important.

"Judy is right with that,", Lord Patrick hood clarified, "We know the pattern how the chopper will swivel around the place. We know when we could move. You and me, Finnick, know what we should do. You know where the pipes are and you have your bat so we could do this properly and prepare everything. The trajectory is calculated as best as I can. We have to get the timing one hundred percent right. So, we just need to act on this."

The noise of the chaos around them was not as penetrating to Judy's ears, as the mentioned chopper was. She had the idea and recognized, when it would be safe to act. She didn't like this plan, but it was at least some kind of plan. She quickly exclaimed: "We don't have much time. I count to six and we have to move."

Taken aback by that, the Lord looked at the rabbit. He needed to tell her something before their departure, if this would turn out bad. She needed to know. So he gasped it out when Judy wanted to start the countdown, "Judith … You and only you have the fate of the whole Hood family in your paws! You need to know that, so I have to talk with you extensively about this as soon as this is over. You need to now about foxes! I need you to understand him!"

She didn't start the count, only looking confused back at him, exclaiming a silent, "Huh?". The Lord wasn't finished though and clarified, "You know Nick … my son."

It would have been a heartfelt moment, if not for Finnick suddenly bursting out: "Come on! Go Go Go!" while grabbing the paw of the Lord to sprint towards their destination.

Judy had her own mission. While her mind and heart were boiling with confusion, her logical mind slowly took over again. This were thoughts and problems for a later date. Now she had to get the attention of the strongest of the apes, so their plan could work.

With her revolver in her paw, five shots in the clip, she sprinted towards the five gorillas who were still trying to help their limping ape friend while collecting the occasional mammal for the Sturm. She stood in the middle of a clearing shortly after, for anyone to see, when she fired her first round. Just like before, the thick skin and fur were enough to not critically injure anyone of the giant ape family. But it was enough to get their attention.

Horadi and the newly shot Gorilla, who experienced a pain in his back, both turned towards the source of this attack. When his eyes roamed to the ground and found the purple ones of Judith Hopps, he knew, that he needed to be cautious. With gesturing, since he couldn't talk, all other apes around him who were capable were ordered to follow him and surround the small rabbit, leaving the limping one closer to the HMS Locksley.

The apes were fast and Judy was very patient. She waited for them to surround her, knowing what she wanted to do. When the first ape moved to catch her, she simply used her superior jumping skills to hop somewhere else. Judy and the group calculated, that they needed at least one minute for the helicopter getting to this side, the north side of the arena. It would be in exactly sixty two seconds were the best time frame of finishing their plan was located.

Already thirty seconds were over and two poles were being prepared right behind the colored plastic curtain that was the side of the arena. Finnick was using his bat, made of titanium, to hammer at the back of one pipe, so it could get itself embedded in the concrete under the strictest of the iron cables holding the arena afloat over the water. Another pipe was accurately used by Patrick to be embedded just some feet to the left of it. They were embedded very horizontal into the concrete, so enough push from above would loosen the whole integrity of this structure. A long wooden board was already in place to be set upon the pipes. The rest would have been Judy's job. Fifty seconds and it was all done. And Judy was on her way with a furious Horadi quick on her tail.

The giant gorilla was furious with the small bunny. Yes, she had a weapon with a much too small caliber to hurt them seriously. But Judy was incredibly accurate. So accurate, that she was able to lose four shots in a row, penetrating all the same moving target on the same place. And this was enough for one of the gorillas to not be in the game anymore.

While she was running away again, after successfully jumping out of the supposed surrounding of her person, two of the gorillas, Horadi himself included, followed her while the other two got back to work. Their understanding of the mute Horadi was instinctual.

Running while occasionally jumping with a somersault, aiming precisely at the gorilla who wasn't Horadi. Horadi would have been able to evade every time. Judy however, decided to target the other Gorilla. Run towards the pipes and board, you have fifteen seconds left. Jump, turn, shot, run again. Four times. Only seconds between those shots. Every shot penetrating the squishy and soft part right under the jugular, but still above any bones. With the third shot, finding the same hole every time, the way towards the spine was open. And gorillas are sluggish when in pain. The last bullet embedded itself inside the spine, damaging the spinal cord. And boom, the gorilla fell. It would not be able to breathe freely with this kind of injury. Judy knew, this gorilla was as good as dead, suffocating shortly after.

This made Horadi furious. Furious enough, to not recognize that this fennec fox and this cloaked figure were very close to the bunny, who stood on a wooden board. Horadi was aiming at her. She herself was aiming her now empty, weapon at him.

A gorillas blunt punch force is calculated, to be between six and eight thousands pounds, depending on their weight and their gender. Horadi was four hundred pounds heavy, a monster of a gorilla. He was male. He was a prime. He used both paws. Judy was only able to jump away at the very last second. She did it on purpose so the ape would hit her designated target. A calculated force of ten thousand pounds was delivered on the board, which obviously cracked on impact. But not, before the pipes in the concrete actually delivered the force so it loosened the whole structure of the concrete block significantly.

It was at second sixty three, when the gorilla used his punch. It was at this moment, the strain of the steel cable broke and threw the boulder now attached to it on one side high behind it into the air. On a direct trajectory toward the calculated point where the helicopter would be.

The concrete missile only smashed into the tail rotor of the flying machine. But it was enough to destroy it completely. The centrifugal forces immediately taking their tool on the chopper. Only moments after this missile was lunched, the helicopter was falling out of the sky. In a brilliant show of physics and a very small fire, the flying machine ended to partly smash into the artificial bank of Riverside Boulevard, only to sink right after it was delivered to the water by the means of gravity. The passengers hopefully finding their demise.

It would have been a moment of jubilation. Their plan actually worked! They took down a freaking chopper! But it was not a time to celebrate!

Judith Laverne Hopps risked everything for this achievement. For Horadi to punch at the right time and place, she needed to stay at it for as long as possible. The problem was, because of that, the ape was much too close to her. You can't control yourself in the air. A giant hand was catching her left leg, before she was on the ground again.

Of course, Finnick immediately used his bat to bash at the giant ape. Only to be met by the other hand with a fist, rendering the small fennec unconscious on impact. The Lord would have tried to intervene as well, only to be witness of the disturbing and incredibly idiopathic exclamation of rage.

Horadi only saw red. He did not know, what he did before it was too late. He had the bunnies leg in his hand. A bunny, who was screaming in pain, not able to utter anything else than a scream, because he clenched his muscles on his hand enough to probably brake the leg like a twig in the process.

But it was not the only thing, that would break. With the still screaming of Judy, the rabbit found herself swung in an ark over the head of Horadi. She couldn't form a proper thought, before it was over. Swung, only to be smashed down onto the ground by said gorilla with force.

It was a shock for the Lord to see this so close. It was as if he saw everything suddenly becoming trivial. This was it ... wasn't it? He knew this would have been agonizing for Judy, if this treatment wouldn't result in her abrupt unconsciousness. Horadi was inflicting injuries any normal mammal would surely perish in the short future from. This was a brutal smash onto the ground, sickening for any watcher. Tear inducing for cameras to be captured and hundreds of relatives to weep about.

The ape didn't stop himself after the smash though. He was seeing the limp body of this agonizing rabbit. The gorilla swung his arm with the still attached Judy in it, so only he could lose grip on the highest location above his head. The limb body of Judy Hopps was flying through the air. Landing ultimately in the river.

The Lord was sprinting at the Gorilla with rage, only to be flung backwards himself. It wasn't a punch as severe as the one towards the fennec fox, but it seemed as if the cloaked figure of Patrick was just flung with a comparable velocity like Judy was thrown. And Lord Patrick Hood himself, landed in the river, probably unconscious like the rabbit was.

Footage was shown all over the world of this.

The possibility of Judy Hopps surviving this, was most clearly near zero.

And it was fear. Anguish. Horror that engulfed the whole place. Scooping up the body of the fennec, the gorilla started to run for his life. He just signed a contract with death himself when Horadi realized what he just did. Agonizingly oppressive forces manifesting around the whole Boulevard.

Nicholas Piberius Wilde

He was in the middle of defending himself from harm against John Rickman and his remaining savage wolves. The sword he got from Skippy was still steady in his paws. Nick Wilde had a weapon to defend himself. The corpses of three savage wolves were already on the ground, dead. Blood was pooling around those mammals he teared and opened vital veins from with the help of his sharp vulpine teeth. Now his accurately provided slashes and thrusts were defending him from the Sheriff of Nottingham, keeping him at bay and providing him with the ability to keep himself alive. He was occasionally getting attacked by the four remaining canines. It was hard to defend against a prime while savage animals attacked him. Nick felt lucky, he was capable to do this.

But it came with a cost. His whole concentration was focused on this task of survival. The fox was not able to help anyone else and would not be able to do anything else but try to defend himself from a wolf with his pack. Not able to diverge and run towards one of the screams, that surely needed help from him was the consequence. His defending and occupation with the Sheriff of Nottingham hindering any attempts to get into a beneficial position or to depart and get towards a certain rabbit he desperately wanted to protect.

Nick found himself on this platform of the VIP area, with the best view towards the arena stage. The same one, the entourage of the prince and his friends where, before this whole mess started. He could witness everything.

The animals who reverted into a savage kind of mind were around them, but with enough space, to not interfere in a fight of primes. Most mammals who managed to not become savage, already fled the scene. There were only mammals inside the high risk area, that either tried to subdue the savage population, or were fighting against those of the Sturm, who tried to kill them.

The position Nick found himself in, was one of those sword fights he already once found himself in on top of Zootopia. Both paws on a Hood sword, holding it sideways in front of his face in the famous ox guard position while deflecting another one of John Rickman's attacks.

He was trying to get the upper paw, but the remaining savage wolfs of John were constantly throwing themselves into the fight and distracted him from actually doing any kind of damage against his former teacher. Every time one of those wolfs did this though, it was the end of said wolf. Nick slashed precisely enough to end three of them while he was fighting with the Sheriff.

But it would only be a matter of time till there would be an opening to even strike further. Either for Nick himself to strike, or for him to be put down by John Rickman. Luckily their fighting was stagnating at that moment in time. They could probably be in this situation for ten's of minutes, facing each other in this situation. Something that was nagging at the pride of John Rickman, who literally had four allies with him and was not able to end this fight against Nick. John felt weak, losing six of his wolfs against his godson. He became more and more enraged by the situation.

And it happened a very short time after Nick got his sword from Skippy and killed his third victim with it by simply doing an over-cut and slashing at the neck of the attacking savage wolf, separating a spine just at the back of the head, decapitating the attacker easily. What happened was a surge of something around in the air. Everyone, savage or not, prime or not, everyone suddenly recoiled with a surge of fear. As if struck by something in the deepest abyss of their souls.

Nicholas Piberius Wilde was in a position where his eyes where able to watch the happenings near a bar from afar. The side of the arena, at that moment in time he looked, was occupied by his old friend Finnick and the cloaked figure of Lord Patrick, standing and preparing some long pipes carefully into the ground and holes under one of the boulders of concrete that held one of the metal cables of the arena to the ground. The problem weren't this two that was creating this sudden surge, though. The problem and agony in his heart, was because of the happenings between Judy and the giant ape named Horadi.

He saw that she let him deliberately hit the place she was standing on. He could recognize their plan from this far away, even while being distracted with defending himself. He saw Judy was getting flung violently upwards in an uncontrollable jump attempt. He witnessed how the punch into the pipe loosened the metal cable enough for it to recoil in violence. He saw the concrete part smashing into the back rotor of the helicopter used by the storm. He looked onward, when the helicopter lost control and descended rapidly, resulting in a crash. But most importantly, he saw what happened to Judy after the gorilla found himself in a position to harm the rabbit.

It was a scream in agony and with all of his heart, when he screamed her name desperately, creating this oppressive feeling around himself only a prime was able to create: " … Judy! … "

Animals were recoiling at all sides, while the gorilla assaulted the rabbit more, punching Nick's friend Finnick unconscious in the process. The fennec fox was smashed by the hand of a gorilla. The small rabbit was held by one leg of hers. The gorilla was swinging her down into the ground. And she was limp afterwards. Something in Nick broke.

Nick saw it with his own eyes. The rabbit was limp in the paw of this disgusting excuse of a living being called Horadi. And in utter horror, forgetting that he was in a fight with a prime himself, the fox witnessed how his bunny … the main reason for anything happy in his world … was thrown far away into the river. Into the water. Only to sink and die.

He could not witness her sinking in the abyss of the river. He was occupied with a sudden extreme pain in his heart. And he simply gave up, at that moment. Gave up on everything. He knew it was coming, but he did not defend himself. The wolf named John Rickman used the pommel of his sword to punch onto the head of the fox. Nick was stunned.

The abrupt losing of his footing and pain enveloping his cranium was nothing compared to the agony of what he just witnessed.

Nick was able to hear the voices around him. He was laying on the ground on all fours shortly after, facing the ground. Tears were threatening to fall. He couldn't maintain any mask. They were falling down from his eyes while he clutched one of his paws to his chest. He listened to the Sheriff of Nottingham's next command. The Sheriff was immensely distressed, not even remotely like the fox was, but distressed as if in mortal danger nonetheless. He was screaming into his sleeve, obviously connected to a communication devise.

"Retreat! I repeat, everyone retreat! *S*, start the ship, we need to get out of here!"

There was panic in his voice. The question of why, would be answered very shortly. The wolf was starting to run back towards the HMS Locksley in a hurry. He just watched while his godson lost all will to life. And he knew, what this could mean. And because he knew, he had to order the retreat. Only to witness something, he only heard about and never witnessed beforehand. Only to see and feel the true power of this slumbering grand prime emerge.

Nicholas was clutching his chest, where his heart would be. He was crawling himself smaller on the ground a little bit more. The prime behind him was fleeing. The savage animals around didn't even dare to come closer. The last remaining savage wolf of the Storm jumped at him to finish his enemy.

Only because he had no will to life anymore, did not mean, that something else wasn't able to substitute this will. And this would mostly be described as the will of revenge. It was called Vengeance. It was called Vendetta!

Nick had his right paw still on his sword. Just a simple twist of his body and it embedded itself in the chest of the incoming wolf. It was dead, before the fox stood up again.

Despite his pain in the head from the pommel strike and the agonizing ache in his heart, the fox felt something in the proximity of his chest pocket while he was clutching there before. Inside the chest pocket of his, there was something he forgot about and was now much more aware of. He never thought he would even think about actually using this present of Sándor and his sister. But right at that moment, he simply didn't care anymore.

What would the loss of his own consciousness actually do to him now? He already lost the most important thing that was holding him in this world. The benevolence of his civilized mind was nothing for him anymore. This decision would only get him closer towards his new goal. And this goal was revenge.

The small pill inside the very small capsule was taken out by him directly after he found his own footing again. He saw the Sheriff literally running away from him. He could see the gorillas trying to scramble towards the HMS Locksley as well. The ship surprisingly started to move slowly of it's own.

He took the small thing between his paw fingers. A pill constructed for him especially. It was capable of destroying everything he was. He looked at it with still glassy eyes. His decision was already made. His last conscious thought process before he took it, was with this one mammal he regretted now to not openly have talked about this in the past. Now he will never have a chance again.

Yes, his main motto in his live, was to deliberately stay ignorant. Wear a mask and let nothing get to you. Ignore everything so it can not hurt you. If it was towards information or if towards emotions didn't make any difference in his philosophy. He always wanted nothing to get to him. Don't show them that they get to you! She got to him a long time ago ... A now she was gone.

He knew, what words he wanted to utter as the last words he would say in his conscious life. He felt, as if this pill, this decision to embrace the prime inside himself, would ultimately be his demise. The end of all for him. And there was only one circumstance, where he would decide to take it. And this involved the demise of his bunny. So, he had no other choice as to destroy his own brain, in his opinion.

Yes, it was his bunny. HIS! He knew that for a long time now. Only because he never spoke the words, or didn't articulate it properly inside his own head, didn't mean he didn't know what this was. This feelings. This emotions towards her. Why it hurt so much. HE KNEW WHY!

The only thing he did regret, was that she wasn't able to hear it when he spoke the words only for himself to listen to now. He was telling it to himself, confirming it. The last words of this fox, as a slumbering and not awaken savage prime were uttered in a whisper and whimper: " ... I always loved you, Judy ... " And his teeth tore into the pill while he swallowed the drug allowing the chemicals to react to his brain. It happened. The birth of a new prime.

It was as if the whole world stopped for an agonizing long second. The amphetamine and night howler dosage, with various side drugs, was infiltrating his brain within milliseconds. His eyes were forming a slit like appearance. His maw was forming a line. Shortly after he was baring his teeth for everyone to see. His hackles were rising. His claws unsheathing. He lost the grip towards the weapon in his paw. The sword was clattering to the ground.

It was a howl like sound, that was deafening for all around him. He lost it. He was savage now. The fox was falling towards all fours. A small growl was uttered. And this noise close to a howl or a bark.

But is was not pure savagery that consumed him. No. It was so much more for Nicholas. He was a prime, after all. So, his thoughts, his wishes and most importantly, his desires stayed inside his savage brain, guiding him towards his actions. His intelligence didn't diminish in his savage state, but rather everything slumbering inside was unleashed in a moments notice. And the first action was this howl.

Accompanied by a sudden wave of, what someone would later describe, as his aura. There were savage mammals around him, he literally was in the most central space of this riverside event. And cameras were on elevated stations all around capturing this event.

The footage was directly broadcast to the world to see or later to witness because no one in their right mind would cover this event in it's entirely again, censoring it with a delay and only selected footage shown. And no one knew, what to make of this sudden display of the fox. But much more, no one knew, what actually happened for all other animals in the vicinity to suddenly portray a very disturbing kind of display. Everyone was sure, the fox just became savage and did something. Everyone was sure this was the fox's doing, no doubt about that.

There were still at least two thousand and a couple hundred savage mammals from the festival population, who needed to be either sedated or captured by the authorities. There were hundreds of officers trying to do exactly that. And it suddenly became so much easier for them.

The oppressing wave of emotions and will portrayed by the small vulpine in the center of everything happening, was a wave of suppression. Some kind of sign to anyone around, not only to obey, but to do anything in their might to support the will of this fox.

The fox wanted all of this to end. And it kinda did, in this moment.

Savage eyes were suddenly confused and afraid. Nearly all rolling their pupils into their head, as if punched by a sudden potent nausea. And the were simple losing of all footing. The will of a savage fox forced the majority of all mammals around, that weren't B-Mammals or primes themselves, to not keep a straight head anymore. Fainting, was the result of this.

Thousand of animals were suddenly fainting. No matter if savage or not. If sane mammal or savage mammal, the main thing you did at this moment was losing consciousness. Only the occasional officer was staying his or her ground. No one knew, what just hit them. The occasional savage mammal who resisted the urge to simply faint, was cowering in fear. Paws over their eyes, obeying and waiting to be subdued.

A hilarious image to see tigers, horses, or even an rhinoceros cower down in defeat, afraid of what might happen if not obeying this oppressive feeling. The fallen government employees reached as far as to the gates towards the whole Riverside Boulevard. Everywhere someone could find suddenly fainted mammals. And only the rare confused mammal who didn't know what just happened, only feeling this oppressive feeling inside themselves.

John Rickman felt this wave and sprinted with all his might. The ship was already starting to depart. He needed to get on board.

Much more important were the four remaining giant apes, three savage ones and Horadi himself, who were the mammals who were responsible for capturing and abducting the victims of the Sturm. Four of those were currently running, just like the Sheriff was. One having the limp and unconscious body of Finnick in his arms. Horadi was the fastest and at their front. But they had a much longer way than the Sheriff.

And it was, what the fox recognized as well. The savage prime observed only for the split of a second before it decided to act on this sudden urge to get this apes to suffer a premature demise.

On all fours, he would have run at them directly. The fleeing John Rickman wasn't a threat to him, it didn't felt this way. The wolf prime was showing submissive behavior. The fox could deal later with him. But now, those apes were the priority.

His savage green eyes glanced at the tool right on his side. The fox recognized the sharp edge smeared with the blood of the savage dead wolf, right beside him. He somehow knew, that this was a weapon. That this sharp end was just like the claws on his paws. Capable of slashing your enemies, just like your own teeth, or your claws. It would come in handy.

A thought, no real savage animal should possess. But his incredible intelligence inside the fox was free to roam instinctively and primitively now. Free from any civilized thought processes, but at the same time, capable to improvise and recognize favorable circumstances and even tools like this sharp stick, known as a sword. He quickly planted his maw at the handle of this tool, raising the sword with his teeth.

When he started to leap forward, with a swiftness and agility no normal animal should possess, the savage fox swung the sharp end of his tool on his right side now with his maw. Carrying it with himself while he pursued the giant apes.

He didn't need long to reach the first one. And for the surprise for future annalists, the fox, who should have been savage now, showed a trait only known to be possible by mammals with much more civilized attitudes. It confirmed the medias notion, that agent Wilde was capable of a savage fighting style and wasn't actually savage himself at this moment in time. And he showed this now, after witnessing the departure of the Sturm mammals.

While running, he turned mid jump. The momentum of a flick of his head swung the sword in his maw rapidly. Only so he could lose his grip on it to catapult it with a very high velocity towards the back of the first gorilla. The sword penetrated the cerebellar cortex and coming out in the front of the face of the ape. It was killed instantly.

The giant ape was falling down but the velocity of the savage fox did not stop. He was able to catapult himself via a good twist of his hind legs, to jump behind the falling gorilla. With a higher orientation than the ape and steadily jumping over it, Nick was capable of watching it falling down, while being in the air above it. Nick was able to grasp the sword immediately after with his maw again, yanking it out of the savage ape.

There were two gorillas were Nick was. They were further away from the ship, than Horadi and the last one of his savage mammals. Only three left including Horadi, one of them was already killed by Nick and another one by Judy. But since it were two, and Nick only killed one, it gave the other one time to react. It immediately turned around to witness it's brother die. It would have attacked, if not for the simple act of swinging.

Twisting in the air was easy, after you dislocated a stuck sword in someone else brain. You needed strength and a sudden dislocation would get you into a spin. A spin of a sword very close to the head of the second gorilla. The savage ape wanted to swing a fist at the fox, but decided to take a step in the process while swinging his arm back so it would have more punch behind it. It didn't happen. Rather, the rolling head and collapsing body of a gorilla was the result.

Nick, in his savagery, immediately discarded the happenings with those two and concentrated on his next targets. In disgust he witnessed how the Gorilla named Horadi threw the limp body of a fennec fox, a fennec fox he had the inclination to help, on board the ship. He saw none other than one of his own family. None other then a part of his own was catching the little mammal, while the gorilla himself prepared to jump the significant gap that already created because of the movement of the HMS Locksley.

The other Gorilla slightly behind Horadi was limping behind the Prime. Nick recognized this Gorilla as the one who somehow got injured by a flash from somewhere before. His memories were vague, but the savage fox knew something about this. He was not able to recognize this kind of memory accurately. It was somehow distorted. Not right. As if his brain struggled to know this information. But he somehow knew. This was momentarily confusing for the fox.

But it was not hindering the fox to sprint behind that gorilla. The sword askew in his maw again, ready to be swung at his next victim. The fox somehow knew, he didn't have much time for this ape. He saw Horadi in the front, approximately only four yards, to crouch for a possible jump. And the gap of the ship and his position was simply getting bigger and bigger by the second. He had no time to care for the savage limping Gorilla. He wouldn't make the jump and would stay behind no matter what.

So, the fox did a conscious decision. Again something, a savage animal shouldn't be capable of doing. Nick decided to simply grace the left hind leg of the savage Gorilla and sever the common calcaneal tendon with a fast swing. The gorilla fell immediately, not being graced by another glance of the fox. The savage gorilla behind Nick now was forgotten. It would never walk properly again. It was no threat and only in pain right at that moment. Nick was much more focused on the prime in front of him. A prime who just started to leap across the gap. He wasn't fast enough. Nick was faster to leap with him.

Horadi was a proud prime. A prime, who never anticipated the sudden pain in his shoulder. He already jumped. And the pain came, while he was still in the air. Property of a sword embedded in his left shoulder. The ape was able to twist slightly, anticipating the attack beforehand. It would have surely be rammed into his spinal cord, if not for this last second spin.

Since the ship was a little bit closer to the surface of the water than the artificial bank of the Riverside Boulevard, the two mammals, Horadi and the fox who clamped down securely with his claws on Horadi's back, fell down towards the deck.

It was the helicopter deck, on the hind end of the ship, the stern. The helicopter deck was a big flat surface. A good place to walk unhindered. The two stairs down in the the side rigs and with a big access gate towards the bay area of the ship, directly below this deck. It was the place where all captivities were. Something, Nick's savage self wasn't interested in the slightest.

The moment the two mammals touched the deck, the ape immediately swung his still usable arm, the one with the embedded sword was unusable now, towards the fox on his back. It was easy for Nick to use his claws, which evolutionary were formed, so he could hold onto pray, not actually swipe at them, but hold them long enough to use his incredibly sharp teeth to go for the kill. He used them like climbers used ice shoes to hold themselves at an icy surface. The same happened with the claws of Nick. He was able to simply jump over the head of Horadi, not being in danger of being hit at all.

Horadi was furious of this development, of course. Not only did he punched at nothing, but something rather curious happened afterwards. The sword in his shoulder dislocated easily with the maw of the fox. And again, it was nothing more than a twist of his neck muscles and the sword embedded itself again. If he could scream, the mute Gorilla would have screamed to find a sword inside the palm of his giant prank of a hand. It got through it and was now apart of the gorilla, as if he would have one of those joke items from Halloween inside his paw. But no, this was a real sword. And this was real pain.

Nick, the savage prime, turned immediately after he found ground under his feet again. The ship was accelerating at the moment, the responsible mammal in the bridge decided to give the board computer the order to get away from this place.

As Nick looked at the ape, his hackles rose again. His eyes fixed themselves at the gorillas eyes. You could feel the rage inside the fox. This was the mammal. The mammal he most despised at this moment in time. And he wanted to make it memorable for himself. Memorable but fast.

So it was as if he was alone with the ape. No one around them would or could intervene. The Sturm mammals, namely the fox prime named *K*, the prime lion named Sándor and neither John Rickman could move, when the fox lunged himself at the Gorilla again.

The metallic taste was there again. Nick knew this taste good. The gorilla was on his knees when he landed on the ship. And Nick did not need to jump high to find his target which was just under his face. A small way above his chest. And he was tearing into the flesh with all his might.

Nick fixed his eyes onto the fearful eyes of the gorilla whose throat was just inside his maw. They were able to see each other. And the savage fox couldn't do anything different anymore besides clamping his jaws closer together, trying to bite the life out of this despicable prime he decided to kill at this moment.

Horadi knew this was it. He looked back into the green eyes of the beast that just bit him and wouldn't let lose till Horadi himself was dead. He would have clutched the fox and try to free himself, but his arms were incapable of doing so.

He thought, he would have felt the rage from before. He thought, his last thoughts would be consumed by fear.

And then he looked at the eyes of the fox and loosed all ambitions to resist. Instead of the savage slits of a savage predator who got his kill, the ape looked into the green, mostly normal eyes of a fox, who tried everything in his might to clamp his jaws closer together onto his jugular. He was surprised, in his last moments.

If Horadi would have been able to, he would have said one word, after he recognized that the oppressive force around them all wasn't rage … it was something different at all. It was confirmed by the glassy film in the eyes of a savage fox. On the tears, that were constantly spilling down his muzzle.

It was depression. Sadness. Grief. It was mourning and despair, that motivated this savage mammal. This savage prime. If Horadi could, he would have said sorry. But he couldn't. Not while his life force slowly vanished, while locking into the haunted eyes of Nicholas Piberius Wilde.

Horadi felt guilty. He felt sorry for what he did. And he regretted his actions. Regret was the last thing, he ever thought he would feel in his last moments. But it was exactly that, when he closed his eyes for the last time and slowly embraced the caress of death. His last sensation to feel, being a sob like whine from the fox, who ultimately was his demise.

In the end, Horadi was dead.

No one still on deck had a chance to intervene. The three remaining B-Mammals on the anti-air guns where unconscious, shot prior by the mammals on top of Riverside Boulevard 81. And the three other primes there didn't move a muscle, while the red savage fox let go of the corpse he just created, and turned so all of them where in his peripherals.

Without much care, the fox trotted further to the back of the ship, which at this point, was just reaching Lions Gate, the mound of the River named Lions Tail, and was quickly departing from Zootopia. But not with one big boom.

*S*, who was commanding the bridge, wanted to take an example. So, he decided to aim the main canon of the frigate towards the place, they just escaped from. One little push of a button was enough to fire a slave of those two 72 mm barrel cannon as a departing gift towards the festival.

This shells accurately hit parts of the Arena with much force. So much force, that the roof collapsed immediately, while the whole part of the stage descended into the river bank slacked down. Since it was build slightly into the water, a big part of the arena, and all the mammals who were still so close to the stage of it, landed with a loud splash in the river. A small cloud was rising above the impact center of this salve from the HMS Locksley. *S* was satisfied with his gift.

All the while the boom happened and should have startled anyone, the three primes on deck, Elizabeth G. Fawkes was deployed in the bay area to control their captives, mostly with sedating them, stood still. Nick on the other paw, decided to visit the two anti Air-Gunners on this side of the ship.

Without much thought the savage fox, with the help of this very nice sharp tool he still had, attacked the sleeping B-Mammals. He wasn't stopped, before he ended the life of both of this animals.

And now, he was looking at the others. John moved towards Horadi's body, checking and mourning for his delusional and insane late friend. With a step towards *K*, the savage prime vulpine figuratively announced his further intentions. He was snarling towards the two primes close to each other, who did not engage in any fighting at this event.

He was not snarling and growling at *K*, though. The female fox belonged to his family. She was precious, and wasn't the target of his ire. It was the Lion on her side. Nick targeted Sándor, who visibly deflated after he felt the threat towards his life.

For the surprise of Nick, his sister decided to step in between him and the Lion. It was something confusing, but at the same time, very intriguing. So, Nick did not sprint towards the Lion to challenge him. An eye always to see the prime Wolf, who showed submissive behavior towards him and didn't seem threatening, the savage fox decided to slowly approach this two other primes to investigate this behavior.

This whole time the ship was accelerating, reaching it top speed of forty three knots, approximately eighty kilometers per hour or fifty miles per hour. It just passed the Lions Gate and was on its way into the open sea.

The protecting display of his sister, he somehow knew this fox was his family, towards the lion was confusing for Nick. The obvious extreme submissive behavior of the Lion who cowered himself and made himself smaller, was even more confusing. Wasn't this a prime as much as Nick himself? Actually, the savage fox recognized patterns and other things that seemed familiar about this lion. And not only that: after he reached only three yards away from *K*, the savage fox suddenly stopped.

It was his nose, that told him everything he needed to know. Yes, this female fox was family. But not only her. Her recognized it on the Lion as well. This Lion was as much family, as the female fox was. With a sniff and nod like gesture, Nick turned and focused towards the last possible threat in the vicinity. *K* and Sándor deflated in relief knowing all too well that they didn't want to fight their brother.

Sándor and *K* felt incredibly relieved to witness this savage prime fox turn and accept them. They hoped, he would have recognized them and wouldn't attack. And now, it was confirmed that their hope was reasonable. But to not become a threat, they needed to not be involved in this any further than just being present. They decided to slowly but steadily move themselves further away from the fox. The sudden change of the aura on the boat was enough, to recognize that the reaction of John Rickman towards the savage fox Nick would be something different. And it would escalate, they were sure about this.

It was *K*'s decision to contact the mammal on the bridge. If someone could stop further bloodshed, it would have been him, the first prime. She figured that John and Nick would fight, after she saw them slowly starting to circle each other. Immediately after the Sheriff stood up again from examining the dead body of Horadi, John unsheathed his sword. Nick was slowly circling the much bigger Predator with his own sword in his maw. *K* wanted to stop that, but she had Sándor with herself. She couldn't risk it to intervene. It would result in death. Even if those two primes circling each other didn't actually wanted to hurt the other, it seemed inevitable.

"Nicholas", It was the voice of the Sheriff, "If you understand me, please don't do this."

The fox did not understand. He recognized the sounds, but he wasn't able to process them. He simply snarled again.

John tried it a different way, "I know your pain. I am an alpha wolf. I know how devastating something like the loss of a loved one can be. I would have done the same in your paws. But now you need to calm down. We will find a way to make everything okay again. I can't get you Judy ..."

And Nick snapped his maw. He didn't understand anything the wolf was babbling. But this word. This one word. And suddenly, there was this wave again, stopping the sheriff cold in his tracks. Nick growled deeply. John knew, he would attack. And he triggered it himself.

John made a mistake. He saw Nick's reaction. There was no way around this anymore. The Sheriff needed to act.

It was faster than expected, when the telltale sound of swords clashing was heard again. John moved first and tried to dislocate the sword inside the maw of the fox. Nick himself knew, that this weapon was his biggest asset against an enemy like this gigantic wolf. Even without using his paws, he was very diligent with his weapon. But not as strong.

John was someone who was swinging his sword with a vigor, someone could easily underestimate. Nick on the other paw, always showed grace in his art of sword style, even as a savage. But this was, when he used his paws to guide the sword. In this instance though, he used his maw. And a brilliant trick was the consequence.

Nick did not hold his sword firmly. He gave it enough leeway to actually be catapulted by the strong swing of the Sheriff. But, since his maw was in front of Nick, and the sword was stroke from above, it actually catapulted the sword directly into the same direction, the fox decided to point his maw at. The result was a clanking sword to the ground that was on a direct trajectory towards the legs of the wolf, who just did the deed of striking it.

The possibility of injury for the wolf skyrocketed, while the fox simply needed to take a small jump behind to force a stand. His hind legs bent slightly, his upper body coiling down, ready to lunge into an attack.

For John Rickman, this attack was something he did not anticipate. He got a choice to make. Either, he jumps back, away from the sword and get lunged and probably injured gravely by the fox, or stay your ground and probably lose your capacity to stand at all. His decision surprised even himself.

It ended with Nick lunging himself at the wolf. His sword harmlessly bouncing onto the ground not doing anything. But it was not the only sword. The Sheriff, in a desperate attempt to not get himself mauled, lost the grip of his own sword, so he was able to use his paws.

The result was two paws of a wolf preventing the fox to actually shut his maw and using his teeth.

Nick needed to recoil shortly after, for the sheer power of the Sheriff was probably enough, to brake his jaw. A swipe of his claws was countered by a swipe of the wolf. Both forcing the other to get some space between them. But not after each of them decided, to kick their lying and still bouncing swords out of the way.

They circled each other again. Their weapons forgotten. Both paws of John were bleeding at their paw pads. A small cut at his leg when he kicked a sword. His right wrist bleeding after the swipe of the fox. Nick was hurt the first time in his whole savage life. It was a cut on his left forearm. It was minimal, not bleeding much, but it was a cut nonetheless. This was a different kind of enemy. Someone, who was actually able to hurt him. Nick decided to be much more cautious about this then before.

A small time elapsed, before both decided to strike again. It was a typical savage fight. Typical for primes, at least. When both parties lost their weapons, their main fighting utensils where their bare paws with their claws, and their maws with their teeth. That meant, that they needed to be much closer to the other to actually strike properly.

And how savage animals do this is easily explainable. They swipe with one paw, while trying to avoid the other mammals paws. They bite, and avoid the other mammals bite. In the end, since there are two primes, who kinda were able to predict common and easy patterns of fighting, this primal and very savage way was too predictable to be of any danger. For both of them. If Nick tried his trusty technique to get under the wolf, who was on all fours with this fighting style, the wolf simply avoided it and tried something himself. Something Nick easily could avoid himself.

A fight like this didn't have an instant result, like most normal fights would have. One of the big misunderstandings in the world is the expectation that fights are long. How anyone can expect a real fight to take as long, as some predict them to get. was a result of the movie industry. Actual fights to the death were mostly very fast resolved. But not, when a fight simple doesn't really occur. They couldn't hurt the other in this situation. It simply came to the conclusion, that nothing could happen. For solid three minutes, the two primes, one savage and one awoken, fought this way, and no one got the upper paw. No more blood was spilled. Evade. Attack. Evade. And attack. Nothing.

A fight like this could only be decided by one of two things: Either, the endurance was the winning factor, meaning that the one, who firstly became tired enough to make a mistake would be hurt and in the end, killed. Or there were outside factors that someone could use for their own advantage that would change the tide of this fight. Intelligence being the main factor of this. So, the winner was either the more smart one, or the one with more stamina.

And it was Nick, who used his intelligence. In the whole fight, the fox slowly but steadily maneuvered himself and his enemy into a position to his favor. The wolf didn't saw it, too enthralled in the savage fight he needed all his senses to survive against an enemy like that. Nick though had time and was just using this fight to make a plan. Planning, something again, a savage mammal shouldn't be capable of doing so accurately, if at all.

One of the swords, kicked away prior, was right beside the Sheriff of Nottingham. The fox knew he had to navigate only a bit further. It was the sacrifice of his defense, that made it. John, for his own bewilderment, managed to swipe with his right paw up to the fox, who ducked only a moment to late. The resulting slicing motion was cutting one of his claws into the membrane of Nick's right ear. It cut right through it. From the middle of it upwards, so it was separated violently. The pain would have been overwhelming for most mammals to endure.

The wolf managed to slice an ear of his enemy. It was bleeding profoundly, two half's looking gruesome. The wolf named John needed to place his paw down again immediately afterwards, so he wouldn't lose his balance. Since Nick was now to the left of him and the right ear was mauled, the wolf needed to twist his body to be prepared for the fox's next attack.

Which wasn't what the wolf anticipated. The Fox tackled the wolf immediately after he found his footing. With all his weight focused on the elbow of his right paw. Said elbow did lose it's stance and folded, like it was intended by nature. The thing about this attack with a tackle was, that it would force the enemy to lose it's footing, it's own ground and resistance. And the weight and force of Nick's tackle was focused solely on the right forearm of John Rickman.

It was too late for the Sheriff to recognize the telltale blink and the happenings of Nicks tail. Nick somehow managed to shove the Sheriff's own sword under the right forearm of John. With the slicing end upwards.

A gruesome and bloody image, while the fox immediately retreated. The flesh and arteries being the first things separated. The force of Nick's weight was enough to slice the blade deeper between the opening it created. In the end, it was a clean cut.

The fight was over. John Rickman was displaying a submissive aura immediately after it happened. Nick knew, that the wolf wouldn't fight further. And John knew, he lost, severely. Not only this fight. But also his right paw. Amputated by his own sword. Separated approximately two inches behind his wrist. Blood oozing out of the stump. An injury, he could die from if not treated properly. The fox walked back several feet and was focusing his eyes towards the happenings in front of him. The blood oozing down from his own ear dripping down the side of his face. Nick waited patiently and observed, ignoring any pain.

A cold paw was laying on the shoulder of the fallen prime moments after. John immediately knew who came. And Nick somehow felt rage beyond believe. But he waited patiently.

Waited to see what this monster that stood beside the Sheriff now wanted to do. It was not a time to be impulsive anymore. This monster there, was something different. Nick needed to be very cautious, for this individual instilled more fear in him, than anything he ever knew. There was his own sharp tool, just six of his own length to his left. He smartly but slowly moved, while still watching this monster. This needed more than just a little caution.

The monster was in possession of a suit. It was a metallic cage like armor, with coils on certain ends. Especially on the end of his paws. This monster knelt down beside John Rickman and took a hold of his now, only stump of a forearm. He used his right paw and pressed it close to the bleeding stump. An electric current heating the separated muscle into a hot mess. John did visibly flinch. It was agonizingly painful.

The metallic and distorted voice was calmly talking to the Sheriff, "I know it hurts. But it needs to be sealed up. You wouldn't want to bleed out here on the HMS Locksley, do you."

It was none other than *S* himself, who was this monster. John looked at the face behind the cage like mask with thankfulness. He tried to answer himself, "It's … I am sorry."

*S*: "It's okay, old friend. You underestimated your enemy. Nothing to be ashamed of. But now, I would like you to get away. I have to deal with this personally."

The wolf, with all remaining strength, caught *S* on the shoulder with his still functioning paw. Whispering, no, pleading towards the first prime, "Please, don't do anything rash. Don't kill him!"

The first prime only sighed when he stood up. He watched the young tod, who obtained his weapon again. He didn't like it, that Nicholas could not be persuaded to not fight against him. The savage fox was not capable of understanding common language. A disadvantage for all primes, when they delve into savagery for the first time. At least, the trusty trigger system proved helpful again. Wasn't it the name of his chosen mate, that aggravated and triggered him, still recognizable in the abyss of his confusion.

*S* wanted to deal with this as fast as possible. He had a suit on, literally called project lightning. And he would use it, before the other fox had a chance to attack. So he did, with the hope, to stun him. A flick of his wrist and the coil attached to his paw glove created a lightning like flash at the position of Nicholas. *S* intentions were to stun him. But that did not happen.

The thing with swords is, that they are obviously made of some kind of metal. Nick somehow knew, that this thing the monster did, was electricity. That it would be enough, to simply ground something that would attract this lightning, close to him. Yes, he felt the current and it was painful. But it wasn't stunning. He held the sword with his teeth and shortly, before the enemy attacked, the cunning fox shoved it away from himself.

For the astonishment of *S*, his attack was deflected by a simple shoving of a sword. In the second, the monster was in awe, Nick stroke again with his superiority of being a prime. A twisted jump was enough to bring the sword into a trajectory towards his enemy again. Nick threw it against his enemy.

*S* would have chuckled or rather, outright laughed about this attempt of an attack. The sword that was rushing towards him was simply deflected by the cage like armor he was wearing. He didn't even need to evade, even if it would have been possible. With a simple clank, the sword bounced off of him.

Nick, who was standing his ground calmly and calculating, looked at the monster triumphantly. Even, if someone could call it that, a kind of smirk was on his muzzle. *S* simply shrugged it off and tried to attack again with his lightning. This time, the younger fox couldn't be able to evade this if he would attack. Nick could never be as fast as lightning.

But something was wrong. "What the fuck?", was blurted out by *S*, who suddenly felt a heat encompassing the paw he just tried to shoot lightning out of. Nick managed to hit a conductor. The result was the overheating and malfunction of the suit. How did the Fox know what to aim for? A Question, probably never answered.

Within moments the monster had no other choice, as to hurriedly discard his suit which overheated and became hotter and hotter. With pushing certain buttons and releasing pressure, the continually hotter getting cage armor was on the floor in front of him. Directly between himself and Nicholas. The prime wolf stood behind him, with his paw on the reeling of the ship to stabilize himself. The tempo of the vessel they where on was fast and unstably.

For no ones surprise besides the savage fox Nick himself, everyone saw the sudden recoiling and steps back made by the young tod. Why, someone would ask? Easily explainable by the simple revealing of the mammal under the suit. With the suit out of the way, the first prime was able to emit his own aura around the vicinity. He was able to show his face for Nick to see. And Nick recoiled in horror.

Icy blue eyes observed the reaction of Nick curiously. His maw was mostly made of metal. His distorted voice rather the result of not having proper vocal chords at all, but rather a technical device in the partly metallic throat of this mammal.

He was as much a red fox, as Nick himself was, only older. Even with the metallic construction of his upper and lower jaw, it was no doubt, who *S* actually was. So, a disturbing chuckle escaped the metallic lips of this fox. Nick visibly cowered down some more. He was petrified. Yes, this truly was, a monster. The greatest monster Nick ever knew. Even with his savagery, Nick knew what this was. And the monster talked.

"So, huh? You happy, you Bastard? Finally seeing who I actually am?", the monster was gesticulating with his paws while slowly getting closer to the other fox, who felt as if he was a cub again.

"Who am I kidding, right? You don't know the words I'm talking right now. You don't know anything I am revealing to you, huh?", he was stopping, only one lunge away for the other fox. But *S* knew that he came into striking distance. He counted on that while he talked more.

"Savage! That's what you are now! Not understanding one word but still feeling, as if you should understand everything. Yes, you bastard, I am talking with you!"

"You would have never expect this, did you? It's me, daddy! Yeah. Heinrich, you know. The husband of this bitch you call a mother? I would have loved to reveal this to you while you were capable of rational thought. But no, you had to snap! You are just as sentimental as your douche of a father is, aren't you? The death of your chosen mate will destroy you and we all know that. There is no sense in fighting if you will just die in misery shortly after this. You don't have something like your real dad in this palace of his! You don't have a cub! You don't have anything to live for anymore! And you will eventually die because of your grief, just like your real father will when I will show him your dead corpse! … Do you see my mouth moving? Hear the sounds I am uttering? You still don't understand me!"

And Nick truly, did not understand. Heinrich sighed, "You are a bastard, but at least you are my bastard. And there would have come a time, were you would call me father again. But not anymore, huh? You are not one of those foxes who isn't capable to imprint on only one mate, aren't you? Not like the bitch of your mother, who wasn't capable to imprint at all and instead choose to betray me with this asshole of a best friend I once had. And even he was just like me, capable of imprinting only once. Choosing only one mate … bad that we choose the same one and she reciprocated to both of us at the same time too, huh? And you are just like him! You are just like me! You bonded and imprinted with someone. Just to feel the emptiness when it is taken from you!"

"So the only way for your suicidal thoughts not to manifest would be to have an anchor that holds you to this world. I have my daughter! Your father had you! But you have no one anymore … an thus, you will succumb to a depressive suicidal death. And as much drama as your royal kind is capable of, you probably will just wait and hunger yourself to death. Not even the honorable way of just letting me beat you in a fight, are you? You gonna try to fight me. You gonna try to hurt me. For nothing. And I will defend myself. I will not succumb to a grand prime only because you want me to."

And thus, Heinrich S. Schwindler lunged forwards. His claws were unsheathed. His metallic maw was ready to snap at his enemy. To end this. And Nick was paralyzed … or was he? … no, he wasn't. His savage mind observed this monster. It studied this monster. And it found, that it was possible to fight it.

Sacrifices had to be made in some fights. And this monster was the end game for Nick. He and Heinrich would have been able to do the same, that he and John did. Fighting each other in savagery for possible hours on end. But Nick wasn't keen on doing that. And it seemed, the monster didn't want to do that either.

In a mutual decision, both foxes lunged at each other. Both right paws on front, their claws angled towards the side of the other. Both did not retract. Did not try to evade. And both hit their targets.

When a fox claws you, you have three lines, approximately two inches deep at their deepest, if they had got you with their full power. Depending on where they scratch you, it can become fatal. But no important veins or organs where hit. By both of them. This did not mean, that it wasn't bleeding profoundly, but it looked much more dire, than it was.

It was for the whole length of their bodies. The exact same kind of injury inflicted to each of them. Just mirrored to the other. Starting at their shoulders, continuing through the right breast to be finished on the start of their flank. Clothes tarnished and destroyed. Three long lines, bleeding.

And a change of position. Now, it was Heinrich who looked at Nick. The discarded hot lightning suit between them, a little on the left. John behind Nick. And behind the wolf, was the ocean. They ship drove far enough to consider it the open sea now. This was important for Heinrich's plan.

Heinrich had one thing, Nick had not. It was this tool on his belt. This tool was known as a revolver. And the older fox drew it. And the younger fox tried to lunge again, making a sidestep before that, so he wouldn't get hit by the first shot. His instincts showing him, that he should not underestimate this tool. That he should do evasive maneuvers immediately.

He would have been able to evade, if Heinrich was shooting at him. But his aim was not the other fox. It was the lithium battery on the right side of the hot lightning suit. The one, that got hotter. The one with the malfunction. It was just a bullet penetrating the battery. The battery reacting violently, discharging everything at once, in a very known means of discharging. It was known, as an explosion.

shortly after the detonation of the Lightning Suit, Heinrich, HMS Locksley

He had to do it. He had no other choice. Better him then himself … right? The explosion wasn't to joke about. It was surprisingly very big and loud. And it was very forceful. There was not much fire or heat, but a shock wave of disastrous proportions. It catapulted himself against the steel under the side of the bridge, crushing probably two of his rips, losing his grip on the revolver he had. He felt pain. And that, was something worth mentioning for him. He brushed against his red chest fur again. His side bleeding. His breathing difficult.

This explosion … it catapulted his supposed enemy as well. This one mammal, who might have been his superior, was thrown off into the sea by this. Not only he, but his best prime went with him. Over the reeling. Into the abyss of the deep blue sea. And now, he was alone.

The only question was … how? How did all this happen? Heinrich didn't know how this was possible. He knew about Nick's abilities. He knew more than anyone else about his capabilities. But he never thought it possible for this young fox to even be remotely close to this level of being a prime. Or to be so much farther than anyone else. Especially since he wasn't awoken. He was completely savage. And now he witnessed it. And he saw someone comparable to an equal at this stage. He did not expected that.

You could listen to his excessive breathing, even if his jaws mostly consisted of a metallic substitute to a real one, breathing was still done through the nose. He was alone, in his mind. Wasn't he standing there, looking down at the waves all by himself? A pain in his chest. His central chest area hurting and his right side still bleeding profusely. He should consult some medical treatment for that. But first, he was still in shock and awe, and watched the ship cruising with incredible speed towards its destination.

This suit he had, it was given to him with the claim that it was a technological masterpiece. He was told, that it was indestructible. But that wasn't the case.

Another savage prime, someone who should not be able to even think about the aspects of a technologically advanced suit was it's downfall. Somehow, Nicholas Wilde was in his full savagery, but he was still capable to analyze it so accurately, that only one throw of a sword was enough to render it useless. Not only useless, but to create an overcharge.

It was a prototype of a lightning suit. And how was lightning not able to stop him?

Heinrich should have taken it into a savage fight much faster. Only after he lost his suit, by deliberately throwing it between them, was he capable of fighting effectively. He should have done this from the very beginning. But he simply didn't like it, believing, that despite his constant savagery, that virtue was with those, who did not use their savagery directly.

He thought, after he came down from the bridge, that it would only be a matter of time, before he would have subdued the other fox. The grand Prime. He had to somehow help John, at that moment. Sándor was occupied with helping *K* to be utterly useless and Liz was occupied by stabilizing the threat of all those they captured, who needed sedation. But his two other primes outright refused to fight against Nicholas. And Nicholas accepted and concentrated solely on the Sheriff of Nottingham. At the time, he was furious with his subordinate primes. But that changed, after he lost his suit.

Now, he could understand. The suit was blocking him and his feelings and conception. He needed some time and to lose the suit, before he was able to understand and feel everything around him. He needed to become savage again, to understand the right choices made by his two remaining allies. The fight of John against the fox was somehow elevating the braveness of the Sheriff of Nottingham. He could even say, he would have been proud, if he would not have been so aggravated about this whole mess.

How did it get so far? He would ask himself this question for a long time now. Heinrich was somehow frozen in place. Despite him being distraught, no one around him came to his comfort. Just like he was used to. Especially because he was omitting the main oppressive aura he was capable of, shunning all to not engage in contact with him.

Before he went to intervene in the fight, he programmed the ship to navigate automatically and to steer towards his chosen destination, so he would have time to watch and intervene in the commotion with John and Nicholas. The ship itself was driving with forty three knots away from Zootopia. That meant, that someone could realize what it meant to be at the ten minutes mark after leaving the Lions Gate. Ten minutes, when Nick and John were catapulted out into the ocean. With this speed, it was clear, that the two landed at least ten kilometers outside of Zootopia in the ocean … a probable death sentence with their injuries. A real mess.

The diminished numbers of his subordinates consisted of only a handful of mammals anymore. Sándor was as loyal as he ever was … towards Kimberly, the one who called herself *K* to imitate her father. But she was at least obligated to be loyal to himself. Others on this ship, he brought from the original Sturm, were only three still probable sedated former ZBI agents. His only B-Mammals and with it, operative and useful mammals of the Sturm with him.

He could cry, but he wouldn't show it. He was a prime. He simply reflected his mood towards the outside. Let everyone else be glum for him. Serves everyone right. The Sturm was incredibly crippled now.

He lost Horadi, for good. It seemed, as if John was a goner as well. Even if he would survive and find his way to the coast. He was less one paw. It was obviously too straining and difficult to accomplish anything anymore, even for him. His newest addition, Pedro, was probably killed because of the bunny. Not only that, but it seemed that the bunny herself was out of the question to become a prime as well. She was sleeping with the fishes after all.

And the more he thought about it, he knew, that Kimberly would stay loyal to him. But Sándor was a different problem. He was a risk, if he ever would know one. Nicholas was out of the equation as well, it seemed. The explosion happened right in front of the young fox. He surely would become unconscious. And an unconscious fox in the water, was a dead fox … another reason to be sad, wasn't the young fox the only one closely to be an equal to himself. And even if he would have been able to sedate the younger fox, he knew that it would be for naught, death being inevitable for Nick.

Yes, the Sturm being crippled would have been the right analogy. Three primes were only left. Four B-Mammals, if he was honest. This four are the last ZBI agents who decided to join the Sturm. Only eight of the whole ZBI joined the Sturm after all. Nine if you count the late director Stone. Two of them died in the prison break. One died in the helicopter with Pedro. It seemed, that two of those sedated on the ship wouldn't make it. Those two on the steer get visited by Nicholas, after all. So, only four left. Plus the two former criminal mammals he left at the island to watch his home. That would make the Sturm effectively three primes and six B-Mammals.

A real bummer for Heinrich S. Schwindler. Still bleeding. Pain in his chest. He really should consult a doctor. Good that Sándor was one. He turned and extended his senses, locating the lion immediately. But not only the Lion.

He felt the presence of some others. There were definitely B-Mammals around all those they captured. They all were potential future friends and allies. But that wasn't what suddenly interested him. Rather there were more than the three primes of the Sturm here.

Some slumbering ones were on this ship as well. He was able to feel the Soviet Agent, the one who vehemently refuses to wake her inner prime up, was still the slumbering prime she always was. But now, there was this feeling, that there were more than her here on this vessel. He could feel it.

He knew about the capture of the actors and celebrities. He knew about the capture of some more Agents, BI and Secret Service. He knew about some random mammals they obtained. All who seemed to be at least B material. They were all on this ship now, deliberately chosen to be on this ship. And, there were the military personnel of this vessel still sedated and captured in all the cabins.

He could feel at least three slumbering primes … wait four … no even FIVE if you count Elizabeth G. Fawkes, the Furussian Spy.

Hm … his name should be *S* again, shouldn't it? … He was able to chuckle in his pain … one thought occupying his mind.

He talked to himself, chuckling manically, "I think it's time for some new, how should I say … persuasion."

two days after the event, Akela, City Hall Press Room

There were many questions to ask. There always would be questions after this kind of events. Many mammals were confused and afraid, not knowing what happened. Not knowing what actually really happened.

Most mammals have access to the media. And, since much of this, let's call it attack, was filmed, they went havoc with the story. Speculations, question panels, analyzes and all kinds of media coverage was provided. If rage inducing triads against particular mammals they disliked or even one or the other panel, which even tried to pin this on their political enemies. This was a battlefield that needed to be combed thoroughly through. Metaphorically and in the case of Riverside Boulevard and the footage, quite accurately.

Destruction and endangerment of a major event with thousands of different mammals was something untold of in the new modern era in Animalia. Of course, an event like this was something, not only Zootopia, but the whole world was watching curiously and with a sense of absolute horror. There was not one place in the world, where mammals were indifferent to this attack, on one of the beacons of hope in the world.

An attack on Zootopia, the pinnacle and center of mammal cooperation, was figuratively an attack on civilization itself. And everyone knew that. Everyone felt the same way about this. At least, the ones responsible for it, lost all their credibility for good, if they ever had any credibility at all. In the end, questions where there, which needed to be answered.

What did actually happen? Accurately? ... Who was it really? … Who else was involved? … Who is responsible? … What did this mean for any of us? … What has to be done now? … How should Zootopia and the world cope and deal with this? … Will this Terrorism threat ever get away again? … Who of all the victims actually did survive? … And more importantly, who died?

It was the medias job to ask those kind of questions. And it was the authorities job, to try and answer them as accurately and honestly as considerately as possible. This Is, what was happening on this day, two days after this despicable attack.

The next morning after it was needed to do many investigations and many of the victims needed treatment. The authorities, namely the ZPD, ZFD under charge of the ZBI, weren't able to try and answer those questions immediately after the event. After the fights. They needed till six p.m. two days after it happened, to gather enough conclusions and information, to do this sufficiently enough. They needed possibly even much more time to thoroughly analyze this terrorist event and conclude the truth. But the media and mammals of Animalia needed answers. And they got the chance, at this press conference.

So, after the announcement of this planned press conference inside the city hall, the important media figures and mammals, mostly reporters, found themselves in a room and awaited the words of the authorities. The authorities here being represented by only two animals. Zootopia's head prosecutor Akela was one of them.

Akela was the one, who would try and answer most of the questions. He was briefed thoroughly and was the one with the most information available. He was accompanied by Zootopia's very own Police Commissioner. The Indian Rhinoceros by the name of James W. Cane. The chief of all police chiefs and highest authority concerning inner security, besides the ZBI. Normally, someone like the director of the ZBI would be there as well, but some circumstances prevented director Gordon to participate in this. They needed to calm the whole situation down.

The way someone would try to calm everything down was obviously this press conference, that would provide the population with the truth. And here, with this terrorist attack, there was nothing better to present and calm the masses, than the truth.

The Indian Wolf, Akela, just finished his introductions and sat down at a table in front of the dozens of cameras and reporters. He informed everyone about his status and what they wanted to do. The announcement that most things weren't actually concluded completely and lacked in depth, was mandatory for all early press conferences. Most answers and descriptions he would give, were to be considered speculative and not considered fact, if not confirmed otherwise.

With a look at the paw-held device in front of him, Akela started to explain calmly, "I want to inform you all about the despicable events two days ago. Saturday two days ago at twelve minutes after six p.m., eighteen twelve local time. At Riverside Boulevard. At an event for the honor of prince Henry Wolfenstein. A notorious terrorist organization attacked the citizens of Zootopia. It happened by the use of excessive force, including lethal ballistic weapon use, psychological and chemical warfare, and the use of a military vessel, hereby known as the HMS Locksley, which was hijacked prior to this event. It was used in this attack by this group. This was an deliberate and malevolent attack against the Royal Family, the citizens of Zootopia and with it, against the whole of Animalia."

"We now know, and I confirm this to be one hundred percent sure: The group, responsible for this, is the group called the Sturm. It solely is responsible for this attack. Their motivation, as far as we know, was the kitnapping of prince Henry Wolfenstein while dealing as much collateral damage and fear mongering as possible. Anything they did was with the goal of abducting important VIP's, and inducting terror in to our hearts. Anything else that happened was collateral damage and a plan to instigate chaos. We now know about the dimensions, this probable attack could have had. I repeat: We know, what this could have become, if not for certain actions."

"Because of the preemptive and very intelligent actions and planning from our highest agency, the ZBI, the potential of a catastrophe resulted in probable minimum of casualties and destruction. I hereby have to explicitly mention and commend Special Agent Judy Hopps and Special Agent Nicholas Wilde for providing and gathering vital information crucial for the defense of our citizens. Their actions prevented a much bigger catastrophe. And furthermore do I want to personally mention director Foreman, with whose explicit and thorough planning and probable security operations, thousand of mammals were rescued and defended in the process."

"I will explain how the attack from the terrorist organization called the Sturm was conducted. Firstly, they tried and successfully took over the ship of the ARN called the HMS Locksley. After they got it, they threatened to use it against the mammals at the Festival. ZBI director Foreman tried to deescalate the situation, but it was demanded to let one of their own to hijack the stage at the Riverside Arena, and give a speech. The director accommodated this demand in the hope to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed. But it didn't happen as planned."

"The Sturm was distrustful and despicable. They staged the assassination of one of their own in an act of incredible cowardice. They did this, so they would have been able to exclaim, that their attack was provoked. It was used as the excuse to start their attacks. Using the wristbands filled with a drug consisting of Night Howler, they tried to get as many mammals as possible in this event to get into a savage kind of mind. This induced panic."

"After that, they decided to ram the previously mentioned HMS Locksley into the Arena, to involve themselves in the panic. Fortunately, all authorities were present to prevent major destruction and were able, to defend the citizens with all their might. After the Sturm realized, that their plans weren't easily attainable, and after major resistance, especially from the ZBI Agents, the Sturm and their mammals had no other choice, as to flee the scene."

"I, again, have to commend the efforts of certain individuals, who were incredibly inspiring and conscientious in their actions to defend the victims of this attacks. Special mentions are towards Special Agent Judy Hopps of the ZBI, who, with good deduction and the power of physics, managed to attack and down a helicopter used by the animals of the Sturm. A rabbit, who was able to destroy a helicopter!", Akela deliberately paused at this, before he started again, "Someone, who probably lost her life in the performance of her duties."

There were some shocked inhales in the crowd of Reporters, but Akela didn't take any time before he continued. "And again, I have to mention and commend Special Agent Nicholas Wilde. It happens that the footage and witness accounts evidently show, that it was his outrage and savage fighting style, that ultimately got the terrorists to flee. His actions obviously influencing the mammals fallen into savagery enough, so further danger was resolved very quickly after. He was ultimately responsible for surviving of so many. Not only that, but he literally jumped behind the Sturm onto the HMS Locksley, so he could infiltrate and fight them in their escape. He tried to rescue even more mammals, than he already did, probably losing his life in the process as well."

The atmosphere in the press room became very glum, "This whole attack was over, after the HMS Locksley fled the scene. The authorities were able to get control over the situation shortly after. But this all could have been very much more sinister and devastating, if not for the good work of our mammals in black from the ZBI, our mammals in blue of precinct four, our fine mammals of the ZPD from precinct one, the mammals of the Zootopia Coast Guard, the mammals of our Zootopian Fire Department, all emergency colleagues and finally all, who volunteered and helped immediately after they found out about the attack. I want to thank them all again, for their service for Animalia and their fellow mammals. To give you all more context about this terrorist attack and what actually happened and why I am so thoroughly thanking those mammals, I will now elaborate on some aspects of this situation:"

"We do know now, and I confirm this, that there was potential for all, I repeat, ALL twenty six thousand individual mammals on this event to become savage. If not for the actions of the ZBI, there would be much more grief than there already is. Their and the actions of the police forces resulted of only five thousand of those potential twenty six thousand mammals to be exposed to the drug. The potential of harm was quartered, before it even began. Not only that, but with extraordinary caution and planning, the ZPD and ZFD of precinct one and four were able to take control of this savagery very fast and precisely. With providing of antidote for more than eight thousand mammals on site, the possible epidemic and panic for the whole city was brought under control immediately after the attack was finished. We have to thank all of them for their extraordinary job."

"Now, I want to explain about the casualties and loses. And I have to regard this with utmost caution. I want everyone to realize, that this was a much better outcome, than predicted and previously assumed. We counted, to this moment, only two hundred and fifty one deaths. It is to mention that missing mammals are not counted in this statistic. Of those two hundred and fifty, fourteen were mammals who originally were with the Sturm. Most others were civilians who succumbed to blunt damage by savage mammals."

"Savagery is the main cause of death. Twenty eight died as a direct cause of lethal gun violence from either the Helicopter attack, the armament of the HMS Locksley, they targeted three boarding parties and boats from the coastguard with their anti-air guns, before they were shot and stopped by the ZBI. Other deaths are other brutal measures, including the possibility of some mammals who drowned. This means speculative, it is certainly possible that some deaths were planed by the Sturm to attack specific mammals. Our forces will look into this more thoroughly. It is to mention, that the one shot of the main batteries of the HMS Locksley against the arena was the cause, of it to collapse and probably bury up to on hundred of those casualties under it. We were able to recover eighty one bodies to date, counting on possible ten to twenty more to be found."

"There are approximately eight thousand mammals injured, including the ones exposed to the drugs. Temporarily savagery is registered as lightly injured, because the dosages used were too small for permanent damage. Only three dozen of mammals, thirty six, are still missing and not accounted by being abducted. We figure most of them are still in savagery were using the river to somehow escape capture from the authorities, which could be fatal for most of those mammals, since you couldn't get out of it, if you are in a savage kind of mind. So, they either fled the scene without confirming their departure or their remains are still need to be found. Divers of the Coast Guard and the ZFD are working on recovering any missing mammals who might have died in either some debris or the river. This was it with the statistics about fatal casualties."

"Other important information and statistics, are about those, who got abducted by the terrorists. As I already said, the main goal of the Sturm was to get a royal into their fangs. But with incredible luck and again, because of the work of the ZBI and other government personnel, we were able to successfully rescue prince Henry Wolfenstein from the HMS Locksley. The prince is alive and recovering in a secret facility at the moment. ZBI Director Foreman is with him and he is secured and safe. But this happened with a cost. Since the Sturm wanted to kitnap not only the prince, but also close associates and other unfortunate souls that happened to be fancied by them. They were able to get many into their paws, despite the efforts to stop them. They succeeded in abducting multiple other mammals."

"We are talking about the whole crew of the HMS Locksley, approximately one hundred thirty mammals. Sailors and mammals from the ARN. We can't confirm anything about their whereabouts, since we don't know anything, about what happened to the HMS Locksley. With careful analyzing of the footage we can confirm something different though. We confirm forty two kitnappings of other mammals, civilians and other victims, from the festival. This includes the likes of ZBI agents, Secret Service Agents, several police officers and other government officials. It is also including the following celebrities: Sir Jared Letho, Neil Pierce Hairy, Lily Jones and as of date, Jasper Quill. We have one hundred seventy two abducted mammals of the festivals, giving the total of missing mammals, killed mammals or those in captivity of the Sturm to be three hundred and two. Of course, the main resources of all our police forces and even federal resources are concentrating right now to find and bring all those animals and their remains back to us at the moment."

The wolf wanted to finish this as fast as possible, but needed to inform the public about certain decisions made, "We talked with BI commissioner Duke of Lundenwic, prince Wolfenstein and he decided to declare a temporary state of emergency for Zootopia. This means mostly, that right now government agents all around Animalia will come to Zootopia to support this city. The military volunteered to help us as well, with providing additional mammal power to secure events and help in the investigations. We advice anyone to cooperate with the authorities. The threat of the Sturm is simply too big and dangerous as to not declare this state of emergency, especially with them having a military vessel of the caliber of the HMS Locksley."

A small pause was staged, with murmurs all around the press conference. Akela brought his little speech to an end, "We will stay here and would like to answer any questions, as long as they do not compromise the investigations."

Many questions would be asked. But there was this one question, many wanted to know about. It was immediately asked by quite the famous beaver. FOX News wanted to know as badly as everyone else, "Sir. According to some of the footage and some other, let's call it, evidence, just like you yourself kinda confirming the most dire of circumstances, we would like to know the whereabouts about our heroes, agent Wilde and agent Hopps."

The Indian wolf could only sigh. Everyone saw his slacked shoulders and knew immediately, that this question was anticipated but not appreciated.

Akela needed to elaborate, "The footage of agent Hopps is very, how should I say, revealing. The special agent, in execution of her duty, was punched and beaten by the terrorist known as Horadi and was injured quite severely in the process. After her sustaining significant injuries, her body was flung into the river. Our divers are working nonstop to retrieve any bodies and mammals from the river right now, including possible remains of Agent Hopps. Till we have the evidence to say otherwise, we have to simply call agent Hopps MIA (Missing in Action) for the time being."

"Agent Wilde on the other paw, was fighting vehemently and is the reason, the enemy retreated in the first place. He managed to somehow get on the HMS Locksley before the cameras weren't able to follow his whereabouts after it's fast departure. But we have significant evidence, provided by anonymous sources, that the Sturm was not able to capture him. He is not one of the kitnapped mammals, but was thrown overboard after trying to subdue the enemy. He did not emerge till now and we do not know about his exact whereabouts. We can only speculate on this. And here is now the bad news about this speculation: This morning, the Coast Guard found clothes exclusively worn by him on the beach. It was scattered closely around the beach and includes his hat, his shirt his trousers and for our dismay, they were torn and in a state, were one has to assume that they were discarded intentionally, probably to prevent them of becoming dead weight while someone struggled to survive on open water. Right now, agent Wilde is, like agent Hopps, considered MIA."

The beaver and no one in the room liked this. Especially the glum and strict tone in the wolfs speech. It seemed, somehow, hopeless. Reporter Bieber wanted a confirmation, though, "Sir. Agent Hopps and agent Wilde are both missing. Am I correct? They are not dead?"

Another very audible sigh was heard by the wolf. But it was the commissioner who answered this, very bluntly, "We can't sugarcoat it. Agent Hopps and agent Wilde are most probably water corpses now. With the information we have, we can only confirm the missing status. But it will only be a matter of time, before we find their remains. We just have to assume the worst regarding those two heroes. And the worst is articulated easily. And everyone should take it seriously and get used to this message. You can quote me on this: Agent Nicholas P. Wilde and agent Judith L. Hopps are dead!"

This press conference was obviously broadcasting world wide. Everyone would see it.

Somewhere, in a big palace. In a room, used to nurture the weak, the ill … the injured ... There were two watery green eyes watching the television. He sat on a stool, beside a bed. Tears streaming down his red furred face. The Lord wept. Patrick Hood wept uncontrollably, his shoulders shacking. Now, he might finally have lost everything he had to live for. He had nothing anymore to move on. He would just wait, for the inevitable death. He knew, his depression will kill him. Only a matter of time, till he would be able to be with his son again. It was a decision, he made a long time ago.

It was a very calm, but still audible sob beside him. Amethyst eyes only slightly open. Weak of all the pain she had to endure. They were seeing the same broadcast. The same television. Her mind telling her, that this was indisputable, probably the truth. But her heart couldn't. Her heart knew something different. She had to believe in him. It was her first conscious life sign for others to observe. Her silent sob. The tears flowing down her cheeks. Her words for the two other mammals in attendance hauntingly understandable. It was the word, that was deepest in her heart. She sobbed only one word: " … Nick … "

Chapter 44 End

GLOSSARY:

Government Table of Knights = Animalia's most authoritative mammals are knights, who are the respectable representatives of either royalty, the nobility, the aristocracy or the government as a whole. The Table of Knights is the metaphor for a symbol of all knights under one banner with their respective rights to, for example, kill enemies of Animalia. BI's or Sheriff's as Royal Knights (knighted by royalty as knights of Animalia, loyal to Royals and the principles of Animalia), Secret Service as personal knights (knighted by Lords as personal knights, loyal to their Lords) and the SIS (knights of Animalia, loyal to the Government) / Civil Knights are exempted because they don't obtain the rights of all the other knights (no killing and defending Animalia for them)

NEW CHARACTERS:

Skye Winters, formerly known as Elizabeth G. Fawkes, SIS double agent (Works for the Sturm)

James W. Cane, Indian Rhinoceros, ZPD Commissioner

Heinrich S. Schwindler, red fox, Leader of Sturm (he is *S*?)

ABDUCTED / CAPTURED:

Finnick, punched unconscious by Horadi, Captured by Sturm

Kion Mfalme, shot in the shoulder by Pedro, Captured by Sturm

Victor Zeal, shot in his wing by Pedro, Captured by Sturm

Agent Jaya, shot in her leg by Pedro and bashed on the head by gorillas, Captured by Sturm

Harold and Kaitlin Nut, went with the entourage of Prince Henry, Captured by Sturm

Kevin Hopps, went with the entourage of Prince Henry, Captured by Sturm

Jared Letho, shot in the foot by Pedro, Captured by Sturm

Neil Pierce Hairy, went with the entourage of Prince Henry, Captured by Sturm

Lily Jones, went with the entourage of Prince Henry, Captured by Sturm

MIA:
(Missing In Action)

Pedro Sanchez, Remains not found in helicopter wreckage

Jasper Quill, couldn't be found, some believe she is quite a sneaky squirrel

Jack Savage, stayed on the HMS Locksley

Lord Patrick Hood, remains not found in the river after he was thrown into it

Judith Laverne Hopps, remains not found in the river after she was thrown into it

Nicholas Piberius Wilde, went overboard on open Sea (Sea miles off the coast of Zootopia)

John Rickman, went overboard on open Sea (Sea miles off the coast of Zootopia)

KIA:
(Killed In Action)

Ryan Jenkins (RJ), killed by the grenades of Pedro

O'broin, Head crushed by Horadi

Tuck, Sliced in half by John Rickman

Vincent Knott, Remains found under the collapsed Arena

One savage Gorilla, killed by Judy

One former ZBI Agent (pilot), killed by Judy

Seven savage wolfs, killed by Nick

Two killed (one maimed) savage Gorillas, killed by savage Nick

Two former ZBI agents, killed by savage Nick

Horadi, killed by savage Nick

END ARC 4!

Important!

I love the characters of Nick and Judy very much and it is very unlikely that I would kill anyone of them off... just saying^^

Also, if there is a whole ARC 5 in this story, do you really think I would do that arc without the protagonists of the Story?

Furthermore, If you have questions about words I use or concepts of my world building, please ask. I could expand the glossary if I know what isn't understood.

I needed to make a good comparison for what I actually thought about a certain new ability of Nick: Ever saw One Piece? Ever heard of conquerors Haki? Or the willpower of a king? It kinda inspired Nick's reaction to witness Judy's … you know what happened.

Interrogation time:

Hmm … One week and six reviews … few reviews make every review much more precious to me (I did not count those before my update, sorry if I don't answer to your old reviews)

Yay, I am back! But I am curious right now: You managed to know that I was back literally a day before I posted my newest chapter … how did you know that? Could you please explain? (Winter Kitsu)

No Bueno indeed. See this next massive cliffhanger and wait probably till next year for an update^^ (probably) (guest)

I was just frustrated … thank you for your concern (ddkeac)

First: Just the way you and I like it. Second: About Judy's admitting her love … she actually just realized her love for Nick a week prior to this (Kim's and Sandor's visit). My slow burn is a living and breathing sloth. The admittance of her love to someone else, especially someone like the literal father of Nick shouldn't be a surprise, it was necessary. You have read to this chapter, so you should know my dramaturgical tendencies. Third: Nick is a savage fighter who is simply the only one capable of major damage against the Sturm. Judy was fighting successfully and was occupied with creating a plan (And being held back by Finnick). Others were just not strong enough to make a difference, dying or getting injured in the process. Lastly: You saw what happened to the prince in this chapter.
(queenimno)

Sorry for my long chapter. You got the point, as long as a prince was on the HMS Locksley (No one knew he had fled the scene), no one would dare to bomb the shit out of it. Your constructive criticism is welcomed. I personally had the feeling that I somehow overdid it with my explaining and world building in my last chapter. I used detail very much in my story and I won't stop doing it, but I understand that it can get quite tedious to read it. (Hence my idea of a glossary to summarize it at the end of a chapter). Pedro might be more important than you think^^. I maybe wanted to use the FLN and/or Furussia in future chapters. (I mostly try to be detailed when I want to use the information at some point). Wolford and Fangmeyer ... I just like their dynamic and possible romance so I wanted to include them and make them into … I said enough^^. Was one week speedy enough for you? (side-fish)

I am alive! Your praise is really appreciated. Sorry for not letting Carrots fight with Nick. It would have been a really nice scene indeed, but I already planned this chapter here and needed the appropriate motivation for Nick to take the pill.^^ (Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps)