WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT. IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE MOVIE YET PLEASE GO DO THAT BEFORE READING THIS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Well then… I have successfully become obsessed with yet another Disney movie XD And as such, whenever I get obsessed with something new, I gotta write about it (plus I should probably take a quick break from writing Cars fanfiction to avoid writer's block).

The idea for this fic in particular came to me after wondering one of those great, earth-shattering questions: How would the movie have ended if this happened instead? And from the summary, you can probably tell what angle I decided to test out.

A few heads-up before diving in: there's a bit of violence at the beginning of this fic. Nothing particularly graphic, but there is blood and one instance of gun violence. It doesn't really go beyond PG-13 levels, but I still feel like I should put up a warning nonetheless.

And so with all that out of the way, please enjoy my first Zootopia fic!

DISCLAIMER: No, Disney. I do not own one of your properties. You happy? 'Kay.

As the puzzle pieces clicked into place Judy Hopps felt every drop of blood rush away from her face. Her paws stiffened around the case carrying the Night Howler dispenser. She sensed Nick tensing up beside her, as if he'd read her mind. Or maybe he'd just come to the exact same conclusion as her. Her question from before – How'd you know where we were? – and the recipient's wordless answer was all they needed.

Bellwether didn't flinch when Judy asked. She kept smiling at her, her arms outstretched, still expecting Judy to hand the case over. Judy remembered her cheery tone when she'd found the two, almost leaping in her excitement when she'd first spotted the evidence in Judy's paws. Nothing about her seemed off. She was just another good mayor, overjoyed to finally have the source of her city's plague.

A week ago Judy would've been fine with that conclusion. But it was Bellwether's eyes, of all things, that made Judy hesitate.

The moment Judy's question registered they flickered away for a millisecond before darting back to Judy. And when their gazes locked again Judy spotted a tiny glint in their whites –

Almost like she had read Judy's mind, just as Nick had.

The silence stretched. Judy exchanged a glance with Nick, who had the same comprehension dawning on his face, then turned back to Bellwether. The mayor stared at the case, and then nodded at Judy. Still smiling. Still keeping her eyes wide and bright.

Judy made her mistake when she took a single step back.

In an instant Bellwether's demeanor shifted. Her smile slowly melted; Judy spotted her teeth clenching. Her white brows furrowed, and Judy's stomach coiled.

"Um…" Judy spun on her heel, Nick doing the same. "I think we need to g–"

They both froze. Judy's dread stopped trickling in and jabbed her.

Standing at the museum's entrance was another one of those sheep from the Night Howler lab. He stood firm, his arms out like a football player, as if he were preparing to catch Nick and Judy if they ever made a break for it. But from how he was cracking his neck and glaring daggers at the two, Judy could imagine he wanted to do way more than just catch them.

Nick said it just as Judy did:

"Run."

With that Judy whipped around and sprinted deeper into the museum, Nick speeding close behind her, Bellwether's ominous and furious command for her minions sounding behind them.

Every ounce of energy she had coursed through Judy's legs as she ran. She kept the case locked in a death grip under her arm. Her head pounded as the full extent of the realization struck her.

"She's behind it…" her mind chanted, "She's behind the Night Howlers… She's making the predators go savage… She's filling everyone with hatred for– "

"OW!"

Judy threw her head back and let out a scream as she fell to the ground, the case clattering to the floor beside her. She squeezed her eyes shut and curled into a ball, both paws clutching her right foot. Hot pain seared through her leg.

She heard Nick gasp. "Judy!"

Judy wrenched one paw away to scramble upright. "Nick, it's fine– "

She stifled a yelp when he suddenly scooped her into his arms. He looked down at her bewildered face, his own features hardening. "Judy, you cut yourself on a mammoth tusk. That's not fine," he told her sternly as he grabbed the case. He stood and, after quick contemplation, continued to run.

Judy stared at her bobbing leg. Her remaining paw's knuckles began to ache from how hard she was gripping it. Between her fingers she spied a long rip in her denim pants, extending from the middle of her knee down to the frayed edges.

Judy's eyes widened. Swallowing she turned her paw palm-up.

It came up red, and Judy paled once more.

"What the heck did I do?"

Nick eventually rounded a corner and skidded to a halt. As he caught his breath he dropped to his knees, gently setting Judy against the wall. Another spark of pain jolted through her leg, and she bit her lip to hold in a wince.

"Nick, it's alright," she said once he caught her pained look. She sat up and held out a paw. "Really, just go and– "

"Oh, God…" Nick's eyes widened as he took her leg in his paws, running a claw along the rip in her pants. He stared at her, his brows knitting. "Carrots, you're bleeding," he whispered.

"Nick I'll be fine, seriously, it's just a scratch." Judy grabbed the handle of the case, pushing it towards her friend. "Just go. Get the evidence to the police department. Please. I swear I'll be– mm?"

Nick silenced her with two fingers to her lips. Any shock in his eyes had melted away, replaced with worry. "Judy, no," he said softly, shaking his head. His voice dripped sincerity. "You are not okay. I'm not just gonna leave you here. Just…"

He turned his attention away, peering into the very next room. Judy tried to adjust herself to look too, but couldn't see anything past the wall.

"Just…" Nick stood, holding a paw out as if he expected Judy to bounce up with him. "Just hold on…"

Before Judy could protest further Nick disappeared into the other room, his feet soundless against the polished floor.

A rip split the air, and Judy's heart jumped. Her ears sprung to life, one swiveling around to listen behind her.

"Come on out, Judy! You too, fox!" Judy tensed at the sharpness of Bellwether's voice. "I know you're in there! Just come out, give me the case! No one will ever be the wiser!"

Judy clenched a fist, her tiny claws digging into her palm. With just a few words Bellwether transformed for Judy. At first a sweet, kind lamb – and now…

Judy wondered what Bellwether really believed the label 'predator' meant.

"Okay, here we go…"

Judy turned her attention away from the lamb to find Nick kneeling in front of her, a long strip of cloth in one paw. He rested his free paw on Judy's injured leg and began to wrap the cloth around it. When the fabric first brushed the wound Judy winced, and Nick immediately stopped. He whipped his gaze up to look at her.

"Sorry," he muttered before getting back to work.

"N-No no, it's fine," Judy whispered back. But if she were honest with herself, she felt the exact opposite of fine.

"Oh, come on out, Judy!"

Judy's ears perked up again. Bellwether was calling for her.

"Why don't you come out and join me? I mean, aren't you tired of being treated like this? Underrated? Unappreciated?" Each word felt like a stab, as if Bellwether thought she convince Judy to give up the fight if she accentuated every syllable.

"Right." Judy furrowed her brow. "Fat chance."

"Ooh!"

Judy slapped a paw over her muzzle just as the squeak came out. She whipped her gaze back to Nick, who had both paws hovering over her thigh.

Judy narrowed her eyes. "What was that!?" she hissed.

"S-Sorry…" Nick said, his paws quickly going back to her leg. He pointed. "Your carrot pen fell out. I was putting it back."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Oh, wow. Of all the things you need to focus on it's my stupid p–!"

"Aren't you just sick of it all? I mean, we outnumber predators ten to one!"

Judy snapped her jaws shut. She raised one ear again. She heard a pattering of footsteps growing closer, and her heart dropped.

Judy reached out and placed a paw on Nick's arm. "Nick, just go," she whispered, "They're coming, just take the case and– "

"Judy, no!"

Nick wrenched his arm away from her, staring at her with incredulous eyes. "Judy, I am so not just gonna up and leave!"

Judy gestured a thumb behind her, her brow furrowing. "They're almost on our tail!" she countered.

Nick shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Letting out a long breath, he stood and looked towards the room where he'd retrieved the cloth.

Judy blinked. Just as the question of what he was thinking about formed on her tongue, he looked back at her, his expression determined.

"Wait there a sec," he muttered, then sprinted off again.

"Don't exactly have a choice," Judy thought with a silent snort.

"C'mon, Judy. Just think about it."

Judy shut her eyes, pursing her lips and pressing her ears down against her head. But somehow Bellwether's voice could still find her, taunting her.

"Ninety-percent of the city's population against a common enemy."

Judy cracked an eye open, and relief flooded her when she saw Nick crouching in front of her once more, though this time he had his back to her.

Just when Judy was about to ask what he did, he stood up and revealed it.

A stuffed jackalope, both claws wrapped around a tiny spear, its ears sticking straight up, much like Judy's when she was in a good mood.

It clicked. Judy stared up at Nick and, noticing his wry smile, smirked as well. "Oh, you sly fox…"

Nick chuckled as he took her paw in his own, helping her up to her feet. "Hey, it's the best I can do." Then he dropped the sly look. He rested a paw on her shoulder, staring her in the eyes. "Are you okay now?"

Judy shifted her weight to her bad foot, holding her breath as she did so. "Yeah…" She nodded. "Just… Just a little achy…"

Nick grinned again. "Good," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. He pointed towards the other room.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Judy, just think of the possibilities! With preds out of the way, we'll be unstoppable!"

Judy clenched her teeth. She was just about done with that freaking lamb. She stared up at Nick.

"Yeah," she said firmly.

Then they were off.

After the first few steps her leg devolved from simple aching back to sharp painful jolts, so Nick offered to be leverage. But really, Judy could've cared less about how on fire her wounds felt.

As they ran Judy thought about every disgusting thing Bellwether had said – about predators being a common enemy –

Judy looked up at Nick's face. She saw the determination in his eyes, the surorising gentleness in his features –

Judy almost snorted.

"Yeah. Common enemy, alright."

She couldn't wait to get to the Police Department. She couldn't wait to present the evidence to Chief Bogo, to explain the entire conspiracy to reporters, to get those freaking sheep behind bars and release Lionheart – to see the grateful faces of every last wronged predator –

To see Nick's proud face, staring at her from across the meeting room of the Police Department, as they both stood up for their first assignment as partners –

"WHOA!"

Nick's screech slammed into Judy, plunking her back into reality. When she saw who stood at the far end of the room, mere feet away from them, she too let out a gasp of shock.

Two of those sheep cronies ran towards them, arms outstretched. Between them stood Bellwether, and on her face…

Judy had witnessed a lot in the past few days. She'd seen a panther lose his mind and chase after her and Nick because of a poisonous flower. She'd seen a tiny arctic shrew try to send them into a freezer for one of Nick's past mishaps. She'd seen that same shrew's daughter almost get crushed by a stone doughnut thanks to a runaway criminal. But Bellwether's face…

Judy was certain she'd never seen such ferocity, such feral hatred in a lamb's face before.

It was enough to make her panic.

Judy stretched her feet out, hoping their rough pads would be enough to stop her. She did not account for Nick's sudden change in direction and, in a whirl of red and gray fur, she found herself tumbling forwards with Nick, his grunts of alarm piercing her eardrums.

Then she realized she couldn't feel the floor anymore. Before she could process how that could've happened, she opened her eyes and got a face full of red dirt.

"Ow!" Judy winced as she held her head, sitting up. She heard similar grunts from beside her, and she turned to see Nick, wiping dirt from his face and groaning.

A rush of dread flooded Judy's veins. Her breath quickened as her eyes darted around the area where they'd ended up.

It seemed to be an African savannah – or the closest the museum could model. Fake rocks and grass surrounded them, a single barren area opening up a path towards a watering hole, where a stuffed deer sat bending its neck for a "drink". A mural of trees and wide open plains covered the walls. Not a single door.

Judy's gaze met Nick's, and through silent confirmation they both knew.

They were trapped.

"Hmhmhm…"

Judy whipped her gaze upwards to see Bellwether walking up to the exhibit's edge, chuckling as she stared down at the two. She held up both hooves.

The case.

Judy's stomach dropped.

Bellwether caught Judy's wide eyes. She smiled and held the case higher, as if taunting. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Shoulda just stayed on the carrot farm, huh?" she asked, "It really is too bad. I mean, I did like you."

Judy glared daggers at the mayor. "W-What're you going to do?" she growled, "Kill me?"

Bellwether smiled again – that monstrous, sadistic grin. She laughed. "Oh-ho, no, of course not. I won't kill you."

Then her expression quickly hardened into fury. She aimed the Night Howler gun.

"He is."

Though it took a millisecond for it to register, Judy could do nothing to stop it.

Time seemed to move in slow motion. Judy stood rigid as Bellwether's words sunk in. The shot from the dispenser echoed in her mind, but not nearly as loud as the thump it made upon hitting its target and the dog-like yelp that followed.

Judy whipped around, the horrific realization already ripping up her heart. When she found what she dreaded her gasp ravaged her throat.

Nick had collapsed, lying on his side like a wounded soldier. He trembled, his body convulsing as the blue powder staining his neck took effect. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a few anguished groans and digging his claws into his head as if he were trying to rip the poison out of his system.

Judy was by his side as soon as his first moan of pain touched her ears. She put her paws on his convulsing shoulders, clutching the fabric of his shirt.

"Nick!" she wailed, "Nick!"

"Yes, Zootopia Police Department! There's a savage fox in the museum! Officer Hopps is down!"

Judy froze. Her ears flattened against her head, her brows furrowing. She whipped her attention back up to the opening of the exhibit, just in time to catch Bellwether pressing the end-call button on a cellphone. She slipped the device into her shirt pocket and, glancing at Judy, smirked.

Judy seethed. "You…" she muttered through gritted teeth.

Bellwether cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, what?" she said, sweeping her arms outward, "You actually thought this would go any other way?" She pointed, her nose crinkling. "He is only becoming what he was always meant to be!"

Nick heaved a shudder underneath Judy's paws, bringing her attention back to him. She gently stroked his head, keeping her other paw firmly pressed to his side to curb his trembling.

"Nick, please…" she pleaded, refusing to let her fear shake her voice, "Nick, you can't do this, fight it…"

"Oh, whoops!" Again Bellwether's mocking voice made Judy want to reach up and punch her. She prowled along the exhibit's edge, her sheep cronies following close behind her. She shrugged the arm carrying the dispenser, making it dangle. "Guess what, Hopps? You're wasting your time! He's not going to fight it!

"Especially since predators are obviously predisposed to be savages!"

As soon as the word 'savages' left the mayor's mouth, Judy's world seemed to shatter.

Nick stopped twitching. A low rumble sounded from his throat, and Judy's blood turned to ice.

Judy leapt backwards with a gasp, her eyes growing wide. She watched as Nick got to his paws – all four paws. Just when Judy's head started to ache from the desperate denials bouncing about in her brain, Nick lifted his head. And opened his eyes.

Judy's heart pounded. "Oh no…." Her throat burned. "Oh no, please Lord above no…"

Any traces of the fox she knew had dissipated. All friendliness and familiarity had been drained from those eyes, replacing it with primal, animalistic desire. His now near-black gaze landed on Judy, and his pupils dilated. His muscles tensed, and he peeled his lips back, letting out a low growl.

He crept forwards a step.

Judy pushed herself backwards a tail-length, slowly shaking her head. "N-Nick…" she pleaded, "Nick, i-it's me… J-Judy…"

Nick flattened his ears to his head, taking a few more quiet steps. He kept himself low to the ground, his hackles rising.

Judy sat up, putting a paw out in case he decided to take action. Her gut churned; she knew what he was planning. Why else would a feral fox look at a bunny that way?

"Nick, please." She was near begging now. "Please, Nick, you can't do this– "

Nick unsheathed his claws and sprang.

Judy scrambled to her feet, letting her instinctual rabbit fear take control. When she collapsed into the dirt again, a dull ache spreading through her foot, she realized with sharp dread that she'd completely forgotten about her leg.

"No!" Panic seared her chest. "No no no no no – !"

Nick's teeth clamped down on her injured leg, and she screamed.

"Oh, now won't this make an interesting headline!" mocked Bellwether from above, as Judy struggled to pull herself from Nick's grasp. "'Hero Cop Brutally Killed by Savage Fox'!"

As she tore at the ground, desperately trying to tear herself from Nick's jaws, a hurricane of emotions swept Judy up. Sharp alarm at the thought of being slaughtered – horror and sadness at the realization that her best friend was going to slaughter her – desperation at her wishes for Nick to snap out of it – and white hot loathing towards Bellwether, for thinking this entertainment, just another stepping stone for her rise to power.

In the midst of her panicked thoughts there was a single, clear image: Nick, crying out, his eyes wild as he is forced into the persona of a savage, Bellwether cackling as she watches.

Even when Nick was dragging her backwards, his canine teeth tearing through the makeshift bandage and into her skin, Judy had a clear idea then of what she had to do.

She knew it would definitely hurt him – hell, if it did it would hurt her. But it was her best bad option.

As soon as Nick let go to take another bite out of her, Judy flipped onto her back. She reared her feet up despite the blood dripping from one of them. She tensed, anticipating his descent.

Nick growled again, baring his teeth. He slammed a paw onto Judy's chest, digging his claws in.

His head rushed forward, and Judy silently begged him to forgive her.

Judy shut her eyes, sucked in a breath, and kicked her legs out hard.

She had to bite her lip to keep from wincing when she heard Nick yelp in pain, biting down harder at the dull thump of his body hitting the ground. She scrambled upright, opening her eyes.

Nick sat on his haunches, his head low. He whined as he rubbed a paw over his nose where Judy had hit him. His eyes were shut.

Taking that as her signal, Judy sprang to her feet and ran.

Her bloodied leg screamed at her. It barely registered. She even refused the urge to look back and check if she didn't hurt Nick nearly as bad as she thought. As much as she hated it, she needed to get away from him.

Eventually, though, she realized Nick might've only aggravated her wounds even further.

Judy collapsed beside the wall, hugging her throbbing leg to her chest. She bit her lip to wrestle down the whine in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling a few tears seeping past her eyelids.

She heard a crack, and her heart jumped. Her eyes snapped open, darting around.

The fake grass in the exhibit rustled. Patches of it parted, and Judy heard a sniffing noise.

Judy pressed her lips together hard. She sucked in air meticulously slowly, exhaled it just as tentatively. Her heart hammered against her ribcage.

She couldn't believe that her best friend was making her this terrified.

"Hmm… Don't feel bad, bunny."

Judy looked up. Bellwether stood just above her, peering down. She had her lips pulled into a faux half-smile.

"He can't help it," the lamb continued, "It's just the way he is."

Despite her physical pain and terror, Judy shot her yet another steel-melting glare. "So that's your plan?" she said, her voice growing shrill with disbelief, "Prey fears predator and you stay in power?"

Bellwether shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah."

A low growl split the air, and Judy snapped her head back down. And her heart went crazy all over again.

Between the blades of grass she saw Nick, still snarling, still creeping ever so slowly towards her. Spots of blood and spit flecked his muzzle. His eyes carried no warmth, none of the fox that Judy had known…

And yet when Judy stared into those eyes she still knew it was him. Somewhere in there, behind all the blood and claws and razor teeth, was Nick Wilde – a predator who'd wanted to demolish his stereotypes before they could destroy the city even further–

A fresh wave of hatred for Bellwether washed over Judy. She looked up at her, pouring every ounce of fury into her glare. "It'll never work!" she spat.

"Fear always works!" Bellwether hissed back, her facial expression mirroring Judy's. She held up the Night Howler dispenser. "And I will dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way!"

A low bark jolted Judy's attention away from the lamb again, bringing her back to her predicament. She gasped, her eyes growing wide as she pushed herself further into the wall.

Nick's entire head had emerged from the grass, his lips peeled back, revealing once again the teeth that Judy feared. He began to rise up.

Tears stung Judy's eyes. She thought about Nick before now, how much he cared for her, how sly and slick he'd acted, annoying the crap out of her one minute and the next making her smile –

And now he was gone. The same animal who'd saved her job and her life was about to tear her throat out, all because of a stupid poison…

It didn't feel like she was about to die. To Judy, the only death she was about to witness was her friend's.

Judy sucked in a breath. She had to try one last time.

She spoke, small and desperate:

"…N-Nick– "

Nick lunged. And sank his teeth in.

Judy screeched, so loud she felt her head would burst. It didn't stop Nick. He only clamped down harder on her body, tearing at her with his claws. Instinct made Judy bat at him with her own paws, but it proved futile. Again and again Nick ripped into her, blood pouring out, soaking her fur and clothing.

After the first six claw swipes a rush of wooziness gripped Judy's senses. Her paws' useless fighting began to slow, until it ceased completely. Though her heart continued its incessant rapid pounding her body relaxed. She sighed in fatigue, letting out small whimpers each time Nick found a new spot to bite into.

"Am I dying? I think I'm dying… what a way to freaking die…"

Judy's bad leg flared all over again as Nick slashed at it.

"Bellwether will go on… she'll control Zootopia… she'll keep blasting predators…"

Judy's head ached. Every shallow breath she took only seemed to worsen the pain.

"And… Mom and Dad… Clawhauser… everyone will think I died because of…"

Judy cracked her eyes open a sliver.

A pulsing haze coated her vision, blurring it. Yet she could still make out the dark, snarling blob hovering above her, her blood staining its face.

Judy heaved, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"…Nick…"

She shut her eyes again. The pain and blood loss swarmed her. She was vaguely aware of Nick still tearing her apart, mixed with what sounded like pattering footsteps, but the thud of her heartbeat drowned them out.

She thought she heard another noise. A new noise. A loud bang, then a cry, then a thump. But that might've just been her heart. It seemed to grow louder with each beat, sounding like a ticking time bomb.

Nick's face flashed across her mind's eye. Once.

Then she was gone.

~x~

Bellwether stared, dumbfounded. Silence washed over the room. She looked over the shaking, gasping elephant officer that stood beside her, her trunk firmly wrapped around a pistol.

Bellwether blinked as she processed the last few blazing moments.

Just when the fox started to rip the bunny to shreds the police arrived. Bellwether had given her partners the Night Howler gun just beforehand, insisting that they get their fluffy butts out of there. When she spotted the first cop bursting through the doors she put on her greatest act yet, in her opinion. She'd been a mess, blubbering in faux terror and fervently pointing towards the exhibit, begging the officers to "Please go help! The fox went savage and just attacked her! Oh, please help her!"

She had not planned what had happened next.

That elephant officer – Bellwether couldn't recall her name for the life of her – had run to the exhibit first. Once she laid eyes on the scene below her she'd let out a shriek, leaping backwards a step. A very appropriate reaction, Bellwether thought – just as she'd expected.

She did not expect the elephant to reach for her holster.

Before anyone could do anything to stop her she whipped out her gun and fired.

When Bellwether heard the sickening thunk of the bullet finding its target, followed by what could only be described as a dog's yelp, she knew instantly what had happened.

In the present Bellwether turned away from the elephant and looked down at the aftermath.

The bunny lay in a bloodied heap near the wall, deep wounds everywhere on her body. Her clothes had been shredded, stained crimson.

And next to her lay the fox.

He was even more motionless than the bunny, lying on his side. His eyes were wide open, and even from where she stood Bellwether saw they were glassy. His mouth was frozen in a snarl. Blood trickled down from a spot just below his ear, where the most damage had been done.

Bellwether blinked again. She couldn't believe it. Making the fox go savage – it made that cop–

"Oh. My. Goodness – Judy!"

Bellwether jumped at the new voice, pulling her ears down and grimacing. She just barely stopped herself from barking at the newcomer to shut up. She turned.

That chubby cheetah cop – the one who she usually saw munching on children's cereal at the front desk of the Police Department – had fallen to his knees, peering over the edge of the exhibit with a look of sheer distress on his face.

Another cop, a wolf, crouched and put a paw on the cheetah's shoulder, his eyes stony as he looked at him. "Clawhauser, don't you dare– "

The cheetah swatted his paw away and, despite his fellow officers' protests, leapt into the exhibit.

"Judy!" He jumped to the bunny's side, scooping her up into his arms. He ran a fat paw over her chest, most likely checking for her heartbeat.

"Yeah." Bellwether almost snorted. "Good luck with that."

"Judy!" His voice sounded close to breaking. "Judy! Judy, c'mon, you gotta be okay! You just gotta!"

He whipped his gaze upwards then, revealing the tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Someone call a medic!" he cried, "We gotta get her to the hospital!"

So how was that for a first chapter? I sincerely apologize if I upset anyone – I will admit, it was hard for me to write those last few scenes. But I went for realism, and I hope I achieved that.

Anyways, hope this story has piqued your interests! See you in the next chapter!

~Pixel