"What are you going to do?" Judy spat, not even a hint of fear in her voice. "Kill me?" Now, this bunny really was a real cop. She's so defiant it was admirable. It was also probably contagious, since even being thrown in a pit with an evil mastermind looming over you doesn't seem to worry me all too much.

Until Bellwether started laughing, with a sick victorious tone. "No, of course not." She cocked the gun and took aim. "He is."

The bullet fired and pain stuck my neck. Judy cried out my name, and her caring paws were on my shoulder. I clawed at my own fur, trying to get the blue stain off. Quite difficult when you have to pretend a small little blueberry was a drug that was supposed to make you lose your sanity.

"Yes? Police!" That was Bellwether ringing up ZPD. This actually makes things easier for us. Which means I should thank her once I get out of this exhibit. "There's a savage fox in the Natural History Museum! Officer Hopps is down! Please hurry!"

Hopps? A rabbit? Down?

Judy was still next to me, telling me to fight off the effects of the serum. I could hear her. But I could hear something else . . . Another voice inside me. A call . . . A need.

Attack her.

What?

Hunt her.

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. The stains on my neck suddenly burned, hot and wild. It was followed by the sickening realization: that bullet was no blueberry.

"Nick, don't do this," said Judy, close to me. She said something else, too. But I couldn't hear her. I only heard the savage howl inside.

Kill her.

I caught the scent of frightened prey. My muscles twitched.

Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her.

The world turned red. And just like that, it wasn't an act any more.

The second Judy saw Nick's green eyes snap open, she whirled around, got on her good paws and dashed across the exhibit. She gasped once, risking a glance over her shoulder. Nick's fangs were bared as he tried to trap her in his claws.

Judy repressed the need for panic, remembering all those hours she had spent dealing with fear back at the academy. This was nothing. Nick had her back. They were faking it. She'd let herself be cornered and then goad a confession out of Bellwether. That was the plan. All she had to do was stick to the plan.

And that Nick was a damn convincing actor.

Above them, she heard Bellwether, still chuckling to herself. "Gosh, think of the headlines! 'Hero Cop Killed by Savage Fox!'"

Judy's bad leg got the best of her, and she tripped over one of the fake stones. She sprawled onto the floor. She flipped herself upright and now Nick was right in front of her. This was it. With panicked fingers, Judy stumbled for the carrot pen in her pocket.

Stay calm, she told herself as she backed herself into the wall. Nick inched closer. There was something different in him. Something . . . dangerous. Judy blinked the moment of doubt away. She had to trust him. Instead, she directed her focus to Bellwether.

"So that's it? Prey fears predator and you stay in power?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Bellwether answered.

Judy needed the sheep to say more. "It won't work!"

"Fear always works." Bellwether lifted up the gun for good measure. "And I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way."

That was it. They got what they needed. Judy released the record button on the pen, just as Nick made it inches in front of her. She expected him to stop snarling any second now. Another step closer. He was still glaring at her, with those murderous, bloodshot eyes.

And that was when the fear slammed into her. "Nick . . . ?"

Her voice must have done something. Because the fox leapt back, almost as if he was stung by a viper. Then his paws were over his head, raking his ears.

Bellwether guffawed in triumph above them. "Did you really think I wouldn't check the ammo of my own gun before I fired it? It was a very valiant effort, Judy, I'll give you that. You really would make a good cop. If you weren't going to be mauled in the next minute."

Her breaths heavy and short, Judy dared to call out to him. "Nick! Fight it!" Bellwether had called ZPD. All Judy had to do now was last long enough until Chief Bogo got there. She lifted herself to her feet. If she made it out, she'd be a hero. But none of it would matter without her partner. "Nick!"

"Carrots . . . " Nick's voice was a strained croak. It was weak and raw Judy heard the battle raging inside of him. A battle he was losing. "Judy," he managed to choke out. "Run."

"I won't. Nick, I'm not leaving yo––"

The fox thrashed, and Judy was given a second to leap out of the way. She dove right into the plastic bushes of the exhibit, wincing as she landed on her bad leg. Nick was still on her tail.

No, that's not Nick, Judy chastised her own thoughts. There was no way that savage animal could be referred to her as her friend. Nick was somewhere in there. The fox chasing her wasn't him.

The fox pounced after her into the grass. Judy grabbed the closest thing she could find, some sort of stuffed animal, and launched it at the fox's face. It immediately earned his attention, white fangs digging into the fabric. Judy held back a gasp in horror.

She heard bellowing footsteps from above. The ZPD had arrived.

"Mayor, what's going on?" That was Chief Bogo.

"It's terrible, Chief!" shrieked Bellwether. Judy retched at the feigned fear. "A fox turned savage and attacked Officer Hopps! I grabbed the nearest weapon I could for protection. Chief, please! Shoot that fox down!"

In the corner of her eye, Judy saw Bellwether hand over the gun, still loaded with savage serum, to Bogo.

"Chief, no! Don't use that gun!"

"Hopps, get out of there."

"No, you don't understand!" Judy realized her mistake. From her shouts, she had redirected the fox's focus back to her. "The ammunition in that gun is what causes the animals to go savage!" She dropped to the ground just as Nick pounced, sending him flying over her head. Judy pivoted and bolted down in the opposite direction.

Bellwether snuck in worried chuckle. "Officer Hopps is a little delusional right now. She's not thinking straight."

"No, Chief, don't listen to her! Bellwether's behind everything. She's been planning to turn the prey population against the predators!" She yelped again as Nick came close to snapping her tail.

The hesitation on Chief Bogo's face was unmistakable. He was torn between the word of the mayor and one of his force's former top cops.

Judy had to take the risk. The pain on her bad leg shot through her with each step. She found the pen in her pocket and before she had a chance to think about where the fox was, pressed the button.

Bellwether's voice filled the hallway of the museum, rippling over the growls of the fox. "And I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way."

The small sheep paled. "Huh?"

Relief washed over Judy as she realized Chief Bogo was convinced by the evidence. But that second of distraction was fatal. The fox lunged at her, pinning her down. Judy kicked him back with strength she didn't even realize she possessed. "It's called a hustle, Bellwether," she said. Judy couldn't stop herself from looking at the fox as she said those words. "Right, Nick?"

His reply was a growl before he charged again. His fangs bared themselves into the flesh of Judy's bad leg. She screamed.

"Hopps!"

Chief Bogo's voice was followed by a small gun approaching her. Judy reached and caught the gun in her clumsy paws. She immediately recognized the tranquilizer gun. The fox pulled on her leg and Judy fought the urge to black out as she took aim.

"I'm sorry, Nick."

Judy pulled on the trigger. Right afterwards, Nick's body slumped to the floor, limp. Judy allowed herself to breathe. Resting herself on her arms, she looked up at Chief Bogo. "Thank you for letting me take the shot."

"It had to be you, Hopps," said Bogo. Judy spared the other members of the ZPD a glance as they cuffed Bellwether. She let out a little giddy laugh. Blood kept oozing out of her leg, still trapped between Nick's teeth. The aches and sores claimed her as Judy felt the gun slip free from her hold, finding herself collapsing onto the ground.

"Hopps!"

As the darkness descended upon her, Judy managed to keep her eyes on Nick, letting out a little giggle. "What do you think? Not bad for a dumb rabbit . . . right?"