Zootopia:

Underworld

By Jeremy McLaughlin

Chapter One:

Hot Pursuit

"Step on it, Nick." Judy gripped the dashboard of the ZPD Charger as it sped through the streets of Sahara Square.

"Going as fast as I can, Fluff." Nick grunted, jerking the wheel so they were driving down the middle of the road.

The black luxury sedan rumbled on ahead of them. Whoever was behind the wheel had skills when it came to driving fast and making tight turns. Thankfully it was mid morning leaving the streets clear of a lot of leg traffic. The sides of the roads were lined with parked cars, making a wall that kept the perp from making an unscheduled turn, or taking a short cut over the sidewalk.

Judy dug below her seat pulling out a sleek black box. Nick pulled the wheel hard to avoid a large car, illegally parked. The tires skidded against the sand littering the streets, but caught in the same instance. Judy opened the case pulling out a device that looked like a gun. When she flipped a button on the underside two wings popped opened from the sides of it.

"What's that?" Nick asked, flipping his head hard to the side, discarding his sunglasses.

"A crossbow." Judy screwed a scope into place.

"Do you know how to use it?"

"Well, I'm not Robin Hood, but I think I can figure it out." Judy loaded a small bolt into the chamber. "Going up."

Nick gripped her shoulder, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Be careful."

Judy smirked, the sincerity in his face brought made her heart flutter. "Will do, boss."

Judy flipped the switch for the sunroof, watching as it slid open. A hot wind whipped through the car, with it came sand. Nick squinted, regretting taking off his sunglasses. Judy opened the glove box retrieving a pair of goggles. Nick had teased her about putting them in there, but she was sure glad she did now. Quickly she pulled them on, pinning her ears to the back of her head. After a quick thumbs up, it was time.

Judy stood on the seat bracing her back against the lip of the sunroof. Flecks of sand tore at her face and ears, clacking loudly against her goggles. In the back of her mind, she cursed the fact that chase had to take place in the Sahara Square. At this speed, the sand alone could strip fur from flesh. At any rate, she knew she had to act fast. She pulled the crossbow up, aiming down the scope. She reminded herself to consider the wind speed and distance. Three bolts, that's all she had, making her margin of error almost nonexistent.
"Turn!" Nick called up to her.

He slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel, the tires struggling to grip the stand coated streets. Luckily the car in front of them was struggling with the same issue. Unfortunately Judy had already pulled the trigger when the turn was in full swing, the bolt sending out sparks as it ricochet off the asphalt and harmlessly embedded in a trashcan. Judy didn't waste time curing her misfortune, she was already reaching for another bolt. Judy saw one of the rear windows rolling down, a badger leaning out, aiming a tranquilizer gun at her. A dart whizzed past her face, close enough for her to hear it.

"Hold on!"

Nick accelerated, hammering the police car into the back of the sedan. The jolt caused Judy to stagger, firing the second bolt into the air. Fortunately the badger lost his weapon as well, forcing him to duck back into the car.

"I need you to hold steady, Nick." Judy shouted down to him. "I only have one bolt left to go."

"You got this, Carrots. I know you do." Judy felt Nick's hand pat her thigh reassuringly.

Judy loaded the last bolt and took aim. Speed and distance, she reminded herself before breathing all the air out of her lungs. Her finger depressed the trigger. Through the scope she saw the rear tire exploded. The force send the back of the car popping into a slide. The rubber band remnants of a tire around the rim disintegrated leaving just metal on asphalt, sending out a shower of sparks. The back end of the car hammered into a wall, scraping to a halt a few feet away.

Judy sighed and slipped down into her seat. Nick already had his door open, his tranq gun in hand. Judy kicked her door open moving around the front of the car. She watched Nick close the distance to the sedan. His stance was perfect, his cautious approach giving him ample opportunity to flee or fight if he had too. Nick was now a cop, as if born and bred to be, it just took him time and her direction to find himself.

Heat lines radiated from the pavement, the buildings, and the black sedan. It made it hard for Judy to see through the scratched lenses of her goggles. She threw them off, listening to them skid across the ground behind her. Her gun was up, waiting for any movement from the car.

Nick spared a glance back at Judy and patted his chest twice, pointing to the car. The signal read in her mind as if he spoken it to her. 'Watch me, going in.' Judy moved around so she had a better view of the driver side door.

When Nick reached for the handle. The door burst open hitting him hard enough to force him to drop his gun. He staggered back falling to the ground. A large badger got out of the car, he wore a sleek black suit barely ruffled by the crash. His thick eye brows arched down making his already small eyes seem even smaller. Nick gripped his hand trying to roll over on his back.

"Bunny cop." The badger growled, reaching into the folds of his jacket.

"Baron Bouncer!" Judy retorted, retreating back a few steps.

The back door opened, another badger slide out onto the pavement. Big and nasty as the first, then a third appeared. Each of them bulky and menacing. All eyes were on her, Judy darted forward, her strong legs propelling her across the hot pavement until she knelt at Nick's side.

"You two are out of your league."

The baron jerked something from his jacket, the sun glinted off the metal. It cut into Nick's eyes forcing him to cover them. A soft thup sounded in the quiet street, a dart tapping Judy in the chest. It felt like a bee sting at first, but then went cold as it injected it's payload into her. Judy's eyes narrowed at the sight of tranq gun in his hand. Nick pulled the dart from her chest and dropped in on the ground.

"What did you do?"

"Shut up!" The baron fired a shot into Nick's stomach.

Judy tried to lift her arm that held her gun, but she couldn't. Whatever liquid in the dart was fast acting. Her body was frozen in it's place. She could feel as each nerve went numb like a part of her fell asleep.

"I can't move, Nick." Judy exclaimed, her nose twitching, tears welled in her eyes.

"Course you can't." The baron shot another dart into Nick. "That's right, bunny. These babies are new and improved. One makes you numb, two puts you to sleep, and three...well, it'll make you sleep for a thousand years."

Judy started to panic. "Nick!"

Nick didn't answer, already asleep. Her chaotic mind fought to grasp the severity of this situation. The Baron aimed at her and pulled the trigger. She barely heard the thup over approaching sirens. Backup, she tried to reason out of the whirlwind in her mind, but it was lost to the searing pain in her shoulder. Through heavy eyes she saw the Baron aim at Nick again, 'third times a charm', she thought she heard him say, but couldn't be sure.

Then came the blue and red flashing lights. Garbled voices over loud speakers. Help had arrived just in time. Judy fumbled forward on top of Nick's sleeping form, her cheek hitting the sandy ground.

"Baron, we gotta go!"

One of the other badgers barked, but it seemed like a lifetime away. Then Judy saw a fourth figure join the others, they turned into nothing more than shadows as they retreated from the car. Three large badger shaped figures and one smaller one. That was the last thing she could remember before passing into darkness.