Zootopia: Secrets And Deception

Chapter 12. Bad Blood

Moving just a split second and within a few inches away, the stump missed and continued falling. "That was close....." she thought to herself, before realizing that the stump was still tied by the vary rope that was connected to her harness, and quickly reached into her pocket attempting to pull out her pocket knife that Nick had gotten for her birthday last year, she pulled it out too quickly and it slipped out of her hand and fell before she could catch it. "No! Oh no!" oh no indeed, now there was nothing that could cut the rope and save her from this, and she watched as the rope was running out of slack between her and the stump. The sudden stop and pull of the stump would rip her from the wall and she will fall hundreds of feet down to the unforgiving, hard ground! Just before the rope straightened, Judy closed her eyes and waited for her hands to be ripped from the wall! "I'm sorry, Nick! I have failed and will pay the price for it!" she thought and a single tear of regret fell from her face. Judy suddenly heard a sudden impact of something metal hitting stone, and opened her eyes. Looking down to discover a large sword jutting from the cliff face ten feet below her, separating Judy from the stump that she now heard it hit the ground in a loud, splintering sound. She was confused and stunned that someone would save her, even though she was in the side of a cliff hanging above nowhere, but couldn't lollygag and climbed up to the top.

When she had reached the top, Judy moved away from the edge and was just stunned, and couldn't utter a word. She just sat there, out of breath and her mouth was wide open from the near death she was expecting, then crawled towards the edge again to look at the sword. Only to discover it was gone, which confused her even more. Not only did someone throw the sword to save her, but also retrieved it so no evidence or DNA would discover this person who wasn't ready to be found. Not now, not yet. Then Judy began to smile, then giggle, then finally she laughed out loud from the experience that had taken place, and felt something on the back of her shoulder. She reached for whatever it was while still laughing and found a round, black ball which began to move. "Spider!" she screamed, silencing her laughter. She began to race down the trail towards her vehicle, flailing her arms and trying to remove this creature once more.

When she had reached the bottom where she had left it, and had stopped flailing her arms, she noticed what had taken her to hike in at almost thirty minutes, had now taken her almost twelve running back. She was both surprised and relieved to discover her time, and for finding no trace of the spider once again, before climbing into the car and heading to the next location. Judy was happy with joy for not failing Jeremiah, resulting in her beloved Nicks' death, but also for her mysterious guardian angel. Saving her from a gruesome death that would have resulted the same as the stump that is now in a million matchsticks. "Thank you, whoever you are." She thought gratefully, and started thinking about Nick and his safety. But what she didn't know was that Nick was not safe, nor any more out of harm's way, and was only going to get worse.

"Wake up.....wake up, Nickolas." A voice spoke out vividly, everything was dark and spinning before he opened his eyes. Nick had been passed out for a few hours, maybe a day, he didn't know, only now was he beginning to wake. "Ahh.....there we are, Nickolas. Sleep well?" Nicks' eyes were just beginning to come into focus, but he knew who was speaking.
"What.....ngh.....what do you think?" Nick said as he winced in pain from the torturing he endured the night before. They used electric cables that are originally used for jump-starting vehicles, but still did the trick.
"I see that Iggy did a fantastic job patching you up, especially your bullet wound." Jeremiah said as he wrapped the end of his tail around his arm, making Nick flinch the second he touched it, and then lowered his head as Jeremiah released his grip. "So.....I talked with my partner and he said that we need to give you something else in torturing, but before we do that, I would like to have a talk. Just the two of us. How does that sound?" Jeremiah asked as he settled close to Nick, just about a foot or more away, and waited for him to respond. Nick raised his head to look at him, then spat blood all over his face, but Jeremiah didn't even flinch. "Well.....that was very rude." Jeremiah said as he grabbed a piece of cloth, and wiped his face off, then striking Nick across his face with the end of his tail, causing more blood to spill from Nicks' lips and face. "Looks like our little chat will have to wait then, hmm? Bring it to me now!" Jeremiah ordered and his men brought in a small case, and opened the lid. Jeremiah reached in and pulled out a vial with a weird liquid inside.
"What.....what is that?" Nick asked, before spitting more blood onto the floor.
"What? Oh, this? Why, this is the torture I told you that my partner wanted me to give you. It's nothing, really.....just a controlled form of my very own venom!" Upon Jeremiah saying that, Nick felt fear flow through him and send chills up his spine. "It wasn't my idea, my partner just wants you to feel just a taste of what my venom does. It won't kill you, but you will wish it would." Jeremiah said, and plunged the needle deep into Nicks' arm. But wasn't feeling anything, no pain or sting from whatever was in that syringe, then looked up at Jeremiah with a smirk. "Nickolas, I didn't say that the pain would be an immediate response." Jeremiah said as his smirk went away, and began feeling hotter and hotter, almost like Nick was inside a sauna at first. Then the pain became more excruciating, as if someone had drenched him in gasoline and then lit on fire, and Jeremiah watched with a grin as Nick began screaming out in pain and agony. "What, no more smirking, Nickolas?" Jeremiah taunted as Nicks' pain went from burning, to thousands of needles being shoved inside his body, then ripped out and shoved back inside him, and every inch felt like it was being pierced.

It was only a couple of hours before it was finally wearing off. Nick was red eyed and he shook violently from his nerves being attacked.
"Why.....why don't you just kill me?" Nick whispered, but it was loud enough to get his attention, and stop. "Kill me and.....and get it over with! Save yourself some trouble!" Nick yelled at Jeremiah who was then beginning to slither out of the room.
"Because, Nickolas." Jeremiah said as he turned his head. "Just killing you is pointless. It is too quick with no satisfaction, and less fun in watching them suffer right in front of them. If I was to just kill you, it would do more harm than good. What about that sweet and courageous bunny named Judy do without you? What would she do to herself if you weren't by her side?" Jeremiah said and began slithering back towards him. When Nick had heard all this, he lowered his head as it made him feel sick and selfish inside. "You have lost almost everything in your past, and feared that you would lose her too. That is why you were going to ask her something, and give her this, weren't you?" Jeremiah said, which made Nick look up to see him holding a small box with a ring inside.
"Give that back! That is mine to give!" Nick shouted and tried loosening his restraints, but every time he moved only sent more pain throughout his entire body.
"You want it? Here. Take it." Jeremiah said and placed it on the table right next to the phone, but he left it open so Nick could see the ring inside. "I want you to look at these the next time you think selfishly about yourself. Give him another dose of my venom, only this time.....double it!" he said, and stayed there and watched as his men dosed Nick again. Jeremiah wanted to watch him suffer and think of Judy at the same time, and just the thought of all that brought a sinister grin to his face as the entire building was filled with the screams of pain, and agony throughout the night.