The bunny and fox duo froze in horror as two more shots rang out from the shadows, both projectiles striking their fellow officer in the neck. The human crumpled to the floor with a harsh groan, his fists clenching tightly as waves of excruciating pain rippled through his body.

"No, no, no! Cherry!" Judy rushed to his side, her small paw trembling as she reached out to him.

"Oh my god!" Nick panicked as he darted after her, scanning the room for the unknown assailant.

Gasps rippled throughout the room as the nightmarish scene continued to unfold. The gathered mammals stood frozen, wide-eyed, unable to look away. They couldn't believe what they were witnessing—an echo of a terror they thought had been buried in the past.

"Ch-Cherry? Cherry!" Jay reached out desperately, whimpering as Mr. Tusk and the Maned Wolf struggled to hold him back for his own safety. "Somebody, please! Help him!"

But there was nothing anyone could do. The human's breathing quickened, ragged and uneven, each inhale rasping painfully. His veins bulged grotesquely beneath his skin, pulsing unnaturally as his trembling hands clawed at the icy floor. Though he had no claws, his knuckles scraped raw against the concrete before he slammed his fists against his temples with a sickening thud.

"Buddy! Stay with us, alright?" Nick urged, his paws hovering over his friend. "You're stronger than this; you gotta fight it!"

"Please, Cherry!" Judy pleaded, her tone trembling with fear and hope, as though her words alone could pull him back. "Remember who you are! Don't do this!"

But the bunny and fox's words vanished into the void as their human friend suffered in agony. His eyes remained flushed shut, unfocused, his body writhing in pain as if battling an invisible and unstoppable force. Around them, the tension grew exponentially, causing the air to grow colder with every heart-pounding second.

The inevitable was about to happen—a moment from which there would be no return. But then, after a long moment of uncertainty, the human's breathing slowed and relaxed. He remained on all fours, motionless, trying to rest and recover. His fists loosened, and he let out a low, tired sigh.

Judy and Nick exchanged astonished glances, surely not expecting this. Around them, the other mammals cautiously moved closer, their disbelief mingled with relief. The worst-case scenario didn't play out like they thought it would. Their human friend remained remarkably still with his head hanging low from exhaustion. His erratic movements finally subsided as he slowly began to breathe normally and calmly again.

"You're okay... you're okay," Judy whispered, her voice hopeful as she placed a gentle paw on his shoulder.

Nick exhaled deeply as a wave of relief washed over him. "Geez, Furless... You almost gave us a heart attack..." he trailed off with a nervous chuckle, wiping his brow. "For a second there, we thought you were... you know..."

For a brief moment, silence blanketed the room, broken only by the relentless howl of the blizzard rattling against the metal structure outside. There were no growls, no thrashing, nor any signs of aggression from the human. He remained on all fours, his breathing gradually evening out as he rested, catching his breath. Much to everyone's pleasant surprise, they knew it could've been worse—a lot worse.

"Where did those shots come from?" Judy murmured, her nose twitching as her eyes fixated on the blue stain spreading ominously across the human's neck. Her tone carried a mix of worry and determination. "We need to find out who's responsible."

"Agreed, Carrots," Nick replied, his usual sarcasm replaced by a cautious unease. "But until backup gets here, let's not push our luck." His eyes darted around the dimly lit space as the fading storm light plunged the room into deeper shadows. "We should probably get out of here."

A chilling, diabolical laugh cut through the air, catching everyone off guard. It had to be one of the most disturbing sounds anyone's ever heard, for it was as horrific as it was unearthly. All eyes turned toward the source of the sound, and to their shock, it was Chenry.

"Get out of here?" the human sneered, his voice dripping with malice as he glared at the duo. "No, you're not leaving. You're not going anywhere!"

Judy instinctively backed away, her wide eyes locked on the human. "Cherry?" she called hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.

The human stood slowly, his movements jerky and unnatural. His face twisted into a grotesque grin, eyes wild with a predatory glint. His laughter rose in pitch until it echoed maniacally throughout the room.

Nick's ears flattened as he stepped protectively in front of Judy. "Buddy? Are you... okay?"

But the human's laugh grew louder, more sinister, as he took a menacing step toward them. He pumped his fist to the side with a sharp, deliberate motion, and his razor-sharp nano wrist blade deployed with a deafening metallic screech.

"You're all going to die!" he bellowed, his eyes burning with insanity as he lunged toward them.

"Run! RUN!" Judy's desperate scream spurred Nick and the others into action as they bolted for the nearest exit, the human charging after them with the ferocity of a primal predator.

"Oh my god!" one of the officers cried out, their voice drowned in the panicked stampede of mammals scrambling for safety.

They barreled through the double doors at the end of the room, slamming them shut just before Chenry could reach them. With all their combined strength, the mammals braced the doors with an iron beam, their bodies straining against the human's relentless assault.

"Hold it! HOLD IT!" the maned wolf barked, sweat dripping from his fur as his paws slipped against the cold steel.

"You can't hide from me!" the human taunted, his voice a chilling mix of mockery and malice.

The screech of tearing metal echoed through the space as his nano blade sliced through the beam like it was nothing, sparks flying in all directions. The razorback cried out in pain as a jagged gash opened on his hoof from the flying debris.

"What is wrong with him?!" Mr. Tusk grimaced, his body trembling with fear and disbelief.

"He's gone savage!" Judy shouted, digging her feet into the floor as she and the others fought to keep the door from giving way.

"W-What?!" Jay stammered, his mind unable to grasp the horrifying reality.

Despite their numbers, the group was losing ground fast. Their muscles burned, their breaths came in ragged gasps, while the human showed no signs of slowing. He kept punching his way through. His relentless strength was unyielding, a monstrous force they couldn't hope to match.

"Cherry, please! Don't do this!" Judy's voice cracked with desperation as she clung to the hope that some part of him was still there. "We're your friends!"

"Friends?" Chenry sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "All my friends are dead. DEAD! Just like you"

His blade lashed out again without warning, slicing deep into the reinforced metal. Sparks erupted as the edges tore through, narrowly missing Jay's paws. The hinges groaned under the relentless assault, each strike sending shockwaves through the air, a terrifying reminder of the unstoppable force behind the door.

"It's no use! Just go! Keep running!" Judy shouted, knowing their efforts were futile.

The doors gave way with one final deafening blow, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact that sent the group scattering. Judy and Nick narrowly avoided being crushed as the human stormed through, his maniacal laughter reverberating through the warehouse. He lunged toward the fleeing mammals, his blade cleaving through a nearby support beam. The structure groaned in protest before collapsing, triggering a chain reaction of falling catwalks and blocking their escape route.

"Move! MOVE!" Nick yelled, his voice hoarse as he led the group through the thick haze of debris.

Dust and shattered metal filled the air, choking their lungs and obscuring their vision.

"I'm going to catch you!" Chenry teased, his blade swiping wildly, tearing into anything within reach.

Using the temporary cover of the debris cloud, the group fled deeper into the warehouse. The human's unhinged laughter echoed through the labyrinthine space, a constant reminder that he would catch up no matter how fast they ran.

They scurried through the sprawling warehouse, their breaths ragged and hearts pounding, as though trapped in a haunted labyrinth with an apex predator on their heels.

"Don't run!" the human warned with a wicked grin from behind. "Running causes accidents! Floor slippery when wet... with your blood!!"

"Th-This can't be happening, this can't be happening!" Jay whimpered, his voice trembling as the group frantically searched for an escape.

"Oh, it's happening, alright," the human's voice echoed tauntingly from the other side of a wall of shipping containers. "Just wait until I show you what your insides look like!"

"W-Why? Why are you doing this?" Jay cried, stumbling as the others urged him forward. "This isn't you, brother!"

Chenry's laugh thundered through the maze, his fist slamming against the metal wall with a bone-jarring clang. "On the contrary, I've never felt more like myself!"

Darkness and hopelessness gripped the group as the relentless pursuit continued, each step taking them closer to exhaustion and despair. Then, a glimmer of hope appeared—a large light cutting through the shadows like a beacon.

"There! There's the exit! Go, go!" Judy shouted, her voice resolute.

The group surged forward, their feet slipping on the icy floor, racing toward the blinding, roaring blizzard visible through the partially open door. Some hesitated, their gazes darting between the storm outside and the nightmare behind them. But there was no time to second-guess—it was their only chance.

Chenry's sharp eyes caught the movement, and without hesitation, he grabbed a nearby metal rod. With a grunt, he hurled it toward the overhead door, striking the emergency latch. The door slammed shut with a thunderous crash, cutting Judy and Nick off from the others.

"No, no, no!" Nick yelled, slamming his paws against the cold metal, desperation gripping his voice.

"Finally!" the human's sinister laugh echoed through the cavernous space as he slowly approached them. "I think it's time you two and I seriously reevaluate our friendship."

Judy and Nick strained to lift the heavy door, their muscles quivering as they fought against its unyielding weight. The others on the outside frantically pulled at the door from their side, but it wouldn't budge.

"You wanna get out?" Chenry growled menacingly, glaring down at the duo as his shadow loomed over them. "Easy enough. You just have to go through me!"

Judy and Nick immediately drew their tasers, their paws steady despite the fear in their eyes.

"We don't want to hurt you!" Judy shouted.

"That's funny," the human sneered, slowly drawing out his nano blade. "Because I certainly want to hurt you. And I will."

"Officer Chenry, stop right where you are!" Judy commanded, trembling with the weight of the moment.

Nick tightened his grip, his finger hovering over the trigger. "C'mon, buddy, I know you're still in there! We can talk this through!"

The human chuckled darkly, his laughter echoing in the confined space as he stepped closer, his movements deliberate and unyielding.

"Don't make us do this!" Judy warned, every muscle in her small frame tense as she kept her taser trained on him.

"Or what?" Chenry sneered, stepping closer. "There's nothing you can do!"

"I said stand down! Final warning!" Judy shouted.

The human ignored their commands, lunging toward them with terrifying speed. Left with no choice, Judy and Nick fired their tasers, the combined 100,000 volts crackling as they struck his body. To their horror, the human barely flinched, he remained standing, ultimately unphased. If anything, they only managed to piss him off.

"Duck!" Judy shouted as Chenry leaped toward them.

The duo dove for cover, scrambling behind a tall stack of storage containers. They barely caught their breath when the unmistakable sound of metal screeching filled the air. Chenry's blade stabbed clean through the container, slicing effortlessly as if it were paper.

"Come on!" Judy yelled, grabbing Nick's paw as they bolted through the maze-like warehouse, the human tearing through obstacles behind them.

They clambered into a ventilation shaft, crawling as fast as they could, their hearts pounding in unison. Below them, the sound of ripping metal echoed as Chenry slashed through the ducts, his laughter chillingly close.

"This way!" Judy directed Nick toward a vertical shaft, helping him up before pulling out her radio. "Officer Hopps to Dispatch! We have a 10-91! Officer Chenry has gone savage! I repeat, he's gone savage! We need backup! Tundratown warehouse, north of—"

Her words were cut short as the human's blade slashed through her radio, the device shattering into useless fragments.

"No one's coming to save you!" he roared, tearing through the damaged vent shaft with his bare hands.

"Cherry! Snap out of it!" Judy frantically backed away, her heart pounding. "Why are you doing this?"

The human chuckled maniacally. "I wish I knew," he replied, reaching toward them with his bloody hands.

"Watch out!" Nick warned, attempting to kick the human's gauntlet away as they scrambled further into the vent shaft.

"Just keep moving!" Judy urged, her voice resolute despite the fear creeping into every fiber of her being. "We're going to make it!"

"No," Chenry's voice echoed chillingly from below. "You will try."

Judy's paws clenched, her frustration and anguish threatening to overwhelm her. She kept moving, forcing herself to focus on crawling through the dark, confining shaft.

"You will never make the world a better place!" Chenry's taunts cut through the narrow space.

"Stop!" Judy shouted, her voice trembling as the words stung like venom.

"Zootopia will burn!" Chenry bellowed, his sinister laugh echoing through the metal tunnels.

"Stop it!" Judy cried, her ears pinned back as she fought to block him out.

"Don't listen to him, Carrots!" Nick pulled her along, redirecting her focus toward the next vertical shaft. "We'll get out of this!"

"No escape!" Chenry roared, his fists pounding against the vent floor below them with deafening force. "YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE!"

Nick gritted his teeth as they rounded another corner, nearly colliding with a dead end. "Oh, no, no, no!" he panted, pushing against the sides of the vent, looking for any loose sections, but to no avail. "We're trapped like mice!"

"Keep moving!" Judy urged, pulling him toward a different path. Using both her feet, she kicked a vent panel as hard as she could with all her adrenaline, causing it to pop out.

They scrambled through the opening and into a new room, gaining a fleeting moment of distance. Spotting a third-floor platform, they climbed a stack of barrels to reach it. From their vantage point, Judy scanned the space and caught sight of a faint glimmer of a blizzard storm light filtering through a small window at the far end.

"There!" Nick pointed. "If we can just—"

His sentence was cut short as Chenry appeared at the top of the catwalk, his silhouette framed by the flashing storm outside.

His wild eyes locked onto them, and his grin stretched unnaturally wide. "Leaving so soon?"

Before they could react, Chenry hurled a large storage shelf toward them. Supplies shattered on impact, crashing into a crate of water barrels behind them. The force sent a torrent of icy water cascading over the duo, knocking them off balance and flushing them down to the bottom level of the warehouse.

Now drenched, shivering, and surrounded by shards of broken glass, Judy and Nick struggled to get to their feet. Their soaked uniforms clung to their fur, freezing them to the core. Chenry seized the opportunity, dropping down on them with a brutal, calculated attack.

He slammed the concrete floor with his fist, causing a small crater to form as the bunny and fox barely rolled away from him. They aimed their tranquilizers—their last line of defense— landing both shots in the human's neck, but with no effect.

Chenry spun around and performed a surprise back kick, striking the fox hard in the torso, nearly breaking his ribcage.

"Nick!" Judy shouted in anguish, attempting to subdue Chenry with her own aerial kick.

But the human immediately outwitted her and punched her in the face in midair, causing her to slide on the icy floor and crash into a metal railing on the way down.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little bunny." Chenry mocked her pain. "Did that hurt?"

Judy struggled to sit upright, her paws trembling as tears streamed down her face. "Cherry! Think about what you're doing!" she pleaded, her voice breaking. "Think about Charity!"

"Charity?" he repeated, his tone softer, almost distant. But the moment passed as quickly as it came. Shaking away his thoughts, he sneered. "Never heard of her."

Nick slumped helplessly against the wall, his vision blurring, every breath labored. The human's diabolical grin returned as he advanced, teeth bared, ready to finish him off.

"No, no, no, no!" Nick whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut and shielding himself with his arms as Chenry lunged toward him.

But just inches from Nick, Chenry's advance was abruptly halted. Judy had cuffed his leg to a nearby support post, yanking him off balance and sending him crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Go, go, go!" Judy screamed, grabbing Nick's paw and pulling him to his feet. The two of them limped away, their movements sluggish but determined as they disappeared into another corridor.

Behind them, Chenry let out a low, dark chuckle. With a terrifying display of strength, he grabbed the handcuffs with his hands and tore them apart like cardboard.

"That was good, Judy!" He slowly stood up, deploying the nano blades on both arms. "But don't worry. Everything's gonna be alright."

Judy and Nick didn't look back. They ran as far as their battered bodies would allow, their breaths shallow and labored, every step a struggle against exhaustion and despair. The hellish pursuit had taken its toll, but stopping wasn't an option. They had to keep fighting. They had to keep moving. If they were going to make it out alive, they needed to find a way out—together.

They limped through the abandoned warehouse, navigating a labyrinth of decayed rooms and shadowy corridors. Each discovery brought fresh dread, each space another haunting reminder of how quickly a trusted friend had become their most dangerous enemy. This place, with its oppressive silence and ghostly echoes, would be etched into their memories as a testament to how fragile and treacherous trust could be.

The questions gnawed at them. What had happened to Chenry? Why had he turned so violently yet differently than the others? The human's actions were unlike anything they'd ever encountered. Savage mammals were terrifying, yes—but at least they were semi-predictable. Cherry, however, was something else entirely. The answers eluded them, but they weren't sure they wanted to know. Not here. Not like this.

Stumbling into a dimly lit section of the warehouse, they paused to catch their breath. The air felt heavy, thick with an almost tangible tension, but the human's presence seemed to have vanished. No growls, no taunting laughter, no ominous metallic footsteps. Just silence, broken only by the distant roar of the blizzard outside.

"I... I think we lost him," Judy murmured, her voice hesitant but carrying a flicker of hope.

Nick's ears twitched nervously. "But... how can you be so sure?" he asked, his skepticism justified. "Gut feeling?"

"Look," Judy pointed to the ground.

Nick followed her gaze, noticing a fresh set of tracks on the icy floor. They transitioned into snow beyond the open door, where the swirling storm obscured the trail.

"Not just any footprints," Nick said quietly, crouching down to inspect them. "They belong to Chenry. Or..." his voice faltered, "...at least, what's left of him."

They both recognized the pattern found on his boots—the lack of toes, the jagged patterns, and the... 'alien-like' design, for lack of better terms. But aside from the pattern, what was most concerning was the direction they were going in.

Judy's shoulders slumped, the weight of the realization pulling her down. "He's headed for the city..."

Nick's ears flattened against his head as his tail flicked anxiously. "Oh no... no, no, no. If that's true, then that means—"

Judy nodded, her expression grim. "We have to warn Zootopia."

Nick turned to her, his exhaustion and despair etched into his face, but he nodded. Without a word, he placed a paw gently on her cheek, closing his eyes as if trying to draw strength from the fleeting moment of contact.

Despite the blizzard raging outside, time seemed to stand still. They knew Zootopia was in danger and they had to act - to serve and to protect. But the time they took together was needed to reignite their purpose, to rebuild and refortify their resolve to save Zootopia at any cost - to make the world a better place.

As they prepared to move forward, Judy and Nick locked eyes, gazes full of unspoken words. A small, tearful smile crossed both their faces. Even amidst the fear and uncertainty, somehow, they both knew everything was going to be okay.

The bunny suddenly gasped. Her eyes widened bright and wide. She heard nothing as the world appeared to stop in its tracks. Then there was a cold, aggravating sensation within her. She felt something warm and wet under her uniform vest. Judy darted down at her torso and found a dark crimson blotch slowly oozing underneath her vest, expanding wider in the lower left region of her abdomen. The bunny looked back at the human, who glared at her with an annoyed grin - empty of all guilt and traces of distress. Judy attempted to say something to Nick, reaching her paw out to him, but the words could not come out of her mouth. Everything keeled, the world slowly fading away. In the end, it all came crashing down with a fury.

The bunny collapsed to the floor as the human retracted his blade.

"JUDY!" the fox cried out, running over to his fallen partner, and cradling her small body in his arms.

Chenry simply stood there, smiling wickedly as he stepped out of the shadows.

Nick's head snapped upward, his eyes blazing with fury. "Why?! Why did you do that?!"

"Aww, is he gonna cry?" the human taunted, his voice cold and condescending.

Nick's eyes burned with fury, his fangs bared as he lunged at the human without hesitation. He leaped onto his back, sinking his teeth into the side of Chenry's neck with all the strength he could muster.

"Son of a bitch!" Chenry snarled, grabbing Nick by the tail and flinging him across the room like a rag doll. The fox collided with a stack of metal barrels, the sharp metallic clang echoing through the warehouse as he crumpled to the ground.

Pain radiated through Nick's body as he clutched his arm, now hanging limply at his side, clearly broken. His uniform was torn and tattered, his fur matted with blood and grime. Each step was a limp, every movement an agonizing reminder of his shattered state. But what hurt most wasn't physical—it was the suffocating weight in his chest, the soul-crushing despair of everything he had lost...

"Any last words, fox?" the human asked, standing menacingly above Nick as they were both partially covered in blood.

Nick said nothing. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his body too weak, his spirit too broken to respond.

"Good," Chenry scoffed, his grin widening as he primed his blade. "I hate long goodbyes." He lunged toward the fox with a vicious roar, his weapon cutting through the air with deadly precision.

Nick barely managed to roll to the side as the blade grazed his ear, slicing a thin, stinging line across it. The momentum of Chenry's charge carried him further forward than expected. His blade plunged deep into the back wall of a storage closet, becoming lodged, momentarily trapping him.

Nick's blurred vision darted around frantically. He spotted a large, thick chain dangling near the storage room entrance. With every last ounce of strength, the fox grabbed it, using his weight to pull it down. The heavy garage door slammed shut with a resounding crash, trapping the human inside its walls. Perhaps this would buy him and his partner a few more seconds to escape, Nick thought, as Chenry's claws screeched against the metal, his enraged roars muffled behind the thick steel.

But then, the unexpected happened.

A low rumble shook the ground. Nick's eyes widened as he realized this wasn't just a storage room. The entire section detached from the building with a mechanical lurch, grinding gears echoing through the storm. It was a loading truck. Its engine roared to life, pulling away with Chenry trapped inside.

As the truck drove further into the blizzard, Nick rushed back to Judy, collapsing beside her. The bunny's shallow breaths shuddered against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her as his tears fell silently

"Judy..." His voice cracked, tears streaming down his face. "...Carrots..."

He cradled Judy's body in his arms as the blizzard elements poured in through the open garage of the loading dock. He watched helplessly as the truck disappeared into the thick blizzard, taking the human, his former friend, to an unknown fate.