Chapter 3 

Nick flicked a paw at the modest pile of boxes in the middle of the living room. “You’d think when two mammals move in together, they’d have more to show for it than... that.”

Judy stood beside him, paws on her hips, surveying their humble hoard. A handful of cardboard boxes, a couple of picture frames leaning against the wall, and a broom she'd forgotten was even hers. It looked more like a weekend camping trip than a new beginning.

She shrugged. “Well, we knew we didn’t own much. I barely brought anything with me from Bunnyburrow in the first place.”

“When you live as a con-mammal, you never know when you might need to disappear. Sentimentality weighs more than it looks,” he mused.

Judy gave him a side glance. “So… Itreea?”

Nick's ears perked up. “Carrots, the land of hex keys and meatballs? Shocking. I pegged you as more of a thrift-store-with-a-cause kind of bunny.”

“Very funny. But seriously, we need to make this place feel like ours. A couch, some lamps, maybe even a zester—”

“A zester?” Nick snorted. “So it begins.”

“I’ve been looking at recipes, and a lot of them call for zest!”

Nick held up his paws in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. But so you know—if we end up spending three hours arguing over which shade of beige is 'the right beige,' I’m walking into the nearest meatball freezer and never coming out.”

Before Judy could retort, a knock echoed from the front door.

“Were you expecting someone?” She furrowed her brows and padded over, opening the door.

Stu and Bonnie stood there, arms linked. “Jude! How the heck are ya?” 

“Mom? Dad?! What are you doing here?” she laughed, nuzzling into the warm embrace.

Stu pulled back, a silly smile plastered on his face. “Do I really need a reason to stop by and see my little girl? Besides, your mom and I were droppin’ off some stuff at Gid’s new bakery and figured we’d stop in, check on the big-city apartment. Landlords'll try to fleece ya with those security deposits—thought I’d give it a once-over, make sure everything’s square.”

Bonnie stepped around him, arms open for Nick. “Vivian says hi, by the way. She’s got Gid running around like a headless rooster, setting up for the grand opening. I’ve never seen a fox hustle that fast.” She gave Nick’s arm a fond squeeze. “You need to visit her more. And once you do that, you'd better come visit my house as well! Cotton asks for you at least once a week.”

Nick chuckled, patting the older bunny’s paw. “Don't let that mischievous vixen fool you. We had dinner with her a few days ago, and we've got plans again tonight. But you’re right, we do need to visit again. I need to finish teaching Cotton how to pick-pocket!”

He let out a laugh as Judy whacked him with a magazine, straightening his shirt as he ducked behind Stu and gave him a nudge. “Thanks for the visit, Stu. But I don’t think we’ll have trouble with this landlord. He’s a… friend, let’s say. And honestly, who’s gonna try to rip off two cops?”

“Well, even so,” Judy chimed in, tossing the magazine on the counter. “We were talking about heading to Itreea. Gotta get some furniture, put some life in this place.”

Stu gave a low whistle. “Sounds like the start of somethin’ real.”

Bonnie was already wandering toward the kitchen, her eyes taking in the single pile of boxes. "Is this really everything? No wonder you need to go to Itreea. Goodness." She glanced back at the two of them standing close together. "Well, I suppose when you're starting, you only need one or two important things." She turned her attention to the stove. "Now, is this gas or electric? Oh, Judy, I hope it’s electric. Stu, check that. If it’s gas, they’ll need a fire extinguisher. You remember what happened the last time she cooked.”

“Cripes, Bon—anniversary breakfast, remember that? Nearly burned down the whole warren tryin’ to make scrambled eggs.”

“I was sixteen,” Judy muttered.

Nick stepped up beside Judy and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Bonnie, we’ve got an extinguisher. And hey, I’m sure our dear Fluff here has improved since the Great Egg Inferno. If not, well, I can always make sure we have something edible.”

“Is that so?” Judy arched her brow. “You didn’t have a kitchen at your old place, Slick. How exactly are you the culinary authority now?”

He flicked his wrist as if tossing up a pancake in a frying pan.“I took a cooking crash course with the owner of Gusteau's back in the day. It was for a…gig Fin and I had. Two weeks of intensive learning and—voilà—I can sauté and flambé with the best of ‘em.  If you ever tell him I told you this, I will deny it and let him hide your bodies, but Fin had a natural talent for it. He could probably rival Martha and her salmon if he put a little bit of time and effort into it.”

Bonnie hummed as she walked around the kitchen, opening various cabinets as she looked around. “Maybe I'll pull you into the kitchen to help us with the welcoming ceremony. You both will be able to make it, of course, won't you?”

Nick shot Judy a look, one eyebrow raised as he leaned against the wall. “Welcoming ceremony? It seems your daughter failed to mention it.” 

She looked down at her feet and winced. “Crap. I was supposed to tell you about that last week and have us submit some time off requests with Bogo. It's in 2 weeks!” 

"Well, that should be enough time to submit it. Still, it's a little last-minute, but Buffalo Butt isn't that cold-hearted. He'll probably welcome a few extra days without the special Wilde-Hopps headache.”

“Maybe we should give him a bottle of Advil along with our request,” Judy said.

Nick looked back over at Stu. “What exactly is the welcoming ceremony? Sounds like something a college fraternity or a cult would have going on. You aren't gonna sacrifice me to some bunny ancestors or something, are you?”

Stu hooked his thumbs into his overalls, staring the fox down. “Only if you don't swindle me at poker again!” 

"First off, I didn't swindle, I had a good hand... multiple times in a row." He crossed his arms. “Second, if you're gonna make the currency for the poker game blueberries, I'm going to play to win. Third, and once more, what is the welcoming ceremony?”

Bonnie answered. “With a family as large as ours, it can be difficult for everyone to make all the different weddings, births, or other ways a new bunny might become family. So Stu and I decided years ago that once a year, on the last weekend of the summer, we’d have a welcoming ceremony. We get as many family members together for the weekend, where we get to introduce the new members of the family and spend a few days  getting to know them all, and making it all official."

Stu nodded. “Obviously, we want as many of the new family members to be there as possible, which is why we wanted to make sure you would be able to make it.” 

“I'm sorry, me? As grateful as I am, last time I checked, I hadn't married a bunny nor was I adopted by one, and you said it was for marriage and births.” 

“Not yet anyway,” Bonnie hummed, rummaging through the cabinets under the stove. “Check to see if they have a decent mixer on sale.”

“Yet?” Nick asked.

“Well, it’s mostly for marriage and births,” Stu corrected, ignoring Nick’s question. “We haven't had ourselves an 'or other' reason in a while," Stu corrected, sharing a quick, knowing look with Bonnie. "I'd say you definitely fall under it, son. You have Jude's back, you saved her job, and possibly her life, and kept her safe in the city. Of course you're family Nicky.”

Nick’s mask wavered. For a beat, he was completely still. Then he sucked in a sharp breath and forced a chuckle, abruptly crouching down to grab the nearest box. He hefted it, shifting its weight in his paws as if its contents were the most important thing in the world. "I... Wow." He patted the cardboard, not quite meeting anyone's eyes as he set the box gently down on the counter and opened it. "It's funny. I just... the last person to call me Nicky was my dad. That's a blast from the past! Don’t let my mother hear that, though. She hated that nickname. ‘We named him Nicolas for a reason! Can’t you use that name?’”

“Slick, you should have known from day one that I was going to knock down every brick of the wall you built around yourself. I might be the only cop in my family, but I didn't become as crazy as I am alone. My parents trained me to be!”

“Now, Jude, don't put that on me. That's mostly your mother's doin’, I'm just a carrot farmer. Ow!” 

“I see the arm smacking is also a trait the Hopps women seem to have in common. Should I wear my Kevlar to the welcoming ceremony in case the rest of them wanna take a swing?” Nick asked, grinning as he leaned against the wall. 

Judy joined him, leaning next to him, and looked up. “I say let them, you probably said something to deserve it.”

He scoffed and tossed his paws into the air. “This is who I have as backup in the field. It's amazing I'm still alive.”

“Please. It's because of me that you're still alive. Remember the grizzly? I took him down as he was lunging at you.”

“Yes, but that was part of the hustle! I was playing the part of the bait to distract him so you could lunge at him. Unlike when I tranq’d the zebra from 200 feet away while he was running you down. I had to curve the tranq mid-air around someone. It was very impressive, if I do say so myself.”

“By curve the tranq, do you mean a straight shot from ten feet away?”

“No, you’re thinking of the weasel with the knife. I don’t know in what world he was living in when he thought we wouldn’t just tranq his ass when he pulled a weapon out on us.”

“Okay!” Bonnie cut them off, sighing before leaning over, tapping the near-faint Stu on the side to try and wake him up. “As much as hearing about all the scary situations you two find yourselves in is, I think if you keep going, you might have to use the smelling salts on your father again.” Bonnie smacked Stu's arm again as he gawked at the two cops in horror. “They're fine, Stu,” she said as she walked over to give each of them a hug. “Don’t forget to ask for that time off, okay?”

“We’ll remember, Mom. I'll put the requests in today and check in with Bogo, but Nick’s right, he shouldn't have any issues with us being gone for a few days.” 

“Fantastic! Maybe we can watch one of those Jack Savage movies when you two visit. A lot of your brothers and sisters seem to really like his movies!” 

“Did you find a couch you two liked?” 

Nick looked up from the veggie stir fry sizzling on the stove. The kitchen was filled with the aromatic scents of paprika, garlic, and bell peppers as the two foxes moved around each other like a choreographed dance, leaving Judy mesmerized.

“We did. That was actually pretty easy, and we didn't even get it from Itreea. We stopped at this little furniture place right next door, and it had this amazing light blue, super plush couch. The walls of our new place are a bit on the darker side, so I think some lighter furniture will really make the space feel more alive.”

“It's comfy to sit and nap on,” Nick added, “Color is irrelevant to me.”

Vivian rolled her eyes as she swatted Nick's paw away from trying to grab another forkful of tofu. “Well, at least you have your priorities.”

"Hey, a fox needs his beauty sleep," Nick quipped, rubbing his paw where Vivian had swatted it. "And speaking of sleep, we also found a few great bed frames. We even found an extra sturdy one for Carrot’s room. I think it's even sturdy enough to withstand her enthusiastic morning bounces."

Judy’s ears flushed pink. "I do not bounce!"

"Oh, please, Carrots. You practically ricochet off the walls when your alarm goes off. It's like living with a fuzzy pinball."

Vivian side-eyed the two, stirring the sauce she was preparing. "Oh, there’s bouncing now? That was fast. Well, I'm glad you two found some nice pieces. Did you manage to get everything on your list?"

Nick shot her a confused look through the steam.

"Almost," Judy’s nose twitched as she caught a whiff of the delicious aroma wafting from the stove. "We still need to pick up some kitchen gadgets, but we did find some amazing dishware at Itreea.”

“Did you get that cute little set with the carrots all over it?” 

Judy’s face fell in exasperation. “Not you too, Vivian! You know we bunnies like more than carrots. Our family farm has a bunch of different fruits and veggies. Heck, your own son's favorite fruit comes from our farm!”

“Ask her why she didn't get the set, Mom.”

“I don't see how that's relevant; all that's relevant is that I didn't get it.”

“What's the reason, hun?” 

Judy groaned as she let her head fall into her paws, her voice muffled as it seeped through her fingers. “They were sold out.”

“Aaaaannnndddd what did you get instead?” Nick sang, dishing the sizzling veggies onto a few plates. 

“I hate both of you, you know that? Fine. I got the blueberry set instead, and I told them to call me if they get another shipment of carrot ones…Anyway, let's talk about something else, yeah? How's it going with Gideon at the shop, Viv?”

“That boy’s a sweetheart, but hopeless in the city. Country through and through. He is so lost when it comes to being here, so bless you for sending him my way. He'd be eaten alive on his own,” She said, passing out napkins. “I will say he can bake like no one else I've ever met.”

Nick padded over and set a plate down in front of each of them before taking a seat himself.  “Now that is one of the truest truths ever spoken. I swear, I'd sell both of you to get a fresh blueberry pie from him.”

“You'd sell me for a pie?” 

“I'd feel bad, of course, and it would be such a hassle to get a new partner, but come on, carrots. His pies are divine! Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't sell me for one of his pies.”

“I'd sell you for a half-eaten Klondike bar.”

Vivian inhaled sharply and coughed. With a frown, Nick turned to thump Vivian on the back with his paw. “Geez, I can feel the love radiating all around me.”

"I'm good, I'm good!” Vivian choked out, a mixture of chuckles and coughs tumbling from her muzzle as she reached for her water. "Honestly, Judy," Vivian said, her tone shifting from playful to sincere. She reached across the table and put her paw over Judy's. "When Nicolas was growing up... after his father passed... he put up so many walls. He wouldn't let anyone in. Seeing him with you..." She squeezed Judy's paw. "It's like watching him come home. You're family, dear. You know that, right?"

Nick groaned, flushed with embarrassment and reached for the bottle of wine in the middle of the table. “I think that’s enough wine for tonight, don’t you? It always makes you all sentiment—” Nick was silenced as a low rumble in the distance crept into his ears. He squinted looking out the window as the rumble turned to a roar, shaking the house violently. Plates shattered on the floor as the house jolted, knocking items off the shelves.

Nick gripped the edges of the table as his gaze froze on a single small chandelier hanging above the dining room table. “That was way too short to be an earthquake. Wanna call in to dispatch and see what's going on and if we're needed?”

Judy's phone was already in her paw as Nick picked up fallen books. Vivian walked over with a broom and dustpan, sweeping up the shards of glass that had shattered across the floor. 

“Thanks, Clawhauser. I'll let Nick know.”

“That bad, Carrots?”

“Kind of hard to tell just yet. There was an explosion at the climate wall about a mile away from us. Bogo’s calling everyone in for crowd control and to help in search and rescue. It seems like the houses and apartments right along the wall took a pretty hard hit.”

Vivian shook her head, wiping up the spilled dinner off the table. “Oh my. That sounds like the maintenance issue they had a few years back. I hope no one was hurt this time. They said one of the giant snowmakers for the Tundra side got clogged or something, and the Sahara side exploded. You'd think they would crack down on maintenance of those things if it's already happened once before.”

“Let's hope we're as lucky this time, though, given how much it shook the house, I'd have to imagine it was a good-sized explosion. Sorry for leaving you halfway through dinner, Ma. Judy and I will try to make it up to you next week.”

“Don't you two worry about it. Go be the heroes of Zootopia, and be safe. If anything happens to you two, I'll never hear the end of it from Bonnie and Stu,” she breathed out with a wink.

“I’ll try my best to keep the Energizer bunny under control, but no promises. Now let's go make the world a better place, yeah?” 

Heat Street was bursting with light and noise, the air tasting of ash and stale water. Red and blue lights blasted across the buildings in a frantic, silent rhythm, painting strobing patterns on the panicked faces in the crowd. Over the constant wail of sirens, Judy could hear the ugly, hungry roar of the fire and the sharp crackle of burning wood. A crowd of curious onlookers, held back by a line of uniformed officers, watched as firefighters and paramedics scurried about, tending to the injured and extinguishing the raging flames. The explosion had left a trail of rubble across the street. The once-impenetrable climate wall was now a gaping hole, exposing the interior of the building.

Judy took stock of the chaos around them as they approached the incident commander, a large grizzly bear, his fur matted with soot and standing amidst the insanity. Clipboard in hand, he barked orders at various groups of mammals, his voice a commanding roar that cut through the din as he directed teams in an attempt to regain control of the disaster of the night. 

Judy hopped up next to him, giving a salute. "Fire Chief Benson! Officers Hopps and Wilde from-”

“Hold that thought, Jackson! Take your team and contain the fire on the east side! Herra, Desmond, get me an estimated collapse zone on the large mammal apartment! Dispatch, I'm going to need a few more engines and aid cars, and get me an ETA on another small mammal rescue team, we still have more houses to clear!”  

Benson paused and glanced at the two officers for a moment. “Actually, you two, I can use you. The crazy Precinct 1 duo, right? We got a few small mammal houses closest to the explosion that took a pretty nasty hit. All units currently here are too large to get through the mess to check the houses, and the small mammal search and rescue team is tied up in another building.”

The large grizzly bear looked around for a moment before marching towards a large moose that had just stepped out of a newly arrived fire truck. “Bullwinkle! Grab your team and aid our officers here on the south side small mammal housing! Let's move!”

Judy ducked out of the way as a different team went running past her towards a building that had smoke beginning to pour out of the windows, shouts from inside alerting them to the fact that a family was still inside. 

“Dammit, these houses are so dry they’re practically fire starters. Be careful, the explosion rocked the foundations a good amount as well, and these houses aren't staying standing as well as we would like them to. Get suited up and stay safe!” He jumped as the windows of a building to his right erupted in flames. “Jackson! Get a team up to vent the roof and clear the building!”

The two officers turned to hastily follow Bullwinkle and his crew as they suited up for a search and rescue. An aid bag was thrust into Judy’s paws as she scurried to catch up.

Hot, wet sand squelched under Nick’s feet, saturated by puddles from the hoses. Smoke stung their eyes as they crossed the scorched street. The charred embers and ashes made the air thick, warm, and suffocating. Nick sidestepped a charred bush, jogging to keep pace with the large mammals as they approached one of the smaller houses on the street.

The large moose rapped his hoof against the door. “ZFD search and rescue! We're knocking the door down and coming in!” he shouted before nodding to the lion on his right. The lion easily popped the door open with a crowbar to let the two smaller officers into the house. 

"Search and rescue, anyone in the house? If you can hear me, please call out!” Judy shouted, scrambling over a knocked-down bookcase. 

Nick disappeared around the corner briefly before his head popped back into view. “Judy, bring the aid kit! Older opossum in his 70s, out cold over here!”

She vaulted the couch and ducked into the bedroom. Nick was already on his knees beside an older possum sprawled on the ground, showing no visible injuries.

Reaching her paw out, Judy placed her fingers along his neck and frowned. “I'm not finding a pulse. I'm gonna start chest compressions while you start a line, call out to the paramedics, and see how much epi we need to push for a mammal of his size!”

“Hold up, Doc. Let's see if it's a classic opossum drama before we go full adrenaline with Epi.”

She held up a paw, pausing for a moment before snapping her mouth closed. Reaching over, she riffled through the bag, yanking an ammonia stick out and cracking it, wafting it below the opossum's nose. A moment later, the older mammal shot up with a gasp, paws grasping at the air. "Christ, what the hell is that?"

“He's alive! Just a little punch of ammonia to wake you from the dead. There was an explosion at the climate wall. It seems the shock of it sent you into a tonic state. Let's get you out of this place and get you in with the paramedics and aid car.”

 Judy helped Nick lift the possum and carry him out to the waiting paramedics. “Good call on the ammonia.”

“Yeah, well, you know how dramatic those opossums can be with all the fainting and the dying.”

Nick passed the opossum over to one of the paramedics outside the house, helping to guide him to the ambulance doors as he gave them a rundown of the possum's condition. 

“No visible injuries or blood, and once we got him conscious, he was completely coherent. Keep practicing your death scene, I'm sure you can get the lead for Hamlet next year during Shakespeare in the park!” 

“Yeah, yeah, us opossums and our-” 

The snapping of a power line, followed by the loud crack of electricity striking against metal, silenced their conversation. Sparks flew as the fallen tree that was being held up by the line fell right on top of the next house, the roof of the house splintering and sending wooden shards across the driveway, and pieces of glass from the windows flew across the front yard. An ear-piercing cry rang throughout the air as everything erupted. Nick jerked back and shielded his eyes as the front porch lit up like a firework of flames, the wave of heat slamming into him.

Bullwinkle to Fire Chief, we need an engine and ladder directed to the small mammal houses NOW! Get ZWP to kill the lines in the area as well, we've got additional fires breaking out!” 

Judy gasped as another cry for help rang out above the chaos, and they both sprang forward towards the door of the house. Bullwinkle grabbed a firehose, hefting it up as he turned it full force on the inferno on the porch.  “Watch your step, that tree did a lot of structural damage!” 

“Heard, Captain, watch the structure!” Nick shouted, kicking the door in, wood splintering across the room. 

“Search and rescue, where are you located?” Judy shouted, pushing part of a collapsed wall out of the way. She glanced around at the pink wallpaper, plastered with photos taken at Sahara Square University.

“Help! I'm pinned in the living room! I c-can't move my legs, I-I'm trapped!” 

Nick boosted Judy over a part of the exposed tree branch before climbing over himself, landing in the middle of the entryway.  He ducked under a section of broken-down wall, then used his shoulder to push a pile of concrete out of the way, stumbling into the living room. Along the far end of the room, in the middle of the heap of collapsed wood and drywall, sat a young, terrified red panda. A bloody gash trickled across her forehead, her eyes wide with panic as she struggled to get the weight of the concrete off her lower half. “Please, I'm losing feeling in my legs!” 

“Hey, we're gonna do everything we can to get you out. What's your name?” Judy asked, setting her bag down and taking a small flashlight out to check the red panda's pupils. 

“I'm… Uh, I-I'm Bridget,” she whispered, her breathing rapidly increasing. “How are you gonna get me out? I d-don't… I can't die here! I need to get out! Get me out!” She hollered, starting to thrash in place. 

Judy took her paw, gently squeezing it. “We're going to get you out, but I need you to calm down.  Breathe with me, okay?” Judy led the young red panda through a few rounds of box breathing, calming her down as Nick shifted a few of the smaller chunks.

He scanned the room, tossing debris aside. “No shortcut here, Carrots. We do this by paw, as fast as possible.”

“Then that's what we'll do. Bridget, I'm Judy, and this is Nick. We're gonna get you out of here, but it's gonna take a little bit of time.” Judy gave her paw a light squeeze, keeping her tone calm and even. “Let’s focus on your breathing. Can you tell me what you’re studying at SSU?”

The red panda wiped her eyes, taking another deep breath, trying to remain calm. “Y-Yeah, it's my first year. I'm studying computer science and technology. H-Haven't figured out what exactly I-I want to go into with it, just know that I enjoy all the t-technical aspects of working with computers.”

Nick motioned to Judy and they lifted one of the bigger pieces of wood off the red panda. “You know,” Judy grunted at the weight of the wooden beam. “The ZPD is expanding in cyber crimes and technology.” Judy huffed as she tossed another piece to the side. “We need some mammals with computer skills to help with staying up to date on tech and learning to use it to help out the community and improve as officers.”

Nick hesitated, staring up at the ceiling with his head tilted. His eyes traced down the opposite wall from the one that had fallen and caved in. “Judy? Let's work a little faster, yeah? I’m sure our friend, what was it, Bridget? I'm sure she's really ready to get out. We can give her a ZPD brochure and tour once that's done, yeah?”

Judy gave Nick an odd look, but got back to moving the rubble off the couch, working towards the red panda's legs. She stopped as she got down to the final few pieces, pointing to the opposite side of her. “Nick, grab that end and lift with me. I think if we can get this one off, we'll be set.”

Nick scurried over to the side Judy had pointed to, squatting down and getting ready to lift. Judy watched as his ears flicked, his lips tugging down as he nodded. “Okay on—” 

A loud groan echoed through the house, the far wall cracking and giving out as the weight of the tree became too much for the supports. In a flash, Nick dove across the room, tackling Judy as the ceiling crumbled. The large HVAC system slammed down where they'd been standing, sparks from exposed wiring igniting the dry wood beneath, as a muffled cry was cut short. 

“No. Nononono! Bridget! Bridget, can you hear me? No!” Judy scrambled to get up, beating her fists against the cold metal, batting at the flames as they started to lick up the sides of the walls, spreading across the floor. The arid climate of Savannah Central mixed with the dry wood of the building caused the flames to spread quickly, circling the officers. “We have to get this off her! We almost had her out!"

“Dammit!” Nick growled, rushing over next to Judy. With a snarl, Nick slammed his shoulder into the side of the unit. He jerked back a moment later, hissing in pain. “It's getting too hot too quickly!”

The walkie crackled to life as Bullwinkle's voice came through in static. “Hopps! Wilde! We need you two to retreat, you aren't suited for firefighting!” 

“Negative! We have a civilian trapped; we need to get her out! We can't leave her here!” Judy shouted back 

Nick's eyes darted around the room as he tossed debris aside, searching for anything that could help. His vision blurred, the smell of burning plastic and cheap wallpaper clawing at his nose. He coughed and stumbled from the smoke, spotting a piece of rebar that had broken off and rolled a few feet behind them. Hopping over a pile of drywall, he grabbed it and skidded back over to Judy. He shoved the rebar under the unit, baring his fangs as he tried to leverage the heavy metal upward. Flames curled around them. Heat singed their fur. “It's too heavy, it's not budging!” 

“We need more weight." Judy joined him at the rebar. "On three.”

On her count, the duo both pulled, groaning as the rebar strained, lifting the HVAC slightly off the rubble. A low rumble made the two pause, before another section of the wall next to them collapsed, bits of rock and dust raining down, sparks from exposed wires lit up the smoke like sparklers against a night sky.  Judy shielded her face, coughing up soot and ash as she breathed through the sleeve of her dirt-covered uniform. Flames crawled across the walls, filling the room with stifling heat. The whole place glowed like the inside of a furnace.

“I’m so sorry, Judy.” Nick’s voice cracked. “We’re not enough—not for this. We need the bigger mammals!”

Judy turned and pushed Nick with a guttural cry. “No! No, I'm not giving up on her! I can't leave her here to die, Nick, that's not what we do!”

“I know, but we’re not large firefighters, Judy! They are! Every second we waste here is one they could be using to save her!" his voice cracked, a note of anguish bleeding through as he glanced at the flames, "And if we die as well, that stops us from helping a lot of mammals . We have to go, Judy. We... we have to," he said, his voice breaking as he let his gaze linger for a moment on the wreckage now engulfed in flames, The orange glow danced across the walls, as if mocking them. He reached up, pressing the button on the walkie on his shoulder. “Captain Bullwinkle,” Nick started, pausing to clear his throat and recompose himself before starting again. “Captain, we have a civilian down and are unable to rescue. Fire is spreading fast, and the walls are becoming more unstable. Please advise.”

“Get out of there, you two. We're knocking down the far wall to get in on that side, and we'll do what we can for the civilian, but you two are no good to anyone if you're burnt up and dead. Fall back! That's an order.”

Judy pulled away, coughing into the smoke. With an almost predatory yell, she kicked the unit, leaving a sizable dent in its side as heat singed her fur. The fire’s roar dulled to a low thrum in her ears. She stared at the dent she’d made, as tendrils of ash curled past her, as if trying to pull her further into the suffocating darkness around her. The heat pressed in, the glow flickering against their soot-streaked fur. Overhead, the ceiling groaned. It was louder now, closer.

Judy looked up as chaos erupted. She dove back as a beam crashed down in front of her.

"Alright, Fluff, we've officially overstayed our welcome. Let's move!"

Judy glanced around and frowned. “The way we came in isn't an option any longer,” she coughed out and shook her head. She grabbed her radio, covering her face from some loose debris. “Captain, our original egress is blocked! How long till you can create an opening on the south side wall?”

The radio was silent for a moment before crackling to life. “Company 118 is already in place. Stand back. Firefighter Buckley, get that opening made now!”

Judy ducked under a smoking wooden beam, crouching next to Nick as the loud jackhammering of the drill started on the other side of the wall. The smoke burned her eyes, creeping into her lungs as she coughed, trying to get below the smoke. Within a few minutes, a sizable hole had been made, and the shouting from the fire crew was drowned out by the roar of the flames around them. Nick pushed Judy forward, helping her through the newly made exit as he covered his muzzle with his arm in an attempt at staving off smoke inhalation. 

With a final grunt, Nick stumbled out of the house and collapsed next to Judy, coughing and panting, trying to gulp down the smoke-free air of the night. Within moments, an oxygen mask had been placed around his muzzle, the large deer buck checking the fox for any other visible injuries. “Vitals are good. Lungs sound decent. Keep the O2 on for a bit, let's make sure we get those lungs fully clear.”

Judy kicked at the ground with a defeated snarl. “I should have been stronger! If I were stronger, we could have moved everything faster and gotten her out,” she whispered through the oxygen mask. The edges of her vision blurred as she stared at the hole in the side of the building. “She’s gone, isn’t she?”

Nick reached out and squeezed Judy's paw, shaking his head. “I…I don’t think anyone would have made it out of that. But this is not on us. We did the absolute best we could.”

The two sat in silence, the distant sounds of fire houses and first responders shouting in the night drifted around them, the air still heavy with smoke and ash. Judy leaned against Nick as the fire faded, night crept in around them, and the heat gave way to the cold chill of the void.