Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia. Zootopia is the property of Disney.

A Dish Best Served Cold

"Come on Carrots, pick up." Nick worried out loud, listening to the ring tone play repeatedly over his phone.

"Hi! You have reached the voicemail of Judy Hopps. I am unable to come to the phone right now, so please leave a message after the beep..."

Nick sighed in frustration as the machine picked up yet again. It was unlike the ultra dedicated rabbit to be late for work, and even more unlike her to be completely out of touch for so long. Nick tried his best not to assume the worst. Last night HAD been Halloween and there WERE plenty of unsavory characters lurking around the city, but the fox still didn't want to believe that Judy would actually be unlucky enough to become the victim of foul play. Unfortunately it was undeniable that something was amiss, and it gave Nick a growing knot in the pit of his stomach.

But maybe he could use that. Clutching his gut, the cunning fox made his way to Chief Bogo's office, opening the door and putting on the most sickly look he could manage.

"Ugh, chief, I don't feel so well." he groaned, perhaps laying it on a bit too thick.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Miss Hopps's absence would it?" the imposing buffalo eyed him incredulously.

Was he really that transparent? He must be losing his touch. "Okay you got me. But I really am worried about her."

"Say no more Mr Wilde. Just be sure to fill out a time off request before you go." Bogo replied.

Nick was taken aback by that response. The chief was actually letting him go? Perhaps deep down, the stone faced buffalo was just as worried as he was. Nick had to hand it to the chief, he was more shrewd than the fox gave him credit for. Legally a person had to be gone for twenty four hours before they could be declared as missing. But there were no laws against a fox simply looking for his friend.

"Oh! Th-Thank you sir." he said gratefully before heading out.

One filled out piece of paperwork later, Nick was hustling towards Judy's apartment. Again he tried to call her cell, and again was met with the same prerecorded message. "Carrots, where are you?"

Finally Nick reached the ramshackled old apartment building where Judy lived. Despite her time on the force, she still had not saved up enough money to move out of this dump. Nick made his way up to her room, apprehension rising in his chest as he reached out to knock on the door. Knock, knock, knock... "Carrots!" Knock, knock, knock... "Are you there?" Silence was the only response he got, making the fox that much more nervous. Nick reached into his pocket, pulling out a key Judy had given him in case of emergencies. Sticking the key into the lock, Nick turned the handle and slowly peered into the apartment.

Nick's heart sank as he was greeted by a rabbitless room. This ruled out any hope of her just being sick in bed. Still, Nick took a look around see if he could find any clues as to what had become of her. There really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Just a normal, slightly cluttered apartment, which was both a relief and concern at the same time. On the one paw, there was no sign of a struggle, so at least he could rule out a break in. But on the other paw, he was left just as much in the dark about the rabbit's whereabouts as when he got here. What was he going to do now? Feeling a bit discouraged, Nick was just about to exit the apartment when two antelope suddenly barred his path. He recognized the duo as Judy's noisy neighbors.

"You're not Judy." the first antelope stated matter of factly.

"See, I told you is wasn't her." the other chided him.

"What do you mean? You were the one who said we should come and check."

"No I wasn't!"

"Ahem..." Nick intervened "Sorry to interrupt, but would either of you, uh, fine gents know where Judy went?"

"Yeah, I think she said something about going to get some jasmine tea." the first replied.

"That wasn't it! She said she was going to Jasmine's party." the other corrected.

"Jasmine?" Nick inquired, trying his best to hold back his excitement.

"She's a meerkat that lives a few blocks over."

"Yeah, she throws a killer bash every year."

"We would have gone, but SOMEBODY ate too much candy before the party."

"Hey! You dared me to!"

"And Judy?" Nick interrupted again.

"Oh yeah, she went. But we never heard her get home."

"That's why we thought you might be her."

"Well, I'm worried about her to." Nick admitted "Can you tell me where the party was held?"

"Uh yeah..." the two antelope had one final quarrel about the specifics of the address before Nick was finally confident they had it right. The fox thanked the two before heading back out, carrying a whole new respect for Judy for putting up with those two.

Nick had mixed feelings as he made his way down the street. At least he finally had a lead, but the fact that Judy had not returned to her apartment did not bode well. All he could do was hope for the best as he made his way towards the address in question. It was located within another apartment building, a little nicer than the one Judy stayed in. He knocked on the door, and surely enough a pretty little meerkat answered.

"Hello, can I help you?" the meerkat asked, a bit reserved as she wondered why there was a fox at her door.

"Jasmine? I'm Nick Wilde, and I was..." the fox started to introduce himself.

"Nick Wilde!" the meerkat's demeanor brightened instantly "You must be Judy's partner! She's told me all about you! Please, come in, come in!"

Taking the meerkat up on her offer, Nick entered her domicile. It was quite a bit more spacious than Judy's, with an actual living room where one could entertain a few guests. And it had been used for just that. Half eaten snacks, empty glasses, and spooky decorations, all remnants of last night's party, were still scattered about the room.

"You'll have to excuse the mess. It was a bit of a wild night." Jasmine apologized, taking a seat in a nearby chair "So what brings you here? And come to think of it, why isn't Judy with you? Too tuckered out after last night?"

"Actually, Judy is the reason I am here..." Nick explained.

Jasmine sensed the serious tone in his voice, and her mood dropped back to a more somber one. "Oh no, don't tell me something happened to her."

"I'm not sure." Nick clarified "She didn't come into work, she wasn't in her apartment, and she hasn't been answering her phone."

The meerkat looked genuinely shaken. "W-What? B-But I just saw her last night. Y-You don't think..." she couldn't even bring herself to finish that sentence. The thought of a kidnapper right in her neighborhood was just too frightening.

Nick sighed "So you don't know what happened to her either."

"N-No. She came to the party, had a good time, and eventually left for home. She didn't even have any alcohol, so she shouldn't have gotten lost. Oh I hope nothing bad happened to her."

"Me too." Nick did feel a little bad for the meerkat. This must have come as quite the shock to her, just as it had to him. But this was the only way he could gather clues as to Judy's whereabouts. Sadly it seemed this lead had dried up, and the only information he had gathered was that the disappearance had happened some time between when Judy left the party and her getting home, and that it was likely somewhere between here and her apartment. "Thank you. I'll let you know if I find anything."

From there, the first step Nick took was retrace his steps back towards Judy's apartment, being sure to keep a sharp eye out for anything suspicious. Unfortunately after a few hours and several trips back and forth, the fox couldn't turn up anything conclusive, putting him back at square one. Nick wasn't about to give up though. He may not have had any solid leads, but he did have his connections to various hustlers and underground criminal organizations. Of course he had to be careful to avoid those who still held grudges against him; a number that had only grown now that he was a member of the fuzz. Still, there were those like Finnick and even Mr Big who were willing to assist him. 
Sadly even the seedy underbelly of Zootopia didn't seem to have any idea where the hapless rabbit had vanished to, and with each dead end Nick grew more and more disheartened. He had spent all day searching and was still no closer to finding his missing partner. It was well past sundown before the fox was finally too exhausted to go on and he decided to call it a night. As Nick made the long trudge home, a light fog rolled in on the cool evening breeze. It may have no longer been Halloween, but it still added a distinctly chilling element to the air...

Crash! A sudden clatter from a nearby alley nearly made Nick jump out of his fur. He had been so focused on his thoughts about Judy that he had hardly been paying attention to his surrounds. In fact he just noticed how unusually empty the streets were. Normally such a thing wouldn't bother him; he was used to roaming shady streets and back alleys, but the recent events involving Judy had him a bit shaken. On top of that, he couldn't shake this creeping feeling that someone was watching him. Darting his head left and right, he could swear he saw a pair of glowing red eyes staring at him from an alley across the street. The fox quicken his pace and ducked into a nearby alley of his own. It was a calculated risk, but one he hoped would throw off his perceived pursuer. Fortunately the alley seemed to be clear of any unsightly characters, so Nick made a hasty beeline towards the other side. He looked back for a brief moment and was relieved to see no one was following him. Maybe it really was just his imagination...

SLAM! Out of nowhere a massive figure dropped from the sky, landing in front of Nick with enough force to throw the fox off his feet. He stared up in wide eyed horror at the imposing beast now blocking his path forward. It looked to be some kind of white furred wolf, but it was far larger and more muscular than any wolf Nick had ever seen.

"Ah, Nick Wilde, I've finally found you." the beast's razor sharp teeth formed into a wicked grin.

"W-Who- W-What are you?! H-How do you know my name?!" He stammered, crawling back from the behemoth.

"Come now Nick, my appearance may have changed a little since our last encounter, but surely something about me must ring a BELL." the wolf insisted.

Nick wracked his brain, trying to think of anyone from his past who even remotely matched the monster standing before him. But he was pretty sure he would have remembered a ten foot tall muscle bound wolf with white fur. All he could do is shake his head in bewilderment.

"I thought foxes where supposed to be clever." the beast mocked him "Yes? Police! There's a savage fox in the Natural History Museum! Officer Hopps is down! Please hurry!"

"B-Bellwether..." Nick uttered in disbelief. But that was impossible. Bellwether was just a sheep, this- this thing was a monster!

"I can see you still have your doubts. Well perhaps this will convince you." the wolf reached for something pink tied around one of its wrists. With a quick tug it tossed the makeshift bracelet at Nick.

The object landed just in front of the fox, a pink plaid shirt, far too small for a wolf. Nick's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the shirt lying before him. Dear god, please don't let it be... But there was no mistaking it, his sensitive fox nose could pick up traces of rabbit wafting from the garment. But not just any rabbit... "Judy! What did you do with her?!" he demanded feeling a surge of courage from the prospect of his partner being harmed.

"I only did what predators are supposed to do with rabbits; what YOU were supposed to do with her!" Bellwether let out a sudden burst of anger as she recalled how her plan failed.

"No... you don't mean..." the color drained from Nick's face as he was hit with the devastating news.

"Oh yes, she was quite tasty too." Bellwether answered, confirming his worst fears.

"Y-Y-You monster! H-How could you?..." Nick was on the verge of tears, still trying to fully process that his partner and best friend had been eaten.

"If it's any consolation, you'll be joining her soon." the wolf replied with a devious grin.

That statement was enough to pull Nick from his grief, and reignite the terror within his mind. Did she just say she was going to eat him?! Being a fox, Nick often had to deal with being intimidated by those larger than him. But the prospect of actually being viewed as prey set off something primal within him. A deep root fear, inherited from his feral ancestors. Run!

Nick scrambled to get to his feet and bolted back toward the end of the alley he had come from. Unfortunately he didn't make it far before he felt a sudden grip around his head and he was roughly slammed to the ground. He groaned in pain as he was lifted back up and forced to face the fearsome beast.

"As much as I would enjoy another game of cat and mouse, I'm just too famished to wait any longer." she said to the dazed fox "This new body burns up a lot of calories, so I need a near constant supply of food to keep it going. But I held off just for you. I wanted to truly be able to enjoy you."

Bellwether reached out a claw and placed it at the collar of Nick's shirt. She dragged the claw downward, slowly tearing through the fabric of his clothing. As this was happening, Nick's wits steadily returned to him "H-Hey! Stop!" he began to struggle in a panic "Help! Help!" But his frantic flailing was useless against Bellwether's newfound strength. Nick could practically sense the muscles lying within the paw holding his head. It felt like she could crush him like a grape at any moment if she so desired. But Bellwether had no such intention. It wouldn't be any fun for her to grant such a merciful death to the one who ruined her life. No, she had something far more cruel in mind for the poor fox. Despite Nick's annoying struggles, she still managed to cut all the way through his shirt, and with one swift yank, pulled the garment clean from his body. The wolf had to fight hard to resist the urge to gobble up the little morsel right then and there. The light fur on his chest just looked so appetizing and vulnerable. But she still had the troublesome pants to deal with if she really wanted a clothing free meal. Growing impatient with hunger, the wolf took a far less neat approach with the pants, clawing away at them until the shredded leggings fell to the ground.

And there it was, the fox, completely exposed and helpless. Bellwether's tongue lulled from her mouth at the sight of such a savory morsel. She couldn't resist leaning in and taking a long slow lick up Nick's vulnerable body. Her tongue dragged through his soft fur, taking in all of his flavor and leaving a thick trail of saliva in its wake. So this was the taste of another predator. She had to admit, it was quite different than Judy's. The flavor was more savory and not as sweet. It excited her taste buds, and made her stomach growl in anticipation.

Nick was filled with terror and disgust as the tongue ran up his naked body. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine himself in this situation. He heard the groan resonate from Bellwether's belly, escalating his horror even higher. This was it! He was going to be eaten! As soon as Bellwether opened her mouth, Nick couldn't help but flinch, expecting to feel those razor sharp fangs dig into him at any second. But it wasn't until a few moments passed and he could feel the warm breath of the wolf wafting over him that he sensed something was amiss.

Slowly he opened his eyes to find himself staring straight into the great wolf's gaping maw. There was a brief pause as his brain rushed to put all the pieces together. No! She couldn't be serious! A fresh surge of adrenaline shot through him, starting a new wave of struggles as he realized the horrifying truth. "Help! Somebody, help! She's going to eat me alive!"

Bellwether smirked a little, at least as much as she could with her mouth wide open, at hearing Nick finally put the whole picture together. Yes, she was going to swallow him whole and alive, dooming him to churn away in her gut, just as she had done to that accursed rabbit. Her tongue reached out once again, running itself along Nick's face and helping to guide the fox into her greedy gullet.

"No! Please no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I can help you! I can find others! Please don't do this!" Nick pleaded with everything he had. His words contained none of their usual eloquence or trickery. Everything he said was out of sheer desperation to survive.

The fox's pleas only added to Bellwether's enjoyment. To hear the prey begging for their life was like music to her new predatory instincts. And the fact that it was one of her worst enemies made the symphony that much sweeter. It was almost a shame she was about to silence it. The ravenous wolf pushed Nick further into her maw, eager to savor more of his vulpine body.

Nick's world was suddenly thrust into hot and slimy darkness as his head entered the beast's fearsome throat. Powerful muscles clamped down around his muzzle cutting off his desperate cries for help, and assisting the wolf in pulling him even deeper into her gullet. With every mighty gulp, Nick felt that much more helpless as ever more of his struggles were stifled by the tight confines of the predator's esophagus. All he could do was whine and kick his legs frantically in a pitiful attempt to resist his fate.

Bellwether was almost in a trance as she savored every aspect of predation. The way his feet kicked wildly in front of her face. The way her throat gulped and stomach growled. The way that the scent of terror permeated the air. The way her tongue danced across his body, reveling in his rich flavor. And the way the helpless fox writhed within her gullet. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings; it truly was a feast for all five of her senses. Not so long ago, she never would have understood the predators of this world. How one animal could eat another was beyond her. But now that she was one of them, she couldn't understand how any of them could have ever given this up.

Nick's environment continued to shift around him. The sounds of the outside world were gradually replaced by the rhythmic beating of the predator's heart and ominous gurgling of her ravenous gut. The cool night air was slowly left behind as more and more of the fox's form slipped into the oppressive heat of Bellwether's own body. And it was when that last bit disappeared into her maw; when Nick could feel that slimy tongue toying with his wriggling toes, that he truly felt his fate was sealed. He was food now, and nothing more.

As much as Bellwether was enjoying tasting and teasing the fox in her maw, a low growl from her belly insisted that she get on with it. Relenting to the demands of her impatient stomach, the wolf gulped down Nick's squirming paws and bushy tail, finally consigning the entire fox to her ravenous depths. With her throat finally cleared, Bellwether let out a sigh of satisfaction. "I don't know who was better, you or that dumb bunny." she commented, not really caring if Nick could hear her "Well there is still a chance for you squirm better than her." she added. Though the tasting portion of the experience was over, she still had the digestion to look forward to. And if Nick was even half as good as Judy was, she would be in for a real treat.

When was this going to end? It felt like Nick had spent forever sliding down the beast's monstrous throat. Pulsing flesh and saliva smothered him from all sides, making the trip a hell all its own. Panic started to well up, filling his mind with wild fears. What if her gullet truly was bottomless? Was he doomed to spend eternity slither down this tube of crushing flesh? But no sooner did he have such ridiculous thoughts, when his face pressed against an extra tight ring of flesh. Suddenly he was reminded of what lied before him, and his line of thinking took a complete one-eighty. No! It was too soon! He didn't want to go in there! He wanted to go back!

But the wolf's body cared not for what Nick wanted. The throat muscles continued to roll, tireless in their mission to deliver their meal to its final destination. The building pressure forced Nick's narrow snout through the tight stomach sphincter, slowly depositing the hapless fox into the gastric nightmare beyond. Immediately Nick's sensitive nose was assaulted by the acrid stench of the stomach, making his eyes water and his face twist in disgust. Things only got worse as more of his body slid into the cramped chamber, forcing him deeper into the horrible muck that had settled there. Bit by bit he passed through the sphincter with a sickening squelch, until finally his entire body had been deposited into the fetid pit.

With his body finally free, Nick immediately flew into a hysterical fit. He pounded frantically against the stomach wall, desperate to escape the fleshy prison. "No! No! Let me out!" But no matter how hard thrashed, the walls remained firm, the malleable flesh giving and rebounding against his blows like elastic. Even his claws seemed to be ineffective against the resilient flesh. But he didn't give up. The sheer instinct to survive and avoid a slow painful death wouldn't allow him to. He had to keep fighting, even as his paws began to burn from the caustic fluids eating through them.

Bellwether could feel the fox's feeble attempts at escape within her. Unfortunately for Nick, his meager struggles only served to bring further enjoyment to his devourer. The wolf sat down for a moment, simply reveling in the sensation of a full belly. She ran her claws around her slightly distended stomach, taking in every little detail of her prey's struggles. If she listened carefully, she could even hear the fox's pleas for release; something that made her chuckle as she thought back on her previous meal. "You know, Judy begged to be let out just like you. Oh it was wonderful, hearing that daring and courageous cop, reduced to a blubbering piece of meat within my gut. I look forward to seeing you break as well."

Deep within the wolf's churning gut, Nick could not really understand what she was saying, but he could swear that he heard the word "Judy". And that was enough to give the fox pause. That was right; in his panic he had completely forgotten that this was the place where Judy had met her end. The realization was enough to send a fresh wave of nausea through him. The disgusting sludge he was wading in; the horrible slop that was working its way into every nook and cranny of his body, for all he knew, it could have been the digesting remains of his former partner.

In a moment of sheer horror, Nick yelped and clawed at his own fur, trying desperately to remove the ghastly muck from his body. But try as he might, he could not rid himself of the haunting sludge. Faced with the futility of his actions, the fox returned to his attempts at escaping his nightmarish prison. He redoubled his efforts, driven by the additional horror of marinading in his deceased partner. But despite his increased fervor, his struggles remained every bit at fruitless, and it was only a matter of time until the frantic fox exhausted his supply of energy.

With nothing left to give, Nick finally collapsed backwards, splashing down into the churning pool of chyme surrounding him. He panted heavily, sucking deep breaths of burning air into his lungs. With his surge of adrenaline coming to an end, clarity started to return to his mind and he slowly became aware of just how much his body was burning. His upper body was ravaged by a maddening itch, feeling as though a thousand tiny ants were skittering across his skin. All the while, his paws and lower half felt like they were on fire, as if those same ants were biting into his sensitive flesh. The fox began to writhe, his body desperate to get away from the incessant irritation. However there was escape. Even the very air was rife with corrosion, slowly but surely eating away at him. He could only grit his teeth and groan as he tried his best to endure the ever increasing pain.

But it would only be a matter of time before things became too much for the poor fox. Already his fur was starting to fall away in small clumps, directly exposing the skin underneath to the harsh environment of the predator's stomach. The next several minutes were ones of sheer agony as the burning sensation gradually increased all along his form. And yet this was still only the beginning of his torment. Soon the true pain started to emerge as the digestive enzymes dissolved his flesh, opening up bleeding wounds all across his body. It was then that he could no longer hold back his screams. "Aaaaahhh! Let me out! It's eating me! Aaaaahhh!" he returned to begging, desperate to escape the hell he found himself in.

Bellwether felt a fresh wave of thrashing within her gut as the fox fought for his life. "Mmmmmm..." she moaned, once again enjoying the sensation of prey struggling inside her stomach. "Yes, that's it, writhe for me." she taunted, her predatory instincts driving her to take sadistic pleasure in her prey's suffering. And the whole experience was made that much better by the knowledge that it was one of her worst enemies stewing away in there. After all the trouble that fox had given her; she was finally paying him back tenfold.

Things continued to deteriorate for Nick, literally. With his outer layer of flesh being stripped away by the second, the digestive juices worked their way deeper into his body, assaulting the muscle and fat within. Frantic thrashes slowly died to erratic twitches as muscle fibers were unwound and burned away. But even if he could no longer express it through movement, Nick's screams remains a strong testament to the excruciating pain he was experiencing. He could no longer articulate words to beg for mercy; only howl in the purest expression of suffering.

Through all the pain, a small part of his mind couldn't help but think of Judy. Was this what she had gone through?! He didn't want to think that she had suffered like this. It was just another layer of misery to add to his agony, like rubbing emotional salt in his physical wounds. Why did things have to end up like this? The irony was almost laughable. He had spent his life running hustles and making plenty of enemies. He would not have been surprised if it was one of them that had caught up to him. But no, instead it was a deranged sheep with a predator complex. The first good deed he had performed since his time on the streets, and this is what finally got him.

Such moments of the clarity were fleeting though; buried beneath an ever rising tide of anguish. Pretty soon all he could think about was how he just wanted it to end. Unfortunately unbeknownst to him, he would be suffering for even longer than Judy had; his larger body taking more time for the digestive enzymes to break down. It was a caustic hell that felt like it lasted an eternity. But little by little flesh was stripped from bone, until finally his most inner recesses were exposed. Chyme flooded into stomach cavity, drowning his organs in corrosive sludge.

This was the beginning of the end for him. His fragile organs quickly started to shut down under the sudden shock of being digested. His heart in particular spasmed wildly under the assault, struggling to maintain its natural rhythm. A strange sensation began to wash over Nick, a coldness working its way up his body. A small part of him knew that he should be frightened, but more so he was just relieved that the pain was finally starting to dull. The world around him was fading fast. The gurgles and groans of the stomach seemed so distant now. He felt... tired; more tired than he had ever felt in his life. The pull was irresistible, and the poor fox just let it happen. No more struggles; no more pain; at last he could be at peace.

Bellwether grinned when she felt her prey's struggles finally come to a stop. Though it did mean the fun of feeling him squirm was over, it also meant that her other greatest enemy was done for. A new sense of satisfaction washed over her, something deeper than the mere carnal pleasure of devouring prey. She had done it. She had beaten the odds and reaped her revenge against those goodie goodies that had wronged her. Sleep tugged at her eyelids, her body desiring to finish the digestion process in peace. She didn't argue, allowing herself to simply dose off in the middle of the alleyway, not really caring who might stumble upon her in the dead of night. A well deserved rest after a mission accomplished.

It was some time before the morning rays of sunshine peeked into the alley, rousing the monstrous wolf from her slumber. After a long languid yawn, Bellwether immediately turned her attention to her grumbling stomach. Just as before, the bulge in her belly had shrunken considerably, while the rest of her body had grown in comparison. Her muscles thicker; her stature taller; it was invigorating. But there was one slightly bittersweet aftertaste to her victory. With her vendetta already fulfilled, what was left for her now? A simple growl from her stomach answered the question for her. There was still a whole city, nay a whole world of furs out there for her devour. And with her new superior body, none could stand against her. It didn't matter if they were predator or prey; they would all meet the same fate within her gluttonous gut. The world was about to have a new alpha, and she was hungry...