Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tokyo. The sprawling metropolis was the pinnacle of animalkind. Every ordinary animal went on about their days. Some had jobs, some took the train to drop their children off at school, and when the day ended, some hit the streets and celebrated. Some see a movie while couples may prefer to go out and eat at the newest restaurant.

Some animals prefer it that way, at least…

In the shadow of what many consider a “perfect society,” the Back Alley thrives. Selling off meat to the carnivore population and illegally supplying their urges. Some carnivores visited the Alley to retrieve meat to suppress their urges, believing if they had their fix, they wouldn’t act on their cravings out in the city… While other carnivores on the other hand let their instincts fly off the handle, only caring about their next meat fix.

It was chaos. A type of chaos fueled by the gangs of the Alley. There were the lizards of the Dokugumi, the females of the Inarigumi and the leopards of the Madaragumi.

But none compared to the most feared organization in the Back Alley. The Shishigumi. Which almost entirely consisted of Lions of all shapes and sizes. They were the kingpins of the meat trade and killed anyone who would remotely interfere with their operations.

The Alley thrived in the shadows of this “utopian society” that the government had conditioned their citizens to believe. This couldn’t be far from the truth.

The Alley was the most feared place in the city. There was no animal who didn’t know about it and its practictices.

But… where the Alley thrived, another practice existed in its shadow. Another set of gangs thrived on adrenaline and thrill

Where Alley’s gangs influenced the public, these new gangs controlled the streets.

When the sun sets over the horizon, the streets come to life. And Rex was it an exciting time.

If an animal had a car and the guts to take on the best, they were challenged to hit the streets and race their hearts out. Abandoned lots were recruitment grounds for the biggest leagues in the city. Highways were their playgrounds. The open roads were their disposal.

The city was in their grasp. The leagues were free to race wherever and whoever they pleased. Or at least that’s what they believed…

Up until recently, the gang of the Back Alley and the Street Leagues coexisted and remained out of each other’s way. The Leagues had their races while the Alley had their meat trade. But a very disturbing discovery threatened to set both of these very different sides of the city on a collision course. A course that would only lead to bloodshed.

This discovery was what made twins Riku and Raya, the Street Leagues’ de-facto race brokers, call in the “heavy hitters” as they had named them.

Both African Wild Dogs, they grew up in the streets and were both respected and feared by many. A lot of animals never trusted them since they both grew up in the Back Alley, but their expansive charisma and knowledge of vehicles in general made them the clear choice to be their collective voice. Their roots in the Back Alley was probably the very thing that kept them off the streets.

These “heavy-hitters” as they were referred to were already briefed on the situation and were requested to meet the twins at “The Bend,” which was considered the central hub for the happenings in Tokyo’s Street Racing community.

The Bend was a big dirt field that bridged off from a road connecting to a highway that led into the city. The skyline could be seen in the distance. Heck, even Cherryton Academy could be seen from the Far East of the field. A good twenty to twenty-five minute drive at most. Of course that depended on how fast one went.

Several sturdy makeshift buildings were established. Bunkhouses, stores that sold car parts, and even some trailers were littered in the area. But everything and anything that happened in The Bend centered in The Cantina, a bar that had been established in an old Warehouse, which had been refurbished into a mighty fine establishment. The walls were repaired, beer taps were installed and flowing, and the music played at ten times the normal volume.

This place was truly the definition of a racer’s paradise. An oasis in a world of rules and laws.

Everyone and anyone from all walks of life were welcome. Workers, High School Kids, and especially Auto Mechanics made their way to The Bend on the weekends to party and show off their cars. And even races were commonly held on the strip of road that led to the bridge heading past the school and into the city.

It was a weekend, meaning all of this and more was happening. But Riku and Raya weren’t there to spread the good word or enjoy the rowdy festivities.

They were here to rally the troops.

Riku was in the driver’s seat and his sister was in the passenger’s seat wearing a black backpack. Riku pulled his White, black decal Mazda RX-7 onto the black asphalt road leading to The Cantina. They passed car after car with their hoods propped open to show off each engine. None of the vehicles or animals in the crowd looked like their guys. That could only mean they were inside The Cantina itself.

Out of the corner of his eye, a young coyote stumbled in front of the RX-7, clearly very intoxicated. Riku slammed on the brakes, blaring his horn at the teenager.

Stumbling back to his feet, the Coyote looked very annoyed. “You wanna honk that thing at me some more, tough guy?” He barked at Riku. “Come out here and I’ll show you-“

“Hey, dude!” A fox appeared from between two cars on the left, clearly annoyed. “There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you, bro!”

Even though his friend tried pulling him out of the situation, the Coyote was still fixated on Riku, who remained motionless in his running car. The drunk Coyote pointed his brown, furry finger at the RX-7.

“This jackass here wants to start somethin’ with me…” he trailed off. “I’d say we teach him a lesson he’ll never-“

“Or” the young Fox began. “How about we take you back to Migs and the rest of the guys so they won’t be worried sick, huh? I really don’t want to have to explain to him how you got a black eye…”

The teenage Coyote seemed to not want to fight his friend, letting him wrap his arm around his shoulder so he could get out of there.

“You win… this time…” the two began to waddle away, the Coyote giving Riku the middle finger as they disappeared behind the makeshift buildings that littered the aisle.

Lifting his foot off the brake, Riku scoffed.

“Fucking teenagers…” he grumbled.

“I honestly should’ve got out just to stomp him to the pavement,” Raya added. “Then that would’ve shut him up.”

“Very… considerate,” Riku noted plainly. “But I don’t think that would’ve done anything but raise alarm. Right now we need to find Ethan. Dealing with a dumb, drunk teenager and his friend isn’t top priority right now.”

Riku would’ve done the same thing his sister suggested. But the biggest difference between him and her is that he can hide his rage all too well and condition it to be more passive, while Raya simply says what’s on her mind. Two very different contrasts, yet they work together hand in hand. When passive-aggressive doesn’t work, downright violence solves it.

He’s almost certain that if that kid knew who he was talking to, he would’ve piped down. Even if he was drunk.

Raya scanned the crowd with hatred for each and every one of them. Riku parked the RX-7 on the border of The Cantina next to another row of cars. He peered at Raya, who was now scanning the buildings behind her.

She was still looking for those kids.

Riku sighed. When his sister was angry, she wouldn’t stop until she'd ‘gotten rid’ of the problem. It was almost like she was feral or sadistic. There were rumors that she’s even killed someone for looking at her the wrong way.

Of course, Riku wouldn’t confirm nor deny these rumors.

Nonetheless, Raya was still a high valued asset in this operation, so he knew he had to have her on board.

“They’re gone, sis. Give it a rest,” Riku reprimanded.

Raya clenched her fists as her eyes turned red, ear twitching violently. “I just wanna strangle their little…”

“Do you want to be involved in this operation or not?” Riku scolded. “They were just some stupid kids… Sure, I would’ve taught them a lesson just as much as you, but we have to choose our fights, not the other way around.”

Raya began to ease up, not wanting to start an altercation with her brother in the car. She only went on board because she was promised a “huge payoff” in the end. She let her brother drag her all the way out here from their compound in the city, so it best be worth it to her.

Or who knows? She may very possibly snap at Riku.

Once he saw that his sister was calm, he opened the door to step out to the blaring music coming from The Cantina’s speakers and bright neon lights that illuminated from them, lighting up in sync with the bass drop from the music.

“Follow me inside once you’ve cooled off…” Riku shut the RX-7’s door to make his way down the dirt path leading to The Cantina. A neon sign was erected with the name of the bar switching colors every few seconds.

Blue, Green, Yellow, Red. Even the lights on the sign lit up to the high-volume song that was playing. The lights and the bass were cranked all the way up.

The song in particular that was playing was “Pure Grinding - Avicii.” It was usually used to test the lightning and bass since it was a “high octane” song. And when it was put on, that usually meant that the night was only just starting. A Raccoon in particular was their DJ and installed the setup with the lighting himself. It sometimes helped to be that small and fit into the nooks and crannies of the complex.

The kickoff was the highlight of the night. Several animals gathered in front of the building to dance like crazy, failing their arms about to the beat of the song. The sound of engines roared as a Mongrel did burnout after burnout in a Subaru Impreza, kicking up dirt in the process and a group of animals cheering around him, which only encouraged him to continue.

It was extremely loud and hectic. So much so, the animals in attendance didn’t even notice Riku, their ‘leader’ cut through the crowd to get to the metal industrial door leading to the inside. Riku almost couldn’t hear the loud grumbling that approached him from the behind.

It was Raya, who had calmed down, but still had the Coyote on her mind. The only reason she didn’t track him down for insulting her and her brother was because she didn’t want to risk being sidelined. Especially if it meant missing out on the action that was promised to her…

And even if it wasn’t as intense, she could always get her fix from her suppliers in Back Alley. They weren’t Shishigumi or associated with the other gangs, but this person in particular could be very… intimidating.

And Raya did enjoy an intimidating animal.

Riku turned to acknowledge his sister. Now knowing she had made her choice, he pulled the steel door forward, motioning for Raya to enter first. She shook her head, motioning for Riku to go.

Not thinking much of it, Riku disappeared inside The Cantina, leaving Raya alone to finish tucking the pistol that was concealed behind her black coat.

Even though this was most likely not going down in a violent altercation, at least… not now, Raya refused to take any chances.

Following behind her brother, Raya disappears into the Cantina as well, shutting the steel door behind her.

——

The steel door was strong enough to drown out the noise coming from the outside. The bar was lit up just as much with a makeshift stage in the far center, but instead of a mic, a table and chairs were set up. Instead of their guys, a pair of drunk canines were using it. An African Dog, just like Raya and Riku and his red fox friend, who looked nothing like the fox they encountered outside.

They both were passed out from all the partying and were snoring, as if they couldn’t hear the loud, but smoother music that played over the speakers.

The twins stayed close to each other, maneuvering through the dancing crowd and drunks who were tumbling around the bar, spouting out nonsense left and right. This would’ve been Raya on any other night. Maybe when this was done, she’d get a beer herself…

She knew she’d probably need it after the chaos that was about to ensue that night.

On the right, a makeshift bar was erected, serving beer after beer to the next paying customer. The bartender was a beautiful animal. A jaguar, who was no nonsense and refused to oblige in any drunken passes she received from males.

Anyone who did make a pass was removed immediately. And usually, ‘she’ herself was the one who did the removing. But with Raya and Riku present, it was almost guaranteed no one would try anything.

Glancing over to the pool table and bar tables on the far left off from the bar, the twins spot a familiar looking German Shepherd. He had dark fur at the top of his head, one ear crooked, and he was wearing a red hoodie.

Looks like they found their guy. Well, one of them at least.

Ethan saw the two scary looking canines approaching him, but he didn’t move an inch from the brick wall he leaned on. Riku and Raya were some of the most influential figures in the streets. Their words meant so much in these parts. So when Riku called him up asking for his crew, he knew he had to respond.

He and his crew of three had been winning race after race in The Fringe, which consisted of the outskirts of the city and the backroads around the mountains. They took out gang after gang, gaining quite the reputation around the city.

So one could understand why Ethan was as excited as he is. It’s rare when a League gets to conduct a heavy-hitting operation in the city, and he felt rightfully honored that out of all the Leagues Riku could’ve gone to, he chose them.

It was a big deal. They could start looking beyond The Fringe. Now they’re in the big leagues.

“Are you Ethan?” Riku demanded, passing one of the two pool tables. Observing the two canines, Ethan could spot the clear difference. The twins were both very intimidating animals, which made him uneasy. But of course, the well built German Shepherd didn’t let that show.

They wanted soldiers. Animals who wouldn’t crack under the pressure. If they started showing that now, they could kiss the job goodbye.

“Absolutely,” Ethan replied stoically.

Riku analyzed the German Shepherd. He looked fit, muscular. And he looked like he'd taken a beating.

Ethan may have looked durable, but Riku’s only hope was that his driving was just as good as his attitude. That way, things would be simple. An in and out operation.

Of course, all Raya could think about was his looks. He took care of himself well, as it showed.

Raya frowned. It’s almost a shame that if him and his crew didn’t make it out, that would mean there would be one less handsome male out there…

Riku took notice that she was fixated on his looks, and gave her a quick glare to get her to knock it off. They needed to focus on the task at hand.

“Is it just you here?” Riku questioned, placing his hands on his hips. “Me and my sister were under the impression you had a crew.”

Without hesitation, Ethan glanced over at the furthest pool table to the left, Riku and Raya’s dagger eyes following him.

A female red deer and a black sun bear were playing a round of pool, but interrupted their game after seeing their “fearless leader” as he’s comedically dubbed, approach the table with two smaller, but nasty-looking canines from the rear.

They almost immediately recognized the male and female Wild Dogs. The two could be distinguished from the small braid that hung from Raya’s cheek fur, and the gold earring that wrapped around the pierced end of Riku’s right ear.

Placing their pool sticks down, the carnivore and herbivore both stood by, waiting for a statement from Ethan. Before meeting the twins, Ethan told both of his friends not to make a scene, especially Darla, who was a red deer and the sole herbivore of their little crew. She grimaced, seeing the twins, but didn’t say a word.

She had some serious reservations about working with the both of them.

Especially after hearing about the money smuggling rings Riku was involved with. He had some leagues backing him, and it was a smaller operation that didn’t interfere with the collective. Usually those who found out about their operations and threatened to jeopardize them were “removed” as she overheard Riku call it.

Yes, she spied on them. But does she want them to figure that out? Absolutely not.

But it wasn’t just him that scared her. Usually, Riku had ordered someone to be “removed” from the equation, they were found with their throats ripped out or several knife wounds.

As an herbivore, you’re taught to be cautious around other animals. Especially with carnivores. And something told Darla that several fingers were pointed towards Raya as the culprit behind these vicious attacks.

But why was she involved? Surely a simple in and out didn’t require so much bloodshed?

Did it?

No matter how many times she told Ethan to watch his step around Riku, he’d never listen.

If something did indeed happen, she knew she had to stop it.

Breaking off her hateful glance at Raya after she spotted her, Darla folded her hands, listening to what Ethan had to say.

“This everyone?” Riku was perplexed. He expected something a bit… bigger. If this crew took down all the bigger leagues in The Fringe, then they must have some guts. All three animals were about Twenty-One to Twenty-Three. Riku never understood the comradeship that came with being in a small gang like Ethan’s. It was easy for him to say since he’s always been so closed off from the outside and not foraging relationships.

He was in it for business and business only.

“Yep,” Ethan replied. “The big guy here is Akio, our in-house mechanic. He’s honestly the guy you’d want to thank for us being here right now…”

Akio, the slim, tall bear appeared well built with some muscles showing and wore a navy blue jean jacket with the sleeves ripped off with a plain white T-shirt underneath that sported a few oil and grease stains. He appeared confident and collected enough, as he should be. He modified everyone’s cars for the main event tonight, and he didn’t want to disappoint.

All of the vehicles had been tested and put under the most extreme levels of pressure in anticipation for the main event, and Akio was to thank.

“And I think you all know about Darla, right?” Ethan introduced the doe, who had her arms crossed, looking anything but pleased. “She’s one of the best drivers I know. There’s not a single place in this valley and city she doesn’t know of.” He paused, motioning for her to step forward. “And if she doesn’t? Well… she’ll figure it out.”

Darla shot daggers at Raya, who cancelled them out with her own. Darla’s instincts kicked in. When one looks into a predator’s eyes as an herbivore, there’s almost a sick feeling they have. A feeling telling them to get out of there. But Darla wanted to do the opposite.

There was no way in hell she would back down from Raya.

Satisfied, Riku winces at the music volume. He had to shout over it so Ethan could hear him.

“We should find a place where we can talk in private! Maybe the place behind the Tattoo shop!”

“Sounds alright with me!” Ethan replied, shouting just as loud.

The twins led the way as Ethan motioned for the deer and bear to follow behind him. Darla grabbed Akio’s arm, glaring at him. She was still very unsure about all of this, and if Ethan didn’t listen, surely he would.

“Ethan seems to be putting so much faith in these two…” Darla spoke in a loud enough voice to blend into the crowd.

“Well, why wouldn’t we trust them?” Akio replied, speaking in the same tone of voice. “They came to us, and it sounded urgent. And you know Ethan wouldn’t get us into something he knew we couldn’t handle.”

Darla trailed off. “I know that… I trust him and all, but something just feels off, man…”

“Hey!” Raya shouted over the music. Her, Riku, and Ethan were propped up next to an industrial door leading to another part of the warehouse. “You two coming back here, or am I gonna have to come get you?”

Darla winced, exchanging looks with Akio. He didn’t seem to understand the potential gravity of the situation and it showed. Without a second thought, he raced ahead of her to meet with the rest of the group.

Darla followed behind reluctantly. All she knew about the job was that it was dealing with some corrupt racers, not the specifics. Where they were from, where the operation would happen, and why the twins were so hush hush about it.

So many red flags shot up that it made Darla uncomfortable.

But nonetheless, she was dragged into this, and Ethan and Akio were the only two people she had closest to family. So of course she would help them.

She only hoped that whatever did happen tonight, she’d be ready.

——

The Tattoo shop was crawling with several different animals. Off the record, four artists worked there. The youngest being eighteen and a High School dropout. Though young, she was probably one of the best artists there.

The room had four chairs each, one being cleaned by the young artist. A white arctic fox, whose wrist had a spider’s web sprawled across it, and right in the center, a black spider was there. Fangs and all.

And what no one knows is that she did it herself. It was uncommon for an artist to apply their own tattoos, but she only trusted one animal to do the job. No one else could get the design right.

She was feeling alright. Her boyfriend, a brown and white fox himself had just left not too long ago with his intoxicated friend. From his words, they “had places to be.” She sighed, wishing she’d get more time with him. But him being a student at Cherryton, working in the city, and hanging with his friends left almost no time for the odd couple to see each other.

She continued spraying down her work station’s seat, getting ready to close up for the night.

“What’s happening, Michelle?” A familiar voice called out. Ethan was walking along the marble and tile aisle and gave Michelle a small wave.

Noticing his crew, Michelle gives a gentle wave. “Hey, guys!” She grins.

“Hey, Michelle,” Akio calls out. “We're still gonna get my wrench tat on my back next week?”

“You betcha, Akio!” She cheered, setting some tools back into a sleeve. Lastly, she took notice of Darla, who was being unusually quiet, sporting a strange stare that was still aimed at Raya, but her peripheral vision still caught wind of Michelle.

“Hey, girl, how're you doing?” Darla didn’t respond, only giving a head nod and smile. She didn’t want to break too much contact with the female canine that stood in front of her.

Michelle was confused, noticing how she was trailing off. Over the music, cars could be heard revving up from the outside. The female fox turned and noticed the window pane by her workstation was open. She remembered opening it to let some air in, but now the revving was cutting out the music.

Stepping out to observe the chaos, she spots a Silver R33 and a Yellow and Orange Honda S2000 participating in a drag race on the strip of dirt road leading to the end of the field. She owned a car of her own. A Purple and Black Nissan 240SX that she had won herself at 16, which was way beyond the legal driving age in Japan.

Sure, she maintained it and all… but she never had time to actually drive it. Ethan’s crew had been very helpful to her with getting it up and running. They even invited her to join their gang, but she declined after three attempts. One from Akio and two from Darla, who was her biggest customer. There wasn’t a thing that happened that Darla didn’t let slip by Michelle.

Or at least, not this time…

Shutting the window to silence the incessant motor revving, Michelle flicks her ear, finding the office door in the corner of the parlor slide close.

What in Rex’s name could be going on in there?

——

The room was dusty and it was clear the owner of the parlor didn’t care too much for cleanliness. He was gone for the evening, after all and didn’t care too much for the party being held tonight, so Riku and Raya decided to make themselves at home.

Even if the owner did have a problem with his office being used by others, who wouldn’t dare object to the twins of all animals?

Motioning for their guests to take a seat, Riku shuts the door, Raya already taking her seat in a living chair in the office’s far corner.

Darla, being the last of the trio, took her seat on the couch across the desk, still refusing to take her eyes off Raya, occasionally darting away to avoid contact.

Was she not being subtle? Probably not. But she didn’t care. Shortly before meeting with her crew, she overheard Raya on the phone with a mysterious character a few days ago. The only words she picked up before Raya almost caught her were “transport” and “the assets.”

She assumed she was talking about the job. Everything felt so off to her.

Honestly, the only thing keeping her from saying anything in the here and now was the different scenarios that played in her head.

What would Raya do? Would she snap? Would she make an example of one of them? Darla knew she couldn’t risk it, but every fiber in her being and her instincts told her to say something.

But she never did.

Now that everyone was seated in the dusty, unkempt room, Riku decided to skip formalities and head straight to talking business.

“Apologies for being so secretive, but we wanted to keep the details under wrap as much as we could in anticipation of our meetup.”

Riku folded his hands, leaning back into the desk chair. “You three know why you’re here, right?”

Everyone nodded. “Simple,” Akio began. “A collection of rogue racers are running jobs for the Shisigumi in the Back Alley and you need us to deal with them.” He smiled, confident that he managed to get the plan down. “Because any League associating with the Alley is alway bad news,” he added.

It was nothing new to the trio that drivers had began running some jobs for the Shishigumi in the past few months. Apparently, the money that was in their pockets was as big as their reputation. The League in question was a collection of racers that had let the Shishigumi’s wealth get to their heads.

And since the gang of Lions had a new boss, the pay doubled. Rumors had it that he was an herbivore himself. Single handedly doubling the number of meat warehouses and factories. So naturally, with this expansion came the need for transportation. Fast transportation.

The twins didn’t want to make a scene, but when the news came out that the Shishigumi were hiring racers from The Bend to run jobs, they knew it couldn’t be ignored.

After all, if they could turn even the smallest number of their drivers over to their side, who knows how many more they could gain by the end of the year.

Although satisfied with Akio’s summary, Riku sighed. “I wish it was that easy…”

Everyone except for Ethan frowned. What did he mean? It was just the League they were after, right?

“I’m pretty certain you know a little about what’s going on here, Ethan,” the canine said matter of factly. “How about you give your guys a little rundown about what we discussed.”

Ethan sat up, looking at the other two animals sitting adjacent to him. Riku figured Ethan’s crew would take the rest of the information better if it came from him.

“We’re gonna be running some supplies tonight in the city. The Shishigumi’s drivers are no longer a priority.” Darla’s eyes narrowed. They weren’t told this before. They were told they were dealing with a single group of racers… not this.

Ethan fiddled with his paws, waiting to continue. “Now, Riku and Raya here told me they found something else just a few days ago…” Darla and Akio huddled around Ethan, not daring to miss a word.

Riku stopped him to pull out a map of the city. “The Shishigumi’s drivers are going to be collecting some packages from a series of warehouses across the city, so you should be on the lookout for them.” He pointed at the three locations circled in black marker.

“You three can split off and rally at this parking garage right here.” He pointed his claw at the eight story parking garage in the upper downtown area further away from the Back Alley. “There, we’ll be waiting for retrieval. You get paid and we go our separate ways.”

“What are we even getting?” Akio demanded. “You can’t just expect us to go in there without any information on this ‘package’ of yours.”

Riku snickered. “It’s not my package, kid,” he corrected. “And in all honesty, I have no idea… the client was very very ambiguous and refused to elaborate.” He paused. “All they told me was that it was from the Horns Conglomerate. So look for their logo.”

Riku grabbed a cigarette laying in the desk’s open drawer. He sat it on the tip of his snout and lit it, letting out a huge puff of smoke. “And who knows what it is. The Conglomerate deals in a whole lot of shit nowadays.” He shrugged, taking the lit cigarette out of his mouth. “It could be anything. Weapons, car parts… heh, maybe even socks,” he cackled.

Rearing up from the map sprawled out on the wooden desk with the cigarette in his paw, Riku grinned. “So? Are we set?”

Before Ethan could speak for them, Darla shook her head slowly. There was no way that this didn’t seem shady at all. “This doesn’t make an ounce of sense…”

Everyone eyed the red deer. You could feel the tension radiating from her. “Darla-“ Akio attempted to calm her down.

“No, you’re gonna listen!” She was tired of holding her tongue. Why did Ethan not trust them enough with this info? They were a crew. Shouldn’t they have just as much right to know.

“When you told us about the job a few days ago, you said we were taking on some traitors,” she snapped her finger at Riku. “And now, you’re saying ‘oh forget that! How about we send you on a little errand run!’”

She turned to Ethan, who stared blankly at her. It was almost like he was disappointed. “You don’t get what I’m saying, Ethan? They’re pulling the wool over our eyes! We don’t know what this package is and-“

“Darla!” Ethan snapped.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to listen to them!”

“Enough!” Ethan growled, Akio caught in the middle.

Her eyes were fuming red, staring straight down at Raya, who was… smiling? It was almost like she knew exactly what Darla was talking about. And it scared Darla more than anything.

Did she know that she spied on her earlier? That she picked up some words from her phone call? It sure seemed like that’s what she was implying.

Darla’s herbivore instincts made her tense up, being in a room full of carnivores. She averted her eyes from the threat that sat next to her brother. She narrowed at Ethan, who she stood over, trying to prove how dire the situation truly was. Could he really not see it? Or did he just not care?

It was like she was on the verge of tears. Begging him not to take this job.

“You didn’t trust us enough to tell us the full truth, is that it?”

Ethan was puzzled. His ears lowered. “Darla, that’s not at all what I-“

“You just wanted to get us into this so we could get paid. You didn’t care about the risk…” Darla spotted the door, pacing with her feet.

“This is gonna be our big break!” Ethan retorted. “Riku promised us fourteen million yen for this job alone! If we get that much we can open up our own place and live by our rules!” Before Darla could open the door, Ethan stood up to grab her hand. Not enough to crush it, though. It was more… tender.

“Darla,” he began. “You trust me, right?”

She froze up. She didn’t know what to say. Ethan was always so rash, but even this was out of character for him. Has the money really gotten to his head? He must have if he didn’t see the clear red flags.

She didn’t give him a response. Only a statement.

“One last job. Just this once… and then I’m done.” A tear trickled down her face. “I can’t trust someone who can’t tell me the full truth. I’ve lived my whole life looking over my shoulder. I joined up with you and Akio because I thought I didn’t have to do that anymore…”

She winced, opening the wooden door, letting the smooth music fly into the room. But she wasn’t done talking.

“You guys are all the same…” she choked up, seeing the look of disappointment on both Ethan and Akio, Raya still smirking at her.

“I’m heading to the warehouse downtown. Don’t try to follow me…” She disappeared into the busy parlor, letting the door slide shut.

The room fell silent as everyone collected their thoughts. Ethan felt terrible. Part of him wanted to run after Darla and get her back. He couldn’t bear seeing her like this. And a single second of her being by herself in Shishigumi territory was something that he couldn’t bear the thought of.

But the other part of him wanted to get the payoff. It would be beneficial in the end and Darla would come around. This wasn’t the first time she went off on Ethan.

But would she come back? She never seemed as angry as she was at that moment. This time, she seemed like she meant it. She was done.

“Well, then…” Riku broke the silence. “I’m assuming she’s still a part of the plan,” Riku chuckled, clearly not moved or touched by Darla’s speech.

“That is…” Riku regained his focus. “If we’re still on?” Riku gave Ethan an odd look. As if he wanted him to agree.

Darting back to the door, then back to Riku a few times over, Ethan drew in his breath before letting it out.

“We’re still on…”

Riku grinned. “Attaboy!” He slammed his hands onto the desk, forcing himself upward. He made caution not to get his tail wrapped up in anything on his way off the rickety chair.

“You two have your cars, right?”

Ethan and Akio both nodded. They prepped them and had them ready for tonight’s operation. They could take a beating that’s for sure. And now that Darla was on her way to one of the warehouses, things would probably go way faster tonight.

They’d get paid and they’d be on their way. Sounded foolproof enough. And besides, Riku and Raya never gave Ethan a reason not to trust them. They may have seemed a bit eccentric, but surely they meant well.

“Excellent!” Riku met the bear and canine at the door to open it for them.

“I know you three won’t disappoint. I’ve heard some very good things.” Narrowing his gaze, Riku’s voice drops in tone. “I expect results. And I hope… wait. I ‘know’ I’ll get them.”

Despite his stature, Ethan felt very intimidated by Riku. His beady eyes stared deep into his own. Like they were trying to mask something… deeper.

He shrugged this off, thinking it was just him in his own mind.

“You can count on us,” Ethan replied with uncertainty.

Riku smiled. “Well, alright then.”

Riku spotted his sister on her phone, immersed in what appeared to be texting. “I think I’ll let you lock up the office for tonight, sis! I’ll leave the car unlocked for you.”

Raya didn’t give much of a response other than a nod. Riku and the two larger carnivores left the dusty, smelly office to Raya, who was typing away on her phone.

Waiting for two solid minutes, Raya raced across the office to lock the door and shut the blinds. She wanted to make sure no one would get back in.

Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number she was exchanging messages with. It must’ve been very important to have caused this much ruckus.

Dialing the number, Raya waited anxiously for a response. The ringing got more and more repetitive, causing her blood to boil.

‘When will he pick it up?’ she groaned. She grinded her teeth in anticipation.

“Hello?” A raspy voice echoed through the phone.

“Yeah, it’s Raya. Just wanted to let you know the stones are in motion.”

“That’s great! Great!” The voice boomed. “You think we’ll have any problems with the Shishigumi interfering? I don’t want them to… yet at least. I still have a whole lot of plans with them. Personal plans.”

Raya leaned against the desk, feeling drawn in by the raspy, primal-like voice that boomed in her ear.

“Don’t you worry,” she reassured. “We’ve gotten our delivery guys on the way. They’ll bring the package right into our grasp.”

“You mean ‘my’ grasp,” the voice barked. Raya should be fearful, but instead she felt very very fascinated.

“And these… delivery guys. The drivers,” the voice trailed off. “Are they gonna be a problem? I know they’re the distraction, but I just wanted to be sure.”

Raya twiddles her fingers, licking her lips. “Well… there is this one girl. Red deer. Female. She’s a part of this group of two other drivers. She caught me spying on our last conversation, I just know it. I don’t know how much she has heard though-”

“Get rid of them,” the voice boomed.

“I-“ Raya stuttered. “I’m sorry?”

“No loose ends.”

Raya was puzzled. Her ear twitched. “I thought we were gonna cut them loose until after we dried them up-“

“I don’t care!” Raya pulled the phone away from her ear to avoid the screeching. “If one of them knows somethin’ is up, it won’t be long until the others catch on. And we can’t have our plan leak out like this. Not when the fun is just beginning.”

Raya pulled the phone back in, not wanting to make the animal on the other end upset. It made sense. Ethan did show some signs of doubt. And in the end, he was loyal to his crew.

At this stage, it wasn’t worth the risk to follow the original plan and let them keep them breathing.

“I- I’ll tell my brother then. Better yet. You can come down and do it yourself. Make sure the job is done right. I’ll be there personally to see the supplies shipped off-“

“Not you. I have another job for you… A job that’s a bit… angsty. That is… if you’re up for it.”

Raya was intrigued, being pulled back in by the soothing, scratchy voice. What exactly could he be demanding?

“The deer girl. Make sure she doesn’t meet up with those friends of hers… and bring her to me. I’d like to meet her.”

Raya grinned. “As long as I get to have a say about it. She’s been giving me this look all evening and I’m all but fond of it.”

“Done,” the voice replied instantly. “I’ll see you tonight after everything’s said and done. I bet we’ll have a whole lot to discuss then.”

“Then maybe I can see the face behind the voice?” Raya licked her lips once more, chattering her teeth at the mere thought.

“Of course. Then we can talk business.” He paused. “Let me know how things go. See you tonight.”

Before Raya could bid the stranger farewell, the phone beeped, ending the call.

She was disappointed, nonetheless. She had hoped he’d want to continue the conversation. It always excites her when he calls. But with the main event now in motion, she was reassured in knowing she’d be seeing him tonight.

She made her way out of the office and into the main parlor where the music was still playing, but the crowd had died down. Many now hit the streets to find a race or just head on home. It didn’t feel like they were in that office for that long.

A ping on Raya’s phone sounded. She pulled it out to reveal a digital map illuminating from the screen. On it, three blue markers were scattered from one place to another.

But the one that had the labeling “350z” on it caught her attention. That was the same type of car that Darla owned. She was already at the foot of the city, getting ready to cross the bridge.

She was running out of time. Without wasting another minute, she made her way out of the parlor and through the dying crowd of the bar.

Finally, she’d be able to teach that deer a lesson. For the whole night, she bottled her rage up and now could release it. Every fiber in Raya’s being wanted to lunge off that chair and consume her flesh…

If she couldn’t get rid of her yet, at least she could teach her a lesson. Right before they both meet their mysterious client.

This would be a long and eventful night for everyone. But to Raya, it was only just beginning.

Chapter Text

Being an officer in the force always came with its own issues. But in the end, they were really the only thing keeping the Back Alley’s illicit activities contained in the small lower district it called home.

They conducted raids, made arrests in illegal meat operations, among several other things. All in the name of keeping the crime wave down and the streets safe.

At least, that’s what the majority of officers in the force were taught to believe.

The streets were different during the day. Animals walked the streets, both carnivores and herbivores. They coexisted, acting as if the Alley had never been a problem for anyone.

Cars honked. Lights of department stores flicked on to signal they were open. Animals smiled and laughed. It all felt too fake. Like a ruse.

For all anyone knows it could be. But there was no denying that what happened last night shook a lot of animals to the bone…

So much so, they didn’t want to talk about it. That it was best to pretend it didn’t exist.

“Is everyone really gonna pretend what happened last night didn’t happen?” A groan came from the inside of a moving car at a stop light.

“Son, you should know that nobody can predict what animals are up to,” an older, scruffy Coyote noted from the driver’s seat. “Rex knows what goes on in their heads anymore…”

A young Mountain Lion in his early twenties leans into the passenger door window of a four door black sedan, head tilted down.

“I know… but… I kinda expected more of a… ‘intense’ reaction,”

The older Coyote stepped his foot back on the pedal going the speed limit once the light flicked from red to green.

“Jace,” he began. “When you‘ve been on this job for as long as me, you’ll start to realize there is no rulebook. No ‘coexistence’ and ‘prosperity for all.’” He paused, not wanting to sound too cynical.

“At least… not the type that the government and organizations want you to believe…”

“Oh?” Jace leaned back into the leather seat. “How so, chief?”

The Coyote leaned into the steering wheel, driving it with only his right hand, his left leaning back into his side.

“They lie straight to your face,” he blurted out, not wanting to beat around the bush. “They ignore the real problems in society. And whenever something like this comes up, they just brush it under the rug…”

Jace’s ear twitched. “Brush it under the rug?” He repeated. “That’s not what we’re doing aren’t we, Jiro?”

The Coyote rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Last night was… somethin’ else,” he continued. “Two bodies mangled to death dropped off by their cars… and every single morning news outlet is downplaying it as another thing.”

Jace nodded at Jiro, pulling the file out of the glovebox. “Apparently the news outlets are ruling it as a ‘carnivore on carnivore incident,” he added.

“But-“ Jiro interrupted, trying to get Jace to think while turning down a one way road.

Analyzing the files a bit closer, Jace spotted a note attached to a picture of the scene. The picture was of a black Toyota Supra riddled with bullet holes and had only four separate bullet casings littered.

Jace peered at the writings on the note

‘Along with the bodies identified as ‘Ethan’ and ‘Akio,’ four bullet casings were found at the scene.’

Jace was stunned. “There was a shootout,” he blurted out. He wouldn’t have known, of course. Only Jiro himself was called to the scene that night. Jace was assigned to another post, and only got called in this morning.

Jiro nodded. “Keep reading. It only gets juicier.”

Jace skimmed down the note sheet attached to the picture. But one sentence was enough to catch his full attention. His feline eyes dilated.

‘Although evidence of gunfire is apparent, two separate calibers were found (.45 cal and .50 handgun) but the firearms themselves were missing.’

Jace continued scrolling down the page, each word of the report gaining more and more of his interest.

‘Strangely, despite evidence of exchanged gunfire, both bodies lacked any sort of bullet wounds at first glance. A medical autopsy will be performed to rule out the possibility of armed animal-slaughter.’

“So… basically what I’m getting from this is that the news outlets are deadass wrong,” Jace snorted.

“That’s the theory,” Jiro replied. “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but those calibers in particular have turned up in Shishisgumi-related crime scenes in the past.” The worn Coyote tilted his head, as if he was disappointed.

“And whenever we tried investigating further, we were always shut down,” he stopped at another light, glancing at Jace. “Now I don’t want to sound like one of those crazy conspiracy theorists, but whenever something involving Shishigumi comes up, we almost always get shut down…”

His next sentence caught Jace completely off guard.

“I honestly think the Mayor has something to do with that.”

The young Lion was puzzled. What did the Mayor have to do with anything? Sure, his speeches and fake smiles always seemed so off-putting, but wasn’t any other politician like that? Before he could comment, his mentor continued his speech.

“I don’t trust him. Not a single bit,” Jiro ranted. “Every time one of these incidents comes up, we conduct a simple routine investigation, and then the case is shelved. And the Mayor knows anything and everything that goes on in this city.”

Jace would tell Jiro had problems with the precinct. This wasn’t the first time he told him about a case “going cold.” Last night’s incident was no laughing matter.

A pair of street racers turn up slaughtered on the top of a parking garage with clear signs of struggle, their trunks popped open, bullet casings littering the ground and not a single firearm in sight.

Something big went down and they had to get to the bottom of it. Jace’s only wish was that he was with Jiro last night. He always looked up to his senior officer and knew they could get things done easier if they were paired up.

He almost had to jump out of bed once he got the call from Jiro to turn on the morning news and head down to the station.

“Plus,” Jace added. “These racer fellas and the Alley haven’t interfered with each other at all. They usually stayed out of each other’s way.”

“Exactly!” Jiro beamed. “Now you’re catching on!” Jace continued down the road before making a left back onto a two way street.

“Not to mention this guy in particular we’re heading to was in that vicinity,” Jiro took the case file from Jace and put it in the back seat. “He’s a Lion and well-known Shishigumi informant. A store right across from the attack found him about ten minutes in there before the estimated time of death.”

“Alright, so who is this guy?” Jace asked, adjusting his seat.

“He simply goes by the name Batta, although we don’t know if that’s his real name or if it’s just a codename. The guy is elusive. We’ve been trying to bag the son of a bitch for years,” Jiro growled.

Jace began to understand. Anything and everything Shishigumi related always ties back to this Batta character. But he’s slippery. It was no coincidence that he happened to be in the same area as the incident.

“Well, how about we change that?” Jace began.

Jiro chuckled, showing off his teeth. “I like that enthusiasm, kid.”

Off the record, Jiro could be disciplined by the chief for theorizing so much, but to him the evidence tied together so perfectly that it couldn’t be a simple coincidence.

At least, the Coyote couldn’t theorize too much until they actually bagged Batta.

If something big went down that night, he would know. Jiro was concerned. He was putting everything at stake into this case since he was so close to retirement.

But with Jace paired with him, he knew they could get the job done quicker. He had absolute faith in the young Lion. As his mentor and his friend, he took him under his wing when he joined the force four years back. The kid didn’t know a thing about anything until Jiro showed the rookie the ropes.

Over time, Jiro went from being a mentor figure to a close friend of his. Usually the two were paired up together and would give the precinct nothing but results.

If anyone could get Batta to talk, it would be them.

Driving up the road, a building to the left catches Jiro’s eye. It was an older brick building with a sign out on its front labeled struck a chord with him.

“Cherryton Academy v. Insaiga Academy Sumo Match”

Jiro smiled, Jace noticing his sudden change in mood. The building was right next to a stop light, so it gave the Coyote some time to put on the brakes and tell his partner what he was so cheery about.

It was almost like what had been discussed prior had disappeared from thought.

“My son’s gonna be participating in that,” he waved his brown finger at the building. Several tables were being set. He smiled, as if he was as proud as can be. Which sure enough he was.

“You remember Durham, right?” He continued. “He’s my youngest and he’s a part of Cherryton’s Sumo team.”

“Yeah, I remember him,” Jace mentioned. “You have so many pictures of your family on your desk. I’m right next to you, so it’s impossible to miss, heh.”

Jiro smiled, leaning into the steering wheel. “I’m proud of that boy… He’s come such a long way from the rowdy little guy who would beat on his brothers. Hell, I even have a scar on my side,”

Jiro pointed to his side, implying a scar was under his brown leather jacket.

“Ouch…” Jace chuckled.

“Let’s just say that boy had one hell of a swing when he nicked me with a wooden sword when we played outside.” He grinned. “Even though I was less than happy over it then… it makes me laugh now.”

Jiro was very happy with the family him and his wife, Maria had built. Their oldest, Daniel, or ‘Dan’ as he liked being called, was serving in the military and was engaged to a female canine. While their middle child Aaron was attending Dodome for his Computer Science degree and was working to find an apartment of his own in the city.

And their youngest, Durham, was getting ready to be a High School senior at Cherryton. He had a lot going for him. His childhood friend was attending with him, he had a loving boyfriend, and he had several athletic scholarships coming his way due to his performance on the Sumo team.

Durham had made so many friends in Cherryton and met the love of his life there. He actually was sad he was leaving Cherryton, according to Jiro.

Jiro couldn’t be more proud of his family, and his pride definitely showed. But he always believed that they should be giving back to society instead of taking. Which was why Jiro joined the force in the first place.

And it was exactly why he took Jace under his wing. When he first met the rookie at the police academy four years ago, he saw how bright and confident he could be. After solving their first case together, he made it a priority to have him as a partner.

Jiro couldn’t help but wonder if the reason he was drawn to Jace was because he had that childlike demeanor mixed with a brilliant mind, just like Durham…

He didn’t want to see that spark go away. And he knew with the right guidance, Jace would go places in the force. And Jace soon got to know Jiro as a father figure since he never knew his own father as a cub.

He wouldn’t be half the animal he was without Jiro’s guidance. He was a good animal, and the way he handled himself around his family and how he did his job proved that.

“After his match tonight, me and the family are gonna take his boyfriend and buddies to this one place down the road… a new noodle shop that opened up.”

Jiro noticed the light flicked green, making one final turn to reach their destination.

“Y’know, there’s gonna be a whole lot of paperwork to do after all of this is over,” Jiro noticed Jace sitting his head on the window in his own thoughts.

“Maybe if you wanted, after we wrap things up at the precinct tonight, you can tag along. We’d love to have you… And besides, it’s been a while since you saw ‘em.” This got Jace’s attention.

“And Maria wanted to thank you again for saving my hide from that chase we were involved with a few weeks ago. Those racers can be pretty rowdy if you know what I mean.”

Jace leaned into his seat to take a sip of his coffee he had bought that morning. Jiro always wanted him to feel at home. During their four year partnership, the young Lion opened up to Jiro regarding how he got into the academy.

He told him how he never knew his father, how he cared for his mother due to her paralysis from the waist down. Joining the academy was a huge breath of fresh air for Jace. And he always makes it his goal to donate 25% of his paycheck to his mother, who is still working hard with her own job. Slowly but surely, she was getting back on her feet.

Jiro had known about Jace’s situation and had gone as far as offering to lend some money to cover his mother’s expenses, but each time Jace has turned him down, not wanting to feel like he’s taking advantage of his kindness.

Even after everything they’d been through, Jiro had grown to care for Jace as a son and wanted to see him thrive.

Jace put his coffee down. “That’s a kind offer, chief,” be trailed off. “But I’ll take care of it for you.” Jiro almost seemed disappointed.

“Oh,” Jiro began. “You, uh… doing anything else afterwards? Your mama doing alright?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jace began. “Really good, actually. She’s looking for a place closer to my apartment and I’m helping her with it.”

“That’s good!” Jiro cheered. “Well, if you two need any help, you just let me know.”

Jace responded only with a half smile. Jiro knew how hard he worked in this field. But sometimes he feared he worked too hard. And he knew that him declining his invitation was probably an excuse to distance himself from others.

He wasn’t used to all of this familial contact. And Jiro wanted him to be more comfortable. So what if they missed a little bit of paperwork? And it wasn’t like they couldn’t fill the forms out online that evening.

“Y’know what?” Jiro tapped Jace’s left shoulder playfully. “No one’s staying tonight!” he chortled. “Besides,” he stepped on the gas to turn into an alley littered with graffiti. “Paperwork is bullshit when you need to get the job done.”

Jace laughed out loud. “I like you, boss.”

Jiro grinned. “Likewise, kid. Now, let’s bag this son of a bitch.”

The two animals went silent as they approached their target building. This was it. The place Batta was staying in. An eight story apartment building. Intel said his residence was on the fifth floor. All they had to do was nab him, but they always expected the worst.

He was slippery for a reason.

Their smiles turned into serious looks. They didn’t know what to expect when stepping out of the car and into the building.

It was now or never…

———

*Knock* *knock* *knock*

“Tokyo PD,” Jiro announced, knocking on a white wooden door labeled ‘511.’

Jace was confused as to why they were going in through the front. Why not the back or the fire escape? That way they could have him cornered.

As much as Jiro wanted to do things his way, they had to do things by the book. It was a simple arrest warrant, and they were only authorized to be up front about it. They were wearing black police jackets with their badges, after all. Subtlety was not on the precinct’s mind when signing the warrant.

Jiro groned. “I can’t believe we’re still doing things by the book with this guy… he’s dangerous… unpredictable,” he whispered to Jace.

After several minutes of silence, Jiro knocked on the door again.

*Knock* *knock* *knock* “Tokyo PD, please come out!” He said a bit clearly and aggressively, but not too aggressive to scare the perp off.

More minutes of eerie silence. Jace and Jiro were not comfortable at all.

Did he make a break for it? Were all of those efforts to bring him in wasted?

“Alright, he’s not responding. Get ready…” Jiro quietly orders Jace to have his paw on the grip of his pistol ready, Jiro does the same.

Deciding not to knock again, Jiro leans into the door to give it a listen while pinned to the side of the plastered drywall for potential cover if things go south.

For about half a minute, Jace and Jiro were quiet. It filled the Lion with so much anxiety seeing his partner pressed against the door. Every second he was in that position was another chance for something bad to happen.

“I can’t hear shit…” Jiro murmured. Not wanting to take another risk of his partner getting hurt, Jace stops him from leaning back into the door.

“I’ll see if I can pick up anything. We felines have a better sense of hearing,” he declared.

Jiro grinned. “Well, alright. Let’s put those senses to good use.”

Jace took his turn leaning into the door, positioned adjacent from Jiro. He remained in position for about the same time the Coyote had, but this time, he scanned the room and let his feline instincts take control.

After a minute, he began to narrow in on any random sound he could pick up.

The clattering of silverware, the curtains brushing in the wind… Nothing seemed too off.

That was until he heard the sound of magazines being loaded. The clicking of the weapon’s mechanisms were as quiet as could be. Probably was done on purpose to keep them from hearing.

“They’re through the door, shoot ‘em!” He heard a rough voice whisper from the inside.

“Oh, shit-”Jace blurted out.

“Wha-”

“Get away from the door!” Jace pushed Jiro away from the wall, where a barrage of bullets flew out of the door and wall. Jace lied on his parter, keeping him pinned out of the way from the line of fire.

Drywall split into dust, covering both animals who were lying prone on each other.

“You and Batta get out of here! I’ll deal with ‘em!”

Drawing his pistol, Jace pushes himself up from the tile ground and off of Jiro, analyzing the situation. Turning into the room, he finds a canine with a revolver drawn at him, but Jace’s cat-like instincts saved his life once more, as he discharged his weapon clean into the suspect’s head. It only took one shot to bring him down.

Examining the carnage around him, Jace found several loose papers scattered around the worn-down apartment. It appeared that someone packed up a whole lot of evidence and ran away with it. Some documents lied beside the fresh kill Jace had just made…

He… killed someone? In all of his years working as a law enforcement officer, he had never used his weapon in such a lethal way. But the animal was firing at them and had his weapon drawn. What else could he have done?

He knew it was justified… but it still felt off with him. His palms were sweaty. The adrenaline still flooded through his veins, so he didn’t have a chance to react differently.

Jiro stumbled into the apartment with his own Colt 1911 drawn. Turning around, he finds the shot up drywall and its dust residue scattered by the floor.

But what caught his attention was the dead body of an unidentified canine lying on the carpet flooring and his partner still holding his department issued handgun, barrel still smoking.

Piecing the scene together, Jiro reassured his partner, who was still under the influence of the adrenaline.

“Kid… you did the right thing…” he huffed, trying to catch his breath.

Noticing a gash on Jace’s cheek, Jiro gasped. “Rex, kid they got you!”

Feeling his right cheek, Jace winces. He didn’t even feel it… a bullet must’ve grazed him when he pushed Jiro out of the way. It was so close to his head… that gave him chills.

Jiro assesed the situation, trying to make sense of what had happened. Where were the suspects? There must have been three until Jace dispatched this one. “Listen, how about we-”

Before any more words could be said about the scene, some commotion could be heard over the screaming of the residents of the complex. Clanking of metal, as if someone was climbing a set of stairs.

“They’re on the fire escape!” Jiro clamored. “You get after ‘em I’ll call it in!”

Jace hesitated, waiting for Jiro’s response. “Get after ‘em, Jace! I’ll help you after I call this in! We can’t lose that evidence!”

Knowing his boss didn’t want to argue over who did what, Jace holstered his pistol, leaping out of the open window and onto the rickety catwalk. He narrowly missed the two, seeing another Lion’s tail poking out of the roof as it disappeared.

Springing into action, Jace climbs the fire escape, one row of metal stairs after the other, adrenaline kicking into overdrive.

The closer he got to the suspects, the more tense he became, breathing heavily, heart pumping.

After climbing the last set of metal stairs, the younger Lion spots another Lion eyeing him at the other end of the building. It was Batta, who was shooting daggers at his prey.

But who was whose prey?

Seeing the revolver in Batta’s hand, Jace takes cover next to a metal AC until, dodging the two bullets that were shot his way.

He drew his pistol, exchanging gunfire blindly. He knew had only four bullets left, as the firearm he was issued had only seven that could be loaded in its clip. Good that he could count them up, but bad that he didn’t have too many shots until he had to reload.

Heading the clacking of boots running in the other direction, Jace breaks out of cover to continue the pursuit, aiming his pistol down range in case any more surprises came his way.

Running across the building and vaulting over an air vent, Jace clicks his radio with his left paw, pistol aimed with his right.

“Dispatch, multiple shots fired near the apartment building of fifth. Suspects are armed and I am in pursuit on foot!”

Hearing the sound of glass shattering, Jace races to the edge of the building to find a broken window next to a catwalk. This building led into an indoor market. It was smart, as in the crowd, the suspects could easily lose their pursuers.

Not losing speed, Jace leaps from the roof and into the lower level glass window, glass shards clattering on impact. He sprung back up to his feet, not showing any signs that the impact had injured him. The adrenaline boost combined with his feline instincts ensured that much.

His shoulder mounted radio hissed, with a familiar voice sounding over the static.

“Hey, kid!” Jiro exclaimed. “I’ve called in some backup and they’ll be on scene in five!” The middle aged Coyote sounded like he was panting, trying to keep up with another animal.

Jace continued through the crowd, trying to make his way to the suspect. “Are you running, boss? Let’s regroup and we can catch both of ‘em!”

“Not gonna happen!” Jiro shouted over his huffing. “I got Batta in my sights! You stay after his buddy! He’s a shorter Lion than him, so he should be impossible to miss!”

Hearing gunshots over the radio, Jace didn’t stop running through the crowd, vaulting over several boxes set up in different market stands. “Get going, kid! I’ll take care of him!”

“Alright, but call backup if you need it! We only need Batta!”

Cutting off the radio, Jace climbed over some boxes and into a loading warehouse with a glass ceiling. Scanning the wide space and bypassing some obstacles, he spots the smaller, younger Lion scaling the scaffolding before shooting a hole in the glass to crawl up out of it.

The shots were enough to set each and every animal into a frenzy, turning desperately to find cover.

The chase combined with the shots fired set the entire street for blocks into chaos.

“Jiro! I got him in my sights! Moving in to detain!” Jace clicks the radio, moving back down the boxes and up the scaffolding without as much as a struggle. He leaped over some terrified animals in cover without bumping into them.

In the academy, an animal is taught how to maneuver through obstacles in foot chases like this. But to Jace, it was an everyday thing to him.

Sometimes it pays to have good feline instincts when you know how to direct them.

Getting to the last piece of scaffolding before the shattered window pane, he hears… grunting?

Following the grunting was a series of impacts and slaps, accompanied by more pained grunts from the suspect.

Someone was beating him.

Hoisting himself up from the broken pane, avoiding the glass shards, Jace draws his pistol, aiming it around the corner of a small generator shelter where the pained grunts were originating.

Rounding the corner, a figure in a white tank top wearing a black jacket was on top of the suspect, whose face was beaten into a bloody pulp beyond recognition.

Aiming his pistol at the figure and clicking the safety off, Jace makes an effort to halt the violent scene.

“Hands up! Both of you!” He orders. This wasn’t enough to end the suspect’s vicious beating he was receiving. It probably only made it worse, as bones could now be heard cracking on impact.

Getting closer to the figure, now with his finger on the trigger, Jace snarled at the violent animal.

“Put your fucking hands in the air, now!” He was almost pressing the pistol’s barrel against the back of the animal’s head.

Sure enough, after a few more hits, the figure froze, letting the Lion drop to the gravel unconscious.

At least, Jace thought he was out cold… He looked dead from where he saw him.

“You don’t know who I am, don’t you?” The figure held his hands up, wearing his hood to conceal his face.

“Turn around, and I might just figure that out,” Jace snapped back, firmly gripping the pistol.

The figure obliged, turning to face the rookie cop and the five inch barrel that almost brushed against his skull.

Lowering his hood to reveal his face, the figure shoots daggers into the Lion, as if he wasn’t afraid of death.

Gasping upon realization, Jace lowered the pistol from the figure’s head, but still had the barrel aimed at his lower torso.

“You’re… you’re that Beastar. I heard of you… Yahya, right?”

The tall, dark horse stood proudly, even though he was held at gunpoint. He knew the Lion wouldn’t dare shoot him…

He had his way with carnivores and herbivores alike. The criminals of the Alley didn’t call him “The Black Devil” for no reason, after all.

Jace didn’t feel intimidated by the horse’s corner grin and his blank, beady eyes. He knew what the Beastar represented and frankly didn’t care who he was. This horse was a vigilante who was impeding an investigation.

He saw Yahya’s records. The victims of his “justice” as he called it were usually beaten beyond recognition. A few missing teeth, some broken arms, and maybe even a swollen face.

Now he was face to face with the person responsible for all of those acts of violence… and he was holding a gun at him? If Yahya was as dangerous as the public says he was, what was stopping him from kicking the pistol out of his hand and breaking his neck?

Did he just want to gloat? Or was he waiting for the right opportunity to strike?

In all honesty, the Beastar was doing more to harm the investigation than aid it.

“We need him alive you know…” Jace began. “If you insisted on helping, beating him senseless was pretty out of line.”

Yahya scoffed, as if he saw what he did as a favor. “But, he is alive…” he replied condescendingly.

The unconscious Lion coughed, spitting up a small geyser of blood from his swollen lips. That at least confirmed the suspect was still alive.

Barely, at the least.

“You,” Jace commanded. “Over there.” He directed his pistol to the other part of the building. “Keep those goddamn hands where I can see ‘em.”

Yahya scoffed, but did as he was told. He should lecture this child and put him in his place. He would dare talk to the Beastar that way?

He should let his pride get the better of him, but instead he was intrigued. No other animal, a carnivore most of all, wouldn’t have dared look him in the eyes the way this officer had.

It was very intriguing indeed…

Keeping his firearm on Yahya, Jace kneels over the unconscious Lion and feels his neck for a pulse. It didn’t look like he was getting up for a while, so he wasn’t concerned about an ambush.

The rookie clicks his radio, gun still tainted on Yahya. “Dispatch, this is Jace. I’ve got the secondary suspect in custody on the roof of the Fijian Marketplace…”

For some reason, he neglected to mention the Beastar, who was analyzing him deeply, waiting for his next move.

“We’re gonna need an ambulance for this poor guy. He, uh…” he paused, gazing into the horse’s threatening eyes without fear. Ultimately, he was the one with the gun.

And if there’s anything this horse should know is that Jace is a good shot even when he’s pissed off.

“He took a bad fall off the scaffolding trying to climb the roof,” he lied over the radio.

Yahya’s ears shot up. It was like he didn't even see this coming. He wasn’t scared of the police, that is. The Lion’s tenacity caught him off guard, was all.

Staring blankly at each other, it was almost like they had a mutual understanding. Like they were both there for the same reason and one reason only… But neither animal could really put their finger on it.

Little did Jace know, Yahya was there to claim the suspect for his own. He knew about last night’s charade between the Street Leagues and the Alley, so naturally he wished to investigate things himself. As Beastar, any threat to the safety of the populace fell right onto his plate.

If his hunch was right about Batta and his small band of misfits tying things together, he could be on the verge of something big.

But this officer… this one, single officer stood in his way.

Yahya knew he could easily reclaim what he was after. The suspect, that was. But it was intrigue that overcame him. It was almost like he gave up.

Or was he simply sacrificing one thing for something better?

But in the end, it was the Lion who claimed his prey from the horse.

“Copy that, Jace. We have chatter coming in that Batta has already been apprehended and we already have an ambulance coming on scene, so standby.”

An ambulance coming already? Was it for Batta? Jiro must’ve been through one hell of a chase. Couldn’t be worse than this one, could it?

“Copy, Dispatch,” Jace replied, tilting his head slightly downward. “Let Batta know he’s got some company on the ride to the hospital.”

“Negative,” Dispatch replied over the static radio. That was enough to put Jace on edge, making him lose sight of the tall horse that stood before him.

“Officer Jiro has been gravely wounded and he’s being transported to the hospital. Officers are on deck to provide him as-“

Without another moment wasted, Jace cuts the radio off, leaving the roof to reach his partner. A group of officers breaks through the door on the roof, almost being knocked over by the two hundred pounds of muscle charging down from where they came.

By the time the officers assessed the battered Lion on the gravel roof, Yahya had disappeared from where he came. Out of thin air. It was as if he hadn’t been present in the first place.

But Jace didn’t care about the suspect or the Beastar anymore. He leaped down the metal stairs and onto the street level, following the sounds of sirens that could be heard from down the block.

“Dammit!” Jace wailed out loud. It was a race against the clock to get to his partner before time ran out.

He couldn’t miss him… If only they stuck together in the first place. He could’ve been there to watch his back…

But now wasn’t the time to second guess himself.

He had to be there for him. He just had to…

———

It all came so quickly… so fast…

According to the doctors he didn’t even make it to the hospital. When Jace pulled the cruiser up by the trauma bay, he’d expect Jiro to sport the same half smile he’d always have. This wasn’t the first time he was shot, after all. And every time he was, he’d always find a way to get back up.

But the frowns of sorrow on the animals stepping out of the ambulance said it all. Their coats were soaked in blood… so much, that Jace had to step away.

And Maria’s hollering cries sealed his fate.

His family was called soon afterwards. Jace never left Maria’s side through it all. At least, their oldest son was notified first so he could pick her up. Their middle son was next, and then their youngest, who was at Cherryton.

Even through the trauma, Maria still found a way to comfort Jace of all animals.

“He loved you, you know,” she would say to him in the Hospital lobby.

He remained strong for her, but deep down… he knew that if he wanted to reciprocate those feelings, he would’ve watched out for Jiro and he would’ve been home with his wife.

After an hour of sitting in the Hospital with Jace, she was picked up by their oldest son and brought back home, to where they would break the gut wrenching news to their other family members…

A wife, three sons, two parents, and one sister…

And Jace only had his mother. He felt at that moment his problems were little compared to what they had just lost.

What ‘he’ had lost…

All he could do once Maria had pulled away was just sit in the empty squad car and contemplate. It was a strange thing to him, sitting in the driver’s seat for a change.

It felt so unnatural, so unreal…

And what made things more painful was that Batta was dead. During their scuffle, it was said that he had taken his own life to avoid capture after he had mortally wounded Jiro. He must have had something to hide…

And now all that’s left in this case was Jace. Alone, without a lead… and without a partner. And a single scar across his right cheek to remind him of this pain.

Never had he felt this low before. He wanted to cry, but he didn’t have the tears… It would most likely be shelved, since there were no leads.

And even if they by some miracle found another animal who was connected to the murders or any document that was destroyed by Batta, it wouldn’t help anything.

Because the Mayor would shut things down in an instant if word got out this was Shishigumi related.

Jace slammed onto the steering wheel in a fit of rage, knocking a picture out of place pinned to the dashboard.

Noticing the small slip of paper slide next to his knee, Jace lifts it up, only to cause his inner turmoil to worsen.

It was Jiro, as happy as he could be holding his wife in his arms with his three sons, all of which appeared younger. His youngest, Durham appeared to be about four to six. Jiro looked so young too… so happy…

His hand trembled as he stared at the picture. He clutched it in his hand, feeling a warm, fresh tear spill down his brown cheek.

“I’m sorry, Jiro…” he sobbed quietly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you home…” The thoughts of the rest of his family discovering what had happened to him was too much for him to bear…

How could he face them now?

Being lost in his own thoughts, Jace almost didn’t see the old, tall figure that stood on the other side of the cruiser next to the passenger door, knocking on the window, cradling a small file under his left arm.

Jace knew who it was, but didn’t really want to give the Beastar attention. What was he even here for? To give his condolences? To gloat? Jace didn’t feel like stepping out of the cruiser, but he felt like needed to know.

The rookie slid out of the driver’s seat and leaned against the propped open door. It was closer to the evening, and the sunset was causing the black horse’s fur to glisten.

“What is it,” Jace groaned. Yahya was the last animal he wanted to see. For all he knew, he could’ve been the very animal that delayed him from saving Jiro.

“First off,” Yahya folded his arms with the file still in hand. “I want to give you my condolences. From what I heard, Jiro was a good animal and an extraordinary officer. It’s a shame what happened…”

Jace darted his head away. He didn’t want to hear this again… especially coming from someone like Yahya. “Yeah… he was,” he murmured.

Taking a pause to let Jace settle down, Yahya continues his improvised speech.

“With Batta… no longer with us and his accomplice being confined to this very hospital, this case of yours seems to have gone cold.”

Jace scoffed. Yahya didn’t have to state the obvious here. “Yeah, and with no leads it’s gonna be shut down in less than a week,” he snapped back.

Yahya’s grin widened. “Well… I wouldn’t say it’s entirely a dead-“

“Why are you here?” Jace shrugged. “You probably beat what you wanted out of that Lion, so I don’t see why you’re still slinking around.”

Yahya handed Jace the folder, containing what appeared to be a black and white photo on top of a parking garage, similar to the one they were in.

Taking the folder with some hesitation, Jace was perplexed.

“You may want to check it out,” Yahya leaned against the concrete pillar next to the squad car.

This only made Jace more invested. He opened the file, finding a zoomed in photo of three figures standing side by side with each other. All of them wore black leather jackets, but one in particular did have an ominous black gas mask strapped to their face. It was almost like the three were conversing with each other.

The other two figures were canines, but their species couldn’t be made out due to their hooded figures. It was clear from their crimson stained coats that something terrible had just happened.

Judging from the Black Toyota Supra’s rear fender pointing out from the side, Jace could guess these were taken just last night… It was reported that one of the drivers did own a car of the same make and model.

Ethan… that was his name…

But what really made Jace’s fur stick up was the three figures. Even though he couldn’t see their faces, the ominous grins that poked out from the two canines’ mouths sent shivers down his spine.

They had enjoyed what they had done… the monsters…

But the figure with the mask was the scariest looking of all, even though their face wasn’t visible… It was like he could sense the dread that wanted to poke out from its cowl and pounce at him. The horns helped this sinister appearance. Was it an herbivore? Were herbivores involved with the Alley now? Could this be the Shishigumi’s rumored new leader he heard so much about?

“Where these taken-“

“Last night?” Yahya finished. “Yes… they were.”

Jace continued analyzing the picture, preparing more questions. “Who are these guys?”

Yahya shrugged. “That’s the issue. I have no idea.” He sounded frustrated. “The two hooded canines appeared just recently, but the masked figure… he’s been at this game for months. Could never get a beat on him because he’s been quiet.”

“And if he’s quiet…” Jace added.

“That means something big is going down and that heist was just the beginning.” Yahya concluded. “And I want to know what.”

Yahya wasn’t done, as he began pacing around the cruiser. “They’re slippery. Almost leave zero trace of fingerprints, physical cues, and what they do leave behind is… ominous… to say the least.”

“And, why don’t you bring this to us? With this evidence we can-“

“It’s because I don’t trust the police,” Yahya declared. “The Mayor has a firm grip on the precincts. No matter how hard I try to work with them on a case, they always dismiss me… even with my Beastar status…”

“Or maybe you’re just a vigilante who’s impeding an investigation,” Jace fired back.

Instead of feeling offended by the rookie’s remark, Yahya chuckles. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Jace,” he complimented.

The Beastar turned the corner, analyzing him closely. “No one would dare to look at me the way you did on that rooftop… let alone a carnivore. Such conviction… such bravery…”

Jace began to feel weirded out by the horse’s pandering. Was he talking down to him or did he want something more?

“I can tell this case means a lot to you…” the horse continued. “It’s the last thing of your partner that you have left-“

“If you’re trying to play with my emotions, you can stop right there,” Jace pulled back, facing away from Yahya.

“I’m not doing anything of the sort,” The Beastar explained plainly. “You’re the only one I can trust, Jace. The system… it’s not what you make it out to be.”

Those words sounded familiar to the Lion, echoing back to an earlier conversation.

Placing his hand on Jace’s shoulder, Yahya began attempting to connect to his good nature.

“Give it forty-eight hours… that’s all I’m asking of you,” he began. “That’s usually how long they take to process these cases, right?”

Yahya knew that the only way to win an animal like Jace over was to let them experience the problem at hand themselves. He wanted to plant that seed of doubt in his mind. The police was indeed corrupt, but a rookie like Jace that wasn’t involved in the system had to see it to believe it.

He was young, impressionable. Just what Yahya was looking for in his next move. He had to figure out what this group was up to next. The very fate of the city was in his hands… and Jace could be of great importance for the next step.

Jace didn’t give him a response, only remained silent.

Yahya took this as a sign that he was catching on. “Not everything is as bright as this society makes it… You’ll see that soon enough.”

Leaving Jace with the cryptic warning, Yahya steps away from the tense Lion, making his way to the parking garage’s exit.

“Hey,” Jace called out. “Are you gonna take your file?”

“No,” Yahya replied, his footsteps echoing. “It has my contact information. How else would you reach me?” He replied cryptically.

Turning to face Jace one last time, Yahya grins, leaving him with one final message.

“I trust you’ll know what to do with it.” He was, of course, referring to the file.

After Yahya disappeared out the metal door and down the stairs, Jace was left alone in the near empty, dark and cold parking lot holding his key to an alternate future.

Holding the file in hand, Jiro’s words kept playing over and over again in his mind, echoing louder and louder at each point.

“They lie straight to your face.”

Was he right? Was all of this a sham? Was the old Coyote on to something? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a case has gone cold. Last year’s kidnapping incidents were never followed up on after they were shut down due to “insufficient evidence.”

Families couldn’t sleep at night, knowing their loved ones were gone. It ate Jace up to no end and he remembered vividly Jiro’s words to the chief after a handful of missing animal cases were shelved.

Could Yahya be the real answer to finding answers?

If he went down this path, Jace would be betraying everything he had once believed. Truth, honesty, and companionship.

But would sacrificing everything he held dear be worth keeping the city out of another full on gang war?

What would Jiro think? He’s always been a champion for the truth. And if he knew the full story of corruption and the censoring of that truth, he wouldn’t hesitate to turn his back on the force and get to the bottom of it.

If only he were here to offer up some sort of advice…

Finding another slip of paper, Jace finds Yahya’s number with a note attached. It was written in all caps and was underlined in black marker.

FORTY-EIGHT HOURS

Forty-Eight long hours until his ultimatum…

Forty-Eight hours until his world would change…

Forty-Eight hours until the wool was lifted from under his eyes…

Jace pondered what to do with the slip of paper, until finally making the thought-out decision to stuff it into his pocket for safe keeping.

If he retained anything Jiro had taught him, it was that in time, things would come to light. That the truth could only be hidden for so long.

This time, though… this time he only hoped it would be sooner.

“Forty-Eight hours, huh?” He murmured. “Well… let’s hope it’ll all fall into place, eh Jiro?”

Entering the driver’s side and starting the engine, Jace pulls out of the lot, contemplating his decisions. The file, the figures, the Beastar… his whole world was about to open. He’s become part of something bigger than just himself.

But he couldn’t help but wonder just *what* he had gotten himself into…

Who knew Forty-Eight hours could feel so cryptic…

Chapter Text

The side of the road in almost the middle of nowhere was all but a very good place to stop for a good few reasons.

It was creepy, especially when there were only animals in sight.

The chirping of crickets was something that creeped some animals out.

And, it was cold, cold, and not to mention: cold.

Oh, and the nauseating sounds of retching coming from the ditch was something that could make any animal follow suit.

And the young Fox that looked away from the scene didn't want to hear any of it.

But he got his pal into this, so the way he saw it, he had to sleep in the bed that he made. At least he didn’t hurl all over the seats… he just got those things installed.

“You, uh…” The Fox called out to his friend, hunched over next to a ditch, trying to muffle out the retching with his music on full volume in his Datsun’s older radio.

“You doing alright, Durham? Is it… all out?”

Just when he thought he was done, Durham let out another load of vomit, making the teenage Fox turn his back, leaning by the open driver’s door.

“I’m gonna take that as a no,” he replied, getting closer to the car and the music. He chuckled. He’s seen a whole lot of blood being a part of the Kickboxing club, cut himself while working at Kaito’s shop… But he couldn’t handle a little vomit?

His face flushed pale. Should he put his earplugs in? No, he had to keep watch for his friend. They were still in the middle of nowhere, all things considered.

“Y’know…” Durham moaned, rubbing his face. “You’re an awesome friend to me, Ren…” it sure sounded like all the beers he drank weren't out of his system quite yet.

“Yeah… and?” Ren folded his arms, shielding them from the cold air.

“I never, ever, *ever* get to have fun like this… My Mom, and ‘specially my Dad would kiiiillll meeeee.”

He began trying to make his way from the ditch, stumbling forward. Ren, trying his hardest not to smell Durham’s breath, grabs a hold of his arm, making sure he wouldn’t plop on his face.

“Yeah, well. You wanted to see where I spent my weekends at, so-“

“And your girlfriend is so chill…” Durham burped, wrapping his arm around Ren to support himself. “Shoulda asked her to put a tat right here of Migs…” he pointed to his upper arm with his free hand.

“Michelle’s cool…” Ren darted off. “But I think we’ve been distant a bit lately.”

Durham gave his pal a blank stare. It was apparent that he was not thinking clearly.

“You’re gettin’ another girlfriend, aren’t you?” Durham blurted out.

“What? No!” Ren retorted. “We just… need to start going out more.” It’s no secret that Ren hasn’t been thinking right lately. He wasn’t the type of animal to stay in a relationship so long. But Michelle felt different. They met on good terms at the Bend after he beat her in a drag race held that evening.

After he came around more the following weeks, the two foxes began hitting it off and started going out. But he had to balance Cherryton, a job, plus a little hush-hush racing on the side. All while Michelle just had herself and her tattoo shop.

After four months of going out, Ren couldn’t help but wonder if she was really the one for him… maybe he could just go back and start flipping from one female to another.

Maybe she’d be better off without him…

“I’ll tell you what you should do…” Durham began another rant. Ren grunted, trying to lift the drunk Coyote up from the ditch back to the car.

Thank Rex he was still sober…

“You should introduce her to Migs and that way we could have a…” Durham gasped for poor dramatic effect. “Double date!”

Ren tried to pretend to be interested, by half smiling with Durham, showing his toothy grin. That seemed to only encourage him to keep talking.

“Then my Miggy will look sooooo pretty…. My sweet, adorable little Hyena… He- he has a nice ass…”

“Alright-” Ren tried to quiet his hollering, but Durham seemed to take it the wrong way and continued on his drunken rant.

“I want to go home and see my Miggy!”

Ren just groaned, not wanting to give his best friend any attention. But he couldn’t help but chuckle. He was happy that Durham found happiness with someone… He didn’t care if he was interested in other males or not. Durham was still his best friend, and nothing changed when he came out to him a few years ago.

The two were inseparable at a young age, despite being from different backgrounds. Ren grew up on the outskirts of the Back Alley. The Slums, while Durham grew up in the upper city.

When Ren was just eight years old, he lost his Dad and older brother… which left a deep scar in his heart.

Frankly, it was something he didn’t want to talk about. It happened… It was ten years ago and Ren wanted to move on.

Maybe he was denying it to hide the pain… But he didn’t care.

After that tragic incident, his mother wanted to take him and his younger brother and leave the Back Alley, but she simply couldn’t afford it.

Ren remembered it like it was yesterday. His mom took him and Koji, his younger brother to a local kids club in the city, where several animals talk about their traumas and try to learn to cope with the loss.

The therapy didn’t help much to Ren, but what did help was after he met a certain Coyote there… he was his age and his family volunteered there as often as they could.

Within a day, the two scrawny pups hit it off. They had to almost be pried apart after that day.

And even ten years later, they’re still inseparable. If Ren could rely on anyone in this messed up city, it could be Durham.

By the time they turned twelve, they hung out with each other all the time, but often Ren would be the one to go to Durham’s family. In a way, his dad felt like a strong father figure to him. A figure that had been absent from his life up until then.

He was admired by the community, his family, and believed in helping others. Which was most likely why he became an officer.

He just hoped his father couldn’t see them now… he kept a lot of his… ‘illegal activities’ a secret and he’s been doing a good job at it. He always took care to hide his Dautson which he fixed up himself in an old garage not far from the school.

The property had been abandoned for years, so as far as he knew, it was safe.

He’d have to stop by there before they made it back to Cherryton and lock the car up. He knew the wall back would be tedious… even more with a drunk Coyote rambling on about his boyfriend every ten seconds.

Finally reaching the Navy Blue and Silver vehicle, Ren opens the passenger door to sit Durham down in it, only for him to holler louder when he hears the song that was playing.

“Hell yeah! Me and Migs love this song!”

“Rex…” it was like Ren had to watch out for a pup… He knew he should’ve kept a closer eye on Durham when he went into the Bend’s bar. He knew how strong their drinks could be and he really didn’t trust the bartender.

He thought she just hated him… maybe because he got into that one single bar fight last month. Who knows? Maybe she figured Durham was his friend and got him drunk just to spite him…

And Rex, was it working.

“Ba-dee-ya! Say, do you remember!”

“Ba-dee-ya! Dancing in September!”

The Coyote’s howling and hollering could probably be heard miles from here. There was no one around, after all. Ren snarled, trying to think of a way to quiet his incessant screaming.

Reaching over Durham’s head, Ren’s paw was almost smacked away from the radio knob due to the drunk Coyote’s flailing. But in the just in the knick of time, Ren managed to reach the knob to turn the volume down.

“Gah!” Durham groaned. “What the actual hell, man…”

Ren placed his hand on the door to close it. “We should really head on back.” But before he could shut the passenger door, a leg swung out to block its way.

Of course, it was Durham, laughing away. At least he was a happy drunk more than anything.

As much as Ren thought this was funny, he was starting to get tested. “Alright, that’s enou-”

“Say…” Durham darted off, looking straight into Ren’s eyes. “I never noticed that those little brown spots under your chin look like Miguno’s…”

Ren shook his head. He knew exactly where this was going. Durham was giving him a funny look… He was drunk, but he saw something in Ren that he really really liked.

“You look too much like Miggy… waaaay too much… I-I love him, you know.”

Ren dismissed it, trying to change the subject. “Alright, well you can tell him that when we get you back to your dorm, bud.”

“No, but you don’t under-“ before Durham could finish, Ren shut the passenger door, moving to the driver’s side, opening the door to find Durham eying him nonstop.

Adjusting the seat and getting comfortable, Ren slides the over the shoulder seat belt straps over himself and prepares to put the car into drive, until Durham stopped him by grabbing his paw, his eyes absolutely fixated on Ren.

“You don’t understand… Miguno‘s spots l-look like that…” Durham repeated himself.

“Uh, dude?” Ren’s ear twitched. What the hell was he going to do?

Leaning closer to Ren, Durham obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. It was plain then that he had pumped himself full of so much alcohol, he had mistaken Ren for Miguno at that moment.

“Listen, Ren,” Durham said plainly so that he could understand. Ren could still smell the alcohol and vomit mixed stench coming from his best friend.

“As your best bro, I totally respect your boundaries, homie…” he began.

“But… you need to understand that when I see somethin’ that-” Durham paused. It almost appeared like he was blanking out. Most likely a side effect from all that alcohol.

Still in the driver’s seat, Ren became concerned… He better not have to take a late night trip to the Hospital.

“Are you-“

“THAT” Durham blurted, snapping himself out of his trance. This made Ren visibly jump, snarling at the Coyote.

Was he trying to mess with him all while he was piss drunk? It was almost like he was still somewhat aware of the fool he was making himself appear.

“That looks even remotely, in the slightest, close to the fucking detail like my Miggy…” he paused, again trying to build tension. “I have this… uncontrollable urge to kiss it…”

Ren tensed up, trying to move away from the very drunk Coyote who was approaching him. He knew he wouldn’t do this when sober. For all he knew Durham was just teasing him.

“Um… but that’s the thing I’m ‘not’ Migs-“

“But those spots, dude! Just one little peck! It’ll hold me over until I get to hold my sweet little prince in my arms…” he began stuttering out of control, as if he was begging for a kiss…

Was he really this far out?

“Alright-“ Ren mumbled, almost pressed against the car door, Durham closing his eyes and preparing to plant a kiss right on Ren’s mouth.

It was now or never, he had to find something to distract Durham with. He’s only been drunk one single time before this and Miguno was there to keep him out of trouble… best thing about it is that Durham gets distracted easily.

Scanning the car, Ren finds a magazine he had stashed in the back seat. It wasn’t a lewd one, but a car mag that he borrowed from a friend at work. Seeing as that was the only option, Ren seizes the opportunity, extending his arm to reach out for it, trying to hold his breath and not smell his friend’s disgusting vomit-alcohol breath.

Grabbing a hold of the magazine, Ren flips to a page that had a nice looking Hyena guy working on a vehicle on page eleven. Folding the page, he holds it up to Durham’s face, which was merely inches from his own.

In seconds, Durham planted a soft kiss on the image of the buff Hyena, much to Ren’s disgust.

‘What in the actual hell?’ Ren’s mind started panicking. How long would this last? Did he really miss his ‘Miggy’ this much?

‘Please, God… Don’t smell…’

After several excruciating minutes of Durham mumbling and kissing the magazine, he pulls back from it and slumps into his seat.

“Man… That was as sweet as my Miggy’s cute ‘lil kisses…” he was starstruck, despite the fact that he had just kissed a picture in a magazine article.

Ren caught his breath, heaving in and out from the almost near-death experience. He raced cars, did kickboxing, and this is considered “near-death” to him?

Rex, he felt more pathetic than ever…

“You’re awesome, bro…” Durham began feeling tired, his eyes still beaming. “Soooo awesome… Like, how are you not pulling all the females you can get your paws on?”

Ren sighed. “Man… you’re drunk as hell,” a smile formed on his face, as they both started laughing. In that instant, Ren had almost forgotten the awkward encounter just minutes earlier.

“Yeeeepp!” Durham cheered. “Now, cart me home to my prince! Now!” He pointed down the road through the window

Ren snickered. “What am I gonna tell him when we get back?”

“Oh, you won’t have to tell him anything, man,” Durham grinned, elbowing him. “When I kiss his cute ‘lil face and stare into those cute, button eyes… he’ll oooonly pay attention to yours truly…”

“Yeah…” Ren began. “And what about your other roommates? The uh, Labrador guy in particular.”

“Oh, Jack?” Durham’s eyes shot up. “He’s harmless. May give the both of us a lecture for skipping out, but that’s all…”

Ren knew about Jack. He’s been in Room 701 a handful of times just to hang out, but he didn’t live there. Initially, Durham and Ren wanted a room together, but he was instead sorted in Room 713 a few rooms down the hall.

He became quite acquainted with the other five canines in 701. Collot and Voss were cool, and even insisted that he tag along with Ren and Durham tonight, but Durham told him to pipe down.

For all he knew, Collot could’ve told his other roommates where they were going.

Miguno, of course, was Durham’s boyfriend. They had met in Middle School about a few months after Durham had officially come out at fourteen. After months of on and off dialogue and clear tension, the two finally hooked up after about a year of them knowing each other.

Ren tried being a good wingman to his buddy, even going as far as to set them up for a nice get together with his then-girlfriend as a double date. Although it was a bit uncomfortable because the two had argued right before, Durham did understand his friend tried his best.

The certain female broke up with Ren right after they had dropped off Durham and Miguno.

But Ren did make it up to his friend by setting them up on a blind date to another restaurant. Ren always went above and beyond for Durham, and Miguno could tell how close they were, and it filled him with pride knowing that Ren completely accepted him.

Now, Jack and Legoshi one one hand were confusing to Ren. Jack was…sweet enough, and he sure helped him with his homework in the study hall, but he always got the sense that there was something more to the Labrador than meets the eye.

Same could go with Legoshi, who was all but mysterious. According to Durham, he had disappeared and reappeared with a new haircut. He looked like a very tall Arctic Fox now. When he saw him in math class, he didn’t even recognize him.

Plus, hearing it from Durham, Legoshi and Jack are childhood friends and wouldn’t let anything get in their way. But now they felt… distant. Probably because Legoshi disappears for long periods and returns abruptly. During his periodical visits to 701, he could often hear how worried Jack was for Legoshi, often speaking fondly of him.

Ren of course dismissed this as a very close bond that they had. Him and Durham had a similar friendship, so it shouldn’t be more than that, right?

Regardless, he was going to find out just how upset 701 could be once he returned with Durham.

Or if they would be upset at all.

Lost in his thoughts, his mind was snapped back into reality seeing three pairs of lights whiz right by him. He recognized one car as a Toyota Supra, the black paint being too dark for him to initially pick up on, the golden colored rims being the only thing he noticed at first.

Followed behind the Supra, was a silver muscle car, which Ren recognized as a Plymouth Barracuda, then following behind it was a white Mazda Rx7. It appeared like the three were racing to the city or were participating in a drag race.

Man… Ren had wished he picked up at least one race tonight if he didn’t have to watch out for Durham. And it was getting too past curfew for his liking. The cops should begin patrolling this street at any moment.

Taking this as his cue, Ren puts the Dautson into drive and pulls onto the asphalt highway, speeding up enough to get a head start.

Durham, having woken up a little bit, reaches for the radio to see if his song was still playing. Noticing this, Ren swats his paw away.

“Nope! You know the rules, big guy! Drivers pick the music and the shotgun shuts their trap!”

Having been too tired to argue any more, Durham plunges back into the passenger seat, waving the middle finger at Ren before reclining his seat to catch some shut eye, thinking only about the sweet Hyena that was waiting at home for him.

Switching over channels, Ren finds a song to his liking and begins tapping the steering wheel to the smooth beat and melodic voice that filled the old car with music.

They’d be back at Cherryton in thirty and he had to stay focused, especially if Durham would start another one of his rants.

Letting his mind go, Ren leans back into his seat, cruising down the dark, lonely highway as the sole driver.

“Please, no more excitement…” Ren muttered under his breath.

———

The retching could be heard from outside the room, it made Ren visibly cringe.

The other carnivores in Room 713 complained about the noise. If they could hear it, everyone else was bound to as well. It was Sunday, so there were no classes. Meaning Cherryton students could sleep in.

Also meaning a whole lot of neighbors would be complaining over the noise.

Of course, Ren knew very well where the retching was coming from. He was standing in front of a door with the numbers “701” etched onto it.

Since he was… kinda indirectly responsible for taking Durham out last night, he figured he’d attempt to defuse things before they got worse.

He’s knocked several times already, but no one has answered. All he could hear behind the door was commotion and a higher pitched voice trying to keep everything in order by barking orders at everyone.

“Well, keep him at the toilet!”

“Collot, help me find a bag!”

“Legoshi! Make sure Voss isn’t recording it!”

It sure sounded like the certain Labrador he mentioned earlier was awake alright… and he sure sounded agitated.

Was he ignoring Ren on purpose? Maybe knocking one more time would finally get everyone’s attention.

“Hey!” Ren knocks louder, silencing the clamoring amongst the six canines. But of course, Durham’s retching didn’t stop.

“Oh sweetheart…” Ren could hear Miguno’s voice coo.

The clamoring turned into soft whispers. Ren pressed his face against the smooth, wooden door to listen in.

“I’m not letting him in. That I promise you,” he heard Jack murmur. “Durham did mention they were out last night. Who knows what else he’ll do!”

“Jack, you’re overreacting. Ren’s cool!”

Another pause, Ren couldn’t really pick up on what else they were saying since Durham’s puking was getting louder and louder.

“-And y’know for a guy who wears Legoshi’s loose shirts a whole lot you can be so uptight!”

“Don’t you dare open that door!”

Several heavy footsteps made their way from the center of the room to where Ren was peeking from the other side of the door.

Hearing the big footsteps, Ren moves away from the door, putting his hands in the pockets of his black jean jacket with white sleeves. On the side of it, a Red and White logo entitled ‘Cherryton Automotives’ was stitched on.

Prying the door open, Ren makes eye contact with a towering Sheepdog. At least, he thought he made eye contact. He really couldn’t tell with the white fur covering his face. And plopped on his shoulder was a smaller Fennec Fox who was holding a bigger phone in his paws, cackling away.

“Hey Ren! We’ve missed ya!” The overly affectionate Sheepdog tried bringing him in for a hug, but Ren pulled away, only opting for a paw shake.

“Yeah… it‘s uh…” peering behind Collot, Ren spots a pair of daggers shooting right at him. It was Jack of course, who was wearing quite a big jacket over himself. And not too far from him was Legoshi, sporting his new white fur and keeping to himself.

He probably wanted to try to calm Jack down. But the angry Lab wasn’t listening. As far as he was concerned, Ren was the one who got Durham into this little mess and now he was about to let him have it.

“So, uh. Make yourself at home as always! A friend of Durham’s-“ the retching coming from the closed bathroom interrupted Collot, making everyone in the room cringe.

“Is… our friend too!” He puts on a smile, motioning for Ren to step into 701.

Right when Ren made his way past the bunks and into the center of the room, a small TV had a game going and a bag of opened chips adjacent to a bean bag chair.

“So, how was last night!” Collot pried, wanting more information. “All Durham mentioned was that Bend place, and he really wasn’t in the mood for talking. Only wanting to kiss his ‘Miggy-Wiggy’ as he said.”

Voss and Collot snorted, but a look from Jack silenced the both of them. The “mom” of 701 wanted a say in this before anyone else. And after all, it was Collot who let it slip that they were in The Bend.

Though he wasn’t there personally, Jack understood from the news reports how dangerous The Bend could be. It wasn’t the Back Alley, sure. But a whole lot of dangerous animals dwelled in that yard. A bunch of adrenaline junkies showing off their cars and drunks looking for their next fix. That’s at least how Jack viewed The Bend.

And Durham was not like that. At least he wouldn’t be on his watch.

“You realize how dangerous that place is and you went there anyway!” He scolded, crossing his arms with the overly large sleeves draping over his hands.

“Alright, I-“

Jack waved his hand, quieting Ren down. “Before you start going on, I want you to choose your words properly… What do you have to say for yourself?”

Ren backed up slightly. Who knew such a docile looking animal could pack such a bark?

Yeah, he goes to The Bend every weekend and considering how much Durham and him actually hung out with each other, he was bound to ask him about it eventually.

And before going, Ren made it clear that Durham needed to stick with him or he’d end up lost. The Bend was only a fun place if you knew how to get around and avoid the serious type of trouble.

But of course, Durham being Durham, he had to learn the hard way…

Ren sure felt bad, but there was no way he was going to be lectured by Jack of all animals, even though he meant well.

No lie, Ren thought it was admirable what the 701 canines had. True companionship and Jack felt like the glue that held them all together.

He didn’t want to be rude to Jack… he just wanted to have a little bit of fun with him. And Ren’s version of fun was to snap back with the snarkiest remark he could come up with.

“Well?” Jack pressed Ren for an answer. All the Fox could do was show his toothy grin at the angry Lab.

“Well…” Ren folded his arms, leaning against the wall towards Durham’s empty bunk.

“If you want, we could bring you some the next time we’re out, if ya want.”

Jack scoffed, everyone in the room could feel his rage building up. Even for such a docile canine, Jack still had his limits and this random… ‘ruffian’ had just come in and pushed it.

He wouldn’t have it. Not a single bit.

The Lab had no words, only tensing up with the fur on his tail stiffening. Ren surprisingly backed off, fearing that he could actually snap at him.

What had he just unleashed?

“Hey, chill,” Ren held his paws up, chuckling innocently. “I’m just pulling your le-”

The Fox’s low effort attempt at an explanation seemed to make Jack even more agitated. Was he… grinding his teeth?

Maybe Ren should’ve chosen a better comeback…

“Jack…” Legoshi consoled the fuming Lab in a monotone voice.

Jack, snapping his attention away from Ren, eyes Legoshi, his face dropping and a lot of the anger faded away in that moment. It was like he was ashamed that the rest of his roommates had to see him this angry. But he couldn’t help it, his concern for Durham and Ren’s irresponsibility had put him on edge.

Legoshi pulled Jack back onto his bunk, gently rubbing his back and petting his head, as if he was kneading the stress away like bread.

Ren quietly observed Legoshi’s demeanor with Jack. Durham had said they had something special since they were childhood friends. But again, Ren and Durham had a similar relationship that the Lupine and the Lab had.

But something told Ren that they may have been closer than he had originally thought. Seeing Jack be calmed by Legoshi’s headpats and not to mention him wearing Legoshi’s jacket seemed pretty… advanced for a standard friendship.

Could it be platonic? It had to be… Jack having feelings for Legoshi seemed most likely between the two. After all, there were several notable rumors that Legoshi had spent the night with a female rabbit a few months prior.

And Jack himself has been seen with another, bigger build wolf for the past week, but Ren of course didn’t know anything about him whatsoever. But whenever Jack was seen laughing around him, Ren could feel the jealousy the wolf was feeling…

Could there be something going on with the two ‘friends?’

Ren didn’t know what to think of the canines. Personally, he never associated himself with the drama or paid any serious attention to it. He was either partying, working or racing for yen.

But it was evident that Jack and Legoshi had a pretty… advanced kind of friendship.

But… just how advanced? Ren didn’t want to pry, and frankly he thought it wasn’t his business to wonder.

But it still didn’t stop him from questioning…

After several minutes of letting Jack cool off thanks to Legoshi, Ren approaches the two, lowering his head. Even though he was trying to be funny, he never meant for Jack to almost pop a blood vessel.

Sometimes, the Fox doesn’t think too clearly… and besides, who could make an animal like Jack upset and sleep well at night. All he was doing was looking out for a friend.

Ren knew Jack had a good heart… He’s a way better animal than he could ever be. Maybe he was a better friend to Durham than he was…

Jack looked like he didn’t want anything to do with Ren, turning away from him. Feeling worse, Ren doesn’t hesitate to say the first words.

“Hey… I’m sorry for saying that. It was… uncalled for…”

“Yeah, it sure was!” Jack blurted out. “Durham is in there puking his guts out and you act all insensitive?”

Ren folded his ears. He’d kid around with any other animal, but Jack was different. He was one of the few animals Ren took a liking to. In Study Hall, he didn’t need to help him with his Homework, but the kind Lab insisted, saying it was the right thing to do.

“I’m- I’m sorry… Durham wanted to go out with me and he's my pal, y’know.” Ren paused, looking Jack in the eye.

“We’ll, uh… try to be more mindful if we go out again.”

Jack remained silent, still being soothed by Legoshi’s pats. He tried keeping 701 together, but in the end, they were their own animals. He was well aware Durham and Ren knew each other for a good while before coming to Cherryton, and who was he to decide what they could or couldn’t do, even if he disagreed?

And even though he knew Ren could be a bit of a ruffian, he knew he had a good heart and wouldn’t let anything happen to Durham.

Even during his drunk ramblings last night, Durham did keep mentioning that Ren took good care of him that night.

Honestly, their friendship reminded Jack of him and Legoshi’s. Well, at least it had some similarities.

“Look, Ren,” Jack began. “Durham’s your pal, but you really need to be mindful of what you say or do to other animals. I just… I don’t want anything happening to him is all.”

Elbowing Legoshi, Jack gave a small smile. “I have to spend a whole lot of time worrying about Legoshi… I just don’t want to have to worry about Durham too.”

“Jack, I-“

“It’s alright, Legoshi.” He put his hand on the white wolf’s paw, soothing it.

Standing up from the bunk, Jack eyes Ren, who was paying close attention to the Lab’s movements. His tail stood still, showing signs that he meant business. That his words were to be taken seriously.

“I can’t control what you guys do together, but please, I’m begging you… don’t make me have to worry about him too.”

Jack didn’t give him much of a response, only a glare. As if he was trying to tell him nonverbally that he would hold his word to that.

Ren knew where Jack was coming from. If it was up to him, Durham wouldn’t have come with him last night, but the Coyote could be very persistent.

What else was he supposed to do? Lie to his best friend’s face? Lie about how he got all that money from street racing? That he had a car and drove it while underaged?

He did what he thought was right at the time all while doing his best to make sure his friend stayed out of trouble, due to his… rebellious personality which he was better at keeping in check due to his father’s status as an officer of the law.

If only he could see them now…

Ren gave Jack an honest answer. “If this ever happens again… I can promise you he won’t be involved… I’ll try to keep him out of it at least.”

Satisfied with Ren’s answer, Jack nods. Even though Ren was considered one of Cherryton’s local rebels, he was never an animal that lied to another’s face.

If there was anything his mother had taught him before she saved up enough to send him off to Cherryton, it was that no animal believed in a liar.

He hated having to leave her, but she sent him to Cherryton to protect him from the Alley… But problems always had their way to slip onto his plate.

Was it his curse? Was it in his nature? At this point, trouble just follows him around. And he firmly believed it was his responsibility to keep that trouble in check.

If any animal close to him had gotten hurt, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. But he simply couldn’t give up racing. His father taught him everything he knew about automobiles, having repaired the neighbor’s cars on a daily basis.

He considered the skill the last thing he had left him before he passed. And eventually, he learned that he could make just as much money racing these vehicles rather than just fixing them.

The Fur Traders combined with Ren’s increased reputation as a young driver in the Alley resulted in his mother sending him off to Cherryton for his own safety. A higher education away from the Alley was considered invaluable to their family.

But even then, Ren never could find a way to settle down. He’s been driving the same car for two years, keeping it hidden in the same spot ever since he’s been enrolled in Cherryton.

Maybe he never stopped because he didn’t want to let go of what little he had left of his father… but even with his actions, it brought severe problems.

And he didn’t want his friends on the brunt end of the stick when they came down…

The bathroom door creaked open, Durham wearing a black tank top and some orange gym shorts leaning on Miguno, who was wearing the standard Cherryton white T-Shirt and red sweatpants.

“Well… I think he’s done,” Miguno sighed, patting Durham’s head.

Sitting him on the bed, Miguno rubs Durham’s back. He looked… alright, just slighting pale. He may have been almost as white as Legoshi’s fur was.

Breaking away from Jack, and checking on Durham, Ren punches his shoulder playfully, trying to boost his mood.

“How are you doing, buddy?” Ren jabs the Coyote’s shoulder, who was still being rubbed by Miguno.

Durham groaned, exaggerating Ren’s light punch. He pointed at him, grinning awkwardly. “Don’t ever… ever let me drink that much again, man…”

Ren chuckled. “Don’t worry,” he put his paw on his shoulder. “I don’t plan on it, heh.”

Miguno shot a glare at Ren. “What were you two doing there, anyway?”

Although he didn’t want to explain this again, Ren didn’t show any signs of disdain. Durham probably told them a little bit about last night due to his drunk antics.

“He wanted to see where I go on the weekends…” he didn’t mention The Bend by name, considering they probably knew about it already.

“I wanted to see my girlfriend and I couldn’t keep him from following… He wanted to tag along.”

Ren paused. “I tried keeping an eye on him, but he snuck off. I found him drunk out of his mind so I got us out of there.”

Miguno didn’t really appreciate Ren’s reckless nature, but he could see how much Durham enjoyed his friend’s company. They were close when they were pups, after all. All Miguno could hope was that they were being as safe as they could.

And Durham has been high and drunk before when Collot and Voss snuck some… not so legal things into the Dorm once before. Miguno never participated, but the chaotic duo never did it again. Jack made sure of that by getting rid of their stash.

Durham raised his arm, gagging at the disgusting smell of alcohol and vomit. Everyone else could smell the Coyote, even Miguno, who scooted away from him.

He didn’t even notice how bad he smelled while tending to him.

“Hey, baby,” Miguno explained. “How about you get cleaned up. We’ll wait out here.”

“Then… Can you kiss me?”

Miguno chuckled. “Only after you cleaned yourself up, silly…”

After smelling himself again, Durham could agree that he smelled pretty bad. He forced himself off his lower bunk and shuffled back to the Bathroom.

Even though Durham made his way to the bathroom without a struggle, Miguno still felt the need to escort him to the bathroom, closing the door behind his boyfriend.

After the shower started running, Miguno was the first animal to break the silence.

“I’m not mad at you, Ren,” Miguno said. “Durham’s a big boy… and I won’t lie and say he hasn’t been drunk or high before.” All eyes except for Ren’s darted to Collot and Voss, who were sitting on the bean bag, getting a video game started up.

“What?” Collot began. “It was once, people!”

Miguno shifted his attention back to Ren. “But… Durry has told me you tend to be a bit… ‘rough’ at some points.”

Ren’s tail swooshed. Miguno wasn’t lying, of course… It would be shameful if he tried hiding any of his flaws now.

“Durham’s my friend, Migs,” Ren put his paws in his coat pocket. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Which is why I got him out of there.”

Miguno gave him a half smile. “He really speaks fondly of you. And even though I don’t understand half of what he does, I know he picks his friends wisely.”

“And I’m glad he has you looking out for him.”

Ren grinned slightly, letting it disappear after a few seconds. He knew he was still not out of the woods after all of this excitement, but at least he knew he was still cool with the rest of Durham’s friends.

Well, with Miguno at least…

“Just…” Jack started. “If you guys are gonna pull something like this again, don’t let anything happen to you two…”

Ren grinned, saluting Jack. “You got it, man.”

After several minutes of lounging around after Ren got his priorities set, the bathroom door swung open, revealing Durham, who was now cleaned from head to toe dressed in a red unbuttoned flannel shirt, blue jeans, and converse sneakers.

His headache wasn’t fully gone, but he still felt way better than he had this morning.

Miguno stood up off the carpet, where Ren, Jack and Legoshi were gathered around the carpet watching Collot play a video game with Voss on his shoulder.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Miguno plants a small peck on the side of Durham’s cheek, making the rough looking Coyote smile. He finally got what he had wanted.

Ren hops to his feet, joining the two lovers.

“Hey…” he stuttered, leaning against the bunk with his hands folded. “I’m uh… sorry I couldn’t stop you from drinking all of that, hehe.”

“Nah, man you’re good,” Durham reassured. “I should be the one who’s sorry. My dumbass got me into this-”

An elbow struck Durham’s side, followed by a disgusted look from Miguno. He didn’t appreciate his boyfriend’s mouth one bit.

“Heh,” Durham laughed it off. He still enjoyed how playful Migs could be, even though he wasn’t. “So, uh… Are we cool?”

Ren grinned. Even though he still firmly believed he had the most blame on his shoulders, he didn’t feel like arguing about it. “Yeah, just make sure you stick with me next time, alright?”

Before any more words could be exchanged, a series of firm rasps could be heard on the other side of Room 701, catching everyone in the room off guard.

They weren’t aggressive, but all at once they felt like they were urgent. It was like the canines in the room could feel the sense of dread they stoked.

Being the dorm’s “mom” as he is, Jack pranced across the room and to the door, peeking through the tiny peephole to see their unexpected guests.

At first glance, the Lab could immediately tell who they were. It was a Dalmatian and a Rhinoceros dressed in Tokyo PD uniforms. The mere sight of them made Jack tense up.

Instantly, his eyes darted to Ren, shooting him glares. “They’re here for you, aren’t they?”

Ren cocked his head. “What on Earth are you talking about?”

“There are two officers at the door…”

Ren’s snout dropped. They must’ve trailed him back here. But how? There was nobody on the Highway? Did they get a complaint? Did someone snitch? Did they find his car?

Ren was preparing himself to make a dash out the window and down the fire escape the moment the door swung open.

Noticing the tension between Ren Jack building up, Durham steps in, now feeling more sober than ever.

“Relax, guys. I’m sure it’s nothing. My Dad is on the force, so they should know me.” He grabbed Ren’s shoulder, reassuring them.

“If they’re here for you, they would’ve nabbed you in your room,” he pulled Ren’s leg. This was no laughing matter to him. He could be sent off to jail in a heartbeat and he needed to bail if he had to.

Opening the door with a wide smile on his snout, Durham greets the two officers, who had somber expressions on their faces. Durham recognized their badges. Officers Aoi, the Rhinoceros and Hana, a female Dalmatian. They were well respected in his father’s precinct and highly respected him.

Still smiling, Durham greeted the two Officers.

“Is there anything I can help you two with?” They remained silent, Officer Hana tilted her head at the young Coyote, as if she was subtly giving him her respect.

But why? What could have happened?

The rest of the canines in the dorm were staring at the Officers anxiously, darting back to Ren who was hiding next to the wall away from the dorm entrance.

Why weren’t they coming in? They were here to bring him in, right?

More silence. The silence was making Durham more anxious than ever. His smile disappeared, his paw pulling away from the doorframe and to his side, now clenching his jeans.

“Is there… a problem, Officer?” His voice quivered. They wouldn’t be this quiet without a reason. They just wouldn’t? Was his Dad here to pick him up? Was he going to surprise him?

It wasn’t until Officer Hana took her cap off that Durham felt his chest tighten.

“Is-” Durham’s voice broke. It wasn’t until now that he had just realized his Dad always texted him that evening. He had a sumo match that night and his Dad would always send him a thoughtful message. Cheering him on and letting him know he would be there.

When he scrolled through his phone before he had his shower, not a single new message could be found…

Now Durham panicked. They couldn’t be here without his Dad… Maybe it was just a prank? He always pulled his leg before a big event like this.

Who says this wouldn’t be any different… He couldn’t be… He just couldn’t…

“Son…” Officer Hana broke the eerie silence. “Your Mother is downstairs waiting for you…”

Durham began hyperventilating, Miguno came to his side, realizing what had just happened. If he was going to break down right now, he would be by his side through it all.

Ren stepped out of his hiding spot and joined the rest of the 701 canines, his mouth hanging wide open.

“Not him…” The Fox murmured. “No…”

Durham’s eyes welled up with tears, letting them fall into the carpet and wood floor at his feet.

“What happened?” He wailed, Miguno scooping him up in his arms tightly.

Not wanting to hold the truth from him any longer, Officer Hana delivers the soul crushing ultimatum.

“Your father, Jiro died in the line of duty due to a gunshot wound to the abdomen.” She explained in a soothing tone of voice. “He… didn’t survive on the way to the Hospital.”

At the drop of a pen, Ren’s heart sank, seeing Durham buried in Miguno’s arms, letting his emotions on full display. The cries were so powerful that even the floors above and below them could hear.

Of course, the rest of the canines bowed their heads as a sign of respect. They heard of how brave Durham’s father was. There wasn’t a moment that he never spoke of him in a negative light.

Durham’s light. His inspiration. His hope. Had been extinguished…

Looking at the scene, a tear trickled down Ren’s brown and white face. He remembered this scene all too well…

His father… his brother… he knew this feeling all too well. It all came rushing back to him like a flood. The anguish, the tears, the denial. And now his best friend was going through the same thing.

He had lost another father… and he felt just as helpless as he did before.

And Rex, did it hurt just as it did the first time…

———

Durham appeared lost. Broken. Not knowing where else to go. And every time he felt this way, he always turned to his father for guidance. He’d always tell him to find a way to pick himself back up and keep living.

But now he couldn’t… because he was gone.

He knew he had Miguno, his friends at 701… And Ren. He still had his brothers, his mother, and an even larger extended family.

But it still wouldn’t feel the same… whenever he moved out of 701 temporarily last week, he’d half expected to see his Dad walking around the house, asking him how Miguno was doing, how school was, but it was just in his head…

Miguno never left his side. Same could be said about Ren and the rest of 701. The consolation helped, but it didn’t take away the pain…

The only two that had attended the funeral were Ren and Miguno. Even Ren’s mother, Kira attended along with his younger brother, Koji. It’s been forever since they’ve seen Durham’s family, but they don’t get out as much anymore with the Alley getting more and more aggressive.

Ren said a few words to the both of them before they left. Of course, Kira kept telling her rambunctious son to be careful…

After a very somber and warm service in the autumn cold, Ren and Durham were the only two left at Jiro’s graveside by the hill.

All he could do at that moment was hug him. Let him know he wasn’t alone. The passing of Ren’s father and brother had brought the two canines together years ago. If Ren hadn’t met Durham, he’d probably be lost somewhere.

There was no way he was going to forsake him now. Not in his time of need.

The reports of Jiro’s death were… convoluted to say the least. Some say the suspect in question shot him, others say they thought they could see another gunman on site. The Police were always flip flopping between reports. Ren always assumed it was so the public wouldn’t be alarmed.

Ren had offered to take Durham out to hang before. Not at The Bend obviously, but Durham had always declined. Probably because he wanted to stay as close to whatever he had left of his father.

And besides, The Bend as of late has been in chaos. Racers have been ditching the Leagues following the disappearance of that gang of racers. Ren didn’t know their names, but they were the best of the best.

He didn’t appreciate the cowardice, but he understood why they were in a frenzy. If The Bend’s most precision League could be taken out by the Alley, who was to say that they couldn’t come for the rest.

For once, Ren was actually glad he didn’t have anything left there. The Racers have been quiet, and he had just broken things off with Michelle after a heated argument a few days ago. Something that had to do with his commitment and how lonely she felt.

As of now, there was nothing left for him there… It was now a husk of its former self.

He still drove his Dautson around the block, but never really found a race. That’s how much the city has changed in a few days. There was one thing in the air now.

Fear.

Whoever did this to Jiro and orchestrated this massacre must be cunning and ruthless. And in all honesty, Ren didn’t know what to do. He’d keep driving, but the thrill of it was gone. It felt like he was putting his skills to waste and it was killing him.

But right now, he doesn't need to worry about that. He was surrounded by animals who loved him. Animals who relied on him.

He loved Durham like a brother, and he came first and foremost. Though the Leagues and The Bend meant a lot to him, they weren’t his life. At least… not his ‘entire’ life.

His time would come… eventually. But now, all he could do is wait.

And waiting sure as hell wasn’t fun without knowing what awaits you in the unknown…

*To be continued in Beastars: Nightlife*

———

*Ring* *Ring*

A conspicuous figure shot up from his driver’s seat, wearing nothing but black. Groaning, he scans the parking lot next to the cemetery.

How long has he slept? Maybe an hour at most.

Reaching over to the dash, he finds a scrubbed number on his phone. Answering it, a sinister, snarling voice pops up over it.

“Did this Lion show up?”

Scanning the outsides of his car, the driver was confused. He was searching for an officer seen paired with the older Coyote officer killed when Batta was brought down. But there were several Lion… he didn’t know where to start.

Then something caught the driver’s eye. He peers at a grave on a hill’s edge, bordered by stone brick. On the foot of the hill, he spotted two younger canines embracing, one crying into the other’s shoulder.

“No, uh… But I’m seeing the kid. He’s with the Cop’s youngest.”

“Do you think this child is going to be a hindernce to our operations, Riku?”

Cocking his head, Riku pulls his hood down, but keeps his sunglasses on. “I don’t think so, boss. When we passed ‘em with the assets on the highway, they didn’t get a good look. We were going fast-”

“I’m putting my faith in you and your sister,” the stranger interrupted. “Especially when we get to the next phase of the operation involving the Shishigumi takeover.”

“That’s months away, sir,” Riku explained. “They’d probably forget that by now-”

“We cannot have loose ends!” the voice snapped, making Riku flinch.

“So tell me, and tell me plainly…” The voice threatened. “Will the kid be a problem or am I going to have to gut him like I did with those assets? Not that I’ll have a problem with it… I’ve always wanted to know what Fox tastes like.”

Pausing, and flipping back to view the hillside, Riku finds the Fox and the Coyote have left the site of the Officer’s grave and back into the Cemetery. Most likely heading home.

“No,” Riku replied. “He won’t. And if he shows the slightest hint that he knows anything, I’ll deal with him myself.”

“Very well! See, Riku. I knew we’d get along.” A clunking piece of metal could be heard in the background followed by whirring.

“I need to go,” the stranger explained. “Your sister is starting to be a little too… ‘aggressive’ with the lost asset.”

Without another explanation, the call was terminated along with the number. Riku buried himself in the seat of his Rx7. This business partner sure knew how to make words mean something.

The only animal he knew that rivaled his bloodlust was his own sister. And even he didn’t think she was near the levels of brutal he could be.

But the payoff would be huge. With the Bend in chaos, he could position himself for a takeover. Effectively, unifying the Bend and the Alley. Or at least, making them more tight knit than they were before.

All of that revenue from the meat trade and the races could now be used to finance their operations. And when the Shishigumi falls in the coming months, their profits would maximize.

Riku could only get chills. All of that power in his grasp? It felt unnatural. Unreal.

But with power there came animals who would stop at nothing to have it.

And that was something Riku couldn’t have. Control was in his grasp. He had worked too hard for too long to get to this point and he wouldn’t let go of it now.

The coming months were going to change this city’s history forever… And Riku was right at the center.

Cracking open his door, Riku throws the burner phone next to the front tire. Skidding off, he shatters it into several smaller shards, leaning it in the puddle to soak up.

This was his time… The age of The Shishigumi is no more.