As they walked through the labyrinth-like halls of the asylum, hints of twisted echoes bounced off of the walls. The atmosphere was cold and dark, and the walls had exposed sections of rusted pipe that, although the doctor assured were from active construction projects, did not appear to be as such. The further they delved into the confines of the building, a voice became more louder and more pronounced: it was screaming.
"What is that, doctor?" Bogo asked.
"A particularly troubled patient, I'm afraid," the tanuki responded. "Like the leopard and leopardess, she, too, suffers from dementia. For the past two years she's been here, she never sat silent. She never stays calm, and when she shouts, she talks about former love; sad, really. We usually keep her minimally sedated, and her next dose is soon."
As if on cue, the shouting began to die down.
"A place like this," Bogo muttered, "I can't imagine being calm."
"So, where are her parents?" Kai asked, after what seemed like several minutes of aimless walking.
"Just up ahead."

At the end of the hall, the doctor pulled out a set of keys and unlocked a door. He opened it, and they peered in. The inside was lavishly decorated, with matching furniture and an expensive throw rug; everything was coated with a thick layer of dust, as if it wasn't cleaned in years. Sitting on the sofa, holding hands and staring at a dusty television screen that was turned off, were two elderly leopards. Both had very large swatches of graying fur, although they didn't look much older than fifty. Both also appeared to have small amounts of dirt, grime, and grease smudged about them. They didn't notice the visitors, so the doctor knocked firmly on the door. They turned to look, and stood to greet their guests.
"Hello," Bogo spoke, holding out his hoof. The male leopard grabbed it with both paws and bowed low, giving a firm, but slight, shake.
"Welcome! We didn't expect any visitors today." He looked down to the tanuki. "Ah, I see you've brought Doctor Viverin with you."
"He brought us, actually. May we ask you a few questions?"
Both leopards laughed.
"He? He can't bring anyone, look how short he is!"
Bogo and Kai looked down to the tanuki, who now wore an annoyed expression on his face.
"They do this to spite me, I swear," he muttered.
"But of course, come in."

Everyone entered, and the door was closed.
"I am Taro, and this is my wife, Arina."
"A pleasure," Arina spoke, bowing her head slightly.
"If I may ask," Bogo began, "How are your living conditions? Something here seems wrong."
"Well," Arina replied, "I feel like no matter how much I dust, I can't seem to get rid of any. The water's cold, but it's not usually a problem."
"Oh, the water!" Taro exclaimed. "That reminds me, I need to put in a complaint about the water being rusty."
"How long has it been that way?" Bogo inquired.
"I... can't remember, to be honest, but my memory isn't exactly the greatest."
A quick look in the sink revealed that it was very red from long time exposure from rust. Bogo pulled the doctor aside.
"This is deplorable, Doctor."
"They are responsible for their own cleaning-"
"They can't clean! They've got severe dementia, they can barely remember to complain about their water being non-potable!"
"We have caretakers come in every month to check up-"
"Month?! That's outrageously far and few! I've seen lesser patients garner weekly attention. Why would you bother taking care of patients if you don't actually take care of them?"
"... Very well," the doctor responded apprehensively. "I'll talk to maintenance when we're done, and I'll make sure they get attention on a more regular basis."
"So," Taro announced. "What brings you to our humble abode?"
"What can you tell us about your family?" Kai asked hastily, before anyone else could speak. The doctor shot a glare at him.
"Well, there's us. Other than that, what would you like to know?" Taro replied.
"What about your daughter?" Bogo asked.
"We have a daughter?" Taro responded. He and Arina exchanged a few words, and suddenly became worried. "Oh no, it's her sixteenth tomorrow, isn't it? We forgot to get her anything!"
"You got her a kimono; she loved it," Kai quickly lied.
They both breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's just that…" Taro began.
"Our memory isn't as good as it used to be," Arina finished.
"Do you have any extended family in Honshu?" Bogo questioned.
"Honshu, Honshu… It's a big place, I'm not sure."
"Tell us about your lineage," Kai finally asked.
Taro looked to the tanuki.
"Is something wrong?" Bogo inquired.
"The doctor doesn't like my stories."
"He won't hurt you."
"Well, if you insist," Taro spoke, standing and heading to the small kitchen. "Tea?"
"No, thank you," Kai replied.
"Very well. We immigrated when I was around twenty-two, but I presume you want to know before that."
"Yes."
"Long ago, there was an ancient land known only as Japan," Taro began, in a mystical storytelling fashion.
Kai immediately shifted his glance to the doctor, who now held his breath.
"And at its throne an emperor."
"Who was this emperor?" Bogo asked.
"I don't know his name," Taro admitted. "Kokuo heika is all my father knew him as, and his father before him."
"That literally means 'his majesty'," Kai interjected.
"Tells you something about him, no?"
"I'll presume the last one, then."
"Legend has it that he kept an imperial menagerie. Long ago, it is said that mammals could not speak; they were silent. This menagerie was no exception. However, tasked with keeping everything in order was Doraemon, the emperor's personal companion. Supposedly, he was given the gift of speech directly from the heavens; he was the first one that could talk!"
"If mammals couldn't talk, who was this emperor?" Bogo asked, suspicious.
"I… don't know."
"This story seems a little farfetched," Kai stated. "I saw Doraemon, but he never seemed like anything more than a common pet."
"You met him?! How old would that make you?! Did you meet the emperor, too?"
"We were… acquainted. I viewed the menagerie once or twice, but it never caught my eye."
"A living legend! Arina, did you hear him?"
"I did!" she beamed back.
"Well," Taro continued, "The emperor loved his menagerie nearly as much as he loved Doraemon. However, conflict came to his land, and if in order to save them, he set them all free."
"Conflict?" Bogo inquired.
"His city was sacked," Kai stated.
"And you know this, how?"
"I sacked it."
"Really?" Arina asked, saddened.
"Twice, actually, but he never held it against me. Please, continue with the story.
Bogo rolled his eyes, giving an expression reminiscent of 'I'm in Crazytown'.
"Doraemon led them through the bamboo forests to safety and taught them speech," Taro continued. "My father was told by his father, and he by his father before him, that we are directly descended from Doraemon. We came from the remnants of Japan, now called Honshu, years ago, before Leora was born. However, seeing how life spreads far and wide, it is possible that every leopard that talks is indirectly descended from him."
"Tall tales. I should have known," Bogo muttered, heading for the door.
"Actually, Bogo," Kai spoke up. "I believe I can find out where she might be headed."
"How?" inquired the chief.
"Give me a few minutes more."
"Fine."
"Alright, Taro, where are your closest relatives?"
"Well, there's Arina…" He glanced at her and she smiled. "Our parents died not long ago…"
"Brothers, sisters?"
"No."
"Let my try a different approach: suppose your daughter went to Japan. Where would she go?"
"We have a daughter?"
Kai was puzzled.
"How old are you?" he finally asked.
"Fifty-four, Arina is fifty-three."
"Viverin, how old are they?"
"He answered accurately," the tanuki responded. "Why does it matter?"
"Leora is twenty-eight. They think she's sixteen. That means they lost their cognitive functions at forty-one."
"And?"
"Dementia doesn't set in at forty-one."
"Early-onset dementia can."

Kai sighed, and reconvened with Bogo.
"Well, Bogo, I guess Edo's our best shot."
"It's a huge city!"
"I'm a capable individual."
"Didn't you say you couldn't leave?"
"Yes, Jack Savage threatened to kill my squad if I did. Which is precisely why I want you to gather the three remaining members and—"
"Three?"
"Neal is dead; killed by rabies."
"I refuse to believe it."
"He is avenged, I made sure of it. Listen carefully: gather the three remaining members: Rufus, Bjorn, and Prance. Take them to the nearby military base."
"Why?"
"His jurisdiction can't extend that far. They'll be safe there."
"How are you so certain?"
"I'm friends with the commander of the base. He promised to keep Savage off of my back as long as I fulfilled an obligation."
"Dare I ask?"
"No."
"How do you plan on getting there?"
"I'm sure General Paddington can spare me a military cargo plane."
"You seem to have this all figured out." Bogo shuffled through the door. "Get her back. For their sake."
"Oh, and Bogo?"
"Hmm?"
"Don't delay. I reckon you have maybe an hour before Savage decides he wants to start killing."
"Why?"
"Need to know basis."
"I'm sure I need to know."
"I'll explain it all when I bring Leora back."
The buffalo gave an annoyed sigh.
"I'll be expecting you. Oh, and Doctor?"
"Yes, Chief?" the tanuki replied.
"I will personally be checking up on them in a couple of days. If you don't get that sty in proper shape, you can expect legal action."
Bogo exited. As soon as the door closed, the tanuki exploded.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Procyon?!" Viverin hissed.
"Asking questions."
"I warned you not to push the conversation!"
"But really, how do they know about Japan?"
"We… don't know. We only found out after they were admitted to the facility."
Kai rolled his eyes, and approached Taro.
"It was a pleasure speaking to you," Kai stated.
He turned to leave, but Taro spoke up.
"It's bugging me: I can't seem to remember your name."
"I never said it."
Taro gave a sigh of relief.
"So I'm not totally crazy, then."

Kai and Viverin exited.
"So, any progress on curing them?"
"It's—they—you—" He continued stuttering, before finally stringing together a coherent answer. "You can't cure dementia."
"Show me an MRI and lab tests when I get back; I'll take a stab at it."
As they began walking back, the prior shouting returned.
"Oh, dear," the tanuki muttered.
"Two years; you said this has been going on for two years?" Kai tried to confirm.
"Thereabout."
"Take me to see her."
The tanuki stopped in his tracks.
"Something wrong, Alcor?"
"… No, nothing at all."

They changed directions and began walking deeper into the complex. The voice became louder, indicating their proximity. Eventually, they stopped before another door.
"Well, here we are," the tanuki stated.
"You seem to have forgotten to open the door."
"Believe me, you don't want to see her."
Kai retrieved his lockpick and forced the door open. He stepped in, ignoring the doctor's protests, and found a wolf strapped in to a bed; she was muzzled and hooked up to numerous machines, and had an IV line.
"No, it's you!" shrieked the patient. "Get away from me, freak!"
"How long did you say she was here, Alcor?" Kai asked.
"T-two months," he stammered.
"How strange, I thought you said two years not five minutes ago. I recognize her as one of Altair's agents. In fact, I ran into her just yesterday. Outside of this facility."
"I—I…" the tanuki trailed off.
"You, wolf. What have they done to you?"
"NO!" she shrieked.
"Calm down," Kai demanded.
She stopped yelling and struggling, but continued staring at him and breathing heavily.
"That's better," Kai stated. "Now, what did they do to you?"
"This is your fault!" she spat at him.
"What happened?"
"Savage happened!"
"Stop prying," Alcor commanded.
"Elaborate, please," Kai pressed, ignoring the doctor.
"When I awoke, I was locked up," the wolf began. "Savage asked if I could be trusted, and I of course answered yes. He told me everything. What you are."
"And why are you here?"
"ENOUGH!" Alcor shouted. Kai grabbed his jaws and held them shut.
"Because I'm disposable," the wolf stated. "They're filling me with drugs; I can barely remember anything before yesterday. He said he loved me…"
"Why are they drugging you? Savage wanted to induct you."
"Savage wants me to forget."
"Forget what?"
"He confessed his love for me. It was all a lie," she growled. "He lulled me into a sense of safety!"
She began violently struggling against her restraints, before eventually falling still.
"And?" Kai asked.
"We spent time together. After he had me thoroughly drunk, he apologized and jabbed a needle into my thigh."
Alcor was struggling against Kai's grip; he threw the tanuki to the floor.
"Dementia, eh, Alcor?" Kai shouted.
"It's not what you think!" he responded.
"I suppose Leora's parents don't really have it, either?!"
"It's—it's…" He trailed off. Kai seized him by the lapel and pinned him against the wall.
"SPEAK!"
"Twelve years ago, the Court grew wary of them mentioning their stories to the general public!" he stammered. "Regulus offered some viral strain that would cause atrophy of brain tissue, promised that it would be indistinguishable from dementia. He infected them, and two weeks later, began treating them."
"They remember everything, except their daughter!"
"Well, as promised, they forgot everything that mattered," he stammered. Kai slammed him into the wall. "B-but it worked, no one will think they're telling anything but fairy-tales!"
"You ruined their lives, their daughter's life! What they're doing can hardly be called living, now!"
"The Court was protecting the interests of all mammals! I wasn't a part of it, then, I swear!"
"What with her?" Kai pointed to the wolf.
"It's the same strain, along with acute amnesiacs for the short term. Admittedly she's very resistant to the short-term drugs."
Kai threw the doctor to the ground and fished out a cylinder from his vest.
"Good thing I saved some antivirals, eh?"
"What, are you mad?! Why are you saving her, she's a liability!"
"This is a horrible way to die! Why didn't Savage just kill her?!"
"He couldn't bear to! He asked me if I could keep her here; I didn't want to kill her, either, so I agreed!"
"I ought to drug you and lock you up!" Kai roared.
The tanuki cowered, covering his head with his paws and curling into a ball. Kai merely shook his head and turned his attention to the wolf, injecting the antivirals.
"Can you fly a jet?" he asked of her.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"Can you fly a plane?" he repeated, this time with more urgency.
"Yes, of course."
"Good." He cut her restraints and unplugged the wires tying her to the various machines.
"Really, though. Why are you doing this?" she reiterated, rubbing her wrists.
"Because Savage and I had a deal, and he reneged."
"That sounds like revenge. I like the sound of revenge," she replied, standing and stretching, but quickly losing her balance; Kai caught her and supported her weight.
"Now, Alcor," Kai spoke.
"What?!" the frightened mammal squeaked.
"I expect this to remain between us; not a word at tonight's meeting."
"F-fine!"
"Get up. You're walking us out."
"Why me?"
"I don't feel like getting stopped by security."
The tanuki gave another squeak, but stood, leading them out.

They reached the lobby, and although everyone stared at Kai and the wolf on the way out, they didn't stop them. The duo exited into the blizzard, Alcor remaining behind.
"It's freezing!" the wolf shouted over the winds.
"Hmm? Why's that?" Kai asked.
"I'm not wearing anything but a gown, you dolt!"
"You have fur, you'll live."
She gave a sigh of extreme frustration.

Kai pulled out his phone and dialed Arcturus, making his way to the edge of town; after several rings, the bear picked up.
"What is it?"
"Arcturus, this is Procyon."
"What are you calling about?"
"I need to ask several favors of you."
"I imagine this has something to do with Altair?"
"Yes. Police Chief Bogo will be arriving at the military base shortly; I want you to take the three that he has with him and keep them safe."
"Consider it done."
"I'll be showing up soon, too; with a guest, in fact."
"Who?"
"Savage's would-be protege."
"Are you… are you mad?"
"Yes. She's going to be my pilot."
"Pilot for what?"
"The last thing I need is a cargo plane. I'm flying to Sagarmatha after the meeting."
Silence on the other end.
"Are you still there, Arcturus?"
"Yes, fine. I'll supply you a plane. You're really going to piss off that rabbit, you know that?"
"Good. His meddling has cost me my sniper; my friend. He cannot be trusted, and I won't even bother trying anymore. I'm getting my leopardess back, and pissing Savage off is just the icing on the cake."
"I'll give you this: you've got guts; I forgot what it was like to be so young and rash."
"I'm older than you." Kai hung up.
"Where're we headed?" the wolf asked, shivering.
"The military base."
"Why?"
"You're getting suited up to fly a plane."
"I can barely walk!"
"I'll take care of it until you're recuperated."

They walked over to a nearby street, and Kai hotwired an appropriately sized car. The drive to the base was uneventful, but they were nearly arrested when they showed up. A phone call to Arcturus cleared everything up.
"Get her into a flight suit," he ordered. They nodded and saluted. "And if I find out you did anything but, I will personally see to it that it's the last thing you do."
They chuckled and waved him off.

He returned to the lodge, entering as quietly as he could. The meeting was due to start in several hours, and he traveled as inconspicuously as he could, passing frantic mammals left and right. Eventually, he made it to his room; inside, he found Altair talking to Sirius and Vega.
"Jack, what did I say about coming into my room unannounced?" Kai began.
"You have no right to complain; not after what you did today!" the rabbit shouted.
"You will not shout at me," the man commanded.
"I have a duty to keep the nation safe, and you directly—Ahh!" He was interrupted by the man, who grabbed him by the ears and held him aloft, legs dangling. He raised the rabbit to eye level.
"Out."
"No! Release me, now! Or else!"
Kai pinned him against the wall, grabbed the stapler from his desk, and fastened the rabbit by his ears with several staples. Altair's shrieks were soon quieted when he found himself at the barrel end of a rifle.
"That's better," Kai spoke, stowing the rifle. "Now, be quiet. I planned on reading."
"Get me down!"
"Jack, you know what I did today?"
"You killed a million, two-hundred thousand mammals!" Savage yelled.
"I visited the asylum."
"YOU WHAT?!"
"I found the wolf that you so carelessly discarded. What did you tell her? That you two would be together forever? Was that before or after you darted her?"
"You insolent!—"
"She works for me, now. Might I add, your days of giving mammals 'dementia' are over."
"I only do what I do to protect the world!"
"Is that why you fucked the wolf? To protect the world?"
"I DIDN'T! Ask her yourself if you don't believe me!" Savage roared in anger.
"Say, that reminds me," Kai began anew, after noticing Vega's expression. "It just occurred to me that I never told Regulus what the medications did."
"They're antivirals, he would figure it out," the rabbit spoke through gritted teeth.
"But you see, most drugs are only for specific purposes. Melarsoprol is used for treating rhodesiense African trypanosomiasis, and nothing else. He would have no reason to believe what I gave him could be used for anything other than rabies, and drugs made specifically for an eradicated disease are worth less than dirt except in the one specific situation that we were in."
"So?!"
"So, there's one person—mammal, rather—that I did tell. A rabbit that looks just… like… you."
Vega's expression grew to one of shock and horror.
"It's all your fault!" she shouted.
"What are you talking about? It's him!" Savage retorted.
"You told my father to withhold the drugs from Neal!"
"It was for the benefit of society, I—" He couldn't finish the statement, as he caught her fist to his face.
"How could you?!"
"Let's everyone just take a step back and calm down," Sirius stated.
"Shut up, Ian," Vega hissed. He held his hands up in defeat and sat back down. She pressed a claw into Savage's forehead and drew in close, her eyes mere inches from his. "I have nothing now, Altair. NOTHING!"
"And you know who to blame." Savage shifted his gaze to the man.
"My father let rabies escape confinement, but you convinced him to deny treatment. Don't finagle your way out of this."
"What are you going to do? Kill me?"
"It's a good start," she retorted coldly.
"No," Kai stated. "It'll only cause problems."
The rabbit chuckled; Vega began to pull away.
"Exactly, that's what I thought," Altair muttered.
She quickly dragged her claw across his face, leaving a long mark from brow to chin that bled profusely; next, she grabbed him by the legs and tore him away from the wall, ripping the staples from his ears. As he fell to the floor, she kicked him in the ribs.
"Get out," she seethed. "If I see you again, I'll make sure you won't survive the encounter."
"The rest of the Court will hear about this. Mark my words."
"I'll just tell them about the wolf, and your involvement in the spread of the disease," Kai retorted.
Savage could only lay and look angry.
"Out," Kai demanded. The rabbit didn't move. The man grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him out the open window.
"Holy hell, what did you do that for?!" Sirius shouted. "It's four stories!"
"He's a rabbit, and there's a snowbank. He'll live."
"I'll go make sure he's alright, then; just in case," Sirius volunteered, exiting the room.

Vega sat in a chair, dejected.
"'And a mammal's foes shall be they of her own household'," she muttered, dejected. "I have nothing left."
"You got a promotion. You can fix the regulations that led to Neal's death."
"I just want to lie down and die."
"Don't we all."
She gave a sad hum of agreement.
"Say, what was Altair trying to ask you?" Kai inquired.
"He wanted to know all about your involvement in Mapleton."
"Did you tell him anything?"
"No. He actually got here around two minutes before you did."
"Good. If he has no evidence, maybe the Court will dismiss him."
"What am I going to do?" she asked.
"About what?"
"With my life. I don't know how to run the BDC; I don't know how I can live without Neal; I don't know how—"
"How about this," Kai began, crouching down. "I'll get back from Sagarmatha, and I'll help you get everything in order. Until then, take it easy."
"The world doesn't stop revolving just because you aren't here. Besides, I probably don't have anything to give you."
"No fee," Kai spoke. "One friend to another."
"Are we friends?" she asked, uncertain.
"I should hope so. We both hate the rabbit, right?"
"Yes."
"And we both liked Neal, right?"
"Of course!"
"Then I think we are."
She thought for a while.
"Alright. I could use a vacation, anyways. I never had time to mourn."
"Atta girl." He patted her on the back, and stood to exit.

"If you don't mind me asking," she interrupted, "What do you have against Altair?"
"He threatened my subordinates. We then came to the agreement that if he kept them safe, I would not do anything against the Court. He let Neal die, and still consistently threatens the others, all the while thinking that I would play the role of his puppet."
She smiled.
"And he finally pissed you off?"
"What are you talking about?" He chuckled. "I've been holding unspeakable amounts of rage in since the moment he first threatened them. You haven't even seen the tip of this iceberg."
"So stapling his ears…"
"To be fair, I did warn him not to come into this room unannounced."
"It that wasn't your 'rage', then what is?"
"Rage… is showing no quarter to the village that fired a single cobalt fragmentation shell after the war was over."
"No quarter?" she inquired.
"Crucifying the men, ravaging and then burning the women at the stake, and burying their children alive."
"What did they do to deserve it?" she asked in horror.
"That shell killed my friend and maimed my…" he paused, at a loss for words; his eyes appeared to stare through her. "In any case, they all refused to divulge who did it."
"But most of them were innocent."
"All's fair in love and war."
"You just said the war was over!"
"It doesn't matter. It never mattered. Savage is lucky that Neal wasn't as close to me as Vitya was."
"Who?"
"An old friend of mine. We always stuck together, and never let any petty politics get between us."
"Was the pay good?"
"No."
"If you didn't fight for politics, and you didn't fight for money, then what did you fight for?"
"For the sake of fighting. Humans have a very self-destructive nature, and what we held in common in that regard kept us together."
She paused for a while.
"You must have been really close, huh?" she asked.
Kai smiled.
"We spent a little over fifty years together. Everywhere I went, he followed."
"Was he younger?"
"No, slightly older. He conceded to my leadership skills, but I think he was hiding something."
"Why so suspicious?"
"He scored a ninety-seven on leadership and decision making. At least sixty points above average."
"What was it out of?"
"A hundred."
"And you?"
"Ninety-nine; our last match was against each other, and he instantly yielded before we even began." Kai chuckled. "I think he was cheating the test so he could get placed with me, perhaps to get to know me. I think he was far smarter than anyone else thought to believe."
"I assume the fragmentation shell killed him, but who else did it hit? You never mentioned their name."
Kai's expression shifted to one of sorrow.
"Ana."
Vega gasped.
"She was the one, wasn't she?"
The man sat, eyes closed and silent, contemplating.
"I'll tell you later, kid. Come on, the meeting's going to start soon."

Kai sat alone in his section, and his eyes darted around from within his Court mask; he found Arcturus sitting at the far end of the chambers. Next to the bear was presumably Altair, given the rabbit's mask and height, and the fact that he held his ears down and inside of his hood; keeping a hood up was a rarity amongst the members of the court. Despite the fact that every robe had one, it wasn't often the most comfortable choice, especially for larger mammals, or mammals with non-floppy ears. Even then, Altair was the only rabbit that regularly wore his hood. Of course, the assumption that the grizzly would sit next to the rabbit to keep a closer eye on him was a good one.

Currently, the stage was occupied by the token doe Rigel, and several other mammals, furiously scribbling on blackboards that were wheeled out for demonstrative purposes. After several minutes, Rigel looked up to Arcturus and nodded; the bear descended the stairs and called order to the assembly.
"Now," he began. "I don't understand why Rigel felt the need to bring out the chalkboards—"
"If you say what I think you're about to say, these are necessary," she retorted. Arcturus rolled his eyes.
"Very well. Now, you all received summons regarding Mapleton; this is, perhaps, the single most important event in the past two years."
"Now," someone from the audience called out in an accusatory fashion, "For those of us that have either accidentally or purposefully been left out of the loop: what, exactly, transpired there?"
"The city is destroyed, and its population dead."
The crowd quickly grew unruly; soon, the entire chambers were filled with undecipherable noise.
"ORDER!" the grizzly commanded. The noise slowly died down. "Regulus was working on some secret strain of rabies, highly weaponized. He was so secretive that he never told anyone else."
Again, commotion grew in the chambers. It quieted soon after.
"He wasn't careful in the containment of this strain, and it was accidentally released in Mapleton. Highly contagious and indistinguishable from common flu until hours before it kills, I, and a few others, decided the safest option would be to destroy the city before it had a chance to spread."
Immediately, accusations and thunderous roaring filled the room.
"How dare you perform such an action without consulting us first!" someone shouted. The sentiment was backed by nearly everyone.
"I didn't have time," Arcturus pleaded. "The work day was almost over; three dozen mammals were exposed, and only a third of workers in Mapleton actually live there. The simulations for a single patient zero were horrifying, let alone for patients zero through twenty-three."
"You had help," Rigel accused, pointing to the calculations written in chalk. The noise died down to listen. "The strongest bomb in your arsenal has a one kiloton yield; we estimate, based on the blast size, and the fact that there was only one shockwave and one flash, that the bomb set off was at least ten megatons, easily ten thousand times as strong. Explain yourself."
"It was the human!" Altair piped up. All eyes went to him; Arcturus' glare was especially evil. "He was directly involved in both the spread of the disease, and the destruction of the town."
"A startling accusation, Altair," Kai retorted. "What proof do you have?"
The rabbit faltered.
"We don't have any weapons capable of destroying a city, but I have no doubt that you do," Rigel responded. The chorus of voices backed her up.
"You are so eager to chastise me," Kai began. "Why?"
"Because you are a cannon with a short fuse!" Altair shouted.
"Look around," Kai spoke, motioning around him. "What do you see?"
"The Court chambers," Rigel answered.
"Precisely, the Court chambers, and not other members of the Court. As soon as you discovered I was human, you became so reluctant to associate with me, to walk past me, to sit next to me. I know that you will never view me as one of you, no matter what I do. This is why Jack throws such scathing accusations: he knows you will, by default, back him up."
No response came, so he continued.
"Why is it that I am an outcast? Is it because I don't have fur, like you do? Because I don't have paws, like you do? Perhaps it is the way I speak, the way I act? Even then, I have met stranger individuals in the city on a daily basis, and yet you have no troubles approaching them."
"You are overturning our way of life," Altair accused.
Kai laughed boisterously.
"'Your' way of life? You copied it off of my way of life. You abuse the fact that you are kin with these mammals, Jack. I don't need such petty tactics to throw an accusation of my own."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"In fact, I need only the proof that I have, instead of mob mentality, to state that Jack Savage pretended to recruit one of his agents as his protege; he told her everything about the Court: its proceedings, my identity, and the Truth, before drugging her and locking her in an asylum."
"What proof do you have?" Arcturus spoke, intrigued.
"I have the wolf in my custody, but it wouldn't even be necessary to bring her here. Alcor knows exactly what I'm talking about; don't you, Alcor?"
"Don't drag me into this!" the doctor shouted.
"What, you're siding with them, simply because they look like you, rather than the side of justice? I thought your role was to bring sanity to the Court."
There was a long moment of silence, before Alcor spoke again.
"Everything he said is true," the tanuki confirmed.
There was a brief moment in which the Court grew unruly, but it quickly went silent after Altair shouted.
"Don't try to deflect the blame, or change the conversation! Admit that you destroyed Mapleton!"
"What would you gain by me admitting that?" Kai posed. "Hell, what do I gain by destroying the city?"
"Answer the question," Rigel demanded.
He paused for a moment, considering his options.
"Yes, I did," the man finally responded.

There was a shocking silence; he expected outrage, but heard nothing.
"How?" Rigel questioned. "It shouldn't be physically possible, I ran the numbers twice. No explosive can have that high of an energy density."
"Trade secret," he responded.
"You are obligated to tell us," shouted someone from the crowd.
"And what, pray tell, will you do with this information?"
No answer.
"Given the circumstances," Altair began, "I believe we need to impose sanctions on Procyon."
Kai chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Rigel asked.
"What punishment could you possibly impose on me?" Kai retorted.
"Possibly excommunication."
"So let me get this straight: I'm the first man you see in over two thousand years, and I very well might be the last man on Earth; you based your entire society on my way of life, and I'm your only accurate resource on the matter; now, you're going to kick me out because I won't sell you some worthless tech?"
"Worthless?! You destroyed a city, killed its entire population! Black rain is falling twenty miles from Zootopia!" Altair roared.
"So you plan on destroying cities, then?"
The rage exuding from the rabbit was palpable.
"Wait, black rain?" Rigel inquired.
"Highly radioactive, sticky like tar," Altair muttered through gritted teeth.
"You blew a dirty bomb?!" someone shouted.
"Really? I thought it was rather clean," Kai responded.
"Then what constitutes 'dirty'?" Rigel questioned.
"I could have made the tamper out of tantalum-182 and cobalt-59, and created a salted bomb."
"Those are fairly stable isotopes."
"Not when they undergo neutron capture."
The doe thought for a moment, before taking a step back.
"You weaponized fission!" she suddenly proclaimed.
"Fusion, darling."
"H-how? Fusion isn't a spontaneous process!"
"It really is a trade secret."
"Enough of this!" Arcturus bellowed. "We can't waste the entire meeting bickering about the human and his methods! We have to decide what to do with the remnants of the city, what details to reveal to the public, and how to handle any survivors!"
"Why are you protecting him?" Altair challenged.
"Why are you attacking him?"
"He could do this again at any moment!"
"Which is precisely why we shouldn't piss him off! Do you really think this is the strongest weapon in his arsenal?"
All of the infighting immediately stopped as the realization dawned upon them.
"Bingo," Kai piped up. "He's exactly right. I have a weapon two-hundred times more devastating, capable of blowing a hole straight into the Earth's mantle. However, such things don't interest me. Instead, I'll work with all of you, provided you don't try to attack me or my allies."
"… That's it?" Rigel asked, suspicious. "You just want us to... not harm you?"
"Or my allies. Surprisingly, the rabbit can't seem to understand this. He keeps threatening me and my subordinates, and thinks it behooves him."
"Alright. Unless anyone from the Court objects," the grizzly began, "We will refrain from bothering you."
"I object!" Savage shouted out.
"Except for Altair," Rigel added on. No one voiced their opinion.
"It's decided then," Arcturus proclaimed. "No one is to attack Procyon or his subordinates. Especially Altair."
"Great; as soon as this meeting is over, I'm off to Sagarmatha," Kai voiced.
"And you are not to stop him, Altair," Arcturus warned. "Nor are you to retaliate in any way."
The rabbit sat silent.

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the official story, as well as how to handle the media. Most of the finer details were worked out by midnight, and most members no longer felt the need to stay, Kai being one of them. He stayed until Vega was named the new Regulus, before ultimately losing interest in the proceedings. He returned to his room to prepare for his voyage. While packing, Sirius knocked on his door.
"Are you really leaving?" the wolf asked.
"Only for a few days. I'll be back before you know it."
"Who else is going to give me jerky and rubs?"
Kai threw a full bag of dried meat to the wolf.
"This should last you until I get back."
"Oh, but what about the scratches?"
"You have two hands."
"Hah, hah," Sirius feigned. "But in all seriousness, I can't help but feel that Altair is going to try something while you're gone."
"Oh, without a doubt. Hopefully you can keep some semblance of sanity in the Court."
"You probably should have told them about your arsenal."
"Why?" Kai questioned.
"Otherwise, they have no reason to fear you. Mapleton was, to them, a one-time event. They don't think it could happen again, especially if they don't understand the mechanism behind your bombs."
"I would rather risk that than reveal the inner workings of thermonuclear weapons."
"Suit yourself," Sirius responded, shrugging. "It was just a suggestion. Say, can I help you pack?"
"Probably not. You could help by keeping Altair away from my subordinates, and the police in general. He has no business there."
"It'll probably be hard, but I know a few mammals."
"Contact them. We'll need all the help we can get."

Two Hours Later

Kai was on the approach to the military base with Arcturus; while the bear was finishing up the meeting, he had visited his bunker to retrieve compact rations, as well as some tracking equipment and other odds and ends. They entered through the gates, and made their way to the hangar. Sleeping on a small cot on the inside was the wolf that Kai had rescued from the asylum; she was wearing a flight-suit, and she appeared in good shape. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she awoke.
"We heading out?" she asked, groggily.
"Yes. I'll take us out, and you'll land in Sagarmatha."
"We have clearance?"
"You do now," Arcturus interjected, stowing his phone in his pocket. "We operate a military base some few hundred klicks from the Port. You'd better hurry, though. If Altair finds out what I'm doing, he might get upset."
"What can he do?" Kai inquired.
"I'd rather not find out."

Kai and the wolf boarded the plane allotted to them, and taxied it to the runway. After obtaining clearance, they took off into the night sky.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is late. I'm a really responsible writer, and by that I mean I made my mixed drinks really dirty by accident right before I started writing. Like, ten shots in two drinks worth of dirty. You'd think long island iced tea is bad, but this was like sipping vodka through a straw. Another big thanks to Jackofallfables for helping me with this chapter. Without his help, it would have been nothing but drunken ramblings.

Nick sections come back next chapter. Also, I really love my titles. A 'bedlam' is a scene of uproar and confusion, but also has a second meaning; it's archaic for an asylum.

It's weird, normally I have a lot to say, but I just feel drained right now; what with the internship dumping an enormous workload, university starting back up in a week, and my health failing me, writing is becoming a little more difficult. I have everything plotted out for the next ~5 to 7 chapters, but if you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send them to me. This story isn't quite finished yet, and I love reading what you guys come up with.

Fun Fact #35: The moon is tidally locked, meaning the same side always faces us. If the sun were to never turn into a red giant, the Earth would also become tidally locked with the moon. However, this would take so long that in reality, the sun would expand and engulf both bodies.