"One… two! One… two! One… two!"

Grace was leading three other people as they swung a small filing cabinet like a battering ram against the armory door. It stayed strong though, and so far they had only made a dent in the metal.

Jack watched from around the corner, one hand against the wall, his eyes wide. All of this felt so… so strange to him. The words that hung in the air were frightening. Revolution, overthrow, defection. The All-Species Republic had been the bedrock for all their lives and for everything he'd ever known, but within these walls, the Republic had ceased to exist.

"Ha! Aha!" He heard Mason's voice come from behind him; the boy had snatched a sticky note from inside a cubicle drawer. He hurried over to the armory door. "Got numbers here! Okay, let's give it a shot…"

They ceased their siege as he bent down and punched the code into the keypad — but it only blinked red. Everyone groaned.

"Sorry," Mason sighed, "ah… carry on, then."

The group heaved the filing cabinet back up and gave it another swing, and another, each punctuated with the heavy clang of metal on metal. Mason watched for a moment before turning back to face Jack.

"Hey, you doing alright?"

"Uh," Jack swallowed, "Y-Yeah, I'm doing okay! Never better!" He flashed a thumbs up nervously.

He could tell Mason wasn't buying it though. The boy's eyes flitted over; all around anarchy still reigned, with some trying to guess the passwords for the desktops, but most of the crowd had ventured upstairs to see what they could find. Vigil, meanwhile, was just returning with another cup of water. He quickened his pace when he saw Mason speaking with Jack "Here you go," he handed it to Jack before turning to the boy. "Is everything okay?"

Mason looked around, before gesturing at a few desks in the corner by the coffee machine. "Let's sit down, I wanna talk for a minute." Each cubicle was equipped with a rolling chair; Mason took one and straddled across, his elbows on the back, before nodding at a pair of seats across from him.

Jack numbly sat down, and Vigil sat beside him. The dog held his cup in his clawed fingers using both hands. He'd managed to settle himself after being assaulted, but he could feel in his muscles that his body was unconsciously ready to jump at the slightest sign of danger.

Mason folded his arms, chewing on his thumb, looking away briefly. His eyes returned to fix on the labrador… then he sighed. "Jack?"

"Mm, yeah?"

"I want to say again, I'm sorry about what happened. No one should have laid hands on you, that was out of line. That guy, he already left, and I'm pretty sure he didn't apologize?"

Jack shook his head.

"Then, for what it's worth…" Mason gestured with his hands, "I'm sorry. That kind of attitude, that's not what we're fighting for. And it's important to me that you understand that."

For a moment the labrador puzzled out how to respond. Eventually he gave a weak nod. "Okay…"

He could tell that Mason wasn't fully satisfied by the answer, the way the boy looked away again. But at least he didn't press it further for now. "It's important to me that you feel welcome in here. This, all of this, it's for people like you."

"Heheh…" Jack rubbed the back of his head, "Look, you don't have to say that. I do feel bad for humans, there's been a lot of bad things that have happened, and I feel bad about that." He glanced at Vigil. "And I-I've seen it, myself… you don't have to pretend that it's for me."

But Mason was already shaking his head, looking a bit angry even. "No. No, you can't… think like that. It's…" he looked around, trying to figure out how to explain it. "What we see… what we want, it's a place where humans and herbivores and carnivores, nobody has to fear each other. There'll be no rules saying you can't go into this job or that one."

"I mean, there aren't really rules against that now," Jack tried to answer, "it's just what we're each best at."

Mason again shook his head at that. "No, you can't… you can't think like the way they taught you. Look, this kind of carnivore self-loathing, the herbivore self-pity, it's not sustainable and not healthy. We'll have no meat market, no Beastar." Jack's eyes just about bugged out at that, and the boy caught the expression. "No Beastar. Yeah."

"Well that's just it!" Jack gave a weak laugh, feeling like he'd just discovered the fatal flaw in Mason's argument. "Why'd you want to get rid of that? The Beastar is a role model for society, to bring all species together!"

That prompted only a pointed stare from Mason. Even Vigil, so far listening in intently, dropped his gaze at that.

"...Okay, maybe the Beastar right now isn't great. But it's about setting a goal, an ideal! And we're working towards that ideal!"

"...Are you though?"

"Well," Jack struggled, trying to find his reasoning. "You can't just get rid of the Beastar!"

"Why not?"

"You just can't!"

"A hundred years ago there was no Beastar. The world isn't going to end without one. And if he's supposed to be a symbol of unity among all species…" Mason shook his head again. "I'm sorry to say that he's failed."

"So, but then what? What are you going to do instead?"

At that, the boy blinked. Bit his lip. Looked away.

"You don't have an answer you want to tell me?"

"We're… working on it." The answer was obviously a lie. "I… guess I can admit that I've spent so much time getting to this moment that, I've not thought a lot about what comes next. But we're all going to work together, we'll find something that works."

"If you don't even have a plan, then why do you want to change things so badly?"

He set his jaw… then glanced back at Jack. "And you? Why do you want things to stay the same? You mean to tell me you're happy with your life? That there's nothing you wish you could do differently, as a dog?"

"What, what do you mean?"

"Let me take a guess: fast-tracked to go into government work?"

Jack blinked. "Yeah, yeah I am…"

"And that's what you want to do?"

"I mean, why wouldn't I? It's got good pay, job security, and I'd be doing important work. Sounds pretty good to me!"

"Work doing what?"

"I, uh, had been looking at the urban development ministry? Which you know, doing inspections and permits."

"And that's what you really want to do?" Jack meant to say something, but Mason scooted himself forward, sitting up more and gripping the back of his chair. "Really think about it. When you were a kid, did you say 'One day I want to write permits for a living'? That's what they kept pushing you towards."

"I don't know, I mean—"

"You never got to choose, did you?"

"It's not like—"

"If you could choose… what would you really want to do?"

"I-I don't know, okay?!" Jack shook his head, feeling like he was being pushed back in a corner. He'd be angry if he could; the most he could muster was frustration. "I don't know what I'd want! I never had a chance to think about it!" He gestured with his hands and made the water in his cup slosh. "Besides, what I was doing, I was going to help people in a way no one else can! Dogs were made to be in the civil service! You can't change that!"

But all through the outburst, Mason only watched. As the dog finished, he spoke again. "Dogs existed before the Republic began its breeding program, Jack. You don't have to be anything. You shouldn't," he corrected himself, "have to be anything."

"Well I can't control that! Just," he struggled to speak, "just because you say something doesn't make it true for the rest of us! That's not how the real world works! That's not how my life gets to work!" He stood from his seat as he became more agitated. "Maybe you can feel free to get out here, take over police stations, break windows, and laugh it off, but I have my life to worry about! And if I get seen here then I get kicked out of my program, and I lose everything! I can't risk that!"

His chest rose and fell. Something in his chest squirmed, and he felt like he'd choke. It scared him, and he weakly clutched his heart. Vigil and Mason both stared up at him. Then Mason slowly nodded, looking away.

"You think I'm not risking anything being here?" His tone wasn't angry. If anything it sounded hurt. "My dad, he has… has this business, that he wants me to inherit and run. And he hates that I do this, he'll probably cut me out of his will or something. But the thing is, it's hard for him, running that place as a human. In fact I think the only reason he's not shut down is because the crime lords extort him for protection. That's... not a way to live, can you see that? To live in fear of losing everything?"

He paused, swallowing nervously, as he stood up.

"What I say still stands. If you need anything, I want to make sure we help you."

"I just need... space, right now…"

A last nod. "Alright. I'll make sure no one bothers you. Oh, and Vigil?" The human perked up. "Tomorrow is Rope Day, right?"

"Is…" Vigil counted out on his fingers. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Happy New Year." Mason turned away. He passed by a few desks, picked up the wrench he'd been carrying around with him, and moved onto the next group. All around came chatter, the sound of teenagers and college-age students bored and waiting for the next steps to come along. Jack was left there, still clenching his water cup, fingers trembling again, as he struggled with the unfamiliar emotion.

There was a long awkward silence between the two of them. Then Vigil spoke up, "Can I… say something?"

"Yeah, yeah go ahead, I'm sorry, I…" he seated himself again, trying to slow his breathing. A dozen thoughts clouded his mind at once. "I promise, I'm not mad at you…"

Vigil bit at his lip. "I… I think I understand at least a little bit of what he was talking about, and what you're going through?"

Okay, the one thing Jack didn't want to talk about any more. But before he could interject Vigil pressed forward:

"Please, just let me explain, and… maybe, it's something that can help you articulate what you're thinking better?"

The dog closed his eyes with a sigh. "Alright. I'll listen."

"Thank you…" Jack heard a pause, his eyes still shut. Vigil's voice was shaky. "I… you know how, how I mentioned before that Reed was my adopted father?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't tell you, what happened to my birth parents, did I?"

"No… no you didn't…"

"They, ah… they had been caught up with bad people. I didn't understand, I was so little. But I remember there were… scary men around, lots of lizards in particular. And Dad, I remember him more, I remember this one time he looked at me and his face was… looked so scared." As Vigil continued, Jack started to open his eyes. The frustration in him calmed, and instead a pit formed in the bottom of his stomach. "I remember they said their job was in their room, and again, you're a kid you don't question that. It wasn't until later that I realized they were… they were pumping themselves dry for money. And one day, I guess… they made a sale they weren't supposed to, or something… and… and I don't remember much… I just remember Mom screaming..."

Vigil swallowed. He looked like he'd be sick.

"I… I ran, and just kept running, out on the streets. I was crying, trying to find someone that would help. It's like… I can only remember snapshots here and there. Running. And then I remember a black car, and one of Ardi's Inquisitors…" He bit his lip. "He calmed me down, and he gave me an apple, and… I remember that, because I'd never eaten an apple before. I thought it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. He… he was taking me to somewhere safe, I remember thinking that. Again, so many things I only found out later… but he went back a couple days later, poisoned their meat at the markets. The Dokugumi, the lizards, a dozen of them died, and nobody would touch their wares for weeks…"

Jack couldn't think of what to say. He desperately wanted to say something though, something to comfort Vigil. But what words would work? Sorry? That's too bad? Glad you found new parents? The weight pressed on his shoulders, the way he wanted to help and yet found himself helpless.

"And Father Reed, let me sleep in his manor for a few nights. Then… a few nights longer… a week turned into a year, and then another one, and then…" he shrugged, managing a smile. "The rector said it was the first adoption under the laws of the Hominid Union in over six decades! And Dad, he really did his best. He made me feel like I wasn't just part of the community, but part of his family. And Flint was a good brother too, even if he was…" he snickered weakly, "really annoying at times. But still, Dad, he had… he has big ideas. And sometimes I think he cares more about them than us."

"What, what do you mean?"

Vigil opened his mouth. He was struggling to make coherent words. "It's… I, please… I don't want you to take this personally."

Jack drew back, bracing for what he was about to say.

"I… never wanted to come to Cherryton. Dad thought though that I could be some kind of bridge between worlds. A city human, raised in a community, he told me all the time about how I could be the one to bring peace between species. He talked about me like I was going to save the world or something. And I mean, I do believe in interspecies peace, and Dad never, you know, mistreated me about it or anything. I just thought that… you know, he'd keep trying to get me in the academy, they'd keep rejecting me. I never thought that they would actually say 'yes.' I show up here, and I had to be like... like some kind of empty vessel. So I could be what people wanted me to be, so I could be who Dad wanted me to be. I always had to have some purpose, I wasn't allowed to just… be. And if I failed, then... " A scoff. "What am I talking about, I did fail. And now it's like, the entire point of my life has been for nothing." He paused. "I know that was a lot, but does it make any sense at all?"

Jack blinked away. He took a shaky breath. "...You never had a chance to feel like you were worthy of just existing? You felt like you had to justify the space you took up?"

"Yeah, that's… exactly it."

The dog blinked. Blinked again. His chest tightened again, and he could barely control himself. "I'm sorry… I've failed too, I've been a terrible host…"

"No, Jack." He felt the human clasp his wrist. Jack glanced up at his face. "None of this is about you. Yes, I wanted to stay in Ardi, the rest of my life. But when I came here, and met you, you… you showed me a side of animalkind that I didn't know about before. You, meeting you, has been the very best part of being here. And I don't want you to think any differently."

Jack tried to swallow. He couldn't… his hand grasped at his throat, he found himself struggling to breathe. His eyes stung.

"Jack, Jack are you okay?!"

An avalanche starts with just a slight disturbance, which rolls and builds and crashes over more and more snow before raging down the mountainside. In the same way a thousand little memories were piling together in Jack's mind, falling over one another and each dragging along a dozen more related thoughts. Lectures in regal yet austere rooms, examinations where Council members themselves sat in to monitor the results, meeting bureaucrats at the age of 12 to build out his path into government work, every hour of his life mapped out, while his friends joked and laughed and didn't have to think more than a day ahead. He'd been a watch in perfect harmony, being wound tighter and tighter and tighter. Now the spring had snapped.

A tear fell from his eye onto his lap.

He clapped a hand to his mouth, terrified about what was happening - and yet it was the most beautiful thing he had ever felt. Jack squeezed his eyes shut. More tears. The cup fell from his hand, spilled across the floor, as he pressed his palms to his face. He gasped for air, shaking, sobbing on the chair as the rest of the world seemed to fade around him.

All he was aware of was Vigil nervously resting a hand on his shoulder. Jack let him.

Cherryton convulsed with chaos as down every alleyway, lawlessness reigned. Old resentments and insults slithered to exact their pound of flesh. It was like a great flood; the tidal wave of revolt splintered as it rolled over the land, spilling and filling itself into every crack and hole it could find. The police fractured off into pairs and trios, guns drawn, terrified and ready to lash out at the first sign of danger. Men and women rushed either for the nearest opportunity or home to wait out the storm.

The vibrant palm trees of Freedom Street swayed in a gentle breeze as smoke curled around them. Men and women armed with whatever they could grab stormed the shops, months and years of abuse returned to management and then some. Outside a tech repair, a tiger was pinned to the wall, frothing at the mouth, blood on his face. It took two elephants to hold him there, one trying to stem the bleeding gashes in his trunk.

Blocks away outside the Happy and Heaven, people hammered the walls and splashed paint across them, scrawling out harsh words. But a pair of bloody bodies outside the door were an effective deterrent to actually going inside — four big cats had their pistols drawn, the door barricaded, the fortress held down until the mob grew bored.

Further down the way, back to the respectable side of town, people poured into the city hall. These were the most focused, the most determined, and so far the most victorious. They pumped their fists and shouted, "Hey-ey! Oh-oh! Yafya has got to go!"

Their voices thundered and echoed the ceiling. Windows opened wide on either side as the open atrium led to a twin set of stairs. Those stairs culminated in front of a door, marked with a plaque as the office of the mayor. Within this office, those guests who hadn't fled the building cowered in terror. What was left of the security team wielded batons against the crowd pushing up the steps. It was a stalemate, and looking over it all were Yafya and Juno, the young wolf panting in fear.

Yafya pointed. His voice was terrible and strong, not needing a megaphone, "Listen up! This is another warning! You're here unlawfully! Disperse, now!"

The only response was a shoe hurled through the air, whacking the stallion in the face. Juno jumped away with a yelp as the shoe spun past her, hitting the floor.

Yafya didn't even flinch. His only sign of having even registered the impact was closing his eyes. Fingers reached up, adjusted a part of his mane that had been ruffled by the projectile.

"Hey-ey! Oh-oh! Yafya has got to go! Hey-ey! Oh-oh! Yafya has got to go! Hey-ey! Oh-oh! Yafya has got to go!"

Juno shook her head. So many, so angry, at Yafya - and the stallion didn't seem to care. Every chant felt like it rocked her to the core. Yet the Beastar stood beside her, as if carved from living stone. There was another surge up the left staircase. Yafya's eyes snapped to glare at them, but the police beat back the protestors. The stalemate continued. Juno gulped, looked around frantically. Her claws began to etch into the railing as she gripped it tighter.

The horse glanced to her. He calmly leaned over, speaking in her ear. "It's alright, just hang in there."

She struggled to draw a breath. "You have to do something! Isn't it your job to bring people together? Say something to them!"

He cocked a brow, leaning away, speaking loudly over the protests. "Well, future Beastar, what would you say!? How would you offer peace to the mob down there!?"

Juno didn't expect the question turned back to her like that. "I… I'd try to listen to them! Tell them I can make changes, make things better for them!"

His face only showed smug amusement. "Then tell them, Deputy Beastar!" And in that moment, when she tried to think of how to phrase it, she realized what he meant. "Don't you hear them? They want me to resign! Because we caught a terrorist and accidentally shot him when he moved aggressively!?" He shook his head. "The bandwagon, remember, Juno?"

Oh god… that only reminded her that all of this was because she turned in Ward. It hit her with a wave of horror — not only of the destruction of the mob, but also of the idea that Yafya might blame her for all this. "I remember!" she spoke without fully thinking, "And you're right! You were just doing the right thing!"

"And no good deed goes unpunished!" Yafya looked back down at them, before lifting his eyes. "Let me tell you something, you see this?" He motioned at the rotunda above them. The mural depicted herbivores and carnivores, seated in togas within an ancient forum, speaking and gesturing at each other in classical idealistic forms. "This! This is what the Republic stands for! Herbivore and carnivore, united together, stronger together! We believe in this ideal, don't we?"

"Yes, of course!" Juno realized she didn't want to sound like blind agreement. "All species should work together! That's what the Beastar is an example for!"

He nods, and gestures over the crowd. "They don't believe in it."

And sure enough the chanting had shifted down below. "Where is the Council?! Where is the Council?! Where is the Council?!"

Juno felt choked for words. But they were just—

"They might say they believe in it, maybe they even think they do! But then they do this, they attack the Republic! And we can't…"

He trailed off. Juno's ears flicked as she picked up the thunderous hum outside. Down below the chants broke away as people began to hear the sound as well. Nervous eyes turned to the windows on either side, and some started to filter away from the crowd. The only person who seemed to light up was Yafya. "What is that?" Juno glanced around.

He just gave a content snort. "Tell me, what happens to your body when it's sick?"

Then shadows descended over the windows.

Gunshots sounded from every direction. The crowd all ducked. Protests mingled with screams as the glass shattered. Animals in thick black armor and masks stormed in from every window, rappelling in from helicopters above. The rangers wore red badges, shouted orders. Tear gas erupted from their weapons into the mass and they pressed in from all sides. In terror the crowd stampeded for the exits, scrambling and crawling over each other. Soldiers ripped individuals from the fringes and pinned them down, zip-tying their hands.

"Advance!" Yafya ordered the security staff. They moved alongside the rangers, pushing the crowd back. Then the stallion turned to Juno. His eyes drew to the button on her dress. His stare brought her own gaze to it, even amid the new wave of chaos. "That says Deputy Beastar doesn't it? Let's get this place cleared out, together." With that he started down the staircase.

Juno blinked. "Wait, wait wait, what do you mean?! You mean, fight? But there's… there's blood! I... I could lose control!"

With that Yafya paused and whirled around. "Listen to me," he raised a finger to point, "You told me before that you'd never let your carnivore instincts overwhelm you? Forget that."

Her stomach flipped.

"Let them loose, and clear the building! You want to protect the Republic, don't you?!"

"Yes, of course!"

"Your badge gives you immunity! Unleash your instincts for the good of all species! Now go!"

With that he ran down the steps, barking orders, chasing a straggler and practically tackling them. Juno meanwhile followed his example, coming down the steps the best she could. She'd long since abandoned her heels, and her slim dress was already starting to split at the seams. Her instincts… something she'd always been told to suppress from an early age. She'd been shamed for even raising her voice to her parents. Her breath came short as she tried to work it up…

"Hey get back here!"

Someone ran into her, sprawling away, as the rangers shouted after him. They were quickly distracted by more protesters before them. But the human boy had shaken Juno from her trance.

Slowly, she began to step, then jog, then sprint after him.

"STOP!" she shouted. "In the name of the Beastar!"

He tried to press into the crowd and disappear into the mass of people squeezing back through the doorways. Juno eyed him, feeling like she was locked on a target, something inside her breathing back to life like a frail vine resuscitated with a cup of water. She leapt, practically pouncing.

Juno caught the boy by the shoulders.

The crowd splintered around her and a growl came from her throat as she straddled across the boy's body. "You're attacking us?! The people trying to help you?!" Her claws ripped into his shirt as she forced him onto his back. His face contorted in fear. "In the name of the Beastar you're under arrest for — "

There was a crunch as a foot connected with her nose.

She recoiled to the left; the blow had come from her right. Someone screamed for her to let him go. The cartilage in her snout had broken a bit, and it was bleeding. Bleeding, the pain, the assault, she was under attack, fight, fight back. Her head jerked around as a badger raised her foot again to kick Juno off her catch.

The wolf caught the foot in one hand, and swiped with the other.

More screams around her, and this time people actually fled. Someone tried to move behind and she took a lunge at them. A growl at everyone as they fell back.

Then she looked down at her catch again, furious, incensed, adrenaline pumping in her system like it never had before. Juno grabbed his shoulders to hold him in place. Her grip threatened to crack the bones; he yelled in terror, in agony. No, she shouldn't, but he was right here, the blood, the attack, what was she even doing.

Her fangs sank into his shoulder.

His screams echoed up to the mural above in the dome.