A/N Hey everyone, I'm back so thank you for waiting patiently since Eric is going to encounter the horrors of seeing the black market for the first time while Gouhin's place doesn't count, now sit back and enjoy because the diner scene in Bourne Identity will be implemented in this chapter in a way that makes sense, and I'm sure those of you who have seen the movie know what I'm talking about.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! Where the hell are you getting these plus-fours from?!" Miguno shouted in frustration as he reluctantly picks up four more cards to add to his hand, and it was unusual to see the laidback spotted hyena swear like a sailor so I assumed that I was being a bad influence on his language.
"I know, right? Where is he hiding them?" I piped up as I narrowed my eyes at Voss, who was looking completely innocent but I knew that he was up to something while he was only down to one card and he shrugged.
"I want red," Voss said before Miguno started looking frustrated.
"I don't have any fucking red!" Miguno exclaimed irritably, only Voss smirked and I realized that suggesting to play Uno was the worst idea I've ever come up with, especially after Collot drops the fifth plus two in a row.
"Another one," Collot said with a grin, then I couldn't take it anymore.
"Collot, stop! Oh god, what have I done to you?!" I yelled in horror and desperately tried to balance my hand of cards in my fingers.
"Nothing, I just like seeing you struggle with those tiny hands of yours," Collot remarked jokingly, making me send him an unamused look.
"They're not tiny, you guys just have really big hands except for Voss and I think it's a large breed canine thing because Legoshi has really big hands as well," I grumbled in exasperation, then Miguno and Voss share a dubious smirk before the small fox glances at me nonchalantly.
"Speaking of the big guy, you two have been spending a lot of time together recently," Voss said with a knowing grin, then I paused at that slightly until I put down a plus-four for Voss.
"It's not important, and I want blue by the way," I started to change the subject, only the others didn't look convinced.
"Go fuck yourself for that Eric, but seriously, we aren't judging your sexuality or anything so how's it going between you lovebirds? He waited for you in front of the main building a couple of days ago, in the dark no less, just to walk back to the dorm with you so if the guy doesn't have it bad, then there's something wrong in that noggin of his," Voss stated bluntly, causing all of us to laugh until I smile dejectedly while being consumed by the many doubts in my mind.
"Even though that was really decent of him, I doubt he sees me as anything more than a friend," I said with a slight frown.
"Uh-huh, sure he does," Collot told me sarcastically, and I rolled my eyes before I put down my next card as Voss announced that he's down to one card again.
"I'm serious, he's on the quiet side and I'm basically his first human friend so he's a really decent guy but he's probably not interested in dating a human anyway, and who the hell knows if he swings that way...also, who would be interested in dating a human and a male one at that, honestly?" I admitted solemnly, just before Voss laid his last card down.
"I win," Voss said with a victorious smirk and the rest of us groan in annoyance.
"Seriously, how the hell do you keep doing that?! This is the fourth game you've won in a row!" Miguno exclaimed in disbelief, and despite all the complaining, we laughed again until the sheepdog turns to me with a sympathetic expression and ruffles my hair.
"Don't sell yourself short Eric, you've got way more to offer than most guys in this school so he's lucky that you like him since he's never been in a relationship before and I think you two being together would really do wonders for him," Collot reassured, and the others nodded in agreement while my face remained stoic, but the hesitant somber glint in my eyes is hard to miss.
"So, another round?" Miguno offered with a nervous grin, only I shook my head.
"Sorry, I'm going out to get some air so have fun, guys," I said as I stood up.
"Do you really have to go now?" Collot asked with a disappointed frown.
"Sorry, but I'd like to clear my head so I would be more focused during the club meeting," I insisted with an apologetic tone before I gave them one last goodbye and left the dorm room until I made my way out of the building.
The warm sun greets me and a breeze of spring air gently plays with my hair as I continued walking until it didn't take me long to find a bench to sit down on and I simply admired the scenery around me, enjoying the sights for a while until I stood up and continued my way to the main building while checking my watch to see what the time was.
Seeing that it was almost time for the club meeting, I decided to head inside the building and just simply wander around for something to do when I came across an orchid in a flowerpot and leaned forward before I examined it to see if it was healthy, and I smiled when I saw that it looked okay as I let out a quiet content sigh.
At first, I ignored the feeling of a pair of eyes staring at me from behind and assumed that a student was looking at me weirdly for marveling at a flower, but when it persisted, I stood up fully and craned my head back while glancing up.
Familiar dark reptilian-like eyes stare back at me and I smiled at the wolf, who's looking down at me and I noticed that he's so close to me to where if I were to back up ten inches, his chest would press against my back as his ear twitched slightly and he smiles back at me.
"Hey, Legoshi," I greeted warmly.
"H-Hey, how are you?" Legoshi asked before I shrugged.
"I'm good, and you?" I inquired curiously.
"G-Good," Legoshi answered, then he just stares at me with his tail wagging like crazy behind him.
'Oh hell, why are we both so terrible at small talk? Ugh, I feel like I want to sink into the ground to escape,' I thought awkwardly as my heart raced and I swallowed nervously before I went to start off a conversation, only Legoshi beat me to it.
"Have you heard about the recent murder?" Legoshi inquired, and surprisingly, I haven't since I was playing Uno with three of our roommates and the TV was turned off so I honestly thought that it was a luxury that the dorms even have TVs.
"Honestly, I haven't so what happened?" I asked with my eyes slightly furrowed in concern, and I didn't miss Legoshi's tense posture relaxing since he was most likely relieved that I wasn't going to question his morbid choice of small talk.
"Do you maybe...want to walk to the drama club together? I can tell you on the way, i-if you don't mind," Legoshi stammers and I nodded, then we walked side by side at a slow comfortable pace as his tail occasionally brushes against my leg.
"We were watching the news earlier and according to them, a group of carnivores is suspected of devouring a female gazelle in the nearby city of Sapporo while the pictures they showed were pretty gruesome," Legoshi continued, causing me to sigh before I rubbed my eyes.
"Oh hell, that's awful but how are you, Jack, and Durham dealing with it all?" I asked in concern, then Legoshi looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Legoshi questioned in confusion before I scratched the back of my head.
"Well, I don't want to sound insensitive or anything, but I can't imagine that such an incident makes the carnivores look appealing to the herbivores, especially since...Tem's killer still hasn't been found," I explained, trying my best not to call out the blatant racism or remind the wolf of his dead friend as he sighed and his eyes started looking darker than usual.
"Honestly, carnivores are used to this kind of tension, but it hit Jack a little harder though," Legoshi said quietly, then I started feeling worried for the kind labrador since he shouldn't have to experience something like that.
"Poor guy, he's too pure for this world...hey, Legoshi, you know I don't think of you guys like that, right?" I reassured, then the large wolf turns to face me with his ears twitching and the look in his eyes telling me that he doesn't quite understand what I'm trying to say before the heat rises to my cheeks and the tips of my ears as I struggled to clarify in a way that won't offend him.
"I-I don't think you guys, carnivores I mean, are monsters since you're just like everybody else to me and honestly, a lot of herbivores are real assholes if you ask me but I know that not all of them are like that, just like not all carnivores are bloodthirsty savages just because a small percentage of them are capable of something like that.
If you want my opinion, you're perfect proof of that since you wouldn't hurt a fly," I explained shyly with a small smile.
Legoshi opened his mouth to reply to that, only he stopped when the sounds of a commotion occurred up ahead and I also turned my head to look after hearing a female voice in distress, seeing a male raccoon violently gripping and pulling on the arm of a female student, who was mostly hidden from view while a male brown eagle held up his phone.
"Did you see this?!" the eagle questioned loudly while the raccoon had a nasty grin on his face.
"The canine killer group's leader is a gray wolf, just like you!" the raccoon added while the female student was struggling to get away from him and his friend.
"B-But I'm not like that!" the girl shouted in terror, then the eagle scoffed.
"That's what you all say!" the eagle yelled cruelly.
Seeing these assholes attacking that poor girl because of her species, I scowled and began storming over to them before they noticed me and took their attention off of the girl to focus on me, the raccoon letting go of the girl while I stopped a few feet away from the two morons and crossed my arms.
"Excuse me, what the hell do you think you're doing?" I questioned irritably, my glare appearing to unsettle them until they showed annoyed expressions.
"How's that any of your business, asshole?" the eagle retorted, he and the raccoon trying to look intimidating but I wasn't phased by it.
"Because it looks like you guys are attacking a lady, which isn't cool at all so would you kindly stop harassing a fellow student, please? There's no point to this, especially over something as stupid as an unrelated news report," I suggested calmly while I found myself studying the two boys for any weaknesses without realizing it.
"But she's a gray wolf-" the raccoon tried to say, only I cut him off while looking unamused.
"And? You're a raccoon, so should I assume that you eat trash and spread rabies or that your eagle friend enjoys ripping rabbits to pieces?" I pointed out, shutting the two bullies up as they started looking nervous before glaring at the girl again, causing me to narrow my eyes as I prepared to scold them again until Legoshi showed up.
"Um...excuse me," Legoshi announced, causing the raccoon to look at him and his eyes widened in alarm at the sight of the giant canine towering over him while Legoshi added, "Eh, I'm her older brother so is there a problem here?"
Finally, I looked at the female student kneeling on the ground and thought that she looked like a mix between a wolf and a dog, but who was I to judge? The girl's fur was curlier than Legoshi's and had a combination of dark and light brown that made it take on a type of reddish hue to it, though she also had a similar cream color on her face.
As for her ears, they were lowered at the sides as they had longer fur than Legoshi's with her muzzle being slightly different but the most striking feature is her eyes being the color of periwinkle and I felt like facepalming since she held no resemblance to Legoshi at all, and the two bullies would most definitely figure that out.
'Dammit Legoshi, she obviously looks nothing like you!' I thought in exasperation as I grimaced at the thought of this escalating badly.
"Her brother? Seriously?" the raccoon questioned skeptically before Legoshi nodded.
"That's right," Legoshi answered and went to look at the girl, then he flinched and I assume he realizes that he messed up until the two bullies glared at him.
"Liar, you guys don't look alike at all," the eagle scoffed.
"You can't fool us, dumbass," the raccoon agreed, then I sighed irritably.
"Seeing as you morons obviously don't know shit about how genetics work, let me assist with those walnut-sized brains of yours by telling you that she looks like their mother while he resembles their father," I cut in to help out the large male wolf, sending him a telling glance before he gulps and kneels down in front of the girl.
"You okay...sis?" Legoshi asked awkwardly, making me cringe inwardly as I realized why he wasn't on the actor's team in the first place.
"Yeah, thank you...brother," the girl answered to keep up the act while it was painful for me to watch this.
'Fuck me, this is a disaster and those assholes have to be idiots to fall for this,' I thought as I got ready for those guys to call Legoshi out on his bad acting, only they appeared to have had enough with attacking the girl and simply gave up.
"Damn it, let's go," the raccoon growled, purposely bumping into my shoulder as he and the eagle pass me but not before the male bird sent us a threatening gesture as they left until the two bullies were gone.
Legoshi groans in relief and annoyance while I went to kneel down in front of the two, then I proceeded to observe the female wolf with soft worried eyes as I felt really concerned for her just as Legoshi faced her fully.
"I'm, uh...sorry for lying like that," Legoshi said, earning a confused glance from me because if he hadn't lied, then those assholes wouldn't have left her alone no matter how much I would've tried to stop it so it was unfortunate, but most bullies only listen to people who are bigger than them.
"But you saved me so thanks a lot, both of you...I owe you," the girl answers, glancing between me and the large male wolf before I nodded curtly and offered her a gentle smile until I waved her off.
"You really don't, I'm glad we could help," I assured as Legoshi also nodded.
"I couldn't ignore it when they said you were a gray wolf since there's a lot of bullying like that because of the recent news. You're a first-year, aren't you? You'll get used to it by the time you're a second-year and, uh..." Legoshi trailed off once he saw my stern look before he catches sight of the girl's tears and distraught expression.
"This is something I have to get used to? Seriously? It's even worse than junior high and they're so cruel, they can't do this! I'm just so frustrated at myself because I take it too personally every time," the girl sobbed out.
At that moment, I was unsure if I should comfort her since I was a stranger, but I pushed through my anxiety and lightly pat her shoulder in the hopes of comforting her as Legoshi glanced at what I was doing and sighed.
"If that's the way you really feel, then it's a really good feeling for you to hang on to since I was fed up with being frustrated so I just...pretended I was used to it, and feeling that frustration makes you stronger," Legoshi explained while his eyes meet mine and I hope that he could see my sympathy and understanding for him in my blue orbs.
"Anyway, excuse us," Legoshi added while he nodded at me, and I see this as a sign to leave while we stood up fully and he started to walk away while I was about to join him.
"You're Legoshi from the art department, right?!" the girl called out, forcing the big wolf to stop and he slowly turns around to face her while I watched from the sidelines with a perplexed look.
"Actually, I just joined the drama club this year as a new member," the girl notified Legoshi, taking me completely by surprise since I haven't been aware of any new members joining lately so at least she and I have something in common.
"Huh?! Hold on, really?!" Legoshi exclaimed, understandably freaking out since he also hadn't been informed of this as the girl bowed.
"My name is Juno," Juno introduces herself, her tail lightly swaying behind her.
"I'm sorry that I didn't actually recognize you," Legoshi said sheepishly.
"That's okay, I'm part of the actor's team anyway and the day I joined, Sheila mentioned that there was a second-year here who's a gray wolf and she told me that you were a very polite male wolf, so I'm happy to see that you really are," Juno complimented, and I narrowed my eyes slightly at her blush while inching a little closer to the male wolf without realizing it.
"Oh...well..." Legoshi trailed off, looking nervous from her words and he scratched the back of his neck.
"Since we're both wolves, maybe we don't have to be so formal," Juno offered before Legoshi started looking thoughtful, and I didn't like the way Juno was looking at Legoshi as I started scowling slightly.
"Then, will you be at the club today?" Legoshi asked.
"Uh, no, I think the gathering today is only for second-years," Juno replied before I cleared my throat to butt in.
"Exactly, and speaking of the gathering, Legoshi, we should really get going or we're going to be late so it was nice to meet you, Juno, and if you ever need something, don't hesitate to ask," I cut in, attempting to hide my annoyance at the knowledge that she had completely ignored my existence.
Either way, I sent her a polite nod and grabbed Legoshi's hand before pulling him down the hallway and we continued heading to the drama club, only I was tense since something about Juno had me on edge and I couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to be a problem in the future.
Surprisingly, Legoshi and I arrived at the drama club just in time, where I sat down in a line with Tao, Aoba, Bill, Ellen, and a small chipmunk girl while as usual, I sat next to Legoshi but I was also sitting next to Bill and making sure he didn't try anything as I sent Louis a short nod before listening to Sanu.
"Alright, so those second-years will meet with the city to discuss details of the festival tomorrow right after school," Sanu said before Ellen raised her hand.
"Why is it just the carnivores?" Ellen questioned while the female chipmunk nodded in agreement.
"The herbivores want to go on outings too!" the girl added, causing Sanu to sigh in exasperation.
"Have you not seen the news lately? The police are having all herbivores in the city and here to remain indoors until further notice, so you all are going to work here on-sight for a while until the killers are found.
Anyway, that's all I'm going to say on the matter," Sanu stated, making the female herbivores whine in disappointment and I still didn't understand why they needed to go to the city as Sanu turned to me.
"Eric, seeing as humans are omnivores and you'd be under the protection of the carnivores just in case, you're free to join them as well," Sanu said, then I sighed and nodded.
"Sure, I haven't been in the city ever since I arrived here so it would be good to get out and enjoy the sights a little," I agreed reluctantly, though I was very hesitant in going back to the city since I was still wanted by the police for what I did and I stuck out like a sore thumb so I just had to hide my face to not be spotted.
"Either way, we all know very well by now how unmanageable carnivores are when they lose their senses," Louis chimed in, addressing the herbivores in the room while Legoshi tensed up beside me as Bill scowled.
"That crap again? This is getting really old," Bill grumbled unamusingly, then Louis went over to the door and placed his hand on the handle until he stopped and looked back at us with a deadly serious expression that even took me by surprise.
"One more thing, don't even think about going to the black market," Louis warned sternly before leaving, catching me by surprise as I recall Gouhin mentioning the black market so I wondered what kind of place it really was as the others looked confused.
"Really? Is there really a black market in there? No way, really?! I heard that they sell herbivore blood and meat!" Ellen shouted in alarm as we all stood up, then Bill sent her a weird look.
"Huh? What the hell kind of era are you living in?! The black market is just a red light district that sells porn mags to carnivores, so that's plenty of reason for us to be thankful for it. Anyway, I'll get you something to eat, from one striped animal to another," Bill offered with a warm smile as he rested an arm across Ellen's shoulders.
"What?! Don't touch me, you're gross!" Ellen retorted as she sent him a withering glare, only Bill wasn't phased by it and looked back at the rest of us with a grin.
"Meeting's over, so head back to your dorms, guys!" Bill declared cheerfully while ignoring Ellen's protests as they left the practice room.
"Yep, that's Bill being himself as usual alright," Aoba remarked dryly while Legoshi nodded in agreement.
"Well, I sure can't do that," Legoshi commented until I sighed.
"I don't know about you guys, but it's starting to get dark so I'm going to head back to the dorm to get some sleep so that I can get up bright and early tomorrow," I stated, causing Legoshi to look at me.
"Alright, I'll see you when I get back," Legoshi told me, then I left the practice room with my backpack and headed back to the dorm until I arrived at room 107.
I went inside before going to bed and before I knew it, it was morning and I got ready for today with Legoshi and our other roommates before he, Jack, and I went to our usual morning classes until Legoshi and I went back to our dorm so that we could get dressed for our trip to the city.
I slipped out of my school uniform and put on casual clothes that consisted of a red ball cap, sunglasses, gray jeans jacket, black t-shirt, blue cargo pants with a belt, and brown work boots while Legoshi wore a red long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans cuffed at his ankles, and white sneakers until we walked to the drama club before meeting up with Bill and the other male carnivores.
After that, we left campus grounds together and made our way to the subway station before taking the train to the city, then we soon arrived and got out until we used the toll booth to get through but the tiny gate closed shut, preventing Legoshi from getting through.
"Huh?" Legoshi spoke in complete confusion while the rest of us stopped and turned around to face him.
"What the hell are you doing, Legoshi?! You're holding up all the lines!" Bill snapped irritably, making the wolf flinch as he grimaced.
"I-I'm sorry, I just..." Legoshi stuttered before looking back to apologize to the people behind him.
"Just pay the toll," Aoba said in exasperation while I was starting to feel on edge, then Legoshi managed to pay the toll and rejoined us until we continued walking.
"Do you ever leave school?" Bill questioned Legoshi, who simply shrugged.
"I don't think so...I buy everything I need online," Legoshi replied, causing Tao and Aoba to send him weird looks.
"That's what old geezers do," Aoba commented as Tao made a face.
"Unbelievable, you don't even go out on the weekends?" Tao questioned in disbelief, only Legoshi didn't answer and I sighed before looking at him.
"Legoshi, no offense, but you really need to get out more since that can't be healthy," I chimed in with a look of concern, making the wolf look at me until he started looking embarrassed.
"Sorry, just don't see a reason to go out into the city," Legoshi muttered, then I let it go since I didn't want to push as we approached the stairs that would lead out into the city and started to leave the subway.
"Damn, everything looks so big when you're in the city center," Bill remarked as we exited the subway, then we found ourselves in the middle of the city center while we just stopped and took everything in.
"Would you look at that, all the birds are flying! I'm so jealous," Aoba gasped in astonishment as he watched the other birds flying around with their belongings.
"That's right, you can only get a flyer's license after graduation," Tao said as he also gazed up at the sky to watch the birds going about their day, only I simply looked around and noticed a police officer nearby, making me lower my head so that he wouldn't see my face until Aoba sent a teasing look at Legoshi.
"Yeah, going out isn't fun at all, huh?" Aoba questioned sarcastically, making the only wolf of the group stare back at him with a puzzled expression.
"Huh?" Legoshi spoke in confusion, and Aoba smirked as he motioned his head at the wolf's tail.
"Your tail's wagging," Aoba clarified, causing Legoshi to start sulking while I stifled a chuckle so that I wouldn't be rude.
"Hey, let's get moving!" Bill shouts, prompting most of us to follow the feline but I looked back and saw Legoshi staying behind a little longer while he appeared lost in thought.
I let out a sharp whistle to get his attention and gestured for him to keep up with us, making Legoshi hurry after us and we made our way towards city hall until we went inside while I kept my head down so that nobody would recognize me.
As suspected, the meeting didn't take long at all and we left city hall while I sighed, scratching the back of my head and wondering why the mayor wasn't phased when he saw me, though I had a bad feeling about the lion since something about him made my skin crawl while the others and I took a bus back to the city center and started walking with Bill in the lead.
"Huh? Hey, if we're already done with the meeting, then why did we go on the wrong bus?" Legoshi wondered, causing the others to stare at him like he had two heads and he noticed that.
"What?" Legoshi questioned uneasily, making me sweatdrop since he could be dense at times.
"Legoshi, we still have time before we head back so we should take this opportunity to explore the city more and I don't know about you, but I'm hungry so we should get something while we're out," I pointed out before Bill nodded with a grin.
"Yeah, we get to eat something other than cafeteria food!" Bill exclaimed eagerly as we continued walking.
Pretty soon, we found ourselves in a nearby diner and ordered our meals before we took our seats and waited for them to be done, then our food was ready and the waitress brought us our food before we started eating with notices on the meteor festival lying on the table in front of us as cheery music played in the background.
"It's the same details as last year," Legoshi remarks, voicing what was on everyones' minds while I was lost in thought.
"I don't mind since we got to go out," Aoba replied and I smiled slightly.
"Yeah, and at least I got some pain meds on the way here to help me with my headaches," I chimed in while looking down at the pharmacy bag that rested next to my feet.
"Now that you mention it, I have caught a glimpse of you having a pained look now and then so you have headaches? That sucks, man," Aoba said sympathetically.
"Yeah, they come and go once and a while, though at least the Tylenol will help with the pain but there's not much I can do about the light sensitivity, hence the shades I'm wearing," I said with a frown, annoyed that these headaches weren't going away and I was very concerned that something was wrong as Tao turned to Bill.
"So, finish the story!" Tao urged eagerly, changing the subject and Bill smirked.
I rolled my eyes when Bill continued his story of how shitty he was in bed with a female tiger, though he didn't know that while the wolf beside me was clearly not happy with the vulgar change in topic as he awkwardly huddled against me and focused on his drink.
As for me, I was ignoring Bill's antics and simply ate my fries while thinking about my situation, feeling a little frustrated that I haven't remembered who I was yet and the only memory that popped up briefly was chaotic and disorganized so I was a little peeved at this point just as Bill turned to Legoshi.
"So, Legoshi, when are you going to lose your virginity?" Bill asked boldly while resting his arm on the wolf's shoulder in a friendly manner, only Legoshi was looking highly uncomfortable from the question while he was quickly looking around in embarrassment.
"Hey, I can smell that virgin stench on you from miles away, dude," Bill added, and I was the one to start feeling uncomfortable while I tried not to imagine what the wolf would be like without his clothes on and my face started getting hot as I unintentionally pictured him nude in my mind.
'Oh god, Bill, why the hell did you have to do that?' I thought while I was mortified from thinking about my anti-social friend in such a manner.
"Do you know about that cute new gray wolf in the drama club?" Tao questioned with a subtle smirk while staring at Legoshi, and I paused at that before scowling.
"You mean Juno?" Legoshi asked while sounding uninterested as usual.
"Hey, Legoshi already knows her name," Aoba praised while Bill beamed.
"Ohh, sounds promising!" Bill said loudly, only I wasn't as happy as he was right now and glared right at my food while this current conversation was pissing me off and I didn't know why as Tao looked at me.
"Hey, Eric, is it true that you don't remember who you are or where you came from?" Tao asked curiously, causing the others to look at me while I was slightly taken off guard by the sudden question before I nodded.
"Yeah, it's true...but there are things I haven't told you guys that I'm still trying to figure out myself," I answered hesitantly, uncertain if I should tell them what I can do since I didn't know if they could keep it quiet.
"What, do you have superpowers or something?" Bill asked sarcastically, making me grimace and Aoba elbowed the feline in the ribs before glaring at him for being rude until I sighed.
"Not exactly...look, this is going to sound really weird, but I swear to you that it's the truth so try to keep an open mind and don't interrupt," I said uncomfortably, earning everyone's full attention before I got started.
I told them everything I had discovered so far about who I could've been before I lost my memories, making sure to not tell them about the two incidents where I beat the shit out of two cops and Louis since I didn't want them to stop being my friends as I told them everything until I was soon finished and waited for them to speak while everyone stared at me with wide eyes until Bill started looking unamused.
"Yeah right, I call bullshit on that," Bill scoffed skeptically, but I just stared at him seriously.
"I'm not making this up because it's the truth," I insisted calmly with no change in my tone to indicate that I was lying before Aoba cleared his throat.
"Okay?" Aoba added in uncertainty, but he seemed willing to believe me so I took that as an opportunity to continue.
"The thing is, who has a safety deposit box full of...money, six passports, and a gun? Who the fuck has a bank account number in their hip? Look, I come in here with you guys, and the first thing I'm doing is catching the sightlines and looking for an exit," I stated while looking nervous.
"We see the exit sign too, and we're not worried," Tao pointed out in confusion before Legoshi nudged me to get my attention.
"Well...you were shot so people do all kinds of strange and amazing things when they're scared," Legoshi reassured as I looked around, seeing a few people and I looked thoughtful for a few moments until I leaned forward.
"In that case, I can tell you all the license plate numbers of all six cars outside...I know our waitress is left-handed while the guy sitting at the counter is 215 pounds and can handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is in the police cruiser's trunk outside.
At this altitude, I can run flat out for a mile before my hands start shaking...now why would I know that? How could I possibly know all of that and not know who I am?" I wondered uneasily, Legoshi and the others gaping at me before Aoba shook his head to snap out of it.
"Dude, I know you have an attention to detail, but that's incredible," Aoba said in astonishment while Bill frowned.
"Okay, I have to admit there's some truth to what you're saying, but how did you lose your memories in the first place and why?" Bill questioned before I shrugged.
"I don't know, which is why I need answers if I want to figure out who I am," I replied just before Tao sighed.
"Either way, let's take our minds off of this for now by exploring the city while we still have time," Tao suggested to change the subject, then we nodded and finished our meals before leaving the diner and heading off to enjoy the sights.
"Hey, let's go back," Legoshi suggested as the sun sets over the tall buildings, engulfing the whole city in its orange glow and I nod silently from beside the wolf, feeling tired after sightseeing all day.
"Yeah, our dorm mother's pretty strict," Tao agreed as we continued walking while my feet were killing me.
"Which way is the station?" Bill wondered before Aoba grimaced.
"Uhh, I think we're lost," Aoba informed us hesitantly, his eyes glued to his phone while I felt like ripping my hair out.
'Oh, come the fuck on! Really?! What's next, we're jumped by some serial killer?' I thought in frustration as I sighed in exhaustion, hearing the others bicker while leaning my head against Legoshi's arm.
"Um...it's this way, according to zoozle maps," Aoba told us while Tao made a face at that.
"You're a bird so use your, I don't know, magnetic sense?!" Tao shouted irritably, causing Aoba to send him an unamused look.
"Yeah, I'm not a migratory bird, smartass," Aoba retorted sassily, and for once, I wondered what it would've been like to be a bird.
"I don't think we're too far," Legoshi says helpfully, glancing down at me with a caring gleam in his dark eyes.
"I swear to god, if any of you suggest that we should split up, I'll kill you myself," I groaned stressfully, feeling too tired for this crap as we kept moving, and soon after, the five of us find ourselves in the back of an alleyway behind a truck while it was dark and an uneasy feeling rose up in the pit of my stomach.
'I don't like this, it's too isolated and the perfect place for an ambush so I really don't want to wind up as a victim in a robbery gone wrong,' I thought tensely, then I hear groaning and follow the sound to see a strange-looking antelope huddled up in the corner of the alley.
"Guys, I have a really bad feeling about this so I think we should just go back and ask someone for directions," I suggested nervously, but Legoshi had other things in mind as he stared at the homeless person who was most likely hopped up on some unknown narcotic.
"Hey, Legoshi, What the hell's going on?" Bill questioned to get the wolf's attention, then he sends me a confused look when he gets no response and I shrug while nervously crossing my arms, feeling a chill run down my spine as I felt a sense of great danger and wanted to leave quickly.
'Shit, we really need to go because something is seriously wrong,' I thought anxiously just as Legoshi approaches the antelope and crouches down, trying to look as friendly as possible as my eyes bugged out from how stupid he was being right now.
"Excuse me, mind if I ask you something?" Legoshi asked politely, and I felt like strangling him for doing something so dangerous since that homeless man might have a weapon on him and could kill the wolf easily now that he was within reach.
"Legoshi, what the hell are you doing?! He could have a knife on him so back up before you get seriously hurt!" I whispered frantically, having the sense to understand that you never get close to a homeless person since it was very dangerous and that you could get killed.
"Yes, go ahead," the antelope rasped in a gravely hoarse tone of voice just before he held up his hands, and I was paralyzed in complete horror when I saw mangled stumps where a few of his fingers used to be while the remaining ones had price tags hanging from them.
"Oh...god," I spoke in revulsion and disgust, feeling ill and my stomach churned from the horrible sight while I clamped a hand over my mouth as Legoshi was frozen stiff by the sight.
"Go on, choose your favorite finger," the antelope insisted while I was trembling and tearing up.
"Legoshi, we need to get the fuck out of here now!" I shouted stressfully, but I couldn't move and could only pray that this was a horrific nightmare that I'll wake up from, only Legoshi wasn't moving and staring at the stumps that were covered in dry blood.
"Sure, they're the leftovers, but they taste great," the antelope coaxed and reached out with his mangled hands to grab hold of Legoshi's face that still held a shocked expression.
"Your canine tooth is three centimeters and you're young and healthy, so it'll sell at a slightly higher price...finish it in one bite, alright?" the antelope continued while I wanted to pass out from the shock of what I was witnessing as everything in my body screamed for me to run.
But I couldn't, not without Legoshi as the truck drives off, revealing the previously blocked off alley and presenting me with brightly lit stands filled with meat while many different carnivores mingle within it like a carnival as my jaw drops open at the sight, though not in awe this time as I realized where we are and thought that I was going to puke.
"This is the black market!" Aoba gasped, voicing my thoughts and I gagged while feeling bile crawling up my throat.
Gouhin told me what this place was meant for so, to hear about it was one thing, but to see it was another thing entirely and my mind struggled to comprehend how horrific this was as I kept looking away from the twisted sight, only my attention kept returning to such a place filled with sickness and death while I was in shock and barely able to keep it together as I tried not to break down completely.
"Finish it in one bite, that's all I ask," the antelope said to Legoshi, but I wasn't registering it as I remembered the time Legoshi and I were heading back to the male carnivore dorm after he helped tie my laces.
"Legoshi," I spoke up as we continued to walk back to our dorm, snapping the wolf out of his wandering mind as he looked at me.
"Huh? What is it?" Legoshi asked before I turned my attention to him.
"I've been wondering, how exactly...do you see me?" I inquired as we stopped walking and the wolf fully faces me.
"How do I...see you?" Legoshi questioned in confusion, making me chuckle as I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
"Yeah, that probably sounded stupid, didn't it? Seriously though, I just...I'm just wondering how you, a non-human, see me...like how do you perceive me? Because I look at you and I see this majestic strong wolf who wouldn't hurt a fly but...it's hard to know how the rest of the world sees you, especially when you're the only member of your species who isn't living among your own kind," I clarified solemnly, and Legoshi appeared unsure on how to respond while he was speechless.
"I...Eric, I...just see you. I don't know how else to describe it," Legoshi answered slowly, and I chuckled before I grabbed his furred hand and held it in my own.
"You know what, Legoshi? I'm really happy that we're friends," I stated warmly with a soft smile while I didn't want this to end.
I snapped out of it, inwardly scolding myself for slipping away while standing in such a dangerous place as I quickly looked at Legoshi and was about to run over so I could yank him back and have us run away from this god-awful place, only Legoshi jumped back to get away from the homeless man and Bill suddenly shoves the wolf out of the way.
"Move!" Bill growls and kneels down to put his hand on the antelope's shoulder before shouting, "Hey, old man, it's 70 thousand yen for that finger, right?! If I pay for it, that means it's mine to eat?!"
Pure horror appeared on my face and I stumbled back when Bill turns to face the rest of us, a twisted feral expression on the feline's face while I was utterly terrified of him now and wanted to run away.
'Holy shit, he can't be fucking serious, right?! For god's sake, please just let me wake up from the horrible nightmare!' I thought as I stared at Bill fearfully while he had a sick grin on his striped face.
"What do you say?! Let's all have a bite so that way, we can all split the cost!" Bill exclaimed gleefully and in response, Legoshi swiftly slapped him across the face while I silently thanked him for it.
"What the fuck was that for, dumbass?!" Bill snapped, baring his teeth at Legoshi while the wolf looked pissed beyond belief.
"You're the idiot so do you even hear yourself right now?!" Legoshi shouted angrily.
"We're already here in the black market, so I'm not about to let your ego get in my way!" Bill snarled viciously.
I started shaking as Legoshi let out a guttural growl, his fangs bared and his fur bristling while I was holding myself tightly as my head started throbbing painfully and there was what appeared to be another lost memory that flashed through my mind, only it was more faded and showed the bars of a cell while a small pair of human hands from my point of view was clutching two of the bars while the feeling of fear and a lack of hope went by before the memory quickly dissipated.
"Legoshi, calm down!" Aoba exclaimed while getting in between the two carnivores, his stern gaze on the wolf and he started looking regretful.
"Sorry, I'd be on your side if we were at school...but it's different here," Aoba added, causing my eyes to widen from every word that dares to leave his beak.
"Aoba-" Legoshi tried to protest but he was cut off.
"Look around you, this is the black market and we're carnivores," Aoba said firmly while I couldn't believe what I was hearing right now.
'Oh my god, I feel like I'm about to throw up,' I thought in disgust, staring at the eagle in revulsion as Legoshi looked horrified.
"Y...You're really going to...eat it then?" Legoshi questioned in shock, looking as betrayed as I currently felt.
"Of course we are, so didn't you see the main street? Everyone was having fun and being peaceful because the black market exists for us, so don't you get it? Grow up a little, will you?" Bill boasted while sounding condescending, and I didn't think I would be even more disgusted in him than I already am.
"An adult?" Legoshi muttered, and I inched closer to him as I saw his clenched fists.
'For god's sake, Legoshi, please don't do something you'll regret,' I thought as the others looked confused.
"Huh?" Bill wondered with a puzzled look before Legoshi glared at him and the others.
"Is that what it means to become an adult?!" Legoshi shouted, rage and frustration clear on his face while I flinched back from his loud voice, my breath hitching in my throat before the wolf left me with the other three carnivores and the lone herbivore by taking off into the black market.
"Legoshi!" I yelled, followed closely by Aoba's own shout as a few tears left my eyes but I forced myself to stay strong and stay focused since this place was very dangerous and the last thing I needed was to get killed.
Glancing at the other three carnivores behind me, I realized something else that I would've missed had it not been for this fucked up situation and what it was is how I didn't really know them at all as Bill grunts in annoyance, causing me to glare at him while the feline threw his hands up.
"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Bill shouts irritably, then something in me just finally snapped after hearing that and ugly laughter escapes my mouth while I shook my head in disbelief, bringing the others' attention to me while Aoba noticed my distressed state and tries to approach but I stepped back fearfully.
"How do you not see anything wrong with this?" I snapped harshly and Bill bristled at that.
"Don't act like you actually understand, Eric, because you're not a carnivore, you're just a damn hu-" Bill growled, appearing much more dangerous in the threatening gleam of the alley and I found myself going into the animalistic defensive stance with a vicious snarl escaping my mouth as my eyes started glowing red and my fingers curled to mimic claws as I bared my teeth while Tao and Aoba leaned back uneasily.
"Yes, I'm human and I can promise you that you wouldn't talk to me like that if you knew a single goddamn thing my species were forced to do in that fucked up war decades ago! Aren't you supposed to be civilized or at least have a fucking conscience?!
You're all willing to devour someone's finger, someone who's clearly incapable of taking care of himself, and at least the meat in there comes from people who are already dead! They don't feel pain as you devour them alive because can you guarantee me that you'll have enough self-control to actually stop at one finger?!" I snarled ferociously while looking like a carnivore who's lost control of his instincts, seeing the others struck silent with hurt and disbelief in their eyes but Bill still had his fangs bared at me as I turned my feral expression at Aoba who flinched.
"You know, I expected better of you but I guess I was wrong since it looked like I never really knew you and if I so much as see a drop of blood on my meds, I will fucking rip every single one of you apart," I threatened darkly, then I quickly turned and ran after Legoshi before any of the others could react as I entered the black market.
'Dammit, I'm not going to find him in this stupid crowd! Shit, why couldn't I have a canine's senses to track him down better?! Fuck!' I thought lividly as I stayed on the move, knowing full well that stopping for any reason in this place was suicide since Gouhin once told me a month ago that there were carnivores in here that became addicted to meat and I would be a target to them.
I was panicking, feeling seriously scared for Legoshi since this was no place for a kind and gentle person like him, not to mention that I was freaking out from that reaction I had earlier since it was like my body went on auto-pilot again and I was wondering why I acted like a cornered carnivore when I wasn't even one but the smell of meat was causing a strange reaction in me.
On one hand, I felt like I wanted to throw up from the smell but on the other hand, my mouth was watering to the point of salivating while I was struggling to hold back the sudden unexpected urge to devour meat, so I was seriously scared of myself right now and not knowing where Legoshi was didn't help.
'Legoshi, where the hell are you?' I thought, feeling too many eyes on me and the sensation of being seen as nothing more than prey was making me move even faster since the last thing I needed was to be attacked again.
At that moment, my heart slowed down and I became far too calm as my eyes turned cold and detached, moving confidently now with the only thought of finding Legoshi on my mind since Gouhin lived nearby and he would help as I slowed down and simply walked with my hands in my pockets.
I knew where to go and the quickest way to get there, feeling the sensation of being followed as I took a subtle glance behind me and could see two carnivores that consisted of a leopard and a jaguar while they were behind me at a distance with looks of hunger in their eyes.
I kept moving while making sure they were confident I hadn't seen them, then I turned into an alley and ducked behind a dumpster before I hid as the two carnivores entered the alley and I could see them quickly looking around while cursing under their breath.
They started arguing with each other while their backs were turned, giving me an opportunity as I quietly left my hiding place and snuck up behind them until I suddenly grabbed their heads and slammed them together, rendering them out cold as the two carnivores collapsed completely unconscious and I continued my way to Gouhin's place while leaving the leopard and jaguar on the dirty ground.
Pretty soon, I arrived at Gouhin's clinic and went inside before heading upstairs, reaching the door of the panda's living room and I knocked on it until I heard slight movement inside and snapped out of it before clearing my throat.
"Gouhin? It's Eric and I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm looking for someone and I was hoping you could help," I announced, then I heard a chuckle inside before large footsteps approached the door and it opened to show Gouhin and surprisingly, Legoshi.
It took a moment for our gazes to connect and it took a second for me to quickly hurry over to wrap my arms around him, letting out quiet sobs of relief as Legoshi was frozen from the sudden contact until he returned the hug and I looked up at him with an exhausted glare.
"I swear to fucking god, I'm going to put a bell on you if you run off like that again, dumbass!" I scolded irritably, but I was glad to see that he was okay until I saw that he had a black eye and we let go of each other.
"Legoshi, what the hell happened to your face?" I questioned in concern, then Legoshi grimaced and I saw Gouhin crossing his arms before I connected the dots and sent the large panda an icy glare that even made him flinch before things went tense after that.
I had no idea that silence could be so deafening, and I could drop a feather and the sound of its impact could rival that of a cannon, not to mention how awkward this entire situation was while I had Gouhin bring me an icepack for Legoshi's face so that I could help take the swelling down.
Speaking of the panda, he was now sitting across from me on the same white medical bed I woke up on a month ago while anxiously avoiding my prominent glare as twenty minutes had gone by while Legoshi sat on a chair next to mine as I glanced between him and Gouhin, eyeing the former with kindness and the latter with an astonishing intimidating look that promised pain as we didn't speak and I was fine with that since there was a good chance I would lose my temper if Gouhin so much as said something.
"Does it still hurt?" I asked softly as I looked at Legoshi, my voice quiet but I knew he could still hear me.
"A little bit, but we don't have to wait here until it stops, so we can go now if you want," Legoshi answered and I shot him a look of disbelief, which he notices.
"Really, I'm fine, so you shouldn't worry about me," Legoshi insisted, only I looked unimpressed as I stared at him unamusingly.
"Well I do, which means we'll stay here until I say we're good to go, Lego-head. We're already late, so another fifteen minutes or so won't kill us," I stated firmly with a bittersweet smile as I lifted the ice pack a little to check the bruise and added, "Well, at least the swelling's gone down a bit."
"Lego-head?" Legoshi questioned, his chuckle like music to my ears and I couldn't help the heat in my cheeks when I spot the gentle, amused gleam in his eyes.
"What? It fits, seeing as you don't think things through and keep getting yourself into these stupid situations, so I think Lego-head describes you perfectly," I reply defensively, then the wolf's face darkens with guilt as he scoots a little closer to me.
"I'm sorry, Eric, I keep dragging you into my messes," Legoshi said regretfully, then I tap his nose and that makes him perk up.
"It's alright, friends stand by each other through the bad and good, though that doesn't mean that I won't go through with putting a fucking bell on you if you don't stop getting yourself hurt," I warned half-heartedly, causing another chuckle to escape Legoshi and Gouhin cleared his throat to get our attention until we looked and I could see the panda arching a brow before I started blushing in embarrassment.
"Am I missing something here?" Gouhin asked in confusion, causing my good mood to go away as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I don't think it's any of your business and don't think that I'll forget the fact that you struck Legoshi across the face, so what the hell were you thinking? The thing about him is that he would never hurt a fly, but you hit him and that wasn't cool at all because he didn't deserve that," I lectured irritably, then Gouhin scowled while Legoshi fidgeted uneasily.
"Eric, please," Legoshi muttered but I didn't show any sign that I was listening.
"I don't think you have the right to tell me how I treat my patients so don't you dare lecture me, kid," Gouhin retorted as the air became thick with tension.
"That's the thing, he's not your patient because he's a kind and gentle person who was exposed to a very fucked up place for the first time in his life, so it wasn't surprising that he panicked and hitting him would've probably made things worse," I pointed out before Gouhin groaned and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Dammit, I was right about you being a pain in the ass, but let's forget about that for now so how have your interactions with carnivores been so far?" Gouhin asked, then I sighed as I pondered my answer for a moment and wondered if I should indulge in his racist standpoint before I decided to go for it since I didn't exactly have much to lose.
"Besides the occasional near heart attack from this airhead here and an asshole of a tiger, carnivores have actually been rather kind to me because frankly, it's the herbivores that act like absolute pricks because they don't have any boundaries.
If I told you that I got assaulted by an herbivore just because he mistakenly thought I was a carnivore, would you believe me or would you take the side of the herbivore simply because he was one and I'm not?" I questioned, keeping my tone neutral but still holding a bit of an attitude in my voice while Legoshi tenses up next to me once more, seeing as I've never told him about my first interaction with Louis.
"But I thought humans were herbivor-" Gouhin attempted to say, only I cut him off.
"Actually, humans aren't because we're omnivores like pigs, red pandas, and maned wolves so we can survive with or without meat, though we can't even digest most raw meat without risking our health and the same goes for a lot of vegetables as well.
If you don't believe me, then let me tell you that some vegetables just taste nasty when they're raw like onions or potatoes, so have you ever tried raw onions before?" I asked and Gouhin shook his head.
"It's not fucking great from what I hear since it causes stomach problems and onions are especially deadly for dogs because their bodies can't process it, so if I were you, I'd start to expand my horizons a little since not every carnivore's a beast and not every herbivore is as innocent as society makes them out to be.
If there's one thing I've learned ever since I came to this country, is that everyone has the potential to be a monster, so it's a lesson I'll never forget and I recommend you learn it, Gouhin," I explained before I checked Legoshi's face by lifting the icepack again, seeing that the bruise doesn't look as bad as before.
"Looks like the swelling's almost gone now, so how are you feeling?" I asked as I looked at Legoshi, who shrugged.
"Good...it doesn't hurt anymore," Legoshi answered before I narrowed my eyes at that and he quickly added, "Really, I promise that I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Did you get hurt anywhere else?" I questioned skeptically, and Legoshi sighed with a smile.
"No, I promise that I'm okay so can we please go back now? I don't want you to get into even more trouble because of me," Legoshi reassured, and I contemplated on letting him go back out into that harsh world as I furrowed my brows until I gave in with a sigh.
"Okay," I said quietly before I grab my bag and pull it over my shoulders while making sure I wouldn't accidentally leave anything behind as Gouhin also stood up, sending me a nod and I gave one back in response until he opens the door for me and Legoshi.
When the door closes behind us, it's just me and the tall wolf in the dark of night but it wasn't as peaceful here like it was in Cherryton, though not even the stars refuse to shine as bright over the city as the lights that I spot in between the buildings were nice, only not even they would erase the horrors today had put me through.
I exhale a tired sigh as I began to walk, using the route I had memorized when I studied a map of the city once while Legoshi looked at me to see how tired I was after the traumatic incident I went through.
"Come on, Lego-head, we should head back because I'm tired as fuck," I said in exhaustion, and the wolf and I fell into a comfortable pace after that.
After that, there was nothing said between us while the wolf had no idea what to say and I wanted to give him time to sort out whatever was on his mind, not to mention that the weight of today now settled on my shoulders since the many bursts of adrenaline had worn off and successfully wiped me out so all I wanted was to go to bed at this point as I noticed Legoshi scowling at nothing in particular and didn't bother to ask since I wasn't eager to go through more drama today.
Suddenly, Legoshi grabbed my hand unexpectedly and started running while dragging me with him, causing me to let out a startled yelp from how fast he was but I soon ran alongside him easily and I didn't think anything else could surprise me today.
It felt liberating to run like I was running off all the frustration and panic, all the fears that I've encountered today and I couldn't help the small thrilling grin that appeared on my face as Legoshi looked at me and appeared surprised that I was easily keeping up with him, then he looked more eager and focused on running while we headed back to the station.
It didn't take long for the two of us to arrive at the entrance to the subway and I was surprised to see a familiar figure waiting there while holding my pharmacy bag, just before Legoshi and I finally came to a stop until the both of us hunched over and breathed heavily to get air back in our lungs.
"Legoshi, Eric, hey!" Aoba greeted loudly as he walked over, causing me to send him an uncertain nod since I wasn't sure I wanted to be near him right now after what just happened.
"Aoba, why are you here?" Legoshi asked in confusion.
"First off, I still got your meds, Eric," Aoba told me as he handed me the bag, and I thanked him hesitantly before the eagle turned to Legoshi and I was taken aback when he looked guilty.
"Yeah, I had to get out of there...I couldn't actually bring myself to eat that old man's finger," Aoba said as Legoshi's jaw dropped open slightly in awe while I looked shocked by what I heard.
"When I thought about the club president, Louis, and all the herbivore friends that I have, I just started feeling nauseous," Aoba continued before looking disgusted with himself as he avoided eye contact with us out of guilt.
I just stared at the male eagle, seeing how affected he was by what happened and I felt guilty for what I said to him since it was clear that my words had gotten to him in a big way, but I started feeling respect for him since he had come to realize how wrong he was and made the right choice in the end as Aoba went to speak again.
"Hey, listen, I'm sorry about earlier and I'm sorry to you as well, Eric, since I know that we've scared the hell out of you and...you have every right to be pissed at us, at me. Let's go back," Aoba told us until he noticed Legoshi crying and asked, "Huh? Legoshi, are you-? Damn, I don't have a handkerchief so are you okay?"
Of course, seeing the normally stoic wolf crying took me off guard but I rub his back in an attempt to comfort him, though I figured that he had to let it out eventually since everyone has to cry sometimes, and after the horrible day Legoshi had, it would've seriously concerned me if he didn't start crying.
When I wrapped my arm around his side, Legoshi's tail begins to wag and gently hit my back once and a while so even though he didn't say it out loud, I knew that he was grateful that I'm here with him and that he's grateful to Aoba for making the right choice, grateful for no longer being alone.
A/N Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter since more hints about Eric's lost past is revealed in this chapter so the sudden memory of him being in a cage at a very young age and the number ten tattoo on his foot should give you all an idea of what his life was like before he was taken in and raised to become a part of the program that made him into an assassin.
If you guys still don't know what I mean, then let me give you a hint and say that Eric and Louis are connected in some way, but they don't realize it yet since it had been a long time, so that should clear things up for you.
Also, I've been doing some thinking and decided that the events of Supremacy, Ultimatum, and Jason Bourne will happen after all since I don't know how Eric will get the evidence to expose the program and the people involved in it because everything would already be destroyed with files shredded and digital ones erased to cover their tracks while the only people who knew were either killed, kept their mouths shut, or covered up their involvement in the conspiracy.
I know in Supremacy and Ultimatum that the whole reason why Jason Bourne went after the CIA to expose Blackbriar was that Marie was killed unintentionally, but I'm not going to do that since it would be heartbreaking for Legoshi to die and people would want my head on a platter for killing off a fan favorite, so things are going to happen differently where Legoshi does survive and I hope that eases your minds.
Well, let me know your theories as to what Eric's young life was like before he became an assassin since those who are very familiar with the Beastars anime/manga know what I'm hinting at, and stay tuned for more.