Chapter 23: Haru's Life In Peril! A Trio's Challenge!


The next day, as Alex was finishing his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a notification popped up on his phone. He nonchalantly looked at it, but what he read made him nearly drop his phone in shock and panic. Haru's heart rate and fear levels had reached dangerously high levels. That wasn't good at all. Smaller animals such as rabbits were more easily overwhelmed by their instinct-rooted fears, and it was quite literally possible for rabbits to die of fright.

He devoured the last bite of his sandwich and raced to his car. As he sprinted to his vehicle, he texted Legosi when was the last time he saw Haru. The gray wolf replied saying that it was about a half hour ago that he was last with her, and he'd go check out that spot.

While Legosi went and checked out the spot where he had last been with Haru, Alex got in his car and fired up the computer to get a location on Haru via her wristwatch. The cop's blood turned to ice when he realized that her coordinates showed her moving through the black market. His phone rang, and he checked the caller ID. It was Agata. Alex picked up the call.

"Alex! You gotta do something fast. Some of the members of my gang kidnapped this white dwarf rabbit, and they're planning to feed her to our boss!" Agata urgently whispered.

"SHIT! How many other lions are in the mansion with you?" Alex asked.

"Not counting myself, there's seventeen other lions including the boss. I know I can probably get two or three of them to stand down and take my side," Agata replied. Alex knew that he didn't have a chance of making it out of the manor with Haru alive if he went in alone. That meant he had to gather allies.

"I'll gather a team to help rescue Haru," Alex promised.

"But Alex, cops don't have jurisdiction here in the Black Market!" Agata told him.

"I KNOW! I'm gonna get the best I can who aren't cops. Stall for time as long as you possibly can!" Alex ordered. The wolf hit the gas pedal and started driving. Legosi was heading towards the mayor's office, and Alex decided he would intercept him there.

The white wolf got to the mayor's office first, parking his car right in front of the entrance. He saw Louis walking out of the building looking dejected. Alex hopped out of the car and ran up to Louis. "Louis! Haru was kidnapped-" Alex began to say.

"-By the Shishigumi, I know! I know! I went to see if the mayor would be willing to help, but he's just like most predators! He's too much of a coward to help," Louis angrily cut him off.

"Louis, you're wrong. Many predators would want to help in this situation," Alex countered.

"And I'm one of those predators who wants to help, Louis-senpai," a familiar voice said. Legosi came sprinting up to them.

"It doesn't matter… she's already dead," Louis lamented.

"No, she's not! She's still alive!" Alex argued.

"And how do you know that?! Faith? Gut instinct?!" Louis exploded.

"That, and her biometric watch! It's transmitting her vitals as we speak," Alex answered. He showed them her heart rate and breathing, which had gone down to a slightly safer level.

"Louis-san, you have to help us save Haru! Aren't you in love with her? She loves you too, you know!" Legosi begged. Louis's eyes blazed with anger, and the deer struck Legosi by punching him in the face.

"Don't you DARE act like you know everything about me, Legosi! You're someone who prefers to stay in the shadows, to pretend like you're a nobody. Besides, it's too late for her, and I can't break the city's peace for one life! We have to keep the peace, even if it's all fake and superficial!" Louis roared at Legosi.

"Stop deluding yourself, Louis. You call this peace!? This is no peace!" Alex growled at the cervine.

Louis ignored the white wolf and continued his verbal assault on Legosi. "You embody this illusion of peace, Legosi. You hide your strength and full potential from everyone around you, lying to the animals so you can fit in. You're a waste of space and potential, Legosi!" Louis sneered.

Something inside Legosi snapped, and the gray wolf growled. Alex realized that he shouldn't interfere, as these two males needed to fight each other in order for them to work out their emotions. "FINE! If that's how it's going to be, then I'll show you the 'potential' you speak of!" Legosi snarled. He grabbed Louis by the shirt and pulled one of his arms back, balling his paw into a fist.

"I'll show you the anger that I have towards the lions that are threatening Haru's life… the anger that I have for your unwillingness to help… the anger that I've kept locked up inside of me for having to hide who I really am… the anger that has been festering in me since my mom died… and the anger that I've harbored for growing up without a father!" Legosi screamed. He let his fist fly, smashing into Louis's face. The deer was sent flying and landed on the sidewalk, dazed from the blow.

"Oh my god, Louis!" Legosi gasped, shocked at how far his blow had sent Louis. He ran over to check on his friend. The deer kicked Legosi in the balls and got back up on his feet, assuming a fighting stance that was similar to that of a boxer on TV. Alex knew that he had to break the fight up now. He stepped in between the two animals and raised his paws.

"That's enough, both of you! I need both of your help if we're going to save Haru! Now GET IN THE FUCKING CAR!" Alex commanded. The gray wolf and red deer froze and got in the back seat of the car. Alex got in the driver's seat and slammed the gas pedal, the tires screeching as the car zoomed off towards the black market.

Louis and Legosi sat in the back of the car staring at each other awkwardly, not sure what to say. Agata called Alex back. "I got good news and bad news. And surprisingly, I have quite a bit of good news," Agata announced.

"Did Haru escape?" Louis blurted out hopefully.

"No, but that's also a good thing. She'd be in just as much danger or worse if she got out of here without someone escorting her," Agata replied. "Then what the fuck is this good news!?" Louis complained.

"Well, I got Ibuki and Dolph to leave the mansion with me, meaning you only will have fifteen lions to deal with including the boss. Second, I was able to stall for about a half hour of time. Fifteen minutes of arguing with the others about the ethics of this, her being a student and all. Then me, Dolph, and Ibuki pulled out our guns and we had a standoff with the other fifteen lions for about ten minutes. Then Haru broke the standoff up because she had to use the bathroom," Agata explained.

"Any other good news?" Legosi pleadingly asked, desperate for any sign of hope.

"Yup! While we were in the bathroom, I took the opportunity while she was in there to tell her that you guys were coming for her. And I even managed to pass her a weapon!" Agata cheerfully told them.

"YOU GAVE HARU A GUN?!" the two wolves and deer exclaimed in horror. Alex could imagine Agata scowling on the other end of the line.

"No, of course not! I'm not an idiot, I'd never give an untrained animal a gun! I gave her a ballpoint pen. It was the only thing that would fit in her uniform pockets. And the last thing, you should have a good amount of time to find her in the mansion before the boss eats her. He only eats his herbivores when he knows they're feeling ashamed and humiliated- something about the taste," Agata said.

"Then what's the bad news?" Alex wondered. He could tell Agata's ears had drooped.

"Well, uh, there's still fifteen lions you'll have to deal with. Five of them are outside the manor and the other ten are scattered throughout the mansion," Agata revealed.

"They outnumber us. For every one of us, there's five of them!" Legosi fretted. "I like those odds!" Alex chuckled.

"Good luck, you three!" Agata wished them before hanging up.

"Do you even have a plan?" Louis suddenly questioned. Alex glared at the red deer.

"Louis, do you honestly think that I'm stupid enough to bring two students to the headquarters of a criminal gang without a plan? Of course I have a plan!" Alex chided.

Louis laughed nervously. "Then what is it?" Legosi wondered.

Alex pulled the gun he had confiscated from Louis out of his belt and tossed it to him, before opening the compartment that was on the shotgun seat and bringing out three ZPD bulletproof vests. Legosi and Louis got them on, the vests changing size to match their physiques similar to how the watches Alex had given Legosi and Haru had fit themselves around their arms. Alex's vest was a perfect fit for him already since he had worn it before.

"The plan is this. Louis, you and I will follow behind Legosi and provide him cover fire. Legosi is gonna charge ahead and be a battering ram, tearing through the hallways and following Haru's scent. We will search through the side rooms and take down any lions that we can find," Alex instructed. Louis and Legosi nodded their heads in understanding.

"All right, you three. Let's go and save our friend. FOR HARU!" Alex cried out.

"FOR HARU!" Louis and Legosi shouted in agreement. The three of them charged forward towards the mansion.


Alex, Louis, and Legosi charge into the Black Market and into Shishigumi Manor after conducting a plan. Alex and Louis search through the side rooms while Legosi tears through the hallways and goes to the main room. Legosi manages to get out with Haru in tow, but Alex and Louis miss him! They head for the attic, where the chief lion's scent leads. Then, a sacrifice for someone is made!

The climax continues on the next exciting chapter of BEASTARS: The Divergent Variable!

Chapter 24: Storming Shishigumi Manor! A Sacrifice Is Made!