AN: Last night, fanfic writer Zygarde22 released the first chapter of a Louis x Juno story that starts with Louis and Azuki getting divorced. I very much like the idea of Louis divorcing Azuki. She doesn't have to die for me to be happy. Just the break up of that terrible marriage is enough to satisfy me. Check out AO3 to read that story. It's called Beastars: A New Outlook. Keep in mind that it's rated explicit. Anyway, this chapter gets very intense and dark. I won't give exact trigger warnings due to not wanting to spoil what happens, but just be prepared. Now, let's get started.

Ch 11: Damaged Hearts

All the animals stare at Philip, a hybrid ready to take on anyone who comes near him.

Free growls. "You cocky shit! You need to be taught a lesson!" He charges at the young hybrid.

"Free!" shouts Louis.

"No!" Juno shouts, not wanting anyone to attack her son.

"Stop!" shouts Casey.

Philip does a quick spin and a roundhouse kick that connects to the side of Free's head.

The lion gets sent stumbling off to the side before collapsing.

Agata sees this and gets pissed. "You bastard!" He charges in too.

"Don't!" shouts Ben.

Agata throws a punch at Philip.

The deer-wolf hybrid effortlessly dodges the lion's punch, sweeps one of the lion's feet to get him off balance, gets on Agata's back to make him fall, grabs the back of the lion's head, and uses the momentum of the fall to smash his face hard into the floor.

Everyone stares in shock and awe at how easily Philip did all this.

The hybrid stands up and turns his back on the unconscious lions, smirking at everybody else. "Who's next?"

"Everyone, stop charging in blindly!" shouts Casey.

"Didn't you hear him earlier?!" asks Ben. "We all taught Philip how to fight!"

"When he started relating fighting to dancing, Philip became virtually unstoppable!"

"He's beaten all three of us in sparring matches! Even when we jumped him at the same time, he still came out the winner!"

Philip gestures with his hand for someone to come at him.

Dope and Hino glance at each other, nod, then rush the hybrid.

"Does no one listen?!" Ben asks no one in particular.

"Idiots!" Casey shouts at the two lions.

Philip smiles at the approaching pair of lions. 'These two know how to fight tag team. It should be fun.'

As the three get to fighting, Dolph looks over at Ben. "I'm guessing you'll stay to record this?"

The eagle-vulture hybrid stares at the lion feeling very confused. "Uh…yes?"

The lion nods and turns to Legoshi and Casey. "If Philip beats Dope and Hino, I'll be the next one up. During that time, I want you two to take Juno and the boss out of here."

"What?!" Juno shouts in outrage.

"Dolph," says Louis. He can't believe what he's hearing.

"Sure thing," says Casey.

"We'll get them to safety," says Legoshi.

Louis and Juno don't like the idea one bit, but they decide to stay quiet and watch the two to one fight.

As Hino and Dope keep Philip on his toes, Ben fears for the camera's safety and chooses to leave the stage.

The fight lasts for a while, but Philip eventually tricks Hino and Dope into punching each other, knocking the both of them out.

Dolph glances over at Legoshi and Casey. "Go."

The wolf grabs Juno and the cheetah-chimpanzee hybrid grabs Louis. They jump off the stage and run towards the door.

"How dare you?!" Philip screams as he tries to chase after them. Dolph intercepts with a sucker punch to the gut.

"Let me go!" Juno shouts at Legoshi.

Louis looks back at Dolph and Philip.

The deer-wolf hybrid is doubled over in pain while holding his stomach.

In that moment, Louis recalls earlier that night when Philip sat between his parents while they were still tied up. How the young hybrid had cried so hard for the parental love that he had never known. 'All those years. He only knew a parent as someone who hurt him. He never had one to love him.' The thought of leaving disgusts Louis. 'That ends now.' He balls his hand into a fist and hits Casey on the head.

"Ah!" the hybrid screams as he's forced to drop the stag.

Legoshi looks back, which allows Juno to squirm out of his grip.

Louis gets up with assistance from Juno. "We're not leaving."

"What?!" asks Casey.

"He's right," says Juno. She points back at Philip. "That's our son."

Ben, who's nearby, focuses the camera on them instead of Dolph and Philip's fight.

Casey shakes his head. "No offense, but your son tried to kill you."

Juno balls her hands into fists to hold back her anger at what was being suggested by that statement. "Because he was angry at us."

"Something he had every right to be," says Louis.

"Not to the extent of killing you," says Legoshi.

"We won't hold that against him," says Juno.

"We're staying for Philip's sake," says Louis.

Casey frowns. "I'm sorry, but I think he's too far gone."

Juno is absolutely livid. "When I thought Philip died, it almost destroyed me! The worst part of it was that it was my fault for sending him to those monsters in the first place! Now that I know he's alive, I'm never letting my son go again!"

Louis looks to Casey and Legoshi after the she wolf is finished. "I distanced myself from everyone I love for twenty years. No. For my whole life. All it's done is make me suffer in total misery. I don't know if I'll ever be welcome with my daughter again after what I've done." The stag points back at Philip. "He's spent his whole life without a parent who loved him! It doesn't matter if the effort gets me killed, I will be that for my son!" Louis turns to Juno, holding a hand out to her. "Will you help me?"

The she wolf smiles and takes his hand. "For you and our son, always."

Legoshi and Casey feel admiration for the pair because of their dedication.

Ben leans his face towards the camera. "Viewers, I'm pretty confident in saying that this is interspecial love at its finest."

A grunt of pain makes everyone look back at the stage.

Dolph falls off the stage, out cold.

Philip jumps off the stage and smiles wickedly seeing the others are still there. "Decided to stick around? Yay for me."

Casey chooses to rush forward at his friend.

"Seriously?" With almost no effort, Philip knocks out the cheetah-chimpanzee hybrid. "I have known you for years. Your fighting style is easy to predict." He grabs at a foot that came at him in an attempt at a surprise attack.

Ben, who had left the camera on the ground by a crate, didn't expect to be caught.

"Same applies to you." Philip kicks at the eagle-vulture hybrid's knee.

"AAH!" Ben is then thrown over to the crate and holds onto his leg in pain.

Legoshi steps forward. "Philip! Enough!"

The deer-wolf hybrid grins. "It's your turn at last. Your fighting abilities are legendary." He charges at the wolf.

Legoshi groans before also charging.

Ben grabs the camera and points it just in time to catch Legoshi and Philip begin to trade blows.

Louis and Juno, who's hands are still clasped together, grip tighter at how tense they feel watching the two combatants.

As they land hits, Legoshi tries to talk Philip down. "This isn't right!"

The hybrid laughs. "What are you talking about?! This is the most fun I've ever had!"

"I mean about your parents!"

"They deserve to die! I won't rest until they pay for what they did to me!"

"It won't make you feel better!"

"Just shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! Once I'm through with you, I will get them!"

Legoshi glares at Philip. He works in another gut punch that leaves the deer-wolf hybrid hunched and coughing. "I can't let that happen. They are my friends and I refuse to lose them."

Philip heaves. "Friends? Them? They don't…deserve friends. You are…so stupid." He kicks Legoshi in the groin.

The wolf doubles over in agonizing pain.

Philip drops down on his back and kicks at Legoshi with both feet right in the chest.

The wolf gets sent a few yards away, too hurt to get back up.

The deer-wolf hybrid gets back up and glares at Legoshi. "As much as I respect you, that much foolishness can't be allowed to infect the world. I'll have to get rid of you."

Before Louis and Juno can rush over to stop their son, a blur rushes by them and delivers a punch to the jaw that sends Philip crashing into the stage.

"Goshen?" Legoshi asks in a weak voice.

The wolf-rabbit hybrid gives a short wave to his father. "Hi, Dad."

"What are you doing here?!" asks Juno.

"I came to help, Aunt Juno."

Louis feels angry. "I thought I told you to stay with Marie and be safe with her!"

"First, it's nice to finally meet you, Sir. Second, all this was making Mom and Marie cry. I couldn't sit by and do nothing while they were being hurt."

'Dammit. Like father, like son.' "Nice to meet you too, Goshen."

Just then, Philip finally gets out from the wreckage. He looks really beat up by this point. "You!" he screams at the other hybrid.

Goshen gets into a fighting stance. "You're hurting my family. You have to be stopped."

"Family," Philip practically spits out. "Go to hell!" He rushes at Goshen. For once, this fight doesn't go too well for Philip. The rest of the fights and crashing into the stage have finally taken their toll on the deer-wolf hybrid's body. He's struggling against the wolf-rabbit hybrid.

Goshen's only feeling a little fatigued due to running all the way to the warehouse. "Give up, Philip!"

"Never!"

"My goal is to subdue you! If you force me to though, for the sake of everybody I love, I will kill you!"

Louis and Juno's blood runs cold at that thought.

Philip's really pissed now. "Shut up!" He gets a second wind. "Quit rubbing your happy life in my face!" The deer-wolf hybrid kicks Goshen's stomach, sending the other hybrid across the floor.

Goshen holds his gut in pain.

Legoshi can't stand up, but he musters the strength to start crawling over to his son.

Philip is taking deep breaths out of exhaustion. "Your life…my life…it's not fair." Then he sees something that makes him freeze.

Legoshi is covering Goshen with his own body.

"Dad?" the wolf-rabbit hybrid asks the wolf.

"It's okay. I got you."

Those words make something in Philip snap. He growls, brandishing his claws, pure hate and jealousy burning in his eyes.

Louis and Juno can feel it. They feel the deer-wolf hybrid's intent to kill Legoshi and his son. The two rush forward.

With his eyes still set on the wolf and his hybrid son, Philip charges. "DIE!"

Legoshi and Goshen hug each other as they wait for the end.

"PHILIP!" screams Louis.

"STOP!" screams Juno.

The deer-wolf hybrid finds himself coming to a screeching halt in front of his parents.

The stag and the she wolf have put themselves between Philip and his intended victims.

'What the hell?! Why did I stop?! And for them of all animals?! They are evil! I should just kill them!' Despite his thoughts, Philip doesn't budge an inch. 'Why can't I move?! Not one step?! And the staring. Why are they looking at me like that?! STOP!' The deer-wolf hybrid's foot shifts and feels something. Looking down, Philip sees a familiar item. 'That's Dolph's gun. It must have slipped out when he fell off the stage.' He grabs the gun and points it at his parents. "I got you! Anyone who could stop me is either out cold or too injured to get up! I win!"

The stag and the she wolf look at each other, then turn back to their son.

"You're right about all that," says Juno.

"You can shoot us now," says Louis.

Philip wasn't expecting this reaction. "Huh?"

"You have every right to hate us," says Juno.

"We brought you into a world that treated you like crap," says Louis.

Juno looks down at her feet feeling ashamed. "You should've had a loving family in your life."

"For failing you, we can only say that we're sorry," says Louis.

The pair holds hands again.

"We won't try to stop you," Juno says as she looks back up at her son.

"We just want you to be happy," says Louis.

Philip stands frozen. 'Happy? What? No! These two should be scared! Terrified of me being their killer! Angry at me for destroying their lives! I should just end them now!' He once again can't put his thoughts into action. 'Why?! I was willing and eager to do it earlier! Where did my conviction go?! And why the hell are they staring at me like that?! Don't look at me that way! Why do you…care?'

A gun can be heard cocking to the right. "Drop the gun.'

Philip looks and sees a lion he recognizes as Dope pointing a gun at him. 'He's awake?!' Hearing another click, the young hybrid looks straight behind him to see Agata with another gun pointed at him.

"Don't make us shoot you," the youngest lion says as his nose drips blood from getting it smashed into the floor earlier.

Philip's ears pick up sounds coming from outside the warehouse. His eyes widen once he realizes what he hears. 'Police sirens.'

An awake Hino runs to the doorway and waves at the approaching police cars. "In here! Hurry!"

Philip feels fear grip him as police officers rush in and start pointing their own guns right at him.

"Drop it, Kid!" shouts a gorilla officer.

"We'll be forced to shoot if you don't!" shouts a jaguar officer.

The deer-wolf hybrid panics. 'I can't go to prison! I'd never survive as a hybrid there! I can't shoot anyone without getting shot dead myself!' Philip looks at the gun in his hand. 'There is only one option left.' He points it right into his own chin.

"Philip!" Louis shouts as he runs forward.

"No!" Juno shouts as she moves.

"STAY AWAY!" Philip screams as he takes a few steps back. "I swear I'll do it!"

One of the officers lowers his own gun and places a hand out. "Calm down, Kid. That's not the answer."

"I'd be dead in a minute as a hybrid in prison! If I have to die, it'll be by my own hand!"

"Philip, please," Juno begs with tears flowing.

"Don't do this," Louis also begs.

"Shut up!" Philip shouts at his parents. "This is how it is! Hybrids are society's garbage! That's all I am! Something the world wishes could be thrown away forever!"

"That's not true," says Juno.

"You have so much to offer the world," says Louis.

"Like what?!" Philip asks, clearly not believing his father.

"You're a beautiful dancer," says Juno. "The best I've ever seen."

"Seeing you fight was also amazing," says Louis. "You defeated five lions, one wolf, and three hybrids all by yourself. That shows insane levels of strength, endurance, and knowledge of combat."

"You're also very clever."

"Thank you, Juno." Louis looks back at Philip. "You masterminded an entire plan to get us stripped of our ranks that succeeded. That's unbelievably, astoundingly clever. I feel so proud of you for that."

Philip's knees almost give out. 'Proud? Of me?'

"You're wrong on another count too, Philip," Goshen says as he finally gets up. "You've got animals who care about you. Those other hybrid friends of yours."

"He's right!" Ben calls from over by the crate. "We took you in, made you one of us, and taught you how to defend yourself! We helped you after you got depressed and suicidal because we didn't want to lose you! The reason we all worked together to stop you tonight is because we wanted to keep you from doing something we knew you'd regret! You're still our friend!"

Philip reels a little from these words before looking over at the unconscious Casey. He's feeling guilt at being the one who caused that.

Footsteps lead everybody to turn and see Dolph heading over carrying a laptop (Andy's). "Here's a few comments from the viewers. 'Don't do it!' 'Keep living!' 'We love you!'"

These comments make no sense to Philip. 'I used all of them. I gathered them so there'd be attention on me for my plan. They have to know that by now. Why still support me?'

"Everyone loves your videos," says Juno. "They were such a wonder to watch."

"They were a comfort to me when I was feeling low," says Louis. "You were my light in the darkest of times."

The deer-wolf hybrid doesn't know how to handle all this praise.

"Philip," says Juno. "When I thought you died, that was the worst, most horrible pain I'd ever felt. It ripped me apart. You're here now, alive, but with a gun ready to take your own life. I know you don't feel I have any right to say this, but my heart can't help it. I don't want to lose you again because you're my baby."

Philip's shaking.

Louis sniffs. "Even before I knew who you were, I wanted to expose Xander and Delilah as the monsters I knew they were." The stag's face shifts into fury. "Now, if those two heartless wretches were still alive, I'd hunt them down myself and make them suffer for daring to lay even one claw on my son!" He takes a deep, shuddering breath before he looks back at his hybrid son with pleading eyes. "Philip…please…stay."

Philip has never felt compelled by that special canine word before. Now, hearing his own father use it in such a desperate tone, he feels inclined to listen.

Juno smiles at her son. "Give us a chance."

The deer-wolf hybrid feels something inside of him ache seeing the she wolf smiling. "A chance to what?" There was no malice in his question.

Louis smiles too. "To be a real mom and dad for you."

The thing inside Philip screams in almost unbearable pain. The memories of his life with Xander and Delilah come back in full force. Every cold glare, every punch and kick, each swipe of their claws, each bite. It all enrages him. The memory of seeing Legoshi and Haru in the park with Goshen returns. It angers him further recalling the jealousy he felt. 'They both loved him, a hybrid. He was so precious to them! I could see it in that damn look!' Philip realizes something as he looks at his own parents. 'That look. It's the same. They have it.' All his anger leaves him as he starts crying. 'My parents have the same look…and it's for me.'

Seeing the change in their son, Louis and Juno each hold out a hand for him.

Philip's crying gets worse. He takes a hesitant step forward and starts to lower the gun at his chin with shaky hands.

BANG!

The gun that went off falls from Philip's grasp.

Juno screams.

Louis's mouth hangs open in horror. "NO!"

Philip falls forward, but he gets caught by his parents before he can hit the ground. He is groaning in pain as all three go to their knees.

"Paramedics now!" shouts one of the officers.

"PHILIP!" Juno screams as she holds her son.

"Please, no," Louis says with his face buried into his son's neck.

A trio of paramedics rush into the warehouse.

"Get those two away from the patient!" one of the paramedics orders the police officers.

Two policemen grab Juno and pull her away kicking and screaming. "NO! HE NEEDS US!"

One officer grabs Louis, who's thrashing and struggling to get out of the hold. "LET ME GO! THAT'S OUR SON!"

Ben's so stunned, he doesn't even notice another police officer take away his camera and turn it off.

As paramedics surround him, Philip's pain riddled mind makes out Louis and Juno. How they're crying for him, calling out to him, reaching for him. 'Even after everything…they want…me?' These are Philip's last thoughts before he blacks out.

AN: I'm sorry, but I just couldn't make it easy for them. You'll all have to wait until next time to find out if Philip lives or not. See you then.