Chapter 75 - The Little Lie We'll Tell Them

"Alright, so what should we tell the person at the door? Who's at the door anyway?" Pina asked.

"Go," Louis quickly said.

"Ah, so you think he'll be fine?"

"I...think so. I don't want to tell them about us yet."

"Of course, but he'll let us out with no problem, hopefully?"

"I think so, yes. Let's find out."

They soon came to the exit, which they gave a quick rap to warn the animal on the other side.

Nori poked his head out. "What are you two up to?"

"Exploring," Pina stated simply. "We never got to see the outside of the tower much when we were kids, after all."

"Where exactly are you going?"

"Just a bit outside the tower and the surrounding area. Don't worry, we have our weapons." Pina offered a warm smile.

Nori looked at Louis. "I would go if I wasn't stuck on boring-ass door duty."

"Yeah, we'll be back soon enough, short-stuff," Pina winked.

"Eugh. Just get out of here." Nori shooed them with his metal claws.

They were, once again, outside of the tower. Pina walked up to the stump that Ichi had been sitting on weeks before and kicked it, making a dull sound. "So, is Go like your friend now?"

"I...think so? By default," Louis answered.

"He spilled his guts to you and you're the only one that knows so..." The sheep sat down on the stump, looking around. It was an overcast day, and the wind blew through his wool.

Louis crossed his arms. "Yeah...He did. And I don't think either of them wants to spill Legosi's guts, thankfully."

"Heh, ayyyy." Pina made finger guns at the buck. "That's good, at least. I remember Go being one of the two that were originally gonna carry out the job if it came to it..."

"Ni still will."

"Unless he's too busy getting that sweet, sweet, Ichi ass." Pina stood up and stretched his arms.

"Or Ichi's getting his."

"I really do wonder how that whole thing started," Pina mused. "I mean...on the surface they're just so...cold."

"They have to be because of Ichi...I think," Louis sighed.

Pina whipped his phone out and stared at it. "Well, anyway, let's move in the direction the tunnel was going and see if we can find an exit."

"You think it's out here?"

"It'd have to lead somewhere. Unless it really was just a dead end. Either way, I don't really wanna go back down there if I don't have to."

"I could go," Louis suggested, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Guess if it comes to it. Also those covered things in the basement..." Pina shook his head as they walked forward, leaving the grounds of the tower as they looked for anything that could suggest an exit point.

"What if it goes further than just out here?" Louis asked.

"Dunno. We'll figure it out."

"Okay." They continued searching, Louis even reaching down and brushing through the grass for something.

The search eventually led the boys outside of the tower's immediate vicinity, and they noticed a run-down looking building in the imaginary path they were drawing with their eyes."

"What do you think is inside?" Louis asked.

"Hmm, I don't know. You've spent more time here than I have, so you'd know better."

"I don't know," he responded. "I couldn't even guess but hopefully it isn't more tight spaces for your sake."

"That's when it's your time to shine, bucko."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You'll be the one going into the tight space! Duh!"

"I do go into tight spaces quite often..." He joked but didn't wait for Pina to get it.

The sheep sighed and tried to catch up with the sudden fast pace. "Yeah, I get it, Legosi has a great ass."

"He does. He really does."

"You're making me miss Bill now," Pina pouted.

"Does Bill have a great ass?" Louis queried, turning his head to look at the sheep.

"Uh, yeah? You haven't seen it?"

"I don't think about other guys asses...really..." He looked to the side. "Not Bill's at least."

Pina laughed as they walked up to the wooden door to the building. Its blue paint was only slightly noticeable as most of it peeled away. Pina cocked his head. "So...you think this is abandoned or..."

"I hope so. We have our weapons otherwise," Louis said. "I'll go first to protect that pretty wool on your head."

"Pssh, you wish. You see these gains?" The sheep brought his biceps up once again, hidden by the jacket.

"Speaking of pretty..." Louis cleared his throat. "Your outfit. Wow."

Pina snorted. "Oh, what, really? You like the 'bad boy' look?"

"On you? Quite."

The sheep eyed the buck for a moment. "What would you even call your look, though? 'Openly horny'?"

"Tempting."

"You bring in all the carnivores with those shoulders."

"You think?" Louis smiled.

"Probably. Anyway, are you gonna open this door?"

"Before we go...there's been a few things on my mind."

"Yeah?"

"First of all, I told Legosi we kissed," he admitted, crossing his arms and leaning against the walls.

Pina nodded. "Uh, yeah, I'd hope so."

"Sorry for that, by the way."

"Well, it was nice so I'm not gonna complain." The ram donned a dorky smile.

"It was. And he wasn't upset about it," Louis said, messing with his nails. "He just feels left out. I think it's because we've done all this bonding and he hasn't really gotten to with you."

Pina's face softened. "Oh...guess that makes sense."

"It's kind of cute, honestly. He just wants to be friends with everyone. He's started getting closer to Kai, too. They cuddle now and he comes over more often. It's good...Legosi needs good things like that. We need good things like that. I guess I kissed you for both of us. You and I, I mean."

The smile returned to Pina's face, this time warmer. "That's sweet of you...and Legosi and Kai? That shit's cute too. I really hope we can all just hang out again soon and cuddle and hug and kiss and do whatever our hearts desire."

"Exactly. It's different than what everyone would expect...but I think it's healthy. I asked my therapist about it, you know."

"Oh yeah, how's that going?"

"Well. I asked if it's okay to have feelings for you and want to sleep with you if I'm married, but she said if Legosi is okay with it, then is there really an issue? I guess that makes sense, honestly. I don't feel so guilty anymore." He started to smile as well.

"Wait, so Legosi is really okay with it now?"

"Yes, as long as you and he get closer, too."

"Wow, everyone wants in on this action," Pina sighed. "Well, I think we should get past this huge obstacle of our lives before we decide to take any further drastic steps with our relationships."

"Forgive me if I kiss you any more, then," Louis chuckled.

"Can do. Anyway..." The sheep glanced toward the door.

"Wait. One more thing, Pina," Louis continued.

"What?" he chuckled.

"Are you prepared to murder for Ichi?"

Pina's smile, once more, faded. "I'm hoping we can resolve this before that becomes something, but..." he looked to the side. "I just hope we'll get attacked first."

"They're very skilled. But you and I aren't nearly to their level, even with training."

"Hopefully they'll realize that and we won't have to do anything? But also don't discount me. I can fuck people up. Like, if Riz didn't get the jump on me I would have gotten away!"

"You know...Bill went crazy. I've never seen anyone fight like that before. Even Legosi didn't fight as much as he did. He gave a whole monologue, too." A soft laugh. "He was willing to die in that battle because he thought you were dead."

"Yeah..." Pina wiped his eye. "That's Billy..."

Suddenly, a muffled voice from inside called out. "H-hey are you gonna just talk outside the door all day? Get outta here!"

Louis jumped at this. "Not abandoned, I guess!"

Pina knocked on the door. "Oh, hello? May we come in?"

"Wh-what? Why?"

"We're...looking for something."

"What are you looking for?" Another animal called out.

"We wanna see if a tunnel dug from the old prison exits through the basement here," Pina explained.

"Ain't nothing like that!" The original voice called out.

"Just let us in," Louis continued. "We won't hurt you."

The first voice, which was feminine sounding, talked quieter. "Oh god, wait, they mentioned that tower? Do you think they're part of that herbivore group?"

"Maybe..."

"Then what do we do?" the voice replied. Louis and Pina simply stood outside, waiting.

"Maybe grab something sharp?" the second voice, male, replied.

Silence, and then the sound of the door unlocking.

Pina peeked around, seeing a male falcon at his eye level and a female mink clutched to his shoulder, holding a small box cutter.

"Oh, yep! They're from that group! Herbivores! Look how they're dressed! That one is even missing an eye!" the small woman cried.

"No, no!" Louis exclaimed. "We're a part of that group, yes, but only because we're trying to take it down!"

"Yeah, but if anyone else asks, we didn't tell you." Pina stepped forward, but the avian stood his ground.

"I don't trust a word you say. Those bastards are manipulative!"

"Yeah! What he said!" The mink swiped the knife uselessly in the air.

Louis put a palm to his forehead and looked to Pina. "Should we put our weapons down?"

"Th-that'd be a start!" the small carnivore stammered.

Pina nodded and undid his backpack, lowering it and the bat to the ground.

Louis did the same. "There. Our weapons are down. And yours?"

The falcon looked to the minx, questioning with his eyes.

"Uhh...no? Fuck no?" She held the box cutter tighter.

"We don't even know if you actually put all your weapons down!"

"Yeah! And you got horns and he's got little...sprouty ones!" She pointed between both of them.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Louis asked.

"You don't have any right to come into our house!" the mink shrieked.

Pina's ears flicked back at the noise and he stepped forward again. "Hmm, I don't think these buildings are really owned by anyone. Aren't you squatters?"

"It's our home! We'll take you out if you try anything!" The falcon shouted.

Louis blinked. "Has something like that happened before?"

The two carnivores looked at each other. "N-no..."

"The Branded didn't come and mess with you?"

"Is that what they're called?" The bird asked. "Eugh."

"We hear about you guys and how you wipe out black market gangs!" the mink informed.

"Yeah, well, we're actually newer members and haven't done any of that stuff. And like Louis said, we're trying to make sure they don't cause any more harm anymore," Pina explained.

"So your name is Louis," the falcon squinted, looking at the deer. "And you?" Now the Dall sheep.

"Pina. Maybe yours now?"

"Sven," the falcon answered, curtly.

The animal on his shoulder looked between him and the two herbivores frantically before sighing in defeat. "...Floria."

Pina clapped his hands together. "Okay, cool! Now, we just need to take a peek in the basement, alright?"

Floria winced. "I...er...we don't really go down there. It's a mess."

"A mess? Why?" Louis asked, putting a hand on his hip.

"Cuz it's filled with old garbage we don't wanna clear out." A newcomer stepped in, a sleepy-looking bobcat in pajamas. He yawned. "Who these guys?"

"Oh, they're, uh...people...it's fine, Kurt," Floria smiled at him, hiding the boxcutter.

"We're just here to poke around in the basement," Louis said. "Then we'll leave."

"Mm, stranger things have happened. Can I go back to sleep?"

"Yeah." Pina stepped in, looking around the place, which was a bit tidier than one might expect. "We won't be loud or anything."

"We're probably going to stay on guard," Sven stated. "To be safe."

"How did you even come to live here?" Louis asked. "What is this place?"

"Old building," Floria stated simply, jumping to the ground. "City still runs electricity and plumbing here but we don't have to pay anything." Her ears perked up before she took a defensive stance and turned to the herbivores. "HANDS OFF IT'S OURS!"

Pina and Louis jumped back, and the sheep tried to calm her down. "Woah, woah, hey! It's fine! We don't want to take this place from you."

"Better not," the sleepy feline yawned. "Close by to some good grub, too."

"Don't say that in front of them! They're herbivores and they're from that dangerous organization!" Floria looked like she was about to have a conniption.

"Pff, what, you think they're insulted by it? They live back here too, right? Meat-eating is just natural."

Louis rubbed his arm. "I live with a wolf in an apartment who has never eaten meat. I don't want to take this place from you."

Kurt gawked. "N-never eaten meat? Wow, couldn't be me."

"My boyfriend used to but he stopped," Pina said casually.

Imagine if we tried to explain that to Hachi, Louis thought. "Do you all eat meat?"

They all nodded, vigorously.

"And now we're in here without weapons?"

"Yah, that was part of the deal. Gonna snoop in our basement or what?" Floria asked, tapping her foot.

"Fine, fine," Louis waved his hand. "Come along, Pina."

"Nice place you guys got here," the sheep commented. "Where's the basement, then?"

Sven gestured down a hall. "This way."

They moved down the corridor together, noting a lack of decorations or furniture.

"How long have you lived here?" Louis asked Floria.

"Me? Uh, maybe a year? Sven was here before me, and Kurt is new."

"So you were here alone?" the deer asked the falcon.

The bird's head looked down. "...No."

"Oh."

They reached the door, which Sven opened, revealing the darkness below. Pina tensed up at the sight of it.

"I'm...unsure, Pina," Louis said, looking at their present company. "Maybe we should just leave it."

"Then what do we write for the Shishigumi?" Pina whispered.

"Shishigumi?" Sven raised a brow.

"Oh fuck." Kurt yawned again. "You guys in bed with them?"

"Well, they want to get rid of the Branded, so we kinda found ourselves in a deal with them. We're giving them info, and this would be a possible way into the tower that the other members don't know about, but..." Pina looked back into the darkness.

"'Fraid of the dark?" the feline laughed. "You guys are funny."

"And you all unashamedly eat meat," Louis fired back.

"Hey, we're carnivores, asshole!" Floria snapped. "It's not like we kill anyone!"

Louis quickly pointed to his eyepatch. "A carnivore did this."

Pina rested a hand on his shoulder. "Louis, don't blame them for that."

"Yeah, what pretty boy said!" the mink cried.

"I'm just saying. You shouldn't group yourselves as carnivores. You're all individuals, too," Louis stated.

"Yeah, and we eat meat. Nothin' wrong with it," the sleepy feline rubbed at one of his eyes.

"...We'll be going down now," Louis said.

Sven crossed his arms. "Go on. You ain't gonna find much."

Pina said nothing as he turned his flashlight on and descended.

Louis followed closely behind. After they were at a lower point, he spoke. "I don't think they trust us, still."

The sheep looked back. "Would you trust us?"

"No! But we are us which means I'm nervous that something could happen for the wrong reasons. I'd like to keep my good eye." His ear twitched as they descended lower. "I hope to god we aren't walking into something. We don't even know if what they said was the truth. That they don't kill people."

"They're just squatters, Louis. They seemed pretty harmless to me. Everything okay? You seem all frazzled suddenly."

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Louis stopped. "I don't know. It's this feeling of dread that I have. The deeper into this we go, the bigger it gets. I have a really bad feeling."

"I know..." They moved their lights around the space, revealing old furniture piled up everywhere. "But if we don't give Legosi something, he might be in trouble with the Shishigumi, right?"

"Yeah...But it's not just that...It's something else...I can't put my finger on it." He looked up the stairs. "I don't want to die because I was a part of a group that I was forced to be in."

"Yeah, I get that. Let's just hurry up, then. If the tunnel goes straight, it should lead to that wall over there." Pina pointed ahead, the spot not looking any different than any other part of the wall.

"You don't mean you actually plan to break through that side, do you?"

"No...but..." Pina walked toward it and began knocking just as he had in the tower's basement. "If I get a hollow sound at any point...it can be safely assumed it leads into that tunnel..."

"And then?"

"Then I write it down in the notebook and the Shishigumi figure it out, I guess."

Louis swallowed. "And that's it, then. It's over."

"Guess so." Pina walked forward and began his knocks.

The buck watched, carefully, the gears turning in his mind. If the Shishigumi get in...they'll all be killed. They have guns and the Branded mostly use melee weapons...Oh, god.

Pina knocked a few times, moved down, knocked a few times again. He was about to deliver another set of knocks before he turned around, talking quickly. "Ah, looks like it doesn't end here! Probably caved in or went nowhere. We can leave now!"

"What? Really?" Louis blinked.

"Uhh, let's just say it doesn't, yeah? It'll...buy us time."

Louis' mouth fell open a bit. "...So it does..."

"You...wanna go back and hang out with Go?" Pina asked, tentatively.

The deer covered his face. "This is horrible. This is a bad thing that's happening to us, right? So...why don't we just tell them?" But he knew the answer.

Pina held Louis by the shoulder. "Well...maybe we can...get them all on our side? Or at least most of them. Ichi and Ni are out of the question but...we could outnumber them."

The buck looked into his eyes and held his gaze. "I'm so confused."

"Sucks when you're not dealing with absolute monsters," the ram muttered. "We need to stall the Shishigumi as long as we can. I think we can do this with little collateral damage."

"You really think Ichi is too far gone?"

Pina sighed. "Well...just look how he's been with Ni...if only we could talk to Ni while Ichi wasn't around."

Louis hugged him, then. "Fuck...I don't want any of them to die."

Pina hugged back. "Yeah...we'll figure it out..."

"Will we? I might have made a mistake by including you. If they aren't bad as I thought...Then really I just made us both targets for the other gangs. I'm such an idiot!" He shook his head.

Pina shook him lightly. "Hey, hey. There was no way you knew you could connect with these people. What's done is done and now we just have to keep moving. Maybe Legosi can give us some insight on what the Shishigumi want after his meeting, too."

"They want to kill them..." Louis whispered. "I just know it."

"Well, that could mean casualties on their side. Play it like no lions have to die, maybe. It's a lot to ask of Legosi, I know, but it could work."

"I'm just...worried. I bet anyone else would think it's ridiculous to care about any of them, but I can't help it. They're animals, too."

"I think a lot of animals would agree with you. Don't worry about it. Let's just go back, okay?"

"What about them?" He looked up.

"What about them?" Pina repeated.

"...I don't know. I guess we should just leave."

The ascended once more, greeted by the three carnivores once again.

"Nothin', right?" Kurt smirked.

"You're right about that. We'll just be on our way now. Thank you for your time." Pina tilted his head and winked at them.

Louis nodded. "Th"I don't know what I would do if something happened to him. I'm sure I would feel like it's my fault."

anks for letting us look around."

"I swear I knew it was a bad idea to move in next to that tower," Floria mumbled. The two stepped outside, thankful that their stuff was still there on the ground.

The buck bent down and picked his gun up, then looked around. "So what do I tell Legosi? What are you going to mark down on your map?"

"The tunnel leads into a dead end. And tell Legosi the truth, I guess: You got another man on the job with you and we should only use the Shishigumi as a last resort."

"Well, he already knows that you're here," Louis said. "But yeah, I definitely agree."

"Oh, I meant tell Legosi to tell the truth to the gang, y'know?" Pina corrected.

"I guess it couldn't really do any harm, right?" Louis rubbed his arm. "We'll be protected, at least..."

"As long as they don't do anything with Legosi," Pina added.

They began to make their way back. "He's stronger than you let on. I get that you feel that you need to protect him, but don't forget all the times he's protected you."

"...True..." Louis nodded. "I'm sure he'll be okay..."

The sheep smiled, showing his teeth. "He has to be, or else we're really going to have to kill animals."

The buck gave a sad laugh at this. "Ha...yeah...Sorry I'm acting weird. Anyway, you said you were interested in hanging out with Nori?"

"Hm? Nori?"

"I meant Go," Louis said.

"Ah, so that's his real name? I wondered about that whole thing." Pina put a finger under his chin. "Cuz they're not all named after numbers obviously, and we heard Ichi and Ni's names."

"How would Ichi even remember his own name?" Louis asked. "I guess maybe Gouhin gave it to him..."

"Yeah, actually that's a good point. Wouldn't that mean San and Kyuu also have names?"

"It's interesting how no one is allowed to use their names, yet when Ichi and Ni—er, Atsushi and Chriou—were alone, they called each other by their real names."

"Just more proof that they're intimate." Pina put his hands on his hips as he looked up at the tower, as they were now at the 'entrance' to it. A light trickle began to fall from the sky.

Louis nodded. "It's good at least. For Ichi. It means if we can convince Ni to be on our side, Ichi might come with."

"Exactly. Well, let's go back in."