Breathing heavy and shallow, heart pounding harshly against her chest, and vision hazy, Yuki lifted her head and frantically looked all around her. She couldn't move a single muscle. Her entire body was numb, stinging slightly with pins and needles, but she couldn't understand what was going on. When she tried to steady her wavering eyes, the image of a broken bike laid still in her vision, the front wheel spinning mindlessly in the air. Laying beside it were two unconscious girls. She recognized their pale complexion and fair skin, one fairing short brown hair and the other long orange hair that touched her waist, and realized they were heavily injured. Before she could even move to their side, scream for them to wake up, she lost consciousness.
Yuki remembered attending one of Michiru's basketball games. She wasn't a beastman, she was... human. She was adorned in the white and orange accent jersey with the number 8 printed on the front and back. She moved effortlessly, more like a professional every game, and scored so many hoops she was the reason why their team was winning. Weaving in between her pursuers, she jumped and scored a 3-pointer before the timer ran out! Yuki cheered and waved her hands happily in the air as the girl with the long orange hair, Nazuna, followed her lead. Michiru jumped high on the court, sweat dripping off of her, but still cheered nonetheless.
"I did it! I passed the audition!" Nazuna gasped out one day after-school.
Yuki and Michiru gasped along with her and they all cheered holding each other's hands. "Congratulations, Nazuna! You're going to do amazing!" Yuki giggled with a large smile.
"I knew you could do it, Nazuna! Keep it up!" Michiru spoke encouragingly but suddenly stopped.
Yuki and Michiru watched in a mixture of surprise and shock when Nazuna suddenly began to whimper. Before they could ask what was wrong and what was happening, in that instant she had turned into a beastman. Their eyes widened staring at what appeared to be a kitsune beastmen standing in front of them; her hair completely pink, growing long fox-like ears, her red bang becoming dark pink, and below her nose her fur turned white. It couldn't have been possible... Nazuna was human.
Before she knew it, one morning, Yuki and Michiru saw men in black suits and wide sunglasses shove Nazuna in a black van and drive away. Yuki was heartbroken, chasing after the van, wondering why the hell they were taking her away. She feared her friend was going to be experimented on and wanted to save her, but it was useless. No matter how much she tried she couldn't keep up.
Her friend was gone and at the end of the day so was Michiru.
For an entire year Yuki couldn't see, hear, or be around her. That day at school was the last time she had ever saw her friends. Michiru and Nazuna were gone and she had no one left in the world. Her days at school became boring and lonely, she stopped attending basketball games after the first few revealed no number 8, and the school musicals and plays didn't have the familiar orange hair. Everyone continued on as if they hadn't existed but Yuki knew they did. Nazuna was taken and Michiru wouldn't speak to her. She wouldn't answer her calls, the door, or reply to her text messages. The last bit of happiness she had left was snatched from her in the blink of an eye. If only there was something...
Then, Michiru called her. Yuki biked to her place as fast as she could and found out her friend had become a beastman just like Nazuna. She was going to run away to Anima-City and never look back. That day, Yuki swore a promise to always be by her side. She wasn't going to let her friend linger in the darkness by herself anymore.
Yuki's dreams and memories were interrupted by large cuckooing early in the morning. She slowly lifted her head from her pillow and blinked away her grogginess. A small yawn escaped her mouth and she noticed the small trickle of dawn peeking through the window. Pushing her feet and legs out from under her covers, she stood from the bed that had been moved into the room and stumbled sleepily by Michiru's who still slept like a log. She wadded through the storage room they had finally cleared of all junk and passed the desk where their wallets littered. Their money was gone-as they thought it would be-but the pictures of three best friends still laid gently against the white wood.
She pushed open the window and the cuckooing became clearer. Gazing out into the building next to theirs, she saw Jem in his beastman form waking up the world with his crowing. "Get morning, Jem!" She greeted stifling another yawn. Her eyes fluttered to the bright, clear blue sky that greeted her warmly, speaking, "It's a nice day, isn't it?"
"How do you like that room? It's nicer on the roof, isn't it?" He asked warmly.
Yuki nodded her head and smiled. "It's cozier and homier. Thank you." Then, she noticed something lingering in the background. A large building in the shape of a trident towered over the entire city. It was blue, glassy, and beautiful, it almost reminded her of city council. "Jem, what's that big building over there?"
He turned his head and nodded. "Oh, the Medi-Cen. That's Sylvasta Medical Center. It's a research center and hospital run by Sylvasta Pharmaceutical."
"Sylvasta? The name rings a bell," Yuki muttered to herself curiously.
Michiru suddenly approached from behind and gasped staring at the big building. It looked like she had just gotten out of bed; her hair was tousled and her clothes wrinkled but she had that look in her eye Yuki knew all too well. "Medical center, huh? Maybe they can help me with my disease," She mumbled with realization.
Suddenly, the door to their room opened and standing at the doorway was Shirou. He wasn't wearing his trench coat, only in his black long-sleeve and blue jeans, but his eyes hardened on the two of them. Before Yuki could bid a cheerful good morning, he strode purposely across the room with no falter in his steps. That stopped her from speaking but noises of confusion left both Yuki and Michiru's mouths when he grabbed the scruff of their shirts and began to drag them out of the room! They, confused and a bit frightened, let him pull their bodies like tissue paper across the rooftop, up a set of stairs, down another, and through a door into a building where he suddenly flung them in a dark room!
"Ow!" They yelped when they landed harshly on their rears. They gasped when the door slammed closed behind them and locked in place!
Michiru immediately banged on the door angrily, screaming, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Why, you!"
Yuki listened mortified as she heard furniture being pushed up against the door! The loud, insistent, and careless banging from the other side was enough for her to shout, "Shirou! What are you doing?! Are you barring the door?! Let us out!"
Michiru took a couple steps back and ran ramming her shoulder against the hard wood! She yelped when nothing happened and when she tried the knob it wouldn't move! "Why won't it open?!" She grumbled and continued to bang uselessly. "Hey! What's going on?! Let us out of here! Hey! Come on! This is so not cool!"
"Would you be quiet already?" They heard his muffled annoyed tone huff through.
Something flicked through the bottom of the door. Their eyes gazed down and realized it was Michiru's student ID. It looked like he kept it. "I now believe you used to be human," He simply spoke.
"So, why are you doing this?" Yuki asked pressing her hands against the door. "We've been telling you this entire time-"
"Your existence is very dangerous."
Yuki and Michiru exchanged tired glances and the latter huffed, "We know it's dangerous. You've been telling us that Yuki needed to be shipped off back to her own world the moment you figured she was human. But why me? I pass off as a beastman normally but I need to be cured before I can-"
"Not about Hanamura's existence. Your existence. If humans find out they might turn into beastmen, it'll cause panic. Don't come out until we find out more information," He simply explained once again, as if they could even leave, and it seemed like his voice was beginning to dim when he added, "I'll bring you some food."
Yuki gasped and slammed a hand against the wood. "Are you seriously leaving us here?!"
"Are you insane?! This makes no sense!" Michiru screamed as well.
"Trust me. I will protect the peace for all beastmen."
"Trying to sound cool doesn't make me trust you! It just sounds creepy!" She growled back at him and grasped the knob once more. Yuki took multiple steps back and watched her pull with all of her might. "Open up! I'm going to that hospital!" She demanded with her voice straining against the hopeless and useless effort of opening the door.
Then, they heard, "No." Michiru flung backwards and crash landed into a shelf. Yuki winced as books, coffee mugs, and boxes went flying through the air. "If you set a single foot outside of that room, I'll kill you," He suddenly threatened them.
"Shirou!" Yuki huffed in dismay.
Michiru was just as angry as she was at his threat. "So my peace means nothing?" She growled but let out a groan when they heard something heavier place against whatever else he had piled against the door.
"Rearranging furniture so early in the morning? It must be rough," A woman's voice suddenly rang through.
"Mayor."
Yuki and Michiru gasped and looked at in each other in shock. Both of them pressed their ears against the door and tried not to make too much noise, keeping silent as a church mouse. They were more than confused. Was Mayor Rose really behind that door? Does she know about Yuki and Michiru? If Shirou answers to her, she more than likely knows about two humans currently trapped in the storage room barred by large furniture they both couldn't move.
"A bombing?" She strained to hear their voices but heard Shirou's soft voice.
The click of heels pierced through the thick wooden door. "That's right," Mayor Rose confirmed. "The director of Sylvasta Medical Center reported to the police that they'd received a threat. Then early this morning, a truck carrying Sylvasta's drugs was blown up. "If you've got money to build a hospital and buy cutting-edge devices for beastmen, then use it for humans." Those are the bomber's demands."
"A bombing!" Yuki softly gasped out but her eyes flicked to the large ear that was Michiru's. it had grown large and pressed itself against the door.
Michiru groaned, "Now the ear? That sucks."
"Are those anti-beastmen lowlifes behind this again?" She then heard Shirou scowl.
"The police tried to trace the scent of the bomb, but the explosion erased it, they couldn't find any leads," Mayor answered him with the unfortunate news. "The superb sense of smell of yours would be more use than the police investigators. Please... find the bomb."
Shirou stayed quiet for a moment then spoke, "There are patients in the Medi-Cen. There's no time to lose."
Michiru suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and grabbed at her face frantically. "If the hospital's blown up, my disease may never get cured! Oh no! This is really bad!" She took multiple steps back, inhaled a deep breath, and belted out as loud as she could, "PLEASE HELP US, MISS MAYOR!"
"Did you just hear something?"
"No."
Yuki shook her head, annoyed at Shirou blatantly ignoring her pleas, and motioned for Michiru to try again.
Inhaling a deeper breath, her gut growing as large as a wooden box, her nose and mouth turned into a beak similar to Jem's and screamed, "HELP US! COME GET US OUT! WE'RE BEING LOCKED UP AGAINST OUR WILL! WE'RE BEING HELD PRISONER!" The entire building shook and trembled violently! So much so that whatever had been placed against the door fell down with a large crash! They couldn't have ignored that!
"That was Kuro," Yuki heard Shirou calmly explain much to her dismay. "He's learned to mimic."
Stubborn bastard! She huffed in her head but smiled when she heard, "Move those. Right now, Ogami."
When Shirou finally moved all the furniture away from the door, he unlocked it and reluctantly released them. His arms were crossed, with Kuro perched on his shoulder, and did not look pleased at all with the mayor's orders. Michiru looked just as upset as he, if not more so. She pointed an accusing finger at him, growls leaving her mouth, and faced the mayor, huffing, "Mayor, this man's a woman kidnapper!"
"Watch it!" Shirou huffed glaring.
"He said he'd kill me if I left! He's also a blackmailer!"
"It was to protect you, Hanamura, and all beastmen."
Yuki blushed but Michiru only growled more in his face. She decided to stand in between those two to make sure they didn't kill each other in front of the mayor. Even then, she still felt small compared to him and she couldn't quite meet his gaze. He was intimidating, for sure, but it was attractive.
"So you're Michiru Kagemori," Mayor Rose suddenly said with a small smile. When their curious looks landed on her, she continued, "Just looking at you, I see you're obviously a beastman. I find it hard to believe that you used to be a human until recently." When her eyes landed on Yuki, she added, "And you're Yuki Hanamura. Having been around Miss Kagemori for a while, I could never have known you were a non-beastman because you smell just like a beastman. I know you do not like being called human so I will refrain from calling you as such. Although, I am surprised you would support beastmen."
Yuki and Michiru's eyes had widened and their hearts dropped at the knowledge she knew of them. Which was a lot! They never encountered the mayor before and yet she seemed to have known them for a long time. Even Shirou didn't know! "So you knew about them?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
She nodded her head. "I need to know everything about Anima-City. That's the job of a mayor."
Shirou only needed to hear those few words before speaking, "I get it. It was Grand Grandma."
"A mayor also needs to protect her sources," The mayor chuckled lightly with a small smirk.
Grand Grandma ratted us out to the mayor? Seriously? Yuki thought unpleasantly but hid it under a small smile. Her smile then turned to a small 'o' shape when Michiru determinedly stepped forward with her fist clenched above her heart. "Mayor, please let me help find the bomb," She pleaded. "Sylvasta Pharmaceutical has cutting-edge devices, right? Then maybe they can cure my disease."
"We're not sure it's a disease," Shirou immediately spoke correcting her.
"But it's true that she was once a human," Mayor Rose reminded him. "There's still a chance it could be a disease."
Shirou only sighed but didn't budge. "It's not safe to let her out though. If anti-beastmen humans find out about her, who knows what will happen? Not to mention Hanamura follows wherever she goes. It'll be enough trouble keeping Kagemori out of sight, but her? A human walking freely through the city and helping find the bombs will be even more catastrophic."
Yuki growled at the word he used but Michiru exclaimed, "I'm not gonna sit still! Before I got here, I just sat around holding my breath. I was cooped up in my room. After I ran off, I had to avoid beastman hunters to finally make it to this city. But now I have to hide again? There is no way I am doing that! And Yuki-! She's been there for me ever since the day we decided to come to Anima-City! There's no way I'm leaving her behind and there's no way she would leave me either after I've neglected her for an entire year! So she's coming with me!"
"It's not a good idea," Shirou scoffed uncrossing his arms to glare at her but she only glared back.
Yuki gazed at Michiru... and smiled. It was true of what she spoke. She and Michiru had been inseparable since the day they met but the day she left her she was all alone. Yuki cried for her and felt abandoned. For an entire year all she could think about were Michiru and Nazuna. Now that she has one of her friends back there was no way she was ever going to leave her. Especially after Michiru went through such a traumatizing experience not too long ago. She will be there for her friend no matter what.
"We're shorthanded. Let's have them help us," Mayor Rose spoke above the silence. "They can communicate for Kuro."
They looked at Kuro and curiously asked, "Communicate for Kuro?"
"Just looking at Kagemori, you can't tell she used to be a human. Hanamura blends in well and Kagemori masks her non-beastman scent. Everyone in Anima-City are morphed in their human form most of the time anyway. She won't stick out. Going around the city shouldn't be a problem. However, don't mention to anyone else that you used to be a human, Kagemori. Same goes for you, Hanamura, don't let anyone know you're not a beastman," Mayor Rose softly but strictly explained.
"Of course," They both answered in unison.
"Can you forget about being kidnapped and threatened?"
Yuki nodded her head but Michiru puffed out her cheeks. She then sighed reluctantly, "Fine... I guess."
Mayor Rose then handed Yuki and Michiru their own smartphones! They squealed in excitement and eagerly grabbed their new devices. They thought they wouldn't be able to hold something like that anymore. Shirou was their only contact information but it still had the internet, apps, and much more! She then handed Shirou bomb fragments left at the crime scene and left them to do their job.
Yuki is going to try her best to save Anima-City from the beastmen who threaten to destroy the peace they've tried so hard to create! She won't let them down!
Yuki, Michiru, and Shirou stood on the roof of the Beastmen Co-op looking over the city and gazing up to the crystal blue, trident-shaped hospital that towered high into the sky. It was quite beautiful and to believe it held cutting-edge technology that could help Michiru turn back into a human was almost breathtaking. She never thought science would be so advanced in her lifetime and began to wonder what else it could achieve if time went on in its favor.
"Sylvasta Pharmaceutical is part of the Sylvasta conglomerate, a prominent wealthy family," Shirou explained shoving his hands in the pockets of his trench coat. "They support what the mayor says about "equal rights for beastmen and humans alike." They also provide massive funding for Anima-City."
Yuki gazed up at him and curiously asked, "Isn't that a good thing?"
"Lots of humans can't stand that," Shirou answered with a slight huff. "However, there are rumors that Sylvasta Pharmaceutical is profiting off beastman data. As a result, not all beastmen are happy to have them around."
Michiru stood from slouching against the metal railings bordering the roof and turned to him. "Well, if that's the case, why did you accept this job?" He regarded her slightly in confusion prompting her to continue, "I thought you only did things for the well-being of beastmen."
Shirou's icy blue eyes turned back to the trident-shaped hospital and looked to have shrugged his shoulders just slightly. "Yeah, well, I can't refuse the mayor."
Transforming into his beastman form, Shirou opened the evidence bag containing the bomb shrapnel found at the crime scene. It plopped into his black- gloved paw and he lifted it towards his snout. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep whiff, his nostrils flaring. He stood still and frozen in concentration for a couple moments. Yuki and Michiru stayed quiet watching and staring in awe. Then, he suddenly transformed back into his human form and snapped his eyes open. He didn't hesitate to dial the police and place his phone against his ear.
"Ogami here. I've located the bombs," He immediately spoke earning gasps of shock from the two. "There are six of them in total. Send the bomb squad." Ending the call, he turned towards Kuro perched on his shoulder, speaking, "You go to the Medi-Cen."
"There's a bomb at the Medi-Cen, too?" Yuki gasped taking a fearful step forward.
"No," Shirou answered with the shake of his head. "There's no scent of a bomb there. This is just in case. The bomber's real target is Sylvasta after all." He quickly moved from the roof of the building and down the stairs towards the exit. Even though the city has been planted with bombs, Shirou kept cool and level-headed. Not even breaking a sweat from the thought of beastmen getting hurt from the bombers.
Yuki and Michiru quickly followed behind him but, just as Shirou once told her, he moved better and faster in the shadows. They quickly lost him but they didn't bother to try and find him. They had bigger problems than finding a wolf beastman whose shoulders are already being weighted down from attackers threatening his city and people. Instead, they found Kuro flying overhead towards the Medi-Cen and quickly decided to follow him. Their feet pounded hard against the pavement, their shallow breaths coming in and out quickly, and sweat beading down their bodies. In what felt like hours, the two of them arrived outside the gates of the Medi-Cen guarded by a security officer. Only one question remained: How would they get in?
Trying to steady their uneven breathing, a white van bearing a green tree with the words Sylvasta painted on the side drove up to the gate. The automatic gates opened for the driver and Yuki hesitated to run right through, but her eyes quickly landed on Kuro sitting at the top of the van with his eyes closed.
Now or never! Yuki thought to herself fearfully as they ran up to the side of the van. As it drove through the gate, they quickly ducked their heads to avoid the guard's vision and used the automobile as a shield. They tried keeping pace with the moving van but it moved faster than they could run. It was fine, they were going through a pitch-black tunnel with barely any light coming through the other end. No one would see them unless they looked really hard... or were in their beastman form using night vision.
Yuki and Michiru kept running but quickly softened their heavy footsteps when the van pulled up to the dock at the very end. Their hushed and frantic voices echoed in the dark but they were still clear.
"Hurry it up!" One of them hissed.
"Chill out," The other huffed in annoyance. "The cops are too busy dealing with the bomb threat."
"At any rate, this is the last time, you hear me?!"
The second voice sounded so cool, smug, and sarcastic. The first sounded obviously frightened-but from what? Getting caught from embezzling, trading, dealing? The second didn't seem to care. Instead, they chuckled, "Hey, relax. Why so cold? You've profited plenty from this as well, you know."
""Profited"? What are they talking about?" Michiru whispered as they pressed their backs against the van.
It really was curious. They knew the police and Shirou were busy dealing with the bombs and implied their little trade would be safer that way. Whatever it was, it was definitely illegal and something Shirou would be interested in hearing. But, something caught Yuki's eye. She held back a yelp seeing Michiru's ears suddenly turn into a rabbit's! They stuck up high above her head and out into the light from where the others could see!
"Hey! I see you eavesdropping over there!" The second, cool voice screamed out in anger.
"It's your ears!" Yuki shrieked much to Michiru's distress.
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
Yuki and Michiru hesitantly stepped out into the light, giggling nervously, seeing four figures standing there with a scrutinizing gaze, two of which were already in their beastman form. Growls and snarls fell from their lips at the sight of the two of them. The third was in a suit and the other in a lab coat. The latter must be working with Sylvasta Pharmaceutical-and he was buying something from those beastmen? What was it? What could it be? They wouldn't have a chance to find out in that moment.
The man in the suit had given them a small smile before snarling deeply, "Go get them!" with a sadistic grin.
Yuki and Michiru shrieked, turned on their heels, and quickly began to run away. They ran as fast as they could with fear dropping in the pit of their stomachs. Their hearts felt as if they would drop down to their intestines, shrivel up, and die. The vicious snarls and barks of the beastmen forced the two of them to continue running for what seemed to be their lives!
"Call him! Call him!" Michiru frantically screamed huffing and puffing.
Yuki fumbled with the phone in her hands, feeling her fear and terror already shaking through her fingers, but she managed to dial their only contact: Shirou Ogami. The phone rung, and rung, and continued ringing to no end! "He isn't picking up!" Yuki squeaked then gasped out in horror when it went to voicemail. Putting the phone to her ear, she quickly and desperately shrieked, "Shirou! Michiru and I are at Sylvasta Pharmaceutical and we're being chased-! EEP!"
She immediately ducked her head when one of the beastman jumped for her!
"Help us!" She wanted to scream into the phone but realized she accidentally hung up! "Uh oh," She groaned out.
"I sincerely hope he checks his voicemail," Michiru groaned out as well before running out of the tunnel and back into the safety of the light and streets of the city.
Or, so they thought.
The beastmen were not giving up, not even after Yuki and Michiru left the property of Sylvasta Pharmaceutical. Their fear curdled in both their stomachs and hearts seeing none of them hesitate or falter in their step, not as they continued running down back roads and alleys, twist and turns in hopes of losing them in the confusion. They should've known better.
Their keen sense of smell and Yuki and Michiru's ignorance of the city's layout were a perfect match-for the beastmen.
Yuki and Michiru trembled with their backs against the wall in a dead end alley. They were facing more beastmen than either of them could handle. A total of 5 stood at both the entrance and only exit of the alley. It was their prison concrete and it seemed to be suffocating them more and more. The frog, bird, wolf, and boar beastmen took orders from the hyena beastman who stood at the very center with hands shoved in his pockets. His smirk widened and revealed very sharp fangs that could easily rip the skin and flesh from Yuki's body. She shook at the bloody thought.
"Tell me, sweethearts," The hyena chuckled menacingly, "What are a couple of kids doing in a place like this?"
Yuki's hand trembled as it slowly drifted inside the pocket of her bright violet hoodie. It shakily wrapped around the hilt of the knife Shirou had given her nights ago. Their training session played back in her head over and over again, his advice ringing in her ears, and the feeling of his hands fixing her stance as well as her grip. She was still very much an amateur, she couldn't even get past Shirou's defenses. How can she hold her own against five beastmen?
"I, uh, was looking for the bathroom?" Michiru squeaked out unconvincingly.
"Oh, really now?" The hyena sarcastically asked with the raise of his eyebrow. "Are you sure you didn't overhear anything important?"
They all took one deliberate step forward forcing a jolt of fear to course through them. Michiru, in her desperation, chucked her phone at the hyena. He didn't seem fazed or bothered when he moved his head slightly to his left, letting the phone clatter against the ground behind him uselessly.
"What a bad-mannered kid you are. We need to teach you some manners," The hyena smugly said with the tilt of his head.
They all started crowd in the narrow alleyway with sinister smiles on their faces. Michiru held up her arms, covering in her face in defense, with a gasp of fear but Yuki, in her own act of desperation, whipped the knife out from her hoodie pocket. She couldn't aim it or point it in any of their directions. Too many memories associated with that weapon was almost overwhelming her in that moment. It shook violently in her hand with her mind conjuring up the gleaming crimson red liquid staining the blade. Shirou said it wouldn't hurt her or anyone she willed it not to, but it still frightened her to her core. How could she use it against anyone?
Yuki screamed and closed her eyes, the knife clattering to the ground, and placed her hands over her ears to stifle the cries, screams of pain, and the torture of the damned in her head. She waited for hands to grab hold of her body... but nothing happened.
Her eyes flew open when the beastmen gasped and howled in pain.
With their hand wrapped tightly around the wolf's arm and yanking it back so harshly, causing the beastman to cry out in pain, was Shirou! "Enough," He growled towering over the cowering beastman.
All of the beastmen's eyes widened in surprise and almost all hostility dissipated into nothing seeing him. All Yuki could sense was apprehension and fear from her pursuers and would-be attackers. A few of them even took many steps away with their fore-heads glistening in cold sweat. A few of them must've thought he wasn't tough or strong enough to handle more than one beastman at a time. They were proven severely wrong. Two of them were flying out of the alley and onto the sidewalk landing on their faces. The other was being crushed under the heel of his boot, his face pushing harshly into the stone cement.
"Scram, and I won't kill you," Shirou growled once again and planted his narrowed eyes on the hyena. "Not today, at least."
After a few moments of gathering themselves, they ran speaking of promises to kill him but Shirou didn't seem bothered at all. He turned to them, Kuro perching himself on his shoulder once again, and said, "I'm glad I made it in time. Kuro told me what happened."
"So much for listening to your voicemails!" Michiru gasped stumbling on her feet. "Damn you! We called you several times!"
"Sorry," He said abruptly and transformed back to his human form. His eyes landed on the knife sitting at Yuki's feet and raised an eyebrow at her. "I see you thought about using the knife to defend yourself. What happened? You couldn't go through with it? Even when your life depended on it?" He asked her almost unkindly.
Michiru's eyes widened seeing Yuki hastily pick it up and shove it in her hoodie pocket. "A knife? You gave her a knife?! Since when? You know what, I don't care! What's the matter with you?!" She screamed at him like she was her mother.
"She needed something to defend herself with. In case you've forgotten, she's a not a beastman like you, Kagemori. This city is dangerous for humans. One way or the other, she's going to get into fights and she needs to know how to defend herself," Shirou explained without a bother or care in the world. It was as if he thought he didn't need to explain himself as to why he gave Yuki a knife.
Yuki placed a soft hand on Michiru's arm and quickly spoke, "It's all right! I wasn't going to use it anyway! I got scared... and I just don't think I have it in me to hurt someone."
"Whether you do or don't is not up to you. Kill or be killed, dominate or be dominated, that's the rule around Anima-City. If you can't follow it, you might as well lay down and wait for someone to come around to kill you," Shirou huffed closing his eyes for a moment. Yuki was slightly taken back but sadly nodded her head. "Anyway, why did those guys come after you both? They didn't find out about Hanamura, did they?"
Michiru let out a small sigh and shook her head. The three of them walked out of the alley and she said, "Who knows. Maybe because we saw some suspicious guys loading stuff behind Medi-Cen? Who were they, anyway?"
"They're a gang."
"A gang?" Yuki asked confused.
"They work with Medi-Cen employees to divert goods," Shirou quickly explained.
Before he could speak or move any further, a sudden tremble and shake of the earth almost forced them to lose their balance. They gasped and looked up towards Sylvasta Pharmaceutical's tower. Large black smoke began to billow and pour out into the sky, blackening it slightly, near the tip. Shirou didn't mention a bomb planted at the hospital! There had only been six all around the city! So there was one after all! Did Yuki and Michiru screw up Shirou's plan?
Shirou wasted no time to run towards the tower with Yuki and Michiru following quickly behind.
"Wait at the Beastmen Co-op!" Shirou commanded over his shoulder to them but they immediately shook their heads.
"No, I'm not leaving!" Yuki shouted back.
"Neither am I! I don't want this place to get blown to bits!" Michiru responded.
Shirou huffed and growled, "It's dangerous!"
"Fine then, I accept it!" Michiru huffed back forcing them to stop in their steps. "I'll admit it. I'm actually a human. But right now, I'm a beastman. You did say you'll protect all beastmen, right? Then, you're going to have to protect me, too. I'm a beastman after all. Hm!" A smug smile spread across Michiru's face and Yuki giggled at her determination.
With an annoyed sigh, Shirou turned his blue eyes on Yuki and gave a pointed stare at the knife concealed in her hoodie's pocket. "Are you actually going to use it this time if worse comes to pass?" He asked her sternly.
"I have my own reasons for not wanting to use the knife shamelessly," Yuki scoffed crossing her arms stilling the shake in her voice and trembling of her hands. "I don't want to rely on such a weapon. But... I will use it if either mine, Michiru, or your life is in danger. I am not helpless or useless! I will use it defend us. I will push all insecurities down to help us succeed."
Shirou rolled his eyes and tilted his head away, huffing, "You didn't need to give me a speech. A simple yes or no would've sufficed. You're such a pain."
Out of the corner of her eye she swore she saw Shirou suppress a small smile on his lips before turning to race back towards the tower. Yuki concealed a smile of her own, feeling the heat of her cheeks return at the beautiful image of his smile in her head, and continued to run after him. Michiru wants to save the hospital for her own wishes, to turn back into a human, but Yuki has a different reason. She's always been an advocate for beastmen and won't let lowlifes who can't handle their existence wipe them out, especially their hospital. She will stop them!
What they found inside was nothing but smoke, ash, and destruction.
Hearing and seeing the explosion of Sylvasta Pharmaceutical's from outside, running up the tall tower, they entered the room where it had occurred. Yuki's eyes ran over the dozens of computer servers that were destroyed. The metal sheets crinkled easily under her feet, exposed wires dangled from the ceiling emitting small sparks of electricity, and the entire room was covered in black soot and ash. It was dark and hard to see, save for the light two people held standing among the mess.
"How awful," Yuki mumbled side-stepping a tower that used to hold computer data and information.
One of them turned at the sound of her voice and their eyes widened slightly at their arrival. "Ogami, you made it," He started to speak and gestured a hand to the large, bulky man with a gray hair and a residing hairline, dressed in a lab coat, "This is Mr. Yaba, the Medical Center director."
Mr. Yaba's face was doused in sweat. He held a handkerchief up to his head, wiping the sweat from his brow, then moved it over his nose. His eyes ran up and down Shirou with a snarl. "This is clearly the work of the bombers too. The police will pay for not preventing this and the repercussions will be harsh!" He threatened pointing a finger at him.
Yuki glared at the accusing finger pointed at Shirou. He did the best he could to find the bombs scattered around the city, deactivating all but one, and that's the gratitude he receives? A threat to have him punished because of one bomb? She understood it's a scary situation, and the medical center is a very important place, but it would've been extremely worse without Shirou's help! Even then, she believes Shirou was sure he thought he found all of the bombs given his surprise at the sudden explosion of the room they're standing in right then.
Even with the threat hanging over his head, Shirou looked unfazed and stepped forward, calmly offering, "Allow me to help with the investigation too, Tachiki."
"He's an advisor who helps with our investigations. May he?" Mr. Tachiki asked looking over at the frustrated Mr. Yaba.
He only huffed and turned away, grumbling, "Do whatever you want." Then, he walked out of the room.
Yuki crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out in the man's direction. "After everything, he still acts ungrateful," She mumbled under her breath.
"That'll do, Hanamura," Shirou cut her off tapping her shoulder.
Shirou stood in the center of the room, toeing away loose debris and scraps of metal, and morphed into his beastman form. They watched him kneel on one knee and run a gloved finger over the ashy ground. Then, he placed his entire hand flat against it. When he closed his eyes to concentrate, his face had given way to frustration and disbelief.
"I find it hard to believe even you missed this one, Ogami," Mr. Tachiki stated with an underlying tone of surprise.
"I traced all of the bomb fragments-but this one didn't appear," He huffed then breathed out under his breath, "How is that possible?"
He waited a few seconds, still concentrating on what he could see and sense, before gasping, "That's it!" He instantly morphed into his human form at the startling revelation he must've figured out. "There's no scent... It has no smell."
Yuki was even more confused than before. Smell, the scent, was how Shirou traced the bombs in the first place. That's how he was able to detect, find, and disarm them before they were rigged to explode. It made sense how he would miss that one but... Somehow, that bomb was special and didn't have a scent. That, in itself, was very bizarre.
"That doesn't make sense. Doesn't everything have a scent?" Yuki thought aloud placing a fist to her chin.
"Indeed," He nodded his head.
Yuki moved around the room and noticed a hidden cabinet tucked in the corner of the room. It was bust open and revealed from the blast of the explosion. The metal doors hung open and shaking with a high-pitch squeal with every footstep going near it. She carefully slid the doors open and peered inside. Her eyes went wide but a small growl left her mouth. "Shirou, come look at this," She said waving him over.
When he stood beside her, she pointed a finger at what she saw. "There, I found your culprit," She said.
Inside were massive amounts of spilled chemical bottles. Even though chemicals give off a scent themselves, Yuki knew that all too well from experimenting in chemistry class, these somehow managed to survive the explosion and, seeing as they were possibly inflammable, didn't give off a single smell. The bomb had to have been placed by a Sylvasta employee; it was the only explanation as to how it was doused by the scent-removing chemicals and carefully hidden to prevent Shirou from locating it.
Shirou's faced scrunched in realization. "Looks like we need to have another talk with Director Yaba," He scowled under his breath.
All four of them walked purposely down the hall and to Mr. Yaba's office.
He had been hunched over his desk, his breathing becoming more shallow and ragged, that sat at the far end of the room in front of the wall made entirely of glass overlooking Anima-City. The sun outside illuminated his dark blue room in a menacing glow. The atmosphere and tension in the air was so thick Yuki could swallow it. He didn't seem to have realized they stepped into his room until Shirou spoke.
"Director Yaba. Can I speak with you for a moment, please?" He asked calmly but the underlying tone he held indicated Mr. Yaba wasn't allowed to say no.
Mr. Yaba held a crazed look in his eye. He pointed a finger at Shirou, screaming almost belligerently, "What do you want from me now?! I demand you take responsibility for this!"
He flinched when the four of them took a couple advancing steps.
"We examined the site of the explosion, but couldn't pick up the culprit's scent," Mr. Tachiki started to explain.
Mr. Yaba only growled harsher, "Is that an excuse?!"
"Not only the culprit. There's no scent at all at the scene for a time. That doesn't happen. The scent doesn't just completely disappear. Not unless a special chemical is used to eliminate all odors," Shirou continued for Mr. Tachiki and gestured to Yuki. She held up one of the bottles they found with a smirk. "This laboratory is equipped with equipment capable of developing such a chemical. Wouldn't this be a prime example?"
Mr. Yaba's sweat began to run his face like a waterfall. His eyes landed on the bottle in Yuki's hand and widened in horror. His body started to tremble at the facts that were starting to lay out in front of him. "Th-This is outrageous!" He snapped throwing out a hand. "How dare you accuse me to hide your own incompetence?!"
"Yuki and I saw your employee doing a deal with gangsters! I bet you're involved in that, too!" Michiru immediately interjected.
"You faked the bombings and blew up the research center to cover that up," Shirou calmly added.
"Seriously?! How can you trust what this guy says?!" Mr. Yaba screamed pointing at Shirou.
Shirou instantly dropped his stoic composure. His eyes turned downwards into a harsh glare revealing the wolf that lingered underneath the human body. Mr. Yaba gasped and recoiled in fear.
"When I trace the scent left at a crime scene, I always find the culprit. That's because all beastmen carry a scent. But at this crime scene, there was a time and location where there was no scent at all," Shirou lowly explained before giving Mr. Yaba's hands a pointed stare, growling softly under his breath, "And there's been no scent on either of your hands... ever since the explosion at this research center."
Terror filled his eyes and he took a quick whiff of his hands. A knowing gasp fell from his lips.
Mr. Tachiki whipped out a piece of paper from within his pocket, reading, "In accordance with the regulations of the Beastmen Special Zone, the analysis of the whiff will be used as proof." Placing the paper away, taking in the dumbstruck Mr. Yaba, he asked, "Why don't you give me your story down at the station?"
He was backed into a corner, and he knew it. In that instant, Mr. Yaba morphed into a rhinoceros beastman with a loud, angry scream that rattled their rib-cages!
He smashed through his desk without a care for its complete destruction and charged straight for Shirou, thrusting out his large horn!
Shirou barely managed to morph in time and threw out his hands. He caught the horn meant to impale him with such strength, but Yuki knew it was almost too much for him! His teeth grounded harshly in concentration, a snarl spreading his lips, and the muscles in his arms shook violently trying to push the rhino back and off of him!
"No, Shirou!" Yuki screamed running forward to help-when her breath was suddenly choked out of her.
She couldn't... breathe! Something was wrapped tightly around her neck, lifting her feet off the ground, dangling her in the air. She gasped, choked, and her body begged for air, her hands gripping desperately at the coil around her throat. She barely had the strength to turn her head and see a chameleon beastman standing beside her, his tail the weapon used to incapacitate her. He must've blended into his surroundings without them knowing and got the jump on her!
"Yuki!" Michiru shrieked.
"Don't move!" The chameleon demanded pointing a finger in Shirou's direction, "If you do, I'll strangle her!"
Yuki, through choked breaths and blurry vision, saw Shirou's eyes flash with unfathomable anger. A low, deep, and loud growl emitted from him as he bared his fangs looking at her being held captive. She tried to warn him not to worry about her, kicking out her legs in sheer desperation, but nothing came out. She watched in terror as the rhinoceros took advantage of Shirou's split attention and punched him across the face! He was hit so hard his body was sent flying across the room and smacked into the wall of the office, forcing a large indentation and sending cracks along like a spider-web.
"Run, Mimura!" Mr. Yaba roared at the chameleon when Shirou was knocked temporarily unconscious.
The rhinoceros jumped out of the room and sent his body flying do the ground with the chameleon racing down the hallway back the way they came in. Yuki couldn't scream, fight, or do anything. All she could do was jet out a hand to Shirou's unconscious body and Michiru who watched her helplessly get taken away. She continued kicking her feet out, her hands punching and clawing at the chameleon's tail still wrapped mercilessly around her throat, even as he climbed what seemed like hundreds of stairs.
Then, she felt the wind blow through her hair and nick at her skin roughly.
Her eyes were blinded momentarily by the warm pink, red, and orange skies illuminated by the setting sun. The entire city was before her eyes basking in the beautiful glow-but Yuki couldn't appreciate it like she always does. The chameleon had brought the two of them to the roof and immediately raised for the edge. He gulped looking down at the hundred story fall.
The doors suddenly slammed open and many pairs of feet stormed the rooftop.
"POLICE! Drop the girl and put your hands in the air!" She heard Mr. Tachiki command.
Through eyes barely flitting open, she saw the police and Mr. Tachiki's guns raised at the chameleon. Michiru stood alongside them with a nasty growl on her face and her fists raised defiantly.
Even at the threat, the chameleon still didn't back down. Instead, he hovered her body over the edge, her heart falling to the pit of her stomach at the tall height, demanding, "Don't move! Move an inch, and I'll drop her!"
"You'll never get away by doing this!" Michiru growled.
Yuki clung to the tail, seething through shallow breaths, "Why are you doing this?!"
"It's all your fault! If it hadn't been for you, we never would have had all this trouble!" The chameleon snarled at her. Then, he turned back to the police, demanding, "If you don't want her to die, get me 100 million yen and a helicopter for my escape!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Mr. Tachiki scowled.
Yuki gasped seeing Kuro fly from underneath her, soaring alongside the building, and charge straight for the chameleon.
The chameleon's eyes immediately turned a full 360 degree and landed on the black bird. He casually swat it out of the sky, the bird falling to the ground with a weak squawk, when it darted for him, huffing, "Don't try and get past a chameleon's blind spot! If you pull anything else, I'll kill her! Get the money and the helicopter!"
Yuki gasped against the sudden new tightness.
Heart racing, pulse beating loudly in her head and neck, her eyes flitted from Kuro, to Michiru, to Mr. Tachiki, and ultimately landed on the chameleon. He held no mercy, remorse, for anyone! Such fear and anger was overwhelming him to do things she didn't know he'd even regret! Her eyes went wide with fury, her teeth gritting so harshly together she thought they'd shattered, and sharply reached inside the pocket of her hoodie. She whipped out the knife Shirou gave her, her hand wrapping tightly around the hilt, with the silver blade gleaming in the sunlight.
With what little breath she had left, she bellowed, "I... will not... be used... against... my friends!"
She didn't hesitate to bring the edge of the blade down on the chameleon's tail.
He howled and shrieked in agony. Yuki's vision was filled with bright red blood shining in the light. It coated her hands and shirt, feeling sticky, smelling like iron, and she nearly shrieked in fear. The chameleon's tail immediately let go of her recoiling in severe pain. She felt the sudden flow of air enter her body but she didn't allow herself to feel relieved. Her hand shook holding the soaked knife, remembering the awful memories, screams, and cries that wouldn't leave her alone, but couldn't understand why she gripped to it like it was her lifeline.
"YUKI!"
Yuki gasped back to reality at the scream of her name.
Then, a terrifying shrill slipped out of her lips when she realized the chameleon had let go of her and sent her flying over the edge of the roof.
She instantly let go of the knife and reached out a bloody hand to Michiru. She had ran forward with her hand outstretched to try and catch Yuki before she could never be caught again. Yuki reached as far as she could... but only their fingertips grazed. Tears slipped out both of their eyes seeing their hands suddenly pull apart, and she continued to plummet towards the ground.
Yuki watched, still screaming in terror, as the roof started getting further and further away. Her body flailed and rolled in the air multiple times, her long brown hair whipping and thrashing against her face harshly with the wind, and yelped at the incoming ground.
What do I do?! What do I do?! I c-can't do anything! Someone, please help me!
A sob fell out of her mouth, hugging her arms, at the thought of death waiting for her so early in her life.
And yet, a hand tightly gripped her wrist and tugged her harshly.
Yuki's eyes widened at the sudden contact. She turned her head and another sob fell from her mouth when she came face-to-face with Shirou. He immediately brought her close to his body and wrapped his arms securely around her. She didn't let a moment go to waste and wrapped her arms around his body, shaking and trembling violently as she did.
With one hand holding the back of her head, and his arm wrapped around her waist, he hunched his body protectively around hers in the split second before she felt their bodies tumble. She suppressed shrieks and more yelps at the sharp impact. The momentum and force of the fall was forcing their bodies to bounce and roll with no sign of stopping. Then, she heard glass crack and shatter. She felt a grunt of pain rise from the depths of his chest and escape his lips. She couldn't pick up her head and see if he was okay. He continued to force her head down at his shoulder, preventing her from doing so.
Then, they fell through the air again.
When they crash landed into the ground, they finally stopped moving.
A cloud of dirt and dust billowed up at the impact.
Her joints, muscles, and limbs were all stiff and sore from the falls. Free from Shirou's arms, she slowly lifted herself up and tenderly placed a hand against her spinning head. Even through vision fading in and out, her eyes widened with fear seeing his body sprawled out underneath her, eyes closed, with the road caved in underneath him. She grabbed at his shoulders, shaking them, pleading, "Shirou! Shirou!"
"I'm alive. By how loud you're being, it seems you're not hurt," She heard him grumble through either pain or exhaustion. "Can you get off me?"
Yuki looked down and saw herself straddling his waist hunched over close to his face. She immediately backed away with a terrified and embarrassed shriek, hands covering the blush deepening on her cheeks, and couldn't stop herself from getting flustered.
Shirou, on the other hand, didn't seem affected at all. He only sat up and shook away the blood spilling from his fore-head down to his snout.
"Ogami!"
Yuki lifted her head and saw the police officers and Mr. Tachiki standing at the entrance of the building. Beside them were Mr. Yaba and the chameleon back in their human forms with handcuffs wrapped around their wrists.
"You shouldn't move around. Get checked out at Medi-Cen," Mr. Tachiki advised him.
Shirou morphed back to his human form and wiped the bit of stray blood from his head. Standing on his feet, dusting off his back, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his trench coat, grumbling, "No. I'm fine."
"Yuki! Yuki!" Michiru screamed racing out of the building and embracing Yuki in a hug that would've killed her if the fall hadn't. "I-I thought you were dead! I thought you were going to die! It would've been all my fault if you did! I couldn't catch you! I tried, but I couldn't! I wouldn't have forgiven myself if you had gotten hurt! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Michiru sobbed out loud still clutching to her tightly.
Yuki almost broke down into tears again but kept her composure. She held Michiru back just as tightly and said softly, "It's all right. I'm okay now. It's okay."
Above her friend's tearful apology, she heard the clicking of heels. Both girls turned their heads and saw Shirou walking away.
Yuki hurried to his side, worriedly asking, "Are you all right? Are you sure you can walk?"
"I'm not going to die if that's what you're worried about," He huffed without looking down at her.
Then, he suddenly flinched. He hunched over and moved to grasp his abdomen, almost losing his balance. Yuki immediately reached out and wrapped her arms around his body helping him keep up-straight. With his eyes closed in pain, Yuki gazed upon his handsome face lit up by the warm colors of the sun. She slowly looked down and mumbled, "Hey, um, thank you for saving me."
Shirou looked at her through suspicious eyes and eyed her arms around his body. He promptly removed himself from her and dusted off his coat. "I only did it to avoid an incident with the human world. Don't think too much into it, Hanamura," He huffed but she knew that wasn't the whole truth.
The next day, back at the Beastman Co-Op, Mayor Rose paid the four of them a visit.
"Yaba and Mimura confessed. They conspired to embezzle. They realized that the executives had noticed, so they blew up Medi-Cen's database system. They hired criminals to play the part of bombers and planned to destroy the evidence of their embezzlement," Mayor Rose explained but Yuki, Shirou, and Michiru shared a knowing look.
Michiru shook her head. "Was that really all it was?"
"What do you mean?" Mayor Rose asked.
Yuki remembered the way those beastmen acted. They were so desperate and careless of other lives-even as going as far as trying to kill Yuki and Shirou-but for the sake of not being caught for embezzlement? It doesn't make any sense.
"It seemed like the malice of that Mimura guy was more intense than that. Why would they have blown up their own research center to protect themselves?" Yuki spoke up thinking back how the chameleon blamed her and Michiru.
Michiru placed a hand on her hip. "That's insane! Adults are always trying to hide things that make them look bad. It's pathetic." Then, she stared pointedly at Shirou.
Shirou, sitting in a chair near them with his head bandaged, glared in her direction. "Are you talking about me?" He huffed much to Yuki and Michiru's raised eyebrows.
"Weeell..." Michiru teasingly drawled.
Closing his eyes, a look of annoyance scrunching his face, he roughly sighed out, "I'm sorry. I won't lock you up again."
Michiru gasped in delight and Yuki giggled at that.
"What?"
"It's just, you were being such a pain about it before!" Michiru playfully shrieked.
Then, Shirou couldn't look them in the eye anymore. Almost shameful, he turned his gaze away and softly said, "I don't want you to think I'm like those guys. Just make sure you don't tell anyone about your beastman-itis. And Hanamura..." He paused, his cheekbones blushing a slight red, and sighed, "You're pretty intelligent for a human. Your help... was greatly appreciated."
Yuki, who always hated being called a 'human', didn't let it bother her that time. He seemed genuine when he spoke and she appreciated it. A lot. She smiled and nodded her head in thanks.
"Michiru, I'll look into finding a cure for you too," Mayor Rose offered.
"She's a leading beastman genetic researcher. She is the first beastman to get a doctorate degree," Shirou quickly explained to them seeing their curious gazes.
Mayor Rose nodded her head. "I'm a politician now though. My research is also what brought me and Sylvasta Pharmaceutical together. That's how we got their support for the establishment of Anima-City."
"Wow!" Yuki and Michiru gasped.
Shirou's stern gaze met theirs. "Be careful of Sylvasta Pharmaceutical. There's something suspicious about them."
"What do you mean?" Yuki asked.
"No reason. It's just my nose says so," Shirou spoke as a matter-of-factly.
Yuki and Michiru eyed each other and let out stifled snickers. Michiru smirked and angled two fingers near her face, chuckling, "Oh? You mean your feral instincts?"
Shirou stood from his chair and glared at her. "Wait, are you mocking me?" He huffed.
"Of course not!"
Yuki's eyes moved back and forth between their banter and giggled to herself, genuinely moved and happy. After being at odds with Shirou for some time now, it was... a relief to finally get a sense of the who the real Shirou Ogami is, and slowly see him staring to accept Michiru... and perhaps her too.