Prologue
It had been a year since Legosi had defeated Riz and dropped out of school. Since then, he's been living at the hidden apartments, an apartment complex in the same area of the black market. While living there, he's become an official apprentice of Gohin, a muscular panda who works as a psychologist for carnivores.
Legosi's life isn't as quiet as he would have liked, but he's happy to be doing such good work. Sure, his life is put in danger sometimes, but much like a firefighter or a police officer, he puts himself on the line in order to help others.
This is because the carnivores Gohin helps are those who have become addicted to meat and as such, become more aggressive and even crazy. As such, Legosi is often forced to restrain them, usually through violence. There have even been times when the wolf had to use his own claws and fangs in order to incapacitate them.
Still, Legosi has grown a lot stronger and has gained enough muscles to rival Gohin's thanks to the panda's training. It also allowed him to gain some much needed perspective on the black market, something that would help him during what could be called a fateful encounter.
Chapter 1: The Cleaners
It was a normal Saturday night and Legosi was making his usual rounds. Part of the wolf's job was to find any carnivores that were hurt, gone insane, or were on the brink. He did this by either walking through the black market streets or keeping watch from the rooftops. Of the two, Legosi preferred the rooftops since it kept him out of harm's way and gave him a bird's eye view.
"It's been pretty quiet tonight," Legosi thought as he drank the milk box he brought with him. "I can never tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing around here."
As the wolf finished his drink, he heard gunshots coming from a nearby alley. This wasn't everything new since a lot of the black market's buildings are used as bases of operation for the local crime lords. Still, that didn't stop Legosi from getting startled by the sudden noise or from dropping his milk box.
After shaking himself out of his stupor, the large canine ran towards the gunshots. Normally he'd run away from such a scene, but his duties as Gohin's apprentice compelled him to go and see what was happening. After all, it wasn't the first time he'd bring a wounded gun victim to his master's office.
When he arrived, he saw several large animals fleeing the area. As expected, all of them were carnivores and some of them were clearly shot. Still, the wolf jumped off the roof he was on and into the alley to search for anyone who was too hurt to move. Once he landed, he found two bleeding animals on the ground.
One was male honey bear in an expensive looking suit. Legosi couldn't tell if the bear was a gang member or was just a civilian who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. What he could tell however, was that the bear was already dead. He didn't need a medical degree to know that a bullet to the heart was an instant kill.
The other one was a male black lion in some pretty fashionable street clothes. He looked to be the same age as Legosi, if not a year older. When the wolf checked on him, he was relieved to find that the lion was still alive. From what Legosi could tell, the lion wasn't too badly injured despite being shot in the torso.
After assessing the situation Legosi started treating the wound with the medical kit Gohin gave him. He then picked up the unconscious feline and started walking him back to the panda's office. Legosi may have had some field medical training thanks to Gohin, but if the lion still had the bullet lodged in him somewhere, there wasn't anything the wolf could do.
After a ten minute walk, Legosi arrived at Gohin's office behind the black market. He would have gotten there a lot sooner, but he needed to sneak through the back streets so that no one would see him. Once he got there, Legosi used the special knock Ghoin taught him, prompting his boss to open the door.
"Was wondering when you'd get back," Gohin said from behind the door.
"Sorry Gohin sir, but I have someone who needs help," Legosi answered.
"Meat addict, mental illness, depression, violence victim, or feral?" the panda asked.
"Violence victim," the wolf answered.
"Alright, bring'em in," Gohin said as he opened the door. "Lion huh? Bring him to room three."
Legosi nodded to his boss and walked in. He laid the black lion on the bed that had been prepared beforehand. With the large feline in a safer place, Legosi removed his jacket and shirt in order to give Gohin a better view of the wound. He then prepared the usual tools the panda used when treating gun victims.
"So, wanna tell me what happened?" Gohin asked as he entered the room.
"I don't know," the wolf answered. "I was wandering around the rooftops when I heard the gunshots. I went to check it out and that's when I saw a bunch of carnivores running away."
"Is that right?" the panda said as he crossed his arms. "Was he the only victim?"
"No, there was another one," Legosi said as he shook his head. "It was a male honey bear. Adult, probably in his mid-thirties, wore an expensive suit, and wore a pair of glasses. All that said, I couldn't tell if he was with one of the gangs or if he was a civilian."
"Any weapons on him?" Gohin asked.
"I didn't search him, but I didn't see any weapons on the ground or a holster, so if he did have one, it's probably still in his pocket. There's also the possibility that it could have been stolen in the aftermath. As I said, there was a huge panic when the guns were heard so someone could have used the chaos to take it," The wolf explained.
"Hmp, good to hear you're learning," the panda said with a smirk. "Am I right to assume that he's dead?"
"Yes sir, he was fatality shot through the heart," Legosi answered.
"If that's the case, then it's good you left him there," Gohin said. "If you removed the dead body from the scene, it would have made things a lot worse for us. Now, what about our friend here, did he have any weapons on him and how severe is his wound?"
"I didn't get a chance to search him either since I needed to stop the bleeding. I cleaned him up as best I could and then brought him here as quickly and quietly as possible. Although, just like with the bear, I didn't see a weapon anywhere around him," the wolf explained.
"Well even if he doesn't have a weapon, we still need to know who he is," the panda said as he walked over to the bed. "Let's see if we can find an I.D and maybe something that can help us get in contact with someone he knows."
Legosi nodded to the larger animal and started searching the jacket he hung. Gohin meanwhile, searched the black lions pants for a wallet or a phone he might have been carrying. As they did, the panda bear found something that told him exactly what he needed to know.
"Hey Legosi, look at this," Gohin said as he beckoned his apprentice over to him.
"Did you find an I.D?" Legosi asked.
"Something like that," the panda said as he pulled out a gun, causing legosi to jump back. "Know what this is?"
"Is… isn't that a type 54 black star?" the large canine asked in a nervous voice.
"That's right, and there's only one group around here packing this kind of heat," Gohin said in a serious voice. "The Shishigumi!"
The Shishigumi, a group only made up of lions. Theirs was a name that Legosi has long since cursed. It was back during his days as a student that the group kidnapped Haru, a rabbit student who was very precious to him. Although the wolf was able to save her, he hasn't forgiven them.
This group was also responsible for corrupting Louis, a deer student who the wolf looked up too. He was able to get Louis away from them as well, but it took months to recover from the damage they had done to him. Even now, Louis struggles to live a normal life and spends a lot of time in therapy.
"Them again!" Legosi snarled, his fur and tail standing up in anger.
"Calm down Legosi, I know how you feel about them, but this cub's got nothing to do with it. I can tell that he's around the same age as you and it's possible he's just a grunt. Plus, even if he's a higher ranking officer, he wasn't involved in that mess. You can trust me on that," Gohin said as he crossed his arms.
Legosi clenched his fists. His anger towards the Shishigumi was so great that he saw anyone who was a part of it as an enemy. Despite that, he knew his master was right, which only made his frustration grow. He wanted nothing more than to throw this lion out and leave him to his fate. However, he could never do something so heartless, not even to a member of the Shishigumi.
"I… I need a second," the wolf said, trying his best to calm down.
"Well you can take your second outside," Gohin said disapprovingly. "Go wait on the couch by the door while I fix this guy up, and keep an eye out for anyone who might be looking for him or for any more patients."
Legosi reluctantly agreed and left the room, still trying to calm himself down.
Legosi, wanting some fresh air, decided to go up to the roof of Gohin's building. This was a habit he developed a little while after working for Gohin since it helped him clear his head after a long night of work.
The wolf had always liked being in high places. It was one of the reasons why he enjoyed working with the spotlights back when he was still with the drama club. Whenever he was high above the ground, he felt like he was freed from all his problems, even if just for a little bit.
As he sat down to relax, he felt the night air embrace him. The cool breeze felt like a comforting hug as he took it in with a deep breath, cleansing his mind. He then closed his eyes and listened to everything and everyone wandering the streets below.
He heard the meat sellers of the black market talking up their products, the costumers haggling with them or thanking them, and the carnivores enjoying their dinner. If it wasn't for the fact that all of this was illegal, one would think this was a normal city street.
Legosi would often find himself thinking about this. It's true that he had eaten meat in the past, but that was just the one time and it was only so he would defeat Riz. He remembered how his body craved the taste of herbivore flesh again and all those sleepless nights he had. It made him wonder why the animals down there could go about daily life after eating meat when he couldn't.
Yes, Legosi had to wrestle a large number of carnivores to the ground since they went crazy from the meat, but that paled in comparison to the number of carnivores who didn't go nuts. In fact, if he were to count the number of carnivores he had to fight to the number of carnivores he didn't, it would only be a third of the black market's population. It just didn't make sense to him.
As the wolf thought about this, his phone started to ring. When he checked to see who it was, he saw that it was a text from Gohin.
Hey Legosi
Sorry to spring you on this, but I need to step out for a second. Long story short, one of my suppliers is on his way, so I need to go meet up with him. I also wanted to let you know that I finished fixing up our lion friend. He actually woke up while I was treating him, so I needed to give him a sedative. I know you'd rather not, but I'm gonna need you to keep an eye on him.
See you in a bit, Gohin
Sigh "Figures," Legosi said in a slightly annoyed voice.
The wolf headed down stairs and back to room three. There, he saw the lion sleeping soundly.
"Well, at least I don't have to deal with him," Legosi thought. "Knowing Gohin, he most likely used a much stronger sedative than was needed, so he'll probably be out until morning. Works for me."
Legosi walked over to the bed and gave the black furred feline a quick once over. He examined the wound that both he and Gohin treated. When he confirmed that there was nothing wrong, he checked the rest of his patient's body to make sure they didn't miss anything. He then took the lion's blood pressure, listened to his breathing with a stethoscope, and checked his pulse, all of which were normal.
"Well, good news, your vitals are normal," Legosi said as he looked down at the sleeping feline. "Your wound is all cleaned up and you don't have any broken bones. Guess you're a lucky guy. Still, I have to wonder what happened to you. Were you actually a part of whatever caused the shooting or was it just bad luck?"
Legosi, after writing everything down, put down the clipboard on the desk and put the equipment away. He was about to leave when he heard the sound of moaning coming from behind him. He turned around and saw the lion slowly shaking his head.
"Oh, you're awake. I wasn't expecting that," Legosi said as he walked over to the bed. "I thought for sure Gohin gave you enough medicine to keep you sleeping through the night."
"Ugh… where am I," the black lion said in a groggy voice. "And… why does it hurt?"
"I'm sorry to say that you were shot in the torso," Legosi said in a calm tone. "You should consider yourself lucky. The bullet didn't hit anything vital so I can safely say that whatever pain you're feeling is a lot worse than the actual wound."
The lion, still trying to get his bearings, looked around the room. Once he laid his eyes on Legosi however, he jumped back, making his pain a lot worse.
"Hey, you need to calm down!" Legosi said in a stern voice. "I understand that you're confused about all this, but if you move around too much you could reopen the wound."
"Where am I, and who are you?!" the lion asked before looking down and realizing that the only things he had on were his boxers. "AND WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!"
Legosi, understanding that his patient won't relax until he gets some answers, let out a sigh and spoke.
"To answer your first question, you're at a doctor's office. A back alley doctor, but a doctor nonetheless. As for me, my name is Legosi and I guess you could call me the doctor's assistant. Although apprentice would be more accurate. I'm actually the one who found you and brought you here. As for your clothes, they're right there on that chair. I needed to take them off so the doctor could examine you," the wolf explained.
"Your name is… Legosi, and you're a doctor's… apprentice?" the black feline asked.
"That's right, and right now I'm in charge of looking after you," Legosi answered. "What about you though? What's your name? I'm asking because we didn't find an ID."
"Agata," the black lion said as he laid back. "My name is Agata."
"Ok, Agata, that's a start," Legosi said as he picked up the clipboard again. "Do you have a phone number we can use? Someone has to be looking for you, right?"
"I uh… I actually live by myself, so I doubt anyone's looking for me," Agata answered.
"Well, do you have any friends or relatives we can call?" Legosi asked.
"Sorry, all my relatives live in a different prefecture and don't have a lot of friends outside my work," the black lion said sadly as his ears folded back. "And if they get wind of this, I'll be in a lot of trouble."
"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that." the gray wolf said as his own ears folded back. "Still, isn't there anyone we can call?"
"Sorry, but I'm pretty much on my own with this one," Agata said as he let out a small smile. "Don't worry though, my work has made me pretty tough, so I can get home on my own."
"Not tonight you're not!" Legosi said in a commanding tone. "Gohin said that you needed to stay here so he could keep an eye on your recovery. You can leave tomorrow, but I'm afraid you'll have to spend the night here."
"Come on, I'm fine," Agata said as he waved his hand dismissively before clutching his stomach in pain again.
"You're not fine!" Legosi barked. "Now you can either make this easier on both of us and get some rest or I can strap you to the bed, your choice!"
"Wow, you're serious, aren't you?" The black furred feline said with a nervous smile. "Alright, I give. The boss always told me that a wise man knows when to fold."
Legosi let out a slight smirk. "Glad you can cooperate. I can't tell you how many patients try to make things as difficult as possible."
"I can imagine," Agata said with a slight laugh, trying his best not to wheeze from the pain. "Still, I'd like to know where I am. I know you said this was a doctor's office, but where is it exactly?"
"It's actually right behind the black market, but it's kind of hidden," Legosi answered.
"Wait, there's a doctor right here in the black market? I didn't know that," Agata said in a surprised tone.
"Yea well, Gohin prefers to keep it that way. See, he specializes in helping carnivores who get hurt while they're here and also takes care of any carnivore that goes feral as a result of eating meat. He's also a psychologist who looks after carnivores with mental illnesses such as depression," the gray furred canine explained.
"Wow, I didn't know we had someone like that here," Agata said as he got comfortable.
"Like I said, Gohin prefers to keep it a secret," Legosi said with a slight smile. "There are a lot of crime lords who might see him as a threat, so it's for his own safety, and the safety of his patients that no one finds out."
"And let me guess, you want me to keep quiet right?" the lion asked. "Well don't you worry, I know how to keep a secret."
"Glad to hear it," Legosi said as his tail started to wag. "Anyway, I have work to do. You just take it easy and we'll see about getting you home in the morning."
"Alright, sounds like a plan," Agata said with a big grin on his face.
Legosi bid the lion a goodnight and left the room.
Agata meanwhile, Began to slowly close his eyes. He still had a lot of questions, like who this Gohin guy was and what was Legosi's story. For now however, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, hoping that he would get his answers in the morning.