A little later after everyone had fallen asleep, it was only 11:25PM in the evening. Braedey was currently hugging his tail as he talked in his sleep, not able to roll over due to the spines and his wings on his back. He relaxed as he slept.
"Come on, now, baby. My little filet. My little filet mignon, with a little fat around the edges." Braedey muttered to himself. "I like that. I like a little fat on my steak. You're a delicacy."
Blake suddenly appears next to the slumbering dragon Anthro. "Braedey. Braedey. Braedey!" He nudged him, now waking Braedey from his sleep.
"H-Huh? What?" Braedey now stirs from his sleep, now seeing Manny leaning over the fence to see and Blake sitting next to the draconic Anthro. "What's going on?"
"You hug your tail while you sleep?" Blake asked with a curious look.
Braedey lets go of his tail as he rolled over onto his front to look at the two. "What is it, guys? A funny joke or something you wanna do or tell? You really like doing those, Blake."
"Actually... this isn't a joke." Blake answered back. "Manny needs to tell you something."
"What is it, Manny?" Braedey now asked.
"Okay, okay." Manny shuddered with a sigh. "You know how I have that bladder infection and I have to get up every two-and-a-half hours? Well, I got up to pee, um, and looked over at Dante's paddock, which, you know, I usually don't do. I don't know why, but I did. And this time I looked over and..." He began to rant on.
"Okay, okay." Braedey now stopped the giraffe Anthro. "What is it, Manny? What is going on?"
"It's Dante. He's gone." Manny finally said.
"Gone?!" Braedey abruptly sat up, now hitting his head. "Argh! What do you mean by 'gone'?" He winced.
Inside Dante's enclosure, Manny was right: there was no sign of Dante anywhere. The only source of evidence they could find was the rabbit-sized hole in the ground, which had been left behind by the penguins earlier in the day.
"How long has he been working on this??" Manny asked as he made his way towards the hole, though he can't see into it, even as he looks down it.
"Dante! Dante!!" Blake called down the hole, but there was no response.
Maria and Melissa made their way over to see what's going on. "He wouldn't fit down there." The former said to the two.
"Yeah. The hole's way too small for a Spinosaurus Anthro to fit down." Melissa agreed with the fish-woman.
"Dante? Dante?! Dante!" The others now looked to see Braedey trying to look around the hut that's in Dante's paddock, even moving the bed to try and find him. "He's not here!"
"He can't have just vanished into thin air." Melissa spoke to the others.
"This doesn't make any sense. Where would he go?" Maria now asked.
Braedey now stopped in his tracks, then his blue eyes widened. "Connecticut!!" He yelled out.
"No way..." Melissa and Blake muttered.
"He wouldn't." Maria added in.
"Oh, no! What are we going to do?" Manny now began to panic. "We gotta-- we gotta-- I mean, we gotta-- we gotta call someone!"
Braedey now quickly made his way over to the nearby payphone to call the authorities. He immediately punched in 9-1-1, but Blake stopped him from speaking on the phone.
"Wait! We can't call the police or anyone to tell them what's happened. It be all bad news if that happens." Blake said to Braedey.
"Hello? Hello?" A male voice spoke over the phone.
"Blake is right. We can't call the people." Braedey puts the phone back. A second later, he ripped the phone off its post and throws it away. "They'll be really mad! They'll get Dante kicked out of the zoo and be sent away to a correctional facility far away for good."
The rules and regulations for Anthros regarding them if they break the rules are rather severe. If they break any rules, they could have their citizenship revoked and be forced to be sent away, be taken to a correctional facility anywhere around the world. Individuals are put into special rooms in order to keep them safe as they go through rehabilitation in order for them to go back into society. Some facilities have environment rooms that resemble real world habitats to make them feel at home and feel safe. However, Anthros who aren't able to be rehabilitated have no choice but to be put in the wild to live among the animals for the rest of their lives.
"As the saying goes, you don't bite the hand that feeds you." Melissa commented.
Maria nodded as he puts her hands on her hips. "Mm-hmm. I know that's right."
"We have to go after him." Braedey declared.
"Go after him?" Manny echoed.
"Braedey's right." Blake insisted.
"He's not thinking straight. We gotta stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life!" Braedey spoke back firmly, then looked to the city outside of the zoo. "He's probably lost out there, cold, confused. Poor little guy." He sighed.
As it turns out, Dante was enjoying himself as he walks down the streets of Manhattan, strutting himself along. He saw some other Anthros walking down the street, so he waved to them as they waved back, Dante strutting his stuff as he walked along the streets. Some folks have some looks but didn't question it as they go along with their business and walk away.
As he passes by a clothing store, Dante spotted what looks like some kind of clothing for women on the mannequin up front, but looks like it has a sail on its back, much like his own Spinosaur fin. Dante smirked and rolled his eyes with a chuckle to himself, all the while continuing his walk for Grand Central Station.
Back at the zoo, Braedey flew over the zoo wall, with Melissa leaping over in a single bound, Manny lifting Blake over the fence, only to drop him by accident, Melissa luckily catching him in her arms. A second later, Maria bursts through the wall as if she were a freight train.
"Manny, come on!" Maria called as the others start to run off.
"Wait. You know, maybe one of us should stay here at the zoo, in case he comes back." Manny suggested to the others.
Maria turns to face him. "Oh, no. Not now. This is an intervention, Manny. We all got to go."
"What's the fastest way to Grand Central Station?!" Braedey yells as he, Melissa, and Blake start to run or fly.
"Ooh! You should take the Lexington line." Manny spoke up.
"MANNY!!" Maria yelled.
"OK. 'We'. We should take the Lexington line." Manny sighed reluctantly, now walking through the hole in the wall, tissue boxes on his hooves.
"What about Park?" Braedey suggested.
"No, No. Park goes 2 ways. You can't time the lights." Manny called out as he chased after the others.
Mason and Phil, the two chimpanzees, now appear next to the broken wall. "I heard Tom Wolfe is speaking at Lincoln Center." Phil does sign language in response. "Well, of course we're going to throw poo at him." With that, the two chimpanzees leave the zoo.
Back with Dante, he was at the Rockefeller Center, skating on the frozen pond that stands before a golden Prometheus statue. He was enjoying himself as he skated along the ice.
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, split by a large sunken square and private street Rockefeller Plaza.
Dante skated along without a care, his claws assisting him as he goes along. He skipped along, only for him to inadvertently trip over his own tail, and he fell over with a thud, much to his chagrin. He managed to get to his feet, eventually getting off the ice rink.
Down at 59th Street Station, Braedey, Maria, Blake, Melissa, and Manny were waiting for the train to get to Grand Central Station. So far, the train hasn't arrived yet.
"I knew we should've taken Park. Are you sure this is the fastest way to Grand Central Station?" Braedey now asked.
"I don't know! That's what Manny said." Maria argued back.
"Hey, let's not tear one another apart, okay?" Blake insisted to them.
Manny made his way over to the others after his time in the men's bathroom. "Have to admit, the designers had not considered making bathrooms for extra-large Anthros." He commented to the others. "It felt cramped in there."
"You're not joking on that." Melissa agreed.
"This isn't a field trip, Manny!" Braedey now snapped, almost wanting to slap him. "This is an urgent mission to save Dante from throwing his life away! Now, where is that train?" He fumed, just as the sound of a train rumbling could be heard.
"Ah-ha. Here it comes." Manny spoke up.
The five of them stick their heads out to see where the train is, unaware that it was coming in from behind! The train blew its horn, Manny looking back to see the incoming train, making him scream out in response, leaping back to dodge the incoming train, the others all stepping back in response as the train rolls by to come to a stop.
"Too close." Blake muttered.
"What did Dante say to you? I asked you to talk to him." Maria yelled out to Braedey over the noise of the passing train.
"I did! I don't understand!" Braedey insisted back to the fish-woman. "He just said, "Let's go." I asked him, "Are you crazy?" He says, "I'm 17 years old." And he is not sure if a Spinosaur walks on two legs or not. And so then, we sang and..." He continued to tell Maria as they soon boarded the train.
Some of the people getting off the train started to run off in a panic, others just walking away in confusion of what's going on, with a few Anthros just minding their own business. As the train doors close, it nearly got Manny's hooves, but he managed to get his foot in as the train leaves the station.
Over at Times Square, Dante was currently talking to a police horse, as well as a redhead Centauride female, the former trying to get directions to get to Grand Central Station.
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment centre, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent Duffy Square, Times Square is a bowtie-shaped space five blocks long between 42nd and 47th Streets. Brightly lit by numerous billboards and advertisements, it is sometimes referred to as "the Crossroads of the World", "the Center of the Universe", "the heart of the Great White Way", and "the heart of the world". One of the world's busiest pedestrian areas, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major centre of the world's entertainment industry. Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, drawing in about 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of them tourists, while over 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on its busiest days.
"What you got to do is go straight back down West 42nd." The police horse stated to Dante, the latter writing it into a little notebook. "It's just on your left after Vanderbilt."
"Okay." Dante nodded.
"If you hit the Chrysler Building, you've gone too far and have to backtrack." The Centauride added in.
"Uh-huh. Thanks a lot, officers." Dante thanked as he walked over towards the traffic lights.
"Hey! Wait for the lights!" The Centauride called, Dante now stopping in his tracks before the road. "Sheesh..."
The police officer on the horse was currently on the radio with his superiors about what's going on. "Did you say 'Spinosaur'?" A male voice asked to the officer on the radio.
"Yeah, yeah, that's right. A Spinosaurus Anthro." The police officer acknowledged back. "Right in front of me in Times Square. Should I intervene or something?"
"Negative." The voice spoke back on radio.
"Well, I might need backup soon. He looks to be heading to Grand Central." The officer stated.
Down underground, onboard the subway train, Braedey and the others are onboard it. As the train carried along, Braedey took notice of someone huddled in the corner, but it was the newspaper he held. Braedey gently tapped the person on the shoulder, getting his attention as the brunette gestured to the newspaper, silently asking if he could take a look. The man now timidly gives Braedey the newspaper, the brunette now taking a look at one of the articles on the back, but he sighed in frustration before handing the paper back to the man, who nods back and took the paper before hiding in the corner.
"What did you see in the paper?" Blake asked.
"The Knicks lost again." Braedey sighed in annoyance.
Manny rolled his eyes. "What are you going to do?"
"Can't change what happened." Melissa shrugged.
"Grand Central Station." The conductor's voice spoke on the P.A system on the train, now getting the group's attention as they heard the train start to slow down.
"Did that just say 'Grand Central Station' or 'my aunt's constipation'?" Braedey asked.
"Nope. We're almost there." Blake interjected.
"This is it." Maria added in.
Eventually, Dante arrived at Grand Central Station, now walking up into the Main Concourse of the subway station, now looking around at the beautiful building interior in curiosity and smiling to himself.
Grand Central Terminal (referred to as Grand Central Station) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus of the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines, serving the northern parts of the New York metropolitan area. It also contains a connection to the New York City Subway at Grand Central–42nd Street station. The distinctive architecture and interior design of Grand Central Terminal's station house have earned it several landmark designations, including as a National Historic Landmark. Its Beaux-Arts design incorporates numerous works of art. Grand Central Terminal is one of the world's ten most visited tourist attractions, The terminal's Main Concourse is used as a meeting place, and especially featured in films and television. Grand Central Terminal contains a variety of stores and food vendors, including upscale restaurants and bars, two food halls, and a grocery marketplace.
Grand Central Terminal was built by and named for the New York Central Railroad; it also served the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and, later, successors to the New York Central. Opened in 1913, the terminal was built on the site of two similarly-named predecessor stations, the first of which dates to 1871. Grand Central Terminal served intercity trains until 1991, when Amtrak began routing its trains through nearby Penn Station. Grand Central covers 48 acres (19 ha) and has 44 platforms, more than any other station in the world. Its platforms, all below ground, serve 30 tracks on the upper level and 26 on lower. There are 67 tracks in total, including rail yard and sidings; of these, 43 tracks are in use for passenger service, while the remaining two dozen store trains.
"Here we are. Grand Central Station." Dante mused to himself. "Okay, time to go and find my train..."
Down below, the subway train Braedey and the others are onboard started to slow down and come to a stop at the platform, where a drummer was playing. As the train stopped, Braedey forced the doors open as he, Maria, Melissa, and Blake run for the stairs, with Manny struggling to make his way out. But as the train began to depart, the doors caught Manny's head and began to pull him along. He managed to squeeze his head out of the train doors, but hits the ceiling sign up above, and destroys the drummer's drum-kit.
At the stairs, people were either running off, Anthros being taken away for their own safety, as they all try to scramble and run out of the station. Braedey was now making his way over the escalators and stairs to get to ground floor.
"Move aside. We have an emergency here. This is an emergency situation. No need. Just chill out. It's not that big of an emergency." Braedey called out to the people, only for an old woman to suddenly start to hit him.
"Upstairs, downstairs!" The old woman hits Braedey with her handbag, then kicked him in the crotch before using pepper spray in his eyes. "How do you like that?!" With that, she even throws him over her shoulder.
Braedey winced from the pepper spray, stumbling back. "Ow! Lady, what is wrong with you?!" He then gets hit by her bag twice. "Ow! Get a grip on yourself, people!" He stumbled away from the old woman.
Dante, meanwhile, he was looking at the departure times of the New Haven Line, which will take him to Connecticut. But as he looked, he saw the express had just departed.
"Dagnabbit! I just missed the express! Looks like I'll have to take the Stamford local." Dante calmed himself down.
Suddenly, Braedey tackled Dante down like a footballer in victory or a beast tackling prey. "I got him! I've got him!" He called out to the others.
"He's got him!" Maria said in relief as she, Blake, and Melissa ran into the Grand Concourse to catch up with them.
"He's got him! He's got him! He's got..." Manny got to the stop of the escalator, only to start slipping on the polished floor. "Whoa-whoa-whoa!"
"I got something for you!" The old woman now hits Manny with her bag, the giraffe Anthro stumbling about before hitting the floor.
"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Manny muttered as he stumbled along over to the others.
"Whoa! What are you guys doing here?" Dante asked in surprise when he saw the others.
"Oh! I am so glad we found you." Braedey sighed in relief as he hugged Dante.
"We were so... worried about you." Melissa added in.
"What were you thinking?" Maria and Blake asked. "Running off like that?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Look at me." Dante gestured to himself.
"You're fine? Oh, good. Hey, you hear that? Dante's fine. Ah. Good to know." Braedey said to the others. "'Cause I was just wondering..." Braedey now becomes desperate, disappointed and frustrated as he abruptly grabbed Dante by the neck. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US, DANTE?!?! I THOUGHT WE WERE YOUR FRIENDS!!!"
"What's the big deal?! I was coming back in the morning-!!!" Dante gasped out.
"Don't you ever do this again!! Do you hear me?!" Braedey spoke back firmly.
"Do you hear him?!" Maria added in firmly.
"Guys? We're running out of time." Manny spoke up, just as the sound of sirens being heard approaching the station.
"I don't like that sound." Blake muttered.
"Do you even realise what you've put us through?! Don't you do this again! Don't you ever, ever do this again!!" Braedey told Dante firmly.
Suddenly, the lights within Grand Central Station go dark as the Police and Firemen are called in. As the group all look around them, the whole of the New York Police Department and Fire Department were called in, as well as the SWAT team.
Skipper and his agents are reading a newspaper, but a spotlight got them. "We've been ratted out, boys." He said, and they raise their flippers in response.
"Hold your fire!" One officer called as all officers and the sericutu forces point their guns at the Anthros as firefighters aim their hoses, all of them surrounding the group of six Anthros in a circle. All of the Anthros froze in place, Blake and Melissa with their hands up, while Braedey, Dante, Maria, and Manny all stood there. Even the chimpanzees were caught at the station as well.
"Cute and cuddly, boys. Cute and cuddly." Skipper whispers to his fellow penguins as they waddled over to the Anthros.
"It's the Man." Dante whispered to the others, then he looked to the police. "Good evening, officers!"
Braedey immediately stopped Dante. "No, no. You don't talk right now, okay? You're not good with the "putting the words together and coming out good" thing. You keep it silent!" He puts Dante down, while he tried to not cause a panic. "Hello, everyone. How you doing? Yeah. You know what? Everything's cool. We just, uh, had a little situation." As he spoke, the police push in an Animal Control officer, but he's frightened of Braedey, so the Police use their shields to block the sacred man's path. "Little issue here. My friend just went a little crazy. It happens to everybody. The city gets to us all. Just went a little looney in the head.
Dante was offended by this. "Hey! Don't call me looney in the head."
Braedey turned to face Dante. "Just shut up! I'll handle this." He turns around, only for the old woman to kick him in-between the legs, the others wincing at this as the police take the old woman away.
"That's gotta hurt." Blake winced softly.
"Would you give a guy a break?" Braedey winced out, holding his crotch. He whined in response, before he got to his feet. "We're just gonna take my friend home and... uh, why don't forget this ever happened. All right? No harm, no foul?" The police immediately move back. "Hey, it's cool. It's me, Braedey the Nightfury. From the zoo." He gives off a pose, his wings out but nobody seemed to react. He turned to face to the others. "What is the matter with them?"
The animal control officer pulls the trigger on his gun, shooting Braedey in the butt by a purple tranquilliser dart. He winced at the shot, seeing what he got hit by, then began to faint, now stumbling about as he was about to fall over, Melissa grabbing him before he could hit his head.
"Ow... Whoo! I feel really, really weird." Braedey mumbled out, the others walking over to see if he's alright. "Hey! Aw. I love you guys. I love you so much..." With those words, Braedey eventually fell asleep.
The sounds of protesting and yells could be heard, the sleepiness of the tranquilliser starting to fade away. Braedey slowly sat up to see what's going on. As he slowly began to regain his consciousness, he saw there was a crowd of protestors and those behind fences, all of them with signs of protest for and against Anthros, while a news reporter was there with her cameraman, and they seem to be talking about something rather important.
"Last night's dramatic incident in Grand Central Station is an example of what animal rights wackos and those within organisations against Anthros have been shouting for years: These beings don't belong in captivity." The news reporter stated to her cameraman. "Now they are to be sent away to a correctional facility, where they will be treated and be tested to see if they'll be able to adjust and finally return to normal life among us people of New York."
Braedey groaned, sticking out his hand weakly. "H-Hey. Little help?"
The guard noticed this. "It's awake! It's awake!" At once, the audience ran off, just as guards shoot more tranquilliser darts with different colors, a blue one lands in the middle of Braedey's palm.
Braedey see the dart, and groaned as he felt the effects almost immediately. "Oh, man..." With that, he fell asleep once again.