(A/n: This chapter covers heavy themes of gore and blood. The scene is marked by ∆∆∆, so you can skip it.)

Another day, another disappointment.

Making your way out of the dorm at the crack of dawn as usual when you'd have to head to your appointments in the city, you suppress a yawn as the first rays of sunshine tickle your skin. Sleep didn't come easy to you last night, which was expected due to your heightened level of anxiety when it came to Doctor Masago and her team. No to mention that you'll have to do the impossible and try to convince them that you are not okay with being a constant experiment for all sorts of venom.

You'd like it very much if you wouldn't have to sacrifice a limb.

The train is as full as on any other ordinary day, the animals steering away from you to avoid touching you at all cost despite the cramped space. Even during your first time here, you noticed how most animals tended to stay clear of you as if you'd carry some sort of disease. You're guessing it's probably because you don't look anything like them and naturally, they're afraid of the unknown, much like your own species.

Of course, it hurts a bit to be avoided like the plague but on the bright side, it keeps you safe from harassment and people invading your personal space.

Another thing you had learnt over the many times you had to use the train, is that they're segregated into herbivore, hybrid and carnivore sections. Once again, nothing for omnivores like yourself. In the beginning, you rode on the herbivore part of the train, though as time went on and you took more and more trains with Legoshi during the preparation for the meteor festival, you tended to use the hybrid train. It is the only part of the train that allows the coexistence of herbivores and carnivores, therefore including omnivores such as yourself.

That habit stuck by you and despite the regularly occurring confrontations and aggressions on that part of the train, you enjoyed it far more than the few rides in the herbivore cart. Herbivores tended to be more uptight and less subtle about their obvious distaste for your presence, whilst hybrids tend to stare but mostly keep their eyes to themselves. After all, everyone in that train looks a little different.

From felines built like tigers but with the pattern of a cheetah or a jaguar, to coyotes with the short tail of a hyena, the hybrid train harboured society's less favoured individuals. The obsession with blood-purity is almost suspicious, reminding you once again of your own kind's history with that subject. It never ceases to amaze you how many parallels you could draw between race and species.

A soft tug at your jeans forces you out of your thoughts and curiously, you glance down. Your eyes meet large, innocent ones framed by long lashes and fluffy white wool. In the background, your ears take note of the aggressive shouting of two males and you're guessing the smaller woman lost her balance and thus, had to grab onto your pants for support.

"You okay there, miss?" You ask, letting her hang onto you as her small hand doesn't make you uncomfortable in the slightest. This may sound slightly biased from you, but she's small enough that you could literally kick her a good few feet if she tries anything on you. To be fair, she's only slightly taller than Haru.

She nods and mutters a quick apology, but doesn't let go of your leg, even after the argument between the two carnivores is resolved. You don't blame her though; it's not like she can reach the ceiling grips of the cramped poles to hold on to. And frankly, she's literally the only person who is brave enough to be in your personal space, let alone touch you.

For a moment, you wonder if you seem this small to Legoshi sometimes.

The buildings rush past the glass windows on the doors and soon enough, your stop is coming up. Glancing back down at the sheep, you tap her hand to bring her attention to you. "Miss, this is my stop. Sorry, but you'll need to let go now."

"Oh right. My apologies." Quickly letting go of you and averting her eyes, you hold a gentle smile on your face as you make your to the doors. Stepping out onto the pavement, you turn back and wave. "Have a good day, Miss!"

"You too!"

Regardless of the horrors now awaiting you, this small encounter brightened your day. Carefully joining the crowd, you leave the train station and once again enter the bright and colourful city. It doesn't take long until you find your way to the all too familiar skyscraper. It stands tall among the other buildings, imposing and ominous despite the bright sun reflecting on its many glass walls.

A part of you wonders if you should try calling Val again to ask if she'd be up to talk and catch up, but the Mountain lion is still on her business trip as far as you know. At least she didn't pick up when you called her three times yesterday and Gouhin hadn't heard from her either. You can only hope she's okay.

"Well, let's hope I don't die."

Sighing, you enter the scientific building. As usual, you're brought to the changing room to dispose of your backpack and your clothes, putting on the white medical tank top and thin sweatpants. As always, no shoes. The bandage on your left upper arm itches as you enter the lab, once again flanked by Robun and Kazuo.

"Y/n, nice to see you again after so long. How's your injury? Any problems?" Doctor Masago asks once you reach her, her ebony eyes focused on you as she straightens her back, clipboard in hand. You don't meet her eyes, instead watching the assistants and other scientists rush around in the back in an attempt to set something up. Something that is probably meant for you.

"It itches sometimes and it's not completely healed yet but otherwise, I have no issues. No other side effects from the venom either as far as I know." You answer reluctantly, internally thinking about how you'll address the issue at hand as the maned wolf nods and scribbles something down on the clipboard. "Doctor, could I voice a request?"

"You may. Go ahead, Y/n."

"I'd be grateful if we could lay off the venom testing, at least for a while. I'm sure you'll understand that I fear for my well-being after what happened last time and would not like to repeat that experience." For a moment, she regards you with impassive features, not giving you a single hint about her thoughts. Then, she sends you a professional and reassuring smile.

"No worries, I will make sure what occurred during your last appointment will not happen again. Nonetheless, due to your injury we decided to perform another test today, one that doesn't involve needles or any sort of dangerous substance." In your head, you let out a relieved exhale and cautiously follow the maned wolf as she begins to stride through the lab and to a simple examination chair. "It'll be a rather comfortable session for you today. Please, take a seat."

You do so, sitting down on the uncomfortable material. This chair is also notably familiar to you; it's the location where they shoot every kind of venom into your body or take your blood. Another assistant unravels the bandage on your arm and applies another layer of disinfecting, cooling and healing gel on the wound before wrapping it up again as Doctor Masago types something into the computer.

"Y/n, I'm going to have to ask you a couple of health related questions. Is that alright?"

"Yes." You agree, eyeing the obvious lack of medical equipment.

"When did you last experience menstruation?"

Blinking in surprise, as you hadn't expected that sort of question, your voice slightly cracks when you answer. "About a week ago."

"Alright. Are you using any form of birth control."

"...No." And that is true. After all, you and Legoshi had first broken up many months ago and after your birth control caused quite a few complications with the experiments and constant terrible state you were in, you decided to drop it entirely until you felt the need to use it again. Honestly, you had actually planned to buy more today on your way home.

"That is good, it would interfere with today's experiment." She mutters calmly before standing up and retrieving something from a box. However, your attention springs from her to the door of the lab as the guards bring in another individual, filling you with confusion and curiosity.

He's a dog, a Doberman Pinscher as far as you can tell, with pointed ears, black and brown fur and sharp features. From where you're sitting, it seems as if he's about 5'8 with a rather muscular built that is accentuated by the white tank top and sweatpants, similar to yours. A doctor rushes to him and they talk for a second, the Doberman glancing over at you briefly.

Who is he and what is he doing here?

But your thoughts are interrupted by a metallic clang and the feeling of something cold and hard against your left wrist.

In an instant, you look down to see a metallic pair of sturdy handcuffs tying you to the medical chair. The material isn't so tight that it would cause injury but it's too tight to slip through, causing panic to rise in your gut.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" You shout, desperate to get out as you tug at the handcuffs. "Take these off of me!"

"Apologies, Y/n, but I can't do that." Doctor Masago stands in front of you, her clipboard handed over to one of her assistants as she smiles at you. The rest of the medical staff gather around, the Doberman joining the crowd whilst being flanked by the two German Shepard guards and his pitiful eyes meet your terrified ones. "You see, due to the recent mishap and your injury, it would be highly unethical of me to allow any further testing with venomous or poisonous substances, at least in the near future. However, we discovered a much better opportunity for you to help us improve society."

Remaining silent, you stare at her, trying to keep your breath as calm as possible.

"The human brain as we've analysed it, especially one of your kind, is a lot more complex and advanced than that of any other mammal. Not to mention your lack of carnivorous instincts or claws. I'd even dare to say your species is superior to that of domesticated dogs, science's greatest creation." Gesturing to the guards, the two males push the Doberman forwards until he stands in next to the Doctor. "Which is why you and this fine gentleman will mate and produce a hybrid. His breed is one of the most intelligent ones we know of and paired with your potential, you two could create a truly perfect specimen."

With every word from her devious lips, your heart sinks further and further as the reality of the situation dawns on you. "You're sick...You're a bunch of lunatics!"

Please let this be some sick joke! This...this cannot be real!

Whoever's listening, I beg of you, please let this be a terrible nightmare!

"I am aware that the concept of creating a hybrid is unfavourable and usually, we advocate for pure-blooded relationships. However, a hybrid between a Doberman and a human holds much more potential than pure-blooded domesticated dogs. As a soldier, an officer of the law or even the next beastar. In the will of science, we must go through with this to better our society."

"What about me, huh?! Don't I get a say in this?!" Screaming at the top of your lungs, tears streaming down your face, you continue to trash against the handcuffs. You don't want this. You don't love this man and even if you did, you could never be so cruel as to bring a child into this sort of life, controlled by an individual like Doctor Masago.

"Unfortunately, you don't." She states flatly, not an ounce of emotion in her face. "You are in the perfect condition and at the most favourable age to conceive. You will be supported by the state of course, as well as protected against any kind of threat. If you wish, we can give you a drug that will...put you in the mood so to speak, to ease the process for you. I am aware that this isn't an ideal situation in your eyes but it is what is best for the world."

But you don't care about this world, not if it means sacrificing your pride and yourself to aide in the creation of the next super-soldier species without a single trace of empathy. Chained to a chair like a pest, something not worthy of basic decency or respect, you glare at the maned wolf with the fury of a dozen burning suns.

"You're a bunch of fucking Psychos." You hiss, e/c hues meeting ebony-coloured ones in a thundering blaze. "I'd rather die."

Doctor Masago is quiet for a moment, the silence suffocating you relentlessly as everyone looks at her. Although she may be wearing a tender smile, you know deep down that she must be enjoying this. She enjoys having this much control over another individual, disguising her sadistic pleasures as 'science' to avoid calling it what it really is; torture.

Her eyes glint in the harsh light as the assistants hands her the clipboard again. "You don't have that option, Y/n. We put these restraints on you so you wouldn't harm yourself in a rush of immature panic. Truly, it is an honour to do a deed like this for the greater Good."

With a snap of her neatly clawed fingers, her and the rest of the medical staff strut towards the door before the maned wolf turns around one last time. "We will give you a maximum time limit of 15 minutes to get acquainted with one another. Afterwards, we will start the experiment. Make use of your time."

The door closes behind them with a loud thud, engulfing the lab in terrible silence once more. Only your heavy breathing echoes through the room while soft whimpers occasionally escaping your lips as panic takes a hold of your mind, your arm continuing to thrash against the handcuffs. Cold and harsh, the metal irritates your skin with every pull.

"That's not going to work unfortunately. You're only going to hurt yourself like that." The Doberman mutters in a pitiful tone as he crouches down in front of you, his gaze searching yours. His voice is deep and calming and you're guessing he's a couple of years older than you, possibly in his mid-twenties. "My name is Hayato. Nice to meet you, though I wish it wouldn't have to be under these circumstances."

He holds out his hand to you and cautiously, you shake it. It surprises you, as no one else other than the principle or Legoshi had ever given you a handshake. Truthfully, it intrigues you and you wonder if the man in front of you is part of this evil operation or another victim like you are.

"Did you know about this? About what they're planning to do?"

"Yes." Hayato admits in defeat, though his eyes never leave yours. It's an intimidating aspect and you're sure it has to do with him being a rather athletic breed that is often used in the military. "But I was told all of this was consensual. Not that you'd be tied to a chair or put under the influence of a drug. Not to mention that you're still in high school. Fuck."

Groaning, he runs his hand through the short fur on his head. Then, he surprises you by grabbing a hold of the handcuffs and attempting to pry them open with raw strength.

It doesn't work.

"Stop, it's no use." You say loudly, the handcuffs clanking as he lets go of them and they make contact with the chair. The Dog lets out a defeated sigh whilst you stare at the restraints binding you to this cruel fate. But one question still weighs down on you. "Why did you agree to this?"

"Hm?" It takes him a moment to fully register what you said, before his husky voice answers you. "They offered me a rather large sum of money in exchange. And I couldn't refuse that."

"Money problems?" You ask as you let your gaze sway over the room. Somewhere, there has to be something you can use.

"I don't want to annoy you with my sob story."

"Try me. It sounds more entertaining than awkwardly staring at each other for the next ten minutes, wouldn't you agree?" Sending him a deadpan glance, you watch as he nervously gulps and turns his attention to his hands. "I suppose so."

Another moment passes as he hesitates, a heavy exhale leaving his lungs while you stare at him, bewildered. Truthfully, you're lucky that he is a rather decent man and not someone who'd enjoy taking advantage of you.

"I need the money for my daughter. She...she's been very sick for a long while now and her treatment costs more than I could earn in ten years. So when two animals, dressed in fancy clothes, showed up at our door with such a generous offer, I couldn't turn it down."

"...Is it cancer?" You ask carefully, your voice barely a whisper. His lack of response is enough to answer your question, the tears welling up in his eyes only confirming it. "Fuck. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Most often, the state would cover something like this. But she's not a pure-blooded canine." Hayato murmurs, pausing for a moment when your eyes widen at his words. "My wife was an African wild dog. She passed away in a car crash four years ago, shortly after we had our daughter."

You're utterly speechless at his confession, your head filling with possible responses but your tongue won't say a single one of them. All you know is that this man is just like you; an unfortunate victim of society, who is trying his best to care for his child.

And much like a sign from above, it is that exact moment that your eyes land on a forgotten scalpel, situation just out of your reach on the nearby desk.

Thank goodness, someone was stupid enough to forget it!

It won't help you open the handcuffs, but it'll be your ticket out of here. Even if it'll bring you into yet another world of pain.

"Did they pay you in advance or something like that?" You ask quickly, once again confusing the older male. "Uh, yeah. I signed a contract that stated that I'd receive the payment as long as I perform to the best of my abilities. Even if...things don't go the way they want it to."

Perfect.

"Hayato, I have an idea how both of us can get out of this and you'll still get the money to help your daughter." Filled with determination, you nod towards the desk. "See that scalpel? I need it."

Clearly hesitating, his eyes flicker from the weapon back to you. "What do you intend to do with that? Are you-"

"I'm not going to kill myself...But I have to cut off at least one of my fingers to remove the handcuffs." You tell him, sounding calm and collected despite the adrenaline rushing in your veins. It's a terrible decision but it's necessary in order to escape.

"What?!"

"Listen, I refuse to bring a child into this world just to give them away so these lunatics can train it into some kind of puppet! I'm getting out of here and this way, you'll still get your money to pay your daughter's medical bill." Your e/c eyes plead with the canine as you hold your hand out to him.

And reluctantly, he agrees.

"Why don't you just make a small cut to generate enough blood, so that you can just slip out of the handcuffs?" He questions as he hands you the scalpel and you position your hand onto the chair's arm, mentally preparing yourself for the pain. "Because I'll need to be able to use my hand if I want to get out of here. My fingers would probably still break due to the lack of space and I'd risk ripping open my skin and losing more blood. My best bet is probably the ventilation system and for that, I need to be able to climb."

Warily, you hold the edge of the sharp blade over your small fingers. You know how much this will hurt and still, you'll have to keep yourself from screaming so you don't alert anyone else.

"Are you sure this is the only way?!" Hayato questions frantically, his hand encircling yours to keep the scalpel away from your skin. When you slowly nod, blinking away your tears and repressing your trembles, he retreats. However, the next moment he's by your side again, handing you a towel he seemingly found in the lab. "Here. We need to cover your screams. So they don't come barging in."

"I'm in love with a grey wolf." You blurt out and shocking the canine, fearful tears streaming down you face as your hands tremble. One last time, you glance at Hayato. "Just thought you should know. We're not so different, you and I."

"Does he make you happy?" In response, you nod. A gentle smile settles onto the Doberman's face, his big hand ruffling the hair on your head. "Best of luck to you two then. He's got one hell of a girl on his hands."

Quietly chuckling at his comment, you send him a grateful grin. Then, you take the towel from him.

Biting down on the towel, you prepare your mind for what is about to come. The edge of the blade touches your skin, aiming for your left pinkie.

You had only seen this in a TV show once.

Let's hope it works.

∆∆∆

Pressing down, you instantly scream into the towel, the thick material muting your screeches of agony. Hayato's hand is on your shoulder but you don't notice him or anything else other than the pain. Familiar white noise fills your ears as you apply more pressure and the bone is severed, your blood staining the scene. Your brain is begging you to stop but you push through the barriers, knowing damn well that you cannot stop. Not now.

The pain is unbearabley; almost blinding as it assaults your nervous system. A shrill ringing sounds in your ear, drowning out any other noises.

Black spots dance at the edge of your vision. Your ears are still ringing when the severed digit falls to the ground.

∆∆∆

With trembling hands, you open your eyes, your stomach churning at the sight of your mangled finger. Hayato holds you steady as you tug at the restraints again.

Your hand slips through.

In an instant, the Canine slips away to get a piece of bandage, covering the bleeding wound whilst you try to calm your breath. You're still running high on adrenaline, which is a good thing; it's now a race against time. At best, you have five minutes left until Doctor Masago and her team come back.

Once Hayato is finished, he carefully hugs you, offering the only kind of comfort he can right now. You're thankful he's here, even though you've only known him for a few minutes. Still, there's one more thing you need to do now. You have no time to sulk around.

"Hey...Hayato."

"What is it?"

Grinning, you give him a pat on the shoulder. "Say Hi to your daughter for me, will you?"

And before he can protest, you manoeuvre your body around and deliver an expertly aimed kick to his head. It knocks him out instantly.

Immediatly filled with guilt, you make sure he's lying in a comfortable position. You didn't want to knock him out but it is necessary. Otherwise, they'd know he'd helped you and he wouldn't get a single Penny.

Muttering a quiet 'sorry', you let your eyes search through the lab. You'd love to look for some pain meds but you're running out of time. Instead, you grab the nearest bottle of disinfectant and poor its contents over your body. The cold liquid's fumes sting in your eyes and it feels uncomfortable but it's the only idea you currently have to cover your scent.

Climbing onto the desk under the nearest vent, you pull open the grid and heave yourself up. Wincing at the sickness in your stomach and the pain radiating from your finger, you pull yourself into the dark vent shaft, closing the grid behind you.

Naturally, you have no idea where to go. Your best bet is to climb up whenever you get the chance. From your many months spent here, you know that this facility has a rather spacious roof, much like most hospitals. If you're speculation is correct, you'll be able to get out of the vents up there and then hopefully find a fire-escape or something similar to get down. It has less risks than finding a way to the lower levels to escape through the main entrances or try to find a way into the sewers.

The vent shaft is big enough that you're able to crawl on all fours, though once you reach a more populated area, you'll need to switch to simply dragging yourself across the floor to avoid making much noise.

With no idea where to head, you decide to mentally say 'fuck it' and begin to crawl into a random direction. Hopefully, it'll take a while until they'll think about checking the vents.

Glancing down at your bandaged hand, the white cloth slowly tinting with red, you let out a shuddering breath.

I really jinxed it earlier, didn't I?

***

Hey ho Homies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

It's a trip, isn't it? ʘ‿ʘ
Bloody hell, I'm usually not that squeamish about severed limbs but damn, writing this really was a hard task. Especially cause I had to do some research and man, it is brutal.

This segment wasn't actually part of the plan for this story until a few weeks ago, when I had this idea before going to bed. It fills a big plothole I needed, is another hurtle for the MC and emphazises the corruption in the world of beastars, as well as our own most of the time. Let's be honest, this is exactly what would happen if an extraterrestrial was captured.

At first, I was thinking about bringing in another human but it would make no sense because as I've set them up, humans in the beastar world are part of a primitive civilization. Also, I would have no clue what to do with the character. Then, I thought about an ape, but it was pretty much the same.

Dogs are the smartest species in beastars, they were specifically designed for that after all. So naturally, when wanting to create a super-soldier, they'd choose the smartest species to pair the MC with.
And while our human brain and that of a beastars animal aren't much different, I still feel like us humans would have an upper hand. First, no actual instincts.
We actively choose to kill, we don't naturally feel an urge to chase down a rabbit or flee from a predator. Sure, we have healthy fear but we're often capable of devising a strategy with the biggest chances of survival.

Of course, then you have Florida man or Russian man, which are just incapable of having any sort of fear apparently. The "Call an ambulance! But not for me" kind of people that'll beat an alligator in wrestling for fun or have a beer with a bear.

Logically speaking, we have the capabilities to be the smartest mammal on land.

Also...did y'all notice the small Sebun appearance(◠‿◕)? Our favourite sheep ( ꈍᴗꈍ)

Anyways, I hope y'all are safe and sound and healthy in this horrible pandemic! Stay safe guys, gals and nonbinary pals!

See you in Chapter 65!