On the very same day, merely a couple of hours earlier, our favourite grey wolf is taking the all-too familiar route to the black market's doctor and security guard. When he met the panda so many months ago, when their group had aimlessly wandered into the black market, he would've never thought that he'd one day work so closely with the black and white bear. But look at him now, a strong protégé under Gouhin and seemingly in total control of his carnivorous instincts.

And only two days before his big fight with Riz. A duel that might cost him his life.

I won't let it come to that. I made a promise to Y/n, she'd never forgive me if I'd break it. And if I died shortly after proposing to her, she might get so traumatized that she would never love again! I can't ruin her happiness!

Thinking about you instantly makes his heart ache in grief and longing. It's been so long since he had last smelled your scent or held you in his arms; it's unbearable for an animal like him. Grey wolves, much like any other wolf species, mate for life after all and he doesn't plan on losing you ever again. Unfortunately, the force of circumstance seems to constantly drive the two of you apart, so much so that he doesn't even know where you currently are. How can he call himself a good partner when he can't be by your side to protect you?

Letting his ears hang in shame, Legoshi rounds the corner into the dark alleyway leading to Gouhin's clinic, his tracksuit snuggly shielding his furred body from the cold air. The temperatures were falling with every passing day, the icy hands of winter trapping the entire town in its grasp. He lifts his head to the sky, his observant gaze catching sight of the bright, nearly yellow moon that is almost at its peak.

I wonder if Y/n likes the winter. It never came up in the conversation. Grey wolves are kind of made for living in cold environments...but I don't know how humans feel about the different seasons.

What if she has to hibernate, like a bear or a squirrel? Or what if she feels the urge to migrate to the south, where it's warmer? Does the fur on her head grow thicker in the winter?

Another part of him wonders if you'd perhaps need extra shelter during the cold season, to keep you warm. While he doesn't know much about human mating habits, he guesses that it's the job of the partner to build or find that shelter for their female companion and he'd be lying if he said he's not excited for that possibility.

Nonetheless, he has to find and bring you home first.

Wistfully exhaling, his breath coming out in visible puffs of air, he tears his gaze away from the moon and knocks onto Gouhin's door, quickly burying his hands in his pockets right after. His ears lazily flap against the freezing breeze as heavy footsteps sound from the other side, right before the door swings open and reveals the grim expression of the muscular panda. The signature bamboo cigarette hangs from his mouth, his obsidian orbs barely visible within the black circles of fur around his eyes.

"You're late." He huffs, stepping aside to let the wolf inside and with a sheepish grin and an apology, he does just that. The door closes behind him with a heavy thud, tense silence filling the room. Until the panda's rough voice reaches his ears once more, the young wolf immediately stiffening. "You got some explaining to do, Legoshi."

Confused, he turns to face him, his ears flapping. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You know what he's talking about, Sugar." A female voice suddenly joins the conversation and immediatly, Legoshi's head snaps towards her. His eyes are wide, his focus now entirely on the older feline that has seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Elegant and threatening at the same time, the burgundy dress hugging her figure beneath the white faux-fur coat. A silver necklace hangs around her neck, the ruby teardrop-shaped jewel glittering in the light.

"Mountain Lion!"

"Argh, it's Valentina, you brat!" She growls, balling her fists at him whilst her tail dangerously swishes from side to side behind her. Gouhin quickly rushes to her side, holding her back from hurting the oblivious wolf. "Val, calm down! He's just a kid!"

Another low growl echoes from her throat as she stares at Legoshi, who mindlessly smiles at the feline like a kid during a birthday party. His tail wags behind him, a detail that doesn't go unnoticed by the two adults.

"Anyways-" She starts, sending the wolf one final glare-" Why won't Y/n answer any of my calls?! I left my date early because of this, so where is she?!"

And as soon as it had appeared, Legoshi's joyful expression vanishes, much like the hope that the Mountain Lion might have a solution to his problem. "Wait...you mean you don't know?"

Suspicious, her and Gouhin narrow their eyes, the panda taking a hold of her upper arm to keep her from doing anything stupid. The fur on the back of her neck stands up, a dizzying mixture of worry, irritation and puzzlement making its way into her chest. Gouhin stays quiet with his eyes seriously trained on the canine, while her voice breaks slightly as she speaks; something she desperately tries to cover up with her harsher tone. "Wha-What are you talking about, sugar?"

"Y/n, she's..."His ears fold back against his head, his tail slightly curling in between his legs. "She's missing."

It pains him to say those words out loud, this terrible reality mocking him every scorching second that he's away from you. Millions of thoughts race through his mind and all of them are about you; like they have been since the day that he met you, only that they've been much more intense after the shared night at the hotel. And with everything that the two of you have been through, more importantly what you have been through, he can't help but worry about you. At this very second, you might need his help and he's unable to provide it simply because he is incapable of finding you.

It's catastrophic, at least in his opinion.

Bitter silence hangs between the three animals, the only sounds coming from the occasional swish of Valentina's long tail.

"What?"

Her tone is demanding, piercing through Legoshi's soul like spikes of ice. Avoiding her gaze, he answers with a rather quiet voice, instinctually cowering before the older female. "She's been missing for a couple of days now...A lot has happened while you were gone."

"So why are you just standing here?!" The mountain lion yells, her pupils turning into slits as her ears press against her head in fury. She rips herself free from Gouhin's grasp, marching towards the young wolf and halting right in front of him. Then, she grabs the front of his track-jacket and pulls him towards her, dangerously snarling in his face. "You're in love with her aren't you?! So why are you just standing here, doing nothing, huh?! You fought for her last time, what's so different now, kid?!"

"I don't know where she is!" He yells back, his strong façade breaking as tears begin to well up in his eyes. "I can't even catch her scent! I don't even know where to start!"

"Bullshit!"

"What kind of animal do you take me for?!" Slapping her clawed hands away from his jacket, terminating the hold she had on him, Legoshi snaps at the Mountain lion. His fur stands on the edge, his frustration with the situation on clear display. He towers over Valentina by a few inches, the 5'9 feline taking a staggering step back at his imposing figure. "If I had any idea, I'd be out there right now to bring her home! It kills me to know that I'm useless! I can't do anything and that pisses me off!"

Legoshi pants, stray tears rolling down his face whilst he lowers his gaze to the floor. He's unable to look the two adults in the eye, too ashamed of himself to face their shocked eyes. His body trembles, both from frustration and sadness, his young mind too overwhelmed by the mere idea of losing you permanently. And yet there is nothing he can do.

"I'm absolutely powerless." He gravely says, his voice and demeanour more heartbroken and pessimistic than usual. "All I know is that she contacted a mutual friend to tell me that she's safe and can't come back to school. Apparently, the people from the laboratory are searching for her; they've come to the school as well. She said she's safe but...that was days ago. Who knows how it is now. I hate myself for being so useless, when she obviously needs me. I should be out there, doing everything I can to safe her and yet I can't."

Another tear slips from his eyes before he wipes them away. "It's so fucking frustrating."

The Feline and the Panda watch the scene with concerned expressions, Gouhin concealing his emotions better than the mercenary. When she left, she did not expect to come back to such a mess. She'd be lying if she said you hadn't won a special spot in her heart and seeing this young male in front of her so utterly distraught means this situation is worse than she thought.

"Damn." She grins pitifully. "She really rubbed off on you with the swearing, sugar."

Slightly smiling, Legoshi lets out a sorrowful chuckle. "Yeah. She did."

"Why didn't you say something to me sooner?" Gouhin interjects, crossing his arms with a wistful visage.

"I just...I didn't know how to bring it up, I guess. I felt so ashamed and sad at the same time; I just didn't know how to deal with it without sort of...burying it inside of me and trying to ignore it. That's how I usually dealt with that sort of stuff."

"Man, I forget you're just a kid sometimes." Valentine remarks, coming up to the canine and gently patting him on the shoulder. "But you're not to blame for this. If anyone of us is, then it's me. I shouldn't have left her alone, I'm the adult here after all. I knew what they were doing to her and yet I let her deal with this on her own."

"Val, you're not-" Gouhin tries to reason, only to be interrupted by the Mountain lion.

"Don't, Gouhin. It's my job to protect her and yet I let her go back there time and time again. Last time I checked, they were still testing poison on her. Who knows what they did to her now. I let her down."

Curiosity falls over the wolf's face when Valentina's eyes light up with determination, a new fire igniting within her before she marches up to the door.

"Where are you going now, you big cat?!" Gouhin questions. Taking hold of the handle, the Mountain lion glances back at the two of them, baring her fangs as a sign of her bloodlust.

"Making up for my mistakes and blowing some brains out."

"Wait, I want to come with you!" Legoshi attempts to follow her, only to be stopped by a clawed hand wrapping around his snout and forcing him to stay quiet. Valentina regards him with a pitiful, yet stern look, before letting her hand fall back to its previous place at her side.

"She'd never forgive me if I'd take you with me into certain danger, possibly even death. You'd probably hold me back, too, seeing as you're more brawn than brains. Besides, don't you have a fight to win tomorrow?" In response, Legoshi's ears fall flat, his dissatisfaction as clear as day. Still, the mountain lion doesn't back down. "Don't worry, sugar, I know what I'm doing. Things like this are my job after all."

"Now if you'll excuse me, sweethearts-" She grins viciously, opening the door and filling the clinic with a breeze of freezing cold air-" I've got a human girl to find."

With a loud clang, the door falls shut behind her, leaving behind an annoyed panda and a frustrated grey wolf.

***

When your consciousness returns to you, the first thing you notice is that you're light virbations moving through your body.

Your eyelids feel heavy, beckoning you back to sleep much like the light pain coming from the back of your head. Groaning, you fight to open your eyes, thankful that your source of light isn't obnoxiously bright like those in the lab.

Speaking of the lab, that is definitely not where you currently are.

Finally managing to squint your eyes open, you take in your surroundings, noticing the metallic floor beneath you and the steel bars in front of your face. You're in a cage, one that is cramped and yet big enough for you to stand in if you'd like; you could even go around in a small circle, if you'd like to wait for delirium to consume you entirely.

Right in front of you is a second cage, seemingly the exact same as yours. Only a few inches seperate the two steel builds. Hayato glances at you from his position on the floor, leaning back against the back-wall of the cage much like you are. Frankly, he looks miserable and you doubt your appearance is any better. Like your own, his hands are shackled by tight handcuffs.

You're in a moving vehicle, probably some sort of van guessing from the size of it. The walls are bare and grey, only filled by the two cages, both of which appear to be strapped to the walls by a safety belt for security measures. Well, the two cages and one canine guard. He's seated, pressed against the back doors of the van with his arms crossed in front of his chest; he appears to be asleep, however, he's also armed with a pistol. There are no windows, leaving the small space in a dim, triste light.

Moving your head to the left, you notice that the back space is separated from the Front seats by a wall, a small space with a sliding window being the only connection to the driver. It's closed at the moment, though you can definitely make out a pair of muffled voices from the other side; one of them masculine and the other more feminine. You're guessing that it's Doctor Masago herself; you doubt she'd let anyone else sit in the same car as her precious cargo.

The thought of the maned wolf brings an acidy taste to your tongue, your chest filling with bitterness at the memory. You had walked right into her trap, too stupid to see the signs. You had been so desperate to get your life back, that you completely forgot to use any kind of common sense or critical thinking.

Of course it was a trap. When has life ever been gracious towards you in the past few days? Exactly, never. That's not how it works after all. If you hadn't been so caught up in your false joy, you would've questioned how convenient it was that at the exact same time that you happened to be outside of that bar, Masago's underlings were out and about, just talking about every little detail you needed to know for no apparent reason. All of that just screams "suspicious", so why didn't you see that?

Guess I was just too blinded by happiness to even think about it.

Fuck...if I had at least told Louis where the lab was, maybe then they'd have a chance to get me out of there once we arrive. But then again, I don't want to put them in danger because of me...No, this is just one of those things that I have to solve without their help.

Not that I have any other choice now.

However, if they are truly taking you back to the lab, why are you still in the van? You doubt you were unconscious for a short amount of time, judging from the pain in your skull. With a car, Hayato's place was only an hour at most away from the lab. There's no logical reason for you to still be driving, unless your healing abilities are off the fucking charts.

"Hayato-" You whisper, stealing a quick glance at the guard, who thankfully stays asleep-"What's going on? Where are they taking us?"

"Some scientific Institution in one of the lesser known districts, away from the big city. You were out for about an hour and a half or so, but I think we still have about two more ahead of us." He responds, his voice just as quiet as yours. "It's probably some fucking extra safety measure after your big escape last time."

Nodding, you internally curse, knowing that this will make everything even more complicated, not to mention harder for you and the Doberman. In the old lab, you knew the layout, which is crucial for an escape plan. Wherever that new place is, you'd be at a severe disadvantage. Even if you managed to escape, you'd have nowhere to run.

"Fuck." You sigh, running your hands over your face. Then, you send a questioning glance towards the canine. "Wait...how did you know how long I was out for?"

Painfully grinning, he points to the sleeping guard and you follow his index finger, noticing the watch on the male's arm. Forming a silent 'O' with your lips in Understanding, you and the dog return to absolute stillness. Neither of you have any idea on how to get out of this.

Maybe this is it for me.

The thought sends a jolt of grief into your heart and you instinctively pull your legs to your chest, huddling together into a small ball. If your life was a book or a movie, you'd simply skip towards the part where you'd already escaped and gone back to your normal life, doing couple-things with Legoshi. However, that only works if your book or movie has a happy ending.

And maybe yours doesn't. Not every story has a happy ending, at least not for every character. Who knows, maybe you're not the main character. You might be nothing more than a pawn, created simply so that Doctor Masago could have her very own happy ending. After all, no matter which way you'd twist it, someone is bound to lose.

That's the terrific reality of life. For someone else to live happily ever after, someone else will most often take the burden of suffering until their days are counted. We'll never know which role we play until we've already played it. Only at the end of the performance can the audience truly decipher the message the creator wanted to convey.

Maybe this just isn't the story for you.

Still...I'm grateful for the things I got to see. For the people I got to meet, for every single experience, be it good or bad. At the end of the day, I'll be able to hold my head up high and be satisfied with all that I've done.

Even though there are still so many things that I would've liked to be a part of.

I want to say yes to Legoshi's proposal, I want to see Haru's garden again, I want to spend time with Juno, Val and even Louis. I would've liked to go for a drink with the Shishigumi without the disguise for a single time.

But I'll probably never get to experience all those things now.

"What are you thinking about?" Hayato's hushed voice forces you from your thoughts and you glance up at him, answering in a tranquil tone. "Just about how this may be it for me. Even if this experiment is over, they're not going to let me go back to my old life. I'm going to be trapped in a cage until the day I die."

"I get what you mean." He agrees, his eyes not meeting your own as he stares at the metallic floor. "My daughter's in the hospital right now, getting her treatment. My mother's with her most of the time because of my work schedule. I'd like to be by her side but...even with the treatment paid for, I'll still have to save up for future hospital bills and stuff. Who's going to support her now when I'm gone?"

"Her name's Hana, right?" You ask, watching as he nods. "That's a beautiful name."

"It was her mother's idea. She loved every type of flower and I couldn't even get her to think about any other name. She was dead-set on Hana." A soft, sad smile graces his face and it's obvious how much the memories of his deceased wife pain him, yet bring him a serene sense of piece. Love works in mysterious ways after all, even after death. Smiling at him, you lowly mutter, "She sounds like a lovely woman."

"She was. I bet she would've loved you. You're stubborn, just like her." His face contorts into an expression of utter grief and regret, his ears falling flat against his head. "I just wish that... I just wish that I could watch my little girl grow up."

"...I'm sorry, Hayato." You mumble, your voice breaking mid-sentence.

"It's not your fault. You're as much a victim in this as I am."

Although he's right, it certainly doesn't feel like it. Hayato never wanted this. If you had just agreed to participate in this experiment the first time, he wouldn't lose his life as well. A child would lose her father today and you're to blame for it. And the guilt is threatening to devour you alive.

Neither of you make a sound as the seconds pass by, your knees pressing against your chest and the handcuffs digging into the flesh on your wrists. Then, Hayato's voice awakens a new sense of curiosity in you.

"Or maybe..." He mutters, his eyes switching back and forth between the walls of the van and the steel bars in front of him. Slowly rising to his feet, he holds onto them and you can almost see the wheels turning in his brain. You raise an eyebrow at his odd behaviour, watching as he gently pulls at the safety belt.

"What are you doing?"

"Okay so...hear me out." He starts, his eyes now sparkling with courage and persistence. "These restraints are bound pretty tight around our cages, which means they're bound really close to the walls of this car. And we're close enough to each other that if one of our cages moves, it'll influence the other one as well. That means, if we move the cages with enough force-"

"We can move the car." You finish his sentence, staring at the canine with wide eyes. He nods with a bright smile, beckoning you to stand up as well, which you promptly do. "But how does that help us with stopping it?"

"Well uhm, it's dangerous and we might die, but," He says, ignoring your exasperated face, "if we manage to turn the car or get it to crash, we might have a chance of making it out of here. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather try this than spend the rest of my life in a cage and away from my daughter."

Staring at him, you hesitate. On one hand, his idea has a high chance of succeeding. On the other hand, it also has a high chance of killing the both of you. Still, you don't need to think much longer before responding with a bold nod. "Not like it's anything new, right? Let's do it. What do I need to do?"

With a look towards the sleeping guard, the Doberman motions for you to stay quiet from now on, opting to gesture the rest with his hands. He makes a swiping motion with his index finger between the two opposing walls of the van, afterwards mouthing the word "push" at you. Thankfully, you already had an idea of what he was talking about; otherwise his explanation would've been absolutely useless.

Positioning yourself in a way that it mirrors Hayato, you wait for his signal. Counting down with his fingers from three to one, he gives you the "Go" before throwing himself at the side of his cage that is directly pressed against the car. You do the same, only that you throw your entire body weight against the side of your cage that touches Hayato's, thus giving his action more power. With a wince, you ignore the pain that shoots through your body.

Instantly, you see a result, the car shaking and slightly tipping to the side. Hayato grins at you and the both of you get back to work immediately, knowing very well that it's only a matter of time until the driver, Masago and the guard realize what's happening.

This time, you repeat the steps, but you're the one that throws themselves at the car's wall, not Hayato. Like before, the van rattles, already beginning to swirl.

Quickly, you continue, repeating the actions and thus unhinging the car more and more.

"Stop!" A masculine voice suddenly reaches your ears and you turn around to see the guard standing, his gun pointing right at you.

Another gun...why is it always guns?

He's struggling to keep his balance with the rapidly rocking car, much like yourself. You're pretty sure that even if you wanted too, you wouldn't be able to stop the car from swirling, the momentum you and Hayato had caused is already too strong. The Doberman continues to thrash around in his cage, throwing himself against the walls while the guard frantically moves his pistol between the both of you, unsure who to aim at.

He's a young man; you doubt he ever had to shoot at another, unarmed individual.

Ceasing the opportunity, you join Hayato's hasty movements once more, bringing the guard even more out of balance and at the same time, making it basically impossible for him to aim. The car swings from one side to the other and in the midst of it all, the sliding window to the front seats opens, revealing the distraught faces of Masago and the driver.

"What are you doing back there?! You'll cause us to crash!" The maned wolf shouts as the driver does everything in his power to keep the car under control.

"I-I'm sorry!" The guard shouts back, wobbling around like a newly born baby. "I-I don't know what to do!"

They really got the worst man for the job, huh?

"Shoot them in the lower leg, you imbecile!" She growls, holding onto her seat. The Doctor's eyes meet yours, her fury more than evident when you stick your tongue out at her. "It'll keep them from jumping around like lunatics!"

The guard nods frantically, using every ounce of resolve in his body to find his stance and aim his gun at your leg, his finger on the trigger. But it seems that the universe is finally on your side.

A screech echoes through the car, followed by a scream coming from the driver as the van's dangerous rocking becomes too much for him to handle. It tips over to your side, changing the concept of balance entirely. And as fate would have it, the guard is caught by surprise, his finger pressing down on the trigger.

The bullet races past you, imbedding itself into the head of the driver, rendering him lifeless in the matter of a second. Everything seems to go by in slow motion as Masago isn't fast enough to react, the vehicle swirling off the side of the road. Panic overwhelms your senses, your body having no time to act as the car flips over.

For a millisecond, gravity is meaningless to you. Everything feels like a dream, an illusion that'll turn to dust before your eyes in the matter of a single moment.

And as fast as it came, reality comes crashing down on you.

Much like your head crashes against the steel bars of your cage, the familiar black abyss devouring your world instantly.

*** 

Hey ho ho, homies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Happy easter!

First off, I am sorry for the cliff hanger but otherwise, this chapter would be way too long. So we have to wait until the next one to find out what happens.
I'm finally healthy again, woohoo! Tell ya what, a sore throat bloody sucks, I felt like utter death! No worries, it wasn't Corona. We went to the doctor just to be sure and while it was a virus, it wasn't Covid (thankfully). While I was sick, I just binge watched Netflix musicals, some stuff on Disney Plus and continued watching Naruto Shippuden.

I'm not fully caught up, but I know the gist of it. Still, that show never fails to make me cry.

On another note, my friend Portal (who also made the meme above) made another meme regarding his reaction to all of this. Warning, it involves a character from outlast, so it is kind of graphic!
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Tbh, for those of you that know Outlast, I feel like him and Masago would be the best of friends.

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Anyways, did y'all notice the small hints I'm dropping?👀 I'm not saying it, so I'm just hoping y'all know what I mean. Cough cough I has to do with Val cough cough.

You know, sometimes I look back at how this story started...it literally took a 180, my gods.

Anyways, I hope y'all are safe and sound and healthy in this pandemic! Stay safe, everyone!

See ya in chapter 72!