An Oddity Among Beasts (BEASTARS)

One Last Effort

The shot was faint, but Alan heard it clear. Could it be from outside? The quiet was beginning to take its toll on him, body aching to move despite the massive weight of hopelessness on his back. He stayed down for a few seconds before slowly getting up, shuddering more than once as his heart's uncomfortable beats died down slowly. He made his way to the door quietly, gradually getting closer before he put an ear to it.

Footsteps. They were going past the door, though.

He managed to make out a few words as they faded, something about someone's ear. Maybe he could get out, but what if someone sees and they shoot him? No, he's rare meat, as far as they're concerned. If their boss is truly gourmet, then he'd hate to have his once-in-a-lifetime meal ruined. His thoughts went to Haru, what that lion could he doing to her.

He grabbed the doorknob with a shaking hand and turned it with agonizing care...

Nothing, no slamming weight against him or shuffling. The human took a breath and poked his head out, looking to the sides and finding the hall clear. He stepped out and thought for a moment. Where's the room he was taken out of earlier? In his struggling, he neglected to pay any attention to his surroundings. There's no telling how big this place is or how many lions there are. Haru could be on a completely different floor than he is right now!

Okay, consider everything., he thought. You're somewhere in The Ghetto, you're in a stronghold held by lions, and they have a rabbit somewhere here. How to find her...

He perked up as he got an idea, though it was a risky one. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, looking around once more before closing his eyes. He sniffed the air in quick puffs, getting nothing notable or related to the rabbit. Then he got a faint odor— cigar smoke! From what he saw, the boss was the only one who had one. So if he follows the scent...

    He made his way down the hall slowly, taking small whiffs to make sure he was heading in the right direction. It felt strange using his nose like this, though he didn't really have a reason to decipher scents before. In fact, he never utilized his sense of smell at all. There wasn't a situation that really called for him to do so before now, so relying on it for the first time felt...puzzling.

The smell led him to what looked like the door to the room he and Haru were in. He listened in, barely hearing anything until something hit the floor. He grasped the handle and froze, was he ready for this? If the other lions were anything to go by, the boss would be tough. Even now, his body shook from what happened in the other room. Besides, what if she's already...

"No!"

That's her voice..., his eyes widened before narrowing sharply. I'm done thinking!

He burst through the door and glared daggers at the back of the boss lion who looked over his shoulder in shock. The cane was off to the side, no sign of the rabbit anywhere around him. It wasn't until something wretched its way from under the boss that Alan saw her back away. She looked at him in surprise, holding a sheet to her body. It was then that his blood boiled anew, slowly turning his head to the massive feline that gazed at him. He clenched his fist, feeling a familiar pricking sensation rise in his palm.

"What in the hell did you do to her?", he asked icily.

The boss narrowed his eyes, "I'm actually quite surprised. You're far from the first human I've seen, but none of them seemed as aggressive as you."

He stood up and turned to him, "If I'm being honest, I was planning on saving you for later after I was done with your friend. But it seems both of you aren't going to go down easy. Still, I'll take immense pleasure in tearing you bo—"

Alan hit him with a hard punch to the face, instantly hitting him again before kicking him back.

"I don't care, you old bastard!", he yelled. "You think to call yourself 'gourmet'? Well gourmet this!"

    He ran up and swung for his nose, only grazing it when the old lion moved back. He snarled with rage and tackled the human down, grabbing his face with a monstrous hand. Alan growled and threw more punches at him, not doing anything as he felt his head being squeezed. He grits his teeth, spreading his hand open and swinging hard.

The effect was instantaneous, the boss rearing back while covering his face before Alan kicked him away. He went over to Haru and stood in front of her, panting and shaking. The lion uncovered his face, revealing four small slash marks on his cheek. His eyes widened in shock as he looked to the human, seeing his nails sharpened to a point.

"Impossible...humans can't have claws!", he gaped as he traced the cuts. "Just what the hell are you?!"

That gave Alan pause, looking back on everything. In the beginning, he was a human— something rarely seen by animals. Then, he became a hybrid, and one to be feared based on what species his other parent was. It stayed like that until now, but he was starting to find the solution to his plight. The answer was unique to him, and him alone.

"If I'm human I'm a savior, and if I'm an animal, I'm either a monster or a weakling! So what the hell am I supposed to be if I'm half of each?!"

"...you're a paradox."

He shook his head and clenched his fists, No, I'm more than that.

He stood tall and stared at the lion, "I'm an oddity. If it's exotic meat you want, then you're looking at the most exotic meat of all. But I'm not going down without a fight!"