BEASTARS - Night of the Lepus

The Mansion

   Legosi couldn't help himself. He immediately through his arms around Louis, his tail wagging vigorously. Everyone was taken aback by this. Legosi began to tear up. "Louis...." he sniffled. "...I've missed you." Louis' eyes softened when he realized what was happening. He smiled and returned the embrace. "I've missed you too, mutt." he chuckled. 

   "Welcome back." Bill said. Reaching his hand out to shake. Legosi let go of Louis, sniffling. "Sorry." he said. "Don't apologize, Legosi. I needed that." Louis assured him as he shook Bill's hand. "Fudge? Aoba?" he greeted before facing Pina. "Pina." Louis said. "Louis! It's a pleasure." he said, shaking the latter's hand. Louis nodded. 

   "How did you know where we were?" Haru asked, taking a few steps forward. "A friend of a friend of a friend told me the situation." Louis replied, panning his eyes to Pina. Pina seemed confused. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously. Louis sighed. "Your....companion's....best friend called me." he answered. Pina's eyes went wide. "Arthur? You know Arthur!?" he asked, smiling wide. Louis raised his eyebrows. "How?" Pina asked again. "It's a long story." Louis confessed. "And it wasn't all roses." a hoarse voice said from outside the open door. Louis stepped aside to allow his fellow friend in.

   In stepped a lion with an X-shaped scar on his face and a scar across his throat. He was wearing a dark purple suit, dark green dress shirt and a light red tie. Legosi immediately recognized him. "Dolph!?" he exclaimed, confused beyond belief. 

   Haru immediately jumped back in fear at the sight of him. She quickly hid behind Legosi's leg and began trembling. Legosi narrowed his eyes a bit. Dolph looked at the couple and nodded. "Long time, no see.." he said softly. "It's okay, Haru. He's here to help." Louis assured. Haru frowned, puzzled. "Help!? He's part of the Shishigumi!! They kidnapped me!!" she exclaimed. Bill, Aoba, and Fudge looked at Dolph with shocked expressions. Pina seemed confused, but kept his mouth shut. Dolph bowed his head a bit. "Formally Shishigumi, now just a parolee.  Since Louis and I have had association, he was the only one I could truly trust." he replied, smiling a bit. Haru's jaw dropped as she came from behind Legosi. Louis walked over to Haru and knelt down. 

   "Haru, it's okay." he reached for her hand, but she jerked it away. "No, Louis! It is not okay! What secrets have you been keeping from me!?" she snapped. "You've shut us away for months, changed your number, never came to me and Legosi's wedding, and now you're telling me to trust this...this...monster!?" Haru flipped, her eyes watering. Dolph showed no reaction as he stood there in the doorway like a statue. "Who are you, Louis?" she whimpered.

   "Haru....I'm sorry. Now is not the time for explanations, which is why we're here." Louis said as he stood to his feet and looked at the others. "You guys can't lay low here forever. It's not safe. Whoever those rabbits are, they're relentless and won't stop until you're all dead. We're taking you my family's mansion. We'll be safe there, for now." he said. The six refugees all looked at each other and eventually all agreed. Even though Haru was heavily reluctant at this point now that Dolph was involved, she had no other choice. 

   The sun was setting into a beautiful brownish gold when they exited the hotel. The group dropped their keys in the dropbox next to the office before leaving. They followed Louis and Dolph to the hidden parking lot on the side of the hotel. Legosi, Haru, and Pina road with Louis in his vintage 1966 Toyota Corolla while Fudge, Aoba and Bill road with Dolph in a 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser. The two cars pulled onto the highway, where busy traffic was abroad. 

   The two (now separate) groups of friends filled Louis and Dolph in about what they experienced and knew so far. Neither offered any possible theories on the matter. Dolph didn't appear surprised or worried. As a former gang member, he had seen and experienced his fair share of trauma. Louis seemed a bit more concerned, as any one of his carnivore colleagues from Cherryton could pop up on the news missing and/or murdered. He just prayed it didn't happen and that's all he could really do.