BEASTARS - Night of the Lepus

The Blueprints

   Mizuchi and her dad Mervis had been tortured for several minutes. It was absolutely horrendous. Simulated execution by drowning was completely illegal and Zen would be severely punished for war crimes against civilians. Mizuchi had passed out from immense terror and blunt force trauma. Now, Mizuchi and Mervis were laying on the floor of a walk-in cooler with the smell of flesh and blood. They had been in there for over an hour. The temperature was 35 degrees Fahrenheit (or 1.6 degrees Celsius).

   Mizuchi just wanted to die at this point. Her mother was murdered for no reason whatsoever and she was bloodied and bruised all over her face. After being waterboarded, they were ruthlessly beaten by the androids, per Zen's orders. And all because they refused to join his sick ideology? What could drive an herbivore to this level of madness and hatred?

   Mervis hadn't said a word since being beaten and Mizuchi had lost most of her voice from screaming so much. The father and daughter harlequin rabbits were soaking wet. Mizuchi was experiencing the first stage of hypothermia, shivering violently. They were both still blindfolded and tied up and Mizuchi had to get them out of here. 

   She used one of her claws to start cutting the rope that bound her hands together. They were very dull, since Mizuchi often kept them short and clean. Her mild hypothermia was taking a toll on her motor skills. It was so hard to move finger rapidly with the intense cold. The rope had began to fray after what felt like an hour of cutting. Mizuchi's heart began pumping as she felt her claw cutting through the rope's fibers. She worked her hand faster and faster until.....

SNAP!

   Mizuchi screamed hoarsely in pain as her claw was ripped off her finger. She kicked around, flailing on the floor. The blood flowed from her fingertip. Her voice was so weak that no one outside could hear her screaming. Her father never reacted. Mizuchi had to hurry fast. She was almost done. She used her middle finger's claw this time. A few more rapid thrusts and the rope snapped. Mizuchi softly laughed to herself as she unbound her hands. She ripped her blindfold off and clutched her mouth in horror. 

   "OH MY GOD!!" she exclaimed.

   In the walk-in, there were at least 10 dressed-out corpses of canines hanging by meathooks. Dogs, foxes, and wolves all eviscerated with the hands and feet cut off. Mizuchi couldn't stomach it. She vomited twice, crying in pain as she did so. She mustered the will to look around more. 

    On the floor was Mervis, laying face down in a small pool of canine blood that had dripped from one of the corpses. "Dad!" Mizuchi exclaimed. She quickly untied her feet and crawled over to him. Mizuchi rolled him over and removed his blindfold. His eyes were open and cloudy blue. "Dad?" she whimpered. "DAD!?" Mizuchi shook Mervis, but to no avail. She felt for a pulse. Nothing. Mizuchi threw her arms around her father and burst into tears. He was dead. 

   "NOOOO!!!" she cried aloud. Her voice was so hoarse that it hurt. She stroked Mervis's ears and kissed his forehead. "Dad....." was all she could say through the crying. Mizuchi looked up and down his body. His face was all bloodied from the earlier beating, but no signs of any stab wounds or broken bones. It couldn't have been hypothermia, otherwise she would be dead too. It was likely a heart attack due to the fear induced by the waterboarding. 

   Now it was only her. Mizuchi had to get the hell out of here and warn the authorities. She couldn't take Mervis's body with her. It was too risky. Hopefully, he would get a proper burial by the time Zen's operation would be busted. Mizuchi looked around to find a possible weapon to use. The meathooks were too high off the ground to reach. She had no choice but to leave now. Her hypothermia was nearing the moderate stage. Mizuchi pushed the walk-in's handle and it surprisingly was not locked.