Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was 4:00am, far too early for anyone to be awake.

Yet, here I am.

I sat at the edge of my car's hood, the old Cadillac Deville still outshining the other antique cars with its black sheen and silver designs up front.

The smell of rats scurrying in the alleyway and the bustling subway station drilled into my ears, it was annoying.

The main city has always been a pleasure to its sights, unless you're in the slums which I am in currently. I was supposed to meet with some new clientele, offering a high sum of money.

Apparently, his son had been kidnapped and there had been a ransom sent to him via letter paired with a horrifying photo of the child, a gun raised to his head with the words that read below the polaroid: 

1,000,000 TIX, GIVE THE MONEY AT THE SUNDOWN NEAR THE PORT AT 6AM.

Now I'm not sure what kind of idiot decides to kidnap a child, I've got my own rules and back then when I did ransom children were never part of the list. It is downright ugly.

But I'm not a mafia boss anymore, I left that life behind.

And replaced it with an even more worse life. I'm currently working at a IT company by commision as their private investigator under the name of my agency that helps with collecting information, it isn't so far off with what I used to do, aside from the fact that now I have fewer men who work under me, most of them ran off leaving me behind in disgust that I'd let down the family name. To be honest I didn't want to be in the mafia, it was forced upon me.

It's even more harder to deal with if you were a prey in this dog eat dog world. 

My father- god bless his soul, was a nice man, gave me a lot of inheritance and a sizable land, by sizable land I mean it's a whole estate, with a farm and garden attached to it, I still drop by my estate every now and then but it hurts to look at the horses I used to ride. Those same horses were used in gambling, horse racing, I stopped it though I felt bad for the old runners they needed to retire and I had to buy out new ones.

Despite all that love and care, he couldn't outweigh the elephant in the room, my mother was a dwarf rabbit, he, a predator, a hybrid was what's supposed to come out of her womb and instead came out me.

A Rabbit.

Now you may ask, what's so wrong being a prey? Idiot this was taught in biology class, there's a food chain and I'm at the bottom tier of it, pathetic honestly.

But I hid myself well, under the brim of my fedora and the long trench coat, they all thought I was a normal human being. Humans are a rare species in this world, being far more intelligent than the latter, they're seen as superior, better, stronger even. I've deluded everyone into believing what was born from my mother was not some lowly animal but a homo sapien.

A pair of head lights came down the road brightening the gloomy alleyway. I still sat on the hood of my car languidly. Someone lanky got out of the car, a man of medium height, thick square glasses and a long tail swishing around indicative of panic. I can't tell what breed he is but he most certainly is a feline, a siamese cat.

It's my employer now that I got a closer look, what's he doing in the same alleyway as me? He hired me to do the searching not the other way around.

If he snoops around in this neighborhood he'd be in big trouble.

"Hey" I call out to him, tone harsh, he knows me by now so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for him to know me by my voice.

"Sonnellino?" The man turns around, confused. "I thought you were-"

"I was. I'm working. Until you showed up. You shouldn't be in this area you don't know the kind of stray cross-breeds you would see"

"I know, I know- I just thought maybe coming back here..."

"Blind hope perhaps? you do know your son is kidnapped" I told him straight-up, no dilly dallying or sweet words to calm him.

"I'm a worried parent, can I not be worried?"

"Listen here 007n7" I rose from where I sat on the hood of my car, taking out my cigarette case as I searched around for my lighter in my back pocket. "You hired me to find your son, I'm finding him in due time"

I took a cigarette from the case I held in my hand, and in the other I took out my lighter, lighting up the alleyway with a small fire as I lit my cigarette. Smoke escaped my mouth as I blew it up into the dark morning air, it tasted metallic somehow, like radiation lingering.

"So trust me when I say I can find him, don't meddle in with my buisness"

He took one glance at me, I can see the nerves on his hands lessen. "Alright...thank you, for taking this up"

"No problem"

 I found another pair of headlights coming down my way, I followed where it went to turning around a corner away from me and my client. That was the time for me to pull out my handheld radio to contact my goons. I didn't like calling them that anymore but those immature little rascals thought it was "cool". I on the other hand do not find it like that, after all who would want to be called like that in this day and age? felt like being a slave, and that has been a controversial topic these last few years with the animal domestication act being abolished across multiple sectors.

Humans have stopped looking down on animals as pets, they now view them as intelligent beings like they are, took them a couple of decades before realizing that truth despite countless research and studies.

"Go home now 007n7, I have some business to tend to" I hurriedly put out my lit cigarette stomping on it as I contacted my goons, entering my car as I turned on the ignition.

On the other end of the line I could hear my employees arguing before one of them spoke up louder than the rest. "We got your signal boss, following you!"

"Block the car at all sides, don't let them have a escape route" I was about to end the call before my client ran up to my open window.

"I- Sonnellino?" The feline man came up to me, talking to me before I drove off. "Thank you"

I took his gratitude in stride, somehow some innate part of me liked being thanked, maybe that's just my animal genes kicking in liking the praise. The ears hidden under my hat twitching and my tail thumping lightly.

How shameful.

"Like I said, no problem at all" And I put my hands on the wheel, foot on the pedal, driving off without a second glance as I chased after the car.

Thankfully the roads aren't too crowded, compared to 8:00am morning traffic I have to experience when I wake up everyday to go to work. Even worse if you have to take the bus or the train, packs of different species crammed together, different scents, predator and prey aren't even segregated. That's another act they abolished and that's the segregation of species act, so many things changed after I stepped down from the mafia family and I wonder how the hierarchy works now within crime syndicates. I still pull out information every now and then checking in on my family despite the impromptu exile, I care for them like how my father cared for me.

Winds whipped against my stray hair underneath my fedora as I raced against the car, the engines in my own car sounding more and more like those nascar engines you'd hear whenever they pass by the camera running around a lap.

I felt my hat coming off my head and I swore underneath my breath grabbing hold of it as I focused on the road tailing the car.

"You ain't getting out of my sight tonight" I said to myself as I swerved in a corner, I could see other cars swarming around the one I'm tailing and already I knew victory would be within my reach.

The car sharply turned going down under a bridge, the large underground sewage pipes leading to empty canals. Maybe the driver wished it would stop me from following them but unfortunately-

I knew a shortcut.

Knowing my way around the city's underground passageway as a young mischievous child. I stopped on top of the bridge then turned around from where I came heading towards the docking port where most of the large sewage pipes lead out to, I knew whoever was driving the car would end up on the rocky beaches where me and my cousins used to play, sad fact is that they might dent the front portion of their car if they come out that way on their 5th gear.

Reaching the docks I looked over to my rear view mirror seeing my goons coming up in their own cars, taking my hand-held radio, I said to them. "Car is going to exit via the sewage pipes on the rocky beaches, don't let them escape through the docks" 

I ended my sentence not explaining further as I shifted my gear to 4th then, I swerved going downhill to the docks. I hated the slippery slope of the tilted plane, evident that there's a lack of funding than went to building the docks, I ought to have a good word with the structural engineer who built the port.

I put my hand on the brakes, car stopping as I exited my car slamming the door shut, running down to the rocky beaches and there I caught sight of whoever driving the car.

I nearly laughed seeing the specie that came out of the car, all this time I was chasing a cat- and a chicken?

Now that part confused me because I thought I was chasing only one person.

Certain species of birds are more common than not but some stood the last of their kind. You can never hide yourself if you were a bird in this world, that's what I'm thankful for, lest I have to chop off my wings and my tail if I were a bird. Only problem left would be my feet, now that I don't know how to manage to hide.

Since I already identified the people who came out of the car, I produced a small camera from my breast pocket, I took a picture mindful of the flash as I hid behind a few rocks. Despite being afar I could hear their conversation, the ears underneath my hat still sensitive to noise even though it was hidden.

"Did we lose them?" The man spoke up, bearing features of a chicken, the white feathers that lined his neck and the razor sharp talons on his fingers. "God that scared me-"

"This is why we shouldn't be meeting anymore, you're a magnet for trouble" The other replies, annoyed, I could not make out what kind of cat he is, the breed rather, still it's better to take photos now and view them later.

"A magnet for trouble? says the one with a stack of criminal charges on his profile"

"Hey, I'm only doing this because there's money on it, and we all know Mr. hard-hat up top doesn't want his hands dirty" He then mumbles the last words out. "Despite his job being dirty already"

"Okay, okay, you got the kid though right?"

"I still think this is fucked up, kidnapping a child so you could lure out a parent your boss has grudges on" The cat, now stepping out more under the lamppost, arms crossed, showed his stark white fur, bright red eyes, must be albinism, but the malnourished state is concerning, you could see his ribs sticking out and the gaunt features.

"I don't want to question his buisness alright? all I know is his brother got his establishment burnt down multiple times and he wants to hold the person accountable"

"That stupid pizza place? seriously?"

"Oh how dare you I like that pizza place, I like the all-meat variety"

"Of course you like meat, with how you're sucking up to that boss of yours, you gobble him up like-" He...he made inappropriate gestures with his hands I wouldn't like to remember.

"What- what the fuck no!" The other man exclaimed, offended, of course who wouldn't be when your companion is making mocking gestures suggesting you're sucking off your boss.

"Seems like it"

"Listen, you're here for the money I'm here for a raise, and a bonus of course"

"Bonus? I'm sure that bonus comes from the tip of his-" and he was about to point down to his pants when the chicken hybrid hit him in the shoulder earning him a pained groan. "Alright, alright I'll shut up, you've got one strong knuckle there"

"Is the kid...is the kid fine?"

"Yeah, he is, but babysitting him was definitely not on my paycheck"

"It's fine, boss will pay for the damages, if he ever did anything to your apartment" They both went near the back row seat of the car opening the door, and there I found the child who was being ransomed.

I didn't hesitate to move, my feet carried me, I ran across the rocks of the beach, swift as the wind.

I know I should be wary of the man with chicken feathers, he could hit hard, and so-

My fist came to the back of his hair and I hit his face on the roof of the car, that surprised the other man, he bared his teeth at me hissing as he prepared to get into a fight with me. His fellow is knocked out on the ground already, probably eating sand in his dreams. I turned to him and I kicked him in the crotch before sucker-punching him.

The feline fell to the rocks grunting as he clutched at the door. "Who- who are you?"

"I don't think asking questions would made this any better" I quickly grabbed the child from the back seat, I carried him on my shoulder as I looked down on both of them. "Tell your boss a lawsuit is coming for him, kidnapping and ransom? hope his buisness doesn't topple down"

I ran off immediately heading towards my car, placing the child in the back seat as I entered the driver seat turning the key to power the engines of my car, throttling to life. I was about to pull out of the docks when that same person I knocked out earlier ran in front of my car hoping to stop me.

Instead, I ran through him, like he was a mere ant and I could hear a pained yelp come from the chicken hybrid as he was toppled down.

I put a seat belt over the child for good measure and I fixed my rearview mirror.

Child? secured.

Chapter Text

My agency building isn't so pretty, it's simple, just a two-storey building that had office cubicles on the second floor and a closed off conference room we barely use. There's a reception desk on the ground floor and a garage, but again we barely use that either. What's important is the files we collect. We collect information, that's about it, we investigate, we snoop around people's businesses. Our front for our agency is "Eunoia Collection and Debt Recovery Services", again, not so different from the life I used to have but at least it's a believable facade. 

Data privacy is a big problem nowadays, people would be against this kind of buisness running around collecting information on people. But we do it anyways, it pays a lot of money, and our boss? she's one of a kind. Our boss is probably the smartest human I've ever met, if only I was born human I would enroll myself in the big-name colleges like she did. She handles everything, the bills, the blackmails, the threats, she always has a response and answer. Today we're bringing in more people into our agency, Eunoia thought that posting a hiring sign outside would be enough but...it brought not a lot of candidates. One of my employees posted it online instead and somehow we got hundreds of emails hoping to score a job. I told my boss we shouldn't be hiring online and those who sent those emails should come up front for an in-house interview, she agreed, seeing it fit that I should talk to them.

And so now we're actually using the conference room, optimistic people lined up outside, some sitting. I sat on a chair swiveling it every so often as I stared at the window outside. I still wore my fedora hiding my animal features, and I purposefully wore a longer waistcoat to hide my tail, hiding it under my slacks is not enough to hide it. Each applicant that came through was far more worse than the last.

Inexperienced.

Untrustworthy.

And above all- a bad resume.

I kept on seeing grammar errors and the likes of which English Majors would frown upon. I sifted through resume after resume, a different face, a different specie. The moment they laid their eyes on me they stiffened as if scared. I know the facade I wore instills fear into hybrids.

A human.

It wasn't that long ago when animals began to evolve, steadily climbing the ranks of the lowest rung of mammals, and then- they mixed with our DNA, reshaping the world as we know it. It all began with lab testing and some random lab scientist thought it would be a good idea to combine a gene from a sheep and a human to resemble genetic cloning the same technology used on test tube babies, out came the first hybrid of the century, half-person and half-animal. It shocked the world when the news broke out and the scientist was apprehended, yet there was a silver lining despite the freakish outcome.

It cures, as if human DNA were reset, hybrids don't have the same immune system as humans. Certain species have tolerance towards the cold or the hottest of temperatures and people abused that.

Scientists turned their heads to genetic science, the ethics of it were questioned.

If you were to bear a child that you wanted to become a successful athlete you can just mix your own DNA with an ostrich, now you have the next upcoming gold medalist for the track n' field in the Olympics. It started small, curing illneses and ending bloodlines with genetic diseases with high blood pressure and diabetes, small things, it meant that future generations won't have to bear the diseases your ancestors have and that's better than going extinct.

But there's one thing that humans always have that make them better than animals, despite being an animal themself-

Intelligence.

Face the facts, you're dumb if you're a a specie of a bird because the brain you inherit is the size of a Lego block, unless you keep the human parts and allow the other parts of your body to mutate. But laboratory and reproducing is different, so if you were born the natural way, which I mean the the primary needs of a human being which is sexual intercourse then chances are the brain you get isn't the brain you want.

Intelligence is highly valued, and feared, if you don't pass school then say goodbye to a well-paid job.

That's why most animals with small brains never make it out much in life, one of those species is me. I hated how I was looked down upon in school for being a Rabbit, even though I'm a cross breed and towered over most children I was teased, stereotyped, most rabbits end up working in red light districts so I was often told that maybe I should reconsider being a prostitute. The moment I stepped into college it was even more worse. 

Discrimination is a deep rooted concept that strangles each person.

I don't hate the fear I sow into animals when I pretend to be a human being. How they look at me as if I were something else. Alien even. I like it.

I like how they look wary of me.

So even though I'm scaring off most of the hybrids I'm interviewing, I chuckle deep inside, inwardly, I'm no rabbit, I'm a human.

And I believe that myself.

The next applicant I was about to interview immediately backed off to the corner nearly making the aloe vera plant fall. He grabbed the chair nead me and taking a few steps away from my table, he finally sat down.

Now I wonder why I garnered such a reaction.

"Name?" I asked, looking down at the resume in my hands and up at the man before me.

What's concerning compared to all the applicants I've interviewed is the muzzle he wore, it looked almost demeaning, humiliating even. I've heard of feral animals being put on a muzzle or a shock collar but never saw one up-close. Thank God I was brought up behaved lest I have to wear something so garish.

He was a man of lean stature, a dog, pointed ears twitching every so often listening to me intently

Looking down at his resume it specified that he's a Doberman, no wonder he looked tall. But dogs are smart is what I thought so maybe- although he looked as if he were about to jump off the window, I gave him the time of the day to fix himself.

And he finally spoke up. "John Doe"

"John, quite common" I replied, still looking at his resume reading it over and over before I could face him again.

"My parents aren't that creative" He smiles, of course dogs smile.

"I'm sure they are"

"What's your name?" And of course he asks, it's some sort of unconditioned stimulus. Every dog is the same they want to be friendly, especially if it's a human they're facing, 

Which I'm not.

"Sonnellino"

"Italian?"

"Half, I'm sure you have more questions for me but this isn't about me this is about you" I finally stopped reading his resume placing it on the conference table, it was slightly awkward since it was a long table and he's a few feet away from me. "Tell me about your criminal records"

"What?" He utters it out confused at the sudden question.

"Criminal records, dating back a few years ago. You hacked into bank accounts" 

"Well I-"

"You thought you could hide it? I search through each and every applicant's background"

I could see his hands on top of his lap, gripping his jeans tightly. Seems that he hasn't thought this out well and now he's on my end of the stick wondering how to get out of this mess. If only he didn't try to avoid telling the truth.

"I'm sorry, I hid that knowing-"

"You knew we wouldn't hire you if you had that on you"

"Yeah...sorry" His apologies were grating my ears, he might as well go on all fours then bow down, the deepest sign of all apologies in most cultures.

"I'm afraid I can't hire you, we're a debt recovery agency" I lie, if he were smart enough he'd know that was a front and our real buisness was collecting information, this was the first step to know if the applicant we were hiring actually has some brain. "And with your history stealing from bank accounts-"

He should've known by now that this isn't a debt recovery agency, he hacked bank accounts, he also hacked websites, he may be a 3rd year IT drop-out but for a dog he's got some decent IQ. I'm praying to god he has that. 

"This isn't a debt recovery agency"

Bingo. 

That wasn't wasn't intended pun, I know bingo is a dog from the nursery rhyme but still.

"And how did you know that"

"I just do" 

"And you know we gather-"

"I know that too, it didn't take long to look around that your main operation isn't about money, the building is rather shabby"

That ticked me off, what else does he know? I've never met a dog his age smarter than a 10 year old.

"And?" 

"You don't smell like a human"

I forced my eyes not to widen. But my hands were shaking slightly underneath the table. Slowly I picked up his resume, looking down on it again, averting my gaze.

"That's an interesting theory" I calm myself, my breathing steady, I am not going to be exposed by a fucking Doberman.

"My nose doesn't lie"

"I bet your criminal records don't lie either"

"I know what I smell" He argues, as if underneath all the clothing and cologne I wore he could pick up another scent.

"And what do you smell?" I play along, I look up at him again, I could see his nose twitching underneath the caged muzzle. "An animal?"

"We're all animals that's a fact, but humans are different"

"And why do you think they're different?"

"They're smarter" He says the obvious, everyone knows that, I'm still wondering if I should hire him because of his earlier discovery that my agency isn't what it seems to be.

"I think that's a well-known fact, they used to dominate society"

"And my kind used to be a pet under them"

"You hold grudges?"

"No" I could sense that underneath his polite demeanour he doesn't like humans all that much, even the mention of them made his eyebrows knit together earlier.

"We're straying far from the topic here"

"I can't seem to place my finger on what you are"

"Maybe because your nose is faulty with that muzzle-"

"Don't talk about my muzzle" He snaps at me, baring his canines as he growled, but he was careful not to scratch the mahogany table with his claws.

"And why shouldn't I? another thing you're hiding?"

Then- he stood up.

I thought he was fed up with me and wanted to leave with how I was pestering him with questions. Instead he took a step towards me. 

I immediately stood up, hand on the chair as I stared at him coming closer and closer.

"John Doe I suggest you leave the room"

"Your scent has been bugging me the entire time, the moment I entered the room I thought you were a human, but then I caught something in the air" He stops, a few feet away from me as he tries to understand what I really am, nose still twitching. "Your cologne is heavy, but I know you're hiding something"

"Your instincts are taking over, you're curious, you need to sit down"

"These aren't my instincts, I know something is off with you" 

Before I knew it he grabbed me by the collar and I froze.

I hate how being prey instills some sort of function in you to stop moving, to allow yourself to be eaten as a hearty meal to an animal who has power over you. After all it's nature, the cycle of life, eat or be eaten or whatever else Charles Darwin said in his book about evolution. 

His hold on my collar was tight, but not too much he would damage it. He held me there, in the conference room.

Then, he sniffed my neck.

I felt a lick afterwards, despite his muzzle I could feel the rough tongue. Is he trying to taste my skin, is my scent not enough?

I punched him immediately when I felt the coldness of his muzzle touch my skin, thankfully I fought off what held me back from moving. Cursed genes telling me stand down, I am not standing down for a dog.

It seems that nearly knocking his teeth out made him cower in the corner.

Like a dog.

I hear him whimper, his hand clutching to the blooming bruise near his eye as he tried to hide himself near the plant he almost toppled over when he entered. I didn't feel pity, I see him for what he is.

"You shouldn't have done that" I told him, tone harsh, as if reprimanding his actions.

Maybe I'm going too far for treating him like that, after all he's his own person.

"I'm sorry, I was just-"

"Get out"

He scurries away, nearly tripping over himself in the process as he exits the conference room. The plant falls a few seconds later from his escape.

I sit back down on my chair, breathing a sigh of relief as the dog finally leaves.

My tail twitched. It felt weird and I wondered why.

It never twitched before when I interacted with other hybrids, I stopped doing that habit ever since high-school. It was a immediate clue to what I was hiding.

That tail of mine only does it when I feel excited.

I was definitely not excited being sniffed.

I locked the conference room for the day, every applicant I interviewed was a failure. I did not find at least one that could fit in with the agency's requirements. Most of them lacked a brain, a requirement.

I said my goodbyes to the goons working in the office cubicles, one of them was near the water dispenser and they waved at me, I nodded in turn with a tip of my hat as I went downstairs heading off to the exit, the glass doors waiting for my arrival.

Instead of glass doors, I saw something else waiting for me.

I swore inwardly.

I pushed open the doors, the sign for hiring still posted as I looked down at the steps to see the same applicant who ran away from my conference room. The Doberman, he has his ears in a downward manner and posture slumped as he stared at the busy road. It was nighttime already meaning he waited for nearly 3 hours outside after his interview ended abruptly.

"What are you doing here-"

"Oh- hey" He stood up, tail wagging as he looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry for what happened earlier I'll hold myself back from-"

"I know, you apologized for that already" I sigh hearing the same words come from his mouth.

"Still, that was improper of me and I should have been trained more"

"Trained?"

I knew certain feral animals were placed into facilities to be trained out of their animalistic habits, and I assumed he was too just from how he looked, wearing the muzzle and all. 

Those facilities were never kind to animals like him, beaten down by sticks and hosed down with water when they are being cleaned. It reminded me of something far worse than a training facility, yet the government allows such practices to happen for the "balance" in society, for it to be lawful, after all most of the crime rates stem from feral animals ranging from burglary, anarchy, petty theft and the like. Though most of the stealing came from restaurants and fast food chains, seems that even though we've evolved so far into the future our innate desire to eat pulls us to steal food, like the animals we truly are.

"Yeah well I was...in an institute, but they couldn't handle me well so they just decided to place a muzzle on me"

"Uhuh..." I replied, it may seem as if I was uninterested, I am. But I did want to hear more of his story. So I cross my arms and sat down beside him on the steps, wary of how close we are since he might take a sniff of me again.

"And when they decided to release me they also had me under a collar"

"A collar? but I don't see a collar"

"I do, I just hide it" He then promptly unbuttoned his shirt showing the shock collar underneath, it was like a black belt that circled around his neck, a green dot glowing faintly.

I stare at it, fixated, I wondered of my future if I were not trained in my home and I ended up in his situation. A muzzle and a shock collar. As if the muzzle was bad enough of a sign the shock collar just tells me everything I needed to know about him.

He's feral.

"What did you do to get the muzzle"

"I bit people's head off"

I turn silent, I might be one of those people next if I don't sit a few feet away from him. I scooch a few feet away in response.

"I was joking" He frowns, his tail drooping already.

"Can I not be concerned seeing that you have a shock collar and a muzzle?"

"Trust me for once, also I won't sniff you promise" 

"You also licked me afterwards" I respond bluntly, I did not like the part I was licked after I was sniffed forcefully. Only dogs and cats like him sniff each other, maybe some other species too but that habit is common among them.

"Oh- yeah that, sorry"

"Sorry can't even explain what kind of ruckus you left behind"

"Did the plant fall?-"

"It fell"

"Oh" He replies, eyes casting his gaze down to his beat-up converse shoes.

"You were an IT drop-out am I correct?" I turn his attention away from...whatever happened earlier on the conference room, I myself didn't want to dwell on it.

"Yes, but I can't keep myself restrained long enough during lectures" He looks up at me again, this time eager to talk.

"So that's why you dropped out?"

"No, I kept barking out answers during examinations"

"Ah...excited to learn?"

"More like I was setting myself up for failure" The Doberman chuckles to himself, his tail began to wag again.

"You should've had someone shut you up with packing tape"

"Eh...that would be inconvenient"

"Why?"

"My muzzle?" He replies in the same curious tone as me, or was I dumb enough not to realize no one can actually out a tape on his mouth.

"I was joking"

He lets out a hard laugh, I could hear what resembled a dog's bark in-between his laughter. His tail was wagging more evidently now, it seems that he's lightened up a bit. "You're funny"

"I hear that a lot" Sarcasm laced my voice as I finally stood up, brushing off the dust from underneath my trench coat.

"You're leaving?" He follows me, standing up as well.

"Yes?"

"Oh...okay"

I stare at him for a moment. Why do I feel compelled to pick him up and carry him home. Why is he looking at the ground like that. I should not feel sorry for his pathetic state-

"Are you alright?"

"I just- I have nowhere to go to right now and I was hoping to land this job but it seems that-"

Alright I'm leaving, I'm not letting this poor dog stay at my house for God's sake. I have enough trouble as it is and bringing in a homeless man to be another mouth to feed is not on my to do list. So I turn around hoping he'd stop rambling as I head on over to my car in the garage.

"Wait!" He calls out to me, running after me. "Can I still get another chance tomorrow?"

"Listen, after your sob story I'm even more reluctant to hire you"

"What?"

It's that same confused tone he gave me earlier, the more I talk with him the more I feel as though I have to talk to him like how you would to a kindergartener.

"I don't want to hire you out of pity"

"Well then give me chance to work, I promise I wouldn't cause any trouble" He has this bright twinkle in his eyes, full of motivation, he's determined to take this job.

"You already caused trouble earlier"

"Is it really bad that I sniffed you?"

I mumbled to myself, though I forgot the one I was facing has keen ears. "Acting like a feral dog..."

"What did you just say" His brows furrowed, that pissed him off.

"Nothing" I reply, my feet were itching to move, to go home. But I'm being held back by this dog- should I really entertain his antics and actually give him another chance tomorrow?

Actually no, that would be a shitshow.

I open the garaged door pulling it up as I came near my car unlocking it with my keys. When I was about to open the car door the Doberman appears again, this time at my side, seems that he followed me into the garage. That's a breach of privacy isn't it? ironic since I do that all the time.

"Why are you following me" I ask him, the car door now half-open as I step a foot inside the driver seat.

"I've got nowhere to go"

I pull my foot back on the ground, closing the driver seat.

I've seen through his ruse.

"I know what you're doing"

"What do you mean?" He replies oh so innocently, the polite remarks, the chuckling, if he found something off with me then I do too with him.

"You think I'm going to feel sorry for you? and then I'd let you stay at my home?"

"I didn't say that, you did" I can see his tail wagging, is that another one of his acts?

"I know you're smart, earlier you were supposed to pull my heartstrings in the interview and pity you but that failed since you went ahead and sniffed me. Now you sat outside trying to make yourself look pathetic to gain pity points" I then came near his ear, whispering.

"I know what you're doing, you've been doing this for months now haven't you? your criminal records don't just have your hacking antics, you stole from people's homes"

I can feel him stiffen with my conclusion, I pull back, my eyes locked with his own shocked pair. "Now that's-"

"An interesting theory? I hope so, you should be better at gaining people's sympathy" I pause; then fixed my fedora keeping my ears tucked in place, thankfully he didn't notice from the darkness surrounding us. "Getting into people's homes then leaving the next day with their belongings, that's something"

"Listen I did that so I could-"

"You didn't even try to argue against my statements? so you did do it"

He stares at me, dumbfounded on what he should do next. It just confirmed my suspicions, during the interview I re-read his resume, but in actuality I was skimming through his criminal records at the side, I wondered how he had so many cases of burglary- now I know. 

He isn't as dumb as I thought.

"Come back tomorrow, I have a job for you"

"Wait really?" His tail wagged behind him excited at the proposition, sure his polite facade was all to gain sympathy but his tail wasn't an act, he genuinely wants this job. He just thought that he could gain more stealing from me after he supposedly failed the interview.

"Yes, really" I opened the car door again and stepped inside, slamming it shut as I inserted my key into the ignition, turning it as my engines began to rumble.

I could hear someone tapping on my window, I didn't roll it down and instead looked to my left seeing the man again.

"Thank you" He said, and behind that muzzle he smiled, I could see his sharp canines.

"If you try anything tomorrow just know I'll immediately fire you"

"Copy that" then made a mock-salute at me.

As I backed away from the garage I could still see the Doberman wagging his tail as he waved goodbye. Crazy knowing that this same dog manipulated people into making him stay in their homes then stole from them.

Thankfully I didn't feel sorry enough to let him into my house.

I drove off, turning a corner as I went home heading into a suburban area, lights going past me from warm homes filled with dinners that families gathered around for. I knew that going back home I wouldn't have that, I don't even have a large table. My house is barren, the living room has no furniture and only the kitchen and bedroom are fully furnished. Arriving back at home I pulled up in the driveway, exiting my car as I headed on over to the garage doors, opening it as I went back to my car parking it inside.

A few minutes later now with my car inside the garage and locked. I unlocked the front door and walked inside my empty house.

Home sweet home.

Chapter Text

I was watching the nighttime show on my T.V. in the bedroom, already dozing off to sleep when I heard a loud noise come from my backyard. That woke me up immediately from my drowsiness. I kept the T.V. on, I know I should be wary with what just made noise in my backyard. Standing up from my bed I opened my closet procuring a baseball bat and a gun. I also took a jacket for good measure wearing the hood over my head. I inserted the gun inside the waistband of my boxers, the baseball bat on my dominant hand as I slowly opened my bedroom door heading to my kitchen where the backdoor lead to my backyard.

But it seems that I didn't need to go outside since the perpetrator is already in my kitchen.

I could hear sounds of munching, as if someone were eating-

No.

No way.

No way in hell did that dog from earlier followed me into my house and is eating my discounted cereal.

I immediately turned on the lights for my living room and threw my baseball bat at the silhouetted figure that crouched near my kitchen island as I pulled out my gun in exchange.

"Ow!" I knew it, hearing that pained response I came closer and sighed at the scene.

Packets of chocolate crunch cereals scattered the tiled floors of my kitchen, and there sat in the middle of the chaos is none other than John Doe, the applicant from earlier. His face had crumbs of the cereal, his muzzle gone, but his shock collar is glowing a bright orange which concerned me slightly.

This Doberman I swear...

"You just lowered your chances of being hired" My gun was pointed directly at him, but my finger wasn't on the trigger.

"I'm hungry, was hungry now that I think about it-"

"Put your muzzle back on" I gestured to the muzzle on the floor near him with my gun. Other than his shock collar's dot growing a bright orange him without the muzzle is even more concerning.

Turning around he grabbed his muzzle without a second thought and locked it in place, the orange dot on his collar turned to a dim green. Standing up with his hands in the air as he stared at me, his hands still had cereal sticking to it.

"Get out"

"That's the second time you've told me to get out"

"You kept count, thank you for your insight" My sarcasm seeped through once more as I kicked a packet of the cereal towards him as a souvenir. "Keep that, I wouldn't eat any of these anymore with your hands on it"

"Because I'm dirty?"

"No, because your fur is all over it" I know dobermans had short hair, mostly near their feet and shoulders but eating cereal every morning knowing that some dog opened it, my clean-freak attitude decided that I should just donate it.

"Oh well more for me" He replies, carefree, as if I can't just call the police right now and detain him for what he just did.

"Get out before I call the police"

"And make me stay outside your front porch? what if it rains?" Again he makes that pitiful face most humans would fall for.

"Don't pull that stunt with me I already know your ruse"

"Yeah? I don't know yours yet so..." My finger moves, already on the trigger of my gun.

"I could file a case against you and shoot you here, it wouldn't matter, the police would take my side for your act of trespassing and-"

"And it would mean self-defense, yeah I know that" He grabbed the packet of cereal from his feet and began eating, slotting the cereal through the muzzle. "You've got a boring house"

"I don't need to be told that"

"Really? it seems obvious" The dog began looking around, most especially the peeling wallpaper.

"Didn't I tell you to-"

I was cut off once more as he interjected with his own opinions. "You really got to change your wallpaper, it looks sad, droopy"

"Are you going to leave or am I going to make you?"

"Y'know now that I'm in your house I finally found that familiar scent from earlier" He was still eating the packet of cereal, but the next look he gave me nearly made me shoot him then and there. "I got a whiff of it"

"Of course you did" I replied scoffing, he's bluffing is what I told myself.

"I'm not crazy, I know you aren't what you seem to be"

"And what am I really?" I taunt him, if he's as smart as I thought him to be then he should know. Or his nose probably got a whiff of the cereal instead with how hungry he is.

"I can't come near you?"

"Obviously you can't, come near me and I shoot your face off"

"Wow, how scary" He replied in the same tone of sarcasm I held.

"Where did that polite dog go to earlier"

"Gone, poof, after all you said it was all a ruse, and yeah you got that right" He started walking around the living room then sat down on the carpeted floors, the next thing he did made me annoyed to my core. He laid flat, then rolled around. "By the way your ceiling has some spots you got to paint-"

"I know that, stop rolling on my carpeted floors"

He stops, then stares at me grinning. "Oh cause you don't want your house being dirty?"

"No, because I know you're trying to get a scent off the floor"

He halts his antics, then a wider grin appears on his face behind the muzzle. "Why are you so scared?, you don't want people knowing what you are?"

"If you really know what I am then tell me straight to my face"

"I know you aren't human, but I still can't figure out what animal you are" His gaze comes to the hood over my head, hiding my ears. "You wore a hat from earlier and now you're wearing a hood"

"That''s obvious"

"You've got ears?"

"Try and guess"

He stared at my face for a long while before sighing, maybe he gave up trying to find out. But as he stood up he came a few feet closer to me. "You've got a tail? or did you cut it off so you can look human"

"Now why would you think that, that would be mutilation"

And being an animal, there's a law against that. Humans and other species cannot butcher you up, though the common animals protected by that law are poultry, pigs and cows as well. Even after the government recognized animals as beings with autonomy and dignity people still chased after their taste. It's honestly disgusting.

"I mean- you go through so much effort to keep up appearances, I wonder..." Arms akimbo he snickers, staring at me, those sharp eyes curious. "Did you cut off your feet too?"

His suggestion of amputation was becoming grotesque, I assume he just wanted to say that to get some sort of reaction out of me but I digress. I need him out of my house before I actually put a bullet through his head.

"I will dial 911 in 10 seconds and if you aren't outside by then I will shoot your tail"

"Now don't be serious-"

"10" I started counting. His face immediately changed as he heard me count as he once again scurries away out the backdoor but before he could run off he peeks through the small window, ears perked up and tail wagging.

"See you tomorrow!"

I don't want to see him tomorrow at all.

I stood in front of the water dispenser, taking a plastic cup from above the water jug as I placed it below the cold plastic faucet, pressing a button I put my hold on it as cold water went down the plastic cup.

The morning was uneventful, but I'm glad the hiring process was over and our building isn't filled with rambunctious animals of varied kind. Only problem that I have now is the little trespasser from last night who has come up behind me wishing to take a sip of the water as well. I could feel his presence, I could even hear his nose sniffing me again.

"John Doe" I said out loud as I turned around, taking my plastic cup from the water dispenser, drinking it as I faced him.

I don't like him at all, I knew the consequences of taking in a feral dog as an employee and I got bit in the ass with it last night when he followed me home.

"Hey" He smiles, then reached for a plastic cup of his own as well placing it under the plastic faucet of the water dispenser. "How's your day?"

"Don't act all nice to me, I still haven't forgiven you for getting in my house" I took my water down in one shot then crumpled it, my face was slowly inching closer to an expression akin to agitation.

"You know I can't hold myself back right?"

"Control yourself" I glare at him hoping he'd understand my bad mood is enough to get some sense into him. 

"Lest I fire you on the spot for what you did last night" 

The doberman then argues, still thinking this was fun with how he's smiling. "All I did was eat your cereal"

"You ruined my kitchen, I had to stay up late at night to clean it"

"Well you could've told me to stay-"

"I would not want you to stay"

"Hey Sonnellino?" 

We both turn around to the origin of the voice and there stood one of my goons, Contractee, like me he wore formal attire, a black waistcoat and a pair of slacks with the same color.

"What is it" I ask turning away from the other man, I could see in the corner of my eye that my divided attention made his tail droop a little.

"Eunoia is calling for you" He says before looking at our new hire warily, then, walked away.

I immediately left the water dispenser heading into the agency's only walled off office, through the blinds I could see our boss going through folders and stacks of papers organizing it behind her desk on the tall shelves. I knock on the wooden door before letting myself in and closing it behind me.

"You called?"

"Oh, hello Don Sonnellino"

Eunoia.

The only true human in our agency, a smart woman. The only thing she dislikes about herself is her lack of social cues and robot-like personality, she finds it hard socializing with others unless it were blunt buisness details. She has long hair, a sort of light turkish blue, and a pale white skin comparable to porcelain. It's hard to believe this woman holds countless blackmail to multiple people in high society, but it is our job. 

She's also one of the few people who knows I'm not a human.

"Sit down with me for a moment" She finished filing away one of the last folders on her table as she finally sat down in front of her desk facing me as I too sat down on a nearby cushioned chair.

"So...out of nearly a hundred applicants you chose a dog?" My boss is tone-deaf, I could never make out what she means just by her words alone.

"Don't be surprised"

"I'm not" Ah...so she isn't, I shouldn't have assumed. "Rather, I'm glad you chose this particular fellow"

"You are?" I ask, wondering what made that Doberman interesting to her.

"I could see you already have your grip on him, he's feral I'm sure but he behaves under you"

"Of course he should behave, unless he wants to be fired-"

"You shouldn't fire him" Eunoia tells me straight to the point, my brain starts to wonder why would that dog be exempted.

"And why is that"

"We're an old fashioned buisness, we rely on information through the mouth and trust that its valuable, we rarely use modern technology to our advantages and...well it seems that we found ourselves a hacker, an IT drop-out no less" She clasped her hands together, both elbows on the table as she looked at me with a calm smile.

"He would be of great use to us in the following years, of course you have to keep him on a tight leash, that muzzle and shock collar is evident enough"

"You think I wasn't aware of that"

"I know you are, after all you nearly got into a facility yourself"

I know she meant well by that, but the mention of my near enrollment into a training facility made me stare daggers into her cold eyes. My father taught me well, I behaved, it was only that one time that happened where I was put on a watchlist.

"I apologize for bringing that up, you were homeschooled not long after yes?"

"I was..." I replied, tone unfriendly.

"Then I'm sure this John Doe employee could give his utmost best in his tasks if he were under your guise, he would also be beneficial to our buisness if he were to teach us some of his ways"

"You mean stealing from online bank accounts" I didn't like the thought of that, but I know my boss has plans.

"No, Don Sonnellino, in this day and age people often use websites, though I'm not fond of it I find that people expose themselves all too well in these sites, like MySpace, photos taken inside their rooms that could be traced to where they live- now that's something new"

"You're saying our clientele would be getting younger?"

"Correct, which means newer methods" She adds, she then turns to stand up and went near me. I could feel her hand rest on top of my fedora, feeling for my hidden ears. "I know you'll do well, don't be too harsh to him"

"I won't"

"Are you sure? he made a mess right now near the water dispenser" Her eyes turned their gaze outside the window through the blinds, I myself followed her line of sight and grumbled seeing the Doberman lapping up the water from the plastic cup, water dripping down his muzzle.

"We need him, and you know that too don't you?"

"Yes..." I can feel her fingers digging through the fabric of the fedora, purposefully pinching my ears.

"Don't mess up like last time"

When I first started working under her after leaving the mafia family. I felt fear run through my veins when she found out I wasn't human, she found it amusing that I was pretending to be one. It irked me deep down knowing that I can never actually delude an actual human being that I too am one of them. But she entertained my delusions either way and kept my secret. It's just that she finds it fun trying to caress my ears underneath my hat, treating me like some pet. 

I am no pet.

"I have a new commision for you, I sent it via email, just know it's the daughter of a man within those institutes" My boss stepped away sitting back down on her seat as I too made my move leaving the room.

I breathed out a sigh of relief as I sat down in my office cubicle fixing my hat as I booted up my computer.

That's when I felt something dripping down my coat. Water.

"Don't hover over me" I tell the man behind me looking at my computer, fixated. "Grab a chair John we've got work to do"

"Already?" He says, but he follows my instruction anyway grabbing a nearby chair as he sat beside me.

"Yes, yes we have a commission so pay attention" I hear him come closer, dragging the metal legs of the chair behind me. "Client is a college student, parent is of high society, she has a grudge against a classmate"

"I thought we would be doing more than just...petty blackmails"

"We will, but you're new so let me give you a run-down of how we work-" I noticed he looked rather unmotivated just from how simple our task was, but really there were more details to it. "It may be petty, but there's cash"

"I thought I'd be ransacking people's homes or something" Again, another look, lacking determination.

"You did that yesterday with my pantry"

"I-" His ears stood straight, he then mumbled something I couldn't make out, even with my sensitive ears the hat makes it hard sometimes. 

"I'll open the email, and you try to put all her requests in bullet form, on paper, don't write it in Google docs or MS word Eunoia doesn't like that" I emphasize the usage of paper, last time a new hire used Google docs we nearly had our operations leaked my boss was about to cut my throat for being irresponsible.

"Alright, noted, then what?"

"We complete all the requests, document it for confirmation that we did our job, then we grt our payment, we split it since it's a commission" Upon opening the email, my eyes immediately honed in on one sentence.

Write me his entire schedule, or try finding it, I don't want to risk myself going up to his department to find out his sched.

"So she wants us to find his class schedule on the school?" John Doe asks, I could see him already itching to open the school lms website.

"No, usually when clients ask for a schedule they meant everything a person does, what do they do around morning? do they go to the gym? how many hours does it take? do they just go to sleep in the evening? they want it specific and we will give them specific" I stand up already gearing up to leave as I fix my trench coat. He also follows but I stop him in his tracks. "You're staying put here, or are you done writing out the list?"

"Uh..." He doesn't even gave a pen or paper in his hand, so he shouts across the room to the other employees. "Ya'll got a pen and paper?"

I sigh, grabbing a notepad and fountain pen within my coat handing it over to him. "You will be given a hand-held radio later, also tomorrow you should start wearing a suit, jeans and a button down won't cut it our for you"

"What's wrong with my-" He looks down at his attire confused, but I remind him, tone stern.

"Our front is a debt recovery agency remember? act like it, look like an accountant whenever you walk in here" I grab my car keys on the desk already heading for the stairs leading down the ground floor. 

The Doberman catches up to me as he turns off the computer as he starts writing out he list on the notepad. Opening the garage I unlock my car entering the driver seat. He tries to enter the passenger seat but can't open it, unlocking it from the inside he chambers in nearly hitting his head on the car's roof. Again I sigh, then turned on my car.

"You got the list?" I asked as I turned a left heading into the main highway.

"Okay so, other than the schedule, she doesn't have much to say but she also wants to know what the person is allergic to-"

"Did it specify what animal he is?"

"Uh yeah, said he's a Rabbit with a grey coat" He almost hits his face on the car window as I took a sharp turn to the right avoiding traffic. "I also got to note that he has the tendency to be in pooling bets, what do they mean by that?"

"The guy frequents billiard bars, college student right? probably somewhere near the university..."

"How long have you been doing this job by the way?" The doberman asks me a question outside of work, and here I assumed he'd lose his interest on our commission sooner.

"Why should I tell you that"

"I don't know, it seems to me like you know a lot" He scribbles something down on the notepad, I look at him cautiously, I didn't want him wasting the ink on my fountain pen.

"I can't tell you personal information during work hours"

"Oh, is that some sort of rule?"

"No, I just don't like talking with you" I hear him chuckle, it seems that he isn't taking it into all seriousness how I don't enjoy his company.

"I'm now wondering if you really are human"

"We will never know" I respond, the usual sarcasm.

"Are you a cat perhaps? makes sense if you actually hate me hanging around you"

"That's a bad stereotype"

I could see behind his muzzle how he was about to utter another annoying question so I cut him off before he said anything.

"Don't even try, stop asking me what I am" and I hit the brakes, stopping in a nearby billiard bar.

Obviously his first commission went off badly, he exposed himself too much and talked to nearly every person inside the bar. When we went back to the agency building I had him by the collar of his shirt in front of my boss who still wore her neutral smile, the same as always. I was diverting my anger to the piles of paper on the shelves instead of the dog I have on my hand.

"I can't work with him" I said as if there were no excuses made so that he could continue working at my side.

"It's his first day, obviously he wouldn't understand the rules we've set up, don't you John?"

"Well I did run my mouth to a couple of people-" I shoot him a glare and he immediately shuts up, turning his gaze down along with his ears.

"He should stay here in the office, not go along with me as if it were some joy-ride"

Eunoia listens to my complaints, then taps a finger on the table. "Now don't be so harsh on him-"

"But he-"

"You chose him didn't you? you said you saw potential"

The doberman spoke up, tail wagging as he heard the compliment. "You said that?"

"I didn't say that" I respond, growing angrier by the minute seeing his muzzled face by my side.

"Oh yes he did, and I believe that you should show some patience Don Sonnellino" Eunoia ends it there as she gestures for me to leave. "Off you go"

I had no choice in the matter and so I grumbled as I let go of the man's shirt collar walking out of the main office as I headed downstairs immediately, avoiding a conversation with the other man who still chased after me. "Hey- wait do we still have more work today?"

"No"

"But didn't she-"

"I said no, John" I stood near the empty reception desk already a few steps away from the front door. 

"Oh...alright"

I left the agency pushing past the glass doors leaving him alone. Even when I was driving out of the garage I found him in the same steps that same night where he waited. I look out of my window and saw a sad looking dog.

I am not going to fall for that.

Chapter Text

I decided to go off on my own figuring John Doe would just be nuisance to my job no matter how advantageous Eunoia said he would he if he were part of the agency. I can't control his unbridled instincts, mainly his curiosity on what I am, and that lead him to following me home that one night. 

I stood near an alleyway right outside the same billiard bar, numerous college students milling about as they drank away, I expect some of them have exams tomorrow but they chose to drink anyways. Others are puking at the side of the roads as their friends helped them up laughing alongside them.

I wish my college life were like that.

Fishing out my cigarette case, I opened it, then I lit a cigarette in between my fingers blowing out a puff of smoke into the air as I idled by, waiting.

The person I was looking for finally came out of the billiard bar, staggering in his footsteps as he puked near a garbage can. He had no one tending to him so I seized the opportunity.

Grabbing him by his shoulders I allowed him to lean on to me and he began laughing, the shades he wore nearlg falling off his face. "Woah Mr. big shoulders over here"

"They say that a lot" I reply, tone flat. "You alright?"

He had the matching description my client detailed in her email, rabbit with a grey coat though my client never mentioned he wore formally. "Damn you smell like toothpaste, what cologne do you wear?" 

I stiffened as he sniffed me, his rabbit features were more prominent and it's unmistakable, especially the grey ears, it made him stand out in a crowd. 

"What's the problem with my cologne"

"Minty"

"Uhuh" I sigh hearing the description, maybe I should change it to something citrus. "What would you suggest"

"Dude you're helping up my random drunk ass in an alleyway and you're asking suggestions for your cologne?"

"I mean...is there anything else to ask?"

"Yeah like- you taking me home?"

I did not know how to answer to that.

"Don't freeze up on me here good-looking" He laughs again, I can smell the beer in his breath and my nose scrunched up at the smell.

"I'm not taking you home, I'm helping out a poor guy alone in a garbage dump"

"Wow, describing me like that is just sad"

"Hey! motherfucker hands off my friend!" I barely had the second to react before a punch flew my way and I felt my nose bleed. The rabbit hybrid I was holding on to got dropped to the concrete ground, groaning.

"Fuck..." I whispered to myself as I touched my nose.

"Chance don't go out like that are you stupid or what? you nearly got kidnapped!" His friend, had a set of sharp amber eyes, those same pair looked at me. I saw the patterns on his yellow tail, the tip being a faded black and swore once more, that's a golden jackal. He pointed at me. "You, get your hands off my friend"

But what's a jackal doing with a rabbit, this has become interesting to me now. 

"That was quite a punch you threw there" I steadied my footing and stood a little taller. The moment I gave some light to my face from the lamppost his friend backed off a few steps into the open sidewalk. 

"Oh..." He uttered, and the grey rabbit pulled him near.

"Itrapped, buddy, that's a human, we probably shouldn't-"

"Oh! oh so you think just cause you're human you get to one up on use little guys? it ain't too long ago when ya'll were scared of us biting your hands in the zoo"

"Dude!" His friend exclaimed, now fearing of what I may do next, he still tried to pull him away from me.

"So what if I'm human" I reply, and with each step they took back I stepped closer.

"You humans should have died long ago"

"Oh my god-" The grey rabbit's ears were pulled back, anxious as he tried to coaxe his friend into backing off. "He's gonna call the facility on us if you fight back!" 

"So what?" The golden jackal scoffs, his tail flicking in disdain at his friend's cowardice, I'd rather call it rationality. 

"So what?! come on now let's go back and-"

His friend pushed him away, anger rising. "This guy tried making moves on you and you're just letting that slide? no way!" He turns his face towards me, hissing. "Come here asshole!"

Before I could react someone else joined the fight, pouncing on the leopard as they bit down on his arm that was about to extend into a punch. My eyes widened as blood splattered on my face witnessing a gruesome scene.

A dog hybrid biting down on the neck of a jackal, blood dripping down the concrete ground as they tussled. Their claws and enraged eyes seeking for dominance. I heard growls and hissing, the sounds of barking and screams. 

Then, my vision began to blur.

I was brought back to that day when I was pulled into underground illegal fights among animals. My father brought me there to make me witness among the packed audience what would happen to me if I were to end up misbehaving, how lowly species were thrown in the ring, stripped down to their bare necessities as they were ripped apart as entertainment. I saw another rabbit, the same as me, crying out for mercy as his limb was torn from his socket, pulled and thrown across the ring, eventually their cries turned to hoarse begging as they had their throat torn by multiple teeth and hands. I didn't know who that rabbit was, only that he died in that ring as they began to feed on his carcass.

I managed to get myself back to reality and tried stopping the fight realizing who it was that joined in.

"You idiot! John let go!" When the Doberman pulled away he had no muzzle, his shock collar growing a brighter orange as he turned to look at me, canines stained crimson.

His eyes locked with mine as he stared.

I could hear his heavy breathing, the way his eyes grew wide.

But before I could ask where his muzzle when a current of shock went through his body electrifying him as he screamed out in pain, his shock collar blinking in red.

"John! John where's your muzzle?!"

It felt like I was talking to someone under seizure and instead searched for his muzzle myself as the jackal and rabbit stood nearby scared to even come near.

"You two! help me find his muzzle"

"I'm not helping you after your friend bit me in the neck!-" He got his foot stomped on by his friend and he yelped in pain.

"Itrapped we're helping, here have my handkerchief and stop the bleeding while I help look"

"You- goddamnit Chance" The jackal sighed as he pressed the handkerchief to his neck as they helped me find the doberman's muzzle in the alleyway.

His grey rabbit friend found it first and hastily handed it over to me as I tried to lock the muzzle in place before he was electrified again, once it was latched on behind his head he gave out a shaky breath, body shivering even though it still wasn't winter yet.

"John?" I asked over and over, calling out to him. "Are you alright?"

"You got hit in the nose, you good?" He finally responds to me and I hit him in the shoulder, he just got shocked in the neck and he has the gall to ask me if I'm the one who's fine?

"You were convulsing on the ground and you ask if I'm alright?!"

"I mean...you got blood running down your- ow!" I hit him again in the shoulder for good measure.

"Don't do that ever again"

"I saw you get punched in the face and I thought you were getting ganged up on by a bunch of college students" He sat up straight groaning at the pain on his neck. "God I'll never get used to that"

"You didn't have to step in, I had it all under control"

"Yeah? sure you did, that broken nose sure is under control" 

"Ouch..." He hissed in pain as I dabbed a cotton of betadine on his arms filled with claw marks.

We came back to the agency late that night so I had to open the building on my own, no one was working anymore. The bathroom reeked of chlorine. I stood in front of him near sink while he sat on it, I had a medkit propped up near him, numerous medical supplies open for use ranging from suture needles to wire gauze. With the mirror behind the Doberman I could see more wounds on the back of his throat, possibly from the earlier fight I didn't manage to see. I continued applying betadine onto his arms before throwing the used cotton into a trash bin, stepping my foot on the pedal as it went in. 

"Turn around for me will you" I say as I allow him to get down from the sink to turn around. He was shirtless, not that I cared but still.

I could see other claw marks behind his back spanning across his spine and shoulder. No wonder his shirt is torn to shreds.

"What made you follow me that late at night"

"I don't know, I just felt something bad would happen" He looked down at his fingers, dried blood stuck underneath his nails.

"You shouldn't have done that" I reprimand him as I grab another piece of cotton, dousing it in betadine.

"I didn't want you to get hurt, that was a-"

"You're still thinking I'm not human don't you?"

I hear him huff, then I noticed he started picking at his nails trying to get the dried blood off of it. "To be honest what I did at your house was just plain trespassing"

"Good to know you're aware of your mistake"

"Sorry if I assumed you weren't, you're probably weirded out by me now" He chuckles, but it was cut short as he let out another hiss of pain as I drag the cotton across the claw marks.

"I'm not, I know your species are curious by nature"

"I just wanted to protect you"

My hand stops for a moment, I know treading these waters are dangerous enough but if I keep on leading him on making him think I'm human It would come back to bite me later in the future, a clear-cut consequence. But if thinks I'm human and that propelled him to protect me, since most dogs are, usually the bigger breeds are like that but that was back in the past when they were still pets under humans, they had the tendency to be overprotective barking at others when their owner were to come close with anyone they don't like. I do not know how to feel with this situation, I did not think it would become this complicated.

"You...you wanted to protect me?" I threw away the cotton the same as before, pressing my foot down on the pedal of a trash bin near us.

"Well- yeah, I felt like it was the right thing to do, I also can't sit still if I'm not by your side"

Shit.

Okay, let's rethink what happened and assume John Doe thinks I'm human by now. One, he seems to enjoy my company despite my annoyance towards him, two, the incessant tail wagging and perky personality, I assumed that was an act when I hired him- it was most likely not, partially, maybe, or I might just be paranoid. Three, he felt the need to follow me around, I think that was evident enough with how he didn't want to stay in the office and caught up to me and lastly...

This recent incident.

Should I keep on deluding him thinking I'm human. I might egret it later on if I do so, usually when other people see me they immediately assume I'm human, not that they get suspicious then finally conclude I am human. Quite a predicament I put myself in but still. I don't want a dog to he conditioned into following me as well as protecting me just because they think I'm human. That would be treating him like a K-9 unit, I know German shepherds used to be like that in the police force as well as the army, they often die. 

I sigh, maybe this is for the better. And so I make him turn around, calling his name. He turns and looks down on me, face neutral.

"Don't join in fights unless I tell you to do so, if you get hurt I'm responsible for you"

I emphasize the word responsible for him. I know this is wrong, but for him to continue believing I am truly human then I shouldn't restrict myself to morality.

"Okay..." He replies, tone apologetic.

"You can go home now, I'll clean up-"

"No! let me clean up it's the least I can do" His tail wagged excitedly as he began organizing the medkit and the used medical supplies, throwing the trash away. "What do I call you by the way?"

"Sonnellino" I don't include the Don in my name, only Eunoia and my goons say that.

"So you are sort of Italian?"

"You'll find out soon enough" I cross my arms leaning against the wall as I look at him close the medkit, carrying it.

"Where do I put this?"

"It's mine"

"Ah, okay so I just-"

"Give it here" I grab the medkit from his hands exiting the bathroom with him following suite, I placed the medkit underneath my office cubicle then shut the lights off in the bathroom.

He still continued following me as I went downstairs, once again we meet at the garage, with him waiting for me to leave. So I stop myself before even getting inside the car and turn to face him, asking. "Why do you always wait for me when I leave"

"I...I actually don't know I just feel like it"

"You should-" I pause, rethinking my words, maybe it is better that he waits, he knows where I live anyway if he tries to follow me. "Nevermind"

"What were you about to say"

"Nothing, goodnight, take care John" I enter my car slamming the door shut as I exit the garage heading into the driveway, I look at my rearview mirror seeing him stand there in front of the agency building.

The more I look at him the more I'm pulled to actually take care of him.

Good god no, he isn't a pet.

"I printed it all out for you" I hear a familiar voice come up behind me, his pointed ears and wagging tail.

John Doe.

What an enigma of an animal I thought to myself. From what I know now he's a dog who isn't what he seems to be at first glance. Sure he's polite, but he's only doing that to be amicable, to show that the muzzle and shock collar isn't a warning sign. He somehow gets into people's homes, making them pity him and he uses that kindness to steal belongings, though now that I re-read his criminal records he often stole food. His curiosity cannot be managed, evident of a dog, it would be weird if he isn't overtly curious for a dog. I cannot explain what kind of animal he is, if he's out here guessing if I'm human or not I'm here guessing if he's actually good or bad, if I were to place him in a alignment chart he'd be going all over the place.

He is smart, he just isn't aware of it.

I know a scent isn't enough to make him find a trail on me, he has to ask questions where I went to and it had been twice that he managed to find me. I don't know if he too is putting up an act or I am totally wrong in my assumptions ever since I met him. The muzzle and shock collar explains itself well enough either way. Despite my boss's encouragements I can't control him at all, unless I used Pavlov's conditioning methods, well that's ethically wrong.

But I'm trying something new. 

"Thank you" I say as I grab the printed papers from his hands, aside from information our agency also dabbled in forgery, it's so easy to make a courtroom case go downhill when a document is out of place.

Oh right, the new thing I mentioned, Pavlov's methods of conditioning the stimulus of a dog through a bell takes a long time, and that's called classical conditioning, there is another kind of conditioning I'm willing to try out- operant conditioning, reward and punishment.

If said subject were to be rewarded after doing something well then chances are they would continue performing exemplary. Punishment on the other hand drives the subject with the fear that if they don't do good they'd be subjected to harsh remarks and the like, that's what they use in military school to discipline cadets but of course I know rewards were still in place if you win in small competitions.

The doberman stood beside me the entire time as I sifted through the printed papers seeing that everything was in place, at first I wanted to just turn around and face the computer to work but as I did that, my left hand went up to ruffle his hair for a moment, then pulled away. 

"Good job" I added, before focusing on the task at hand.

I could see him freeze up at the corner of my eye and just as I expected-

His tail began to wag frantically.

"Y- Your welcome" He utters before sitting down in the office cubicle at my side, eyes glued to his desk dilated, his tail didn't stop wagging for a few minutes and it caught the eye of my goons. 

My goons didn't hide the fact they were rabbits, unlike me, but upon seeing me ruffle the dog's hair it seems as though they wanted to be pet too. What kind of agency is this? this isn't a petting zoo.

"Hey that's not fair he never does that to us when we do a good job" I hear Consigliere exclaim, complaining, and soon all of them did.

"Oh shut up you lot" I bark out as I return to my work.

For the next few days I placed John Doe under forgery, it seems that it was better placement than making him go out with me in on-site businesses. But I never forgot to tell him that he's doing great whenever I left him alone to do work, somehow that pushed him to think that he should be doing better than everyone and a little competition started inside the office. 

And Eunoia...of course she found it amusing.

I didn't

Chapter Text

"Y'know I wonder why humans decided to play with dna" 

John Doe said out loud while feasting on an egg sandwich, the contents of it nearly spilling out. I watch in disgust at his improper manners, especially the mayo that dripped down his hand, to which he promptly licked clean. I doubt his finger was clean.

We sat on a park bench waiting for a client, my car parked nearby. The afternoon heat was not too bad, though the air was humid which I did not like at all. My trench coat felt heavy under the weather and I do not want to risk myself by removing it, lest the dog beside me sees my bushy tail.

"Humans are always curious, that and of course in pursuit of science" I sipped from the paper cup of the bland coffee I ordered together with the dog earlier. I wonder why the beverage tasted like cardboard and he on the other hand is munching on the sandwich as if it were a three course meal.

"Science...I don't remember much back I gradeschool what I learned, but all I can say is math was a headache" He shifts the conversation, I find it tiresome trying to match his pace with these subjects. "Say Sonnellino, were you a smart kid?"

"Why would I ever answer that"

"I mean, I'm just trying to make conversation here" His eyes dart away awkwardly, after all this time he could never find himself in a comfortable chat with me.

Which I'm glad for, I'm not the talkative type.

"You want me to remind you why we're sitting under a tall tree in a park or has your IQ gone down in the duration of our drive here"

"Hey I may be a muzzled dog but I'm not that stupid" That pissed him off, I could already hear the growling and the snarling of teeth.

I learned that over the course of two weeks running errands with him that he really does not like how him being a dog is brought up in the topic of our conversations, especially when intelligence was mentioned.

"You forgot to mention you got that shock collar" I take a sip of my coffee again, eyes staring straight at the busy downtown avenue.

"I try being nice with you and you just dumb me down to a stupid dog" I could see him pouting in the corner of my eye. Maybe I should stop with the teasing.

"I apologize, I was just teasing you"

"That wasn't teasing at all" He's still pouting, which I dislike, a dog like him shouldn't be pouting like a beaten child.

I sigh, setting down the paper cup beside me as I look at him straight in the eyes. "You're awfully sensitive"

"Sensitive?" 

"Is there any other word I could describe you"

"I don't know, capable?" John Doe answers for himself thinking it was the right choice, little did he know that just fueled the other man's criticism.

"Capable- pfft, since when?"

"Now you're just hurting my feelings"

"And that's why I said you're sensitive" I took another sip from my tasteless coffee.

The dog turned away from my line of sight, ears pinned down, tail flat, indicative of a foul mood. I sigh to myself, it seems that I have to shower him with praise again before he even makes a single move out of the bench, either that or he won't be able to help me with our current client. 

I may have the brain of a human but I lack the veracity and strength that this Doberman has. 

"I'm sorry" The apology feels forced, I hope he doesn't notice how it barely has any sincerity.

His tail began wagging again, those ears perked up high as he looked at me with excitement. I chuckle to myself not because I find his cheerfulness amusing, but because of his naivety. I don't understand why I find it such, maybe because I haven't toyed with the concept of having a predator under a prey's hold rather than the other way around.

But it was entertaining.

"Don't sulk again, I need you for this commission"

"What was it again?" He asks, eager to learn and jump at his feet to move. I could still see his wagging tail.

"Says on paper-" I pull out a folded piece of paper from the inside of my coat, unfolding it as I read it quietly. "I want you to run a background check on this dog, I also want you to go through their computer...what is this handwriting" 

I complain as I fold the paper back into my coat, it seems as though I can't read any further lest I conjure up a migraine. 

"Here's the gist, investigate then grab files from the computer" I say as I raise a finger for each task, totaling to two.

"Okay, okay" The dog repeats, as if memorizing it. 

A few seconds later a truck carrying a load of tree logs crashed into a park tree. I grabbed the Doberman out of the way from where we sat on the park bench. Thankfully the tree logs didn't fall out, or else we'd be having more than just one accident in the park today. A crowd of onlookers came to see what had happened. Being the curious creature that I am, I went near the driver's seat and tapped the glass.

"Hey, are you drunk?" I ask, tapping on the glass once more. I can sense John Doe already scampering near me, saddling up to my side.

The door opened and out came a man- or rather an american bulldog hybrid, he had dark eyebags and a tired posture to match. "Sorry I..." 

A hard hat fell out of the seat and he went to grab it, donning the construction accessory. "I probably didn't have enough sleep last night"

"You ruined the tree"

We three looked to where the sound came from and looked down. A human child had his arms on his waist, dressed in denim overalls, as if ready to complain to the manager. "I was playing with my dad!"

"Uh...kid I'm sorry alright? company will pay for it"

Problems and issues are fine, especially if it's casualties like this, but the moment humans are involved it becomes a bigger issue. Maybe that's why the bulldog is wary, I could hear the complacency in his tone. It's reprehensible how we animals immediately turn to being compliant whenever a human appears within our vicinity, though maybe I should ought to remind myself that the bulldog didn't see me as a Rabbit but a human. Probably the reason why he looked even more careful.

"I'm gonna tell dad!" The child ran off, I wonder why he had such bright red hair, though it's possibly one of those temporary hair spray dyes children are into nowadays.

I heard the bulldog sigh, I turned to him once more. " Don't worry, I won't tell the city office"

I'm not all cruel and maleficent, I understand the fear animals have when a human appears and just causes more trouble.

"Thank you" He whispers, he flashed me a smile before backing up as he reversed the truck, the poor tree completely snapped in half.

"Why'd you just let him go away? you didn't even ask for his name" The doberman behind me said, he probably expected for me to report the bulldog.

"I'm not that kind of person"

"Oh so you're nice to other dogs but not to me?"

"Don't dwell on such things" I say as I begin walking.

But then, I stopped. 

I remembered something crucial, I opened the folded paper again wondering why the bulldog earlier looked familiar. I dug deeper in the inside pocket of my coat and took out a photograph. Now I know why.

"John, this may sound stereotypical but can you follow that bulldog's scent?" I turn to the Doberman and he's already gone, running after the truck.

"J- John!" I shout, hoping he'd stop running, I grumble then folded back the paper. "This stupid dog!"

"Don't run off like that again" I reprimand the dog, taking a turn in an intersection, my hands on the wheel of my car.

"I'm sorry"

"Stop saying sorry, apologies won't get you far" A sound of annoyance escapes me, the car drove along the road smoothly, barely any bumps met my path.

"You're being mean again"

 He states the obvious, I'm aware I'm occasionally mean to him but I have my boundaries, I'm his boss. I should act like one. 

"It's called criticism"

"Criticism doesn't come with a mean attitude" He counters, I ought to make him read the dictionary because he can't seem to know what criticism is.

I stop the car, stepping harshly on the brakes making the Doberman nearly hit his forehead on the dashboard as he is jolted forward. I grab on the brakes, pulling it back as the car stills, the engine shuts off as I grab the key. I stepped out of the vehicle, but before closing the door I ducked my head in and spoke with the Doberman.

"Should I further elaborate and argue with you or do we actually do our work"

"No..." He was still throwing a fit over my choice of words, it was always obvious when he's in a foul mood, with the ears and tail that is. It's a dead give-away.

"Was that no to not arguing or no to not doing our work"

"I don't know, guess, since you're so smart" John Doe crossed his arms, turning his head away from me.

I sigh to myself, then promptly shut the car door leaving him inside the car. If he wanted to throw a tantrum then so be it. I stood in front of a construction company, the shoddy design of the hanging sign that I could barely read and the rusting warehouse made me mutter quietly about the possibility that it was old enough to rival my antique car. I went around the warehouse and heard the sound of sawmills working loudly, the grinding and cutting of logs made me wince, my ears weren't used to such loud sounds, thankfully the fedora could muffle it slightly but it was still unpleasant.

Behind the warehouse were trees being converted to planks, it's most likely being shipped to be sold or used in the construction process the company is being commissioned for. Taking a few more steps through the area I found a trailer, it looked better off than the warehouse itself and the equipment being used. I went up the trailer's stairs and knocked on the door, before I could knock a second time it opened and I was met with a face I've seen before.

This was bad, really bad. The animal that stood before me was the same chicken hybrid I punched the light out of a few weeks ago during a hostage situation.

He spoke, cheery and unaware as to who he was actually talking to.

"Hi! welcome to- Uh, no that sounds weird" He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, the clean white feathers that lined his entire neck stood out under the bright lights of the trailer. His eyes looked away from me monetarily as he tried to form a sentence to greet me.

"The name's Shedletsky, if you're trying to find Builderman he isn't here right now he's out delivering some shipment" His eyes met mine, and he realized something.

"Wait a minute you look familiar-"

"I'm sure I do" I narrowed my eyes. I did not expect to see someone whom I've met in my past work to appear once more in another commission of mine.

He noticed the lack of animal features on my face and held himself back from talking further, he swore to himself as he straightened to his posture. Gone was the carefree and confident attitude. It seems that he immediately changed his personality believing I'm human. 

"Sorry I...I shouldn't have talked like that. You must be a busy guy, do you have some important stuff to talk over with the C.E.O.?" His tone sounded more professional, he also fixed his attire which, for the lack of better understanding shouldn't be the kind of clothes you should wear working under a construction company.

He's wearing a loose shirt and a pair of shorts.

Shorts.

Who in this god-forsaken economy would decide to wear shorts to a construction company.

The way I looked him up and down probably made him realize I did not like how he looked. He excused himself, apologizing for his attitude. "You can wait in here if you want" He tried to sound amenable, it was no use to me now though, I only took one look inside the trailer and it made no sense for me to keep on lying and to sit inside.

"It's fine, it seems that he isn't here at this moment, I'll return some other time" I turned away heading towards my car parked outside the warehouse but a familiar large truck was parked beside it.

I should leave now before I get dragged back inside the trailer by that underdressed chicken.

"So you inherited the company or you made it from the ground up?" I hear the doberman's voice, I swear to myself under my breath as I quickened my pace hoping he doesn't blow our cover.

"No, made it from the ground up, it was hard at first since I opened to company right after the animal rights law was instated, no one was trusting us with hard labor" 

I took a turn at the corner and saw the same bulldog from the park and John Doe himself talking with him. I stood where I was, I didn't intrude in their comfortable conversation and instead stayed put hoping the Doberman wouldn't expose the reason why we were here.

"Oh...right I remember that, I remember my dad barely able to find any work, even construction wasn't a choice" 

The bulldog, who's most likely Builderman that the chicken said earlier is their C.E.O. wore a tired expression, but he chuckled momentarily. "Yet here we are, though it's become a bit easier it isn't as bad as before"

"Tell me about it"

"There were other laws they still weren't able to pass and we had to fight our way through it, I still remember how we weren't allowed to work in factories producing food because-"

John Doe cut him off, face lighting up. "Because they told us we were unclean"

"Yes! oh god that was so stupid looking back at it"

"But it's better now, yeah?"

He fixed the hard-hat on his head, then spoke. "There's still some problems within the system, but we're managing"

"By problems you mean humans"

Deep inside I know I shouldn't be affected by such words, I'm only pretending to be one. Maybe it wasn't because I had some sort of twisted likeness towards humans that was hurt- no, it was the fact that what the Doberman said was true. After all this time the main problem was humans. The main reason why I mimic their mannerisms and look the way they look, they tower over us because they still reign superior in the food chain. 

Not once was there equality nor equity between us, it was a fake play meant to delude our society into believing everything is normal when clearly it isn't. Everyone continues on their day, eating our own kind, the laws are flimsy and we are still treated like domesticated pets.

I can see it in Eunoia, her indifference and almost childlike affection towards me. She pets my head as if I weren't her equal.

I may act, dress, and speak like a human. But I'll always be a Rabbit.

When we drove back I didn't realize I instinctively went to my home and not the office. The look of surprise on John Doe's face was obvious. I on the other hand was just blankly staring at the road not realizing I took the wrong turns. I only came to myself when he tapped me on my shoulder and asked in a worried tone.

"Hey...Sonnellino are you good?"

"What?" I answered back, letting go of the wheel then looked outside, we were in front of my house.

"You drove us to your house, not the office"

"Oh, I apologize I wasn't-"

"You heard what I said earlier didn't you?" He took note of my expression, changing it to one of discomfort. “I didn't mean what I said, I trying to make conversation so he could share some personal details with me”

“I'm aware of that”

“Then why do you look like you ate a lemon?” John Doe teased me, chuckling in my direction.

“I did not- I do not look like I just ate a lemon”

“Yes you do!”

“I will kick you out of my car and make you walk all the way home” I threatened him, though it was no use. I was too tired to bring him back to the office and I was drained from all the talking earlier at the construction company, the chicken was awfully talkative compared to the bulldog.

I grumbled exiting the car, shutting the door loudly as I went up to my door. Unlocking the house I hear the dog's steps coming near, his cold muzzle brushed against my nape.

“Are you letting me stay over?”

“What do you think?” I ask him, opening the door as I pocket my keys.

“Well I think Sonnelino would be kind enough to let me sleep in his house as a guest”

“I think I'm not nice enough for that at all”

“No please, I'll behave” He put his hands together in prayer, pleading for me to let him inside.

“Don't look at me like that”

The way he's looking at me right now feels like an abandoned dog looking for an owner. If it were to rain and drench him in water I might be hospitable enough to let him in out of pity.

I let him in anyway.

I had to take precautions letting him inside my house, this wasn't the first time he's been inside and having to lock the bathroom and bedroom all together just so that he couldn't get a whiff of my scent made me suffer a bit more wearing the heavy trench coat, it was becoming too warm.

“Aren't you going to take off your coat?” He took off his tie, placing it inside the back pocket of his pants.

“No”

I avoided the topic immediately, I knew he would press on for it, even make me undress. Though I hope he isn't too curious about what humans look like and grabs my coat off my body. He'd be sorely disappointed finding out I'm not what he perceived to be. 

“I forget you humans are all skin and bones”

“Be thankful you have fur in places you need it to be, all we have is our hair” I play along, heading towards a drawer as I pull out a comforter and blanket, then fix the insides the way they were.

“What shampoo do you use by the way?” The question was most likely out of curiosity and filling in the silence. I take it back this dog is more talkative than the chicken.

“Why would you want to know that”

“It's just that…the colognes and the things you use always smell of mint, I was wondering why you like using that” He plopped himself down the empty living room, I barely had any furniture and it made it seem as though I only just bought the house.

“I like it, it doesn't smell as strong as it does, better than citrus or fruity scents” Contrary to what I'm saying the only reason I'm using mint is to hide my smell, it's faint and unnoticeable.

“I like it too”

I heard the same familiar footsteps coming near me and the second I knew what was coming I felt arms wrapping around my waist, grabbing me as his cold muzzle met my skin, he breathed me in, the hold was tight.

“Let go of me!” I say, hitting him with the comforter.

“I'm sorry Sonnellino, I knew you wouldn't let me near you, even though you try to rebut my claims and make others believe you aren't what you seem-”

There was the sound of something being unlocked, I saw John Doe’s muzzle fall to the ground clattering. My stomach drops as I fear for the worst. I knew I shouldn't have let him into my home, I should have driven him back despite how tired I was. I feel exposed.

Vulnerable.

“You're not a human, I played along”

My breath quickened and I started to panic as I felt him behind me nudge his nose in my neck bordering near my carotid artery.

“You douse yourself in mint, hoping it'd erase what you are”

I didn't want to cry, that'd be a cowardly move. But that feeling deep inside me, that instinct to shriek and push him away clawed its way out. I'm scared, and I didn't know what to do.

As a last ditch effort I tried to punch him but he expected it, grabbing hold of my fist. My mind began to churn for ways I can escape this situation. 

I went still.

That confused the Doberman, wondering why I wasn't fighting back.

“Sonnellino?”

“Go ahead, bite me”

“What- no!” That made him take a step away from me, allowing me to calm my thoughts and think of something next.

I knew what I'd be saying right now would either break him or make him hate me- but he has to learn not to grab me like that again because his curiosity cannot be held back.

“Taking off your muzzle as if that wasn't a deliberate move, bite me like the dog that you are”

“I didn't want to bite you!” He argues, but he didn't sound angry, rather he sounded fearful.

“Are you sure? then what's that muzzle for all this time?”

“I…I can't tell you that”

“You're a feral dog”

“I'm not a feral dog” I could see him tighten his fists, I press on, talking about his shock collar.

“Then what about your shock collar? Last I remember you took your muzzle off and bit someone”

“I did that to protect you!, I'm sorry I just- I feel like there's something off with you and I just can't help but try to figure you out”

“Then stop before I call the authorities”

“You wouldn't do that”

“Why would you ever think I wouldn't do that” I ask him, making him come to the conclusion that I don't care enough.

“I thought you…”

“Whatever you thought of me, don't even, you're my employee first and foremost, if you thought we were friends we aren't friends”

“I'm sorry I won't do it again” He apologizes like the many times before.

“John” I say his name, warning him not to make the problem even bigger than it is now.

“I’m sorry, okay?”

I sigh sitting down the carpeted floor burying my face in my hands with my current dilemma. I hear his feet shuffling. I expected him to sit beside me but instead he grabbed his muzzle, locking it back in place and just stood there. Looking at me with guilt.

“Are you just going to stand there” I say, running a hand down my face as I look at him, tired.

What I didn't expect was for him to go down my level and sit in front of me, he then said these words.

“If it makes you feel better you could-”

“No, John just no, I don't want to do anything to you” I cut him off not wanting to even hear what suggestions he'd say to appease me.

“I want your hand on me”

“What?”

I thought I misheard him, but he repeated it again, and my face immediately felt warm.

“I want your hand on me, on my ears, tail, wherever you want it to be”

“You can't be serious” Earlier his teeth were near my neck ready to rip it off and now he wants me to pet him?

“I heard humans liked petting-”

“No! John, even I wouldn't do that. What kind of person do you think I am? you aren't a pet to me”

“But you did it once when we were at the office”

I swore inwardly, I forgot I did that. “That wasn't because I wanted to pet you, I was…I was merely boosting morale”

“I don't know how else I could make you feel better, my handlers did it all the time”

I tune him out not wishing to hear his experience within the training facilities, but hearing him say his handlers did it to him raised some concern within me slightly. But I pushed those thoughts away.

“Why would they do that”

He became eerily quiet, he went closer to me and grabbed my gloved hand forcing it to touch his ears. I could hear a shaky breath come from him as if he were carrying a heavy load and he was able to throw it all away. 

I felt the softness of the fur, how delicate it was, you could easily cut off his ears if you had a pair of scissors.

“John…are you alright?” I was met with silence, I don't know exactly what he went through in those institutes or what was done to him. He leaned closer to me as I began to pet his head, touching his ears every now and then.

Does he truly believe I'm human?

I had so many questions, did he find comfort in a human petting him? there's a possibility he finds comfort in such a thing because his handlers may have conditioned him to do so. Have I been deluding him this entire time so that I could find a way to control him. I'm unsure, at first the human act was a way to scare him into submission, but now my opinion towards this Doberman has changed. There's something clearly wrong with him.

I should have taken more caution pretending to be human towards him. He was right from the start about me, but I've evaded his curiosities so much that he had made himself truly think I am what I say I am. And now he's finding comfort in my touch.

I feel…disgusted towards myself.

Chapter Text

I didn't know what to feel about John Doe’s little incident last night, I mean he's gone through multiple incidents already that I could take up to HR but too bad we don't have that. He slept over my house, and I couldn't argue against his sleeping body, I wouldn't dare wake him up from his slumber. By the next day he was gone, again I didn't know how to feel about that either.

My facade is cracking, last night I thought I was doomed for sure. But now I'm confused, should I be wary? it had happened twice and since then the dog had become more curious of me. Either that or he's playing with me.

I woke up like any other day and went to the office, going up the stairs I felt a familiar presence come up from behind, the pitter-patter of feet evident from the sounds. I knew who it was, but I didn't turn around.

“Good Morning Sonnellino” I hear the doberman speak, cheery and welcoming.

I don't respond, after all that happened last night I didn't feel comfortable being within his vicinity. He'd always come up close and get in my personal space, sniffing me that is. Or on the rare occasion he would entrap me to try to get a whiff of my scent. The cold air-conditioning greeted me in the face as I sat in my cubicle, I could still hear John Doe following me.

“Sonnellino? why are you ignoring me” He says, I could hear his worry with my inattentiveness. “Did I do something wrong?”

I continued ignoring him and instead I sat down in my office cubicle, booting up my computer focusing my attention on it rather than him, in the corner of my eye he was already trying to find ways to make me speak to him. He began to ramble.

And I did not want to talk back.

“Don't fire me, please” He begs, coming near me. He assumes wrongly, I was not thinking of that at all. “I know I've done a lot of things but what happened yesterday-”

“Stop talking”

“Okay” I could see his attitude drop from his eagerness to complacency.

For the entirety of that morning I barely talked to him. That soured his mood. He was growling at the other employees while he acted completely silent towards me, trying to gain my good graces again. When I went out for lunch he decided to tag along, he may have thought that I planned to bring him along but I locked the door of my car preventing him from entering. Looking at the other window I could see his ears pinned back, he was giving me those cliché'd puppy eyes unfit for an adult like him.

I finally talk to him, starting the conversation. Sighing I open the door letting him inside. “Get in”

His mood was instantly lifted from his gloomy state and hopped in with his wagging tail.

As I drove out of the garage and out into the sunny afternoon, I thought the dog would shut up but he began to talk again. “What's your favorite food?”

“Are you asking that because-”

“Yes” He answered my question immediately, I already knew what he meant by that and I won't fall for it. I won't let him buy me lunch. But I play along.

“I doubt you even have enough money” 

“I do! consider it an apology” He argues and then proceeds to show evidence by grabbing his wallet.

“No, just don't even try”

The dog returned his wallet to where it was and crossed his arms, staring out the window. “What could I even do to make you forgive me”

“Oh I don't know, changing your attitude”

“But I can't control that”

“You sure can when you decide to take off your muzzle multiple times” I turned a corner then stopped at a red light in an intersection.

I didn't hear a response from him after that.

I know taking long walks at night would be bad for me, it's not because I fear who would be in the dark but those memories that would surface. It was spring, and even though snow has thawed I still feel cold during the night outside compared to my indoor heater giving me warmth. I had my gloved hands buried in the pockets of my trench coat, fedora stuck to my head, hiding my ears underneath. Breathing in the crisp air I let out a sharp exhale, I did not look towards me to where I was walking on the sidewalk but rather up in the sky as the stars blinked back at me.

I stopped for a moment, staring above as the abyss up high looked down on me.

There's something peculiar I've always felt within me, I wondered why I liked staring up at the dark skies. 

Maybe I was so used to closed curtains and locked doors back in our estate. I barely walked outside nor did I open our windows for the fresh air I am breathing in right now. All I remember from my days as a child is how my parents tried to put a barrier between me and the outside world.

I heard the rustling of leaves behind me and I instinctively pulled out my pistol, a zigana f, it stood out against the darkness with its color akin to silver.

The barrel of my gun met the forehead of a Doberman.

“Good god- John Doe what are you doing following me” I place the pistol back inside my trench coat, I could have shot him straight through the head. “I could have shot you”

“Sorry I just…” He stills himself, he didn't walk forward towards me instead he stood there staring at me, withholding the apology.

“Go home”

“I can't go home knowing you're walking out here in the streets, last time that happened you got into a brawl”

“I was working” I responded, pinching the bridge between my nose, annoyed.

“But what if-”

“Just go home John, give me some air to breath”

He wouldn't budge from where he was standing, I might pull my gun out again if he actually takes a step towards me. 

And so he did.

“John” I say, warning him.

“Someone was following you” He came close to me, whispering near me as he grabbed my arms. “I could hear their feet earlier”

“What do you mean by that?” His clawed hands pulled me to an alleyway, hiding near a dumpster, I nearly fell from my footing as I crouched beside him.

“John you better explain yourself-” The doberman muffled my mouth and I was hit with the smell of rosewood, my mind began to wander thinking how his hands could have smelled like that, was he a lumberjack? Did he live near the woods? something came over me and I began sniffing his hand. I remembered the familiar crackling of the fire from our fireplace back in the estate, how the same smell wafted through the drawing room, I could faintly make out my mother doing embroidery and my father entertaining guests. I was pulled out of my daydreaming when the doberman tried to take his hand away.

“That tickles, don't do that” John Doe tells me, removing his hand but I pulled it back.

“Do you live near the woods?”

“No?” He replies, voice quiet, I could see the confusion in his eyes why I was so focused on his hand.

“Rosewood”

“Uh…yeah? Rosewood” He also replies in confusion.

“Are you sure you don't live near the woods? this scent is too specific”

“Sonnellino you're freaking me out”

I pushed his hand away in an awkward manner immediately after hearing that, I should have kept myself composed and instead I started sniffing his hand, the urge to smell that familiar scent pulling me closer. It was unbecoming of me to do such a thing, thankfully the dog thought it was just weird.

“Did you see who it was that was following me?”

“No…” His eyes turned their gaze down at the concrete ground thinking carefully then looked back up at me. “I just heard footsteps, heavy ones”

I thought it was awfully coincidental that a few days ago we were investigating someone’s background and now at the dead of night John Doe heard the footsteps of someone following me. I assumed it was the bulldog from last time, he must have caught on to how suspicious our arrival were to his construction company, though I can’t seem to recognize the figure that went past the alleyway, it wasn’t the hard-hat wearing man but rather he donned a police uniform, clad in the iconic blue of main city’s police department. 

The blue hair just topped it all off.

Though, I felt a sense that I have seen his face before somewhere, a documentary perhaps? No…this man has not shown himself on T.V. enough for that, still he was familiar to me, was it someone within the city’s higher ranks? While I was thinking of the possibilities on who it may be John Doe decided to shuffle his feet, finding our current position uncomfortable, it strained his ankle. That led to him nearly dragging me down with him when he tried to sit down and was about to fall face first to the murky garbage water. I caught him in time but we hit the dumpster beside us in the process letting out a bang.

A bright light shone on us and the doberman, and like the stupid dog that he is he began barking wildly at whoever it was that decided to blast us with the ray of sun, he leaped towards whoever it was that held the flashlight growling and letting out untamed sounds. 

“John!” Thankfully he didn’t try to take off his muzzle, lest he gets arrested for attacking a police officer. I grab him from behind, arms around his waist tight, allowing the man in blue to stand up. “You idiot, what made you jump like that”

The dog argues with me, as if he were in any right to do that earlier. “I thought we were going to get abducted!”

I then hear a chuckle.

“It’s fine, it's normal, I shouldn’t have done that to a feral dog” Despite the lack of light from the flickering lamppost I could make out the shape of his face, it dawned on me that the reason why I found him so familiar was because I did see his face on the news before. 

The Bacon War.

“The name’s Guest, I omit the numbers I’m not really a soldier anymore” He says, lending out a hand for me to shake. I let go of John Doe and shook his hand out of courtesy.

“Don Sonnelino”

“You from the family?” He asks, taking his hand away as he crosses his arms. Now that I came closer to him, I could make out his breed, a belgian malinois, the picture-perfect breed for the military.

“Yes, the estate up north”

“Ah…I remember passing by the mansion back when I was younger, but your family was a secretive bunch, I didn’t know they had a human son, I thought they were mostly rabbits”

I looked at him as if I wanted to strangle him for saying those words, I didn’t want the curiosity within the doberman to ignite again hearing my family history. I guess the message got through him because he cleared his throat as an apology, looking away. “Sorry I just- not everyone gets to meet one of the Sonnelinos, your family is quite popular within high society, owning a few institutes and all that”

“We do own a few, but I dislike it”

“I thought you’d be agreeable towards the concept of it, being human and all”

“I don’t” My tone was sharp, I may be playing as a human but I have my own moral standing, I abhor the mere topic of it. Maybe I was ashamed of my family’s work that fueled this country’s 

“Ahah…I see” He scratched the back of his ear, indicative of his silent, uncomfortable response.

The atmosphere turned awkward, somehow John Doe thought that was the perfect moment to interject with his own ramblings, and just like I feared that curiosity was lit aflame once more.

“Your family owns institutes?”

“We are not talking about this” I reply quickly, I don’t want him getting thoughts that I would entertain his questions, I’m not a dictionary.

“No, we are going to talk about this” 

The former soldier then spoke up beside us, his tone sounded as though he still felt awkward talking to me after my cold demeanour. “Um…I don’t mean to butt in but it’s not technically ‘own’ more like they franchise-” 

“Shut up soldier boy” The doberman barked at the belgian malinois harshly.

“John, don’t talk back like that” I reprimand him for his attitude, I don’t understand where this anger was coming from, does he resent me now knowing my family owned the same institutes he was forcibly trained under?

“Or what?” He then began to growl at me.

I went silent.

Not once was I met on the other end of his anger, but now I feel the same fear I had back at my house when he restrained me and was so close to revealing who I was. I don’t feel dread at the possibility he may expose me but rather being bit under those sharp canines and having the inability to escape the sharp prison cells that mask themselves as teeth. I’ve never felt terror towards teeth before, but now I do. Even though he has the muzzle and shock collar equipped I do not feel safe at all.

Sensing the tense situation the police officer decided to step in for me, and I could see his hand already on a taser. “Sir I think you should control yourself” 

“Great, another dog biting back at me, y’know all of you end up in the same place and that’s under humans, either in the armed forces or a fucking pet, I am not a pet!” 

I felt as though those last words were directed towards me specifically, I could see the hurt in his eyes.

“Sir I understand your time in the training facility hasn’t been good to you but please calm down-” Guest raised both his hands in the air as if gesturing for him to back down, but the other dog was indignant, growling in his direction as he began to talk again.

As the two fought with words my mind went numb, I still don’t understand what has made him this vexed so badly. Did I say something wrong other than him finding out about my family’s history? It perplexed me. For all the time I boast about my intelligence I find myself faltering at this very moment. Those days that I have buried my head into books and listening attentively in class has not paid off.

That’s when he made a move, jumping in my direction, tackling me to the ground.

I was pinned down harshly, those claws dug into my trench coat, I could feel it on my skin. I stiffen, eyes wide as the dog grabbed me by my shoulders, shaking me. The back of my head was hitting the concrete ground as he kept on rattling me as he shouted.

“You were using me! Playing around! You’re just like your parents, you’re a handler!”

“John i’m not a-” I try, competing with his own voice as I act out of reason.

“Then what was all the praise for?! You knew what you were doing! Were you laughing behind that stupid hat of yours?” I thought the scuffle was over as he sat over me, staring. But a punch landed on my face, a bruise began to bloom where I was hit on my cheek, and I touched it, feeling the sting.

Another lands.

And another, and another, it kept on going. I can taste the copper on my tongue, how my right eye can barely see from how swollen it had become.I hear the sound of a taser powering on, the doberman that was above me slumped to the side of the wall, convulsing from the high voltage.

“Are you alright?” The police officer had stepped in for my sake, and I thank him for that.

I nod, assuring him that I was all well despite my current state, the bloody face and all.

I had to sit through the entire procedure of bailing out John Doe from the police station, he was separated from the other people, or rather- animals.

I was questioned relentlessly for his past history and my relations to him. The bright lights of the cramped office made me lower my fedora even further down my face, I hated the fluorescent lights. Men in uniform were running around the office, busy with their own work, the one who sat in front of me was Guest’s fellow police officer, he too is a veteran from the Bacon War, he had brown hair, and the same clothing as the others wore. 

Like his friend, his breed too was suited for a soldier, a German shepherd. Rifling through paperwork he stapled it all together sliding it towards me, sighing.

“Alright, he’s free to go” The man said, but his eyes looked concerned. “Are you sure you don’t want to press charges after what the doberman did?”

“No” I say, sure of my decision as I take the papers with my leather gloved hands.

“Okay…you do know it's most likely to happen again, with him being a feral dog”

“I know that”

Guest spoke up beside me, showing his own worries on my behalf as he crossed his arms. “I know you're his boss and all but what happened earlier wasn't right”

“I won't press charges” I was firm with my choice, and both dogs backed down.

“He's in the holding cell” Matt replies, another sigh escaping him. “Just know he got knocked out earlier, he's probably agitated, that and we ran a rabies test on him”

“But isn't that-”

The german shepherd interjects. “Yeah sorry, we had to, we know we can't do that by law but he had a muzzle on and we had to make sure”

“Matt you allowed that?” His blue haired friend looked mad, uncrossing his arms as he went near him on the table. I understand why- the doberman is a dog, one of them, yet they did such an invasive thing by running a test like that.

“Guest you saw the muzzle, and the shock collar for christ’s sake- that dog shouldn’t even be walking out here without a handler” He then added, looking at me. “Surprising that you aren’t the handler” 

Did I really look like a handler? I ask that to myself and maybe the expression on my face revealed my disgust towards the possibility I am comparable to one because the german shepherd cleared his throat, apologizing for his former opinion.

“Sorry I said that, I mean you really looked like one, that and you’re a human”

Ah yes…I’m a human. They believe that, don't they?

Guest spoke up once more, still resenting his friend for doing what he did earlier. “Matt what you did was still wrong, especially to another dog-”

“You know what happened last time when a muzzled dog came in here, they bit one of us and contracted rabies”

“Did he come up as positive?” I ask, I’m not all ignorant and lack empathy for John Doe, I have never been tested for rabies before but i have been vaccinated and that enough was invasive.

“No, thankfully”

There are multiple tests for rabies that don't require brain tissue in today’s advancements in science. The problem is the government saying they are not adequate which I detest for, it is only after a hybrid dies that they were inspected for rabies but the current tests we run now feel far too invasive yet it's a necessity. Yes some have a 90-95% accuracy rate.

However, the LN34 test has a sensitivity of 99.9% and a specificity of 99.68% when compared to the direct fluorescent antibody test, the gold standard diagnostic test for rabies. LN34 uses tissue samples, fresh, frozen, or decomposed.  The best tissue is brain tissue however skin and saliva are both usable for human testing. For animals however, from a public health and public safety perspective that’s not reasonable for what is usually a dangerous wild animal.

Another test is latex agglutination for rabies virus antigen detection in dog saliva. The LA test using saliva was 99% specific and 95% sensitive compared to the fluorescent antibody test on brain smears.

The main issue is when you have a 100% reliable test the government refuses to accept anything less. The problem is that it causes people to hide how they may have been infected. 

Rabies is a horrible disease.

I’ve seen an uncle of mine die to it, locked underneath our basement in shackles as he writhed in both anger and pain at what my father had done to him. He was a feral rabbit, and had run around our estate doing god knows what, my father tried to contain him, control him even, and sent him to a training facility near our home. It was still no use. 

He died a few days after being locked under our basement.

It can lay dormant for longer periods of time than many believe. An infected animal can only transmit the disease 4-5 days before clinical signs have developed. That's why the quarantine period is 10 days. Vaccinated animals can transmit rabies in rare cases. No bite or scratch is necessary in rare cases. Just saliva into the eyes or mouth is enough. 

Still, the tests they run I abhor of.

“Y’know what let’s just let your friend out yeah?” Matt avoids the topic further changing it to bailing out the doberman. I was uneasy facing the dog but I mustered up the courage to do so.

Following the two dogs they pushed open a heavy steel door and inside were rows of holding cells, the furthest cell only housed one person and I already knew who it was. Approaching the cell I steeled myself, my mind was blurry, and all I could recall after John Doe was tased was me being taken into a police car, sirens blaring. I arrived at the precinct with a bruised face and claw marks. They did patch me up nicely, but I didn’t like how close those people got to me.

“John Doe, you’re free to go” Guest says, unlocking the cell.

The doberman was sitting on the concrete floor, legs up to his chest and head buried in his arms. He takes a peek at all of us three and I shudder at the light reflected at his eyes.

“John…I bailed you out” My voice is neutral, lacking any joy seeing the other man.

The police men behind me walked away, seeing their job was done. I still feel uneasy seeing the dog in front of me backed into the wall like that.

“I’m not talking to you” I heard him respond quietly, soon he stood up yawning, those sharp teeth gleaming back at me. “And fire me, you didn’t like me in the first place, that’s better isn’t it?”

“I’m not doing that” I shook my head in disagreement as he walked past me.

He lets out a chuckle, turning around looking at me. “What? So you can toy with me further?”

“What made you think that?”

“I know what you’re doing Sonnelino” He comes near my face, that muzzle nearly touching my cheek, I could feel his hot breath and the anger steaming inside. “I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner”

“I’m doing nothing to you at all, you’re being delusional”

“You think just because you’re human you’re smarter than me? You’re a prideful man that’s all I can say, I’m not stupid, any normal person can see through what you’re doing, you’re enjoying yourself each day seeing me act like that towards you- you’re just like the other humans, treating us like pets”

I went silent, and I was guilty.

This was coming to bite me in the back sooner or later, and I shouldn’t have played for too long, the feeling I had now cannot replace the distaste I also feel towards myself. What’s worse is that I’m not even human, I’m an animal just like him yet I had the gall to do those things to him and think that I was in the right. My hands turned to fists, and I stared at the floor blaming myself for the outcome.

I hear the sound of a click, I heard that sound before and I didn’t dare look up. But I did anyway. I was met with the unmuzzled face of the doberman baring his teeth at me.

“Fuck you, I’m never working for you again” He walked away, placing the muzzle back on his face.

Before I could breath a sigh of relief of his departure he came back and bit the air, his muzzle was gone again and he nearly bit my face off. I took a step backwards, and my body shook for a moment. It wasn’t noticeable but he saw through it even though I stilled myself.

It was so simple, such a small thing, yet that scared me.

“Shaking over that? Bet you never had sharp teeth this close to you”

“Back off John, and wear that muzzle lest you get another shock up your neck” I warn him, but it was also a way for me to feel safe, I don’t want to see him without his muzzle.

“Caring for my well-being right now won’t save you”

“You’re still my employee and I can’t help but say all the things you’ve said about me are all wrong”

“Oh so you’re actually smart? What a humble person you are” His sarcasm was clear, and he made a small “tsk” sound, laughing at me.

Something is pulling me to make him stay to work under me and I don’t know why. Is it to continue this little lie and quench that satisfaction that I'm higher than a predator. I shouldn’t, and it's always been wrong that I deluded myself into that. There’s a sinful part of me who wants to continue the act but another part of me is slowly chipping away, crying out saying I'm unlawful and unfair. But I want to keep playing, and somehow, some puny part of my brain decided to say what I didn’t want.

A freudian slip.

“I’m not human”