Disclaimer: I do not own Beastars.

Warning: This story will be a punch of heavy topics but also topped with cutesy moments. Read at your own risk.

Chapter One

The Attack

"There!" Haru said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Taking a step back, she admired her strawberry cake, appreciating the whipped detail she put on top. Her black little eyes drifted to the clock, taking in the time. Her ears dropped, stressed evident on her face.

"Shoot," Haru hissed, wiping her hands on her messy apron. "It's late. It's late." She had promised her boss she would leave before sun down, and it was now way past sundown. It was 10:17, to be exact, which meant she had less than an hour to catch the last train back home.

Frantically she cleaned the kitchen as quick as she could, doing her best to leave the place at least half decent before leaving. But she was doing a poor job, and she knew it. She cringed as she slid all the dirty utensils into the sink, leaving them there unwashed.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll just come in before Mike gets in and finish up, Haru thought to herself. Quickly she peeled off her apron and chucked it in the washing machine. She picked up the laundry soap and messily poured in too much, her ears twitching with anxiety. It's fine. It'll be fine.

Haru was a rabbit. A small dwarf rabbit at that. She was also very clearly a herbivore and one of the golden rules for herbivores was 1) never walk in the dark, especially alone and 2) never walk in the dark, especially alone.

And she was breaking both those rules.

By the time she was putting her winter boots and her jacket on, it was 10:46. She had time, but she was going to have to rush. And if she missed it, she was going to have to get a cab -- which frankly, she couldn't afford.

"Stupid thing!" Haru hissed as she jabbed her finger at the button, trying to set the alarm.

Closing the door behind her, she looked around the street. There was no one around; just her and the icy air of a winter night. Her ears perked up instinctively to get better sound in, tuning in to her surroundings. Her leg muscles coiled tightly as she speed walked down the dark street. Her heart pounded in her ribcage, pumping hot blood into all her arteries. It was hot. She was burning up. Was she getting sick? Or was she panicking? God, she hated walking in the dark.

She panted, her breath forming little white clouds of mist in front of her. Her eyes drifted up, scanning the promotion signs that hung over the metro station entrance. There was a sign for the cafe she worked at. It was promoting their signature strawberry cake.

Her heart stopped.

"No!" She groaned, remembering she left the cake out on the counter. It would melt. Which meant the morning costumer wouldn't get their cake. Which meant every other order would get behind. Which meant trouble. Trouble she couldn't afford. She was already walking on thin ice with Mike. She had always been a bit clumsy and forgetful.

Haru stopped walking.

There was no choice. She had to go back.

With her ears hanging low, Haru turned around, staring down the familiar street she walked on almost every day. Her feet dragged under her, defeated.

She would have to dig into her savings to get a cab and she barely had enough to get groceries this month. And to get across town? It was more than just pocket change. She chewed the inside of her cheek with stress.

A small flake fell on her nose. She looked up, watching as millions of tiny snowflake started floating down.

Perfect, she bitterly thought, wrapping her arms around herself. "Just what I nee--"

An incredible force had rammed into Haru, sending the both of them rolling across the ground. She brutally scraped herself against the pavement, hitting her knees and head as she rolled with the culprit.

Then they froze. Froze in time. She watched as the flakes fell on top of a garbage can, melting. She was focused on that. She was focusing on anything so she could ignore the hot breath that wafted across the skin of her neck.

She couldn't find her voice. It was gone. It was somewhere locked in her chest under all the pressure this large carnivore was putting on her small frame. The carnivores arms were humangus, longer than her whole body and made of sheer steel. There was no getting out of them.

She wiggled and the cage got tighter, her eyes uncomfortably pushing themselves out of their sockets. She dug her hands into his wrist but no matter how hard she squeezed, there was no tearing into the rough fur and muscle of this animal. It was stronger, bigger, and far scarier than she would ever be.

Haru opened her mouth but only a small squeak came out as the carnivore pressed their claws into one of her arms. She closed her eyes, the pain blinding her momentarily. A small cry left her lips, and she gave one final push to try to get away but it was useless. It was like pushing against metal bars.

Another cry left her lips, this time filled with agony as those claws dug into her soft fur, this time breaking through her skin.

"P-please!" She cried, finally finding her voice. She didn't recognize her own voice. There was too much fear. It was too pitched. Too desperate. It wasn't her. This wasn't what she sounded like.

For a moment, the carnivore froze, claws stopping their violent assault against her small arm. The carnivore heavy breathing came to a stop, like they were holding their breath.

"Please let m-me go!" Haru begged. "I won't t-tell anyone." Hot tears poured down her face and she kicked and kicked trying to free herself.

The carnivore squeezed, and Haru froze as a deep and powerful growl vibrated against her neck. She could hear this carnivores feral state in their growl, and it petrified her down to the core of her bones.

The carnivore continued it's growls but stopped squeezing Haru so tightly, loosening enough so she didn't feel like she was being crushed.

Slowly, both they're heart rates slowed and eventually the growls subsided, and they almost sounded pitiful against her ears. Almost like whimpers. Wasn't she the one in pain? Wounded? Attacked?

Suddenly, the carnivores arms opened, releasing her.

For split second, nothing happened. It was like her brain was trying to catch up with what was going on.

But then Haru ran. She didn't even look back. She ran faster than she had ever ran in her entire life.

She reached into the pocket of her jacket, wincing in pain as the wounds in her arm protested at the use of her muscles.

Damn, Haru mentally winced. It hurts so much. She pulled her lips in, trying to keep herself from whimpering.

Eventually she got the door open, the shaking in her hands slowing down just enough so she could put the key in the hole.

Once she was inside, she quickly turned the alarm off and went to the back office and closed the door behind her, sliding to the floor.

There was a pause as she blankly stared in front of her. She could hear nothing but her heartbeat in her ears.

And then she broke apart.

Hot tears built up in her eyes and then poured over her cheeks like a rapid river. She cried with every cell in her body as she held on to her bleeding arm. Blood soaked through her jacket, smearing onto her jeans and pooling under her into a small puddle.

Maybe it was minutes or maybe it was hours, but Haru didn't move until she found the strength in her legs to stand up. She used the wall to support herself, feeling weak and dizzy. She felt so heavy, like her muscles were made of lead. Maybe it was from the blood loss or the fact she had had a brush with death. Maybe it was both.

She dragged her shaking body to the phone, calling her boss and the police.

It wasn't long before the police arrived, an ambulance pulling up behind them. Quickly, a young lamb jumped out and vegans tending to her arm.

A large male deer walked up to her. His large form and proud antlers dazzling her. He was a red deer, his fur shiny and his eyes vibrant with justice. There was something powerful about this deer. Something even the carnivores lacked when they were the ones with the sharp teeth and claws. Or maybe it was her brain fantasizing about strong herbivores in a world ruled by carnivores.

"I'm Sergeant Louis, red deer, nice to meet you." He closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, a friendly herbivore trait. Fear instantly melted off her bones. She felt safe. She felt safe when this strong figure was around.

Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, and she watched as other red deers dressed in uniform scanned the area. Some were putting up warning tape. Others looked for clues. Others were knocking on doors, waking other animals up to ask questions.

Her eyes drifted back to the deer in front of her. "I'm Haru, white dwarf rabbit." One of her ears flapped. "Nice to meet you."

The lamb beside her finished wrapping her arm and gave her a soft pat on the back. "The claws weren't too deep, luckily. Change the bandages every couple of days and you should heal in no time."

Haru nodded. "Thank you."

The lamb gave her a warm smile and patted Haru's back gently. "You're a strong young lady and an incredibly lucky one at that; it's a 1 in 2000 that a herbivore will survive an attack once in the grasp of a carnivore. I'm glad you survived."

Haru nodded again but she couldn't bring herself to say thank you. She didn't feel lucky. Now she was going to have to live the rest of her life with this. With the pain. The scars. The nightmares she knew she would have. And the fear. The fear would be the worst part because she knew it would consume her. Her ears dropped and her eyes grew hot. How was this lucky?

"I need to ask you a few questions, Miss Haru, if you don't mind," Sergeant Louis said, his voice friendly but firm.

Haru's ears flapped again as she looked at him, taking in his strong features and height. A small blush heated her cheeks and she looked down at her dirty boots that were covered in blood. Her stomach churned.

"Go ahead," Haru mumbled, feeling distant as she gently ghosted her hand over the badanges. Her wound was aching. Hopefully the painkillers would kick in soon.

"I know this might be hard but can you recall anything about the carnivore that attacked you?" The deer bent down to get on her eye level, his eyes wise beyond his years.

Haru shook her head. "He attacked me from behind. I never saw his face or anything."

"Do you remember the color of his fur? Or the smell? Height? Anything?"

A shiver went through her body, her feet and hands going cold as she recalled the horrifying experience. She could almost feel the carnivores hot breath against her neck all over again. "He was big. Really big. Almost like a bear."

The deer nodded, his eyes shifting to the side as he looked down the street. "Did you drop anything else apart from your purse? Something else we could search for?"

Haru thought for a moment, realizing that yes, in fact, something else was missing.

"My scarf." She touched her neck, realizing it was exposed. "He--he must have pulled it off at some point." Her chest tightened with fear. Carnivores always went for the neck. It made sense her scarf had been peeled off to expose that vulnerable spot.

"That's all for now, Miss Haru. Thank you for helping us with this investigation. We'll reach out if we find more information." Sergeant Louis stood, looking down at her. He extended his hand, offering to help her stand.

Haru blushed and hesitantly took his hand, but once she made contact, she didn't want to let go. With a smooth pull, she was back on her feet. She relished the warmth and comfort of his hand one last second before she gently pulled her hand away, hugging it to her chest.

"Thank you." Haru lowered her head, bowing slightly.

"Do you have a way home, Miss Haru?"

"I'm just going to call a cab. My family is out of town, unfortunately." How she wished they weren't. She could cry into her dad's big chest and he would comfort her. Her mother could brush her fur gently as she nodded of to sleep. Or how her siblings would crack some jokes to lighten the mood. She needed her family.

Tonight could have been her end and she could have never see their smiles again.

"I can drop you off if you'd like."

Haru's ears perked up, and her spine straightened. Her tongue stuck to her teeth. "No--it's fine! I wouldn't want to impose."

"Not at all." The Sergeant spun on his heel, opening the door to his all-black ghost car. "I insist."

Haru awkwardly made her way into the car, giving her boss a small wave. He was talking to a cop and she could tell that by how low his eyebrows were, that he was beyond upset. He had every right to be. Finally, the thing he had always feared most would happen -- happened.

One of his employees had been attacked.

Her eyes dropped and heat built up behind her eyes but she fought the tears back. She would cry when she got home. She would cry it all away until she fell asleep and tomorrow came with a new start.

Maybe, maybe by then it would all feel like a bad dream.

The Sergeant got in the drivers side and gave her a warm smile before stearing ahead. He gripped onto the steering wheel tightly, his eyes sharpening. The atmosphere grew thick. "You're strong, Miss Haru. Try your best to not let this affect you, because if you do, then they win."

"Thank you for the ride," Haru said, lowering her head.

"Here," Sergeant Louis extended his hand, a small card in it. "Incase you need anything."

Haru gently grabbed the card from his hand. This seemed to be beyond what police animals were suppose to offer. The ride had already seemed like a stretch. Did they usually offer rides?

Haru shook her head, riding herself of the thoughts. "Thank you." She gave him another bow. "I appreciate your kindness." A small smiled crawled into her lips along with a blush.

The Sergeant smiled, his eyes kind. "Don't mention it." He gave her a last wave and drove off, and she watched the lights of the car turn the corner.

A small sigh left her lips as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. When she was in front of her door she groaned, realizing her keys had been in her purse. Defeated, she swayed forward, smacking her forehead on her apartment door.

I'm sorry, Sebun, Haru thought, chewing her cheek. I'm going to have to be a bother.

"I don't even know why you're apologizing!" Sebun said, rushing into the kitchen to get some hot water boiling. "You know you're always welcome here, right? No matter the time." She wrapped her coat around her waist.

It was cold in her apartment. Haru's apartment was also cold. All the apartments were cold. They were all poorly built.

Sebun rubbed her hands together as she blew hot air into them.

Haru nodded. "I know, I know." I just hate to bother you. You're always so busy with work. "I appreciate your kindness. . . I'm actually really happy to not be sleeping alone."

Sebun eyes softened as she sat beside Haru. "You don't have to tell me. I know enough by the look in your eyes and the bandages on your arm to know what happened." She pulled Haru into a warm hug.

Haru's eyes filled up with tears and she dug her face into the soft fur, welcoming the warmth and support of her friend. "I was so scared, Sebun. I thought I was going to die!" Her voice cracked. "I haven't done anything with my life and just life that -- it could have been taken away from me." Haru pulled back, staring at Sebun through watery eyes. "It's not fair."

"I know, I know." Sebun's eyes sadden. "It's a carnivore's world."

Haru nodded, rubbing her eyes and nose before spitting, "I hate them."

Sebun tapped her shoulder gently. "They're not all bad."

"But they are! They're violent. They're big and they use that to their advantage to bully us. They have sharp teeth and claws and they're so strong, to top it all off!" She was rambling and she knew it. She was just mad and she wanted to get it all out. She knew not all carnivores were bad and she knew they weren't all big and scary. But what had happened tonight put a hole in her heart and she knew that with every carnivore attack on the news, the hole would just get bigger and bigger.

Sebun poured the tea, the smell of chamomile filling the room. "Relax, Haru. Don't let this corrupt you. You can't live every day hating the world."

Haru sighed, lifting her tea to sip on it. "I don't want to." The tea felt soothing against her raw throat. Was it from the screaming? Did she scream? Or was it the crying? She couldn't remember much anymore. It was as if her brain was working it's hardest to lock away every terrible memory. To forget it all. To live as if nothing had happened.

Just a bad dream. Just a bad dream. I'm not a victim. I'm not a victim. I'm not. She kept repeating this in her head.

If she chanted it enough, it would set in her brain so eventually it would become the truth.

I'm not a victim--

"I wonder what animal is going to be moving in down the hall?" Sebun wondered outloud, her hand pushing some of her fur behind her ear.

She was changing the topic and Haru was grateful. She was ready to lock this all up and throw it in the ocean that was her mind. Hopefully it would get lost somewhere and never be found.

Sebun was right. The security guard had informed them of a new tenant moving in down the hall. Next to Haru's apartment to be exact.

Haru and Sebun locked eyes, the atmosphere growing thick.

"I just hope it's not a carnivore."

That was the last thing Haru needed. Her ears dropped, a rock settling in her stomach. She placed her tea down, the cup rattling on the plate.

What if it is a carnivore?