Gerald had been questioning his place among The Collective for a while.

He hadn't been able to get everyone out of the lab, and he was no longer in charge, of his own Collective or the group at large; Kevin was the one who was essentially their leader now, while Stone held up her end of the group, and this made Gerald wonder where exactly it was he stood. On one hand, he'd pushed Kevin to become a leader because he knew he could, and he was so very proud of his friend, and what he'd managed to accomplish, but...on the other hand, Gerald now felt useless, tossed aside like he was somehow no longer needed or worthy. Standing near the entrance to The Hollow, he watched other rabbits enjoying their time outside. Children running and playing, families spending time together, or lovers talking walks. Gerald lowered his ears and sighed. He'd once been needed. He wanted to be needed again.

He turned and started to head through the nearby brush, over to Ellen's grave and stopped, looking at the small stone that marked her resting place. He thought of Kevin, and how Kevin, in actuality, had lost so much more than he ever had, and how he felt bad now for wanting to take his role back from Kevin. He sat down next to Ellen's grave and looked at the ground, pawing at it.

"I guess things change, huh," he said softly, "I have to say, I didn't expect any of what's happened to happen, up to and including ever actually escaping the lab. It's my fault you're dead. If I'd just stayed put, if I'd made us all just stay put, you would've been given your medicine and none of this would've happened. You wouldn't be gone, Number Two wouldn't be gone, and now Kevin's recovering from his bulletwound. Things just seem to get worse everytime we do something, or don't do something..."

"How insightful," a voice said from behind him, forcing Gerald to spin around and gasp as he spotted Dodger coming out of the woods.

"YOU," he said sternly.

"Hello Gerald," Dodger said, "You don't seem well, if I may speak candidly. What's on your mind?"

"What, now you're a therapist?" Gerry asked.

"I'm your friend, despite everything that's transpired between us. I've told you that again and again, that we're friends, that we're alike, and now look at us. Alone. Ostracized. Tossed aside. So what's going on?" Dodger asked, sitting down next to Gerry.

"I..." Gerry started, and then sighed, "I'm a horrible leader. Everything I've done to make everyones lives better has ended in tragedy. And you...we were friends, and you just...you left us there, in that air vent, after all that planning and-"

"I did not leave YOU there, I left THEM there, and YOU chose not to come with me," Dodger said, "If you'll recall, I gave you the option to come with me, remember? I said that you're better, more deserving than any of them, any of those other rabbits, and that you could come with me, and you chose to stay. Don't put that on me."

"...what do you want anyway?" Gerry asked.

"I admit I'm not here to make small talk, I actually have something to show you," Dodger said, "Follow me. You're gonna wanna see this."

                                                                                              ***

They could hear the sounds of truck engines, and the voices of THEM as Dodger and Gerald approached the treeline, peering out through the bushes to spot a handful of scientists unloading crates and cages from the backs of the trucks. Gerry furrowed his brow, his nose twitching, as he glanced from the sight back to Dodger.

"What is this?" he asked.

"THEY are bringing in new rabbits," Dodger said, "And those rabbits are going to befall the exact same fate as you all did, unless you do something, and soon."

"Why are you telling me this? How am I supposed to even believe you at this point? We lost two of our friends because of you recently! Why should I believe ANYTHING you say anymore?!" Gerald asked, pushing Dodger back up against a tree.

"Because I...I care about YOU, and I know you want to do the right thing," Dodger said, "And...I'm in need of some help myself. You slip a handful of them to me and take the rest back with you to The Hollow and we go our separate ways."

"Why do you want rabbits?" Gerry asked, confused.

"I need protection, and a community," Dodger said, "And those rabbits won't know about our history, so they won't judge me. I can't be alone anymore, Gerald, and I certainly can't go to your group. None of them want me. Understandably, after the things I've done."

Gerry looked back through the bushes and sighed. He knew Dodger was right about one thing...these poor new recruits would be given the worst treatment, especially after what The Collective had pulled. Gerry knew they didn't deserve that, and that it anyone was going to save them, it was going to have to be him and Dodger, and whoever else he could convince. Still...Dodger had pulled a fast one on Kevin, the most skeptical of all, next to Number Two, and that was no easy feat. Gerry was, for good reason, unsure of whether or not to trust him.

"How about this," Dodger said, "How about we do this. You tell The Hollow what I've told you. Bring them to see it, if you want to, if they really need that sort of proof, alright? Don't even mention my name, don't even bring me up at all, okay? You guys do your thing that you're so good at and then, afterwards, you convince a few rabbits to go with me and, like I said, we'll part ways. I won't bother you ever again. I'm sick too, man. I'm not doing as well as you all seem to think I am. I lost Minerva in that whole debacle, and now I have absolutely nobody."

"Where's Richardson?" Gerry asked sternly.

"Eh, god knows," Dodger said, shrugging, "He's somewhere on his own, with his sister. I haven't seen hide or hair of him, not to be cute."

Gerry smirked. He'd forgotten how much he'd missed Dodgers humor.

"Dodger," Gerry finally said, looking back to him from the bushes, "I realize why I'm hesitant to trust you, obviously, and for good measure. But...if you leave with these new rabbits, I want to go with you. I'm not needed at The Collective anymore."

"...re...really?" Dodger asked, his voice reflecting genuine surprise.

"Really," Gerry said, "So if we're gonna do this, I'm gonna need some assurance that this isn't a trick or a ploy or anything. You and I and these new rabbits, we'll just disappear into the night, alright? Because, really, you're right. In the end, we're not different at all. We're just...two outcasts who shouldn't be leaders, who would easily overthrow those around them purely for the hope of being important. You were right all along, I AM like you, Dodger. I see it now."

"Gerald, come on, you aren't-"

"No, I am," Gerry said, pacing, "I've been doing a lot of thinking about this lately. They have Kevin, they have Stone, they have all these other wonderfully brilliant rabbits. What do they need ME for? I got half of us out of the lab, sure, I put the fire under our feet, but in the end, I wasn't the one who made it out, who lead the charge to go back for the others, the one who lead them while they lived out here in the unknown. I'm the one who got stuck behind. You were right. I chose The Collective, and in turn, it left me in the lab, and I'm pretty convinced that the ONLY reason I'm out here now is because Kevin needed the medicine for Ellen but couldn't go back and not feel guilty without helping us in the process."

"Fair assessment," Dodger said.

"So yeah, you have a deal. We're gonna do this," Gerry said, "I'm with you, now, like you wanted."

Dodger smiled, and for the first time since the betrayal, Gerry felt it was sincere. Together they began to head back towards The Hollow, figuring out the logistics of the escape and the aftermath, and for the first time in a long, long time, Gerald felt like he was needed again.

                                                                                             ***

Gerry had Stone arrange a meeting that evening inside The Hollow, where Gerald could relay the information he'd discovered. As the other rabbits gathered around, rabbits from The Collective and rabbits not, Gerald felt a surge of true leadership again run through his veins. Stone got up on the mound and stood beside Gerry, on her hind legs for all to see.

"Excuse me, everyone! Hey, can everyone hear me?" she called, "Thank you for coming. Now, Gerald has some news he's expressed he wishes to share, and he'd like us all to hear it, okay? So please given Gerald your undivided attention!"

With that, Stone looked at Gerry, nodded, and then hopped off the mound. Gerald cleared this throat and also stood up on his hind legs.

"Can everyone see and hear me?" he called out, "Alright, good. Um, hello, my name is Gerald, and I'm part of The Collective that came from the lab. It took us multiple attempts, but we all obviously are here now, integrated fully into your wonderful community, and we couldn't be more thankful for it, obviously, so thank you for all your hospitality and your open arms! Today, I went for a walk, thinking about my place among this community, and I decided to head back to the lab where I came from, just to see what it looked like, get a sense of accomplishment having gotten away from it. What I saw there chilled me. Trucks, large vehicles, filled with cages and crates upon crates of new rabbits, being unloaded by THEM, the ones who work there, who hurt us. THEY were taking the rabbits into the lab, obviously to be treated just as badly as we had been."

A soft murmur began to spread across the crowd. Kevin, still somewhat limping from his gunshot wound, stumbled up to Six and Mipsy, looking confused, but listening nonetheless.

"I don't think it's fair to leave them to this fate. Nobody helped us, we had to do it on our own. I mean, we had a mouse named Salt, god bless her, but still, it was basically us helping us, and these rabbits could use our help to escape. We could bring them here, we could turn them loose, whatever you all think is best, but we need to do SOMETHING about this before it gets bad. Now, since they were just moved in, they likely won't be starting tests on them immediately. When THEY first bring you in, THEY give you a little while to become acclimated to your surroundings, you know, get your bearings. So I'd say we have a week or two, maybe three at best, before things really start to get gruesome for them. Also, I'm willing to bet that getting back in and out of that place won't be very easy, considering what we managed to do. I'm sure THEY weren't very happy with that. So we have to take that into consideration as well and plan for whatever may come up as a result. Now, if you're-"

Everyone stopped and turned to see what had shut Gerald up. He was staring at the entrance to The Hollow, now lit up bright from the sun outside flooding in down the hall, as Number Two, followed by Minerva and Dice, entered the space, covered in dirt and blood.

"Number Two," Gerry said, a look of absolute shock on his face at seeing his friend alive after all, "Number Two! You're okay!?"

"We have a more pressing matter," Number Two said, shaking some of the dirt off his fur, his voice cold and flat, "Something that we should've dealt with a long time ago. And his name is Dodger."

Kevin was standing behind a tree, his breathing slow and labored, a chilly breeze flowing through his fur. He shut his eyes tight and thought, did he really want to look? He had to. He had to acknowledge it, or it wouldn't be real. He opened his eyes and glanced down, seeing the blood coming from his right back haunch, where the bullet had entered. He groaned, wincing, as he peeked around the side of the tree, hoping to see where the hunter had gone. He couldn't see anything. He just knew that if he didn't make a move soon, he would be dead, and he wasn't going to let that happen.

Not yet. He still had work to do.

Kevin collected himself and thought about his escape route. He couldn't head towards The Hollow, that would lead the hunter directly to the rest of the Collective...so as an option, that was out. He could head towards the lab? THEY might tell the hunter to get off their property, and that distraction would protect Kevin enough to allow him to slip away, relatively unnoticed by either party. Kevin gathered up his strength, grit his teeth and bounded through the bushes, heading towards the lab.

                                                                                            ***

Gerry was standing outside The Hollow, looking up at the clouds, when he felt a presence nearby. He turned to see Stone sitting down beside him. She rarely left the Hollow, so this was a special treat. Gerry shook his head and continued looking up at the sky while Stone licked her paws.

"Don't see you out here often," Gerry said.

"Well," Stone replied, "I try and stay indoors. God forbid anything happened to me, what would you all do? What're you doing out here?"

"Just thinking. Thinking about Number Four, and...Number Two," Gerry said, "God, we lost them both, back to back, and that's crushing. Number Two was...he was our strategist, our logic, and I feel lost without him around. His sound decisions and precision planning is why we survived as long as we did, in or out, and now that he's gone-"

"You and Kevin seem to be able to make those decisions fairly well on your own," Stone said.

"Not the way Number Two did," Gerry said, "He was so detached and it made him the perfect candidate for that sort of thinking. He was rational. The rest of us...we think with emotions. That's why nobody questioned Richardson, that's why nobody questioned Dodger, that's why all the bad things that have happened HAVE happened, because our emotions allowed them to."

"I don't think that's very fair," Stone said.

"Maybe not, but it's pretty true," Gerry said, "...I think we should move. I think we should keep going further and further from THEM, from the lab, from this forest. The further away we are the less likely they are to ever find us. We need to put as much distance between us and THEM as is physically possible."

"I did have plans at one point to keep moving," Stone said, "But with how many rabbits we have now, and how many more could show up at any given moment, is it really worth it? Risking losing the ones we have, risking letting newcomers die alone? You call yourself a Collective, but to truly be a Collective you really need to account for any and all rabbits, not just the ones you know now, but the ones you may know in the future, however near or far that future may be."

Gerry looked at her and then back up at the clouds, knowing full well she was right. They'd called themselves a Collective, but had they ever truly collectively worked towards a singular goal together and accomplished it? Even when they'd finally gotten half the group out of the lab, it'd been with the outside help of Salt. When he looked back at her to respond, he found she had gone back inside, and he was left alone, again, with his thoughts.

                                                                                               ***

The lab couldn't be that much further away at this point, Kevin figured.

He stopped inside of a berry bush and caught his breath. He could hear the sound of sticks and fallen crisp leaves crunching underfoot. He knew the hunter was not far behind him. He knew he had to do something fast to gain some speed on him if he was ever going to make it to the lab safely. He looked back at his haunch, finally clotting a bit and no longer dribbling blood like it had been before, and he felt a bit more relieved, even if the pain was becoming too much to bear. He turned to continue running, but found he was face to face with a small nose and whiskers staring back at him from out the top of the bush, and, startled, he backed up a bit confused and frightened. When he finally regained composure, he realized it was Salt.

"What're you doing out here?" they asked one another in unison.

"Running for my life," Kevin replied, "What about you?"

"Looking for something to eat," Salt said, "What's going on? Do you need help?"

"There's a hunter out there," Kevin said, his voice lowering, "He's already shot me once, I'm trying to lead him back to the lab, cause if he tries to step foot on that property, especially with a weapon, he'll be turned away. Lab is closer than the Hollow, that's for sure."

"I think you're only maybe 5 or 10 minutes away," Salt said, glancing over her shoulder, "I swear I just saw it a bit ago."

"I am NOT getting killed by a hunter, after all this," Kevin said firmly, "No way no how. They take trophies, and my feet are NOT ending up like Steve's. That much I'm guaranteeing myself. My feet are dying WITH me, thank you very much."

"Not all of them," Salt said, nodding to his robotic leg, and he lowered his brow.

"Very funny," he replied, making her giggle.

"If you keep going this way, then take a right in about 3 minutes, you should be heading directly to the lab," Salt said, "I'll head to the Hollow just in case, to tell Gerry what's going on, and that way if you DON'T come back, he can at least go get your body."

"You know, you're a real burst of positivity," Kevin said.

"I do what I can," Salt said, shrugging, before disappearing back into the bush, only to reappear at the bottom, scurrying out and heading off into the woods. Kevin sighed and heard the footsteps once again. He shut his eyes, regained his composure and turned, darting off in the direction Salt had told him to head. He ran and ran, knowing the hunter was hot on his trail, and he just prayed to death that Salt had been right.

                                                                                           ***

"We never found his last foot," Kevin had said, months ago, when he and Number Two had been out for a walk, scouting for food. Number Two turned to him, his eyes dimmed, somewhat confused, as Kevin added, "Steve" and Number Two nodded, understanding now.

"Yeah," Number Two said, "...yeah that stings. I know he was your friend, I'm sorry. We found three of them, and that's pretty good, and they're buried there, in the garden now, so he's somewhat at rest."

"They should be buried out here. If I ever get the chance to go back in there, I'm taking those feet out and bringing them back here, burying them somewhere in the woods that he never got to see. He deserves that much."

"Well, if that time ever comes, I'll be happy to either help you or see it happen," Number Two said, "Nobody deserves to be ripped apart and carried around like a tchotchke, that's just sick. If anything ever happens to me, Kevin, and you know where my body is, please do the same. Bury me somewhere, anywhere, don't just let me lay where I fall."

"You got it, pal," Kevin said, the two of them smiling at one another before going back to their scavenging.

Kevin would not now, nor ever, allow himself to become a trophy.

                                                                                                 ***

Another shot whizzed past, and Kevin skidded behind a fallen tree trunk and waited a second or two before hearing another shot being fired off. This one broke through the dead tree and hit his robotic leg, bouncing off. Kevin realized how lucky he might actually be to have this thing attached to him, before he turned and shot off again into the woods, the hunter hot on his trail. His eyes glanced upwards, just over the treetops and he spotted the smoke coming from the lab chimney. He was there! He was almost there! Kevin continued and broke through the last of the brush only to come face to face with an enormous fallen tree in front of him. He panicked, because to go around would take too long, but to think about what to do would take even longer, and Kevin didn't have the luxury of time on his side right now.

He backed up and prepared to leap onto it, before realizing how much his back leg still hurt from the shot. He'd have to go around. He darted to the right and skidded in and out between other, skinnier trees in order to obfuscate the hunters view. He finally reached the end and turned sharply, feeling a branch catch him on his neck and scratch him deep, making him wince, but he didn't stop. He saw a car parked in front of the lab, and someone was getting out, holding a bag. Kevin tried hard as he could to run faster, finally getting right between the persons legs. Catching a quick glimpse, he realized they were wearing a white lab coat, as he darted underneath the car, confusing the scientist. Just as he skidded beneath the car, he heard a single gunshot, and then saw the scientist fall to the ground. He stared at them, their breathing shallow, as he heard the hunter scream and quickly run off.

Kevin climbed out from under the car and approached the scientist. He didn't have much time. The hunter might be coming back for help, or the gunshot would likely bring out other scientists. He'd have to leave now if he wanted a clean break. As Kevin stepped over them, he noticed something shiny in their hands. He looked closer and realized it was a set of keys, likely their car keys, and then his eyes widened, because attached to this set of keys was a keychain.

A keychain with a rabbits foot.

Kevin looked back at the scientist, who's eyes were now shut, and they were no longer breathing. The hunter must've mistaken the white coat for his fur, and shot on sight, killing this poor scientist. Kevin stood there, frozen in time, realizing that he'd inadvertently killed one of THEM, and in return, gotten his friends foot back. He heard shouting coming from the lab, and he nosed down, bit the metal ring on the keys and, gripping them in his teeth, took off back into the forest.

                                                                                             ***

Kevin was almost back at the Hollow, but he'd stopped in a nearby field of flowers and dug a small hole, where he then pawed the keys into the hole and looked down at the foot on the ring. He sighed and knew it was Steve's. He just knew. He thought about the garden, about where his other feet still were, and he thought about that conversation with Number Two, about how he swore that one day he'd go back and get the rest of Steve's feet so they could all be buried together. Kevin sighed. He knew that was unlikely. He knew that was probably impossible, and an overall ridiculous thing to risk returning there for. He had to take his small victories where he could, and this was indeed a small victory. His feet may have been split up, but they were all at rest now. Kevin sighed and filled the hole back up with dirt, afterwards setting one paw on the mound and smiling down at it.

"Looks like we get you out of the lab after all," Kevin said softly, "I'm sorry, Steve. I'm sorry what happened to you happened, but...I hope this sort of makes up for it. You were a good friend, and a good rabbit, and you didn't deserve what happened to you. I hope you can rest somewhat easier now at least."

Kevin backed away and looked at the mound, realizing the good that he had done, and almost all on his own. He felt a renewed sense of power and strength, and he vowed at that moment that, no matter what it took, he would find a way to burn that place to the ground. He turned and started to head back to the Hollow, only stopping once to glance back at the mound, before smiling, and continuing on home. He needed a nap, and he could finally rest somewhat easier, because Steve...

...Steve was finally at peace.

Number Two was standing atop a rock, his neck craned back as he peered up at a tree above him, through which little sunlight was breaking, splashing across his face, warming his fur; his eyes fixated upon a family of birds. Three little babies and a mother now feeding them, all happily chirping and flapping their wings. Number Two smiled and shut his eyes, listening closely to the sounds of baby birds singing and tried, even if just for a moment, to escape the reality he was in. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Minerva had taken a seat beside him and was also looking up at the birds.

"It's sweet, isn't it? To have a family to care for?" she asked, "There's nothing more in this world that I love than my family."

"Yeah..." Number Two said, thinking about the Collective, wondering if they qualified as a 'family'.

"Something about nurturing something, making them into a bright ray of hope in a desolate cold world...it makes you feel like you actually exist for a reason. Not that everyone wants a family, I get that, the stress involved can be horrendous, but for me...it really makes it all worth it."

"I don't really have a family, I guess," Number Two said.

"Nonsense, what about the other rabbits?"

"What about them?" Number Two replied, annoyed, "If I was part of their 'family', they would've come looking for me, wouldn't they?"

"They didn't even know where we ended up, Paul," Minerva said, "They likely think you are dead, and, if that is the case, likely grieving heavily over it. So please, do not think you are not part of a family, because if anyone has ever missed you, you are part of their family. People do not miss others that they don't care about."

Minerva trotted off the rock and licked her paw, rubbing her ear with it, letting Number Two think about that for a moment. After a few seconds, he joined her on the dirt and they began walking again. He didn't say anything. He just thought about all the things that he and the Collective had been through together, and wondered if, perhaps, they really WERE a family? He had to admit...they had cared for him a lot more than the people he'd been with before.

                                                                                            ***

Number Two had lived in a cage his entire life.

He'd been born in a cage, he was never taken out a cage to be played with, he just lived, forever, in a cage. The cage was in a big living room, but sometimes, for hours at a time, nobody was home, and he spent a lot of his time alone. He sat, in the darkness, the quiet stillness of the air unnerving him, just waiting...waiting for anyone to come home and notice him. But when someone finally came home, they still didn't notice him. They fed him, out of obligation, but they never looked at him, played with him, spoke to him, petted him. Number Two was a piece of furniture, and nothing more; just another knick knack to show off to guests.

He could remember the day THEY came over. He was a tall man, short brown hair, with oval glasses. He was wearing a light blue button down collared shirt and tan slacks. He had his hands in his pockets, bent over, looking into the cage at Number Two, smiling. Finally, Number Twos owner, a blonde woman, came in from another room, holding some drinks, handing one to the man.

"You really don't think you want him?" the man asked, taking the drink, turning to face the woman.

"I don't have the time, honestly," she replied, "Please, take him, because it's not fair to make him sit here like this. It's cruel."

The woman sat down on a couch, as the man turned and looked back at Number Two, shrugging.

"Alright, if you insist," he said, taking a sip of his drink.

This man...this well dressed, well groomed man...he'd come to save Number Two? Impossible! But that's what it sounded like! It sounded like Number Two was finally going to a good home, where he'd be cared for and spent time with, and oh, it sounded like a dream come true! But this man was not a savior. Not by a long shot.

                                                                                                 ***

Minerva was trotting along at a fine pace, with Number Two hopping along side by her, as they headed towards her home, trying to keep a good time during the day on their travel. For a bit they stopped so she could hunt for lunch and he could scrounge up some berries and nuts. After they stopped to eat, with no talking as it'd been days since they'd last eaten, they continued on their way, trying to make up for the time they spent eating.

"I'm sorry that Dodger pulled you into his web," Number Two finally said, "But, like I said, you're not alone. He's done it to everyone. He's charming. You just wanna believe him."

"What bothers me is how he gets everyone else to do things for him. He told me about a crow he'd met in the lab named Lorna, and then myself, and using Gerry and Kevin to get out of the lab...he's so small that he needs others to put his plans into motion, bring them to fruition, and that's what bothers me most. He cannot keep getting away with it."

"I'm sure your partner and pups are fine," Number Two said, "I'm sure they're just waiting for you."

"Paul..." Minerva started, and then stopped herself.

"What?" he asked.

"...how are we going to go about this? Last time the rest of your group was faced with him, Dodger tried to subdue Gerry into joining him. Is that going to be a problem?" Minerva asked, "I mean...I guess what I'm asking is...do you trust Gerry?"

"...yes, I do," Number Two finally said, "Gerry has enough to be angry at Dodger for that I don't think he'd ever join up with him. They used to be friends, it's true, but only because Gerry didn't know how sneaky and underhanded Dodger actually could be. Once that facade fell away, once he was revealed to be more rat than mouse, I think Gerry could never forgive him for that. Gerry takes his friendships seriously, so for someone to use him like that...that's not something he easily forgets."

"So you see, you ARE in fact a family," Minerva said, winking at him, making him smirk a bit.

Maybe Minerva was right...maybe the Collective was more a family than he'd ever allowed himself to believe. They had been there for one another, died for one another, fought for one another...god, the things they'd done together. They were much more than just a group of rabbits thrown together haphazardly. They really were a family of sorts, and Number Two was just going to have to finally accept that.

"So how do we get rid of Dodger?" Number Two, "I'm hoping you've got some ideas."

"I've got lots of ideas, some more cruel than others," Minerva said, "But...with that being said...it's much more your problem than mine. I will help you, but I don't want to be the one to have to actually kill him. I don't like to kill. That's why I hesitated killing any of you back at the lab. We're going to need someone who's going to actually be able to pull the trigger when that time comes."

"Yeah..." Number Two thought about Gerry, but he knew that he too lacked the ability it would take to take another creatures life, and he started to wonder who, exactly, it would be that could manage to take Dodger out.

"Let's not worry about it too much," Minerva said, "Let's focus on getting back to my home. We can rest there and discuss plans before heading to your group."

"Sounds like a good plan," Number Two said, "...you know...before I came to the lab, I was owned by this woman who was never home. I was always alone. Being in the lab, not being alone, it was something I had to get used to. I wasn't used to it one bit, because I'd been on my own for so long, but...but now...I can't fathom being alone. Now I feel like I need the other rabbits."

"Yeah," Minerva said, smiling, "Love will do that to you."

Love? Yes. Love. He loved them. Whether they were a family was debatable, but what wasn't debatable was the fact that he did, deep down, love those rabbits.

                                                                                            ***

He was moved in the middle of the day.

When he awoke, he found he was in a different cage, in a different place. He tried to stand, but he felt a little pain on his front left paw and looked down, spotting a small bandage covering a pinprick of blood. He felt confused...had he been drugged to come here? Was that why he hadn't awoken during the move? Why would someone drug him just to take him to a different home? Number Two forced himself to stand up and only then realized he was still out of it, stumbling in his cage as he crashed against the side of it. His eyes were blurry, but he managed to make out the face of a rabbit in a cage next to his.

"Are you okay?" the other rabbit asked, and he nodded best he could as she continued, "That's good. It'll wear off in a bit. THEY do it to all of us when THEY first bring us in. It's to make us easier to work with."

"Whe...where am...I?" Number Two finally asked.

"You're in a laboratory," the rabbit said, "It's okay, you have been assigned a number, the number Two, meaning you're part of the Special Seven. You aren't a normal rabbit, you're going to be treated much better than the rest of them. I'm Number Six, it's nice to meet you."

Number Two finally was able to stand without wobbling, his eyes finally clearing up more as well as he looked right at Number Six and cleared his throat. This wasn't a home. This wasn't a family. This was hell, and he'd been sent to it. Well, he thought, at least he'd have company.

                                                                                         ***

"You know," Number Two said, "you would think that a rabbit who's lived his entire life in cages would have gone willingly along with anyone who was trying to escape, but as it turns out, I was rather hesitant to the change. I figured, well, I'd lived outside the lab and ended up here, so the outside world can be just as bad as this lab can be."

"You didn't want to leave the lab?" Minerva asked.

"Not at first. I mean...I guess I shouldn't say I DIDN'T want to leave, and more that I was rather...timid...about the whole thing. It was much more that I had been on the outside, I had been treated poorly, and I knew that people could be rotten. I didn't want everyone else to get high hopes only to be dashed when faced with that reality."

"But you're out now," Minerva said, "You're seeing birds and you're feeling sun, and you've been swimming-" as Number Two interrupted her with laughter, herself laughing as well before she continued, "-so doesn't that mean you were wrong? Or are you one of those rabbits who can't admit when they've been wrong?"

"Please, I've got an ego, but it's not THAT big," Number Two said.

"You sure about that buddy?" Minerva asked, the both of them starting to crack up.

"I admit, in hindsight, I was wrong. It's nice outside. It's worse in there. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong about the outside still being cold and cruel."

"Certainly," Minerva said, "But I like to think there's more good than bad."

They stopped suddenly, looking up a small hill, spotting a big tree with a big hole in the front, and another fox sitting in front of it. Number Two looked up at Minerva and his one still full ear cocked up, he lowered his voice and asked, "Who is that?"

"That's her, that's Dice, my partner!" Minerva said, "We must've been closer than I thought!"

Minerva took off, sprinting up the hill towards Dice, who didn't appear to be moving. When she finally got to her, Dice was looking at the ground, and wouldn't look at her. Minerva pushed her head under Dice's chin, raising her face back up, but Dice quickly darted her eyes away from her, looking anywhere else but Minerva's face.

"Is...are you...what's going on?" Minerva asked, "I'm back! I survived!"

"I'm so sorry," Dice mumbled, on the verge of tears, as Minerva heard the sound of a loud creature coming from behind the tree. She looked and noticed a large black bear standing there, looking at her, also with a look of remorse on their face, before turning and heading off. Minerva looked back at Dice, and suddenly felt the pit of her stomach drop even further, as she rushed inside the tree. As Number Two got to the front of the tree, he heard the screams, the anguished, frantic wails, that Minerva was belting out. Number Two looked up at Dice, but she wouldn't look at him either, so he finally, cautiously, walked inside.

Minerva was there, looking at the carnage in front of her; all of her pups, ripped to shreds, covered in blood. Number Two walked up to her and rested his head on her shoulder as she wept, realizing now how lucky he himself had been, to not lose his family. Yes, his family. And now Minerva was part of that. Number Two made one silent promise to himself in that moment, and that was no matter what it took, no matter how they did it, he was going to make sure that SOMEONE killed Dodger.

The river was calm, cool, as it washed easily over the rocks and small bushes near the shore. The fish were swimming happily, minding their own business, when the water was broken by a wild splashing of black paws. They paddled more until a red head came over the water, a white rabbit caught in its teeth. Minerva paddled her way to shore, and laid Number Two down on the dirt, catching her breath, before shaking the water off her fur and rolling in the dirt a bit. When she finished, she looked at Number Two and nudged him with her nose. He wasn't moving. She sat and looked at his body, and then pawed at him, putting both her front paws, and the weight of her body, on his side, squishing him until he coughed up water. Number Two rolled over and kicked wildly, hacking up water onto the dirt. He finally opened his eyes and looked up at her sitting over him.

"...are we alive?" he asked.

"Well, I sure hope so, otherwise hell is beautiful," Minerva replied, making him smirk as he rolled onto his stomach and shook the water from his ears, she added, "Are you okay?"

"...I....I think I'm alright," he mumbled, "I can't believe we're alive. I thought...how did we get onto the shore?"

"I dragged you with my teeth," Minerva said, "It was only fair, considering you didn't leave me behind. Are you sure that you're okay?"

"I'll be alright," Number Two said, rubbing his half ear, sighing and blinking a few times to get his full vision back, "Oh my god. Oh god the air feels good."

He glanced at her as she looked at her paws on the dirt, and he sighed.

"Thank you," he said, "Thanks for making sure I didn't drown."

"Thanks for not letting me fall off a cliff alone," Minerva replied, smiling, "I have to get moving. I have to get back to my home. My partner and our pups will be waiting for me. I haven't been gone this long before, and I can't ensure that Dodger won't try something while I'm gone."

As he watched her start trotting off into the nearby thicket, he shook once more and then started hopping off after her. As he came to her side, together walking briskly, Number Two wasn't really sure what to say. He barely knew this fox, and she had betrayed him, even if she had saved his life now. He cleared his throat and sighed.

"I forgot  you had pups," Number Two.

"Well, it's not something I advertise, god forbid someone wants to do them harm," Minerva said, "But I think you aren't someone who's going to hurt innocent fox pups, so I feel fairly confident in telling you that."

"...why did you do that?" Number Two asked, and Minerva sighed, rolling her eyes.

"...because...we had a deal. I got to feed his mice and rats to my family, and I'd give him protection. I thought it was terrible of him to give over his own kind so easily for the safety of himself, but I had to make sure my family had food every day. I never thought he'd betray the one protecting him. He just...left me there, like I never mattered."

"Because nobody matters to Dodger except Dodger," Number Two said coldly, "But it's a mistake a lot of us have made. Gerald made it too, a long time ago. He trusted Dodger, and it nearly got us all killed. So don't hold that against yourself, because you're not the first one to be taken in by his charm and you certainly won't be the last."

"He needs to be dealt with," Minerva said, stopping Number Two cold in his tracks.

"What?" he asked, as she stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder.

"You heard me. I think it's time he's dealt with," she said.

"...I...couldn't agree more," Number Two said, catching back up with her.

                                                                                             ***

Minerva had been with a male fox, the one who'd sired her pups, but after he'd been shot and killed, she really wasn't interested in finding another partner. She kept to herself, took care of her pups and together they had a relatively safe and happy life together, alone. And then, one rainy afternoon, Minerva was out looking for food, and she stumbled through some brush, onto a trail, only to find another fox, with her leg caught in a trap. The two stood and stared at one another for a bit, until Minerva approached her cautiously.

"How can I help you?" she asked.

"I...I don't know," the other fox said, her voice shaky, broken, "I think...I think my ankle is broken."

"...I don't know how to open these," Minerva said, "I think you're going to have to lose your foot."

"Anything, just...please don't leave me here," the other fox cried, and Minerva nodded, kneeling down and sinking her teeth into the other foxes ankle. She chewed for a solid 20 minutes, her sharp teeth crunching through the busted bone, until finally the other fox was free. Laying on the dirt path now, she looked up at Minerva standing over her.

"You...should come with me," Minerva said, "I can let you heal at my place for a while, I can feed you."

The other fox smiled and, though struggling to stand, did get up and nodded, following Minerva out of the clearing. She took the other fox, who told Minerva her name was Dice, back to her humble home, much to the excitement of her pups, who were thrilled to have someone else there with them. As the days passed on, Dice and the pups got on together wonderfully, and Minerva kept her word, bringing home food and helping Dice clean her wounds.

Despite losing her foot, Dice felt like the luckiest fox in the world.

                                                                                           ***

Walking across a stream on a moss covered log, Number Two couldn't help but wonder what sort of plan Minerva might possibly have to take out Dodger. Whatever it was, it was going to have to be a good one, since he was crafty.

"The way I see it," Number Two said, "Dodger likely assumes we're dead. It's amazing we aren't."

"Certainly."

"So, he won't know that we're coming after him. That's an element of surprise that we have never had before. He's always been two steps ahead, but now he doesn't know we're alive and coming for him, so there's only so much he can prepare for."

"I'm thinking the same thing," Minerva said, "He doesn't know anything, and that's our best shot. We find my place, I make sure my pups and partner are okay and then all of us head to the Hollow, and we all group together and we figure out once and for all a plan to end this."

"He won't be the end, you know," Number Two, "I mean, certainly, perhaps for you, but not for us. It won't be over until THEY are gone. I know Gerry will never let what THEY have done go, nor would Kevin, especially after what THEY did to Number Four."

"What...what's with the numbering system?" Minerva asked, confused.

"We're part of a select group called The Special Seven. We're the rabbits THEY test things on that THEY think can withstand the pain. We're the ones THEY really torture. Not all of us are left. Number Six, myself, maybe Number Four if Kevin got back in time. Then there's the leader of the Hollow, Stone. She was a Special too."

"You rabbits have been through a lot," Minerva said.

"Lady, you have NO idea," Number Two replied, making them both laugh. It felt good to laugh again, for the both of them. They continued walking, not speaking, for a bit. Number Two thought about Dodger. About Richardson. About Kevin...god, poor Kevin. Who knew if Number Four was okay, but even if she was, everyone probably thought Number Two was dead, and that likely wasn't raising their spirits. He sighed and looked at Minerva.

"You know where all his hideouts are?" he asked.

"I know everything about him," Minerva replied.

"What makes you think Dodger won't just change everything?" Number Two asked.

"Because he thinks we're dead, remember?" Minerva asked, licking her lips, "Why be afraid of someone with all the information on you that you think is crushed at the bottom of a waterfall?"

"You make a strong point," Number Two said.

"Trust me. We'll finally make him pay," Minerva said, "I guarantee that to you."

                                                                                                ***

Dice became a regular fixture in Minerva's den after a while, almost like she'd always been there. The pups became accustomed to her being there, and even Minerva loved having her around. She enjoyed the company of someone that wasn't just yet another child howling at her for more food. After the pups were asleep, Minerva and Dice usually sat outside and talked; talked about Minerva's partner who'd left, and about how Dice had gotten caught in the trap.

One night, after even Minerva had fallen asleep, Dice woke her up gently and, smile dancing across her lips, she told Minerva to followed her. Minerva got up and followed Dice out of the tree, somewhere into the woods. After a while of walking, Minerva finally asked where Dice was taking her, and just as the question had left her mouth did they come through the brush and stop at a cliffside, overlooking a valley, and in the sky ahead of them was a meteor storm. Minerva sat, shocked at the beauty, as Dice sat beside her, smirking.

"This is amazing," Minerva finally said, "Why...why did you wanna show me this?"

"I thought you'd appreciate it," Dice said, "Uncontrolled beautiful chaos, something magical about that."

Dice rested her head on Minerva's shoulder, and Minerva licked Dice's cheek. Together, the two foxes sat there and watched the 'uncontrolled beautiful chaos' playing out in front of them. That was the night Minerva finally decided she wanted to love someone again.

                                                                                               ***

"How far to your place do you think it is?" Number Two asked, but Minerva didn't respond. He glanced at her and asked again, "Minerva? How far-"

"I don't know, just keep walking," Minerva said, "...my partner once used the phrase 'uncontrolled beautiful chaos' and I think that so rightly defines what's going on here. Dodger set everything in motion, didn't he? He told me it was his plan to escape the lab, that he used your group for his own benefit, that he was always planning to use you guys to help his group get out and then leaving you for dead?"

"I think he had it planned from the moment he knew we were in the lab," Number Two said, sighing, "And Gerald, stupid, naive Gerald, he believed him every single step of the way. But...I can't be too harsh on him for believing it. After all, who wouldn't want to escape? Dodger arrived through an air vent and promised us something anyone in our situation would've dreamed of; a chance to be free. Turns out he was just as bad as THEM."

"I will help you find him," Minerva said, "But it's up to you to kill him."

"Oh, don't worry, that'll be easy," Number Two said, "The only problem with that plan is deciding which one of us gets to do it. God knows we've all got our reasons to want to carry it out."

"Where will you all go once he's gone?" Minerva asked, "Will you move from the woods to somewhere else?"

"I don't think we're going to go anywhere," Number Two said, sighing and shaking his head, "If anything, Gerald and Kevin won't let us leave these woods until THEY'RE dealt with too."

"THEY?" Minerva asked.

"THEM, the people who put us into that lab, the people who did all these tests on us, the people who made us into what we are today," Number Two said, "And trust me when I say that whatever you think it is we're going to do to Dodger, what we're going to do to THEM is going to be a thousand times worse."

                                                                                            ***

Minerva was sitting at the front of the den, looking at her pups playing while she waited for Dodger to show up. Dice trotted over from the pups and sat beside her, watching with her for a moment before looking at her, cocking her head.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Dice said softly.

"Don't worry, he's nothing without my protection," Minerva said, "He won't let anything happen to me. We'll be back in a day or so at most. I promise."

Minerva licked Dice's nose and then rested her head against hers when she noticed Dodger finally sitting outside, waiting patiently. Minerva shut her eyes and whispered.

"I'll see you in a few days." Minerva said, before turning and trotting out to meet with Dodger, on their way to ambush the rabbits at the lab. Minerva had promised she'd be back.

She'd never break a promise.

"All I'm sayin'," Kevin said as they hopped through the forest, "Is that we don't always have to have the same boring things to eat. We can combine stuff! We can have full meals with lots of ingredients!"

"Oh, so you're a chef now?" Gerry asked, laughing.

"We make big dinner, and lot of food in it?" Mipsy asked, "That what you mean?"

"Exactly, we don't have to eat just berries or just nuts or whatever, we can combine stuff, have a lot of flavor. For god sakes, just because we live in the wild doesn't mean we have to eat like slobs," Kevin said.

"I think someone got a little too spoiled eating lab food," Gerry said, smirking.

Kevin laughed and thought about how good it was that things were staring to get back to normal. He'd used to do this gathering with Number Two, but...anyway these days it was Gerry joining him and Mipsy on their little gathering hunts. As they continued furthered into the wooded thickets, Kevin wound up walking next to Mipsy while Gerry walked a bit ahead of them.

"I am sorry," Mipsy said softly.

"For?" Kevin asked, looking confused.

"Number Four," Mipsy said, lowering her ears, "I am sorry. She was good rabbit, good friend. You were nice to her. Did you really go to Sick to see her when THEY take her away?"

"Yeah," Kevin said, smiling, thinking about it, "Yeah, Number Two...he took me there to see her because he'd been there before on his own. He knew exactly how to get in and out. Number Two knew everything. God I miss that rabbit. Others, like Gerald, they tell me not to blame myself for Ellens death, and while I don't necessarily blame myself for that, I do blame myself for everything else. That whole debacle was because I decided to go back to the lab. Number Two would still be here with me if we...if Richardson hadn't..."

The conversation was suddenly broken by the sounds of laughter. All three rabbits stood still, and then hopped into a nearby bush. Gerry slowly pushed his face through the leaves and saw, there, in a clearing, was a group of human children in uniforms sitting around on logs, with one adult human, also in uniform.

"What's going on?" Kevin whispered, but Gerry merely shook his head.

"I have no idea, buddy," he replied.

Just then, the adult human knelt down and, lighter in hand, started a fire in between everyone, making all the kids excited. The flames licked into the air, and reflected off Kevins eyes as he stared directly into them. Suddenly it all hit him. This was the answer. The answer to everything. He finally understood why he had kept going all this time, was to see this one moment, to get this one idea, to carry it out to fruition. He walked out of the bush back the way they'd come in, Mipsy and Gerry following.

"What's with you?" Gerry asked.

"...we're going to set the lab on fire," Kevin said.

"We don't even know how to MAKE fire," Gerry replied.

"Stone was one of the Special Seven, she talks constantly about the knowledge she's accrued from her time in there, I'm sure she could easily teach us," Kevin said, "Think about it, we'll do to THEM what THEY did to us...hurt us, torture us, take away everything THEY ever cared about. It's the perfect revenge."

"You're starting to sound like Dodger," Gerry said, furrowing his brow and lowering his ears, "I don't like that."

"Maybe in some weird way Dodger is right about something. Right about making your place in the world known, you know? Making sure you aren't just another creature everyone can take advantage of. Maybe Dodger sort of does know what he's talking about," Kevin said.

"Dodger got Number Four killed!" Gerry said, sounding irate now, "Do you even hear yourself!? He got Richardson to betray us, and he got Number Four killed! And now you're saying, after all that and the rest of what he's done to us, that somehow he was RIGHT about something?!"

"I'm just-" Kevin began, but Gerry interrupted him.

"Not to mention we don't know where Number Two is, or if he's even alive!" Gerry shouted, "That's three rabbits, Kevin, three! Three of our closest allies, of the rabbit you loved, of our major planner, now gone, because of that rodent, and you've got the gall to tell me you think he might've been right?!"

Kevin went silent and looked at his paws. A cool breeze whistled through the tree leaves overhead, as Gerry turned and continued on his way. Mipsy came up to Kevins side and watched Gerry hop off, before looking at him.

"I think you maybe right," she said, "I think...we need show to THEM how bad THEY hurt us."

"See, you get it, right?" Kevin asked.

"THEY took...away parts of me..." Mipsy said, stuttering, "THEY made me stupid, and-"

"Hey, you are not stupid, okay?" Kevin said, "Don't ever think that again. You're obviously smart, you've managed to survive this long, haven't you?"

"I guess, yeah," Mipsy replied, starting to smile.

"Come on," Kevin said, "Let's catch up to him before he gets too far away."

With that, both rabbits hopped off towards Gerald, but Kevin...he just couldn't get the idea of fire out of his head.

                                                                                       ***

"I'm a rabbit, not an arsonist," Stone said, watching Kevin pace as they stood in her burrow. Ever since they'd gotten back to the Hollow, Kevin hadn't left her side, bouncing idea after idea off of her. Stone wanted to help, that's what she was there for obviously, but there was only so much she could realistically do, and only so much knowledge she actually had.

"Something in my gut just tells me that this is the right thing to do," Kevin said, "I have to find out how to start fires."

"Something in your gut is telling you to burn people alive?" Stone asked, "That's healthy."

"Let me tell you a story," Kevin said, "It's about a rabbit name Steve. Steve was one of the first rabbits I became friends with in the lab, if not the first. Steve was great, he was funny and charming, extremely nice. Everyone loved Steve, he was everybody's friend. And then, one day, THEY blew Steve up. All that was left were his fucking feet, and you know what they did with those feet? They became keychains. That's right. Good ol' lucky rabbits feet. Not so fucking lucky for Steve, obviously, but. But THEY walked around with these keychains, with the feet of my best friend, dangling from metal, and didn't think twice about the sickness of that situation."

"...okay, yeah, that's pretty terrible," Stone said, "Did you ever get any of the feet back?"

"Eh, three of them, but we're still missing the fourth. That's beside the point, Stone. The point is that THEY are monsters, pure and simple, and what do you do to monsters? You defeat them. Help me help others, please. Help me learn how to make fire so that we can burn that place to the ground and end this once and for all."

Stone looked at him, their eyes locked. She sighed heavily and then walked over to a small bundle of sticks and grass and sat down, her ears going back, her nose twitching.

"Back when I was a member of The Special Seven, obviously before any of you ever got there, THEY did the same thing to me. THEY took away all of my friends, all the ones I cared about, the one I loved...THEY are monsters, Kevin, there is no doubt about that, but what can we possibly do? We're just rabbits?"

"You said it yourself! You're smarter than THEM! You're better than THEM! They're scaaaaared of you," Kevin said, "Stone, look at what you've accomplished! You've built an entire underground Hollow the size of 4 nests simply to house and protect and hide all the other rabbits you can! YOU did that, single handed, and THEY haven't found you yet! We are alive because we are with you. We wouldn't have lasted at our Burrow, god knows, THEY would've found it eventually. It wasn't even that well built. Help me stop THEM, and then life, finally, for once, for everyone, can be great."

Stone looked at him, and he smiled at her. She knew inside that he was right. That THEY had to be stopped, for good, but something was gnawing at her, begging her not to give in. She sighed and shook her head, only for Kevin to turn and leave in silence. Stone sat there after he left, looking at her paws, and thinking about the ones she'd lost. Murder is what made her hurt like this. How could she possibly live with herself if she stooped to THEIR level?

                                                                                             ***

"God, nobody listens to me," Kevin muttered, frustrated, sitting in the shady clearing, his whiskers twitching, "Nobody listens to me now. I know that hurting others is bad, I know it's wrong, but after all that THEY have done, aren't we entitled to at least a little bit of retribution?"

He looked at the grave marker, with the number 4 made out of sticks and leaves, and he sighed.

"I wish you were here," he said, "I miss you. I miss having your conscience around, giving me advice, knowing exactly what to say and do. I...I don't know what to do without you, Ellen. I swore after what happened before that I'd never love another rabbit again, and then I met you and I couldn't help myself. I should be the one who's dead, and you should be the one leading the cause. I'd give anything to switch places with you, even if it meant still not being with you. I need them to listen to me. I need this to work. I finally have the solution to all our problems. Why doesn't anyone want this to be over?"

He shut his eyes and cried a little, before hearing the rustling of nearby bushes, and spotted Stone coming through them. He was surprised, as he rarely saw her out of the Hollow.

"What...what're you doing here?" he asked.

"I thought about what you said," she said softly, "I think you're right. I want to help you. I want to put an end to all of this suffering. I want these rabbits to live knowing that they can be free without any fear from THEM ever again."

"...you...you wanna help me?" Kevin asked, sniffling.

"Kevin," Stone said, approaching him, their noses almost touching, "Let's torch these mother fuckers."

The sun, oh god the sun, ever so warm on her soft fur. This was the feeling she'd been promised, and granted, in the end, and all by one singular rabbit that she'd trusted. Sitting outside, Number Four was happy. She'd escaped the lab, escaped certain death and was now in a safe place, with other rabbits she loved. As she let the sun rush over her body like a warm running river, she heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind her, and turned to see Kevin cautiously approaching. She grinned, blushing.

"Oh look, it's my hero," she said, making him blush too.

"Stop that," he said, "I didn't do anything special."

"Kevin, you saved everyone, you saved ME," Number Four said, "I'd say that's pretty special. How're things going inside?"

"Pretty good I guess. Number Two's figured out a system for gathering and collecting food, and...and eventually we'll go back to the lab and get Gerald and Six and everyone else. But for right now, I just want you to rest."

She nodded and shut her eyes again, just taking in the suns warmth. As she stood there, Kevin watched her. Ellen's beauty was something he never expected to find in another rabbit again. After he lost his family, his own child, he never once imagined that he might find happiness again with another, and he treasured every moment that they had together. The problem, however, with moments...

...is eventually they end.

                                                                                          ***

Kevin could feel all their eyes upon him, watching, waiting with baited breath, for him to say something...anything. He sighed and looked down at the small grave they'd dug, and he fought back tears as he exhaled and looked up at the rest of the rabbits before him.

"Number Four was a blessing," he finally said, "She was...a better rabbit than I could ever hope to be. She was warm and kind and intelligent, and the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I remember the first time we tried to escape, when I was getting frantic and nervous, she approached me in the vents and she told me it would be alright, and that's what she always did. She always reassured me, even if everything pointed to the contrary, that everything would somehow be alright. And what's even more amazing than the fact that she actually meant it and cared, was that she got ME to believe it. I've never been one for hopeful insights or positive thinking, mostly because everything has been pretty terrible in my life, but something about Ellen...something about her that made it sincere was that she wasn't just saying it because she thought I needed to hear it, but because she genuinely believed it. She believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that things could get better and would be alright."

He paused and took a breath, then glanced up at a small tree stump nearby to see Salt standing there, wiping her eyes with her paw. He exhaled and continued.

"In a way, she wasn't wrong. Everything DID come out alright, at least for her. She didn't die painfully, she didn't die brutally, she didn't die in a fucking cage in a laboratory. She died in a burrow, surrounded by other rabbits that cared about her, believing that I would come back with something to save her. And I did. I just didn't get back in time. And the thing is, as much as I want to hate myself for it, I know that she wouldn't want me to. Each one of us, at a certain point, have to understand and accept that death is always waiting for us and always an option. Doug gave his life for this collective, allowing us to get out of the lab unpoisoned, and Fern gave her life for this collective, stopping the lab dogs from tearing us limb from limb, and Ellen...Ellen didn't give her life for this collective. But she gave her life to me. She's not gone, because I will always remember her, and love her, and carry with me the things that she taught me and the lessons and values and morals she instilled in me."

Kevin paused again, clearly on the verge of tears, as he felt a paw on his, and glanced to his right to see Gerry there, petting it. He allowed a few tears to roll down his face before he caught his breath and continued again.

"All those animals I just named, Doug and Fern, those are heroes. They sacrificed themselves for a greater good. The word hero is a weird word with a weird definition because it can be twisted to mean anyone really who does something even remotely unselfish. Ellen called me a hero. She told me I was a hero for getting us out of the lab, for getting her somewhere safe, all of that. But the thing is, nobody ever seems to count the ones behind the heroes and heroes. Honestly, without her, I never would've had the strength of the courage to become the rabbit that I am today. I was unsure of myself. I was insecure. I was afraid. But Ellen, Number Four, she told me all these things she could see me as, and what the hell is more heroic than telling someone they're better than they think they are? What is, honestly, more heroic than putting others before yourself, than raising others up to be their best, and force them to believe in themselves? I'm not a hero. Ellen was a hero. And if I AM a hero, I'm a hero BECAUSE of Ellen."

Kevin paused again and smiled as he looked down at the grave, then nodded and walked away from the funeral. Gerry then got up and gave a little speech, while Mipsy followed Kevin away from the funeral. Kevin and Mipsy headed into a small clearing, away from The Hollow, finding Nickle and Stone together in the clearing. Kevin took a seat and rubbed his head with his paws.

"You guys didn't come to the service?" he asked, and they shook their heads.

"I'm not great at funerals," Nickle said, "But, Kevin, I am sorry. I hope you know that. None of us wanted this for her, or for you. We were all really hoping things would pull through and she'd get better."

"She really loved you, you know," Stone said, "That was one of the last things she said to me before she went to sleep. She was fine with you not being there because she knew you were trying to save her, because you cared for her...and that she really loved you for it."

"I can't believe this. That goddamned mouse and fox and...Richardson. My god, if I ever see that rabbit again he will not leave me alive, that I can promise you," Kevin said, starting to get angry, "I will make him pay for everything he did. Ellen is gone, god knows what happened to Number Two...I feel sick. I believed him. I trusted him, and for what?"

"It's a setback, but only a minor one," Stone said, "Ellen wouldn't want you to live your life embroiled in anger, now would she?"

"No, she wouldn't..." Kevin said, admitting to himself that Stone was right, but still...he was angry; he added, "That being said, she also wouldn't want me to take that injustice lying down. I have to do something. I have to find Richardson. I am going to find Richardson."

"And what're you going to do when you find him?" Nickle asked.

"I'm going to kill him," Kevin snarled.

                                                                                             ***

Lying in The Hollow, getting sicker by the minute, Number Four was starting to worry she'd never see Kevin again. As she watched Stone hop around and gather supplies to help her feel better, Number Four cleared her throat and, in the best voice she could muster, finally spoke up.

"What is the point of getting better?" she asked, making Stone stop and turn to face her.

"What?" she asked.

"What is the point of getting better? It's not like the life we lead is all that grand, all that happy, so what is the point? We escaped the lab, certainly, but-"

"I have to tell you something, Number Four...you haven't escaped anything. They will come looking for you. It's only a matter of time. They've come looking for me numerous times, and do you know why? Because THEY are afraid. THEY are afraid of what THEY have created. So the best thing you can do, Number Four, is get better. Regain your strength and live to fight another day so that one day, one day very very soon, you can help your fellow rabbits take THEM out. You...are a special. You're one The Special Seven. You were meant for great things, just like myself, just like Number Two."

"...what kind of great things?" Number Four asked, coughing, feeling weaker with each breath of air she drew.

"You are not a leader, that is Kevin. You are not an advisor, that is Number Two. But what you are, Number Four, is so much greater than all of those things. You...are an icon. You are a martyr. You are the one they will remember, because you pushed them to do these great things. You are the fury behind the fire, and that's the best thing to be."

Number Four nodded, and shut her eyes again, thinking about Kevin. She had gotten him to grow, she had gotten him to be a better leader...these were all true, but what would he do without her there to guide him? He'd have Number Two or Gerry, certainly, but they hadn't been with him the way that she had. She knew of his past, of losing his other partner and their child, and she could only imagine what losing another partner would do to his fragile state. But Stone was right, in the end. Number Four was an icon. A martyr. One that would inspire the others to do things they never dreamt possible. Things they never would've done otherwise.

Things like survive.

                                                                                            ***

That evening, after the ceremony and everyone had gone to bed, Kevin sat outside, looking up at the stars. He heard the sound of someone coming up from The Hollow, and turned to see Gerry hopping out, coming over to sit by his side and join him in his stargazing. As the two sat there, looking at the bright lights in the sky, Kevin felt lucky that he at least still had Gerald.

"It wasn't your fault, you know," Gerry said, "That's the one thing that being tricked by Dodger had to teach me...it wasn't my fault. He's good, and he's so good at it that he makes you doubt yourself. But don't doubt yourself. He got to Richardson, Richardson got to you and...and it wasn't your fault."

"I know that," Kevin said, sighing, "I know that what happened wasn't my fault. But Ellen is gone because of him, and Number Two is...we don't even know if he's alive, Gerald. That's two of them. Two of our closest friends, just gone in the blink of an eye, all because of that little bastard. Something has to be done about him."

"I agree," Gerry said, "And when the time comes, something will be done about him, but for the time being...let's just mourn those we've lost, okay? Let's just take some time, take a breather and think about the rabbits who've touched our lives...and for what it's worth, Kevin...thanks for coming back for me."

"Of course," Kevin replied, "This whole thing was your idea. I'm just the one who got stuck doing it. I wasn't going to just leave you there to rot."

They smiled at one another and sat there, looking at the moon.

"Ellen loved the moon," Kevin said, "I'm going to get THEM for what THEY did to her, Gerry, mark my goddamned words. I will make THEM pay."

"I'll be right behind you, buddy. From here til the bitter end."

                                                                                                ***

Sitting in the vents, during that first escape attempt, Kevin couldn't believe his luck. He'd been duped, led into a trap, and the only one who really understood was this other rabbit, Number Four. He was watching her, watching as she went around to all the other rabbits, mothers and their children, families, lone rabbits, and tell them that things would be okay. That this was just a minor setback. That soon enough they would be on their way to the outdoors. Kevin couldn't believe how she could be so kindhearted after everything THEY had done to the members of The Special Seven, but she was, and that kindheartedness seeped into him, whether he wanted it to or not. He was infected with her heart, and he promised himself right then and there that no matter what, he'd get her out of that lab.

And that, at least, was a promise he didn't break.