In this dark city, there is no good and evil.  Everything is just a damp, soggy gray.  Normally I would never venture to this section of the city, so far from my apartment, but my feet had led me here as if some higher power were stripping me of my free will.  May as well, since my own will normally saw me only to the local bar.  The dark sky above me was filled with thick clouds of angry gray, just waiting to cut loose and drench this city with tears that could not wash away the filth.

	A sound from a nearby alley drew first my ears then my eyes to gaze in.  I could see a few leopard punks standing there, clearly cornering someone at the dead end.  I could not see who their victim was, but this was not my fight.  I am a Lion with no pride, no reason to don white armor to save this particular victim, only for them to be prey to the next predator.  With a shake of my head, my hands still stuffed in my pants pockets, I continued down the wet sidewalk.

	“Help me, pwease!” came a cry from the alley before I could fully pass it that made my footsteps falter.  The soft, terrified cry of what could be nothing more than a child.  My heart wavered in my silver furred chest and before I could even process why, I had already turned, racing into the alley.  One leopard turned and noticed me just before I broke his neck, the shattering of bone instantly drawing another scream from the child and the wrath of the other leopards.  Together they attacked me, armed with knives while I myself held no weapon but my own skill and strength.  To say I gave them no mercy was an understatement.

	Leopard number two, a snow leopard, lunged at me first, thrusting forth his knife with hopes of carving my heart from my chest.  It was an easy enough attack to read, and when one relies on a weapon they tend to forget how to use the rest of their body.  A simple shifting of my body and I had his arm pinned against my chest, breaking it at the elbow as I spun, drawing a scream from him as the knife fell from his hand.  The other leopard, a clouded leopard if the pattern of his spots were proof enough, was not as quick to attack, choosing instead to stay back.

	Had I been focusing on him too much, I’d have not seen the snow leopard retrieve his knife with his left hand and turn to slash at me.  Blood filled the night air though, as I turned and tore out his throat, coating my hands in the slick gore.  Mister cloud leopard chose that moment to attack though- the bastard- but I had been expecting it.  What I hadn’t expected was him to tackle me to the ground.

	Pinned beneath him, I threw my hands up, grabbing his hands just before he could thrust down the thirsty blade of his knife.  He growled at me and I responded in kind, chest rumbling as I bucked my body, throwing him off.  Both of us scrambled to our feet, with me just a little faster.  I tackled him into the wall, slamming his hands into the brick, making him drop the knife, and while he was still stunned, I leaned in and clamped my mouth across his throat.  Together I forced my teeth, tearing through the soft flesh, blood gushing to stain my face and chest.  He struggled a little, then slowly sank to the ground as I stepped back, watching the shock kill him as surely as the blood loss.  I spat out the chunk of flesh in my mouth and wrinkled my nose as the adrenaline died down…

	After the sounds of fighting and death had finally died down to silence, I turned my gaze finally to the huddled terrified victim.  She was but a young white bunny, dressed in rags, looking at me with her fluffy ears back and blue eyes that shone with tears and fear.  To her, I was nothing more than another monster looking to feast on her.  Reflected in those eyes I saw myself, a mess of blood, panting from exertion, and looking like no hero at all.  A wicked knife, her gaze, stabbing me in a heart that before this day I had thought could not be moved at all.

	The pain of that gaze and the sorrow in my heart etched across my face as I turned, ears back against my head, starting to leave.  I got no further than a half step before she closed the distance and hugged me from behind, burying her face against my side, trembling.  Startled, I could only blink and look down at her as she clung to me.  Clearly I had become a monster she’d rather cling to then flee from.  As I gently stroked her head, getting blood in her short blond hair without meaning, the sky opened up and let down the rain it had threatened all day…