Adiv

Male | West Highland Terrier | Hotel/Bravo | 86 | Mentions: Asuga

The little white male had been transferred from Hotel where he was pretty much pampered. He was treated with only love and kindness and had never been scolded as he was so obedient and efficient at his jobs. His nose could rival that of a blood hound, but he was modest about it. He had been waiting for his orders from something called a Cull when he heard the outbreak of chaos and had waddled on short stubby legs to the scene. His pointed ears perked at the noises, and he had ran and ducked under a blue blanket when the fight broke out and some metal creatures cans to restore order.

What where those things? They were scary he thought as he shudders frightened. He flattens his ears and whines anxiously. Fear, it was consuming him and his worst enemy. Oh how he hated conflict, and his eyes caught a beautiful sight hound as she entered as if by magic. She was quite beautiful in appearance and only simply watched the chaos like he did. He heard the dogs barking orders and bickering and he covered his ears anxiously.

Why were they so mean and bitter? Maybe they needed a toy or maybe a hug? He tilted his head and he went in search of a toy, and found a small blue ball and he picked it up and looked at the scene, but he dropped the ball when he saw the metal creature pin another dog.

Ack! I don't want that thing to kill me! He though shaking as he looked at the sight hound and another dog that joined her. He ran to try to mediate between the fight, but he could tell it wasn't his place and so he ran and hid next to the sight hound. She seems nice...he thought as he looked at her and she smells pretty. It was true her fur smelled of expensive lavender shampoo and he looked at the fight.

Maybe he could break it up? He moved a paw to try and help, but he felt a slight weight on his small tail. The sight hound had stopped him and only shook her head. He looked confused, Couldn't these dogs be reasoned with? He only sat and saw her glance at her for a moment but then turn her steel gaze to the other dogs.

What had she been thinking of?

From the corner of her sharp blue eyes, Kämpe caught sight of Hoffen lunging at Seventy-Six. Good. At least he was doing something right. And Pfiel, despite his hour or so as a Cull was doing exactly as he should - neutralizing the threat. Kämpe was almost certain now that Sixty-Three has suffered a mechanical error. But her expression was far different from Hoffen's when the cull had endured a malfunction. His expression had be pained and confused, wild and upset. Sixty-Three's expression wasn't doglike. It was feral, violent, disturbingly unlike a canine. Foam frothed at the corners of her jaws as she snapped at the cull. The Chief wasn't sure this one was salvageable.

Swiftly, the Chief evaluated her options. Although it didn't seem as though she was focused on anything but the Charlie soldier beneath her, the cull had learned long ago that her survival hinged on observation, on having eyes everywhere at once while narrowing focus on the task at hand. Kämpe had seen that flicker of expression on Hoffen's face. She couldn't dwell on it, not now. She had also observed as Seventy-Six step down, and watched a Tango transfer enter as well. A Hotel recruit she had decidedly not requested approached. She saw the weakness in his eyes. There were times when Beta's actions mystified her - well, almost. It was plausible that Beta had wanted to strip away his innocence, and return to Hitel a hardened soldier. The the process of throwing him into this bloodshed and chaos would quickly teach him, there might have been more logical solutions.

Kämpe leaned down, planted a claw on the side of Sixty-Three's face, and snapped her metal and bone fangs closed around the dog's scruff. The warrior hissed and screeched and thrashed about, but the cull's grip was firm. Completely unbothered by the writhing body in her jaws, the cull strolled forward towards the arena end trance, where the transfers stood, alongside Seventy-Six.

The Chief dropped the dog, planting a claw on her shoulder, pinning her to the concrete entryway. There was a faint trace of blood on her fangs, so the cull made a show of nonchalantly running her tongue along her teeth, metal and bone alike. Let them fear her. Especially the little one. He ought to learn.

"Stay here, for the time being. I will return shortly."

Her. She was so calm, it was nearly impossible to imagine the slightly insane dog thrashing about beneath her, fangs seeking her throat. Kämpe raised her voice.

"Commander Thirty-Four will introduce you to the regiments, and will line you up for evening inspection. I will return and assign you to your new cells, and brief you on your schedule if need be."

Without another word, Kampe's jaws closed around Sixty-Three's scruff, and she stalked past the others. It only took six or so minutes for the Chief to deposit the malfunctioning dog at the lab in human hands. The chaos that ensued had been enough for Kämpe to slip out unnoticed and avoid questioning just then, she would issue a report later tonight.

Kampe began her trip back to the arena.

Asuga

Female | Victor/Bravo | 85 | Mention: Karin

The sight hound gave a look at the approaching dog. She gave a small smile at an attempt in friendliness, but the bitch ignores her. She feels her eyes harden and squint at the female in rage, and she was about to go off, but she watched in horror as Kämpe injured a dog. She didn't show it, by not batting an eyelash and keeping a steel gaze like that of a warrior. She felt the small Westie bury his head into her slender legs in horror. She looked at the Portuguese Water Dog, and she gave a slight snarl at the female.

The slender sight hound stood up and she went to face the rude dog that ignored her. She held a tall and proud stance as she looked at the female and she spoke slowly and with venom in her words, " How dare you ignore me when I'm clearly here brat. Don't do it again." She gave a rough bump of the shoulder to the female.

She turned just to see the sight of the Cull licking and showing the blood on her fangs. Obviously a display to instill fear into the dogs, and it was working on the little Westie. He was shaking in fear, and he laid down his tail curled around his body. That poor dog she thought, and she moved to him she spoke softly .

"Get up" and he did slowly and he sat facing the Cull putting his best brave face on.

The Saluki mix looked at the Cull and she felt a slight disdain for her. True this little Hotel Dog needed to know of the cruel realities of the world, but did she really have to frighten him? She elegantly walked to the living area, her steps were graceful and her soft steps made it seem like she was a graceful doe, but this doe had fangs that could kill if need be. She gave a menacing glance to the Water Dog before winking at the GSD Cross. As she came back from cooling down she sat and awaited orders.

Kämpe would have made a beeline back for the arena, but she had other tasks in mind. She had proposed to Beta to fetch a Tango dog - she had her reasons, none of which she wished to disclose, not now. She had conversed with the regiment Cull, and he had made a selection for her. The transfer was supposed to arrive tomorrow, but the Chief wasn't going to wait.

Where was Tango now? She drew their scheduele from the back of her mind, briefly reviewing it. Kampe abruptly changed course, taking the left most hallway. They were in the southernmost pen, no. 19, about to head into the kennels for the night.

Kampa swiftly found herself at the gateway. Her tranmsitter flashed, and the gate drew open upwards. Despite the sudden freezing winter winds, the Chief did not flinch. The regiment fell silent as she approached. Her appearence was rare, and often meant trouble. She Commander dipped his head, and Kampe let the silence hang in the air before speaking.

"I have come to fetch the requested transfer. Though untimely, he is needed now."

The cull offered a firm, obedient, "yes ma'am," and his well-trained regiment folded immediately into a line. He nodded to a tall sighthound in the center, fawn and white patched.

Kämpe eyed the Halfblood presented to her. He was tall, far taller than she, but he didn't carry himself with the confident authority she did. Kampe's presence was twice as tall as her physical mark in inches. His was decidedly not. When Kämpe has first seen Foxtrot and Bravo, she hadn't been impressed, but she wasn't drastically disappointed. They had good, strong postures.

This canine dared face her with his tongue lolling. Kämpe had spilled the blood of Bravo's Commander today, ending his life with ease, slashed the face of another cull, dragged a dog to her inevitable death, and his tail was wagging? Kampe's cruelly blue eyes burned holes into his own optics. But Beta had selected him, hadn't they? No expression crossed her face.

She didn't leave and brief him afterwards. She needed to leave an impression on this regiment. Let the dogs hear her voice, the metallic ring she could force upon it, the cold danger of her tone. Let them fear her.

"You will be transferred to the Foxtrot regiment, under Commander Thirty-Four. What is your identification, soldier?"

One could feel the intelligent cunning in those blue eyes, and cruel authority, the danger, the threat.

Spring / Female / 2 / Kilo / Chihuahua / Australian Shepherd mix / #92 / Mentions: Ginger, Hero, every other dog there

Spring looked up as the Kilo dogs re-entered the tunnels. Ginger, Hero, Maze, Afton, Zabolt, Arrow. All here, but Tysta? No, dead. Never to be seen again. Why? Spring thought. Why did anyone have to die? It’s not fair! She tilted her head and looked at the other Kilo dogs, examining them. She saw grief and rage in their features. Poor Arrow, the little dog looked broken, and maybe that was what was needed. That show of brokenness. Spring knew that these dogs were all scared of showing emotions, but she also knew that doing that could hurt them. Badly. Her eyes traveled to Hero. The wolfblood had his ears pinned and his eyes squeezed shut, trying desperately not to collapse in front of them all.

No dog here was okay! Why didn’t they understand that? Everyone was hiding, afraid to show weakness, but they were all the same. Every single one of them was hurting, every single one of them was angry and scared and grieving.

Their weakness was their strength!

Spring saw this immediately, if they let themselves show that emotion they would realize that they weren’t alone, they could work together using the power of their emotions.

Spring paused, sweeping her eyes around the others one last time, then she stepped forward and raised her head to the ceiling.

“To Tysta! The bravest and fastest dog I ever knew! We will never forget you!”

Spring then let out a piercing howl, closing her eyes and letting her heart reach out for the spirit of the lost dog. Not just Tysta, but every soul that Spring had ever known and lost. Their faces flooded her vision and surrounded her with a warm presence, whispering in her ears words of strength and encouragement.

We are here!

You are not alone!

We will always fight by your side!

Strength coursed through Spring’s body along with something else.Something the little dog had not felt in a long time.

Hope.

Hero / Male / Kilo / Wolf/German Shepherd mix / #39 / Mentions: All Kilo dogs

Hero opened his eyes at the sound of a voice.

“To Tysta! The bravest and fastest dog I ever knew! We will never forget you!”

Spring. The little dog was known as the optimist of the Kilo group, kind and loveable. Hero didn’t know her well, but what she did next hit Hero very, very strongly. She raised her head and let out a howl from deep within her chest. It rang throughout the whole Kilo camp, sad and affectionate, singing to the lost souls of the Earth, and Hero thought that they came. He could tell from the way Spring closed her eyes and swayed slightly, like something was moving her.

After a moment of hesitation, Hero, the dog known as the mischievous troublemaker, the one who never showed any emotions at all, stepped forward next to Spring, raised his head and howled.

His howl was much louder than Spring’s, and held so much more grief, a slightly lower note, harmonizing with the smaller dogs and seeming to beg. Calling out to the dogs and wolves of the past, grasping for them, begging for strength, begging for love, begging just to be seen for who he was instead of who everyone seemed to think he was. Wishing for them to appear, to let him see them, to ask if he could possibly join their ranks when he died too. Asking if he was good enough.

“Hear me! Please! I need you!”

And they replied.

“We are here! We are with you, do not lose faith, we will forever fight with you!”

Tysta, Ash, his mother. They were there. Hero couldn’t see them, but he felt them. He heard them, and it wasn’t in silence. It was in noise! It was in the music that he and Spring created together, and maybe others. Hero couldn’t tell anymore, he just knew that they were there. They were with him.

“You came. Thank you. I will make you proud.”

Ash’s reply.

“You already have.”

“Maybe, but I will get revenge for Tysta. I promise.”

And so it began. Another promise to keep.

Hero only hoped he could fulfill this one