So, many of my regular readers right now are probably thinking something along the lines of "he's ending Insanity Pulse? After all that planning?"

Let me be the first to say that I'm loving writing Insanity Pulse and there's no way in hell that I'll be stopping that one before it's over. I'm going to write this story alongside that one; they have no connection at all.

Now, this story will be rough. It's a dark one, but I think it's one that needs to be told. I'll just say the story is centered around the extreme conditions the body can endure and the cruelty that one person can impose upon another.

This will also be my first look into the character of Wolf O'Donnel. There will be no romance in this story.

-ThatWinchieGuy

Wolf O'Donnel's large feet plodded into the ground, pushed from the truck by his fellow prisoners. Wolf turned and snarled at them, and then he continued to follow the crowd. His eyes began to adjust from the blackness of the truck's hold to the gray light of dusk. All around him were people; families and drifters and children, all moving in the same direction that he was. Wolf simply followed; silent and angry at himself for allowing this humiliation to happen.

If he was honest with himself, Wolf would say that he had no idea what was happening. He knew how he'd gotten there; being arrested in a small gunfight in Downtown Corneria, a gunfight that almost cost Leon Powalski his life. So, he could assume, then, that whatever this place was, it had to be some form of prison. And it made sense. It had the feel of a prison, with it's guards and it's tall walls. But why, then, were there children here?

As Wolf was thinking and jostling his way through the mob, it dawned on him that a large percentage of the people around him were rabbits. It couldn't be true, it couldn't… But yes, almost every one of them was a rabbit, with the exception of the occasional wolf, dog, panther, or other predatory species. All of the other groups were criminals that Wolf had been transported to the prison with. Why were all these rabbits here, and nobody else?

"Men this way! Hurry!" A guard yelled, spraying saliva everywhere as he shouted. He was some sort of Cornerian soldier. He trained his machine gun on the crowd, ready to fire at any second…even eager to shoot at any second…why?

Wolf watched as husbands embraced their wives, their children, speaking softly to each other. Saying goodbye and farewell. Why was this happening? Wolf couldn't really tell why these seemingly innocent families were here. He began moving towards those who weren't crying or holding someone, but he again could not find any rabbits who were not taking part in the massive farewell ceremony.

"Go! Men this way! Now!" The guard continued shouting, interrupting the awkward shriek of cries and moans coming from the rabbits. He swung his nightstick indiscriminately, sending men and women and children alike down into the mud. Wolf studied the faces of those around him. They did not seem sad. They looked…emotionless. Empty. Hollow. Wolf just pushed on past the guard, confused.

After a short walk that seemed to take decades, Wolf and all the other men came to a group of guards. An officer stood between the guards, unarmed. He could try to make an escape if he could get close enough…but endanger all these innocent people? Wolf was a criminal, not a terrorist. The guards guided- beat people until they listened- people down one of two paths; the left or the right. The officer stood, judging each person and decided their fate. Wolf noticed that occasionally he would send somebody down a central path behind him. These men were mostly the criminals, so Wolf decided that the center path would soon become his path.

Wolf stood before the officer, who motioned him down the center, silently and efficiently. Wolf obeyed; much against his will and better judgement. Although he was rebellious, he wasn't suicidal. He wrenched himself from the crowd, finally able to breath easy, and followed the other criminals into the darkened forest.

…

As the group walked, a stench filled the air, causing some of the men to gag and cough. Wolf's lupine nose caught the scent; the smell of people. Dead people. What were the Cornerians doing in this prison?! The criminals whispered among each other, while the guards kept a watchful eye- and rifle- over them.

"They're going to kill us all….."

…

The criminals came to a small village of sorts, bustling with military activity. Large, windowless, brick buildings were erected in rows of 5. There were 6 rows of these buildings, and each looked like it could house hundreds of people. Trucks, like the one Wolf had traveled in on, ferried supplies back and forth. Armed men marched about, their boots clopping as they walked. An officer came to meet the prisoners, and the group of men was made to stop by shouting and the swinging of clubs; even a warning shot from one ambitious soldier.

"Welcome to Fort Walsworth. Here, you work where I tell you to, when I tell you to. If you are caught trying to escape, you will be shot. Uniforms will be provided, and to be worn at all times. If you are not in uniform, you will be shot. All insubordinance will be met with brute force. Breakfast is at 5 AM, dinner at 10 PM. You sleep in the barracks to my left. One to a cot. You will receive work lists tomorrow. Dismissed."

And that was it; hundreds of men condemned to a fate worse than death in a short 20 seconds, without emotion or regret.