So it's off with the ties
No compromise
Wanna taste what it's like to be free – Judas Priest

Kid. Kid. Can you hear me?

Kid was dreaming, dreaming of a beautiful woman with long long hair, with sweet-smelling skin and a soft melodious voice, and he knew that this must be Mistress, the Mistress that Ranger/Poppet loved so much, but Kid knew her too, and she was also his Mistress, Mistress with the long hair and the sweet skin and the soft voice that carried him through this ether of dreams, gently, gently, and then Kid became slowly aware that someone was talking to him. He also became aware of a terrible stinging pain in his rump. Blood?

You're going to be okay, Kid.

It hurts, Blood!

I know, Kid. We'll try to get that taken care of. You got buckshot in your ass, it's not too bad, but it stings like a mofo. From what I hear.

Where are we?

I don't know. Shit, Kid, I'm sorry about all this. This is so fucked.

Suddenly, a third voice, high-pitched, rang out. Black things. Bad. Take out black things.

What the hell?

I didn't say anything, Kid.

No. There's someone else here, Blood.

No, there isn't, Kid. No one's around but . . . well, a big-ass black bird above us.

Kid craned his head to look at the bird. Did you say something?

Take out. Black things.

Kid concentrated on the bird. Can you help?

Help. The bird swooped down, and Blood jumped back with a start.

What the fuck? Get away from him!

Blood, leave the bird alone. He said he'd help.

Help? How? He's big enough to eat you.

The bird turned one yellow eye on Blood for a moment, and then started picking the pellets out of Kid's rump with his beak. Help. Black things bad. Take out.

Blood was incredulous. How did you know the bird could help you?

He told me. He speaks the lowtalk too.

You can actually hear that? I thought Ranger was talking bullshit.

You didn't hear the other dog? The two dogs looked at each other, confused. Then the bird dug especially deep after a shell. OW!

Get black stuff out.

Not so hard! You can't hear the bird, Blood?

No, Kid. I can't hear the fucking bird. I couldn't hear the other dog. I had no idea what the hell Ranger was talking about. I thought he was in one of his "Poppet" modes.

Hairy woof not hear?

Kid grimaced. No, bird, "hairy woof" not hear.

The bird spit a pellet in Blood's direction. Black stuff gone.

Thank you, bird.

Me Grack.

Thank you, Grack.

Blood snorted. Yes, thanks, Grack. Now beat it before I eat you. The bird took a moment to peck Blood's nose before taking off. Ow! Goddammit. You're bleeding again, Kid. Let's get you cleaned up. Then we have to move again.

They're not going to stop looking for us.

We have to keep moving.

No, Blood, they're going to find us.

Not if we keep going, Kid. Another day out of the box, that's all that matters.

It doesn't matter, Blood, when they find us, we'll die. They'll shoot us in the head like Fang and Ranger, so what's the fucking point?

The fucking point is that we are outside, Kid, we're not getting poked and prodded and chipped and electrocuted and otherwise fucked up.

Outside? Outside? Kid sat, panting. Blood. Shit, Blood. . . We're not going to get out of this alive. This is better? You call this better? We're more fucking trapped out here, Blood, than we ever were inside! Face it, Blood, this entire expedition of yours was completely fucking pointless. Ranger led us out to die. Fang was fucked from the word go. You should have left me in the goddamned box. At least there I knew what to expect.

Blood was glowering. Maybe we should have left you there. We thought we were giving you a chance.

Yeah, sure. A chance. A chance to watch two friends die right in front of me, and to get buckshot in my ass. Thanks one fucking lot, Blood. Is this what you mean by the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable, whatever in the fuck that means?

Blood went silent.

Nothing to say, Blood? You always have words to toss out there.

Blood still didn't respond. He gazed out over the meadow. Then he sighed. You're part right, Kid. I'm not going to get out of this alive. You will, though.

What?

They're not going to kill you. I heard the coats after one of them fired in your direction. 'Not the Corgi!' You're the one they want. I'm just collateral. Call me crazy, but . . . all I wanted was to see a sunset again. To smell the grass. To be a dog, just a dog, not some fucking experiment. Even if it's just for one last day. He turned to Kid. And I thought you should have a chance at that too. I'm sorry, Kid.

Kid dropped his gaze. Listen, Blood, things being what they are . . . you might have a better chance if we didn't continue together.

What?

Maybe, if you weren't with me . . . you'd be able to get by.

Is that what you want, Kid?

It doesn't matter what I want. You said it yourself, when they find us, they'll kill you. If we're separated, you have a chance to get away.

Kid, I . . .

Blood, please. I can't see you die, too. I'd rather you be somewhere else when they find me. I'm not smart enough to stay out here. I'm better off inside.

I don't want that kind of life for you, Kid.

And I don't want this kind of death for you, Blood.

Blood and Kid stood still for a moment. Then Blood came forward and held his forehead against Kid's. You stay strong, Kid. Be careful. I don't think those uneatables that Ranger kept talking about are as uneatable as folks think, so I'm going to find out.

And Blood turned and ran off through the grass.

Kid stared at his own paws, unable to watch Blood go. After a few minutes, he heard a distant howl at the newly risen moon.

And even though Kid didn't know, really, whose howl it was, Kid returned the howl in kind.