.13.

Gene drifted in the murky waters of his mind. Slowly, things were beginning to come to him.

He stood there, submerged up to his chest. The figures began approaching him. A scarred red and white Akita looked down at him. "Are you here to die?" Gene froze. "N-no! I'm not!" "Then fight." The Akita turned to walk away.

"W-wait! Riki!" The Akita stopped. "H-how….How did I know your name?" "Because you are of me. My descendent." "Your….?" He stopped.

Everything was coming back to him.

His father's death. The bear attack resulting in his mother's death. The stories she'd told him - of the eruption. Of the enormous hybrid bear. The Russian Army. The enormous baboon Shougun. The mad Great Dane Hougen. The monster that broke free of the laboratory. The wolf wars. Akakabuto, the bear who set everything in motion.

Staring into the water, he sat, silent. Tears began streaming down his face.

Everything….Everything is clearer now. My life...Both of my parents died because of me. Everyone I love dies! Mom! Dad! He shut his eyes tightly. Val! Gin! I can't let you die! I can't! If you do, it'll be my fault…..all my fault….again….Everything was my fault!

"Gene."

He bolted backwards, shaking in shame and fear. He averted his gaze, unable to look at his parents. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, looking at him.

"Don't look at me! I'm the one who killed you both! The one who got Gin taken by the dogfighters! It's my fault! It's all my fault, and it always will be!"

"Snap out of it, moron!"

Stark now stood next to his parents. Gene's eyes were wide in fear. He gave a low moan of horror. "And now you! I killed you! I KILL EVERYONE I LOVE!" Stark stepped forward, and pressed his head against Gene's.

"While I'm really flattered to know you consider me among your loved ones, you've gotta snap out of it, tiny."

"But - "

"But nothing! Snap out of it!" He smacked Gene with one paw. "Stark, I…" "The past is the past! The dead are dead! I'm dead! Your parents are dead! A ton of your ancestors are dead! You can't change that!"

"But it was my fault….."

This earned him another smack. "No it wasn't! Things happen! I don't blame you! Your parents don't blame you! The only one blaming you is you!"

"I just….."

"It's not your fault."

His mother stared at him with kind eyes. She and Devin stepped forward. Mako embraced her son warmly. "I died to protect you. So you would live." "But, you didn't have to!" Mako stared Gene dead in the eyes. "It was my job to protect you. To make sure you lived, even at the cost of my own life. If you had died….I would have failed as a mother."

Stark stepped forward, pleading. "Gene, listen to her. I know you think this is your fault, but if you don't snap out of this right now, Gin is going to die. You know how she is. Once they find out you're missing and I'm dead, that's it. She'll get some bullheaded thought in her brain, and she'll go off half-cocked.

Nobody's death is your fault. Nobody blames you! Now, please! Wake up!"

Stark reached forward and gave him a final slap in the face

as Gene awakened to darkness.

He sat up, groggy. His head hurt.

An English Setter mix perked up. "Hey, the dead guy's awake." "Who are you?" "Well, I'm the guy you landed on. The Setter's Ralph." A Saluki mix stepped forward. He gestured with his head towards a German Shepherd mix. "That's Hunter. He's our boss. And that…." He gestured towards a bored-looking Great Dane. "That is my husband, Lono." "My….My name is Gene. I was coming to Canada to seek help."

"Help?" Hunter stood and stretched, now eyeing him suspiciously. "Help for what?" "There's this lunatic…." "Oh. Bartleby. Great." Ralph chimed in. "The answer is no." "But, why?!" Gene protested. "He'll come for you next!"

"And we'll deal with that when it happens," Hunter snorted. "So you're just going to let him take over all of Detroit? He's mad, he's crucifying dogs!" "Look, kid," Ralph snarled. "Not our city, not our problem."

Saul and Lono looked away, unable to meet Gene's gaze. Gene exhaled sharply. "So you're cowards." "Cowards who saved your miserable life!" Hunter stepped forward, baring his teeth. "Saul could have just let you drown!"

"...I wasn't going to let him drown…." Saul mumbled. Gene growled deep in his throat. "I thought I might find some help in my home country. But now I now you're just a bunch of spineless cowards, content to let a complete tyrant take over Detroit."

Lono stood up. "Hunter, maybe he has a point. You know I don't like fighting, but…" "No, Lono! I'm not going to follow some mutt into battle, and risk both my and your lives!" "Hallelujah." Ralph muttered. "Ralph, shut it," Saul muttered back.

Gene turned away. "I won't feel bad when he comes for you next." With that, he took off into the night, heart heavy. I've found no help, just a gang of spineless curs! Hang on, everyone! I'm coming home!

-

Gin quickly picked up Bartleby's scent. It was strong, and made her gag. I can smell his disgusting stink all over this city. She was quickly zeroing in on his main hideout, an abandoned auto plant. With a snarl, she lunged forward at a dead run.

"Hey, you!" A Labrador barked, lunging for her. With one snap of her head, she spilled his guts in the dirt, leaving him screaming in agony. She kept up the pace. Dogs were lunging at her from every direction. She kept striking, crippling and maiming dogs left and right.

A Border Collie ran to find Bartleby, one leg hanging uselessly. He found the wolf mix on an upper level, chewing on a deer skull. "B-boss!" "I'm busy, Trip." "But boss! There's some nutjob pit bull down there, and she's beating the shit out of everyone!"

Bartleby stopped, mid-bite. "A pit bull?" "Yes, sir!" "Mostly white?" "Yes, sir!" Bartleby grinned, then bit down, crushing the deer skull. "So, my little toy is here." He stood. "Send everyone at her, but don't kill her! Don't you DARE kill her, that is MY pleasure, and MY pleasure alone!"

Gin stood in the center of a circle of dogs, her jaws stained with blood. "C'mon. C'mon, you cowards! Where's that piece of shit Bartleby?!" Trip pushed his way through the circle. "He'll deal with you soon enough. Everyone! Attack, but don't kill! The boss wants that honor for himself!"

"The honor of killing me? No, I'll have the honor of killing him!"

Dozens of dogs leapt at Gin, each trying to grab onto her. Gin slashed, throwing dogs off. She snarled as one of her eyes was taken, fighting back harder than ever. Her ears were chewed down to the skull, and her tail was broken in three places.

Still, she fought. She spun on three legs, fangs ripping into any dog she saw. Dogs began fading away, too injured to fight. A circle of dead dogs surrounded her. But for each wave she took down, another would attack, and eventually, even she began to be worn down.

She was bleeding profusely, her body full of holes. The dogs had kept striking the same places, precisely biting and tearing until muscle gave way to bone of body cavities. There was one in her flank, where part of her intestines had been ripped free, and one in her chest. She could feel her heart beating against the exposed ribs.

I'm sorry, Gene. If I take him down, I'm not gonna be able to make it. Please….Watch my pups. Make them grow strong, like you.

The circle of dogs around her suddenly backed away.

"Bartleby," Gin said, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Hello, toy." The Newf mix gave her a twisted smile. "Nobody interfere. I want to give this gallant little pit bull a proper fight."

He stepped forward, still smiling that twisted smile. "Ladies first."

"How chivalrous."

With a snarl, she faked left, then, as he struck, went right, digging her teeth into his eye. Bartleby screamed, and attempted to shove her off. She let go and dodged again, latching onto his lip. "You little shit!" He slammed his paw into her, knocking her backwards, but ripping off part of his own lip in the process.

Gin was knocked onto her back, the Newf mix instantly on top of her. He made no move, just grinned that sadistic grin. "It seems you're beaten. Where would you like your corpse displayed?" Gin grinned back, then spit a mix of blood and saliva directly into Bartleby's remaining eye.

Bartleby stared at her, his breathing growing heavier and heavier, until it built into a scream of pure rage. He began slamming one paw into the exposed ribcage over and over, until it shattered. "I hope your death has been painful." He buried his muzzle into the exposed chest, grabbed her heart, and pulled it free, letting it dangle there. Then, looking Gin directly in the eyes, he bit down, then stepped away from her.

Game as ever, she wobbled to her feet, maintaining direct eye contact with Bartleby, she laughed. "Is…..Is that….the best….you can….do?" Then she toppled forward, her life slowly ebbing away.

I couldn't do it, Gene. I'm so, so sorry.

Her life ended there, in all having killed or maimed more than 50 of Bartleby's soldiers.

Bartleby was shaking in anger. "Take this….thing. Put it where they'll find it."

-

"Val, wake up! Gin's gone!" "R-ranger? What?! Shit!" Val went to get up, but then noticed the puppies cuddled into her. Rook yawned, and looked at her. "You said a bad word." "Y-yes, I did...Where's your mother?" The pups were all waking up now. "Mommy said she had to go help uncle Gene," Gina spoke up.

"No…." Val looked to Troy and Ranger. Their expressions were grim. "Ranger…..Stay with the pups - " "Really?" "Yes, really. Troy, we need to go find Gin before she does something stupid. If she hasn't already."

Val and Troy took off, leaving an unenthusiastic Ranger surrounded by puppies. "Okay, kids, we're gonna play a game. It's called the quiet game." "How do you play?" "You already lost, Chess."

-
Gene looked up, as a shooting star flitted across the sky. He was quickly approaching the bridge.

Multiple footsteps were approaching from behind. He turned and snarled, immediately on the defensive. "Relax, skippy." Hunter appeared, flanked by Ralph, Lono and Saul. Gene glowered at them. "Come to make sure I leave?"

Lono stepped forward. "The thing is…." "We really don't wanna live under Bartleby's rule…." Saul finished. "So, we're gonna help you….I guess…" Ralph grumbled. Gene blinked, then broke into a huge grin.
"Yeah, don't gloat. You're right, we were wrong," Hunter said. "C'mon! We gotta get back to my pack!" Gene took off at a dead run. "Hey, wait up!" Saul yelled, as the four dogs set off in pursuit of Gene.

They were several blocks away when Gene skidded to a halt. Blood? Lots of blood? From lots of different dogs? He stopped, sniffing the ground. The others stopped, noses to the ground. "I think it's this way!" Ralph said, leading them into an abandoned parking lot.

In the center, under the one functioning lamp, a dog's body was splayed out. Cautiously, they approached. As they got closer, Gene suddenly froze. "No. Oh, no."

Saul and Lono moved closer. "That is one dead dog." "Saul, have some compassion." "Might have been one of Bartleby's." Silent, Gene crept closer. "Gin?" "Hey, Gene, you know this dog?" "Gin?"

He dropped to his stomach, crawling closer. "Gin, wake up. We've gotta go home. Your pups are waiting." He nudged her head with his nose. "Get up." "Gene, she's…..she's gone," Lono said quietly. "No." Hunter stepped forward. "She's not gonna wake up, kid."

Gene choked back a sob, tears streaming down his face. "She can't be dead! She still has to raise her puppies! Gin…..you're not allowed to die!" He embraced her corpse, sobbing loudly.

There was a sudden shout as Ralph was bowled over, and Lono bitten by unknown assailants. Gene turned, furious. In the darkness, all he could see was an enormous dog. Murderer! MURDERER! "Bartleby!" He lunged at the dog attacking Ralph, only to skid to a halt once he got closer. "Val?"

"Gene?!" She pounced on him, licking his face. "We thought you were dead!" "Hey, hey! Can this lady stop attacking me?" Lono called out. "Troy! Friends!" "Whaddaya mean, friends?!" "They've come to help! This is Hunter, Saul, Lono, and Ralph."

With a grumble, Troy released the Dane. Val resumed licking Gene, until she noticed the angry tears in his eyes. "Gene? Why are you crying?"

"Val….." Gene glared at the ground. "They killed her. They killed her." "They killed who?" Then she saw the body.

"No….Gin, why?" Gene turned away from Val, back towards Gin. "Val….How are you supposed to tell children their mother is dead?!" He choked back a bitter sob. Staring at her mangled body, he got angrier and angrier.

Finally, he screamed to the sky. "BARTLEBY! TOMORROW MORNING! THE OLD TRAIN STATION! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!"

In the distance, a low, wolflike howl answered his challenge. And overhead, the first flurries of snow began to fall.