A/N I finally decided to write a story on Thrax's childhood. I'll also continue through "Almira's Story", showing his POV on meeting Almira. I don't own Thrax; he belongs to Warner Bros. I DO own his surname, his family, and other characters you don't recognize from Osmosis Jones.

thebigcrunchone9: No they don't XD You think so?

LaMuerteRoja: Not now, she's not XD

Princess LaLaBlue: Hopefully, yes.

Chapter 15

For several days, Flaming Death stayed in the pen. She was still tethered to the post, but she could walk around the pen if she wanted; better than the cage she had been in before. Plus, she got more food and water than she used to.

After he had gotten bit on the hand, Thrax bandaged it and paid it no mind afterwards. He sometimes got small injuries, and he just bandaged them and waited for them to heal by themselves. His hand was no exception. He didn't worry that the wound would get infected. Flaming Death was a hyena fever germ; she caused fevers—which he was immune to, in this case—not rabies.

Preemer and his pals still gibed him about getting bit for trying to pet her, and asked if he still wanted to help her. Thrax ignored them; he was stonehearted to insults and gibes, and was determined to help Flaming Death. He told himself this was only because she was in a similar situation as he had been nearly ten years prior: they were both abused and scarred. And although he seldom mentioned it, even in his mind, he used to be just as scared as she is.

Preemer thought Thrax was only giving the hyena, who the virus had been calling 'Baby Girl,' her food and water; what the germ didn't know was that Thrax did more than that. He would toss her scraps of meat and talk to her. She didn't pass off as a dog, just staring at you when you talked. Baby Girl actually listened, and sometimes answered in her own way. She obviously didn't talk; she nodded, shook her head, and sometimes growled or hummed.

Baby Girl obviously liked being talked to as if she were a person and not a dumb animal, but she still stayed far away from Thrax, always eyeing his claws. Thrax figured his claws scared her, thinking he would hurt her with them. He wouldn't, of course, unless she outright attacked him and his life was in danger. But she rarely came close enough for him to touch her, so there was no need to use his claws to defend himself.

Preemer told Thrax how he had heard a hyena had blown into Jack after a hyena coughed into his face. He hadn't thought much of it until he was walking his former-prized fighting dog and ran into her. "She was just a small pup," The germ said to Thrax. "Couldn't be more than about four months, I suppose. I sicced Hirschhorn on'er, an' she fought back real good. You probably didn't see it in th'fight, but she can use those claws o' hers. They light up, kinda like yers does."

Thrax had raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had wondered if Baby Girl's flame legs and her flaming mane and tail signaled fire powers. He personally wanted to see those claws in action, but figured she still didn't have enough energy to use them. He didn't stay that out loud; Preemer got sore when he heard his hyena was still weak.

That night, Thrax was leaning against the warehouse, reveling in the cool temperature of the sleeping human. It only got this way if a body was asleep; the rest of the time, while Jack was awake, his body temperature was 98.6.

Several barks shook Thrax from his thoughts. "What is she barkin' at?" He muttered. In the past, he had found out that Baby Girl hated to be called a dog, and preferred to be called her true species, a hyena. The irony was she acted more like a dog that a hyena, barking and growling, to name some habits.

When more barks sounded, Thrax realized the hyena wasn't alone; there were several dogs. Then, Baby Girl started yelping and howling in pain.

Thrax stood up and ran to the training pen, where Baby Girl was sitting in a cage. In the dark, he saw three dogs; a large one, bigger than the hyena, was pulling at two of the three prominent flowing bangs on Baby Girl's head. She was pulling back against the bigger dog, and still yelping. Another dog, a small one, was pulling a dog that was larger than him, yet smaller than the bigger dog and Baby Girl, out of the hyena's cage; this one was dead.

Thrax ran to the cage, his claw glowing, and kicked the bigger dog away from the cage. He slid a few feet away, but stood and arched his back at the virus, growling. Unnerved, Thrax stood in front of Baby Girl's cage, brandishing his glowing claw. Smirking, he crooked a finger, taunting the big dog. He tackled the virus, but he kicked him aside again. Then, he grabbed him by the scruff and threw the dog to the ground. The dog shook himself and leapt at Thrax.

Thrax never flinched; he just backhanded the dog to the ground, and slashed the dog in the side as he hummed casually. Orange bubbles began to form on the dog, which was yelping in pain. After a few seconds, the dog exploded.

The smallest dog abandoned the other dog's body and ran off, yelping in fright. Thrax only scoffed in its direction as he dimmed his claw. Then, he looked back at Baby Girl. She looked unharmed; only scared. She cowered back against the back of the cage, looking very frightened.

Thrax crouched down by the cage. "You don't need to be afraid, Baby Girl," He said softly. "Unless y'all get on my bad side, I'll leave ya alone."

She stood up and walked towards him until her nose practically touched the bars of the cage. She had a dumbfounded expression, as though she couldn't quite believe Thrax had saved her life again.

Thrax held his bandaged hand out to her, half-wondering if he was going to lose it this time. She shrunk back, but didn't make a sound this time. Hesitating, she sniffed carefully at the tip of his claws. Thrax waited patiently for something to happen. Finally, the hyena nudged at his fingertips with her nose.

Thrax moved his other hand through the bars of the cage and stroked behind her ears. Her fur was soft and warm. He felt her tense up, but then she relaxed as he began scratching behind her ears. She cracked a real smile for the first time, and actually licked gently at Thrax's free hand, wagging her flaming, yellow tail. He chuckled softly, "Good girl."

After that night, their relationship skyrocketed. Instead of shying away when Thrax came to the fence, Baby Girl trotted up, grinning and wagging her tail like a happy dog. Plus, he began petting and scratching behind her ears in addition to feeding her. She seemed to enjoy the latter very much.

At some point, Thrax took a big risk and actually stepped into the pen with the hyena. But instead of attacking him, as she would have done in the past, she trotted up to him and nuzzled at his hand with her snout. Chuckling, he scratched at her head. Her tail wagged harder.

Over time, Thrax began to teach Baby Girl tricks. He taught her to sit, stay, come when called, and lay down. She learned the basics easily. He often wondered why he was teaching her tricks. She was a hyena, not a regular everyday dog; and she was someone else's hyena, to boot. But he eventually pushed those thoughts away. He figured that since he had wanted a pet when he was a kid, and wasn't able to, he was making up for it with Baby Girl.

One trick he taught her was able to scare Preemer. He held out his bare forearm so it was horizontal, and she took it gently in her mouth without biting down on his arm. The first several times, she bit down too hard. He gently smacked her on the nose to get her to stop. Luckily, she never bit down hard enough to break his skin or snap his bone—which he knew she could do if she wanted. Eventually, she learned to not bite at all.

One day, when Thrax was doing this trick with her, Preemer had seen and thought the worst. "Thrax, watch out!" He screamed, running over and holding his cane up over his head.

Baby Girl let Thrax's arm go and growled at the cane. "Hey, chill, dude!" Thrax exclaimed.

"You chill!" Preemer snapped back.

"She ain't gonna hurt me." To prove this, Thrax held out his forearm again. Without command, Baby Girl held it in her mouth again. "See?" He grinned smugly when she didn't bite down hard enough to injure.

Preemer lowered his cane and sighed, shaking his head, "Sheesh, ya scared th'hell outta me."

At that moment, Baby Girl tightened her grip on Thrax's arm; not enough to pierce the skin, but enough for him to feel her teeth. He flinched, but managed to not pull his arm away. Instead, he tapped her nose with his burner claw. "Hey, you behave yerself." He said sternly, yet with a grin.

She just let his arm go and grinned cheekily. Thrax rolled his eyes. "Lemme try that." Preemer said. Before Thrax could stop him, the germ was crouching down, rolling up his sleeve, and holding his arm out to Baby Girl. He had gotten too close, and she snapped at him, just missing his nose. He jumped away to avoid getting bit. She growled at him, baring her sharp teeth.

Thrax couldn't help laughing as he patted the hyena's back. "When I said she wouldn't hurt me, I didn't say she wouldn't hurt you either." He said.

The hyena wagged her tail as Thrax ruffled her bangs with his claws. Preemer stared at them, dumbfounded, as he adjusted his hat. "How come she acts like a puppy-dog 'round you, but she's all mean an' nasty towards me an' the boys?"

Thrax only shrugged, as though it were obvious, "She trusts me."

A/N Sorry this is updated so late. I had gotten sick a few weeks ago, and have been having a bit of writer's block. But, here's the next chapter :D

"Flaming Death," "Baby Girl," our favorite hyena's got quite a few name changes, huh? But, rest assured, in the next chapter, she'll have her permanent name that we all know and love.