Happy Monday, my faithful readers! Reviews are still awesome, they still make me smile! You guys can still guess as to where Spirit is going, though I'll be posting an Author's Note later this week to tell you guys were to go if you want to continue reading Spirit's story. Plus, it's kind of obvious at the ending of this chapter. ;)

Wings of Dread: Thanks so much for your review! I understand completely about your complaint; I was mostly just trying to create tension and emotion within the story. Hopefully, Spirit won't be dying again anytime soon.

HextheDaydreamer: You almost had it! Though it's possible Whisper may be making an appearance. Hehe! And I'm glad I can still surprise you! ;)

Guest: Thanks for your awesome review! It definitely made my day!

Hassingthecoolone: You definitely brought tears to my eyes from your review. Thanks so much! I definitely try to make things real, so for people to tell me that I'm doing a good job at it really motivates me. :)

Virginia l: Now that you mention it, I would too! Maybe Spirit'll make a comeback in the X-Men cartoons, and then we can really see how the two of them would react to each other. ;)

BrySt1: I love being able to catch people off-guard! Hehe! I'm glad to have made you excited for this story!

()()()()()()

The private took me back to the kennels, and I pinned my ears against the noise of barking dogs and the rattling of chain. I was lead into a kennel of my own before Private Wales shut the door behind me, leaving the clipboard on the door. For the next few minutes, I paced the concrete floor, sniffing anything and everything to get a layout of the kennel. There wasn't much to it; there was a dog bed in the back corner covered by a doghouse and food and water bowls sat in the opposite corner. There was also a blanket or two that covered the floor, but other than that, the kennel was bare. I gave a heavy sigh, going over to one of the blankets and laying down with a huff, eyes on the door.

A few hours passed before someone came into the kennels again. I rose and went to the door, sitting down silently as the other dogs bayed around me. A couple of men walked through the aisle, going into the kennels one at a time to take the dogs out to use the bathroom, to feed and water them, and to clean the floor. I listened to their conversation as they got closer.

"You just had to sneak out to look at the jets," one of the men grumbled as he scooped up dog poop. "And you just had to bring me with you."

"Hey, it's not my fault!" the other man replied, shaking out the blankets and folding them neatly before refilling one of the bowls with fresh water. "You know I'm made for the Air Force."

The first man rolled his eyes, bringing the dog back into the kennel as the second threw a piece of meat into the food bowl. They both walked out from the kennel, shutting the door behind them and moving onto the next one.

As they came closer to me, I took a chance to look at them. One was white-skinned with short dark blonde hair and blue eyes. He was shorter than the other man, who was black-skinned. They both wore fatigues and were well-build, and they smelled of metal and other dogs. I stayed in my position by the gate, waiting for them; something about them drew me towards them, especially the blonde man.

Finally, they reached my kennel. The blonde man looked around the kennel with a frown, seemingly perplexed. "Where's the leash?" he asked.

The black man shrugged. "I dunno. Just use your belt or something," he replied.

Instead, the blonde man went back to the previous kennel, grabbing the leash that belonged to the other dog. When he came back and looked at me, he startled a little. "What the hell?" he asked, kneeling down to look at my eyes. "What's wrong with this one?"

The black man shrugged again. "Like I'd know," he said. "Maybe she's a mutt or something. Dogs can have two different colored eyes, you know."

The blonde man rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Rip," he grumbled, opening the gate. "I've just never seen a dog with a black eye before. Blue, sure, but never black." He reached for my neck to clip the leash on. I growled a warning, and the man jerked his hand back. The black man laughed.

"I guess that's why there was no leash," he mused, clapping his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Well, I can't exactly take her out without anything to hold her with," the man complained, steeling his nerves before reaching for my neck again. Again, I growled before standing and slipping between their legs so that I was outside. Without any prompting, I went to relieve myself before coming back. The two men watched with open mouths as I came back and sat down just outside the kennel, waiting for them to finish cleaning it.

"That is one freaky dog," the black man said, pointing at me.

"I won't argue with that," the blonde man replied, watching me warily. "She must be here for some reason."

After they finished cleaning the kennel, I soundlessly slipped back inside, sitting down by the door. The blonde man seemed to hesitate before reaching down to ruffle my ears. I wagged my tail at his touch, and he gave a slight smile.

"I guess we'll see you around . . . Spirit," he said after taking a quick glance at the clipboard with my name. I gave a short nod, and he startled before shaking his head. "I'm just imagining it."

I gave a mental chuckle, watching them go before I went back to lay down on the dog bed. I rested my head on the edge of the doghouse, waiting and biding my time.

()()()()()()

For weeks, it was the same routine. First, the two men, who I learned were named Duke and Ripcord, came and took care of the dogs as disciplinary action for sneaking out after hours. After that, I would take a nap. A few hours later, I was brought out for "training" and smelled different things for hours on end before I was returned to my kennel. Finally, Duke and Ripcord would come again to clean the kennels. And then the day would start all over again. It was boring and tedious, but at least I was doing something. I had yet to be assigned to a handler, though most of the other dogs had. I started hearing rumors from the soldiers that the dogs that didn't have a handler would be sent to work for the police; I didn't care much for that idea.

So, I worked harder, moved faster. I wanted to be out and about, not stuck in a kennel. Yet, I was still not chosen by a handler. Handlers looking for a dog would give me a wary look before moving on, and I was quick to figure out that it wasn't my work ethic that was lacking; the handlers were wary of how I looked. I started to get depressed, wondering how I was ever going to be able to do anything right. Phoenix's rage still stirred within my gut, even more so since I was being ignored. I was tempted just to give in to what remained of Phoenix within me, but then I'd feel the dog tags around my neck and remember Logan and the others. I knew that they would disappointed and hurt if I became what I'd been trying to fight for so long.

It was one of those days when I was feeling depressed that Duke came into my kennel, Ripcord a few paces behind him. I barely even acknowledged him besides for a small wag of my tail. Duke came over and crouched in front of the entrance of the doghouse where I was laying down. I huffed towards him and raised my head, looking at him with my blue and black eyes. He smiled, ruffling my ears. Over the past few weeks I'd been with the Army, Duke and Ripcord were the two that I looked forward to seeing. They seemed to sense that I was different, and not just from my looks. They talked to me like I was human and it felt nice to be treated like one once more. I knew that I could have changed into my human form and walked out at anytime, but I was just too stubborn; I wasn't going to give up on something I'd just started.

I gave Duke's hand a half-hearted lick before resting my head on my paws again.

"Hey Spirit," he said, giving my ear a gentle tug like Logan used to do. "What are you doing?"

Of course, I didn't answer; I didn't want to risk blowing my cover, especially when people were just starting to somewhat accept mutants.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Duke?" Ripcord asked, standing just outside my kennel.

"I am," Duke replied firmly, standing back up and patting his leg for me to follow him; he'd figured out that I really hated having anything restraining me, especially a collar and leash. Obediently, I got to my feet, padding out after Duke and walking next to him as he walked outside. I resisted the urge to roll in the grass and bathe in the sunlight, keeping close to Duke instead as he continued determinedly towards a trio of men waiting by a group of Humvees. I was confused as to what was, but willing to be out of the kennels. We stopped just in front of the men, me sitting down next to Duke as soon as he stopped walking. The one in the middle raised an eyebrow when he saw me, looking from me to Duke and Ripcord.

"This is your pick?" he asked skeptically.

"It is," Duke replied firmly. "I've seen her in action, sarge. She's the strongest and fastest dog we have; she's the best pick for this mission."

"And you've been trained in handling the dogs?" the man asked, still sounding skeptical about the whole deal.

"No sir," Duke responded. "But I've been with Spirit for almost a month now, and I know how to work with her."

"Your funeral," the man said, saying something to the other man next to him before returning his attention to Duke. "Walter will get you a vest for her. Go get ready."

"Yessir," Duke said with a short nod of his head. He clicked his fingers and I immediately got up and followed after him back towards the kennels. I thought he was going to put me back in my kennel, but he kept on walking and never signaled for me to leave. So, I continued following him. We got further away from the kennels, heading towards what looked to be barracks. I followed Duke inside, staying close to his side even when the other soldiers gave us weird looks. We approached one of the rooms, and Duke and Ripcord stepped inside, leaving the door open behind them.

"Stay, Spirit," Duke told me, making the gesture with his hand that followed the command. I sat down just outside the door, watching as the two men started to throw on gear. After a few moments, the man from earlier, Walter, came over and handed some sort of vest to Duke.

"This is for your dog," he said before leaving again to take care of other business.

Duke nodded in thanks, patting his leg for me to come to him. I did without hesitation, coming to sit in front of him. He knelt down and placed the vest over my back, securing it under my belly and around my legs. My heart pumped fast in anticipation as I realized what was going on; we were going on a mission! I started to prance anxiously in place, though settled once Duke ordered me to.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Duke?" Ripcord asked as he watched Duke fill my vest with rations and ammo. "I mean, we don't even know if she's seen combat yet; she could spook at the gunfire."

"I trust her, Rip," Duke said. "I don't know what it is, but I trust her. The others may not like her because of her eyes and how she acts, but I do. I'd trust her with my life."

Ripcord shook his head with a sigh. "You're going to get us both killed, Duke," he grumbled. "Putting your trust in an animal you've only known a month."

"You can't say you don't trust her, Rip?" Duke responded. "I mean, even you have to say that she's different."

Ripcord didn't answer, not even when I turned my head to look him in the eye. He just watched me instead with his lips pursed. "Just don't get us killed," he finally said before walking out into the hallway.

Duke chuckled, ruffling my head before he stood up, patting his leg again. "Well, let's get going, shall we?" I barked in confirmation before following after him as he jogged to catch up with Ripcord.

It took us about five minutes to return the Humvees, dogs barking and men shouting orders. It was chaos, and I was loving it. I pranced in place as I stayed close to Duke, looking excitedly from one place to the next, trying to take everything in at once. I even barked a few times, adding to the fray.

"Lets go, let's go!" one man shouted, opening Humvee doors and getting people and dogs inside. "We need to get these guns moving!"

Duke strode quickly towards an awaiting car, grabbing my scruff as I approached and hulling me inside before I could complain. I glared at him before sitting down on the seat next to Ripcord, Duke on my other side. I looked from one window to the next, tail wagging a mile a minute.

"Easy Spirit," Duke said, placing a hand on my head. "We'll be there soon enough. Just a simple escort mission. We'll be fine."

And that's how I came to work with Duke and Ripcord and how I started the next chapter of my life.

()()()()()()

So, if you haven't figured it out yet, this is the last chapter in Part I of Spirit's Life. It's possible I'll bring her back to work with the X-Men, or I may just play around with her in other fanfics for awhile. ;) I'm up for suggestions for where Spirit should go, though I make no promises if I'll actually do it or not, depending on how deep into that fandom I am. Marvel movies are definitely a must, though I'm going to try spacing it out to allow for Spirit to go elsewhere as well.

Thanks again to all of you guys for everything! You've definitely helped me get through Part I, and I hope you'll continue supporting me through the other parts as well. Spirit also appreciates the effort you guys make, though she won't say it herself.

Spirit: *glares and growls*

Me: *shrugs and goes back to typing*

Anyway, I can't thank you guys enough, and I hope to see you around following the rest of Spirit's story. :)

ML out