The Great Eight (Temporary Hiatus)

Man's Worst Enemy

A quiet afternoon under the clouds awaited a playful Lhasa Apso while it played in the idyllic backyard of Herry's grandmother's house. Its fur freshly groomed and its facial fur neatly combed and held back by a green bow. The dog was running after a giant teenager who held its favorite treats in his hand, barking all the while.

On the back porch, Herry's grandmother sat in a wooden chair next to an impressive umbrella keeping her in the shade. Sitting next to her, Mel, sat on the wooden steps watching Herry and the dog play. As she had been invited by the elderly lady some time before Herry's arrival to join in on making some cupcakes that now sat on the porch table.

"So, Herry," The woman cackled from her seat, "You think you can teach an old dog new tricks, do you?"

"Come on, Granny. Cheer us on a bit at least." Impressively, the small dog leapt up onto Herry's chest and was thankfully caught as it leaned in and gave him a large swath of drool onto his cheek in the classic "gross but endearing dog kiss." Before leaping down to give the same treatment to poor, defenseless Mel. "He's your dog after all " The old lady only laughed harder. So, instead of arguing more with his granny Herry decided to prove her wrong and called over both the dog and his fellow teen hero.

"There we go. Now check out this trick we taught him." Herry announced as Pepe, the dog, ran in tight circles before seating himself in the grass right at attention to the teens' movements.

Herry began the trick by carefully placing the dog biscuit he had held previously onto the top of the dog's snout. Incidentally, placing it in between the dog's eyes which promptly went cross-eyed as it focused in on the treat and not on anything or anyone else. Mel crouched down and waved her hands in front of the dog to regain its focus on them. And with some effort, guided the dog's eyes back onto Herry. In particular his raised fist that was crooked just so, so that when the beefy teen flicked his thumb up from his other fingers as the signal the dog also flicked up his snout and deftly caught the treat in its mouth.

Or at least the treat would have landed in poor Pepe's mouth had the dog actually opened it in time. In reality, the treat had somersaulted through the air and landed onto Pepe's noggin. Mel could see all too clearly the unimpressed look the dog cast at the two teens, and she erupted in a fit of giggles as she fell to the grass and comforted the poor Lhasa Apso by giving it a brand-new treat, fresh out of the baggie. Meanwhile Herry sheepishly turned back to his granny.

"We're still working on that one." And yet the elder only continued to laugh in earnest. Coaxing the fluffy dog onto her lap and receiving a slobbery kiss too.

"That's enough of that now, Pepe." She released the dog and watched on with a softened expression as the dog returned to the teens, who were still inspired to try and teach the cute dog the treat flick trick.

And for the better part of an hour, the teens gently and exhaustively sought to teach Pepe even a single new trick. Herry, in particular, was having a rougher go as the dog continually tried to seek attention from Mel or Granny. Yet, somehow Mel had become an unofficial dog-whisperer throughout their afternoon. Frequently seen mediating between Herry and Pepe if a trick proved to be too much of a nuisance for the smaller dog. At one point, it seemed the dog had clearly understood everything she was saying and, for one singular example, had performed a hindlegs-only dance. Leaving even Granny astonished as the same elder tried to encourage this behavior with a heap load of cuddles and treats. And while it most likely did reinforce the trick learned, it also reinforced the dog's want for playtime rather than training time. So the instance Granny nudged the dog off her lap of safety, Pepe began his own game of keeping himself away from the teens for as long as he could. At least, until Mel practically commanded him to come back to their designated area of training that consisted of a slightly trampled grass circle. And that was about it.

Slowly, Pepe returned to the circle with the big puppy dog eyes. Begging to be let loose again, though as before with Mel, the teenage girl was able to reason with the canine and keep him within their circle miraculously. But that all changed when a strange wind blew through the backyard. Pepe's ears were perked and his tail aloft, in unusual behavior. Far more startling, was the growl that started to emanate from his small little frame.

"Pepe?!" Granny called over the dog's sudden barking. "That's not like you!"

"Hey!" The two teens shouted as the dog just took off without any preambles. "Come back!" Herry was the first to launch himself after the dog across the yard. Mel in hot pursuit, but she had hit Herry's back as he quickly put the brakes on once Pepe tossed himself around and glaringly challenged Herry.

"Whoa! What's that all about?" Herry asked rhetorically as Pepe kept bouncing to get in his face with his teeth bared and saliva drooling over his lips.

"Pepe! Bad boy!" Mel scolded as she stepped around the bulk that was Herry. Though, she quickly encountered Herry's arm that kept her at bay from the now rabid dog. But she kept on scolding the aggressive Pepe and slowly, the dog calmed. Though, Pepe looked far more confused and shamed than calm. And for a moment, the dog went back to sniffing the air for treats and moving back towards the elderly lady as though his jaws weren't covered in his spit froth.

Yet, once again a bracing wind swept across the backyard and sent Pepe into another craze. This time though, an even stranger smell came with it that Mel nor Herry were able to recognize but somehow knew that this smell was coming from a source that was causing Pepe's change in behavior. Though, Mel was unable to magically scold the dog back to his domestic state as Pepe refused to stick around for it and was dashing into the surrounding trees to somewhere unknown.

"Herry!" Granny called out pleadingly. "Go get him. I don't want him to get lost!" Herry sent her a moderately reassuring smile before pinning his eyes on the girl beside him.

"If When I find Pepe, mind doing whatever you did before to get him back?" His tone was soft even as the worry started to make both their heart rates pick up in pace.

"Uh, yeah sure." Mel nodded, none too confident but willing to help her beloved neighbor and her grandson in anyway she could. And besides, this had got to be easier than dealing with Cronus right?

So, with fluid motions, Herry grabbed his backpack from the porch that held some of his hero stuff that might come in handy for snatching up Pepe before he then raced back to Mel and together they chased into the woods after the crazed Lhasa Apso. The only thing guiding them through was the sound of Pepe's excessive barking and growls. As if this wasn't a scary enough, Mel thought she heard other barks in the distance. If she was slightly frightened before, well she definitely was not loosing sight of Herry anytime soon now. Boldly then, Mel grabbed his hand as it crossed next to her and kicked up the speed to keep up with the Herculean teenager. Hoping that when they found Pepe, it wouldn't be before the other dogs found them.