Vault Bound

Chapter 3

A Few Weeks Later -
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'THUM' bum bum bum bum 'THUM'

Acer was awoken from his sleep suddenly he had not even had the nightmare he has every night yet. They sounded like drums of war, his ears flickered with curiosity as he used his hind legs to push his body weight upward. He followed his nose leading him to one of the rooms he was never allowed in as it was locked almost always. He nosed the door the rest of the way open revealing a cage. Yellow eyes opened and began flowing through the darkness causing a gasp to leave him. There stood the dog that haunted his dreams for so long. She was chained up against the metal cage, no fur was around where the chains connected to her briskly fur. All that was there was raw red skin as if the chains have been there awhile. Scars littered her body as she spotted them quite proudly indeed. Her lip curled into a smirk something she had not done for years. "I was wondering when another dog would find their way in here." Her hoarse voice making her sound old. She snickered "Boo!" She jumped toward the front of the cage making a loud noise causing Acer to fall backward on his bum in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of himself. The nightmare he feared so much was alive and in front of him. Taunting. Staring. Plotting. He couldn't take it anymore as he hopped to his feet snarling.

"YOU KILLED MY SISTER AND HER BEST FRIEND! YOU DID IT!" He shook with so much anger he practically turned red. "Tsk tsk young Lad you sure are a smart one unlike that sister of yours who thought I was an mutual friend." The Shepherd fell over laughing in a maniac manner. Acer took a threatening step forward snarling. Keesha stopped laughing and straightened up. "You think you can beat me pup? I almost killed half your pack with a bunch of non trained street rats." She referred to the dogs that fought alongside her before the bomb. "Let me out of this cage and I'll show you what I can do!" Her eyes began glowing brighter somehow in the darkness. Suddenly they were both distracted by the door creaking open just slightly. The hinges creaked as if they were a thousand years old and long due for some oil.

In waddled a little pup only looking to be a few months old. His large paws slapping the concrete ground his tail wiggling uncontrollably. He was quite adorable indeed, but Acer feared for the pup. "Get out of here kid! You're in danger if you stay here!" This time the pup giggled "You a funny dog. I never met any dogs except mum." His eyes focused on Keesha. Acer stared in shock at the shepherd his eyes widened and practically screamed how. "Come here Gunner" Keesha cooed. "This is the result of Genetic insemination. It truly isn't my pup, he was created else where and put inside of me." She snicker as Gunner rubbed his side against the bars.

Acer heard shouts coming from behind him and stared in shock when the human came at him with a stick hitting his hind end.  He scurried quickly out of the door as it slammed behind him and he heard the lock click shut. A low whine left him as a shadow covered him. He looked up to see Lyla standing there head head tilting with wonder. "What are you doing out here so late? You look as if you've seen a ghost.." she trailed off still looking at him. He didn't answer but his body shook with emotion. He was usually the type to hold all his emotion back from everyone and anyone, but Lyla made him feel safe as if he could spill everything he knows to her. So that's what he did. He wrapped his neck around hers crying into her scruff. As she cooed sweet words to him telling him how strong and brave he is. They stayed like that for hours until the peak of the morning in which they got up and trotted back to the room. Neither of them saying anything.

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Acer couldn't return to sleep after the events of last night, but Lyla slept soundly curled into his side. He looked down and couldn't help the smile that crept onto his snout. She looked so peaceful like a small angel. So pure. So innocent. Her scent brought calmness to him as did his sleeping sleeping little pup curled into her mother who also slept peacefully. He was determined she was to be protected and have a better pup then he did. Another shadow crept up to him as he stared into the eyes of his father. "You two would make strong pups." Zeus spoke with authority but quietly so he woke not another soul. A tinge of pink flushed Acers cheeks. "Dad.. we don't even know what this.." he motions to Lyla and himself "is. For all it could be friends with benefits." Zeus raised and eyebrow and gave a 'are you fucking kidding me?' look. He shook his head with amusement before settling back down next to Zuma leaving Acer in his thoughts once more.

Finally he drifted off to a blissful sleep thinking of the freedom he was going to grant his family. As well as how he was going to tear the shepherded that killed his sister to bits. That was final.