Stomping through countless puddles, little Rose lags behind. I scoop her up, "Sorry, Scott." "It'll be okay." Jack trips and plops into a puddle while Mama limps on with a piece of driftwood as a cane. I sneeze as Markus peeks outside the alley, then looks back, "I think we're okay for now." Jack shivers, "We aren't okay." I cough lightly, "We need shelter." Mama taps the ground as Jack clings to her for warmth. "Your teeth are chattering so loud." "S-sorry." She puts her finger between his teeth and Rose points to laugh. She calls out, "Scott." I turn, "They haven't found them. They haven't been seen for a while, though." So they're dead or somewhere out here? "Very reassuring." "It's what I've got. Ok?" She points, "Six blocks that way is a soup kitchen." I shake my head, "They would turn us in with ease!" Jack jerks away from Mama's finger and his teeth chatter again, "It's better than nothing." I roll my eyes, "Put the finger back." She nods as Jack growls, "I'll bite down." Rose and Markus laugh as she shoves the finger back in his mouth. "What about a homeless camp, then? Creepy men around little Rose?" Rose clings to me harder, "Nope! No chance!" I sneeze again, "I'll take our chances with that camp." Rose looks up at me, "Ew, no! I don't want creepy men near me!" Jack jerks his head away, "Anything's better than this cold ass alley!" "Language!" Mama whacks him with the driftwood and I chuckle. They all turn to me, "Was that a laugh?" "No. Let's go."

Markus leads us yet again, "Mama?" She nods to Markus, "Ten seconds." We start crossing and she shouts, "Get behind the dumpster!" We all huddle behind it as a bright light penetrates into the once dark alley. Mama slips and falls into the light and soldiers start shouting. "Hands up!" "Get those hands up!" She raises them as we all watch. Rose holds me tighter than ever. A whole squad runs up, they turn the corner and jerk their weapons and shout at us. I turn my back quickly to shield Rose as Jack shouts back at them. They yank me down to the ground and I hit my head.

I open my eyes, Jack kicks and screams as they drag him away. Markus looks at me in a daze. They suddenly let go and raise their weapons. The ground shakes as they open fire. A giant black thing lunges over me and pushes a soldier to the ground. I quickly crawl towards the scuffle. Soldiers shoot at it and the thing won't go down. It quickly turns to the others as I grab a gun. A man in a long black jacket walks past me, "Puppers!" The blackened dog quickly changes back to normal and barks. "Good boy." It quickly changes back and starts eating them.

I take a sigh of relief and lower the gun, "Thank you." He squats and taps my shoulder as Jack pets the demon dog, "Don't thank me yet. I need answers from you, one member to another." I squint, "I don't know what you mean." He rolls his eyes and looks back, "Huh, he always hates when I try to pet him while he's eating." He stands up and holds out a hand, "Welcome to Kinelt, Scott." I take his hand as Rose hides from the dog behind Mama and Markus' legs. I slowly follow and try to pet the dog, it begins to growl and I step away. "You should get away from that thing, Jack." He smiles, "Nah, he's cool, aren't you, boy?" It stops eating to nuzzle into his pets while glaring at me. Mama holds Rose close as the man calls out, "We have to move, everyone in the armored car." Markus grabs his head, then yawns, "I have to go find someone. You guys go." I nod and hold the gun tight. Jack opens the door and hops in. The demon dog looks at me, then points to the armored car. "Yeah, yeah." It pushes the door closed, then jumps on the hood.

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Everyone walks into the store's back room, then the store owner comes back to the garage, "Jan, you can't just bring anybody here." "Why not, El? You said you wanted the company?" He throws a hand up, "It's not about that. It's what I do, they put my operation at risk. I'm already so far off on everything." I clear my throat and El turns, "Who is this?" "Come tomorrow, he's Kinelt's most wanted." He clenches his fist and the dog growls, then he unclenches it, "Why bring him here?" "Everything else is flooded, remember?" He grabs my shirt and lifts up, then shines a blacklight pen on it. "He's the last one to see the leadership up there." I sigh, "Fine. I'm with Chess." Jan immediately shouts, "Puppers!" The dog jumps and rips my gun out my hands and before I could punch it, Jan catches my fist and punches me so hard I see stars and fall to the floor. He points at me, "Never ever admit that shit!" El points a gun at me, "Are you sure he even saw anyone up there?" Jan nods and I throw my hands up, "What is wrong with you two?!"

Jack runs in through the door and points to the dog, "Bad dog!" It's black ears droop and plop onto the ground. El glares at Jan, "This is also why." Mama walks in with Rose, "This man has helped us through so much. He even has clearances that you both probably do not have!" El rolls his eyes, "Ma'am, who the hell are you?" "I am Mama Hearth. I'm not in your little treehouse club, but I damn well know who runs it." She points, "This man was chosen by YOUR boss." El almost cowers as she talks, "You will treat him with the utmost respect." Jan shakes his head, "Your word doesn't mean shit. You knowing the damn pope doesn't mean shit either!" Jan raises his gun to her and the dog growls. She looks down at the dog, then back up at him. "You might want to look at your dog for a moment." He smiles, "Fat chance, black and old crone." El taps his shoulder, "Jan." He slowly looks down, then lowers the gun slowly. The dog stops snarling, then winks at him. Jan sighs as I get off the floor, "What the fuck, is Chess?" With an extreme contempt, Jan and El stare at us with a firm grip on their guns. Even with the dog growling at them, they'll still kill us without a care for their own lives. I put my hands out, "Ok. Ask me what you wanted. You win."

Even with that they still sit there ready to murder us, only difference is now Jan opens his mouth, "What happened up there?" Mama pats Rose, "Go wait inside with Jack. If you hear gunshots, run." Jack shouts, "Hell no! I can't leave you here, with them!" She rubs her hand through his hair, "Do it, kid. I'll be fine." The dog sits tall and barks at him. Jack nods at him and then nods to Mama, "Ok." Rose closes the door behind them and I sit down, "Colonel Carter is a demon. He's-" El tilts his head, "A demon?" I rub my forehead, "The more we sit here, the more people he-" "Talk.", Jan glares at me and I jump at the expression, "Mama? Tell them." She smiles, "Carter has some very scary abilities. From what I could gather, apart from his strength and speed, he can see through the people he makes consent to his mind control. He can't be fought with guns, even a demon could not beat him."

Jan eases up the grip on his gun, "And you think we'll just believe this elaborate story?" She simply smiles, "You will never believe us. So I'll show you. Or rather, Scott will. You said it yourself, he'll be Kinelt's most wanted." El sighs, "Jan, let's let this play out." He remains still, "Jan, he's got the tat. That has to mean something at least." He sighs, "Puppers, watch him like a hawk." The dog turns to normal and throws it's head forward, watching my every move. To an observer, it might be funny, but I am definitely not laughing at the cute and dumb murder puppy staring at me.