[Zapper, Leeli, Ben, get out here!] Crunch roared. There was scrabbling from inside the taco shop, and the three dogs appeared in the doorway. [It’s go time! Formation alpha, now!]

[Got it, Captain Boss!] Zapper took off running in the direction of the approaching dots, tail wagging furiously. Leeli and Benjamin joined me at Crunch’s side.

[You certain those are humans?] the tiny dog asked. [Could be more canids.]

[Or rats,] I added. The others looked at me. Right. I hadn’t ever mentioned Prometheus to them. Oh well, there’d be time for that later.

[I’m certain. They’re coming from the same direction that Zapper reported seeing the humans last night. And if it isn’t, no harm done.]

With that, Crunch turned towards me. [Alright, I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk this over in more detail before heading out, but we can’t always pick our battles. Suppose you know that better than most, eh?] He didn’t give me a chance to respond, but continued, [I know I can trust you to do the right thing now, but even so, probably better if you hold back and watch. See how we do things. Then, I’ll make sure you’re front and center next time. Everybody gets their turn around here. I may be leader, but we’re still pack.]

I was truly and utterly lost. What was Crunch talking about? Still, I wasn’t about to let my ignorance show, so I simply nodded. He turned and glared at Leeli.

[What are you two still doing here? Go get in position!]

[Right, sorry, Captain.] The small dog dashed away and zipped inside of a large pipe that lay near the road, hiding her from view. Benjamin turned and leapt atop an old dumpster, giving him a better view of the landscape. His eyes scanned all about for... what? Threats?

Were they expecting the humans to attack? Is that what Crunch had meant about previous encounters going badly with other dogs? I braced myself, ready to fire my wands at a moment’s notice.

Crunch moved towards the edge of the building, until he was about twenty feet away from Zapper. He crouched down, making himself as small as possible. So the human’s wouldn’t see him?

None of this made any sense. If Crunch was worried about being attacked, why not retreat and observe them from a distance? Why engage with them at all? There was nothing we needed from the humans, especially now that I had secured food and shelter for us. We were safe. Why risk additional trouble?

The dots moved closer, and the first one passed around the corner of the building. I froze in place and stared.

It was a human, alright. A middle-aged Hispanic man, with long hair tied into a braid on the back of his head. He held a shotgun in his hands—my system-enhanced brain supplying the word without any prompting on my part—and wore what looked like a set of medieval chainmail across his chest. His pants were in tatters, and his boots had clearly seen better days. If not for the weapon, I’d have dismissed him immediately as any sort of threat.

Then words scrolled across my vision.

User: Miguel

Level 9 Cleric Human

I blinked the message away. Level nine? He was several levels above my own. And what was a cleric, anyway? I was getting little pings from the system, something about the ability to heal, and also ward away the undead? Sounded like a useful class.

The man glanced about as he turned the corner, then froze at the sight of Zapper. My heart lurched in its chest. I suddenly realized why Zapper was out in front like this—his Fast Twitch skill would normally protect him from even the wide spray of a shotgun.

Except that all of its uses had been eaten up during our fight with the golem guardian. Which Crunch didn’t know. I cursed inwardly and started hurrying forward. Only to stumble to a halt.

The man, after taking in the sight of Zapper’s wagging tail and ridiculous doggy grin, lowered his gun. He knelt down beside the little dog.

“Hey there, little fella. What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

The words rang oddly in my ear. It was strange enough that I understood them, but also hearing someone actually speak out loud, instead of the strange thinkspeak that the system used for us canids to communicate, threw me for a loop. Other than barking, it was the first time I’d heard actual words since before everything went down.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

In the distance, the human was now petting the top of the Zapper’s head. The little dog barked, then rolled over and showed his belly. The man, Miguel, reached a hand down and scratched it vigorously.

I hadn’t known it was possible for Zapper’s tail to wag any harder, but it did now.

Every part of me relaxed at the sight. These humans, or at least this one, were no threat. All of Crunch’s worries appeared to be for naught. I turned to say so.

And saw him bathed in a golden light, paws digging into the ground, ready to launch forward.

What in the name of dog was Crunch doing? Why would he—?

Realization hit me like a blast of cold water.

Everything Crunch had said before, everything he’d hinted at. His distaste for humans. His awakening. All of it. Even why we’d been weaving our way back and forth out of the city. Like we were looking for something.

Crunch had found what he was looking for.

I shot forward, but slowly. Too slow. Even with the Limber blessing still active, I only possessed a measly ten speed.

Not nearly enough.

Crunch blasted away, straight for the human. The man must have had preternatural senses, or else been enhanced by the system in some way, because he spun in Crunch’s direction as the dog flew at him. His hands came up, and a white glow appeared on his palms. He extended them forward—

And the Captain hit him like a tank rolling over a... well, anything, really. Miguel didn’t even have a chance to scream.

Blood exploded in all directions, painting the sidewalk red and leaving a slick shine to the pavement. Zapper leapt back, but still received a torrential blast across his side, staining his fur crimson. He let out a bark.

You have defeated user: Miguel (Basic) — Level 9

200 XP awarded.

No... I stumbled and came to a halt as the words passed across my eyes. Was this why Crunch had attacked? For experience? From a human?

Suddenly, I saw the dog’s levels—all of the pack’s levels—in a whole new light.

Crunch landed next to the human’s remains—little more than a steaming pile of meat now—and let out a howl of victory. [Alright everyone, its safe! Come on down, breakfast is served!]

Breakfast?

Oh. Oh no.

I stood frozen as Benjamin padded past without so much as a glance. Already, Zapper had leapt at the pile and was gnawing on something I thought might have been a leg bone. Crunch watched him with the same glowing expression I’d expect out of a parent watching their child play at the park.

If, y’know, children frequently batted and gnawed on human bones.

[It’s always a shock the first time.] Leeli appeared beside me. She stopped, and together we watched as Ben and Crunch joined Zapper at the feast, tearing into pieces of meat that until a moment ago had been a living, breathing human being. [But it’s not so bad once you get used to it. Better than eating that dry kibble we’ve got inside, that’s for sure.]

[But...] I grasped for the right words. Leeli turned and glanced at me, saying nothing.

[Why did Crunch kill him?] I finally managed. [The human hadn’t done anything to us! Why would he attack him?]

Leeli snorted. [You wanted to give him the chance to attack first? Humans aren’t trustworthy, Bubba.]

[Maybe. Maybe not. But... we need to be better than them, right? We can’t just attack without provocation. Without a reason.]

[Oh, Crunch had a reason.] When I glanced at Leeli, she just swung her nose towards the feast. [Scan him, or whatever you call it. You’ll see.]

I turned and concentrated on Crunch. A moment later, a box appeared.

User: Crunch

Level 7 Pit Fighter Canid

Okay? Was that what Leeli wanted me to see? It was the same information I already knew about our leader, and far less than pulling up his stat screen would have shown me.

Then, even as the message still hovered in front of me, it wavered. Changed.

User: Crunch

Level 8 Pit Fighter Canid

I stared, my brain still not comprehending. Or perhaps simply refusing to.

[We learned early on that you can get some experience killing a human, but you can get a lot MORE by eating them,] Leeli said, driving home the point my own mind was refusing to accept. [Monsters aren’t good to eat, but humans? They’re actually rather tasty. So why shouldn’t we attack them? Get them before they have the chance to get us and gain a bit of experience in the process. Isn’t that what you’ve been telling us we needed to do? Get stronger?]

[Yeah, but not like... Not...]

The little dog looked at me, her stare penetrating me to my core. [Don’t go getting all high and mighty on us, Bubba. We all know this isn’t your first time eating a human.]

[What are you talking about? I wouldn’t—]

I froze again. Because I remembered. I had eaten a human, before becoming like this. But how did Leeli know about that? I knew for a fact I’d never told anyone about what had happened at the shipyard. Not even Prometheus.

The little dog was already trotting away, towards the others. I followed, slowly, wanting to slink the entire way. Is this what it meant to belong to this pack? That I would need to kill—and eat—any humans we encountered? I wasn’t sure I could do that, no matter what I might have done before awakening.

Crunch turned at my approach. His lips pulled back into a grin, blood dripping from his muzzle. [There he is. I saved the best cut just for you. Who knows when we’ll get to feast like this again.]

[Um, thanks.] I stared at the raw chunk of flesh before me. My stomach churned. No matter what I did, I couldn’t make myself approach any closer to the body. To the... meat.

[Bubba? What’s wrong?] Crunch stared at me, his eyes pulling together into a frown. I dry-swallowed and tried to think of what to say.

I never got the chance. From somewhere nearby came a sudden hiccupping sob. It cut off immediately, but all of us froze in place.

My heart plummeted through the bottom of my ribcage. In all the chaos and shock, I’d forgotten something important.

There had been two blue dots.