Power of the Pack - Ch. 4
Title: Power of the Pack
Chapter: 4
Fandom: Road Rovers
Character(s): Blitz, Exile, Colleen
Genre: Family, friendship, drama, some action
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Road Rovers © Warner Bros
Notes: After somehow getting back into this nostalgic show from my childhood, I got this idea for a story based on something I noticed in the first episode. That, and I really wanted to write a story about my favorite character, Exile, anyway. And not really needing an excuse to write fanfics anyway, I went ahead and gave it a try. Enjoy.
Summary: He joined the Road Rovers without any hesitation. But even after all this time, he never forgot everything he had to give up.
[Chapter 3]
~*~*~*~
Even from where he stood, he could listen to the people discussing what would happen to the race now, and the judgment to postpone the race until a later date. Even if the Road Rovers managed to find the missing dogs, he heard them say, they wanted to let the dogs rest after an ordeal like this. The competition would have to wait.
So, in light of this decision, a majority of the people began to leave the racing site, and he managed to make out plans some people had of heading into one of the small towns some distance away. Eventually, the people who remained were the mushers of the missing teams and some of the race officials, who he vaguely realized still constituted a large number of the people.
Not that any of this really mattered to Blitz, who was still trying to keep warm. As a short-haired dog bred for a lean and muscular build, Dobermans were intolerable to cold weather; even as a cano-sapien, he was no exception. He hated going anywhere this cold! On missions like this, he spent more time miserably freezing than anything else, and he was lucky if he could hear anything over the chattering of his own teeth. Then again, the sound of any town nearby intrigued him. Maybe he could slip away into one of those towns and warm up for a while…
His ears twitched slightly when he heard a low grunting approach, and he watched as Muzzle somehow hopped towards him. The reason, Blitz knew, that the Rottweiler was often left behind during their wintry assignments was because the snow made it difficult to transport him around. They would if they had to, obviously, but there were usually some problems with snow getting caught in the stretcher's wheels.
Right on cue, as the crazed canine neared, an uneven patch of snow pitched the stretcher forward. Blitz's hand shot out, grabbing the handle and righting the other dog. Even if they still didn't like each other that much, their disadvantages on arctic missions meant they were stuck together often, and they had come to some sort of understanding…which usually meant that they left each other alone.
Except Muzzle was really annoying him right now, as the Rottweiler continued to hop around in front of him. He tried to ignore the other at first, but he was forced to look back when Muzzle growled at him.
"What?" he finally asked. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy trying not to freeze?"
Muzzle seemed to roll his eyes, but then began grunting again, though more urgently. Hopping once more, the restrained dog adjusted himself so his back was facing the Doberman. He bobbed his head forward; glancing back to make sure Blitz was paying attention.
Blitz gave him an irritated frown. It was hard enough to understand Shag's unintelligent mumbles sometimes, but he just gave up when it came to Muzzle. Though he knew that he wouldn't get any peace otherwise, he looked over in the direction Muzzle was pointing in.
There, Exile sat leaning against a tree with his head in his hands, and the German canine finally remembered the other Rover that was there too. The husky usually wasn't left behind with them during these kinds of operations, so it was no wonder Blitz forgot about him for a while. But even he could figure out why the leader made Exile stay behind, especially in the condition the other was in.
Uncertain about the purpose for this, Blitz glanced back at Muzzle, who seemed to be watching him expectantly.
"So?" he wondered as he shivered.
Muzzle grunted, motioning toward the husky again.
"Well, what do you expect me to do about it?"
The Rottweiler growled, deeper and louder than before, startling Blitz into leaping back. By now, he recognized the warning signs well enough to know when the crazed canine wanted to bite him.
"Okay, okay!" he conceded, holding his hands up in defense as he slowly backed away. "I'm going, I'm going…" He figured it would be safer than staying with Muzzle anyway.
But as he approached his injured teammate, he had no idea how he could help. In one of the rare moments when Colleen spoke to him, she mentioned to watch out for Exile because of his wounds, but she never said what to do about it. And he hadn't spoken to the husky since they were back at headquarters, mostly because he had no idea what to say. What could he do to make the other feel better?
Blitz felt so awkward just standing there, debating about what to do, that finally Exile just looked up at him with an irritated expression on his face. "What?" he snapped.
If it had been anyone else, Blitz probably would have backed down under the withering glare he was receiving. But he somehow knew that right now, Exile was really more bark than bite. Given the circumstances, he figured he would probably be the same way. Ignoring the attitude, he pushed on, "I just…uh…wanted to see if you…needed…anything…"
The anger quickly faded into surprise as Exile stared at him, blinking curious eyes. And even Blitz had to agree that it wasn't something he would say. So he folded his arms over his chest and added, "What? I can't offer to do something out of the goodness of my heart? I am such a nice guy, after all."
He expected - maybe even hoped - that the husky would make fun of him somehow; it would have been a normal exchange, and at least that way he could assume that his teammate was somewhat okay. But even though Exile didn't reply, the comment earned a sarcastic roll of the eyes, and Blitz grinned triumphantly. It was something, anyway.
Exile slowly rose to his feet, leaning heavily against the tree behind him for support. "I am fine," he finally said, a sigh trailing his words. Running fingers through the fur on his head, he winced as he brushed against the bandaged bump. "I am only needing a little more resting."
Blitz frowned as he looked over his injured teammate, certain that Exile needed more than he let on. "There's a town nearby, I think," he offered. "Maybe you should rest there, out of the cold."
"Bolshoi," Exile said. "Cold is not bothering me."
As a chilly wind blew overhead, Blitz shivered and hugged himself. "Well, it bothers me!" he complained through chattering teeth. "Can we please find somewhere warmer to wait?"
Rolling his eyes again, Exile shook his head. He understood why Blitz desperately wanted to get warmer, but they couldn't just leave. They had to be ready just in case Hunter and the others called and needed their help. Still, he felt a little sorry for Blitz and wondered if sitting in the jet would be enough to satisfy the Doberman.
Before he had a chance to voice his suggestion, however, Exile's ears perked up to a strange sound, faintly echoing against the snowy terrain. "You hear that?" he asked, turning toward the cluster of trees behind him.
"No," Blitz replied miserably, pulling his coat tighter around him.
Exile frowned, his ears twitching as he tried to get a better fix on the sound. All he could make out was a low rumble, but it sounded familiar somehow. It also seemed to be coming closer, and he soon felt the vibrations in the ground as it approached. Then, as he saw a large shadow looming towards them, his eyes widened.
"Look out!" he said, grabbing Blitz and shoving him out of the way. They both hit the snowy ground, narrowly avoiding the military-style truck that plowed through the trees behind them. The truck barely screeched to a halt when six cano-mutants jumped out from the covered truck bed, surrounding the Rovers before they had a chance to recover.
Clutching his injured shoulder and rising to his feet, Exile looked up and glared at the cano-mutants around them. Even through his hazy vision, he already knew that they were all mutated Siberian huskies, and he could feel the rush of anger through his blood as the image of the captured huskies on the truck flooded his mind. As he stared at the canine beasts around him and Blitz - guns ready to fire on command and trapping the Rovers between them and the truck - Exile couldn't help but wonder if any of these cano-mutants were the huskies he left behind only hours earlier.
The sound of the truck door opening and slamming shut drew Exile out of his thoughts, and the fur on his neck stood on end as he looked towards the Groomer. Every instinct in his body told him to simply strike her now, but the feeling of Blitz trembling slightly beside him kept him rooted to his spot. He knew he couldn't risk them both getting attacked from all sides just for a chance at the woman, no matter how much he wanted to.
"I wasn't expecting to find any of you Rovers back here," the woman sneered, placing her hands on her hips. "I assumed I had thrown you all off my tracks back in the forest."
"Oh really?" Blitz said as he cowered behind Exile. "Maybe you could let us go find the others, and we can pretend we never saw you."
Groomer rolled her eyes. "Actually, I think this is much better. What better way to test our new warriors than by getting rid of you weaker mutts?"
Blitz huffed indignantly, and even Exile was a little offended by the comment. "I am not weak!" the Doberman protested.
The woman laughed. "Of course," she retorted. "That's why you were left behind."
Exile growled and clenched his fists; her words really stabbed at him, especially because his current state was exactly why Hunter made him stay behind to begin with. Though it had bothered him at first, glancing at the group of cano-mutants around them reminded him why it was a necessary precaution. There were only six cano-mutants, but he was in no real condition to take them on. And though he knew Blitz could hold his own, the Doberman was sometimes unpredictable in risky situations that he could never tell if Blitz would fight or not.
He knew their best chance in this situation was Muzzle, who luckily was still unnoticed by their enemy. Looking past the wall of mutated huskies, he could just see Muzzle partially hidden by the jet. Unfortunately, to get to the Rottweiler, they would have to somehow get past the cano-mutants without getting hit by their laser guns. And while all the beastly dogs were much bigger than him and Blitz, the biggest one was the one directly between them and their fellow Rover.
Looking around quickly once more, he ran a hasty plan through his head. He would only have one shot, and he sincerely hoped that Blitz would understand what he was up to.
Exile barely had time to react when the Groomer suddenly snapped her fingers and the cano-mutants began firing at them; ignoring Blitz's surprised yelp, he pushed the German Rover forward as he jumped back and temporarily out of the lasers' target area. Red filled his vision as he fired a powerful heat beam at the large brown-and-black husky in front of them, causing the laser in its hands to explode and send it falling back into the ground.
Seeing the hole in the cano-mutant wall, Blitz needed no prompting as he scrambled to his feet and made a run for it. The other soldiers aimed to fire at him, but Exile was quicker as he shot at the rest of the lasers guns. The larger canines promptly dropped their weapons when they were hit with the heat beams, stunned long enough for Exile to spring to his feet and hurry after Blitz, who was already heading for the jet and Muzzle.
Unfortunately, Exile didn't get very far before he was tackled hard from the side, and his head spun as he was pinned to the snowy ground by one of the other cano-mutants. Trying to shake off some of the dizziness, he somehow managed to focus on the bi-colored eyes of the black-and-white mutant husky over him. And, though it was hard to be sure with the canine's fierce expression, the cano-mutant's eyes narrowed and it seemed to glare down at him.
"You…!" the cano-mutant snarled, its razor teeth clenched tightly as it spoke.
Exile's eyes widened slightly. They had never heard any of the cano-mutants speak before, and he'd always assumed that they couldn't. The rough voice that the dog beast used to speak made it sound as ferocious as it looked, but something about the way it said that one word made Exile feel nervous somehow.
"I am liking it better when you don't talk," he quipped, kicking the cano-mutant off him as he flipped onto his feet. The canine soldier flew back and into a tree, and Exile turned to run as the other mutated huskies ran over to help it. With them distracted, maybe he could release Muzzle while Blitz could call Hunter and the others back…
"Exilo…"
Exile stopped in his tracks, his fur bristling as ice ran down his spine. Slowly turning back to the cano-mutants, he watched as the black-and-white husky was helped to its feet by the others, staring intensely at him with a fire in its blue and brown eyes. Of course Exile had noticed those eyes before, but he didn't think much of it since the bi-eye color was normal of huskies. Except now he realized that the cano-mutant was also missing an ear - and that shouldn't mean anything, but to Exile's memories it did… Plus no one ever called him by his real name…except…
"Shurik…?" he whispered, forcing the name out around the sudden lump in his throat. He had to be wrong, it just couldn't be…
The black-and-white cano-mutant bared its teeth in a half-smirk, half-scowl. "Da, mAlen'kijj brat," it - Shurik - replied in a low growl. Gesturing to the other cano-mutants with his hands, he added, "How easily it seems that you have forgotten your family since you left…"
"Family?" Exile repeated, his eyes widening as he looked at the rest of the mutated huskies. The other cano-mutants stood beside and slightly behind their leader, and as Exile gazed at each one, he began to recognize the dogs he once knew within the beasts they were transformed into. "Anushka, Ilya, Eva, Danya, Star…you are all…you're all here?"
"Of course," Shurik snorted. "We are always staying together, no matter what. You used to know that…until you abandon us."
Exile opened his mouth to reply, but his voice refused to cooperate. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest, sending a sudden rush of blood through his body and leaving him feeling slightly lightheaded. This…this couldn't be happening…His entire family was captured by Parvo…? How long have they been…?
"Exile, what are you doing?!" Blitz called, jarring him out of his shock. "Hurry up and get over here!"
"What are you all waiting for?!" the Groomer suddenly snapped, drawing the cano-mutants' attention. "Destroy the Rovers…now!"
All the huskies turned back to look at each other. Exile hesitated; the cano-mutants didn't.
Two of the cano-mutants charged forward, and Exile stumbled backwards, barely avoiding their blows. But the smaller of the two quickly rushed for him again, swiping sharp claws against his thick coat. It swung at him again, but Exile caught the cano-mutant's arm as he stared at the white husky that stood over him.
"Star!" he gasped, wincing as he fought to keep the other from overpowering him. Pain shot down his left arm, and he knew he couldn't hold against her for very long in his state. Mustering up all his strength, he pushed her back and into Shurik who stood behind her.
Nearby he heard Blitz scream, and Exile saw the other cano-mutants chase after him and Muzzle. He knew he had to help his teammates, but against his family…? Shaking his head slightly, he fired a light ice beam at the four canine beasts and trapped them in ice. Knowing that the ice wouldn't hold them long, he hurried to where Blitz stood to catch his breath.
"It's about time," Blitz grumbled. "I thought you were wimping out on me or something."
Exile decided to ignore that comment. "We need to call the others."
"I already did, and they're coming back…But isn't there something else we can do in the meantime? Something that might save us?" As Blitz spoke he gestured to Muzzle, who fought against his restraints in eager anticipation.
Hesitating slightly, Exile rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away. He didn't really understand why Blitz never wanted to be the one to remove Muzzle's mask, but in this case he was glad for it. Shaking his head, he finally answered, "We can't."
"What are you talking about?" Blitz asked, gaping at the other Rover. "Why can't we?"
Before Exile could respond, the thunder of a roar echoed around them, and they turned to see the frozen cano-mutants breaking out of their icy prisons. Joined by the other two members, the six canine beasts then set their sights on the Rovers. Blitz and Muzzle both looked at Exile expectantly, but he ignored them and kept his focus ahead of him.
Suddenly darkness covered the area around them, and they all looked up to see a metal ship hovering overhead. With a disappointed sigh, Groomer reached into the driver's seat of the truck and pulled out large missile launcher. "Looks like we're gonna have to cut this short, Rovers," she announced, setting the weapon on her shoulder.
Before she had a chance to fire, however, the Tank Rover came barreling through the trees and slid to a stop behind the three heroes. The door fell open and revealed the remaining members of the team, standing ready to fight.
"What's your hurry?" Hunter asked with a grin. "Don't you wanna play?"
The woman smirked. "Normally I'd love to," she replied, "but we're a little behind the General's schedule." She turned her back to them, looking over her shoulder. "But don't worry, we can play later…if you survive." She raised the launcher and pulled the trigger, firing a missile that sailed away from them and towards the mountain.
The bomb exploded against the alp, sending a tremor through the earth that the Rovers felt from where they stood. Then the snow at the peak began to rumble and plummet down the slope in a thunderous white wave.
"She started an avalanche!" Colleen gasped.
Laughing at her handiwork, the Groomer jumped back into the truck as a yellow ray of light shone down from the metal ship above. Whistling to the cano-mutants, she called, "Time to go, kids!"
The canine soldiers hurried back into the truck, jumping into the covered truck bed as it began to lift off the ground. The last one was Shurik, who simply grabbed hold of the tarp as he stood outside against the truck door. Exile watched, his heart painfully pounding against his chest as he caught Shurik's gaze; concerned ice-blue barely able to meet the furious brown-and-blue that stared back. Then he was gone as the truck disappeared within the escaping ship.
"Should we go after 'em?" Colleen wondered.
Taking a quick look around, Hunter finally noticed the people who still lingered, hiding since the Groomer first arrived. "No time," he responded. "We gotta get these people outta here, fast." Thinking for just a moment, he turned to Colleen and Shag. "You two get everyone into the jet."
Exile frowned as he watched the two of them follow orders. "But, Hunter," he said, "there isn't enough room to be fitting everyone."
"I know." Hunter glanced toward the rapidly approaching rush of snow. "You ever been in an avalanche, Exile?"
Realizing what the other meant, Exile looked to where the Tank Rover was parked. "No," he admitted, "but I believe I am still remembering what to do."
Hunter followed his gaze, nodding in approval. "Good enough for me. Get Muzzle inside," he directed.
As Exile went to do as he was told, Shag and Colleen returned. "Everyone's all set," the collie reported.
"All right," Hunter said as he ran the scenario through his mind one last time. "Colleen, take the jet and get everyone to safety. Shag and Blitz, you guys with me in the Tank Rover."
Shag whimpered a nervous question, glancing between Hunter and the Tank Rover.
"We're gonna wait out the avalanche," the leader replied casually.
"Are you crazy?" Blitz said. "You expect us to just sit and let thousands of pounds of snow bury us in a small metal death trap?!"
Hunter shrugged. "It's either that, or you can sit outside the Tank Rover."
Blitz and Shag looked at each other anxiously before glancing up at the surging snow. Then they both hurried and ran for the Tank Rover.
Colleen turned to the leader, watching him with a worried frown. "Hunter…" she said softly.
"You better get going," Hunter declared, rather calm despite the situation as he kept his focus on the coming avalanche.
She hesitated. "You guys can't just -"
"Sure we can," Hunter argued with a shrug, finally facing her. "We have to get those people to safety, no matter what. Besides, the selfless-hero thing is what we do."
The comment didn't seem to reassure Colleen, so Hunter gave her a small grin. "We'll be fine," he promised, placing his hand on her shoulder. With a small pat, he then gently nudged her toward the jet. "Now hurry and get going."
She didn't have a chance to answer as Hunter then turned and ran for the Tank Rover where the others were waiting. Looking towards the rushing avalanche and knowing there was no time left to waste, she headed back to the jet. As she stepped inside, the doors closed with an ominous hiss behind her.
"'Scuse me, comin' through," Colleen said as she pushed her way through the small group of people to the front of the aircraft. Even though most of the people involved in the sled race had left, there were still enough to crowd the ship, and many were forced to stand.
As soon as she sat down, she turned the ignition key and flipped several switches that brought the jet to life with a rumbling roar. With a last glance towards the Tank Rover, she tightened her grip on the wheel. "Hang on," she warned. A sudden jolt interrupted any answer the people had, and the jet lifted from the ground.
But even as the jet rose into the air, Colleen could still feel the tremor of the earth from the oncoming snowy flood. When she felt they were a safe distance away, she allowed herself to glance down and watched, helpless, as the Tank Rover was buried beneath the avalanche.
TBC
[Chapter 5]
Chapter: 4
Fandom: Road Rovers
Character(s): Blitz, Exile, Colleen
Genre: Family, friendship, drama, some action
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Road Rovers © Warner Bros
Notes: After somehow getting back into this nostalgic show from my childhood, I got this idea for a story based on something I noticed in the first episode. That, and I really wanted to write a story about my favorite character, Exile, anyway. And not really needing an excuse to write fanfics anyway, I went ahead and gave it a try. Enjoy.
Summary: He joined the Road Rovers without any hesitation. But even after all this time, he never forgot everything he had to give up.
[Chapter 3]
~*~*~*~
Even from where he stood, he could listen to the people discussing what would happen to the race now, and the judgment to postpone the race until a later date. Even if the Road Rovers managed to find the missing dogs, he heard them say, they wanted to let the dogs rest after an ordeal like this. The competition would have to wait.
So, in light of this decision, a majority of the people began to leave the racing site, and he managed to make out plans some people had of heading into one of the small towns some distance away. Eventually, the people who remained were the mushers of the missing teams and some of the race officials, who he vaguely realized still constituted a large number of the people.
Not that any of this really mattered to Blitz, who was still trying to keep warm. As a short-haired dog bred for a lean and muscular build, Dobermans were intolerable to cold weather; even as a cano-sapien, he was no exception. He hated going anywhere this cold! On missions like this, he spent more time miserably freezing than anything else, and he was lucky if he could hear anything over the chattering of his own teeth. Then again, the sound of any town nearby intrigued him. Maybe he could slip away into one of those towns and warm up for a while…
His ears twitched slightly when he heard a low grunting approach, and he watched as Muzzle somehow hopped towards him. The reason, Blitz knew, that the Rottweiler was often left behind during their wintry assignments was because the snow made it difficult to transport him around. They would if they had to, obviously, but there were usually some problems with snow getting caught in the stretcher's wheels.
Right on cue, as the crazed canine neared, an uneven patch of snow pitched the stretcher forward. Blitz's hand shot out, grabbing the handle and righting the other dog. Even if they still didn't like each other that much, their disadvantages on arctic missions meant they were stuck together often, and they had come to some sort of understanding…which usually meant that they left each other alone.
Except Muzzle was really annoying him right now, as the Rottweiler continued to hop around in front of him. He tried to ignore the other at first, but he was forced to look back when Muzzle growled at him.
"What?" he finally asked. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy trying not to freeze?"
Muzzle seemed to roll his eyes, but then began grunting again, though more urgently. Hopping once more, the restrained dog adjusted himself so his back was facing the Doberman. He bobbed his head forward; glancing back to make sure Blitz was paying attention.
Blitz gave him an irritated frown. It was hard enough to understand Shag's unintelligent mumbles sometimes, but he just gave up when it came to Muzzle. Though he knew that he wouldn't get any peace otherwise, he looked over in the direction Muzzle was pointing in.
There, Exile sat leaning against a tree with his head in his hands, and the German canine finally remembered the other Rover that was there too. The husky usually wasn't left behind with them during these kinds of operations, so it was no wonder Blitz forgot about him for a while. But even he could figure out why the leader made Exile stay behind, especially in the condition the other was in.
Uncertain about the purpose for this, Blitz glanced back at Muzzle, who seemed to be watching him expectantly.
"So?" he wondered as he shivered.
Muzzle grunted, motioning toward the husky again.
"Well, what do you expect me to do about it?"
The Rottweiler growled, deeper and louder than before, startling Blitz into leaping back. By now, he recognized the warning signs well enough to know when the crazed canine wanted to bite him.
"Okay, okay!" he conceded, holding his hands up in defense as he slowly backed away. "I'm going, I'm going…" He figured it would be safer than staying with Muzzle anyway.
But as he approached his injured teammate, he had no idea how he could help. In one of the rare moments when Colleen spoke to him, she mentioned to watch out for Exile because of his wounds, but she never said what to do about it. And he hadn't spoken to the husky since they were back at headquarters, mostly because he had no idea what to say. What could he do to make the other feel better?
Blitz felt so awkward just standing there, debating about what to do, that finally Exile just looked up at him with an irritated expression on his face. "What?" he snapped.
If it had been anyone else, Blitz probably would have backed down under the withering glare he was receiving. But he somehow knew that right now, Exile was really more bark than bite. Given the circumstances, he figured he would probably be the same way. Ignoring the attitude, he pushed on, "I just…uh…wanted to see if you…needed…anything…"
The anger quickly faded into surprise as Exile stared at him, blinking curious eyes. And even Blitz had to agree that it wasn't something he would say. So he folded his arms over his chest and added, "What? I can't offer to do something out of the goodness of my heart? I am such a nice guy, after all."
He expected - maybe even hoped - that the husky would make fun of him somehow; it would have been a normal exchange, and at least that way he could assume that his teammate was somewhat okay. But even though Exile didn't reply, the comment earned a sarcastic roll of the eyes, and Blitz grinned triumphantly. It was something, anyway.
Exile slowly rose to his feet, leaning heavily against the tree behind him for support. "I am fine," he finally said, a sigh trailing his words. Running fingers through the fur on his head, he winced as he brushed against the bandaged bump. "I am only needing a little more resting."
Blitz frowned as he looked over his injured teammate, certain that Exile needed more than he let on. "There's a town nearby, I think," he offered. "Maybe you should rest there, out of the cold."
"Bolshoi," Exile said. "Cold is not bothering me."
As a chilly wind blew overhead, Blitz shivered and hugged himself. "Well, it bothers me!" he complained through chattering teeth. "Can we please find somewhere warmer to wait?"
Rolling his eyes again, Exile shook his head. He understood why Blitz desperately wanted to get warmer, but they couldn't just leave. They had to be ready just in case Hunter and the others called and needed their help. Still, he felt a little sorry for Blitz and wondered if sitting in the jet would be enough to satisfy the Doberman.
Before he had a chance to voice his suggestion, however, Exile's ears perked up to a strange sound, faintly echoing against the snowy terrain. "You hear that?" he asked, turning toward the cluster of trees behind him.
"No," Blitz replied miserably, pulling his coat tighter around him.
Exile frowned, his ears twitching as he tried to get a better fix on the sound. All he could make out was a low rumble, but it sounded familiar somehow. It also seemed to be coming closer, and he soon felt the vibrations in the ground as it approached. Then, as he saw a large shadow looming towards them, his eyes widened.
"Look out!" he said, grabbing Blitz and shoving him out of the way. They both hit the snowy ground, narrowly avoiding the military-style truck that plowed through the trees behind them. The truck barely screeched to a halt when six cano-mutants jumped out from the covered truck bed, surrounding the Rovers before they had a chance to recover.
Clutching his injured shoulder and rising to his feet, Exile looked up and glared at the cano-mutants around them. Even through his hazy vision, he already knew that they were all mutated Siberian huskies, and he could feel the rush of anger through his blood as the image of the captured huskies on the truck flooded his mind. As he stared at the canine beasts around him and Blitz - guns ready to fire on command and trapping the Rovers between them and the truck - Exile couldn't help but wonder if any of these cano-mutants were the huskies he left behind only hours earlier.
The sound of the truck door opening and slamming shut drew Exile out of his thoughts, and the fur on his neck stood on end as he looked towards the Groomer. Every instinct in his body told him to simply strike her now, but the feeling of Blitz trembling slightly beside him kept him rooted to his spot. He knew he couldn't risk them both getting attacked from all sides just for a chance at the woman, no matter how much he wanted to.
"I wasn't expecting to find any of you Rovers back here," the woman sneered, placing her hands on her hips. "I assumed I had thrown you all off my tracks back in the forest."
"Oh really?" Blitz said as he cowered behind Exile. "Maybe you could let us go find the others, and we can pretend we never saw you."
Groomer rolled her eyes. "Actually, I think this is much better. What better way to test our new warriors than by getting rid of you weaker mutts?"
Blitz huffed indignantly, and even Exile was a little offended by the comment. "I am not weak!" the Doberman protested.
The woman laughed. "Of course," she retorted. "That's why you were left behind."
Exile growled and clenched his fists; her words really stabbed at him, especially because his current state was exactly why Hunter made him stay behind to begin with. Though it had bothered him at first, glancing at the group of cano-mutants around them reminded him why it was a necessary precaution. There were only six cano-mutants, but he was in no real condition to take them on. And though he knew Blitz could hold his own, the Doberman was sometimes unpredictable in risky situations that he could never tell if Blitz would fight or not.
He knew their best chance in this situation was Muzzle, who luckily was still unnoticed by their enemy. Looking past the wall of mutated huskies, he could just see Muzzle partially hidden by the jet. Unfortunately, to get to the Rottweiler, they would have to somehow get past the cano-mutants without getting hit by their laser guns. And while all the beastly dogs were much bigger than him and Blitz, the biggest one was the one directly between them and their fellow Rover.
Looking around quickly once more, he ran a hasty plan through his head. He would only have one shot, and he sincerely hoped that Blitz would understand what he was up to.
Exile barely had time to react when the Groomer suddenly snapped her fingers and the cano-mutants began firing at them; ignoring Blitz's surprised yelp, he pushed the German Rover forward as he jumped back and temporarily out of the lasers' target area. Red filled his vision as he fired a powerful heat beam at the large brown-and-black husky in front of them, causing the laser in its hands to explode and send it falling back into the ground.
Seeing the hole in the cano-mutant wall, Blitz needed no prompting as he scrambled to his feet and made a run for it. The other soldiers aimed to fire at him, but Exile was quicker as he shot at the rest of the lasers guns. The larger canines promptly dropped their weapons when they were hit with the heat beams, stunned long enough for Exile to spring to his feet and hurry after Blitz, who was already heading for the jet and Muzzle.
Unfortunately, Exile didn't get very far before he was tackled hard from the side, and his head spun as he was pinned to the snowy ground by one of the other cano-mutants. Trying to shake off some of the dizziness, he somehow managed to focus on the bi-colored eyes of the black-and-white mutant husky over him. And, though it was hard to be sure with the canine's fierce expression, the cano-mutant's eyes narrowed and it seemed to glare down at him.
"You…!" the cano-mutant snarled, its razor teeth clenched tightly as it spoke.
Exile's eyes widened slightly. They had never heard any of the cano-mutants speak before, and he'd always assumed that they couldn't. The rough voice that the dog beast used to speak made it sound as ferocious as it looked, but something about the way it said that one word made Exile feel nervous somehow.
"I am liking it better when you don't talk," he quipped, kicking the cano-mutant off him as he flipped onto his feet. The canine soldier flew back and into a tree, and Exile turned to run as the other mutated huskies ran over to help it. With them distracted, maybe he could release Muzzle while Blitz could call Hunter and the others back…
"Exilo…"
Exile stopped in his tracks, his fur bristling as ice ran down his spine. Slowly turning back to the cano-mutants, he watched as the black-and-white husky was helped to its feet by the others, staring intensely at him with a fire in its blue and brown eyes. Of course Exile had noticed those eyes before, but he didn't think much of it since the bi-eye color was normal of huskies. Except now he realized that the cano-mutant was also missing an ear - and that shouldn't mean anything, but to Exile's memories it did… Plus no one ever called him by his real name…except…
"Shurik…?" he whispered, forcing the name out around the sudden lump in his throat. He had to be wrong, it just couldn't be…
The black-and-white cano-mutant bared its teeth in a half-smirk, half-scowl. "Da, mAlen'kijj brat," it - Shurik - replied in a low growl. Gesturing to the other cano-mutants with his hands, he added, "How easily it seems that you have forgotten your family since you left…"
"Family?" Exile repeated, his eyes widening as he looked at the rest of the mutated huskies. The other cano-mutants stood beside and slightly behind their leader, and as Exile gazed at each one, he began to recognize the dogs he once knew within the beasts they were transformed into. "Anushka, Ilya, Eva, Danya, Star…you are all…you're all here?"
"Of course," Shurik snorted. "We are always staying together, no matter what. You used to know that…until you abandon us."
Exile opened his mouth to reply, but his voice refused to cooperate. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest, sending a sudden rush of blood through his body and leaving him feeling slightly lightheaded. This…this couldn't be happening…His entire family was captured by Parvo…? How long have they been…?
"Exile, what are you doing?!" Blitz called, jarring him out of his shock. "Hurry up and get over here!"
"What are you all waiting for?!" the Groomer suddenly snapped, drawing the cano-mutants' attention. "Destroy the Rovers…now!"
All the huskies turned back to look at each other. Exile hesitated; the cano-mutants didn't.
Two of the cano-mutants charged forward, and Exile stumbled backwards, barely avoiding their blows. But the smaller of the two quickly rushed for him again, swiping sharp claws against his thick coat. It swung at him again, but Exile caught the cano-mutant's arm as he stared at the white husky that stood over him.
"Star!" he gasped, wincing as he fought to keep the other from overpowering him. Pain shot down his left arm, and he knew he couldn't hold against her for very long in his state. Mustering up all his strength, he pushed her back and into Shurik who stood behind her.
Nearby he heard Blitz scream, and Exile saw the other cano-mutants chase after him and Muzzle. He knew he had to help his teammates, but against his family…? Shaking his head slightly, he fired a light ice beam at the four canine beasts and trapped them in ice. Knowing that the ice wouldn't hold them long, he hurried to where Blitz stood to catch his breath.
"It's about time," Blitz grumbled. "I thought you were wimping out on me or something."
Exile decided to ignore that comment. "We need to call the others."
"I already did, and they're coming back…But isn't there something else we can do in the meantime? Something that might save us?" As Blitz spoke he gestured to Muzzle, who fought against his restraints in eager anticipation.
Hesitating slightly, Exile rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away. He didn't really understand why Blitz never wanted to be the one to remove Muzzle's mask, but in this case he was glad for it. Shaking his head, he finally answered, "We can't."
"What are you talking about?" Blitz asked, gaping at the other Rover. "Why can't we?"
Before Exile could respond, the thunder of a roar echoed around them, and they turned to see the frozen cano-mutants breaking out of their icy prisons. Joined by the other two members, the six canine beasts then set their sights on the Rovers. Blitz and Muzzle both looked at Exile expectantly, but he ignored them and kept his focus ahead of him.
Suddenly darkness covered the area around them, and they all looked up to see a metal ship hovering overhead. With a disappointed sigh, Groomer reached into the driver's seat of the truck and pulled out large missile launcher. "Looks like we're gonna have to cut this short, Rovers," she announced, setting the weapon on her shoulder.
Before she had a chance to fire, however, the Tank Rover came barreling through the trees and slid to a stop behind the three heroes. The door fell open and revealed the remaining members of the team, standing ready to fight.
"What's your hurry?" Hunter asked with a grin. "Don't you wanna play?"
The woman smirked. "Normally I'd love to," she replied, "but we're a little behind the General's schedule." She turned her back to them, looking over her shoulder. "But don't worry, we can play later…if you survive." She raised the launcher and pulled the trigger, firing a missile that sailed away from them and towards the mountain.
The bomb exploded against the alp, sending a tremor through the earth that the Rovers felt from where they stood. Then the snow at the peak began to rumble and plummet down the slope in a thunderous white wave.
"She started an avalanche!" Colleen gasped.
Laughing at her handiwork, the Groomer jumped back into the truck as a yellow ray of light shone down from the metal ship above. Whistling to the cano-mutants, she called, "Time to go, kids!"
The canine soldiers hurried back into the truck, jumping into the covered truck bed as it began to lift off the ground. The last one was Shurik, who simply grabbed hold of the tarp as he stood outside against the truck door. Exile watched, his heart painfully pounding against his chest as he caught Shurik's gaze; concerned ice-blue barely able to meet the furious brown-and-blue that stared back. Then he was gone as the truck disappeared within the escaping ship.
"Should we go after 'em?" Colleen wondered.
Taking a quick look around, Hunter finally noticed the people who still lingered, hiding since the Groomer first arrived. "No time," he responded. "We gotta get these people outta here, fast." Thinking for just a moment, he turned to Colleen and Shag. "You two get everyone into the jet."
Exile frowned as he watched the two of them follow orders. "But, Hunter," he said, "there isn't enough room to be fitting everyone."
"I know." Hunter glanced toward the rapidly approaching rush of snow. "You ever been in an avalanche, Exile?"
Realizing what the other meant, Exile looked to where the Tank Rover was parked. "No," he admitted, "but I believe I am still remembering what to do."
Hunter followed his gaze, nodding in approval. "Good enough for me. Get Muzzle inside," he directed.
As Exile went to do as he was told, Shag and Colleen returned. "Everyone's all set," the collie reported.
"All right," Hunter said as he ran the scenario through his mind one last time. "Colleen, take the jet and get everyone to safety. Shag and Blitz, you guys with me in the Tank Rover."
Shag whimpered a nervous question, glancing between Hunter and the Tank Rover.
"We're gonna wait out the avalanche," the leader replied casually.
"Are you crazy?" Blitz said. "You expect us to just sit and let thousands of pounds of snow bury us in a small metal death trap?!"
Hunter shrugged. "It's either that, or you can sit outside the Tank Rover."
Blitz and Shag looked at each other anxiously before glancing up at the surging snow. Then they both hurried and ran for the Tank Rover.
Colleen turned to the leader, watching him with a worried frown. "Hunter…" she said softly.
"You better get going," Hunter declared, rather calm despite the situation as he kept his focus on the coming avalanche.
She hesitated. "You guys can't just -"
"Sure we can," Hunter argued with a shrug, finally facing her. "We have to get those people to safety, no matter what. Besides, the selfless-hero thing is what we do."
The comment didn't seem to reassure Colleen, so Hunter gave her a small grin. "We'll be fine," he promised, placing his hand on her shoulder. With a small pat, he then gently nudged her toward the jet. "Now hurry and get going."
She didn't have a chance to answer as Hunter then turned and ran for the Tank Rover where the others were waiting. Looking towards the rushing avalanche and knowing there was no time left to waste, she headed back to the jet. As she stepped inside, the doors closed with an ominous hiss behind her.
"'Scuse me, comin' through," Colleen said as she pushed her way through the small group of people to the front of the aircraft. Even though most of the people involved in the sled race had left, there were still enough to crowd the ship, and many were forced to stand.
As soon as she sat down, she turned the ignition key and flipped several switches that brought the jet to life with a rumbling roar. With a last glance towards the Tank Rover, she tightened her grip on the wheel. "Hang on," she warned. A sudden jolt interrupted any answer the people had, and the jet lifted from the ground.
But even as the jet rose into the air, Colleen could still feel the tremor of the earth from the oncoming snowy flood. When she felt they were a safe distance away, she allowed herself to glance down and watched, helpless, as the Tank Rover was buried beneath the avalanche.
TBC
[Chapter 5]