Repliwolves

Part One: The Laboratory

"Is this a joke? You want me to fight Mr. Spiky-Haired Shiny here?" Heart demanded. Dr. Far's voice echoed over the loudspeakers. "Actually number M-49, Axl, is here to see how you fight.

Axl, the named clicked inside Heart's head. Of course! He'd heard of Axl! A member of the Maverick Hunters! But why was he here to see Heart? Quick and Spear were much better at fighting than he was.

There was a click as the door on the right side of the chamber opened. A bedraggled Repliwolf staggered out. Heart knew why she was acting so strange. Poison mentioned a rumor about some Repliwolves being used to test the Maverick Virus. Now, he could see the rumor was true.

Heart half expected her leap at him and try biting and clawing his neck. To his surprise, she launched herself at Axl. The Maverick Hunter didn't whip out any weapons or even put his fists up. He held his hands out and tried to reason with the Repliwolf. She would not be calmed however. She kept pushing him down and snapping at his energy crystal.

Heart growled and took a step towards the scuffle. The Repliwolf froze in her position and snarled. Her teeth dribbled saliva and Heart did his best not to throw up. He assumed a high dominance display, tail held straight, ears shoved forward. The Repliwolf got off of Axl. He was no longer her concern. All she wanted now, was for Heart to back off.

She took a step closer, then lunged forward. Heart ducked under her stomach and snapped his teeth shut on her tail. The Repliwolf howled and swung her head around. Heart felt pain sear through him as she grabbed his leg, pulled it towards her and bit down.

Heart knew he had only a matter of time before she could reach his neck and slice of open, exposing vulnerable wires. He twisted around clamped his teeth around her throat. She wailed and let go of him. The doors slammed shut as she bolted through them. The automated voice came over the loud speakers. "Training Sequence Concluded. Score: 97%," it said.

Axl stood up and brushed himself off. "Well done M-49. Let's say you have my attention. Let's talk." The

Heart led Axl through the laboratory. As time passed, it became easier to talk the Maverick Hunter. Much to Heart's surprise, Axl was friendlier then he expected. Cracking jokes, pulling puns and laughing when Heart mentioned Quick nearly spilling a vat of DNA. "I don't think he intended to, you know, drop it, but it was his face that got me. Wide eyes, jaw dropped, fur tuft completely white with shock. It was hilarious," Heart continued, chuckling slightly.

Ask smiled back, his bright green eyes were warm and friendly. Then he hesitated, as if he was afraid Heart would find what he said next insulting. "I find it strange how you Repliwolves call each other proper names and the scientists won't even call you them once," he said. "Don't you?" Heart didn't know what to say . That Repliwolves weren't given names due to risk of attachment? How he and his brothers had been kept in separate cages for the first few weeks and had no way of communicating? That the scientists didn't really care whether or not the Repliwolves had given each other names?

"We don't think the scientists gave us numbers because they hate us. I guess if one of us dies, then no one will feel sorry for what they've done." Heart finally answered. "How and when we started giving each other names, I don't know."

Heart went on to explain how they could possibly give a Repliwolf a name. How sometimes it was a physical attribute, a part of what they knew of the world or an emotion they often express. "I'm called Heart because I care deeply for others. I'm practically the leader here. Spear got his name because of his sharp personality and his claws. Quick is called Quick because he's much faster then anyone else," he finished.

Axl's eyes were wide with awe. His hands were loose at his sides. He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. Heart's ears pricked. There were screams from down the hallway. "Oh no," Heart muttered. "Oh no what?" Axl asked.

"That's my brother Spear and a close acquaintance of mine." Heart replied. He trotted down the hall and into a room. Inside were Spear, Poison, Fidget and Quick. As usual Spear and Poison were arguing, but unlike the usual, this was out of control. Each side was trying to prove their point and created a big fuss when the other didn't agree. Fidget was curled up in a corner paws over his ears, with Quick doing his best to comfort him.

"What's going on here?" Heart demanded. Spear and Poison stopped mid yell. Poison looked away, ashamed of himself. Spear maintain eye contact and stared back defiantly.

"I repeat, what is going on?" Heart said in a more stern voice. It was Fidget who spoke next. "Poison says he's found some reploids willing to help us escape, he was trying to convince Quick to come and well...Spear caught him right in the middle of it," he explained in a shaky voice.

Heart eyed Spear angrily. Waving his tail, he beckoned his brother into the hall. Outside, Axl was waiting. "Spear, this is Axl, he's here to monitor us and see if we would make good Maverick Hunters." Heart growled. Spear rolled his eyes and Axl looked slightly offended. Heart raised a paw and smacked Spear's muzzle. "Watch the sass man!" Heart snarled.

Axl went on explaining his goal to allow Repliwolves into the Maverick Hunter force and afterwards, promptly left.

Heart shot Spear a look before stalking into his room. Before entering, he caught Poison's eye and could just make out one sentence. "You won't be so angry when we do escape from here with my new friends." Poison whispered quietly. Heart felt his claws go cold. He had a feeling there was trouble ahead.