Zadolt | Male | Australian/German Shepherd mix | Foxtrot | 28 | Mentions: Hero, Kordelas, Kampe

He growled at her first sentence. He didn't want a rank that made people call him a number. If it would make the culls call him by his name, he'd be fine with having no rank. And this sentence opened his eyes. He no longer saw his sister, someone that was just as much a slave to Beta as he was. Instead, he saw the Chief Cull as everyone else saw her; a loyal, cunning follower of Beta. Saw how she, unlike him, did not fight Beta, but embraced her programming, and the apathy it gave her. She wishes you didn’t tell her you were siblings, She wishes she never knew, You shouldn't have told her. He thought despondently to himself. She didn’t care if he lived or died. Well, then, he would learn to not care either. And even if he didn’t learn not to care, he’d lie and put on an act, starting now.

“You know what? It doesn’t even matter. Call me what you want. I can’t be bothered to care anymore. What you call me doesn’t matter. It's just another lie in your twisted game.” His voice was bitter, with an undercurrent of some emotion he couldn’t understand, and frankly didn’t want to understand.

When Hero spoke, he only looked at him for a moment and snorted at his apology to Hoffen. “I wouldn’t bother apologizing to Him. He’s just another piece of metal. And if you really want to leave Kilo, so be it. I ain’t stopping you. But I’ll give you a word of advice: To Kampe, everything is just another piece of the game. She doesn’t feel anything, so don’t delude yourself into thinking she’s like you, because she’s just metal and wires. I know many dogs have this illusion.”

He paused, and cocked his head. “So, I’m going to guess you won't let me leave peacefully. Am I correct?” His voice was detached, making it seem he already knew what was going to happen. In a way, he did. There was protocol for destroying a rebellion, but he hadn't bothered paying attention to it.

Anfall | Female | Amstaff/Plott hound/wolf | Bravo Wolfblood | 21 | M: Adiv, Sabre

Anfall almost winced at the small dog's innocence. His time in Foxtrot and Bravo clearly wasn't going to go well. Sabre spoke, and the image of those metal creatures once dogs nearly brought a snarl to her face. How dare Beta rip lives away from these canines. It was difficult to imagine Kämpe as a dog, a soldier, a follower. Anfall had seen the flickers of dog within Hoffen. He was a cull that could be followed by respect, not fear. But try as she might, Anfall saw not canine in those cold blue eyes of Kämpe. She was a creature far beyond saving.

Anfall inclined her head to the small dog.

"Don't give in, don't give up. That's the trick to surviving here. That's it."

Anfall released a breath in her lungs, almost a sigh. The russet brown female lowered herself to the ground, chin resting on the cold concrete. She didn't care, at this point. She was going to sleep, and no one was stopping her.

"Sleep tight, don't let the Culls bite," she muttered, a routine phrase for her. And the world faded away into darkness.

Kämpe | Female | Chief Cull (GSD Kangal cross) | 24 | M: Hoffen, Hero, Zadolt, Kordelas

Hero's words comfirmed what Kämpe had assumed to be true. There was another dog, hiding in the shadows, along with Twenty-Eight. And those two were simply curious wanderers, lacking any sort of back up force. The fools were undisciplined, sneaking out, which assured the Cull that, even if an attack was orchestrated, it would be no match for the well-trained regiments of Beta. Kämpe didn't waste her time looking down at the dog beneath her, but she felt him shift. His next words, however, made the Chief's cold eyes narrow.

Hoffen.

She would have recognized this dog had he been in the most recent skirmish. He was too young to have known Hoffen before, surely, as Commander Thirty-Four had become a Cull early in his life. Even if their meeting in the past was plausible, it wouldn't make sense. Why would Hero wish to apologize now for a deed comitted long ago? No. No, this was recent. The earliest time that Hoffen had left Beta's radar was when he disposed of Maze.

Her mind, with ease, came to the answer immediately. Hero was, or formerly was of Kilo. In theory, Hoffen would have met him during Maze's removal, and Hoffen should have killed, or at least alerted Beta of his presence. But he didn't, and Hero felt enough respect towards the Cull to apologize. He had spared the life of Kilo forces at best, and, at worst, betrayed Beta.

Traitor.

Her attention was soon directed to Zadolt as he spoke, with a tone that set off a sort of synthetic rage within the metal confines of her brass wires. Through the programmed fury, she kept her composure. Nothing crossed her face, and her features were as smooth and cold as ever. She would not deny what he said.

It all was a game, but to Beta, not her. She just happened to be a step ahead of most, and chose to be a player on the winning team. Or, had she choosen? What if she didn't want that game? No - Beta had selected her. Beta was right. Beta was always right. In a game, she would respond to them, and only them. The others were just pawns at her disposal.

She controlled them, and even letting the pawn think otherwise was part of her own plan. No, she would not let Zadolt escape peacefully. She had made a mistake the first time, and Beta demanded perfection. She would not fail them, not now. But when finding Twenty-Eight's eyes, the Cull found herself lost once again.

Brother. Traitor. Friend. Enemy.

Her skull began to pound as memory and programming waged war. Another dog emerged, an appearance she had anticpated. He was the last one. There was no more.

Hoffen then snapped at the dog pinned beneath Kämpe, denying the claim Hero had made of their past acquaintance. But there was such rage in his voice that the Chief could only assume he had taken it personally, and was defensive. So it was true - Hoffen really was a traitor.

The pounding in her head began to drown out conscious thought. Beta, Beta was right, Beta was just, was what her mind said. But a whisper within her said otherwise, said that she ought to protect her brother, that Beta was wrong, that the leaders she followed were corrupt killers. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Commander Thirty-Four? Dispose of the two rebels." She said, voice cold. That was all he was to her - Twenty-Eight, not Zadolt. She ignored the whispering within her, that he was much, much more - a brother. A friend.

Kämpe | Female | Chief Cull (GSD Kangal cross) | 24 | M: Hoffen, Hero, Zadolt, Kordelas

(Disclaimer - I have permission to minorly wound and pin Hero)

There was a heartbeat of silence, and Hero was suddenly shifting beneath her. His voice rang through the freezing air, cutting through the inky blackness of night. This was not the voice of a submissive soldier, ready to throw down his life at the feet of Beta. He was a rebel. The dog twisted away, stomach and underbelly no longer exposed. He screamed for the dogs to run.

Hoffen could catch the fleeing cowards. They only needed one dog - the others could meet an untimely end at Hoffen's jaws.

"Commander Thirty-Four, dispose of them now." She snapped, reiterateing her previous command.

And that was when Hero's jaws snapped shut on her foreleg. The limb was metal, of course, but equipped with artificial nerve endings to aid both the movement of the limb, and also register dulled pain, as a cautionary sort of thing. A dog that did not feel pain could not know when her limb was about to break, and could not know boundaries. Although the pain was far less than it would have been for a dog, she could feel it.

Unbalanced as her limb collapsed beneath her, the Cull tumbled downwards, away from Hero. She was up immediately, lunging towards him without a flicker of hesitation on her face or in her mind. She could not kill him, not when he had valuable information, but as long as he was alive, he could certainly endure a few scratches. She did not fear an attack from her side or back - the Kilo dogs were likely fleeing now, or would be soon, with Hoffen in pursuit.

With a practiced ease, Kämpe slammed her weight into him, claws finding grip in his sides and chest as her fangs snapped, tearing the soft flesh of his ear. Blood wet her once clean fangs. The dog was soon pinned beneath her, and she made no attempt to be gentle in her grip. She lowered her face to his, crimson eyes blazing.

She wasn't going to kill him, but she was going to make him think otherwise.

"I can kill you. Your bones will snap between metal jaws like nothing. Your flesh will give way to the cold steel of my claws. You stand not a chance, but I will give you a say in your own fate."

Lies.

"Why should I let you live?"

Commander Hoffen of Foxtrot | #34 | Male | Alledged Schnauzer/Wolf cross | M: Kämpe, Hero, Zadolt, Kordelas

Hoffen's muzzle curled as he backed up, eyes harsh and cold as he turned them to the two dogs that stood.

Dispose of them. His programming hummed. He couldn't ignore an order. But-

And then he made his choice.

Time stood still before he exploded, a low mechanical snarl escaping his maw as fangs met flesh. The flesh of the dog formerly of his regiment. With shoulder muscles rippling as metal-capped teeth tore through flesh and bone, Hoffen slid into the darkness. Outside the gate of Beta's walls, he lost his footing due to the other dog's flailing limbs.

Barely stopping himself from falling muzzle-first into the dirt, Hoffen's cold grip loosened, almost enough for the dog to escape. He recovered almost immediately, lunging paws-first at the dog and hoping to pin the creature down. Before he could, the cull broke out into full-body spasms as he fought his programming. Between the tossing of his head and the snarls, he was able to choke out a few barely audible words.

"Leave. Don't come back,"

In a brief moment of clarity, Hoffen looked Twenty-Eight, no, Zadolt in the eye, brown eyes dark and full of something completely foreign to a Cull. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can-could-do."

The massive wolfdog didn't specify who he was referring to. Hero? Tysta? Both? Before he could clarify, he let out a mighty roar of pain, barely able to stop himself from lunging toward the second dog, shaking uncontrollably.

"Go," he murmured, though perhaps he was the only one who was able to hear his words.

Kordelas (Kor) / Male / Doberman Shepherd / Kilo / I.D: 71 / M: Hero, Zadolt, Kampe, Hoffen

Kordelas watched with horror as Hero attacked the Cull on top of him. "Run!" the wolfblood howled. Kor shook his head, preparing to leap on top of the Cull. On top of the Cull. Fear and adrenaline coursed through his veins, but then the one Hero had called Hoffen started dragging Zadolt away. He glanced back, knowing that the Cull wouldn't kill Hero.. not while he had information on Kilo to give. Kordelas turned, his long legs pumping as he ran towards Zadolt and Hoffen. "Let him go!" He snarled. He skidded to a stop as the huge dog roared.

Kor's amber eyes were wide, but he stood his ground. He couldn't let Zadolt die. He couldn't let Hero die. To his surprise, Hoffen choked out one word. "Go." A Cull fighting his programming, disobeying commands? Kordelas shook his head. "I can't. Not while Hero's in danger." His amber eyes were determined now. He couldn't leave Hero to die. He wouldn't. He'd rather face death than leave like a coward. He looked at the Cull, at Hoffen, again, a hint of confusion flickering through his gaze again, before turning, looking to make sure Hero was still alive, still okay.