DogMan and Poodle pulled up to the towering building. The tension was thick, heavier than the growl rumbling in DogMan's chest.“I got this,” he said, his voice low and firm. But Poodle clenched the wheel, refusing to let him walk into the lion’s den alone. “Max, no way!
You think I’m just gonna sit back?” A growl escaped him, deeper, more feral than she’d ever heard. It silenced her. With a reluctant sigh, she backed off, watching him disappear through the door.Inside, the guards’ eyes widened, their hands shaky as they patted him down. “What the hell is he?” one muttered. “
A walking mutt?”“F*** you!” DogMan snapped, pushing past them as they led him to the top floor. In the boss’s office, the door barely closed before a massive hand seized DogMan’s throat. With an effortless toss, the boss hurled him across the room, crashing into the glass table, shards raining down.“
Time to put this dog down,” the boss sneered, his grip tightening around DogMan’s neck. Struggling, DogMan gasped, “I didn’t know, Boss... I swear.” The boss’s own dog, loyal and silent, suddenly started to growl, baring teeth. With a flicker of concentration, DogMan controlled the animal’s mind, commanding it to bite its master. The dog lunged, sinking its teeth into the boss’s arm. Amid the chaos, DogMan grabbed the flask and gun from the shattered table.“
I’m not trying to betray you!” DogMan insisted, catching his breath as the boss, bleeding, finally let go. The boss gave a dark chuckle, sizing him up. “So, this is what that flask did to you? You look like an extra from a Snoop Dogg video.” He tilted his head.
“Guessing you want a cure for it, right?”Before DogMan could answer, shouts echoed from the hallway. SWAT surrounded the building, tear gas crashing through the windows, filling the room with thick smoke.“Move!” the boss barked, dragging DogMan toward the back exit. They burst into the alley as SWAT poured through the front.
DogMan started to speak, but the boss silenced him with a glare. “Shut up. Call Bluenose. Now.”Hands shaking, DogMan fumbled, searching for a payphone as the sounds of sirens filled the air.