In the Footsteps of a Giant

The oaken door slowly creaked open as a tired Bone Crusher walked in. Ruby's ears perked up at the sound and a smile spread across her face as she recognized her husband's footsteps. She quickly rushed to embrace him as tears sprang anew from her puffy, red eyes.

"Oh thank Canis you're alright! I had feared the worst when I heard the Titan had gone on a rampage. Seven dead! What kind of monster could do that?"

"My new master, for one."

"What? What happened up there?"

"He was on a rampage, I had to subjugate."

"No! He'll eat you for breakfast! How did you escape?"

"I didn't escape, he let me go. Well, the guards let me go... he wasn't really in the shape to give out orders."

"What do they have planned?"

"I'm not sure, but this Titan is the baddest thing to step into the Arena in a decade, and the guards have taken a liking to him. He would be a powerful ally."

"I don't like the sound of that. You swore to never trust another with your life."

"I know, but it's not like I have much of a choice."

"The group games can be much more dangerous. Especially when your allies turn on you."

"I was thinking about joining a group anyway..."

"That Diamond Eyes girl? She's got a good head on her shoulders, but I don't think she's got what it takes to lead a group all the way, at least not unscathed."

"Well, it's not an option any more. How are the kids?"

"They're asleep, I told them you had to fix your armor, so you'd be late."

"Good, I'll go say goodnight."

"See you in bed."

A smile cracked Bone's face. That was his wife's code for 'ready to play'. Despite all that had happened, or maybe because of it, she was feeling frisky. The pit bull quickly stifled those thoughts, though, as he made his way to the other bedrooms. He cracked the door to the first. Two green eyes stared back at his own. His son wasn't a full grown sire, not yet; but at twelve years old, he was well on his way. The pup smiled as his father entered.

"Hey, dad."

"Hi Rock, still awake?"

"No... I'm sleep talking."

"Preteens always think they're so funny. You'll be embarrassed by your sense of humor when you're older."

"Yeah, right. You said that when I was a puppy, and I still think fart jokes are hilarious."

Bone scratched his chin in mock contemplation. "Hmm.. well, those are among the classics of comedy."

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Aw, don't worry, son. It'll take more than a little Titan to take me down."

"Whoa! You actually fought it?"

"Him... and... well, not so much fought."

"You subjugated?"

"Ah... er... yeah, pretty much."

"But you're here now, that means he doesn't want you as a slave, right? Otherwise he would have kept you locked up."

"That's what it looks like."

"That means you're on his team now? Holy Canis, Dad, that is so cool!"

"Watch your language, pup. And yeah, it is pretty cool, huh? You should get some sleep, though, I have to go say goodnight to your sister."

"Sorry. Goodnight dad, I love you!"

"Goodnight, son. I love you, too."

Bone made his way to the next door down. Very carefully he opened the door, making hardly a sound. As he listened he could hear the steady breathing of his daughter. She was quite a bit younger than her brother, at five years. That gap in age had a story, one of a daughter lost to illness that was best not to think about at times like this. He slowly crept in, and gently sat on the side of her bed. Little Jade murmured a bit and rolled away from the intrusion.

"Hello, little one. Daddy had a busy day, today. He's going to be fighting at the side of a creature of legend. Won't that be exciting?"

Bone Crusher hated excitement.

"I'm a little worried that I'm getting in over my head, but there's nothing I can really do about it. Don't worry, though, I'll make sure you're brother and mommy and you stay safe. You'll all be okay, no matter what."

That was a promise he intended to keep.

"Goodnight, my little princess, I love you."

Jade wriggled a bit as Bone leaned over and kissed her forehead. She mumbled something along the lines of 'love you daddy' before becoming still once more. The old pit bull smiled warmly as he stood and left the room, gently closing the door behind him. As he made his way further down the hall, his smile changed to one of anticipation. Time to blow off a little steam! Awwww, yeah!

Ingot walked briskly down the darkened corridor. His patience was at the breaking point. Oh, sure, the Emperor had rewarded him handsomely for acquiring the Titan, but not handsomely enough to cover the loss of four gladiators! That wretched Titan had thrown a wrench into Ingot's machinations, and he was not going to just sit idly by.

The pugs' plan was simple enough. Gladius Elites were gladiators that had earned their freedom and chosen to continue to fight in the Arena. By the time they earned their title, they already had a loyal fan base, as well as the respect and fear of all the Empire's citizenry. By financing gladiators when they were still poor and hopeless, Ingot had been able to build a small handful of very powerful supporters, politically and militarily. Eventually, he would have the backing he needed for a coup. The he himself could claim the title of Emperor! No longer would dogs make jokes at his expense, instead they would cower in fear! No more short jokes, no more mocking his slightly high pitched voice, no... soon he would have respect!

Finally, a large shape loomed up out of the darkness. The beast was one of the largest specimens of diamond dog known to exist, his sheer size overwhelmed most opponents.

"Ah, there you are, Juggernaut."

Nodding his head, the Gladius replied. "Ingot. Why have you called me here?"

"There's been a change in plans, you're going to join a group."

"Ha! Not likely, I don't work well with others. Remember?"

"It's not an option. Or have you already forgotten who helped you to get where you are?"

"Hmph.... Fine... Who do you have in mind?"

"Gleaming Jasmine, for one."

Juggernaut raised an eyebrow. "You've got Gleaming in your debt? Impressive."

Ingot smiled. "I'm glad you approve. Despite her age, she is still one of the best mages in the Empire."

"I'm aware... Okay, I'm in. Who else will be joining our merry band?"

"Flesh Ripper."

The large dog paused. "I'm sure you're aware that Flesh Ripper is dead."

The way the pug smiled made the normally unshakable Juggernaut uncomfortable. "Oh, yes... but not for very much longer."

It was the night before the fight. Standing in the Arena when it was empty and dark was a far cry from what Bone Crusher was used to. He had expected to be called for the morning after his subjugation. Instead, he had spent the week waiting for word, until finally on the last possible day some guards knocked on his door. Apparently the Titan had spent the entire week recovering from his injuries. Even now, Bone could see the angry red of the still torn flesh. The sewn wounds spoke in stark contrast to the Titan's perceived invincibility. In truth, without magic to heal him, he was extremely vulnerable. One lucky hit, one severed artery, and there would be nothing the medical staff could do.

The week had not been completely wasted, though. The Emperor's best blacksmiths had been hard at work, and had finally completed the Titan's chest plate. Now only his arms and head were exposed to attack, a situation that would no doubt be remedied soon. The trick was to keep Tim alive until the suit was complete. Bone watched as the Titan donned his new armor and winced, as it pressed on his wounds.

Ouch... That was a bit of an understatement in Tim's mind, but it was better than crying out in pain. The stout dog... his new partner, if he understood the guards correctly... seemed to be ready to go the moment he stepped into the Arena. The guards had wanted Tim to rest, but if the two were going to be a team, they had to practice working together at least once, right?

To that end, Tim decided to try and explain his strategy to the pit bull. Since the dog would have no armor, it would be best to have him attack from the side, where he could surprise the opponent. The titan bent down and drew some x's on the ground. Using his hands, he indicated that he should go first, and the dog should move to flank the enemy. Bone looked up at Tim and smiled, then reached up and patted him on the head. The look on the dog's face was one of both tolerance and condescension. If Tim had to put words to it, they would be 'no shit, Sherlock'.

The Titan stood and fought back his anger. He was just trying to help! He could have just as easily killed-... There it was. The fight had been bothering him all week. It's not that he had killed the dogs, the first few had been self defense. Heck, some of those even survived! No, it was later, when he lost control... he had killed dogs... no... people that he didn't have to kill. If this Bone Crusher guy hadn't stuck his paws in the air and whined, he'd be on the list, too. Tim didn't like what he had become, not one bit. During his week of bed rest, he had vowed to never lose control again. He secretly wondered if it was a promise he could keep.

Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Pointing his club to a group of dummies in the middle, he looked to Bone. The dog nodded his head, and followed behind the Titan. Tim moved to a jog, the dog kept up. As he came in range, Tim swung his club in a low arc, sweeping through the group of dummies and sending many flying. Before he could bring his weapon down in a back swing, Bone had already moved to the side with less dummies and torn the head off one as he clamped his jaws around the throat of another. Tim's club struck at the other side and cleared the field of all but one dummy, missing it by inches. Without missing a beat, Bone Crusher was on the dummy, driving a borrowed wooden sword through its' chest.

Whoa... that guy knows what he's doing. No wonder he didn't need me to explain. Tim was suddenly much less worried about being able to keep his new ally alive.