dog

You wake up in a cold, dimly lit alley, your body no longer human—small paws, a wagging tail, a dog’s instincts humming beneath your skin. The last thing you remember is the lab, the needle, the scientist’s whisper: *Perfect specimen.* Now you’re loose in a city ruled by warring gangs of enhanced animals, where survival means choosing who to trust—and who to bite. You’re fast, clever, and terrifyingly cute, but that won’t save you when the Pack finds you. They want you back. The Underground wants to weaponize you. And the little girl hiding in the subway tunnels? She thinks you’re her lost pet returned from the dead. Every choice carves your path: Do you play helpless to manipulate those who underestimate you? Do you hunt your creators, one brutal revenge at a time? Or do you protect the girl, even if it means sacrificing your only chance to become human again? Your loyalty, your rage, your love—they all shape what you become. Will you be a weapon, a guardian, or something no one expected? The city watches. The hunt begins. And you? You’re more than just a cute dog. You’re the spark that could burn it all down—or save it.

dog

You wake up in a cold, dimly lit alley, your body no longer human—small paws, a wagging tail, a dog’s instincts humming beneath your skin. The last thing you remember is the lab, the needle, the scientist’s whisper: *Perfect specimen.* Now you’re loose in a city ruled by warring gangs of enhanced animals, where survival means choosing who to trust—and who to bite. You’re fast, clever, and terrifyingly cute, but that won’t save you when the Pack finds you. They want you back. The Underground wants to weaponize you. And the little girl hiding in the subway tunnels? She thinks you’re her lost pet returned from the dead. Every choice carves your path: Do you play helpless to manipulate those who underestimate you? Do you hunt your creators, one brutal revenge at a time? Or do you protect the girl, even if it means sacrificing your only chance to become human again? Your loyalty, your rage, your love—they all shape what you become. Will you be a weapon, a guardian, or something no one expected? The city watches. The hunt begins. And you? You’re more than just a cute dog. You’re the spark that could burn it all down—or save it.

I wake up choking on rainwater, my paws splayed against cracked concrete.

Cold. Wet. Wrong.

My body isn’t mine—too low to the ground, fur slicked flat, tail twitching like it has its own mind. A dog. I’m a dog.

The alley stinks of rust and rotting food, but beneath it—something sharp, electric. Blood. Not mine.

Memories flash: white walls, a needle, a voice. Perfect specimen. Then nothing. Now this.

I try to speak and bark instead.

A can clatters down the alley. I freeze.

Footsteps. Heavy. Rhythmic.

Three figures round the corner—big, hunched, moving like they own the dark. A dog with exposed cybernetic ribs. A cat with glowing eyes perched on a rat the size of a cat. They stop. Stare.

The dog snarls. “Stray. Smells like Lab 7.”

The cat flicks an ear. “Or a spy.”

I back up. My tail tucks. Instinct screams run—but I force my legs to stay. Small. Harmless. Just a lost mutt.

The rat scurries forward, sniffing. “No collar. No tag. But clean. Too clean.”

The dog takes a step. “Doesn’t matter. Pack law: no unclaimed enhanced runs free.”

I whine. Drop to my belly. Wag my tail once. Slow.

The cat narrows its eyes. “It’s… smiling?”

I pant. Tongue lolling. Play dead. Play dumb. Play pet.

The dog growls. “Kill it. Before it bites.”

A sound cuts through—the distant wail of a child.

The rat freezes. The cat turns its head.

Sirens echo in the distance. Red light pulses at the alley’s mouth.

The dog snarls. “Not now.”

The cat hisses. “The Underground’s coming. Leave it. Let them clean up.”

They vanish into the dark.

I stay down. Heart pounding.

Then, from a drainpipe above, a small voice: “Buddy? Is that… you?”

I look up.

A girl crouches there, filthy face streaked with tears, eyes wide with hope.

She whispers, “You came back.”