♛ DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK I CAN BE ! I'M THE ONE AT THE SAIL, I'M THE MASTER OF MY SEA —

Heaving a deep breath, the Alaskan Malamute would walk through a bit of the snow feeling his pawpads growing a bit numb. It didn't effect him greatly since his breed was usually accustomed to the cold, said breed and Huskies pulled at sleds to transport items. It didn't matter how it ended but as long as those canines were able to accomplish such a task in this type of weather then it didn't bother Stark at all especially since the blood of those canines ran throughout his veins. He stepped onto a bit of cold stone, his gaze lifting up as he noticed a few odd looking machines that were meant for means of transportation yet his gaze diverted itself since he wasn't heavily intrigued by it. "Gotta lose some fat anyways," He murmured to himself trying to find some prey animal scents, his muzzle barely touching the ground eventually catching the scent of several animals in one area. He paused for a moment debating between joining or heading the other direction, his ears brushed against his cranium as he contemplated this decision of his. He hadn't realized that he was already taking a few steps in the direction of the border, his nose twitching vigorously at all the new smells. Using a large paw, the Malamute would brush some snow away but only enough so he wouldn't freeze his ass completely since he had been walking for quite a while now. His paws ached and were raw from the journey itself. His ears angled forward in an attempt to catch any noises and know if anyone was nearby but that didn't seem to be the case at the time, the canid creature looked down at his reactor watching it glow for a brief moment. It was why he was here living and breathing. It was part of him. It was a metallic heart bestowed upon him. Resurrection was an odd mistress.

He shook his head and pushed those thoughts away as he finally parted his jaws to speak aloud for anyone to hear especially the locals "Hello, Stark Ferro here to join your humble home. Also if I could please get some marigold and bandages I'd greatly appreciate it..." Eventually he'd probably end up walking away to find some pain killers but for now, he would ignore the sting in his rawed paws and wait for someone to show up with said supplies. He was tired, lost, almost dehydrated, and partially starving. His fluffy fur in some places were clumps of matted fur which was quite shameful for a dog of his breed then again he wasn't necessarily able to groom himself with his tongue since those were some hard to reach places. Thankfully, aside from the matter fur he didn't have any kind of flea or tick which he honestly would have expected with how malnourished he looked. Stark Ferro was plenty of things but a fleabitten asshole was not one of them. He was drained emotionally and mentally, all he wanted to do was close his eyes so that he could fall into a slumber that would feel like an eternity, he didn't care whether he ate or drank before he would sleep. He had been running and being tugged by the strings that binded him and whomever was watching his existence with amusement. He could die but he'd never resort to doing anything to himself, he decided that if he must go then he at least wanted to go out in a noble way. He had unfinished business and even if he wasn't one to admit things; he actually had dreams of his own that he wish to complete. He had many doubts on him even achieving these dreams of his but they were so blissful and they provided the only warmth he felt inside.

He hadn't dreamt since those days where he had just been wandering around the woods, lost, searching for a purpose. He thought he had found it but trial after trial, he was tested against things that he had managed to complete. Those dreams had been closer, he had became a leader of a whole group and their territory was an ashtray scarce with food and contaminated water, he had remembered the look on all his clanmates faces when he had come back only to hear the news of leadership. He never saw himself as leader admittedly, he had been a bit ambitious and thought maybe his role as deputy would make him a chick magnet but that hadn't been the case. The leader before him had done a terrible thing. Leaving Stark in charge of several starved and lost people without anyone to lead them... Until he stepped up. He had kids around the time and seeing them possibly grow in such a place wasn't settling with him, they were what pushed him forth. He was new to the whole leadership bullshit and frankly, he had found it quite odd on how it immediately clicked something within his cranium. 'They needed you.' Was a soft thought of his, the dogs eyes glazed as he remembered all of this and how it had effected him for the better and worse. He recalled how he had pushed them out from the old territory leading them to a new place, a city with a border that had signs of obvious deforestation yet the city was laced with foliage anf abandoned vehicles. It had been home. It had so much to offer. It was where he and his family could grow. It was the birthplace of many children and new joiners.

It was nearly his death.

His breathing grew a bit hitched. His pupils dilated into slightly thinner circles. His claws dug into the smooth rock and snow beneath him. 'Is there an earthquake?' He thought feeling panicked all of a sudden, it wasn't an,earthquake but it was his own body shaking with such intensity that he had confused it to be one. He had sent himself into a bit of a panic attack, his reactor flickering a bit, he could hear a ba-dump ba-dump drumming throughout his ears, his mouth grew dry. He could see it all crumbling before him. The building. Within the building someone he loved dear and an orphaned kitten. Where was he in the midst of this? Where he was now. Glued to the ground he stood on, face distorted and painted with pain, loss, heartbreak, panic, terror, and so much more. He was a painting, those abstract ones done by Picasso that only a few could depict and find out what was going on in the painting. Others just gave up in solving this mystery, they did not stay for long. Those were the people he had loved and cared for, he had chased them again. His shaking grew worse as he lowered his body to the ground slightly having difficulty breathing. Everything that was once automatic was now manual and he had forgotten his personal bodily function manual. He stood there for a moment without breathing, he looked down at his that were trembling and his eyes stung as salty tears dripped. His mouth moved as if he spoke but eventually he broke out of his trance with a gasp for air, he began to greedily gulp down as much oxygen as he could before he began to cough. His shaking didn't cease but it was less heavy, he continued sitting there but his muscles slouched as he tried calming himself. He couldn't think of that. He couldn't even think of ever being near such a tall building without the fear of it possibly crumbling down on him wnd those he loved.

He. Just. Couldn't.

[ tdlr: sORRY GOT CARRIED AWAY!! but Stark's waiting at the border and just went into a panic attack after triggering his PSTD on accident, he's finally managed to somewhat calm down but he's still a bit panicked and out of breath ]
[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #c96470; font-size: 12px;"]— STARK FERRO ♛

His breathing was heavy but at the sound of a pups voice did he look up blinking both of his coffee kissed eyes, his ears twitched, he almost didn't know or remember how to speak in that brief moment. He swallowed feeling his mouth having gone dry, the bone chilling feeling was slowly melting away. He tried straightening his posture a bit still opening and closing his mouth trying to remember, trying to breath enough so the oxygen circulated into his lungs enough so he could actually think. He parted his jaws at last finding some form of word to speak "H. . . H-hello. . ." He was joining then again he was uncertain if the female had been within earshot range to actually hear him speak, the canine sighed through his nose only to find that he could muster up more words "I'm a bit. . . Lost. Where am I exactly?" This wasn't Snowbound nor was it the Ascendants even if he had seen the observatory along the way, the older males nose twitched as he caught wind of another scent. His body was still shaking quite a bit and he was still trying to ease his nerves, it would have been so much easier if he had his face stuffed into someone's fur. Someone whom he cared deeply about. He felt a sting in his heart. Man, it was just going to be one of those days wasn't it? Regardless of how this day would end, he turned his attention towards what appeared to be a red panda, his eyes eventually moved away from the small mammal taking in the question directed to him. Sir. God, that made his muzzle wrinkle slightly as he refrained from speaking for a short amount of time only to find his voice once more as he began to count "One. . ." Why must he count all the way to twenty, he didn't know why but the way he began counting almost felt like it was an eternity. He took a deep breath after he spoke not having yet caught his breath, he didn't want to end up throwing himself into another panic attack session. His shoulders slumped a bit but his form still held a bit of underlying tension within the muscles hidden under his thick, matted coat. One. The first number. The beginning. New start. An individual with innocence and a naive nature laced around them like a velvet textured ribbon. Unscathed by the cruel world awaiting them. Small and chubby. An overly energetic questionnaire. Just a child.

One.

It was a cold Christmas morning, the air crisp and snow was still falling, but none of that was experienced since the smallest puppy was curled next to his mother's belly with a gummed mouth latched onto a teat. They were not nursing but rather anchoring himself to someone who provided a feeling of security. His mother, Queen Diana, held him and his siblings close with her tail wrapped around them in a protective manner. Her fur was a soft auburn hue and her eyes a light gold with hints of amber, she was absolutely bresthtaking for an Alaskan Malamute of her breed. Her nose brushed against the small bodies of her little ones, three males and a single female pup, the female and a chubby male had her coat but the male was darker in colour whilst the other two males had their father's coat. And it didn't take Diana's puppies to open their eyes to see the world before them, the littlest of the boys would always find himself squinting at the sunlight that peeked from behind the curtains. That puppies name was Stark, the boy of the couple whom lived here had a huge fascination for Stan Lee's super heroes, the Avengers. The little boys favorite Avenger was Ironman. This boy had given the smallest puppy the name of Earth's best defender, the boy saw potential within the puppy and always told Stark that he would do big things. Of course, the puppy tilted his head to the side and whimpered in confusion listening to the human child babble on about how he would do amazing things, he could never understand much of the words spoken to him but what he did understand was that his name was Stark. His nose scrunched up for the most part watching the other puppies tussle and play, Benny always bit his ears too rough, Reggy was often a little meaner than Benny, and Sophie mostly stayed on the outskirts with him unless their brothers pushed her limits. During the first weeks of being able to see, he had never seen his father nor did his mother openly speak about him, Stark was curious. Stark eventually found himself walking to her on his chubby, short legs and once he reached her did his tiny jaws part to show off needle teeth before words slipped from his tiny cavern of a mouth "Mama? Do I have a papa?" Diana stared at Stark with a hardened gaze only in time did it soften, she sighed quietly pressing her nose to his forehead not uttering a word.

Two.

He, Sophia, Reginald, and Benjamin were older now. They were all losing their puppy teeth in exchange for adult canines, their puppy fur was growing out making way for their adult coats, and they weren't as small and chubby as they used to be. They had become two months old, the boy of the house was already begging his mother to help him make little puppy made cakes for Stark and his siblings. Soon enough his mother was 'convinced' to do it as she let the pastries sit out on the table to cool down. The little boy would pick up Stark into his arms, the puppy letting out a quiet yip with his eyes locked onto the pastries with curiosity feeling the roof of his mouth watering at the smell. He knew it was a type of food although, he didn't know what kind of food. He sniffed the air excitedly with his tail wagging to the sides vigorously, sadly Stark couldn't reach, that didn't stop the puppy either. Once the boy went outside to play with the other puppies did the smallest pup make his way over towards the table, he stood upright placing his forepaws onto the chairs surface before he started to pull himself onto the wooden seat yet time after time he ended up falling onto his back with a soft yelp. He was already thinking of giving up but his tummy growled at him, he would growl in return as he crouched down with a little wiggle of his rump only to jump forward managing to get a grip on the chair hauling himself to the top of the table with soft panting. Saliva dripped onto the tables smooth surface, he scrambled over to the baked goods with his jaws parting to eat these small cakes. They were a delicacy. To say the least, eventually, Stark had ended up eating all four soon resulting in a bit of an upset tummy. The boy entered the kitchen only to shriek out Stark's name scooping the puppy within his arms, he wagged his finger at the puppies face clearly scolding the small Alaskan Malamute. Bad Stark. Bad Stark. Greedy little boy. All of it went over the puppies head, a soft groan escaping his mouth.

Three.

Stark watched from his puppy crib, a month had gone by and there were strangers in his home, his nose twitched furiously watching the adult humans examine his siblings they didn't seem all that interested in him. He blinked his coffee hued eyes turning his head towards his mother deciding to ask what was happening "Mama, why are they poking and looking at Reggy, Benny, and Sophie?" His mother's gaze was filled with a sudden sadness only for her to speak "They are going to their own homes, Stark. The young boy is going to keep you but your siblings cannot stay here. They're to be dogs of show," There was a soft pause as she breathed in trying to figure out what else to possibly say "Like me and your father." He didn't seem to understand all that well but eventually the visitors shook hands with the young boy's father and eventually Stark watched his siblings being taken away from him. All that was left was him and his mother. He found himself moping around for quite a while, ignoring his food dish and water bowl, he was saddened by the fact that he wouldn't be able to see his siblings or at least to wake up to Benjamin's bad morning breath, or Reginald drooling on him (even if the eldest claimed that he didn't do such a thing), and Sophie nudging him awake. All of it was gone. Eventually Stark stopped waiting for their possible return and was being trained by the boy of the house, he kept Stark company and played with him nowadays which was nice but it wasn't the same.

Four.

Stark was a bit older now, he was laying in the yard minding his own business and well, he noticed that his mother always left for the show whilst he stayed home with the masters son. Stark and the boy often had to make up their own form of games and some of them were very time consuming yet there was fun in every single game. The Alaskan Malamute found himself doing more of the games that required him to leap into the air to catch a Frisbee or running all over the yard chasing after a tennis ball. The boy was sitting on the porch looking down at something sitting on his lap, Stark didn't seem so intent on finding out what it was as he trotted near the fence of the house peeking through the small space between the painted wood, he'd often press his nose to one of the spaces to see if he could smell anything new and he was usually greeted by no new smells or a single scent that wasn't very familiar to him. He didn't smell anything new but the stench of garbage was in the air, he could hear the sound of trash cans being knocked over and soon he saw a group of strays bolting past some shrubbery. He could feel the fur along his spine raising up with his eyes wide with bewilderment. What were they doing? Where was their collars and dog tags? Then he spotted a hefty man in uniform chasing after them yelling things at the dogs holding a long rod with a loop around at the end, Stark figured that was some form of grabbing mechanism. One of the strays yelped as they knocked over a trashcan and tumbled onto their side, the man used the rod to catch the dog who began to make a ruckus. The Alaskan Malamute could feel his blood go cold as he immediately took a few steps back only to bolt towards the fence managing to leap over it, he could hear the chimes of bike bells and honking cars, it was all overwhelming but the feeling of this adrenaline was so much more different than the one he usually got when he and the boy were playing. Stark lunged forward biting down on the rod and everything else was a blur.

Five.

He was barking wildly barely realizing the loop of the rod was wrapped aroubd his throat and the stray had taken the chance to dash away, the Alaskan Malamute snarled at the man who was holding tightly onto the rod that the dog currently had his jaws clamped on with teeth showing. Eventually, the boy from his place came running over waving his arms in the air approaching the man that had Stark under a bit of an arrest. The boy and the man would begin speaking to one another, the man getting red in the face and basically speaking so angrily that he was almost spitting in the teenage boys face. Soon enough he was released but could feel the young boy grabbing his collar tightly, Stark's gaze locked onto the man as a growl rumbled within his throat said man pointed to him quickly with a fat, sausage-like finger that had a horrible smell on it then it wagged it at the boy as if warning him. Ever since that had happened, the boy always keep Stark on a leash especially once the both of them had figured out when the man usually rolled up into their neighborhood in his van. The Alaskan Malamute wasn't able to rest easy hearing the sound of animals crying within the van and the sound of loud yelps from dogs that were getting captured for being free. Free to roam. No fences. Nothing to restrain them. He didn't like having to go on a leash just to be able to go outside, it frustrated him quite a lot but he would do it for the boy of the house.

Six.

He laid at the end of the bed near the boys blanketed feet, he was sound asleep as his flank rose and fell with calm breaths. The night was silent and there wasn't anything that could seemingly ruin it until a sudden smell of smoke came to his powerful nostrils, he lifted his head up deciding that he should probably go and investigate where this smell was coming from with the fur along his spine rising in caution. The Alaskan Malamute could hear a soft crackling noise seeing what was the cause of the fire, they looked like little red sticks but they popped and some exploded although one of them that was still lit hadn't popped and the fire was spreading. The boys parents had gone out somewhere leaving him and the young human to their own devices mainly due to the fact that the parents trusted their son not to do anything stupid during their absence and the boy was nearing the age of adulthood so he was old enough to make his own decisions. The two year old dog would dash upstairs starting to bark as if to warn the boy of the possible danger they were in. His claws clicked against wood and eventually he almost ended up slipping once he had reached the room that he had been sleeping within just moments ago, he could already smell the burning growing stronger. He leaped onto the bed barking and whimpering as he nuzzled the boys face with his wet nose, the human boys nose scrunched up at the feeling of something cold on his cheek and used both hands to grab onto Stark's muzzle only to push it away mumbling something under their breath. It was only four in the morning but here was the two year old canine waking him up for some reason. He stared at Stark with confusion.

Seven.

Stark growled softly feeling hands wrap themselves around his muzzle but his coffee kissed gaze never left the kids face as his tail wagged nervously to the sides, he whined quietly ears angled forward. God, communication was hard when they were two different beings but, that didn't stop Stark from grabbing his sleeve and using all his strength to tug him off of the bed. The boy let out a grunt as his butt met the floor of his room only to glare briefly at the dog who was now barking at the doorway, he squinted a bit seeing that there was a bright orange shining behind the long furred canine did his heart almost leap out from his chest. Stark noticed how the boy's eyes had widened, he would turn his head to see that the fire was already spreading quite rapidly. He felt his throat go dry and he'd step back before looking to the boy once more letting out a soft whine. It was just them, their parents were gone from the place and only God knew how long it would be before they would come to their aid much too late. "Trust me." He whimpered as his eyes glowed a bit, his eyes darted to every part of the room seeing the leash which he ran to grab only to present it at the boys bare feet. His claws wanting to dig into the floor but unable to feeling a bit frightened, what if they didn't go in time and they were eaten alive by hungry flames? What if all that would be left of them was ash and dust? Would they die here? Click. He snapped out of it once he saw that the boy had put the leash on him nodding slowly to the canine and for a moment it was almost as if Stark could understand the boy. 'Let's get out of here.' His ears twitched and without any hesitance, he darted out of the door with the boy right behind him. He skidded to a halt when a bit of flames began to lap eagerly at his paws. There had to be some other way out. He could hear the boy starting to cough from breathing in so much smoke then it occurred to him that they could use, the dumbwaiter, that thing always brought the food up and he had recalled getting stuck there and ending at the bottom in a basement thankfully for him there had been a way out.

Eight.

The sound of claws clicking against fine wood and the thumping of human feet resonated throughout the halls, eventually, Stark had gotten them to their destination and he would paw frantically at the dumbwaiter before turning his gaze to the boy. The human seemed to understand what the canine was going for as he would open the door of the dumbwaiter letting the Alaskan Malamute step inside first lowering Stark all the way to the basement. The boy soon arrived there with him but Stark was too concentrated on his next task of getting them out, he whimpered as he paced then approached the doors that would let them out from the basement. He tried seeing if there was any fire or smoke coming from behind them, he didn't smell any and proceeded to bark at his human boy. The both of them could already hear the sound of sirens yowling through the night towards their home, once they stepped out Stark made sure the boy was holding onto his leash. He immediately tugged him forward seeing that the boy's parents car had pulled onto the side of the road, they ran to hold their son and well, the firetruck was already letting out a plethora of firefighters out who began to do everything in their power to put out the flames. The neighbors were already gathering around to see what the whole commotion was and well, Stark received several praises, pats, and treats that day. He just would have liked to know who had thrown that firecracker within their home and why. Not knowing didn't exactly rest easy with him and it was bothering him greatly though he thought he wouldn't think much of it since he was trying to keep an eye out for the boy, who looked unwell. Safe but coughing from smelling so much smoke.

Nine.

They were moving out to somewhere safer, the movers were already there with their trucks shoving only a few boxes into one truck and then the other. There wasn't much to pack thanks to the fire but at least some of the things had been saved, Stark was laying outside with his eyes locked onto his paws and his eyes began to close slowly due to slight drowsiness but then he heard the sound of yelling and a dog barking furiously but it was cut off by a loud yelp of pain. Stark walked over towards his fence only to prop himself upwards to see what was going on and surely enough it was that dogcatcher already catching the stray of the day, he could feel a growl escaping him and he was thinking of jumping the fence like he had done the last time but that was when he realized that the fence gates were open. He bolted out once more with his eyes already locked on the man, already knowing what he was going to do regardless of how much his owners would scold him. That dog needed his help. It wasn't fair that strays couldn't be free like dogs that were usually owned by people, his thoughts were interrupted when a sudden screeching sound made his ears hurt and flinch until he felt something heavy hit his side. It was a very heavy object because the next moment, he felt something warm trickle from his nose and everything went dark.

Ten.

His eyes opened slowly with a flutter of his eyelashes and he was faced with a bright light, he would squint lightly trying to figure out where he was. Everything smelled different. The air held smells of something bitter and several animals, he would lift his head to notice that one of his legs were put into a cast, he tried standing up but his head bumped onto the top of a steel cage. He growled in a bout of frustration, his eyes looking everywhere for something familiar but there was another dog in the neighboring cage beside his own. The canine was one he could not identify, they looked like some form of mixbreed. Was it one of the strays that he always saw darting past his neighborhood? His eyes filled with a sudden uncertainty about to open his jaws to ask the other who they were but seems they had already beat them to the punch "Are you going to keep staring or actually say something? Your unwanted gaping is making me uncomfortable." She said rather sharply with her pupils narrowing a bit suspiciously at the Alaskan Malamute, he was a bit taken back though he quickly apologized with a nervous chuckle "S-sorry, I didn't mean to stare. . . I was just gonna ask where we were since I have no idea where I am. I was never here or at least, I don't think I was." The petite femme looked at Stark as if he was stupid, which frankly he wasn't but he didn't even know where he was to begin with. Her oceanic hued eyes diverted themselves from him as she answered with a little less tension in her voice "The animal hospital, a place they put us stray dogs in before sending us off to the pound for potential homing. Although, it looks like you might already have a home of your own." She eyed the pendant that Stark had hanging around his throat, he blinked at her soon realizing what she was looking at. He felt embarrassed to say the least "What happens in the pound?" Her paws shuffled uncomfortably.

Eleven.

It took her a moment to give him a response but as she did, she would avoid eye contact "Well, they either get a human family that's willing to take them in or they're led to this room and you're never seen again." She was rather scrawny though her eyes were soft aside from her sharp retort from earlier and she sat down slowly with her ears angled forward before she spoke once more "People don't normally look for old rundown dogs like them," With her nose, she motioned to a pair of cages that were across from them and it took Stark a moment to see who were there. An old grizzly looking wolfhound and another mutt, both had their muzzle aged with gray and white hairs, and it appeared that they were asleep for the most part. They almost looked frail. "They mostly have eyes for dogs around our age or if puppies. . . But puppies aren't normally here unless they've caught themselves an expectant female...But even most dogs or animals in general when put in the pound, don't get the pleasure of seeing the outside anymore. That's what I've heard from fellow strays, so, it's best if you try not to end up here often and to always have that thing around your neck. That is your ticket out of here." Before he could say anything in response, a familiar scent hit the roof of his mouth and he nodded to the female only to poke his nose through the cages door with both ears angled forward. He watched the dog next to him from the corner of his eye and eventually he saw the familiar face of his human boy who started babbling something to him, he simply wagged his tail. He was going home.

Twelve.

They were in a new home, new environment, but it all seemed dull to Stark. He was just going to live the same lifestyle he had before the move and well, he was wondering if he really wanted to stay here with his humans. He was already three years old and just the thought of staying here any longer though there were hardly any escape opportunities after the last time he had gotten out. Perhaps he could dig himself a way out? He still had some time to think this over and he remembered what the chick from the pound had said about keeping his pendant on him at all times, it was golden and it hung from his dark red collar. He watched as the father of the home would step outside saying something to his mate and child, eventually the man waved at Stark with a smile on his face and he opened the door looking ahead. Stark's own mother was retired from her show days and was laying on the porch watching him with what seemed to be amusement, he felt a bit confused until he saw her nod her head a bit closing her eyes saying in a clear voice "The pampered life of ours isn't for everyone. You liked it the first years but it doesn't seem to suit you, no boy, you are different. You don't wish to stay and you don't have to though do me a favor and try not to get hit by anymore moving vehicles... Now go, while you have the chance." Her eyes reopened slowly as she rose trotting over towards Stark pressing her nose to his cheek smiling with a pain going through her heart "Look how you've grown, my boy." Stark pressed his nose to her forehead before he bolted off towards the open gate and well, by then he was gone even if he could hear the master yelling his name for him to come back. But he already had a boost of adrenaline and he had gone much too far to go back even if he wanted to, that wasn't the case at all. He was free of the confines of his former home and free to go wherever he liked without a leash holding him back.

Thirteen.

Well, maybe he should have had second thoughts as his stomach growled at him because of hunger and he didn't exactly get something to eat for being a stray. He had to dig around the trash for scraps but even then he found himself being a picky asshole, eventually he stopped complaining about what there was to eat and ate anything that was relatively edible. Hopefully, it wouldn't give him any form of food poisoning since that would definitely suck ass. Some of his fur was starting to get dirty and matted but he didn't really care as long as he had his dog pendant then surely he would be fine roaming the streets for some form of purpose. He made sure to avoid those damned dogcatchers who seemed to always look in his direction and say something to each other before trying to approach him with faint grins and whistling at the dog to come over, of course, Stark never fell for that and would usually dash away from them until he couldn't hear them yelling behind him. He was exhausted but he couldn't sleep as well as he used to since he always had his guard up, he always found himself sleeping in a cardboard box he had claimed for himself. It was out of sight and surely, nobody but a few stray themselves would wander into the dark. All he ever saw were some cats, small dogs, and a few rats followed by mice or ravens searching for food. He was curled in for the night having already eaten a few chicken bones which probably weren't good for him.

Fourteen.

The stray animals often broke into fights for food and well, he didn't blame them since back when he had lived with humans did Stark ever have to worry about not being fed or given water. He got trapped into one of these fights and well, he had gotten a few scars and bitemarks out of it, he had defended himself nonetheless and ended up winning whatever the dogs had been fighting for. Which oddly enough was some canned dog food, it was newly opened too. There wasn't anything odd about it aside for it's placing especially in this sort of area, Stark didn't question the free meal any further and did his best in getting enough out to stuff his face with although, his eyes began to feel heavy as a sudden drowsiness overcame him. His body felt heavy and not a moment later did the dog end up passing out on his side, someone had used some kind of sleeping medicine to catch stray dogs and he had fallen for it. Before he had fallen he had a feeling of panic, he could see someone's legs making their way towards him only to scoop him off the ground with ease. Where was he going? The dog pound? Back home? God, he didn't know and he was already passed out to think any further.

Fifteen.

Someone caught him. He found himself on the cold floor and he was absolutely exhausted, the past few days having been a blur thanks to his lack of food and water. The room was dark and he couldn't see anything aside from squinting at something bright glowing near his face, he blinked his eyes a bit to adjust to the lighting and once he rose up did his realize this glowing thingy was attached onto his chest. It startled him and made his blood run cold, he expected to hear the sound of his heart hammering inside his chest but he did nit hear a sound. It was odd. He would use his teeth to try and get the contraption off growling in frustration when he couldn't but once it did he noticed bloody wires and cables being attached to the inside of his chest. With blood chilled, the dog realized that a light had been flickered on, he was tied down and whoever had been the cause of him lightly scolded him with a chuckle, they used a gloved hand to place the device back into his chest only to say something Stark couldn't comprehend at the time but now, he knew that he needed this device to live. Eventually his weakened form was thrown into a cage and well, he was too weak to possibly fight back with whoever had done this to him but he was terrified. He realized that this thing came along with his collar and his dog pendants were missing, he doubted this was the dog pound but either way he didn't want to find out. No, he had to get out and escape this place.

Sixteen.

He was able to escape once but he didn't know if he could pull it off a second time especially since he didn't know where he was exactly, he looked around with both ears angled forward and his throat tightening up as he grew nervous. He didn't even know what this device was for aside from keeping him alive, he grimaced at the sight of a jar on a counter near a laptop, he couldn't make out what was in the jar and well, he had other concerns rather than worrying about what was in a glass container. He looked down underneath him, above, next to, and just about everywhere. He saw no way out. He was doomed and well, he didn't like being cramped into one place without much moving space  "I can't stay here. I have to get out." Then he heard the only door in the room open, revealing someone with a white coat and he couldn't make out the rest of the human because of how tall they were. Stark pressed himself to the corner of his cage feeling his breathing grow hitched, he was panicking badly at this rate and all the man could do was chuckle with dark amusement. What were his intentions with the Alaskan Malamute? God, he didn't even know but the man had already torn one part of Stark and who knew what else would be taken and replaced for a robotic piece. Opening the cage the man would grab the dogs collar tugging him out with ease, he took the time to examine the dog and see how he was fairing. He would let the dog go briefly to type down some notes in his laptop, Stark stayed where he was unable to move due to his fear. The man repeated this process the second time, taking a look at Stark's teeth and letting out a soft 'hmm' and this is when Stark took the chance to bite the man. He ran out as fast as he could hearing the howls of pain coming from the human. Stark had escaped once more and this time it was out of luck.

Seventeen.

The building was near a forest and Stark was far from home, he didn't think twice before he ran into the woods. He eventually fell over a log and faceplanted into some mud, he lay there trying to catch his breath. It was dark and all he could hear was someone going 'who' in the distance, scrambling to his paws, the canine hurriedly found himself a den to hide inside of. The fit was a bit snug for him but he dug a little more so he could get out of this temporary shelter and possibly brainstorm an idea in the morning, he was very exhausted after today's adventure. It could have been his last but it hasn't fortunately for him. He took a long sleep until the sound of singing birds woke him up, he peeked outside sniffing the air for any danger that could possibly kill him. Nothing. He crawled out slowly brushing off the dirt from his new heart, he guessed, he glanced around seeing that the forest wasn't as terrifying as he thought it would be. Which was good since the last thing he needed right about now was a heart attack. Learning how to live off the streets was one thing, learning how to live off the woods was another. He'd have to all figure it out or this place would be his grave.

Eighteen.

After, living a few months in the woods, he was getting accustomed to all of it and had managed to find ways to catch prey animals to sustain himself. He was still somewhat thin but he wasn't starving until he had to go sleep with an empty belly, he had gotten a lot more rest too. He had his own source of water that was clean of certain creatures that could possibly kill him but the loneliness and not talking to someone was really starting to effect his sanity. He thought he was alone for the most part but eventually when he wandered from his 'territory' he had caught wind of not one smell but multiple, he mustered up the courage to see who they were and to his surprise it was a group of different animals. It was an odd concept and he wondered if they were lost too, little did he realise that this place would be his new home. It was such a weird community and it seemed that they too were experiencing their own problems which consisted of low resources, Stark eventually found himself staying there and without intention letting his name be a known one around those parts.

Nineteen and twenty.

So many things had occurred in several months, Stark honestly didn't know how he had found himself in this type of situation though he was grateful even if he regretted some things from the past he had learnt many things in this community of his. It didn't last for long sadly, they had probably dispatched once Stark had decided that it was his time to step down from being their leader and well, he didn't really think twice because once he had stepped down he left for good in search of another purpose or path that would keep him entertained. He had met several people, loved many, and hurt many. There was still some things this old dog was learning but surely they would come in time and fall together nicely into their place. Only time would tell what would end up of him. he was clueless of what the future held but he supposed that was better than already knowing, he had gotten used to the surprises that life would throw at him. Some he greeted with a fondness and others startled him or took him by surprise... But he would react to whatever the surprise was...

The surprise of Killua wrapping his arms around him suddenly did take the former leader by surprise and instead of panicking further, he would return the gesture feeling his eyes sting as tears formed. He hadn't seen Killua in such a long time and he was safe. That's all the Alaskan Malamute would ever ask for and he found a pained smile on his maw as he finally spoke "Hey son. Long time no see, eh?"

[ WOWIE FINALLY DONE BUT BASICALLY STARK'S COUNTING SO HE'S A LITTLE MORE RELAXED AND EACH TIME HE COUNTS EQUALS A PIECE OF HIS HISTORY, BUT YA DONT GOTTA READ IT BUT WE HAVE ABOUT 6.3K WORDS ][glow=COLOR,1,400]♛[/glow]