after a bad guy in Bleach with a nasty mouth.

Balto had liked Grimmjow a lot better.

"Hey, pups, why don't I take you down to the post office. I heard that Mr. Williams would like to see you guys." The pups all barked in agreement and Balto stood up to leave.

But then barking broke out.

Balto wheeled around as a bang shook the floor, a man ran out from behind a building with a Doberman at his side. The man was holding something shiny in his hand and there was a bag in the other hand. He caught a glimpse of them and ran off. The Doberman however smirked and laughed. “So this is the group he was talking about?” “He?” Balto whispered. And the next second the huge dog bounded towards them.

"Everyone, RUN!" Balto bellowed.

The pups scattered away from the dog. Jace tripped and fell on his side he tried to get up but the dog had already flew at him. Balto lunged forward and smashed into the Doberman.

"Jace, run, now!" Balto yelled. "I wanna help you fight!" "Jace!" "But--"

Balto wheeled around and glared at Jace and Jace coward away from him at once, the glare Balto was sending him could have made that Doberman run off screaming if he'd seen it. It was one of pure loathing. "YOU LITTLE SH*T! NOW!" Balto screamed. Jace's eyes widened and he bolted away.

Balto felt awful. What had he seen in Jace just now? Had he seen a confident little puppy? Or, had he seen an angry snarling face behind the eyes Balto had never wanted to look into again?

Balto turned to face the Doberman. "If you've only got a brain big enough for picking on little puppies than you’re not going to be fun to fight!" Balto snapped. The Doberman flew at him and Balto grabbed him by the collar and flipped him onto his back.

The Doberman grabbed Balto's neck. Balto grabbed his leg and tore him off and swept the floor with him and threw the dog into a house.

The Doberman banged into the porch and stood up, his hackles rose. Balto growled back and lunged at the throat, grabbing hold of the neck. Balto snarled and bit down harder. "Run. Run away, Doberman. I don't want to be a killer for your pitiful sake!"

The dog sat up and ran off, screaming.

Balto turned and began walking home. His insides felt like wiggling snakes, and he remembered the horrified look on Jace's face. "God... what have I done?" Balto whispered.

Jenna was waiting for him when he got to his boat, Alue and the other pups were too. Jenna greeted him and said. "I saw Jace, he looked rather upset. What did you say?" Balto looked at her. "I need to talk to him..." Jenna nodded. "You do that." she said sternly.

Balto padded inside her house and saw Jace sitting by the fire. "Go away, Dad. I don't want you to talk to me."

 Balto sighed, knowing that the time had come to tell him. "I'm sorry, Jace. The thing is, I had a father who was very abusive and black hearted and he--"

"Looked like me?"

Balto sighed. "You have his eyes." Jace turned around. "So what?! You think that just because I look like him, means I'm going be just like him!" Jace snarled. Balto winced. "I know. I'm sorry, Jace."

"Saying sorry isn't going to make it better! Saying 'sorry' won't make me any better either. You can't even look at me!"

Balto bowed his head in shame. "Jace, please. I'm ashamed of myself; I've never felt like such a coward. You’re still a kid and your innocent, unlike him." Jace turned and began walking away. Balto stepped in front of him. "Wait, I want to tell you what happened."

-------------------------

Jace was sitting on Balto's boat with Boris. "Boris, did my father tell you the story of his puppy hood?" Jace asked. Boris nodded. "Yes, he was quite reluctant at first, but, after a while he told me."

Jace sighed. "Am I like my grandfather?" Boris looked stunned. "Of course not! No matter what Balto thinks, I believe that you are innocent!" Jace sighed.

"I don't think he trusts me..."

"What?! Balto loves you!"

"It doesn't seem like it..."

"Jace. Do you know who I see siting there?" Boris asked the pup.

Jace looked at Boris and shrugged. "A puppy who looks like his evil grandfather?"

"No," Boris said, his eyes soft. "I see a younger Balto, determined to prove himself to others. Kind hearted and uncertain at the same time. I don't see Kevin sitting there, I see puppy who is sad but determined at the same time, I see you Jace. I see no one else."  "But why me? I look so much like him!" 

"That doesn't mean you've aquired his heart." Boris told him.

Jace sighed and shifted his position. "I'm going for a walk." he said truthfully. Boris nodded. "Remember, try not to dwell on the past but on   the future, that is also what I told Balto."

"Thank you very much, Boris!"

Jace walked up the snowy path towards the woods his puppy fur blowing in the wind. "Man its cold today!" he muttered, shivering slightly. Jace continued walking and then he spotted a gray and white animal with black spots. It was an Australian Shepherd mix. The shepherd padded over.

"Hey, you look down in the dumps today."
"Oh," said Jace. "Hi Jack." Jack smiled warmly and padded over to him. "You're Balto's son right?" "Yeah, I guess I am..." Jace murmured he looked at Jack and smiled, trying to hide his thoughts from the older dog. "I have somewhere to go, see ya!" Jack nodded and began walking away.

Everything was cold and still as Jace made his way up the street, suddenly there was a scream. "Saba!" he gasped.
Terrified he turned and raced away to find Saba.

"Help, help me, please help me!" Saba's terrified voice cut the air as Jace rounded the corner he looked left a right and sniffed the air and at once he found her scent.

Saba lay in an alleyway while an enormous black dog, the dog bit her and threw her across the floor suddenly Jace leapt out and grabbed the dog's ear and the dog bit into Jace's side but Jace clung to his ear.
"Get your filthy paws off of my sister!" he roared and leapt up at the dog.

The dog wheeled around and raised his claw. Blood splashed onto the snow and Jace fell to the ground. Blood was leaking down his face from the top of his eye. Jace was about to get up but the dog's claw slammed into his ribs and he yelled in pain.
"Brat!" the dog growled in a deep gruff voice.

The dog lunged for his throat. Jace's eyes flew open and suddenly he leapt up and grabbed the dog's throat and lifted him off his feet and slammed him into the wall, too angry to realize how heavy the dog was. The stranger looked up and growled. "You're an unusual kid. You're pretty strong. But, that's all about to change!" he flew towards and Jace.

Jace leapt into the air and propelled himself right at the dog and, with the speed of a bullet,  bit into his skull. The dog just stood there and then blood gushed from his skull and he howled in pain. "Damn you, brat!"

Jace leapt up and grabbed the dog’s ear and began pulling. The dog grabbed Jace by the middle and began crunching on him. Jace gagged and found that the dog was crunching down on his lungs. He couldn’t breath at all!

“DIE!”

“Hey you, whatcha doin’ to that pup? Put ‘im down, now!”, Jace used his remaining strength to raise his head and look around for the said voice. There was a dog standing in the entrance to the alleyway, his fur was short and black, his right ear was floppy and had a nick in it. The other ear was perfectly straight and unhurt. His eyes were a pure shade of green, at least one of them was, his right eye was concealed behind a patch, and a scar ran down his forehead and disappeared behind the patch. He only had three legs; his front one was cut off at the ankle and replaced with a metal peg. He wore a blood red bandana.

The dog growled. “Hey, don’t butt in, fool. I’m a pit-bull, don’t mess with me!”

“You know what,” the new-comer growled. “I don’t like big shots you like who think their special and pick on folks younger than they are, just to prove it. Well I say there’s no pride in pickin’ on pups, like them— he jerked his head to Saba and Jace— so pick on me, you old ugly bastard.”

“What did you say?” the dog screamed, running towards him. “No, mister, don’t! He’ll kill you!” Jace yelled, trying to stand up. The pit-bull ran towards the younger dog and leapt at him.

 Jace gasped but even thinking about standing up weakened him more so. What happened next startled him. The black dog let the Pit-bull bit knock him to the ground and bite directly into his throat. The pit-bull was crunching down on his windpipe and the other dog was letting him!

It happened so fast time seemed to speed up. But, just when the pit-bull got ready to kill the other dog, the metal peg came up and Jace saw a needle poking out from the bottom of the peg. The needle sank right into the top of the dog’s head and the dog screamed.

The dog howled and fell onto the floor and closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

“Before you die I’ll tell you something; never take you’re eyes off you’re opponent, no matter how close to death he is. You’ll find that he usually has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. Or at least, I do.”

The pit-bull stopped breathing. The dog turned to look at Jace and Saba.

“You alright?”

“Y-yeah. Thanks for the help.”

“Don’t mention it, seriously don’t. What ‘bout you’re sister over there?”

Jace walked over. “Saba, are you alright?” Saba looked up. “Thank you brother…” she whispered. Jace nuzzled her. “It’s alright.” The stranger limped over and sniffed her. “She’s bleedin’, it’s a good thing I came by when I did.” The dog whispered.

“What’s you’re name?”

“It’s Jace. What’s yours?”

“There’s no need for me to tell you quite yet.” The dog growled impatiently. “Take care of you’re sister and don’t ask questions.” Jace nodded. Although this dog was probably only 1 year old, he was like a grumpy ships captain.

Jace followed the stranger without questions like a good boy; soon they were back in town. “Where do ya live?” the dog asked. “Somewhere over there.” “Good.”

The dog took Saba by the