With Good Company – Release Restraints Part I

  “… C’mon Grimm, you can do it harder!” Drake growled as he adjusted his stance. Grimm was panting hard, but he dashed forward again, roughly slamming himself into Drake. He bit down carefully, and Drake knocked him off.
  “Grimm, stop being easy with me, I told ya I’ll be fine.” Drake shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “Be rough, toughen up, I want ya to bite hard enough t’ make me flinch!”
  “Okay…” The mix grumbled, scrambling up. He glanced at Einstein, who was watching him practice, and the Great Dane gave an encouraging nod and a goofy smile. Grimm shifted and then pounced at the big canine, this time biting his shoulder deeper and, surprising the Beauceron, used the ground to push up from the ground and head-butt the side of his jaw.
  The move stunned him only for a moment before he bit Grimm’s scruff and tossed him off once more, making him roll away. He shifted his jaw a bit before he grinned. “Very slick move, bud.” He chuckled. “Don’t expect it t’ work again all because it was clever though, ‘cause I’ll be ready for it.”
  The mix made a second dash, getting under Drake’s belly and suddenly pushing up with his paws, hoping to use his back to wind him. Seeing this move coming, the large dog promptly laid down right on top of Grimm. The Shepherd mix struggled and growled, and the Beauceron turned his head and bit down on the back of Grimm’s neck, making the younger dog freeze.
  “Too easy, bud.” He said, getting up and walking over Grimm, turning around and sitting, shaking his head. “Even if that trick worked you would have been stuck in the same spot, under your opponent until they caught their wind.”
  “Sorry…” The mix looked down at his paws.
  Growling, Drake stepped forward and pushed Grimm onto his back, making him yelp. Einstein had seen him do this before, but it still made him worried even if he knew he wouldn’t hurt his friend. “I don’t want your apologies bud.” Drake growled. “I want progress, so,” he pressed his paw down firmly, “make some!”
  “Got it, Drake.” Grimm winced, batting the paw off him firmly. If there was one thing he learned so far, it was how to escape a pin.
  Drake shook his head, sitting back down. “I know ya got it in ya bud, you can stop me from pinning you down just fine.” He raised an eyebrow. “That better not be all you can learn, or you’ll be a sitting duck to that broda of yours.”
  “I just don’t want to hurt him too much.” Grimm replied, scratching behind his head with a footpaw.
  “Did your fight in the warehouse knock out your mem’ry section?” The Beauceron growled. “Cause I’m pretty sure your broda was out for your blood.”
  “I know, I know he was!” Grimm sighed in exasperation. “He’s still my brother, and I don’t want to kill him…”
  Shaking his head, Drake glared at him. “You’re gonna have t’ if you want to get him off your back for good, bud.”

  Grimm and Einstein were walking back to their home, the mix looking down at the sidewalk and not saying a word. The big Dane wondered how to cheer his buddy up, seeing that he looked depressed. He knew why, and he knew Grimm wouldn’t want to talk about it.
  He noticed a hotdog stand ahead of them, and figured it’d be nice if they ate together to cheer him up. He wasn’t one for ideas, but he knew that he could take a blow or two. Though for this, he figured he could easily knock over the stand and take the strand of hot dogs.
  “Hey Grimm, you might wanna get ahead.” He said, eyeing the hotdog stand.
  Glancing at it, the young dog shook his head. “It’s okay, I’m not that…” He was interrupted by his stomach growling loudly. His training with Drake had really made him hungry, but he didn’t want to admit it because he was upset.
  Giving a nod of understanding, Einstein nudged him forward. “Meet you at the street corner.” He said, pausing to let Grimm get ahead of him. Grimm acted casual, walking by the stand without even looking at it. The owner of the stand looked at him suspiciously, but, despite the scent of the warm dogs he ignored it, continuing on his way.
  He had hardly reached the corner when he heard a crash behind him and he looked back in surprise. Apparently the owner had been keeping his eye on Grimm the whole time and hadn’t seen the huge Dane coming. A long line of dogs was around Einstein’s neck, one end in his muzzle to keep it from tripping him up, and he gave a gruff woof to tell Grimm to get moving.
  Though he wasn’t in the mood for food, he felt his heart racing. Turning around, he jumped on the trunk of a passing car, Einstein doing the same to the car coming up behind it. It thrilled him to ride cars like this, to hop from car to car to get to his destination. Seeing the daring grin on Grimm’s face cheered Einstein up loads, knowing that his pal was still in there.
  The duo hopped from car to car, horns blaring around them to warn other drivers of their presence but was treated as regular city noise, hopping from ride to ride towards the docks until they ended up in the bed of a truck that worked near their area.
  The Shepherd mix felt loads better after his travelling, and he hopped out of the truck and rolled a few feet, chuckling as he ended up on his back. He watched Einstein do the same, receiving a dopey smile. Rolling onto their paws, the duo went to the end of the docks, sitting by the water.
  Removing the hot dogs from his neck, setting them between them, Einstein nosed the steaming dogs towards the younger dog. Gratefully taking a few in his muzzle and chewing, Grimm looked out towards the ocean, feeling the warm sea air brushing through his fur. They silently ate, enjoying the splashing waves, Einstein waiting until he was sure Grimm was calm enough to speak to him.
  He didn’t have long to wait as Grimm swallowed his bite and asked, “Do you think I’m being too soft, Einstein?”
  “What do you mean, Grimm?” The large hound asked, wanting Grimm to lead the conversation.
  “Well… About Adrian, my training with Drake to try and be firm but gentle with him if we ever meet up again.”
  “I don’t think so.” The Dane looked at him. “You’re just trying to do what you want because he’s family, but Drake is trying to train you to hurt him like he’s a bad guy.”
  Grimm took another bite, staying silent.
  “Do you really think he’s a bad guy, Grimm?”
  “… No…” Grimm mumbled, looking at the ocean. “But Drake is right, isn’t he? If Adrian is trying to kill me, I have to learn to fight him back.”
  Einstein licked his cheek, making the young mix look at him. “You’ve gotten pretty strong already pal.” He said with a friendly smile. The young dog had grown from his thin state; he had not only helped the team get more meals, but also been getting faster and stronger due to the constant running and fighting he had to do against rival dogs.
  “Adrian’s had months to get strong though.” Grimm pointed out. “I dunno if I can get as good as him at fighting.”
  “You can and you are, Grimm.” Einstein gave him a fatherly nuzzle. “You can do it.”
  The mix looked up at the tall dog, who gave him his usual dopey smile. He looked down at the ocean before he smiled. “Alright, if you think I can do it, I will do it.” He said, nuzzling Einstein’s neck.

  “… So,” a large German Shepherd turned to his two young protégés, his dull eyes looking them over, “who do you think would be a good addition to my little organization?” He didn’t need to speak loudly. His demeanor and his size showed he had all the power, he had fought hard to get where he was, and he wasn’t afraid to kill anyone who disobeyed him.
  When they were silent, he gave an impatient sigh; sometimes he hated having to be specific to be sure they spoke. “Miss Striker, please.”
  “We think we have someone, sir.” The young, beautiful Border Collie, Aim, said. “Before you met us, months before, he broke us out of the pound.”
  “Yeah, he was big and tough!” Her dim brother, Chase yipped. He quickly fell silent as he was glared at by his sister and stared at by their boss.
  “Big and tough isn’t specific mister Striker, please shut up.” The Shepherd growled softly.
  “Sorry sir…”
  “If I may add sir, he was right.” Aim said tentatively. “Though to be more specific… He was a lot like you.”
  “Like me.” The Shepherd repeated, head tilting only slightly.
  “Tough, shared a lighter tone of your fur, he had your eyes…” She was cut off by another low growl.
  “A name, you blithering idiot, if you have a name then give it to me!”
  “Yes sir. His name was Adrian; he taught us most of what we know before we met you.” The female Collie said.
  Silent for a few moments, the Shepherd turned his back on the two. They took that as a