Rivalry: Part 3

{Chapters 7-9}
 

Chapter 7

Afghanna's nose twitched. Her ears jumped. She smelled...food! Yes! ...But she was going to have to hurry in order to meet Fang and Skip in Fang's alley home. She began walking in a fast trot, nails clicking on the sidewalk as she went.

A crowd of humans were huddled on the curb, in front of a brick building. Afghanna's eyebrow arched, eyelids half-closed. If she played her cards right, she'd get a free lunch. She already smelled hamburgers. The humans were cooing and tossing the food into the middle of the crowd. Afghanna padded silently up until she was behind the humans, crouching. She peeked through their legs, trying to see. But a few other humans stepped in her way, blocking her view.

Afghanna finally squeezed her way through the crowd, yelping once or twice when her paws or stubby, fluffy tail was stepped on. She eventually pushed into the center.

She groaned.

There, in the middle of the crowd, the humans gazing down, was a pup about Affy's age. She was a mutt, but very, very pretty. She had a fake rose behind her ear, probably given as a fashion statement by some doting human. Her ears framed her head, the color of an evening sky--orange. Her belly-fur was creamy and so were the circles around her eyes. Speaking of which, they were bright, gorgeous blue--the eyes, that is. The puppy was sitting on her hind legs, tongue out in a doggie grin, looking up at each human face, her front paws in the air--the begging position.

Food was being tossed her way...mostly bits of hamburger. Must've been a burger joint they were in front of.

"Oh, for--" Afghanna groaned.

She pushed through the crowd and grabbed the puppy by her scruff, dragging her out. The pup was still holding a slab of hamburger meat.

Once they were safely around the corner, Afghanna let go of the pup's scruff and faced her.

"Rose!" barked Afghanna. "What do you think you're doing?"

Rose smiled sweetly. It was so cute it made Affy want to wretch. "I wanted an early snack."

"Are you nuts, kid?" Afghanna circled her.

"Was it really that bad?" Rose asked in a small voice, crouching.

"Uh, you were begging. To humans!"

"I'd just rather not steal," Rose muttered.

Afghanna groaned. "Whatever. Tell that to Fang."

Rose's eyes brightened at the sound of the Golden Retriever's name. "We're gonna see Fang?"

"Yep. Remember when I told you about Fang's..." Afghanna paused, looking for the smartest word. "...obsession with that House Pet, Angel? Well, he's got another one of his brilliant little plans to win 'er over."

Rose immediately looked gloomy. She was in love with Fang, but the leader of the gang refused to notice. She didn't like it when Afghanna had told her about Fang's schemes. But she was determined to help him with his latest plan to get Angel all to himself. She, like the others, knew--or thought they knew--his obsession with Angel would pass.

They trotted along again.

"Think he'll want this?" Rose lifted her head, displaying the burger meat in her mouth.

"Try again, Rose," Afghanna commented dryly. "His Highness loves steak..."

"Oh. Well, I can always go back and get some from th--"

"...but he'll take burgers!" Afghanna corrected sharply, cutting her friend off. "Let's move, kid."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Fang lay lounging on his pile of boxes. It was a mound of cardboard boxes, and if the sun was just right, it was sure to warm his back and turn his golden fur ablaze with bright colors of yellow. You see, his alley home (from a bird's eye-view) was an upside-down L.  It was between two brick buildings. If you walked into the alley from the sidewalk, cement underneath your feet, you'd keep walking in a northern direction until you turned left, then the alley would have a small-spaced corner, and you'd reach a dead-end of a brick wall. There, in the upper-left corner of that tight-spaced left-handed place, would be Fang's mound of cardboard boxes. He was the only dog who knew the ways into the mound, out of the mound, and the safest way to the top of the mound and down again.

 Skip paced at the foot of the box mound, eyebrows lowered in his usual scowl. He glared up at Fang, ceasing to pace for the moment. "What if she's in trouble? She should've been here by now."

"Relax, champ," Fang yawned, showing a row of the sharpest puppy teeth this side of the town. His tongue curled. "Affy's almost as streetwise as yours truly. She'll be fine."

Skip grumbled for a moment, then snapped, "Afghanna's more of a street dog than you'll ever be."

Fang raised his head. His front paws he repositioned. "Wanna run that by me again, kid?"

"Save your macho lessons for the squirrels, Fang," Skip growled. "I'm only sharin' my oppinion."

"Be more selfish next time, mutt, and keep your opinions to yourself." Fang muttered, resting his head down on his front paws again. "If Affy ain't here by the time I count to ten, we're startin' the meeting without 'er."

"Try counting to three, Your Highness, we're here." Afghanna appeared around the corner.

Fang sat up, giving his ear a scratch with a hind leg. Skip looked up and wagged his tail, but he didn't smile or lose the scowl.

"We?" Fang asked, curling his lip.

Afghanna looked over her shoulder, poking her head back around the corner. "What're you waiting for? Get over here."

Fang's ears jumped, listening.

"Hang on," came a muffled squeak from around the corner. "I dropped it."

Afghanna shook her head hopelessly and turned back to Fang. She sat down.

Rose came padding gingerly around the corner and stood beside Afghanna. Her tail wagged so hard when she saw Fang, he was sure it would lift her a few inches off the ground. She held a slab of burger meat in her jaws, big blue eyes sparkling up at him.

Fang's mouth watered at the sight of the meat, but he barely took notice of Rose. He hopped onto a flattened piece of cardboard and surfed it down the mound, jumping off as he hit cement, landing in front of Rose.

She was panting with adoration, but again he ignored it.

"Nice work, Affy," Fang grinned out-and-out as he took the meat up into his mouth and began chewing.

Rose's smile fell.

Afghanna noticed. "Hey, wasn't me. It was Rose."

Skip snorted.

Fang continued chewing. "Yeah? Good work, then, I guess," he muttered in Rose's direction. She beamed. "How'd you find it, anyways?" Fang asked between bites.

Rose jerked her head back the way they'd come. "I got from some humans--"

Fang spat out the hamburger and growled low. "Phah!" He bared his teeth at Rose. "You what? You were beggin' again, weren't ya?"

Rose tried to make herself small, eyes wide, crouching beneath Fang. "I-I-I didn't..."

"Call yourself a Street Dog?" Fang scoffed in disgust. "Why don't I just strap a collar 'round your neck and call it square, huh?" He circled around and hopped back onto his box-mound.

"Cool it, Fang, she brought it for you anyway," Afghanna snarled, barking a bit as she stood protectively in front of Rose, who stood and was gazing over Affy's shoulder at Fang.

"I don't want meat from humans, Affy, an' she oughta know it." Fang shot a mutinous look Rose's way. He sighed. "Kid, if you're gonna be part of the gang--"

"What gang?" Afghanna muttered.

"--you're gonna have to act like a Street Dog. No begging, got it?" Fang squinted at Rose.

She bounced on her paws, grinning a beautiful grin. "No problem!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Fang rolled his eyes. "Now, back t'buisness. Affy, Skip," he swung his head towards Rose again, "an' you, kid--"

Afghanna snorted.

"I got a plan that'll pry Angel away from that dopey House Pet friend o' hers faster than you can say 'bone'."

"Bone." Skip grunted, shrugging one shoulder. "Can we go now?"

Rose giggled. Afghanna snickered.

"In a minute you ain't gonna have any bones, Skipper, 'cuz I'll be chewin' on 'em." Fang's slang always showed up when he was the most peeved.

"Whatever," Afghanna muttered. "So, what's your big idea?"

 Fang rolled his eyes upward and this switched his gaze back to his "gang". One corner of his mouth was open, showing his infamous fangs in a doggie-grin. "Well..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"So lemme get this straight," Afghanna asked for the fiftieth time as they strolled down the sidewalk towards the house where Lady, Tramp, their four pups, and Angel lived. "You're just gonna take her out to...?"

"Breakfast." Fang answered, irritated. Sure, it wasn't his style, but being sincere was the only thing he hadn't tried with Angel.

"No tricks?" Afghanna checked. "No schemes, no daring adventures? No heroic entrance?"

"Oh, I didn't say there ain't gonna be an entrance," Fang smirked. "Just not one that involves any, y'know, danger."
 

"It's official, then," Afghanna murmured as she fell in beside Skip, "One of us is a few pieces of kibble short of a full bowl."

"Glad you admit it," Fang called back. 

Afghanna crossed her eyes at him, but he wasn't looking as they walked. Rose padded quickly to catch up to Fang.

"So," Rose asked in her sugar-sweet voice, "You think your plan will work, Fang?" She cast adoring blue eyes up at him.

"Worth a shot," Fang said curtly, not looking at her. "'Course, I am a pro."

"At getting humiliated," Skip whispered to Affy. Afghanna didn't reply.

Rose giggled. Then she halted, crashing into Fang. He had stopped suddenly.

They were at the gate to The Tramp's house by now. Fang paused, walking over to a nearby puddle and looking at his reflection in it. He took a forepaw and tried smoothing down his messy tuft of fur at the top of his head. It wouldn't stay down. He shook his ears, suddenly conscious of how long they were.

Afghanna stood beside him, her reflection appearing next to his. "You look fine," she said, giving him a fond lick on the cheek. 

Fang looked at her, red eyes brimming with confusion. "What if she..." he trailed off, shaking himself. Afghanna was the closest thing he had to a real friend. But he couldn't confide in her with his worries now, not with Rose and Skip looking on. "Yeah," he said, lifting his head. "I know. I always do."

But his eyes betrayed his anxiousness.

Afghanna gave him a very long look, then nodded primly and stepped back. "We'll keep the rest of her little family outta your fur."

Fang blinked at her. "Yeah, yeah, thanks." He turned, taking a deep breath, and entered the yard.

He knew where she would be. He had managed to snatch a bit of complaints from Annette and Collette about how where Angel slept was better than where they slept. Fang reached the front porch, hopped up on his back legs and scratched at a window, letting out slow, soft barks.

A head appeared almost instantly at the window. It was Angel. Fang's heart rate picked up, but he played it cool. He jerked his head over his shoulder, indicating she come out.

Angel used the dog door and was out in a minute. "Fang?" she whispered, ears drooping. "It's so early--why are you here?"

"Gimme a break, doll, can't I stop by for a visit?"

Angel raised her eyebrows, yellow collar dangling. "You heard what Tramp said last time you were here. You can't be here."

"How's that for a greeting to your own personal hero?" Fang muttered. "Whatever--look. I'm just here with a proposition for ya."

"Not interested."

"Y'haven't even hear it yet."

"So what?" Angel grunted. "I told you, I don't want anything to do with that side of the tracks."

"Hey, hey, no problem." Fang lifted his head. "And this has nothin' to do with it. Just wanted to take ya somewhere special for breakfast, that's all."

"Yeah?" Angel's eyelids lowered, an amused smile curling on her muzzle. "Where?"

"Hungry, are we?" Fang teased. "Okay, then, follow me."

Angel trotted prettily to his side and they exited the yard together. "As long as I'm home before the family notices I'm missing."

"Relax, dollface, they won't know what hit 'em." Fang grinned.

"That makes me feel so much better." Angel muttered sarcastically.

"Heh-heh-heh," Fang chuckled, head nodding with the laugh.

Chapter 8

Fang and Angel were leaving the alley behind Bernie's Pastries, toenails clicking on the sidewalk.

"What'd I tell you?" Fang swiped his tongue around his muzzle. "Bernie's Pastries--best breakfast place on the block." He winked sideways at Angel. "Great pickings, huh?"

Angel laughed. "When you put it that way, I think I feel it coming back up."

Fang grinned. "Shoulda brought an umbrella." She elbowed him for that, paw nearly missing his ear.

"So, where to now?" Angel asked.

Fang felt his fur rise. "Don't you wanna get back t'your snuggly li'l family?"

"Not just yet." Angel laughed. "We've got an hour yet. How about taking a trip to the Park?"

"Hey, nah, I gotta better place." Fang panted. Angel chuckled, nodding for him to lead. He did.

They talked as they walked, Fang at last two inches ahead of her, but still brushing against her, side-by-side. They came to a wide bridge, and when they went across, the ground became muckier, and the mud squished between Angel's toes in a way that made something in her mind flicker with doubt.

"This way." Fang cocked his head. "So," he cleared his throat. "What's so great 'bout a family anyway?"

Angel didn't even have to think about it, with a fond look at her yellow collar and gold liscence. "They're always there for you--no matter how bad you've been to them, they'll be ready for you to come home whenever you realize how good you've got it after all. Just ask Scamp."

Fang bristled at the mutt-pup's name, but ignored it. Things were going too well. "Yeah?" He looked down as they trotted.

"Sure." Angel shrugged. "It's better than being out here. Trust me, I know."

Fang nuzzled her as they went. "Yeah, well, I guess there ain't any arguin' with that."

"Now you're catching on." Angel smiled.

Fang led her through a wide, huge cave-like pipe. "C'mon, slowpaws, you're gonna miss it!"

Angel giggled. "Aheh, what'm I missing?" She began to go into the pipe. She was halfway through when he answered:

Fang bounced on his paws--he'd long lost his cool attitude earlier when spending enough time with her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this way. "C'mon, Ang', yer gonna miss it! Ooh, sun's comin' up--you'll love this!"

"Why?" Angel chuckled. "What..."

She stopped cold right behind him, mouth agape.

Sun hit mounds and mounds, piles and piles, caves, crannies, and various dirty items that proved a dog's dream. Angel turned to look behind them, tilting her head back at the sign above them:

"See? This'll be a great place to hang around!" Fang exclaimed. "I came here once--best time o' my life. I wanted t'come back, but, y'know, I thought I'd save it for..." Fang looked around. "Angel?"

 He caught up to her outside the Junkyard. She was hurrying away, ears drooping and head down, eyes closed and her eyebrows lowered in an angry expression.

"Angel?" Fang stopped in front of her and bent his head until he could look her full in the face. "You okay?"

"Why did you bring me here?" Angel shoved her head up and glared at him.

Fang lifted a paw, leaning a little bit away from her, mouth open to answer. "I, uh, well..."

"Don't you know what that is?" Angel snapped. She began walking again. Fang followed, totally confused.

They ended up in the alley across from the Park, boxes and crates stacked up on the side of a brick building. Angel was already trying to lift the notch on the wooden gate to head back home. Fang caught up with her and nudged her away with his caramel-brown nose.

"Hey!" Angel snarled. "Back off, Fang! I'm going home."

"What's the problem here?" Fang asked, voice quivering. He narrowed his eyes, exasperated. "What'd I do now?"

"You took me...there!" Angel jerked her head back the way they'd come, yellow collar jangling.

"The Junkyard?" Fang confirmed. "What's wrong with the..."

"Everything!" Angel exploded.

Fang jumped up onto the boxes, staring down at her. "What?"

"I was there when I was abandoned." Angel snapped. "Every time. Buster, he took me in."

"Heard of him." Fang scratched his ear. "Rottweiler-Doberman mix, right?"

"Yes." Angel locked eyes with the Golden Retriever. "And he treated me like dirt. I'll never go back. My home is on the other side of the tracks. With your hated pedigrees and collar-wearers. With my family."

"Your family?" Fang growled, the word spat out as a furious bark. "With the wimpy mutt?"

"Ughh, Fang, when will you learn?" Angel groaned. She sighed and lowered her head. "No one will take Scamp's place."

"What does he have that I don't?" Fang sprang down from the boxes and padded towards her, and she backed up as he did. He looked searchingly into her eyes, red irises sparkling with hurt. 

"Fang--"

"What then?" Fang yelped. "What else is it 'e has?  home?"

"No," Angel whimpered, "it's different--"

"What? What is it?" Fang asked, words coming in short breaths.  "A family? If that's what it takes--"

"No. No, you don't understand." Angel sighed. She shook her head. "Even if I told you."

Fang leapt back onto the boxes. "Why can't you leave 'em behind?" he said. "What would it take?" His heart slammed in his chest. His paws trembled; the fur on his neck rose. Why did she have to go back? What was it in Scamp that wasn't in him?

He turned away from her, standing with his back to her on the top crate.

"Fang?" Angel had her front paws between the boards on one of the bottom crates now, looking up at him. "Haven't you ever had a family?"

Fang turned, eyes suddenly filled with anguish.

Memories swamped him. Thunder as a door creaked open, revealing the eyes of many trapped canines. The shadows of two full-grown dogs. The words of a human with a net. A loud bang. 

Fang's eyes hardened. "Never," he answered. "I never had a family," he said loudly, "an' I never will!"

"Fang..."

"Go home!" Fang ordered, baring his famous teeth. "Go home an' don't come back!"

Angel turned to go, then shot over her shoulder, "Why can't you tell me the truth?"

"What's 'at s'posed to mean, doll?" Fang snapped.

"Nothing." Angel shook her head and trotted out of the alley without looking back.

Fang watched her until she was out of sight. He had felt so strange around her. Different than any other female pup. What did she want from him? A family? Forget that. He didn't need one. He never had one anyway. Never.

 Chapter 9

Fang lay on the crates after Angel left, not moving or making a sound. He rested his head on his paws, defeated.

"Fang! Fang, hurry, you have to come!" Rose skidded around the corner of the alley a few minutes later.

Fang raised his head. "Whaddaya want?" he mumbled, eyelids lowered, ears drooping.

"It's Angel!" Afghanna came up behind Rose. Skip followed.

The hair on Rose's neck lifted a few inches. She'd never seen Fang look like this. "Are you sick? What happened?"

Fang stood up, shaking his head twice. "Never mind that. What about Angel? What's wrong with 'er?"

Afghanna shouldered Skip aside and stepped forward. "She's in big trouble!"

Fang hopped from crate to crate, landing in front of the gang. "Show me!"
 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 Fang and his gang of Street Pups raced to the rescue, finally leaping into another alley, one unfamiliar to them. They skidded to a halt. There was a huge wooden fence, locked as usual, to block their way.

"She's on the other side." Afghanna tilted her head towards the fence.

"How d'you know?" Fang panted, Rose gasping for breath beside him.

"Uh, you can hear her," Skip growled, irritated by Fang's interrogations.

"Pipe down," Fang snarled at him. Skip ducked. Fang's eyes were ablaze, like scarlet fire. Something had taken hold of him.

They were all quiet then.

The sounds of snarling and snapping--horrible sounds--came from the other side of the fence. Then a voice, familiar, that sent jolts down Fang's spine.

It was Angel.

"Back off--I told you, I don't want any trouble. I just want..."

There was a snarl and a snap. A bark. A whimper from Angel. That did it. Fang bristled and turned this way and that, paws sliding on the sidewalk, desperately looking around for a way to the other side.

"Forget it," Skip muttered, a little regretfully. "There isn't any way in. We've tried."

"We figured you could find a way..." Rose began, staring after Fang with large, worried blue eyes.

"You figured he could. Not us. It was your idea to get him." Skip muttered.

Afghanna's eyes were mournful. "We can't help her. Sorry Fang, but this is a waste of time. We'll have to--Fang?"
 

Fang had disappeared.

The gang looked around, concerned.

"Fang?"

Rose looked around frantically. "Where'd he go?"

"Calm down. Calm down." Afghanna ordered, panting hard. "We'll find him."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wooden fence, Angel was backing away slowly from two malicious, slobbering, mangy, huge dogs. One was gray with a squinted eye. Another was brown with crooked ears and a web of lighter tan fur around his neck.

"Get away from me," Angel growled bravely. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Then you're one stupid House Pet," came an amused voice from above.

Angel looked up. So did the rabbid canines.

There was a triumphant bark, familiar to Angel--and to the Gang beyond the fence.

"Fang?" cried Angel. "Fang?"

"That's my name, try to spread it around," the Golden Retriever woofed. He winked. He was on top of a brick building, looking down on them. "Calvary's arrived, Ang'."

He slid down onto a few trash cans, appearing at her side, facing the brutes before them with drooping eyelids and a doggie grin.

"What're you doing?" Angel whispered, both of them still backing away slowly. They were trapped; on their way in the rabbid mutts had knocked crates and trash cans into the opening of the alley.

"Saving your fluffy tail," Fang answered, the good-naturedness vanishing from his voice, replaced with a blanket of serious concern. "Get behind a box or somethin' an' stay there."

"Over my dead body," Angel replied angrily. "We can take them!"

"Who's 'we'?" Fang snapped. "Look, when I say hide, it means hide, no two ways about it, doll! Now move it before they turn you into their next free entertainment toy! Scram!"
 

Angel opened her mouth to protest. But the dogs sprang just then.

Everything seemed to move into slow motion. Fang turned and butted Angel aside with his head and all of his strength. She careened behind a trash can, momentarily stunned but unhurt.

Fang collided with the larger mutts, snapping and snarling, using his famous fangs to do great damage. The gray dog yelped in agony, but grabbed Fang by the scruff and shook him like a rag. The puppy screeched in pain, but when he landed, jarred, he continued fighting.

Angel was on the brown mutt in a second, tearing into his back fur with her teeth. The brown mutt whipped around and slammed her with his snout, knocking her into the same trash can, toppling it over and upsetting its contents. Angel lay still, paws throbbing, trying to catch her breath.

A snarl erupted from Fang, and threw himself on the brown dog, biting into its ear and yanking--hard. The dog barked loudly, whining, and bucked, flinging Fang off. Fang slammed into a crate and stayed there.

The brown dog's ear was ripped and bleeding, and the gray mutt was limping. But they advanced on the limp form of Fang anyway.

A screech of fury sounded from behind. Skip was biting down on the brown mutt's tail, growling fiercely, green eyes ablaze.

"Follow his lead!" Afghanna shouted to Rose. They were on the roof of the same building Fang had gotten onto to get into the alley where Angel had been trapped.

The two female pups swarmed all over the ugly dogs, giving them severe beatings--if you count puppified growls and digging claws and teeth into the mutts' fur coats severe beatings. Skip continued to dodged the snapping jaws of the brown dog, all the while keeping a tight, painful grip on its tail. Rose took one look at Fang, squeaked in horror, and bit the tar out of the gray brute's legs. Afghanna barked loudly in the mutts' ears while leaping onto the gray one's back and clinging to its extra skin with her teeth.

The rabbid dogs finally gave in, tripping over themselves on the way out of the alley, leaping over the rubble that had trapped Angel in before.

"You think they'll come back?" Skip panted, looking towards the entrance to the alley, the crates and trash cans toppled still.

"Nah," Afghanna shook her head. "We only did part of the work. They don't call him Fang for nothing..."

Afghanna heard a clang and turned around, ready to attack.

Angel was staggering, fur crumpled and dirty, out from behind the toppled trash can, tripping over its muggy contents as she went. "Wh-Where's Fang?" she croaked.

Afghanna's ears dropped, and she turned, heart panging, towards the dented crate where the mound of golden fur lay.

"Fang?" cried Rose, who rushed to the Golden Retriever's side. "Wake up, Fang! Wake up!"

The red-eyed pup didn't move.

Afghanna let out a soft whimper. No, she thought. Oh, no no no no no, please...

"Fang?" Angel crept up to him. She glanced at Skip. "Is he..."

Skip looked away, tail dropping and tucked between his legs, green eyes wet.

"...Did they...?" Angel looked at Afghanna.

Afghanna sighed softly, hanging her head, eyes closed.

"Fang? Fang!" Rose kept nudging Fang, moving his head up and down with her nose. He still lay lifeless.

Angel stared disbelievingly. Oh no.