“Wake up, farm boy,” Cammy whispers into his ear, gently shaking him awake.

He sits up in bed and rubs his eyes, “What do you want? We have curfews and we’ll get punished for violating it,” he replies.

“Whatever, just meet me in the storage closet in five minutes… I wanna discuss the plan with you,”

Wolf nods and sees her tiptoe out of the room.

That dream, it’s been happening every night since he met the Lieutenant… Colonel? Ah whatever, that stupid Saturn guy.

What does the dream mean though?

Who is the starry haired boy in that stained glass painting?

Shaking his head, Wolf slowly stands up and quietly makes his way out of the slave quarters.

The hallway was empty, the only thing that could be heard was the noise of the house settling and whatever other creatures lurked in the night.

He quietly tiptoes through the hallways until he comes across the storage closet that sat in this wing of the mansion.

Inside he sees Cammy leaning against a stack of boxes with her arms crossed, “You’re two minutes early, great.”

“Better than late…” Wolf replies.

“Anyways here’s the plan, when we get assigned our workplaces, we sneak off behind their backs. I already sourced us a grapple to climb over the wall.”

Wolf nods.

“Once we get over the wall, we run to the garage, hotwire one of the vehicles and get the hell outta here.”

That’s actually a solid plan, the only problem…

“I’m not leaving Aerial and my birds behind!” Wolf yells, before quickly covering his mouth.

“We can’t risk bringing them with us, think farm boy. We’ve only got one shot at this and we can’t waste it trying to haul a bunch of buddymon with us,” she says.

A frown dawns on his face, “I understand.”

Creak

“I’m tellin’ you Mateo, this is the way”

“Yu Yu, for the last time. We needed to take the right around five junctions ago!”

“Okay so you hear that too?” Wolf asks Cammy.

Cammy nods.

The creaking noises become more prominent as dust starts to sprinkle onto them.

Wolf’s eyes widen as he realizes what’s about to happen.

CRAAAAAAAAAASH!

The ceiling gives way and two boys and a platypus lie on a heap before them.

“Who the hell are you three?” Cammy demands, her voice raising to a noticeable volume.

The silver haired boy with a baseball cap, stands up proud with a smile. “I’m Volt, the greatest pilot of the galactic century and this guy is just my underling Mateo.”

Mateo rolls his eyes, “Don’t listen to that idiot, he ain’t that bright… nor great.” he sits up and brushes the dust off him.

Wolf just stares at Volt in wonder, he’s so small and chubby. There was something interesting about him that Wolf couldn’t place.

In comparison, Mateo is a thin stick with barely anything on him.

Cammy is staring right into the platypus’ eyes like they were having a fierce standoff. “I don’t like how it’s looking at me.’

“Oh that’s my buddymon, her name is Lucifer or just Luci,” Mateo replies.

Wolf shakes his head, he has to get back on track. Escape… and now they have extra cargo to deal with, so their original plan probably isn’t going to work.

Also figure out how these three got here in the first place.

“So why are you guys here in the first place?” Cammy asks.

It seems she beat Wolf to the punch on that.

“To rescue you of course!” Volt yells.

Mateo nods with him. “My father found a bottle and it had a rescue note from this Marcas guy,”

Wolf’s eyes lit up, someone heard his prayer, someone found his note and they came to rescue them.

Without realizing, Wolf was already crying tears of joy!

“You f-found my note… t-t-thank you!”

Volt puts his hands on his shoulder, “Hey don’t thank me for anything, it’s just part of my job as the great Volt to rescue people in need!”

Was that an attempt at comfort or a way to boast?

Wolf doesn’t know which but his hands feel warm, he hasn’t felt warmth this time in who knows how long… maybe for the first time in his life.

The lights turn on in the mansion, causing a surge of panic to creep up on them.

“You two hide in one of those boxes, me and the farm boy will be in the room next door,” Cammy orders.

Volt and Mateo nod and crawl into one of the many storage boxes, it seems to be a tight squeeze for Volt especially.

The two rush back into the slave quarters and jump into the beds, covering their bodies with the thin cotton blankets they have.

Wolf hears the harsh clicking of Miss Wagfingers shoes as she storms into the room. She was constantly tutting and groaning about something.

“Alright maggots, stand in line!” she yells.

A series of groans could be heard as everyone methodically climbs out of bed and stands in a line for the morning headcount. Wolf slowly does the same alongside Cammy as to not give way they were already awake.

“All twelve are present for once,” she says.

Mr. Humphrey waddles into the room with his cane mounted, “Today boys, we have big changes coming. As you noticed, you’ve been transporting a lot of my belongings and loading them on vehicles.”

The boys nod and Cammy just scoffs.

“This is because we’re going off the planet for a while, somewhere nicer, with less ruffians and less attempts to escape.” he smirks, eyeing Cammy and Wolf in particular.

“When do we leave sir?” one of the boys asks with a stammer.

“Today, I want you boys ready within two hours, we’ll depart at 8am sharp,” he says, before taking his leave. “I’ll be doing some important paperwork, do not disturb me.”

Two hours?

Two hours to escape, that means they have to leave now. Yet how are they gonna get rid of Miss Wagfingers, who’s currently standing guard at the door.

A purr is heard as Lucifer strolls past Miss Wagfingers, who lets out a scream at the creature.

“What… is that disgusting thing!” she yells, running down the hall as Lucifer slowly follows her.

“I’m out of here!” Cammy yells.

Why was she always so impulsive?

Wolf groans and runs back to the storage closet to free Mateo and Volt.

Mateo crawls out, “That rich dude sounds like an asshole, how has my brother not robbed him yet?” he mumbles to himself.

“Your brother is a thief?” Wolf asks, titling his head.

“Long story, I’ll catch you up later,”

The three run down the halls in an attempt to find Lucifer and Cammy.

Miss Wagfingers’ screams were enough to determine Lucifer was just down the hall but it was likely Cammy had already left the building.

The three find Wagfingers trembling on top of a dresser, holding a broom aimed at Lucifer who was merely staring at her.

“Let’s go Luci!” Mateo calls.

Lucifer jumps into Mateo’s arms and the two rush down the stairs.

He looks upon Miss Wagfingers, one final time.

“It’s been a pleasure to work for you, but let’s be honest, it never was…” Wolf tells her before following the boys.

All Wolf could hear as he ran through the front door was the screams of Wagfingers yelling about how worthless he was and how he’ll die without them.

“You ungrateful little shit!”

Wolf just rolls his eyes, they’re the ungrateful ones after all the slave labor he’s had to endure.

Wait, he needs to get Leia and the dogs, he wasn’t gonna leave them here.

Sprinting around the corner, Wolf lays his eyes on the dog pen where the dogs were still waiting. Jimbo and Pikko were barking, their barks were as loud as a plane.

Wolf flicks the pen open and Aerial jumps onto him, slobbering drool all over his face.

His laughs echoed as he enjoys the affection Aerial is giving him, however, the other dogs haven’t ceased their barking. That concerns Wolf, he hasn’t seen them this restless before.

Suddenly, a severe wind nearly knocks them over as a couple of Advanced Units flyby alongside a war plane. The engines booming across the town, they were almost deafening.

A bright flash blinds them.

Then there was an ear-splitting explosion that could be heard from a distance.

It was like time was stopping for him. The entire world was frozen, everything halting to a stop as Wolf looked up, seeing the smoke rising far beyond the mansion walls.

The smoke, god he could smell it. It smells like gunpowder, with how prudent the smell of the ash was as well as the taste of metal he felt in his mouth.

His ears are ringing!

SLAP!

Now his cheek was stinging!

Cammy just slapped him across the face

Her face has a scowl plastered on it and on her shoulders was Leia and Kacchan. Did she really get the two for him? Even after she insisted on leaving them behind

“Stop sitting there, farm boy!”

Wolf blinks, snapping out of his train of thoughts.

“Me and the two boys found a car, now all we have to do is get the hell outta here!”

He nods, Aerial gives a soft bark.

They and the dogs run to the front of the mansion where Mateo was waiting in the driver seat of Mr. Humphrey’s pristine Skylark. Volt sitting in the back beside Lucifer.

Wolf didn’t realize he was still holding Aerial in his arms as he climbed into the back of the car with Cammy. It didn’t take him long to realize, there was no room in this car for Pikko, Jimbo and Hero.

The three dogs didn’t let the lack of room deter them from squeezing themselves in the car, wedging themselves on their laps or between their bodies.

“Do we really need to bring the entire zoo with us?” Mateo asks, rolling his eyes.

“Just get to Dreamer Base!”

Mateo slams his foot against the gas pedal, speeding the car through the mansion gates and down the street.

The speed is ferocious as Wolf feels like his skin was about to be blown back like an umbrella on a windy day.

“Take the M1 Highway, it’ll get us back to Westlin Town faster!” Volt yells, trying to talk over the loud roaring of the car, he clutches his hat tightly as well.

Like he was trying to hide something!

Mateo shakes his head, “No, I’m taking the Web Road back to my place!”

“Whatever, just get us outta here!”

The morning sun creeps over the horizon as the sounds of bombs echo in the distance.

It was beautiful yet horrifying in Wolf’s eyes.

Mateo turns off down a forest road, passing the nearby lake.

“Can you even drive this thing?” Wolf asks.

“Honestly I can barely reach the pedals!” Mateo yells back.

That didn’t bode well for them.

Mateo harshly brakes outside a worn down house. The paint was chipping off the walls and the garden was overgrown quite a bit and the steps leading up to the house were lopsided.

“Keep an eye out!” Mateo says, jumping over the car door and rushing to his house.

Volt nods, “I the great Volt, won’t let anything happen!”

However, Volt quickly frowns. “Do any of you hear that?”

Focusing in, Wolf could hear the faint sound of whistling coming from above.

Wolf looked up towards the sky, he could see a black dot coming closer and closer.

That wasn’t a black dot.

“Get down!” Volt yells, leaping out of the car and crawling under it for safety.

Stumbling out of the car, Wolf quickly crawls under the car beside Volt alongside Cammy and the animals.

“Cover your ears and don’t look up!” Volt orders them as he curls into a ball, his arms covering his head.

Once again, Wolf obeys.

All he sees is pitch black when he hears the explosion. Then he could feel hurricane-like winds battering his body and flipping the car over. His ears are ringing…

Opening his eyes, Wolf sees the family house engulfed in flames as thick, black smoke rises up into the sky.

“Mateo!” Volt yells.

Mateo runs to the group holding the hand of a small girl who stumbles behind him.

Behind the two is a taller, more gruff and unkempt looking man. His brunette hair is greasy with a wavy shape reaching down to his neck. The denim jacket he wears is dirty with what Wolf could only speculate as blood stains.

There’s also the fact the smell of liquor from him could overpower the smell of gunpowder and smoke coming from the house.

“Mateo, I am not going to some stupid evacuation shelter!”

“Dad, we’re not going to a shelter, we’re going to the military base.”

“That’s even worse!” The dad whines.

Wolf didn’t know how to react to that.

“So whose the drunk?” Cammy asks Volt.

“Oh that’s Cooper Robinson, he’s Mateo and the rest of the Yuki kids’ dad. Beside them is Kasumi, she’s nice.”

Volt jumps up, his hat is gone revealing two bunny ears perched on his head.

So that’s why he was wearing the hat.

Volt offers a hand to Wolf who takes it and slowly steadies himself back up.

“What are we gonna do now? The cars’ gone.” Cammy asks them.

“We’ll cut through town square to get to Jian Yu’s house, then we’re only a few minutes away from Dreamer Base,” Mateo replies.

“Look, the longer we stay here, the more likely we’re gonna explode into pieces,” Wolf says.

Everyone nods and they start sprinting down the empty streets, with nothing but each other for company.