Repliwolves: Spear's Journey

Spear blinked a few times. It didn't matter if he was awake or asleep. It was pitch black. Once again the only light came from his claws. He shifted slightly then stopped. A piece of metal hung dangerously close to his head. If he moved, he'd be crushed.

"Nuts and bolts!" Spear growled. He felt like scratching Scar just to make himself feel better.

Scar! Spear didn't see him run when the building collapsed. In the dim light, Spear could just make out a limp paw, poking out of the rubble. Scar was gone, gone forever hopefully.

As his head cleared, Spear was seized by a spasm of fear. It hadn't occurred to him how close he came to dying. Now that he was buried probably more than six feet deep in concrete, glass and metal, death seemed to linger everywhere. The rubble could shift and cave in again and Spear would be crushed. He could die because his battery wasn't fully charged.

Spear felt tears coming to his eyes. He'd never been so scared in his life. What if he died down here and no one found him? What about his brothers, Spectacle, Liam? He hoped they were all alright. If he did die, at least he gave his life to save them. That felt comforting.

The darkness was calling him again. Spear fought it at first, then stopped too tired to fight it. As his eyes closed, silence filled the space around him. The last thing he saw being a tunnel of light reaching his claws.

Spear woke up, stiff and sore. His feet, ears, tail, and back were wrapped in bandages. Pain echoed through his body and he remembered burning himself during his fight with Scar.

As his vision strengthened, he easily recognized the dimly lit interior of Maverick Hunter HQ. He smiled, never feeling more happy in his life to see it.

Spear heard a groan beside him. He turned, looking at the dark gray pelt. The repliwolf lifted his head wearily and Spear realized who it was.

It was Liam. His eyes were misty and his green markings under them were gone. The expression he wore was sad and desperate.

Spear felt as if his heart was torn in two. Liam was blind. And Spear could tell his Hunter days were over.

"Spear," a familiar voice asked. Spear looked up and into Crow's eyes. The medic was unwrapping Spear's bandages and when Spear took a closer look, he realized they weren't injured.

"You slept for two weeks," Crow growled in annoyance. "Hope you enjoyed your nap. Anyway you're good to go."

Spear stood up, flexing his tails and claws. With a silent nod of thankfulness, he ran outside and right into Spectacle.

"You're alive!" Spectacle cried with joy. She nuzzled him and Spear felt all of the grief, hopelessness and despair lift from his spirits. He felt...happy.

More and more reploids and repliwolves crowded around him. Among them, Spear could pick out Heart, Quick, Light, X, Zero and Axl. All of them happy to see him.

Then, someone cleared his throat. Everyone around him parted, making way for Signas, leader of the Maverick Hunters. In his hands, he held a medal.

"Spear, I wish to apologize for the events that transpired after Axl disappeared," Signas began, diverting his eyes. "You suffered so much, because we couldn't see clearly."

Spear turned to the other Maverick Hunters. All of them except Axl looked incredibly guilty, even Zero. His turned his attention back to Signas.

"We're sorry. I'm sorry," Signas said. "You saved a lot of lives back at Code Blue and you saved Axl. For your bravery and actions, Spear, I'd like to award you with the Medal of Valor."

Spear felt joy rising up inside him. He turned to face his brothers, who nodded. Quick was beaming so brightly, Spear thought it'd set his heart on fire. Heart's eyes held a calm, proud look. They seemed to both be saying; "Go ahead! You deserve it!"

And Spear did. He took the medal and wore it proudly.

Then, he lifted his head to the sky and howled. More repliwolves joined him. He could even hear Liam and Crow howling from the medical quarters.

In that moment, Spear knew who he was. He wasn't a Maverick, he wasn't a lab rat. He was a hunter, he was a hero. He was a repliwolf.