He wanted to reach out to her. But she didnâ€™t trust him. She saw him as a possible way to destroy an enemy, and that hurt. Kalab needed to know what it was she truly thought of him, and feared the answer. Could he live with just being a tool? For a little whileâ€¦ If she never changed her mind and that was all he ever was to her? No. It made him consider humanity too, if only to understand why she didnâ€™t love him as she used to, and as he still loved her.<br/><br/>At the edge of the tracks, one very lost looking puppy pawed pensively at the cracked tiles. It whined pitifully, seemingly afraid to leave the splash of light it was huddled in. â€œI do not want to lose youâ€¦â€ Kalab told her, leaving her side long enough to pick the mutt up by its scruff. He laughed when the dog wet itself, narrowly missing his feet. â€œShe reminds me of you,â€ he explained climbing up onto the platform.<br/><br/>One man looked at him oddly, but he was alone and no threat to them. â€œWe had a dog onceâ€¦ Iâ€™m going to bring her with.â€ He tucked the pup under one arm and offered Nehmahati his help to come up, even if she hadnâ€™t taken it on the way down. â€œI wonder why she was down thereâ€¦â€<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">--------</div><br/><br/>â€œFocksy! â€˜eâ€™s got mâ€™puppy.â€ There was a flicker at the edge of the shadows, abruptly vanishing, leaving them the same harmless gloom they always were.<br/><br/>â€œMaster is on his way,â€ said the other shade, yanking its partner down the length of the tunnel and disappearing into the utter blackness.<br/><br/>Listening closely, one might hear the broken wail of, â€œBuâ€™ mâ€™puppy!â€ if their hearing was particularly good.