The ruins groaned under the weight of silence, broken only by the sound of paws padding across the cracked pavement. Dogmeat, bigger now, walked ahead of Ash with her nose low, tail stiff. Her coat was shinier, muscles filling out, but her ears still twitched with the nervous energy of youth.
Ash followed at a steady pace, revolvers holstered, coat brushing against the black riot plates beneath. The mission was simple enough—clear a nest of raiders dug into an old police station, a contract signed with a shaky hand back in Megaton. But for Ash, it was more than a job. It was training.
"Hold," he whispered.
Dogmeat froze. Her ears pricked forward, teeth bared, a low growl building in her throat. Ash crouched beside her, hand resting on her back. Through the broken doorframe ahead, shadows moved. Raider voices echoed, rough and careless, their laughter bouncing through the halls.
Ash leaned close. "Wait for my mark. Hit hard. Hit fast. Then back to me."
Her tail gave a sharp wag, her body trembling with contained energy.
The gunfight that followed was quick and brutal. Ash burst through the doorway in a blur, revolvers barking red light into the dark. Raiders dropped in confusion, blinded by the sudden assault. Dogmeat lunged low, tackling one to the ground with a snarl, her teeth flashing in the red glow of Ash's shots.
But she hesitated when the second raider swung a pipe at her. Ash saw it in her eyes—uncertainty. She ducked too late, the blow glancing off her flank. A yelp cut through the chaos.
Ash's shot punched the raider down before the second swing landed. Dogmeat limped back, ears flattened, licking her side.
Ash crouched beside her, running a hand over the bruise. "You're tough, girl. But tough don't mean reckless." His voice softened. "Stay sharp. Stay close. You'll learn."
Her tail wagged weakly, but her eyes shone, still hungry, still ready.
By the time the police station was clear, smoke lingered in the halls, raiders sprawled where they fell. Ash holstered his revolvers, Dogmeat trotting at his heel, favoring her flank but proud, chest high.
She was learning. So was he.