Bolt the Superdog: Origins (A "Bolt" Fan Fiction) (PG-13)

Bolt the Superdog: Origins (A "Bolt" Fan Fiction) (PG-13)

Postby AustralianChaos » June 18th, 2010, 7:16 am

Well, since I'm struggle to get much writing done, I thought I'd post a fan fiction I completed earlier this year.

It's my only completed fan fiction to date, and tells the alternate, TV-world Bolt endures prior to the movie...with one hitch.

What if it wasn't a TV show? What if it was real?

My story tells of how Bolt got his super-powers in the first place, and seeks to fill in the gaps the movie left behind...why was Doctor Calico after Penny, and why was he holding her father hostage? How did Penny and her dad get caught up in a fight for survival?

Like "Lost Rogue", this story is long and detailed, and rather complex, too. It is my best work, and I would like some feedback, if anyone actually ends up reading this!

And before we get started, you may want to take a look at a simple trailer I made for the fan fic, using Windows Movie Maker, scenes from the Bolt film, and music by "X-Ray Dog", a composer of various trailer themes:

-Bolt the Superdog: Origins (Fan Fiction Trailer)

And without further ado, I present to you my longest and best writing, as of June 2010:

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Bolt the Superdog: Origins

Prologue
Chosen Fate

Spoiler: show
The bell on the door tinkled as it opened, a man entering the pet store, with his daughter right behind him, literally shaking with what appeared to be untold levels of excitement.

The man looked down at his daughter as she looked feverishly around the store, obviously looking for something. "Daddy, where are they?" she cried loudly, her excitement making itself even more pronounced in her high, innocent voice. "Are they here?"

The man laughed, shaking his head. "Relax, Penny," he said, in a futile attempt to calm his daughter down. "I'm sure the one you want is here somewhere." He couldn't help but chuckle as Penny continued to peer into every nook and cranny of the store she could she from the entryway. Even now, after raising her for close to eight years, it still surprised him when Penny got excited like this. She seemed to have an endless supply of energy.

As the man's thoughts continued to wander, the store's owner came into view around a set of shelves. His name-tag identified him as Joe, and that he was the owner and manager of the store, and judging by the small size of the store, the only one working here, too. He seemed to be in his mid-to-late fourties, with tanned skin, dark, balding hair, and a marginally plump phisique. Overall, his appearance suggested someone who was extremely kind and gentle, and the man knew that Joe's looks were not decieving, the two were fairly good friends. In such a small town like Silverlake, everyone knew each other.

Joe smiled when he saw who had arrived. "Oh, hey there, Richard!" he greeted happily, his soft voice conveying the same aura of kindness as his appearance. "What brings you and Penny here today?" He shook the man, Richard's hand as he spoke, before ruffling Penny's hair. The girl shoved his hand away, continuing to look around anxiously.

Richard looked down at Penny, before looking at Joe, smiling. "I think Penny makes it a little obvious...we're here to get her a pet!"

Joe smiled even wider. "Ah, yes, it's Penny's birthday, today, isn't it?" Penny responded by nodding her head as fast as she could her could, her energy still brimming over. "You're eight, aren't you, Penny?" Another nod, as Joe knelt down in front of Penny. "Well, happy birthday! Now," Joe stood back up, turning back to Richard, "exactly what are we after today?"

Richard thought for a second, deciding how best to explain his request. It may be Penny's dog, but he needed certain traits in the dog, for both his own private reasons, and for some peace-of-mind that Penny was getting her ultimate companion. Finally he turned to Penny. "Penny, why don't you go take a look, see if you can find one you like. I need to talk with Joe for a moment."

"Okay!" Penny cried, although she was already zipping away as she said it.

Both Richard and Joe chuckled as they watched Penny run off. "She's been like that all day, since I told her I'd get her one this morning," Richard explained.

Joe nodded in agreement. "She been after a pet for some time, hasn't she?"

Richard nodded back. "Years."

They both stood in silence for a brief moment, before Joe clapped his hands together. "So, what are we looking for today? I'm assuming..."

"Yes, a dog." Richard completed Joe's sentence for him. "Penny's always wanted her own puppy, so that's what she's getting. It is her present, after all."

Joe seemed to get distracted for a second, changing topic suddenly. "Speaking of Penny, why now? She's wanted one for years, why have you waited until now?"

"I had to wait until Penny was both old enough, and responsible enough, to look after the animal herself. My work doesn't allow me to take care of it for her. I had to jump through hoops just to get today off so I could be with her for her birthday. I think that, now, Penny is responsible enough, she should be able to care for her pet very well."

"Of course," Joe said, his face staring off in the distance as he fell into thought once more. "Now, how about specifics? Or is it just just whichever one Penny chooses?"

Richard wrapped an arm over Joe's shoulders, the two of them pacing around the front of the store as Richard talked. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about. Obviously this is Penny's puppy, and as such it's her choice. But, there are some specifics I would like, both for Penny, and for my own reasons, mostly my own peace of mind."

"Okay," Joe said, nodding to mark that he understood Richard's request so far. "Go on."

"Now, I need a very specific dog, here. I'm looking for a working dog. Something strong, fast, hardy...it essentially needs to almost replace me as a guardian for Penny. My work is becoming more demanding, and I just can't be with Penny as much as I'd like to. It also needs to be able to cope with Penny's excessive energy." Both of them chuckled at that. "On top of being that, it also needs to be able to control itself. You know, despite it strength and energy, it needs to be gentle and loyal to those it trusts. What I'm trying to say is, it needs - "

"It needs to be Penny's ultimate companion." Joe finished. He continued when Richard nodded. "You're after a dog than can be both her protector and her best friend, right?"

"Right."

Joe seemed to stop, thinking for a moment. "It's a tricky request. It's hard to get a dog with that sort of combination...what age area are you looking for?"

Richard smiled. "Penny's specifically requesting a young puppy. Most likely something a few weeks old."
Joe frowned. "That complicates things slightly, because I cannot guarantee that you will get exactly what you're after. However, a Shepherd of some sort sounds like it would suit your needs best, as they're a strong working dog, and are generally very fond of those they trust. But like I said, with a newborn pup, there's no guarantees."

"I understand," Richard replied. He had expected this, and was willing to make compromises if it turned out to be the case. "Do you have any Shepherd pups here?" Richard knew this was the tricky part. Being such a small store, Joe only ever had a small selection of dogs in the store at any one time. The chances of him finding something here were slim.

Joe's face lifted, causing Richard to sigh with relief. "You're in luck, Richard! Just a couple of days ago we got a White Shepherd puppy in from thenearby Animal Shelter. And I think he'd be just about perfect for both you and Penny, he's the cutest little thing I've ever seen!"

"Alright!" Richard rubbed his hands together, glad the situation had unfolded so well. "Let's see him, then!"

* * * * *

Penny made her way through the pet store, her excitement and happiness completely uncontrollable. I'm getting a puppy! I'm getting a puppy! I'm getting a puppy! She skipped through the small store, stopping every now and again as some animal caught her attention. She giggled in the aquarium section when she noticed, amongst a tank of small goldfish, one with massive eyes that were literally popping out of its head, which Penny always called 'Goggle-Eyes'. She moved from the aquarium to the reptile tank, but didn't stay long. She wasn't afraid of snakes, or any other reptile, but they still creeped her out slightly.

Then Penny found what she was looking for. Two raised benches, with clear plastic sides and open tops, allowing for easy viewing of the contents. These were the pens for the cats and dogs Joe's store offerred. She immediately moved to the closest one, slightly dissapointed to find it was the cat pen, but nevertheless stopped to peer inside. The store was only holding three little kittens at the moment. Penny giggled at two of them, who were locked tightly in a fierce wrestling match, pouncing on top of each other and rolling around, squealing and growling constantly. The third was off in a corner, curled up, sleeping peacefully.

After watching the wrestling match for a moment, Penny moved to the other pen, her excitement reaching new heights as she spotted the puppies. There was roughly half-a-dozen of them, each of them different kind. There was a large black Labradore pup resting in a corner, and a spotted Dalmatian relentlessly chasing its own tail. In the middle of the pen three little terriers pulled at each others ears, yapping and growling, one occasionally getting distracted by something else in the pen and running off.

But it was the last puppy Penny saw that made her gasp. That's it! That's my puppy!

She almost missed it, since its pure white fur blended in so well with the newspaper laid out on the floor of the pen. It was only the brilliant purity of the white that allowed Penny to spot it. There was not a single mark or blemish on the fur whatsoever. The entire dog was white except for the pink inside ear, the black nose and paws, and the massive brown eyes. The little White Shepherd was chasing a squeaky orange toy shaped like a carrot, grabbing in his mouth and whipping it around, before throwing it away and repeating the whole spectacle over again...at least until it noticed Penny.

When their eyes met, the last of Penny's doubts faded...this was her puppy, this was the one she was going to have. The puppy raised itself up on its hind legs, forelegs pressed against the plastic window, looking up at Penny, panting insistantly, its tail wagging so fast it was actually causing the newspaper around it the ripple in the wind. The puppy stared at Penny for a few moments, before it noticed the fast-moving appendage behind it, and immediately chased after it, barking as it ran circles around itself, occasionally changing direction in a futile attempt to catch its own tail.

Penny laughed, pressing her own hand against the glass as the puppy turned his attention back to her, looking at her pleadingly as she grinned from ear to ear, her choice made. "That one!"

* * * * *

Richard and Joe walked up to the dog pen just as Penny spoke. Richard instantly noticed the White Shepherd Penny was staring at, and turned to Joe. "That's him?"

Joe nodded. "The one I was talking about."

Richard turned to Penny, smiling. So Joe had the perfect dog in today, and Penny had fallen in love with it almost instantly. But still, he had to be sure... "You think so, Penny?"

Penny whipped around, jumping a little, obviously startled. She had been so focused on the puppy that she hadn't noticed them behind her. "Yes!" she cried. "He's perfect!"

Richard's smile widened. Penny had definitely made her choice. But still, was he really appropriate for what Richard wanted him to do? He turned back to Joe. "Can I have a closer look at him?"

"Sure!" Joe walked over to the pen, pulling the puppy out with both hands, which caused Penny to actually start jumping, hopping a little on the spot.

"Ohh! Ohh, daddy, can I hold him, please?!" she pleaded, looking up at Richard with her best begging face.

Richard had dealt with that face many times in the past, and was used to it. But it still had an effect. "Maybe...if Joe says you can, once I'm done."

With that, Joe passed the puppy to Richard, who held it in front of him, examining it carefully. The first thing that Richard noticed was the fur. He had never seen a dog's coat so brilliantly pure in its colour before. It looked almost unnatural, like someone had deliberately drained the fur of all colour. He looked everywhere, but there was no mark on the fur at all, the entire coat was the same pure white. The purity of it held a stange beauty in Richard's eyes. He continued his inspection, checking for any problems with the puppy. There was sign of any illness, disease or infection on the dog. Like the fur coat, the skin and teeth were free of any blemishes or marks, or any other sign of infections. The claws were perfect as well, no chipping or scratching. Richard checked over the puppy again, and got exactly the same result. He then felt the muscle and bone structure under the puppy's skin, and again was greeted with perfection. For such a young puppy, his muscles were already well-developed and strong, and there again no signs of any problems. Richard could only gape at Joe as he handed the puppy back; the dog was in perfect health and condition. "Where'd you find this one?" he asked breathlessly.

Joe smiled knowingly. "Like I said, the Animal Shelter. But I was amazed when I checked him, too. The Shelter says they just found him wandering outside their front door a week back. They have no idea where he came from, or how he came to them in such good condition. Personally, I think this little Shepherd's a miracle! His health and general condition are perfect in every way, and he looks a million dollars, even after a fight with one of the other pups a few days ago. If I don't say so myself, I don't think you'll find a more perfect example of the White Shepherd anywhere!"

Richard knew Joe wasn't boasting, merely stating his opinion, and he was inclined to agree with him. The puppy was as perfect as any you could ask for. And if the general behaviour and temperment of the breed were any measure, he would be perfect for himself and Penny, too.

But before Richard could say anything more, Penny yanked at his pants leg. "Dad, pleeeaase! Please can I hold him?"

Richard sighed, then looked at Joe, throwing the question to him. Penny looked at Joe, who smiled, silently handing the puppy down to Penny.

"Thank you!" she cried as she took the Shepherd in her arms, bending her knees slightly at the sudden weight, obviously not expecting him to be quite so heavy. She sat down on the floor as he held the puppy, groaning with the weight. "You're heavy," she commented happily.

The puppy heard her, and responded by licking her eargerly in the face, Penny yelling out, putting the dog in her lap so she could free her hands to push the dog away from her face, Richard and Joe looking at each other and smiling the whole time. Finally the puppy settled down and leapt off Penny's lap, simply standing in front of her as she wiped the drool from her, grumbling.

"Slobbery, too," she added to her previous comment as she petted the animal, looking back up at her father. "Can we get him, dad?"

Richard smiled, deciding to tease his daughter one last time. "Sure, of course we can...if you can come up with a name for him!"

Penny's smile faded as she fell deep in thought, struggling to come up with a name. Finally she looked up at Joe. "What did you call him?"

Richard looked at Joe, who looked as surprised as he himself was by the question. "Uhh...well, I never really gave him a name. I - "

"Why not?" Penny demanded.

"So people like you can come up with your own names," Joe replied kindly. "But if you really want to know, the Shelter I got him from called him 'Bolt', althought I don't know why - "

At the word 'Bolt', the puppy went nuts, tearing towards Joe with a speed that shocked everyone. The little creature shot around Joe's legs, before returning to Penny's side just as quickly.

Richard was the first to recover. "I guess that's why!" he finally said, amazed by the show of speed. But then that's what the puppy was, Richard thought. Amazing.

"Bolt..." Penny tried out the name, the puppy once again tearing off, running circles around Penny, yapping the whole time. "He likes it...and I like it! Yeah, Bolt it is! Now, can we get him?!"

Richard laughed at Penny's persistance. She was had been stubborn in her own unique way, always wanting to know what was going on around her. Richard had another one of those moments he frequently had, where he thought that Penny would make an excellent detective one day. But the moment passed quickly, when he realised that she was still waiting for his answer.

"Alright, Penny," he finally said, causing Penny to whoop and yell. "He's Bolt, and he's all yours!"

Penny turned back to the puppy...Bolt, her new puppy. "You hear that, Bolt?" she cuddled him once more as he yapped happilly. "You're my good boy now!"


Chapter 1
Lost and Found

Spoiler: show
"Bolt! Here, Bolt! Bolt!"

Penny's cries rang through the small park in the centre square of Silverlake as she ran all around, and through, the small plot of grass and trees, continuing to call out desperately for her companion, panic filling her, leaving her unable to think clearly. It had been five years, five glorious, blissful years, since Penny had aquired Bolt from the pet store, and this was the first, and only, time he had run off.

The last five years were some of the best Penny had ever experienced. Ever since her mother, Tanya, had died nine years ago, Penny had always had this missing place inside her, the gaping hole in her soul that, no matter what happenned, had always left her feeling lonely, even when she had companions and friends around. That had changed when she had found Bolt. The void had been filled, she was no longer lonely, as she always had Bolt. There was always a part of her that would long for her mother, had she had learned, years ago, to shut it out...all that had really matterred was the sense of lonliness, and now it was gone, because she knew that, no matter what happenned, Bolt was always there. Every day when she went to school, she was forced to leave Bolt behind, which they both hated. Bolt had even, for a time, tried to follow Penny to school. But, naturally, the school did not approve of pets, and as such, Penny was forced to teach Bolt to stay at home. But even the times at school were happier, because she knew Bolt would always be waiting for her when she got home, with Mister Carrot in his mouth, ready to play away the rest of the afternoon. Within their first year as companions, Penny had taught Bolt all the basic obedience tricks, but to such a level that he no longer needed a leash to restrain him. He would never leave Penny's side unless severely distracted, and even then, he would be back by her side the moment she called him. Within two years they had become inseperable, Penny being forced to move Bolt's bed, along with all his toys and other possessions, into her room, or else stay awake all night listening to him whine and howl. With the exception of school, they went everywhere together, and always without the leash. The rest of the small country town soon recognised the two of them, and by the time Bolt was three, no-one ever challenged the presence of a White Shepherd in town without a leash, knowing that Penny was nearby, if not at the dog's side. It was not long before all of the town's restaurants, cafés, and shops simply accepted Bolt's level of training and obedience, and allowed him inside their stores, knowing there would be no trouble with him whatsoever.

A side-effect of this level of loyalty was the bond Penny and Bolt shared. To put it most simply, they understood each other on a level unseen in any relationship between a person and their pet. Both of them seemed to know what the other was thinking. Over the years, the two of them had learned to understand each other's body language. Penny could tell, just at a glance, what kind of mood Bolt was in, and if was at all feeling ill or in any pain. Bolt was exactly the same, he understood Penny's body language, and even seemed to understand little snippets of English, too. There was never any confusions between the two as to what the other was feeling, they could read each other like books. The effect was that the two of them grew closer than any other person-pet relationship ever, period. To Penny, Bolt was her brother, and her best friend, and she knew that no human could ever replicate the bond between them, they would never even come close. The bond she shared with Bolt was both unique and special.

But that only served to make his sudden dissapearance even stranger.

This morning, when Penny had woken up, Bolt wasn't with her, in her room, as he usually was, waiting for her to wake up. She had dismissed that, as he had done it before. If he was bored in the morning, and Penny was sleeping in, he might head off to entertain himself until she got up. Since it was the beginning of school holidays, Penny had slept in through most of the morning. But she had begun to worry when she had her breakfast, and he still had not showed up. When Bolt did not answer her calls after that, Penny knew something was wrong. She had searched the house right through, from the attic to the floorboards, and out into the backyard. Only after that thorough search did she realise that Bolt had dissapeared, run off.

And now here she was, darting frantically through Silverlake Park, calling for her companion, stopping anyone she came across and questioning them as well. Everyone in town knew who she was, and who Bolt was, but no-one had seen the Shepherd anywhere. Penny's panic reached new heights with each passing second. Surely, in a town as small as Silverlake, someone had seen Bolt somewhere? After running through the park three times, she finally began to search the rest of the town. She went to all the local shops that she and Bolt had been to together, but once again, no-one had seen him. In desperation, she went to Joe's Pet Store, to see if Bolt had gone there, but Joe had simply shook his head sadly.

After searching the school, Penny was both desperate and frustrated. He can't have just vanished! her mind cried. Someone must have seen him!

"Penny!"

Penny spun at the call, instantly hopeful. "You found him?!" she cried instantly, before stopping when she saw a handsome tenage boy walking towards her.

"What?" the boy replied, confused. "What are you talking about? And what are you doing here, of all places?"

Penny sighed, at the same time both realising who she was talking to, and that he was not here about Bolt's dissapearance. Great, she thought bitterly. More unwanted attention.

The boy was Brady, one of Penny's classmates. They were both in seventh grade at the town single, small secondary school. Brady, like Penny was thirteen, but, to Penny, that's where the similarities ended. Brady was generally considered the popular kid in the grade. All the boys wanted to be part of his circle of friends, and all the girls just wanted a piece of them...all except Penny, anyway. He had the smooth, styled hair and perfectly-proportioned, well defined features that Penny thought, with mild amusement, would make him perfect for photo shoots for various magazines. Despite his family's lack of riches, no-one who lived in Silverlake was wealthy, Brady always seemed to have the latest clothes and gadgets, furthering his popularity among his classmates. To everyone who knew him, he was perfect.

Penny didn't exactly dislike Brady, but nor did she like him, either. To her, he was more of an annoyance. Penny saw right through his veil of fancy clothes and ultimate style. She knew the boy underneath was one who relished in his popularity, and who sought to get exactly what he wanted, exactly when he wanted it...he was self-obsessed, and though he was perfect...which was probably why he chased Penny. Of all the girls in the school, although there weren't that many, Brady had, for some reason, taken a liking to Penny when she first started seventh grade. He brushed off all the other girls who drooled over him, and sought to charm Penny any way he could. The fact that Penny had no desire to go out with Brady on any level only seemed to spur him on more, convincing him not that Penny was not interested, but more that she was simply playing hard-to-get. He just would not take a hint, and Penny had since just ignored him, going about her normal life.

Penny could not understand what made him latch on to her so desperately, anyway. She was just a regular thirteen-year-old girl living in a quiet country town. The only thing she could think of was the paradox she presented between her physical appearance, and her personality. She was short-cut, straight red hair that fell to her neck, and a soft facial structure that made her look a few years younger than she actually was. The only thing that gave her away as a teenager was her clothing. She always, whenever she could, wore the same red hoodie, with a black shirt and jeans, just your typical teenager. The paradox came from the fact that, although Penny rarely believed it herself, everyone told her that she acted more like a young adult of eighteen to twenty, not a young teenager. Even her father had said this on multiple occasions, and almost everyone likened it to the fact that she had lost her mother when she was young, and as such had been forced to grow up early. In a town where everyone knew each other, Penny was particularly unique. She looked so young, yet acted so old. Penny could only suspect that this was the reason Brady chased after, and as such assumed that this was what this latest meeting was about. She was not dissapointed.

"I could hear you yelling from across town," Brady said, his voice airing confidence and self-pride. "What's going on?"

"Bolt's missing," Penny said simply, in no mood to take any of Brady's advances.

"You mean that white mutt of yours?" Brady pressed, looking shocked, although he overdid it slightly. "Really? I though the two of you got along well!"

"We do!" Penny snapped. "I don't know what happenned, and no-one has seen him at all!"

"That's terrible!" Brady cried, although it was obvious he wasn't feeling too terrible about it at all, which left Penny furious.

He's trying to use Bolt's dissapearance to get close to me! she realised, disgusted at Brady's complete lack of concern.

But Brady never saw Penny's fury, continuing in his confident conversation. "Listen, Penny..." he pretended to hesitate for a second. "If...if you ever need to talk...to someone, I'm here."

Penny snorted in disgust. "You, Brady, will be the last person I talk to about this! Now just leave me alone, I have to find Bolt!" With that, she made to storm off.

"Oh, come on, Penny!" Brady called. "Can we please just drop the act and admit the truth?!"

Penny turned around, knowing that there was fire in her eyes as her anger continued to built. "What truth?"

"That all this, this avoiding me, turning me down, it's all a game!" Brady called. There was no hint of deception in his voice, he truly believed what he was saying. "I know, deep down, you can't stop thinking about me! So what do you say, huh? Let's head to Macca's and talk over a Coke, huh?"

At this, Penny actually laughed in sad, disgusted amusement. "You...are...unbelievable, Brady! My dog, who is my entire world, is missing, and all you can think about is getting me to go on a date with you?!" she turned and walked off, calling behind her, "I always knew you were dumb to chase me, but that is just sad!"

"Have it your way!" Brady caled back after her defiantly. "You'll see! You'll come to me eventually!"

But Penny ignored him as she walked back into town, and resumed her search.


Chapter 2
Secrets

Spoiler: show
When Penny got back to her and Richard's house, on the outskirts of town, and trudged inside, she was on the verge of tears.

After the incident with Brady, Penny had spent the rest of the morning, and a large part of the afternoon, continuing her desperate search for Bolt. She had gone over the entire town again, asking everyone all over again if there was any news. And once again, everyone was forced to shake their heads and kindly promise her that they would call the moment he turned up. Finally, at around two in the afternoon, she passed off the situation as hopeless and returned home, although she was devastated as she walked through the door. What happenned? her mind cried. Where had Bolt gone?

In one last, desperate attempt, Penny searched through the house once more, hoping, praying, that Bolt had miraculously come home. But there was no such luck as, once again, a search of the house, from top to bottom, and all around as well, gave her nothing, even when she called out for him. She could hear no happy barking, no desperate whine...there was nothing.

He was gone.

Slowly, Penny's panic faded, only to be replaced with a consuming, crushing despair. Bolt, her closest companion, and ultimate friend for five blissful years, was gone, vanished in the night. The realisation hit her like a physical blow, and she leaned against the wall of her bedroom, sinking to floor as she fought back tears, trying desperately to bring her raging emotions under control. But it was a hopeless struggle, and eventually she gave in, sobbing quietly as she huddled in the corner of her room, wishing only for her best friend back.

Her mind immediately went into overdrive, trying to determine exactly what had happenned. Why had Bolt run away? It just made no sense. There was no reason he would dissapear. Bolt would never leave her side, for anything. There were only three reasons he would ever move more than twenty yards from Penny. Either something had distracted him, or moving away from her would somehow either make her happier, or protect her from harm. But neither of those made any sense. There was nothing to distract him in the house, and Bolt generally showed little interest in chasing other dogs, or even cats...he seemed to live for Penny. Besides, when Penny had searched the house, she had noted that all the windows and doors were firmly shut and locked. Even if Bolt wanted to leave, he could not open the doors or windows. Penny began to consider the possibility that, when dad had left for work early in the morning, as he did every morning while Penny was still sleeping, that Bolt had possibly snuck out with him, but she dismissed that instantly. Her father would have noticed an adult White Shepherd trying to follow him out of the house, he was too big, he made too much noise. But then what if dad had...

Then, in that instant, it became clear to Penny. Bolt had been taken! Stolen from her house!

There was no other explanation, no other reason why Bolt would leave...he was taken, forced away from her! But Penny's triumphant moment was shatterred a second later when the revelation posed only more questions. But who had taken him, and why? Where would they keep him? Again, it just made no sense, there was no reason for anyone to steal a five-year-old White Shepherd, not unless...

...unless it was to get to Penny!

Someone had stolen Bolt to hurt Penny. But once again, the questions remained. Who? And why? And then, once again, Penny had a revelation, and she once again saw the only answer...

Brady! It was the only explanation! Bolt would only be missing for this long if he was being forced to stay away, and the only person that would do that would be Brady. Penny realised that he must have the idea in his head that, without Bolt, Penny's lonliness would eventually cause her to come to him. Penny had a sudden, raging urge to find Brady and confront him, demand for Bolt's return, but she stopped herself. Brady would have hidden Bolt, and with his stuck-up personality, he would not give up his secret easily, she needed to find a way to prove that he had done it.

But her thoughts ground to a halt when she heard the front door of the house open. Penny checked her wristwatch, noting that it was closing in on three in the afternoon. Of course, Penny realised. Dad's home.

But Penny didn't really care that much. She was still reeling from Bolt's dissapearance, and her discovery that Brady was the only one that would have done it. She was just going to have to tell her father what had happenned, and hoped that he would help her.

Penny looked up suddennly when she heard a loud, insistant barking, coming from the front door. It was a bark she would recognise anywhere. It as Bolt!

Forgetting everything about her fears, Penny jumped to her feet and dashed out of her room, crashing through the house, calling her companion as she raced for the doorway. When she finally reached the front door, she didn;t even have time to take in the scene before her before a white, furry mass leapt at her, pushing her hard in the chest, knocking her to the floor. Bolt then jumped on top of his person, barking happily and licking any part of Penny's face he could find, as Penny laughed and struggled desperately to fend him off. "It's okay, Bolt! I'm fine! Bolt, come on, get off me!"

It took Bolt a full minute to calm down enough to jump off Penny, who immediately rose to her knees, finally able to take a good look at her friend. In the five years she and Bolt had been together, Bolt had grown immensely. He was small for a White Shepherd, but even that in itself was large. From nose to tail, he was almost as long as Penny was tall, and his back reached up to the height of Penny's waist. Mostly, Bolt was a regular adult Shepherd, except for a few minor details. His ears was unusually large for a dog, as were his eyes. In fact, his whole face had retained a rather puppy-ish demenour. Penny smiled when she remember the coincidence this presented with herself. Bolt looked far younger than he was, but acted so much older. But aside from these, he hadn't changed a bit. His fur was still the same pure, unblemished white it always had been, and every part of his physical appearance was perfect, thanks to constant caring and cleaning by Penny.

Penny looked Bolt up and down, making sure everything was fine, that he hadn't been hurt in any way. But he was just as he was before he had dissappeared; clean, healthy and strong. He was fine. Whatever had happenned to him today, he was fine, and that was all that matterred.

Penny then looked up, noticing that her father was still standing on the threshold, watching the two of them with a big grin on his face. Richard was in his late thirties, and constantly looked run-down. He never had time to manage his appearance, thanks to his excessive work hours, and as such, always sported a shock of wild brown hair that was almost as long as Penny's, and flew in every direction. On top of that, he sported a short, full beard, which had the same wild, unmanaged appearance as his hair. His work had also affected his more general appearance. Lines had started apprearing on his face, maing him look a few years older than he was. He had bags under his eyes, although he never seemed completely exhausted somehow. His blue eyes held a weariness, and, at least to Penny, had also seemed troubled lately. The rest of his face generally gave the impression of a man who was remarkably soft and selfless...the perfect father.

Penny's attention was once again diverted to Bolt as he insisted on yapping and trying to lick her face once more. "Hey, where've you been, you silly animal?" She hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms over his back, moved almost to tears by her happiness. "Don't ever scare like that again," she whispered softly, before turning to her father. "Where'd you find him, dad? I looked everywhere!"

Richard's smile vanished, and his look became exceptionally guilty. In the brief moment before he spoke, Penny realised the truth. "Penny, dear, I'm so sorry, but I had to take Bolt with me to work last night."

Even though Penny had predicted it a moment beforehand, she was still shocked to hear it. "What? But...why?" was all she could say.

"I..." Richard seemed to struggle to find words for a moment, then finally sighed. "I needed him for work. We're working on a project that - you know I can't say what it is, Penny," he added sharply as Penny opened her mouth to speak. "That we need Bolt for, and I only just got the call to bring him in last night, while you were still asleep."

"I..." Penny stopped, frowning when she saw something in her father's look, something she didn't like. "You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" she demanded. Penny was normally very gentle, but when Bolt got involved, she got very moody, very fast.

"I..." It seemed to be the only word anyone could say. Richard seemed to be about to argue, but sighed once more. "Okay, Penny, I'll give you the truth. Yes, this project was part of reason I bought Bolt. My boss had requested a dog like Bolt...he was always meant to be your companion, and this was sort of a way to get something going at work at the same time."

Penny's frown deepened. She did not like what she was hearing at all. Bolt had been bought so he could be used by her father's work...but for what? Penny knew next-to-nothing about Calico Technology. All she knew was that it was an extremely secretive research and development company that seemed to specialise in next-generation technology, although they had only publicy released a few products. Despite the secrecy and limited releases, the company was extremely successful, thanks mostly to the planning of the company's CEO, a man by the name of Doctor Robert Calico. Penny knew, once again, next to nothing about the mysterious, Britain-born American who led the company. All she really knew for certain was that dad worked there as some sort of researcher, and that he worked on various projects and experiments...

She grew horrified as she considered the possibility that dad had begun using Bolt as an experiment. "Dad, are you...performing experiments on Bolt?!" she said quietly, her voice startlingly calm. But Penny knew if she got the wrong answer from her father, she would explode there and then.

Richard raised his arms definsively. "No, no, no! Of course not, Penny! I just...needed some samples from him; blood, hair, that sort of thing."

"But why?"

"You know I can't say, Penny, we just went through this." Richard grew stern once more. "But I promise you, that's all I did to him."

Penny grumbled, she wasn't entirely convinced that her father was telling the truth. Five years...just for some samples? No, Penny was certain her father was hiding something. But she could not find a way of forcing him to tell her, so she just changed topic slightly. "Will you need him again?" she asked, whispering once more to help control her raging emotions.

"I don't think so," Richard said, seeming to think hard. "I'm faily certain that I have what I need from him...but I can't promise anything, they might want something from him again...but I promise I'll tell you next time, okay?"

Penny knew her father wanted to drop the conversation, but she wanted to make sure he knew what had happenned to her today. "I was worried sick, today, dad. I thought he had run off, or been taken, or... Dad, Bolt's the only real friend I've got."

Richard's guilty expression returned. "I know, and I am sorry."

"Just make sure you tell me next time, okay dad? Even if it means waking me up in the middle of the night."

Richard looked down at Penny. "I promise, okay. If he means that much to you, I'll wake you up if I need to take him again." He paused, looking at Penny's worried expression as she hugged Bolt once more. "And I promise you, I have not done anything to..."

"What is this?" Penny demanded suddenly, looking up furiously at her father, whilst pointing at Bolt.

There, on Bolt's left side, stretching from his shoulder to his hip, was a black, lightning-bolt-shaped mark.


Chapter 3
The Mark

Spoiler: show
The mark was a deep, pure black, standing out perfectly against Bolt's pure white fur. Penny felt along the mark, and was surprised to note that there didn't seem to be any trace of paint or marker, or any other substance that had been smeared across the fur to create the mark...the colouring seemed to have been ingrained directly into the fur strands themselves. It looked and felt exactly like a birth-mark, or a colour blemish in the fur, but Penny knew better. She knew that Bolt had not had any markings on his fur before today, let alone one so distinctive and large. This had been a result of Bolt's trip with dad, and Penny knew it.

She looked up at her father, her face contorted with anger. "How did this happen?"

Richard looked at the mark for a second, before stifling a chuckle. "I'm sorry, Penny. I know you don't find this funny, but it was quite amusing when you understand it. You know Larry, don't you?"

"Of course," Penny replied, fighting to keep her voice even. Larry was the only other person she knew of that worked at Calico Technology, and then that was only because he and Richard were workmates there. All she knew about him really was that he lived here in Silverlake too, along with his family, and he worked in the same department of the company as Richard, the two of them often working together on projects. She had visited him with her dad a couple of times, and got along well with both him and his family, but did not know an awful lot about them. Shaking her mind back to the present, Penny brought the subject back on topic. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Well, I had to leave Bolt in the office for a short time, and when I came back, I found him with Bolt...with that mark on his side! Larry thought it would be a nice joke to pull on you, particularly considering he's called Bolt. I asked him to remove the mark, 'cause I knew you'd be furious, but he just kept laughing at me. I've tried removing it, but it won't budge. I have no idea what he used to make the mark, but it's stuck in his fur really good."

Penny's face softened slightly, although her mood remained sour. She got the feeling from Richard's voice that her father was hiding something, but she let it pass. What other explanation was there? She allowed herself a small smile, forcing herself to accept that it was just a harmless, although cruel, prank on Larry's part. "I'm gonna kill him when I see him next!" she said light-heartedly.

"Come on, Penny, it's not that bad. The mark's completely harmless...and besides, I think it suits him."

Penny involuntarily looked back at the mark, looking for her own opinion on the matter. She surprised herself when she realised that her father was right; the mark did seem to suit him. It went almost perfectly with his name, and the black mark on the white fur somehow just...worked. It seemed to further highlight his unique nature, and the incomparable bond the two of them shared. Bolt chose that moment to yap at Penny, as if to declare that he himself liked the mark as well.

"Even if it does suit him," Penny finally said. "I want it off, can we just try to get it off?"

"Of course," Richard replied. "I think he's overdue for his bath anyway."



Ten minutes later, Penny and Richard were kneeling beside the bathtub, scrubbing away at Bolt's sodden body with everything they had. Despite their efforts, the mark was refusing to budge, or even fade in any way. It just stubbornly stayed there, giving Penny fresh doubts over her father's explanation. It still looked as though the mark was inside the fur, not marked over it, and that the core colouring of the fur had been changed. But nevertheless, she continued to try and remove it, continuing in her efforts long after Richard gave up the situation as hopeless. She added every dog shampoo, soap and whatever else she could find in the bathroom to the mark in an attempt to have at least some effect. But at last, after a solid two hours in the bathroom, with Richard having prepared dinner, she was at last forced to accept that the mark was not coming off, and that all she could do was wait, and hope that it faded naturally. She finally pulled Bolt out of the water and dried him off, marvelling in the way his fur always seemed to nearly shine with its own light after a bath, although the mark now provided a contrasting section of his body. Once the both of them had dried off, since Penny had gotten herself wet from trying to clean off Bolt, the two of them, made their way to the kitchen where dinner was waiting. Penny sat down to eat with her father, while Bolt simply dashed to his food bowl and practically dived into it. It seemed he hadn't had his breakfast thanks to his little trip.

During dinner, Penny decided to bring up her fears about Bolt's mark, and how it seemed like it was coming from inside his fur, and hadn't simply been painted on. The conversation once again degraded into an argument over what Richard had done to Bolt at work, and after ten minutes, the two of them simply ate in silence, Penny not willing to accept her father's explanations as truth, Richard refusing to tell her the secrets of his work.

Penny stabbed at her food, frustrated. Why was dad hiding what he had done to Bolt? Why was Calico's company so secretive? She just wanted to know what had happenned to her friend...was it really too much to ask?! Her mind began to work, trying to decipher the secrets herself.

First off, she looked at Calico Technology in general. The company had numerous offices and research labs all over the United States, and even had a few international branches, with a new one being set up every few months. The nearest one was in the small and relatively new city of Highton, which was where Richard worked, although it was still a three-hour drive from Silverlake. Neither Penny, nor anyone outside the company, had any idea what went on inside the Highton Offices, although it wasn't for lack of trying. Various parties, not the least of which was the media, had attempted to sneak both themselves, and their cameras, into Calico's company, but had always been caught out. Put most simply, anyone outside of the company simply was not allowed to know what it was up to. Penny had tried everything. Books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet...there was just no record of what went on inside Calico Technology.

But what reasons would they have for needing Bolt? Why would Richard be asked to use hs dog for some...experiment? They must be working on something to do with dogs, but what? The company specialised in next-gen products and technology for people, not animals. It just made no sense. Penny knew that both Calico Technology and Richard were hiding something. Whether it was the same thing, Penny didn't know, but she desperately wanted to uncover these secrets, not so much to quell her own curiosity as to ensure that Bolt was safe, that nothing bad had been done to him. She loved Bolt with all her heart, and knew she would never be able to live without him...they were simply too close.

Penny was no closer to an answer when she finished eating, deciding that some time in the backyard with Bolt might help ease the anxiety the past day had left her. She turned to Bolt. "Come on, Bolt, let's - " she froze.

Bolt was scratching away at his mark feverishly, obviously uncomfortable. Something that had been done to him had left him uncomfortable. He had scratched at several itches throughout his bath, but Penny had paid it no mind then, as she was so focused on getting the mark off. But now, she could see that someone was troubling her friend, and it was making his whole body itch. "Hey," she called sothingly, kneeling down in front of the Shepherd. "Take it easy, Bolty, what is it?" She looked Bolt over as he continued to scratch away, trying to find the source of the discomfort. But, as always, Penny could find no visible problem with Bolt. Whatever it was, it was not a physical condition...something was making Bolt feel uncomfortable. But just as Penny was about to question her father, Bolt finally seemed to find relief, and stopped scratching, panting and staring up at Penny happily, as if to reassure her that nothing was wrong.

Penny's worries seemed to melt away as she smiled back at Bolt. "Come on, you silly thing, let's go!" she darted off down the hallway, taking a quick detour through her room to grab Mr. Carrot, Bolt's favourite carrot toy, the same one he had been playing with when Penny found him at the pet store. In five years, it was somehow still in one piece, although it was badly marked and scarred with excessive chewing and general wear and tear. Several holes lined it where Bolt's teeth had actually punched through the rubbery plastic. The little squeaker inside the toy also struggled to work, barely able to make a pathetic wheeze anymore. But despite the damage, Bolt still seemed to love the toy, and Penny would continued to use it with Bolt until the thing fell apart.

As Penny grabbed the toy and made for the door, her mind would not stop coming back to the days events. It had been an excessively rough day, and although she was glad she had gotten Bolt back, after fearing she had lost him, she knew something wasn't right. The dog she had gotten back was not the same Bolt that had curled up at the foot of her bed last night. There was something in his look, his stride, everything. His eyes seemed to hold a certain level of fear in them, like there was something going on inside him he could not control, and was afraid of. It scared Penny to think that Bolt was terrified of what had happenned to him today. But his whole body language suggested a newfound strength, that there was something...new about him. Whatever had happenned to him today, Penny knew, it had changed Bolt. For better or worse, only time would tell...the only certainty was that Bolt would never be the same again.
Last edited by AustralianChaos on July 4th, 2010, 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bolt the Superdog: Origins (A "Bolt" Fan Fiction) (PG-13

Postby Arani » July 3rd, 2010, 2:38 pm

lol, Penny is a strong girl, that's for sure! Loved it! Very amusing! :D :lol:
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Re: Bolt the Superdog: Origins (A "Bolt" Fan Fiction) (PG-13

Postby AustralianChaos » July 4th, 2010, 2:09 pm

The story's far from over, Arani...it totals 63 chapters, including the Prologue and Epilogue.

Speaking of which, Chapters 2 & 3 have just been added, with more to come soon!
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Re: Bolt the Superdog: Origins (A "Bolt" Fan Fiction) (PG-13

Postby zorayda » January 5th, 2011, 8:19 pm

You know, for fandoms such as this, I usually dismiss fictions as being something small or silly. But I really enjoyed this! Great job so far, and I can't wait to read more!
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Re: Bolt the Superdog: Origins (A "Bolt" Fan Fiction) (PG-13

Postby AustralianChaos » January 6th, 2011, 2:38 am

Sheesh, completely forgot about this...then again, no-one seemed to really take much interest.

I'll have to start re-uploading chapters soon, sorry everyone!
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Re: Bolt the Superdog: Origins (A "Bolt" Fan Fiction) (PG-13

Postby zorayda » January 15th, 2011, 7:31 pm

Lol, whatever you want to do, AC. After all, forced art and written work isn't nearly as fun to read as the kind that the writer/artist enjoyed creating XP
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