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The third Balto movie was set to be in production and for the most part, the studio was abuzz with excitement. Many of the actors from previous installments were called back to reprise their roles.

Steele came onto the set with his owner, he was glad the film got made because his owner was in a bit of a dire strait financially and this would really help the family.

"Hello director. I was told over the phone that you had a role for Steele in the film."

The director grimaced, gripping the pen in his hand. "There's been some... last minute changes to the original script I'm afraid."

"I assume that means Steele's role has been affected. Has it been reduced?" his owner asked. It would mean less screen time and less money coming in, but if the malamute could bring in even a decent amount of time, it would be enough to keep them afloat until they figured things out.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But Steele will be playing no part in this film. No roles, no lines, not even a cameo."

The two of them were taken completely aback by this. It would have been one thing to have the role reduced, but to cut him out completely? And of all characters, Steele was the one to be left out.

"How can you have the final Balto movie without Steele? I read the script, and his role in the third movie was vital." his owner asked, perplexed. "He's the franchise's main antagonist!"

"Well...we are going for a more...spiritual angle. It is barely the same movie as the original writer wrote it."

"Original writer?" Steele finally found his voice. They had replaced the writer? Why? What purpose would that serve? If the prior movies had led up to a climactic finish then changing it would affect the whole series.

"Sorry...not my decision. It was the decision of the board and if I heard right, the writer was a relative of one of them." The malamute was disheartened, their one spark of hope was ruined by nepotism.

The third film was meant to be the epic wrapup of all that was built before, but it was deemed too 'grandiose' by the board. It was likely just an excuse, they should never have gotten the rights to the series. Even before this production, they had blatantly cut corners to reduce costs, even when things were all in budget. They wanted to take no risks, only accepting scripts that were believed to work guaranteed, often pandering to the lowest denominator.

And as times had shifted the original script was no longer "viable" to meet that demand. What a mess.

Steele tried to cheer up his owner as they sat down shocked at having their hope dashed for a reprieve in their troubles.

"It's okay Steele, you didn't do anything wrong, it was just bad luck." She assured him and got him off his leash.

"I am gonna need to make a lot of calls, you know your way around the studio, why don't you go for a walk?" Steele knew the request was more for her sake than his own. She knew he would listen in if he was around.

This new revelation was devastating and the malamute understood that she would need some time. They were so sure that his role was guaranteed, but now they were left with nothing and many dues were creeping around the corner...

Taking her advice, he did take a walk to ease his own worries. The studio was one that specialized in filming scenes with animal actors, so many animal centric movies were shot here. The time spent there were the best days of his life and a fear was looming over him that his career was now over. That was the sad truth of famous dogs, they rarely appeared in more than one franchise and were mostly known for the role they had in that specific movie or series.

Some were lucky enough to make residual money from their performance, keeping them set for life. But the malamute and his owner were not as such. Family issues and a hospitalization had really put them in a dire situation.

While wondering what he was going to do, Steele looked up and realized that he accidentally crossed the line set out for a film set. He was just ahead of it, but it was enough to peak at the project being set up.

Crews were making the final touches, setting up the scene while a German shepherd was standing in the center of it all, looking just a bit nervous. Steele recognized he was Thunderbolt, the lead actor for the original series' reboot, the two of them had never actually talked. Their free times had never lined up and the issues at home kept him even more distracted.

Thunderbolt turned around and they made eye contact. For a moment, the malamute thought he was going to be reprimanded for wandering on set as he was approached.

"Hey...Aren't you Steele?" the other actor asked, his voice unable to hide a tone of awe.

"Yes, I am surprised you recognized me." Steele was taken a little aback.

"Oh, I am actually a huge fan of yours!" Thunderbolt gushed. "Your performance was amazing, I actually learned a ton watching and re-enacting your scenes from the behind-the-scenes extra material."

The malamute blushed, "Well...I am actually quite a fan of you too, reviving and keeping such a long running series alive is no small feat." he said a bit bashfully.

The German shepherd cowered a little. "Something wrong?" Steele asked.

"Yeah...things haven't been going so well lately, ratings are down. My owner, he's the writer of the show by the way. I'm worried about him, he's been up for days now trying to come up with something to bring the viewers back, the show has become formulaic and lost that spark it once had."

"At least it isn't some board's doing," Steele muttered to himself. He returned attention to the other canine, who looked at him expectantly.

"I was wondering if you had anything that could help? Watching your interviews is one thing, but here you are in person and I... Anything that can help Toby..." Thunderbolt admitted, looking rather defeated.

"Sorry, I am in a bit of a down right now, my role in the last Balto movie was cut and my owner really needed the money my role would have brought in." The malamute apologized.

"Oh..." Then the other canine perked up. "Maybe you could make an appearance on my show? Like a cameo? Or...or maybe..." The gears in Thunderbolt's head were clearly turning.

"I think I have an idea that could solve both our problems." Steele looked surprised. Standing right in front of them was a man, tucked under his arm were a stack of scripts.

"Oh, Toby!" Thunderbolt perked up. "You're looking much better."

"Hi Thunder, you mentioned an idea?" The man looked really excited. "What is it?"

"He can understand us?!" Steele was absolutely shocked.

"Err...yes?" Thunderbolt said a little sheepishly. "I would say to keep it to yourself, but you would only be able to tell other dogs."

"Oh, I did it again because I was excited...sorry about that. I keep forgetting my little "talent" isn't normal." Toby apologized. "Oh, but do please tell me your idea Thunder, I am anxious to know!"

"You remember that idea you had the other day, the one you scrapped because you couldn't find a fitting actor to make it work?"

Toby looked like he was thinking "You mean...the idea of giving you a rival in the show?"

"That's the one. Let me introduce you to my friend here, Steele." Thunderbolt motioned to the malamute.

"Wait!? As in Steele from Balto!?"

"Formerly from Balto," Steele corrected. All the same, he stood a bit taller, making himself presentable. "My planned role in the final film was cut and it has left my owner in quite a mess of a situation."

"Oh...we can definitely make this work!" Toby was positively giddy. "Where is your owner?"

Finally Steele felt a little bit of hope again.

"Oh Steele there you are, oh and who is this?" Steele's owner greeted him as he came back, from the look in hers he knew she had been crying.

"Toby, but you likely know me better as the writer and director of the Thunderbolt series."

She looked surprised. "Oh, what an honor."

"I was hoping you would listen to a proposal of mine. That is...if Steele here is possibly available." Steele could see the glint of hope return to his owner's eyes as Toby began describing his idea.

Over coffee, Toby explained his idea. "What our show has long needed is stakes. Every episode has been the same. Thunderbolt solves the problem of the day and the world goes back to the way it was before. What we need is a change, a longer running plot. An actual storyline. I have been toying with the idea of giving him a rival, but, believe it or not, not many canines are known for playing villain roles and I need someone with experience for this role."

"Well, Steele would be more than perfect for something like that. Do you think it could work?"

"There's nothing to lose in trying. The only place our ratings can go is up," Toby assured, trying to put up a positive and hopeful atmosphere. If it did work out, it would bring much needed boons to them all.

Steele pushed the hand of his owner with his muzzle and she chuckled, "You want to give this a go don't you?" She thought about it. "I suppose we don't have anything to lose, but I expect Steele to be treated well."

"Oh no worries, my studio has the top ratings in animal handling. He will be taken great care of." Toby assured her.

Steele was used to staying at the studio for extended periods, but he was worried about how his owner would fare without him. He reminded himself that by doing this, he would aid her even if he was not there by her side.

She and Toby shook hands and she handed him Steele's leash.

"Well... Be a good boy while I'm gone, Steele. And try not to be too mean," she jested. When the malamute was first casted for his role, he took it a bit too seriously. From her perspective it was rather amusing to see the canine carrying himself as a lead sled dog even when off set.

It was his first major movie role and he had just been trying to method act to get into his role properly, but he had no way of telling her that and so had to endure her teasing him about it to this day.

"Guess you're gonna be bunking with us," Thunderbolt beamed.

"I suppose I will. And... Thank you for this. You really didn't have to go out of your way..."

The German shepherd cut him off.

"There's no way I was gonna leave someone in a situation like that if I could do something. I guess being Thunderbolt for so long made me somewhat like him."

Steele nodded. The original Thunderbolt was held in high regard within the studio, being heralded as the start of animal centric entertainment. And his passing was met with widespread grief. He supposedly was a rescue dog before he was an actor and the plot was somewhat based on some of his real life deeds, but made more television friendly and fantastical.

"Is there pressure in carrying on what he started?" Steele asked.

"There was a first. For a while, I was upset with myself because I've never done any of the things he did. I had doubts I was even worthy of sharing his name. But I've decided to use my role as a dedication to him, making sure the next generation knows his name." Thunderbolt said in a very genuine tone rather than his usual slightly over the top one.

"I am sure you are making him proud." Steele said and Thunderbolt froze and intensely blushed.

"T-thank you," he said, at a loss for words for once.

With the agreement made, Steele's owner had to leave to see her family. Giving Steele another goodbye, she left him in the care of Toby.

Toby worked relentlessly to finish the new script, but he was definitely inspired. Meanwhile, Steele was being coached on the dynamics of their show. It was wildly different compared to shooting for a movie.

Steele and Thunderbolt took a little while to find a rhythm to working together on the scene, but once it clicked many of the crew commented it was like the two of them had been working for years together and that it was a treat working with them.

Together they finished the pilot episodes of "The skulldog arc" which was to be aired to see if this new style would catch the viewers.

"I am positively anxious, Thunder." Steele admitted, he too had begun using Toby's shortened nickname for the German shepherd after being around them so much, as they waited to hear the results of the reception for the episodes.

"I am sure they will be well received, your performance on the set was amazing." Thunderbolt assured the malamute, though he barely managed to stave off his own anxiousness.

"What can I say...I play villain roles pretty good. I got the face for it." Steele joked.

Finally Toby got into their trailer, which was his personal camper, and sat down in front of his laptop. He opened his email with shaky hands and then looked positively shell-shocked. Both the dogs feared that was a very bad sign.

"The...our fan-mail server is back up...We...we got so much positive response, it was a smash hit!" Toby cheered. He began to read the few letters and comments that got through.

"They loved change in direction. They're calling it 'an epic reimagining of a timeless classic,' I..I can't think of any higher praise. I think it is safe to say we are making this a thing for sure."

"We did it, Steele!" Thunderbolt beamed.

And the malamute was ecstatic, not only for the show but the income that it would bring in. Knowing that it was a hit, he was determined to give everything he had in each performance.

Toby grabbed his phone and quickly dialed a number. "Hello, yes he did wonderfully. Everyone loved it, the moment the pilots greenlight for wider broadcast we'll send a check your way with a little extra!"

Feeling a rush, he opened a blank word doc and was about to start typing but Thunder huffed. "Come on, you've been at this for a week straight. We did it, you deserve a rest, Toby."

"But it's a hit, I gotta maintain the momentum..."

"I know from experience that you need to take breaks every now and then. I'm excited too, but none of us will be able to give our best if we run ourselves ragged," Steele added.

"You can write after getting a night's sleep," the german shepherd huffed, planting his paw on the laptop and shutting it.

"Fine," Toby admitted defeat and put his work away for the night. He instead prepared to retire for the night while Thunder led Steele outside for a bit, giving his owner some peace and quiet.

It was just supposed to be a nice walk around the studio's grounds, but then they ran into someone Steele rather wished they hadn't.

"Well well well...if it isn't the forgotten villain." Balto smirked amused at the other dog's misfortune.

"Hello, Balto." Steele was doing his best to be the better person. The wolfdog took their movie rivalry a bit too seriously and felt that he was cutting in on the 'face of the franchise's' camera time.

"Figures they dropped a villain like you and focused more on the heroes, just like it should be." The wolfdog gloated.

"Alright that is enough." Thunderbolt stepped out in front of Steele protectively "What has Steele ever done to you?"

"If you know the movie, then you know. I am the hero, he is the villain." Balto replied.

"So you just hate him because of the roles you play in a fictional story? That's...just wrong." The German shepherd said, baffled.

"Heroes are supposed to be favorites, loved by all. Not competing with the villain, who is supposed to be despised. It's the heroes that are supposed to win the award!" with that he turned up his nose "And just who are you to question me?"

"Oh how rude of me. Thunderbolt." The wolfdog gulped at the German shepherd's hard tone.

"Err...I...I better go..." Balto swiftly left.

"I am sorry you had to see that," Steele groaned. "He's never gotten over the award ceremony of the first movie. It was the role for best actor and the nominees were him and I. The results were nearly tied and I won by just a few votes more."

"Congratulations," Thunder praised. "You did play your role incredibly."

"Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. For Balto, any gain I achieve means a loss for himself. He has an...inferiority complex. You see, he was adopted by the studio itself from a rather harsh shelter. He's always felt he had to prove himself."

The German shepherd shook his head "As Toby often told me "it takes two to dance" and that same goes with acting, no one person, not even the star like me, can do a performance on their own. Going off on others for doing great is the wrong approach, this isn't a competition, we are all supposed to cooperate as best we can."

It was ironic. On screen Steele played the role of the antagonist, but on the set itself, Balto was the real bully, demeaning and casting stones towards the malamute or anyone he felt was taking his spotlight at any chance he could.

"If only everyone understood that..." Steele sighed. "Besides...I'd rather we had gotten a bonus rather than some dusty trophy, I'd wish my owner would just sell it."

He didn't need an award to tell him that he was a good actor, but his owner found a value in it, keeping it a prominent place at home for all to see. Next to it, pictures of Steele were placed, ranging from his puppyhood to adulthood. It was a shrine that showed her clear pride in him.

"She's just proud of you," Thunder recontextualized. "If Toby won an award for best writer I would never let him get rid of it."

"I suppose I just keep remembering the bad blood it caused between me and Balto when I think about it. I don't know if him winning it would finally have secured the assurance he so desperately wants that he is a good actor, but I can't help but think." Steele sighed.

"Don't worry so much about it. You're working with me now and Balto'll be busy with filming his own movie," Thunder pointed out.

Hearing that made Steele feel much better. It would be great to not be antagonized literally every day of filming that Balto was on set.

"Yeah...I just hope he gets better."

The two retreated to Thunderbolt's private trailer, which was still ludicrous to Steele, but it was nice to have a place to calm down with no humans around. He himself had offered his own trailer to be sold, knowing that it was going to a good cause. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be in a space made just for dogs, however his own trailer had not been this luxurious.

"This is rather nice," Steele complimented, it was kind of an understatement, he kept looking around Thunderbolt's private place with wonder.

"Thanks," Thunderbolt said. He led his guest through his space and the malamute noticed the little accessories that decorated the walls. Some were pictures and others were posters of the previous Thunderbolt and he noticed that a few were of himself.

"You know, you're the first guest I've ever had," Thunder admitted. In the corner of the trailer was a rather wide bed, with ample space for the german shepherd alone. "So I've never really prepared a second bed or anything. You don't mind sharing it do you? If not you could take it..."

"No, no," Steele interjected. "I'd be happy to share it with you." The two of them shared a look and both turned away with a blush.

"How about we share a little nap? After filming and that encounter with Balto you ought to be drained."

"Oh you have no idea..." The moment his new friend pointed it out, the malamute felt a bit fatigued. With a welcoming smile on his face, Thunder eased to the side and tapped his paw to the bed's surface.

Steele climbed onto the bed slowly and could already feel a comfortable softness beneath his paws, even more so when he laid his body down over it.

The two of them made themselves comfortable, Thunder's way of doing was rolling over and stretching, parting his hind legs as they shook a bit. It wasn't Steele's intention, but he got an eyeful of what lies between the other canine's legs. His breath caught in his throat the moment he spied the plump looking sac and even thicker sheath.

Before the German shepherd caught him staring, the malamute looked away, but the image of what he had seen was quite vivid in his mind. Thunder remained none the wiser, but instead felt that there was a bit of awkwardness between them. And looking close, he could see the other dog's pelt was a bit ruffled from their acting.

"Before we go to sleep, how about a bit of grooming?" he asked.

Steele took notice of his state and blushed a bit. "Well, I suppose..." He was used to being cleaned in a tub, dried by a towel and then brushed. So it came as a shock to feel a tongue suddenly lapping at his neck, where the fur stuck out the most.

As Thunderbolt tended to his friend he began to notice Steele's breathing become a little uneven and there was also a bit of an arousing scent in the air. At first he thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but another lick actually produced a sound from the other male.

"Oooh..." Steele groaned quietly. He then realized what he did and blushed. Hearing that made Thunderbolt shiver and he felt his lust ignite.

"Hehe. Enjoying it, huh?" Thunder teased. "I assume you aren't groomed by other dogs often?"

"This is my first time actually," the malamute admitted.

With an idea in his mind, Thunder made a fake gasp. "The fur on your chest is even worse. Come on roll over." Playfully, he nuzzled his snout underneath still and lifted up, getting him to roll onto his back.

Steele was now blushing harder as Thunderbolt stood over him with a grin, something more than just playfulness. "We have to make sure you look good for the next film shoot..."

Steele shuddered from the slow lick that started at his chest, dragging down to his stomach. Getting the idea he nodded, feeling himself stirring. And the licking canine was treated to the sight of his tip first poking from the sheath and the rest of the inches following suit.

The scent of arousal was even stronger, carrying with it subtle hints of sweat from their efforts. "That must be cleaned as well," the German shepherd said plainly.

Steele watched as Thunder bowed his head down and then came the first lick of his smooth, hot tongue. Raising his voice, Steele felt it throb against the touch. And the laps continued, starting out slow and soft, as if really trying to make it clean.

And Thunderbolt felt his heart racing the moment he realized that his tongue was touching the cock of his idol. Through his excitement he did his best to remain careful, but the now louder grunts and soft moans were making it hard for him to keep control.

Steele was panting hard "Th-Thunder...I.."

"Shhh...relax...let me help you destress. It feels good right?" Thunder asked soothingly

"Ye-yeah...it feels amazing." Was this really happening? The malamute wasn't sure if this was a dream or not, he shuddered, no female had ever made him feel this good. Even that one flame he once had.

Knowing that he was doing a good job to pleasure his idol, Thunder blushed but went further, using his tongue to guide the wet tip over his lips. During a brief pause, he looked up and met eyes with Steele before pushing his muzzle down, taking the inches into his mouth, already flicking his tongue over the underside. The sudden bark and whine that came was music to his ears and he continued to sink it inside of his mouth until the swollen knot bumped against his nose.

Already panting heavily, Steele's mind was racing to keep up with it all. Those soft runs of the tongue and then the bobs of Thunder's head up and down his shaft, his own ears taking in the sounds of suckling and soft hums of excitement.

"T-Thunder..." Steele allowed himself to moan. "K-keep going... F-faster..."

His plea was heard and acted upon, those lips were wrapped tighter and Thunder worked his head and mouth even faster and harder, bouncing his snout along from tip to knot, and using his tongue to cover the areas that his lips could not tease, tasting steady drip of slightly bitter precum on his taste buds.

The moans were getting louder and Steele's body was starting to tremble from the building pleasure. It was anything better than what he had before and leagues over anything his own tongue could do to himself.

"I... I'm close!" Steele warned. A growl rose in his throat, his instincts taking over for a moment. His hips bucked as Thunder pushed down. With a deep snarl, he felt his knot push right past the seal the lips made, locking the bulb against the soft tongue and smooth roof of Thunder's mouth.

With a few small thrusts and licks in return, Steele howled and came harder than he ever had in a long time, practically seeing stars while his length pulsed hard, shooting his load against over the long tongue and down the gulping throat.

Thunder sighed and moaned in satisfaction as his mouth was filled with Steele's seed. While drinking it down, he kept working his tongue over the pulsing cock, milking as much as he could out of the clearly pent up malamute.

Only when the spurts stopped and the knot deflated did Thunder release him, doing so with a gasp and hum of delight. He watched as Steele heavily panted, pleasure still written on his face.

"There..." he jested. "All clean." His tongue drew over his muzzle, collecting any of the fluids that he may have missed.

While being under the hold of his afterglow, Steele looked up and noticed that Thunder was now fully erect and even leaking from his tip. Surely, he didn't intend to just leave it in that state?

"W-what about you?" Steele asked. And Thunder seemed confused until he felt the throbs between his hind legs.

"I can take care of myself, you're my guest after all," the german shepherd was about to slink back, but Steele used his own body to stop him, reaching up and hooking his paws around his frame. He used his strength and a sudden motion to flip them both around, with him now on top of the slightly dazed shepherd.

"Guest or not, it is only fair that I return the favor..." Steele whispered in a lustful tone into the other canine's ear.

Being so close, Thunder felt his tip bump into something and he instinctively responded by giving a small hump, getting a shaky breath out of Steele. That wet tip bumped just underneath his sack, teasing him by being just short of touching his tailhole.

"A-are you sure about... I am pretty big," Thunder warned.

"Oh, I can see that," Steele continued to use his words to further excite his new friend. "But my name should tell you that I'm not fragile." He ended those words by giving a lick of his own to the shepherd's neck, making it rough but slow.

Thunder shuddered and felt the need building. The teasing was working perfectly and for a moment, he was frozen, idly leaking his fluids over the awaiting pucker.

"How about that hero, I pinned you down." Steele teased by slowly pushing down, steadily putting pressure on the German shepherd's erection until Thunder finally slipped inside.

The shepherd gasped unprepared for the sudden tightness that surrounded his length. Steele slowly eased himself down, groaning until he came to sit just above the knot.

"Submit to the will of Skulldog, admit I was always your better." Steele growled playfully. Following suit, he pulled up and lowered himself back down with a quicker motion, getting Thunder to groan.

"I... I'll never f-fold," Thunder groaned, looking up with a smirk.

The two of them used their characters to bring an extra layer of excitement. And it was obvious that it had an effect on Thunderbolt especially.

"Then I will have to sap you of your willpower," Steele gave a mocking evil laugh as he began to bounce up and down, biting his own lip as he felt himself being stretched and touched deep within.

"T-try as you might, Skull...but the evil in your heart prevents you from reaching your true potential, let me show you." Paws wrapped around Steele's lower half before Thunder bucked his hips against the next bounce, pushing himself even deeper. As the malamute yelped and moaned with a bit of pitch, Thunder smirked triumphantly.

"I am not defeated yet!" Steele pushed back, riding the shepherd even harder and made Thunderbolt shudder as he could barely hold himself back.

The two of them acted as if they were in a struggle for dominance. For every quick bounce that rubbed Steele's soft walls against the length inside of him, Thunder returned the act with hard thrusts, angling his tip to poke against spots in attempts to make him melt.

"You are good...but not good enough hero..." Steele knew he had Thunderbolt on the ropes from the hard throbs and warmth of flowing precum inside of him.

"Ste-Steele..." Thunderbolt gasped.

The malamute lifted himself until he almost pulled off the shepherd's erection then smirked. "Submit!" he demanded and pushed down with all his might, forcing Thunder over the edge. He used his weight to wedge the thick knot inside of himself and not a moment later, the "hero" was defeated, howling and squirming as he came hard inside of the victorious Skulldog.

"Mmm... looks like I finally bested you, Thunderbolt..." Steele said lowly as he leaned down, licking softly at Thunder's neck.

"Maybe so...but your victory is pyrrhic, I can tell your heart has been broken from it's icy prison." The German shepherd teased.

"Curses...I was not supposed to fall for you..." Steele playfully licked Thunder.

The two stayed close until the shepherd's knot had allowed them to separate. Steele tugged himself free with another low moan and Thunder aided him by cleaning up the mess, not wanting the fluids to dry and cling to the malamute's pelt during the night, fortunately his trailer came with a place they could wash themselves in the morning.

"That was...incredible," Thunder complemented. "I...I don't know what came over me..." He blushed.

"Whatever did come over you...I loved it...been a while since I was with someone, let alone another male. Dare I hope we might share a moment like that again?" Steele asked, hoping this might not just end up a one time thing.

"O-Of course," Thunder said without hesitation. "I mean...we have a whole season to film and not only can we keep each other company, but it is a...motivator and helps dealing with stress as well." the shepherd rambled, saying whatever came to mind.

"I... I'd like that..." Steele said, daring to nuzzle against the other canine. The last time he tried to do something like this, it was not met well...

"Y-yeah...I'd like that too..." Thunderbolt bled into the malamute's touch. Oh god why was he so awkward when it came to this?!

"We should take that nap now I'd think." Steele suggested.

"Yeah...oh yeah! We really should." The shepherd agreed. Best as the pair had laid down to rest did Thunder add. "The next time we have fun I really need you to plow me good."

Before the malamute could process the sudden request, Thunder had fallen asleep and left him blushing and with a bit of trouble falling asleep, but eventually did so when his heart-rate calmed down again.

***

The two of them were given an early wake up call via the sudden banging of the trailer's door, making them both perk up. Steele rose to his feet and growled, looking around for the source of the threat.

"Oh, it's okay. That was the wake-up call. The intern who does it has needed to be replaced for a while, he is rather careless about it," Thunder reassured.

Being so long since he had his own trailer, it had slipped the malamute's mind. But all the same, he didn't remember it being so jarring.

Thunder eased from the bed and looked at the time. "Come on. We should get cleaned up." Steele followed after stretching, being led out of the trailer but around the grounds to the spot designated for cleaning. It was divided in two sections, those who wanted staff assistance and those who chose to do it themselves, bathing in private tubs.

Thunder continued to lead to a private tub that was awaiting them. "Shall we?"

Though he was used to being cleaned and groomed by human hands, he agreed and dared to touch a paw to the comfortably warm water. Thunder had already gotten in with a blissful sigh. Right after, Steele slid into the water, sighing as it lapped at his body, the heat sinking into him.

"See. There's nothing like a morning bath. I come here so often that they have it prepared ahead of time," Thunder explained.

"It does feel amazing, but what about actual cleaning?" Steele asked.

"Once we're ready, there's a button that calls them over. We have plenty of time, so just sit back and relax..."

It was wildly different to just soak in the heated water, letting the heat radiate through him.

Thunderbolt was clearly enjoying it as well, leaning back until only his head remained above water. Steele allowed himself to just embrace the treatment and let himself fully relax, clearing his mind of the bit of nervousness that lingered in the back of his mind.

Before he knew it, Thunder was calling to him and asking if he was ready to be cleaned. Steele nodded, not knowing how long he was in his relaxed trance. Once the button was pressed, the shepherd assured him the wait would not be long.

And soon the sound of footsteps approached. But instead of humans, two other canines approached, holding small baskets in their mouths.

"Ah, Rocky. Rambo. This is my friend, Steele!" Thunder introduced.

The malamute and dobermanns looked at each other shocked "Steele! Man how have you been?" Thunderbolt was surprised as the sibling seemingly forgot about him and went over to the other dog.

"It's been ages since we saw you!"

Steele looked baffled. "Why are you two here?"

They looked a little sheepish. "Well...after our film roles ended our owner just sort of..."

"Sold us off to the studio." The other doberman finished his brother's sentence.

"You three know each other?" Thunderbolt asked amused.

Steele nodded "Their film "Oliver and Company" was being filmed at the same time as the first Balto movie, we ran into each other a lot."

"You two never told me that." The dogs looked embarrassed at the hero star.

"Well...it was our only film and..." Rocky said a little uncomfortable.

"We had villain roles, so we thought you might not like us if you knew." Rambo said, looking nervous.

"Is that a common thing?" Thunder asked, noticing a pattern. "Villain roles making their actors disliked?"

Steele nodded "Yeah...we are the antagonists of the main characters afterall, some people have difficulty separating the villain actor from their roles, especially children." That one usually hurt the most.

"I...I never knew." Thunderbolt had always been a hero in his stories. "Don't worry I won't judge on something silly like that. I in fact admire actors who can pull off a villain role." he assured the dobermans.

"Bad dogs are a dying art," Rambo nodded. "Now, how about we got you boys cleaned up? Oh and you can call us Roscoe and Desoto if those names are easier to remember, we won't mind."

"Your screen-names I take it?" Thunder asked.

The red-collared doberman nodded "You got it." he confirmed as they got to work.

The twins parted and gave their attention to each of the actors. They proved how skilled they were in assisting by applying soap to their backs and rubbing it in with their paws. Steele was surprised by how well it felt, groaning softly from the treatment.

"Easy there champ." Desoto smirked "Don't want to get too excited, you got a scene to play soon."

Steele huffed, those two were still as playful as they had been back then.

"That goes for you too mr hero." Thunderbolt shivered as Roscoe applied the rest of the soap.

The twins were doing their jobs well, but had a bit of fun teasing the actors. After the soap was lathered into their pelts, the two of them took hold of shower heads in their mouths and rinsed them, then fetched towels and dried them.

"That should be it." Desoto said in a playful tone. "So where are you two off to?"

"Both to Thunderbolt's set, I got a role in his series." Steele explained.

"Oh...lucky you." Roscoe chuckled, "Wish we had that kind of luck, but don't worry, we are content with where we are. Better treatment than when we were actors, but I guess we just sort of.."

"Miss being on the stage and acting." Roscoe's brother finished. "We don't even get called for cameos anymore. Eh...it is what it is."

"The wheels keep turning," Desoto agreed. "Our kind has only short acting careers unless you are like Thunderbolt here."

The malamute felt for them, being in a similar spot just a few days before. And though they still had a place at the studio, he knew how much talent they had to give.

"Hmm." Steele hummed, he would keep them in mind. If he caught wind of anything, perhaps he could recommend two of them.

"You're both good to go. Now hurry along. If you're late, we'll be the ones getting an earful," They wouldn't, the crew were far too nice to do that, but they would definitely send them a look or two, arguably worse.