A/N: This was inspired after watching the animated version of Tarzan with my 9-year-old sister.
Disclaimer: Me no own Death Note or Tarzan T.T
Log I: Arrival
After what seemed like a long and boring trip from England, the expedition team finally arrived at their destination, Africa. The hot weather was instantly forgotten the moment the island came into view.
Everyone instantly became animated. The view of the wild jungle in front of them really raised the adventure spirit of the young members, but made the older and wiser members wary for the promise of a long and dangerous walk into the jungle.
After their ship harbored at the beach, everyone quickly got off the ship. Some of them were too impatient to take the ladder and instead jumped from the deck.
"Mello! Matt!" a raven-haired man yelled at the boys. "How many times do I need to tell you that it was dangerous? If you break your legs we don't have proper medicine to take care of it!"
Mello looked up at his mentor and grinned widely. "Don't worry, L! Look! After so many times I did it, did I ever break my bones?" Matt snickered beside him.
L, the head of the expedition team, glared at his young companions. "Do I need to make you remember about our expedition to Amazon two years ago?"
Mello looked surprised before pouting. It seemed he had forgotten about the incident.
"But, L, this is a different ship from that time! That damned ship was higher than this one!"
"In which the difference was just 40 centimeters. And please stop arguing with me."
Mello shut his mouth instantly, and Matt couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.
"Good. Now please help the others taking our equipments from the storage room," L instructed them.
"Okay!" Both of the boys quickly rushed back to the ship. This time, they took the safer route by the ladder.
L sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
After taking out the equipments from storage room, the seven members of the expedition team, which consisted of L, Near, Mello, Matt, Watari, Aiber and Wedy, along with the crewmen decided to rest for a while. They sat together on the sand, not bothered by the hot sunray that beat upon them.
"So L, how long do you think we'll take to explore this jungle?" Aiber started a conversation.
"Hmm. Judging by the size and the primitiveness of this jungle, I think it will take about four to six months to explore it completely," L answered calmly.
"Four to six months? Isn't that too long?" Wedy shrieked. "Well, I'll take the minimum number. Guys, please pick us up after four months," she told the crewmen, not bothering to ask for the other's decision.
L sighed. "Miss Wedy. If our supplies were the reason that made you worried about our long stay, then rest assured. Watari and I have settled this problem. These gentlemen here will bring our supplies, including your cosmetics, hair care, nail care, and skincare products once for every two months. If that's not enough just give the list of your needs to them." He waved his hand at the crewmen, who nodded warily.
"Oh, thank you, L. I think that's enough for now."
"What about my chocolates?" Mello interrupted them.
L turned his head to glare at him. "They are already on the list. How could I forget about your chocolates, Mello?"
Mello jumped from his seat and hugged his mentor. "Thank you, L! You're the best!"
L raised an invisible eyebrow and patted Mello's head awkwardly.
Matt and Near merely glanced at each other and sighed dejectedly. After all, Near was not allowed to bringing his toys after the 'incident' with Watari's head and Matt was not allowed to smoke in fear of setting fire to the plants in the jungle.
Not long after that, the crewmen were back on the ship and sailed away, leaving the expedition team for the next two months.
The seven people that were left on the island continued staring at the ship that was sailing away until it disappeared from their sight.
"I know that the long trip had made you exhausted, so today we will just stay here. We will start our exploration tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" L asked the team after the ship was no longer in the view.
"Yes, L!" the team members chorused, excluding Watari who was sipping his tea calmly.
And so, they spent their first day on the island at the beach. And little did they know that a creature was watching them with fascination from a nearby tree.
The next morning, L, Near, Mello, Matt, Aiber and Wedy left their tent to explore the jungle, leaving Watari behind because he was too old for a long walk. They had decided to come back and fetch Watari and their equipments after they found a good location to stay during their expedition on that island.
"Hurry up, Matt!" Mello yelled in excitement. He dragged the red-haired boy behind him.
"Mello! Matt! Don't go too far from us! We still don't know anything about the jungle!" L called after the two boys who were already running far ahead of them.
"If a wild animal or a primitive tribe catches them, then we would be free of those two troublemakers," Near commented, which resulted in Mello and Matt, along with the rest of the team, shoot him a glare.
"Near! Don't speak like that!" L scolded the youngest member of their team.
"I'm sorry, L," Near spoke monotonously, clearly showing that he didn't mean the apology.
Mello and Matt slowed down their pace, not wanting to become food stock for any wild animals or primitive tribes.
#~#~#
They had walked for almost three hours now. During the walk, they had made several stops to analyze some objects that they found; weird plants that they had never seen before, some animals, which were fortunately classified as herbivores, such as zebras and giraffes.
They were busy making a sketch of a flower and plucked one as a sample, when suddenly a growl sounded from behind them. A tiger was eyeing them hungrily.
The team members stood rooted to the ground.
"Who wants to become its lunch?" Near asked in a low voice, directing his rhetorical question to Mello who was standing beside him.
"Why not you, then, brat?" Mello snapped at him, making the tiger direct its gaze to him instantly because of the loud voice.
Both of the boys shut their mouth for good this time.
Oh, boys…L thought grimly. He had to do something quickly before the tiger attacked the blond boy.
He needed a gun, and unfortunately his was in his tent. Aiber and Wedy were the only ones who usually brought theirs along with them. He looked around trying to locate said pair.
Oh, well. They too, had their guns in the tent. This left him with the last option.
He coughed, bringing the wild animal's attention to him. Just in time, for it was ready to pounce on Mello.
He faced the tiger, eyes to eyes, and couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling that was budding in his chest. The tiger looked at him hungrily, and he finally decided what to do to safe them all.
"All of you run! Now!" With that he quickly fled from his spot, not bothering to look back since he knew that the tiger was already leaping after him.
"L!" his crew yelled out his name, fearing for the young scientist's safety.
The raven-haired man heard his companions running after him too, trying to save him from the tiger. He just hoped that they would catch up with him in time. For now, all that he could do was keep running.
L was running as fast as possible, avoiding the trees, jumping over bushes and roots, trailed by the beast which was fresh on his track. But he didn't see that one root, poking out from the ground. He tripped and fell to the ground.
He tried to stand, but his body didn't cooperate. His body suddenly felt heavy. The energy was drained from his body after the run.
This is it. The end of my life, L thought dramatically, in a moment of faux pas. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the attack… which never came.
He opened his eyes warily, wanting to know the reason why the tiger didn't attack him right away. And was dumbfounded when he saw the scene in front of him.
There stood a young man who was only wearing a loincloth. The man was shielding him away from the beast. L could only guess that the brunet was trying to help him, which made him really grateful.
After the staring and growling contest from each part, the tiger finally left, leaving L with what he assumed as a member of a primitive tribe, judging by his 'clothes'.
The almost-naked young man suddenly turned his head and stared at L, making him gulp. It was still too early to assume that the man was his savior. Maybe he would take him to his tribe for lunch, or for dinner.
L tried to stand up, which was hard because his body hadn't fully recovered from the energy drain. He felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground again when a hand grabbed his arm just in time and pulled him up to his feet.
Now the young scientist stood face to face with the primitive man. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the man was actually could be considered as attractive, pretty even. He quickly dismissed the thought and concentrated on the matter at hand.
"Umm…thank you for helping me," L spoke softly, trying to start a conversation with the man.
"Huh?"
"Thank you for helping me?"
"Hauh?"
Well, it seemed that they really couldn't understand each other. L sighed at the realization.
He tried to pull his arm free from the brunet's grasp, which only resulted in the man locking his arm in a death grip.
"Could you please release my arm? I think I can walk on my own now," the scientist tried to talk with the strange man before him once again even though he knew that his effort was in vain. He was pulling his arm harder this time, frustration building in his mind. Where are they? Don't tell me they got lost...
His captor suddenly walked, pulling L's arm along with him. At first he wanted to struggle, but then he finally decided that it would be better if he just follow him and wait for his companions.
He started to miss the tiger. At least that creature could end his misery quickly.
They stopped under a big tree. Before the scientist realized it, the strange man forced him to sit down by pushing down his shoulders, making his back lean against the tree. He yelped at the sudden action.
After the man released his shoulders, L quickly pulled his legs into his chest and hugged them tightly. The man then knelt in front of him and eyeing him, making him feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. He stared back warily, trying to guess what the other man wanted from him.
A hand was shot toward his face, taking him by surprise. He closed his eyes quickly, preparing for what he thought was a hit. But instead, the hand was stroking his left cheek softly. The other hand gripped his right arm tightly.
He opened his eyes once again hesitantly and saw the young man looking at him with an expression that he could hardly describe. Curiosity and fascination maybe. And longing? He just couldn't read it.
The feeling of the hand touching his face made him shiver. He felt uncomfortable having a stranger in such close proximity.
After finishing touching his face, the hand ghosted down his arm, feeling the soft muscle beneath the shirt. The stranger's hand then reached his leg next, doing the same thing as it did with his arm. L didn't know how to get away from this situation, so he just kept on staring at his molester warily.
Suddenly, loud voices calling out L's name over and over again were echoed around the area.
A/N: First chapter done! Reviews would sen~sational! *.*