Responses:
LKLTB: Yea! You like it! Woo! Another to add to the tally chart!
Yorukage: Yes they are Some more characters were introduced in this chapter and in the next couple of ones, the other Gundam boys should show up. Thanks for the review!
EquineAngel: That's okay, I do think this isn't like my other stories but I thought, what the hell, why not try something different! . Thanks for the review though!
Confused Reviewer: No, this is somewhat based off Tarzan, which is who I based Duo off of, the Disney version though (the vines and 'surfing' but I changed the plot line, and it'll be obvious in such ways later on . I guess you could consider Dorothy Clayton in this chapter! Sorry about the confusion—didn't mean for that to happen.
Author's note: Thanks everyone for the reviews and this one will be shorter than the previous one. The next one might be longer though
Liebe, Red Tail
Welcome to the Jungle
Chapter Two:
"Where are you taking me again?" Heero, the 'snow leopard' questioned once more with a frown on his face. Glancing at Duo, the 'ape' he narrowed his eyes.
Ever since they first met, Duo had come to annoy the boy until they became 'friends'. They exchanged names and at first Heero had to speak slowly in the tongue of gorilla that he learned from wandering around, being isolated on the mountain with his pack most of the time. In the end, Duo just learned having to speak 'cat' as he called it. He did have a quick mind for learning stuff such as that for some reason.
Heero pulled back a little, his ears picking up on the rustle of leaves as his eyes flashed darkly, barring his sharp incisors and couching low, ignoring the pain from his wound.
Duo sighed heavily, know in fact it was just a bird that cause the disturbance, and glanced at Heero's torn flesh. He regretted hurting Heero in the fight, no matter what they or the pack did, it still seemed to trouble Heero and slowly heal, taking on a red look to his side and blood sometimes still came from it.
"I told you, I—" A loud bang sounded, filling the silence as birds squawked and took off flying into the trees from fear.
"What was that?" Heero questioned, looking at the direction where it was coming from and Duo grinned, taking off in that direction as curiosity got the best of him.
"I don't know," Duo called back, grinning all the way. " But we're gonna find out!" Heero sighed, glaring at Duo who pointedly ignored him.
Somehow, the hyper Duo reminded him of Makesha, a young female pup gifted to Malea a few weeks previously. Her curiosity was endless, always trying to bite Heero's ear or his nose. She happened to love nipping and gnawing on his pants, the tiniest taste of snow rabbit still on them despite their use. It helped lure creatures to them for eating.
"Duo!" Heero cried out, the name still sounding the same on either language as he easily dodged a tree that Duo almost made him run into. His side stitched up on him, protesting to the run he found himself breaking into.
BANG!
Duo stopped, pulling Heero roughly to a halt also as he clutched his injured side, glaring deadly at the braided 'baka' as he decided to call him. The heavy stench of something like smoke mixed with earth filled the air.
Heero could feel the forest weep as something fell in front of them, the sickening cry of a small sapling protesting against death as it crumbled to the earth in one mighty shudder. 'A perfect mark at the base with something strong,' Duo assumed with out a thought as to what the weapon could be.
"Baka…" He commented, taking slow breaths to help the startled nerves that took off in a frenzy of unexpected pain with the little run they just enjoyed.
Some rivulets of blood stained his palms now, thin streaks of red seeping through his finger before stopping. The blood flow seemed to have a mind of it's own, coming and going. Keiba was worried just as much as his mother and the pack. He seemed to be more exhausted after short treks for hunting and such, yet never deterred the pack with his "condition".
"I think I heard something over here!" A feminine voice called, the rustling of leaves making Duo stand still, clenching the confused Heero's wrist tightly.
The bushes parted and Heero snarled, crouching low once again as he let the sun and his hair obscure his vision once more.
"Oh my!" Duo raised an eyebrow of confusion at the girl with long golden hair and aquamarine eyes staring at them—mainly Heero who happened to be drawing attention to himself with all his snarling and such. His white pants stood out even more in the jungle, the snow of the mountain hiding him better.
Duo shrugged, in his opinion Heero wore pants because they were warm and he made them himself, not too shabby.
He wore a loincloth because it was what he had and it was easy to move around with when he went into the vines, something Heero refused to do. Cat's always did like it better on the ground. Duo grinned inwardly at his musing, Heero also always managed to land on his feet.
"Brother, brother! Come quick!" The girl proclaimed, beckoning her older brother, who had long blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Heero growled at the new person.
Another shot rang out and Heero pushed Duo over to protect him, knowing on instinct that it would hurt and cause pain. More red stuff, blood, would come from his comrade and fellow new pack member.
"Heero!" Duo shouted, glaring at the three figures, a girl with long blonde hair and a gun in hair entering the scene before her as she had fired the shot.
"You shot him!" The girl, Relena screeched loudly, making even Heero wince as he looked at his shoulder and frowned. Why was something sticking out of him?
"No, actually I just put him to sleep for a little while." The girl commented with a small, cold smile.
"Are you okay?" Duo questioned, once more getting to people to look at him as he spoke to Heero in his 'cat language'.
Heero mewed softly, not being able to focus. He knew his side was throbbing but an empty feeling in him that left him shivering in Duo's arms was blunting the pain.
"Heero!" Heero felt dizzy, barely hearing Duo call his name as he leaned against his friend, darkness beckoning to him as he sighed heavily, breath slowing down and evening out as he closed his eyes.
For some reason, that damned dream came out of nowhere, nagging at him once more as he remembered this all to familiar scene.
Her body wasn't moving or stirring like she always did when Duo touched her. Why wasn't she moving? Why wasn't she opening her eyes to hold Duo?
'Why?" His mind taunted, 'Because she's dead.'
His eyes were wide, his body trembling as he touched Heero lightly, his best friend not opening his eyes and smiling at him as if to say, 'Sorry, it was all a joke!'. He embraced Heero, shaking him and chanting his name like the mantra repeating itself over and over again in his mind.
Not a stir from the boy in his arms the whole time. He fought back the tears, hoping, knowing that somehow Heero couldn't be dead.
"Heero!" He screamed once again, earning the stared from all the three watchers as they saw him shake the teen he found himself loving more and more each day.
TBC
Author's note:
Thanks to those who reviewed! This is kind of my first try at something like this!
Comments and Feedback is always loved! .
Liebe, Red Tail
