DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction
By KatWarrior
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.
Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige
Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION
Chapter Four: Jungle
Thanks to ARCAM scheduling for them to arrive in the early morning, the three Spriggan reached the island around noon. Or at least that was when their small motor boat penetrated the curtain of fog surrounding it. The scent of salt and fish was almost as thick on the air as the fog.
"Just like home," Adam mumbled as they drifted into the dense, gray air. Jean had shut off the motor to avoid drawing attention from potential enemies, or running into anything at a high speed.
"Any idea how thick this crap is?" Yu asked as he pointed the search light in various directions. All the beam revealed was water and more fog.
"Non," Jean answered him from behind the boat's steering wheel. "I doubt the density is consistent, anyway." He glanced at the dash board. "We're still on-course, so if the map's right we'll be hitting a beach instead of rocks. The radar's picking something up."
"Land, I hope," Adam sighed. As Yu was about to comment, the soft hissing of sand under the bow wafted into the air until they came to a full stop. The fog began to fade and a lush rain forest greeted them at the inward edge of the shore.
Though Yu should have helped the others unload the boat, he couldn't resist pausing to gawk at the sight. He'd been in various jungles and tropical areas before, so the towering trees, invasive underbrush, and vibrant greens were truly nothing new to him. Despite that, something managed to draw him in - invite him, even, to wander among the trees. As he watched it looked as though the forest shifted - sighed in contentment.
"Yu."
Embarrassed, the Japanese teenager realized that Jean had been speaking to him. He half-expected the Frenchman to lecture, but when Yu looked to his side, both his comrades were standing motionless in the sand, much like he had. Adam had a look of surprised and curiosity on his stubble-dotted face. Even the ever-stoic Jean had his brow lifted in wonderment. Was the jungle happy to see them? Had it been waiting for them?
It was Jean who disrupted the stillness. Adjusting his gun's sling on his shoulder, he took a step towards the greenery. He stepped lightly, leaving the shallowest of prints in the sand behind him. Without even so much as a glance at each other, the other two began to follow. The boat was secured and hidden. There was nothing to hold them back from the forest's invitation.
--
Though the three Spriggan were equipped with machetes to help them through the foliage, they were all hesitant to use them. Their surroundings were so peaceful. The exotic birds and other creatures made noises that contained no threat. The lush plants and flowers released relaxing scents into the humid air. Even though the heat caused them all the sweat and their hair to stick to their faces and necks in some degree, there was a mutual feeling of respect among them. It seemed that the jungle appreciated it. Occasionally the trees and bushes would appear to shift in their favor. It was eerie, and somehow inviting.
After a few minutes of pushing through the greenery without the use of their blades, Jean realized a path was starting to reveal itself before them. He was in the lead of the short line, and therefore was the first to notice that the ground ahead was becoming easier to see, and that there was in fact a beaten pathway hidden under the lowest levels of the forest plants. But that wasn't all the French Spriggan noticed.
The roots, leaves, and branches looked as though they were pulling back from the path. There was no wind to cause the shift, and the nature of their motions indicated that no animal was the cause. Absurd as it was, Jean wondered if the island was not only ushering them in, but planning to trap them there. Perhaps the rain forest was haunted. He didn't scoff at himself for these thoughts for long. After all, he'd seen and experience elements far more bizarre during his years with ARCAM. Completely alert though he was, Jean could detect no hostility on the air. Even the animals seemed lazy and unafraid as they moved away from the incoming soldiers.
"Are we still on course?" Jean asked over his shoulder.
"Roger," Adam mumbled, his head bent to view the map and compass expertly balanced in his hands. "Still going steadily west." He was surprisingly calm considering that he hadn't smoked since they stepped foot on the island.
The French Spriggan looked past Adam to Yu. The Japanese Spriggan was alert, but his eyes were still wide with wonder and eagerness. It seemed that the jungle was still captivating to him. It wasn't that Jean had grown bored with it - far from it. But Yu seemed the most impressed of the three of them.
When Jean came to an abrupt stop, Adam collided with his back. It wasn't enough, however, to knock either Spriggan down. Rather than cuss Jean out for stopping so suddenly, Adam folded the map with impressive speed and slipped both it and the compass into his pack. Yu had stopped, too. Adam focused on his surroundings, trying to detect what had put his comrades on-edge.
"I wonder how long they've been watching us," Yu murmured.
"Not long," Jean answered, equally quiet. "There's not many. Sounds like they're bare-foot. No firearms."
"Whoever made the map didn't care to mention natives," Adam sighed. "No weapons for us, then."
Silence from the other two was their agreement. They couldn't risk any natives thinking that the Spriggan were hostile.
Truly, they meant them no harm. As far as Yu was concerned, they were there to protect them from the Machine Corp. The enemy had little respect for human life, and there was no reason for their view of the island's natives to be any different.
"It looks like there's a small clearing up ahead," Jean commented. "We'll go there and wait for them to come to us." Jean knew they were in someone else's home, and needed to treat their hosts with as much respect as they could. That would make their mission a whole lot easier.
--
The grass in the clearing was tall, but partially flattened. Animals or humans had been there recently. The three men let their packs and weapons drop to the ground, but did not let their guard slacken. There was more rustling - very subtle. Any normal human would not have heard it. Their pursuers were moving more quickly. This continued until the bushes ahead rustled, and a young, dark-skinned child stepped into the sunlight.
