Chapter 11: Nigel's Return

(Nigel's P.O.V.)

I had found the clearing that Blu and Jewel lived. I had heard the telltale of a special pair of Hyacinth macaws had also been spotted in this area as well. The smugglers had broken out of the prison they had been locked up in… with some of my expertise. When they had first lost all the birds, and the plane they had 'borrowed' from the airport, they had lost their buyer for the Spix macaws; yet a richer and better costumer had shown up.

Know then… which cursed hollow are those nightmares in? If it wasn't for me needing them alive, I would force Blu to suffer through the gruesome torture and humiliation I had endured for so long… I flew up to a hollow with sticks and everything near the bottom of it, and when I poked my head in, I saw the two Hyacinth macaws I had been alerted of earlier. If it wasn't for the mask I was wearing, I would have already taken them, but I couldn't do that just yet. I had soaked my wings in chloroform chemicals to knock out whoever got in my way during my trip of revenge.

I had already captured a few Scarlet macaws, a Military Macaw, some Blue and Gold macaws, a few finches, and just to spice it up a bit; I caught a harpy eagle that had appeared wounded from something earlier. Now, as I signaled down below me, I saw the chubby smuggler walk to the base of the tree, and start preparing a cage.

I walked into the hollow, and quickly wrapped my wings around the male macaw, and when he hit the floor, knocked out, the female macaw turned around. Her face seemed to shrink back, and her features took in the look of fear. "Hello, pretty bird." And I flew at her and used my wings to knock her out just as I had the previous macaw.

Grabbing both macaws around their necks, I flew out of the hollow, and flew down to the cages, and set them on the ground for the two smugglers to put away. Now was the fun part; capturing, and ruining the lives of the two Spix macaws. I started to fly to all the hollows lining the lake, and growing more frustrated as I flew.

This had better be it… YES! There are the two birds I despised most. Blu and Jewel were peacefully sleeping in their nest, and what a delightful surprise it would be when they woke up to find themselves in a cage.

While I wrapped my wings around their beaks, I chuckled my evil laugh, and I lowered my wings. I grabbed them by the necks as well, being sure to squeeze Blu's harder than needed, and flew back to the remaining cages outside the Hyacinth macaw's tree. What a wonderful morning to be a smuggler indeed!

(Wolf's P.O.V.)

… What in the hell was that?

I woke up to feel something cold beneath me, and I looked around to look for who delivered that horrendous sounding laughter. When I didn't feel the familiar warmth next to my wing that was always accompanied by Azure, I grew panicked, and looked around, noticing all the cages around me. I turned around, and saw Azure sleeping, but not in the normal way. Her body was sprawled out as she was lying on her back. I would have thought she was dead if not for her steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Let him go!" I turned back around, and ran to the front of my cage. I saw an excessively large Cockatoo holding a blue bird through a cage and another blue bird was attempting to peel his talons away. I recognized them as Blu and Jewel, and as I looked around, I could see the sleeping forms of Fay, some finches, the stalked and her friends, a few blue and gold macaws… and that raptor I beat up.

"Nigel… Alive…" I turned my head, and saw a skinny man with a horrible case of dread locks. I'm guessing the obese Cockatoo was named Nigel, since he flew away. I looked back at Blu, and I could hear him coughing vigorously, and Jewel was holding him in her wings. I was about to call out to them, but more pressing issues took my attention as I heard a soft moaning from behind me, and when I turned around, I could see Azure stirring from her sleep.

Azure looked at me, and as she looked around, she started to grow panicked, and she started to cry. I ran up to her, and took her into my wings and gently rocked her back and forth, soothing her with gentle noises and words. "It's alright, it's alright… I'll find a way out of this Azure. Hush now Azure… its ok…"

When I was sure she was alright, I let go and said, "I'll be over there, I'm going to try and get some answers."

I turned around, and walked towards the door, and I could see some of the birds waking up. I focused my attention on Blu and Jewel's cage and said, "Hey, Blu, Jewel. Where are we?"

Jewel's face appeared, and she looked at me, and said, "We are being smuggled Wolf... if there is any way you can get this out… Please do it."

Nigel flew in, and startled me as he landed on my cages' door. He grinned maliciously at me, and I could hear Azure whimper near the back of the cage. His gaze shifter to Azure, and when he said, "What's the matter pretty bir-"

I balled up my claw, and shot it through the cage, and landed it on his beak. He recoiled, and flew away a little bit, and glared daggers while he was hovering in the middle of this… cargo space. I pulled my talon back in, and I hissed out, "Don't you dare talk to her!"

While he was hovering, his looks grew even more rugged, and he flew down and rammed into my cage, but not before wrapping one of his overly large talons around my throat. As I felt the pressure tighten around my neck, I could feel my lungs burning as he said, "Do you know what I am! I'm your predator; I'm your smuggler… You shoul- GAH!"

He yelled out in pain just after I twisted my neck, and bit down on one of his talons, and I could feel the bone beneath my beak, but just as he released his hold on my neck, I released my hold on his toe. I spit outside the cage, and saw the blood that had been pooled in my beak splatter onto the metal floor beneath us. I grinned as I backed away and said, "Don't touch me either…"

Wiping my beak with the back of my wing, I glared at him as I heard a few other birds gasp. I heard the same voice that belonged to the man with dread locks earlier return and say, "What is going on back here! …Nigel, what happened to your foot?"

…

(Fay's P.O.V.)

I had just watched Wolf near tear off that monsters talon. Serves you right for forcing yourself into my home, and giving me a hug with those ugly wings.

Nigel pointed with his good claw towards the cage that Wolf was in, and gave a squawk so the human would look in it. As the man walked forward, he bent down, and looked in. I could only make out Wolf's chest and below, since he had walked to the back of the cage, but I saw him lift a claw, and move a talon back and forth towards the human. As the human drew his face closer to the cage, I heard Nigel squawk, and at the same time, the human said, "what the…?"

Wolf ran forward, and ran a claw all the way down the man's face. When the man stood back up, yelling in pain, he was clutching a hand over his face. When he lowered his hand, he had the look of someone that was enraged beyond belief. Three lines ran down his face, and three ran down his glasses, showing a clear sign that he would have been blinded if he hadn't worn the glasses. The man took out a ring with keys, and he grabbed one with a trembling hand and walked back into the cabin.

A loud shuddering and sound ensued, and I could feel the ground lurch underneath me, Wolf shouted, "We are on a plane… we must escape before they get to far away from land…"

After he finished, two things happened; first, the man walked back in with a pair of large metal snips (bolt cutters), and he said, "Nigel… you hungry for some macaw?"

I shuddered at the thought of Nigel eating Wolf, and when Nigel squawked in agreement, I felt myself gag. I might not know Wolf the best I can, but I knew enough to figure out how wrong that is… as I heard the snips cut the lock on Wolf's cage, he said, "Bring it…"

(Wolf's P.O.V.)

I spun around, and looked at my dear Azure, and whispered, "You stay near the back of the cage, I don't want you getting hurt…" and when I spun back around, I saw the lock on my cage drop off, and I said, "Bring it…" and I ran and jumped out of the cage just as the door opened. I heard the cage get closed just as I left it, and I felt a searing pain in my wing. I looked over, and saw what had happened…

…Nigel just took a bite of my wing…

I focused myself on a human; I wouldn't have time to mess around this time. The shocked face of the man before me, coupled with the two past him and in the cockpit, and a dismayed squawk behind me, gave me pride to have surprised them. "Hello, you had better jump out of this pain, because after I deal with your bird, I'm coming for you…" and with that, I snatched the bolt cutters from his hands, and punched him in the gut.

When I turned around, Nigel flew up, and wrapped his wings around my head. I started to feel light-headed, but I brought my open hand up, and grabbed Nigel's neck, and flung him away. The impact he made with the bulkhead knocked him out, but a lurch in the plane, along with a gunshot, brought so much agony into my arm, I dropped my weapon; the bolt cutters. I turned around, and I could feel the adrenaline pulsing through my vines as I looked at the man behind me, holding a standard pistol. He was holding it up to my head now.

As he slowly pulled the trigger, another lurch in the plane knocked his aim off, and as I grabbed the gun, I could feel the recoil pull by hand back as the bullet ejected, and I yelled in pain; but not from the bullet. The casing had taken ripped my skin apart as he jumped back. I ripped the gun from his hands, and as I turned it towards him, I felt a pain ensue in the back of my leg, and I heard a squawk from a bird I thought I had knocked out.

I pulled the trigger in two quick successive shots, and the first one grazed the man's hair, and the second one started to ricochet around the cargo hold. It finally made its way out through the window and out the cockpit glass as well. The pain in the back of my heel caused my leg to give out, and when I was falling down, I heard a flapping behind me, and I saw the man quickly grab all the parachutes, and run to the front of the plane, followed by Nigel. I landed on the bolt cutters, and felt its blades dig into my calf, and I yelled out some more.

"I'll be back…" and I forced myself to stand as I limped to the cockpit. As I looked in, I saw no-one was there, but the side door was open, and I could make out 3 brown parachutes floating down to the bay below. Dammit…

I ran to the back room, and when I looked in, I saw most the cages didn't have locks, just the one Blu and Jewel were in had a lock. I stumbled over to their cage and as I picked up the bolt cutters, I asked Blu, "Do you know how to open these cages?"

"Yes…"

"Ok, after I open your cage, I want you to open every one else's cage, I'm going to have to crash-land this plane… good thing I know where the aviary is."

As I grunted from the pain in my hand, and opposite shoulder, Blu asked, "YOU'RE GOING TO CRASH INTO THE AVAIRY!"

I looked up at him just as I yelled in pain, and cut his lock and said, "No, the driveway is excessively long… the gate might get wrecked though."

I opened his cage, and opened the door for Azure. I hit the button to lower the back door, which was conveniently next to the cabin door, and as I did that, I said, "No one fly off until I say so… I'll bring her in close to the jungle."

Limping back to the forward hatch, I sat in the pilot's chair, and angled it back to the mainland, a little bit east of the statue, but not too close to the city… Azure landed next to me and I said, "I don't know if I will make it this time Azure… when we get close to the aviary, I need you to find Túlio with Blu and Jewel… get him to come to the plane crash and I might make it… I love you Azure, that is one thing I'm asking you to do for me…"

The tears in her eyes caused me to tear up as well, but when she nodded, she flew up to me, and gave me a hug around my neck, and she whispered, "I love you to Wolf… live for me when you crash…"

…

(Túlio's P.O.V.)

The weather is good today, I wonder what I should do today… all the birds are taken care of, I have spare time, and I never really do anything exciting anymo-

My thoughts were cut off as I saw a plane gliding down towards the road… but heading directly for the Aviary. I saw a swarm of colorful birds take flight behind the plane, and they all seemed to fly towards the forest, minus the three blue specks that chased after the plane. The small plane suddenly tilted down, and crashed into the pavement, and was speeding down the road as it was flinging sparks everywhere, and a small fire seemed to start on the canopy of the back of the plane. The plane was slowing down considerably, but I knew it had to crash into the gate to stop.

The plane crashed into the gate, and I quickly stood up and grabbed my phone and dialed the emergency services number. I turned around and ran out of my office and one of my assistances came up to me and asked, "Doctor Túlio, did you hear that noise?"

"Yes, yes… it was a plane crashing. I called the police, tell them to come to the sanctuary…NOW!" and I handed him my phone as I sprinted towards the entrance…

…

(Wolf's P.O.V.)

When the plane finally stopped skidding, I reached in the back, and grabbed the cage the raptor was in and the gun with my other hand. As I stumbled from the wreckage, I heard the Harpy eagle whimper, and I said, "As much as I would have loved to leave you in that plane… Azure wouldn't have like that. Consider yourself lucky…"

The adrenaline in my body suddenly disappeared, and I fell down, and I dropped the raptors cage, and fell to my knees and hands. I collapsed onto my back, and as I watched the plane become engulfed in flame, I saw three brown parachutes land outside the gate, at the end of the road that I had just torn up with the plane. I grabbed the raptors cage, and dragged myself backwards by pushing with my feet. The plane that was now 10 feet away from me erupted in a fiery fireball and black smoke rose into the air as three blue birds landed near me.

"Get to the a-aviary… g-get t-the person known a-as Túlio…" I said to the three birds. Blu and Jewel nodded, but Azure just stared at me. I sighed, and patted my chest, and as she fluttered onto my chest, I couldn't help but feel saddened by the fact I might not make it. I noticed three figures walking around the fiery plane, and saw the three smugglers that caused me all this pain, I grabbed azure, and slid her off my chest and to the side of my body as I sat up.

Bringing the gun to bear, I fired twice, and the reports of bang bang echoed back to me. The first shot missed, and the second one hit the plane and ricocheted back at the men. I steadied my aim, and pulled again, just as the lead man was five feet from me, and I struck him in the knee. He yelled in pain, and I fired twice more; making the two other smugglers duck their heads. I popped the clip open, and saw I was out of bullets. I slammed it back in and I said, "Don't come any closer! I have two more bullets left, and there is two of you left…"

I heard footsteps behind me, and I heard a gasp. I recognized it as the good doctor, "Túlio… please… come here." The rapid footsteps, and then the face of Túlio came in view, "Take Azure for me. Keep her near my side if she wants to, but keep her safe. I've been shot, so when I arrive at the hospital, do your best to keep her with me. *cough* did you *cough* call police or anything?"

"…-" he was cut off by the sound of sirens approaching, and I saw the skinny smuggler tense up, and I twitched the gun towards him, "Stay *cough* STILL!"

Looking back at Túlio, I saw him nod. Looking back at azure, I gave her a stroke along her back with two of my fingers, and she made a cooing noise. She looked up at me, and fluttered back onto my chest. I saw I had left some blood on her wings, and she said, "Promise m-me y-you won't d-die…"

I looked over her as I saw her start to cry, and I said, "I can't promise you that Azure… but I'll try my best to live…" *Cough*

A police car skidded around the corner, and soon two more sped around the corner as well, followed by an ambulance that was flanked by two fire trucks. I wonder how they will fit those all in here… I chuckled as I mused.

When the lead police car pulled up, the officer took a step out of his car and aimed his gun at me. I slowly raised my thumb, and ejected the clip, and the officer slowly and cautiously stepped towards were I was, and I heard Túlio say, "Those three over there are the smugglers you need to arrest, not this young man…"

*cough cough* I felt the gun slip from my hand, and clatter to the ground below my hand, I felt my hand go slack, and I felt my body slipping away. I felt my head land in something soft, and I could see Linda's tear stained face above mine, I hadn't even noticed her arrival. When I felt my eyes close, I felt my fingers graze Azure's cheek one last time, before I exhaled my breath, and I felt myself finally slip away…

A.N.: I got the idea to have Wolf pass out like this from Rapture at Sea's fifty/ fifty story. This is my own cliffy… hehehe…

ohh, and expect a nice wait for the next chapter...