Hi! I´m back with a new chapter. The last day was strenous and today is time to move and find Jewel. The Hawk has all carefully planned; why is he doing this? We´ll have to ask him, all we can do now is speculate.

Can our friends find a way to solve this problem? I hope they can. Here´s chapter 12.


Chapter 12

The sun rose over the Jungle marking the beginning of a new day. But this day was especially different in the Sanctuary, someone who was used to listening to the Jungle's noises would easily detect something was wrong. The alert of a Predator flying around the Zone had spread as fast as a Virus & produced massive panic among the Birds. No one dared to leave their nests unless it was absolutely necessary.

In the middle of this silence a Bird exited a Hollow, took off & was quickly flying at a high speed. Ana knew she hadn't much time to deliver her cargo. She didn´t know if the other's had a plan yet, so speed was important. I'm pretty sure this will help them out. She thought as she kept a tight grip with her claws on the 'supplies' that would help Blu & the others rescue Jewel. She didn't know where the others were meeting, so her plan was to head to Rafael´s tree home & deliver the object to him before he left his Hollow.

While flying, Ana started to muse about what she was doing. Despite Ana not being very close to the newly arrived Spix's Macaws, she felt she had a duty to help them. They were part of the same community after all, & they must look out for & protect each other. Besides, she had never tolerated those who think they can come & do whatever they want, a thought that reminded her about a certain thick-headed guy she didn't want to hear about. She had been pretty upset by what he had said to her the last time they'd met, a totally narcissistic comment so typical of him, like he was the last male Scarlet Macaw on Earth & them getting together was practically a forgone conclusion. Fortunately, she had controlled her anger & left, just like she managed to do each time he didn't use his brain before talking, something that happened often. She was tired of being harassed by him almost all the time, even just the word 'darling' coming from his beak was enough to ruin her day. Many times she had gently & politely asked him to stop; that she was wasn't interested in him or anyone in particular & almost begged him to stop calling her his 'girl'. But words seemed to not be being able to pierce that thick head of his, he just thought she was playing hard-to-get & the concept that she genuinely didn't like him just seemed to be completely alien to his way of thinking.

Ana sighed internally. One of these days that idiot was going to push her too far & she was going to lose her temper big time. When that happened, she might do something to that 'plague' she'd regret, no matter how much he deserved to be taken down a branch or 2…or several. She shook her head; she shouldn't dwell on those issues, so she decided to put them aside & focus her mind on much more important ones.

Ana had spent part of the night trying to figure out the reason that the Hawk would have done what he did, & she was still looking for an answer. The Sanctuary was protected by Humans, from either smugglers or predators & if one of them were discovered in the area, a whole emergency protocol was activated & it wouldn't stop until the objective was captured or even eliminated if it represented an imminent menace for the Birds or Humans. What could be a reason strong enough for that Hawk to take the big risk of breaking into a Protected Area? Of course, if he was intelligent enough he wouldn't be found easily by the Humans, But why? Why is he going to all this trouble? She thought. Obviously he was holding some kind of grudge against Blu & Jewel, but what had happened between them to make him take the risk of being, in the less drastic scenario, captured? Only one answer popped up into her mind once & again, Collateral Damage. She thought. Ana had already mentioned it to Rafael the day before, but she had dismissed it as an unlikely scenario. But now, after reassessing all the evidence the answer was clear to her; this Bird, whatever his name was, had found himself involved in the consequences of one of Blu & Jewel's adventures (or misadventures, depending on the point of view) & the most known one was how Blu, Jewel, Rafael, Nico & Pedro were almost smuggled out of Rio by an ugly & evil Cockatoo. Ana's knowledge about those events was limited, but she was sure the answer was hidden there.

As Ana was approaching Rafael's nest she suddenly spotted a blue Macaw flying a little distance in front of her. There he is! She thought & increased her flying speed, trying to catch up with him. It would be easier to explain to Blu how this little device could help them than to Rafael, as Blu had spent all that time living with Humans & would be able to use it without problems. With that thought in mind, she started to think about how she should explain to Blu everything: first how she knew about their problem, she'd have to tell him she was the one who saw the Hawk the day before & Rafael filled her in into the details, she didn't want any misunderstandings related to that, like being called a gossiper. Then she could tell Blu her idea & how the little device she was bringing to him could help. He'll understand how to use it. Ana thought.

As she got closer to the other Bird & could see him more clearly however, she suddenly noticed that although the coloration was right there were distinct differences in size & build between this Bird & Blu. Very familiar differences. It suddenly clicked to her who this really was & she lowered her speed & quickly maneuvered to get out of his sight before he noticed her. She should recognized him before. It was Felipe & she didn't want to give herself away to him as that would spoil her plan for sure. It wasn't as easy as standing in front of him & saying: 'Hi I just came to give you this strange & dangerous artifact that will help you with your rescue plans'.

He would never understand. Ana thought. She knew exactly what he would say: 'What are you doing here out here Ana? This is dangerous! It isn't a game! How do you think we can save someone with that? Now please, go back home & put that thing back. We'll tell you all about it afterwards, once it's safe…"

Ana recalled Carol telling her that Felipe was coming to help too, but had completely forgotten about it. She resolved to follow him at a discrete distance as it was likely that he would meet up with Blu & Rafael at some point. Perhaps she could still figure out some way of giving over the device without him seeing her…

After a long flight from his Hollow, Felipe landed in the meeting area, no one else was there, he sighed & his expression showed a mild displeasure.

Ana silently landed on a branch out of Felipe's sight & waited to see what would happen next. As she cautiously peered down at Felipe from her concealed position in the tree she thought about what should be her next move. She knew Felipe was just as protective of her as Carol was & she couldn't tell him what she was doing. He wouldn't let her be involved in such a dangerous endeavor in any way, just like Rafael yesterday. She sometimes found this protectiveness of theirs a little irritating, but she knew they meant well. The question now was how to get around it as if Felipe knew she was behind this plan he would most likely dismiss her idea without even considering it. But she was determined to help them no matter what. Suddenly an idea passed through her mind. If Felipe is the first to arrive then Blu must be still on his way to the meeting area, Ana thought. She could catch up to him before he arrived. After this last thought she quickly but quietly hopped from her perch & flew away towards Blu's tree home.

.


.

Blu shifted as he drifted up from his restless sleep. He hadn't slept that well, but couldn't at that moment recall exactly why, as his fitful sleep hadn't rested him that much & his mind was a little foggy. He instinctively reached out for Jewel in order to snuggle into her for comfort, but his wing found nothing however, & he opened his eyes & blinked groggily as he looked around, the sunlight streaming in from the entrance & illuminating another slumbering form with Red, Green & Blue feathers on the opposite side of his Hollow.

Why is Jewel over there? Blu thought as he shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. And why is she the wrong colors? And wearing bandages? Did something… He thought before his brain finished rebooting & his eyes snapped open fully. "Jewel! The Hawk!" He exclaimed. "Oh no! I overslept." He said as he looked over at the entrance, judging from the amount of sunlight, it was well into the morning. "How could that happen?" he said distressed, as he stood up. The love of his life was in danger, & here he was, sleeping the day away. As full recollection returned, he looked over at his new friend, still sleeping soundly on his side of the Hollow. "Come on, wake up!" He ordered as he quickly made his way over to Rob & shook him with his wings.

Rob only half opened his eyes, but then closed them again, mumbling some unintelligible words & shifting slightly.

"Hey, don't do that to me now, I need your help!" Blu exclaimed as he shook Rob again. Blu's attempts were finally successful when Rob started to move & finally managed to keep his eyes open. Blu noticed Rob was blinking & trying to fix his eyes on him.

"…morning Blu…" Rob managed to say, & then he gave a long yawn as he started to stretch.

"Hurry up Rob!" Blu shouted as he quickly moved to & hopped out of the Hollow entrance, perching on a branch outside. A still half-asleep Rob peered out at him, squinting a little in the sunlight. "They asked us to be there early & look…" He said spreading his wing up towards the sky over the Jungle "The Sun is already up! C'mon! Shake a wing & let's get flapping!"

"Fine, fine, I heard you, please don't shout." Rob begged as he swayed a little on his claws, still shaking his head as he tried to fully wake up. His body felt as heavy as a rock, unable to move easily; his brain wasn´t able to connect with his limbs, most likely protesting all the extra effort he had made the previous day. Barely maintaining eye contact with Blu, Rob leaned his head over the hollow´s entrance.

Blu stared at Rob for a moment. Whether it was because of his condition or whether he was always like this, it looked like Rob wasn't able to wake up as quickly as Blu could. It could take precious time for Rob to wake up enough to be ready to go, & Blu didn't want to wait. He had to do something to accelerate the process. He made a decision. "Come with me, I know what you need." Blu said as he hopped from the branch, & opening his wings, glided down to the Jungle's floor.

Rob slowly, & almost crawling, exited the hollow & perched himself on the branch, still looking half-asleep as he squinted down at Blu waiting for him. He shook his head again & hopped from the branch he was on, spreading his wings into a glide & following Blu down to the Jungle floor. His sleepy state meant he almost didn't land properly, stumbling a little as he reached ground level next to Blu & having to flap his wings to halt his momentum. As he folded them up again he noticed they were next to a little pond.

"Look." Blu said as he gestured with his wing towards the water.

Stifling another yawn, Rob moved over to the pond & stuck his head over the water, looking rather bemusedly at his own reflection. "What do you want me to see?" He asked.

"This will wake you up." Blu said with a hint of smirk on his face. He suddenly unfolded his wing & splashed it in the water, causing a wave of it to jump up in Rob's face.

"IT'S COLD!" Rob shouted as he jerked back, the shock of the cold water jerking him into full wakefulness. He shook his head briskly, shaking the water off.

"That was the idea; it wouldn't have woken you up if it were warm." Blu said with a mischievous smile. Rob shot him a meaningful look. "Now that you're fully awake…" he said as he took off & flew up to a nearby tree. He disappeared into it, but not for long as he quickly reappeared holding two fruits in his claws. He flew back down to Rob & placed the fruits down on the ground. He then picked up one & held it out to Rob. "Take this." Blu instructed, & Rob did so, holding it in his wings. "Eat fast, we can't afford to lose any more time." Blu instructed as he dived into his own fruit, devouring it quickly.

"Blu, I know we're in a hurry but could you be a little gentler?" Rob said as he shook his head, still trying to dry off his head feathers.

"I'll will be." Blu promised between bites of his fruit. "After Jewel is back."

Rob nodded in agreement & quickly turned to his own breakfast. Blu had a head start but Rob wasn't a slow eater. He rapidly polished off his own fruit, finishing his meal just before Blu did. "I'm ready." He said rubbing some bits of fruit from his beak. "Let's go!"

Blu nodded as he took the last bite of his own fruit. Then without saying anything more, both spread their wings. But before they could take off, a red & blue blur suddenly flew overhead at great speed & dropped something in front of them, startling both Birds. "Down! It's an attack!" Blu shouted in fear, & he & Rob threw themselves to the ground & covered their heads with their wings.

Some seconds passed, & Blu & Rob peeped out from their wings to see that danger had failed to materialize. The object was still there, but there was no sign of the one who had dropped it.

"Did you see something?" Blu asked.

"I think it was a Bird." Rob said as he glanced up at the sky. "But they flew so fast I couldn't see them clearly." He continued as he scanned the area. "Whoever it was has apparently left." He concluded.

Then they both turned their heads towards the strange object. "Be careful! We don't know if it's going to explode or something like that." Blu exclaimed as Rob moved closer to it, an interested expression on his face.

"That's something we´re going to know soon." Rob said as he started to inspect the object, craning his head around to see it all sides.

Blu watched Rob's examination with a concerned look on his face. "Is it safe?" He asked.

"I think so." Rob responded tapping the object with his claw. Blu winced, but Rob didn't notice. "It has some indications written here." He said as he reached out with & gently picked up the object with his claw, looking at it more closely as he tried to figure out exactly what it was.

As the object didn't seem to be an immediate threat, Blu's thoughts quickly left it & went back to the hurry they were in. They were late to meet Felipe & Rafael! "Leave that thing where you found it & let's go!" he exclaimed. "We're running out of time."

Rob nodded, but then he turned & fixed his eyes on Blu "I'm taking this with us." He stated.

Blu was taken aback. "What? Why?" he said incredulously. "We don't know what that thing is, who dropped it or if it's dangerous." He explained. "Now c'mon, put that thing down & follow me." He said firmly.

But Rob was stubborn. "I don't know who dropped it, but I think that Bird wants to help us." He said as he gave the black object one more curious look & then glanced up in the direction the blur had disappeared in.

Blu didn't have time to argue. "Fine, if you want to take it you can, just hurry up!" He conceded. "Just keep it away from me, it makes me feel nervous." He instructed & Rob nodded. "Come along, I don't want any more delays." He stated as he turned & spread his wings. Rob followed his lead & both Birds took off, Rob still gripping the black object in his claw.

As they left the area around Blu's home behind & began flying to Meeting Area however, Rob suddenly became aware of a certain…discomfort. He knew what it was, but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to deal with it. Along with how to Preen, this was another thing that Felipe hadn't told him about life in the jungle & he didn't want to embarrass himself.

With this thought in mind, he flew closer to Blu & said: "Err… Blu."

Blu looked across at him, & immediately picked up on his slightly embarrassed tone & the look on his face. "What's up?" He asked with a note of concern.

"Can we…" Rob said hesitantly. "Make a quick stop before meeting them?"

"Oh c'mon Rob, more delays?" Blu said, trying not to sound upset. "What is it now? What could be so important?" He asked.

"Well I need to…you know." Rob said.

"What?" Blu said, not getting what Rob was asking.

"I mean…" Rob tried to explain himself better. "Nature…is calling." He said, a little embarrassed.

"Nature…what?" Blu asked again, puzzled. He brought his flight to a hover as he glanced around at the Jungle they were flying through. It sounded quiet to him.

Rob hovered a little closer to Blu & leaning his head over to him, muttered something that only he could hear.

Blu´s eyes opened wide in realization. "Oh…Oh!...Right, yes…well uh, that is quite important." He said. "Yeah sure, we can take a little detour to where we…we deal with that." Blu said. "But! Try not to take too long, remember we're in a hurry!" he explained.

"Thanks, that´s all I need." Rob said with a grateful look on his face. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn´t urgent." He said & Blu nodded. Then the Blue Macaw resumed his flight, going in a slightly different direction this time, & Rob followed, the 2 Birds going as fast as their wings would let them.

.


.

Ana watched from her concealed perch on a nearby tree as Blu & Rob left, Rob carrying the 'supplies' she had 'given' to them. Still being careful not to be seen, she had examined the newcomer with interest. That guy must be the one Carol was talking about. She thought, recalling what Carol told her about Rob the day before. She could have explained her plan to Blu rather than just throwing the object in front of him & flying away, (making hasty decisions like that wasn't her usual way to act) but she wasn't sure it was a good idea as Rob was with him. She could've trusted Blu to keep her involvement in Jewel's rescue secret, but she wasn't sure if Rob would do the same since Carol had told her that Rob was helped out by Felipe, & he might not want to keep things from him. This thought disappeared though after she overheard Rob defending the object´s importance. Ana realized she should have shown herself to them, Rob had a real commitment with Blu. Ana was impressed to see that, despite his wounds (which were clearly obvious) & the memory lack, Rob was doing all in his claws to help Blu & Jewel. Her train of thought rambled a little and wondered why Blu was wearing a small bandage on his head; she finally deduced that was probably the hawk's doing.

So a Green-winged. Ana thought curiously after Blu & Rob had departed. He seemed to be a nice guy, a little taller than the average, bright & colorful feathers & most important, smart enough to see the potential within that little object, something she was thankful for as Blu was so wrapped up in hurrying to Jewel's rescue (though that was understandable) that he had almost left it behind.

Ana was sure Rob would fit easily in the Sanctuary, although something worried her. That thick-headed Juan was occasionally followed around by a group of Green-winged Macaws, most of whom were just as shallow as he was. They were attracted to Juan's good looks & dancing skills & he in turn kept them around because they looked up to him & boosted his ego with their flattering comments. She was afraid Rob would bump into them, & although Rob appeared far too smart to fall in with their fawning behavior towards Juan, the mere fact that he was a Green-wing might make Juan assume he'd be just as bowled over by him as the others & react badly if he wasn't. There was also the fact that once, during one of their encounters when no-one else was around, Juan had referred to Scarlet Macaws as a 'superior' species to Green-wings, another one of his distasteful & arrogant comments that had sent Ana off in a huff. She didn't agree with the sentiment at all & she didn't know anyone else in the Sanctuary who would either. That kind of speciest talk was generally frowned upon in polite Bird society & she wouldn't allow Juan to treat such a nice & smart Bird like Rob like that. She then recalled however, that Rob would have to return to the Center after rescuing Jewel. This would hopefully give enough time for her to inform Blu about her concerns so they could avoid such an encounter.

The thought of Rob returning to the Centre however, made Ana feel a little bad for him. Having to stay in a cage & being handled by Humans seemed to her a terrifying experience. She knew that they kept the Sanctuary safe & had nice stuff like books, but she tried to avoid direct contact with them. In spite of what Blu & Rafael said she just didn't feel that they were trustworthy, & she doubted that she would ever meet one that would change her mind. She wasn't even sure if she could stand the experience of being taken into the Centre herself, & she was very careful of her health & safety to try & ensure that it was an issue that wouldn't come up. Ana smirked in amusement as she realized she had been worrying quite a bit over someone she didn't even know. Probably she felt sympathy for Rob, or empathy; she wasn't sure what it was, all due to those bandages around his body. She was glad to see that the bandages on his wings just above his green feathers didn't impede his ability to fly though. At least Humans understood how important such a thing as flight was to a Bird & had adapted their treatment technology to suit, such as making these stretchy bandages that neatly fitted around a Bird's wing whether it was folded or spread. She may not trust Humans, but she was still fascinated by their creations.

Ana glanced up & noted that Blu & Rob were long gone. The job was done, Ana wouldn't be able to help them further as she had that promise to keep to Carol, & she should get back home. Ana didn't feel comfortable with that though, she was curious to know what happens next. Her promise was to not be a part of the rescue plan so... It wouldn't hurt if I only…she thought to herself & then stood on the branch in silence for a few moments, frowning as she mulled over her options. Finally, she came to a decision. She spread her wings & took off. Just a glimpse… She reassured herself as she followed in the same direction Blu & Rob had headed.

.


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As Rafael came in for a landing in the Meeting Area, he saw that Felipe was already there. The Hyacinth Macaw wasn't looking to happy however, a frown on his face & tapping his claw impatiently.

"Good Morning Felipe." Rafael greeted him as he landed next to him.

"Good morning." Felipe said dryly.

Along with his facial expression, the tone of his response clued Rafael into the fact that Felipe was a little upset. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"You bet something's wrong!" Felipe burst out. "Where are those kids? They should have been here first thing!" He continued in a tone of disgust. "Being late in such dire circumstances is what I would call being extremely irresponsible!"

Rafael raised an eye ridge at Felipe's vehemence. He didn't usually get so worked up. "You have to understand Blu." He said in a soothing tone. "I´m sure he was so worried about Jewel that he couldn't sleep well." He explained trying to justify Blu's delay.

Felipe frowned. "They would never survive in the real jungle." He stated. "They can't follow simple instructions. In fact, I'm starting to think that they couldn't follow a plan to save their lives. Looking at their lack of seriousness I'm convinced that they were just pampered pets."

Rafael frowned at him in turn. "Hey, calm down Amigo, there's no need to be rude." He said. He knew that Blu wasn't a wild Bird based on what Nico & Pedro had told him, & Rob's lack of memory of how to live in the wild meant he was in a similar situation too (though it was possible that Rob's memory might return) so they were both still getting used to the life in the Sanctuary, but Felipe had a point, neither of those 2 yet had the skills required to live in the wild. Fortunately for them the Sanctuary was safe enough, & that Hawk could be considered as an isolated case of trespassing that they would eventually solve, it didn't matter if he was bigger, four against one would be a piece of ´fruit´.

Felipe glanced sideways at Rafael, but then he just sighed. "Yeah…sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He said, sounding a little calmer than he had before. "And you may be right; they're just kids after all." He conceded. "But that still doesn't excuse them being late." He added with a trace of his earlier irritation.

Rafael nodded in agreement, but then as the 2 Birds waited for the latecomers he got lost in thought. There was another thing about Blu & Jewel that Felipe's comments had brought it to mind though, & that was the possibility of a relationship crisis between them because of their different attitudes about the wild. As he had gotten to know Jewel through being neighbors with her, Rafael had started to have doubts about Jewel being comfortable living so close to humans. The Sanctuary was frequently visited by them & most of the Birds either didn't care or welcomed them with open wings, but Jewel, as far as Rafael knew, was raised away from Humans & taught to avoid them. Now adding Blu into this, a Bird raised by a Human & closer to them than to Birds, would surely create a source of conflict between them. Rafael could just imagine how Blu would feel if Jewel decided to leave Rio in search of a wilder place, away from Humans. Blu would then have to choose between living in a real dangerous place or rejecting the move & risk losing Jewel forever. That was the last thing Rafael wanted to see, a break in their relationship, & he was willing to do whatever he could to try & avoid that possibility. That was one of the reasons he encouraged Blu to start a family with Jewel. He was sure that they loved each other & having kids would prove that their relationship was strong & they would never get separated, right? A frown appeared on Rafael's face. He wasn't sure if that would indeed solve the problem, but that it was something worth trying. As the unofficial leader of the Birds in the Sanctuary he felt a responsibility for their wellbeing & he would try to help them with everything they needed.

"Is everyone aware about this crisis?" Felipe asked interrupting Rafael's train of thought. "Everything is so very quiet."

Rafael glanced at Felipe & nodded. "Yes, and many of them are pretty stressed, some have never experienced a threat like this before." He explained. "Since this kind of situation seldom occurs we aren't used to it."

"Carol is worried too." Felipe said, & Rafael heard the note of worry in Felipe's voice over his mate. "We need to make sure this Bird doesn't cause any more damage."

"I know." Rafael answered. "I promised Eva the same thing. But I´m sure this won´t go further than this."

Then the Toco Toucan & Hyacinth Macaw heard the sound of approaching wing beats. They turned & saw Blu & Rob landing in the meeting area next to them.

"You're late!" Felipe scolded them, pointing an accusatory primary feather at Blu & Rob. "We said we'd be meeting as soon as the sun rose!"

"Sorry, we overslept" Blu apologized. "I can't believe I was able to sleep while Jewel is in danger. What kind of mate am I?" He said wretchedly.

"That´s natural." Rob interjected. "You were so tired because what happened yesterday that you couldn't be up early." Rob explained.

"Yes…you're right." Blu said arching an eye ridge. "Especially when your roommate talks in his sleep." He muttered under his breath.

"Sorry Blu, could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you." Rob asked holding his wing up to his head to improve his hearing.

"Err…was nothing, don't worry, just a thought." Blu answered waving his wing dismissively.

Rob shrugged. "If you say so."

"It's OK." Rafael said reassuringly. "We still have enough time to sort this out." He added, & then he noticed the cylinder Rob was holding in his claw. "Hey Amigos may I ask…what is that thing?" He asked curiously as he pointed his primary feather at the black object.

"Are you referring to this?" Rob said raising his claw to show the black artifact. "I'm not completely sure what it is, but I think it can help us."

"Help us? How?" Rafael inquired.

"Honestly." Rob said. "I'm still trying to figure out how it works." He admitted. "It's just a feeling, but I think when the time comes it will be very useful."

Felipe however, couldn't contain his anger after listening to Rob talking in such a nonchalant way & gave them a piece of his mind. "If you haven´t realized we are talking about a real danger here!" He exclaimed continuing his previous scolding. "What we need is a plan, not toys!" He stated pointing his claw to the little black object. Then he turned his head towards Blu & glared at him. "You should be taking this more seriously, we're talking about your mate!" Felipe pointed out.

Blu & Rob just stared at Felipe, & then exchanged concerned looks. They didn´t expect Felipe's outburst & didn't know what to say.

Fortunately, Rafael intervened. "Hey, hey, Amigo calm down." He said reassuringly as he put a comforting wing on Felipe's shoulder. "Don't you think you're overreacting?" He asked. "What did you just say earlier about them just being kids?" He reminded Felipe.

Felipe looked at Rafael & then turned his gaze onto the 2 speechless birds. He sighed. "Sorry." He apologized. "I just…lost my temper." He said. "This isn´t only for Jewel, it's for everyone here, our families & friends. They're all in Danger. Do you understand?" He explained & Rafael nodded.

"I do Felipe." Rafael said. "You're worried about your family just as I'm worried about mine. But we need to stick together to make it through this." He stated, & Felipe nodded.

Blu finally found his voice & spoke. "I'm just as worried as everyone else Felipe, but that's why I asked for your help." He said. "I can´t…can't do it alone." He said, his voice breaking a little with emotion. As he said this a small feather fell from his wing, something everyone noticed.

Felipe gave Blu a sympathetic look as his irritation drained away. Rafael was right. He had been projecting his own fears onto the situation a little too much, but he could see now just how much Blu was being affected by the stress. "It's too much pressure for you, isn't it?" He said gently as his gaze flicked to Blu's feather lying on the ground. Falling feathers were proof of a stressed Bird, & confirmed Blu had passed through several stressful situations.

Blu nodded in shame, he didn´t want to admit it, but his feathers betrayed him, he was stressed since the first day he came to Rio; living in the jungle without all the comforts he was used to, the only things that compensated this were his friends & the love of his life. He just gave a distressed look to everyone.

"Am I interrupting?" A voice asked & the group of Birds startled & looked around searching for the one who had spoke. They looked up & spotted a Marmoset lounging in the crook of a nearby tree & regarding them with what looked like amusement. "If you´re occupied I can leave & return later." He said with gentle sarcasm.

"Mauro!" Blu shouted. "No, no you arrived just in time!" He hastened to say. The Marmoset grinned & with a swift movement, jumped down from the tree. As he landed & straightened up, Blu noticed that he had a Smartphone in a crude holster across his back. "Did you find something about Jewel?" he asked.

Mauro smirked. "Of course we did!" he exclaimed. "Just check this out." He said as he slung the Smartphone out of holster & brought it in front of him. He pressed a button on the device & slid his hand across the screen; then he tapped & slid a few more times on the screen until he found what he was looking for. He then turned the device around so his audience could see.

Everyone gasped after seeing the image that was on the screen. A photo, apparently taken from a concealed position on a tree, where everyone could identify Jewel tied up & lying next to a waterfall.

"Jewel!" Blu shouted, He was irked after looking at the image. The Marmosets had been that close & had just left her there? He pushed down the feeling of irritation with difficulty. They had only promised to find her after all. The rescuing part was up to them & at least now they knew where to look. Jewel was as good as saved!

Rob fixed his eyes on the screen. He realized for the first time since he had faced their enemy the day before that he was about to ignore that warning the hawk ´gently´ gave him, & a flicker of doubt stirred inside him. He was risking his own life on this endeavor. A familiar feeling started to move through his body, his old friend: Fear. Then he rolled his eyes to see Blu standing next to him.

"Where is she?" Blu asked Mauro with a note of concern in his voice.

Blu didn´t let doubt hold him back when Rob was falling & had come to his rescue. Rob knew that if it wasn't for Blu´s help he wouldn't be standing right there at that moment. This realization snuffed out the flicker of doubt like water being thrown on a fire. He owed his life to Blu & he resolved right then & there that he was going to help him rescue Jewel, no matter what could happen.

"I´ll take you to her." Mauro said, & then started to explain how far Jewel was.

Rob was still carefully examining the photo as Mauro went on, & he noticed that Felipe who was standing next to him was doing the same. Rob was trying to think up a strategy that could help them outwit their enemy, when suddenly he frowned as a thought popped into his mind, He rolled his eyes to look at Felipe & saw that he had a similar expression on his face. The eyes of the 2 met & both could see that the same thought had occurred to both of them. Both Macaws nodded slightly & Rob then spoke up: "I've got a plan." He stated loud enough for everyone to hear. They all looked at him, even Rafael, who had been giving Mauro's back a slightly suspicious look as he had chatted away to Blu, telling him the route he would take them to get to Jewel. "This is what we're going to do." Rob started confidently explaining his plan, using his claw to draw on the ground a map of the area where Jewel was.

Once Rob finished Rafael spoke. "That sounds good to me. Any other suggestions?" he asked.

Blu & Felipe shook their heads.

"I think this will be enough to outwit him." Blu said. "He won´t know what hit him."

"Fine then, if we are ready…" Rafael said turning around to Mauro. "Please lead the way." He asked.

Mauro smirked again. "It´s a long way from here, so don´t get left behind." Then he turned & started to jump away through the trees. "Follow me!" He called.

Blu & Rafael took off & followed them but Rob & Felipe remained motionless, looking at them flying away. Then Rob spoke. "We have something to talk about." He said. He started to rapidly outline both his thought & what he thought they should do about it.

Felipe listened & nodded in agreement when Rob had finished. "I don´t like it Rob, but I think you're right. There's too much at stake to take the risk." Felipe stated. "So…yeah. I'll do it." He said firmly.

.


.

"Good morning my dear." The Hawk said slyly as he landed next to Jewel. "I'm glad to see you liked the food I got for you." He said looking over the leftovers of a fruit lying next to her. Jewel had tried her best, to the edge of fainting, but finally she couldn´t fight against her hunger & hadn't any other option than eating the fruit, something that bruised her pride, it had the sourest flavor she had ever tasted.

"Are you ready?" The Hawk asked fixing his eyes on Jewel.

Jewel didn't want to answer, but thought that this was her chance to get some answers from him, so she decided to follow his game. "Ready for what? Watching you begging for mercy?" She said with a defiant tone in her voice.

The Hawk chuckled; he had to admit Jewel was quite spirited. At this point all the Birds he ´interrogated´ before were fully cooperative with him & begging for mercy, he may have scared her last night but she still had that aggressive behavior towards him. "No, my dear." He said amused. "Today is the great day when you two will finally suffer the consequences of your actions."

Jewel was taken aback, how this Bird could hold any grudge towards Blu & her if they hadn't even met him before. "What're you talking about?" she demanded.

The Hawk raised an eye ridge. "Oh, you really don't know?" He said. "Just think a little, what could you have done in order to receive this punishment?"

"No, I don't know." Jewel said bluntly. "How could I know? I don't even know who you are or even your name." she answered.

The Hawk lowered his head to meet Jewel´s face. "That makes sense." He admitted. "You're so selfish that you don't even know what you did, but you'll soon understand, just wait." He concluded. "And about my name…let's keep it as a surprise; at least until your beloved comes, you should know that my name causes fear among my enemies." He added with a malicious look. "That's enough chat for now my Bella Ave, we have too much work to do, so please stay quiet. I'll get everything ready for our final meeting." He asked as he picked up some ropes & started tying them. "Mi amigo azul pronto pagará por arruinar mi vida." He muttered at the confused look on Jewel's face.

.


.

As Mauro jumped through the trees Blu, Rob & Rafael followed him. Suddenly Rafael noticed something & started to look around. "Hey Amigos wait!" Rafael broke the silence forcing everyone to stop & hover in mid-air. Mauro stopped on a branch ahead of them & looked back with a frown as the three birds landed next to him.

"What´s wrong Rafael?" Blu asked the Toucan.

"Where's Felipe?" Rafael said concerned. Blu looked around for the Hyacinth Macaw & saw that he was nowhere in sight.

"I…" Rob broke in raising his wing. "I can explain that." He said as he felt all eyes on him.

"What happened?" Blu & Rafael inquired in stereo.

"Well…" Rob started as he looked down at his claws, trying to find a way to answer their question. "Just after you took off I had a quick chat with Felipe."

"And?" Blu pressed, concerned. He noticed how Rob´s eyes flicked back & forth between Rafael & Blu.

Rob was nervous; he was struggling to be able to speak. "I asked him…" Rob said hesitantly, then he gave a long sigh & continued. "I asked him to leave."

"You did what?" Blu shouted & Rob jerked back hiding himself behind his wings & almost falling from the branch. "We need his help, what were you thinking? Did that blow on your head affect something more than your memory?" Blu asked furiously.

Rob just lowered his head & looked ashamed. Blu sounded angry enough to hit him & he wouldn't blame him if he did.

"Why is this happening to me?" Blu said with frustration.

"Hey, hey. Calm down Amigo." Rafael intervened. "I'm sure there's a good reason for that, right Rob?" he said looking at Rob.

Rob didn't know how to continue. He had to be careful. "I…told him that…" he said, "…he is so big that the Hawk will discover him easily when hiding, so I thought it could be a good idea if he went back to Carol, I'm sure we can handle it alone."

"You see, that was his reason for doing that." Rafael said to Blu, though he privately thought it wasn't a good one. He was surprised that Felipe would have gone along with it too, & it wasn't like him to just go without saying anything.

Blu gave a long sigh, trying to control his anger, from his point of view that was an error they were sure to regret. Felipe was quite a large & experienced Bird & having him along would surely have raised their chances of success. He started to think that it was a bad idea letting Rob organize the rescue after all, he was smart but not flawless & Blu might have given Rob too much responsibility. Then he noticed something else was missing. "Where´s that small thing you were so insistent on bringing along?" He asked Rob, still sounding a little upset with him.

"Felipe took it. He said it was too dangerous & he will take it to a safe place where it won't hurt innocents." Rob said.

"Well, at least you won't bring that thing with us again, I feel awkward just thinking if it was a grenade or something. I'm relieved Felipe will take care of it." Blu said. "But please don´t do anything more without telling us, is that understood?" He asked & Rob nodded sheepishly.

"Amigos I would like to ask more questions, but time is important, I think we should move on, time is running out." Rafael stated. They all nodded & turned around to see that Mauro, looking disinterested in the conversation, was sitting on the branch playing with his Smartphone.

"Let´s continue." Blu said to Mauro.

"Are you sure you don´t want to discuss things a little more? I´m so close to getting 3 Stars on this level." Mauro said, but everyone shook their heads. "Fine then, let´s go!" He exclaimed as he stood up, tapped a button on the side of the device, & quickly stowed it away into his back holster again. "Anyways, we're almost there." He added before resuming his jumping from branch to branch followed by the Birds flying after him.

Once they had left a mysterious shadow that had been carefully listening in on their conversation emerged from a bush & stood on the Jungle´s floor looking at the retreating forms of the Marmoset & the 3 birds. A smirk appeared on its face.

"Você sobreviveu, mas não por muito tempo..."

.


.

Mauro stood on the Jungle's floor & Blu landed behind him. "We're close to them." Mauro muttered.

"Fine, we are right behind you." Blu said matching his voice volume with Mauro's.

"There´s the place." Mauro said pointing his paw to a group of bushes in front of them.

"We need to be silent." Rob suggested & everyone nodded. "Do you remember the plan?" He asked & got some nods in return.

"Well…here we go." Blu said with a tone of fear in his voice. "Hold on Jewel, I´m coming for you." He said as he walked through the bushes.

.


.

After a relatively long flight Ana landed on a branch, she was following the group a little distance behind. Because of needing to keep out of sight she hadn't been able to overhear what Rob & Felipe had said to each other, & she wondered what he had been thinking when the 2 Birds had gone in different directions. Surely they needed all the help they could get, & to make things worse, Rob had given over the device to Felipe! I went to so much trouble to get that to them. She thought frowning slightly. She thought Rob had understood how useful the device could be, but it looked like she was wrong & she was a little upset her attempt to help had come to naught.

Ana was looking for the group, but they had disappeared into the lush jungle. I lost them. She thought. Then she started to wonder if she should return to her Hollow & just wait to find out what happened.

"Watch out!" Someone shouted from up ahead.

That sounded like...Jewel! Ana thought & she quickly jumped from the branch she was on & flew towards the origin of the shout.