Chapter Twenty-Four
First Time for Everything
"Please… please, please, please, please!!!"
"Gorf lay off," Bomber said.
"Just say it," Gorf pleaded. "Come on, it rolls right off the tongue, easy!"
Psych gave an amused smile. After Dev had gotten over the fact of how short he looked compared to the adult body, he had dragged Psych up into the main tree house. Inside they found a dismayed Gorf sitting on one of the leaf filled bags, head in his hands. When Psych got him to look up Gorf had leapt to his feet and actually knocked Psych down in a hug. Then he had jumped back up and zoomed off to find someone to tell. Dev and Mikey had ran to do the same while Psych just sat down.
Soon everyone had been gathered in the room to see the mutation, except for Alex who was still in the infirmary. Psych's change in height had been the biggest shock, though that didn't keep Gorf's attention; what Gorf was thinking about was Psych's first spoken word. It appeared the frog-boy had his heart set on the first word to come out of the new mouth to be his name.
Gorf, there I said it.
"Noooo…" Gorf whined. "Say it out loud, please!"
I've told you, I can't say anything yet, physically I don't know how.
"Just try, pweeze!" Gorf stressed, sticking his bottom lip out, hands clasped together in plea.
Psych covered his face with a hand, head shaking.
Gorf lowered his head in a pathetic pout.
Psych huffed. "Kuh…" Gorf lifted his head. Psych put his hand down, eyes looking down in concentration. "Guh… o… er… th- ff… Guh- or… Gor… ff… Gorf? Gorf. Gorf," he said with a definite nod and a smile.
Gorf squealed gleefully and jumped forward, latching his arms around Psych's neck.
"First word," Leo said "congrats."
"Too bad it was wasted on a thing like Gorf," Raph said.
"It was not wasted," Leo scolded.
"Oh yes," Bomber sided with Raph "it was."
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Great, I'm hallucinating again… Alex mentally groaned as she lay covered up on a new cot. The one she had been using before was being cleaned from the spills of poison-filled blood.
Alex had been having a rather odd dream concerning cookie dough when she had been woken up by the feeling of being watched. Upon open her eyes she found an adult that looked a lot like a stretched out Psych sitting on the next cot over.
She closed her eyes, sure that if she opened them this person would mysteriously disappear. But when she opened them the person was mysteriously still there.
"Yoo… gunn… ah… asssk too?"
Alex couldn't hold down the amused smile, hopefully it didn't look to mocking. "Nah… I know you when I see ya, Psych. Mutating's a bitch, huh?"
Not exactly my choice in words, but yes.
Alex sat up without the room spinning for the first time in two days, though it felt like weeks. "So I'm not just seeing things? You really are an adult now."
Psych's head bobbed in something of a nod. "I… guh… geh… jess-" he huffed in frustration. I guess, he mentally told instead.
Alex tried to hold back a laugh but a chuckle managed to escape. "It's great that you have the ability to speak and everything," she said "but man, you need practice."
I know, Psych agreed. But hey, I've had a mouth for only a couple of hours.
Alex pushed the fur blankets off her legs and swung her feet to the floor.
You sure you should be standing?
"I feel great. That antidote-stuff really did the trick. Look, I can actually lift my own tail again." She demonstrated and tried to stand up but apparently her legs had forgotten that they were the key part of standing (again). A hand grabbed her arm and an arm was around her front before she hit the floor.
You sure you should be standing?
"Yes, just give me a second," Alex said and planted her feet, quietly scolding her legs to work. She brushed Psych's helping hands off of her and turned to face him face-to-chest. She looked up in surprise. "Damn you're tall."
Psych took a step back almost shyly. I know… I think my growth spurt was a bit extreme.
"A bit?"
I'm not a giant.
"You're not exactly small anymore either."
I have to admit though, this is better than having to look up at everything, but since Sharp built this place to fit a bunch of teens I have to duck under everything too.
"You can't have everything," Alex shrugged and turned to walk for the door. "I'm hungry."
Me too.
"My stomach's empty."
I promise you, mine's emptier.
Alex looked over her should at him.
Psych just smiled.
"Shut up."
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"CANNON BALL! WOO-HOO!!"
SPLASH!
"GAH! Shit!" Nick yelled as he jumped at getting a spray of ice cold rain on his bare back. Was it too much to ask for a nap in the sun on a nice warm rock? His jump of surprise caused him to lose his balance and he fell into the shallows of the lake. The water came up to his chest while he sat on his butt. He angrily looked around for the sorry soul that dared to disturb his cat nap and found a laughing Mikey.
Nick jumped to his feet.
Mikey caught the pissed off look. "Uh-oh." Nick lunged for him. Mikey dove underwater and swam for safety; Nick went after him, ready to hold the teen's head underwater until the bubbles stopped.
Seven feet in the depths underneath them hung the league of the aquatic.
Gorf looked up at a shadow passing over him and smiled.
Stripes chuckled (a stream of bubbles coming from his mouth).
Razor leaned back, hands behind his head, and closed eyes, a content smile pulling at his lips. Suddenly something pushed down on his stomach, causing his oxygen supplies to escape in one big bubble. His sides quickly gave him a new supply and he looked for the reason behind the push.
A few feet away Sharp wore a playful smile. He stuck his tongue out and shot off through the water. Razor's mouth split into a jagged, determined smile and went after him.
...---...
"At least they get a happy ending," Dev muttered as he stood on the deck that overlooked the lake. The water below was so clear he could see Razor go after Sharp. He had always wondered what it was like to have a brother. Was there some kind of bond that only the ones that have it know what it feels like? Or was it just knowing that there was someone in the world that knew who you were and accepted you for it?
He shook his head. God, brotherhood sounds a lot like the love crap found in the movies… creepy…
"Hi Dev."
"Wha- HEY!" he exclaimed when a hand shoved him in the back, his training from way back when had him up right and going back to the deck to confront the enemy in seconds. "Raph, what the hell was that for?!"
"What? Don't ya know 'ow ta swim yet?"
"No!"
"Oh, okay den," Raph shrugged and looked like he was about to walk away when he quickly reached his hand out again and shoved Dev in the chest. Dev quickly latched onto Raph's arm to keep from falling backwards.
"Knock it off!"
Raph smirked. "Fine, I will." He grabbed Dev's arm, stepped around him and jumped off the deck.
"Wah!" Dev exclaimed at being whipped around and suddenly pulled out and down. He tried to stop himself with his wings but Raph was too heavy with muscle mass. Through determination to stay dry, Dev managed to stop the fall right before Raph's foot touched the surface of the lake.
Raph scowled at the failed plan as he looked down at the water.
"Let go!" Dev commanded, trying to pull his arm from Raph's grip when there was a suddenly splash and a green, four fingered hand grabbed Raph's ankle and yanked down. That movement had done it and Dev fell into the lake for the second time that day.
Raph let go.
Dev flailed in the water as he started sinking. He felt a hand grab his shoulder and he had half a mind to turn and bite it. When he felt his head break the surface and he could breathe again he wiped water from his eyes to find Stripes holding him up.
"Hi Dev."
"Hi…" Dev grumbled.
Gorf appeared out of the water. "Oh come on Dev, you can swim."
"No I can't you little piece of shit," Dev growled and reached out to grab the frog, realized that no one was holding him anymore and quickly grabbed for Stripes.
Gorf put up his four fingered hands up. The gesture of peace smoothly changed into him putting his hands behind his head and leaning back so he was partly floating on his back.
Soon after there was fierce splashing off to the side that was followed by laughter. "Okay, okay! Ha ha, knock it off! I'm gonna -cough-cough…" Stripes started coughing as Razor came up beside him. "…choke…" he weakly finished his sentence between coughs.
"Yep, you're still ticklish," Razor stated with a wide smile when he noticed Gorf, Raph, Dev and Stripes. "Hey Stripes, I think you got something stuck to your arm."
"No really, didn't notice!"
The twins swam over.
"Dev you still don't now how to swim?" Sharp asked.
"NO!" Dev snapped. "Now would you guys stop asking me that and get me to shore?"
"You should really think about learning," Razor commented.
"I'd rather not waste the time," Dev snapped.
"Hmph, really?" Stripes asked and suddenly dipped underwater. Losing his breathing floaty Dev quickly grabbed the closest body - Raph. Raph shoved him off and Dev was left stranded when everyone within reach took a stroke backwards.
"You assholes!" Dev yelled at them before he sank, only to reappear with Tyler gripping the back of his shirt.
"Why are there feathers in my lake?"
"It's not your lake Tyler," Sharp said.
"Hey, I sleep in it," Tyler pointed out.
"By choice."
Tyler rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He dropped Dev.
Being dunked once again, Dev resurface with Gorf hugging him from behind. "Gorf let me go," Dev with crossed arms. "I'd rather drown than be saved by you."
"Aw you don't mean that!"
"I do, with all my heart."
"Come on Dev," Stripes said. "Do you really want to be this dependent on Gorf?"
That idea seemed to have hit the right button, though he didn't look happy about it. "Fine, I'll learn."
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Look at that, never thought I'd live to see the day… Psych commented as he sat beside Alex on one of the bridges, their legs dangling over the side. Between them was a bowl of nonpoisonous fruit; around them were the cores of the eaten fruit.
"You mean Dev caving?" Alex asked. "Yeah me too, he's such a hard head."
So he can be stubborn at times, you are too…
"Hey, let's not bring my personality flaws into the subject. And besides, at least I know how to swim."
Where the two sat they had a good view of the lake's beach. Just off the shore Dev was fighting with Gorf and Stripes while a safe distance from them Razor and Sharp were more quietly teaching Jack how to swim. Near the middle of the lake Tyler lay on the surface, just floating there. He hadn't moved for quite a while, he was probably asleep.
Suddenly there was a sound of a crash and a white and orange streak ran behind them. "HiPsychhiAlex!" the streak cried before disappearing. Seconds later Nick appeared on the bridge, ax swinging in the loop on his pants.
"Have you guys seen that Mikey-kid?"
Alex and Psych glanced at each other.
"Nope."
Can't say we have.
Nick grumbled something under his breath and kept on running.
From the bowl beside him, Psych picked up a coconut. Alex had said not to grab it when they had raided the kitchen together but he wanted to try as much as he could. But, unfortunately he hadn't been in that big of a rush because he insisted they clean the place up and put what could be salvaged of the food away.
Coconut?
"Why not," Alex shrugged and moved her tail to curve up to her side, blade lifted into the air and ready. Psych positioned the coconut underneath the blade, holding it in place with his hands on either side of the large nut.
Still looking down at the lake, Alex lifted the end of her tail a little higher and was about to bring it down.
Uh… I'd prefer it if you were looking at what you sliced…
"Oh, sorry," Alex said and turned her head to take proper aim. With a few practice swings she brought the blade of her tail down on the coconut. The ax blade made a clean cut, slicing the large nut in two. Psych split it with her and they commenced in eating the coconut meat.
A little while later Bomber appeared and sat down on the bridge beside Psych, looking down at the lake scene as Dev tackled Gorf and held his head underwater. Though they couldn't hear, it appeared that Stripes had pointed out that Gorf's gills were placed behind his ears, meaning he could still breathe, because Dev just punched him, knocking another tooth out that had already started to come loose.
What's wrong?
Bomber flicked at an invisible speck of dust on his pants. He shifted one of the straps of his overalls and crossed his lower arms. "I- I'm worried about Eli," he admitted tiredly. "I… I keep thinking that I'll never see her again, and even if I do she won't know who I am. F'n bastards'll have wiped her memory or something…" He covered his face with a hand, the elbow of that arm pressed into his knee.
Psych sighed. I wish I could give you false hope, Bomber, I really do, but we both know, to them, she's just a scout.
Bomber bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut. "She's just a kid."
Alex leaned forward a little, wondering if Bomber had taken notice she was there. Tough guy like him wouldn't be saying any of this stuff in front of just anybody. Then she got the real surprise, caught it in mid action: a single drop of water running down the explosive specialist's cheek. Alex quickly flicked her eyes to anything else that could be looked at. Though anything was possible there were just some things not meant to be seen.
Filler... but I needed to get Psych talking and get Alex better. Oh and an explanation on Psych, I don't buy into the whole you-just-got-a-mouth-and-suddenly-you-can-speak-perfectly-crap, so Psych will have some pronunciation problems. And a bird brain learning to swim??? O_o
Yeah, I can't believe that I got this up so fast either, and I should be doing homework but homework is stupid and this is more interesting! Anyway, as a reader of other stories and web comics I know what its like to want more updates, and I hate it when it takes a person MONTHS to update, so I try not to do that to those that actually read my stuff. ^_^
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