Can I Keep Her
We were the first human beings to step foot on a new planet. And I was betting we were also the first human beings to be chased down by the indigenous wildlife!
"Keep running!" I shouted at Danny as we dodged and weaved our way back through ShitThorn Forest.
Danny and Baymax ran point, while I brought up the rear. Danny was smaller and had an easier time winding his way around the thick creeping vines with their harpoon sized spikes. Baymax made it look easy and could've pulled ahead of us, but he remained at my brother's side. I, on the other hand, was not fairing so well. I'm not all that tall, but I'm a chesty girl. And the brambles kept trying to pop my boobs like cheap balloons.
The snarls and grunts of our pursuers were getting louder. I could hear them scrabbling through the vines and the slap of their feet or paws or whatever against the hard earth. They were close. Too close. Fuck if we survived, Uzkielle would never stop bitching at me. It almost made the thought of being eaten worth it. But, then again, it was rather funny to get the big Yautja all worked up. Made it so much more enjoyable to tease him.
A snarl. Something took a swipe at my calf.
"Fuck!" I slapped a hand on a vine and launched myself over it and between several thorns. I didn't dare look back. Not when those things were right on my ass.
"Nina-" Danny started to turn his head.
"Keep running! Don't look! Just keep running!"
Danny's head snapped forward again just in time for him to slide under a vine at chest level. It was lucky that Danny and I had started mimicking the brothers' style and wore more leather and armor plating because it protected vital areas of our bodies. Yet, it still left quite a bit of flesh exposed, and while I'd managed not to get skewered, I felt the bite of the thorns all over.
"Nina!"
My brother's shout brought my head up too fast, and I hissed as a thorn slashed my cheek.
"Nina, we're almost there! I can see the light!"
I stared past my brother and saw beams of sunshine reaching through the thicket.
"Danny as soon as we clear the forest, get into the shuttle!"
"But, Nina! We're hunters-" He panted. "-we should fig-"
"Danny!" I gasped, feeling slightly light headed. "Do not argue with me!"
A second later Danny and Baymax cleared ShitThorn Forest, and I flew over another chest level vine right behind them.
"WHOAAOO," Danny shouted. My eyes snapped wide, the boy had one foot over the lip of a cliff! Baymax had a tuft of Danny's shirt in his teeth, keeping the boy from flying over the edge.
"Danny!" I grabbed his shoulders and hauled him back against me. Danny fell into me, and I grunted as his thick head smacked my chest.
"Whaoooo," Danny breathed. I glanced over the edge and felt the color drain from my face. The sheer drop was at least fifty feet right into a bed of rocks sticking up from the ground like stalagmites.
Absently, I patted Baymax's head, "Good dog."
Where the fuck is the shuttle?!
"Oh my fucking god! We went the wrong way!" I shrieked in horror.
Baymax's big werewolf sized head jerked toward the dark thorn forest and growled, his ears flattening against his skull. Snarls and excited chitters erupted from the thicket, and I caught a glimpse of our pursuers. They were the size of macaques and moved with these ease of apes with long limbs and prehensile tails. But their heads were quite large, and their bodies were dark and kind of tadpole-shaped. And then there were the teeth. Lots of teeth. If these creatures had eyes I couldn't see them, because it appeared their jaws made up their entire heads!
"Danny-" I pushed him ahead of me. "-run!"
We ran along the narrow ledge between the sheer drop and the bramble forest of death. The creatures were hot on our heels, and I hadn't the faintest idea what to do! Danny was beginning to slow, and only Baymax with his head pushing the boy's shoulders kept him from stopping.
I had my father's Beretta in a holster strapped to my thigh, but I figured by the time I was able to spin around and fire it, half of my face would be eaten. I decided to pull the gun anyway. The Beretta was nestled in a retention holster, which meant you had to pull it in the right sequence to get it to release.
Tip forward, twist right, pop back.
The gun slipped free, and while I didn't turn around, I did fire blindly behind me hoping to hit one or two of them or at least stagger them. A chorus of shocked angry squeals came from behind me, and I chanced a peek. I'd hit at least one for sure, and the group had stopped to investigate. For all of two seconds, then they opened those impossibly wide toothy jaws of theirs and started after us with bone-chilling howls.
"I think- oof!" Danny caught himself midtrip. "I think you made them angrier!"
"I noticed!"
The narrow margin between the sheer drop and the wall of thorns was growing slimmer by the second. I managed to slip the Beretta back in its holster without dropping it. No point in wasting ammo because we were fucked six ways to Sunday anyway if I couldn't come up with a plan! But at the moment, all I kept thinking about was how shitty it would be if one of those things took a chunk out of my ass!
"Nina!"
I jerked my eyes away from the rocky death bellow and stared at the bend in the cliff ahead of my brother. I couldn't see around the sharp curve but what choice did we have? The snarls and snap of teeth were growing louder and... there was another sound too. A low gurgling hush I couldn't identify, but something in the back of my mind thought it sounded bad.
"Watch your step, Danny!"
Danny disappeared around the sharp curve and my heart slammed into my ribs. I flew around the corner, just barely missing getting shredded by brambles and ran smack dab into my brother.
"Danny! Wha-"
"It's a dead end!"
The hush had grown into a thunderous roar, and I realized we were standing in front of a waterfall. Even if the water hadn't been rushing over the fall at a million miles an hour, the river itself was too wide to cross. We'd never make it.
I caught a glimpse of the drop a second before my head snapped around to see balls of gnashing teeth loping towards us. With Uzkielle's blood flowing through my veins I'd mostly recovered from being shot, but the nerves in my right arm were still twitchy and painful. I'd never be able to fight all those things off on my own. Not even with Baymax as my backup.
"Danny," I wrapped my arms around my baby brother, "hold onto me!"
"What're yo- aaaaah!" Danny's scream was drowned out in the rush of water as I hurled us over the fall. Danny's arms tangled around my waist and he held me to him in a bruising grip. I glimpsed Baymax then we were plunged into icy water.
I lost my grip on my brother and opened my eyes. I saw him floundering, saw him going for the surface, and I grabbed him before he could. My brother's wide emerald eyes met mine underwater, and I shook my head and pointed up. I wanted those things to think we'd been swept away. Holding my brother's hand, I swam with all my might through the turbulent water. Swimming past the stones jutting up under the spray of the fall that we'd miraculously missed in our descent.
Behind the waterfall, Danny and I broke the surface and sucked down heaping lung fulls of air. Baymax popped up beside my brother, the big dog sneezed several times, expelling water from his nose.
"Y-you o-okay, kid?" I asked through chattering teeth. Cripes it was cold!
Danny coughed but managed a weak nod.
"Come on," I said. We had to get out of the water. There was a cave behind the fall. It probably wasn't very dry, but it was a good place to hunker down while I tried to figure out what the hell to do next.
We crawled up onto the stone floor and out of the water. Panting, we laid side by side one another until our breathing returned to normal. Baymax's claws scraped loudly against the rock as he hoisted himself out of the water after us. The big dog shook himself, splashing Danny and I. If I'd had the breath to spare, I would've growled at him.
Baymax sniffed my face then Danny's before licking the boy. "Baymax," Danny croaked. The dog huffed then nudged the boy's arm with a whiny-growl.
"Come on, Danny." I eased myself up with a hiss. "Baymax wants us to move away from the fall." Which was probably a really good idea, seeing as the dog had way better hearing than us.
With a little help from the werewolf sized canine, Danny and I lumbered over to the back of the cavern and slumped against the stone wall.
Fuck I was exhausted, but I couldn't relax. Not yet. I sat up and turned towards my brother. "Danny, are you hurt?"
Danny merely shook his head, his short dreads smearing watery blood across his forehead. I crouched over him and moved his rust-colored hair aside and found a bump and a small cut.
"Nina," he whined at me and batted at my hands. But it was a half-hearted attempt, and he sagged with a sigh. "Pakkun and Lobomon are gonna be really mad at us," he said miserably.
I blew out a breath and extracted the medicomp from my shoulder rig. "Nope," I sighed. "They're gonna be livid."
Danny's face crumbled, he didn't like it when the brothers were angry with him. But for the wrong reasons. Danny had abandonment issues and was afraid that one day if he did or said the wrong thing the brothers would grow tired of us and leave. Their Houdini act all those months ago really hadn't helped. And seeing our mother had only intensified this fear.
"Ugh, I can see it now!" I placed the heels of my palms along my jaw, fanned out my fingers and growled, "Zabin! Roar, roar, roar!"
Danny sputtered a giggle. "You forgot the brow," he laughed and tried to screw down his brows the way Uzkielle did.
I laughed and gently cleaned the cut above his brow with antiseptic. Danny's face pinched from the sting, but he didn't complain. Much.
"I wish Lobomon would've given me a burner."
Burners were the energy weapons mounted on the brothers' shoulder rigs. "And I would've killed him if he did," I growled.
"Oh, come on, Nina! You saw those things! If we had burners, we could've blown them away!"
"Yeah, right after you blew me away by accident."
Danny expelled a loud huff and turned his face away from me with an angry pout.
"Besides," I continued. "The brothers don't use the burners unless there's no alternative. And I think its another one of those ritualistic things we don't understand." We'd learned a lot about the Yautja culture in the past several weeks, but I had a feeling we'd only scratched the surface. Still, it was nice not to be completely in the dark anymore. Moreover, it gave us lots of time to practice the Yuatja sign. Danny was better at signing than I was, which was kind of annoying, but it was fun watching the excitement dance across his face whenever he learned a new one.
"I guess," Danny mumbled with a miserable shiver.
Frowning, I packed up the medicomp and slipped it back into place. "Scoot up," I said, getting to my feet. Danny frowned but obliged, and I wedged myself between him and the stone wall. Exhaling into my hands to warm them, I then vigorously rubbed his arms to try and warm him up. Baymax laid down over our outstretched legs, and while his fur was cold from the water, a moment later we felt his body heat radiating off of him.
"Nina?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think she ever loved us," he asked quietly.
It didn't take a genius to figure out the She he was referring too. After all, the bitch had shot me right in front of him. "I dunno, Danny." I paused. "I think she liked the idea of us, but once we were born, she realized the white picket fence wasn't what she wanted."
"Oh," he muttered. Sounding utterly dejected.
I laid my chin atop his head and breathed in his scent. Enjoying another upside to having Uzkielle's blood in my veins. My senses had grown sharper and I found I rather liked the way I could differentiate scent now.
"Danny, some people are never meant to be parents, but they do it anyway because we live- we lived in a society that dictates we should. But you know what?" I wrapped my arms around him. "I don't care because I've got you."
I felt more than saw Danny smile. It was the way he sighed and relaxed into me. "Yeah... plus, now we've got Pakkun and Lobomon."
I rolled my eyes, "Don't remind me." But there was no conviction behind my voice, and I smiled at the thought of those two crab brains getting all pissy with us for disobeying them. It was funny. But I sobered as the memory of that massacre came roaring back to the forefront of my mind. Danny and I had seen just how great and terrible a Yautja's fury could be and how pathetically outclassed humans truly are. It was one thing to watch a Yautja fight a Yautja but it was completely different watching them tear apart a human as if they were made of tissue paper. Danny had been worrying over me and hadn't seen the full thing, but... he'd seen and heard enough. It gave me nightmares for weeks, still did on occasion, but it was Danny's nightmares that scared me. How do you recover from something like that? Granted kids are more resilient than adults, but Danny had had a front row seat to something not even the most hardened soldier probably could've stomached. And now we were submerged in the Yautjas' way of life. Was I really doing right by Danny by continuing to live with the Yautja? Literally, the most dangerous predators humans have ever come across. I had to wonder. And I struggled with my decision every day.
"Danny-"
"How's your arm?" he asked.
I flexed the fingers of my right hand and grimaced at the pain that shot to my elbow. "Better." Not a complete lie. It was getting better. It still just hurt like a bitch at times. Hell, by all rights I should be dead. And if it hadn't been for Uzkielle's blood still flowing through my veins and the second transfusion he gave me after being shot, I would be dead.
Danny squirmed then suddenly giggled.
I cocked a brow, "Danny, wha-"
Pichu's yellow feathery head popped out of the front of Danny's shirt with a squeak. Baymax lifted his big wolfy head and sniffed at the little critter. Pichu squeaked at the dog, but his quills didn't spring up this time.
Danny giggled, "Pichu's funny. Can I keep her?"
I grimaced, "I dunno, Danny. Doesn't he remind you of the fluffy critters the Gremlins started out as?"
It was amazing how someone so much younger than me could make me feel so dumb with a single look. "She isn't a Mogwai, Nina."
I cocked my head, "She?"
He nodded.
"How can you tell?"
He shrugged, "Just feels right."
I chuckled, "And what will you feed her? Do you know what she eats? Not only that but what about the brothers? Do you think they really want you turning our home into a zoo?"
"I don't think they'll mind," he said, but even he didn't sound convinced. "And I can find out what she eats before we leave."
"Okay, what about poop patrol? You already have to clean up after Baymax. Do you really wanna pick up more poop?" Granted, Baymax did his business in one tiny corner of the ship, but that dog basically shat miniature shrines to the poop gods.
Danny's face scrunched in disgust, "It's not fun but look at how small she is." He scratched the top of Pichu's head and the little critter let out a low warbly purr sound. "I bet her poops are tiny."
I blew out a breath. I wasn't going to win this without a real fight, and I just didn't feel like fighting with him. I'd let Osh'ikeille decide. Let him be the bad guy for once.
Baymax lifted his muzzle from his outstretched paws, his ears forward and alert. Suddenly, Baymax got up, ears flat against his head as he began to growl.
My eyes lept to the waterfall, and I watched in growing horror as shadows appeared behind the fall.
Danny jumped to his feet, "They're back!"
"Danny stay behind me!" I warned. The twin blades released from the wrist-bracer with a satisfying shink, and I took up a crouched position in front of my brother. The creatures were standing on the rocks jutting up from beneath the falls, their shadows huge and monstrous. Distorted by the water. Or so I hoped because there was a very real possibility that whatever these creatures were, they were the bigger and meaner cousins of the weird toothy creatures that chased us.
One of the creatures sprang through the waterfall with a familiar snarly-bark, and I fell back on my ass in relief.
"Pakkun!" Danny ran around me, and Baymax, and straight into Osh'iekeille's legs. The big Yautja grunted at this and was at a loss for what to do with his hands. Hugging was one of those things that confused the hell out of the brothers. Seems there wasn't much skin to skin contact in their culture aside from fighting and fucking.
The other shadow burst through with a roar of anger so intense that it might've blistered my skin if it wasn't already numb from the cold. Uzkielle's head swung from my brother to me with a reptilian growl and glowered at me.
"What?!" I clambered to my feet and straightened my black spandex shorts and the leather and metal pleats of my makeshift warrior princess skirt. "We were bored!"
"Foolish, ooman," he snarled.
The sharp sound echoed off the walls of the cavern, and for a second I was transported back to the moment my mother shot me. Back to when Uzkielle had savagely ripped her head from her body with that same ferocious sound. I shivered and dropped my gaze. The fight left me in an instant and all I felt was cold. Uzkielle had always scared me, had always been an unknown. There was no love lost between me and my mother. After threatening to take Danny away from me, the bitch had tried to kill me. But no matter how much I loved Uzkielle, no matter how much I desired him, that moment would be forever seared into my memory. The moment the fog lifted and I saw him for what he truly is. Saw them for what they truly are. And while I knew neither of them would never hurt me, or Danny, a part of me was still afraid of them. A healthy dose of fear isn't a bad thing. It keeps things in perspective. Even so, I never wanted either of the twins to see that fear, especially Osh. He and I were already mated, and I didn't want to cause a rift between us with my stupid human insecurities.
Absently, I touched the five scars running over my chest. An action I sensed Uzkielle's eyes tracked.
"Come on," I wrapped my arms around myself. "Let's get back to the shuttle before the oxygen plummets, and Danny and I asphyxiate."
Uzkielle tensed, taken aback by my sudden shift in behavior. I ignored the weight of his gaze on my face as I walked past him and towards the fall. Pakkun with Danny still clinging to his legs followed right behind.
"Hey, Pakkun?"
Osh'ikeille grunted.
"Can I keep her?!" Danny asked excitedly.
And despite the shit mood I suddenly found myself in, I couldn't help the smile jumping at the corners of my lips.
A/N: Lol, no dramatic drop off this time ;) Thanks for all those favs, follows, and reviews. * Grammar Blues: Okay, I know I've said this before but grammar is my kryptonite. However, I will continue to try and get better :)
*Reviewers: What do you guys think about me posting future review responses on my profile page to save on document space?
Sleepyhollow01: Ah, thanx. Lol, I had fun with the Star Trek ref. XD
Kelwtim2spar: Glad you liked it :)
Puffgirl1952 the 2nd: In the chapter, Nina explains the brothers whisked them away via their ship which she jokingly calls the Predator. :)
Anonymous Reviewers: 1) I will ;)
ZGK1007: Ah, thanx for the love! XD
SolusPrimeLightblast: Lol, and there's more to come ;) Your excitement gets me excited XD
angel897: Yup! It's definitely gonna be a new wild ride! Thanx for the love :)
KTCameleon: Lol, you'll have to read and find out ;D
xHaRleyQuiNnSiRenx: Ah, thanx! XD Lol, I hope I can continue to make your inner fanatic squeal and jump around with excitement XD
HubrisBrutus: Aaaawe, thank you! Your review made me so happy! I love that it's your fav! Makes me feel like I'm doing something right :)
sousie: Oh, yes they did ;) Thanx for the love
Tenfangirl: Lmao XD I adore you, Tenfangirl. You always make me smile :)
Atlafan1286: Me too! XD
InvisibleJediMaster: So far Danny's only been allowed to bring Pichu aboard :) Grammar and I aren't friends, but I'll keep working on it. It makes me so happy that my story is your fav :) Thanx for the love
Venom is my poison: Lmao, I laughed out loud when I read your review. Had me grinning from ear to ear. Nina never listens. Besides if she did it would be pretty boring ;) Thanx for the love :D
DeadlyNightshade97: Aaaaawe, thank you so much for the compliment! It filled me with warm fuzzies :)
Akari Wolf Princess: Lol, nope. No breaks for Nina XD So glad I was able to pull you in ;)
09sasha: I think she died pretty horribly ;) Lol, thanx for the love!
Ghouly-Girl: Lol, you know you love my cliffy's ;D I can not wait to show you the extent of my evilness XD Thanx so much for the love!
CieloDistante: Awe, I'm so happy you got a little free time to read the update! Her mother got what she deserved! We always want the unpleasant characters to die but it always messes with our morals. The Yautja don't have the same hang-ups which is why it's easy to have them do the killing. ;) Lol, the Yautja walk around with those bombs strapped to their arms all the time. They probably didn't give it a second thought strapping one on Nina. Thanx so much for the love! P.S. Hope your studies are going well :)
wolviegurl: Thanx XD
DystrVction: Lol, thanx so much :)
yatinga: Aaah someone got the paddles! Clear! *shock* Few, I got you back ;) Lol, don't worry. Lots more on the edge of your seat goodness to come :) Thanx for the love!
aisaac5: Oh, the webs of suspense, drama, and romance I plan to weave- hehe. And believe me, there's a storm brewing ;) Thanx for the love!
SpaceGhostHorse: Ah, thank you! Hope you enjoyed the update :)
FFEShadowfoot: Lmao, hi! You had me laughing and grinning with your review. It makes me so happy how much you enjoy this story :) Lol, and yes, lots of mischief and misadventures to come ;)
Zorua1: Lol, thanx :) He's one of my favorite characters too.
Luna Silvereyes: Glad you're hyped! There's a lot to this new arc ;) Lol, nah, I'm not going CLAMP. At least, I don't think I am. And as far as the aforementioned annoying someone, don't fret, I has plans *laughs maniacally and rubs hands together*