Chapter 7
Between the Canadian Highway & Woods
Mack was finished getting all the cages out of the truck while placing them near it. He and Nigel recaptured like forty percent of the escaped cargo after the human-turned-bats cause their truck to tip over and slide into the woods. Nigel on the other hand is on the phone with their employer, the big cheese of the organization that they work for. And from the sounds of it, their employer is really upset.
They messed up a few times which lead them from demotion to demotion. Both of these men we're lucky enough not get killed, since getting fired wasn't an option for anyone that worked for these people due to strict secrecy. Or worse, becoming test subjects themselves! The only reason Nigel and Mack wanted to work for them in the first place is because they pay extremely well than the other jobs they took... even the criminal-like ones they previously had.
"Boss for the last time, it wasn't— You want the phone on speaker? Of course I'm not deaf! Sorry I didn't mean to— Alright, I'll put it on."
Nigel covered the phone with his hand and yelled "MACK, COME OVER HERE! BOSS WANTS TO SPEAK TO BOTH OF US!"
Mack gulped. He then went up to him as the thin henchmen then placed the phone on the wheel now on speaker.
"Yes boss?" the fat henchmen asked.
"THIS IS THE LAST STRAW YOU (BLEEPING) IDIOTS!"
Both of the men looked dead scared. They knew what this meant.
"BOSS, PLEASE, NO! GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE!" Nigel begged.
"GIVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE?! YOU MAROONS LOST ALMOST ALL OF THE CARGO! NOT TO MENTION THE THREE IMPORTANT ONES YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DROP OFF!"
"WE'LL GET 'EM BACK BOSS!" Mack also begged. "JUST GIVE US A FEW DAYS TO LOCATE THEM. WE GOT ENOUGH TRANQS TO—"
"THAT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION! I'VE ALREADY SENT THE SENTRIES OUT TO SEARCH FOR THE ONES YOU LOST! NOW I HAVE LESS OF THEM TO LOCATE OUR 'TARGET' HERE IN CANADA BECAUSE OF YOU FOOLS!"
Both of these men have heard about these 'sentries' before. They don't know what those are, but they guess that they're like those robotic flying things that the kids used these days.
And as for the 'target' their boss mentioned, apparently the organization has looking for this person ever since a bit after its foundation. This "person of interest" is supposedly a replacement for someone the organization was to originally capture, but died in a burning building... which that person caused on purpose.
"BOSS PLEASE—" Nigel continued to beg but was cut off. "NO BUTS! I HAD IT WITH BOTH OF YOUR INCOMPETENCE! I'VE ALREADY SENT MEN TO TAKE CARE OF YOU BOTH!"
Both Nigel and Mack became pale.
"Also if you don't run away, I'll make sure that both of your deaths are quick and painless. That's the least I can offer you two after somehow managing to get some of the cargo back."
Then he hung up, leaving the two deathly quiet. Nigel quickly entered the front seat of the truck grabbing two already packed duffle bags, tossing one of them to Mack.
"Why—"
"I'M NOT STANDING AROUND WAITING TO GET KILLED!" Nigel barked.
"But they'll hunt us down!"
"We'll hitchhike a ride to a nearby town and catch a shuttle to take us to city. Where an acquaintance of mine owes me a favor. He'll get us new passports, IDs, and looks so we can leave the country."
"Where will we go?"
"I don't know? Belize maybe? As long we're away from them, I don't care."
Then the two men walked away from the truck, as Nigel left his disposable phone fearing to be tracked, as they stood by the highway. Then they walked alongside hoping to come across someone driving so they can be picked up.
"So what you meant by getting us new looks. Do you mean plastic surgery?"
"No you moron! He's not that rich!"
Tree Haven
Percy stared at the bats upward with a terrified wide-eyed, along both shrunken pupils and irises, expression as his mouth hung open. Along with his reaction, he's still extremely fatigued from the long flight while carrying Ange, Ken, and Rei. Those three on the other hand stared at them with great awe. The bats stared back with either curiosity, caution, oddity, or lack of interest as those looked away instantly after just looking at them. They mostly stared at Ange, making her slightly uncomfortable as she tilted her hat down slightly covering her face.
"Shade? Why are you home early?"
They looked up and saw a female bat with orange hair and mane flew down to them. Then she noticed Shade's company as she asked "And who are they?"
"Mom, they're lost." Shade began to explain. "Apparently they're in a serious situation."
"Mom?" Percy, Ange, Ken, and Rei said in unison.
"I told them that Frieda and the other elders might help them."
"How serious is this situation?"
Then a male bat flew down besides besides Shade's mother. He has light-blue fur, dark-blue wings, crème colored mane, and dark-blue goatee.
"I don't know." Shade replied. "Ange says it's complicated."
"Who's Ange." the mother of the young bat asked.
"I-I am." the teenage girl nervously replied as she slightly stepped forward releasing Percy. The teenager managed to stand on his own while Ange still has her face mostly covered with her hat.
The two adult bats stared oddly at the strange creature before them while wondering why she's hiding her face.
"My dear, why are you covering your face."
"Umm..."
Shade's mother approach the teenage girl as she started to lift up her hat "I'm sure whatever you're hiding, it's not gonna—!?"
The female bat let out a loud gasp, followed by the male next to her, as she unintentionally flipped the girl's hat off. Luckily the drawstring was caught around her neck as her hat hung between her shoulder-blades. Then the bats above began to whisper loudly while some are panicking slightly more in volume.
"It's a human!?"
"How is that possible?!"
"Aren't they supposed be gigantic?"
The female bat quickly pulled her son away from the human girl as she wrapped her wings around her newborn, hissing at the human threateningly with barring her teeth. Ange was hurt by her reaction. She understood that wild animals are wary of humans and they to them... but still.
Ken and Rei was startled by Shade's mother's reaction.
Percy on the other hand was infuriated. From as long as he can remember, Ange was the nicest and selfless person Percy has ever known. She didn't deserve to be treated like that!
The teenager quickly stood in front of Ange, spreading his wings out across, as he unintentionally bared his teeth defensively. "WHAT THE HECK?! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU OR YOUR SON! WHY TREAT HER LIKE A THREAT! YOU'VE JUST MET HER!" Percy didn't know why he bared his teeth again like that. Was it instinctive since he's a bat? Either way, he absolutely hated it! He surprised the whole colony with is defensive shout while standing up for Ange, especially Shade's mother.
Percy then grimaced in pain as he suddenly fell to the ground.
"PERCY!" Ange quickly went beside as she pulled him up to his knees.
"Augh! I feel like my wings are about to fall off!" Percy said painfully.
"Don't push yourself! Your body is still sore from carrying me and the twins."
"What?" said Shade's mother in a surprised.
"You mean all by yourself?" said the male bat with a surprised and impressed tone.
Shade immediately got out of his mother's grasp as he began to speak "Yeah, you should've seen him!" Then the bat began to talk when he first saw them while praising how Percy managed to carry them all by himself. Percy was about smile cockily for the eulogizing... until Shade mentioned he also did it with his eyes closed while Ange and the Yamada twins acted as his eyes. He added that Percy doesn't know how to echolocate, his comfortability with bats —except with Ken and Rei— as well which baffled everyone in the colony... and also annoyed the teenager in the process.
"And they really need our help mom!" Shade continues. "Something must've happened to Percy to have him acting this way, Ange for being this small, and Ken and Rei not being with their mother! Plus they don't what kind of bat they are!"
The bats above began to talk more frequently.
"They don't know?!"
"The poor dears."
The male bat knelt down down to the twins with reassuring smile. "Just to let you two know, you're both Greywings."
"Greywings?" Ken said with a raised eyebrow.
"Do all bats species have 'wing' in their names?" Rei asked.
The male bat chuckled. "Not all of them."
Riveting. Percy thought sarcastically.
Shade was fascinated that there is more bat species than their own.
"What happened to your colony?" Shade's mother asked.
"Do you mean our family?" Ken asked.
She nodded.
"We... We were forcibly separated from them." Rei replied while holding back from crying.
That caused the colony to go dead silent. The male bat just stared with shock while Shade's mother stared at them with sympathy. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she grabbed the twins and held them in a comforting hug. Both of the twins looked surprised by all of this while Ken on the other hand was slightly annoyed with his expression saying "Hey! I didn't ask for a hug!".
"How did this happen?" the male bat asked.
"We... prefer to tell your elders about this privately. You understand." Ange said.
The male bat understood what she meant as he looked at the colony staring down at them. He then faced her and nodded.
Shade's mother turned towards the male bat. "Mercury..."
"You don't have to tell me twice Ariel." the bat, Mercury, replied reassuringly. "I'll inform the elders about them immediately."
He then took off, flying upwards. Ariel then stared at Ange remorsefully as she said "Ange. I'm sorry for reacting like that. It was—"
"Don't worry about it. I forgive you." the teenage girl said reassuringly with a small smile. "You were being protective of your son. I would've done the same thing."
"I didn't need to be protected anyway." Shade said. Ariel quickly gave him a look and he immediately went silent.
"Plus I doubt you, and your colony, had a human visitor at your home before." Ange added. Then she let out a small chuckle. "And a small one at that."
Ariel smiled as she replied "You're quite right."
"Hey lady, can you let us go please." Ken asked.
Rei glared at her twin brother as she said "Sorry for his rudeness Mrs..."
Shade's mother let out small tinkling laugh as she said "Just call me Ariel sweetheart."
Rei's eyes then shined brightly while smiling excitedly as she asked "Like the mermaid?!"
Ariel then stared with raised eyebrow in complete confusion. "The what?"
Both Percy and Ken groaned irritably.
"So where is this famous Silverwing I've just recently heard about."
They then saw Mercury back with an older female bat as they landed next them.
"This is the one Aurora." Mercury replied.
"Oh my." the older bat softly exclaimed. "This young bat is more promising than Chinook."
Shade heard a irritably huff from above and saw Chinook's mother, Isis. She has purple fur, white hair, and a pink and white mane. He quickly turned away before she got to know he glanced at her. He grinned wishing that Chinook was here to hear what Aurora said.
"This is Aurora." Mercury introduced. "She's one of the elders, while also being nurse and healer of our colony."
"Enough with the formalities Mercury. You need to get the girl up with the elders while Ariel carries the twins." The older bat said. "I need to check if this young one can manage to fly up with us or not."
Percy instantly squirmed to get away from the old bat, but to no avail due to his weakened state.
"Percy, calm down!" Ange said while holding up the frightened teenager.
"I'm not going to be alone with her!" Percy whispered angrily.
"Don't worry dear." Aurora said as she approached Ange. "I'll take good care of him."
The teenage smiled inwardly that she didn't discriminate her.
Percy was about to say otherwise but the teenage cut him off as she whispered "Don't! What if it's serious! So please, just let her check you."
The teenager frowned as he then reluctantly nodded.
"Go go to Mercury now." Aurora said.
Ange then approached to the male bat as the twins were called by Ariel. "Alright children, cling onto me."
Both Ken and Rei figured that she wanted to do the same thing when on Percy as they tried to form a necklace around her neck. Ariel sweetly corrected them as the two reacted with disbelief.
"What?!" Ken exclaimed.
"Have you done that with your mother."
The Yamada shook their heads no.
"Strange..."
Ariel then instructed them how to cling as they managed to do so.
"This is weird." Ken whispered to his sister. Rei nodded in agreement.
Ariel turned toward to her son and said "Shade, I need you to continue hunting to build up your fat reserves for the journey to Hibernaculum."
Shade frowned. "But mom—"
"No buts."
Shade made a teenage pout as he then flew out of Tree Haven. Ange then turned to Percy and said "See you soon."
Then Mercury then carried Ange, by grabbing her shoulders with his feet, as Ariel followed with the twins clutching onto her.
"Now, lets see how if you can catch up with them." Aurora was about to grab Percy's but he flinched away from her. "Relax child! I'm not going to hurt you."
Percy frowned in annoyance as he lifted his wing to Aurora as he also faced away from her. The elder bat then began examining him. Despite him being a tensed up when ever she touched him, Aurora finished the diagnosis within two minutes.
"Nothing too serious. All you need is a day of rest." the elder said. "But you can't fly up or else your body will surely be damaged."
"Well that sucks." Percy said with a fake disappointment. Clearly the elder could wasn't amused. "Looks like that the rest of them might as well come down then."
Aurora cracked a smile as she said "That won't be necessary. You'll just have to be carried up."
"WHAT?!" Percy did not like that idea at all. "By you?"
The old bat chuckled as she replied "My dear, I can't do that in my age. Mercury will have to."
"Everything okay?" Mercury landed beside the elder.
"Mercury, just in time."
As Aurora began to explain Percy's condition to him, the teenager's eyes are still wide after the old bat's reply earlier. He barely managed to will-power from freaking out when she examined, there no way he's going to let another bat touch him!
"Like heck you are!"
"Don't act like a week old newborn." Mercury said. Percy then tried to get away, only slowly due to his sore body. The bat rolled his eyes as he then grabbed the teenager, startling him, as the Mercury took off.
The teenager wanted to argue but he didn't as he quickly closed his eyes due to his fear of heights. After what seems like two minutes, Mercury dropped him off next to Ange, Ken, and Rei as he landed next to Ariel. The two bats are not far from the kids as Ange whispered to Percy. "You can open your eyes now."
The teenager opened eyes noticed that he was at the top part inside of Tree Haven.
"So, this is Percy?"
The teenager then looked up as saw three older bats as Aurora flew and stood next them. The bats stood on one of the many ledges in the hallowed tree. The one who spoke was in front of them as she wore a band on her right wrist. And from the looks of her, she appears to be the oldest.
The old bat slightly cracked a smile as she added "It's short for Perseus, am I right?"
Percy nodded.
"That's a noble name you bear." the bat added. "I am Frieda Silverwing. The other elders beside me are Bathsheba and Lucretia. You've already met Aurora."
The teenager stared at the elders before him. Lucretia appears to be the youngest of the four, Aurora the third, and Bathsheba the second. The short pudgy bat stared at him, Ange, and the Yamada twins with cold unwelcoming eyes while Lucretia stared at them both curiously and welcoming.
Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this Bathsheba. Percy thought.
"Your human friend and the young Greywings have already introduced themselves." Frieda said. "Now... what is that you want to talk to us in private for."
Ange looked at Percy as if he's going to tell them.
"Uh, no you tell them. You're the one that insisted on it."
Ange sighed as she began to telling about what happened to her, Percy, and both Ken and Rei. The elders, Ariel, and Mercury are speechless. It was unbelievable at first but seeing Ange in front of them, they knew they're telling the truth. Ariel was more sympathetic towards them and felt even more bad about how she reacted toward Ange.
"By Nocturna." Lucretia said. "I can't believe that humans would do this to their own kind."
"The more the reason that we shouldn't help them!" Bathsheba said. "What if those humans are still looking for them?"
"I think we lost them the last time I checked." Ange said.
"YOU THINK?!"
Frieda raised her wing silencing her.
"We will gladly help." Frieda with small gentle smile. Bathsheba couldn't believe this. The chief elder then continued "We'll be heading to Hibernaculum, our winter roost, within a week. Along the way we'll enter a city where a friend of mine can help you. In the meantime, you four can stay with us. Ariel here will look after you, if she's okay with it."
"I will gladly look after them." Ariel replied. "I will care for them as if they were my own until we reach the city."
"Frieda, you can't be serious! Allowing these humans to stay with us!"
"Don't argue Bathsheba." Aurora said. "As long Frieda is chief elder of this colony, she makes the final call. I for one agree that we should help them."
"I agree also." Lucretia added.
"We still don't why this Perseus is hostile towards bats though!?" Bathsheba argued.
Ange leaned toward Percy, while the elders still bickered, as she whispered "You need to tell them."
"Are you crazy?!" Percy whispered back. "I barely had the confidence to tell you, Sam, and my friends about it! Plus I don't how they'll react!"
"Percy, they'll understand." she reassured him. "Plus I'm sure they help you adjust and make you feel comfortable."
The teenager gave her a unconvinced expression.
"Just tell them. This will be a big step to help you with your phobias."
Percy then sighed and later cleared his throat to grab everyone's attention. Everyone turned towards him as he began to explain why he acts towards bats... but in a small uncomfortable mutter in which everyone didn't hear what he said.
"Speak up boy, what is it?!" Bathsheba said impatiently.
Percy sighed again as he repeated, but more loudly so everyone can hear "I have acrophobia, aerophobia, and chiroptophobia."
The bats stared at him with a raised eyebrow.
"You have what?" Lucretia asked.
Percy groaned irritably. "I have the fear of heights, flying, and... bats."
Awkward silence filled the air. Bathsheba broke it as she began to laugh hysterically.
"Bathsheba!" Frieda appalled.
"I mean— HAHAHAHA— this is— HAHAHA— hilarious!" Bathsheba said, still laughing. "This boy has the worst luck in his life! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Ange was also appalled at the elder's reaction as she began to feel guilty for having to have Percy tell about his fears.
Percy glared at the old bat with his face turning red with infuriated rage. And inwardly, he felt humiliated. This was the reason that he doesn't tell anyone about his phobias because he's afraid of being made fun of. He feels even worse when its coming from a freakin' bat! He was not going to have any of that!
"HEY! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT BE IN MY PLACE WHEN YOUR PARENTS DIED IN PLANE DURING THUNDERSTORM AND THEN FIND YOURSELF IN A CAVERN FULL OF BATS AT A VERY YOUNG AGE!"
Ariel, Mercury, and the rest of the elders stared at the poor teenage with sympathy.
No wonder he acted that way. Ariel thought. The poor thing.
"What did the humans do, mix up their herbs?" Bathsheba asked still laughing.
"Actually he was supposed to t—" Ken immediately clamped his sister's mouth shut.
"BATHSEBA!" Frieda said with raised commanding voice in a stern tone.
The old bat immediately went silent by the chief elder and her threatening posture with the wings raised. Frieda then turned toward the teenager and said "I apologize her behavior Perseus. It's very unfortunate due to the situation you and your friends are in with the fears you bear. It's because of both of those things which is why we'll help you."
Percy looked surprised.
"Both Ariel and Mercury will help and teach you how to fly properly... with your eyes open." Frieda continued. "You will also be taught the skills we bats use as well."
"WHAT?!" Percy can't believe this! Yeah it's great they're helping them, but they're going to help him with his fears. They're just as bad as his sister!
"You need adjust to our way of life in order to survive as a bat and during the migration." Frieda added.
"I promise that we'll take it easy on you." Mercury said. "But you will have to be taught quickly due limited time we have here. Also I won't able to teach you most of the time because of my duties as the scout of the colony."
"That way I'll teach you while he's busy." Ariel promised in gentle motherly tone. "And you won't be taught alone. The twins will be there with you since they need to getting used to being a bat too."
Percy was going to argue until Ange stopped him whispering "You need to do this. That way you'll survive on the way to the city."
"But—" Percy stopped himself knowing that she's going to say the same things anyways. "Fine! I am so not going to like this! At all!"
Then everyone heard what seems like birds singing.
"The dawn chorus is being sung." Frieda said. "Every Silverwing of our colony will be returning to Tree Haven. Oh, and Ange."
The teenage girl faced the chief elder. "It would be best that if you stayed in Tree Haven until we migrate. If the owls know that if a human is been shrunk and is able to understand animals, I don't know what might happen. We also make sure about you three being human as well."
"Why?" Percy asked. "What's the deal with the owls?"
"They're enforcers of the law." Aurora replied.
"WHAT?!" the humans said in unison.
"Animals have laws?!" Percy said in disbelief.
"Like The Jungle Book?" Ken asked.
"The what?" Lucretia asked.
"It's a human story." Ange replied.
"Yes, all the animals have laws." Frieda replied. "That's why you four are going to be taught about it as well while you're here with us. I'm sorry you're not going to go out as much while you're with us my dear."
"That's okay." Ange replied. "As long Percy and the twins can tell me how their days —actually their nights— went. That way I won't go crazy."
"Of course my dear."
"And I recommend that young Perseus not to roost for a day, due to his body being sore." Aurora advised.
"Alright." Arield said. "Alright you four, time to sleep."
"Do we have to sleep while clutching you?" Ken asked.
Ariel nodded in which Ken whined. Shade's mother chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it." She then turned to Ange and said "You're going to sleep on the ledge floor next to me and Shade. I've heard that you humans sleep with things that make you comfortable. Right now you're going to sleep without them. Tomorrow night I'll fetch what you need."
"Thank you so much Ariel."
"Your welcome Ange."
"And everyone." Frieda spoke. "The knowledge that has spoken here stays between."
The bats nodded as then Ariel took off, after the Yamada twins clutched onto her, as she went to where she and Shade roost.
"I'll be back for you." Mercury said as he grabbed Ange with his feet. He then flew to where Ariel is, leaving Percy alone with the elders. The teenager looked nervously down the ledge as he heard someone land next to him. He turned around and saw Frieda, but a at distance due to his phobia, as she smiled at him.
"It mustn't been easy for you." Frieda said. "Especially when you carried the three. That is very brave of you."
"No. Not really." Percy replied.
"By the way. Were you born with that band-like birthmark?"
The teenager looked at his wrist and faced back at her replying "No. I got it when I woke up as a bat."
Frieda then gripped her chin with her finger and thumb. "Hmmm. Interesting."
"Huh?"
"It's nothing."
Mercury flew beside above the teenager as he said "Ready."
Percy groaned. "Yes."
"See you tomorrow night Perseus."
"Please. Just call me Percy or Perc'." the teenager insisted with hint of annoyance without sounding rude. "I prefer to called just either of those."
"Alright... Percy."
As Mercury grabbed the teenager's shoulders, he quickly closed his eyes as he's being carried off to where Ange and the Yamada twins are sleeping for the day.
Percy is hating every moment during his time here with the colony. It was only last night when he and the others arrived at Tree Haven. Tonight he's being taught by Ariel while Mercury is teaching the Yamada twins. Ange on the other hand is being taught by Lucretia back at Tree Haven. She's being helped by Shade so it would be easier to learn with someone around his age.
The story that the elders came up with is that the humans were kidnapping and selling bats, being Percy and the Yamada twins among them, and Ange was caught trying to free them and ended shrunken down in which able to understand animals as well.
Percy was given a backstory that his parents died in a thunderstorm as a pup and thus raised by kind humans most of his life until he was taken away by the bad ones. Which explains about his hostility towards bats and the reason why he isn't comfortable with flying and heights.
As for Ken and Rei, they were taken from their parents in the wild.
The bats became sympathetic with the four and became a bit friendly towards them.
The teenager right now is learning to fly in higher... with his eyes open. While also learning how to echolocate and to hunt.
He was not going to like eating bugs. BLECH! He didn't even eat breakfast yet!
"Great job." Ariel said encouragingly. "Now we just need you to stop shaking while you fly. There's now you can hunt flying like that."
The teenager groaned. His stomach growled loudly as his face turned red with embarrassment. Shade chuckled in which the teenager glared at him.
"Well I can't continue teaching on a empty stomach." Ariel said. "Shade will teach you while I fetch you something."
Ariel flew off leaving the two on a branch.
"So... is it true?" Shade asked.
"About what?"
"That you and the twins are humans?"
Percy's eyes went wide with alarm. "When did you—"
"Due to my small size, no in the colony bothers to even glance at me. And another good thing about being is that I can sneak around and eavesdrop on people's conversations."
"How much have you heard?"
"All of it. When I heard my mom about to take off, I quickly went to my roost before she even noticed. I swear I didn't tell anyone if that's what you're wondering."
Percy frowned irritably as he began to walk away from him.
"What?"
"You think it's funny that I have these phobias while being a bat huh?"
"I didn't think it was funny at all!" Shade said defensively. "It's very rude that Bathsheba laughed at you for it. And I'm really sorry about your parents."
Percy stopped with a surprised expression. He then turned around with raised eyebrow. "Really."
"Really." Shade replied sincerely. "I can sort of understand where you're coming from."
"You do?"
"Yeah. You see, I never knew my dad. My mom told me that he got killed by an owl when he was late arriving back to the colony back in spring."
The teenager raised his eyebrows. He couldn't believe it but... he's sort of felt sympathetic for him. AND SHADE'S A FREAKIN' BAT!
"At least you got to know your dad. Plus you got your sister and uncle as well."
"Uh... well... at least you still got your mom." Percy said trying to be nice... even it was very uncomfortable to do so since Shade's a bat.
He smiled. "Thanks."
CRAP! Percy thought with panic. I gotta change the subject before we become friends!
"You know you don't have to help your mom out. Don't you need to build up your reserves or something?"
"She says I can help out half of the night. Then I need to quickly eat up as much as I can before the dawn chorus." Shade replied.
Percy learned that the dawn chorus is basically an alarm for all bats to go back to their roost.
"Don't you have any friends to hang out with?"
Shade frowned sadly. "Not really. I can't easily make friends due to being small and all."
"What?! Aren't you basically older than them? You should easily make friends because of that!"
"It doesn't work out like that."
The teenager couldn't believe it. If your born a runt... and a bit early means you get treated like an outcast! THE HECK IS WITH THIS BAT SOCIETY!?
Shade then grinned teasingly and said "And besides, it's funny to see how you struggle when mom teaches."
Percy frowned in annoyance and replied sarcastically. "Ha. I'm sooo glad that you enjoy it."
Shade continued grinning until his ears twitched and then looked up with worried expression as he yelled "Look out!"
Percy looked up as well as he noticed a fallen branch heading towards them. They both quickly dodged the branch before it hit them.
"Whoa that was close!" Percy said.
"Yeah. That happens sometimes." Shade said.
"Good thing we didn't get hit." Percy said confidently.
Then out of nowhere as smaller piece of bark, about the size of a bat-sized basketball, hit the teenager's right foot as he reacted with wide eyed expression of pain.
"OW! MOTHER (BLEEPER) ON A (BLEEPING) HORSE!" Percy exclaimed in pained as he clutched his foot. The teenager noticed the silence as he faced Shade staring at him with wide-eyes and open mouth.
"What? You never of swear words before."
"No, I have." Shade replied. "I heard them from some of the older bats of the colony."
"Including from the elders?" Percy asked with surprised expression with raised eyebrow.
"Only from from Bathsheba."
"That's believable."
"My mom will kill me if I use those kind of word."
"Lucky for you, she's not here." Percy said with grin.
"WHAT'S THAT I JUST HEARD!"
Both of them nearly jumped they turned around and saw Ariel looking all furious while carrying a tiger moth in her feet.
"Spoke too soon." Shade whispered in a nervous tone.
She then landed, handed Shade the unmoving tiger moth, and approached Percy with a dangerous motherly frown.
"What? I just blew off some steam after a piece of back hit my f—"
SMACK!
Shade flinched as his mother slapped the crap out of Percy. The teenager placed his hand on his sore cheek as he exclaimed "GEEZ! WHAT'S THAT FOR?!"
"I WON'T ALLOW SUCH LANGUAGE WHILE YOU'RE UNDER CARE!" Ariel scolded him while point a finger close to his face. "DOES YOUR SISTER AND UNCLE ALLOW THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR?!"
"Uh... no. I mostly do it when they're not around while with my friends—"
Ariel groaned as he rubbed her temple with her eyes closed. "I don't know how your sister manages to deal with you on a daily basis."
"Me either." Percy said with a shrug.
Then she gave him a dangerously motherly glance causing the teenager to flinch. "I DOUBT ANGE USES THOSE KINDS OF WORDS. SHE'S TOO GOOD FOR THAT. AND I DON'T THE TWINS TO HEAR IT EITHER! SO I EVER HEAR YOU USE THEM AGAIN. I'LL DO MUCH MORE WORSE THAN A SINGLE SLAP. AND THEN I'LL GROUND UNTIL THE MIGRATION STARTS! UNDERSTOOD!"
"You can't ground me! you'RE not—"
"FRIEDA PLACED YOU, ANGE, KEN, AND REI UNDER MY CARE AS MY FOSTER CHILDREN, SO I CAN GROUND YOU IF YOU MISS BEHAVE! GOT IT!"
Percy nodded vigorously in a nervous and frightened manner.
"Good." Ariel said in a slightly calmer tone. "No eat that tiger moth. I'm going to hunt something for myself before I continue teaching."
Ariel took off again leaving the boys all stunned.
"Now I know to never swear. Or I'll end up like you." Shade said without looking at him.
"Uh-huh." Percy said agreeing with him.
Shade then turned to Percy and handed him the moth. The teenage looked at it with grossed out expression. "Do I really need to eat this?"
"Well yeah. We bats eat bugs. And besides, tiger moths are best of the insects in the forest."
Percy looked at the moth again and gulped. "Well... here goes nothing."