Back at the Radam base, Darkon was brooding again. He hated not being able to move anything below his waist, and on some level he was starting to think the situation would be permanent.
The thought of having to sit by and simply command, instead of charging into battle, gnawed at him until he wanted nothing more than to tear his body free from the weblike strands of the teknopod still clinging to it.
He restrained himself though, knowing that he hadn't been fully healed of the wounds somehow inflicted on him while he had been in hibernation. Darkon fumed, not knowing who had injured him while he was helpless, he couldn't very well hunt them down and rip them apart for sport. As much as he would like to.
Darkon looked over the first real batch of Teknopods, smiling under his helmet. One of them had already hatched, and two more were very close to hatching. The pods had captured twelve of these so-called humans, three had died. It didn't matter; nine was enough to start with.
***
Gunnar and Amy walked the rest of the way in silence, and Gunnar wondered if Amy's parents had ever taught her not to talk to strangers.
Maybe she just doesn't care. Gunnar thought with a smirk. That was probably it, judging by the things that she had called her parents.
Staring straight ahead, hands shoved firmly into her pockets, Amy tramped carelessly through the woods beside him. They had almost reached the halfway point on their trek, when Gunnar heard Darkon's telepathic 'voice'.
Well Gunnar, I see you've managed to bring something home with you. I hope she lives up to our stringent requirements, Darkon seemed to be fairly amused.
I'm sure she will, Gunnar answered, still a bit uncertain.
No, you're not.
I'm not, you're right. How do you do that? Gunnar asked.
I'll explain it to you sometime, Darkon said offhandedly.
Gunnar stretched his arms, as Darkon fell silent and Amy started walking backwards.
"Yo, Fritzy! Why do I get the feeling that you're just as lost as I am?"
"I know where I'm going," Gunnar muttered.
Amy twirled, blue windbreaker fluttering around her like a short skirt.
"I'm not callin' you stupid or anything, I'm just saying we're both lost!"
"Stop shouting willya? It gets on my nerves," Gunnar snapped, unconsciously slipping into what he had deemed 'Fritz speak'.
"Bite me," Amy hissed, but she was a little quieter than before.
Gunnar shook his head, dismissing memories of the camping trip. Amy wasn't Cain, and Conrad wasn't there.
***
Darkon leaned back slightly, contemplating going back to sleep. It was so monotonous having to wait here in his little underground fortress while his newly hatched Teknoman Gunnar went about his mission. Letting his neck fall limply backwards, Darkon stared at the interwoven vines that formed the ceiling of his command base.
Thoughts of horribly bloody, violent revenge playing in his head.
***
Fritz hadn't said anything after telling her to be quiet, and Amy was starting to get bored. Amy ran a hand through her jet-black hair, then dropped her arms to her sides and started swinging them.
"Hey Fritz, really, do you have the slightest notion where you're going?"
"Yes."
"Okay then, would you mind telling me?"
"I know someone who knows this forest like the back of his hand. He'll be able to help you."
"Oh," Amy said. "Cool."
