As the day had moved on, Bad Ape carefully observed his new companions as they did something ever so terrible. For one reason or another, they had thought it best for all of them to move closer to the human zoo.

"No, no! Bad place! We must not go!" Bad Ape expressed his opinions on the decision vocally.

Of course, his cries and pleas only fell on deaf ears of the others as they carried two of the unconscious chimps from the snowy ground. The bigger chimp-whom he's called friend all of this time-glanced at him before the other ape's eyes darted down at the last unconscious one and back up to him. Standing there for a moment, Bad Ape himself very much considered turning around and simply just leaving, going back to his old simple life.

But was it worth it though?

In the two days that he's been with these other apes, others of his kind, Bad Ape himself has never felt so much more alive. If he were to abandon them now… what would that make him? He's already lost so much, what more could he lose?

He could lose his new friends.

Left with no other choice, Bad Ape heaved out a defeated sigh and bent down to pick up the last unconscious chimpanzee and braced the other ape behind him, piggy-back style. With a nod the bigger chimp then led the way down towards the human zoo. The shaggy one nodded in his direction once and followed along with the human child meeting his steps. Bad Ape closed his eyes tightly before he too adjusted the other heavy ape on his back and unsteadily trailed on after them.

When they had made their way toward the human zoo, Bad Ape couldn't help but notice that they were so very close now. Close enough to be spotted if they were not careful in keeping themselves discreet from the watchful eyes of the human soldiers. Once they had settled the others down, behind some stone hedges that jutted out just nearby the forest's side, Bad Ape rounded himself and observed his companions. The shaggy one was hand-speaking with his riding friend, both seeming to discuss among themselves of what to do as they kept glancing at their three new companions and then back at the compound behind the stone walls.

It was as if they were debating on whether they should go inside and or take care of the other three apes, but Bad Ape couldn't make out for sure.

Of all the time he had spent with his new friends, he could only pick up slightly on their way of speaking to one another, via hand gestures. He knew that by pointing at oneself and at other usually mean "I" or "you" among another handful of things. But if anything, he was a quick learner to decipher what they were trying to say, due to basic instinctual gestures too.

Letting his gaze fall back to the other three unconscious apes, Bad Ape was surprised to see the little human girl sitting next to them, gently petting their heads, as if the notion would calm their strained features. Curiously, Bad Ape made his way on over to where the little girl was and squatted right beside her. He observed the child as she seemed to understand that the others were in pain due to their terrible condition that they were in and was trying her best to soothe them. As the child glanced up at him, he could see the worry set within the girl's petite features. Bad Ape blinked once himself before he let his gaze fall back onto the three wounded chimpanzees, seeing their battered bodies.

"Bad humans," Bad Ape indicated as he gestured to the three apes. "Bad. Hurt them."

The child didn't respond but her concerned features was all that was needed to indicate how she felt about the situation that they were in.

Bad Ape sighed as he turned his attention back around to look at the other two friends and could see that they were still hand-speaking to each other. Several times the two apes would point in their direction and indicated gestured toward their mouth. If Bad Ape didn't know any better, and he was just assuming. It looked like his friends were arguing on trying to find something to feed their wounded friends by going into the compound. Of course that was a silly and terrible idea to even consider. The moment either of them had set one foot into the camp, they would be found out by the humans and surely be shot on sight.

There was nothing that they could do…

A startling snort from one of the unconscious apes caused both Bad Ape and the human girl to jump in surprise. Without even thinking, Bad Ape reached on over to where the little girl was and wrapped his hands over her protectively, pulling her back. As they watched, one of the chimpanzees-this one brown haired-opened his eyes slowly, revealing dark green colored irises. As the chimpanzee slowly regain his focus, his eyes widened before he suddenly sat up in surprise.

"No no no," Bad Ape said quickly as he held out a hand in front of him, while the other ape took a defensive stance. "Friend," he continued with a wry smile while patting his own chest. "Friend."

Huffing, the brown haired ape's eyes darted from the newcomer, to the little girl and then down to the side where he saw two other companion that were still unconscious. Looking around slowly the brown haired ape saw two familiar figures approaching him. Soon his features turned warm and welcoming at the recognition of two old friends.

"Rocket? Maurice?" Grey signed slowly, eyes wide and not believing in what he was seeing.

Maurice gently nodded once in confirmation while Rocket quickly closed the gap and took a hold of Grey, as the brown haired chimpanzee lost the strength to stand any longer. Settling Grey down onto the snow covered ground, Rocket made sure that the other ape was well before easing away. Catching his breath for a moment, Grey turned to look up at both Maurice and Rocket, seeming as if he had many questions to ask but knew naught where to start.

"Where did you all go?" Grey asked. "You all suddenly left after Caesar."

"We followed Caesar who was going after the Colonel. To many places beyond our protective forest," Maurice started. "But we are here now."

"What happened?" Rocket jumped in instead.

Grey's dark green eyes turned to look at the other nearly hairless chimpanzee and frowned slightly. Grey lowered his gaze for a moment before he brought his gaze back up to both Rocket and Maurice's.

"They… the human soldiers. They found us. Not long after you all left. They attacked us and we did our best to fight back… but there was nothing we could do," Grey answered with shaky hands.

Maurice and Rocket glanced at each other quickly but turned their attention back to the brown haired chimp. It was then that Grey had recounted the events that had transpired for the apes. The long walk to the forced labor and torture from both humans and their traitor brethren.

"They threatened to kill our children if we did not do what they say. So we did," Grey continued, his whole body shaking now, not out of anger but rather out of fear for his family. "Then Red found me. He took me away. Tried to hurt me… he couldn't" Grey continued explaining a spiteful look crossing his features. "They took the others and tied them up. I was the last one… Please, we must save them."

After seeing Grey explain his story to the both of them, Rocket and Maurice glanced at one another in worry before the shaggier ape reached out and placed a hand upon wounded chimp's shoulder.

"It is alright, Grey. We will save your family and the rest of the apes too," Maurice reassured the brown haired chimpanzee.

Grey reached up and placed a hand over the orangutan's own, nodding slowly in gratitude. Grey's gaze then slowly wandered on over to where the new chimpanzee-dressed in human clothing-and little human girl stood.

"Who are they?" Grey asked curiously.

"Some new friends we found along the way," Maurice answered.

...

Hours passed on by and Caesar hung upon the cross, with nothing but pain, hunger, thirst, and despair. His lips were were cracked and dry, while the welts on his back rubbed painfully against the wooden cross he was tied to, making any true rest or sleep impossible. He was not alone in this however, as Koba too, was in a similar position, causing him to lean forward and strain at his arms tied behind his back while he rested upon his knees. Legs that were now numb from the position or by the cold of the winter wind itself, chilling them to their bones. Soon enough a light drizzle of freezing rain came down upon them, soaking their fur in ever more cold than they both could have thought possible.

As darkness fell, dragging the temperature down with it. A diesel generator coughed noisily to life. Harsh security lights assaulted both Caesar and Koba's eyes as activity aroused around the two bound apes. The working apes themselves were slowly corralled back into the pens while soldiers moved different sets of machinery around the compound. Caesar and Koba were alarmed as they saw the human soldiers tolling some artillery toward the apes. Koba grunted as he adjust his kneeling position to crane around himself, to see what the humans were doing. Caesar however, feared that the humans were going to witness a bloodbath as the humans drew closer toward the apes with the heavy artillery.

But then Caesar noticed something that was quite odd.

The weapons were then pointed outward, away from the camp.

If not at the apes then, but at whom? Relieved to realize that the weapons were being placed to defend the canyon, not massacre his apes, Caesar himself grew perplexed.

"What are they doing?" Koba asked in a tired grave voice.

"I don't know," Caesar answered as he kept his eyes upon the artillery.

As both Caesar and Koba looked away from the soldiers preparations to see Red approaching them, gripping a machete in one hand. The vindictive expression on the gorilla's face promised nothing in the way of mercy for the once traitorous bonobo and the leader of said apes. Passing on by Koba, Red ascended the steps toward Caesar, while the bonobo struggled in his bindings. Stopping right in front of Caesar, Red glared at the ape leader.

Meeting Red's glare for a moment, Caesar slowly lifted his head as far as he could around himself and could see the shadowy figure of the Colonel staring down at the platform where he and Red stood.

"What did the Colonel promise you?" Caesar asked as he turned his head back to look at the gorilla. "You really think he will let you live… after we are gone?"

At these words, Red's acid-green eyes narrowed as his hair bristled aggressively, glaring murderously at his former leader.

"You let them call you "donkey." You are ape," Caesar reminded the gorilla.

Red lowered his arm, containing the machete and lifted it up into the air.

"No!" Koba shouted.

The blade within Red's hand came swinging down and sank into the wooden beam by Caesar's wrists, hacking through the ropes that held him there. Gasping in surprise, Caesar felt his sore arm fall down to his side. There was a slight pause before Red slowly turned back around to look down at Koba, seeing the scarred bonobo's eyes wide and still gaping in surprise in what he had thought turned out for the worst. Letting out an amused huff, Red turned back around to glare at Caesar again.

"Kena want see you," Red said.

…

Ash watched from within the pens as Caesar was chained up and led away from his tied up post. Wherever the traitorous ape was leading his uncle, he did not like it. His leafy green eyes followed the two and noticed that they were not joined by that other human soldier as well, before leading Caesar up to where the human Colonel was. The one who killed his honorary aunt and Blue Eyes.

Hearing a grunt behind him, Ash rounded himself slightly to see Winter looking at him. Poor Winter… these past few days had changed the once timid gorilla and now he had a cold air about him, much like the ice and snow. However, after Caesar's and Koba's outburst from earlier today had somewhat caused a familiar glint to return within the gorilla's eyes.

"Where do you think they are taking him?" Winter asked as he too watched the others leading Caesar away.

"I don't know," Ash responded as he rounded his head to look back up at the Colonel's quarters before turning toward Winter again.

Winter noticed Ash staring and he narrowed his brows at the white flecked chimp.

"What is it?" Winter asked.

"Thank you. For trusting in Caesar and Koba again. For standing up for them and giving them another chance," Ash signed.

Winter narrowed his eyes and glanced in the direction where their leader was led away before meeting Ash's gaze once more.

"Glade would have forgiven the both of them… He would have wanted me to forgive as well," Winter signed back slowly.

The white haired gorilla then turned around and sat on the cold hard ground, with nothing more to say. Ash breathed deeply as he looked at Winter and simply smiled sadly at himself. In the past few days, the gorilla had become cold and distant with nearly everyone that had approached him. Especially after the lost of Glade, whom he was mated to. But now, Ash was able to see a little bit of the old Winter returning. And maybe with that, it was just enough.

Leaving Winter be, Ash rounded himself back around to look up at the Colonel's keep and seeing Caesar disappear into it. He wondered why they had taken the older chimpanzee up there for? Instead, he then turned his attention on over to where Koba was tied and could see how miserable the scarred bonobo look in the distance, tied to a wooden poll.

All alone.

…

Escorted by Red and Preacher, Caesar was made to enter into the Colonel's command center. The young human kept his crossbow at the ready at any signs of rebellion from Caesar and of course, he was in chains once more, that were held onto by Red. As he made his way towards the Colonel though, Caesar himself could hear what sounded like music coming from within. When they finally entered into the Colonel's quarters, the man did not acknowledge their arrival. His back turned to Caesar, the man leaned over a long table on top of which a large map had been spread out, with a radio box sitting next to him. Spread out across the table, Caesar could see that the Colonel was overlooking what looked like to be pieces of various small things, all laid out in rows.

What did this all mean? Caesar thought to himself. The layout… it looked a bit like war pla-

"Interfere with the work again," the Colonel finally spoke up, snapping Caesar out of his thoughts, "and I'll begin slaughtering the apes, one by one. Especially that one that is tied up with you. Understand? I need that wall."

Need?

"Apes need food and water," Caesar responded in a grave voice.

"They'll get food and water when they finish with their work," the Colonel answered as he set the piece he was holding down and slowly turned to face Caesar.

There was a brief silence between the two but Caesar met the man's eyes still.

"Give the apes food and water… or they they cannot finish-"

"You know, you are very emotional," the Colonel cut the chimpanzee off, "just like that one that is still tied down there… What makes you both think that the two of you are in a position to make any demands?"

At this, Caesar had no ready answer, so the Colonel went back to his map. Out of the corner of his eyes, Caesar could see Preacher taking a step forward and turning toward him.

"Okay, let's go," the young man said quietly.

Caesar knew and remembered of what Preacher had told him about the Colonel, to not provoke him. Hinting at dire possibilities if he exhausted the human commander's patience, but Caesar could care less at this moment.

"The soldiers who are coming here…" Caesar spoke up. "They are not coming to join you, are they?"

That statement got the Colonel's attention, causing the man to turned his head in Caesar's direction.

"I saw the men outside on the wall, preparing for battle," Caesar continued. "Your map… they are plans for your soldiers-"

"I was told you were smart..." the Colonel cut Caesar off in almost a appreciative tone. "But that right there… that's impressive."

The man paused briefly before confirming Caesar's suspicions.

"No, they won't be joining me," the Colonel finally explained.

Caesar care not of how the Colonel was so impressed with him. He had just wanted to understand the situation, for his ape's sake.

"They are against you?" Caesar asked.

"They fear me," the Colonel corrected Caesar.

"Why? Because you kill your own men?" Caesar continued noticing Preacher beside him tense up, not liking where this conversation is going. "We found bodies. Something wrong… with these men."

"Jesus Christ, you are impressive," the Colonel complimented as he fully turned around and leaned onto the table behind him for support. "Well, you paint quite a picture. What must you think of me," the man said as he turned back around to gaze down at his map.

"I think you have no mercy," Caesar answered.

The Colonel took in a deep breath and pondered for what seemed like ages before the man slowly turned back around to regard the leader of the apes and walked right up to the chimpanzee. His expression darkened.

"You came here to kill me. Were you gonna show me mercy?" he asked.

"I showed you mercy… when I spared your men. I offered you peace… and you killed my family." Caesar answered, never breaking eye contact with the man.

While Caesar had spoken to the Colonel, the man's face contorted into that of anger, disgust and fury. Turning away from Caesar, the man walked on back over toward the other table with another radio beside it, this one still playing some tune before it was abruptly turned off.

"Mercy. You have any idea of what your mercy would do to us?" The Colonel asked as he glanced back at Caesar momentarily, before fiddling with a small gas stove and turned it on. "You're much stronger than we are. You're smart as hell. No matter what you say, you'd eventually replace us. That's the law of nature."

As that was said, the Colonel turned to eye at Caesar who was staring back with a confused expression.

"And the irony is, we created you. We tried to defy nature, bend it to our will. Nature has been punishing us for our arrogance ever since," the man continued as he pulled out a sharp blade and held it into the air as he turned fully around to address the chimpanzee. "Ten months ago, we sent out recon units to look for your base. They found nothing. My own son was a soldier with one of the units. One day he suddenly stopped speaking. He became… primitive, like an animal. They contacted me and said that they thought he'd lost his mind, that the war was too much for him. But the man who cared for him stopped speaking too. Their medic had a theory before he stopped speaking: that the virus that almost wiped us out. The virus that every human survivor still carries… had suddenly changed. Mutated… and if it spread. It would destroy humanity for good this time. Not by killing us... but by robbing us of those… things that makes us human. Our speech, our higher thinking. It would turn us all into beasts."

While the man continued on, Caesar slowly understood that the virus that his own father-Will, had made, has mutated into something much far worse for humans. Now reducing the humans to nothing but mindless animals.

"You talk about mercy?" The Colonel suddenly asked, pointed the knife at Caesar in which he had cut a piece of fruit from and had just eaten it. "What would you have done?"

At this question, Caesar couldn't fathom of what he would done if he were in the Colonel's position. The himself couldn't imagine the mere idea of the apes turning back into simple minded beings as well. For once he was quite speechless.

"It was a moment of clarity for me. I realized that I would have to sacrifice my own son, so that humanity could be saved," Colonel said.

The man then looked at his hand with the knife for a moment before he continued.

"I held that gun in my hand for a long time. I pointed it at my only child," the Colonel paused for a moment a near look of emotion enveloping his features, if just momentarily. "He looked at me... Trust in his eyes... Even in his primitive gaze. I felt his… love."

There was a brief pause as the memories flooded the man's mind.

"I pulled the trigger," the Colonel finally said before turning his gaze up at Caesar. "It purified me. It made my purpose clear,"

Caesar still had no response. Knowing that the Colonel had killed his own son as well as Caesar's was almost enough to make Caesar pity the human before him, but only almost. He quite understood now, more than ever, just how ruthless this man was. If the Colonel could execute his own son, he was capable of anything. The glint of madness lurking in his eyes made perfect sense now. The Colonel killing his own son had twisted the man's mind somehow. The Colonel didn't realize it, but it seemed to Caesar himself that the man standing with his back turned toward him had already lost his humanity…

"I gave order to kill the other infected. All of them. Burn their belongings and anything that might spread contamination. Some of the men questioned my judgement. I was asking them to do what I had done. Sacrifice their friends… their family. Of course they refused… So, I had them killed too."

The Colonel will kill anyone, human or ape, Caesar thought to himself.

"Others with children deserted into the woods… One of those cowards fled to my superiors up north. They sent officers down to restrain me. They tried to convince me that this plague could be dealt with medically. That's when I realized that they had learned nothing… from our past," the man spoke as he took a drink out of his cup.

"You killed them too?" Caesar asked.

"What did I do, Preacher?" The Colonel asked as he lowered his cup from his mouth.

"You severed their heads, sir," Preacher answered.

Aghast, Caesar turned his head slowly to look at the young man beside him.

"Except for one I spared," the Colonel clarified. "So that he can return and deliver a message. One of them a man whom I've respected very much. Arthur Kane his name was. If that means anything to you… The message I sent was. If they wanted to relieve me of my command. They'd have to meet me here, and do it themselves."

Why here then? Caesar wondered. Why this place?

The Colonel responded to the chimpanzee's baffled expression. "This place used to be a weapons depot. They turned it into a relocation camp when the crises was just beginning. But the weapons are all still here, inside that mountain."

The artillery and other weapons that he and the other apes saw. That's where they came from.

"How many men will be coming?" Caesar asked the crazed man.

"Probably all of them. But don't get any ideas," the Colonel cut Caesar short. "The only thing they fear more than me is you apes."

The Colonel slowly made his way toward Caesar and stopped just a little ways in front of him.

"This is... a holy war," the Colonel declared. "All of human history has led to this moment. If we lose, we'll be the last of our kind. It will be a planet of apes… and we'll become your cattle."

Caesar tried to imagine what that future would be like and for a moment it seemed quite unsettling.

"Look at you," the Colonel suddenly said, noting the apes troubled visage. "You think I'm sick, don't you?"

The man the took a few steps closer toward Caesar and looked down upon him.

"I didn't mean to kill your son."

At this Caesar stiffened.

"But if his destiny was to inherit your unholy kingdom," the Colonel said of Blue Eyes, "then I'm glad I did."

The Colonel's callous words unleashed the fury Caesar had been carrying since he'd lost his wife and son. All thought of caution, patience and self-preservation fled from his mind as he lunged for the Colonel, reaching for his throat. The startled human threw himself backward barely in time, landing onto the floor with a hard crash. Red hauled on Caesar's chain with both hands, yanking the furious chimpanzee backwards with all of his strength. Preacher on the other hand was crying out frantically before he resorted to pulling up the crossbow gun within his hands and aimed it at the ape leader.

Caesar strained hard against the chains and collar that was choking him, but Red was too strong and he too weak after his ordeals. Consumed by rage, he growled and bared his fangs at the Colonel, maddened by the need to lash out at the insane human who had murdered his family without any regret. Furious that the man dared to brag about killing his his dear son.

Shaken by his close call, the Colonel recovered, staggering onto his feet and regarded Caesar whom was still fuming on the spot.

"So emotional!" the Colonel said aloud, throwing his hands up into the air and mocking the ape leader.

The colonel paused for a moment while placing a hand on his head before finally turning to address Caesar.

"I can see how conflicted you are. You are confused in your purpose and you're angry at me for something I did. That was an act of war. But you're taking this all much too personally," the Colonel explained.

The man then walked toward Caesar, seeming unconcerned for his own safety. Caesar on the other hand gasped, tortured by the agonizing bindings and collar that was choking him, preventing him from his revenge.

"What do you think my men would have done to your apes… if you had killed me?" The Colonel asked.

Despite his burning fury, Caesar paused for a moment and grasped what the Colonel was saying. Killing the Colonel now would surely cause all of the other apes to be slaughtered in retaliation. Was his own revenge worth the lives of his very own apes? Whom he swore to protect?

Like his little Cornelius. His son's beloved Lake. Tinker, Ash, all of them. And… Koba.

"Or is killing me more important than the lives of your own apes?" the Colonel asked, seeing that Caesar had gotten the message.

As much as Caesar would have wanted to, he would gladly sacrifice his own life to destroy the Colonel and rip him apart… but was he willing to sacrifice the lives of his apes as well? All whom were still waiting and depending on him.

With titanic effort, the ape leader restrained himself, lowing his arms as he still met the man in the eyes. Even so, no matter how Caesar had looked at the situation, the Colonel had bested him in every way. No matter what he would have done, the outcome would have been too great for him. His revenge… or his apes... With that in mind, his struggle dwindled and nothing but a deep sinking feeling within his chest filled the void. Causing his muscles to slacken beneath his skin.

The Colonel stared Caesar down just a moment longer before he brusquely dismissed Preacher and Red. With a harsh tug from the chain within Red's hands, they led the defeated chimpanzee leader back down into the yard. The chill of the night came as a shock after the shelter of the Colonel's lair.

An unhappy Preacher shook his head as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Didn't I tell you to back off?" the young man said in a angry tone.

As they walked on, Caesar lifted his eyes to look at Preacher.

"If this battle is coming," Caesar said to the young human soldier, "you should leave while you still can."

"Leave?" Preacher stopped and turned to stare at Caesar. "What are you talking about?"

A confused look crossed Caesar's features momentarily before he addressed the young man gently.

"You are not like him."

Preacher reacted as though he had been slapped across the face.

"He was right, you do think he's sick, don't you?" Preacher said suddenly in a harsher tone at Caesar, surprising the chimpanzee. "You're just like them. He's not crazy. The world's gone crazy. And he's the only one with the vision to get us through this. He sacrificed everything for us. You can't judge him. Who are you to judge him?"

Preacher's face was flushed with anger.

"I was trying to give you a heads-up, keep you out of his way. I… I don't even know why. But if you think you and I have some sort of relationship… that you're gonna give me, what, advice? You can disown yourself of that notion right fucking now."

Preacher's malign response had stunned Caesar-and disappointed him.

In the young man, Caesar thought that maybe Preacher could have been like Will or Malcolm. But now… he could see that the soldier was very much like the Colonel himself.

Preacher gestured with his crossbow, sneering at the disillusioned chimpanzee. Whatever compassion he'd displayed had evaporated completely. Or maybe it had never really run as deep as Caesar had let himself hope.

"Move it, Kong," Preacher ordered, harshly shoving Caesar along.

Koba lifted his head as he heard footsteps approaching him. Breathing deeply, Koba could see a defeated looking Caesar being let by both Red and some human soldier that he did not like.

"Caesar!" Koba called out to the ape leader who did not meet his eyes as he was led back to the cross.

Growling, Koba began struggling in his bindings but they proved to be for naught as it hardly did any dent into the pole that he was tied to. After a moment the other two had finished stringing Caesar back up onto the cross and Koba couldn't help but kept his seething eyes upon both Red and the human soldier as they descended and walked away. Scowling at their back, Koba quickly rounded his head back toward Caesar to see what they had done to the ape leader.

"Caesar?" Koba said quietly.

Caesar spared Koba a momentary glance and that was all the scarred bonobo needed to see that they had done something terrible to the ape leader. The chimpanzee's eyes were red, puffy and glossy from unshed tears. His body language read nothing but a broken individual, one that Koba was no stranger to. But not used to seeing up upon Caesar himself.

What did they do to Caesar? Why did he look so defeated?

As Caesar's gaze fell away, Koba was about to call out to his friend again but held his tongue. Instead he was silent and simply watched as the chimpanzee grew distant from all around him. And Koba's heart ached dearly for the other ape.

…

With a deep gasp, Blue Eyes shot up from his sleep into a sitting position. Gasping for air, he quickly looked around his surroundings, only to find himself sitting in the middle of an empty ward, filled with dark odd shapes that were alien to an ape like him. Still breathing heavily, Blue eyes reached up with one hand and held onto the necklace that Lake had given him, holding the broken gemstone right over his pounding chest. Closing his eyelids, Blue Eyes tried to calm his nerves as best as he could…

The nightmares however, of what had happened to him… they were all still so fresh within his mind. All so very real.

Everytime Blue Eyes had shut his eyes, he could see the scenario reply over and over again within his mind. A dark silhouette of a human with nothing but a green beam of light from their outstretched limbs. The screams of his mother as she jumped down in front of him, accompanied by the reports of gunfire. Him laying down on the cold stone floor beside his dear mother, her features relaxed as she laid in a pool of red with him. Then it all faded to darkness.

This kept repeating over and over within his mind and Blue Eyes couldn't help but grimace as he reached up with his other free hand and placed it over his bandaged head. Gritting his teeth, Blue Eyes grunted as he pressed his fingers tighter into the bandages, wanting nothing more than to claw at the throbbing pain that was searing the left side of his skull. It hurt so much that Blue Eyes couldn't help himself as he whimpered quietly aloud, causing a few tears to fall from his eyes.

Mother…

All of a sudden, Blue Eyes felt small pressures behind his back and over his hand that was on top of his head. Blinking his eyes open, Blue Eyes' head shot up and to his surprise, he saw Nick looking down at him with concern. The human with pale blue eyes furrowed his brows at Blue Eyes and seemed to have given him a knowing look before he turned his head away slightly.

"Max, can you get us some water?"

The other man whom also had a worried expression set on his face, nodded quickly before he left the room that they were all in. Nick then rounded himself back to look down at Blue Eyes and offered a calming smile.

"It's okay, Blue Eyes. You're safe here. I promise," Nick said reassuringly.

The man had said this to Blue Eyes so many times, the ape prince thought he would get annoyed or tired of hearing it. But to the contrary, it did the opposite and only seemed to have had a calming effect on him, especially in the condition he is in right now.

Taking several deep breaths, Blue Eyes slowed down his breathing and relaxed his muscles, enough so that Nick was able to gently take the ape prince's arms and placed them down onto the sheets covering the chimp's lap. The human healer glanced Blue Eyes once over as he sat there before he pulled a chair from the side and sat down in it.

"You… want to talk about it?" Nick asked.

Blue Eyes considered the man's offer for a moment before he slowly lowered his gaze and shook his head.

He was not ready to talk about such a thing. Especially in front of humans.

Nicholas didn't push the subject and simply nodded in respect to what Blue Eyes wanted. In this regard, Blue Eyes respected the human healer for this. Nick was not one to push for answers and was quite patient when waiting for answers from either both Blue Eyes and or Max.

"Well… if you need someone to talk to. Or for anything, I'm just around the corner," Nick said quietly.

Blue Eyes nodded slowly and with that both he and Nick heard Max returning with a bucket of fresh clean water. During this time, Nick had procured some towels that were dipped within the cool refreshing water and offered them to Blue Eyes. Max for the most part stayed around for a while before the man yawned and lumbered back to their own sleeping quarters. Nicholas however, stayed a little longer and made sure that Blue Eyes was alright first before taking his leave as well.

"Why do you do this?" Blue Eyes suddenly asked as the red haired man had just turned around, causing him to stop in his tracks and turned around to look at the ape prince. "Why help me?" Blue Eyes asked again.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Nick answered immediately with no hesitation within his voice.

At this Blue Eyes blinked and looked down off to the side, mulling the man's words over and over within his mind.

"Get some rest," Nick suddenly spoke up, causing Blue Eyes to glance back up at the man. "I don't know what exactly happened to you and am not going to ask what gave you those wounds. But I just want you to know that I'm here, if you need me. I will do whatever I can to help."

Blue Eyes could feel the sincerity within the human healer's voice, as if he meant every single word that was said. Huffing quietly, he then nodded slowly in acknowledgement of Nicholas' words. The man then silently walked away and turned down the soft light to give the dark room a gentle glow. Settling back down within the bed that he was in, Blue Eyes closed his eyelids once more.

For the first time since that night, the terrible imagery did not come to him and instead they were filled with genuine memories, long since past, of better and simpler times.