There was never a dull moment when exploring the rainforest. The thick canopy of green and mist held nature's greatest beauties, and horrors. Nevertheless, Chris and Martin always shook with excitement at the chance for a creature mission in the mystifying jungle. As the Tortuga approached the forest, the brothers' impatience grew.

"Jimmy, I get that the view is great from up here, but could you land?" Martin asked, joining Jimmy in the cockpit.

"Hey, it's not easy finding a place to park a giant turtle in a dense forest!" Jimmy explained, scanning the area.

The swoosh of the cockpit doors sounded. Chris walked in with the same motive as his brother.

"Can't find a place to land?" Chris predicted, walking over to the window.

Chris pressed his face against the glass, enamoured by the view. Martin (much less gracefully) accompanied him seconds later.

"I can't wait to get down there, and finally see one of the coolest chimps on earth" Chris started.

"The bonobo!" Martin and Chris both exclaimed.

"Primates closely related to chimps, and humans! And the Congolian rainforest is the best place to find them" Martin stated.

"You mean the only place to find them. Bonobos are endemic to the Congo, remember?" Chris elaborated.

"Yeah I know" Martin chuckled.

An abrupt jolt in the Tortuga threw the brothers off balance and onto the floor.

"Oops, sorry guys" Jimmy apologized.

"Are we ready?" Martin gasped, jumping up. But to his disappointment they were still airborne.

"No, but the Tortuga's acting kinda strange" Jimmy replied, struggling with the sporadic wheel.

"Aviva, we can't wait any longer," Chris begged.

"Chris is right, we gotta get out there!" Martin added.

"Alright fine, we won't keep you waiting. We'll drop you off and let you know where we park" Aviva replied.

"Great, thanks Aviva!" Martin said, already prepping for the creature adventure.

Within seconds, the brothers were already parachuting out the door.

The wind felt good amidst the humid air of the rainforest. Chris's heart thumped with enthusiasm at the thought of seeing Bonobos up close. Primates of any kind always fascinated him, their intelligence, social behavior, and strength would never grow tiring.

Landing on the soft leaves of the forest floor, the adventure had finally begun. Looking up at the trees, it was obvious why Jimmy couldn't find a spot to land. The treetops shrouded the forest in a blanket of lush provided shade, letting speckles of sunlight to peek through. The trees themselves were grand, tall, and humbling. Looking up at the wonders reminded one how small they really were. Yet, the trees, the animals, the air, everything; it was all part of us, something Chris contemplated everytime he stepped outside. It truly was a perfect day.

Chris and Martin began their journey into the underbrush.

"Ok, so I'm a Bonobo. Where would I be…" Martin thought aloud.

"Bonobos are both terrestrial and arboreal, meaning they live on the ground and the trees," Chris stated.

"Once we find one it should be easy to find others. Bonobos live in large communities of up to 120! Phew, naming 120 Bonobos is gonna be tough," Martin added.

"We should look in the trees, they like to eat fruit and even use leaves as medicine" Chris said, looking up at the trees.

Martin picked something off the ground, returning with a large beetle in hand.

"They're omnivores, so they also eat bugs and other small creatures too." Martin started, placing the beetle back down.

"On the ground, we'd have a better chance of finding them" Martin emphasized, pointing to the ground.

"Martin, this is the rainforest. Insects are everywhere" Chris reminded. Gesturing to a bug that had found its way onto his shoulder.

"Okay Chris the expert, I bet I can find a Bonobo before you. Whoever finds them first gets the first creature power disc, and bragging rights" Martin wagered.

"You are so on bro!" Chris accepted the challenge.

The brothers ran off on their mission to find the Bonobos.

Chris headed for the trees, climbing as fast as he could. High in the trees, Chris whipped out his pair of binoculars. Scanning the canopy, his search stopped to focus on a small movement. Watching intently, the figure shifted, turning its head. Chris climbed upwards, getting a better view. The creature turned to face his direction. Sure enough, a female Bonobo with a baby sat comfortably in the tree, munching on leaves.

"Sorry Martin, but you lost this one" Chris said to himself, satisfied.

Chris located how far the Bonobo was from his location. Only about 4 trees ahead. The forest was so thick that he wouldn't even have to touch the ground to climb over there. Reaching out for a branch, his gaze met the forest floor, twisting his stomach into a knot. Chris retreated to the tree trunk for stability, as the dizzying height swayed and taunted him. Shutting his eyes, he tried to compose his racing mind.

Ever since the fall from their draco adventure, Chris feared heights. The phobia still plagued him. He knew he was a skilled climber, and he loved climbing. Yet a small voice echoed in his brain, telling him to fear the very thing that brought him joy. Pushing the thought away, Chris looked ahead, motivating himself. 'Focus on the climbing and you'll be fine.'

Reaching forward, he grabbed onto the branch in front of him.

Martin crept along the earth, searching for the primates. He figured it wouldn't be too hard to spot one. After all, they were quite recognizable, with a signature high-pitched call to guide him. A rustle in the bushes ahead piqued Martin's interest. Just as he went to investigate, his creature pod rang.

'Of all the times I get a call', he thought. With the click of a button, Aviva's screen projected outwards.

"How's the Bonobo search going?" Aviva inquired.

"I'm getting close, I can feel it. Chris and I are competing to see who can find one first. Chris took to the trees, but I'm positive I'll find a whole community right here on the ground" Martin explained.

"Alright I'll keep it brief so you can keep searching. We're parked about half a mile from your current location" Aviva said, showing a map of where they are.

"The Tortuga's having some technical issues, so we'll just be here fixing it up…" Aviva continued.

The bush ahead rustled again. An ape-like hand emerged from the bush, followed by a Bonobo, tracking down a bug.

"Aviva! I found a Bonobo!" Martin exclaimed, overjoyed.

"Really!" Aviva replied, Koki and Jimmy appearing on the screen intrigued.

"Yeah check it out!" Martin said, filming the Bonobo.

"I'm gonna call you...Bushy!" Martin named him.

The bonobo caught the bug with ease, putting it in his mouth and retreating behind the bush again. Martin followed the creature. Past the bush, Martin stood amongst a whole community of Bonobos.

Only one tree to go, wouldn't be long now. Chris had a clear view of the mother Bonobo, captivated by the tranquil creature, he inched forward through the trees. Awe stricken by the sight, his focus on climbing decreased the closer Chris got.

"Wow", he whispered to himself.

Grasping another branch, his body fell. Jolted out of his trance, his arm remained clinging to the tree by instinct. His shoulder ached and burned from the sudden gravity, as if it would have fallen right out of the socket. The steep drop down seemed to spiral farther down. The adrenaline rush blinded his better judgement, his anxieties manifesting with every shallow breath. If his heart beat any faster it surely would have burst.

Chris brought his other hand to the branch. Except the branch was...squishy? Raising his gaze to the branch, his mouth went dry. On the branch sat a Jameson's Mamba. A highly venomous snake; and Chris was squeezing its tail, crushing it to the branch. The mamba slinked its head menacingly forward, flattening its neck to give the impression of a cobra, a defense mechanism. Chris found himself profusely apologizing to the snake, attempting to stay calm under the crushing tension. Two roads to death stared him down, devouring his grip of rationality. The serpent bared its needle-sharp fangs, venom dripping from their points. Chris begged for his life, knowing the creature wouldn't hear his plea, and knowing it had every right to strike. It was nature.

In a flash, the snake's fangs pierced through the skin on his arm. Sharp, burning, stinging pain shot through his arm, forcing hot tears to cloud his vision. Chris's grip on the branch slipped. A scream of pure anguish and terror overtook him as he plummeted down the stomach-churning height. Desperately grasping the tree for salvation, receiving ghastly cuts and scrapes in return.

Through his attempts, he managed to slow his fall, clutching onto a branch much lower to the ground, but still a frightening height. His bite pulsed stinging pain throughout more of his arm now. Exhaustion had reached its peak, Chris held onto a thread. A flimsy, wimpy, dead branch, to be exact. The sickening crackling pushing his torment over the edge.

CRACK!

Gravity pushing Chris to the ground until…

THUD.