Chapter 17

Snek wasn't about to say it out loud, but the time he has had with Drax have been some of the best moments he's had since becoming a serpent. The two would train outside all the time, they would hunt together and learn off of each other. Then, there were times where they just played! Drax would try and knock Snek to the ground, lunging at him and then coiling in attempts to thrown him off balance.

With a grin, Snek would go along with it as the two began to play wrestle. Drax was fast, there was no doubt about it. Snek nearly had a hard time keeping track of him! Yet, his son adapted well. He learned how to use his strengths and know when to feed. Drax kept in mind his growing strength and power and knew if he needed help, to ask for it.

It was the day after Amai took Drax out to hunt. For a strange reason Snek couldn't ignore this nagging sensation he got every time Sweet Mask came around. Amai was just as concerned for his son's well being as Snek was, but, why was he? Before Sweet was content with letting Drax stay when Snek as long as he wanted. Now, Amai is fighting to spend time with him, claiming he has just as much of a right to, after all. He adopted him.

He returned the next day as Snek and Drax were just playing around in a clearing in the forest. How he found them was beyond him! Amai offered to hunt for Drax rather than take him so the same mistake won't be made again.

But Drax refused. "Dad taught me a lot as this, I can hunt for myself… but I am still not allow to hunt at night. Too dangerous."

Sweet Mask smiled. "I wonder what I could teach you as a serpent myself…" he said aloud.

Snek hissed. "Don't get any ideas!" he warned. "Besides, I'm the expert here!"

Amai waved him off. "Indeed, you are, I will not argue that. But…" Amai said and then smiled. "I do have a trick or two he can learn from me, and not from you…"

"Drax… new game… Hunt Amai!" muttered Snek.

"What?"

STRIKE!

Drax lunged himself at Amai, and in a flash, just like the first time he caught him, he was coiled around his chest, his arms wrenched back with a firm grasp! "Too slow Amai, he got you!"

"I saw him coming, he's fast, but not too fast." Amai said, yet he was still held in place. "Drax, be a dear and let me go please?"

Snek watched his son uncoil from Amai, slowly he eased himself back to the ground. "Let's make it more fun… Let's hunt Amai after he hides!" Drax announced.

Sweet Mask smirked. "Really? You two think you could hunt me down? Please." He said.

"Do you have anything better to do?" Snek demanded.

The A Class hero thought it over. "Well… come to think of it, I don't."

"You got ten seconds!" Drax said, he closed his eyes and began to count.

Snek was grinning, Amai glared at him. "Cover your eyes too, no cheating!" With a roll of his eyes, Snek did as he was asked and waited for Drax to finish the count. When it was done, they opened their eyes.

Drax looked about, he tasted the air and sighed. "Too easy."

"Yeah, come on, let's get this over with…"

"Wait, we have to do this stealthy!" warned Drax. "We got to flank him!"

"Ooo, I like. What do you suggest?"

#

He didn't know why he was agreeing to do this, then again, Amai couldn't quite explain why he came here of all times! As of late, he wanted to spend more time with Drax. The child has great potential. He witnessed his willingness to train, work hard and become stronger. He just felt it now too as Drax's strength was growing in his serpent form. He paused as he looked up and took to the trees. On the highest branch Amai perched himself and waited to see if the two would find him so high.

He then smiled to it all. "I wonder if Garou could do that, have Drax be a serpent for at least a weekend when I am turned… I am certain I can teach him a thing or two…"

Amai stopped talking to himself as he heard them. Slinking through the grass he saw Snek approach, yet he bypassed the tree and moved on. A small grin came over his lip as Amai figured neither one knew where he had gone let alone how far he traveled. That was until he became bounded to the tree!

He gasped as Drax peered out from behind. "HUNTED!" he cheered. "Next time, don't wear your cologne it's so obvious, this was hardly any fun!"

Amai smirked as he peered down and saw Snek waiting. "Okay, another round, best two out of three!" Snek called up.

"I'm afraid the game is now pointless, considering you both know my scent and I made the mistake of giving myself cologne this afternoon. Well played though!"

Drax uncoiled from Amai, however, as Sweet Mask was about to jump down, he turned and saw Drax was now clinging to the tree for dear life. He trembled at the sight down. "Oh… not use to this kind of height huh? Come then, I'll get you down." Drax shook his head, as he held on to the trunk a little tighter. "I can't…" he whispered. His whole body was coiled around the trunk, he didn't trust his own ability to climb down as easily as he could use it to climb up. Amai merely smiled as he sat back down against the tree. "Now, do what you did before, but ease yourself over to me. Take your time."

Drax gulped as he began to move himself slowly over, he managed to get a single coil around Amai before he was able to gather his courage and was able to get himself completely around him. "There we go, ready? I won't drop you, and I'll land as softly as a possible."

He felt the coil tighten, Amai smiled. He braced Drax close to him as he walked off the branch and landed with ease to the ground below. "Okay, we're down."

Peering down, Drax slowly opened his eyes and found he was back on solid ground again. He quickly slithered off and tried to catch his breath. "Why did you climb that high if you were scare!" Snek demanded as he picked his son up off the ground. Drax then coiled around him, bracing himself to his father.

"It was easy to climb up, then the wind made the tree move, everything shook… I couldn't bring myself to climb down!" Drax began to sob, it broke Amai's heart.

"Don't take such…"

"I'm sorry…" said Amai.

Snek pause as he turned to Sweet Mask. He turned away rather embarrassed. "I shouldn't have climbed so high, I should have known better. That was dangerous for the both of you. I won't do it again, Drax."

He cleared away his tears, just as his stomach rumbled. "Really? Already?" Snek said with a rather surprised tone.

Drax giggled. "Fear makes me hungry."

"Very well, where are we going to hunt today?" asked Sweet Mask.

"Wait, we? You're tagging along too?" Snek demanded.

"Might as well, I am already here, aren't I? Six eyes are better than four as well. We can find him a good feast. Right Snek? He's a growing boy after all."

A smile came over Drax as he nodded in agreement. Snek rolled his eyes to it all, even if he told Amai to leave. He wasn't going anywhere. No one tells him what to do!

#

It was an eventful hunt.

There just happened to have been a commotion in City Z, yet by the time the three arrived, all the threats were taken down and out. Saitama and Genos stood as the monster bodies just lay in heaps on the street. "Damn, too little too late." Snek muttered.

"Oh… were you looking to eat?" Saitama questioned, then he stared at Drax. "Hey, he looks like you Snek!"

"He's my son, you met him!"

"Yeah, but not as a snake."

Snek rolled his eyes as he peered down to his son, yet Drax was gone! In fact he was in the distance already starting to eat! It didn't matter to him if the monster didn't have a head, if it was big enough. He ate it! Although it was a messy feast, Drax was full and content. "What a trooper" Snek said.

"Are you not going to partake in this?" Amai questioned.

"Not really, I prefer to eat a monster with its head still attached…"

"Beggars can't be choosers." Chimed Amai.

"I'll remember that when it's your turn to be a snake" muttered Snek.