Chapter 6: The Hunt
All was quiet in the animate forest the villains currently inhabited. No creature graced the winter's beauty with it's song. Even the 'animate' trees were deathly still... which only set the denizens of this forest even more on edge, for stillness such as this could mean only one thing; a hunter lurked nearby.
The chill air caused gooseflesh to rise on her arms as she crouched in the concealing branches of ashen trees. The bark was slightly warm when compared to the chill air and pulsed calmly under her gentle touch as she watched the strange six-legged deer-creature forage through the snow for sustenance. She shifted her stance lightly and the bark twitched as if she had tickled it but the tree itself did not give away her position. Ices' eyes never left her prey as she slowly crept towards the next branch which hardly even shifted as it accepted her weight.
The herbivore's white-rimmed gaze rolled nervously around it's surroundings. It's impossibly large ears strained at every angle searching for danger as it's grazing efforts became almost frantic, and Ices stilled in her movements, lest she start the prey prematurely. Soon the beast seemed to calm itself and return to it's normal pace of foraging.
The female unfurled her wings carefully and slowly brought them up halfway. She was now prepared to launch herself the necessary distance to overpower the six-legged deer-creature. She froze when it's head shot up and it's muscles tensed. It's pupils dilating to almost to nothing in its fear. The odd thing about it was the creature's entire attention was focused opposite her. Perhaps it was just a nervous being by nature? No, that terror was only evoked within the primitive mind when danger was real and imminent.
The huntress dismissed her philosophies and continued. She slowly lowered her arms to grip the branch of the tree in an almost catlike position as the talons upon the tips of her wings did the same. She held her tail perfectly still, not wanting it's movements to give lie to her position. Her muscles tensed as the creature returned to its grazing, its hackles raised and eyes, ears and nose taking complete inventory of the forest and the nearby threats.
She had to do it fast, once her adrenaline spiked her scent would follow, and give her away to this creature's keen senses. It would then be able to escape. With an extra set of limbs it would likely outpace her in a heartbeat, but perhaps she could use the crowded woods to her advantage somehow... if she could only—
"Just do it already!" Exclaimed Frieza angrily, starting the deer and setting the female off. Her wings came close to her barely-clad body as she leaped upon the deer that had sprinted beneath her perch. A terrified squeal was ripped from the pitiful prey-beast's throat as the extra weight pulled at it. The two hind legs buckled beneath her bulk and the creature was brought to its knees in the snow. Swiftly Ices broke the suffering creatures neck in one smooth motion, nodding in satisfaction as the hunt drew to a close.
"You almost cost us the hunt, one called Frieza." Growled the female as she slipped both her arms and wings beneath the venison. She grunted as she lifted it laboriously over her head and slung it across her shoulders, her wings acting as a second pair of arms to help her in the endeavor. The lord snarled at the female as she sauntered passed him, but did not offer to assist her in the heavy load. Instead he rolled his eyes and wondered why Father had suggested he accompany the bitch if the almighty Cell had already volunteered to baby-sit. The android would probably have run off with the keeper of their immortality, leaving them to rot as he found a way to take the universe under his own control.
He would have to keep a close eye on that android, lest he get the jump on them.
Then again... the idea did not sound like a bad one to Frieza, but he resisted the urge to act on such a compulsion, that accursed female had already made an example out of him, damn her to hell! It would inevitably be a fight between himself and Cell if he were to follow his ambitions, and though he hated to admit it he stood no chance against the android on a normal day. If one threw in the impossible pain that female could inflict... his chances looked bad to say the least. He glanced uneasily at the android, but perfect as the creation thought he was, he could not hear Frieza's thoughts.
Perhaps an opportunity to resurrect his empire would present itself if he kept a level head and 'went with the flow.' His eyes fell over the form of the wish granter as his mind began scheming. Maybe he could squeeze a bit more usefulness out of the bitch.
The trio returned to camp to find Burter and Recoome attempting to start a fire with soaked twigs obtained from the snow. They squabbled like children over the pile of 'kindling' and the immortal female had a hard time suppressing the growl that rose in her throat. She wanted to smack the males over the back of the head.
"You're holding them wrong!" Growled Recoome as he attempted to push the blue-skinned Burter out of the way.
"I am not! I told you I know how to do it!" Burter retorted as he attempted to push the barbarian away. The two paused however as a carcass was draped across their laps.
"Ummm…" Recoom prodded the limp creature with a damp twig and it rolled dramatically from his lap with a 'splooch' into the snow.
"What do you expect us to do with this?" Burter queried, looking almost frightened of the dead creature.
"Skin it, gut it, bleed it, cook it." Replied the female in snipped tones, still cranky at having been disturbed from her nap. "Unless you'd rather eat it as it is. Whatever suits your tastes." Frieza walked past the female, back to the hole that had once been 'his' tree. His tail thumped angstily against the snow as he sighed with impatience, he would not be adverse to the two oafs starting dinner.
"Eat…this? What do we look like? A bunch of Sayjins?" Burter exclaimed. Cell glared at the alien, after all he was over 25 percent Sayjin.
"I find it hard to believe that a group such as yourselves are adverse to fresh meat." The female hissed as she massaged the bridge of her nose. I hunt to keep them quiet and placated and what happens when I get back? More whining. Are all males this difficult? The female paused in her thoughts. That is unfair, the one called Cell and the one called Cold have been very well behaved. Perhaps I should get them something for their efforts.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Burter waved his smelly hand in front of her face, and a look of irritated disgust slid across her features. She blocked out the irritation that attempted to reach her through more than one connection, and glared at the being before her. Assuming that she was listening Burter repeated his statement. "We won't eat this meat, unless it's been properly cared for."
"Then live with the hunger!" Snapped the female, her wings extended and tail lashed behind her to give lift to what she said. "I am under no obligation to you or your party, it is the likes of you who have forced yourselves upon my own venture." Burter lifted himself up as well, he easily out-massed the Wish granter with or without her wings spread.
"Don't think you can intimidate me? Look at you! I could flick you and you'd be done for!" Burter snarled, hunger and loneliness and goddamn cold finally taking it's toll on his already tried patience.
"Would you like to test that theory." Hissed a deceptively calm female, her violet eyes raging with unsuppressed fury. She could sense his muscles tense and moved to the side as he attempted to strike her. Her tail wrapped around his wrist an yanked him off balance. The large blue giant hopped on one foot comically for a moment before regaining his balance.
Ices crouched in the snow a fair distance away, her tail turned up puffs of snow as her pupils became slitted as she watched the male with a predatory glint in her eye.
"It would not do to have you strike what currently keeps you bound to this plane." Cell inserted with his usual deep, calm voice from where he stood with his back to the festivities. Lazily he glanced over his shoulder and his eyes slid over Ices for an instant before they settled on Burter, who averted his gaze, not wanting to end up in a fight he could not win. he mumbled a grudging apology about getting too riled up
The female, too, was a bit riled. She had an untamed air about her as she slowly rose from her crouch to snort disdainfully and turned her back on the alien. Though she knew she could not hope to win a fight against any of these beings around her, still it was hard to tell that to her female pride. Since her wings and tail had come in and she had reached her sexual majority she had noticed more aggression housed within her.
After a few moments of awkward silence Burter returned to find the carcass gone and Recoome reclining with an overly-full belly, picking his teeth with what looked like a rib-bone. The blue giant did a double-take, as did the rest of the camp whom had all been wrapped up in the amusing quarrel between Ices and the jolly blue giant.
"What?" Recoome asked, looking innocent. His fellow Ginyu-member stared incredulously at him.
"You ate it all? Raw?" The not-so-jolly giant could not believe what he was seeing. Perhaps his energies would have been better put beating the snot out of this idiot!
"You were taking too long." Replied the barbarian as he scratched at his scorched and chaffing bald head. Burter growled angrily and reached out to strangle his comrade. The instant his powerful hands clamped down upon the throat of his counterpart, an intense pain shot through his entire being and he yelped, releasing Recoome, reletivley unharmed. Remembering the example made of Frieza, Burter glared at the female who rested almost peacefully in the tree.
Ices sighed to herself as she lay on her branch. Though the more powerful males seemed to be less vocal with their survival needs she could feel the hunger gnawing it's way through King Cold and Frieza's connection. Since Cell was an android he was so far exempt from such trivial needs.
Indeed Ices caught herself wondering, not for the first time, why the android had accompanied them. Of all the males he was the one who already possessed immunity to times wears, and was immortal in his own right and should therefore be the least compelled to keep tabs on her. Her hanging tail twitched thoughtfully as she nearly laughed to herself.
For all their prowess in combat, leadership and bullying, not a one of them knows how to survive on their own. Indeed should I leave them to their own devices the lot, save Cell, would likely perish from starvation. She toyed with the idea, but decided that at this time the males would likely see it coming and stop her before she could get the portal closed behind her. They were impossibly quick.
Especially that Cell.
"We are still hungry." Burter growled, interrupting her train of thought. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
Here we go again…