Hordika Under the Bed
A few more hours had passed, and evening had begun to set in, casting a nice layer of darkness over the neighborhood. Mic had pulled her hair up and she finished loading all the pictures onto the laptop whilst sitting on the floor with the Hordika. She thought for a moment before turning to look at him. "You ever fished before?"
Vakama looked up from where he was studding a chart of Matoran and human letters, "Fishing?" He echoed. The mutated Hordika was so notably calmer in the day light.
Mic nodded, closing the laptop, "Yeah. I was thinking about getting you food... frankly I don't think I have enough of my own. But there's a canal not too far from here, I walk there all the time, and I was thinking you could try and catch fish or something."
The Hordika sat back, "...I'm more used to hunting but Nokama and Nuju didn't have much trouble."
"You wanna give it a shot?" she asked.
"It couldn't hurt." Vakama said as he stood up shacking out the prickly feelings in his left legs.
Mic stood as well and set the computer on the couch, which she had barely sat on all day, having gotten used to sitting with Vakama. "Night's just beginning, but maybe your ability to change your color will be enough to get you there without being spotted in case anyone's out there," she said.
The Hordika moved over to peer out of a window, "Easily." he judged.
Mic went to her room to quickly put on some sneakers and to grab a jacket since the temperature had dropped a bit, and there was a sea breeze as well. Once she was ready she came back out and led the Hordika to the front door. "It'll be about fifteen minutes with you following me," she commented.
"Minutes? Oh, clicks." He nodded as he fallowed after Mic, expecting her to go out the back door since he hadn't seen the human go near the front door, "I can blend much longer than that."
"That's good," she said, stuffing her phone in a pocket, in case something should go wrong... then again, what could go wrong when you have a Hordika with you? Mic stuck her head outside the front door and made sure the coast was clear until Vakama had started to blend in. "All clear."
It was like watching a chameleon in a way as Vakama gave himself a shake, his base colors and those of his stripes altered until his outline was broken up. The Hordika sniffed the air, rumbling softly as he moved without hesitation to the bushes and evidently vanished. Not perfectly like he would have as Toa but enough that unless you knew what you were looking for, one wouldn't see him at first or second glance.
Mic shut the door behind her, the house securely locked with Abby inside. Knowing that if any cars passed by, she put on a casual look and started down the sidewalk, hands in her pockets, seeming to be a usual teenager taking an evening walk. No one would have known in the slightest that she was actually showing a Hordika the way to his future meal.
Hopefully, nothing triggered that purely predatory Hordika side of the mutated Toa. It was creepy enough as it was with Vakama prowling around behind or to the sides of Mic, always just there but not there. Maybe that was just in reaction from the memory of their first 'meeting.'
Mic considered herself lucky when she passed a guy with his dog, across from her sidewalk. But the dog seemed to sense something going on, while the owner thought his dog was just being stupid and paid no attention at all. Mic rolled her eyes. At least the bridge was finally coming in sight.
Up ahead one of the few remaining squirrels that hadn't had the sense to, you know, run like hell away earlier to the other side of town, darting across the street. In a swift, and un-nerving silent motions Vakama darted out after and snapped up the squirrel as it ran right in front of him. Thankfully he left the sidewalk with his 'snack.'
Mic had heard the squirrel give a 'scream' before it was silenced and she sighed to herself, having a good idea what had happened. She stood at the street corner for a few seconds before crossing to the bridge, but instead of staying on the sidewalk she walked into the grass and down the small hill-like dip leading the edge of the canal's water, thankful for the clump of trees off to the side to hide the fact that she was there, and it would keep anyone passing above from noticing anything fishy, no pun intended, going on below.
Vakama came around Mic from behind, coming pretty much out of nowhere as he licked his muzzle and looked around, his colors now a molded mix of browns and green. "This is it?"
The human had jumped when he seemly appeared out of thin air but quickly answered, "Yeah." She saw a fish jump a little ways away. "My brother fishes from this canal a lot. We've even spotted dolphins sometimes..." she trailed off and shrugged.
"Doll...what?" The Hordika looked back at Mic before turning his attention to the water and the fish. He hunkered down as if trying to sneak up on the fish, peering into the canal. Internally he was riffling through his memories of watching Nokama and Nuju back at the Kini Nui when the two had started fishing with the help of Gaaki.
"A very large sea creature compared to the fish you'd usually find," she explained, watching with interest. "I don't think we'll see any though... they're mostly near the other canal, closer to the power plant since the water's warmer there." She sat with her back to the concrete wall of the bridge.
The Hordika hunched low, and then sat up, shifting his feet and forepaws until they were under him completely. His tail was half curled, and he arched his neck a little, but all his attention was on the fish he could see as well as sense their heat. What there was of the heat...
There!
Vakama jumped fangs bared, he splashed down... and came up empty...
Grumbling the Hordika climbed back out and shook himself, "Nuju makes it look far too easy."
The human seemed to think to herself for a moment, before digging into her rear pocket and pulling out a scrunched up wrapper from a granola bar. She got up and threw the crumbs out into the water as a car passed above them. "That might attract more fish, if it helps."
After shaking each leg of clinging droplets, despite that he was going to jump right back in, Vakama came over to watch for a moment. Then moved back into that pounce/dive pose.
The crumbs seemed to be working. After a few moments Mic could just see the outlines of catfish swimming around, greedily going for the hand out, unaware that they were destined to become food themselves. Mic watched Vakama, silently hoping that he'd score this time, for his sake.
He shifted, waiting...waiting...Vakama fired a spinner into the water. He smugly looked over at Mic as no less than five stunned fish floated up. Yes he cheeted, but he was hungry and he stepped into the water, tossing all the fish he stunned back above the water.
"That's... one way to do it," the human muttered, stepping back as the fish plopped onto the ground, wrinkling her nose. She wondered how many fish Vakama could eat, and with a sick feeling realized that she would be present to see him do so. The thought of seeing fish being ripped apart... didn't exactly agree with her.
It's wasn't all that bad honestly, since he wasn't starved like before, Vakama neatly bit each fish into three parts and downed each third with quick gulps. He did still eat like he was expecting someone to take his food; i.e. lightning fast.
Mic stood patiently to the side, lifting her head every once in awhile when cars passed on the bridge. It had grown exceptionally darker then when they had left the house. She sighed and fingered a loose strand of hair, reminding herself that she could really use a hot shower.
Vakama got one last fish that was floating by before stretching and shacking himself, "That wasn't bad." he admitted licking his muzzle and moving back over to Mic, once more blending in the dark without changing colors.
"Want to head back, then?" Mic asked, very much ready to get home.
The Hordika nodded, though there was that other more primal side that wanted to go. To find some instinctual calling, Vakama only had vague mental images of plains, rocky volcanic regions and towering forests. He'd been having those half formed visions ever since being changed, and knew they weren't like his other visions. Vakama shook his head to clear it, "Yes."
Once again, Mic found herself walking down the sidewalk alone, or at least appearing to be alone. She knew Vakama was somewhere nearby, following. If not for that, she would have been very uneasy about doing this. The human was passing by a home being constructed when she thought she heard something... a more human-sounding noise off to her right.
In the darkness Vakama moved in that silent prowl, coming so close to some people in their yards that he could have flicked his tail and brushed them. The Hordika didn't as he continued to shadow Mic, at one point he was walking beside her, but paused as he sniffed, "There's someone...dirty nearby." he said softly.
Mic flinched on hearing his voice and not knowing he had been there, but, wait, what did he just say...? "Dirty?" she muttered lowly. Rounding a corner at that moment, Mic's arm was grabbed and a hand covered her mouth as the owner hauled her toward a ready-to-go pickup truck, ignoring the strangled screams coming from her.
...oh lord, this was NOT happening!
Something hot sliced through the air by the two humans, impacting on the truck's front tire and melting both rubber and metal without actually sitting the truck on fire. A snarl came from the darkness before another spinner fired at the street light sending this section of the street into total darkness.
A low growling came from Vakama as he opened his inner lids so the Hordika's bioluminescent eyes glowed a bright, vivid green, fixed on the two humans. He could see just fine thank you... "Nera' sok alata..."
"The hell is this?" the man gripping a twisting Mic sputtered, eyes wide. He quickly pulled out a small hand gun, aiming at the green eyes in the dark, sweat beginning to pour down his brow. On realizing it was a gun, Mic's muffled screaming seemed to take on a more frantic pitch. 'VAKAMA!'
"Nearo," Vakama hissed, and then the eyes vanished as he closed his inner lids. "Not a wise idea humino..." The Hordika said, from the right now, cutting off the way to the nearest light source but remained in the dark. A humming whine of power could be heard, coming from Vakama's spinner.
The hum must have done it, for the man freaked and began shooting... but Mic had managed to strike him hard in a certain area, postponing the firing. All this time the human female kept up her panicking struggles, in hopes of escape and that her attacker wouldn't hurt Vakama.
A loud snarl was heard before Mic was almost ripped out of the man's grasp, and the gun from his hand. Standing at his full height, Vakama had the man by the neck and off his feet, dangling in the air. The Hordika opened his inner lids again so the green on green gaze was clearly visible.
"Nearo," Vakama growl, his tone taking on that slightly purring, near mocking hint. He smirked at the chocking man before putting their faces nearly nose to nose, saying again in a slower, drawn out purr, "Nearo... Run." Vakama dropped the human staring down at him from his near nine foot height.
Vakama needn't have bothered in saying this; though she had stumbled after getting out of the man's grasp, Mic was up again and had bolted in a beeline for home, heart pounding harder than ever. The distance was only maybe three minutes, but it felt like it was taking an eternity to get there.
Granted Vakama had been talking to the human male but it worked out all the same. The result was that Vakama was standing in the darkness alone, he looked between the two humans fleeing in different directions a few times.
The Hordika shrugged, and with an amused smirk he turned, dropping to all fours again and prowled after Mic, going more by memory then truly fallowing.
On reaching the house-FINALLY!- Mic stopped her run and frantically unlocked the door, nearly hurling her own self inside before her knees gave way and she dropped to the hard floor. Abby had been waiting there all the time, and the human clung to her dog with one arm, trying to breathe properly while her eyes pooled over slightly, the door still open behind her.
It was a long time before there was a hint of Vakama, the Hordika evidently decided to take a longer 'walk.' Namely scaring that one man half to death and making him going running to law enforcement (being arrested for priors and of course no one believed his ramblings about a monster or 'green eyed devil' that wanted to eat him). So it was a few long hours before a familiar, low rumbling, near growling sound was heard outside Mic's house.
The human had pretty much barricaded her house's entrances from the adrenaline and fear that had been pumping through her. She hadn't exactly done anything else but wait for the Hordika's return, paranoid about doing anything really. Vakama would find a very disturbed-looking human once entering.
Mic heard the Hordika, as did Abby who went sniffing anxiously at the door before her owner opened it, meeting darkness outside but knowing the Hordika was out there. "...Vakama?"
"Know any other Hordika?" Vakama's voice came out of the blackness before he did, walking in a not quite prowl but there was something protective, or possessive to the way he moved. His eyes were also still green.
Mic said nothing, only stepped back and allowed him in, a sudden look of hurt in her eyes. He had been gone for a little over two hours after all, leaving her to worry about stalking people outside her house. "Where the heck were you!"
"Patrolling," He said, sniffing first Abby and then around in general. Making his way into the living room, tail tip twitching but he wasn't aggravated really. He turned and in one swift move half tripped Mic up and pulled her down so she would find herself securely in Vakama's claws as he curled around her.
Without hesitation she latched onto him, almost as if her life depended on it, and ducked her head as a few tears slipped. This wasn't her first time she had cried on returning home-Abby had been the thing to cling to for a good half hour before she actually got a hold of herself. The Hordika's returned somehow triggered it again, though Mic tried to hold most of her 'waterworks' back.
He had saved her life, and here she was acting all weak.
A deep, vibrating purr unexpectedly came from Vakama as the Hordika curled his tail as tightly as he could around Mic (which wasn't all THAT much since it was more for balance not prehensile like with Matau, Nuju or Whenua). He had his forearms around her, still very much in that Hordika mode Vakama's tongue darted out and licked Mic on the cheek.
Mic did a small hiccup, covering her face with a hand. "I'm sorry, it's just... that man tried to... and you... thank you," she finished, not really making a true sentence, but at least she had thanked him.
"Like I would let anyone take what's mine." Vakama huffed, he was referring the 'mine' in the pack sense. for that's what his Hordika side had labeled Mic as, a 'younger' pack member, and instincts demanded him to protect the more defenseless members of his 'pack.' Right now that included reassurance as he essentially groomed Mic.
The human said nothing as he did this, finding his Hordika side to be rather comforting in a sense. For example, she knew that she could relax better now that he was back. She was safe again. "... he could have shot you, Vakama." Mic said suddenly remembering the gun.
"He didn't, and I bit him." Vakama shrugged as best as he could given their position. The Hordika rubbed the side of his head against Mic in a reassuring way, "It's over now."
Mic smiled slightly when he claimed to have bitten the man; that sounded very much like the Hordika. She sighed deeply, her silent crying finally stopping. After some minutes she squirmed slightly, asking him to let her go. "I really wanna take a shower... I feel better knowing you're here."
Almost reluctantly Vakama uncurled himself from around the girl with a rumble. After Mic's shower she would find the Hordika sprawled out in the hall in front of the bathroom, head resting on forepaws and his eyes glowing a steady orange and red.
Feeling refreshed and less-stressed thanks to the hot shower, Mic stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas, not at all surprised to realize that the Hordika was waiting on the other side. Something told her it wasn't because of the heat coming from the other side of the door either.
She had to admit though, she was glad that his eyes had returned to red and orange.
Tail swaying gently, Vakama looked back without lifting his head as Mic had to climb over him to get out, "Feel better?" he asked.
"Yeah," Physically yes. Images of the guy kept resurfacing in her head, but she pushed them aside as best as she could as she stepped into her room to retrieve a new blanket before going back to the living room.
Vakama sniffed at her side as he rose, giving a huff in a way that said he didn't fully believe that, "You should sit down."
Mic said nothing as she walked into the living room, where Abby had made herself at home on the couch, picking up the tossed aside phone and giving it a long hard stare. More than ever she should, no wanted to call her parents and tell them what happened... but that would blow Vakama's cover, so she was stuck.
"You know you're safe." The Hordika said as he silently fallowed Mic.
"I know." Oh yeah did she know... "But if you hadn't been there, I could be-" No, she wasn't going to finish that. With a sigh Mic took his advice and dropped to the floor unenthusiastically, legs bent sideways.
"If I hadn't been here you wouldn't have gone out in the dark." Vakama corrected, "You, Mic, are not nocturnal like I am. You're not made for it." The altered Toa rubbed the side of his head up against the girl's own side before settling down around behind Mic with his head on her lap.
The human sighed and leaned into him. "I wonder whatever happened to the guy."
"He saw the fault in his spirit." Vakama said smugly before giving Mic a lick on her cheek.
"I sure hope so," she muttered, shifting slightly to get more comfortable. "Holy crap, I bet he's that same guy they've been trying to catch for awhile now,"
"'they?'" Vakama echoed, tilting his head before huffing and reaching out and pulling Mic's laptop over.
"Police. Law-enforcers," she explained, watching him pull the device over. "What do you want with it?"
"You said there were other vids of your stories of the Bionicle." Vakama said, "I haven't forgotten."
"Oh, yeah... right." She sat up and took control of the computer, bringing it on again and heading for youtube with Mask of Light in mind. The mutated Toa was going to get to see the future Toa Nuva, and the island of Mata Nui after the Matoran had settled on it.
Then again he had already been on the island of Mata Nui. Vakama settled down with his head partly on Mic's lap but more like that first time the other night where he was partly under her forearm. Only he was on the other side now.
Mic yawned as the movie started, glancing at the clock. Normally she'd be asleep by now, but the Hordika was, as he said, nocturnal so he would be up longer. She just hoped she'd make it through the movie.