Chapter 16

" W-wha? No, no." Mowgli stuttered. By now, Baloo and Bagheera had shielded the rest of the kids behind them while Mowgli was still frozen out front of the tiger. The boy didn't even know what to feel, be it rage, fear, disbelief or a combination of all.

" Yes, yes indeed, man cub."

" How are you still alive, Khan?" the panther demanded, a vibrating growl coming deep from his throat.

" Yeah, last I saw you, we sent you down the fire pit." Baloo questioned in a challenging manner.

" Watch your tongue, bear! You've done nothing, you or those brats. Luck for some forsaken reason has kept you all alive, but no more!"

Mowgli laid his arms exasperatedly " Don't you see where we are? We'll all get killed if we don't get out of here and away from these hunters."

" Unlike you, I don't fear death, unlike you who should!" the tiger snapped as he lunged forward towards the group. Baloo stepped forward and at just the right moment, belly bumped Shere Khan into a piled of empty crates with everything that he had. The wood splintered as fragments splintered the tiger's body.

" Good shot, papa bear!"

" Yeah, but don't expect more like that. Now let's get the heck outta here!" Baloo exclaimed as he crudely escaped alongside Bagheera. Shere Khan shook his head, clearing his vision as it began to be tinted in rage. A thunderous roar cracked across the air, alerting all the people that something was amiss. Soon, the scene had turned into pure pandemonium, men scrambling to contain the ever in raging situation that was Shere Khan as he searched for Mowgli.

" MAN-CUB! DAMN YOU, YOUR HEAD WILL BE MINE TODAY!" he roared after finishing off a few battalions worth of troops, his silver claws now tainted a dirty crimson. He let out another growl as he bounded off, trying to pick up the scent of the boy.

Fortunately for our little group, they had managed to sneak behind in some unseen corner close to the docks.

" Man, I can take him. Why do we have to hide out in here?" Ranjan whined silently

Bagheera huffed " You run to fight another day. But in your case, man pup, you wish to fight everyday."

" Well that is Ranjan for you." Shanti joked lightly. " But I think we should get-"

But before she could finish. The cockpit of a gun was heard behind her. She swiveled her head quickly only to be facing down the barrel of a gun. It was Buldeo, who had finally been alerted to the commotion about.

" You little witch, you know how much you cost me?"

He pulled her harshly by the arm and reared his hand back, ready to severely smack her. " I'll beat you for all this trouble you little-"

But then, a panther's roar reminded him of the company at this girl's side. The cat springed forward like a fleeting shadow at the man, only to feel a skidding, burning pain go across his side. Bagheera stumbled to the cold floor and notice a slow trickle of red beginning to form. Mowgli's eyes turned from shock to rage " You big fat coward, you shot my friend!"

The hunter turned his greedy eyes towards the boy, loading in another round of gunpowder " Don't worry, jungle benchod. You're about to join him."

The man then shoved the gunpoint into Mowgli's face, grimacing as he was ready to pull the trigger. But as his pointer finger began to pull at it, a low rumbling began to vibrate everything. Buldeo shook his head to and fro to see what it was. The steady rumbling built up more and more and the hunter braced himself with his gun in one hand and his rhino horn sheave knife in the other.

" What the fu-"

" YIP, YIP!" was the only sound that preceded the angry rumbling of a two ton rhino out for revenge named Rocky. He plowed Buldeo in the stomach with the nut of his stump, crack a few ribs and vertebrae in the process as he flew high into the sky. Rocky snorted with satisfaction at his handy work as Grey hopped off his big head and fetched Rock's severed horn.

" Hey, I got your nose!"

" Dang, kid! I never thought I'd see this again. Thanks!"

Mowgli jumped as squeezed his adoptive brother hard. " Grey! Rocky! You guys are here too!"

" Yeah, so are Mom and Dad! But we gotta hurry, cause last I saw them they were getting chased by hunters all over!"

" Oh man, sup with tabby?" Rocky asked to a stumbling Bagheera. The panther coughed slightly, with small flecks of blood coming out.

" I'll be fine. I just need rest and time to heal."

" But time is something we don't have, Bagheera! You're dying, my mom and dad are who knows where, so is Kaa, and now Shere Khan wants me dead now more than ever!"

" Well figure out an idea, little britches." Baloo calmned as he slung Bagheera onto his shoulders.

" Yeah? Like what?"

The bear stumbled around in a circle quickly, looking for any option available. And just when he didn't think there were any, Baloo spied on right in front of him the whole time.

" Oh, trust me kid. This is gonna be a real tailspin."

" Oh no, Baloo. Don't you-"

" Rest up, Baggy buddy. We're all going for a ride!"

Author's Note

I apologize if this chapter's rushed or if I haven't updated in a bit. My life had been super busy this week, but I promise to get back at the writer's grind. See ya!