Animorphs: A New Beginning

[Chad32]

<Try not to let it get to you, Hu. I'm sure it's painful, but he's just trying to slow us down.> Emily said. It was annoying her that Bened would do things like this. She didn't understand what would cause someone to want to torment and destroy their own family.

They all pressed forward, and Bened's scent became stronger. <Keep on guard, guys.> Cody said. < If we get upwind of where Bened is, he'll get our smell.>

[Cloak]

Hu knew this, but Hu didn't say anything to Cody, though he did thank Emily for her kind words.  Soon, they came upon his despised brother.  But . . . something wasn't right.  He was just standing with his back to them.  Making no effort to flee.  No effort to confront them.  This wasn't like Bened.

Suddenly, a flash of foresight caught up with Hu, who held out his hands to prevent Cody and Emily from proceeding further.  "It's a trap." Hu snarled quietly.  "He's waiting for us to trigger something. . . ."

[Chad32]

<Okay. I'll begin demorphing and hang back. Emily will go around and try to get near him. Kelran will fly overhead and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. That includes cloaked bugfighters. Hu, get just within earshot and get his attention. Just say something, and get him talking.>

[Cloak]

"Should be easy enough," Hu muttered.  He stepped closer.  "Bened.  We really should stop meeting like this."

Bened looked over his shoulder, smirked, but said nothing.  Hu found this odd.  Since when had Bened been unwilling to taunt or somehow torture him?  This was definately a trap.  Hu felt a desire to step forward, but thought better of it.  Maybe if he just waited long enough, Bened would get impatient. . . .

[traycon3]

((I'm baAck! And sick. Joyus.))

"So, what's the deal between you and that chick?" Nichole finally asked Yarin between bites of the hamburger. "I mean, she seems a bit..." She took another bite, carefully choosing her next words. "Posessive of you."

[Yarin]

"She never accepted that we never became life-mates. At one time we might have but I have moved on and she has not."  Yarin said.

[Cloak]

Hu surprised himself in the fact that it was he that was becoming impatient and not Bened.  Of course, Hu thought bitterly, he has all the time in the world with some trap.

Hu seized a small stone and tossed it between him and Bened.  Nothing happened.  Then a thought occured to Hu.  He walked boldly toward his brother, and his claws passed through him.  As if he was nothing but a ghost.

Hu unleashed a snarl of the most profane Smilodite words.  Fortunately, the others would only hear a snarl.  "It's a trick!  He used a hologram combined with a scent marker!  Another pointless distraction!"

Then suddenly Hu was aware that he was surrounded by bladed reptilian creatures that were called Hork-Bajir.  "Oh no.  Not again."

((On another note, I might not post tomorrow as it is my birthday and election day -- again.  If I do, it'll probably be later at night.  Don't hold me to this though.))

[Chad32]

<A hologram combined with scent? Didn't think of that.> Emily said. The Horks moved around Hu to capture him, but she sprang through the grass to strike faster than the eye could see. The Horks became disoriented, and it allowed Hu to escape. <Hopefully they didn't see Cody demorph. Let's press forward quickly! The poison will slow these guys down.>

((Poor Tray. Get rest and drink fluids. If the medicine you regularly use doesn't take effect quickly, try changing medications.))

[Cloak]

((*realizes he was being an insensitive wart for ignoring tray's ailment* Sorry, tray.  Get well, soon.))

"Just one problem with that," Hu growled as he deftly downed several Hork-Bajir with a well-executed Aquilatigris Strike.  "Bened probably left more of those scent trackers to lead us astray.  We'll have to find another way to track him . . ."

Hu noticed a crudely slashed pathway through thick grass.  No, he thought.  It cannot be that easy.

Then a Hork-Bajir with a death wish charged him, and Hu impaled his claws into the creature and tossed him aside.  Not that this is easy.

Hu harbored some worry for Kelran, as he had yet to report in, as Hu and Emily made a made dash for the thick grass, landing in shallow ravine.  Had something happened to him?  Hu knew the Gryphon would not miss a battle.

[Chad32]

((At least you aren't already on her list for a previous offense.))

Cody realised that since they hadn't seen the Horks, and the scent of Bened had been false, it was time to try something else. He began to morph a bat from a nocturnal exhibit.

<Echolocation, do your stuff! Emily, try to rely more on your heat sensing ability than scent for now.>

[Kelran-Isthinar]

Kelran was entirely preoccupied with staying alive.  He had run into two cloaked bug fighters, and he was clinging as unobtrusively as possible to the back of one as they twirled and dived searching for him.
He knew it was only a temporary solution.  As soon as they gave up on him, they would go after his companions, or if one got smart enough to pull behind the other he would stand out like a sore thumb against the background of.. well.. nothingness.

[Chad32]

<Bugfighters!> Cody yelled as he detected him with his echolocation. <We don't have anything to fight them with, unless Hu devolves and manages to grab one. Kelran, try to slice the engine with your sword!> Cody yelled, trying to be helpful.

[Cloak]

Hu pulled his claws from the Hork cadaver, and ran, devolving into a Gigantofatalismilodon as he went.  Then he leapt up and landed atop a low-flying one.  His weight caused it to be crushed like a human jumping atop a soggy cardboard box.

Hu looked up and saw the one Kelran was riding was far too high for him to do anything about.  Hu snarled an Aruten profanity.

[Kelran-Isthinar]

Cody's attempts at help actually did provide Kelran with inspiration.
He felt his way down to what he was sure was the front of the ship and hacked hard with his sword.
Sure enough, the ****pit transparent aluminium (glass substitute, much stronger) shattered before the force of the blade.
He rolled inside the ****pit to be greeted by a most unpleasant flight crew.
He recognized a couple of Hork Bajir who were apparently acting as Gunners or some such thing, but the foul abomination at the helm of the craft was like nothing he had ever seen.
It stood almost as tall as a small horse, and it looked like an overgrown greesith worm (Gryphon equivalent of a centipede) with massive red globes for eyes.
And it was hissing angrily.

[Cloak]

Hu looked up and thought that Kelran had everything well in hand.  His thought was to press forward, toward his brother.  He slipped back into the ravine to make sure that there wasn't an entrance to the Yeerk Pool somewhere down here, but through the trees, Hu thought he saw a familiar, unfriendly figure.

It wasn't Bened.  It was his master.