Ender presents...
==[A Vandread Fanfiction Series]==

   As consciousness slowly returned to him Hibiki Tokai became aware of two things.
   First, his body ached all over, as if he had been used as a rag doll by a particularly rowdy group of children. He assumed that this was probably the result of being tossed around the entire length and breadth of the bridge during re-entry. 
   Second, his face was currently resting on a soft mound that reminded him of a pair of fluffy pillows. While Hibiki had never been as attached to his pillows as Bart was, he had to admit that his current position was very comfortable. 
   At this point however, the part of Hibiki's mind which lodged his survival instincts came partially awake. To his knowledge there was a grand total of ZERO pillows on the bridge of the Nirvana, and the bridge itself was constructed with a material he could hardly characterize as 'fluffy'. Add to this his past experience of 'soft objects' on the ship - his mind gave him  brief flashes of Jura and Celtic before he could suppress those thoughts - and the only logical conclusion that he could come up with was that he had once more been cushioned by some strange piece of female anatomy.
   Hibiki's suspicions proved accurate as he lifted himself up slightly and saw that he had been lying face down on those two, globular protrusions that women seemed to posses - in varying sizes - on their chest.
   Here we must be reminded that Hibiki's brain - most notably his survival instincts - was only partially awake. Or perhaps, it went back to sleep; That is the only rationale currently available as to why Hibiki did not recognize the white uniform of the woman he had been using as a pillow. Such sleepiness on his part might also begin to explain the complete failure of instinct that resulted when, his curiosity piqued, Hibiki started poking the aforementioned globular protrusions.
   "I wonder what the hell these are..." he managed to get out - before Meia's hard right jab sent him reeling.
   "Geez, it wasn't like I did it on purpose," he found himself explaining a moment later, after Meia had recovered her composure and they were both on their feet. "I don't know why you're so sensitive about those whatever-they-ares anyway..."
    Meia gave him a strange look. "Maybe someday, someone will explain it to you. It certainly won't be me."
   Hibiki shook his head. "I really don't get what the big deal is though... I mean, Jura uses them to grip my head!"
   For some reason, the usually stoic Meia went a bit pale at that. "Well, I'm not Jura..." she finally answered.
   The two of them surveyed the bridge. The others were still unconscious, lying in various heaps along the length of the bridge. With the exception of the Boss and the bridge crew - who had been firmly strapped to their seats - they would all have rather colorful bruises in a few hours, but otherwise they looked ok.
   "Well, they're still out cold," Hibiki said while scratching his head. "At least Duero's already here and he can treat the others when they wake - but I wonder how the rest of the ship - "
   "Hibiki," Meia cut in. "Look at this..." Her voice had an odd ring to it, and Hibiki turned to see her staring out the front view port.
   Green. That was the first word that came to mind as he stared out across the vista that stretched before him. His first real exposure to a 'garden' had been on the Nirvana, but the plant life just outside the ship made the small, man-made 'park' within the ship pale in comparison. The 'trees' - if they could still be called thus - seemed to be enormous, more that triple the height of Hibiki's Bangatta. The trees covered almost the entirety of the land, including the mountains which Hibiki could see nearby. Even the spaces between the huge trees were covered with tall grass, and shrubbery of all kinds, interrupted only by the blue swath of a nearby river, which cut across their view to pass them to the right. 
   The two of them stared out the view port in silence for a few long moments. Then Hibiki noticed something odd.
   "Meia?"
   "Hmmm?" she replied, still entranced by the view.
   "Is it just me or are those trees getting... bigger?"
   That seemed to snap her out of her daze, and she looked quickly towards him before turning back to the view, her eyes more focused this time. Almost imperceptibly, the tree line seemed to be rising, slowly but surely.
   "No, that's not it," the Dread Leader muttered. She moved towards Belvedere's console and punched in a few commands. Instantly the view panned out, until the two of them could see exactly where the Nirvana had landed.
   "This is _not_ good..." Hibiki whispered.
   "Wake the others," ordered Meia. "Quickly."
   The Nirvana had landed in a lake of some viscous, brown substance that seemed half way between a solid and a liquid.
   And they were sinking. Fast.

==[VANDREAD]==

Vandread: MAROONED
Chapter Two: Welcome to the Jungle
Disclaimer: While I own this fic, Gonzo owns Vandread. And here's to the hope that they make use of that ownership for a long time to come...
Timeline: This series takes place in-between the ending of the First Stage and the start of the Second Stage. Think of it as Stage 1.5 perhaps ^_^

==[VANDREAD]==

   "That was quite a nap," Magno said as the last of the crew were awakened. Duero was tending to the more seriously injured back at the clinic, but as far as the bridge crew went, everyone was functional. "But I guess its time to get back to work. Ezra, what's our current status?"
   Ezra's hand flew over the controls. "The ship sank 45% into the mud before it stabilized due to the Nirvana's portside and starboard 'wings'. Current calculations estimate three or four days before the condition destabilizes enough to be a problem."
   "Good," the Boss replied. "I never liked working under a clock." She nodded towards the pregnant woman. "Have all stations report in."
   A few moments after Ezra relayed the command, a window showing the Chief Engineer of the Nirvana popped up.
   "This is Parfet from the Engine Room," the pigtailed Engineer said, her voice betraying a hint of worry. 
   "How are things Parfet?" Magno asked.
   "Well the damage to the Engines was minimal, except that we have a few exposed power lines along the ships length. The mud might clog the engines a bit as well, but I don't think there will be much of a problem..."
   "I sense a 'but' coming..." the Boss sighed.
   "But," Parfet said, giving truth to the Boss' prediction. "The real problem seems to be with the Pexis. Again."
   "The Pexis?" BC asked. "What's wrong with it this time?"
   "Frankly I'm not really sure," Parfet replied. "It's working fine but it seems... distracted." The Engineer seemed to be embarrassed by the use of such an unscientific term. "Efficiency and power output are down across the board, though only minimally, and it's been getting these erratic surges of power, almost as if it were - I don't know how to put it - shivering."
   Almost as soon as Parfet had finished speaking the lights on the bridge grew intensely bright and then just as suddenly faded back to normal --but not before a warning light came on at Amarone's console.
   "We've got a mid-sized explosion near one of the exposed power lines," she reported. "Nothing major but it did a bit of damage."
   "Was that caused by the power surge?" BC asked.
   "It's possible, but it wasn't that big a surge..." Parfet said. "I'll check it out." So saying, her window blinked out as she cut the connection.
   BC turned to the Boss. "With your permission I'd like to run some tests as well." The silver haired woman turned to look out at the jungle before them. "Something doesn't seem quite right..."
   Magno nodded, then turned back to the screen as another window opened, this time showing Gascogne, using the link from a corridor outside of the register.
   "This is Gascogne," the long haired veteran said, her trademark 'toothpick' still clenched between her teeth. "We're still trying to fix the register, but that might take some doing." She stepped back to allow them a full view of the damage done.
   "How long do you think it will take?" Magno asked.
   Gascogne shrugged. "Could be a day or two... It depends really. They didn't hit us squarely, but because of the 'explosive' nature of most of our menu, it would be best to take extra care. Some of those armaments would explode the moment they were exposed to air, and an internal explosion is the last thing we need right now."
   BC's eyes narrowed as she heard Gascogne's words. She turned to Celtic. "Cel, I need you to give me an analysis of the atmosphere immediately surrounding the ship. Quickly now."
   The green haired girl started at the urgency in the Sub-Commander's voice, but then she nodded and went to work. BC in the meantime refocused her analysis - not on the exposed power lines, but on the mud which encased the lower portion of the Nirvana.
   "Well," Magno was saying. It might be easier for us to repair if we get out of this mud hole and back into space - the drones will work more efficiently if they don't have to deal with an atmosphere. Ezra, patch us through to Parfet one more."
   Parfet's window appeared just beside Gascogne's. "I'm sorry Boss, I haven't been able to figure out yet what caused the explosion..."
   Magno shook her head. "I wasn't expecting you to have done so - what I wanted to ask was the status of our engines. Can we fire them off even while submerged in this mud?"
   "Sub-commander!" Celtic called out. "I've finished my analysis - transmitting the data to you now."
   A tone from her console told BC that their analysis was complete as well, and as she read the combined data, her eyes widened.
   On screen, Parfait was nodding. "I don't think the mud should be a problem - our Engines are powerful enough to break through with little difficulty. There won't even be enough of the gook left after take off to require a clean it up."
    The Boss nodded. "Alright then," she turned to Bart, who had been lounging around near his post during the entire discussion. "Your turn, Blondie."
   The man sighed, then, nursing a nasty bruise on his forehead, he dragged himself to his post. "Mercy for the injured isn't common amongst you women is it?... Oh well," he sighed once more as he entered his post.
   Magno chuckled. "Not a diligent bone in your body is there? Though its too bad we have to leave so soon - it's been a while since I saw such a fertile land. Would have liked to do some sight-seeing," the Boss chuckled. Then she straightened and took a deep breath. "Very well then Bart, full speed ahe- "
   "Stop!" BC interrupted. "Don't fire the engines!" 
   "BC?" Magno asked in surprise.
   Bart's head popped up on screen. "Eh? What's wrong? What's the holdup? It's really not all that comfortable, feeling as if I have mud stuck up my butt..."
   "Better that than the feeling of having it blown off," BC shot back. "Which is what would have happened if we'd activated the engines while still in this mud. Look," she pointed, as the data from analysis began to scroll on - screen. 
   "Those are peroxy compounds!" Parfet exclaimed after a while,  as her eyes roved through the data. 
   While BC nodded, the others had confused looks on their faces.
    "Peroxy compounds contain the characteristic peroxide oxygen-oxygen bond," the pig tailed girl explained. "They are violently reactive or explosive - if they're exposed to fire or flammable materials they tend to go off with a rather spectacular 'boom'."
   Again BC nodded. "The mud we're immersed in is saturated with these compounds - and so is the atmosphere around us, though to a lesser extent. That's probably what caused the explosion near the exposed power lines. Normally such detonations would do little damage - but if they occurred _within_ the engines..."
   There was complete silence on the bridge following BC's words.
   Bart gulped.
  "Nothing's ever simple for us is it?" Magno sighed. "Looks like we'll get to do some sight seeing after all..."
 
 ==[VANDREAD]==

   "So there's no way we can just blast our way out of here eh?" Gascogne asked.
   "Not unless we want to risk being stranded here permanently, no," BC replied. "I don't think we have the materials available for a complete engine restoration - even if the Pexis hasn't modified our engines beyond regulation parts."
    The Boss and her two senior subordinates were gathered in the Strategy Room of the Nirvana, trying to come up with a more thorough assessment of their situation while formulating a plan of action. 
   "Is there any other way we could get her out of the mud?" Magno asked. "Using the Vanguards of the men perhaps, to pull her out?"
   Her silver haired second in command shook her head. "Maybe, but that would be a monumental task. It would probably be a better strategy to use one of the Vandread to cut a channel to drain the mud - but we can't do that until we finish repairs on the docking bays."
   "Even worse," Gascogne added. "Both the Dread hangar and the larger one where the Vanguard and the modified Dreads are stored are in the part of the ship immersed in the mud. While the Vanguard might be able to claw its way out somehow, the Dreads would be useless without the ability to use their boosters."
   Magno took a deep breath. "Well, it looks like we're going to be guests here for a while longer..." She turned to BC. "No sign of the Earth forces? We're sitting ducks down here."
   "None at all," BC replied. "It seems like their final attack was a suicide run, and that particular enemy force was destroyed completely in their final attack. It is unknown whether they were able to communicate our location to any of the other fleets however."
   "Well that gives us some breathing room at least," the Boss said. Next she turned to Gascogne. "Will we be able to at least raise the shields if the enemy attacks again?"
   The woman nodded. "I don't think that will prove a problem, although Parfet tells me that the Pexis is still acting strangely." Gascogne tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I _do_ think it would be best to reduce our power levels to a bare minimum though. Those exposed power lines could still be a source of explosions if the Pexis keeps acting up. Optimally, we could switch to minimal life support during the day time. We could stay on the planets surface during that period and return here for rest or whenever we required shelter."
   "So we'll be staying outside you mean?" Magno asked. Then she smiled. "I don't think Jura is going to like that..."
   Gascogne barked a laugh. "Jura's not the only one - the readings show the surface to be livable, but swelteringly hot. Actually, considering the amount of skin Jura shows, she should be less bothered by the heat than the rest of us..."
   "Not that it will stop her from complaining," the Boss grinned.
   "Not really, but then, that's our Jura," the long haired veteran answered. Then she smiled. "We'll just tell her it's a picnic or something and lure her out with some of Barnette's cooking."
   "On that subject," BC interrupted, "the issue of food brings up another reason why we need to go planetside." She flicked a switch near her seat and pointed to a stream of data. "Food supplies are running a bit low," she said. "Analysis shows that once we get a good distance from the mud, the atmosphere becomes breathable - healthy in fact. Such an abundance of plant life seems to imply that there would be a fair amount of wildlife as well, and it can be assumed that at least some would be edible. We should probably send out a scouting party - not only to recon our surroundings but to acquire some supplies as well."
   "So we're to go hunting eh?" Gascogne said, with a wide smile. "That sounds like fun!"
   "_You_ are going to have to stay here and help supervise the repairs," Magno told Gascogne. As the younger woman sighed, the Boss returned her gaze to BC. "Issue the appropriate orders regarding the switch to minimal power output, and have a shift list ready for who will be outside and who will be inside the ship at any given time."
   The Sub - Commander nodded. "Affirmative Boss."
   "As to the scouting party..." Magno continued. "Do you have anyone specific in mind?"
   BC smiled. "As a matter of fact I do..."

==[VANDREAD]==

 
    Barnette was whistling happily to herself as she left the ship, carrying a bag full of ancient, projectile fire arms slung over her shoulder.
   "You're late," Meia said, as the black haired girl joined the group. The rest had gathered there quite a bit earlier: BC, Hibiki and a few of the more athletic Dread pilots. Dita had insisted on coming along as well when she found out that Hibiki was going, and the Sub Commander had decided it would be less vexing to just take the energetic red head along. All of them were wearing stripped down breathing filters while in the vicinity of the mud.
   "Sorry, sorry," Barnette apologized, though she didn't really sound contrite to Meia's ears. "It's just that I thought we might need some 'real' guns just in case we find ourselves in an area like this one where energy discharges could cause an explosion."
   Meia had trouble seeing the logic in that statement but she decided to let it slide. "Fine - but did you have to bring so many?"
   Barnette shrugged. "Well, it's best to be prepared..."
   One of the other Dread Pilots shook her head. "Oh, be honest Barnette," she sniffed. "You just wanted an excuse to play."
   The only reply their companion made to that was a wide, predatory grin.
   "All right," BC announced as the doorway opened. "Let's move out..."
   "Wait!" came a shout from behind them. "Wait, wait - kero!"
   "Pai?" Dita exclaimed in surprise, as the young nurse came to join them, also wearing a breathing apparatus. 
   Paiway reached them a few seconds, then stopped to catch her breath, then spoke through her frog puppet. "Let me come with you! I want to check the green planet as well-kero!"
   BC frowned. "What are you talking about Pai? Contrary to what you may have heard, this isn't a sight seeing trip..."
   The young girl cringed a little at the Sub Commander's tone of voice but she held her ground. "I - I know that," she said, speaking in her normal voice. "It's just I've been cooped up in the ship all this time... It's been so long since I've been home - I mean, on a planet..." Her head bowed as she continued, as if ashamed, and her foot was making little circles on the deck. "And the planet looked so interesting... Maybe there'll be animals or something... Maybe frogs or - or..." she trailed off then, refusing to look at any of them. 
   Meia understood then. It wasn't some idle whim that moved Paiway to try to come with them - she was homesick. Pai was probably the youngest of all those on board, and their long separation from their homeland must surely be taking its toll on her. It didn't help that her closest friend on board - Dita - had been so totally focused on Hibiki that she had little time to spend with Pai. Meia was about to ask BC to take her along when a male voice beat her to it.
   "Well it wouldn't hurt to take a few pictures I guess..." Hibiki was saying, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "We might need them for um, analysis or something."
   Barnette rolled her eyes. "And you thought _my_ excuse was lame..."
   BC looked from Paiway to Hibiki and back, then shook her head. "All right, but you take charge of her Hibiki."
   "Who, me?" Hibiki exclaimed, but Paiway had already began to shout for joy, grabbing Dita by the arm and running before the group.
   "Hooray! Hooray-kero! You won't regret it, I promise!"
   The party began to move out then, leaving Hibiki behind, still scratching his head. "Just what I need, another baka to watch out for..."
   "Well, at least you made Pai happy," Meia said as she passed him.
   The man shook his head and sighed. "Well, I guess I do owe it to her. I mean, from what I hear I'm the reason she doesn't get to spend so much time with _her_," he said, in the tone that he used whenever referring to Dita. He never called the red-head by name - perhaps in retaliation for the fact that she never called him anything but 'Mr. Alien'. "Not that it's _my_ fault that she's always hanging around me," Hibiki was quick to add.
   Meia gave the shorter male an appraising look.  "I think you're actually maturing a bit Hibiki..."
   The boy blushed a bit at that, then he grinned. "Heh... You're not exactly the same either if you're starting to dish out compliments so easily..."
   Meia allowed herself a faint smile before turning towards the door. "Come on, let's catch up with the others..."

==[VANDREAD]==

   Back on the ship, Parfet had just finished her twenty fifth check on the Pexis system - with the same results.
   "Everything seems normal -  if a little less efficient, most of the time -  and then all of a sudden you power up, then power down again," the Chief Engineer sighed, then shook her head. "I swear, alive or not, you can be worse than a child at times, you know that?"
   "The Pexis is being uncooperative I take it?" came a deep voice from behind her.
   "Oh... Doctor," she said, as Duero approached her. She greeted him with a smile before turning back to the controls. "Yes, you might say that..."
   Duero took a position beside her and glanced at the readings on- screen. Parfet knew that Duero had no real training in machines or engineering, but with the amount of time he had spent helping her, he was bound to have picked up some rudimentary knowledge. This man was quick, and whip smart from what Parfet could tell, and even more curious than she was when it came to new things. Perhaps that was why she liked him...
   "Are you ok?" the Doctor asked. "You seem... flushed. Do you have a fever?"
   Parfet gave a start, embarrassed to be caught staring. "Oh its... its nothing," she said quickly. What was wrong with her? Pexis weird moods must be contagious. "So uhm, what do you think Doctor?"
   He frowned. "You know that machines aren't my area of expertise..."
   "You know as well as I do that the Pexis seems oddly alive at times," she reminded him. "It certainly isn't acting like a machine right now. These power surges seem totally random, and even when not going bonkers, everything seems to be performing slower than usual."
   "As if its attention were elsewhere?" he asked.
   Parfet smiled up at him. "You know, I told the Boss almost exactly the same thing not two hours ago..."
   "Well, you're usually correct," Duero said as he leaned forward to get a closer look at the data, oblivious to the fact that Parfet had flushed once more at the off-handed compliment. Just then, a low humming sound signaled another influx of power, followed by a brief plunge into darkness before things reverted back to normal.
   "There it goes again," Parfet said. "It's so strange..."
   The doctor had a thoughtful look on his face. "If it really were alive, I'd be tempted to say it was hyperventilating," he said, in a thoughtful voice. 
   "Hyperventilating?" the Engineer asked. "Why?"
   "In living organisms, such a phenomenon usually results from some shock to the system, a serious emotional disturbance," Duero said. "Anticipation, or anger... or fear perhaps. My guess is that the Pexis is feeling profoundly disturbed by something, whatever it is that's attracting its attention right now."
   "But what?" Parfet asked, turning apprehensively back towards the blue globe in which rested so many of their hopes and prayers. "What on this world could possibly make the ship afraid?"
   "I don't know," the man answered. "Let us hope that we are able to leave without having to find out..."

==[VANDREAD]==

   "Uchuujin-san!" Dita called out. "Look at this!"
   "Yes, yes, very nice..." Hibiki answered, without bothering to even look at what new piece of local flora or fauna Dita was currently pointing at. During her first few attempts at sharing her enthusiasm, he had tried to explain to the red headed girl that he wasn't very interested in the 'pretty flowers' or 'cute animals' - save for the ones that BC pointed out which might possibly be converted into edible, women-type meals. Such plants as those were collected into containers that were distributed amongst the group, while suitably edible animals were easily dispatched by either Meia's ring or Barnette's guns. They had been moderately successful so far, and Hibiki was actually carrying one of the larger beast carcasses - having foolishly made an of-hand comment about men being physically stronger than women - while Dita had the handles of four containers looped around her arm. Of course, whether or not their new 'ingredients' were actually safe to eat was another matter... Though Hibiki would be mighty annoyed if the effort they had expended - especially hunting the animals - was going to go to waste...
   The concept of 'hunting' animals for food was alien to the boy - back on Taraku, the men had subsisted on tasteless nutrient capsules manufactured by people like Bart's grandfather. He still found the fact that he was putting various animal parts into his mouth to be somewhat unnerving, but the succulent taste of women's cooking was more than enough to cause him to suppress his reservations on the matter. 
   "Neh, Uchuujin-san..." Dita scolded him, pulling on his sleeve. "You're not even listening to me are you? Dita has already shown you three more of the pretty flowers, and you didn't even turn your head..."
   Hibiki heaved a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his head. "It's just - this really isn't something a man would be interested in you know!" he burst out in frustration. 
   Dita blinked. "So... what _are_ men interested in?"
   "Well there's fighting, and then there's machines and then there's..." he paused then. "Then there's... there's..." Hibiki stopped, his face taking on a thoughtful expression.
   "That's all? That's it?" Dita asked incredulously.
   "Just give me a moment!" Hibiki shouted. The boy wracked his brains for the memories of how he had spent his free time back on Taraku, searching for something that had occupied him when he hadn't been working on the assembly line. There must have been something...
   Before he could come up with anything though, Dita seemed to grow tired of waiting. "Maybe I should show them to Leader - Dita thinks she's interested in the pretty flowers and cute animals..."
   Hibiki barked a laugh. "Somehow, I have trouble imagining that gloomy girl having much interest in anything 'cute'," he said. "Meia's more of a 'man' than the real males sometimes..."
   "Well, Dita thinks you're wrong," the red head said, before pulling on Hibiki's sleeve once more. "Look over there Uchuujin-san..."
   Hibiki turned to where she was pointing. Standing a ways beyond the group - though not too far away - the boy could see Meia kneeling over a small plant. The normally stoic girl had a half smile on her face as she leaned this way and that, seemingly taking in the small plant from all possible angles. She brushed her fingers lightly amongst the newly unfurled leaves, before straightening and getting back on her feet. The blue haired Dread Leader paused for a moment to survey her surroundings, her eyes drinking in the vastness of the forest before almost reluctantly heading back to the group once when BC called for her.
   Hibiki stared at her for a moment before shaking his head ruefully. "Well I'll be damned... looks like you were right after all."
   The girl beside him laughed, then clutched at his arms. "Dita likes it when Uchuujin-san compliments her!" 
   The boy blanched a bit at her touch. "Watch it you baka! Don't get any ideas!" He looked around furtively. "I certainly don't want that little weirdling 'checking' us in this position..."
   At the mention of her friend, Dita relaxed her hold on him a bit. "Now that you mention it... Where is Paiway? I haven't seen her for a while..."
   Hibiki shrugged. "How should I know? She's not my responsibility..."
   "Er, actually she is," Dita contradicted him. "Didn't Uchuujin-san promise the Sub-Commander that he'd take care of Paiway?"
   "I never agreed to that!" the man sputtered.
   "Dita doesn't think that the Sub-Commander will see it that way..."
   Hibiki sighed and began to scan the area anew, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of the young nurse. To one side, Barnette was showing off her guns again, and instructing some of the younger pilots on how to use them. Slightly beyond that group, Meia and BC were giving instructions to the Dread pilots, each of whom would scamper off in a different direction, while others remained to listen. Hibiki searched their group with his eyes, but he couldn't find any sign of the frog-obsessed little girl anywhere. The boy growled low in his throat and began to stride off in a random direction.
   "Uchuujin-san!" Dita called out. "Where are you going?"
   "Where else?" he replied, as he plunged deeper into the forest. "I'm going to find that little brat before she gets me into trouble with BC..."
   The red head made a move to follow after him - but just then Meia called her name, and after a frantic look at the rapidly retreating form of Hibiki, she moved towards the officers to receive her instructions.

==[VANDREAD]==

   The sky was already darkening before Hibiki stumbled upon Paiway, and by that point he was in foul humor. It seemed that her long confinement within the ship had done little to weaken the muscles in her legs, as she sped from one location to another faster than Vandread Meia - though he should have expected that from the speed by which she moved even within the ship, when 'checking' her newest 'scoop'.  He'd be pointed to one place by a helpful Dread pilot, only to find that he had missed her by a minute, a second, and then he would be pointed to another location where the cycle would repeat itself. In the process he had wasted a better part of an hour and gotten bruised and scratched by every conceivable piece of shrubbery in the damned forest. By the time he caught up with her, all that was keeping him going was the thought of dragging her back to camp by her twin ponytails. The fact that she so obviously seemed to be having the time of her life was merely icing on his rising irritation.
   "Check-here," she sang, clicking her ever-present camera at some strange looking plant life, "check-there, everywhere a-check-check kero!"
   _Just a little more_ Hibiki thought to himself, as he neared the clearing where the girl was 'checking'. He'd decided that as much as possible, he'd keep well hidden until he could pounce on her - he didn't want to risk her running of again. She certainly looked like she still had energy to spare, while Hibiki was on his last legs.
   "Hmm?" Paiway said. "What was that?"
   Instantly Hibiki flattened himself on the ground, but Paiway wasn't looking in his direction. Instead, she was looking up at the treetops, as if searching for something. While the tops of the trees remained hidden from view, their branches began fairly low to the ground, and a dense canopy was formed a mere three meters or so from the ground. 
   "Did something move?" the girl asked herself. Seeing nothing, she appeared to give up, but just then, a rustling sound came from the undergrowth to her left, and she turned swiftly, camera at the ready. 
   "What was that?" she yelped. She looked uncertain for a moment before brightening suddenly. "Maybe it's a frog!" she cried out, hastening towards the source of the movement.
Hibiki rose from his hiding place, feeling a bit worried inspite of himself. He had no experience with hunting, and the animals that they had encountered had seemed to be no danger - but the fighter in him had seen enough to know when to be cautious. Beautiful as it was, this world was alien to them, and ignorance could make a death trap out of the most mundane of things. His fears may be unwarranted, but even so he decided that it was time to stop playing around. He took a step forward, ready to call Paiway back, to manhandle her if necessary...
   That's when he saw the beast.
   He really had no other way to describe it - in truth he couldn't see enough of it to come up with a better definition. All he could see was a silhouette, slinking silently through the bush to Paiway's right, slowly making its way towards her rear as she worked her way deeper into the bush. It's skin seemed to blend in with the surroundings - Hibiki would have missed it had an errant ray from the setting sun not glanced off a shiny part of its body. As the boy watched, the creature apparently decided that it had taken enough precautions - it was getting ready to pounce.
   There was no time to think. Before the beast could leap, Hibiki had covered the distance between himself and Paiway. Throwing himself forward, he managed to knock the startled nurse off her feet, just as the beast sailed through the air where she had been standing moments before. Hibiki and Paiway hit the ground hard, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop.
   "Hi - Hibiki!" Pai screamed. "What are you doing?!?"
   "No time," he said, cutting her off. "Get out of here, get out of here now!"
   The young girl opened her mouth, probably to ask him to name a reason why in the world she should do such a thing, when the reason let out a ground-shaking roar.
   "No questions - just go!" Hibiki cried as he stood up, pulling Pai to her feet along with him before pushing her in the direction of the camp. His eyes scanned the ground but he could find no sign of the beast - but the roar indicated that it was still around, and probably angry. "Warn the others and come back for me! Run!"
   The young girl threw a frightened glance in his direction, then turned and ran as fast as she could. Hibiki hoped she could find her way back to the others - for his sake as well as her own. For now though he had to put that worry out of his mind - there was a battle coming, and Hibiki Tokai had yet to back down from a fight.
   "Ora ora... if you're going to fight, come out into the open!"
   The only response he received to his challenge was silence. Not that he had expected the beast to respond - truth to tell such shows of bravado were more for his own sake than anything else. Whatever the creature was, it was cunning... Hibiki had seen ample evidence of that in the way that it had tried to blind side Paiway. This was no simple minded animal he was dealing with here...It would try to attack from an angle which he'd least expect...
   And that was when Hibiki remembered that Pai had first heard the beast from above the canopy...
   He leapt out of the way just in time, the beasts claws only managing to nick him on the shoulder as it dove towards him from above. Hibiki lashed out with his foot, but found that the beasts hide was as solid as concrete. In the next second, Hibiki found himself hurtling through the air, sent flying by a backhanded blow from the creature. He crashed painfully into the bush, a good three meters away from the creature, landing hard on his left arm. Hibiki winced as pain erupted from his arm, enough for him to know it had been broken. He cursed roundly as he struggled to right himself, despite the pain - if the odds had been against him before, they were even worse now.
   It was at this moment that he got his first good look at his opponent. At first it approached him on all fours, slinking low in the grass, but eventually it rose up on its two hind legs and gazed down at Hibiki with pupil-less, black eyes. Long hair covered the rest of its brutish face, as well as its body, a body which seemed oddly humanoid, save for the fact that it was more massively muscled. Even with the added mass however, the creature moved with an inhuman grace, making no sounds as it walked upon the forest floor. More surprising to Hibiki was the fact that what he had originally taken to be skin that blended in with the plant-life was in fact some sort of primitive camouflage. It was almost possible to believe that what stood before him was a man, and not an animal, if not for toughness of its skin, and the fangs that the creature revealed in a grotesque parody of a smile as it advanced towards Hibiki's prone form. 
   Hibiki scrambled backwards on his feet and one good arm, the creature following slowly... Almost as if enjoying the chase. He began to curse himself for not having had the foresight to bring a weapon, but he suppressed such thoughts immediately - they wouldn't help him now. The boy knew he had to think of something, and quick, if he was going to survive long enough for Pai to return with the others. He strained his ears for any sound of their approach, but he knew it was too early for Pai to have even made it back to the impromptu camp. The forest was silent... But in that silence Hibiki heard something else, something that cave him hope: Running water. There was a river of some sort nearby, and with that knowledge came a plan.
   Hibiki stopped moving, pretending to be in too injured to continue, his hands clutching at the dirt in pain. In actuality though, he was collecting ammunition, and when the creature leaned in close enough, Hibiki threw a handful of dirt and rocks into its face. As the creature roared its rage, Hibiki jerked painfully himself to his feet, and ran full speed towards the sound of the river. If he could just make it in, the current would carry him downstream, closer to the Nirvana - assuming that this was the same river that he had seen from the ship. There was no guarantee of that, but it was the best he could come up with at the moment, and the only one that held a glimmer of hope for success. 
   What he hadn't expected was for the beasts roar to be echoed to his right side. And his left. And directly in front of him. The beast's roar hadn't been solely one of anger. It had been a call for reinforcements. And its friends had answered. 
   Hibiki managed to continue towards the river for a good five minutes before the first of the beasts caught him. It bounded out from behind a particularly large tree, tackling him across the legs and forcing him into another painful tumble. He found himself raised into the air, his neck gripped painfully by the claws of his assailant, its sharp nails biting into his flesh. He struggled for breath, and from the corner of his eye saw another of the beasts arrive. Suddenly he was flying through the air, straight at the other beast which backhanded him painfully, sending him flying in another direction. He didn't know how long the beasts toyed with him - even in his pain filled, muddled state, he was sure that more had arrived - but by the time he finally hit the ground, he was bleeding profusely both externally and internally, and his body was a tight know of pain. He tried to raise his head but the pain was such that he could hardly move it at all. Even then though he could see the feet of a multitude of beasts, forming a mini forest of their own. Hibiki watched as they drew nearer and felt the bitter taste of defeat in his mouth...
   He had never expected it would end this way. Even when he had been a nobody working in the assembly line basements of Taraku, he had known there was something in his blood calling out for more. Then he had come to the Nirvana, and he had been sure it was his destiny - to make a difference, to prove himself, to be someone... Not just to be killed by beasts who merely saw him as food, not to die a meaningless death... Helpless against a foe he could not hurt. He tried once more to get up, but the effort was too much, and he fell back, coughing blood.
   "Uchuujin-san!" screamed a familiar voice, and suddenly the air was filled with the whir of energy weapons, and singed flesh. As one the beasts seemed to howl and bound away from him, and soon he found himself cradled in Dita's arms. 
   "Uchuujin-san, are you alright?"
   "What... do..._you_ ... think... baka..." he replied through gritted teeth.
   Footsteps from behind heralded another's approach. "He's bleeding badly," he heard Meia say. "We have to get him back to the Nirvana as soon as possible."
   Another voice replied, BC's. "We'll have to make a stretcher of some sort. Call Barnette and the others back and have them establish a defensive perimeter while we do so. This forest is crawling with - unggh!"
   "Sub - Commander!" Dita screamed as sounds of stubble erupted all around them. Hibiki tired to get up, tried to help but he was too weak.
   "Dita!" Meia was shouting. "Grab his legs! We have to get him away from here!"
   Dita complied and soon Hibiki found himself none too gently into the air. He grit his teeth as a fresh wave of pain wracked his body. "Where are we going?" he heard the red head ask. Meia didn't reply, but soon Hibiki heard the sounds of the river grow steadily louder. It seemed the blue haired Dread Leader had the same idea he had. 
   "No," he whispered. "Have to stay... And fight. Help others..."
   "There are too many," Meia replied grimly. "I could see them - they had Barnette and the others in some sort of net already... There were only a handful of us remaining when we left, and by now I wouldn't be surprised if it was down to the three of us."
   "What are we going to do Leader?" Dita asked.
   Meia was silent a moment before replying. "We have to get Hibiki back to the Nirvana for treatment. We'll jump into the river and let the current carry us downwards," she said. Then she finished in a determined voice: "Then we'll come back for the others."
   "Don't make me a burden," Hibiki said, his breathing ragged from the effort. "Don't leave the others..."
   "Do you think I want to?" Meia snapped. "Stop being stupid - we're not going to let you die out here."
    Soon they broke out from under the shade of the canopy and into the warm sunlight. Hibiki could hear the rush of the water and he knew the river was nearby. He was about to ask them once more to go back when he heard the roar of a beast, and suddenly he felt the supporting arms of Meia wrenched away from him. If Dita hadn't pulled him painfully to herself, his head would have hit the floor.
   "Leader!" 
   A few feet away Meia was struggling with another of the beasts, trying desperately to get her arm in a position where she could make use of her ring. After a minute or two of struggling, she finally did, but when she emerged from under the beasts carcass, the other two could see she was bleeding profusely from her side. Hibiki was about to say something when the forest behind them seemed to erupt with dozens of the beasts, all heading in their direction.
   Hibiki knew at that instance what the blue-haired girl was planning. "Meia, don't do it..."
   She paid him no heed. "Get him back to the Nirvana Dita," she said, as she turned to face the advancing mass of creatures. "I'll hold them back for as long as I can."
   "Leader!" Dita shouted, but Meia cut her of abruptly.
   "Don't make me waste energy arguing with you!" she said. "Just go Dita! Or else Hibiki is dead!"
   "No I won't..." Hibiki began, but Dita, sobbing, was already hauling him away, half dragging, half lifting him ever closer to the edge of the small cliff that lead to the river. "Let me go!" he cried out. "We have to help her..."
   "We can't" Dita almost wailed. They could hear the sounds of energy blasts now coming from behind them, as well as the angry growls of the creatures. "We're doing this for you Uchuujin-san, it'd all be useless if you died on us here! You can't die on Dita!" 
   Suddenly however, Dita stopped, and a small cry escaped her throat. Hibiki turned to see the way was blocked by another of the beasts, this one even larger than the rest, with what almost seemed like painted designs across its body. It growled something and then began to slowly advance towards them.
   "Dita's weapons all used up," the red head said, almost sadly. Then she smiled, though her eyes were filled with tears. "Don't worry though, Dita will make sure Uchuujin-san gets away!"
   With a burst of desperation fueled strength, she lifted Hibiki completely on to her shoulder and sprinted to her left. The beast seemed to be taken by surprise at first, but then it followed, gaining on them quickly. They were almost to the edge when the beast caught up with them, its claws latching on to Dita's foot and causing her to lose her grip on Hibiki. The boy tumbled free - straight over the edge of the cliff and into the river below.
   "Uchuujin-san!" was the last that Hibiki heard before the waters engulfed him. 

==[End of Chapter 2]==