Forest Week:  Lost In The Tropics Part 3


    Anna was surprised to be flying.  She felt a mixture of exhilaration and terror, just like the day she was captured by Yuki and the Lair Legion at SPUD’s research center.  She was just as surprised to see that she had a sparkling aura, like she had been immersed in golden champagne.

    She looked down and watched the drop bears try in futility to climb the trees rapidly and reach her.  They were incredibly stubborn about making sure she wouldn’t get away.

    There were two problems, though.  

    One, that she realized her temporary magical flight was nothing like what Lara Night was capable of, or Hatman with his Rockets cap.  Instead of self-propelled high velocity flight, it was more like a sailboat floating along and riding the wind slowly.  The drop bears below could easily follow on the ground, and wait for her to land, meaning she had to navigate over land they couldn’t cross somehow.

    And second, she had no idea if the temporary flight would last that long.  She could come crashing to the ground at any moment, and then the drop bears would...

    That was another thing.  They probably knew she wasn’t human now, which meant she was going to be either of no use to them, or a threat.  Either way, instead of simply kidnapping her this time, it was quite likely they would violently attack and kill her.  They were strong, like many other bears, and had claws like them.  It would be easy enough to rip her to shreds and leave her broken and in pieces on the jungle floor, never to be found again.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Why are you helping me, anyway?”  Anna asked Peter Pan, flying alongside her.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Justice, and standing up for the weak.”  he said.  “It’s everyone’s job.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Can we go higher?  Above the trees?”  she asked.

    He nodded happily, and began to ascend, until they were clear of the tree canopy.

    Then it was just like flying in the helicopter, except windier, quieter, and slower.  The best part was that the drop bears would have a harder time following her on the ground with trees blocking the view.  At least she hoped, they might have some sort of extrasensory tracking abilities.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is that your flying machine?”  Peter Pan asked her as they found it and circled above.

    Anna shook off the thoughts she was lost in, and looked down.  She realized then that she and the boy were hovering high in the air.  Below them was an area of trees that were shredded, and underneath that, her helicopter.  The shredding came from the helicopter blades while she was crashing it earlier.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  the android replied.  “But I’m afraid it’s not flight worthy after crashing, and I’m out of fuel.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Hmm.  Maybe I should take you to the others.”  Pan pondered out loud.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“The others?”  Anna asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“There are others like you who were taken by the Drop Bears.”

    Anna turned around to face him, but she wasn’t sure how she managed it in mid-air on will alone.  “You’ve seen them?  You know where they are?”

    He nodded.  “They call themselves the Lair Legion.  Funny name, isn’t it?”

    Even as he was talking, Anna started to think.  Each one of the kidnappings, including herself, might be a trap for every other victim to locate and fall into.  If there was a mastermind behind it all, that was entirely possible, and also likely.  If she joined them, she could be trapped too, and be captured and neutralized along with everyone else.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Anna?”  Peter Pan prompted her when she didn’t reply.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Are you alone, or do you have other allies?”  she asked abruptly.

    He looked confused.  “Allies?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Friends.”  she clarified.  “Others who will help you and aid you if you’re in trouble.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah!”  he enthusiastically responded.

    Anna started to smile, her most disarming and friendly grin.  “Would you mind bringing them together?  I think my friends are in trouble...and I’m going to need lots of help.”

    Peter Pan looked a little dejected suddenly.  “This is an amazing place.  It brings out stories from your mind.  Just like you had to believe to fly, Anna, only you can bring my friends together.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Friends.”  Anna whispered, barely audibly.  “Friends from stories in my mind.”

    Anna figured that she needed raw power to fight whatever these drop bears were.  Something that could intimidate them, like a starship from stories she read or watched.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“But be careful.”  Pan warned her, as if he knew what she was thinking.  “Keep it simple, and small.  The drop bears can will themselves anywhere you can.  There has to be no room for them.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No room, eh?”  she asked.  Thinking about his warning, she also considered that anything too large or powerful might also escalate things.  The drop bears would just bring out something bigger or more powerful, until it starts to endanger her other friends, even miles away.  It would have to be a tight, closely knit group of people she considered.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Ho, there!”  a loud British voice called from the trees below them.  He was hanging from a vine that was wrapped around one leg, holding on with one arm, and waving with the other.  He wore a green outfit that looked similar to Peter Pan’s, only more more ornate and less tattered.

    The sparkling sprite burst from Peter Pan’s hat, and made a bee-line for the waving man below.  Once covered with glitter, he floated up beside Anna.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Robin Hood, at your service.”  he said, not seeming the least bit disturbed about hovering in midair.  He had a small archery bow and some arrows strapped to his back.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“How did you get up here?”  Anna asked.

    The expert archer looked down at the vine he came from.  Hidden in the trees was a nearly naked man with long hair, crouching, and hidden by the shadows of the leaves.

    With a charming laugh, Robin said, “You’ll have to pardon Tarzan, he’s a little shy.  Actually he’s hiding, he doesn’t like drop bears.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m not too fond of them, either.”  Peter Pan said.

    The two green outfitted males eyed each other for a moment suspiciously.  Finally, Robin Hood tipped his hat, and said, “Nice suit.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Suit?”  Peter Pan sounded confused.  He didn’t understand Robin’s brand of humor.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know I probably brought him here...somehow.”  Anna admitted, “But how is Tarzan going to help us if he’s scared?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Could you please put us down somewhere, Sprite?”  Robin Hood complained, “This floating was fun at first, but it’s really starting to disturb me now.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“The drop bears will get us!”  Anna protested as Peter Pan’s sparkling sprite companion led them slowly into the trees.  She felt a little more relieved when they were lowered into a cluster of stable branches.

    And tucked inside that particular tree was another cabin, this one much larger than Peter Pan’s.  It was even lit inside by candles, and a fire.  Robin Hood opened the door and led Anna and Pan inside.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Would you like some tea?”  he asked.  He reached for a teapot steaming on the fire.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What is this...doing here?”  Anna asked as she accepted a cup of tea.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“This cabin?”  Robin asked, with another charming laugh.  “Well, you know how the Sheriff of Nottingham keeps raiding the woods looking for me?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah.”  Anna said.

    He sported a self-satisfied smile, and sipped some tea.  “They never bother to look...up.”

    Anna nodded.  “I see.  I don’t understand though...how is this all going to help me get home?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You didn’t bring me here for my archery skills,”  he finally admitted.  “But for my strategy.  Take Tarzan for instance.  He’s not just hiding on the roof of my cabin.  He’s making a call.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“A phone call?”  Anna asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What’s a phone?  No!”  Robin explained.  “He’s calling to the creatures of the jungle.  They will not be able to stop your drop bears, since they are too small.  But they might provide us some--”

    Robin stopped talking because his cabin in the trees was suddenly half filled with bears.

    Then the door crashed open, and the other half filled with huge gorillas, led by Tarzan.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Oh, dear.”  Robin Hood said.


TO BE CONTINUED
    

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2009 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin