The Dark Warrior staggered. Pain ran deep in his chest. What was to become of him? The wall catches the Maximal, halting his impending fall. Jungle grunts from feeling the pain in his shoulder caused by the impact against the steel plating of the wall. His back was now planted firmly against it. The support it lent being the soul source of Jungle’s ability to remain upright.

What was happening?

Eyeing fluid running down his leg, his dark blue optics focus in on a wound present now in his abdomen.

He had been shot.

The Dark Warrior clutches tight to the wound but the fluid drain is not hindered. “Slag,” he manages before the figurative curtain closes to finish this act.

The Maximal’s knees buckle and then... and then... and then...

Darkness.

...

It is darker then night. Of course it could be day; it’s just too dark to tell. Two specs of faint blue light appear serving as our soul source of illumination. A closer look reveals them to be the glow from a pair of eyes. The faint outline it unmasks reveals their owner; Jungle.

The Dark Warrior is seated but given the restraints, it’s likely not of his choice. Of note, the wound previously noted is not there. Thus at least enough time has past for it to have healed. If a cr-chamber was used then a day. Two at the most. In the absence of a cr-chamber, then a week can be tacked on. Though, it is impossible to tell how long the wound has been healed, thus far longer could have past.

Time passes. There are no points of reference to say how much. We have only Jungle to look at and he isn’t much help. At times the color of his eyes intensifies, perhaps due to memories surfacing, likely unpleasant ones. At other times his eyes fade to almost nothingness. That is perhaps due to sad memories or maybe caused by the reality of the situation.

Then something new happens. The cat’s eyes widen. Why? Upon turning, that becomes obvious. A thin line of light appears in the near distance.

A door.

A door is opening.

The light now ensuing from the opening is damn near blinding. Jungle turns from it as much as his restraints will allow which isn’t much. A figure emerges from the light, rushing toward Jungle. Like Jungle, he is a Cybertronian but lacks the features of a secondary mode or beast form.

Another of the same superstructure type flanks the first. Only, he is holding a data pad of sorts and with a few quick key strokes, Jungle’s restraints become unbuckled.

The Dark Warrior tries to speak but is unable as his throat is dry. He is unable to speak from not having spoken for so long. His ears register an alarm in the background.

The first to enter grabs Jungle and carries him out of the room via the firemen’s carry. Jungle found he was in no position to struggle as his limbs were limp and stiff from nonuse. He was utterly helpless. That inwardly terrified him.

Jungle’s sense of focus leaves him.

When it finally comes back to him, he finds himself to be staggering next to the ‘bot who was previously carrying him. Ahead of them was a spacecraft. The sounds of shots being fired rung out in many directions.

“Freeze,” someone exclaims.

Turning, Jungle and the other find the source to be a Cybertronian with a gun pointed in their direction.

Purely on instinct, Jungle complies with the command. There was way too much confusion and Jungle’s mind was way too clouded for the presence of rational thought. It came down to; if you can’t trust your instincts, what can you trust?

Jungle’s apparent partner in crime on the other hand takes aim and fires at the guard.

Purely on instinct, Jungle throws himself into the projectile’s path.

If you can’t trust your instincts, what can you trust?

Darkness.

...

“Repair cycle completed,” we hear a computer voice state. We are with Jungle now, inside a cr-chamber and are again blinded with Jungle by protruding light when the chamber’s door opens.

“Hey Big Cat,” are words we hear, which happen to be immersed in a cheerful tone.

A look of shock or rather disbelief on Jungle’s face is replaced by a slight smile. When concerning Jungle that is as close to showing ‘happiness’ as he ever gets.

“Ice,” Jungle retorts.

The pair embrace. Ice or Icerunner is a female Maximal, bonded with snow leopard DNA. Her fiery optics burned of copper. The panther had a couple years on her and a couple inches. In contrast to Jungle’s predominantly black frame, hers was white or rather, silver.

“You know how much time has gone by, JJ?” Ice asks.

In response, Jungle shakes his head back and forth. With Ice, he didn’t play games.

“One year.” Is the answer Ice provides to her own question.

Jungle lets a look of disbelief show but he could tell from Ice’s mannerisms that she wasn’t joshing him. One year? Damn. His best guess was way off on that mark.

“A lot’s happened Big Cat…”

...
... flash back...

“Help me,” a woman cries out. She is in the telekinetic grip of the lovely Ms. Jadestone. Jade’s faction of choice? Predacon. Beastmode? Beaver. Superstructure type? TM2.

Both are suspended in the air, several feet off the ground. The Dark Queen forces her captive to touch her. Notably the captive is struggling for breath; a further result of Jade’s influence.

Jade lets out a moan.

“Don’t stop struggling,” Jade commands, voice almost a whisper. “Please don’t stop,” Jade continues with.

Using her natural sense of women’s intuition as a guide, Jadestone cocks her head in time to notice the Dark Warrior’s appearance as he deactivated his cloak field.

In the same sequence, Jungle throws a knife in her direction however Jade is not thrown off guard as much as Jungle would of liked.

Jade is able to block the knife by propelling her captive in front of it.

What was intended to be a kill shot for Jadestone, turned out to be a kill shot for the victim. In this case, the saying; no good deed goes unpunished holds water.

Winking, Jade takes to the air just as the police arrive, who also happened to hear the woman’s screams.

Seeing Jungle standing over the body with his other knife in hand, the rookie’s first instinct is to discharge.

... end flash back...
...

“... those men at the prison belong to a group called, Atheist."

“Never heard of ‘um,” responds Jungle to Ice.

“I’m hardly shocked Big Cat, they’ve only been around the last few months.”

“Oh.”

Ice smiles ear to ear, appreciating Jungle’s dry comment. However she quickly gets serious once more. “They claimed responsibility for the bombing of the High Council Chamber three months ago and since then, they have been heavily recruiting.”

“Nice to know I wasn’t forgotten about,” states the Dark Warrior.

Ice frowns looking to the ground. “They wouldn’t allow visitors-”

Jungle interrupts. “I didn’t mean it like that, Little Cat. Solitary confinement is solitary confinement. Speaking of which...”

Ice embraces him.

“That’s kind of why I’m here, JJ. I was asked to speak on the government’s behalf.”

“What? They look’n to use me as bait in exchange my sentence being knocked off or something like that?”

Ice nods.

“Tell ’um no thanks, darl’n.”

“I told them that’s what you would say,” Ice responded.

“But you used the chance to see me anyway.”

Ice smirks, adding, “we know each other too well, Big Cat.”

Jungle returns her previous embrace.

Darkness.
Silence.

...

The noise of an explosion interrupts the ambience, shaking our viewing window. A pair of blue light specs appear.

What then happens? Nothing, the disturbance has ceased.

Jungle feels the vessel set down. He allows his body to finally relax. Sweat had rolled down Jungle’s brow from the anxiety caused by the uncertainty of things. But he had at last arrived at his new home. Light shines into the room upon his cell door opening.

But there is a problem; Jungle could tell that those entering weren’t Maximal Alliance guards. Apparently something note worthy had happened back there, after all. Obviously, where ever he now was, wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

The Dark Warrior can’t struggle. How could he? They wore faction emblems that were neither Autobot or Decepticon, Maximal or Predacon. Rather something else. It was the same emblem worn by the cat’s prior ‘liberators’. They elect to unbolt the chair he is seated in rather then release his binds. Likely due to the outcome of the previous attempt.

Jungle is carried off the ship and taken through several passageways. From his surroundings he deduces that he is not on a capital ship. Rather inside a planetary body, most likely an asteroid.

“Leave us,” commanded an individual who was awaiting Jungle’s arrival in the room he is set down in. “Welcome, Dark Warrior,” the modeless Cybertronian continues with.

Jungle does not give him any visible indication of a response. Though, the other doesn’t seem too upset.

“I hope you’ll forgive my poor hospitality Jungle, but you did not exactly cooperate last time.”

Jungle lets out a slight smirk.

“I represent a political faction called Atheist.”

“Atheist, huh? What kind of name is that? Ya’ll against religion or something?” Jungle asked.

Jungle’s tone was stone cold. Not at all the tone he used prior with Ice.

“The excepted religion, yes,” the figure responded.

Jungle was being a smart ass, nothing further, but it seemed that he had actually struck a nerve. “Don’t tell me. Slagg’n Unicron worshipers?”

The other nods. “But that’s not a relevant issue.”

“Depends on your definition of the word, I suppose,” Jungle commented.

The other laughs. “I suppose. My definition is that we both have something in common. Everyone here does.”

Jungle does not give him any visible response.

“The established government has wronged us all. You-”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you spent the last year confined in jail.”

“Do the crime, do the time,” Jungle retorted.

“But you didn't actually commit the crime did you? You were punished because they don't understand you.”

Jungle’s eyes narrow to but paper thin slits, how could he know that..?

There was something... something...

The sound of someone clearing their throat is heard. The other in the room with Jungle turns toward the sound in time to be greeted by a fist.

He falls.

“I’m getting tired of always saving your ass, Bright Eyes,” states the new comer.

“Pyre,” retorts Jungle. “Who invited you?”

“Icerunner.”

Jungle mumbles a few words that can’t be made out. The cat realizes he was in fact a pawn after all. Bait. The Maximal Alliance was either tracking the ship Jungle was in or Jungle directly he deduces. He made a mental note to have his frame searched by a third party later. Sounds of a firefight are heard ensuing.

“That would be the cavalry,” Pyre commented as his warp blades extended from his wrists.

Pyre was a Cybertronian, bonded with dragon DNA. He came across as more ‘organic looking’ then Jungle or Ice, for that matter. If Jungle were standing now, Pyre would be a head taller. The dragon’s eyes glowed red. He maintained his dragon tail in robot mode as well as three pair of wings which were at present capped around his superstructure.

“Coming?” The Dark One adds as he begins to walk out of the room. Jungle wasn’t in the least amused as his restraints still held firm, something Pyre was obviously aware of.

The same pair who carried Jungle into the room to begin with, now rush back into it. Sidearms to bare, they fire, deciding the situation warranted shooting first. Pyre however is able to deflect the projectiles with his warp blades.

Pyre is then swallowed by the shadows present in the room but soon re-emerges behind the attackers and impales them.

Down they go.

Pyre had the ability to manipulate shadows to allow for short range teleportation. That’s how he gained entry into the room in the first place, in case you were wondering.

...

We view now a vessel in orbit of an asteroid. It has Maximal markings. It is in fact the ‘Avatar’. A capital ship and flag ship of the Maximal fleet. In a simplified description, it is the Maximal Alliance’s battlestar equivalent.

Cutting to the command center, we find Jungle to be present only free of his restraints. Pyre is also present, though off to the side and standing immersed in shadows. Icerunner is there too as is Quade.

Quade is commander of the Avatar and is a beast warrior as well, bonded with brown bear DNA. The basic built of his superstructure is similar to that of Rhinox from Beast Wars.

“Unfortunately, the majority of Atheist was able to escape,” we hear Quade say.

“Serves ya’ll right,” says Jungle whom has his back to the group.

Ice lets a smirk out. Quade on the other hand frowns.

“They didn’t have time to wipe their hard drives. I’ll get to mining them,” states Ice.

“Good,” responds Quade. Quade’s voice was more ‘seasoned’ then the others present. “Jungle, because of your ‘assistance’,” we hear Jungle growl, “you’ve been pardoned.”

“Thanks. I’ll be going then,” stated Jungle.

“You’re free to go Jungle. Once we get back to Cybertron,” retored Quade.

“Whatever,” Jungle replied.

...

We find Jungle and Pyre to be in the midst of a sparring match.

They exchange a pretty steady series of blows. Their bout carries with it a steady rhythm as the two know each other quite well.

Pyre comes down at Jungle from the air. Jungle in turn back flips to avoid Pyre’s strike and to also create distance. The Dark Warrior shoots the Dark One a nod who returns it in kind.

“Copping at being mortal well, I see,” Jungle spoke up with.

Pyre smirks. “Being immortal was never a prereq to kick your ass, Bright Eyes.”

“For some folks maybe. Not you.”

Light hearted words in a light hearted conversation.

The sound of the door opening can be heard. Both turn to see who had elected to join them. It is a human female with green hair and green eyes who pays no mind to either - Jennifer Scott. She is aware of being the object of their combined attention but doesn’t let it show she cares. If she in fact does, that is.

A feeling of awkwardness filled the air at present.

“How’s the wife?” Jennifer asks, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Heading to find out,” retorts Pyre who steps into a shadow to make his exit.

Jungle shrugged, secretly finding it all, ‘amusing’.

...

Icerunner at present is multi tasking. The snow leopard is both examining code on a computer monitor and talking with Quade.

“So, what’s up?” Ice asks.

“I’m not following,” Quade responds.

“Yeah right, Quade. You’re just hanging over my shoulder for the sake of it? It’s Jungle isn’t it?”

Quade nods. “It’s been two years since I’ve seen him. I have no idea what to say. We’re so different him and I.”

“You’re brothers.”

“Brothers, who have never really been there for each other.”

“If you want to change that pattern General, then just be there for him now.”

“Am I interrupting?” States a voice.

Both turn at Pyre’s arrival.

“Not at all,” Ice says as her and Pyre share a kiss.

...

Jennifer tilts her head enough to avoid Jungle’s punch.

She then turns into him, such that her back is against his chest. Then by grabbing his still extended arm from that punch he threw, she succeeds in flipping him.

Jungle meanwhile takes hold of her wrist and yanks down, managing to take her down with him. End result? She lands on top of him.

“What?” Jennifer asks.
“What?” Jungle asks.
“Let go.”
“Sorry.”

Both get back to their feet.

“How’d they drag you into this anyway, Scott?”

“None of your concern, that’s how,” is Jennifer’s response as she brushes passed him.

“Missed you at the wedding,” Jungle adds as she exits.

“Slag off cat,” we hear Jennifer say.

A slight smile forms on Jungle’s face. He seemed to enjoy having touched a nerve.

...

In the passageway, Jennifer brushes passed Quade. Quade starts to say something but decides it would be better if he didn’t. ‘Women,’ he thinks.

He soon comes to the gym. Jungle is now working out solo. The cat was determined to get the ‘kinks out’. An awkward moment comes to be when Jungle finally sights Quade.

“Need a hand?” Quade finally asks, knowing he had to say something or just retreat out of the room all together.

Jungle for his part shrugs. “You can hold the bag if you want.”

Quade nods and grips the heavy bag in order to steady it while Jungle strikes it using a variety of kicks and punches. A year of inactivity had taken its toll. Jungle wasn’t feeling anywhere near himself, a feeling he hated.

“I talked to Cyan just recently. She’s doing well. She misses you, I could tell.”

“She’s on my list of people to catch back up with,” replies Jungle. From a technical stand point, Cyan was the cat’s daughter.

“I heard about Sage. I’m sorry, Jungle.”

“There is nothing to be sorry about Quade. She told me up front that she wasn’t going to wait. I appreciate the honesty. A rare quality in women.”

Quade doesn’t laugh at Jungle’s attempt at humor. He never quite ‘got’ Jungle’s very dry humor. He wouldn’t be the only one.

“I would have came to visit you, but-”

“I know, Quade,” Jungle cuts the General off with. “You’ll have to excuse me.” Having said that, Jungle activates his cloak field, vanishing from view.

Jungle often chose to run, rather then confront certain things. He appreciated Quade’s efforts to reach out but that is something he would never admit to him.

...

Jungle unintentionally meets back up with Jennifer Scott in the mess. Having had eyed that the human had what he needed; alcohol, he makes his way over to her. Alcohol was not a standard item found in the ship’s hold. At least in the case of military ships, that is.

Jungle sits at her table without asking first. He knew what the answer would be if he had; ‘no.’

Jennifer pushes a bottle in Jungle’s direction upon his arrival. The pain of being deprived of a drink was beginning to show in the cat’s eyes. Admittedly, Jennifer’s jester surprised him. Even in the best of times, Jennifer and Jungle never had all that much to do with each other. No real reason. Just fact.

“Ice and Pyre. Who would of thought?” Jen asks. Well, it was more of a statement then a question.

Jungle was beginning to understand the nature of Jennifer’s kindness. Her and Pyre were one time lovers. Well perhaps, on and off again, lovers would be more accurate. The union between Ice and Pyre was obviously not sitting well with her and in Jungle she saw a potentially kindred spirit in that sense.

Clutching his prize, Jungle decided it was to his benefit to play along.

“It’s a bet I would of lost, Scott,” is Jungle’s response.

The two actually end up talking for some time. The conversation moves from the topic of Ice and Pyre, to adventures they’ve shared, to back to Ice and Pyre.

In regards to the matter of ‘Ice and Pyre,’ from the cat’s stand point, there really wasn’t any ‘issue.’ Jungle had his initial reservations about the relationship, granted, but upon seeing that Pyre truly cared for Ice, he accepted it for Ice’s sake.

Jungle and Ice were never romantically involved. Many would view their friendship as, ‘complex,’ true. But Jungle always considered Ice to be his ‘little sister.’ Nothing more. Jungle however, chose his words carefully as to not anger/annoy/bother Jennifer given how she was being his benefactor.

...
... flash back...

”You can’t go back. The life you had before is over.”

Ice stood in disbelief at having heard what she had just heard. Apparently the incident at the bar was no random act. It was an exchange between two intelligence groups – one of which being the Maximal Secret Police (MSP) – gone bad. Having witnessed such an act, standard MSP procedure dictated that she be taken offline; full scale cover up.

“Wha... what am I to do then?” Ice stuttered out. If the agent before her had intended on killing her, he’d of done it at the bar. He spared her. She was a creature of logic and thus logic dictated he didn’t spare her just to kill her.

Jungle placed his back to her. Her ‘pureness’ her ‘innocence’ was becoming a bit much too bare. He then sighed, not believing himself what he was about to do.

“Come with me,” the panther commanded.

“Huh… what? Why?”

“Would you rather I shot you?” Jungle stated as he started to walk away.

“... no. NO!” Ice blurted as she hurried to catch up.

... end flash back...
...

Both Jennifer and Jungle exchange quizzical looks upon hearing the sound of an explosion. Alarms ring out. Instructions are given over the ship’s intercom system for all crewmembers to man 'action stations'.

...

Quade is seen in the process of being rushed to the medlab. His body is covered in burn marks and he was leaking fluid from various sections of his body.

...

“What happened?” A question Jungle directs to Ice.

They were in an observation room which had a view of the preparations the medical team was taking to prepare Quade for cr-chamber treatment. Pyre and Jennifer Scott were present as well.

Ice responded, “the data I was decrypting was jack knifed. If Quade hadn’t shielded me from the explosion...”

Jungle lets out a growl. It was directed at everyone. It was directed at no one. Taking a few pop shots at the room’s viewing window, Jungle actually manages a few cracks in it. Transforming into his panther beast form he storms out, cloaking in the process.

Pyre moves to comfort Ice.

Jennifer follows Jungle’s lead.

A direct result of Pyre’s actions?

Hard to say.

...

“Hey Big Cat,” Ice says. She seems to know he is there without even turning.

She was at present seeing what was salvageable from the lab. Deactivating his cloak field, the cat comes into view behind Ice. Both had their back to the other.

“For the record Ice, ‘it’ wasn’t directed at you,” states Jungle.

“I know. Never crossed my mind in fact.” A moment of silence passes between the two. “What now, JJ?”

“Now, Atheist gets a bruising.”

...

Dust is blowing in all directions. There are no structures in sight. The only thing visible is dust and more dust. Looking around, we spot three figures in the near distance. Upon closer inspection, they are Jungle, Pyre and Jennifer Scott. Jungle and Pyre are both in beast form as the conditions make such a conversion ideal. Jennifer is without the luxury.

“Am I the only one that can’t tell where we’re going?” Jennifer asks.

In response, her and Jungle share a smile. They had halfway bonded – at the expense of Pyre.

Pyre picks up on that ‘moment’ between the two but isn’t quite sure how to react. He and Jennifer were one time lovers or perhaps on and off again lovers would be a better description.

“How are we doing, Ice?” Pyre asks seemingly into thin air. But in fact there is a comm. link open between them and the Avatar.

“You’re right on target,” we hear Ice respond with. “The settlement is another mile away.”

The data recovery was not a complete loss. What was recovered was the location of a secondary Atheist facility on this planet. The telemetry of the fleeing vessels from the Atheist asteroid base made this place a possible destination for some of them.

To avoid detection, the Avatar was a safe distance away. The trio had arrived in a small transport vessel, the hope being that it would avoid attention. The conditions of the planet made it hard to determine what exactly was down there. That same principle works to the strike team’s advantage in this present case.

The settlement was a hodge-podge assortment of buildings assembled by no two like pieces. There was nothing outwardly menacing about it, assuming it was menacing at all. But it probably was. The cliental this place attracted were drifters, rogues and pirates. It was the type of place where no one trusted anyone.

“Take care of yourself. Jungle too,” Ice communicates solely to Pyre.

...

Alone, Jennifer approaches the check in station. She had arrived just after another group.

“What are you?” The alien asks.
“Human,” Jennifer retorts.
“Never heard of your kind.”
“Now you have.”
“What’s your business here?”
“What the hell do you think?”

The alien laughs and waves her forward, helping himself to a view of her rear as she passes. Being well aware of that, Jen simply rolls her eyes. Then stops. Then turns around and grabs the alien by his throat.

“Get a good look?” She asks while her hand crackled with energy.

The alien nods.

Her eyes narrow a bit but she does release her grip. She shoves him back hard enough that his chair flips over. After dusting her hands off, she is on her way.

...

A battle worn Cybertronian is in a storage room. He is essentially, ‘laying low.’ Present on his chest is the Atheist emblem. He looks over his shoulder a couple of times. He couldn’t help but feel that he was somehow being watched. He stands and walks around for a bit. Reaching for his sidearm from his subspace compartment, he turns around but no one is there. Breathing a sigh of relief he turns back around.

There stands Pyre.

An expression that reads, ‘slag,’ forms on his face.

He raises his weapon, only to have his entire hand sliced off. Taking hold of his shoulders, Pyre lifts him off the ground as the Dark One stood two heads taller. A quick head-butt finishes it.

“I’ve located my target. Hopefully this guy really is someone. From the lack of fight I’m wondering.”

“I’m comparing the visual you’re sending me with what I decrypted,” we hear Ice say. “You got him.”

“I assume the same goes for the others?”

“I was about to ask you that. Jungle and Jennifer haven’t reported in.”

...

Pyre’s luck was better then Jennifer’s.

She at present was caught in Jadestone’s clutches.

Jen was forced to hang in the air while Ms. Jadestone circled around, ‘checking her out.’

Notably Jadestone's Predacon faction symbol had been replaced with an Atheist one.

Scott was of course finding the act of breathing to be quite difficult in accordance with Jade’s typical MO.

A twisted smile formed on Jade’s face while her hands squeezed Jen’s chest.

Jade moaned as she forced Jen to touch her.

“I fail to see why Pyre left you for her,” we hear Jade say, voice at a whisper.

Jen was furious, but the strain for breath made it hard to focus. Her attempt to struggle was in vein.

Jade smiles cheek to cheek upon spotting Jungle.

The cat stood against the wall with arms crossed. There was no point in being sneaky when it came to Jade, Jungle had learned.

“Didn’t expect to find you here, darl’n. Not that I’m disappointed,” Jungle says.

Licking her lips, Jade drops Jen, to focus more fully on Jungle.

Mistake.

Touching down, Jennifer converts into her energy state, venting her anger through the discharge of an energy beam. Jade cries out as she is knocked toward Jungle.

The cat’s chest mounted chain guns come to life, blasting at Jade with all their fury. Their force knocks the Predacon back toward Jen.

Jen sidesteps to avoid the impact, then blasts Jade with another energy beam. End result? Jade is smacked through a wall.

Down and out.

Alarms ring out as the bout was anything but quiet. So much for zero detection protocol. At the moment, Jungle could care less. Likely, the same goes for Jen.

...
... flash back...

Winking, Jade takes to the air just as the police arrive, who also happened to hear the woman’s screams.

... end flashback...
...

Jungle grabs Jade who is still unconscious. He hits her several times in the face.

“Cat, we have to get the slag out of here,” exclaims Jennifer who is now back in her human form. She finally resorts to just pulling Jungle off. “Come on,” she commands.

They had literally stirred up a beehive. However the personal are more concerned with getting the hell out then fighting. A logical choice. Those who Jungle and Jennifer do come across are mowed down by Jungle’s chest guns or blasted by Jen’s energy attacks. Usually the fleeing of a base is accompanied by a large explosion.

The same holds true here.

Now viewing the settlement as a whole, we see a portion of it go up in flames.

...

Jennifer and Jungle are spotted limping back toward their transport together. Their bodies are covered in burns. Jen’s clothing is torn. They are helping each other walk, in fact. Almost holding the other up.

...

Pyre is waiting for them back at the transport.

He frowns from behind his battle mask at their sight.

“You didn’t accomplish your objectives did you?” Questioned Pyre.

“Shove it,” Jungle and Jennifer respond together.

...

They arrive back at the Avatar without incident. The mission was hardly a success, but not a complete failure either.

...

“Ouch,” shouts Jungle.

“It wouldn’t hurt so much if you would just hold still,” Ice retorts who was at work patching Jungle up. His wounds fortunately were not all together serious. A few sparks from Ice’s torch strike Jungle’s face.

“Hey!”
“Serves you right,” Ice retorted.

Both smile. That is till Ice slaps him.

“What the slag, woman?”
“That’s for what you did down there.”
“I already apologized for that.”

We hear Jungle scream again from Ice’s ‘repair’ work.

...

Jungle and Jennifer cross paths in a hallway. Both pause upon spotting the other.

For a moment they just stand there.

That is till Jen kisses Jungle.

A kiss they share.

Then she’s on her way. Jungle didn’t exactly mind what had just happened, mind you. But he was left to wonder, ‘what that was all about?’ As she headed off.

Ice’s voice is heard over the comm.

“Just thought you should know JJ, that Quade’s awake.”

...

“Congratulations,” Jen states to Pyre, who is awoken from his meditation by the comment.

“On what?” Pyre asks.

“Your marriage. I never said congratulations.” Jen was sincere in her remarks. “I’m glad you finally found happiness. No question you deserve it.”

“Thanks Jennifer, I-”
“Save it, Dark One.”
With that she walks off.

...

Quade rubs his neck. The cr-chamber had left him feeling quite stiff. He really hated those things. But unfortunately they were a necessary evil. Quade arcs his arms back, succeeding in cracking his back. He felt much better then. Turning, he spots Jungle present in the doorway.

...
..
.

Fin.

CREDITS

DISCLAIMER

Basically like this fic? Then read this one: Yesterday's Demons and this one: Heart.