Dynamic Patrol: Gel-Squad (Remastering!)

Chapter 41: The Hunt

Now alone, Russell was determined to find something to do; unlike Tommy, he was not greeted with interest but with disappointment and glares. But instead of letting the villagers have their way, he would glare back with no remorse; he would not be bullied into feeling bad. Screw this village; it's not like it mattered anyway. He'd be leaving again soon, and they could go back to toiling in nonsensical tasks that they believed were the pinnacle of their existence. Russell's defiance wasn't just about him standing up for himself; it was a statement against the small-mindedness he felt surrounded by. The only one who seemed to be interested in his well-being was Blade, but Russell didn't like him. So when Kallum forced him to accompany Blade on a hunt, one could imagine the fury that twisted across Russell's face as he'd been told to report.

He didn't have that much choice, and after some thought, he changed his mind and decided to follow Tommy's advice in not angering his brother. Even though he didn't like it... it was logical not to get thrown out on his ass. He'd die out there alone without a ship or even a boat... they needed the village. Unfortunately, hunting was something that he happened to be good at, so that was his job; everyone in the village needed to have a job; they had to be useful. The only problem was that it would be just them, no party, no brothers—just Russell and Blade. Russell hated Blade. He'd bite him to death in his sleep if he didn't think that Kallum would execute him the day after. So it was best just to get it over with. When the two met up on the village's south side near the gate, it was clear it was time for the hunt and on short notice. They got up just as the suns rose, and the people were still setting up their plans for the day.

As they approached the front gate, the guards recognized Blade's appearance immediately and allowed him to exit the village. High profile. "What exactly is it we're hunting for?" Russell stated about thirty minutes into their hunt, "Olgons, come on-- you know that surely city life hasn't made your memory lousy. It's the only thing worth hunting out here." Olgons, or 'Gel-Tigers' in layman's terms. They took shelter in one of the small hunting towers that littered the forest. It had large cutouts on each wall, but they would not be shooting. They were simply watching, and once one came close enough, Blade would've killed it with his bare hands as he preferred to do it. At least the tower was elevated, so they could wait in at least semi-comfort. They set a few handmade traps in the forest, filled with bait from the garden, and covered them with leaves to keep them hidden in the vegetation. "So, why'd you leave? You were my best hunter. You disappointed me." Blade started randomly, chillingly soft, "Don't talk to me." Russell responded bluntly, not reciprocating Blade's softness. He didn't really want to get into this discussion right now. "Russell." Blade pressed coldly, staring deep into Russell as if he could see his intentions to leave. "Don't worry, you can keep missing me. Because as soon as Tommy is well enough, I'm getting the hell off this island. Even if I have to swim to shore myself."

"What's wrong with your little orange friend?" Blade asked, eyeing Russell. "He merged with Oscar. Again." Blade exhaled unamused and picked up the conversation. "What? You say that as if it's a bad thing. He's an Omeocoon! He's just doing what he's supposed to. The merge is normal for us; it's the ultimate connection between our people; it's not like it's horrible." Russell shook his head at such a response, "You don't get it. Tommy is getting comfortable here. And we can't have that because we still need to find who's responsible for the bombs in the Capital City. I had friends in the city who died there. And I want to find whoever was responsible and bring them to justice." Blade laughed, clearly amused. Russell raised an eyebrow, "Something funny to you, you asshole?" Russell hissed impatiently, "It's just that you sound like a member of that Dynamic Patrol. I caught a few glimpses of that during the mass merge. If I'm not mistaken, A Dynamic Patrol Team typically includes four members; you and Tommy aren't four. The droid doesn't count. Additionally, you aren't even technically a member."

"Let's just say I've been with Tommy. And maybe his motivation has imprinted on me a little. Also, why are you so interested? Are you trying to join or something?" Blade did not respond because their trap went off. The iron snapping shut on the enormous trap was more than loud enough to catch their attention, followed by the roar of something big and in pain. Blade was the first out. He pounced out of one of the open windows. Russell followed, and after a brief run, they saw a creature had become ensnared in the trap; it was as large as one would expect a Tiger to be; it featured a streamlined body, a rubbery-like texture, and a dark blue complexion. Similar to an Omeocoon. "Yes!" Blade shouted triumphantly as he spotted the creature, "Now I have to put it out of its misery, and we can head back to camp with our prize. This is going to help a lot of people." Blade said, pounding his fist into his palm. After he shifted that hand into a mallet and prepared to put the cat to rest, he raised his mallet hand over its head. He was now in mid-swing before Russell jumped in between them, "Stop!" Blade stopped, but he was about a microsecond away from bashing Russell's face in. He relaxed and placed his non-mallet hand on his hip. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"We shouldn't! We should let it go!" Blade frowned at that. "Wha-? But I don't understand you love hunting with me." Blade shouted in clear disbelief, "That's why Kallum told me to take you along!" Russell rolled his eyes, and so it suddenly made sense. His brother engineered this entire interaction, likely in an attempt to get Russell to accept staying on the island, and although he meant to keep him here against his will, it still would've been better if Russell had been led to believe that staying here was his choice. There was just one issue with his plan. Russell. Despised hunting. It was one of the reasons why he left. He saw no reason to kill the animals that were living peacefully in the forest; the synthetic fabrics from the city were more than enough to supply the Omeocoon with what little clothing they needed, but of course, the tribe was 'traditional' so they didn't factor in the preservation of wild animals, but Russell did, and so whether Blade liked it or not, he released the animal, and it limped away, knowing that in its current state, it would be no match for two Omeocoons.

Blade did not enjoy that. Not one bit. Despite it walking free, he caught up to the creature relatively quickly in its injured state. Russell pursued, trying to stop him, "No! Blade, wait!" He said in between, trying to hold the larger canine-like Omeocoon back. "Don't do it!" Blade was not listening, and with a grunt, he struck the creature right upside its head. "No!" Russell shouted as the large cat fell limp. Russell dropped to his knees and lifted one of its paws, only for it to fall to the ground when he released it, dead. "Why'd you do it? It wasn't going to do anything to us!" Blade nodded at the result and grabbed Russell by the underarm, forcing him to his feet. "I'm sorry you have to learn this way, but you're a difficult pupil." He said calmly, as his mallet reverted back into a hand, "Maybe a few hours of quiet time will be good for you. That should give you plenty of time to think." Russell suddenly became frightened, and his face displayed, such as the color visibly drained from his body, which made Blade smile rather sickly. Russell would not dare try to retaliate against Blade because that would only get him into more trouble. Suddenly, he regretted crashing here in the first place.

Russell pleaded as he was forced back to camp, "No, please!" He said one last time as they stood outside the room. It was dimly lit with a warm yellow and was specifically designed as a padded room to stop offenders from hurting themselves, "Not the quiet room, Blade, please. I'll be good, I swear!" It turns out Russell was not the only troublemaker in the village; he was just a lot more careless in hiding his attitude. But when Kallum had gotten tired of this 'rebellious' behavior from his population, he ordered this room and six other duplicate rooms just like it to be built within the security office, specifically for mischiefs who decided to step outside his predefined mold, airtight, so no escape. "Liar! But don't worry... you just need more time, but eventually, you'll come to accept the idea of being here, and when you see things our way, you'll stand by me as my second again. Try not to use up too much oxygen. I heard it could be difficult for you lung-bearers to breathe in spaces without vents." Blade removed Russell's kit, and then, with a firm push, Russell was forced into the box. He grunted as he landed on the soft floor. And before he could rise to his feet, he was locked inside the room.

After a few minutes, he remembered that they didn't even take the cat back. Blade just killed it just to do it. As a 'lesson.' Now Russell was alone. His only window was blocked off. He couldn't even see outside.