With a quickness the husky frame of Jack's shouldn't be capable of, the boy strudded foward hiding his face steaming with red, almost tripping in the process. In the beginning Fred's growth was something warranted, something he wanted to blosom. But now, the boy has surpassed him within a single night, joining up with Ezekiel in the process. He balanced himself with resolve and caution, he won't fall for another trick this time around. The two lovely ladies following Jack now had an easiness to themselves, they placed trust in Fred, basically handing him the reigns and confiding in his judgement. The only person these two trusted with that type of task, was just Ezekiel, so showing this side to Fred whom supposedly shouldn't deserve it, left a slight feeling of cringe, but hope all the more. The tail of the snake, Fred, was observantly surveying the jungle as the group moved along, looking for even the most miniscule detail. After heading west for about a minute, realized they should back track and pay closer attention before traversing deeper. On the second time around Jack was the one to notice it.

Jack: "Ugh whats that smell."

Fred: "What smell what are you talking about?"

Jack: "Down there by those bushes, you don't smell that? Its like a pack of skunks going to the bathroom together."

Fred in shock at Jack's repulsion, having not the faintest idea of what the older brother was whiffing. Looking around, he noticed everyone else was making a smiliar face to Jack's, staring down at the the suspected bushes. Fred inclined his vision in tha general direction and can see a familiar distortion that seemed to bend space the way overwhelming heat would. He narrows his eyes further, something on the edge of his tongue begging to be discovered, he jumps down by instinct. As he took a huge whiff of the air, he begins coughing hoarsley coughing to the point of feeling pain. With the sudden realization of what it is he was sniffing, he gave equally hoarse laugh mixed into the coughs.

Fred: "Yep those are my funk bombs, Zeke you dimwit!"

Anastatia: "Your responsible for this odor Fred? A true villain."

Lily: "Agreed."

Fred: "Don't just openly say that!"

With no intentions of hiding their anhorrance at Fred's vile creation, both girls sent rebuking remarks flying towards him. Now having their feelings of trust betrayed and violated by the vicarious funk bombs, the two young ladies imagined what the purpose could they possibly hold. Would Fred sell those god awful things to other children? That would be a catostophe, anarchy would reign supreme, buildings will fall to flames, the cursing smoke would rise and pollute the sky in an act of regret. Fred wouldn't be that stupid, the girls mentally agreed, then, why? Could it be.

Lily: "Fred were you going to prank me and Ana with those things?! Evil, just evil! A true enemy of girls across the continent! A shameful enemy of the village! I believed in you for a second... How could you?!"

Anastatia: "Well said Lily! Fred i'm sure your ready to face the consequences for these crimes right? No need to defend yourself, all has been decided, guilty!"

Vindictive to the very core, with the sole purpose of infringing and rebuking, down in the slim and lengthy child's general direction with eyes closed to avoid Fred's visage, the girls screamed. Fred on the verge of collapsing due to his disorientation caused by the nausea inducing gas omnipresent around him, wobbled and swayed. He swifly leapt upwards towards his crew, which incited terror and panic, his smell, that egg, octupus, and feces scented aroma would destroy all 5 senses on contact. The two girls couldn't allow it, they all pounced off the branch, making sure to cover atleast 10 meters in distance. Jack however, stood still in complete solemness with no attempt at evading Fred, as if purposely recieving his punishment for earlier doubt.

Fred: "Fine, if i'm guilty you may judge me at a later time. For now we know where Zeke went next, towards the North, i'm sure since the funk bombs lead that way."

Anastatia: "Shut up Fred! How do we know your not continuing on with your vile ways now that we called you guilty."

Lily: "Exactly, you can't be trusted, plus that smell might kill..."

Fred palmed his face after hearing their immature response. He cursed himself for hiding the bombs under his bed inside the inner sanctum of the floor in his room. Ezekiel must have discovered them whenever he was left alone in the room while Fred went to the restroom or to fetch snacks. The better hiding place would have been somewhere Ezekiel doesn't visit all the time...This bitterness of having his creation flaunted in his face and used against him, not just as a distraction, but for psychological warfare as well... It was demorphing and hope crushing.

Jack: "I think you guys are being too rough, especially since you guys gave off a hint of pride and wonder at Fred's judgement not too long ago."

Lily: "Are you siding with the enemy Jack?!"

Jack: "If thats what you want to call it, sure. Despite the odor Fred gives off his instincts are pure, he also knows Zeke the best of the 4 of us, doubting him will lead us down the hole Zeke dug for us."

Anastatia: "Thats..."

Quietly biting her tongue, Anastatia witheld herself, she deemed Jack's words true to the source, though she didn't want to admit it, Fred spent the most time with Zeke. He had pointed them in the right direction and provided well needed insight to dilemas that were invisible before being revealed. She shook her head valiantly, with a tinge of chide towards herself for being immature. It was only natural knowing her age, but that doesn't really help her much. She shook her head and resigned herself. Jack strode forth, having shamed himself previously, he would not do so again. Arriving to Fred's aid his voice was calm and steady, speaking common sense with a matter-of-fact tone. Fred to Jack's assistance let go of a deep exhale, in the need of hope here comes the oldest, with widsom being the product of age.

Lily: "Ok we get it! But i'm not letting go, you heard Fred! Even if i'm alone you'll be checked by me! It's not that I want to, no, without a doubt not the case. I simply can't let yo get away with such heinous acts. Yes, thats it in fact."

Speaking in an evasive manner meant to stop one in their tracks and heed her will, she pompously puffed her chest out and gave a sudden "hmpf" as she tilted her face away from Fred. These actions only started recently but Fred couldn't help indulging in that ridicoulously cute reaction. Abeit before he let his face turn into one Ezekiel forbode, he also shifted his faced down to cover it. A truly awkward situation, in which every party is either in denial or realised they were in denial. Simultaneously, they all shook their heads with conviction, now was the time to move on, before they began to wallow, which is precisely what Ezekiel wanted. For them to waste time on trivalties and build distress in their ranks. To carve them up slowly from afar while looking down jeeringly at their melancholy, his intentions were bearing fruit, atleast for a moment.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Fred: "I accept, since you personally want to tend to the matter i'll allow it for earlier. That matter aside, let's move, I know you guys think you might die if you go in the gas but I promise you'll be fine. Although try not to pass out that would be troublesome."

All 3 in unison: "Pass out?!?"

Fred: "Hehe probably shouldn't have said that, anyway onwards soldiers!"

Hestitagingly at first, the soldiers eventually rallied at Fred's call, they noticed the corrosive pit of fumigated green air at once, retching once or twice in response. The gas had already burned leafs and plants alike while moving onto tree bark, slowing scraping even at the age old trees. This was an omnious sight, but one the children could no longer ignore should they hope to reign victorious against the beast Ezekiel. Such as the heros and legends from tales, the children fell straight into their trial, thus it begun. Looking for a trail was like trying to find a copper coin in the ocean, naturally due to the burning sensation of the salt water one shouldn't even be able to upon their eyes. The gas had this effect on the children, but to a reasonable degree, not as horrid as salt, but worse than cutting onions. The girls searched the branches while the men treaded on the ground in the center of danger. Everything within a 50 meter diameter was covered from head to toe, this must have been done for a reason the crew knew that had to be the case.

Anastatia: "Here! Its Zeke's footstep, for sure! I would never mistake this thin baby foot! Even if im only feeling it due to having my eyes closed.

Lily: "She's right! This foot is too big for a Zora monkey but too small for any other type, it's Zeke's for sure!"

Jack: "Thank huff Wick huff."

Having traversed the vast expanse of the jungle, the crew were very familar with the wild life that lived in their favorite ecosystem. Studied and observed, they began naming animals to their liking, Zora monkey is the smallest of the monkeys with gleaming grey fur and red faces that looked as if constantly in fury. With long arms extending past their bony knees, they weren't exactly hostile, but far from friendly. Ezekiel once attempted in getting along and spent a whole day chasing them around, he looked like a family member that had been shunned from the persepctive of children. With the confirmation of the foots size and shape via monkey discription, Jack relieveness should be assured, had he not been in the heart of the corrosive sphere of destruction. He was barely conscious, more so entranced and disillusioned by the failure of his senses in such a drastic, withered portion of the jungle.

Jack: "Huff huff g-gramps?"

With no shortage in reaction, the entire jungle stared at Jack and the words he just uttered, this of course didn't magically give their eyes protection from the gas. Wails rang throughout the expanse of trees, bushes, vines, flowers, and the variety of wildlife. As if having been woken up, the jungle decrepitly rang with screams of different animals and beast all indiscernable from the other in a mesh of melodies. The night of the hunt was only just beginning, invaders started a party of their own. Snapping back to reality, Fred and the two lovely young ladies needed to stop outwardly sobbing in pain, before Ezekiel realises, or possibly something even worse.

Fred: "Guhhh, we have to stop. Jack, the heck man, why are you talking about gramp Rom right now? You know he's..."

Jack: "Huff gramps, is that you? Wow no way! Even you can make miracles happen? So the funeral and honorific ritual done in your passing was just a joke? Hahaha only someone as strong as you can get away with that gramps. Your my hero, you know that? I want to grow and make miracles happen just like you did gramps. I want to be someone you take pride in with all your being, relishing in our own glory and happiness. Protecting our family with our lives and defeating our enemies mercilessly. Thats our way, gramps..."

Fred: "Jack?!"

The exhaustion and dragging of breath left Jack's voice as he began professing his aspirations and desires shamelessly at this facade of a grandfather that is Fred. His arms swug with gleam and indulgement, a face with delusioned excitement, eyes with red where white should be, drool slipping down his lips onto his chin. In a disarray of gestures and feelings, Jack was in bliss while his body was in terror. Eventually, at his final words, the light in Jack's eyes flickered and disappated, leaving his body to fall in suit. Fred while forcing his eyes open managed to glimpse Jack go limp, and flew towards him, catching him in the same instance.

Anastatia: "Jack?! Cough F-Fred what happened?! Cough."

Fred: "Get out of the gas now! What direction are the tracks pointing?!"

Anastatia: "North!"

Fred: "Head North!"

Succumbing to panic at Jack's unresponsiveness, Fred sprinted North with Jack in tow, forcing his eyes awide despite the irratating pain that might melt his eyeballs at any given second. Hoping the girls heard his frantic order, he was approaching fresh air swiftly with a will to want to live. The air that bent the atmosphere with surges of heat, burning away at all life, death gas, just what had Fred created... This truly is a trial befit for heros, in the manner of being horrific and suffer inducing, both in physical and mental capacities. Having already vanquished one of the young heros, the beast must be laughing its head off at the distraught children who dare called themselves hunters. Feeling the atroscious sensation weaken gradually, Fred sped up, causing a sound almost shockwave like but in a more silent manner befitting a surge of wind flowing in one direction. Until finally the end was reached.

Fred: "Gah! Guhhh... We made it."

Speaking more so to the sky which was still dark, rather than the fainted Jack, Fred intook as much air in as quickly a way as possible. He was delighted with it, absolutely esteemed at the presence of clean oxygen, how could he have taken it for granted all this time? While laying on the emerald covered foundation of the jungle which was tinged with a damp and moist feeling, Fred allowed himself to cool down. Letting the breeze splay on his face with a chilling aroma of wet leaves, towards the corrosive gas, Fred was in peace. That was until a familar noise splayed onto his ears, inciting a bit of anxious clairvoyance Fred would rather not have gotten. He squirmed a bit but intently focused on the shrill high pitch yell. Two sillouttes burst forth, causing the corrosive gas to poof with an explosion then return to its orginal state. With frightnening speed, the two young ladies were descending upon the boys uncontrollably and flailing hopelessly.

Lily and Anastatia: "Look out!"

Fred: "Why just w-"

Noticing he was far too slow to react because of his intense concentration on the lingering sound Fred loved so much, Lily's voice, along with Anastatia's, were violently approaching. A thud resounded which slammed the breath Fred was enjoying gleefully right out of his body. The figure that landed on his abdominal was Lily, thankfully so for Fred, the lightest of the bunch. Jack however arose from his slumber with a squeak which was uncharacteristic for someone who looked like Jack. He was flat on his stomache, unconscious, when Anastatia suddenly flopped onto him with force to break bones.

Jack: "Squee"

Fred: "You guys being foreal or is this some type of vengance? Or maybe your disillusioned like Jack was? Please go easy..."

Lily: "Shut up! Do you think I wanted to leap into your arms and embrace you like before? Your seriously annoying, thats not the case I swear! Anastatia was too fast and I lost control."

Anastatia: "I was too fast? No you were! All worried about Fred and his safety, this happened because of you!"

Lily: "What'd you say! As if that's the case, weren't you desperately trying to reach Jack and check on his condition? Your dodging!"

Heeding all attention, absorbing all thought process and contemplation, the two young ladies with royally flushed faces were facing off, electricity practically sparking around their eye contact. The two girls have never fought before, they were always kind and accepting to one another. This time, however, was an instance neither side could concede to. The most imposing, conflicting, menacing emotion for a young girl, embarassement akin to fear. An unexpected inquiry which must be hidden regardless of anything else, should the apocalypse commence, these secrets must never surface. Fred and Jack were in shambles, they only knew one thing alone, they must avert their attention from the girls at all cost.

Fred: "Jack... Man to man, I have a question for you."

Jack: "Lay it on me little bro."

Fred: "Did Squee come from your mouth just now?"

Jack: "Hck!"

There was only one option, the boys needed to counteract the embarassment of the girls by sacrificing one of their own. Fred spurred with a sudden inspiration, he thought the topic was ill for the moment since there was a more pressing issue, faced with a greater unexpected situation, he fired.

Anastatia: "..."

Lily: "..."