Legends, Heroes and Brother Episode 3: Not of his Kind

by Evil_lord

Lower Valley

Shadad had spent his first night off of the mountain awake. Trying to make some sense of the world Bustoph had brought him to. Everything was brighter, even at night, and the smells of the trees and the strange fruits were so alien. Bustoph however seemed to conk right out. Spending the whole night leaned up against a tree. Snoring loud enough to burst his tiny Uni head.

By the morning Shadad wished he'd fallen asleep. Bustoph turned into Boot camp. He wanted Shadad to keep up with him, And considering that Bustoph was flying and Shadad got no sleep what so ever, Shadad did a very good job. He couldn't help but notice, however, that Bustoph was leading him into heavily populated areas.

"Uni," he called up, "You maybe invisible to people and pets not like me. But If someone sees me......." he trailed off.

"No worries Shadad," Bustoph said coming down to fly beside the Lupe as he ran, "You have left mountain life. That was challenging for you. But now is the best part!"

Shadad disliked the sound of that.

"You leave behind mountain food!"

Bustoph had landed a couple miles out side the town to lead Shadad through the back allies. Things glided along reasonably well, despite a short lived Chia attack, and soon Bustoph had found what he was looking for.

Big Eyed Pete's Fast Food Joint.

Despite the immediate question of who's Big Eyed Pete, Shadad was fine with this. Now up on the mountain he had watched Neo fur traders, from a distance, trading Cybunny, Kacheek, Acara and the odd Wocky coat. He was accustomed with the exchange of Neopoints for goods and services. But judging by how Bustoph had just snuck up behind that talkative young owner with a blue Zafara and sunk his teeth into the orange Negg, the rules of the Neo fur traders did not apply here. Bustoph casually walked back under the patio table where he'd hidden Shadad and began eating his prize for a crafty bit of thievery.

Shadad happily spied a young owner, around 9, with a plate of spicy wings and an ultimate burger. His huge mouth watered at the thought of sinking his teeth into those. Not because he'd ever had them before, but because the Lupe knew a good thing when he smelled it. Then his attention was distracted to a large group of around 15 year old owners sitting at two tables pushed together. They had all burst out laughing all of the sudden. Bustoph looked over too for a moment. Then with a bit of a sneer at them went back to eating.

"Oh come on Lia," a boy with short red hair and a yellow Poogle on his shoulder was addressing a blonde haired girl sitting atop a large red Skeith instead of a chair who sat at the front of the table. "What you saw my dear Lia was no more than a Buzz looking invisible in the moon light. Perhaps a yellow one."

The Lia girl was looking very irritated and upset, " I told you Tate, it didn't go buzz it made a flap noise for one. For another the eyes were too small and I have never seen one with blue eyes."

"Girl hasn't been out much then," Bustoph said into his Negg. Shadad looked at him for a moment then back to the girl.

"And since when, oh great Tate, have you seen a wild Buzz wink at you?"

"She has a good point," Bustoph said licking the rest of the Negg off his lips.

Tate looked at some tall black haired men at the other end of the table. Both had a Buzz on their shoulder. The one on the left however also had a Aisha and the one on the right had an Acara. They were most certainly identical twins. They nodded their heads at Tate and he seemed to become annoyed. A large red Tatsu walked up behind him and stood there. No doubt another of his pets.

Bustoph left again and came back with an ultimate burger which he placed in front of Shadad.

"Those owners Shadad are what is after us," Bustoph said laying down.

Shadad looked at him as if he'd said an unfunny joke.

"They are in legion, I believe, with a large group of scientists. As I have come to understand we are experiments in genetics and they wish to catch us, dissect us and take what makes us special to put in other pets to make them faster or stronger, invisible, smarter, etc. There are more like us out there and they are also not aware of what they have and what it means. Whoever they might be, where ever they might hide Shadad, we must seek them out and bring them with us."

"How do we get out of this?" Shadad asked calmly after swallowing the burger whole.

"The way I figure it if we all combined our powers at a maximum level we can destroy the lab," he looked into Shadad's sterling eyes again, "If there is nowhere to take us, they will no longer hunt for us." Bustoph looked at the girl on the Skeith who had now been completely shut out of what the others where discussing, " We may have a new friend in that girl right there if we play our cards right."

Just then the table was flipped over by a huge yellow Kau. This sent Shadad immediately into his snarling defensive. Bustoph had quickly flown to the top of the closest building and was watching the pack of owners. The Kau was snorting steam at Shadad who was snarling something awful in return. The hair on the back of his neck up and he was in the pounce position. To even the Kau this was a clear warning that took it back a couple steps.

"So, It's a stray is it Pete?" A human voice called over. Suddenly Shadad's feet where taken out from under him and a blackness surrounded him. What was happening? Where was he? Was he in immediate danger? He felt a fabric under him, a bag or net. Yes, yes was in burlap sack. Tearing a whole with his gigantic claw he was able to see that he had been scooped up by a member of the Neopolice. Reading the badge it was the stray pet catchers. He looked around quickly for Bustoph and found him watching from the top of a building. Not at all happy that the Uni distressed him Shadad began growling and struggling against the man. It must of worked because the man fell over and Shadad was soon free of the sack. No sooner did this happen then Shadad was face to face with the big red Tatsu he'd seen with Tate. With an immediate reaction Shadad bashed it upside the head with his paw then turned on his heals ready to take down anyone or thing in his way to get out of there. That's when Pete came at him with a full head of steam and Shadad was sent 5 ft in the air to crash through a table. Out cold and out of commission Shadad was loaded into a Neopolice. And the van drove away.

"Master work Shadad. Why not just get yourself in more trouble?" the Uni snickered and then took flight to follow the truck.

***

Shadad came to in a room with metal bars everywhere. He leaned on the wall to get up. Blinking his eyes and panting a bit to make sure his lungs worked. Just then he heard a laughing voice.

"Heard you made a real mess."

Shadad was in no mood to talk he closed his eyes as opening them hurt. Still he decided just to find out who was there.

"Have no fear Lupe You are in the presence of the one and only, the spectacular master of disaster the inventor of trouble and the..."

"Got a name don't ya?" Shadad roared.

"I'm getting' ta that. The famous Thorbarro."

"Never heard of you," Shadad brooded.

"I am the fastest..."

"...and most annoying.."

"That too if you insist, Shoyru to ever speed the ground and sky of Neopia."

"Your not big on modesty are you?"

"Never heard of him."

Shadad groaned and flopped over onto the ground. Then he heard a clatter and a big thump. He looked up with his ears perked. And standing now right in front of his door with the key to it was Tate. On his shoulder a yellow Shoyru and behind him a Red Tatsu with a big scare on it's right eye and claw streaks going down his muzzle.

"Come to Papa, Shadad," Tate said unlocking the door and reaching in for the Lupe

Before he knew what he'd done Shadad's muzzle was wrapped around Tate's hand and Tate was yelling his little head off. Shadad began snarling and for a moment a more primitive instinct then ever Shadad had experienced came over him. Shadad let go of Tate sending him flying back into the Tatsu who broke down the door of the cage across the corridor from Shadad's A sleek silver Shoyru popped out from behind them and sped out at a speed that made Shadad's head spin. The Lupe howled like he had when he was young and conquering the mountain. Then he turned tail and scrambled out of there into an ally way. Where he saw Bustoph sitting on a box and below him "The Famous Thorbarro."

"Shadad I would like you to meet,"

"We've met," Shadad snarled. The Shoyru backed up a bit.

"He is what we are Shadad. I just explained my theories to him and he has agreed to accompany us."

"Hey no problem!" The little silver Shoyru piped up happily.

"Anything to get out of this pit. Besides, wolf boy here broke me out of the joint. The least I can do is stick with you guys and help out if ya need me."

"Yes," Bustoph said rolling his eyes.

"Why would anyone want to have him around?"

"Shadad, Thorbarro is one of us. The least we can do is tolerate his excessive peppiness."

"The least I can do is harm him very badly."

To be continued...