Day Five

"Ii'mm hngy," complained Fig, pleading to Vikki. "Aall weee hadd forr bkft wasa grnl barr." Vikki looekd down at her CAPTCHA, sympathetic.

"I know, Fig," she said. "But there was no time to eat heavy today, remember? The Explorer said we're going sightseeing today! I did grab a few extra granola bars, though," she added, snatching one from her pack and handing it to her eager CAPTCHA, who devoured it whole. Then Vikki turned her attention back to the Explorer, who was talking to the whole group. All she caught was the last phrase "…so make sure you're careful! We don't want to have any more deaths."

"Psst!" Vikki whispered to Mei, who was standing next to her. "What are we doing that shouldn't involve dying?" But Mei was focused on something else, and didn't hear Vikki. Her eyes were boring directly into the Explorer and nothing else.

Marie, standing on the other side of Vikki, told her that it was ziplining, but Mei didn't hear that either. A slight smile curved her lips as she saw the Explorer almost finished speaking.  

Mei had had her suspicions yesterday, but they had only really been confirmed when she had noticed something fall out of the Explorer's pocket. She had realized almost immediately once she had seen it, and was about to make her move.

The Explorer looked around, satisfied, as the CBers all bustled to get ready. She was about to lead the group into the rainforest when a hand shot up from the crowd. She called on it, and saw Mei push her way through the confused CBers until she was standing right in front of the Explorer.

"Um… yes, Mei?" said the Explorer, though she thought she knew what was about to happen. Mei grinned.

"Explorer," she said calmly, with no hint of what she was about to reveal. "Are you Clouded Leopard?" The Explorer laughed again.

"You got me!" she said, pulling off her hat. Underneath it was a mass of thick, white-blonde hair and two leopard ears. "But how did you know? I thought I had it still a mystery, even when Leeli almost revealed me." Mei smiled triumphantly, pulling a slip of paper out of her pocket and holding it up to Clouded Leopard.

"I had my doubts when I heard you humming Hamilton under your breath the other night, but Owlgirl's on some beach somewhere, and the Riddler's here with us. But I only knew for sure when I saw this." Clouded Leopard glanced down at the slip of paper and groaned. It was a picture of her holding her CAPTCHA, Vixtion.

"I knew I shouldn't have brought that along…" she said, though still in good nature. "Nice sleuthing, Mei." Just then the silence was broken by Marie saying "Well, then, Explorer–Clouded Leopard, can we get going?" Clouded Leopard laughed again and waved her hand, leading the excited group into the undergrowth.

"Hey," said He-min, nudging the murderer. "Can you believe it was Clouded Leopard all along?" The murderer was jolted out of their thoughts as He-min talked to them.

"Oh… no, I had no idea," they said, shaking their head as they replied to the witch. "Hopefully nothing else bad happens… It'd be awful to have murders on your back…"

Day Six

The cloud of mosquitoes that had been gathering by the heads of the CBers buzzed away bug spray was sprized into the air. "Stupid insects," muttered September. Next to her, Fudimo was smiling as he spelled the bugs into bursts of flame one by one. Hemin scowled, and instead began to rid them of the bugs by spelling them away, so they shot through the air and away from the group.

At the head of the group, Clouded Leopard tramped by, humming a tune as she hacked at the swaying vines with ferocity and surprising strength. "Hey," said someone behind her. It was the Novelist, hurrying towards her. Clouded Leopard continued walking, but slowed her pace so she was next to the worried book-lover. "Hey, Cloud, can I ask you about something?" Clouded Leopard nodded, agily leaping over a log and waiting for Novelist to clamber over.

"It's… about Nova," she said hesitantly. "She… she's not going to be fixed, is she?" Clouded Leopard's blue eyes misted over with sadness.

"I'm sorry, Veli," she said, resting her hand on Novelist's slumped shoulder. "Hotairballoon tried, but he couldn't fix her. She's just too complicated, and he's the best mechanically-inclined CBer we have around. But…" Novelist looked up as a small smile came to Clouded Leopard's face. "We have to go on in her memory. Don't you see? If we fall into grief and sorrow, it'll make us weaker. I fear being weaker, because we'll be larger targets for whatever is stalking us."

"Do you think it's one of us?" Noveist asked quietly. Clouded Leopard looked at her.

"I hate to say it, but how else can it be? No one but the CBers were on the plane with us. And someone with something sharp especially." Novelist looked up in surprise as Clouded Leopard continued. "Yes, how else could they have cut open the seat?" She glanced back at Vikki, Golden Spark, and Fig, all of whom were bouncing along and chattering cheerfully. "Vikki did bring a pencil… and Cortana brought a sword. We may need to keep clear of them."

Novelist opened her mouth to reply, but before she could Clouded Leopard's eyes lit up, and she bounded forwards, her tail streaming behind her, and shoved aside a branch. After the CBers had filed past it, she excitedly said "Welcome to the Amazon Ziplines!" Stretching high above them was a tal, wooden tower, not unlike the one in their camp. Reaching out from it were three thick ropes, each going in a different direction. Clouded Leopard led them up the stairs and to the one on the left. "This line goes to leopards' den. And don't worry," she said to uneasy murmurs. "I'll do everything in my power to keep it safe."

She grabbed the first harness and pulled the Riddler forwards. After locking her into it, she pushed her gently along. "There's another tower," she called as the Riddler zoomed away. "We'll meet there!" Soon everyone was zipping along the ziplines, the wind rushing in their faces. Marie and Vikki went along, one after the other, clutching Beez and Fig tightly.

But not tightly enough.

~~

To Be Continued

~~ 

Can I please join? You said there was one more spot!

Day Six, Part Two

Marie clutched Beez closer, hugging her arms around her CAPTCHA. Beez squeaked and tried to wriggle out of her arms, but she soothed him. “Beez, silly, you can’t escape. We’re too high up.” Beez smiled, conceding, and let himself be squeezed tight by Marie. Looking around, Marie did think it was rather amazing to be swept through the vibrant green leaves, with spurts of rainbow-shaded flowers all around them. Ahead of her, her friend Vikki reached out and plucked an iris from a tree as they swished past. It was a beautiful deep violet, with a golden stem.

“How amazing…” murmured Vikki, showing the pretty plant to Fig. Somewhere in the crowd, the murderer shuffled awkwardly. It was a tighter space than they had planned, and anyone behind them would see them if they pulled it off now. But up ahead, they saw the perfect chance. Smiling with glee, the murderer paused–

Waited–

And struck!

Just as the group soared into a tight channel of trees, obscruing the murderer from view, the murderer pulled down hard on their harness, sending the whole line into bumpy jolts. Most people had been clutching their CAPTCHAs tightly, and they were all well harnessed in, so nothing snapped or broke. Unfortunately, Beez and Fig had clambered up onto their CBers shoulders to look at the iris Vikki had snatched. They squealed in terror as they were flung off their shoulders and hurled into the jungle below. Marie shrieked and reached for her CAPTCHA, but before she could grasp at the air in desperation, and figure shot out of a nearby tree. Their black-and-blue wings thrumming, they snatched at Beez’s paw, grabbing hold of it. For a moment, a wave of relief swept through Marie. But a second later it was replaced by a terrifying blast cold fear as the savior smashed into a tree, losing their grip on the CAPTCHAs.

Horribly, they could hear their squeals the whole way down.

R.I.F., Beez and Fig. Rest in Foliage.

~~

I have to go to bed now. Part Three coming tomorrow! 

P.S. Vixtion says "cybr". A cyber CBer? Are you an impersonator, Vixtion?