Predator versus Prey

Basically, there are two types of organism in the world; autotrophs and heterotrophs. Which means some creatures can produce their own means of survival, while others must obtain said means through more laborious methods.

This is a conflict known and live through generations of species, a race for survival between the prey and the predator.

Recognition

There is no point in drawing lines in certain relationships when alliances become braided so tightly they might as well be one. Or at least that is what Chase Young thought on a lazy afternoon when he simply wants to rest but his senses are awakened by the smallest of sounds and his eyes follow the slightest of movements, he tracks instantly the smell of an intruder. The man has no interest to look through the long marble halls to find the trespasser, but predators hunt from instinct.

Chase walks slowly, each step carefully weighted to not alert the other and he travels by foot until he reaches the entrance. He almost called his unwanted yet recurring guest, but he stops when he couldn't find him.

The predator looks at the familiar heli-pack resting on the floor next to a lion, the cat eyes his master as he quietly makes his way to the machine. Chase didn't have a reason to be quiet, especially purposely quiet, he wasn't hunting or at the very least he shouldn't be.

The soft pads of the machine were still warm but barely. Chase tilts his head and waits for any new noise but Jack was surprisingly silent. The warlord quickly switches strategies and compares his prey's options. There were four paths to take from the entrance. The first one was the hall Chase came through, so Jack couldn't have taken that one. The second one requires going upstairs which means working, therefore there were only two real options.

One path would take Jack to the throne room, and the other was a sorts-of-a-trap. A long confusing alley with turns, dead-ends and cursed perception, every time a person looks back they forget if they took a turn and how long have they been in the hall. It was designed to be a trap and entertainment for Chase, but Jack took it as a challenge and learn his way in and out.

The human-looking-dragon smiles as the smallest of thrills run up his spine, and Chase hurried to find the library; the only room the little maze truly leads to.

The cats scattered throughout the hall eyed their master as he conceals his presence but doesn't question his motives or objective.

Jack noticed a puma lifted her head and stared back at something. The immortal warriors never looked back, experience taught them to avoid the perception spell by only looking forward. The mistake was rare and Jack almost follows her eyes but he stops just in time. He couldn't see or hear but he trusted her intuition more than his own; Jack suddenly became aware that he was being followed. The albino runs inside the library and hides between two tall bookshelves, he backs all the way to the wall and eases his breathing.

The genius lives in a constant state of alertness and fear, and panic as unfavorable as it is it was well known to Jack. He has been at the bottom of the food chain of the Heylin-Xiaolin conflict for so long, he learned to keep his eyes open at all times even when he believes to be safe. There was no safer place than Chase's territory since no one would dare to attack here, but caution wasn't optional in Jack's life anymore.

The young man activates the little spy cameras he placed in the library. Chase allowed him to do so with the condition to transcribe even single book in his collection into a digital library. At first, Jack whined but he has grown a need to have eyes in every direction. Today his efforts pay in the form of a single advantage.

The tiny screen lights up and shows the cold fireplace. The genius switches the cameras until he can observe the entrance, at the exact moment he sees Chase walked in so calmly he was almost unnoticed.

Relief rushed through Jack as he chuckles at his overactive imagination. He shakes his head to himself and calls Chase.

The name died in his mouth before Jack could give his position. Chase was walking too slowly, he usually calm demeanor had become invisible. The man glares at his surroundings and moves toward the window; Jack's favorite spot.

A forked tongue tasted the air and Chase turns towards the bookshelves.

Capture

They usually come in pairs; predator and prey. A predator that specializes in one specific prey, and a prey that learns to escape a specific predator.

Predators evolved into hunters; claws and fangs to tear flesh, eyes able to detect movement from over 4000 meters above ground, lethal poisons with no known cure, unbeatable speed, and more weapons that can possibly be accounted for.

Chase is an apex predator, accustomed to being on top of any hierarchy, hunting wasn't required to survive for him but it still felt like a need.

He couldn't hear Jack's heart hammering in fear or the tremor on the young man's steps. But he could taste his presence. The lack of sound was most likely an invention from the genius, but Chase still found a trail.

Chase moves closer sure to find his prey cowered against the wall.

Jack has been in danger multiple of times, but that moment was different. There were no threats or warnings, only the sense of danger. Jack was familiar with the feeling of being a target, but he knew that moment he was a prey.

Jack knew Chase wouldn't kill him without a reason, and as hard the albino tries to remember he couldn't think of a reason. He could only find a single explanation; Chase was amused by his new invention and was testing its limits.

The human presses a button in his controller and almost a mile away his heli-pack activates.

The sound was so unexpected it was almost deafening. Jack heard the soft hum, but Chase heard the electricity crackling through the cables and the metal shifted against the floor. Chase heard his prey get away.

Jack hold his sigh even after he saw Chase ran out of the library, his dragon shape more visible as the man lets his mind slipped into a more primitive mode.

Prey evolved into escape artists; they grew a thick skin and tougher flesh, they learnt to hide in plain view, they took all warnings seriously and passed the information coded in their genes to the next generation, they run faster or at the very least they have to think faster than the predator that follows them.

Jack activates the camera in his heli-pack and sees a green scaly snout and a black tongue flicked near the tiny lens. The dragon has jaws like a crocodile, yet a tongue delicate and specialized like a snake. The dragon knew his prey has played him, and Jack knew he doesn't have long to move.

The young man sprints out, he runs out of the main doors and turns the corner, he lifts his wrist to his face and sees the dragon racing up the hall.

Jack left his essence like a golden trail behind him, his anxiety mix with hope mixed together.

Chase couldn't hear the young's man steps but he could taste him.

Jack struggled to press a series of buttons and thick wheels appeared in the sole of his boots, a last attempt to gain speed.

Chase could hear him, the sound of metal sliding over the tile accompanied by Jack's shaky bread.

Jack didn't even dare to look back, but if he has tried he wouldn't even have seen the monster raising to his heels shadowed over his slender frame.

Chase reached for his prize, instinctively he widens his jaws as he prepares to attack, then he remembers he wasn't hunting. The dragon stops to avoid actually hurting Jack but the young man was knocked over by the whiplash of the tail.

Jack falls forwards and rolls until he is on his back, he hears a weird popping noise he just knows is his new gadget breaking.

"Ahh?!" Jack complains from the floor but he stops when he sees the dragon prowled over.

Jack was breathing heavily, he felt inside of his nose burn from the lack of air -or maybe from when he fell on his face; it could really be either. The albino wasn't ...well, maybe he was better used to Chase's dragon shape after all the years but he knew the man wasn't as fond of taking his more wild face. Jack knew Chase should have changed by know, which to him means that whatever it is that is going on, it is not over.

The prey's first instinct was to cry, tears annoyed Chase enough to leave Jack alone or sent him home, but fake tears could worse Chase's mood. In any other situation Jack would beg or negotiate, but he has nothing Chase wants or needs at the moment, and he isn't sure if he should talk -no while the dragon keeps leaning closer.

Jack was becoming increasingly nervous when he heard the little chuckle purring from the dragon's chest. The beast moved until his snout was touching the tip of Jack's ear, the young man squeak at the cold contact.

"You are dead." Chase declared.

"Oh?" Jack could only react.

"I killed you," Chase explains looking far too smug about catching Jack Spicer.

"Oh; nice?" Jack felt the cold tongue poked behind his ear and he twisted his body away.

Prey versus Predator.

Jack testily stood from the floor as Chase observes the other's movement; they were rigid and shaky.

"You are being weird." Jack finally says after he is standing. Chase laughed at the comment and proceeded to show his many rows of fangs; Jack looked uneasy to the floor as his brain tried to explain his situation. The dragon chuckled and gave Jack one last scare by licking his cheek before retaking his human shape.

"If we weren't in such good terms," the beautiful man teased the tall albino. "You would be death."

Jack tilts his head in curiosity and tries to hide his fear, he isn't very good at it.

"I'm happy that after years of praise I am Finally in the 'not kill' list." The young man walks closer, too close for safety, a deep instinct warns.

A prey lives in eternal danger, they must always be ready to protect their lives is caught.

Jack has been caught in so many ways by Chase, but he has to leave himself room to run if needed. Unlike now, he leans too close within arm's reach.

Jack didn't consider himself prey but he knew to be careful of predators.

"Is your new invention broken?" Chase asks as he places a hand on Jack's back, he guides the young man to a different hallway.

"...hopefully not beyond repair. Getting the frequencies just right was the most frustrating thing in my life. That's isn't even an exaggeration." Jack lets himself be guided through a new unfamiliar room.

"It is interesting." Chase was already thinking of ways to use the gadget to his advantage.

The room was smaller than any other Jack has seen so far. However, there was more paintings and art than most of the rooms, the furniture though beautifully kept it looked wore; tiny scratches in the table covered a repainted surface, there was a half moon slightly lighter stain from a hot cup, and Chase naturally sat in the larger chair. Jack felt nervous and overjoyed to be in a more personal room with Chase, he sat in the only chair left and started to study their surroundings.

"I thought so too. I mean it was almost simple in theory, to create multiple simultaneous inverse sound waves to destroy any sound I guess, but I really wanted to look at the mechanics of a machine like that." Jack stares at the deep greens the walls were painted and the golden flower arrangements -they were such delicate sculptures.

"Mm? So you created such artifact without an objective." Chase sighs disappointment dripping from his voice.

"What? I, no. I did have a- an objective; to see if I could do it." Jack turns to confront Chase but the man doesn't seem to care for his excuses.

"Even if you didn't think of a use before putting resources, time and effort into this project;" Chase poked with his gloved hand the dark circles under Jack's left eye. The young man frowns and remembers that he hasn't clean his face or his makeup since he started to work the details of the machine...last week. "It will be useful."

Jack blinked a few times, he always appreciates any physical contact, even when Chase was nagging again, but a deep gut feeling kept his legs shaking up-and-down, his back extended, and his mind ready to fight -maybe it was leftover adrenaline from their little run.

"Like for spying?" Jack tries to think, now that he finished his project he feels his brain shutting off.

"Yes." Chase answers and looks at his guest rudely space off. "You don't learn from experience. Do you, Spicer?"

Mistakes are made, even the most astute of all preys finds themselves cornered, they have seconds to figure if they will survive their encounter.

Jack was almost 25 and he knew better than to trust his not-quite-ally-not-really-enemy Chase Young, but he still felt safe enough to left his guard down and close his eyes.

"You are being rude."

"You chased me around without a reason or explanation, literally hunted me down to pushed me on the floor, and said some weird things."

Chase couldn't help to smile to that, and Jack felt with the liberty to lean against the cold wood and rest his eyes.

"It was a fun little hunt," Chase admits.

"I hope you have the thrill of your life," Jack mumbles with a little indignation. He wanted to say something else like there will be payback or ask some more questions but Jack falls asleep.

"We should repeat it someday," Chase comments to the air as he hears at Jack's breathing slow down into a passive tempo.

It was nice to play with his little prey sometimes.