Chapter 74：Waiting For The Prey To Come First."

"Princess.." Zoro look at Athena, ready to go. She nods to him and turns to look at Shon.

"Be careful. I'll be there as soon as I can." She said and Shon nods after that.

"Let's go." She said to Zoro and leave Ralph and Shon at their campsite. Ralph and Shon will go to another direction than Zoro and Athena.

Zoro and Athena run into the forest silently. The dark sky and the dead silent of forest make Athena had a bit goosebumps feeling. Sometimes, she can hear howling sound from the wolf from far away and she also heard the sounds of an owl near them. If Zoro is not near her, she will probably be scared by now.

They slowed their pace once they saw a dim light not far from them, they went to hide at the tree. The light seems coming from the campfire that the blood hunter put on.

'Seriously, these guys really is a bunch of crazy scientists. They don't even know how to hide their hiding spot!'

Athena looks at Zoro and he nod before he mouthed her."Be careful."

Zoro took out his bow and aim at the fireplace. The arrow he uses is the one that he design to put down the fire.

Athena took out her katana from her cover and stand in a standby mode.

Whooosh!

The arrow struck at the campfire and within a second there's a small blow that absorbs all the fire and the campfire suddenly turn dark. All the man surrounding the camp start to panic and pick up their weapon.

Athena and Zoro dashing to them. Both of them start attacking all of them. This time, Athena did not change her eyes color. Thus she just depending on her skills.

Blood Hunter is a weak team, however, they are very persistence on getting her to be their lab rat.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

All of them start to fall down one by one after getting struck by Zoro using his arrow. Like Athena, he also did not kill them all. However, he injured them pretty badly to make sure they do not call the back up from their main base to their location.

...

While Athena was busy fighting with the three-man suddenly there is a small size man like a dwarf jumps and strangle her neck.

"Ergh.." Athena grunt a bit. She tried to let go of the hand of that man, but unfortunately, with three-man fighting her, it's a bit difficult to release it. She had to endure it a little and control her desire to not turn into 'gin' mode.

'Dammit. He's so heavy even though he is small.' She bristled inwardly.

"Duck in three." Zoro speaks to her through the earpiece.

In three seconds, Athena duck a bit and Zoro shoot an arrow to the dwarf man on his back of the body. It didn't kill him instantly, but instead, he pulls out the arrow from his body and use the edge of the spear, pointing at Athena's neck.

Athena closes her eyes and inhales for a moment, she stops her fight and standing straight once she feels a cold metal and a bit blood smell on her neck. She feels a bit dizzy with the smell of the blood.

Zoro also stops his attack, he tries to find a good spot to rescue Athena. Once Athena opens her eyes back, her eyes color start to change to Golden glittering color.

She smirks looking at the bunch of the man in front of her right now. They all in standby mode to attack her.

"Not afraid to die huh?" She asks.

"You walk into our den, so you're the one who not afraid to die huh?" The dwarf man said while still clinging on her back. His eyes start to blurry a bit.

"Your den? What are you? An animal?" she snickering.

"You witch! You're the one who is animal here?" They start to walk closer to her, surrounding her.

Athena still composed. She tries to spot Zoro's hiding spot.

"Huh! Aren't you afraid about this animal? You know I can kill you right away right?"

"If we can tame you, I guess we already win." All of them laugh.

"1.5 inches, tilt to the right," Zoro instructs her while all the man laughing.

Athena do as he says and Swoosh! He shoots that drawf man's hand making the arrow blade that he holds fall from his grip.

Athena uses the moment to flump his body to the ground. She tightens her grip on katana and starts to attack all those men one by one. Slashing them down.

While Zoro covers her back, shooting the guys using his bow and arrow.

Athena changes her eyes back to normal. She looks down on her suit. It's already smeared with the blood and the smell from it makes her feels like to vomit.

"Blurghh.." she finally can't hold on her stomach from throwing up.

Zoro immediately runs to her. He pats on her back. "Are you okay?" he asks worriedly.

Athena nods. "The smells make me feels dizzy and..." she hurriedly turn her body around and throwing up again.

"Let's find the nearest river to clean your suit first." Zoro leads her to the river bank and cleans up her suit from the blood stain.

"What happens? Before this, you were okay with the blood." He also cleans himself from the blood stains to make sure Athena will not vomiting because he has the blood stain on his suit.

"I don't know. Let's go and find Shon and Ralph. They must be waiting for us." She immediately finishing up cleaning her suit and turns on the tracker that Zoro gives them before.

"Okay, let's go." He also turns on his tracker.

Both of them start to go to help Shon and Ralph.

...

Shon and Ralph wait at their hiding spot waiting for the moon flower to gives out the scent from its pollen.

Shon changes his eyes color. He whispers to Ralph which is in front of him.

"I heard about the animal said something about the beast which is now in his move. The Tigers and Lion also in the moves. Except for the Phyton. They still in their den. Waiting for the prey to come first."

"Why you have to say it now? You know both of us are lack of skills and a bit timid right now. How could you." Ralph starts grunting.

"Erm...Athena will come and save us right?" he asks in worried.

"If she can settle them faster then it'll be okay. But, what if not?" Ralph said while still waiting for the right time.

"But she promised me.."

"Shon, you have to train like others Golden V's too, okay?" Ralph pat his shoulder try to talk to him. All other Golden V use their free time to train, but not Shon. He uses his abilities to talk and play with his animal friends.

Shon pouted a bit when Ralph starts complaining.