Birth of the Planet of the Apes

Meeting Blue Eyes

Alex recognized the ape instantly. The eye color gave him away, along with the mass of scars across his chest. They were no longer red strips of fresh cuts but bright white stripes that glared through his deep black hair.

Blue Eyes was wide-eyed, both confused and terrified at what he had stumbled upon. The chimp's horse reflected his mood as it spun and snorted with heavy hooves, its ears flicking around in surprise. Alex could understand the confusion coming from Blue Eyes, yet he couldn't quite place the terror the chimp had in his eyes. Why would he be so afraid of them? He had a far superior advantage.

Alex saw the ape's eyes narrow as he looked from him to Riley, who was still crouched and scared stiff with her spear tight in her hands. The chimp bared his teeth and hissed at her and her weapon then made an even more threatening hiss when she pulled her spear higher.

"Blue Eyes! Wait!" Alex shouted.

The ape turned his head quickly, startled at the sound of his name.

Alex held up his hands, "It...it's me, A...Alex. Remember me? My dad's...Malcolm."

"You know him?" Riley whispered through her teeth, eyes still as wide as saucers.

Blue Eyes barred his teeth at her again then turned his narrowed glare back at Alex. Alex stayed still. Blue Eyes' horse kept stamping and spinning around until the chimp pulled on the reigns and settled the animal. With the horse now hesitantly still, Blue Eyes could get a better look at Alex below him and spent a few more glaring seconds until his eyes finally softened in recognition.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief until Blue Eyes jumped from his horse and landed hard in a cloud of dust in front of him. He was crouched low, one hand on the ground with the other holding his heavy spear behind him. Though his eyes remained on Alex, his spearhead was pointed at Riley instinctively.

She hadn't moved and seemed ever tenser under the ape's proximity to him and the weapon pointed in her direction. Alex could tell she was trying to figure out what to do. Relax? Attack? Run? He hoped she didn't do anything stupid, because he had an odd sense that Blue Eyes wouldn't react calmly to any sudden moves.

"Al...ex?"

Blue Eyes' voice jumped Alex back to him. His dark blue eyes held with the ape's pale blue ones for a few seconds before Alex nodded and gave a small smile.

A weight seemed to be lifted from the two, as Alex relaxed his hands and Blue Eyes lifted from his low crouch into an almost sitting position. They were quiet until a slight crack from Riley behind Blue Eyes made him screech and jump back into his crouch, surprisingly springing in front of Alex as if protecting him from the girl with the spear. He started hissing at her again until Alex regained his attention.

"Blue Eyes...th...this is Riley. She's a friend," Alex motioned to Riley and made his best effort to sign 'friend'.

Blue Eyes glanced back and forth between them many times, cheeks puffing out in time with his breath until he looked around the ground at his feet and lowered his spear. Alex finally saw Riley relax as well, falling to the ground in a similar fashion to when she had had her gun on him a few days prior.

Blue Eyes stood up then, jamming the blunt end of his spear into the soil at his feet then held out a hand for Alex. He took the ape's hand and stood, giving him a small nod and smile. Blue Eyes didn't smile but nodded back then turned back to Riley. Though Alex could see the caution the ape kept in his movements, he walked up to the still flabbergasted girl and held out his hand to her as well. She looked at it, then up at his narrowed eyes, gave him a cautious glare of her own, and stood by herself.