Tetra doesn't like that Alex is being used as jaguar bait for Spencer, but Fridge has her accompanying Bethany, since the girl has no real survival skills beyond having the map. Tetra is also not a small wolf, not by a long shot, and with Bethany holding on for dear life on her back, the two are making good time through the jungle.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Bethany's calling out, hitting her uninjured shoulder, yelling for Tetra to come to a stop. "I need to make sure we're going the right way. Tetra rolls her eyes, falling back into a sitting position and letting Bethany climb off to check the map. Looking around, listening to the ominous sounds of the jungle around them, Bethany takes the moment to check her map, while Tetra stretches. In the moment she's looking away, Bethany's pounced upon by a singular jaguar, and in the next moment, Tetra's thrown herself at the creature, knocking it off her friend and tearing out it's throat in hesitation while Bethany's still yelping and hyperventilating on the ground. Giving her a gentle nudge, Tetra helps her to her feet, only to feel a presence behind them that she knew all too well.
"Oh no, my darling, that's not how this goes." Van Pelt's voice sends a wave of ice coursing through Tetra's blood. His eyes shine emerald, and Tetra's shine the same, teeth barred as she looks at him, unable to move. There's something about her powers that she doesn't like to think about; in this form she does not belong to herself, not entirely. She controls all canines, but Van Pelt controls her. Well, he has the ability to coerce her, and with her willpower already shaky so close to both the jewel and the statue, all she can do it keep herself frozen.
"Tetra..." Bethany whispers. Tetra doesn't make a move.
"Bring him to me." Van Pelt says, voice smooth as honey. He looks wild, like he's been travelling through the jungle, but he doesn't sound it. "Bring the Doctor to me, and together we can get the jewel." He's full of false promises, and Tetra knows this. From the look on his face, he's beginning to realise she knows. "If you don't, I'll kill him where he stands." Bethany is shaking as Tetra gently takes the collar of her shirt between her wolf teeth, leading the human to Van Pelt.
"Don't do this." Bethany pleads. Tetra is silent, working against all her impulses, Tetra takes Bethany through the forest to the statue by Van Pelt's side, trying to think of a way out of the situation.
They're waiting when Spencer shows up, Bethany's throat gently pressed between Tetra's teeth, enough to hold, but not to hurt, and Van Pelt's hand on the scruff of her neck.
"Give me the jewel, or your friend dies." Van Pelt spat. Spencer looked horrified, looking from Tetra to Bethany, and then to Van Pelt. Tetra's eyes were glowing green, but she didn't look happy.
"Don't give it to him." Bethany sobbed, and Van Pelt tightened his grip on Tetra's neck, causing the girl to let out a growl that shut Bethany up quickly.
"Stop!" From the jungle there was a shout, and Alex burst out, stopping short at the sight. "Tetra..." He murmured, swallowing thickly. "Take me instead." Van Pelt considered it for a moment, before his eyes flared green, as did Tetra's, his intent coursing through her too. She spat Bethany out, but Van Pelt pulled out a gun, pressing it to Tetra's temple.
"Give me the jewel!" He demanded, "Or you little girlfrie- girlfrie- girlfrie- Tetra dies!" He glitched, the metal cold against her fur.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Spencer said. Bethany scrambled back to the group as a prowl of jaguars stalked from the shadows. Tetra was quiet. Van Pelt began to count down from five. "I can't give you the jewel!" Spencer insisted. Tetra closed her eyes, accepting her fate. He got closer to one. "Because I don't have it!" Van Pelt stopped short at this news.
There was a rumble from the jungle, the Earth moving and shaking from heavy footfalls, and Van Pelt's grip on Tetra loosened. They all watched in awe as Fridge burst from the foliage atop an elephant, yelling in triumph.
"Zoology, bitch!" He crowed. Van Pelt raised his arm to shoot, but without hesitation, Tetra turned and bit down on his arm, the bone snapping like a twig beneath her wolf teeth. He screamed out in pain, but not before sending the jaguars to attack the elephant. Fridge lost his grip on the jewel as the elephant reared up in panic, and both he and jewel went flying in opposite directions.
Tetra slipped away from Van Pelt as quickly as she could, transforming as she staggered back to the group. With a roar, Van Pelt surged forwards, grabbing the collar of her shirt with his good hand, yanking her back to him, awkwardly but quickly trying to get her in the best grip to snap her neck.
"Get off of her!" Alex's yell caught Van Pelt's attention just before he was tackled to the ground, Tetra being thrown out of range, but still in great pain from her attempted murder. As Alex and Van Pelt fought, Bethany went to Tetra, trying to wake her up.
"Please, please be okay, Tetra please wake up!" There was a loud cry from behind her, and Bethany turned around to see Alex being thrown into a tree. "Oh god, oh fuck." She whimpered, pressing her forehead to Tetra's shoulder. "This is un-fucking-believable. Not you too!"
"Bethany?" Tetra rasped, and Bethany looked up. "Oh god, I'm so sorry Bethany, I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, I know, he controls you or whatever," Bethany wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled at the girl on the ground. "God I'm glad you're alive. Would have been awful if after everything-"
"Is Alex okay?" Tetra asked, and Bethany's eyes widened. Without a second thought, Bethany rose and ran to where Alex was lying, Tetra following behind, still a little unsteady on her feet. Martha and Spencer were working on getting the jewel to the top of the statue and Fridge was getting to his feet from where he'd fallen off his elephant.
"Alex, oh God, Alex please be okay!" Bethany murmured, and Tetra pressed her hand to his chest.
"He's breathing, he's got a pulse." She turned, gaze travelling up the mountain until she spotted where Van Pelt had cornered Martha. "Beth, please take care of him." There was a pause, and despite her sore neck and wounded shoulder, Tetra smiled. "I've got unfinished business."
Tetra picks up the gun from where Van Pelt had dropped it, watching him as he thinks he has Martha cornered. Tetra trusts Martha, trusts she knows what she's doing, and just as Tetra reaches them, Martha gets bitten by a snake while holding the gem, getting herself dropped from the sky, as they all do when they respawn. As soon as Spencer catches the jewel from above and inserts it into it's rightful place, the game is over.
"Hey Russel, you know how you control the animals of this game or whatever?" Her voice is all faux sweet and dripping with venom. She raises the gun and he stumbles back, there's fear in his eyes. "You don't control me."
The gunshot rings out, and the players around her call out Jumanji.
YOU ARE READING
Learn to Howl {Alex Vreeke | Jumanji}
FanfictionConnie was nobody, barely a background character in her peer's lives, so when she goes missing, no-one seems to care. However, she becomes trapped in the game Jumanji, in the body of the savage huntress Tetra, and a few months later she's joined by...
