Wild Guardian: Issue 2 Chapter 19

By: jungleboy69



Max’s Treehouse

It has been a few days since the science fair attack. Boston High was put under heavy construction due to the extensive damage the chimera caused so school had to be put off for a few months.

There was also the fact that Shun was in serious trouble. It turned out that Rena confessed that the androids were actually taken from his father’s lab in Mc.Hannibal’s factory. As a result, Shun’s team was disqualified from the competition and his father had to pay for the great damage. Needless to say, he was not very happy about this.

Sadly, the prizes and ribbons were destroyed as well but Team W.I.L.D were not in the least bit upset since they were prouder about beating the chimera. Now, we find Jenny walking on the sidewalk to Max’s house.

She and the others were planning to spend the day with Max since there was no school today. She smiled as she saw Max’s house ahead with the others waiting for her. “Hey, Jenny!” Mikey called out, waving at her. “Guys!” she exclaimed. “You’re here!”

“Well, we were waiting for you,” Jake replied. “but we were still waiting for someone.” “Someone?” Jenny asked. “I thought it was only the five of us.” This made the boys chuckle nervous and scratch their heads in embarressment. “Acutally, we didn’t want to tell you this.” David replied. Jenny narrowed her eyes in suspision “Tell me what?” she asked.

“You-hoo!!” Jenny looked and to her surprise and annoyance, saw Sophie waving at them. “Are we late?” “Sophie!?” Jenny screeched. “What are you doing here?!” “What do you think?” Sophie asked nonchalantly. “I’m here to visit Max.” Jenny glared at the boys. “Sorry.” Mikey sheepishly apologised.

“Don’t forget about us!!” Dennis spoke up as he, Bean, Harold and Bruce arrived as well, much to Jenny’s surprise. “You guys came!” Jake exclaimed happily. “You invited them too?” Jenny asked. “Of course he did, man!” Dennis replied. “We wouldn’t miss a chance to hang out with Tarzan Jr.”

“Well, Tarzan Jr’s already out in the forest.” David explained. “The forest?” Bruce asked. “Why couldn’t he go to the school gym?” “Yeah...” Jenny chuckled. “We’ll explain that along the way.”



(10 mins later...)



“So...” Shun asked, a little bored. “where is the jungle boy?” The teens were now in the forest. “I’m sure Max will be here.” Mikey replied, looking around the trees. Shun snorted “He probably turned into a bug and got squashed.” “Shun!” Jenny scolded.

“OW!” Shun yelled as a pinecone flew through the air and hit him on his head. “Well, this bug is not as dumb as you think.” Everyone looked up to see Max hanging onto a tree. “Hey, Max!!” Sophie called out, waving happily.

Max jumped down and landed gracefully like a cat in front of them. “Well, the more the merrier.” he replied, cheerfully. “Maxie!!!!” In a spilt second, Sophie threw herself on him and hugged him tightly.

“Oh Max!” Sophie squealed, her embrace tightening. “I’m so glad to spend time with you!!!” Max couldn’t reply as his face was blushing and he was stuttering like crazy. “Ahem!” Max looked to see Jenny with an annoyed look on her face. “Can we go now?” she asked.

“Oh yeah!” Max exclaimed. “I’ve got something to show you all.”



(5 mins later...)



“WOAH!!!” Everyone stared in amazement. Right before them, stood an enormous tree with a large wooden treehouse in its branches. “Max, this is amazing!!!” Bean squealed. Max grinned from ear to ear. “You like?” he asked. “Jii-chan and I built it together.”

“Come on!” he called. “You should see the inside of it.” Leaping up, he skillfully leapt up the branches like a monkey and leapt into one of the windows. Immediately, the others climbed the stairway on the tree trunk. Upon reaching, they found an amazing sight.

The treehouse consisted of four rooms, connected by rope bridges and stairways on different branches. At the centre was a crow’s nest high up at the top of the tree. There were in a huge balcony with hammocks hanging on the railings. There was even an indoor fireplace.

“Cool...” Dennis muttered. “I’m glad you like it.” Max added. “This is the main room, where you can relax and sleepout if you want.” “Sleepout?!” Jake exclaimed excitedly. “Like camping?!” Max nodded. “If you like.” “THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!” Sophie squealed. “I want to see what’s here!!” David chuckled. “So, Max, what else is there?” he asked. Max smiled.

“Come on!” Max led his team across a rope bridge to another room where there were all sorts of handmade training equipment. “This is the dojo, perfect for training.” “Cool!” Bruce and Dennis exclaimed in unison. “Max, you made all these?” Jenny asked in amazement at the punching bags and training dummies made out of wood and old sacks filled with sand.

“Actually, I asked Jii-chan to help me make them.” He admitted. “We built this whole tree house together when I was 11 years old and it’s still standing strong.” “Not bad, Tarzan Jr” Harold replied, smirking. “So what’s next?”



(5 mins later...)



“You’ve got your very own library?!” Jenny exclaimed. The next room was large with shelves full of books of different genres, from comic books to fantasy novels. “Well, it’s not a real library” Max explained. “All these books come from my parents.”

“Your parents?” Mikey asked. “Yeah.” he replied. “They are wildlife conservationists for WWF.” “World Wildlife Fund?!” Bruce asked in amazement. Max nodded. “Yeah, they travel a lot as a result so I don’t really see them much.” He added.

“All these books are souvenirs for the places they visited.” he explained. Max looked at the selves and took out a book. “This happens to be my favourite.” He held it up and it was entitled “The Jungle Book.”

“The Jungle Book...” David read the title, smiling. “It suits you.” “Every holiday,” Max told them. “my parents would always send me a different book.” “Some are back in my room.” he added. “So how are your parents?” Jenny asked.

“Probably travelling somewhere.” Max replied, a little sad. “I can only talk to them through video-chat since they are so busy with their work.” “Don’t you get lonely?” Sophie asked. Max shook his head. “With my grandparents, I’m hardly lonely.” he replied.

Suddenly, a blue jay flew in from the window and perched on Max’s shoulder. It started chirping in his ear excitedly. “Oh, hello.” Max greeted. “Have you met my friends?” The bird continued to chirp and hop on his shoulder.

“Really, right now?” He asked. “I’m just giving my friends a tour of the treehouse.” The others looked in confusion and slight surprise at the conversation. “Can’t it wait?” Max asked, only for the bird to squawk slightly in his ear.

“Alright, alright!” He concided. “I’ll come with you.” “Uh....” Harold asked. “what was that about?” “Oh, that.” Max explained. “I have to tend to my patients.” “Patients?” the others asked.



(A while later...)



“Here it is.” Max explained. He showed his friends another large room. “What is it?” Bean asked. Max simply smiled and opened the door. To the others’ amazement, inside was a large clinic, filled with pens containing all sorts of animals, from tiny field mice to fawns. Rabbits hopped in hutches and squirrels climbed among the walls.

Birds of different kinds perched upon the ceiling, from black birds to cardinals, sparrowhawks to owlets. There was even a corn snake coiled on a pile of rocks and two bear cubs play-fighting in a corner. “This. Is. Amazing!!!!” David cried out in amazement.

Max chuckled. “This is my clinic.” He told them. “It’s where I tend to injured or lost animals.” “I didn’t know you were a vet!” Dennis exclaimed. “Well, back in the jungle,” he explained. “my mom taught me veterainary skills whenever she was working.”

There were also shelves filled with jars containing herbs and medicinal plants. “I use these for medicine to treat wounds.” He added. “Some I found in the forest, others my parents shipped back.” “Aaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww!!!!!” Sophie suddenly squealed, looking at a hutch with rabbits inside. “They’re so cute!!!!”

“Can I hold one?!” she asked. Max smilied. “Sure, you can.” he replied. Sophie opened a small gate on the roof of the hutch and picked up a fluffy brown rabbit. “Oh, it’s so fluffy!!!” she cooed, snuggling the bunny close to her. “It’s like my stuffed toy, Mr Cottontail!!!”

Everyone chuckled, even Jenny cracked a smile. The blue jay landed on his shoulder and chriped again. “Okay, I’ll get right on it.” He replied. “Well, I’ve got a lot of patients here so I have to get to work.” “Can we help?” Bean asked, excitedly.

Max looked in surprise. “Really?” he asked. “You guys want to help?” “Sure!” David replied. “A good vet always needs assistants.” “Yeah.” Bruce added, smiling. “Besides, what else are we supposed to do?” Max smiled. “Well, what are we waiting for?” He asked. “Let’s get to work!”



(One and a half an hour later...)



“Whew!” Dennis wheezed, sitting down on the wooden floor. “I didn’t think being a vet for a day was so tiring.” He wasn’t the only one, some of the other boys practically lay in an exhausted heap. They had been helping Max to care for and tend to the animals in the clinic.

They helped to apply medicine, change bandages and feed some of the baby animals which the girls enjoyed immensely. Some of the other animals helped by fetching herbs or medicine bottles for them.

After a while, Dennis, Bruce, Harold, Bean, Sophie and Mikey decided to take a break. The others continued with the last of the chores. “I never would have thought that Max would have his own clinic.” Harold spoke up as a field mouse scampered across his legs.

“Well, I’m glad.” Sophie added, hugging a fox kit. “I didn’t know Max gets to hang out with such cute little babies like this little one!!!!” She snuggled the kit close to her. “Try not to get to attached.” Max explained, as he and the others joined them. “They’re still wild animals and they have to be returned to the wild.”

“Awww....” Sophie moaned. “Oh, come on.” Jenny replied. “You’ve practically have a room full of stuffed toys back in your house.” “Leave her alone, Jenny.” David added, holding on to a baby rabbit. “We’ve just finished so let’s just relax for the rest of the day without any fighting.”

As the others sat down, Harold brought out some PB&J sandwiches, apples and a packet of chocolate chip cookies for everyone. “My mom packed some snacks for us.” He explained. “You guys want some?” “Sure, man!” Jake replied.

Happily, the friends helped themselves to their picnic lunch and happily tucked away. Fortunately, there was enough for everyone and after a hard day’s work, they were famished. They even shared their treats with some of the creatures.

“What a day!” David breathed, feeding a bird some cookie crumbs from the palm of his hand. “I’m glad it’s over.” “So, this is what you’ve been doing in your free time, Max.” Jenny said, smiling softly, stroking a fawn which lay down beside her. “I never thought you would been such a great vet.”

Max blushed. “Ever since I was a baby, I have always enjoyed the company of animals.” He explained. “Living in the jungle taught me how to respect and care for all living creatures.” He paused to stroke a corn snake on its head who was coiled around his neck. “I learnt to understand them and respect their nature.”

“Well, why else we call you, Tarzan Jr?” Dennis asked, grinning, petting a young . Max grinned back. Suddenly, he remembered something. “Guys, I have something special to show you.” This got everyone’s attention. “What is it?” Bean asked.



(A while later...)



“You want us to climb up there?” Harold asked. Max led his friends to the very center of the tree-house. Up at the very top of the mast, was a crow’s nest. “Yep!” Max replied. “Come on!” Immediately, he turned into a raven and flew up to the top.

“Hey, no fair!!” Bruce called out. “We can’t fly.” “Never mind, Bruce!” Jenny replied. “Come on!” She immediately began climbing the stairway up to the crow’s nest. “Slow down, Jenny!” Mikey called as he trailed after her.

It was a quite a climb, but soon, they all made it to the top. By now, everyone was dying to know what Max wanted to show them. “So Max, what did you want to show us?” David asked, the latter who had turned back into his human form.

Max grinned and gestured to the horizon. “Take a look.” He replied. When the others look out, their eyes widened in shock and gasped silently.

Right before them, they could see the entire forest. There were trees as far as the eye could see, a clear blue lake glistening in the sunlight. The mountains stood tall and proud in the distance, with white snow sprinkled up at their peaks.

The most beautiful sight of all was the sky. White clouds rolled away and the sun was slowly starting to set, bathing the sky in orange and gold. “Max...” Jenny breathed. “It’s beautiful.” Max smiled. “My grandfather built this crow’s nest so whenever I feel lonely or sad, I can always come up here and look at the view.”

“Max,” David spoke up, grinning. “you never fail to amaze us.” Max smiled, “Thanks, David.” He replied. “It really means a lot to me.”