I know it's been a while since I updated, so notes about that will be at the bottom. See ya there <3

Told in omniscient point of view, but generally still focuses on KaZar.

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Glaring at Taskmaster was beginning to get boring. Of course, doing the same thing for hours and hours on end was bound to grow repetitive, but KaZar had been relying on his hate for Taskmaster to fuel him for at least two-thirds of their time in the jet, and yet they were barely half-way and his hatred was beginning to wane on the side of odiumly inclined.

Aside from sitting in the cargo hold waiting for his self-proclaimed nemesis to do something nefarious, there wasn't much to do in a SHIELD jet. None of the agents had packed any time-consuming activities to keep them entertained during the flight, and he had already sharpened his bowie knife - a post-battle habit - before even leaving the Tricarrier. They could've at least left a pack of cards.

Though, he supposed the Avengers didn't usually need to be kept occupied. They were all about planning and strategizing, and entertaining themselves through righteous morale and the consistent end-game of justice - or....something like that. He wasn't sure, this was his first time really spending alone-time with any of the Avengers; not to mention that these were two of the most serious superheroes on the team.

Captain America and Hulk. The "embodiment of the American way" (according to what Spider-Man has said), and a green giant with anger-issues. One is the leaders of the Avengers, and other was someone who had to constantly keep his emotions in check. Maybe KaZar didn't know the Avengers as well as he should, but the two he was stuck with didn't seem like the most fun and spirited of the group. To be honest, he was beginning to fill a little out of his depth.

These were the publically dubbed "Earth's Mightiest Avengers," and the public was not easy to appease. They must've been doing something right to earn the title, not to mention they've been on way more missions and world-saving quests and had a whole arsenal of knowledge and experience backing them up.

All KaZar knew was which trails not to go on and how to wield a big knife. Not exactly the most amazing part of their hastily put-together team. Even Taskmaster could contribute more than him, and he was the bad guy.

Maybe he shouldn't be the one coming along after all.

OH, buck up, he scolded himself. The Savage Lands is YOUR home. Not theirs. I know how to navigate it safely. THEY need me.

It was a little comforting if he kept telling himself that. Until he realized that they've all been to the Savage Lands before and have returned from the experience unharmed.

Why was he going again?

For the megamiphadus, his brain reminded him.

Oh, right. He knew where it was. That was why. The megamiphadus was generally pretty easy to track down unless it was just after the breeding period. By then, most areas will be deserted by the megamiphadus, as the newly mated couple settled into dens until their young were born, and everything would be heavy with the stench so tracking them would extremely difficult. Not impossible, but only for someone who knew what they were looking for.

What period was it back in the Savage Lands? It's been a while since he's seen his home, and it didn't run symmetrically to New York. There were generally no real seasons in the Savage Lands. There was the time when the animals sought mates, times when the fruit began to ripen, times when the tree's spread their spores, and the only varying temperatures they had was hot, drowning-in-sweat, and sweltering. The only time they ever had the faintest remnants of a season was when the wind would blow cooler than normal, sometime after the dry period. He wasn't sure how the worlds loud, panicky alarm ticked in comparison to the Savage Land's steady geographical clock.

Would if he was no longer in tune with his home? Would if being gone so long had severed his connection to the Savage Lands and its rhythm? A sliver of paranoid fear pierced the underside of his heart and bled with a familiar yearning for Zabu. KaZar leaned into his seat, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. His brother could never be cut off from their home, and in a way, he insured the same for KaZar. The life of the Savage Lands beat in them both, but more strongly in Zabu. KaZar always felt more confident when his brother was near.

Across from him, the door to the cargo hold opened and dull steps reverberated inside. "Hey kid, I'm on guard duty," the Hulk said, plodding over and gently settling on the seat. Even then, the metal bent under his immense weight. But if Hulk noticed its heavy whine, he didn't say anything, so neither did KaZar.

KaZar looked back over at Taskmaster, who was sitting arms crossed and silent across the cargo hold, and recalled why he had been sitting in here with one of his most despised enemies. Ever since they removed the hard-light cuffs and gave him his weapons back, KaZar was adamant about keeping an eye on Taskmaster. So, he offered to take the first round of guard duty, and then the second...and maybe the third. Staying diligent to his task had been easy at first, but as the hours passed uneventfully, he had been wandering farther and farther into his thoughts.

Too far it turned out.

How long has it been since he actually paid attention to what Taskmaster was doing? Anything could happen with that creep around.

For a minute KaZar was tempted to ask for the fourth shift, but the Hulk saw it on his face before he could even begin.

"No," he said. "You've been here for hours. Go get rest. You'll need it for the Savage Lands."

KaZar scoffed, leaning forward into the safety strap of his seat. "I'm not even tired,"

He's never seen the Hulk raise an eyebrow before.

"Oh really?" Hulk challenged, "Then why do you look like someone punched you in the face? I've fought zombies before kid, and it's almost weird how much you resemble one."

The need to argue was great, but KaZar couldn't compare himself much to a zombie because, well, he's never actually seen one face-to-face. He's seen clips and videoes after he admitted to the team that he hadn't watched many movies - of which they immediately promised to have a movie night sometime - but even so, KaZar doubted he looked like a flesh-rotting humanoid creature trying to eat brains.

Hulk laughed heartily at KaZar's scowl and clapped him on the back. "Go on Jungle-Kid, I'll watch Taskmaster,"

Well, he couldn't exactly flat-out refuse. KaZar grabbed his bowie knife and tightened the thin gauntlet on his wrist, and left, glaring at Taskmaster one last time. As soon as the cargo door closed behind him though, he skeptically glanced at himself in the polished metal of the door. His skin wasn't rotted nor did he appear even remotely hungry in his contorted image, so maybe Hulk was just seeing things.

"Zombies," he scoffed and sheathed the bowie knife in the holster on his back.

Captain America was up front flying the jet. KaZar took one of the seats that lined up in small rows behind the cockpit, the one closest to the window. Outside it was nothing but misty clouds and the occasional glimpse of the ocean far below. How much longer would it be until they arrived?

He could almost imagine the warm feel of the suns rays, the humid weight of the air, and the buzzing signs of life in the jungle. The rough up-and-down tumble of its heartbeat, always steady and strong, pulsing through his veins even now. Or, at least, a faint thrum of what it once was. A sudden, overwhelming feeling of homesickness hit him, and he tucked his feet under his legs and curled his arms tightly over his chest to suppress the feeling. The ride there suddenly seemed too long. Why weren't they there already? Wasn't SHIELD supposed to have fast jets?

He peered past his seat, glancing up at the man at the wheel. "Uh, Captain America," he called, and said man glanced over his shoulder, "when will we be arriving at the Savage Lands?"

"Soon," Captain America replied, back to the controls, "We've got a few more hours to go."

Hours? That was soon?

KaZar squirmed, feeling the sudden urge to fidget. He forgot to take into consideration how much time it was going to take to get there, having been so wrapped up in thinking up ways to begin to track the megamiphidas. He didn't like staying still for so long, not unless it was absolutely necessary. What was he expected to do for the remainder of the trip?

"You should get some rest," Captain America added over his shoulder. "You'll need it."

KaZar resisted the urge to eye-roll. Why did everyone want him to sleep? He was perfectly fine being awake. Besides, if any of them needed sleep, it was his two fellow comrades. They were the ones who didn't know the Savage Lands. They were the ones who were going to need all their energy just to keep up.

"I'm fine," he replied, sitting resolutely straight to prove through his lack of slumping that sleep was the last thing he needed. "Maybe," he fidgeted anxiously, " - maybe you guys should get some sleep. The Savage Lands won't spare you the time for it."

Captain America paused, and KaZar held his breath. Oh, that was a bad idea. People didn't just mouth off to Captain America! There were undiscussed rules within the hero world. He was getting court-marshaled, he was going to be punished for insubordination! When did he secretly become Spider-Man? He froze, waiting for the Avenger to whirl around and order him to drop down and give him twenty. But instead, surprisingly enough, Captain America shrugged and pushed a button on the dashboard controls, and the words: Auto-Pilot Initiated, flashed briefly over the screen and he got up, stretching his arms. "Now that's something I can agree on." he said, "I could use a few hours of sleep myself. There's nothing else to do here anyway."

KaZar tried not to let his jaw drop as Captain America sat in and reclined one of the chairs, tossed his shield and helmet onto the seat next to him, and cuddled up as comfortably as he could into the tough cushion. Captain America, honest-to-Odin, snuggled into a shield jet chair not 5 feet away from him.

Spider-Man was going to be so jealous when KaZar told him about this.

It wasn't the first time he's seen the older man without his helmet, but it was the first time he looked so at ease. Captain America's hair was almost as blonde as his. There were bags under his eye, KaZar also noticed. Worry lines on his forward. In fact, he almost seemed exhausted.

"Are you going to keep staring at me like that?" Captain America asked, eyes closed, and KaZar ripped his gaze away and hid farther into his seat, embarrassed for being caught.

To prevent himself from further humiliation, he kept his eyes fixated on the clouds outside. Gradually, the breathing at his back got slower and deeper and in no time he was certain the Avenger was asleep. Even then, he kept his eyes outside, waiting for the moment that the Savage Lands might appear on the horizon.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, but his eyelids were almost completely closed when he realized he was starting to doze. Every fiery, rebellious nerve inside sparked and he straightened his back with the intent not to give in. He couldn't go to sleep now. Not after rejecting the suggestion from both Hulk and Captain America. But his body didn't seem to run along the same tracks, as his eyes grew heavier and sleep began oppressing from all sides.

No, KaZar snapped at his brain. No sleep. I don't need it.

Sleep, his brain smiled hazily.

No sleep! Kazar snapped back. It's too late for that.

Sleep, his brain agreed, and he decided it was a lost cause.

For a few minutes, he conceded and lay back in the chair.

Sleep overtook him before he could scold it for coming on so fast.

LINE BREAK

"KaZar, wake up."

A hand was gently shaking his shoulder. Somewhere in his half-asleep consciousness, he was aware that he should respond, but his other half yawned and bat the hand away instead.

"C'mon kid, we gotta get a move on."

Maybe in 5 minutes.

"Son, the Savage Lands are coming up. We gotta get prepped."

That woke him up. KaZar jolted up, and very nearly head-butt Captain America's helmet, but was spared the headache when the Avenger jerked back just in time. KaZar deftly apologized, though the words felt like cotton on his dry tongue, and ungracefully pulled out of his seat and rammed into the window. A smile cracked his lethargic, sleep-hazy demeanor, and he shook the rest of the cobwebs away. Across the large icy starch plane of the Antartica, a wall of grey and white mountains began to peek from the ground, that arched into a large circle that went on growing as they drew closer. Past their peaks, a steady blanket of thickly spread tree's was laid out across the ground, broken up by small mountains that guarded valleys and cliffs inside. A large plateau rose from the ground, where glittering waterfalls winked at him beckoningly. Speckles dotted the sky, swooping and diving on the winds, and farther in the distance a red dot flickered, attached by a black string; a volcano belching its flame. He wasn't outside yet, but he could already feel the familiar humid air.

A giggled found its way up his chest and he sagged against the window. "I'm back," he murmured into the glass, feeling an unaccounted bubble of stress pop with his giggle. "I can't believe it, I'm - I'm home again."

He turned, noticing Captain America again. The older man was smiling in a way that seemed almost sentimental. His eyes were soft as he gestured toward the cargo-hold. "Let's go. Hulk and Taskmaster are waiting."

KaZar was too excited to wonder what that smile meant. He grabbed his bowie knife and bo-staff, secured his wrist gauntlets, and followed Captain America with butterfly excitement. He was so ready to be back in his element, to feel the soft earth under his feet, to hear the buzz of insects and roar of dinosaurs, and to observe the tribes of the land as they all went about their wild way of life.

Not even seeing Taskmaster again was enough abate his eagerness.

Hulk was standing near the mercenary, arms folded but relaxed. "What took you so long?" he rumbled.

"Sorry, was just getting a few things," Captain America said as he stood next to the control panel to the jets landing gear, checked a few things, before heading back to the cockpit to safely land their aircraft. KaZar stood next to Hulk, clutching the bo-staff and fidgeting with the strap across his chest.

Hulk must've noticed that something was off about him, as he asked, "Nervous?"

"No," KaZar said, eyes fixated on the door "Just excited,"

That earned him a snort. "I think you might be the only one. Been here before. The dinosaurs are fun to wrestle with, but it's not really my type of place."

KaZar grinned and looked up at Hulk, cocking his head to the side inquiringly. "Then what is your type of place?"

"Deserts," Hulk shrugged. "Sand-dunes. Places with little life to pulverize. It's the best place to keep a team of smashers anyway. It's hard not to crush plants." He seemed very adamant about that, and KaZar wondered what poor plants have seen the underside of Hulk's feet.

Sometimes he forgot Hulk had his own team of fellow hulks. He's never seen them before, but he's watched some the news footage and Spider-Man talked highly of them. Truly a force to be reckoned with.

But, he merely smirked and spun the bo staff in an intricate arc.

"You just have to fall into the Savage Land rhythm. Once you get it figured out, it's - well, it's still dangerous, but you have a better chance of making it out alive," he said, and the eagerness heightened. "I'm just happy to be back home."

"Well," Hulk clapped him in the back, almost truckling him underhand, "it's nice to have a guide for once. Every time I end up here, my team end up separated. Glad this is just an in and out mission this time."

KaZar's smile lost some of its zeal. "Yeah. In and out," he shrunk the bow staff and tucked it into the cord around his waist, mumbling, "Great..."

Hulk peered down at him, and his gaze smoothed. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure you'll be back home from SHIELD in no time."

"I know," KaZar said, "but, well...it's nice having outsider experience, but-but I miss my home a lot too, and," he paused to stroke the tooth dangling from his neck, "and my brother. I miss my brother." How much longer would Zabu have to be locked up in the Academy? How many weeks did he have to go without looking at the sky and feeling the sun? A cold, dark metal prison was no place for his brother.

The pat on his back was a tad softer this time. "We'll get him back too. There's no way we're going to let anyone get away with this."

"Yes," KaZar glanced at Taskmaster, uncaring for how obvious he was about it. "We won't."

"Save it, kid," Taskmaster glowered right back. "I was nowhere near your school when it was attacked."

KaZar didn't believe that for a second. All of the other villains had been tucked away in a SHIELD cell when the attack happened, and the only one who had the abilities to sneak inside the Academy without detection, aside from a locked up Beetle, was definitely Taskmaster.

His disbelief must've been evident on his face, as Taskmaster merely scoffed and turned away as if it wasn't even worth the time to try and convince him otherwise. Which was probably for the best too, as anything Taskmaster had to say would fall on deaf ears. The jet jolted with turbulence, and the butterflies in his stomach multiplied in numbers as the aircraft began its descent. Taskmaster was forgotten in an instance as a tingle of anxious excitement buzzed through KaZar's fingers. He kept one hand firmly in one of the holds in the wall while the other wound tightly around the tip of the bo-staff.

The descent didn't take long, but it felt like time had deliberately slowed just to irk him. When the jet finally hit the ground, a landing as smooth as the metal of Captain America's vibranium shield, the gears within hummed and the landing ramp began to fall. But it wasn't fast enough either, and when it had opened wide enough to fit a person, KaZar jumped up and grabbed the bars of the jet and swung himself through the crack of light and down onto the awaiting land.

He got back to his feet, slow and easy. The ground had been upheaved and smoothed over with dirt, then packed hard with a history of being driven on. In front of him, a thick grey wall of concrete loomed, with the peaks of a building lurking inside. The gates were closed tightly and guards stood watch both inside and out, weapons up and aimed at the aircraft even though it bore the same SHIELD logo that was stamped on the wall of their edifice. That was weird. He didn't remember Director Fury mentioning a SHIELD base in the Savage Lands.

But he ignored the tasteless building, shoving it into a corner to be dealt with later, and turned to take in the flavor of his home. High, grey mountains rose up as towers in the distance, guarding the land against the snows and storms outside, where beyond that the waters of the bay resided. Tree's stood in a far blanket, sentinels in their height, and popping with various shades of luscious green with their twisting vines, leaves, and thick, moss-covered branches. The air was warm, but moist with water, and the sun's rays were like a healing balm to the ache that had made an unconscious home in his chest. He could hear the sounds of the Savage Lands past the dying hum of the jet, from the buzzing of the work-driven insects, the rustling of the tree's as they beckoned him forward, and the call of the jungle's inhabitants whispering through the wind like dozens of different frequencies he could tap into.

Home.

"You know, you could've just waited for the ramp to go down," Hulk commented as he stomped off the jet, directing Taskmaster toward the SHIELD facility with a giant, green hand that took up most of the grown man's shoulder.

"It's as beautiful as I remember," KaZar said, sucking in a deep breath, tasting the rich flavor of freshly plowed dirt. He dug his feet into the earth a little more, connecting himself further into the land as if to tap into its reserves. "Oh, I've missed it so much."

Captain America stopped next to him, looking around too. "It sure is something," he agreed. They stood like that for a moment, before Cap grabbed at his collar and hefted his shield a little more. "Forgot how hot it was here though."

KaZar merely hummed, catching the roar of a dinosaur in the distance. The sun had risen past midday and was making steady progress across the sky. If they planned on making this an in-and-out mission, then they'd have to get a move before it got dark. He only wished they had more time, so he could explore the terrain, reconnect with its beat, and adjust to the changes the jungle underwent in his absence.

"When do we start?" he asked.

"As soon as we check in with SHIELD's Monitor Station," Captain America said, nodding toward the building, and smoothly picked up into a walk, inspiring the same from KaZar. Ahead, Hulk had already made it to the gates, which were slowly cranking open. He huffed and folded his arms, before growling in impatience and grabbing Taskmaster by the scruff of his neck, and then jumped them both over the wall instead. Through the door's crack, Hulk dropped Taskmaster on the ground, who fell, scrambled to his feet, and sputtered angry curses that only made Hulk smirk.

KaZar grinned wider.

"Any ideas where to start?" Captain America continued.

He glanced once more through the terrain. Opposite to the peaks to their left, a cliff rose up in the distance. Somewhere beyond that, the Mystic Mists jungle hid on its plateau. That'd be the first place to go, as it was one of the places the megamiphadus frequented most.

"To the Mystic Mists," KaZar answered, "and if what we seek isn't there, then the Lost Lake is next."

"Mystic Mists, Lost Lake," Captain America parroted, shaking his head. "I'm glad we actually have a guide this time, otherwise we'd probably get lost again." he shook his head, frowning this time. "I swear, it happens everytime."

KaZar shrugged, "I'll do my best to ensure the safety of my group."

Captain America clapped his shoulder and grinned, "And us for you."

They walked through the gates before it closed shut again. But even within its concrete walls, the beat of the Savage Lands drum still thrummed hard around them. You couldn't invade its jungles and try to hide. The Savage Land found you, no matter what.

It was good to be home.

Ohhh, it's been so long, amirite???

Well, I'll be glad to get back in tune with this story. I've missed writing it so much. T.T

Anyway, I know I just got back into this, but a writing contest came up that I want to participate in, so I'm gonna take some time to work on that. Thank you to the people who are still following this story. I'm so sorry for neglecting it for so long!!! I love you all!!

KaZar's finally back in the Savage Lands :3 I can't wait to write more of this place. XD

Till then, see you later Chilladas!