A hefty thud rang through the woods. Followed by the pained roar of a wounded beast. Expectations demand that a massive monster be found at its center. In reality, it was the screams of a father that shook the forest bed. His rage blinded his sense of reason. Revenge; the only solution in his heart.

Bo had pinned Chester to the ground. He stood nearly a foot over him before, now with the jester prone it was a difference of six. Chester's blue face paint was starting to run from the buckets of sweat rolling down his cheeks. Bo's heel buried itself deep into Chester's throat. An arrow pointed to his nose with its knock pulled past its maximum strength on the bow's string.

There was mass panic in the quaint cottage as Bo's growls were only enhanced by the angry snarls of Nita just behind him. While Chester gripped Bo's ankle to relieve the pressure, Crow held onto his arms trying to pull away the weapon before something horrible could happen. Nita had latched onto Chester's ankle like an angry mutt. His pants were torn and face paint smeared from the brawl they'd just concluded.

Chester's saliva caught in his throat as he thrashed beneath them. Bo's face was visible beneath his eagle cap. His pupils were hidden behind arcs of red lightning. Teeth ground together till they were flat as a board. Yet there was still humanity behind the beast. Regret brought forth from frustration. Betrayal begetting anger.

Bo roared, "This is your fault."

Sputtered coughs and pained gasps ruptured up from his victim's lungs.

He continued, "You said a girl!" With another thrust downward he felt Chester's esophagus crumble, "LIAR!"

Crow's usual gruff persona gave way to the scared and squeaky truth, "He didn't know." He yanked Bo away but couldn't move his feet, "We didn't know!"

Bo removed his attention from Chester and whistled. Nita's ears perked as she jumped onto Crow's back. The two rolled to the ground until Nita had Crow pinned to the floor. She held his arms behind his back while she sat on his spine. Bo refocused once more preparing to fire his explosive arrows.

Crow spat out some dirt and made a plea, "Bo. Remember Super City. The attack." Bo's fingers relaxed a bit. "The mining trip. The monsters. The transformations. That giant robot." Nita pushed harder down on his chest. Crow sputtered, "Why would I lie now?"

Bo's hands shook until a stiff breath rushed out. He moved away from Chester and slung down his bow. The arrow cluttered to the side as Chester coughed back to life. Bo walked laps around the tent until he made a silent gesture to his adopted daughter. Nita relinquished her grip though the low growl continued to roll up from her gut.

Crow rolled his shoulders about and walked up to Bo carefully. He didn't waste time with words. He just took a moment to place a hand on his shoulder in support and solidarity. There was a soft whimper that filled the wooden walls. Then from the ground came a pained grumble. A repeated huffing, an involuntary response.

"Waa-haa-ha-ha!"

Bo's anger propelled him forth. Crow was able to stop him as he asked Bo to wait. The jester continued to snicker at the sky. "Wa-ha-wa-ha-wa-ha!" His razor-sharp teeth hidden behind downturned lips, "Wa-ha-huh... *sniff* hu-hu..." His guffaws turned to sobs. His salty expulsion watered the ground below, "It's my fault."

The three spectators focused on Chester as his chest heaved up and down. They all listened on as he vented weeks' worth of frustration. "Why?" Through dirty sniffles, he could only manage, "Why?"

They all sat in this dreary room together. Bo silently sulked as Crow tried to comfort his old friend. Nita's angry snarls swapped to sad whines as she rolled to Chester's side. Chester choked on his own tears as he tried to make sense of it all.

Bo turned up to the ceiling. His silent prayers aimed at whatever cruel god had orchestrated this catastrophe. Prayers that begged for forgiveness for whatever he had done. Prayers that begged for the safe return of his son.