Meeting again

" I do remember a report about a qaud-triple homicide that happened in Muir Park about 3 years ago, it was listed as cold."

She scoffed weakly.

"Of course they put it on record as that, hard to remain in power when people don't trust you, it was listed as something else before but we figured out the truth, they changed it to that so they wouldn't look bad" she said softly with her gaze looking at her hands.

"By you mean they? you mean-

"I think you know very well who I mean" she cut off him curtly.

The room became silent.

"You said they were not killed by a normal weapon, what did you mean by that?" he asked breaking the silence.

"Because it wasn't normal....the weapon was as sharp as a blade but didn't cut through cleanly as one....I thought it could be a piece of glass or a sharp stone but I didn't really know at the time....and the way they were killed was just overkill...it was almost....savage...it didn't even make sense why they were killed, they didn't have weapons and the items they found from scavenging were still with them...the murder seemed pointless....but nothing really surprises me anymore considering the world we live in now" she said getting lost in thought while rubbing a couple scars on one of her arms.

"How did you feel seeing him again after all those years" he asked snapping her out her thoughts.

She brought her head up to look at him

"I don't really know to describe it.....happy, scared, and sad came in all at once and I didn't know how to process it...I knew I would run into him again eventually....but I wasn't emotionally or mentally prepared for it" She said as she was playing with her bracelet.

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Muir Park, 3 years ago

They didn't move or say anything, they only stared at each other, Caesar still looking at her shocked while Iris looked at him expressionless but was really trying bury the anxiety she was actually feeling, she looked behind him too see a couple of apes staring at both them in confusion.

"IRIS! I FOUND MY DAD!" Alex screamed breaking the silence.

She snapped her head around to see it was Alex with his father and the two others coming down the hill but they soon stopped what they where doing when they saw the scene and the apes, James and the other man pulled out guns getting ready to fire, the apes growled at them getting their arrows ready as well.

"DON'T SHOOT!" Malcolm yelled while grabing a hold of James's gun, he turned to look at Caesar who was glaring at the two holding the guns.

"THEY KILLED THEM!" James yelled trying shake him off.

"They didn't! Iris and I found them like this!" Alex protested.

"DROP THE GUN JAMES!" Malcom demaneded.

Bruce started to growl at the tension.

Iris looked back inforth at the situation forgeting who standing infront of her for a minute, with both sides having weapons and with tempers flying, it was only matter of time someone was going to get shot by a bullet or an arrow. She quickly stood up and spun around to glare at James.

"JAMES!!! IF YOU AND YOUR FRIEND DON'T DROP THE FUCKING GUNS RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO COME OVER THERE, SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT AND PULL THE TRIGGER!!!!" she screamed at him.

They stopped their yelling to look at her, even the apes where shocked by her ferociousness. James glared at her as he tightly gripping his gun.

"Do you really want to have a go at me James....." she said softly as walked over to him slowly, he twitched a little in fear.

"Because If I recall last time that didn't end up so well for you....so trust me when I say that gun won't protect you from me" she said with malice.

When she got closer she grabbed the gun from him, believing her threat he didn't fight back. The next thing she did shocked everyone there, she took the back of the gun and slammed it into the side of his face causing him to fall straight onto his but.

"Ackk! Dammit Iris!" he yelled in pain while holding his face.

"I told you not to piss me off" she said quietly.

"Ok enough both of you!" Malcolm interuppted them as he grabbed James by the shirt dragged him away from the hill, the other man following them.

"She hit me!"

"Yea be happy she didn't shoot you."

Malcolm dragged him a distant away from the hill then pushed him down to sit on a rock and told him not move and he didn't, probably in fear of facing Iris's wrath. He then walked back over to the scene over to Caesar. Alex hadn't left the top of the hill, he obviously didn't want to be near the bodies.

"Hello Caesar" he said softly.

"Malcolm..."

Iris watched them start conversing with each other, while she was a little surprised they knew each other, she was too busy trying deal with her overwhelming anxiety and the situation at hand to put much thought into it. She held her head while trying to keep her breathing steady bringing her other hand to hold her chest. It was around that time that both of them noticed her condition.

"Iris? Are you alright?" Malcolm asked with concern.

She turned to look at Caesar who looked back at her with an unreadable expression along what she thought was a hint of worry in his eyes. She quickly snapped her gaze away, unable to keep it any longer.

"I'm fine....Can I talk to you" she said quietly while gesturing for him to come over to her.

He walked over to her confused why she was acting like this. When he got over to her she leaned in close to talk to him.

"This killing isn't normal Malcolm....." She said quietly.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"They didn't have weapons or useful supplies....so they weren't threats or good robbery targets.....and they were all killed the same way....almost savagely."

"Your not suggesting-

"I'm not saying the apes did it" She interrupted him.

"Then what are you saying?..." he asked confused.

"What I'm saying Malcolm is we have a physco in these woods but I'm not sure of what species."

She glanced a little at the apes who were curious and suspicious of what they were talking about.

Malcolm didn't seem surprised at this considering what happened a month ago.

"But the military will probably use this as an excuse to try to raid their village....your going to have to keep this on the down low for a little bit.....bring Ellie out here to do a official autopsy..."

Out of the corner of her eye she had saw a younger ape with blue eyes had walked over and started signing to Ceasar.

"Father who is this woman? do you know her?" he asked in confusion.

Iris could tell couple others were wondering the same thing as well. With her anxiety reaching a breaking point she quickly turned around to head back to her home.

"Com'on Bruce!" she said to the shepard, who instantly followed her.

"Iris! where are you going!?" Malcolm asked following after her.

"Home" she replied curtly.

"Iris..." Caesar said softly while taking a step forward.

She spun around and brought her arm out, gesturing to him to stop.

"Just don't....." She said softly.

He looked at her sadly.

Unable to look at him anymore she quickly turned back to the direction of her home and hurried off.

"Iris! IRIS!" Malcolm called out to her but by that time she was already a distance away.

Wanting to get away from that area as quickly as possible she started to run the rest of the way back home, Bruce staying right in her tail. When her and Bruce finally got back home, she slammed the door behind them and started to hyperventilate, she ran her hands threw her started to pace around the room. She then started to desperately search for the herb she brought home that day, since she wasn't think clearly she didn't remeber where she put it which made have more anxiety.

When she did find it she started to crumble and smash it until it was powder, she then procided to put into a incense pot she had on the table. She then hesitantly grabbed a match and trembled as she lit it, she hasn't liked fire for awhile now but in cases like these she had to use it. She quickly put the match under the pot, not wanting to hold the match anymore and after a minute the incense started to fill the room. She walked backwards with her eyes closed until she hit a wall causing her to slide down it until her but hit the floor, her head leaned against it faced up while one of her hands played with her bracelet. She began to remember the past.

Flashback 18 years ago

"Dad, Iris, we are going to have guest stay with us for awhile" her father Will said to her and her gandfather as he put a box on the table.

Iris who was curious went over and opened the box to look inside and found a baby chimp.

"He's so cute" she said in awe.

She then reached her hand to the baby who instantly grabbed her finger which made her smile brightly. Her Grandfather then picked him to lift up in the air while smiling at him as well.

"What's his name Daddy?" she asked.

End of Flashback

No longer being able to hold it in she started to sob hard and curled up into a ball.