Five apes road to the site of this morning’s human hunt. “There.” A terrified gorilla soldier points to a lone tree in a field of tall grass, “I will go no further.”

“Yes you will!” Commanded Ursus, leader of the gorilla forces.

“Forgive me sir,” said the soldier as he turned his horse, “The thing that did this scares me more than you.” He rode away as fast as the horse could carry him.

“Not afraid of Ursus?” The two chimpanzee scientists found joy in this. Zira, a scientist dedicated to understanding the problem that is man, and her husband Cornelius, an archeologist. “If no one else wishes to go first I will.” Zira took the lead. Fearless as ever.

As the four came to the tree silence befell them. The tree had gorilla corpses dangling from every limb. Too many to count. “By the Lawgiver.” Zaius was frightened. The Minister of Science and Chief Defender of the Faith was an orangutan of firm belief. The site before him shook his very core. Then he saw the humans. They were sitting there. Quietly eating their scraps beneath the tree. Normally they would have run off at the site of an ape. They were calm. They weren’t afraid. “KILL THEM!” Zaius roared at Ursus. “They must have done this! See how they have no fear?”

“Them?” Zira forced a laugh through her fear, “They didn’t do this. They couldn’t.”

“She’s right.” Ursus agreed, his eyes not wavering from where the tree branches from the trunk, “I’ve hunted humans long enough to know they aren’t capable of this.” The wind rushes through the field and Ursus sees a shimmer. His hand slowly moves towards his rifle in the saddle bag.

“In your professional opinion,” Cornelius began, “What do you think did this?”

Ursus grabs his gun, “DEMON!” He fires, bright eyes flash in the trees as the bullet rips through the air and a glowing green liquid splatters on the tree. The humans run. A shape begins to form in the tree before it leaps into the tall grass. Ursus’s voice surrounds the apes repeating, “DEMON!” The apes circle up with Ursus ready for a fight. Then it stops. Ursus puts down his gun. Zaius reaches for it in his frightened state but Ursus stops him, “It’s gone.” He seemed excited, “I need a platoon.”

“Anything you want.” Zaius told him, “Just kill it.”

In the nearby forest the Yautja hunter known as Bright Eyes laughs. He had let his guard down and paid for it. He heals himself joyful to have found worthy prey.