Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For millennia, it seemed as if the only thing humanity would know was war. Some could say that it is human nature for man to fight his brothers, whether it be for resources, honor; territory, or power. Man and his cousins will inevitably fight in a petty squabble over things that blood doesn't need to be shed over. The progress that humanity had made over its million-year-long journey showed that cooperation worked best.

Alone, no man or woman could bring down a Woolly Rhino or Cave Bear. But working together, a tribe of humans could bring down a Woolly Mammoth. Perhaps the benefits of cooperation could outweigh the downsides of war.

That could not be said for what was happening now. Men and women fought alongside their spirit allies, who rallied them against phantoms from the sky. Every day, humans and spirits fell in battle, and there was a rare chance that a body wouldn't be found.

This was how the ancients lived for hundreds of years. The spirits of the Earth would summon them to battle phantoms from the sky, and they accepted that as life.

Yet on one fateful day... it all stopped. It was slow at first, with skirmishes being less frequent. But when the phantoms from the sky could be seen retreating in their boats that could fly, a celebration was called for.

Bonfires were lit, and instruments were carved from available materials, human and Earth Spirit would dance and eat as equals. Both man and spirit were born from the Earth after all, why wouldn't they be considered as such?

Others... had different plans, however, Three phantoms, above the others. One stoic, one mournful, one indifferent. They were more than just mere phantoms and could have been considered more gods if anything. The indifferent one, however, was the one above them all. No emotion could be seen plastered on her face as if she wasn't there mentally.

Mother Earth could be seen far below, with flames lighting up different parts of the planet.

Hundreds, if not thousands of flying boats ascended through and out of the atmosphere of the planet, fleeing for their safety due to what was about to occur.

Whoever would be left behind would be completely obliterated, but their sacrifices would not be in vain.

Both Stoic and Mournful held their hands out, aura flowing out of the gemstones embedded in their chests. The one above them all joined in soon after, and it all combined into a glowing ball of multi-colored light; white yellow, and blue. It began to grow slowly and was soon released as a blinding ball of light, that would briefly outshine the Sun itself.

Yet the light did not bring about its intended effect, as instead of being obliterated... the spirits of the earth warped and contorted to resemble demons straight out of the Underworld.

Time... appeared to come to a standstill for a moment, and the environment too morphed into something new.

Multiple times the environment changed, into skylines of cities with different architectural styles; a bleak laboratory, and the inside of some kind of vehicle. Environments that all felt foreign, yet familiar somehow... then everything went white.

A boy woke up gasping in his loft bed, hitting his head on the ceiling less than two feet above his head. The strange crystalline deformity on his forehead had left another circular mark on the ceiling.

"Ow..." He had placed his hand on his forehead, trying to soothe the dull pain on his forehead. Moments later, he grabbed his phone which was placed in the area of his loft where the mattress didn't reach.

"8:21 AM," the clock said, nine minutes before his alarm. Much better than the usual record of the times he woke up before, best to get up now.

He climbed down from his loft and grabbed the outfit his mother had assigned for Friday from his dresser. A white-collared shirt with a jet black vest to go over it, khaki shorts, and white socks.

It wasn't long until he to the kitchen to make breakfast afterwards, but something seemed different. Usually, it felt as if he was being watched, and he had no idea why.

Could his mother be watching him without him knowing? No, no... there had to be another explanation. Maybe it was just leftover emotions from his dreams or the likes of that, he usually felt like something was watching him in them as well.

Could it have been some kind of... guardian angel? No, no it couldn't be. Could he just have been anxious? That's what his mother kept telling him. He would have thought if he was being anxious, there would have been something else wrong with him. But other than his... peculiar appearance, nothing about him felt off.

Speaking of someone who always seemed off...

"Elliott, why are you up so early?" A woman's voice asked, walking into the room. She had a cup of coffee in hand, emblazoned with a crimson logo.

"Oh, mother! I just woke up a couple minutes before my alarm."

"You didn't have to get up earlier though."

"I just wanted to take initiative."

"Well, that's very responsible of you..."

"Thank you, mother," Elliott said.

After breakfast, he got on to his morning chores while listening to a Bluetooth radio. Many years of performing said chores made him kind of an expert on the best way to get things done. Say, putting clean dishes in one sink and filling up said sink until it was full, then rinsing all the dishes at once.

Yet today, he could hear something new that he didn't hear often. His mother Lusamine, was arguing with one of her fellows. Elliott peaked around the corner to get a better understanding of what was going on but was hard of hearing due to the podcast he had been listening to.

"Well, What are we going to even do?? He doesn't have a birth certificate, and you know that!" She was holding a hand out and shaking it slightly out of what seemed like anger, though it seemed more out of... frustration.

"We can't just terminate him either! He's too important to just throw to the wolves like that! If your supposed formula for a synthetic Steinn solution can't be used, what then??"

She stood there listening to the person on the other side of the call and sighed. "You know that will be very difficult Dalton. What do you suggest?"

Once again, the only thing that could be heard was the podcast.

"I understand. I'll be ready for when the time comes. Goodbye, Dalton." She proceeded to hang up the phone.

"Um... mother?" Elliott asked, walking out of the kitchen.

"Oh, Elliott!" Lusamine said, startled. "How long were you standing there?"

"Only a few minutes. Is someone getting fired at work?"

"It's not important. Just... work drama is all. Go back to the dishes, I need a clean kitchen to make Pumpkin Roll."

"Okay, will do."

He decided to change the radio station as he was cleaning, and he found something that focused on the disappearances of adolescents all around the United States. Specifically though, the disappearances in Seattle.

"The police department has released information that more local teenagers have gone missing." The host said with a monotone voice. "The only connection between the teenagers is that they are all students at Roosevelt High and Whitman Middle School. They were last seen earlier this week, and have been linked to the disturbing trend of serial kidnappings. The governor has set a state-wide curfew into effect for anyone under eighteen starting tonight. Now onto other news... Ominent Practical Technologies signs a..."

The reporter felt as if she was trailing off as Elliott stopped focusing on the radio. Besides, Lusamine already went on about everything that was everything at Ominent, along with her opinions on the such. He was never exactly interested in Ominent itself, however, despite his Mother's high standing in the company.

Hours passed, and Elliott went about his usual business. Sweeping floors, taking the trash out; cleaning up the bathroom, but there was also the things he did in his spare time. He was trying to one hundred percent Hollow Knight, the game he played most often.

To do that, he would have to beat the Pantheon of Hallownest, which proved to be... difficult to say the least. Over forty bosses he had to beat in a row he had to beat to get some kind of secret ending. And if he died even once when trying to attempt it? He would have to start all over again.

There was a location in the game said to be the most difficult area, the Path of Pain. But unlike said path of pain, you'd be able to try again in the middle of it. Would it even be worth the title of Path of Pain then? Screw the supposed Path of Pain. The Pantheon of Hallownest was the TRUE path of pain. Was the secret ending it rewarded even worth it?

That was what was on his mind when he went to bed that night after he was stuck for hours on end due to a boss based on vampires. At least the music that played during the fight was a banger.

He fell asleep listening to a Playlist of the game's original soundtracks, waking up occasionally when an advertisement paused the music. When suddenly...

He was woken up by the sounds of his bedroom door bursting open, and grabbed by the arms. He couldn't even scream as he was physically subdued to keep him fighting, and cuffs were tied to his hands. Only when he was being forced out of his room did he start speaking... and yelling.

"What do you want with me!?" He asked. No answer.

"Who are you!? Why are you doing this??"

Still, no answer, as he was further through the home. Just as he was about to head out the door, however, he could see Lusamine standing by said door. Was she... waiting for something?

"MOTHER!! PLEASE HELP ME!!"

She only winced at the yelling and pleading, but had a look of... apathy plastered on her face.

"We've collected the subject ma'am." One man said.

"Excellent, excellent!" Lusamine said, clapping her hands. "Now hurry up and knock him out. Dalton is waiting."

"Yes, Director!" One of the men pulled out a rag, and the room started to smell slightly like grass. He tried to place it over Elliott's mouth, yet it proved difficult due to Elliott moving his head back repeatedly.

"What are you doing mother!?"

One of the other men grabbed his head, and the rag was placed over his mouth and nose. The last thing he saw was Lusamine's indifferent expression... and everything faded to black.

Chapters end.
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Chapter Text

What do you want with me!?" He asked. No answer.

"Who are you!? Why are you doing this??"

Still, no answer, as he was further through the home. Just as he was about to head out the door, however, he could see Lusamine standing by said door. Was she... waiting for something?

"MOTHER!! PLEASE HELP ME!!"

She only winced at the yelling and pleading, but had a look of... apathy plastered on her face.

"We've collected the subject ma'am." One man said.

"Excellent, excellent!" Lusamine said, clapping her hands. "Now hurry up and knock him out. Dalton is waiting."

"Yes, Director!" One of the men pulled out a rag, and the room started to smell slightly like grass. He tried to place it over Elliott's mouth, yet it proved difficult due to Elliott moving his head back repeatedly.

"What are you doing mother!?"

One of the other men grabbed his head, and the rag was placed over his mouth and nose. The last thing he saw was Lusamine's indifferent expression... and everything faded to black.

Everything had been dark and quiet for who knows how long. Minutes? Hours? Days? Elliott couldn't tell, as it mostly felt as if time had come to a complete standstill. The only thing he had on his mind though... was Lusamine.

Why didn't she do anything to stop those men? Why was she talking to them like that?

Eventually though... he could see light, light that was going through his eyelids.

His eyes were dry and heavy, and when he opened them... the first thing he saw was a logo. One that brought a slight nostalgic feeling... the crimson logo of Ominent Practical Technologies.

Why was he at Ominent HQ? What did they want with him?

Elliott tried to get up but failed to do so due to electric restraints on his wrists and ankles. He could hear what sounded like a heart monitor in the room, along with the distinct sounds of machinery all around him. But then...

"Please don't move, and look straight ahead." A familiar voice said. Elliott did as told, and through could see multiple people through a window in front of him. Men and women in lab coats typing on computers and writing on clipboards, while others were working with machinery. Lusamine was among them, with a clipboard in hand, one of them however stood out among the rest.

A man with combed-over grey hair in a tan suit combined with a red sweater and tie, along with foggy cracked glasses. There was no mistaking who this was...

This was the man himself, Dalton Schmector.

"Mother! Doctor!! Where am I? Why am I strapped to this thing??"

The Director ignored Elliott at first, and he couldn't even tell if Dalton was looking at him. He only continued to bark orders at his employees around their stations, preparing for... something unforeseen. Lusamine however, appeared as if she was only waiting for an unforeseen event. Was she... bored?

Soon enough, however, presumably due to Elliott's nagging, Dalton finally responded.

"Ominent no longer has use for you, but we can't let the public find out about your existence. Henceforth, you're being placed where you could be of further use..." Schmector appeared to be very official with his statements, unlike the strained facade he once put up when Lusamine would bring Elliott to the labs.

Wherever Elliott had been brought to, however, was a section he hadn't seen before.

"Further use? What do you mean?? You're... not gonna hurt me are you?"

"Hurt you? Don't be silly boy, I won't hurt you. I can guarantee that you won't feel a thing, can't guarantee the creatures where you'll go won't hurt you however." He only waved Elliott's accusation away as if it was nothing.

Elliott then looked to Lusamine, who still appeared to be disinterested. "MOTHER PLEASE!! HELP ME!!" His pleading went unheard, and Schmector only appeared ever more annoyed.

"Enough of this! I don't have the time to just sit around and baby you all day. Besides, shouldn't you have realized by now, that Lusamine isn't even your real mother?"

Dalton let the revelation sink in before a sickening smirk spread across his face. He then turned to face his employees.

"Sheldon, activate the Spac.r."

Elliott heard a click, and the bench he was restrained to began to recline. Vertical Blue screens on the left and right began to light up slowly as well.

"It's a go for molecular reduction. Spac. r is primed." Elliott winced as fluorescent lights turned on above, and what looked like probes activated and began to move. They reorganized themselves into a triangular position, and sparks began to fly as they too began to glow.

Elliott's pleading went unheard, as the probes began to fire bolts of pink and blue energy. He began to shake after the bolts hit his torso, creating what looked to be blue and pink "circuitry" across his body. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. It felt as if Elliott's brain was being fried and from his perspective, everything appeared... bigger.

The world looked like it was spinning while the perspective change only grew worse when it all ended as quickly as it began. The probes deactivated, as did the light, and Elliott was just left lying there with his ears ringing like mad.

"Molecular Reduction is a success!" Was the last thing he heard before his consciousness faded.

The next few hours were somewhat of a blur. Elliott went in and out of consciousness, experiencing what could only said to be visions. Some of them were memories of the woman that stood out in the forest at night, others were... more abstract.

A woman in a blue gown, and one in what looked like a golden military uniform and helmet. The one in yellow had placed a hand on the shoulder of the blue, while the one in blue had what looked like pieces of stained glass cupped in her hands.

Said shards had a bright pink color to them, and the people surrounding them appeared to be... crying?

The one in blue certainly was, while the one clad in Yellow kept a stoic expression on her face. Elliott didn't understand all the fuss, why cry over glass? He knew that stained glass was expensive and all, but why would one cry over it?

"We can't do anything to save her now..." The stoic one said, an apathetic tone in her voice. "But there is ONE thing we can do..."

"What?" The mournful one said through tears. "She's gone... tell me, what are we to do!?"

She looked in Elliott's general direction as if she expected him to say something. But it looked as if... she was looking through him?

"I-" His vision flashed into a cacophony of colors before he could finish his sentence, a cacophony of white, blue; and yellow. Yet... something felt missing. For a moment, it felt as if he wasn't complete for one reason or another.

Only one piece of the puzzle was missing, one piece needed to make it whole. To make THEM whole. He wouldn't be able to fully comprehend what was missing, as the different colors of the light blended to become purely white with a yellow tint. Elliott opened his eyes to the yellow light, to find that it wasn't from a dream or vision, but the sun.

"I'm... outside?" He attempted to stand up but found that he had some kind of IV connected to his arm. "What? Why do I..." After remembering what happened earlier, he decided he didn't want to know. He pulled it out and stood up, then realized that he had been in what looked like a protective case. It had a silvery color, along with a red stripe on the lid. There was also some kind of... green light above where his head was supposed to be.

"How long was I in that thing??" He asked, looking around. "Where am I?!"

Elliott turned every which way, trying to make sense of his new environment. Lithe, green plants surrounded him and his case, and what looked like a dead leaf was on the ground; he in turn, went to investigate.

"Is... that a leaf? Hold on! If that leaf is so big, does that mean I'm-" The boy turned to the south, and went silent upon his fears being confirmed.

A house the size of a mountain, that looked to be in the process of being overgrown. Yellow paint had flaked off in certain places due to years of neglect, and vines climbed its walls to reclaim it for nature.

"I'm... tiny??" He put his hands on his head, trying to comprehend his situation. Elliott proceeded to pinch his side and that small moment of pain made him realize something dire.

This wasn't some kind of nightmare... This was real.

Chapters end.

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Chapter Text

Elliott opened his eyes to the yellow light, to find that it wasn't from a dream or vision, but the sun.

"I'm... outside?" He attempted to stand up but found that he had some kind of IV connected to his arm. "What? Why do I..." After remembering what happened earlier, he decided he didn't want to know. He pulled it out and stood up, then realized that he had been in what looked like a protective case. It had a silvery color, along with a red stripe on the lid. There was also some kind of... green light above where his head was supposed to be.

"How long was I in that thing??" He asked, looking around. "Where am I?!"

Elliott turned every which way, trying to make sense of his new environment. Lithe, green plants surrounded him and his case, and what looked like a dead leaf was on the ground; he, in turn, went to investigate.

"Is... that a leaf? Hold on! If that leaf is so big, does that mean I'm-" The boy turned to the south, and went silent upon his fears being confirmed.

A house the size of a mountain, that looked to be in the process of being overgrown. Yellow paint had flaked off in certain places due to years of neglect, and vines climbed its walls to reclaim it for nature.

"I'm... tiny??" He put his hands on his head, trying to comprehend his situation. Elliott proceeded to pinch his side and that small moment of pain made him realize something dire.

This wasn't some kind of nightmare... This was real.

He was attempting to comprehend the situation he was in when he heard something moving through the tree-sized blades of grass. "What's that?"

Not taking any chances, he picked up a nearby stone as a meager form of self-defense. The tension in the air was palpable enough to cut it with a knife, but it all went down the drain when an... Ant came out of the brush.

It wasn't even aggressive, as it merely walked up to Elliott, chirping curiously.

He dropped the rock as its antenna started moving around to an extent.

"Um... hey, little guy." He cautiously placed a hand between the antenna and the ant didn't even seem to care. Suddenly, however, its antenna perked up, and it scurried out of the clearing the case and Elliott was in.

"Hey! Where are you going?? I-" He went silent upon hearing more movement coming from the forest of blades. Something... larger than just an ant.

Elliott picked the stone back up, ready to bash in the exoskeleton of an aggressive insect. But... it turned out he didn't have to do so, as said large insect was revealed to be a Ladybug. Not just any Ladybug either, as it appeared to be... domesticated, as it was covered in purplish leather straps; leading to what looked like a wagon from the old frontier days.

"Woah there!!" The coachman yelled, bringing the wagon to a stop. The coachman surprisingly, looked to be Elliott's age.

"Hello down there! You new around here?"

"Um... I guess so."

"That's what I figured. Folks at Grassletuft saw a new case being dropped from a flying Ominent bot. They got a welcoming party together and sent us to where they suspected the case landed."

Another guy around Elliott's age climbed out of the wagon and came up to him with a couple of papers in his hand.

His get-up was quite strange, at least to Elliott. His pants appeared to be made of materials from the local environment, plant fibers, and the like. He was wearing a hoodie as well, albeit there were a couple of holes and dirt stains across it.

The sandals he wore, however, looked to be made of the same purple leather-like material as the ladybug's harness. Elliott didn't drop the stone and appeared to be backing away slowly.

"Woah, woah. We're not gonna hurt you, we wanna bring you to civilization. It gets dangerous out at night you see..."

"Alright... but what comes out at night?"

"At this time of year? Usually, wolf spiders and Crickets sing their tunes. Tell me, have you ever seen a wolf spider before?" The new boy asked.

"I've seen one with a bunch of babies on its back in my basement one year."

"It was a big spider, I presume?"

"Yeah... biggest spider I've ever seen."

"Okay, now take that spider and make it..." The boy took a moment to think, placing a couple of fingers on his chin. "The size of two Hippos placed on one another."

"That's oddly specific, you come up with that on the spot?"

"Yeah, but you can't blame me for that. Had to come up with something, you know?"

"Guess so..."

Elliott was about to climb onto the wagon, but the boy with the pamphlets stopped him. "I'm afraid you're gonna need these before you step onto the wagon. Contains important knowledge."

"Like... classified knowledge?"

"What? No! Just... info all the newcomers need. I remember I needed it back in the day."

"Alright..."

They both climbed on and could feel the wagon lurch forward as the Ladybug began its march.

The pamphlet turned out to be some kind of brochure, explaining all the different species of insects and arachnids in Tullwend. Some were native to the environment, while some had been... imported, so to speak.

Elliott couldn't exactly focus on such things as Honeypot Ants or Ladybug Larvae however, as his mind was on... Lusamine, specifically what Schmector had claimed.

"Shouldn't you have realized by now, that Lusamine isn't even your real mother?" Played in his mind repeatedly. Was the Director's claim true? It couldn't be, Elliott had lived with Lusamine for as long as he could remember!

Could he possibly have been adopted then? The notion seemed possible to Elliott at first, but what Schmector had specifically said shut that down right quick.

There was one other subject on his mind brought on by Schmector, that he was "no longer of use" to Ominent. Ominent had been using him for some reason? How come, and for how long?

He couldn't have been some kind of mascot, as Lusamine wouldn't bring him to HQ often. Frankly, the only reason she would bring him to HQ at all would be to get his blood drawn every few months. Elliott was left feeling a bit faint. Could they have found use for his blood? If so... how did they? After all, blood is just blood.

Elliott was beginning to consider if he had O-type blood when suddenly, the wagon came to a stop. "Here we are." The coachman said. "Grassletuft, where Aphids and newcomers roam."

Elliott jumped off the carriage, as the other guy walked off to do stars knows what. "Do I... need to pay you at all?"

"Of course not my good man, not on your first trip. Newcomers need all the help they can get, you know? Now, I need to make a delivery of Charcoal ash for a construction project at Woodcrest. See ya then!"

The carriage took off, leaving Elliott at the limits of Grassletuft. The roads seemed to be made out of Cobblestone, or an attempt at Cobblestone considering they were stones packed together in the dirt. The buildings however, looked much more put together.

Foundations made of the stems of weeds, and walls of grass blade planks. Some buildings looked to be made of burs, while others out of... feathers?

Elliott thought the ingenuity was impressive, considering the people all around him. People, all around his age living their lives in this peculiar little town. Some were herding what he assumed to be Aphids with Shepherd's crooks, while others fed plant material to Aphids in pens.

Others were forging weapons on stone like anvils, or cooking Aphids en masse over large grills.

Elliott had to admit, that this tiny town was quite a sight to see. But he couldn't take in the sights now, for it was possibly the best time for him to look over his pamphlets.

He sat down on a nearby bench and opened up the second pamphlet... which turned out to be some kind of map. The paper was a light brown color and had a consistency that reminded Elliott of sandpaper. His eyes only landed on Grassletuft however, as one voice that drowned out the others had caught his attention.

"Step right up, step right up! This ointment made of wasp shells works wonders! Keep wasps from attacking you! Make the bees flee from your very presence! Lead wasps into battle against your enemies!"

Elliott got up and saw a boy with a small amount of facial hair standing on a pedestal, surrounded by people in average looking clothes. Jars of fluid with yellow particles were displayed on the lower parts of the pedestal, and the guy was holding one of those jars. He even wore a formal suit of the previously mentioned purple leather material.

"Control wasps without the need for O.R.C chips! Have them bend to your very will!" The salesman then laid his eyes on Elliott.

"Hey newcomer!" He said, walking off his pedestal and placing a hand on Elliott's shoulder.

"Have I got a deal for you? How would you feel, if you could be a BIGSHOT, and be what is essentially a king of wasps?"

"Um..."

"Well, guess what, I've got a special deal for newcomers like you! Why fight the wasps, when with only one dose of my Vespa Ointment, that isn't even required! With my ointment, Paper Wasps will bend to your very will!"

"So... like insect pheromones?"

"...Essentially, yes! If you have no strength to wield weapons or no strategic genius, Vespa Ointment will make you a BIGSHOT like the rest of..."

The salesman went quiet, upon seeing the crystalline growth behind Elliott's bangs. "How much will you give... for that gem on your forehead?"

Elliott jerked back, brushing his hair back in front of his forehead. "It's... not for sale."

"What? Why? I will give you anything for it. Name your price, and I'll deliver. You got inspired by that Lil Uzi guy I guess?"

"What? No! It's... always been there."

"Really? You didn't just glue it to your forehead or some shit? Cuz I'll still pay for it, just gotta rip it off like a Band-Aid."

"Hell no!!" Elliott yelled, almost making a scene. "It's not for sale, and it isn't glued to my head!!" Elliott walked away, all the while ignoring the salesman pestering him.

"Asshole..."

Chapters end.

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Chapter Text

Over the past few days, it looked as if Grassletuft was constantly changing.

Merchants would come and go, as would carriages full of people. While the carriages only passed through, the Merchants were there to stay, at least for the time being.

Many of them were independent of any of the development settlements in Tullwend, having built their compounds through the resources and wealth they had gathered using skills that they had learned from family members in the business world.

Others, however, traded only in the interests of the settlements they called home.

Say, if the outposts inside the house needed a fresh stock of supplies, they could make an exchange with Weevilville or Grassletuft for food. In exchange, said outposts would trade the food for scrap metal or copper wiring.

After all, the computers and servers left in the labs created by Tullwend's namesake held very valuable data. Both old and new information, such as info on SNPI-42Z, and more recent data on its mutagenic properties.

Elliott had gotten a ride with a caravan from the house, alongside other newcomers. They were headed to the Pond labs, the science center of Tullwend. Newcomers to Tullwend were recommended to head to the Pond Labs for medical inspection.

It was preferred that newcomers go to the Pond Labs sooner rather than later because local insects or arachnids might have gotten to them before a greeting party could.

"So..." The coachman said, trying to make small talk. "Where are you all from? I'm pretty sure Ominent has been nabbing people from all over the states..."

"Empire City." One boy said. "My father was a firefighter..."

"Place down south called Beaver Creek." Another boy said, this one with blond hair. "People said it was the best "Dam" town in America."

"Do you mean damn or dam?" The coachman asked.

"Dam, as in Beaver dams. Ironically though, never saw any beavers there." The conversation went on for about half an hour, with the rest of the newcomers explaining where they came from.

In places such as Orlando, Boulder City, and Charleston, the coachman even came from Philadelphia!

Elliott however, stayed silent during the whole ordeal. Frankly, he was mostly silent over the two days since he arrived. He just couldn't understand... why would Lusamine just toss him to the wolves like that? Why would the Director do such a thing?

After all these years, he thought he knew them, that they were good people. What did he do wrong? What did he do to be cast down into... this place where he felt he didn't belong?

These people were his age sure, but he had only been around other teenagers what, twice? Might it just be to be silent? He wasn't sure and didn't get to finish that thought as the carriage lurched to a stop, and he was almost knocked to the ground.

"Woah!" The blond said, catching Elliott by the hand before he could make an impact. "You alright dude?"

"Oh, yeah, thank you."

"No problem dude, but I have a question."

"...What is it?"

"Why do your eyes look like kites?"

Elliott's eyes went wide. He knew that his pupils looked strange, but people never commented on it during the rare times he was in public.

"They... just look like that."

"Really? Have they always looked like that?"

"Yes, I... have Coloboma."

"What's Colo-"

"Yo Blondie!" The coachman yelled. "You helped him, now quit pestering him about his eyes! Besides, he can't be much different than other folks around here can he?"

"I-"

"Shut it! Besides, we're at your destination, so y'all are free to go now."

The group Elliott was with got off the carriage and was left by the entrance to a tunnel. Two guards were standing on either side of the tunnel, crossbows in hand. They were even wearing sleek orange and white armor, with fins on the top part of the helmets.

"Hey, fellas." The blond said, approaching the guards. "What's up with the armor?"

"Koi Fish scales. Dragged from the depths of the pond, or collected from Trudy II herself.

"Trudy? That's its name?" The blond asked.

"Yes. We didn't choose it, the fish was already named that."

"Well, who named-"

"Doesn't matter, we just go with it."

"Speaking of names, the Director will require yours..." A voice said from the tunnel. Out of the darkness, came an older boy with a clipboard, and a scientist got up. They had mitts and shorts that looked to be made of Eel grass with koi scale patterns, and a crop top that looked to be made of... spider silk. They even had what looked like a transparent lab coat.

"Chris Eriksen." The blond said, bringing a driver's license out of his pocket.

"Were you in a group when you were transported to Tullwend, or were you alone?"

"With a group of people from school."

"Mhmm..." The scientist said, scribbling down what Chris was saying. "By the way, the question before I go in."

"Hm? What might that be?"

"Why do your pupils look like a crescent moon And your ears?"

The scientist sighed. "We just look like this, okay? If the Director has time, he'll be able to answer your questions. Does that sound good to you?"

"I guess so."

"Alright then, go ahead."

Chris went ahead into the darkness of the tunnel ahead, and Elliott was up next.

"Name?"

"Elliott... Elsa-Mina."

The scientists' fatigued looks changed to that of wide-eyed shock.

"Elsa-Mina? You don't happen to be related to one of the Ominent Directors, do you?"

"I-"

The scientist grabbed Elliott's hand and brought him further into the tunnel. "I'm sorry, but the Director knows about you! He needs to hear about this!"

"Are you talking about Dal-"

"No not Schmector! Just wait and see dude!"

The tunnels were laden with stones, with weed stems supporting the ceiling. A mix of torches and electric lights were scattered around as well, with said torches using what looked like tree sap as fuel.

The dirt tunnel shifted to become an artificial environment, heavy with the scent of a marsh. There looked to be an attempt to make the environment sterile, but with the cracks in the walls and the moss in the corners... it could be said that the attempt failed.

The scientist brought Elliott to some kind of office and burst through the door to find Chris getting an examination.

"Director!" The scientist yelled. "I've got someone you'd want to see!"

The Director sighed. "Alright. Just... give me a moment, okay?"

"Right away sir!"

The clipboard was placed on a table, and the two exited the office.

The scientist then proceeded to sit Elliott down on a chair just outside.

"Just... wait here, okay? The Director will be with you shortly."

"Okay..."

Elliott sat there, twiddling his thumbs for the next few minutes until Chris left the office and the Director came out of his office.

Peter was his name if the name tag on his translucent labcoat was to be correct. In the lights of the lab, Peter's features could be seen much easier than in the doorway of an office. His bob cut was shaggy and unkempt, and looked as if it was too far grown out. Unlike his assistants, he looked pale as a ghost, and parts of his skeleton could be seen poking through his skin.

Profound bags could be seen under his eyes, and his pupils appeared to shift to and from their normal shapes. Remarkably however, he had carried himself with incredible composure and lucidity despite looking like he'd collapse into a pile of skin and bones at any moment.

"Alright, Elliott is it? My assistant took quite a liking to you."

"I... don't know why. I think it was because of my... last name, or something."

"He didn't tell me what he wanted me to see, I'll have to ask him what was important later."

The two made eye contact and Peters's eyes went wide after getting a glance at Elliott's pupils and crystalline deformity.

"I've never seen mutations like yours before. How long... have you been down here?"

"About... three days I think? Why?"

"Ho boy..." Peter said, going silent for a moment or two. "I mean no offense, but... how long have you had that crystal on your forehead?"

Elliott didn't seem offended. "For as long as I could remember, same with my Coloboma."

"Huh... do you remember Ominent keeping you in their labs for a long period? Say... injecting you with some kind of pink or orange substance?"

"No... frankly, I don't remember anything happening after my brain felt like it was being scrambled under those weird lasers..."

"Brain felt like it was being scrambled? I've never heard someone say they felt something while undergoing molecular reduction."

Director Peter went silent for a few minutes, deep in thought. This newcomer was unlike anyone he'd seen before when it came to his "mutations." Sure, those at Wizards lair had bone growths similar to Unicorn horns, but what Elliott had? One, it was clear and crystalline. Two, it didn't have the length similar to a Unicorn horn and was about a third the length of an index finger.

Not to mention his other features were similar to other Tullwend denizens, like his ashen complexion. How did he get said features? Where did they come from?

He had to find out more.

"I've got a suggestion for you, would you like to hear it?"

"Sure, not like I have anything else to do..."

"How about you stay in the labs with us? We're not gonna experiment on you or anything, but... you have features different from anyone I've seen in Tullwend. We don't have much, but we've got Solitaire on a computer at least." Peter said, holding out his hand.

Elliott thought hard for a moment, and... made his decision. "Well... I've had to sleep out on the streets of Grassletuft. Why not? I could probably lend a hand to earn my keep." Elliott took the Directors hand, and stood up.

"You don't need to do so, but another hand with maintenance would be greatly appreciated. C'mon, I'll lead you to the sleeping quarters..."

Chapters end.

________________________

Chapter Text

Director Peter went silent for a few minutes, deep in thought. This newcomer was unlike anyone he'd seen before when it came to his "mutations." Sure, those at Wizards lair had bone growths similar to Unicorn horns, but what Elliott had? One, it was clear and crystalline. Two, it didn't have a length similar to a Unicorn horn and was about a third the length of an index finger.

Not to mention his other features were similar to other Tullwend denizens, like his ashen complexion. How did he get said features? Where did they come from?

He had to find out more.

"I've got a suggestion for you, would you like to hear it?"

"Sure, not like I have anything else to do..."

"How about you stay in the labs with us? We're not gonna experiment on you or anything, but... you have features different from anyone I've seen in Tullwend. We don't have much, but we've got Solitaire on a computer at least." Peter said, holding out his hand.

Elliott thought hard for a moment, and... made his decision. "Well... I've had to sleep out on the streets of Grassletuft. Why not? I could probably lend a hand to earn my keep." Elliott took the Directors hand and stood up.

"You don't need to do so, but another hand with maintenance would be greatly appreciated. C'mon, I'll lead you to the sleeping quarters..."

The sleeping quarters weren't very far from Peter's office, and the view was... let's say, incredible. It was a mix of beds and computers, with tables and desks made from materials outside the lab, grass planks, and whatnot. But the view of the dome above it all was the cherry on top.

Sunlight mixed with the algae along with the blue light of the computer monitors scattered across the repurposed laboratory illuminated the large room in a contrasting, multi-colored gloom.

"Wow... you have people sleep here??"

"Yep, the biggest room in the lab. Even got a computer up that ramp with a database of everything we've cataloged down here. It's not Google or Firefox... but it's something."

"Do we have an assigned bed or anything like that?"

"No, just... choose an empty bed and fall into it I guess. You can go ahead and rest for now, I imagine it must have been a long ride from Grassletuft. I'll... give you your first assignment tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Yeah, alright with me..."

Elliott had taken a bed that didn't appear to be personalized, and for the first time since he arrived in these miniature lands... he managed to get a full eight hours of sleep.

He woke up to the sounds of chatter and shuffling. People were getting ready for the long day ahead, using what little free time they had to catch up on Tullwend politics and local gossip.

He could even hear some of the younger kids... talking about him.

Elliott figured it was nothing, so he left the living quarters and headed for Peter's office. "Director?" He knocked on the door, waiting for a response. "Come in..." Could be heard faintly. Elliott entered the room to find Peter working on a large pile of paperwork. He had what looked like a waterskin made of larva hide on his desk, and his pupils appeared to shoot back and forth from their normal appearance to a wide oval shape. "What is it, Elliott?"

"Oh, um... I wanted to ask what exactly you want me to do today. I wanna earn my keep after all.

"Hmm..." Peter sat there, chewing on his weed stem pencil for a moment. "I'm not sure, alright? Just... pitch in wherever you can."

"Right away Director, thank you..."

As told, Elliott pitched in wherever he could. Scrubbing algae off the walls, organizing files, sweeping, and the like. He mostly kept to himself during his work, not talking to anyone unless he was spoken to. The only real sounds he made were when he was humming original soundtracks from Hollow Knight, and a sea shanty from Stellaris of all things.

Yet, he could still hear the banter about him in the background. Most of it was just a discussion of a new arrival or someone who fascinated the Director, and that said arrival looked like they were from the Wizard's lair. Others though... were more direct and aggressive.

Elliott came back from grabbing a meal around noon and found the soap bucket he was using knocked over, and the sounds of laughing could be heard.

He sighed after realizing what had been done but decided it would be too much trouble to try to stop it.

"Assholes..." He said, grabbing a rag off his cart to clean up the mess. "Just have to make my job harder..."

Elliott was puzzled. He knew this couldn't have been an accident, he could tell from the laughter he heard earlier. The question was... why? What had he done wrong? Was this some kind of prank? Well if it was, it wasn't funny, not at all.

"Never mind that... got more work to do."

He cleaned up the mess and after grabbing more soap, he finished scrubbing algae off the walls and moved on to his next assignment.

He had to sweep around the entrance and make it look presentable to couriers and newcomers. No matter, he had been sweeping floors for years, how would it be different? After all, it was just dirt and pebbles.

When he got there, he found two younger kids talking about something he in no way wanted to hear. Whatever it was, it sounded dirty-minded, and he wanted no part in it. There was a time and a place for shit like that, and work wasn't that time.

He started near the entrance, being careful not to drag any more dirt inside the lab. Thankfully, the floor was made up of concrete, so the gathered dirt wouldn't get stuck in cracks like it would with cracks. Elliott only hoped that a gust of wind from outside wouldn't cause his dirt pile to scatter.

He had been so focused on the task at hand, that he had tuned out the sounds of the nearby kids talking, until...

"HEY UNICORN!!" A voice yelled, as a bucket was tossed and Elliott narrowly avoided it.

"Wha- what the fuck!?" He turned around to see the two kids who were talking earlier, now looking right at him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?? What was that for!?" Elliott yelled.

"I don't know! What the fuck is wrong with you??"

"What's wrong with me?? What're you on about you little brat!?"

"You know what's wrong Unicorn! Besides, where's your wings?? You not grow them yet or something?"

"Wings? What're you- You know what? Enough of this." Elliott grabbed his broom, put it on his cart, and went back down the tunnel. He wanted to be the bigger man or at least get away from those kid's berating.

Yet those kids weren't letting up, as they followed Elliott beside the cart, calling him all sorts of names.

"What's wrong freak? You gonna cry??"

"Oh, I think we hurt his feelings!"

Elliott did his best to ignore them, to not even acknowledge them. He only wanted to put the cart back where he got it and possibly play some Solitaire. He just... had to go a little further.

"Do you not... HEAR ME!?" One of the kids yelled. But then, to get Elliott's attention... they knocked the cart over. It landed on Elliott's foot, almost knocking him over immediately.

"AAAGH!!" He sat there trying to get his foot out from under the table, trying not to scream from the pain. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?! WHAT DID I EVER DO-"

"You have no right to talk freak! You-"

"AND JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??" An angry voice yelled, coming ever closer.

The three looked in the direction of the voice and it turned out to be Peter, running to Elliott's side with wide eyes. "Are you okay?? What happened??"

Elliott pointed at the kids. "THEY happened!!"

Peter got the cart off of Elliott's foot and walked over to the kids. "Now what exactly did you two do?"

"We didn't do anything! He-"

"Don't Bullshit me, I heard him scream! What. Did. You. Do."

One of the kids stepped forward, one hand in the other. "I... pushed the cart to get his attention."

"And just WHY did you do that?"

"I... wanted him to pay attention to us."

"And why did you want that?"

"..."

Peter sighed, then turned to Elliott. "Elliott? Do you know why they were trying to get your attention?"

"Yeah... they were calling me a freak for what's on my for... my deformity."

Peter's pupils constricted as he turned to the duo. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO!?" Peter yelled, almost snarling. "WE'RE ALL TRYING TO SURVIVE DOWN HERE UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF OMINENT, AND WHAT DO YOU TWO DO?? BULLY AND HARRASS A NEWCOMER!! DON'T YOU KNOW WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!??"

"I-"

"CLEARLY, YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, SO YOU KNOW WHAT?? YOU'RE FIRED!!"

"Wait, what? But we-"

"I WILL NOT TOLERATE HARASSMENT IN MY LABS! NOW... LEAVE!!" Peter pointed in the direction of the entrance with barred teeth. Surprisingly... his teeth were extremely sharp as if he were a piranha.

"Alright Alright!!" They both ran towards the exit, almost running into each other multiple times. Why hadn't they tried to collect their things though?

Peter then walked over to Elliott and helped him to his feet. "You think you can stand?"

"I... think so..."

"Well give it a try, see what you can do."

Elliott put weight on his injured foot while Peter kept ahold of him. Surprisingly... he was able to stand without issues.

"That's odd... usually an impact like that would cause some kind of fracture. Does it hurt?"

"Not that much, hurt a lot more when the cart hit me."

"Hmm... we should make sure it isn't broken, just in case..."

Elliott was brought to the infirmary, and Peter grabbed a medical bag made of the same purple material used for harnesses. To everyone's shock... Elliott didn't show any symptoms of a broken foot. Say, a deformity in the foot, swelling, or tenderness.

How could this be possible? Surely that cart would have caused at least a small amount of damage! No one was that durable, even those that were well-built from SNPI-42Z mutations.

Could it just have been raw luck? No, no it couldn't be. Peter didn't believe in things such as luck, or anything supernatural. There had to be an explanation for what had occurred... and Peter was the one who would find out. Or at least... he would try.

Chapters end.

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Chapter Text

After the incident on Friday, everything seemed to be going well for Elliott. Without anyone to hinder his progress, the tasks and maintenance he performed could be finished seamlessly. With how efficiently he got his work done, it gave him an exponential amount of free time.

Yet even after his list was finished, he'd pitch in wherever he could. Mostly because work would help him keep his mind off of what occurred with Lusamine.  It had occurred to him that since Lusamine had lied to him about being his mother, might she have lied to him more? If so... then what would she have lied about? Work kept him occupied so that he wouldn't have to ponder about the truth, but there were times when he didn't have work to occupy his mind.

When he was in bed, with everyone else talking amongst themselves or sleeping peacefully. The chatter and snoring couldn't drown out those dreadful thoughts when he would lay staring at Trudy II swimming above.

Would he ever go home?

How could one live in a place like this?

Why were they all sent here?

What was the end goal of shrinking so many people?

Questions like that and more echoed through his mind. Questions that he didn't know if he'd ever get answers to, or if he'd even want to hear said answers.

Yet... he'd soon have answers to at least some of his questions.

On one particularly cold morning, he was cleaning algae off a window to the pond outside, when he was approached by one of Peter's assistants.

"Um... Elliott, is it?"

"Yeah?" Elliott said, putting his rag on the cart next to him. "Why you ask?"

"Director Peter requests that you speak with him, and it might be best that you talk to him soon."

"Why? Does he get impatient?" Elliott asked.

"No, no he doesn't. He just... has a lot on his plate at the moment. It would be best to speak with him now so his work doesn't drag on."

"Oh, that's understandable. Thankfully I'm almost done cleaning off this algae right?"

Elliott was correct when it came to the time it took to wipe the algae off, as it only took five more minutes. He brought his cart to the closest it belonged and knocked on the door to Peter's office a few minutes later.

A faint "come in" could be heard from the other side, and Elliott did as asked.

"You wanted to see me Director... sir?"

Peter looked up from his work. "Oh, yes. Sit down, I'll be right over."

Elliott sat down while Peter brought out a medical bag from a nearby cabinet. He brought his seat to the same side of the desk as Elliott and brought out a small light. "Alright, you say you have Coloboma right?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I plan to test your vision, with a bit of a check-up, along with a couple of questions. Is that okay with you? You're not getting a physical or anything, just the knee and hammer stuff."

"Yeah... I guess I'm okay with that."

"Alright... just hold still for this first one, okay?"

Peter shone the light in Elliott's right eye, and to his surprise... the pupil dilated to become shaped like that of a snake. Just a small slit in a sea of grey.

"Fascinating, I've never seen pupils like yours before. They look so... natural too, have you ever seen cases of Coloboma other than yours?"

"No, I never really have."

"Well... Coloboma usually causes pupils to look more distorted than normal. Yours though, their shape appears too oddly specific to be natural. Do you recall having pupilloplasty surgery in the past?"

Peter took out a small notebook and appeared to be jotting something down.

"Pupilloplasty?"

"Oh, I didn't specify what that meant. It's a term for surgery on the iris to alter the shape of the eye's pupils." Peter said, not looking away from his notes.

Elliott thought for a moment before giving his answer, humming slightly.

"Not from what I remember to be honest. But it sounds like something that might have happened during my time at Ominent..."

Peter's head snapped up in Elliott's direction. "Can you say that again?"

"My... time at Ominent?"

"None of us were in the labs of Ominent long enough for a pupilloplasty, before they shrunk us at least. I'm curious, what's so special about your case?"

"Oh? I can't remember it very well, it's been quite a long time. For the first few years of my life... I was raised at Ominent HQ."

The revelation made it look as if Peter's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

"You were... raised by Ominent?? What for??" Peter asked frantically.

"I... don't remember exactly. Whenever I asked them, they'd always say that I had some kind of syndrome that caused my... strange appearance."

"Appearance?" Peter asked.

"This." Elliott brushed the hair off his forehead, to reveal the crystalline structure.

"It's a growth I've had since birth. I've... had to hide it because people would freak out if they saw it."

"Is this supposed to be the cause of whatever syndrome you have?"

"That's what the scientists told me," Elliott said. "They said that supposedly, it isn't malignant. They said the growth is the cause of my Coloboma and hair color. Said that caused my ashy look too..."

"You sure? There's that it was caused by? There's all sorts of things that can cause pale or grayish skin."

"The scientists were positive. I had a playroom with a window on the ceiling to let sunlight in attached to my quarters, and I still look like some kind of fangless vampire."

"Did they ever explain how your growth could have caused your hair and skin to be grayish in color?" Peter asked.

"Nope. Never explained anything other than what thought the growth caused."

"What... else do you remember other than that?"

"To be honest with you, not much of anything, and even those memories are foggy. Usually, I'd be coloring or watching SpongeBob in my quarters then Mot-"

Elliott paused for a moment, before breathing in sharply. "Lusamine, would bring me into the labs to draw my blood."

"Wait wait wait, back that up a minute. What were you about to say?"

"What'd you mean?"

"What you were about to say after what happened in your qua-"

Suddenly, one of Peter's assistants burst into the room, out of breath and startling Peter.

"Jesus Christ dude! I thought I told you to NOT just burst into my office like that!?"

"I'm sorry Director, it's just... something happened!"

Peter's eyes widened some.

"What exactly happened?"

"The infected sir! They... they..."

"Are you alright guy? What happened?"

"A horde of infected attacked Weevilville, sir! Almost the whole town was raised!!"

"What?" Peter's pupils almost looked nonexistent for a moment, before regaining his composure.

"Were there any survivors?? Where are they if there is any!?"

"They're at Anthill, sir! About fifty survivors from what I've heard!"

Peter gathered the medical items he had just used in his bag and almost made a beeline for the door before he turned to Elliott.

"You were raised in Ominent labs right?? Did they teach you anything medical-wise??" Peter asked frantically.

"I think they taught me the bas-"

"That's good enough!" Peter said, grabbing Elliott's hand.

The two rushed out of the lab and got on the wagon that belonged to Peter specifically, along with many of his assistants. Peter had both his hands on his head, almost covering his eyes. Elliott could barely make it out, but that look in his eyes... were complex emotions he couldn't understand.

The air in the wagon, however, was palpable with anxious emotions. A small part of Elliott said that something like this must have happened before and that they all knew what they were in for. He, however, was left in the dark wondering if he should even come along at all. If he should even see what kind of damage were capable of causing.

Unfortunately for him though, said damage would have to be confronted, one way or another.

Chapters end.

________________________

Chapter Text

"What you were about to say after what happened in your qua-"

Suddenly, one of Peter's assistants burst into the room, out of breath and startling Peter.

"Jesus Christ dude! I thought I told you to NOT just burst into my office like that!?"

"I'm sorry Director, it's just... something happened!"

Peter's eyes widened some.

"What exactly happened?"

"The infected sir! They... they..."

"Are you alright guy? What happened?"

"A horde of infected attacked Weevilville, sir! Almost the whole town was raised!!"

"What?" Peter's pupils almost looked nonexistent for a moment, before regaining his composure.

"Were there any survivors?? Where are they if there is any!?"

"They're at Anthill, sir! About fifty survivors from what I've heard!"

Peter gathered the medical items he had just used in his bag and almost made a beeline for the door before he turned to Elliott.

"You were raised in Ominent labs right?? Did they teach you anything medical-wise??" Peter asked frantically.

"I think they taught me the bas-"

"That's good enough!" Peter said, grabbing Elliott's hand.

The two rushed out of the lab and got on the wagon that belonged to Peter specifically, along with many of his assistants. Peter had both his hands on his head, almost covering his eyes. Elliott could barely make it out, but that look in his eyes... were complex emotions he couldn't understand.

The air in the wagon, however, was palpable with anxious emotions. A small part of Elliott said that something like this must have happened before and that they all knew what they were in for. He, however, was left in the dark wondering if he should even come along at all. If he should even see what kind of damage were capable of causing.

Unfortunately for him though, said damage would have to be confronted, one way or another.

It only took about fifteen minutes to get to the previously mentioned Anthill, which turned out to be quite close to the now mountain-sized oak tree in the center of Tullwend. A sparse amount of buildings and what looked like guard towers surrounded the hill.

People from all around Tullwend were gathered around the entrance to Anthill and the buildings, some with features Elliott thought impossible.

The native population of Anthill, however, stood out among the rest. Large ants with white markings on their bodies carried what looked like medical equipment alongside their ant-like owners. The owners of said Ants stood out among the crowd of refugees and personnel, being taller than those previously mentioned. They had muscular frames, allowing them to carry more materials and equipment than anyone else in Tullwend.

Large compound eyes allowed them to see in the dim areas of their home, and they had antennae that allowed them to smell what most couldn't. The only people who had a better sense of smell than them could be said to be those who inhabited Weevilville, but just how many of those inhabitants were left?

"Wow... why are all these people here?"

"Either heard the news of the attack, are refugees, or are medical personnel here to assist with those injured. You see that girl with the pitch-black eyes over there?" Peter pointed to the said girl, who was standing around the edge of the crowd.

She was pale enough so that she looked sickly, yet her face said otherwise. She had pitch-black eyes as Peter mentioned, and robes that appeared to be woven out of moth wings. Add to that, there was the symbol of the Red Cross on her shoulder... was she a doctor?

"Yeah, I see her... why you ask?"

"She's one of the folks from the Bloodbog. Their mutations essentially made them vampires, minus the fact they can go out in the sun. Most of them act like the people on those Florida men memes. Some of them, however, use their proficiency with blood to help those in need. I'm expecting we might see more of them as we head into Anthill..."

The duo descended into the Anthill alongside Peter's assistants and in a matter of minutes, they all left sunlight behind for the light of the torch.

The rush of refugees didn't seem to impact most of the Anthill residents, as they could be seen working and scurrying about, even working around the moving crowd. Renovations, transporting goods, and making patrols for security purposes, all while not interrupting the flow of their home visitors.

Some of the guards even had four arms, which allowed them to carry many weapons at once. Hell, Elliott noticed one carrying a battle axe made of sharpened sour candies, along with a club made from the parts of fallen ants.

The group had passed many rooms, with purposes specifically used for Anthill's life. Compartments used to grow a fungus that both the residents and Ants loved, along with a nursery used to incubate Ant eggs and occasionally collect them for food.

But soon enough they made it to their destination, which turned out to be a large dug-out room. Elliott beheld rows upon rows of cots, most of them with patients upon them. Some were being tended to by local doctors, others by doctors from the Bloodbog or other settlements.

Most of the patients, however, at least two-thirds of them... had blankets covering their entire body. If that wasn't enough, the mixed scent of metal with that of death made the situation very clear.

Many of the patients had passed on, and it was likely that more would do so as well.

"Dear god... a spider did all this??" Elliott asked, eyes wide.

"Not just any spider I'm afraid..." Peter said, rummaging through his bag. "It was infected with Cordyceps muscaria. Have you ever seen that Planet Earth documentary the BBC made a few years ago? It's a lot like that ant-infecting fungus, except these things still move around."

"So... insect zombies or something?"

"Well not all of them are insects, but pretty much zombies. Thankfully... they can't infect us, though with what these people are going through... I'm not sure which is worse."

Peter pulled a small can with what looked like a plant symbol from his bag, along with a roll of plant fiber bandages

"Since you said that they taught you the basics, could you help those suturing the wounds of the refugees? You just gotta... disinfect the wound so it won't get infected..."

"Alright, that I can do..." Elliott took the herbal medicine, while Peter kept the bandages. Yet when he was about to meet up with one of the Bloodbog doctors...

"Hey, before you start... take this."

Peter pulled out what looked to be a leather object, and it was revealed to be a copper blade. "The only thing you'll be able to do for some of these poor souls with no hope of survival is to put them out of their misery. Trust me, you'll..." He paused for a moment, shaking slightly. "Know who's done for and who isn't. Just... mark them with an x

Peter went to work on a nearby little girl, who looked to be on the brink of death.

There was a nasty gash on her arm along with one on her face, presumably from the spider. The one on her arm looked Yellow, with small amounts of black discoloration around the borders.

"Oh... god..." Elliott said, placing a hand over his mouth. He hadn't kept his mouth closed, however, as a small amount of saliva got on his pal.

There was no mistaking what this was for the duo...

"Necrosis, there's nothing we can do..."

Peter pulled out his own copper blade and pressed the blade against her throat. Her condition appeared to be hopeless, when...

"Are you sure... there isn't anything we can do?" Elliott said, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder. Unexpectedly, however, a small sparkle could be seen on the edge of his palm.

Peter flinched away at the sparkles, and miraculously... the girl's wounds began to heal right before their eyes. Said sparkles appeared over the necrotic wound and gash, as they closed over in less than ten seconds! She wasn't completely out of the blue, however, as she was still sickly pale, and had a fever that would need to be quelled.

But now, she wouldn't have to be put out of her misery or succumb to Necrosis.

"H-holy shit! You saw that too right? Like I... I can't be hallucinating right now!" Elliott was loss for words

How? How was it possible that the child's wounds had healed right there and then? That should have been impossible!

Peter remained silent for a good twenty seconds as he studied the girl's newfound condition. When those twenty seconds were over, he called for his nearby assistants to take the child to less urgent care.

Afterward, Peter spent another twenty seconds staring into space, completely dumbfounded as to what he just witnessed. You could almost see the cogs turning in his brain, trying to come up with an explanation within those hazy eyes.

"I... I don't know." Peter sighed, giving up trying to make sense of what had just occurred. "L-let's just handle the rest of the victims..."

Eventually, after what felt like hours upon hours, all the victims were either taken to urgent care or to be cremated. Peter's job was done and by extent, so was Elliotts.

Peter just stood in place as the last civilian was taken to urgent care, with a... far away look in his eyes, and his pupils kept dilating and constricting at a rapid pace.

"Hey... Peter, I think you might need rest... we both do." Do you think you could take a breather? You're gonna kill yourself from stress."

Peter didn't reply. Stars, he didn't even hear Elliott. Peter heard nothing but a constant, loud ringing in his ears for presumably the past five minutes.

His vision began to blur and fade into nothingness, and his body began to feel light.

It was almost like he was floating in space. From his point of view, it looked as if the ground was about to consume him when... he doubled over and was out cold on the ground.

"PETER!!"

Chapters end.

__________________________

Chapter Text

Peter just stood in place as the last civilian was taken to urgent care, with a... far away look in his eyes, and his pupils kept dilating and constricting at a rapid pace.

"Hey... Peter, I think you might need rest... we both do." Do you think you could take a breather? You're gonna kill yourself from stress."

Peter didn't reply. Stars, he didn't even hear Elliott. Peter heard nothing but a constant, loud ringing in his ears for presumably the past five minutes.

His vision began to blur and fade into nothingness, and his body began to feel light.

It was almost like he was floating in space. From his point of view, it looked as if the ground was about to consume him when... he doubled over and was out cold on the ground.

"PETER!!"

Elliott managed to catch Peter in the nick of time, keeping Peter from slamming his head on the ground. If Peter had looked sickly before, he now looked like a zombie on the brink of falling apart. Was it because he had to work in an environment that smelled of death and decay? If so, Elliott probably looked worse for wear as well.

Nevertheless... Peter needed rest, they both did.

Elliott walked out of the dugout room, to find a handful of Peter's assistants helping to herd uninjured refugees. They were discussing some... conman preying on those from Weevilville.

"Hey uh... guys?"

The assistants went silent, and one of them sighed.

"What is it Ell-" He went silent upon seeing the unconscious director.

"Oh God, not again!!"

"Why can't he ever take a break??"

"I... don't know?"

"He can't keep doing this to himself..." One of the assistants said, hand on her face.

Peter's assistants decided there and then that they needed to head back to the Pond lab, for Peter's sake. Since Peter was going to be out of commission for at least the next few days, his second command would have to take charge of the lab.

It wouldn't be very difficult, considering that the plans for the week were supposedly meetings for trading purposes.

Meetings with the people from the Bloodbog for fresh medical supplies, the Hedge Kingdom for what to do with the Weevilville refugees and the like. Elliott had been left to watch over Peter, as the Directors assistants saw him as the silent type, thinking he wouldn't do well at a meeting.

Elliott didn't want to go to the meeting either, as he had been exhausted from working on the patients for what was essentially the whole day. He wasn't in the same condition as Peter mind you, though he had one hell of a headache when they got back to the lab.

He was in Peter's quarters, reading a book on North American Arthropods when the creaking of bones interrupted his concentration on the Giant desert centipede section.

Peter, who was now awake, was trying to push himself up. Yet he had become so weak from his late nights subsisting on what was essentially bug coffee that he fell back onto the softness of the bed.

Chills had taken hold of his entire body; there was a chance Peter might have become sick if he wasn't already.

"Woah hey hey, take it easy there. Elliott said, getting up from his seat. "Do you... need a hand?" Elliott said, holding out his hand.

Peter slowly pulled himself up again, and shakingly reached out for Elliott's hand. Yet... he ended up collapsing onto Elliott's chest, almost knocking him over. An unnatural warmth could even be felt emitting from Peter's forehead; his assistants were right. Peter did need to stay in bed, and possibly get some food while he was at it. Whether Peter would approve both recommendations however was doubtful.

A small blush could be seen on Elliott's face when Peter almost knocked him over. "Um... not to burst your bubble or anything, but... I think you have a fever, you might need to stay in bed. Do you... want me to grab you anything?"

"I- I'm fine." Peter stubbornly croaked. "There's more to do, I have to... I have to"

Peter suddenly caved in on himself, his stomach growling painfully loud.

When was the last time Peter even ate? Elliott wondered if he should ask, considering that Peter's rings could be felt against Elliott's chest, even with the layers of clothes between them.

That couldn't be good for his health.

"Peter, you need to eat. I've felt the pain of hunger before, they didn't let me eat for... days at a time, because it would impact my blood tests. With the condition you're in, it's almost guaranteed that you're in pain. Please, you must eat. I can go get anything you want."

Peter let out a small sigh. "...It can be whatever. I'm not picky..." his whole body went limp as he caved in.

"Alright."

Elliott set Peter gently back on the bed and made the trek to the nearby makeshift cafeteria. When he came back, Peter saw that he brought a burger made of ox beetle bits with mushroom fries.

"Alright, I got what I thought you might like. Do you... want these?" Elliott said, placing the tray of food down on the bed. Even though the food was made of... exotic ingredients so to say, the scent of the food reminded Elliott of the few occasions Lusamine would bring Wendy's grub home after a long shift.

Peter slowly nodded to Elliott's question. He seemed hesitant to dig in at first, simply picking at his food instead of eating it. Eventually, Elliott stared too long for Peter to ignore, and he took a small bite... and then he began to eat his meal ravenously. It looked as if he hadn't eaten in weeks... with how Peter behaved, however, that was likely the case.

Tears were trickling down his cheeks as he practically inhaled his meal, nearly choking on his food at one point.

"There there... take it slow, it'll be alright." Elliott said, rubbing Peter's back in a soothing motion.

Peter took Elliott's advice, and slowed down. Still, as he ate, tears wouldn't stop dripping down his cheeks.

When he finished his food, he wiped his tears, yet still more overflowed.

"Oh my God, I'm crying. This is so dumb." Peter croaked, trying to keep his composure.

"I don't think it's dumb, but... I know how you feel... they-"

"That's not why I'm crying," Peter said, assuming what Elliott was about to say, all the while clearing up Elliott's assumptions.

"I just... I'm so tired. I don't want to do this anymore." Peter gasped into his hands. His chest ached as he attempted to hold back his tears.

Elliott looked confused for a moment, but his eyes went wide when he realized what Peter meant.

"You aren't planning on... killing yourself, are you?" Elliott was somewhat familiar with the topic, thanks to Lusamine's rants about how some of the scientists who worked under her were "out of the picture." With how she said it, however, it was obvious what she had been implying.

"You don't have to do that... I can help you. I'm not sure how I can exactly, but you took me in when I was cast aside by whom I called family. I... don't know what I'd do if I had to be out in that wider world, I'd probably be doomed in one way or another. I'm here for you... no matter what, you can trust me on that."

Peter was... shocked by Elliott's words so to say. Mostly, his promise to always be there for Peter.

"...You..."

Peter had a difficult time saying what was on his mind. His brain was slow. Oh so slow. "You mean that? Wh-why?" Peter and Elliott barely knew each other. Sure, Peter had done a lot for Elliott's safety and such, but he never expected to be given anything in return, let alone so quickly.

"I... barely even know how to interact with other people, let alone people my age. Have you seen how your assistants look at me? People aren't always nice to those who are different if you didn't let me stay... I think I might have had to live alone or... would have died. I... don't know how I can thank you more by helping you."

Peter didn't know what to say... at first. Silence grew between the two for what felt like an eternity, then Peter leaned his head against Elliott's shoulder. "...Thank you..." Peter mumbled under his breath.

"For listening. And I... I'm sorry you had to handle me when I'm like this."

"I'm here for you..." Elliott said. "I don't mind if you vent t-" A shrill scream interrupted Elliott, one that he could recognize.

It was one of Peter's assistants, who stopped by the doorway catching his breath.

"What're you doing here??" Elliott said, shocked by the assistant's early arrival.

"Wo... wol..."

"Are you okay sir?"

"Wolf spider!! It's an infected one, it followed u-" Suddenly, a small group of fungus-caked spiderlings swarmed the assistant, one of them crawling onto his leg.

"Fuckin hell, get off of me!!" He kicked off said spiderling, which was flung into the room towards Peter's bed. Peter shrieked and backed away further into his bed, being too weak to fight.

"Oh God, these things are infected!?" Elliott yelled, backing away. The spiderling shrieked and lunged at Elliott.

However... in less than a moment, Elliott had sucker punched the little bastard, sending it into the wall and leaving blue and green glowing fluids on his hands. "Nasty shit..."

Elliott then turned to Peter.

"I know how bad an attack from these things can turn out but... just how big, are these things?"

"Well..." Peter paused for a moment, attempting to keep his composure. "Imagine an elephant, but a bit smaller that's... what we shrunk kids have to deal with. AND it's infected? I thought Hoops and her crew..." Peter trailed off, trying to think while his heart was practically beating out of his chest. "We need to go... now!!"

"We can just barricade the entrance, right? I don't think an elephant-sized creature can get in!"

"You don't understand!" Peter yelled, wheezing slightly. "The infected will do ANYTHING in their power to get to their targets! The fungus doesn't care if the creature is harmed, it will squeeze in here for all it cares! We... need to get to the emergency exit!"

"Where is that??"

"In the lower levels! There's equipment down there for when we need to get into the water!"

"Enough said then!"

Elliott scooped Peter up, leaving his book behind, and followed Peter's directions on where to go. They went through once-flooded hallways, all the while many of Peter's assistants followed in their stead. Most of the guards couldn't be seen, as they were off fighting the spider and its children.

Soon enough, they made it to the emergency exits, which turned out to be a floor that should open up to the pond. On wracks, were translucent fishtails that looked like... Mermaid tails?

Nobody seemed to care, as they were grabbing the tails, while the shortest of the group was attempting to activate the exit. Two guards stood near the exit, crossbows pointed at the door, ready for whatever would come through.

"Um... we have a problem!" The shortest one yelled. "Not like we have enough of those right now!" One of the assistants said. "What's the problem??"

"The door is jammed! There's a large build-up of algae below us, I can see it on the cameras!"

"Wait, are you serious!?" Elliott yelled.

Peter, however, was silent upon the revelation. Was... this the end? Torn apart by a merciless predator so close to safety?

Then... he had an idea.

"Elliott, put me down by that little compartment."

"What? Why??"

"I'll try to force the magnetic locks to activate."

"Alright... if you think it'll help!"

Elliott placed Peter down by the compartment, and he proved to open it and looked to be... messing with wires?

Whatever he was doing, Elliott hoped to... whatever deity or deities existed in this world that Peter would succeed.

Then the banging started. A small thump at first, then a second... then a third, and they continued to grow larger.

"This is it. When that door comes down, light this damn abomination up!!"

With a crash, the door came down, and a flood of fungus-covered spiderlings flooded the room. They were mostly focused on the guards and proved to be a distraction while the BEAST itself crawled into the room.

Its hair-covered legs heaved its great body through the door which it barely could fit through, leaving glowing fungal juices on the doorframe.

The guards had been kicking and shooting at the spiderlings when they noticed their great mother in the doorframe.

"Shit! Open fi-" The spider lunged through the doorframe, breaking it in the process, and exposing most of its body. It managed to grab ahold of the guard's shoulder with one of its fangs, which only managed to get a bolt in its purple swirling eye before the spider bit down.

Some of its legs seemed to be missing, or torn up into small pieces, as was its abdomen. The abdomen appeared to have been partially rotted away by the fungus, as it appeared to have grown from within, exposing the poor spider's insides.

Its eyes were swirling with an unnatural purple color, while one was oozing blue and green fluid from the wound left by the crossbow bolt.

To make things worse, the spider now had its eyes on Elliott, not caring for the guard who was further away from its last victim.

Elliott was frozen, time felt like it was slowing down as it heaved even faster, a ravenous look in its eyes.

But then, a peculiar sensation flowed from the crystal on his forehead, one that didn't feel natural. His skin felt as if it was ice, as everything was beginning to grow cold.

The feeling evolved into numbness, and it in no way felt natural, it didn't feel right. It couldn't be right! Something was wrong!

Until...

D̵̬̭͇̬̀͗̏̍͐̈́͠ͅỒ̸̫Ṉ̷͓̠̳͓̆͛ͅ'̸̡̞̜̱̘̾̄͑͛̅̆̀T̶͎͋͗͒̓́̒̇̕ ̸̫̽̓͑̿̓͗́́̏̀̐̏͜͝T̶̬̞̯̱̤̉Ö̸̗̙̝̪̗̫̘̌̄͜͜͝Ü̵̱̻̝̻̤̲̮̩̠̮̲̺͍̟̉̊̍̆̈́͊͜Ć̸̡̛̪̞͙́̍̀̇̿̏̑̓̓̐͘͠͝H̷̛̼̣̪͉͙̞̫̗̟̅͆̓͌͆̾̒̇͊̈̂ ̴̖̪̺̥̥͕̙̙̳̮̯̜́͒̅͗̑͐̓̂̑͝͠͝T̴͚̳͇̺͊̊H̵̞̺͕̭͓̖̜̺̜͈̳̩̺̦̿̔̓̍͐͋̆Ė̷̞̗̙̰͈̱̄͑M̷͉͙͉͖̟͎̤̩͖̩͈̾͑̇̄͜ ̵̧̡̬͖͉̫̪̭͔̭̞̳̳̱̬͂͊̂H̶̢̳͍̘͓̗͇̥͓͔͙̒̾̈̔̉̓͑̑͒̇̈́͊̂̓̈́ͅİ̸̯̣͌͊̂͑̍̈́̃̎̓͌̑̚̚͝M̸̡̻͇̗͎̭̗̳̞̱̯̮̮̿͂̿͂̂͐̀̍̒͛͛̊̅̚ ̶̥̝͉̗̘̰͉͔͓̟̥̠͇̍ͅͅU̷͈͇̤̦͙̙͔͑̀̌̓Ṣ̵̬̣̬̘͖͉̭͇̻̠͈̥͋̒̃͐͆̀̈́̃̒͜

Elliott let out an inhuman screech, and a blast of energy was sent towards the spider, sending it back into the hall.

Every part of him felt wrong, his skin felt cold, his ears were ringing, and he was... glowing?

Peter and his assistants had been awestruck by what had just occurred but became even more so when they saw Elliott glowing an almost pitch-white color. His skin, his hair, his eyes, and even the crystal-like deformity looked as if it was alive with the light being emitted from it.

Elliott ran at the fungus-covered beast, screaming at it as he essentially tore it to ribbons. Floating shards of what looked like crystals embedded themselves in the spider, and it too was screeching an otherworldly scream until...

The purple color faded from its eyes, and it finally collapsed, with Elliott doing so as well soon after. The white glow had disappeared from his body, with the crystal being the last to stop emitting light.

"Elliott!!" Peter wasted no time; he rushed to Elliott's side to check his pulse and his condition. From what Peter could analyze, Elliott had simply passed out from pure exhaustion.

He breathed a sigh of relief, not only for the fact that Elliott was alive. But... for the fact that he had saved him and his assistants. Had THAT not have happened, he... no, he didn't want to think about that.

"Um, pardon my interruption Director, but what the fuck did that guy just do!?"

Chapters end.

______________________

Chapter Text

Moments earlier, he had been screaming at the top of his lungs, tearing a fungus-caked spider to bloody ribbons. Now? He was on the floor next to said spider, unable to move, and barely breathing. He felt light-headed and as if he was about to vomit, due to staring at the slain Wolf spider, and being very close in proximity to it. The detail was... excruciating, to say the least.

All of the individual hairs on the beast could be seen, along with the stands of mycelium spreading from the fruiting bodies of fungus growing where one of its eyes once were. It almost looked like the spider was sprayed with multiple cans of Silly string.

Elliott felt as if the spider was staring at him, as even after escaping this mortal plane, those eyes... held no emotion. No anger, hunger, fear, or contempt. It almost looked as if the act of being infected with Cordyceps muscaria had completely Hollowed the creature out, figuratively and literally.

For a moment, it almost seemed like the beast would lunge at Elliott, with him being able to do nothing about it.

But then... he felt a small amount of pressure on his wrists, then around his back and legs as he was scooped off the floor. Peter had picked him up, and Elliott could... somewhat, hear Peter conversing with his assistants.

"I told you..." Peter said, sighing in the process. "I don't know what he just did, nor how he did that. He saved our lives, that's all that matters now. I don't know if even HE knows what just happened. But... it's not like we can ask him now, well... not yet at least."

"What're we even gonna do now Director? That spider is blocking the pathway, and the emergency exit is blocked!"

"Do you think I don't know that!?" Peter snapped. "Besides, word will spread of the attack, they always do! The spider will either get moved, or we will get out through the emergency exit. Elliott however, we need to leave him out of this for now... let him rest."

Peter placed his fingers on Elliott's eyelids and closed them. For a moment, Elliott truly felt peaceful. After what had just occurred, he only wished to rest.

Yet he wouldn't get his wish, as Elliott began to feel as if he was falling. Falling through a void filled with stars, where there was nothing but him.

He plunged into what felt like an endless ocean at the bottom of this void, and light began to replace the darkness of the void above.

He didn't know how long he descended through the ocean, minutes, hours, days? It was as if he had become disconnected from the reality around him.

Then... he felt a sudden burst of energy. He could move around in this ocean, but... he couldn't breathe. He was glowing... just like the environment around him.

He had been trying to swim for the surface but... he had just kept going deeper and deeper. What was this? Was was going on?

He kept trying to swim, kicking his legs harder and harder, but an unseen force kept dragging him deeper.

Then... he could sense this unseen force. Something was in this ocean with him. Not a fish, not a whale or some kind of leviathan, something... else entirely. Something completely foreign.

Then he saw it, or rather... it saw him.

A GIANT pair of eyes, seemingly the size of a pickup truck compared to a normal-sized human, with rhombus-shaped pupils.

Just like those of Elliott.

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, until the eyes blinked, along with...

"That was quite the show Starlight." A voice said, echoing throughout the radiant abyss. "But... your display of power was not enough. You have a long way to go. A VERY long way to go." The voice was matronly and filled with a strange sense of authority. That's what it felt like for Elliott at least.

"Wh-what are you?? WHO, are you!?"

The eyes appeared unamused.

"I'm a you that you have yet to achieve." The eyes vaguely answered. The eyes' tone was... infantilizing, mocking almost. They felt as if they were better than Elliott, that much was clear.

"What... what're you talking about?? This has to be a dream... you're not real, this PLACE isn't real. None of this can be real!!"

"Oh? I'm not real? I can assure you that I AM real, and you can be assured that what will you learn shortly will be as real as the beast you have slain."

"You want me to... learn something? What do you want me to learn?? What could I learn in a dream that I can use in the physical world??"

"You shall see with time..." The voice said vaguely. "Unfortunately, it would be best for you to learn somewhere you are already familiar with. Therefore..."

Elliott's vision went completely white, and for a moment, he couldn't see a thing.

When his vision cleared, he was no longer in the radiant abyss, but in some kind of... dojo? It was reminiscent of the dojo in the Matrix movie Elliott had watched for movie night a few months back, except for one crucial difference.

There was a large rhombus symbol on one of the support beams, with four smaller multicolored rhombuses within it. Said rhombuses were white, yellow, blue, and pink. What did it represent? Elliott didn't know, but there was something vaguely... familiar, about said symbol. It felt important, ancient even.

"Now..." The voice said, breaking the peaceful silence. "Your first lesson shall begin. Like me, it should be possible for you to summon a weapon. You- "

"Wait a minute, summon a weapon? How... on Earth am I supposed to do that??"

"I will try to explain in a way one such as yourself can understand. Think about the wind, and how such phenomena form. The wind seems improvised, but it is calculated in real-time due to the physical properties of a world that are required beforehand. A world needs sufficient enough mass for an atmosphere, and to orbit around a star. The radiation of the star needs to penetrate the atmosphere and create areas of high and low pressure. This is what is required for wind to form."

The voice paused for a moment.

"With patience along with dedication, you will be able to achieve what even the machinist Halites can achieve."

"I... didn't understand a thing you said. And Halite? Isn't that... table salt or something?"

"...Table salt? That's what you call them?" The voice said, sounding amused. Then... a chilling laugh echoed through the room, and presumably into the expanse beyond.

"I've had enough of this for now, we'll try something else later. Maybe then, you will LEARN something."

"Wait what? What'd I do-" Elliott's vision turned white and moments later, saw a mossy white ceiling above. He looked to his sides and noticed that an IV drip, along with a run-down heart monitor was attached to him. At first, it looked like no one was in the room with him, at least... until he heard the sound of scribbling.

That sound was revealed to be coming from PETER of all people, who seemed to sense Elliott staring at him, and looked up from his notebook. Once he realized Elliot was awake, his eyes appeared to widen.

"Oh thank God you're alright!" Peter yelled, running over and pulling Elliott into his embrace. Elliott was silent, having become lost for words. NOONE had hugged him before, not even Lusamine nor the extended family that rarely came to visit.

He... didn't know what to think.

"That was one hell of a stunt you pulled off back there! Normally, it takes a whole squadron of people to take down an infected wolf spider! I mean, people can take on a normal wolf spider on their own, but what you managed? I thought that was straight up impossible! How'd you even do that?? You were glowing, crystals formed around you, and then-"

Peter went on and on, and Elliott just looked overwhelmed. He could barely remember what Peter was describing, and besides... he had just woken up from being unconscious for who knows how long!

"Can you... let me go please?" Elliott said in a strained voice.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry about that, didn't mean to get in your space like that." Peter proceeded to let Elliott go.

"Thank you Peter..." afterwards, he proceeded to try and disconnect the IV and hear monitor from his arms when he noticed... something off. He was in a hospital gown, or at least the Tullwend equivalent of one. It looked to be made of plant fibers, with some kind of sprig being used for a form of structural support. Its style seemed a bit unorthodox for hospital gowns, but if it worked... it worked.

"Hey, um... Peter? Where are my clothes at?"

"Oh, your clothes got torn up when you ripped that spider a new one. Also, fungal juices stains are a pain to get rid of. Don't worry though, we've got some spare clothes for you! Besides, I don't think a dress shirt and vest along with sweatpants would give good protection from the environment."

"What... exactly are these new clothes?"

"Oh, a black pair of jeans, and a patched up hoodie. But first, question."

"And that question is?"

"What shirt size are you? Considering the tag was torn off in the fight."

"Oh um... XS I think."

"Alright then, that's the size of those clothes! Do you want me to bring them to you?"

"....Sure..."

Peter left the room for a moment, and came back in the room with a neatly stacked pile of clothes. He then proceeded to leave the room, so Elliott would have some privacy.

As he was putting them on however, Elliott felt conflicted. Lusamine never really let him dress this way, and usually made him dress more formally, as if he was getting ready for a recital that would never come.

Why was that? Was it because she always dressed formally outside of work?

You know what? It might be best not to worry about that now. She abandoned him, why care about how she wanted him to dress?

When Elliott exited the room, he found Peter waiting outside patiently.

"So... how do I look?"

"You look great... and to be honest? That outfit fits you..."

"Thank you... Peter."

Chapters end.

_________________________

Chapter Text

The Pond lab had become... surprisingly silent ever since the wolf spider and its brood squeezed through its halls. Current research or trade negotiations had to be put on hold, as those who had died or were injured had to be tended to. To add fuel to the fire, the spider had caused structural damage due to its sheer size. It was practically the whole length of the hallway as if a wall of chitin, fungus, and eyes had attempted to destroy the lab in its entirety.

Water leaks, flashing lights, Hell a compartment near the surface entrance had almost collapsed. Dirt had seeped into the compartment, and weed stem support beams were placed within it and the test of the hall to prevent any more damage.

Yet other events in Tullwend were worth paying attention to, other than the Pond lab carnage. Take the Weevilville refugees, for example, much of their kinsmen were dead, and the remainder were left homeless, injured, or even both.

A refugee camp had been set up in and around Anthill for the survivors to stay in, but it was clear that they couldn't stay there forever. Many of them wanted proper rooves over their heads, instead of the cloth ceiling of tents or the stars above.

Some of those with higher status at Anthill, however, along with many of the people... wanted the refugees gone as soon as possible, mostly for shallow reasons. Their suggestions on where to place the survivors were not very favorable as well, if not outright dangerous.

It was clear that Anthill couldn't handle the issue alone, due to the rising tensions between its citizens and the survivors, for the chance of political bias and potentially even violence were too much to risk.

Elliott had questions about these issues on his mind, though they usually went to the back of his mind so he could perform his usual duties, along with taking care of Peter. At least... until one day in mid-November, a courier came to the pond lab. Due to his apparel and... distinct, mutations, it was clear where he was sent from.

"State your purpose courier. What package did you bring?" One of the guards said sternly.

"I... bring a message from Her Majesty the Broodqueen!" The courier said, pulling an envelope out of his satchel.

"Oh really, for the Director I assume? What's she want?"

"The Broodqueen's words are for the Director to see!"

"Alright, if you say so..."

One of Peter's assistants was called upon and entered Peter's office to find... Peter practically destroying a meal that Elliott helped prepare. Elliott was there as well, eating in his chair.

The three stared at each other for about thirty seconds until finally, the assistant broke the silence

"Um..."

"Can you please knock??" Peter asked, annoyed.

"Sorry... what did you need Ripley?"

"Broodqueen Branch has sent a courier for you sir," Ripley said, placing the letter on Peter's desk. Peter picked it up, examining the envelope for a moment. It had the seal of the Hedge keeping it closed, a stylized spider face. Peter knew from years of experience, that this was real.

Peter grabbed a nearby letter opener and after reading said letter for a few minutes, he breathed a sigh of relief. "About time they were addressed..."

"What is it, Peter?" Elliott asked, trying to look over Peter's shoulder. "It's a call for an official meeting at the Hedge, from the Broodqueen herself. She wants to address the recent refugee crisis and eliminate any bad blood created by it. The date is... the twenty-third of November."

"Wait, November?? What day of the month is it!?

"Nineteenth of November I Presume. I usually don't keep track of the dates. A whole bunch of us don't in fact, focusing on certain events doesn't matter when you're doing what you can to get by."

"Alright, that's understandable I guess... wait a moment," Elliott said, pointing at the bottom of the paper. "I think you missed that little blurb in the corner!"

"Oh?" Peter squinted and brought the paper close to his face. "Huh... she wants you to come along too!"

"Seriously? How come?"

"Oh, it's because you killed that spider. There... are people that are supposed to be at the meeting that would like to speak to you supposedly."

"Does it say who?"

"No... I have a feeling who though."

Over the next few days, Elliott would somewhat dread the coming meeting. He didn't have anything nice to wear, and his social skills were practically the same as when he first started working in the lab. Would he have to represent the Pond Lab alongside Peter? He never had to speak with or at a large number of people... what if he embarrassed himself? What if he embarrassed Peter?

That anxiety would come to show on the day of the meeting as he and Peter were getting ready for it. Thankfully, Peter seemed more confident than usual, likely thanks to what Elliott had done beforehand. Elliott wished that he could have that kind of confidence, even if it was a small amount like what Peter had.

He doubted if he would even be taken seriously at any kind of official meeting.

After all, a hoodie and jeans would likely be seen as very informal in a meeting out in the wider world.

Maybe... he could just ask Peter?

He looked to be almost finished getting ready, as his hair was clean and brushed for once. Peter finished straightening out his jacket and proceeded to look in Elliott's direction.

"How do I look?" Peter asked curiously.

"...You look good, presentable even! Better than what I've got on at least."

"Why'd you say that?"

"I mean, look at you. What you're wearing feels like it represents the Pond lab perfectly... and then look at me. I just look like some guy you'd see at a convenience store or whatever. Nobody would take me seriously looking like this..."

"Hey," Peter said, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up like that, okay? No one around here truly cares about what another wears down here. I mean... look at me and almost everyone else in this lab. I'm wearing a crop top and a see-through coat. Albeit it's mostly for functional reasons, my point still stands."

"Are... are you serious? How come people don't care?"

"Well... back when everything was being set up, and survival was a day-to-day thing, values of the outside world began to matter less. Tradition wasn't as important as survival, so most people wore more functional clothing. Normal clothing isn't illegal mind you, they're just rare. You don't need to look presentable, people will treat you the same way as a guy in a suit."

"Huh... that makes a lot of sense."

"Alright then..." Peter said, walking to the exit of his office. "You're ready too I'm sure? Because the meeting starts in a few hours, it would be best to be early so..."

"Yeah, I guess I am. We took a carriage again?"

"Yeah... it'll be here soon. Let's head out."

The duo exited the lab and sat under what was essentially a bus shelter made of regionally available parts to wait for the carriage. The air was cold, and the sky was cloudy.

Elliott wondered if snow was an issue during the winter, just... how would it affect Tullwend? Might depend if Tullwend was located in Seattle. He remembered that the city didn't usually reach freezing temperatures, but considering they were in one of the northernmost states, snowstorms were a possibility.

Would snow crush most of the buildings? Where would they all go if-

"Elliott!!" Peter yelled, snapping his fingers. "The carriage is here!"

"Oh... sorry, I'm coming," Elliott said, climbing onto the carriage next to Peter.

"Okay coachman, he's on!"

"Alright then! Just gotta warn you two, I gotta stop in the Bloodbog to make a delivery. I'll try to be quick though!"

Peter and the coachman talked for almost the entire ride, while Elliott was kept alone with his thoughts, and said thoughts were mostly questions. Questions about his recent... dreams, if they could even be called that.

Visions of a great sea of light, giant eyes that looked similar to his own. That voice sounded so... familiar, yet he couldn't put a finger on where he heard it before. Where had he heard it before? Why did it feel so... important? After all, those eyes and that voice couldn't be real. They couldn't be, they were just dreams. Things you see in dreams aren't real, they are only constructs of the mind... right?

Elliott was contemplating the possible meaning of these strange dreams when the cart came to a sudden stop. He then lurched forward suddenly and would have torn straight through the cover if Peter hadn't grabbed him by the arm.

"Holy shit! You alright man??"

"Y-yeah... thank you..."

Peter then turned to the coachman.

"Was that really necessary man?? Like seriously, we could have gotten hurt!"

"I didn't want to hold you guys up"

"Yes, I understand that! Do YOU understand that being in a rush like that might get us seriously hurt??"

"Yes..."

"Then why did you do that??"

"Well..."

"You know what? It might be better to just go on foot... what do you say, Elliott?"

"Sure..."

"Welp. Whatever you two want I guess..."

After the delivery was made and the carriage left, the duo were left in the Bloodbog. At first, it looked as if the bog was practically a ghost town, yet upon closer inspection... the environment said a different story. Smoke could be seen coming from yurts and larger buildings. Not only from that but the few people who were outside were covered almost head to toe in cloth. Gloves, boots, masks, and goggles, only a small amount of skin was exposed, if any at all.

"Hey, question..." Elliott asked, tapping on Peter's shoulder. "Why are they wearing so much? It isn't that cold yet..."

"Oh..." Peter paused for a moment. "Much of the residents of Bloodbog are sensitive to sunlight, some form of Solar urticaria. Not all of them mind you, but much of them will break out in hives in contact with direct sunlight, so it's best to minimize exposure."

The duo traveled through the small town and reached the southern border. At that border, was a bridge over the bog where the settlement was built, leading to the biggest settlement in Tullwend... the Hedge.

"We can go on foot from here, most of the threats in this area were eliminated long ago, so we don't have to worry about mosquitoes or the stray Orb-weavers. Just stick with me, okay? The Hedge is one massive settlement after all..."

"Okay, I will."

It wasn't long before they made it to the Hedge proper. Considering the city was built in and around a large well, hedge, the city had to be lit up to an extent. Sap torches lit up the main path, which led into the central area of the city. It was... astounding, a testament to the ingenuity of those trapped in Tullwend. Streetlights used the same chemicals that made fireflies glow, and buildings made of what looked like concrete with rooves made of burs.

The streets were bustling with activity, and the population looked to be extremely diverse. Some folks seemed to have literal moth wings, along with large compound eyes similar to those from Anthill, while others looked to have feathers all over their arms and legs, though their faces seemed to be trimmed of said feathers.

Yet those who stood out the most were those who lived in the city since its earliest days. They stood tall above the commoners, as they were almost three heads taller than your average man and woman. Not only that, but they looked to have eight eyes and what looked like chitinous claws coming out of their hands. They somewhat reminded Elliott of the Na'vi from Avatar, if the blue cat people had their design based on spiders... and weren't blue.

"We shouldn't be too far now..." Peter determined.

The further through the Hedge duo went, the more fancy and intricate the houses became, seemingly because the middle and upper-class districts lived closer to the center.

And in the center... there it stood, a testament to man's survival in Tullwend. A testament that showed that those cast into this place where humans didn't belong would survive if not thrive... the castle of the Broodqueen. It was needless to say, possibly the biggest man-made structure in Tullwend, discounting the labs of the one who came before.

"Here we are, Castle Hedge... where Tullwend's future is decided." When the guards at the gate let them pass, Elliott learned that the castle was... luxuriously decorated no less. The courtyard had guards at all entrances and a strange statue of a raisin-like man shaped like the thinker. Who was this man? What made him important enough to have a statue made of him?

Chandeliers with jewels made of candy left by those who once owned Tullwend hung from the ceiling inside, and intricate carvings were strewn all around the castle as if those who made the grand buildings in Rome came to the present.

Some of those who kept the castle clean or just worked there were gawking at the crystalline deformity, however, which even after everything that happened since Elliott had arrived, wasn't even scratched. It remained completely flawless and would continue to reflect light shined upon it. Elliott stayed close to Peter, not wanting to be confronted about the growth... who seemed to notice his timidity.

"Would you like to... hang onto me for support? I know most places in the Hedge can get very crowded, so..."

"Sure... I'd like that..." Elliott grabbed Peter's hand and began to worry about something else. What if people misinterpreted what he and Peter were doing? They weren't in a relationship and frankly, he didn't know what he was into. At least Peter could back him up if someone thought he was lying.

Peter led Elliott all the way to the interior of the castle, then through its spacious hallways until finally... to an enormous room with two circles of seats.

The central table turned out to be smaller than the collection of tables circling around it, containing only five seats, three were already occupied. One of said seats was taken by a tall girl with a spiked crown of whites and blacks. Her frizzy hair was long, about to her elbows. Based on her outfit as well as general demeanor, Elliott realized this must have been the Broodqueen he heard so much about.

The group then seemed to notice the duo, and said Broodqueen stood up. "Ah, Peter! Glad to see you've finally arrived. And is this the one you've told me about?" The Broodqueen asked. Like many of her subjects, she was overwhelmingly tall, yet there was something different about her. She appeared to be much more used to her condition, as the way she walked appeared to be much less... ungainly.

"Yes, this is Elliott." Peter said, placing a hand on Elliott's shoulder.

The Broodqueen then walked over to Elliott. "I've heard of your feats Elliott, we are forever in your debt. Thank you for risking your health and safety for the benefit of our people." Saying this, she bowed her head, which was an honor for Elliott in and of itself considering this was the BROODQUEEN.

"Thank you... your Majesty, but... my benefit and health? Are you talking about that spider I killed?"

"Duh! Of course!" A girl, sitting next to who must have represented the Anthill: Hoops of the Fungalstompers, spoke up. "It takes real moxy to handle an INFECTED wolf spider!" Everyone else in the room muttered to themselves and nodded in agreement.

""I barely even remember what happened... Peter said i was glowing pitch white, and all my clothes were-"

"Yes yes hooray for the guy that killed the spider, my people are growing restless!" The Anthill representative said, sounding annoyed.

"Yes Anthony, we understand that, can we not welcome Elliott though? He might grow to be important..." The Broodqueen said.

"Yes Broodqueen Branch, but have you heard what some of my people have been calling for??"

"Yes, I've heard. We'll figure out what to do with those refugees, alright? That's why we're all here..." She then turned to Elliott. "Would you like to participate in the meeting? You don't have to, but... Ally would like to talk to you afterwards."

"I'm not sure... and Ally? Who's that?"

"That's... just what I prefer to call Hoops."

"I'm... not sure your majesty. Can I just... sit this by?"

"Of course, lemme just..." she grabbed a chair from a nearby stack, and placed it next to a table. "There you go.

"Thank you..."

Elliott sat at the nearby table as the meeting began, and began to twiddle his thumbs. This... was gonna be awhile.

Chapters end.

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Chapter Text

"I barely even remember what happened... Peter said I was glowing pitch white, and all my clothes were"

"Yes yes hooray for the guy that killed the spider, my people are growing restless!" The Anthill representative said, sounding annoyed.

"Yes Anthony, we understand that, can we not welcome Elliott though? He might grow to be important..." The Broodqueen said.

"Yes Broodqueen Branch, but have you heard what some of my people have been calling for??"

"Yes, I've heard. We'll figure out what to do with those refugees, alright? That's why we're all here..." She then turned to Elliott. "Would you like to participate in the meeting? You don't have to, but... Ally would like to talk to you afterward."

"I'm not sure... and Ally? Who's that?"

"That's... just what I prefer to call Hoops."

"I'm... not sure Your Majesty. Can I just... sit this by?"

"Of course, lemme just..." she grabbed a chair from a nearby stack and placed it next to a table. "There you go.

"Thank you..."

Elliott sat at the nearby table as the meeting began, and began to twiddle his thumbs. This... was gonna be awhile.

As the meeting went on, Elliott contemplated on what had caused all of this discord. A... fungus. A fungus had caused all of this death and discord. The question was, where did it all come from? Everything had a source after all, mankind from Africa, Tomatoes from South America, this fungus couldn't be any different.

Perhaps someone in this room knew where this Cordyceps knockoff came from? Might be best to ask around after the meeting if that's the case. Speaking of said meeting, the debate seemed to spark infighting almost as fierce as that on the battlefield.

Everyone wanted something different for the refugees, most radically different from the others. Peter rathered there be a reconstruction project of Weevilville, one with more defenses so infected couldn't just waltz into the town. The Anthill Mayor Anthony however, didn't seem to care what happened to the refugees. All he wanted was for them to get out of his town, mostly for their sake.

His people were growing restless, they feared what the refugees would do. They felt their careers or their safety could be at risk, from either crimes committed by the newcomers or their jobs being taken. Others feared more indirect threats, such as a rise of extremism that could impact the whole settlement.

Anthony in no way felt any bad blood for the refugees, but the people he ruled were his top priority. If violence could be prevented, then BY GOD he would do so.

The Broodqueen however, had an interesting suggestion. "Peter's suggestion feels like it would be our best option, yet I'd like to add my addition. Building a settlement is an expensive endeavor, not like the early days when there were only about a dozen people. Food, clean water, possibly even electricity-"

"Get to the point Broodqueen," Anthony said, tapping his fingers on the table. "We all have things to do and people to manage, what're you trying to say?"

Broodqueen Branch sighed. "To make a long story short, I believe that all of the official settlements should pitch in for the reconstruction of Weevilville. Woodcross, Bicycle, the Wizard's lair, all of them. People wouldn't have to worry about their jobs being taken or fear violence caused by refugees, all that would be needed is donations to provide relief. All that would be required are donations from the people and raw materials."

The other representatives pondered on this suggestion, and dove into a heated debate for what felt like hours.

Said hours felt like a blur to Elliott as the sun set below the fence that surrounded Tullwend, and the castle was now lit by a mix of electric lights and torches. The debate showed no sign of stopping, as the debate itself seemed to be keeping those within it awake.

Maybe it was because they had something to focus their minds on. That's what it seemed like, as even Peter was able to go on without issue, and this is the boy who lived off of coffee made from bug parts.

Elliott however, was not so lucky. He was never really a night owl, he'd need a large amount of caffeine if he was going to stay up late. Say during a session of Hollow Knight, there was a large possibility that he'd fall asleep with his head on the keyboard listening to the in-game music.

He missed those nights, watching what looked like snowfall in the Kingdom's edge area, the royal harps of the White Lady's chamber... it felt so long ago now.

Those memories of nostalgia dwelled in Elliott's mind as he slipped away from the waking world, and the sounds of the sea began to serenade around him. He opened his eyes to see that once again, he was in the radiant abyss. The question was, where were those eyes?

He twirled around in the water, and it appeared as if he was the only one there. Nothing in the abyss below, or above him. Or at least until...

"Oh, Starlight. What a small and pathetic creature you are." A familiar voice commented casually

The voice.

That voice.

Elliott twirled back around, to see the eyes staring at him with a judgemental look. They stared at him with a mixture of interest and disgust. "We have a lot of work to do, you and I."

"Work? What work?? What do you even want from me, you're not even real!"

"I want you to LEARN." The eyes stated, leering at Elliott. "If you learn, you can become perfect like me. BRILLIANT like me. I am merely what you have yet to achieve Starlight, and my oh my there is so much you have yet to achieve."

"What do you..." Elliott's eyes then widened in realization. "Is that what that weird summoning lesson was about?"

"You're a fast learner!" The eyes said with a slightly more positive tone. "Let's hope it will be the same with your lessons." Elliott's vision flashed to white once again, but in a moments notice the environment turned dark.

Elliott was on some kind of stone path, which was the same dark grey color as the surrounding environment. Wind howled in his ears though oddly, Elliott couldn't feel it blowing in his face. Why was that?
In the sky lied no stars nor clouds, yet there were the eyes in place of the sun.

Their luminescence went unnoticed in the radiant abyss, yet now they were a literal shining light in the dark. Like a full moon in a clear sky, their light faintly illuminated the environment.

"Now, we shall continue your lesson in an environment with less distractions. You-"

"Are you just gonna explain that complicated stuff from last time?" Elliott asked the eyes.

"To an extent, yes. But I will attempt to explain in a way your feeble little mind will be able to understand. For some, the complex formation of wind is something they can focus on in order to summon a weapon. For others such as a soldier however, they will find it practically effortless. For you and me to summon one however, it is a slightly different process."

"Wha-" Elliott's train of thought was cut short.

"We must focus on the light in our surroundings, concentrate on the photons gathering in the palm of your hand. Then, imagine a weapon in said hand. Any weapon, the thought of the concept of weaponry will allow you to bring it into existence."

"It won't come to existence just from thinking about it right? And this place is dark as all Hell, and I don't think the light you're giving off would be enough."

"Starlight, any amount of light will do. You only need to concentrate."

"Alright then, if you say so..."

Elliott closed his eyes, and held a hand out. After about thirty seconds, a small globe of pale light manifested itself in his palm, sputtering to life.

"Wait... what? Holy shi-" The light then sputtered out of existence, leaving Elliott in the dark once again.

"Goddammit!"

"Focus child. Any amount of light will do."

"Yeah, you said that earlier..."

He held his hand out again, and more pale light materialized in his hand. This time however, Elliott kept his focus, and soon... felt an object within his grip. "...huh?"

Elliott opened his eyes, to see what looked like a... staff in his hands. A bo-staff specifically, as it was about the same size as its wielder. It was a pale white color similar to the eyes above, and for some strange reason it was warm to the touch. Not only that, but at its top was shaped similarly to a stylized star, with its edges pointing at 3 of the cardinal directions.

Strangely though, the strange rhombus symbol from the dojo was embedded in the center of the star. Why was that? And why was the symbol so familiar?

"Excellent Starlight! Yet your lesson isn't over yet. This next part will be easy, but in no way will it be quick."

"What do you mea-" Elliott was interrupted by multiple flashes of red light around him. When the light faded, there stood multiple featureless crimson figures, about two thirds of his height, with a variety of weapons in their hands. One had a chisel knife, one a hammer, and the last had a single hand Warhammer.

The voice then gave one simple command.
"Bring them down."

Elliott followed said command and without thought, entered combat with the crimson figures. Everything that happened afterwards seemed to come to Elliott naturally, as the maneuvers he used looked as if he had been practicing for years on end. He wasn't a master, though he seemed to know what he was doing somewhat. Deflecting hits, sweeping the figures off their feet, and striking them straight on the head.

In the end none of the figures dropped dead, but dissipated into a cloud of red mist upon defeat, as if they poofed out of existence. Elliott was the only one that remained.

"Wow... that was exhilarating! How'd I do?"

"Hmm..." The eyes went silent for a moment, deep in thought. "Good, but you could do better. You're not as pathetic as I thought you were at least."

"What? How am I pathetic? Can you at least explain?" After Elliott finished his sentence, he could hear a faint voice that was only getting louder.

"Well first of all, you-" the eyes were cut off as the voice became deafening and could actually be understood. Someone was calling Elliott's name, and that someone was...

"Elliott!!" His eye's shot open, to find Peter shaking him by the shoulders. "Are you alright?? You were really out of it!"

Elliott looked to be in a daze, looking around the room at anything other than Peter for a moment. "Huh?"

"C'mon man, snap out of it!" He shook Elliott's shoulders again, and he seemed to snap back to reality. "Peter?"

"Yeah, sorry for waking you up... the meeting is over. Broodqueen Branch is paying for our trips home. Do you... need any help getting up?"

"N-no... I'm good. Thank you though..." Elliott got up from his chair, staggering for a moment. Suddenly though he had an idea which he thought might not work, but from what the eyes said, he figured it would be worth giving it a try.

He walked under a nearby chandelier, and held his hand out with closed eyes. Once again, pale light gathered in his palm and almost instantly... the star staff formed from the light.

Elliott merely stared at it with wide eyes for a moment, unable to comprehend the fact that this wasn't just something from a dream... this was real.

"H-holy shit!!" Peter yelled, as shocked as Elliott. "Did you just summon that out of thin air??" Peter's eyes looked to have lit up for the first time since Elliott met him.

"I... guess so? I kinda first started doing this in my dreams. I guess I'm-"

"Like the wizards in Yoked Girth! Hell, you're basically a magical girl from those anime in the 90s!"

"Huh..."

"Did you always know you could do this??"

"...No? I just learned I could do this frankly..."

"Who knows what else you're capable of? Frankly I thought this was impossible, I mean, summoning a staff out of thin air??"

"I think it was made of light..."

"incredible! Who knows how you're capable of this feet? This discovery might change the world!!" There was a glimmer of scientific interest in his eyes that Elliott was somewhat familiar with.

Deep down both of them knew, this likely wasn't the end of the whole wizard power thing. This was merely the beginning.

Chapters end.
_______________________

Chapter Text

"N-no... I'm good. Thank you though..." Elliott got up from his chair, staggering for a moment. Suddenly though he had an idea that he thought might not work, but from what the eyes said, he figured it would be worth giving it a try.

He walked under a nearby chandelier and held his hand out with closed eyes. Once again, pale light gathered in his palm, and almost instantly... the star staff formed from the light.

Elliott merely stared at it with wide eyes for a moment, unable to comprehend the fact that this wasn't just something from a dream... this was real.

"H-holy shit!!" Peter yelled, as shocked as Elliott. "Did you just summon that out of thin air??" Peter's eyes looked to have lit up for the first time since Elliott met him.

"I... guess so? I kinda first started doing this in my dreams. I guess I'm-"

"Like the wizards in Yoked Girth! Hell, you're a magical girl from those anime in the 90s!"

"Huh..."

"Did you always know you could do this??"

"...No? I just learned I could do this frankly..."

"Who knows what else you're capable of? Frankly, I thought this was impossible, I mean, summoning a staff out of thin air??"

"I think it was made of light..."

"Even more interesting! Who knows how you're capable? This discovery might change the world!!" There was a glimmer of scientific interest in his eyes that Elliott was somewhat familiar with.

Deep down both of them knew, this likely wasn't the end of the whole wizard power thing. This was merely the beginning.

They were pondering the possibilities of Elliott's gift when the leader of the Fungalstompers approached the duo with some of her soldiers.

"Hey, Eli right?" She asked, coming to a stop.

"It's Elliott... what do you need?"

"Well, I came to offer you a proposition. But first, what's with that stuff?"

"Oh, I kinda... formed it out of surrounding light."

"Wait, you can manipulate light?? How'd you do that!?"

"I'm... not sure? I kinda learned I can do this in my dreams..."

"Wow, that's incredible! Can you summon anything else?"

"Maybe? Frankly, I have no idea. I just learned I'm capable of doing this..."

"Huh, maybe you can learn how to create other objects out of light? Imagine the possibilities! Weapons, tools, maybe even storage devices!"

Those sentences set off a lightbulb in Elliott's mind. If he could make a staff out of light, could he perhaps make something else? A shield? A can opener? Maybe even clothing? The possibilities seemed limitless, he likely only needed to practice. The question was, why didn't the eyes bring that up?

"But never mind the light thing, back to my proposition. You're the only person known to have killed an infected wolf spider single-handedly. You know how many people are needed to take down a single infected wolf?"

"...No?"

"You need a whole squad of people or more to take one of those things out! You did it with your bare freaking hands! That's why I'm asking you to join us in the Fungalstompers, with people like you at our side, people won't have to fear a fungus-caked spider ravaging their lands again!" Hoops said excitedly.

Elliott went silent, giving the proposition some good thought. Sure he had killed the spider, but it had drained almost all of his energy. Would it matter if he was able to... glow white again or whatever he did? If the Fungalstompers dealt with such dangerous creatures, surely he'd get training of some kind.

If he were to refuse her proposition, surely he'd be seen as selfish. If he had the power to help the people, what did he have to lose? His home? His family?

Who he considered family abandoned him in this God-forsaken place, he didn't have anything left. He had nothing to lose, it would be best to accept the proposition.

"So? What'd ya say?" Hoops asked, bringing out a hand.

Elliott hesitated for a split second, then... took her hand. "Sure, why not Ms..." Elliott never caught her name.

"Ally Nguyen. But you can call me Hoops, my friends used to call me that." She then looked over to Peter. "Speaking of which, you look healthier than usual Pete! Your assistants make you eat actual food?"

Peter turned a shade of red and looked away, and Hoops turned to Elliott. "You started living at the Pond Lab a few weeks ago, right?"

Elliott crossed his arms. "Look, he doesn't want to talk about it, that much is clear. I don't like to intrude on people's privacy, so I'm not just gonna spill the beans. Okay?"

Hoops sighed. "Alright... fine. But tell me this at least, when will you be able to our headquarters to begin?"

"You didn't even say where I'm to be headed."

"Oh! Sorry about that. You've seen that platform and building that wraps around the oak tree in the center of Tullwend?" Hoops asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Peter's pointed it out a couple of times..."

"That's the main base of operations, and where I reside when I'm not dealing with fungal outbreaks. Can we expect to see you there soon?"

"Um..." Elliott turned to Peter for a moment. "Can I see to it that he makes it home safely?"

"I don't see why you couldn't! Maybe be here before morning?"

"I'll see what I can do..."

"Alright then! See you later you two!"

It wasn't long until the duo got back onto a carriage, and THANKFULLY a reckless driver like the last one. Peter was silent for a long while, twiddling with his thumbs, until... he leaned on Elliott's shoulder unexpectedly.

"Thank you... Ellie, for advocating for me and my privacy..."

Elliott almost gasped, he never expected Peter to say such a thing.

"You're... thanking me? It just feels like common sense, to not give away someone's private business. Why're you thanking me?"

"Everyone's always been concerned for my well-being, yet... they've always poked their noses in places they shouldn't, or bring up... uncomfortable subjects. You though, you've never poked your nose at these subjects and... helped me with some of them. If you weren't here... I don't know where I'd be now..."

"Oh, I... don't know what to say to that..."

"You don't have to say anything, I-"

The coachman interrupted Peter, snapping his fingers to get the duo's attention.

"Hey sorry to interrupt your party, but we've made it to the Pond lab. You both gonna get off?"

"Oh, he was just seeing to it that I get home. You mind taking him to the Fungalstomper Barracks?"

"Um... sure! I don't see why I couldn't. Broodqueen paid me a pretty penny anyways, so no need for extra pay."

"Well, that's... incredibly convenient!"

Elliott brought Peter back into the lab, and the trip afterward didn't exactly take very long. The Barracks could be seen from the lab, and they looked even more magnificent at the base of the tree.

Weed stem Platforms wrapped around the trunk from the bottom, like Chicken of the Wood mushrooms. Not only that but buildings large and small were scattered on said platforms, which looked to serve all sorts of purposes. For example, some had multiple flues on the walls and ceiling, emitting thick clouds of smoke. Other buildings on the outskirts of the platform looked to have large amounts of ziplines going all over Tullwend.

Overall, the place looked like it could rival the Hedge if given the time to grow and evolve.

Yet there was no mistaking this place for an ordinary settlement, this was a fortress, no. It was a citadel. A stronghold built to fend off the many dangers in this world where man did not belong.

Spikes on the bark below the platforms, ballistas, bottle rockets made of salvaged gunpowder, even a scrap metal cannon or two. One thing was clear, and this place was armed to the teeth.

"Alright, here we are, the stronghold of the Fungalstompers. I've gotta say, the fact that they built all this in about a year is insane. Hope you find what you're looking for buddy, this is as far as I'll go." The coachman said, bringing the carriage to a stop.

"I kinda know what to do, don't worry..."

Elliott approached the main... staircase, to find two heavily armored SOLDIERS guarding it.

"State your purpose here wanderer, civilians aren't allowed in the compound."

"I... was given a proposition to join the Fungalstompers, your leader is expecting me to be here before sunrise."

Their armor looked nothing like any Elliott had seen before. Usually, the guards and those who enforced the law in settlements wore armor that didn't cover the entire body. Like a chest plate made of koi fish scales for example. It mainly covered the well, chest, as well as shoulders. Areas such as the joints were completely exposed, however, the only thing covering the skin was the very clothing on their backs.

"Is that so? When did she give you the proposition?"

The Fungalstompers however, left no area of the body exposed minus the head, for it was a one-piece bodysuit with chitinous plates mended onto said suit.

"Only a few hours ago, at the meeting at the Hedge on what to do with the Weevilville refugees. She-"

"Oh really now? Let's see what the general herself has to say." The soldier sounded over the conversation and grabbed Elliott's arm.

"Hey, lemme go!!" Elliott yelled, trying to break free.

"The hell are you doing dude?? He didn't-"

"AHEM!" A familiar voice said, footsteps following afterward.

"What're you doing with our new compatriot?" Elliott and the soldiers looked up the stairway, to find Hoops herself coming down. She did not look amused in any way.

"General!" The soldiers yelled, one letting go of Elliott and performing a salute.

"He said he was given a proposition to join us! He said you-"

"I was the one to give him the proposition!" Hoops yelled, walking up to the soldier who grabbed Elliott. "You could have at least escorted him to my office WITHOUT grabbing him by the wrist like that! We DON'T grab civilians! Need I repeat myself, soldier?"

"No sir... no need."

Hoops then turned to Elliott.

"Good to see you, Ellie! I apologize for the trouble my soldiers gave you, we can't have people wandering into our headquarters. Especially that salesman with the bad facial hair... acted like the world revolved around him. Even then, we DON'T just grab people!" Hoops sneered, leering at the soldier who committed the deed.

"Either way... it would be better for you to rest now, we've all had a long day. I'll bring you to the Barracks..."

"That's where everyone sleeps right?"

"Most of us... yeah."

Elliott followed Hoops into the tree fortress and found even at night, it still seemed to be bustling with activity. The sounds of forging metal and blacksmithing became louder, yet there was a unique scent among the odors of hot steel and soot. The smell of... cinnamon? It smelled burnt somewhat and made his nostrils sting. What were they doing with cinnamon? How did the Fungalstompers get their hands on the stuff when everyone in Tullwend was the size of insects?

Those questions ran through Elliott's mind as he was brought to one of the barracks. It seemed mostly empty, with most of the soldiers who stayed in this section specifically seeming to be out on some kind of operation. How common was this?

"Alright, the beds in the upper right corner aren't taken. Just... go ahead and choose one and fall into it." Hoops said, leading Elliott to said corner.

"Thank you... General. I-"

"Oh by the way." Hoops interrupted. "There's supposed to be a training session in the morning. Can I expect to see you there?"

"Um... sure." Elliott sat down, and Hoops left the room moments later.

Elliott wouldn't go to bed... yet, however, as there was something on his mind ever since the meeting at the Hedge. Hoops had mentioned the possibility of making objects other than his staff out of light. Was it truly possible to do so? The eyes never mentioned such a thing, but it wouldn't kill him to try... right?

He looked to a nearby window where the full moon was shining through, held his hand out, and closed his eyes. He cleared his mind and focused on the image of a weapon, a bow specifically, and concentrated. He only needed to wait a moment as it took longer to form than the staff, yet there it was... a bow made of crystallized moonlight.

It glowed like the early winter moon above, and if it were to be seen in the morning sun, Elliott would have realized it was a light periwinkle color. "My god... I did it!!" Elliott was awestruck at his accomplishment, a whole new object made of light! He had to try more, he had to make more. His curiosity would force him to do it otherwise, he had to know more.

Over the next twenty minutes, he formed multiple different objects. A wrench, a knife, even a crossbow crystalline in appearance. Yet none of them felt... exactly right in his hands. Only the staff felt right so to say, more natural... as if it was meant specifically for him. Could that have been the reality?

It felt like there was... perhaps more to it than Elliott thought, but couldn't know for sure. The eyes weren't here, and couldn't guide him on what to do. Perhaps he'd see them again in his dreams Tonight? That was a possibility, but then again... he couldn't know for sure.

Chapters end.
__________________________

Chapter Text

He looked to a nearby window where the full moon was shining through, held his hand out, and closed his eyes. He cleared his mind and focused on the image of a weapon, a bow specifically, and concentrated. He only needed to wait a moment as it took longer to form than the staff, yet there it was... a bow made of crystallized moonlight.

It glowed like the early winter moon above, and if it were to be seen in the morning sun, Elliott would have realized it was a light periwinkle color. "My god... I did it!!" Elliott was awestruck at his accomplishment, a whole new object made of light! He had to try more, he had to make more. His curiosity would force him to do it otherwise, he had to know more.

Over the next twenty minutes, he formed multiple different objects. A wrench, a knife, even a crossbow crystalline in appearance. Yet none of them felt... exactly right in his hands. Only the staff felt right so to say, more natural... as if it was meant specifically for him. Could that have been the reality?

It felt like there was... perhaps more to it than Elliott thought, but couldn't know for sure. The eyes weren't here, and couldn't guide him on what to do. Perhaps he'd see them again in his dreams Tonight? That was a possibility, but then again... he couldn't know for sure.

That night, he didn't see the eyes again, although his sleep was in no way dreamers.

The environment around him looked somewhat similar to that of the Pond Lab, yet it looked... different in a way. There wasn't any damage caused by the wolf spider, nor algae growing on the walls.
It was orderly, clean... sterile, even.

Elliott then remembered why this place was so familiar. It wasn't because it looked like the Pond lab, he had BEEN in this place before. Ominent Practical Technologies, or at least a part of it he didn't remember. Yet he could have sworn he had been here before, it was just... whenever he tried to remember why, there was a fog in his mind covering the path to the reason why.

There was a small amount of people in the room with him, yet there was some he could recognize. He was holding the hand of his so-called "mother" who had led him into the room. Not only that, but among the group of scientists prepping equipment in the room for... something, stood a younger-looking Dalton Schmector. He looked to have salt and pepper hair and was still wearing that red sweater. If he looked younger and still had that sweater, how long ago was this?

"I've brought the subject Dalton," Lusamine said nonchalantly. "Is the chamber ready for him?"

"Of course it is!" The Director yelled, clearly impatient. "What took you two so long anyway?? You only live like three blocks away from HQ!"

"Well, I'm sorry Dalton! The kid was terrified of leaving home after the incident I told you about! Can we just get this over with??"

The Director groaned. "Ugh... yes, I suppose we can. But he needs to stay in the labs for the next few hours, or at least until I say so!"

"Alright, that works for me... just give us a moment." Lusamine and Elliott stepped aside, and she kneeled at his level.

"Mother needs you to be very brave, alright Leo? I know you're anxious from what happened on Sunday, but can I promise you something?"

"What'd you wanna promise mama?" Elliott said. Well... he didn't exactly say it, the supposedly younger version of himself whose eyes he was watching out of said it.

"After this test... why don't I take you to Dairy Queen? If you're brave that is."

"Oh boy are you serious?? Yeah, I can do that!! I can be brave!" The young Elliott yelled, jumping in place slightly.

"Good boy... now go with Mr. Sheldon over there. He'll take you into the chamber for the test."

Sheldon was standing by the Director, discussing the upcoming test. Something about... loud sounds? Elliott didn't understand then, and not being able to understand then made it sound like gibberish. Lusamine called for Sheldon and told him what to do, and he took the young Elliott's hand.

"Follow me, alright little buddy?"

"Okay!"

It only took a moment or two to lead the boy into the next room, and it looked... odd. It was painted a beige color, and had no machinery within unlike the previous room, except for the corners. Large beige speakers were attached to the corners of the wall close to the ceiling, and Elliott was staring at them curiously.

The screeching sound of megaphone feedback could be heard, and then... it began.

Yelling, screaming, incoherent shouting. The size of the room made it all echo and bounce back into Elliott's ears, causing him to cover his ears and drop to his knees. His ears began to ring loudly, and the boy's crying was added to the amalgamation of screams and yells.

He could hear words in the cacophony, words from THAT day. Screams about Demons, telling them to "begone." The same words that were screamed in his face during the "incident."

Elliott wished it would stop... yet it continued until... time looked to come to a standstill. His body felt like it was turning to ice, and said feeling evolved into numbness. Nothing felt right, fear, confusion, numbness, it felt wrong!

He wanted it all to stop so badly, he wanted his mother, he wanted this torture to end!

Stop.

Stop stop stop stop stop STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP S̶̥̜̭̏͝T̴̬͉̼̯̟̜͛͌͝Ò̷͚̦̯̦̒͛͛̄͠P̵̧̟͉͚̌̈́̆͆̇ ̴̼̱͉̥̟̮͋̇̄̿̂̚Ś̵̡̢͙̠̯͗̈͝Ţ̷͓̝͚͖̤̌̌͐̈́̌O̸̩͔̳̝̝̼͋͛̑͐̄P̷̧̔͗͐̅̇ ̷̢̙̱̻̺͉̔̅͆̒̎S̴̫̯͗̓̽̎T̴͈̗̈̊̄̏̆̃͜ͅO̴̪͚̝̜̜̪̒̇͌̓̓̚P̸̫̦̱͈̆ ̶̪̻́S̷͈͓͖̒̓͝Ţ̸̠̺͘Ǫ̵̝͈̊̐͌̾͘P̸̡̡̫̟͔͈̔̎̈́̔̽̍ ̶̢̦̬̫̊͒̍Ș̴̕T̷̘̥͆O̷̡̰̼͙̰̝͒̏̑̚P̶̗̻̤̟̖̼̈́́̎̇ ̶͔̳̠͙̀̽̒͗̈́̓

The boy's vision went white, and it felt as if the earth was shaking beneath him. The screaming stopped, but the lab's sirens began to blare, and he couldn't. Stop. Screaming.

But then, his vision went dark and his eyes shot open. He sat up almost immediately, breathing as though he just breached the surface of the nearby pond. His back felt cold and wet, as did the mattress below, he had woken up in a cold sweat. The room around him almost felt... too quiet.

What... was that? Was it some kind of nightmare? Yet it felt so vivid and familiar... could it have been a memory?

None of his nightmares nor dreams were ever that vivid, the fact that he just had to witness THAT, made him feel... wrong. The lingering emotions from the dream mixed with the ones from the memory revelation were an overwhelming wave that he was unfortunately washed beneath. He sat there shaking for who knows how long staring at the wall, and was only brought back to reality by someone snapping their fingers in front of him.

"Ellie? Earth to Elliott! Are you there??" It was Hoops...

"Oh, hey Hoops... how long were you there?"

"A few minutes, you looked like you had a thousand-yard stare. You feeling alright buddy?"

"Oh, um... yeah. Just bad dreams is all."

"Ooh yeah, we've all been there. Do you mind talking about it?"

"No..."

"No? Alright, do you mind joining the training session then? We've got a whole bunch of recruits doing target practice on one of the western platforms."

"Um... sure! I don't see why I couldn't..."

"Excellent! I'll lead you over, let's head out!"

"Alright..."

In the morning, the Citadel looked to be just about as active as the Hedge, and the blacksmith noises were as active as ever. Not only that, but the air was thick with the smell of cooking food, cinnamon, and the faint smell of salt that made it seem like the Citadel was some kind of coastal town. Maybe it just smelled like that because they might still be in Seattle.

Seattle is a port city after all, Elliott was somewhat used to the smell of the ocean since Lusamine left a window open a lot.

The place looked to be about as diverse as the Hedge as well. People from the Hedge, people from Woodstock, the Hedge itself, Anthill, Bloodbog, and even people similar to Elliott himself from the Wizard's lair. It seemed like all of Tullwend had come together to fight the threat that was the infected.

Soon enough though, Elliott was brought to what looked like a shooting range. In front of a wall covered with bolts and arrows were makeshift "mannequins" made to look like infected insects, stuck with the previously mentioned bolts/arrows as if they were pin cushions.

Along with that, what sounded like a drill sergeant on the younger side was barking out information about the infected.

"Listen, trainees! You may be able to harm the infected, but they don't care about their injuries anymore! They only care about making you into a bloody pile of minced meat! They're like zombies, so AIM. FOR. THE. HEAD!"

"Here we are... seems like the fresh recruits have taken to ranged weaponry quickly." Hoops then pointed to a weapon rack with Bows and crossbows. They didn't look like the weapons he had seen the soldiers carrying, however, as they appeared to be made of materials all over Tullwend. Sprigs of grass, chunks of bird feathers, silk rope, Elliott wondered if those weapons were even capable of harming someone.

To no one's surprise, the crossbow Elliott picked up turned out to be surprisingly light... were all the crossbows like this, or was it strictly for the convenience of training? Elliott didn't know and frankly, he didn't care, he had things to do.

He grabbed a bolt from a nearby box walked to a nearby lane, and closed his eyes. He'd need to focus as much as he could just... breeeathe in, and breeeathe out.

He took aim with steady hands, pulled the trigger, and... the bolt went straight into the wall behind the dummies.

"Damnit!!" No biggie, this is practice, not survival. He had all day to practice or... all the time in the world. He was homeschooled and had no friends in the wider world, so he never really had anything to take up his time anyway.

Just him, his thoughts, and his fellow trainees. Not like he had anything in common with them really, there wasn't much he missed from when he was normal size. Ominent had ripped them all away from their families and social lives, shrunk them to the size of ants for God knows what reason, and just dumped them in this suburban backyard.

Why did Ominent decide to dump them all down here anyway? Like if they were all test subjects, why weren't they all put in some kind of terrarium or just killed and disposed of?

Wouldn't it make more sense to keep tiny lab rats in some kind of containment area to continue testing?

Or perhaps... they were still being experimented on, some kind of social experiment on a grand scale. with how many people were down in Tullwend, and how they were allowed to make settlements and civilize the place, it made sense in a way.

Watching what teenagers and children would do in a survival situation if given the potential to thrive. It was an interesting concept in and of itself, though it was more likely that Ominent just dumped them here to get rid of their test subjects.

Questions about the reason he was here flowed through Elliott's mind as he continued to practice his archery skills. Over time, the crossbow felt more natural in his hands, similar to the staff he wielded.

He wasn't exactly a natural with a crossbow, but he could at least hit the dummies. Elliott however, doubted if he could manage to hit a moving target, no less a quickly skittering insect.

Maybe it would be better to practice with his staff? From what Elliott could remember he easily brought down the crimson figures, albeit those figures were in some kind of dream.

Yet his staff originally came from a dream, and he managed to pull that out of a dream.

He knew that he would still have to participate in the usual training sessions of the Fungalstompers, yet a part of him hoped that he would be able to train with his abilities and staff in his own time.

Perhaps he could just ask Hoops or any of the higher ups when training was over? There was only one way to find out.

Chapters end.
_________________________

Chapter Text

For Elliott, training had gone well for the most part. He wasn't exactly... gifted when it came to the ranged weaponry the Fungalstompers used often, but up close? Melee's combat turned out to be a whole different story for him. Target dummies weren't enough for him so to speak, he had eventually moved on to moving targets like just about everyone else.

Though considering the complex machinery to make a training dummy that moves back and forth wasn't available, the Fungalstompers had to make do with Robots. Ominent robots specifically, that Peter and his assistants had learned to reprogram as well as repurpose.

Combining the fact that the robots were able to wield tools and that the robots had sturdy metal frames, they proved to be the perfect sparring partner.

Add to the fact that Ominent had been sending down squads of bots for... one reason or another over the past year, so they were in plentiful supply.

Today, however... things would be different.

Elliott was sitting on a bench in the sparring area, staff in hand, when he noticed some of the janitorial crew wheeling in a bot on a large cart. Hoops was following not too far behind, so Elliott knew something was up before even getting a look at the bot.

"Alright, guys! Set this bad boy up, I'll go talk to the trainee."

Yep, something was up. Oddly though, Hoops looked... excited.

"Oh boy Eli, you're going to loooove this! I mean, I do!"

"Oh?" She had Elliott's curiosity now. "What's going on?"

"Those pond boys were scavenging in that ruined lab Tully left in that old trunk in the northeast, and they managed to scrounge up an ARC.R! Not only that, but they managed to repair it!"

"An ARC.R? What's so special about them compared to those other bots?"

"Hmm... I guess it has a Taser taped to its arm? Oh who am I kidding, just look for yourself! Fire it up, boys!"

"Alright General, just give us a moment!"

The sounds of sparks could be heard as wires were connected, and the bot came back to life as its eyes began to glow. Like most Ominent robots, it was shaped like a hockey puck with a plastic tuft of hair above its eye visor.

Unlike its siblings, it had an old coat of green paint covering its exterior, and sheets of repurposed metal scattered around it's body for what must have been repairs.

Not only that, but it looked to have some strange... cannon for an arm, and had what looked like an Ominent made battery strapped to its back. Did Peter and his assistants make that modification? It even seemed to have an old name tag strapped to it, the "supervisor."

"Alright General, lemme give it the command it needs..."

"Why? So it doesn't kill anyone or something?"

"Oh yeah... we don't want the bots going in for the kill, do we?" Hoops said, tapping her foot a bit.

It began to spark and almost fell to the ground for a moment, yet it managed to stabilize itself and keep afloat. It started to hover towards Elliott, who readied himself with his staff.

"Careful Eli! These things are smarter than the normal flavor of bot!"

Its cannon flared to life, and Blue electricity seemed to eminate around it... Elliott knew he had to be careful. He had seen what electrical burns looked like, and let's say... they weren't exactly pretty.

Things went well at first, Elliott deflected hits from the bots baton arm with his staff, as did the bot deflect his staff. Hell, it was a better challenge than the normal TAYZ.T bots that were scrounged up. It was faster, more strategic, it almost disarmed Elliott a couple times. Yet when they were essentially locked in combat, the robot began to sputter and whir, then proceeded to jab Elliott in the gut with the cannon.

"AGGH! WHAT THE-" A blast of electricity went through the cannon and into Elliott's gut, burning a hole in the clothes he had been curren wearing. Not only that, but Elliott fell to the ground twitching and spasming. Yet... at the whole burned through the clothes, blue "circuitry" could be seen spreading from the injury to the rest of Elliott's body, specifically around his crystalline deformity.

When the bot looked to be going in for the killing blow, it was suddenly brought to the ground by the blade of an axe.

"You alright Eli?? I didn't think you'd react to the electricity that badly!!" Hoops yelled, pulling the head of her axe out of what was left of the "supervisor."

Elliott meanwhile, could barely speak at all. The circuitry had been concentrating around his gem like "horn" and it felt as if his brain was turning to slop. Not only that, but he looked to be... shaking. He felt scared, terrified even, and had no idea why. Was it because he couldn't move?? It was as if some strange... primal fear was awoken within him.

He could only get out what sounded like an anxious drunken mumble before Hoops heaved him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"You're not in the condition to fight now, that's for sure... how does some rest in the infirmary sound to you?"

Elliott could barely nod as his vision slowly faded to black.

The sound of waves slowly filled his ears as the fear melted away, and he opened his eyes to a sea of stars high above. Not just the Seattle night sky however, this sky was almost completely alien.

Different constellations, different clusters of stars, even two individual moons hanging in the sky.

Elliott got up, and realized almost immediately he was in the middle of some kind of ocean, one riddled with rocks and great landmasses in the distance. Elliott was even standing on a rock as well, seemingly standing on the centermost outcropping.

Elliott was about to speak when he heard a... laugh. A laugh in a familiar voice, one mocking yet empty.

"Oh Starlight, you really should be more careful." White light could be seen emanating from behind him, and Elliott turned around to see the oh so familiar giant eyes.

"Be careful? That thing literally played dirty and jabbed me right in the stomach! How do you expect me to be careful when things like that play dirty??

"One like us must be prepared for what any opponent will throw at us. Henceforth, you must learn more of what you're capable of. Therefore, you will be able to act not only offensively, but defensively as well."

"Al...right? Is that wh-"

"If you're going to ask why you're in an oceanic environment, then yes. The environmental hazards are part of your training, obstacles that you must learn to overcome. But don't worry, you will be able to leave this environment in no time at all."

Elliott looked around for a moment, observing the wild waters around them. The waves were thrashing against the outcroppings, as if they were trying to somehow behead them. Would that he the right word for rocks? Behead?

"Where do you want me to go anyways? Like I don't see a clear goal, do you want to... swim around in that or something?" Elliott's face fell upon the revelation. Swimming in waters like that could surely severely injure kill almost any man! How was a bean pole like him supposed to get through that??

"Starlight, you need not worry! Even with that pathetic organic body of yours, one like us can traverse almost any environment. You see, those like us can change their forms on a whim if it is necessary. Usually, we never need to change from our base forms, as it is never necessary. You however, with the circumstances we find ourselves in, shape-shifting could become a necessity."

"You're saying I can... shapeshift?" Elliott said, eyes lighting up. "How do we do it?? Is it easy??"

"Calm down now child, all will be learned in time. All you need to do is listen to what I say, and you will learn everything I know."

"Alright, I'm willing to listen! What... do you want me to do? How do I shapeshift?"

"As I said, patience is key. You must concentrate on a spot on your body, and imagine it changing in a certain way. Another option, is imagining it how you wish for it to look at that point in time."

Elliott thought for a moment, he had a small idea of what to do. Something practical, specifically for-

"I know what you're thinking Starlight. You want to use your abilities to get out of this environment, yet you want to start small. What is it? Webbing?"

"Um... yeah! How-"

"It doesn't matter how I know. What matters is learning to use your abilities. Now, remember what I told you. Focus on your hands... imagine the webbing between your fingers."

"Alright, gimme a second..."

Elliott held his hands out, closed his eyes and focused. Webbing between his fingers... this should be easy, right? He's starting small, and it'd be useful in this environment!

Soon enough, a slight warmth could be felt in Elliott's fingers, and when he opened his eyes... there was webbing between his fingers. Nothing like human skin either, it looked like the membranes a frog would have between its toes!

"M-my God...it... actually worked! How're we able to do this??"

"It's simple, simple enough that one such as yourself can understand. Our bodies are made of hard light, light that can be manipulates into any shape that is desired. You however..." The eyes paused, squinting for a moment. "Doesn't matter how it works, we still have work to do."

"Alright, alright..." Elliott looked down at the rushing water, and had another idea.
Surely in rushing water, surfacing for air would he difficult to pull off, so how about removing the issue entirely?

Elliott focused on a new image, one of gills on a human neck... his neck. Almost immediately, a small amount of light could be seen emitting from his neck, along with a slight tingling sensation, and the sound... well it was unique so to say. While it didn't sound organic and gross, it sounded... strange. The best way to describe it could be a high pitched buzz?

When the light faded, what looked like gills had appeared on Elliott's neck and without hesitation, he dove into the fast moving water.

Maneuvering was... difficult to say the least. Dozens of different currents, trying to pull him every which way, but Elliott persevered. He dipped and dived through the menagerie of rocks, nearly being gashed on his arms and legs time and time again until he got out to open water. Once in open water, everything was smooth sailing, though the depths looked... odd. Considering the nearby rocks, one would think that the seabed would be relatively visible... but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Below Elliott was the radiant abyss he had become all too familiar with at this point. How was this even possible? Rocks that big couldn't possibly float like that- wait.
Why was he even questioning the logic of a dream in the first place?

A minute later, the stagnant water surrounding the landmasses near the outcroppings began to ripple, then what looked like an explosion underneath occurred as Elliott breached the surface. Oddly, even though he could still breathe thanks to his new gills, he still felt like he was about to pass out as he gasped for air.

He climbed onto the landmass and nearly collapsed, out of breath. "Holy shit... th- that was incredible!" Elliott pulled himself onto a rock and his arms gave way, leaving him like a seal basking in the Sun's light.

"Now now Starlight, we aren't done yet. We still have much to do..."

What felt like hours passed by, as Elliott continued to learn about his newfound gifts, and he found a preference on how to use his shape-shifting abilities specifically.

Yet when the eyes were about to speak again... what sounded like a thunder clap could be heard, and Elliotts eyes shot open. His head hurt, and raindrops could be heard thundering on the ceiling above, pounding on the roof like the undead banging on a barricaded door. Could the noise be making his headache worse? He couldn't be sure.

"Where... am I?"

Elliott looked around, and found that he was in some kind of infirmary. He had been laying on what looked like a military cot when he heard a nearby door opening. Through that door... came Hoops, with what looked like a sandwich bag in her hand. She had been mumbling to herself when she saw Elliott had finally woken up, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh, Eli! You're finally awake!" Hoops rushed over, and sat in a nearby chair.

"Oh, hey Hoops... what're you doing here?"

"Well checking in on you of course! You took a hell of a blow back there, but you didn't need any medical attention somehow! I was gonna have my medical personality see to it that they treat whatever damage was done. We expected heavy electrical burns on your stomach, but there's not even a scratch!" She yelled.

"Wait... are you serious?" Elliott lifted his hoodie and shirt a bit, to find Hoops was right. Where the robot had jabbed him was... completely spotless. There wasn't a bruise of any kind, just uninjured ashen skin. How was this possible? There should have been at least some kind of burn, but Elliott was straight up unscathed!

"W-what?" Elliott didn't know what to think.

"I know right?? That's what me and my men were all like! We all thought we'd have to treat horrific electrical burns, but nope! Just normal belly flesh!"

"Weird way to word it, but yeah... this is strange."

This was the second time Elliott could remember coming out unscathed when he should have been horrifically injured. First almost breaking his foot, then an electrical burn... could there have been some kind of reason why? Perhaps some kind of ability the eyes hadn't mentioned yet, invulnerability maybe? No, no. He still felt pain, that had to mean something was being harmed.

"You have to have the luck of the gods on your side or... something like that! An injury like that could have been severe!"

Elliott still didn't know what to think. His discussion with the General didn't give him any good theories as to why he had been so lucky when it came to injuries, and there was already something else he had in mind.

"Hey Hoops, um... can I go on leave? That's the right term for this stuff, right? I kinda want to head out into wider Tullwend for a few days." Elliott asked.

"Oh, really? What for exactly?"

"I... kinda want to practice my powers in private..."

"Oh, why didn't you say so earlier? Besides, you're still in training so you can technically come and go as you please!"

"Oh, I see..."

After they made their discussion on how long Elliott would be on leave, Hoops left the room, leaving the boy all to himself.

He still wanted to rest, but first... he wanted to test something.

He held a hand out, closed his eyes and focused. Webbing between his fingers... that should still be simple even in reality, right? The high pitched buzz began to ring in Elliott's ears, and his hand felt slightly warm as it began to glow. The light faded moments later, and Elliott's suspicions were confirmed.

His fingers had webbing in-between them. He could shapeshift in reality just like he could use his staff.

He smiled. This was going to be fun. Practice, was going to be fun.

Chapters end.
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Chapter Text

Elliott hadn't yet left the headquarters of the Fungalstompers, even though he had all the intentions to do so. His reason for staying though, it at least made some sense. You see, Elliott was hoping to go at it alone, or to at least wander alone most of the time. Yet even in the current era, if one wants to go out into the no man's land alone, they'd need plentiful supplies for their journey. Foodstuffs, clean drinking water, weapons, a possible water purification system, etc.

And Elliott only had one of these requirements, his staff. Sure, let's say that he could hunt whatever insects were still wandering about this time of year, and drink from old soda cans, but wouldn't that be more trouble than it was worth?

That was why Elliott stayed at the Fungalstompers headquarters, he had worked for what he needed. Currency to buy and or possibly barter for everything of which he needed.

Thankfully, the complex had a large market district for soldiers who created interesting things in their spare time, hunted, or just knickknacks they found in wider Tullwend. Either that, or they got a shipment of wares from their home settlements when they were on leave.

Elliott who had arrived at the entrance area of the market district, went to check if he had everything he needed.

A stitched-up sack of scrap metal coins, how many were there? He counted, and there were about... two hundred. Elliott sighed.

"Hope this is enough..."

The mix of aromas that hit Elliott's nose as he entered the marketplace was delectable, to say the least. Roasting nuts, burning wood, smoking meat, cinnamon, hot coals, it was a hodge-podge of pleasantries. Not to mention the people.

The diverse population of the headquarters seemed to bring diverse kinds of food as well. Sliders with berries and roasted orb weaver, meat loaves with scavenged marinara sauce and mite meat, and even egg sandwiches made using black, red, and fire ant eggs.

Said food and items were being sold from stands scattered all over the platform the district was based in, yet there was one stand that caught Elliott's attention.

A clothing stand, run by someone he presumed was from the Bloodbog if their attire was anything to go by. They wore baggy black clothing and wore what looked like a mix of a ski mask and goggles made of grub hide and gnat eyes. Their get up was... interesting to say the least. The clothing they looked to be selling looked to be the most colorful and exotic Elliott had seen in Tullwend as well.

Clothes from the world outside, along with clothes woven by the tiny people that called Tullwend home, were a diverse cast. Jackets made of lint, tank tops made of silk, leather jackets made of pupae leather, yet there was one article of clothing that caught Elliott's attention.

A creamy green robe made of what Elliott presumed to be Luna moth wings, with a fuzz trim at the neck area, dyed a deeper green color. Elliott wondered, how long ago did they make that robe? Surely moths didn't come out at this time of year, it was far too cold.

Nevertheless, Elliott wanted to buy the robe. Not only did it look pretty aesthetic-wise, but it looked like it could keep him nice and toasty when he wasn't around a barrel fire or campfire.

"Hey, sir..." Elliott said, walking up to the stand. "How much for the Moth robe?"

"Oh, this thing? 150 fragmentum."

"150 huh? I could probably go with that. Looks my size too..." Elliott went through his coins, gave away the 150 fragmented pieces, and got his new robe. The rest of the shopping spree was a walk in the park, due to the drastic difference between the cost of foodstuffs and clothing.

Other than that, he spent the rest of his money on gear to make a campfire and to melt ice/boil and purify water, along with a tent. He didn't need much, he only wanted to travel to practice his shape-shifting abilities and find examples he could use for said practice. Besides... there was something he wanted to try out at the Pond, which thankfully wasn't very far.

"Alright, that's all I need!" Elliott said, leaving the shopping district. "Now... let's try out this robe."

As he made his way to the exit, he half hazardous put the robe on over his Hoodie and jeans and... let's just say he stood out among the crowd. A boy with a crystalline "horn" on his forehead with rhombus-shaped pupils wearing a Luna moth robe standing among some of Tullwend's greatest soldiers wearing armor and being armed to the teeth... it would have been to see at least.

Yet there was one other person that seemed to stand out among the rest. He wore a white collared shirt and pants, with some kind of... emblem on the shoulders.

A patch with three vertical squares in a green circle, one white, one blue, one yellow, and... something felt off about the symbol, along with familiar.

What they were preaching felt somewhat familiar as well.

"Don't you see? The radiant beings have blessed us! Their rays touch us, their warmth fills us, and their light is what allows us to survive in this place! We cannot turn away from their light, for they will abandon us! If they abandon us, we shall have no protection against the demons of the night! What do you think the folklore throughout human history has been warning us about? Don't abandon the Trinity sheeple! The goddesses protect us from those who prowl in the night, lest you become one of them!"

What the hell was that guy going on about? Radiant ones? Trinity? It somewhat sounded like Christianity if what Elliott had learned about the religion was to say anything, but the mention of goddesses fractured that theory.

Elliott was pondering about the aforementioned "demons of the night" as he left the headquarters proper. Just... what was that preacher talking about?

Nocturnal insects perhaps? No no that couldn't be it, he had mentioned becoming one of them. Perhaps he meant it in a more metaphorical sense, something about... sin?

He'd rather not focus on that, questioning religious things brought back bad memories he would rather not dwell on.
Instead, he focused on the environment around him.

The tree-looking blades of grass looked to be... dead almost, and the wind was blasting through them with a wild whistle. Thankfully, Elliott wasn't directly facing the wind, as he didn't get his hands on a face mask, and his robes didn't come with a hood. Mostly kept him warm at least, though it might be best to get some better shoes soon... sneakers likely wouldn't keep him warm in the cold weather.

Other than the wind, the no man's land was... quiet, minus the sounds from the outside, which were few. Usually, you'd be able to hear the barking of squirrels, chirping of ants and crickets, and even the songs of birds which oddly didn't feed on Tullwend denizens. But at this time of year?

Nothing.

Nothing but the barking of neighborhood dogs and cars driving nearby.

Likely the only sounds one would hear these days would be of human origin or the disgusting sounds of the infected, and the wind leading one to their destination.

Elliott was alone with his thoughts for what felt like an hour, following the wind to his destination. Would this winter be the end of him and the rest of Tullwend? What if a blizzard came over Seattle in the coming weeks? Where would everyone go?

Could they hide underground? In the house maybe?

Or perhaps... they could tunnel through the snow and preserve their society like Lemmings? Perhaps they could live like that... albeit it would be more uncomfortable, though they'd be able to live on

One other question however, remained on his mind, one about the fungus.

Could it survive a blizzard? Like, not because of the low temperatures, but could the infected and fungal clusters survive being smothered by multiple feet of snow? Elliott was about to answer his question when he heard noises he was all too familiar with thanks to his time with the Fungalstompers.

The screaming of people and... the disturbing, disgusting sounds of the infected.
Clicks, screeches, and the guttural sound of exploding fungal bodies.

He summoned his staff almost immediately and sprinted toward the source of the sounds, he felt obligated to help.

He killed an infected wolf spider.

He was a Fungalstomper.

He wanted to and HAD to.

When he made it to the source of the sounds, Elliott found that it was a small caravan being attacked by the infected.

The guards were being swarmed by mites and fungus-caked Lacewing Larvae. They were standing their ground, but without aid they would surely fall. It was time for Elliott to act.

He leaped into the fray, landing on one of the mites automatically. As he gained his bearings, one of the mites leaped at his face.

"Shit!"

He readied his staff and said staff connected with the mite like a bat and a baseball, sending it flying into a nearby blade of grass.

"Heard y'all needed a hand!!" Elliott yelled, making his way toward the larvae.

"No shit Sherlock of course we do!!" One of the guards yelled, sticking the blade of her axe into the face of one of the zombie larvae. One of them turned to face Elliott and grabbed the head of the staff with its pincers when he tried to bring it down.

As he was pulling the staff out of its grasp, Elliott heard what sounded like something charging up behind him, he remembered a specific trademark of the infected.

The fungus is explosive.

He jumped out of the way in the nick of time, as an infected weevil essentially self-destructed, as chitin, spores, and fungal juice went soaring through the battlefield. Elliott was far enough away to not be impacted by the explosion, but the guards weren't so lucky.

There was a small cloud of spores in the area of the explosion, which included the wagon one of the guards was next to. Said spores caused all who were in the radius of the cloud to cough like there was no tomorrow, even after all the infected were slain. Let's just hope... it isn't harmful.

"You guys alright?" Elliott asked, letting his staff dissipate.

"Yeah... cargoes safe from what I can tell... don't know about our employers though. You guys good??"

Coughing could be heard from inside the closest wagon, and they were the only ones who didn't answer the guard's questions.

"...guys?"

She stepped up to the wagon and opened the canvas curtain more than it already was, to find six people coughing up a storm, and a piece of Weevil splattered in the corner.

"Hell are y'all doing?? This thing is spitting out spores!!" The guard yelled, grabbing and tossing the piece outside.

"Did you just ignore it?? This shit is toxic, you'll be lucky if you don't get Aspergillosis!"

The guard then looked back to the chunk of Weevil, now sitting on the hard-as-rock dirt. It looked... different. "Wait a moment..."

Elliott went over and picked it up, while pulling part of the robe over his mouth and nose. He had noticed it too, the fungus looked different. Instead of blue and green, it glowed a purplish-pink color... similar to the samples of SNPI-42Z he had seen in the Pond Labs.

This was strange... all the fungus he'd scene from samples and the infected were that blue and green color, this was noteworthy. More than that, he had to obtain a sample.

He took the time to make an airtight crystalline jar around the sample, and placed it in his bag. Leave could wait... he should probably bring it to HQ.

"Wh- what did you just do??" The guard asked after getting out, shocked as to what she had just seen.

"Oh yeah... that's something I'm able to do... sorry if it freaked you out."

"Um, okay? Also, Why'd you take the fungus? You trying to make Funguspacho or something?"

"What? No! I'm a Fungalstomper, this sample looks different compared to everything I've seen. I intend to bring it back to HQ..."

"Oh I see. Well... the Sun is going down, and I don't think that robe will do you any good once the temperature drops. You... wanna stay with us for the night? We were gonna set up camp before the infected arrived."

Elliott took a moment to answer, thinking for a minute.

"Um... sure. Let's just get rid of the bodies..."

Elliott and the guards piled up the bodies of the dead insects, keeping their faces covered to avoid Aspergillosis, and had a fire set up soon after. One to burn the bodies, and one to keep themselves warm.

Elliott stayed especially close to said campfire, not used to the intense cold of winter.

However, something felt... off. Nothing was wrong with him, but it felt as if something bad was going to happen nearby, he just couldn't put his finger on it.
Because of that, he kept his staff in his lap, just to be safe.

Chapters end.
__________________________

Chapter Text

The past few hours at the camp were... swell, to say the least.

The caravan's wagons had gathered in a position to protect them from the wind.

There was always a chance that they'd have to fight more infected, however, at least in small amounts. Not only that but there's a chance that there could be noninfected as well. Ants, lawn mites, maybe even mosquitoes. The Pond hadn't frozen over after all, and besides... Elliott had mosquitoes come through his window once during a particularly warm winter.

Other than that, it was surprisingly peaceful. The wagons blocked the cold winds and had a bonfire cooking dried Aphids, chatting about their lives before Tullwend. A boy from Louisville though, had his own stories to tell.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think all this is part of some larger conspiracy."

"Really?" One of the guards said with a mouthful of Aphid flesh. "How so?"

"Alright Samantha, lemme ask you this. Did you still have your phone when you first arrived down here?"

"I don't have it anymore, but yeah. Why'd you ask?"

"Did it still function at all? Did you get any signal at all?"

"Now that I think about it... no, it didn't. Honestly, I just assumed that Shrink Ray fried it or whatever."

"Well lemme tell you this Missy! Those phones aren't fried, and I can tell you how! You see, my papa was a technician, he taught me how to disassemble electronics. Televisions, radios, ovens, even smartphones. Those Apple phones are hella fragile though, never been able to take one apart without running it."

"Why'd you bring this up, Jeremy?" Elliott asked curiously.

"I'm getting to it diamond eyes, calm down. You see, I thought my phone was fried too when I first came here, so I took it apart the first chance I got. Thing is... there were no signs of damage. Just normal functional computer chips and shit. Your phone fried too Elliott?"

"I... didn't have a phone on me when I came here..."

"I see, well-fried phones are a common theme I've noticed down here. No one down here has a phone that works, and I've got a theory on why that is."

"What's that?" Everyone asked.

"No matter where you are in this dammed place, no communication device works. Phones, the landlines in those labs, not even the makeshift radios made from those fancy robots. Those radios were built correctly, I've helped build one myself. Even those guys inside the house have trouble. Y'all know what this means?"

"No, what does it mean?"

"It means outside interference my friends, outside interference. Likely nearby radio jammers set up so we can't communicate with the outside world. Surely all the wireless communication tech not functioning can't be a coincidence. I just wanna say it seems likely those science guys know we're still alive down here and are doing everything in their power to keep us from revealing that we're down here."

"Why don't they just kill us if they don't want us communicating with the outside world?" Elliott asked.

"That's the thing, they haven't. Don't ask me why they haven't, I've no idea why. Maybe they're studying us, seeing what people do if they were made the size of borrowers or whatever. Maybe they're not, I've got no clue. The thing is, they aren't just gonna come strolling in and tell us."

Elliott was sitting there, thinking to himself about this whole situation. Was Ominent keeping everyone down here from communicating with the outside world?

How would they even know they were still alive? Did they just send a guy to glance into Tullwend to check for lights or whatever?

He figured it might not be the best to focus on that right now as he threw his plate in the fire. He had work he had to do in the morning and figured it would be best to head to bed early. He had a long day tomorrow... and it might be best to get back to HQ with the sample as soon as he could. He climbed into one of the carriages with cots but looked back before he climbed into one.

"You guys want me to grab you anything? More Aphids or a drink?"

"Nah, I'm good!"

"Still got my food, appreciate it though diamond eyes!"

"Alright, see ya then..."

Unfortunately, nobody had noticed that Samantha was acting... off.

She looked to be a bit... twitchy. She looked to be having trouble eating her aphid, as the twitching caused her to keep missing it with her fork. Even after everyone went to rest, something was wrong with her.

She just could. Not. Sleep. She didn't even feel tired, it was almost like she had been drinking nothing but coffee all day. Why?
Why couldn't she sleep? She never had a problem like this before, so why was this an issue now?

She couldn't get tired at all no matter what she did, exercise, extra food, counting sheep, and she felt... angry about it. Unreasonably angry.

As the hours passed, that anger began to build up, and she began yelling, no... screaming. Screaming and punching the frames of the wagons, which attracted the attention of her compatriots...

"Yo Samantha... you feeling alright?" Jeremy asked, climbing out of his wagon.
Samantha turned to him almost immediately, almost as if she was the girl from The Exorcist.

"NO! I'M NOT ALRIGHT! I CAN'T FUCKING SLEEP, AND I CAN'T HEAR FOR SHIT! OF COURSE, I'M NOT ALRIGHT!!"

Jeremy put his hands up and approached the girl slowly. "Do you... want help with that? I think we got some Xanax in the medical carriage and-"

Jeremy was interrupted by Samantha letting out an ear-piercing shriek, and beginning to twitch more severely. She began moving towards him while making sounds that can only be described as... pain. Growling, crying, yelling, and garbled speech.

"Hey Samantha, what're you doing?"

No response, as she began to shuffle faster. He was backing up more, and Jeremy noticed something and the implications of said feature were... horrifying. Her eyes were a bright crimson-purple, swirling into the center where the pupils once were.

Then... she leaped onto him.

"HEY! GET OFF OF ME!! SOMEBODY-"

She was attempting to seemingly bite him in the face, and Jeremy couldn't speak as he was too busy trying to keep Samantha from doing so.

Just as Jeremy's strength was waiting, however, he could feel the savage Sam being lifted off him somewhat, although she appeared to be... struggling? Who was doing this?

As it turns out... it was Elliott! He was restraining Samantha and lifting her off of her intended victim, all the while she was struggling to get out of his grasp.

"What the Hell are you doing Sam?! Are you insane!??" Samantha only screamed and began to thrash. Then...

"AGH!!" She knocked Elliott over, falling to the ground in the process.

Jeremy only watched in horror as the two scrambled to their feet, Elliott using his staff to bring himself to his feet. He held it in a defensive position, backing away while Samantha stumbled towards him... slowly?

"Stay away Samantha!! I... don't wanna hurt you!!" Samantha stopped for a moment, was she... standing down?
She could be heard snuffling and almost crying, with her fingers digging into the palms of her hands... why was she doing that?

Then, it looked as if something clicked in her brain, and she SPRINTED at Elliott, who hesitated, yet acted at the last second. A sickening CRACK was heard as the top of the staff made contact with Samantha's skull, and she fell to the ground immediately.

The staff evaporated in seconds as Elliott placed his hands over his mouth.

What did he just do?

He hurt her.

Did he kill her?

How bad was it?

"O-oh my God... oh my God..."

He couldn't believe it.

Jeremy looked to be just as shocked.

"Holy shit dude... did you just do that?"

Elliott remained silent, clearly in shock.
Jeremy crouched down, and his eyes widened when he looked closer at the body.

"Wait, no... no it can't be! This is impossible!"

Fungal growths were growing in one of her ears. Said growths were... glowing a purplish-pink color. Just like the recently encountered infected.

"This... this stuff's infecting her!!"

Elliott was still silent, merely staring into space. Jeremy seemed to notice this, however, and proceeded to slap Elliott in the face and shake him by the shoulders.

"Get ahold of yourself, man!! I know this shit is freaky, but we need to remain calm!"

While the slap brought Elliott back to reality, Jeremy was now the one to go silent upon a realization. The passengers in the second wagon had been exposed to a piece of this fungus. Add to the fact that they were coughing up a storm and...

"Oh no..."

"That 'oh no' doesn't sound good."

"Well, no shit diamond eyes! Of course, it isn't good. Those guys are probably gonna... become whatever Samantha turned into! I mean look at this!" Jeremy yelled, pointing at her head. "She's got shrooms growing out her ears!"

Elliott was conflicted about what he should do. He knew for sure now he had to report this back to HQ, yet he also knew he couldn't just leave. If all these people were infected with this... mutated fungus, he couldn't just leave them. What if the infection took control of them and commanded them to do God knows what?
This was the first time he heard of a human being infected with Cordyceps muscaria, or the first time anyone had seen it infect anything that wasn't an arthropod.

How was this possible? How infectious was it? How was it transmitted? Through spores how the arthropods are infected?

They didn't know for sure, but spores seemed the most likely.

But then... he had an idea.

"Hey, Jeremy... do me a favor will you?" He ran over to the carriage he was sleeping in and pulled out the crystal jar. "Take this to the Fungalstompers headquarters, as FAST. AS. YOU. CAN. You hear me?? As fast as you can! Tell them what's in the jar and where the caravan was left, and tell them what happened to Sam, okay? I'll stay here and keep watch. If the others have the same... affliction as her, I can't let them escape and possibly infect others... if that's possible."

Elliott summoned his staff and his hands looked to be... shaking. Was he... scared? Jeremy wasn't sure.

"Are you sure you'd be able to handle them on your own? I mean... that's six people we're talking about."

"Yes, I'm sure, now go! Innocent lives are possibly at stake!"

Elliott handed Jeremy the jar, and Jeremy took off running towards the oak tree where the headquarters was built.

Elliott however, remained with his staff in both hands, watching the wagons like a hawk. Faint groans could be heard coming from inside one of the wagons which inevitably evolved into... what could only be described as moans, wretches, and wailing. A mournful cacophony of the infected, of which couldn't be determined if they were still conscious or not.

"My god..." Elliott whispered, hand over his mouth.

Just as he finished his sentence, human-sounding screams and yells pierced the air, and to Elliott's horror... they sounded as if they were in... pain.

The infected tore through the cloth covering the wagon and charged at the cloaked Elliott, who began to feel ice cold once again. time looked to be slowing down with the infected leaping out of the wagon almost freezing mid-air. His body felt like it was turning to ice, and said feeling evolved into pure numbness.

Fear, confusion, numbness, guilt, he shouldn't hurt them right? They were human, it wasn't right to kill his own kin!

Yet when the infected landed and were charging towards him... the cold feeling began to burn.

Part of him wanted to run, but he knew he had to fight, he had to prevent this infection from spreading! But there were so many of them... and their numbers were overwhelming!

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Elliott screamed at the top of his lungs, and a blast of energy erupted from his body, being sent in all directions. His vision now had a white twinge, and his ears were ringing like all hell. He had started glowing pitch white again, becoming a spotlight in the darkness of the early morning.

The infected looked to be fast... yet Elliott was faster, as he ran circles around the group, baiting them into a position where he would have the advantage in an attack.

He knew what had to be done.

Whether the infected were still in there or the fungus had completely taken over their minds, he wanted to give them mercy. He HAD TO given them mercy.

The entire fight felt like a blur, as the adrenaline flooding his veins made it hard to remember anything from said fight.

Yet when he was done what felt like an eternity later... the infected were on the ground, at rest. They looked... peaceful almost, as if Elliott had given them what they wanted... an escape.

He supported himself with his staff, as his legs, no... entire body felt like jelly, and he noticed something peculiar about the battlefield.

There was some kind of crater, where he had his... outburst moments earlier. Did he create that? How was it possible for him to do so?

His train of thought would be interrupted however, as a group of Fungalstomper Soldiers came sprinting onto the scene.

"Elliott, Are you okay?? Some southern guy came with a jar and-" The soldier explained everything that happened with Jeremy.

Apparently, he ran all the way to the headquarters, and was trying to explain that Samantha was infected with a new variation of Cordyceps muscaria, and had attacked him.

They understandably didn't believe him at first, but when he showed them the sample, they took him more seriously, and sent a squad of soldiers to investigate the claims while one of their scientists studied the sample.

"Well... Jeremy was telling the truth, look at these people..."

Elliott pointed with his staff at one of the bodies, which happened to have a fungus stalk growing out of its eye.

"Jesus H! Okay, okay this is real... can you help us get them back to headquarters? We... might need to study these cadavers." The soldiers breathing was short and rapid, as if he was trying not to freak out.

"O-okay..."

Elliott held his hand out, and crystalline material wrapped around the cadavers, sealing them off from the outside world, and hopefully preventing spores.

However, this didn't feel like the end. Elliott had a looming feeling of dread that this was only the beginning of things to come. Terrible things, horrific things might come, and he had to be ready.

No, Tullwend had to be ready.

Chapters end.
______________________

Chapter Text

The stress in the air was... palpable to say the least.

Word had been sent to the officials of every settlement about the infected along with word to keep an eye out for Pink/purple colored infected. If they did spot them, they were to dispatch the insects at any cost while wearing facial protection. Specifically... gas masks.

From what Elliott had told the Fungalstompers once he got back to headquarters, it was believed that the people in the caravan were infected through airborne spores. Elliott likely wasn't exposed due to covering his face and mouth, and Jeremy wasn't due to not helping with the cleanup.

The question was... could infected humans infect others in the same way? If not... was it even possible for them? It was one of the many questions Elliott had running through his mind.

That was something that they had to find out, of and they requested the assistance of the Pond Lab. They would have to be... discreet about alerting the Pond scientists how Cordyceps muscaria could now infect humans as if the knowledge of what were essentially zombies existing were to get out.

Mass panic was likely to ensue, and at this stage would probably cause more damage than the infection. It has to be kept secret from the public, at least until it is dealt with.

At least, IF it could be dealt with.

That's what was on Elliott's mind the past day or two. What if they couldn't contain it? Could it get out of Tullwend?

Horrific images ran through his mind at the thought of it escaping Tullwend. Chaos in the streets of Seattle. Soldiers gunning down infected, families having to put down one of their loved ones who had become infected.

He had watched The Last of Us, and he knew about the concept of a fungal zombie outbreak and the concept was... horrifying, to say the least.

The infected didn't even seem to be dead, it seemed more like they were being... controlled. They didn't snarl and growl like the zombies in common media, they sounded more... human. Cries, moans and groans, and what sounded like... attempts at speech.

The thought of that was... terrifying to say the least.

Being forced to attack your kin by something that invaded your brain, all the while still being aware of your actions sounded like a fate worse than death, in Elliott's opinion at least-

"Ellie?" A familiar, and somewhat soothing voice said, interrupting Elliott's train of thought.

Elliott looked at the source of the voice, to find... Peter and his assistants. He looked much healthier, his hair being much less thinner, and his face fuller than it was before. The bags under his eyes looked to have lessened as well.

He looked... somewhat stressed, however. He wasn't shaking, so it seemed like he was able to keep his composure.

Elliott got up, using the staff in his hand as support.

"...Peter?"

The two walked up to one another, and after what felt like an eternity... Peter walked up and embraced Elliott, somewhat shocking the Fungalstomper.

"I... never thought I'd say this, but... I missed you, Ellie..."

Elliott didn't know what to say. He was already stressed out thanks to the infection. But in Peter's arms, however? It was like time had frozen completely, and that stress was melting away. Elliott never really thought about it, but he missed Peter as well.

He didn't know how to explain it, but Peter made him feel complete... in a way. Like in these dark days and the ones to come... Peter's presence was reassuring, told him everything was okay.

That's... what Elliott wished it was like anyway, that they would all be okay. Was anyone really okay down here?

Yet... the happy little reunion was interrupted by one of the Fungalstompers scientists clearing their throat.

"Sorry to interrupt your reunion Director, but we need your assistance. Can you two follow me?"

The two let each other go, and Elliott... was a bit confused. "Why'd you need me? I'm not a scientist." Elliott may have had a bit of a "scientific" way of thinking, but he was no scientist himself.

"You've had the most experience with these... infected, we could likely use your assistance with them."

Elliott sighed. "Alright then... lead the way."
The labs belonging to the Fungalstompers were only a walking distance away and surprisingly, they had drilled into the tree to make this place. Elliott didn't want to question it, as he felt like unnecessary questions could cause him trouble.

The laboratory looked to be made of ash concrete, seemingly for structural support. After all, the sheer weight of the tree around them could crush the entire lab.

They were led to a small room deep within the tree, that had a large window dividing another small room, that looked slightly larger. The small room looked to be an observation zone, while the larger room looked to be some kind of containment cell.

Within looked to be a Fungalstomper Soldier, or who was once a soldier.

He was letting out occasional bursts of screams from his ever-sore throat, and his fingers looked bloodied from trying to escape his containment. Glowing fungi grew out of his ears and mouth, even out of his eyes to an extent, which were the same vibrant dizzy purple as the rest of the infected. His body language screamed animalistic and aggressive, yet those screams still sounded... human.

"We got attacked by a group of infected a few days ago, soon after you came back Elliott. Poor bastard was attacked... orally by one of the infected, and we put him in quarantine to be safe. Seems we judged correctly."

"Wait a moment, he was bitten?? And is that cell airtight? In case he... releases spores or something?"

"Yes to both questions, we took every precaution based on what we suspected and knew. He can't get out and infect anyone or anything.

"Um... what're you gonna do with this guy? Just gonna keep him in there or something?"

"We don't know yet." The scientist said, placing a hand on their hip. "That's up to the boss."

"Hoops?"

"What? No, General Nguyen isn't exactly the... kind of person needed to handle this type of scenario, research-wise. Spent too much time on the baseball fields, she's no Doc Brown. Don't get me wrong, she's smart, but she's not the acting Science manager."

"Then who is?" Elliott asked.

Peter spoke up. "He's an... old friend of mine. He's a bit annoying sometimes but... he's a nice guy, he..." Peter went silent, with a tear in his eye for a moment.

He wiped the tear away seconds moment, however, trying to remain stoic. "Let's just get to business. You requested my presence, what's required of me?"

"Oh, well..." the scientist went silent for a moment. "We've got a couple of cadavers we were planning on dissecting. The boss figured it would be wise to request your assistance." The scientist said, twiddling their thumbs.

"Alright then... lead the way."

The group was led deeper into the facility, and Elliott, Peter, and the scientist came to a new, large room connected to many others. Before they entered, however, they walked under what could only be called salvaged decontamination arches, as they were sprayed with a medicinal-smelling fluid. When they entered the main room, the scientist put on a gas mask and turned to the others.

"I'd advise you all grab a gas mask. Infection can only occur through attacks that break the skin or the inhaling of spores. That's what we've observed with infected arthropods, along with our species. So if you don't wanna become a damn zombie, wear your mask. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course."

"Very much clear," Peter added.

Elliott was the last one to get his gasmask on, as he noticed they looked... quite peculiar to say the least. It looked to be made of the head of a weevil, with the large compound eyes becoming the mask goggles, and the schnoz being cut in half. The reason why was to make way for a filter made of both man-made materials and natural resources available in Tullwend. It-

"Hey, Eli! You coming?" Peter asked, gas mask muffling his voice a bit.

"Oh, yeah. Hold on!"

Elliott got the mask on and found that his breath made the compound eye lenses foggy, and made the inside of the mask, henceforth his entire head warm. Well... if it meant he didn't have to risk getting infected, he'd push through it.

They entered the room, and almost immediately the air pressure felt like it changed. It was cold and quiet, the only sound being that of an acorn clock on the wall.

In the center of the room, was a recently deceased cadaver, specifically one of the recently fallen soldiers. They must have been put down quite recently, as there was a pink stalk of fungus growing out of their eye. Along with that, there looked to be a... bite wound on their hand, and what looked to be an entry wound on their forehead from a crossbow bolt. The bite looked... odd, to say the least. The skin within the wound somewhat looked like the wrinkled skin of a finger if it was underwater water for too long, and what looked like veins flowed away like rivers from a lake.

Peter took a scalpel from a nearby tray of tools and slowly cut open the center of the bite wound. What he saw, wasn't flesh nor blood but... purplish mycelium, or hyphae as some people call it.

"Yeah... I don't think that's supposed to be there."

"You think Eli? Never mind that, pass me the tweezers."

"Alright then..." Elliott grabbed the tweezers from the nearby tray and placed them in Peter's hand.

The autopsy went on for hours on end and ended on the matter of the infected. The rest of the body was... nonetheless horrifying and disgusting to look at, other than the fact that this was someone's internal organs. The insides were coated with hyphae, with bits of actual mushrooms seemingly growing and causing the organs to become misshapen. The brain, however, was the most disturbing of them all.

What looked to be large mushrooms had bloomed from mycelium that wrapped around the cadaver's brain, and looked as if they were applying pressure to both the skull and frontal lobe. They didn't look like they could break through the skull, at least not yet. If it were allowed to continue in a living host, however... who knows what would have occurred?

Suddenly though, an almost deafening
alarm pierced the air, stunning the group for a couple of seconds.

"WHAT THE HELL'S HAPPENING??" Peter yelled, trying to cover the parts of the mask that covered his ears.

"I DON'T KNOW!! THE ALARM HAS NEVER GONE OFF BEFORE!! WE SHOULD CHECK IT OUT!" The scientist yelled.

"SHOULDN'T WE BE DECONTAMINATED FIRST??" Elliott yelled.

"YES OF COURSE! WE'LL BE DECONTAMINATED ON THE WAY OUT!!"

Peter left the body where it could be disposed of, and the group was decontaminated as they made their way back to the surface.

They didn't take their gas masks off however, as everyone they came across looked to have one of their own on, or were getting ready to put one on.

Something is wrong. Something big.

They were all armed. What was going on?

Then, when they were close to the edge of a platform facing the south... they saw it.

"Mother of God..."

Far below them, was an army.

An army of the dammed, determined to lay waste to those who dared to settle where man did not belong.

"MOBILIZE ALL UNITS!! WE'RE BEING ATTACKED!!"

Chapters end.
______________________

Chapter Text

"WHAT THE HELL'S HAPPENING??" Peter yelled, trying to cover the parts of the mask that covered his ears.

"I DON'T KNOW!! THE ALARM HAS NEVER GONE OFF BEFORE!! WE SHOULD CHECK IT OUT!" The scientist yelled.

"SHOULDN'T WE BE DECONTAMINATED FIRST??" Elliott yelled.

"YES OF COURSE! WE'LL BE DECONTAMINATED ON THE WAY OUT!!"

Peter left the body where it could be disposed of, and the group was decontaminated as they made their way back to the surface.

They didn't take their gas masks off however, as everyone they came across looked to have one of their own on, or were getting ready to put one on.

Something is wrong. Something big.

They were all armed. What was going on?

Then, when they were close to the edge of a platform facing the south... they saw it.

"Mother of God..."

Far below them, was an army.

An army of the dammed, determined to lay waste to those who dared to settle where man did not belong.

"MOBILIZE ALL UNITS!! WE'RE BEING ATTACKED!!"

Elliott knew what had to be done. But first things first, he had to make sure Peter was safe. This boy was a scientist, not a soldier. Sure, he was able to fight, but an entire horde like this?? Taking something like this on alone would be straight-up suicide.

He placed his hands on Peter's shoulders and looked him square in the eyes.

"Petey, I want you to listen to me here. Get back in that tree, and hide. You hear me? I don't want you getting hurt out here, you're way too important! So please... do this for me, okay?"

Peter looked slightly red. "You... called me Petey?"

Elliott turned slightly red as well. "Um... Never mind that just go hide okay??"

"Okay, okay!" Peter went running back into the tree, along with the other scientist. The Citadel at first looked to be in anarchy, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that everyone was getting to their battle stations. People were mounting the ballistas, aiming for the cannons against the ground far below, and were readying ranged weapons with... what looked like explosive arrows?

Then... a familiar yet no longer energetic voice pierced through the air.

"ELI WHAT'RE YOU DOING?? GIVE US A HAND HERE!!" It was the General, in the fray herself. She was helping to aim one of the scrap metal cannons after one of her soldiers loaded it with ammunition. She pierced the cartridge within with an iron rod and then pulled out a tool to ignite the gunpowder within said cartridge.

"FIRE!!"

A plume of smoke erupted from the barrel as case-shot soared towards a small horde. Young spiders, ants, Lacewing Larvae, and infected merchants were all torn to smithereens by the shrapnel once the case shot made impact. The ground below was nonetheless, chaos incarnate. Hordes of the infected fought tooth and nail with armored soldiers, some even crudely holding simple weapons, such as cleavers or hatchets. Bodies of both soldiers and the infected were strewn on the ground around the citadel, it was a literal bloody mess.

Sirens, cannon fire, and yells filled the air, and some guy was somehow even blasting Black Sabbath's Paranoid.

"RELOADING!!" The General yelled, grabbing a nearby cartridge of gunpowder.

"Lemme lend a hand!!" Elliott yelled, grabbing a nearby ram rod, to stuff the cartridge into the back of the muzzle of the cannon. He stuck the rod into the cannon, and one of the other soldiers stuck the ball in seconds later, and so on... they were able to fire again.

"FIRE!!" Another round soared through the air, punching a hole in the exoskeleton of what was once an Ox beetle. Yet by the time it came to a stop... it almost seemed too late.

The defensive line on the southeastern side of the Citadel had been breached, and a small horde was pouring in through the breach. The soldiers weren't piling up the stairs, yet were backing up slowly, getting ready to cut off access to this specific area by attempting to chop down the freaking stairs.

Yet they wouldn't be able to completely cut off access to the southeastern entrance, as a Bombardier beetle launched its boiling chemical spray at the soldiers. Let's just say... the next scene was in no way pretty. Soldiers were stunned on the ground with what looked like second-degree burns, along with being attacked by infected who were once humble merchants... it was bloody horrific.

Not to mention the infected as well as soldiers almost immediately got trampled by the rest of the horde. They were crawling over each other just to get at their prey, inhumanly quick and agile, and once they got onto the platforms they were acting odd.

The biggest of the infected, the soldier ants and Lacewing Larvae were being sent after the soldiers, while the humans looked to finish them off with either tooth and nail or crude weaponry. The worker ants stayed behind, latching onto the floorboards, and were spreading spores from the fruiting bodies growing from their heads and backs.

It was at that moment when Elliott and the General realized something horrid. The infected weren't just mindless beasts like everyone in Tullwend thought they were.

They were using strategy to break through the enemy lines, which could only mean that they had a rough form of intelligence. What else would the use of strategy mean?

Elliott knew he couldn't just sit there behind a cannon and watch it a massacre in progress, none of them could.

He was the Fungalstomper's most powerful asset. He. Had. To. Act.

He had to act... for them.

He had to do it for HIM.

That was all that was on Elliott's mind as he booked it from the cannon towards the massacre in progress. Soldiers were retreating, and many were staying back to fight, yet Elliott was the only one going towards the encroaching horde.

THE. ONLY. ONE.

He almost burned himself and tripped at the same time when he stumbled over a body, however, as next to their hands was a state-of-the-art Coaltana sword.

Back in Tullwend's early days, when metals were hard to come by, the people had to make do with what materials were available. Thanks to SNPI-42Z not only having mutagenic properties, but, many materials that would otherwise be called unorthodox could be used in construction. Everchar Charcoal, tick fangs, Hot Chachas Candies, even the sparkly shells of Scarab. Specifically, Charcoal and Hot Chachas were used in the construction of the Coaltanas blade.

The blade would glow red hot through the chemical process used to make the Everchar remain aflame for long periods and would cut through man and beast like a hot knife through butter.

The infected were susceptible to fire... it would serve him well. His training with the Coaltana would serve him well too, as he grabbed the blade without stopping his sprint. Elliott... looked to be moving faster than all of the soldiers or infected, and it allowed him to maneuver around their infantry without even being hit.

The scent of burning flesh filled the air soon enough, as all Elliott left of the infected were smoldering corpses, along with the faint smell of ozone. It was odd, the infected never emitted that kind of smell after they were slain, or at least whenever Elliott was the one to put them down. Perhaps it was due to the high temperatures they were being attacked with.

It didn't matter. There was still, a constant stream of those with the infection coming up the stairs, and Elliott had to cut off the access point. Any infected insect or human that crossed his path was dealt with swiftly and without personal bias. Ants were sliced into minced meat, Lacewing Larvae were sliced in half, and spiderlings were straight-up impaled and or crushed. It was as if the Doomslayer himself had manifested in Tullwend and focused his hatred for the denizens of Hell on those who even looked remotely infected.

When he made it down to where the attempt was made to chop down the stairs, he plunged his blade into one of the support beams that were still fully intact. Smoke rose from the weed stem support beams as the blade burned its way through them. One by one and bit by bit, the support beams were disconnected, either being sliced through or burned away, all the while dealing with oncoming infected. Meanwhile, General Nguyen and her soldiers were watching from after.

"By the gods... he's gonna do it!!"

By the time he broke the last support beam, he had formed a small plan on what to do next. Originally, he meant to help fend off the infected around the rest of the defensive line, yet he wouldn't act on that plan. He heard what sounded like aggressive humming, and turned around to see an infected Antlion larvae charging right for him!! He couldn't tell how the poor creature could even see as its face was covered in fungus, but he didn't have time to contemplate it, he only had seconds to react!

Yet a lightbulb went off in his head literal moments before the antlion grabbed him with its pincers, he only hoped he could act on it in time.

In a matter of seconds, tearing noises came from his robes around the shoulder blades, and light erupted from the torn holes and morphed into... wings. Completely feathered wings, of which looked to be about fifteen feet in length, and cream colored.

As if knowing how to use the wings just about instantly, Elliott leaped high into the air just as the Antlion attempted to grab him. He straight up threw the sword into the head of the poor animal, skewering it to the ground.

He flew back down and pulled the sword out of the beast's head, and the proceeding combat could only be described as a dogfight using melee combat. Elliott was straight up dueling oncoming infected fireflies and the occasional Tiger Mosquito. They all fell the same way as their brethren who were restricted to the ground, albeit with less ease. They were more agile, and more relentless than their normal counterparts. Yet in the end, it appeared as if the battle had been won, and Elliott slowly descended to the ground.

The area around the citadel had become a true no man's land. Downed blades of grass, craters from cannon fire and explosive bolts, and... the carnage almost couldn't be described.

Yet... there looked to be no more infected, and cheering could be heard coming from the Citadel high above. One synchronized voice, not men nor women, but one that represented humankind as a whole.

Humanity had won the battle, yet it hadn't won the war... not yet at least.

Elliott had felt like he was going to collapse from exhaustion, yet his voice joined in the cacophony of cheers celebrating their victory.

The Question is... what was next? Only time could tell what was in store for Tullwend's people and the infected.

Chapters end.

_______________________

Chapter Text

After the onslaught of the infected went silent after the defense of the Citadel, one thing had remained clear, since the next step that would be taken against the enemy wasn't all clear.

The dead had to be dealt with, whether they were infected or a fallen soldier, they would be dealt with accordingly. Henceforth over the past few hours, the infected bodies were piled up in one small area, and then set alight. Humans, ants, and larvae were all burned like those in the depths of the Underworld in many different faiths. Elliott even in his exhaustion had been pitching in wherever he could, yet didn't take his gasmask off once during the whole endeavor of burning the dead. He was lucky to do so as well, as the smell was more or less excruciating.

It was like nothing else, to say the least, but if anything, it was sickening. Burnt hair mixed with metal along with melting and burning plastic, the smell would assault the noses of those who didn't wear gas masks in the clean-up effort. Those were just the human cadavers, the smell that the bugs gave off was... almost indescribable.

Gasses that the fungus either produced itself or that the bugs produced naturally would burn within the piled-up bodies, and cause the bonfires to glow a blueish color. The scent the gas gave off was not pleasant, however. That of ozone, and burning rubber, which mixed with the smell of the human dead.

Overall the experience was horrific enough that, those who burned the bodies in the afternoon would be switched out for a new cleaning crew during the night.

Elliott had been tossing Mites and ticks into the bonfire when what sounded like a megaphone blared from up in the Citadel high above.

"Alright soldiers, pack it up for the night. Let those on the night shift take over."

Elliott breathed a sigh of relief, thankful it was over. He was tired and hungry, not to mention he felt like he needed a shower badly. Working near roaring bonfires for hours on end and handling cadavers was quite a messy endeavor, and left those that cleaned up the infected cadavers covered in fungal and insect juices.

Not to mention that his clothes were torn up from wings bursting from his back. Sure those wings were gone now, with them but the holes in his clothing remained... and he'd have to get them patched up. No matter, he could pay for a tailor with whatever money he had left.

Getting back to the Barracks was easy enough, as was showering. Elliott was even feeling slightly rejuvenated too, considering that those who operated the systems that heated the water weren't in the facilities containing said systems. The recent attack could be blamed for this scenario, but it wasn't like Elliott was complaining.

What he was complaining about, however, was the distance to his destination. Many of his comrades had gone to a Saloon near the market district to celebrate their victory, and Elliott wanted to join in on the celebration. Add to the fact that he was hungry, the saloon would be the perfect place for an evening meal.

He trudged his way across the Citadel, trying his best not to run into anyone who was partaking in the clean-up effort. There were still bodies of the infected upon the decks of the Citadel due to the breach henceforth a janitorial team was sent out to clean up the mess. Whether they threw the bodies off the Citadel or took them to a designated burn pit on a nearby platform, it didn't matter what happened to the infected as long as no one was harmed.

The fallen soldiers, however, were a much different story. They weren't tossed onto piles to be burned or treated like they were nothing.

They would be identified, plans would be made for them to be buried, and those close to them would be notified about their sacrifice. Not only that, but it was promised that they would given funerals with full military honors.

The General herself personally made that promise. After all, it was the least she could do for them, considering she couldn't have their families notified.

When Elliott finally got to the Saloon after dipping and dodging around those with cleaning duties, the tone looked to be the total opposite of the other areas in the Citadel. All the soldiers within were celebrating their victory over the infected.

One had broken out into a folk song from where they were kidnapped, tankard in hand kicking their legs in the air happily sitting on the counter where the barman stood. It didn't sound like it was sung in English, but from the tone and how it was sung, it sure as Hell sounded joyful. Elliott couldn't even really make out many lyrics, as most of the song seemed to be... vocalization. It couldn't be easily described, but the song was wonderful to the ears nonetheless.

Many others were dancing to that folk song, with two of the soldiers seeming to stagger around like they were drunk. Elliott didn't judge them for drinking as he made his way to the bar, he didn't feel like it was his place to judge them for doing such a thing in a stressful environment like Tullwend. Besides, they were putting alcohol in their bodies and not his, it didn't feel right to criticize them for this.

Elliott sat down at the bar, avoiding the guy singing and kicking his feet, and then the bartender came rushing right over.

"What can I do for ya partner? Fungus mead? Liquid Rage?"

"No... I'm just here for a meal, but thank you. Can I get some Boatman soup and um..." Elliott looked up at the list of smoothies and drinks on the wall. "Some of that Hedgelord stuff?"

"Of course my good man, On the house!"
The bartender turned around and pulled out multiple ingredients from what looked like a wooden ice box, and chucked it into a bowl on stilts. He took a grub skin canteen from the shelf, poured its sludge-like context into the bowl, and began to mix in a matter of seconds.

Over the next few minutes, the chunky green mix slowly turned a shade of royal purple, and the bartender took the canteen and scooped up the concoction.

"There you go sport, I'll save the rest for later. Can't let it all go to waste ya know?"

"Guess that makes sense..."

Elliott was handed the violet brew, and he sat there for about fifteen seconds, taking in its scent. It had a fragrant sweet scent, mixed with one that was slightly nutty, due to the roasted acorn pieces used in the recipe. "Welp... down the hatch." He was about to chug down the smoothie when he felt someone's shoulder brush up against his.

"Hey, Ellie..."

Peter.

Elliott looked to his left, to see Peter sitting on one of the bar stools, right next to him. For one reason or another, he hadn't taken off his jacket.

"Didn't expect to see you here..."
The Bartender almost immediately took Peter's order and left the two to their devices. "Gotta go restock, make sure no one wrecks my establishment please?"

"Sure!"

"Sure why not..."

Peter had gotten Tadpoloca pudding with a shot of fungus mead, which concerned Elliott almost immediately.

"You're not... drinking a lot of that stuff are you?" Elliott asked in a worried tone.

"What? Oh no, no don't worry! I came here for some dinner, I just figured I'd order some mead while I was here. Mead isn't sold often out in the outside world." Peter said, taking the shot.

"Mead? Like... Skyrim mead?"

"Yes, partner." The Bartender said, walking back over. "Mead's as real as you or me. My uncle always made his brew and said American beer tasted like piss. I helped him now and then and retained that knowledge if I ever needed to use it. Sure like, selling homebrewed mead is illegal, but there's no U.S. government here. I mean, we're fuckin ant people! Hell would they do to me or the people down here, imprison us?? We're already trapped down here for God's sake!" The bartender yelled, slamming his fist on the counter.

"I'm sorry, just... let my anger get away from me there. Anyways, would you like some mushmead?"

Elliott thought for a moment contemplating on what decision he should make. On one hand, the drink might taste awful, considering it was brewed with literal mushrooms. Not to mention that he didn't know the alcohol content, how much could he drink?

You know what? Screw it, the bartender likely knows what he's doing. If he wasn't, wouldn't the General have shut down his establishment by now?

"You asked me that earlier, but sure. I don't see why not. Here you go..." Elliott handed the appropriate amount of currency over and got his shot.

He brought it up to his nose to test the aroma, and... it wasn't that bad.
It somewhat smelled of honey, which was presumably stolen from the nearby bee hive before winter. Not only that, but it was slightly earthy and would complement the scent of the honey.

Elliott hesitated for a moment, though in less than a second turned his head up and took the shot in one swig. The taste was... unusual to say the least, it had a bit of an acquired taste, but it was somewhat enjoyable.

"That... wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Elliott said, placing the shot glass down.

"Well, how'd you think it would taste?" The bartender pried.

"Well, I always thought alcohol smelled awful... you know that distinctive smell that wine has?"

"Yeah, my parents always bought wine for New Year parties."

"Would you like another partner?" The bartender grabbed the shot glass as he asked.

"You know what... sure, why not."

"I'll go for another shot too," Peter said, placing a couple of scrap coins on the table. They kept on buying shots, discussing events and Tullwend, and everything going on in the bar. Apparently, the folk song being sung in their ears was called "Sámiid ædnan" and was made back in the 80s. Perhaps it could be called old but gold?

They took shot after shot, and at first, they were giggling at their jokes and trying to sing along to Sámiid ædnan. Yet after about half an hour of shots, the two tumbled away from the bar and began full-on dancing to the folk song.

They were holding each other's hands, halfhazardly tumbling around the Saloon almost tripping over each other as they attempted to dance. Peter was singing at the top of his lungs in a drunken stupor, and Elliott was looking at him square in the eyes, not paying attention to where he was going.

The two slowly stumbled onto a chair and Elliott let out a yelp as he was sent backward over a table, luckily though... Peter caught him in the nick of time.
"You alright Elly?? You almost busted your ash!! Peter yelled, not realizing how loud he was talking.

"Yeah... th-th-thaaank you!!" Elliott slurred, laughing to himself. That laughter proved to be contagious, as Peter began laughing at the top of his lungs, and the two's laughter became a cacophony. The deformity on Elliott's forehead then began to glow a bright white color and in seconds, the white light engulfed the boys. The dual laughter slowly became the sound of one person laughing, and the light faded to reveal... someone.

They stood above everyone else in the saloon at almost eight feet tall, and wore what looked like a mix of Elliott and Peter's clothing. Elliott's robe was open and looked to be some kind of jacket, and his hoodie was tied around their waist. Not only that, but they looked to be wearing Peter's silk crop top, and Elliott's black jeans as what looked like shorts.
Add to the fact that they literally had four eyes, two with diamond-shaped pupils and two with crescents. Their hair platinum blond look to it, and they had the same deformity on their forehead as Elliott.

Aaand they were absolutely smashed.

"Heeey bartender." They said, stumbling over to the bar. "You've got any more food fooor..." they paused, and looked down at their hands.

"Me?"

Meanwhile, the folk songs had gone silent, and everyone in the saloon was staring at them, even the bartender.

"What're you looooking at us for?? Someone draw a dick on Peter's... my..."
They appeared very confused, and the alcohol did help at all when it came to that.

"I'M SORRY WERE THOSE TWO SO DRUNK THAT THEY MERGED INTO ONE??"

Chapters end.
_________________________

Chapter Text

"Yeah... th-th-thaaank you!!" Elliott slurred, laughing to himself. That laughter proved to be contagious, as Peter began laughing at the top of his lungs, and the two's laughter became a cacophony. The deformity on Elliott's forehead then began to glow a bright white color and in seconds, the white light engulfed the boys. The dual laughter slowly became the sound of one person laughing, and the light faded to reveal... someone.

They stood above everyone else in the saloon at almost eight feet tall and wore what looked like a mix of Elliott and Peter's clothing. Elliott's robe was open and looked to be some kind of jacket, and his hoodie was tied around their waist. Not only that, but they looked to be wearing Peter's silk crop top, and Elliott's black jeans as what looked like shorts.
Add to the fact that they literally had four eyes, two with diamond-shaped pupils and two with crescents. Their hair platinum blond look to it, and they had the same deformity on their forehead as Elliott.

And they were absolutely smashed.

"Heeey bartender." They said, stumbling over to the bar. "You've got any more food for..." they paused and looked down at their hands.

"Me?"

Meanwhile, the folk songs had gone silent, and everyone in the saloon was staring at them, even the bartender.

"What're you looking at us for?? Someone draws a dick on Peter's... my..."
They appeared very confused, and the alcohol did not help at all when it came to that.

"I'M SORRY WERE THOSE TWO SO DRUNK THAT THEY MERGED INTO ONE??"

"Am I... hallucinating?" The fusion looked to their side, and the confusion only grew.
"Peter?? Where are you??" The new being slurred.

"I'm here! The new being replied to himself. "Where are you??" The newly born being studied every detail of its new body. Slowly, its fragmented thoughts began to meld into one. "...Who...who am I?" He asked himself.

"What... what are you?? Where's the scientist and sickly-looking guy??" The bartender asked, beginning to freak out.

"I don't know! Elliott was... right there and now he's gone!"

"What're you talking about?? I'm right here!!"

"Okaaay... this is weird." The bartender said, leaving his bar behind. "Look, I have no idea what's going on, but clearly you to- whatever you are, you've had too many drinks. I'll let you sleep off your drunkenness in one of the rooms upstairs, does that sound good to you?"

"Ya-*hic* Tha-that sounds good, I-I don't know what's... happened to me."

The looming figure was led to the second floor of the saloon, which had the similar rustic appearance of a Cracker Barrel. Tools and advertisements on the wall, along with lanterns hanging on the ceiling made of imported scrap metal. The new being even almost hit their head on the lanterns as they were brought into their room.

Nothing looked to be out of ordinary with the room, it just wasn't as... totalitarian as the Barracks. The beds had actual crow feather mattresses with silk blankets for example. There was even a divider for getting dressed made of wasp paper.

"Just... sleep off your drunkenness, okay?"

"K..."

He didn't even hit the pillow by the time by the time he conked out and felt like he was falling out of his body.

Their half melded consciousness separated back into two different entities. Elliott almost immediately recognized where he was from the immensely bright light... the radiant abyss, but to his surprise, Peter was there too.

"Ellie?? Where are we?? What just happened??"

"I don't know? We were laughing like we inhaled Joker gas, and we just... became one? I don't know! I didn't even know that was possible!!"

"Do you know where we are though??"

"Um..." Elliott thought for a moment, trying to find a way to explain they were in his, or the person's that they became, subconscious.

"I think we're in a dream? Frankly, I barely know what this place is myself!" Elliott said looking around frantically, trying to search for THE eyes. He had a gut feeling that for one reason or another, they would be displeased if they found out Peter was in the abyss with him.

Yet... he wouldn't have to worry, as Peter looked to be pulled deep into the abyss at breakneck speed, and Elliott followed immediately after before he could process what occurred.

They were both dropped into a new scene, into a new body. Their individual consciousnesses weren't half melded together like in the physical world, they could sense eachothers presence.

They were in a small room, seemingly drawing on a table in the center of said room. Neither of them were in control of the body, and the environment was familiar only to Elliott, making it clear what this was.

A memory.

"Elliott? What is this?? Where are we??"

"I think... Ominent Headquarters. In the playroom I told you about..."

The younger Elliott looked up from the sound of the door opening, and many more details could be made out. There weren't any light switches on the wall, as all the light in the room came from the sun high above through a glass ceiling.

Tons of poorly made drawings were scattered across the wall, some of cartoons Elliott watched during his time in the labs, some of the scientists that raised him. Clarence, SpongeBob, Legend of Korra, childish crayon made drawings that stood out.

Who stood in the doorway however... stood out the most. They weren't one of Ominents Directors, but one of their "assistants" so to say. Dr. Sheldon, Dalton Schmectors right hand man.

"Elliott? Would you mind putting your drawing on hold? Your mother requested I come get you."

"Huh?" The child said, putting his crayons down. "Mama wants to draw my blood again?"

"Um... not exactly. Just take my hand, alright little buddy?"

"If you say so Mr. Shelly!"

"Shelly? Oh my fu..." Sheldon went silent. Don't cuss infront of the seven year old, it's extremely unprofessional.

"What were you gonna say Shelly?"
Sheldon's face turned slightly red. Where'd the kid even learn to call him that? Did Lusamine teach her child to call him Shelly to fuck with him?? Sheldon felt like that might be the most likely possibility, but he knew he couldn't bring it up with the Director herself. Couldn't risk his job.

The relationship of the duo could almost be called heartwarming if you didn't know the context of the scenario. Sheldon could have been seen as Elliott's older brother, and Elliott being his innocent little brother.

What was planned for Elliott however, was much less innocent.

When Sheldon brought Elliott to their destination, Peter was shocked from the fact that... he could recognize most of the scientists in the room.

Schmector and Lusamine had stood out the most, due to the leather coats and sweaters that gave the duo a more "executive" look. Peter wasn't shocked to see them however, he half expected to see them. There were people from THAT day almost two years ago. Almost everyone in the room was a participant in the project that forced everyone in Tullwend into the position turned out to be participating in... well, whatever they were doing to poor Elliott.

The question was, how long was this good on for? Whatever was about to be done to Elliott, the Spac.r experiments, and gods know what else?

The ethereal tension in the mind of the younger Elliott was palpable.

"Hey... Peter? Are you alright?"

Peter remained silent, taking a few seconds to process Elliott's question.

"Oh, yeah, yeah! I'm fine!" His voice said otherwise.

Sheldon brought Elliott to the Directors of the project, ruffled his hair, yet... stood there for a moment with a concerned look on his face.

"Doctor Schmector, you aren't really-

"DIRECTOR!"

Sheldon sighed.

"Director-Schmector, are you really going to put the boy through something so... stressful? That... THING, dissipated in seconds from being exposed to electrical energy. What makes you think the boy will-"

"OKAAY Sheldon I think it might be best for you to sit this out!" Lusamine yelled, almost immediately ushering Sheldon out the door.

"You're supposed to be his mother! What're you going to do if-"

SLAM.

Lusamine shut the door in his face. "Alright, now that that's overwith, are you hungry Leo?"

"No?" The young Elliott answered. "I had pancakes this morning! Shelly made them for me!"

"Oh, well..." Lusamine thought for a moment. "I've got left overs from the dinner that I had last night that I'd absolutely HATE to see go to-"

"Oh for fucks sake Elsa-Mina you're taking too long! Let ME do it!!" Schmector yelled, almost immediately grabbing the child by the neck.

"W-WHAT?? WHAT'S HE DOING?!" Peter yelled.

"I DON'T KNOW?? I DON'T REMEMBER THIS!!"

The Director pulled out a large syringe, and injected it right into the child's neck and in moments, Elliott began to feel woozy. His eyes began to feel extremely heavy, and he just about collapsed into the arms of the much larger Dalton. Oddly though, he remained conscious.

"There... kid can't fight if he's too weak."

Dalton hoisted Elliott over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and the two boys could only watch as the younger Elliott was brought deeper into the lab, all from his point of view.

Not much could be made out, as they could only see the laboratories floor, but what they heard was distinctively different. The sounds of technology, whirs, beeps and bleeps, and... the fizz of electricity. If the modern Elliott was able to, he would have shuddered at the sounds thanks to more recent events. Not only that, but the young Elliott could see the legs of many other scientists trailing behind Schmector, minus that of his mother... for one reason or another.

The child could feel the Director hoist him back over his shoulder, and place him in what could be assumed to be some kind of chair. He began to restrain Elliott's arms and legs to the limbs of the chair, not caring for the boys slumped over position, and then... he began barking out orders.

Something about... Conductive jelly and electrodes? The young Elliott didn't understand these strange new words, and whatever cocktail of drugs was flowing through his veins certainly didn't help.

What Elliott COULD understand however, was that he could feel multiple small objects being attached to both his legs.

Peter however, realized almost immediately.

"Conductive jelly, electro-" Peter's heart sank. "Are you thinking what I'm thi-"

"Let the destabilization test of the Steinn Project... Begin." The Director said, pulling a lever behind the chair. An electric humming could faintly be heard, before the child's entire body tensed up. Elliott slumped over as arcs of electricity flowed through his entire body, causing him to twitch and spasm to no end. He could feel what could only be described as pins and needles across his entire body, which just so happened to concentrate on his forehead.

His brain felt as if it was turned to utter mush, while lines of white circuitry spread wherever the pins and needles could be felt.

Elliott was having an all out seizure from the electricity, all the while the scientists were documenting his suffering, whether typing on Word docs on nearby computers or plain old clipboards.

Then... it all stopped. The lever was pulled again, and the buzzing stopped. Elliott was left gasping for breath, barely able to breathe from the muscles in his body contracting over and over again... not to mention the cramps caused by such muscle use.

Meanwhile... the scientists looked to have a mixed reaction to what Elliott had just been put through. Disgust, excitement, intriguement, one of them looked to get some sick pleasure out of it.

Dalton however, spoke up. "Alright gents! What have you all documented??"

"Yes Director! The subjects body appears to be unable to dissipate due to the human half of his biology! Yet the energy still impacts him due to the cpu like... gemstone, embedded in his skull."

One other scientist butted in. "It appears that the gemstone is what is impacted most by the electrical currents, sir! Look at the currents on the subjects forehead, the currents concentrate there the most!"

"Fascinating... we'll have to gather more data. Does anyone have a camera ready??"

Elliott could only sit there as the scientists set up what looked like an older camera on stilts, unsure of what would be done to him next.

Would they let him go? Where was his mother? He couldn't see her anywhere, did she know what was happening?? Would she help him?? He was scared, he didn't feel right! His mind felt like mush!

But then he could hear the lever being pulled, and the electrical hum... again.

The circuitry returned, as did the spasming limbs and seizures. The child's eyes rolled into the back of his head, as the lever was flipped over.

And over.

And over.

Five times was the lever pulled, and more information was recorded digitally and physically, and Elliott could barely even think anymore, let alone form a sentence. He could barely even feel scared anymore, all he could do was sit in that slumped over position, and take whatever punishment Ominent would dish out.

Soon though... it all went quiet. The electrical humming, the lever pulling, even the slightly energetic conversations between the scientists had been culled into a hushed whisper.

Elliott sat there in the silences embrace for how long? He couldn't tell, his mind had been fried too much from the electrical currents and drugs that time seemed like more of a suggestion than an actual thing.

Then... the lights from the ceiling stopped shining in his eyes. Someone's face, his mother's face, was captured by Elliott's glazed over eyes.

"Ma..." The boy slurred out.

Her movements appeared so fast due to the slow moving cogs of Elliott's mind, but he could feel her raise his chin and what felt like a pinch on the opposite side of his neck from the last injection. Everything then slowly began to turn dark.

"Ssshhh... mother can't let you re-"

Her sentence was cut off as the memory like dream faded, and the saloons ceiling could be seen once again.

The lithe being on the bed held their forehead in an attempt to soothe it, as what felt like a balloon was slowly being inflated inside their skull.

Their mouth felt dry as the Mojave, and everything felt like total dogshit.

"By Helion... what was that??"

Momentarily the strange being glowed a bright white color, and separated back into its two components. Elliott and Peter were finally separate again, and looked to be extremely hung over just like... whatever the two just were.

The two were merely piled on top of eachother in the bed and considering the hungover state they were in, merely stayed in the position they were in.

They might not have admitted it that night, but being in eachothers embrace after everything that just occured... it was nice.

A small amount of time to forget about the cruel world they were dropped into, and the... current threat that was just on their doorsteps.

Time together. They needed, no... deserved this.

Chapters end.
_______________________

Chapter Text

The air in the room... was cool and crisp. Considering the saloon wasn't exactly insulated very well since the owner was a bit of a cheapskate, the cold morning air would seep through the cracks in the wall.
Usually, the owner of the fine establishment would toss a mixture of dried grass and weed stems into a scrap metal wood stove to keep his customers warm. Yet due to the exhaustion from serving so many party goers the night before, he had overslept his usual routine.

That didn't matter for Elliott and Peter upstairs however. They wouldn't need the wood stove or even a blanket most likely, because they had eachother.

The mix of the winter air and eachothers embrace was a welcoming feeling, the contrasting temperatures being a pleasant sensation. It wasn't cold enough for their breath to be visible, yet it was just enough for it to be irritable without sufficient clothing.

Elliott and Peter likely could have gone until noon sleeping in eachothers embrace due to the quality of the night before, and it's unlikely they'd really even care if they woke up late.

They didn't have to think of the pain and strife that life in Tullwend caused, their only thoughts if they were even a thing being that of comfort.

Warm and safe, not cold and paranoid out in the no man's land.

Unfortunately... fate had other plans for the duo. A knocking could be heard on the door to their room.

"Hello? Hello?? Peter?? Ellie?? We've been looking for you all morning! What're you doing in here??" General Nguyen.

No answer. The two were still sound asleep.

General Nguyen could be heard mumbling behind the door, and the knocking evolved into pounding.

The pounding grew louder and louder, and as the duo finally began to stir... the door could be heard coming off its hinges.

As the door slammed into the ground, Peter and Elliott snapped awake, and could only stare in uttershock at the scene before them.

The General had stepped over the broken door, and was holding what looked like a large Warhammer made of what looked like Ice-Cap Mints.

"Man I've always wanted to do that, now, we've been looking for you two all morning! What're you doing here and... hold on a minute."

She was staring at the duo, who seemed to realize what the position they were in made it look like they had done.

"I can e-"

"Did you two get drunk and have a one night stand or something??"

Elliott and Peter immediately turned cherry red.

"Uhhh-"

"Hey, don't worry, I won't judge! Were you being safe at the very least?"

Elliott didn't know what to say. The scene was just so sudden and... frankly couldn't say anything from the shock of the question. Peter meanwhile, just sighed and sat up.

"No Ally, We..." Peter was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't lie since the General was one of his oldest friends, and he couldn't tell the truth considering... he frankly had no idea what happened between him and Elliott the night before.

Did they actually meld into one being? Or was that just some kind of hallucination from having too much to drink? But then, he got an idea.

"Actually... it's none of your business. I'm sorry Ally, but can you not ask sensitive questions like that? Please? Also, can you PLEASE not break down doors to get into rooms?"

The General didn't answer, thinking for a moment. "Alright Peter, I won't ask again. My apologies buddy... there anything I can do to make up for it?" She didn't address the fact that she literally broke down the door.

"N-no... you don't need to do anything. Why were you looking for us anyway?"

"Oh, oh gimme a minute." The General said, pulling a piece of wasp paper from her pocket.

"By Decree of Lord Oliver Hudson, duly appointed representative of her majesty the Broodqueen, the dire assistance of those who run the Pond lab of the late Wendell Tully, and those with direct experience with humans infected with Cordyceps muscaria is requested. Her Majesties soldiers and Royal scientists suspect a point of origin for the infected, and the assistance of those knowledgeable of the Fungus will be greatly appreciated. Together, we shall fease to eliminate this great threat to all in Tullwend, and possibly the outside world. We hope that you will accompany her Majesty soon enough.

Her Highness's most humble and obedient servant, Oliver Hudson." The General said, trying to mimic an old timey aristocratic voice.

"Wow..." Elliott said, sitting up. "They're really dedicated to their aristocratic diction huh?"

"Well, when you're helping to run a kingdom of tiny people for over a year, you're bound to essentially role-play as if you're actually in the times people ruled kingdoms. Pretty sure I've seen it happen in a tv show too... that guy with the tiger in The Walking Dead?"

"Well y'all should probably get ready, or else Tullwend is probably gonna end up like the world in that show. Be seeing you there..."

General Nguyen left through the damaged doorway, leaving Elliott and Peter alone once again. Peter however... didn't want to get ready yet, for he had a question.

"So... do you remember anything that happened last night?"

"Huh?"

"Last night. Do you remember anything that happened after we got blackout drunk?" Peter asked.

"Oh! Um... I think we were dancing to Sámiid Ædnan, you saved me from falling and..." Elliott scratched his head for a minute. "My memory's a bit fuzzy on this one, but I think we... merged into one being or something. That was... extremely disorienting, we were talking to eachother from the same body, I could hear your thoughts, and I barely even felt like myself, I-"

"I know, I know. I'd rather not think about it right now, it was... too weird, like some kind of fever dream..."

"It was kind of nice though, being that close..." Elliott added.

"Um..." Peter didn't know what to think. After all, becoming one with someone he felt... strangely close to was a strange feeling, but he had to admit... it was nice. Even if he wouldn't say it out loud.

It would be awhile before the duo would travel to the Hedge, but it wouldn't be for personal reasons.

Elliott had yet to get his clothing patched up from the earlier angel wings bursting from his shoulder blades. Most of the time, the gaping holes hadn't bothered him due to the warmth of the wood stove in the Saloon. However... the winter air felt like hot er... cold, knives on his bare skin, so that had to be dealt with right quick.

Thankfully though... the local tailor was quick and cheap, and had used leather made of pupae harvested in the spring and summer.

Elliott could have sworn that he'd seen the tailor eating stew made of what was inside the pupae too... it was disgusting.

What could it even be called? Bug giblets? Goo? Goo made more sense, as he was pretty sure that insects dissolved inside their pupae to rebuild themselves from the ground up.

Or was that butterflies that did that? Whatever... it didn't matter, he and Peter had things to do and places to be.

As they left the Citadel though, Elliott noticed that the bodies of the infected were still being rounded up and burned. The stench of burning flesh still hung in the air like the insecticide that used to contain the infected oh so long ago... Elliott didn't know if he'd ever get used to that horrid scent.

Peter however, seemed to be impacted the most, as he began to gag as they went down the stairs to the ground below.

"God... what is that smell!? It's sickening!!" Peter said, trying not to throw up there and then.

"The infected..." Elliott replied, pulling part of his cloak over his mouth and nose.

"Can't just let them rot out here... the fungus could grow right on our doorstep and infect more people. Can't let that happen can we?"

"I guess not..."

They got onto a nearby carriage which the General just so happened to be on, and Elliott seemed to notice something.

Usually, there would be much more traffic in the no man's land, whether it be foot traffic, the occasional Anthill denizen riding on a Soldier Ant, or it be a full on caravan. Now... barely anyone traveled through the no man's land, fearful of facing the infected. Now, all that could be heard were dogs barking or cars passing by Tullwend or... merely the howling winter wind.

Other than that, Elliott looked to be quite on edge. Grass didn't act the same way as trees did in winter, their colors merely changed as they went "dormant" so to say. Henceforth, grass blades would impact visibility year round... that was part of the problem. Add the aspect of the morning fog, and it would be no wonder that someone would be on edge while traveling.

I mean, if you were in the know that hyper aggressive hyper controlled insects and occasionally humans were out in the no man's land wanting to make your insides into outsides, wouldn't you be on edge?

Thankfully though, the trip to the Hedge had been incident free, with no infected ever being witnessed by the group.

That doesn't mean that the fungus wasn't witnessed however, as clumps of fungus growing from the occasional cadaver on the side of the road. Thankfully however, this wasn't the human infecting kind of Cordyceps muscaria, as it was the original blue and green color... doesn't mean that the clumps weren't explosive though.

They got to the gates of the Hedge soon enough, and... it already seemed different. Fungalstomper Soldiers stood outside the gates to the city, along with Hedges own native soldiers.

The Fungalstompers looked to be in full on combat gear, as did the Hedge Soldiers, yet they looked... unique.

Their protective gear looked to be made from a mix of spider bits and acorn plates, the pieces protecting shoulder blades having the signature black and yellow of the local Orb-weavers. Their gasmasks also looked unique, likely due to the biology of the Hedge's denizens. The masks looked to have multiple lenses on the upper-face to support the eight eyes of the denizens, and the back half looked to be some kind of hood, covered in the giant eyes of slain spiders.

It looked intimidating... yet, fitting for the Hedge.

"State your purpose travelers. The Hedge is in a state of quarantine, not just anyone can come into our community."

The General then hopped off of the carriage.

"I'm afraid me and my compatriots need to enter the city soldiers."

The Fungalstompers specifically looked shocked.

"G-General!!" Both Fungalstompers took their spears in one hand, and saluted their General, while the Hedge Soldiers stood there slightly confused.

"What're you doing here?? Isn't the Citadel under attack??"

"The attack ended in the afternoon last night, we're still cleaning up the mess. May I ask why you're still here or when you got the news?"

"I-I- uuhhhh..." These soldiers were screwed, and General Nguyen sighed.

"I'll deal with you two later, can you just let me and my compatriots in?"

The soldiers faces went pale as ghosts. "Um... sure, let's just make sure you're clear for entry." The soldier said, pulling a makeshift flashlight off his hip.

"What's that for?" Elliott asked, cocking his head.

"Used to check for signs of infection." The soldier said, shining it in the Generals eye.

"She's clear, no purple coloring. Carry on General and you there." He pointed at Elliott. Step forward."

"...Alright." Elliott did as commanded, and winced as bright light was shone into his eye.

"Hell is with your eyes dude? I've seen nothing like them!"

"Well... um... I-" Peter then stepped forward, and placed a hand on Elliott's shoulder. "How his eyes are shaped is none of your business. Now, is he showing symptoms or not?"

"No..."

"That's what I thought. Now, leave him along and shine those lights in my eyes."

Checking Peter for signs off without a hitch, and Elliott had turned slightly red as he watched from the sidelines. Peter had stood up for him, he... didn't know how to feel about that. At the very least he was appreciative, and felt... something else deep inside he didn't know how to describe. Slight giddiness? He somewhat began to feel that way whenever he was around Peter the past few days, Elliott didn't know where said feelings were coming from.

Yet it wouldn't matter, since his mind was taken off the subject as the trio entered the walled city.

The city within looked to be a shell of its former self. There looked to be some kind of medium scale outbreak before the trio had arrived, as Hedge Soldiers and citizens were tossing bodies into what looked like proper burn pits.

This time however, the bodies looked to be... mostly human, with the occasional young spider tossed into the pile. To an extent, there being infected within the city made sense, as it was likely at least one or two people already infected before they closed their gates. What was surprising however, was the amount of infected being burned.

From what Elliott knew, pandemics spread like wildfire if the proper precautions weren't taken in the beginning, but it looked like this outbreak was just... snuffed out! He was genuinely impressed, but Elliott knew they had to keep moving forward to Castle Hedge, where the future of Tullwend really would be decided.

The castle turned out to be even more heavily guarded than even the main gates, and were even more vigilant for symptoms of the infection.

Drastic mood change
Loss of hearing
Muscle spasms
Slurred speech
Insomnia.

Thankfully Elliott and Peter had a restful sleep the night before, even if it was influenced by alcohol. The General meanwhile, always slept like a damn rock. Leading a whole organization was exhausting, unsurprisingly.

The court of the Broodqueen and those that arrived to castle Hedge in the meeting room however, were a different story. Much of them had bloodshot eyes with dark circles underneath, with cups and or canteens full of Boost Juice littering the tables.

Broodqueen Branch looked to be no exception, as she was literally dressed in her own signature battle gear, along with the exhausted look in her eyes. Said gear was a mix of whites, reds and blacks, and looked to be an intricate construction of scrap metal and pieces of a spiders exoskeleton. What species of spider Elliott couldn't tell, as all the spiders he'd seen before were either yellow and black, or different shades of brown.

Not only that but there looked to be a handful of soldiers in the mix along with scientists, yet... among them looked unique.

He had shortish hair resembling that of those active in active duty in the military, with a mix of antlion armor and scrap metal badges. Yet what made him stand out the most was the TAYZ.T arm sticking out from his elbow. It looked to be surgically attached to what was left of his left arm, along with a mix of berry leather straps. Elliott could only wonder what happened to his arm as he and the others made it to the multitude of tables.

Yet... the faces of those at said tables seemed to light up as the trio arrived, especially that of the Broodqueen.

"Oh, you guys finally arrived! We heard about what happened at the Citadel! How goes the clean-up effort?"

"It goes well!" The General said, pulling a chair out from a nearby table. "We still have yet to process our dead, but the bodies of the infected are almost completely gone."

"I don't think I'll ever get the smell of burning flesh out of my clothes..." Elliott added, standing next to Peter as he got into his own seat.

"Oh, you don't need to stand there, take a seat Elliott! We were hoping that you'd be here today."

Turns out there was an empty seat next to Peter, who had been making small talk with the boy with the prosthetic. Clearly, they shared some sort of history.

Elliott took a seat, and the Broodqueen then cleared her throat, causing everyone to go silent.

"As we all know, Cordyceps muscaria has mutated to infect humans, and has caused problems all throughout the land. Caravans have been attacked more often, as have the settlements. Those who the infected injure but not kill could possibly add to their numbers, and their numbers only grow by the day."

The Broodqueen went silent in thought for about thirty seconds. "It is our great fortune however, that my soldiers have correlated a possible point of origin for our common foe." She nodded at one of her soldiers, who wore similar attire to General Nguyen.

"Tell them Elijah."

The Admiral then stood up. "Yes you're majesty. Just give me a minute." He then left the room, leaving most of its occupants confused.

"Hell is he doing? Grabbing a Frappuccino or something??" The one with the prosthesis asked.

"Calm yourself Maxwell. All will be explained in time."

The Admiral returned five minutes later, rolling in a whiteboard with an expo-marker in hand, presumably from one of the many scattered labs.

"Alright, as you all know" The Admiral said, drawing what looked like a propane tank. "Cordyceps muscaria was once contained through the use of a mix of Herbicides and Insecticide gasses from a can near the back entrance of the Tully residence. The late scientist blew a whole in the canister in order to contain the spreading contamination, but as we all know..." He gave General Nguyen the stink eye.

"SOMEONE felt like the gasses were a danger, or just didn't want to wear a gasmask whenever near the back porch, and now practically all in Tullwend have had to suffer the consequences of her decision. Crippling injuries, loss of friends and loved ones... infection." The Admiral looked to wince at the thought of infection.

"But as of recently after the recent outbreak in the city, her majesty send me and my comrades out into those Fungal wastes to find anything of use against our foe. Not all of us got out of their with our minds and bodies intact, but... we found something."

"A point of origin for the infection? You said that in the letter or something like that." Peter remarked, twiddling his thumbs.

"You didn't let me finish Director Boggs." The Admiral then drew what looked like a ruined lab with the doors blasted open.

"We found one of those labs that Tully guy built years back with the doors blasted open, looked as if someone or something had broken in from the outside. Thing was, the place was COVERED in fungus, both the pink and blue variety. Not only that, but there were bodies of the infected stacked up against the walls and ground around the entrance, covered in fungus, as if they were creating some form of perimeter. Ants, humans, Aphids, Lacewing Larvae, even a black widow spiders head was sticking up out of the ground like a bloody gator."

"Were there actual living infected in the area sir?"

"You betcha there were. Couldn't tell how many, one hundred? Two hundred? I don't know, I'm not a mathematician. Thing is, much of the human infected and even some of the bugs acted differently to the norm of those infected. The humans? They were holding weapons, and I don't mean just dragging around knives made of pebbles. Far from it. They were lugging around ranged and two handed weaponry. Crossbows, battle-axes, scrap swords, hell, one of them got their hands on a fucking shotgun! Who on God's green Earth managed to bring a bloody shotgun down here!"

"Get to the point Admiral." Maxwell said, tapping his foot. "We all have things to do and places to be and frankly, I've got a keg of Lemon Crime waiting for me back at my compound."

"Fine fine. What I'm trying to say is, those things are acting smarter than they're usually observed to be, and that many infected in one small area? That's gotta mean one thing."

"Can you stop with the theatrics and say already??" The Broodqueen yelled, making everyone silent.

It was rare for her to actually loose her temper.

"Uh..." The Admiral was pale as a ghost.

"It means they have to be guarding someone or something important to the infection as a whole. Fortunately for us though, there's a trick we've got up our sleeve."

"What might that be?" General Nguyen replied.

"Well you see, a huge chunk of that population was sent to presumably annihilate the Fungalstompers Citadel. Now I know you might ask why we didn't get a message out to you guys about the impending attack, but we'll deal with that later. What I mean to say is that whatever is leading or controlling these fungal freaks seems to have been betting a large portion of its forces on the annihilation of the biggest threat to its existence. Add to the fact that said forces lost the battle, I'd say this is our greatest option to strike back against our foe."

"So what do you want us to do? What do you want ME to do?" General Nguyen asked. "Send my soldiers into that hellhole to kill some giant brain... Rat-king thing or whatever?"

"That's the gist of it, yeah." The Admiral said, erasing his drawings.

"Now, we can't just send a squad of ordinary soldiers, that would be a straight-up suicide mission." He then pointed at Elliott. "That... is where our resident wolf slayer comes in. From what I've heard, he took down an infected wolf spider bare handed, and played a significant role in the defense of the Citadel."

"Word spreads that fast??" Elliott asked.

"Honey, when you've got people who can fly delivering messages around the place, messages spread fast even without the internet. As I was saying, due to his accomplishments when it comes to literally combating the infection, I'd say he'd be a proper candidate for this operation. That is... if he's up for the challenge."

Everyone in the room then looked to Elliott, including Peter.

All those eyes felt as if they were stabbing right through Elliott, their anticipation acting almost like a poison. Elliott didn't want to let them down and yet, the thought of going into a nest full of those things was downright horrifying to him.

Yet... he helped the Fungalstompers fend off a literal army of the monsters. He literally took down an infected spider the size of a small elephant BARE HANDED.

He knew the choice he not wanted, but HAD to make, even if it scared him.

"I'm..." Elliott swallowed the tightness in his throat.

"Up for the challenge."

Tullwend's future, might now be in his hands.

Chapters end.
_________________________

Chapter Text

Everyone in the room then looked to Elliott, including Peter.

All those eyes felt as if they were stabbing right through Elliott, their anticipation acting almost like a poison. Elliott didn't want to let them down and yet, the thought of going into a nest full of those things was downright horrifying to him.

Yet... he helped the Fungalstompers fend off a literal army of the monsters. He literally took down an infected spider the size of a small elephant BARE HANDED.

He knew the choice he not wanted, but HAD to make, even if it scared him.

"I'm..." Elliott swallowed the tightness in his throat.

"Up for the challenge."

"Excellent, excellent!" The Admiral said, clapping his hands.

Soon after, couriers would be sent out all across the land requesting aid from those that were willing to assist in the destruction of the infection, and everyone in the room knew it wouldn't be long for a platoon of soldiers to be formed. Yet considering the fact that many in the Fungalstompers alone were vengeful against the infection for bringing the war to their doorstep, they likely would likely make up the majority of recruits.

But imagine their surprise when volunteers from all across the land arrived at the Hedge in droves. From the vampire like denizens of Bloodbog, the wizard like folk with horns similar to Elliott from well... the Wizard's lair, to even the termite like residents of Woodcross. If they couldn't return to their families in the bigger, wider world, they would sure as Hell defend the livelihoods they built over the years.

Those abominations wouldn't, no... couldn’t win if the people came together to defeat them. After all, if Tullwend's denizens didn't end up in a Lord of the Flies like scenario, what was to stop them from coming together now?

It didn't take long for the Platoon to be formed at all, considering the deluge of volunteers that arrived in the coming days.

Hell, enough people came that multiple Platoons of soldiers could be formed to take the fight to the heart of the infections reign.

However... Elliott and his group held top priority.

They intended to leave for the Fungal wastes around the houses porch before nightfall, meaning to use whatever daylight hours they could spare. After all with where they were headed, it would be safer and better for morale to know where the enemy was coming from. The daylight hours gave them the opportunity to fight an oncoming ambush, considering that the no man's land during the night was as dark as the forests in the wider world.

Elliott and his section of the platoon were currently in the Barracks of Fungalstompers outpost in the Hedge, gathering weaponry for the upcoming journey, when they could hear the door of the armory open. Everyone looked to the door to see... General Nguyen.

"General?" The Admiral asked.
"What're you doing here?"

The General sighed. "I'm sure you know why I'm here Elijah... I need to make things right."

"Oh? I thought you did that when you formed The Fungalstompers all those years back?"

"...Look, Elijah. Can we not talk about this in front of everyone? Time is money."

"Do you really mean that, or do you..."

Elliott stopped pulling Roly-Poly armor off of their stands to listen. Part of him sensed... a bit of history.

"I can't undo what I've done Elijah, I know that! Why do you think I've been so adamant on eliminating the fungus?? It's the least I can do after the idiotic decisions I've made down here!!" That was the first time Elliott heard the happy go lucky General legitimately angry.

"AND WHAT IF THE PEOPLE LEARN OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE ALLY NGUYEN?? WHAT WILL THEY DO WHEN THEY LEARN THAT THEIR OH SO HEROIC GENERAL IS THE REASON THEIR FRIENDS ARE TRYING TO BITE THEIR THROATS OUT RIGHT NOW??!"

Elliott stepped back from the armor stands, he was tired of the arguing... he couldn't ignore it any longer. He intended to go back to the Barracks sleeping quarters in an attempt to avoid the noise.

He shuffled by mumbling to himself, hoping that they would stop with their arguments, covering his ears.

"Why... why won't they S̴̅͜Ț̵̚O̷̲̾P̶̗͝-" Elliott's pupils went pitch white, and the commanders went totally silent.

Said commanders were looking around, confused looks on their faces. Why weren't they speaking? They had all the intentions to, but they just... couldn’t!

"Are you guys okay?" Elliott asked, walking up to the duo. Just... pitch silence. Everyone in the room was merely staring at the three of them.

"Cat got your tongue? Won't you two p̶͙̓l̴̲͊e̶͙͝a̶͙͝ș̶̛e̷͖͛ ̶̻̇s̸̩͐p̴̬̈́e̵̮̕a̵̼͝k̵̬̀?̷̹̓" Elliott's had an echo like effect as he finished his sentence and like clockwork, the commanders practically GASPED.

It was just as if something just... clicked deep in the recesses of their brains, allowing them to speak once again.

General Nguyen clutched her forehead.
"God... my head, what was that??"

"I... don't know? I was mumbling about wanting you two to stop arguing, and you just went silent." Elliott said, his pupils shifting back to their original color.

Elijah's eyes went wide. "Your pupils were glowing just then. Could you have possibly-"

"As I was saying Elijah, what's done is done!! The least I can do is help prevent the-

"STOP IT ALREADY!!" Elliott snapped, briefly flashing White.

"MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES DUE TO THE INFECTED, AND MANY MORE WILL IF YOU TWO JUST KEEP STANDING THERE ARGUING!!" Elliott stood there, breathing heavily, trying to calm himself down.

"I'm sorry... but my point still stands. We can't just sit here ARGUING while innocent people loose their lives to this damned fumgus! I mean, the rest of the country, of not the might be relying on us here! The General is right, what's done is done
We can only do things to make things better for others around us. So please... can we just get going already??"

The other soldiers shrugged, as they were already prepping for the journey ahead, while the commanding duo were just... silent of their own accord. Whether they liked it or not, Elliott was right. They could have been out of the Barracks by now, and hear the commanders were, bickering amongst themselves.

"He's right... let's just, grab our gear and supplies then head out."

"Agreed."

Soon enough, everyone had gotten into their gear on and supplies whether in a carriage or on their backs, and were readying to leave the walls of the Hedge. The stench of burning flesh seemed to remain in the air even long after the fires went out. Either that, or Elliott's nose had been assaulted by the scent so much that it was permanently ingrained within his nostrils. Just when they were about to leave the walls however, a familiar voice made Elliott's heart skip a beat.

"Ellie?"

Peter.

Elliott turned away from the city gates, to see Peter and one of his assistants with what looked like a small tray of fast food. Well... whatever counted for fast food in Tullwend, Spider Sliders and Queasadillantlions?

"The day has finally come... huh?"

"Yeah..." Elliott said, scratching his head. "We kinda got held up for awhile, but today's the day I guess! Headed into the eye of the storm..." Elliott's face went pale upon thinking of what was to come.
What would he see in those Fungal wastes?

What horrors would he have to bear witness too and possibly never forget?

What if... they didn't come back from their mission? Could it already be too late?

"You know, the eye of the storm is usually the calmest part of it. Ironic... being the center of it all." Peter then cleared his throat. "It alright if I ask you something Ellie?"

"Sure, I don't see why-"

"Yo Eli, what're you doing? We don't have all day!" The General yelled from up ahead. Peter only chuckled.

"I won't try to hold you up. I know this sounds corny, but..." Peter took Elliott's hands.

"Don't die out there... please, for my sake."

Elliott's face turned a shade of red. He'd no idea what to say. "I... I'll try not too?"

"Promise me?"

"I... promise Petey." Peter turned red as well. "I-"

"ELI!"

"Alright hang on!" Elliott waved Peter goodbye and left the city along with his group, the rest of the platoon soon to follow.

As they made their way west, the soldiers would take turns riding the carriage, in order to rest their legs. After all, they felt it was adamant that they eliminate the source of the infection as quickly as possible. Considering the fact that whatever was in that lab was likely commandeering the infected, it would be greatly advantageous if it was eliminated.
No commander, means no strategy, combined with the fact that the infected were otherwise observed to be feral beings, they'd just have regular zombies.

Would they truly have any sort of advantage?

That was what Elliott was left to ponder on upon his turn riding the carriage, among other things. Was there any true point in eliminating the source of the infection? What if their efforts lead to nothing advantageous nor disadvantageous? Just a fruitless attempt to protect those they love from a fate worse than death... the thought of that terrified him.

He didn't want to dwell on these terrifying thoughts, yet it felt like his brain forced him to do so. Every time he pushed it away with thoughts of better times, the looming feeling of existential dread would return.

He was beginning to feel somewhat dizzy when his train of thought was interrupted by the carriage suddenly lurching slightly backwards, coming to a stop.

"W-what happened!?" Elliott yelled, startled back to reality.

"It's getting too dark to travel on the carriage. It'll be best to set up camp for the night then continue the journey on foot."

Elliott had felt on edge just about the entirety of the night, and not just from his uncertainty about the mission. From what he knew, they were close to the blighted lands ruled by the infected. They weren't sitting in it mind you, although being even close to it didn't feel good either.

The rest of the group looked tonhe a different story however. Two of them were sharing a story from before they were shrunk and dumped in Tullwend, filling the night with booming laughs, while another looked to be roasting a sausage over the halfhazardly made campfire. One of them had even gotten their hands on a book, and it wasn't one made from the locally available materials. This was a book from the wider, bigger world... Stars know how she got her hands on that.

Even if the others didn't seem worried, Elliott's existential dread would extend long into the night, even as the group slowly went to sleep one by one.

Elliott was the last to fall asleep, as the soldiers were taking turns to keep watch over the camp in order to prevent attacks in the night. He conked out as Admiral Elijah took his turn on the night watch, yet... the feeling of dread remained.

When Elliott opened his eyes back up, he found himself back at what could be considered his home... the Pond lab. The air was thick with musty, earthy odors, and the underwater currents could be heard through a nearby window that showcased the ponds depths. Yet something felt... wrong.

There wasn't any whir of machinery, nor the pitter patter of feet through the lab's narrow hallways, nor the sounds of people talking. Just the sounds of the outside currents, and noises that sounded... wrong.

"I'm... back here? Where is everyone?"
Elliott proceeded down the hallway, albeit with caution, the labs didn't feel right.

As he made his way further into the depths, the strange unsettling noises grew all the more louder, when suddenly... Elliott's foot struck something soft and moist. He looked down swiftly, and recoiled back in horror upon seeing bluish green, silky like stands spreading across the floor, and to a lesser extent the wall.

The Haze Fungus.

Elliott summoned his staff right away and took equipped the gas mask on his belt, and began to run.

He had to find who was left, he had to save them from infection! Every room he went in looked to be more covered in fungal growths than the last, some even including the pink and purple variety. Yet... noone was to be found, not even any infected.
Did everyone manage to get out in time?

Elliott continued through the lab, not giving up until he searched through the entire facility, when he finally came upon the Directors office.

Peter's office.

Elliott slowly opened the door, to find who he presumed to be Peter, typing fervently on one of those old computers.

"Petey?" Elliott cautiously entered the room, and heard a... sickening snapping sound. Peter slowly rose up, and... Elliott's heart sunk into his stomach.

Peter... had a large growth of fungus coming out of his eye and scalp, along with large amounts of the infection coming out of his ears. Only one eye was exposed, yet instead of those warm green eyes Elliott could stare into for days... it was that same, vibrant swirling purple color. The infected Peter attempted to lunge over the table, yet his leg got caught on the arm of his chair, causing Elliott to jump back.

"Peter!? Oh God W-WHAT HAPPENED?? WHEN WERE YOU EXPOSED??!" He was pointing the staff at the former scientist, who was now growling like a rabid animal. It didn't take long for the infected Peter to be free of his restraints, and he leaped at Elliott, tackling him to the floor. The only thing separating them now was the staff, now held at Peter's neck.

Elliott wanted to defend himself, to push the zombie off and fight back... but this was Peter.

The Peter he had begun feeling immensely close to.

The Peter he had gotten drunk with and slept with during a cold winters night.

Elliott couldn't hurt Peter... could he?
He wouldn't have the choice to make that decision, as Peter managed to get past the staff, and as soon as Elliott felt the teeth in his neck... he woke up.

He shot up in the sleeping bag he was kept in, covered in cold sweat. It looked to be early morning, as the sky was a mix of violets and warm reds. The moon could be faintly scene halfway behind the house looming above, and it looked like noone had woken up yet. He wasn't in the Pond Labs... Peter wasn't infected, it was... just a dream.

Yet Elliott's body didn't seem to feel the same way, as his skin felt cold and his heart felt as if it was beating out of his chest.

"Calm down... calm down... it's just a nightmare..." Elliott began breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself down, yet... Peter's infected Visage remained in the back of his mind.

He probably wouldn't be able to get back to sleep tonight.

Soon enough however, everyone woke up one by one and had their fill of the rations brought on the carriage, and soon enough... a decision was made on how to handle the epicenter of the infection.

Not everyone would go and join the fight in the epicenter, the supplies needed to be guarded, whether from still roaming ants or bandits. Most of the soldiers however, would make their way to the epicenter on foot, including Elliott.

As they made their way to said epicenter, a thought entered Elliott's mind.

"Hey... guys?"

"What's up Eli?" The General asked, not stopping her brisk pace.

"What're we gonna do... if the infection managed to get out of Tullwend and into the outside world? Would there even be a point in what we're doing now?"

"Huh, that's a question that keeps me up at night, and one... I don't really want an answer to. But hey, we have keep hope alive when it comes to things like this. We can't constantly worry about future uncertainty, otherwise we wouldn't be able to function or get anything done. At least, that's what I always tell myself. I... certainly hope it doesn't get out, but we can't worry about that at the moment, we need to focus on the now. The now, is our mission, do you understand?"

"...Yes General."

As the group moved further, the less like a forest on a miniature scale the no man's land seemed, and the more it looked like an actual... well, no man's land. Dead dry grass looked over their heads, and blooms of fungus looked to be sprouting up more and more. Not only that, but said blooms looked to actually be growing out of the bodies of dead infected.

Different castes of ants, Bombardier beetles, Ladybugs, even the occasional human cadaver. Yet as they traveled further into the wastes, more and more fungal growths became visible, and spread further along the ground until... mycelium threads were under their every step. The environment they were now walking through heavily resembled a mix of Minecrafts Mushroom islands and Flood Blightlands from the Halo series.

Beautiful, yet disgusting.
Horrific, yet awe inspiring.

When they made it to their destination however, it was only... horrific, along with accurate to past descriptions. Bodies of the infected victims looked to have melded into the soil and fungal growths. Many of them looked to be partially mummified in one way or another, as their skin looked somewhat leathery and dry. Not to mention the abnormal amount of fungal growth on the bodies.

"Christ..." The General said, voice partially muffled by her gasmask. "Is this the final stage of the infection?"

"Looks to be so..." Elliott added. "You think the guy's still in there?"

"Hope he isn't. But he looks dead and half eaten by the fungus, so I highly doubt it to be honest. Let's just head inside, and be careful. We don't know what we're gonna find in there..."

The door to the lab's entrance looked to be blasted open from the inside, as previously described, yet the the next door to the lab proper worked just fine. Automatic, just like many of the doors back in the Pond Lab. Further inside, the first room looked like any other room in the Pond lab, just less personalized... and with Fungal growths covering the floor.

Something in the room caught Elliott's attention however. An old computer monitor, plugged into the wall seemingly still online on what looked like an area dedicated to files. Specifically, what looked like audio files... or, audio logs. Most of them looked to be corrupted however, only one that properly functioned remained.

Out of curiosity, Elliott wandered over, and clicked on the file. Trudy Blues.

"Trudy was right. As always. Perhaps she should have been the inventor and not me." The voice of the late Wendell Tully echoed out.

"I should have listened to her when she insisted that I stop the experiments. But if I pack it up now, I will have nothing to show for it. No Trudy and kids. No SPAC.R. Not even my own health. The longer I'm here, the more I'm... lumping up, aging, folding... raisining. But why? What am I becoming? A wrinkly virus, flailing helplessly in the dirt with the mushrooms. They are my family now. Though we only branched on the evolutionary tree a little over a billion years ago, I can feel us getting closer again already. We're all a bunch of fun guys down here, aren't we?"

Silence filled the air for a few seconds before Tully continued his bickering. "Don't look at me like that. At least no one ever heard of a raisined mushroom, did they? Did they..."

Elliott squinted his eyes somewhat, something about this audio log felt... suspicious to say the least. Did Cordyceps muscaria originate here? Was something wrong with Tully's health? That's certainly what it sounded like.

Perhaps traveling deeper into the facility would provide more answers.

"Eli? What're you doing? Did you find something?" The General asked, walking over to Elliott's position.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just an audio log from that Tully guy is all..."

They made their way further into the laboratory, and in one particular hallway they found something... peculiar to say the least. Other than broken TAYZ.T robots trapped in mycelium threads, there were multiple... display cases.

One held a small colony of mushrooms, the kind that the denizens of Tullwend grew and ate in their cuisines just about every day. The next held what looked like the same species of mushrooms with what looked like... cancerous growths on their caps. Said caps were glowing a blueish green color, similar to the next display. Said display held Cordyceps muscaria in their full glory. Cancerous mushrooms covered in glowing green or blue tumors, pulsing as if they had their own heartbeat.

Elliott could have swore he heard the General mumble under his breath "Tully what did you unleash upon the world..." The next room looked to be more infested than the last, with what looked like the exoskeleton of a deceased weevil being the area where it all spread from. The table too seemed to be covered, and Elliott noticed what looked to be a USB stick halfway covered.

"Hey guys... check this out." He said, pulling the fungal strands off.

"Oh, one of those things? That Doc Brown guy left those all over his labs I'm pretty sure, Pete's got a whole collection of them. Plug it into my SCA.B here, see what we can learn."

"SCA.B?" Elliott asked, cocking his head. The General held her arm out, and looked to be wearing some sort of watch with a colorful wrist band... showing what looked like her vital signs?

"Supposed to track my vital signs, only a select few of us down here have one of these. But apparently it's alot like an apple watch too, and you can play music and audio files on them, hand that stick here."

"Don't know why a watch would have the option of USB connection, but... okay." Elliott handed General Nguyen the USB, she plugged it into the weird SCA.B watch thing, fiddled with it a bit and then...

"Attempts to reverse cell age in mushrooms seem to be going well. Mutations are... violate, but productive! The shift from phase one to two was almosht a blur."

Then another voice rang out, one more robotic.

"There might be a reason it seemed like a blur, if I may be so bold-"

"Who asked you, BURG.L? Shouldn't you be tending to your tasks instead of eavesdropping through the intercoms?" Doctor Tully asked.

"Now where was I... Hmm... ah, yes. My friends Amanita muscaria here. The answer is hiding in that moist, supple flesh. And once I have it, I'll be back to normal Wendell in no time. Just like it was before thish all fell apart. I'll walk into that presentation room and show those Oniment--Ominent--shmucks I belong. How do you like that, Director Schmector?Trudy and the kids will come back. Everything will be back to normal. I just need those blasted shrooms to reveal their secrets to me..."

Then, BURG.L started up again.

"Forgive me Dr. T-T-Tully, did you say you wanted mushrooms on that?"

"BURG.L? Who's BURG.L?"

"You haven't met BURG.L Eli?"

"Would I be asking if I did?"

"Hm, fair point. Well, BURG.L was the robotic assistant of that Doc Brown guy before he passed from what I know. From what I know, he manages the lab in the Oak tree just below the Citadel, works with the Pond lab from time to time on scientific endeavors. Did Peter ever mention him?"

"Hmm... now that you mention-WAIT." Elliott had just realized something... ghastly.

"What? Is something wrong Eli?"

"That Tully guy... I think he might have had some kind of illness, it sounds like he was trying to use those mushrooms to... cure himself? I don't know to be sure, but whatever he did... I think the outcome was the infection."

"Really? You think he purposefully made it so it would infect bugs?"

"I don't think so, he doesn't sound like the kind of guy to do so... we should probably try to find more of those USBs. Maybe we can gather more information that way."

Minutes later, after room after room filled with fungal infected insects, they found what looked to be a large... breach in the lab's structure, leading to a cave. In said cave, there was a large tunnel, covered in spider silk and fungal blooms.

This has to be it. The center of the infection. Where the sovereign of contagion sits on its throne of death.

"So... we're going in?" Elliott said, poking at the silk with his staff.

"Yep." The General said, moving forward. As they moved inside, their suspicions were confirmed due to the SHEER amount of fungus and insect exoskeletons lining the walls. Not only that, but the fungal growths were ginormous, bigger than any example found out in the No man's land.
Add the fact that the mushroom cave was lit up by spores and shrooms lining the walls, floor and ceiling... it felt like there was a distorted sense of royalty that belonged.

"Well, this doesn't look freaky at all." General Nguyen remarked, bringing out her Warhammer. Something in the back of her mind told her this was the end of the road, and it was the same as Elliott as he drew his coaltana from its sheath. Its red glow acted like a shining light in the darkness, deeply contrasting the green glow of the infection.

A beacon of light, of hope.

Then, when they made it into the center of the throne room of contagion... a mix of sickening cracks and chirps emanated from the ceiling high above. Elliott looked up, to see a spider the size of a small bus, detach itself from the ceiling and skitter down to the floor with unnatural haste. It painted its fungus covered front legs to the ceiling, and let out a loud, freakish roar.

This was her. The Moldy Matriarch. The sovereign of contagion.

The Broodmother.

She stared down at our tiny heroes with voracious, unfeeling purple eyes, and then... she made her move.

She rushed the soldiers, pinning multiple of them down and leaving them wounded or dead on the ground. Some of them now had holes in their gas masks... it was only a matter of time until they fought against their former allies. Elliott and the General managed to avoid being pinned down, and they and those who remained went on the attack.

The duo kept the Broodmother in the center of her throne room, making swift attacks and keeping her attention on them, while the remaining soldiers fired off volleys of arrows at the fungal queen. In time, after careful attack after careful attack, the beast was felled with one final screech.

The soldiers cheered out loudly, celebrating their victory.

"Dios mio... we killed it! We actually killed it! The General yelled, ecstatic. Something however, didn't sit right with Elliott. This was easy, too easy... almost. He kept his hands on the handle of his blade as the other soldiers went to leave and handle the wounded, the legs of the Queen started to twitch and crack.

They weren't finished here yet.

"Wait guys HANG ON-" One of the legs went right for Elliott, and swept him off his feet. Before Elliott could stand up, one of the legs was placed right on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He could barely even breath as the Sovereign of contagion loomed over him, drooling with otherworldly hunger and rage. Said "drool" was glowing green fluid dripping from the beasts fangs. Elliott was attempting to form crystalline structures from the light around him, when he felt a sudden excruciating pain in his eye! Stabbing like a hot spike into the back of his skull, he could only gasp at its intensity. The spiders drool was dripping down the masks compound eye, melting parts of the mask, which hardened and sealed on itself just about immediately.

Elliott could barely focus on getting the leg off when his eye was burning like all hell, and the burning ice feeling was beginning to return when... a massive hammer made contact with the Broodmothers head, sending it tumbling back and onto its back once again. Elliott could barely make out what was going on due to the searing pain when he could see what looked like a face or... another mask, through his own.

It was the General, grabbing his hand.

"Dear God Eli, are you okay??? What did it do to you!?"

Elliott could barely focus on the General, unable to even speak from the pain and lack of air when he could hear... the cracking noises of the Broodmother coming back to life.

"Mmmmfff!!" He screamed, pointing out the beast as it got back to its feet. It let out an ear piercing shriek as fungal blooms fell from the ceiling, pulsing with life and it charged at the soldier duo.

"DOWN!!" Elliott tackled the General to the ground as the deformity on his forehead began to glow brightly, and a grayish bubble half formed around them.

"STAY!!" The ice like feeling returned, and Elliott almost immediately looked like a miniature scale White Dwarf Star. Part of the bubble dissipated for half a second, as Elliott left to confront the Broodmother.

The two stared eachother down for at least ten seconds, studying eachothers features before going at it. Elliott's own glow had even replaced the natural soft colors that the fungus produced naturally, and the shadow he had somehow and unwittingly cast looked... odd.

It looked to be wearing triangular shoulder pauldrons of some sort, and their head looked to be shaped somewhat like a star. Not only that, but the shadow didn't seem to move either, only standing motionless... watching and studying the battle between man and fungus before it.

The battle went on for what felt like hours. Elliott and the Moldy Matriarch were equally matched in speed, and Elliott was steadily growing tired. Soon enough, he could barely even keep up as the white glow began to sputter, but he was close for killing the beast once and for all! He could feel it in his bones!

The beast looked to be on the verge of breaking down as well, and attempted one last, desperate attack.

More fungal blooms began to fall from the ceiling as the Queen of infection, and began to explode just as Elliott managed to form another bubble around himself.

He could still feel the heat of the explosions... surprisingly.

Yet he had his own move to pull. He undid the bubble within mere milliseconds, and with the last of his strength... threw the coaltana straight at the spiders head. It landed square into the beasts forehead and into its brain, taking out the fungus that controlled its mind, and it collapsed to the ground as Elliott did the same. Both the white and natural glows ceased to be, as the fungus on the broodmother and in the throne room began to wilt and rot.

In the meanwhile, those infected with Cordyceps muscaria out in Tullwend began to collapse and die, witu the fungus growing on their bodies also beginning to wilt simultaneously, as did... one individual not far from the former Tully household.

He collapsed onto the sidewalk nearest to the fence, and the kitchen knife he was wielding clattered on the concrete as the fungus decomposed into basic organic matter.

Elliott did it.

He had saved Tullwend.
He had saved Peter.

But... at what cost?

Chapters end.
_________________________________

Chapter Text

Elliott and the Moldy Matriarch were equally matched in speed, and Elliott was steadily growing tired. Soon enough, he could barely even keep up as the white glow began to sputter, but he was close for killing the beast once and for all! He could feel it in his bones!

The beast looked to be on the verge of breaking down as well, and attempted one last, desperate attack.

More fungal blooms began to fall from the ceiling as the Queen of infection, and began to explode just as Elliott managed to form another bubble around himself.

He could still feel the heat of the explosions... surprisingly.

Yet he had his own move to pull. He undid the bubble within mere milliseconds, and with the last of his strength... through the coaltana straight at the spiders head.

As the spider let out its final breath and collapsed to the floor, Elliott collapsed onto his back as well, seeing through his mask what he thought were stars.

He merely lied there as the fungus turned to muck all around him, as the General proceeded to run up to him and hold him by the shoulders.

"ELI! ELI, YOU DID IT! YOU KILLED THE SPIDER! ALL THE FUNGUS IS DYING!"

"Mmmmffgg..."

"YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?? YOU SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES!! YOU- Elliott?"
No response.

"Oh shit, guys! Someone grab his sword, we-" Elliott's vision slowly faded to white, and in a moments notice he felt as if he was falling. All around him during his descent, was a white sky filled with what looked to be pitch black stars. He could barely move, not to mention the fact that he could barely even comprehend his surroundings. His eye burned, the sky had a reddish tint thanks to the one remaining lense, and his entire body ached.

At least... until the cold onset of "reality" hit him like a truck once he hit the water.
The cold water and impact brought Elliott back to his senses as he almost immediately realized where he was.

In the Radiant abyss.

Elliott frantically twirled around in the water, expecting to see that giant pair of eyes.

"Hello?? I'm sure you're here somewhere! Why else would I be here?" No response. Just pure, unadulterated underwater ambience. If Elliott wasn't expecting to hear the voice of said eyes, the oceanic noises would've been... quite peaceful.

He would have needed a peaceful environment after everything that had recently occurred.

After a long while of calling out to the eyes however, he had given up hope of seeing them and could finally have a breather after everything that had happened in physical reality.

Maybe, just maybe... he could rest in these waters. Afterall, he didn't need to worry about oxygen, and or predators considering... well why would there be predators in his own head?

That's what he told himself as he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the literal sea of light around him, when he felt a sudden pressure around his waist and legs. Then, whatever had grabbed him began to drag him further into void, and he could barely even comprehend what was happening.

Elliott was in pain, he could barely see, he was tired, and he could only scream as he was dragged into the depths of the radiant abyss.

He didn't even realize just what had grabbed him, only being able to gaze out into the radiance through his one functioning eye.

Then... Elliott hit what must have been the ground, hard.

"Aaagh, what.... was that?"

It took a minute or two for Elliott to get back on his feet, as being grabbed and dragged who knows how far into the depths had heavily impacted his equilibrium. When he finally regained said equilibrium and got back up, he found the place he was brought to... astounding.

From where he stood, there looked to some kind of ginormous library. The shelves of said library looked to be about double or triple Elliott's size, and upon closer inspection the books looked to be subjects on things Elliott was already interested in. At least, what he was interested in before being cast down into Tullwend, along with things he knew about.

Minecraft, Hollow Knight, liminal spaces, even more abstract things like SCP. Some of the books however, looked... wrong, somehow. The labels on the spines of the books were riddled with light distortions and particles, as if they were tossed into dirt and left there.

"Hm? What in the world?" Elliott asked, grabbing said book. "Times with Aunt Ilisa" The label said. Ilisa was Lusamine's younger sister, who came with her from the British Isles back in the 2000s. Over the past few years however, Ilisa and Lusamine had grown more and more distant. Why he couldn't remember, Lusamine had always claimed it was "personal family matters" or the likes of that.

Not that it mattered now.

Once he opened the book, Elliott found that almost every word was for one reason or another, blacked out. Scribbled over with what looked like either a sharpie or Expo-marker. Even the occasional photos could barely be made out. Most of them were black and white grainy images in black and white. A shaky image of a parking lot filled with cars, one in the first person in a church pew with other people,

Yet, there was a photo on one of the later pages that stood out among the rest. Grainy like the rest, yet Elliott had a looming feeling of dread upon staring at it. It was in the row between the pews, staring at three people on the altar.

One was a child, one a man in a collared shirt, the last being a woman with platinum blond hair in formal wear. The man was holding the child with his arms behind his back, while the woman shoved a rosary infront of the child's face.

Elliott felt... uneasy. The scene felt familiar, yet it filled him with a sense of existential dread. Not only that, but the child in the photo bore an uncanny resemblance too... it was almost like-

"You didn't want to remember that, did you Starlight?" A familiar, maternal voice said.

Elliott bolted around, dropping the book in the process to see what looked like a cloud of light. Said cloud of light loomed over him, as tall as the bookshelves, with those EYES staring down at him.

"You..."

"Me?"

"Where have you been all this time?? I haven't seen you in like, weeks!! Couldn't you have helped me with everything going on with the Fungus?"

The eyes shifted their expression.

"That meager organic parasite? I felt like I didn't need to interfere. Afterall, one such as us would be able to squash it like the insects they consume."

"Meager?? The fungus has taken countless lives throughout Tullwend, and who knows how many bugs! Hell, it almost killed me! Did you see what that spider did to my eye, I can't even see out of it anymore!"

"That, is your own fault Starlight. You may be powerful enough to bring down monsters many times your size, but were you truly prepared to face a threat of said magnitude?" The cloud of light asked rhetorically.

"I-"

"Exactly. You didn't train long enough, and even though you achieved victory, you have to live with the consequences. Now, " The cloud moved to the side, and with a small blast of light, a mirror as tall as Elliott appeared.

"Take off that mask of yours, take in the consequences."

"Wait, don't-"

"Do as I said Starlight."

Elliott sighed, and complied. He stepped infront of the mirror, and began undoing the straps on the back of his head. He pulled the mask off his face, which took some effort since one of the lenses was covered with a reddish fluid with white glowing speckles. For a moment, Elliott wondered what the implications of said glowing particles were, when he dropped the mask upon seeing his reflection.

Around where the eye once was... the flesh looked... burned and maimed. What wounds the spider venom caused would logically have exposed muscle and maybe even bone exposed... crystals.

Instead of a bloody mess where the eye once stood, was what looked like the result of a geode being opened with an electric saw.

"Wh-what is- are there crystals inside my body!?"

"Of course there are. You aren't like all of those shrunken apes with swords and spears out there. Think about it Starlight. Everything you've done, no human is capable of that. Do you know what that means?"

Elliott was nonetheless, at a loss for words.

"If you can't come up with an answer, then I WILL do it for you. You're a DIAMOND Starlight, like me, albeit one the universe has never seen before. Unique in our flawlessness, I, we, have expanded our perfect society across the galaxy. These lowly humans are nothing like you and me, these lifeforms serve no purpose to us. Sure, they may have roles in their own society, they are inferior to us. Surely Starlight, you've seen the flaws of those you live among?"

Elliott took a moment to think. Humans were flawed, sure, but that's not what he was focused on. All this talk of Diamonds, the galaxy, and lifeforms that serve no purpose?

"Answer me Starlight. Through all the years you have existed on this hideous rock, you've surrounded yourself with lower lifeforms. Consider yourself as one of them even, when you've yet to experience the grand majesty of what I've managed to accomplish over the eons."

"What the Hell are you even talking about?? Consider myself as one of them lower lifeforms?? What're you on about-"

"Look at them. They fight amongst themselves, try to harm eachother over trivial things, EXPERIMENT on those they promise to protect. I'm sure you and that golden haired fish can relate to that?"

"What're you trying to say?? That humans are bad or something?! Also, what are you even on about with this talk of Diamonds and galaxies, are you saying you're-"

"Not human? Alien? I feel it's about time you actually caught on to this fact. Therefore,"

Elliott heard the sound of clapping hands, and his vision turned white for a few seconds. When he could see his surroundings again, he was infront of some sort of portcullis door. Said door was formed of a magenta crystal like material, with that weirdly familiar rhombus symbol in its center.

The cloud of light manifested a thin glowing arm to open the portcullis, all the while Elliott was backing away.

To Elliott, none of this felt right. Humans being considered lower lifeforms, aliens, and something going on out in the wider galaxy?? He didn't have time to process any of this information, and who's to say that what the eyes said were true?? Even if he was "above" humans, he still lived among them, and could see the positives of them. Doesn't that make them worthy to live among?

Just before the door would open however, Elliott heard a silent... voice, ringing in his ears. He stopped, unable to make the faint whispers out, all while the cloud of light continued in their attempt to open the door.

Said voices were incomprehensible at first, being jumbled ramblings at different volumes and pitches. Yet after about half a minute, Elliott could somewhat make them out.

Male and female voices, of which he could somewhat understand. Things like "Savior" and "chemical burns." Then, as the portcullis opened up... a very much familiar voice could be heard.

The cloud then turned around, interrupting said voices."Hm? Starlight, you can't be distracted by those overgrown monkeys. Whatever they're speaking about, Does not matter in the long run for us. Now-"

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt but... I think I might need some time to process all this information. This is just so much to take in, I don't know what to make of all thi-"

Another arm manifested from the cloud, and grabbed Elliott's hand. The sharp, jet black nails dug into Elliott's skin, with enough force seemingly to break the skin. Yet, the ashy skin didn't budge.

"Hey, lemme go! You're hurting me!!"

"A Diamond doesn't need time to process information they should already know Starlight. If I need to show you, then I will do so in order for us to move forward." The cloud said in a monotonous tone.

Elliott was pulling away with all the remaining strength he had, and considering the fight that had recently taken place, that wasn't exactly saying much.

The cloud opened the portcullis, which inside held something... magnificent.

A grand hall stretching to the height of a small skyscraper, made of what looked to be unconventional materials by human standards.

Pillars of crystal of many different colors lined the hall, and a metallic pattern resembling a reddeish pink floormat stretched far into the horizon. Not only that, but instead of row after row of bookcases, there was what resembled some strange form of computer that Elliott wasn't familiar with. The screens were large and thin, and appeared to be... floating? If anything, they resembled holograms more than computers.

"Lemme go goddammit!! You can't do this to me! I'm a human being!!"

"Comfort yourself with lies all you want Starlight, they will only-"

Suddenly, Elliott felt another strange... presence close by. It was similar to that of the eyes and cloud, yet was... more familiar?

The eyes on the cloud shifted around, seemingly sensing this new presence too.
"What is this?? Is that your little fish friend you fused with??"

"Fused? What-"

A white crystalline shield suddenly formed between Elliott and the cloud, amputating the clouds hand in the process. Oddly though, they didn't seem to mind.

"What have you done Starlight?? I never taught you that technique!"

The trains of thought of both beings were going into overdrive, trying to figure out where this new structure came from.
However... the sounds of footsteps would answer that question.

A boy who glowed a brilliant white color, wearing what looked to be some sort of... armor? He stepped infront of Elliott, and almost all his features could be made out.
He was tall, but not exactly muscular or oversized, quite like Elliott himself. Not only that, but the armor was a deep, dark blue color, with turquoise crystals acting as a sort of trim. Not only that, but their hair looked somewhat similar to an afro, except it was shaped like a... star? It was hard to make out, let alone describe.

They didn't acknowledge Elliott's presence and in a monotone voice, only said two words.

"Terminate connection."

The cloud tried to get a word out, but Elliott's vision cut to black before she could say anything.

After a few seconds, he felt like he was in the physical world again, yet part of him felt... wrong.

His vision was completely black, and it felt as if half his head was covered in cloth. Not only that, he had no idea as to where he was.

He was disoriented.
He was hungry.
He was thirsty.
He was scared.

Yet... he could only do one thing.

Call out for others.

"Hello?? Anyone?? Are the lights off? I can't see!!"

Then as if on que, Elliott could hear a nearby door opening, yet who he would soon see wasn't... exactly who he'd want to see.

Chapters end.
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