Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"How much further, Monk?" Hunter asked, trudging along behind the yellow slugcat, spear hefted and ready to throw at anything he might see as a threat to the two of them. It felt odd to be back in such a dangerous region once again; he had grown used to the comforts that the tree granted him. Not having to worry about hunting dangerous predators or having to defend himself from death every cycle. Not to mention, he hadn't had a cycle of bad symptoms in a very long time, not since the other slugcats came to live with them, in fact. Maybe the symptoms were connected to his psychological health somehow?

He abandoned the trail of thought, he needed to stay focused. He supposed if there was one very small con about the location of the tree, it was the lack of variety in meat, he supposed, mostly just centipedes of varying sizes that resided in nearby areas. To his surprise, both Monk and Artificer had shared a groan of disgust at that, and the maroon slugcat had vowed to Hunter that she would go out and catch some lizard meat every cycle for them to eat instead. Shocked, the red slugcat had, of course, agreed with this fact. Who would say no to eating lizard meat every time they were hungry?

Maybe it was the lizard meat that was making him feel better? Making his symptoms decrease and his general health become better? Maybe he'd have to do some sort of research into if lizard meat sported healing properties. 

Nevertheless, he got to thinking about the weird reason he was out there with Monk in the first place. Only a few cycles had passed since the slugcat’s big reunion, and the yellow slugcat suddenly mentioned he wanted to travel a ways back to ‘get something done’, as he put it. Of course, Artificer and his mate worried about how well the small slugcat would do on his own. He had spent the previous cycle getting into some simple combat training with Artificer and Hunter, and he had a surprising talent for it, but it was more the psychological issues that were a worry.

From what Hunter had heard, Monk did not do so well when alone for long periods of time. He had tried to tell the others that he would be completely fine, but they weren’t convinced at all. Someone had to go with him to ensure his safe return, and since Artificer had currently been indisposed trying to help the scavengers find a suitable new spot to move the tribe and someone had to care for Night, Hunter had stepped up and volunteered. Survivor had spent a small moment objecting, citing his illness as a concern, but Monk had suddenly jumped at the opportunity, convincing his mate by making a point of the red slugcat’s strength in combat.

Hunter was unsure of why Monk really wanted him along specifically, but it did feel kind of good to have his mate’s approval, he supposed. The yellow slugcat seemed like a bit of a wild card—chipper and happy one moment, then bitter and frustrated the next. Artificer had told him that he wasn’t like that usually, still grieving the loss of his family. Hunter could understand that. Survivor had been very bummed about his family being gone for the first couple cycles in the tree. Hunter would sometimes catch his mate sitting outside late at night, staring at the far-off entrance to the field as if expecting them all to come back at any moment.

So when Monk was in one of his angry moods and took it out on anyone he could find (barr Night, he never screamed at the pup, thankfully), Hunter either stayed well away or simply stood there and took the screams head on. They were usually just swears and random insults anyway; they had no real effect on him, and Monk always snapped out of it and apologized profusely afterwards, so it was no big deal.

It took Monk a long time to respond, but after a moment, he finally turned his head and glanced at Hunter with a smile on his face. "Just a bit further, we’re almost there!" The red slugcat had to bite his tongue to avoid asking again where they were going or what they were doing. He had tried to ask those questions way earlier, and the response was always something along the lines of, ‘You'll see’.

Oh well, Hunter was fine with not knowing; it almost felt a bit nice to just get to travel without any worry of where to go or what to do to think about. As long as they didn’t have to pass through any more scav tolls, at least. He knew that all the local scavengers were to be considered allies and that Monk spoke their language, had a satchel full of pearls to gift, and was practically best friends with every scav, but Hunter still didn’t trust them.

Anytime Monk stayed to talk, Hunter could swear that the other scavs were eyeing him suspiciously, hands ready to grab a spear from their satchel. When he turned to look, they acted like nothing was wrong, and it kept him on edge the whole time, ready for them to stage some sort of ambush for the duo. It never happened, thankfully, but it didn’t stop his nervousness for the next time they met a sole scav out traveling.

As well, when they were traveling through subterranean, as well as Farm Arrays, Monk kept asking Hunter to keep an eye out for any white lizards he could spot and to let him know if he saw any. This was confusing to the red slugcat; he knew there were not too many white lizards, if any, in the regions where he asked him to keep an eye out. When they got through the two regions with no lizards in sight, Monk seemed genuinely saddened for the rest of the cycle. It was odd, but certainly not the oddest thing the yellow slugcat had done in the short time Hunter had known him.

Suddenly, the yellow slugcat held out a paw to stop him and crouched low to the ground. Hunter followed nervously, pulling a spear from his back and handing it to Monk’s outstretched paw. "What? What is it?" Even behind the other slugcat, he could practically see the grin forming on Monk’s face when a large orange centipede suddenly showed itself in front of them. It wasn’t the biggest Hunter had ever seen, but it was no doubt big enough to kill them both with a well-placed electrical shock. "It seems to be on the move; let’s let it pass."

"No, no. It will be perfect." Monk was mostly mumbling to himself, but Hunter could still make out the gist of what was said, perhaps thanks to his greater-than-normal hearing.

"Perfect? For what?" Hunter had already eaten, and Monk hadn’t exactly fancied centipedes a lot since the first time the red slugcat had met him, so what precisely the centipede could even be used for, he had no clue.

"You’ll see soon, my friend." The red slugcat gave a withering look in response, but Monk couldn’t see it as his back was still turned. Suddenly, the yellow slugcat jumped to his feet with a yell. "NOW!"

Before Hunter had any time at all to react, Monk was already charging towards the centipede, which was quickly recovering from its shock and scuttling towards them. If he dies, Survivor will have your head. Didn’t he know it? With a groan, Hunter chased after the other slugcat, spear at the ready. When Monk got close enough to almost be grabbed, he turned around and threw himself backwards into the air, backflipping over the baffled centipede. At the peak of his jump, he threw the spear downward, the sharp tip piercing the centipede’s flesh and pinning it to the ground below.

It was a good technique, taught by Hunter himself. Early on in the cycles of training Monk, Artificer and Hunter quickly found that while the yellow slugcat is very accurate in his spear throwing, he isn’t capable of throwing with as much strength as the two carnivorous slugcats. Monk’s strength lies in his agility, technique, and accuracy. Thus, that’s what he used in combat. It worked well with Hunter, who focused more on raw strength; it was one of the arguments the other slugcat used to convince Survivor to let Hunter travel with him.

As Hunter’s own spear pierced the centipede, the creature writhing around in its death throes before falling still, he had to agree that the two of them made a fairly good team. The centipede didn’t even make them break a sweat! Though the red slugcat’s question remained in his mind as Monk pulled his spear out of the creature with a satisfied smile, ‘Why?’.

"Okay, Monk." The other slugcat turned to him with a tilt of his head, so he continued. "I’ll ask you again, and I want you to answer me this time. Why did we kill the centipede? What are we here to do?"

Monk turned towards a nearby pipe with a hum, and Hunter was about ready to start screaming in frustration if he wasn’t about to get a really good answer. Thankfully, he turned back to Hunter with a smile. "Help me haul the body to the pipe; we can talk on the way." Without another word, he bent down and grabbed hold of the centipede corpse, painstakingly starting to drag it towards the nearby pipe while the other slugcat watched with a baffled expression.

Eventually, with a sigh, Hunter pulled out his spear and stashed it on his back before walking over to the other side of the centipede and lifting it up to make the process a bit easier and quicker. Monk gave him a grateful nod as they started to carry the carcass. "Alright, answers, now."

"Well, first off, do you know how taming lizards works?" It was an odd thing to start with, but Hunter still responded with a hesitant nod. It was about feeding the lizard you wanted to tame; some needed more food than others, but that's really all it came down to. "We are here to tame a very special lizard, Hunter! Are you ready to hear this?" The tone of voice the other slugcat had used made Hunter’s blood run cold, his instincts telling him to run away fast. He had a suspicion of what type of lizard Monk was talking about, but still, he nodded slowly. The other slugcat leaned in closer, whispering. "We are going to tame a red lizard."

Hunter’s reaction was immediate fear as he dropped the centipede he was hauling and prepared his spear. "There’s a red lizard in this area? Where?" The red slugcat was a crazy bastard, he’ll admit, willing to fight anything that threatened him or his family even a little, but a red fucking lizard was way too far!

In the early cycles of his delivery mission, he made the mistake of stumbling upon one of the apex predators and foolishly trying to fight it. It had basically bitten him in half in a single bite, leaving him with tremendous pain for the whole next cycle as he recovered from the death. Any other hostile creature Hunter had ever stumbled across, he had killed at least one: a red centipede, a king vulture, etc. He had never, ever managed to best a red lizard, and he was certainly not interested in doing so.

Monk didn’t seem all that surprised by Hunter’s very realistic reaction, simply pointing a thumb through the pipe they were standing next to. "Just through that pipe there." Hunter immediately reached out and pulled the yellow slugcat back, forcing him to take cover behind him as he started to back away from the pipe, spear raised and at the ready.

"Are you a fucking mad, Monk?" It was a rhetorical question, of course. You have to be mad to even think about attempting to tame anything with a red color scheme in these lands. But of course, when he glanced back, Monk seemed to genuinely be pondering the question, a paw on his chin as he scrunched up his face in thought.

Eventually, he unscrunched his face and smiled up at Hunter. "A little!" Of course… The red slugcat groaned as he took one last look at the pipe. There was no flash of red, at least, so Hunter considered it safe, at least for now.

He turned around as he stashed the spear on his back, crossing his arms and glaring down at Monk. "I refuse to interact with a red lizard, Monk." The yellow slugcat’s smile fell away, and he adopted a frown. "I won’t allow you to do so either! I promised Survivor to keep you safe, and trying to tame a red lizard is the antithesis of safe!" Suddenly, Monk’s expression turned deathly serious as he glared right into his eyes, and Hunter took a small step back in surprise.

"I will tame the red lizard, Hunter." The usually chipper and light-hearted voice of the smaller slugcat is completely gone, replaced by a cold tone as the paw that held his spear clenched down, the weapon shaking in his grip. "I will not allow you to stop me."

Surely Monk wouldn’t fight him over this, right? The thought of that seemed insane and impossible to Hunter, but the longer he stared into the expression on Monk’s face, the more nervous he felt himself become. He’s serious, isn’t he? To avoid a fight, the red slugcat nodded and raised his paws in a pacifying manner, taking a small step back. "Alright, I won’t stop you."

The yellow slugcat nodded once, staring at him for a moment longer before suddenly smiling brightly. "Good!" Monk walked around Hunter and bent down to start carrying the centipede once again.

"It’s just… Survivor wants you back safely, you know?" Monk stopped pulling and gave Hunter a look; the red slugcat fidgeted slightly in place. "A red lizard, I mean, just one bite and..." He shuddered at the thought.

The yellow slugcat laughed and gestured towards the centipede on the ground. "If you don’t want me to get hurt, then you better come along as backup, eh, Hunter?" After a moment of hesitation, Hunter walked over with a grumble and helped Monk carry the corpse to the pipe.

Hunter had to suppress the instinctual urge to run for his own life when Monk spotted the red lizard on the other side of the room and started to whoop and whistle to get its attention. The room was fairly tall and wide, sporting a pipe on either side and a small pit with a few poles in the middle. Immediately, the red lizard hissed loudly, sprinting across the room towards them. It jumped into the pit and climbed up quicker than even Hunter could’ve managed.

"Get ready to throw, Hunter!" Monk lifted the part he was holding into the air, so Hunter did the same, eyes still locked on the terrifying creature approaching them head-on quickly—far too quickly than a creature that size should be able to manage.

"Now!"

At Monk’s shout, they threw the body of the centipede practically right into the creature’s mouth. Its hissing and growling stopped abruptly, and it looked almost comically confused as it backed off slightly, glancing down at the centipede in its mouth. Hunter was tense, his paws twitching to reach up and pull his spear free, even though he knew it probably wouldn’t do much to the creature in front of them. Monk was completely chill, smiling kindly at the lizard and waving his paw. The red lizard’s confusion only lasted a short while, until the red lizard growled loudly, staring at both of the slugcats with a terrifying glare, before turning around and running back to its den to feast.

Immediately, Hunter grabbed hold of Monk’s paw and pulled him back through the pipe. Once they were through, in relative safety once again, the red slugcat collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily like he had just run a marathon through all of the regions without breaks. His fellow traveling companion, meanwhile, didn’t seem to be slowed down at all, bouncing around excitedly. "Did you see how cool it was, Hunter? It even accepted our gift so easily!"

"Wait, what do you mean by easily?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you, the way we fed the lizard there was slightly risky since there is a chance they ignore the food thrown at them and instead immediately go for the one giving the food!" Monk giggled to himself; if he noticed Hunter’s face paling, he didn’t mention it. "We were lucky, though!"

"I think I’m going to be sick…"

"No more time for resting, Hunter! We need to give more food." Hunter groaned as Monk reached down and grabbed hold of his arms, pulling him along the ground. Something told Hunter that these next few cycles were going to suck.

The red lizard hissed as the two slugcats were once again spotted, in the same place and eating the same food as the first time. Hunter was sure he was just imagining it, but it almost looked like the red lizard had turned slightly bigger since the feedings started. He was quite unsure of how many times the lizard had been fed; he had lost count after the fifth time. The new strategy of feeding was thankfully much safer than what they had attempted the very first time; it involved waiting until the lizard was close enough to see the slugcats and the food in their paws, then they would lower the meal to the ground and step back, letting the lizard grab the food herself.

It was a she, apparently. Something Monk had just mentioned out of the blue as they had placed a dropwig in front of the predator. Hunter had no idea how he knew that, and he didn’t really feel like asking. He had the slight idea that it might have to do with the number of spines, but that was just a guess in the end.

Hunter was currently more surprised at the fact that the red lizard was capable of eating so much. They had been here two cycles, and on both, the creature would carry all it was given to its den, no questions asked. Could it be that it stored some of the corpses to be eaten later? Wait, how big were the dens the lizards claimed? Were they about the regular size of a shelter, or smaller, maybe bigger? Hunter shook his head. None of that mattered or was important to him.

At least there had been no interactions with wandering scavs this cycle, not like the last one, where they were in the middle of bringing another centipede to the lizard. They were one pipe away when a scavenger suddenly popped out of another one and blocked their path. Monk and the scav talked; apparently, the scav wasn’t part of the local tribe that some of their colony knew, and they were also fairly hostile. The yellow slugcat ended up hurling a rock in his face when their conversation turned aggressive. Hunter had been ready to throw a spear at the stunned scav when the red lizard suddenly stuck its head out, bit into the scav, and pulled them away. The red slugcat had been fairly shocked, but Monk, shockingly, didn’t seem to care all that much. "They attacked us first." Well, he couldn’t argue with that.

But progress still felt slow, and Hunter was beginning to feel bored with the process. He didn’t even know how to keep track of the progress of the taming; after all, he barely had a clue what a friendly or even neutral lizard was supposed to be like. Though Monk seemed to know, he suddenly straightened his back and started walking forward in the direction of the den where the lizard had climbed down.

"Monk! What the fuck are you doing?"

"Finishing the taming process."

Without another word of explanation or hesitation, the yellow slugcat hopped down into the pit in the middle of the room, and Hunter heard a loud hiss. With a muttered swear, he pulled his spear off his back, rushed forward, and jumped down into the hole, landing next to Monk. The lizard was on the other side of the pit, staring them down angrily. Hunter prepared to throw his spear, but the slugcat next to him placed a paw on the spear’s handle before he could, lowering it down with a confident smile, eyes still locked on the lizard in front of them. With a huff, the yellow slugcat started to approach the lizard, who leaned back and hissed again, seeming ready to charge. Hunter swallowed nervously at the display, completely sure that Monk was about to find out he bit off way more than he could chew.

Only to open his mouth in stunned shock and awe when Monk got close enough to touch the red lizard. Slowly, he reached out a paw; the lizard flinched back, but Monk persisted, eventually being able to run a paw over the lizard’s head and upper back, careful to avoid the spines. "That’s a good girl." Hunter put away his spear and kept watching, entranced by what he was seeing. Monk actually managed to do it; he actually managed to tame a red lizard. "I think I’ll call you... Ruby. What do you think of that?" Hunter’s eyes somehow widened even further as the lizard purred in response.

Monk laughed and gave the lizard one last pat before carefully walking around to the creature’s side, Ruby watching him the whole time. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled himself up just below the lizard’s head, ending up on the upper back, using the first spine as a backrest as he rode on the creature.

Hunter had never seen something like it—a slugcat riding on the back of a lizard, a red one no less. Monk was full of surprises, that was for sure. Shockingly, Ruby had no complaints about being used as a mount, purring as Monk gave her another pat on the head. Hunter took a step back and averted his eyes as the lizard turned to look at him, narrowing her eyes. "Let’s head home, Hunter! I can’t wait to show Survivor Ruby!"

The thought of Survivor’s reaction made Hunter pale slightly and fidget nervously. "Survivor will have my head for this." He eventually sighed, turning around. His head hung low in defeat as he walked, the lizard and subsequently Monk dutifully following close behind.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble in paradise, Hunter." The red slugcat huffed in response, he didn't sound all that sorry... "But don't worry! I planned for this! Remember that flower I told you about?"

Survivor chuckled as he dangled a loose blue fruit vine in front of Night’s face, the little slugpup’s eyes widening as she followed the dangling string-like plant with her head. With a curious chirp, she reached out her tiny paws to bat at the vine, eventually flipping upside down and purring as she tried to grab it from her pa’s paws.

Their playtime was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. The white slugcat’s ears rotated to focus in on the noise, the steps belonged to more than a pair of paws, meaning it probably wasn’t Artificer coming back. That has to be Monk and Hunter. Night obviously heard the sound as well, her small ears twitching as she looked towards the entrance to the tree. "Hear that? Your dada’s back!" The pup’s eyes widened in excitement as she chirped happily, looking up at Survivor and reaching her paws up towards him.

With another laugh, Survivor reached down and scooped Night up, cradling her in his paws as he walked to the exit of the tree. "Welcome ba-!" The white slugcat’s greeting died on his tongue, and he leaped back with a frightened yell. Night flinched and chirped in fear at her papa’s reaction, turning her face into Survivor’s to try to hide from any nearby threats.

In front of their tree stood a massive red lizard, glaring at Survivor with what looked like intense hunger in its eyes. With a hiss, the white slugcat bared his teeth and turned his back in a desperate effort to protect his pup. The lizard growled, and he closed his eyes, preparing himself for the bite. "No, Ruby!" Survivor’s eyes shot back open as he heard the familiar voice of his brother. "They are family, not food!" His eyes widened as he spotted Monk riding on top of the massive creature. The lizard huffed, its expression turning as neutral as a lizard’s face can, as Monk gave it a few pats on the head.

His mouth dropped open in awe as he turned back fully towards the lizard and its rider. Monk offered a smile and a wave, as if nothing was wrong, as the lizard started looking around the field, seemingly uninterested. At the sound of slight shifting, Survivor turned to look to his left, spotting Hunter standing off to the side. His mate was shifting his feet, looking nervous. In his paws was a glowing flower, which one Survivor recognized well. A glow poppy! Named by himself, it was a beautiful flower, glowing like a karma flower but inedible; it was more of a decoration if nothing else.

With an attempted smile that looked more like a pained grimace, Hunter held the flower out towards him. "Surprise…" At the sound of his voice, Night turned back around, chirping joyfully as she recognized her dad. She had already completely forgotten about the red lizard. With a look of confused awe, Survivor stepped forward, reached out a paw, and took the offered flower, looking it over for a moment.

It had obviously been picked with care, the stalk severed cleanly with a sharp tool, probably a spear, and the petals untouched. Despite the situation, Hunter hadn’t carelessly picked the flower as an apology; well, of course it wasn’t completely out of the question, but he could have just ripped it out of the ground without a care in the world. Instead, he took care to really use it as a gift, no doubt having been told how much Survivor liked the flower by Monk.

Survivor couldn’t stop a wide smile from spreading on his face as he looked back at his mate. "Thank you." Hunter’s grimace turned into a genuine smile as he reached a paw out to scratch Night behind the ears, the pup purred and leaned into the touch in response. Survivor turned back to Monk, who was still smiling wide on top of his tamed killing machine. Survivor closed his eyes, considering his words for a moment. After a while, he carefully covered Night’s ears, the slugpup mewling in confusion as Hunter winced, knowing what was to come. Survivor took a deep breath to try in vain to calm his building anger before giving Monk a glare.

"Brother…” Monk, completely unsuspecting of what was about to happen, tilted his head with a smile. “What the actual FUCK?!"

Survivor was fairly sure the ensuing scolding could be heard all the way to Looks To The Moon's collapsed can. He was definitely grounding Monk for at least a few cycles, forbidding him from traveling to any other region for a while. Though considering all the work the duo apparently put into taming the lizard, he would at least get to keep it around, as long as it was kept far away from Night, of course.

Could never be too safe...

Chapter Text

Five Pebbles was once again disturbed from his rot-clearing work by the sound of movement in his access shaft. With an electronic groan, he put away his work and turned towards the shaking pipe, ready to confront whatever dumb beast had interrupted his calculations. Lo and behold, it was one of the members of the large group of dumb beasts of varying colors that had all visited him one at a time.

They were all free to ascend, but too idiotic to actually make the choice to do so, instead deciding to just keep living in the forsaken cycle they were all stuck in. Before meeting the beasts, Five Pebbles was of the understanding that every creature stuck in the cycle wanted a way out. That theory had been proven completely incorrect, obviously.

The yellow creature carefully peeked into his chamber, apparently aware of the zero-gravity state of the room, holding onto the frame of the pipe for stability as it looked Five Pebbles over. "Little yellow beast, what have you come for?" Of course, the beast had no response he could understand; it simply waved a paw and chirped in what seemed to be a joyful tone. "I have already pointed you in the direction of the rest of your kind, little creature. Unless you have something important for me to do, I suggest you leave; I have nothing more for you." The creature stared back with about as much intelligence as expected; its beady eyes seemed to stare right through the iterator as it tilted its head.

He groaned again as the little beast started to climb along his ceiling, heading towards the hatch leading to Five Pebbles’ memory arrays. The iterator had no idea what the stupid creature wanted from that area of his can, but he found he didn’t really care what the little beast would do. Besides, if the beast decided to do something that would hurt him, he had confidence his inspectors would put a stop to his intruder.

So as the beast grabbed onto the pipe, mewled something like a farewell, and slipped through out of his sight, Five Pebbles simply put it out of his mind, refocusing on his work now that the disturbance had graciously decided to leave him alone. Only, he quickly found he hadn’t been fully left alone, as it only took a short amount of time before the beast’s scuttling paws were heard in the pipe once again. With a puff of air pushed out of his fans, much like a sigh, he dismissed the computations running in front of him.

"Dumb beast, you are tiring my patience." Five Pebbles expected some sort of chirp, mewl, or other beastly sound in response, so when the creature simply turned its back and started to climb towards his access shaft, the iterator suspected something was wrong. It took him a bit too long to realize the yellow creature had two objects clutched in its paws—two glowing items that he recognized. "Little creature, wait!" He reached out in an attempt to grab onto the creature and pull them back into his chamber, but they had already passed through the pipe by the time he realized.

Five Pebbles shook with rage as he heard a chittering noise pass through the pipe, sounding like something akin to laughing. Thief! Dumb, thieving creature! Sparks shot from his puppet in rapid succession as the beast left with two of his neurons. What would the creature even need his neurons for? Nothing, that’s what! Did they seriously steal them just to annoy the iterator?

Still seething, he decided to summon one of his overseers, commanding it to keep a close eye on the yellow slugcat. Five Pebbles left the display running as he kept working, sneaking glances every now and then as the creature traveled out of his can, meeting up with its sibling just outside and showing off the neurons with a smile. As they started to travel through the regions, the iterator secretly hoped for them to run into a predator that would rip the yellow one to shreds. The thoughts of petty vengeance would have disturbed him, but the beast would come back either way the next cycle, and they did steal from him.

His feelings of rage slowly subsided as cycles passed, replaced with growing confusion as the two creatures kept heading further and further away from their colony. Just where were they going with his neurons? At first, Five Pebbles thought the two would bring them back as some sort of trophy to be kept inside whatever den they all resided in, but now he had no clue what their plan was.

Carrying the neurons around was far from efficient after all; the yellow beast constantly had to put down one or two of them every time the beasts found food to eat. The iterator cringed as the beast once decided to stuff one of the neurons into its mouth to clear up a paw. Thankfully, the creature didn’t swallow the neuron and simply spat it back out after no longer needing a free paw.

It was only after the beasts started to travel through the flooded region right next to Moon that Five Pebbles’ understood what they were doing with the neurons, and he ordered the overseer to stay further back. Using some of the local aquatic wildlife as mounts, the creatures leaped onto a part of Big Sister Moon’s collapsed can, traveling through a pipe into the inner workings.

Five Pebbles felt any feelings of anger towards the yellow beast fade away as he sadly ordered the overseer to stop spectating and fall back towards his can. How many neuron flies would she have after her collapse? The slag keys delivered by the red beast would ensure some sort of stability in Moon’s systems, which would mean a few of her neuron flies would come back to her.

Unless they were too damaged, of course. How many neurons would Moon need to function properly? How many did she have currently? Did she still remember who and what she was? Would she still remember him? Losing two neuron flies suddenly didn’t feel like much of a loss to Five Pebbles; guilt settled in his non-existent gut as he remembered his childish anger at losing two of the several hundred he had.

As he put his full focus back into his work, Five Pebbles decided that the creatures could come by at any time and borrow as many neuron flies as they wanted, so long as they were gifted to Moon.

It was only right.

Time Passes

It doesn’t take all that long for more of the beasts to show up, of course. Only a few cycles later, it was the white one’s turn to visit him, dropping through the same pipe as its sibling. Though, unlike the yellow one, this beast instead leaped out of the pipe, floating around the middle of the room without control. The creature flapped its arms, legs, and tail wildly, trying to stabilize itself. It only succeeded in spinning itself rapidly, chirping in terror as it started to spin faster and faster.

Five Pebbles eventually decided to simply turn the gravity in his chamber back on, letting the creature gently float down to the floor. There it sat, obviously dizzy from its escapades, as it tried to recover. "Another beast comes to visit, disturbing my important work." The white beast looks up at him, tilting its head and chirping. He hadn’t noticed when the creature first floated inside, but it was holding items in its paws: one was a blank pearl, the other a karma flower. "Why have you brought these items to me?"

The creature perked up at the mention of the things in its grasp, and it chirped as it gently placed the flower alongside the many pearls gathered on the floor of his chamber. It then waved the pearl in the air, trying to beckon Five Pebbles over. Slowly, he lowered himself closer, holding his hand out towards the beast. Once the pearl was handed over, he read the contents to himself.

Five Pebbles paused for a moment before leveling a glare at the white creature sitting in front of him. "Is this some sort of joke?" The beast tilted its head and chirped in confusion; either it was playing dumb or it just had absolutely no idea how worthless the pearl in his hand was to him. Deciding it was the latter, he read the pearl aloud to the creature. "Dear diary…" The iterator stopped and glanced at the beast, who had leaned forward, waiting for the rest of the text. "That’s it, little beast." The creature stilled and stared at him for a moment before suddenly chittering to itself.

He watched in confusion as the white creature held onto its stomach and kept making those odd chittering noises as it squeezed its eyes shut. Was it sick with something? Poisoned, perhaps? No, the beast didn’t exactly seem uncomfortable, like it was dying; it seemed happy. Five Pebbles crossed his arms as he realized what the annoying creature was doing. "Yes, yes, laugh it up…" As the beast kept laughing to itself, he rolled his eyes and hovered the blank pearl down to join the rest of his collection, instead turning his focus to the karma flower brought before him.

Five Pebbles studied it closely in his hands; he hadn’t really gotten the chance to get a closer look at any of the flora outside, stuck in his can as he was. The karma flower (also known as a wheel flower to some) was glowing in his hand, a very rare hallucinogenic flower the ancients used to consume while staring into fire to see visions of the future. It was a pretty thing, he had to admit, and it seemed a shame to leave it to rot to death inside his chamber. The iterator glanced up to tell the white beast to take it back outside, only to make note of the creature’s sudden disappearance. "Little beast?"

A strange noise made Five Pebbles glance up, finally spotting the white beast using a blue worm with a long tongue-like appendage to grapple upward towards the same pipe it came out of. He could have easily pulled the creature back down, but, as it was, he was shocked by the creature’s skills with the blue worm, effortlessly moving up by forcing the worm to shoot out and retract its tongue over and over. Once it reached the pipe, the beast turned back and chirped, waving its paw in farewell before finally slipping through and leaving Five Pebbles all alone again.

The iterator glanced down at the flower in his hands, trying to figure out what he should do with it. After some consideration, he turned the antigravity back on and let the flower float in the middle of the chamber. It would be a shame to leave such a gift on the floor, after all. Five Pebbles would just have to remember to keep the flower floating anytime he turned the antigravity off; he didn’t want the yellow flower to be crushed by all the pearls surrounding it falling down after all.

With a satisfied nod, he ran another scan of his inner systems.

Time Passes

It was hardly surprising at all to Five Pebbles when the last of the two beasts came in for a visit. The ruffian dropped inside his chamber first, followed by Moon’s savior, and last but not least, the citizen ID drone he had repaired a few cycles ago floated down after the two. "Ah, the final two beasts have come for a visit at last." As he turned off the antigravity after making sure the karma flower in the middle of the chamber would keep floating in its place. The beasts were gently lowered to the floor, standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they looked up at the iterator. He noted the great amount of explosives that the beasts had brought along into his chamber; bombs and explosive spears were held in both of the creatures' paws, along with one more spear strapped to each of their backs. "What have the two of you come to show me then?" Five Pebbles crossed his arms as the beasts looked at each other and exchanged a nod.

To his incredible surprise, the maroon-colored ruffian suddenly barked a command in the ancient’s long-dead language to the ID drone. With a beep, the drone’s light turned green, putting it in translation mode. Five Pebbles couldn’t wrap his processors around how the hell a simple beast somehow managed to figure out not only the commands for the drone but also how to pronounce the word perfectly on the first try.

The iterator had been fully aware of the drone’s ability to understand ancient commands, but considering the perceived intelligence of the beasts, he thought it best to spare their simple minds from the complex details of the drone’s other features. Five Pebbles had never considered the possibility of the creatures somehow figuring it out by themselves. The beasts seemed to share a laugh at his baffled reaction before the ruffian started to chirp and mew to the drone, who listened intently.

Once the ruffian had stopped vocalizing, the drone turned to Five Pebbles and translated the sentences in a robotic and emotionless tone. "Greetings, Five Pebbles. How goes it?" Not only did the iterator have to grapple with the fact that the beasts could somehow figure out the ancient language, he also had to confront the idea that the creatures had a language of their own .

For the first time in many cycles, Five Pebbles was utterly speechless for a while, unsure of how to even formulate a sentence for the two beasts in front of him. "‘How goes it?’" The iterator growled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "To answer your question, little beasts, I am currently trying to process how a rag-tag group of simple creatures like yourselves managed to figure out how to make use of ancient commands."

If the beasts were insulted by how Five Pebbles referred to them, they didn’t show it. If anything, they seemed even more amused by his annoyance as the ruffian once again chirped to the waiting drone. The iterator was already finding it quite annoying that he was forced to wait for the drone to give its translation before he could properly understand the beasts. They got to understand him immediately because of the mark of communication, and he couldn’t help but temporarily wish that the mark went two-way when it came to understanding.

Finally, the drone gave Five Pebbles the much-needed translation for the beastly noises. "A smart scavenger taught me a few commands." The ruffian puffed up its chest proudly after its sentence had been relayed. A scavenger… The iterator felt another rage-induced overheating threaten his system. A scavenger?!

"Is that some kind of sick joke?" A scavenger could never have taught the ruffians commands of that magnitude; they were even dumber than the beasts in front of him! They only cared for their own greed; those creatures would never value their own knowledge over their mass collection of pearls. If it was a joke, the beasts didn’t make that clear, only responding to the iterator’s outburst with condescending, smug smirks. Five pebbles groaned for what felt like the hundredth time in recent cycles as he went back to crossing his arms and glaring at the banes of his existence in front of him. "Nevermind all of that! Why have you come here, besides to ridicule me?" The iterator had to suppress the urge to pick both creatures up and slam them against the walls of his chamber when they exchanged more smirks.

This time, the savior stepped closer to the drone and chittered. "Not primarily, we want to help clear out some of the parasite that grows inside you." As the drone translated its first sentence, the two creatures showed off their explosives as the ruffian chittered the rest. "We figured explosives would probably work wonders." Five Pebbles was fairly surprised by their intention of being helpful; however, the iterator had to question how safe it would be.

Just a slight slip-up could lead to considerable damage to his internal systems; besides, the rot grew back very quickly, especially now that there was so much of it. "No offense, little beasts, but I don’t know how much hurling around explosives inside my very sensitive memory arrays could really help my current situation." The creatures chittered to each other for a short moment before responding.

"Don’t worry; we will be extremely careful and avoid taking any risks, we promise!" Five Pebbles narrowed his eyes as he glanced between the pair of beasts, both standing with straightened backs and puffed-out chests, like soldiers going to war.

He shook his head. The fact that he was seriously considering letting two beasts carrying explosives go off the leash inside of his can to blow up all the rot they could find was the most asinine thing. But what did he really have to lose? If Five Pebbles was to be honest with himself, he was fighting a losing battle. The rot kept expanding, growing into more and more of his systems and shutting him out. He had no real way of effectively stopping its expansion.

The idea that had been presented by the two beasts was absolutely crazy—crazy enough that it just might have been effective. Against his own judgment, Five Pebbles eventually nodded. "Alright, I will allow the two of you to go frolicking around in my memory arrays only to clear out any rot you see. Got that?" He turned the antigravity back on as the beasts nodded and floated over to the pipe leading to his general systems bus. "Just please be careful not to blow up anything important…"

The following couple of cycles were some of the most nerve-wracking Five Pebbles had ever had the misfortune of suffering through. Muffled explosions sounded at several different spots around his can at complete random, signifying the beasts were hopefully causing some damage to the rot. The iterator didn’t dare scan his interiors as the chaos occurred, too afraid to see what kind of damage had been done to the rest of his systems. He was aware that if any of his internal systems were to be destroyed, he would most definitely feel it.

The duo eventually returned, covered in soot and looking exhausted. The savior was swaying slightly in place, wincing as it held a paw to its forehead. The ruffian’s fur was sparking as it seemed to barely be able to stand. "We’ve done all we can with the stockpile we brought." They tell him through the drone. "We can come back in a few cycles and keep cleaning up if you’ll allow it."

Five Pebbles hummed in response, finally having built up the courage to run a scan. What was discovered disappointed him slightly, even if he did see it coming. While the two beasts had done a very commendable job at ridding his systems of most of the rot, what had been cleaned out was already slowly but steadily growing back. By the time they would come back with more explosives, the previous damage to the rot would already be repaired. The rot could be effectively slowed down in this way, for sure, but it would only prolong the inevitable.

"You’ve done a good job, little beasts. But you shouldn’t bother to come back; the rot grows far too quickly; you’ll only be wasting your time." The little ruffian seemed annoyed by this response, chittering something angry for the drone to translate.

"There is no way we will accept defeat so easily! With that attitude, you might as well just lay down and let the parasite claim you! Being a bit optimistic certainly wouldn’t hurt you, Five Pebbles. Pull it together; we will be back in a couple cycles, and that’s final!" Once the translation had been read out, the iterator noted that the ruffian was staring at him pointedly, waiting for his response. He nodded in response and turned on the antigravity, letting the creatures float out of his chamber.

Did I just get lectured by a damn rodent? He puffed air out of the fans on his puppet as he shook his head. Imagine if his creators saw this—their supercomputer getting scolded by a small, insignificant beast. Before going back to his work, Five Pebbles gently picked up the wheel flower from the middle of the room. He found that holding it in his hands brought him some semblance of comfort, so the iterator decided to take a break from the constant work of trying to monitor and fight back against the rot.

Slowly, he found himself settling his puppet down on the floor of his chamber, resting against one of the walls as he leaned his head back, staring up at his ceiling. Five Pebbles couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved to be getting some outside help with his rot problem, even if said help was from a group of rodents. With another huff, he closed his eyes.

Maybe things will work out after all.

Chapter Text

As the cicada was struck with a pebble, Artificer whooped and explosively backflipped into the air in celebration before glancing back at Fixer, who nodded approvingly at the display. "Look at that! Three shots, two targets hit; how many points am I getting for that?" She chuckled and turned back around as she threw the weapon over her shoulder in a very cocky pose. Noting her finger was still on the trigger, Fixer took a step out of the way of the pointed barrel.

"Good shooting. As we’ve agreed, that’s five points." Artificer scoffed and turned around with a baffled expression as Fixer crossed his arms with a smug smile.

"Oh, fuck off, dude. That was way more than five points; you gotta give me at least ten!" To accentuate her point, she threw her arms in the air, accidentally squeezing the trigger of the weapon in her paws and shooting another pebble into the air. The drone that was forced to translate their conversation was working overtime as Artificer kept chittering even before the previous translation was complete." Those squidcadas are hard to hit, you know; I should get some extra points for even hitting one, let alone two ."

Fixer glanced up at the sky, seeing the projectile slowly fall to the ground. It smashed into the spot right next to Artificer, who, for her part, didn’t even flinch. "Alright, first off, be careful with that trigger; it’s sensitive." The slugcat responded with an annoyed huff as she turned the knob to ‘safety’. "Secondly, they are called cicadas; we’ve been over this." Artificer opened her mouth to speak, but Fixer interrupted her. "And thirdly, you’re not asking for pity points, are you, Arti?" 

The nickname made her frustration flare up even more as the scavenger in front of her gave a teasing smile. "I’m asking for fair points !" Fixer responded with a hum, turning towards the cicadas. Unfortunately, it seemed they had finally realized they were being used for target practice, as they started to fly away from the duo, temporarily abandoning their home to seek shelter until their harassers left.

"Not so fair considering I hit three of them, and I received seven point five points, as agreed upon." Artificer rolled her eye so hard that Fixer wondered if she was able to see the inside of her skull for a short moment.

"I don’t know why you felt like you had to tack on that ‘point five’ shit onto the scoring system; it’s confusing! Also, the squidcadas that you hit were practically sitting still. Meanwhile, the ones I aimed for were flying around like mad, trying to dodge my shots."

Now it was Fixer’s turn to roll his eyes as he scoffed with a smirk. "Not my fault you don’t know how to properly pick your targets; why not aim for the ones that are easiest to hit?"

The slugcat’s face twisted in further irritation as Fixer shrugged. "My point , for your information, is that you shooting first is cheating! You get to shoot at the creatures when they are completely unaware of our presence, but when I shoot, they are already flying around in a panic." The scavenger opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the ground rumbling. They shared a look, their argument temporarily forgotten about, as Artificer handed the weapon back to Fixer, who strapped it to its rightful place on his backpack.

As the two started to move towards the shelter nearby, Fixer sighed and spoke up. "Next time, you can start shooting for once, alright? I’ll beat you in the end anyway." He glanced over and gave the slugcat walking next to him a smug grin.

Artificer barked a laugh and shook her head in response. "In your dreams, Fix! I’m gonna kick your ass next time; you’ll see." Shortly thereafter, the two reached the shelter pipe and crawled through, ending up inside a fairly sizable den.

Fixer sighed with relief as he slipped the backpack off himself, taking a seat on the floor. Artificer joined him shortly thereafter, both relaxing their muscles after a long cycle as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder. Artificer spoke up as she stretched her arms and legs with a satisfied groan. "Remind me again what your ‘ideal area’ looks like."

The scavenger hummed and rubbed his chin with his hand in deep thought as he recalled the different criteria that were important for good land to settle on. "Well, the area has to be fairly flat and dry, but not too dry. Ideally, there should be close access to water. There has to be something to hunt nearby, but no predators too close to the zone. Also, it has to have a lot of sun coverage, but there has to be some sort of natural cover nearby to avoid heatstroke." He thought for a moment longer, considering if he had forgotten anything. His conclusion was that he hadn’t, and he nodded to himself in satisfaction.

Artificer responded with something akin to a low whistle, a sound scavengers couldn’t replicate with their chittering tongues. "That’s a lot of criteria; are you sure we’ll be able to find a spot that lives up to those standards?" The slugcat seemed genuinely unsure and slightly worried, so Fixer wrapped an arm around Artificer’s shoulders to quell her doubts.

"This region is massive, Arti. There has to be at least one spot of land that fulfills everything we are looking for." Artificer froze at the contact for a moment, amazed by how big the scavenger's hand was against her comparably small shoulders. After a moment, she shuffled a bit closer and purred as she closed her eye.

"Yeah, we’ll find something."

"What do you think about this area?" Fixer hummed as he glanced around: semi-dry ground, hot sunbeams, but nearby shaded spots to avoid overheating. There was water just a couple pipes away, and there seemed to be no predator dens nearby.

"It’s… decent. It's not particularly flat, but it’s something we can work with!" The scavenger nodded to himself as he already started making plans for different constructions around the area, where to dig dens, and where food crops could be grown. "I think this will work fine."

Artificer explosively jumped up onto an elevated platform, taking a glance around the area from her raised position. After a moment, she seemed to get a bit more unsure, glancing back at the scavenger that stood on the ground below her. "It’s good, but I just got to thinking... the area is kind of high up, right? Usually that means aerial predators and other problems like that." The slugcat kept talking, but Fixer wasn’t listening; he was too focused on the sudden appearance of a red laser-sight that was zoned in on Artificer’s torso.

"Look out!" The translation wouldn’t reach her ears in time, but Fixer hoped the tone of his voice would be enough for her to react quickly enough. The sight started to blink rapidly, but luckily, Artificer had a very fast reaction time and explosively leaped out of the way just in time to avoid the deadly harpoon that struck down at the location she had just been at. Fixer reached back and pulled a spear from its spot on his backpack. Taking a moment to aim as he wound back his arm, he threw the weapon at the king vulture, striking it in one of its wings.

The creature shrieked in pain, turning towards the scavenger as its sights honed in on the new target. As the sights began to blink, Fixer crouched down, and just as the harpoon shot out, he leaped out of the way, barely avoiding a graze by the sharp weapon. With both of its harpoons shot and embedded in the ground, the king vulture was forced to either try to dislodge its weapons to use again or go in close for a bite. It ended up choosing the latter, puffing out a jet of steam from its large wings as it landed on the ground and started to walk on its wings as it advanced on Fixer with frightening speed. He pulled another spear free, hurling it at the vulture and hitting it in its large torso.

The predator did not mind the new injury, still gaining on the scavenger rapidly, even as he tried to scramble backwards and prepare another spear. Just as the vulture king was about to lunge in for a chomp, another spear flew in from the side, striking the creature in the neck. The vulture king flinched back, shrieking again as the spear audibly fizzled. Fixer had just enough time to throw his arms up to shield his face as the spear exploded with a loud bang, knocking the vulture’s mask off its face as its whole neck practically exploded.

He felt the ground shake as the vulture’s massive body hit the floor, narrowly missing Fixer’s prone body. Fixer’s heart beat rapidly in his chest as he breathed heavily, trying to come down from the adrenaline high of almost dying. The king vulture was headless now, the missing body part nowhere to be seen. Despite the situation, he found himself laughing to himself. The explosive spear was obviously the work of a certain explosive slugcat. So badass... He heard panicked mewling echoing somewhere at his side before the drone’s translation reached his ears. "Fixer, where are you?" Artificer’s voice echoed from somewhere at his side; the explosion, along with the vulture king’s corpse shaking the ground, had kicked up a large amount of dust from the ground, which did a good job of hiding Fixer from the slugcat’s view. The scavenger opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out; his throat felt dry as a desert, and he painfully swallowed and coughed as he breathed in some of the dust. "Fix? Please answer me!"

"I’m here…" It’s all he could manage before he had to cough again, his eyes burning in irritation as he used his hand to try to disperse the dust around his face. Rapid footsteps approached, and he heard a muttered swear at his side before a pair of paws helped him to his feet, a supporting arm across his back as he was led, stumbling, away from the vulture corpse.

Once he had been led through the pipe they came from and out of the area, Arti finally let him go and lowered him to the ground. "Are you hurt?" He focused his blurry gaze, blinking away the dust in his eyes so he could properly see his savior. Half her face was covered in vulture blood, and despite the obvious worry in her voice and face, her expression was serious and cold. For some reason, the scavenger felt a warm feeling spread in his chest the longer he looked into her eye. Fixer coughed again as he tried to clear his throat and lungs, which worried the slugcat further as her paws carefully turned and twisted his limbs and checked him over for any visible wounds.

"I don’t think so." He eventually mumbled, finally feeling like he could properly speak and breathe again.

The slugcat's face practically crumpled in relief as she hugged Fixer close. "Don't you dare scare me like that again, alright?"

"I won't" Fixer replied with a chuckle as she eventually backed out of the hug. "Thanks for the save, Arti."

Artificer grimaced at the compliment as she shook her head and reached a paw to her face to wipe off some of the blood. "Don’t thank me; I only made the situation worse."

Fixer made a confused noise as he tilted his head. "How so? I would have been dead had you not blown the vulture king to smithereens." She huffed and shook her head again, glancing away to avoid the scavenger’s questioning gaze.

"A normal spear would have sufficed; I almost ensured you’d be crushed under the weight of the vulture king." Artificer hung her head in shame and closed her eye. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t born this way, with my explosive abilities, they are too destructive and impossible to control." Fixer stayed quiet as she continued. “But we both know that without them, I am nothing, they are the basis of my combat skill. My main ability is to destroy everything I care about, as I have over and over.” A mirthless chuckle left her, before she went completely quiet.

The scavenger huffed and sat up, putting a hand on Artificer’s shoulder to make her look him in the eyes. "Don’t say that, Arti. Your strongest skill in your arsenal isn’t the abilities you were born with. If I’d been in the situation with the king vulture with any of my scavenger brethren, many of them would have taken the first opportunity to run, and leave me to fend for myself. You would never do that, you know why?" The slugcat huffed and tried to look away, but Fixer stopped her with a gentle hand holding onto her chin, one of his fingers wiping some more of the blood off her face. "Because your strongest characteristic is your heart, Arti. I don’t know any other creature as brave as you. You don’t back down from a fight if you think there is even a slim chance of victory, and especially not if you are fighting to protect friends or family! The explosive abilities you have are just a plus on top of that, but they certainly don’t make you worse, and they certainly aren’t destructive to your loved ones! No, you use them only when you have to, only when it’s to protect others." Artificer looked shocked, and Fixer was unsure if he was imagining the way her face seemed to change to a more red color than usual. "Don’t ever forget that, okay?" It was only after the translation was delivered and the slugcat softly smiled towards him and nodded that Fixer realized he was perhaps getting a bit too personal with his pep talk. Was he just imagining things, or did Arti look like she was leaning closer to him? Panicked, he pulled his arm backward, stammering. "I-I’m sorry, Artificer. That was-"

He was interrupted by a soft chuckle from the slugcat as she stood up and pulled the scavenger to his feet. "Don’t worry about it, Fix.” She squeezed his hand affectionately. “I needed to hear that. Thank you." The expression Arti gave as she looked up at him gave the scavenger a fluttering feeling in his stomach as he felt his own face burn up. "Now, let’s see if we can find a spot that doesn’t involve a king vulture, alright?" The slugcat adopted her usual smirky expression as she started to walk, Fixer trailing closely behind her.

"Y-Yeah! Let’s go…"

Finally, the two stepped out onto a flat field. A small collection of trees spread out around the area cast shadows in different spots that provided some cover from the heat. The sun blazed down on them, but even when standing in the middle of the field, it wasn’t so hot that it was unbearable. There was a river nearby, thankfully without any green leeches. The air was fresh, and it wasn’t too far off from the slugcat’s colony, either! Fixer glanced into the skies, confirming that the elevation wasn’t high enough that vultures would be a common problem. They could still come flying, sure, but the chances of that happening weren't too high.

"What say you about this spot, Fix?" Arti asked, her arms at her sides, like she was showing the spot off to the scavenger. "It’s flat; there’s water nearby; there's cover from the sun; it's fairly dry but not sandy." She kicked the ground, sending some of the grassy soil flying as if demonstrating the legitimacy of her claim.

Fixer hummed and nodded; it would work! Not to mention, he knew a fairly good path the scavengers could take to reach the area; with as few predators as possible on the way and little difficult terrain, the tribe could get moved in parts over a few cycles. With help from Arti, the process would also be much easier.

"I dare say we might have a winner!" The slugcat smiled at the response, probably happy that they finally managed to find such a good spot after several cycles of searching. "Of course, I’ll have to probably bring Chieftain over to get a good look as well, but I have no doubt he will approve of the spot." With the help of Arti, the two had managed to warm the tribe leader up to the idea of moving inward, despite the risk it might have meant for the tribe. Fixer was sure he would like the area, and with his approval, they could get to moving everyone over almost immediately!

Arti nodded and looked up at the sun, squinting her good eye. "As long as that delicious dried meat can get made in the area, I will approve of its spot!" Fixer laughed as he practically saw Arti drool at the thought. "You’ll have to show me how to make that meal sometime; not only is it fucking delicious, but it would be useful to take on longer trips!"

"Sure! I mean, I’ve only had the process shown to me once, but I’m pretty sure I can remember how it’s done." The scavenger went into deep thought as he attempted to recall the whole process of sun-drying the lizard meat.

Arti barked a laugh and patted him warmly on the back. "You’re smart; I have no doubt you’ll figure it out!" The slugcat suddenly spotted something behind the scavenger, and she smirked and pointed it out. "There’s another added bonus to the spot: target practice!" Fixer turned around and followed where she pointed, spotting a collection of batfly colonies.

He turned back to the slugcat, and they shared mischievous smirks as Fixer pulled the weapon from his backpack, handing it to Arti with a smile. "As promised, you get to start this time."

She chuckled as she grabbed it by its handles and turned the knob to the stone setting, pointing the barrel towards the unsuspecting batflies. "Such a gentleman."

"Three shots, ten points per batfly; they are smaller targets after all."

"You’re on."

Arti was still feeling fairly sore after once again losing a round of target practice to the scavenger, especially by such a large number of points. She thought her score of eighty points was unbeatable until Fixer managed to get one hundred! She had no idea how the scavenger did it, maybe it had to do with his calmness when taking aim, his expression going from its usual warm and kind, to cold and ruthless as he lined up his shots and pulled the trigger with cold precision. Recalling the expression he held on his face as he handled the weapon made her face burn slightly and she had to shake her head to snap herself out of it. She was supposed to be annoyed with him, after all. Well, if nothing else, the two had some snacks to eat later. Batflies weren’t anything special eaten raw, but Fixer had shown her that roasting the small creatures on a spear over a fire led to a more crunchy and satisfying meal, even for a carnivorous slugcat like her, who usually required a larger amount of meat.

Though not even the promise of a tasty snack later could extinguish the frustration in her gut as the slugcat slid into the shelter, sitting down on the floor and leaning against a wall, crossing her arms, and pouting. Fixer came through next, shooting her an amused look as he took off his backpack and sat down across from her.

"Don’t be a sore loser, Arti! I won fair and square this time."

"I’ll beat you next time, for sure!"

"You’re getting better slowly but surely, so I don’t doubt that!"

"Tch, I’m already great at aiming that thing!"

"Course you are. I’m just greater!"

The slugcat huffed and waved an arm in dismissal as Fixer chuckled. "Whatever." She uncrossed her arms and sighed, shooting a look at the drone at her side that was waiting for her to speak. "Talking through the drone’s translations are annoying; why don’t we try to learn each other’s language instead?" The drone recoiled and beeped as if offended as Arti shot a smug smirk at it.

"That was a bit out of nowhere." Arti shrugged in response. Blame her for feeling a bit adventurous. "Well, learning a language is difficult and takes a lot of time, but we can start with a few simple words, I suppose." The scavenger pulled out his charcoal pen and turned towards one of the shelter walls. "We can both read simple symbols, right?" The slugcat crawled over to his side and nodded. "So we can stop the drone translations and write down a word, then say the word in our respective languages and let the other try to repeat it with proper pronunciation and such."

"Seems like as good a plan as ever; what word should we start with?"

Fixer thought about what word to start with for a short moment. "Let’s start simple." Using the pen, the scavenger wrote down the symbol for ‘Greetings’ on the wall.

Arti scoffed and gave Fixer an amused look. "Not ‘Hello’? ‘Greetings’ seems pretty formal, doesn’t it?"

The scavenger rolled his eyes in response. "Our cultures are pretty different; for us scavengers, ‘Greetings’ is a great way to properly address another." The slugcat nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting, I’ll have to learn a bit more about our cultural differences." Arti reached over and tapped the drone to get its attention before uttering the ‘translate’ command to it, making it reset to its usual red-eyed default mode.

Arti then turned to Fixer and chirped with a nod, confirming that she was ready to hear his word. The scavenger nodded back, pointed at the word, and chittered what she guessed was the word in the scavenger's tongue. Even with a bit of experience in chittering simple sentences, the act of speaking scavenger was incredibly difficult for her. The weird chittering noises that scavengers could easily produce were way more difficult for a slugcat. Her attempts were dreadful; she could tell so herself, and it was confirmed by Fixer shooting her amused looks as she kept attempting to pronounce it. Eventually, she felt her attempt was passable, and she chirped confidently and puffed out her chest as Fixer clapped his hands.

Her turn! With a smirk, Arti pointed at the word and gave the slugcat word for it. Now it was her turn to smirk in amusement as Fixer tried but ultimately butchered the chirps involved. After a few tries, his attempt was passable as well, and the slugcat gave the command to translate to her drone so they could discuss their attempts.

"Not so easy, is it?" Arti laughed as Fixer rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"You have no excuse to be bad at pronunciation; Arti, Monk can manage just fine with our language."

"You don’t have an excuse either. Chieftain can manage just fine with ours as well, you know!"

"Damn, you’re right…"

They tried several simple words after this, like give, take, and thanks. Once they were done, the two felt mentally drained. "Man, learning a language is difficult." Arti muttered once the translations were turned back on.

"It takes a lot of work! I remember it taking me at least a hundred cycles to properly learn to read the ancient’s scriptures. Though I had to do most of the translations by myself almost from scratch, so it was harder than this." The slugcat nodded in awe; she couldn’t even imagine the amount of mental gymnastics required to properly learn a language with help from someone who knew it, much less when there was little documentation available!

She wondered how the ancients functioned—what was their culture like? What was seen as correct or wrong, according to them? It would probably be difficult to find out, but when it came to the scavenger culture, there was one question that had been burning in the back of her mind for a few cycles now. "Hey Fix, I have a question surrounding scavenger culture."

Fixer hummed in response, looking a bit sleepy but nonetheless happy to help her out. "Ask away, Arti. I’ll answer to the best of my ability."

She thought deeply for a moment, considering how to formulate her question. "In the slugcat world, when we find someone we consider to be a compatible mate, we don’t really formally ‘ask’ to be mates with the other. We kind of just show how we feel with our actions, and if the other responds in kind, it means they are considered mates." Arti explained as Fixer nodded. "How do you guys handle the ‘asking for a mate’ business?" The scavenger thought about it for a short moment before responding.

"I haven’t gotten much into the date business, but we are usually a bit more formal; we go on so-called ‘dates’." At the slugcat’s confused expression, he decided to explain the premise. "Basically, if you find another scavenger you consider to be interesting, you might ask them to go on a date with you. If they accept, you meet up at some set time, and then you basically just… hang out and get to know each other a bit better. If there’s attraction on both sides, then the choice to move further might be made, and then the two will officially become mates." It was a lot of information, but Arti got the gist of it. "Does that make sense?"

The slugcat nodded and yawned, leaning into Fixer slightly with a short purr. "Yeah, it does." The scavenger yawned as well, his eyes drooping as he leaned into Arti. Just a short moment later, soft snoring emanated through the den as the two fell into hibernation, snuggled into each other.

The next cycle, the two made their preparations to go their separate ways. "I’ll be available to help you guys out with the moving next cycle; it’s my turn to watch the pup this cycle; you know how it is." Fixer didn’t truly know; he didn’t have the role of pupsitter in the colony, but he could understand the importance of such a job, so he nodded anyway.

"I can imagine. I reckon I’ll meet up with you on the spot, then? Chieftain will probably want us both to convince him of the legitimacy of the area."

Arti nodded with a confident smile. "I’ll be there, and we’ll convince the geezer that we’ve found the best spot!" Fixer laughed and nodded back.

"That sounds like a plan!"

"Though, before you leave, I have one more question for you."

"Yes?"

"How do you ask for one of these ‘dates’ in your language?" Fixer had to stop and think about it for a short moment, since he wasn’t all that inserted in the romantic scene and wasn’t all that sure.

Eventually, he had a response, and Arti turned off the drone’s translation. It was a fairly simple couple of words that essentially translated to: ‘We date?’. The slugcat in front of him nodded in understanding before she cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and repeated the words back at him. It was a crystal clear, perfect translation, asked like a question, while he had presented it more like a statement, and it was directed right at him along with a wink.

Oh.

OH.

Arti smirked as Fixer could feel his face turn an even deeper shade of red than usual. She was waiting for a response, but he had to take a moment before he was able to speak without stuttering. She waited patiently as the scavenger took a few moments to recover from his surprise.

No way; she is way out of your league! You have no experience when it comes to dating your own kind, and you want to try to date a slugcat? One as interesting as she is? Insane! "I accept." Fixer eventually said, nodding.

The slugcat didn’t need to know the words to know the date had been accepted; she smiled warmly and gave her drone the command to translate their conversation once again. "Guess we have to plan a certain time for it then?" Fixer simply nodded in response, not trusting his voice to function properly. "How about... the cycle after we show Chieftain the new place? You can come pick me up at the tree, and you can show me what to do on one of these ‘dates’." Arti’s tone had a certain lilt to it, like when she was being teasing towards him. Only now did Fixer realize the tone was more ‘flirty’.

That’s only two cycles away! Too early; you need more time to prepare mentally! Tell her it’s too early! "Sound’s perfect!" Fixer responded with a dopey grin. Idiot!

Arti smiled warmly, and Fixer felt his heart beat even faster at the sight. "It’s settled then." The slugcat turned around, her tail brushing against the scavenger’s face as his blush deepened further than he thought was possible. "I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Fix." Without another word, she explosively leaped away, disappearing out of his sight after only a few moments, leaving Fixer to stand completely dumbfounded in the same spot.

What the hell have I signed myself up for? He thought as he whipped around and started to move back home, in a hurry to make up some sort of plan for the sudden date he would be going on. Fixer was experiencing a very unique feeling; he felt nervous—more nervous than he’d ever felt in his whole life. At the same time, he felt light as a feather as he moved, the usually heavy backpack feeling like it weighed nothing on his back.

It was the unique feeling he got anytime his thoughts wandered back to Arti, her mischievous grin, her badass scars, and above all else, her fiery personality. He found himself wanting more of it. He’d have to ask one of his fellow scavengers about dating, someone he trusted well and who wouldn’t spill the beans if he had to reveal he would be dating the slugcat, whom most scavengers considered to be the grim reaper herself.

Maybe Collector? He was a loyal friend, and he had experience finding mates. Before Fixer knew it, he was already back at his tribe, passing by other scavengers who nodded their greetings at him. Otherwise, he could talk to Chieftain, though he wasn’t all that sure if he would approve of the relationship. Relationship? You guys haven’t even been on your first date yet! Stop jumping the gun! Fine, possible relationship, then.

The drone at Chieftain's side beeped and projected the symbol for friend, along with an arrow pointed at him. The other scavenger turned around and smiled. "Ah, Fixer! You’ve returned safe and sound." Chieftain stepped forward and gave him a hug and a pat on the back. "It’s good to see you! How did the scouting go? You and Artificer are still getting along well, I hope?"

Fixer chuckled nervously, running a hand at the back of his head. “Yeah, about that…"

"Ah, the two of you are set up to date, then?" Chieftain sent Fixer an amused look upon seeing the scavenger's surprised expression. "I've lived through many more cycles than you, my friend! Nothing escapes these old eyes, especially not obvious love blooming."

"Obvious?!"

"I've seen the way you two look at each other, Fixer. Anyone could see it." The older scavenger laughed as he patted a flustered Fixer on the shoulder.

"You're not mad, then?"

"Mad?" Chieftain tilted his head, an amused smile still visible on his face. "What made you think I'd be mad?"

"I don't know... I didn't think you'd approve of me trying to get with 'The Red Death' herself."

Chieftain laughed at Fixer's response, and the scavenger felt relief at the light-hearted, warm tone of the guffawing. "She is not simply 'The Red Death' anymore; she is Artificer, an ally to our tribe!" The other scavenger placed his hand on Fixer's shoulder, giving him a fond smile. "Let it be known to everyone else in this tribe that you two have my blessing, of course."

Fixer nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. "Thank you, Chieftain."

"Don't mention it, old friend!" Chieftain chuckled again as he started to lead Fixer along for a walk. "Now, let me give you a couple tips when it comes to dating. I'm something of a veteran on that front, I tell you..."

Something told Fixer his future date was going to go just fine.

Chapter Text

"How are you doing?" Survivor’s worried eyes studied him for a long moment, probably keeping an eye out for any twitching of muscles or glassy-eyed stares. Hunter brought a paw to his muzzle and coughed, his headache worsening with the hacking.

"Not too good." His voice was raspier than normal, and his throat felt sore. His mate made a worried sound, putting a paw against his forehead.

"On a scale of one to ten?"

Hunter stopped to think for a moment, really getting a feel for his painful migraine, nausea, aching limbs, sore throat, and foggy mind. "A nine, I’d say." Another cough left him and his mate’s eyes widened in worry. "Not as bad as before Five Pebble’s procedure, but not much better." Survivor nodded, gently guiding him to lie down. The slight movement made Hunter’s vision spin, so he closed his eyes.

"You’re resting this cycle, okay?"

His eyes opened again, staring into his mate’s serious ones. "What? No, Surv. I can-"

"You are staying in bed, Hunter." Ah, there it was. His mate only pulled out the ice-cold serious tone when he deemed it necessary. A quite unbreakable spell, there was no point in arguing; Hunter had already lost the argument.

"Yes, sir." The red slugcat chuckled softly as he settled down on the moss that made up their sleeping spot. Usually it was warm and cozy, but even despite it, Hunter couldn’t help the shivering this cycle.

"I’ll be back shortly to check on you, alright?" His mate leaned in and gave Hunter a lick on the nose, and he responded with a purr. "I’ll get you something to eat too."

"Alright." With one final glance, Survivor walked out of the tree, leaving Hunter alone.

Alone to do nothing at all. He didn’t like just wasting away a cycle doing nothing, so what if he was feeling sick? Hunter could still do work; he did not need to be treated like a pup. With a huff, the red slugcat closed his eyes, feeling his eyes burn the longer he stared towards the bright exit to the tree. He might as well get some shut-eye if he were to be left bedridden; then he could at least maybe recover enough to be allowed out of bed later in the cycle.

Hunter was awoken from his nap by a certain maroon slugcat walking into the tree, holding some sort of cloth in her arms. Once she spotted him and saw he was awake, Artificer gave him a wave and a friendly smile as she walked over. "Hey, Hunter. You doing okay?" Her voice was soft and maternal; it made him want to purr.

"I’m surviving." He coughed a few times as his gaze shifted back to what the other slugcat was holding. "What’s that?"

Arti unfolded the cloth in her arms and held it up by its short ends. "It’s something like a blanket; I received it as a gift from the scavengers a couple cycles ago." She carefully covered Hunter’s prone form with the blanket. It was warm, and it stopped his shivering. He sighed in relief as he curled up under the cover. "I figured you’d need it more than me; I’m not sure what I would use it for anyway." She shot him a playful wink and a smirk.

"Thanks, Arti." Hunter smiled as she ran a paw over the fur on his head, comfortingly.

"Don’t worry about it; you just focus on resting up, alright?"

"Yes, ma’m."

The maroon slugcat barked a laugh as she leaned back. "No need to be so formal with me, kid."

Hunter scoffed and rolled his eyes, ignoring the pain that moving his head around brought. "I’m not a kid, Artificer."

Arti turned around and walked towards the exit of the tree. "Really? I’m not so sure, sometimes!" She stopped at the entrance and laughed as Hunter sputtered indignantly. "I’ll see you later, alright, Hunt?"

"Yeah, see you, Arti." She nodded with another smile before turning around and fully leaving the tree.

Hunter grabbed the blanket and pulled it around himself, sighing again as he closed his eyes, finding it way easier to fall asleep now that he wasn’t exposed to the air of the tree and shivering.

Shortly thereafter, his mate walked through the entrance, making a beeline for Hunter. He was carrying various foodstuffs, some roasted batflies, lizard steak, and some of the orange slime that grows in the shaded place, probably picked up when he visited Five Pebbles a few cycles ago. Everything was being carried on smooth slabs of stone that were being used as improvised plates to hold the food items.

"Wow, that’s a lot of food." He rasped as Survivor carefully placed everything down in front of Hunter. The red slugcat sat up, blanket still wrapped around himself, and looked down at the feast set up in front of him.

“Had to thank you somehow for the flower you gifted me!” Before Hunter had time to comment on the situation with the red lizard, his mate continued."You don’t need to eat it all if you don’t have the appetite." Survivor smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Artificer is fully willing to eat any leftovers that are left behind." Hunter chuckled. That sounded like Arti, all right. "Though, there’s one thing I want you to try eating."

Survivor pointed at the orange slime, and Hunter hesitantly picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled sweet, almost sickly so; that was the prime reason why he never much cared for it. "Why should I eat this?"

"I’ve heard from some sources that it has properties of pain suppression. If they are true, then it could ease some of your pain." Hunter wasn’t sure if he was really buying that, but it was obvious his mate wasn’t going to let him get away without testing the theory, so he huffed.

"Alright, Surv. But if I force myself to eat this goop and it has no effect, I’m blaming you." 

Hunter’s mate laughed and nodded in response. "That’s fair." With a deep sigh, the red slugcat opened his mouth and ate the whole ball of orange slime in a single bite.

He cringed as he chewed, the viscous consistency making the slime get stuck in his teeth. Just as its scent, the slime tasted sweet, horrendously so; it felt like his teeth were burning as the slime practically melded into his canines. Finally, Hunter swallowed, the slime settling like a clump at the bottom of his stomach. If I ate this disgusting slop for no reason, I’m gonna be pissed.

"It’ll probably take a bit of time to kick in, so you can eat anything else you want in the meantime." His mate took a seat across from him, gesturing to the food between them.

Hunter wasn’t feeling a lot of appetite, mostly due to the slime he just consumed but also because of his ever-present nausea. Still, he wouldn’t get any better if he didn’t eat, so he picked up the spear with roasted batflies and took a few bites as Survivor made small talk. Luckily, the slime actually did seem to have some healing properties, as Hunter felt the pain of his migraine and limbs fade slightly. With the migraine softened, his nausea was also suppressed, allowing him to dig into the lizard steak in front of him. He then ravenously ate all the batflies as well when the lizard meat wasn't enough to satisfy him.

His mate laughed as Hunter polished off the last crumbs from the stone plates. "I’m guessing the slime did have some effect, then?"

"Maybe." He responded, slightly flustered that his mate was reminded of his ferocious eating habits.

Survivor didn’t seem to care at all as he gathered the plates. "Do you need anything else?" The red slugcat shook his head and his mate nodded with a smile. "You should take the chance to rest, love. I’m not sure how long the effects of the slime last."

Hunter nodded as he settled down on the moss again, feeling a bit more energized after getting something to eat. "Okay, I love you."

His mate smiled and gave Hunter a lick on the cheek. "I love you too."

He was once again awoken from his rest, this time by a certain slugpup gently shaking him awake with a playful chirp. Hunter yawned and turned to look at Night, who was jumping around excitedly. "Hi, honey. What’s up?" The pup chirped again, batting a paw at his torso before stepping back and jumping excitedly.

She wanted him to give chase.

Hunter smiled and slowly got to his feet, chuckling as Night squealed and whipped around, running. Though as soon as the red slugcat tried to move forward to chase after the pup, he was reminded of his current predicament. On the very first steps, his head exploded with pain, and he gasped as he fell forward, collapsing on the ground while his ears rang. He fearfully anticipated a seizure, but thankfully, it never came. Through the ringing, he heard the slugpup shout out in fear and footsteps quickly approaching before small arms tried their best to wrap around him.

When Hunter’s hearing returned and he opened his eyes, his heart practically broke in two as he heard Night quietly sobbing, nuzzling into his torso as she hugged him as best she could. "I’m alright, kid." He scooped her into his arms, holding the pup close until her sobs eventually faded, replaced with the occasional sniffle. "Just feeling a bit tired, that’s all." Night looked up at him, eyes still wet with tears, as she chirped. It was an unsuccessful lie; Hunter knew this.

The little pup wasn’t stupid; she knew there was something wrong with him; why else would he have muscle spasms from time to time or sometimes have to rest after a long session of play? Night looked thoughtful for a moment before chirping as she came to some sort of revelation. With some effort, she climbed out of his arms and ran deeper into the tree, out of Hunter’s sight.

After a bit of time, she came running back, holding two blue fruits in her arms as she approached. When the pup got near, she put them down in front of Hunter, chirping again as she gave him another hug. The red slugcat recognized the gesture; he and his mate had given the pup the blue fruit, her favorite food, anytime she was upset or hurt and needed comforting. Now, she was doing the same for Hunter; even if blue fruit was far from his favorite, he knew of the intent behind the action.

"Thank you, Night." She chirped happily in response as he wrapped his arms around her, cradling the pup in his arms while purring. Slowly, he crawled back to his spot on the moss, wrapping himself in the blanket while also covering Night as she yawned and closed her eyes, snuggling into the fur on his arms.

I wonder how much of the cycle has passed. Hunter thought as he looked towards the tree’s exit, trying to gauge when nighttime was coming in the shade of the sun’s light. With a hum, he started to gently rock the cradled pup back and forth. Hunter smiled fondly as he started to hear quiet snores from the pup in his arms. Upon hearing steps in front of him, he looked up to see Monk and his red lizard walking into the tree.

Immediately, Hunter hugged his pup closer to himself protectively, ignoring his pain as he hissed at the terrifying predator, who mostly just seemed bored as she looked around the room. "Just because you’re sick doesn’t mean you get to be rude to Ruby, Hunter." The yellow slugcat’s voice was serious, but his expression held an amused grin.

"I’m cradling a sleeping pup here, Monk. I don’t need your killing machine to scare the life out of her!" He kept his voice low, whisper-yelling to avoid waking Night, who was already stirring slightly from Hunter’s quick movements.

Hunter started to rock the pup again while keeping a close eye on Ruby, sighing in relief when he felt the pup relax again. Monk shrugged with an easy smile. "Night would never get scared of Ruby, Hunter. The little pup loves playing with her, you know that." The red slugcat shuddered; he did not need a reminder that such a killing machine was playing with his pup. He still remembered the heart attack he almost suffered when he happened across Night playing tag with the red creature! "Ruby’s here to help you anyway. Did you know that the purring of a lizard has a healing and soothing effect, much like a slugcat’s purr?" Hunter huffed in response; he wasn’t interested in Monk’s weird lizard trivia. "I figured the healing effect would probably help you out, Hunter. But since every slugcat is busy and can’t help out, I was thinking Ruby could be a stand-in!" Monk smirked and enthusiastically gestured towards the red lizard.

Hunter turned his gaze to Ruby, who looked back with an uninterested expression on her face. He turned back to Monk, scowling. "Surv won’t accept this!"

Monk chuckled and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest with a smug grin. "On the contrary, my brother was easily convinced! He has already approved of my plan." The red slugcat shook his head with a huff. The betrayal! From my own mate... "Enough talking. Ruby!" The red lizard perked up and turned to the yellow slugcat at her side.

"Monk, don’t you dare…"

"Go cuddle with Hunter; make sure to give him lots of love." As the lizard turned back to look at Hunter, Monk turned around and used his fingers to give him a peace sign over his shoulder as he walked off.

"Son of a…" As the red lizard started to walk towards him, Hunter hissed and bared his teeth in warning, turning himself slightly to put himself between the predator and the pup in his arms.

Ruby practically rolled her eyes in a huff as she kept approaching, walking around the suspicious Hunter and lying down behind him, probably intending to act as a sort of pillow. After a short moment, she started purring, the sound much lower and louder than any slugcat’s purr.

Hunter felt incredibly tense, not only from being so close to a terrifying predator that could kill him in one second if she felt like it, but also from being in such a situation with his pup so close. Despite this, as the purring continued, Hunter eventually started to feel himself relax, all tension slowly but surely leaving his body.

The red slugcat huffed and glanced back, glaring at the lizard at his back. "I still don’t trust you, lizard." Ruby simply huffed in response, laying her head on the moss and closing her eyes. After watching the predator for a moment to ensure she wasn’t trying anything, Hunter leaned back and decided to use the surprisingly soft body of the lizard as a pillow.

Eventually, Hunter joined in on the purring as he felt his eyes close once again.

Survivor smiled as he walked into the tree and came across quite a touching scene. Hunter was in the same spot as when he had awakened at the start of the cycle, though thankfully he did not look as pained as he had then. For the first time, he actually seemed to be sleeping peacefully through one of his bad cycles. Normally, he would be plagued with nightmares, tossing and turning, awakening often throughout his naps, and sometimes sobbing in his sleep.

Now, there was a smile on his face as he was covered in a cozy-looking blanket. Night was resting on his chest, his arms cradling her close as she lay nuzzled into his fur. At his back lay Ruby, acting as a pillow for his mate, the scary red lizard looking relaxed and sleeping as soundly as the slugcat that usually mistrusted her. A few cycles ago, Hunter would have rather gone through a death cycle than be so close to Ruby, much less sleep right next to her.

The white slugcat felt the same way about the red lizard at first, but after properly seeing the amount of control Monk held over the predator, he started to trust more and more that Ruby wouldn’t hurt them. It was perhaps foolish to trust a wild animal so blindly, but he had a gut feeling, and his gut feelings were usually correct.

As the cycle came to a close, the burning sunlight outside was replaced with the radiant glow of the moon, and Monk and Artificer walked into the tree. The yellow slugcat immediately smirked and turned to the other slugcat, who seemed disappointed over something.

"Ha, as I told you, Arti. Sleeping like a log!"

"Bah, I thought for sure he would be a nervous wreck at this point."

Some sort of bet, Survivor supposed, over something he wasn’t fully sure of, but he would probably find out at some point over the next few cycles, as Monk would no doubt tease the older slugcat over his victory.

As the three other slugcats settled down on the moss as well, all snuggled together in a pile of purring fur, Survivor wrapped an arm around his sleeping mate, resting his other paw on Night, who chirped in her sleep and gripped onto the appendage. Hunter purred in his sleep, shuffling closer to his mate as the white slugcat shut his eyes and smiled.

With this sort of treatment, Hunter was sure to feel better next cycle.

That’s something Survivor would win a bet on!

Chapter Text

I wonder what I will call you. Seven Red Suns thought as they looked down at the purple pup in their arms. The little one was currently indisposed, gripping at the material of their clothes curiously and purring as he settled comfortably in their metallic embrace. Little Messenger does have a nice ring to it, but maybe something more name-like would be appreciated? Suns reached down a finger and booped the little messenger on the nose. He huffed and grabbed their hand with small paws as the iterator chuckled.

After a moment, the little messenger suddenly closed their eyes, seeming to be focusing on something. An organically grown spear-like weapon started to grow from one of the holes in their tail, and the pup expressed surprise when he opened his eyes and spotted the full-grown spear sticking out. He already seemed to have figured out his main quirk, which was good considering it was essentially what he would use to eat. The pup looked unsure of what to do; he reached one of his paws towards the white spear, stopping just before grabbing it and looking up at Suns, as if asking for permission.

The iterator chuckled and nodded, hoping the little messenger would understand. He did, grabbing onto the spear and pulling it free of his tail, turning the weapon over in his paw with awe in his eyes. The pup also took the time to study the organic strand of tissue that connected the siphoning weapon to his tail. When he was happy with studying it, he looked up to Suns, offering the spear to them. They took it carefully out of his little paws, the strand disconnecting as it was handed over, and studied the sharp, needle-like spear. It was small in their own hands, but the perfect size for the tiny pup to handle. The sound of another spear growing caught their attention, and Suns turned back to see their little messenger making another spear. Once it was grown, he pulled it free and offered it to the iterator.

Suns’ fans let out something that could be considered an amused huff as they once again accepted the gift. It was only after this had gone on for quite a while, with Suns holding a stack of at least five needles in each hand, that they figured out the perfect name for the messenger. You will be called Spearmaster! It makes the most sense, considering your dependence on the spears you grow for survival as well as your obvious liking for doing so. The iterator lowered themselves to the ground, placing the spears on the floor and adjusting their grip on the messenger, holding them under their armpits at arm’s length.

Spearmaster, it is perfect. The iterator laughed at Spearmaster’s confused expression before pulling them closer and cradling the pup in their arms again. The little messenger purred as they nuzzled into Suns, letting out a sigh of what the iterator presumed and hoped was happiness.

The next thing on the agenda would be to teach you how to hunt.

Spearmaster slid out of the pipe leading back to Suns’ can, looking around as he clutched one of his nails tightly in his small paws. Once he spotted the iterator’s red overseer projecting their likeness, the messenger looked slightly relieved and walked closer to it as Suns waved their hand in greeting. Despite this being his first time out of the safety of my chamber, he doesn’t seem nervous or scared. Suns thought in awe as they started to scan Spearmaster’s surroundings, trying to find something small and easy for him to try to hunt for the first time.

Eventually, they spotted a perfect target: a small group of miniature centipedes, utterly harmless even to the pup’s tiny size. He pointed them out to his messenger, who studied the creatures for a moment before turning to Suns and nodding. The iterator showed him the basic movement by mimicking holding a nail, pulling back their arm, and then throwing it. Spearmaster nodded again and turned back to the centipedes, who were completely unaware of their imminent spearing. With a deep breath, he raised the nail in his paw, testing the weight for a moment before taking aim and throwing it.

A direct hit! With a thunk, the nail pierced the creature and imbedded itself in the wall the centipede was resting on, pinning the dead creature. Spearmaster turned back to Suns’ overseer, and the iterator clapped their hands and nodded, impressed by the very first throw of their messenger being such a strike. The messenger looked happy and excited over his display, perking up at the iterator’s praise. The strand still connecting the tail and needle pulsed as the nutrients in the centipede were siphoned into the messenger. Once all available nutrients had been absorbed, the strand disconnected from the tail and stayed attached to the needle, which slowly lost its white color and eventually became completely black.

The nutrients absorbed from their messenger’s first ever kill, however small, seemed to be enough to satisfy the small pup as he yawned and sluggishly slid back through the pipe into Suns’ can, soon to arrive back in the iterator’s chamber. It didn’t take a lot of time for Spearmaster to come back, popping out of Suns’ access hatch and floating through zero gravity surprisingly effectively, eventually ending up in their arms. The pup yawned again, settling down in Suns’ arms and purring as the iterator ran a finger through the fur on his head, periodically scratching him behind the ears.

As Spearmaster fell asleep, Suns considered how they would handle future two-way communication with the mouthless being in their arms. Something involving gestures and sign language would probably be best. With a swipe of their hand, the iterator started to research previous coded languages to borrow some gesticulations from.

(What is that you have there?) Suns signed at Spearmaster when he came back to their chamber after his usual hunting run. Normally, the older slugpup would come in empty-handed or holding one or two of his needles. This time, he was carrying something else—something shiny, blank, and round. A pearl.

(Pearl.) Their messenger signed simply, floating over and giving Suns a quick hug before handing the object over. (You read pearls, right?)

The iterator chuckled and turned on the gravity in the chamber, lowering them both to the ground. They gestured around the chamber, specifically at the several pearls lying on the floor around them. (What gave you that idea?) Spearmaster huffed and rolled his eyes as best he could without pupils as Suns read the pearl.

It contained an image of another pearl, like the one Suns was just reading. Looking closer, the image of the pearl contained another image of the same pearl. This went on infinitely, presumably. The iterator glanced up at Spearmaster, who was staring at the pearl as well; his eyes squinted as if he could read the pearl as well if he only focused hard enough. (What does it say?) He eventually signed at Suns, who considered their response for a short moment.

(The pearl contains an image of another pearl just like it. That image also contains an image of the same pearl, which contains another image of the pearl, and so on and so forth.) The number of times Suns were forced to sign the word pearl seemed to have thoroughly confused their little messenger. (Just someone trying to be a comedian.) Spearmaster still seemed confused but presumably realized it was nothing special, so he let it go. (Where did you get this pearl, anyway?)

The messenger paused for a moment, averting their eyes as they thought for a long time about what to sign. When they did sign, they did so quickly while still avoiding eye contact with the iterator. (I just  found it on the ground.)

Suspicious. Suns narrowed their eyes at Spearmaster, who caught a glance at the look and tensed slightly. (I know every inch of your hunting area, Spear, and there have never been any pearls just lying around.)

The purple pup sighed and slumped slightly, knowing he had been caught red-handed. (I got it from scavengers.)

This made Suns pause for a short moment. Scavengers around their can wasn’t exactly an abnormality, but for them to be this close... (Did you trade them for it?) The iterator knew that the creatures valued spears, at least in some sense, and since Spearmaster could effectively create an infinite number of them, it wasn’t completely out of the question.

(Not exactly.) The slugpup signed guiltily, looking down at the ground nervously for a moment as Suns realized what this meant.

(Messenger.) They signed when Spearmaster glanced back at them, crossing their arms over their chest in disapproval.

(They attacked me first!) The messenger signed desperately. (It was self-defense.) He huffed and wrapped his arms around himself, looking Suns in the eyes.

The iterator studied the body language of Spearmaster for a moment longer before sighing. (I believe you.) The purple slugpup sighed in relief and nodded. (Just please try to avoid scavengers from now on, little messenger. They are a dangerous foe to have.)  

Spearmaster nodded and gave a small salute to the iterator, which made them chuckle amusedly at their messenger’s professionalism.

Suns sighed in relief as their overseer showed Spearmaster how to finally reach an accessible pipe that led into Five Pebble’s can, the messenger sighing as well as he knelt down to rest for a moment. It had been a harrowing journey, but their little messenger had managed to get through without dying once. Any obstacles in his way had been handled either by running away or by fighting with his organic needles.

As the messenger slowly but surely made their way towards Five Pebbles' access hatch, Suns noticed some signs of nervousness in the young slugcat. It was sort of funny; the iterator had seen Spearmaster battle his way through hordes of predators who all wanted to eat him alive without so much as a twitch in his serious expression. But now that he was about to meet with a separate iterator from the one he had known his whole life, the messenger seemed very anxious, fidgeting slightly with a needle in his paws as he floated through zero gravity, just one hatch away from the chamber.

Just before he passed through, Suns’ projected themselves in front of Spearmaster. (Are you okay?)

The slugcat hesitated for a short moment before responding. (Nervous…)

The look on their messenger’s face made the iterator wish they could reach through the overseer and give Spearmaster a hug. (It will be okay, Spear. Five Pebbles is nice; he won’t harm you.)

(You promise?)

(I promise.)

Spearmaster nodded and, with an expression of newfound determination, passed through the pipe into the pink iterator’s chamber. Suns ordered their overseer to follow, and it popped out of one of the chamber’s walls, letting it get a good look at the inside. There were pearls of different colors floating around in slow circles around Five Pebbles, who seemed very focused as he sifted through miscellaneous information stored on the orbs.

Upon hearing movement, the iterator turned to look at the newcomer who was floating around in front of him, offering a small wave in greeting. Five Pebbles looked around and, upon spotting Sun’s overseer, nodded. "Ah, Seven Red Suns, I was wondering when you would come."

"My apologies for the wait, Five Pebbles! The route between our cans contains a lot of dangers."

"Do not worry; I have not waited for long." The iterator turned back to Spearmaster, studying the messenger for a short moment. "You must be Suns’ messenger." The slugcat’s face twisted in confusion, but when he realized he had been asked a question, he nodded slowly. 

Five Pebbles turned the gravity on, lowering himself, Spearmaster, and the pearls to the floor of the chamber. The iterator gestured for the messenger to approach, and the slugcat slowly stepped closer. "Be careful; the little guy’s nervous." Suns said, feeling a bit nervous themselves.

"Do not worry; I will be gentle."

To Suns’ relief, Pebbles held true to his word, extracting the pearl from the chest of Spearmaster as gently as they themselves had put it in, before reading the contents, committing them to memory, and sealing the pearl back inside just as carefully. Spearmaster seemed relieved, putting a paw to his chest and taking a deep breath.

"If you want, you can stay and recuperate, little messenger." Pebbles offered. Spearmaster turned to Suns’ overseer, asking for a translation. Once the iterator had signed what had been said, the slugcat seemed slightly surprised but nodded nonetheless.

Seven Red Suns and Five Pebbles spent the rest of the cycle engaged in small talk about various topics, including how the different members of the local group were faring and some discussions about the self-destruction taboo, among other things. Spearmaster was curled up around the pink iterator’s shoulders (Pebble’s arms hadn’t been big enough to comfortably support the slugcat), getting some well-deserved rest after his long journey.

With how well this trip to Five Pebbles’ can went for the little messenger, it was comforting for Seven Red Suns to know it would always be a safe journey for Spearmaster to take to a mutual friend.

Chapter Text

"Take it from me, Fixer. A good first date for you two would just be a relaxing trip across the region, safest available path with some interesting spots of your own choosing; you know the area best after all." Chieftain told him confidently, and Fixer hummed, not entirely convinced.

"Would Arti really appreciate something like that?"

"Anyone appreciates a good view! Also, when the stars and moon come out at night." Chieftain chuckled as his eyes seemed filled with nostalgic memories. "Nothing beats that, my friend! Pick a spot where the rain does not come, ensure the skies are clear, and wait until nighttime!" Fixer nodded at that; it did seem like something nice and peaceful for them both to enjoy, and he did know the region well enough to have a good idea of where they could go.

The next cycle, Fixer, Artificer, and Chieftain all met up at the designated spot the duo had chosen the previous cycle. The leader of the scavengers studied the area closely, squinting at the sun that was high in the air, periodically standing under the natural shaded spots in the form of smaller trees, and bending down to sift through the soil underneath his feet. Meanwhile, Artificer and Fixer stood off to the side, waiting with bated breath for his opinion on the spot they had chosen.

Chieftain looked very strict in his judging, humming and grunting to himself as he seemed to almost want to explore every single inch of their chosen spot. It came to a point where Fixer started to question whether he was actually doing a serious check still or was just playing around with the two at that point.

After a moment, Artificer leaned over and tapped Fixer on the shoulder, whispering. The drone translated and, funnily enough, also read out the translation in a quieter voice than usual. "Are you sure that all the requirements were truly met for this spot?" 

"I am ninety-nine percent sure; it is a very good spot."

"Ninety-nine?" She said this, tilting her head in confusion. "Why not a hundred?"

"No one can ever be a hundred percent sure of anything, Arti." Fixer responded matter-of-factly. "There is always a technical chance of the other expected outcome occurring in any situation, no matter how small." Artificer snorted in response, giving him a playful punch in the arm with a smirk on her face.

"Neeerd." Fixer smiled and rolled his eyes amusedly in response.

Finally, Chieftain turned back towards the duo with a smile on his face. "Everything seems in order!" He said as he walked towards them, dusting his hands off. "It’s a very good spot for our tribe; all that is left is for us to move everything over." Both Fixer and Artificer released a breath they hadn’t realized they’d been holding.

"Only the hard part left, then!" Artificer said as the trio started the trek back to the tribe.

"I’d say finding the spot was the hard part myself, Arti."

"Of course you’d say that, almost getting chomped by a king vulture and all." Artificer said the teasing tone in her sentence was clear despite the drone's monotone voice. Fixer grumbled in response. "Don’t worry, you’ll get the chance to pay me back for saving your life." Fixer felt his face burn up as the slugcat’s tail caressed his face, a sly grin on her face. 

The scavenger caught Chieftain glancing back at them with an amused smile before quickly turning his head to look forward again. "Y-Yes, well, I suppose I will get that chance when we meet next cycle." Fixer said in an attempt to save face.

Artificer hummed, her smile softening to a more fond one. "I don’t doubt that, Fix. I look forward to it." Fixer had to avert his eyes from the slugcat’s gaze, afraid that his head would explode from the amount of blushing his face was experiencing.

The next cycle truly could not come fast enough.

Before Fixer knew it, the time had come for the date, and the scavenger was standing in front of the pipe leading to the tree, wearing a satchel over his hip, a stark contrast to the big bag on his back he usually carried. It held some of the essentials he always carried: medicine, a lantern, food, and drink. Though he was also carrying a few blankets, the night would probably get cold after all. Along with that, he had a small bundle of cherrybomb plants tied together with twine. Before passing through to head to the tree, the scavenger looked at his reflection in a nearby puddle of water, making sure he looked his best.

What fur he had on his body was clean and brushed through; the tips of his horns had been painted a light red color in accordance with the ritual of ‘dating’, and the pearls that were hanging off short strings attached to his horns were still there. Satisfied, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves and finally slipped through the pipe.

He came out into a wide, open field; the tree right in front of him was in the distance as he started to walk. Only in that moment did he realize he had never actually seen the tree for himself, and he could see why the slugcats had decided to make it their colony from the get-go. Not only was the tree sizeable and able to house a large number of people, it was also in an area of the region that experienced the least amount of lethal rain, and last but not least, there seemed to be a lot of natural food growing nearby, not to mention the presumably small amount of predators around.

As he approached, he spotted Monk, who was standing a bit away. He was wearing his usual satchel as well, and Fixer realized they were now sort of matching when it came to bags. The slugcat was looking at something and mewling loudly in slugcat language, clapping his paws together. After a moment, a creature came charging towards him—a red lizard!? Immediately, Fixer stopped and reached for one of the spears strapped to his back, though he stopped when the lizard dropped some sort of rock at Monk’s paws, the yellow slugcat saying something and patting the lizard.

Is that a tamed red lizard?

The scavenger knew Monk had experience taming lizards, but a red lizard? Seriously? One mistake with such a dangerous creature could lead to a quick and brutal death. Fixer crouched down and stayed as still and quiet as he could. He could only hope the lizard hadn’t spotted him in time. Unfortunately, the predator smelled the air and turned its head towards him, growling. This is it; this is how I die this cycle. Luckily, just as it seemed as if the lizard would charge at him, Monk followed its gaze and spotted him. "Fixer!" The yellow slugcat put a hand out in front of the large creature, whispering something Fixer could not hear.

To his shock and surprise, the lizard actually listened to Monk’s commands, stopped growling, and laid down on the ground with a huff. The slugcat patted the predator on the head and waved Fixer over. He did not exactly feel like walking over and standing next to the terrifying creature, but he supposed he would have to if he wanted to pick up Arti, so with hesitating steps, he approached.

"Hello, Monk." He mumbled as he got within arm’s reach, shooting nervous glances at the lizard still lying off to the side, glaring at him.

Fixer was momentarily startled out of his nervousness when Monk immediately grabbed hold of his hand with both of his paws and shook vigorously. "It’s so good to see you again; it’s been a few cycles, hasn’t it?"

Fixer nodded and glanced at the red predator again. He felt like it was just waiting for its time to strike and rip him to shreds. "Yes, it has been a while."

"Oh! You haven’t met Ruby yet, have you?" Monk let go of the scavenger’s hand and pointed a thumb at ‘Ruby’ as the lizard was apparently called. Fixer shook his head in response. "Well, Fixer, this is Ruby; don’t worry, she is very nice!" The yellow slugcat shot him a playful wink, his tail raised and quivering slightly in what Fixer hoped was excitement. "Ruby, this is Fixer, a good friend." He gestured towards the scavenger, who waved his hand in greeting. "In other words, not food. Okay?" The red lizard huffed in response, lowering her head to the floor but never once taking her eyes off the scavenger.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ruby?" The predator huffed again and narrowed her eyes.

Monk suddenly appeared at Fixer’s side, throwing an arm around his shoulders—or, well, he tried, but the shorter slugcat only reached up to the middle of his back just about. "Anyway, you’re here for a 'date', aren’t you?"

"Yes, that is right." Fixer couldn’t help but blush slightly as Monk chuckled and started to lead him towards the tree, Ruby standing up and following closely behind like a massive bodyguard.

"Hey, don’t tell Arti I told you this, but this date with you is pretty much all she’s talked about in recent cycles." The yellow slugcat shot another wink at Fixer. "She’s already head over heels for you, my friend. All you need to do is deal the killing blow and really serenade her. You get me?"

She was excited for the date. Fixer felt his heart warm at this; she was excited! Perhaps as excited as he was? Maybe as nervous as well... "I will try..." Fixer responded anxiously as Monk chuckled again. They were almost at the tree now.

"You will do fine, my friend! Just be yourself, alright?"

"Alright."

When they reached the entrance to the tree, Monk let go of Fixer and backed up toward the entrance of the tree, facing the scavenger the whole way. "I’ll go get the lady; you wait here with Ruby." The slugcat shot finger guns at the scavenger before disappearing into the tree.

Fixer took another breath to try to cease his nervousness as he reached into the satchel at his hip to pull out the bundle of cherrybombs, blatantly ignoring the suspicious stare that Ruby was giving him. Though he was startled out of his action by the sound of approaching footsteps from behind, from the field at his back. The scavenger turned around, coming face to face with a red slugcat carrying a quite large, dead centipede over their shoulder and sporting a scar over the eye and several other parts of their body. Fixer took a surprised step back, wondering how the slugcat could get so close without making way more noise. Ruby did not seem to like the red slugcat all that much, switching her glare towards them instead. The scavenger recovered quickly from the sudden surprise appearance, reaching a hand out for the red slugcat to shake.

"Hello, I am Fixer." He introduced himself in slugcat, unsure if he got it correct at all but still giving the other a friendly smile.

"I know who you are." The slugcat chittered in scavenger, his voice rough like sandpaper as he scowled at him. Fixer lowered his hand in confusion. Did he know this slugcat? He couldn’t remember...

"My apologies, have we met?"

"You are Fixer; Arti has mentioned your ‘date’." The slugcat’s attempts at chittering were very rough, barely legible to Fixer, and only just understandable. The scavenger nodded with some hesitation, not really liking the look on the slugcat’s face; it was threatening, not friendly at all, as the smaller creature bared his teeth and hissed, his tail thumping the ground in clear irritation. "I don’t trust scavs, Fixer." The red slugcat looked away for a moment to glare at Ruby. "Even less than I trust lizards." Ruby growled in response as the slugcat turned back to Fixer and huffed. He tilted his head as he looked the scavenger up and down. "But since Arti likes being around you and you have treated her well, I will let my distrust of you slide."

Fixer swallowed and nodded, looking for a way out of the uncomfortable conversation. "Um, okay. That’s good, but I think it’s best if I-"

He was interrupted by the other creature growling, and the scavenger took a careful step backward, the slugcat following with a step of his own. "However, let it be known that if I ever find out you have hurt Arti’s feelings or anyone else in my family in any way…" 

The centipede was suddenly dropped to the ground as the fur on Fixer’s chest was grabbed with rough paws. Before Fixer could react, he was pulled down to be eye-level with the slugcat. Staring into the slugcat’s eyes, it was clear Fixer was unmatched, both in skill and in sheer ruthlessness. He raised his hands to show he did not want any violence, even though he was sure the creature in front of him would not care all that much. The slugcat’s tail was whipping rapidly, a clear sign of aggression.

"Then I will fucking kill you, Fixer, and I will make it as slow and painful as possible." A cruel smirk grew on the slugcat’s face, and Fixer froze in fear, the expression reminding him of being stuck in the shaded tunnels during Arti’s massacre. "Do we have an understanding, scav?" The scavenger nodded rapidly, his eyes wide in fear. The slugcat’s smirk changed to a more faux-friendly smile as he released the scavenger and spent a moment dusting him off. "Good." He bent down and picked the centipede back up, patting Fixer on the shoulder once as he walked past him. "Have a good date, Fixer."

Fixer turned around and kept his eyes on the red slugcat as he pranced towards the tree, lugging the centipede along like it weighed nothing. As he passed through the entrance, Arti came out as well, the drone at her side spotting Fixer and beeping. The red slugcat nodded to her in greeting as she gave him a suspicious glance, maybe wondering why he seemed so happy and full of himself. Her suspicious expression melted away when she turned forward and spotted Fixer, shooting him a nervous smile as she stepped forward.

All of the scavenger’s previous fear from the previous slugcat’s threats melted away as he looked over his date. Her maroon fur practically glowed in the sun, well groomed and taken care of just like Fixer’s own. On her head sat a recently picked glow flower just above her scar, only adding to the slugcat’s radiating beauty. The scavenger was in complete awe.

The drone at the slugcat’s side had already been told to translate, though she didn’t need it for her greeting, which was chittered in scavenger as she wrapped her arms around his torso, her tail pointed upward like a flagpole. "Greetings, Fix." 

"Hello, Arti." He responded in slugcat, happy that they both still remembered some of the very simple language lessons they took a couple cycles ago.

He only had just enough brain power left after his shock to reciprocate the hug. After a moment, Arti pulled back, her face slightly worried. "I hope Hunter didn’t bother you too much." Fixer shook his head absent-mindedly, almost having forgotten about the red slugcat (apparently Hunter) being a bother already. "He means well, but he’s far from trusting around strangers." The maroon slugcat chuckled and shook her head with a fond smile on her face. “He’ll warm up to you eventually.” Taking a small step back, she looked the scavenger over for a moment. "I like your get-up, Fix; very handsome." Fixer felt his blush return as he scratched the back of his head. "The satchel is cool too; it fits you."

"You think?" Fixer felt like his backpack fit him better, but he supposed it felt really nice not to have to carry it around all the time; it was fairly heavy after all.

"Yeah!" Arti nervously chuckled and averted her eyes. "I feel sort of underdressed next to you, to be honest." It was said in a joking tone, but Fixer could hear a bit of anxious seriousness in her voice before it was translated.

"Don’t say that, Arti. You look…" Fixer struggled to find a word that would do her beauty justice for a short moment. "Absolutely breathtaking."

The slugcat blushed, a smile on her face as she averted her eyes, flustered. "You have a way with words; I’ll give you that." Fixer chuckled in response, glad to have gotten his point across.

They stood in silence for a short moment, neither party sure of what to say next, until Fixer remembered the cherrybombs in his satchel. "Oh, that’s right! I have something for you, Arti." He exclaimed, reaching into the bag at his hip as the slugcat watched curiously. After a short time, the scavenger produced the small bundle of cherrybombs from his satchel, offering them to the slugcat. Her eyes widened, and she accepted the gift, looking the plants over. "They are found in many places; you have probably seen them before in your travels. The berries of the plant, the ones that cause the small explosions, can be extracted and crushed into a fine powder. This explosive powder can later be used to make high-quality but easy-to-blow explosives. Sort of like the ones we scavengers make use of, but more dignified, we make ours out of oil extracted from beehives…" The scavenger trailed off as he realized he was talking too much and forced himself to stop. "Sorry for rambling; I find it very interesting, that is all."

Before Fixer had any time to feel guilty over boring his date, Arti hugged him tightly and laughed. "It’s an awesome gift, Fix. Thank you so much. You’re going to have to show me the process of making the explosives, though. I have no clue where to start."

"Of course." Fixer smiled and puffed up his chest, happy that Arti enjoyed his gift.

"Also, you don’t ever have to worry about boring me with your rambling, Fix." Arti walked up to his side and squeezed his hand affectionately, purring. "I like it when you share your knowledge." Fixer felt his face burn up as he nodded in response, and the maroon slugcat giggled. "I’m going to put your gift inside the tree, then we can get going, alright?"

"Alright."

"I won’t keep you waiting too long." She winked and gave his hand another squeeze before walking off towards the tree, looking over the bundle of cherrybombs in her paw with a happy smile.

Going really well so far. Fixer thought as he looked up at the sky, and a dopey smile spread upon his face before he could stop it. There were no clouds either; a cloud-free, sunny sky meant the stars would be beautiful at night. The scavenger felt giddy when he thought of Arti’s reactions to the various spots he was planning to take her to.

He couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

It did not take long for the duo to reach the first spot Fixer had picked out; only about a quarter of the cycle had gone by when they reached a forested area with a running river. Hand-in-paw, the scavenger led the slugcat along the water, knowing exactly where to go. Fixer had found the area many cycles ago, very recently after the tribe had been forced to move out of the city and into this new region. As the two passed through a brush, they came upon what he wanted to show Arti.

A sizeable lake was right in front of them; the sun shining down on the water made it look like it was glittering, and when surrounded by the lush greenery of the forest, it looked spectacular. At the other end of the lake, there was a small cliff with a naturally running waterfall, which made the area seem even more fantastical and peaceful. The sound of running water echoed through the small forest they were standing in.

Fixer took a moment to scan the area, ensuring there were no predators or other dangers that could interrupt the two. Coming up empty, he turned to Arti and smiled. Her eyes were wide with awe as she stared at the waterfall. The look of wonder and amazement on her face was exactly what the scavenger had been looking for when he picked out the area.

"Beautiful." The slugcat mumbled as her eyes explored every inch of the spot. Fixer nodded in agreement, giving her paw a squeeze.

"Very much so."

"How did you even find this place, Fix?" Arti asked, turning to the scavenger with a tilted head.

Fixer chuckled as he sent the slugcat a wink. "I have my ways."

Arti tsked in response, giving the scavenger a playful nudge. "Very secretive about your methods, huh?" 

"Someday, I might share them with you, if I feel like it, of course." The two shared an easy laugh at their banter for a few moments before Arti’s gaze seemed to get stuck on something in the lake.

"I don't think I’ve ever seen a plant like that before." The slugcat said as she pointed at the small collection of lilypucks in the middle of the lake.

Fixer hummed. "Well, they typically grow in water, which I know you’re not too fond of."

"Hah, that’s a far too nice way to put it." Arti responded, leading Fixer to sit down with her by the edge of the lake. "How much do you know of them?"

"I have quite a bit of knowledge surrounding them."

"Can you share some of it?"

"Of course." Fixer smiled, happy to have someone around who actually wanted to listen to his constant informational ramblings about random stuff. "Like I said, they are aquatic plants that can be found in most bodies of water, usually underground, but they can also grow above ground, as seen here." He gestured to the plans and glanced at Arti, who nodded, still listening closely. "Underground, I’ve seen them emit very small amounts of colored light, the same color as the flowers on their top, though the color quickly fades when detached from their underwater stem. They are actually edible and can be prepared into meals when in a pinch for food." 

Fixer shot another glance at the slugcat at his side to ensure he wasn’t boring her, only to find her completely captured by his informational dump, paw on her chin, and head slightly tilted as both her ears were tilted in his direction, listening closely. Her tail was pointed upward once again, in a gesture that the scavenger now believed must mean contentment. The same fluttering feeling Arti had given him a couple cycles ago came back tenfold as he kept explaining.

"The leaves are surprisingly tough and sharp; I once had a theory that they could be used as spears, but testing would be a bit too dangerous..."

"You know, I can always help you out with your ‘lilypuck spear theory’." Arti suddenly spoke up as the two were climbing up a small cliffside.

"Would you really want to do so?" Fixer asked as he reached down to help pull the slugcat up a particularly high ledge.

"Hell yeah! Who wouldn’t say no to a bigger arsenal?" The dangerous grin on her face made Fixer’s heart do a backflip.

"It would probably be dangerous, involving throwing the homemade spears at lizards and such." Arti explosively jumped onto the next ledge, reaching down and pulling Fixer up this time.

The slugcat grinned and gave the scavenger’s arm a squeeze. "You’re really selling the idea for me, Fix!" Fixer chuckled in response as Arti looked thoughtful. "Hmm, do you think my explosive spit would work to make the lilypucks explode as well as spears?" She looked incredibly excited about the idea.

Fixer nodded in deep thought. That was a very good question; he hadn’t actually considered that! "We’ll add that to the testing if you are willing, of course."

"To reiterate: hell yeah!" Artificer laughed again and turned to keep climbing, only to stop when she spotted the view from where the two stood. "Wow."

The sun was just starting to disappear behind the horizon, casting a beautiful orange and red hue over the duo as they stood to watch. There was a small smattering of clouds spread out loosely over the otherwise clear sky, but they were not many enough to interrupt the sunset or choke out its beautiful color.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Once again, Arti was in awe, and Fixer couldn’t help but give himself a mental pat on the back, along with giving a quiet thank you to Chieftain for recommending the date activities.

"I have, but I’ve never seen it this beautiful." It was true that Fixer had only ever stopped to admire the sunset when the sky had been suffocated with dark clouds, dampening the true beauty of the sun’s descent.

"I can’t remember how long it was since I just stopped and enjoyed small things like this." Arti said, her eye slightly teary as she kept her gaze locked on the stunning view.

Fixer nodded in agreement. It was a shame that the usual cycle in these lands never really allowed for a moment like this, with how much work usually needed to be done. However, this cycle, there were no worldly expectations of the duo; they had all the time in the world. The two stayed staring for a moment longer, until the sun had eventually passed fully and become hidden beneath the skyline.

"There is more yet for you to enjoy, Arti." Fixer said, offering his hand to the slugcat. "I have one more spot I’d like to show you." Arti smiled and nodded as she allowed him to take her paw in his hand, leading her further up the mountain towards the peak.

By the time the two of them had almost reached the summit, the sun had completely disappeared, the darkness of the night enveloping the whole region, with only the light of the moon illuminating their surroundings. Luckily, Fixer had fully prepared for this and simply pulled the lantern out of his satchel, using the illuminating light it granted to safely reach the top with Arti.

When they reached the crown of the mountain, Fixer took one of the blankets out of his satchel and spread it out on the ground near the edge, giving the two a soft cushion to sit on. After they’d taken their seats, Fixer took his satchel off his shoulder and placed it to the side. Then the scavenger took out another, bigger blanket, which he used to wrap them both up to stave off the cold of the night. He also put away the lantern, making sure that the full beauty of the night sky could be experienced as naturally as possible.

“Now that we are properly seated," Fixer started, reaching for his satchel once again. “You hungry?”

“Void, yes.” 

Fixer chuckled as he unpacked the food he had brought: roasted batflies on metal sticks, blue fruit crushed into a sugary paste, and, of course, the dried meat Arti was so fond of. The meal was consumed quickly; the two were incredibly hungry from a long cycle of walking and climbing. Though that only made the food taste even better as they ate at their own pace, not having to worry about incoming rain or avoiding predators. Once they were both full and satisfied, there was not a crumb left behind.

"That was delicious, I'm stuffed!" The slugcat said after finishing her batflies, sighing in relief as the gnawing hunger of the cycle was satisfied.

Fixer nodded in agreement. "Same here."

“How did you get that dried meat, anyway?” Arti spoke up as she licked her paws clean. “I thought you guys weren’t able to dry anymore of it in this region, considering the lack of good sunlight.”

“I like to keep some around, but I only use it for special occasions such as these.”

The slugcat barked a laugh and turned back to look at the big, glowing moon in the middle of the sky, leaning closer to Fixer as she rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh. “You charmer.” The scavenger huffed in amusement and rested his own head on hers as the two sat and admired the view for a while.

After a moment, Arti suddenly leaned slightly away from Fixer and turned to look at him. “Are you sure this is your very first time ‘dating’, as it’s called?”

The scavenger looked back at her, smirking. “It’s that good of a first try, then?”

The slugcat laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "It's... impressive, to say the least.”

They shared a laugh, as the chuckling fizzled out into silence, the two kept staring into each other’s eyes as if they were suddenly frozen, completely unable to look away. Before he really realized what he was doing, Fixer reached out a hand and placed it on the left side of Arti’s head, gently tracing his fingers over her scar, playing around with the petals of the flower on her head, and running his hand through her fur. The slugcat purred in response, her eyes half-lidded as she reached out and softly placed a paw on his cheek. The scavenger failed to suppress a small shudder at the other’s warm touch, leaning into the sudden warmth on his face. Slowly, the two started to lean closer to each other, and alarm bells once again started to go off in Fixer’s head, much like they had the last time the two were in this situation.

Abort! You’ve never done something like this before!

You’re in way over your head, Fixer; just lean back and apologize! Get away quickly; none of this will end well.

What would your scavenger brethren think if they ever were to find out you have courted The Red Death herself?!

Damned be all those cowardly thoughts, especially that last one: let the others think what they want to think. Fixer found he didn’t care anymore. All he wanted was what was right in front of him at this very moment.

Fuck it.

With no more mental inhibitions, Fixer closed his eyes and boldly leaned forward, tilting his head so his horns wouldn’t get in the way, and collided delicately with the slugcat. Arti’s lips were warm, just like the rest of her Fixer realized, as the scavenger pressed their bodies together. The slugcat froze for a moment, and Fixer was afraid that he had done something wrong, ready to pull away from the clumsy kiss and apologize. That was until she relaxed into his hold, her paw moving up to card through the fur on his head as she leaned further into their kiss. The scavenger felt warmth blossom in his chest; he had never kissed anyone before; in fact, he wasn’t even sure that scavengers knew about kissing, and he didn’t know if their lack of lips allowed for it to actually be attempted with two scavengers. But it felt natural in this instance, and Arti did not seem to mind as she hugged him even closer, her paws running through his fur much like his hands ran through hers.

As the two finally leaned back to catch their breaths, it felt like batflies were dancing around in his stomach, his heart hammering in his chest as he panted, a hand still on the slugcat’s lower back and another on the side of her head. His face felt like it was on fire, and Arti looked just as flustered as he felt.

“That was... wow.” The scavenger failed to find any words at all to describe the situation; none of the words he had in his vocabulary could ever be strong enough to properly convey how he felt about it all.

“Y-Yeah…” Arti seemed at a loss for words as well, her paws gripping onto his fur like her life depended on it.

“Can I…” Kiss you again? He could not properly finish his sentence; he was too out of breath to properly chitter it to the drone, but still, he wanted and needed more. Arti seemed to get the gist, nodding as she leaned in again, a certain hunger in her eyes.

The two came together as one again, both hugging each other as close as they possibly could in another intense kiss. The blanket that protected them from the cold slowly slipped off both of their shoulders, and Fixer could not help but think:

I’d say this was a successful date.

Chapter Text

A production record of a mask factory, for its last time in service. Five Pebbles huffed, another useless pearl. All mask factories were abandoned; the bone masks were gone, just like their owners. With a grunt of frustration, the iterator hovered the blue pearl into the corner of ‘pearls that have no use whatsoever’. It was a steadily growing pile, unfortunately. He did appreciate that the little creatures that visited him brought along various colored pearls for him to read, but he could not help but question how they only managed to bring uninteresting and boring ones along.

When he saw that the pile of unread pearls had gotten quite big, Five Pebbles made the decision to at least try to organize them in some way. Maybe when Ruffian and Savior come back, I can make them take the useless pearls; they can gift them to the ‘smart scavenger’ Ruffian knows, or something like that.

With a sigh, the iterator hovered another into his hand, a turquoise pearl. ...considering the eight and the twenty sixth amendments to the Capricious Dogma, we are apparently supposed to take for granted that a meaning collector point inversion is the only way… Five Pebbles paused in his reading; this was authored by him when he was young and naive. An attempt to scramble the data had been made, but it was quite sloppily done, and most of what was written could still be read. With a sigh, he added it to the same pile as the blue. He would rather forget his early days as an iterator; it was quite an embarrassing time to remember.

Another pearl, this one purple, looked at least a bit interesting. The local aquifer-

His reading of the pearl was suddenly cut off as a sudden and painful shock shot through his very being. Five Pebbles yelled out in pain, and the pearl that had been in his hand was dropped to the floor. The lights in his chamber dimmed as he temporarily lost control of his can. The gravity of the chamber turned back on, and without any way to control his umbilical, the iterator plummeted to the floor. It was only pure luck that he hadn’t been higher up when his systems malfunctioned, as the fairly short fall still shook his puppet to its very core.

Speaking of his puppet, stabbing pain shot through it as he trembled on the floor and tried in vain to reconnect to his can. Five Pebbles didn’t yet know what had gone wrong, but his guess was that it had something to do with the rot spreading through his systems. When he failed to remember where it was spreading last, he mentally kicked himself; if he had been keeping track, maybe Ruffian and Savior could have cleared that specific area when they were here. That was a couple cycles ago; he probably still would’ve had time.

Five Pebbles felt dread settle inside of him as he realized this might be it—the collapse of his can. Could it happen so quickly? No, it couldn’t. It wouldn't; he still had time to figure it all out. He didn’t want it to happen yet.

With an electronic whine, the iterator turned to look around from his prone position. In the middle of the chamber, there was a bright, golden light. It was the karma flower that had been floating in the middle of his chamber. The plant was still shining as brightly as ever, despite the many cycles that had passed since the white creature (nicknamed Pearl) gifted it to him. Even if his umbilical was currently not responding, he could still control his puppet. With some effort, considering the umbilical that usually helped him move around fluidly now worked as dead weight, Five Pebbles dragged himself over to the discarded flower and gently picked it up.

As he turned it over in his hands, he found relief in the fact that it hadn’t been damaged at all. All of the petals were still attached, the stalk wasn’t bent, and the light emanating from it was not fading. Some time of inactivity passed, and Five Pebbles closed his eyes tightly. The pain had faded completely, but despite that, the iterator was still terrified to try to do a soft reboot of his systems. What if it didn’t work? What if it turned out this was really it, and the time of his collapse was approaching? He’d be left on the floor for several cycles, completely helpless for what could be a very long time, before finally collapsing.

Even then, you could still function afterwards.

You would be just like Moon, how do you think she felt as her can collapsed?

All because of you.

How do you think she is feeling right now?

That’s your fault.

Five Pebbles curled up on the ground, hugging the flower close as he opened his eyes and stared into its glow. He hoped she wasn’t suffering badly because of his actions, and he hoped that all of the neuron flies the yellow creature (he named it Poppy) had presumably gifted her had at least managed to do her some good. Though maybe having more capacity to think and understand what was happening around her would be a detriment, considering the state she was in.

He was probably about to join her, and he completely deserved it. The iterator had wanted this, after all. What was the point of fighting it in the end? The rot had officially granted him an out; Five Pebbles could just wait where he was, and it would be over. It would take a lot of time, and there would be suffering involved, but it was nothing less than what he deserved.

…

With that attitude, you might as well just lay down and let the parasite claim you! The words of the little Ruffian passed through Five Pebbles mind, and he huffed in sudden amusement as he forced himself into a sitting position. Even if he wanted to give up, there was no way the two rot-clearing creatures would come to find him wallowing in his own misery and not force him to keep going.

A great fall for an iterator such as yourself, Five Pebbles. From a god-like being to someone who has to seek physical and psychological help from rodents to keep functioning. The thought made Five Pebbles want to laugh, but he refrained; what little pride that remained inside of him stopped him from completely breaking down for now.

With a sigh, Five Pebbles closed his eyes and made an attempt to reboot his systems.

More of his gravitational systems had been assaulted, which explained Five Pebbles’ lack of control. He could still turn the zero gravity on and off on command, but it required more processing work on his part. A horrifying thought hit him as he looked through the status of his can: was the rot getting smarter? It was almost like it knew what systems were most important to him: the control of zero gravity and, of course, his power. Thankfully, his rarefaction cell did not seem to be a priority for now, but that was not much comfort to him at that moment. The rot was spreading towards the final gravitational chamber, and when they reached it, Five Pebbles would most likely completely lose all control over the gravity in his own can.

The iterator sighed as he dismissed the status window; he could not truthfully do much to stop it himself. What he could do was ask the rot-clearing duo to try to focus their efforts on defending the last of his important systems to buy himself just a bit more time. Not that it mattered much; the only thing that really seemed to bite on the rot that he had figured out so far was explosives. Neither he nor the creatures, even with Ruffian’s explosive abilities, had enough to completely stop the growths spreading throughout his can. I might as well go back to reading the pearls while I wait for the two... Five Pebbles hovered the purple pearl to his hand and prepared to pick up where he left off.

Only to be interrupted by a familiar scuttling sound through his access hatch. Were Ruffian and Savior here already? Five Pebbles moved the pearl to the floor to join the others he had not yet read as he turned to look at the pipe. After a moment, the white creature stuck its head out and chirped in greeting.

"Greetings, Pearl." The white creature chirped again as it slipped through the pipe fully, floating around for a moment until Five Pebbles turned the antigravity off. "What brings you here?" A mewl was the response, the creature reaching behind its back to grab something as the iterator tilted his head.

Suddenly, a softer and quieter chirp was heard from behind Pearl’s back, and Five Pebbles froze. Carefully, the white creature picked up a much smaller creature that had apparently been riding on its back. With a chirp, the pup was placed on the floor of the chamber, looking up at the iterator curiously. Five Pebbles moved slightly closer to get a better look at the little one. It was short, much shorter than Poppy; its fur was dark as the night sky; and, of course, it had two glowing white eyes that were currently staring up at him. Pearl got the iterator’s attention with another chirp, waving him over when he turned to look. With some hesitation, he planted himself right in front of the pup, his feet touching the ground as he looked down at the black creature.

The pup chirped again and, to his dismay, reached its paws up towards him and made grabby motions. Five Pebbles narrowed his eyes and moved back a few steps, only for the black creature to mewl in a whining tone and walk after him, still reaching up with its grabby paws. After a moment of this, there was a short growl a bit behind the pup. The iterator looked up to see Pearl, who was looking uncharacteristically mad while glaring at him. The creature made a motion of picking something up with its paws, maintaining eye contact with Five Pebbles the whole time while demonstrating what he should do.

With a huff, he decided to humor the creature, and with a flick of the wrist, he turned antigravity on. Then he picked the pup up telekinetically and hovered it in front of himself. The black creature did not seem to appreciate this, as it mewled and chirped continually in what sounded like distress. Pearl growled and narrowed its eyes at Five Pebbles, the white creature crossing its arms angrily. Sighing, the iterator hovered the black creature closer until he could grab it, holding it under its armpits at arm’s length. The pup kept making grabby motions, but he refused to let it touch his face plating with its dirty paws. It wasn’t whining or crying anymore, so that was good, at least.

"This is very cute. So adorable…" Five Pebbles injected as much sarcasm into his robotic tone as possible as he turned back to where Pearl stood a moment ago. "Now would you please-" The creature wasn’t there anymore. Where could they have gone? The iterator turned to the access hatch and got a great sense of deja vu as he spotted the white creature waving at him with a chirp, its lower body already through the pipe. "Little beast, don’t you dare!" With a smile that almost looked smug and condescending, Pearl ducked into the pipe and disappeared.

Five Pebbles groaned loudly; he supposed it was completely on him for being so dumb as to turn the antigravity on. The iterator sighed and turned to look at the creature in his hands; it seemed to have given up on the idea of trying to get closer to his face, instead busying itself licking its paws in the same way he had seen the creature’s clean fur. Disgusted, he let the creature go, letting it float around in the chamber. It chirped in confusion and started to flap its arms much like the other creatures of its company, or family, or whatever, in an attempt to gain control of its momentum.

"I should have known, as soon as the little white beast came into my chamber, that it would want something like this!" The only other creature in the room did not seem to be listening, which was not surprising considering the lack of mark, but Five Pebbles did not mind; he needed to rant, if only to himself. "Forced to be a pupsitter by your..." Mother? Father? "...Caretaker!" The iterator crossed his arms and turned his back on the now-chirping creature. "What, does it think my chamber is a daycare ? When Pearl comes back, I oughta..." Five Pebbles trailed off into muttering as he shook his head, blatantly ignoring the annoying mewling from behind him.

Five Pebbles would not put up with this! He was no pupsitter; he did not care for annoying young creatures. He glanced around the side of the chamber he was turned towards, making note of the emptiness beside the few pearls floating around. It wasn’t even a fun environment for a child! What was the creature meant to do in here? Throw the pearls around? Speaking of the creature, why was it so quiet suddenly?

Sensing something bad was happening, the iterator whipped around to look for the creature. It did not take long for Five Pebbles to spot the black creature, as it was trying to swim towards the glowing flower that was floating in the middle of the chamber. Anyone could tell what its intention with the plant was judging by the outstretched tongue and reaching arm, its paw almost closing around the edible, hallucinogenic plant.

"No!" Just as the creature was going to grab the flower, Five Pebbles grabbed hold of the pup and floated it over to his arms, grasping it under the armpits as he had before. "Are you crazy? You were just about to eat drugs !" The creature simply tilted its head and chirped in confusion; the iterator pulled the creature closer in response, looking right into its blank, glowing eyes. "Do you know what a powerful hallucinogenic like that would have done to a creature of your size? You could have died , you dumb beast!"

For all the screaming in its face, the pup did not seem to care, instead caring more for finally being within arm’s length of Five Pebbles. With a happy chirp, it touched a paw against his face, just below his eye. The iterator practically growled, but the creature did not seem to care as it placed its other paw on his clothes, its sharp claws gripping onto the fabric. He sighed and let the creature go, giving it free reign to climb around on him. Trying to tear the creature off would probably do more harm than good anyway; if Five Pebbles was lucky, it would grow disinterested quite quickly.

That hope quickly diminished over the rest of the cycle as the little beast kept crawling around on his shoulders and moving over to his head back-and-forth several times, chirping and mewling from time to time as if it wanted to annoy him. After a while, it finally seemed to lose interest as it let go of him and floated just in front of his view, flipping upside down in the zero-gravity environment.

"Are you finally done?" Five Pebbles thought he must’ve imagined the pup smirking mischievously in response; it turned out he wasn’t, as it suddenly kicked its legs with surprising strength, mewling excitedly as it just missed hitting the antennas at the top of his head. The iterator groaned and turned around to make sure the pup wasn’t getting up to something, only to pause as his eyes scanned the chamber from top to bottom.

Where did the pup go? It was right here just a second ago! The iterator looked around the chamber several times, scanning the surroundings carefully. The pup could not have gone through one of the pipes, could it? No, it did not have time; he turned around far too quickly. It was small, but it wasn’t so small that Five Pebbles should have such a hard time spotting it. Still, he turned off his antigravity, intending to bring himself closer to the ground and look around the floor.

A small thud sounded just below him, and the iterator glanced down just in time to see the pup slowly appear as if appearing out of midair, shaking its head with a whine. It reminded Five Pebbles sort of of how white lizards would camouflage themselves...

"Aha!" At the sound of his voice, the pup squeaked and got on all fours to run, only to clumsily trip and fall, faceplanting into the unsorted collection of pearls on the floor. "Oh, for void’s sake." Five Pebbles brought himself down to the pup’s level, glaring at the creature as it lifted its head out of the pearls, shocked but otherwise unharmed. "See what happens when you play around?" The pup stared at the iterator for a moment, a shocked expression still on its face. Then a sniff sounded, and its expression crumpled.

Oh no.

Five Pebbles thought the previous whining from the pup when it wasn’t allowed to grab onto him was considered crying, but what came out of the creature after its little fall was way worse. The iterator winced as the little pup wailed, covering its face with its tiny paws as tears fell on the floor. Of course it had to start crying.

He sighed. There was no other way out of it; he would have to comfort the creature. If he didn’t, he either risked the pup crying for the rest of their time in the chamber and driving him mad, or he risked certain death when Pearl came back to its pup crying, as he would no doubt get the blame for this...

Carefully, he picked the pup up into his arms, awkwardly rocking it back and forth. "Yeah, yeah, it’s not even a scratch." The pup did not seem to agree as it curled into him, seeming to find some comfort in the warm fabric he was wearing. "You’ll be fine." It felt like it took forever , but eventually the pup’s crying subsided.

It was instead replaced with another noise, one he had heard the other creatures make before. It was low and rumbling, and the pup vibrated as it snuggled closer to him. The creature was purring, and though it was fairly loud, at least it wasn’t as annoying as the endless crying. Exhaling with relief, Five Pebbles guided himself to the floor, sitting against the wall.

"You’re a real handful. Are you this annoying to the rest of your kin?" The pup, rather predictably, did not respond at all. Instead, it stopped to yawn loudly before resuming its purring and settling down comfortably in his arms. "That’s a good solution; go to sleep instead of facing the consequences of your actions." Five Pebbles rolled his eyes as he leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling.

Five Pebbles hated to admit it, but the purring was actually having a bit of an effect on him. He felt calm, much like he did several cycles ago when he received the flower from Pearl. The iterator glanced down at the pup in his arms, still purring and obviously barely awake at this point. The black fur looked really fluffy, so he gently placed a hand on its back, feeling the vibrations of the pup.

"I wonder what nickname I should give you?" The little creature chirped quietly, as if trying to respond. "Judging by your black fur, maybe... Soot?" The pup did not respond; it had stopped purring and instead snored softly. If Five Pebbles had a mouth, he might have smiled.

A sudden thump on his right side made Five Pebbles turn his head, though he was careful not to do so too quickly so as not to wake the pup. Pearl stood in front of the iterator, looking pleased as it smiled warmly. A moment of silence passed as the two stared at each other before Five Pebbles narrowed his eyes and glared at the smug beast.

"Not a word about this to anyone, got it?" The only response he got was chirping laughter, a clear promise that the creature would not keep quiet about any of this. Five Pebbles huffed.

The other beasts will definitely tease me for this...

Chapter Text

They’ll come back. Monk knew they would; it was the thought at the forefront of the yellow slugcat’s mind as he stared at the pipe, a fair bit away from him. The pipe that anyone who wanted to get to their colony tree would have to move through was one of the main reasons the tree was so safe. There were barely any predators around the tree on their side of the pipe—a few centipedes, maybe—but that was it. Anything bigger, like a lizard, would have to pass through the entrance right in front of him. It made the place easily defendable, as a predator as big as a lizard would be seen from a mile away.

This also meant that any other creature that wanted to get to the tree would pass through here, which meant his family would come through at any moment. He didn’t know why they had left in the first place, but what he did know was that they would be back. They would be, and then they would find Survivor and him alive, and they would celebrate, and then they would stay with them in the tree, like the good old days. Monk bet the reason they were gone in the first place was to look for them; any moment they would run out of places to search, and they would turn around and find them safe and sound with more family members.

They will be back. If he kept repeating it, it had to be true; they wouldn’t leave him and his brother behind because they loved them. They weren’t abandoned; the colony had simply not thought about leaving behind someone to guard the tree. It made sense; after all, the area was so safe that there was really no need for a guard while they were out. Monk blatantly ignored the part of his mind that was telling him they always left behind at least two slugcats to protect the home while others ventured out; they had forgotten, and that was final.

The yellow slugcat shivered as a particularly cold breeze rushed past him. He was partially regretting not bringing Ruby along to wait with him, but he knew she did not enjoy sitting still and doing nothing like he was right now, so he left her outside the tree in her designated spot. Monk chuckled as he remembered Hunter’s annoyed expression when he let him know the red lizard was staying outside and not leaving the red slugcat alone. He was just playing around, keeping up his tough guy act. Ever since Ruby had helped him out during one of his sickbed days, Hunter’s glare towards the lizard had softened, and he no longer hissed at the predator every time he saw her.

They will come through that pipe any moment now; just wait and be patient. Another cold breeze led to another full-body shiver. "Fuck, it’s cold." Monk mumbled to himself as he rubbed his paws together. The sun had already gone down, and his surroundings were darkening. Nighttime was rapidly approaching, and it was only going to get colder for him. They could come in the night, though, and he wanted to be ready.

"Hey, Monk." He felt like jumping about five feet into the air in fright when a familiar voice suddenly spoke up behind him.

He took deep breaths to calm down and placed a paw against his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat. Monk turned around to see his brother standing a couple meters away, looking sheepish. "Survivor! Don’t scare me like that."

"Sorry, bro. I didn't mean to sneak up on you." The white slugcat approached and stopped next to him, staring at the pipe as he was.

Monk sighed and looked ahead once again. "It’s alright."

The conversation went quiet after that, with the two slugcats just enjoying each other’s company for a moment. After a while, Monk turned to look at Survivor. His brother was staring ahead, as he had before being interrupted, with an unreadable expression on his face. One of his paws was absent-mindedly scratching at the large scar that adorned his torso—a dropwig had caused it—as he had been told during one of their many nights of swapping stories. It had surprised him from a pipe and slashed him open real bad. Luckily, Hunter was nearby and predictably ripped the fucker to shreds before patching his brother up. The scar was well healed, and despite looking gnarly, Monk predicted it would fade and become barely visible with time. He thought it was a bit of a shame; the scar looked badass after all! But Survivor did not like it; he said it only brought him flashbacks of the painful moment, so it might be for the best that it fades away eventually.

He shivered again, rubbing his paws across his arms in an attempt to generate heat. Of course, Survivor took notice and turned towards him, his ears twitching in worry. "Hey, how about we go inside?" His brother smiled, but he still looked worried, pity clearly visible in his expression. "It’s only going to get colder."

"I’m fine." Monk tried convincing him, but it didn’t work so well considering his whole body was shivering. "Don’t worry about me, bro. I’ll join you inside shortly, I promise." He looked back towards the entrance to the field, not wanting to see the expression on Survivor’s face. Still, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother open his mouth like he wanted to say something else before deciding against it and walking off, leaving Monk alone once again.

He’s already lost hope; he thinks you’ll never be back. Monk thought, crossing his arms and adjusting his seated position to something more comfortable. But I won’t lose hope; I know you’ll come back, all of you. The yellow slugcat stayed seated, waiting patiently, still like so many cycles before this one. When he felt his eyelids start to weigh a bit more, he heard approaching footsteps from behind.

"It’s just me again." Survivor? He hadn’t gone back to go to bed. Suddenly, something was wrapped around Monk’s body, and he felt warmth return to his cold bones.

Looking down at himself, he was now wrapped in a blanket, one of the well-made, warm ones their colony had received from the scavengers that were moving in next door. Another warm body huddled down next to him, and when Monk looked up, he saw his brother wrapped in the same blanket as him. Survivor chuckled at the yellow slugcat’s awed expression.

"What? You didn’t think I’d leave my little brother behind to die of hypothermia, did you?" An arm was wrapped around him, and Monk purred as he leaned his head to rest on Survivor’s shoulder, his eyes drooping slightly.

He fought off the allure of sleep as best he could. While being warmed and protected from the cold was very comfortable, being cold made it harder to fall asleep. Now, he had to actively struggle to stay awake. It didn’t become easier when Survivor gave him a lick on the forehead and rested his own head on top of his, purring along with him.

Eventually, Monk realized he was fighting a losing battle as his eyelids slowly started to slip shut. But that was fine; he did not have to greet his parents and the rest of his colony immediately; they would see the tree, all lit up in the distance. They would find them, and they would all be reunited. The yellow slugcat yawned, his eyes slipping shut completely.

He would see his parents again.

"No, Ruby." The red lizard growled, and Monk gave her a light tap on the snout in response. "They are friends, not food." She seemed to get the message, huffing and looking around for something else to eat. 

Sure, the two had traveled out there with the express purpose of killing something, and the yellow slugcat woke up feeling extra angry and bitter, wanting to take his anger out on something. With all that said, he definitely drew the line at the local population of scavengers. They were not only friends with all the slugcats; they were also, very recently, their neighbors. So far, there hadn’t been a lot of building in the new spot of the tribe, but they had dug out a small den and placed a group to guard the area.

According to Arti and Fixer, there was still a lot of work left before the whole tribe could move, but it seemed to be coming along slowly but surely. The scavengers guarding the area also seemed to be hard at work, hauling around food and materials to store down in the den, sometimes sending out a duo of scouts to secure the surrounding area of predators (not that there were so many so close to the slugcat tree).

A low rumble at his side and a nudge reminded Monk that he and Ruby still had some hunting to do. "You’re right, Ruby. We ought to get a move on." The duo moved further back through the region, towards the scavenger’s actual tribe, where the sun wasn’t as strong and rain was more frequent. That’s where the best predators could be found. None of those boring centipedes that were easily dispatched, no. Monk needed something tougher to kill this cycle.

Finally, the search bore fruit from their labor. As the duo moved through some old ruins that Monk recognized as the same ones Arti and he had explored on their way to the colony, two caramel-colored lizards were in their path. The yellow slugcat immediately dropped down behind some rubble to stay hidden. Ruby followed his example, staying rather stealthy despite her massive size. Despite looking threatening, caramel lizards were not the most difficult to take care of; they were slow and clumsy, much like their green variants. Though they were still not to be underestimated, they were able to leap, and their bulk provided a lot of natural armor against spears.

Ruby growled quietly at his side, ready to spring out and attack. "You take the one in the far back, and I’ll take the closer one, alright?" The lizard made a noise akin to an affirmative hum as Monk readied his spear and took a few deep breaths to prepare himself. "Now."

Immediately, the red lizard burst out of their hiding spot, hissing loudly as she rushed for the caramel lizard the furthest away from them. Her blinding speed and ferociousness caught the slower predators completely off-guard, and before the first one could even properly realize what just rushed past it, Ruby was already on top of the other one, wrestling it to the ground. Monk’s target hissed, ready to rush over and fight Ruby.

"HEY!" The lizard turned around to address the shout, quickly spotting the yellow slugcat standing out in the open, spear clutched tightly in paw and teeth bared.

With another hiss, the caramel lizard crouched down slightly, preparing to leap towards him. Monk smirked and crouched down slightly as well, ready to counter the leap. After a short moment, the lizard leaped into the air, open maw heading right for the slugcat. He responded by breaking out into a short sprint, running towards the predator’s jaws. Right before it seemed he would get swallowed, Monk raised his arm and threw the spear as hard as he could into the lizard’s mouth, before crouching down and sliding on his stomach underneath the beast. With a loud thud, the predator came crashing down right where Monk had been, hissing and writhing around as the pain from the spear lodged in its mouth registered.

Before the lizard had any time to turn around, Monk pulled a second spear off the scabbard at his back and rushed forward, stabbing the predator in its exposed spine. After a few stabs, the lizard stopped moving and fell limp. Though, just to be safe, he gave it a few more puncture wounds. With the danger gone, he allowed himself a few deep breaths. That was rather easy. Monk thought with a chuckle to himself. He had come a long way from the defenseless slugcat he used to be! The yellow slugcat turned around to see how Ruby was doing, though he already knew how she would be getting on. Sure enough, the caramel lizard was dead, being dragged by its neck effortlessly by Ruby as the red lizard lumbered over to Monk to show off her kill.

"Good job, Ruby." He reached over and gave the lizard a pat; she made a muffled noise of contentment in response.

Turning back to the body of the lizard he killed, Monk realized he could not carry all of that lizard. He needed an excuse as to why he traveled away from the tree after all, and if his only excuse was, ‘I wanted to kill something.’, he would sound a bit unstable. If he were closer to the tree, he might have been able to drag it along the ground, but the distance between the colony and their current location made that impossible. Oh well, that was the main reason why he brought along his satchel to store meat. He wasn’t the best at butchering, but letting all the meat go to waste would be way worse than taking at least a few pieces. He didn’t have a steel knife like the one Fixer carried around all the time, so the sharp tip of the spear would have to do!

But just as he crouched down to start cutting off strips of meat, a quiet scuttling was heard through the nearest pipe they had come through to enter these ruins. It was incredibly quiet, but Monk’s ears were sensitive enough to pick up on the noise. The yellow slugcat stood up a bit straighter and readied his spear. It became clear that Ruby had heard the noise too as she put down the corpse between her teeth and growled. As the sound got closer to entering the room the two were in, he pulled his arm back and narrowed his eyes, ready to throw the spear through the body of whatever passed through.

After what felt like an eternity, a red figure passed through, his own spear immediately raised and ready. Though the spear lowered quickly when he spotted Monk, the yellow slugcat lowered his spear as well when he saw who it was, while Ruby also visibly relaxed but still kept glaring. "Oh! Hi Hunter!"

"Finally, I found you." Before he could react, the red slugcat was in front of him, a worried expression on his face as he looked him over. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I’m fine." Hunter sighed with relief, and Monk tilted his head in confusion. "Why do you ask?"

The red slugcat looked slightly peeved at the question. "Why do you think? You and Ruby make the decision to just up and disappear from the colony, not warning anybody that you’re leaving!" Hunter was waving his arms around, gesticulating wildly as he spoke; it was often what he did when he was pissed off while ranting about something. "Then, when I finally track you down, I find you in a room with two dead caramel lizards!" He gestured to the two dead corpses. "Of course I’m gonna expect the worst, kid." His expression softened slightly as he winced and put both paws to his temple.

He was probably experiencing a headache; they were common for him these recent cycles. Monk couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty for practically forcing poor Hunter to go on a wild goose chase search to find him. "Sorry, Hunter."

"It’s okay." The red slugcat sighed and removed the paws from his head, looking the dead lizards over for a short moment. "Why did you come out here? If you don’t mind me asking." Hunter walked around the corpse of the lizard Monk slaughtered and narrowed his eyes slightly at the many stab wounds in the creature’s back.

Monk went quiet for a moment before finally responding. "I just wanted to collect some food."

"You don’t eat lizard meat, Monk." The red slugcat turned his gaze to him instead, his eyes narrowing even further.

"No, it was for you and Arti. I know how much you like that stuff!"

The lie did not seem to work too well, as Hunter just looked exasperatedly confused and rolled his eyes. "We have plenty of meat stored at the tree, Monk. Dried, cooked, and salted, none of it will go bad for several cycles."

"Well… why not collect more?"

Hunter shook his head. "No, I don’t believe it. You came out here for some other reason." The red slugcat crossed his arms and looked down at Monk strictly. "Between sitting out in the field long into the night and going out to mindlessly slaughter lizards..." He gestured toward the corpse with his paws.

"Did Survivor tell you?" Monk felt his previous shame replaced with anger, and Ruby felt the negative emotions emanating from the yellow slugcat and growled.

"Arti and I aren’t blind, Monk! We see you out there every cycle, staring at the pipe like your life depends on it." He was back to gesticulating, but now Hunter looked more worried, not angry. Somehow, it made the yellow slugcat feel even worse, and he turned his head away to look at a nearby wall. "Hell, even Fixer noticed it when he slept over that one cycle!" He could see Hunter’s expression twist with frustration and his tail lashing out of his peripheral vision. The red slugcat took a deep breath and went back to looking worried again. At Monk’s silence, he sighed. "We’re worried about you, is all." He felt a paw on his shoulder. "You know we are all here for you if you want to talk, right?"

Monk licked his lips; his mouth suddenly felt dry as sandpaper, and he had to swallow thickly before he could speak. "Right."

Hunter gave his shoulder a pat before letting go. "I won’t force you to talk about it, don’t worry." Monk turned back to see the red slugcat walk over to the corpse and look it over. "Though, I do have to say, Monk." He turned back to the yellow slugcat with a smirk. "This is a very nice kill. Good technique."

Despite his underlying sadness, Monk puffed up slightly at the praise. "Well, I have good teachers!" He responded with a wink.

Hunter chuckled in response. "That you do, kid. That you do." With a grunt, the red slugcat picked the corpse up, hefting it onto his shoulder. 

Monk was always impressed by Hunter's displays of raw strength, though he figured lifting a caramel lizard was probably tough work even for him. It wasn't the weight so much as the bulkiness that would make such a lift difficult. The lizard was at least twice Hunter's size after all. 

"Let’s get back to the tree; could you lead the way and keep us covered?" The yellow slugcat nodded and walked ahead; Ruby followed close behind, dragging her own lizard corpse; and Hunter trudged along in the far back.

As they walked, Monk felt some bitterness come back to him as he thought back on Hunter’s words. 'If you want to talk'? Hah! There’s nothing to talk about; neither Arti nor Hunter would even understand; it’s not about their parents! Survivor would, but he’s given up hope completely. He had to use all his willpower to not begin sobbing, wiping away a stray tear that slipped free as they kept walking.

Their parents would be back; they hadn’t forgotten about them; they hadn’t!

Monk leapt over a small pond of green leeches, kicking away one that jumped up on land and tried to attach itself to his leg. He loved traveling through the region, mostly for the fresh air and the smells of flora—things you don’t really experience in the more industrial areas near Looks To The Moon and Five Pebbles. Anytime the yellow slugcat felt upset over... well, anything really, he could go for a walk through the region and feel himself calming down gradually. Eventually, he would completely forget what even bothered him in the first place.

But in this cycle, he couldn't relax, no matter what he did. All because of the terrible nightmare he suffered earlier during hibernation. He had been off hunting with Ruby, just as he had that very cycle before sleeping. They had had quite a successful haul, lizard and centipede meat alike, that they were bringing back to the tree. Only when they stepped inside, the colony had been empty. Ransacked, even all stored supplies were gone. He had been left behind again, and when he turned to Ruby for some sort of comfort, she had disappeared too.

Leaving him all alone, abandoned, and forgotten .

Monk shuddered and tried to forget the nightmare; it could never come true anyway. The others wouldn’t leave him; they cared about him, after all! Then again, his parents ‘cared for him'; his whole colony apparently did, and now they were gone, and he was left behind. So in retrospect, the chances weren’t zero, not really, right?

A sudden hiss ahead of him made him abandon his train of thought temporarily and get down to hide behind a large rock. peeking his head out, he spotted a blue lizard. It would have been an easy kill had he brought any weapons. Monk looked around, sighing in frustration, and sat down with his back against the rock when he noticed no weapons nearby. Nothing he could feed the lizard, either, so taming the blue guy was also out of the question.

He was kind of regretting not actually bringing Ruby along with him, as he had told the others he would. Correcting his mistake from the previous cycle, he told the rest of the slugcats he was heading out, but lied and told them he would bring the red lizard along for protection. The truth was, Monk wanted to be alone (no disrespect to Ruby), but he didn’t want to worry the others, so he told them a little white lie. In actuality, as soon as the two had passed through the pipe leading into the wilderness, he had told her to wait for him there.

If Ruby were here, she would have dismantled the blue lizard in a millisecond! Monk thought as he peeked his head out again, scanning his surroundings. The blue lizard was gone. Happy days! Just to be sure, the yellow slugcat looked around the ceiling as well, just in case the lizard was sitting still up there or if he had missed a perching dropwig. Finding nothing, he climbed over the rock and continued his walk.

The other slugcats probably hadn’t even noticed he was gone at all; they were probably busy having a party celebrating his absence. All that bullshit Hunter told him last cycle about them wanting him to open up was probably all just so they could laugh at his deepest fears. They did not care for him, because what was there to care for? He had nothing going for him. Oooh, he could tame lizards. How cool. Big fucking deal, anyone could, with enough food and persistence.

Without having really paid attention to where he was going, Monk had to stop himself from walking off a high ledge. Peering down, he noticed a large number of tall strands of wormgrass just below him. He hadn’t been to this area ever before, and he did not know what made him go there in the first place. The yellow slugcat was high up enough that the wormgrass did not react to his presence, which felt like a rarity when it came to the disgusting creatures, plants, or whatever they were.

…

What if I were to fall? Monk suddenly thought. What if he just slipped off the ledge? Be pulled into the ground by the wormgrass. He would come back anyway, back to the tree next cycle. Bet it would give the others a real scare, too! Give them a test to see how much they care. Would they cry? Maybe comfort him through the pain of the death cycle? Or would they just laugh at him? Better yet, ignore his pain altogether, perhaps? Monk chuckled mirthlessly. Wouldn’t that be an interesting experiment?

In the very next moment, he stepped back, breathing heavily. No, don’t think like that. Quickly, he whipped around and ran to the pipe. Once he was through, he kept running, running until his lungs felt like they would explode, until his legs felt unbearably sore. He was suddenly really eager to get back to Ruby, get back to the tree, to the other slugcats. To make sure they weren't gone, that he wasn't abandoned by them as well. Don’t think like that!

They love you; they wouldn’t want you to do that. If he kept telling himself that, maybe it would eventually ring true in his head.

Maybe he would eventually believe it himself.

Another cycle, another night under the stars, waiting for the moment the rest of his family came back for them. At least Monk had a warm blanket around his shoulders this time, given to him by Survivor. He wished his brother would join him out here as well, but he was tired. A thought struck his mind at that moment: Why is he the one greeting them when they come back? Why would they want to see the failure of the family? He quickly corrected the record; it was because Monk wanted to make it up to them, of course! He wanted to give them a warm welcome and show how useful he really was to them. Make them regret leaving the two of them behind, and then they’ll want to stay in the tree with the others.

But if I’m the bad one, why was Survivor left as well? That didn’t take too much thought, now that he really considered it. His brother was better in every way, but the fact that he dove after his brother, well, that gave them a good excuse to rid themselves of him. That’s his fault as well, then? That they were both left behind? Yeah, it’s his fault all around.

But when they’ll come back and see him waiting for them with a wide smile and open arms, they’ll immediately embrace him, and everything will be okay! They’ll sit in the tree and tell stories of their adventures, and they will all be happy.

Like the good old days.

Just like the good old days...

The only sound around the yellow slugcat was the whistling of the breeze; it still chilled him to his core, even through the thick blanket. Despite this, he would not move. A thought suddenly hit him. How many cycles had it been since they left? Too many to count.

So why would they come back this cycle?

According to Survivor, the colony seemed to have been abandoned for a while, including the fact that Nightcat apparently had been inside the tree for a few cycles, at least. It was impossible for them to not have explored every region by now, surely. Arti and he traveled across basically half the regions he knew of, and slugcats liked to travel fast, especially in larger groups. So, they must have already explored it all by this point.

But they weren’t here yet.

The next thought that entered his head came along with a feeling as if someone had shoved a spear into his heart, it was something he had known for a long time, he had just refused to accept the facts.

They’re seriously not coming back.

The spear twisted.

You are truly abandoned.

Monk trembled, and for once, it wasn’t because of the cold enveloping him. The blanket slipped off him, completely forgotten about as he sniffed. Completely alone, completely unwanted. A sob left him as he curled up on the ground, feeling even more alone than he had been after his fall. What did he do to deserve any of this? What was wrong with him? What was he doing wrong? It didn’t take long for the sobbing to elevate into full-on wailing as he pushed his paws to his eyes in an attempt to slow the tears. He barely noticed when a lizard snout pushed his body slightly, a low whine leaving the red lizard that was standing next to him. When he didn’t stop crying or move his paws away from his face, Ruby ran off, leaving him alone to shiver in the cold once again.

At least for a moment.

Explosions were heard in the distance, audible even over his desperate crying. It did not take long for the explosions to come close, and after a while, footsteps could be heard as well. "Monk!" Monk had to suppress a whine at Arti’s worried tone. He moved his paws to see the maroon slugcat through his blurred vision just as she sat down by his side, her fur sparking slightly as she panted. "Kid, what happened? Are you okay?"

"T-They’re not coming back."

Arti’s expression turned into one of great sorrow, and Monk couldn’t suppress the whine this time. You’re being a nuisance and a bother to her. "Oh, sweetie…" Warm, strong arms suddenly enveloped him, pulling him off the cold ground and into cozy fur. Instinctively, he curled up into a ball and snuggled closer as she stroked the fur on his back comfortingly. "I’m here, kid. I’m here."

"They’re gone. M-My parents…"

"I know, Monk. I know."

Effortlessly, he felt Arti stand up, bringing Monk with her, cradling the smaller slugcat in her arms like a pup. He heard more whines from Ruby as the red lizard followed closely by Arti’s side. She kept whispering reassurances as she started to walk, purring from time to time to comfort him; eventually, more footsteps could be heard in the background.

"Monk! Arti, is he okay? Please don’t tell me he’s hurt!" Surv sounded worried—more than worried, he sounded terrified for his little brother’s health. There was suddenly the sound of a growl next to him.

"Did something attack him? Is it still alive, Arti?” Another growl, along with the metallic sound of a sharp weapon being pulled from its scabbard. “Point me towards what hurt him!" Hunter sounded mad, practically frothing at the mouth with rage, eager to fight to protect the yellow slugcat.

"It’s nothing like that!" Arti’s voice was strict but motherly, immediately shutting the other two up before they could upset Monk further.

What had Monk been thinking earlier? Of course they cared; they all cared so fucking much for him. How could he have ever been so stupid as to doubt that? The thought just made him cry even harder, which made all the other slugcats jump slightly.

He heard a worried chirp as well, one he recognized as coming from a certain black-furred pup. A small paw, too small to be anything but a pup, was placed on his head. Clumsily, but gently, it patted him on the head as an attempt at comfort. A lizard snout also sniffed at his torso, occasionally giving him gentle licks as quiet whines were heard. Above him, Arti whispered something to the other two slugcats that Monk could not hear. He sniffled to himself, his eyes still tightly shut but no longer leaking as many tears as before. The occasional sob still left him, and he snuggled closer to Arti as she held him, shoulders shaking.

After Arti’s explanation, the other two slugcats are completely quiet as they start to move towards the tree once again. Finally, Monk felt the warmth of the inside of the tree envelop him as they walked inside, protecting him from the cold winds outside. Gently, he’s placed down on the ground, and he whined for a moment as he left Arti’s warm arms. But she is quick to lay down with him, curling into a protective half-circle that enveloped him in even more warmth. After a moment, the other two settled down next to him as well, a smaller body also chirping happily and joining in on the snuggling party. There was a huff, and a bigger thud was heard a bit behind the rest, a red lizard curling her large body around the slugcats. His tears had completely subsided at this point, at least, and he was no longer sobbing.

"It’s going to be okay, kid. Just focus on getting some sleep. We can save all the conversation for tomorrow." Monk purred at that idea; sleep sounded so good right now that he felt like he could sleep forever. As his eyes slipped shut, he felt Arti’s rough but gentle tongue card through his fur. The other slugcats (and the red lizard) around him joined in on the purring, and he quickly felt himself react and eventually fall asleep.

Monk blinked his eyes open, his vision blurry, as he looked around the interior of the tree. He was feeling groggy, so he had most definitely fallen asleep, but for how long? Turning his head, he saw everyone gathered around him in a large cuddle pile. Surv and Hunter were on Arti’s left, cuddled together, paw-in-paw, with Night in the middle. Ruby lay at the back, behind all the slugcats, her large body still able to curl around and envelop everyone else in a protective circle. Finally, Arti rested in the middle, still snuggled up against him comfortably.

The yellow slugcat turned his head towards the exit to the tree; it was still dark out, meaning he could sleep for a bit longer. "You awake, Monk?" Arti’s voice suddenly spoke up behind his head.

"Yeah." Monk closed his eyes and leaned back, purring as Arti’s tail wrapped around to cover the side of him exposed to the tree exit.

"I thought I could see your little head looking around." The maroon slugcat yawned and stretched slightly before going back to curling around Monk.

"You were already awake?"

"Yeah."

Monk was feeling a bit too curious to go back to sleep now, so he flipped upside down, lying on his back and looking up at Arti. "Why can’t you sleep?"

The maroon slugcat hummed in deep thought for a short moment before turning to the exit of the tree and responding. "I was thinking of my pups, where they are right now, and what they are doing."

"Oh." Monk was a bit unsure of how to respond to that or what Arti’s reaction would be to questions around the subject. "Do you… still miss them?"

Arti turned back to look at the yellow slugcat, and for a moment, he was afraid that he’d angered her. But the maroon slugcat did not look angry—slightly sad maybe—but not shaking with rage as a part of him had expected. His expression must’ve shown some fear, because she chirped and gave him a comforting lick on the stomach to let him know it was okay before speaking.

"Oh yes, every day." The maroon slugcat chuckled mirthlessly, looking back towards the entrance to the tree once again, looking contemplative. "I no longer feel as much sadness or anger over their disappearance. But I still get a bit... melancholic thinking about them."

The yellow slugcat nodded slowly, even though he knew Arti could not see the motion. "If you don’t mind me asking, how do you cope with their disappearance?" Is there some way I can just move on and forget about this forever? Was the unspoken question on his tongue.

The bigger slugcat glanced down at him with another thoughtful hum, taking a moment to consider the question. "I cope by just living life to the fullest from now on; it is what they would have wanted after all. Before I truly moved on, I always stopped to ask myself, Is there some way for me to just forget about it all? The real truth is, there is no real way to just fully forget that it happened." A single tear slipped down her eye as she looked down at him, a sad smile on her face. "All we can really do is get used to the loss and move on from there, one step at a time."

That wasn’t the answer he was looking for; he was looking for a solution. Even after the comfort he had received, Monk still felt lost and broken in some way that could never be restored properly. As he felt tears once again return to his eyes, he couldn’t help but whine quietly.

Arti pulled him closer to herself in response, purring loudly. "I promise it will get better, Monk. Even if it doesn’t feel like it." She closed her eyes as Monk embraced her, sobbing into her fur. "It will take time, but I promise that we will all be with you to support and comfort you every step of the way." Her voice dropped to a comforting whisper. "You will not suffer your grief alone in anger and sorrow, as I did for so long. I promise you."

I’m not alone. It will take time to recover from this loss, and it will not be easy. But I will never have to suffer through it alone. Not with my new family by my side. It was a comforting thought, and Monk snuggled even closer, chirping happily despite the tears still being dried off in his new mama’s fur.

"Try to go back to sleep, kid." Arti mumbled above him, giving him one last stroke of her tongue on the top of his head.

Monk tried to respond with something like ‘goodnight’, but the small crying session had already wiped out what little energy he had obtained from his short rest, and he felt himself quickly falling back asleep before he could even find the energy to open his mouth to talk.

The sadness of being left behind still settled heavy in his heart, a large wound to his very soul. But with the knowledge that his new family would help him through his hardships, Monk managed to fall asleep with a smile on his face.

Chapter Text

The flora and fauna of the regions had always intrigued Fixer. He had always liked the little differences that could be found, such as the fact that the more industrial regions mostly only sported hardy plants, the only ones that could grow in the rough environment surrounded by metal, little minerals in the soil, and even less sun. There was appreciation to be found in sometimes just taking a moment to take it all in—everything around that was living, from plants to creatures.

Though none of the previous regions could ever beat the grassy, jungle-like region he was walking through, the one he lived in. Along with the one his friends lived in, and of course, his mate as well. Thinking of Arti made Fixer’s heart flutter, even despite not having been away from her for long at all. They'd met up just a couple cycles ago. He hadn't been in the tree for a little while though; he stayed over the night the last time he visited, something that irritated Hunter quite a bit. The scavenger smiled amusedly at the memory; the red slugcat had shot him dirty looks the whole cycle until everyone went to hibernate, but at least he hadn’t threatened him this time, so Fixer considered it progress!

Chieftain had found it amusing enough when Fixer told him about it that he mentioned he should find the time to come for a visit as well, if only to see what all the fuss about the colony is about. He was no doubt always welcome to the tree; they all were. Though, maybe not all, as in all of the scavengers. Most still did not trust Arti at all, and many were itching for any excuse to attack her, even despite Chieftain telling everyone the maroon slugcat was to be considered an ally to their tribe. Arti didn’t travel through the tribe much for precisely that reason; if she did come to visit Chieftain for any reason, she would travel up-top through the tower. Despite much of the tribe disliking the chief’s words, many still respected him enough to comply and not try anything, especially when the two were together, meaning she was practically completely safe as long as the elder scavenger was by her side.

The good thing was that her attempts at making friends with the scavengers at least bore some good results. Any time she found a local scavenger in trouble, she would help out, and word traveled quickly. At times, she would also gift pearls to lone, lightly armed scavengers, and they would recount her kindness to the rest of the tribe afterwards. Obviously, she avoided larger groups, as panic and fear upon seeing her were more likely to spread between the members and get her killed.

Though, according to Fixer’s friend, Collector, things weren’t as good as they seemed. The orange scavenger had pulled him aside to talk privately last cycle, warning him of the rising uneasiness in the inner workings of the tribe. Apparently, it seemed like some were getting suspicious of Fixer for ‘befriending’ The Red Death. Luckily, they did not yet know of their more… intimate relationship. Even if Fixer did not care for their opinion, he had no doubt that many would take much more personal offense, and it would probably lead to violence. Especially when it came to the elites , scavengers who thought they were better than everyone else simply because they were more skilled and wore cooler masks. Fixer huffed; they were more bullies than anything, all high and mighty because most did not dare challenge them.

Collector had warned him to be careful and lie low for a while to ensure there was no danger to his person and to ensure none of the angry scavengers would find out about his and Arti’s true relationship. Fixer had promised his friend to be careful then, but he was actually headed to the tree for a very important reason this time. Of course, meeting Arti was always the top priority and very important, but there was a second reason for his visit.

Monk had apparently been doing rather poorly lately. Fixer did not get many details from Arti when they last met, but it sounded pretty bad. He figured it could not hurt to come for a visit to try to cheer the slugcat up! The scavenger had made sure to bring along an ancient scroll he had found detailing the inner workings of karma gates, not only the mechanical components but also a bit about how the karmic ones functioned. Since the two had last spoken on that specific subject, Monk had been very intrigued and wanted to learn more. Fixer hoped that the yellow slugcat would be as cheered up by the read as he himself was when he first discovered it in such mint condition while out scavenging.

Fixer took a deep breath of fresh air, enjoying the peacefulness of his walk as he moved forward, temporarily fiddling with the straps on his bag until the weight he carried felt comfortable. He also made sure to check that his spears and the still-unnamed projectile-shooting weapon were still strapped securely to his bag, easily reachable with his arms. The tree was not too far now, and from where he was and the road he was taking, there were no dangerous predators to be found.

“NOW!” The loud chitter was incredibly close to Fixer; the scavenger flinched and reached for a spear instinctively. Unfortunately, he did not have enough time to even grasp a weapon, as someone suddenly tackled him from behind.

With a grunt, Fixer landed hard on the ground, pinned down by whoever was attacking him. He snarled and struggled as one pair of hands pushed him into the ground and another started pulling the straps of the bag on his back off his shoulders, one by one. His attackers were strong, the one pinning him completely unmovable no matter how hard he struggled. When his bag was pulled off his back, someone walked into his view, unmistakably a scavenger. Were they from another tribe? Maybe they were nomads? Either way, they had no reason to attack him like this! He heard the unmistakable sound of his spears being removed from their holdings and the backpack being opened and rummaged through. Fixer tried to look up to get a glance at whoever was looking through his stuff, but a rough hand pushed his face into the ground when he tried to do so.

The one looking through his bag muttered under their breath for a moment before finally seeming satisfied with their search, throwing it a couple meters away and letting it land on the ground. With a sigh, the scavenger squatted down, letting Fixer get a look at them. Of course, it was an elite scavenger; they wore a gray mask with long horns, and their fur was black. The scavenger spent a moment looking Fixer over, tilting their head.

“I’ve heard your name is Fixer; is that correct?” Fixer narrowed his eyes at the stranger, a scowl still on his face. “I will take that as a yes, I suppose.” The elite scavenger leaned forward slightly, looking him in the eyes for a long moment before speaking again. “I will jump straight to the point, Fixer. Have you been intimate with that maroon-colored devil they call ‘The Red Death’?” So others do know, shit. Fixer kept his best poker face on and kept his mouth shut. After a moment of silence, the elite scavenger’s eyes narrowed, and he tensed. “Your best option is to talk, friend. You won’t like what happens if you stay quiet.” 

Fixer was sorry to say he did not feel all too intimidated by the figure in front of him, even despite being held down and at his mercy like this. The elite obviously saw this in his eyes and did not like what he was seeing. The dark-red scavenger had just enough time to tense his neck and jaw before a fist slammed into his cheek and left his head spinning.

“Talk.” The elite was obviously not playing around, but neither was Fixer. He tasted copper in his mouth, so instead of responding, he simply spat some of the blood in his mouth on the ground.

After a while, Fixer lost track of how many blows he had suffered because of his choice to stay silent, but it was enough to leave his face feeling swollen and very painful. The presumably elite scavenger that was pinning him down suddenly got off him. Though, as he tried to stand, the elite in the gray mask kicked him in the chest, forcing him down on his back instead. At least now he could get a look at the second one, who walked up behind their friend and crossed their arms, watching the beating as a kick was delivered to Fixer’s ribs. The other elite had a light blue mask with long mandibles, and their fur was a very dark blue.

“This is getting boring, Fixer.” He looked back at the scavenger beating him as he started to talk again, one of his legs pushing down on Fixer’s chest to pin him down. “I really did not expect you to be such a masochist.” Fixer groaned as the elite pushed down slightly, making it harder for him to breathe. “You haven’t even answered my first question; why is that, hm?”

Suddenly, the scavenger further back spoke up. “I reckon it’s because it's the truth; he’s definitely dating The Red Death!” The elite laughed as he played around with a spear. “Fixer probably loves spending time in that tree more than he likes his own tribe, I’ll bet.”

They know of the tree? Fixer had not expected them to know so much; he simply thought they had been lucky with random guesses and simply made the connection that friendship must have led to romance. But they knew of the slugcat colony, which made the situation way more dangerous for him and all of his friends.

Unfortunately, his poker face had no doubt been broken by his shock as the elite in the gray mask moved his foot off his chest, chuckling. “Oh, you didn’t know we knew about that, did you?” He squatted down to Fixer’s eye level, his eyes staring at him condescendingly through the mask. “We followed you one of the times you went out, all the way over to the tree; we even saw you give the grim reaper herself a peck on the cheek!”

“Hey, maybe we should go over there! Show her what we think of all that shit she pulled many cycles ago, huh?” Fixer felt anger build in him as he tried to get to his feet. You stay the hell away.

A rough kick to his side made him roll over to his stomach, coughing as he tried to catch his breath. “I think that sounds like a great idea! What do you think, Fixer? Should we come over for a visit?”

Fixer needed something—anything—to use to escape the situation, to take control... There, right in front of him, a few meters away, lay his bag. The spears had been removed; he had seen it happen himself. However, they had forgotten to consider the other weapon strapped to the back of the bag; they had never seen anything like it before and had no clue what it was. It lay there on the ground along with the backpack, still in its strap. Just a few meters away...

With a grunt of pain, he started to pull himself along the ground. Slowly but surely, desperately, he made his way towards the one thing that could save him, save his friends, or at least buy him enough time to warn them of the impending danger.

The elites laughed at his back. “Hey, friend! Where are you going? We’re not done here yet!”

“Look, he’s trying to go for his bag! We emptied it out, you moron; there’s nothing that can help you.”

He was almost there; with just a bit more, he could almost reach it. You’ll see; I’ll show you. You’ll see…

“Hey! Get back here.”

“Alright, enough playtime, Fixer. Let’s finish this." The sound of approaching footsteps—a spear being drawn!

Fixer grabbed hold of the weapon, ripping it out of the strap holding it to the backpack. Now what would he turn the knob to? Rocks wouldn’t help much in this situation; he could only shoot at one at a time, and it would probably get him killed. Bombs might’ve worked, except he didn’t know how many shots he had left in the weapon, and if he missed or the elites ducked, he would be screwed. That left the final option, the one he had not tried yet. If he was lucky, it would be very effective. Arti’s drone had warned them last time they flipped the knob to the option, after all.

The footsteps stopped right behind him. “What the hell is that? Drop it!” Well, it was now or never! In one smooth movement, Fixer turned the knob to the last option, whipped around, took a very small moment to aim the barrel at the gray-masked elite, and fired.

Fixer was not sure what he really expected to come out of the barrel, but he definitely hadn’t expected a blue ball to come shooting out at rapid speeds. The gray-masked elite only just managed to duck under the projectile as it flew past, his eyes wide with shock as he turned around to see where it was going. Unfortunately for the blue-masked elite in the back, he wasn’t as quick. The ball collided with the scavenger’s chest, sending him onto his back. As soon as the projectile collided, it rose into the air and started to spin. The elite almost seemed to realize what was happening and tried to get up to run, only for the ball to start to emit lightning bright enough that Fixer had to squint to keep watching. The area around the ball distorted as the scavenger started to rise into the air. He screamed and tried to hold on by digging his fingers into the ground, but it only worked to temporarily save him before he was pulled in and started to spin around with the apparent bomb. The mask flew off his face and went flying as he spun faster and faster. The lightning intensified further and further, the ball only picking up more and more speed as the remaining elite and Fixer watched in shock.

Finally, the bomb exploded, the sheer shockwave knocking the elite off his feet and pushing Fixer back on his back. The explosion was louder than any he had stood close to before, making his ears ring. Thank the void we never tried that option before. He was completely stunned, his breath knocked out of his lungs by the explosion. He felt like he needed to stay on the ground and rest forever. Then he heard a groan and shuffling of feet from the elite just a few meters away and realized he was far from safe yet. With a lot of effort, Fixer pushed himself to his feet just in time to see the elite turn around and run for one of the spears that had been knocked off him in the shockwave.

He switched the knob to explosive bombs and took aim, but the elite was faster than Fixer expected. A spear suddenly flew towards him, and Fixer tried to dodge, but he was far too late. The dark-red scavenger screamed as the spear lodged just below his right shoulder, almost knocking him back on the ground once again. The elite threw another quickly thereafter, but Fixer saw this one coming and managed to sidestep it.

Fixer tried to raise the gun, but his wound hurt too badly. He hoped nothing was broken; he could feel that his shoulder at least still worked, but he couldn’t raise it to shoot. The pain was mind-numbing. He had suffered injuries before, but none like this. His enemy ahead of him laughed and pulled another spear out of the ground, his eyes filled with malice.

“After I’m done killing you, I’m visiting that tree this very cycle, Fixer!” The elite stopped laughing and growled, raising the spear and aiming it at him. “I’m going to slaughter everyone inside as revenge for what The Red Death did to us! Then, I’ll burn it all to the ground!” The cruel laugh of the elite scavenger reached Fixer’s ears, and he felt the pain of his wound fade as he scowled.

Arti’s not a monster, you are. “You won’t get the chance.”

The elite laughed in response, eyes wide. “Who’s going to stop me? You?” The spear was thrown and sailed through the air towards Fixer.

In one quick movement, he brought the weapon in his hands up to shield his chest, the spear bouncing off the metal and flying off, lodging into the ground further away. Fixer crouched down into a combat position and growled as he flipped the knob of the weapon to rocks. Bombs would be too easy. His previous goal had been to simply survive the encounter, but now?

He wanted to kill.

The enemy took a step back, his eyes reflecting fear for a short moment. Though it was quickly covered up with a snarl as the elite reached to pick up another spear off the ground. Fixer moved forward, aiming at the target as he approached and firing off as many small rocks as his trigger finger would allow. The rocks were not big enough to knock the elite down, but they did temporarily distract him long enough for him to get in range.

With a scream of rage, Fixer tackled the elite to the ground. The scavenger managed to pick up the spear and tried to defend himself, but he was swiftly disarmed when his wrist was struck with the hard weapon in Fixer’s hands. With the scavenger now disarmed and pinned beneath him, he flipped the weapon to hold it upside down, raised it above his head, and swung the stock of it down at the elite’s face. He yelped in pain and tried to grab hold of it, but Fixer slammed him in the ribs, knocking the breath out of him. When the elite moved his hands, he gave him another strike to the head, knocking the mask off his face.

“Stop! Stop!” Fixer stilled, his weapon raised over his head, ready to slam down into the elite’s face again. The scavenger beneath him was terrified, eyes wide and body trembling in fear as he coughed, with a large cut above his eye and a bruise on his forehead where the weapon had struck him. Fixer himself was breathing heavily, practically frothing at the mouth; the adrenaline was making his body shake. “I-I surrender, I surrender." He coughed again and turned his head to spit blood onto the ground before turning back to look up at him. “Please, mercy. M-Mercy, I beg…” 

A part of Fixer, a very small part of him, considered letting the elite scavenger go. He had suffered enough injury, and he had witnessed his weapon’s strengths; there was a chance he would just run home with his tail between his legs to lick his wounds. But then Fixer remembered the promise the two elites had made—that they would visit the tree, that they would hurt his friends , his mate !

They were going to burn the tree down.

Fixer’s face hardened as he raised the hunk of metal in his hands into the air once again. The elite’s eyes widened even further with fear. “No, wait-”

SLAM!

Fixer felt the vibration of the elite’s skull shake in his arms from the blow as he raised the weapon again. The creature beneath him chittered something he could not hear; it vaguely sounded like pleas for mercy.

SLAM!

A loud crack echoed in Fixer’s ears. The creature went quiet and ceased its struggles, but Fixer was not yet satisfied. The stock dripped red as he raised it again.

SLAM!

Warm blood spattered onto Fixer’s face. A growl left him as the sentence the monster beneath him had previously uttered kept echoing inside his mind. I’m visiting that tree this very cycle, and I’m slaughtering everyone inside!

SLAM, SLAM, SLAM!

He raised the weapon again, arms shaking, the pain of his wound slowly fading back in as his adrenaline started to wear off. But when Fixer laid eyes on the bloody mass of flesh that used to be the elite’s face, he stopped himself and finally lowered the weapon to rest his aching arms. Shit, was this too far? His body was bruised and bloody, his face was swollen and throbbing, his arms were tired, and his shoulder was pierced through with a spear. Everything hurt.

No, they got what they deserved.

As Fixer slowly climbed to his feet, stumbling slightly as he walked over to fetch his bag, he started to consider what he could do next. He could not go back to the tribe; who knew how many other scavengers were in on what these two bastards just tried to pull? Even with Chieftain’s approval and protection, if some were capable of going to such lengths as these two had, who was to say more would not follow? The majority of the tribe would have issues with him and Arti being mates, even those that liked Arti a bit more than the rest.

He needed to get to the tree; at least he was close. Lucky for him, he was going there anyway. As he reached his bag, he slipped one of the straps onto his uninjured shoulder (quite difficult to put the other strap on with a spear in the way), wincing at the extra pain carrying the heavy bag brought him. Once he was sure the backpack wouldn’t make him fall or that it wouldn’t slip off, he resumed his walk towards the tree, his trusted metal weapon still clutched closely in his right hand, just in case.

Steady now. The frog-like jumping creatures were difficult targets, Hunter quickly noticed. With how much it was jumping around and moving, it was almost like they knew he had a spear aimed and ready to throw as soon as one decided to stand still for too long. The others would probably not approve of him trying to kill such a passive and innocent creature, but that was only because they had no clue what its meat tasted like. If he managed to kill it, he could get a taste and find out where it was on his personal meat chart, or something like that.

Finally, one of the creatures stopped jumping, seemingly resting by lying down on its stomach. Hunter smirked, and his tail swished behind him as he aimed his spear, really taking as long as possible to line up a guaranteed hit. Unfortunately, right as he felt confident enough to throw his spear, Hunter’s perfect throw was interrupted by an incredibly loud sound that echoed through the region. It sounded like an explosion, and it came at the perfect time to mess up his throw. Not that it mattered if he had hit the spear where he wanted; all the creatures had obviously been startled by the noise and were all jumping around like crazy, some even escaping the area by passing through pipes.

Hunter sighed, his ears twitching as he turned to where the explosion had come from. It wasn’t just a regular explosion like the one from a scav-made explosive spear or bomb; that was way louder and sounded more destructive in a way. Turning back to look at the creatures, he noted they had all actually run off—so much for trying some new meat. The red slugcat groaned as he picked up a nearby piece of rebar and started moving towards where the explosion had come from; at least that would probably lead to some sort of excitement. Not to mention, if it was something dangerous, Hunter did not want it to exist this close to the colony tree.

Traveling through areas he knew well, he quickly came to the realization that the sheer loudness of the boom had actually scared off all of the predators that usually patrolled where he went. Normally, he would see this as a boon—to travel through the region without having to worry about combat. However, Hunter only felt more paranoid at this, still questioning what could have caused the loud explosion. Passing around a corner, the red slugcat suddenly spotted a figure just a few meters ahead.

He raised his spear and growled, while the figure lifted a weapon of his own, one that looked really intricate. One Hunter could have sworn he’d seen somewhere before... Fixer's backpack! He lowered his spear at the same time as the scavenger in front of him, who seemed to recognize the slugcat as well. Fixer, quite frankly, looked terrible. He was bruised and bloody, barely able to stand as he leaned against the nearest wall; his face was swollen and covered in cuts; and finally, there was a whole spear sticking out of his shoulder.

“Damn, Fixer. You’ve looked better.” Fixer huffed in an amused way as Hunter put his spear on his back and walked to the scavenger’s side to support him. “At least we’re close to the tree; come on.”

With Hunter’s help, the two could move fairly quickly and would reach the tree way before night had time to fall. He obviously did not help Fixer because he cared for the scav! He just didn’t want mom Arti to find out he let her mate die.

Yeah, he didn’t want to upset Arti, that was all.

“You have to eat something, Monk.” Artificer slid the blue fruit back to the yellow slugcat. He glanced up in response for just a moment before sighing and looking down at the ground again.

He was leaning against Ruby, who was still in hibernation, and purring deeply. The red lizard would sometimes sleep very heavily far into cycles at times, like a longer hibernation than the slugcats. It was badly timed, since Monk usually felt better when he had the lizard to play with during his bad cycles.

“I’m not really that hungry, sorry Arti.” The maroon slugcat sighed, immediately regretting doing so when she saw Monk’s shoulders tense up slightly at her reaction.

She crawled over to the smaller slugcat’s side, taking a seat next to him. “That’s alright, kid.” He relaxed his posture and leaned his head to rest on her lap with another sigh. Monk closed his eyes as she patted his fur comfortingly.

The poor slugcat’s mood had been on the up-and-down ever since he fully accepted the truth of his parents' disappearance. Some cycles, he would seem alright—not really happy, but at least not sad. On other cycles, like this one, he could barely get up from the den. Artificer leaned down and gave him an affectionate lick on the nose. He chirped in response, the smallest of smiles present on his face. It was only the two of them in the tree. Survivor had left to visit Five Pebbles and brought along Night for some sort of ‘introduction’ to the iterator, as he’d called it. Normally, just the thought of someone taking a small slugpup on such a harrowing journey would have made her anxious, but she trusted Survivor to keep her safe. Though she had noticed him doubting his own parenting abilities, she had seen many times how fiercely protective he and Hunter could be of the pup if it was exposed to any sort of danger. Not to mention, the white slugcat was way more skilled in combat than he often liked to think. Hunter had also left on some sort of personal hunt that he promised would be quick. Though Artificer had no clue what he would be hunting for, they had pretty much every sort of predator meat available in the tree.

The sound of a pair of footsteps became audible outside the tree. Monk lifted his head curiously, his ears twitching. “You wanna go see who it is?” The yellow slugcat nodded, and Arti carefully stood them both up and took his paw. “Alright, let’s go.”

When they reached the entrance to the tree and looked outside, Artificer felt her heart practically stop beating in shock. Hunter was coming back early, supporting a heavily wounded Fixer who limped alongside him, a whole fucking spear lodged deep below his right shoulder. In his hand, he held the weapon they still hadn’t named; the butt of it was drenched in blood, leaving no thought to the imagination of what it had been used for.

Despite his injuries, when the two got to the entrance, Fixer’s face lit up upon seeing her. She was so shocked, she could almost not remember the command for her drone to translate. “Fix! Oh, void! What happened to you?” Still holding onto Monk’s paw and giving him reassuring squeezes, she reached her other paw up to touch his swollen cheek.

“Arti, it’s good to see you.” How was he still smiling so widely while being so injured? Was he that happy to see her?

"I found him just a bit away from the tree; he’s pretty roughed up, but aside from the spear, there’s no life-threatening injuries.” 

Hunter listed all the information off as the four of them moved into the tree in a calm and steady voice. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that he was almost as experienced when it came to warfare as her; he was not easily shocked by bloody and gnarly injuries. Monk was not the same, however, with worried tears in his eyes as he whimpered from time to time, scared for his scavenger friend. Fixer's backpack was slipped off and placed on the floor next to the nest. Once Fixer had been put down in the nest, the red slugcat took over the assignment of comforting Monk as Artificer kneeled down to take care of the spear. The spear hadn’t gone all the way through, thankfully. But it had still gone deep enough for it to be a bother to heal. Once they pulled the spear out, there would be a lot of blood pouring out of the large wound, so they would have to be quick.

“You’re lucky this piece of rebar wasn’t sharpened; otherwise, it might’ve stuck out the other side.” Fixer chuckled, still smiling despite being in obvious pain.

“Guess the ones who attacked me weren’t the best at maintaining their equipment, then.” Someone attacked my mate. Artificer hadn’t really thought about it like that; she had only seen the injury and reacted. But of course, someone did this to Fixer.

“What happened to the ones who attacked you?” Fixer’s face fell slightly, his expression taking on something that looked vaguely like disgust.

“Dead. Both dead.”

“Good.” She gave his uninjured shoulder a pat. That explained the blood on his weapon, at least. The still-bloodthirsty part of Artificer, the one that still arose from time to time in moments of high stress or anger, told her that it was not enough and that the ones who did this deserved worse. She muffled the thought, whether they did or not, it was not the priority. “Hunter, I think I’m going to need your help with this.”

She glanced back to see Hunter patting Monk on the shoulder comfortingly while nodding at her. “Yes, ma'am!" 

As the red slugcat stepped forward, Monk followed along as well. “I want to help too!”

Artificer winced. “Are you sure, kid? It’s probably going to get messy.”

The yellow slugcat seemed slightly scared off by the thought, but he quickly recovered and nodded with a determined look on his face. Artificer nodded back, and Monk walked over to join her, kneeling down next to Fixer.

“Seeing as we don’t really have a way of shortening the spear, my plan is that we pull it out and then cauterize it with a heated spear tip.” Fixer tensed slightly, and Artificer placed a paw on his uninjured paw in an attempt at comfort. “Hunter, run off and heat up a spear on a fire; me and Monk will focus on taking the spear out.” Hunter nodded and ran off, taking the spear off his back as he passed through the exit. “You can still back out if you don’t want to do this, Monk.”

“Don’t worry, Arti. I’ve got this.” Artificer spent a short moment studying the yellow slugcat’s expression; there was no hint of fear anymore, only determination.

“Alright, I need you to hold Fixer down for me, okay?” 

Monk nodded and shot Fixer an apologetic look as he pushed him down into the nest. Artificer would also hold a steadying paw on the scavenger, so between the two of them, it should work out. The maroon slugcat sighed. Now came one of the harder parts. Before she moved on, Artificer leaned down and gave Fixer a lick on the face. The scavenger smiled, though more uneasily this time as she grabbed firm hold of the spear.

“You ready, Fix?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

There was no point in a countdown; it would only make things worse. Without missing a beat, Artificer pulled, not too fast to avoid causing more damage but also not too slow to make it more painful for the scavenger. Fixer was holding up fairly well, only tensing and gritting his teeth. Before they all knew it, the spear had been pulled free, with both Artificer and Monk placing their paws on the leaking wound to slow the bleeding. Just in time, Hunter came back with the heated spear, the blunt side of the tip glowing with heat, a light that quickly faded even as the heat was retained. Fixer’s eyes widened as he locked eyes with the spear, and Artificer shot him an apologetic look in response.

“Hunter, I think you need to help hold him down as well.” The red slugcat simply nodded and helped Monk hold the scavenger down as Artificer prepared the cauterization. Monk turned away with a whimper as Fixer shut his eyes tightly; even Hunter subtly averted his eyes.

After taking a deep breath, the maroon slugcat held the spear down on the bleeding wound. The sound that came from Fixer sounded unlike any other noise Artificer had ever heard another scavenger make, which disturbed her, considering everything she had put scavengers through. Though, in retrospect, she guessed she had never burned them, not like this. The smell of cooking meat permeated the air, and she felt a bit nauseous. Once she was sure the wound had been burned enough that the bleeding stopped, she pulled the spear away. Fixer’s screams died down into whines and pants as Artificer purred in an attempt to calm him.

Fixer suddenly tried to utter something through his pained panting. “The wounds, they c-came from-”

“Shh, save your breath, Fix. You need to rest.” Hunter went out to fetch something to bandage the wound while Monk cuddled up on Fixer’s side and purred to comfort him.

“No, it's important! I was attacked by a couple elites; they know of the tree, and they know of… us. They wanted to kill me over it, and they threatened the lives of all of you.” Hunter came back with the cloth and handed it to Artificer, who started to wrap it around Fixer’s shoulder.

Hunter scoffed, flashing a grin. “A couple elites, so what? We take those fuckers down, easy.”

“I don’t know how many more they have on their side; half our tribe might be with them.”

Artificer growled as she wrapped Fixer’s shoulder. “If they come, we will not flee from our home; they can be sure of that!”

Fixer nodded in agreement as Artificer finished up the bandage wrapping. “If it comes to fighting, I will stand with you all, but let us hope it does not come to that at all.”

Artificer purred and leaned in close, planting a kiss on Fixer’s cheek. “We’ll see. Nevertheless, I’m happy you’re alive.” Fixer responded with a gentle headbutt as the maroon slugcat purred.

Hunter crossed his arms and gave a half-hearted growl. “Get a room, you two.”

That made Monk lift his head, tilting it curiously as he looked at Hunter. “That’s a bit ironic, Hunter. We have to watch you and Survivor lovingly embrace and kiss each other many times during a cycle, but you don’t like when others do it once."

The room went dead quiet for a short moment, everyone exchanging glances. Then Artificer and Fixer burst out into laughter and Hunter blushed so hard it was actually visible even on him as he sputtered. “Monk! What the fuck, man?”

Monk somehow looked even more confused. “What?”

Hunter groaned as Artificer and Fixer laughed even harder.

Chapter Text

“The wound is healing well, despite it all.” Fixer winced as Arti unwrapped the piece of cloth wrapped around his shoulder. The pain still had not gone away; if anything, it had actually heightened since his wound was treated.

The maroon slugcat fetched a new bandage to wrap around the wound as the scavenger tried to move as little as possible to avoid the risk of disturbing the healing process, though it was fairly difficult. Not only did his wound hurt, it also itched really badly. Of course, it was an itch he could not scratch, and Arti told him it simply meant the injury was healing, but that did not stop it from being incredibly annoying. Finally, his wound was bandaged up once again, the texture of the cloth providing him with some semblance of relief from the itchiness, however slight it was. To finish up the process, Arti pressed a small kiss on his cheek before sitting back and running a paw across the top of his head.

“You’re lucky, Fix. Considering the situation of fighting two elite scavengers, your wounds could have been far more severe.”

Fixer chuckled in response. “They weren’t exactly the most threatening enemies I’ve faced.”

“I hear that!” Arti joined in on the laughter. "But I still have to ask, how did you win the fight? It’s obvious you used the butt of the weapon for one of them.” Fixer cringed slightly, not wanting a reminder of his own brutality that had shocked even him after the fact. The maroon slugcat gave him another peck on the forehead in an attempt at comfort. “Surely you did not turn the knob to the first option; the rocks would not have done much except distract one at a time. The second option could be possible, but elites are good at dodging, and at least one would have had an opening to take you down worse than just a spear to the shoulder.” 

Fixer huffed and rolled his eyes good-heartedly. His mate had already figured it all out; she just wanted him to say it. “Yes, Arti. I used the last option, the one we had never tried before.”

Immediately, the maroon slugcat’s eye lit up as she smirked. “I knew it!” Suddenly, she pulled the metal weapon out of practically nowhere, and Fixer flinched back slightly. Had she been holding it in her other paw the whole time? Thankfully, the blood on the stock of the thing had been wiped off, so it did not look as gruesome as it did when Fixer walked in with it.

“C-Careful, Arti! The final option held a very destructive bomb; it ripped one of the elites to shreds, basically leaving nothing behind after the fact." The scavenger shuddered; he hadn’t considered the amount of damage dealt until considering that he had not seen the elite’s corpse after the explosion. It had just been gone. “Hell, the resulting explosion was loud enough that Hunter heard it, and he was fairly far away. That’s the reason he found me in time to guide me to the tree.”

As Fixer should have expected, all of his stated facts only seemed to excite his mate more. “Well, if a bunch of scavs are coming over to try to fuck with our home in the future, it’s only fitting we give them a good welcome! Let’s see if there’s any more cool bombs on the last option!” Arti started to turn the knob as Fixer weakly reached towards her.

“Arti! Finger off the trigger, please...” 

The final option was selected, and Arti thankfully kept her finger pointing straight with the barrel of the weapon and not squeezing the very thing that could launch one of the bombs inside the tree. Fixer nearly fainted when the maroon slugcat suddenly turned the weapon upside down to look down the barrel, looking for more of that blue flashing light. Both of them took note of Arti’s drone not flashing any danger symbols as it had when the weapon was loaded with the bomb last time.

“Bah, empty!” Arti moved her face from the barrel and placed the weapon on the ground while grumbling to herself, seemingly disappointed by this fact, while Fixer sighed in relief.

Potential tree-ending accident halted! Thank the void...

"Guess you'll have to be satisfied with regular bombs."

Arti shrugged. "Eh, I guess that will do." The maroon slugcat grabbed hold of the blanket covering Fixer's legs and pulled it up to cover most of his body to keep him warm. "Try to get some sleep, Fix. You'll be back on your feet fighting in no time!"

Fixer sighed and got comfortable, ready to spend many boring cycles cooped up in the tree. "Alright."

The maroon slugcat purred and gave him a quick hug. "I'll give you something for the pain later."

They exchanged a small kiss before Arti walked outside the tree, presumably to do something. Maybe keep guard? The slugcats had discussed at length how they should make sure no enemies catch them off-guard in case they decide to attack. Fixer doubted they would try something so soon after he had killed two elites out all on his own, but one could never be too sure, he supposed. With a huff, the scavenger closed his eyes and tried to get some rest.

He'd be of no use to the others if he stayed bedridden after all.

“I refuse to eat it.” Fixer moved to cross his arms, immediately regretting the choice when his shoulder flared up in pain, instead opting to show his disdain for the orange paste held in front of him by turning his face away.

Arti growled and simply moved around to his other side. “Stop being so fuzzy, Fix! It will help with your pain.”

As soon as the scavenger had woken up from what little rest he could muster, Arti had come walking with a piece of, as the scavengers called it, 'slime mold’. It was a disgusting-sounding name for a disgusting food item. Fixer did not care if it would help with his pain; he would rather stay as far away from the slimy ball in his mate’s paw as possible.

Fixer narrowed his eyes, weakly batting Arti’s other paw away as she tried to hold his head in place. “I don’t want it; it’s sticky, gross, and sickly sweet. I would know from experience; I have eaten it many times before, and I hate the taste." Just the thought of the sickly sweet slime grazing his taste buds made the scavenger shudder in disgust.

“Stop acting like a pup and take your medicine!” Arti growled again in frustration, thankfully giving up on her attempts to try to wrench his mouth open. “Hunter once had to eat some to treat pain, and from what I’ve heard from Survivor, even he handled it better than you!”

Before Fixer could respond, the red slugcat in question walked in through the tree’s entrance. “What do you mean, ‘Even he’?”

The maroon slugcat sighed and rolled her eye, responding to the slugcat behind her without even turning around. “Hunter, you’re a real tough slugcat, but you’re really picky when it comes to what you will and won’t eat.”

“What, is that a challenge?” Hunter started walking up to the two. Fixer spotted a cocky smile on the red slugcat’s face as Arti slowly turned around to address him. “I could eat anything you challenge me to; I have an iron stomach that could process anything; even trash could keep me fed for…” He immediately trailed off as he spotted the orange ball of sticky sludge in the maroon slugcat’s paw. “I won’t eat that.”

Fixer huffed a laugh, and Hunter sent him a glare as Arti turned back to Fixer. “Case in point. Still, he ate it eventually, and now it’s your turn.” She held the slime out to the scavenger, but he still turned his head. Fixer refused; he was not eating it!

“Oh, come on.” Hunter suddenly joined in on harassing Fixer, walking around the den into the scavenger’s view with crossed arms. “I ate it while I was feeling bad, and I guarantee I was doing way worse than you! So just suck it up and eat the slime.”

Fixer chuckled at the red slugcat’s dramatic way of speaking. “What? Worse than having a gaping hole underneath your shoulder blade?” 

It was meant to be a joke, a rhetorical question with a comical undertone. Only the red slugcat did not seem to find it funny, as he leaned in a bit closer, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“I suffer through worse than your meager pain every fuckin’ cycle.” Fixer leaned back slightly from the red slugcat, who seemingly failed to know the concept of personal space, and averted his eyes. Okay, that’s a weird flex.

Arti walked into view, standing next to Hunter and giving him a look. Upon glancing over and seeing her stare, the red slugcat sighed and leaned back. Then he reached over and plucked the slime out of Arti’s paws.

He held the slime out towards Fixer. “Just eat the damn slime.” The scavenger narrowed his eyes, giving the mold a look of disgust. Hunter gave him his best attempt at a smile, one of his eyes twitching slightly. “Please?”

He considered accepting the slime, if only because Hunter asked him nicely in a definitely not-at-all forced way. But Fixer knew there were better options for treating pain than having to eat a disgusting ball of glop. Maybe he should try to tell them of other, more effective ways. With convincing, the scavenger might get away with not taking a bite of the slime mold.

“I would eat the slime, really. But...” Arti facepalmed while Hunter growled, looking dangerously pissed off.

When Fixer did not respond fast enough for his liking, the red slugcat’s paw gripped the orange slime tighter, almost squishing it in his grip. “But?!”

"But there are way better options available to us.” Arti ran her paw down her face, looking thoroughly annoyed. Meanwhile, Hunter’s anger actually seemed to dissipate, replaced by a look of hopelessness. “Did you know that tree sap from the local trees of this region actually offers a pain-numbing effect? Sure, it tastes bad as well, but it is stronger than..." He gestured towards the slime, and when the translation had come through, the red slugcat narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to respond, but Fixer continued. “Otherwise, mushrooms, karma flowers, or other hallucinogenics would work just as well! Another thing that would-”

The rest of the scavenger’s lesson was cut off by Hunter’s paw smacking against his open mouth, depositing the slime mold onto Fixer’s tongue. He swallowed out of sheer surprise before cringing at the taste and texture of the orange goop as it went down his throat. The red slugcat moved his paw, and after making sure the slime had been swallowed, he smiled and licked any residue slime from his digits with only a slight cringe at the taste.

“There! Was that really that big a deal, scav?” Hunter walked off, ignoring Fixer’s glare at his back. Arti collapsed on the ground of the tree from laughing too hard, holding her stomach as she wheezed.

The pain faded quite a bit, but Fixer did not find much satisfaction in it as he grumbled to himself. Not to mention, he did not see what his mate found so funny about the situation! He considered crossing his arms but decided against it to avoid irritating his wounded shoulder. The scavenger opted to pout instead, something that only seemed to make his mate laugh even harder.

The cycle when I’m fully healed cannot come quick enough.

“Are you gonna be okay, Fixer?” Monk looked worried to death, striking up conversation with Fixer for the first time since he stopped by the tree with his injuries.

During the first cycle, the yellow slugcat simply hung close to the scavenger, the two exchanging greetings from time to time, as if he had to keep making sure Fixer was still alive if he laid a bit too still. The slugcat was kneeling by Fixer’s side while fidgeting nervously as he asked the question, his terrifying red lizard lying down on the ground just behind him. Thankfully, Ruby did not show much interest in the scavenger, and he took that as her just sort of accepting that Fixer was hanging around, at least temporarily. The scavenger grunted as he tried to get into a seated position to better talk to Monk. The yellow slugcat helped out by supporting his upper back.

Man, his shoulder hurt even worse than before; stupid slime did not help much at all… “I should be fine; Arti did a good job patching me up.” He answered honestly, hoping it would be a positive enough answer.

Monk’s ear flicked as he winced slightly. “It looked like a really painful treatment."

Fixer chuckled in response. “Yeah, it wasn’t comfortable. But hey, it stopped the bleeding.”

“I guess…” Fixer could see what Arti had meant when she told him the yellow slugcat was feeling down.

Gone was the usual easy smile that always adorned the yellow slugcat’s face, replaced with a small frown of indifference, if not discontent. Ruby definitely noticed it, whining and cuddling up to the yellow slugcat's side as he absent-mindedly patted her on the head. Fixer didn’t know the backstory for the sudden change, but it had to be something major to affect a slugcat that seemed as optimistic and happy as Monk. The scavenger hadn’t seen enough to really make some sort of guess about what the yellow slugcat was feeling just yet; he had only been bedridden in the den for one cycle so far. Still, Monk had barely eaten at the start of the current cycle. Fixer did not know how much a shorter slugcat like him should eat, but he knew that he should eat more than just one blue fruit. Even pups probably ate more during a cycle.

That’s when Fixer remembered the real reason he had even come to the tree in the first place—to cheer Monk up! He glanced around the tree, trying to spot his backpack. Some sort of excitement must have shown in his body language, because he could see the yellow slugcat next to him perk up slightly in his peripheral vision, staring at him curiously. Ah, there it was! Packed away in the far corner of the tree lay his bag and, inside, the scroll on karma gates that he brought.

“Hey, Monk. Do you think you can get my backpack for me?” Monk immediately nodded and ran off, obviously eager to help out.

Fixer felt a bit bad when he saw the slugcat pick up his bag with a bit of struggle, carrying the heavy pack in his arms as he slowly waddled over. Ruby walked over to offer help, but Monk waved the red lizard off. In hindsight, the scavenger could have probably just told Monk to take the scroll out and bring it to him instead of the whole backpack. Oh well, it was too late to consider it. The yellow slugcat was already at his side, and he placed the bag on the ground next to the sleeping spot with a huff.

“Thanks!” He reached over and opened the top flap, rummaging through the contents for a bit. Fixer grumbled under his breath when he realized the elite that had previously rummaged through his stuff had completely messed up his intricate packing! He’d have to repack later, when he could use his right arm properly without pain.

Finally, after all his work, he pulled the scroll out of the bag.

Monk’s eyes widened slightly, no doubt recognizing the scroll as being something ancient. “Oh! What’s that?”

Fixer smirked and handed the rolled-up scroll to the slugcat. “See for yourself, my friend.” Monk hesitated for a short moment before taking the offered parchment with a nod.

Gently, he unscrolled the piece of paper, his eyes wandering around the paper. Once he really took in what he was looking at, Fixer was pleased to see the yellow slugcat lighten up slightly, smiling genuinely.

“This is amazing, Fixer!” Monk looked up for the scroll and made a small hop of excitement. “Where did you find this?”

“Oh, I found it in a train car while in the subterranean scavenging. As soon as I figured out what it was, I wanted to bring it to you. That’s why I was so close to you guys when I got jumped; I was on my way to the tree to show you that.”

The yellow slugcat looked a bit confused. “But, why would your first thought be to take it to me?”

Fixer hummed and took a moment to consider his words before responding. “Well, after reading that scroll, a lot of mechanical theories I had about the gates have been confirmed, but I still have some considerations when it comes to the karmic system.” The scavenger explained, “I reckon you can help me set some facts straight.” He gave the slugcat a wink.

Also, I wanted to cheer you up because Arti told me you were feeling down.

Monk smiled brightly and nodded before lying down on his back next to Fixer, spending a short moment to get comfortable in the den before holding the parchment into the air between them so they could both read the blueprints of the karma gates. Ruby followed her owner, laying down in the den behind the two and closing her eyes. As they started to discuss the contents of Fixer’s find, the scavenger stole glances at the yellow slugcat’s expressions, happy to find them a bit more lifelike and happy than they were previously, as he gave Fixer all of his own thoughts, theories, and facts on the subject of karmic balance and imbalance and how the two terms connected to the gates.

Fixer thought that getting put through the pain and stress of combat had definitely been worth it just to lift his friend’s mood, if only by a little.

It was around when nighttime started to occur outside of the tree, the light from the sun dimming and being replaced by the glow of the moon, that Survivor and Night came back from their visit to Five Pebbles. The white slugcat did not immediately notice Fixer in the den, exchanging a small kiss with Hunter before their pup ran up to the red slugcat and was effortlessly picked up and held in his arms, eager to share her adventure through her usual chirps.

When he greeted Arti and Monk with a hug, they seemed to tell him what had happened, as Survivor’s eyes widened and he looked towards the den, spotting the scavenger. Fixer gave him a small wave before the white slugcat approached and kneeled at his side. He spent a silent moment looking him over, his eyes lingering on the bandage wrapped around his wound. Quite intelligently, Arti had left behind her drone by Fixer's side on translation mode, so the chirping and mewling from the white slugcat could be translated into actual speech and the two could hold a conversation.

“Well, Fixer. I’ll be honest…” Survivor sighed and leaned back with a small smile, apparently happy with his lookover. “You’ve definitely looked better.” Fixer chuckled—exactly what Hunter had said! He could see why the two of them were such loving mates. “I only got to hear small tid-bits of information from Monk and Arti—something about you being attacked?”

Fixer nodded. “Two scavenger elites ambushed me, both from my own tribe.”

Survivor nodded with a whistle. “Not just one, but two elites? You managed to win that fight?"

“Yes, they gave me no choice but to kill them.”

The white slugcat nodded again, understanding in his eyes. “I’m sorry you had to go through killing your own kin.” 

The scavenger sighed and nodded. The thought of what he had done had plagued him since he first laid down in the den. Even if they both attacked him, Fixer had a chance to let one of them go. Instead of doing so, however, he gave into the heat of the moment and brutalized the elite. It had only felt good as he was doing it, then he felt terrible. He wondered if the emotions he was feeling were kind of how Arti had felt after her own revenge mission? Resorting to violence never solved much in the long run, even if the elite most definitely deserved what he got.

“Still, I have to compliment your skill in combat; taking down two elites could not have been easy.”

“Wasn’t too hard; it all depends on what kind of weaponry you have available.”

“Hm, that makes sense.” Survivor looked at the bandaged wound again, hesitating for a short moment before reaching over and gently placing his paw on the edge of the wound, not touching it but still close enough to make it sting slightly. “Does this hurt?” As soon as Fixer nodded, the white slugcat pulled his paw back and gave the scavenger an apologetic look. “You still have some healing left to do, it seems.” The scavenger sighed and nodded. Survivor gave him an earnest smile. "Don't worry, though. We'll take good care of you, Fixer!"

Their little medical check-up was suddenly interrupted by a small chirp coming from behind Survivor. The white slugcat turned around; it was Night, of course. The pup was looking at Fixer curiously as she chirped once again. The scavenger had seen the slugpup once before when he had slept over at the tree just a few cycles ago, but Night had been a bit too scared to approach the stranger in their home. Now, she seemed to have gotten over the fear, but Fixer considered that that might be because he’s not standing and towering over her way smaller body as he had the first time she saw him.

“Hi, honey.” Survivor picked the pup off the floor, holding her gently in his arms while she chirped and meowed. “What’s wrong? Are you hungry?” The pup shook her head and started to make grabby paws towards Fixer while the scavenger tilted his head in confusion. “Oh, do you want to cuddle with Fixer?” Wha?! The pup chirped happily, squirming slightly in Survivor’s hold as he turned around to face the scavenger and crouched down at his side.

“Survivor, I have no experience with pups! I don’t-” His nervous explanation was interrupted by Survivor putting Night on his chest, and Fixer got preoccupied with using his left hand to stop the pup from immediately losing her balance when she tried to stand on unsteady legs.

“You’ll do fine, Fixer.” 

Survivor leaned back slightly, just watching as Night carefully crawled towards Fixer’s face on all fours while he stayed preoccupied with making sure she wouldn’t slide off him. The fall would definitely not be high enough to hurt the pup, despite her small size, but the chance of a pup crying after getting only mildly shocked stopped him from taking any chances. Once Night got close enough to touch his face, she chirped in curiosity once again, reaching out and grabbing at his horns surprisingly gently. She kept exploring, probably curious as to why Fixer looked so different from herself and the other slugcats. Eventually, she seemed satisfied with her exploration, retracting her paws.

Alright, now I can give you back to Survivor, and you can sleep with your parents. Only that did not happen. Instead, as soon as Fixer moved his hand to pick up the pup, she snuggled against his palm and started to purr. Then she closed her eyes and curled up, wrapping her small tail around herself and falling asleep almost immediately.

Guess not, then.

Survivor chuckled. “She seems to like you!”

Hunter walked up behind Survivor, looking at the display with an unreadable expression. The red slugcat leaned over and whispered something to his mate, gesturing towards Fixer and their pup. The white slugcat whispered something back before planting a lick on Hunter’s cheek. The red slugcat turned back to look at Fixer and the pup, his eyes narrowing for a moment. Once he realized his slugpup was undoubtedly safe in the scavenger’s arms, his gaze softened, and he nodded in approval.

It didn't take long for the rest of the slugcats to decide it was time to sleep, so they all curled up in the den around Fixer and Night. Just as the scavenger felt his eyes start to get heavy, his mate curled up close to his side and gave him a kiss on his unwounded shoulder.

“You befriended the pup of the colony pretty easily.”

“It’s more like she befriended me.”

“Only because you stayed gentle and calm with her, pups her age like that.” Arti yawned, curling up on Fixer’s side, throwing an arm over his torso just below Night, and closing her eye. “You’d make a great father…” The maroon slugcat trailed off, apparently falling asleep immediately afterwards.

Fixer stayed silent for a long moment, pondering his mate’s words. Before snuggling closer to her and listening to the way she purred in her sleep, the sound blended in with the more quiet purring from the small pup sleeping on top of him. As he kept a steady hand on Night, Fixer laughed quietly to himself.

“I suppose I would.”

In the next cycle, Fixer, surprisingly, wasn't the only one bedridden. A certain red slugcat laid right next to him, subdued and weak, in complete contrast to how Hunter usually acted. When Arti rebandaged Fixer’s wound, she also checked on the red slugcat, asking if he needed anything for his pain, if he was hungry, etc. Survivor and Monk came by from time to time during the cycle, delivering food, checking on the both of them, or just to talk a bit. Adorably, even little Night tried to help by coming over with some blue fruit, one for Hunter and one for Fixer.

Fixer glanced over at the slugcat next to him; he really did not look alright. Like the scavenger, he had his own blanket, yet despite the warm fabric wrapped around him, the red slugcat still shivered like he was outside with all of his short fur shaved off. Even with his back turned to Fixer, he could see how Hunter winced from time to time or how his breath hitched from pain at random.

“Stare any longer, and we’re going to have a problem, scav.” Fixer flinched at Hunter, suddenly speaking up. The slugcat’s voice sounded even more gravelly and rough than it usually did, something the scavenger had thought was impossible.

“Ah, sorry. I was just… um…”

“You want to know what's wrong with me?” Hunter turned around, facing Fixer with a threatening scowl on his face. Though the intimidation effect was sort of lost on account of the slugcat being wrapped up in the blanket like a slugcat burrito, Fixer nodded, and the red slugcat sighed. “If I explain it in simple terms, will you leave me alone?” The scavenger nodded again. “I have a parasite growing inside of me; it has been there since my creation.” Hunter averted his eyes before continuing. “It used to be even worse, so we went to the iterator Five Pebbles, and he fixed me up by removing a lot of it.” It seemed to be a bad memory for him as he squeezed his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths before continuing. “He removed a lot, but not all of it; the risk of killing me was too great.” The red slugcat looked back at Fixer, frowning. “That’s the basis of it; now will you let me rest, as we agreed?”

“Sure.”

Hunter turned back around, shivering and muttering to himself. “Always so inquisitive, just can’t leave the matter alone…”

Despite himself, Fixer spoke up at that. “Well, to be fair, you’re the one who offered to tell me.”

The red slugcat turned back around, angry and no doubt ready to scream at the scavenger. Fixer braced himself, only for Hunter to seemingly consider what the scavenger had said for a short moment, after a while his anger quickly fizzled out. “Shut up, scav.” He mumbled, realizing Fixer actually had a point. "I don't even know why I told you anything.”

Fixer smiled, feeling daring while Hunter was bedridden and caught off guard. “Because you felt like opening your heart to someone you trust?”

To the scavenger’s surprise, the slugcat actually laughed, or, well, made a sound that sounded like one in his current physical condition. It wasn’t a cruel laugh, it sounded happy. When he stopped, Hunter was smiling in a rather friendly way. “In your dreams, scav.”

The two went silent for a moment, enjoying the peace and quiet of the tree. The rest of the slugcats were outside, but nearby, just in case.

“Hey, Hunter.”

“Hm?”

“I just want to thank you for helping me get to the tree while I was wounded. Whatever the reason behind you deciding to help, without your assistance, I would have probably died out in the wilderness. So, thank you for saving my life.”

Hunter seemed surprised by the heartfelt gratefulness as he paused and tried to think of how to respond. “It was nothing.” He waved a paw at Fixer, dismissing the appreciation. "I couldn't have you dying so close to the tree, is all. Arti and the other slugcats would have had my head if they’d found out I let you die when I could have helped, you know?” He yawned loudly before curling up and closing his eyes. “Now I want to nap. Enough talking.”

Translation: I didn’t do it because I wanted to help you; I did it so I wouldn’t get the blame for your death practically on our doorstep. Fixer smiled; he didn’t believe that. Had Hunter wanted, he could have easily left him to die; none of the other slugcats would know because they wouldn’t venture out where the red slugcat had already gone. Still, he made the decision to save the scavenger, so obviously he did care in some capacity. Of course, caring enough not to let him die was the bare minimum, but it was better than nothing.

Fixer decided not to say any of this, however. Hunter could keep up the tough guy persona if he wanted. Instead, the scavenger smiled and settled down himself, closing his eyes. “Whatever you say, Hunter. Sweet dreams!”

The slugcat huffed and grumbled for a short moment before going quiet. After a long moment, he responded in such a small voice that it was almost obvious he did not want the scavenger to hear him. Unfortunately for him, Fixer had quite good hearing and heard every word.

“Sleep well, scav.”

Thankfully, without much complication, it only took a few more cycles for Fixer’s body to fully heal. There was no permanent damage either; he could move his right arm without issue. The spot was still sore, but Fixer guessed that it would go away with time. The only real sign that he was ever hurt would be a slightly itchy scar left in the place where he’d been speared. Hunter was feeling better too; apparently the cycles were sort of up-and-down for him, and he was doing well on this one. Monk wasn’t feeling down either; he was happy. It might have had something to do with Fixer finally being recovered, of course.

“So, now what?” Arti asked when everyone was gathered in the tree. “If what Fix theorized about our home being in danger of being attacked is true, then we have to have some sort of plan in place for when the time comes.” All the other slugcats mumbled in agreement.

“I say we lure them in, then take them on!” Hunter stepped up, looking ferocious. “The scavengers love to underestimate us; they see us as small and weak. We play up on their underestimation, act like we're all weak and defenseless. Then, when they get close enough, we strike!”

“It’s not a bad idea, love.” Survivor stepped up, holding a sleeping Night in his arms, and placed a paw on his mate’s shoulder. “But we have no idea how many would be attacking us; the element of surprise won’t mean much if we’re outnumbered ten-to-one.”

“Surv’s right, we’re going to need help.” Monk said, nervously fidgeting with his paws. “I don’t doubt we can put up a good fight, but if there’s too many enemies to fight, that won’t matter in the end.”

“I refuse to believe the whole tribe is in on it.” Fixer mumbled as he pulled his backpack onto his back and looked out of the tree in the direction of the tower. It was visible even from the tree's entrance, partially obscured by dark clouds. Any cycle now, the tribe would move out to the new spot, way closer to the slugcat tree. Before, it seemed like an opportunity for friendship between the two creatures; but after everything that had happened, it felt more like a declaration of war at that point. “I need to get in contact with Chieftain; together, we can rouse any scavengers who are willing to fight on our side if the situation turns violent.”

The others exchanged sounds of agreement; if things were to turn bad, their little colony of slugcats would not be enough to fight off a larger group of enemies. However, if they had the help of some scavengers on their own side...

“How will you go about reaching Chieftain?” Arti asked, stepping up to stand next to her mate, her tail stroking against his leg affectionately.

Fixer considered the question for a moment, but there was only one real way of doing it in time with as little risk as possible. “I’ll have to travel to the tower; he still resides there, and he has made it clear that he will only move away from the place when the rest of the scavengers have fully moved. That will be in a couple cycles, if the planned time of moving is met, that is.” To be the most safe, Fixer would probably need to get in contact with the older scavenger that very cycle; who knew when they would be attacked?

“Wait a minute, how well do you trust this Chieftain guy?” Hunter stepped closer to the two, looking very skeptical. “What if he’s with the same scavengers that attacked you?”

“He’s not.” Fixer turned to address Hunter. “I trust him with my life.” He knew that technically meant very little to the red slugcat, but he also knew Chieftain would not be in on the plot to burn the tree down.

To Fixer’s moderate surprise, Hunter actually dropped the skepticism and nodded, trusting the scavenger’s judgment. “Fair enough then.” He said as he turned back and walked back to his mate and Monk, leaving Arti and Fixer to discuss the scavenger's trip to Chieftain.

“When will you be leaving?” Arti asked.

“I was thinking it best to move right away, after some preparations.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Fixer turned to his mate, ready to tell her it was far too dangerous for the very target the scavengers searched to destroy to visit a spot where many of them probably still resided. But upon seeing the look on Arti’s face, he knew he wouldn’t be able to convince her to stay behind anyway.

“Alright then.” His mate smiled and took his hand with a happy chirp and Fixer could not help but smile back.

From now on, it was do or die; hopefully they wouldn't be the ones dying...

Chapter Text

“Don’t take any unnecessary risks, alright?”

“For once, I’ll be careful, kid. I promise.”

Monk nodded as his mom Arti pulled him into a tight hug. It didn’t feel right to let only the two of them go off on the dangerous trip, but at least the scavenger and slugcat could stay stealthy and hidden easier than if they were a large group, not to mention it was a good idea for as many as possible to stay to defend the tree just in case.

As Arti eventually let him go, she gave him a lick on the forehead, as she usually did. Fixer stepped up next, having already said goodbye to everyone else, and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Monk. I’ll ensure we don’t get into any needless fights.” The yellow slugcat nodded again, and the scavenger gave his shoulder a pat before letting go.

“Be sure to come back in time to give ‘em hell!” Hunter yelled after the two as they started walking towards the pipe, with Arti glancing back and giving a thumbs up in response.

Monk could not help but whine in worry as he saw the two walk towards danger so willingly. He didn’t know how everyone else could feel so confident about all of these news of incoming conflict. Ruby noted his dismay and snuggled up to his side. He gave her a few pats in response. Once Fixer and Arti had walked out of his view, he turned around to see what Hunter and Survivor were doing. Unsurprisingly, they were already making preparations, gathering a bunch of spears, bombs, and more in the middle of the tree to build a stockpile of available weapons. One corner of the tree had always been used to store weapons, but it was likely they wanted to ensure all the spears were sharp, the explosives ready to blow, and so on and so forth.

Night tried to help as well, but Survivor was quick to scoop her up with his tail and place her on his shoulders instead, likely not too excited with the prospect of the pup carrying around dangerous weapons. When the little one complained, Hunter had already picked out a blue fruit and offered it to her; the whining ceased as she busied herself on gorging the fruit. The red slugcat sat himself down with a piece of metal and started to go about sharpening the spears as Survivor checked all the explosives. Ruby hissed at the metallic clang of the sharpening; it was likely even louder to her than to the slugcats, her hearing being more advanced than many other lizards’. Hunter glanced over and stuck his tongue out at the red lizard, which made her growl.

“It’s alright, Ruby. You can wait outside if it’s too loud.” The lizard gave him a look that said, Are you sure? Monk nodded and gave her one last pat on the head.

Ruby purred in appreciation before turning around and walking out of the tree, likely to find a comfortable spot in the sun to lay down. Monk turned back towards the weapon preparations with a sigh, already spotting the one-hundredth problem with their ‘plan’ of defense. Their whole stockpile consisted of about sixteen normal spears, six explosive ones, and seven bombs. Just one scavenger ready to fight would often carry at least three spears if they were ready for combat and had access to a fuckton of explosives. Doing the quick math in his head, the yellow slugcat could easily come to the conclusion that they were severely underarmed. Not to mention, they couldn’t go out to fetch more weapons since the scavengers could be outside, ready to attack anyone traveling alone. Going in a group to stay safe would leave the tree under-defended and very vulnerable to attack.

This was a fight they could not win, no matter how Monk tried to spin it in his head.

“Hey, Monk.” The yellow slugcat was brought out of his deep thoughts by his brother’s voice, the white slugcat looked at him worriedly as he put down the bomb he was studying. “You were zoning out pretty heavily. You alright?”

At first, Monk was going to default to his usual response of ‘Everything’s fine’, but that didn’t feel right in this situation. Because everything was not fine, it was far from it. Why was everyone else acting like they could do anything to stop what was about to happen? Why were they pretending like they would ever have a chance against even a small armed group composed of elites? He realized he hadn’t responded when Hunter stopped sharpening spears and looked over, sharing a worried look with Survivor as Monk took a deep breath.

“Why are we doing this?”

Hunter shifted uneasily in his spot on the ground, putting down the spear and the rubble he’d used for sharpening. “Doing what?”

“This! Why are we doing this?” Monk gestured towards the pitiful stockpile. “Why are we acting like we have any fighting chance in all of this?”

“Monk-” Survivor took a step forward, reaching out, but he was interrupted.

“Because we do!” Hunter huffed as he stood up and turned towards the other slugcat. "What? You want to just lie down and give up? Is that it?”

“Hunter…” The red slugcat shot a glance at his mate as Monk huffed a laugh.

“Giving up?” The yellow slugcat shook his head and laughed mirthlessly as he stepped up to the pile. “You think this pitiful pile of weaponry will be enough to stop a whole squad of elites, Hunter?” His chuckle turned into a full-on laugh as the red slugcat growled. Monk thought he was the most naive one of the group, being the youngest, but this took the cake!

Hunter took a deep breath, calming down slightly when he realized he was getting too worked up. “What do you suggest, then?” Survivor stood a bit further off, seeming ready to intervene if the argument turned physical. Night had been moved into his arms, his paws covering her ears.

“We are too unprepared for a fight.” Monk tried to explain as he attempted to get the stubborn slugcat in front of him to see the facts. “Who knows how long the scavengers have planned this? They probably have at least, at the very least, twice as many weapons as we do." The yellow slugcat sighed. “My suggestion is that we wait until Arti and Fixer come back to us, then we gather our things and move out.” Survivor’s eyes widened in surprise as Hunter went back to growling. “If we stay, we all die. Maybe something worse if our enemies are feeling sadistic.” 

Monk shuddered at the thought of being captured instead of killed by the scavengers; they had all seen what only two of their enemies had done to Fixer, one of their own. How badly would they treat a captured slugcat? Survivor opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but closed it just as quickly, turning to his mate instead. Hunter was still growling quietly, but he seemed to be considering something. Monk kept staring at him, waiting for a response to his valid questions. Eventually, the red slugcat cleared his throat.

“I don’t agree, Monk. Not with any of the things you say.” Monk scoffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. No surprises there. “You might be satisfied with giving up, but I sure as hell won’t just roll over and allow these bastards to walk all over me!” Now it was the yellow slugcat’s turn to growl, his claws cutting into his arms slightly as he clenched them angrily. As always, Hunter kept being difficult, stubborn, and stupid. “They won’t capture me, because I am going to fight to my last breath! I’ll take as many with me as possible!” The red slugcat smirked at the thought, always eager to shed blood, it seemed.

“Great job; your sacrifice will be completely in vain, Hunter.” Monk responded sarcastically as he uncrossed his arms and clapped slowly. “The rest of us will die as well, either way.”

Hunter growled, stepping forward until he ended up right in front of Monk, looming over the smaller slugcat. Survivor took a small step towards the two as well, tensing up in worry. The yellow slugcat narrowed his eyes as he glared up at Hunter. He would not see intimidation as an argument, and he would not be backing down.

“What makes you think they won’t follow if we run?”

Monk was caught completely off-guard by the question, his ears pinning back slightly. “What? Follow?”

“Yeah. You saw what they did to Fixer, one of their own tribe members.” Hunter’s voice had dropped to a serious, low tone as he tilted his head at the yellow slugcat. “They’re practically animals, predators, out for our blood. If we were to move, try to escape, what makes you think they won’t simply track us down?”

He hadn’t considered that, scavengers were meant to be confined to one area—a chosen tribe. Even nomad scavengers would eventually find a tribe that accepted them and settled down; they had not been known to be as nomadic as slugcats. Would they follow? Were they that hateful? Was there no escape?

“Um, well… No, I, uh.” Shit. He had nothing; his whole argument had been dismantled. No point in running from your problems if they were only going to follow close behind.

So they were just fucked in general, then?

Hunter’s sighed, his gaze softening as he crouched down to be at Monk’s eye level. “Look, I understand your hesitance, Monk. If all of this elevates into a full-on fight, it’s going to be on a very large scale.” The red slugcat shook his head. “Hell, I’ve been in some large fights with scavengers before, but it will pale in comparison to what we might have to face down.” The yellow slugcat nodded and looked down. Hunter saw it too; there was no chance. They were done. A paw on his shoulder made Monk glance back at the other slugcat. “But I’m ready to fight to keep what we have here, no matter what.” He gestured a paw to Survivor, who had stepped back and was smiling, holding Night’s paw as she stood on the ground and chirped. “I will fight for my family.” He gestured to their surroundings. “Our home.” He pointed a finger at Monk and smirked. “I’ll sure as hell fight for you as well.” The yellow slugcat smiled in response. “Hell, I’ll even fight for the scav! He no doubt has friends in that tribe, scavengers who might want to fight with us. The tribe is the only home he’s ever had, and I won’t force him to walk away from that. I’m not letting anyone go through this alone, especially not a friend.” Hunter released Monk and stood up, taking a step back. “We end this here and now. To ensure the bastards won’t return to try and pull this shit again!” The red slugcat reached a paw towards him, smiling genuinely. “You with me, Monk?” 

Hunter’s speech had worked as he wanted; the yellow slugcat felt reinvigorated, his determination to fight in the upcoming battle was relit. He would rather avoid fighting altogether; it was a huge risk. Hunter was right; however, they had no choice. The slugcats were cornered and on the backfoot, but the scavengers were going to learn a big lesson they would never forget.

A cornered animal is the most dangerous.

“I’m with you, Hunter.” Monk shook the other slugcat’s paw with a grin. “Let’s kick some scavenger asses, together.”

Hunter chuckled and nodded. “Together.”

“Whew, I’m glad you guys talked it out!” Both the slugcats turned to Survivor, who looked very relieved. “I thought you guys were going to start duking it out any moment.” The white slugcat laughed, and Monk and Hunter released each other’s paws and joined in on the laughter.

Before long, the slugcats were back to checking on and sharpening the weapons. Monk had taken on his brother’s role of checking the bombs, while Survivor was sitting next to his mate, distracting Night with play so that she would not try to touch the dangerous weapons.

“You know, Hunter. I must say, I’m a bit surprised.” Survivor spoke up and turned towards his mate as he flicked his tail from side to side to make Night try to pounce on the appendage.

“Hm?” Hunter stopped his sharpening for a moment to look over at the white slugcat.

“The way you spoke of Fixer earlier, I did not know you already considered him a friend worth protecting.” Survivor winked as Hunter rolled his eyes in response.

With a scoff, the red slugcat leaned over and planted a kiss on his mate’s cheek. “Be quiet, love.” They shared a laugh as Monk smiled at the display.

The yellow slugcat thought hard as he checked the bombs, gears turning in his head as he considered how he could best help out before the time of battle came, if it did. Hopefully not, but better safe than sorry. Thanks to the training he had received from Hunter and Arti, he figured he could probably hold his own in a fight, but that might not be enough. Monk did not have any special abilities that included combat, like most of the slugcats, but he was really good at taming animals.

When he really thought about it, that skill was really valuable in certain situations. Seeing as it was the thing he was best at, he might as well make the best use of it…

He would have to travel out later and find some lizards to befriend.

Hunter had already known that his little passion speech had worked well. Monk had immediately abandoned the idea of giving up and fleeing from combat, invigorated and ready to fight once again. Though he did not know it would work so well that the yellow slugcat wanted to do something to help immediately, and especially not something that was so dangerous.

“I just don’t want you to do anything drastic, is all.” Survivor said, a glare on his face, very rarely seen as he looked down at his brother.

“I just want to help out, Surv. You know the battle will be easier with a big group of lizards on our side!” Monk was back to being his confident self, smiling as his brother put a paw to his face and shook his head in disbelief.

It was good to see the yellow slugcat so happy and driven about something, especially after the recent cycles of pessimism and general sadness. Maybe Monk just needed something to focus on? Something important that had an end goal. Though Hunter would have hoped that the younger slugcat would have chosen a more healthy goal than to tame a shitton of lizards and command these to rip apart a bunch of scavengers in the name of the slugcat colony tree. It was a very nice tree, but he digresses.

Night chirped next to the red slugcat, pulling at his paw impatiently. Hunter glanced down at the pup, who seemed to be trying to get him to play with her. They really needed to start thinking about getting the little one some sort of toy or something else to keep her occupied when her parents were busy. Maybe a playmate? They did not know any other slugpups, but maybe Fixer knew something... Did scavengers even have pups? He had never seen one; maybe scavs just popped out of thin air when they were born? He was brought out of his thoughts by another impatient tug and a small whine.

“We'll play with you shortly, honey.” The pup whined and pouted as Hunter looked back at the other slugcats, who were still discussing whether Monk would get to go out on his taming quest or not.

“What if you get attacked, Monk? You saw Fixer; how hurt he was…” Survivor looked almost sick to his stomach, and Hunter had to agree with his mate’s probable thoughts.

Fixer was tall and tough; he could take the beating and subsequent spear to the shoulder and still stay standing and walk around, albeit with a lot of difficulty. Monk, although stronger and tougher than he looked, was still not even near the same level. If he suffered the same amount of damage as the scav had... Hunter did not really want to imagine it.

“I’ll bring Ruby! She’ll keep me safe! Hell, most scavengers will probably refrain from attacking at all with her at my side.” Speak of the devil, as soon as Monk uttered the red lizard’s name, she lumbered into the tree and up to the yellow slugcat’s side.

As Monk started cooing and cuddling the red lizard, Hunter considered the situation. Surv was true in that wandering outside the tree when it was clear that the scavs who wanted them all dead knew exactly where they were and could be keeping an eye out. But Monk was also right in that not many living creatures would ever have enough of a death wish to even stay in the same region as a red lizard. Ruby was tough, with her armored head and thick scales; dangerous, with her powerful jaw that could undoubtedly ruin most creatures in a single bite; and, above all, she was threatening, with her red coloring and terrifying visage.

Hunter’s mate seemed to come to the same conclusion as he finally uncrossed his arms and sighed deeply. “If I let you go out there, do you promise to be safe?”

“Yes.”

“No unnecessary risks.”

“Of course not.”

“No picking fights.”

“No, siree.”

Survivor glanced at Ruby, who tilted her head, before turning back to Monk. “No more red lizards.”

“What? Surv.”

“Monk…”

The yellow slugcat sighed. “Fineee, no more red lizards.” Monk placed a paw on Ruby’s head, and she chirped in response. “Can I go now?”

Survivor glanced back at Hunter with a questioning look. The red slugcat laughed and nodded. “Sure. Just be sure to be here before Fixer and Arti come back.”

Monk smiled and did a mock salute. “I’ll be gone a single cycle, at most!”

With another shared nod, the slugcats all hugged and said their goodbyes, and Monk left the shelter, armed with a sharpened spear and a red lizard at his side. Survivor stayed in the opening to the tree for a while, watching his brother’s silhouette disappear.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Your brother’s a tough cookie.” Hunter gave Survivor a comforting side hug before feeling another tug at his other paw. “Besides, we have a bigger problem, love.”

The white slugcat leaned over and peeked behind Hunter, spotting the little slugpup who was pulling on his paw. “Aw, Night. Are you bored?”

She chirped in response, and Survivor chuckled and walked over to crouch down in front of the pup. Hunter followed suit, squatting down next to his mate. The little one did not use her words a lot; they had taught her a few, but she did not often speak. They chalked it up to her not having gotten used to the prospect of ‘talking’ yet; she was more used to mewling and chirping like young pups usually do to communicate with their parents.

“We ought to get her a toy or something she can play with when we are occupied.” Hunter mumbled as Survivor playfully tickled Night’s stomach, the pup lying on her back and mewling as she tried to squirm out of the white slugcat’s firm but playful grip.

“Well, see if you can improvise something. I’ll keep her occupied in the meantime!” Survivor leaned down and started cooing as he dragged the pup back and forth along the soft ground. Night squealed in delight as she tried to fend off the vicious attack.

Hunter smiled at their antics as he stood up. Survivor had always been better than him at the ‘play’ aspect of parenting; he was better at the teaching, at least on the physical side. He wondered why that was. Probably because you never grew up as a pup, you don’t know what it’s like to have a childhood. The red slugcat grumbled and decided to leave that can of worms for another, more cynical cycle, as he instead focused on looking around the tree to find something he could make into a toy. Something for Night to try ‘hunting’, perhaps? The little pup always liked to pounce on their tails, so maybe she would appreciate something similar to play around with.

Completely at a loss for what to actually use to make the toy, Hunter ended up just checking around the tree for something to use as materials, hoping an idea would come to mind as he looked around. The first thing he picked out was a regular stick, simple but could be combined with a lot to make something fun, he supposed, at least. Looking around a bit more, he found a spool of string, something Fixer had found while out scavenging or something. Hunter decided to unspool some and bite it off, taking a length of the thin lace with him.

So he could tie the string to the stick, but what would he dangle over his pup’s head? Something edible? No, it would be caught and eaten far too quickly. Hunter needed something that Night would be interested in catching that could stay on the stick without going bad and also wasn’t edible. It seemed impossible, but Hunter still had some semblance of confidence as he peeked inside their food stockpile. Considering the fact that Night had duller teeth like Survivor and Monk and could not bite through most meat, dried lizard meat could work. Though most adult slugcats could bite the softer dried meat even with dull teeth, the pup’s jaws were probably not strong enough to do so. It was an alright idea, but the red slugcat decided against it in the end, not too keen on wasting perfectly good food just for making a toy.

Glancing down, Hunter finally found something he could use, lying on the edge of the stockpile, discarded and separated from the rest of the food. A dried lizard tail, shortened from its usual length into just the tip at the end of a lizard. It had come from Fixer’s failed experimentation around attempting to make edible lizard tails. The tail of a lizard was far too tough to eat, but the scav had theorized that drying it in the sun could soften it up. It turned out that it had just made it tougher and even harder to chew through. Not even Hunter or Arti could eat it comfortably. He leaned down and picked it up with a nod. It could work; it all depended on whether Night would be interested in chasing the tail at all, and that remained to be seen. If nothing else, it could be good practice for the pup to develop her hunting skills for catching smaller centipedes and batflies.

The red slugcat settled down on the ground to construct the toy, tying one end of the string at the top of the stick and the other around the thicker end of the tail. Hunter chuckled as he held the toy up to his face. What a creation! Standing up, he held the toy behind his back and walked over to Survivor and Night, who were still play-wrestling on the ground.

Noting his approach, Hunter’s mate turned to him. “Did you figure something out?”

The red slugcat nodded with a grin as the white slugcat backed off Night, the slugpup chirping in confusion and reaching her paws towards Survivor, still lying on her back. Hunter chirped to get her attention before revealing the toy behind his back, leaning down so the tail would rest on the ground. Night got on all fours, staring at the lizard tail with wide eyes. Survivor chuckled as he wiggled the stick, making the tail move around slightly. The pup seemed to take the bait as she narrowed her eyes slightly, growling quietly as she arched her back, her tail swishing back and forth as she stepped in place for a moment, finding her balance.

With a (very ferocious!) roar, Night leaped forward and grabbed hold of the tail, holding it close with both of her paws and nibbling at it. Hunter chuckled and pulled on the stick, the toy pulling out of the pup’s paws and dangling above her head. She chirped and flipped onto her back, batting her paws at the tail as the red slugcat bounced it up and down. Survivor came up to his side and giggled.

“Not a bad idea, Mr. Toy Maker. We can always place the stick somewhere high and let the tail dangle freely when we are too busy to give her attention. But I appreciate more paws-on playing, myself.”

Hunter chuckled. “Oh, agreed. But at least she probably won’t get bored when we get up to grown-up stuff now that she has this.”

Survivor laughed and kissed Hunter’s cheek, wrapping him in a loose embrace, their two tails coiling together in their own embrace as the slugcats looked at their pup playing around happily with her new toy.

Night mewled and chirped in complaint as Survivor ran his tongue through her fur, making sure she was clean before bedtime. Hunter stayed on the pup’s other side and kept an eye on the entrance to the tree. The white slugcat glanced over at his mate between licks, catching the focused gaze of the red slugcat as he stared at the entrance to the tree. Next to him lay an explosive spear he had put on the ground within grabbing distance; it had been partly stuffed underneath his side of the moss the slugcats used as a sleeping spot, the tip with the red cloth sticking out. Hunter’s paw twitched from time to time; he was ready at any moment to rip the weapon out and throw it at any intruders.

He probably planned to stay awake the whole cycle to watch the entrance, but Survivor was not going to let that happen. His mate needed the sleep; they both slept so lightly that any noise at all would awaken them both anyway. It was probably an instinct they both obtained from waking up from time to time to the little pup pinned under his paw having a nightmare. None of them knew what Night had truly gone through before they found her, but whatever it was had left its mark. Separation anxiety, nightmares, wanting constant cuddles, and more. It might’ve just been abandonment issues, but they couldn’t be sure.

Survivor purred as he kept cleaning his pup’s fur, ignoring her mewls of protests. They wouldn’t let anything else happen to her; the white slugcat would stand against an army to protect the little one. Hunter would as well have demonstrated this several times when they both would wake up from some sound outside. It was usually just a lone squidcada or one of those frog creatures. The red slugcat would always be first up, spear in paw, as he went to check the noise out with zero hesitation. Survivor would stay with the rest of the sleeping slugcats, holding Night behind his own body and ready to wake the others just in case. Of course, it was usually nothing, and when it came to squidcadas, Hunter would come wandering in, dragging its corpse behind him (not with the frog-like, jumping creatures; he could never catch them).

The point was that the Hunter killed with no hesitation if anyone even dared disturb the pup’s sleep. It was obvious that if anyone ever did anything worse than that, they would not have a pleasant meeting with his mate. Survivor would do the same a thousand times over if anyone ever dared to harm her. Leaning back, the white slugcat chirped happily, content with his cleanup. Night mewled one last time, reaching a paw out and placing it on his nose. Survivor purred and leaned down to nuzzle the pup’s face. Night purred as well, eyes half-closed as she only barely stayed awake.

“Sweet dreams, Night.” Survivor whispered before giving the pup one last lick on the forehead.

“Sleep tight, kid.” Hunter whispered from the side, looking over at the pup with a smile.

The pup mewled something that vaguely sounded like a word before fully closing her eyes and falling asleep. Survivor held the little one in the crook of his elbow as she nuzzled into his warm fur instinctively. He turned to Hunter, who still stared at the entryway.

“Hunt.” The red slugcat hummed and glanced back. “Come, lie down with me.”

Hunter hesitated for a moment, sending one last glance towards the entrance, before sighing with a nod and settling down next to his mate. They spent a moment just enjoying the silence, the only sound in the tree being the sound of Night’s gentle snoring. Though Survivor noted that the red slugcat still looked tense, his tail lashed slightly behind him as his ears twisted and turned. Hunter’s eyes were closed, and he was breathing steadily, but his mate was still on high alert; he needed some way to relax. The white slugcat’s gaze wandered down slightly, settling on a small scar on the side of Hunter’s torso.

Gingerly, Survivor reached out and traced his paw over the scar. “You haven’t told me the story behind this one.” 

His mate opened his eyes and glanced down at the scar. “Just a small accident while I was still a rookie at everything involving combat.”

The white slugcat was surprised by this. “Really? So there was a time when Hunter, the apex of slugcat evolution, wasn’t the great, big badass he is today? Now you have to tell me.”

Hunter chuckled, snuggling a bit closer to his mate and their pup as he recalled the memory. “My first time trying to sharpen a dull spear, I believe. Back then, I thought it was as simple as hitting the very tip of it as hard as I could with a rock.” The red slugcat shook his head at his past self’s stupidity. “A small, sharp fragment of the metal spear ended up flying off and imbedding itself in my side.” Survivor shuddered; it did not sound all that pleasant. “It didn’t go deep and was easily removable. But, as you can see, it left its mark.” 

The white slugcat nodded, silence once again enveloping them as they cuddled even closer together. Survivor carefully slipped Night off his torso and instead placed the pup in between them to ensure she would not get cold when the night really rolled in. Glancing at his mate, he noted that Hunter was looking him over, up and down, searching for something. After a moment, he reached a paw out and gently traced a small scar on Survivor’s forehead.

“I’ve always wondered about this one.” He whispered with a soft smile.

Recalling the backstory behind the mark made Survivor smile; it was a story that Hunter was sure to enjoy. “Caused by a small rock, chucked by my very own brother.” The white slugcat smirked as his mate’s eyes widened, and he barked a quiet laugh.

“No fucking way. Now you have to tell me.” Survivor chuckled as Hunter settled in, both ears pointed towards him as he listened intently.

“It happened outside this very tree, as me and Monk, both still slugpups, were playing around in the field. The playing got a bit into roughhousing, wrestling, pouncing on each other, chasing each other around, all of that stuff.” Survivor stopped to gather his thoughts, and Hunter nodded with a smile, a sign he was still following along. “I ended up winning most of our small exchanges, mostly because of my slightly bigger size. At one point, Monk got a bit fed up and picked up the rock from the ground as I was laughing at him. He intended to throw it next to me, to sort of frighten me, I suppose. Only, I just took a few steps in the very direction he chucked the rock, eyes closed as I was still laughing heartily.” He gestured to the scar on his forehead. “It bounced off rather harmlessly; Monk never threw stuff too hard. Still, it bled quite a bit and freaked the poor guy out really bad.” Hunter chuckled and smirked, likely already making plans for how he could tease the yellow slugcat over the small incident. “I’m pretty sure he thought I was dying as he carried me towards the tree, completely disregarding the fact that I was fully conscious and could walk by myself.” Survivor sighed, missing the fun days of his childhood. “Our mom realized it was nothing special fairly quickly, simply stopped the bleeding, and gave us both some blue fruit. Monk was chirping apologies the whole time, still sobbing as he hugged me close and even tried to offer his blue fruit to me, despite my attempts at telling him it was alright.”

“You should thank him; you ended up with a pretty cool scar.”

“Pfft, I wouldn’t know about ‘cool’.”

“Alright, but a fun story to tell, at least.”

Survivor purred as the two slugcats wrapped their tails together, letting his gaze wander, looking for another scar to ask about. In the middle of the red slugcat’s tail was a fairly big one, it looked like teeth had caused it.

“What’s the story behind this one?”

Hunter glanced down to see which one Survivor was asking about. “Ah, the bitten tail?” The white slugcat nodded in response. “It occurred a few cycles before our first meeting, actually.” Survivor nodded again with a smile; that meant this one included the badass Hunter he knew and loved! “I had been out looking for something to eat, preferably lizard meat, of course.” His mate sure loved eating lizards, even back then. “I hadn’t found any at all, no matter how much I searched, so I decided to settle for some measly small centipedes I found nearby.” Survivor chuckled as Hunter scrunched his face up in disgust at the mere memory. The red slugcat had never much appreciated the soft flesh of the crawling creatures. “I must have been distracted in some way; perhaps I was considering the best path to Looks To The Moon to accomplish my mission; who knows? Either way, I didn’t hear the sound of a lizard sneaking up behind me until its jaws snapped shut on my tail.” The white slugcat winced; their tails were one of the more sensitive parts of their bodies. His mate huffed a laugh at his reaction. “Yeah, it was very painful. I suppose I was lucky it was a simple blue lizard and not a green one.” Lucky indeed, blue lizards were more known for their agility in climbing walls and ceilings than the strength of their bite or their toughness to kill.

“You got some lizard meat out of it, at least."

"Exactly. I considered a bleeding tail wound a fair trade for a good meal!”

The two shared a small laugh before Hunter looked Survivor over again; his eyes eventually fell upon the fairly large, but faded, scar on his torso. He traced a gentle paw over it, his expression turning more serious as the white slugcat shuddered.

“Dropwig.” Survivor whispered, and Hunter leaned in and kissed his forehead in response.

“Dropwig...”

Hunter purred in an attempt to comfort Survivor. The white slugcat had stopped having nightmares of getting ripped apart by the large insect long ago, but the memories of the pain and fear he felt in that moment still remained fresh in his mind. As he moved his paws to his mate’s back and felt the large patch of burn-scarred tissue where fur could no longer grow, he recalled the nightmares Hunter would sometimes have of Five Pebbles’ painful procedure. It had been many cycles ago, but the nightmares still had not gone away, nor did Survivor think they ever truly would. The scar on the red slugcat’s back was gnarly and spanned most of his upper back, but it had healed as well as it could; it looked worse than it was. Still, Survivor noted the way his mate tensed as he carefully moved his paws over the large scar.

“Does it still hurt?” The white slugcat lifted his paws, but Hunter whined and nuzzled his head into his chest, making sure to gently move Night first so as not to squish her.

“No, it felt nice.” Survivor hummed and started to gently trace his paws over the scars again as the red slugcat sighed contently. “It doesn’t hurt. It hasn't for a long while; it’s just..." Hunter hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I’m scared, Surv.” The white slugcat had to suppress a whine at the way his mate’s voice broke with fear. “The parasite, it’s still inside me, even after all we have been through. The iterator has problems with the same parasite; and he is steadily getting worse. I have seen it, it is always growing and multiplying. What if the small part still inside me does that too? You’ve noticed me feeling worse more often, haven’t you?” Survivor planted a kiss on Hunter’s forehead; he did not respond, but it was true: the red slugcat had been feeling worse more regularly than usual. “It feels like my time is coming to an end, my love, and I’m not ready to go.” The white slugcat felt wetness spread in his fur as his mate pushed his face against his chest.

“We’ll find some way to cure you, to eradicate that fucking parasite once and for all.”

“I do not believe it is possible. Not even Five Pebbles, a literal god to us, could get it done."

“Don’t give up hope, Hunt. We’ll find a way; we always do.”

A sudden chirp made both slugcats flinch. Hunter pulled back and almost reached out to grab the explosive spear, both slugcat’s gaze pinned to the entrance. When nothing appeared, the two glanced down towards their pup and noted the way Night was squirming in her sleep, chirping and mewling in distress. Another nightmare. The red slugcat leaned closer to Survivor and moved Night to be snuggled between the two again.

“It’s okay, honey. You’re still safe in the tree; we won’t let anything hurt you.” Survivor purred as Hunter whispered reassurances to the pup.

Night tossed and turned until she ended up pressed into the red slugcat’s torso. Only then did she relax and stop chirping, purring in her sleep, and kneading her paws in his fur. Hunter joined in on the purring as Survivor gently bumped heads with his mate and rested a paw on the sleeping pup between them.

“I do not want to go early; I won’t go early.” Hunter whispered, glancing down at Night for a moment before looking back at Survivor with a smile. “I want to live a full life; I want to grow old with you, my love, and see our pup grow into a strong and independent adult who can care for herself, even after we are long gone.”

The white slugcat chirped happily at his mate’s renewed determination, bumping their heads together again as well as closing his eyes as he started to purr loudly. “It will happen. I will not see you leave this world earlier than me.”

Hunter chirped back just as happy and joined in on the purring. "We'll leave together at the same time then, promise?"

Survivor chuckled. "Promise."

It did not take long for the two slugcats to eventually fall asleep in each other's embrace, curled around their pup that slept in between them.

Chapter Text

“Now keep in mind, Ruby. Any lizards we manage to tame are to be considered friends, not food. Got it?” The red lizard grumbled below Monk, the vibration felt all the way through his body along with the subtle bouncing felt from the lizard’s running. The yellow slugcat gave her a pat on the head. “Play nice. I’ll release them back into the wild after the battle soon to come.” 

Ruby growled again, still not entirely happy with the idea of having to mingle with other lizards, though she seemed a bit more relaxed by the prospect of them not staying around forever. Monk decided not to mention the fact that he’ll probably keep at least one (if it would want to stay); he got attached way too easily to tamed lizards, it seemed. His mind flashed back to previous lizards he’d owned, like Quartz, for example.

The slugcat frowned at the memory of his late white lizard, the one that was lost way back in the subterranean region. Was the poor guy still stuck there? Had he gotten out somehow? Monk got the familiar urge to visit the region and try to look for his friend, but he fought against it. There was no real point to it; the region was massive, and there was a great chance that Quartz had forgotten all about him and reverted back to his lizard instincts; he was still a wild animal, after all. Even if he were to find his old lizard friend, what was the chance of him being able to bring the lizard to safety the whole dangerous way home? He could not bear watching his friend die in front of him again. Either way, there was no time for any of it at the moment. There were bigger things he needed to worry about, and there was no time to dwell on the past. Even if dwelling on the past was usually his favorite pastime… 

To distract his annoying, wandering mind, Monk decided to take a look at his surroundings. From the top of Ruby’s back, everything around the yellow slugcat looked smaller than usual. It made sense considering his elevated position on top of the way bigger red lizard, but it still amazed him how different everything looked from a different perspective. Despite how easy it was to stay seated on the lizard, even with her high speed, it was usually not the most effective way to get around the region. The area was often choked with thick jungle bushes, and several spots needed to be jumped over. Despite her speed, Ruby was not all that great at jumping, especially not with Monk weighing her down, however little he did.

But when the ground was flat and there was a clear way through all the natural obstacles the region brought, riding on top of the lizard’s back was way faster than simply running normally. Not to mention, Ruby obviously enjoyed not having to slow down to let the way slower slugcat keep up with her when they were both walking next to each other. It was clear that the red lizard had gotten bored of running around the same field right outside the tree every cycle and was thoroughly enjoying the exercise the small adventure brought. Suddenly, a rather loud hiss cut through the air to their right, which made the red lizard skid to a stop, turning to spot the source with a hiss of her own.

“Another lizard?” Monk asked, climbing off Ruby’s back with some difficulty due to the distance down to the ground. “Exactly what we’re looking for; let’s go!” The red lizard did not at all share the slugcat’s excitement, growling to voice her complaints.

Still, she followed the slugcat as he crouched down and crawled through a nearby bush in the direction of the noise, grumbling in complaint the whole time as the two moved forward. After a short moment, they poked their heads out of the other side of the bush, spotting the source of the hissing noise. Just as Monk had suspected, a caramel lizard! The reason for its hissing seemed to be building frustration as it struggled to chase a black squidcada, the flying creature flying too high for the lizard to reach. Any other caramel lizard would likely be able to leap high enough to reach the creature, but as it turned out, the lizard in front of them was particularly round, even for being a caramel. The squidcada seemed smart enough to realize the poor lizard could not jump high above the ground due to its bulk, so it simply stayed well above the lizard’s jump height. Or, judging by its scared expression, it hadn’t realized this at all and was just fighting to survive and managing well.

A caramel lizard sure would be useful, with its jumping ability and natural armor. They weren’t as strong or tough as green lizards, but they were more agile (even if the particular one he was looking at now didn’t impress in that aspect). Not to mention the particular lizard in front of him obviously had a determined personality, as it kept failing to catch the squidcada but just would not give up the chase.

“Seems a good choice.” Monk whispered before turning to Ruby. “What do you think?” The red lizard turned and gave the yellow slugcat a deadpan expression. Monk smiled in response and nodded. “I know, perfect for our future Lizard Fight-Squad! LFS for short!” She growled in response, glaring at him. “You’re right, the name is not that good. We’ll come up with something better later.” The lizard made a sound like a sigh, looking very sick of Monk’s BS.

With a hum, the yellow slugcat turned back to look at the endless chase in front of them once again, considering how to go about taming the creature in the best way. The lizard tried many different ways to catch his prey, attempting to use platforms, slopes, and more to get more height on the squidcada to catch it. It would not give up until it had the flying creature, so Monk decided that the best way to tame the caramel lizard was to simply give it exactly what it wanted!

First step: kill the squidcada! Monk thought as he prepared the spear clutched in his paw. At the sight of the weapon, Ruby growled, her eyes focused on the lizard that was now snapping at the air just a few meters away. Luckily, the squidcada turned and flew back, bringing the caramel with it before it could spot them in the bushes.

“Don’t worry, Ruby. I’ll be fine; I’ve done this many times before.” The slugcat’s assurances seemed to do little to calm his lizard friend, as the frills on her back stood up and she huffed, raising her heavy body slightly off the ground with her strong legs. “I got this. Besides, if the lizard shows any signs of attacking, you’ll step in and help.” Ruby turned to look at Monk, relaxing slightly. “Only if things go wrong, but... I know you have my back if they do.” A moment of silence followed before the red lizard relaxed completely, lowering herself back to the ground with a huff before nodding in response.

Monk nodded back, trusting Ruby to at least not immediately tear the caramel lizard to shreds on her own whim. However, she still seemed eager in some ways, hoping for the caramel to be aggressive so she could step in. He trusted her to control her instincts, however, and after taking a deep breath, he stood up and carefully walked out of the bush they were hiding in. The caramel lizard had yet to notice him and was starting to look a bit tired as he leaped for his prey again, missing the squidcada by an inch. When the lizard landed, he stopped moving and panted, trying to catch his breath as the squidcada saw its chance to rest up and then perhaps try to fly away. Unfortunately, the tree it chose to land and rest on was right in Monk’s sights.

With an easy throw, the creature was swiftly speared through, pinned to the wall by the sharp spear. Monk had hoped the caramel lizard would not have noticed this happening, but it obviously paid enough attention to flinch back at the sudden impact and hiss. The yellow slugcat carefully stepped up and pulled the spear free, dropping it immediately to avoid accidentally frightening the lizard into attacking. Monk bent down and picked up the squidcada’s body, holding it in both arms as he slowly and carefully approached the caramel lizard. The creature tensed up in response, hissing loudly once again.

The yellow slugcat found it a bit funny that such a large creature would be so deathly afraid of little old him. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” Monk cooed as he carefully bent down and placed the body of the squidcada as close to the lizard as he dared.

Once the carcass had been placed, the slugcat quickly backed up several steps to give the lizard some room. The lizard in question chirped in confusion, staring at Monk for a few moments before carefully approaching the offered food and leaning down to sniff at the dead creature, almost like it expected it to be poisoned or something. When the body passed the lizard’s smell check, it made a purring noise and picked it up in his mouth. Then he turned around, walked a few steps, and slipped into what was presumably his den to consume the food.

With a small sigh of relief, he turned in the direction of Ruby’s hiding spot to see her looking about as disappointed as a lizard could look. Monk smiled and gave her a thumbs up; he could practically see the red lizard’s eye roll and huff in response, even from where he stood so far away. Just in case it would take a bit more to tame the caramel, the slugcat opened the bag hanging off his shoulder and took out a small, dead centipede. As he turned back to the lizard’s den, the creature popped back out, clearly satisfied with his meal, as he licked some of the remaining blood off his lips and slowly approached Monk.

The caramel thankfully looked a bit more friendly now, eyeing the centipede in Monk’s paws. The slugcat smiled and held it out to the lizard, who sniffed at the offered food a couple of times before accepting it. As he ate the centipede, Monk carefully ran a paw over the scales on the caramel’s side, giggling when the lizard started to purr in response.

“I wonder what I’ll call you?” Monk thought aloud as he turned back to Ruby’s hiding spot; the red lizard somehow looked even more disgruntled than before.

He waved for her to come over, ignoring the way she glared at the other lizard and bared her teeth. With great reluctance, she eventually left her hiding spot and started to walk towards the two. Monk turned back to the caramel lizard, moving his paw to scratch the creature under its chin. The lizard purred even louder as he closed his eyes contently.

“Maybe… Topaz?” Monk thought the name over for a while; it rolled off the tongue, and he felt it fit the lizard perfectly. “Yeah, Topaz is good!” The caramel opened his eyes and chirped. “What do you think?” Topaz purred and took a step forward, nuzzling the yellow slugcat’s face. “I’ll take that as a yes!” Monk said with a laugh as he hugged the lizard’s large head.

Approaching footsteps became more and more audible in the background, loud and rumbling on the stony ground as Ruby approached the two. Topaz leaned away from Monk’s hug, turned in the direction of the sound, and flinched back at the sight of the red lizard approaching. Soon thereafter, her low growl became audible as she stopped just a few meters away from the other lizard, glaring with hatred in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Topaz! She’s a friend.” Monk whispered as he hugged the lizard again, in what he hoped was a comforting way.

When Topaz whined in fear, the yellow slugcat sent a small glare towards Ruby, who huffed but took a small step back in response. Once the red lizard’s growling had settled down slightly, Monk carefully released the caramel lizard and stepped to the side to let the two get a good look at each other. Ruby did not move her gaze from the other lizard’s wide, fearful eyes, staring him down with a death glare. Topaz whined again, lowering his head to the ground in submission. The yellow slugcat turned to the red lizard and gestured towards their new group member.

“Ruby, this is Topaz.” Ruby growled louder in response, and Topaz responded by flinching back with a loud whine. “Hey, be nice!” The red lizard huffed and gave Monk the side eye, but when the slugcat crossed his arms and stared her down, she eventually huffed and backed down slightly. It did not seem like she would attack the other lizard, but she was still staring him down without mercy. “Don’t worry, Topaz! Ruby acts mean, but she’s a real sweetheart once you get to know her.” The red lizard huffed and shifted her glare to Monk instead, who simply smiled in response as he ran his paw over both the lizards’ scales. Before long, they were both purring, though they would not take their eyes off each other (both for very differing reasons).

“You’ll be good friends in a short time, I’m sure!”

The group, now a group of three, kept moving through the region. Monk kept an eye out for any more lizards but was a bit surprised to find none. They weren’t walking through a zone used for hunting for the scavengers or the slugcats, and the yellow slugcat knew he had seen lizards around the area they were in before, so where were they now? Glancing back, he only just caught Ruby snapping her teeth in the direction of Topaz. It was obviously an aggressive move, but not necessarily dangerous or intending to cause harm; it was more of a warning. Still, actions like those were bad for morale!

Topaz whined and walked a bit quicker to catch up to Monk’s side, hiding slightly behind the slugcat as they kept walking. He guessed that Ruby was not only pissed at the other lizard for some sort of instinctual or territorial reason but also because she did not like walking so slowly. With Topaz coming along, there was no way for the group to travel as quickly as the red lizard wanted without leaving the caramel one in the dust. Obviously, Ruby would have no problem with making the choice of abandoning Topaz, but Monk would not allow it.

He did not truly know if Ruby’s anger came from some sort of jealousy at having to share Monk as an owner, a place of hunger, or because she simply did not like the other lizard. Either way, the slugcat needed some way to make the two get along a bit better than they currently were. As he started to consider what sort of team-building exercises he could use for lizards, Ruby walked up to his other side, shooting more angry glares at Topaz, who was pretending to not notice her (very successful) ways of intimidating him.

Suddenly, the red lizard stopped moving and growled, staring at the path ahead that was just coming up on a small bend. Topaz whined but chirped in confusion when he realized the growl was not aimed at him. “Ruby? What’s wrong?” She did not respond; she only kept hissing at the small turn the path they were walking on was about to take.

Monk’s sensitive ears twitched as they picked up on some sound up ahead, likely what had Ruby all riled up. He could not hear exactly what it was, but it sounded like it was getting closer. Immediately, he gestured for the two lizards to come with him and walked off the path and into the nearby shrubbery, lying down on the ground. The way he lay, he was almost completely hidden from sight and had a clear view of both ends of the road. Topaz followed along quickly, laying down on the yellow slugcat’s left side with a worried whine as he made himself as flat and parallel with the ground as possible. Ruby was a bit more reluctant to lay down, seeming more ready to fight whatever was approaching. Though eventually she got down as well, the volume of her growl lowered until it was almost silent.

As the sounds got closer, the yellow slugcat picked up on what they were. Scavenger chitters were approaching, and Monk could identify at least four different voices. Presumably, it was a small scouting group. If not for the recent circumstances, the slugcat might have stood up and walked ahead to greet the group, but as it stood, hiding was a much safer choice. There was no way to know if the scavengers approaching were planning to attack their tree after all. Four figures eventually appeared around the bend, and Monk thanked the void that he made the choice to hide.

Among the four stood an elite, wearing a pink mask with an electric spear strapped to their back. The group looked intimidating, all wearing scowls on their faces—not what Monk would immediately associate with a friendly scout party. Ruby seemed to notice the slugcat’s building nervousness as she narrowed her eyes at the scavengers as they got closer and closer, looking ready to leap out and maul the closest one. Topaz, on the other hand, pushed himself further into the ground and stayed quiet as a lantern mouse, likely trying to avoid conflict altogether. Monk inwardly questioned his decision to tame the caramel lizard for the express purpose of battle and fighting, when he did not seem to want to fight anything at all, though there was no real point in considering that in such an inopportune moment.

The scavengers had walked in silence ever since they appeared, but when they were close enough to almost walk past, they started chittering amongst themselves again. “What were we doing again?” A gray scavenger chittered, twirling the spear in their hand in apparent boredom.

“Keeping an eye out for slugcats.” The white elite responded, voice deep and booming.

“What’s a slugcat again?" The dark red scavenger at the elite’s side asked, tilting their head in confusion.

The white scavenger growled. “I thought I already went over this.”

The elite stopped walking, and the other scavengers stopped with them, right in front of the group’s hiding spot. Shit. Monk thought, cursing their luck. “You didn’t make it all too clear when you explained it last time, honestly.” The last scavenger, a light pink, muttered.

Monk saw the elite start to pace in front of the other three scavengers, who lined up in front of them, likely waiting for some sort of explanation. Stay cool; they have no clue you are there. They’ll move on; just stay cool. The slugcat fought hard not to panic and react defensively. He considered trying to crawl backwards and away from the road, but the scavengers were close enough that any movement or slight noise could alert them to his and his lizard’s presence. Ruby once again took note of Monk’s distressed emotions, baring her teeth at the scavengers but thankfully staying completely quiet.

“You all know of The Red Death? The famous scavenger murderer?” All the scavengers whispered among themselves, and although Monk could not see their faces, he guessed they all nodded. “She’s a slugcat; it's their kind that we are meant to look out for.”

He saw the elite turn on their heel and start to walk, and he had to fight back a sigh of relief. They’re leaving; thank the void! Unfortunately, the other scavengers stayed in place, still whispering among themselves.

“I heard she killed and ate her own pups!” One spoke up, clear amusement in their voice.

What?

“Yeah!” Responded another. “Then she blamed it on scavengers or something; that’s the reason she killed so many.”

Monk felt anger ripple through him at the scavengers’ words. Liars, all of them...

“When we attack the colony, I’m going to enjoy killing them all.”

Fucking animals, predators. He was shaking with rage, forced to hold himself back from initiating combat with the small group. No senseless violence; that’s what I promised Hunter and Surv. No unnecessary risks. Monk aimed to keep that promise, however difficult. The elite huffed and turned back around, walking up to the rest of the group again.

“You can’t seriously tell me you’ve forgotten about that traitor Fixer?”

“Oh, yeah! He’s going to get it the worst!”

“I’m thinking we kill him slowly.”

“Imagine dating an animal like The Red Death; after all she’s done?”

“Don’t forget about his friend, Collector.”

“The guy who did not want to join in the raid?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“He’s in on it. He’ll get what’s coming to him as well.”

Monk bit down on the back of his paw hard enough to draw blood, despite his dull teeth. Control yourself, asshole! Don’t draw unwarranted attention; it’s the last thing everyone else needs! Control. Yourself.

“Don’t forget about their pup.”

The yellow slugcat squeezed his eyes shut, breathing heavily.

“Hm, she has another?”

“I think they found it, or something.”

“Well, I have a great idea to complete our revenge.”

He tasted copper, and he felt warm blood run down his arm.

“Yeah, we should kill the pup!”

Monk opened his eyes, as his other paw, gripping the spear, shook with rage. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.

“We make her watch; she’ll experience the pain of loss all over again!”

“Then, the next cycle, we take the pup for ourselves and move far, far away. Somewhere they can’t follow.”

“We can keep it around for target practice, or something!”

Laughter rang in the slugcat’s ears, and he removed his paw from his mouth, growling. Ruby noted his rage, her frills standing up as she hissed. The scavengers shouted something Monk could not hear, he was too busy screaming in rage as he stabbed forward with his weapon. The red lizard lunged out of the bush at the same time as him, pouncing on the elite. The closest scav, the one with dark red fur, turned to Monk just in time to see him stabbing towards him. With a snarl, the yellow slugcat pushed his spear forward, piercing the throat of the dark red scavenger all the way through with the sharp tip. 

“Who's laughing now?” He growled, staring into the scavenger’s pained eyes.

Hot crimson splattered onto the slugcat’s face as he twisted the weapon and let go. The spear in the scavenger’s hands was dropped as they gurgled, gripping the spear still stuck inside them with wide eyes, stumbling backwards. Monk caught the dropped weapon before it could hit the ground, turning towards the last two scavengers. The light pink scavenger had their spear raised, moments away from throwing it towards him. The gray one was trying to escape from Ruby, but she was advancing on them far too quickly.

Monk dove down, the thrown spear narrowly missing his head. There was a scream of pain, cut off by a loud crack, as Ruby took care of the gray scavenger. One left. “Target practice, huh?” The slugcat mumbled as he stood up and raised his spear, aiming for the scared scavenger that was reaching for another weapon. "How's this for target practice, you piece of SHIT?!" With a shout, he let his weapon fly.

Thunk

The scavenger fell backwards, pierced through the left side of their chest. Monk looked around quickly, trying to see if there were any more threats around. But he only saw his red lizard still standing; every scavenger had collapsed onto the ground. The one Monk stabbed first was still twitching, but the pool of blood growing underneath them made it clear they would be dead very shortly. Ruby was already walking over to the elite’s corpse, likely to feed on the dead scavenger’s flesh. The yellow slugcat felt the rage that had boiled up inside him leave just as fast as it came, leaving him with a feeling of cold dread as he realized what he had just done.

You lost control. He thought as he looked over the bloodstained ground and broken corpses around him, his own mind chastising his failure. Did it feel good? Hope so. Because you just fucked everything up, like you always do. Monk whined as he looked over at the dead elite, their mask lying next to their corpse, the actual injuries inflicted hidden from view by Ruby’s large body. This senseless violence... It will not solve anything. He looked at the scavenger with a spear sticking out of their throat, finally completely still and unmoving, dead. Look at the chaos you have inflicted. The next one, almost decapitated by Ruby’s sharp teeth, neck bent at an impossible angle, their eyes wide and staring right at him. Normal, healthy slugcats would never react with this level of violence. Then again… You aren’t normal, are you?

Monk turned to the final scavenger, who wasn’t lying flat on the ground anymore. There was blood oozing out of the open wound in their chest as they coughed up even more, likely a pierced lung. Scowling, they raised the spear they had just pulled from their chest, taking aim at the yellow slugcat. Monk considered his actions; if he acted quickly, he might be fast enough to dodge the throw. Ruby hissed in the background as she spotted the threat, but even her speed would not be enough to reach the scavenger in time. A frighteningly big part of his mind had a completely different idea, one he found himself partial to.

Don’t dodge. Let it happen. It will be fast, and you’ll wake right back up as always, so it’s okay. Without really thinking about it, Monk opened his arms wide, welcoming the imminent spear. He knew there was no way he could conceivably survive such a close throw. He could maybe live if he were hit in a leg, arm, or his tail. But a spear to the torso would kill him no matter what, and at the distance the scavenger had to throw, it would be impossible to miss. So the slugcat closed his eyes and held his breath, ready for the pain to come. Instead of pain, however, he heard the sound of hissing and rapid footsteps, followed by chittered panic and the sounds of a struggle.

Opening his eyes, Monk saw Topaz; the caramel lizard had charged out of the bushes at last, mauling the scavenger as they tried to fight him off desperately. Ruby came up in front of the slugcat, shielding him with her body in case their last enemy managed to survive. Topaz struggled for a while, despite the scavenger being pretty much dead already. Still, he managed to come out on top as their enemy’s struggle eventually died down completely and they went limp.

Panting, the caramel lizard that was now covered in blood (none of it his) glanced back at Monk, chirping happily when he noted the slugcat was safe. His eyes shifted to Ruby, and he whined nervously. Though there was no growling or hissing toward Topaz as there otherwise would be. Instead, the red lizard huffed and gave him a small bow with her head. A way to thank the other lizard, perhaps? Topaz looked confused but chirped happily anyway.

It wasn’t long until the group continued their journey. Monk wanted to tame at least one more lizard before the end of the cycle, so they needed to get going and find one of the predators as quickly as possible. As he rode on Ruby’s back, the red lizard was actually moving slowly enough for Topaz to keep up as the two lizards walked side-by-side. He considered what had happened. When it came to Topaz, Monk could make the final connection that, although the caramel lizard was not exactly fit for combat, a bit cowardly and shy, he was still incredibly loyal. Not to mention cuddly, which was always a bonus. The selfless action he performed to save Monk also seemed to have earned some of Ruby’s respect, at least enough that she didn’t growl and hiss at him all the time.

That was the easy part to consider; the harder part was to think about the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind for so many cycles. He would always seem to take one step in the right direction, feeling like he was getting a bit better, like the tiny voice in his head fucked off for a short moment, only to fall two steps back down when he let his guard down. He wasn’t alright; he knew he wasn’t. No, you are not. It definitely was not right to slaughter all those scavengers either, you knew so, but you still did it. A part of you enjoyed it too. Monk huffed; they definitely deserved it. Maybe. But even then, it was the wrong choice. The slugcat bit back a whine, aware that his drastic actions might have just guaranteed their colony would get attacked.

He had to fight back the urge to jump off Ruby and run into the trees to disappear. It was all too exhausting. Monk just wanted to rest; he wanted out! He wanted away from the constant feeling of emptiness that resided inside his chest, the feeling that never went away no matter what he did. No matter what was done, he just could not escape coming back the next cycle; he did not need to do the same trial-and-error shit he had already done so many times to understand that was the case.

There had to be a way—a way to just leave the never ending cycle of pain behind.

Then he remembered, someone had told him. Someone had told all of them of a way. A certain iterator… Was it Five Pebbles? Yes, he remembered now, it was! What was it that Five Pebbles had told him so long ago again? The thing he had recommended for them all to commit to was a way to leave this infinite misery altogether…

Monk perked up as he finally remembered. Ascension.

Leaving the world behind, the whole cycle. No more dying and waking up, forced to endure unending cruelty and sadness. The thought of just letting go and disappearing, just fading into the void. He would finally be free. Maybe Survivor would like to come with? He’d hate to leave his brother alone; it would not be right. Hunter could come too, Arti, as well, of course! Little Night, if she wanted, it would be better than leaving her behind all alone, surely. Could lizards ascend? If they wanted, they could come as well! The slugcat chuckled to himself, ignoring the odd looks both the lizards sent him at the sudden noise.

…

They wouldn’t want to go with you. Monk’s heart wrenched. They care too much about themselves and your well-being. They would not want to leave, and they would not let you leave if you told them. The yellow slugcat closed his eyes as he felt warm tears run down his face. How would you even explain everything else? They would definitely ask, thoughts like that don’t come from nowhere. You haven't told them about how you recently got all the karma flowers stuffed inside your bag. The large amount of flowers inside his satchel felt heavier than before as he whined quietly. Go alone, and then they’ll be rid of the bother of taking care of you.

Monk would visit the iterator once the scavengers had been taken care of. He would get some more information about what ascension was, where it could be done, and finally, how to complete the process of disappearing. Then he would go through the process, and everything would work out. The other slugcats loved him too much for their own good, it was better for him to go. He felt some semblance of peace at this thought, at finally having a plan laid out.

For the first time in many cycles, Monk genuinely felt happy and relieved.

Monk wasn’t sure for how long the group had walked before Ruby once again picked up on a distant noise he could not yet hear. The yellow slugcat hoped inwardly that it was a lizard, but the red lizard reacted quite the same when it was scavengers last time, so he kept his guard up. He would not repeat the same mistakes; if it was scavengers, they would walk around. No more violence or killing unless in self-defense!

“Is it scavengers again?” Ruby stayed quiet for a moment, listening. Then she tilted her head in confusion. “Think you can walk closer to the source of the sound? I can’t hear it.” The red lizard nodded in understanding and turned off the path, walking towards the noise Monk could not yet hear.

He turned around to ensure Topaz was following along and not trying to hide further back. The caramel lizard was, but he seemed paranoid, looking around as if trying to scan for enemies. It made sense for him to be on guard; there could no doubt be more scavengers hidden anywhere. It was a thought that Monk had not considered, and now that he had, he started glancing around as well. After a short while, the slugcat’s ears finally picked up on the vague sounds that Ruby had heard.

It did sound like the chittering of scavengers once again, but there was also something else. Something that vaguely sounded like a slugcat. Monk immediately became worried. Was someone in trouble? Had Fixer and Arti been caught so early after leaving? He gave Ruby a small pat to the side of her head, a silent command to speed up slightly. She obliged, and in no time the group was close enough to almost be able to hear the conversation. A scene became visible through their grassy cover; there were three regular scavengers talking to a slugcat Monk had never seen before.

The slugcat in question was about as tall as Surv, their fur a unique mix of cyan and dark blue, and the tips of their ears a lighter red color. They had their back turned to the group, so Monk could not see much more than that. The three scavengers seemed aggressive, pointing with their spears and chittering angrily, like they were interrogating the mysterious slugcat. He wasn’t sure if the stranger at all understood what the scavs were telling him, because they sure as hell weren’t responding in a language they understood.

It seemed like the two groups were just talking without understanding each other, something that got on the nerves of one of the scavengers, who stepped forward and threateningly raised their spear. Monk considered whether he should step in and help or stay hidden, but he did not have time to make a choice before the stranger suddenly reacted. Moving quicker than any slugcat Monk had ever met, they picked a rock off the ground and threw it right at the angry scavenger’s face. Surprised, the scavenger dropped their weapon, and their enemy grabbed it and ran them through. The other scavengers chittered something in surprise and raised their own spears as the slugcat reached around the dying scav and took one of their spears out of the scabbard they wore on their back.

One of the two scavengers still left threw their spear, but the slugcat simply used their dead friend as an improvised shield by digging their claws into their flesh and holding them in front of themselves, letting their body block the projectile as they tensed and chittered weakly in pain. The last scavenger that still had a weapon moved around to try to get an angle on the slugcat, but the slugcat in question reacted too quickly. They twisted around, dropping the body as they threw the spear, hitting the scavenger right in the head. Before the final scavenger still standing could pull a new weapon, they had already been speared through the abdomen.

Monk watched in shock, awed by the slugcat’s skill in combat. He gave both the lizards at his side a gesture to stay down as he got to his feet to try to get a better look at the slugcat with the oddly colored fur. The final scavenger was still alive, crumpled to their knees as the spear in them was let go. The yellow slugcat saw them try to chitter something, maybe a plea, but it was swiftly cut off. The stranger had grabbed the creature by the horns and leaned in, biting down on their neck. Monk gasped and took a small step back in surprise as the slugcat started to tear the scavenger to shreds like a ravenous, hungry animal. He was not unused to seeing ferocious eating habits; Arti and Hunter, when they were particularly hungry, were good examples. However, what he was seeing wasn’t just ferocious; it was animalistic. Every part of the (thankfully now dead) scavenger was getting gnawed on and ripped apart frighteningly quickly, the slugcat’s sharp teeth tearing through flesh and bone with ease.

Once they had left the first scavenger corpse completely unrecognizable, with mostly just bones and other inedible parts left, the slugcat still did not hesitate to bite down on the next one. Monk glanced to his sides to see the lizards’ reactions, not unsurprised to see Topaz shaking in fear but very surprised to see even Ruby look a bit disturbed by the display of violence and carnage in front of her. It was like the slugcat’s hunger could not be satisfied, because it had to be hunger that caused them to be like this, right? It couldn’t just be for fun! Monk was reconsidering approaching the stranger; even with two lizards at his side, it did not feel safe at all. While they were busy gorging on the final carcass, the yellow slugcat gestured to the creatures that it was time for them to leave.

Surprisingly, not even Ruby argued; she just nodded and started to slowly crawl backwards, careful not to make any sound. Topaz followed her example, crawling even slower and somehow managing to stay entirely silent. Monk started to step backward, eyes locked on the figure a ways ahead that just finished eating its third meal and straightened its back. Only at that moment did he realize just how un-slugcat the figure looked. Its limbs were skinny, almost impossibly so, gangly, but still obviously strong enough to easily overpower three scavs. The rest of its body was not proportional to its limbs, shaped in a way that did not feel natural. The way it moved was unnatural, almost robotic. It was as if every move it made was pre-planned and executed perfectly from a list of commands. It was mumbling something, somehow audible even underneath its breath, as the creature reached out and picked up a spear discarded on the floor.

Monk stepped on a dry twig; the noise was incredibly quiet, but he noted the way the creature’s ears twisted towards the sound. Immediately, the yellow slugcat threw himself to the ground, wincing as the movement caused some more noises from the surrounding leaves. The creature ahead turned around slowly and looked in the group’s direction. The yellow slugcat got a look at the thing’s face, and he started to tremble in fear.

Whatever was in front of them was definitely not a slugcat; no slugcat had eyes like that, white and large, and a red pupil that was in the shape of a circle with a line going through it. Despite the situation, the creature had an unnerving smile on its face, almost like it was plastered on its mouth. It looked like a creature the yellow slugcat was never supposed to find—a being that ended up in the wrong world. It did not belong; it was wrong, and just staring at it for too long was giving him a headache. The creature twirled its spear as the mumblings from its smirking mouth faded and eventually ceased. Its unnerving eyes scanned the bushes. Please don’t find me. Beside Monk, Ruby narrowed her eyes, while Topaz covered his own with his large paws.

“yo, any1 therr?” Even its voice was wrong, and the sheer volume of it made Monk flinch and squeeze his eyes shut. “if any1 iz therr, u got any food?” The yellow slugcat suppressed a whine at the headache that followed the voice. “i only have like two more pips to take care of.” What is it even talking about? It wants to eat me?! Please leave. Please, please, please. The throbbing in his head was only getting worse the more it spoke, and Monk just wanted to leave and get back to taming lizards!

A moment of silence followed before the yellow slugcat heard the sounds of quiet footsteps walking away. Opening his eyes, he saw it walking the other way; its mumbling had returned but quickly faded out into the distance as the creature walked with robotic but determined steps. To where, Monk had no clue. Even after it had walked so far away that he could not see it anymore, the yellow slugcat waited a bit longer, just to really be sure they were all in the clear.

“Alright, let’s go. Fast.” Monk whispered hurriedly as he stood up and turned around, walking back towards the good old path.

He could hear both the lizards chirping before standing up and joining him, just as eager as Monk to get as far away from whatever that thing was as possible. When he got back home, he would warn the others of its existence. Who knew what its intentions were? The yellow slugcat could only hope that the creature would move away from the region they called home and go somewhere else; he did not want to run into it in the future.

Monk tried his best to forget all about the incident as the group reached the path once again, instead putting all of his energy back into finding just one more lizard before sheltering for the cycle.

The search for lizards was not going as well as Monk had first hoped when he departed on his taming mission, considering the number of lizards that were usually present around the areas he was searching through. Now, there was not much to find at all, and the yellow slugcat had no idea why. Maybe the local scavengers had done too much hunting recently? Killed the lizards enough times in the same spots that they eventually moved onto other areas? Either way, Monk doubted the lizards would move that far from their previously established den; most of the predators preferred picking an area to create a home and sticking to that place.

Whatever the reason, the constant searching was becoming very annoying, and Monk started to consider just turning around. Ruby looked bored as well; even Topaz seemed a bit annoyed that nothing was happening. The group was just walking endlessly, periodically stopping to spear a few squidcadas or small centipedes to eat. The yellow slugcat was just wasting time; the colony probably needed him back home to help with preparations.

If I don’t find another lizard right now, I’m giving up on this whole ordeal and turning back home with the one lizard I did find. Monk promised himself with a huff, fidgeting with the strap on his shoulder impatiently as he kept trudging on. His paws were starting to feel sore, and the group would probably have to stop and rest soon either way, which meant that would be the perfect time to make plans for the best way to take on the way back. Maybe if they moved quickly, they would even be able to avoid sheltering and get home even faster.

Finally, Monk’s ear twitched as he heard a very familiar noise. His long search had finally borne fruit! Sounds that the yellow slugcat recognized well as a cyan lizard leaping around came from above, and he smiled as he looked up to see if he could spot the predator. His smile quickly faded when he saw the open maw of the creature rapidly approaching him from above. It was only by pure reflex and luck that he was fast enough to leap to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp teeth of the future new member of their group.

Topaz and Ruby flinched back at the sudden appearance of the new lizard before growling and hissing in warning as they both took steps towards their new enemy. It was surprising to see even the caramel lizard be able to be as aggressive as the red one when he perceived a threat to his new owner. Though the cyan did not care about their threats, she only had her eyes on the yellow slugcat as she hissed, approaching him once again. Monk raised a paw, signaling his two tamed lizards not to leap forward and attack, which they obliged with great reluctance as he reached into his bag for a centipede. The lizard hissed, preparing to jump for him again, but was quickly stopped when the small meal was suddenly thrown right into her open mouth.

The lizard looked flabbergasted as she chewed the food on the spot, seemingly questioning her whole reality. Monk took a small step forward and reached a paw out, but retracted his attempt at touch when the cyan hissed angrily, her tail lashing behind her. He offered another centipede before trying again; the lizard kept hissing, but at least she allowed him to pat her for a bit. Taking a step back, the yellow slugcat looked the cyan over. She was glaring at him rather angrily, but she was not attacking, which Monk considered good enough.

Another lizard (partly) tamed! She was a bit more spicy than Topaz, but it was probably good to have some more aggressive types in their small crew. “I think I’ll call you Sapphire!” Sapphire hissed, but Monk only chuckled in response. “It’s a fitting name, don’t you agree, guys?” The other lizards both looked at the yellow slugcat as if he had completely lost his mind.

He supposed he could understand their bafflement; the cyan lizard almost seemed a bit too feral and angry to be kept around safely, but Monk was only happy to have a challenge in taming ahead of himself! It reminded the yellow slugcat of the first cycles after he had tamed Ruby, when she had still been fairly angry and aggressive, even despite not being a violent threat. It had taken a few cycles of training and convincing the other slugcats to let her stay to turn her into the obedient jerk with a heart of gold that she was now. If Monk managed to make even a red lizard easy to command with time, the cyan lizard would not at all be so challenging!

She turned to the other two lizards, hissing and growling at them as well. Now that the cyan was no longer a threat to Monk, Topaz went back to his shy, submissive behavior. Despite being far bigger than Sapphire, he lowered his head, once again submitting to the more dominant predator. However, Ruby would obviously not be bullied. The red lizard growled loudly, frills standing on end as she lifted herself off the ground, towering over the smaller cyan lizard. Sapphire hissed, but it was more subdued this time as she realized Ruby was no doubt the stronger lizard of the two. The red lizard growled a bit louder, and Sapphire eventually ended up bowing her head in respect to the strongest of the three.

Monk watched the spectacle with interest; the lizards were obviously establishing some sort of pecking order amongst the group, something the yellow slugcat had never really seen before. Then again, he guessed that different sorts of lizards hanging out in the way they were now wasn’t exactly a natural occurrence in the wild. Monk had never done anything like tame several lizards at once, so it was not too odd that he had never seen it before that moment. Nevertheless, it seemed dominance was rightly established by Ruby, which was a relief, considering she was the lizard that stood closest to Monk, and she would hopefully ensure the others followed his commands without issue.

“Ruby, I trust you’ll keep an eye on Sapphire.” The red lizard nodded and growled once again at the cyan one, who grumbled but did not hiss or growl in response. “Very good; let’s get going. Nighttime is rapidly approaching.”

Night swiftly fell upon the group, but Monk had luckily been smart enough to scout out a functioning shelter in the area before hand. He led all of his lizards to the shelter pipe, urging them all to enter. Topaz went in first, without hesitation. Sapphire was a bit unsure, but Ruby managed to get her to eventually crawl in. The red lizard turned to Monk, but he shook his head and gestured for her to go first. Ruby huffed but obliged, crawling inside as well.

Before going in after the others, Monk turned around and looked over the area as the natural light gradually darkened around him. Unlike the other slugcats, Monk had never consumed a neuron fly and was the only one besides Night in their colony that did not glow in the dark in some way. Glancing around, he saw the world slowly go to sleep around him. He saw a squidcada fly into its den to sleep, saw the light of some scavenger lanterns that were moving around (thankfully very far off), and then he saw a pair of practically glowing eyes. Those same eyes he had seen earlier on, the ones belonging to that creature.

It was there, standing completely still, not too far away from him, staring right at Monk, even despite the fact that the yellow slugcat was definitely shrouded in darkness from its perspective. He took a step back in fear, and the figure tilted its head almost too far to be natural, blinking at him. Slowly, he started to step towards the pipe behind him, keeping his gaze on the figure the whole time, just in case it would try anything. It did not have a weapon in its paws, but Monk had seen the being in action; it only needed its teeth and claws to do a lot of damage. Though just when the tension seemed to reach its peak and the yellow slugcat was ready to practically throw his body into the shelter and pray that it would close fast enough to block the terrifying figure, it spoke. The voice still caused the yellow slugcat a terrible headache, but the throbbing pain was slightly less than before.

“damn, bby. are u a parking ticket? cuz u got FINE written all over u.”

It was clear the creature could talk slugcat, but it was very broken and its voice seemed... wrong, somehow. At its words, Monk’s terror quickly melted away, replaced by extreme confusion. Is it… flirting with me? Apparently it was, judging by the wink and finger guns it sent his way after the pick-up line. What a terrible line anyway; what even was a parking ticket? He got that it was saying he was fine, but what was that word even connected to in the context? It made no sense; what even was this thing? What did it want? Monk waited for it to do anything else, but it just stood in place and batted its eyes in his direction. It was probably meant to be endearing or affectionate, but it mostly looked odd when it did it. The two stood in silence for a short moment, the weird non-slugcat still batting its eyes at Monk, while the yellow slugcat stood with his head tilted, confusion only building. Then, without warning, the stranger touched one of its paws to its lips before blowing across its paw towards him. Now it’s blowing me a kiss? Despite the oddity of the situation, Monk felt the heat of a blush building on his face as it winked at him again.

“i gotta go." It suddenly said, as if it just realized it had to be somewhere important. "call me sometime, ok?” Without another word, the stranger turned around and walked away, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Monk was left behind with only his blush, his thoughts, and his incredible confusion, still staring out into the darkness at the spot where the stranger disappeared. How strange… He did not feel as much fear when thinking about the mysterious creature anymore, at least. But the fear was almost preferable to the thousand questions he had when it came to the stranger after that odd meeting. He would not get his answers any time soon, of course, he was far too busy worrying about other stuff after all. But a part of the yellow slugcat still hoped, for some reason, that he would see the stranger again sometime. That was, if he was still physically around to meet them at that point... He shook that thought off as well, one thing at a time. With nothing else to do, the yellow slugcat finally slipped into the shelter pipe. The inside of the shelter was obviously incredibly cramped when shared with three lizards and a slugcat, but it was far from impossible to find some semblance of comfort when surrounded by the warm bodies of the lizards.

Ruby had been staring at the shelter pipe before she entered, seemingly worried about how long it took him to come through, he gave her an apologetic smile as she purred, happy to see him back. Topaz lay to the side of Ruby, his large tail draped over the lower part of her body as he already snoozed peacefully. Sapphire was furthest away from the other two, though it did not mean much in the small space, she was still effectively cuddling against the other two lizards as she growled quietly, but still tried to sleep. Monk laid down in the pile, in between Ruby and Topaz. The tight space in the shelter meant the lizards could not roll around past a certain point thanks to bulk and frills, respectively, so despite lying so close, the yellow slugcat was completely safe from being crushed by the other lizards while sleeping. Ruby purred and curled protectively around the slugcat as best she could, before sighing in relief and closing her eyes.

The shelter was fairly cramped, but Monk noticed that there was still some space that could be filled in with more lizards! He would have to try to tame just a few more the next cycle, just to really make sure he would have enough backup to bring to the tree.

Chapter Text

Artificer was feeling paranoid, even more so than she usually felt while out traveling. It could, of course, have something to do with her mate getting ambushed by two elite scavengers, being beaten bloody, and getting speared through the shoulder when he fought back. Also, those very same scavengers presumably knew where they had their colony, knew of her and Fix, and wanted violent revenge. She had no doubts that all of those points could easily be combined to convince many vengeful scavs that Artificer had previously killed to join them in some sort of assault, where they would get their revenge on The Red Death herself.

She huffed, throwing a glance at her mate walking next to her, lugging around the projectile-firing weapon the two had yet to name in his hands as he glanced around their environment. Judging by the way he constantly adjusted his grip on the metal, his finger experimentally touching the trigger from time to time, Artificer was not the only one feeling nervous. If anything, Fix had even more of a reason to be paranoid and jumpy, considering what had happened to him last time he let his guard down. Thankfully, the two weren’t traveling a path through a bunch of shrubbery, at least.

The ruins surrounding the two were fairly overgrown, but there weren’t enough bushes or other greenery for a big group of scavengers to effectively hide behind. But even one enemy throwing a well-placed spear at the duo could spell grave consequences, so she kept her guard up nonetheless. Their trip through the ruins of a civilization long since lost was quiet—too quiet, the maroon slugcat decided, throwing one more glance over her shoulder just in case.

“It’s too quiet.” Fix suddenly whispered as if he’d read her mind, slowing down slightly as his grip on the weapon tightened.

Artificer slowed down as well, her tail swishing behind her as her one functioning ear twisted back and forth to try to pick up any sort of noise. “Yeah. Something’s up…”

The silence was broken by a sudden rustle of leaves from behind. The sound made Artificer whip around, her spear raised and ready to be thrown as she bared her teeth in a hiss. Fix turned around as well, aiming the barreled weapon clutched in his hands towards the bushes where the noise had originated. The rustling continued, and she could see something moving about inside the bush—something emerging, leaping out towards them! With a shout, she threw her spear dead on at the bush. A squidcada suddenly flies out of the thicket, takes the spear right to the face, and immediately drops dead.

A moment of silence passed as Artificer and Fix stared at the creature, eventually broken by the maroon slugcat groaning loudly. “Stupid fucking squidcada scared the shit out of me!” She shouted as she walked over to pull her spear free.

“Cicada, actually.” Her mate responded, the clear amusement in his voice easily discernible even through her drone’s monotone translation.

“Quiet, you.” With a grunt, Artificer pulled her spear free, flicking off some of the blood at the tip of the weapon. “Oh well, better than having to face off against a group of scavs.”

Turning back to her mate, she saw Fix nod in agreement, resting his weapon on his shoulder as he glanced around. “Probably a good idea to keep moving, just in case we’ve been heard by a patrol.”

Artificer hummed and walked back to join Fix’s side. The duo once again resumed their trek towards the large tower in the distance where Chieftain was supposedly holed up. She was a bit surprised that the scavenger hadn’t already made attempts to reach out to the slugcat colony; surely he had to be aware of some of his tribespeople planning something. Of course, if they really were planning something, it was all just speculation from her mate, and nothing was yet confirmed in her mind. Driven sick of the constant paranoia and uneasiness, Artificer once again glanced at the weapon in Fix’s hands and decided she had had enough of just calling it ‘The Weapon’.

“You got a name for that weapon in your arms yet, Fix?” The scavenger glanced over with a hum before looking down at the hunk of metal in his hands.

“Oh! No, I honestly haven’t given it much thought.” Fix looked the weapon over for a short moment before turning his head towards her with a curious look in his eyes. “Do you have a suggestion, perhaps?”

That got the maroon slugcat thinking for a moment. It was a pretty long moment. After quite a bit of time had passed, Artificer realized she was not too good at naming weapons. Her mate’s previous curiosity had slowly melted into one of confusion as she tried so hard to even think of a single possible name. After a moment longer, Artificer realized she simply should not care so much about what the weapon was called because it was just a weapon in the end. She had never given any of her weapons a name; her spears with explosive spit were simply called Explosive Spears like normal, not something stupid like Artificer’s Delightful Surprise or whatever the fuck!

Glancing over, Artificer noticed her mate still waiting for some sort of reply. “Meh, call it Terrorism or something.” She said with a shrug, looking forward again as they kept walking.

The maroon slugcat was fairly happy with the name, all things considered; it rolled off the tongue well, and it was fitting for the weapon’s destructive power. “Wha- Arti! That’s it?” Her mate, obviously, did not agree.

She looked back at her mate and tilted her head. “What? If what you told me about the explosive power of the weapon was true, the name is perfect for describing its destructive power!”

Fix narrowed his eyes slightly. “Don’t you think a weapon as sophisticated as this should get a proper name? One that all our opposition fears and tells horror stories of around the dark campfire!” The scavenger triumphantly held the weapon up into the air for dramatic effect.

Artificer rolled her eye in response. “Then you might as well call it The Red Death; it’s worked once before.”

“We’re not reusing names, Arti.”

“Well, come up with a name for yourself then!”

“Alright! I will, just let me think…”

The conversation descended into silence as the two trudged on. Artificer stole glances at the scavenger at her side, huffing amusedly when she saw Fix mumbling to himself as he glanced down at the weapon. He was really taking the naming business seriously, it seemed; the maroon slugcat guessed it was just one of those nerd things. She found it endearing, really. I wonder if he’d be as passionate naming one of his own… The maroon slugcat absent-mindedly moved her paw down to her stomach, feeling it was still slightly more swollen than she was used to. It was not very noticeable to others thanks to her fur, but she could tell there was definitely some more plumpness there than usual. That, along with the morning sickness she had suffered from in some of the recent cycles, was enough evidence she needed. I should find a chance to tell Fix before-

“I got it!” Artificer jumped at her mate’s sudden voice, removing her paw from her stomach and turning to the scavenger.

“Well, alright. Is it an actually good name?”

The maroon slugcat smirked as Fix narrowed his eyes slightly before responding. “I would say it is fitting, at least.”

“Alright then, hit me!”

Her mate once again raised the weapon into the air with a triumphant smirk on his face. “Behold! Grim Unmerciful Noxious!” A moment of silence followed; the only sound audible were the duo’s footsteps.

The silence was eventually broken by a confused Artificer. “Then what?”

“What?”

“The weapon has three different cool-sounding titles; I get it. But what’s the actual name of the weapon?”

Fix stopped walking, lowered the weapon, and tilted his head in confusion at Artificer. “What do you mean?”

The maroon slugcat huffed in frustration at her mate’s obvious teasing. “Grim, unmerciful, and noxious are all just different ways to describe something! We know the weapon is all of those things, but what is the actual name that comes afterwards?” 

Artificer was well aware of the naming scheme; it was one that both slugcats and scavengers used, after all. Typically, slugcat and scavenger names were made up of a describing word, followed by a title. Artificer, Survivor, Monk, and Hunter were great examples. So the real question for her mate was what the title of the weapon was. Fix did not seem like he wanted to answer her question, however, as he kept staring at her in confusion. The maroon slugcat felt like she was going to lose it, ready to yell at her mate to just tell her the damn full name already, until a thought suddenly hit her.

“Wait, is Grim Unmerciful Noxious the actual full name you came up with?”

She already knew the answer to her question when Fix nervously glanced to the side and shifted his feet, but he responded in a tiny voice anyway. “Yes.”

The maroon slugcat sighed. “And you told me my name was bad…”

Fix’s expression twisted in offense. “Hey!”

“Might as well shorten it into an acronym or something…” Artificer mumbled as she glanced around the ruins, her interest in naming the weapon completely lost. ‘The Weapon’ is a name in itself anyway; they can just call it that and stop wasting precious time on stupid stuff.

“That’s it!” She looked back at the scavenger, who looked like he had had a big revelation about something. “Arti, you’re a genius!”

Artificer made a confused noise. “I am?”

“Of course, we just turn the name into an acronym!” Fix explained, holding the metal thing in his hands up into the air for the third time that cycle. “Behold! The G.U.N!”

The maroon slugcat perked up at the name, interest in the naming of the weapon coming back. It was a way better name than any of the other suggestions from either of them, that was for sure (well, Terrorism was obviously superior, but oh well). The only problem Artificer saw was that the name did not really roll off the tongue well. Pronouncing all the letters just did not seem right, and it made the weapon seem way less intimidating.

Now it was Artificer’s turn to have a big revelation. “How about Gun?” Fix did not look immediately put off by the suggestion, but he did look a bit skeptical, so she explained her line of thought in simple terms. “It rolls off the tongue really nicely.” She nodded, content with her reasoning.

Her mate thought about it for a short moment before nodding back with a smile. “Gun. I like that! It’s simple, but secretly nuanced.” Fix cleared his throat, raising the weapon into the air again. “Behold! The-” The scavenger trailed off as he glanced to the side and caught sight of Artificer’s annoyed expression. Laughing nervously, he lowered it again. “I suppose you get the point by now.”

She nodded, her smile returning as she walked over to her mate’s side and gave him a side hug. “Glad we figured that out! Now, let’s keep moving, Fix.”

Fix nodded back with a bright smile of his own, wrapping his own arm around the slugcat’s lower back and squeezing for a short moment before letting go. “Let’s.”

The two started walking, paw-in-hand, their other paw or hand holding a spear and the gun, once again making progress towards the tower.

Artificer was truly surprised by how much of the region actually consisted of broken-down ruins; she supposed she had not actually explored as much of the general area as she probably should have by that point. In her defense, there had been quite a lot to do near the tree the slugcats had colonized, so she could not really find the time to fully explore the area. It was a good thing her mate knew exactly where to go—the curious explorer that he was. It made the maroon slugcat question if Fix really did know the region inside out; if so, color her impressed.

For sure, slugcats also had a really good sense of direction in areas they had been in before. Likely an instinct brought on by them being such nomadic creatures. But far as Artificer knew, the scavengers did not possess such a sense of direction naturally, considering they often settled down in one area, such as with a tribe. Over time, she did recognize some of the areas the two walked through, but it had been many cycles since Fix led Monk and her through the very same places to reach the slugcat tree, so without her mate’s help, she would have been stumbling blind. Looking up at the sky, it seemed quite a long time until night would fall upon them, but considering they were moving to the part of the region where rains would be prevalent, the sun in the sky probably would not matter when they moved further in.

Artificer had gotten used to the very minimal amount of rain that was present close to their tree; when it did rain, it was not near as lethal as it was in the other regions, either. It rained a lot, enough to flood most areas apart from the tree, simply due to the large amount of water. But the water was not heavy enough to be lethal, then again, getting completely drenched and getting sick as a result could still lead to lethality either way.

In due time, as the two kept moving forward, the ruins around the duo started to become decorated with lanterns stuck on sharp sticks. In Artificer's experience, a clear sign of nearby scavengers. She released Fix’s hand and instead spat out a bomb she had saved in her stomach into her paw, ready to take on any hostile scavs that met them. Her mate, much the same, twisted the knob of the gun off of safety and held it raised, ready to fire at any threats. Sure enough, shortly thereafter, the two picked up on distant chittering coming closer.

Artificer was fully ready to fight, but before she knew it, she was pulled into a nearby bush by her mate. As they lay down in the shrubbery, she shot Fix an annoyed look as he whispered the command to translate to her drone, stopping its translation mode and making it default to its default ‘warn of dangers’ mode. Sure enough, the drone made a quiet beep and pointed an arrow with the danger symbol down the way from where they had heard the chittering. Footsteps slowly became audible, as well as the scav talk. Despite not using it much since she stopped her Red Death ways, Artificer could still pick up on a few choice words from the small group about to pass them by.

“Slugcats… dead.”

“...The Red Death… Fixer… traitor.”

So everything Fix believed would happen was true then! They were definitely planning some sort of attack on their colony tree. Artificer gave her mate a glance, seeing him look understandably angry and clenching the gun in his hands tightly enough that his arms started to shake. The maroon slugcat wished she could speak and understand better scavenger-talk, so that she could hear all of what they were saying. Though, as she twisted her ear back to the conversation, she picked up on one word that stuck out from the others.

“Slugpup.”

The maroon slugcat had to bite down a growl, crouching down and arching her back. If they were saying what she thought they were, if they were threatening Night...

“...slugpup?”

“...kill. Eye for an eye.”

The other scavenger made an affirmative noise, and Artificer immediately moved to jump out of the bush and absolutely slaughter the group of pup-killing bastards-! She was held back by an arm wrapping around her torso. Fix pulled her close and further into the bush as quietly as he could.

“Let me go!” Artificer whisper-yelled as loudly as she dared without alerting the scavs to their location. “They threatened our colony pup; I am going to fucking tear these monsters apart!”

“I can’t let you do that, Arti.” Fix whispered back, nuzzling his head into her neck and ignoring the fact that her sharp claws accidentally cut into his arm. “I made a promise to Monk that I would not let you take risks.”

The maroon slugcat hissed as she had to hold herself back from instinctively biting down on Fix’s arm or generating a concussive explosion to make him let go. “I never made such a promise, Fix! Let me go!”

“Their time will come, Arti. I promise you.” Her mate mumbled, his low voice further muffled by her fur. “But not before we have reached Chieftain.”

Artificer’s struggles ceased at hearing the name of the leader of the tribe. That’s right, they were there for good reason—to reach Chieftain with word of what was happening. Unless he was already aware of it, it seemed a bit odd that he would not know what his fellow tribespeople were planning. Maybe he’s in danger? It could be possible that the scavengers who so eagerly wanted revenge on her could have overthrown his commands in favor of trying to kill all the slugcats. That meant that causing too much chaos in the area could make it impossible to reach Chieftain if the scavengers were made aware that they were approaching where he was kept.

Fix noticed the maroon slugcat had stopped struggling and let her go; the footsteps and chittering were slowly fading away. Artificer huffed as she carefully peeked out of the bush, looking left to right. It seemed clear enough, so she turned back to her mate and nodded. He raised his gun with a nod of his own, and the two carefully crept out of the bush.

“Probably a good idea to keep a low profile from now on; who knows how many more patrols they have walking around?” Artificer leaned down and studied the tracks in the soil in front of the bush. A group of at least eight scavs—way too big to be a hunting or scouting group—this was a kill squad! Actively hunting them down...

“Yes, it’s a good idea to avoid conflict. At least for the moment.” Fixer spent a moment glancing around before gesturing with his gun in the direction the scavenger squad came from. “Let’s keep moving; stick close behind me.”

With another exchanged nod, they kept moving, the tower in the distance coming closer and closer as the duo walked on.

Jumping across railcars high up in the air, Fixer was definitely starting to recognize the signs of Chieftain being in some sort of trouble. There were way too many squads of scavengers—more than would ever be needed so high up in the region. At most, there were usually only one or two hunting or scouting groups that scavenged or hunted in the area; any more would be a blatant waste of manpower. The groups of heavily armed squads could only mean one thing in Fixer’s head: they were there to protect something or someone. If the tribe had overthrown Chieftain and taken over, they would not want to kill him. No doubt the only way they could ever catch the skilled warrior off-guard enough to take him down would be if a large group of them jumped him when he was completely unaware and beat him into submission. If they were to kill him, he would come back fully aware of what they were planning, and they would have no chance of easily subduing him when his guard was up.

Fixer really hoped he was right; he really hoped all of this wasn’t Chieftain’s doing. He had known the scavenger since he himself was a pup. He would never do anything so violent as try to actively wipe out a neighboring colony; it was not in his nature. He had taught Fixer himself that violence was only to be used when all other options had failed. Was it all a lie? Everything from his violence talk to him not minding that he was dating Arti? No, it could not have been! Fixer trusted Chieftain; the other scavenger had always been like a father to him ever since… He stopped his brain right there, not willing to dig up hurtful memories buried in his mind for no reason.

His deep thinking was completely interrupted by the sound of someone approaching dead ahead, a shadow visible around a corner. Thinking fast, Fixer noticed an open hatch in the nearest railcar and, without much hesitation, grabbed hold of his mate and jumped down. The scavenger had been expecting a rather rough landing on the hard steel floors, and so he was pleasantly surprised when his back hit a collection of soft and warm blankets that softened their fall instead.

Fixer sat up and took a quick glance around the room. There were lanterns set up all over in such a way that the small room was lit up brightly. A large collection of items lay scattered all over, some sorted in neat piles, others just lying around in heaps. Everything from pearls to weapons to various old art pieces from ancient times like smaller statues and paintings. All of it seemed sort of familiar to Fixer in some ways. Arti scrambled out of the scavenger’s hold and pulled him back from the soft bedding. He was confused until he noticed that the figure from right above them was preparing to jump down into the room.

Just their luck, this was the scav’s collection. The two stayed completely still as the orange scavenger took his time closing the hatch, making sure it was completely secured in place before walking further into the room, thankfully not turning around and spotting the two intruders in his collection room. Humming, the scavenger started placing some new stuff he had collected on the other side of Fixer and Arti. With the scavenger's back turned, Fixer decided it was time to try something, so he raised the gun in his hands to his shoulder and slowly started to move forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arti come up on the side, spear-ready, just in case the scav would try to fight back.

Once he got close enough, Fixer poked the back of the scavenger’s neck with the weapon. The scavenger’s reaction was immediate, tensing up and throwing his hands into the air with a gasp. “Ah! W-Wha-! Please, d-don’t…!”

Fixer recognized that voice all too well and lowered his gun. “Colly?”

The orange scavenger turned around with wide eyes, and sure enough, it was Collector in the flesh! “Fix!” Immediately, the nervous scavenger threw his arms around Fixer, who thankfully managed to move the gun out of the way in time to not accidentally pull the trigger as he hugged his friend back. “Oh, man. I’m g-glad to see y-you safe, my friend!”

After a moment, the two backed out of the embrace. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“The other members of the tribe—they're s-saying a lot of things about you. Honestly, really rude things. I’d rather not say what…” Fixer nodded in understanding; he had already heard some of the colorful words uttered earlier. “I thought they had c-chased you out or imprisoned you like they have C-Chieftain.”

That made Arti step up, with the drone at her side, apparently having translated their whole conversation for her. “Chieftain? You know where he is? Is he safe?”

Collector jumped at the sudden voice, his eyes widening as he took a step back upon seeing who it was that spoke. “T-The Red D-Death…”

“I prefer Artificer, actually.” The maroon slugcat responded with a cruel smirk and tilt of her head.

Fixer shot her a look, and she backed down. “I promise she’s a friend to you, Colly. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, I know. She’s done a lot of g-good for us recently. It’s just... y-you know, the memories."

“I know, my friend. I know.” Collector nodded, looking back and forth between the two for a moment.

“It’s sort of funny, y-you know. Many of the scavengers who want to overthrow Chieftain and ‘g-get revenge’ on The Re- Artificer, are talking about how the two of y-you are dating.” Collector chuckled nervously as Fixer and Arti shared a look. "B-But I think y-you are just pals, am I correct?”

The orange scavenger was met with an all-encompassing silence, which did not seem to really settle his nerves all too much. Collector looked back-and-forth between the two again and again, until his expression fell slightly.

“You two... y-you are dating?” Fixer and Arti winced and nodded as Collector’s expression twisted into something akin to extreme surprise for a moment, before quickly being overtaken by fear as he turned around and nervously started to pace. “O-Oh, this is bad! This is really, really b-bad!”

Fixer was saddened by the truth coming out. Collector had always been a good friend to him, but with this revelation, it was likely that he would become an enemy to the slugcats, just like everyone else. Arti seemed to come to the same conclusion at his side and raised her spear. Quickly, he lowered it for her.

“Colly? It’s not that big a deal.” Agree. Please just agree with me so we don’t have to hurt you. There was too much at stake. Collector could call for help if he wanted, and every scavenger nearby would come running to stop them.

“B-But it is!” Fixer sighed; there was no other choice then… “If you g-get seen, y-you’ll be killed, Fix!” Both the other scavenger and Arti froze at that, the maroon slugcat lowering her weapon as Collector turned towards them both. “W-Why did you both come here? It’s too dangerous to be here as it is, even more so when y-you’re literally the two that everyone is looking to k-kill!” He went back to pacing as Fixer and Arti stared in surprise. “Y-You need to g-go back quickly. They have squads all over the place looking for you; this place is not s-safe, Fix! Not anymore.”

“So… you’re not mad?” Colly tilted his head in extreme confusion at Fixer's question.

“M-Mad? Why would I be mad at you?”

“You know… Me dating The Red Death and all, bad memories, so on and so forth.”

Collector huffed, shaking his head. “I don’t really c-care much who you date, Fix. It’s a little bit of a w-weird choice, sure. I mean you are b-basically dating the scavenger equivalent of t-the grim reaper!" He gestured towards Arti, who nodded proudly in agreement. "But I’m h-honestly just glad you finally managed to get a mate, my friend!"

“Hey!”

Artificer snickered in the background as Fixer’s friend continued. “I mean, she isn’t my type, not at all. But we’ve always had completely different tastes when it c-comes to dating m-material.” Collector took a step forward, placing a hand on Fixer’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you, dear friend, truly.” Fixer smiled wide and nodded as his friend removed his hand. “But you need to g-go, both of you. Not many others in this colony are as accepting of your relationship, as you no doubt know by now.”

“We can’t leave yet; we need to get to Chieftain!” Arti shouted loudly, making Collector flinch.

“W-Why do you n-need to go see him?”

Fixer jumped in before his mate could scare the life out of his friend. “You’re half right about the two of us being hunted down, Colly. But it’s even worse than that; the scavengers don’t just want to kill us; they want to kill all of Artificer’s family for mistakes she committed a long time ago. It won’t solve any problems and will only keep the cycle of revenge forever flowing.” He explained, his turn to place a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We need to get to Chieftain, see if he knows of some way to stop this, and if not, get us some backup so that we can have a chance when the time for battle comes.”

The orange scavenger sighed and nodded. “I understand, Fix.” He removed his hand as Collector turned back to look at his collection of items. “But the guards they have stationed outside his tower are tough elites; y-you will not be able to surprise them with the way they are placed, and they will no doubt have enough time to raise the alarm if y-you try to take them on.” Collector explained, looking sullen. “I don’t see an easy way for y-you guys to manage it on your own.”

Fixer let his gaze wander around his friend’s collection room for a moment; he had not actually been in there before and had never questioned Colly about where he kept all of the items he collected on his travels. As he had always known, it was a very impressive collection of items, but his gaze lingered on the many colors of pearls he had stuffed away into one of the corners of the room. Fixer exchanged a knowing glance with his mate, who seemed to have spotted the same thing.

“What if we had help?” Arti asked as Collector turned around. “Maybe someone could move in and distract the guards long enough for us to sneak past?”

The orange scavenger's face twisted in confusion. “Who?” He went silent as he looked between the two, both giving him a pointed look as his expression slowly filled with realization. “Oh.”

“This is a t-terrible idea.” Collector mumbled as the trio watched the two elites from afar; they were both armed with electric spears and seemed to be very alert, keeping an eye out for any intruders.

“You’ll do fine; you have a really sparkly pearl.” Artificer responded matter-of-factly, gesturing to the pearl in the orange scavenger’s hand. It was the most clear pearl she had ever seen, more blank than usual pearls. The glow of the small amount of sun penetrating the clouds made it sparkle so much in Collector’s hand that he had to keep it hidden from the guards’ views, lest they see it and get suspicious.

The trio ducked down again, carefully crawling closer to the small tunnel that led right up in front of the guards. “What if they d-don’t like pearls?” Collector whined as Artificer rolled her eye.

“Every scavenger likes pearls; these guys are no exception.” Fix cut in, patting his friend on the shoulder as they got closer and closer to the passage. “It’ll work, Colly. Trust me.”

The trio stopped in front of the tunnel; the orange scavenger looked at the pearl in his hand, then back at the pipe, looking very unsure about the plan. “But w-what if it doesn’t?”

Artificer had to stifle a groan and strangle the part of her that wanted to scream at the scav for his cowardice. It would not have been fair to do so; he had agreed to help them after all, and it was only natural that he’d be a bit nervous to do something so dangerous.

“If it doesn’t work, we’ll hear it and come running to your rescue, Colly.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Oh… a-alright then.” Collector took a few deep breaths to hype himself up, and then passed through the tunnel.

Artificer and Fix stayed in place, listening closely. The maroon slugcat made sure to stop the drone’s translation mode to avoid it picking up on the conversation and risking giving away their position. She could not understand a lot of the chittered conversation just above, but she knew that her mate could, and he was listening closely for any sign of danger or for the ‘go ahead’ callout from Collector. The plan was for the orange scavenger to distract the guards with the pearl and make them look away from the tunnel that Artificer and Fix would have to crawl through to look at the sparkly pearl with Collector. He was supposed to say something along the lines of ‘Amazingly beautiful, right?’, which was their cue to start moving and sneak past the guards.

After a moment that felt far too long, Fix perked up and nodded the go-ahead to Arti. The maroon slugcat climbed up the tunnel and peeked her head out. Sure enough, the orange scav had actually managed it! Both the elites were standing with their backs to the way up the pipe leading to Chieftain, looking at the pearl in Collector’s hands curiously. He was still nervously chittering something, likely just trying to keep them interested long enough for the duo to sneak past. Maybe he was making up some sort of story about how he obtained the pearl or something? Swiftly, Artificer climbed out of the pipe and crawled forward on all fours, glancing back to make sure Fix was following closely behind and looking back towards the pipe when she saw him.

Thankfully, it was not a long way to reach their destination, and Collector was doing a very good job at not stuttering or stumbling over his words when they passed right past the guards, the orange scavenger obviously seeing the two slip past. Artificer trusted that he had the moment under control and slipped into the pipe after sending him a grateful nod. If they killed the elites from behind and a squad happened to catch a glimpse of their bodies, it could cut their breakout attempt short, so it was better to show mercy, at least for the moment.

The two came out into the same area that Artificer recognized as the spot she had spoken to Chieftain for the first time after they had been at each other’s throats trying to kill each other. A spot high up in the air, only just short of reaching over the clouds. Still, it was high enough that a few sun beams penetrated the gloom and blanketed parts of the top of the tower in warmth and comfort. Listening in, the maroon slugcat was sure she could hear someone humming to themselves just above where she was. Fix tapped her shoulder to get her attention and pointed towards a small tunnel in the ground, one that she guessed led to where the humming was coming from.

Once she climbed through, she finally spotted Chieftain at the very top of the tower. His back was turned towards her as he looked out towards what little of the sun could be seen. He looked fairly relaxed for having been locked up in his own tower, humming peacefully as he watched the sunlight. Fix came up next to Artificer, but the scavenger in front of them had not yet noticed they were there. She whispered the command to translate to her drone, before carefully tapping the handle of her spear against the ground twice. It made a faint metallic clang that made Chieftain stop humming and turn around. Once he spotted the two, his eyes widened, and a smile grew on his face.

“Fixer! Artificer!” With a grunt, he climbed to his feet. His hands were bound together with what looked like a metal chain, and the maroon slugcat realized with horror that he had obviously been beaten, his face swollen and bloodied much like Fix had been by the two elites.

Speaking of her mate, he wasted no time in rushing to Chieftain’s side. “By the void, Chieftain. What did they do to you?”

Artificer joined her mate and started focusing on getting the chains off the older scavenger’s wrists. “Oh, this is nothing too serious. Just a group of elites too weak to face an old scavenger one on one.” Chieftain laughed heartily as the maroon slugcat carefully spat some of her explosive saliva on the chain.

“Your mask… Did they take it?” Artificer glanced over, only now actually noticing the fact that Chieftain’s regal-looking mask was nowhere to be seen.

“Yes. But this is unimportant in the wide scheme of things.” Artificer double-checked to ensure she had gotten her saliva on a good amount of the chain. When she was sure it would be enough, she stood up, aiming her spear at the spot.

“Look away.” Both Fix and Chieftain turned their heads and closed their eyes as Artificer lined up her strike. Once she was aimed properly, she shut her eyes tightly and stabbed forward.

Even through her closed eyes, she saw a flash of white as a small explosion occurred, probably quiet enough not to be heard by the guards further down but strong enough to blast the chain in two. The chains were still tied around Chieftain’s wrists, one end of the lengths hanging freely, but at least now he was able to move his arms freely. With his arms free, he wasted no time in wrapping both of his saviors in an incredibly tight hug.

“My friends, I am so glad to see you alive and well!” He said, holding the two almost uncomfortably with his strength. “I was afraid you had been driven out of the region, imprisoned, or worse.” Chieftain released the two and backed off, letting Artificer and Fix catch their breaths after having it squeezed out of their lungs. “But that begs the question: why have you come here?”

“We came to save you, of course!” Artificer panted out with difficulty, and Fix nodded in agreement.

“And I am eternally grateful for your rescue, but I would think getting out of dodge would be a way better plan. My tribespeople are angry… they refuse to listen to me anymore. They are blinded by rage and fueled by their revenge against you, Artificer. They will not stop until they have inflicted pain beyond magnitude on you both. You need to leave this region, I am afraid. There is no other way.”

“We cannot leave, Chieftain. We are not the only ones' threatened; they are threatening the rest of the slugcat colony as well!”

“Yeah, those bastards want to kill us all! Even our pup!”

At the mention of Night, Chieftain’s expression darkened. “They are not just happy with taking revenge on the one they feel caused them pain? They want even the innocent to suffer? Cowards!” Artificer frowned; hurting innocents was something she knew well off too, in the end. So maybe she and the elites weren’t so different at all? Chieftain must have noticed what she was thinking, as he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. “Your situation was different, my friend. You were blinded by rage and fury; you directed your anger towards a group because you knew of no other way to cope with your grief. We have all died many times to the cycle, and we have all grown used to it in our own ways. Death is always traumatic, but what’s done is done; more violence only begets more violence in the end.” He huffed and gestured to his bruised face. “Besides, I doubt you would hurt your own, even when fully enraged.”

Artificer nodded; they had gone way too far. She had made a mistake in her genocide, for sure. She would accept that a million times over. But attacking her family for a mistake she made? They would not get the chance! If they wanted war, she would give it to them.

“We were hoping you could help us, Chieftain.” Fix stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully. “Do you still have warriors in this tribe that you trust? That can join us if this all comes to blows?”

Chieftain chuckled. “Fix, you do not need to be so formal with me.” Her mate straightened up and nodded as the elder scavenger sighed and turned towards the sun. “I have lost control of my people. The ones I used to be able to trust with my life have turned against me and refuse to listen to my words, no matter what I try to tell them.” Chieftain’s expression turned somber for a moment before he turned to look at them both in turn. "But I have good relations with other tribes further out in other regions, such as the shaded place. If I can sneak out and make my way to them, I can do my best to recruit a group of warriors willing to fight for your home and then make my way back to you. Granted, I have no clue when my people will make the decision to launch their attack, but they aren’t as ready as it would seem.” He explained as Artificer and Fix nodded in understanding. “We might have a few cycles of time, and if you’ll allow me, I’ll go get backup as quickly as possible.”

Chieftain suddenly started to walk towards the exit, and the duo hurried to catch up. “Are you sure you are up to it, Chieftain?” Fix asked as they all climbed through the tunnel and ended up in front of the pipe leading down from the tower. “You seem badly hurt from your beating…”

The older scavenger snorted. “I’ve had way worse! Let me show you.” With no hesitation, he swiftly slipped through the pipe leading to the outside.

Artificer and her mate were so shocked by the sudden exit that they were stuck staring at each other for a while before both realizing the guards were right outside and immediately passing through after Chieftain, weapons ready to go.

Fixer and Arti leapt through the pipe with their weapons raised and ready to fight off the guards outside. They quickly lowered the weapons when they saw both the elites motionless on the ground, their masks cracked, and their weapons discarded next to them. Between the two guards stood Chieftain, the lengths of chains still hanging from around his wrists, the ends dripping crimson. On closer inspection, Fixer noted that both the elites were still alive, only severely beaten and unconscious.

“They were acting really rude and disrespectful when jumping me with a group.” Chieftain said with a shrug. “I had to let off some steam. Apologies for scaring the two of you.”

“Remind me never to get on his bad side ever again.” Arti whispered in Fixer’s ear as Chieftain cracked the joints in his neck and stretched his arms. He huffed in amusement and nodded. He really should have remembered that Chieftain was a very strong warrior in his own right. There was a reason why he was chosen to be the leader of the tribe, and why he got the name he did, after all!

“Well then, friends. I suppose I am off to look for backup!” He picked them up in another rib-crushing hug; thankfully, it was not as tight as the last one. “Please, take care of each other.” Chieftain walked over to the tunnel before turning back one last time. “Also, try to hold off the moment of battle. Diplomatically talk with them if needed, anything to put the attack off for as long as possible.” Fixer and Arti nodded in response, and Chieftain gave them both a salute. “Farewell, my friends. I will be back shortly!”

“Take care, Chieftain.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t start the violence without you!”

And just like that, Chieftain was gone. Off to find them some sort of backup, something that could give them a chance in the coming conflict that had eventually been actually evidenced to happen.

“Well, now what?” Arti mumbled, holding a paw to her stomach in what Fixer guessed was nervousness.

“I suppose we head back and tell the others the news.” He responded, grabbing hold of her paw.

His mate smiled up at him, purring. “Home sounds good; we’ve done enough for this cycle.”

“Let’s stop by Colly’s railcar on the way back; let him know we came out okay.”

“Sure, it’s the least we can do after his assistance.”

Coming back to the railcars, Fixer was relieved to see his friend standing on top of his collection, right next to the open hatch. He was pacing as he usually did while nervous, mumbling something he could not hear to himself. Upon seeing the two approach, he looked about as relieved as Fixer felt.

“T-There you are!” Fixer walked up and wrapped his friend in a hug. He looked like he needed it. “You had me really worried, we never came to an agreement on how you g-guys would handle the elites on the way out!”

“Nothing to worry about; Chieftain took care of the elite problem.” Arti said confidently, strolling up to the other two.

Collector leaned out of Fixer’s hug with a large smile on his face. “C-Chieftain? He’s free?”

“Yes, he is off looking for other tribes that can help us fight off our enemies.” Fixer clarified before the orange scavenger would start asking where he was.

Fixer’s friend nodded, appearing relieved. “That’s g-good. Very good.” He turned to look into his collection room, humming. “I suppose I should start to think about m-moving away from here, just in c-case they figure out I helped with the escape.”

Hmm, that would be a big problem for his friend, wouldn’t it? “You can come with us to the tree.” Arti suddenly said, gesturing to Fix and herself.

Collector stared at her for a long moment before looking to Fixer, who smiled and nodded. “Are you sure? Wouldn’t you feel unsafe with a practical stranger l-lunging around inside your home, A-Artificer?”

Arti barked a laugh and shook her head. “Considering you literally just compromised your safety and your home for the sake of helping us out, I’d say I trust you well enough. It also helps that Fixer knows and obviously trusts you.”

“Well, if y-you’re really sure, I’ll come with you! Let me just get my things. I-If that's okay!”

"Of course!" The orange scavenger nodded and turned to the hatch, ready to jump down. “You’re not going to bring along all of the stuff that's down there, are you?” Artificer asked half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Now it was Collector’s turn to bark a laugh as he shook his head. "Just a tiny bundle of stuff I keep on me. I can l-leave all this stuff here for now, no one’s been smart enough to find my secret collection room yet."The orange scavenger jumped down, mumbling to himself just loud enough for Fixer and Arti’s drone to hear. “Just g-gotta remember to close the hatch this time…”

As Collector rummaged around in the railcar, Fixer put an arm over Arti’s shoulders. “It was really nice of you to offer him a place to stay, Arti.”

His mate huffed, but still wrapped an arm around Fixer as well, only barely reaching up to his shoulders, even when he was slightly hunched down. “It felt like the right thing to do. He needed to be rewarded in some way for helping us.”

“Since when did you become such a softie, Arti?” Fixer teased, chuckling when Arti gave him an offended look.

“I am not soft, Fix!” She went to say something else, but the scavenger cut her off with a swift peck to the forehead. Arti blushed hard enough that he could see it even through her dark red fur, and he smirked victoriously.

“Softie.”

Fixer yelped as she suddenly jumped up and grabbed hold of the scruff on his chest, pulling his face down to her level. “At least kiss me right, nerd!”

Before the scavenger could react, he was pulled into a passionate kiss on the lips (or on Arti’s lips, considering he still had none, unfortunately). Oh well, he could work with this. Closing his eyes, Fixer put one hand on the back of his mate’s head, the other on her lower back. The maroon slugcat released her hard grip on his scruff, instead putting a paw on his cheek and another on his shoulder as they both leaned in even further.

“Oh, wow.” At the sudden voice, both of them separated quickly, turning their heads to see Collector smirking at them. “No need to s-stop on my account; you g-guys seemed to be getting really into it!” The orange scavenger laughed as both Fixer and Arti blushed this time, exchanging one last squeeze in their passionate embrace before turning to start walking back, Collector close behind.

Fixer’s friend was not usually one for teasing, but he had a bad feeling that the situation he had caught his friend in was just too good not to joke about. He was proven right when Collector joked around about the two’s relationship the whole way back to the tree.

It was pretty funny, though, so neither Fixer nor his mate really minded all that much.

Chapter Text

One ugly fucker, aren’t you? Hunter thought, scowling at his own reflection. The water puddle he was staring into was the result of the little downpour the area around their colony tree got from time to time. Most of what had rained down had already soaked into the soil below, but there was a small splash of water just large enough for the red slugcat to spot while he was out scouting the field outside the tree. Just large enough for him to get a look at his unsightly mug, covered in a multitude of different scars, all reminders of previous failures.

He had been designed—no, created —to be the ultimate slugcat. Faster, stronger, and smarter than any other of his kind. Despite this, his body was like a painting of all his mistakes. Most of the marks were too faded to spot with the naked eye, but Hunter remembered every single one; they had been burned into his brain. All memories of his mistakes came back to haunt him from time to time, and the current cycle was no different. If he leaned down to stare into the water directly, focusing on his reflection’s muzzle, he could still see the small marks adorning the sides from the time he had been cut by shrapnel from a scavenger bomb exploding right next to him. They were invisible to anyone else unless they studied his face incredibly closely. In other words, the only one who could really make note of them some cycle in the future was his mate, he supposed.

Tilting his head upward, he focused on his neck next. Despite looking like the only place he was completely without scars, Hunter actually had a sizeable claw-pattern scar over the front of his throat, made by a lizard. It was incredibly faded with time, but still fully visible to him. Surv had actually spotted the marks just the other cycle, after all. His mate had reassured him that every scar on his body was beautiful and made him look sexy. Hunter could not help but blush slightly as he remembered that, even though he could not agree with Surv's opinion. Looking down again, he frowned as his attention was immediately drawn to his most ugly, obvious, and most threatening scar. The one mark of shame that always seemed to make everyone judge him as a ruthless thug before they even got to properly know him was the scar he hated most of all.

The one going over his right brow, just shallow enough to not go through his eye, and passing through his cheek. Despite the amount of time that had passed since he’d gotten it, that scar just would not fade, no matter how many cycles passed. He wished it would happen; it was ragged and obviously had not healed as well as most of his other scars. Hunter considered that it probably didn’t help that the fresh wound had been itchy and not properly treated at the time he got it. He had still been young and quite inexperienced when he got it, even despite still having the most of his strength and agility back then, not slowed down by the advanced stage of the parasite he found himself suffering from in the more recent cycles. A part of Hunter found it quite funny that NSH had thought to teach him every skill he would need to fight his way to Looks To The Moon but forgot to teach him anything about first aid. Hunter learned how to mend his wounds himself through helpless, desperate trial-and-error.

With a huff, the red slugcat closed his eyes, betting to himself that, if he tried just hard enough, he would still be able to recall every single moment just before he gained the scar and immediately after.

It had been the first time he had ever interacted with a scavenger. Hunter had seen them many times before, but he always opted to keep his distance from them. They had seen him too, but it had always been in the distance, looking at him curiously from the top of a hill or from across a field. They had never made the decision to approach him in any way, so Hunter simply did the same, thinking they could just co-exist and not worry about each other’s presence.

The cycle had been terrible for him; when it happened, he had not been able to find enough food to safely hibernate, and he had very much not felt like going through another starve cycle. Thus, Hunter had skipped over the nearest shelter he had found, running past the den to prioritize finding some fresh meat or a popcorn plant to eat from. Unfortunately, his search had come up empty, and the sky was getting darker and darker above him as it started to fill with clouds.

Hunter was incredibly distracted while passing through the pipe leading to his first meeting with a scav, too busy worrying about the food crisis he was about to experience. The scav was probably fairly absent-minded as well, considering the two practically ended up bumping into each other. After a short moment of shock, they both jumped back, raising spears at each other.

“You drop that spear if you know what is good for you!” Hunter shouted, trying to sound confident despite his nerves. He had never really killed any scavengers up until that point, obviously, and he did not want to fight the other unless he was forced to. The scav only chittered angrily in response, making it clear that the language barrier between the two was a large issue (one of the main reasons he decided to study the language until he could speak it semi-fluently). “You do not want to do this, trust me.” The red slugcat tried instead, shaking his head as he lowered the weapon in his paw slightly, trying to defuse the situation (he was really naive back then). The scavenger chittered aggressively in response; they did not seem interested in not fighting, but the red slugcat had still foolishly made an attempt at making peace. Slowly, Hunter raised his other paw into the air, lowering the weapon down to the ground with deliberate movements as the scav watched closely with narrowed eyes. Once he had dropped the spear on the floor, Hunter straightened out and held both paws into the air, flashing an easy smile. “There. See? I am unarmed. There is nothing for you to worry about-”

The scavenger threw their spear without hesitation, cutting Hunter’s attempt at conversation off as he gasped and leaned back in an attempt to avoid the weapon piercing and lodging itself directly in his skull. His attempt at dodging saved his life that cycle, but the sharp tip of the spear still made contact with his flesh as it passed through, cutting through his cheek, narrowly not cutting deep enough to split his eyeball in two, and running a path through his brow before lodging in a wall a couple meters behind him. Hunter immediately crumpled backwards to the ground, yelling out in pain as warm blood quickly flowed into his eye, forcing it closed.

The sound of chittering made him slowly get on his paws and knees, looking towards the scavenger in front of him. They held a look of surprising anger and hostility as they reached for another spear on their back. “NO! PLEASE DON’T!” Hunter screamed, panic overtaking his mind. He had never died up until that point and had never felt what a death cycle was like. The red slugcat probably didn’t even know that he would come right back, back then. He probably thought death was the end for him, for his mission.

He could not fail his mission!

The scavenger ignored his desperate pleas, pulling a spear off their back and taking aim. Hunter glanced around, spotted his spear on the ground, and, in desperation, leaped forward, grabbed the weapon, and threw it in the scav’s general direction. To this cycle, the red slugcat did not know if it was by pure luck or skill that the weapon hit its target, striking the scav through the chest. They looked down at the spear in shock, watching the blood start to pool around the wound, before eventually losing their balance, dropping the spear clutched in their hand, and falling backwards on the hard ground.

Despite what they had done to him, Hunter had crawled forward and kneeled by their side, paws hovering over them as he tried to figure out what to do. He was in complete shock at his imminent first scavenger kill—the very first creature he had killed that was not just a predator trying to eat him alive. The red slugcat pushed his paws down, putting pressure on the wound around the spear as the weakly scavenger chittered something and coughed crimson onto its own chest.

“Why?” He asked, his sadness and shock swiftly replaced by anger. Hunter had not wanted to kill the scav, and he would rather not have been attacked either. His face stung, and his right eye was temporarily blinded by his own blood. “Why did you make me do this? Why did you force my paw? I did not want to hurt you, so why did you attack me?” The scavenger coughed again, their eyes rolling back as they chittered something again. “ANSWER ME!”

The red slugcat sat there for quite a while in the end, shaking the corpse to try to get a response, going back and forth between screaming, laughing, and crying over the dead scavenger. Hunter only regretted not having learned scavenger chittering before that moment; at least he could have figured out what the scavenger had been trying to say before it passed.

Eventually, Hunter formed his opinion of scavs right there, kneeling over the dead body of the creature. If the scav reacted as aggressively as it did when he had made the choice to drop his spear and did not present himself as a threat, then the rest of them had to be just as bad. He chalked it up to some sort of warrior culture they followed. To always be aggressive, always attack. The red slugcat had never actively interacted with any other scavenger before that moment, and immediately after seeing how his very first meeting had gone, he realized he never wanted to meet another again. Not only would they hurt him, they would impede his progress! His dad, NSH, had told him the mission was far too important for him to get distracted.

If any other scavengers get in my way, I’ll kill them. Hunter promised himself right then. He had not liked the idea, even back then, but if any of them could possibly react the way the first one had, any future interaction with them could be a situation of picking between them or him.

The ground shook underneath him, and he realized he had still not gotten his fill of meat just yet. His one open eye fell upon the corpse, a thought hitting him. Carefully, he crouched down next to the corpse and sniffed the scavenger, his mouth watering at the smell of blood and fresh meat. Despite his hunger, Hunter tilted his head and pushed his ear against the creature’s chest to make sure they were fully dead. Hearing no heartbeat, he leaned down and tore into the corpse, ripping a mouthful of raw flesh from the dead scavenger with his sharp teeth. Warm blood pooled down his throat, satiating his thirst as he chewed the surprisingly supple meat for a moment before swallowing.

Hmm, not bad. He thought as he leaned back in for another bite.

Hunter opened his eyes with a growl, reaching out and batting a paw at the pond, causing his reflection to warp with the water’s ripples. He cursed his more inexperienced self’s naivety towards the scavengers. Forming his whole opinion of scavengers because of one singular, bad meeting with a scav? Pathetic! Though he supposed it was mostly the extreme stress and fear of the situation that made him make the drastic decision... Nevertheless, he had grown with time and knew better. There were plenty of scavengers that were alright, like Fixer, for example. The red slugcat sighed and decided he had had enough of looking at his own reflection and thinking of older cycles; it was only making him angry and miserable.

He could be doing what he went out to do in the first place anyway: walk around the circumference of the tree to scout out any potential dangers. It wouldn't be too good if they were caught off guard by any hostile predators, not to mention scavs. Hunter growled at the idea of a scav scouting party coming over to check out the tree, noticing there was no one guarding the outside and setting up some sort of ambush for him, Surv, or void forbid Night! The thought of his pup getting hurt in anyway made Hunter's blood boil, and he made the decision to put all of that angry energy into doing an even better job with his guarding!

A sudden noise from behind made Hunter twist around quickly, reaching for the spear on his back and arming himself in an instant, pointing its sharp tip towards whoever had made the stupid decision to try to sneak up on him!

Hunter immediately lowered his spear when he noted it was just a familiar white slugcat who had come to check on him. His mate was standing tall, one paw raised into the air in a placating manner, a slightly apologetic look on his face for accidentally scaring the red slugcat. Their small black pup was in his other arm, held against his chest, and thankfully turned away, her face resting against his mate’s shoulder. Night was probably napping and did not get needlessly frightened by her own, way too paranoid, dad. Thank the void!

Nevertheless, the situation could have no doubt ended poorly, what with Hunter swinging sharp weapons around all willy-nilly as he often liked to do. His mate was no doubt scared of that thought as well, scared of him. Fearful of what Hunter might get up to if he were to get left to his own devices, the violent bastard that he was.

He’s not scared; he’s concerned. Hunter’s brain told him, and he half-believed it.

“Surv. Shit. I’m sorry, I…” He trailed off, unable to find the words for his apology. Even after all the time that had passed, he was still the overly aggressive, paranoid, violent piece of shit he’d always been, ever since the incident with the scavenger. The only difference was that he had only grown older and more bitter with time.

His running thoughts were disrupted by an arm wrapping around his neck, pulling him into a warm embrace of white fur as a purr sounded from Surv. “It’s okay, Hunt. We’re all on edge and jumpy.”

“I-I almost… I could have..." He still could not find the words—just the thought of what could have happened and what he could have done. It made Hunter feel sick.

“Shhh. You didn't; we’re fine. Both of us.”

The red slugcat felt tears come to his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his mate, dropping the spear in his paw to the ground. “I would never, ever hurt either one of you.”

“I know, my love. I know.” Hunter could not help but purr back as he licked his mate across the cheek and gently bumped their foreheads together.

Despite how shitty the red slugcat sometimes felt, whether it was physically, when it came to the fucking parasite that was still crawling around and probably currently growing inside him, or mentally, with his brain being his own worst enemy some cycles, his mate always knew exactly how to cheer him up. When Hunter first met Surv, he was immediately able to tell that the white slugcat had an incredible sense of sensing how others in his surroundings felt and counseling them to the best of his ability. It was one of the many qualities that had eventually drawn Hunter to search for their relationship to grow into something more intimate, and the list of desirable traits had only grown from there. Even when meeting the other slugcats, Arti’s maternal instincts and Monk’s mischievously kind nature held nothing to his mate’s gifted ability to read others emotions.

“I love you.” The red slugcat mumbled, leaning out of their head bump to look into Surv’s beautiful eyes. He felt his tail wag along the ground behind him, making a quiet swishing noise along the ground.

His mate giggled, a small blush creeping up on his face as his tail wagged as well. “I love you too.”

The two leaned in, pressing a mutual kiss to each other’s lips as their tails both moved towards the other, coming together in an embrace of their own. Hunter sighed as he felt all the previous tension finally leave his body. Just as he thought, his mate knew exactly how to make him relax and come back to himself. Their lips eventually moved away from each other, as the two instead went back to embracing and purring loudly, nuzzling into each other’s necks as they cuddled. Hunter had all but forgotten about his task of scouting the perimeter of the tree at that point. Not like it mattered anyway; he did not need eyes to keep them safe; his ears were constantly twitching and turning on his head, searcing for any noise that he would deem to be out of the ordinary.

Speaking of, Hunter jumped slightly as he twisted his ears backward, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. He was just about to whip around, ready to defend his mate and pup with his life from any hostiles, when his mate gasped happily and perked up, looking over his shoulder at what was behind him.

“Hey! Look who’s back!”

Hunter twisted around to stand at his mate’s side, keeping an arm wrapped around him as he looked out at the field. Thankfully, the footsteps the red slugcat had heard weren't from any approaching scavengers who wanted to hurt them, but from a pair of friends coming back to the tree after a planned trip! Fixer and Arti waved with smiles on their faces as they approached. From what Hunter could see, they did not seem hurt, thank the void, and judging by the smiles on their faces, he made the guess that the two succeeded with what they set out to do.

There was another orange scav at their side, Hunter noticed. They were walking a bit further behind the others but still keeping up. The stranger seemed fairly anxious as they stared at Hunter and Survivor, fidgeting with their hands. Did they have a staring problem or something? Stop being hostile already; you haven’t even met them yet. The red slugcat sighed. He was being bitter and aggressive for no reason again. He really needed to lighten up. It couldn’t be healthy to be so sour all the time.

A soft chirp sounded at Hunter’s side, and he turned his head to see that Night had awoken from her nap and was looking around curiously. She seemed to have spotted the newcomer as she looked towards the orange scavenger with a tired but curious glint in her eyes. The red slugcat chuckled and gave the pup a lick on the side of the head, earning a quiet purr from the little one. Even at the distance they were at, little Night could immediately notice there was a stranger among the group. She was such a smart cookie, their little pup! She was sure to grow up to be a strong, attentive hunter when she got older!

Hunter’s proud thoughts ceased as Arti and Fixer came close enough to greet them. “We’re back!” Arti said, approaching the red slugcat with her arms open.

He smiled and wrapped his own arms around his friend, purring as they hugged. “It’s so good to see you safe and sound. Did you get in contact with the Chieftain guy?”

The maroon slugcat backed out of the embrace and squeezed his shoulder with a smirk. “We have a lot to catch up on, but we better wait until everyone’s gathered in the tree.” Hunter nodded, and Arti gave his shoulder a friendly pat before turning to Survivor and Night, the three exchanging hugs and words (and chirps!) of their own with each other.

Fixer approached, and Hunter looked him up and down. Finding no injuries, the red slugcat huffed. “I suppose it’s good to see that you’re alright as well, scav.” He chittered with a smirk.

The scavenger smiled. “Likewise.” Suddenly, it seemed Fixer remembered something and turned around to wave over the orange stranger. Timidly, the stranger approached and stood next to Fixer, who wrapped an arm around the anxious scavenger’s shoulder. “This is Collector, a good friend of mine. He helped us with Chieftain, even knowing there was a lot of risk involved." Fixer seemed proud of this fact, smiling wide and patting Collector on the shoulder as the orange scavenger smiled slightly. “We were scared that the other scavengers would figure out he helped us, so we brought him here instead. He ought to be safer in the tree with the rest of us, right?”

Hunter nodded and looked Collector over. He was obviously very timid, despite his height being about at the same level as Fixer (really tall), endlessly fidgeting with his hands and glancing around, avoiding eye contact. The red slugcat’s paranoid mind made the stupid assumption that he might be a traitor, just pretending to be Fixer’s friend to get closer and spy on them! That’s why he was paranoid! Hunter quickly realized that was dumb, and he also realized that the stranger was looking more and more nervous under the red slugcat’s scrutinizing gaze.

Any friend of Fixer's is a friend of yours.

He assumed he looked a bit scary to the scavenger, so with a hum, he tried to put on a more friendly smile (friendly smiles were far from his specialty, but he tried), holding out a paw for Collector to shake. “I’m Hunter. Pleasure to meet you.”

Collector seemed to relax slightly as he took Hunter’s paw and shook it. “L-Likewise.” Fixer seemed happy as well, shooting the red slugcat a grateful smile. They didn’t have much more time to really catch up as Arti started to lead everyone into the tree to discuss what had happened on their small trip. Hunter could just about hear Survivor and Collector greeting each other formally behind him as he walked into the tree.

Once inside, all the scavengers and slugcats basically formed a small circle in the middle of the tree. Before Arti started to talk, though, she looked around for a short moment. “Hey, where’s Monk?”

Hunter shared a glance with Survivor; Monk had not come back yet, and the red slugcat was a fair bit worried about how Arti would react to hearing the news that they let him go off all by himself. Of course, he brought along Ruby, and both he and his mate considered that enough in the moment. But shortly after the yellow slugcat had left, they had gotten a bit nervous over their choice and regretted not just telling him to stay home in the tree where it was safest.

As he tried to consider how he would present the facts—that Monk was currently out and taming lizards in a very dangerous environment—in the easiest way possible, Hunter’s gaze temporarily got stuck on Night. The pup was inquisitively chirping at Collector, who was standing on the other side of Surv. The scavenger threw incredibly nervous glances at the slugpup as she made grabby hands towards the horns on his head. Noticing this, his mate chuckled and lifted Night off his own shoulders, instead settling her down on Collector’s back. The orange scavenger looked even more anxious at that point, bending his head down slightly and looking up at the pup that was preoccupied with playing around with his horns. After a moment, she chirped happily and sat down on the scav’s shoulders, kicking her short hind legs back and forth as she held onto the horns for stability.

Despite Collector’s incredible nervousness, likely out of fear of the pup falling off his shoulders and getting hurt, he was handling the predicament he was in quite well. He stayed still and seemed to be trying to calm down slightly to avoid any jerky movements. If only the orange scavenger knew just how surprisingly steady Night was, it would take Collector shaking his head like a madman to make the pup let go and fall to the ground. Even then, slugcats were known for their ability to land on their paws, so Hunter doubted she would be hurt at all anyway.

Night looked like she realized Collector was feeling nervous as she purred and started to pat him on the top of his head, smiling happily. It seemed to work fairly well, all things considered, with the scavenger visibly relaxing slightly and smiling up at the pup. If the newcomer was trying to get into Hunter’s good graces, well, that was a good first step, at least.

“Hey!” Hunter jumped at Arti’s shout, turning back to the maroon slugcat to see her staring right at him with her arms crossed and a peeved expression on her face. “I asked you a question: Where’s Monk?”

The red slugcat swallowed nervously; that was her ‘serious look’, the one she had back in the cycles when she was about to go off, whether to argue with him or his mate or to kill some scavengers. Hunter quickly considered whether he should beat around the bush or just tell the truth. “Monk went out to tame some lizards.” He said it quickly, deciding to rip it off like a bandaid.

He could see his mate tense at his side in his peripheral vision, as Arti and Fixer looked shocked for a moment. Then the maroon slugcat’s expression slowly twisted into anger, and as her mate glanced over nervously, smoke started to trail out of the edges of her mouth. Oh shit, I’m in trouble.

“And you guys let him go off, all by himself?” She growled, barely able to contain herself from screaming in rage. Hunter considered that she probably would have, had it not been for the fact that she did not want to scare Night.

“Not completely alone. He brought Ruby with him…” Surv said in defense of his mate, the white slugcat’s ears were pinned against his head, and he looked distressed. He had already second-guessed the choice to let his brother go off on his own several times before Arti and Fixer came back; this only confirmed the fact that they should have thought their decision over a bit more before letting Monk go.

Surv’s attempt at justifying the choice did not work well; Arti only looked more pissed, in fact. “Whether he has that red lizard with him or not, it’s not fucking safe out there! When me and Fix were traveling to and back from that tower, we saw several scav patrols!”

Hunter jumped at that, clenching the spear in his paw in worry. “Patrols? Were they close?”

“Close enough.” Fixer stepped in, placing a calming hand on Arti’s shoulder as she tried to regain her composure. “It’s turning more and more unsafe to be outside the field; when did he say he’d be back?”

“He said he’d be back before you two! Oh, void, what if something happened to him? If he... I-I can’t…” Lose him as well. His mate was distressed and looked close to crying, so Hunter wrapped an arm around the white slugcat and pulled him closer as Surv buried his face in the fur on his chest.

“It’s okay, Surv. Monk is strong; he’ll make it back. I know he will.” Hunter whispered, stroking the fur on his mate’s back in comfort.

Night seemed to notice her pop’s distress as she whined and reached out towards the two. Collector gently lifted her off his shoulders and handed the pup to his mate, who leaned out of Hunter’s hug to take the pup into his paws before leaning back and cuddling Night in between them as she purred.

Arti’s expression softened considerably at seeing Surv’s distress, and smoke stopped trailing out of her mouth as she sighed and turned towards the exit to the tree. “I’m going to go out there and find him. Make sure he’s safe.”

“I’m coming with you.” Fixer said as the two started to walk.

“Can you go as well?” Surv whispered into his chest, looking up at Hunter with tears in his eyes. “Just to make sure they are safe, too.”

Hunter smiled and kissed his mate on the forehead. “Of course, love. I’ll make sure he gets home unharmed, I promise.” The red slugcat gave his pup a nuzzle as well before turning and following the others outside the tree. “Room for one more?” He asked as the other two glanced back.

“Sure. Fall in line.” Arti said before suddenly stopping right outside the tree. The maroon slugcat’s fur stood on end at her back, and she reached for a nearby spear left on the ground. Fixer followed her gaze and likewise prepared the metallic weapon he always carried around. Hunter came up to the two, quickly realizing why they reacted as they did as he pulled a spear off his back.

A dust cloud was steadily approaching, with several shadows visible inside the dust. Are we already being attacked? They hadn’t prepared enough! Not only did they barely have enough weapons to go around, they were one slugcat and a red lizard short! Collector had joined them, but no offense to the guy; he did not seem like much in a fight. Wait! What’s that in the front? Hunter squinted his eyes and looked a bit closer, trying to focus on the figure that seemed to be riding something at the front of the approaching group.

His eyes opened wide when he saw, with yellow fur and a wide smile, a slugcat riding a red lizard and waving a paw in their direction. “It’s monk!” He shouted to the others, who lowered their weapons in relief.

The relief faded and was once again replaced with some anxiety when the yellow slugcat came even closer, and they noted just how many extra lizards he had tamed. Hunter counted four extras at his side: caramel, cyan, pink, and green. The red slugcat had expected Monk to tame one, maybe two, but four more?

Hunter sighed as Monk came close enough to greet them and slowed down Ruby to a walk. He supposed he should have expected it when he sent out the master tamer himself to do his duty.

Monk smiled and waved as he spotted Fixer, Arti, and Hunter standing outside the tree, looking in his direction. They looked happy to see him until he got a bit closer and they saw the five lizards that were following behind him and Ruby, and their expressions became a bit more unsure of the situation. The yellow slugcat had to stifle a chuckle at their reactions as Ruby slowed down and walked the rest of the way. Immediately, Monk climbed off and gestured for her to keep the other lizards in control, lest they think his friends are food and try to pull something. She understood immediately and turned around to growl and hiss at the others.

“Hey guys!” He said as he walked over to the others, Arti immediately broke off from the other two and walked up to meet him halfway. “How you- oof!”

Before Monk could properly react, he got pulled into a tight hug by the maroon slugcat. “Thank the void; you’re safe, Monk!” Before he could hesitantly return the embrace, she leaned back and took his face in her paws, examining him closely. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.” He responded. The only injury he had really suffered was the one when he bit down on his arm, but it had healed fully when he sheltered.

“Good.” Her expression turned a bit more serious, and Monk gulped. “Just what were you thinking going off on your own, kid? Me and Fix saw so many scav patrols. You could have gotten seriously hurt!” If only Arti knew you'd already killed your own share of scavs.

He dismissed the thought before it could get out of paw. “I-I’m sorry, mama! I just felt so helpless sitting around in the tree doing nothing, and I wanted to help out." It was only when Arti’s eye widened and started to tear up as she stared at him in shock that Monk realized his slip of the tongue. “Uh, I mean…”

Monk trailed off as he was pulled into another embrace, one even tighter and more loving than the last. “It’s okay, kid.” The maroon slugcat said wetly as she purred. “I’m just so glad you didn’t get hurt.” He responded with a purr of his own and relaxed in Arti’s embrace.

“Monk!” The two slugcats broke the hug and turned towards the entrance to the tree, from where a white slugcat Monk recognized well was already dashing towards him.

“Surv!” Another tight embrace enveloped him as his brother wasted no time in rambling apologies.

“I’m so so sorry! We shouldn’t have let you go out on your own. What if something had happened? What if the scavs found you? At least one of us should have come with for extra security! It was so irresponsible to let you leave with just Ruby for protection! Please never leave the tree without a traveling buddy again…!” Survivor trailed off as he simply sobbed and nuzzled into the fur on Monk’s head.

Does he really worry about me that much? The yellow slugcat thought as he purred in an attempt to comfort his big brother. He shouldn't; I’m not important enough for him to waste time on. “I’m alright, bro. Don’t worry.” Monk mumbled as he squeezed Surv reassuringly.

Eventually, the white slugcat leaned out of the embrace, smiling wide despite fresh tears still rolling down his face. A chirp brought Monk’s attention to the slugpup sitting on his brother’s back, who was reaching her paws out towards him with a giddy smile on her face. Chuckling, the yellow slugcat leaned close enough for Night to hug his face and purr.

“It’s good to see you too, little Night!” She chirped again in response.

Approaching footsteps were heard behind the white slugcat. “I see you managed to tame some lizards as well.” Hunter's voice was filled with amusement but also a bit of concern.

Monk perked up and backed away from night. “Oh, yeah! I should run you guys through some introductions."Another figure walked out of the tree, and the yellow slugcat tilted his head when he saw it was an orange scavenger that he did not think he had never seen before. “Oh, who’s that?” He asked, and the stranger took it as an invitation to semi-awkwardly walk up to him and stick out a hand to shake.

“C-Collector. Nice to m-meet you.” Collector was a tall scavenger, at the same level as Fixer, and towered over Monk. Despite this, he kept his back hunched slightly, as if he were trying to make the yellow slugcat feel a bit more safe.

“I’m Monk.” He said with a smile as he shook the scavenger’s hand firmly. “Nice to meet you, too!” The scavenger smiled and nodded; he did not seem like a bad guy, and if the others had trusted him enough to let him into the tree, Monk considered him trustworthy as well! “Now that everyone’s gathered, let’s run through some lizard introductions!” Everyone else watched as the yellow slugcat strode over to the lizards, who Ruby had whipped up into standing in a line, facing the ‘audience’.

“First off, for Collector who has never seen here before, this is Ruby.” The red lizard huffed and sent a glare towards the orange scavenger, who nervously waved. “Don’t worry, she’s like that with everyone at the start!” He added with a wink before moving onto the caramel lizard next in line.

“Topaz! A very chunky and easily frightened thing, but incredibly loyal!” The caramel lizard made a huffing noise as his large tail wagged behind him. The watching slugcats and scavengers looked at him curiously, likely confused by how a recently tamed lizard could be so docile and friendly already.

As Monk moved onto the cyan lizard next, she hissed and growled as he got close. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arti having to be held back from trying to threaten or maybe stab the lizard in response to its threat towards the yellow slugcat. “This is Sapphire!” Another hiss, and Ruby growled in warning. “She’s a spicy thing, but I’ll have her whipped up and trained for commands in no time.” Everyone watching tensed as Monk patted the lizard’s head, but she did not do much aside from growl angrily and did not attack.

Next was the pink lizard, who seemed like it wanted to break the line and run around and explore the area. It probably would have done so if not for the red lizard further away, sending it a warning glare. “Garnet is the most hyperactive, energetic lizard I think I’ve ever seen. He’s especially fast when he sees something edible; in the case when I tamed him, that was me.” 

Monk chuckled and moved onto the last lizard, a green who was lying down on the ground and napping. “Jade may not look like much; he is slow, lazy, and always tired.” The yellow slugcat started, reaching into his satchel. “But, when presented with fresh meat..." He pulled out a dead centipede and held it out in front of the lizard’s nose. After a moment, Jade jumped to stand and snapped the centipede up with surprising speed for a lizard his size, swiftly consuming it. “He showcases his prowess in catching prey.”

With the introductions complete, Monk walked away from the line-up as Ruby started to guard the lizards again. “So, what do you think, guys? Are there any useful traits among them for combat?”

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement. “You’ve tamed a lot of useful lizards, kid.” Hunter stepped forward and placed a paw on his shoulder. “Well done!” Monk puffed up his chest at the praise as the others nodded in agreement again.

“Hell yeah, they’ll help us out greatly, Monk. Good job!” Arti flashed the yellow slugcat a thumbs up. “Speaking of coming combat, now that everyone’s gathered, Fix and I can tell you all about our meeting with Chieftain.” The maroon slugcat glanced around the field for a short moment. “Inside the tree, of course.”

As everyone started to file inside, Hunter took a deep breath and placed his other paw on Monk’s shoulder. “You didn’t run into any trouble out there, right?” The red slugcat looked worried; he had to suppress the urge to whimper.

He hadn’t just run into trouble; Monk had caused trouble, and everyone might suffer because of his violent mistake! Of course, he didn’t say any of this. He was too scared to do so. “Nope, everything went smoothly.” He lied, frightening himself with how easily the lie left his tongue. “Sorry about worrying you guys, though.” You took too long, and you scared the shit out of them for no reason, you selfish-

Monk was suddenly wrapped in his third (fourth, if he counted Night) hug that cycle. “Don’t apologize. We’re the ones who allowed you to be out at such a dangerous time, so we should be the ones to be sorry. We are just all happy to see you unharmed and safe, kid.” Despite not fully believing the words, Monk could not help but feel his heart get filled with love at the genuine words as he leaned into the embrace for a short while before the two broke it off.

“We should walk inside before the rest of the group get sick of waiting.” He joked, and Hunter laughed and patted him on the head with a nod before they both turned and walked towards the entrance to the tree. “Ruby, keep the lizards outside. I’ll be there with you shortly.” The red lizard nodded and went to work keeping an eye on the various lizards.

The reactions to the story of Artificer’s and Fix’s meeting with Chieftain were, to say the least, mixed. Some reacted with a surprising amount of optimism, despite the situation. Monk, for example. "It feels good to hear we’re about to have some backup, at least.”

Others were a bit more pessimistic, like Hunter. “So we just have to sit around and wait while Chieftain wastes a bunch of cycles getting to different regions to try to recruit some help? What if he’s unable to whip up even a small group of help? It almost seems like it would’ve been better for him to just come to the tree as is instead. Judging by your story of him beating the two elites into submission with just two lengths of chains, we could definitely use his help immediately!”

Fix tried to be more of a mediator. “He’ll come through, Hunter. He always does; trust me.”

“What I don’t understand is, what are we even supposed to do while we wait?” Survivor cut in, rocking a sleepy Night back and forth in his arms. “We need to do something productive, or at least prepare in some way, just in case they attack before Chieftain is able to get us help.”

Artificer huffed and raised her paws in a placating manner; the group did not have time to half-argue or half-scream at each other over something so small. “What Chieftain recommended was for us to simply lay low and not draw much attention to ourselves. If we get a chance to stall them by having diplomatic contact, we should not hesitate to do so.”

Unsurprisingly, Hunter did not appreciate this at all. “You seriously can’t be recommending that we try to satiate these beasts to keep them from attacking us? I ain’t bending over backwards for some violent bastards that want to hurt my family or friends !” Survivor started stroking comfortable circles into his mate’s back, and the red slugcat spent a short moment to calm down before continuing. “I know of something productive we can do: collect more weaponry.” Hunter gestured to the small pile of spears, explosive spears, and bombs sorted by one of the walls. “It’s pitiful; we won’t be able to fight off any tribe-sized group with what we have now.”

Artificer had to agree with Hunter on that one; they did not have a lot of weapons lying around. She could put some energy into making a few more of the spears explosive and maybe find some sturdy enough rocks lying around to make bombs as well, but it wouldn’t help to make the stockpile that much better. “As it stands, it’s way too high-risk and low-reward to go out looking for more weapons, Hunter. There are too many patrols wandering around to make scavenging for weapons worth it. If we knew the location of a scav treasury, maybe we could steal from it. But even then…”

The red slugcat huffed and opened his mouth to respond when a voice Artificer had not expected to hear in their current discussion spoke up. “I-I might know of a w-way to get more weapons.” Everyone turned to Collector, who seemed to regret speaking up after getting everyone’s eyes on him. Still, he explained. “I h-have a bunch of stashes hidden around the r-region.”

“What’s in them?” Hunter suddenly asked, and the orange scavenger jumped slightly at the sudden interruption.

“Mostly e-explosive spears and bombs. But also s-some electrical spears as well.” Artificer perked up at that; electrical spears could be of huge help if what the scavenger was saying was true.

The red slugcat did not seem entirely convinced, however. “How can you be sure the stash is still there? What if some other scav just happened upon the stuff and took it?”

Collector huffed and suddenly got an air of confidence as he looked Hunter straight in the eyes. “They definitely haven’t. I hide m-my stuff so well; only I know how to obtain it. "Considering how the orange scavenger kept the rest of his collection hidden right under the tribe’s noses in what looked like a dilapidated and completely unusable railcar, Artificer had to agree with Collector probably being sneaky in where he hides his stuff.

Hunter held the stare for a moment before backing down with an approving nod and a smirk. “I’m beginning to like this new guy!”

As the orange scavenger seemed to be having an inward nervous breakdown after his moment of confidence, Monk smirked himself and spoke up. “Hey, Hunter! You should go with Collector and collect the stuff!”

“What? Wait, why me?” The red slugcat responded in confusion.

The yellow slugcat shrugged, a smirk still on his face. “Good idea to incorporate a buddy system, no? Also, I’m guessing you guys also just met. You could get to know each other better.”

“You just met Collector this cycle, as well!”

“Yeah, but I need to start putting in some work to make all the new lizards obey me a bit better. Unless anyone here wants to risk getting killed by a rogue lizard who refuses to follow my commands?” He glanced around the room as everyone else shook their heads.

Hunter sighed heavily. “Very well, then.” The red slugcat turned to Survivor and whispered something in his ear. They exchanged a kiss goodbye, and he gave Night a brief hug as well before turning towards the exit to the tree and walking towards it. “Let’s get going, Collector.” The orange scavenger hurried to catch up, the duo stopping momentarily at the exit to wave goodbye to everyone in the tree as they responded by shouting their goodbyes at the two before walking outside.

“I think they’ll get on fine.” Fix said, wrapping Artificer in a side hug.

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Suddenly, Ruby peaked her head into the room and grumbled, and Monk nodded in her direction before turning to everyone else. “Well, this meeting’s been fun. But I have to go train some lizards!”

Before he could fully leave, Survivor spoke up. “Monk?”

The yellow slugcat glanced back. “Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, bro. Lizards are way more predictable than scavs, I’ll be fine!” With a nod and thumbs up to everyone else in the tree, the yellow slugcat walked outside to train his new companions.

Night chirped and looked around the tree, looking like she was looking for Hunter. When she could not find him, she whined and mewled. “Your papa will be right back, honey.” Survivor said, kneeling down and picking up a... lizard tail tied to a stick? “Here, I’ll play with you.” The pup whimpered again as she tried to squirm out of the white slugcat’s grip. “If you’re nice, I’ll give you some extra blue fruit mash this cycle.” Night calmed down and chirped, her eyes lighting up at the idea. “Just don’t tell your papa, okay?” He chuckled as he walked further into the tree with the pup. Artificer and Fix took it as their cue to leave and walked outside.

The air was a bit chilly outside, but the sun was still shining down on the field. Fix sighed in relief at the sun’s warmth, closing his eyes and tilting his head upward in enjoyment. We’re both left all alone, able to talk privately. Now might be the best chance I get at telling him... The maroon slugcat placed a paw on her swollen stomach and grabbed hold of her mate’s hand with her other. Fix did not turn away from the sun, but he gave her paw a small squeeze.

“Hey, Fix?”

Her mate turned his head away from the sun, looking down at her with a fond smile. “Yes, Arti?” His eyes momentarily drifted down to her paw still on her stomach, and he tilted his head as Artificer took a deep breath.

“I need to tell you something very important.”

Chapter Text

Artificer woke up feeling rather terrible that cycle; there was a deep-seated feeling of nausea in the back of her throat as she slowly sat up from her curled-up position in the den. The maroon slugcat heard the faint sound of raindrops hitting the branches of the tree outside, and the entrance to their shelter showed the pitch black of the night outside. She had woken up early, probably because of her nausea, judging by the very uncomfortable feeling it brought her. The feeling of nausea in the morning made her remember her life many, many cycles ago, when she was way younger and pregnant with her two beautiful pups. The maroon slugcat smiled at the memory; it was one that once upon a time would have made her feel immense sadness, or worse, rage, but now it only made her feel at peace.

Wherever they are, I have no doubt they are looking over me. She thought as a tear ran down her cheek. Absent-mindedly, Artificer rubbed a paw against her abdomen, remembering when it was enlarged and she felt sort of the same way as she did now… Reminiscing about the good old days will not help; you are ill. The maroon slugcat sighed as she removed her paw and looked down at her sleeping mate, who had an arm wrapped around her torso. His face had earlier been nuzzled into her fur until she sat up. Thankfully, Fix was sleeping deeply enough to not wake up from his improvised headrest moving out of the way. Artificer smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek with a short purr. Her time as a mother had passed; besides, she was very sure that slugcats and scavengers were not biologically compatible to make pups. That was fine with her; she would stay by Fix’s side until their eventual death; she wanted no other mate!

Her heart slightly stung when she had to move her Fix’s arm off herself to be able to stand up and separate herself from the cuddle pile with the rest of the slugcats and the scavenger, but she had to get up and away from the others if she was feeling bad. If she had gotten sick, she did not want to infect the rest of the colony, so she would simply fetch a blanket for herself and rest on another spot in the tree. Picking out a cover to rest underneath, the maroon slugcat made a mental note to remember to wash the blanket as soon as she felt more healthy. She had no way of knowing how contagious what she had was, but in her experience, it was often better to just not risk anything when it came to sickness and feeling unwell.

Before laying down, she paused to stand still for a short moment, trying to feel if she was going to hurl. After a moment, Artificer came to the conclusion that she probably wasn’t going to empty her stomach on the ground of the tree. She had no way to be sure at all; the nausea was feeling rather strong after all, but something simply told her that it was fine. With a grunt, she wrapped the blanket around her body and laid down on the ground, already missing the warmth of cuddling against the warm bodies of the rest of the members in the colony. Nevertheless, she closed her eye with a deep sigh, trying her best to fall asleep and heal from whatever illness she might have caught during the previous cycles.

The maroon slugcat was awoken a bit later by Night nuzzling into her side and purring. Her first conclusion was that she had not vomited on the floor. Great start, Artificer. Keep it up! She tiredly glanced around at her surroundings, noting the fact that the inside of the tree was way brighter than it was when she had woken up the first time. Twisting her ears, she also arrived at the conclusion that the rainfall outside had stopped. Looking towards the tree entrance confirmed what she already knew: the new cycle had started. A better time to wake up. She thought as she glanced down at Night, who seemed to be trying to nurse on her, kneading her paws into Artificer’s fur. With a huff, the maroon slugcat leaned down and gently used her mouth to pick the pup up by the scruff of the neck.

You’re a bit too old to nurse, little one. Especially on a slugcat who doesn’t produce milk anymore. She thought as she got on all four paws and spent a moment stretching while Night chirped a couple times in confusion or calm complaint as she hung limp and swung back and forth in Arti’s gentle grip. Though Artificer’s first instinct was to lay back down, pull the pup close, and cuddle, she did not want to risk making her sick, so she slowly started to walk over to the den, where a certain red slugcat drowsily sat up, probably awoken by his pup chirping. Artificer made a trilling noise to get his attention, and Hunter turned to see the pup getting carried over. With slight confusion, he held his paws out, and she handed Night over to the red slugcat. Not that Night seemed to argue much about getting put into another’s warm paws, as she purred and tried to cuddle closer to him. Hunter sighed and hugged the pup close as she purred before looking up at Artificer with a tired smile.

“‘Morning, Arti.” He mumbled as Survivor, who was still sleeping, grunted and wrapped an arm around Hunter to pull him back to bed.

“Good morning.” Arti responded, amusedly watching as the red slugcat spent a short moment trying to wriggle out of his mate’s grip.

The red slugcat could obviously easily break out of the hold; as strong as Survivor was, Hunter was no match for the white slugcat. Obviously, he did not want to wake up his mate. Even if he tried to put on a show of struggling, Artificer and everyone else in the colony knew he would not hesitate to give his life for any of his friends or family. Though the red slugcat seemed violent and dangerous to anyone meeting him for the first time, Hunter was a sweetheart and fiercely loyal to anyone he considered a friend. So, after ‘struggling’ a bit longer, he eventually huffed and let his mate pull him back into the cuddling pile with a purr. Though he tried to look annoyed about it, Artificer did not miss the tiny smile on Hunter’s face as he joined in his mate’s purring. His eyes wandered as he laid back down, looking at Arti for a short moment before his gaze fell upon her blanket, separated from the others.

Hunter looked back and forth between the bedding and the maroon slugcat a few times before smirking slightly. “What, are there problems in paradise? Did Fixer kick you from the cuddle pile and condemn you to the floor?”

He chuckled as Artificer rolled her eye and huffed in amusement, crossing her arms with a smirk of her own. “For your information, Mr. Nosy, I was actually feeling a bit ill, so I moved away from the rest of you guys to not risk making anyone else sick.” 

It was meant to be a joke, but Hunter actually looked a bit guilty and concerned as he dropped his smirk. “Oh, shit. Are you feeling better now?”

Artificer huffed and gave him a light tap on the nose with her tail. “No need to act like I’m dying, young man! I’ve dealt with a million times worse.”

“Okay, okay! No need to get violent…” He muttered, rubbing a paw on his nose as if she had punched him, but she saw the fond look in his eyes. “In what way are you feeling ill anyway?”

“Well, I’m feeling a bit nauseous…” Artificer trailed off in the middle of her explanation of her symptoms, realizing she actually no longer felt sick at all. “Um, nevermind. I was feeling nauseous.” Once again, she was reminded of her old cycles of carrying pups; the symptoms were lining up. You’re overthinking it…

Hunter chirped in confusion, a rare noise from him, as he tilted his head. “You’re feeling all good now, though?” The maroon slugcat nodded, and he smiled and gestured her over to the den. “Well, come back to rest and cuddle then!”

She barked a quiet laugh and shook her head. “Hunter, the cycle has started, you lazycat.”

“Do you see anyone else getting up?” Hunter asked with a grin, gesturing to Survivor, who was still holding onto the red slugcat and purring; Monk, who was resting back-to-back with his brother; and Fix, who looked a bit lonely with no cuddle buddy…

“You got me there, Hunt.” Artificer sighed and stepped into the den, settling down with her mate, who instinctively wrapped his arm around her and nuzzled into her fur once again.

Despite his opinion of Fixer, Hunter sent them both a fond smile before closing his eyes and turning around to nuzzle against his mate, placing the sleeping pup in his arms between the two and giving her a few licks as they formed a protective circle around the little one. Such a softie. She thought with an amused grin before closing her eye with a purr, wrapping her paws around Fix’s arms, and falling back asleep immediately.

After everyone finally woke up, they gathered to eat some food for the cycle. Blue fruits, centipedes (ew), or roasted batflies for the slugcats with duller teeth. The slugcats that required meat and Fix got to eat dried or roasted lizard meat as well. Artificer immediately made note of Monk’s lack of appetite to go along with the dejected or detached expression he usually wore on his face. The poor kid was obviously taking the loss of his parents hard, but at least he had a solid support group. The maroon slugcat noticed Survivor and Hunter cracking more jokes than they usually would, some of which made the yellow slugcat crack small smiles or even let out a chuckle. They even managed to convince Monk to eat a bit of food as well.

It was after eating her dried lizard meat that she realized her feeling sick in the morning was not the only clue to something happening; despite her large meal, Artificer was still fairly hungry. On a normal cycle, what she had just consumed would have been enough to fill her for the whole rest of the cycle until bed, but now she felt it had barely been enough for half of it. Some cycles, she would have more of an appetite than usual, but it was never as extreme as what she was facing. Once again, she could draw parallels to when she was carrying pups. All of that food she had eaten, and yet she still felt like she needed more energy... It's almost as if my body has to share the nutrients with other creatures growing inside me. The maroon slugcat pressed a paw to her stomach again, wondering if she was imagining feeling a bit more plump than usual. Was it really biologically possible for her to be pregnant?

“Arti, are you okay?” She jumped as someone gently touched her shoulder, turning her head to see Fix staring at her worriedly. “Sorry. You seemed deep in thought.” He explained, tilting his head.

Artificer should have known her mate would notice something was up. Fix always did have an eye for details (probably a trait that came naturally since he was constantly tinkering with mechanical doodads), so of course he noticed she was acting differently. The maroon slugcat quickly tried to figure out what to say, figuring for a moment if she should pull him to the side and tell him she was pregnant. No! You don’t know if you are yet! Artificer was not only scared of the reaction she would get but also of her being completely wrong in her, honestly, sort of random and paranoid assumption!

What if Fix was not ready to be a father? Not everyone could be ready for such a commitment, especially considering he probably did not think it possible… Stop thinking like you are about to have pups! Snap out of it! Snap out of it! Snap. Out. Of. It.

What if she was wrong? What if he wanted to be a father? She would tell him he would become happy and get his hopes up, and then it would turn out she was wrong. ‘Oops! Guess I wasn’t pregnant, sorry!’ Yeah, that would probably go over really well...

It would not.

I know! I was being sarcastic!

Not only the pregnancy worries, she was also arguing with her own mind; Artificer was really losing it...

Was she even ready to be a mom again? The responsibility of parenting was not to be taken for granted, and she would no doubt be rusty. Sure, she could handle Night, but that was usually in small doses, and the whole colony pretty much took turns watching her. If she was pregnant, then who knew what kind of abilities the born slugpups or scavpups would have? Night could camoflague herself after all! Let's see, Artificer could generate explosions, and Fix was a scavenger, a very different creature compared to the humble slugcat. What would become of their pups then? Would it be cruel to let them into a world such as this? Would they be born with issues that limit their cycle-to-cycle life?

That does not matter; if I am pregnant, I will care for them as a mother should! I will not abandon them!

Will Fixer do the same?

... That she did not know.

He’s still waiting for a response, you know!

Alright, just say it how it is from your physical standpoint, then! You're just feeling more of an appetite than usual! After all, more evidence is needed before you can come to any sort of conclusion!

“I’m fine! Just... still sort of hungry.” The maroon slugcat turned away, sort of embarrassed about eating so much of the colony’s food.

Suddenly, another piece of dried meat wrapped in cloth was thrown into her lap. “Here, Arti!” Artificer looked up to see Hunter smiling at her. She didn’t know she had spoken loudly enough to be heard by the others in the tree. "You should have told us you were feeling hungrier this cycle from the start!” The red slugcat said with a wink before taking a huge bite of his first piece of meat. He’s only eaten one out of two, and you’re about to eat your third.

“Are you sure? It’s a bit too much food to eat in one cycle, isn’t it?” She asked unsurely. Did they even have enough meat to spare?

Survivor looked up from the pup in his lap to smile at her. “Don’t worry about it, Arti! If we run out of meat, we can just hunt for more.” The white slugcat said, before turning his attention back to Night and playfully tickling the pup.

“Yeah, plenty of predators in the area.” Monk’s quiet voice suddenly said, giving her a serious look. “None of us should go hungry; no shame in eating a bit more some cycles, Arti.” Despite his underlying sadness, the yellow slugcat still gave her a small, reassuring smile.

An arm wrapped around her shoulder as she leaned into a furred chest. “The cycles are too short to worry and plan for the future, my love.” Fix said, resting his head on hers. “Enjoy today; eat as much as you like, and we’ll handle any arising food issues in the future when they are pressing.”

Hunter barked a laugh. “Did not take you for a poet, scav!”

Fix huffed and seemed to put on some sort of posh dialect that the drone unfortunately did not pick up on as he turned his nose into the air and closed his eyes. “I’ll have you know, I enjoy poetry and artistic writing from time to time, unlike some barbarians in this tree.” 

The maroon slugcat did not need to look to know her mate was giving Hunter a smug smile as the red slugcat sputtered in faux-anger. The other slugcats sitting next to Hunter stifled laughter as he tried to recover from Fix's burn. “ Barbarian?! Scav, I’ll have you know-!”

Artificer tuned out the rest of their funny argumenting; the yelling from Fix and Hunter and the laughing from Monk, Survivor, and Night turned into comfortable background noise as she leaned further into her mate and purred, Fix tightening his hold on her shoulder. She unwrapped the meat and took a big bite, savoring the delicious flavor as she enjoyed the company of her family.

Yet another sign that worried her hit immediately after she’d consumed the meat, when she yawned loudly and suddenly felt very drowsy. It was so very unlike her; she usually had so much energy throughout the whole cycle, able to get so much work done without feeling any semblance of exhaustion. The maroon slugcat usually had so much energy she could barely fall asleep at night, though that might have just had to do with the fact her mind had a hard time winding down after a long cycle. She tried to stand and stretch her legs, maybe do some explosive backflips to wake up, but found she could not move. Artificer felt so comfortable tucked into her mate’s side. It was warm, safe, and...

I’m definitely pregnant. Was her last thought before her eye slipped shut and she immediately fell asleep.

Opening her eye, Artificer quickly realized she was no longer in the tree snuggled up to the warm body of her mate, together with her friends and family. Instead, she was in a place she recognized quite well from the ‘road trip’ she and Monk had gone through many cycles ago, before she had finally learned to move on from the loss of her pups. What used to be ‘the dark void’ where she met and argued with herself, or ‘The Red Death’, to give up their life of constant violence for vengeance, could now more appropriately be called ‘the bright void’ or something… 

What used to be enveloping darkness all around had instead turned into incredibly bright lights. Artificer presumed she would have been able to get a very good look into the very horizon of the place she was in, had it not been for the dense fog all around her. It was fairly annoying that, despite getting rid of darkness, she still could see next to nothing. However, what was annoying her even more was the simple fact that she was back in the godforsaken place at all! Artificer thought she had already moved on from all the shit that caused her mind to be stuck in the place anytime she slept at all.

With a hiss, the maroon slugcat slapped her tail onto the ground, generating a small explosion. “Alright, where are you?” Artificer yelled, glancing around the fog with her teeth bared. “I’m not in the mood for hide-and-seek; I know you’re out there. Show yourself, or I’ll go and get you myself!”

The sound of footsteps from behind made her turn around and drop onto all fours, puffing up the fur on her back as she hissed again. There they were, that same old clone of herself, walking out of the fog. Though the two had worked things out last time, ‘The Red Death’ (quite unfitting name at this point; she would have to think of something better) had still been covered in their scars, way more than she herself had ever had over her body, despite all of her combat. Now, as they revealed themselves more and more, Artificer noted that the scars were mostly faded, likely some presentation of moving on and healing from old wounds or something. The maroon slugcat huffed and made note that her mind seemed to have a flair for the dramatic.

“Easy, Arti. I come in peace.” Her clone said calmly, paws raised into the air as they finally walked fully out of the fog and into Artificer’s view. She spent a moment glancing around the area, scanning for any signs of weapons lying around that could be used against her. “We already came to the agreement to give up on violence for the sake of violence, did we not?” They asked with an easy smile, tilting their head.

Artificer huffed and straightened out, standing on two paws once again. “Well, my apologies for feeling a bit nervous over being back in this place!” She gestured at their surroundings with annoyed movements. “Which brings me to my first and only question to you, a clone created by my own mind: why am I back here?”

They lowered their paws and shrugged. “I don’t know, Arti. I’m just a figment of your imagination, after all.” Before the maroon slugcat could respond with insults or screaming, her clone continued. "Could it have something to do with the pregnancy panic?” They offered eventually.

A moment of stone-cold silence passed. “Fair point, I suppose.” She sighed, completely dropping her angry demeanor when it became clear her clone wasn’t going to try assaulting her with past mistakes or guilty thoughts. “Are you here to guide me, or something?”

The clone stepped over and gave her a pat on the shoulder, chuckling. “You make me sound like some sort of counselor.” They settled down on the floor in front of her, and Artificer followed, sinking down into a comfortable seated position.

“Well, you are, though, aren’t you?” The maroon slugcat asked curiously. “You’re part of my imagination, after all. So this is kind of like me putting my thoughts together, just very overdramatized?”

“Something like that.” They responded. “At least I am easier to communicate with when our minds aren’t clouded by thoughts of revenge and killing.” Imagination-Arti leaned back and looked up at the sky, which showed nothing but more bright light. “Everything feels so much lighter and kind when our mind is clear of such bullshit, does it not?”

Artificer looked up as well, seeing the vast sky above them, visible even through the fog. There was nothing really to look at, but it was calming to just be able to stare at something. “Yeah, it does.” She admitted with a whisper before snapping out of it with a shake of her head. “Nevermind that, though! How do we solve this pregnancy conundrum?”

Imagination-Arti looked down from the sky as well, staring at the maroon slugcat for a few moments. “Get a second opinion, I guess?”

Second opinion?! “Is that all we can come up with?” Artificer shouted angrily.

They tilted their head and chirped in confusion. “Is it not good enough?”

“I don’t think that solution is good for anything at all!” She responded, standing up in frustration. “Who would I even get the opinion from? None of the other slugcats in the colony have any experience of even witnessing a fellow slugcat carrying pups!” Artificer started to pace angrily in circles around her clone, who simply followed her with their gaze. “Neither Monk nor Hunter have ever seen it. Survivor might have witnessed his mother pregnant with his little brother, but he was no doubt an incredibly young pup when it occurred, so I doubt he actually remembers the event at all.” She growled in annoyance, sitting back down next to Imagination-Arti, who simply listened curiously. “I doubt Fixer has experience either, and I obviously can’t ask him.”

The clone tilted their head again. “ Why can’t you ask him?”

“What if I’m wrong about being pregnant?” Artificer asked, sudden fear invading her mind. “He’ll definitely hate me if I get his hopes up.

“You know he would understand.” The mind-slugcat in front of her responded, placing their paw on her shoulder again.

The maroon slugcat shook her head and looked down at the ground in shame. “I can't; I’m sorry.”

Artificer did not know why, but just the thought of bringing up being pregnant to her mate and asking for his opinion on the subject with no experience whatsoever made her feel scared. She was scared of how Fixer would react to it still; they had never even discussed the subject of him being a father.

She was terrified of him walking out on her and of being left alone to raise her pups once again.

Imagination-Arti patted her shoulder once and nodded. “Okay.” They retracted their paw and thought for a moment. “Maybe you could get a second opinion from someone who can no doubt tell you if you’re pregnant?”

It sounded a bit too good to be true. Artificer did not think she knew anyone close by who knew so much about slugcat pregnancy that they could immediately tell her if she was pregnant. “Who?” She asked, narrowing her eye at the clone, who seemed suddenly confident.

“A certain supercomputer that you often visit from time to time, perhaps?” They recommended with a smirk.

Five Pebbles…

“You mean ask for him to do his weird ‘scan’ thing on me to see if I have a pup growing inside my body?” Her clone nodded confidently. “His illness has progressed so far, though.” The thought made Artificer’s heart ache. Last time she and Hunter visited, they were forced to witness the iterator temporarily shutting down, his puppet collapsing to the floor and writhing for a moment, before lying completely still, not responding to any of the slugcats’ panicked calls. The duo had considered severing the umbilical attached to the iterator in desperation when he had ‘woken up’ and rebooted his systems again. “What if he can’t ‘scan’ anymore?” She asked sadly.

Artificer hoped they would be able to come across some way to easily help the poor iterator in the future and save him from his fate of imminent collapse. Sure, he might have been rude when they first met, but Five Pebbles had helped the slugcats more than he himself probably knew. He had saved Hunter’s life when the parasite inside him had almost killed the red slugcat despite dealing with the very same parasite inside his own can; he had given Monk and Arti directions to find the colony tree; and finally, he had apparently been cuddly and affectionate towards Night when Survivor brought the pup with him to Five Pebbles for a visit, if the white slugcat's words are to be believed. Not to mention, the iterator had made up cute little nicknames for all of them, even though he usually stuck to calling them ‘little creatures’ and only used them very sparingly at first, he used the nicknames way more often than he had before.

“It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?” Her clone responded with a confident smile.

“Well, you are part of my mind, so I guess that means I’ve already made my mind up, huh?”

“That’s the spirit!” The fog suddenly started to become even more dense than it already was, closing in on the two. Artificer looked around nervously, but her imagination-copy seemed perfectly calm as they smiled and waved at her. “We’ll keep in contact through your mind!” That was the last thing the maroon slugcat heard before the mist became too thick to see through.

She sat up with a soft gasp, observing the fact that she was wrapped in a blanket and placed back in the den. “Oh, Arti!” Artificer turned to the voice to see Monk walking towards her with a smile on his face. “Did you sleep well? You look a bit confused.” He asked worriedly as the maroon slugcat threw off the blanket and stood up.

“Don’t worry about me, kid.” She responded as she patted the yellow slugcat on the head in the way she knew he liked. Monk purred in response, leaning into her touch and closing his eyes. "I just had a bit of an… odd dream.”

One that told you exactly where to go next.

Indeed, it did!

I still can’t believe we didn’t bring Hunter with us.

Artificer rolled her eye as she slipped through a pipe and ended up in the tall room, showcasing some of the ‘karma levels’ in the form of murals. The only reason she even knew that was what the artwork on the walls was showcasing was because Monk had taught her the different symbols for violence, lust, companionship, et cetera. The first mural depicted gluttony, if she wasn’t mistaken.

“You’ve been complaining about me going alone the whole way up the side of Pebbles’ can, but we made it, didn’t we?” She responded as she climbed down to the next mural, depicting companionship. If anyone were watching and listening, they would probably think she was crazy and talking to herself. Well, she was talking to herself; she just wasn’t crazy.

She hoped.

 “Besides, it’s not like I need to always bring someone along. Any karma gates that won’t open can literally be unlocked by Sofanthiel.” Artificer added, gesturing to the drone at her side, which beeped once.

The maroon slugcat had found the name painted onto a wall just a cycle earlier while traveling towards the exterior of Five Pebbles' can, the paint job was probably a job made by local scavengers. There was a small depiction of a very odd-looking creature that looked like a slugcat with cyan and dark-blue fur right next to it, but Artificer did not think much of that. There was no way to tell how old the paint was—at least not to her; she wasn’t an expert. All she could tell was that it wasn’t super recent; the paint was dried into the wall after all. She liked the name; it rolled off the tongue well, and her drone seemed to like being named something as well, so she made it official!

Don’t be so confident just yet; we aren’t in his chamber yet. Artificer huffed in response; she was so close that she already started to feel that floaty feeling in her body, just a couple pipes away pretty much. Not to mention, we have to travel all the way back as well.

Artificer sighed as she stopped momentarily before passing down the next pole, looking around as if she were talking to a physical creature rather than to her own mind. “Traveling down the walls of the can is far, far easier than traveling up! I can practically manage it blindfolded.”

Whatever you say...

Grumbling, the maroon slugcat climbed down; the floaty feeling had not yet intensified to the point that she could let go of the pole and float down, not like it used to. Just another sign of Five Pebbles getting weaker, she supposed. Artificer looked up at the mural; she’d seen it many times before, yet she almost forgot what it showed before she actually looked up at it. With a blush, she looked away and instead started to head further down. As always, that was the mural for lust, most definitely...

She landed softly on the ground right in front of the final mural, looking up at the big art piece depicting one creature, probably an ‘ancient’, the builders of all around her, stabbing another. Unlike the other murals, the one she was standing in front of, depicting the sin of violence, was lit up well and barely shadowed. Artificer knew that it was the level of karma she was locked at, ever since she ‘completed’ her quest for revenge. No gate would open for her if she tried to travel through alone. It was only after Five Pebbles repaired Sofanthiel and Fixer tinkered around with it slightly that it could bring her through any gate. But she was not karmically balanced, despite her attempts at bettering herself.

Keep trying; you can’t do much more than your best, Arti.

That was true. When did she get so smart and philosophical? Climbing down to the final level before the long tunnel of floatiness, Artificer leapt towards the pipe in the floor with practiced ease, making use of her explosive jump to perfectly slip through. Jumping from wall to wall in the next room, she passed through the corridor swiftly as well, using her explosive jump from time to time to save time and avoid hitting her head by colliding with any of the small knobs sticking out of the floor and ceiling. Finally, she grabbed hold of the pole sticking out of the passage leading into Five Pebbles’ chamber and pulled herself through.

The floaty feeling stayed for a moment as she swam into the chamber, immediately spotting the pink iterator, who seemed to have heard her passing through the pipes and was already looking in her direction. “Ah, little citizen. Welcome.” Using her explosive jump, Artificer wasted no time leaping toward the iterator, wrapping him in a tight hug and purring. Though Five Pebbles froze up for a short moment, he eventually relaxed and hugged her back for a moment.

When they eventually detached from one another, Artificer felt the floatiness slowly disappear from her body as she sank down to the ground, gently landing on her hind paws. Five Pebbles took a short moment to use those weird iterator powers of his (those still worked, good sign) to keep the glowing karma flower in the middle of his chamber floating. Once the iterator had ensured the plant would not get harmed in any way, he used his umbilical to carefully move down to the floor as well, hovering slightly above the surface as he looked the maroon slugcat up and down.

“You look well, Ruffian.” He said with a small nod, obviously pleased with that fact, despite his usual attempts at sounding fairly uninterested. “Honestly, I did not expect you back so soon after you and your red friend did the usual ‘procedure’.” Despite the lack of facial expressions, Artificer could practically see the way the iterator winced at the thought. Five Pebbles glanced around for a short moment, looking at the pipe she had come out of for a while before turning back to her. “Where is little Savior anyway?”

For some reason she could not place, Artificer suddenly felt a bit nervous about asking the pink iterator for help, but she still said the command for Sofanthiel to translate her chirps and mewls into whatever language the iterator could understand, and Five Pebbles leaned in slightly in response, listening intently.

“I was hoping you would help me with a personal issue.” She started, waiting until after Softanthiel had given the full translation before continuing. “You know those scans you can run on biological creatures?”

Five Pebbles nodded as soon as the translation was complete. “The rudimentary examination I run on every creature that happens to walk too close to my can for the first time, you mean?” Artificer nodded. “What about it?”

“I would be very grateful to you if you could run one on me and bring the results up on one of the chamber walls.” Artificer knew it could be done; she had seen it happen several times before, with the iterator putting up a reading of the inner workings of herself, for example, complete with an interior view of what she had eaten that cycle. It was a bit spooky to witness, but it would show her what she wanted to know.

Five Pebbles looked eternally confused by the request. “Citizen, I have already done the examination on you many times over; I do not believe there is much else to see.” He explained. "Besides, I don't feel like wasting what little energy I have inside my can to run such a useless procedure. My apologies." She gave him her best pup-eyes, or well, eye, in response. The pink iterator crossed his arms. “That won’t work.” Artificer leaned in a bit closer, purring, and he retreated back slightly with the help of his umbilical. “I said it won’t work; knock it off.” Oh, yes, it will. She opened her eye even wider and chirped. Five Pebbles looked away for a moment before glancing back. The maroon slugcat would not give out, adding some mewling to the mix. After just a moment longer of the treatment, the iterator uncrossed his arms and threw them into the air. “Alright! I give up; I'll do the stupid 'scan'. Will you please stop your complaining, little beast?”

Artificer laughed and stopped treating the iterator to her pup-eye procedure. “I knew you’d have a change of heart!” She said as he started to perform the scan on her, a bunch of symbols and lines were projected on her body and on the wall behind her.

“Honestly, I have no idea what you expect me to find, Ruffian.” Five Pebbles mumbled, tilting his head at her. “Like I told you, I have had this examination performed so many times already.” With a flick of the wrist, an image of the maroon slugcat’s internal composition was brought up on his closest chamber wall. “As you can see, everything is as..." The iterator trailed off as he leaned closer and obviously spotted something that was out of the ordinary from the norm when he scanned her.

Artificer saw exactly what Five Pebbles did, and it confirmed all of the suspicions she had had up until that point. Inside her were two small embryos, too small for her to yet figure out what they would look like when all grown up, but that did not matter to her as much as what she was currently seeing.

She was pregnant!

She was going to have pups!

She was going to be a mother again!

Artificer supposed she already pretty much was a mother to the other slugcats of the colony, but she was soon going to be a mother related to her pups in blood like good old cycles.

So many emotions were going through Artificer at once. Relief, excitement, fear, sadness, and more.

Guess our instincts as mothers can still be relied on, then!

Above all else, she felt happiness over at least having figured out the mystery. Now came the harder part, which was figuring out how to handle the situation. “Well…” Five Pebbles said after a long while, almost looking as stunned as her as he turned to look at her. “I suppose I should... congratulate you?” The iterator seemed very out of his depth for once, and Artificer chuckled at seeing the smug supercomputer actually be completely at a loss and stumped for what to say next. “Who’s the lucky father?” He tried, tilting his head to the side as he usually did when asking a question he really found interesting.

Oh, this reveal is going to be fun. Artificer thought before responding. “You know that ‘smart scavenger’ I mentioned who helped me get the translation for the drone working?” She gestured to Sofanthiel and smiled.

Five Pebbles tilted his head in confusion. “Your mate... is a scavenger?” Artificer nodded, and the iterator lifted himself into the air and immediately started a classic Pebbles rant. “Little Ruffian, they are the very same creatures that you have spent a considerable amount of cycles slaughtering like animals! Ever since my overseers have witnessed your destruction, it has been made clear to me over and over that you despised the scavengers during those cycles!” He was working himself up quite a bit, it seemed, hovering down to the floor again and leaning closer to her, sparks flying off his puppet as he ranted. “Despite all that, not only have you had a complete change of heart and made a mate of one, you are also carrying their pups?”

“Yes.”

“I-I…” The iterator leaned back and slumped in confusion, settling his puppet body down on the ground as the fans on his puppet released a puff of steam. “I don’t understand you, citizen.”

Artificer laughed and crawled over, settling down on the iterator’s legs and curling up. “I don’t either.” 

He huffed in what seemed like frustration but still ran a paw through Artificer’s fur as she started to purr. If anyone were to look at the two from an outside perspective, it would probably look pretty funny considering Five Pebble’s puppet was fairly small. The maroon slugcat almost dwarfed him in size, completely covering the entire length of his legs as she laid down.

"I never much liked pups either, destructive, annoying, and loud. And here you go, creating more of them, little Ruffian." He tried to maintain some venom in his voice, but Artificer could hear some fondness slip through as Five Pebbles whispered his complaints.

Artificer chuckled, responding without opening her eyes or moving from the comfortable position she was in. “From what I heard, you have a soft spot for a certain black-furred slugpup.” She mumbled, nuzzling further into the iterator and failing to suppress another chuckle as Sofanthiel translated, and Five Pebbles froze for half a second before grumbling and going back to running a hand through the fur on her back.

“I knew I could not trust Pearl to keep a secret…” The iterator grumbled as Artificer closed her eyes, sleep sneaking up on her quickly due to the comfortable situation she was in.

Opening her eyes, Artificer was not shocked at all to find herself back in the bright void. Sitting up, she saw Imagination-Arti walking over to her. “That went well, did it not?” They asked, sitting down with her.

"It went way better than I thought it would, that’s for sure.” She responded with a smile.

The clone smiled back with an excited nod. “Now we just have to find a good moment to tell Fixer.” Artificer gulped and nodded back. She had sort of forgotten that he needed to be told at some point. “I say it should be done as quickly as possible, lest he find out himself when you start getting plump and producing milk. Him finding out that you hid it from him would make it more awkward than you just telling him the truth."

The maroon slugcat nodded once again. "I can't argue with that logic.”

The both of them leaned back and settled on their backs, looking up at the sky. “So, how do you think they will look?”

“I think they’ll be beautiful and cute, much like Sunshine and Hooligan.” The memory of her pups made her smile and laugh happily, and Imagination-Arti joined in.

“Of course. But do you think they’ll have scavenger horns and heads but slugpup bodies, or the other way around?” That was an interesting question, indeed. But it was one she could not respond to, so she simply shrugged and closed her eyes.

Artificer would find out eventually, either way.

Since finding out the truth, Artificer had wanted to reveal it immediately when she saw Fix next. Shame was, the next time she saw her mate, he had been beaten on by two elite scavengers. which in turn led to their whole colony being wrapped up in a bunch of other bullshit that she felt took priority over telling her mate she was pregnant with his pups. Not only had her mate been beaten, but it turned out they were about to be attacked by a bunch of scavs who wanted revenge for the cycles she spent killing them (no matter how long ago it was). So Artificer put it to the back of her mind, only remembering that it was something she had to do when she noticed she was gaining some weight, meaning the pups were growing.

It would be a while longer until they were born, but it still reminded her that despite the fact that she could put off telling her mate, she certainly could not put off the time pressure her pregnancy brought. The pups were going to keep growing until they were ready to be born, whether the timing of that birth was good or bad. She had found a few moments when she could have told Fix, while they were all alone on their way to meet Chieftain, for example. However, despite the seemingly perfect situation, she had put it off then as well, figuring it wasn’t a good time for one reason or another. Artificer did not want her mate to worry about it on top of everything else the group was forced to deal with. However, she always knew she would need to tell him sooner rather than later anyway.

Thus, it all brought her back to where she was at that very moment, in the perfect situation for finally telling her mate what she had been putting off for so long. Standing just outside the colony tree in the warm sun next to Fix, who was looking at her curiously, his head tilted. If Artificer glanced down one side of the field, she could still see Monk walking away. Following his huge lizard posse, Ruby was at his side like a massive bodyguard, keeping an eye on the still-feral lizards and ensuring they would not attack her owner. If she strained her ear, she could hear the laughter of Night inside the tree, likely happily playing around with Survivor using that odd dried lizard tail toy she saw.

I wonder if our pups will grow up to be as happy.

Fixer will make an amazing father; you know he will.

“Is something the matter, Arti?” Fix asked worriedly, pulling her out of her thoughts. The scavenger looked slightly worried, and Artificer had to spend a short moment recalling what she had just said.

“Um, there’s something important- I-I need to-” She mentally cursed herself. Why was she so nervous? It wasn’t at all like her! Her mate noticed something was wrong, worriedly looking her over as if she were injured or sick in some way. “I just- Ugh! Screw talking! Give me your hand.” Artificer reached a paw out towards the scavenger, who looked even more worried at the request, if anything. “Trust me, Fix.” She smiled, and he smiled back and placed his hand in her paw.

Slowly, she guided his hand towards her torso, eventually letting his palm rest against her stomach. Artificer could feel him lightly rub the slightly enlarged stomach for a short moment. “Arti, you know I’ll love you no matter how you look, right?” Fix responded with a big smile.

She laughed despite herself before shaking her head. “No, Fix. I have not gained this extra weight from eating.” Artificer hoped it would be enough to clue the scavenger in on the fact that the sudden plumpness was not from food, and judging by the way his eyes widened as he looked back up at her, she guessed it had done the trick.

“Arti, a-are you…?” Fix trailed off, looking down at her stomach, then up at her again, looking for affirmation.

Artificer took a deep breath. He had already figured it out on his own; all she had to do was really confirm it for him. She wrapped her other paw around his hand that was still rubbing her stomach, and he lifted his other hand to hold onto her other paw. It almost looked like he was holding on in suspense as the maroon slugcat purred and smiled at him.

“Yes, Fix. I’m pregnant.”

The scavenger’s eyes somehow widened even more as he gasped. “I’m going to be a...?” Fix’s voice was choked up and barely above a whisper, unshed tears reflecting in his eyes as he stared down at Artificer’s stomach again in shock and surprise.

“Yes, my love.” The maroon slugcat purred, lifting his hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “You’re going to be a father.”

Her mate gasped, looking down at her stomach again. “I-I, A-Arti, I…” The scavenger stuttered for a while before removing his hands from the maroon slugcat’s paws as Artificer suddenly felt herself being wrapped in a tight hug and picked off the ground. She mewled in surprise as her mate spun around in circles, laughing happily all the while. “Void, my love! I’m going to be a dad! I'm going to be a dad!” He yelled happily as she hugged him back just as tightly, nuzzling into him as he kept jumping around for a moment longer before settling down on the ground and leaning back so he could look at her. “But, how? I-I never even considered that it was… biologically possible for us to…” Tears of happiness were streaming down Fix’s face, his expression still stuck in a dopey smile, even despite his confusion, as he gently grabbed hold of Artificer’s face, tracing his thumb over the large scar covering her eye.

Artificer placed a paw on each of her mate’s shoulders and chuckled. “I thought so too, and yet..."

Fix chuckled as well, before sighing deeply as he looked into her eye. “It’s a miracle.” He whispered as he leaned closer and angled his head slightly, almost as if he were asking for permission.

The maroon slugcat practically lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her mate’s shoulders in a loving embrace as she smushed their faces together. His arms wrapped around her lower back, pulling her even closer to himself as they kissed. Fix’s body practically vibrated from the force of Artificer’s purr, and the slugcat guessed that if he had a way to purr himself, he definitely would be vibrating just as much as she was.

When they eventually separated from each other, Artificer rested her head against Fix’s chest, listening to his heart beat rapidly out of excitement, happiness, and probably some nervousness over being a father. That was fine; she had experience, and she knew, with experience or without, her mate would be there for their pups no matter what. She purred as the scavenger gently rubbed one of his hands over her stomach, still holding her close to him with his other as she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.

I could not have done a better job at revealing a pregnancy myself!

There was still so much to worry about in their near future; scavs that wanted them dead would be upon them soon, forcing them to fight for their tree and for their survival. However, no matter what awaited the two in the future, they had each other and the rest of their colony to rely upon.

No matter what, Arti had a strong feeling that they would all make it through.

She had a feeling that, in the end, everything would somehow work out and be okay.

Chapter Text

Collector didn’t see himself as an anxious person. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, now that he considered it in his head. He was anxious, stressed, and paranoid about pretty much everything. But the point was that he did not consider this to be a bad or unnecessary thing. After all, living in any of the regions around the area in this world they inhabited, you were always at risk. No matter where you were or what you were doing, there was always a risk of suffering a death cycle. Everything could hurt you, so it made sense that pretty much every creature that lived in the world they all inhabited was nervous, scared, and paranoid. He was a bit too much of all three, which was what others actually meant; he was just that little extra anxious. But can he really be blamed for that behavior?

The orange scavenger only had to consider his current situation, and his theory made sense. He was traveling through hostile territory at the risk of getting ambushed by other scavengers that he used to see as friends, or at least acquaintances. At his side was a stranger slugcat he knew next to nothing about, except his name was Hunter; he was covered in scars, and his default expression was a bitter scowl. Not exactly the best traveling buddy to help with my nervousness. He thought as he turned his head slightly to look at the slugcat, able to get a better look now that the two were walking side by side. He was tall for a slugcat, about the same height as The Red- Artificer, twirling the spear in his paw in boredom as they walked, head constantly on a swivel, mostly cheking behind the two and their blind spots on either side. Collector had nothing against Hunter; he had no reason to consider him dangerous or hostile, particularly. He supposed everyone had different ways to cope with the chaotic danger always all around. When faced with danger, Collector was fearful and extra careful, and Hunter was probably more of the aggressive and hostile type, he guessed.

Collector quickly turned his head to look back ahead when the red slugcat glanced over as he accidentally stared for too long. He stared at the side of collector’s head for a while before grumbling and looking back ahead. “So, where is this first ‘stash’ of yours, anyway?” Hunter chittered after a moment of silence. The slugcat’s chittering was surprisingly good for a slugcat, but it was still broken and choppy, making it hard for Collector to fully understand if he did not listen in.

“It should j-just be right ahead, right t-there.” Collector pointed at the other side of the area they were walking through, at the soil right next to the pipe leading out into another outside field or a cave.

The part of the region the two were in was choked with plants and ruins of old civilizations, a perfect spot for the two to stealthily move through and to hide collections of items that would not be found. However, it was also fairly easy to set up ambushes in the trees and bushes, so Collector’s paranoia and anxiety were even higher than usual. Though the idea that they were almost at the stash did ease the scavenger’s mind a little bit.

Hunter followed where he pointed and huffed. "What? I don’t see anything.” The slugcat grumbled, taking another look around as if Collector were leading him into a trap.

“I-It’s underground.” Collector clarified. Hunter’s ears suddenly twitched, and he stared at the pipe they were walking towards with narrowed eyes. “All we h-have to do is d-dig it up, a-and- WHA?!” His explanation was cut short, and his speech transformed into a confused yelp as Hunter grabbed hold of the fur on his back and pulled him into a ruined structure, showcasing surprising strength as he practically carried the scavenger up to the roof of the ruin and plopped him down on the hard surface.

He turned to get clarification on what the hell Hunter was doing, but the slugcat put a finger to his lips and laid down next to him, pointing another out toward where the two had been walking. Looking over, Collector realized that, like always, being paranoid and on edge had been a very good idea. Through the pipe, the two had been heading towards a group of at least five scavengers, an elite with an electric spear among them. Despite already lying on the ground, the orange scavenger nervously lowered himself as far into the surface below as possible, making himself as small as he could. Hunter, on the contrary, seemed to only keep the stealth for the sake of not drawing attention toward the others of his kind at the tree. The red slugcat was lying down and stealthy, but his body was tensed, and the spear in his paw was clutched in a grip so tight it practically shook along the ground, thankfully not jostling enough to make loud metallic noises and get them spotted.

Hunter must’ve heard the squad approaching them through the pipe; slugcat hearing seemed to be more impressive than scavenger hearing after all, no doubt probably helped by the fact that they could twist and rotate their ears to focus in on sound better than scavengers could. Collector thanked the void that Hunter had also been at least a bit attentive and spotted the danger before it arrived. Though the red slugcat obviously could handle himself in a fight, the orange scavenger did not see himself as such a successful warrior. He could take one, maybe two untrained scavengers if he were feeling confident, but it was more likely that he would fumble and miss his throws because of his nerves. Chieftain had told him a few times that he was strong in body and mind, but it was his jitters that often held him back the most. The elderly scav was the most wise scavenger Collector had ever had the pleasure of knowing, and he really hoped he was safe and that he would get to see him sometime in the future.

“I heard we’re hunting another scavenger as well?” One of the scavengers walking through the ruins right below them whispered to another, just loud enough for Collector to pick up on it.

“Yeah, that orange guy.” Another responded. “Collector, I think.” Hunter glanced over at Collector, who swallowed nervously.

The footsteps slowed down and came to a stop slightly behind and below Collector and Hunter. The scavengers were still standing inside the ruins, way too close for either of their comfort, judging by the red slugcat’s bared teeth and fidgeting of his spear. “Oh, the nervous wreck. Yeah, I know ‘im. I could have never thought he would side with the slugcats; I didn’t think he had the balls for such a move.” The scavenger almost sounded a bit impressed.

“Sure, it was brave, but ultimately stupid. He’s made his choice, and he’ll pay for it, him and Fixer.” Collector had to suppress the urge to growl at the mention of his friend.

Luckily, he did not need to suppress it for long, as footsteps were heard and a rougher voice suddenly became audible. “What are you two prattling about? We have no time to stand around.” It was probably the voice of the elite, considering the authorative tone. “Get back in line, now.”

“Yes, sir.” Both the scavengers said in unison, two pairs of footsteps audibly walking off and eventually fading out.

Collector wanted to sigh in relief, but then he realized the elite was still hanging around, and he wasn’t leaving. Hunter realized it too, and the two shared a confused look. Footsteps were heard suddenly, but they were heading further inside the ruined building rather than away, eventually ceasing right below them. Collector felt like his heart was going to explode out of his chest, but he held his breath out of fear that the elite would be able to hear him. A sudden knock right below where he lay almost made him jump out of his skin, and it took every ounce of the scavenger’s willpower not to scream as he covered his mouth with both his hands. Another couple knocks followed, the result of the elite using the handle of his spear to knock on the roof for some odd reason.

Does he know we’re here somehow? He thought, glancing over at Hunter, who seemed to be considering the same things, clutching his spear even closer to himself, his ears hyper-focused on where the elite was. If they were to get into a fight with the squad, the top priority would definitely be to try to wipe out the elite first. However, if he already somehow knew where they were and they did not have the element of surprise, then things were looking bad for the threatening slugcat and nervous scavenger combo.

Just when silence had reigned for a long time and it seemed as if they were about to be called out and spotted, a new voice broke the dead air. “Sir?”

It was loud and sudden enough that both Hunter and Collector jumped slightly, but thankfully silently, unlike the elite, who cursed under his breath in surprise. “What?”

The voice turned a bit more timid at the elite’s harsh tone. “The rest of us are waiting for you; is something wrong?” Another moment of silence followed before the elite finally grumbled and spoke up once again.

“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.” he muttered. The sound of metal being sheathed was heard, followed by a pair of footsteps walking off in the same direction as the other scavengers, quickly joined by another pair that both walked off and eventually faded away.

The two waited for a moment longer before Hunter slowly stood up, with Collector following closely behind. “Well, Collector. How do you feel about your new celebrity status within your old tribe?” the red slugcat asked with a smirk.

“N-Not too happy a-about it." Collector answered honestly as Hunter jumped off the ruined building, quickly followed by the orange scavenger.

The red slugcat laughed as they walked toward the spot where Collector had buried one of the weapon stashes. “You’ll get used to it, don’t worry.” 

Sounds fun. Collector thought as they walked over to stand next to the pipe, the orange scavenger crouching down and looking back and forth between the soil and the passage in the wall as Hunter watched with curiosity. If he remembered correctly, it was buried about one meter away from the wall. After making the adjustments in his head, Collector started to dig into the soft soil, making a small hole as Hunter eventually walked closer and crouched down to look down into the small pit the scavenger was digging. Finally, the satchel he had buried became visible, and Collector grabbed hold of the tough material and pulled it out triumphantly. It still looked intact and in good condition, and judging by the weight, the bombs he had stuffed the bag full with still lay inside.

“What’s in there, then?” Hunter asked, looking at the bag with interest that seemed unlike him for the (admittedly very short) time Collector had known him.

With a smile, the orange scavenger opened the flap of the satchel and turned it around, showing off the contents. A bunch of scavenger bombs were stuffed inside, almost to the point of overflow. Collector was thankful that the bombs could only go off by being thrown or hit hard with something, because if they were volatile enough to go off by a light strike against a hard surface, the scavenger would be incredibly nervous about holding them. It was of course a whole different story if he was to get into a fight wearing the bag, as a single normal spear piercing the bag could set off a chain reaction, and poof, no more Collector!

Hunter seemed impressed by the sheer number of bombs as he fished one out and studied it closely in the sunlight. “How did you get access to so many, scav?” he asked, putting it back in the satchel and giving Collector a fairly suspicious stare as the scavenger closed the flap and put the bag on, making sure the strap was tightened so the satchel was comfortable but also securely fastened to his shoulder.

“I have m-my ways.” he answered mysteriously, flashing a small grin while the red slugcat tilted his head.

After a moment’s silence, Hunter smirked and spoke up. “Did you steal them?”

How did he-?! Collector was shocked by the slugcat’s ability to immediately just guess correctly; he was not ready to be confronted with the truth immediately and nervously started to try to lie. “W-Well, I wouldn’t e-exactly call it stealing, p-per se. More, um, c-collecting and keeping s-safe for a bad d-day!” Collector winced, and Hunter’s smirk only grew; he obviously did not believe the scavenger’s horrible lie.

“That’s so many bombs, though!” the slugcat exclaimed, gesturing towards the bulky and slightly heavy satchel. “I find it hard to believe a nervous wreck like you could get away with stealing so much weaponry under the other scav’s noses, especially considering you are obviously a terrible liar.” Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled.

Collector huffed, actually slightly insulted by the slugcat referring to him as ‘terrible liar’, he was simply caught off-guard, that was all! “Like I s-said, I h-have my ways!” Hunter nodded with another chuckle, clearly not believing him at all. “Do y-you think you could k-keep it a secret, Hunter? I don’t w-want the others to k-know…” The scavenger asked after a while, not believing the slugcat would not tell the others everything, but trying to ask anyway did not hurt.

Hunter spent a moment looking Collector over before uncrossing his arm with an amused huff. “If your next stash has more useful stuff like this one, I’ll consider it!” he exclaimed with a grin, looking around the area. “Speaking of, let’s keep moving. I don’t like staying in the same place for too long.

Collector could definitely agree with that point! Especially since a squad of scavengers just walked by. “A-Agreed, follow me.” he said, gesturing for Hunter to follow as he started to move toward the next stash, containing various spears if he remembered correctly.

As the two came up on the next stash, located inside a room that used to be a sort of courtyard area, judging by the very large open space and the high fence far off in the distance, partly broken apart by the passage of time. Collector quickly started to regret his choice to hide some of his weapons in the area they were walking through, not because the stash was not incredibly well hidden but because it was all too close to enemy territory. Not only close to the swamp-like area with the railcars, but also near the new tribe location that was neighbors with the tree. Collector was glancing around at their surroundings with every step, pulling a spear out to be nervously ready to parry any projectile that he felt might fly for his face at any moment.

Hunter seemed to share the same idea—head on a swivel, just like the last stash, but almost even more so. “You could not have chosen a spot that wasn’t located in between all our enemies." He mumbled, looking at the scavenger with a sneer on his face. It was almost like he had read Collector’s mind or something.

“S-Sorry for not being aware that this would turn into a z-zone filled with my former friends trying to k-kill us!” He apologized sarcastically.

Hunter huffed and rolled his eyes, going back to looking around for any signs of nearby threats. “Whatever. Where’s the next stash?” he inquired, his tail whipping behind him as he walked.

Collector stopped glancing around and looked ahead, quickly spotting the small water pool that was only a couple meters away from them. “R-Right ahead," he answered, nodding his head towards the water. “In the water.”

The red slugcat said nothing and only looked at him oddly as they kept walking, eventually coming to a full stop right in front of the aqua blue surface and peering down. The bottom was surprisingly dark, but Collector remembered exactly where he had put the bag containing the spears, so the darkness would hopefully not be a problem to either one of them. He hoped, at least. He could at least tell that water had not breached the bag, lest the electrical spears electrify the water, making it impossible to move through.

Unless, of course, the bag has already taken in water and the spears have simply stopped sparking at this point. Collector thought. Well, that was possible, but in some situations, he felt it was better to try to stay optimistic about the current situation. Even if that was usually not his deal, his deal was usually to be the one who pessimistically questioned every plan the others had and tried to come up with easier, more safe solutions. In the dire situation Collector had stumbled into, however, there was a need for more optimism and happiness.

“Are you crazy?” the slugcat at his side asked, not taking his eyes off the dark void deep below the surface. Besides, it seemed there was more than enough pessimism from the slugcat he was traveling with…

Collector threw him a quick glance before looking back into the deep blue. “No.” The scavenger pointed a finger to the exact point where he had stashed it. “It’s s-stuffed down there, at the bottom, in a c-corner no one would think to look, and where n-no one would accidentally swim d-down to get it," he explained, finding it to be a pretty smart hiding spot himself.

Hunter definitely did not seem to agree. “Are you an idiot?” Collector turned to look at the slugcat with a frown, opening his mouth to respond. “Don’t answer that; it’s rhetorical.” The scavenger closed his mouth as Hunter continued. “First off, if this is the stash with the electrified spears, how do we dive down without getting electrocuted in the water?” he asked, holding up a finger. “Secondly, how do we dive all the way down, pick up the payload, and then swim all the way up without drowning?” Hunter finished, holding up a second finger and wiggling the two in Collector’s face with a condescending smirk on his face.

Indeed, it was almost like Hunter took some pleasure in putting the scavenger on the spot. Collector had not missed all the times that Hunter had sent him suspicious glances or kept an extra close eye on him every time he pulled out a spear, almost like he was a bit afraid that he would suddenly lunge for the slugcat. The scavenger understood the concern; if it weren’t for the fact that Fixer explicitly seemed to trust Hunter, Collector would have been incredibly nervous around him as well.

Well, he sort of still was, but that was just his anxiety speaking, he guessed. “M-May I speak n-now?” Collector huffed. When Hunter nodded, he cleared his throat. “F-First, I have wrapped the e-electrical spears in tight bundles of c-cloth, they should not electrify the water. I have e-ensured to water-proof t-the bag myself.” Hunter crossed his arms and tilted his head, but did not interrupt. “Second, t-there is a pipe at the b-bottom that leads upward and away f-from the water into a dry a-area. From there, w-we can get back on track.” He finished, taking a small moment to consider if he forgot anything, but nodding to himself when he came to the conclusion, he said all that needed to be said.

Hunter hummed, looking down into the water again for a short moment before looking back at Collector with a frown. “Wait, what do you mean ‘we’?” He asked, seeming very unhappy with the idea of having to go into the water.

 “W-Well, won’t it be easier for you to get around i-if you stick with the one who knows w-where the stashes are?” Collector challenged with a tilt of his head.

The red slugcat growled, his tail slapping the ground behind him as he sent Collector a glare. “Fair point," he eventually conceded, sending the water a glare as well as if it had wronged him.

With all of that settled, Collector figured it was a good time to start planning how they would go about diving down, collecting the stuff, and entering the pipe in the easiest way possible. First things first, he would need to properly remember precisely where the bag was stashed. It wasn’t enough to just know it was in a corner; once the two of them were underwater and searching at the bottom, they needed to find it quickly. None of them were built for swimming underwater anyway; he was fairly sure no scavenger or slugcat existed that could swim effectively, at least not as effectively as he was considering.

Collector leaned in slightly, narrowing his eyes to try to see the bottom. Though the darkness made it look like the water was impressively deep, it really wasn’t too bad, and when he looked closer, he could just barely see the bottom. Through the darkness, the scavenger spotted a pearl that marked the spot. It was not as bright or polished as other pearls; otherwise, it would be too obvious; it was more of a dark gray. It could be spotted, but one needed to know where to look.

He leaned back with a smile. He knew exactly where to dive down and swim; all that was left was to do it. “Alright, y-you ready?” Collector asked, turning to Hunter, who actually seemed a bit nervous about diving.

“If we must," the slugcat responded simply, his tail wrapping around one of his legs in some sort of attempt at comfort.

“J-Just follow me closely; I’ll lead the w-way.” Hunter nodded, getting ready to dive in after the scavenger.

After taking a deep breath and hyping himself up, Collector, with a small running start, jumped off the edge they were standing on and broke the surface with a dive down into the blue. The water around him was cold, and he almost had to will his arms to move through the fluid. Taking broad strokes while kicking his legs behind him, Collector started to make steady progress toward the bottom. He heard the muffled sound of a splash above him and glanced back to see Hunter swimming to catch up with him. His technique was fairly good, if a bit panicky, though Collector could not properly gauge the slugcat’s expression with his blurry underwater vision.

It is probably a better idea to focus on the current task instead. Collector presumed to himself, turning his head back to make sure he swam correctly. As the two reached the lower depths of the water pool, the scavenger sort of understood why Hunter might’ve rather stayed at the top and watched him get the stash. It was a creepy experience, and it did not feel better when Collector’s mind started to play tricks on him involving the seaweed that stretched out of the depths. They sort of looked like tentacles, did they not? Or like they were alive and reaching out for them both, eager to grab onto them and pull them underground into their den to be consumed, just like those scary living kelp plants Collector had seen several times. He had never been grabbed by one, which only made them more creepy. What the hell did they even do to you when they pulled you underground? Probably consume, actually. But was it slow or quick, and painless? Was it horrific to see your death approaching, or did you not even realize until it was too late?

It’s just seaweed; stop scaring yourself. Collector told himself, feeling a slight bit comforted by his own thoughts, at least. Luckily, there were no green leeches that were usually local to the area, and the scavenger thanked his past self for making sure to pick a spot that was fairly safe when it came to hostile creatures. Glancing back again, Collector could only just see Hunter still following closely behind him through the darkness and blurriness. Turning to his left, the scavenger was incredibly relieved to spot the pipe the two could go through near the bottom.

That’s right, the bottom! They had arrived at the bottom, at last! Quickly, Collector spotted the pearl and swam over. Within a short moment, he spotted one of the straps of the bag sticking out of a small hollow in the rock where the pearl was placed. Bingo! The scavenger wasted no time in grabbing hold of what little of the bag was sticking out and pulling backwards. Suddenly, there was the muffled sound of shifting stone, and Collector had to suppress the urge to gasp in surprise as a mini rockslide occurred right above the cavity where the bag rested. He tried to pull again, but there was no give; the bag would not move. Using his legs for leverage by placing his feet on the sides of the dugout, Collector tried again, pulling so hard he almost felt the strap tear off the bag.

Just as Collector was about to start panicking about how the hell they would get the bag loose, a vague red-colored shape swam over to the rocks and studied the situation hurriedly. The scavenger had not considered the fact, but Hunter’s panicked and fast movements as he started to move rocks with surprising efficiency and speed to allow him to pull the stash free reminded Collector that he needed air soon. His lungs were starting to feel uncomfortable, and at any moment, they would start burning. Eventually, his body would instinctually take a breath, inhaling a lot of water into his lungs. He shuddered and started to pull on the pack once again; drowning was a terrible death to suffer, and he would rather avoid it.

Thankfully, Hunter’s attempts at freeing the bag had worked wonders, and the heavy bag was finally pulled through the hollow it had been stuffed into. Collector quickly gestured for the red slugcat to follow before turning around and swimming as fast as he could toward the pipe, feeling the urge to inhale become greater and greater. Despite being so close to the pipe, it felt agonizingly slow to reach. Collector did not know if it was because of his rising panic messing up his swim pattern, the heavy bag he was lugging along, or if he was just imagining it. He felt Hunter’s paw at his back, pushing him forward and giving him the slight boost he needed to finally reach the pipe. Collector practically threw himself through the passage, following the tunnel until he finally moved up into an air pocket, allowing him to take a large gasp of air.

Soon he went down again and swiftly popped out of the pipe’s other side, free-falling. With a yelp, Collector quickly grabbed onto one of the nearby horizontal poles, pulling himself up with his free hand and crouching down on top of the beam, somehow keeping his balance despite the heavy bag in his other hand. Hearing his traveling companion crawling through the pipe, the scavenger quickly shimmied over slightly, just in time for Hunter to pop through and land perfectly on the beam next to him. They spent a short moment in silence, just focusing on drawing breath and recovering from the ordeal. The red slugcat’s fur was soggy, making him look skinnier than he usually did. Hunter was obviously not happy about being wet and tried to shake most of the moisture out of his fur, getting some drops of water on Collector instead. Once he had gotten a lot of the water out, the slugcat started to run his tongue through some parts of his soggy fur in some attempt at cleaning himself. It seemed a bit odd to Collector; they had just taken a bath. Did Hunter not feel clean enough after that? After a moment, the red slugcat seemed to remember the scavenger was right next to him and stopped with his self-cleaning process.

Hunter reached a paw out toward Collector. “Give it here," he grumbled, still panting with slight exhaustion. The scavenger found no point in arguing against him, especially not when he was in a bad mood. With a nod he handed the pack to the slugcat, who undid all the securing fixings keeping the bag closed and finally opened the top flap of the fairly tall bag. “Hm, nice stuff.” Hunter commented, pulling up an electric spear that was covered in thick cloth. The buzz of electricity was easily heard even through the material. He handed the bag back to Collector, and undid the cloth wrapping, studying the spear for a moment but handling it carefully to not accidentally zap himself. "I've never had the pleasure of wielding one of these.” After studying it for a bit longer, he eventually wrapped it back up and put it back in the bag that Collector held open for him. “I have to say, Collector. Your stashes don’t disappoint.” It was hardly said in a nice voice, but from the grumpy slugcat, Collector supposed it would still be considered some kind of compliment.

"Thanks," he answered. Hunter simply nodded in response, gently took the bag out of his hands, and strapped it onto his back. “A-And thank you, f-for the help b-back there, I mean…”

The slugcat spent a moment adjusting the straps to ensure the bag sat well on his shorter body. When satisfied, he nodded to himself. "Well, I didn’t see much of a point in letting you struggle for too long; it would've looked even more pathetic than it already did.” He shrugged with a chuckle. Wow, rude. Collector sent him a glare, which only made him laugh a bit harder. “I’m just pulling your leg, scav!” Hunter snorted, looking around the room the two had entered. “Anyway, isn’t it about time to head back now? We got some good weaponry; all this stuff is sure to really help out.”

Collector was going to respond affirmatively and start to lead the way back, but then he remembered that there was one more weapon he had stashed nearby. The BFB, as the scavenger liked to call it, the “Big Fucking Bomb,” to be precise!

“There’s o-one more stop we need t-to make!” he said excitedly as he started to lead the way down.

Hunter made a confused noise behind him, and Collector heard him rush to follow. “You sure? We should head back as fast as possible, don’t you think?”

“T-Trust me, you’ll love this l-last stash!” Collector stopped and looked back with a smirk, and the red slugcat narrowed his eyes for a short moment before sighing and nodding.

“Very well. Lead the way, Collector.”

The final stash Collector wanted to lead Hunter towards was way closer to the slugcat colony and further away from the dark, swampy part of the region. Logically, there would not be as much danger of meeting hostile scavengers, which was a relief to the scavenger. The other stashes had been mostly in the back of Collector’s mind when he led Hunter around to find them; he remembered their general location, and then when he got closer and got a look at the area, he remembered the exact location. For the last stash they were heading for, Collector always had it fresh in his mind. He had made sure to keep in mind exactly where the powerful bomb had been stored, and he had come back to the place to check on it a couple of times to ensure no one had found, or worse, accidentally set it off.

Thankfully, it became clear it had not exploded as soon as the two passed through the pipe into the area where Collector had it hidden. It was a small plain with some suspended platforms, an open sky above, popcorn plants, and several poles that led into the sky. Collector rushed for the beam that stretched from the middle of the field up into the air; he knew it was partly hollowed out, allowing for things to be hidden inside. The scavenger had found the fact by accident while scouting the place for the first time. After an annoying cicada tried to bump him off the beam he was holding onto, he just so happened to peer down into its top and realize there was a hole inside. It was not as deep as the thick beam was tall, but deep enough to hide stuff in.

Thinking of cicadas, isn’t there supposed to be a colony of them here? Collector thought, taking a look around the eerily empty and silent field. It appeared that there were none to be found. Had they perhaps moved to some other place due to the peak in scavenger activity?

“What are we standing around for?” Hunter asked as he walked up to the scavenger, looking around in clear paranoia. The slugcat must’ve noticed the place was eerily silent as well, and his ears twisted and turned as usual when he was searching for some sign of hostile activity.

Collector listened in for a short moment as well, as the two came to a standstill right next to the beam where the BFB was hidden. His ears were not as sensitive as Hunter’s, so if there was something to be heard, the slugcat would most definitely notice before he did. Still, he listened and noticed just how silent everything truly was. The two stayed in place for quite a while, spears ready just in case something were to happen. However, despite waiting around for a long time...

Nothing came.

Collector eventually snapped out of it, shaking his head with a huff as he turned to the pole to start climbing. “N-Nevermind, I’m just a b-bit paranoid-” he said, interrupted by the sudden crack of a dry twig breaking underneath someone’s foot. The sound, which would have normally been quiet, was eerily loud in the pair’s paranoid silence.

Before either Hunter or Collector could utter another word, a sudden spear flew through the air, heading toward the red slugcat at his side. The metallic clang of metal meeting metal sounded as Hunter parried the projectile with his own spear by throwing it to meet the enemy’s. Quickly, he pulled another spear off his back and moved into a combat stance with a snarl. Scavengers suddenly rushed out from all around the two—at least five. Collector quickly counted before he was forced to dodge a thrown spear from one of the two coming up on his side. He heard Hunter rush off behind him with a primal scream, probably to fight the three that were closest to him. The orange scavenger had really hoped he would not have to fight, but it seemed he had no real choice in the matter at that point. The two scavengers he was facing did not seem like the negotiable sort, with one of them pointing their spear towards him and the other pulling another to throw off their back. By the way they held their weapons, it was clear they were experienced warriors.

I can’t fight two at once! Collector thought, nervously moving into a clumsy combat stance and raising his spear. Especially not with only one spear at my disposal. Not to mention, he had a satchel full of explosives hanging by his hip, if they were hit by a spear... It would cause a really big boom.

Then again, maybe a big boom was exactly what Collector needed! With a plan quickly forming in his head, he threw the spear in the general direction of the two scavengers. They dodged it, no surprise, but it did distract them long enough for Collector to open the flap on the bag and wrap his hand around a bomb. Before either one of his enemies could react, the orange scavenger pulled his arm back and threw the explosive as hard as he could, aiming for the one closest to him. The enemy only had time to widen their eyes before the bomb connected with their torso. With a loud boom that left Collector’s ears ringing, one of the scavengers was blown to kingdom come. He ignored the cold feeling of dread in his stomach when he realized he had just killed one of his own, instead focusing on the one that was still left. Though dazed by the explosion, the other scavenger wasted no time in taking aim with the spear in their hand, and throwing it at him with a snarl. Their aim was off, much to Collector’s relief, as he only had to twist his body slightly to avoid the projectile. It landed just one meter behind him, embedded in the ground at a slight downward angle.

Wasting no time, the orange scavenger rushed to pull the weapon free with shaking hands, getting it loose just in time to glance up and catch some of Hunter’s combat. It was frightening. Collector could see on the slugcat's scar-marred body that he had experience, but he had no idea just how dangerous he really was until that moment. One of the scavengers was already dead; the spear in their chest was the likely culprit. Another was lying down further away, seemingly wounded in some way, the elite was the only scav that was standing and healthy to go. The red slugcat in question was in close quarters combat with the elite, trading blows with spears, claws, and fists. Collector did not know of many, especially not slugcats, that could go toe-to-toe with an elite close-up and win. However, while the elite was bleeding from several scratches and even seemed to have a large wound over their eye, Hunter did not have a scratch on him, almost dancing around the elite’s stabs, punches, kicks, and sweeps with practiced ease.

The third scavenger finally rose to stand up behind Hunter, holding a hand to a wound in their leg, likely caused by the slugcat. They raised a spear, ready to throw it right at him. Collector opened his mouth to try to warn his ally when Hunter’s ear twitched, and he twisted around swiftly, throwing the spear in his paw right through the scavenger’s head. Before the body had even hit the ground, the slugcat had already turned back to the elite, blocking a stab for his head with his paws by gripping the handle just above the sharp tip. With another enraged cry, Hunter used his hold on the weapon to push the other end of the spear into the elite’s chest. Once again, Collector could not help but be impressed by the slugcat’s strength as he pulled the weapon back, effortlessly taking it from his dazed and surprised enemy. Fast as lightning, Hunter turned the weapon around to hold it properly and pounced on the elite, pushing them down to the ground and pinning them down.

Footsteps and a chittered scream from right behind Collector reminded him that he had foolishly not finished his fight, and he instinctively twisted to the side and threw himself backward. The orange scavenger got front-row tickets to the scavenger thrusting their spear right at the spot he used to stand, and time almost seemed to move slower as Collector aimed his spear towards his enemy, who only then seemed to realize their mistake. With a short yell of his own, he thrust his spear forward, piercing the scavenger in their side. They yelled out in pain, dropping to their knees as Collector pulled the weapon free. He scowled and prepared to go for a finishing blow when the loud clang of their spear hitting the ground reached his ears.

“I YIELD!” She chittered panickedly. A coughing fit hit her, and Collector could see small droplets of blood splatter onto the ground before she turned to him with fearful eyes, hands raised in the air as blood stained her chin. “Please, no more. I yield…” The scavenger whispered, bowing her head in submission.

A part of Collector wanted to strike out against his enemy, thrust the spear in his hands forward through her throat, and finish the job. However, the thought of finishing an enemy that had been beaten disgusted him. With a sigh, the orange scavenger lowered his weapon as the scavenger’s eyes showed immense relief, even through their obvious pain.

“Thank you.” The scavenger said, pushing a hand to their wound as another coughing fit hit them.

Coughing blood is a sign of inner bleeding. Collector was worried he might have pierced her lung; if he had, then him sparing her life would not matter much; she was probably dead anyway. Still, the pain of the cycle afterwards would be lessened because of her one sustained wound, so it would not be too bad.

“HOW DID YOU KNOW WHERE TO AMBUSH US?” A scream made both scavengers flinch and turn toward the rough voice Collector recognized well.

Hunter was holding the elite close, his nose practically touching their mask. The enemy groaned in response. Judging by the blood they were covered in, Collector presumed the elite was probably too injured to even muster the energy to say anything. The red slugcat either did not notice the fact or simply ignored it as he sunk his clawed paw into a particularly large wound in the scavenger’s stomach. The elite howled in agony as Hunter dug around deep, probably to the point of tearing apart the poor scavenger’s intestines. Collector gasped at the brutality displayed in front of him and took a frightened step back, feeling sick to his stomach.

Collector knew the scavengers attacked them and that they started the fighting, but the violence Hunter was displaying was unnecessary. Besides, it did not seem much like an ambush to the orange scavengers, more likely they were simply in the area and heard the two approaching. They weren't exactly being sneaky, after all...

The sneer upon Hunter's face as he brutalized the elite, it sort of reminded Collector of the old cycles, when the scavengers had to face off against The Red Death.

Hunter growled, twisting his paw to force another strangled scream out of the dying elite. “TALK, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

The scavenger at Collector’s side looked terrified, almost like she had seen The Red Death waltz in herself, practically trembling in fear as she looked upon the violence occurring in front of them. The elite that Hunter was interrogating was obviously fading fast, their eyes rolling into the back of their head as they gasped, barely even reacting to any of the damage Hunter was inflicting on them anymore.

“H-Hunter! They’ve had enough!” Collector said, finally stepping in to stop the brutality. The orange scavenger quickly regretted saying anything when Hunter pulled his paw free and turned his head to look at him. His eyes were wide and crazed, and his sharp teeth bared as he growled loudly.

The red slugcat, which had turned even redder with the blood that was mixed into his fur, turned back to the elite, noting the fact that the scavenger had gone completely limp and silent. With a grunt, Hunter released the body, letting it limply fall to the ground. He pulled a spear from the ground and stashed it on the spearholder on his back before picking up another and turning to the two last scavengers. Hunter was still growling and did not look all too relieved that Collector was safe as he looked between the two scavengers.

Slowly, he lifted his spear and pointed at the scavenger who was kneeling on the ground, severely injured. “Why is that one still alive?” Hunter growled, looking over at Collector, waiting for a response.

Collector was taken slightly off guard by the sudden question but still cleared his throat and answered quickly. “She is b-beaten! There is no r-reason to kill her now.” He tried to explain to the bloodthirsty slugcat.

Hunter did not seem to buy it, shaking his head slowly. “She’ll tell the others this cycle if we let her go. Killing her will at least buy us a bit more time before she can warn the others.”

The wounded scavenger coughed again, forcing her injured body to speak. “I-I won’t tell a soul! P-Promise!”

“Quiet.” Hunter snarled, glaring at the wounded scav for a short moment before turning back to Collector again. “Collector, she cannot leave this place alive. You know that, right?” His tone was way more calm suddenly, if it was an attempt at calming Collector down, it was not working; in fact, it had the opposite effect!

She’s injured; she won’t make it anyway. Collector’s brain supplied. Still, it did not make it right! Weren’t they supposed to be the good guys or something? Only defend themselves? Not perform executions, surely! “Hunter, w-we’ve already scared the s-shit out of her!” He tried again, shuddering slightly when the slugcat’s gaze darkened. “She w-won’t tell anyone; she f-fears us too b-badly!” He turned to the injured scavenger, who was desperately nodding along.

“T-That’s right! I swear on my life, I-”

THUNK

Collector jumped back in shock and surprise, the stranger’s pleas interrupted by wet gurgling as a spear suddenly made its home in the front of her throat, the sharp tip sticking out the other side of her neck as she desperately lifted her hands and wrapped them around the weapon handle. The orange scavenger’s gaze was locked on the stranger as she fell back, writhing on the ground as blood started to pool underneath her.

A laugh was heard on Collector’s right side. “On your life, indeed.” The sound of another spear being pulled from its place on Hunter’s back barely reached Collector’s ears as he took a frightened step away from the twitching body.

“H-Hunter, you…” Collector trailed off, unable to finish any sort of sentence. It wasn't like he would have had the chance to do so anyway.

Everything the orange scavenger wanted to say, everything he wanted to consider or think about, was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream that seemed to approach him quickly. Collector only had just enough time to turn his body towards Hunter and widen his eyes in shock before he was tackled to the ground much like the elite, the impact knocking all the air out of his lungs. Collector coughed and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to get his breathing back under control. Before he could even have a chance to recover, however, he felt the sharp tip of a spear pointed towards his throat, and his eyes widened in shock.

Hunter was looking down on him, straddling on his torso with his weapon pointed right at Collector’s windpipe. The pressure on the weapon was just enough for the orange scavenger to truly feel the sharp point, but not for the flesh to get pierced through. Swallowing nervously, Collector raised his hands placantly. He trembled in fear as Hunter snarled and bared his teeth again, looking seriously pissed off.

“Are you trying to kill me, Collector?” The red slugcat asked, tilting his head. Collector opened his mouth to respond but cut himself off with a gasp when the spear pushed down slightly. Warmth streamed down the rest of his neck as his skin was grazed by the weapon, before the pressure was alleviated slightly again. “Don’t answer that; it's a rhetorical question.” Hunter said with a grin. “Boy, that ambush really did not work out, did it?” The enraged slugcat laughed loudly as Collector whimpered in fear. “Go on, try to deny it." Hunter’s expression turned deathly serious again as he carefully adjusted his hold on the weapon that threatened Collector’s life.

Collector considered the events leading up to the current predicament he was in, especially the moment he convinced Hunter to come along for ‘one more stash’, the way he showed excitement when rushing into the area before they were ambushed, and his refusal to kill a wounded enemy. It all painted a bad picture for a paranoid slugcat; it all pointed towards him trying to pull something on Hunter.

“I-I know h-how this all must l-look to you, Hunter.” Collector started nervously, unable to stop trembling under the fear of death. “But y-you have to consider that I helped rescue C-Chieftain. Why would I d-do that if I wanted t-to betray you?”

The red slugcat tilted his head, an easy smile making its way to his face. "Easy; it was all part of your plan to make you seem trustworthy. Then, you start sabotaging our shit, leading us into ambushes, causing chaos." The smile slipped off Hunter’s face as he went back to frothing anger, his grip on the spear tightening. “I knew you could not have gotten away with stealing that many weapons for your stashes!”

Collector chittered worriedly, an instinctual sound that he quickly squashed down in favor of communicating. “I-If this were a-a planned ambush, w-what would I stand t-to gain from k-killing you? Y-You’d come b-back next cycle, r-right?”

“What a dumb question, scav. The answer's easy; you would have me out of the way for the whole cycle. Maybe you fucks would make the decision to attack then, hm? While we were one slugcat down? Cowards, the lot of you!” Hunter’s expression twisted in anger as he pushed down slightly on the spear again. Collector winced as he felt stinging pain. “Planning to attack my mate, my pup, my friends? I DON’T FUCKING THINK SO!”

“I-I killed one of the s-scavengers a-attacking us! Surely, I w-would not d-do so if I w-were with them?” Collector was grasping at straws; he knew it, and Hunter knew it.

He was no traitor; he’d rather be caught dead than betray Fixer in any way. But how would Hunter know of his loyalty? They had not known each other for long, and he seemed to be lost inside his own paranoid mind. If he tried to tell the truth, he would probably be stabbed. If he lied and said he was in on the ambush, he would most definitely be stabbed. It was a lose-lose situation.

Hunter laughed, shaking his head with a smirk on his face. “Well, not everything went as planned, I reckon! Shit, I could see your shocked reaction when you blew that scav to smithereens. It was not part of the plan, I suspect. Neither were you accidentally stabbing your friend!” The red slugcat gestured over to the corpse at their side, and Collector had to fight the urge to vomit when he glanced over at the sight. “You were too shocked and scared to kill them, because it was not part of the plan.” Hunter adjusted his grip again, seemingly itching to press the spear into Collector and kill him.

Nothing he could say would appease the paranoid slugcat, so Collector turned to the only chance he had left: begging for his life. “Please, H-Hunter! I’m t-telling you t-the truth! You h-have to b-believe me!” The red slugcat huffed, but he was listening, at least. I can’t die like this again, please no. “I k-know I have n-no proof, but I-I’m begging you, d-don’t, please…” Collector sniffled, and he realized tears were streaming down his face. Being pinned down with no escape, death imminent and unavoidable, it was awakening some bad memories. “D-Don’t kill m-me, please.” I don’t want to die. It will hurt; I don’t want it to hurt. Please, void no, please! Hunter raised his spear high into the air, the tip still pointed at Collector’s throat. “PLEASE!” The orange scavenger threw his hands up in a last-ditch attempt at saving his life, closing his eyes and tensing his body as he saw the spear fly down towards him, readying himself for the pain.

THUNK

Collector stayed tense for a short moment, trembling and waiting for the pain to come. Except, it never does. He was obviously not dead, either. Slowly, he opened his eyes, seeing Hunter, still straddling him but without a spear in his paw now, looking down on him with an unreadable expression as his chest heaved. Turning to his left, Collector flinched back slightly as he spotted the spear that had previously been in Hunter’s paw and was now stabbed into the ground right next to his head.

He had been spared! Oh, void, he wasn’t dead!

“You’re either a very good actor, or you’re telling the truth…” Hunter mumbled. He sighed as Collector turned to look at him. “My instinct tells me you are lying. But I will give you the benefit of the doubt, Collector. At least for now.” The red slugcat did not seem angry anymore; he seemed tired.

Collector nodded his head, just happy to not have been killed for no reason. “T-Thank you, Hunter! Thank y-you.”

Hunter suddenly reached down and grabbed hold of the fur on Collector’s chest, pulling him up until he was eye level with the slugcat, who glared at him seriously. “You’re extraordinarily lucky that Fixer vouched for you, scav.” He spat with venom. “That’s the only reason you are still alive this cycle, so thank him.” Hunter clarified, a growl building in his throat. “Let it be known that if you ever make the mistake of making me suspicious again, or threaten the safety of anyone in the colony, I’ll forgo the spear and kill you with my bare paws, got it?”

With the image of Hunter practically pulling an elite’s guts free from their body, Collector shuddered and nodded. “I g-get it.”

“Good.” Collector was released, and he fell back limply on his back as Hunter finally got off of him and stood up, offering him a paw. “Come on, get up.” Obviously, he did not want to anger the slugcat ever again, so he took the offered help and was pulled to his feet. “Now, where were we? Ah, yes. The third stash.” The red slugcat reminded him, pulling the spear out of the ground and stashing it on his back.

Doing his best to forget what had just occurred, Collector pointed at the pole they were both standing at. “R-Right up there."

Hunter glanced up at the top of the beam before looking at Collector oddly. After a moment, the slugcat shrugged and walked over to the elite corpse. “Interesting hiding spot, I suppose. Go get it, and we can finally start moving back to the tree.”

Collector wondered for a moment what Hunter was doing, but quickly glanced away and focused on climbing the pole when he saw the red slugcat lean down to feast on the dead elite. Doing his best to ignore the sounds of Hunter’s messy eating below, Collector started to scale the pole. Once he reached the top, the scavenger reached his hand in as far as it went, feeling a smooth metal material along his fingers. It was still where he left it; thank the void. Carefully, ever carefully, he fished the volatile BFB out of the thick, hollowed-out pole. Collector tucked it securely under his arm, and after ensuring it would not fall to the ground and blow the whole area up, the scavenger slowly made his way down.

Upon jumping off the pole and landing on the ground, Hunter walked over, licking blood off his paws and nose as he looked at the explosive in Collector’s hands. “So, what is that thing?” He asked curiously between licks.

Ignoring the mess Hunter had made of the corpse he’d been feeding on, Collector held the bomb up for the slugcat to study. “A v-very powerful explosive, c-capable of leveling entire b-buildings, I’m sure!”

“Uh huh.” Hunter mumbled, leaning back and finishing his clean-up. “How the hell did you steal one of those from under your scav friend’s noses?” The red slugcat asked with a slight wince, as if in pain. Maybe he did suffer some damage from their fight after all?

Collector shook his head. “I a-actually traded f-for this thing.” He clarified, holding it up like a trophy. “F-Five colored pearls, i-in fact.” It was a steep price, set by the elite that had owned the bomb themself. Still, it was definitely worth it for such a dangerous and rare weapon! Besides, Collector did not dare steal from elites.

“Huh!” Hunter exclaimed, actually seeming rather interested in the subject, or maybe it was more interest in seeing what the BFB could do when used. “That makes more sense, I suppose," he mumbled, nodding to himself.

Finally, the two started to travel back, walking in silence. Collector felt that there was definitely more awkwardness between the two, most likely because of Hunter’s moment of enraged paranoia against him. If he were honest, Collector greatly feared the red slugcat, his combat skills, his threatening appearance, and his cruel, violent ways. Did the other members of his colony fear him as well, or was it all the norm for the slugcats? Had he borrowed some of the behavior from Artificer, or was he always so violent? Could it be because he felt his pup and family were threatened? Maybe he was just incredibly protective of the colony; that would have made sense.

A sudden twitch at Hunter’s back made the scavenger glance over, noticing that it almost looked like the red slugcat’s scars he bore throbbed for a short moment. Collector looked at the slugcat’s face, but he did not seem to have noticed the odd writhing across part of his body. He did, however, wince slightly once again, as if in pain in some way. The scavenger did find it odd that the slugcat would notice he was in pain but not show more worry over the fact. On closer inspection, Hunter had not been hurt at all in the struggle against the scavengers, so why was he in pain at all?

So many questions were coursing through the orange scavenger’s head, but there were very few answers. Because of the lack of responses to his inquiries, Collector decided to abandon most of the ones that could not be answered for the moment. Instead, he wondered how the others that were still in the colony tree were doing, hoping they had not already been attacked while the two of them were gone.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Ruby! Don’t go too harsh on her.” Monk yelled at the red lizard that was busy pinning down a cyan and growling. Sapphire had attempted to bite Garnet, and Ruby had reacted quickly by pinning the aggressive lizard down.

Luckily, Sapphire was not reckless enough to try to challenge the red lizard’s authority, so it did not take long for her to roll onto her back in a show of submission as best she could under Ruby’s weight. The other lizards were doing their own thing; some were still standing in line waiting to be trained and taught commands, while others that had already passed what Monk considered “the basics” were free to move around the grounds they were standing on.

“The training grounds”, as Monk liked to call it, was a flat space behind the colony tree, surrounded by a small thicket of trees. The space he and the lizards stood in was circular and the ground was covered in grass, perfect for if any tamed lizards wanted to play wrestle. Monk supposed it also was a play area for the predators, as it would not be unlikely for the yellow slugcat to play fetch or tag on the very same space that they also learned to follow his commands. Though the commands were not the most important part of their training, the most important part was teaching them to see Monk as their owner. If he did not train them to respect him, then they could go back to being wild and feral at any moment. If that happened, they would most likely leave the tree and venture back out into the wild, living without a master. Or, of course, they could end up seeing him as prey and attacking him instead.

None of that was very desirable to Monk. It would not be fun if the lizards ran away after all the work he put into finding and taming them, and it would no doubt be very uncomfortable to become a chew toy to the large beasts if they were to suddenly view him like one. Monk was lucky to have a lot of experience, knowing when to be strict and harsh and when to be more lenient and full of praise. He had been working hard during the current cycle, and it seemed all of Monk’s hard work was starting to pay off, as he was starting to see some pretty great results from most of the lizards.

At least that’s one thing you can do correctly, shame you are worthless at everything else. The thought had no real effect on the yellow slugcat, it was right. He wasn't anything special like the rest of the colony, the only thing he was really good at, was taming and training lizards. That was all fine to Monk, at least by training the lizards best he could, he would do some good during his last cycles of life.

Monk took a deep breath and looked up at the blue sky above. The sun was no longer right on top of him as it had been when he and Ruby had led all the lizards to the place. A lot of time had passed, but at least the yellow slugcat had made some progress in the process of training. It had quickly become obvious that Topaz and Jade were the easiest to tame out of all the lizards, by far. Thus, they were free to roam around the grassy field as they wanted fairly quickly.

Topaz, obviously, had been incredibly friendly and cuddly, almost before he was tamed. As if he could tell Monk was thinking about him, the caramel lizard suddenly walked up to him and rubbed up against him with a purr. He chuckled and gave the large creature a scratch on the head in response. Not to mention, he was fairly smart and had caught onto pretty much all Monk’s commands quite quickly, following them dutifully with his tail wagging the whole time.

As Topaz walked away and instead stopped to look at Ruby and Sapphire curiously, Monk moved over to look at Jade, who was resting peacefully on his side in the soft grass. The green lizard was way less aggressive than most of its kind that the yellow slugcat had tried to tame; it had only taken one small centipede to get the predator to follow him around without problem. He was a bit lazy, but considering he was a green lizard—tough and strong—with proper training to react to threats and be taught to attack on command, Jade could be a force to be reckoned with in the future. The problem was that the green lizard seemed a bit dumber than the rest of the lizards, often not understanding Monk’s commands and just tilting his head, despite the fact that the yellow slugcat had given him the same command successfully just a short moment before.

Monk sighed and petted the lizard on his exposed stomach. Jade rumbled loudly in response, his huge tail wagging along the ground. It wasn’t fair to judge him like that; being slightly dumb and requiring more help to understand commands but being generally aloof in comparison to most green lizards that constantly want to fight for dominance was still a very big plus in Monk’s eyes. Speaking of difficulty to train, the yellow slugcat moved onto the pink lizard that was still standing in line where he had left him.

Monk had only been able to teach Garnet a singular, simple, but very important command: stay. If not for that command being properly drilled into the predator’s skull, he would have run off to look for food a long time ago. The lizard was very smart when it came to being taught words and seemed to understand Monk perfectly; the problem was that he did not have any attention span to speak of. The only time the pink lizard would stop turning his head around or trying to run away was if he held food up to him. Monk had managed to make Garnet stay in place by showing him that if he did stay, he would get fed a centipede. Problem was, he needed to be given the command a lot, meaning he was eating the most food out of any lizard; even Ruby was being outeaten by Garnet. With a huff, the yellow slugcat took a centipede out of his bag and threw it into the pink lizard's open mouth, the lizard lying down to hold the dead creature’s ends down with his legs as he consumed the meal. At the very least, Monk knew he was making steady progress with the lizard. Though, looking into his satchel, he realized he would unfortunately have to go out and hunt more centipedes next cycle. I'll have to make a stockpile just for you, Garnet. He thought with a sigh.

Deciding Garnet had had enough training for the day, Monk gave him a pat on the head and fished out another centipede to give him before walking back to Sapphire and Ruby. The cyan lizard was obviously the most difficult out of every single one, constantly having to be watched by Ruby to ensure she would not try to bite one of the other lizards or run away. She was not easily enticed by food like the others; judging by the way she glared at him, the only food she seemed to be interested in consuming was Monk. He ended up standing on the lizards’ side, looking down at Sapphire, who once again started to growl and hiss as soon as he got close.

“You can let her up now, Ruby.” The red lizard gave him a look that said, “Seriously?” and Monk gave her a nod. “Yes, I can handle this; don’t worry.” With hesitation and one final growl of warning to the cyan lizard, Ruby stopped pinning her down.

Immediately, Sapphire jumped up and turned to face Monk, hissing in his direction and looking like she would jump at him. He knew she would not; she never had the rest of the cycle when she had a chance, after all. Despite the fact that she almost always seemed like she would eat him the first chance she got, Sapphire never actually seemed all too interested in actually trying to do so. Monk knew from experience that it was not purely because Ruby was watching her, either. He knew that, in a lot of cases, if an aggressive lizard wanted you dead, it would do all in its power to ensure it could kill you. Even if it meant it would have to sacrifice its life that cycle, it would not give up until it had taken you down with it.

Speaking of the cycle, Monk realized the sun was definitely starting to go down. Looking up at the sky, he noticed the previously bright blue was starting to darken. The yellow slugcat started to make plans on wrapping it all up for the cycle as he turned back to the other lizards again. Topaz was curiously sniffing at Garnet, who was still staying in place, but wagging his tail as he looked back at the caramel lizard. They seem friendly, at least. Monk thought as he looked over at Jade, who ironically woke up right as nighttime approached, stretching and shaking his large head as he tried to fully wake up from his nap. Then, of course, Ruby stood at the yellow slugcat’s side, eyeing the cyan lizard in front of them suspiciously. Finally, Sapphire, who, just as Monk had guessed, had not made one single move to attack him, even when his back was turned and he was distracted.

There’s time for one final exercise. Monk thought as he looked down at the grass, quickly spotting a rather large branch on the ground that had fallen from the tree they stood near. The good old stick trick! He picked it up and held it out in front of Sapphire, who hissed and immediately turned her head away in defiance. “Listen up, Sapphire. I will throw this stick somewhere behind you, and I want you to fetch it for me!” The lizard growled and snapped her jaws. Ruby hissed in warning, but Monk just laughed in response as he pulled his arm back. “Don’t worry, it will be fun.” He narrowed his eyes and took aim, preparing to throw the stick right behind the cyan lizard…

“HEY BABY-!"

An incredibly loud voice from behind made Monk yelp and instinctively whip around. With his eyes shut tight, he panickedly swung the branch, now clutched in both paws like a weapon, towards the sudden noise. He heard a loud thwack and felt the stick make contact with something hard and heard wood splintering. Shortly thereafter, a thud was heard right in front of him.

Opening his eyes, Monk realized a bit too late that the one he had hit in the head had cyan and dark blue fur, red-tipped ears, and was about as tall as his brother. It was the very same “slugcat” he had seen during the cycle prior, the one he had thought was just the result of a dream, a hallucination, or something like it.

The stranger was also lying down on the ground. Monk looked down at the branch in his paw, noting the fact that it was completely splintered from the impact. At least now I know they are real. The yellow slugcat thought, finding it pretty dumb that he could not even trust his mind enough that he didn’t come to that conclusion as soon as he’d seen the uniquely colored slugcat the first time. Monk was pulled out of his thoughts and back into the situation at paw when he heard pretty much every lizard behind him hiss and growl, presumably advancing on the one they now considered a threat. The yellow slugcat discarded the stick by throwing it into the nearby trees and turned around, putting a paw out toward the predators.

“Stop!” He yelled loudly, hoping that his training had actually managed to fully get through to a lot of them. Ruby could handle one lizard if they refused to listen, but if there were two or more, some could break through and reach the knocked-out stranger. Monk did not need that on his conscience!

To his surprise and happiness, however, every lizard he had within his sight actually listened to his command and stopped. All of them turned their heads towards him and settled down on the ground, some sitting, others lying down, even Sapphire! Ruby obeyed as well, but Monk waved for her to come over anyway, just in case the knocked-out slugcat would be angry over the small incident. It was just an accident! Besides, the stranger should have known better than to sneak up on him…

Turning back to the slugcat on the ground, Monk noted that they seemed to be pretty knocked out. They were lying face down in the grass in a very uncomfortable-looking position, not moving an inch or even making any noises. The yellow slugcat made the guess that he must have gotten them with a pretty good strike to the jaw, or something. Are they even breathing? Monk thought nervously, taking a careful step forward and leaning in to try to get a better look. Don’t tell me they’re…

Suddenly, the stranger looked up. “Well, that’s a fine how'd you do!!” Monk yelped again at the stranger's loud voice, and Ruby hissed as the odd slugcat immediately stood up as if nothing at all had happened to them. “I sorta figured you would be really happy to see me again! But there’s really no need to react so emotionally, yaknow??” They smiled widely as Monk tilted his head in confusion.

Despite being hit in the head and practically being knocked out for over ten seconds, they were smiling and cracking jokes. Or were they even jokes? Though, looking closer, the stranger did seem a bit dazed, swaying slightly on their paws as it seemed to stare right through Monk with those weird eyes. “Um, I’m sorry. I… did not think you were real?” Nice one, Monk! That will clear it all up! His brain unhelpfully told him.

If the other slugcat was insulted or confused, they did not show it. “Ooooh, yeppers. I totally get it!” They placed their paws on their hips, closed their eyes, and puffed out their chest. “I am a pretty big deal, after all~!!” The stranger said confidently. “I mean, how could I, such a perfect specimen, possibly be realistically real at all?” The cyan slugcat opened their eyes and shot Monk a wink. "Here! I'll give you just a taste of my skills." Shaking their head, the stranger cleared their throat before batting their eyes at the yellow slugcat, who could only stare in confusion. "Are you an artist, baby? Because you are really good at drawing me in~" They finished the god-awful pick-up line by shooting Monk finger guns and smirking even wider than earlier, as if they had worked some sort of "magic" on him.

Monk could only stare in confusion as the other slugcat stayed in their pose for a while, not moving an inch until the yellow slugcat cleared his throat. “I'm sorry. But who are you?” A part of him wanted to ask the stranger what he was, but that would have been a very rude question, even in the odd situation the two found themselves in.

They immediately dropped their confident pose and looked incredibly shocked on a very dramatic level instead. “Oh, where ARE my manners? How could I have forgotten to introduce myself to a ravishing babe such as yourself?” The stranger shook their head in disappointment, presumably at themselves.

“Wha-?” Before Monk could even start his confused sentence, his right paw was shaken vigorously in a two-pawed grip by the stranger.

“My official name is Sofanthiel! But I don’t like that name very much! I bestow upon you the honor to call me Enot, Inv, or whatever else you’d like, baby~” The yellow slugcat nodded unsurely, pulling his paw out of the tight grip when he felt Inv had shaken him around for a bit too long.

Is one name not enough? Monk thought. Also, is he flirting with me? He had no experience at being flirted at, so the yellow slugcat had absolutely no clue how to react. It took Monk a while before he remembered he had not yet given his own name. “I’m Monk.” He said simply as he pointed to himself.

“Cool name!!” Enot responded, their tail wagging behind them as their smile widened slightly for a short moment. It’s not that cool... Monk thought to himself as Inv started to look around in the grass for something. “Have you ever made the consideration of giving yourself a fitting title to go along with it?”

Monk chirped in confusion. “A... title?”

Enot looked at Monk. “Yeah! ‘Monk the Strong-Armed’, or something!!” They yelled, before they turned back to focus on their search for.. something.

“For what reason?” Monk felt like the conversation was going around in circles; the way Inv spoke and what they spoke about made no sense. The yellow slugcat had never felt as awkward as he did at that very moment.

“There are many reasons for giving oneself a title!" They exclaimed. "'Strong-Armed' would be fitting for you because you hit me so hard! I can still see stars!” Inv clarified as he glanced back at the yellow slugcat, failing to make Monk any smarter to what point he wanted to make. “I can practically see the bulging muscles underneath that fur you’re sporting~!” They giggled and seemed to blush brightly, the smile on their face widening before they turned back to focus on their search.

Bulging muscles? Monk sputtered for a short moment before shaking his head with a huff. “I used a branch.” He clarified.

“Monk the Branch Swinger!” Enot shouted excitedly, seemingly without any sarcasm at all. “Considering the circumstances, we’re very lucky your sheer strength did not break the egg~” Their unnerving eyes widened as they finally seemed to find what they were looking for in the grass. Excitedly, they lunged forward and reached their paws down for something.

“The egg?” The yellow slugcat mumbled in confusion.

The cyan slugcat grabbed whatever they were searching from the ground and held it high into the air. “The egg!” Whatever they had in their paws sure was shaped like an egg, but Monk had never seen a white egg that had such weird red markings before.

As Inv brought the egg to their chest and hugged it close, Monk got to thinking. From what he knew, slugcats did not lay eggs. Either the “egg” that the slugcat in front of him was holding came from some other creature that the yellow slugcat had never seen before, or Inv truly was not even a slugcat but some other creature else that vaguely looked like one. Still, though, that did not explain how Inv could speak slugcat so well, albeit with a very strange fluctuation and grating voice that felt wrong and made him feel sort of uncomfortable. Also, even if they did lay the egg themselves, the egg was sort of big—almost too big for it to be possible that it came from them!

“What is this ‘egg’?” He asked, hoping to get some clarification.

Enot only tilted its head, looking confused despite the constant smug smile on its face. “It’s the one and only egg, of course!” I should have expected such an answer…

“Where did it come from, though?” Monk muttered, hoping to somehow figure out the egg’s origins.

“Oh, it came from yours truly!!!” They chuckled, moving the egg to hold it in a more comfortable way in the crook of their elbow.

Well, that settles that, then. Though it still did not at all explain how they had even laid an egg that big, “So, the egg is yours?” Monk asked, hoping to fully clarify the situation and solve the mystery.

Inv patted the egg proudly. “Yes, siree! Along with the others!”

Monk’s expression twisted in confusion. “Others? You have more than one?” 

“YUP!" The cyan slugcat shouted a bit too loudly making the Monk wince. "Although, I guess all but this one are gone…” Inv looked very thoughtful suddenly, putting its free paw to its chin and looking up at the dark sky.

“The rest were... lost?” Monk asked carefully, hoping Enot did not accidentally overshare some sort of bad memory or something.

The other slugcat perked up at Monk's question. “Oh, no. More like I used them up!” Inv explained with a shrug, thoughtfulness dissipating as they went back to looking regularly smugly happy. “If I go to bed without one, another one waits for me when I awaken!” They held the egg up again, like a trophy.

Monk felt like his head was starting to hurt even worse, not just from the voice of the other slugcat but also from the extreme confusion he was going through. No matter how the yellow slugcat tried to spin it in his head, what Enot was saying made no sense at all! “Inv, or Enot, or whatever else, I’m sorry if this sounds mean. But what even are you?” Monk eventually asked exasperatedly, desperate for some sort of answer that could explain all that he was being told.

He realized immediately that he would not be happy with the response when Inv looked confused again. “I’m a slugcat, of course! Just like you, bae~!” 

What the hell is "bae"???

Did Inv maybe have some sort of origin from some far-off land where evolutions like the ones they held were natural? Maybe a place where the way he talked and acted was the norm? The idea of a place with a hundred Enots sounded a bit terrifying... “Okay, where are you from?”

For the first time since Monk had first seen the cyan slugcat, the smug smile on Inv’s face actually slipped off for a very short moment, replaced by an expression akin to fear, or perhaps dread. It passed so quickly that it could be excused as a facial twitch, but the yellow slugcat still spotted it. As fast as it passed, it was lost as Enot quickly recovered to respond.

“You ask soooo many questions, Banana Boy~” They said, smug smile back on their face as they looked to Ruby on Monk’s right. Banana Boy?! What the fu-? “I should get a chance to ask you some questions too, bud!” Inv’s gaze wandered to the rest of the lizards that were all frozen and watching the two slugcats talk. “Why so many lizards, for example? Are you and those other studs in the tree preparing for a big fight or something~?” They asked in a sultry voice, gesturing toward the general area of the tree. Had Monk not seen Inv slaughter a bunch of scavs the first time he had seen them, he might have worried they were scouting for the scavengers or something. Nevertheless, it was still disturbing to hear the others in the colony get referred to as "studs".

Ruby did not seem to like Enot's choice of words either, and hissed in response, baring her teeth threateningly. “It’s a hobby of mine.” Monk responded easily.

“Dangerous hobby, cutie~” Enot said, smile widening. The yellow slugcat tilted his head and opened his mouth to respond, but had no idea what to actually respond to all of Inv’s attempted flirting, or whatever the hell. “It’s a cool collection, but none of the lizards are that scary, particularly!” Ruby actually dropped her threatening posture and chirped in confusion, looking about as confused as Monk felt. Enot took another look around, seemingly searching for something. “No train lizard?”

Monk perked up at the question. He had never ever heard of a train lizard, but the idea of their being a species of lizard he had never tamed or even seen before that was possibly even more dangerous than Ruby excited him. "I haven't seen one before, I don’t think. Are they rare? What do they look like?” He asked, looking around as if they could see one right where they were stood. “What region are they local to?”

Inv shook its head, seemingly not all too interested in the topic, as it started to fidget with the egg, passing the object between its paws. “Those things are NOT local to this region or any other nearby, that's for sure!!" They answered cryptically. "If they were, you would not want to meet one anyway! Trust me!” They looked thoughtful for a short moment. “So, the fact that you’re training all of these lizards, presumably for ripping heads off on command, has nothing to do with the large number of those spear-toting guys with horns walking around right outside your area?” He doesn’t have a name for scavengers? Monk’s shock over Inv guessing correctly suddenly must have shown because the other slugcat smiled wide, and the yellow slugcat knew the jig was up.

Monk sighed as Inv looked really pleased with themselves. “Yeah, we’re in a bit of a pickle with the nearby scavenger tribe currently.” The yellow slugcat considered doing the smart thing and not sharing anything else, but he could not help but voice his full opinion on the situation. “We’re severely outnumbered, both in weapons and in warriors. We might have backup coming in a few cycles, but that is not a guarantee. Hence, I have a bunch of lizards; they will serve as extra fighting power in case the backup does not arrive in time.” Monk sighed again, kicking his leg at the grass below. “We’ll fight the hardest we can, but I’m unsure if it will make a difference…”

Enot whistled with a nod, looking over the lizards for a moment longer, before their face lit up. Monk could almost swear he saw a lantern mouse light up above their head as they perked up in excitement. “Maybe I can help you out?” Enot offered, seemingly really excited to help out for some reason. “You have seen me in action; after all! I can take good care of you, if you'll let me~!” They puffed their chest up proudly once again.

“Wait, you knew I was hiding in the bush when you fought off those scavengers?” Monk thought he had been so sneaky, but he had apparently been made by Inv somehow.

“Mm-hm! You betcha~! You and your two lizards, baybee!” They pointed toward Topaz and Ruby before continuing. “I can really cause some chaos when let off the leash~!” Inv sent him a confident wink. Monk was not sure; he had seen how effective the other slugcat could be in combat, but could he really trust Inv so easily? They had not even known each other's names for a whole cycle yet…

Though, considering their situation, the slugcat colony could use any help possible, Monk supposed. “Alright, Inv. Consider yourself hired.” The yellow slugcat sighed.

Despite seeming so confident, actually getting an affirmative seemed to really shock Inv as they stared wide-eyed, their tail thumping against the ground audibly as it wagged. “You’re serious? No kidding at all?” Monk did not know whether to shake his head or nod. What an annoying pair of questions!

“You are hired.” He said again instead.

Enot laughed, a grating sound that made Monk wince, as they once again took his paw and shook it vigorously, this time only with one paw as their other was preoccupied with holding the egg. “Alrighty! You will not regret it, handsome!”

Monk hated himself for blushing so easily. “Don’t call me that, please.”

“Ayeaye, cap’n~!” They said as they finally let go of Monk’s paw.

“E-Even worse-!”

Inv suddenly held the egg in their paw towards the yellow slugcat. “Here! Take the egg! A gift from me to you~”

Monk, too confused and flustered to do otherwise, reached out and accepted the object, surprised at how light it was despite its size. “W-What do you expect me to do with this?” I mean, how can your egg solve any of my current problems?” What if it started hatching? Would something like a pup come out? What if he dropped it? Would something bad happen then? He was not ready to take responsibility for an egg this suddenly. When would it hatch? What the fuck?!

Enot only shrugged, totally oblivious to Monk’s slight panic over the situation. “It solves a lot of problems; you just gotta let it do its thing, yaknow?” They winked again, and the yellow slugcat wanted to yell that he did not know at all, but he never got the chance as Inv spoke again. “Well, it’s been really fun hanging out, Baby Yellow. But I have to go get something to eat!” Inv turned around and started to walk toward the trees.

Monk was almost too shocked to notice the “Baby Yellow” nickname he had just been granted against his will, but it wasn’t like he could voice any concerns over it, since Enot was already leaving without warning. They couldn’t leave yet! They did not even know when the slugcat tree could be attacked at all! “Hey wait! When will you be back?” Monk shouted.

Inv stopped and turned around, mostly only their glowing eyes with the red, crossed-out circle pupils visible in the darkness. The rest of Inv was a dark silhouette that only slightly stuck out among the dark shade of the night. “Our paths will cross again; no way can I stay away from a pretty thing like you for long! See you next cycle, Banana Boy~” Another wink, before Inv turned around and tried to cooly walk out of Monk’s view. 

The keyword was “tried”, they only made it a few steps before their silhouette suddenly fell down and seemingly disappeared into the ground with a muffled shout of surprise. The yellow slugcat stared in confusion at the spot where Enot had just been. Had they tripped over a branch? Monk waited for them to pop back up, but they didn’t. Maybe they fell down a hole, or something?

Snapping out of his confusion, he said what was on his mind a bit too late.“Stop calling me Banana Boy!” Monk yelled into the darkness, only hearing his own voice echo back after a moment. “Don’t call me Baby Yellow either!” No answer came back…

Monk sighed and looked down at the “gift” from Inv. The egg was incredibly cold to the touch, almost like frigid metal. In fact, it felt as hard and dense as metal as well. Though it was far too light to be metallic, surely? Eggs are supposed to be kept warm aren’t they? All of it was making the yellow slugcat’s head spin with questions he could not conceivably answer, so he gave up on doing so.

Ruby walked up to his side, chirping in confusion. Monk turned to look at her, noting the very confused expression on her face, looking at him like he had an answer to what just happened. Turning to the other lizards, he noticed they were all looking at him the same way, even Sapphire.

“Don’t look at me like that; I don’t know what just happened, either!” Monk groaned, gesturing for the lizards to follow as he started to walk in the direction of the colony tree. “Come along, guys; it’s too late to keep training this cycle, anyway. Besides, I’m tired…” The yellow slugcat decided to push all of what just happened out of his head for the moment; he could consider it all after he’d had a good night’s rest.

“How will we go about telling the others?” Fixer finally asked once he had calmed down and the sun had gone down. The two mates were cuddled up in the doorway to the tree, the sound of Survivor and Night playing audible inside. Somehow, the pup still had not run out of energy, even after almost a whole cycle of playtime.

Time had passed quickly, far too quickly, the two had spent the bigger part of the cycle laughing, hugging, and kissing. Both far too worked up to try to do anything else but be happy for their future children. Finally, they had managed to calm down enough to simply take a seat and rest a bit. Though Fixer’s legs sort of felt like jelly as he sat, the scavenger was still full of energy. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to sleep at all at the end of the cycle, in fact!

Arti laughed and pushed her back further against Fixer’s chest as he gently moved his hand over the maroon slugcat’s stomach, making her purr. “I figure we just say it as it is when Collector and Hunter come back. That’s the easiest way, don’t you think?”

For some reason, Fixer could not help but feel slightly nervous about how everyone would react, especially Hunter. Though he knew that putting it off would not be a good idea. Within a few cycles, it would become obvious as the pregnancy progressed anyway. “That sounds like a good plan.” Fixer mumbled, nuzzling his face into the top of Arti’s head and closing his eyes.

He heard footsteps approach the entrance and felt Arti turn her head toward the noise. “Well, speak of the devils!” Fixer opened his eyes and looked towards the noise as well, smiling when he saw Hunter and Collector approaching them. The scavenger wore a satchel, and the slugcat had a large backpack on. Collector was also holding what looked like the very same bomb he had once fired out of the G.U.N. Great weapon stashes, indeed! Fixer thought, impressed by their haul.

The two quickly climbed to their feet and paws as they got close enough. Judging by the approaching footsteps on the other side of the entrance, Survivor and Night had noticed the two coming back as well. “Papa! Papa!” A rare moment of the black pup speaking as well, it seemed.

Hunter’s eyes lit up upon seeing his mate exit the tree to meet him, carrying Night in his arms. The two met in an embrace, exchanging soft, lovey-dovey words that could not be heard from where Fixer and Arti stood. Collector walked past and over to the duo, and Fixer approached his friend. “Good to see you back safe, Colly.” He said, giving the orange scavenger a hug.

“It is g-good to be back.” Collector mumbled, sighing in relief as the hug practically melted all the tension in his body.

Arti stepped up as the two broke the embrace. “Did you run into any hostile scavengers?” She asked, and Collector tensed slightly, his eyes widening. That’s a yes, then. Fixer thought as he placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, only to quickly notice a small wound present on the scavenger’s throat.

“Colly, you’re hurt?” The orange scavenger tensed even further, turning to Fixer with fearful eyes.

Immediately, Arti reached up and moved Collector’s head, studying the wound and making small tsk noises. “I-I, um…” Before he could try to get any words out, Hunter walked up on the orange scavenger’s other side, carrying Night in his arms.

“A group of scavs ambushed us, but we took care of business!” The red slugcat said smugly with a smirk on his face. “One got a bit too close and managed to lightly prick Collector, but I took them out.” Hunter patted the orange scavenger on the arm, and Fixer did not miss how his friend tensed even further.

Collector nodded, forcing a nervous smile onto his face. “T-That’s right! I’m f-fine, though. P-Promise!”

Something was wrong. Collector was often nervous, but around friends, he usually opened up a lot more. Especially around him. He never acted nervous or scared around him, not like he was at that moment. Fixer narrowed his eyes at Hunter, who still had that easy smirk on his face. Why did his friend suddenly fear the red slugcat?

“Well, come on in, Collector. I’ll clean that wound for you.” Arti said, practically pulling the orange scavenger into the tree as he tried to object.

Hunter and Fixer kept staring at each other as the other two walked away. “I-It’s fine, really! No n-need to w-waste time o-on such a small c-cut…”

Fixer could practically hear the noise of the maroon slugcat lightly bapping collector’s nose with her tail. “Nonsense! You’re one of us now, and we don’t leave our wounded untreated!” Arti responded, seemingly successfully shutting down any of the orange scavenger’s future attempts at objecting to the treatment.

Survivor walked up on Hunter’s side and looked between the two of them confusedly. “Guys? Is something the matter?”

Hunter’s smirk widened while Fixer further narrowed his eyes. The scavenger opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by several heavy sets of footsteps approaching behind him. Turning around, he spotted Monk approaching the tree, mumbling something inaudible to Ruby, who nodded and seemed to round up the rest of the lizards to go to sleep somewhere on the field. The yellow slugcat looked utterly exhausted, and he was carrying something egg-shaped. Fixer had no idea what it was.

“Hey kid. How’d training the lizards go?” Hunter asked as Monk approached.

The yellow slugcat stopped in front of the trio and yawned, shifting his grip on the object in his paws. “Splendid, made a lot of progress.”

Survivor walked closer and looked over what Monk was holding, made a confused noise, and then asked the question the other two were thinking. “What’s that in your arms, bro?”

Monk blinked at Survivor for a moment before looking down at what he was holding in confusion, almost as if he himself forgot he had it. After a moment of silent staring, he shook his head with a huff. “You would not believe me even if I told you, Surv.” Monk mumbled, walking past the others into the tree.

Without the yellow slugcat even knowing it, Monk’s confusing and sudden appearance had managed to diffuse the tenseness between Hunter and Fixer, replacing it with a healthy amount of confusion as the trio exchanged confused glances with each other. Eventually Fixer remembered that he and his mate still had an announcement to make, so he snapped out of the confusion and walked inside the tree, waving Survivor and Hunter over as he did. Though he made a promise to himself to ask Colly what was wrong between him and the red slugcat later, he really hoped the situation was not as he thought it was!

Inside, the orange scavenger was sitting in the den, his satchel and bomb placed on the ground nearby. Arti was licking the wound on his throat to clean it as Collector winced in pain. Once she was satisfied, the maroon slugcat turned around and noticed that everyone was back. Fixer and his mate exchanged a glance and a nod as she helped Collector get back on his feet. Looking over everyone in the tree, she did a double take when she saw Monk placing the odd object in his paws on the ground inside their den, a blanket covering it. They exchanged a glance of their own, and Arti seemed to get the quiet signal that they would talk about it later, so she nodded understandingly. Fixer walked over to stand next to his mate, turning to look at the others as well. Though no words had been spoken by the two, it seemed obvious they would talk about something, and all the other slugcats and Collector grouped up across from the two curiously.

The two took a deep breath and exchanged another glance, finding each other's paw and hand and holding on tight before turning back to the others. “We have something to announce.” Fixer started, noting the way everyone exchanged their own looks with each other, quietly wondering what it could be about before looking back at the two with anticipation.

Arti sighed before smiling wide. “I-I’m pregnant with Fixer’s pups.” She laughed happily, tears coming to her eyes. “Two little ones.”

The inside of the tree was deathly silent for only a short moment before the words fully registered in everyone’s ears, expressions warped from confusion, to shock, and finally, happiness. The space they were all stood in was suddenly filled with shouts of cheer. In no time, both Fixer and Arti were practically swarmed by the other members of the colony. There were a lot of congratulations, hugs, pats on the shoulder, and tears of joy from pretty much every slugcat (even Hunter could be seen shedding a small tear!). Monk and Survivor especially seemed incredibly happy by the news, hugging both Fixer and Arti tightly as they practically sobbed from joy.

As soon as Fixer got done hugging Survivor and Monk close, a pair of orange arms wrapped around him. “V-Void, old friend. Y-You’re going to be a d-dad!” Collector said as he hugged Fixer closely.

Fixer laughed in response and returned the hug tightly. “I know, isn’t it crazy?”

He heard someone walk up from behind and a friendly pat on the shoulder along with a chuckle Fixer recognized well. “Congrats, Fixer. Guess this makes you a permanent member of the colony then?” Oh, it was Hunter. The scavenger broke the hug with Collector and gave his friend one last friendly smile before the orange scavenger walked off. Then he turned to the red slugcat, expecting what he said to have been a sarcastic, hostile remark. Only to see Hunter actually smiling genuinely at him, actually happy for his sake.

He still did not trust what the red slugcat had gotten up to during the trip with Colly, but he supposed he could let it go for the sake of celebration for the cycle! "That means a lot coming from you, Hunter!” Fixer gave Hunter a pat on the shoulder back and smiled wide. Next cycle, he would ask his orange friend what had happened on their trip, Fixer promised himself.

The red slugcat huffed and rolled his eyes, but still smiled in response. Then he walked over and exchanged a quick embrace with the maroon slugcat himself, whispering what Fixer guessed were his congratulations into her functioning ear. When Hunter backed off and his Arti was finally temporarily freed up from hugs, Fixer walked over and pulled her into one of his own, exchanging a passionate kiss with his mate. They stayed in a tight embrace afterwards, looking out at the rest of the members of the colony. Their news had started a celebration, it seemed, with all the other members hugging in happiness or simply excitedly talking to each other.

He could see Survivor and Hunter presumably telling little Night that she was about to have playmates soon. The little pup’s eyes widened in excitement, and her happy chirping and squealing could be heard even above Collector’s and Monk’s happy laughter as they danced around in circles the middle of the shelter, hand in paw. Fixer supposed it did deserve a lot of celebration; it was a miracle after all! He felt comforted by the fact that it seemed slugcats celebrated the news of coming life about the same as scavengers, with rancorous celebration.

Fixer and Arti exchanged a side hug, looking over the rest of the colony, all members so happy for their sake. Survivor and Hunter suddenly rushed off to the food storage, coming out with what could only be described as a feast. In the future, there was going to be blood and death, hopefully only on the enemies’ side, but there was always the risk of their side suffering death cycles as well. But right at that moment, there was only time for celebration and happiness; the more serious business could wait.

The two mates exchanged one more kiss before walking together to join the rest of the colony as they went outside to start a fire to cook the food. Everything will work out; it has to. Fixer told himself as they walked outside and looked up at the beautiful star-filled skies above. He started running one of his hands over the warm fur on Arti's stomach as the maroon slugcat purred loudly and nuzzled into the scavenger's side to stave off the slight chill of the night outside the tree.

It just has to.

Chapter Text

Chieftain huffed as he walked through the recently opened karma gate, heading toward the toll he knew was straight ahead. Keeping that in mind, the scavenger made sure to stop and pick up a shiny pearl that lay on the ground, studying it closely. It was covered in dust but still shined well! Chieftain decided to dust it off on his chest as he walked, if only to ensure the quality of the pearl could be carefully studied by the toll guards. He had no clue whether the guards stationed would know who he was or, worse, be working together with the same scavengers that wanted to hurt his slugcat friends. Chieftain and his tribe had passed through before when escaping from the city, but that had been long ago, and tolls often rotated guards. It did help that the toll was run by nomads and not a tribe. But the nomads could still have teamed up with his enemies, so there was no real way of knowing. Though he would rather take the risk that the strangers he would soon approach were not in on it and that they would take his payment and let him pass like any other traveler. 

In some areas, it was customary to let nomad scavengers or scavengers of a neutral tribe pass by the tolls without having to pay, but Chieftain liked to hand over a pearl anyway. Not only to avoid a possible misunderstanding around whether he would have to pay or not, but also because it only made sense to pay for passage in his head. As he walked fully outside, the cloudy sky visible to him once again, he laid eyes on the large, painted rain deer skull in the distance. Chieftain checked the pearl again, making sure he had removed most of the grime. Happy with the result of his cleaning, the scavenger took a deep breath and started to walk forward once again.

The chains around his wrists made soft clinking noises as he moved, dried blood still visible on the cuffs from his breakout. It was only as the guard closest to him heard the metal noises and turned around that Chieftain realized it must look pretty odd from their angle to see a scavenger with chains around their wrists approach. For just a moment, the scavenger considered turning around and trying to find another way around the toll. Though he abandoned that idea quickly, he was already close enough to the group that turning around at that moment would only make him look more suspicious and guilty of something. Also, judging by the quiet chittering and odd stares, they were already slightly suspicious of him. There was no reason to make them more so, Chieftain supposed. Slowly, he walked up to the group, making sure to show his hands so they could see he was not armed and had payment ready. To Chieftain's dismay, he did not recognize a single one of the guards, meaning they would not recognize him.

“Greetings, stranger.” The tallest among the guards, a light gray scavenger with a head darker than the rest of his body, chittered. His orange eyes glanced down at the cuffs around Chieftain’s wrists, and he paused for a short moment, just staring at the chains.

Despite trying to keep his cool, Chieftain was feeling slightly nervous. If the members of the toll worked together with his enemies, then surely they would be somewhat aware of his imprisonment. Even if they did not know what he looked like, it would be fairly obvious that the scavenger approaching with chains around his wrists, the ends looking like they were burned off, would be the one who was trying to escape. Chieftain was severely outnumbered, five to one, and he did not have a spear to use. He could make use of the chains; they had, after all, been really effective against the prison guards. Though he had had the element of surprise in that moment, it was not a fair comparison in the end.

Eventually, the light gray scavenger thankfully moved his gaze to the pearl clutched in Chieftain’s hand instead, his eyes widening slightly and his frills vibrating in excitement as he noticed the quality of the recently cleaned pearl. “Pay for passage?” He asked, holding out a hand towards him.

Chieftain had to suppress a large sigh of relief as he smiled and placed the pearl in the scavenger’s hand. “Yes, please.” The scavenger looked at the pearl, his eyes practically glittering as what little sunbeams penetrated the clouds above made the object glitter beautifully. The other guards crowded behind the light gray one, their eyes widening as well. Chieftain had been very lucky to find a pearl that barely had a scratch and that was not too dirty to clean.

He did not like to reinforce stereotypes, but he was fairly sure he could have passed even a hostile toll as long as he had a pretty enough pearl to hand over! “Of course!” The scavenger exclaimed once he had managed to snap out of his awestruck stare, stepping to the side and waving Chieftain through with another smile. “Safe travels, friend!” He chittered as the older scavenger slipped by him. The rest of the guards chittered something alike in agreement, still probably staring at the beautiful pearl.

I wonder if they will even wait for me to fully leave before wrestling each other for the pearl. The chained scavenger had to suppress a laugh at the thought. “Thank you, friend.” Chieftain shot back, not bothering to turn around as he kept moving forward. His legs were starting to ache, he noticed. Not all too surprising considering he had moved several regions as quickly as his legs could carry him, even managing to get through the rain deer and wormgrass surprisingly quickly considering how much of a pain in the ass that region usually was.

The scavenger chanced a glance up into the sky, making note of the darkened clouds gathering above. Chieftain frowned and quickened his pace, ignoring the way his legs burned from the strain. He thankfully knew of a den very nearby, which would let him rest and recover. It was a few rooms away, but the shaking had not started yet, so Chieftain considered that he might have a pretty good chance of making it. Dying to the rain would be an annoyance, as it would send him back to the rail cart he chose to shelter in in the Subterranean. So much progress would be lost, and so much time… He could not afford to be sent back so far; Chieftain’s friends needed him to be quick! If he managed to gather backup but arrived too late to see the fight, his role in the plan would ultimately be useless.

Chieftain shuddered as he imagined arriving just a few moments too late, a group of warriors by his side ready to fight for the colony tree. Only to encounter a massacre, with all his slugcat friends dead and the tree burned to the ground. No, he would not allow that to happen! With renewed determination and energy, Chieftain started to climb through tunnels and take shortcuts by popping in and out of any convenient holes in the ruins around him, making quick progress towards the shelter. The ground rumbled beneath the scavenger as he jumped over a large pile of collapsed bricks, almost making him lose his balance from the suddenness of the vibrations. Running out of time, go quicker!

Swearing under his breath, he started to run through long and winding corridors, throwing constant glances towards the ceiling, walls, and his path ahead. When running as fast as he was, a singular white lizard or dropwig in a good spot could easily ambush him. Should be around here. Passing around a corner, Chieftain finally spotted the tunnel that led to his chance to hibernate safely and recover. He sighed in relief as he slowed down slightly, panting. Considering the room he was in was located underground, there was no longer any rush to get into the shelter, so the scavenger found it to be a dumb idea to waste extra energy for no reason!

Wow, I’m getting old. Chieftain thought with dread, noting just how winded he got from such a short sprint, not to mention his aching joints…

His existential thoughts were interrupted by the sharp sound of a lizard hiss coming from somewhere in the room, and it only took him about half a second to realize it was actually coming from right above! Chieftain reacted by leaping backward, just in time, it seemed, as a very loud thud sounded right behind him where he had previously stood. He landed in a short roll, using the momentum to stop in a crouched position facing toward the sudden predator, sliding the last meter on his feet before finally coming to a stop. A pink lizard stood before him, average-sized, drooling from the mouth, and looking very hungry. Of course, it also had to stand between him and the shelter, blocking his only escape. Of every type, it just had to be a pink, the only type of lizard stupid or brave enough to go after prey even when the rain was about to come at any moment!

Speak of the devil; the ground shook again, almost knocking Chieftain off his feet. The pink lizard did not react much, considering it had four legs to balance on. “Bad cycle for hunting?” The scavenger asked with a tilt of his head, noting the visible ribs on the creature’s torso. It hissed in response, snapping its teeth in the air. “I know you’re hungry, but a full stomach won’t matter if you die to the rain anyway.” The pink lizard only growled lowly in response, huffing hot air out of its nose as it stared him down threateningly.

Why am I trying to argue with a predator? Chieftain asked himself in confusion, though he held no answers. With a huff, he glanced around, spotting no spears or rocks to use to defend himself. All out melee it is, then. Moving into a combat stance, Chieftain raised his arms, wrapping the lengths of chain around both his knuckles, and clenched his hands into fists. The ground shook again, but he was ready for it this time, keeping his balance.

It’s okay. I’ve done this before, many times.

Chieftain could still remember his first time taking on one of the large predators…

Just a singular centipede, that’s all? The young scavenger thought as he followed the rest of the small hunting party closely—a small group composed of young, inexperienced hunters just like him. The others were glancing around in paranoia, clutching the spears they wielded in tight grips. He did not share their anxiety; the area they were in only contained medium to small centipedes. They had not been sent out to die; after all, what they were out to do was practice throwing and stabbing with spears. It was all a little “test” orchestrated by their chief, Captain.

Such a creative name. He thought as he kicked a small rock with a huff, making one of the scavengers at his side flinch slightly at the noise and look towards him nervously. The young scavenger himself had not yet received his name, more like a title, in accordance with the scavenger naming procedures. He and the rest of his inexperienced comrades were all given very simple titles until they presented what they were good at or had a passion for. For example, he was temporarily called “Short One” by more experienced scavengers in the tribe. He did not like the title; it was ironically given to him because he was a very tall scavenger for his age.

He would prefer a cooler one, like “Lizard Stalker”! Stalker, for short, was badass! In his mind, that was his name! He would no doubt receive a title similar to it if he managed to hunt down and kill a lizard all on his own! Stalker slowed down slightly, hanging back while the rest of the hunting party walked ahead of him, too distracted with keeping an eye out for centipedes to notice he had backed away. With a smirk, the scavenger took the opportunity to fully break away from the group, walking off the old path they had been following and instead choosing to travel through some of the metal ruins that lay spread out around them.

Stalker knew he was technically breaking direct command by sneaking off like he was, and if he were to be spotted and grabbed outside of the designated "safe zone”, he would likely be punished with guard duty. Though the young scavenger found he did not care at that moment, he wanted some excitement! Something that was more fun and offered more of a challenge than taking down some pathetic centipedes. As he traveled through some of the old ruins, Stalker also took the chance to look around for anything fun to scavenge, but disappointingly, he came up completely empty in his fast search. It made sense, of course. Their tribe had claimed and held this land for themselves for quite a while, ever since the young scavenger had been born. It made sense that the nearest buildings were completely emptied of fun stuff, just like it made sense that the set-up path they were meant to walk on did not have any dangerous predators besides medium centipedes that “might” kill you with a singular current (but probably not, in the end).

He decided to move on, leaving the ruined buildings and venturing fully out into the wild. Or as wild as it could get with ruined metal structures all over the place, signs of an ancient society long since abandoned and left to rust. Stalker walked for a while, enjoying the quiet of being alone without having to share the same oxygen as a bunch of annoying, nervous wrecks that could not just walk in a straight line with their spear at the ready. Reminded of his spear, the young scavenger decided to take a look at it, frowning when he was reminded of how lacking the weapon was when compared to a proper spear. The spear he held was shortened, made for being thrown long distances at the cost of a lot of power. Not to mention, it was actually quite dull. Stalker could push a finger down on the tip, and it barely broke the skin at all!

The young scavenger sighed and stopped in his tracks, taking a quick look around as he reached into one of the small bags worn at his hip and took out a blue fruit to snack on. As Stalker chewed, he threw a glance around at his surroundings, mostly making note of the huge metal boxes visible in the distance. They soared high into the air on four metallic legs, mostly hidden behind a large amount of clouds. Still, it was obvious every single one of the boxes was gigantic, and Stalker could not help but wonder what they were even built for. There were rumors spoken by some of the older scavengers in the tribe about the metal structures containing various “mechanical gods” of incredible intelligence and power. Stalker did not believe these rumors, but many other scavengers in the tribe did and were deathly afraid of walking too close to the metal boxes as a result. Not like there was a big risk of that; their current position was literally as far away as possible from the massive structures.

"There is no risk of adventure in this tribe." Stalker mumbled as he finished his snack with a satisfied sigh, looking around for a short moment. His wandering gaze suddenly highlighted something very interesting, however. Just a few meters away from where he was, there were some imprints in a nearby patch of dirt.

Carefully, the scavenger crept forward, spear at the ready, as he crouched down and examined the footprints. It was large, with three toes all ending in sharp claws. Stalker smirked to himself—a lizard! Judging by the size, it was probably a smaller variant. Perhaps a blue lizard? From what he had been told, the blues were smaller and way more fragile than any other type of lizard. It would make for the perfect first lizard kill of many! Slowly, he stood up, looking in the direction the lizard had walked. It did not take long for him to spot more prints in nearby patches of soil, and he started to follow the tracks excitedly. Stalker was unable to properly tell if the tracks were fresh or not, but that did not matter much to him; a clue was a clue. If he happened to come up empty in his search, at least he had been closer than any of his fellow hunters to facing a larger predator than a small-ass centipede that could barely cause any harm. Stalker would be all too happy with the result either way!

The longer the tracks went on, the more nervous Stalker became. He started to fidget with his spear, glancing around as the tracks continued the same way for a very long time. The previous areas were uncharted territory for the scavenger, but at least he could see some signs of the tribe having been around. It did not take long; however, until Stalker was in the real wild, there were no signs of his tribe having explored the place yet. That meant there would be more predators and more hazards, and the young scavenger almost felt like he could cut the tension in the air with his spear if he wanted to. Finally, however, as Stalker walked through the upper floors of a ruined building and looked down into what looked like an alleyway below, he spotted something blue. The bright color stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the dull colors of the rest of the surroundings, and Stalker grinned. I got you now, lizard.

The lizard seemed to be staying completely still, its blue shape completely unmoving as it lay down with its back turned to him. Stalker wasted no time in jumping off the edge, landing several meters behind the blue lizard, and aiming his spear at its back. His landing had not exactly been quiet, and the young scavenger expected the lizard to turn around to face him at any moment!

…

That moment did not come, however, and Stalker slowly lowered his spear, a confused chitter leaving him as he slowly stalked closer to the immobile predator. As he came closer, he came to the chilling realization that the blue lizard was way too limp, as in, not even breathing. A strong smell of copper assaulted his nostrils, and Stalker scrunched his nose as he slowly started to walk around the blue lizard to get a better angle of its front. Once he finally came around to get a better angle, he lowered his spear and sighed in disappointment.

His quarry had already been killed, presumably by another predator. The blue lizard had various cuts and scrapes all over, some wounds deeper than others. Stalker presumed the killing blow had been the deep scratch made in its throat. The lizard was splayed on its side, blood pooling around the corpse. Its stomach had been ripped open, exposing what was left of its half-eaten organs. So much for that hunt. Stalker thought as he kneeled down to take a closer look. Thinking optimistically, he reckoned it still made for a good story to tell the others! Also, the corpse was fresh, and a lot of it had been untouched, meaning he could collect some fresh lizard meat.

The corpse was fresh. Disturbingly so, with no dried blood in sight. The kill in front of him had probably occurred very recently before he arrived! Stalker had just enough time to prepare his short spear and get to his feet before a loud growl came from behind him. The scavenger turned around quickly, aiming his spear at whatever had come to face him. His stomach dropped in dread when he saw it was a green lizard, glaring at him angrily as it licked blood from its bloodied face. The predator was huge, even by green standards, easily dwarfing Stalker as he nervously stared at the beast in front of him. The various wounds that covered its body showed that the blue lizard had put up a valiant fight before being torn to pieces, not that it seemed to have done much to the predator standing in front of the scavenger at that moment.

Slowly, Stalker started to step backwards in an attempt to put distance between him and the lizard. Before finding a lizard, the scavenger had been excited, eager to show his skill in hunting. Now that he actually stared down a real predator, Stalker did not feel as confident at all! Suffice to say, he had gotten a bit more than he had bargained for. “E-Easy there, boy.” The scavenger mumbled, glancing back to see if there was any way for him to escape the situation. There seemed to be a pipe in the wall behind him, but it was fairly far to run with the green lizard on his tail. Turning back, Stalker noted that the lizard was slowly following him, gnashing its bloodied teeth and hissing.

“This is your meal?” He asked, climbing over the corpse of the blue lizard and looking around for anything to use to distract the predator that was still approaching. Spotting a rock, Stalker crouched down and picked it up as quickly as possible, immediately getting his eyes back on the lizard in front of him. “I’m sorry, I did not know.” The scavenger kept backing off as the green lizard growled, placing one of its powerful front legs on the carcass in between it and Stalker. “I’ll just be on my way, okay?”

The lizard did not seem to like what Stalker had to say, as it hissed loudly, tensing its body as it prepared to charge him. Fuck. With a yell, the scavenger threw the rock in his hand right as the lizard lunged forward. Luckily, the projectile struck true! Hitting the predator in its armored head with a loud thwack, it dazed the creature long enough for its charge to completely fail. With an angry hiss, the large lizard crashed into the ground, the impact shaking the surface underneath Stalker’s feet and causing cracks to appear in the concrete below. Seeing his chance at escape, the scavenger wasted no time in turning around and running toward the pipe. It did not take long for the lizard behind him to recover, a loud roar piercing the air as loud, rapid footsteps were heard following closely.

Glancing back, Stalker laid eyes on a very angry green lizard following him, rapidly gaining on the scavenger, even as he put all of his energy into a full sprint. “SHIT!” It would catch up at any moment, but turning his head back, he noticed he was so close to the pipe! Come on, just a bit more! Almost… As Stalker swore he could feel the hot breath of the lizard at his neck, the scavenger reached the pipe and dove inside, crawling quickly to escape the situation…

Only to be stopped when his head bumped into something really hard that blocked his path.

Blinking through the stars in his vision, Stalker noted the fact that his supposed “escape tunnel” was actually a dead end. He was staring at a brick wall! The whole tunnel suddenly shook, and the scavenger scrambled to turn back around, pressing his body as far into the wall as possible. The green lizard was trying to force its giant head inside the narrow space to join the scavenger; its powerful slams were shaking the walls and ceiling, making the scavenger afraid of a collapse. With every powerful push of its head, the pipe it was trying to enter widened more and more, the decayed building material crumbling into dust when it tried to withstand the enraged predator’s rage.

Desperately, the scavenger turned the spear in his hands around to point the sharp point at the lizard, stabbing out as quickly as he could towards its head. Every attempt was easily blocked by the green lizard’s armored head; however, the spear glancing off with a sharp tink noise. The attempted attacks only seemed to make the predator even angrier, as it ripped open the tunnel with one of its legs as well, widening the hole to allow itself to stick its whole head inside. Its black eyes looked inside, focusing on Stalker, who was trembling in the corner. It hissed again, preparing to charge forward, with nothing left in the way to stop the terrifying beast.

“NO!” In a final bid for survival, Stalker closed his eyes and held the short spear out in front of himself, bracing the blunt end against the wall at his back as he aimed the dull weapon toward the enemy. Even with the momentum the lizard’s charge would bring, the scavenger knew that chances were higher that the spearhead would completely break off when colliding with the hard head of the lizard than the spear doing any sort of damage, but it was all he could think to do.

Please, be quick. Stalker begged; the scavenger knew from experience that the death cycle would be agonizing even if he died quickly. He did not want to imagine the pain he would have to live through if the death itself was slow and painful as well. His surroundings shook as the lizard pushed all the way inside, the spear clutched in his arms practically bending from the force of the predator pushing against it. Stalker yelped as he felt sharp teeth bite down on his leg. Though the sharp teeth only nibbled before suddenly going away. Stalker heard the lizard roar again, more high-pitched this time, as the tension on the spear suddenly disappeared.

The scavenger, thoroughly confused as to why he was not dead yet, opened his eyes. Ahead of him lay the lizard, squirming on the ground in apparent pain. Its right eye bled, and the globe was a bloody mess of blood. Stalker glanced down at his spear in disbelief, seeing the spearhead and a fair amount of the shaft directly underneath it covered in fresh blood. His leg was bleeding, but the wound was nothing compared to what the green lizard had just experienced.

It was hurt! He had hurt it!

If it bleeds, it can die! The sight of his enemy wounded filled Stalker with adrenaline, and he felt his face twist into a determined scowl as he leaped out of the destroyed pipe with a powerful warcry! His next stab was aimed at the lizard’s back, but he hit the upper tail instead, the attack summoning another pained cry out of the large creature. As Stalker pulled out his weapon, the lizard turned around and swiped at him with its paw. The scavenger moved to dodge but was a bit too slow, wincing in pain as the claws cut through the flesh on his arm. Before his enemy could take advantage, however, Stalker readjusted his weapon and stabbed forward again, catching the beast in its leg.

“WOULD YOU JUST DIE?!” The scavenger shouted, ignoring another grazing swipe from sharp claws to his torso in favor of stabbing his spear into the beast’s side that it exposed in its desperate move.

The green lizard whined in pain, quickly falling back a few steps. It was limping and bleeding heavily, mostly from the grisly wound in its eye. Stalker would not let it get away; it was his quarry! With a growl, the scavenger crouched down, ignoring the searing pain in his body as he challenged the beast to one final charge. His enemy regained the angry look in its eyes, growling as it prepared for a desperate rush towards the scavenger. Stalker had no plan or strategy in place, but he knew he was going to win the fight! With a roar, the lizard charged again, opening its mouth wide, its maw full of razor-sharp teeth approaching quickly. After taking aim, Stalker roared as well, pulling his arm back and throwing the spear in his hand.

THUNK

There was no time for Stalker to dodge; he grunted as he got the full weight of the lizard slamming into him, thankfully with its maw closed, simply knocking him to the ground and pinning him under its weight rather than outright eating him whole. The lizard squirmed on top of the scavenger, who found it rather hard to breathe when half-crushed underneath the beast. Its hissing and growling had been replaced with desperate whining, which eventually devolved into gross gurgling sounds. Adjusting his head to get a better view of the lizard’s face, Stalker quickly spotted why that was.

Buried deep inside the lizard’s mouth was his spear. Only the very top of the dark handle was visible, blood pooling up around the wound as the beast’s squirming and twitching slowed. Eventually, it stopped moving altogether, going completely limp on top of Stalker. The scavenger would have laughed in relief if not for the fact that he felt like his lungs were crushed to dust and he was unable to move at all. Despite the rising panic that came naturally from a lack of oxygen and the feeling of being completely trapped, Stalker managed to keep his calm. He had done it! He had killed a fucking green lizard! Oh man, when the others hear about this.

He tried to laugh again, but all that came out was a choked noise as he tried to cough but did not have the capacity to do so. Stalker’s vision was getting blurry, and he realized he was failing quickly. It’s okay; just give in. He closed his eyes, feeling at peace despite his approaching death cycle. Though just as he felt himself start to fade...

“Void, look at all of this." Someone chittered nearby, the sound coming from the other end of the alleyway from the pipe.

Stalker forced his eyes to open back up, clinging to life through sheer determination alone. Someone whistled as several pairs of footsteps approached. “Wow, blood everywhere.”

“Do you guys think they took each other out? Like, a mutual kill?” The scavengers stopped near the blue lizard’s body.

No, walk further in. See me! Stalker tried to yell but was unable to do much more than whisper quietly. “Nah, look at how butchered that blue one is; something else killed the green.”

Desperately, the pinned scavenger started to work his right arm free from underneath the lizard. It felt impossible, but the more he wiggled, the more he felt he had a chance… “Do you guys think Short One disappeared down there, somewhere?”

I’m here. I’m here! Stalker felt himself start to fade again, but he could not give up! “Shit, I hope not. Guy would not have a chance against a green lizard.”

His arm was almost free. “Yeah, let’s keep looking.”

Finally, Stalker pulled his arm free of the lizard corpse, and he wasted no time in throwing his bloodied arm up on top of the green body, slapping his hand against the scales in an attempt to make noise. He knew it worked when he heard a gasp and rapidly approaching footsteps.

“Oh shit, that’s him!”

“Is he hurt?”

“He’s pinned underneath the lizard! Help me move this thing!”

There was no way to describe the euphoric feeling of relief Stalker experienced when the huge lizard was moved in words, as his oxygen-starved lungs and brain finally received what they needed when he took a huge breath of fresh air as soon as the lizard was moved off his chest. Soon thereafter, the dead beast had been moved completely off him, and his head was gently lifted off the ground. Stalker threw a glance at his body, noting how fucked up he was. The deep cuts on his torso and arm had bled quite a bit, covering his body in red. One of his legs seemed bent at an awkward angle, probably caused by the lizard that tumbled over him. His chest ached with each breath, so he had probably broken a rib or two. Most of the pain did not register, however, and he laughed in relief, stopping to cough a couple of times.

“Easy there.” Pressure was applied to his wounds, and he looked up to see one of the scavengers that had helped him. He was unable to discern much through his blurry vision, but he did not think he recognized the scavenger helping him.

“I… I-” Stalker coughed, his lungs burning with each breath.

A worried chitter was heard from the scavenger as she carefully placed a hand on his chest. “Save your strength; you’re hurt.”

Screw that! He had a right to brag after what he had managed. “I-I killed… a l-lizard!” Stalker eventually managed excitedly, chuckling to himself, before launching into another coughing fit.

With what he wanted to say, said, the scavenger relaxed and let the older scavengers take care of his wounds. He felt a surge of pride as he saw the ones patching him up exchange awed glances as they snuck glances at the lizard’s wounds.

I can't wait to tell the others about this!

He had been very harshly scolded by Captain as soon as he had fully recovered afterwards, but his fellow scavengers respected the hunt. Even the elites had been impressed by the kill by such a young scavenger! His title from then on became “Brave Slayer”, or just Slayer, for short! The memory had flashed through his head in an instant, and Chieftain could not help but chuckle at his past, foolhardy, and brash self. The lizard had still not made its move, simply staring him down.

The ground shook again, and Chieftain could not help but smirk.

“Come on, then! Are we going to fight, or what?” The scavenger yelled, channeling his younger self’s cockiness and energy. It worked wonders, as the lizard angrily screeched and charged forward.

Chieftain waited until the lizard came close enough to almost touch him before pivoting just in time to dodge the jaw of the predator, throwing a punch at its unarmored side. Normally, such a punch would be next to useless, but with the added weight and density of the strong metal chains around his fists, the blow was hard enough to knock the air out of the predator. It made a gasping noise but quickly recovered and lashed out with its large clawed foot, swiping towards his head. Chieftain already saw it coming and dove under the swing, moving back in front of the lizard and throwing two quick jabs at its nose. Though the lizard armor was extremely effective at shrugging off sharp weapons, blunt blows were still effective. Hence, rocks often worked wonders on the armored parts of the opponent.

The lizard backed off slightly, shaking its head in a daze before staring the scavenger down from a distance. A part of Chieftain hoped the pink lizard was starting to realize it had started a fight it could not win and that it needed to get back into its den before the rain started to come down. As he should have expected, the beast did not care much for any of those factors, as it only took a short moment to recover before hissing loudly and walking forward again. Just give it up, already... Chieftain thought with a sigh, cutting the lizard’s next attack short with a well-timed uppercut to its jaw, followed by a hook aimed at the side of its head. The scavenger raised his fist to deliver another blow, only for the shaking to return. Put off-balance, his swing missed, giving the angry lizard the chance to swing its large head at him. The hard skull collided with Chieftain’s left side, and he was temporarily knocked to the ground.

He wasted no time in rolling out of the way of the lizard’s sharp teeth, standing up, and lunging forward as the lizard turned to his new position. Wanting to end the fight quickly, Chieftain lashed out with a furious combo of jabs, hooks, and straights to the lizard’s body and head. Any attempts it made at defending itself were ducked or avoided by the scavenger, who finally finished his combination of blows with a wild swing aimed at the predator’s throat. The lizard’s head was whipped back, and the predator almost flipped on its back from the final punch. The pink wheezed and sputtered as it lay its large head on the floor, its whole body heaving as the lizard tried to regain its composure. Chieftain almost lost his balance as the ground started to shake more brutally than before. It did not stop; instead, the muffled sound of rain reached through the ceiling above. Seeing his chance to simply leave, the scavenger carefully walked around the barely conscious lizard, who was still trying to snap its teeth toward him as he moved.

It was difficult to walk with everything shaking like crazy, but Chieftain eventually made it to the tunnel leading to the den. He threw an unsure glance back at the lizard, noting that it had not moved from its spot on the ground. A part of him felt a bit sorry for the predator and considered pulling it inside the den to spare it the death of drowning. Though, remembering the fact that it had started the brutal melee in the first place, the scavenger decided against it and crawled down into the shelter. He did not want to risk getting stuck inside a tight space with a very angry lizard, after all!

As he dropped into the den and the shelter doors closed above him, Chieftain slowly unwrapped the chains from around his knuckles, wincing slightly at the bruises and cuts he now sported. It had been a very long time since he had fought hand-to-hand, but doing so still felt as natural and effective as when he had been young! With slightly shaking hands, Chieftain settled down on the floor of the shelter, nursing his hands that were starting to sting badly once the adrenaline started to wear off. His stomach grumbled loudly, and the scavenger frowned as he placed a hand against it. He would need to stop to get some food next cycle, it seemed. His only regret at that moment was that he did not think to finish the pink lizard above off and pull its body inside the shelter to eat.

Ah well, I’ll find something else to hunt and eat tomorrow. Chieftain thought to himself as he yawned, closed his eyes, and finally fell asleep.

It did not take all too long for Chieftain to find the location of the first tribe inside the industrial landscape he had traveled through so many times. Even despite not having seen any of the tribesmen for a very long time, he recognized the area well enough. Even from a far distance, the rain deer skull on a stick was visible. It seemed Chieftain had to pass through another toll before he could make his way into the actual home area of the tribe. With a sigh, he prepared the pearl he had found on the way.

Then he quickly realized he would not need the pearl.

Getting closer, it was easy to notice something was wrong. First, there were no guards at all manning the toll. From Chieftain’s experience, the only time this was the case was during the final rumbles of the approaching rain, when it was basically required for every scavenger to get inside a nearby den and hide. But it was still early in the cycle, so there was no reason for there not to be any scavengers nearby at all. Secondly, there were no nearby spears lodged into the ground around the base of the large pole. For the sake of protection, there was always a small stockpile of extra spears lying around the elevated rain deer head. They were there just in case the guards were to run out of the spears they were equipped with and so that they could easily arm themselves again against particularly dangerous threats like vultures or a pack of orange lizards. Thirdly, and most damning of all, the pearls that usually hung from the painted skull were completely missing. There was absolutely never a reason to remove those pearls; they were always set up in tolls and said to bring good luck by many. It was said that removing pearls that were already set up would bring doom to the whole tribe.

As Chieftain walked past, he did lay eyes on a single spear lodged in the ground, a bit away from the toll. Seeing no reason not to arm himself with something throwable just in case, the scavenger picked the spear up and twirled it around to hold defensively in front of himself. Chieftain hoped he would get to see more scavengers further inside the holdings of the tribe, but considering how the front looked, it was more likely he would have to face down predators or other hostile creatures that might have made the ruins their home.

Eerily, he did not have to face down either. As Chieftain came upon the several simple constructions of wood and straw, he checked every single room. There was absolutely nothing in the treasury, kitchen, dining room, or nursery. Every room looked to be trashed and looted, with any furniture left behind smashed or overturned. Even the dens were completely empty, with not even a single piece of straw bedding in sight. Chieftain was on high alert as he started to move toward the throne room, already able to guess what he would find there. Still, the scavenger felt he had to be completely sure he had checked.

He walked through the doorway and looked inside, a spear at the ready just in case. Just as Chieftain had suspected, the throne room was completely smashed to pieces. What was usually the brightest and most regal space inside a tribe had been reduced to metal and wood splinters that lay scattered all over the floor. After taking a quick glance around, Chieftain noted there were no enemies visible and lowered his spear. Having made sure the area was truly fully abandoned, the scavenger strolled inside to study the carnage more closely. The chaos had not occurred all too recently, by Chieftain’s guess. After all, there were no corpses or fresh blood left behind. The signs of a large battle were all too clear, however, and all the clues pointed toward the tribe he was standing in having been pushed out of their territory. It had not been done to take over the land, obviously, as the place had been left completely abandoned.

Chieftain suspected it had been more of a looting run; after all, there were no more riches stored anywhere, neither in the treasury nor in the back of the throne room. Glancing around the destruction, the scavenger noticed something glowing in the dark and carefully trudged over, careful not to step on a sharp wood or metal splinter as he did. Crouching down in front of the glowing object, Chieftain dug it out of the debris it was partly buried in and lifted it to his face to study it closely.

It was a regal leader mask, carved intricately and adorned with pearls, much like his own. Chieftain had no clue why it had been left behind in all of the looting, but chances are it was simply overlooked. Its visage was heavily cracked, and the scavenger hummed as he ran a hand through the break.

The damage sustained to the mask reminded him of one of his own experiences of all-out battle and war.

Slayer had kept a close eye on the preplanning before the battle; he had personally overseen the tactics in place and made some recommendations of his own to Captain during the final cycle before the assault. The tribe’s leader would not often listen to many other members of his community, but he knew of Slayer’s raw skill in combat. If there was one thing Captain appreciated, it was proficiency in harming and killing. It was he who had made Slayer an elite in the first place, after all. He got the promotion after proving himself in unarmed combat by taking on two different elites back-to-back with bare hands and winning. The first fight had been set up before hand, “done for sport” the elite had told him, a faux-friendly smile on her face. Only, as soon as Slayer had finally managed to knock the elite down and was about to get her to submit, her friend had suddenly jumped into the fold.

Luckily, the scavenger had been too enraged to really care for his previous aching bruises and cuts then, only caring about beating the shit out of the elite that tried to put a stop to his honorable victory! Slayer had ended up beating two elites into submission that cycle, and everyone had been impressed by the display of ferocity and talent, especially Captain. Which was why, as soon as the warhorn had been blown and battle was imminent at any moment, the skilled warrior had instantly been assigned as one of the leaders of the coming fight. Slayer would be in command of his own group of warriors, who would follow his every instruction.

Just before the fight, as the warriors of the two tribes stared each other down, spears at the ready, Slayer felt unstoppable. His first big battle, against real enemies. No longer did he have to hold back while fighting other scavengers with harmless training weapons or unarmed; he was fully allowed to kill the opposite side. Already, he could see the other tribe’s warriors shaking in fear; they were not true combatants; they were cowards! Slayer would run them all down; he would make them fear him!

Then he would claim the land for his tribe!

The battle was planned to be brutal but quick. Once the horn was blown, both sides had charged each other, and all-out fighting had begun. What tactics had been in place quickly were disrupted as explosives started to get thrown around, without care of what side of the battlefield would suffer its effects. Slayer did not even know if the shockwave that knocked him to the ground had come from a member of his tribe or an enemy. Nevertheless, he had had the wind knocked out of his lungs, and he felt the weight of a piece of shrapnel that had lodged in the middle of his mask. Thanking the void for the sturdiness of the material, Slayer slowly sat up and grabbed hold of the sharp piece of metal, pulling it out with a grunt.

The scavenger’s ears were still ringing loudly, and he felt his head spin as he got to his feet. His spear had been knocked out of his hand, nowhere to be found. All around him were skirmishes between his friends and enemies, with no real way to tell which from which. What Slayer did know, however, was that the scavenger that was charging out of the mass in front of him, screaming with a spear pointed towards him, was not a friend.

Only by pure muscle memory obtained through many cycles of training did he manage to sidestep the blow and grab hold of the spear by its handle, using his other hand to deliver a powerful punch to the young scavenger’s shocked face. The enemy had obviously never properly wielded a weapon before, as the simple blow was enough to make them let go of their weapon entirely. Without thinking, Slayer whipped the tip around, aimed for the neck, and thrust forward. The other scavenger barely had enough time to even widen their eyes in shock before he twisted and ripped the weapon out. The fight had been brutal but over quickly, it was something to be proud of. Slayer ignored the slight nausea at the back of his throat when he considered that he had ended another scavenger's life. The scavenger twitched on the ground for a short moment, but it did not take all that long until their eyes rolled back and they died. Slayer turned around and started to attempt to get his bearings despite the warfare surrounding him, on high alert for any stabs or swings he would have to dodge.

Everything was chaos, and he had no idea what to do. Slayer's first idea was to try to call out to his group. “Cutter!” He shouted, unsure if his voice was able to be heard at all through the sounds of clashing metal and screams happening all around him. “Author!” Slayer knew he would not get any responses from any member of his assigned group, and even if he did, the warrior was unsure if it would even make a difference if they were by his side in the chaos unfolding. “Anyone?” Still, no responses at all. Slayer stopped to strain his ears, but nothing could be heard at all.

Except he eventually could hear something very faintly. Even despite the loud sounds around him, he heard distant shouting that sounded fairly close by. “No, please! Don’t!” Trusting his ears, Slayer started to head toward the source of the sound. It did not take long until he saw who the voice belonged to.

Just a few meters away, behind a mix of friendly and hostile scavengers that were busy trying to rip each other’s throats out, lay a scavenger he recognized as a member of his tribe. Dark red fur, blue eyes, and large pupils in eyes that were bigger than usual at that moment. The young scavenger’s temporary title was “The Learner”, given to him because of his uncanny ability to quickly pick up the basics of any activity that could be done around the tribe. Building, scavenging, and hunting—he quickly became decent at all of it, whereas a true beginner would otherwise have to struggle with the fairly difficult tasks for a while until picking up the basics. The title was still only considered temporary because it seemed odd to give a scavenger a name that meant they were good at everything when everyone else had a name that often explained their true talent or passion, vaguely or obviously. Learner’s eyes were blown out of his head in fear; above them sat a larger scavenger, older than the young one, with anger in their eyes as they tried to push a spear into the young one’s face. The only reason they had not managed to do so was because of Learner struggling and trying to push them back, but it seemed like a losing battle.

Slayer’s first idea was to ignore the situation entirely; the young one’s death was none of his business. He needed to focus on his own survival, after all. You’re not as cruel as that, you piece of shit. The scavenger’s mind told him, and he sighed as he readied his spear. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. With a scream, Slayer charged towards the struggling Learner, knowing he would have to go through at least a couple of enemies before he could reach the younger scavenger to help.

The nearest hostile turned their head to look towards him upon hearing his shout, their eyes widening as they witnessed Slayer’s approach. The enemy turned their whole body and stabbed their spear toward the warrior, but he quickly ducked underneath the weapon. Holding his own spear with two hands, he used it as a bludgeon, swinging the handle at the scavenger’s legs. The scavenger fell forward on their face, and Slayer straightened back up to keep running.

Another scavenger suddenly appeared ahead of him and tried to block his path, throwing their spear at him. Cursing under his breath, Slayer threw his own spear to intercept the flying weapon, and the two connected in mid-air with a metallic clang, knocking each other to the sides out of reach for the two scavengers. The enemy immediately tried to throw a punch as Slayer got in reach, but he responded by blocking the swing and catching the arm of his opponent. Before they could react, he pulled their arm sharply to the side. The scavenger was pushed off balance, and Slayer used it to his advantage by throwing a hook to their jaw. Without any resistance, they crumpled to the ground, and he kept moving, barely losing momentum at all.

Slayer approached the struggle quickly, noting that the sharp tip of the spear was incredibly close to piercing Learner through his eye. With nothing else in the way, he bent down as he ran towards the larger scavenger that was pinning his fellow tribe member down. Just before Slayer collided with them, they turned towards him in shock. With a grunt, the enemy was tackled to the ground off of Learner. Immediately, Slayer tried to get hold of the weapon in the scavenger’s paw, but they struggled hard, and they were strong and powerful. Control kept shifting between the two in the desperate struggle. For one moment, his adversary had full control, managing to pull the spear fully out of his grip and try to thrust it into his neck, only narrowly missing when Slayer threw himself down and hugged them tightly, pinning their arms and effectively the spear. Their horns tangled together, and he took the disorienting moment to start striking his foe in their ribs, trying to wind them enough that they lose grip of the weapon.

Unfortunately, he had been far too distracted with striking and did not notice the scavenger aiming their spear towards him. Slayer yelled out in pain as the sharp tip of the spear pierced him through his right shoulder, causing him to lose concentration long enough for the handle to be pushed into his chest, pushing him over to the ground as his enemy moved up and pinned him down. A strike with the dull end of the spear to his stomach made him lose his breath, and he could do nothing more than raise his hands to protect his face as the opponent prepared the finishing blow.

At least the young one got away. Slayer thought as he shut his eyes and prepared for his death to come. The sound of a spear penetrating flesh made him flinch, but he quickly came to realize there was no pain erupting anywhere in his body. With this realization, Slayer opened his eyes to see the scavenger stuck in mid-stab. It took him a surprising amount of time to realize the reason they had not stabbed him was because they themselves had been stabbed, a spearhead protruding out of their chest as their own spear tumbled out of their hands and to the ground. The spear was pulled out, and the scavenger coughed blood once, then twice, before falling over sideways. Slayer immediately pushed the enemy’s legs off himself and moved to stand, looking up from the dying body of the combatant to his savior.

Learner stood in front of Slayer, looking down at his imminent kill with wide eyes, clutching the spear in shaking hands. His first scavenger kill, it seemed. Slayer considered the fact that, not so long ago, he had also killed the first of his kind. The difference was that he did not feel anything for the one he mercilessly slaughtered. The young scavenger in front of him looked like he was about to cry, however. Does that make me a bad person? Slayer wondered, taking another look around at the violence and chaos going on around the two of them. All of the pain and suffering, for what? Just some extra land and pearls? Slayer felt disgusted; he no longer knew why he had been excited at all for something so barbaric as killing one’s own kind for next to no reason in the first place. Looking back down at the enemy he’d stabbed, they were still twitching and writhing in pain, face down in the ground. Slayer picked up the dropped spear and aimed for the dying enemy’s spinal cord, thrusting the spear forward and stopping their struggling.

Turning to Learner, Slayer noted they were looking at him with slightly fearful eyes. Maybe I should say something? “Thanks for the save, Learner,” he mumbled awkwardly, staring into the other scavenger's wide eyes. Slayer was not exactly the most social scavenger, often way more preoccupied with training his combat skills than socializing with others in the tribe.

Still, it seemed to help some, as the young scavenger looked a bit less scared of him, looking back down at the corpse at his feet instead. “Y-Yeah, of course…” Slayer took another glance around, making note of the fact that the two of them did not have to scream to hear each other clearly. 

The chaotic noises of the fighting going on around them had quieted down, and it seemed most of their side still stood standing. At least, Slayer recognized mostly familiar faces in the crowd of warriors looking around for more blood to spill, not seeming to mind they were already covered in it. It seemed the battle had mostly been won, with most enemies escaping over the hills or surrendering outright. They had won! Though, at what cost?

Looking around the field littered with bodies, Slayer recognized some of their own lying in the muddied dirt, along with the dead enemies. Just how many of their own had to suffer through a death cycle? How many of the scavengers killed on the other side were simply trying to protect their home? Slayer felt sort of sick as the rest of his scavenger brethren celebrated their victory heartily, thrusting their spears into the air as they whooped. This was no cause for celebration! As the last of the enemies finally scattered and left behind their area, Captain’s booming voice was heard through the field.

“WE ARE VICTORIOUS!” Another uproar of celebration. Slayer turned to look at the young scavenger at his side, noting that he looked just as disgusted as him. “TO THE VICTORS, GO THE SPOILS! LOOT EVERYTHING NOT NAILED DOWN; LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND FOR THE SURVIVORS NOR THE ONES WHO WILL COME BACK NEXT CYCLE!”

As the rest of his tribe charged toward the tribe’s throne room and treasury, Slayer stood in place, disgusted by what he was witnessing. It was all just for the sake of riches and property; there was no honor behind what they had done. Cursing Captain’s greed, he turned and nudged Learner’s shoulder to get his attention. “Come along, kid.” He said, already walking off. “We need not follow his foolish commands.” After a moment of silence, Slayer heard the young scavenger rush to keep up, walking right behind him.

As Slayer started to travel back toward the tribe to get something to eat, patch up the hole in his shoulder, and rest, he carefully took off his blue, carved mask. The hard surface was cracked rather heavily from the shrapnel it had sustained, making a large crack in the material that ran through its middle. It looked quite badass, and considering the mask still seemed to hold well enough, Slayer decided he did not want it replaced.

Chieftain frowned as he stared at the cracked mask. So much death and suffering, and for what? He thought as he started to consider what to do with his find. The scavenger could very well just take off the useful pearls and leave the mask to lie with the rest of the scattered junk lying about. After all, it was not his mask to take; it was the mask of some other leader. Though it was obvious its previous owner would not come back for it if it had been laying abandoned long enough for all the presumed blood and other stains usually made by a big battle to have had time to be washed away. It felt like a bit of a shame to leave behind the cracked regal mask, so, after some more hesitation, Chieftain decided to try it on.

It fit him well; he did not even have to adjust the straps that kept it on his face. Happy with his find, Chieftain got to his feet and walked over to the exit of the throne room. Before he left, the scavenger turned around and bowed his head as a sign of respect for the previous owners of the tribe. They were long gone, but it still seemed like the right thing to do.

If they’re all gone at this point, that only leaves the shaded tribe. The idea was not exactly comforting. Chieftain had had interactions with the tribe inhabited inside the shaded place, and they were not exactly the type he would choose to trust if he had a choice to pick someone else! They were nothing short of mercenaries, willing to do anything for the one who could pay them well enough. He knew that they at one point, they had been paid quite a large amount of pearls to go after Artificer, in fact. Of course, the maroon slugcat sent them running with their tails between their legs. Chieftain chuckled to himself as he started to make his way towards the shaded citadel. Back in the cycles, he would have been disturbed by hearing news surrounding Artificer’s brutal victories. Now it was all in the past, even if all of what she had done had not been completely forgotten by all.

The road to recovery was harsh and punishing, but if anyone could manage, it was Artificer!

Remembering the fact that one of the rooms held a fearful red lizard, Chieftain decided to chance the long way around that room, heading downward into the region. Once he passed by the road that led up to the area full of garbage, Chieftain came into a meeting with a bunch of scavengers. They tensed up, and their frills raised in fear for a short moment, until they saw it was just another scavenger facing them, and they relaxed slightly. They seemed like a small group of nomads—three young scavengers with an adventurous spirit. The one walking in front held a lantern, and judging from the fact they were walking in the opposite direction he was, Chieftain made the guess that the trio had come from Shaded.

Smiling, he plucked a pearl hanging from his new mask and held it out to the group. “Trade for lantern?” The scavenger clutching the light perked up and nodded, handing the object over as Chieftain gave him the pearl. No more words were exchanged as they waved goodbye, the trio seeming to be in some sort of hurry as they sped off before the older scavenger had a chance to say or do anything.

He did not even think they made note of his cuffed-up wrists…

Ah, well. Chieftain had a light source, which meant the trip through the dark region to which he was headed would be a million times easier. The rest of the trip was easy, the biggest annoyance being the centipede-infested tunnel he had to crawl through, where patience was key to avoiding having exits blocked off by giant, orange electricity-myriapods!

Despite it all, it did not take long for Chieftain to scale down a large pole and end up standing in front of the pipe leading toward the broken bridge. Crossing that bridge would finally lead him to the gate and into the region! Looking up, the scavenger also saw the other possible path, leading further up into the regions that were closer to the sun. Going that way eventually could mean climbing up the can of the mechanical god and, from there, entering the city!

The city…

Void, did he miss the city. The warmth, the views, and the scavenging loot! No other region compared...

Chieftain could still remember the time he found his citizen ID drone and got help getting into the city from the owner of the city himself!

Slayer took a deep breath of fresh air, looking out into the distance as he caught his breath from the long and harrowing climb up the side of the metal structure. The sudden decision to make a journey up the massive structure had come as a large shock to pretty much the whole tribe. Captain had apparently had the idea while he was looking out at one of the large metal boxes in the distance when he noted what looked like large tower-like buildings at its top. His very first reaction to finding out something like that was not to send out a small scouting group to climb the side of the metal structure and have a look before reporting back to him, but to immediately move the whole tribe toward the destination.

Many scavengers had been incredibly unhappy with leaving the place that had been their home for the past several hundred or so cycles, Slayer included. He did not see the point in moving; scavengers were not meant to be nomadic, at least not when in a tribe. Tribes were supposed to settle down and stay in one place, only moving if their territory was encroached upon and won through combat or if all of the available food sources ran out in some way. For all the time Captain had been the leader of the tribe, Slayer had never been able to describe the scavenger as anything other than simple-minded. Once he set his mind to something, he could not be made to see any other standpoint than his own. It was not regular stubbornness; even stubborn people could see sense in others' valid arguments and learn a lesson. Captain could not, even despite all the mistakes he kept making.

Slayer considered that the only reason he was still followed and had not been challenged into a duel for his throne was because the one thing Captain could do well was find pearls. Staying in the tribe meant getting pearls, and although a large portion of the found riches went to the leader, even the lowly scavengers in the tribe got their cut of pearls. If there was one thing that could stop scavengers from overthrowing their leader, it was the promise of payment for any and all action. Oh well, even if there’s nothing at the top, the view is nice. Slayer thought to himself as he studied the landscapes in the distance, his gaze especially locking onto the many metal structures, just like the one they were climbing up in the distance.

A tap on his shoulder made Slayer glance back, immediately frustrated at whoever had disturbed his sight-seeing. That frustration immediately melted away when he saw it was just Learner. “What’s up, kid?” He asked, turning fully to look at the other scavenger.

“Sorry for disturbing you, Slayer. But the others have already moved on.” The older scavenger blinked a couple times before looking up towards the top of the structure and quickly noticing the other scavengers slowly making their way up a long pole.

Slayer sighed and shot one last look at the sun, incredibly visible and beautiful without any clouds in the way, before nodding and following Learner toward the pipe. “Alright, let’s get moving then.” His younger friend nodded and started to climb up, Slayer close behind as the two started to scale what seemed like the last part of the ascension to the top.

“So, what do you think is at the top?” Learner asked, glancing down at him before turning back around. “Do you believe there’s a city, just like Captain says?”

The older scavenger pondered the questions for a short moment. Slayer was not too sure what he believed, but he was not sure if he shared Captain’s views of their current destination being “The best placement for a tribe yet!”. What if what Captain had seen was just some sort of hallucination? Their leader was getting older; after all, his final cycle was probably approaching and about to arrive sooner rather than later! Besides, even if there was a city, who was to say it was not already inhabited by scavengers or something else?

After a moment, Slayer finally responded. “Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t.” He said gruffly, waiting for Learner to switch from the pole to a spear lodged in the wall, balancing on top as he prepared to jump back onto the beam. “I guess we’ll see.” Slayer finished as Learner made the jump, and he followed.

Learner hummed in response as they kept climbing once again, the top finally visible from their position. “I guess so... Hey, what about the mechanical god at the top? Do you think there’s a way for us to avoid them?”

Slayer sighed heavily, and there it was once again. The theorizing over there even existing something like a “god” inside such a large structure was stupid. Some scavengers even tried to spread some rumors about seeing the “god’s eyes” watching them, popping out of the walls, ceilings, and floors to observe their journey up their structure. Slayer had never seen such a thing himself, and if it were real, he would not cower like the rest of his tribe! He would fight the eye and gouge it out to let the apparent “god” just what he thought of godhood! But, of course, there was no god, so he did not have to worry about thinking that.

“This story of a “god” is just hearsay, kid. You shouldn’t believe in that stuff…” He mumbled in response as the scavenger above him climbed onto the ledge at the end of the pole and reached down with a hand to help pull him up.

“Careful, Slayer.” Learner whispered, looking slightly frightened. “That sort of talking might be considered blasphemy! What if you anger them?”

Slayer huffed and rolled his eyes as they stepped up to climb through a nearby pipe to follow the rest of the tribe. “Then they can prove they’re real by striking me dead, for all I care.” Learner looked even more scared, covering their head with their arms and looking up into the skies above as if thunder were about to strike them both down. “Come on, “tinkerer”. Let’s get a move on.” He mumbled, gesturing toward the pipe. The other scavenger nodded, and the two of them climbed through.

“What was that you called me?” Learner suddenly whispered at his side as they came into the next room, with Captain giving some sort of speech and delegating work or something.

He ignored their annoying leader and turned to his friend instead. “Hm?”

Learner tilted his head, looking thoughtful. “That nickname.”

“Oh. Well, I just thought it fitting.” Slayer explained. "Every time I see you during our free time, you’re fidgeting with some electronic or mechanical device, either trying to figure out how its internals work or trying to fix it.” He shrugged as he turned back to look at Captain, who was pointing toward the pipe they were standing at. “You have not gained your name yet. But I would think it fitting if it were something akin to ‘Tinkerer’.”

His friend nodded in understanding, and through the corner of his vision, he saw Tinkerer smile. “I like it; it rolls off the tongue better than ‘Learner’, at least.”

“Really? I always thought Learner suited you well.”

“It’s a bit too broad a term, I feel. Impossible to know by name what I am good at!”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

The two decided to eventually listen in on their leader’s drivel, immediately regretting it as he exposed the gate they presumably needed to pass through, which was locked and shut tight. Captain was busy gathering scavengers that were to try to pry it open. Other scavengers that were carrying large packs of items settled down on the ground to rest or looked around to see if they could find something fun buried in some of the junk inside the room they were all gathered in. Slayer was not interested in seeing the place Captain wanted to go; however, he was far more interested in seeing where the tunnels in the ceiling led.

Tinkerer seemed very disinterested in helping out as well, so Slayer got the idea to invite the other scavenger to join him. “Hey, fuck following that guy’s orders; let’s climb up there instead!” He pointed toward the tunnel with a smirk on his face; the smirk was quickly replaced with a frown when Tinkerer shook his head.

“Uh-uh, no way, Slayer! What if we run into the mechanical god?” Slayer had to suppress the urge to facepalm himself hard.

“If he were to exist, which he doesn’t, by the way, what makes you sure he would not be behind the gate Captain is trying to open?” He grumbled, pointing to the pipe that apparently led to the locked gate.

Tinkerer was quiet for a long moment, seemingly thinking it over for a short moment. Slayer was hoping his friend would go: “Alright, screw it. Let’s go!” Though he immediately knew that would not happen when the other scavenger shook his head again, going back to looking fearful.

“If he’s behind that gate, then at least we’re several standing against him. If we go off alone, he can easily pick us off!” He explained, making Slayer groan and wave his hand at him.

"Fine, then, be a bore. If anyone asks, I’m off speaking to the hypothetical god!” Slayer snarked, embedding his spear in the ground to hop onto and try to reach the tunnel. Thanks to his long arms, he only just managed to reach the edges, get a grip, and pull himself up with a triumphant laugh.

Slayer ignored Tinkerer’s and several others shouts of protest as he climbed through the tunnel, immediately noticing the bright light that shone through into the vent he was in, coming from the outside. Once he climbed through, Slayer could at least immediately say that Captain was not hallucinating the large towers at the top of the structure! However, he did not know how effective they could really be for housing; they seemed to stretch on infinitely into the sky! If the building's bottom floors were weakened in any way, the whole structure could tumble. The fact that they hadn’t already either meant someone was taking care of them, they were built fairly recently, or they’d been constructed by very good architects. Considering they managed to build the huge structure he was currently on and it was still standing, it was probably the latter.

Slayer had no real sense of direction as he moved, sort of just heading straight forward in search of anything that could be considered fun or useful to the tribe. Hell, who knew? Maybe he would be the one to find the real entrance into the city? It was a fairly long walk until Slayer could walk back inside through a convenient doorway leading into a very long corridor. Getting sick of walking, he decided to instead get some exercise by running to the end of the room. On the other side of a pipe was a gate, and unlike the one their great “leader” had found, the one he stood at actually seemed to be unlocked!

Once he’d passed through, Slayer walked out into a bigger room that housed a popcorn plant and weird symbols written on more metal cubes. Architects loved cube shapes… He thought, glancing around and spotting a shelter. Feeling curious, the scavenger decided to crawl through and take a quick look around to see if anything interesting had been left behind by previous inhabitants. The chance of there actually being something was very small, but one could get lucky in rare cases!

Slayer glanced around the small space, quickly spotting something laying discarded in one of the corners of the den. He chittered curiously as he approached the object, kneeling down to study it closer. It was a maroon-colored thing that looked fairly robotic in nature. Should’ve come with me, Tinkerer… Slayer could have really used the younger scavenger’s technical know-how to figure out what it was. However, it looked like it was shut down and harmless, so the scavenger ultimately made the decision to pick it up and take it with him.

If nothing else, it could serve as something fun for his friend to study or pick apart.

For a moment, the scavenger considered going back with his fun find, but he noticed there was a way to keep moving by climbing some poles. Slayer hesitated, but eventually decided that there was more adventure to be had deeper inside the structure! Reaching the top of the poles, he wasted no time in slipping through one of the several tunnels located on the floor. On the other side of the crawl space, Slayer dropped into a fairly large room that sported some sort of painting on the wall. He had never been someone to appreciate art, so the scavenger moved on quickly after just taking a quick look, climbing into more holes to pass further and further down, presumably deeper into the interior of the structure.

Slayer made some simple observations as he kept moving down and glancing at the murals.

Big guy that needs to eat a bit less.

Pals just being pals.

Am I getting lighter, or is it just me?

Pals just… doing pals.

I’m definitely getting floaty…

Violence, quite simply. The last mural was probably the most uninspired of them all, in Slayer’s opinion. The one before had been a bit shocking at least, and the scavenger was a bit disappointed to see the last one not portray something even crazier than what was quite literally pornogra-

“Woah!” Slayer chittered panickedly as his legs suddenly started to float, clambering to the pole tightly in surprise. Looking around, he noticed the floatiness had not only affected him but everything in his surroundings as well.

The scavenger took the opportunity to grab onto a sharp metal stick that seemed to be infinitely spinning in circles. Repositioning and using his legs, he pushed off the pole and floated toward the floor, using the stick to lodge into the surface. Without his grip on the ground, Slayer instead made use of the spear to stab into the ground, gripping onto the rough texture as best as possible with his hand (difficult when the mechanical item was also clutched in the same hand, but he managed) to try to keep himself in place before effectively “climbing” along. Though Slayer was eternally confused by the sudden change in the heaviness in everything around the area he was in, the scavenger was also very intrigued by what was causing the strange effect and wanted to travel deeper to see what more he could uncover.

Passing through a sort of vent, Slayer started to float down a long corridor, able to keep his momentum by constantly grabbing onto and pushing off nearby beams. Eventually, he reached another vent, one the scavenger wasted no time climbing through. Slayer got to see the inside of the brightly lit, small chamber for about half a second before suddenly getting dropped to the floor as his usual heaviness suddenly applied to him again! Makes no sense... The scavenger thought grumpily as he stood up, glancing around the room he had fallen into. Immediately, he spotted something that shocked him and simultaneously made him want to groan in displeasure.

A figure was looking down at him, floating high above the scavenger’s head with the help of some sort of mechanical limb attached to their back. Speaking of mechanical, the stranger most definitely was. Pink in color and very much made of shiny metal, dressed in an orange cloak of what looked like high-quality material. Sparks were shooting out from around them, bouncing along the walls in the chamber they were both in.

Of course, it turned out the mechanical god was real! I can never let Tinkerer know about this; he’d never let me hear the end of it. Once the shock had fully passed, Slayer was immediately up on his feet, spear at the ready, as he threateningly glared at the “god”. In response, they narrowed their eyes, looking incredibly annoyed as they took the mechanical equivalent of a deep breath and... started to make a series of noises that Slayer could in no way understand.

Slayer lowered his weapon and tilted his head as the figure seemed to go off on some sort of tirade. Judging by the way the being gestured their arms around wildly and from the tone (?) of the noises, Slayer guessed they were... angry at being disturbed, perhaps? The scavenger had no clue; just like the being seemed to have no clue, he could not understand what they were saying. Taking the chance to glance around the chamber, Slayer made note of the many pearls that littered the floor. Any other scavenger would have probably wasted no time in collecting as many as possible of the things, but he did not think that was too important to prioritize at the moment. Besides, he did not really want to anger the being. Speaking of the weird being, they seemed to finally come to the realization that Slayer could not understand a word they were saying, as they paused, their eyes widening for a moment before they narrowed as they glared at the scavenger.

“...What?” Slayer mumbled, shrugging. He had no clue what the being wanted from him. It wasn’t like he could jump back up into the vent he came from!

The mechanical being suddenly raised one of his hands, and the scavenger gasped as he was picked up by some sort of invisible force. Slayer tried to struggle, but he could not do much more but twitch his muscles as the being kept glaring at him. If you heard what I said earlier, I was just joking! Don’t actually strike me down, please? The scavenger thought, hoping the being was actually godlike and could somehow hear his thoughts. A weird droning sound started around Slayer, increasing in pitch as he closed his eyes tightly.

PLINK

The scavenger’s head was suddenly whipped back at the same time as he was released, dropping to the ground in a daze. Slayer’s head felt weird, all thick and heavy, like he could not think properly. Slowly, he got to his feet as the feeling started to fade, swaying slightly in place as he looked back up at the mechanical being.

“Is this reaching you?” Slayer’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden voice that almost seemed to echo through his very mind. After a moment, he nodded hesitantly. “I have been following you and your kind’s journey as you have climbed up the side of my can; I was able to discern this despite all the spears that have been thrown at my overseers.” The tone of the voice was flat and robotic, but it held a certain venom behind it as the being harshly spat the words out. “Judging by the fearful reactions on the faces of your friends before they hurled their spears around, I could have never guessed any of you would be brave or stupid enough to find your way to my chamber.” He crossed his arms over his chest in frustration, glaring down at the scavenger. “Yet here you are.” His mechanical limb brought him closer to Slayer, who stood his ground despite his own nervousness, staring the being down as it stopped less than a meter from his face. “Why have you come to interrupt my work, dumb beast?”

Slayer stared for a moment longer before realizing he was supposed to give some sort of answer. "Um, well. You make good points, mechanical god; can I call you that?" There was no response, only the pink figure still glaring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. I wish Tinkerer were here. The scavenger thought as he tried to figure out what to say next. His friend was way better at talking than he was; he would know exactly how to calm the god down! "We come here looking for a home, but I see that I took a bit of a wrong turn while exploring, so if you could just…" Slayer gestured toward the pipe above him that led out of the chamber before flashing his best friendly smile.

Unfortunately, none of Slayer’s words seemed to have appeased the god at all. If anything, he only seemed angrier! “Such an insignificant beast on the floor of my chamber; I should have known your annoying speech would be complete gibberish to anyone else but your kind.” I can understand him, but he can’t understand me? That doesn’t seem fair. The chamber suddenly turned red, the sparking from the god increasing in intensity as the pearls suddenly started to float around. Slayer took a step back, aware that he might have angered the god for real. "Perhaps you came here looking to collect more of your "precious" pearls, but you will not get any from me, thief." He muttered angrily while Slayer desperately tried to shake his head to deny the accusations to no avail. “I will give you and your tribe one single chance to leave the inside and outside of my can alone. If I happen to catch even one of you entering my chamber again, the consequences will be dire.” Slayer was about to respond, but before he could, he got picked up again and floated incredibly close to the god. “Do you understand?” The invisible grip lessened just enough for the scavenger to nod. Thankfully, it seemed to appease the god at least a bit as the red lights dissipated, replaced by the usual brightness level.

Slayer slowly came to the realization that the god was no longer looking at him but that he was staring at something the scavenger gripped in his hand with wide eyes. The object was easily taken out of his hold, and he was placed on the ground surprisingly gently, at least compared to all previous treatments. Once he could move again, Slayer looked up, realizing that the object he had still held onto was the mechanical thing he had picked up earlier. The mechanical god was looking it over curiously as it floated in front of him, in deep thought for a short moment before looking back at the scavenger.

“Where did you get this?” He asked, and Slayer responded with a shrug. There was no point in trying to talk anyway, and the scavenger was starting to realize the god seemed to be having mood swings. Getting out alive was the priority at that point! “This is a citizen ID drone, belonging to a former inhabitant of the sprawling metropolis on my can.” Slayer did not understand what a lot of that meant, but he nodded anyway. “It is broken. Did you perhaps come here to get it repaired?” Slayer truly had not meant to run into the mechanical god at all, but the scavenger reckoned the drone would be useful to him, and it seemed important. Thus, he nodded again, more slowly that time. The pink god narrowed his eyes, not seeming to trust him fully. Though, after a short moment, he seemed to relent with a robotic sigh and closed his eyes. The “drone” floated close to him, and several sparks were generated between them.

Suddenly, the drone opened a large “eye”, beeped twice, and floated over to Slayer’s side. As the scavenger chittered in confusion, the drone floated a couple laps around his head, beeping from time to time. Finally, it stopped and hovered over to the side of his head, floating in place as the god above crossed his arms and opened his eyes again.

“The drone will follow you around and is able to alert you to any nearby danger through holographic projections. If you don’t know what those are, I will not explain it to you.” He said dryly as he narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps you and your people came here thinking I could offer you something, but I have nothing to give you other than the mark of communication and the repaired drone.” Slayer nodded in understanding, and the pink being nodded back slowly. “Good. Please tell the rest of your people to leave the top of my can and never come back.” Everything started to float again, the scavenger included. As he was hovered toward the vent he had come in through, the drone followed the whole way. “It has not been a pleasure.” Was the last thing the scavenger heard before he was dumped outside, back in the corridor.

The scavenger floated in place for a short moment, looking down at the vent in slight shock. Eventually, Slayer started to move, noting that the drone stayed glued by his side the whole time as he moved. He wondered if the drone could perhaps be used to open the door. It was not a mentioned feature, but considering the god wanted them to leave, it would not be all too surprising if it could, and he simply did not want to mention it. Besides, it did not seem like the being would be able to do much about it, either. Otherwise, he would have surely stopped them before they even reached the top of his “can”. Does he really think I’ll obey his rules? Slayer laughed as he started to climb through the area with the weird wall paintings again.

No way am I telling the others there really is a mechanical god, either. He thought with an amused huff as he passed through the gate, eager to see everyone’s baffled reaction if the drone truly could unlock the gate to the city!

Looking back, Chieftain regretted the fact that he decided to go against the iterator’s orders. He had never met this “Five Pebbles” since then, but he was fairly sure it was best if he stayed away for at least a bit longer. Making enemies with a literal mechanical god was definitely not at the top of the list of smart things he had ever gotten up to…

As his surroundings started to turn darker, Chieftain sighed and raised his lantern as he kept moving. The memory also reminded him of his drone, and he looked to his side, frowning when he was reminded that the floating robot was not floating by his head. It was taken from him while he was being beaten by his former tribemates, and Chieftain could not lie; he missed the little thing’s company. Not to mention, its glow feature would be incredibly nice to have as he was walking through Shaded. Sure, the glow had always been sort of insignificant and pathetic, but when paired with the lantern as a light source, maybe it could have been more effective?

Thus far, Chieftain felt like his travel through Shaded was boring. Then again, it always sort of was, in the scavenger’s experience. There were not a lot of predators or real sights to look at, which simply led to a fast trip through. Though he made sure to avoid the areas he knew held the most of the small spiders that could only temporarily be scared by light before coming back as a combined force and eating one up alive. Chieftain shuddered as he made sure the lantern was not fading in any way.

As he walked, he thought he could hear some sort of sounds in the darkness, but in the end, he ignored them; it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him. Such a thing was normal in a dark and silent environment like Shaded. Chieftain stopped in his tracks as he heard a hiss in front of him, along with the rustling of movement. As the figures started to stalk out of the darkness, he tilted his head in confusion. What was not normal was for a group of the big spiders to decide to attack all at once!

Ah well. With a huff, Chieftain placed the lantern by his feet and wrapped the hanging chains around his knuckles again. The big spiders would usually only attack unarmed travelers, and they must think his lack of weapons meant he was completely unable to defend himself. Chieftain smiled as he cracked the joints in his neck and moved into a fighting stance. The spiders hissed in response.

“Let’s go then.”

Finally, Chieftain reached the room he wanted to at the other side of the whole region. Passing through the pipe, he came into a merchant room he recognized well. At the end of the familiar room, there was also a certain scavenger merchant that he remembered, even though it had been so long since they last talked. The merchant seemed busy with something that Chieftain could not see; the dark gray scavengers back turned as he worked. With a sigh, he uncoiled the chains wrapped around his knuckles, stained in disgusting green blood, and let them hang freely once again.

Time to see if he remembers me just as well. Chieftain thought to himself as he jumped down from the ledge he was standing on, landing a few meters behind the merchant. The dark gray scavenger jumped at the sound, then quickly turned around with a scowl on his face, spear at the ready. Though, as soon as he saw who it was, the scowl was replaced with a smile as he lowered his weapon.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't tha Brave Slayer himself!” He shouted loudly, walking over to give Chieftain a hug.

Chieftain smiled as he wrapped his arms around his old friend. “It is good to see you, Hustler.” Shady Hustler was his full name, gifted for his slightly aggressive selling tactics. Chieftain did not find it all too fitting, something like Mad Bomber would almost work better. “It has been many cycles since our last meeting!”

Hustler laughed loudly as he leaned back and squeezed the taller scavenger’s arm with a smirk. “It’s been way too bloody long, i says!” He exclaimed, pouting dramatically, at least as best he could without lips. “Moved to tha huge city and forgot about us little guys! For shame, for shame…” Another laugh followed before Hustler stepped back and looked him over for a moment. “Old age treating yah tehribly, i see.” He muttered with a smirk.

Surprised by the sudden bluntness, Chieftain huffed a laugh. “You’re one to talk. At any moment, it looks as if you’ll crumble to dust!” This time, they both laughed loudly.

When the laughter calmed down, Hustler finally seemed to spot the chains around his friend’s wrists. “So, how's life been treating yah? I see yah still ain't fully abandoned your 'adventurous lifestyle'!” He gestured towards the bloodied chains with a snort. “They finally lock yah up for your insanity, eh?”

“Something like that, I suppose.” Chieftain deflected, not all too willing to get into the whole story at that very moment. “How’s business been?” He asked, glancing around the empty room. “Fairly dead, I’m guessing.”

Hustler scoffed and shook his head with a smile. “A lawt ah scavs like my wares! My prices? Not so much!” He turned back to whatever he had been doing before Chieftain had gotten his attention, and the other scavenger tried to peek over his shoulder to see what he was working on. It seemed like something involving explosives. Figures… “Business has been ratheh slow, recently. Not many slugcats or scavs are passing through these recent cycles.” Suddenly, Hustler whipped around with a smirk, making Chieftain jump slightly. “Speaking ah someone not often passing through, yah ain't told me why yah have come for a visit.”

“Maybe I just wanted to visit you?” Chieftain tilted his head and shrugged with a smile.

Another loud laugh from his friend. “Ah, I knew it! Yah've missed this old mug, ain't yah?" Hustler’s face suddenly became a bit more analytical, his red eyes narrowing slightly as he looked upon the mask on Chieftain’s face. “I don't remembeh your regal mask lawkin so cracked up last I seen it, now that I think about it.”

Chieftain smiled despite himself; he should’ve known better than to figure he could escape Hustler’s great memory of past mistakes. “Yes, I have gotten into a bit of a pickle.” He admitted, and Hustler huffed a laugh. “Might need some help to get out of it, in fact.”

Hustler’s eyes widened in excitement as he smiled wide. “Yah've been doing some real fighting then, Mr. Too Good For Violence Now That I'm A Leadeh Of A Tribe?” Chieftain rolled his eyes with an amused huff but nodded. “Which brought yah crawling right back tah us lowlifes, tha only ones who can bail yah out!” Way to rub it in... “Who yah in trouble with, then? Otheh tribes? Nomads? Or worse ah all, slugcats?”

“Way more simple, while also more complex than all of those answers.” Chieftain quipped, crossing his arms. “My own tribe.”

Hustler dropped the smile, looking way more serious for a moment. “Messed up real badly now, have yah?” Chieftain frowned and nodded in response. The two of them stayed silent for a short moment before the smile came back to Hustler’s face. “Ah, Don't fuss, old friend! Since yah're such a good pal ah mine, i'll let yah through to tha big boss himself!” The eccentric scavenger exclaimed as he turned around and walked to the other end of the room. “Free ah chahge, even!” Hustler added as he grabbed hold of a large quilt and pulled it out of the way, exposing a few loose bricks covering a tunnel in the wall.

“Cunning Lurker is in, then?” Chieftain asked curiously as he walked up behind Hustler as he removed the loose bricks. Once the hole was exposed, he peeked inside. Despite the rough quality of the hole itself, there were intricately carved steps leading down into the darkness.

Hustler laughed loudly as he stood up to stand next to Chieftain and nudged his shoulder. “In tha throne room!” He explained, as if that narrowed it down much for the other scavenger. All Chieftain remembered last he was there was that no plans for digging out a throne room had even been considered at that point. A lot of progress made then. It had been many cycles since the last visit... “Though, he prefehs tah go by 'king' these cycles, you know?”

Chieftain rolled his eyes with a huff. “Of course he does.”

The other scavenger guffawed again, patting him on the shoulder as he walked back to his wares. “It was fun catching up, 'chieftain'! We'll have tah hang out and drink sometime, just like the good old days, eh?”

“You’re not coming with me?” Chieftain asked, looking down into the dark tunnel and raising his lantern to try to see deeper. It did not yield many results.

“Heh, unfortunately not! I can't abandon my post, friend!” He nodded, despite knowing his friend could not see him, took a deep breath, and started his descent.

“Also, be caheful not tah piss king awf too much! He has been acting insufferable tha last few cycles. Even more so than usual, I mean!” He heard Hustler’s laugh echo through behind him as he carefully took step after step down the long staircase, the stone echoing around him as he moved down.

Thankfully, Chieftain was not in the dark for too long. As he rounded a corner, he could see several bright lanterns in a hall further down. Once he reached the bottom of the steps, Chieftain could also see some guards standing by a bunch of different doors on either side of the hall. Everything was impressively smoothed; the darkness was the only way to tell they were truly deep underground. That and the stuffy air. Chieftain took a glance around to find the throne room. He noticed one of the doors was more grand than the rest—a set of double doors with some pearls attached in an intricate pattern. Taking the guess that that was the throne room, Chieftain started to walk toward the doors.

The guards on either side tensed at first when they noticed his approach, before relaxing and giving him a respectful nod when they saw the mask. They probably recognized him by the color of his fur and eyes. Chieftain nodded back to each of them, having to hold back a laugh when he noticed some of the guards nervously glancing down at the bloodied chains dangling down and swinging slightly as he walked. When he came close to the doors, the two guards on either side reached out and opened them for him, bowing their heads as they did.

These guys always love a dramatic entrance.

The throne room was quite a massive scav-dug cave, sporting an incredibly tall ceiling and walls strewn with trophies and riches. Collector would no doubt love this place. Chieftain thought to himself with a huff. On the room’s right side lay a den, padded with cloth, blankets, and other fluffy materials to make resting inside as comfortable as possible. On the right was a table with some sort of bottle sat on top, a tag attached that he could not read. There was also a map strewn out on the wooden surface, along with some chairs around it. A small collection of non-perishable foods like blue fruit and orange slime also lay in a small pile next to it.

Ahead was, of course, the throne itself. Unlike Chieftain’s own, which had been simply decorated and sat high up. King’s throne was carved from what looked like marble, with beautiful depictions etched into its surface. Pearls of various colors lay scattered around and behind the throne, eventually forming a mountain of shiny things. Right in front of the throne lay a green lizard’s skin, turned into some sort of rug with the head still attached, forever stuck in an enraged roar.

King himself sat upon the throne, lunging around and looking rather pleased with himself. The white’s scavenger’s mix-color eyes were closed, a content smile present on his face as he hummed to himself. His mask was the most regal and overly luxurious thing Chieftain had ever laid eyes on. At least ten pearls, all of different shades and colors, hung from the carved mask’s horns. Golden patterns were painted onto the bone-white visage, truly sticking out along the off-white coloring. He also had a necklace of white pearls around his neck, which shone brightly even in the slight yellow glow around the two of them.

His eyes were closed, but he opened them a crack just as Chieftain got done looking around. Once Chieftain was spotted, his eyes went wide, showcasing his blue (right) and green (left) eyes in their full glory as he immediately stood up, the many pearls on his mask swinging from the sudden movement. “Chieftain! What a pleasant surprise!” King’s voice was as sweet as honey as always, and his charming smile was visible even through the large mask covering his face as he walked up to the other scavenger.

“King.” He greeted curtly, holding a hand out for the other scavenger to shake.

“My void, how long has it been?” The wide-eyed smile never once left King’s face as he furiously shook Chieftain’s hand. I’ve always found his smile and stare to be creepy. The white scavenger's pupils were far too small compared to any other scavenger, giving him a uniquely crazed look at some points in time.

Chieftain waited until his hand stopped being thrown around before responding. “At least a couple hundred cycles, if I were to guess.” He threw another look around the throne room, remembering the cycles when the tribe only had a small hole in the ground that had barely enough room for them all to lie down to sleep. “You guys have gotten a lot of work done in that time.”

King smiled wide and puffed up his chest, obviously very happy at the praise. “Yes, it’s beautiful, is it not? It took a long time and a lot of hard work, but I’d say the results speak for themselves.” He gestured a hand out at the room, and chieftain nodded as he carefully tried stepping a foot on the lizard rug. The scales felt itchy against his skin, and he did not like it, so he stepped off quickly.

“They sure do." Chieftain hummed, looking back at King with a smile.

The other scavenger threw an analytical look at Chieftain, much as Hustler had done. “How have you been yourself?” He asked carefully, staring at the chains for a long time before looking up at his mask. “I’m not going to ask about the chains, but your mask!” The white scavenger looked like he had been struck in the face with how shocked he was. “What happened to it?”

Chieftain crossed his arms and frowned. “My original was stolen, and this was all that was left of the leader of the tribe situated in the industrial region.” He explained quickly.

“Huh, shame about the industrial guys…” King mumbled, showing some very dull surprise at the situation. “But what can you do? That’s just how scavenger tribes work!” The other scavenger smiled easily.

No doubt you had something to do with it, you snake! Was what Chieftain wanted to say, but he couldn’t. He needed backup for his friends in the tree, and King could easily provide with how rich and charismatic he was. The other scavengers he knew all had some sort of moral code, but not Cunning Lurker. He was given that name for being a cowardly, backstabbing traitor! The only reason he even has a tribe is because he was able to build an army of pearl-hungry mercenaries that would kill anyone for him! Unfortunately, there was no other choice but to work together with the untrustworthy scavenger. No matter how badly he wanted to strike the coward in the mouth...

“So, anyway, Chieftain! What brings you around here?” The other scavenger asked easily, switching the topic before they even got into the potential losses of life the industrial tribe might have suffered.

No more beating around the bush, then... “Truth be told, I’ve come here to ask for your assistance.” He started, noting the way King’s eyes lit up, though he made an attempt at simply listening idly. “Some friends of mine are in trouble, threatened by a powerful enemy.” Chieftain could have sworn the other scavenger looked even happier when he heard there would be probable fighting involved. Fucking vulture. “I need to gather strong warriors to help them out, and I humbly ask to… temporarily hire some from you.” The last sentence was uttered through gritted teeth, and Chieftain had to force himself not to snarl or growl loudly.

Silence reigned for a few short moments, with both scavengers simply staring into each other's eyes and sporting serious expressions. Then the white scavenger suddenly started to laugh loudly. Despite himself, Chieftain felt embarrassed and crossed his arms with a huff. “Yes, yes. Big Bad Slayer asks for your help. Laugh it up.” He mumbled in frustration.

“No, no. It’s not about that, I swear.” King said through laughter, eventually regaining his composure as he wiped a tear from his cheek. “You see, I actually thought you were here to try to kill me and take my throne!” He explained, a large smile audible in his voice. “I even brought out all my bodyguards, to be sure.” The other scavenger leaned out slightly, as if looking behind Chieftain. “He’s not here to kill me, guys! You can leave!”

Chieftain turned around, slightly jumping in surprise, when he noticed the large number of warriors that had completely silently gathered behind him, spears pointed at his back. Once King’s words registered, the warriors nodded once and all put away their spears, turned around, and left the room, the final two warriors closing the doors behind them.

He turned back around to glare at King, who tilted his head questioningly. “You pull something like that again, and I’ll pummel your face into dust before any of your guards have a chance to stop me.” Chieftain said, meaning every word as he spat them with venom.

King, for his credit, did not look particularly threatened and instead shrugged. “Oh, definitely! Good thing you weren’t planning to use those.” He pointed to the chains. “Had me very worried for a moment.” He chuckled heartily.

Chieftain frowned, going back to crossing his arms. “Why would I even want your throne anyway?”

The other scavenger shrugged again, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Why did you take Captain’s throne in the first place?” King asked, tilting his head curiously.

The beauty of the city had always enamored Slayer, even despite the fact that, many cycles ago, he usually did not care much for large scenery views. However, how could one not love the way it never rained? The view from his lookout was almost at the same height as the dome itself, where the throne was situated. At times when Captain was feeling the most frustration and anger, his screams could sometimes be heard even through the thick walls. Slayer could not make out words, but he knew someone was being screamed at from the noises.

Looking out into the distance, Slayer spotted the usual sight. Many more of the “cans”, as the mechanical god called them, lay out there in the unexplored wild. If one did not understand the sense of scale and how high up they all were, one might assume the cans almost looked a bit close together. This was nothing but an illusion in the end. The distance between the structures was far, and attempting to travel to another would likely lead to a very long trip. That’s not even mentioning maybe having to encounter new threats one does not know on the way, other predators or creatures local to the new areas one may travel through.

Turning back toward the general city, the scavenger could see practically everything from where he sat. Closest by to him was the “Temple Toll”, as it was called, guarded by only the fiercest of warriors. Anyone who wanted to come visit Captain for any sort of reason (except they were summoned by the leader himself) would have to pay the toll. His greed knows no bounds. It was the usual cheap price of one pearl, but still, it never sat right with Slayer to make one’s own tribesmen pay if they wanted to see you with any issue they might have.

He was supposed to be a leader, for void’s sake! A leader is one with their people; they don’t completely separate themselves from the ones they consider “below” them. One could of course pass by the toll by taking the more underground path, but if that route was traveled, the scavenger in question would have to fight lizards, face small spiders crawling in the dark, and, if they were truly unlucky, run into one of those mechanical birds with the snapping beaks. Slayer shuddered at the thought that no matter how many cycles they had spent hunting it down to let it know to stay away, it always came back with a vengeance. Even if one did manage to make it up from the underground, though, they would have to make a climb over the dome itself.

Slayer had climbed the round building of his own accord once, for fun’s sake! It was exhausting; the smooth material the dome was built in made any upward progress slippery and awkward. Once one came up the other side, chances were, the scavenger making the trip would simply slide all the way down. Finally, even if a scavenger went through all of that bullshit, they would not even get to actually visit. The two elites on the outside would not let any scavenger not be led to the entrance by a toll guard at all, meaning the scavenger in question would have made the harrowing trip for nothing!

Not that anyone ever would make the trip; one of the rooms needed to get to the other side of the dome had that same floaty feeling as inside the god’s chamber, and many feared that taking the path would incite the wrath of the owner of the can. Slayer chuckled. Members of the tribe would often leave behind food or pearls on shrines for the god, completely unaware of the fact that just staying on top of his roof was probably crime enough in his mechanical eyes. He was only happy none of the others were ever brave enough to explore enough to find the chamber, as they would no doubt get killed for trespassing by the pink god if they did.

As the screaming below quieted down, Slayer turned to look toward the entrance of the city. Below the massive girder bridge that one was required to climb to make it to the dome, everything looked miniature in scale from where the scavenger sat. Far off in the distance, he saw the only building that was taller than even the dome. The tallest tower in the city, stretching into the sky almost as high as some of those other constructions on top of the metal structure. Despite the sheer scale of what his tribe now inhabited, it was only a part of the whole thing. Only about, maybe, ten percent of all available structures are located on top of the god’s “house”.

They were all ruins as well. Slayer wondered what the place looked like when it was not abandoned. Just how many people used to live in the city? Upward of a thousand, perhaps? The amount of housing such a sprawling metropolis could house was extraordinary! Looking off in the distance, the scavenger could see a very large cloud of dust far off in the distance, blowing over the skies far away from his position. The cloud was incredibly thick, annoyingly covering up some of his view of the far-off cans in the distance. Another dust storm was approaching rapidly, and Slayer had no real clue how so much loose sand, dust, and dirt could always be picked up so easily. Though he had never paid much attention to how dry the lands were below the can where the dust storm always picked up, it would mean looking through the thick clouds below, and he would rather focus on what was above the clouds!

The dust storms hardly ever reached their position; at worst, the sand and dust would block out the sky and sun if they got too close. They had never had to deal with the strong winds or rough sand and dust flying into their eyes from a storm arriving on top of them, yet, at least. For safety’s sake, Slayer considered that he probably should get off the roof. That’s when he heard what sounded like a struggle from below, by the entrance to the dome. Had hostile scavengers broken through the tolls with ill intent? Slayer had not heard any sounds of violence, but maybe they were being invaded by those sneaky guys off in the shaded place? He always thought they were in good standing with their tribe, but scavenger wars could happen for any reason, so the risk was definitely there!

With a huff, Slayer jumped off his high point, landing in front of the entrance to the throne room. Quickly, he spotted what the sounds of violence were. It was not coming from any large combat; it was coming from two elites punching and kicking at a prone scavenger that Slayer recognized well. Fixer. He felt boiling, hot anger flow through his veins as he stashed the spear in his hand on his back and started to approach the two assholes.

“Hey!” The elites paused, turning towards Slayer. “What are you two assholes doing?” Fixer looked up from his position and locked eyes with him before one of the scavengers pushed him back to the ground with a stomp to his chest.

The other elite walked in between Slayer and her friend, who was busy pinning Fixer down, crossing her arms. “We are dishing out punishment at the commands of Captain.”

It did not do much to answer any of Slayer’s questions, and he walked closer with a glare on his face. “For what reason?” He growled, not missing the poorly hidden fear in the elite’s eyes as their masks were almost close enough to touch each other.

She recovered quickly, however, glaring back fiercely. “That’s none of your business, Slayer. Move on.”

No way. Slayer came to a decision at that moment; he had had just about enough of Captain leading by greed and cruel examples. He was done seeing their leader force the ones below him to work hard while he did nothing but lounge around and stuff his face with food, commanding his guards for hire to beat the shit out of anyone that tried to object. With a chuckle, Slayer removed his elite mask from his face and dropped it on the ground. It felt relieving to be able to feel the fresh air on his face properly for the first time that cycle, and he took a deep breath in relief.

“What the hell? You can’t remove your mask while on duty!” The elite yelled, looking between the discarded mask and Slayer’s face.

Fixer tried to adjust his position on the ground to be more comfortable, and the elite pinning him gave him a sharp kick in the side, making him cry out in pain. “Leave. Him. Be.” Slayer started to walk around the other elite, only for her to move in his way.

“Stop! Don’t intervene with-!” The elite’s sentence was interrupted by Slayer quickly leaning back, clenching the muscles in his neck, before bringing his head forward, his forehead aimed at her face.

With a slam, their heads collided, and a loud crack sounded. Slayer was unsure if the crack came from the elite’s mask or from some bone in her face. Judging by the fact that the mask had a visible break in its surface and blood ran down the elite’s chin as she fell backwards, landing on the ground in a daze, Slayer guessed he had done considerable damage to both. The elite, busy beating his friend, turned over and witnessed the scene, his eyes widening behind the mask in shock for a short moment before turning angry. The elite pulled a spear off his back as Slayer approached him, swinging it by the handle to try to knock him over. The mask-wearing scavenger attacked quickly and with a lot of force, forcing the other scavenger to dodge and weave more than attack. However, Slayer's opponent was also not very defensive, and so when the elite swung high for his head with a yell, Slayer ducked under the swing and punched his foe hard in the stomach. When he hunched over in pain, the scavenger got to his feet swiftly and, in the same movement, delivered a powerful uppercut to the bottom of the elite’s jaw.

The elite’s head whipped back, and his mask flew off his face, exposing his dazed expression as Slayer stood straight and raised his clenched fist to his own face defensively. Only a moment later, the elite slowly fell back with a groan, colliding back-first with the ground. To ensure he would not get attacked from behind, the winner looked back, happy to see the first elite still sitting on the ground, back turned, and her mask pushed up on the top of her head as she touched her face, wincing in pain from time to time. Looking back at his younger friend, Fixer did not look happy or sad with his display, but he did look grateful, at least.

Taking Slayer’s offered hand, Fixer was pulled to his feet with a groan, immediately clutching at his ribs as he hunched over. Now that he got a closer look, the older scavenger could see that his friend had been beaten rather severely, sporting various cuts and bruises all over his face and the rest of his body. “Void, Fixer. What did you even do to deserve all this?” He asked, giving his friend a supporting shoulder to lean on.

Fixer huffed a laugh, wincing in pain once again. “It’s a stupid reason, really.” He tried to avoid the question, looking at Slayer with a small smile. Quickly, he noticed that the answer was not acceptable and that the older scavenger would not let him leave until he told the full story. Fixer sighed, attempting to straighten out slightly. “I was beaten on command of our great leader for the crime of not wanting to gather pearls for him.” He said quickly, cringing slightly as he no doubt noticed Slayer’s anger levels rise.

This is the final straw. Slayer thought as he took a deep breath, attempting to save his anger for when he confronted their “great leader”. “Alright, Fixer. Head back into the city; find Collector; he’ll patch you up.” Slowly, he let his friend go, ensuring he could walk on his own, before giving his friend a pat on the shoulder and a smile as Fixer nodded slowly.

“What are you going to do?” The other scavenger asked as Slayer started toward the dome’s entrance with determined, burning steps.

“I’m going to replace Captain.”

Slayer ignored his friend’s confused reaction behind him, waltzing through the corridor in record time and finally coming face-to-face with-!

Chieftain’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a certain white scavenger flicking him on the chest, and he took a step back in irritation. “Hey, Chieftain! Were you daydreaming or…?”

“I was in deep thought; thanks for the interruption.” Chieftain growled, and King rolled his eyes and scoffed in response, raising his hands into the air.

“Oh, I’m sorry for worrying about your well-being.” He said sarcastically, with a smirk on his face. “I was just scared you were having some sort of attack or something; you’re getting to be quite old, after all!” King shrugged as Chieftain growled again, but louder. “You still didn’t answer my question, though. Why would you want to take over Captain’s throne and not mine?”

Chieftain sighed, his anger dissipating quickly. “That was a very long time ago." He responded dismissively.

“I hear that!” King laughed merrily, walking over to the table on the side of the room and waving for the Chieftain to follow. “Even then, we scavengers could never forget something exciting like that happening!" Chieftain frowned, it was true that leaders being switched out via one-on-one combat not often occurred, especially not often ending in the challenger's favor... "News spread all over about how you absolutely tore the fool apart!”

It had actually been a pretty even fight, going on for a while. A lot could be said about Captain’s leadership skills, but if there was something he was good at, it was combat. “Actually, I just disarmed and threatened him into submission.” Chieftain cut in with a frown.

King trailed off for a short moment as he looked at the bottle on the table, scanning the surface, probably realizing there was nothing to drink from. Bending down, he started to rummage through a box underneath the table that Chieftain had not noticed until then. “How you killed him when he pleaded with you for mercy!”

Chieftain could not help but cut in again to try to correct the record. “I let him live afterwards; I’ll have you know.” He wasn’t some violent barbarian, even back then in his more ruthless cycles!

After a while, King popped up with two very small drinking glasses, probably scavenged from some ruins nearby, and cleaned them up to be safe to drink from. He wasted no time in uncorking the bottle and pouring the drink into the two, putting the bottle down, picking them both up, and handing one to Chieftain, who took it with a nod. Unsure of what he had been handed, he brought the glass up to his face and smelled the liquid. His face scrunched up slightly; it smelled strong and smoky.

“Then, when he had been completely beaten, you even forced him to leave his own tribe!” King laughed loudly, almost spilling some of the drink in his glass. “Classic!” He said it as if he had been there to witness it himself.

Chieftain sighed, knowing that trying to correct the other scavenger was useless but deciding to try anyway. “He was allowed to stay afterward; he left because he could not handle the shame of the loss…”

King nodded rapidly, moving his mask to the top of his head to make it easier to drink whatever they both had. Chieftain did the same. “Good times!” The other scavenger said, the grin on his face making it obvious he had not actually listened to what the real story was at all. “Cheers to all of that, old friend!”

“Cheers.”

They clinked the small glasses together, and Chieftain waited until the other scavenger downed the whole glass before daring to follow suit. He almost choked as the concoction burned his throat, leaving behind a very smoky aftertaste, like he had just eaten a campfire. For a moment, the old scavenger almost thought he’d been poisoned, but the burning slowly started to go away after a short while. The white scavenger chuckled at his reaction, patting him on the shoulder.

He tried to voice his disgust, but his throat clogged up when he tried. Chieftain coughed loudly, then tried again. “Void! What the hell is that?” He finally asked, still grimacing as the smokiness would not leave his tongue.

“I don’t know!” King laughed happily, gesturing wildly with the glass now that it was empty. “We found a whole box of the stuff abandoned in some store.” The white scavenger said proudly as he gestured towards a box that was sitting in one of the corners of the room, near the treasury. Many more bottles were visible inside. “It tickles nicely in the throat though, don’t you think? Also, it gets you really messed up if you drink a lot of it!” The white scavenger whooped as Chieftain frowned.

He had personally hoped for something more pleasant to drink, maybe some fermented blue fruit or something. It was a pain to make, took a lot of time, and required some skill to make sure the concoction would not go bad. However, it tasted wonderful and had the same “messed up” effect as whatever the hell was in that bottle. King lifted the bottle and offered some more, but Chieftain politely declined with a shake of his head and a grunt. The white scavenger shrugged and poured himself another drink in the small glass, picking it up and only taking small sips the second time.

“Now, let’s talk business, Chieftain.” King started, taking a seat on the table as he swirled the drink in his hand around in its glass, looking thoughtful. “I can offer you the help you need quite easily; our tribe can definitely spare the manpower, and who doesn’t like some sinning of violence and warfare, eh?” Chieftain crossed his arms and nodded against his own judgment. “Void, I might even come along. Some proper combat would be way more exciting than staying stuck down here!” He exclaimed, knocking the drink back and placing the glass on the table with a mischievous grin. Chieftain briefly wondered how anyone who had seen true combat could find battles against one's own kind to be anything but horrible and brutal. “The only thing I’m still wondering about, however…” The white scavenger mumbled, his smirk seemingly turning darker as his blue and green eyes stared right into Chieftain’s soul. “...is payment.”

Chieftain huffed a laugh, uncrossing his arms and flashing a grin of his own. “Payment is a non-issue; I will pay whatever is needed for the warriors when the time comes.”

The white scavenger’s smirk somehow widened even further. “You’re willing to pay later on, then? When I’ve gotten a feel of the difficulty of the job, and such.” King tilted his head, not once even blinking. Chieftain's smile faded slightly as he thought about the situation for a moment. He definitely did not like the pointed question, and every instinct was telling him to deny the help. But considering the situation, he also felt like he did not have a lot of choice but to accept what help he could scrounge up, so he nodded slowly.

King’s smile turned a lot more friendly as he laughed loudly once again and got off the table to stand in front of the other scavenger. “It’s a deal then, old friend!” He stuck out a hand for Chieftain to shake, and after a lot of hesitation, the older scavenger nodded, and they shook on it.

“It’s a deal.”

Chapter Text

Artificer started to immediately purr as she awoke, recognizing the comfortable warmth wrapped all around her as coming from a colony-wide cuddle pile without even having to open her eye. She felt her mate’s hand on her slightly plump stomach, a soothing warmth that made her purr just a bit louder. Slowly, she opened her eyes, noting she was in the middle of the den and surrounded on all sides by sleeping scavengers and slugcats alike.

Monk was lying nearest to her head, curled up in a way that he could hug his own tail comfortably, as he usually did while sleeping. Survivor lay right next to his brother, the two back to back. The white slugcat was nuzzled into Hunter, his head resting on his mate’s, who lay a bit more sprawled out on his side. Despite seeming to be sleeping quite deeply, the ears on their heads twitched, flicked, and rotated from time to time. It was clear that they were on high alert in their own way, ready to awaken at any sound that did not sound familiar. Artificer smiled, feeling a bit more safe knowing the two were looking out for the rest of the colony. Night was cuddled in between them, almost impossibly small when curled up, despite having gained some height during the cycles that had passed since first being introduced to Artificer. Turning her head, she quickly spotted Collector and Fixer as well, lying side by side and sharing the same blanket as her. Her mate was of course cuddled as close to her as possible; his other hand, which was not on her stomach, was holding onto one of her paws. She only noticed that then. Sofanthiel was by her side as always, in shutdown mode.

Immediately, as she shifted slightly, Artificer made note of how full she felt, and not just because of her pregnant stomach. The maroon slugcat made the bet that their colony had eaten at least fifty percent of its quite sizable food stockpile that last cycle, in celebration of the new life that would enter the world. It had been quite the feast—all the delicious food roasted over a well-kept fire! With good company and a beautiful star-covered sky that the group gazed up at as they ate and talked.

It felt right to celebrate! They had been through a lot the last cycles, and considering what was coming soon, they had to make the best of the good cycles. Artificer turned around and curled up a bit closer to Fixer, moving the hand holding her paw so she would not put her full weight on it and instead using his and her own appendages as soft pillows. Before settling down completely, Artificer leaned in and gave Fix a lick on the face, purring again as she laid down comfortably. Her mate did not awaken, but he smiled in his sleep, shifting the hand still on her torso slightly to hold her closer. The maroon slugcat yawned, and her tail flicked. The tree was still dark, and she had some more sleeping she could catch up on! Without any further ado, she closed her eye and drifted off again.

When she awakened again a bit later, the rest of the members of the colony also seemed to be in the process of waking up. Artificer opened her eye to see Survivor glancing down at the pup between him and his mate. Night seemed to be in the process of waking up as well, still lying down but with her eyes partly open. Hunter opened his eyes right thereafter, and the two mates looked at each other for a short moment. Then, as if on the same wavelength, they both leaned in close, nuzzling their faces together in a sort of good-morning greeting. The little one between them noticed the movement and looked up at them both with a chirp.

The two looked at Night for a short moment before Survivor leaned his head down and ran his tongue over the fur on her back. Immediately, the pup mewled in protest, trying to get up to escape her morning bath. The white slugcat did not let her, easily pinning her down with a single paw as he kept cleaning her fur. Meanwhile, Hunter nuzzled closer to them both with a purr, closing his eyes yet again. Night’s complaining mewling eventually stopped when she realized her protesting would not save her from her fate, though she kept trying to writhe and squirm out of her papa’s gentle hold with a constant pout on her face. Artificer joined in on the purring as she watched the display in front of her, reminding her all too well of her own pups’ struggles when she tried to clean them up. Survivor looked up from his cleaning for a short moment, sending her a smile and a nod in greeting before going back to cleaning. Hunter cracked one eye open and smiled at her as well, purring a bit louder as he saw her awake.

Judging by Fix’s gentle snores, her mate was still sleeping, as was probably Collector. Otherwise, Artificer was sure she would have heard the nervous scavenger moving around in some way. Monk, however, seemed to start to shift slightly. After a short moment, the yellow slugcat opened his eyes drowsily, and he yawned quietly as his tail slipped out of his hold as it moved away from his face slightly. With the tail moved, Artificer was reminded of the weird, egg-like object the yellow slugcat still had in his position. It was lying between him and his tail, slightly sunken down in the soft bedding the colony members were resting on. She could only get a glimpse of its surface, but it was enough for her to notice and remember. The maroon slugcat chirped in confusion as she looked it over, and that got the attention of Monk, who noticed her looking at him and chirped in return, a soft smile on his face.

“Good morning, Arti.” He whispered, only barely loud enough that she could hear it.

“Mornin’, kid.” Artificer smiled and raised her head slightly, sending another odd look to the thing laying next to the younger slugcat. Monk followed her gaze and looked at the round object as well. “You never told me what that thing is, Monk.” She said quietly, stretching her arms out in front of her with a soft grunt of satisfaction.

Monk scoffed as he looked at her, his ears flattening against his head slightly as his tail moved to hug against his side. “I doubt you’ll believe me."

The maroon slugcat hummed and shifted a bit closer to rest her tail on his back. “Try me.” Artificer mumbled, resting her head back on the soft bedding beneath them and watching Monk closely as she waited for him to explain what the object was and where he got it from.

The yellow slugcat huffed but got to thinking about how to tell the story of the round object. After a while of thinking to himself, Monk eventually cleared his throat. “It is an egg.” The yellow slugcat started gesturing toward the object beneath him. Artificer nodded in agreement; it did indeed look like an egg. “I got it from a mysterious slugcat named Inv that I met on the training grounds. Well, actually, that’s not true. I met them a bit earlier than that, but that’s besides the point.” The maroon slugcat’s expression morphed into one of confusion as Monk rambled. “They gave me the egg as a ‘gift’ to protect, so I am protecting it.” The yellow slugcat finished his explanation, giving the egg a couple pats.

He got an egg as a “gift” from another slugcat. A slugcat named Inv. A very odd name for a slugcat! Besides, Artificer did not know their kind could even lay eggs, but then again, slugcats were also prone to developing different odd quirks, like her explosive abilities, for example. But then, why would a slugcat lay an egg and then gift it to Monk of all slugcats? Did the two know each other well enough for that? Even among species that did lay eggs, they were, of course, only lent or given to close friends or...

Artificer’s eyes widened in surprise as she came to the realization. “Oh.” The yellow slugcat must have had a mate, then? Her face broke into a wide smile. Why would he keep such a thing a secret? He was also about to have a pup of his own running around the tree once that egg cracked, after all! “Congratulations, Monk!” Artificer whispered, not wanting to spoil the surprise for the rest of the colony. An unimaginable amount of pride coursed through her body at the idea that her own child would be a father himself shortly! “You’re growing up so fast…” She mumbled, feeling tears of joy trail down her cheeks from her one functioning ear canal.

Monk looked at her as if she had grown a second head, tilting his head and looking incredibly confused. Then his expression changed to realization, and he blushed heavily. “N-No. Arti, it’s not like that!” The yellow slugcat yelled a bit too loud, but Hunter, Survivor, and Night did not mind much; they were too busy with their own business. But Artificer could feel Fixer shift and mumble slightly in his sleep, pulling the maroon slugcat a bit closer to himself as Collector was also heard shifting slightly. Monk’s eyes were pinned against the back of his head for a short moment before going back to normal, still blushing like crazy.

Fully safe with the fact her mate would not awaken, Arti sighed in relief before going back to grinning happily. The only reason she did not lunge forward to wrap the yellow slugcat in a hug was because she did not want to awaken her peacefully sleeping mate. “No need to be coy with me, Monk. I see all the signs.” Monk went back to looking put on the spot, fiddling slightly with the tip of his tail as he sank further into the den, as if trying to hide behind it.

Eventually, the very flustered slugcat spoke. “S-Signs?” Monk asked, his voice breaking halfway through the word.

“The signs of young love.” Artificer responded, missing the way Monk’s face twisted in horror as she sighed and recalled her own experiences with finding that special someone. “Blushing face, stammering, hiding behind your tail.” The maroon slugcat purred. “Though, I feel like you could have definitely told us all before ‘going all-in’ if you know what I’m saying.” Artificer winked and gestured to the egg as Monk whined and shook his head rapidly.

“No. It seriously isn’t like that.” Monk said seriously. “They just showed up and handed me the egg; I-I did not have a paw… ” The yellow slugcat grimaced for a moment before continuing. “...in making it.”

Artificer was about to respond with more teasing talk about Monk’s newfound mate, but she stopped herself. Judging by the yellow slugcat’s frustrated and serious expression, he might very well be telling the truth. “So they’re not your mate?” She tried her best to keep the small disappointment she felt out of her tone as she asked. Monk shook his head, and she gestured toward the egg lying beneath him. “You did not have a paw in creating the egg?”

“I did not.” Monk growled quietly, more out of frustration than out of real, threatening anger. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you…” He huffed as he put his paws over his face, still fairly flustered by Artificer’s accusation. “We’ve only met like two times, Arti.”

The maroon slugcat hummed in thought. Strange, she was usually really good at figuring out such things. But then, that still left the biggest question unanswered. “If they’re not your mate, then why on earth did they hand you their ‘egg’?” 

The other slugcat groaned, burying his face even deeper in his paws. “I don’t know! They just did, for some reason…”

The conundrum made Artificer chirp in confusion. She opened her mouth to voice her unending bewilderment but was interrupted as Fixer’s arm, still wrapped around her, pulled her backward. The maroon slugcat yelped quietly as she was pulled back to rest with her back flush against her mate, who chittered in satisfaction and wrapped his arms around her gently. Artificer purred and pushed herself back even further in response, and Fixer nuzzled his face into her warm fur and sighed. It was definitely looking like the start of a lazy cycle for every colony member cuddled together in the den.

Looking back at Monk, who was busy stretching his arms and legs for a moment. When done with that, he turned his head and started to run his tongue through the fur on his back. As Artificer watched the yellow slugcat’s cleaning process, she once again considered his story. A mysterious slugcat that he had only met once before suddenly came to find him while he was training his lizards, handed Monk the “egg”, and then left. The more she tried to spin it around in her head to make sense, the less sense it made. Unless, of course…

Artificer gently pried one of her arms free of her mate’s hold to snap her fingers in realization, the quiet noise making Monk chirp and look over. “You’re fucking with me.” She said confidently, grinning ear to ear.

“Wha-? Arti, no. I’m serious…” The maroon slugcat really had to commend Monk’s acting skills, but he was not going to pull wool over her eyes, no siree!

She chuckled, wagging a finger at the younger slugcat. “You almost got me, Monk. Almost!”

Monk looked just a bit desperate to have her believe him, gesturing with his arms crazily enough that even Survivor, Hunter, and Night glanced over. Judging by her mate’s shifting, Artificer guessed Fixer, and to a lesser extent, Collector was listening in on the conversation as well. “They had two-toned fur, skinny arms, and their eyes had this odd pupil shaped like a circle with a line through it!” Every scavenger and slugcat in the den either exchanged confused or worried looks for the yellow slugcat’s odd explanation. Artificer hummed and shook her head. “Odd pupils” that looked like that? Two-toned fur?” Maybe there was a chance of such an odd slugcat existing, but all of it almost seemed too odd to be true. The maroon slugcat guessed that it was more likely that the yellow slugcat had seen the odd stranger in some dream or something. Though that still did nothing to solve the mystery involving the mysterious egg.

Artificer considered what to say for a short moment before sighing. “Listen, kid-” The maroon slugcat did not have time to say anything else, as a loud whistle suddenly pierced the air inside the tree, making everyone jump up to their feet and paws immediately.

“All you in there!” A grizzled voice yelled in rough slugcat. “Get out; we want to talk!” Shit, are they attacking already?

The maroon slugcat wasted no time and got off the bedding she had just been settled on, Sofanthiel quickly turning on and floating behind her. She barked the command to translate at it as she moved, rushing over to the weapon stockpile and picking up an explosive spear. Glancing back, Artificer noticed Hunter was moving up to the weapons the same as her. In one swell movement, she turned around and offered the spear, which the red slugcat took without hesitation. As she turned around to pick out more weapons, Hunter passed by another spear lying on the ground and picked it up to slip it into the spearholder always on his back.

Artificer kept lending out weapons to the rest of the members as quickly as possible, every member creeping up to crouch behind Hunter, who stood just next to the exit to the tree, listening closely for any sort of noise. Survivor was all the way in the back of the growing line, holding Night behind him. The pup could tell something was going down, something serious, and she hid behind her parent’s leg frightfully. Artificer felt her heart ache slightly at seeing the pup’s terrified expression, as well as noting the little one was way quieter than she normally would be.

“You okay?” She turned toward the chitter as it was translated, seeing her mate approach the weapon pile. He was holding the G.U.N. in his hands, and his backpack slipped on with what looked like a full collection of spears and a side pocket full of bombs.

When Fixer got close enough, he bent down slightly, and the two nuzzled their faces together. The scavenger carefully placed a hand on her stomach, obviously worrying for their unborn pups. Artificer purred and placed her paw over his hand, smiling up at him. “I will be when we put all of this battle and violence behind us.”

Artificer threw one more glance behind her, just to make sure the two of them weren’t wasting time while being attacked. It seemed not to be the case; they were not getting swarmed by a large group of scavengers, ready to tear them all to shreds. The other members standing by the doorway seemed confused as well, all exchanging unsure looks. Though Hunter was still focused, listening closely for any approaching footsteps, his spear was raised and ready to stab any enemy that made the mistake of running inside their home.

The maroon slugcat turned back to Fixer, who was also glancing towards the doorway and looking hesitant over why they had not been fully attacked yet. When he turned to look at her, they both exchanged a nod, with Artificer leaning in to give him a small smooch on his cheek. They slowly walked over and joined the others, stacking up behind Hunter, who seemed to be waiting to peek around the corner until all the colony members stood ready. Vague movement made Artificer glance over at Survivor, who handed over Night to Collector, who was standing ahead of him. The orange scavenger looked nervous over being handed the pup, but nodded silently as he traded the round object in his hands for the little one.

Night could not help but whine worriedly as Survivor snuck over to stand by Hunter, listening in for any sounds outside, just like his mate. Collector responded to Night’s quiet cries by gently hushing the pup and rocking her back and forth in his arms to try to comfort her. Monk, who was standing in the middle of the line, glanced over at Artificer and nodded. The maroon slugcat looked him over for a moment, noting the strength of his stance and good grip on the spear handle. The yellow slugcat’s expression was focused and clear; he was ready. Artificer smirked and nodded back in approval.

She truly did not want to fight; Artificer had had more than enough combat against scavengers. A smaller part of her really hoped that this final fight would be her very last, but the smarter part knew it probably would not be. Everything dead came back, after all. Even if their enemies were beaten once, who was to say they would not return? Twice as pissed and vengeful, not to mention.

Finally, after a long moment of waiting for anything to happen, Hunter very carefully peeked his head out, glancing around for a short moment. “Do you see anything?” His mate whispered at his side, the white slugcat nervously fidgeting with his spear as he glanced back at everyone else standing behind them. Artificer nodded and gave him an encouraging grin. Survivor gave her a nod and a small smile before turning back to Hunter.

The red slugcat seemed to glance around for a long time as if searching for something, then he chirped in confusion. “Just two elites, just standing in the middle of the field…” He muttered, his ears twisting and turning as they searched for any sort of noise.

Confused murmuring was shared between everyone else at Hunter’s given information. Were they being attacked or not? Only two elites did not really seem like such a terrifying force to face... "It could be a trap.” Fixer whispered at her side, adjusting the hold on his weapon nervously.

Slowly, Artificer crept forward to get an angle to look out of the tree. The bright sun outside made her eye sting for a moment, and she squinted until she could see semi-clearly. There were indeed only two elites standing in the middle of the field, both looking incredibly impatient as they apparently waited for the group to walk outside. It definitely did look like they were planning some sort of ambush. But if they were, did they really think they were dumb enough to venture outside without properly checking the area first? The maroon slugcat ran her gaze across what parts of the field she could see from where she lay, seeing no obvious sign of any scavengers in hiding. The only cover any scav could really have were some odd spots of hill littered around that one; maybe two of them could hide behind. Even then, it would be a very small and ineffective ambush.

“They have nowhere to hide effectively.” Survivor cut in, practically taking the words right out of the maroon slugcat’s mouth. “If they hid behind our tree, maybe, but Hunter and I were on high alert the whole night, and we would have most definitely heard them." Hunter glanced back and nodded in agreement before looking back outside.

Monk joined Artificer’s side to look outside, crouching low to the ground as he did. “What if it’s only them?” The yellow slugcat asked softly, seeming to be searching for something else and frowning worriedly when he could not spot it. He’s looking for his lizards. Artificer realized, placing a paw on the shorter slugcat’s head to try to quell his worries over whether his pets were safe.

“M-Maybe? Didn’t t-they say something about w-wanting to talk?” Collector joined the conversation and the rest of the group in looking outside as well, though he stayed far behind everyone and held Night protectively against his chest.

Hunter barked a quiet but harsh laugh. “Surely you cannot be so stupid as to believe they actually want to talk?” Artificer could hear Fixer suck in an angry breath and open his mouth to protest his friend being insulted. Fighting each other even before the big battle would not do anyone any good, however, so the maroon slugcat wrapped an arm around her mate and purred. It had the desired effect, as Fixer sighed and the angry tension left his body.

One of the elites, the shorter of the two, suddenly seemed to huff and cupped their hands around their mouth. “Are you out yet? Or shall we move in?” He asked tauntingly, his slugcat still incredibly rough and hard to understand.

Hunter growled and seemed to want to rush outside to attack, but Survivor placed a paw on his shoulder to calm him. “I guess we either let them say what they want to say or we risk them telling the rest to attack early?” The white slugcat asked worriedly.

Artificer considered all the information and also considered Chieftain’s parting words to her and Fixer. He had said that they needed to try to force the attackers to hold off their assault for as long as possible, to let him have as big a chance as possible to gather some backup for them. “Let’s hear what they have to say.” She decided to say out loud, straightening up and glaring out at the two elites. They could probably not see her inside, but it was more for analysis than meant to be threatening to the duo.

“Seriously, Arti?” Hunter whispered, not at all looking like he subscribed to the idea.

Fixer stepped up next to her, checking G.U.N.’s knob to ensure it was set to a good spot. “Arti is right; we have to entertain them as long as possible. At least until Chieftain can come back with our backup.” The other members all exchanged nods and mumbles of agreement.

Hunter still did not agree, but that did not matter. He knew this himself and straightened out with a huff. “Fine, but if they try anything, I say we kill them without mercy.”

“Let’s try to keep violence to a minimum, hun.” Survivor said, giving his mate a lick on the cheek. Hunter grumbled, but still reciprocated with a lick to the white slugcat’s nose.

Monk stepped up next to them, nodding with a determined look in his eyes as he took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go then.”

Everyone else exchanged nods and started to move out of the tree. Collector was made to stay behind with Night in the tree to ensure the pup would be the safest out of all of them. As they ventured outside, the two elites turned away from looking around their surroundings and instead glared at the group as they approached carefully, glancing around for any sign of a trick with their weapons held high. Once halfway over, Monk brought a paw to his mouth and whistled loudly. In a shockingly short amount of time, all of his tamed lizards came running as well. Artificer caught Monk looking over the group of new arrivals and smiling happily as they fell in, happy to see them all present and well. Though the predators immediately noted the two strangers and hissed and growled in their direction, they still joined up with the rest of the colony, covering the flanks as they finally got close enough to the elites to talk.

“Ah, welcoming committee! You took your time.” The shorter of the two said, laughing to himself. Fixer and Collector could not speak a lot of slugcat, but Sofanthiel gave them a chittered translation.

Artificer took a moment to look both of the scavengers over. The diplomatic one of the pair was gray, wearing an off-white mask that resembled something like a frowning face. He had no weapons on him, neither in his hands nor carried on his back. It seemed he noticed her and the others checking as he huffed and spread his arms out to his sides, spinning slowly in a circle to show he was not carrying anything hidden either. His eyes were yellow and slanted downward, giving him a cruel appearance.

The other elite was a bit taller than their friend and also way bulkier, it seemed. What are they feeding this one? Artificer wondered as she looked them over. They were the quieter of the two, sporting more brownish fur. Their body were heavily scarred in many places; most of the injuries looked like burns, but there were also some stab wounds mixed in. The mask they wore was unlike anything Artificer had ever seen an elite wear. Unlike the usual masks that were usually in pristine condition, the mask on their face was cracked in what looked like a hundred different places. Some parts of the bone material seemed to be held together by what looked like the orange slime from Shaded. The sticky stuff had dried completely, but the attempt at using the stuff as adhesive had not left the mask looking pretty at all. Artificer had a hard time even guessing what it was supposed to be before it was heavily damaged. The big elite was constantly switching between who they were glaring at in the colony, breathing deeply with a wheezing sound on the inhale as their gaze wandered.

When they looked back towards the maroon slugcat, she got a good look at their eyes that looked out of the uneven holes of the mask. Its left eye was almost all black, with a small, white pupil in the middle that stared right at Artificer as she studied what she could see of their face. Their right seemed damaged; it was milky white, with a scar slightly visible that ran through the eye. Artificer almost felt like she recognized the elite somehow.

“One hell of welcome…” The diplomatic elite muttered, looking around at all the armed scavengers, slugcats, and lizards almost surrounding the two.

What an asshole. Tell me about it. Artificer was already getting sick of the scav butchering their language. “Just talk in scavenger instead; my drone will translate.” She said simply, Sofanthiel translating for her to ensure the maroon slugcat was fully understood.

Sofanthiel beeped, and the elite looked at the drone curiously. “Well, that’s good.” He responded in a jolly tone that was lost in the robotic translation. “At least I won’t have to communicate in chirps and mewls anymore like some animal. ”

Hunter growled angrily at the insult. “How about we cut the small talk, and you tell us why you’re here?” His angry frown quickly shifted to an excited grin as he looked between the two elites. “Do you guys have a death wish or something? I can oblige!” Survivor once again tried to calm his mate down, whispering something in his ear. Artificer turned to frown at the red slugcat; being aggressive was not helping matters in any way!

“Why don’t you just leave us alone?” Fixer suddenly said, some of Hunter’s anger seemingly rubbing off on her mate. “None of us have done anything to wrong you recently. All else should be left in the past.” He commented in an attempt to persuade the elites to give up on their future assault.

It was a gamble that obviously, unfortunately, did not pay off at all. The diplomatic elite looked at him oddly for a moment, his eyes visible through the mask, portraying confusion. Then he threw his head back and laughed loudly. The sound was ugly and rough, and it made Artificer wince as it continued on for just a bit too long to be normal at all. Finally, the elite calmed down, pretending to wipe some tears from his eyes as he nudged the elite next to him with his elbow.

“‘None of us have done anything to you recently.’” He copied, impersonating Fixer as having a nasal and annoying voice. “You hearing this shit?” The silent elite at his side huffed a few times in quick succession and shook his head before crossing his arms.

Hunter had to be held back by Survivor. He hissed and tried to advance toward the elites. “What’s so funny, asshole?”

The elite’s eyes suddenly stopped portraying joy at all, instead looking angry and serious. “You’re kidding, right? You’ve done a lot of shit to our people that we will not forgive nor forget.” Artificer frowned and narrowed her eyes. All they had done recently that could have pissed them off was free Chieftain from his imprisonment, and even then, that event did not lead to any deaths at all. “Maybe you want me to remind you all, then?” He asked as everyone looked on in confusion. There was no need for a response; the elite was obviously going to tell them all anyway.

He cleared his throat, straightening his back as if he were delivering some sort of report. “A few cycles ago, a small group of scavengers patrolling our general area explained that they were attacked.” Artificer crossed her arms; she did not believe this bullshit for a second. “Once they had recovered from their deaths the next cycle, they explained that they had been assaulted by a ‘yellow devil’ commanding a red and caramel lizard.” The maroon slugcat could practically see the smirk through the elite’s mask as he looked toward Monk, then the two lizards in question in turn. Ruby growled in response, while Topaz whined.

What? Artificer shook her head; that could not be true! Monk was not the violent type; he would rather avoid conflict. Besides, he promised he would not get into fights. The maroon slugcat turned to Monk, expecting the yellow slugcat to be glaring at the elite defiantly, ready to defend his innocence in the made-up event. Her heart dropped when she saw the young slugcat looking shocked, his ears folded back as he stared at the elite that had just exposed him.

“Monk?” She whispered, making the other slugcat turn to face her. Artificer wanted him to deny the accusations and tell her that it was not him. That he was innocent and that the elite was lying! Monk did none of those things; instead, he turned away after a while, looking down at the ground in shame.

Shit. That was bad, really bad. An event that the elites could use against them to justify their future assault on their colony! “Your colony’s brutality does not stop there, either.” The elite continues confidently. "Next, you aided in helping a prisoner of ours escape from his captivity! The two guards keeping watch outside were heavily and mercilessly beaten and had several of their bones broken in the assault."

Hunter growled loudly and tried to lunge at the elites, having to be held back by Survivor and Fixer. “How about I break a few of yours as well?” He shouted, struggling against the hold the others had on him.

“Hunt, calm down!” Survivor yelled as he struggled to contain his mate’s angry outburst. Artificer sighed and covered her face with her paws; this was getting really bad quickly.

The elite stayed quiet and watched the scene in front of him, waiting until the red slugcat finally calmed down and simply going back to glaring at the duo. “Speaking of the aggressive red one..."

“Bite me!”

“There were some reports of a big fight involving the red one and that traitor Collector.” The elite looked around to try to find the orange scavenger among them, but Collector was hiding further back with Night, so it yielded no results. Artificer heard Fixer suck in a breath of anger next to her in reaction to his friend getting insulted. “It was a good battle, lots of destruction and carnage.” He mumbled, his glee once again visible in his expressive eyes. “At the end of it all, there was only one of ours left standing. She was beaten and had already surrendered to the two.” Everyone else tensed up, already seeing where the retelling was going. Artificer glanced at Hunter and saw him tensing his jaw tightly, shaking slightly in anger. Next to him, Survivor listened closely with wide eyes. “She was thoroughly executed, via a spear to the throat. It was thrown by the red one.” The elite tried to sound sad, but there was still a happy lilt to his tone.

There were noises of surprise from everyone on their side, with everyone turning to look at the red slugcat. Hunter had an unreadable expression on his face, still staring at the elite. Survivor stared at his mate, looking horrified by what he had just learned. Artificer growled quietly as she turned back to look at both of their foes. The two elites were staring at her now, looking satisfied with the news they had delivered. Their reactions to what they were being told had all been part of their plan—a way to try to destroy their unity and hope just before their attack.

Artificer huffed, glaring between the duo and narrowing her eyes. “The reasons are bullshit.” She mumbled just loudly enough for everyone to hear. “You would have attacked us anyway because you want revenge. There’s no reason to hide behind other cowardly factors."

The elite chuckled in response. “A lot of us were willing to attack your pathetic colony from the start; it’s true! But there were a lot of scavengers in our group that were unsure of whether they wanted to do so, noting that you were trying to ‘change for the better’ or some shit like that.” He tilted his head as he curiously ran his gaze through every member as the translation went through. “They would not believe us when we tried to explain that all of you were violent beasts that needed to be forced out of the region! Many of them were straight up ready to get up and leave even!” The elite obviously smirked wickedly behind his mask as he chuckled again. “Thanks for proving us right to all of those scavengers.”

Hunter, for what felt like the millionth time during that meeting, lost his cool. “No, thank you, asshole, for giving me a really good reason to kill you both!” He raised his spear, but was swiftly stopped by Survivor.

“Enough.” The white slugcat whispered harshly, actually making Hunter flinch and giving his mate the opportunity to take the spear from his paw.

“Giving us another reason to justify our attack?” The elite opened his arms wide and laughed once again. “Go ahead, red one!” Hunter hissed in response but did not try anything else. Survivor glared at the red slugcat, but he glanced away. The elite with the broken mask tilted their head and huffed in what Artificer guessed was amusement. “As odd as it might sound, me and my friend here did not actually come here only to recount all of your various offenses towards our people.” The elite went back to standing more casually, his hands behind his back and his gaze cold and unfeeling as he kept talking. “We are here to offer you a deal. I think you are all already aware that if we were to fight you, you would lose. You are severely outnumbered and underarmed! If we decide to attack you, it will be a slaughter favoring our side.” He went silent for a moment, his gaze wandering over everyone as if he were waiting for some sort of comment.

When everyone stayed silent, the elite continued. “If you give up Fixer and The Red Death herself, the rest of you may stay behind to live in harmony.” Artificer exchanged a glance with Fix, who frowned in concern. They want us alive. For what? The thought sent a shiver of fear through the maroon slugcat. In the past, she might have considered the offer, at least if she were the only one to be handed over to save the rest of the colony. But she would not let them take her mate, nor will she ever put her unborn pups in the hands of the enemy! “We will give you three cycles to decide what to do; either you hand the two over or we will attack you without mercy.” The elite finished. He waited for any comments once again, and when he’d received none for a while, he turned to his bigger friend, and they exchanged a nod.

With no other words exchanged, the diplomat turned around and started to leave. The quiet, bigger one stayed behind for a bit longer. His gaze was locked on Artificer, sending her a creepy glare through his one eye. After a while of staring and keeping all the other colony members very much on edge, the final elite finally turned and walked off. Everyone kept waiting in their formation until the pair finally passed through the pipe at the very end of the field and disappeared from view. Only then did everyone relax slightly with a sigh of relief.

But no one muttered a word for a while, only exchanging unsure glances. The sound of footsteps from behind made everyone tense, whip around to the noise, and prepare their weapons, only to immediately stop and lower them when they saw it was just Night and Collector. “W-What was t-the meeting about?” The nervous scavenger asked, raising his free hand placatingly.

Survivor was the first to step up, being handed the pup, who was chirping and mewling in fear. Hunter followed quickly, and the two mates put the tension between them temporarily to rest to comfort Night. “You don’t want to know." Monk mumbled, walking past the others and whistling for his lizards to follow.

“Kid, where are you going?” Artificer asked, and the yellow slugcat responded without even looking back.

“Training grounds.” The maroon slugcat watched worriedly as the yellow slugcat walked away.

Fixer came up from behind and wrapped Artificer in a hug. She purred and relaxed into the embrace as he rubbed her belly softly. “Will you be fine on your own? I need to talk to Collector.” He whispered, only loud enough for Artificer to hear.

Artificer’s gaze was still locked on the yellow slugcat as he made his way across the fields. I need to check on him. “Go ahead, my love. I’ll be fine.” She said assuredly in response, patting her mate’s hands.

He nuzzled into the fur on her head for a short moment before letting go and walking over to the orange scavenger, who seemed to be getting a run-down of what happened by Survivor, while Hunter comforted Night by making funny faces toward the pup to make her laugh. “Hey, Colly.” Fixer said when he walked over, sending Survivor an apologetic look for interrupting his explanation. Artificer turned her attention to the scene to watch.

“Fix.” Collector responded with a nod.

Fixer patted the orange scavenger on the shoulder. “We need to talk.” He turned to look at Hunter, who glanced over with an odd expression on his face before looking back at Collector. “In private.”

The orange scavenger looked a bit more nervous than normal as he sent a glance toward Hunter as well. “O-Okay…” Fixer nodded, and they both walked off together in a random direction toward the small collection of trees further off.

Survivor and Hunter watched them for a moment before the white slugcat looked toward Artifficer. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked over to her. “Hey, Arti. I need to talk to Hunter privately; could you take care of Night?” Thankfully, the black pup seemed too busy purring and hugging her papa close to really react to the words, or maybe she just did not know most of them.

“Of course.” Artificer responded with a smile. Survivor mumbled a thanks and handed Night over. Only then did the pup react with a whine, reaching out toward the white slugcat as Artificer hugged the little one against her chest. “Don’t worry, honey.” He leaned down to her eye level and gave her a lick on the forehead. Night chirped in response. “Papa and dada are just going to have a chat, okay?” She whined again but nodded sadly in understanding. Survivor gave her one more lick before straightening and giving Artificer a grateful nod.

As Survivor pulled Hunter along to talk privately, Night whined again and sniffled. Artificer purred and ran a comforting paw through her fur. “Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon.” The maroon slugcat turned back to look in the direction of the training grounds, where Monk had walked off to. After a moment, she turned her attention back to the pup. “Hey, you wanna go visit the lizards? Monk is training them right now, and I think he could use some company.” Artificer said cheerfully, lifting Night up into the air while holding her underneath her shoulders.

Night perked up, smiling wide as her tears almost immediately dried up. “Lizor!” The pup yelled excitedly as she squirmed in Artificer’s grip.

The maroon slugcat smiled and placed Night down on the ground, holding her paw as the little pup started to pull Artificer along toward the training grounds. “Yes, let’s go see the lizors!” She said with a laugh as they walked, Night excitedly trying to stay ahead and only being held back by the maroon slugcat’s grip on her paw.

I can't wait until I have my own pair of pups leading me and Fix along like this. Artificer thought, putting a paw to her belly as they started to pass through the trees toward the spot where the lizards were being trained.

Fixer led Collector through the trees in silence, trying to find a good spot where they could discuss the issue with Hunter. He had a suspicion that the injury caused to his friend’s throat was not actually inflicted by an enemy scav, but by the red slugcat himself! There was no real proof or evidence for Fixer’s claims; only his gut feeling told him something was wrong. He had kept a close eye on the both of them during the celebration feast they had held. From what was seen, he was sure he wasn’t imagining things. The way Collector would flinch anytime Hunter made a sudden movement, or the way he would avoid eye contact if the red slugcat tried to look him in the eye.

The best way to get an answer to what the hell happened during the period when Collector and Hunter went out to collect the stashes was simply to ask one of the ones who were actually there, Fixer decided. Glancing back at his friend, he immediately noticed the orange scavenger looked very nervous. It was not out of the ordinary when he was near other people, especially strangers, but he was never that nervous when around Fixer. The only conclusion the dark red scavenger could come to was that Collector knew what he was about to talk to him about.

Finally, they stepped out of the trees and ended up on a steep cliff’s edge. Fixer glanced down; the view was beautiful, with visible lakes, forests, and ruins way further off. I would not want to fall from this height, though. He thought, looking straight down. The bottom was a sea of sharp rocks and stones; falling such a long distance directly into such a hard landing would mean death for sure. Fixer’s gaze stilled for a moment as he noticed a karma flower glowing in between the rocks, its petals the only thing visible as its stalk was hidden by the boulders. It was a very odd spot for a karma flower to grow! But then again, they were incredibly resilient and were known to be able to grow out of cold steel, so it probably should not have come as such a surprise in the end.

“H-Hey, Fix? Don’t s-stand so close to the e-edge…” Collector nervously mumbled behind him. Fixer looked back to see his friend fidgeting with the explosive spear he still held in his hands as his gaze flitted between his foot placement and the cliff’s edge.

Fixer nodded and took a few steps toward his friend instead, noting the way it made the orange scavenger relax. “Sorry about that, Colly.”

“It’s fine.” Collector averted his gaze once again, looking out at the view ahead of them.

The dark red scavenger turned to look at the view as well, and they spent a few moments just enjoying the landscape that stretched ahead of them. Collector seemed to relax even further and eventually stopped fidgeting with the spear in his hands. “I think you know why I wanted to talk to you.” Fixer said easily, not turning away from the view even as he spoke.

He could practically hear Collector tense up for a moment before the orange scavenger sighed. “I t-think I can g-guess…”

Fixer nodded with a sigh of his own, turning to look at his friend again. “I want you to tell me what really happened when you and Hunter got into the fight with the scavengers who ambushed you.”

Immediately, Collector went back to fidgeting; his sudden peak in nervousness did not go unnoticed. “W-We already t-told the story, d-did we not? Me and H-Hunter took care o-of it; one got a b-bit too close, and…” The orange scavenger stopped himself, reaching up to gently brush his hand against the wound that had almost completely healed on his throat. “We h-handled it.” Collector looked back at the view again, swallowing nervously.

“I don’t think you’re telling me the whole truth, Colly.” Fixer said matter-of-factly, regretting it when his friend’s expression twisted in fear. He walked over and placed a hand on the scavenger’s shoulder. “Colly, look at me.” Collector turned to look him in the eyes. “I’m not mad at you.” I never could be.

A small smile graced his friend’s features. “I-I know, Fix.”

Fixer nodded, sending another glance to the view as he considered how to ask the big question. Eventually, he turned his head back to look at Collector, who was still looking at him. “Was it really a scav that caused this?” The dark red scavenger asked, gesturing to the wound. His friend swallowed loudly again before shaking his head. Fixer felt anger boil up inside him immediately, and he needed to hold himself back from immediately jumping to conclusions or scaring his friend. “Was it Hunter?” He immediately knew the answer when he saw the way Collector tensed at the name, his eyes widening in fear just a bit more. Still, the orange scavenger nodded slowly.

Hunter, you fucker . Fixer was pissed—really fucking pissed. The fact that his friend did everything to help out the colony and was treated like trash! He needed to do something about this bullshit. Fixer needed to find Hunter and demand an explanation, and if it wasn’t a damn good one...

But before any of that, he needed to assure his friend. Pushing the anger into the back of his mind as best he could, Fixer wrapped Collector in a hug. All the tension inside the orange scavenger’s body melted away as he reciprocated. It was only after Fixer felt his friend had properly calmed down that he backed off. Collector was smiling—at least, looking happier now that he got the weight off his chest.

“Are you going to be okay?” Fixer asked, keeping his hands on Collector’s shoulders.

The orange scavenger nodded. “I-I’ll be fine, Fix. Don’t w-worry.”

He nodded and patted his shoulders before letting go. “I’m heading back towards the tree; are you coming?”

“N-No. I’d rather s-stay a bit, if t-that’s fine.” Collector mumbled, looking back out at the land far below them. “Admire t-the view a bit m-more.”

Fixer nodded and gave his friend a smile. “Sounds good! I’ll see you at the tree later on, then."

Collector smiled back with a nod of his own. “Y-Yep! See you, Fix.”

With a wave, Fixer started walking back toward the tree. Once he was sure his friend could no longer see him, the dark red scavenger’s steps turned more determined, his expression twisted into a scowl, and his hands twitched.

Hunter, where are you? We need to talk…

“Can you believe that son of a bitch?” Hunter suddenly grumbled when they had walked for a short while through the trees and bushes in search of a quiet area to talk.

Survivor glanced back with a hum. “Who?”

His mate scoffed, gesturing wildly with the explosive spear in his paw. “That elite, he really thought he did something with his ‘little speech’, I bet.” Hunter winced and put his free paw to his head before he continued. “Just a bullshit story filled with lies and myths, so stupid."

There was no response from Survivor, who just looked ahead and kept walking. Hunter was obviously having a bad cycle, probably fighting a pounding headache. When he had been getting worked up over their visitors talking their shit, the white slugcat had been worried that his mate was going to stress himself into a seizure. Luckily, that did not happen, but Survivor kept looking out for the signs. Obviously, the pain from the parasite was not helping his mood at all, which was probably why he had tried to lash out on the unarmed elites. Was that why he also executed an unarmed scavenger? Survivor shook that thought out of his mind; it wasn’t a good idea to blindly believe the words of their enemies.

Though he would figure out the truth, Survivor would find out one way or another if the elite had been telling the truth about all of their actions or not. The only thing he really knew had at least some semblance of truth was the jailbreak story; Fixer and Arti took care of that, after all. He had no clue what to think of the “broken bones”, though. The white slugcat had not been there personally after all.

That Monk would attack a scavenger patrol shocked him, but he supposed it made sense in some way. His brother had been acting very differently recently, and Survivor had not gotten a chance to really connect with the little guy with everything happening around them recently. As soon as he got the chance, the white slugcat promised himself that he and Monk would do something together, just the two of them. Maybe go on a small road trip for a few cycles? Just something to take his mind off their disappeared previous colony. Judging by Monk’s reaction when the elite mentioned his part in the story, Survivor did not doubt it was true. The little guy often wore his heart on his sleeve, and his shame over having attacked the patrol was obvious immediately.

Survivor told himself that he must have had a good reason.

However, what he really did not want to believe was that his own mate had executed a surrendering enemy. Not only was it not at all what they needed right now. For their actions to prove the story the enemy was trying to tell of them. If the surrendering enemy had been shown compassion and been allowed to walk, it would have shown the ones not willing to fight them that they are not as bad as they are being told. It could have helped a lot and given them more of a chance, but now the only chance they probably had of winning was through Chieftain’s backup. Not only that, but it was also morally wrong from the standpoint of the two probably being strangers, the scav being bested and beat, unarmed, and then mercilessly killed. In some situations, killing a truly evil enemy might be required, but killing someone you have no relation at all to for no reason... It raised some red flags in Survivor’s head.

He did not want to believe it, but Hunter was not helping his case. Not only did he have to be physically held back from killing even more unarmed scavengers (even if they were being assholes), he was also still angrily rambling on behind Survivor, even after he finally found a good spot to talk. There was a small lake in the middle of the small forest they were walking through, with running water creating a nice ambient noise.

Hunter stopped walking just a meter behind him, still going on about their meeting with the two ‘diplomats’. “That big, bulky guy. Did you see his mask? You gotta be crazy to go out wearing something like that."Survivor took a deep breath of fresh air, facing towards the lake.

“Hunter.” Immediately, his mate completely stopped talking, and Survivor knew he had the red slugcat’s full attention. With a sigh, he turned around to face the love of his life. Despite his anger, Hunter was waiting for what he had to say. His ears pointed all the way towards the white slugcat. I love him. Survivor thought, biting his lip with a frown. Please don’t let the accusations be true. “What the elite said about you executing a defeated, unarmed enemy…” He swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. “Was it true?”

Immediately, his mate walked up to his side, taking his paws with a calm smile on his face. “Surv... I haven’t done anything to warrant their hate; none of us have."He said confidently. “The scavs just love to lie and spread rumors. They are trying to pit us against each other, yeah?”

Survivor really wanted to believe Hunter; he did! But he had to be sure. The white slugcat really needed to be sure that all of this stress around his illness, skirmishes with scavs, and caring for Night wasn’t changing the one he loved with all his heart for the worse! “Hunt, look me in the eyes.”

His mate tried to reach out to hug him. “Surv…”

The white slugcat hissed and pushed his mate’s arms away, taking a step back. “Hunter, look me in the eyes and tell me it's all bullshit! Swear on Night that they’re trying to fuck with us!” He yelled, staring Hunter right in the eyes. The red slugcat looked saddened for a short moment before his gaze hardened, and he looked away, glancing towards the river. Survivor felt like his body was suddenly weighed down with stones, and he took another step back. “So it’s true." His whisper was filled with horror and disbelief.

“Yeah, it is.” Hunter mumbled, looking back into Survivor’s eyes. “I killed them, and I’d do it again.”

Survivor gasped and shook his head. “We don’t do that, Hunter.”

His mate narrowed his eyes and scoffed. “Cut the shit, Survivor. It was necessary. They would have done the same to us had we been in that position!”

Recovering from his shock, the white slugcat took a step forward, glaring at Hunter. “That does not make it right.”

“There is no right or wrong, Surv. There’s only us or them.” He responded cynically, crossing his arms over his chest.

Survivor barked a humorless laugh. “That’s a pessimistic way of looking at it.”

The red slugcat growled in response, taking a step forward and uncrossing his arms to gesture with them instead. “I’m a realist , Survivor! The only way for us to win is to be as bad as the enemy we are facing.”

“But there have to be other ways, Hunter! Ways that don’t just include killing unarmed and downed warriors for nothing!” Survivor tried desperately, feeling his anger melt away and giving way to sadness at seeing his mate the way he was.

If Hunter noticed Survivor’s concern at all, he did not show it as he took another angry step forward. “No, there isn’t! We have to fight, not give them a single inch! If we treat them kindly, they will take advantage of it to push us back! If we show we can fight, they will hesitate, because they are cowards who will only attack weak opponents!” The red slugcat ranted on and on, inching closer and closer to Survivor, who’s ears folded against his head in distress. “We are not weak; we are strong. I proved that during the cycle you talk about..."

Survivor stared into Hunter’s eyes in sheer shock, only seeing burning hatred in them as he spoke about the scavengers. The white slugcat eventually glanced away, unable to witness his mate’s hatred any longer than he had to. “You almost sound like you enjoy killing." He whispered eventually, only barely audible enough for Hunter’s sensitive ears to pick up on.

His mate huffed in response, stepping back slightly as Survivor turned to look at him again. “Maybe I do.” Hunter muttered, tilting his head. “Maybe I love seeing the terror twist their features as they realize their death is coming.” The red slugcat smirked. “Maybe I love hearing the noise of their blood splattering onto the hard ground.” His eyes widened as he barked a laugh. “Maybe I love seeing them struggle for breath, as they’re bleeding out of a wound my own spear caused.” Survivor was horrified as Hunter’s expression slowly returned to normal.

"You... want a genocide?” The white slugcat eventually asked. Hunter nodded slowly as Survivor swallowed a few times to wet his dry throat. “You want to kill them all, just like…” He stopped to swallow again, averting his eyes. “Just like The Red Death.”

Hunter immediately dropped his usual stoic expression and replaced it with shock as he took a step back at his mate’s words. They both knew of Arti's past as The Red Death; they had witnessed it first-paw after all. In their own ways, they had both been disgusted and appalled at the violence shown. They never judged her because they did not know what she was dealing with, and when they found out, the two of them always felt a bit bad for even considering judging her.

But with time, they had all realized that there was no excuse for what had been done. No matter what had happened in the past, going on a path of righteous violence and revenge where the mission was to kill everything in sight and lash out against those who had nothing to do with what happened was not right! There was a stark difference between self-defense and murder, after all.

His mate had passed that line, and he had bolstered about it. He knew he had, and now he also realized it. “I won’t see you get turned into a monster, Hunt.” Survivor whispered, feeling tears run down his cheeks.

Hunter was at a loss for words, just staring at the white slugcat with a dumbfounded look on his face. “S-Surv…” Survivor stepped back as his mate tried to reach for him. “I-I’m…” He couldn’t take this! It was too much; he needed to go! Quickly, the white slugcat whipped around and started to run. “SURV!”

“A-ALONE! I NEED TO BE ALONE!” He shouted back as he started to run through the trees away from the lake.

Survivor hoped Hunter heard him and would listen, at least for a bit. He just needed to think for himself. Think over the whole situation in silence and alone. Everything would be fine between them; he just needed some time.

He just needed time.

Fixer was moving through the trees in the general, approximate direction Hunter and Survivor had walked off in. He grunted as leaves and branches threatened to hit the tall scavenger in the face as he walked, and a part of him started to wish he had not left behind his spear, if only so he could have used it to cut through at least the minor shrubbery blocking his path. But he had not done so. Fixer had made the choice of leaving his weapons behind outside the tree before starting his search for the red slugcat; he was afraid of what he might do otherwise.

It was a good idea to try to think logically as long as he could, but the more he kept replaying in his head what Hunter had done to his friend, the harder that task became. Fixer did not see himself as someone who was angered easily, unlike the red slugcat he was trying to track down, but he had his moments of losing control when pissed off. The incident with the stock of the G.U.N. beating against a scavenger’s face was still fresh in his mind, and he would rather avoid such an incident against a fellow ally. At the moment, they were more allies by association than by actual friendship, but they were allies all the same.

Just as the scavenger was going to start questioning if he even went the same way as the slugcats really did, Fixer heard someone talking. It was muffled and in the background, and it consisted of slugcat, meaning he understood next to nothing. Still, he followed the voice as best he could, quickly recognizing it as Hunter’s once he got closer. After no time at all, Fixer pushed through a bush into a small area containing a lake and a running river. The red slugcat he was looking for was sitting by the edge of the water, turning around, and reaching for a nearby spear at the noise. Though, when he saw it was the dark red scavenger, he relaxed and turned back to the lake.

“Hey, Fixer. What brings you out here?” He chittered, sounding sort of down, as he picked up a nearby rock and threw it into the water with a loud splash.

Fixer stepped forward until he was standing right behind Hunter. “I just had a chat with Collector about your little stash collection run.”

The red slugcat barely reacted at all; one of his ears just twitched as he reached for more stuff to throw into the lake, taking a rock from a small pile that he had stacked next to himself. “Was it enlightening?”

The slugcat’s tone was dull and bored, and it pissed Fixer off. As Hunter reached for another rock, the scavenger kicked the stack of rocks over. “It was.” He muttered, taking a few steps back and glaring at the red slugcat as he stood up and leered back, looking frustrated over being disturbed. “He told me some pretty worrying stuff, Hunter. I think you are aware of what I am talking about.” Though he remained calm, the anger in his voice was clear. “Is what he said true?”

“Collector?” Hunter huffed, already looking bored with the conversation that had barely started, as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “That guy’s a pussy for making such a big deal out of me ‘killing a beaten enemy’ when said enemy could have run off and told their friends where we were.” Though he seemed to say it with the same bite his tone always held when he was angry, Hunter did not actually seem all too angry; he almost seemed pensive.

The insult aimed at his friend only made Fixer even angrier, and he clenched his hands into fists at his side. “I’m talking about the fact that Collector told me you threatened him.” He clarified through gritted teeth. “Held a weapon to his throat. ”

Hunter sighed, and his continuous nonchalant reactions to Fixer’s serious accusations made the scavenger practically shake in anger. “You’re talking like you’ve already made your mind up; why are you even asking me?”

“Is it true?” Fixer growled angrily, his patience running out.

“Well, yeah!” Hunter said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Fixer froze in shock for a short moment. "I had to be sure he wasn’t a spy, after all.” The red slugcat closed his eyes and shrugged. “It was nothing per-!”

The slugcat’s explanation was interrupted by a hard punch landing square in his face, and he grunted and stepped back a few meters from Fixer, who had lunged forward and thrown the punch. The scavenger panted, feeling adrenaline run through him as the fresh pain in his knuckles faded and gave way to even more anger. He hurt my friend. He’ll pay.

Hunter spent a moment recovering, touching a paw to his bleeding nose. “What the fuck’s your problem, Fixer? We’re on the same side!” He yelled after a while, wincing in pain.

“So is Collector! But that didn’t stop you from shoving a spear near his throat, you fucking bastard!” Alright, so much for keeping his cool. There was no going back now; Fixer was in the first stages of full rage. He knew he would have no control of his body, but he did not feel scared about losing control at that point.

The slugcat removed his paw from his face and shifted his legs. Before he spoke, he spat some of the blood running into his mouth on the ground. “Yeah, I did. What will you do about it?”

Fixer glanced down at Hunter’s stance, immediately noting that he wanted a fight. With a growl, the scavenger raised his fists and shifted his legs into a fighting stance as well. “I’m going to beat some sense into you, you piece of shit.” He muttered. Fixer knew that Hunter was stronger, more durable, and more skilled than him. But he was still sure as hell going to try to give him the beatdown he deserved.

“Let’s go then.” Hunter responded, straightening out and spitting some more blood on the ground.

Immediately, the scavenger charged forward, hoping to catch his opponent off guard. Once he got close enough, Fixer swung wildly toward Hunter, but the slugcat simply ducked underneath the slow punch and used his leg to trip him. Though on the ground, he immediately tried to use it to his advantage, sweeping his legs to try to take Hunter down to the ground with him. Unfortunately, he had seen the attack coming and simply jumped over his legs. Nevertheless, the temporary distraction allowed Fixer to climb to his feet again. Just as he did, he noticed an approaching red-furred fist and only just had enough time to lean back to avoid the jab.

Hunter growled and threw a few more punches, aiming at his torso except for his head. Seeing it coming, Fixer quickly blocked low. But even though he put up a fairly good defense against the onslaught, the red slugcat’s strength made even blocked punches take the wind out of him. Suddenly, Hunter swung for Fixer’s head, hoping to catch him off-guard. Though the scavenger had already predicted something like it to be coming, he ducked to the side, ending up at the slugcat’s left. Before Hunter could react, Fixer threw a hard hook to the slugcat’s side, and he grunted in pain as he hunched over slightly. The scavenger tried to follow it up with a swing to the side of his head, but his opponent recovered frighteningly quickly, blocking the blow with his arm.

Before Fixer could react, his arm was grabbed and twisted, which made the scavenger yelp and twist his body with the arm. Hunter capitalized, throwing a hard punch to his head as he let him go. The swing had been executed well, and with the red slugcat’s strength, the attack left Fixer’s head spinning. Hunter huffed and started to approach him as he tried to recover from the brutal attack. Though he was still seeing double, the scavenger still took the chance to charge the slugcat once he felt he had come close enough. Unfortunately, his charge was clumsy and slow; Hunter side stepped it easily, making Fixer collapse on the ground face first.

The scavenger panted loudly; his lungs burned and his head hurt. It felt like his world was spinning; closing his eyes made it feel worse and like he wanted to hurl, so he kept his eyes open, staring into the ground as he groaned in pain and discomfort. He heard Hunter approach slowly and crouch down next to him, putting a surprisingly gentle paw on his shoulder. “No shame in giving up, Fixer.” Fixer growled in response, whipped around quicker than he thought was possible, and grabbed onto the slugcat’s shoulders. Before Hunter could react, the scavenger threw his head into his opponent’s face.

Hunter yelled out in pain, standing up and backing up as he held his paw to his nose once again. Still feeling rage inside of him, Fixer took the opportunity to climb onto his feet and rush forward. The charge was just as clumsy as last time, but the slugcat was too preoccupied with his pain to notice his approach. They slammed down on the ground, with Fixer ending up on top and raising his fists in preparation to rain hell down on the slugcat. He was interrupted by Hunter kicking him in between the legs. Ah, fuck! While Fixer was preoccupied with the pain, the slugcat lying below him used his powerful legs to push him off and onto his own back.

He only had just enough time to raise his arms to protect his face and head before Hunter started to rain blows on him. Fixer huffed, panted, and grunted as punch after punch landed, many slipping through and striking him in the face and head. “You don’t understand, Fixer!” The slugcat yelled, landing a blow to the scavenger’s ribs that left him breathless. “I had to make sure Collector was on our side!” A punch aimed at his face was successfully blocked by his elbow. “He signed up for violence and death when he joined the tribe, did he not?” Fixer realized Hunter did not even sound angry; he sounded almost desperate, like he was trying to convince himself more than him. “Just like the scav I executed, they also asked for all of this, did they not?” The slugcat sounded more unsure than convinced that what he was doing was right. Fixer groaned as Hunter grabbed hold of the scruff on his chest with one paw and lifted the other to strike again. “They should all be ready to die!” Seeing his opportunity, Fixer responded by throwing a fist toward Hunter’s unprotected throat.

The well-aimed punch connected, and it left the slugcat reeling, choking, and coughing for air as his paws released the scavenger beneath him. Before Hunter could recover, Fixer followed it up with a strike to the side of his head, knocking the slugcat to the side and off him. Getting to his feet, the scavenger aimed a kick at Hunter’s side before he could recover. It was Fixer’s turn to pin down Hunter, and he held him down and threw punch after punch to the slugcat’s face. With a growl, the scavenger leaned in further and pushed his forearm down on Hunter’s windpipe. Hunter started to struggle, but Fixer planted his knee on the slugcat’s chest, effectively holding him down as he kept choking him.

“This what you want, huh? You want us scavengers to show what we’re really capable of?” Fixer muttered angrily. He pushed down on Hunter’s throat further, and the slugcat’s expression twisted into one the scavenger had never seen on his face: fear. “If you’re going to see us all as monsters, then maybe I’ll prove you right.” Hunter’s attempts to escape turned desperate, but they were ineffective. “I’ll kill you if you hurt my friend without reason again, Hunter.” Fixer whispered, rage barely contained underneath his calm voice. “Do you hear me?” The lack of immediate response made him push down even further. “DO YOU HEAR ME?” Hunter’s struggles started to cease, which made most of the anger Fixer still held onto fade quickly. The red slugcat’s eyes started to roll into the back of his head, his body twitching.

Hunter was fading quickly! He was killing him! What the hell was he doing? What the hell am I doing? Immediately, Fixer caught himself, releasing Hunter and getting off the slugcat. He felt a lot of relief when the one he had almost just killed started to cough and take deep, unsteady breaths as he sat up slightly. Fixer took a few more steps back to let the slugcat recover, panting himself as the adrenaline slowly faded and the exertion from the fight and sting of his scratches and bruises made itself known. He tried to focus on the pain as much as possible and not on the fact that he almost killed Hunter in his moment of anger.

Eventually, Hunter stopped coughing heavily, instead taking deep, wheezing breaths. After a long moment, he slowly sat up to look at the scavenger. “Y-You didn’t finish me off.” He asked, his bruised and bloodied face expressing confusion.

“No.” Fixer responded simply. Though it was really fucking close that I did.

The slugcat took a few more breaths, then spoke again. “Why?” He wheezed, tilting his head in confusion.

Before Fixer responded, he himself took a few deep breaths to try to recover a bit more. “Violence solves nothing in the end, Hunter.” He started, stopping to wince and hiss in pain as a bruise on his side suddenly made itself known. “I apologize for losing control; I could have killed you.” Hunter scoffed in response. Fixer was going to leave it at that, but then he remembered what the slugcat had screamed about as he was trying to beat him, and he realized he had a bit more to say. “Y’know, Hunter. Not all scavengers end up joining tribes because they want to fight. They might be nomads just looking for company with other scavengers and end up being convinced to join a tribe because they’ll get to feel like one with a group.” The red slugcat had sat up completely at that point, listening closely. “Then, they get pulled into war and battle with the belief they are fighting for their newfound family and friends, when most of the time it is for greed or simple destruction.” Hunter looked away with a thoughtful expression on his face, but his ears stayed tilted in his direction as he kept going. “Most scavengers want to avoid battles as much as our colony does, but they have no other choice. An individual should be judged by their character in the end, not by who they are with.” Slowly, Fixer turned around and prepared to leave. “Also, paranoia over whether there are ‘spies’ in our group will only break our spirit and cohesion. Collector is loyal to us; I can bet everything I own on that fact.” The scavenger threw a look behind him, seeing Hunter still recovering on the ground. “Keep all that in mind, Hunter.”

Having said all that he wanted, Fixer turned his head back in the general direction of the tree and left.

Collector sighed as he looked out at the view ahead of him, in awe at just how much could be seen from the vantage point. The only small issue was his fear of heights, but as long as he did not look straight down, the scavenger could oddly enough enjoy the view despite how high up he sat. The orange scavenger realized just how long he had spent looking out at the horizon when he saw the sun begin to enter his vision, slowly lowering down closer and closer to the skyline. He should get going; they had a battle to prepare for back at the tree, after all.

The noise of moving branches from behind made Collector grab hold of the spear he had resting on his legs and turn around, prepared to scramble for cover if he was getting ambushed. Noticing it was just Hunter, he lowered the spear incredibly quickly. His fear of seeing the slugcat temporarily was replaced by surprise when he saw his state—the bloodied and bruised face, his wheezing breaths.

“V-Void, Hunter. You l-look like you’ve been h-hit by a train!” The red slugcat huffed a laugh and approached the orange scavenger.

Collector could not help but tense up slightly as he came up on his side, looking out at the view. “Yeah, something like that.” He eventually mumbled. “Mind if I sit?” The orange scavenger shook his head and gestured for Hunter to sit next to him.

He settled down with a groan, joining Collector in looking out at the view. “Beautiful.”

“Y-Yeah.” Immediately, Collector’s mind started to run amok with thoughts. Ideas and theories as to why Hunter had come to watch the view with him made themselves known.

The most prevalent of all was that Hunter was there to kill him. It was easy to tell the bruised and bloodied face meant Fixer had found the slugcat and beat him up; he obviously knew Collector must have talked, and now he was there to kill him! Glancing over, the orange scavenger noticed the slugcat had no weapons, however. He’ll use his bare paws, remember? He swallowed and carefully wrapped a hand around the explosive spear, still at his side. It was not the best choice for close-quarters self-defense, but if nothing else, he can take his attacker down with him!

“Hey, Collector.” Hunter suddenly spoke again, breaking the silence. Collector responded with a hum, tightening his grip on the spear and preparing to whip it up to aim at the slugcat, who no doubt would lunge at any moment. “I bet you’re probably wondering why I came out here to find you.” Collector made an affirmative noise, tensing his whole body as his eyes stayed locked to Hunter’s form, watching for any sign that he might attack. “The truth is..." The slugcat “hesitated”, and Collector gritted his teeth together.

Here it comes Here it comes Here it comes Here it comes Here it comes Here it comes

“I wanted to apologize to you.” The red slugcat finally finished, turning to look at Collector. The orange slugcat glanced over as well, confusion on his face as he let go of the spear. “I know, big shocker, right?” Hunter chuckled for a moment before sighing and looking guilty. “When I attacked you, I was feeling stressed, threatened, and paranoid. Scared for my family, I guess.” He explained, shaking his head. “No excuse, I know. But I’m just sorry that I built up all of that stress, negative emotion, and hate and then let it all out on you.” With a sigh, Hunter looked down at his legs in shame as Collector processed the apology. “It’s okay if you don’t want to forgive me; I’ll understand.”

Collector sat quiet for a short moment before nodding at the slugcat and smiling wide. “It’s o-okay, Hunter. I f-forgive you.”

Hunter looked back up, seeming shocked out of his mind. “Y-You do?”

The orange scavenger laughed; it did seem a bit like far too easy forgiving. But Collector was not exactly one to hold grudges. “I u-understand that we are all i-in a very stressful situation; y-you felt your family was threatened, a-and you reacted.” He was fairly sure he would react with anger and rage too if he felt his loved ones were threatened by someone, so part of Collector could understand where Hunter was coming from.

Hunter seemed shocked by the easy forgiveness of the scavenger and seemed to feel even worse over threatening Collector in the first place. “Thank you for accepting my apology, Collector. You did not have to do that.”

Collector only chittered happily in response, turning back to look at the view, squinting through the sun shining in his eyes. Hunter joined him in enjoying the landscape far below, the two enjoying a short moment in comforting silence after the slugcat’s apology.

After some time, Hunter spoke up. “Now, since it’s just us speaking privately where no one else can overhear, you can tell me how your stealing days started. I mean, how did a nervous wreck like you become such a skilled thief that started to steal from your very own tribe?"Collector scoffed in amusement and turned to the slugcat, giving him a stare with narrowed eyes. “What?” Hunter laughed and shrugged. “Blame a slugcat for being curious.” He said with a smirk.

Collector rolled his eyes and sighed, then he started to tell the story of when he stole his first item, a glowing mushroom from Fixer.

Chapter Text

Void, you’re terrible. Monk thought as he started to pass through the trees toward the training grounds. The lizards seemed excited to get back to training, surprisingly. Walking far ahead and way faster than he was. Though the yellow slugcat guessed it was probably because they wanted to eat more of the centipedes that were given when they correctly followed his commands. Just a useless piece of shit. Ruby did seem to notice Monk walking slower than normal and looked back at him with a worried expression, though the slugcat simply waved her off, and she turned back to focus on walking. You’ve really messed things up for everyone, and they all know it.

He whined, unable to stop a few tears from coming to his eyes. It was true; he had always known that his killing of the scavenger patrol would come back to bite everyone else. Like always, he hadn’t been thinking; Monk had just acted without thinking of any possible consequences. Because of that, they were guaranteed to get swarmed by a way larger group of scavengers than otherwise, all itching to tear them all up for the sake of revenge. He idly wondered if the patrol he had killed would be part of the assault. He idly wondered if they would look to tear him to shreds personally. He idly wondered if he should let them.

You would deserve it, guaranteed. But your friends and family don’t, you selfish bastard. Monk sniffled and wiped a tear from his face. Was it even worth it to go back? They all knew what he had done; it had been exposed by that elite. The others would not want him back, and even if they did, he just wasn’t worth the trouble, quite honestly. He sighed as the training grounds came into view, not looking forward to trying to train lizards at all, not at all as excited as he otherwise always was. Monk had not even remembered to go and fetch more centipedes either; he wasn’t even sure he had enough to keep the whole session from falling into pandemonium and chaos!

The lizards had not yet lined up; mostly, they just loitered around and did their own thing for a moment. Some were just standing around doing nothing, others were lumbering around the flat space happily without a care in the world, and a select few were napping in the sun shining down on them all. Normally, Ruby would have made them line up for Monk to train, but she seemed to notice he was not acting as he normally would. The red predator whined as he walked past and sat down on the flat ground with another sniffle, placing the spear he held in his paw next to him as he hugged his knees to his chest.

Can’t even muster up the energy to do the one thing you’re good at. Go jump in the void sea. Monk failed to suppress a sob, and Ruby was immediately at his side, nuzzling into him and purring loudly. It did little to help, but the yellow slugcat appreciated the attempt. “I-I’m alright, Ruby.” He lied, hugging the predator’s large head in his arms for a short moment as she whined again. “Just… do your own thing for now; keep track of the others. I just need to recover for a bit, okay?” Monk eventually let the red lizard go, giving her his best comforting smile.

Ruby gave him a very hesitant look, like she did not at all believe his words. However, after a moment, she nodded slowly and turned to walk across the field toward the other lizards. Luckily, the other predators had not even noticed that no training had started; they were far too busy with their activities. Topaz and Jade were both lying down in the warm sun, relaxing, seemingly enjoying each other's presence. They both looked relaxed and calm, which was the complete opposite of Garnet and Sapphire’s activities. The pink lizard seemed to have initiated a play-fight with her "playmate", though the cyan lizard seemed more like she wanted to tear the other lizard’s throat out more and more by the moment as they threw each other around. Luckily, once Ruby noticed the action increasing in violence, she walked up with a growl, and both the lizards separated to go mind their own business.

Even the lizards can handle themselves well without you. What are you even doing here? Monk felt more tears start to form in his eyes, so he hid his face between his knees and started to sob. It was useless—all so useless! Nothing he did would make any difference! Whether he tried his best or just gave up, the colony was screwed either way. Why did he willingly give himself a role in the upcoming battle, thinking he could make a positive change? All he had done was cause damage thus far! Just imagining how many more scavs might make the decision to actually join the effort to completely wipe them off the region because of his stupid choice made Monk feel sick to his stomach. If you all get wiped out, if the tree gets destroyed, if they take Arti… All of that’s on you, and only you. The yellow slugcat felt his claws extend as he hugged himself even tighter, his shoulders shaking. All he had to do was just get his emotions in check and not react to whatever was being spouted in front of him. He just had to stay in place inside that bush.

Monk could not even do that right.

He was sick and tired of always feeling sick and tired! Empty inside, almost everything felt wrong! Monk could not eat for comfort; the food tasted like nothing, and the texture was like ash! He could not do anything he usually enjoyed and thought was fun; any efforts at entertainment fell flat almost immediately, leaving him feeling even more empty than usual. The only thing that really made him feel anything was when he talked to his family or friends, but even then, the very small boost in mood only lasted until the talking stopped, and then he felt like shit all over again.

The yellow slugcat glanced down at the satchel at his side, filled to the brim with glowing flowers, the golden light almost visible through the fabric of the bag. Not even trying to end cycles differently than usual, over and over and over again, had made any sort of difference! Monk whimpered and looked back to the ground, more tears slipping from his eyes and falling to the ground below. The only thing he was filled with was pain and constant sorrow that did not go away, no matter what he did! Why would it not go away? He felt terrible almost all the time, and when he did not feel terrible, he felt nothing but a disgusting heaviness in his gut that weighed him down!

What had he done to deserve all of this?

You know why. Your mere existence is a mistake. You are a waste of oxygen. There’s a solution to your problem, and you know it. There will be no more pain or suffering for you. The others might grieve, but they will move on and be fine—better off, even!

Better off without you.

With a strangled cry, the yellow slugcat tightened his grip further. A sudden pinprick of pain from his left arm made him flinch and stop hugging his knees in surprise. Slowly, Monk turned to his left and lifted his arm to get a look. It was a very small scratch, left alongside the two others his claws had left on him. Though the other two had not been enough to break the skin, the one in the middle of the three scratches bled slightly. Not enough to really drip from the small cut at all, but enough to be slightly visible. The crimson color was especially noteworthy among his yellow fur. He glanced up at the lizards momentarily, noting the fact that none of them had heard or reacted to his cry.

Looking back at the cut, Monk came to a sudden realization. The pain, even when quickly fading, felt almost… relieving. The emptiness inside of him felt momentarily forgotten as the small scratch stung; he felt a bit lighter. It was almost as if he had poured all of his frustrations into the very small wound in his skin…

He turned to look at the dropped spear by his side next. The metal glinted slightly off the sun’s light, and the sharp edge of the weapon was clear. Hunter had spent a lot of time sharpening the head of the spear, not to mention cleaning it carefully. Monk had not understood why he had taken such good care of the weapons at the moment of watching the red slugcat tirelessly scrub off any dirt or grime from the metal rod; it would be used on enemies, not as eating utensils. However, the very clean edge would mean the risk of infection would be low.

With a shaky paw, Monk reached down and picked the spear off the ground, studying it closely. Experimentally, he held it very close to the sharp tip with his left paw and tested the sharpness with his right. It was easy to draw blood; just the teeniest bit of pressure punctured the skin and left him with a small bleeding wound on the tip of one of his digits. He felt it was not enough. The yellow slugcat looked toward the lizards again, noting that none of them were paying attention. Ruby seemed to be busy keeping Garnet from pulling Topaz and Jade out of a rest, and Sapphire was busy leaping after a poor lone batfly that had somehow strayed far from its colony.

Looking down once again, he gritted his teeth and decided to get to work. Monk moved the spear to press against his right forearm, about in the middle. His fur was fairly short, but if he cleaned the blood off after he was done, the yellow slugcat had no doubt it would be easy to hide the cut. Before he fully did anything else, he hesitated for a short moment. Was this really the best way to handle things? Would you rather tell the others how you feel? No, they would be inconvenienced, and he would be even more of a bother if he did so. Do it; it’s what you deserve. Adrenaline started to rush through him, and Monk’s breathing quickened as he slowly started to push down on the weapon…

“Monk?” Arti. The yellow slugcat gasped and fumbled, immediately dropping the spear before whipping around in fear. Monk felt unbearable relief when he realized she was not yet upon him; the shout was coming from a few trees back. She does not know. The maroon slugcat had never visited the training grounds before and so did not know its exact location, thank the void. “Monk!” The second shout was a bit closer, and Monk’s ears twitched as he picked up on two pairs of footsteps just a bit further away.

Quickly, the yellow slugcat wiped off any stray tears as quickly as he could, grabbing the spear and standing up. Looking toward the lizards, Monk noticed that Ruby was approaching him while the rest of the lizards stayed where they were. Even despite how distracted they were earlier, they had all turned towards the noise and were watching curiously.

Realizing he had not yet said anything and was probably worrying Arti, Monk cleared his throat before finally responding. “Over here!” He heard the footsteps stop for a moment before speeding up and heading toward his location.

In short time, Arti walked through the trees in front of him, smiling when she saw the yellow slugcat. Sofanthiel the drone was close behind, beeping twice and pointing an arrow when it saw him. Night was with her as well; in fact, it was the pup that was leading the maroon slugcat along by paw. Upon seeing Monk, the little one let out a squeal of excitement, and Arti let her go to run up to him. He chuckled and knelt down as Night reached him and tried to hug him in her small arms, purring surprisingly loudly for her small size.

“Hi, little Night.” Monk whispered, patting her on the head. “What brings you out here, hm?”

Night chirped and pointed toward the lizards. “Lizor, lizor!” Monk turned over to the lizards and noticed that Ruby was approaching with her head held low, looking at the pup almost lovingly.

When Night noticed Ruby approaching, she chirped in excitement, ran up to the large predator, and hugged her head. The red lizard purred in response and nuzzled herself closer to the pup. Arti chuckled and walked over to stand next to Monk. “You’ve done a good job training her.” She said, sounding… proud? The yellow slugcat turned to look at her, and she smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

His attention was pulled back to Night by the little pup chirping and mewling a few times. The black slugpup had walked over to Ruby’s side and was busy trying to pull herself up onto the predator’s back. The lizard was pressing herself flat to the ground to give Night an easier time, but she was too short to really get up by herself. Arti laughed and stepped forward, helping her up onto the lizard’s back (more right behind the neck, as the back was covered in sharp spines). Once she was securely on top of the predator, Night chirped happily again, clumsily patting the lizard on the head.

Monk stepped forward as well, reaching into his satchel and giving Ruby a centipede for her good behavior, which she swallowed up in one bite. “Alright, Ruby. Introduce her to the other lizards, would you?” The lizard huffed and nodded confidently, turning back toward the others and giving them a glare. Any lizard that was still watching the scene in front of them turned away nervously. Ruby especially stared for a long time at Sapphire, who turned her gaze towards the trees innocently. “I trust you to keep her safe.” The red lizard chirped happily before walking over toward the other lizards slowly, careful not to jostle the small pup too much with rapid movements.

The two slugcats spent a moment watching Ruby take Night to look and say hello to the lizards before Arti spoke up. “So, how’s the training going, kid?” Monk saw the maroon slugcat looking at him out of the corner of his eye, expecting a response.

Terribly, I can’t even work up the energy to do any of it this cycle. “It’s going alright! Slow progress, but you know how it is.” Monk lied, looking over at Arti with a smile on his face.

Arti barked a laugh and nodded. “I reckon it’s a lot like teaching pups proper manners and etiquette! It’s slow, but when you finally-” She suddenly cut herself off, looking at him with an expression of concern.

Oh no. “What’s wrong, Arti?” He tried to keep the nervousness out of his tone, but it was difficult when his mama was looking at him very closely. Nervously, he tried to avert his face, but Arti gently reached out and kept his head in place.

“Monk.” Her voice was suddenly soft and quiet, maternal in nature. “Have you been crying?” Gently, ever so gently, Arti ran her thumb underneath one of his eyes, and Monk felt some moisture getting wiped off.

It seemed he had not gotten rid of all the stray tears properly. Either that, or his eyes had not stopped running yet. Or his eyes were all red and puffy still. Bad, really bad. Come up with a lie, quick! “Oh no, it’s just… allergies, you know?” Monk tried, his voice breaking in the middle of his attempt at lying. He winced and nervously smiled.

Arti narrowed her eye slightly, still looking kind but highly suspicious. “Allergies?” She shook her head slowly. “Monk, you don’t have any allergies.”

Terrible lie; void’s below. Monk tried to come up with another lie, but he suddenly became all choked up. “Um, I…” She’s going to find out; think of something! His eyes stung, and Arti only looked more worried, slowly wrapping an arm around to pat his back. You might as well open your bag and show the flower collection; you’re done. A sniffle and whine left him as he failed to suppress his emotions further. The maroon slugcat’s ears pinned against her head in response. You’re worrying her, like you always do. She worries for you, though she shouldn’t. You don’t deserve any of it.

“Monk?” Arti whispered, and the yellow slugcat finally felt a sob leave him. Like always, you just cause trouble. Without another word or moment of hesitation, the maroon slugcat wrapped her arms around Monk. The warm embrace finally broke down Monk’s defenses, and the floodgates fully opened. With a quiet wail, he wrapped his own arms around Arti as best he could and buried his face inside her warm fur.

Monk’s mama purred loudly as he sobbed, sniffled, and cried. “Shh, it’s okay, kid. It’ll be okay.” Arti whispered before giving him a lick on the top of his head. No! Nothing is okay! Everything’s messed up, and it’s my fault, all my fault! “None of us blame you for what happened, Monk.” She added between purrs, as if she could hear his thoughts. “It’s a bad situation we’re in. No one’s at fault, least of all you, my little pup.”

The yellow slugcat whined, his tears drying up for a moment. “I-I’m not a pup; I’m an adult.” His voice cracking as he tried to defend himself definitely did not prove his point.

Arti chuckled lightly, a comforting sound Monk could feel in her chest, making him purr quietly. “You’ll always be my pup, kid. No matter how old you get.” He whined and mewled in protest, but did not respond.

The yellow slugcat only nuzzled further into his mama’s fur and kept purring, his shoulders temporarily lightened of the constant burden he otherwise always felt. She started to run her paws through the fur on his back and gave him a few more comforting licks on the top of his head. Eventually, Monk’s sobbing faded completely, and he sighed in relief. Slowly, he backed away from the hug, and Arti let him go but kept her paws on his shoulder.

"Are you feeling better now?” Arti asked after a moment, leaning down to give him a lick on the cheek as he chirped.

Temporarily. I’ll feel like a mess again in just a very short amount of time. Please stay with me, mama. Don’t leave my side, please. “Y-Yeah, I’m good.” Arti gave him another narrowed-eyed stare, and he sighed. "Better; I’m better.” He clarified, and she nodded with a soft smile on her face.

“That’s good.” Arti said simply, turning to look at how Night was doing. Monk followed her gaze, seeing Topaz following Ruby closely and nuzzling the pup with his head.

The pup looked happy, reaching a paw toward Garnet, who was sniffing at Night curiously. Sapphire seemed to want to stay far away, hissing at Ruby if she tried to approach. Meanwhile, Jade had gone back to napping in the sun. In any other case, Monk might have been nervous at seeing so many predators near a small pup. Though he knew Ruby could handle the situation, even as Garnet was doing nothing but picking up the black slugpup’s scent, the red lizard gave the other lizard a glare of warning in case he was stupid enough to try something.

Once she saw the pup was doing well, Arti nodded to herself and turned back to Monk. “We’re all a bit on edge right now, considering the situation.” She purred again as she wiped another stray tear off the yellow slugcat’s face. “If you want, we can talk about it. A burden is easier to carry with others.” Arti tilted her head with a gentle smile. He wasn’t forced to talk if he did not want to, but she was encouraging him to do so, thinking it would help.

I’m scared. Scratch that; I’m terrified. I feel sick to my stomach all the time; I feel cold and empty, and I need help. I need you to hold me; never let me go. I don’t want you all to go. I don’t want any of this! Please help me, Arti. I want to understand why I’m feeling so shit all the time. I need help. “W-When I… attacked the scavenger patrol…” Monk started, and Arti hummed and ran a careful paw over his head. I did it because I wanted to hurt something. I wanted something to die. I saw the scavs as targets; what they said pissed me off, so I killed them. And when I did, I felt good. Just for a short moment, I felt better. Afterwards, it made me feel sick—so sick with the thought that I would ever entertain the idea that hurting something else would make me feel better about my own pathetic skin. “They said some pretty messed up things, and I lost my cool." He said instead, more of a white lie than a full-on deception.

Arti hummed again, her eye filled with nothing but understanding, comfort, and love. None of which he deserved for the actions he had taken. “Like what?” She asked softly, giving him another, more gentle hug, which he reciprocated just as carefully.

Monk looked over towards Night again, who seemed to have made friends with every lizard apart from Sapphire. Garnet was excitedly running circles around Ruby with a dopey look on his face. Jade was lying up close, resting his head on the red lizard’s back, as Night ran her paw along his head. Topaz was lying on Ruby’s other side and vibrating, probably purring loudly. Sapphire was still keeping her distance, busy looking at something else. The red lizard looked annoyed at her predicament involving the other lizards and the pup on her head, but at the same time, Ruby almost looked a bit accepting of her “fate” as a cuddly pet.

Slowly, he turned back to Arti, who was still looking at him curiously as she softly patted his fur. “They threatened Night.” Monk said quickly, wincing as the maroon slugcat’s expression immediately took on a more hardened look of anger for just a short moment.

Her moment of anger dissipated as fast as it came, however, as she put her paws on his shoulders again and sighed to calm herself down fully. “I would’ve done the same, kid. Don’t blame yourself for your reaction.” Arti said, giving him a soft smile. “Okay?”

You don’t deserve her forgiveness; you deserve her wrath. She’s treating you like a pup, and you’re lucky she is. Otherwise, she would have taken you out, and you deserve it! Despite his inner thoughts, Monk could not help but smile softly and nod. Arti purred and gave him a fond look as she ran her tongue across his head one more time and patted his shoulders before straightening back out.

Then, she suddenly reached out and pinched Monk’s cheek as he mewled in complaint. “I will blame you for your horrid appetite, though!” Arti laughed softly, though her eye still held some concern as she let go of his cheek and gestured towards his body. “You’re practically skin and bones, kid.” 

“I eat fine.” Monk muttered, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout.

Arti huffed and shook her head. “No one ate any breakfast this cycle, Monk!” She said matter-of-factly with a smirk. “When we get back to the tree, I’m feeding you at least three blue fruits.”

The yellow slugcat groaned. “Three? That’s way too much. I can eat two, that’s it.” Monk knew he could eat way more; in actuality, he just did not want to or have the appetite for it.

“Okay, just because of that, we’re making it four!” Arti responded, barking a laugh when Monk gave her a glare that was meant to be threatening but probably just ended up looking goofy and likable from her angle.

He opened his mouth to protest again, but was interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves right behind him.

Before Monk even had a chance to react to the sudden noise anymore than a slight flinch, Artificer had already pulled the yellow slugcat behind herself and taken the spear from his paw, pointing the weapon at the bush where the sound originated from. “Who’s there?” She shouted angrily, with Ruby coming up on her side with an aggressive growl as well. The maroon slugcat turned to look at the red lizard, noting that Night was still riding on top of the predator, right in the danger zone. Luckily, Monk seemed to spot the same thing at the same time, as he quickly sneaks up and plucks the pup off the lizard’s back, retreating to stand behind Artificer.

Turning her full attention back to the bush, there had been no response at all. Maybe you were just imagining it. No, did you not notice the way Monk reacted as well? It was real. It might've just been a squidcada or something. Do you want to take that risk? No… Artificer growled at the lack of response from the bushes, smoke trailing from the corners of her mouth. She heard Night mewl in fear behind her at the sudden display of anger, but she was forced to ignore the reaction despite her instincts telling her to comfort the pup.

“Whoever’s in there, you are tiring my patience! Come out, or I’ll drag you out myself! ” Another short moment of silence followed, with no sounds coming from the bushes whatsoever. Artificer slightly untensed and started to move out of her combat stance. Maybe I did just imagine it… Yeah, don’t worry! Everything’s fine.

Suddenly, the bush rustled again, however. This time, a figure could also be seen standing up. Immediately, Artificer raised her spear again, pointing it at the stranger. The shape looked vaguely like a slugcat, about the same length as Survivor. Though it obviously was not him, he would have made his presence known by that point. The figure stood completely still for a short moment, seemingly sizing her up. Were they looking for a fight or something? Because Artificer would sure deliver.

The maroon slugcat growled again, more smoke pouring out of her as she practically trembled in anger. Who the fuck do they think they are? Not coming out when I ask them to. Arti, calm down. Don’t lose your temper. “Are you deaf or something? Come out here, now!” Another moment of nothing happening passed before, and finally, the stranger walked out of the shade of the forest and fully revealed themselves in the sunlight.

It was a slugcat, alright. With two-tone fur sporting dark blue and cyan colors, red-tipped ears, and skinny arms. Not to mention, they also had very odd-looking eyes. With pupils that looked like circles with lines going through them. The slugcat that Monk had been explaining to her, the one that seemed to have been dreamt, was actually real, it seemed. She could not remember what he had said their name was; she only remembered it was something odd. Now that she saw them, she realized odd was quite fitting. That’s mean, Arti. It’s true! Don’t judge a book by its cover… Sofanthiel hovered up to the slugcat, flashing a symbol she had never seen the drone use before, pointing an arrow at the stranger. Artificer felt like she had seen one of the symbols before, maybe on one of Pebbles’ murals. She had forgotten which one, however… They looked her up and down again, and that’s when Artificer noticed they also had a weirdly smug smile on their face despite having a weapon pointed right at them.

“Wow!” The odd slugcat finally yelled in a loud tone, making Artificer jump about a meter into the air and being forced to suppress a yelp. They took a couple more steps forward, their eyes staring at her in what looked like shock. The stranger stopped right before the spear would pierce their flesh and dropped what they had in one of their arms on the ground. Is that another fucking egg? Then, they put their paws together by their mouth and took a deep breath. “I have to say, you are…” They seemed to stop for dramatic effect, letting Artificer come to the realization that their loud voice seemed so offensive to her senses that she was starting to get a headache. After a moment, the cyan slugcat pointed their paws toward her, their smug smile widening slightly. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

What? 

What?  

Okay, maybe they are odd. Artificer lowered her weapon and narrowed her eyes, staring at the mysterious slugcat in confusion. Who reacts like that when they have a weapon in their face? “Monk, my beautiful banana boy, you never told me you knew such a babe on par with your own beauty!!” The stranger turned to look behind Artificer, presumably at Monk, batting their eyes at him in a disturbingly fast manner.

Banana boy??? What the fuck?!

The maroon slugcat turned around to look at the yellow slugcat, who was face-palming with a groan. “Inv, please don’t call me that.” He muttered, his voice muffled by his paw.

Turning back around, Artificer yelped as “Inv” had stepped way closer, almost up in her face as he peeked around her at Monk. The maroon slugcat stepped back with a hiss, ending up between the two off to the side. “Awe, but it’s such a fitting nickname!” The cyan slugcat responded, completely ignoring Artificer in favor of discussing nicknames with Monk.

“It’s embarrassing and stupid.” Monk answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Inv hummed, tilting their head and putting a paw to their eerily smiling mouth. “What would you rather be called then? Baby yellow?” These guys are definitely mates, right? Don’t ask me!

The yellow slugcat groaned again, shaking his head. “Just call me Monk; it’s my regular name!”

“While ‘Monk’ is very cute and befitting such a beautiful creature such as yourself, I feel we can come up with something much better! All we have to do is put our minds to it, baby!!” Inv clicked their tongue and pointed finger guns at Monk, who sighed and looked over to Artificer for help.

The maroon slugcat nodded and slammed her tail onto the ground, generating a fairly quiet explosion that was still loud enough to get Inv’s attention. “Enough of this; you haven’t even introduced yourself!” Artificer growled angrily, already very sick of the cyan slugcat’s shenanigans.

Inv perked up for a moment before they bowed their head in what seemed like an apology. Only, his bow suddenly turned into the slugcat kneeling down on the ground before her. Artificer took an awkward step back in confusion as they looked up at her with sparkling (?) eyes. “My deepest, humblest apologies, my lady! I go by Enot, Inv, or anything else up to your discretion.” She glanced at Monk, but the yellow slugcat looked just as confused as he shrugged. The maroon slugcat looked back towards the cyan slugcat and narrowed her eyes as they raised their paw towards her palm up. “May I ask your name, fair maiden?” Artificer winced at the word choice, wondering if Inv simply wanted to shake her paw in a very odd way.

“Artificer.” She responded simply, putting her paw on his palm against her better judgment. The maroon slugcat had definitely expected a pawshake, so when Enot instead suddenly leaned in and kissed her knuckles, she reacted by instinct. With a hiss, she used her other paw to punch them in the jaw, knocking them on their ass.

Monk gasped, and Artificer turned towards the yellow slugcat to see him covering Night’s eyes. “Arti!”

The maroon slugcat scoffed and rolled her eyes. “What? They’ll be fine!” Artificer turned back to Inv, watching as they moved to stand surprisingly easily. “I think, at least.” She snorted as the cyan slugcat stood up and shook their head

Inv definitely did not seem to mind having been hit in the face; if anything, they seemed to have “enjoyed” it in some way. “I guess strong arms run in the colony.” The cyan slugcat mumbled with a lovestruck smile sent in Artificer’s direction, which made her send him a glare in warning. “Is violently beating others a natural way for you guys to show love? I can get behind that, fo’ sure!!”

Doing her best to squash down the instinct that told her to punch the bastard again, Artificer instead turned to Monk questioningly. “Did you also hit them?” It wasn’t a judgmental question, but more one made out of curiosity. The maroon slugcat reckoned one would have to avoid Monk a lot to warrant getting a punch in the face.

Still, despite the question not being delivered judgmentally, the yellow slugcat reacted like he was just put on trial. “I didn’t mean to! I had a branch in my paw, and they snuck up on me!” Monk explained desperately with a frown on his face.

“And boy did you knock me out!” Inv suddenly cut in, smiling widely once again. “I still have a headache from that branch you broke over my head, big guy~” The cyan slugcat sent Monk an excruciatingly stiff wink.

Monk sighed as Artificer huffed and sent him an amused smirk. “I swear I didn’t hit them that hard, Arti!” That’s our boy! Hell yeah.  

Enot never once dropped their smile; still, they only seemed happier as they patted a spot on the side of their head. “Had me knocked out for at least thirty whole seconds, for sure~! Served me right for trying to sneak up on such a big, badass mountain scug!!” They whistled loudly and sent Monk another wink while the yellow slugcat groaned again.

He turned to Artificer, but she only smirked and nodded. “Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.” Monk looked comically betrayed by the maroon slugcat’s reaction, sputtering on the spot for a short moment.

Artificer laughed at her child’s reaction. After a moment, Monk finally calmed down and took a deep breath. “Okay, enough of all that!” He shouted before turning to point at Inv. “Why are you even here?”

“I got hired, ‘member?” Enot responded easily, puffing up their chest, straightening their back, and delivering a serious salute. “I come to help you kill the spear-toting guys with antlers!” They added with a smirk on their face, pausing in the pose for a moment too long before breaking it in favor of bending down to pick up the weird egg.

Artificer turned to Monk in confusion, and he sighed. “They mean the scavengers." Odd name for scavengers…

She was, frankly, not impressed. The random slugcat standing in front of her, the one she had never seen before up until that moment, wanted to join their side in the battle. Artificer’s very first reason for why that was probably a bad idea was that they had no way to be sure Inv was not working for the enemy. A few cycles ago, when all of the bullshit involving the scavs was starting, Hunter had shared ideas that the scavengers might start to send out “spies” that would be keeping an eye on them, relaying their plans to the enemy, and sabotage them. She had found that incredibly stupid, because the only members of their colony were slugcats or trusted scavengers. For a “spy” to find themselves inside their colony, they would most likely have to be a trusted slugcat in the first place!

However, seeing Inv, she started to question if the red slugcat might have had a point. How could she trust the essential stranger in front of her? Especially considering they did not communicate or act at all like a normal slugcat should…

The second reason, she simply did not like the cyan slugcat. They were annoying and odd, and they creeped her out. Besides, Artificer was still having a pounding headache just from hearing them speak. “It’s true I did hire you Inv. My apologies.” Monk finally responded, looking a bit embarrassed over having forgotten that he “hired” the cyan slugcat. 

Enot did not look all too miffed at Monk for forgetting. “Apology accepted~” They sang with a small nod.

“I was thinking they could help us out with the fight against the scavengers; we could need all the help we can get.” Monk explained to Artificer, who hummed and turned her attention back to Inv.

She crossed her arms and glared a hole through the cyan slugcat. “It’s true we need the help, but I’m not sure if I trust you enough.” Artificer looked him over for a moment, her gaze pausing especially long as she looked over his skinny arms. “Besides, you don’t look like a slugcat that can hold your own in a fight.”

Enot simply laughed in response. “I take that as a challenge, y’know?” The cyan slugcat said, suddenly using their leg to kick a branch off the ground and grab onto it with their free paw that wasn’t holding the egg. “Let me prove myself! I never disappoint in any aspect, I assure you~” Artificer rolled her eyes with a huff as Inv did some sort of kissy mouth in her direction, already getting sick of the other slugcats constant flirting.

Oh, so he wants to spar, then? So be it! The maroon slugcat opened her mouth to accept the challenge when Monk suddenly walked up next to her, holding a branch of his own in the paw that wasn’t holding Night. “Alright, let’s do this then.” Artificer turned to look at the yellow slugcat in surprise, and he tilted his head and gestured towards her stomach. “You’re pregnant, Arti.”

Artificer glanced down and placed a paw on her plump stomach, ignoring Inv’s muttered “Aw, what a shame.” at hearing the news. He’s right, you know. You should rest instead; you can be the judge of the sparring match instead. The maroon slugcat sighed and gave Monk a nod. The yellow slugcat responded with a smile and a nod of his own before handing over Night. Then he walked over to the other side of the field, Ruby following behind and giving the lizards some sort of growled command as they passed by.

She walked up to Inv, getting up in their face and bearing her teeth. “Go easy on him, or else.”

The cyan slugcat, unsurprisingly, did not look threatened. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. We’ll go easy on each other, trust!” In fact, Inv did not even drop the smug smile as they nodded. Night chirped in confusion as she looked at the stranger slugcat, reaching a paw out to touch them. “Oh, hello, tiny slugcat!” They said, leaning down slightly and letting the pup touch his face.

Artificer got ready to pull away at any time if Night got scared of the cyan slugcat’s unnerving eyes or smile, but to her surprise, the pup did not seem to mind at all. After a while, though, the maroon slugcat considered enough to be enough and took a small step back to stop the interaction. Enot straightened in response and turned to look at Monk, who now stood in position just a few meters away, branch at the ready. Bringing Night along, Artificer walked over to a spot a bit further away that let her get a good look at each of the slugcats.

Simple sparring meant both opponents would be going at each other with nonlethal weapons in rounds with small breaks in between. Each round, the goal was to knock the other slugcat down to the ground, or if you were using weapons, disarm the weapon of your opponent. Every knockdown meant you got a point; the sparring went on until both participants were too tuckered out to fight; or the judge ended the game when the results of the winner were clear. It wasn’t ever much of a competition, mostly just a way to let off some steam, have some fun, or hone one's fighting skills. She settled in comfortably and let Night sit in her lap, the slugpup chirping in confusion as she watched the two slugcats stare each other down with curiosity. The lizards were gathered in the background, lined up, and ready to watch the fight as well, it seemed.

“You guys ready?” Artificer yelled at the two combatants.

“Ready!” Monk responded, moving into a decent fighting stance.

“Y’know it!” Inv responded cheesily, sending a blown kiss to the yellow slugcat across from them before moving into a fighting stance unlike any Artificer had ever seen before. Maybe they’re fully self-trained and have never sparred? Then Monk should easily have this in the bag. Sure, I just hope they know the rules… She noticed the cyan slugcat had left the egg a couple meters back in the grass.

“Alright! Have at it!” The maroon slugcat yelled, starting the combat.

Both fighters started to approach one another, their branches held like spears. In close-quarters sparring, throwing the weapon was not at all recommended. Mostly because it probably would not do much to help one score a round, but also because one would be without a weapon if it did not do any good. Technically, sparring without a weapon if you made the choice to drop it was allowed, but when meeting someone who had a weapon to swing or jab with, it was a clear disadvantage!

As soon as they got within range, Inv attempted to jab their branch towards Monk’s chest, but the yellow slugcat sidestepped the attempt. When the cyan slugcat instead went for a wide swing to catch his opponent, now standing at his side, off-guard, Monk blocked the blow with his own branch. Quickly, he swung his weapon around, catching Enot in the shoulder. He tried to follow it up with a kick to the cyan slugcat’s legs, but Inv quickly backed away and got their branch free before jabbing forward once again. Monk was hit in the stomach and hunched over slightly, with Enot attempting to capitalize with another fast swing to try to knock the yellow slugcat to the ground. It did not work well, as Monk recovered far quicker than they had expected and ducked underneath the swing into a roll that ended him up behind the other slugcat. Then, before Inv could make a move to right their mistake, the yellow slugcat swung low for their legs, knocking them to the ground.

“That’s one score for Monk!” Artificer yelled excitedly as the yellow slugcat helped Inv off the ground. Night squealed in excitement, her gaze locked at the action in front of her. “A short break, then we go again.”

The next couple rounds went by surprisingly quickly. While the first few rounds were fairly slow, with both fighters getting a feel for each other, things quickly evolved into both sides giving it their all. It was a very fair matchup, surprisingly. Artificer already knew Monk was a shockingly fierce combatant for his size and strength; he had been trained by her and Hunter after all. Not only was he a fast learner, but he was also surprisingly ferocious at times. The maroon slugcat was proud to notice some of Hunter’s and hers lessons in the way Monk fought. Sometimes, he would make use of jumps, rolls, or backflips to get to better positions or Inv’s blind spots, inspired by Artificer’s own explosive jumping to better positions to gain an upper hand. The way he sometimes jabbed several times in quick succession with the branch was taught by Hunter, and his more aggressive “attack-attack-attack” way of fighting. Artificer also worked by overwhelming the enemy with a large flurry of strikes, but she also had to ensure she was in a good position to do so, and that she could retreat if her opponent tried to counter and respond.

To give credit to Inv, they were definitely holding their own. Obviously self-taught, the cyan slugcat seemed to fight via impulse. While every move Monk made was cool and calculated, planned before hand, Inv’s fighting was chaotic at the best of times. They would spin their weapon and themselves at times, hoping to catch Monk off guard and strike him hard. They would sway and weave a lot, feigning attacks that often caught the yellow slugcat completely by surprise and forced him to react. Though, the fighting style was not always effective, and were usually just a detriment if Monk actually saw the attack coming as it would leave Inv wide open for a counter-attack afterward! Still, when it worked, it definitely worked well. High-risk, high-reward, Artificer supposed.

While watching, in fact, Artificer came to a different realization. Inv was definitely holding back. Sometimes when Monk swung out towards them, she saw the cyan slugcat realize the attack was coming, and their body would twitch as if they wanted to dodge, yet they would stand in place and take the blow or try to dodge at the very last second. Many of their swings were also held back; she could see the way they sometimes slowed down the momentum of their blows before they landed to cushion the effect. It could be explained as regular sparring, as one was never supposed to strike with full power during practice. However, something told Artificer that it was something more than that.

Something the cyan slugcat could not hide was just how much endurance they had. During a proper sparring match, even Hunter, with his enhanced strength and stamina, could hold up a few rounds without taking at least one break and breathing heavily. However, Enot wasn’t breathing heavily at all. While Monk was seated in the grass and panting, preparing for round thirteen, the cyan slugcat was just patiently standing around, sometimes sending a wave, air kiss, or wink toward the “audience” or their resting opponent. Maybe they could help us out during combat, after all? Maybe…

Eventually, Monk seemed to recover enough to stand up and fight, shaking himself off and raising his branch with a nod. Inv responded with a nod on their own, and they prepared to fight what Artificer considered the final round. Both their scores were equal, a clear six to six points. Whoever won this last round was the winner of the whole sparring match, and Artificer, Night, and even the lizards were watching with bated breath as the two approached each other and-

BOOM

Artificer instinctively hugged Night close and turned her back to the noise of the explosion, covering the pup with her body. Though she quickly came to the realization that it had been an explosion in the distance, it was not close. Despite that fact, it had been incredibly loud, carried by the silent air through the trees. The tree, it came from the approximate direction of the tree! Fuck! Night chirped in confusion and a healthy amount of fear as the maroon slugcat placed the pup on her back and rushed over to the two previously sparring slugcats, who were now looking in the direction the explosion had come from.

“That explosion, it sounded like it came from the tree!” Monk yelled when Artificer got close enough, his lizards quickly running over to stand by his side in a protective semicircle, covering the yellow slugcat’s flank.

Enot whistled and looked in the general direction of where the sound had come from. “A VERY BIG boom, quite impressive, really…” They dropped the branch and used a finger to clear one of their ears as they went over to pick up their egg from the ground.

“I’ll move to check it out; you two will stick together, keep the lizards close, and follow me, alright?” Artificer explained quickly. Night whined on her back, noticing that serious things were happening, and she purred to try to calm the pup.

“Alright!” Monk yelled. “Ruby, you and the others watch our flank!” The red lizard nodded, hissed, and growled at the other lizards. “Inv, you’re with me!”

The cyan slugcat immediately walked up to Monk’s side, blushing deeply as they held the egg close and stared at the yellow slugcat with shock. “Oh my void. Monk, you beautiful, radiant being… Are you taking me on our first date?” Then they giggled, covering their mouth with their paw in flustered embarrassment.

Monk only rolled his eyes while the Artificer decided to completely ignore Enot’s shenanigans for the time being. “I’ll meet you back at the tree!” She shouted instead, turning around and immediately taking off in a sprint. As she reached the trees, Night whimpered again. “I know, sweetie, I know. Just hold onto Aunt Arti tight, okay? It’ll be alright.” The pup chirped what the maroon slugcat guessed was an affirmative, and she waited just a moment longer to really let the pup prepare, before explosively propelling herself onto a branch that looked strong enough to hold their weight.

From there, she leaped across the trees, using her explosive jumps sparingly to avoid completely exhausting herself.

I might have to fight when I reach the spot of the explosion…

This view really is something. Hunter thought to himself as he scanned the horizon from his and Collector’s vantage point. Though the red slugcat’s body still ached really badly from his and Fixer’s earlier scuffle, he felt fairly at peace with his situation. Who knew that apologizing for previous wrongdoings would feel so good? A good person shouldn’t be asking that question; they should know that being good feels good. Hunter frowned, thinking back on what his mate had told him. “You’re acting just like The Red Death.” It was not what Survivor had said word-for-word, but it was what he had meant. He was right, too; the red slugcat really admitted to loving the carnage and chaos that came from killing scavengers. Did he mean it? Hunter was not sure; he was mostly just trying to defend his heinous actions.

Then his mate had run off, the white slugcat terrified of his words, asking for some time alone. I need to apologize. Hunter thought, suddenly standing up so quickly that Collector flinched slightly at his side. Survivor had asked for some time alone, but some time had already passed at that point; surely his mate was ready to see him again and hear him out. Besides, it did not seem safe to run off on one’s lonesome, with the situation being as it was.

“Hunter? I-Is something w-wrong?” The red slugcat turned to look at his friend. The orange scavenger looked nervous, glancing back and forth at their surroundings as he reached out and picked up the explosive spear at his side.

Hunter hummed, coming to the realization that he did not actually have a weapon on paw. He had hid his weapons near the edge of the field leading toward the tree, mostly to avoid scaring Collector. Walking over to get the weapons seemed like too much of a detour when Hunter could simply wander the straight path toward where Survivor likely was. Oh well, my bare paws should work for any minor threats. “I just remembered something important, is all.” He said cryptically, not all too willing to discuss his mate’s and his argument. “Very important; it needs my attention.”

As he turned around to leave, Hunter heard Collector get to his feet before speaking up. “A-Are you sure I s-shouldn’t follow? It's not s-safe to go a-alone during these cycles..."

The red slugcat glanced back, noting that the scavenger was indeed standing, holding the explosive spear in a tight grip. Hunter thought about it for a moment before shaking his head and flashing Collector a grin. “Thank you for the offer, but I think I’ll be fine.” He wanted to have a private chat with Survivor, and it would probably feel a bit awkward if the orange scavenger just stood in the background during their conversation (no offense meant to the guy, of course). Collector nodded, though a bit unsurely, and Hunter responded with a nod of his own before turning to walk and giving a wave. “I’ll see you back at the tree, Collector.”

“S-See you, Hunter.” The response came as the red slugcat started to walk through the trees back in the direction of the small forest oasis where he and his mate had had their talk.

The way towards where he and Survivor had their “discussion” was luckily an easy trip, with it being a straight-forward run from the cliff. Hunter did not even have to walk past the tree, which was a good thing considering his bruised face and body. The red slugcat huffed in discomfort as he felt the blood running from his nose and the cut on his brow start to dry into his fur. Maybe he should take a moment to wash himself up in the small lake near where Survivor probably was, even though Hunter really hated being wet. It was probably better to not be covered in visible blood when walking up to his mate; otherwise, it could be believed he has gone all “Red Death” on something before coming to apologize for acting like he was “Red Death”. It could lead to a lot of awkwardness, even if he did explain the situation around Fixer. Either way, his face was swollen and bruised, but at the very least the bruises on his skin were covered up by his fur.

It didn’t take too long for Hunter to reach the small lake and kneel in front of the blue water. He took a moment to study his reflection, staring into the eyes of a beaten-down slugcat. His right eye was black, he had a bleeding cut on his left brow, his lip was split and bleeding, and his nose was bruised and swollen. That wasn’t even mentioning the rest of his face being bruised or cut in some way. Luckily, the bruises that were no doubt forming around his neck from getting choked out would be covered by his fur. Had it not been, Survivor would have likely been very worried. Hunter winced at his reflection; he definitely needed to clean up at least a bit, lest he still scare the shit out of his mate. With a sigh, he gathered some water in his cupped paws before throwing it up into his face and scrubbing gently. The red slugcat flinched slightly at the feeling of cold water and the slight pain emanating from his nose as he rubbed his paws against it. He repeated the process a few times before looking down at his reflection again. Well, at least his fur was no longer covered in blood, he supposed. Still, Hunter looked a mess either way, not helped by the fact that the fur on and around his face was all wet as well.

He huffed and stood up, shaking his head to get as much moisture out of his face as possible, as he started to walk in the direction that his mate had run. Hunter hoped Survivor had not run off too far; he was really not looking forward to walking any longer than needed. The red slugcat picked up the trail quickly, following broken twigs and occasional visible footsteps as he walked. His side screamed in pain with each step, aching badly after Fixer threw a hook at his torso. The scavenger was a surprisingly strong combatant with no weapons; it was frankly impressive. Unfortunately, the beatdown delivered had definitely not helped Hunter with his pounding headache. A bad cycle already because of his illness, turned even worse by his head getting smashed up and his throat squeezed. He had deserved it, for sure. Still, that thought did not help the pain.

Survivor, how far did you run? Hunter thought to himself, groaning quietly as he kept following the tracks through a bunch of broken-off branches. Being out alone could not be a good idea, not only considering the number of predators that might be outside the safe zone of the tree but also considering the danger of scavs hanging around and ready to jump out and attack! At the thought of his mate getting attacked by a group of enemies, Hunter found himself speeding up slightly, going from a fast walk to a quick jog. What if he gets taken by the enemy? If they took Survivor, what would they do to him? If they hurt him in any way, it’s your fault for leaving him behind. The thoughts quickly had the red slugcat start to sprint through the trees, ducking underneath thick branches and jumping over outsticking roots. Please, let him be okay. Don’t let him be dead, captured, or, worse, gone forever.

Finally, Hunter broke through the thick collection of trees. The red slugcat was standing in another small area clear of forestry, the trees chopped down or fallen in some way, only leaving behind a small collection of stumps. Due to the lack of thick leaves above the location, the bright sun was allowed to shine down undeterred, lighting the area up in a beautiful glow. In the middle of the area, sitting on a stump, was the white slugcat he had been looking for. Survivor looked scared, clutching a spear at the sudden interruption; however, he put the weapon away when he saw it was his mate. He’s safe! Thank the void! Hunter had to suppress a whine when he noticed his mate’s red and puffy eyes. Survivor had been crying.

As the red slugcat panted and started to slowly limp toward his mate, he felt the soreness in his body combine with his exhaustion from his mad sprint through the forest. Survivor’s expression twisted from tranquil to shock and worry as Hunter got close enough for the white slugcat to see just how bruised and swollen his face was. Quickly, he stood up and rushed to his mate’s side, looking him over anxiously.

“Void, Hunter. What the hell happened?” Survivor whimpered as he looked back to where he had run out, his eyes scanning the trees as he clenched his spear closely.

Hunter sighed and shook his head as he caught his breath, flashing a comforting smile. “This happened a while ago; don’t worry.” He gestured to his face with a chuckle, but Survivor did not seem to find it all too funny, frowning as he gently took hold of the red slugcat’s chin and looked over his bruises.

The white slugcat winced as he studied the damage. “Was this done by an enemy scavenger?” He asked, looking out at the trees nervously once again. Survivor’s gaze was scanning for any sort of threat, his expression in “serious-mode” as Hunter called it. Only in his head, he did not dare make slightly mocking jokes when his mate was being serious.

Try “done by a friendly scavenger”. Hunter thought with an amused huff. “It does not matter, my love.” He mumbled instead, wrapping his mate in a gentle hug and purring softly. Survivor purred in response, reciprocating immediately. “I’m sorry.” He added after a while, the two leaning back slightly, holding onto each other still as they looked into each other’s eyes. “About what I said earlier, I uh…” 

Man, Hunter was bad at communicating. Good thing his mate knew this was the case, simply waiting for him patiently as he tried to get the words out. “It was messed up, and it’s wrong to think that way. Even despite the situation, it’s not a good idea to be more violent and brutal than needed. In any situation, in fact…” Hunter stopped himself for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Why is apologizing so damn difficult? He at least seemed to be doing something right, judging by his mate’s soft smile as he waited for him to keep apologizing. “I’m sorry for saying all of the stuff I said, and I’m so sorry for upsetting you.” 

Survivor leaned in and nuzzled their faces together with a purr as the red slugcat sighed, closed his eyes, and continued. “I want to better myself and leave behind my need for undue violence. For you, and for Night.” The two leaned back again, looking into each other’s eyes. His mate raised a paw and stroked Hunter’s cheek, smirking when it made him blush. “Do you accept my apology?” He ended up asking, smiling nervously as Survivor chuckled.

“I already have, my love.” He whispered, slowly leaning in toward Hunter’s face. The red slugcat closed his eyes and moved to meet his mate.

Their imminent kiss was interrupted by the sound of a twig breaking; both slugcats quickly turned toward the noise. Survivor gasped in surprise, and Hunter growled as a scavenger walked out of the bushes, holding a spear and looking really pissed off. Just one, easy to handle! The red slugcat thought as he moved to stand in front of his mate, extending his claws and hissing threateningly at the enemy. He saw Survivor turn towards where he left his spear by the stump, his eyes widening as he spotted something. There were noises all around them suddenly—sounds of the rustling of bushes and footsteps. Hunter looked around to see several more scavengers surrounding the two slugcats. They were outnumbered, and neither of them were armed; there were seven scavs, by the red slugcat’s count. Not to mention, Hunter had not yet recovered from the beating he sustained. The scavengers looked at least decently competent, holding the spears in their hands like warriors as they stared the two down.

As their enemies approached, the slugcats were left back-to-back in the middle of the circle formed around them, rotating to keep a careful eye on all seven scavs. “Hunt, what do we do?” Survivor whispered fearfully, gaze glancing for any sort of way to escape their predicament.

Hunter tried to look as well, but he could see no escape. If only one of them had explosive jumps like Arti! They could have jumped over one of the bastards and made a run for it! The scavengers were only harmed with regular spears; had one of them just had a weapon, they might have had a chance to do something at least! “I see no other option, Surv. We have to fight.” The red slugcat hissed at the nearest scav, who flinched back for a short moment before approaching aggressively again.

“Slugcats.” A dark brown scav chirped, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the duo like they were nothing but pests to be eradicated. “We have orders to take alive, surrender.”

The red slugcat spat on the ground between him and the scav. “Fuck you, come and get us!” He chittered, pushing his back flush with Survivor as the two slugcats prepared to fight.

Immediately, all seven of the scavs charged forward, many of them swinging their spears to try to catch one of the slugcats with the blunt handle. Hunter, determined to shield Survivor, dodged and swayed, absorbing blows against his already battered body. His focus was unwavering—every strike he took meant one less for Survivor. Despite their best efforts, the pair was eventually separated as the relentless assault forced them to dive away from each other. The focus of the red slugcat was protecting his head. There were at least four scavengers trying to beat down on him, but he could take a lot of punishment. One hit to his head, however, and he might just immediately go down.

Hunter tried his best to dodge and run back from any attacks, but his enemies were relentless. Determined to retaliate, he grabbed one spear just below the tip, attempting to wrest it from his opponent. It seemed he would get a hold of a weapon for a short moment, but he was stopped. A scavenger suddenly appeared from behind, wrapping their arms around Hunter's torso and pulling him back. The weapon was still flush against him, and pain seared through Hunter as he felt the spear cut into his side.

“I got him!” The scavenger yelled, holding onto him tightly. Unfortunately for them, Hunter still had one of his arms free, and he whipped around as best he could in the tight hug and swiped for the scav’s eyes. He knew his attempt was successful when he heard the enemy scream loudly and felt his claws catch on something and tear through.

The scav unfortunately responded by lifting him higher and quickly slamming him into the ground, which definitely did not help with Hunter’s aching body. Looking up and ignoring the way his head spun and throbbed with pain, the red slugcat noted that many of the scavengers that had been bearing down on him had flinched back slightly when they had witnessed his brutal assault on their friend. One was still close enough to strike out, however, and tried to swing down for him. Hunter only just managed to recover enough to roll out of the way, the weapon striking the ground harmlessly as he quickly got his paws underneath him in a crouch and lunged forward. His attempt at a tackle and maul was cut short as a metallic rod swung for his face, the other scavengers having recovered from their shock and stepping forward to stop him.

His face exploded with pain as he heard his nose audibly crack, the blow knocking him down on his back. Hunter wheezed and coughed as he tried to stand again. Everything hurt at least twice as much as it had earlier, and the red slugcat struggled to recover. A sudden kick to his side strong enough to flip him over on his back certainly did not help at all, as he was left lying on his face, hacking up a lung as all of the air was knocked out of him.

As he was left to lie on his stomach, trying to recover, a suddenly optimistic thought hit him. At least they are no longer beating me… It immediately lost its relevance as rough arms suddenly grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled him to his knees. Hunter’s arms were swiftly grabbed by two pairs of hands and pushed behind his back as he kneeled. In front of him was Survivor, kneeling down with two scavengers holding his arms as well. The white slugcat looked worse for wear, was barely conscious, and was bleeding from a cut in his head. He chirped when he saw Hunter, his eyes half-lidded.

“You fuckers!” Hunter yelled, ignoring the pain in his whole body to struggle against the scavengers holding him. They hurt his mate, his love, his everything! He would kill them all for this! “Touch another fur on him, and I swear…” His threat hung in the air as he locked eyes with each enemy, the red slugcat's determination unwavering Seeing as four scavs were holding him and his mate, there were three who were simply watching the display.

Of those three, Hunter could only see two from where he sat. One was the one who had offered the two a chance to surrender, and the other was the one he had clawed in the eye. As the one-eyed scav glanced over at the red slugcat, he smirked. Hunter laughed as the scav tried to lunge for him, having to be held back by the other scavenger standing by his side.

Survivor’s eyes suddenly opened a bit further, looking at him. “Hunt…?” The white slugcat’s voice was weak, barely above a whisper. The bleeding wound ran blood down into his left eye, and he closed it tightly with a small whine.

Hunter forcibly pushed down his anger at the scavs around him in favor of giving his mate a confident smile. “Surv, everything will be fine. We’ll get out of this!” Some optimism couldn’t hurt, right?

However, Survivor's gaze shifted, fear overtaking him. Hunter followed his mate's line of sight just in time to see a flash of metal. His head was pulled back, exposing his throat to a sharp blade. Flinching as the blade broke his skin, Hunter felt warmth as blood trickled down.

“NO! PLEASE DON’T HURT HIM!” Survivor screamed desperately, audibly trying to fight against the scavengers holding him. Hunter heard footsteps and then the sound of a slap, accompanied by his mate yelping in pain.

He growled as he tried to struggle again, uncaring of the weapon against his throat. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, considering the knife, Hunter was completely unable to move an inch. “What’s this for, huh? This for your tribe filled with cowards?” The red slugcat taunted, attempting to take all the heat off his mate. "You can't fight us fairly in three cycles, so you pull something like this?” He barked a laugh, and the knife pushed down a bit further. “Pathetic!” A moment of silence reigned, with only whispered chitters that he could not make out being audible.

There was shifting behind Hunter, and not before long, the holder of the knife was chittering in his left ear. “We are actually not here on command of the tribe; this is more personal than that, red one.” The red slugcat froze. Personal? A scavenger he had wronged? He did not recognize the voice, he did not think it was the scav he had executed the past cycle. Who could it be then? Fuck, as always, his violent ways had come back to haunt him and his mate!

Hunter gritted his teeth. “Listen, if you want to enact your revenge on me, you can do whatever you like.” He swallowed nervously, hearing his mate sob quietly. “Beat me, torture me, kill me, and fucking throw me in the void sea, if you’d so like.” The red slugcat failed to suppress a growl as his tone darkened. “But don’t fucking hurt him; he has nothing to do with any of what I might have done to you.”

The sound of cruel laughter right next to his sensitive ear made him wince in pain for a short moment. “Oh, but this is way better. We never cared much for getting revenge on The Red Death; getting revenge on you will feel so much sweeter.”

Hunter growled loudly, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. “When we meet again, when I find where you are hiding in the future cycles, when I come to save my mate, I am going to personally ensure the rest of your living cycles will be spent in horrible pain. Do you understand?” There was no response, so he screamed instead. “You’re dead! You hear me? DEAD!”

Suddenly, the knife was removed from his throat, and his head was let go. Hunter’s gaze fell back on his mate, who looked relieved to see him alive. “Enough of this.” The scav with the knife muttered, walking around the red slugcat and stopping in front of the cyclops-scavenger. The red slugcat did not recognize the scav's voice, nor his appearance. “Here, you finish the job.” He handed the knife over and walked into the forest.

Survivor suddenly started to get pulled away by the scavengers holding him, and his expression turned a lot less relieved. “H-Hunter!” He yelled in a panic, struggling against the ones holding him. “HUNTER!”

“LET HIM GO, YOU BASTARDS!” Hunter screamed, his struggles renewing as Survivor was taken away in the same direction as the scav that had held the knife to his throat, the dark brown scav following as well. Eventually leaving only the one-eyed scav and the ones holding his arms. They’ll kill him! No, worse… They have him alive! Who knows what they’ll do? I have to save him; I have to break free!

Suddenly, Hunter’s view of his mate being pulled away was blocked by the ugly bastard with one eye. He had a wicked grin on his face as he showed the red slugcat the knife made of sharpened bone, probably lizard. The scav spat some blood that had run down into his mouth from his eye onto the ground. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

The red slugcat huffed and put on a brave face as he stared the scav down. “Do your worst.” The sooner the cycle restarted, the faster Hunter could work to save his mate.

With a grin, the scavenger roughly grabbed hold of his throat and squeezed. The air escaped Hunter's lungs as the scavenger's grip constricted, and he choked panickedly. Swiftly, the knife’s sharp edge plunged into Hunter's gut, pain exploding through his torso. The red slugcat's strangled scream echoed through the trees as the one-eyed enemy in front of him smiled even wider at his pain.

The scavenger withdrew the blade, admiring the blood-soaked edge for a short moment, before ruthlessly thrusting it in beside the initial wound. Hunter's vision dimmed, enveloped in an overwhelming wave of agony. Desperation crept in as he started to hope for a quicker end through fainting and blood loss.

Unfortunately, the scavenger wasn't content with mere stab wounds. With sadistic intent, he forced open Hunter's right eye using his fingers, a menacing glint in his lone eye. The scavenger suddenly aimed the blade for the red slugcat’s eye, and he felt fear and dread overtake him.

A sudden impact on Hunter's left side snapped him to attention, warm liquid splashing onto his face. His left arm was suddenly free, and the scavenger in front of him, frozen in his menacing pose, looked equally shocked and blood-splattered. Seizing the opportunity, Hunter, fueled by adrenaline, squirmed out of his captor's hold. With a burst of unexpected strength, he snatched the knife from his adversary's hand and, before the scavenger could react, plunged the blade into his other eye. A scream echoed through the trees, not Hunter's this time, as he pulled the blade free and turned to confront the remaining scavenger.

Hunter’s attempt was cut very short as the scavenger thrust a spear into Hunter's shoulder as soon as he turned around, sending the red slugcat collapsing to the ground with another scream of pain. On his back once again, more injured than ever, Hunter gazed up at the sky through a haze of sun and blood loss. An orange shape rushed past him, screams and chittering voices filling the air as there were sounds of a struggle. Through the fog in his head, Hunter vaguely registered the fully-blinded scavenger's cries and a struggle nearby, a familiar voice joined by a stranger.

Struggling to put pressure on his stomach wounds, Hunter felt the pain dulling, replaced by an ominous coldness. Panic surged through him—he couldn't die, not now. Survivor was still taken, and he needed to save him. More chittered shouting filled the air, abruptly silenced by a deafening explosion, the ensuing shock wave ruffled his fur, and the boom left Hunter disoriented and his ears ringing.

An orange shape, vaguely familiar to Hunter and covered in red splotches, appeared before him, urgently shouting as he pressed down on the red slugcat's wounds. Hunter's injuries no longer pained him, and a sense of detachment settled in. He knew he did not have a lot of time left and that he was fading fast. Coughing up something warm onto his chest, he struggled to communicate. "Surv..." he coughed, tasting copper, unable to comprehend the response from his orange friend. "Did you...see where they went?" Hunter pleaded, seeing a nod from the orange shape. "Go... save him... please." As Hunter felt himself slip away, he understood; there was no point in wasting energy on him. Collector needed to track down Survivor; he needed to save his mate.

Collector hesitated for only a short moment, then bowed his head and chittered before swiftly departing. Please save him, Hunter thought, coughing as his vision darkened. Void, save my mate. He tried to move, to look around, and to stay awake, but it became impossible.

Save him... Survivor...

My love... I’m… sorry… I…

Then everything went dark.

Chapter Text

Chieftain had never much liked to ride on top of the rain deer, no matter how effective they were for traveling across the wormgrass of the region. The rides across were always just a bit too shaky and unruly for his liking, especially considering they were right above such danger. “Void, I hate this stuff.” The old scavenger mumbled aloud to the two traveling companions at his side.

He was hoping to get some sort of confirmation of his rightful hatred for the wormgrass as he glared down at the vast sea of disgusting, writhing things gathered right below their “steed” as it effortlessly walked across the field of danger like it was nothing. If nothing else, Chieftain could always appreciate the rain deer’s elegance and gentle nature. Though the creatures were among the biggest he had ever seen, they never showed any aggression. They were so peaceful and kind that they would be perfectly willing to let one climb onto the top of their furred backs, hold onto their short fur, or hold onto their large horns as they gave a slow but steady lift across the dense wormgrass below.

Their spindly legs allowed them to effortlessly walk over the grass, the limbs far too skinny for the reaching worms to even be able to get a proper grip on the creature to pull it down. Just as Chieftain was considering all the creature’s good traits, he was suddenly reminded of why he still did not really appreciate riding them. The rain deer they were on top of almost tripped over something; the old scavenger had no clue what. It did not matter much as the ground shook underneath them. He flinched and tightened his grip on the creature’s short brown fur, holding on tightly. He only had one hand to use, as his other gripped the spore puff he was planning on bringing with him to the subterranean region.

The chains still attached around his wrists clinked together audibly as the creature stumbled, the shiny metal reflecting what little sunlight shone down through the clouds into Chieftain’s eyes. All of the previous blood and grime that had been gathered on the things had washed off at the end of their previous cycle. They had almost been late to the shelter, the rains beating down on them and leaving everyone sopping wet once everyone finally made it in, just as the downpour outside turned lethal. Remembering the event got Chieftain to think about the rains and how they had occurred more often. The cycles were shorter; it would be difficult to tell for the younger crowd of scavengers, but the old scavenger had lived long enough to be able to tell. The times between the rains were becoming shorter, while the rain hammered on for longer. Considering his past, maybe the mechanical god he had pissed off had finally decided to plant a curse on the land? Could Chieftain really be responsible for something like that, however?

He had been given the option to remove the chains several times by King and Hustler, but Chieftain refused. Not only were they really useful for makeshift, close-quarters weapons, but he was also starting to like the look of them wrapped around his wrists. It went well with his new, heavily cracked, but regal mask. All of it together gave him a unique and sort of threatening look. The old scavenger really liked the idea of coming back to help his friends, looking like a completely different scav than the leader of his former tribe. He was no longer really the chieftain, and after all of this, he was not sure if he ever wanted to lead any tribe again.

The tripping rain deer recovered surprisingly quickly. In no time, it had managed to straighten out and barely even stopped to assess its own or its passenger’s damage at all. The creature simply walked on normally, as if nothing had happened. Perhaps it was not aware of the fact that if its three passengers were flung off it, they were good as dead? Chieftain released his tight grip on the deer’s fur, using his hand to smooth out the hair a bit before grabbing on more gently. He was not sure if the massive creature could even feel what he was doing, but it only felt right to treat the gentle giant with a little respect considering it was helping them across the region.

A huff from the direction of the deer’s horns made Chieftain turn to look at King, who was definitely not being as gentle as he was. He pulled on the horns as if he were controlling where the creature went, visibly tugging at the deer’s head. If we get bucked off, I know who to blame. Luckily, the large creature stayed as gentle as ever, one of its visible eyes simply looking up at the white scavenger almost curiously. It was no surprise that King, the cruel bastard, wanted to sit up in front and feel like he was controlling the creature. Chieftain and Hustler had picked spots in the back instead; a steady grip was all that was required to not slip off.

The old scavenger had ridden the horns of the creatures in the past, but he had always been gentle, planting his feet on the deer’s upper back and holding on near the base, careful not to jostle the creature’s head as he allowed it to lead the way. King, however, was standing on the deer’s neck, almost at its head, both hands gripping tightly further up on the horns. From time to time, he would pull and jerk slightly, puling their ride’s head along to try to steer it. The steering did seem to work in some way, but that was not the point. The white scavenger was treating the magnificent creature like it was a toy, not a living being that needed to be respected.

For what felt like the millionth time during that travel, Chieftain had to restrain himself from reaching out and knocking the bastard out. Before King even opened his mouth to speak, the old scavenger sent him a glare, already knowing that whatever he had to say would probably anger him in some way. “I think it’s charming.” He eventually responded on the subject of the wormgrass, the white scavenger looking down at the patch below them with an amused look on his face. Already, Chieftain wished King had never even opened his mouth. Maybe I should grab him and toss him in the wormgrass? It was tempting… “I mean, have you ever seen what a large patch of this stuff can do to a group of captured enemies?” The white scavenger barked a laugh as if recalling a funny memory before glancing back at Chieftain and tilting his head. The older of the two narrowed his eyes in response to the other scavenger’s mix-and-match colored eyes, which stared a hole through him and widened slightly. “It’s quite exciting, I tell you!” As King kept staring at him, Chieftain had to really suppress the urge to growl at the sadistic piece of shit. Eventually, though, the white scavenger turned back around, going back to pulling on the poor deer’s horns.

Why would he travel so far from Shaded just to throw some enemies into wormgrass? Was the first thought that crossed Chieftain’s mind as he narrowed his eyes and glared at the white scavenger’s back. He already knew that traveling with King would be incredibly annoying in a lot of ways, but he did not think it would be as annoying as it was. Not only was the scavenger’s choice of “conversation topics” utterly crazy, something that always all but confirmed he had a condition known as “bloodthirst to the first degree”. Yet, despite his sadistic topics while they traveled, he was also incredibly whiny. At every step of their travel back to the tree, almost every line from King had been a complaint about how they were traveling far too slowly and not effectively enough. Chieftain was very sure that the only reason he did so was to piss him off. Anytime he asked the white scavenger if he had any suggestions for how to get where they needed to go quicker, he would always ask something along the lines of, “Aren’t you our guide?” with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Before meeting King again, Chieftain had fully thought he had moved on from his more impulsive and violent ways as “Slayer”, but the white scavenger almost seemed like he wanted to bring that part of him out again, whether by intention or not.

Despite the complaint and acting as if he were better than anyone, King never even contributed much to the combat that they had encountered so far. He let Chieftain, Hustler, and his band of mercenaries handle it while he stood back and picked out another one of those bottles filled with the disgusting, strong drink from his satchel. The older scavenger did not even understand why he had bothered to bring along a weapon at all, glancing down at the long blade at his side. It was a well-made tool, a large piece of sharpened steel attached to an intricately carved handle of wood. If he were to use it as a weapon, it would easily cut through the flesh and bones of most creatures! Void, considering the way he always talked about killing and violence for “small talk”, Chieftain had very much thought he would get to see him use it once on a living thing at least!

But no, King had only ever unsheathed his weapon thus far to cut through branches and plants in their way when they were traveling through areas with more brush. The way it effortlessly cut through all the obstacles in the way only confirmed just how sharp and high-quality it was for a weapon, which only made Chieftain more confused as to why he had not even used it against even a lizard yet. Though a part of him already knew the answer, the white scavenger was no doubt saving its use for when he could cut through the enemy they were going to face…

Hustler shifted slightly, and Chieftain looked over to see his friend looking at King. “We only ever did that once, and it was horrible!” He exclaimed, shaking his head as the white scavenger huffed again. “Too slow, and no one could propehly enjoy tha spectacle because of all the screaming…” The dark gray scavenger shuddered, making it clear that the only one who enjoyed the display of violence and cruelty in the execution was no doubt King.

The white scavenger in question glanced back with a smile. “I felt the screaming was the best part, myself!” Either he ignored Hustler’s uncomfortable expression or he simply did not care. Knowing the bastard, it was probably the latter. “It continued even when the miserable fuckers were deep below the ground, soil filling up their throats as they were pulled to their doom. Still, they screamed like banshees!” King threw his head to the skies and laughed again, genuinely seeming to view it as a good memory, as the dark gray scavenger frowned.

“Not really effective, though.” Chieftain jumped in, Hustler turning to look at him curiously. “I mean, if I were put through the wormgrass, I would not wake up scared and in pain; I’d wake up angry!” It was an attempt to lighten the mood, but he felt he also meant it. “Imagine not only being captured but forced to die to these gross things…” He turned and gestured out at the patch of writhing wormgrass around them for a moment before turning back to the dark gray scavenger with a smirk. “I’d come back for revenge, immediately!”

Hustler laughed, shifting over to pat Chieftain on the shoulder good-heartedly. “That's what I'm tawkin about, Slayer! Nah one should take such a death cycle lying down!” He gestured at the patches around them as well, a disgusted grimace in his face as he then shook his fist towards the grass below. “Gotta come back for revenge against these vahmints!!” They shared a laugh, and the old scavenger felt like the mood had lightened considerably. Suddenly, it felt just like the good old days when it was just Fixer, Collector, Hustler, and him hanging out. The only thing missing were the other two to truly make the moment fun. The old scavenger really wished they were doing alright and had not already been attacked during the short time he had spent looking for help. 

King glanced back at the sound of lighthearted laughter, not seeming to find it as enjoyable as he looked them over with an almost disgusted look. It was almost as if he only found a situation funny when he was the one laughing at others expense, either that or he was jealous that he managed to make Hustler laugh with actual banter. Unable to stop himself from smirking wide as he patted the dark gray scavenger on the shoulder, Chieftain eventually turned back to look out at the wormgrass stretching out across the field for as far as his eyes could see. The white scavenger eventually looked back ahead with a click of his tongue, opening the satchel to take another swig of the bottle stored in his bag.

Despite the moment of lightheartedness, Chieftain sighed after a moment, leaning back slightly as he felt the fatigue of boredom come on. Looking up at the sky, he noted that clouds started to gather above them. Traveling had been incredibly slow, mostly because they were forced to head through the wormgrass region, which meant the whole squad that followed King’s commands had to travel in smaller packs when it came to using the rain deer to travel. The old scavenger looked behind them, spotting a group of about four warriors sitting on their own gentle giant, only a bit behind them. At least sheltering had sort of worked out, if only because Chieftain had known of some particularly big shelters along their travels. Using the regularly sized shelters would have been impossible due to the size of the group, and it would have likely just led to the small box turning into nothing more than a box of packed flesh with no way out! The shelters he had led them to, while not perfectly sized and still leading to a slightly cramped interior, could at least house all the warriors safely and effectively to shield everyone from the rain.

Suddenly, King spoke up again. “I think you’ll want to hold on tight, you two.” His tone was surprisingly serious, and he visibly tensed slightly and grabbed onto the horns tighter. Hustler and Chieftain shared a look before the old scavenger huffed and leaned out slightly to look around the deer’s large head and get a look at what was happening.

His eyes widened as he saw them coming up on a hill, the grip he had on the fur tightening as well. Hustler noticed and grabbed on tighter while peeking forward as well, right as the rain deer was about to head down. “Well, don’t that beat all…” Was all he had time to mutter before their ride suddenly surged forward incredibly quickly, making all their heads whip back and then forward.

Despite feeling a lot of pain in his neck and head from the sudden whiplash, Chieftain put all his focus on holding on tightly as he closed his eyes and tensed his body. Don’t fall over; don’t fall over; don’t fall over. Having his eyes closed obviously made the impacts of the deer’s falls worse, and he felt nausea coming on from the intense shaking. Thankfully, the impacts did not come from the creature rolling over and exposing the trio to the wormgrass below, but from it slamming the underside of its body several times against the ground as it seemed to almost slide along the hill. For just a moment, Chieftain felt some fear over the wormgrass grabbing onto the body of the deer and pulling it under the ground, bringing all of its passengers along to its death. Thankfully, as the jostling and tumbling stopped, he felt the usual soft, rhythmic rocking of their steed’s body as it started to walk normally again.

Opening his eyes again, the old scavenger noticed they were actually walking inside a small cave on the side of a cliff. The previously giant patch of wormgrass had decreased to a smaller amount. Though the grass was still definitely high enough to immediately pull anything stuck inside into the ground, it did not do much to calm Chieftain’s heart after the deer’s crazy movements. What did calm him, however, was the sight of what seemed like a tunnel in the ground all the way inside the cave. It was a fairly large space without worm grass, a good spot for the whole group to gather before fully moving on. A symbol was painted next to the passage. “Home” it said, and he stopped to consider if one of his tribespeople might have put it there when they had moved into the region. He had never taken the path he was currently on to get to the region, and he took another when he started his journey. Still, they were headed the right way; at any point, the group should spot the next pipe leading toward the gate into the subterranean region.

His deep thinking was interrupted by King’s cheerful laughter; the sound was filled with adrenaline. “Whooo! What a way to travel!” The white scavenger hollered loudly, slightly jostling the deer’s head excitedly. For once, the steed actually looked annoyed with the loud passenger, and Chieftain almost hoped it would shake its head to throw King off into the wormgrass below.

Unfortunately, it instead walked up to stand right in front of the platform and did its usual kneel to let them off. King immediately hopped off with no fanfare. “Would ratheh not do that again for a while…” Hustler mumbled, giving Chieftain a wink and their ride a pat on the back before gently jumping off the deer.

Before he jumped off, Chieftain walked up and gave the large creature his own pat, this one on the head. “Thank you, big friend.” It responded with a low rumbling noise, and he was unsure what it meant, but at least it sounded positive. For a moment, the old scavenger also considered handing over the spore puff in his hand as a treat, but decided against it. He needed it for something else important, after all.

A moment after he had left the deer’s back, it lifted its head and looked at the three for a short moment with curious eyes. After a while, it stood back up to its full length, turned around, and walked. Chieftain watched as it started to climb up the hill, its long legs making short work of the fairly steep incline, when it was suddenly blocked by the deer some of their allies were riding on. The two creatures looked upon each other for a while before the one they had been riding on kneeled, letting its friend carefully take wide steps over it. He could hear the warriors on top chittering noises of anxiety and distress as their ride handled the hill as well as the trio’s had. It ended up just as well as their own trip, however, and within a short time, the deer kneeled and let its passengers get off (which they did rather shakily).

Speaking of the warriors, getting a good look at them once again after the long trip over the wormgrass, Chieftain remembered just how differently they looked compared to most scavenger tribes. Some of the warriors had most of their bodies painted black; others were covered in different darker parts of slain wolf spiders, all to be able to camouflage themselves in the darkness. The tribe of Shaded had always operated through stealth and deception—no big surprise considering where they had always been based, even before having a proper tribe set up. Their methods worked to great success, though a lot of scavengers (Chieftain included) considered their ways of combat to be unnecessarily convoluted at best and cowardly at worst.

Looking at the “leader” himself, King had neither painted himself nor donned any sort of “spider armor”. Chieftain guessed he saw dirtying his precious white fur and body as a crime against nature itself, and that’s not even mentioning his overly decorative mask. As the white scavenger gave the warriors that had just arrived a dressing down and made sure they were up to shape, the next deer came walking toward the cliff. The process of panicked chitters and rumbling ground repeated once again.

Hustler huffed and crossed his arms at his side. “We'll get tha pleasure ah seeing that a few more times, I reckon." He said and nudged Chieftain slightly with his elbow, the other scavenger chuckling in amusement.

In total, the warriors brought along were about twenty in number, which was not a large number, but together with the slugcats and scavengers at the tree, Chieftain hoped they would still manage. At least we have The Red Death. Not to mention, the warriors were strong in their own right. He had had the pleasure of fighting by their side as they traveled, the members dispatching their enemies with brutal efficiency, even when not under the cover of darkness. Often, they would make use of poison-tipped spears or even spit spider barbs shot out of a carved and hollowed-out wooden pipe at their enemies to get the upper hand. Though it could be seen as cowardly by many, it was also fascinating to see how the warriors worked.

If they managed to keep the element of surprise and reach the tree before the battle, Chieftain had no doubt that they had a chance to really assist his friends and save their colony, pushing the enemy away.

Finally, all the warriors were eventually gathered and lined up on the platform (with their backs to the wormgrass and standing close to the edge, making Chieftain slightly nervous). Their expressions were set in stone, and they stood with perfectly straight backs as King looked them over. “Is this really necessary?” The old scavenger whispered to Hustler after a while, the two of them standing by the passage in the ground, eager to keep moving.

Hustler huffed and leaned over to whisper back. “It's tradition. Tah ensure everyone's in tip top shape and ready before moving into a potentially dangehous area.”

He hummed in response, which seemed reasonable. Chieftain supposed that if there was one thing King did right, it was keeping his warriors ready and disciplined. “Wait, shouldn’t you also be standing in line, then?” The old scavenger asked a bit louder, turning to look at his friend with a confused look on his face.

The dark gray scavenger was not a warrior, sure. But still, why not ensure he was ready and in tip-top shape as well? Hustler chuckled and shook his head in response. “Not cut out for warrioring, hence why I am just a humble mehchant!” He winked, and Chieftain only became more confused.

Hustler, not cut out for warrioring? That’s a laugh! “You’d make a great warrior.” He smirked and looked the dark gray scavenger up and down, chuckling. "Just put those explosives to good use, and nothing will dare go against you!” His friend laughed in response, lifting the bomb belt he had strapped sideways along his torso and grinning.

“I'm betteh at 'demolition work,' I'd say!” The two friends shared a laugh. That was true; Hustler did build homemade bombs and experiment with explosives as a frequent hobby of his. Though sometimes Chieftain did wish his friend would get a safer hobby, most of the scars littering his limbs and torso had come from errant shrapnel after all!

Finally, when all the mercenaries’ equipment had been checked, the group can keep moving, sliding through the passage and into an interior. The place looks sort of like the ruins of a workshop, judging by the massive cogs spread around the place. There were some fairly large centipedes that foolishly challenged the group, but they were swiftly dealt with by thrown spears. After collecting some of the centipede meat, they kept moving further. Rather fittingly, further inside the room were a few popcorn plants, and they were swiftly opened by eager and hungry warriors. Chieftain supposed they had not actually eaten that cycle, and it was best to save most of the provision when the chance arose. Many of the mercenaries carried bags of various sizes that contained various supplies like bandages, simple explosives, and food. And drinks. He thought as he looked over to King, who stood next to him and was swigging from the bottle again. The white scavenger was looking a bit unsteady on his feet, so it was a good thing the shelter in subterranean would be close by Chieftain’s assumption.

They stood right next to the pipe actually leading to the gate, so they would soon finally be through to the last region standing between them and their destination. Then, they would simply need to travel through most of the region of the slugcat’s colony, avoiding possible patrolling scavs along the way. Easier said than done… Truly, but it should be fine so long as Chieftain ensured a low profile was held. At that thought, he looked over to Hustler, noting the fact that he was playing around with one of the bombs plucked from his belt, seemingly trying to check if the metal shell filled with explosive powder was filled properly, shaking it against his ear. The old scavenger was truly relieved that the only way to explode the dark gray scavenger’s own bomb was to light the short fuze at the top; it would not explode from hard hits like many other explosives. I just need to make sure neither King’s warriors nor my explosive friend make too much noise. He managed to resist the urge to facepalm and groan. It would be fine.

“Hey, Chieftain.” He had to suppress a sigh as he heard King speak up at his side. Instead, Chieftain turned his attention to the white scavenger with an acknowledging nod. “I’ve been wondering, why are you still carrying one of those around?” A pointed finger made him turn his attention to the spore puff still clenched in his hand.

The reminder of what he was going to use it for made Chieftain smirk. “You’ll see later on.” He responded cryptically. Even despite the mask, he could see King’s face scrunch up in confusion, if only for a short moment. Then he shrugged and turned to walk up to the popcorn plants instead.

Hustler suddenly came up on Chieftain’s side, looking at the spore puff with confusion as well. “I've sort ah been wondering about that too.” He mumbled, gesturing to the object. “They don't have much use besides from being fed to tha rain deer, do they?”

Chieftain chuckled and wrapped an arm around the other scavenger’s shoulders as they walked up to join the rest of the group in eating popcorn kernels. “They have some other uses. You will see shortly, old friend!”

The trip into the actual Subterranean region from the gate turned out to be a bit more difficult than any of the members of the group figured at first. Chieftain himself was not sure where in the region they would have come into from the gate, but he had definitely not been expecting to have to make a harrowing climb into what was essentially a chasm. The climb was annoying, but mostly went by quickly and was not all too tiring. Though, considering everyone was forced to listen to King complain loudly about Chieftain’s “bad” choice of path into the region, it was still very much a loss in his eyes. He really had to restrain himself from decking the white scavenger in the face when they reached the bottom first, and King muttered something under his breath that involved the word “senile”. Chieftain was not even that much older than the rest of the group! Sure, he was definitely the eldest, but still!

Is some respect just too much to ask for these cycles? Chieftain shook his head with a huff, deciding to turn his attention away from the scavenger he really wanted to deck in the face and instead turn his attention upward the way they came. What little of the sky he could see from the odd angle was fairly packed with clouds, but they did not seem to be darkening, meaning they ought to have a bit more time before the rain, at least. He glanced down at the spore puff in his hand, considering its use. The hardest part of what he was planning was to simply find the predator; then, it was all just about hitting it with the puff and waiting. There was already a spear strapped to his back, and some simple straps made of lizard leather were tied around its handle. He had everything he needed to complete what he really needed before the battle, apart from the creature from which he would make his armor!

"There's not a lot of time left on the cycle, is there?” He turned to see King also looking up at the sky, having lifted his mask slightly as he itched at his chin.

Chieftain simply shook his head before quickly remembering that the white scavenger was not even looking at him. “No, we ought to hurry up.” Was his simple response.

Hustler finally reached the bottom of the climb, panting slightly as he glanced up curiously as well. “Well, nah rumbling yet. So we should be fine for at least a bit longeh, eh?”

The other two scavengers nodded in agreement, and Chieftain was a bit shocked that, for once, he actually could agree with King over something. Thought that time would never come. He thought cynically, considering whether he should go about saying it too, but eventually deciding against it. “All the more reason to just focus on keeping on moving.” Looking to the side, the old scavenger saw that every mercenary was almost at the bottom of the climb.

The trio waited for everyone to finally reach the bottom and straighten out again. Chieftain was a bit scared that King was going to do his “line up and check up” thing once again, and so sighed in relief when the white scavenger simply nodded in satisfaction and sent him an easy smile. “Lead the way, Chieftain.”

The nearest tunnel led them into small caverns underground, ones that Chieftain had not been in before. However, through pure guesswork, he quickly figured out which path would lead them down to the familiar old rail carts and railway that ran through almost the whole region. Seeing collapsed rocks and a small drop-down onto one of the carts, he came to the conclusion that there used to be a tunnel one could use to travel down effectively. Though it had long since collapsed, maybe through someone else’s usage? Before jumping down, he glanced down the hole as best he could to ensure there weren’t any predators too close to where they would drop down. Confirming it to be safe enough, he turned back to the group that was watching his actions carefully and gave a nod. When most of them had nodded back, Chieftain dropped down, slowing his descent slightly by sliding down along one of the partial walls just before the full dropdown.

As soon as he landed, the scavenger threw one last glance around himself, just to be completely sure it was safe. Satisfied, he looked back up at the others. Hustler came down after him first, landing next to the older scavenger with a grin and a nod. Chieftain looked back up again, expecting to see King and the mercenaries follow after. Instead, looking up only greeted him with the image of the rest of the group staring down at the two scavengers that had dropped down. They watched them almost cautiously, as if they expected something to happen.

Chieftain sighed and deflated. He should have known the cowards would not want to come down until they were sure it was completely safe. With a quiet growl, he raised his arms to his sides and spun around, gesturing out at the emptiness surrounding Hustler and himself. The awkward silence still stretched on for a bit longer, however, until King finally spoke up. “So… all clear then?” Chieftain could hear the smug smirk in his voice as the white scavenger cast another glance around the area.

He better get down here before I come up, and… The dark gray scavenger at his side had a less angry, more annoyed reaction to the other’s shenanigans, and Chieftain figured poor Hustler would be used to traveling with the spineless bastards. “It's safe! Come ohn down, we don't bite!" The joke made Chieftain huff in amusement and shake his head before crossing his arm and throwing another look around the area.

It did seem pretty empty, did it not? Maybe even too quiet and empty of predators… Clear proof that a red creature has passed by. Chieftain thought to himself, wrapping some of the dangling chains around the knuckles on his free hand as he stayed ready to throw the puff on anything vaguely red moving towards him and his friend. Hustler noticed the gesture and took a slightly nervous look around. Above them, the others finally started to move to join their side in the actual danger zone.

“You see anythin'?” He whispered nervously, fidgeting with one of the explosives on his belt and pulling some sort of ancient firestarter he had found while scavenging a long time ago. Hustler started playing with its trigger to turn on the flame, something he would often do when anxious about something.

Glancing up, Chieftain was not all too surprised to see the warriors go down first, with King staying at the back and waiting until the last possible moment before moving down. Before he did, the white scavenger noticed him staring and gave him a friendly wave. He knows he’s annoying me, the prick. "It seems a bit silent down here, does it not?” Was his eventual response, speaking in a loud enough tone that the warriors that had just jumped down also heard him. Despite still looking fearless and hardened, they fidgeted with their spears slightly, casting paranoid glances around the area. King finally got down as well, apparently having heard what the old scavenger said as he placed a hand on the handle of his weapon and looked around. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to see him use it on anything other than plants.

Any scavenger worth their salt could tell something was wrong; it was not unnatural for an area late in the cycle of any region to have a small number of creatures. After all, they had already hunted and otherwise killed each other throughout most of the time, leaving only a few still alive until rain and hibernation. However, it was natural, if not expected, to be able to at least see something that was alive. If not see, then at least hear. It was completely silent; one could very clearly hear the pearls on Chieftain’s and King’s masks lightly clink as they turned their heads and looked around, the sound joining in with the sound of Chieftain’s chains. The air was tense, like something was suspected of jumping out at them at any moment.

However, the longer time went on with nothing happening, the more relaxed everyone seemed to become. Eventually, everyone was fully untensed, and weapons stopped nervously being fidgeted and twirled with. Chieftain gave the spore puff in his hand a small squeeze before loosening his grip. Hustler stopped playing with his bomb belt and lighter, and King removed his hand from the weapon strapped to his hip. “Great, nothing!” The white scavenger eventually muttered, sounding more genuinely annoyed than any of them had ever heard him be since the start of the trip toward the colony tree. “Would you keep leading the way, Slayer? We’re wasting time here!”

Chieftain narrowed his eyes at the white scavenger, considering whether he should utter his abandoned name: Cunning Lurker. It was very much a hated title of his, hence why he wanted to go by “King”. He had honored that request, yet King called him by his old name? Only his friends who knew him well while he was Slayer could call him that; no one else! Lurker seemed to notice the shift in demeanor as his expression turned a bit more serious, and the mercenaries at his back also seemed to react to the sudden change in expression on the old scavenger’s face with widened eyes and whispered chitters among each other.

Hustler seemed to notice his friend’s change in expression as well, and he stepped in before Chieftain could think to say anything. “Way forwahd should be way easieh with nah predators around, right?” He gestured around the empty cavern, and several of the mercenaries standing behind King muttered words of agreement as they nodded to each other and to the dark gray scavenger. Chieftain had noticed they were not really a verbal sort, the warriors, mostly just muttering and mumbling incoherently at times. Oh well, different tribes, different cultures, he supposed.

“Indeed.” The old scavenger responded with a nod, loosening his posture considerably as King seemed to release a breath he had been holding and nodded as well. “However, before we move on, I have something important to do first.” Chieftain added easily as he walked forward, intending to follow the rail tracks the opposite way from where the colony was. The white scavenger in front of him looked confused as he pivoted to get out of the way, and the mercenaries also sheepishly moved to let the determined scavenger through.

After a moment of hesitation, he heard the rest of the group follow closely behind. “What? What do you mean by ‘something to do first?” Chieftain ignored King’s question and his indignant tone as he jumped off the rail cart and started to crawl through a narrow tunnel underneath the rail tracks. The tunnel stretched on for a while, but there seemed to be several gaps, one big one not too far ahead. If he remembered correctly, the centipede’s den was underneath a part of the rail track that had collapsed, leaving a gaping chasm. It was down there that Chieftain had seen the red centipede for the very first time in the region, as it lay still and rested among corpses of lizards, spiders, and smaller centipedes. He had wanted to hunt it right then, but that had been while he was leading his tribe to find a new home. Thus, he left it alone to ensure his people would travel safely.

However, he had sworn to one cycle come back to take it down and attach its scales to his skin. Chieftain gave the puff in his hand another squeeze as he grunted, feeling adrenaline already course through his veins at the thought of experiencing the thrill of taking down a red creature again. It has been far too long. “Hey, Chief.” Hustler spoke up, crawling closely behind him. Chieftain glanced back and gave his friend a smile, already having been ready to guess he would be the first to follow with no hesitation. “Where we goin’?”

He slowed down slightly, leaning a bit to get a look at King and the mercenaries crawling a bit further behind. The white scavenger was obviously muttering to himself, the eyes visible through his mask showcasing frustration. Chieftain could not help but crack a smirk at that before turning back to his dark gray friend. “There’s a red centipede that lives here,” he explained, gesturing forward in the general direction as Hustler’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “I’m going to kill it.”

A moment of silence passed before Hustler finally hummed behind him, another short bit of quiet permeating the air around them before he spoke up. “Will yah need any help with that?” He asked carefully, as they were almost upon the large gap in the railroad tracks.

The closer they got, the more familiar it looked to Chieftain. “Nah, I need to do it on my own.” He explained with another glance back, seeing Hustler nod slowly as he seemed to be in deep thought. It’s sort of a tradition for myself at this point. The old scavenger had lost count of how many times he had killed a red creature for himself; it had occurred too often for him to remember! Or maybe that was just a sign of a failing memory? Maybe I am getting old? He shook his head to dispel that thought. It was nonsense! Chieftain was practically still in his prime! “Don’t worry, though; I’ve done this before.” He held up the puff to the right side of his head for his friend to see, not bothering to look back.

Hustler chittered cheerfully. “I was just thinking it would be unlike yah to not have a plan, old friend.” Chieftain chuckled in response, finally coming out to the ledge of the collapsed part of the railway. There was space to stand again as the roof of the tunnel had also crumbled further back, allowing him to stand up and walk over to the edge to look down.

It did not take long for Chieftain to spot it, lying on the ground all curled up, once again surrounded by various dead creatures. He grinned as he spotted his quarry, feeling even more adrenaline pump through his body as he reached over and double-checked that the chains around his right knuckles were tightly wound and ready.

The dark gray scavenger joined his side and swallowed loudly, the shifting sound of the other scavengers approaching becoming audible. “Are you sure yah can take that thing on all on your own?” He asked after a while when King and his goons reached the end of the tunnel and started to approach the two. “Nah shame in asking for-”

“What. The. Fuck?” His friend was rudely interrupted by a certain white scavenger who only just laid eyes on the predator down below, crouching down to become less visible in case it would happen to turn its head upward in their general direction. "Red centipede, get down!"

The warriors following behind King also all gasped and gawked in fear as they dove as well, forming a clump of crouching scavengers. Chieftain glanced behind himself and only then noticed just how much room such a big group of full-grown scavengers took up, some almost barely able to exit the tunnel with how cramped the ledge was. However, it seemed he still had room on the edge; the others were far too scared to approach as far as he had. Looking around, Chieftain could see some looks of awe from the mercenaries as they stared at him standing fearlessly.

Now that’s more like it. Chieftain smirked as he turned back to his prey, crouching down and preparing to jump down. Some respect, for once! “Be caheful, Slayer.” His friend mumbled, and he sent him a nod and a smug smile in response.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before.” He could not help but smirk wider as the warriors behind him exchanged shocked whispers.

King looked over at him as he finally prepared to jump down, seeming shocked. “Wait, are you planning to go up against that thing?”

At the sudden question, Chieftain turned to look at the white scavenger, who was looking back and forth between the centipede and the older scavenger with shock and bafflement on his face. After a moment of letting the question hang in the air, he finally responded to the question. “Watch and learn, King.” Chieftain sent the impossibly shocked scavenger a wink before immediately turning back and jumping off the ledge.

The fall was pretty far, but Chieftain had jumped from way greater heights before. Though he is unable to land silently, the centipede seemed immediately alert to his sudden presence. He had landed on top of a small construction, so he jumped down to be on even ground with the centipede, who uncoiled itself and almost seemed to look at him. Was it smarter than most other centipedes? Any other time Chieftain had done this, the insect would have come at him immediately, not hesitated…

Just in case it was smarter than most, he kept the spore puff hidden from view, and he was fairly sure the centipede had not yet spotted it. “Hey, bugface!” The predator almost seemed to listen to the name, raising its head slightly as its feelers twitched. “Are we going to fight or what?” Chieftain twisted his head and smirked, and the giant creature in front of him seemed to actually realize it was a taunt.

In response to his tough talk, the centipede finally hissed loudly. Without anymore hesitation, it crawled along the ground towards him. The old scavenger flinched slightly, despite killing several of the things, their incredibly fast movement always managed to shock him. Though, Chieftain was forced to recover quickly, he steeled his gaze as he waited for the thing to get closer. Almost. He could hear some panicked chittering coming from above him, likely from the mercenaries questioning if they should jump in and help out. Just a bit more. It was close enough that he could hear the legs skittering along the metallic ground, and he could see the shine of its powerful plates. Come on…

“CHIEFTAIN, MOVE!” King screamed from above, and Chieftain finally cocked his arm back, ready to throw the ball of spores at the creature. He wondered if he imagined that the red centipede almost seemed to hiss in panic and try to divert its course before it could be thrown.

Of course, even if the red predator was smart enough to realize the danger of the spore puff, it was far too close to the old scavenger to be able to do anything about the situation. The thrown object exploded right in its “face” releasing a large cloud of spores into the air, with the centipede in the middle of it all. The effect was immediate; the centipede screeched loudly, writhing and shaking as it tried to get most of its body out of the haze. It was unsuccessful in its attempt at saving itself; the uncontrollable shaking and vibrating of its body made any attempt at saving itself from its fate utterly impossible.

As it struggled, Chieftain took the chance to wrap chains around his other hand that had previously held the spore puff, giving him access to both fists in the coming pummeling. With a grunt, he pumped both his arms into the air once before slowly walking forward. The spores finally cleared, and the centipede stopped struggling as hard as it had. However, it was still shaking and twitching uncontrollably, with the spores working their magic. Hearing his approaching footsteps, it turned its attention back to him, and he smirked widely. With another screech, this time of pure rage, the centipede lunged forward, the short distance between them meaning Chieftain had very little time to react. That was fine; he had been ready!

The centipede ended up lunging right into the old scavenger’s left fist as he threw a straight punch with fairly decent timing, catching the predator right in the front end that was trying to attach to him. Thanks to the centipede’s approaching speed and the strength and power of his swing, the armor plate he had aimed his punch at cracked audibly as the predator flew back slightly from the force of the blow. Chieftain knew from experience that the plates were very effective for blocking sharp spears or knives, but blunt strikes worked well for doing direct damage to the defenses of the red one.

The beast recovered quickly, launching towards him with the other end of itself, catching Chieftain partly off-guard. He flinched as the part of the centipede that he had not kept a close eye on grabbed hold of his leg, the red centipede’s body buzzing with electricity. The old scavenger only threw a quick glance at the part grabbing him before looking back up to see the other end flying toward him to deliver the lethal shock. Chieftain’s eyes widened, and he threw an uppercut toward the underside of the approaching head to avoid touching the part that would deliver the shock. The blow worked well, allowing him to duck under its attempt at another grab as his fist successfully changed the trajectory of its lunge. Before it could recover, he turned his attention back to the end, still holding onto him, and growled. Putting his fists together into one and lifting them high into the air, before striking down on the top of the biting head with a cry.

Another crack sounded as the plate covering the other end of the red centipede also cracked, the bastard letting go and leaning back to screech again. Chieftain responded with a hook to the side, whipping around in time to see the other head trying to grab low again and giving it a sharp kick to stop its desperate bite. A momentary abatement followed as the centipede tried to recover, allowing him to retreat slightly before going back into a defensive position and watching the beast closely. It recovered eventually, twitching for a moment before spotting his new position and attempting to approach him again!

It never got that chance. Suddenly, it started to writhe again, though way more brutally this time. Shaking the ground below itself as it had its dying seizure, screeching and hissing even in its final moments. Its body buzzed with energy, feelers desperately looking to grab onto Chieftain in a last-ditch effort to take its killer down with it. It was all for naught; the old scavenger was standing too far back for it to reach, and he already knew he had won. After only a moment of shaking and writhing, the beast slowed down, one final electrical buzz cutting through the air. Then, it quickly faded in volume, the red centipede going fully limp after just a few more twitches of its body.

Well, it was definitely not his most clean kill of one of the things, but it was still a fight to be proud of! Honorable and direct! Chieftain was aware that the safest way to handle the situation would be to throw the spores directly at the centipede while it was curled up, ensuring it hit as many of its armored sections as possible. It died faster that way, and if done correctly, the one throwing the puff can simply run away and then come back to find it dead. The old scavenger did not do things that way, not when it came to combat, at least. No, he wanted direct confrontation if it could not be avoided!

A sudden cheer from above made Chieftain glance back up at the ledge he had previously jumped from. All the mercenaries, who had somehow managed to figure out a way to sit near the ledge to watch the fight, were thrusting their weapons into the air in celebration. Celebratory chitters enveloped the cavern they were in, and he would have been worried the sound would attract predators if not for the fact that the red centipede had killed everything nearby where they were. Hustler clapped his hands together instead, flashing him a smirk and a thumbs up when he looked over. Even King seemed impressed, his arms crossed with a small grin of his own on his face as he nodded toward him.

This is respect, as deserved as it should be. Chieftain thought as he puffed his chest out, even more proud over the kill he had performed. Without injury, no less! He had been bitten, but centipede bites were completely harmless; they barely even bled! Turning back to the corpse of the slain beast, he smirked as he pulled the spear off his back, uncoiling the chains around his fists to work a bit easier. His knuckles had gotten partly used to being used for fighting during their trip, and the skin was breaking and bleeding less easily. Still, he felt the bruises and knew he would be slightly sore for the rest of the cycle when the adrenaline wore off. That was fine, though; it was all worth it!

Sitting down on the ground in front of the dead centipede, the old scavenger unwrapped the leather straps from the handle and placed them on the side of the beast’s corpse. They were ready to be strapped onto him; they only needed the armored plates attached first! He had many to choose from; almost all of the available plates that he had not smashed were of good quality. Chieftain considered the red centipede to have really been an extra smart one; not only had it managed to avoid a lot of permanent damage to its armor, but it had also learned from past experience that spore puffs were dangerous to it. Though he could not help but wonder, What warrior taught it that in the first place?

Looking back up before starting to pry the plates free, he saw everyone watching curiously again, eager to see what he would do next. Chieftain sent them another smirk before turning back and working the spear’s sharp edge underneath one of the plates nearest to the end of the centipede closest to him, pushing down on the handle to wrench the armor piece off. The pristine piece fell to the ground with a clink as the scavengers above exchanged sounds of awe. As the old scavenger started to attach the armor plate to a leather strap, adjusting it to fit on his shoulder, Chieftain smirked to himself.

Back to some of my old glory. Chieftain thought gleefully as he attached the piece. After checking that it would stay stuck to him even if he waved his arm madly, he picked the spear back up to go for another unscratched plate.

Night whined on Artificer’s back as she finally cleared the way toward the colony tree, jumping out of the forest and taking a rapid look around the field, tensed and ready for anything she might find. To her confusion, there was actually nothing. No spears flying over her head, no bombs being thrown at her home, and no scavengers in sight... What the hell was the explosion about then? Didn’t Survivor and Hunter also go off to talk privately? Fuck…

Wasting no time, the maroon slugcat started to run again, heading in the direction she had seen the two slugcats walk off earlier. As she started to come up on the tree, Fix came out from around the side of the tree. He’s safe! Thank the void. He seemed to have just gotten done checking around the tree, wielding the G.U.N. in his hands. Upon hearing her approaching footsteps, he whipped the barrel in her direction and aimed, very quickly lowering it when he saw it was just her.

“Arti!” He lowered the weapon completely as she came even closer, eventually holding it in one hand and opening his arms for a hug. The two shared a quick embrace, with Artificer purring for a short moment before they both backed off. “Are you okay?” He asked, placing a hand on her stomach for a moment, as if scared something had happened with... Don’t even consider that thought!

After a moment, he made note of Night sitting on the maroon slugcat’s shoulders and removed his hand to instead reach up and run it through the black fur on her head as the pup purred. Artificer huffed at the question, looking her mate over. “Of course I’m fine! Are you?”

“Ears are slightly ringing from the loud explosion; otherwise, I’m good.” He said easily, cracking a small smile in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit as he stopped petting Night to make a show of clearing one of his ears.

The attempt sort of worked, she supposed. “What happened?” The explosion had obviously not come from the tree, and Artificer seriously hoped it had not come from the direction that Hunter and Survivor had walked to.

The dark-red scavenger shrugged with a frown. “Not sure; I was inside trying to figure out how this baby worked internally.” He held the weapon in his hands up and Artificer could not help but chuckle slightly. That sounds like Fix, alright! Always trying to figure out how things work on the inside. And we love him for it. “I heard the explosion and immediately ran outside with G.U.N. ready, only to find everything was fine in the field! Though, considering the explosion had come from over in that direction, I took a small check around the tree for safety’s sake.” Fix pointed in the direction that Hunt and Surv had walked off to, and Artificer felt herself blanch. That means… They could be in trouble! She needed to go! Her mate noticed her shift in expression and looked very worried. “Arti, what did you figure out?” The scavenger looked around, seeming very uneasy as he fiddled with the trigger on his weapon. “Talk to me, my love.” He mumbled worriedly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She turned back to her mate, biting her lip as she thought of what to do. She needed to go look for the two, but she could not bring Night along. Artificer’s ears twitched as she heard the sound of someone coming out of the trees from the direction she came, followed by rapid approaching footsteps, and she tensed for a moment before picking up Monk’s and Enot’s voices (well, mostly Enot’s) and relaxing. As the maroon slugcat slipped Night off her shoulders and placed her on the ground, the two came close enough for Fix to hear them, and he whipped to attention, pointing his weapon at them the same as he did her before lowering it when he saw Monk.

Fix made a confused noise, probably upon spotting Inv. “Who’s that?” Night whined when Artificer pulled away, and she leaned in to press a quick peck to the pup’s forehead in response before looking back up at her mate.

“Inv, or Enot, they’re an ally to us. Monk will help with introductions.” Artificer explained hurriedly, looking around her mate’s shoulder to stare at the spot where Survivor and Hunter had gone a while ago, hoping they would come walking out. Before her mate could ask more questions, she continued. “Hand them Night, tell the two to keep her safe, then follow where I ran and find me, okay?” Fix looked incredibly confused at the quick information and opened his mouth to ask a question or protest.

Though he seemed to notice her incredibly serious expression, his will to talk faltered. He nodded instead, gently grabbing hold of Night’s paw as Artificer nodded back and ran around the scavenger to head into the trees. She glanced back to make sure that her mate was looking in the direction she was going, also spotting Monk and Enot, along with the lizards, close to meeting up with Fix. Seeing it was under control, Artificer turned back around toward the trees and sped up further. As she ran, the maroon slugcat bent down and picked a rock off the ground, quickly shoving it in her mouth. A moment later, she took it out, the homemade bomb sizzling slightly as she studied it to ensure it was absolutely covered in explosive saliva. Satisfied, she went back to focusing on running. Artificer considered whether she would use her explosive abilities for a short moment but decided against it in the end. The trees were way too tightly packed where she was running; jumping explosively would require a lot of focus and fine-tuning to avoid jumping into branches or trees.

She did not have time for any of that; it was all about speed! Artificer needed to find the missing duo; what if it was already too late? What about Collector? He’s missing as well, is he not? Fuck, that was true too! Her mate might have some information on where he saw the orange scavenger last, but the fact that he was not already at the tree could only mean bad news. He’s probably also checking out the explosion. She hoped, at least, if Collector had gone missing...

Well, Artificer did not know how a scavenger tribe would treat a “traitor”, but it would be far from good, she guessed. Finally, the maroon slugcat pushed through the bushes, ending up standing in front of what looked like a small forest oasis with running water and a lake. It was quite beautiful, but she was not there for sightseeing! Rotating her ears, she tried to listen for any sound of struggle or combat. Coming up empty, she instead started to sniff the air. It did not take long for her to pick up a scent that made her blood run cold. She could smell copper—the strong scent of freshly shed blood! While not particularly strong, Artificer got the bad feeling that following it would make it stronger…

Unfortunately, the maroon slugcat was quickly proven right in her assumption as she picked up where the scent came from and started to follow it. Please let it be from hostile scavengers. Artificer thought, hoping to come out into an area of bloodshed and corpses, only to find none of them belonged to the two slugcats, who would be standing in the middle of it all back-to-back. Covered in blood, but otherwise okay. Unfortunately, as soon as she broke through into the next treeless area, she was proven wrong. The area she had come out in was bathed in the warm glow of the sun above, with visible stumps letting her know that what trees used to be in the area had been chopped down and thus opened the sky up above. In the middle of all of the stumps, lying down and looking up into the sun, was a familiar red slugcat.

“Hunter!” Artificer rushed forward, ending up at the other slugcat’s side in just a few moments as she crouched down, dropped her weapons, and looked him over with gentle paws and a watchful gaze. It did not take her long to realize she was too late. Her friend was pale; there was a pool of blood underneath him; his skin underneath his bloodied fur was cold to the touch; and his eyes were wide open and staring into the sun with no reaction.

The maroon slugcat closed her eye and shook her head. Don’t blame yourself for this, Arti. You could not have stopped it. I know… She opened her eye back up, blinking away the tears that threatened to run down her face. There was no use in crying; she needed to be strong. Hunter would be back next cycle! Artificer let her gaze wander back to her friend’s face, seeing his expression frozen in a look of sadness. His eyes held no pain, no acceptance, only sorrow. Frowning, she reached over and used her paw to gently close his eyes. It made him look just a bit more peaceful, but it was enough to calm her a bit. Reaching for his paws, she carefully made his arms cross over his chest. Bowing her head, Artificer gave one of his paws a brief pat before standing up.

She whipped around and reached for her weapons again at the sound of someone breaking through the leaves behind her, only to find it was just Fix. The scavenger threw a few glances around the area before his eyes settled on Hunter. He approached quickly as Artificer rose to stand. Fix's eyes flitted between the body behind her and the maroon slugcat. “Shit, Hunter! Arti, is he…?” She did not need to respond at all. Fix could immediately see it on her face, and he bowed his head and closed his eyes. “Damnit…”

But where’s Survivor? Artificer threw a look around the area, quickly coming to the conclusion that the white slugcat was nowhere to be found. Maybe he managed to get away? She felt a bit of hope soar in her heart at that thought; no visible body could just mean he had been killed somewhere out of their sight, but she did not want to think like that. Her mate joined her in scanning the area, probably thinking the same thing as her. Artificer could somehow feel it inside her. Survivor was still alive; he just wasn’t nearby.

Suddenly, her mate seemed to spot something, his eyes widening as he jogged over to the trees in the opposite direction of where they came out. “Arti, over there!” Artificer quickly followed, expecting to see Survivor hiding in some nearby bushes, scared and sad but otherwise okay.

Instead, what Fix had spotted was simply some white fur stuck on a nearby branch. Artificer’s first thought was that the white slugcat had run and simply been slightly snagged as he escaped his mate’s killers. However, her view on the situation quickly changed when she glanced down and saw tracks just below the branch. Those were no pawprints from a slugcat; they were footprints from scavs. Along with the prints, there were also signs that someone may have been pulled, not walked, in between one pair of footprints on each side. With Hunter dead, it painted a completely different story. Survivor had been dragged away by scavengers.

The thought immediately made fear grip her, not wanting to imagine for what reason a group of scavengers would want a slugcat alive other than to... Don’t think about that; focus on getting him back. Right, trying her best to calm down and looking up from the tracks in the dirt, Artificer made note that Fix seemed to have come to the same conclusion as her. The scavenger was glaring at the tracks, fidgeting with the metallic weapon in his hands.

Eventually, he turned to look at Artificer. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but... considering what we’re seeing here, I’d say we’re looking at a kidnapping.” His voice was grim, and his gaze was serious.

She mirrored the gaze as she sighed, looking back at the tracks. “It seems so." Why would they take Survivor, however? Because they were friends? Did they do so to get at her in particular, or are the bastards just fine with hurting whoever, as long as it’s a slugcat or a “traitorous” scav? After a moment, Artificer looked up to see Fix looking into the forest carefully, almost as if he would be able to see Survivor at the end of the tracks just a bit further up. “What do you reckon?” She recognized the expression on the scavenger’s face, intense and unwavering as he stared coldly ahead. Her mate had a plan.

Turning to look at her, Fix’s expression softened considerably. “One of us needs to go search for him.” He mumbled, looking down at the weapon in his hands as he sighed nervously. “It’s really bad timing for this shit to happen now, but we need to find him and ensure his captors don’t…” The scavenger trailed off, but they both knew what he was suggesting.

“It is bad timing.” Artificer agreed, frowning deeply and feeling anger rise inside her as she thought of Survivor being hurt. He did not ask for this! He wanted to live a peaceful life with Hunter! He never did anything to the scavengers! "But we can’t let him get hurt.” The maroon slugcat took a deep breath and calmed down.

Survivor was one of them, a valued member of the colony, no matter what. The situation was bad, and they could barely even spare sending away one single member of the colony to help out. But Artificer knew that the white slugcat would not hesitate to do the same for any of them in a heartbeat, so it was only right for them to do everything in their power to ensure his safe return!

Fix nodded in agreement, turning to look at the trees again. His eyes narrowed as he was stuck in deep thought. Then he turned back to look at her again. “I can go.” What? Just like that? Artificer opened her mouth to respond and to have a discussion about it.

However, when she saw the expression on her mate’s face, she quickly realized there was no point in trying to convince him otherwise. His mind was set, and when Fix set his mind to something, trying to change it was quite impossible. It turned into some funny situations from time to time, considering the maroon slugcat was the same way. Often turning into a sort of “immovable object meets unstoppable force” situation, the two of them stuck in an intense stare-down until someone or something broke them out of it.

She held back a chuckle at the thought, instead smiling up at Fix and nodding. “Okay.”

It was impossible not to chuckle a bit when the dark red scavenger’s eyes widened in surprise, shocked over her agreeing so swiftly. Though he eventually recovered, he leaned down slightly to exchange a proper embrace with her. As she was held in her mate’s arms, Artificer felt some of the stress in her body melt away, and she purred loudly, feeling Fix melt into the hug all the same. Things were bad, but they could make it better! In time, she knew they could make it better than it ever was. For now, just focus on making it “better”. Roger that. 

They leaned away, but not before Artificer leaned in closer and pressed a deep kiss to her mate’s mouth. “I’ll be careful and be back as soon as possible.” Fix whispered when they parted their kiss, pressing a gentle but firm hand to her stomach again. How much longer do you think? I’d rather not think about it while we’re in this situation. True.

Artificer smirked and leaned in, bumping their foreheads together with a happy chirp. “You better.” She pressed another kiss to his head, just below his horns, and he chittered happily in response.

Then, the two finally broke the embrace completely. Fixer took one of her paws and squeezed it gently for a moment before sending her a wink and smile, letting go of her paw, and turning around to follow the tracks. Artificer watched her mate go, sending a small wave when he glanced back, holding her other paw to her stomach, which kept getting plumper with each cycle that went. When she could no longer see Fix anymore, the maroon slugcat sighed and turned back around. Walking to Hunter, she bent down and collected her weapons.

That’s when she suddenly heard something—a low rustling coming from one of the bushes. Immediately, Artificer went right back into “defense mode”, raising her spear and pointing it at the bushes. She waited a moment for something to happen, on high alert and ready to react to any possible threats rushing out to fight her. The sound of rustling did not continue; no movement at all was visible. However, Artificer knew that there had been a noise from the exact bush she was pointing her weapon at. When a long moment of silence passed and nothing out of the ordinary occurred, the maroon slugcat eventually growled and started to approach. As she did, a part of her hoped that the slight sound had actually come from Survivor having hidden there when he and Hunter had been attacked. Maybe the white fur simply came from a white scavenger? They were rare, but she had seen a few in the past…

Eventually standing right in front of the bush, she listened closely for any sort of noise and watched for any sort of movement… Nothing came of it, so eventually, Artificer leaned forward and used the spear to move the part of the bush that had rustled out of the way. She immediately came face-to-face with a scavenger she did not recognize. They “stared” in her direction, mouth open in shock. Though staring really was the wrong word in every way, the scav had no eyes to stare with. One of their eyes appeared to have been clawed, judging by the pattern of scratches present just above and below the gnarly injury. The other had been stabbed in some way, or perhaps gouged? Either way, there was not much left of either globe. Still, the scavenger obviously could sense she was there, and as they suddenly wound back their arm, Artificer got a glance of a stone clutched in their hand.

She leaned back just in time to avoid the wild, desperate swing. The scav’s expression twisted in fear as they realized they had missed their one chance at a surprise attack, and they turned to try to blindly run into the trees. The maroon slugcat responded by growling and dropping her weapons, freeing both her paws for grabbing the bastard by the neck, pulling them from the bush, and throwing them on the ground. They are one of the scavs involved in the killing of Hunter, and the wounds are definitely from him fighting back. Let’s see if they know anything, then. The scavenger tried to stand, but Artificer kicked them in the ribs, making them collapse to the ground with a pained groan.

Grabbing the spear she had previously dropped to the ground, the maroon slugcat sat down on the scavenger’s back and lifted their head by grabbing their horns, holding the side of the spear tip to their throat, and letting them feel the sharp edge cutting into them. “I have some questions for you.” The scav chittered in confusion until Sofanthiel gave them the translation. “Answer me, and I’ll let you go. If you refuse…” Artificer growled and let the spear nick the scav in the neck slightly as they flinched. “My friend, the white slugcat, did your people take him?” She waited for the stranger to respond, but they did not chitter a word. “Where did they go?” Her voice dropped into a low growl, and the scavenger failed to suppress a flinch. Still, they stayed completely silent. “ANSWER ME!” The maroon slugcat’s scream did not get translated through the robot, but her loud chirping was practically a screech.

Finally, the scav chittered something that Artificer recognized even before Sofanthiel translated it. “Fuck you, slugcat!” His voice was painful, which was not surprising considering the untreated eye injuries. She frowned, lightly easing on the pressure of the spear to make it easier for the scavenger to breathe. “I will not sell out my friends, no matter what you do to me!” He laughed, spitting on the ground in front of him. “Killing me would be a mercy, either way.” The last part was muttered, but Artificer heard it anyway and pulled the scavenger’s back as far as it could go.

He groaned in discomfort and glanced back with nonexistent eyes as best he could as Artificer smirked. “Maybe I’ll do the opposite? Force you to hibernate; make you live with your blindness for the rest of your cycles!” She laughed cruelly, feeling like she did back when she used to do shit like this regularly. Easy, Arti. The scavenger’s face twisted in fear, and for a moment, Artificer thought it worked.

However, he recovered quickly, snarling at her as he struggled for a short moment. “I’m not saying shit.” His voice came out strained because of her tight hold on his head; the scavenger’s pain and discomfort were not translated well through the robotic voice of Sofanthiel.

Artificer sighed and started to consider her options. Truthfully, a part of her wanted to kill the scavenger. It’s like he himself said—it would be a mercy, considering his situation. However, if she did so, the scavenger would get the chance to wake up in safety, eyes fully functioning (if in a lot of pain), and be able to make his way over to his comrades. He would be vengeful and angry, and if a slugcat was nearby for him to take his anger out on… Just the idea made her growl again, tightening her grip as the scavenger flinched again. Fuck, Artificer really hoped Survivor was fine and that Fixer would catch up to him and save him. She did not want to imagine what the white slugcat could get put through if he stayed too long in the captivity of bloodthirsty scavs. Looking down at the scavenger beneath her, Artificer huffed. He obviously knew something, and she would somehow find out what it was. But maybe not at the moment… 

“I think I’ll give you the rest of the cycle to think about it and really weigh your options.” She said sarcastically, standing up and looking down at the prone scavenger. They did not move, only growled quietly in response. “If you continue to refuse to talk, I will force you to stay blind, then I’ll let you speak one-on-one with my red friend.” Surprisingly, the mention of Hunter finally made the scav react. Artificer was surprised by how quickly the scavenger scrambled to his feet, and he almost managed to get at least six meters away before she reacted and explosively shot forward to collide with his back and tackle him down.

The struggling would not cease, however, and it was annoying her. With a hiss, Artificer flipped her spear upside down and struck the scav in the head. He stopped moving completely, falling so limp she got a bit scared she had killed him. Once she saw he was still breathing and was fine, she huffed and got off him. Peace and quiet, at last. A rare luxury.  The maroon slugcat bent down and picked the scavenger up, dragging him along partly above the ground as she started to make her way back toward the tree. Artificer huffed in amusement as she was reminded of her cycles of having to carry scav corpses up to gates to make them open up for her.

Before she left, however, her eyes happened to glance back at Hunter’s body. Even after she closed his eyes, the red slugcat looked far from peaceful at all. She considered that the body would not magically disappear if left behind, and there was no rain that could flood the surrounding area and carry the corpse away in the part of the region they were in. Artificer felt a bit sick, imagining Hunter coming back a few cycles later and finding his own rotting corpse right where he had died. I can’t leave him like this. The maroon slugcat eventually decided, dropping the knocked-out scavenger to the ground to instead focus on digging her friend a shallow grave.

Walking over to stand between the edge of the trees and one of the stumps, Artificer bent down and started to dig. It would end up as a pretty shitty resting place, and if he ever came back to the area, he would probably want the grave marker removed to not be reminded of what happened. Still, it only seemed fair, even if he would come back the next cycle. It did not take long for her to dig a hole big enough to fit the slugcat; the soil was soft and easy to move. Looking down at her dirt-covered body, she frowned. Very dirty and exhausting work, however. Once done with the digging, she stepped into the forest to swiftly forage for a small flower, short sticks, and some long leaves. She threw a glance at the scav, but he was still knocked out cold as she started to craft a simple cross with the two sticks, using the leaves to tie them together. Once fairly happy with the result of her work, Artificer walked over and fetched Hunter’s body. Because of his bulk and size, the red slugcat was harder to carry than the scavenger, despite being shorter. She struggled to carry him to the grave, but eventually she managed to kneel down on the side of it and place the body at the bottom of his back in the most dignified pose she could manage to give him in the grave.

Straightening out, she looked down at the body, somehow looking a bit more peaceful when stuffed in the grave. The longer she watched her friend’s body inside the ground, the more creeped out she felt, however, so Artificer eventually decided to get to filling the grave in. At least throwing the soil on was incredibly easy and straight-forward, and she had Hunter buried in no time. Carefully, she picked up the cross and placed it on top of the disrupted soil, making sure it was properly stuck in the dirt before finally picking up the flower and placing it next to the sticks.

She sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Maybe I should say something? If you can, go for it. Artificer cleared her throat, almost as if someone would actually listen to her. Then, the maroon slugcat tried to consider something meaningful to say. After spending a bit too much time planning some sort of speech, she frowned, suddenly feeling very stupid. Hunter would be back next cycle, so why make it anything extra?

Gently, she reached a paw to the soil that housed his body. “Rest in peace, Hunter.” Artificer mumbled, patting the dirt for a short moment before standing back up. “I’ll see you next cycle.” She bowed her head toward the grave, and only then did she feel satisfied.

Groaning from behind made Artificer perk up and look back, frowning as she remembered she still had the scav to take back to the tree. With a sigh, she started to walk over as he tried to get his feet under him and stand up. “What… What's happening…?” He asked in confusion, turning toward the sound of her footsteps and giving her the perfect angle for kicking the scav in the jaw. How could she resist? Her paw connected beautifully, her leg muscles felt tense and powerful as she delivered the kick, and the bastard went limp once again.

“You were just going back to sleep.” Damn, Arti. He’s fine! With another frown, Artificer bent down and once again picked the scavenger up, starting her journey back to the tree. “Play nice, and I might not force you to stay till the next cycle, and then let Hunter beat you up.” The maroon slugcat barked a laugh, aware that the knocked-out scav could not even hear her. “Might.”

Chapter Text

Monk panted as he ran through the trees, trying his best to duck under most of the low-hanging branches that threatened to collide with his head and knock him down. His legs burned, and he was feeling fairly winded, not helped by the fact that he was really pushing his sprinting speed to the limit. Definitely not helped by the fact that he and Inv also had to have a match of sparring right before being forced to run, of course. Glancing back, he quickly spotted the slugcat right behind him. When they noticed him looking, they sent him an easy wink, seemingly keeping up without issue. The lizards were also keeping up well enough, spread out at the two slugcats’ sides and back with some space between them.

Turning back to look ahead of himself, Monk tried to look for his mama but could not see her past the thick trees all around them. Arti was probably already far ahead, which was not at all surprising considering her ability to explosively leap. He didn’t blame her for wanting to get back to the tree as fast as possible; after all, it wasn’t exactly that well defended at the moment. You sure as hell aren’t helping with that fact, are you? The yellow slugcat frowned, narrowly stepping over a root sticking out of the ground. Not only did you put the whole colony in danger with that little stunt you pulled, you’re not even there for them all when the bastards actually attack. Monk bit his lip and tried his very best not to scream in frustration. Fuck, he really should have known their enemies would lie to them about the actual time of assaulting the tree. It should have been obvious they were just trying to separate them by pitting them against each other, exposing all of that bullshit to distract them all so they could move in when they were at their most vulnerable.

Except it wasn’t bullshit, was it? At least not your involvement. His focus quickly shifted from trying not to scream to trying not to cry. At this point, the tree is probably burning, and everyone else has been massacred. Only Arti is left, but she is all alone against all of the scavengers. A quiet whimper broke through his panting, and Monk had to fight the urge to close his eyes tightly to fight back tears. Closing his eyes would definitely lead to him crashing to the ground or running face-first into a tree. Once again, you’ve cursed everyone you love and care about. They’re all dead or about to die, or worse, and it’s all your fucking fault. He gave up on trying to hold back tears, trying his best to run even faster despite his lungs and legs screaming at him to slow. The colony should have abandoned you as well, just like-

“Monk.” A familiar, loud voice at his side made the yellow slugcat flinch hard. The scare almost made him trip over his legs, and he had to slow down just a bit and look down at his paws to reset his balance. Enot, who was running next to him, slowed down to still be close by and giggled slightly. “Woah, careful there! Don’t fall on your handsome face, and-” As Monk glanced up from the ground to stare at the other slugcat, he noted that Inv was looking at him oddly.

The smug smile that was almost always on their face was noticeably dampened as their eyes scanned his expression for a short moment. Realizing that they could see the fresh tears streaking down his face, he reached a paw up to wipe a few of them off. He quickly turned away from Enot to once again look forward to ensure he would not run into any obstacles. Monk was starting to recognize their surroundings; he was fairly sure they were getting close to the colony tree. Straining his ears, he tried to listen for any sounds of explosions or other types of fighting. His hopes lifted slightly when he heard nothing—no clashing spears, no loud explosions, and no sounds of struggling. Maybe it had just been a solitary incident? Perhaps it was someone who was dissatisfied with their leader's decision to wait a few cycles. For your sake, that better be the case…  

All that he could hear was his own rapid panting and beating heart, along with his, enot’s and his lizard’s footsteps along the soil, leaves, and grass beneath their paws. Inv was still almost completely silent, seemingly barely breathing at all, despite the two running at full speed. Even Hunter, with his enhanced endurance, would at least be breathing a little bit heavier if forced to sprint at his fullest. What the hell kind of stamina did the slugcat next to him possess? Not to mention their sparring match, while Monk took every chance during the breaks between rounds to collect himself, as had been taught by Hunter and Arti, his opponent did not need to. Enot simply stood by and waited, at least doing so patiently, too busy with playfully waving to the lizards, Arti, and Night watching, or sending him a wink or blown kiss anytime he looked up at them. Their fighting style was dangerous and reckless, both to themselves and to Monk, but it was fairly obvious Inv had been holding back in their duel. No shit, you’ve seen them in combat when the fight is life or death. The yellow slugcat could not help but feel a small shiver go up his back at the memory, reminding himself never to get on Enot’s bad side. It seemed impossible that someone so weird and awkward would be capable of such ruthless, efficient violence, but one should not judge by the cover, he supposed.

Speaking of Enot, the yellow slugcat could still feel their eyes burning into the side of his head as they ran. Somehow, they had been lucky enough not to have run into something or tripped on a root or wedged rock. “I-Inv… Focus.” Monk forced the words out through his dry mouth, barely able to speak through his desperate panting. When the hell would they reach the tree? He thought they had been close… 

Either the two of them had slowed down considerably since the yellow slugcat got that idea, or he had just been completely wrong about how close to the tree they really were. “Sorry.” Enot mumbled, making Monk glance over again. Their signature smile was back, and as soon as they noticed he was looking over, they unsurprisingly shot him a wink. “I was just impressed by your endurance, you beast of a man! You were breathing heavily even before we ran, yet here you are in full sprint like the stud you are~!” Enot’s voice was as it always sounded; no sign of exhaustion was audible at all.

The yellow slugcat huffed in response, turning fully to look at Inv for just a moment. Once they held his gaze and he saw they were serious, he breathed a huffy laugh and looked back ahead. Monk was starting to really feel his legs give out, and he got scared of how effective he really could be in a fight. The others can use you as a meatshield. There’s only a list of pros behind that idea! They won’t get hurt, they’ll get a karma flower, and they don’t need to deal with you for the rest of the cycle. “I’m… practically d-dying… Enot.” He shakily responded, almost losing his footing for a moment once again.

“That just makes it all the more impressive, Banana Babe!” Monk groaned at the “new” nickname; somehow they kept getting fucking worse! “Pushing yourself to the limit and further beyond! It speaks of great resilience! Beneath that cute exterior, you’re a real badass; it’s obvious!!” Despite the fact that Inv always tried to throw compliments around, the one they uttered at that point actually sounded the most genuine out of all of them. So much so that it made Monk actually feel a small sense of pride coursing through him at the other slugcat’s words.

He had never, ever considered himself a badass, never thinking of himself as anything special at all. Especially not when he was compared to the other members of the colony. Monk turned to look at the other slugcat, noting the fact that they were still looking at him. Their face was serious, or as serious as Inv’s face ever could be. They truly believed that, it seemed. 

Despite the situation, the yellow slugcat actually felt his face grow a bit hotter, and it was not from the running at that point. “T-Thanks, Inv.” He muttered genuinely, looking away to try to hide the blush on his face. Along with the small smile that spread across his mouth, unable to be stopped despite his exhaustion.

As he could practically hear Enot’s smile widen, Monk realized it was probably a mistake to respond at all. “Not to mention, that quality probably also makes you an absolute monster in bed~!” He was quickly proven right; there was no hint of shame in their voice. If anything, they stated it like it was a fact in a very sultry voice.

It took a very large amount of effort on Monk’s part to not completely lose his balance at the uttered sentence, the blush on the yellow slugcat’s face increasing tenfold as he sputtered and struggled to respond to the accusation. He made a conscious effort to not turn to look at the other slugcat, both scared of seeing what face they would be trying to make at him and terrified of them seeing the blush upon his face and getting the wrong idea that their terrible flirting is working. Where the fuck is the tree? Luckily, just as Enot took a large breath, probably ready to utter something else degenerate, the yellow slugcat finally spotted the open field through the leafy branches ahead.

“There!” Monk practically wheezed, pointing shakily toward the tree that started to become visible further back the closer they came. His sudden yell seemed to interrupt Inv's thought process and distract them from what they were about to say. Instead, the cyan slugcat turned to look as well.

A small chuckle emanated from them as the two came closer and closer, with Enot finally speaking up again right before they burst out of the edges of the trees and touched their paws on the grassy field. “Let’s do this, baby!” They yelled excitedly as the two slugcats finally broke through.

They both moved into their respective combat stances and prepared themselves for some sort of combat; all the lizards quickly spread out on their sides. Ruby came up to the yellow slugcat’s side and threw a glance over the field at the same time as the two slugcats did. She gave a small chirp of confusion at the same time as Monk did; the field was completely empty. There were no enemies in sight, the tree was not burning, and there were actually not even any slugcats or scavs spread out across the space brawling and dueling with each other. The yellow slugcat frowned and moved out of his combat stance, instead leaning down to rest his paws on his knees and trying his very best to stabilize his breathing. A big part of him was relieved; there was nothing to really worry about; he was not really in any shape for combat at all. Though a smaller part was disappointed that they made the run for nothing. Only then did Monk remember that Arti had taken his spear way earlier, and he had actually planned to run into battle with no weapon at all.

Wow, great plan as always. “Run in and get killed”, riveting. He straightened up and noticed Enot had also dropped their combat stance, looking out at the field with a seemingly dissatisfied expression on their face. Since the other slugcat usually had their usual smile plastered on their face, it actually made Monk feel a bit uneasy seeing them look as they did. Were they really looking forward to a fight that badly? Looking back the other way, he caught the eye of Ruby, and the two looked into each other’s eyes for a short moment. The red lizard could have definitely protected him even if he did not have a weapon ready he supposed. Oh, great. Rely on others to get shit done! Can’t handle yourself in any situation, acting like a fucking pup and wanting help even in a situation where you should carry your own weight. With a frown, he reached over and scritched his lizard friend under her chin, the massive predator purring and closing her eyes in satisfaction. Seeing her reaction, Monk felt a bit better.

A sudden nudge at his side forced him to stop scratching Ruby, however, and Monk turned to look into Enot’s eyes, noting that the other slugcat had gone back to their usual smiling mood. “Hey, who’s that?” They asked excitedly, a very familiar glint in their gaze as they pointed toward the front of the tree. Following the direction of Inv’s pointing, he noticed a dark red scavenger talking to Arti.

Fixer! The scavenger had his metal weapon out and was seemingly ready for action; he seemed a bit on edge as he talked to Arti, while Night seemed to be squirming slightly on her back. Throwing a glance around the field again, Monk noticed there really was no one else running to meet up with them. They must have surely heard the explosion. It was incredibly loud, after all. He had really expected everyone else to come running and join him, Arti, and Enot outside the tree. The fact that it was only the four of them and Monk’s lizards made him feel very nervous. Maybe Fixer would have answers? The yellow slugcat noticed that he and Mama seemed to be talking for quite a while after all. Had the explosion not come from the tree?

“Come on, Inv.” Monk said hurriedly as he started to move toward his friends; the other slugcat was immediately by his side as soon as he had moved forward. He whistled lowly to ensure the lizards would also follow behind. The situation did not look bad, but it was probably best to still be prepared.

The yellow slugcat was feeling recovered enough to run again; his breathing had slowed at least a bit, and his heart did not beat heavily. Though he did not go into a full sprint, considering the situation was not as harsh as it had first been imagined. His legs still felt the strain of the constant movement, however, almost pushed to their limit. Still, Monk gritted his teeth and simply kept moving. When Fixer spotted their approach and aimed his weapon toward them, he considered lifting his paws for a moment to show it was just them. It was not needed, as the scavenger noticed it himself almost immediately afterwards and lowered his barrel. Instead, he pointed a finger toward the slugcat at Monk’s side and turned to Arti to say something. The scavenger was probably asking a question considering the way he tilted his head as he talked. They were not even near close enough to hear what was being said, though, and Arti suddenly seemed to be moving rather hurriedly. She moved in a rather animated way as she seemingly explained something to the scavenger. Only then did he notice that she had removed the black pup from her shoulder and placed her on the ground. Night seemed very unhappy about the fact, trying to hold onto Arti as Fixer took her paw and nodded toward the maroon slugcat. She nodded back and suddenly took off into the woods behind her mate.

Only then did Monk start to consider the fact that the explosion could have come from some place other than the tree. Collector, Hunter, and Survivor were all missing, and there was an explosion… It painted an ugly picture, and the yellow slugcat whimpered as he decided to break into a sprint to reach Fixer faster, ignoring the burn in his legs as they once again increased to an almost agonizing level. The scavenger seemed to be waiting for them, giving Night’s paw reassuring squeezes as he waved them over. The pup seemed in distress, holding her other small paw up to her face and seemingly sobbing openly but quietly. It made Monk’s heart ache, but still letting his mind wander to why the others were not there also made him almost feel nauseous with worry. Big bro Survivor was not by the tree, neither Hunter nor Collector. Why were they not there? The explosion from the forest… Had something happened to them? Why would they not stick close to the tree? Why didn’t you?

Finally, they reached Fixer, and the yellow slugcat really hoped for an explanation. “Monk! Are you okay?” The scavenger asked worriedly, seemingly noticing his distress.

Once again, Monk actually had to spend a moment catching his breath before actually speaking, taking the opportunity to throw another glance around the area. He did his best to peek inside the tree through the entrance as well, just in case one of the others was inside. No dice; there were only the three of them (four, counting Little Night). Turning back to Fixer, the yellow slugcat noticed the scavenger glancing at Enot with an unsure look on his face. They only responded by batting their eyes, which only seemed to confuse him a lot.

After what felt like way too long, he felt collected enough to ask the question burning in his mind. “Where are the others?” Monk asked, jolting Fixer out of his “staring contest” with Inv. Too late did he realize he had just completely disregarded the scavenger’s question, but still he pushed on. “Surv, Hunter, and Collector. Do you know?” He threw another look around, fidgeting with his paws.

Fixer seemed to come to some sort of realization, frowning deeply. It did not help settle Monk’s nerves much, and he failed to suppress a small whimper once again. Fucking crybaby. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry, Monk.” He bowed his head as he apologized, despite the fact that he really did not have much to apologize for at all. You should apologize for being a useless piece of shit. “Arti was in a hurry to run off toward where the explosion went off, and she told me to follow her.” The scavenger explained, letting the information be digested for a short moment before suddenly leaning down and handing the yellow slugcat Night’s paw.

He jumped, but still took the pup off his hands. She wasted no time in walking over and cuddling into the side of his leg, sobbing quietly. Monk did not know if the black slugpup was sobbing because of fear or for some other reason, but she was obviously distressed. It did not take long for him to get the message. Fixer needed to go with Arti in case she needed help, but someone needed to watch over Little Night. You should not be trusted with something so important. Monk looked up and caught the scavenger’s eye, nodding in understanding as he placed his other paw on top of the pup’s head in an attempt to comfort her.

With that settled, the scavenger turned to Enot, who was still staring at Fixer wordlessly. He looked them up and down before quirking their brow. “Inv, or Enot, I presume?” As he asked the question, he stuck his hand out for a friendly handshake. Immediately, Monk got worried that Inv would try to kiss the scavenger’s knuckles like he did to Arti and get socked in the face again. The cyan slugcat did seem to have enjoyed that treatment, after all.

Luckily, they did not; instead, they shook Fixer’s hand normally. “So you know me?” Inv said in a tone that Monk guessed was supposed to be seductive in some way. In response, the yellow slugcat cringed and fought the urge to facepalm as Fixer winced slightly. The scavenger was likely feeling the “headache phenomenon” that Enot’s voice brought.

“Arti mentioned your name, or… names, plural, I guess.” Fixer clarified as the two stopped shaking hand and paw, wiping his hand off on the back of his leg with a small frown on his face.

Enot’s face lit up slightly, and their tail wagged behind them as this new piece of information. “Oh, did she now?” They were still trying to sound cool and mysterious, but there was an obvious glee in their voice. The scavenger glanced back at where his mate had run off to as he nodded rapidly, very ready to just end the conversation and follow Arti. “Y’know, if you or the beautiful Artificer ever need someone to step in and spice up your love life a bit, I’m always available.” The cyan slugcat suddenly said, striking some sort of awkward pose that Monk guessed was supposed to excite. The yellow slugcat was unable to suppress the urge to facepalm, so he did so. Either Inv did not notice or, more likely, did not even care. When Night whined into his side, he was forced to move his paw sooner than he’d liked to go back to petting the pup once again.

At first, Fixer did not respond at all. He simply turned back to look at Enot, an unreadable expression on his face as he looked the slugcat up and down. “What.” It was a very flat response; there was no sign of any emotion in his face or in his tone of voice. The scavenger looked over at Monk for answers, but the yellow slugcat could only frown and shake his head with a small shrug.

Monk got a bit nervous when Fixer looked back at the cyan slugcat again; he was unsure if he was going to punch him. The scavenger was not really a violent individual by nature, but if there was anything Inv was really good at, it was annoying people beyond their limit, probably. “You know, we could always make a sandwich," Inv said, still holding the pose.

Fuck! Get him to stop talking, please! He opened his mouth to interrupt the conversation, but Fixer was faster. “Sandwich?” The scavenger’s voice no longer held an emotionless tone; instead, it was full of confusion and disbelief.

Frowning, he decided to move both his paws to cover Night’s ears. Monk was unsure if the pup would even be able to understand anything, but he did not want to take the risk of her learning some words and repeating them back to Survivor, or void forbid, Arti! The pup, luckily, did not seem to get more distressed at this; instead, she chirped in confusion between small sniffles.

Praying to the void below, Monk really hoped that Enot would just stop talking and not answer the scavenger’s confusion, but it was obvious that would not happen. “Yeah. Me in the middle between you two, held tightly in both of your muscular pairs of arms~” Fixer’s emotionlessness dropped away and gave way to more confusion mixed in with embarrassment. “We could cuddle and snuggle all wholesomely! Or, if you guys want…” As Inv moved to a more… sensual pose that showed off their (admittedly surprising) flexibility, Monk turned away and moved his paws to instead cover Night’s eyes. The pup’s tears had dried at least, if only because of confusion. She mewled in protest and tried to make the yellow slugcat remove his paws by pulling at them with her own tiny ones, but it did not work. “We could make it a bit more… personal and affectionate~” They added. Slowly, Monk turned to look at the scavenger’s reaction. Fixer’s eyes were wide, like how most scavengers looked when they were incredibly shocked. In any other situation, it would have made the yellow slugcat laugh. Is it over? Please tell me they are done talking… “What do you say, big guy~?” Goddamnit. He almost felt like he had to suppress the urge to vomit at the incredibly cringe-worthy situation in front of him.

The scavenger was, unsurprisingly, lost for words for a long moment. Hearing Inv shift slightly, Monk dared to look over and saw that they had dropped the pose. They were instead leaning in slightly and looking up at the scavenger, working the usual “charm” of slowly batting their eyes at Fixer. Enot probably thought it was hot, but the yellow slugcat thought it looked more like they had gotten some sort of dirt in their eyes that they were trying to blink away. “Uh, I… Um.” Looking back at Fixer, Monk noticed that he was averting his eyes heavily as he fidgeted awkwardly with his hands and stuttered heavily, searching for the right words. Eventually, he looked back at the flirting slugcat, who was still leaning closer and now smirking even wider. It became too much for the poor scavenger, as his blush suddenly increased even more, and he turned around towards the forest. “I’M SORRY, I NEED TO LEAVE.” He yelled quickly, dashing off in the same direction Arti ran earlier. Monk was a bit worried Night would get scared of the sudden loud noise, but looking down, she mostly seemed confused. That’s relatable.

“My offer still stands!” Enot yelled after the retreating scavenger as he ran, before watching poor Fixer’s escape with curious eyes. When the cyan slugcat also bit into their lower lip and lowered their glance slightly, Monk did not need to guess what part of Fixer they were checking out.

Rolling his eyes, the yellow slugcat stepped a bit closer and bapped Inv on the top of the head lightly. “Hey!” They barely reacted to the hit, but they did turn their attention to Monk, and their expression dropped into their usual smirk that was not as smug as it had been when they had flirted with poor, innocent Fixer. You could’ve at least said something to save the poor guy… “We have a pup to care for, Casanova." He muttered sarcastically, picking up Night and holding her close to his chest for show. “Now come on.” Before walking into the tree, the yellow slugcat turned to his lizards. “Wait out here, guys. Keep watch for anything suspicious, okay?” Many of the lizards nodded or made a noise of agreement before spreading out across the field to do their own thing. As Monk walked through the entrance of the tree, Enot unfortunately started to talk again.

“Casanova, huh?” Should not have called them that. Monk cursed himself; it had been obvious sarcasm, but he should have guessed the other slugcat would definitely not pick up on something like that. “I mean, my skills are unrivaled~” Great, you fed their huge ego. Against his better judgment, he turned to look at Enot, holding Night close to his chest with her eyes pointed away just in case. The cyan slugcat was leaning against the entrance of the tree, looking in his direction with half-lidded eyes. They held his gaze for a short moment before glancing around the interior of the tree. “Is there a reason you decided to start calling me such nicknames while we’re all alone and in private, hot stuff?”

Monk narrowed his eyes and held up Night slightly, the pup whining quietly at being pulled away from his warm chest. “Yeah, sure. With a pup in the room.” He made sure to make his voice as cold as possible in a desperate attempt to actually make the sarcasm stick the second time around.

Amazingly, it actually worked. Enot broke the gaze and rubbed the back of their head, laughing nervously. The “seductive” smile had turned into a surprisingly timid smirk. “Oh yeaaaaah. I kinda… forgot it was in here, yaknow?” They opened their mouth to say something else, but when they locked eyes with Monk and saw he was still staring at them coldly, they decided to keep it to themselves.

After a moment, the yellow slugcat sighed. “Can you do me a favor?” The lighter tone seemed to make Inv perk up a bit as they walked into the tree, smug smirk back to its usual… smugness.

“Anything for you, Banan-!”

“Great!” Monk interrupted as he held out Night for Inv to take, and the cyan slugcat leaned back slightly at the sudden interruption. “Hold Night for me; I’m going to get her some blue fruit.” The pup perked up at the two words she recognized well, chirping happily and squirming slightly in his grip. Enot hesitated for a short moment, but eventually reached over and took Night off Monk’s paws.

Before turning around, the yellow slugcat took a few steps back to see how Inv would interact with Night. As always, the black pup immediately started to try to bat at whoever was holding her. The cyan slugcat did not look all too nervous about the situation once Night was actually in their arms, thankfully. Walking further into the tree, Enot leaned down slightly to let the pup play around with their face. Once they got to the middle of the interior, they settled down on the floor. Coming to the decision that the situation seemed surprisingly under control, Monk decided to walk over to the food storage to get Night some blue fruits. The pup already seemed a lot calmer, but getting her favorite food usually made her feel even better. Maybe she was just hungry? It had been a very stressful cycle after all; none of them had had a chance to eat any sort of breakfast…

After picking out three blue fruits, Monk came walking back toward where Inv sat with Night. They appeared to be making a bunch of silly faces at the pup, which was making her laugh. The previous sadness hanging over her seemed completely gone, and she was back to looking like an actual pup. Young and innocent, with no care for how terrible the world they lived in was. That’s for when they grow older… He was sort of surprised that the cyan slugcat’s unique look, especially their pupils, wasn’t scaring the little pup at all. She was a brave little thing, he decided. Well, that, or she knew that they were just weird and silly and thought that was funny. Let’s hope she does not witness how they could be under the battle. Monk frowned at that idea as he sat down in front of Enot, and Night turned around and squealed in excitement. The idea of the pup being anywhere near the battlefield during the coming skirmish made his stomach feel like it was twisted in a thousand knots. He really hoped that Night could be put in some safe position far away from the battle when that time came…

The two slugcats sat in silence as Night ate the fruits with gusto, purring loudly as the blue juices from the food ran down her chin, staining her fur and dripping down onto the floor of the tree. It was a good thing blue did not really show at all in her black coat. Still, she would need a bit of a cleaning session later on. Though he would leave that work for Surv and Hunter, they really liked to do it after all. And though the pup always complained, he reckoned Night would complain even more if someone else were to try to clean her fur. Monk could not help but smile at the adorable display, and even Enot seemed to realize it was a good time to just shut up and enjoy the rare moment of peace. When the pup was done eating, not a single piece of the three fruits was left. Full and satisfied, Night kept purring as she suddenly settled down on Inv’s crossed legs and hugged her own tail. Looking up at the cyan slugcat’s face, Monk expected them to look nervous or unsure but was instead pleasantly surprised to see Enot looking down at Night with an easy smile, tilting their head in interest as they watched the little one nap on top of them.

Suddenly, they glanced up, and the two slugcats met each other’s gazes. Inv’s smile widened as they noticed Monk was looking at them, and they opened their mouth to say something, probably to make some sort of corny line or worse. Let’s hope Night really is asleep. Though they were interrupted before they could make a sound by a noise outside. Both of their ears twitched as they looked away from each other and looked out towards the entrance instead. The sun was starting to set outside, and an orange glow cast upon the field as night approached. And still, the others are missing… The thought came back suddenly, and Monk was gripped with cold fear. What if something had happened? What if he and Inv were the only two left that could defend the tree for the cycle? They were next! Oh, void. The others had been wiped out, and they were next. Then the tree would burn, and everyone would be split up in the next cycle of chaos and-!

The noise sounded again, a bit louder this time. It was someone whistling; the source sounded further off, but still fairly close. Jumping to stand, Monk ran over and grabbed an explosive spear from the small stockpile. He was not going to go down without a fight! The yellow slugcat turned around to see Inv starting to get up, seemingly trying to figure out a way to do so without waking Night.

“Don’t.” He whispered loudly, and the cyan slugcat stopped his attempts and settled back down on the floor. “If it’s something serious, I’ll holler.”

Enot nodded, then smirked wide and put the back of one of their paws under their chin with a wink. “Good luck, my hero~” Monk rolled his eyes with a huff, then slowly stalked over to the entrance.

After taking a moment to collect himself, the yellow slugcat quickly peeked outside. Scanning the field, Monk spotted nothing but his lizards. They did not seem to have spotted anything out of the ordinary. Then again, if someone really wanted to lure him out to kill him, they would definitely not be in the wide open space where they could be easily spotted. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, and for a moment he felt like going back inside the tree, taking Enot and Night with him to hide in a corner and watch the entrance with the spear ready for the whole rest of the cycle. You’re alone. You and Inv. They’ll come for you; they’ll kill you, Enot, and your lizards. Then they’ll take Night. Panic tried to grip him, but somehow the yellow slugcat managed to shake the bad thoughts off. Check the trees. He looked toward the edge of the trees, once again scanning for any signs of scavenger eyes looking back at him. The glint of sharp metal reflected off what little sun was left in his eyes. Monk spotted none of that; what he spotted instead was a maroon slugcat he recognized well.

“Arti!” He mouthed, still too careful to shout. She still saw what he was trying to say, as he saw her nod slowly. A moment passed where his mama seemed to glance around the area for a moment, still staying hidden in the bushes.

Her unsureness made Monk a bit nervous again, and he threw his own glance around his surroundings, just for safety’s sake. They spent a moment both checking the shades of the trees as the sun kept going down, eventually dipping down under the horizon and blanketing the area in darkness. Looking back at Arti, the yellow slugcat got a reminder that she glowed slightly. It was something about eating some stuff they found inside an iterator’s can; she, Survivor, and Hunter had glowed a bit brighter in the earlier cycles, but the effect seemed to fade with time. Thinking of his brother and Hunter made Monk really wish the two were there with them, and Collector as well. The yellow slugcat’s nervousness came back at the thought, so he tried to squash it down like he did his earlier panic. The maroon slugcat scanned the area for a bit longer. Though she eventually seemed to find, or not find, what she was scanning for, she nodded to herself. Slowly, Arti emerged from the bushes. That’s when the yellow slugcat finally noticed that she was actually carrying what looked like a limp scavenger on her back.

Oh shit.

Wasting no time, Monk rushed over and met Arti halfway across the field. Though he was a bit scared that the scavenger she was carrying was someone they knew, he quickly noted that he did not recognize the stranger on her back at all. “Arti! What happened? Where’s Survivor, Hunter, and Collector?” He threw a glance around, noting that another member of their group was missing. “And where’s Fixer? He was here a moment ago.” Panic started to grip him again. Why the hell was everyone suddenly disappearing? They’re leaving you behind, just like the rest. You are cursed after all; that has been the conclusion from the start. No, no, no!

Arti quickly noted his rising despair and took a step forward, releasing one of her paws from the limp scav to pull him into a side hug. “It’s okay, kid.” She purred. “I’ll explain it all to you soon, Monk. I promise.” Monk held himself back from crying and instead wrapped his arms around the other slugcat’s torso as best he could. Mama Arti always knew what to do and say to calm him down, it seemed. “I’m going to need your help, though.”

The yellow slugcat leaned away to look into Arti’s eyes and tilted his head. “Help with what?” His eyes shifted to the knocked-out scavenger; there seemed to be blood dripping down their face and onto the ground from some injury. It was too dark to see where on the face the wound was located, however.

“I’m guessing Night is inside the tree?” She mumbled, looking toward the entrance.

Monk nodded and hummed affirmatively. “Yeah, with Inv.” Upon receiving a bit of an odd look, he huffed. “They’re surprisingly good with her, believe it or not." He could hardly believe it himself, and he had seen it with his own eyes.

The maroon slugcat hummed and nodded slowly. “I guess I can see that.” There was silence for a short moment, until Arti cleared her throat and shifted her hold on the scavenger she was still carrying. “Bring your lizards; we’ll tie this bastard up someplace behind the tree.” With some hesitance, Monk nodded and turned to whistle for his pets. They all perked up at the sound before quickly moving over.

As they did, he turned back to Arti and leaned to try to get a better look at the scavenger’s face. In response, the maroon slugcat shifted again, almost trying to hide the face from Monk’s view. “What did they do?” He ended up asking, gesturing towards the stranger. It was obvious that Arti had been the one to knock them out. Ruby rubbed up against the yellow slugcat with a huff as she took a deep breath and looked away into the woods, considering her response.

After a moment, she turned back to Monk with a small, reassuring smile. “I’ll tell you everything after we’ve found a good spot to tie this guy up, alright?” It probably has something to do with everyone being missing. He managed to bite back the urge to ask more questions and instead nodded slowly. Arti nodded back, and the two started to move to find a suitable spot behind the tree to tie up their sudden captive.

Chieftain kept his ears strained as he led the way towards the tree, making sure to especially listen out for any distant, approaching chittering from other scavengers. After some consideration before they started to move, he had made the decision to mostly stick to tall grass and bushes. Staying off more easy paths through the region to avoid being caught off guard out in the open seemed like the best idea in the old scavenger’s opinion. He had been proven right several times when the group had been forced to dive down for cover as a scavenger patrol walked past. Looking back, he saw King, Hustler, and the warriors following closely behind. Just like him, they were crouched down low in the tall grass, keeping to the shadows of nearby bushes and trees whenever they could. As soon as they had gotten into the region, King had wanted to start leading his men through, only for Chieftain to quickly remind the white scavenger that he did not even know the way to their destination. He had responded that it did not matter, but it obviously did. What was his plan? Just slaughter through every scavenger patrol that stood in their way and blindly look around for wherever they were meant to be?

Actually, knowing the guy, that was probably exactly what he had been thinking of doing. At least one good thing about King’s warriors being painted black and wearing stealthy armor was the simple fact that they could easily move under the cover of tree shade and inside bushes without risk of being spotted, so long as they kept quiet and still. It also helped that the sun was starting to set and night was steadily approaching. Some clouds had also moved in, reminding Chieftain of the fact that they had not yet moved in far enough to completely avoid the rain. They had a ways to go, and even if the rains so far into the region were not always lethal, he would rather not get cold and sick right before he would probably be needed to fight. He knew where a spacious shelter was, so finding a place to sleep through the night was a non-issue in the end.

Suddenly, he heard something, and he stopped in his tracks. At his sudden break in momentum, all the other soft footsteps behind him stopped as well, everyone holding their breaths. Everyone except for King. “What is it?” He whispered harshly instead, making Chieftain glance back and frown.

It was the sound of chittered conversations between what sounded like two scavengers, though there could definitely be more that simply were not talking. “Someone’s coming; get down.” Chieftain responded quietly as he laid down on his stomach in the tall grass they were passing through. Aided by darkness and the length of the green strands around him, he decided that hiding should be rather easy. Especially helped by the darker color of his fur.

Speaking of someone who was not aided by the color of their fur, King spoke up again. “How many?” His voice was quiet, but still loud enough for Chieftain to get nervous about being heard. The scavengers were close enough that their footsteps could be heard, along with some words of their conversation. He spent only a short moment listening in on them but quickly ignored their chattering when it became clear it was just small talk.

King really should have been able to hear how many; there were only two pairs of footsteps audible, making it clear that it at least wasn’t another patrol passing by. “Only a pair of them, I think.” Chieftain threw a glance at Hustler, who lay on his other side, and the scavenger nodded as he looked towards the sound. The strangers were walking up on the side the gray scavenger was laying on, so he got the best angle of the two, likely even seeing them walking.

There was a slight shifting of movement from his other side, where King was, and the quiet tinking sounds of his many pearls made Chieftain feel nervous about their stealthiness. “Elites, warriors, or just simple gatherers?” Getting a bad feeling, the old scavenger turned to look at King, immediately noting that he had moved one of his hands to the weapon at his side. That’s a bad idea. Not all too surprising, considering who came up with it. He tried to glare at the white scavenger and shake his head, but he was not paying any attention to Chieftain.

The question had been directed at Hustler, and the gray scavenger hummed before responding. “Gatherehs, I think? Maybe huntehs? They do have a couple speahs each…” As his friend spoke, Chieftain saw the two scavengers finally walk into view. It was a bit difficult to see much through the blades of grass, but not impossible to make out some details between the two. The duo walked close together, talking animatedly and excitedly about one thing after the other. Only one of their arms each was actually gesturing around; the other was held in place between them as they held hands. While it was true that the strangers had spears, none of them were actually holding a weapon. “They look hahmless.” Hustler added as he looked back and locked eyes with Chieftain for a moment. They exchanged a nod of agreement before the sound of shifting grass was heard.

The gray scavenger narrowed his eyes and looked past Chieftain, eyes widening slightly. It was not hard to guess what his friend had seen when it came to King. “Good. This’ll be easy...” He muttered, the quiet sound of scraping metal audible.

Too loud!

Swiftly, Chieftain whipped around and grabbed onto King’s arm, which was starting to unsheathe his bladed weapon. The white scavenger jumped at the interruption, turning toward the older scavenger with a scowl on his face. All sounds ceased as one pair of footsteps stopped, the other following suit thereafter. “Hey, what’s wrong?” The one further ahead asked, looking around the darkening woods. Chieftain saw one of her eyes scan over the nearby trees and bushes, passing over spots where he knew some of King’s warriors were hiding.

If he’s just given our position away… He threw a glance at the aggressive scavenger, and King was still glaring at him angrily. At least the white scavenger made no attempts to rip his arm out of Chieftain’s hold; such a rash decision would have no doubt made them get spotted. “I thought I heard something.” The suspicious scavenger’s gaze hovered over the tall grass where the trio and a lot of the warriors lay.

As she looked over where he lay, Chieftain could have sworn her gaze stopped right on top of King. If his refusal to camouflage properly gets us found… Admittedly, his centipede scales were not the stealthiest color in the world, but at least they were pushed against the ground and weren’t fucking white. The only thing Chieftain could hear was his own breathing, kept as quiet as possible to not draw attention to any of them. Hustler was making no sound at all, probably holding his breath. Thank the void the gray scavenger actually had some sense and that the scavenger on Chieftain's other side did not have a bunch of bombs across a belt on his chest like Hustler. Of course, King was making an annoying amount of noise, in his opinion, almost panting heavily as the arm kept in his hand tightened and shook. The white scavenger’s eyes were still burning into the side of his head, so he knew he was still staring at him angrily.

The other scavenger joined her friend’s side, looking over in the same direction as she was. “Y’see something?” Chieftain was practically holding his breath at that point, and King finally glanced away from glaring at him to instead look in the direction of the two standing in front of them.

That was also a bad idea, considering his mask was white as well. Maybe he knew it was stupid. In fact, he probably wanted one of them to see him, just so he could have an excuse. Scowling as King had earlier, Chieftain had to restrain himself from turning his attention to the white scavenger to beat the absolute shit out of him. Instead, he gritted his teeth and tried his best to suppress his anger at the sadist’s attempts to get his kicks.

After what felt like a million years, the scavenger who had heard King’s stupid mistake finally released a breath and shook her head. “Must’ve been nothing.” She muttered, turning to look at the other. “I’m sorry.” Even through the grassy view, Chieftain could see the two exchange a gentle hand squeeze.

They started to walk again, and Hustler released the careful breath he had been holding. “Don’t worry about it, babe.” The other scavenger laughed. “I’m just really glad there wasn’t actually anything out there, honestly!” As the footsteps started up again and fully moved past his hiding spot, Chieftain allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief.

Releasing King’s arm led to the white scavenger letting out a low growl and sheathing his blade fully again, going back to glaring at the side of Chieftain’s head. He decided to ignore the angry stare, instead turning to Hustler. “That was way too close, huh?” The gray scavenger nodded and sent him a relieved smile.

“Too close indeed, Chief!” He responded cheerfully, shifting slightly and throwing one more glance at their surroundings.

Chieftain decided to do the same, looking out for any other signs of nearby scavengers from his former tribe or otherwise. Finding nothing and hearing nothing when straining his ears again, the old scavenger slowly but surely climbed to his feet. Hustler and King followed closely behind, then the rest of the warriors stood up from the grass, exited nearby bushes, or walked out from behind nearby trees. Throwing a glance around himself, he noted that everyone seemed to be accounted for. At least, that’s what it seemed like. Chieftain did not yet know the name or the face of every warrior, but his quick count still brought him to the conclusion that everyone had made it.

Still, he decided to let his gaze wander over the warriors as they stood clumped together, meeting every scavenger’s eye as he looked them over. “Everyone accounted for?” The warriors all glanced around on their own and nodded to themselves and to Chieftain.

Hustler walked up to Chieftain’s side and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “It seems evehyone's here!” He nodded in response and gave his friend his own pat on the shoulder.

A cold voice suddenly rang out, one that made Chieftain frown and remove his hand from Hustler’s shoulder. “Bloody hell, Slayer. This trip almost got interesting.” King growled, walking up on his other side and looking over the warriors as well. Something that the older scavenger had realized since he and his mercenaries started to follow him was that his own people seemed fearful of him.

When his ice-cold gaze wandered over them, many of the scavengers glanced away, others bowing their head and looking down at the ground. When Chieftain led his own band of warriors on some sort of warriors back in the day, he was used to the fighters all meeting his gaze as he looked them over. Eye contact was a sign of mutual respect, a sign that the warriors were listening and would listen to the leader’s commands. He had no clue what King had done to make practically every scavenger under his command apparently fear him, but in the end, he did not really want to know.

He twisted his head toward the white scavenger, looking him up and down. “It’s still Chieftain, King.” He growled out, feeling himself getting angry. Though he was all too willing to call Lurker by his new self-given title, the bastard could not extend the same respect to him.

Of course, King perked up slightly when he noticed he was annoying the older scavenger. “Whatever.” He still looked fairly pissed, however. For what purpose did Chieftain not gather. “Slayer doesn’t fit anymore anyway; you’ve lost your balls.” It was said casually with a flick of the wrist, with the white scavenger almost looking too bored for the conversation already. “No killing during this whole trip; it’s pathetic!" He had half a mind to walk over and show the bastard just how “pathetic” he really was when Hustler put an arm out in front of him.

Still angry, Chieftain turned and snarled. Though he quickly calmed down when he noticed his friend looking worried for him. “He ain't worth it." The gray scavenger mumbled, slowly shaking his head.

Damn right, he isn’t. Though he still felt really pissed off, Chieftain made an effort to calm down by taking a deep breath. “King, the reason I don’t want us to pick fights is because it’s a better idea to keep the element of surprise with us for as long as possible.” He explained, using the same condescending tone one might use on a pup. It did not go unnoticed, with King going back to scowling. “I have no clue how many more scavengers might have been recruited into this assault apart from simply my own tribe, but they probably outnumber us. If we don’t get a chance to ambush and take them fully by surprise, we are all fucked.” As the white scavenger’s expression twisted in anger and he took a step forward, Chieftain had to suppress the urge to grin in satisfaction.

As he got close, Chieftain noticed the warriors and even Hustler tensing. For safety’s sake, just in case the white scavenger was about to explode and try to fight him, Chieftain squared his shoulders and prepared to make use of the red centipede scales strapped to him. “Who made you the leader, hm?” King’s voice was low and dangerous, his blue and green eyes reflecting a lot of rage, even though the rest of his face seemed emotionless.

Still, he wasn’t reaching for his weapon, and he would not be able to pull the blade out and swing it before Chieftain could react. “I’m the client, and the reason you are even out here, am I not?” He answered easily, crossing his arms and staring the white scavenger right in the eyes. “I’m paying you to do a job for me; I think I get a say in how you perform it.” King tensed even further, and for a moment, it actually did look like he would go for the weapon at his side.

Then, just as the tension in the air felt thick enough that you could stab it with a spear, King’s expression of anger suddenly melted away. “I suppose you are right.” He laughed with a smile as he backed down, and the sudden change in demeanor actually creeped Chieftain out more than when the white scavenger looked like he wanted a fight. “Still, I have a right to complain!” It seems like the only thing you like to do more other than hurt others. The old scavenger wanted to respond, but he held his tongue instead.

As King reached into the satchel at his side to take a swig of one of the several bottles stashed inside, Hustler spoke up to fully take the tension out of the situation. “Now that that's figured out, yah know ah any place we can all hibehnate and get some rest, chieftain?” The gray scavenger asked with a small grin as he looked up at the star-filled sky that was starting to fill with darker clouds. “I know yah explained that rain is not guaranteed out here, but it's starting tah look like rain is comin’ this cycle, at least.” Chieftain looked up as well with a hum; it did look a bit risky.

Even though it was not guaranteed, and he would rather make it all the way over to the tree that cycle, it would not do anyone any good if the brutal rain washed them all away and delayed them back to their last shelter. He looked back down and instead glanced at the warriors, noting that some of them were nervously fidgeting as they glanced up at the gathering clouds. Not a good idea to force everyone to keep wandering under the risk of getting killed by a rain cycle, very bad for morale. If Chieftain remembered correctly, the shelter large enough to hold them all was nearby and could be easily traveled to.

“You’re right, Hustler.” He responded, not missing the way many of the scavengers around him relaxed at the words. “There is a shelter nearby where we can get some rest.” The idea of sleeping seemed to be enticing to a lot of the warriors in front of him, as many of them immediately perked up and got ready to move.

It also made Chieftain remember that he and the others had stayed awake quite a while since the last hibernation, and he could finally feel fatigue take hold of his old bones. “Well then! Lead the way, dear ‘client’!” King said sarcastically, putting the bottle back into his satchel and moving his mask back down to cover his face. Ignoring the unnecessary comment, Chieftain nodded and started in the direction of the tree once again, still sticking to the stealthier path. The others followed closely behind, but annoyingly enough, King was right behind him, and it did not take long until the white scavenger started to get annoying again. “By the way, do you have any plans on sharing any of those centipede plates you got?” He asked, annoyance in his voice. Was he jealous of the extra protection?

Chieftain glanced down at his chest, studying the extra centipede armor he had taken off the red centipede he’d killed. They were strapped sideways across his chest with a thin but long strap of leather. The leather had been pulled through small holes he had made by using his spear’s sharp edge and a rock. Other times he had killed a red centipede for the purpose of gathering armor, Chieftain had never considered bringing more of the plates with him. He already had what he needed, so why work harder? Just to avoid having to go out and hunt again when needed? That seemed unnecessary; the hunt was the best part, after all! The only reason he had tried bringing more armor with him was to offer some for the rest of his friends. That was, if he would have time to do so before they would be forced to fight.

All that was needed was some more leather from a lizard corpse, and he could get to crafting more armor straps. Then he could keep Fixer, Collector, and Hustler more protected. Chieftain would attempt to think of something for the rest, but he was unsure if the scales were far too bulky for a slugcat’s body.

“For you? No.” He eventually responded to King, unable to stop a smile spreading on his face as he once again felt the angry glare of the white scavenger at the back of his head.

The burn of the glare dissipated after a while, however. “Shame.” King said simply, once again having completely reset all of his anger at the drop of a hat. Freaky how he can switch in a second from angry to neutral like it’s nothing. “Nevertheless, after our rest, what’s next on the agenda?” His tone was casual and calm, different from the white scavenger’s usual gleeful or “sweet” voice.

The old scavenger was a bit surprised by King actually trying to put together a plan, and so it took a bit longer to respond than he would have wanted. “Next cycle, we sneak all the way to our destination. Then you will get to introduce yourself to the ones I’ve paid you to protect.” It felt right to constantly remind King that he was actually there to do a job for Chieftain, not to go off and do his own thing. Even though “doing his own thing” was practically what he was paying him and his warriors to do.

There was the sound of a hum behind him, full of interest and intrigue. “Sounds fun.” King’s voice was back to a tone of saccharine mixed in with something more sinister, and Chieftain frowned. “Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior.” Was added afterwards, almost as if he could tell there was some uneasiness in the scavenger leading the way forward.

“I really do hope so…”

Chapter Text

“Make sure your lizards watch our backs, okay, kid?” Artificer whispered back to the yellow slugcat walking closely behind her. Glancing back, she realized the command for the lizards to cover their flanks would not even need to be given. The predators were already spread out at the two slugcats' sides, glancing off into their dark surroundings.

Now that the cycle had gone on for a while and night finally arrived, the maroon slugcat was finally feeling fatigue and exhaustion seep into her very bones. She adjusted her hold on the limp scavenger, her arms starting to burn slightly from the effort of hauling the bastard around. Back in the day, she would’ve been able to lug him around with no problem! It makes sense for it to be difficult; after all, we’ve been awake for a while. Nah, we’ve just gone soft. We are also heavily pregnant, Arti. Not heavily! Artificer glanced down at her stomach and placed her free paw against it instinctively, huffing to herself. Our little pups are not even close to ready to come out yet! Still counts. Whatever.

As much as she would have loved to argue with herself a bit more, Monk’s quiet voice interrupted her. “What are they watching out for?” His voice was small and shaky, and when she looked back, she saw the yellow slugcat look around in concern. The explosive spear in his paw was fidgeted with as his nervous energy practically rubbed off on her.

Artificer mentally kicked herself for making him paranoid, accidentally implying something was in the trees around them, stalking the two and ready to jump out to help their limp friend she was currently carrying. It could still happen; stay on high alert! No, she was worrying him for nothing; the ones that presumably kidnapped his brother were long gone. Though, considering their situation with the scavengers, being extra careful when traveling outside the safety radius of the tree was probably not the worst idea ever. After all, both Hunter and Survivor had considered the general area safe enough to go off alone, and it did not go well for either of them!

Well, presumably. They did not have confirmation that Survivor was kidnapped at all, in fact. Maybe the white slugcat was just missing? having run away or escaped somehow? Void, Artificer hoped he was okay. She hoped Hunter could provide some sort of concept for what happened to the two of them; if he had seen what happened to his mate before dying, maybe he could offer them all more insight. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was pretty much the only one they had for the moment.

“M-Mama?” Monk’s voice, which had somehow turned even smaller and more worried, made Artificer come back to reality once again. Gotta stop zoning out all the time. Her lack of response to the yellow slugcat’s question had definitely not helped with his nervousness, not to mention she had been staring pretty much through him at all times as she completely lost her focus and got stuck in her thoughts. Before, Monk looked nervous and a bit paranoid. Because of her lack of response, he had transitioned into looking more fearful and agitated, seemingly ready for them to get attacked at any time as tears gathered in his eyes.

The sight was enough for the maroon slugcat to fully stop in her tracks, letting go of the unconscious scavenger to free both her arms and turning around fully to face the smaller slugcat. Monk and subsequently his lizards stopped as well; the yellow slugcat was startled out of his fear by her sudden break in forward momentum. Before responding, she kneeled down and gave him an affectionate pat on the head. Despite his nervousness and fear, the gentle touch made him purr, some of the tension bleeding out of his body as a small smile grazed his features and chased away some of the dread in his expression. The sight made Artificer herself a bit happier, and she could not hold back a small grin in response to Monk finding peace in her presence.

She avoided being caught in her thoughts, using all of her focus to loosely consider what to say, taking a deep breath, and then putting it into words. “I’m sorry for scaring you, my little pup.” The nickname made Monk chirp happily and close his eyes as she kept running her paw through his short fur. Her paw got slightly caught on a few knots and tangles, reminding her that she would need to clean him up as soon as they got back to the tree later on. “There’s nothing after us, I’m sure. I just wanted to make sure we would be fully safe just in case.” You never know! I hate lying to him. It’s not a lie; we literally have no clue if we are being hunted or not. Fair.

In response to her lie, Monk opened his eyes and looked at her for a moment. Despite her innocent and wide-eyed appearance, Artificer felt like he did not believe her lie. She dismissed the thought; it wasn’t a straight-up lie, and the yellow slugcat seemed calm either way. If he had truly believed she was lying, he would still be in duress and nervous. The fact he wasn't meant he trusted her. “Okay, Arti.” His eventual response was spoken along with another smile, this one wider than the last.

With a bigger grin in response and a final pat, Artificer stood back up to her full length and glanced around the area they had stopped in. They had not walked all too deep into the woods, but the tree was no longer visible, and the darkness was ever-encroaching. The maroon slugcat still shone slightly from many cycles ago when she, Survivor, and Hunter had been in Pebbles’ can and eaten a few neuron flies to avoid starvation. It was a very odd side effect, and in the current situation where they needed to stay a bit stealthy just in case, it was also very much a weakness! There was a reason that she and Hunter had brought along their own food for future excursions into the infested hell: the iterator’s inner systems. Thinking of the pink iterator and his state when they last visited made Artificer feel a slight twinge of guilt and worry inside of her. Pebbles was not getting better, and they hadn’t been able to come by for a visit in a while thanks to everything that had happened recently. She desperately hoped he wasn’t losing hope, thinking they had completely given up on him. Once they came back for another clearing session, she’d bring him a gift! The maroon slugcat had no clue what an iterator would like, but she would figure something out; Hunter could help her!

With that thought out of the way, Artificer came to the conclusion that the spot they were standing at was perfect for tying up their captive. “This area will work well.” She mumbled, her voice just loud enough for Monk to hear.

It was far enough from the tree that Night would not stumble upon it in any way, and when Hunter came back, he would probably not walk too far from the tree in search of the eye-less scavenger. She hoped, at least. Monk turned and gave her a questioning look for only a short moment before his gaze moved to the scavenger that was dumped to the ground. With a loud swallow, he nodded. Kneeling down above the head of the limp body, Artificer slipped her paws under the scavenger’s armpits and pulled him backward towards a sturdy-looking tree. It was only when she propped the scav up with his back against the tree that the maroon slugcat realized she did not have anything to bind him with.

I really should’ve thought of that. Artificer sighed and turned to Monk, asking whether he had anything they could use in his satchel on her tongue. Her attempt at asking quickly fizzled out when she saw the yellow slugcat’s expression, twisted in horror and fear as he stared at... She turned to look at the scavenger leaned up against the tree, quickly being reminded of his state. Somehow, the wounds on both his eyes looked even worse when paired with the broken and bleeding nose she had given him with her kick. Should’ve thought of covering the wounds with cloth or something as well. Too late for that now, unfortunately.

Even the lizards, who had walked a bit closer, seemed slightly disturbed by the sight. But that was stupid; surely they did not understand the extent of the damage done? Unless the predators were even smarter than Artificer gave them credit for, Thanks to Monk, she did know the beasts were definitely way smarter than the maroon slugcat had thought way back in the cycles. That was not saying much, though, considering she really saw the predators as dumb as a collection of rocks before she had been shown they could actually be trained to be obedient and useful.

What were they disturbed by again? Oh yeah, the lack of eyes!

She sighed again, this time in disappointment with herself, as she lifted a hand to rub at her own, still-functioning and not pierced-through eye. Once again, her exhaustion reminded her that it was nighttime, and she was far too tired to really deal with all of what was happening. One step at a time. First, secure the captive. Trying to give what little information she knew about the wounds was something for later; she had promised she would explain as soon as the scavenger was tied up. Though having to tell poor Monk what she and Fixer theorized happened to his brother would be very difficult, it was not something she was looking forward to. Whatever the case, the yellow slugcat deserved to know, and it was better if he did. Otherwise, he might have come to worse conclusions about what happened. however worse they could be.

“Hey, kid.” Thankfully, the maroon slugcat suddenly speaking up seemed to jolt Monk out of his shock, and he turned to look at her. There was still some fear and disgust in his eyes, but it was lessened slightly when he looked over at her. “You got any idea of what we can use to tie this guy down?” At the yellow slugcat’s slightly incredulous look, Artificer smiled sheepishly, half expecting Monk to say, “You didn’t think of that before coming out here?” or something along those lines. She was shown some mercy, however, as he instead reached for his satchel and opened the flap.

His face was lightly illuminated by what she guessed was the gentle glow of a few karma flowers, and he hesitated for a short moment as he glanced over at her. Then, Monk carefully turned around, hiding the satchel from view as he started to dig around inside it carefully. Artificer watched closely as he did, making note of just how strong the glow really was. It was a bit impressive, really. Last she checked, the bag had not been filled with that many flowers. They glowed slightly, but just a small collection of about ten would not glow so brightly, would they? After a moment longer of staring, she ended up abandoning that thought with a shake of her head and glanced away into the woods instead. Karma flowers were far too rare and naturally grew very scarcely. No one in the colony had ever tried to grow the flowers themselves; the process was far too time- and patience-consuming to really be worth it.

The yellow slugcat did sometimes go on small trips of a cycle or two, coming back late at night as everyone was getting ready to sleep. He would always look tired but satisfied with the small expedition he had taken. Monk had always been a bit more adventurous than he showed on the outside, but he could not have traveled far enough to find a bunch more karma flowers in just one or two cycles. He didn’t die nearly often enough to warrant that being an option, either. Even if he did, the yellow slugcat would eat a karma flower to ease the pain afterwards, making it a net zero if he did come back to pick one off his area of death. No, she was overthinking all of it! The night was just extra dark, making the glow brighter than usual.

There was a fairly long silent moment as Monk searched through his bag, prompting Artificer to really ask herself just how much stuff he could store in that small-looking satchel in reality. Some of the lizards also seemed curious; Ruby and Topaz, in particular, were seemingly trying to look past the yellow slugcat’s digging paws to see what he was taking out. The green lizard that she had forgotten the name of had taken the moment of silence as his opportunity to lie down on the ground and nap. It was a bit impressive just how quickly the large predator could fall asleep; as soon as his head touched the ground, he was out like a lantern that had glowed for far too long. The pink lizard, something beginning with G, was trying to get the green one to play, or something. He bumped the larger lizard with his head, seemed to try to push him awake with his stubby legs, and even tried to nibble on him to react. It did not work, and eventually even the super-hyper lizard managed to work himself to exhaustion and settled down next to his green friend while panting. Finally, the cyan. Sapphire, the sassiest of the bunch, did not seem interested in anything about what was happening; instead, she seemingly turned toward the darkness of the trees on high alert, growling quietly to herself. Artificer hoped the lizard had just heard something irrelevant, like a small animal, and not that her behavior was a sign of a coming ambush. We would have likely heard something if that were the case.

Finally, Monk pulled what looked like two items out of the satchel, closed the flap, and turned around. “Will these work?” He asked sheepishly, presenting a length of rope and a small bundle of clean cloth. Both items were undoubtedly traded for via scavengers, either from a tribe in the past or from some nomad traveling the area that he had run into. Ruby and Topaz walked around Monk on either side and leaned in to sniff at the objects curiously. Though they quickly lost interest when they realized it was not edible, both made some sort of grumbling noise as they sat down on both sides of the yellow slugcat. Monk gave them both a smile, shuffled both items to be held in one paw, and gave both of them some scratches as a sort of apology for accidentally tricking them.

The rolled-up cloth was not all that surprising; it was a standard way to wrap wounds and stop bleeding. Having one on you at all times was a good idea, just in case an injury were to occur. The cloth was often long enough to be cut into pieces with their claws, and it was also effective if multiple injuries had been inflicted as well. However, Artificer did wonder about the rope. Reaching for the items, Monk handed them over for her to look at. She only gave the cloth a small glance before placing it on the ground in between her and the scav, but she looked over the rope a bit closer. Grabbing both ends of the neatly folded and tied line, she gave it a tug. It held very well; there was no stretching or tearing. High-quality, but she was not sure what it could be used for in any other situation. Only time her old colony used to use something like it was when some fruits were hung up high to dry in what little sun they got before the rain came, the dry fruit a tasty snack that did not spoil on long journeys. 

Why Monk would need a length of rope, especially one as long as the one in her paws, Artificer could not understand. “Why do you even have this?” She asked incredulously, holding the braiding up to the yellow slugcat as if he wouldn’t be able to see it otherwise.

He huffed lightly in response, balancing on the pads of his paws. “To tie up scavengers, why?” Monk tilted his head and smirked as Artificer stared in shock at the bluntness for a short moment.

Then she barked a loud and surprised laugh. The sudden, unexpected joke got her good, and Monk’s smirk widened in response. “Well, whatever the case, I suppose I’m really glad you had it with you in this situation!” She responded amusedly, turning back to the scavenger and getting to work with tying him to the tree.

As she worked, Monk seemed to be trying to round up his lizards again. He somehow managed to wake up the green one, calm the pink one enough for him to sit still and wait for instructions, and even coaxed Sapphire to stop growling; the cyan lizard instead begrudgingly walked over to join the rest of the predators as they watched Artificer work. She looped a lot of the rope around the tree and the scavenger several times, eventually cutting off what was not used with her claws and tying it into what she hoped was a strong enough knot. Then, just to be sure, she used some of the extra rope to tie the captive’s wrists firmly behind his back. As a finishing touch, she used a bit of the cloth to tie a makeshift bandage or blindfold around the head of the scav, covering up the grisly wounds he had sustained. Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she stood up and took a few steps back to stand next to Monk and admire her handiwork.

The bindings looked fine, sturdy, and tight. It is difficult to escape, but not harsh enough that it would cut off circulation. Glancing over at Monk, she saw the yellow slugcat nodding as well, though his expression held a lot less happiness over the situation. Makes sense; doing shit like this is more ‘Red Death’, eh? Yeah. They stood in silence for a while, the only sound audible being the pink lizard and another predator apparently having started a play-fight. It only lasted for a moment before a loud growl from what Artificer presumed was a certain red lizard made the sound of wrestling stop completely.

When some time had passed and Artificer started considering the fact that she should start explaining what happened, Monk took a deep breath. “Arti.” He started simply, getting her attention as she twisted her ear in the yellow slugcat’s direction to show she was listening. Her eye was otherwise still locked on the scavenger, with Artificer wondering when the guy would wake up. “I know you’ve danced around the subject of what happened with..." Monk gestured toward the knocked-out scav, turning to look at her. The maroon slugcat turned then, meeting the shorter slugcat’s worried gaze. “But now I have to know, where is the rest of our colony?” The little pup was back to looking scared, his ears once again threatening to spill over as he twisted his small paws together. “Surv, Hunter, Fixer, and Collector I haven’t seen any of them since that duo of scavengers visited!” Through his fear, determination was visible. “I need you to tell me what happened, please.” The last word was added almost as an afterthought, the yellow slugcat’s expression going back to looking a bit more fearful.

With another exhausted sigh, Artificer slowly knelt down to be at Monk’s level, placing a firm paw on the yellow slugcat’s shoulder. Immediately, he looked even more scared, obviously about to cry from worry as she tried to figure out how to word it all. How do we break the news in the best way possible? There is no best way, Arti. We simply have to tell him and let him know what happened. Probably best to get straight to the point, then? She tightened her grip slightly on Monk’s shoulder in an attempt at comfort, but it did not seem to do much. Clearing her throat, Artificer broke the news.

“When Survivor and Hunter went off to talk privately..." She trailed off for just a second, but judging by Monk’s widening eyes, he had probably connected the dots from that sentence alone. Still, Artificer finished what she wanted to immediately say. “They were attacked by scavengers.” His fears confirmed, and the yellow slugcat gasped in shock, his eyes widening even further as tears finally started to stream down his face.

Monk barely had time to sniffle or sob before Artificer had wrapped him in a tight hug, her arms enveloping practically his whole body as he trembled. She heard some of the lizards whine at the yellow slugcat’s reaction and felt a large, armored head nudge slightly against them. Artificer considered her options; she could continue, but she doubted that the crying slugcat in her arms could even really listen to what she had to say at that moment. It was likely that Monk was far too enveloped in fear, sadness, panic, or all three to hear her at all. First priority: calm our pup. Agreed.

On instinct, one of her paws started to pet through the fur on Monk’s head, his ears flattening against her touch as he whined and whimpered between soft and quiet sobs. She started to hum the familiar lullaby that was always in her head in one way or another, a remnant of her past experiences as a mother. From experience, Artificer knew it was a very effective way to calm a distressed and concerned pup. While Monk is not exactly a pup, it should work well enough. As she hummed, the maroon slugcat started to rock the crying one back and forth in her arms, effortlessly being able to nuzzle and cradle the smaller body close to herself. It wasn’t long until she felt the two get joined on all sides by large, scaly bodies huddling close. The convergence was followed by loud vibrations, the combination of several lizards purring at once. Artificer found herself joining in almost automatically, and it did not take long for her yellow pup to join the rest and start purring up a storm, choppy and weak as it was.

In no time, Artificer, with the help of her motherly instincts and Monk’s pet lizards, had managed to calm the yellow slugcat down from full-on sobbing to occasional sniffling and shudders. With her pup calmed down, she put some attention into working through the knots and tangles she noticed earlier on top of his head. As she ran her tongue through his fur, the sniffles eventually stopped, replaced by more quiet purring. Monk’s grip on her had lessened by a lot at that point; the poor pup was probably completely exhausted after crying his heart out. Realizing the situation was taken care of, the lizards that had helped calm the situation stopped purring and backed away. Fully calmed at that point, Monk eventually leaned back, gently pushing her away with another small sniffle.

Though he did not escape her hold, he stayed in her arms as she kneeled on the floor, still rocking him gently back and forth. "What happened during the attack?” He eventually asked shakily, visibly steeling himself for her response.

Once again, Artificer had to take just a small moment to think it all over. Just like last time, she started being blunt immediately. “Hunter… He was…” Despite her attempt at simply saying the word, she was unable to, trailing off instead as her mouth moved, but her voice came out as nothing. Monk still understood, his expression twisting in sorrow and horror. She was ready to hug him in case he started to cry again, but he managed to keep it together, so she kept going. It doesn't get easier, kid. “Survivor…” For a moment, she considered telling a half-truth to try to help Monk cope. She quickly abandoned that idea; however, he needed to know the truth. “We expect he may have been kidnapped.” A whimper broke through as they went back to embracing, with Artificer hugging him close as she continued quickly. “We found a trail of where he had disappeared; Fixer is following it.” It was hastily added as an attempt at comfort, giving the yellow slugcat the knowledge that clues existed of where they had gone and Fixer was on the case.

After a moment longer of hiccups and sobs, Monk spoke up again. “What… What about Collector?” Despite herself, Artificer smiled. The yellow slugcat always thought of everyone, no matter what.

Unfortunately, the answer she could provide to that question was not satisfying in any way. “Honestly, I don’t know. But I really hope he is safe and makes it back to join us shortly.” She says it simply, feeling Monk nod against her in agreement.

They spent a moment longer in the warm and comforting embrace, the little pup only backing out slightly when his sobs and sniffles had once again fully stopped. Still, he stayed on her lap, resting in his mama’s hold as all of his tears eventually dried out completely. Knowing Monk was fully comforted and that he had been given all of the information about the recent events, Artificer was aware that there was only one thing left for her to do in the final moments of that cycle. After watching the yellow slugcat close his eyes and tiredly cling onto her fur for a moment, she glanced up at the tied-up scavenger. Still asleep. Let’s wake him up! An odd mixture of glee and rage shot through her at once, making smoke rise from the corners of her mouth and her tail lash behind her. Being reminded of what had happened to her friends, her fellow colony members, made her angry. The bastard tied to the tree surely had to know something!

“Mama?”

Glancing down, Artificer saw Monk looking at her again, fear back in his eyes as he had curled up in her lap. He was hugging his tail close, much as he usually did when he hibernated. His ears were pinned back, and he was trembling slightly. Was he scared of her? The thought made her heart ache worse than it had in many cycles. She realized with a start that she was growling and immediately stopped, instead trying her best to give the yellow slugcat a smile. “Do you know the way back?” Artificer asked as gently as she could, picking him up for just a moment to stand up and then placing him on the ground. The whining he made from being separated from her warm embrace made her feel even worse, but she needed to get one last thing done.

Immediately, he reached out and tried to grab onto her paw. “Yes? Aren’t you coming with me?” Monk seemed scared of the prospect of walking alone, and Artificer noticed that all the lizards were on high alert and staring at the two. She figured they must have heard her growling and gotten worried.

Gently, she used her other paw to loosen Monk’s grip and make him let her go. “I have just one more thing to do, kid.” Artificer turned to the scav again, trying to see if he was stirring and about to wake up yet. He really took the chance to sleep as soon as he was knocked out. He’ll regret that when we wake him up with a stone to the knee! Oooh! Good one! Follow it up with our burning saliva in the wound. Already, the plans for the “interrogation” seemed to be coming together. Turning back to Monk, she noted that the yellow slugcat was following her gaze and watching her expression, seeming to have come to some sort of revelation. “Run along, kid.” She whispered sweetly, giving him a final pat on the head.

“A-Arti?” Ignoring the yellow slugcat’s attempt at protest, Artificer turned towards the scavenger and started to walk forward.

As she bent down to pick up a sharp rock, she gave Monk her final warning. “Go home, Monk. You don’t want to see this.” She could not hold back a wicked grin from spreading on her face as she advanced on the prone scav.

Now that we’re closer, it’s confirmed. Still breathing. Good, I got a bit worried that we kicked ‘em a bit too hard. It will be the least of his worries soon enough! We’ll see what he knows; he will tell us everything once we’re through with him!

Getting close enough, Artificer raised the rock high with a snarl, preparing to bring it down on the scav’s right knee, planning to splinter the bone, and then—!

“STOP!” Her approach and swing were interrupted by two arms wrapping around her torso, and a small weight was pushed into her lower back as she froze completely. “ARTI, DON’T DO THIS, PLEASE!” The arms weren’t long enough to be able to reach all the way around her torso, and the paws were not even touching together. She was physically barely held in place by the weak hold, but the sound of her pup in distress still made her freeze completely.

Keep going; we have our target. They are right there; we have our weapon.

“Don’t, please!”

It’s go time! Red Death Time! Kill, slaughter, and destroy! The grim reaper is back, and this scav is about to be the introduction!

“There’s been enough undue violence this cycle, Arti…”

KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM

“Please… Mama, don’t do it. I don’t want you to become like them!”

Artificer could swear she felt her heart stop, all anger immediately seeping out of her as she finally lowered her paw holding the rock.

Kill…?

“You’ve been making so much progress, distancing yourself from ‘The Red Death’. Please, don’t throw it all away.”

…

Shit, what the hell are we doing?

Making a mistake…

Suddenly, Artificer’s legs felt like jelly, and she collapsed into a kneel. She heard Monk shout in a panic behind her but heard nothing over her own heartbeat pounding away in her ears. What the fuck was wrong with her? After so much progress in not acting like The Red Death, making friends with scavengers, choosing diplomacy before an immediate fight, trying to make amends, and moving on from her pups’ deaths…

We’re such pieces of shit.

Arti…

We are the fucking worst.

I’m so sorry.

You’re part of me; we’re both to blame.

Yeah, but still…

She still had it in her, and she almost threw it all away! She almost turned into what she hated the most again! Vaguely, through her own despair, Artificer could feel skinny arms wrapping around her once again. This time, it was also joined by the warm feeling of a larger body at her back and loud vibrations she recognized well, almost shaking her entire form as it was her turn to feel tears run down her face. It was helping a lot, however, and her heartbeat slowly started to settle down. Eventually, her beating heart slowed down to the point where she could vaguely hear Monk’s voice above the purring.

“Arti, do you hear me?” She nodded slowly and felt her paw get guided to the yellow slugcat’s chest, allowing her to feel his gentle heartbeat and calm breathing. Oh, this is recognizable. “Okay, I want you to follow my breathing as best you can.” Artificer nodded again, and Monk breathed slowly, deeply, and steadily. Despite her heart feeling like it would explode if she did anything but pant loudly, the maroon slugcat started to follow along as best she could. “You’ve got this; you’ve done it before. You’re a fucking pro.” Even in her current situation, the yellow slugcat suddenly uttering a hard swear with no hesitation made her huff in amusement. No matter how many times we hear our pup swear, we will never get used to it. The slightly comedic moment made her calm down even further, and within no time, Artificer felt her breathing return to normal. Monk gave her a quick look-over, noticing that her breathing seemed to have calmed. “You feeling better?”

Artificer swallowed roughly around a lump in her throat before responding. “Y-Yeah, I’m good.” Monk nodded and smiled, so she smiled back. “Thanks, kid.”

“Of course.”

At a huff behind her, Artificer looked back to see the lizards looking at her expectantly. “Oh! And a thank you to you too, lizards!” Monk giggled as some of the predators chirped in response and wagged their tails.

A short moment of silence passed before Artificer sighed loudly. “I’m sorry, kid.”

Monk looked confused. “What for?”

She sputtered for a moment before responding. “For what just happened, obviously! I almost slipped back into ‘genocidal mode’!”

“But I pulled you back!” The yellow slugcat responded proudly.

Artificer had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. “What if you hadn’t been here? What if you had decided to go back? There would have been no one to stop me from turning back into who I was! A monster, the grim reaper of scavengers! A murderer! A…”

A sudden paw at her shoulder “Arti, breathe.”

She took the advice, taking a few deep breaths until she felt a bit better. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Monk said, sounding dismissive but also concerned at the same time somehow. “We’ll figure something out, okay? We’ll do... group therapies or something.”

“More like anger management." Artificer joked in response.

The yellow slugcat snapped his fingers and smiled. “Hey, good idea!”

“Is it?”

“Yeah, I can lead the classes!”

Artificer huffed and shook her head. “And I’ll be the only one there!”

He responded with a hum. “Nah, I think Hunter needs it too.”

“That’s true. He can be a real salty son of a bitch sometimes, even worse than me!” Artificer smirked as Monk barked a laugh.

“Arti!”

“What? It’s true.”

“I’m telling him you said that.”

“Please, don't..."

The two slugcats shared a laugh once again before the conversation settled into a peaceful silence. They sat still for a moment longer before both seemingly making note of just how dark it was getting around them. “Let’s head back to the tree.” The yellow slugcat whispered, giving Artificer a quick hug. She glanced over at the scavenger, who was actually starting to stir at that point. “One or two of my lizards can keep watch; he won’t escape.” She turned back to Monk and nodded. The green and pink lizards stepped up, and Monk smiled. “Oh, Jade and Garnet! You guys are volunteering?” Artificer almost had to do a double take as the lizards, honest to void, nodded in response to the yellow slugcat’s question! “Perfect! I’ll check in with you guys next cycle, then." Another nod. Smart bastards, those lizards. Yeah, it’s shocking. Well, let’s get going! Let’s.

“Okay, let’s go.” Before her pup could react, Artificer rose up and carried the yellow slugcat with her. Once again, he was cradled closely as he squirmed and mewled in protest.

Though his efforts were admirable, she was far too strong for him, and he had no chance of escape! “Arti! I can walk on my own!”

Artificer laughed as she started to walk back in the direction of the tree, the other lizards not keeping watch and following closely behind as she moved. “No way am I letting my pup walk back in the dark! What if you trip over a root and get hurt?” She joked, hearing an affronted noise from Monk.

“I would not trip, mama!”

“Keep telling yourself that!” She chuckled again at the yellow slugcat’s peeved expression. “Hell, I bet you’d rather want Enot to carry you like this, eh?”

Monk’s face turned searing red at her teasing, and he tried his best to cover his expression behind his paws. “W-What?”

“I don’t miss these things, kid. You might be annoyed at their behavior now, but I don’t doubt you’ll connect soon enough!” Artificer winked down at the yellow slugcat. “They did give you their ‘egg’ after all. What more signs do you need?” Her pup groaned in response as she guffawed even louder.

Her laughing did not die down for even a second as Monk tried his best to sulk the whole way back to the tree, crossing his arms and glaring at Artificer as she walked. Only when they had walked about halfway did her laughing stop, and once they were about two-thirds of the way, the yellow slugcat fell asleep. Looking down, she saw her pup curled up, hugging his tail and softly snoring as he rested in his mama’s arms.

Artificer smiled fondly at seeing Monk fully calm and safe near her.

Our chance of redemption is still kept alive.

All thanks to him.

“LET ME GO, PLEASE!” Survivor struggled against the hold on both of his arms as he was pulled away, his view of his mate blocked by a scavenger walking in front of Hunter, knife in hand. They’re going to hurt him! Please don’t hurt him! “HUNTER!” He screamed again, hoping his mate would respond, just to let the white slugcat know he was safe.

He kept trying to struggle as he was roughly pulled along, painfully snagging branches, rocks, and roots in the ground. It was useless, however. The scavengers were too strong, and their hold on his arms were firm as they pulled him along. Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the ear from where Survivor had last seen his mate. His ears pinned against his head at the horrible sound, which carried easily through the trees. It was a scream of horrible pain, and he recognized the voice. That was his mate! His struggling intensified, adrenaline pumping through him at the prospect of his mate being hurt in some way. I need to get back! I need to help him! Hunter’s in danger! Chittering surrounded him as he stopped being dragged, all attention and focus instead being put on holding him in place and stopping the white slugcat from breaking free and running off.

There was a loud chittered command from the scavenger that could speak some slugcat, and then Survivor was suddenly tripped and thrown to the ground, landing on his chest. It was far easier for the scavengers to pin him in the position, and though he found it hard to breathe, he still struggled just as hard. A rough hand suddenly grabbed one of his paws, pulling it out to the side and straightening his arm so far that it almost hurt. He felt a knee get planted in the middle of his back, forcing a lot of the air out of his lungs as the scavenger on top almost crushed him with their weight.

But he couldn’t stop fighting; he couldn’t give up! “LET. ME. GO!” Survivor forced the words out through the uncomfortable feeling of compression in his chest, wheezing loudly as he found a lot of difficulty getting new air into his lungs.

Something very sharp was suddenly pressed against one of the digits on his paw, and Survivor froze in fear. “Stop struggling, or we take a finger.” A cold voice whispered into his ear, the hot breath against his neck making the white slugcat shudder and tremble in fear.

The smaller part of him wanted to keep fighting anyway. Damn the finger; he would give it and so much more for his mate! If he fought hard enough, the scavengers would get far angrier and eventually kill him, letting him come back to the tree next cycle, back to safety. Otherwise, their anger would make them sloppy, giving him an opportunity to escape! But the more he considered the option, the less useful it seemed. The scavenger whispering into his ear did not seem angered at all; they seemed mildly bored if nothing else. Would they really not hesitate to maim him for fighting back? Seeing it as necessary to try to control him? No violence used in a moment of anger, but as a way to simply… hurt him to hurt him? Those thoughts terrified him, and he stopped struggling completely out of fear of being tortured for no reason other than just for the scavengers’ entertainment.

When the blade still cut down slightly, slicing open some of his skin, Survivor flinched and whimpered. “Okay! I’m sorry. I won’t, I won’t struggle. I promise! Please, just don’t…” He cut himself off and shut his eyes tightly, biting down on his lip as he prepared himself for a lot of pain.

It never came; the blade was removed instead, and Survivor had to resist the urge to sigh in relief as his paw was let go. He pulled his arm closer to his body, feeling a slight sting at the base of one of his fingers from the small cut. The scavenger thankfully seemed merciful, or at least was pleased enough with his begging to not go through with the threat. Even the knee in his back lightened slightly, letting him breathe a bit more easily. They were communicating with each other, seemingly discussing something that the white slugcat could not understand. Survivor really regretted not asking Hunter for lessons in chittering; his mate could almost speak to the scavengers fluently! The red slugcat would have probably been happy to teach him, and if he had been taught some simple words, he could have at least sort of figured out what his captors were talking about.

At the thought of Hunter, he wanted to whine and whimper. He bit the sounds back and stifled them painfully in his throat, far too scared of finding out how the scavengers would react to his complaining. That scream… It had come from his mate; it had come from Hunter! The scavenger that had stood in front of him had a blade. Please be okay, my love. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to stop himself from sniffling quietly as warm tears started to streak down his face at the thought of his mate being hurt. Suddenly, the weight on his back shifted, knee pushing down into his back roughly again and forcing a quiet gasp out of Survivor as his lungs were compressed once again. A cloth was suddenly forced over his eyes, pulled back, and roughly forcing his head to tilt upwards slightly as he felt the improvised blindfold be tied around his head tightly.

The knee let up completely, and Survivor was once again allowed to breathe properly. Arms pulled him up to stand, and he stood straight as best he could on trembling legs. “You’re going to walk on your own two paws, or else..." Whoever was talking was right in front of him, kneeling down to his eye level as they spoke in a more threatening tone than before.

He did not need to ask what would happen if he tried to disobey or drag his paws behind as he was led. Or else I’ll suffer greatly. “Okay.” Survivor responded simply but shakily. More chittering was heard as whoever was in front of him seemed to straighten out. Then he started to get pulled along.

It was hard to walk blind; he was being led by the arms roughly, but he did not see what the ground below looked like. Not to mention the height difference between him and his captors, the white slugcat had to walk with very quick steps to be able to keep up with their fast pace. He was almost forced to jog as the scavengers simply walked quickly, which was not all too easy with his battered body and aching headache. Survivor was feeling very lightheaded, likely some sort of injury caused by his head being smashed by a spear handle just before he and Hunter were captured. Don’t pass out, whatever you do. Though his head swam, fucking up his balance and making him feel woozy, he still tried his very best not to fall over. Who knew what the savages at his sides would do if they thought he was trying to pull some shit?

Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded in the distance, loud enough to make Survivor jump and hunch over slightly. The scavengers holding his arms flinched as well, and all movement stopped for a short moment as everyone probably looked back. That explosion came from where Hunter was! Some hope flickered inside of the white slugcat’s heart; despite it all, his mate had probably managed to somehow escape and get ahold of an explosive, blowing his captors to the ground! He’s coming to save me! Hunter’s on his way! Some more chittering was exchanged between the scavengers before they started to move again. They were going way faster, pretty much sprinting as Survivor was forced to keep up despite his far shorter legs. The white slugcat tried for as long as possible, but his body eventually started to give out, and he slowly fell behind. He heard the scavengers holding him yelling something, probably commands to speed up and stay by their sides. But he had already burned all of his energy; he had nothing left to give.

The scavengers slowed down once again, much to Survivor’s surprise as he heard more chittering and footsteps moving around him. His limbs burned almost as much as his lungs, and every breath felt like a stab to the chest as the white slugcat tried his best to recover from the brutal sprint he was forced to fall into. Both arms holding him in place suddenly let go, and he hunched over and put his paws on his knees to try to recover faster. A hand gently rested on his shoulder, a momentary respite that hinted at mercy. Could they be allowing him to recover?

Just as the idea of his captors actually showing mercy entered his mind, Survivor’s attempts at recovery were cut short by a large fist being thrown right into his stomach. With a desperate gasp, all of his progress in catching his breath immediately got forced out of him, and the hand on his shoulder slipped off as he collapsed to his knees. He couldn’t breathe! His heart beat faster than it had in a long time, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t draw in a breath anymore! Survivor’s chest, legs, and stomach burned so badly. As somebody kneeled in front of him, he failed to suppress a flinch. Chittered laughter was heard all around him as he coughed and lifted his head. Breathless and vulnerable, he attempted to plea, but only wheezy gasps escaped his lips.

Despite it all, an instinctual whimper still made it out of him as a rough hand suddenly grabbed hold of one of his sensitive ears, holding his head in place as he winced in pain. Void, please… Stop. Low chittered chuckles were heard right in front of him. “Weak.” That same voice, whispered in a cruel but at the same time indifferent tone, was all he got to hear before another blow landed. The second punch struck the side of his head, sending it reeling as his ears rang. Confusion and pain clouded his thoughts. Why? Don’t…

Before he could recover, a third blow threw his head to the other side. His head spun even more, all senses suddenly dulled, pain enveloped the white slugcat. Survivor could do nothing but desperately try to cling to consciousness as his ear was released, nearly toppling him face-first into the ground. Hunter, my love. Help me. Please.

The white slugcat still felt a presence right in front of him and he lifted his head, trying to plead for mercy through the blindfold covering his eyes. He tried to speak, but he could not even hear what he himself was saying. I’m sorry. Stop, I beg you. Survivor’s attempts at pleading and staying awake were both cut short, possibly by a knee to his face.

Everything plunged into darkness.

Hunter’s eyes shot open, the tree’s natural “ceiling” immediately coming into view as he awoke. What happened? He was lying on his back in the den, and when his senses started to come back, his hearing immediately picked up on light snoring nearby. The den was soft and comfortable as always, and the red slugcat felt himself relax at the familiar feeling of warm moss beneath him. Hunter still had no clue what had happened before he ended up back in the tree, all the details were blurry inside his mind. But one question burned the brightest inside him, one that he immediately started to consider when he fully came to and realized he was lying on his back with no one cuddling close enough to be felt.

Where’s Survivor and Night?

They always all fell asleep together, cuddled close to maintain body heat for their small pup, and to form a protective circle around her. Had he somehow rolled away in his sleep? As far as Hunter himself knew, he did not move around too much at all while hibernating. At most, he would sometimes startle awake from some unrecognizable noise, but he would not move around while still asleep. It was the only explanation that made sense inside his mind, however. But even then, their den was always packed these cycles, even despite its fairly big size. If he had been rolling around in his sleep, the chances of him not cuddling close into someone else as he awoke seemed almost impossible.

Slowly, Hunter turned his head towards the light snoring he could hear. He saw Monk and Artificer first, the two nuzzled close. As often was, the maroon slugcat was half-curled around the other in a loose hug, with the yellow slugcat hugging his tail as he sometimes did when asleep. What was new, however, was that Night was lying close to Monk. His free arm not hugging his tail embraced the small pup, who had her own tiny arms wrapped around his arm in a hug of her own. Hunter smiled upon seeing the cute display, happy to have spotted his pup in safe paws. Turning to the side slightly, the happiness was replaced with confusion. Who the hell was the stranger lying in the den? A slugcat like the rest of them, but not one he had seen before! He had never seen anyone with such unique coloring. Deciding to ignore the new slugcat for a moment, he threw a glance around the den.

All of what was happening felt weird. Fixer and Collector weren’t in the den? And where the hell was Surv?

Hunter dug around in his mind, feeling like he could remember a bit more of the last cycle after waking up a bit more.

Last cycle, those two scavengers came for a “diplomacy visit”. They spouted their bullshit (actually the truth). Me and Surv talked, I said some messed up things, and my mate ran away. Fixer arrived angry, we fought, and I got my ass kicked. He said some deep shit that resonated with me, so I went and found Collector to apologize for my previous behavior. The scav accepted my apology and we enjoyed some time together, he told me of how he started stealing (which was a lot of fun). I went to find Surv, found him, apologized. And then…

And then…

His eyes widened as he finally recalled what had happened, without hesitation he shot to stand up, turning towards the tree’s exit. He needed to save his mate! Survivor was in trouble! In his haste, Hunter forgot a certain consequence of dying, one that came back to remind him as soon as he tried to move to the doorway. Pain exploded deep inside the red slugcat’s stomach, a scream was forced out of him as his knees buckled, his legs turned to jelly as he crumpled to the ground. Despite the horrendous agony, he tried to lift himself back up, but as soon as he put pressure on his right shoulder, it exploded in pain as well. As the two areas of radiating agony both started to pulse, Hunter quickly crumpled to the ground again with a pained groan.

The attempts he made at up, crawling, or simply just moving around at all, all just ended with him writhing around on the floor of the tree. Eventually, his groaning turned into yelps, screams, and muttered swears. “F-Fuck!” He screamed out, his voice breaking painfully as even more pain started to radiate from his guts and shoulder. It only seemed to get worse and worse as time went on, no matter if he tried to move or not.

Footsteps approached, the rest of the slugcats having been awoken by his screaming and squirming on the ground. Hunter felt something small and light impact with his back as he curled up to try to cope with the pain, something way tinier than him but just as furry purring as Night tried to comfort him best she could. With the knowledge that his pup was holding onto him, the red slugcat stopped writhing and rolling around, instead simply hugging himself and pushing his knees up as far as possible. Curling into a protective ball did not help the pain, but it was the best way to control his twitches and throes of agony to avoid hurting Night.

Someone kneeled in front of him, paws hovering over many different parts of his body as he opened his eyes. Arti looked worried, more so than he had seen her in a while. “Hunter! Hunt, do you hear me?” Her voice almost sounded far away, but he could vaguely understand what she was saying, so he nodded slowly. Someone, he guessed Monk, put a paw on his shoulder, rubbing comforting circles to try their very best to coax him through the pain of rebirth. “Enot! Go grab a karma flower from Monk’s bag; he should have several in there!” Artificer suddenly shouted, looking at someone he could not see.

The red slugcat could not recognize the name, so he guessed it was the stranger he had seen earlier. Nevertheless, Hunter perked up at the words “karma flower”. A respite from this pain? Yes, please. He whined loudly as more pain shot through him, and Arti looked down at him with concern in her eye as she rubbed a paw over his arm comfortingly. “On it, ma’am!” The stranger yelled, their voice grating and irritating and not helping his pain at all! As footsteps were heard running back towards the den, Hunter thought he could vaguely hear Monk swearing under his breath for some odd reason. “Woah-oh-oh! Baby Yellow, why do you have so many dr-?”

“J-Just throw one over here quickly, Inv!” Monk interrupted, sounding a bit annoyed and... scared? Hunter did not miss the way Arti glanced over with a thoughtful look on her face.

The flap of the bag was audibly shut again. “Yessir!”

Despite Hunter’s incredible pain, he still processed everything around him normally. It led to the pain mixing with a healthy amount of confusion, which felt like a very odd combination. “Inv”? I thought their name was Enot? Also, who the hell calls Monk “Baby Yellow”? Did he get a mate in the short time me and Surv went off to talk? What kind of fucking nickname is Baby Yellow anyway? It sounds stupid?

Despite the annoyance Hunter felt around the questions, they did a bit of a good job of distracting him slightly from the pain. Sure, he was still in agony, but at least it had downgraded from a ten on the pain scale to a mere nine (and a half). “Hehe. Happy thoughts, Hunter.” He shakily whispered to himself, ignoring the odd look he got from Artificer as she leaned over his body to presumably accept the flower from one of the slugcats out of his view.

Carefully, the maroon slugcat slipped a paw underneath the side of his head, lifting it slightly off the ground as she showed him the glowing flower. “This’ll help.” Hunter tried to reach for the plant and grab it, but any sort of movement made him want to die, so he ended up just leaning closer and snapping it up with his teeth.

Ignoring Artificer’s huff of amusement, Hunter forwent chewing and simply swallowed the hallucinogenic plant. Mercifully, the unimaginable pain faded to a way more controllable level, and the red slugcat sighed in relief. Noting the change in expression on his face and the way he stopped squirming and writhing, Artificer smiled. Familiar lights started to dance across his vision as the pressure on his mind lightened. Everything felt brighter and so much more fun. Despite this pleasant high, Hunter’s worry for his mate did not wane at all. Surv still needed him! He nodded gratefully towards Arti, then moved to stand.

Only to be gently pushed down again, a maroon-colored paw holding him effortlessly. “Hey… I need to go.” Hunter mumbled, feeling slightly slowed down by the consumption of the flower but still knowing he needed to get moving.

A pair of yellow arms suddenly entered his vision, paws holding something small and black that was chirping worriedly. Night! Monk placed the pup right next to Hunter, and she wasted no time in laying down and nuzzling into his side with a small mewl. He wrapped his arms around her, purring loudly to calm her worries. It’s okay, little one. We’ll be okay. As he felt tears wet the fur on his chest, he curled protectively around her. Wherever they took Surv, they would get him back one way or another. In the meantime, he was damn sure not going to let the same thing happen to their kid! Unfortunately, he ended up being too preoccupied with watching over Night to notice Artificer moving her paws to comfortably carry him bridal style. Only noticing the fact when the maroon slugcat grunted and he was lifted into the air, chirping in confusion.

Once he realized what was happening, he turned to glare at Arti, fully aware that the glare had lost all of its effect because of the small pup resting in his arms. “I can walk on my own…” His voice came out way more whining than he intended, making him sound more like a petulant pup than an adult. It’s the drug’s fault. Hunter thought as the maroon slugcat chuckled, his face burning as lights danced across his vision, annoyingly staying in his sights no matter where he tried to look.

“You need to rest, pup.” She said teasingly, placing him down in the den and throwing a blanket over his body. Afterwards, she stayed crouched by his side, adjusting the covering to ensure Night was also comfortable as she stayed snuggled up against the red slugcat’s chest.

Despite being indignant at the insult just uttered, Hunter could not help but purr even louder as he was placed back on the warm moss, further helped by the blanket and his pup purring into his chest. “Ain’t no pup.” He mumbled with a frown.

Monk suddenly entered his vision, crouching down next to Arti with a small grin. “Sounds like something a pup would say.”

He sputtered in response, narrowing his eyes. “I’m older than you?”

“Not by much.” Arti laughed as Monk tilted his head, his smile turning more amused and friendly as Hunter huffed in response. This fucking guy.

Suddenly, the stranger, Enot, Inv, or whatever, crouched down next to the rest. Hunter jumped slightly as he saw their eyes. The pupils were an odd shape, one he could not really see past the weird lights in his vision, but they were wide, and there was a smug grin on their face as they looked him over. “Who are you?” He asked simply, finding himself far too tuckered out from his attempts at leaving the tree and the subsequent consumption of drugs to really react to the mysterious slugcat’s sudden appearance. Maybe I’m just imagining this guy or something! Though they were there before I took the drugs…

Enot’s eyes lit up, the cyan slugcat seemingly excited at getting a chance to introduce themselves. “Ohoho, so you wish to know more about me? I interest you that much, huh~?” They spoke with a lower voice than earlier, stopping dramatically to… pose? Is that a rhetorical, or…? Hunter waited for the weird slugcat to go on, but Enot just kept staring at him, now also batting their eyes at frankly impressive speeds. He looked at the other two slugcats at either side of them, seeing both Monk and Arti roll their eyes and facepalm respectively.

Looking back at Inv, it seemed like they were waiting for him to say something, so he cleared his throat. “Uh-”

He was interrupted by the cyan slugcat suddenly reaching out and taking his paw in theirs, shaking it rapidly with an even wider smile on their face. “Call me Inv or Enot!! Though a hunk of meat like you can call me whatever you’d like~” Hunter narrowed his eyes as Enot made a scratching motion in the air along with a “rawr” sound. Whatever, too drugged up to care.

The red slugcat nodded and pulled his paw free, noting how easy that was with how moist the other slugcat’s paw was. With a grimace, he wiped his paw down on the blanket. If Inv noticed, they did not comment or even react at all. “My name is Hunter, and I am taken.” He responded, baring his teeth at the other slugcat in the hope they would get the message.

Quite unfortunately, their eyes only seemed to light up in excitement in response to his defense. “You’re offering me a two-for-one deal, then?” They wagged their “eyebrows” suggestively.

Hunter glanced down at the pup, noting she was thankfully asleep. Looking back at Enot, he growled lowly. In any other situation, he would already not appreciate jokes about the subject of his mate from strangers. Considering the current state of Surv, it pissed him off even more. Pissed him off enough that not even the effects of the drug could calm him. “If my pup wasn’t sleeping on my chest, I would break your twig arms and rip them free of your body for even suggesting that.” He threatened, seeing both Monk and Arti grimace and exchange a glance.

He had been expecting the cyan slugcat to back away in response to the visceral threat. Instead, Inv blushed—fucking blushed —in response. “You definitely could; just look at those muscles~!!” They made a show of fanning themselves with their paw to try to cool down, and Hunter actually had half a mind to gently set his pup down in the den and then throw himself at the fucker.

But before he could properly weigh the pros and cons of such a choice, Arti spoke up. “Alright, enough introductory flirting from you two.” Hunter sent her a glare in response at first, but lightened up on it when he saw the maroon slugcat looking at him seriously. “We have a working theory about what happened to you and Survivor, Hunter. But we would obviously like to hear it from you.” His anger melted away and gave way to sadness as he saw Monk frown deeply, Artificer throwing an arm around his shoulders in response. “If you feel up to it, of course.”

Before saying anything, the red slugcat sent one last glare towards Enot, annoyingly getting a wink and “seductive” pose in response. Realizing the annoyance would not be threatened into leaving, Hunter sighed and instead decided to get straight to the point. “Survivor was kidnapped.” He started immediately, pausing to let it sink in as a few tears ran down Monk’s face and Artificer rubbed her paw up and down his arm. Inv was thankfully completely silent, at least able to read the room. When the maroon slugcat turned to him and nodded, he continued. “His kidnappers said they were not there on orders from the main bulk of our enemies, but they had come for us for more personal reasons.” The other slugcats looked confused at that. “They said they wanted to take Surv to hurt me.”

A moment of silence followed the reveal, and the other slugcats (mostly Monk and Arti; Enot mostly seemed gleefully confused) exchanged a glance before Artificer spoke up. “Did you recognize any of them?”

He stopped to think for a moment, trying to recall the faces of the scavs he could see. He was trying to recall if he had ever seen them before in one of the few memories he had of being forced to fight off scavengers. Eventually, he shook his head with a grunt. “No. Not that I can remember, at least.” Hunter sighed, shifting slightly and wincing as another (much smaller but still there) pang of pain went through his stomach at the movement. “Then again, I only saw some of their faces, and much of it was in the midst of me and Surv trying to defend ourselves.” Even at that moment, he found it hard to recall a lot of what had happened, at least the finer details. That probably had something to do with being clubbed over the head and subsequently stabbed to death, in retrospect…

Artificer hummed, nodding to herself. “That explains the scavenger without the eyes.” Monk shuddered at her side but nodded as well. Enot looked even more confused, staring ahead at nothing as the cogs in their head seemed to turn to try to remember an "eyeless scav”.

However, Hunter still remembered the bastard. The one with the knife who had stabbed him twice was the biggest reason behind his pain and suffering during that cycle. Slashing both his eyes had felt good, but he had not gotten to finish him off! But considering both Monk and Arti knew about him, that told the story that he was still alive even at that moment. Have they captured him, perhaps? He looked into their eyes, asking the question in his mind. He noticed the yellow slugcat glance away and look at a wall, while the maroon one gave him a look through her one narrowed eye and crossed her arms over her chest.

Chances were, she knew what he wanted. “That guy. Is he still alive?” Artificer’s eye narrowed even further, but she did not respond. He turned to look at Monk, who was still looking at a wall, fidgeting slightly.

“Oooh! The guy you guys said you tied to a tree-!” Enot suddenly said, speaking so rapidly that even Monk’s fast attempt at trying to cover their mouth failed to cover up any of the important details.

So we have a captive as well? Interesting… Hunter could not even count on all his fingers and toes all the things he would like to do to the piece of shit. “Alright, so he is alive and captured. Where is he?” Looking back at Artificer, she looked away. “Oh, come on! Don’t be a dick, Arti.”

She turned to look at him then, fur bristling as she snarled as quietly as possible to not wake the pup in Hunter’s arms. “I won’t let you go out and torture the guy, Hunter!” Arti spoke through gritted teeth, anger in her tone.

Hunter bared his teeth in response, carefully propping himself up on one of his elbows, the other holding Night close. “You know he deserves that and so much more.” Monk shook his head and removed his paw from Enot’s mouth (spending a moment to shake off the drool collected on his appendage), the cyan slugcat giving him a flirtatious look.

Predictably, the maroon slugcat did not budge at all. “The scavengers might be brutal like that, but we are not like them!” Smoke was starting to trail out of her mouth.

Just like The Red Death. She was one to talk! Hunter would think she was the one most willing to help him out! He opened his mouth to speak again, but he was swiftly interrupted. “Enough!” Monk muttered through gritted teeth, still saying it loud enough to stop both slugcats in their tracks as they turned to look at him. “We’re on the precipice of fighting a fucking war, and you guys are arguing over nothing!” He shot them both glares, and despite normally not being intimidated by much, the red slugcat felt a bit nervous when Monk affixed his intense gaze on him. “Interrogating the scavenger, either via torture or not, won’t help! Fixer is already following the direction of the kidnappers, and even if the scav tells us something useful, we can’t get that information to him! It will not be useful, period.” Artificer looked away as well, fidgeting and looking nervous for once. “So will you two jokers please get your head out of your asses, and work together?” Everyone was stunned into silence by the yellow slugcat’s sudden chewing out, and Hunter could not help but be awed by the fact he managed to do it without waking the pup in the room. Looking down, he saw she was still sleeping soundly against him, not having stirred at all.

The moment of silence stretched on for a while, only to be suddenly interrupted by a certain cyan slugcat. “You are… Such. A. Badass~!!” Everyone turned to look at Enot, who was looking at Monk with a starstruck expression on their face. The yellow slugcat huffed and turned away, trying to play it cool. Though Hunter noticed some blushing around his ears as he scratched at the back of his head.

It was only then that some of what Monk had said sank in for Hunter, along with some dormant memories coming back from before he had died. “Wait, did you say Fixer followed the tracks to find Surv?” All the slugcats turned their attention back to him.

With a grunt, Artificer nodded, looking far more calm and collected. “Yeah, he saw the tracks and followed. Why?”

While Hunter had been dying of blood loss and barely been able to see or hear anything when it all happened, he was fairly certain that the orange shape that had come in and saved him from a more brutal and painful execution had been Collector. The red slugcat had no idea if he had been in the right mind to even chitter the instructions that Surv had been taken in scavenger or if he had just spoken slugcat to the hapless guy, but either way, he seemed to have understood. Besides, it was the only explanation that made sense. Where else could the guy be?

“Collector followed as well.” Hunter explained hurriedly. “He saved me from a far more brutal death, then went off to follow the kidnapper’s tracks.”

Monk looked relieved by the information. “Well, at least we know where he went, then.” Arti nodded in agreement, looking deep in thought. “It’s a good thing they aren’t alone, at least; they can work together to help Surv!” Despite the horrid situation, Hunter smiled, appreciating the yellow slugcat’s optimism.

Still, now that all of that was out of the way, just one question remained inside Hunter's mind. “So… What do we do now?” A part of him wanted to immediately suggest that they all go out and stage a rescue attempt for Surv, but he also knew that was a horrible idea at the current moment.

The battle was coming; if the scavengers held their pre-set time for attacking, they only had a few cycles to prepare. Chieftain and his “backup” only had a bit of time left to arrive as well, and it would be sorely needed as they had a whole three potential fighters less to defend against the assault. Hunter simply had to trust Fixer and Collector to save Surv, and if that still had not happened after the battle, then the red slugcat would sniff the captors out and personally rescue his mate! Leaving the tree undefended was stupid; however, the few of them that were left needed to stay behind to fight!

“We wait.” Artificer responded with a shrug. “Chieftain and his backup should hopefully arrive some time soon. Other than that, there’s not much else we can do at the moment.” The others nodded in agreement; there really was nothing else.

Then, of course, Enot had to comment. “We can always get to know each other better until that point! Yaknow, explore each other’s bodies~” There they went again, back to batting their eyes like they were a batfly trying to take off! Hunter sort of expected the maroon slugcat to slug the weirdo in the face for the suggestion, but she simply turned and gave them a withering look instead.

After a moment, she instead leaned forward and looked over at Monk standing on the cyan slugcat’s other side. “Hey kid, didn’t you need more centipedes for your lizards? We can take the opportunity to go get some from the usual spot.”

The yellow slugcat seemed a bit surprised by the sudden question, but nodded. “Sounds good! It’s close by, so we can come running if anything happens.” Hunter felt like the last part was added only to calm his nerves, but he appreciated it.

Inv nodded rapidly, looking between the two. “Sounds fun!! Let’s go, besties~!” They moved to follow as the two slugcats started to walk off toward the exit. Hunter sighed and leaned back to relax, feeling like it would be a good time to get some rest, just like the pup cuddling close.

They were stopped by Artificer however. “Easy there; someone still needs to watch Hunter and Night.” Wait, what? “He is not in fighting shape and will need help if something happens!” Not in fighting shape???

He expected Inv to complain or protest, but the cyan slugcat simply nodded, straightened their back, and gave her a salute. “Okay, mama Arti~ I’ll keep watch!”

She cringed, her face scrunching up as she shook her head. “Don’t call me that.” The maroon slugcat responded and turned to leave again.

Hunter couldn’t believe what was happening! Were they seriously leaving him with Enot? “Hey!” Night made a noise and stirred slightly, making the red slugcat lower his voice. “Don’t leave me with this weirdo!” Arti did not even respond, while Monk simply looked back and mouthed, “Good luck!” before following the maroon slugcat out of the tree. “Guys!” He tried again, not getting any response as the duo’s muffled footsteps slowly faded into the background.

With a sigh, the red slugcat looked back at Enot, who was still standing in the middle of the tree. The weirdo was just staring at him, and it was starting to get irritating. “So, can I get you anything? Food or water... maybe a massage?” They struck what Hunter guessed was supposed to be a sexy pose, but all it did was make him roll his eyes.

“If you say one more word, I’m going to wrap my paws around your neck and strangle you, understand?” He tried, though he was fully aware that no threats of violence would work.

Enot blushed deeply, and he immediately knew he definitely messed up by saying what he said. “Oh, yes! Please choke me, daddy~”

Hunter sighed; he really walked right into that one... “Fuckin’ nevermind.”

“Where the hell are all the centipedes?” Arti asked as she looked over the flat ground ahead of the two.