Chapter 13- Bugs

"What the?!" Paxton cried out as he struggled to pull the arm away while holding his bayonet against Lieutenant Ri's neck. 

The Lieutenant laughed out loud in a fit of horror as he pulled himself out of the opening with a single motion. 

"You shouldn't be here, Sergeant Paxton. You could get killed". 

Paxton raised a brow as he struggled to pull the hand away, but its grip on his neck was stronger than he anticipated. 

He clicked his tongue in annoyance and stabbed it with the bayonet, but it remained fixed on his neck. So he did it again, and then again, continuously until it suddenly jerked and fell off his neck. 

He heaves greatly in surprise, his eyes scanning the floor of the cave while his thoughts reeled in. 

'He's not human'. That was the conclusion he arrived at at this point. 'I had assumed that they were being replaced…but what if they weren't being replaced?'. 

Non Living things that act like living things, devoid of life but yet full of humanity. 

Paxton didn't need to think twice to know of its abilities, but more than that, He was aware of what these creatures were capable of. 

"You're a Bug". 

He muttered slowly as he stood up and took slow steps back. 

Lieutenant Ri's eyes flickered in surprise. "Do you know of us?" it asked, his lips widened in great delight. 

Bugs were creatures corrupted by Glitch Queen. They were practically undead humans living as humans, with the loss of their memories. The only thing they retain is the humanity of their former self.

"You've got to be kidding me". 

He was in a cave he had not even inspected, and before he could, he met a Bug. 

Of course, bugs weren't on the level of even Storm Pawns, so he wasn't exactly scared, but when they came in numbers and of course he was sure they came in numbers, they became a threat to Human society. 

'...Wait….doesn't that mean that…there's a Queen nearby'. 

His speculation had been right. People were being captured at the Fork Waterway, though the reason why had been completely wrong. 

"Since you know us, I advise you to stop. Join us instead; you're a smart kid. You should know that there are more benefits in joining rather than fighting". 

Paxton's gaze grew cold. He stretched his hands in his pocket for an object, his gaze fixed on the Lieutenant. 

"Why would I trust an agent of the Glitches? There's no telling what they did to your brain". 

In a single motion, he pulled out an object and slammed it on the ground, a flash of light erupting nearly immediately. 

At that moment, he turned around and ran, his gaze searching the cave for an opening or two. 

The flash grenade was meant to buy time for him to find somewhere to hide first. After all, defeating a Bug wasn't an easy task. 

'They're practically undead….but they have a weakness'. 

Sometimes, paying attention to your classes can save your life; an example would be his History class, where he learnt of the weakness of Bugs. 

'Though, using it now would be a little…' he thought when the cave suddenly shook. 

The sudden vibration caused him to trip on his foot and slam against the hard surface of the cave. 

He groaned bitterly, his gaze flickering about as a gruesome roar echoed throughout the Cave.

'Echo?' He thought in surprise as he quickly stood up. 

It was then he recognized the walls of the cave. 'It's made of Solitude Rock….though in bits amount'. 

He had somehow found a clue on how to take care of Lieutenant Ri if he were to follow after him, but he wasn't even allowed to use it. 

The Lieutenant rushed after him like a speeding train, his gaze filled with mad excitement. 

"Paxton! You shouldn't be running away" he screamed out, his voice piercing through the air and sending chills down Paxton's spine. 

Paxton ignored it, his body moving as fast as he could with not even a basic knowledge of where he was going. All he needed to do now was get away from that creature. It was an easy matter for a bug to spread the corruption, and it would be game over if it reached him. 

With quick movements, he rushed up to a tight corner and climbed up, moving with the nimbleness of a monkey. 

"Stop running you fool!" The lieutenant screamed out in fury as the car shook yet again. 

The Lieutenant suddenly fell silent and turned behind him, his gaze flickering with emotions. 

"..No…she's coming". 

Paxton halted when he had gotten to the top, his ears perched up in surprise. 

'...something large is coming'. 

He could hear it, like a stampede of monsters only this came from a single being. He didn't need to think twice before his body acted again, rushing upwards onto a higher platform of the cave. 

The lieutenant clicked his tongue and went after him, ignoring the rumbling of the cave. 

"The Storm Queen is coming! You shouldn't be running in her territory!" the Lieutenant cried out in a frenzy as he climbed up after him, his speed and agility twice as fast as Paxton's. 

"I'm not being fooled. Whatever that creature is will also eat you up!" Paxton said as he rushed forward. Glitches don't discriminate, obviously, but Paxton would be its first choice of the meal before a Bug. 

He continued his way forward until he reached a large opening, with bright blue light piercing the interior of the cave. He looked up in surprise to find blue crystals embedded into the walls of the cave, giving it its blue colour. 

His gaze flickered on recognizing the mineral, but his mind was fixed on something else. He needed to find somewhere to stay hidden until everything died out. 

'Though, I doubt it will'. He rushed into the opening, his gaze scanning the area for something or somewhere he could use. Unfortunately, he couldn't find one. Instead, he just rushed towards a corner and climbed up to the next platform. 

At that moment, Lieutenant No rushed into the opening, his gaze frantically searching for his prey. 

"Where are you, Paxton?!" he called out, his tone rushed and high. He was pressed on time as the vibrations only got louder. The creature, whatever it was, was getting closer and quickly too. 

"Paxton! You can't stay here with a glitch. They'll eat you alive if they have to".

Paxton had hidden behind a wall-like structure on the platform, his back pressed against the wall as his thoughts reeled in. 

'Glitch huh? So that's how they've been switching up our people. They lure them here and turn them into Bugs…which do their bidding'. 

The slave king had thoroughly gone through their ranks and planted his people within them. His ability to control Glitches was rare enough, and he had used it from within. 

'Finding Bugs within the Army would be difficult…but of course, using a loud enough sound…like an insane amount of vibration then it would be easy to catch them off guard'. Well, that meant he would need to escape here and tell the Commander of his findings. 

Of course, he also had to deal with the Glitch if it found him. 

'....Glitches that live in caves are usually limited to a few species….an underground species that causes vibrations would also limit the number'. 

He could make up a count of the Glitches he had studied in school, and decipher which was after him, but he wouldn't be sure until he saw it. 

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Lieutenant Ri quickly rushed towards a pillar, his feet heavy as the vibrations had become too close for comfort. 

Paxton's ears had begun to ring in eerie discomfort, and his senses were temporarily dismayed. 

'That's loud'. 

He may have forgotten how sensitive he was to sound, but it had come back to haunt him now and at a crucial time at that. 

As he waited patiently for the creature to reveal itself, he earned his breath and held himself back from falling to his knees. 

The vibrations got closer, and closer until ragged and low snarls could be heard clicking around the Cave. 

Its voice was like a death warrant, and its calls were like a soft echo. It sounded like a dolphin or killer whale in the ocean, only a lot wetter and distorted into cackling sounds. 

Paxton's ears shook in discomfort from the vibrations caused by the sounds. 

It sent a wave of pain throughout his body, as he felt himself being pulled by it. Almost like he was a magnet called upon by a detector. A dangerous one that spelt death. 

He groaned lightly, shutting his eyes from the pain until it subsided enough for him to open it. 

With a sigh, he breathed lightly and turned around to get a peak at the creature, but to his utmost dismay, the creature was taking a peek at him.