Non-Pokémon Project Admas

[Diamondseed345]

Special thanks to Chekhov for letting me use his ideas

And Special thanks to Shineblight for permission to use the Tullwend AU

Many of the events of this story are based on the "Ask WhitePearl and Steven" webcomic, written and Illustrated by thechekhov

But first, content warning.

Spoiler

Implied past human experimentation
Child abuse
Possible character death
Aftermath of graphic violence
Possible body horror?
Possible blood
Minor character death
Graphic descriptions

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It wasn't long until he to the kitchen to make breakfast afterwards, but something seemed different. Usually, it felt as if he was being watched, and he believed he at least had some kind of answer as to why.

A figure out on the streets, or in the wooded hills behind his neighborhood. Usually, he'd see her during the evening after the sun went down, or soon after the sun had come up.

The figure was a woman, or at least he thought it was a woman. Usually, when he saw her, she seemed to emit some kind of glow, similar in intensity to the light the moon gave off when it was full.

She seemed creepy, but for one reason or another, he wasn't scared of her. Perhaps it was the feeling that he had for one reason or another; he had met her before, or the fact that he had seen her outside for as long as he could remember. Something about her just seemed... mystical.

An almost otherworldly feeling emanated from her, one he was also familiar with somehow, but not sure how.

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

Speaking of someone who always seemed off...

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

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

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

"I just wanted to take initiative."

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

"Thank you, mother," Elliott said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Okay, will do."

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"MOTHER!! PLEASE HELP ME!!"

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

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

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

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

"What are you doing mother!?"

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

Chapters end.
_______________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

"MOTHER!! PLEASE HELP ME!!"

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

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

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

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

"What are you doing mother!?"

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

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

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

Eventually though... he could see light, light that was going through his eyelids.
His eyes were dry and heavy, and when he opened them... the first thing he saw was a logo. One that brought a slight nostalgic feeling... the crimson logo of Ominent Practical Technologies.

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

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

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

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

This was the man himself, Dalton Schmector.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Sheldon, activate the Spac.r."

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapters end.
_______________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Hello down there! You new around here?"

"Um... I guess so."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It was a big spider, I presume?"

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

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

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

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

"Guess so..."

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

"Like... classified knowledge?"

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

"Alright..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Um..."

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

"So... like insect pheromones?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Asshole..."

Chapters end.
______________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


"Oh, yeah, thank you."

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

"...What is it?"

"Why do your eyes look like kites?"

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

"They... just look like that."

"Really? Have they always looked like that?"

"Yes, I... have Coloboma."

"What's Colo-"

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

"I-"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Well, who named-"

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

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

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

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

"With a group of people from school."

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

"Hm? What might that be?"

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

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

"I guess so."

"Alright then, go ahead."

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

"Name?"

"Elliott... Elsa-Mina."

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

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

"I-"

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


"Are you talking about Dal-"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Right away sir!"

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

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

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

"Okay..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapters end.
________________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yeah, alright with me..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Right away Director, thank you..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh, I think we hurt his feelings!"

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

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

"AAAGH!!" He sat there trying to get his foot out from under the table, trying not to scream from the pain. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?! WHAT DID I EVER DO-"
"You have no right to talk freak! You-"

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

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

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

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

"We didn't do anything! He-"

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

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

"And just WHY did you do that?"

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

"And why did you want that?"

"..."

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

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

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

"I-"

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

"Wait, what? But we-"

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

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


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

"I... think so..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapters end.
_____________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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


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

Would he ever go home?

How could one live in a place like this?

Why were they all sent here?

What was the end goal of shrinking so many people?

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

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

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

"Um... Elliott, is it?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You wanted to see me Director... sir?"
Peter looked up from his work. "Oh, yes. Sit down, I'll be right over."

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

"Yes?"

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

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

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

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

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

"No, I never really have."

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

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

"Pupilloplasty?"

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

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

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

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

"My... time at Ominent?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Appearance?" Peter asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What'd you mean?"

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

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

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

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


Peter's eyes widened some.

"What exactly happened?"

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

"Are you alright guy? What happened?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I think they taught me the bas-"

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

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

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

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


Chapters end.
________________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

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


Peter's eyes widened some.

"What exactly happened?"

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

"Are you alright guy? What happened?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I think they taught me the bas-"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"So... insect zombies or something?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peter went to work on a nearby little girl, who looked to be on the brink of death.
There was a nasty gash on her arm along with one on her face, presumably from the spider. The one on her arm looked Yellow, with small amounts of black discoloration around the borders.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


"PETER!!"

Chapters end.
__________________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

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

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


"PETER!!"

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

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

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

"Hey uh... guys?"

The assistants went silent, and one of them sighed.

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

"Oh God, not again!!"

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

"I... don't know?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


"I- I'm fine." Peter stubbornly croaked. "There's more to do, I have to... I have to"
Peter suddenly caved in on himself, his stomach growling painfully loud.

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

That couldn't be good for his health.

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

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

"Alright."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"...You..."

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

"Wo... wol..."

"Are you okay sir?"

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

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

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

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

Elliott then turned to Peter.

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

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

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

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

"Where is that??"

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

"Enough said then!"

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

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

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

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

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

"Wait, are you serious!?" Elliott yelled.
Peter, however, was silent upon the revelation. Was... this the end? Torn apart by a merciless predator so close to safety?

Then... he had an idea.

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

"What? Why??"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Until...


D̵̬̭͇̬̀͗̏̍͐̈́͠ͅỒ̸̫Ṉ̷͓̠̳͓̆͛ͅ'̸̡̞̜̱̘̾̄͑͛̅̆̀T̶͎͋͗͒̓́̒̇̕ ̸̫̽̓͑̿̓͗́́̏̀̐̏͜͝T̶̬̞̯̱̤̉Ö̸̗̙̝̪̗̫̘̌̄͜͜͝Ü̵̱̻̝̻̤̲̮̩̠̮̲̺͍̟̉̊̍̆̈́͊͜Ć̸̡̛̪̞͙́̍̀̇̿̏̑̓̓̐͘͠͝H̷̛̼̣̪͉͙̞̫̗̟̅͆̓͌͆̾̒̇͊̈̂ ̴̖̪̺̥̥͕̙̙̳̮̯̜́͒̅͗̑͐̓̂̑͝͠͝T̴͚̳͇̺͊̊H̵̞̺͕̭͓̖̜̺̜͈̳̩̺̦̿̔̓̍͐͋̆Ė̷̞̗̙̰͈̱̄͑M̷͉͙͉͖̟͎̤̩͖̩͈̾͑̇̄͜ ̵̧̡̬͖͉̫̪̭͔̭̞̳̳̱̬͂͊̂H̶̢̳͍̘͓̗͇̥͓͔͙̒̾̈̔̉̓͑̑͒̇̈́͊̂̓̈́ͅİ̸̯̣͌͊̂͑̍̈́̃̎̓͌̑̚̚͝M̸̡̻͇̗͎̭̗̳̞̱̯̮̮̿͂̿͂̂͐̀̍̒͛͛̊̅̚ ̶̥̝͉̗̘̰͉͔͓̟̥̠͇̍ͅͅU̷͈͇̤̦͙̙͔͑̀̌̓Ṣ̵̬̣̬̘͖͉̭͇̻̠͈̥͋̒̃͐͆̀̈́̃̒͜



Elliott let out an inhuman screech, and a blast of energy was sent towards the spider, sending it back into the hall.
Every part of him felt wrong, his skin felt cold, his ears were ringing, and he was... glowing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapters end.
______________________

 

[Diamondseed345]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just like those of Elliott.

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

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

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

The eyes appeared unamused.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The voice paused for a moment.

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

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

"...Table salt? That's what you call them?" The voice said, sounding amused. Then... a chilling laugh echoed through the room, and presumably into the expanse beyond.
"I've had enough of this for now, we'll try something else later. Maybe then, you will LEARN something."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And that question is?"

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

"Oh um... XS I think."

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

"....Sure..."

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

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

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

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

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

"So... how do I look?"

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

"Thank you... Peter."

Chapters end.
_________________________