Hi! Here is my first Slugterra story, What Lies Beneath!
Title: What Lies Beneath
Rating: M.
Summary: Darkness resides in everyone. It will snatch a soul before it can know what happened. Hope dwindles and strength fails under death's mighty and fearsome reign. Escape is not an option, and resistance is futile. Such is the way of all things that dare defy a force of nature.
Warnings: Slight AU, which is owned by me. Possible angst and insanity in future chapters. Some characters will be OC.
Notes: Nothing else to say, so enjoy! :)
Some find comfort in the light
But no sane soul can find comfort in the darkness
Haunted memories and terrors are a blight
And the acrid taste of rage is similar to that of a carcass
The minute the Goon Doc had left, that glorious and thankful moment, when the horrifying miasma had lifted and released its gruesome hold, its claws digging into the supposed flesh as it futilely attempted to keep its slipping hold...
...Eli knew it would not be the end of it.
There was still a residual trace of the dark energy of the ghoul, burning and ever-present in its looming state like a festering scar. It grew sometimes and lingered in others, as if it were testing its power while waiting for something…waiting for the right moment. But it was never enough that he could not control it.
That did not mean that he did not feel it.
Cold would overpower him, piercing every limb and paralyzing all form of movement. A throbbing, excruciating pain would erupt in his head, roaring with the mad fury of a horrific demon. Tremors would rack his lean and powerful body, enough to make him have to stop whatever he was doing in order to catch the breath that had left him so suddenly. It was a horrible feeling, and he knew the Goon had something to do with it.
"Eli?" A soft voice sounded behind him. Trixie approached on her felinoid mecha-beast, the golden and crimson tinted rays of the dying sun glinting off of her fiery hair and concern clear in her emerald eyes. "Are you okay?"
The Shane let out the air he had not realized he had been holding, coming back to his senses as his dark azure eyes focused on the rock formations of the cavern they were in. "Yes, Trixie, I'm fine. I just had my mind on some things elsewhere."
Trixie frowned slightly. "Are you sure? You seem…"
Eli shook his head, cutting off her protests. "I said I'm fine, Trixie. Please, just leave it alone."
He could feel Junjie's dark eyes boring into the back of his head as he led LK-E out of the cavern.
The heat at the exit of the yawning and monstrous cave did nothing to pierce the icy shroud that had wrapped itself mercilessly around his soul.
The day was almost over, and most of the Shane Gang was relaxing for the lack of villains or out doing errands they had not had the chance to do before. Their leader, however, was outside of their quaint little domicile, sitting cross-legged on a massive branch of a tree that towered over the building. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep, so much that he did not notice the slim and silent figure silently approaching him.
The Shane was lost deep in the forest of his thoughts, attempting to make sense of what he believed was troubling him. What was it, back in the recesses of his mind, that was bothering him so much? What caused the strange feelings of uneasiness and fatigue to plague him?
"Do you mind if I join you?"
Eli started, on his feet in a flash and blaster in hand, his face unnervingly devoid of emotion as his cerulean eyes burned a few shades darker than what was considered normal. Junjie stood there, hands raised as if he were surrendering while concern and suspicion stood out clearly in his dark and shocked stare.
The Shane relaxed, sighing deeply as he lowered his weapon, although the tense aura surrounding him did not release its ruthless hold. "Sorry, Junjie. I've been…on edge lately."
The former hero of the Eastern Caverns nodded slowly. "I can tell. You have shown it on missions, though I am more perceptive than your teammates." He paused, pursing his lips even as he gave a hesitant shrug, his gaze flicking down to their hideout. "Sorry. I mean no offense."
"None taken." The taller male dropped back into the position he had been in, closing his eyes. All was silent, and when he felt a tickling on the back of his neck, he turned and was shocked to see Junjie mere inches away from him, his darker eyes boring into him as his faint breaths washed over his neck.
Eli scowled deeply, narrowing his eyes. "Junjie. What are you doing?"
The Slug-Fu master tilted his head, continuing to stare into the deep blue gaze of the now immensely irritated young Shane.
Eli narrowed his eyes and stood abruptly, making the newest member of his team take a few steps back. Junjie felt his suspicion rise even more as the Shane clenched his hands into fists.
"If you don't mind," Eli began in a tense and hoarse growl, "I was trying to get at least a bit of rest." His azure eyes narrowed as the Eastern young man remained still and silent. "If you can't realize it, I am telling you to leave."
Junjie raised his hands once again, not wanting to make the Shame angrier than he already was even though he was doing an already terrible job at fulfilling that motive.
Eli watched as the pale and slim young man turned and left, heading for his usual meditation spot before sitting back on the cool forest floor and leaning with his back against the trees.
The ever present aura of death conceals all
A heady and blackened aroma that wafts through the air
With no futile protection all will fall
And the iron fist of malice will tear out their hair
The dying rays of the sun spread their fingers throughout the quiet land. Varying hues of warm golden, fiery and irascible red, and deep toxic orange painted the canvas of mountains and grass beneath it. It was a heartwarming sight, and a faint and gentle wind of contentedness pierced the flesh of all of the creatures in its reach.
With one last breath, as if tired with the urgent calls of the night, the sun retired into its cloud-laden bed on the opposite side of the world.
All of the Shane Gang members were deep in the blanket of sleep...all wrapped in their deceptively comforting cloaks of material that could be compared to the softest cloud...
He was not, however.
The lone teen was outside, leaned against one of the trees that towered over the hideout behind him. To anyone who would happen to see the young man, they would say that the Shane looked absolutely horrible. His skin was sickly pale, and hoarse and ragged breathing moved his chest in uneven movements. A cold sweat drenched his lean and powerful body, one that somehow managed to look skeletal and weak. His head was braced against the cool and rough bark of the tree behind him, and strands of navy-tinted raven hair hung over his face in strands.
Eli...
A deep breath escaped the teen, and his arms tightened around his torso, his hands digging into the flesh of his sides. The voices had been tormenting him for quite some time, and he had struggled to not react and worry his team further.
It was dangerous, that he knew. The only voices he had ever had and heard in his mind were that of the Shadow Clan and the Goon Doc. But this...this wasn't either of them.
No. Definitely not.
The thing that frightened him the most was that the voice sounded eerily similar to his own.
Eli Shane...
The voice had been repetitive, murmuring the same words over and over for the majority of the day. But now that it was night, the presence was incorporating more words into its vocabulary.
Fight...destroy them all...
Get me out...
Get me out!
Get me out!
The Shane gasped, trembling violently as an invisible set of hands clasped tightly around his throat and heart. Pain erupted through his body, and the world began to swim before him.
Ice will pierce the flesh and carve through bone
Screams will render the silence broken
Crimson hunger will reign until all is gone
Lives are no doubt merely a token
He sat there shivering, biting back his moans of pain. It was only at night, when all but himself were asleep, that the voice decided to play.
Its version of playing was inflicting as much torment as it could within the vast majority of the dark hours.
A faint laugh escaped the teen. Insane is what most would call him. But no...he was not insane. Everyone had the little voices in their heads, right? The ones that told them not to do something, or the ones that urged them to do it because it would no doubt feel good?
No, no, no. Not what I am...
...that is not what I am!
The presence in his head was a mixture of both.
Yes, yes, yes! I am both but neither!
Nausea rose deep within him, and with a groan he lurched over on his side, retching weakly. He had nothing to purge except bile, and even that was an amount that could be considered pitiful.
A solid and warm object landed on his shoulder, ever so gentle.
With a snarl, the raven-haired male shot forward, knocking the intruder's feet out from under him and pressing a steady arm against a heated throat, restricting air flow. His once-aquamarine eyes had darkened to a deep azure so endless that it could be considered black. A dark and demented light burned within his eyes and soul as he glared, oh so close from snapping the unwanted visitor's neck before recognition flashed.
Junjie was beneath him, muscles relaxed and face carefully kept emotionless. His own dark eyes continued to bore into the Shane, as if stripping the clothes of his soul to expose the secrets beneath.
"Eli." He spoke softly, carefully, his voice almost a whisper. "Let me go."
Eli glared, tremors still wracking his body. "I told you to leave me alone." His voice was a broken slur, bone dry and full of emotional turmoil.
"I did not know you were out here. I did not mean to intrude." The former Eastern Cavern dweller dared to shift beneath his captor, and the action resulted in the pressure on his throat increasing. "Eli. Let me go."
But the Shane did not seem to hear him. "I said to leave me alone. Why won't you listen? Why won't you get out?"
Junjie narrowed his eyes, sensing something dark rising within the other teen. "What are you talking about?"
Baring his teeth suddenly in a snarl, the dark-haired male glared down viciously, muscles bulging beneath smooth skin. "You won't get out...you keep staying. No more, no more!" A dagger was in his hand suddenly and was pressed dangerously close to the restrained teen's throat.
But before it could strike, Eli moaned and threw himself off, violent shivers shaking his body. Junjie carefully rose to his feet, approaching his leader.
"Eli?"
The Shane shook his head. "Stay away...stay away. I don't want to hurt you. I...I can't control myself."
"What do you mean?" Junjie noiselessly unsheathed his blaster, loading it up. "Eli, talk to me."
"He...he left something. I...I d-don't know what." Dark, dark blue eyes lit up with a horrific fire. "Leave, Junjie. Leave before I do something I'll regret."
Junjie tensed, head tilting. "Eli...I don't know what's wrong, but let me help. Trixie and the others..."
"No!" He was shaking even harder, teeth rattling, as he shook his head over and over. "Leave her out! Leave all of them out!" A ragged gasp escaped him as his hands dug into his sides. "I-I can't..."
Suddenly his head snapped up. "You're going to hurt them."
"What?" Junjie took a hesitant step back. "Eli, I'm not..."
"Lies!" The Shane was on his feet, his steps predatory. "You'll kill them, and I have to stop you. Have to stop you..."
Before Junjie could realize what was happening, the Shane was looming over him and there was a flash of silver, pain, and then darkness.
Well. Not as dark as I would have liked it, but it's a start. Slugterra deserves more darkness.
P.S. This may be updated in a bit. Be sure to check this story out again soon.
R&R, pleaze!