Alright kids, buckle up, because this is where it gets graphic. Please do not continue reading if you have any reservations about the content.

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Humiliation


The sky slowly changed and cast a variety of pink and orange hues along the skyline as the sun began to crest the horizon. It would have been an ideal autumn morning, with the cool weather and gentle breeze, if not for the circumstances. Trees dotted the periphery of Flik's vision. The ones that hadn't yet lost their leaves were still bursting with color. They were the same colors as Flik's burning masterpiece and the flames that had engulfed it.

The grasshoppers flew in a disciplined formation. Occasionally, Hopper would drift closer to Thumper. Being near the wild grasshopper made Flik tense. Hopper could sense Flik's fear and began to hover next to Thumper intentionally, making a game out of the ant's discomfort.

They traveled straight through the night, and the dread Flik felt throughout the flight slowly transformed into exhaustion. At some point during their travels, Flik had managed to doze off but he quickly jerked awake at a sudden movement. He felt his stomach drop as the grasshoppers began their descent to the ground towards a pristine glade. As they descended, the blades of tall grass were blurred around them. Flik put his arms up to shield his face from the passing blades.

As the grasshoppers touched down, Flik could hear them laughing and whooping. They finally landed on a small patch of ground that had been cleared of grass and foliage. The buzzing of the grasshoppers' wings slowly faded, and Flik found the courage to gauge his surroundings.

Rudimentary huts lined the edges of the clearing. They seemed to be constructed out of woven grass, leaves and stems. Most looked haphazardly slapped together, but one in particular looked well-constructed and was large and oval-shaped. A solitary rock stood in the center among the huts, and it appeared to have some sort of hardware embedded in it that protruded from the surface. Long, dry grass braided ropes were tied to the strange protuberances. For some reason, the sight of them made Flik shiver. Adjacent to the boulder was a shallow pit filled with soot and charred sticks.

The gang's laughter and conversation slowly died down as they looked to Hopper. Ready to speak, he began, "Well boys, we're going to have a guest stay with us for awhile."

Hopper's gang members slowly smiled and laughed while looking back and forth at each other.

"I trust you'll treat him well while he's here." With that, Hopper thrust Flik forward. Flik stumbled then fell to the ground, catching himself on his hands and knees.

A few of the grasshoppers chuckled while one led Thumper to the rock and tied his leash to the rope that was connected there. Thumper seemed to be insulted by this and pulled at the end of his restraint. Molt stood uncharacteristically silently next to Hopper, a horrified expression plastered on his face.

"Why don't you fellas show him how things work around here," Hopper sneered.

Five of Hopper's gang slowly circled around Flik while the remainder stayed where they were and watched.

"Well there, what's your name?" asked a grasshopper with a greenish-grey tinted exoskeleton and a square head. He was by far the biggest in the group second only to Hopper. His tall stature and build were intimidating, almost as much as Hopper himself.

Flik stared at the ground and remained silent. He was frozen in place and couldn't look up or speak. He wasn't sure if it was worse to answer or remain silent. While he was still deciding what to do, he suddenly felt a sharp pain as he fell on his side.

"Hey, listen when we're talking to you!" the grasshopper who had slapped him snarled. This grasshopper was much shorter with a round face and bulging eyes. Freckles dotted his arms and face giving him a mottled look.

"He sure knew how to use his mouth before. Didn't he, Slate?" another said.

"Well, let's see if we can find a better use for it, huh, Blaze," the grasshopper named Slate chuckled.

Slate approached Flik then bent down and seized the ant by the antennae forcing him back to his knees. With his left upper hand he held Flik by the antennae and with his right hand he squeezed Flik's jaw and cheek. The grasshopper's hand was so big it covered over half of the ant's face.

Flik was beyond scared. He had no idea what the grasshoppers were going to do to him. Maybe if he reasoned with them, they wouldn't hurt him.

"Please, I . . ."

Slate slapped him again, much harder this time. Flik could feel blood pooling in his mouth as Slate tightened his grip on his antennae. Tears pricked at the corners of his left eye where he'd been slapped twice. They began to trickle down his cheek when Slate addressed him again.

"You speak to us when we say you can speak! Now, open your mouth or I'll make you," Slate menaced.

Hesitantly, Flik did as Slate ordered and opened his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, afraid of what was to come. Before he could protest again, Slate forced himself into Flik's mouth. Flik's squeals were muffled, and he gagged as Slate repeatedly thrust into his jaw. Slate kept his grip on the side of Flik's head and antennae with his upper arms while using his lower hands to grasp his shoulders. Flik felt his body convulse as he involuntarily continued to gag. He began to struggle in the grasshopper's grasp which earned his antennae a sharp yank. Around them, Flik could hear the rest of the grasshoppers cheering and spurring Slate on, to which Slate obliged.

"Ah, ah, ah, you're going to take all of it."

Slate thrust himself fully into the ant's mouth. Flik continued to choke and shake uncontrollably, his body reflexively responding to the grasshopper's actions. The grasshopper's length and girth filled the entirety of Flik's mouth, which made him struggle to breathe. After a few more moments, Flik felt a warm burst of liquid flood his mouth. He heaved and tried to pull away, but Slate held him firmly in place.

"Now, now, swallow it or I'll give you back to Thumper."

Upon hearing his name, the rabid grasshopper chirped loudly and excitedly pulled at his tether.

Afraid of the consequences, Flik let out a stifled whimper as he did as he was told. The fluid in his mouth tasted vile and his body had not yet recovered from the previous actions. With difficulty, he did his best to swallow with Slate still in his mouth. The grasshopper moaned at the contractions and pushed a little farther down the ant's throat. At this, Flik could no longer control his body and he heaved. Slate quickly withdrew and jumped back to avoid the ant's retching. Flik dropped to the ground and continued to heave long after his stomach was empty, the taste of the grasshopper still in his mouth. He fought to catch his breath in between heaves.

"Ugh, sick."

The grasshopper called Blaze waited until Flik was finished before he grabbed him and subjected him to the same treatment that Slate had given him.

When it was finally over, the grasshoppers stood around Flik and cackled.

"Told ya that mouth was good for something!"

Hopper watched his gang play with the new toy he had given them with all the passivity of an indifferent god. This ant was going to pay for costing him his food and humiliating him.

Hopper stepped forward from the inconspicuous spot he had chosen to watch the scene and addressed the group that encircled Flik, "Go tie him up and find somewhere to put him."

Slate and Blaze sighed and grumbled but did as they were told. Flik lay shaking on the ground, tears spilling from his eyes as a mixture of blood and saliva dripped from his mouth. He wheezed as he tried to catch his breath which turned to coughs and more retching.

"Get up," commanded Slate.

Trembling, Flik got to his hands and tried to rise to his feet. After several seconds when he still was unable to stand, Slate bent down and snatched Flik by the throat. Flik started to kick and thrash, tugging at Slate's hold around his neck. His eyes watered and his vision grew blurry as the grasshopper tightened his grip.

"If you can't do as you're told, you'll have to be punished. Isn't that right, boss?"

Hopper feigned as though he were considering what Slate had said, then replied, "Disobedience can't be tolerated. I promised the Queen I would fix her unruly subject, so teach him a lesson." Hopper turned on his heel and left, entering the large oval hut.

As Hopper entered his living quarters, he made his way to an oversized chair. Hopper leisurely took his seat and then contemplated their new living arrangements. Normally, they spent the winter in the desert, but circumstances had changed. With two trips to Ant Island in a year and the weather quickly turning colder and more unpredictable, Hopper had made the decision to return to their other outpost instead. They had stopped here on their way to Ant Island, and performed all the necessary preparations for their permanent stay. It was comfortable enough and there was plenty of food stockpiled for the winter. Still, he would miss being waited on. He could make the ant do it, but he had other ideas for him. The ant was a fan of big ideas. He could have joined in on the fun the boys were having right now, but as the leader, he felt that he needed to show restraint. There would be plenty of time for him to check up on his guest later.

After all, it was going to be a long winter, and they were just getting started.


Atta stared out across the clover forest and watched the circus bugs pack up their caravan. As she watched absently, she thought back to everything that had transpired. She remembered what Hopper had said to her last spring.

Everything is your fault.

Right now, it really did feel like everything was her fault. She had given Flik permission to go on his search for warrior bugs, and she had sent him away again just two days ago for lying. He was so naive. It shouldn't have been a surprise that he would mistake a circus troupe for warriors. In hindsight, she could see how horrified he must have been when he realized his error. She shouldn't have let him leave that first time. Now, she had let the grasshoppers take him. After Hopper and his gang had taken flight, the circus bugs decided to go after them. Atta had wanted to go too being as she could also fly, but her mother and the council had dissuaded her. Their reasoning was as heir apparent, Atta could not risk her life by going after Flik. Her mother was old now, and if something happened to Atta, there would be no one to lead the colony.

She regretted listening to them. As ruler, she was supposed to protect her subjects, but she had failed. Why hadn't she acted sooner? She could have gotten to Flik before Hopper had. But then what?

The circus bugs had returned in the early hours of the morning. They had lost track of Hopper and his gang and were forced to turn back after a heavy fog plagued their vision. When they returned, their boss, P.T., insisted that they leave to put on performances west of the city. While they wanted to stay to help the colony and search for Flik, P.T. threatened to fire them permanently if they didn't leave with him today. Atta had assured them that it was okay to leave. She nor anyone else in the colony even knew what the grasshoppers did or where they stayed when they weren't on Ant Island. Besides, they had done more than enough. This wasn't their fight and they needed to get back to their lives. Still, Flik was their friend, and they promised that if they heard or saw anything during their travels, they would let Princess Atta know as soon as possible. She thanked them for all their help then excused herself. Even though they weren't the warrior bugs she had thought they were, they turned out to have an unexpected fighting spirit. That must have been why Flik had chosen them.

Flik. Her thoughts returned back to him and she wondered what the grasshoppers were going to do to him. After watching the beating he received from Thumper, she couldn't bear to imagine what else they would put him through. She wasn't sure how she was going to make it through the winter knowing that he was a prisoner. She wondered if they would even bring him back.

All she could do now was hope that he was okay and wait for spring.