A/N: One of the reasons this chapter was so late is because I wasn't sure how to handle the journey back to The Ant Kingdom. There are quite a few locations between there and the Deadlands, which would be a lot to write for just one journey, and there are other things I want to get to. So, I decided to go even more (possibly) AU. If something described doesn't match the game, just consider it part of the AU.


By the time the four of them returned to The Ant kingdom, it had gotten dark. Kabbu wasn't sure if that was because of the long trip, or because of how long it took them to decide how to actually go about getting back.

It had been clear from the start that they couldn't return the way they had come, not with Omega around. "If we bring her through The Wasp Kingdom, they'll freak! And that's not even thinking about how everyone in The Ant Kingdom is gonna react." Vi had voiced her concerns, which were actually all of their concerns, except for Omega. She had become distracted trying to convince Deadlander Gamma to let her pet it. The creature was frantically dodging her many hands, snapping its claw in warning. It would have been a funny sight, if Omega didn't look so forlorn at the rejection. How were we so frightened of her, again? Leif wondered.

After a bit of back and forth, the team eventually worked out an alternate route back to the AnT Kingdom.

"Alright." Kabbu whispers as they near the plaza where Team Snakemouth's house is located. "It looks like the coast is clear. Everyone's asleep."

"I did not think we would be that lucky." Vi whispers, slightly louder.

"Only the queen lives inside the anthill now?" Omega wonders as she gawks at everything. "In my time, all the ants in the kingdom would live in the hill."

"You can tell us more about it when we're inside." Leif replies.

Besides Omega alternating between saying how hungry she was getting, and asking how they had made a house out of a juicebox (whatever that was) they managed to get back home, shrunken deadlander in toe, without a hitch.


Or so they thought. Janet had been in the process of retiring for the night, having made sure her spy cards were in the proper order one more time. A small movement in the corner of her eye brought her attention to the window of her home. Her curtains weren't closed all the way.

She made her way over to fix it, and froze. Not too far from her window, eyes, lots and lots of glowing eyes, glittered in the darkness. One of them seemed to stare right at her! With a squeak, the terrified ant yanked her curtains closed. She was going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.


"Whoa!" Vi exclaimed despite herself as she watched Omega greedily devour a massive pile of food in front of her. Leaf salads, honey drops, a sip of clear water here and there, she devoured it all in a flash without exception. "Her appetite gives yours a run for its money, Leif."

"At least she is not a picky eater," Kabbu adds.

Omega swallows the final bite, wiping her mouth on her dress. "Sorry," she says quietly. "It's just been a while since I've had a real meal like this. Buuurrrrp! Oops, excuse me." Omega tries (and fails) to hide her amusement at her own large burp.

The rest of the team had also grabbed themselves some grub, and finished soon after Omega. "With that, I think it's time to go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Kabbu announces.

"Don't you mean a little day?" Omega asks with a small smile. "Get it? Because I'm small now? … Well, I thought it was funny." Her pout was ruined by the large yawn that came upon her. Vi couldn't help but shutter at the row of sharp teeth and greenish tongue within the deadlander's gaping maw. And then yawn herself, because apparently, even scary yawns are contagious. "So, where's she gonna sleep?" The bee asks once the yawn subsides.

"Just grab me a blanket or two, and I'll sleep on the floor."

The trio do just that, and loathed as she is to admit it, the sight of the mutant child snuggled into a blanket burrito on the floor is… cute. Never did she think there'd come a day when a deadlander could be the least bit adorable. Oh no, am I turning into Leif?

Once Omega is situated, Team Snakemouth climbs into their beds. "Good night, everyone," Kabbu says.

"Night."

"Good night."

"Mashed potato's," Omega mutters, already dead asleep. Despite the chaos of the day, the others join her soon after.