Hello everyone, and Happy Easter! It's been a while, hasn't it?
Sorry for the long wait, but I'm finally back with another chapter of Grime and Day! After watching some of the more recent episodes of Amphibia [including the most recent 'Toad to Redemption'], I was inspired to write this chapter! This chapter takes place before the episode 'Toadcatcher,' and takes place a few days after my last chapter.
I hope you all enjoy it!
Also, I made some tweaks to grammar and stuff in the past chapters, to clean it up and stuff.
Rocky and the Bandits
"RUN!"
Braddock and Ethan broke through the bushes, running for their lives as a large bug creature roared a few seconds later, chasing them through the swampy forest.
"What is that thing," the human yelled.
"A rhino beetle," the toad yelled back, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the way as the large bug slammed into a tree, uprooting it and nearly knocking it over.
"Do they eat toads?!"
"No, but you don't wanna find yourself facing down that horn!" The bug roared angrily backing away from the tree and turning back towards them. Yelping, the two soldiers resumed their escape, closely followed by the creature.
"Don't tell me you do this whenever you go into town for supplies" Ethan yelled to her as he slid under a low-hanging branch. "And whenever you go looking for herbs and stuff?!"
"You get used to it," Braddock replied, leaping over the same branch as the monster plowed through it, not slowing down. "What should we do?!"
"Why're you asking me," the teen shouted.
"You're the Lieutenant, remember?!"
"A lot good that title's gonna do me if we get turned into shish-kebabs!" Still, Ethan started to glance around as he ran, searching for something that could help them defeat the giant bug. "What are its weaknesses?!"
"The top of its head," the toad yelled, the two of them running to the right as the rhino beetle knocked down a large tree, narrowly avoiding being crushed. "Hit it hard enough and it'll knock it out!"
How the heck am I supposed to get on top of it, the human thought, looking around until he spotted a vine. Getting an idea, he ran over to it, quickly testing its strength before climbing it. He climbed onto a nearby branch, waiting as the bug roared and ran towards the tree he was in.
"Three… two… ONE!"
Ethan jumped off the branch a split second before the beetle hit the tree, momentarily stunning it. Landing on its spiky back, he knelt down and drew his dagger, slamming the hilt on the back of the creature's head. It roared loudly, nearly bucking the teen off, but he managed to hold on as he repeatedly hit the creature until it finally slumped down to the ground, motionless.
"Woah," the human muttered, giving the rhino beetle one last hit to make sure it was unconscious before sliding off its back. "That made riding a mechanical bull feel like a walk in the park!"
"Ethan!" Braddock ran over to him. "Are you okay?!"
"Fine," the teen replied, though his body was shaking from all the adrenaline. "What… What are we gonna do with this?" He turned back to the creature, which was about the size of a regular rhino back in his world. "Don't tell me we're gonna carry it all the way to the cottage."
"Of course not," the toad soldier replied, walking over to the vine and pulling it down. "We're gonna ride it."
"We're gonna what?"
"Rhino beetles are tough, but they respect any creature that can beat them in combat," Braddock explained, going over to the unconscious bug and starting to tie a makeshift bridle. "Most toads that beat one keep them as something to ride, and they're especially useful in battle."
"So you want me to ride this thing," Ethan asked, looking at the large bug with some apprehension. "And it's just gonna be okay with that and not attack me?"
"It should be."
"I don't really like the sound of 'It should be.'"
"Don't worry; I've seen other toads do this a hundred times. You'll be fine!"
"I'm not a toad!"
"C'mon, trust me on this," Braddock said, tying the final knot. "Besides, walking to the nearest town and back with all the supplies we need takes a long time; this way, we can get places much faster and carry more supplies."
"And what if it decides I shouldn't ride it," the teen asked.
"I guess we're about to find out," the toad said as the large bug opened its large red eyes.
The two soldiers took a few steps back as the rhino beetle slowly got to its feet, a low growling sound coming from its mouth. Clicking its pincers, it looked around with an almost dazed expression, and stopped when it spotted Ethan.
"Stay still," Braddock hissed at him. "No sudden movements, and look strong."
"I'm gonna move if it charges me," the human hissed back.
"It's not gonna-"
The beetle suddenly charged forward, and Ethan yelped, turning to run away. However, he tripped over a tree root, falling to the ground. Before he could sit up, the beetle stood right over him, its pincers inches away from his face.
Shit shit shit shit shit, he thought, seeing his panicked reflection in the creature's eyes. In the corner of his eye, he could see Braddock standing as still as a statue, her sword drawn as he prepared to attack.
"Braddock," the teen said in a low voice, grabbing his dagger. "If I survive this, remind me to demote you!"
"Everything's gonna be fine," the toad assured him. "Just stay calm and don't make any sudden movements."
"That didn't help me before!"
The rhino beetle clicked its pincers a few times, its breath blowing the human's hair back. Those pincers looked like they could cut through a rock, and Ethan gulped as he realized how much softer his skin was compared to stone. Just when he thought he was a goner, a pink tongue came out of the bug's mouth and licked his face.
"Eww…" The bug licked him again, making a low humming noise. At first, Ethan thought that the creature was seeing how he tasted, but he quickly realized that this was not the case. Cautiously, he reached up and pet the beetle's horn. It hummed louder, ducking its head a little so he could pet it better.
"Oh my gosh, he likes you," Braddock said in a loud whisper, looking relieved as the teen continued to pet the bug, slowly standing up as a smile came to his face. Eventually, the beetle rolled onto its side, wriggling its legs as he scratched its underbelly.
"Okay, this is pretty cool," Ethan said, laughing a little "I think I'll call you… Rocky. Rocky Balboa." It was a fitting name, since the rhino beetle was as tough as a rock, and kind of looked like one. Plus, the human thought he looked a bit like an underdog.
"I knew he wasn't gonna hurt you," the toad solider said, walking over to him.
"Though I would have preferred not leaving it to chance," the teen said, frowning at her. "Next time, I'd rather not have you gamble my life for a ride."
The toad looked hurt by the teen's comment. "I wasn't trying to-"
"However, since he seems to like me, I say we use Rocky to our advantage." Ethan, still petting the beetle, climbed onto its back, picking up the vine Braddock had tied to it. "So I guess it's like riding a horse?"
"I… I don't know what a horse is," Braddock said, still looking hurt as she pet Rocky. "Basically, you pull the vine in the direction you want to steer it, pull back if you want him to stop."
"How do I get him to go?"
"Lightly nudge his side with your foot."
"Nudge the side," the human muttered as the toad climbed onto the beetle behind him. "Okay, Rocky. Let's go."
He nudged the rhino beetle, and it scurried forward, heading towards a tree. Yelping, Ethan quickly pulled the vine to the right, steering them towards a nearby path. The bug was not moving very fast, but they were making a good pace as they made their way down the path.
"There's gonna be a town about seven miles up this road," Braddock said. "Just keep going this way."
"Okay."
The two of them lapsed into silence for a few minutes, focused on the road ahead. Now that Ethan knew he was safe, he had calmed down somewhat, and his earlier annoyance had disappeared. He was starting to feel bad for having snapped at Braddock, accusing her of putting his life in danger. So, he awkwardly cleared his throat.
"You seem like you know a lot about riding a rhino beetle," he said.
"Yeah," the toad replied, her voice sounding more subdued than usual. "I grew up on a bug ranch; I've ridden just about every kind of bug out there, and… I knew that he wasn't gonna hurt you." She sighed. "Still, I shouldn't have assumed that you would be okay. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," the human replied. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you like that, and I should've trusted you; I mean, you haven't done anything that would get me killed yet. And saying I would demote you… I mean, you, Percy and I are the only soldiers left in the army."
"You're still the Lieutenant," Braddock reminded him.
"I don't feel like it. You two are my friends, and it's awkward, thinking of you two as my subordinates. Plus, there's not much to do besides getting supplies and training."
"At least Percy and I are getting better at fighting. I mean, back when there were two hundred other soldiers, we weren't exactly the best fighters. Now that it's just us, we've been able to focus more on getting stronger!"
Ethan smiled. "You two have gotten better. And it's cool that you grew up on a ranch."
"Yeah," the toad soldier agreed, smiling as well. However, her expression then sobered. "Too bad Captain Grime hasn't gotten any better."
The teen's smile faded as well, his hands tightening on the makeshift reins.
"That's his problem," he said. "If he doesn't want to train, who are we to make him?"
"Well… Shouldn't we try a little harder," she asked. "I mean, seeing him like this is so… It doesn't seem right. He's gone from one of the toughest toad I knew to-"
"A lazy sack of shit." Ethan shook his head. "You saw what happened when I tried to help him. He doesn't want to listen, and he's still stronger and smarter than me."
"I believe you can get through to him," Braddock stated.
"Because of what happened a few nights ago?"
The toad's face flushed with embarrassment. "N-No. Though, if I may ask, what did Percy say to you? Or what did you say to him?"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"... Okay."
They continued in silence for the next few miles, stopping just before leaving the swamp so Braddock could go on ahead to get supplies. Ethan would draw too much attention with his non-Amphibianess, so he stayed behind, waiting in the trees for a good half hour before she returned.
"This ought to last us a week," Braddock stated as he climbed back onto Rocky, who was now laden with various packages and bags of food and other supplies. "Though we should probably start looking at going to other towns; we keep going to this one any longer, people will think we're nearby, and if someone comes looking for Captain Grime-"
"They might mention the toad that comes into town every now and then, gets enough supplies for four people, and then leaves," Ethan finished. "You're right; let's get these back to the cottage, and we'll come up with a plan from there."
They started back up the path, the rhino beetle moving at a good pace, considering the extra load it now carried. Braddock explained that these beetles were incredibly strong, and could lift up to four times their body weight. And their shells were tough, impervious to most weapons and attacks, Not wanting to talk about Grime, Ethan steered the subject along to plants and gardening, and the toad was happy to oblige.
"And I also had a whole garden just for flowers," the soldier was saying about twenty minutes later. "Maybe I'll plant some around the cottage. Just to spruce it up, you know? It still looks as dingy as when we first found-"
"Shh," Ethan suddenly hissed, pulling back on the reigns and bringing Rocky to a stop.
"What's wr-"
The toad shut her mouth as the teen held up a hand, looking around them with a suspicious glance. The swamp was quiet, save for the distant sounds of bugs buzzing around, and a low breeze blew through the trees. However, the human reached for his sword, sensing something was wrong.
"When I say so," he whispered to her, sliding off the beetle, "take Rocky out of here as fast as you can."
"What?! I'm not gonna leave you here," Braddock whispered. "You're my friend-"
"And like you said, I'm still the First Lieutenant to Captain Grime," he retorted, drawing his sword. "So when I tell you to run, I'm ordering you to-"
An arrow shot out of the trees, and Ethan swung his sword around, blocking it with his blade before it could hit him.
"GO, NOW!" He slapped the rhino beetle's back, and it immediately scuttled up the road as more arrows rained down from the trees above. Yelping, Braddock took her shield, holding it over her head as she grabbed the reins.
Ethan, meanwhile, spun around in time to see a toad running out of the trees, an axe in hand. He dodged their blow, kicking them in the side and sending them flying. A rope wrapped itself around his free arm, pulling him back towards a set of bushes, but he quickly cut himself free. He brought up his sword in time to block the attack of another toad, their swords clanging for a few moments before he disarmed her.
Bandits, the teen thought as more toads came from the trees, wearing armor and dirty clothes as they brandished weapons at him. To his left, he could see Rocky and Braddock racing down the road, soon disappearing from view. Hopefully, they would be able to escape and get back to Grime and Percy.
"GET HIM," someone yelled, and a new group of toads ran towards him, weapons held high.
Running forward, the human ducked as a club sailed over his head, then jumping up, he slammed the hilt of his sword into the nearest bandit. Spinning around, he blocked, dodged, and parried his way through the group of amphibians, taking them down one by one. Throughout all of this, an arrow occasionally flew down from above, but he was able to dodge the projectiles or knock them aside.
Finally, the group of toads were defeated, all of them laying in the dirt as they nursed their sore wounds. Ethan straightened up, panting and looking around for any sign of more attackers, but all seemed clear.
Or not, he thought, whirling around as a familiar toad ran out from behind a tree, body-slamming him to the ground.
"Mire," the teen gasped, rolling out of the way as the armored toad punched the ground where his head had been seconds before. The former soldier moaned in reply, running forward as he tried to tackle the human again.
Wait a minute, Ethan thought, looking at the other toads as he kept his distance from an attacking Mire. Yes… though it had been a while, and most of the toads looked the same, he recognized some of them as the same toads that had abandoned Grime after the fall of Toad Tower a little over a month ago.
And if Mire's here, then that means-
"HYAH!"
The teen ducked as Fens dropped down from a tree, nearly clubbing him over the head. He managed to roll out of the way, jumping back up as he now faced the two toads, all three of them panting heavily.
"You," the human said, glaring at the two toads.
"Ya better believe it," a third voice said from right behind him, and Ethan whirled around, the last thing he saw was a red fist coming right for his face.
[][][]
Braddock whipped the reins, causing Rocky to speed up, though the beetle was starting to tire. Risking a quick look behind her, she saw no approaching bandits or flying arrows, and figured she had left them far behind. Still, she did not rest or lower her shield until she had taken the beetle a few more miles away, finally stopping by a small pond.
I recognized some of them, she thought as the rhino beetle collapsed to the ground, both of them breathing heavily. Those bandits… they were toads from Toad Tower!
"But why were they there," she wondered aloud. "Are they bandits now or something?" It looked like it, seeing that she had heard a few yells from them to take all the valuables. It appeared that, after they had left Captain Grime, they had decided that a life of crime was the way to go.
"Ethan!" The toad slid off the beetle's back, looking back in the direction she had come. There had to have been at least twenty toads that had attacked them, and even though the human was a skilled fighter, there was no way he could win on his own. She had to go help him.
"Stay here, okay," she told Rocky, who had crawled over to the pond to get some water as she raced back down the road, sword and shield in her hands.
After going a few miles, Braddock heard voices, and jumped into a nearby bush just as a group came into view. Peering through the bushes, she could see a large group of toads walking up the road, most of them sporting cuts and bruises as they glared at a single figure that Mire was carrying over his shoulder.
Ethan.
Apparently, the teen had lost the fight, seeing that he was unconscious, tied up and gagged as the toad carried him along. Braddock recognized other toads, all of them looking [and smelling] like they had been living in the swamps for a while. She also noticed who was leading the pack, walking a few feet in front of Mire.
"You know," Bog was saying to an unconscious Ethan, "I never really showed it, but I hated that you got that second-in-command promotion over me. Especially since you're a whiny creature from another world, and I was one of the top soldiers in Grime's army!" He chuckled. "Well, what a stroke of luck you happened to wander by; now we can finally see what your kind tastes like!"
Braddock quickly covered her mouth before she could gasp out loud, watching as a few other toads [Fens and Mire being two of them] laughed and cheered along with Bog as they walked off the main road, disappearing into the trees.
They're gonna eat him, she thought, a horror-struck look on her face. Granted, when she had first heard that a mysterious creature had been brought to the Tower, she had been a little curious as to how it would taste. But now, after knowing Ethan for so many months, she would never dream of eating him. Apparently, the same could not be said for her former soldiers.
I gotta rescue him! But how?
Obviously, she would need help; Percy and Rocky would be perfect, and, if she could convince him, Captain Grime too. Now, however, she needed to figure out where the soldiers-turned-bandits were hiding. Making sure the coast was clear, Braddock climbed out of the bush, stealthily following their tracks from a safe distance. Right now, it was mid-afternoon, meaning she only had a few hours to find the bandits' hiding spot, come up with a plan, get the others, and rescue Ethan before he was turned into toad food.
All she could do now was hope that she could pull it off without making a mistake.
A bit of a cliff-hanger and high stakes?! Gosh, I love being a writer! Obviously, Braddock's got to come up with a plan to rescue Ethan from Bog and the others, but will Grime step up and help when he learns Ethan's been captured? Only time will tell! Also, I decided to add Rocky to the cast, since I figured it would be helpful for them to have a mode of transportation, as well as a pet of some sort! And for those eagle-eyed readers, we've seen a rhino beetle in Amphibia before! Do you remember when?
Also, I came up with an idea for another Amphibia story, also featuring a male protagonist, and I've been tossing the idea around in my head. I've written some of a first chapter, but I have no idea if I'll ever publish it or not. Would anyone be interested if I did?
Feel free to follow and/or favorite if you haven't already, and don't be scared to leave a review with your thoughts on the story! I hope you all have a great day, and that you all had a Happy Easter!
-aggiefrogger
NOTE: I do NOT own Rocky or Rocky Balboa at all.