Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.

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You're starting the next chapter this soon? It's past midnight.

...

Do I have to get everyone else in here? Do you need help?

No, I just need to move this stupid story past this fucking bug.

Michael, calm down.

I am calm. I just don't want the last piece of writing everyone sees for the next who knows how long being of that sick fuck getting the better of me.

We're putting this above the chapter title, Michael.

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Observe

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...I've got a pounding headache. I can't massage my temples because my arms are chained up. I ache everywhere. I feel disgusting.

Awareness is returning, slowly. I'm on my side. The cage is not moving. At the destination, or a stop along the road? Shouldn't open my eyes, play unconscious a while longer, might overhear something.

Ugh, being unconscious as often as I have been recently has got to be bad for my health.

Behind me, a growl of frustration, a wordless snarl, then a crash, like a fist hitting metal.

"Boss? Is everything-"

"Shut up!"

Okay, I'm facing away from them. I can risk a peek. I open my eyes ever so slightly. Vision's blurry, but it's coming into focus.

Yup, not at Mount Pillar yet. I'd have to be out for an unreasonable amount of time anyway. Ugh, focusing is hard, I wish I could shake the cobwebs out.

The other cage is across from me with its Human cargo. The people in there are huddled together. A few look like they've been crying. Some keep glancing at me, looking concerned or confused.

"Boss-"

"I keep seeing that fucking smug grin!" Another crash of metal, and the cage I'm in shakes on its wheels. "Two weeks in, he falls right into my grasp, and he fucking grins at me!"

Good, I've ruined this little triumph of his. In a perfect world I would never have to deal with Elco, but spoiling his fun is a close second. Or, no, not really. There's a lot that I'd rather go through than that bug having his way with me.

One of the captive Humans, an older man with graying hair, glances back at me. His lips move, and the Humans near him turn to look as well. Guess they can tell I'm awake.

"Boss!"

"What?!"

"Not even the ancestors know what has you in such a state! If it troubles you so, just get rid of it! You have plenty of other choices-"

"It must be him," Elco hisses. "If it's not him, then it doesn't matter."

"And now you are beginning to sound like one of those Humans. Where are you going, we are not done here!"

Elco and his underling's voices grow more distant behind me. The Humans look past me with wide eyes, their gazes occasionally flicking toward me.

Do I risk it? Now or never. As loudly as I dare, I breathe, "How many bugs are still nearby?"

The Human who had first noticed that I was awake glances around. He hisses, "They all set up camp further down the road, except for this one driving our cart. I don't think they wanted to be around the big blue guy."

Good, space to breathe, space to plan. "What's your name?"

The Human raises his eyebrows a little. "Ivan. I know yours. The big guy, um, shouted a lot."

I flash a grin. "Nice to meet you, Ivan. You're now the leader of everyone in that cage. We're going to get all of you to safety."

"Um."

Ivan looks a little overwhelmed. The rest of the Humans at staring slack-jawed at me.

I interrupt his moment of bewilderment. "Ivan, listen. You're all going to make it, okay? Are you ready to work with me?"

"I... Yes." Ivan nods. "Yes, I am."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Good, good. How many people are in there with you? Anyone hurt?"

"Forty-two. Five of them are children. None of us have been touched since we were put in here, it was only you."

Alright, good news so far. "Your driver, what does he look like? What's he got on him, or within easy reach?"

Ivan turns and starts muttering to the people around him. The Humans rustle around a bit, and one of them slowly stands up and creeps to the front of their cage, out of my view. After a couple nerve-wracking minutes, she shuffles back into view.

"Brown shell. Two arms, four legs. Bit of a beak to his mouth. Red vest, keys on a rope around his neck. On the seat next to him is a- I think it's a weapon. Copper, kind of shaped like an oversized old-fashioned key without teeth. A bunch of lights in the shape of a circle and a glass ball filled with... water?"

I can't use that description to pin down who exactly the driver is, but he's got a liquilizer. "Would someone be able to get the weapon?"

The woman grimaces. "I think maybe one of the kids might. The leg-cuffs don't tighten, so maybe-"

I shake my head. "Out of the question. Is the weapon secured to anything?"

"No."

There we go. "What about my cage? Anything in the driver's compartment?"

Ivan speaks up again. "Just a box the big guy keeps opening and closing. There's this brown crystal ring inside, the big guy looking at you while turning it over in his hands."

Terrifying, but good to know. "Okay then. Now for the beetles."

"I didn't get a good look-"

I shake my head again. "No, you're fine. The beetles have voice commands in addition to the reins. The command to sprint is 'adey', and the command to stop is 'rubo'."

Ivan and the closest Humans stare at me incredulously. "Huh?"

I grit my teeth. "And the command needs to be shouted, top of your lungs. Practice with me. 'Adey' means go, 'rubo' means stop."

Ivan nods. "I've got it."

"To run, you say?"

"Adey."

"To stop?"

"Rubo."

"Good." I take a deep breath and let it out. "Are we still clear?"

Another glance around. "I think we're good."

I grit my teeth. "The weapon fires water from the barrel. Squeezing the handle is the trigger. The lights show the temperature of the water when it's fired, and you press on a light to turn it off and decrease the temperature. Press again to reverse it. The glass ball shows how much water it has left in it."

"Water?"

"At the lowest temperature, it's basically as powerful as a normal gun." No need to get into the complicated stuff a liquilizer is capable of right now.

"What else do you need?"

"That's everything." Another deep breath, calm my nerves. "Here's the plan. The big guy, his name's Elco. When Elco starts coming back from his tantrum, everything needs to happen very fast."

Ivan nods slowly. "Why wait for when he's coming back?"

"I'll get to that. First, someone needs to sit up front and grab that weapon as soon as it gets in reach."

The woman nods. "I've got that."

"Alright. When you have that, slap those lights, turn them all off, then shoot the driver."

She cringes. "O-okay..."

I smile as warmly as I can manage. "I understand, it sucks, but it's you or him."

"A-alright then. Then what?"

I grit my teeth and continue my explanation.

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Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. Time is stretching on and on. Have I misjudged? No, Elco is definitely going to come back.

I've rolled over to face the other way. Ivan is joining me looking out where Elco had gone initially, while the others are watching everywhere else. The silence is only broken by the occasional snore from the Danian in the driver's seat.

There. There he is. He looks calmer. And covered in yellow fluid. The Danian that had followed him... no, don't dwell on that. It's almost time.

I glance back at Ivan. He and the people closest to him look back, anxiety in their eyes. I nod, and Ivan nods back.

I turn back to face Elco as he approaches. I hold up three fingers behind my back. I hold up two. One.

At the top of our lungs, Ivan and I bellow, "Adey!"

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Actually, you didn't react this way after the chapter with Chaor.

Because Chaor didn't know any better. Elco does know better, and he never learns, never changes. It's always the exact same thing. Out of everyone in Perim who's against me, I'm sick of him the most.

More than...?

Yeah.

I see.

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Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.