Chapter 12: Tunnels

Location: The Deadlands, en route to Anvil Gate, on the planet Sera Timeline: 16 A.E.

After that whole ordeal with the bombing rounds from that damn Locust Barge, we continued forward towards our goal. It turns out, we need to get to a tower in order to get a Locust Barge.

Dom began as he pointed out to the tower, "Looks like we need to scale that tower."

Marcus replied, "You read my mind."

Then Marcus turned to Baird and asked, "Baird, you sure you can control that overgrown bladder when we grab it?"

Cole snickered and commented, "Yeah, twinkle toes 'cause you know bladder control ain't your strong suit."

As Ruby started to keep herself from laughing and me giving out a sigh, Baird retorted towards Cole, "Once! It happened once, okay?"

Then Baird turned back to Marcus and said, "Anyway, I grabbed the nav system from that wrecked barge. One direct course to Anvil Gate, programmed and ready!"

Marcus replied, "Hmm, nice job."

Then we started to continue onward and Marcus said, "Okay. Let's find a way to that tower."

Then as we continued, more grubs showed up.

Baird said, "And cue the reinforcements..."

I groaned and replied, "We know, Baird!"

After quickly dispatching them, Dom suggested as he pointed, "Looks like we're gonna have to go back into the trenches. Unless anyone prefers a suicide run across open ground."

Baird replies, "I vote we sneak around and avoid getting shot in the ass for a change."

Cole replies, "Oh, I second that!"

Marcus replied, "Carried. Unanimously."

I shouted, "I'm in!"

Ruby shouted, "Same here!"

Ralphie beeped in agreement and we started to approach the gate and I already went over and opened it up for them. Then as we went on through, we saw a Ticker in a cage.

Cole said, "Hey, a pet shop! Hey, Baird, look, that one's cute."

Baird replied, "Yeah, it can do tricks, too, like blowing up in your face."

Ruby replied, "Well, if you do look at them, they do look cute, in a disgusting way."

I chuckled and replied, "Heh, just like Mole Rats."

Then we heard a Locust Savage Drone shouting, "GROUND WALKERS!" as it dropped an ammo crate and fired at us.

Then a Digger Locust came in and yelled, "DIG!" and started to attack us.

Dom shouted, "Shit! We're gonna have every grub in the place on our backs!"

After we killed the Savage Drone and the Digger, we continued onward through the tunnels until we saw the most disturbing thing.

The Locust were attaching explosive tanks onto some Tickers.

Dom stated, "So this is how they do it. It's a Ticker assembly line!"

Baird added, "And now it's a free supply of ordnance! Thank you, grubs!"

As the Locust started to notice us, Marcus said, "Help yourselves-might as well use 'em!"

We then charge in, fighting off the Locust as we tried to make our way through the tunnels.

XXXXXX

After we fought against the Locust AND a small Corpser, we continued onward through the tunnels.

Dom said, "Ugh, I hate Corpsers. It's all the legs. Freak me out!"

Ruby responded, "I hate them, too... kinda."

Then Baird began, "Well, you see, that's 'cause humans are hardwired to things that scuttle, and-"

Ruby gave a harsh glare at Baird, who flinched a little.

Baird finally said, "Okay, I'll shut up now."

Ruby said, "Thank you."

Then I heard Baird muttering, "Jeez, women are scary."

I gave a slight chuckle as we continued and found a ladder. Then Marcus said, "Let's see where this goes."

Then as we climbed a ladder and we found ourselves in a...oh God, no!

It was a large chamber filled with unhatched eggs scattered throughout the area.

Baird then asked out, "Hey, Dom. Do eggs... freak you out, too?"

Then one of them started to hatch and a Corpser Hatchling popped out.

Cole began, "Ah, so that's where Corpsers come from."

Baird began, "Well, you see, when a mommy Corpser and a daddy Corpser love each other very much-"

I warned him, "Don't finish that sentence, Baird!"

Ruby was confused and asked, "Wh-What? What happens?"

"Until you're a little older, Ruby." I said.

As Ruby pouts, we were starting to get closer to the Corpser hatchling.

Cole then said, "Whoa, stay back, Rubes. It will think the first thing it sees is his mother."

Ruby became wide-eyed and started to move away from the Corpser hatchling and Marcus began, "Why don't you guys shut the fuck up before we wake its mother?"

I replied in a whisper, "Yeah, good idea."

But then the Corpser hatchling noticed us and started to come up on us, but mostly to Ruby.

She started to panic, "No, no, no, stay away, stay away!"

Cole then began as he laugh, "Uh oh, it looks like Ruby became the mother."

Ruby shouted, "Not funny!"

But then Ruby tripped over a rock and fell over to the ground. Then the Corpser hatchling scuttled to her and looked at her very confusingly.

Ruby started to stutter, "Ugh, h-hi, baby C-Corpser, uh..."

Then the Corpser hatchling began to... cuddle up with Ruby?!

I began, "Uh, I think it does sees you as it's mother, Ruby."

Then Marcus began sarcastically, "Oh, great!"

Baird replied, "Huh, that's something, I guess."

Then Ruby picked up the Corpser hatching, still wary of the dangers of it, then said, "You know, it looks kinda cute, if you look at it in a certain way."

Dom responded, "Yeah, you're right, Ruby. Too bad that these things become monsters when they grow up, and I'm still creeped out from them."

But then a large roar came out from the tunnel above the exit and Marcus yelled, "Ah, shit. We woke mom!"

Then the other eggs started to hatch and Dom yelled, "And she woke the family! Those damn eggs are hatching!"

Then the mother came, and goddamn, its huge.

Marcus yelled, "Must be feeding time! Here's mom!"

I noticed that Ruby was shocked and then looks at the Corpser hatchling, then back at the full grown Corpser.

She was pretty much in shock from this and of course, she still had her backpack this whole time and she puts the Corpser hatchling into there and it curls up as it started to sleep.

I then thought, 'Great, just great. Gonna have to kill these things now. This is going to be a long day, indeed.'

To be Continued...

(Note: Comment me on what you think on Ruby getting a Corpser hatchling as a...pet(?) now. If you don't like it, I can always rewrite it, but if you do, you get to decide what its name would be. Just comment either the name, if you like it, or if you don't like it, just say whatever you want to say in the comments below. But in any case, I hope you enjoy!)