Chapter 3

No. Of course not. He wasn't dead. He… couldn't be, could he? I mean, I was still trying to process all of this. In the last half an hour, I'd been sucked into a videogame, turned into a slig, and now I'd killed Abe! I must have been dreaming. It was the only logical exlanation. I'd fallen asleep, and the game had gotten to my head.

No sooner than I'd looked back up, I was surrounded by a group of other sligs, along with a glukkon. I instantly recognised him of course. It was none other than General Dripik himself.

"Well, slig. You'll be getting a…a…a … promotion, that's it. You'll be getting a promotion for this." Said Dripik, standing tall and proud among the short sligs.

"P-promotion?" I asked, shakily. "W-what for?"

"My Odd, are you blind or som'thin?" replied one of the other sligs. "Look who you got in your arms their. We've been tryin' to catch that Abe guy since Odd knows when!"

I could still hardly believe the fact that I'd just slaughtered an innocent mudokon, and what's more, one that would have gone on to save hundreds of others across Mudos. And here he was, in my arms. I dropped his limp, lifeless body and ran. Ran as fast as my hydraulic legs could carry me.

"Oh. Must be a… last minute nerves. Or something." Dripik's voice trailed off as I distanced myself from the group down the long corridor. "Okay, we'll just have to a… promote you when you a… get back… yeah."

There was only one thing I could do. Run. Until I could think of something else, I would run. There had to be some way to save Abe. There had to be. But I couldn't let the other sligs know. I'd die if they knew.

After a long while of running, I stopped. I had reached the train station. There was a train to the Feeco Depot soon. Since I was an employee now, I could get on for free, as far as I was aware. Soon enough, the train pulled in, and I clambered on board. Whatever was going on, I was sure that I would understand it later.

Upon arrival at the Feeco Depot, I noticed that there were sligs everywhere. As soon as I stepped off of the train, a large bunch of them began to crowd around me.

"It's him, it's him!"

"He caught Abe!"

"They should give HIM an executive pin!"

"That guy is an absolute legend!"

"Give him a medal!"

I could barely hear myself think. I was being swarmed by hundreds of other sligs, and there seemed to be no end to them.

"Hey. Hey! Make some room, coming through." I knew who that was instantly. "Hey, move it, MOVE IT! Hi, Mr… whatever. I'm Crig the Slig. So, everybody's wondering, how does it feel to have caught the Mudokon terrorist Abe?" When he put it like that, I felt quite proud of myself. But no, "Abe wasn't a terrorist." Wait, I didn't mean to say that. No!

"I beg your pardon?" said the shocked journalist before me. I had to think of something, and quick.

"I mean… he… he wasn't just a terrorist. He was more than that. He was… an arsonist, and a… criminal mastermind." I braced myself for the reply.

"Well…" began Crig slowly, "I – I couldn't have put that better myself." A slow applause began at the rear of the crowd, which soon spread. Soon, the entire crowd was applauding, and chanting, "Abe's dead, Abe's dead, Abe's dead, Abe's dead!" As they chanted, Crig lifted my arm with his own and the crowd cheered enthusiastically. In a way, I was quite pleased. After all, I had caught what they saw as a criminal.