Blade's POV
Hornets were so efficient that the entire underground that once served as a home and refuge was completely gutted out, but the mystery of the escapees was still buzzing. A grand many of them had gotten through down below and had gone to the other side of the river bed somehow… and this mystery termite had cost most of his soldiers to go blind and flightless. They were able to cut them off though, capturing the Princess and a grasshopper to boot. One of which who was close to the scarred one, no doubt, along with a worker ant who was responsible for shooting them all down. His helpers were rounded up and carried by their legs.

They would have won a delicious fledgling but the colony of fleeing ants had taken her deep into the thick grass where they could not reach without being held down by the hardened blades.

The battle was quick and painful for these ants but what goes around, comes around. His Queen's orders were finally fulfilled, excepting one thing. Blade knew Hopper was still alive… and flying away out of cowardice was debunked long before the Island was ever an object. Now that they had the brother… there was no doubt that he wouldn't flee, as he previously thought would happen.

Hopper's Narrative
Flaps and I were evenly matched when it came to flight. I remained focused on following his lead to get me to the precise location of Blade's home base. I placed every single emotion down and had it in my mind to do what I could to make this hive shatter and fall. By any means necessary. I could not think about what happened to the Island but by the sounds of those shrill wings, I had a sinking feeling that nasty work had been done. Naturally, my mind fell upon the Princess and my brother. Much worse, I heard my brother. There was a jolt of fear within me…. "…No…"

Flaps nearly whacked me aside with him with his wing to get me to hide with him underneath a brown leaf. There it was… this hive, perfectly nestled in the heart of a rotting tree trunk. It was easy to miss… no wonder it took forever. It outright enraged me that we flew over it before. The trunk was dead which was reason why they wanted the strong blossom tree for their own… I climbed a little outward to study it, much to Flap's dismay. He nipped at me.

"Don't even try!" I hissed at him, despite that the nip hurt. " I've searched aimlessly for this trash place for far too long."

"This place is crawling with hornets… You'd be dead in a second."

"No wonder, also… from a reliable source, their Queen supposedly wants my head. And they have Molt. They want me to come barging in."

That nymph always followed his heart and probably done himself in for someone else; Summer, the Princess and the Queen of Ants ~ or all of the above. My heart began to ache knowing that they captured him. For a moment I thought my promises meant nothing. I've lost so much family, he was the only one left. He forgave me, so it was my duty to return that favor. We were able to witness poor Molt be herded to the hive, with constant sting threats from his captors. There were a few workers held in their claws, one being the light purple form of the Princess and another was Flik. Molt's own disputes came off to me as impressive. It was a side I seldom saw… He dodged and kicked, his face tensed up into a snarl as he fought to get away.

"We're going to have to teach this one some respect." Blade dared to speak as he stood in front of him.

"None o' ya are getting any from me!" Molt passionately barked. "I'll keep fighting!"

"Such a spirited locust, how admirable. If only your brother fought like you…. Alas, he just flew away."

"Ya lying! He would never!"

"Denial. You poor little bug." Blade chuckled.

I heard every word, touched by my little brother's words. He did have spunk all along, the very same I had. Molt was right, I never would fly away. These monsters were going to learn that as a fact. Flaps' feathers rose on his head in anger of seeing his former nurse getting abused.

"He's going to die for this."

"He sure will." I replied, almost growling. "I have a plan. It's going to take a lot of brawn."

"You name it. I'll do it, Captain."

"There's a snake nearby. I'll go and lead it here. You, go speak to that finch."

"You got it, Hopper."

"Also, I need to get us some web. A whole lot of web…"

Atta's POV
Her thoughts began to flow back to her. Her head ached. She had been kicked. Her ankle hurt and she found herself being brought into the dark place, right up until she was thrown, along with Flik and a few others. With her hazy vision, she saw Molt get herded in and watched him recieve a few hits from his captors. No doubt, he was defending himself quite well, not being as submissive as he was before. He seemed a lot more like his brother, after everything. Flik struggled to his feet, running to the dazed Princess.

"Atta! Princess Atta, please speak to me!" Flik panicked, trying to get her to look at him.

"Flik…? Whe-where are we?"

Flik's blue eyes were overcome with tears. "I'm so sorry, Princess… It wasn't enough, but your mother and sister are safe… They only took the few of us."

Atta finally came to all the way and gasped when she saw the scores of angry hornets surrounding them. Molt did not let himself be dragged although he was chained by a thick strand of cobweb, willful and mad. He saw Atta wake and proceeded to elbow one of the soldiers.

"Molt!" she cried. "Please, stop!" she cried, fearing that they were going to kill him if he fought them.

"Don't hurt him!" Flik angrily yelled before a powerful captain of the guard landed behind them.

Molt hesitated, hearing that shout, worriedly looking at his fellow prisoners. Unfortunately, the soldiers kept pulling him into this unknown tunnel.

"Don't worry, maggot. They're going to take good care of him." Blade smiled, sinisterly.

"You have what you want. You don't need him." Atta shakily spoke.

"I wouldn't say that. He's strong. He … might be put to good use."

"You will not get away with this!" the Princess shot, hoping hard that Hopper was alive and well.

"Can't I? This trunk is no good anymore and it's turning to dust. We just want a new tree and yours will do just perfectly. There's no law stating we cannot. For a Royal, you are certainly idiotic. If it weren't for your grasshoppers, we would have paid a visit much sooner."

"There are plenty of other trees!" Flik countered. "Ever thought about treaties!?

"I care not if things are fair, but we're nothing like you leafsuckers who coexist. Survival of the fittest. If only that Captain of yours knew that as well." Blade flicked an antennae as he turned his back to them. "Bring the inventor." he then ordered.

Atta gasped in horror when Flik was suddenly dragged away from her side. She was shoved away as Flik was thrown off, forced to follow Blade.

Colony's POV
Dr. Flora was a witness to the attack, almost being snagged herself but got to safety along with Summer and the heartbroken Queen. Their Princess had sprung out when their grasshopper ally distracted the attacking soldiers. Atta, Flik and Molt were taken and it happened so fast that hardly any of them could react. All that mattered was that they tried and the Queen and the newborn Princess were both safe. When the swarm's wings seemed to go farther and farther away, the termite who gladly distracted the invaders from finding the aquifer popped out of some loose soil among the gathered crowd. Dr Flora and the Queen were not so happy about her sudden appearance. Neither were any of the colony members.

"You have some nerve, termite." angrily muttered a male.

"Hey, hey, whoa— I just did you a favor, mate!" Spitz spoke, between breaths.

"You're out of luck if you want that tree to eat." Flora spoke, skeptical of the termite.

"I wasn't after your tree, lady… I'm working for someone. He sent me your way. Speaking of what's mine. I found the aquifer first. It just so happens to travel under your little tree house."

"You don't get claims over water, termite. We all share it, regardless of species." Thorny angrily came forth, after reuniting with his fellows. "Now who sent you?"

"A grasshopper, who almost got eaten by a snake near my burrow. The hornets weren't so lucky. He said you guys know him. Hopper, with the bad eye?"

The mentioning of that name made everyone gasp.

"He's still alive!" the Queen tearfully exclaimed. "Where is he?"

"Crazy locust told me to get to you and that he needed to find this hornet hive. He wants to kill their Queen. Apparently for all of you…"

"No, no, it's not only us he's doing it for…" Flora replied, horrified by what she witnessed. "If he ever knew that they took his brother, oh! It was all my fault — I couldn't stop him. They took our Princess along with him…"

"He wanted me to do him a favor…." Spitz continued, not so happy that things were getting emotional again. "Those hornets want him dead. After something—"

"He and his brother lived with hummingbirds. This swarm attacked them and they killed someone they both loved. Hopper has every right to … at least try. He's doing it for other insects, for other colonies. Even birds. If you know exactly where he went, to where that hive is… can you tell us where? They have my daughter…" the Queen who held her tiny baby spoke in a shaken voice.

"…and our inventor. We judged him badly once…" Cornelious lamented.

"I was told to do one job!" Spitz grew impatient. "I hardly knew this grasshopper and now all this? He wanted me to lead you guys away from the danger. Not towards it!" the termite growled.

Dr Flora grew determined. "That grasshopper is our ally. He's a part of this colony now…"

"He is the Captain of my Guard. A title that I gave." the Queen spoke firmly. "He is under my service because I found trust in him. I believe in him to bring our lost back… Listen to me, he's alive. We're going to help him in any way we can."

"I am between a rock and hard place…" Spitz pinched her nose tight.