Mable: Hello there! Long time no see! Sorry this chapter has taken so long, but I started a big project recently and that mixed with the holidays led to a totally defunct schedule. However, I'm hoping with this post I'll be able to get things back into order. Thanks for sticking around! Enjoy!
Within Reach
Chapter 17: One More Schmuck
Things had been quiet since Abe and Daggle left Evenwurst. There were a few exchanged comments which were mostly formalities of which way to go or vague small talk from Abe. Daggle wasn't really responding to it so he stopped trying, instead focusing on the hike back to the blimp. It was slow goings since he couldn't jog with the Slig following at a slower pace. They were almost there when the silence was broken yet again.
"So, what's the actual goal here, now that ya got me walking to my doom?" Daggle asked. He kept his gaze down and was dragging himself almost in defeat. "Can ya at least tell me where we're goin'? Not the blimp, after that."
Abe thought about it and decided that Daggle had come far enough along to be trusted. Or at least, he wasn't in a case where he could call in and report anything, so he decided to give him that much.
"We're going to Vykker's Labs," he said over his shoulder. The Slig stopped in his tracks behind him for a few seconds before hastily catching up with him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. You're doing what now?" Daggle asked in disbelief. "Sorry to say, Stitches, but if you think you're gonna take down the Vykker's Conglomerate on yer own, you got another thing comin'."
"What?" Abe looked back in surprise. "No, I'm just trying to find my mother… Our mother." His eyes lowered sadly before he stumbled over a rock and had to snap his head forward to catch himself. He continued walking though, his eyes fixed ahead on the trees in the distance. "That's the plan. Get into Vykker's Labs and get our mother."
"Yer mother? Ya mean Queen Sam?"
Abe's eyes popped open, and he spun around. Daggle barely stopped before walking into him. "Wh-What? You know her name? How did you know that?" he asked in surprise.
"…What, ya kidding?" Daggle asked with a cocked head. Abe's unchanging look showed that he wasn't. "She's Queen Sam! The Mud Queen- or the only one I've heard of- everyone knows her!"
"I didn't! None of us did. We thought- We've been told our whole lives that we had mothers who gave us up. We didn't know she was the same mother. We didn't even know she was enslaved like us!" Abe exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah, that's gotta suck. Our Mama's a lot more upfront 'bout it. Ya hatch, ya spend some time in one of those helmet things, then yer shoved off to the barracks and hope to Odd you don't get shipped back," Daggle said nonchalantly. If anything, Abe looked even more startled. His mouth briefly dropping open before he got it closed again. "…What? What's that look?"
"Sligs… Sligs got queens too? You've all got the same mother?" Abe asked quietly.
"Well, yeah! What? Ya thought ya'll were special?" Daggle asked smugly. It actually made him feel a little good to be a would-be expert on something. He seldom got that luxury around other Sligs, they were usually up to speed. He put a hand on his hip and kept on. "Her name's Skillya and don't even think about goin' after her. She's got the best security force in all'a Mudos watchin' her."
"This is just so weird…" Abe rubbed a hand over his head and through his feathers. Staring towards the ground with a look like he was reeling from it all. Then he looked up with a look of realization, "Do Glukkons have one too?!"
"…Uh oh," Daggle mumbled. "What the hell kinda Mandoro's box didja open here?" He still decided to answer regardless, too eager to pump out information for attention. "You better believe it. Her name's Lady Margaret and she's top of the cartel. Sam fills the labor force, Skillya supplies the security, and Margaret's running the whole thing," he explained.
The Glukkons had a queen too. Abe didn't know why it surprised him so much, but it did. He imagined her being hideous to behold, and excessively cruel.
"…Ya know, for the guy who supposedly took down a bunch of Gluks, you sure don't got a good grasp on the world, do ya? Maybe you do need me," the Slig said. Less smugly and more thoughtfully, and not giving him time to respond before getting his own realization. "Wait, hold up. So… So, you're thinking you're just gonna go into Vykker's labs and getcha ma out?"
Abe's silence was his answer. Daggle was polite enough to give him that before asking, "…You don't go any idea how big she is, do ya?"
"I've got a little bit of an idea," the Mudokon unsurely answered. Then mumbled on a, "Her bed looked pretty big…"
"She's huge!" Daggle exclaimed. "And forget size, she's the main supplier of eggs to all of Mudos! You think they'll let ya just walk out with her?"
"…No," Abe said with a sigh. He straightened up his pack and tried to feign a determined tone. "But I'm gonna do it."
"…This is how people wind up dead, ain't it?" Daggle asked flatly. "You better gotta army waiting back at this blimp."
"Nope. It's just gonna be you, me, Alf, Toby, and Vesper."
Daggle actually stopped again, staring at Abe's back as he continued to walk off. Then he continued with a concise, "…So, I'm taking it that ya haven't seen Vykker's Labs either." Then, when Abe didn't respond, "Oh boy. We are in for it."
Suddenly his already risky plan was starting to sound a lot worse. Not that the others hadn't previously warned him, but then Abe had been so desperate to go that he wasn't thinking straight. Now he was too far to turn back, and he was noticing a few gaps in his plan that he considered. If Daggle wasn't exaggerating- which considering that bed he didn't seem to be- then it wasn't going to be easy to move her.
There had to be a way. His heart ached just thinking about it. He missed her so much and yet he could barely remember her.
What if she didn't even remember him? She must've been laying hundreds of eggs a day, so how would she remember him? Or worse, what if she just remembered him as the loud baby that had to be forcibly silenced, so he wasn't killed?
Abe was forcibly yanked out of his worries as he noticed the familiar thicket he passed through earlier. The blimps were going to be right on the other side of the foliage. He was snapped out of his dread by a sudden jolt of nervousness and, after pushing aside some bushes to confirm his suspicions, turned back to the Slig who stopped behind him.
"Here's the plan. I'm going to go in and break it to 'em gently. You wait out here, okay?"
"Aww shit. They ain't gonna be happy to see me, are they?" Daggle asked. He was answered with an almost too obviously anxious smile and smacked a hand over his mask. "Oiy… Eh, okay. Whatever ya say. Just don't let 'em come out here and start smacking me around or I'm gonna start firing. Got it? Got it."
Abe could only hope that Alf would also get it as he nodded stiffly. He beckoned with his hand and made his way through the thicket before continuing the last leg towards the blimp. Weirdly enough, nobody ran out of the blimp to meet him this time. He frowned a little worriedly and went to step up inside.
Only to find Vesper standing right inside the open doorway. He was leaning up against the wall right inside the doorway, leaning on his arm with his claws tapping on the edge of the door. Legs crossed, other hand on his hip with a thumb hooked in his belt, looking very casual and right there. Except that his ears were alert and tilted, and a solemn look on his face.
"Uh, hey!" Abe greeted. He raised a hand in a wave. Vesper was unusually silent, giving him that piercing look like he was about to interrogate him. Just like in that office. Abe leaned back under it. "Sorry I took so long…"
"Cut the act, Abe. Where's the Slig?" Alf chimed in, leaning over and revealing himself standing not far behind Vesper. He strode up beside him with his hands also on his hips. Looking between them, Abe knew there was no point in denying it.
"…He's outside," he said with defeat.
Alf brought his hands to his face with a smack and a groan. Vesper didn't react beyond sending a sliding glance out the door. It returned to Abe right as Alf uncovered his face to continue.
"Of all the stupid ideas I've been on board with, this one's gotta be-!... Eh, it's somewhere between storming Vykker's Labs and letting this guy onboard," Alf said, pointing a thumb at Vesper. The Chiromor sent him a side glance. "But don't get me wrong, this is still pretty stupid! The heck were you thinking with this one?!"
"I know. I know it sounds crazy but hear me out-."
"You went alone without telling us and made this decision without warning us," Vesper said, voice slicing through any excuse. Between his icy tone and Alf's bubbling temper, Abe felt like he was between a rock and a hard place.
"I know but turns out it was a good thing I went back-."
"You could've been shot and killed, and we wouldn't have been able to reach you in time to save you. Let alone to know you had been shot at all," Vesper continued, shooting down any defense he was working on. Abe almost winced under the continued frigidness. It was so unlike Vesper's usual welcoming warmth, but he understood where it was coming from.
"I'm sorry," Abe said. No excuse, no leading into anything else, just an apology and a guilty slump of his shoulders. Vesper closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened them, they had softened up a bit. Though remained serious.
"Alright. What happened?" he asked.
Abe then proceeded to explain what went down when he got back to Evenwurst, what Daggle had told him, and how he had acted on the way back. Making sure to emphasize the point that he had been armed the whole time and could've done something but didn't. Vesper didn't seem entirely comfortable with this, his ears sliding back at the mention of a gun, but he stayed quiet and listened. Alf did too, but he seemed to be struggling to hold himself back from commenting.
"If he goes back to Slig Barracks, they're gonna find out that he helped me and kill him. So, he's coming with us… He's not too happy with the plan to storm Vykker's Labs either, but we're all running out of options," Abe said.
"There's one option: don't bring 'em," Alf pointed out. Abe gave him an unenthused look. "Okay, so you've got your mind made up. How's about dropping him off at the village? Just tell the guys not to rough him up. They listen to you!"
"Barely! A lot of those guys have been roughed up by Sligs. If he's there and I'm not, they're gonna slap him around. Or treat him like a pack-Elum. He's coming with us," Abe said with finality. Alf rolled his head back with a sigh.
"Lemme go warn Toby," he muttered and headed off into the cockpit. Vesper watched him go before stepping forward towards the blue skinned Mudokon.
"Abe, you know I'd trust you with my life. I already have a few times," Vesper began. He put an arm around the Mudokon's shoulders and led him aside while lowering his voice. "I just don't know if I trust Sligs to not turn over on us…?"
"But- But you're a union representative. You're supposed to help all people, right? No matter who or what they are?" Abe asked. Vesper seemed caught for a second and the Mudokon pounced. "And you said the Sligs had a union."
"Yes, but I don't represent that union."
"But wouldn't you? If you had a chance to?" Abe asked. The Chiromor gave an unsure noise and rubbed the side of his face.
"It's not that simple. Maybe before all of this, but things are different now. Now I've had them fire upon me and… and I've already had to defend myself." Vesper's voice grew quiet with shame and Abe's face softened with sympathy. Taking a deep breath, Vesper was honest, "I just don't know if I can feel safe with a Slig joining us…"
He was ashamed of himself. He could barely believe the words had passed his lips. While Vesper was not fond of the Sligs in Nolybab, to hold such a distrust for an entire species was against everything he wanted to stand for. Only made worse by the fact that he had killed one, even if in self-defense. He turned his head away, but Abe could see that guilt and shame on his face. He was familiar with that feeling.
"I know how you feel… And you know what? So does he." Vesper looked up and Abe took on his own look of unease. "I know he's afraid of me. I saw it in the way he looks at me, the way he flinched when I got too close, how scared he was when I came back for him. The only reason he's here? It's because he knows if he goes back, they'll find him out and kill him."
Vesper's face now softened up with that sympathy Abe was familiar with. Encouraging it, he reached out to take and squeeze the Chiromor's shoulder like he had done to him earlier.
"I'm gonna keep you safe," he quietly assured. Vesper got a small smile and gave a half-chuckle.
"It's not your job to keep me safe," he reminded. A playful glint in his eyes. "In fact, I recall something about coming along to take the load off your back."
"You are! Don't worry about that," Abe insisted. He reached out and began to smooth down some of the fur on Vesper's head, which had probably puffed up due to stress or during his upset. Vesper's ear twitched and he looked over quickly, but Abe gambled and decided to keep smoothing it down. "Got a little fluffed up," he mumbled.
"That's an understatement," Vesper murmured.
Abe's touch was as warm and gentle as always, sending the same delightful tingles through him that the Mudokon was familiar with. He reached up to catch his hand, encouraging him to keep it there a few moments longer. Abe smiled and rubbed his thumb through his soft fur. Both of them lost in the moment enough that they didn't notice Alf returning to the doorway until he spoke up.
"What the heck am I looking at?"
Abe yanked his head back and Vesper quickly took a step away. Alf looked between them with a flat look, at this point too mentally exhausted to muster up anything more than that. Abe cleared his throat, pointed awkwardly towards the open doorway, and made his way out without another word. Vesper thought he could feel Alf's eyes on the back of his head and thus kept his gaze at the wall. In actuality, Alf was too busy staring at the hand he slapped over his face.
Abe hopped down out of the blimp and into the grass before looking around. He spotted Daggle standing a little further away than he had been earlier and called for him. "Come on! Let's go!"
"You sure? Didn't sound like a buncha friendly shmoes in there," Daggle called back. "Maybe I'll just head back to the factory."
"No, no! It's all good! I told 'em you're coming and they're okay with it, so let's go!"
Daggle gave a dramatic slouch and groaned so loud that it was only drowned out by the sudden sound of the blimp kicking on. A noise that made the Slig jump with a start and hastily rush over to the blue Mudokon.
"If they kill me, I'm blaming you," he grumbled.
"If they kill you, I'll blame me too," Abe agreed. He then climbed back in as Daggle sent daggers at the back of his head. Though that frustration was largely fueled by dread, which increased as he looked up at the blimp.
Abe turned around, seeing his hesitation, and offered him a hand. Daggle gave a dismissive, "I'm coming, I'm coming" sort of wave and started climbing up himself. Until his leg slipped on something greasy and though he saved himself, he then threw pride to the wind and grabbed Abe's hand, letting him do all of the heavy lifting. He half dragged him into the blimp.
"Guys, this is Daggle," Abe introduced. "Be nice."
"What up?" Daggle greeted, deciding as soon as he saw the more aggressive looking Mudokon and an Investor that playing nice was exactly what he had to do. He had sucked up to worse.
Alf and Vesper looked stoic and uncomfortable, but it was unclear if it was from the Slig's presence or the previous incident since they were standing far apart and not looking anywhere near each other.
"My aching back," Alf finally answered. From Daggle's quick look to Abe, he wasn't sure what meant, and Abe's face showed no better understanding. "Here's the deal, buddy boy. You turn on us, you so much as breath a half a word telling on us to anyone, and I'm gonna tie you in a sack, beat you to a pulp, and throw ya out into the jungle to be eaten by Fleeches."
"Alf!" Abe cried in aghast.
"Hey, I didn't say I was gonna do it now, did I?" he asked. He glared down at Daggle. "Just know that I'm watchin' you, so don't go trying to stab us in the back or you're getting it twice over." With that he turned and headed into the cockpit.
"…Oh yeah, I feel real safe now. Much safer than the factory," Daggle grumbled. He looked towards Vesper and almost shirked under his tight look. "Here comes round two…"
"Don't worry about it. Alf's okay. He's just worried, but once you get to know him he's a really great guy," Abe reassured, jumping quickly ahead of Daggle with his hands raised. Then, to keep Vesper in check in a way he hadn't with Alf, he looped an arm around his shoulders. "This is Vesper! He works with the union… or a union… Or, y'know, with us."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Daggle asked blankly.
"The long and short of it is that I represent employees and fight against mistreatment from their employers," Vesper briskly explained. "Vesper Ryce, but please feel free to just call me Vesper."
It was clear from the authority in his voice that he was doing nearly the same thing Alf did. Abe almost called him out on it until he noticed his fur starting to stand on end once more. He could keep as icy and composed as he wanted, but it was clear that he was uncomfortable. He stayed silent and just kept that assuring grip on him.
"Huh. Sounds good to me," Daggle said. "Yeah, I've been part of this organization for five minutes and I already got a co-worker threatening me. I'd like compensation for my emotional distress."
Vesper sent a slow glance at the door before returning it to the Slig. Then casually offered, "You might be able to take him."
"I might be able to take you, so don't go pushin' your luck," Alf said from what turned out to be just inside the door.
"Can somebody shut the door?" Toby piped in from the pilot's seat.
"I got it!" Abe called and quickly moved over to do it. As soon as the heavy door was secure, he and Vesper made their way into the cockpit while Toby continued on with the takeoff procedures.
It took a moment before Abe realized Daggle hadn't followed, not noticing he wasn't there until he was looking to check up on him. He leaned over to look back through the door and realized that the Slig hadn't left the little entry room. Blinking owlishly, the Mudokon started to head back to the doorway, briefly staggering when the blimp took to the air, and held himself stable in the doorway.
"You don't have to stay cooped up back here," he offered. "There's a great view up front. Why don'tcha join us? Unless you're afraid of heights."
"Not unless I'm dangling over a boiling weenie vat," Daggle said with a slight scoff. Though he then shuffled, teetered on his feet almost nervously. "I'm good back here."
"Are you sure?" Abe asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, and I ain't gonna do nothin', so don't go given me that look," Daggle dismissed.
Abe wasn't exactly thrilled with him hiding away back here, but he wasn't going to push him. He wasn't going to shut the door either and left it open as he returned to the cockpit. Toby heard him coming back and spoke up.
"I'm going to need a direction. Maybe you should ask your… guide?" he offered. Abe had totally forgot about updating the map and gave a quick nod before coming around to his other side and kneeling down.
He got out his newer map and laid it out on the floor before carefully removing his pendant from his neck and cupping it in his hands.
"Alright… We're ready," Abe said. His guide stared up at him with a peaceful look. "…We're ready to go to Vykker's Labs. We got the blimp fueled up, we got the supplies, just show us the way." The guide was still silent and unmoving.
Toby was now looking down over the side of the pilot's seat and Abe was starting to get a little worried that this wasn't going to work like he wanted. He brought his cupped hands closer.
"I can't wait anymore. I need to find her. Please, please, I'm not going to screw this up, I just need you to show me the way," he murmured to it sincerely, voice steeped in desperation and budding despair.
That was finally when she reacted. Her mouth shifted a little, almost like she was uncomfortable, but then she shifted her limbs into her 'glowing' position. Abe quickly dangled her over the map and watched with wide eyes as she began to illuminate. Within moments, her light targeted onto a spot towards the upper corner of the map. He reached over and put his finger on the spot, and right afterwards her light faded away. He tapped his finger on the spot.
"That's where it is," Abe said. His voice heavy as he stared at that glowing point. "That's where we're going."
The bee's light faded, and he started to return it to his neck before he was interrupted.
"Hold on, we ain't done yet," Alf spoke up. "Vykker's Labs is always on the move, ain't it? Since they don't stop fer anything? Is that where they are right now, or's that where they're gonna be when we get there?"
"Huh. Let me ask," Abe said. He looked down at her and was about to ask that verbatim, but then realized she wasn't going to be able to answer this question that easily. He took a short cut. "Where's Vykker's Labs right now?"
She began to glow again and, answering all of their questions, pointed to an entirely different location much further down the map.
"Okay, got it." Abe reached around in his bag until he found an old pen he had scrounged up at some time and marked the first location she had given. Then he slipped her back around his neck, stood with the map, and showed it to Toby. "This is where we're gonna meet up with Vykker's Labs."
"It's kinda far away, but ain't nearly as far as Nolybab," Toby remarked. He began to work the controls to turn the blimp in the right direction. They climbed further into the sky as Evenwurst was left behind.
As they settled into a cruising altitude, Abe was feeling peculiar. Normally there was a relief after a big job like this, but not this time, not with the threat of another task looming in the distance. He was feeling sore but wasn't sure if he was going to relax enough to help. Especially since Daggle was now camping out in the passage, taking away their hiding spot. But that was fine! If he was antsy then he couldn't imagine how the Slig felt. This was a huge step for him.
He could handle it.
"We should probably have a plan for when we get there," Vesper offered up. Abe didn't really want to think about all that could go wrong yet.
"Drop me on the docks and circle around," he simply said, trying to pretend that it was a good one. "There should be a radio in here somewhere. I can take it with me and call in when I find something."
"I'm still not entirely on board with how risky that plan is, but it could work… if Vykker's Labs doesn't get curious about a random blimp taking up their airspace. They might try driving us off," Vesper pointed out. Abe hadn't really thought about that. He was too used to the blimp typically going unnoticed, but that was a good point. "We might need a cover story. For if they reach out to us," he suggested.
"Sounds good," Abe agreed. He went over a few of them in his head. With Daggle they could fake a Slig pilot- if he would do it- but explaining why they'd be hanging around close by was harder to explain without being asked for proof.
Vesper looked over and his face softened. "You look tired."
Abe gave him a small smile. "I am."
"Then go sit down. You take a breather, and we'll do a little brainstorming. We'll tell ya if we come up with something," Alf said. Abe got a more uncertain expression and from the shift to a half-smile, he was probably about to go on the defense and assert that he was fine. Alf knew he was alright, but he had to be better than that to make it in Vykker's Labs. He clapped a hand on his shoulder and pointed towards the corner. "Sit! We got this."
Abe got a little more sincere of a smile, knowing he wasn't getting out of it and accepting the command, and went over to the opposite corner of the door to sit down. Sitting on the hard floor wasn't ever comfortable but getting off his feet was already a huge help. He slipped off his pack and brought it into his lap to sort through the contents.
Vesper watched him do this and wanted to join him, but a quick glance over showed that Alf was also watching Abe for some reason. He looked like he was thinking about something. Probably about the Slig or worrying about Abe, but Vesper couldn't help but think that it could've also been because of what he caught earlier. He hadn't missed the weird looks the green skinned Mudokon had been sending him since.
He could understand it, though that didn't mean he liked it. Vesper had just gotten past that threshold of Alf being a little less prickly with him and now he gave him another reason to put those spines back up. With him being so protective, he couldn't imagine him not having an issue with it. Especially since, and Vesper had gotten the impression that, these Mudokons were not familiar with this sort of… bond.
All things considered; the best course of action was to give Abe distance when they weren't alone. It should've been as simple as that, but he didn't want Abe thinking that he was doing it because of earlier. He had been a little harder on him than he had been in some time- and for good reason, he could've gotten himself killed- but this timing could've given the wrong impression.
Yet he knew he was worrying for no reason. That Abe wasn't going to think that. Right now, that was probably the last thing on his mind. Instead, he was likely thinking about what was coming in the near future. It wasn't going to be some little sausage plant in the middle of nowhere; Vykker's Labs was heavily fortified and backed with an amount of security unlike any he might've encountered before, and their plan was painfully flimsy.
The reality was that there was a high possibility that Abe wouldn't survive Vykker's Labs. One slip up could kill him, but even perfection might not be enough if the Raisin's warnings were true. He had already had a close call here and he was expected to do even better against a greater force in only a few hours. Abe might've been thinking of that, Vesper definitely was.
At that moment Vesper realized that he did care what Alf thought, but that it wasn't enough to stop him. He crossed right over and settled himself down beside Abe, who gave him an almost thankful smile before beginning to show him all that he had collected. Then and only then did they begin to plan for what was going to go down on the inside.
"What're you thinking about?" Toby asked, noticing Alf looking a little distantly.
"I'm thinking about asking Abe if he's got anymore of that brew. I know he needs it for his stuff, but maybe he could spare a half a bottle?" he asked. Toby gave him a disbelieving look and shook his head.
"I still don't know how you still drink that stuff."
"You kidding? With what we're about to do, I'm gonna need a buzz going."
Mable: Sorry to come back after so long with a short chapter but believe me when I say things are going to pick up after this. There's some exciting stuff on the horizon and I'm so happy to be reaching it.
You'll know all about it when you meet him.