"Hopper!" Flik gasped as Hopper landed in front of him. "You think it's over?!" He asked, furious as he began to back Flik up. "No no no! I-I can explain!" He said as he and Hopper passed by Atta who was watching behind a rock. "All your stunt did was buy them time!" He said. Flik couldn't go back any further because there was a pile of twigs behind him, he was trapped and was now stuck facing Hopper as he got closer to him. "No! Please!" Flik pleaded with all his life, "Please Hopper!" All of a sudden, Hopper grabbed Flik by the neck and started to choke him! "I'll get more grasshoppers and be back next season! But you won't!" He told the young ant he was strangling, Flik tried to free his neck but Hopper had a good grip on him and Flik just kept on choking. Just then, a bird appeared right above them! Hopper looked up and laughed, "Well what's this?" He asked, sarcastically, believing the bird was fake, "Another one of your little bird tricks?" Flik made a small mischievous smile, "Yep!" he said. "Are there a bunch of little girls in this one too?" Hopper asked again and then waved to the bird, "Hello girls!" The bird then screeched with anger at Hopper, causing him to scream and release Flik as he realised he was taunting a real bird! Hopper tried to run off, but the bird blocked his path and grabbed Hopper with her beak and flew back to her nest! Atta went over to Flik and pulled him to safety as the bird flew right by them with Hopper. The bird hovered over her chicks with Hopper who was desperately trying to break free and began to slowly lower Hopper into their mouths. Flik and Atta looked away because it was going to be scary and gross seeing Hopper be eaten alive by a bunch of little chicks. Just as Hopper was about to enter their mouth, the bird accidentally let go of Hopper and he was able to jump out of the nest before he was eaten!
Hopper immediately ran off and hid in the grass so the bird wouldn't find him, to his surprise the mama bird just sat down on her chicks and protected them from the rain. Hopper tried to fly, but his wings were all crooked and it was hard to fly with them. Hopper then looked for shelter and found a little cave so he hid in there and waited until the storm passed so he could find a way back to his hideout. Hopper was extremely shaken up, and furious, "That ant tricked me and almost got me killed!" He said to himself, he then spotted a piece of grain lying right next to him, but instead of eating it he glared at it, "I'll be back in a few years, and when I do return, I will have my revenge!" Hopper then crushed the grain with his hand and threw all the pieces away from him.
Hopper awoke from his sleep, realising he was having a flashback to when Flik almost got him killed. Hopper got out of his bed and walked over the entrance of his hideout and looked up at the night sky, "I will get you soon!" He said, talking about Flik, "When I do, you're so dead!"
"Hopper." A voice appeared behind him, Hopper immediately turned around and punched whoever was behind and it turned out to be Otis! "Otis!" Hopper gasped and then turned annoyed, "Don't sneak up on me like that!" Otis rubbed his jaw, "Sorry Hopper!" He said, "I was just wondering what are you doing up so late?" "I still want my revenge on that ant!" Hopper replied, "I still can't stop having those flashbacks from when he almost got me killed, and all I want to do is get rid of him!" Otis sighed, "I know Hopper, but killing him won't change the past!" Hopper growled at Otis, "I don't care if it changes the past or not! I just want him gone and out of my life and that's it!" Otis was a bit scared, but immediately went back to being calm, "Well why don't you stop thinking about the past and forget about the ant, and then we can go back to normal!" he said to him. Hopper remained silent and walked back into the hideout and towards a wall that had pictures of all of his most hated bugs and a picture of Flik was on the board circled in red (meaning that he is his most hated), "I will not stop thinking about the past until this ant is gone!" He said pointing to the picture, "I don't care if you don't want me to kill him, I will not give up until I have my revenge on him! I would've had my chance, but instead you kidnapped the little paranoid princess who just revealed that he is king now!" Dot was listening to the whole thing, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't tell Flik nor the colony because she's pretty far away from them and she's locked in a cage with no way out, but then she realised that she can get out!
Dot waited until everyone was back asleep and then she pulled out a small dagger that she stole/borrowed from Flik when he wasn't in his chamber. She began to use the dagger to cut the leaves that were holding her cage in place and once most of them were cut, she was able to open the cage and escape! Dot quickly but quietly rushed towards the entrance of the hideout and took flight and then she began to search for her home, but she didn't know that her friends and family were already out looking for her!
Back with the others, they were all asleep at their campsite. But while they were sleeping, Dot flew right above them, but luckily she noticed them and landed carefully so that she wouldn't wake them. But her being quiet didn't last long when she saw Gecko the lizard and screamed, causing everyone to wake up! Gecko looked at Dot, "Oh don't be scared, little girl!" he said, "I don't eat bugs!" Gecko then went back to sleep, and Dot was still a bit scared of him, but she turned around to see everyone else who were shocked, but happy to see Dot! Atta and Flik ran over to Dot and gave her a big hug, "Oh Dot!" Atta cried with joy, "We were so worried!" "How did you get away!" Flik asked. Dot hesitated to tell him, but decided that they should know so she pulled out the dagger she took from Flik. "I've been looking for that!" Flik said, dissatisfied as he took the dagger back, "Dot, this is not a toy!" "But it helped me escape!" Dot replied, "And what is with the lizard?" "I asked him to help us save you because he doesn't like eating bugs, but he could scare the grasshoppers so that they could set you free, but you're already free!" Rosie told Dot. Gecko awoke a little bit again, "But if you want, I can come to the colony and guard it so that the grasshoppers would be too scared to attack." He said. "Good idea!" Flik said, "But maybe in the morning." "But Flik, the colony might attack him!" Atta told him. "If we explain to them, then they won't attack him!" Flik replied.
The next morning, the friends left for their journey back to ant island while Gecko followed behind them, but he hasn't moved so much in a while. "How far away is this place?" He asked, "I'm tired already!" "Not far, just keep on moving! And don't give up!" Rosie replied. Gecko smiled and continued following the Troupe and the royal family back to the island.
Back with the grasshoppers, Hopper was woken up by the sound of someone panicking and trying to wake him up. "What do you want?" Hopper asked, grumpy. "Come quick!" The grasshopper replied rushing off. Hopper got up and followed the grasshopper to the cage where Dot was in and saw that it was empty! Hopper was furious, "He rescued her when we were asleep!" Hopper growled (again talking about Flik), "Why every time when I plan something amazing, it always fails!" Otis approached and was shocked to see that Dot was not in the cage, "Maybe we should've gotten someone to guard her?" He commented. Hopper glared at him, "I'm pretty sure I asked you to do that!" He said. Otis remembered that Hopper had asked him to guard Dot so that if anyone tried to save her, he could capture them. "Oh... right..." Otis said, "I'm so stupid!" "I agree!" Hopper replied. Otis looked at Hopper, he wanted to punch him so badly, but he didn't.
"Well Hopper, I guess we should just stop this whole revenge thing and continue enjoying our life!"
"No way! I'm not giving up like that! I'm getting my revenge on that ant and nothing is going to stop me!"
Hopper then grabbed a mosquito that was right next to him and angrily threw it at the picture of Flik on the 'Most Hated Bugs' wall. The gang was nervous and just walked off, and Otis knew no matter how hard he tried to convince Hopper to stop his revenge, he would not stop! Otis had to do something to protect Flik and his colony, but he didn't know what to do.
Hopper sat down at the bar when Otis approached him and sat down next to him, Hopper glared at him, "What are you doing here?" He asked. Otis didn't look back at him but just sighed and was about to say something, but Hopper stopped him, "If you try to convince me to stop taking revenge, I'll show you who would be squish!" He warned him. Otis gulped, "As you wish Hopper..." Otis replied, nervous. "Good! Because I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth that involves you trying to convince me not to harm the ant!" Otis slowly nodded and tried to leave the bar, but Hopper grabbed him by the arm, "But!" He said, "I have a job for you: Got to the Island and see what those ants are up to, if they're planning on something I want you to return and tell me their plan! Even if you don't want to, I will make you! Once we know what their plan is, we will out smart them and takeover the colony again and finally get rid of that ant or should I say 'their king'!" Otis gulped again, "Alright Hopper, but when?" "Tonight!" Hopper replied. Otis nodded as Hopper released his grip on his arm, Otis then slowly walked off but so many thoughts flooded through his head like a big tsunami! "Oh no!" He thought, "This is some big trouble now! What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of this one? What if they're not planning anything? Hopper might think I'm lying and kill me! And if they are planning something, I'll have to tell him anyway but that will get their king killed! I can't stand this anymore! I'm done with following Hopper's orders! It's time I leave and protect the colony!" So that night, Otis would leave the gang and never return!
Nighttime came and Otis flew out of the hideout and flew to the Island, but to tell them what Hopper's plan is!
The Troupe arrived back at the island where the colony was so happy to see them, and they cheered with joy when they saw that Dot was alright! All of her friends rushed over and gave her a big hug, "We're so glad you're safe Little Seed!" One of her friends said. "When we found out you were taken, we thought you were going to die!" Another said. "Hey! Don't say that!" Another said him.
"But it's the truth!"
But the joy of the colony quickly turned into fear when they saw Gecko the lizard. "Oh calm down everyone!" Flik said, "He's friendly!" "But lizards eat bugs like us!" Mr. Soil said. "Well I don't eat bugs." Gecko said, "I think it's weird and gross! I'd rather stick to eating berries!" The colony slowly began to calm down and they began to approach the lizard. "Why is he here anyway?" Thorny asked. "I asked him to help us protect our colony from the grasshoppers. Because the grasshoppers could be scared of him." "Ohhh!" The colony said, understanding. "But maybe we should probably hide because the gang could also think that he ate us!" Flik said. "Good idea Flik!" Dot said, "And I think I see one now!" Everyone gasped and looked up the sky to see a grasshoppers and they immediately ran to hide while Gecko tried to defend them. When the grasshopper landed, it was revealed to be Otis! As you know, he was terrified to see Gecko the lizard. Molt slowly peeked out of his hiding spot and saw Otis and ran over to him. "Hey! Otis!" Molt called as he rushed over! "Molt!" Otis called back! "Save me!" Gecko then backed off, "You two know each other?" He asked. Molt sat down next to Otis who was really scared, "He was one of my friends back at the hideout. He's one of the more nicer ones!" Molt told Gecko, "He doesn't like the killing, he prefers more peace." Gecko then nodded and told the colony to come out of their places, the ants and the troupe slowly came over to them as Otis slowly began to calm down. "Wow!" Otis said impressed, "Hiring a lizard to scare off the gang! That's pretty smart!" Dot was excited to see Otis, "Otis you're here!" He said as she excitedly ran over to him and hugged him. "Oh! Hi princess!" He said. Dot looked at him, "You can call me Dot."
King Flik and Queen Atta approached them, "So you too are close friends?" Atta asked her sister. Dot looked at her sister, "He's a nice grasshopper!" Flik and Atta smiled, "So you're Otis!" Flik said, "Molt said some nice things about you." Otis made a small smirk, "I'm not surprised. But if you're wondering why I'm here, I came to tell you Hopper's plan!" The colony gasped a little bit.
"And let me tell ya, you probably won't like it."
"The don't tell us!" Slim said.
"Was I talking to you? Stick face?"
Slim was about to snap back, but he had nothing to say so just allow Otis to continue talking. "As I was saying." Otis continued, "Hopper wanted to kidnap you King Flik, but instead we took the princess by accident. But it's my fault because it was my idea! And-!" "Wait a minute!" Atta cut him off, " You're the one who kidnapped my sister? And this whole kidnapping idea was yours too? And you meant to take Flik?!"
"Well yes! But I changed Hopper's mind on killing you all, but I tried to make him change his mind on killing your husband, but it was no use! So I just left the gang."
"You just straight up left the gang all because you couldn't convince Hopper to spare my life?" Flik asked. Otis nodded, "I didn't know what I could do, so I just thought the best thing to do right now was to protect this colony! Because wants to invade the colony! But now that you hired a lizard, it should make him not want to return!"
Flik approached Otis and held out his hand, "Welcome to the colony!" He said. Otis looked down at him and his hand, knowing that Flik is offering him a home in the colony! Otis slowly smiled and shook Flik's hand and then the whole colony cheered for the grasshopper. Otis smiled the biggest smile he had ever made, and was he official protector of the colony (along with Gecko).
I'm never proud of my chapters tbh. But I hope you like this one! So Dot saved herself from the grasshoppers, Otis left the gang and became a protector of the colony!
But wait! That's not is! How would Hopper react once he finds out what Otis did, what would Hopper do?
Find out in the next chapter!