Burpy looked… cutely demonic, to say the least, while packing a far more powerful punch, courtesy of Dr. Blakk and his strange, also demonic-looking slug. That fateful battle was the first and last time he saw it, courtesy of lethal impalement by a broken branch.
A few days later, Blakk had another demonic-looking slug. When it was transformed, Will only had seconds to get Burpy to the surface.
My son, now!*
He felt the rage and sadness close to consuming Burpy, even as his mental command echoed through the slug's mind. But with a final, tearful look between him and a fleeing Blakk, he retreated with a roar.
As the Darkfurnus raced his way up, he could hear the younger Shane and his mom having yet another "discussion".
"I don't want to hear it. I did and am doing something just as important by having given birth to and raising your ungrateful ass."
Then, why do-?*
"Because raising a child who constantly questions you as a single mother is more difficult in this fucking economy-."
But you've told-.*
"AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD FROM YOUR TWO-FACED-!"
Keeping his rage and broken heart in firm check, he burst through the open window and cradled his wings around the stoic and shivering Eli, relishing in her terror.
Leave. Now.*
"Wh-wha-what? I-I-I just wanted-."
His light baby blue flames flared.
NOW!*
She tried to reach for Eli.
She. Tried to.
Reach for. Eli.
While looking.
Apologetic.
Her screams of pain echoed through the neighborhood.
Five years to the night later, Eli snuck out of the dark forest surrounding the neighborhood, eyes brightly glowing a light green and a fiercely protective Burpy on his shoulder as he made his way to 'The Drop'. Stopping by his house, he collected important things he'd hidden before fleeing the CPS.
"Well, time to go, Burpy."
Let's go over the plan once again.*
Making his way to the mechanical capsule inside the sewer, the scanner confirmed Eli and Burpy before giving them access.
"Then we find this Blakk and kill him."
That'll be too quick for it, Eli.*
Sending them deep under the surface, the only thing keeping Eli alive before entering Slugterra was Burpy's magic the capsule surrounded itself with. Exiting the capsule and going further inside the cavern, he finds and enters his father's hideout.
In front of him was a large cloth-covered object; uncovering it showed a brand-new Wolf Mecha, LK-E model.
"Nice."
Only the best for his kid, my Slinger. I'll show you where everything is. First, we turn on the power source.*
Giving him a tour afterward, Eli stopped by his dad's old room and unwrapped the protective bags holding his clothes and underwear for every occasion.
"So, what should I wear for my first day?"
Giving suggestions while Eli stripped and changed from one outfit to another, he gave his owner a devilish smirk at the last one he chose.
That screams 'Shane'. Not everyone chose the same uniform, you know. One of your uncles was known as 'The LSD Shane'.*
Nodding at the bewildered look, Eli groaned and muttered while heading to the living room. Looking around at the amount of slug-related equipment, it occurred to him.
"So, where are we going to find more experienced slugs?"
At tournaments, of course. We just look them up on the Slugnet.*
Sitting in front of the computer, he turned it on, and they started searching. Ten minutes later, they found one a brief ride away. They find themselves nervously stared at when they arrive.
I think I'm attracting attention.*
No kidding.*
Signing up in the last spot, the announcer seemed to be nervously respectful of the duo, while a trio of a cave troll, a molenoid, and a human girl were watching, morbidly fascinated. Looking at each other, they slowly approached the duo.
"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be a Shane, would you?"
"I am. Why do you ask?"
"T-that's not a normal slug, bro."
"The circumstances are something I would… rather not talk about."
"Y-you can tell Pronto the Magnificent anything! I met your father once, and-!"
"Slingers, take your places!"
"Uh, bro? Do you know anything about slugslinging?"
Lifting a slug container, Burpy jumped into it, Eli loaded his blaster, and when in front of his opponent, he dodged the first blast and fired.
The sheer fear and terror that Shockwire showed reminded them a little too much of his mom, as Burpy wrapped his right wing around Shockwire's legs, lifted him, and slammed him into the ground. Having the pick of his slugs, he instead asks them, with the left one a bit overly excited about Burpy's ghoul form as he jumps into Eli's hand. This repeated with each Slinger he faced, the defeating move differing from Slinger to Slinger.
In the end, he and the trio rode together to the next Cavern for the last round. There, they were invited to a meeting by the shithead himself.
"Dr. Blakk."