Dirt cascaded along Shaggy’s shoulders as the tunnel they were in was rocked once again. He placed a hand over his small bag of cashews to keep the dirt out as Slink and Dave tried to catch their footing. Ahead of them, just outside their tunnel, the fight was raging on. Duke was swinging wildly as scores of rats poured over him. Small rats, Spear-Rats, dog-rats, and Muscle-Rats all charged the eight foot tall giant with reckless abandoned. As they did, their master, the equally massive Man-Rat, backed away from the fighting.
Shaggy could see that Man-Rat was still clutching his wrist and probably wouldn’t be attacking Duke himself. Instead, he seemed to be happy standing back and letting his legions of rat minions overwhelm Duke. A plan which Shaggy didn’t think was going well. The smaller rats couldn’t even break the man’s skin, and the Spear-Rats were little more than distractions. At least with the Dog-Rats and the Muscle-Rats, they were making some small headway. Very small.
Duke’s fist met the head of another Muscle-Rat and the creature’s head exploded like a pinata. The force of the impact shook the cavern again as the rat’s friends responded in kind. Duke was buffeted by the six furry fists from more Muscle-Rats. Meaty thwacks rose through the air as the tinier Spear-Rats ducked under legs and stabbed upwards with their spears. Shaggy saw multiple spear tips break as the rats did little more than shred Duke’s clothes. Meanwhile, the small rats were clambering all over the man’s face and eyes. Duke kept having to swat the things off his face, which meant that he left bloody smears across his eyes and mouth.
“It’s not going well… or is it? I can’t really tell, dudes.” Dave said, holding out a hand from some of Shaggy’s cashews.
Shaggy poured some of his snacks into the man’s outstretched hand. “It’s a war of attrition.”
“Maybe. But there’s only one of Mr. Duke and hundreds of rats.”
“Yeah, but like, they aren’t doing anything.”
Shaggy sucked in a breath as he watched Duke punt a Spear-Rat with his right leg. The resulting explosion covered everything in more blood and seemed to send the other rats into more of a frenzy. The squeaking, chittering mass of rats seemed to go into overdrive. They clawed, stabbed, bit and punched Duke all over his body. Shaggy still didn’t see any visible wounds, but having dog-sized rats hanging off each of your arms and legs was bound to do something, eventually. More-so when you are being stabbed, bit, and punched everywhere.
“It doesn’t matter.” Slink said to Dave. “Duke is human. He may have superhuman strength, but he doesn’t have the built in stamina of an Alien or the equivalent bonuses of a Mutant. Not to mention that bestial rat king in the back hasn’t even used his mental attacks yet.”
Shaggy and Dave turned their heads as one to look at the so-called rat king. He wasn’t doing anything, merely watching the fight with his beady eyes and slowly chewing something. Shaggy blinked as he realized the rat was also slowly spinning his broken wrist. Or his recently healed wrist, as it were. The hand was slowly healing as the Rat King watched the fight and ate… whatever he was eating.
“How did he heal?” Shaggy asked.
“He ate one of the smaller rats.” Slink answered.
“Dude! Isn’t that, like, cannibalism?”
“Yep. But it also tells us he can heal himself by…absorbing his kin. But it doesn’t look near as fast as Shaggy’s healing.”
“Of course not, Snake-dude. Shag-man is broken, right?”
Dave chuckled at his own words as Shaggy rolled his eyes. They continued to watch Duke flail his arms and legs about at as rat swarm fruitlessly battered him repeatedly. Occasionally, Duke would splatter another rat across the dirt mounds and the rest of the swarm would go nuts. It seemed the fight would go on for hours at this rate. But then Shaggy noticed something about Duke. The man was slowly pushing his way toward the Rat-King. It was slow going as he was dragging a swarm of rodents with him, but faster than Shaggy would’ve expected.
“Oh! Something’s happening boys!” Shaggy said excitedly as he crushed his empty bag of cashews.
“his going to take a swing at the king!” Dave added excitedly.
Slink remained quiet though as he rubbed his chin in thought and watched the proceedings. Duke now had two Rat-Dogs on either arm as he tried to wrench his way forward. They didn’t seem to be able to pierce his skin with their teeth, but their dead-weight slowed him down. The Muscle-Rats slammed their meaty fists into any part of Duke they could reach as well. While the Spear-Rats abandoned their namesakes and gripped the man’s legs with their claws and mouths.
And still Duke pushed forward. Waves of rats coating his face and a veritable swarm hanging off of him. Shaggy admired the man’s stubbornness, but he was sure the Rat-King was ready for Duke. He really wanted to see how a fight between the two would pan out. Clearly Duke was the stronger, but the leader of the rats still hadn’t used all of his power.
Duke dragged himself within five feet of the Rat King. Shaggy wasn’t sure how the giant was aware of his surrounding with all the rats in his face. But he seemed to navigate just fine. Once in position, Duke braced his legs and leapt at the Rat King, his rat-covered fist aimed for a superman punch. But the rats hanging off of the man weighed him down and he was just that much slower. The Rat King easily dodged the blow and stepped to the side. Duke awkwardly caught himself. Off-balance due to his unwanted cloak of living rats. The Muscle-Rats chased after their opponent, dog-piling Duke and sending mighty blows down upon his head.
The giant shrugged off the hits and turned around, ready to charge again. But the Rat King raised his previously broken hand and that deep, echoing voice shook the cavern again.
“STOP!”
The guttural-sounding voice reverberated through Shaggy’s skull and he felt a tingle go down his spine. Duke reacted like he’d been slapped in the face as he fell to his knees. Shaggy heard Slink hiss audibly as the young man shook his head.
“This is it.”
“Naw, Dude. Duke can make a comeback. I know it.”
“No way, Dave. Like I said, Duke is human. Which means that despite whatever training the HLO gave him, his mental barriers are probably not that great. This all depended on if Duke could get to the Rat King quickly. But now that he is fully powered up and his telepathic powers are back, it’s over.”
“Wait,” Shaggy interrupted. “Are you saying that the giant rat was waiting for his powers to come off cooldown?”
Slink looked confused for a second as he seemed to search his memory. “Oh! Gaming terminology? Right! Um, yes? I mean, I think. Think about it, Shaggy. This guy hit us when we were way above the ground. That’s bound to have some kickback or a cost. Then when we come down here we see this guy... Uh… rat mind-jacking some NPC. Was he speeding up his cooldown? Or merely growing his powers? Either way Duke interrupts the whole thing, so Rat King sends his hordes in and steps back waiting for his mental powers to recharge.”
Dave and Shaggy nodded at the younger man’s words. It made game-sense at least. A boss with abilities was going to have a cooldown timer like any player would. And judging by the way the King took Duke’s punch earlier, the rat was the odd Telepathic Strongman-type of super. A rare mix, but one that probably came with some drawbacks.
“KNEEL!”
The Rat King’s deep telepathic voice brought all six of their eyes back to the action. Duke was still covered in Rats but he was staggering around as the Rat King stood before him. The giant seemed to be fighting the compulsion, but the effort was costing him dearly. He ambled around like a drunkard as the Rat King’s swarm brought him to his knees. Duke gripped his head, squashing more small rats in the process. The Rat King approached cautiously, like a predator stalking its wounded prey. His hand was still raised in the air and Shaggy thought he could feel the telepathic attack still going on.
“STRONG MIND!”
“Does anyone else feel like we should stop this?” Dave asked.
Shaggy and Slink shrugged as they watched the proceedings in morbid fascination. The Rat King bend over and glared at Duke’s Rat-covered face. Streams of blood cascaded down Duke’s body from the rats he had killed.
“WILL LEARN! MUCH!”
Shaggy felt another shiver go up his spine as the Rat King slammed his forehead into Duke’s. As he did, his swarm of rats fell away like waves and went scurrying into the nearby dirt piles. The Rat King’s headbutt didn’t crush Duke’s face like the last guy, but instead crashed heavily into the Rat’s forehead. The two stayed like that as Shaggy and his friends watched, a tense air surrounding them. Shaggy was unsure if it was working until Duke’s body started to lose its color like the last of Rat King’s victims. The process was a lot slower for some reason and Shaggy found he couldn’t look away as the life and color were drained out of Duke. The giant made no sound, his jaw slightly slack and his arms hanging loosely by his sides. Soon, the process ended and the Rat King quickly backed away like he had been struck. The bipedal rat gripped his head and screeched as Duke’s body fell to the dirt.
“There goes the HLO’s A-Tier golden boy,” Shaggy said as he watched a swarm of rats gather around the dead giant’s body.
“How are we going to get to him?” Dave asked.
Slink snorted at them. “We have bigger issues.”
The pale teen pointed at the Rat King as he continued to shiver and screech. His head was in his massive paws and he was shaking all over. But he remained upright as the shaking grew more pronounced. As it did, Shaggy swore he saw the Rat King’s muscles bulge and contract at odd angles. His body twisted and turned, the screeching never stopping. It crescendo into a high-pitched wail that froze all the rats in the room and the Rat King threw his arms out wide. Then everything stopped. There was no sound. No movement. The tense air surrounded Shaggy and his friends seemed suffocating now as the Rat King spun in place, taking in the large circular cavern with fresh eyes.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“SO MANy words. Such feelings.”
The Rat King’s telepathic voice cut off halfway through an audible one took over. Shaggy blinked as he realized the voice had come from the giant rat. Although it looked a little smaller now. It was still muscular and tall, but now not quite as tall as it had been. And its face seemed sleeker. His pointed snout and eyes were less rat-like and eerily human. The sound of its own voice seemed to surprise the Rat King.
“My… voice? This is… MY voice. It is nice… no… Beautiful. So many words! Terms! Phrases! So… so many things!”
The Rat King’s deep baritone was grossly at odds with his child-like wonder. He inspected his hands and legs, then he took in his environment once again. Shaggy could see a look of contemplation fill the Rat King’s eyes. Slink and Dave ducked back into the tunnel a bit to avoid being seen, but Shaggy still couldn’t look away.
“What is this… this music I hear in my head? It is… incessant. Ooooh, in-cess-ant! I like that word! Incessant: to continue without pause or interruption, usually unpleasantly. Yes! This music is INCESSANT! How do I stop it!?”
The Rat King kicked Duke’s dead body in annoyance as he posed his question to the room. His swarms of rats stared at him unknowingly. For a moment, the Rat King looked lost until he waved at his horde disgustedly. The gesture seemed to confuse him as he repeated it. Mimicking his own facial expression. But he quickly grew bored with that and started pacing, muttering to himself loudly as he tried to get the music to stop.
“So many words! And not one of them helpful! So much knowledge to sift through... sift. Hehe, Si-ft. Argh! Beethoven! Mozart! Pagani! What are all these names and why are they attached to MUSIC!? Do I have a name?!”
The Rat King stopped pacing as he voiced his question. Shaggy felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down to see Slink waving him back into the tunnel. Begrudgingly, Shaggy tore his eyes away from the strange scene and joined Slink and Dave. The three of them put their heads together and Slink immediately said.
“We need to get the fuck out of here.”
Shaggy blinked. “Okay. Why?”
“Because that fucking NPC just evolved! So if you think it would’ve been a bitch before, just imagine what it’s going to be like now.”
“I don’t know, Slink. The thing seems confused and lost. We might be able to trick it somehow. All we need to do is ask for Duke’s body and see how things go.”
“Really?! You want to wing it?!”
“Better than coming down here and leaving with nothing. Besides, that thing is confused. There’s not going to be a better time.”
“Forget Duke’s body, Shaggy! It’s a lost cause. You tried, you failed. Time to move on.”
“I haven’t failed until I try everything. Look, I’ll go out there and talk to the big bastard. You and Dave stay here and watch my back. If shit goes sideways, you two can rush in and steal Duke’s body while I deal with the Rat King.”
Slink rubbed his hands down his face. “Dave! Talk to this idiot, please! I just can’t.”
“Sorry, little dude, I agree with Shaggy. We came down here to grab that Duke guy’s body. So it seems wrong to just leave the mission incomplete. And if we fail, well then we know better for next time, right?”
Slink let out a loud groan as he glared at the two. Wordlessly, he nodded and waved a hand at Shaggy eerily similar to the one the Rat King gave his minions. A gesture that clearly meant ‘I’m done with you.’ Shaggy gave the kid a pat on the shoulder and moved to the tunnel entrance again. The Rat King was still pacing around Duke’s body, muttering to itself.
Shaggy took a breath and then pounced forward. He wasn’t aiming for anyone in particular, just the dirt mound closest to his target. The silent mob of rats squeaked at his arrival, and the Rat King spun on his heel. A voice like a jackhammer hit Shaggy brain and he almost fell over from its weight.
“WHO ARE YOU!?”
Shaggy blinked back tears as the tall rat got right in his personal space. Already, Shaggy could feel the surrounding rats closing in on them. Shaggy raised his hands in surrender and tried to calm things down.
“Whoa! Whoa! No need for the brain melting. I’m just here for Duke.”
The Rat King’s snarling face became one of confusion again as he looked around.
“Duke? What’s a Duke? Am I the Duke?”
Halfway through its words, the Rat King spun away and looked back to Duke’s dead body. Realization crashed across his face and he rushed over to Duke’s prone form. Shaggy could hear the rat muttering again. The Rat King leaned over Duke’s enormous form and peered into the man’s gray face.
“Nooo… you’re the Duke… Abraham Duke. Named after your mother’s father… your grandfather. But then your father’s father is also your grandfather. That seems confusing… Con-fuse-ing… ew! I don’t like that word.”
“Yeah, words are gross. Anyway, I’ll just take Duke’s body and be on my way.” Shaggy said, taking a cautious step closer.
The surrounding rats went nuts and the Rat King snapped back up to its full height. Whirling around to meet Shaggy’s eyes again, the Rat King snarled viciously.
“No! The Duke is now food for my brothers and sisters! His flesh shall feed the next generation and we shall grow strong off his meat… which now seems barbaric to me. Oh! I like that one. BAR-BARE-ICK. BAR-BARE-ITY. Those have nice rings to them! Ring? Rings?! AAARGHH! That incessant music is BACK!?”
The Rat King clutched his head and spun around as Shaggy felt a wave of psychic force hit him in the head. It had shouted the last word out loud and with his mind. The resulting attack shook Shaggy to his core, but he was still standing. But he could feel his mental barriers thinning at the attack.
“YOU!?” The Rat King snarled as he spun on Shaggy. “You will make the music stop! Stop it NOW!”
Shaggy winced as two attacks pinged off his defense and he almost fell to his knees. The rats were slowly closing in on him, and the Rat King was leaning over him. A lifetime of very stupid boys trying to pressure him crossed across Shaggy’s mind and he firmed up his spine as he glared up at the rat.
“Fuck you! Give me Duke’s body first. Then I’ll handle your music.”
The Rat King’s long nose scrunched up. “Fuck? To rut. Mate? Fornicate myself? No, it’s an exclamation. Slang. One of defiance. Defiance!? You would defy me? I am Man-Rat! No one defies me!”
“Man-Rat?” Shaggy said, unable to stop himself. “That’s a stupid name.”
“ARGHHHHHH!” The Rat King gave an almighty psychic shout and punched Shaggy in the chest.
The psychic blow paired with the punch caught Shaggy flat-footed and he was launched like a cannonball into the cavern wall. He felt his ribs crack and his back break as the rough dirt wall cradled his body. But already they were healing. His mental defense blunted the psychic attack, but he had developed a headache. Shaggy shook himself as the surrounding rats screeched louder at their boss’s show of force. Pulling himself out of the wall, Shaggy saw Slink and Dave crouching their way around a few of the dirt dunes. But all eyes were on him, and he had to keep it that way.
“I mean,” Shaggy coughed as he the Rat King glared at him. “You’re not a man that became a rat, are you? You look like a rat with delusions of grandeur. So wouldn’t it be more apt to call you Rat-Man?”
A look of pure rage flashed across the Rat King’s face and he launched himself bodily toward Shaggy. As the rat’s clawed feet sliced through the air where Shaggy had been, he tossed himself to the side and rolled to his feet. Clearly, he had pissed the giant rat off.
“You speak like THE ENEMY!”
The last words were another psychic attack that made Shaggy’s head snap back harshly. He felt blood drip from his nose as his headache intensified. He grew his claws out and rushed forward as a swarm of rats encircled him. A few of the smaller rats got under Shaggy’s feet, tripping him. But at the last minute he activated Pounce again and threw himself at the Rat King. Caught off-guard, his claws slashed through the giant rat’s stomach, leaving bright red blood trails as he passed by.
“ARGHHHHHH!”
The rat roared as it put an arm to its side. Shaggy was rocked back again from the force of the psychic scream. It felt like his brain was melting out of his ears and he collapsed to his knees. The swarming rats pushed in closer and Shaggy could feel them crawling along his legs. He spotted Spear-Rats and Muscle-Rats pushing their way forward as well. But one look from the Rat King and they paused.
The giant rat approached Shaggy as he tried to shake off the feeling of his brain melting. A furry hand gripped Shaggy by the head and he was lifted into the air. Shaggy swore his forehead creaked as the Rat’s rough claws pressed into his head. He was brought up to the Rat King’s eye level and glared at. He could feel the hot breath of the rat’s snout hitting him in the face as the malaise from the psychic attack wore off.
“You… You are not The Enemy. But you shall die like he will.”
“Yeah…” Shaggy coughed as his brain formulated a stupid plan. “I don’t think I will.”
The Rat King glared at Shaggy’s words and looked ready to crush his skull with his bare hand. But Shaggy reached forward with both claws and stabbed into the Rat King’s arm. One went under the armpit and the other went in at the shoulder. With all of his strength, Shaggy yanked his claws outward. The sound of flesh tearing filled his ears and the roar of the Rat King seemed to shake the world. Shaggy vision blurred and blacked out as he felt a knife stab down into his brain. He was vaguely aware of knees hitting the dirt and rats began crawling all over him. His eyes fluttered open, and he caught the image of the fleeing Rat King. The giant rat was cradling his shoulder as he blundered away.
“Yeah, that’s right. Run away, you stupidly named bastard.” Shaggy chuckled to himself as he was buried under a tidal wave of rats.