The creature retched on Jimmy’s suit, sizzling it on contact. Blisters popped from the violent bodily reaction, excreting a green and white fluid, forcing it to its knees.

“Oh what the fuck,” Jimmy said as he scrambled back from the oozing creature.

Rick inspected the gloopy figure and immediately discovered Gus’ DNA. “It’s Gus. How the hell is he still alive?”

Jimmy hastily pulled out a health potion.

Gloopy Gus looked up, “No! Don’t. I need a living creature.”

Rick noticed the look in Gus’ eyes shift from fear to hunger. He looked at Jimmy as if he were a meal and started to crawl toward him. Thankfully, Jimmy noticed it too and leaped back.

Atrono pranced out of the way as well, drawing his bow.

To his credit, Gus quickly recognized that this wouldn’t end well for him if he were to attack Jimmy or Atrono. Glancing around, he narrowed his eyes at a group of bargle who had wandered into the area. He reached out a hand that barely hung on to his wrist. A bargle hurtled through the air toward him and slammed into the ground with a squeal just in front of him. Before the bargle could regain its footing, Gus pounced on it like a spider and sank his frail teeth into its neck. One of the man’s teeth popped out at contact, but another managed to pierce the bargle’s neck.

The bargle squirmed and bleated, but Gus kept it pinned down. Blood began to Gush from its neck as the older man lapped it up.

If Rick could vomit, he would right now. Atrono had already emptied his stomach, but Jimmy watched with an icy gaze, gun aimed at the abomination’s head.

As Gus devoured the creature, it became a husk of its former self. Gus’ dripping skin appeared to be scabbing over. The tendons in his hand snapped back together as he flexed it and pulled a fleeing bargle through the air, repeating the stomach turning process. A pool of green liquid sizzled the ground beneath his feet, but his skin began to return to a less rotten state.

Jimmy interrupted the sounds of slurping, “You’re a vampire then?”

Gus’ ravenous eyes shifted to something closer to a human look, “Forgive me for the scene.” He wiped blood off his chin with the collar of his shirt. “No, I’m not a vampire. It’s a self-healing skill I have called Siphon Life. I’d spare you the details, but you saw the results.”

Not long ago, Rick would have taken this opportunity to strike the man down for good. Today, they needed him.

“What’s the situation outside?” Jimmy asked, changing the subject.

Gus snapped another bargle through the air, catching it by the neck with renewed strength. Both Atrono and Jimmy winced, doing their best to ignore the process playing out before them.

“The Chrotos threat is gone,” he said, pausing to squeeze the critter’s neck. “For now.”

Jimmy wore a frown and glanced at the centaur who stared at his hooves, unable to watch Gus’ meal. “And the… others?” he asked.

“Mostly safe,” Gus said before dropping his latest meal. He looked to be about halfway back to normal, though his skin still had a green tint. Remnants of the blisters riddled his body. His gray hair yet to grow back. “But, there were casualties. My men evacuated to one of our rendezvous spots. One of the underground parking garages for the banking buildings.”

Rick was relieved to hear that there were at least survivors out there.

“Can they survive that cloud of poison or whatever it was that you pumped into the air? Is the atmosphere safe for us to go outside?” Jimmy prodded.

Gus shook his head, “No. It was smart of you to acquire those suits. I can only hope that those who hadn’t been able to get to the rendezvous point did the same.”

“Well when the hell is it going to dissipate? Those people will run out of air down there if they manage to block that shit from getting in,” Jimmy’s temper flared.

“Raise your voice at me again and I’ll have you as a dessert,” Gus growled.

“You’re not in any position to make threats,” Jimmy said, taking a step closer to the weakened man. He surprised everyone present by grabbing Gus’ neck with one hand — with the other hand, he jammed the barrel of his gun against Gus’ temple.

Rick hadn’t even noticed, but Jimmy’s hand was covered in a healing potion that hissed against Gus’ throat. What’s gotten into you, Jim? Rick thought. Still, he didn’t intervene and wanted to see how it would play out.

“You don’t get to nearly kill me, my girlfriend, thousands of people, and possibly have killed others that I care about,” Jimmy raged. “And then have the gall to come inside, demanding help, and not providing any answers? I should kill you now, you sonofabitch.”

The fingernails on Jimmy’s hand ripped off. His hair ripped from their follicles, but his rage was too great. He squeezed Gus’ throat harder. The man’s eyes bulged and his skin softened from the burning at his throat. Jimmy’s fingers threatened to plunge in completely and kill Gus.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Gus didn’t dare do anything else. If he shoved Jimmy away with his powers, Jimmy would take his throat with him or pull the trigger of the gun.

Atrono grasped the seriousness of the situation and readied his bow once more.

“I’m sorry,” Gus wheezed.

Jimmy’s fingers relaxed, but only a fraction, “What’s that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“If I let go of you right now, you’re going to need to come with Atrono and I and explain everything,” Jimmy growled.

Rick had never seen his friend this aggressive. He worried that this would end up biting them in the ass and considered killing Gus right now.

“I trust you know what you’re doing,” Rick said

“Have you forgotten what we have outside?” Jimmy mumbled to Rick.

“No, I trust you. Just be careful,” Rick said.

Gus had taken Jimmy’s response as a question directed to him, “We will find my men. I thank you and Rick for harboring the civilians, but we can’t fall apart at the seems now.”

Jimmy scoffed, “I think that ship has sailed, old man. Take us to your rendezvous spot. And when we get there, you’re buying each and every one of them a suit just like mine.”

Rick could see the old man’s brain working. His expression promised revenge at the disrespect Jimmy showed him now, but he eventually lamented and nodded, “You have a deal.”

“Good. Let’s go then,” Jimmy said, motioning with a hand toward the door.

“Stay safe, guys. If you’re not back within five hours, I’m activating the ships,” Rick said.

“Make it three,” Jimmy said without taking his eyes off of Gus.

This time, Gus didn’t respond. Now he knew that a conversation between Jimmy and Rick had been taking place.

As the men left, Rick groaned inwardly at all of the things he had to deal with. There was no way that he’d be able to replenish his Energy anytime soon. His poor vortex was a tiny spiral that he’d need to take extra care of.

He quickly checked back on the Drow. Rick laughed. The floor was truly so massive that it would take them days to reach the refugees, even at their fast pace.

Billy’s voice called out, seemingly aware that Rick finally had time for him. “Hey boss. Been a wild few weeks for you, huh?”

Hearing the gunslinger’s voice was like receiving a phone call from an old friend. “Yeah. I’m sorry I haven’t checked up on you lately. I’ve been meaning to compliment you on the progress of your home. Or, castle?’

The gunslinger chuckled, “Yeah, in hindsight, my castle idea was pretty stupid. I just always wanted one, ‘ya know?”

The statement startled Rick somewhat, “No, I don’t. Do you have more memories of your past life?”

Billy sat atop the battlement of his gates. The ‘castle’, reminded Rick more of something he’d see at a renaissance fair. While solid, it was still something easily put up and taken down as the cosplayers traveled. “I’m not sure. The line between my memory and imagination is… not something that I can decipher.”

Of course, Atrono had now left, so Rick didn’t have anyone to ask about whether or not minions could regain their memories over time. “That must be difficult,” Rick said.

Billy shrugged, “It’s fine. When do you think we will get new Challengers? Yosk and Elza have their hands full, but the wolves are becoming antsy. As am I.”

“You’re just going to have to wait,” Rick said. “If you haven’t noticed, the outside is under a lot of turmoil.”

“Yes, it’s unfortunate. Why not open the dungeon to the Chrotos?”

“It’s not that simple. The Chrotos are a danger to everyone outside. They murdered billions of people. They need to be wiped out, plain and simple,” Rick explained.

“What’s the difference?” Billy asked. “We murder people in here. What’s the difference between us and them?”

Rick pondered the question. “People risk themselves in the dungeon for personal gain.”

“Isn’t that what the Chrotos are doing? Risking themselves for gain? They want the planet and know the dangers,” Billy countered.

“No, it’s not the same. People didn’t know the Chrotos were here. Both parties were not aware of the dangers. Without warning, the Chrotos killed billions of innocents. We don’t kill innocents. If everyone decides to just never come here again, we aren’t a danger to anyone,” Rick argued. “Not to mention, we’ve saved more people that we’ve killed.”

“You have some fair points. I just wonder what the point of all of it is,” he said.

“Don’t we all sometimes? That’s one of those questions that only comes up when you’re unhappy,” Rick said.

The gunslinger raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I know it’s hard to understand right now, but you need to figure out something you enjoy. Is there anything that makes you happy right now? Because believe me, nobody has ever asked that question while dipping a strawberry under a fountain of chocolate.”

“I’m not sure. The wolves make me happy, but not truly,” Billy frowned. “What about you? What do you do?”

“It used to be mostly good food and diving into the history of something. I still want both of those things, but I haven’t had the time lately. Of course, a whole new universe of opportunities has opened up to us. That makes me happy.”

“I see. I’ll try to discover something that I enjoy,” Billy said with faux optimism.

“Tell ‘ya what,” Rick said. “Once I’m able to get some more Energy, I’ll get you a little canoe, a fishing rod, and stock the lake up with fish. You can even take a cooler of beer. Very relaxing.”

“Thanks, Rick. In the meantime, I’ll go bug the annoying lizard.”

Rick was glad to move away from that conversation, but Rick had known for some time that he’d need to do something for his minions between Challengers. He spent the next hour feeding the children on the first floor and hoping to see Jimmy and Atrono come back, but they hadn’t yet. They still had some time before he activated the Pest Control ships.

Most of the kids were calming down after a full belly until a particularly annoying woman began causing a ruckus by stealing one of the children’s food. Some of the other adults tried to subdue her. A man grabbed her arm, trying to disarm her from the pizza she held in her hands.

“I have low blood sugar!” the woman screamed before jamming the entire slice of pizza in her mouth with her free hand.