Arc 7 Healthy Green Glow, Chapter 10

I pet Mr. Whiskers. It was surprising how intelligent this rat was. It was almost as though somebody had trained him. I mean, he knew tricks. Must be as smart as a dog, maybe even more so.

I extended my hand, “Shake.”

The rat plopped a paw into my hand and started wagging the leathery tail.

“Roll over.”

Whiskers gave me a funny look, but after I swirled my finger, he flopped down and rolled over. It was almost cute, if this wasn’t a filthy giant sewer rat.

“Play dead,” I said.

He tilted his head and lay flat before rolling onto his back, stuck his feet in the air and hung his tongue out of his mouth. The toes and feet twitched. Oh, he’s good. Stop hamming it up, what are you going for an Oscar?

You know, maybe he wouldn’t be so bad with a little TLC. I bet a good old bath with some dog shampoo and a bit of that Rad-Gone would fix this little guy all up. I could brush him and love him and take him for long spirited walks. I would need a good leash though, can’t let him get loose and start fights with dogs or something. I mean, jeez, I don’t wanna pay for vet bills after he tears up some pooch. I especially don’t wanna get sued if he mauls somebody. I would probably have to get him registered, rabies shots, and stuff too. Oh, the woes of pet ownership.

“Who is such a good ratty?” I said, scratching him under the chin.

I might be getting ahead of myself, there is no telling if I can actually keep him or not. Sad really, I am getting a bit attached. Might just be my lack of human contact at the moment. At any rate, he is a good boy, such a good boy. I called him to me and Whiskers scampered on over, rubbing affectionately against my side. I sat, petting his head while thinking. I had been running away from my problems. I was in a bit of a pickle here. From what I have seen there is no other entrances or exits to this place or rather none that I can get through.

Why was this a problem? Well from the sounds of things out there. She had not given up on me yet. The wall shook every now and again from a brutal blow. She had been at for a good hour or so. Thank Helix the Bronson sewers were built to withstand 7.0 earthquakes or else she would have broken through in a matter of minutes. The claws scraped tirelessly out there. Awkwardly, I looked at my own claws, damn these digging designed hands. Speaking of digging… maybe I could tunnel my way out before she gets here? It is probably too late for that already.

She is faster than me, stronger than me, but the real question was, was she smarter than me? From what I had seen so far, no, not at all. However, that could just be a clever ruse! I could try to escape, but if she is having that much trouble getting through, then what kind of chances did I have when I hit the sewer system again? I would just be wasting my time and trapping myself. Well, if I can’t run, nor hide since she already has my scent, and I can’t fight her heads up… then what the hell am I supposed to do? I might be able to trick her.

I surveyed the room for my assets. It was a fairly large dome shaped room. The roof leaked radioactive liquid and below it was a rather deep pool of the glowing fluid. The walls were alive with the man-sized cockroaches scuttling around. They waved their antennae nervously every time a vibration crept through the wall. Other than the size, there didn’t appear to be anything weird about them. I had Whiskers at my disposal, but he was a coward and I knew full well that he would flee the moment she broke in. What else was there around here? I mean, how the hell am I supposed to McGuver up some magically complex strategy without at the least a rubber band, some chewing gum, and a stick? I think, I might be boned.

I wonder what is in that pool? Maybe I could hide from her in there? Launch a surprise attack like Sly Marbo? I could probably get the jump on her and sting her. Wait, what if she is like immune to my venom? Ah shit, her carapace is tougher too isn’t it? I wouldn’t even be able to sting her properly. But what if she catches me and stings me? I mean she is bigger so it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to think that her venom was deadlier than mine. I mean shit, mine is just to subdue my prey. What if hers is to kill or if it lasts longer or hurts more? Things were looking grim for poor little me. Something tells me I am either going to be eaten or raped and subsequently killed by said rape.

I would suck some serious dick right now to have Neon Nurse’s sleepy time drug, like a whole gallon of it. If I had that shit then I could attempt to lull her into a false sense of security and stab her in a vulnerable spot before fleeing in terror. Wishful thinking. Best not fantasize about things I don’t have. Let’s see, there is a metal pipe, I could clock her over the dome when she breaks through the wall? Nah, carapace is too thick. It would just glance off and break the pipe. In all likelihood, she wouldn’t even feel it.

The only thing that I had an abundance of was roaches. The filthy little fuckers were everywhere. It is hard to think with all these scuttling little legs everywhere. Hmm, wait I could use the roaches. Yes, yes, I could use them as meat shields and skitter away like a bug when she is distracted. It is perfect, it is fool proof! Ah fuck. How am I going to get them all off of the roof? They are scared and have retreated to the back corner. I will give you something to be scared of!

My wings flapped unsteadily and I took to the air, buzzing toward them. Sure enough, they sensed me coming and the writhing wall shifted away from where I was heading. Damn, these bastards are fast! Hey, come back here, you little! I had underestimated the wiliness of the giant Bronson city roach. I chased them back and forth until I had them cornered, ah ha! I have you now- Wait, what the hell are they doing? They were balling up together. What are they up to? It is almost like they are… don’t tell me this is that so-called hive mind thing I had heard about in stories. Are they sentient? Ah shit, how does one kill that which has on mind but many bodies?

Suddenly one of them was launched at me. It flew at a blinding speed, unknown to any regular roach. Oh no, these were super roaches, saviors of the sewers! I might be in over my head. Or am I? I swung down, smacking the dastardly fiend out of the air straight into the glowing pool below. I am the Hero here don’t you try anything funny. You are getting ahead of yourselves, you filthy vermin! They tried again and I hammer fisted the little bugger into paste. Who is next? Who wants some?

It seems that they abandoned that plan. I guess they realized throwing their bodies at me was useless. Now what are they up to? They shifted and then I saw it, the grandpappy roach. Ruler of this subterranean kingdom, no he must the Emperor of this sprawling mass. By all that is holy that thing is huge. How was this thing hiding in here? It is bigger than I am. I am starting to feel inadequate here. Why is everything bigger than me? I shall do battle with their leader and claim his empire for my own! With an army of roaches, I shall be unstoppable. The sewers shall be my oyster!

“Prepare yourselves!” I declared, pointing at him.

Papa roach didn’t like that. He started doing gestures with his claws. Is he trying to communicate? An extended middle claw? I just got flipped off by a roach. Never thought that would happen. Wait a minute, hey, that is rude. Don’t give me no sass. Just be good and die! He flicked his wings and made some sort of sound. It was almost like a hiss. Dear Helix above, this thing is a hissing cockroach! I knew there was something different about it- they all shifted and started screeching at me. Uh oh. I started backing away and then as though to a signal the scurrying tide of black carapaces flooded towards me.

There were clearly too many of them to fight, hell that is why I wanted to use them in the first place. I mean, if push came to shove, I probably could kill them all, but I wanted them alive. Individually, they were weak, but together it was a downright nightmare. Whiskers had already fled to a far corner. You! I knew I shouldn’t have trusted a rat. There was only one thing to do. I must subdue Papa roach or all hope will be lost! But how was I going to get to him? He was clear in the back behind his waves of minions.

I smacked down another pest, they were pressing in around me, cornering me like an animal. I can’t take it anymore! I started rotating my arms, disturbing the air. Cockroaches are very sensitive to air vibrations and currents. They got all these little hairs all over their bodies. Something changes in their environment and set off various impulses. It is part of why they are so damned hard to hit with a shoe or something. They got the reflexes ingrained into them. If I recall they are sensitive to smells too. My vents burst open, releasing my angry smell.

It worked. They scattered once the air rushed over them. I guess even if they are smartish they still can’t beat nature. They know I am stronger and it scares the shit outta the rank and file. They turned tail, parting around me like a boulder in the river. This was no hive mind the big one was controlling the others. Now was my chance. I rushed forward, lunging at the now screaming Papa roach.

“Reee!” screeched from all around. Damn it, they had started to circle back.

He rose up slashing down with a knife. I blocked it with my forearm and the blade shattered on my skin… A, a knife? What the hell? Where did it get a knife from? THEY ARE LEARNING! It knows how to use tools. What is next, fire? Does it know about that brilliant crimson flower in this dark abyss of ignorance? They are growing intelligent thought. It really is a hive mind! I must kill it, kill them before they can breed and take over the surface world. They shall not inherit the earth. Not so long as I have anything to say about it!

Those large bulbous eyes, staring at me. This is one bad roach. I feigned a left hook and it went to block, that was when I came from the right and clocked it right in the eye. He wasn’t expecting that. It staggered from the blow and I could see that the thick exoskeleton was cracked open and gushing blood. I tackled in like a lineman and smashed it into the wall, pinning it so that it could not escape. It kept screeching in my antennae, barking out orders to the army quickly closing in.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The first reached me, grabbing at my leg to try and ruin my balance. I kicked it and the blow shattered the face, crumpling in the head. It let go and I reached back, sending my fist straight into Papa roach’s wound. The insides squished around my fingers as I kept digging through his head. The others started swarming me, but it was already too late. I yanked back, tearing out the over-sized brain. It was like a grapefruit in proportions. That is pretty damned big for a bug.

Though Papa was dead, he didn’t know that. His body still worked on nerves and muscle spasms. It kept clawing at me, trying to escape. I grasped one of the writhing feelers and the body calmed down. Eh? Weird. It is still alive, but he ain’t got no brain. I let him go and he flopped down running aimlessly and the horde of cockroaches followed. I stood watching it for a few minutes and it was then that I realized something. I could control that thing. The hairs and the feelers were making the body react to its surroundings. If I directed it, then I had my own personal wall of meat shields. Of course, I am going to have to test it to be sure.

I waited for him to circle back since it was a very predictable path. Literally just running until he hit something. Sure enough, he bumbled on over and I threw myself onto his back. He bucked and reared from the sudden stimuli, causing me to death grip on or else get thrown off. I worked my way up and coiled my fingers around his two feelers. I pulled back and he stopped dead in his tracks. Oh, they are like joysticks. I shifted them to the right side and he walked that way. I did the opposite same was true. So, my hypothesis was true.

It was a good thing too, cause the rumbling of my amorous pursuer breaking through the wall had reached a fevered pitch. She was almost here, but I was not ready for a confrontation just yet. I still needed to figure out a way to disable her or at minimum slow her down. A trap would do, but what sort? I looked over the room again, there must be something I missed. I stopped in my tracks, staring at the overhanging rock face. I could make that fall on her. It wouldn’t stop her, but it would certainly stun her if the ceiling came down on top of her head.

I shimmied up the wall, vibrations quaking through the stone below me. She sounded desperate, sad. It made my stomach queasy, I held it for a moment. It took a few breaths to rid myself of these feelings. It is like I feel guilty or something. Now was not the time for that. My claws dug into the hardened rock. It was surprisingly easy to tunnel through. I chiseled and catacombed the packed soil, getting it so that it was in a large chunk. I could feel that it was loose, just a bit of pressure and it would come crashing down right where she was going to come in.

I sat up there waiting, listening to every sound, feeling every nuanced vibration. A crack rang out and the wall below burst open. Her claws entered below me and she stuck her head in, smelling. The roaches coward around their fallen leader and Whiskers sat in a far corner, hidden behind a rock. More of her came into the room and I kicked with all my strength, dislodging the huge chunk of earth. It cascaded down, slamming on top of her exposed head and upper body.

Dust filled the air as the rocks came to a standstill. I wasn’t taking any chances and zipped over to my mount. I pulled the feelers like reins and we started to move with the swarming host of roaches behind. Just as I feared, the ground rumbled and she roared. Lifting up her silhouette drug itself up, scattering the rubble. My initial thought was to flee, but that would do me no good, she would catch up. This was my best opportunity. It was now or never. Her movements were confined, she looked exhausted after breaking through to here and she appeared to be disorientated. I had to act now.

“Hya! Charge!” I cried out, kicking the sides of my new steed.

Pappy didn’t like that, but he reluctantly started to gain speed. It became a full skittering dash by the time we reached her and he broadsided straight into her chest. The momentum was enough to take him out permanently, crushing his head, but his purpose was complete. The rest swarmed her, hissing and screeching. I could tell it was overwhelming her senses as she fought desperately, clawing at the masses that kept coming. Wave after wave. Many will die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

As she thrashed and squashed bugs left and right, I watched, waiting for the opening to reveal itself. I had to find a weak point or this will have been for nothing. I peered over her carapace, looking for chinks in the armor or cracks or just squishy flesh in general. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything on her body that could be exploited. Nothing about her was even remotely soft, save her mouth. I ain’t sticking my stinger in there, she might bite it off.

Her tentacles crushed several of the roaches, tossing them away. Oh, right, I had forgotten about the tentacles. How could I have possibly forgotten about those? They were soft, yet muscular and a little slimy too. It sent shivers through my body just thinking about them. I slapped myself, now is not the time for that. They were her weak point. I watched her movements and timed it so that her head came down. I straddled her large head, venting to distract her. My abdomen bulged dripping as the stinger emerged, thrusting down into the undulating flesh. She cried out as I held on for dear life and started pumping my payload into her.

I had just about squeezed every last drop out when her struggling intensified. She shook back and forth dislodging me and her arms lashed out dashing the bugs against the walls, smashing anything and everything around her. She screamed, holding her face with one hand and pulling herself free with the other three. Her mouth opened, mandibles twitching and snapping shut. All of her eyes stared at me as she took a step, starting to wobble as she got closer. Her claws stretched out, grasping for me as she steadily lost strength.

She collapsed, throwing up mere feet away from me. Her whole body convulsed and writhed. The breathing became hoarse and labored. All the while she kept dragging herself hand over hand to me. Such, such resolve. Does she hate me that much? Her movements slowed until they stopped all together. Did, did I kill her? No, that can’t be my venom is only paralytic. Although, I did give her a lot of it. Did I overdose her? I don’t think I can be proud of this.

Something warm and wet rolled down my face and I realized that I was crying. Why? She, she was trying to kill me. But then why do I feel so bad about this? It was only now that I smelled her. She hadn’t been in hunting mode, even after all that I did. It was a sad, yet happy smell. I don’t understand. Was she worried about me this whole time and then she was happy to see me? I sat next to her, holding my knees. This is all my fault. I killed her, the only other of my kind. I was the one who led her on, I sent her the signals. So, of course, she would try to mate with me. Then I rejected her and basically kicked her in the balls before running away. Of course she would be mad, I would be mad if somebody did that to me.

I rubbed my face, I am a terrible person. What have I done? Who was the real monster? God, if I had been left all alone in these sewers, fighting for survival in this irradiated hell hole with zero human contact, would I have really been any different? How long has she been down here like this? No wonder she was so damned happy to see me. She must have been so, so alone. I can’t even fathom her sorrow. She must have been so excited to find another of her kind. To finally not be alone and I took that from her.

So that is why she was so determined. If it was just over food there is no way that she would have bashed through that wall even after it took so long. She didn’t want to be alone anymore. I am a monster. I killed her… I killed her. I didn’t mean to, I just wanted to stop her, to escape. Was she really even going to hurt me? I was too scared of what she might do to even look at her properly.

‘Sub I know you can hear me. What, what should I do?’

You screwed the pooch on this one, didn’t you?

‘Can you think of anything that could save her?’

Not really. We are just going to have to wait until she either pulls through or dies.

‘My venom won’t kill her will it?’

I don’t know. You squeezed the whole sack into her. There is no telling what that is going to do.

‘What do you mean you don’t know? Sub, you know everything.’

I said, I don’t know. I am not some omnipresent entity that knows all of life’s secrets, ok?

‘But you know all about the body Sub.’

Yeah, cause I have explored the workings of our body since I got nothing better to do.

‘Sub-’

Vesper, just shut the fuck up for right now. I don’t think I have ever been this mad before. Growled Sub in my head.

‘Why are you mad?’

I could feel her cold eyes on me. You really have to ask that? You ruined my plans!

‘What plans?’

You better hope she does not die. I was going to use her.

‘For what?’

Breeding you idiot!

‘But, but she is too big!’

If you weren’t so obsessed with getting fucked like a whore, then you would have realized it is a two-way street!

‘You are so mean. It is your fault I couldn’t think straight.’

Think about it, we could put it in her.

‘Oh, well I am sorry. I am not used to having the equivalent of a dick. The thought hardly even crossed my mind. Here I was thinking I was going to railed and filled with hot juicy bug love.’

Well, that is true. You are always the bottom when we play around. You need to grow a pair and be the man in this relationship.

‘I am not the bottom all the time... it is like fifty-fifty. Be the man? But I am a girl. I don’t even lay eggs yet. How are we going to breed?’

Did you ever think that maybe, she lays eggs?

Oh… I hadn’t thought of that. She is bigger than me. Could it be that she is an adult? Is this what I will turn into one day? I sat observing her. She certainly was beautiful. It is weird though, I have conflicting thoughts. On one hand, she does look monstrous, yet another part of me finds her… irresistible. Is this what it means to find a mate? I don’t know, but my hearts are beating rather quickly. Is this, don’t tell me this is love? No, this isn’t love. This is lust. I wanted her, but I should let her rest.

I heard a low, pained cry. It was more of a gasp really. My eyes fell on her and the tentacles twitched.

“You are alive?!” I cried happily, cradling her face against my chest.

Her listless eyes gained some life as they shifted around looking at things. When they focused in on me and her antennae flopped against me, smelling, her eyes opened wide with fear. The stench poured out of her as she attempted to escape and failed miserably due to her limbs not working properly. She was scared of me now. I pet her head and she cringed away, wincing. I smiled sadly. It appears that I have a lot of work to do if I am going to get back on her good side.

“No more pain,” I said, stroking her gently, “I won’t hurt you anymore, unless I have to.”

I don’t think she understood me at all. At the least, I hope that I can convey my intentions to her. It would be better not to fight. She seems a lot more subdued than before. Did I become the Alpha in our relationship by beating her into submission? It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to happen. She does act like an animal for the most part, so supremacy is something that must be established, for both of our sakes.

I hugged her and my fingers coiled around her tentacles, stroking them and rubbing them. If these are anything like mine, then they are as sensitive as fingers and it feels good to be rubbed here. After a bit of coaxing, she purred. I smiled broadly, I was right. She is just like me. So then, maybe all that she wanted was a little love. I purred right back at her and her resistance to me faded almost immediately. She let me do as I pleased with a soft smile on her face.

“You weren’t a bad girl at all, were you? I know, how about I give you a name? Unless you have one already?”

It was clear that she didn’t understand me. She just looked at me curiously. Well, I guess there is no helping it. For all I know she was raised by rats or something. I suppose she isn’t that much different than those children who were abandoned in the wilderness and grew up without human contact. She likely won’t be able to fully assimilate into human society. Something tells me, she won’ be accepted if I bring her back, I guess, I guess I will have to hide her then. Oh no. If they find her and catch her, they will send her to the Institute.

I smiled, looking her over, “What do you think of Astrea?”