PAW Patrol: Incubus

Chapter 14- Terminal Pathogen

The final minutes of travel to the outpost were eerily silent. A low fog began gradually appearing under their feet, increasing in size until it nearly blinded the squad to anything in front of them. They went on high alert, moving as if they were tiptoeing through a beast's lair, but not a single threat came from the fog. The eyes had even stopped opening to watch them, leaving the research team as nothing but idle spirits wandering through the dark forest. The entire Omnihive had seemingly fallen silent, mournfully breathing to itself. They arrived at the outpost before long; a small, yet secure building hastily set up within the shadows of the dogtrees. It was simple in design, with reinforced sides and entrance, windows made of tempered glass to keep the outside out. They entered swiftly, unnerved by the silence and half-expecting to be jumped in the final seconds.

The interior of the outpost was only made of a few rooms, the main research area acting as the center. Various shelves and cabinets lined the walls, some shut tightly and others overflowing with papers and objects. The floor was filthy, caked in dust and bloodied paw prints from the dozens of lost souls previously stationed there. All doomed workers cast away into the dark abyss, their final screams embedded in the Omnihive's booming voice. Never would they be at peace, even in death the hivemind continued to keep them within its claws. Ryder sighed and relaxed his body for the first time in hours, placing his gun down on the table. "So what happens here exactly? We sit around and tell campfire tales?"

Averus walked to the chemistry tables in the middle of the room, observing the mess of tools and glass objects standing tall. "We're supposed to make FRX here," he said, meticulously scanning each one for faults or imperfections. "There's some nap rooms in here, if anyone wants to take a fifteen-minute break." Parker and Danny joined him, going to their own stations.

"I'm never sleeping again," Marshall grumbled, coming to Rocky's side. "As long as we're safe in here, it's alright with me."

"It's probably the safest place in this entire realm," Averus nodded to the Dalmatian. "It's too secure for anything to get in; so if you want to rest for a few minutes, you can."

"How secure?" Rocky raised an eyebrow at the husky. "You're positive nothing can get in here?"

Averus shrugged, "reinforced entry points from all sides, what else could you ask for?"

"What about the vents?"

"The what?"

"The vents," Rocky almost growled. "I guarantee you those things are well accustomed to entering ducts, I know it for a fact," He approached the scientist with narrowed eyes. "Are the vents protected with the same material?"

"I..." Averus looked to the side, stuttering briefly. "That never really crossed our minds."

"What, why? Why would you not assume it could use vents?"

"Won't windows and doors be all we need?"

"No! We're just as exposed here as we were outside!" Rocky barked, flattening his ears at the situation. "No wonder so many of you are killed."

"As long as we don't call attention to ourselves, we're fine," Ryder called over, trying to end the argument.

"Maybe so, but we're still vulnerable. If we're going to properly protect you... we need to be armed."

"We are, though," Averus shrugged. "Ryder has a rifle."

"No, we all need to be armed!" the captain barked. "We can't just let one person have a gun; we all need to be prepared if something goes wrong."