Slugterran Saviours

Chapter 24

TRIGGER WARNING: Chapter contains strong and mature themes, such as strong language, self harm and torture. Read at your own risk.

It's been a few days since Leo's death.

Since then, Slugterra has been in shambles. Ataro was at his peak of power, attacking caverns nearly everyday, kidnapping citizens to ghoul, to turn into mindless monsters that only served him. A half of Slugterra's energy had been corrupted, taking half of the 99 caverns with it. The Energy Elemental, Doc, previously owned by the Shane Gang, had fallen sick due to the dark energy building up in the caverns, causing the remaining energy in the 99 Caverns to start fading away all together. The Shadow Clan had taken him in hopes to cure him, taking him to the Southern Caverns, the most stable set of caverns, protected and guarded by the Windgate Siblings, Lisa and Nathan Windgate. The government couldn't risk spreading fear throughout the 99 caverns, so the public didn't know about Leo Shane's death, but conspiracy theories started to circulate when Alana Caelum was stripped of her position as a Defender with unnamed dishonour, and when Sam Gray was fired from Bonnie Springs Hospital, Avertine Fia taking her place as Head of the Defender's department.

And after Leo's funeral, the Shane Gang made their way home, parked their mecha beasts, and made their way their rooms silently. No one commented on the fact that Alana was already home, that her sobs could be heard from inside the room she used to share with their leader. No one commented on the fact that she had been screaming at the entrance of his funeral, begging the security slingers they had hired to allow her in, trying desperately to push past tall, strong cave trolls to get to her lover's grave, to see him for one last time. No one commented on the fact that Junjie stopped short when their eyes met, Junjie holding her gaze as he resentfully revealed what Alana Caelum did to him, loud enough for her to hear. Tension rang between the gang, the remaining four of them falling apart at the seams as they tried to keep the caverns in order.

But one particular mission shattered them beyond repair.

A simple recon mission with the Defensores Antris turned into a catastrophe when they were caught by the Masked Damsel, all four of them venting their rage upon the girl, turning their battle into a mess, the four of them barely escaping with their lives.

A few hours later, Kord's mecha beast was gone, along with some of his belongings. He had left a note, saying he couldn't stay here after everything that happened, that he went to Maie's house. And in a few hours, Trixie left too, telling Junjie and Alana she was going to Brodie's new home in Lumino Cavern. And Alana tried to reason with Junjie, which led to shattered souls, hoarse voices and the sound of a mecha revving away.

And all Junjie did was cry, as blood dripped from lines on Junjie's wrists.

His eyes were empty as he watched the crimson red substance flow, drawing over the faint lines on the undersides of his lower arms. The blood dripped from the crimson red lines on his wrists, starting to pool up on the empty desk in his room, where his hand lay. He let the pain sting for a while, every jab of hurt numbing the agony in his heart, the blood spilling from the wound providing a sick, twisted sense of comfort. He would have felt bad for feeling comfort in mutilating himself, for finding solace in the ache in his arm, he would have thought about what the rest of the Shane Gang would say.

But the Shane Gang was torn apart.

And the memories plagued Junjie as he walked out of his bedroom, his former comrades flashing before his eyes as he saw his friends sitting where they usually did, their seats now vacant and empty, their figures indented in the seats.

His eyes flashed over to the hammock, where Aquito used to sit, watching as Pronto fell for another o this elaborate pranks. Then to the wheeled chair, where Eli fooled around, spinning around on the chair. Then to the big armchair, where Trixie and Ashley sat, laughing away. Then to the sofa, where Kord, John and the slugs liked to hang around on, lighthearted conversation filling the air.