I chased the cavern killers Lock and Lode through the dry cavern. A few men on mecha’s split off from the main group at Lock’s command.

“You guy’s take out black’s guards!” Eli yelled.

“Consider them taken.” Trixie said, following the second group.

“Alex and I will wrap up, Lock and Lode before they can deliver that thing to Dr. Blakk.” Eli said.

“We have no idea what that thing does.”  I said.  “Maybe it’s lunch.” I said, upbeat.

“I doubt that.” Eli said. We split up.

Lock fired a ghoul that cut a rock formation down, tumbling in our path.  Eli fired Banger, his Armashelt, and blasted the rock apart. “Great work, Banger!” He called back.

Thanks.

The cavern killers fired and I Fired an Arachne slug. Eli had also fired his and our slugs caught the ghouls and bounced them back. They fired a ghouled, hot rock, Frostcrawler, grenuker and armashelt at us.

“Burpy, you’re up.” Eli said.

“Use my Tazerling.” I called out.

We fired and the combined power of our slugs devastated the ghouls. Eli fires his Tazerling and hit the mecha causing it to loosen the container we were after. I heard an explosion behind me and saw Trixe, Kord, and Pronto join us.

We followed the men over a narrow bridge. Lock fired and the bridge began to collapse. Eli fired a Frostcrawler and we slid over the ice. Reaching the other side I stopped. “Everyone okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, thanks to Chiller!” Eli praised.

Suddenly the ice collapsed, sending the slug flying into the abbess. I saw my Arachne slug web him in and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Eli looked at his slugs on the other side of the chasm longingly. “We have to go.” Trixie said.

“The slugs will be alright.” I said.

“See you guys back at the hideout.” Eli yelled across the chasm.

“Long before us, no doubt.” Pronto said, as we began to run. “It’s as if slugs have their own secret way around Slugterra. A way they refuse to share with Pronto!” He looked accusingly at his flatuarinkus. I dodged a slug as Kord fired.

Lode laughed as the slug generated itch overtook him. He accidently fired at his brother and lock yelled at him.

“They’re pulling away.” I yelled.

“I’m gonna have a hard time stopping them with glimmer and Suds.” Eli protested, gesturing to his Jellyish and phospero.

“Then allow me.” Trixie said. She fired and a tornado ripped the box to pieces. We slowed to a halt to survey the debris.

“Why didn’t you do that before?” Pronto yelled.

“I didn’t mean to destroy it.” Trixie said.

“As long as Blakk doesn’t get it, I’d call that a win.” Eli said. “Though I’d like to be celebrating with my slugs.”

“Slugs always find their way home.” I assured him.

“Your right.” Eli said as we headed home. “I’m sure they will be there relaxing.”

We reached a cavern that we had been through hundreds of times but it seemed different.  The people looked glum and hungry. The lights and buildings looked dirty. “It seems different.” I said.

“Last time I was here the town was fat and happy.” Pronto said rubbing his belly.

“So it was stranger.” A man said. “Until Munch showed up, at least. Come into town, big as a boulder and dumb as a sack of hammers, and ate us out of house and home.”

“Why not just kick the bum out on his,” Kord asked. “You know, bum?”

“Cause no one beats Munch!” A hulking goliath yelled. His skin was green and he had only one eye. “You and your slugs come into Munch’s cavern to challenge much to a duel?” He stuck his finger, as thick as my wrist in Eli’s face.

Eli batted it aside. “If I win, you leave this cavern and never come back when I beat you, then yeah, I’ll duel ya.”

“Eli?” I said.

“Not now, I’m trash talking.” I threw an empty slug canister at his head. “What?”

“Your slugs.” I said. “Few short.”

“No problem.” Kord said. “I’ll lend you Bludgeon.”

“And Pronto will give you the hounor of fighting with my flatuarinkus.”

“No!” Much yelled. “No ringers. You said you and your slugs gonna duel Munch.”

“You did agree to that Eli.” Trixie said.

“After Munch beats Eli Shane, Munch will be King of the Cavern!” He laughed evilly.

“Smart move, Eli.” I heard him scold himself. “Now you got to duel a guy with a bandoleer of powered up bruisers, while Burpy and the others are back home.”

Eli sent everyone but Pronto to the club house to retrieve his slugs. I took off for the hideout and raced silently with Trixie and Kord. We reached the club house and I dashed inside. “Burpy?” I called out. I looked at the others. “Their not here.”

“What do we do?” Kord asked.

“Head back and tell Eli the Truth.” I said. “If I know him, Glimmer and Suds should be able to hold out. I’ll send out a message and hopefully the slugs will find their way to him.”

We mounted up and headed to the cavern. Eli was in the mud, having just fired Glimmer. “Just in time.” He said. “I don’t think we could have lasted another minute. Where’s Burpy?”

“Sorry, Eli.” Kord said

“But if they’re not coming then…” Eli looked at the giant charging at him. “Maybe we can’t win but you guys ready to go down fighting?”

The chirped in agreement when an elephant mecha came out of nowhere a slammed into Munch. I looked in amazement to see the missing slugs hop from the driver seat.

“Burpy, Joules? I don’t believe it!” Eli cried out. “You guys are here?”

“And driving a mecha.” Kord said in awe.

“Can slugs even do that?” Pronto asked.

“Apparently Eli’s can.” I said.

“Those are your slugs?” Munch asked. “You lasted this long with two floppers! No way is Munch fighting Slugs who can do that! Munch is out of here!” He started to run as the people of the cavern cheered.

“Don’t listen to him.” Eli told Glimmer and Suds. “You guys aren’t floppers. You did me proud.” He turned to the rest of his slugs still on the mecha. “I’m glad you guys are okay, what happened?”

They started to speak furiously.

“Uhh?” Eli said.

“They were goofing off of course.” Pronto said. The slugs spit at him. Burpy banged his head on the elephant as Pronto told his exaggerated story.

“Let’s head home and I’ll translate.” I said.

Eager to hear the story we left and sat down in the living room. Eli set Burpy and the AWAL slugs on the table and I did the mental switch to shadow listening. I still had trouble with long messages from slugs.

We crowded around the table and I listened to Brupy’s tale.

“They were going home when Chiller sneezed, creating an ice block. They fell into undertow cavern where they hitched a ride on a log. They spotted a slug hound swimming after them and spinner webbed in Chiller who was still in the water. They ran to the other end of the log when the slug hound got on. Chiller sneezed and froze the hound’s head. It fell off and the current swept it away. They looked ahead and saw a sawmill. They dodged the blades and Joules electrocuted the power box, stopping the conveyor belt. Chiller fell over and saw an exit. Spinner shot a web and catapulted them out. They were in a forge and a claw knocked them into a box. When they got out, they saw the slug hound had found them and they ran through a shop. Spinner made a parachute of web and they jumped off a bridge on to a train. The slug hound followed them but was knocked off. They heard voices and saw Lock and Lode on the train. Chiller wanted a closer look and knocked Burpy down. Lock grabbed him. He said he was going to ghoul him. Burpy lit up and escaped only to have Lock hold him against the window with a metal bowl. Spinner made a rope and Banger broke the window and rescued him. They jumped off the train by the mall and ran from Lock and lode into the Mall. They hitched a ride in a purse and got away for a while until Lock and Lode found them in the Elephant Mecha. They were going to cut off their heads when a train ran between them. The slug hound jumped off the roof and tried to eat them. Joules got on a stick and they used their combined weight to reach velocity. The slug hound was knocked out and they tired Banger to the stick and used him as a steering wheel. Lock and lode got in the way and joules electrocuted the hound making him jump. They all got in the cockpit and had at Lock who was driving. They couldn’t control it very well when they found us.”

They stared in amazement at the slugs.

“And that’s why they were late.” I said, grinning.