Chapter 7: Grey Forces

All their efforts had been in vain.

Eli's lean body was hunched over Trixie's dejectedly. His hands clutched her limp body and he whispered, "Trixie, come back to me."

The rest of the Shane Gang were kneeling next to the navy-haired teen with sullen looks.

Kord hesitantly announced, "Eli, we have to go. Blakk will..."

"TO HELL WITH HIM!" Eli yelled.

Kord winced. Pronto opened his mouth to say something but the Cave Troll shook his huge head in absolute discouragement.

If Blakk actually sends his men to finish us off, our best slinger is in no condition to fight them off. The molenoid was crestfallen.

The light was getting dimmer and their hopes of leaving the cavern were also diminishing. Eli clenched his fists in determination.

Blakk is going to pay!

Burpy chirped excitedly at his owner. The Shane jumped up and instantly wore the Shadow Talker. Hope shone in Eli's eyes. Kord and Pronto stared at their leader, then at each other. Confusion mixed with a bit of fear was etched on their faces.

Whispers.

"They are here," Eli announced emotionlessly.

Three Shadow Clan members materialised behind Eli and Trixie's corpse. There surveyed their surroundings to assess their own safety. When they were satisfied, one of them wearing a crown crept silently towards Trixie.

"This one is no more," The Leader stated the obvious.

"Help her," Eli ordered.

The creature strutted proudly around Trixie's corpse, close to wear Pronto was standing, to his dismay. Pronto stiffened and watched it warily.

The two other Shadow Clan creatures just crouched behind Kord.

"Son of Shane, we do not have the power to grant life force," the leader stated, his glowing green eyes fixated on the redhead.

"Please help us! Blakk has something big planned," Eli pleaded, his eyes filled with tears.

The creature stared emotionlessly at the Shane.

Convinced that the Shadow Clan definitely knew something but was unwilling to share the knowledge, the teen blurted out, "If you don't help her, I will quit all my responsibilities. Good luck trying to stop Blakk!"

"Eli!"Kord and Pronto stared at him in disbelief.

"I swear!"

One of the ears of the leader flicked. He looked hesitantly at the determined teen glowering at him. The Shane was definitely stubborn like his father.

"What you are asking for is dangerous. However, we will grant your wish on one condition," the Shadow creature turned and stared solemnly at the grey overhanging cliff as if it was suddenly transformed into a giant plasma screen.

"I'll do anything!"

"You have to stop Blakk at all costs," the creature snarled and stooped threateningly over Eli who was half its height.

The Shane nodded warily, still shaken by the sudden change in his mentor's composure. The air became heavy as if what the fate of Slugterra hung on what the leader was about to tell them. Pronto cleared throat nervously and as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Kord's hand instantly clamped the molenoid's mouth, or rather his whole face.

The navy-haired boy stepped cautiously towards the Shadow Clan leader, "I'll do everything in my power to stop him. It's what my dad would have done to protect Slugterra."

The leader glanced at the rest of the Shane gang, before gazing back at Eli with its glowing green eyes. Eli was about to take another step, but hisses from the other two Shadow Clan portrayed their disapproval and uneasiness at such a bold attempt to invade their leader's personal space.

Better not try these guys. Eli remained at the same place and Burpy lit up its orange flame.

"It's alright Burpy, they have agreed to help," the Shane soothed his infurnus, who just stared at the Shadow clan as if they had suddenly gone mad.

Kord scratched his neck nervously then whispered to Eli, "Bro, are you sure about this? These guys aren't that charitable."

"Pronto thinks there is a catch," the shortest member of the gang voiced his concerns.

"Remember, son of Shane. Where there's death, there will always be death."

Eli shook his head, "What does that even mean?"

The Shadow clan dematerialised, leaving no residue as evidence of their visit.

Pronto stared at an invisible spot on the cavern ceiling and mumbled, "The Shadow Clan speak in riddles that only I, Pronto can..."

The teen had already packed everything and Kord was holding Trixie's corpse delicately on his mecha.

"Pronto!"

The chorus startled the molenoid.

Kord shifted slightly, "So how do we get there?"

Eli smiled slightly but there was no warmth in his eyes. He extended his arm and a ball of black and green bathed his face in its surreal glow.

In no time, they had sped across the dry terrain with one objective in mind.

"Is there a time limit on these Shadow clan thingies?" Pronto inquired and steered clear of a jutting rock.

"Dunno," Kord shrugged his broad shoulders.

Eli glanced at the holographic map hovering just above the head of his wolf mecha.

"Let's not find out the hard way."

Pronto snorted loudly, "There is something amiss in this cavern."

The light was rapidly decreasing in intensity and vegetation became sparse. However, the species of slugs increased even the rare ones. The overhanging stalactites became more prominent, like daggers of a samurai, ready to succumb to gravity and slice them into mince. Stalagmites jutted unexpectedly from the ground as they sped on, with each leap, it became evident that their mechas will not be able to make it through the meshwork of stones. A thick pale vapour wafted from the floor like a ghost's embrace.

"What did you expect, neon lights and gold pavements?" Kord remarked.

Pronto shivered, "It is very spooky in here. The Shadow Clan must really love the dark."

"This is worse," Eli stopped abruptly and dismounted Lucky.

His companions did likewise, taking care not to touch anything that was not familiar.

"Even worse than the Lightwell?"

The Shane nodded slowly and the molenoid gulped audibly. Trixie was trussed over Kord's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The temperature had dropped by ten degrees and Eli could have sworn there were eyes watching him.

Paranoia. He shrugged his shoulders and armed himself with all his slugs, his trustworthy Infurnus perched neatly on his shoulder.

Kord slugged his Tormato slug and the fog was cleared. Three dark, forbidding tunnels were revealed.

"Which one do we take now?"

The teleporter glowed on its left side. The Shane set off with a renewed air of determination and his companions tagged behind him warily.

"What if we are not allowed to go with you like last time, Eli?"

Pronto and his questions. The navy-haired boy tilted his head backwards, his face a blank slate. To be honest, he had no idea what he was supposed to do so he kept quiet. It would have been easier if the Shadow Clan did not speak in riddles.

Where there is death, there will always be death? He marched into the darkness filled with uncertainty. His head ached and his heart had been turned to stone. If this did not work, he was no longer confident if he could still be the hero Slugterra needed.

Only a pure soul could successfully battle the forces of evil without being corrupted. It was something his father had said to him as part of a bed time story.

Maybe it was too late for him to go back to his ruined childhood. His father's disappearance had left a translucent residue of bitterness he could not completely erase. Foiling Blakk's plans had brought him some satisfaction. Trixie's death only made his hatred opaque.

Mo jumped onto his shoulder and startled him.

"Seems like your slug needs to show you something," Pronto announced the obvious. His voice echoed ominously throughout the tunnel.

Burpy had lit up and the oppressing darkness was a bit more bearable. Mo chirped to Eli pointed to the Tormato slug and then at Doc. Other slugs perched up eagerly at the shoulders of their slingers.

After a tirade of squeaks and chirps only Eli could comprehend, Pronto had had it.

"Just tell us already!"

Eli grinned sheepishly and then muttered, "Mo thinks that if we combine these two slugs and the Shadow Walker we can get to our destination faster, but..."

The molenoid's jaw dropped and he stuttered, "Whaaaat?!"

"They say two brains are better than one but it does not even apply to you Pronto," Kord jested.

"You!"

Before the argument developed into a full-blown slinging match, Eli cut in.

"BUUUUUT...Mo also says that it is risky because of the recent increase in Dark Water." Eli sighed and glanced at the still form of the redhead. The only girl he really liked.

Kord and Pronto glanced at each other and then at the young hero. They nodded but not eagerly.

Retrieving the double-barreled extension of his blaster, he enthusiastically announced, "LET'S DO IT."

Part of him wanted to tell them the whole dark truth but then why would he scare his friends when he needed them to be courageous. Hopefully they would not end up in the Deep Caverns like last time.

AT BLAKK INDUSTRIES

A blonde woman strutted proudly into Blakk's laboratory without knocking. The infamous scientist was too engrossed in his calculations to notice the unwelcomed intrusion.

She cleared her throat and Doctor Blakk turned slowly around, as if calculating any possible weapons of attack should the need arise. His eyes spotted his favourite firearm lying idly on top of his desk.

"Well, well. If it isn't Nina. Mission Report?"

"Business has always been the top priority for you as always," she flopped wearily on one of the chairs and noticed Blakk scrutinised her every move.

When he glared at her expectantly, she continued, "Mission Accomplished! Although we had a run in with the Shane gang."

Blakk's pupils dilated with anticipation, "Then what?"

"Patience is a virtue."

"I have never concerned myself with such trivialities. Where is Twist?" The pale man made himself comfortable on his huge velvet chair.

Twist barged in, his eyes shining with excitement. He marched towards the desk and cautiously placed the covered object in front of Blakk. The villain's mouth twitched. It was evident that he was suppressing a triumphant grin as he delicately unzipped the carrier bag.

The engulfing glow emanated and pulsated rhythmically.

"After years of research and wasted resources, I have finally found it! I can finally proceed to greater scientific achievements!" He exclaimed as if he was actually the one who did all the dirty work.

Nina stared blankly at her employer, bored by his monologue.

"Twist, send this to Quentin and tell him to start working immediately."

His apprentice smirked and sauntered off with the object.

Nina remarked dryly, "You seem to trust Twist more than me."

"Just because you are Twist's cousin does not make you trustworthy to me," Blakk snarled.

She shrugged her shoulders and stated bluntly, "The redhead was killed while trying to protect the Shane."

Doctor Blakk froze. Eli is still alive?!

Panic welled inside him, but he kept on being pokerfaced. He drummed his fingers on his huge grey desk to distract himself.

He leaned back into his chair; his mind processing the outcome of the mission he thought was close to impossible. This time his gamble had paid off exceedingly well.

"Not the original target but that will buy us time. Not bad," the doctor muttered absent-minded.

"You will get your payment in full nevertheless."

The female assassin nodded in acknowledgement and dismissed herself.

Nina will be a useful tool unlike my other spineless bastards. Doctor Blakk scowled.

Even Twist will never have the nerve to take someone's life.

AT A MYSTERIOUS CAVERN

The swirls of red and pale vapour faded and the gang sighed in relief as they had made it with their limbs intact. The silent cavern was suddenly filled with excited chirps as the slugs hopped towards two adjacent pillars.

"So... what are we supposed to do?" Kord inquired.

Burpy jumped off and hopped towards a black, slightly transparent metal that was rectangular. It had glowing lime lines running on top of it. With his tiny arms, he struggled to extend the smaller sides that were thin in comparison.

Pronto lit up, "They look like glasses."

"But evidently not for seeing because they are opaque," Kord pointed out.

The Shane picked them up and Burpy jumped up and down excitedly. "Maybe they work like 3D glasses?!" he muttered and Burpy giggled.

He put them on and he felt the familiar sting of Shadow Clan technology. His eyes swam and then he adapted to the swirly vision which was familiar to Mo's vision but this was darker, more foreboding.

Eli's vision

A red liquid gushed out of cracks, vegetation wilted around its pools. Pressure built up and then its turbulent flow flooded the pure lower level caverns with its evil. Most creatures died in an instant but the stronger ones remained, cursed by its evil for eternity.

The protectors of Slugterra materialised like ghosts, intent on stopping the evil from spreading to other caverns. It worked but it was too late save all the infected people.

A blue-eyed woman lay patiently ready for the Angel of Death. Her beautiful features marked by dark lines. On her black vest was the star of the Shanes and she smiled sadly at the people who she had saved at her own risk.

The Shadow Clan recognised her efforts and they took her to the "Pillars or Rejuvenation". The place looked similar to where he was. Each Shadow Clan had an infurnus and they stood around her in a circle. After a series of shrieks, the slugs glowed and a ray of slug energy flowed into the space between the Pillars.

The woman was placed into the light and all the marks of death disappeared. Life flowed into her and she was brought back from the brink of oblivion. The infurnus slugs' bright flames were snuffed out and the Shadow Clan disappeared with them.

The Shane could not stand the stinging. He hastily removed the "glasses". He had a lot of questions for the Shadow Clan about the woman, the Shane logo.

"Well?!"

Pronto stared hungrily at the Shane like some type of molenoid casserole.

The Shane massaged his temples briefly and then stated solemnly, "There is a way."

He dejectedly picked up Burpy, "You knew this from the start right?"

His slug nodded sadly.

"Not to ruin a slinger-slug bonding moment, but can you tell me what's going on?" Kord inquired, his brow creased with curiosity.

Eli sighed heavily, "To save Trixie, I must have to sacrifice Burpy."

The air hung with tension and the kind-hearted Cave troll saw tears welling up in the boy's eyes.

"Eli..." he said sadly before engulfing him in a comforting hug.

Burpy nuzzled his slinger to offer comfort.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Pronto shouted.

"WHAT?" The rest of the gang was not in a good mood.

Pronto, unshaken by their angry outburst, continued. "What if you use one of your fusion shots to power it up? Your slugs, Doc and Burpy are now megamorphs so I think they might be more powerful than the ordinary slugs."

Eli sniffed and looked hopefully at the molenoid, "Are you sure that might work?"

"YES! I am Pronto The Magnificent!"

The Cave Troll stared at him with disbelief, "Finally using those two brains of yours, eh?"

"Hey?!"

"Doc and Burpy?"

Excited chirps answered him.

"Are you ready?"

The Boon Doc and the Infurnus leapt eagerly into the double-barrel. The Shane was back to his old confident self and he watched in wonder as the fusion shot lit up the dark cavern. The trio had to cover their eyes because it was too bright.

The Pillars glowed like in his vision and a pale blue force field glowed, pulsating with the promise of life. Kord instantly put Trixie between the Pillars, the blue surreal glow bathing him momentarily in its warmth. The energy ebbed then covered their fellow comrade.

After what seemed like ages, the slug energy dissipated and then vanished. Doc and Burpy weakly towards Trixie and waited anxiously. Eli collected the "Shadow Seer" and packed it with his Shadow gadgets. He felt more comforted in doing something that would distract him momentarily from the suspense, but to no avail.

The Shane ran and embraced her still form praying desperately for a miracle. A glowing small marking at the back of her neck glowed. It had the shape of a small shiny star.

"Come back to me please. I love you Beatrice Sting."

Warm breath caressed his neck, "I had no idea that Shanes are so romantic."

"TRIXIE!"

Pronto launched his burly bulk onto the pair and Kord scooped them up effortlessly. Trixie giggled at them. They were a complete family again. Slugs squealed in excitement.

"Nice tattoo," Eli smiled at her after Kord had released them.

Trixie blushed and hugged the Shane again, "I love you too, Eli Shane."

The Cave Troll nudged the molenoid who staggered and fell over. Pronto picked himself up with whatever was left of his dignity and started another lengthy argument based on which species was superior with Kord.

When the debating pair was out of earshot, Eli turned and gazed deeply into his girlfriend's eyes. "I didn't know what I was going to do without you by my side."

The redhead gushed, "Thank you Eli for giving me a second chance at life."

Their lips locked passionately, and for the first time in a long time, he felt what it truly felt to be loved. They belonged to each other and no force in all dimensions was going to keep them apart.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Hey! I'm back with another mushy chapter. Hope you enjoy. Sorry to keep you guys waiting. Take care! ELIXIE! Yay! Trixie z back in action! I'm excited.

Sorry for the typos if there are any. I need to get back to my assignments.

PS: the cute tattoo was Crystal Shane's idea. Merci beaucoup!

~Nicoleblakk

(I feel so much better if I put my name there. LOL)