Chapter 1

The slug out

Slugterra, a wonderous world right underneath your feet. 99 different caverns, each with their own unique lifeforms; big, blue Cave Trolls working tirelessly in Beast Forge Cavern. Short, squat Molenoids, digging through the earth. Not to mention the many, many, MANY different types of slugs that lived, practically everywhere. Slugs are powerful creatures that, although they are small at normal speed, are powerful creatures. For what they lack in size, they make up for it in a slug out, because when they reach 100mph, they transform into a medium sized beast with its own unique powers. And then there is the Shane Gang, sole protectors of all 99 caverns, who, at that very moment, were having a huge problem.

"TAKE COVER!" yelled Eli Shane, the leader of the Shane Gang. They were under heavy artillery fire, and things didn't look very promising. They had all been called out to Quiet Lawn Cavern, a place that got its name from the inhabitants all having to keep quiet for fear of knocking down some Grenuker slugs that could destroy the town, except now, someone was using all the Grenukers as ammo to try to destroy the town, ironic right?

"we need a plan!" yelled Trixie Sting, the red-headed girl who lets everyone know about what the Gang are up to, "they have us pinned down!"

"you say that like we don't already know!" shouted Kord Zane, the Cave Troll mechanic of the team, he sent a Tazerling slug at the oncoming Grenukers, the Tazerling transformed into an electrical beast that shot an electrical blast towards the oncoming slugs, reverting them back into their original, small slug forms.

"let me try something!" shouted Eli, he turned towards the orange slug on his shoulder. The slug's name was Burpy, and he had been with Eli for over a year and was the most powerful slug ever, as well as Eli's best friend, "you ready, buddy" Eli asked, Burpy gave a nod, instead of trying to talk, which would be impossible for Eli to understand, as slugs speak in Slugtounge, the language of the slugs. Burpy jumped off Eli's shoulder and landed inside the blue slug-tube that Eli was holding, Eli loaded the slug-tube into the blaster on his wrist (coincidentally called a wrist blaster) and fired. Burpy was shot out of the blaster and transformed with a bang into a phoenix like creature, Eli and Burpy then closed their eyes, and when they opened them, Burpy and Eli were mentally synced, and Eli could see what Burpy saw. Eli moved his arms in an arc, and Burpy arced till he was aiming right at the mystery slinger, the slinger noticed and started firing Grenukers towards Burpy, but Eli calmly guided Burpy around each obstacle until he got close enough. "now Burpy." he whispered, and Burpy sent a fireball, about the size of a beach ball, right towards the slinger. The slinger dived to the side, dropping his blaster whilst doing so, and then realized that the rest of the gang were pointing their blasters at him. Burpy meanwhile, was enjoying this time he had to himself, he went around in circles for a bit before he got bored, detransformed and landed back on Eli's shoulder, still smoking slightly.

"now," Eli said to the slinger at his feet, "who are you, and why are you attacking this town?", the slinger straightened up and Eli gasped, the person before him was way too familiar, his name was Twist, and he used to be a friend of the Gang, before he was revealed to be a spy for the most evil individual in Slugterra, Doctor Black. Black was a tall man who was as pale as a vampire, he was the person who figured out a way to turn slugs evil, these evil slugs were called Ghouls, and they were more powerful than any slug in Slugterra. Kord was beside himself with fury at the sight of Twist,

"how dare you return here!" he roared at Twist, twist looked calmly at him before starting,

"hello again," he said, "have you heard from my old employer lately?".

"why are you here Twist!" Eli shouted, Burpy was so angry that he spontaneously combusted,

"if you must know," Twist started "I have been payed to bring you four to my new employer, he said is an old friend of yours." He then showed them a rough note that said,

"Dear Eli,

If you are reading this, then Twist has kept his word and not killed you all, I have something to show you, something magical. Follow Twist, he will not trick you if he knows what's good for him.

I can't wait to see you again, but be sure to bring Burpy, I happen to know that he was your first slug.

From Anonymous"

In confusion, Eli turned towards a grinning Twist, he knew that this could be a trap, but in order to find out, they would have to do as the note said,

"lead the way Twist," Eli said, "but if you trick us you will be sorry"

Following Twist, they made their way to the east, a place that most Slugterrans believed to be the end of their world, but Eli and the gang had met a slinger called Junjie, who was from a place past that boundary called the Eastern Caverns.

"this can mean one of three things," Eli whispered, "one, it is Junjie who needs our help again. Two, it's Tad who wants to continue his fathers work again. Or three, it is my father…" Eli trailed off slightly after that last theory, as the last time he saw his father was as he fell into a void created by a Ghoul. As they approached a cave in the border between the Eastern Caverns and Slugterra they saw a hunched, hooded figure inside,

"Eli?" the figure asked in a voice that none of them recognised, "is that really you?"

"yes," said Eli, rather uneasy, he didn't know why, but this guy reminded him of someone. "who are you?"

"I am sad to say that I cannot say." The figure said, he stood up and started walking, not towards Eli, but towards Pronto, the Molenoid tracker of the gang.

"ahhh," Pronto said, realizing something, "are you a fan of me?"

The figure groaned, facepalmed, and clicked his fingers. Pronto then saw that his moustache was on fire, he screamed and ran all over the place, until he dived into the earth to extinguish himself.

"sorry," apologised the figure, "but he is as annoying as I remember him, is Burpy with you?" he then started looking around for Burpy. Eli gave a whistle and Burpy jumped out of the backpack that Eli was wearing, onto Eli's shoulder. The figure was relieved to see this and then said, "thank goodness, follow me." And then lead the gang into the cave, everyone gasped at the sight of the thing inside, it was a small hole of nothing!

"but what is it?" Trixie asked, "I have never seen anything like it."

"you must do everything I tell you now," the hooded figure said in a stern voice, "put Burpy and Joules on the ground".

Burpy, was very suspicious about this man, but he jumped onto the ground and was soon joined by Joules, Eli's Tazerling. Then, all of a sudden, the hole in the centre of the cave grew ten times its size in the fraction of a nanosecond, the pull was unreal! Eli then saw the figure pull out a blaster and fire an Arachnet slug at the gang, it transformed into a purple spider-like beast that shot a web at the gang, sticking them to the wall. But Burpy and Joules weren't so lucky, they got pulled into the hole and the last thing Burpy heard before plummeting into the darkness was Eli's voice shouting in despair,

"BURPY!" then there was only black, and Burpy was falling at such a speed that he not only transformed but kept falling until he blacked out from exhaustion.