"Ugh, how much longer until we reach the service tunnel?" Bai inquired with a sigh, feeling the pangs of hunger after nearly a day without a proper meal.
"We're almost there, just hold on," Yoshi replied, studying the blueprint. They had made significant progress without any issues, which was a positive indication. Just a bit further to reach the service tunnel.
"What is that?" Racheal inquired as her flashlight revealed a section of the wall marked with black paint. Noticing this, she cautiously moved closer for a better view and inadvertently stepped on something that made a cracking sound.
CRACK
"Is that...?" Her pupils contracted upon noticing what she had stepped on; she swiftly withdrew, aiming her gun and flashlight at the object, which illuminated it for the others to observe.
"A skull," Michael nudged the cracked skull with his feet. The transparent sewage water made it easy to see that the flesh on the skull had been scraped off cleanly, leaving the skull bare on the ground.
"Proceed with caution, Scrapers ahead" Henry read aloud the inscription on the wall, painted in black, prompting the others to share glances.
"Scrapers? We have Creepers, Reapers, and now Scrapers. I'm quite curious to meet the person responsible for naming them all." Hei remarked with a facepalm; the names assigned to these creatures were utterly absurd. He was confident he could have chosen far better names if it had been up to him.
"Scrapers, pfft, that totally doesn't sound scary at all" Bai commented, attempting to persuade himself more than anyone else.
"What are your thoughts Mike?" Yoshi turned to Micheal and inquired, recognizing that despite being the acting Captain, he needed to consider Micheal's insights, as he was the sole reason they had managed to escape that ambush unscathed.
"Given that each monster we encounter seems to surpass the previous one in strength, I believe we may be up against something more formidable than the Reapers, something capable of scraping the flesh from a person's skull," Micheal responded with a sigh, crouching to examine the skull with a grave expression.
"Whatever did this is definitely somewhere in there," Yoshi stated, gesturing to the darkness ahead, which was also the path they needed to take to reach the service tunnel.
"This clearly sounds like a horror plot twist; we enter, and someone meets their end," Bai remarked, prompting his teammates to shoot him a disapproving glare.
"What would you recommend we do?" Micheal asked Yoshi, who read the sign once more, then turned to the darkness with a sigh.
"We have to go in," Yoshi said, delivering the inevitable truth to the squad. No one responded, as they all understood the reality of the situation. They couldn't retrace their steps; having already journeyed halfway, turning back was simply not an option. It was impractical to consider such a move now that they were so close, and time was running out.
"We all understood the risks involved when we accepted the mission, and we are ready to see it through. Given everything we've experienced so far, we recognize the critical need to prevent whatever initiated this from escaping this area. We are willing to sacrifice our lives to protect the billions beyond this zone, aren't we, team?" Micheal confidently rose to his feet and spoke with a reassuring smile, concluding with a question directed at the others, who all responded with smiles after hearing his words.
"I'm not sure how you managed it, but I suddenly feel like a decent person for a change. Perhaps sacrificing oneself for the greater good isn't such a bad idea after all, wouldn't you agree, Hei?" Bai chuckled as he turned to his brother, who wore a smirk in response to the question.
"That's not a question you should be asking. Of course, what greater honour exists than dying to save billions?" Hei replied with a bright smile, his eyes reflecting his unwavering determination.
"These guys may annoy me, but they're right; we're with you," Henry added, giving the brothers a pat on their shoulders, his large hands nearly knocking them off balance.
"We're all with you" Racheal nodded, offering a funny military salute that sent the others into fits of laughter.
"Thank you, everyone. However, I believe we all owe Mike an apology. He was going through a tough time, and instead of supporting him, we prioritized our own safety. On behalf of the entire team, I apologize, Captain." Yoshi smiled at his teammate's words before turning to Michael, who smiled upon hearing the apology. He then looked at the other teammates, noticing the guilty expressions on their faces.
"No hard feelings guys. I appreciate your understanding. I also want to apologize for not sharing everything that occurred when you all left to assist Tom, particularly regarding the C'4's that I fixed..." Micheal's expression shifted as he recounted every detail of the events, omitting nothing, including the moment when the Reapers passed by him without launching an attack. Upon completing his task, he noted the astonished looks on the faces of the team.
"If I understood you correctly, you see your brother's ghost? And you didn't think it was important to tell us that?" Hei replied after a brief moment of silence, his eyes filled with disbelief. Just when he was starting to like him, Michael had suddenly dropped this bombshell.
"You're in no position to speak; you concealed a ring you discovered the day we got here, remember?" Henry's remark left Hei speechless, as he recognized the truth in those words. Having acted in a similar manner himself, he realized he had no grounds to criticize another.
"In the interest of honesty, does anyone have something they'd like to share?" Yoshi inquired, surveying the expressions of his teammates.
"Actually, I do have something I would like to share." Bai stepped up and, with a pause, spoke seriously. His expression caught the attention of his teammates, who quickly turned serious as well, recognizing that such a demeanor was rare for Bai. They immediately deduced that whatever he was about to say would hold significance.
"The fart that everyone assumed was from Henry was actually mine. I did it. There, I said it. Huff, now I feel so good." Bai spoke softly, and when he finished, he exhaled deeply, as though a great burden had been removed from his shoulders.
"Everyone knew it was you, bro. You were the only one who kept insisting it was Henry," Racheal said, facepalming in disbelief. This was what he had made them tense up for—a complete waste of tension.
"Wait, you all were aware?" Bai exclaimed in disbelief.
"Shut up Bai, that's irrelevant at this point. We have spent too much time here; it's time to proceed. Mike, what is the plan?" Realizing that excessive time was being squandered on trivial matters while important tasks awaited, Yoshi turned to Micheal and inquired.
"We are nearing the service tunnel, so the best course of action is to move forward. Stay alert; even though it may be nighttime, confronting unknown enemies with unpredictable abilities is undoubtedly dangerous. Underestimating them could result in unforeseen consequences, so remain vigilant, stick together, and support one another. That's the only way we can effectively neutralize this threat. did you all get that?" Micheal outlined his plan, swapping out his nearly empty magazine. After receiving affirming nods from his teammates, he tightened his grip on the gun, fully aware that whatever lay at the end of the tunnel was bound to be lethal.
Casting one last glance at both the skull and the writing on the wall, Micheal inhaled deeply, then exhaled before speaking, "Taskforce Spongbob, move out."
"Roger, Captain" The others responded in unison, reverting to their earlier formation as they moved further in.
*********************************************
In a secluded corner of the research facility, a figure lingered in the shadows, obscuring most of his features. Dressed in a white coat, he sat before a large screen that showcased various locations within the base. One particular scene caught his attention—the sewers. His eyes were intently fixed on that area, a frown etched across his brow.
"Such tenacious individuals, they have shown remarkable resilience, and their journey to this point is a testament to their excellence. Since they're almost here, why don't we give them a warm welcome." The figure smirked, revealing two rows of razor-sharp teeth that glistened menacingly. After speaking, the figure rose and turned toward the large canister that contained the Mother worm.
"Let's have some of our friends welcome them, after all, they're our guests." The figure spoke to the Mother Worm, his eyes igniting with a red glow. This was reproduced by a purple luminescence from the Mother Worm, followed by a series of glows from the smaller cannisters in the room. Observing this, the figure pivoted back to the control panel and pressed a red button, triggering a section of the wall in the sewers to open. In the wake of this action, several shadows surged forth; their rapid movement obscured their full appearances, yet it was clear they were on a mission.
"Knock knock, destiny calls at the door, many heroes arise, ready to explore, through trails and tribulations, they find their might, but some heroes progress, while others die in the fight. Let's see who lives and who dies, hahahahahaha." The figure proclaimed, delivering a few lyrical verses before erupting into a sinister laugh.