2.25

The team had been running through the tunnels for a few hours now. The stench mixed with the high humidity was enough to make them want to pass out.

“Just how big are these sewers?” Silas asked.

“Athena City is gigantic, need gigantic sewers,” Puddles replied.

A low growl broke through the almost silence and the team stopped. Stepping out of the darkness was a giant, mutated hedgehog. The bones underneath the skin looked ready to burst through and the quills ended in fine needlepoints.

“That looks dangerous,” said Welt.

“Be careful team, who knows what Doctor Flink has done to this animal. Be on your guard,” warned Puddles.

“I think its pretty obvious what the good Doctor has done to it,” said Gauzelle. In that moment, the hedgehog curled up into a ball and rolled at the group. The group burst in different directions but the tip of one of the quills sliced into Hunter’s leg. The cut was so slick, he didn’t even notice it until he put weight back on his leg.

Blood flowed freely and Hunter was lucky it had missed any major arteries.

“The needles are dangerous,” said Hunter.

“Pretty obvious,” Gauzelle replied.

“How do we deal with it?” Silas asked. The hedgehog came rolling his way, but he easily dodged the attack. “Good thing it doesn’t have some kind of homing attack.”

“None of us can touch it with those quills,” said Puddles.

“We don’t have to touch it,” said Jimena. She aimed her fists and shot out a barrage of her slime balls. They each struck the hedgehog, stopping it in its tracks. The hedgehog unfurled, stuck. It growled and hissed at them.

“I expected more,” said Silas as the group ran past the enraged animal. The hissing eventually drowned out in the darkness far behind them.

“Its Doctor Flink, there’s bound to be so much more,” said Puddles, her voice grave.

“So what’s your beef with this Doctor anyway? I mean, besides wanting to stop someone from ruling the world.” Silas asked.

“The Doctor and I go way back. It all st-” Puddles launched herself off of Welt’s shoulder just as thick webbing shot out of the dark. The webbing encased Welt immediately and he fell to the ground.

“Not again,” the survivor screamed out. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to run, only to be tripped by Gauzelle.

“You go back, you’re getting lost.”

Puddles fired her laser to cut at the webbing around Welt only for more webbing to be shot at her. The impact sent the little ball of webbing skidding along the floor. The team watched as a giant spider stepped out of the shadow, venom dripping from its fangs.

“You’re ugly,” said Gauzelle.

“Jimena, shoot at it,” said Hunter.

“Kill it with fire,” Silas called out.

“No, its innocent. Its just an animal. Don’t kill it,” Welt called out.

Jimena stepped toward the spider, ready to shoot, when webbing shot out from her side. The webbing wrapped around her arms, binding them together.

“Of course there’s more than one giant spider. I hate spiders,” Silas called out. “Hunter, what do we do?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Hunter. These things were huge. “You’re gonna have to inflate and smash into them.”

“No way, I ain’t going near those things.” Silas stepped away from the encroaching spiders.

“You have to,” Hunter called out. More webbing shot out from the darkness and encased Hunter.

“Can’t you do something Jimena?” Silas asked.

“What do you want me to do, my arms are covered. I can’t shoot my slime.”

“What about you Gauzelle?” Silas took another step backward.

“I could wrap one up, but then what about the others? I forgot my staff. Hurry up Silas.”

More webbing shot out from above. The webbing came down onto Jimena, covering the top half of her body entirely. She fell to the ground.

“Silas, snap out of it. Heroes have to face their fears!” called Gauzelle.

“These aren’t just spiders, they’re huge.” The survivor they had rescued earlier let out another scream and ran back into the darkness of the sewers.

“If you don’t do something, people will die.” Gauzelle ran over to Silas and slapped his face. “Hunter and Jimena, Welt and Puddles will die.” She slapped him again.

Silas inflated himself and ran and kicked off toward a spider. The spider reared up and Silas collided with it. The two collided into a wall. Silas bounced off and the spider fell limp onto the floor, its legs curling up.

Silas rocketed toward another. Web shot at him from the side. It was just enough force to knock him off course. He flew past the targeted spider. He kicked off the floor and sent himself flying up. The three remaining spiders all shot webbing into the darkness after him.

All of the webbing hit him and as he impacted with the ceiling, he could feel the webbing trying to stick him to the cement, but he had enough momentum that he was able to pull free. He came back down and landed on top of one of the spiders. A sickening, wet snapping sound echoed through the chamber.

“Don’t kill them,” cried Welt.

“I didn’t mean to.” Silas had bounced off and was flying toward another wall.

Gauzelle ran over to Jimena and started pulling at the webbing. It was too strong, and she couldn’t get it off. She remembered Puddles’ little laser and searched for the cat. She found the little cat; her face was free.

“Puddles, we need your laser.”

“I can’t activate it; I’m all caught up in the web.” Gauzelle unravelled herself and fed her fingers in and under the webbing. She was able to pull enough of the web free that Puddles could activate her laser and burn the rest of the web off.

Gauzelle carried Puddles over to Jimena and they burnt the webbing off. Jimena gasped for air and nodded a thank you. Gauzelle dodged the two spiders that were left and carried Puddles over first to Hunter and then Welt.

Silas avoided the spiders as best he could, and Puddles then switched her laser to stun and proceeded to stun the two remaining spiders.

“I hate spiders,” said Silas.

“You did good,” said Gauzelle.

The group ran further into the darkness, agreeing to contact the sewer maintenance workers on the way about the missing person. They had a mad Doctor to stop.