Chapter 116

Another one!

Warning: OOC, random craziness, Error past dark abuse, many other troubles if mention, cursing, killing, dark themes, racism mention, stuff children/teen shouldn't do, profanity, self-harm, suicidal moments, cheating, sexual moments mentioned, violence, smoking, drugs, alcohol, guns mention, animal death, cringe, bullying, yandere, musical/singing moments and bad flirts.

Error/Moxxie speaking/speaking/singing

Voices/Text/Flashback/Singing

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Take a shower!

Grumble at the text Blitz just sent. After just telling him through the closed door.

They don't smell that bad. Don't feel dirty either. Can do it later. Once they figured out what to do next. Got up to clean their face at least. Stare at themselves tiredly but felt a small weight off. Didn't want to trust it but will keep their guard up if Blitz does say anything.

Sits down on the couch to think while looking at their inventory. Stop to look at their notebook. Reach over to pull it out.

The stupid space bugs.

Rest their cheek against their knuckles.

It has been the last time he tracks any down. Along with studying them. A proper deep study.

Keep themselves distracted.

Pull up the codes to pull up like a mini map of space. Space was big, this was barely showing it all. Just the area they went through, along with left over bugs they found, along with stars. Either in them or the parts they arrived at when the insects try to poison them.

Stare at the checkpoints that look like music, not. Spots they left a mark to portal at. Plus, made the shape of a music note. Only look like that to not get themselves confused. Along with noticing the pattern that it was always East.

Lean back against the couch. Motion the map a bit to see about expanding it further. Along with mentally counting how long it would take the travel. Then to not get lost. Glance back at the notebook flipping a few pages. Stop at a few photos they sneak in to take. Before and after killing a bug. Details on the process of the effects of the poison. Where is the poison sack? Or the time they got bitten.

Then their mind went back to that day.

The Red Moon usually does move in Wrath. He can recall the many times at the Harvest festival how it would be position elsewhere. It was always the job of Stolas, along with whoever had to figure out where it would be beforehand. Then guess whoever they have to report to next the location, time and then word would go out this area will have the festival.

Motion the map a bit to look for the red moon. Spot it. Then rewind it back to where that Red Moon was positioning that day last year. Expand the map out for the Red Moon with the other spots they visited. Even if supernaturally elsewhere in a different realm.

Which was something in way they 'hid' from others.

There was a reason Stolas book can't get to these spots like the animal planet. It was something really Moxxie didn't notice till a few years ago. One could also be the missing pages. Space is big. Along with mysterious. Some things shouldn't be studied. Then certain materials you just can see. Like it on spot. Then you got the whole can't see Heaven, Hell.

So, how did these bugs find the right path to know where the Red Moon is? Along with just knowing to head East. That is just possible with the mindset they have. Which is to poison, attack, and just...Just keep following order whoever the 'hive leader' could be.

Or could be overthinking.

Overthinking to keep themselves distracted.

Stare a bit longer. Pull out their phone to start the timer. A swift change with the mask over their face. Then jump through a portal on the spot they stop their last search.

They miss it out here.

He wants to just stare at the sights all around. He wants to forget a bit. But I couldn't now. Open the codes again to make a compass. An arrow to keep pointing East. Starts to float. Then pick up speed with by floating, land on a few asteroids, meteorites or get out the way from a star. Just keep moving. Keep their senses up for some kind of clue.

Just wants to destroy this. Get rid of it. Have some clarity of one problem to be fully gone for good.

Can do something useful.

Can make space a bit safer.

Stop as they now stand on a meteorite. If the mask was off. Would be taken back with a wide eye expression.

It was a fleeting thought that crossed before. Stolas thinks the bugs are useless. No reason to keep them either. Remember how they got furious poisoning certain stars because of a duty. Talk about hours of astrology. The myths and legends humans would be so focused on them. Then the talk about how the duties benefit hell in certain ways. Always in dark, cruel twisted way.

Yet.

They just listen.

What they both wanted. To be listened to for different reasons that affected them.

Moxxie didn't stop to think but moved. Need to stay on the path. Find a clue. Move faster before their time runs out.

Exploring, further and further. May have push it when picking up speed to use their magic but didn't care.

Until they notice certain parts of space felt cold. Well, besides the usual space is already cold. Just this kind of cold made them feel alert. It was right then. Sees a few asteroids as they float over to land on one. Just slowly loving. Look around till they spotted a star. A poison. Goes over to give it a Check.

POISON.

Stars have been poisoned for 150 years.

What?

Moxxie stare at this Intel. Then another dead star passes by them. Then another. Turn their head to see purple eerie cracks on the stars. Like it was their own cluster. Goes to grab another one. One after another getting the same result.

POISON.

POISON.

POISON.

Hide from final batch.

What?

SCREECH!

Jumps through a hole in the asteroid. Stay still as they just watch. Then sees a familiar ugly bug land down. Screeches. Scurry around on the asteroid. Grab the poison star and just move away.

Watch through hole while they hide.

1 Bug...3 bugs...19 bugs...57 bugs...There still moving, moving as they just grab one star after another.

Why were they doing that? Why do the stars move? they already poisoned? Back out there just did it thing then goes onward to the next one? Glance down then back up to summon the CHECK.

What would happen if they do this while the bug works? Wait as a bug passes by and use the CHECK.

NEW DUTY!

POISION SEND OUT.

POLLUTE.

POLLUTE.

POLLUTE.

Pollute?

That took Moxxie off guard.

Pollute? Pollute space. Yes, pollution in one way can destroy another in a way. Even if it takes years. But to pollute everything in space. It's almost impossible. How long were these bugs here? Sure, they destroyed the Queen from what they gathered. That was a question they never really asked themselves. Along with a new one.

Ring

Ring

Ring

"Hello." Ivy answered as she yawns, getting today ready for the cafe. So, waking up around this time isn't known.

"Ivy, you got a few minutes." Moxxie asked with their voice very quietly. Staring through the hole at the same time look at the code screen. There string holding a star, at the same time a bug they just caught.

"Maybe? Working on opening up... Why, what is it?"

"Is poison and pollution the same thing?" Relook at the codes and try to think. Look back at current notes, then the star, and bug together.

Ivy blinked. "That depends on a lot of things... But technically, no."

"But can they be connected in a way? Or like sharing a common goal of sorts?

"Well, yes they can be connected. Pollution can poison the environment around it and-"

Moxxie duck further down into the meteorite. Not able to pick up the last part at first.

Okay. Okay. They can understand that. Even their clueless mind picks up those pin points. It was stuff like how the codes mention. Or when he found the poison pouch inside.

Yet, there was something that felt like it was missing. Something they should know.

Ivy frowned a bit, adjusting the phone. "Moxxie? You there, Hun?"

Move their mask slightly up. Rub their eyes. While wanting to hit themselves. Or put some pressure against his eyelids for something to pop up. "I'm here. Can you repeat that last part again?"

Ivy hummed. "Pollution can poison the environment around it, depending on the type. Well, all pollution is bad, but say chemical pollution can spread easily and the more it spreads the more it poisons around it-"

"SON OF A RAT!"

Ivy jumped in surprise.

"Moxxie?"

She rarely heard them sound so frustrated like this. Like to actually hear it.

"Are you okay?"

"Splendid." Moxxie holds back a snarl. They did a shitty rookie mood to let the string loosen. Which resulted in being slashed into the shoulder. Sting went back to a tightened hold. Now moving further away from the hole. "Continue. Pollution and poison are bad no matter what. But pollution is worse than poison."

"I mean some cases could be true. But then you got to think about the situation. As it won't always be environmental."

"What you mean not always environmental? It's always connected to nature and dirt."

Ivy sighed, rubbing her head. "It's not that simple."

"Then what?"

"Okay well for example the Black Plague."

"Thats um wasn't that a thing on Earth?" Remember to watch a documentary on it before with Hansel.

Ivy nodded. "Yes, it was."

"But how. I don't." He doesn't understand.

"Looks at the Plague. It impacted everything around the world. People, animals, crops, and even cities. In a way it helped pollute everything around it. Of course, many do categories it in different terms too." Ivy looks at her inventory notebook. "I'm really not the best person to be asking about this, though. Maybe your... Friend, Stolas? I thought Global Warming and all that was his thing."

He doesn't know anything about these bloody bugs! Moxxie took a deep mental breath. "IMP not in connection at the moment. He just tries to 'help' others to show it doesn't exist.

AKA doesn't want to see him right now.

Ivy sighed, pinching her nose. Right. Asking the one who almost got killed by the other partner. What a lovely way to bring in the awkwardness. "Any who. Bet many would have loved to argue that to him. Even if they're proof. That is like saying the Black Plague doesn't exist. Won't believe how many morons thought it was faulty. Like the whole pestilence thing-"

"Pestilence." Moxxie tone quiet. Why did that word sound familiar?

"Er... yes?" Ivy was quite confused now.

"Pestilences is a disease, right?" Look back up through the whole. Stare up to find one of the poison stars.

"Of a sort, I think."

"Diseases are like poisons. Poison moving out like pollution." Moxxie said but it sounded like they were talking to themselves.

"Er... yes?"

They remember a disease. A disgusting one that came from one the original AUS. Along with the copies. It made him wonder in moments like those why Ink creates such a thing. Destroyed the original permanently. No, longer be able to be brought back. It was for the best even if many found it terrible what the destroyer did.

Well, they didn't see what that watch Virus brough over to that place.

It could have polluted and poisoned the other AU if one fool was foolish enough to go there.

This was a damn disease. The poison was like a coverup but these bugs don't care. They are the carriers.

He started cursing, surprising Ivy with the sound.

The disease was spreading when they moved the stars to pollute other areas. Should have taken care of the rest of these damn bugs.

But they were all here now.

SCREECH!

Of course, they hear the phone but not when they raise their voice.

"Moxxie?! What was that-"

He hung up fast. Look back up through the hole. Curse seeing many, many on the way.

Once the bugs land back on the meteorite to attack where the sound came from. Bones shot up underneath to impale two dozen.

Moxxie slips out the hole as he stares back up. Questions still filling their head how these bugs were made. At least the first one with the Queen.

But.

Strings that held the bug that slashed them. Now shattered as the thread did the work.

Time to get rid of these annoying glitches.

They didn't fight for long. Thread piercing each and every one of these disgusting sacks till there was nothing left.  A few small breaths as they reopen to CHECK again.

Destroyed.

Close their eyes as they close the box.

"Thank you for getting rid of my mistakes. ~"

Swipe fast from behind. Couldn't tell the gender but the voice sounded like it was dripping. Close to like someone sick to hear the rasp. Just sickening. Turn their head in the direction of the voice.

Nothing was there.

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Done!

What do we have here?

Any questions?

Until next time.

Bye, bye!