3rd POV

It has been a week since Burpy and Frost were cured from a ghoul sickness as well as Blakk disappearance by the shadow clan. Since that day, Blakk forces are not much of a threat or at least they don't know what to do next. However, the Shane gang got a distress call from one of the caverns where they're headed. Once they arrive, a woman name Brodie came in and fill them in on the situation while showing them their slugs.

Brodie: It started about a month back. Just a few random slugs at first but now this is the worst we've ever seen it.

Eli: And your healer slugs don't help?

YN: You're forgetting that healers are very rare to find.

Eli: Oh right.

Brodie: Main reason why we called you, heard you had a mighty solid fellas named doc and Mercy.

Eli: Well...I did.

Brodie: I'm sorry.

Eli: Uh no, he's fine. Just far away.

Brodie: Oh, what about Mercy?

YN: Yeah my healer slug can help these guys but there's no telling if it'll happen again. Mercy can't keep up forever like that.

Brodie: Good point.

Eli: I have to admit, when Trixie said you needed some help, I wasn't expecting this. Its like something sucked the juice right out of them.

Brodie: That would be the creature.

Kord: (Confused.) Uh, a creature?

Brodie: the high plains monster. Its something of a local legend. No one's seen it, but whatever did this, slip through the force fence like it was nothing.

Trini: But I've seen it! Its big and its scary and it has long legs like a spider!

YN: So its a giant spider?

Trixie kneels down to the girls level who's holding her slug.

Trixie: (To Trini.) Dont worry Trini, flutters is going to be fine. (To Eli.) Could we take them to the light well?

YN: You kidding me? Not after what we went through.

Pronto: What did happened back there?

YN responded by shooting Bubbles at Pronto. Not wanting what happened during their travel to The Light Well.

YN: Even if we did take them to the light well, its not gonna be enough.

Eli: still doesn't explain what's causing this or if it'll prevent it happening again.

Trixie: We'll get to the bottom of this Brodie. I promise.

Kord: If you could just uh give us a moment.

Brodie nods before leaving with Trini while the Shane gang to talk in private.

Kord: OK, I'm all for helping the slugs, but a monster, Eli? I don't know, I'm and engineer. In my mind if I can't see it or I can't hit it, it don't exist.

Eli: What do you think Trixie? You really think its a monster?

Trixie: Well, I believe Trini saw something and loom at these slugs. Brodie isn't the kind of person to exaggerate. If we don't figure this out soon, people could get desperate.

Eli: YN?

YN: Whatever it is, it pick the wrong timing for trick-or-treat. We gotta put an end to it one way or another.

Time skip

The Shane gang head to the town hall where the towns people are gather to discuss the situation. But they were babbling about the creature.

Eli: What's going on here?

Brodie: You got me. No one told me about the meeting.

YN: Judging by the towns people arguing, looks like everyone's trying to figure out what to do for their next move.

Mayor: Order! Order please! A decision has been reached!

The towns people then quiet down to hear what the Mayor has to say. Soon the Mayor decided to make a desperation choice by making a bounty of 2000 gold for who takes down the monster which made the towns people furious.

Brodie: But we don't need bounty hunters.

YN: Excuse me?

Brodie: Sorry.

Trixie: Wait I thought you're not a bounty hunter anymore YN.

YN: I'm the Outlaw, bounty hunting is what I do outside of the Shane gang. At least in a good way. Besides, whatever it is, might be too much to handle it alone.

Mayor: The Outlaw is right. At this point Brodie, we need all the help we can get.

The towns people continue to argue.

Trixie: This doesn't look good Eli.

Eli: Tell me about it. This kind of money, this kind of desperation, people could get hurt.

YN: All the more reason why we need to act fast before-

Suddenly the entire room stop their argument from something scratching. Revealing that its Pronto scratching the chalkboard.

Pronto: Uh, sorry.

Just then someone enter the room, revealing Stalker. Making Eli glare at him.

Eli: Stalker...

Stalker: I'll bag your creature, but it'll cost you 5000 gold. Not 2, five thousand gold. With that, you get my services, a monster, and your piece of mind.

The Mayor discuss this with his friend until they made an agreement. 

Mayor: Mister, if you could get it we'll find the money.

Eli: This is not good.

YN: Would you relax, this is how bounty hunting work.

Eli: This is Stalker we're talking about.

YN: And this is the creature we're talking about, you need to look at the bigger picture. I'll be outside when you guys are done with this discussion.

YN POV

I exit the town hall and lean against the wall before speaking quietly.

YN: So what do you think it is Dana?

Dana then appear next to him with her shadow walker.

Dana: Not sure what it is, never seen it in my whole life. But I know one thing, it's definitely not Blakks doing. Its something else.

YN: Whatever it is, it didn't come from slugterra.

Dana: Darkbane?

YN: Or maybe a ghost spider.

Dana: I'll keep watch for anything suspicious.

YN: No, talk with my dad. Maybe he might know something about this or at least any leads of what exactly is causing this.

Dana: Got it.

Dana then disappears as I head out to get ready to hunt. Only question is, who's hunting and being hunted?

3rd POV

Nightfall came as other slingers arrive for the bounty.

Eli: Fire, ice, the power trips? The town council is making a big mistake Brodie. I know these guys, they're bad news. Stalker especially.

Brodie: Isn't there something you can do?

Eli approaches to Stalker to try to convince him that they should work together. But Stalker personally works alone especially that he doesn't want to split the money. He then leaves while YN approach and talks to Eli.

YN: (Shook his head.) Eli, Eli, Eli, times like these requires a way to speak their language.

Eli: By telling them what they want?

YN: And what they fear.

YN steps up before speaking up to the slingers.

YN: All right, listen up everyone. If we're gonna hunt the creature down, we gotta work together.

Ice: (Scoff.) Seriously?

Fire: What makes you think I'll work with all of you?

YN: What makes you think you can take the creature on your own? None of us know what are we dealing. But I know this, the higher the price, the more dangerous it is.

They were all hesitant, realizing what they're getting into. Except for Stalker since he's been on tougher spots as a solo.

YN: Bet y'all didn't know huh? So you guys want to do this together and get out alive or what? Then y'all better start listenin.

YN then shows them the map as they gather around.

YN: So we don't know what exactly are we dealing with, but what we do know is that the creature comes at night and it comes from somewhere in these forest.

He shows them the area of the forest.

YN: Its gonna be dark and foggy. So we're gonna split into group. Power trips will be the first group, Shane gang second, and the rest of us will be third. Stay close to your group and keep your eyes sharp at all time, no telling whether its stealthy or not. Anyone who takes it down first, gets the reward. Deal?

Triplet (Red): Deal.

Triplet (green): Yeah

Fire: Sounds good.

Ice: Works for me.

Stalker: I work alone.

YN: Fair enough. Let's go, the sooner we cover more ground, the better we have a chance.

The slingers heads towards to the spooky forest.

Eli: Huh, not bad YN.

YN: Takes a bounty hunter to talk another. Though don't put your high ups too soon. No telling how we're gonna find it easy.

Kord: That won't be a problem. Check it out.

Kord shows the Shane gang his new equipment attachment to his blaster.

Kord: Its a motion detector mod. Anything bigger than a molenoid comes our way, this think will light up like a phosphoro slug.

Eli: Good thinking Kord. Let's get going.

The Shane gang join with the rest of the slingers to the spooky forest where the foggy gets thicker as they head deeper to the woods while Stalker is on a tree to get a better view.

Triplet (Blue.): So here's a joke brothers, what do you call a flopper slug that transforms.

-   -   -

Kord is looking at his motion detector while the rest of the gang is keeping an eye out for any suspicious.

Kord: Huh, that's weird.

Eli: What is?

-   -   -

Triplet (Blue.) Brothers?

She turns around only to see them gone.

Triplet (Blue.): (Shouting.) Brothers?

She didn't get any response which she begins to get nervous.

-   -   -  

Kord tries to fix his motion detector by shaking it but give nothing.

Kord: Come on.

YN: Pick anything on your device?

Kord: Nothing, I thought I had something and then it was gone. Its the last time I buy enough bran blaster mod.

YN: I just hope we don't run in to something scary. Bad things happen in the dark, especially in a spooky forest.

-   -   -

Triplet (Blue): (Nervous.) Brothers? Brothers!?

Just then she hears something in the bush as she quickly aims her blaster at it until she saw something emerge from the bush and the shadow figure became taller. She freaks out and runs away but it catches up to her with great speed. 

She looks back to see the creature and screams.

Triplet (Blue): AAAAAAAH!

-   -   -

The Shane gang heard a scream not far from here.

Eli: The power trips! Come on!

The Shane gang runs to where the scream came from until Kord was caught by a rope trap. Soon Ice and Fire join and they look around to see anything.

YN: I don't get it. Kord motion detector showed that they were right here?

Fire: Then where are they?

Pronto: Uh guys?....I think I found them.

They look up to see the power trips are hanging by the tree as if they're energy was drained. This made them nervous to see the power trips are down.

YN: Oh god.

Eli: Help me get them down!

Trixie and YN helps to bring them down and place them against the tree.

YN: It looks like they're alive.

Ice: More like these clowns got themselves iced.

Trixie: Its just like the slugs.

Fire: (Nervous.) No way man! This thing is hunting people now!? This is now what I signed up for man!

YN: Hey get it together Fire or esle your brain is gonna burn!

Just then they hear something from the bushes but it turns out to be Stalker.

Stalker: You're making noise. What's wrong?

Eli: What's wrong is we're three men-

YN: (Interrupted.) One of them is a girl.

Eli: Uh, Two men and a lady down. This is what happens when we don't work together. And your stupid traps aren't catching the creature, they're trapping us!

Eli shows him that Stalker's trap caught Kord.

Kord: Hi, I'm upside down.

Stalker didn't say anything as he climbs up and pulls out a knife to cut him loose.

Kord: Appreciate this man.

Just then he heard a beep sound which confused him.

Kord: Hey-

Stalker: Quiet.

Kord: Hey, no that's just my blaster.....(Realize.) Oh....cut me down.

Eli: Kord?

Kord: Proximity alert, something's coming! Something big! Cut me down!

Fire: Well, how close is it!?

Kord: Really close, cut me down!

YN: Everybody form up!

They circle up watching each other back until Stalker cuts Kord loose for him to grab his blaster to find where its coming from.

Kord: I can't tell, its coming from multiple directions.

Pronto: (Freaks out.) There's more than one!?

Kords motion detector starts to act funny where he can't get it straight.

Kord: No, not anymore. This doesn't make any sense.

Kord lightly hit his device and it finally detects something.

Kord: (Stammer.) Wait, wait, wait! I got a new signal! 400 yards out.

Eli: It's close!

Kord: 300 yards.

YN: Everyone get ready.

The slingers aims and get ready to fire to where Kord is detecting while They're sweating from fear as their heartbeat starts to race faster.

Kord: 200 yards. Its moving way to fast!

Fire: (Freaks out.) What the heck man! Where is it!? I can't see nothing out here!

Kord: (Nervous.) 100 yards. 50 yards and its right on top of us!

Just then they hear something coming from the bushes as they quickly aim their blaster at it until it reveal to be a group of freightgeist slugs before they scattered. Kord looks at the device to realize it was the slugs who made the device detected a bigger target.

Kord: Huh...

Fire couldn't help but laughs to see it was the slugs this whole time.

Fire: (Laughs.) It was the slugs this whole time. "Oh no guys, look out its a freightgeist slugs that's gonna scare us in a spooky forest! What are we going to do?-"

Suddenly something grabs him by the angle and pulls him away. 

Fire: AAAAAAHH!

It reveal to be some kind of ghost creature as one of its tentacles is holding fire.

YN: Oh my god its a giant ghost spider!

Eli: Open fire!

The slingers open fire as some of their slugs hit it but no affect as it attacks them with its tentacles. Luckily they do their best to avoid it.

Eli: Hang on Fire!

Just then the creature drain Fire and he ended up the same thing as the power trips before it hangs him on a tree. The slinger continue fire slugs at it but still nothing.

Trixie: We're not having any affect on it! Ideas?

Eli: Just one. Run for it!

Without a second, they immediately run away from the creature but it pursue them as they keep firing slugs at it while running. Just then it grabs Trixie by the angle and pulls her away as she tries to grab on to something.

YN: Trixie!

YN fires Spidey to create a web attached from a tree to his blaster as he grips it tight with his left hand while the other hand grabs on to Trixie arm.

YN: Hang on we got you!

Trixie: I'm slipping!

YN: Don't let go! Guys I need help-

It was too late as her hand slipped because their hand was sweating as she was pull into the fog.

Trixie: AAAAAH!

YN: Trixie!

Pronto: Pronto cannot see a thing!

Eli: Light it up Glimmer!

Eli fired his phosphoro slug to light up the area as the creature screeches from the light before runs away. Soon the Shane gang caught up only to see Trixie is ended up the same as the rest.

Kord: Trixie?

Pronto: My expert diagnosis is, she's still alive.

YN: The heck was that thing!?

Kord: I don't know man, I've never seen it before!

Soon they hear something coming as they aim their blasters but only to see it was Ice and Stalker.

Ice: Hey yo cool your jets guys!

Eli: (To Stalker.) Change your mind about sticking together?

Stalker: ....Follow me.

They follow Stalker with remaining slingers while Kord is carrying unconscious Trixie to the old barn in a middle of the forest. 

Kord lays her down to one of the hays as the rest gather around the lantern while taking short snack break to keep their strength except for stalker who's sitting alone.

Eli: She's alive, she's just...I don't know

Ice: She's dead weight, should have left her behind.

YN: Would you want to get left behind?

Kord: Yeah bro, that's not our style.

Ice: We gotta look after ourselves man.

Eli: You're wrong, we'll never survive unless we look our for each other. We'll figure out a way to help Fire and the Trips. I promise. (To Stalker.) You sure you don't want some of our food Stalker?

Stalker: It'll be a cold day before I need a couple of kids to survive in the wild.

YN: In other words, it'll slow him down with a full stomach. Better to run with a empty stomach in my experience.

Ice: (Shook his head.) You just don't jive.

Eli: (Confused.) What doesn't?

Ice: Get with it dang. Monster drain slugs, let it drain people, its a drag see? Don't make no sense.

Pronto: He has a point. The same question thats been taxing my ample brains.

Kord: There's an old cave troll legend that people and slugs share the same energy. Deep down, a light you could call it. Magic from the earliest days. I never took much stock in it but maybe that's why this creature is draining us now.

YN: (Sarcasm.) Great, so we do have something in common with the slugs after all.

Ice: Keen, so how do we beat it?

Eli then realize he use phosphoro slug against it with the light and gets an idea and shares it to them. Explaining that the monster is afraid of the light and why it only attacked in the night.

Kord: You know, he's right. It did flee when he shot that slug.

YN: We may have a chance to beat it after all.

Eli: So, what do we got?

They gather what they got and place them somewhere to show it.

Kord: All right, that's two phosphoro slugs and a flashlight with half a charge left.

Pronto: Uh, this somehow does not look promising.

Eli: Well its a start. Tonight, we'll sleep in shift and take turns on guard.

YN: I'll take the first shift, you guys get some rest.

Everyone agree as YN grabs the flashlight and the phosphoro slugs with him upstairs of the barn where there's a window above the entrance.

YN POV

Ever since that I'm on a watch, its been extremely quiet for half hour aside from hearing the crickets while leaning against the window and holding my long shot blaster.

YN: (Sigh.) I know you're here. I can hear you from a mile away from the silent.

Someone appear from the shadow revealing Dana with her shadow walker.

Dana: Hey cowboy. How you holding up?

YN: Not good in our end, we lost about 5 slingers because of the creature. We were only lucky when Eli fired a phosphoro slug to scare it off because of the light. Got anything from dad?

Dana: Yeah.

She sat across the window while keeping an eye out for the monster with me.

Dana: You were right, he knew something about it. At least a record of it. Turns out it came from the deep cavern.

YN: I don't get it, I thought the guardians are holding the gate.

Dana: Not everything can last forever YN. The gate could be weakened for all we know.

YN: That or maybe someone found a new way to get here.

Dana: So what's the plan?

YN: Right now, we're the only ones between the towns and that creature. But I don't think we can hold it off much longer.

Dana: I can head to the town and warn them to be prepared. Fill them in on what's they're gonna be dealing with.

YN: Good idea.

Dana: (Worried.) And YN....please be careful.

YN: (Smirk.) I'm a LN. We don't go down that easily.

Dana chuckles as she lightly punch my shoulder before disappearing. Soon my eyes begins to get heavy as I get up and wake up Kord.

YN: (Whispers.) Hey Kord.

Kord: (Yawns.) Huh?

YN: It your turn.

Kord: All right. Just one sec.

Kord gets up and stretches before I hand him the slugs and the flashlight.

Kord: Spot anything during your watch?

YN: Nothing. (Yawns.) Starting to get bored.

Kord: Oh well, get some rest. I'll let you guys know if I found the creature.

YN: Yeah...

I sits down with his back against the wall while still holding my blaster close to me. My eyes begins to feel more heavy until I finally close my eyes. Everything was fine until I smell smoke. Forcing me to wake up and I was shock to see the barn on fired.

YN: What the heck is going on!?

Kord: Pronto set the barn on fire against the monster!

I look and see everyone fighting the monster inside the burning barn.

Man, talk about deep sleep.

YN: Oh snap!

I quickly dodge its tentacles before I fire Razor and Spike with my duel blaster at it. But the monster caught them and dain their energy.

YN: Spike! Razor!

Pronto: Hello? Somebody help Pronto!

Kord: I told you not to set the barn on fire!

Pronto: Our enemy hates light, but therefore he must also hate fire.

Kord: Yeah well so do we!

YN: Just take that thing down! 

I fired Wrecker to its face and successfully hitting it. But it then retaliate and swing its tentacle, knocking me against the wall.

Pronto: Is getting toasty in here!

Eli finally arrives and fires his Aquabeek to put the fire out.

Kord: Eli!

YN: Perfect timing man.

Eli: Kord behind you!

I look and see the monster grabs Kord, Pronto, and Ice.

It was about to grab me but without hesitation, I ran and break the wooden wall to escape from its grasp. But it then drain my friends energy.

Eli: No!

YN: Eli move!

Before the monster could get him, I saw Stalker use his arachnet slug to pull Eli away from its reach as it roars.

YN: I'll hold it off, get your butts out of here!

Eli: YN no!

YN: Live to fight another day, and warn the others!

Stalker: Time to go.

Eli: YN catch!

He tosses me Flash and I caught it before the monster faces me.

YN: All right you want some!? Come and get me!

Monster: ROAR!

Well, now I'm starting to regret it. But then again, running would be a good idea. So I decided to fire Flash to scare it off before make a run for it at the forest.

   I ran as fast I can to the woods but I can still hear it close by. I quickly jump over the log before hiding behind it. I quickly load Shocker on my long shot blaster and take a peek to see where the monster went.

YN: (Whispers.) Come on, where are you- hmph!

My mouth was shut by a hand and I turn to see it was my dad who gesture me to stay quiet. I nod before he let's go.

YN: (Whispers.) Dad? What are you doing here!?

DN: (Whispers.) Came here as fast as I can. Guess I was too late.

YN: (Whispers.) No like why are you here?

DN: (Whispers.) Well I haven't retired yet. Besides, there's no way I'll let that get you. But it looks like I was too late for your friends.

YN: (Whispers.) Eli and Stalker are on their way to the town. The monster could still be around.

DN: (Whispers.) If you last this long, then it should be gone by now.

YN: (Whispers.) So its gone?

DN: (Whispers.) No, it must be heading to the town.

YN: What!? We gotta go!

DN: Then its a good thing that I brought these.

I look and see our mecha beast which made me grin. With it, we can get to the town fast.

Time skip, 3rd POV

The LNs arrive at the town and it looks like the entire town is holding the monster off on their own including Eli and Stalker.

But soon Eli draw it to where the slugs are.

DN: What's that Shane doing!? He's drawing the creature to the buffet!

YN: Hold on dad. Whatever he's up to, he must've got a plan. I'm gonna go help him!

Once the monster drain all of the slugs behind the fences, its original appearance has finally reveal as if it's no longer a ghost anymore.

Stalker then gets ready to fight it on his own.

Stalker: Okay its on, you and me ugly!

The monster then looks at Stalker.

Stalker: Let's dance!

The monster grabs and throw large barrels at him as he dodges it before firing a Frostcrawler at one of its tentacles. But monster breaks it easily and charges at Stalker until a phosphoro slug was fired before a arachnet slug created a net to keep it down.

???: Remember me ugly?

Stalker and the monster looks to see it was YN who fired his slugs.

YN: Cuz I remember you!

Meanwhile Eli sets up his blaster into double barrel mode.

Eli: It hates fire and it hates light. So let's give it both!

Eli fires both of his Phosphoro and Burpy at the creature.

Creating a massive brightness as daylight itself. Finally, the creature's finally dead

Soon a small pieces of light leave and return back to the slugs and the slingers as the creature's body disappears. Leaving everyone cheers to their victory.

Time skip

The town is now back to normal as DN wearing a mask is talking to Dana.

DN: So your Dana Por?

Dana: Yup, its a honor to meet you.

DN: It was actually honor to meet my sons girlfriend. (Sigh.) I'm really sorry about your father. I really wish I could've done something to prevent it. But I know this, he'd be proud of you becoming a good person he'd see.

Dana: Thank you DN LN.

DN: Please, you can call me DN.

YN: Glad you guys are getting along.

DN: Trust me, Tom would definitely be the opposite to you if something were to happen to her.

YN: I wouldn't imagine.

They all chuckle before YN checks up on Eli and the others.

Brodie: Towns back to normal.

Trixie: What happened to Stalker?

Eli: I don't know, he left before daybreak without his reward too. You asked me, I think he didn't want the reminder he'd done something nice for people.

YN: Bounty hunters like him just do the jobs for the money. All in all, I'd say you guys got out easily. Towns need the money to repair the the damage.

Brodie: You did a good thing Eli. You and your friends.

Eli: Yeah...maybe...

Kord: Why do you sound worried.

Eli: Something the shadow clan said, this was just the beginning. Slugterras magic is weakening. You really have to ask yourself, what's next?

YN: I believe I can answer that. But that answer is not for us.

YN then looks at you readers and say a simple words with a smile.

YN: 👻 Happy Halloween! 🎃