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The lumino lights in the cavern started to fade, bathing the surrounding area in a calm, peaceful darkness. The phosphoro slugs followed, dimming their natural glow as they huddled in a cornucopia of other slugs from the area. Thugglet, gazer, flaringo, and flatulorhinkus slugs prepared themselves for nighttime in Wild Spores Cavern. Another light turned off, just a short distance from the slugs. The only man-made building for miles around. The Shane Hideout. Only this resident was not preparing for sleep. In fact, he was doing the exact opposite. He was just starting his journey for the evening.
As the door opened, in the frame stood none other than the protector and champion of the 99 caverns: Jimmo Shane. Clutched in his hand was a letter that was brought down by his hoverbug a few weeks ago. Will had a kid. A son specifically. That means the Shane line was secured. It meant retirement. Nothing more, nothing less. Well, he knew it meant more, but it wasn't really a direct thought in Jimmo's mind. Currently, crime in Slugterra has escalated. Jimmo wasn't sure if it was because of his older age or the rise of a new company: Blakk Industries. Either way, catching criminals was not as easy anymore.
At 58, Jimmo watched over Slugterra for the last few decades and trained his nephew Will to take his place when the time came. Unfortunately, Jimmo can't give up being the Shane without an heir to take Will's place if something happens to him. Which has been the problem for the last few years. Despite how long Will and his wife had been married, they were not blessed with children. Time and time again, Jimmo got letters about another miscarriage or another failed try. Still, finally, there was some good news. Jimmo was happy that the child was a boy, despite not wanting to admit it. They have never been any female Shanes. It would be challenging to explain why a woman would have kept her maiden name instead of taking her husband's many years ago. It didn't matter now, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Jimmo signed, "Are you ready Tine?"
There was some movement and rustling coming from Jimmo's backpack until out popped a little reddish-orange Infurnus jumped on Jimmo's shoulder, chirping away, clearly excited about what would happen. Jimmo was gifted her after… after his brother passed away all those years ago, but she had been around for all of his life and thousands of years before. She had been passed now from the first Shane and before that was the sole Infurnus of the 99 caverns. She had protected it with her life.
But now she was excited for a whole different reason. She looked up at him expectantly as she hopped from Jimmo's shoulder into one of his canisters, wagging her little tail. Jimmo chuckled as he loaded up his blaster and fired. Has Tine hit speed, she transformed into a beautiful phoenix-like slug with orange flames before shifting her colors into blue, signaling to Jimmo it's time.
As Tine circled around, Jimmo readied himself. Jimmo was about ready to jump onto her when she stopped and floated right in front of him instead. She turned, looking back as if waiting for something. Jimmo was confused until it hit him, and he laughed, "Guess we're both getting too old for this?"
Tine chirped in agreement with Jimmo; she took off as he grabbed her shoulders. Jimmo really was getting too old for this, but he never gave up seeing Slugterra up from above. Even in its supposed night, the dull bioluminescence of the mushrooms and environment lit up the world that the surface could never rival. And speaking of the surface, in his sights, he saw it: The Drop.
The Drop was a natural hole used by the Shanes for the last few centuries to make it to Slugterra. As far as Jimmo knew, it was the only way to get down to Slugterra. Unfortunately, there was no way up, so the only way to get back to the surface was, too well… hang on. And hang on, did Jimmo do as Tine weaved her way around every jagged edge. The journey was never easy in general, but it is a struggle nowadays. Hanging onto a slug as it ricochets across sharp rocks for an hour was not something Jimmo could ever prepare for, even when he was young, let alone in his late 50s. It probably was the reason why Jimmo never really visited the surface anymore. There really wasn't any reason… until now.
Finally, he spotted a lone pipe jutting out of the brown rock. The trip was almost over. Tine flew through the sewer, finally stopping before the door blocking their secret world from the outside world. Jimmo slid off her and caught her in his hand as she transformed into her protoform.
"Good job, girl," Jimmo said as he petted her head. She hopped from his shoulder before lighting her head on fire to provide a little makeshift candle. Jimmo smiled before walking over and pressing the Shane star on the wall to open the double doors that lead to the swears. While it's been a while since Jimmo had to navigate them, he wasn't anxious about that. He could handle a little sewer system if he could navigate the 99 caverns. He was sure this was the sewer pipe that he was supposed to go up, except… there was no ladder. Will. He had one job: drop the ladder, close the sewer drain, and wait for Jimmo. He signed. Guess he was gonna have to do this on his own.
"Do you think you have a little bit of steam left to help me out?" Jimmo asked. Tine signed but reluctantly got in another canister. Jimmo stood underneath the sewer drain and shot Tine up right at it. Upon hitting the drain, it completely busted open. Unfortunately, Jimmo had the unfortunate luck of standing underneath it when it did. Water immediately started spraying all over Jimmo. He jumped back, confused at first, until he realized… it's raining outside. He smiled fondly. He wasn't a huge fan of rain or snow when he lived on the surface, but spending all his time in Slugterra made him greatly appreciate it.
The pipe looked small. Too small to fit him riding Tine up it, but luckily Jimmo came prepared. "Slim, are you in there?" Jimmo called to his backpack. Once again, another little slug jumped out of his bag. This one was a little Lariet slug, obviously a much younger slug compared to Tine, but Slime has been with Jimmo since he first became the Shane. He was one of the first slugs he recused and has stayed with him since. So he loaded him up and shot him through the hole where Tine was waiting up at the top. As Slime reached the top, he attached himself to the end of the sewer and spat a rope of, well… slime. Jimmo cringed as soon as he saw it. It was definitely not the most ideal situation, especially if Will did was he was supposed to and brought down a ladder… but that was for another time. Or probably never since it really wasn't that big of a deal, just inconvenient.
Jimmo, with all his upper body strength, pulled himself up and out of the sewers. Finally, he could stand out in the open air, which was freezing. He forgot how cold the surface is. Slugterra is always hot and humid and stays like that all year since it has no weather patterns. Jimmo might have missed the rain and snow but certainly not the cold. Slim had already hopped from the ground into Jimmo's backpack, but Tine was having a more challenging time due to the cold. He shivered as he bent down to pick her up.
"Get some rest, Tine; you have done enough" Tine nodded and jumped back into Jimmo's backpack from his hands. He hoped that his bag would be warmer than the outside was. It was raining not too hard but enough to be a little uncomfortable, so he hastily walked to the green house that was almost as old as the city they lived in.
After passing by a few houses, he ended up underneath the awning of the little green house. He pressed the doorbell, and… nothing happened. He hit it again. Still, no one came. Jimmo signed again for what felt like the tenth time today. This trip is proving to be more difficult with each minute. He tried again, but still, no one answered. He decided to walk over to the left window knowing where the living room was. It was pitch black. Jimmo had no idea if anyone was in there. For a moment, Jimmo stood there, not knowing what to do. Maybe they weren't even home; perhaps he should have announced that he was coming in advance more.
Still not knowing what to do, he knocked on the door. Knocking turned to rapping, which turned into him banging the door with all his might. "Will, Will, it's your uncle! Open the door!" He had half a mind to use his blaster to open the door, but that would cause many issues and an unnecessary call from the police about a man breaking into this house. It wouldn't have been the first time.
Jimmo finally decided that lightly tapping on the window would do the trick. So he stood there tapping away with his finger, then his fist. After a while, he wasn't even looking at the window while doing it. Honestly, this was stupid; he should have told Will what day he was coming instead of a generic soon. He was about to walk away when he came face to face with his nephew through the glass. Jimmo jumped back, clearly startled.
"Uncle Jimmo?" Will's voice muffled voice came through the glass
"Yes, Will, it's me open the door," Jimmo said.
Will disappeared for a second until Jimmo heard the door being unlocked and saw it swing open. He walked over, and standing in the doorway was his nephew Will… in all his disheveled glory. He had huge circles under his eyes, and it looked like his hair hadn't been combed in days which was probably the case. Usually, Will would only have one loose strand of hair that fell in front of his face; now, he had numerous others to join the first, not to mention the huge bags under his eyes. That also didn't even mention the outfit he was wearing. He had a grey shirt covered in numerous multiple-colored stains that he hoped were from food. Altogether, Will looked like a young new dad, which he was.
It seemed like Will wanted to say something to him until the sound of a crying baby came from the living room. Like a flash of lightning, Will rushes to calm this child from its crib.
"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay."
Jimmo sat down in one of the chairs by the window. Admittedly, he felt a little awkward sitting there watching Will try to soothe the wailing child. A screaming child was one of the reasons he never had his own. He was about to ask if Will needed help when the baby miraculously stopped and fell asleep in its father's arms. Will continued to bounce the baby in his arms when he turned and glanced at Jimmo, almost forgetting that he was there until he turned around.
"Hey Jimmo, watch this."
Will proceeded to kneel on the floor and lay his baby facing Jimmo. As Will removed the blanket, swaddling this baby, Jimmo looked confused at the display. What the hell was he doing? Finally, Will released the baby's left hand from the blanket, only to press his finger into the palm of the infant's hand. Instantly, the infant wrapped his hand around the finger, holding it like his life depended on it. And maybe it did because as soon as the baby did, Will gradually lifted his hand. Jimmo was startled for a second. Was he trying to lift the baby up with his finger? But Will stopped before he could do that.
"Look at that, he's got the grip of slugslinger, already, huh. He's gonna be an amazing Shane, I can already tell," Will uttered with pride in his voice as he gazed lovingly at his son.
That comment really took Jimmo in for a loop. He was trying to hold back crying out in laughter, fearing that he would make the baby cry, so he bit his lip, hoping that would be enough. Still, such a goofy comment was so characteristic of his nephew that he had to let out a little chuckle. But, of course, Will was thinking about Slugterra and taking his son down just like Jimmo did with Will. Still, the fact that Will believes his son will be some master slugslinger when he's barely a month old is hilarious.
Will looked up at Jimmo from the floor and beamed with pride. "Well, at least I'll hope he'll be. That would suck if he didn't," Will jokingly replied, scratching the back of his head, clearly trying to maintain some sort of tough exterior in front of his uncle. However, Jimmo could see right through it. You could already tell he was proud of his son.
"I'm sure he will"
Will stroked his son's little cheek, which made the baby turn toward him. He wiggled his little limbs and kicked his tiny legs at the contact, seemingly excited to have someone touching him. Was Will like this? Floppers, it's been so long that he can't even remember. So long that he's using Slugterra swears in his head instead of the surface ones he grew up with.
"Where's your wife?" Jimmo asked
Will yawned, "Oh, she's upstairs thought I would give her a break by moving us downstairs. She's probably out cold if she didn't even hear you; I mean, I barely heard you," Will chuckled.
The awkward silence slowly started to creep up again. It's clear that Jimmo could have picked a better best time to visit his nephew. Typically, Jimmo wasn't much of a talker; that was more Will's forte, but considering how tired he looked and the time of night, it was clear that Jimmo would have to break the silence somehow.
"Has Yin seen him yet?"
At the mention of Will's mother, Will instantly had a twinkle in his eye. It was no secret to Jimmo that Will was a bit of a momma's boy, despite the younger man insisting he wasn't. Yin Liu was a short Chinese woman who raised Will alone after his father passed away at 2. Despite her small stature, she was a force to be reckoned with especially having to care for a child like Will at such a young age. Jimmo tried every once in a while to visit, but it was hard balancing out the work life and the family life. But Yin always did an excellent job with Will. She was strict when she needed to be but always loved to have fun with her son. In addition, she had a passion for all animals and clearly shared that love for them with Will.
She loved him very much and watched him like a hawk. Almost too much like a hawk. When Will turned 15 years old and was being his training as a Shane, she insisted that she come down to make sure that it was safe for her son. Jimmo tried convincing her that it was safe, which it definitely wasn't, but she didn't have to know. But that didn't stop her, and in an impulsive move that Jimmo still doesn't understand to this day, she went down to be with them for 3 months. Needless to say, it was one of the worst months of his life. Well, it wasn't precisely, but having Yin breathing down his neck, asking every little question about how to save something, why he did this, and why he did that while also trying to train a reckless teen, wasn't a time he wanted to relive again.
But Jimmo appreciated her and respected her in everything she did. Being a single parent, especially after having such a young son, was difficult.
Will still had yet to respond to Jimmo's question, which wasn't uncommon for him. Half the time, Will never answered because he was probably thinking about the next stupid, reckless thing he could do that would cause Jimmo's blood pressure to go up or because he was purposely ignoring him. Instead, this time Will continued to look at his son's eyes and stroke his tiny head, completely mesmerized. Maybe having a kid would finally mellow Will out. Perhaps he would eventually stop acting impulsively, knowing he had a kid to care for. Jimmo waited patiently for Will to respond, but after a few minutes, he still hadn't. "Will," Jimmo said again, a little more irritated this time.
"Huh," He replied. "Oh, yeah, she can't get enough of little Eli. She comes around to see him multiple times a day, even if it's just to hold. He really doesn't do that much, but actually, the other day-"
"Eli… huh, wouldn't expect such an odd name for you son from you?"
Will blinked back, seemingly surprised that Jimmo cut him off, only for that characteristic Will Shane smirk to pull on his lips, "Says the man who calls himself Jimmo," Will quipped back
Jimmo stared back, unphased "It's a nickname."
"Really I would have never guessed," Will replied, sarcasm oozing out of every word.
"You still haven't answered my question. Why Eli?" Jimmo remarked
Will looked across the room, almost like he was also pondering why. Jimmo didn't mean to sound accusatory; he wasn't expecting that type of name for his nephew's son. It sounded so… stuffy. A name more suited for a wealthy businessman from the 1800s. Not the son of his energetic, thrill-seeking, doesn't-know-the-meaning-of-sitting-still nephew. Will looked back at his son, who started to get a little fussy again.
"Well," he began, as he got up, clutching onto his whimpering son, and walked to a small fridge in the back of the room next to the fireplace. Who the hell put that fridge there?
Actually, what happened to this whole living room. As Will strolled to the back to grab a milk bottle for his son to feed him, Jimmo really started to take the entire room in, and well… it was a mess, to say the least. The place was utterly disheveled, lined from every nook and cranny with almost every toy one could imagine. There were blocks scattered all over the floor, blankets were just thrown everywhere, seemingly with no thought or care to where they are, and every stuffed toy a child could imagine. It reminded Jimmo of those horrible daycare centers he used to take him to when he was a toddler. Places filled with screaming children and all sorts of unknown diseases lurking, waiting to take his body as their host.
"You remember Rosa's family right?"
"Mm, oh" Jimmo didn't know how long he was lost in thought, but it was clearly long enough for Will to smirk, knowing he could never catch Jimmo off guard. Maybe he really is losing his touch?
"What about her…." Will looked at him knowingly. "Oh."
Jimmo remembers it all. In the 80s, Will begged to go to college, something Jimmo never did. Hell, he didn't even finish high school, so he never saw the appeal, but low and behold, when Will entered his senior year of high school, that's all he talked about. It was, apparently, the cool thing that everyone did. All of them would go to college and do some absolutely crazy things, and then all of them would go back and talk about it on their breaks. At least that's how Will explained it to Jimmo, who, of course, said no. Absolutely, no way Jimmo was allowing Will to go to some dumb school just so he could party, get drunk, and then die. It was time for him to focus on the essential things like Slugterra, like being a Shane. Besides, why would he want to go to a school and party when there is a world beneath his feet to care for?
That was not the right thing to say because Will still would beg Jimmo for him to go. But Jimmo made up his mind. When Will graduated, he would officially leave and never see the surface again until he had to create another Shane. The real person to change his mind was Yin.
She understood the importance of being a Shane and the sacrifices that all Shanes had to make to protect their worlds; hell, her husband sacrificed his own life for it. Still, she also said that Will would never get an opportunity like this again. He will no longer be a kid if he goes to Slugterra full-time. He'll be Will Shane, the next in line to the Shane legacy. People will expect a lot from him. And people will be after him. He just wanted to be a normal kid before it was all gone. And that sometimes a parent has to let go of their child and let them spread their own wings.
So, Jimmo, against all odds, allowed Will to apply to school. He initially thought that Will would choose a school near the Drop, like a community college. But no, nope. Will decided to test Jimmo's patience again by selecting a school in California… hundreds of kilometers away. Why, WHY would Will choose a school like that?!?
It boiled Jimmo's blood when he found out. By the time he was able to come back up to Slugterra, it was already too late. Yin had already put down a deposit for the school. How was Will supposed to contact him? What happens if he gets severely injured or dies in Slugterra? How is he supposed to know? How is he gonna get back if that does happen? What is he gonna teleport to the Drop? How is he gonna live in the States without citizenship? All these questions and more were berated at Will in the weeks following his leave of school.
But they were promptly ignored, as Will and his mother usually do when they make an impulsive decision together. The apple never falls far from the tree as the saying goes. But alas, the questions didn't stop Will.
He just wanted to see the world and travel as much as possible before that time was lost. Although with all his heart, Will truly loved Slugterra, if he stayed there permanently, he would be engulfed by the work and caught in its grasp, never to be released. He saw the toll it had on his Uncle. So he just wanted one last shot before it was gone. And what better way to spend the next 4 years of partying than in one of the warmest and sunniest states in the country.
So they made a truce. Like he did in high school, Will would go down to Slugterra in the summer and any break, even a short one. He would use a pay phone and call his mother every day, which he would probably do anyway, to get any updates on Jimmo or Slugterra. And then, when all this college shit was over and done with, he was going down to Slugterra permanently, continuing his training with Shanai and never returning to the surface again. A little extreme at the time, but it got Will to listen. Will initially hesitated at first. The thought of likely never really seeing his mother again until he had a kid of his own put a lump in his throat. Still, the fact he could have a little taste of freedom was enough to give it up.
And so Will took off in the fall of 1985 to sunny California where he did precisely what Jimmo was hoping he wouldn't do: drink, party, and probably almost die but he was never told otherwise. He only just assumed the last one. But it was there that Will met her, Rosa-Maria Gonzalez Rios or, as she is known now, Rosa-Maria Shane. She was everything that Will would want in a woman. Confident, level-headed, and would not take any crap from anyone, including him. While Will was head over heels for her beautiful dark brown eyes, long black hair, and strong personality, Rosa only saw another dumb, annoying, arrogant, frat boy wannabe.
But that didn't stop Will from thinking about her, even when he did date other women or when she was taken by other men. It was a pain for Jimmo to hear. But as the years passed, Rosa's opinion of Will softened, and Will didn't act like such a pain in the ass. And long story short, they finally fell in love; Rosa shared her extensive Mexican Catholic family, while Will shared his family's greatest secret. But, first, Will had to get approval from her extensive Mexican Catholic family. And that's where everything comes full circle. Rosa's family probably choose that name.
"Yeah well, initially they wanted to name him like Jose or Juan or something like that but we didn't really think that fit him. I mean imagine a Jose Shane running around in Slugterra would be very different from all the other Shanes plus he doesn't look like a Jose to me." Will rattle on.
"Hmph, Jose Shane definitely would have stood out. But Eli isn't really a Mexican name is it? Isn't it more of a Hebrew name?"
"Yeah, it is. That's why technically, his full name is Elías."
"Oh so his full name is-"
"Elías Shane, but I call him Eli, so everyone kinda gets what they want. Rosa's family gets their name, but I get Eli." Will paused, eyes wide "I mean there's nothing wrong with him having a more Catholic and sort of Mexican name I mean, I'm sure the people of Slugterra won't even notice. I just-" Will rambled before being cut off by Jimmo.
"Will, it's fine. I was just curious."
"Oh, okay," Will chuckled nervously; a little tension seemed to release from his shoulders.
Jimmo smirked. "I mean, I was excepting name more like… Aerrow," Will rolled his eyes.
"You will never let me go on that one. I haven't watch Strom Hawks since I was like 10."
"And yet I still find those dolls all over the hideout."
"Dolls, they're action figures, Jimmo!" Will stated with annoyance. "Plus, they're cool; that's why they are 'all over the hideout" Will proclaimed
Jimmo snorted. "Whatever you say."
A comfortable silence came over them as they stared at the sleeping infant in Will's arms. It really baffled Jimmo's mind how small he was.
"Would you like to hold him?" Will's voice was barely above a whisper
Jimmo hesitated. Besides the occasional child, he had to save here and there in Slugterra, he had never really held a baby before. At least one in a calm environment and not in a life-or-death situation for a long time. He's worried he might not hold him correctly and hurt him. Despite how reluctant he was, he nodded yes. Will smiled and walked over to him, holding his little son in his arms. He knelt down right next to Jimmo and slowly gave the baby to him. Jimmo held out his hands, readying to cradle his head and neck. Once little Eli was seated in his hands, Will gave him an amused look. "You know you can hold him in your arms if you want."
Jimmo scoffed, "I know I just…."
"Here" Will lifted his son again but moved him into the crook of Jimmo's elbow. Once he was there, Will directed Jimmo's right hand to be placed underneath Eli's head to support it. It all came naturally to Jimmo after that, as he remembered holding Will like that all those years ago. He felt his emotions starting to bubble up as he remembered those simpler things, but he pushed them down for now. No need to get so emotional, not yet at least.
Of course, it seemed like Eli had other plans because as soon as he was settled in Jimmo's arms, he made a little cooing sound and slowly opened his eyes. His sky-blue eyes. Just like him, just like Will. He looked so much like him. He could feel tears threatening to spill. So much for not getting emotional.
"He…" Jimmo clears his throat. "He has his father's eyes."
"Yes, yes he does" Will put his head in his hands as he rested his elbows on the arm of the chair, continuing to look so proudly at his son.
After a moment of Jimmo bravely holding back tears, he said, "Let's hope he doesn't have his father's reckless attitude either."
"Oh, come on you just had to say Jimmo, I don't think I was that bad" Jimmo whipped his head up with an unamused look.
Will chuckled nervously "Well even if he does he'll be mine to take care of"
"Hmph, good, it'll give you a taste of your own medicine."
"Haha, yeah… I can't disagree with you there."
Jimmo turned back to the tiny infant in his arms as the baby started to coo at him, almost like he felt safe in his arms, knowing that he would never do anything to hurt. And as he gazed into ocean blue eyes, it struck him. Seeing Will's love for this child made Jimmo realize he was so much more. So much more than a retirement plan. Just another Shane, another link in the chain of Slugterra's most infamous family. He was Will's son. He was a little boy. A child. An infant. And his great-nephew. And Jimmo knew he would make everyone proud no matter what he chose.