Chapter Text
Spears of sunlight stream through the windows of the seemingly barren village. Vines crawled up the seams of the buildings, leaves flaring out in every way. From an outsider's perspective, one would think the town was now long forgotten and abandoned, a victim of the tricks of time.
However, there was one building that shone with a certain gleam, untouched by dirt or pests. The building stood out like a sore thumb compared to the neighboring houses. It was a lofty building, a manor, and had a lush back garden accompanied by a small group of cattle and chickens. Inhabiting the towering home was a boy, nearly 18, with golden blonde hair so bright that it could compete with the sun itself. He sat in a tall tree, watching the cattle graze on the flourishing green grass. He and Sam had finished their morning chores early, resting in one of his favorite oaks before moving on with the rest of his day. He wiped a small bead of sweat from his temple as he laid his head against the harsh bark. Spring was soon coming to an end, thus, the time to harvest the garden's summer bounty grew ever closer. The seasonal picking of sweet gooseberries, zucchini and their wide variety of tomatoes was one of the many joys of the gracious summer, besides the everlasting sun. Tommy was one who typically ran cold, he always appreciated how the warm weather kindly restored his void of heat.
Lounged on a sturdy branch, a garden spider crawled across the wood next to him. He picked the spider up gently, cooing. The boy always had a soft spot for bugs. He always used a gentler tone with them, compared with how he would speak with anyone else (Which would be Sam).
"Buddy! What is a little guy much like yourself doing all the way up here ?"
Tommy gently picked the arachnid up, inspecting it under the light of noon. Its bulbous torso and spindly legs curiously crawled closer, red eyes ever so piercing. Upon closer inspection, Tommy noticed bright red markings on its body.
"What a cool little guy you are, my friend! I shall grace you with a name! Lets see, uh…."
Now put on the spot, he quickly tried to think of what to call his spindly friend. He thought to name him after himself, but quickly dismissed it, afraid of mixing the two of them up. He then thought to name him after that one spider from that one book with the pig, but told himself that it was a bit too on the nose. Besides, this spider needs a name fit for someone as cool as him. He then recalled one of the old history books he was forced to read in the library, it was about a fearless general, and it was one of the only history books he could bear to read.
"I know! I'll name you General Shroud! A cool name for a cool spider!"
The blonde then looked around, searching for his other friend, to introduce his new one, of course. Sam Nook was near the garden beds, weeding away at the infesting plants. With Shroud carefully cupped in hand, he dropped, other arm left hanging on the branch. He let go and nimbly landed on the ground, making his way over to his robotic friend.
"Big S! Look at this spider I found! Is he not the coolest ever?"
Sam Nook, turned his head, illuminating eyes now focusing on the creature.
"How nice Tommy Innit," The android began to say until his retinas and database fully processed the species in the teen's hand. His pupils then dilated, shooting up from his crouch on the ground.
"Tommy Innit! I do not want to alarm you, but you are currently holding a Latrodectus MacManus, also known as the Black Widow, a venomous spider! I suggest you put the arachnid down as quickly and calmly as possible."
The boy then looked down at the small spider in his hand, blinking slowly.
"Well he hasn't bitten me yet has he?"
"No, however, that does not mean-"
"If anything that just makes him COOLER! How does it feel to be the most badass spider ever!? We are going to be best friends, Shroud. " He beamed at the arachnid below, ignoring the warnings of the robot.
"Tommy Innit, please put the Black Widow down! It could bite you at any moment!." Despite the artificial voice box, the exasperation was clear in his tone."
"Even if he did bite me, which he won't, it's not like it'll kill me."
"Still," He argued, "It makes no logical sense to take a risk one could easily avoid altogether. It is best to let the spider go back to its natural habitat."
"Fine! Fine! Okay! I'll put him down!"
"Thank you.
"Just know that you'll be forcing me to part with my best friend ever!"
"It seems that any living creature that gives you attention becomes your 'best friend'. Was there a falling out between you and Henry?." Sams eyes narrowed, amusement in the corners of his artificial voice.
With the mention of his cow friend, who just so happened to have been ignoring him the past few days, he turned away, huffing, "Whatever, you're no fun." He scoffed.
"I am serious Tommy, do not keep that spider!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, go back to weeding Nook!"
Tommy walked away, turning back to make sure his robotic companion was not looking. When he was sure he wasn't, he swiped an empty canning jar from the porch and plopped the spider inside, smirking.
"Sam's gonna have to try harder to get rid of someone as cool as you, Shroud." Though he was nearly an adult, Tommy never seemed to have gotten rid of his mischievous streak, a part of his childhood that would always remain.
The spider blinked at him, almost like it expected something.
Tommy responded with a thoughtful look, "You're right, you need some decoration in there."
He took him out and started searching together. They gathered leaves, small twigs, dirt, and moss. Tommy placed his findings inside the jar, followed by Shroud.
"There you go buddy! Like your new home?"
The spider merely blinks.
"Perfect! Now, let me hide you so Sam doesn't find out, it's almost time for us to go for today."
He kicked his shoes off and ran to his room placing, his new friend under his bed.
"This should be a good place for you, spiders are nocturnal, right? Maybe I should've listened to Sam's rants about biology a little more. Anyway, I should get packed, I have to go see that thing again." He said that last part with a sigh.
Red eyes fluttered.
"It's a lot to explain, I barely understand it myself, but we're basically gonna go to see-"
"TOMMY INNIT! IT IS NEARLY TWO PM! WE NEED TO DEPART SOON!" Sam Nook yelled from the door.
"Guess I need to go, I'll tell you about it later Shroud, bye!"
He pulled out from under the bed and stood. Grabbing his rucksack, he swung it across his shoulders. Tommy slipped on his trainers and looked behind him, double-checking for any forgotten items before shutting the door. Quite begrudgingly, he walked to the back door where Sam Nook was patiently waiting for him. This was his least favorite part of the day. Actually, fuck that, he hated this. Everything about this. As much as he loves summer, even the Sun Gods couldn't take this part of his day away. No, this part of his routine would always stay constant.
Like he's said many times before, he was going to hate this.
—
The walk was mostly filled with the sounds of their steps and the frequent birdcall. However, as they continued on the path, the calls became less and less so. They have been on this trail more times than he could count. Since he was able to walk, the memory of the daily trek was engraved in his mind. Yes, Tommy knew the path very, very well. So much so that he could walk it fully and perfectly with his eyes closed. Despite this, his eyes remained trained on the winding trail, mind growing more and more wary.
"Sam, how much longer?" He ducked under a hanging branch.
"I am sure that you do not need me to tell you that, Tommy." Tommy looked up towards the sky. When he was younger, he used to imagine animals and shapes out of bright, swirling clouds to pass the time. They aren't as pretty nowadays, now enveloping the sky in a murky off-white. The sun was now nowhere to be seen.
"I know, but I need something to think about." He stepped over a large protruding root, eyes still to the clouds, frowning.
"Tommy Innit, I am sensing that you are growing more and more distressed, would you like some water?"
"When aren't I Sam!? This place sucks, always! Everything good about the world outside the forest is nowhere to be seen here! No sun, barely any birds! I hate it here!" He exclaimed, burying his face in his hands.
"I understand your anxiety about the specimen, Tommy Innit, but you know why we have to do this."
"I know, I know! But why us? Why does a random dude with some robot have to deal with the burden of this shit!"
"Well, if we didn't do it, Tommy, who would?" The android questioned.
Who would do it? Tommy knew he had a very unique skillset, and betted that it was one very few had. Tommy also knew they were alone in this village. It's not like there was anyone else that could do this if they wanted a vacation. The nearest town was nearly a fortnight's trip away. A trip that Sam only took when in a serious supply shortage. Those trips left Tommy even more alone. Alone to make these damn hikes. Being near that thing with Sam was bad. Being alone, well, let's just say that he was very glad Sam rarely made those trips. There was a reason why the two became adamant on making their property self sufficient.
Tommy drew in breath, and let it out. As he grew older, he grew more agitated around this particular part of their routine. It soured his happiest days and made his mood irreparable on his worst. Though, it gave him no excuse to lash out at Sam, even despite his cheery and too helpful attitude.
He looked at his silent companion with a little guilt, "Okay Sam, I'll have some water."
Sam smiled and pulled out a very very large flask from his satchel. It was nearly the length of Tommy's shoulders. The sheer size of it made him mad.
"Sam, I told you to stop bringing that fucking thing! It takes up too much room!"
"Hydration is very important, Tommy Innit, I cannot have you fainting from dehydration."
"It's a 45-minute hike! We don't have to bring a whole damn river with us, I'll survive!"
"You can never be too careful, Tommy, always be prepared." Sam continued to hold out the flask as they walked.
Tommy sighed, he knew he was never going to convince Sam otherwise, "Fine, just give me the damn flask".
—
A healthy chug of water and another 15 minutes of walking later, the pair finally reached their destination. For better or for worse, in Tommy's opinion.
Much unlike the ends of other typical forest trails, the end of this one was neither a glorious lake, cliff view, or any other natural wonder one may find. While the specimen was definitely a wonder, it was definitely not a sight for sore eyes. As the pair drew closer, Tommy brought out his modified respirator mask and placed it around his face. Quite begrudgingly, he also put on his goggles. They weren't of the best quality. They gave him a faint, cloudy, translucent glaze over his field of view. And frankly, they looked bloody ridiculous. He'd told Sam to get better ones, but merchants, much less merchants who'd sell goggles, were far and few between.
Red, squirming tendrils wrapped around the unlucky neighboring trees and bushes. Some had ripped plants from their roots, but to Tommy, it looked like the captive shrubs were trying to escape. He shuddered. Has he mentioned that he hates this place?
Walking closer and closer to the dreaded thing, the air around him had a sort of yellow tinge to it, much like that of mucus or jaundice. Tiny orange specks of spores filled the air, and he was reminded how lucky he was to have that mask. Sam didn't wear a mask, as he had no lungs to infect, however, it was clear they'd both need to thoroughly rinse after.
In the middle of all of this, sat a bulging, bulbous entity, crimson red like the blood of a fresh wound. Or the unforgiving flames of a raging fire. Even though Tommy favored the color red, the crimson was overbearing, threatening, even. The form sat tall, and though it didn't have any eyes, Tommy could feel its gaze loom over him, inspecting him, seeing through him.
There were no birds here. No animal in sight. All that were here had left, and Tommy doesn't like to think about what happened to the stubborn animals that didn't leave.
Even through the cloudiness of his cheap goggles, he could see how the creature pulsed and squirmed. It's vine-like tentacles writhed like struggling worms, wrapping around the prey plants like a python captures a rat. It's smaller tendrils that sprouted near the base of the egg sporatically sputtered, like a dying animal spasming before it's last breath. Though he often complains about the cheapness of the goggles, he internally thanked that he didn’t have to see the full sight.
They— meaning Tommy— called it the egg, much to Nook's chagrin. Sam argued it was too informal, and simply called it the Crimson. Tommy called it the egg anyway, the oval shape making it look like what the chickens spew out everyday.
The egg has been here since he was old enough to remember. Though, its existence probably spans way before that, Tommy thinks.
"Go do your thing man, quickly so we can leave".
The android walked forward, eyes emitting thin rays of light that spanned the area. When he was done, he stood still calculating his new data.
"It appears…" Nook started, but teetered off as if he was in some form of shock.
"Yeah?"
"Apologies, but it appears that the specimen's circumference has grown a total of 10.3 feet since yesterday".
"What?"
"I said that it appears-"
"Not that! I know what you said, but are you're bluffing, surely. 10 feet? That's like 3 meters! Almost doubled from yesterday! That can't be true, scan again." Tommy pleaded, almost angry.
"The data does not lie, Tommy Innit, that is the exact amount of growth. It appears specimen has been growing at an exponential rate."
"How is it growing this fast? It's never grown like this before!" Tommy stared at the egg. It stared back.
"Based on past observations, the specimen consumes surrounding matter, increasing its size which allows it to consume more and more. It will continue to grow at the same rate, if not greater," He trailed off.
Silence fell between them, leaving the writhing and squishing of the vines to fill the void of it. The teen looked away from the egg, instead directing his focus to his worn boots. His brows furrowed and held a blank stare.
Sam Nook patted his ward's head, "It would grow larger, If it was not for you, Tommy Innit".
Tommy looked at his companion, his friend, his guardian, and smiled faintly, he knew what he had to do, "Should I do it now, then?"
"Whenever you are ready, Tommy".
The boy breathed in deeply and let it out as he turned his gaze to the egg. He walked closer and closer, dodging stray tendrils on the way, until he finally planted his gloved hands on the creature.
He closed his eyes, blocking out all other sounds or thoughts from his mind. And focused. He shut out and ignored the tiny voices in his mind asking to be saved from the crimson. He shut out all the different strings of life that beckoned his call. Until he focused on one single string. And pulled it.
Soon, the egg's wretched vines unraveled from the trees, slowly retracting. The egg itself, then, ever so slightly started nudging away. It crowed in pain, its life force getting shrunken as the seconds flew by. The small vines began feistily thwacking on the ground, similar to that of a child's tantrum. It began thumping rapidly, like a heart trying to beat out of a chest.
This has been his life since he could walk: to push this crimson away from the village until they find a way to stop it. However, it's hard to do so when the egg is pushing back on your powers with the same fervor. It was inefficient, and hardly stopped the egg from growing nowadays.
Tommy was starting to feel a bit tired from the sudden exertion of his powers until a familiar, cold hand was planted on his shoulders. A sudden rush of energy flowed through him and continued to will the egg away. Though, even with the extra energy, the egg had barely moved half a meter. He furrowed his eyebrows and had an idea. With his slight exertion, it was a stupid one, but better than this.
Focusing harder on the egg, he grabbed a hold of the outer layer of the egg's "skin". It was almost mossy and pliable. Instead of pushing it away, he willed it into decay, allowing his body to absorb the extracted energy. The outer layer, along with nearby vines started to darken and turn black, finally turning to an ash-like substance.
The egg did not like that.
A screech-like moan ringed out from the egg and vines wriggled and squirmed like a worm under the unforgiving sun.
"Tommy Innit! What are you doing?"
Suddenly, Tommy's head pounded, in a rhythmic pattern. It felt like his skull was cracked open. Like an egg. It became harder and harder to focus, and his body shook with exhaustion.
"Tommy, you have to let go of it! Before it's too late!" Sam Nook stammered. He still held on to the boy, for fear that letting go would only hurt Tommy more.
Tommy fought to stay conscious, wanting to finally kill the damn thing off.
However, the egg was not about to simply let the boy continue his work. The pounding in his head increased tenfold, and could feel a warm trail of blood seeping out of his nose.
Before Tommy could stop himself, he was forcefully pulled away, nearly falling to the ground if it wasn't for two metal arms keeping him upright.
The world was spinning, the pounding preserving after losing the connection. Tommy fell to one knee and struggled to breathe.
"Tommy Innit! Tommy! Stay awake!" He fretted.
"Did-" The teen coughed roughly, "Did I kill some of it?"
"Tommy Innit, you agreed to avoid using that power on the egg!"
Tommy tried to throw out a response, but nothing came out besides coughing and heavy breathing.
"We need to get out of here immediately".
Sam Nook wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders, keeping him upright. Typically, Tommy would also move surrounding vegetation away from the egg, but it was clear it was now out of the question. Slowly, very slowly, they made their way back through the trail, egg abandoned.
When Sam was sure they were a good enough distance away, he pulled off his friend's mask. Tommy took in breath after breath greedily as rubbed his back in comforting circles.
The blood from his nose now trailed down to his chin, dripping small drops onto the ground he was kneeling on. He felt cool metal against his lips and began to drink from the flask Sam held up for him. His breathing, while not perfect, was slowing down to a reasonable pace.
They stayed on the ground for a while. Maybe just a few minutes passed, maybe an hour.
Sam stood them both up, holding most of the other's weight. Tommy was past the point of exhaustion when they started walking and fought the battle of unconsciousness in vain.
—
Tommy slumped against the android, still upright by Sam's arms. His mechanical voice drew out a sigh, picking the teen up under his legs and back and continuing the trail back in silence.