Slugterra: Twisted Ends

Episode 8: A Sting in Time

Trixie shot awake, her body covered in dirt. She felt her head, fingers pushing through her loose red hair. "Huh? What... happened?"

She let go of her locks, her pigtail having freely fallen over her face. She looked around, confusion washed over her as was alone. All she could see was her own mecha beast deactivated beside her. She reached for her ear, tapping the communicator within.

Static.

"Weird... it must be broken."

She sighed and stood up. She mounted her saber mecha and begins to slowly ride off.

Bluster, her partner Tormato slug, hopped to her shoulder, chirping bewildered.

"Yeah, it's real weird Bluster. I don't know why our friends aren't around here... maybe they got captured or retreated?" Trixie answered him.

She continued to search the area, yelling out for her friends.

"Eli! Kord! Pronto! Mira! Katrina! Anyone?"

Silence.

Trixie gave up on the call outs and headed towards the one place she'd know her friends to be; the hideout.

Once she had come into sight of the hideout, a loud whirling sound emitted from the roof. Bang. Bang. Bang! Slugs launched out towards her.

"Woah!"

She barely turned her mecha to dodge each shot until the machine broke down. She breathed relief as she watched the slugs staggered their way back into the hideout.

"Okay, that's definitely not menat to happen..."

She followed them towards the door, entering her home. A thick dust coated the air. She glanced around the main room, furniture laid about messily.

"Oh my slug, what happened here-"

"Who's there?" a loud voice boomed.

Trixie drew her blaster, creeping around the home, "I can ask the same question squatter!"

She backs around the corner of the kitchenette, bumping into the resident. "Ah!" She spun about.

The tall figure stared down at Trixie. His voice quivered, "No way... you're..."

It became clear to Trixie as she stared back at this tall muscular blue man with a beard of gold. "Kord? What happened to you? You look older."

Kord watched her with wide eyes. "We thought you were dead!" He picked her up and hugged her tightly. "I can't believe you're alive!"

"Dead? Wait, too tight!" she choked.

"Crud sorry!" he let her go. "I just- Eli's going to lose his mind when he sees you!"

Trixie caught her breath as she looked at the cave troll, "So what happened? Did we win our battle with Quintin? Where are the others?"

Kord glanced at the floor. "A lot has happened... Dr Blakk runs Slugterra now. And the others, we split up."

"How long did it take for Blakk to do that?"

"You've been gone for ten years."

"Ten years!" Trixie sputtered.

"You disappeared after that strange beam came from Quintin's machine."

"That's... insane."

Kord couldn't help make a joke, gesturing with his hands, "You're telling me, it's insane seeing that you haven't aged a day and I'm over here in my thirties."