PAW Patrol: Incubus

Chapter 10- Wonderland

The entrance of the Omnihive was deceptively simple, eerily disguised as simple cave corridor. Water still dripped, voices still echoed, and the surrounding rocks that built up the walls still remained, although a disgusting stench of rotten meat continued to violate their senses. The cave didn't last long, gradually transitioning into something different entirely. After a couple meters in, a glistening slime began leaking from the walls. Rocky stopped to sniff it, then quickly reared his head back in grimacing disgust. It only increased the further in, starting from droplets only to become full glazes of ooze coating the walls with their vile shine.

No one saw the floor's transformation until Ryder's footsteps turned into sticky, squelching noises, his leather boots pushing down into a pulsing red surface. Being in front, Ryder was grateful no one could see the immensely disturbed look on his face. Rocky already knew it was coming, he'd seen it all before, yet he was completely unprepared as the cavern ran red, the rocks beginning to smoothen out until they formed a flesh-like material. Struggling to keep his composure, Chase trekked on as low vibrations could be felt in the floor and walls, his paws splashed red from the muscley floor he walked on. Marshall had his eyes glued to the red floor, as if he were counting the individual blue veins stringing within it. He utterly refused to look up, following the tracks of Rocky's back legs. The scientist team wasn't even the slightest bit phased, strolling through the wasteland as if they had seen it all millions of times. Paralyzed with shock before the living corridor, Everest couldn't even say a word, her face flaring with horror as she absorbed the sight before her.

"I've seen this," Chase spoke to her, trying to take his mind off the situation at hand.

"What the-" the husky stuttered. "What is all this!?"

"Hive." Ryder called from the front.

"... for what?" Everest gave her partner a fearful glance.

"Well for starters, you don't need to be afraid." Chase said, thinking back on past experiences. "Disturbing as hell in these things, but there's not anything in here that can actually hurt you."

"That we know of." Rocky looked back at him.

"You've been in here before?" The husky shuddered.

"Not this one, the one back at the Lookout." Chase explained, remembering a haunting memory of the basement underneath. "The creature that Dutch let loose, it built a nest exactly like this one under our tower. Whole thing was terrifying to walk around, yet there wasn't actually anything that posed a threat... aside the creature itself, of course."

Ryder scoffed. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Chase, that mess was just a small piece. The Omnihive? It's the whole thing." His voice shivered slightly, "we're walking right into their world, we don't know what's in here."

"You said you've been in there before." The shepherd said aloud, calling to the front of line. "If anyone knows, it should be you."

"Yeah, but not in there!" Ryder argued. "I only ever went into this cave to set up small devices, I never... I never actually walked into the hive itself."

Rocky stared at his old leader, disbelief on his face. "Seriously? You're supposed to be the brave one." When he got no response, the mix whispered under his breath. "Coward."

They approached the end of the living cave, gone were the natural elements that made up the tunnel, now fully transitioned into a repulsive corridor made of muscle and bleeding boils. Strings hung down from the ceiling like tendons, gently tickling their backs as translucent fluid dripped from every surface. The temperature had abnormally risen, creating steaming mist that breathed out of the biomass. Everest was already panting, her thick fur trapped in dangerous amounts of heat. Chase was watching her worriedly, and the husky in the research team was already panting as well. Small electric lanterns previously set up were their only source of light, painting a weak glow along the living tunnel they traveled in. It appeared to be a dead end, a notion of false hope that gave even Ryder a slight wave of relief, until a scientist pointed out a small detail in the wall.