The Wasp Chronicles #1: Into the Hornet's Nest

The Extermination of DinoVespa The Great Part 1: Shadow of the Hornet

Clément: The rhythmic cacophony could only mean one thing: the champion beast of the Hornetians had arrived, DinoVespa the Great.  Louis, Blossom, and I ran outside, pursued by the flying maniacal Dr. Darkwile.  Upon leaving the nest, we saw it: a massive hornet so enormous it took up all of Terror Valley, with wings as long as skyscrapers and constantly opening and closing mandibles big enough to swallow a mansion.  With its great compound eyes, I doubt it could see something as tiny as us, but one move, one simple jerk of its leg could flatten us against the ground.  When Vance Darkwile beheld the monster, his jaw dropped and he touched down to the ground.  "Amazing..." He said, dumbstruck, and then he snapped back to reality.  He looked at Blossom.  "You, girl," He said, "the spear. I need it."  Blossom looked at the two spears she was holding: the Spear of Souls, and the one she took from the Hornetian queen.  "Which one?" She asked.  Darkwile looked livid.  "The Spear of Souls, you idiot!" He retorted.  "Give it to me!" DinoVespa the Great moved its leg and trampled a nearby grove of trees.  "Why?" I asked Darkwile.  "What value does the spear hold to you?"  "That's none of your concern," He snapped.

"Well, given the circumstances, we should be very concerned, Dr. Darkwile" I told him. "For one thing, we have the spear and you do not, therefore we are the ones making the decision to give it to you.  Second, we are trapped on an island infested by savage and dangerous creatures, and the spear has proven itself capable of being used to defeat them; it remains our greatest defense."  "You fool," Darkwile said, looking like he wanted to hit me, "you are vastly ignorant of exactly what this spear is.  I can use it to its full potential..."  "Which is?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.  I couldn't see what Vance's eyes were doing; they were obstructed by his shattered black glasses.  He opened his mouth to say something, but was blasted into the air as a giant antenna of DinoVespa pounded the ground next to him.  The titanic wasp suddenly tilted its head towards us, as if it could sense us. "Blossom," I said, "give Louis the Spear of Souls and give me the other one.  We have to cross the valley to the Hornetian village and release our friends." "Okay" She said, and she gave me the spears.  "Lead the way." I handed the Spear of Souls to Louis and glanced up at DinoVespa.  It kept tilting its head like it was trying to focus on us. "Quickly," I spoke, running into the valley "get under it where it can't see you." Louis and Blossom followed me.  Our journey through Terror Valley in the shadow of the hornet was mostly uneventful; most of the wasps had returned to the nest.

It was getting dark by the time we reached the Hornetian village.  It's a collection of spherical nest-like abodes built onto the side of a canyon.  As we descended into the village on a cliffside pathway, Louis and I formed a plan.  We would have to gather all the Hornetians to speak to them.  By the time we rounded them all up, the moon had risen.  Several Hornetians were carrying torches.  They were all looking at the two of us.  Blossom was hiding at the entrance of the village, since she didn't have a Hornetian disguise.  I nudged Louis.  Louis cleared his throat. "Noitnetta, lla Snaitenroh (Attention all Hornetians)!" He ordered, calling them to attention.  He continued to speak in their language, "I am your new leader!  I have defeated Tigervespa in a Duel of the Fearless with the Spear of Souls!  He has granted me his power and authority!"  I held up the ruby-topped spear.  "And we have retrieved the Ruby of Misfortune!" I declared in Hornetian. "And the first thing your new chieftain demands is that the human sacrifices be released immediately!"  The wasp men began to buzz uncertainly.  Louis spoke, "DinoVespa the Great does not require sacrifices!  It can find food on its own!  This way, innocent lives can be spared... now, to the prison!"

The mob of Hornetians reluctantly followed me and Louis to the far corner of the canyon where the massive system of primitive pulleys was that opened the prison.  Louis gave the command, and several Hornetians pulled the cords to lift the old rotten log that plugged up the prison's entrance.  At Louis' order, Hornetians flew into the prison one by one and came out holding a band member.  Our friends were all set down gently on the edge of the canyon.  Louis then told the Hornetians to fly home.  I set down my spear and we both took off our disguises. Blossom had joined us, and we all greeted our friends.  It was great to see them again.  Marc Cashington and Nicholas Ivywood both patted me on the back and Sapphirine hugged Louis. Everyone looked hungry and ragged.  I realized we needed to get rescued as soon as possible. How much longer could we make it out here alone on this island of nightmares?  Then I thought to how badly Vance Darkwile wanted the Spear of Souls... how he said he could use it to its 'full potential.'  What were his ultimate plans I wonder?  Amy would know I thought.

I found her sitting on a rock on a cliff overlooking Terror Valley.  She was about eye-level with DinoVespa's stinger, a few yards away in the air.  I walked up behind her.  She jumped when I put my hand on her shoulder.  "Okay, Amy..." I said with mock heaviness, "You need to tell me Vance Darkwile's whole story.  I know you know."  She regarded me with an unreadable expression. "Okay. Whatever," She said. "Sit down." And she scooted over on the rock to make a spot for me.  I sat down. She gazed absentmindedly at DinoVespa's enormous striped abdomen. "You remember what I told you on the beach?" She said finally. "Yeah.  He was a scientist working on a 'molecular growth machine' with some other scientist." "Yeah.  Professor Edin Nathaniel." Amy said, fiddling with her hoodie zipper.  "They were commissioned by the Army to create the machine.  This island was the site they used to construct it.  When it was finished, um... Dr. Darkwile wanted all the credit.  So he tried to poison Professor Nathaniel with arsenic." She looked up at the gibbous moon. "But he didn't use enough.  Nathaniel ended up going insane. Dr. Darkwile threw him in a cave, thinking he was dead, but Nathaniel woke up that night and stole the molecular growth machine from his partner." A voice behind us finished.  "And then he took it back to his cave, and the next thing I know is the island is overrun with giant hornets and wasp men."  Of course, it was Darkwile.

He looked quite ominous in the moonlight.  Two antennae had sprouted from his bald scalp, and his hands had elongated and grown more rigid.  Two points had appeared at the corners of his mouth, as if he had begun to grow mandibles.  He no longer wore his glasses, and now his eyes were red and compounded.  Three red gashes streaked across his face.  "That's why I broke into the building on the beach," Dr. Darkwile continued. "That was Professor Nathaniel's office, and I was trying to search for his notes."  "What happened to you?" Amy suddenly asked. Darkwile looked at her.  "When that mad Hornetian chieftain slashed my face, he introduced some kind of mutagen into my blood. It's turning me into one of them."

We heard a roar.  DinoVespa was starting to turn around.  "Now, give me the spear!" Darkwile pleaded urgently, "Before it's too late!"  "Oh, no you don't!" Shouted Louis suddenly as he jumped out of nowhere onto the doctor's back.  He was holding the Spear of Souls.  "THE SPEAR," screamed Darkwile, "GIVE IT TO ME!"  "You asked for it!" Louis said.  He jabbed Darkwile in the side and jumped off.  Curiously, at the spot where the spear struck, Darkwile sprouted a third arm!  It was tipped with a razor-sharp claw.  He made a grab for the spear, but Louis struck him with it again, causing orange exoskeletal plating to grow over part of Darkwile's face.  The mad scientist snarled, and flew behind Amy and me.  His claw was at my throat.  "Give me the spear," said Darkwile, "or say goodbye to your friends."  At that point, DinoVespa roared.  Vance Darkwile looked over his shoulder.  The giant wasp had completely turned around now, and was looking him in the eye.  Louis took advantage of the distraction and ran at Darkwile, but Darkwile was ready.  He intercepted Louis and threw him off the edge of the cliff. "Louis!" I shouted, and he hit the slope, slid down several yards, and stopped moving.  The Spear of Souls lay a few feet away.  Then Amy suddenly spun around and kicked Darkwile in the groin. As he fell over in pain, she took my arm and we slid down the rock face after Louis.  Blossom came after us.  When we reached the bottom, I stood up, shaking, and took the spear.  I looked down at Louis.  He was opening his eyes...