Pip's Ophidian Book 1: Beatlebug & The Provider

Chapter 6: No

"No!" Pip shouted, leaping backwards. Mel was suddenly on his feet and hissing, and Jesse threw her tablet at the red.

"Sharp!" she bellowed. "We are getting somewhere, here, without your BS!" The Red didn't stop though, was across the room in under a blink, and the gun was suddenly pressed against Pip's head and this, this felt less like unearthed sand words and more like a cut as, through the gun, Pip felt them:

Where is it?!

Mel was suddenly holding onto the arm with the gun, and he let out a low hissing growl, crest fully raised.

Pip experienced the odd swooping sensation then of yet again overhearing (overthinking?) a conversation.

Why? He has done nothing! And he is mine, I told you, he is mine.

The Red's eyes positively burned, He has a tracker. We are being followed.

Pip blinked, a cold shock rolling down his back. What?

All heads turned suddenly to him. Mel's relief fell over him like a balm, and he reached out a brave hand and took Pip's before turning back to the Red. Sharp. Sharp, Jesse had called him.

See?

The Red scoffed. He doesn't know. So?

Intent matters to them.

Not to me.

He is young. Child.

Child! Human child of your nest says he is 17.

Still, too young. Too young to be considered a perpetrator.

Beneficiary, then. No difference to me. No difference to the end result. They will kill us for him. I will not let that happen. They will not claim more of us than they already have.

They're coming back for me? Pip thought then, as loud as he could. Thrilled; surprised, even though he shouldn't be.

Silence.

The Red looked rather pointedly at Mel.

It was like the warm shield had dropped, and Mel turned and looked at him with narrowed eyes, crest low.

They would kill us all. Break my egg.

Mel's warmth had taken on a heat that scorched, and Pip faltered, he didn't want that, would die to prevent that, but that was crazy, this was all so crazy–

Mel let go of him abruptly and turned away, and it was like the sun went out. Please, no, don't be mad.

Cut it out of him. Don't space him. Space the tracker. Cut it out of him. Don't... don't hurt him.

The heat of it burned, and Pip froze.

The Red didn't, though, and before he could say no, the claws found his neck and he felt the pinch of a needle, and darkness overtook him.

~

It won't make a difference. They have a lock on us. Sharp's chill. I'd say we have a few days at most.

Spacing him will only give them the ability to fire without fear of hurting him. Mel.

So what, we just keep your little pet forever? Run forever? How many humans do you need?

One. Apparently, one. Do you think I'm happy about it?

Pip felt Sharp's disgust at that, and Jesse audibly said, "Thanks."