>>5228956It’s a tale as old as time: right when you’re starting to get comfortable, reality rears its ugly head! This time around it takes the form of a slime-encrusted set of jaws lunging out from a nearby pipe! Taking you off-guard, you stumble a bit as the sewer-dweller snaps at your arm, allowing Jed’s skull to wriggle free of your grasp!
“See you at the next art show, Stanley!” He laughs, landing in the sludge current at your feet! “I’ll be sure to invite your friends, too!”
Laughing maniacally, it takes the skull a moment to realize that unfortunately for him, sewage isn’t exactly known for its viscosity, and after delivering an armored punch to the <span class="mu-r">SEWER GATOR’S</span> snout to assert dominance, you dutifully pick your quarry back up out of the goop and shake a few stringy bits of… <span class="mu-i">stuff</span>... off before stuffing him back under your arm. He was saying?
“It appears I’ll have to… reschedule…” Jed sighs as you make your way over to the ladder. Damn right, he will, you snicker! It takes you a little longer than usual since you’re armored up, but once you hit the top of the ladder, the manhole cover pops off relatively easily–so much so, in fact, that you’re already halfway out when a hail of bullets ricochet off the ground next to you!
“Stan was <span class="mu-i">RIGHT</span>!” Shrieks an all-too-familiar voice, “The sewer’s crawling with <span class="mu-r">RACCOON MUTANTS!</span>”
Disengaging your armor, you shoot Talbot a withering glare as you help Sybil back onto the surface. Shooting a nervous glance at her knee-high boots, your pal looks back your way with a warm smile on her face. “Thank you, Stan–I know that wasn’t easy, but-”
But you survived, you interject, <span class="mu-i">despite</span> your misgivings about the sewer being completely and utterly <span class="mu-i">justified!</span>
“... It was an <span class="mu-r">ALLIGATOR,</span> though.”
Yea, you shrug, mutants use them as pets all the time! Rolling her eyes, Sybil’s face lights up a bit more when she spots Art walking over from the van parked nearby!
“Sorry about the bullets,” He mutters as Eddie and Kiki glance your way apologetically. “We had no clue what was going on, so-”
What happened, you smile, is that you <span class="mu-i">GOT</span> him! Holding up Jed’s skull for everyone to see, you bask in the moment as your cronies take turns uttering variations of ‘<span class="mu-i">OoOoh</span>’ and ‘<span class="mu-i">AaAahh</span>’.
“Gus’ll be happy to meet him.” Eddie grins as he jabs a thumb towards Marcie looking over from the back of the van. “Where, uh… where <span class="mu-i">is</span> the big guy, anyways?”
“He went to rescue the remaining hostages…” Sybil replies in a confused tone. “Did… did you not see him?”
“What a <span class="mu-i">shame</span>.” Spits the skull under your arm. “Even if he <span class="mu-i">was</span> able to find where I was keeping my materials, there’s no way he could get through my <span class="mu-r">FINAL TRAP-</span>”
“Hey, Stan.”
>CONTD. 