EPISODE 3 Bugs in the System

year 1012, 23rd of June
Brooklyn, ManeHatten. The Job search center
9:30am

"So Mister Warm I see you weren't fit for the high pressure, demanding profession of garbage transit." The old mare Local Channels said with a deadpan face that oozed with sarcasm.
"That is the 6th job you've gone through Mister Warm. Are you sure you wouldn't be suited more to life as a bum. Brooklyn is always in sore need of more bums"
Luke sits bored in his chair, hoof against his cheek. A slight embarrassed to be in the job search center again after the sixth time he's walked out its doors making a big exit scene about how he didn't need their help anyways, and to get a good look at his flank because it likely would not be back ever again.
"C'mon Channels, a little show of faith would be nice ya know"

"Well Mister Warm it seems the only thing you have to offer now'adays is faith."
"Yeah maybe I should be a preacher or something."
Local Channels types something into her computer with a rapid wiggle of her hooves "There is actually an opening for altar foal at the-"
"Nope No! Not happening, I've seen dateline."
Local Channels gives Luke that deadpan look she always gives him because she always has it when she's talking to Luke. "Of course"
she pushes off her desk with her hind legs and goes sliding across the office in her office chair. At a file cabinet she pulls open a drawer, flicking through an assortment of files. She pulls one particularly thick folder, covered in a sheet of dust.
She slams the folder back on her desk. The dust shooting up in a puff causing LukeWarm to have a coughing fit
"hmmm" She searches through tattered documents in the folder. The papers are obviously very old. "A lot of these professions are either outdated or automated. I feel sorry for anypony with a cutiemark for any of this." She stretches her head across her desk to get a good look at LukeWarm's cutiemark. Making him very self-conscious.

"So whats the deal Loca Cha, am I gonna have to skip my rent again?"
She ignores the comment and finally pulls out a document in the far back of the folder.
"Because er- well, like I don't wanna sound ignorant or anything but my Landlord's a donkey from Mexicolt. And well, you ever seen a Mexicoltan after he's ran out of coors?"
"Mister LukeWarm please shut up"
"Okay"
She passes the paper to LukeWarm. The document is a request for pest control and apprenticeship. A picture of a stalking glasses wearing Stallion in his early thirties is shown on the document.
"It's very old Mister Warm but according to our records Creepy Crawley is still in business and is certainly looking for an apprentice. The office clerk sees him around here now and then putting up fliers for Apprenticeship. New apprentices always quit after the first month, for.." She reads a piece of paper "forty years, consecutively, about every month."

"Hot diggedy Damn! So he must be hiring!" Luke practically jumps out of his seat in excitement "Hah ha! Yeah! And I bet he's so desperate for someone to stick around he'll have to hire me! Oh jean baby don't you worry. Daddy's gonna have his own cat bowl to eat out of tonight!"
Local Channel expresses gratitude and relief for lukeWarm through her stoic deadpan expression "Yes, congratulations LukeWarm. Hopefully you can keep this one."
"Pfft Don't give me that sass!" Luke blurts out "I'd probably find out about this anyways. I see the fliers around all the time, now I think about it. I just -uh kinda got a habit for comin 'round here first"
"Touching.."

"Y-yeah! well.." Luke seethes a bit. He grabs a flier from a bill board and marches out the office "Whatever, like I give a crap what you think! I could done this on my own you know! Better kiss this flank goodbye because it's gon' be the last time you see it"
"Have a nice day Luke Warm"
Luke barges out the double doors with much of a scene and the turning of heads following his banter which can be continued to be heard from outside as he talks very loudly to himself.

Luke follows the flier to the address. 1500 SunDown Boulevard, He reads on the flier as he navigates through the crummiest Brooklyn ghettos have to offer. The holler of pony rides and crack dealers give Luke the creeps. All these zebras in one place just can't mean anything good for a straight edge conservative unicorn. Thank Celestia I'm drunk Luke thinks.
Finally LukeWarm finds himself before a lawn with dieing grass and broken bicycle parts as well for a lawn mower strewn across the front lawn. Luke hopes this guy isn't from Mexicolt.
Luke approaches the creaky wooden stoop and knocks on the door. Silence for a moment. "Uh? Hello?" Luke grows more impatient and scared. "I- I came for the the job... I saw your flier at the job search center." several more moments of silence pass "I -uh I really liked the parts of it that were done in crayon.. Those were the only parts that were legible." a couple more moments of silence pass again "I really need to pee."

Luke shuffles around for a bit, not very sure what to do with himself. The city heat is starting to get him, and between the summer temperatures and this streak of urine ready to run down Luke's leg something had to be done.
Too afraid of the Zebras giving him weird looks from across the street, Luke decides against pissing in an alley. Instead our young Hero finds a potted rectangle of flowers on the window sill. "Eh." Luke decides. He's going to have to angle this right. The flowers are elevated too high for any regular piss in the park. Luke balances his flank atop the wood handrail outlining the porch. His member ready for fire Luke lets go a pin point stream of 40oz onto the lucky daisies. Luke sighs relieved.

The door creaks open. Made ajar just enough for a pony's eye to behold the scene "What the fuck are you doing." A raspy weak voice says.
"Huh?" Luke explains. His eyes half lidded and his words dripping with inebriated charm
The door opens a tad more, the pony gets a better look "My Magnolias!"
"Uh- they're called flowers." Luke finishes his piss and lumbers off the handrail. Luke pulls out the flier "I came for the flier"
The door trembles, the pony holds it firm with his hoof "Why you- you." He stammers "You've got just the kind of spunk I need. Come in"
The door closes for a short moment, the sound of a lock and chain being undone and is then opened completely.
Thank Celestia I'm drunk Luke thinks

Luke walks in to find a somewhat messy house, with many exotic rugs, trinkets, jars with organs, war medals, trophies, strange gear and mechanisms hanging or lieing around the place. The pony slams the door behind Luke with a quick thrust. The Pony is a bifocal very old looking Unicorn wearing tattered overalls. He looks unwashed and unshaven. His beard and mane is grayed from age.
He grabs luke close, getting a good look at him. running his hooves all over Lukewarm. Pulling his eyelids back, investigating his throattle, spanking his tush, punching his gut, the full deal. "uuuhh.. Are you Creepy Crawly?"
Creepy pulls back, pleased with his examination "Call me Creep. So you came for the job eh?" Creepy walks back deeper into his house. Luke follows "Yeah well, yeah. I gotta pay rent you know."
"Ahh. yes. And what makes you think you are WORTHY!" He shouts like he stepped on a tack, just a momentary activation of his tourettes "To be my apprentice"

"Dude I was just pissing on your flowers like 2 minutes ago and now I'm in your house. do I have the job or not?" Creepy bolts back to Luke, his face just a few centimeters before touching Lukes
"I see great potential in you pony." Luke now notices his buggy eyes, and how his left one isn't even really looking at him "And I will unlock that potential."
Thank Celestia I'm drunk Luke thinks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------{Later]


The 1st of August
Harlem Projects, 123 Sesame Str.
5:50pm

Luke crashes through the ceiling of the 4th floor. A scared Arabian family stares at him with restrained contempt. "Aw fuck!" He shouts from the middle of their living room. The remains of a crushed coffee table poking him in the ass.
Creepy Crawly shouts from the floor above "Quit yer screwin' around Luken. We've got a Battalia'a Fire Mites spreadin for our 3rd rear. we don't act fast'n we'll lose the artillery."

"Grr, Instead of blasting them with a 12 gauge like a fucking psycho! Why don't you gas these little craps!"
"HAHA!" Creepy's aged maniacal laugh echoes from above "'Ave you tried gassing these buggers Luken? Biological warfare is Verbotum! On the count these things are made of fire."
Luke scratches his head at his cooky comments.
"Now run yur ass down there before the place blows sky high!"
"Dammit!" Luke gets up and kicks down the door leading to the apartment corridors. A swarm of Fire mites pour out the ceiling hole chasing after Luke. The Arabian's decorative furnishings are lit ablaze and there is much screaming in an annoyingly exotic language. Luke was happy to leave that funky smelling apartment, although he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get the smell of cabbage and cumin off of him.
His thoughts are interrupted when a blistering mob of fire mites are heard crawling through the halls behind him. "We can't you all fuck off into a sewer or something!" He keeps running, but horror contorts his face when another swarm of Fire Mites pour out from the halls ahead of his like boiling lava.
"AHHH! Criminey. That's fuckin Bullshit." He spots a square hole in a wall just ahead of him. He takes the chance and dives down the laundry chute "Hah! See ya later ladyscrubs!" He falls through the chute relieved to have escaped that hot mess. But then above illuminates a warm orange. He sees the insects hot on his trail "Oh you bugs just think you're hot shit!" Luke cranks the gear on his gastank and points his hose skyward. At the pull of the trigger he unleashes an up-pour of thick gas onto the bugs. Which immediately ignites into a full torrent of fire "FUUUUCK!"

Luke is propelled down the chute from the blast of fire. Shooting down into a large hamper of fresh whites. And several tons of dead Fire Mites washing down over him. Their carapaces clicking against eachother. What little flames they have left die like sparks.
"That was close." Luke pulls himself out the hamper, falling over and spilling the clothes. "AHHHH!" he shouts as he jumps and freaks out of the pile of dead bugs he submerged in. He manages to pull himself together and march out the laundry room. Into the corridors again some Zebras give him looks, a sign is next to them reading 1st floor. He ignores them and runs over to the fire escape. Luke clears two flights of stairs in a race for the artillery against the Fire Mites. He steps a hoof out the fire escape window and lo, upon the 3rd floor there they be. A wave of fire mites thicker than any he's encountered all day running towards their pile of ammunition. Amongst the ammunition stand several tanks compressed poisonous gas. Luke makes a dash for the artillery. Time seems to slow down amid the adrenaline. Luke grabs a tank and hurtles it at the oncoming wave. It spins in the air about to land at the back most of the swarm. Luke turns about face, strapping his gas mask on as he makes a run back for the escape.
A defeaning explosion of shrapnel and gas explodes from the firezone
Luke hops through the window, landing his flank on the fire escape stairs.
Fire pours out the window above him.

Luke gathers back up into the 3rd floor. Dead mites and mite guts are scatter across the halls. Small fires are lit through the corridor and rooms. Luke shatters a nearby emergency case and grabs the fire extinguisher from it. Now putting out the modest flames threatening to burn the place anymore.
"AHAHAHAHAHAH" Echoes from above.
Luke turns his face up. "What the hell are you laughin 'bout Creep"
"AHAHAH Phew! hehe I diverted the battilion. It was a bold move but I rused the remaining forces to the Artillery! Haha! With my Urine!"
"Your fucking Nuts old-timer!"
"I knew you would pull through Luken! I saw it! In a vision I had! I see you in many of my visions now Luken boy!"

"Fuckin moons, I can't believe this guy." Luke mutters as he gets back to putting out the fires.

"By the By! Are you starting to comedown that LSD I gave you!"
"No! I'm not for the fifth time!"
"Good! Because neither am I!"
Luke holds his head for moment. "Toys in the attic.."

After a hard day's work LukeWarm and Creepy Crawly cap the night with some hearty drinks at the Crooked Horn pub. Like they usually do.
"Hay Creep. Do you ever feel like there's bugs crawling out of your skin?"
"Yes, almost all the time. And also in my dreams."
"Okay, thanks."
Luke concludes that conversation before he ruins his moment of clarity. He lifts his beer for a swig. Luke and Creepy sit in a booth enjoying their ale.

"*hic* Listen Luken boy" Creepy punctuates the phrase with a drunken pause, a swir of the head followed by slamming his beer glass onto the table "You can't go'n trust the commies you hear me!? I saw what them kind were like in the war. Bugs Luken, ye can't trust none'a them *hic*"
"What? You mean like changelin-"
Creepy grabs lukeWarm by the collar and then pushes him against one side of the booth. Oddily strong for an old Colt "Don't even say the name *hic* they don't deserve a title the slimy fuckin roaches. They're buuugssss."
"Yeah, yeah okay. Just calm down Creep"
Creepy lets go of Luke. "Sorry."
"Yeah. Its coo-"
"IT JUST!" He says and then takes another sloppy drink of ale before continuing "The commies... They're everywhere now AND WE WON'T EVEN KNOW IT!"
His shouting earns him a few turning heads, but the bar folk are already very lively.
"They change into ya loved ones, feed off yur schmaltz and THEN! Without a hint'a remorse they'll have'a stab at ya. Or Worse! you get yourself captured."
Luke just continues drinking his beer, letting him rant til his heart's content.
"VAH! Bugs! there's Bugs in reality, Bugs and Glitches! Bugs and Glitches! And it's gon tear apart the world! But you Luken my boy!" Creep leans in close "You're the key!"

Luke cocks a brow "uhh, I don't follow Creep?"
"Course ye don't! *hic* But you will. You'll be reborn in fire boy! And then ye will know who you really are.. *BUUURP*" He punctuates the sentence with a fearsome burp.

This was typical a night for Luke. And it was also one of the things he looked forward to most. Listening to Creep's war stories and his crazy conspiracies was oddly charming. The bar was lively and full of laughter and good natured ribbing. Luke can't even feel at peace in his own apartment, but here Luke can relax. It's been a long time since could relax. Luke decided he wanted to open up a bar like this some day. The everyday of Luke's life was starting to have meaning again. LukeWarm felt a comforting sense of purpose working with Creepy Crawly. Finally the routine was less depressing. Things seemed happier for a while. Even though Luke couldn't help thinking of Lavender so often, he at least had Creep. Creep was like an uncle to Luke, a real uncle. Not like that wet towel Cold Hooves and his half-baked son. Sometimes Luke would stay over to watch Creep. He didn't like the idea of an old cooky Colt living on his own. Luke offered many times they go find a place to live together, that the ghetto wasn't any place for a colt like him. But Luke would be met with a relate-able arrogance "I don't need some foal's damn help. I was in the war!"
But that was just another thing about Creepy Crawly Luke admired. He was independent no matter what. Something Luke would remember back whenever he needed that same spirit.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------{later]

26th of November ~Thanksgiving
1500 SunDown Boulevard
6:20pm

Luke knocks on Creepy's door. He knocks again pounding harder.
"Creep open up!!" He continues banging. Jean is with luke, she urinates on Creepy Crawley's magnolias as they wait.
"C'mon Creepy Crawly. I know you think holidays are just a corporate scam but I got no one to celebrate with. Please open up!"
Luke and Jean wait, but theres no response.
"Sun Dammit Creep! I bought a fucking turkey" there is a live turkey on the lawn tied to the porch by a leash. "and I got veggies and mashed potatoes, and stuffing, and all that good stuff!"
Still no response "Hay it ain't cheap buying all that crap already prepared you know. I actually did good at my school so they give me the aid to afford all this crap! Creep are you listening!?"

Luke is starting to lose his patience. And he doesn't very much care for the Zebras looking at his turkey with hungry eyes.
"Thats it Creep. I don't give a damn I'm taking down the door! You hear!?" He waits a moment sure that'd get a response. It doesn't. With a shrug and a sigh Luke throws his shoulder at the door. It doesn't break at first but after a few more tries and the door collapses over. luke goes tumbling into the house. His cat following in shortly

The house is a wreck. More than it usually is. There are signs of a struggle and broken furniture. Luke follows the signs until they lead to the basement. Creepy Crawly never let Luke down there, but Luke follows his instincts.
The basement reeks of chlorophyl. Like a hospital except more potent. In the basement lie many documents and designs. Skimming through whats strewn about are details on changeling biology. Chemistry formulas and many many notes on manufacturing anti-changeling weaponry.
"Dang, I knew the guy was passionate... I guess you run out of things to do when you get to that age."
The creepy feeling of obsession is a bit too much, even with knowing the way Creepy was.
Luke moves further into the dim basement. behind a chalkboaard he finds the dried corpse of a changling. It's carapace pale and insides opened like someone was dissecting it. Luke fights barfing at the scene. The stench in the room suddenly becomes more revolting. It takes over his mind and he see double.
Luke loses control and lumbers through the basement, clumsily knocking tables and equipment over. The colors in the room flare up with an electric light and dark glow. Luke falls over onto his back nauseated. He loses himself in a strange loop of uninterpretable thoughts.
................

Luke's senses start coming back together in an agreeable manner. He doesn't know how long he's been laying down for. His sense of time had melted, but his sight was coming back like a fractal of holograms quickly passing one another to come back and align again. over and over.
Above him the ceiling depicts strange drawings of the sun done in crayon
Luke now notices Jean has been licking his face. He pulls himself up and props onto a table for balance. He falls back over, and spills more contents onto the ground. Sitting on his flank he's the changeling corpse was gone. Under it was a large hole in the ground. Luke pulls himself up again. Grabs his kitty. And feels the walls as he navigates out of the house.

It's much darker out than it was before. And the leashed turkey was gone.
Luke gallops over to a far alley way where he parked his car. Opening the trunk he grabs a pesticide tank and hose, a gas mask, a lantern. his bat, and a kevler vest he didn't think he'd ever use when Creepy lent him it.
"Okay Jean. Stay here. Luke's gotta find our friend." he puts Jean away in the car.

Back in the Basement Luke stares down the hole were the cadaver once was. "Eeeehh" the holes goes down seemingly forever and is just narrow enough for him to fit. "Ahhh!" Luke shouts, face scrunched in anxiousness "Okay Luke you're going to jump. You're going to jump" He paces the room searching for the courage to make the jump "This is for you Creep." He turns back and runs toward the hole, diving in.
It doesn't take long before Luke is falling in darkness. The hole curves into a slide and runs so deep light doesn't reach. He eventually falls out one end "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOAA!!" His screams gradually growing in a lagoon like dark cavern til he finally shoots out into it. "Oof!" along with the sound of splashing mud, Luke sticks a landing.
He gets up and starts his lamp. Light fills a small radius around him, but features of the caver become more apparent. There are puddles spotted about the area. Many stalagmites, unleveled terrain. Luke makes a note to watch his step.
Luke treks through the dark, occasionally climbing steep hills. The ambiance from falling water droplets hardly does much to remedy the eery silence.

But then, there is a faint buzzing. LukeWarm halts his direction. Yes, it is a buzz. He runs after the sound. The sound doesn't grow louder as he chases it. Instead it goes away, but is replaced by the faint sound of rushing water. Luke continues his gallop and until his hooves fail to step on ground and he's sent tumbling down a rocky slope. His gas tank breaks the fall. Its dark again. The latern broke somewhere. "Dammit.."
And suddenly... The sound of water is more apparent. Luke's ears perk. He feels along the walls. The sound comes from a groove in the wall. Luke continues hugging the wall. Letting his hooves find the path as it grows more narrow. Luke carries his tank and stretches between two rock walls. Edging closer to the sound. The wall turns into polished cement. And Luke finds himself slipping out onto the other side.

In the dim blue sewers, only lit by sparse electrical laterns. Rivers of water flow beside metal or cement bridges that twine around corners. "I use to work water treatment down here."
The buzzing echoes momentarily. When Luke notices he doesn't waste time, he sprints after the sound.
His hooves clanking against metal flooring, he catches a glimpse of something turn the corner "Hay!"
He runs after whoever it is "Get back here you bastard!"
Luke finds himself at the end of the railway. And before him is a tunnel leading to a hatch.
Luke hurries into the tight space and opens the hatch. Praying there isn't water on the otherside.

The hatch opens and bright fluorescent light pours out from the room. Luke's eyes fizz with tunnel vision before adjusting. He climbs a small ladder down to a metal floor guarded by a handrail. "Luke?"
There Luke beholds his master restrained to a not full formed chrysalis. Strings of weby slimy spread from the chrysalis to the ceiling. Below Creepy lies a deep channel into a vortex of waste water. The consistant crashing sounds, like white noise emphasize the doom "Creep whats going on!?"
"The communists got me Luken hehe.."
"Fuck" Luke stammers "hold on I'll get you out from there"
"No luken, leave. I want to die facing the enemy."
"What?! No, fuck that! I'm not gonna let you die in a sewer. Especially not Manehatten's sewer. Just hold Creep. I can fix this."
"Luken boy. I want to face it! To many times I should of died. You aren't meant to save me. I have seen it."

Luke surveys the water channel, he reads the number on which canals are active here. "I'm sure its just whatever you're hopped up on. I'll be back." Luke returns up the ladder and through the hatch.
He runs done the lanes searching for valve control in. He eventually does when he reaches the sewer basin. Many gates control the access between water and canals. "Found it" Luke turns the valve. It squeaks all the way through, the creaking metal echoes through the sewers. Luke turns several more valves. The canals leading to Creepy eventually dry up as the water leaves it.
The rushing of water is quieter.
"Luken"
"Whoa!" Luke is startled "What!? but.."
"I got to thinkin, an' the thought lettin them changelings get to me gave me a sour taste in the mouth"
"So you could'a freed yourself anytime."
"Yes, Luken boy theres no time. follow me."
"Wait but!" Luke follows Creep as they head in the opposite direction "What about what you were saying about facing death?"
"Ah Luken. That was just the amphetamine's kicking in. I got my moment'a clarity an' you know what It made me think. That facing your death and going out with a fight is all fakakta Luke. I'm oooold, I don't got many years left and I wanna use them!"
"But you're all about going out with a fight. I've seen you throw yourself into a horde of glass worms just so you could flirt with death. You gave a blood curtled scream about how the shattering glass felt good against your hooves."
"Bah! Luken thats all bullcrap and you know it. I knew I'd win that won. You only pick fights you can win."

Luke stomps his hooves onto the ground. "I can't believe what I'm hearing."
Creep turns to Luke and pushes his face against his "I'm just sober Luke. You should try it sometime."
Luke furrows his brow in disdain. He spritts Creep in the face with gas as a fuck you. But Creep gags more than he usually does from the spray. He begins making choking noises "Oh jeez, shit I'm sorry Creep are you alright." Before Luke can give him some heimlich Creep's form blurrs out like a t.v. losing reception, except with green magic surging through him. Luke's pupils shrink and he grabs his bat. He immediately swings at his head. A ding ringing out when it hit solid. Creep falling in the basin.
Luke leans over the rail. looking at the shadow in the water. Not sure what to think.
A changeling bursts out form the water, buzzing violently. The bug flies clumsily along the empty canals. A streak of blood along its head
"Dammit!" Luke shouts "Creep!" He shouts as he starts his run back to Creepy Crawly. The way back is long however, but Luke doesn't stop for a break no matter the fatigue.

He arrives at Creepy's holding room. The vortex below was now still water. But Creepy's chrysalis was empty.
"No! No No No No No" Luke panics, he continues in the same direction hoping he can catch up. Luke finds himself at the mercy of the labrynthine sewer. Every corridor is betwixt new directions. He continues in blind desperation. Green glowing blood catches Luke's eye. A sense of hope is restored as he follows the trail. Panting and cramped in the sides, luke can't let himself take a break. When the blood trail is accompanied by red blood Luke's adrenaline spikes. He continues sprinting down the long winding tunnels. Until the trail ends at a ladder. There is blood on it. LukeWarm climbs the ladder, that seems to go on forever in the dark.

He finally hits the grate. And pushes the manhole aside. He is in the middle of a street.
Beautiful warm light greets Luke at the end of his odyssey. The sun was rising. And Creepy Crawly lied a bloody mess. Disemboweled with guts shown, the warmth of the sun shined over him.
There are changelings in the sky, far away in the horizon. Luke can see them. The cowards, he thinks with seething malice.
He hunches over Creepy. "I'm sorry Creepy. Sun Dammit I didn't save you. Dammit." He clenches his hoof as he fights back tears "No wait, there's a payphone, hold on Creep! hol-"
He stops Luke, not letting go his hoof "Luke.. I can see it. The sun it's Falling down. It's falling." Creepy stares bewildered into the dawn sky.
He turns his face to Luke "Luuuke.. You were my best one. You weren't such a fucking pansy like the rest of them millennials. I know you are the righteous key. I know you will stop the cancer, which seeks to rot our world. I- I can see the future.. in your eeeyes..."
Luke stands confused, there are tears running down his cheek "Creep please. Stop talking, I need to get help."
Creepy keeps a tight hold "Luke.."
"Dammit! Let go!" He tears himself away. And runs for the payphone.

Sirens blare in the distance. The ambulance eventually came. But Creep died in Luke's arms long before. The memory stuck with him, especially when he was wasted.