𝓗𝓮𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓱𝓸𝓰𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽

      Tails and Knuckles showed Tom the descent into the basement, where there was a whole horde of these huge ants. The Ori climbed back to the warehouse to the working generator. — Yeah, there are too many of them there. You can't force your way through them. We just try to attack them and they will attack us at once. — the sheriff replies, taking out his pistol. — So what should we do now? That hole in the wall there and its tunnel is the only way to the mountains where G.U.N. arranged all this and where we can find not only answers, but perhaps a way to stop all this post-apocalepsis. — said the fox. — Don't worry! We'll come up with something. — Maddie answers. — You can try to make some kind of bait on the street behind that gate, the ants will crawl there all at once and then we will close the gate, leaving them there on the streets. — Wade suggested. — There are tentacles there! They won't let us do this and will capture us. — Sonic explained. — Don't piss! While we were sitting here in the supermarket chilling, the huge octopus with tentacles had probably already managed to leave during this time. — Knuckles reassured him. — And if not? — Sonic asked. — What if he’s still standing there, knows in advance that we’re inside and is hiding, such a bastard. — Hardly! — Maddie answers. — If these were tentacles, as you said, then the octopus wielding them must have already crawled away. To live on land, they usually store the smell of water in their heads, as if in a bag, and when the smell of water ends, they crawl out of the land back into the water. Octopuses cannot live without water. And judging by the structure of the supermarket and where the warehouse with the gate is located, there is no lake or river nearby. An octopus would have to crawl very far to survive on its own. — Yes. Surely he is no longer there. I'll just go out and check it myself. — says Knuckles. — No need! He will eat you. — Sonic dissuaded. — Don't be afraid! — Tom and Wade stood with pistols near the door. — Let it just try to come back here. If anything happens, we will shoot. Echidna presses a button on the wall and the gate opens. In this fog, nothing was visible outside the gate. Knuckles crossed himself like a Catholic and walked straight into the fog itself until he disappeared from sight. Tom and Wade were ready and would start shooting at the first opportunity. Sonic and Tails hugged each other and trembled as they looked there. Maddie just stood next to the button and was getting ready to press it again. — NOBODY'S HERE!!! — the echidna shouted and returned back. — Your octopus has left. Sonic and Tails breathed a sigh of relief, and Maddie closed the gate just in case. — Here you go! All that remains is to decide how to apply them all there. More precisely, what? What do ants usually like? — Wade thought, and at that moment Karl ran into their warehouse and shouted: — PEOPLE WANT TO LEAVE THE SUPERMARKET!!! Wakowski, Wade and three animals, along with the old man, returned to the people, and there a conflict began between people. — It’s too dangerous here and that’s why I repeat it again. We all need to leave. — said a man. — You can't leave! — the woman forbade. — Are you crazy? Are Sonic's words empty to you? There are octopuses, spiders, flying creatures and a huge half-lobster, half-spider outside. — I don’t give a damn about your old fart Steven Fing. — King! — Doesn't matter! If we get to the car, we'll have a better chance of surviving there than here. And by the way, it’s not that far to the car. — But he’s right. — one of the cashiers agreed. — Nobody knows that we are here. Neither the police nor the army. Nobody here. — Calm down! - Tom intervened in the conversation. — I can’t keep you all here by force, but think for yourself! Where will you go? — To big cities! Like San Francisco! There are very large houses and small streets. Even flying monsters won't get us there. — What about spiders? — Tails asked. — And that giant that looks like a praying mantis? What about the tentacles? Or something even worse? — Well, I'm ready to try to take a risk. — Well, try it yourself, since you are so smart, and don’t fool people’s heads. — Maddie answers. — That's it! — that woman agrees. — Most of the characters from Stephen King's book died due to their stupidity, because they did not believe or simply went out into the street. Even just going outside with such mist and monsters is equivalent to suicide. — I don't care! Briefly speaking! Those who really want to survive and help others, please follow me! In general, we are leaving now and can take five of you with us. — says that man. — Don't listen to him! You can’t go out, Sonic and I barely survived there ourselves. — Tails answers. — It's too dangerous there! We must wait for help! — Knuckles said. — There is no place to wait for help. — the man answers. — So. Anyone who wants to survive, please follow me! Let's go to my van, it's parked nearby. He headed towards the exit, followed by two cashiers, one a janitor and another a woman with red hair. — No, don't go out! You are making a mistake! Damn suicides! — Karl cursed. He wanted to run after them to stop them, but Sonic grabbed his hand. — No need, Karl! Let them go! This is their choice and their problem, not ours! — What do you think? Will they survive? — Wade asked. — I don't know? — Tom answers. — They still acted stupidly. — And where will they go? What will they find in big cities? — Maddie asked. — Devastation and a bunch of other monsters. If they get there at all. — Yes, but at least they still have a chance. — Maria answers. — There is a chance, but in a big city it is minimal. — Sonic answers. — Besides, it is unknown what other creatures have increased in size. Tom looked at Sonic questioningly. — In what sense have they increased? What are you talking about? — Isn’t it clear? Spiders, giant mantis and ants! These are all ordinary insects, only enlarged several times. — Sonic answers. — What about that flying monster? — asked the fox and the hedgehog began to explain: — Well, when I saved Stone and was running away with him from a huge spider, that same flying creature flew at us and before he pushed me so that it wouldn’t grab us, at that moment I managed to see it. She looked like a bat. — Listen, it’s true! — Wade agreed. — But how is this possible? Tails walked out to the doors and looked through them at the fog, as well as at how the five managed to safely get into the truck and drive away. He suggested: — It seems to me that this very fog is to blame. It's all about it! — But why, in this case, have we not increased? — asked the echidna. — Oh, Knuckles. These questions are no longer for me! Here you need to ask the one who arranged all this. — Yes. And I know who... G.U.N. — Sonic answers sternly with suspicion. — And how do we find out where they are and what’s behind it? — asked Karl. — Maybe they have a solution to this problem? — The only way to find out and find their base is to lure those ants out of the basement and make your way through their tunnel to the base. — the fox answers. — The ants probably came from there through this tunnel to us. However, the ants will not let us through and will devour us before we reach the G.U.N base. — It’s unlikely that it will be possible to kill them all, let alone shoot them. There are too many of them down there. — Wade replies, looking at his gun. — It’s a pity I didn’t take a flamethrower with me. It would be very useful. — said a man. — The ants are eating there in the basement, which means we need to lure these crawlers into the backyard through the gate with food. Just what do ants like to eat most? — Knuckles thought. — Listen, you’re a viper! — said that woman. — Why can’t you just eat all these ants yourself? — Very funny! — Knuckles replies sarcastically. — I’m not an ordinary echidna, but an anthropomorphic one. I don't eat ants. Especially such huge ones. — Well, if instead of ants there was a worm, even if it is huge, then personally I would try to eat it myself. It's called eat or be eaten. — Tails answers. — Ugh! — Sonic reprimands. — Ants eat in the basement. But just what do they like to eat? — the echidna thought out loud and then Maddie answered him: — Sweets! They usually love everything sweet. — Exactly! The supermarket is full of sugar. — Jerry explained. — Exactly! If you collect all the sweets together and put them on the street outside the gate, then... — the echidna began to be cunning. — It should work.

***

      Karl Crazy, Wade, Wakowski, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles collected almost all the sweets from candy and chocolate to ice cream and put it all on the street outside the gate. They made a path of sugar from the sweets to the door. All that remained was to open the door, which Knuckles did. Everyone hid behind empty boxes and began to watch. First, following the trail of sugar, the first ant came out from behind the door. He crawled through the sugar on his paws and saw a whole mountain of sweets in the fog. He started making dog yapping sounds mixed with cat noises. Apparently he called his comrades. More ants came out from behind the door and followed that ant. A whole chain lined up and began to leave one by one. When the last ant came out from behind the door from the basement and crawled out into the street, Sonic managed to run to the button and closed the gate. — Enjoy choking! Knuckles went first to the basement and looked around. There were no more ants there. There was only a hole in the wall that led to a tunnel. — Fine? — asked the echidna. — Shall we go?