Chapter 18: Bug Power
Eugene Ottinger stood by Nevermore's apiary, the air alive with the hum of bees, their wings glinting like tiny prisms in the morning sun, the scent of wax and nectar thick, a sweet contrast to the gothic spires looming nearby. His glasses fogged slightly, his hands smudged with honey as he adjusted a hive, his heart racing with newfound confidence, his connection to his bees stronger than ever. Unlike Adam Stiels, whose HUD glowed—Level 1, 19/100 uses, 10-minute cooldowns—Eugene relied on his insects, not a system. Adam's goals: help Eugene expand his bee-control powers, uncover a Hyde clue, plan a prank with Enid Sinclair, and prank Ajax Petropolus, while a founder relic hinted at a conspiracy. [Bee wrangler? You're one sting from a bad day, kid.]
The apiary was a sanctuary of buzzing life, wooden hives stacked like towers, their frames gleaming with honeycomb, the grass beneath speckled with pollen. Adam leaned against a tree, his jacket scuffed, his sarcastic grin in place, his green eyes glinting with mischief. "Let's level up your bug game, Eugene," he said, clapping Eugene's shoulder, the gesture warm but playful. Wednesday Addams approached, her black dress stark against the vibrant green, a torn map from Tyler's lair clutched in her hand, its edges jagged. "This points to his next move," she said, her voice cold as a crypt, each word deliberate. "We confront him tomorrow." Eugene nodded, his bees humming louder, their patterns tightening as he focused, his confidence swelling. My bees are my strength, he thought, his hands steady despite the honey dripping onto the grass.
Adam's HUD flashed: Stop Time: 1 minute. Activate? He snapped his fingers, and the world froze—bees halted mid-flight, Wednesday's braids stilled, Enid's laugh paused as she planned a prank in the nearby quad. Adam adjusted a hive's frame, guiding Eugene's bees into a tighter formation, his movements precise in the grayscale hush. He spotted a torn map piece wedged in a crate, its raven mark unmistakably founder-related, then tied Ajax's shoelaces together for a prank, the knots tight but comical. [Bee detective? You're weird, Romeo.] Time resumed, and Eugene gasped, his bees swarming in a disciplined arc, their hum a triumphant chorus. "They're stronger now, thanks to you, Adam!" he said, his grin wide, his hands trembling with excitement.
Enid bounded over, her pink sweater glowing under the sunlight, her eyes sparkling with mischief, her vanilla-pine scent cutting through the nectar-heavy air. "A prank with you?" she said to Adam, grinning. "Let's make it legendary." They planned a glitter bomb for the Nightshades, her laugh infectious, her enthusiasm drawing Adam closer as they sat on a bench, its wood creaking. She's my spark, he thought, his heart soaring, his monologue swirling: Eugene's growing, Enid's my light, but these founders are trouble. Ajax joined, his snakes calm under his cap, his rivalry with Adam gone, his grin easy as he tripped slightly on his laces, laughing it off. "I'm in for the mission—saw a raven relic on patrol," he said, the quad's cobblestones glinting around them, Enid teasing his snakes with playful banter.
Wednesday analyzed the map, her eyes narrowing as she traced its raven mark, her braids swinging slightly. "It's from Tyler's lair, marked for attacks," she said, her voice a blade. "The founders are involved." Adam nodded, his gaps a fog—why couldn't he see Tyler's Hyde? Wednesday's relentless, but Eugene's bees are clutch, he thought, his fingers brushing the map's edges. The system pinged: [Bug power's cute, but don't get stung, genius.] Enid squeezed Adam's hand, her warmth steadying him, her grin radiant. "We've got this," she said, her optimism a beacon in the morning light, her hair catching a breeze that scattered pollen around them.
They lingered in the quad, Enid describing the prank's logistics, her voice animated, her hands gesturing wildly, a leaf stuck in her hair adding to her charm. Adam chuckled, plucking it out, his fingers lingering, her blush deepening their bond. She's worth every risk, he thought, his gaps a weight he pushed aside. Ajax shared a Nightshades update, his snakes twitching slightly, his camaraderie a new foundation. Eugene's monologue swirled: My bees are stronger, and Adam's my brother now. Gotta make them proud. The founder relic Ajax mentioned nagged at Eugene, its raven design echoing the map's mark. [20/100 uses. Bees are cool, but don't buzz off track, hotshot.] The map's clue tightened the Hyde hunt, the prank on Ajax a spark of humor, and Eugene braced for the fight, Adam's support his anchor.
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