AN: I just want to thank everyone who has left a review or comment on my story. I read every one that's posted, and it's nice to know people are enjoying it so far. Also, I really wanna apologize for the delays. I am not abandoning this story. I work in an essential job, and the hours have been killer. And I've been really depressed recently so motivation has been rough.

Chapter 6: Bullets, bugs, oh my!

The three Ed boys were carefully making their way through the dimly lit corridors of the EDF base, holding their weapons tightly. Considering they were cut off from O'Brian and his troops, they were glad they at least have some form of defending themselves. Eddy was in front, then Double Dee, followed by Ed. The equipment on their vests were making slight clanking sounds as they moved with caution. All three were scared out of their minds, but knew that the only way out was heading forward. Staying put was surely a death sentence.

After a couple of minutes, the Eds came up to a large slope, going up. Clearly intended for vehicles, but it logically must be a good sign. The Eds walk up the steep incline to a turn in the hall, leading left. Eddy is the first to the turn, leaning slightly against the wall and looking past to make sure it'd be safe, and the Eds continue. Walking forwards to another bend, all three hear a low chittering noise past the bend, freezing their blood cold.

Ed is the first to speak, in a hushed tone. "G-guys? Do you hear t-that?" His monobrow furrows as his face adopts a look of fear.

Double Dee answers, chittering his teeth. He's always been the more frightened compared to his friends, and now was no exception. "I-I'm afraid I do E-Ed..." He was hyperventilating, his pupils the size of saucers.

Eddy tightens his grip on his PA-11, breathing heavy. "I-it's coming from around that corner..."

Eddy moves forward slowly, hugging the wall. He carefully and slowly moves to peek past the turn, and the color quickly drains from his face. At the other end of the hall is a horde of giant ants, obviously having dug up from under the base, judging by the tunneling hole at the corner. By now, the other two Eds had joined Eddy to see what lay beyond the corner, and had adopted similar looks of fear. The ants appeared to be tearing metal plating off the walls and dragging it down the hole, for what reasons, the Eds had no clue, and didn't really want to know.

Eddy looked back to his friends, needing to put in effort to speak clearly. "W-what are we supposed to do about those things?" he asked.

Double Dee took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm a-afraid we'll have to...fight our way through them Eddy..."

Eddy and Ed looked to eachother, wondering if Double Dee could be wrong, but a quick thought on the route proves him correct. Going back leads to collapsed hall, so forward is the only option. Eddy took a deep breath, then looked to his friends. "Ok boys, on my count, we'll let them have it, got it?"

Ed and Double Dee gave silent nods, ready to go. All three gave their weapons a quick once over, then stood by the corner of the turn. Eddy was first, followed by Ed and then Double Dee. Eddy held up five fingers, bringing them down by the second. When his last came down, he made a quick motion, and all three quickly turned the corner.

Before the monster ants could react to the sight of food, the Eds opened fire. Bullets and shotgun pellets ripped into the horde, the roar of gunfire almost deafening in the tight space. Chitin and sickly green blood coated the walls and floor as the Eds dumped their magazines. When one would reload, the other two instinctually covering. The ants attempted to charge against them, but the rain of lead and corpses of their brethren made it impossible. When the last ant collapsed as a lifeless husk, the entire engagement only lasted fifteen seconds.

The Eds could hardly believe they just mowed down a group of those things, and would pat themselves on the back...if it weren't for the smell. Double Dee smelled at the air, tainted by ant innards. "Oh good lo-!" He couldn't finish his sentence as he already began to throw up, the stench too much for him to handle. Ed and Eddy looked away to spare their high IQ friend the embarrassment.

Coughing to get his friends attention, Eddy looks to his allies. "Come on guys, we'd better move. I don't wanna stick around when those things's buddies crawl out to see what happened." Ed and Double Dee nod quickly, agreeing wholeheartedly.

The Eds move at a brisk pace, making their way through the halls and being careful not to go in circles. Eddy taking point and Ed taking up the rear. After a few minutes, the come to a large blast door blocking their path with no way around. Eddy looks up and down at the door, and gives it a swift kick, grunting in pain afterwards.

"Well this is just great!" he exclaims in frustration. "Now what are we supposed to do? We can't head back and this stupid door is in the way!"

Double Dee moves up, examining the door before spotting the control panel to the right side of the door. "Don't worry Eddy." he says. "The controls are right there. Just give me a few moments and I'm sure I can get it open."

Eddy sighs, gesturing to the panel. Double Dee gets to work opening the panel and tinkering with the wires while Eddy and Ed watch the hallway behind them incase those creatures catch up to them. It's times like this they're glad Double Dee always pulls straight A's in class. Double Dee disconnects, reconnects and sparks wires inside the control panel, attempting to bypass the ID card system. It takes about three minutes before he finally lets out a "Eureka!", signaling his success. He closes the panel and stands up, smiling with self satisfaction.

"Like I said gentlemen, just a few moments." He pushes the green "open" button, which raises the door. Before he or the other Eds could react however, a red ant, different in coloration to the previous examples of black ants bolts through the now open door, knocking all three Ed boys down, dazing them. It then looks to Double Dee, and leans down and clamps its mandibles down on his leg, making him yell out in pain as it lifts him up.

"EDDY! ED! H-HELP!" he cries as he reaches for his carbine, now hanging off him from the sling.

Hearing their friend scream immediately jolts them out of their daze as they see him be lifted up by the monster in front of them. "Oh crap! Double Dee! Hang on!" shouts Eddy. He pulls Ed up from the floor, and both begin unloading into the creature. They blast off chunks, but it only seems to annoy it. It kicks them back against the wall with one of its hind legs, making them shout from the impact as it flings Double Dee around.

The momentum of being tossed about luckily brings Double Dee's carbine within reach, allowing him to grab it. He grits his teeth in pain and nausea as he thumbs off the safety and aims at the creatures face and holds down the trigger, spraying a full magazine of 5.56mm rounds into its head at point blank range, making mincemeat of its head. The monster collapses dead, releasing Double Dee from its now limp maw. He carefully crawls back away from it, wincing.

Eddy and Ed, now recovered from their hard knock, rush to their friend. "Double Dee!" yells Ed in concern. "Are you ok?!"

Double Dee pulls the leg of his pants up, seeing a deep bite mark in his calf, bleeding from the injury. "I think so...but I can't keep moving without bandaging my injury with how deep it is..." he says as he grunts in pain. Fortunately, years of constantly getting beaten up by the rest of the cul-de-sac kids lead to them developing a hearty pain tolerance.

Double Dee looks to Ed. "Ed, I'm sorry to ask this...but can I use one of your jacket sleeves for this?"

Ed just gets his typical oafish smile before saying "No can worry boberooni!" before casually tearing one of the sleeves off his jacket like it was one of his many failed math tests and handing it to his friend.

"Thank you Ed." Double Dee says with a smile as he ties the bit of cloth over his injury, forming a makeshift bandage. After ensuring it's on there tightly, he gets up, replacing the empty magazine in his weapon. The Eds collectively turn to the direction of the open door, seeing a ramp leading up...and a shining light at the top.

The Eds all smile as Eddy grabs them by the shoulders and shakes them in glee. "We found the way out boys!" shouts Eddy in excitement. "Now we can get out of here, get help and find out what the heck is going on!"

"What are we waiting for?!" shouts Ed. The three all race up the ramp to the open exit at the top...

But their optimism is cut short when they begin to hear the roar of gunfire from dozens of weapons and the deafening sound of insectoid chittering outside.