The streets were quiet, but far in the distance, there was a faint light. The area around the lab was dark and deserted, and two security guards stood watch, patrolling the perimeter. Dick hid behind a nearby tree, waiting for the right moment to slip past them. His heart raced, but his instincts guided him.
When one of the guards took a break, the other followed him. That was when Dick moved, his feet light as he moved into the darkened woods. His eyes adjusted quickly to the night, and he navigated carefully, aware of every sound around him.
Eventually, he saw something shiny ahead. He didn't want to be careless, so he slowed down, watching as two eyes appeared in the darkness. A lion. Its gaze locked onto him, and with a deep growl, it roared.
Dick didn't hesitate. He darted to the side, his body moving swiftly to avoid the creature. But the lion wasn't done yet. Its footsteps were heavy as it followed him, its growls growing louder. Dick stumbled, falling into a small pit. Dick fell into the hole, his heart pounding in his chest. It wasn't a deep hole, but it was deep enough to send a jolt of fear coursing through him. The ferocious lion's growls echoed in his ears, its footsteps heavy and threatening. He had to get out—fast. The last thing he wanted was to become a meal for the beast that was hunting him. He stayed as still as he could, hoping the darkness and the shadows would conceal him, but his instincts screamed at him to move.
For a moment, he considered remaining hidden in the pit. If he moved, the lion might spot him. But if he stayed too long, he might give the animal the advantage. He knew he had to act quickly.
Suddenly, he heard the lion's footsteps approaching. The massive beast was right at the edge of the pit, its breathing heavy and slow. Dick's body tensed as the lion's claws scraped against the ground, ready to strike. His eyes widened in fear as the lion crouched, preparing to leap into the pit. He had mere seconds to react.
As the lion lunged, Dick instinctively rolled to the side. The beast's claws slashed through the air, missing him by mere inches. With a desperate burst of energy, Dick scrambled to his feet, moving towards the lion. He could feel the adrenaline surging through his veins. Without thinking, he hurled his elbow into the lion's side. It wasn't much, but it was enough to momentarily throw the beast off balance.
The lion staggered, momentarily stunned. It turned, its eyes glowing with rage, its mouth open in a snarl. It was ready to attack again, but as it twisted its body to face Dick, something strange happened. The lion froze mid-turn. Its movements became jerky, its neck twisting unnaturally, as if it was struggling against an invisible force. The lion's body twitched violently, and then it stopped altogether, its massive form collapsing into an eerie stillness.
Dick watched, wide-eyed, as the lion's body seemed to go limp. It wasn't dead—it was paralyzed. He blinked in disbelief, trying to understand what had happened. Then he saw them—thousands of ants, their bodies gleaming in the moonlight, pouring from the earth and swarming over the lion. They covered its massive form, crawling into its fur and biting it relentlessly. The lion writhed, but it was no use. The ants had overwhelmed it. Their numbers were too great, and their bites too many. The once mighty creature now lay motionless, paralyzed by the sheer force of their assault.
Dick didn't hesitate. He climbed out of the pit, his legs shaky but determined. He looked back at the immobilized lion for a moment, then turned and continued on his journey. The ants had saved him, and now he had to see where this strange path would lead him.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, Dick finally reached the place where Harry had taken him earlier that day. He had planned to knock on the door, expecting it to open, but when he raised his torch, he was met with a shocking sight. The door—the very door he had seen before—was gone. There was no sign of it, no trace that it had ever been there. His heart skipped a beat as he searched the area, his eyes widening in disbelief.
The building itself had changed. Where once there had been a tall, imposing structure, now there was only a shape that resembled a statue. The building had sunk partially into the ground, its upper half tilted backward, as though it had been pushed from beneath. Thick, wild grasses grew over the roof, so dense that anyone walking by might mistake it for just another hill or mound of earth. The door, once the only means of entry, had vanished entirely.
Dick's mind raced as he processed the sight before him. His plan had just fallen apart. He couldn't enter the building through the door—there was no door anymore. But there was something else, something that seemed to call to him from deep within. The ants. They had taught him something, shown him something that he could use. The ants had crawled beneath the surface of the earth, moving unseen, creating patterns, leaving messages. Could he do the same? Could he use the soil to find another way in?
His thoughts swirled. He shared some connection with the ants, didn't he? He had felt it when they communicated with him, when they sent that strange message—"Dick, Genetic Beginner." Maybe that meant something more. Maybe the ants were showing him the way.
He stood still for a moment, staring at the ground, his mind churning with possibilities. He could feel the pull of the earth beneath him, the urge to explore, to understand what lay beneath the surface. He wasn't sure how, but he felt certain that he could find a way in. He just needed to figure out how to unlock the secret the ants had shown him.
But doubt crept in. What if he couldn't do it? What if his connection to the ants wasn't enough? What if he failed?
His hand hovered over the soil, and with a deep breath, he made up his mind. He would try. He would do whatever it took to uncover the truth.
Bending down, Dick began to dig, his fingers brushing against the cool earth. The soil felt different now, as though it held a secret, a promise. With each scoop, he dug deeper, his mind focused on the ants, on the strange message they had left for him. The ants had shown him something, and now it was his turn to understand.
As his fingers worked through the earth, he could feel a slight shift, a tremor that seemed to pulse beneath the surface. He didn't know what it meant, but he felt the earth shift in response to his touch. The soil seemed to respond to him, as if acknowledging his connection to it.
For a moment, Dick stopped. His heart raced as he realized something: the ants weren't just showing him how to get in—they were guiding him. And now, the earth was part of the puzzle.
He smiled to himself, a mixture of determination and excitement flooding his chest. This was it. He would find his way into the building—through the soil, just as the ants had done.
And with that thought, he dug deeper, ready to discover what lay hidden beneath.
In a moment of frustration, Dick felt that perhaps his head should go down first. He leaned forward and pressed his head into the soil, but nothing happened. He pulled back and tried again, this time pushing his right foot into the earth. The ground felt unexpectedly hard, resisting his efforts. Next, he lay flat on his stomach, hoping that would work, but all he managed was to roll awkwardly, his limbs failing to obey his command. He groaned in disbelief. Was he really so foolish?
He was a "genetic beginner," after all—someone still mastering the art of burrowing through the soil, a skill he'd barely begun to understand. He hadn't yet learned how to summon the ants, how to secrete the hormones needed to initiate transformation, or how to attack with the precise sting of an ant. The realization hit him hard: he was stranded, powerless in the face of the challenge before him. All he could do was wish that the ants—or any of them—would come to his aid.
He'd considered thanking them earlier, but discarded the thought, unsure if they could even hear him or understand his gratitude. The silence around him only deepened his sense of isolation. He sat down, defeated, on the ground, when suddenly an idea flickered in his mind. It was a strange thought, but perhaps it was worth trying.
He crouched low, his knees pressing into the earth, and placed his elbows on the soil as well. He closed his eyes and concentrated, his mind focused on one single thought. "Dig the soil," he whispered quietly at first. He repeated the phrase, softly at first, then louder, and more urgently as he willed the earth to obey him. His body seemed to hum with the rhythm of his thoughts. "Dig the soil. Dig the soil. Dig the soil."