Redhawk Caldera Back at base, bugs in the software

This wasn't normal. This was downright weird. Panic thrummed in Eljay's chest as he awoke, alone at the den, to find weird bugs everywhere. It was hard to breathe right away because he just didn't have a clue how to deal with this, and mommy and daddy were both gone. "Mommy?" he croaked and then he heard the howl. Eljay tried to control the tears and panic that were quickly rising up in his gut; it didn't help that the moment he opened his mouth to croak out his mother's name a bug flew in.

Then he started to run, hoping that the bugs wouldn't be over where uncle P was and maybe mommy and daddy too. The run felt like it took forever, and there were many moments where Eljay didn't want to go on; but he had nowhere else to go, and to give up meant that he would be even more surrounded by bugs and weirdness, so there wasn't a thing he could do but press on.

"Mommy!" Eljay squealed again when he reached the gathering of adults. He completely ignored everyone and glued himself to mommy's side immediately, sobbing quietly while he pressed his face against her shoulder and crawled against her. Occassionally he would make a startled squeaking sound when a bug would nearly pop into his ear or jump on a sensitive spot, but other than that Eljay remained firmly attached to his mother's side, face-to-fur so that at least his face was safe from the invasion of monster bugs.