The Dungeon's Worst Little Mistake

Exploring the steel hallways further doesn't reveal much of anything particular useful. Several more living spaces are found; all their occupants being long gone and most of the items inside being damaged or burned to the point of being basically just garbage. Though some of the items are still intact enough that by looking over a room, it can be seen that someone, actual people, had been living in them. They weren't mindless monsters spawned by the Dungeon to do its bidding, but actual people with interests and hobbies.

In one such room, much like how they had found a collection of plushies in the first, the group discovers that the resident of this next room had a passion for art. Easels and paint supplies lay scattered all over the floor, with several canvasses stacked standing against the wall in one corner. While the outer canvasses had been burned to the point of where the image is nothing but a black mark now, looking through the ones kept closer to the wall reveals some that got away with just some light burns and scorch marks on the corners.

Curious, Bug takes some of them and looks them over with Susan and Mimmie peeking over her shoulders.

"Are these other people that live here?" Bug asks as she holds up a painting of a woman wearing a business suit, though her lower half where her legs should have been is the body of a large white spider, which is quite surprising to see. She's holding a bowl of fruit for some reason and has a goofy smile on her face like she is trying to hold in a laugh.

In her other hand, Bug holds up a pencil sketch of what looks like a bipedal cat woman lounging on a couch. She's covered by nothing but a loose towel and is dangerously close to showing off some import parts that most certainly wouldn't be appropriate for work.

Wait, would you even be able to see anything through all that fur though? She is so fluffy looking. All that fur must be a pain to take care of. Definitely much prefer my new scales over my old fur… Bug musses as she hand off the art to Susan to look at as she grabs some more canvasses to look at.

Regrettably, none of them are named or labeled, so while they do help with getting a clearer picture of who is behind the Dungeon, it just ends up being a bunch of faces with no real connection to Bug. Could one of them be the one actually in charge of the Dungeon?

Setting aside a painting of a giggling Gnoll in a wrinkled white button-up, a blue tie with little rubber duckies dotting it hanging loosely around his neck, Bug has to ask an important question. A question that she had not seriously considered for a while now. Not because she wasn't aware of the question and the issues that arise from it, but simply because until now, she just didn't want to ask it.

"Who am I trying to get revenge against?"

That gets Susan and Elaine to pause their conversation behind her, the two having been making fun of one of the people in the portrait because the little girl thought they had a funny face.

"What?" Susan has to ask with a raised eyebrow.

Bug just lifts the portrait of the Gnoll and waves it around a little.

"Who am I after? I've sworn to get revenge against the Dungeon. But who is that? Are these people controlling the Dungeon, working with it? Work for the Dungeon? Is the Dungeon actual alive like I first thought, or is it just people behind the scenes pulling the strings? Is there a boss that is in charge? Redacted had mention a Dungeon Manager once. Who is that; is he one of these people? Should I just kill him, or all of them. All of them, plus the Dungeon… Though I guess I am planning on destroying the Dungeon regardless, but it's not like all of them are to blame, right? And going even further, if I could blame even those above the Dungeon! What about the Devs, or whoever designed all of this? Should I go after them too?" But asks.

She continues after a breath, "But then that would mean going after Redacted, and I like her. She was always nice to me and gave me cookies… What about the people above her? How far does it even go, and much should I blame them…"

Before Bug can continue asking questions, Susan cuts in and asks a question of her own.

"Why do you even want revenge in the first place? All I know is that you want to destroy the Dungeon and that it is trying to kill you in return."

"Hah?" Bug gives Susan a look like she is confused with even big fluffy ears tilting. "I told you about it after I captured you, remember?"

"… You mean when I was tied up on the floor and you just kept talking and talking?"

"Yes! I was telling you my life story. Were you not listening?"

"Nope. I started toning you out after a while."

"Rude."

Susan just shrugs. "I'd say that stabbing me in the chest was ruder, but okay. Regardless, why do you want revenge again?"

Bug gives her a tired look and then relents. "Gremlins, that's why."

"Gremlins?"

"Mmh, how much do you know about us, my species?"

Susan looks up towards the ceiling, probably towards the first few floors of the Dungeon where Gremlins used to spawn as she thinks about it.

"Disgusting little creatures, idiotic, practically suicidal, noob fodder, basically just rats on two legs that even a child could kill… Hey, just like those rat people, only much less dangerous!"

"I mean, you're not wrong… Still hurts a little to hear it said like that, BUT! That only applies to those things made by the Dungeon. My people aren't like that, at all! We're supposed to be peaceful and cute and great craftsmen and artists! Not these little monsters that get farmed for their furs and sold for a couple of coppers!" Bug spits.

"Well, that's definitely not you. You're violent, look like a little monster with all these changes you've made to yourself, and I've never seen you make anything aside from bone monsters and corpses."

"Don't make me grow a foot on your face. Also, I'm good at cooking…" Bug sulks.

Susan holds up both hands in faked surrender. "Regardless, I've never met a Gremlin outside of any Dungeons. I've heard rumors that they can be found outside of human territory, but never anything about them being people or anything like that. How would you even know, I thought you've never even left this Dungeon?"

Pulling a book out of her Inventory, Bug hands it over to Susan to look at.

"First it was just what little information I could get from the S%$#3&, but I've also done some reading in my free time-"

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"I thought you just read those dumb fantasy books."

"- and… They're not dumb. They're just something fun to read when I'm not busy. Anyways, I found a book about Gremlins and yes, they are NOTHING like me or those things upstairs. Do you understand now? Why I would want revenge?"

"… No? Maybe?"

"Look at me! I'm a little monster! Just like you said! Open the book, page 15, go on and look at the girl in there."

Susan does so and flips through the pages. Absentmindedly, she notes that this book has some of the best pieces of paper she has ever seen or felt in her life and is probably easily worth one or two gold, if not more. When she finds the page, she discovers an image so life like that it is almost as if reality itself had been pressed into the page. Moving past that initial shock, she finally takes in the image and is surprised to find what is clearly a family of three.

An adorable little girl is sitting on a stool with her father and mother standing right behind her. Dressed for the occasion, they all three look immaculate and clean, with the little girl herself being in a cute little pink dress with a flower in her hair as she beams with a big happy smile.

At first, Susan doesn't want to admit it. They, all three of them, look like the most beautiful and adorable people she has ever seen. The mother and daughter in particular are practically angels, and for a moment, Susan finds herself wishing that she could reach into the photo and give them treats and head pats. She doesn't want to admit that they are Gremlins. But they are.

She can see the rat tails behind them, and though they are mostly covered by their clothes, their lower halves are still that of a rat. Not to mention the large fluffy ears growing on the side of their heads which only serve to make them look even more cuddly and cute.

Susan has to look up from the book and compare the image with Bug. Though that doesn't help much, seeing as besides her ears, Bug has totally changed her appearance. Scales instead of fur, shark tail instead of rat, and even her legs and feet have been changed to look like human legs instead of being digitigrade. And that's ignoring the extra additions like the horns, wings, extra arms, and other smaller parts like spikes.

"You're right, this looks nothing like the Gremlins I've seen. The ones in the Dungeon even have more of an ugly rat face to them, plus more fur… Honestly, ignoring your changes and the burn wound, you look more like the ones in this picture than the others. Did you change your face or something?"

"No, I was like this when I woke up. I can hardly remember anything from when I was born aside from pain and finding a shiny rock, but I think the S%$#3& altered my body to be like a normal Gremlin after I unlocked it."

"Well, from the sound of it, I think you should be grateful that you didn't remain as an ugly little rat monster. So, why want revenge? I can understand wanting to kill the Dungeon in self-defense, or to get freedom and leave. But what's the issue?"

"You don't see it? The problem!?" Bug asks with wide eyes as she snatches the book back.

"No, you'll have to explain it to me."

"Look at what they did to my people! They aren't supposed to be like that! Like what I was born as! Imagine if humans were mindless monsters that people would hunt and skin in the Dungeon. Turned into ugly and twisted versions of what they should have been! How would you feel about that?"

"Mmm…" Susan thinks for a bit. "Honestly, I wouldn't like it, but at the same time, it's not like they would be actual people, right? You said it yourself. Mindless monsters. Although, I'm not the best person to ask, as I've killed plenty of other humans, and they most certainly were people. Even if some of them were practically monsters with how they lived…" Susan says as she remembers some less than pleasant memories.

"But if it wasn't for a mistake the Dungeon made, I wouldn't even be me right now. I'd still be one of those things. I would probably be dead already since they never make it past a single day!"

"Yes, sure. But on the other hand, because of that mistake, you get to be a person, no? You have a future. Just a shame you decided to spend it on being evil and killing people."

"But I didn't ask to be born a monster! You think I want to be in this Dungeon and killing people? I'd rather be out there, hanging out with my friend."

"Haha!" Susan actually laughs at her, "Nobody asks to be born. Life isn't fair. And it's not like you have to kill people."

"I have to kill to defend myself. I've done that since day one. I have to kill to leave. After all, that's why you're here no? To stop me from destroying Silest?"

Susan scoffs, "Sure, but if you think about it, the Dungeon wants you to kill people right? You've been doing that all along, and you clearly enjoy it. I saw that smile on your face when you and I fought. So, if you're so angry about the Dungeon making you and your people into little monsters, then why are you acting like one? You're just doing what the Dungeon wanted, only it's clearly backfired a bit…" Susan finishes with a nod up at the half-destroyed Dungeon and all the empty space above them where brick walls used to be.

Bug stops herself from responding in anger, forcefully keeping herself from raising a hand to scratch at her burnt face and bites her lips. After a moment to calm down and release a breath, she asks, "So, what, I should just give up on my revenge? Try and be a good person or whatever?"

Susan tilts her head to the side a bit and lightly shrugs, "Eh… yes, no. Well, yes to the being a good person, obviously. But who says that you have to do it for revenge?"

"What?" Bug asks, looking clearly confused.

"You want to be free, right? Well so do I. I have no intention of living for who knows how long in this Dungeon, and I want to get Elaine out of here and somewhere safe where we can live together. Regardless of how I feel about it, if destroying the Dungeon is the way to do, then that's what we need to do. Simple as that. No need for anything overly complicated like revenge and grudges. Just do it because you want to live."

"But what about Silest and the people living up there?"

Susans sighs and itches at her scalp, her other hand moving to pet Elaine's hair.

"Things change. Before, I was here to stop you, but now my priorities have shifted. I hate the idea of all those people dying, but if it is for my little sister I'll do anything to keep her safe."

Bug goes quiet and thinks for a long while, the other two watching her the entire time. After a while, she looks down at the painting and sketches of all the people living and working in the Dungeon, each nameless face being alien to her. Any sins they have personally committed against her, completely unknown. She does not know who among them all she should hate.

"So… not for revenge. Not for my people. I just want to be free. I want to see the sun… And that should be enough?" Bug slowly asks.

Susan shrugs again. "I've killed for less. Many people have. Heck, I've seen people kill each other over a moldy loaf of bread."

Setting aside the portrait, Bug just sighs and gets up to leave, not feeling much better or any closer to figure things out.

On the way out, Susan, with Mimmie held in her arms, looks up at where the ceiling used to be before it was removed with excessive violence and a ridiculous amount of heat. Stopping, she seems to ponder something and then says, "You know what, maybe you should do it for revenge after all…"

"What? But we just talked about-"

"Yeah, I know, but look at this. All of this, just to kill one person? All that nonsense with the rat people. Whatever that blue diamond thing was, Cleaner or whatever. That was just excessive. Heck, even Elaine and I almost got caught in the crossfire. If you weren't before, I would say that you're definitely justified in seeking revenge by this point. I mean, even I'm thinking about it now; wanting revenge…"

Bug gestures back at the portrait on the floor.

"Ok, but who? It's not like I know who is in charge of all of this?"

Susan just shrugs and adjusts Mimmie's weight in her arms, "Does it matter? Your goal is to destroy the Dungeon, so by this point anyone who tries to stop you is clearly your enemy. Just kill them all and figure it out as we go. I'm sure that by the time we reach the bottom, we'll figure out who the boss is and then you can consider your revenge complete, no?"

"I guess that makes sense… It's basically what I was going to do anyways, so, yeah..." Bug says with a shrug as her mood starts to lift a little bit.

Yeah, let's just keep it simple. No need to over complicate things with trying to figure out who did what and why. Just keep doing what I've been doing. Kill anyone that tries to stop me! So much easier.

Susan gets this weird smile on her face like she thought of something funny and then laughs as she looks down at Bug.

"What?" Bug asks.

"Nothing, just thought of another reason for you to swear revenge."

"Hm, what?" Bug ask as she tries to think of what the reason could possibly be.

Susan gives her a couple moments to try and figure it out, but when Bug draws a blank, Susan laughs again and then gestures with her chin back up into the air.

"You have to avenge your wife, duh. The Dungeon totally ruined your wedding, hahaha!"

"Ah! NO, I am not, MARRIED! That didn't count; I wasn't even aware of what was going on at the time!"

Susan just laughs as she leaves the room, Elaine giggling in her arms as she gets carried away. Bug quickly follows her out, denying it all the entire time but neither of them will listen to her arguments.

"I'm telling you, that didn't count!" Bug cries out, her desperate voice ringing out across the entire open floor. But sadly no one comes to her defense, and her pleas fall on deaf ears.