Long, disorienting seconds passed in the aftermath.  The pain hit me like a summer rain.  There was a second of nothing at all, I realized it was starting, and then I was treated to buckets of it.

Heh, that’s a good metaphor.

Very relatable.

I writhed, my ribs screaming in agony, trying to find some position where the pain would be less and failing.  I felt like a hot poker was being shoved into the spot on my ribs where I’d taken the hit the previous night.

Owww.

“Hey, hey,” Grue said, “You’re okay.  You’re in one piece.”

Are you?

…is Mannequin?

I shook my head, unable to catch my breath.  Each time I inhaled, it seemed to double the pain.

She’s in one piece, yes, but unharmed, no. Besides, there’s not even a single bit of super-valuable pirate loot here, what the hell?

For plan two, I needed my baton.  I could only hope it was in one piece.

Since Gold Skitter dropped her baton earlier in the chapter, hundreds or even thousands of pirates have set sail to search for it.

I used my power and my eyes to search the factory floor, while keeping my head still, so he couldn’t see what I was doing. 

My bugs were almost here, arriving in droves.

Almost go time!

I found my baton lying against the wall near where I’d been pinned by Mannequin.  I’d have to get by him to get it.

Hm, yeah, that’s probably too heavy for the bugs to carry even with the roach stretchers.

Fetch.  I ordered my bugs, as Mannequin lunged for me again.

…or maybe not?

I didn’t have a second thought to spare as far as telling them how.  For now, I needed to survive.

Good luck to both Taylor and the bugs, I suppose!

Maybe, just maybe, Taylor has enough subconscious control that it feeds them the rest of the information they need?