"Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush." Benedict sang. His green eyes were focused on a small beetle making its way up a large frond. The sky was pitch black and there was no sign of anyone around. He knelt closer to the sand below his feet. "Here we go round the mulberry bush so early..." The Irken paused, moving his gaze from the insect to the ocean about a half a mile behind him. His antenna twitched as he stood up. "Now that's interesting..." He pointed out, quickly stepping backwards. Benedict turned his attention back to the beetle. "Toodles." He chuckled before breaking into a sprint away from the already rising ocean. His short legs pounded against the floor.
The emerald eyed Irken glanced behind him, and ran faster towards the center of the planet. He could have sworn that there was a small area of land only a few miles away.
"Better than...oh I dunno...perhaps drowning." He laughed. The Irken quickened his pace, not making much of a difference. A few miles to the west of him, a figure sprinted to the same destination. It was more than one, actually. More like five. The emerald eyed Irken stopped and cocked his head. "Zombies and a rising ocean?" He announced. "What is this some M rated World War 2 video game?" A laser beam shot from behind his head.
"If only it was that simple" A female voice growled. The male Irken whipped around to see a scowling face of a cyborg girl.
"Why hello there, my dear." He chuckled "Glad you came to join the party."
"If this is a party, it's the lamest thing on the universe." She mumbled, dodging a large rock in front of her. Benedict noticed that they were still in the jungle portion of Planet Doom, but judging from the still frozen arm cannons, this girl had only recently arrived from the frozen wasteland nearby.
"Maybe it's because you were invited." He pointed out.
"That was uncalled for."
"Oh really?" He adjusted the noose around his neck as he ran. "The name's Benedict. But I presume you know that. From the little do dad they handed us." He gestured to the Index that was in his pocket. The cyborg raised an eyebrow.
"You think I knew your name from your pants? What are you trying to imply?" She shouted, preparing her laser. The alien put his hands up.
"Oh no my dear. I'm referring to the Index in my pocket." He reassured her. "Not anything suggestive." The cyborg lowered her weapon.
"Nyx. My name is Nyx." She introduced. Benedict smiled.
"Now there's a civilized human." He chuckled.
"I am nothing like those scumbags. I would rather die than be considered one of them." She grimaced.
"I didn't know you were so sensitive about your species. I figured humans had more feelings than Irkens."
"That's why I despise them."
The two continued running away from the water closing in at their feet.
"You know I like you Nyx. I feel the two of us are similar in many ways. How 'bout an alliance, at least for the time being." Benedict suggested, climbing over a large boulder with inhuman ease. Which was expected, because he was...well, not human.
"I guess so. I'm going to need it." She grunted. The irken nodded in acknowledgment, but was currently eyeing his surroundings for an asset. "Why the hell are we in the jungle anyway? This is horrible, the oceans going to get us if we don't speed up." The bionic whined.
"Three little monkeys jumping on the bed." Benedict sang, smiling. He started to remove the rope from his neck.
"...You have wonderful timing."
"One fell off..." The Irken swung the rope around his head and latched it onto the lowest branch of a tree. "And bumped his head."
"What the hell?" Nyx mumbled under her breath.
"Climb up, my dear. We'll be above sea level, so to speak." He chuckled, using his rope to climb up to the next branch. She followed suite in following him.
"How'd you get this idea?" She asked.
"Easy." He explained and pointed up. "The monkeys."
_
Using his noose and various vines, Benedict and Nyx slowly progressed forward. He was glad he was somewhat alone. Nyx was quiet and persistant, a bit of a wise ass, but that was bearable. Much better than...
"HIII BENNY!" A voice called out. The Irken paused and raised his antenna.
No. Oh dear god, No.
"What the hell was that?" The cyborg called out. The male Irken was frozen at the spot in front of him.
"O-Ophelia?" He stuttered. The female Irken dressed in a hospital gown giggled.
"Yep! Bet you're surprised to see me! I've been watching you on the T.V. But I got bored. So I came to see you!~" Ophelia explained.
"This isn't safe Ophelia. I told you to stay at 'home'" He growled, air quotes around the word 'home'.
"But Benny-" The female Irken began.
"Silence. Go home." He growled turning his head and grasping another vine. Ophelia smirked and cackled. Her smile seemed to grow off of her body in a creepy Salvador Dali like fashion. But her body wasn't drooping over the tree. Yet.
"What's going on?" Nyx questioned, eyeing the spectacle before her eyes. Benedict didn't respond, his mouth agape at the same thing. Ophelia seemed to be….transforming.
"Or maybe it's not Ophelia at all…" The male Irken thought out loud, as the creature finished it's shifting form. He….more like it, was now a large Irken prison guard.
"It's time to go home Benedict. Round Two's over for you." It boomed.