Match 7
DEADLY MANTIS VS. GIANT TARANTULA VS. BLACK SCORPION VS. GIANT GILA MONSTER: GIANT DESERT BRAWL
An armored giant from the bowels of the Earth codenamed el Escorpión Negro- or the Black Scorpion- was marching through the American Southwest. The hulking beast had migrated north from Mexico, seeking refuge from the armed forces that had driven it all the way into the United States. The huge scorpion was pitch black from head to toe, its while body encased in a thick, protective exoskeleton. Sans one small soft spot on its throat, the arachnid was practically impervious to conventional weaponry. Towering over the landscape, the giant scorpion felt all but invincible. Its pincers clacking in self-praise.
But it wasn't the only giant in this desert.
A deafening buzzing filled the air. The scorpion paused, raising its eyes to the watch the sky. Descending from the clouds was another giant invertebrate. An insect, of the mantid family to be specific. It was a prehistoric monster, unleashed from its icy tomb in the Arctic by volcanic activity. The press had deemed in the "Deadly Mantis". Kicking up twin whirlwinds of sand, the huge bug landed, bellowing to the scorpion. The arachnid roared back, acknowledging the challenge put forth by the other creature. Hissing and snarling- both giants had unusual vocal features because of their unique origins- the two invertebrates circled each other, trying to intimidate the other into retreating. It wasn't happening. Wanting to end the dispute swiftly, the two boneless behemoths lunged.
Not all the participants of this contest for survival had arrived yet though.
The sandy soil between the charging giants erupted. From the unenergetic explosion of sand, sediment, and dirt, a titan of orange and black pebbled scales emerged. It was a Gila monster, a species of sturdy, venomous lizard, only it was nearly a hundred feet long. The beast had grown to such enormous sizes from an unbalance of salt in its native ecosystem. The lizard had been in a deep sleep for several years, but the mix of commotion happening on the surface and intense hunger had pulled it from its slumber. The great reptile's forked tongue tasting the air. All its senses were immediately overwhelmed by two equally huge creature. The Gila monster's lazy eyes noted the scorpion and the mantis. While potentially dangerous to engage, these two would feed him for the next few decades. With a bit of effort, the reptile pulled itself forward, silently announcing itself part of the battle.
And as the mammoth lizard did so, the final oversized creature of the desert habitat revealed itself.
A long, hairy legs reached delicately over a nearby hill. Sitting atop eight of these segmented limbs, a massive body slowly pulled itself into view. A hideous head led a large, bristled abdomen, equipped with a silk-carrying spinneret. The head was set with several pairs of beady eyes and two fangs glistening with venom. With a guttural bellow, the great creature declared itself a combatant. It was an giant tarantula, a product of generic experimentation with food gone horribly wrong. Pincers clicking together in anticipation, the spider beheld three potential meals.
With all four giants in place, the great desert battle royal began.
The mantis made the first move. Zipping forward with a buzz of its wings, the mighty predator lashed out at the scorpion with its jagged, toothed arms. The blow raked uselessly across the arachnid's armor. Bellowing, the scorpion snapped at the mantid in retaliation. The nimble insect jumped over the pincers and hovered in midair just above the scorpion's reach. Infuriated, the armored giant made several fruitless swipes at the mantis, its eight legs carrying it in angry circles. With the two invertebrates distracted, the Gila monster slide forward and bit down on one on the scorpion's legs. With a screech of pain, the arachnid whipped around and began to drive his stinger in the lizard's body again and again. But no matter how many times the scorpion's lethal tail stabbed into the reptiles, the stinger just couldn't pierce the Gila monster's thick skin. With a sharp twist of its head, the Gila monster tore the scorpion's leg free from its body with a squint of white body fluid. The scorpion wailed in pain and stabbed at the lizard with it's claws. One of its pincers managed to skewer the reptile's eyes. The scaly goliath bolted away from the scorpion with a hiss of agony, the scorpion's leg flying from his mouth. A stream of blood was steadily pouring from the Gila monster's eye. Body swollen with air, the reptile skittered into a canyon, leaving behind a blotchy, crimson trail in the sand.
The scorpion chittered in pleasure. As the armored arachnid prepared to give chase, adjusting its gait to compensate for a missing leg, something caught its eye. The mantis. The flying insect set down on a low rock outcrop, arms neatly folded against its body. The scorpion paused. The Gila monster was slow. And wounded. The mantis, though... it was fast and dangerous. And therefore a higher priority. The lizard would be tracked down and finish it off later. The scorpion charged at the mantis with a roar. But before the armored tank of a beast could attack, the tarantula struck. The huge spider, which had simply watched the others fight, pounced, pinning the mantis to the ground. Bellowing and roaring, the mantis desperately batted at the spider with its powerful arms. But it was useless. With a grunt, the great arachnid sunk his fangs into the insect, injecting digestive juices into his helpless prey. The mantid's struggling began to fade immediately. Its insides liquifying, the mantis's large, hypnotic eyes dulled. Going limp, the "Deadly Mantis" was slain. The scorpion paused as the tarantula turned a predatory gaze on it. The other arachnid's venom could be dangerous. But, the armored invertebrate's only weak point was a small, white spot on its throat. Confident of victory, the scorpion rushed at the spider. Shrieking, the armored hunter clamped a viciously strong pincher around one of the tarantula's legs. The spider jerked back in defense, sheering its own leg in half. Discarding the limb, the scorpion advanced on the tarantula, pincers snapping eagerly. Hissing, the spider lunged. The spider brought its long fangs down on the scorpion's exoskeleton. The simply deflected off the near impenetrable armor. Hacking down with obvious desperation, the tarantula realized it was beat. Panicking, the spider leapt from its fellow arachnid. But as it tried to flee, the scorpion grabbed a pair of the spider's legs in a firm grip. It was then that who was the predator and who was the prey became clear. The scorpion's tail stabbed into the tarantula's soft abdomen, the venom sack injecting its lethal contents in the spider. Hissing, the tarantula attempted to pull free from the scorpion's grip, five legs digging into the sand. But the spider began to loose strength. With one final shudder, the giant tarantula fell, dead.
The scorpion released the spider. The lifeless invertebrate dropped into a heap, legs curling in death. The scorpion unleashed a roar of triumph. Stepping over his foe still form, the scorpion sunk its own pincers into the spider, beginning to feed on the dead tarantula. It needed to regain the energy it lost during the brief but violent scuffle.
A scuffle that wasn't over yet.
One, lazy eyes was watching the scorpion. The other eye was held tightly shut, dried blood caked around it. Four powerful limbs heaved a stout body off the ground and carried it forward in a surprising burst of speed. Hearing the sand shifting behind it, the scorpion stopped eating and spun around...
… only to have his head engulfed by the Gila monster's mighty jaws.
The scorpion screeched in agony as its head was crushed. Still holding onto life, the armored arachnid fought back. Its stinger arced into the lizard's skull. It's clawed stabbed at its scaly body and squeezed its robust limbs. But it was all to no effect. The reptile's hide was too thick. Its fight now pouring from its crushed head, the scorpion collapsed. The Gila monster let the death arachnid fall from its maw. The "Black Scorpion" managed a single wet gurgle before it slipped into oblivion.
With its good eye, the Gila Monster surveyed its next three meals. While it had cost it an eye, the lizard now had a feast unlike any other. With all this food, he no longer needed to hunt for a whole lifetime. Forked tongue testing the air, the Gila monster leaned down to take the first bite of last hunt of its life.