Samus and Sylux exitted the elevator, emerging in a dark corridor lit by torches. They walked quickly, but cautiously, wary of danger. After a few turns, they appeared in a small square room with doors that branched to different rooms. "So...what has the League been working on?" Sylux murmured, fascinated. The room they were in had a few large glass tubes where protoypes were stored.
"Take a look at this, Sylux." Samus said worriedly, pointing at one of the experiments.
"What the..." Sylux said in horror. It was a young metroid, but it was encased in Dark Armor.
"I don't even want to know what that thing can do with Dark Armor..." Samus said quietly.
"It can do several things, Miss Aran!" laughed a cold voice and both turned to face the armored Vhozon.
"What do you mean?" Sylux asked coldly. Ice chuckled.
"Well...unlike the normal metroids, this one is immune to extreme temperatures! In addition, it was born with Dark Armor, so it can never be separated from it!" Ice sneered.
"Literally, or it's fatal if it does?" Samus asked calmly. Ice's cruel smile widened.
"Literally. The metroid was born with the armor, so it is infused with it to the extent that removal is impossible!" Ice snickered.
"What else?" Sylux asked, shaking with fury.
"It feeds on lifeforce as all metroids do, but it also converts the energy to Dark Armor. The master suggested this when the supply ran low. It took a while to perfect, but this is a creature known as a Dark Metroid!" Ice said triumphantly.
"I don't get it. It's a metroid with Dark Armor. How does that create Dark Armor?" Samus asked.
"No, it's a metroid infused with Dark Armor. A Dark Metroid is hatched with Dark Armor already on it. Think, Samus! The armor enhances its abilities while it's being born! This means it is a metroid with unprecedented powers! It makes the Super Metroid hatchling look weak, and this is a baby metroid! Think of an adult Dark Metroid!" Ice cackled.
"What else can it do?" Sylux asked.
"So perceptive Sylux! The Dark Metroid's abilities were enhanced as it was hatching, so it has natural abilities exceeding all other metroids. It's faster, stronger, more defensive, and its armor makes it invincible since it has been attached all its life!" Ice explained with a laugh.
"How was it born with Dark Armor?" Samus asked abruptly. Ice looked momentarily stunned.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ice replied and raised his weapon, firing the icy bolts of the Judicator, striking both hunters, knocking them to the ground.
"Farewell, hunters!" Ice sneered flipping a switch and blasting the control.
"Warning! Dark Metroid containment released. Five minute delay until release!" a voice warned as a red light flashed.
"And to ensure you cant escape..." Ice said, flipping another switch, creating a forcefield orb around Samus and another around Sylux.
"The field is released in 6 minutes, but you will be doomed then!" Ice said, vanishing. 2 timers appeared on the computer nearby. 4:59 and 5:59. Samus stared at the Dark Metroid with horror. It was moving in its containment tube excitedly, as if knowing that feeding time was near.
"Don't worry, you have a chance to fight! Just not very long! The elevator escape is deactivated, and the only way out is to deactivate the security lock, which you need a password for! The Dark Master created it himself, and he's the only one who knows it! Good-bye hunters!" Ice said grinning and vanishing.
Sylux turned to Samus and said conversationally, "Now what?"
The Dark Master turned towards Ice as he reappeared in the throne room. "You know the next step, Ice. Don't report everytime you accomplish or fail to accomplish something!" the master said wearily.
"Sir, they'll soon be devoured by the Dark Metroid." Ice said anyway. The master's eyes burned red for a moment.
"You're risking the baby metroid? It's too young to fight! It's barely a hatchling, and you're having it face the greatest hunter in the world and a mediocre one? Would you like it if I had your children face Trace or Drek?" the master said dangerously. Ice was taken aback.
"Sir? You think they will win?" Ice asked, confused. Servu scowled.
"Why wasn't I included in that last comment?" he yelled. Drek smirked. Ignoring this, the master snarled slightly as he replied to Ice.
"Just do the job. I hope for your sake the metroid hatchling is unharmed! We need it!" the master waved his hand dismissively and Ice shrugged before vanishing once more.
Noxus and Spire exitted their elevator and appeared in a circular room, a door on the other end.
"That's the way to the labs, right?" Spire asked. Noxus shrugged.
"No idea..." he admitted. They studied the room, wary of an attack.
"Surely, by now you realized the enemy cannot be seen?" sneered an unfamilar voice. 5 armored humanoids appeared, carrying laser rifles.
"Human members?" Spire asked scathingly, and the commander nodded, raising a rocket launcher.
"Good-bye hunters!" the commander said with a grin and the troopers opened fire. A forcefield blocked the exit and entrance. The laser rifles fired intense laser bolts at the hunters. Noxus spun into Vhoscythe while Spire charged his Magmaul, dodging the bolts as quickly as he could. He released the charge, watching as the nearest trooper stumbled, trying to withstand the burn the Magmaul inflicted upon the target.
Spire continued firing his Magmaul at the trooper, dodging the soldiers' weapons. Noxus' Vhosycthe blade spun, striking the commander, who stumbled before firing the launcher. The impact of the rocket was so great it threw Noxus aside limply. Noxus recovered quickly, firing his Judicator as he returned to biped. The armored troopers ignored the shots, firing their weapons enthusiastically.
Spire grunted as bolts hit him, but he recovered after a moment, firing the Imperialist, disabling the rocket launcher. Unfortunately, it detonated the rocket inside the launcher as well, which exploded with the force of a bomb, knocking all the human troopers aside. The commander, being closest to the explosion, was killed, the others minorly injured. They fired their weapons with a vengance, the beams narowly missing the hunters.
Noxus had switched to the Imperialist as well and fired with as much accuracy as he could. The targeted troopers clearly weren't very bright, and made no attempt to dodge the beams. Noxus and Spire fired their weapons, destroying the trooper's laser rifles with no resistance. The startled trooper backed away in shock as the hunters fired their Imperialists, finishing them off. The forcefield at the end of the corridor faded and they hurried towards it.
They entered a square room with doors branching to different rooms. This room had mainly just experimental computers and data. Noxus immediately walked over to one and began examining the files, Spire looking over his shoulder.
"Hm, think they examined the Light Beam?" Noxus asked, still searching the files.
"Probably. What makes you think they kept it, rather than destroy it?" Spire asked.
"I dunno, ask Trace. He's the one who mentioned it." Noxus replied.
"Where are they?" Spire asked.
"Not in this room." Noxus replied. Spire shrugged.
"Think we should look elsewhere?" he asked a few moments later.
"Yeah, the encryption's too good." Noxus said wearily. They headed for 2 different doors and walked through them. Noxus emerged in a circular room where a shadowy figure stood, waiting.
"Just my luck." Noxus said bitterly as a forcefield sealed the only door (the one behind him).
"I wondered whether you'd be coming, Noxus. Prepare yourself now! This is the last fight you'll ever do!" Ice said with a smirk.
"We'll see!" Noxus replied, raising his Judicator.
Spire, on the other hand, emerged in a lab where samples of Dark Armor were stored for experimentation.
"Just my luck!" Spire said in annoyance as a forcefield sealed the door he had come from. The door on the other side of the room was open, and the last door in the room led to the left. Spire hesitated, unsure of which door to enter.
At that moment, the door across the room entered and Kanden and Weavel came in, muttering to each other. They froze at the sight of Spire. It took a moment, but they realized it was him.
"Oh good. Just Spire!" Kanden said. Spire rolled his eyes.
"I'm going this way. See you later!" Spire said, walking through the door to the left. He appeared in a new room and scowled.
"How many rooms are here?" he asked in annoyance.
"Lots, duh!" Trace said, entering the room.
"Oh...hi Trace." Spire said nervously, unsure of Trace's current mood. Trace grinned.
"The second elevator should be this way!" he explained, gesturing to another door. Spire shrugged and both went through the door, entering the elevator, the feeling of apprehension growing as the elevator descended.