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BLOOD SPORT: FINAL ROUND.
FIGHT!
When I look around at the circumstances that surround us, I worry that there's nothing that can be done to stop the evilness of the Empire. I worry that our kind will always be ruled by selfish desire and will continue to put the well-being of themselves about the very lives of billions of innocent others. I worry that I helped contribute to all of this...I was a Consular, an interrogator for years, and I was also an Invader. I worry that nothing can be done.
Then I think of Nick. And yes, he is incredibly naïve in many ways. But he tries so damn hard to be a force of good and to never lose sight of his morals. He always tries to do what's right despite how hard things get for him. And this makes me proud to call him my friend. Within him I see the potential that the Irken race can reach.
And I'll be damned if I let him go down before I do.
Nick found himself floating in a white abyss, blinking a few times as he looked around the blankness that surrounded him. Just where was he? It couldn't have been Heaven or Hell. He wasn't dead. If he'd died, he would have ended up back on Earth. And he clearly wasn't alive, because otherwise he would have been with the others back at the Industrial Zone on the planet Blood Sport was taking place on.
So...where was he? What was this place?
It was then that he could hear somebody speaking. A familiar voice, smooth and soft...he turned his head to see a pair of irises emerging from the whiteness, followed by a head, then a neck, then a body clothed in white robes with a silver belt. A necklace with a green orb in the center around his neck, a gentle look upon his face...Darth, Hierophant, clasped his hands together and nodded firmly.
"Nick." He said simply. "It was quite the pain to go through the Astral Plane to find you...so many doorways to get lost in...but I know your soul's trace anywhere."
"Where am I?" Nick wanted to know, blinking in surprise.
"You are in Limbo." Darth explained calmly, holding one palm up. "Not quite dead, not quite alive...and I'm afraid the others are not doing so well." He snapped his fingers, and a large, shimmering mirror appeared. Nick turned to look at the mirror as it showed Loc desperately firing off his guns at the hulking demon Redeye, Zerg pinned to the steel platform by Redeye's claws, and Zor shaking Nick's body, desperately trying to get him to "wake up".
"Loc's trying...he really is, but it's like trying to knock down a truck with a pea shooter." Nick mumbled sadly, shaking his head. "...I've got to do something." He stated, slamming his fist into his palm. "But how? As long as my PAK is damaged like that..."
"Well, that's it, isn't it? The rules have changed since this competition started...anything goes. You know what must be done...don't you?" The blind Irken asked softly, folding his arms.
Nick looked the scene in the mirror over as Redeye tossed Zerg into Loc and they collided with a wall, Redeye laughing sadistically as Zor looked on in horror. "...yeah, I know."
He took a deep breath as Darth vanished from sight. "ZOR!" He yelled out as loud as he could. Zor's head shot up, he could hear, he could hear Nick in his...not his head so much as his soul.
"What?" He whispered.
"Destroy my PAK! DO IT! NOW!" Nick roared out.
Zor raised his clawed hand up high, and then slammed it into the PAK as Redeye held his clawed hands up, and dark red energy began to swirl around them, forming circular balls of energy as black lightning rippled through them. A great, nasty grin spread over his face as his wings spread out wide.
"I GROW WEARY OF THIS SPORT." HE announced. "I SHALL END THIS!"
He raised his hands up high over his head as the circular balls of pulsing energy swirled around and around like bolos, and he prepared to launch them at the threesome on the platform...
Wait...threesome?
Suddenly he was surprised as a brown-haired, hazel-eyed human rushed through the air, a swirling rainbow aura surrounding him as he sang out with a very familiar voice. "Love Boat! Exciting and New! EVERYBODY NOW!" He laughed, a tie-dye sparkling in the light as he kicked Redeye in the head. The bolo vanished as Redeye went flying through the air, gasping in pain.
"I don't believe it. You put one over on us?" Loc asked, blinking in surprise as Zerg and Zor looked on in surprise.
"No, I really was "stuck". Thanks, Zor!" Nick said, flying over to the others as he lowered his watch-covered arm, pressing a button on it and turning off a heroic-sounding tune. "Unfortunately, I'm kind of stuck like this until I get killed off, but then I'll be back to being an Irken again. Until that happens, I'll make the most of this ability I have." He said, holding his hand up and clenching it into a fist. "It's a little gift called "Magic Music". My PAK was channeling it, allowing me to heal constantly. A radio wave inside it was always playing songs related to healing, you see."
"So THAT'S how you keep on healing." Zerg realized. "Alright, I understand." She said, nodding. "Now what?"
"Now..." Nick turned to look over at Redeye and grinned. "Now we kick ass and take names!" He stated, slamming his fist into his palm.
"YOU...OUGHT NOT...TO HAVE DONE THAT!" Redeye hissed as he opened up his mouth, and swirling red energy began to collect in front of it, forming an enormous orb. He was about to launch a power beam at them!
"Something is missing, Mr. Big!" Nick sang out, clenching his fists as he jumped forward, and his entire body suddenly swelled to ENORMOUS proportions, his arms and legs stretching out, his head bulging...soon his entire form was gigantic, and he towered above the others, reaching Redeye's height. With a swift kick, he knocked Redeye back again, then leapt forward and grabbed Redeye's head, dunking him under the water.
"GLLUUUAAAAHHHH!" Redeye gasped, his skin sizzling with pain as Nick lifted him up.
"Ohhh, does your demon self not like SALT WATER?" Nick asked, grinning darkly. "C'mon, you'll learn how to hold your breath underwater eventually! Let's try for THREE minutes this time!"
He dunked Redeye's head once again as Loc suddenly got an idea. "Hey, one of his friends is a preacher man. We gotta get him here, NOW." He told the others. "Any one of y'all got any two way alert that'll reach up ta the station?" He wanted to know, raising an invisible eyebrow.
Zerg held up a small walkie-talkie and smirked. "Yes, yes, I am amazing." She commented cheerily.
...
...
...
...Darth got the message and put down the communicator, turning to Michael White and Frequency, who folded their arms. "They need me down there. Apparently they want to put some plan into place and they need me for it." He informed them as Red and Purple stood by Erin and May, Nora sitting with her brothers on a nearby couch in the lounge they all stood in.
"We'll split up into teams then. Darth, you and I will go with Frequency down to the planet to help. Chief R, Pur, Erin, May, you go find Zim, Dib, Gaz, GIR, MIMI and Tak. Get them to get all the competitors we can together and then head after Nexus with Nora. This ends today, one way or another." White said, nodding firmly.
Darth nodded, but Erin suddenly spoke up. "Darth...listen." She spoke quietly. "I...I want you to be careful. Don't get killed down there."
"I won't." Darth told her, walking over in her direction. She took his hands and guided them up to his cheeks, and he kissed her on the forehead as Jana stood in the doorway, leaning against it and smiling slightly. "I promise I'll come back."
White nodded as Darth and he walked over to Frequency. The experiment and the blind Irken grabbed ahold of White as he held up his fists, which glowed with pink chaos energy. And then...BLINK! They were gone, teleported down to the planet as Erin turned to Red and Purple and the others. "Let's get going." She said, nodding firmly.
They headed out into the hallway, rushing as fast as they could. "We gotta get to the cafeteria." She said. "Let's cut through the laboratories, it'll be faster." She added.
They made a quick right turn into the laboratory, rushing past several large containers and computer consoles...noticing that there was a certain Irken with one hand placed upon a tube nearby, which was filled with some kind of brightly glowing blue liquid.
A blue cloaked outfit with black –clothed arms and legs and antennae that were so long, they almost reached the ground... a four-pointed black star tattoo upon his forehead...deep black/blue eyes...
"For years I was stuck in one of these. Stuck as they experimented on me." He murmured. "Experiment 130-20X, that was my designation. That's all I was to you. A number."
"We're SORRY, we...we didn't...we were different people back then. We...what we did was wrong." Red admitted.
"Yeah, we wanna make it up to you." Purple added to Caim. "What can we do to make this right?" He wanted to know.
"Oh? Really, you want to make this right? Good." Caim said happily. "How about you hold still and let me stab you in the eye?" He asked, holding his fist up as a dark blue aura swirled around him.
"...within REASON, what can we do to make this right." Purple muttered.
"Leave them alone." Erin said, stepping forward and holding her hands up as Red, Purple and Jana looked at her. "Don't hurt them."
"I DON'T hit girls." Caim said quietly. "Move out of the way." He asked.
"No. I'm sorry for what they did to you but revenge will not give you back what they took. Revenge has as much benefit for curing the soul as salt water does for curing thirst." Erin told him.
"He's right. I would know." Jana added.
"...you wouldn't...understand..." Caim whispered furiously, clenching his hands into fists. "I...for YEARS I was experimented on! They can't bring back all those years I was locked up! I need to do this!"
He rushed forward, hand held up. "I won't kill you, but I need you out fo the way!" He roared out.
BANG!
A PAK leg sent him flying backwards as Red jumped in front of Erin. "Erin, Jana, run. Pur and I will handle this." He insisted.
Erin protested. "You can't, he'll kill you!" She told him.
"Just trust me on this!" Red told her. "We'll be alright."
"But-"
Red took her cheeks and looked into her eyes deeply. "We'll be alright."
Erin looked into his eyes, looking like she was on the verge of saying something. But instead she listened to him, and she and Jana took off for the cafeteria with May and Nora, Bo and Ian following after.
"So it comes down to this then. I've been waiting for this...my chance at bringing you to justice." Caim told him.
"We're not afraid of you." Purple protested.
"You OUGHT to be." Caim whispered, his body becoming surrounded in the dark blue aura as he rushed forward. He slammed his fist into Red's body, knocking him through the air, but Purple suddenly jumped up, PAK legs sweeping out and catching him on the side of the head. With a THWUNK, Caim was knocked backwards through the air, and Purple rushed at him, slamming his fists into the blue-outfitted invader over and over.
Purple knocked Caim into a large computer console as Red used his PAK legs to lift up an enormous canister of strange liquid. He tossed it at Caim, whipping out a laser from the chest compartment he had and firing it off. With a TZZEEEW the bright orange beam struck the canister as it slammed into Caim and an enormous green-tinted explosion rippled through the lab. Red and Purple stepped backwards, thinking it was over.
Or...not.
Caim suddenly stepped out of the burning flames that rose up from the floor of the lab, his body protected by the aura, his eyes glowing brightly as he hovered off the floor, tiny little sparks rising from his body. He spread his arms out, and the sparks swirled forth, striking Red and Purple over and over, like tiny needles stinging into their flesh.
But it wasn't over yet. Caim rushed forward and with a sweeping kick, he knocked Red into Purple and they slammed into the wall as Caim held his clawed hands up, a swirling aura ball of energy forming.
"Normally I hate killing. But for you...I make an exception!" He roared out. He launched the ball at the space where Red and Purple were, and they barely jumped away in time.
"We SAID we were sorry!" Purple roared out, taking up a fighting stance as Red held his pistol up and fired it off in rapid succession. The shots whizzed through the air, and although Caim swerved to dodge them, one of them knicked him in the side and he gasped in pain, holding it. Frowning darkly, he rose back up as dark green Irken blood oozed down.
"This could take a while." Red muttered.
...
...
...
...Nick was knocked through the air by a harsh punch as Redeye's fists glowed with dark lightning-burst-filled energy. The demon spread it's mighty wings wide and rushed around and around Nick, as the ocean began to whip around him and Nick was caught in a spiraling tornado of water and wind, with Redeye laughing horribly all the while.
"Normally I LOVE the wind." Nick thought to himself as he was lifted high up into the air, coming down with an enormous CRA-SPLOOOOOSH into the sea as Redeye sneered and then kicked Nick in the side.
"Where the hell are those guys?" Zerg wanted to know, looking left and right, trying to see where their requested help was.
"They oughta have been here by now." Loc agreed, putting a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it up as Nick's cries of "OW-OW-OW-OW" rippled through the air.
"Oooooch." Zor commented, seeing Nick's pain. "I don't think that's the human body is meant to be bent like that."
"IT'S A GUTSY MOVE YOU PULLED, HUMAN, BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED AGAINST ME. YOU DIDN'T REALLY STAND ANY CHANCE."
"I had no idea head could bend that way. Or that many times. Or that quickly." Nick squeaked out.
"I'M SURPRISED TOO. YOU'RE STILL TALKING AND YOUR HEAD IS ACTUALLY FACING THE WRONG WAY."
"So THAT'S why it feels like my neck's on fire!" Nick remarked.
"IT'S ACTUALLY A TESTAMENT TO MY AMAZING POWER THAT I'M TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW AND YOU CAN UTTERLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW MUCH I'M ENJOYING CUTTING INTO YOUR FLESH WITH MY CLAWS." Redeye stated calmly. "YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT A COUPLE ROUNDS OF "HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT" WAS GOING TO DEFEAT ME? I'M A FUCKIN' DEMON!"
BLINK!
It was then that Darth appeared, with White and Frequency standing by his side. Holding up his palm, a bright blast of energy knocked Redeye through the air as Zerg grabbed ahold of Darth's shoulder, turning him to make him look in her direction as Frequency jumped onto the ocean waves, riding alongside them as Nick, returning back to Irken form, fell through the air towards certain death...only to have the wave-riding Frequency jump up and catch him.
As the blue-furred experiment began surfing back to the others, Zerg shook Darth. "Bless the ocean!" She demanded.
"Huh?"
"DO IT, GODDAMMIT!" She snapped.
Frequency placed Nick on the ground and Nick panted heavily as he turned to look at Darth, who was now facing the ocean, spreading his arms wide as he recited a prayer.
When I look around at the circumstances that surround us, I worry that there's nothing that can be done, that the Irken race will always be filled with selfish children and evil, amoral monsters. I worry that Irkens will never ever care about any race that's not their own and that sometimes humans act just as terrible as the Irken race. I worry that I can never do enough to help enough people. I worry that ultimately, nobody can change the way a race is and that the Irkens won't let themselves be held to the standards of justice.
But then I look at Darth. Dearest Darithil. Born blind. Mocked. They thought he was going to get killed off the first week in training. Then he exceeded everyone's expectations and him being blind became a moot point. He could have coasted on his success, but instead he saw the light...he put all his talents into preaching a gospel of kindness, forgiveness and good works. I look at him and I'm proud to call him my friend. Within him I see the potential that the Irken race can reach.
And if he can do the job, I've nothing to complain about.
Redeye snarled furiously as Darth finished the prayer, and he rushed forward at the Blind Irken, who held up his hand. Instantly an enormous, large chunk of industrial columns flew forward and slammed into Redeye's gut, knocking him back and into the ocean...
Which was now "holy". He gasped and screamed in pain as burning hot waves struck him over and over, tearing at his very essence as Loc blinked.
"How the hell?"
"He said it himself. "I'm a fuckin' demon"." Zor told Loc. "When what's diabolical strikes against an instrument of God, the Holy side is gonna do the most damage. And since that preacher just blessed the ocean..." Zor nodded over at Darth, who nodded firmly over at Zor.
"Time to end things. White, I need you to erect a shield around the others while I finish this. I'm probably going to die again, but..." Nick shrugged.
"Woah-woah. You don't give ME orders, Captain Hallmark." White told him, jabbing a finger into his chest.
"I do when other people's lives are at stake." Nick said firmly.
"Oh, I do find it entertaining when you play the "good of the innocent" card. Nobody does it quite like you." White laughed. "You sure you'd never considered a position as the Tallest?"
"They wear a dress. An obvious dress." Nick stated as he walked over to Darth and pulled out his Colt Anacondas. "Bless these two...then launch me at him, blue britches." He added, turning to Frequency.
Darth made a gesture of blessing over the guns and Nick cocked the hammers back. Frequency picked Nick up in the air, hurling him towards the thrashing and snarling Redeye, and the communications officer aimed his gun forth at the howling demon.
"In the words of my generation...SNOOTH TO THE MOTHERFUCKIN' NOOOOTCH!" He laughed out loud.
BUDDA-BANG!
White held his hands up and a glowing, dome-shaped pink shield popped up around him and the others just as Redeye was consumed in an enormous explosion of bright red and yellow light. Nick was instantly obliterated once again, his fading body flying backwards through the air...
And he landed by the dome with a shrunken, tiny, baby-like little black thing, transformed back into his Irken form. Nick looked at the shrunken baby-thing as White lowered the shield, Zor picking the small thing up in his hands.
"Redeye's been turned into...a BABY?" He asked, surprised.
"Maybe you oughta just squish 'im." Loc muttered.
"I won't sink to his level." Zor insisted, holding him in his...
He gasped. His body...it was transformed back to normal! He no longer had any Vycan features...he was pure once again! Giving the small, tiny Redeye over to Frequency, Zor leapt in the air, jumping for joy. "Woopee! Hooraaaaay!" He cheered.
"It's time to get going guys." Nick told the others. "One way or another, this ends today."
...
...
...
...Red and Purple panted as Caim lowered himself down through the air, his body pulsing with energy. "It's no good." He told them. "My desire to make you see justice is infinite. And this is what drives aura, the shining light of the heart...the power of emotion!"
He shot one hand forward at Red and knocked him to the wall, cutting into his flesh with his aura powers, eyes glittering as Nexus calmly emerged from a nearby doorway, looking amused.
"NEXUS." Purple snarled. "I should have known you'd do be supporting this! Come to watch him finish us off?"
"Oh, I'd love to, but I need to make a stop at the cafeteria. I heard the pot roast is lovely. Perhaps it'll go well with an extra helping of DOOM?" He added with a big, shark-like grin, laughing horribly. "I'm going to nip that so-called uprising against me in the bud while I have the chance."
He waved his had dismissively at Caim. "Be sure to bring SOME part of their body back so I know you won. Preferably their head. You know, it lives on for about five more seconds or so, so let me know what they did in those last seconds."
"What else? Recording their last words?" Caim wanted to know.
A notebook whacked him in the face and he blinked a few times, holding it with his other hand as Nexus left. "Ta-ta!" The cycloptic Irken called out as Caim rolled his eyes, pocketed the notebook and concentrated again, curling his hand into a fist, the claw-like aura hand crushing into poor Red.
"That's ENOUGH!" Purple yelled, rushing at Caim and slashing at him with his claws. Caim held up his other hand and calmly blocked with a swift shield-shaped blast that knocked Purple back, but the tallest continued to rush forward. "Leave him ALONE! Leave him ALONE! YOU-LEAVE-HIM-ALONE!" He screamed.
"Shut up! I'm going to make you both answer for what you did."
"GAAAAH!" Purple roared as Caim launched him across the floor, blood dripping down from the top of his head as Caim hovered towards him and Red. "So, this is what the forces of evil send against good. No wonder we always succeed in the end." Caim said calmly, a buzzing ball of aura energy in his hand as he hovered the length of the laboratory, broken tile surrounding him.
Then he noticed something. Purple was...crying. He was now on his knees, gasping and sobbing, the tears falling freely. He'd always been the more emotional of the two, and now seeing somebody whom he'd not only grown up with but who he'd been as close to as a brother on the verge of dying...
"Please...stop...kill me, but don't...don't hurt him anymore." Purple begged. "Have some mercy. Please."
Caim blinked in surprise. He couldn't believe it. This was genuine, honest sorrow, coming off the violet Tallest in waves. He was...sorry? He was...
With that Caim's grasp on Red faded and he hovered down to the ground, looking mournful. "I...I was just about to do something as terrible as what you had done to me." He murmured. "...I can't forgive what you did, but...I'll just have to endure it." He sighed. "You want to start making it up to me? Everything you did? You want to make amends? Fine."
Purple helped Red up, hugging his dear friend tightly as Caim folded his arms. "Nexus needs to be stopped. And once that's done, I want to have a TALK with you." He added, frowning darkly. "I want a real...REALLY sincere apology."
"We will." Red said. "On our word as a Tallest, we swear."
...
...
...
...meanwhile, Nexus was surprised to find himself facing down a very, very large horde of angry Blood Sport competitors. Erin folded her arms as she and May stood by Loc, Zerg and Zor. Rub'akho and Ker San stood tall, two Vortian towers of power that were standing across from Dr. Nimbus and Vex, who nodded firmly at Myo. The winged Irken's cat was rubbing her head against a happy-looking GIR, as Zim stood up upon a table with Gaz sitting nearby, looking interested in seeing a big, bloody fight, whilst Dib and Tak nodded at each other before getting into battle poses. To the right were Tjazz and her jelly spore, who were positioned by Nixus and the very short Skoodge, who looked kind of psyched to be standing close to one so hot. Frequency was calmly twirling a gun around in his hand whilst White tossed a small, glowing pink ball of chaos energy up and down, a nasty grin on his face as Spring, Sue and Jana held up their respective weapons and Miki growled darkly at Nexus.
"Well-well. The gang's all here." Nexus commented. "I admit...I'm impressed you all want to try and fight me. But why? Because of Blood Sport alone? Because you were forced, one way or another, into this competition? Or is it something more selfish...you just hate me?" He inquired, rubbing his chin. "Or maybe you're being "noble"." He laughed.
"Keep talking. You're only making yourself look worse." Nick said as he and Darth stepped into the room with Red, Purple and Caim following behind as Nora nodded firmly over at them.
"That boy scout façade of yours really makes me sick. You're the single biggest threat to all Irkenkind, you...human." Nexus told him, looking disgusted. "Don't you see the model of perfection we have here, which I've contributed to?"
"Model...of perfection?" Nick asked.
"Yes, though it could use some work, I admit. It's not quite completed. The plan was simple...make all of the Empire better by getting rid of it's most annoyingly dangerous defectives, rebels and most outspoken critics. All of you here are either psychopaths, people who would object to what the Empire does, or are just plain useless to what I hope to accomplish. By getting you all out of the way time and time again with more and more Blood Sports, I'd ultimately be able to create an Empire nobody would be able to screw up." Nexus explained. "I did plan on getting YOU killed off too." He added, looking over at Red and Purple.
"I'm not surprised." Darth muttered.
"I was hoping Black and Jana would do my work for me, but if they didn't, I'd just have the ultimate "winner" of Blood Sport be given private access to the tallest...and all the resources they needed to kill them."
"Trying to make yourself out to be a benevolent benefactor when all you wanted was them DEAD?" Nick asked, frowning darkly.
"Oh, I'm the most benevolent being here. I know what's best for the Empire, it would fall apart without me helping it." Nexus calmly told them, placing one hand on his chest and speaking innocent. "I mean, look around at the PAK on your backs, the creation of the first Tallest, who's inner workings are mediated by the Control Brains and approved of by Red and Purple."
Purple frowned. "I don't know who approved of the PAK that went to YOU, Nexxy, cuz you've clearly lost your shit!" He shouted.
"Only specific foods that are high in sugar and energy can be consumed by our kind. Our food and drink are regulated to specific guidelines, we have only one kind of money, we have only one kind of home, people are given specific jobs and specific clothes to match them, there is no need for people to pick mates since we have the test tube method implemented in our hatcheries, with the conquering of all other planets in the galaxy we'll have peace for all beings under our rule, and with the Tallest as figures to look up to, standing high and proud and powerful, all other Irkens all feel humbled." Nexus went on calmly, speaking in a fashion that was almost magnanimous. "The moment a PAK is attached to the organic body and that first spark of life is sent into them...that's the first half of them becoming a full Irken. Then when all Irken knowledge is flooded into their minds, they are one with the laws of Irk completely."
"...so that's what does it..." Darth murmured. "...before they get that burst of knowledge, they're pretty much blank slates, but that spark of real life IS there...that free will is there...but when they receive all the knowledge of Irken kind, this means all of the laws and standards the Control Brains want them to follow get permanently burnt into them...and although some do resist, the point remains...you..."
His voice became low...with an edge. "You think it's GOOD that they take away free will?" He asked.
Nexus gave him a look. "Eh?"
"You took...away...free will!" He roared suddenly, clenching his fists. "They can't choose what to eat, where to live, who to love, what to do, can't fight back or resist or they'll be labeled defective and killed...you've taken away the very thing that makes life worth living! The right to choose! The Control Brains might as well be just murdering all those smeets the moment they put all of their rules and standards into the PAKs!" He snarled.
"You take away free will, you take away the very thing that makes people HUMAN!" Nick roared out.
"It's all done for a great cause. To create a perfect society, and I'm contributing to that by eliminating the biggest threats to it, all of the worst of the defects and-"
"You don't get it. You're trying to create a perfect society but we are PEOPLE. People are not MEANT to be perfect! We make bad choices! We fuck up!" Nick admitted. "But we do the best we can and we learn from our mistakes and become better because of them! You can't have a utopia that doesn't allow people to choose the life they desire and you shouldn't FORCE choices on others either! How can you call yourself more advanced than my kind if you don't even understand the basic concept that everyone has the right to live and to choose?" He asked, folding his currently-human arms and frowning.
"I'm doing very important things to better the Irken race." Nexus snapped.
"No." "No."
Darth looked at Tallests Red and Purple, unseeing eyes widening in amazement.
"What you've done..." Red spoke up.
"It's evil." Purple finished.
"...well, well, well." Nexus whispered. "So...it's come to this, then? You're all clearly out of your minds! I might as well liberate you from your madness with death!" He said, clenching his fists as he rose up into the air, twirling his staff around rapidly as a golden/red aura surrounded him.
"GET HIM!" Nora yelled out, pointing upwards into the air.
"Kyaaaaaah!" Ker San tossed several light-blue tinted explosives through the air at Nexus as people jumped away to avoid getting caught in the blasts. Nexus jumped backwards through the air as the icy explosions completely covered the table he'd just been under. Rub'akho aimed a large blaster pistol and fired it off at Nexus, who spun his staff rapidly, knocking one of the explosive blasts through the air, knocking Ker San backwards as ice covered his body and he gasped in pain.
Nexus swerved through the air, slamming a leg into Miki, laughing horridly. "C'mon! Nice doggy! It's Thanksgiving Day, but only for special little puppies!"
THWACKA-THWACKA! He kept kicking her, launching her into Jana as she rushed forward to try and slice him down. "Play dead!" He laughed, holding up his staff as the tip began to shake rapidly, a dark energy beam forming. "BE DEAD!"
BA-BAAAAAM! An explosion knocked him through the air and away from them as Frequency lowered the enormous pulse rifle that Loc had given him. "Thanks!"
"Ain't no thang but a chicken wang."
"Uh, no offense dude, but don'tcha think Harlem's havin' withdrawal with you not being there?" Frequency inquired.
"Don't y'all think y'all should get back tah yer Pauly Shore impersonation?" Loc responded, making Frequency blush.
Nexus frowned darkly and sent a table flying through the air, slamming into Loc and Frequency as Miki moaned.
"Miki not feel good."
"If we don't do something, Miki's gonna feel a lot worse." Jana told him as Nexus grabbed ahold of Nixus and began slapping her.
"Naughty girl!" He announced evilly, slapping her again and again.
KA-BOOOOOM! A blast to the back sent him flying as Vex lowered his pistol and ran over to Nixus, as Dr. Nimbus looked disgustedly at Nexus.
"Did you just PIMP-SLAP her? You DID! You freakin' PIMP-SLAPPED her!" He stated, giving Nexus as nasty look as he held up some surgical tools, pinning Nexus below his legs, straddling him. "I can't wait to examine your brain. No doubt I'll find some interesting abnormalities..."
Nexus kicked him in the crotch, knocking him away as a jelly spore suddenly attached itself to his face. "GAAAH! Get him off me, get him off me!" He screamed.
"Sure." Tjazz said,whistling. The jelly spore sloughed off his face, down his chest...
And ripped the crystal off. Snarling furiously, Nexus kicked the poor thing through the air as Dib, propelled by Tak, jumped up and caught it. Nexus rushed at the crystal gem that had been on his chest as it skittered across the floor, only to have Sue jump at him, scratching and clawing.
"Sue, no, what do you think you're doing?!" Nick yelled.
"Something I should have done a while ago...actually help you out!" She yelled, punching Nexus in the face over and over with a THRUCK-THRUCK-THRUCK resounding through the air as fist met face.
Nexus suddenly backhanded her viciously and she flew through the air, hitting the wall...with a sickening KRA-CRACK. Nick gasped in horror as her form slid down and he rushed over to her, kneeling down and helping her up. "Sue..." He murmured.
"...heh...now...will you go out...with me?" She laughed gently before her eyes closed and she let out a final, long sigh.
"Where the hell...my gem! Where's my gem?!" Nexus snarled, looking around as the competitors surrounded him, keeping him from going any further as best they could.
"HERE!" Myo yelled, holding her wand up as Nexus saw the gem was right in front of her as she stood on a table.
"Oh no...ohhh no! Uh, honey, listen, be very careful, that...that gem has a lot of people's SPIRITS in it..." Nexus began to say in a "I'm talking to a little kid" tone.
"You..." Myo shook her head. "You can't just TAKE people and put them in little boxes just because it makes you HAPPY, sir!" She told him, gripping the wand tightly as it glowed brightly with faintly pink power. "It's WROOOOONG!" She roared out, bringing the wand down onto the crystal.
Everything went white.
...
...
...
...everyone was now scattered all around the cafeteria. Shojah was lying on top of Black, who coughed and spluttered as the large Vortian got up. Sadi was rubbing her head as Rasmund and Nyrhtak looked over at Vex and Myo. Lox was rubbing his chin thoughtfully as Spork and Miyuki clung tightly to Erin. Everyone that had been dead was now looking on in horror with the others who'd been fighting...
Looking on in horror at Nexus. The one-eyed Irken was now glowing with an enormous, surging, black/red glow. A miasma of overwhelming power was oozing off of him and he curled his clawed fingers slightly, looking down eagerly at his hands, evidently very amused at the new power he had. Caim gasped.
"That aura of power...it's...it's off the charts!"
"It's over 9-" Renee stopped herself, panting and holding her chest.
"Ughhhhh." Reg moaned. "I don't feel so good..." He mumbled.
"What exactly happened?" Nick asked Nora. "I thought breaking that crystal he kept was supposed to defeat Nexus once and for all!"
"Well, the thing is, we DID the plan right." Nora told everyone. "But we weren't fighting Nexus so much as Nexus draining power from the souls of those who died in Blood Sport...with Sue adding her own power to the mix when SHE died."
Sue, now lying back up near Nick, was barely conscious. "Uhhh...a little...off the top...and the sides..." She mumbled.
"Sue, like you..." Nora turned on Nick. "Has a certain amount of power to defy reality. So when her spirit, if only for a few instants, joined with the crystal, it all got screwed up. Instead of absolutely annihilating him by releasing everyone from the crystal, all of the energy they'd been able to keep in their spirits kind of...leaked out when the crystal exploded. And went into him." She added nervously.
"Okay...so..." Kalte frowned slightly. "How do we defeat Nexus then?"
"...er..." Nora gulped.
"Oh by all means, go on." Nexus commented cheerily.
"...see, I had the whole of Irken, human and Vortian knowledge running through my brain, all the weaknesses of all of their kinds. Information on every kind of their species that DOES exist and DOESN'T exist. When it comes to things that couldn't possibly exist even in your wildest acid trips..." She nervously smiled. "I...got nothing."
"So, whatever Nexus is right now...he's freakin' impossible." Gaz asked, raising an eyebrow.
"...preeeetty much." Nora admitted.
"Lovely. We have just given birth to the Antichrist." Darth mumbled.
"Hey, what's the worst he can do? I mean, look at us. He can't possibly hurt us any more than we've already hurt each other in this godforsaken tournament." Lox argued.
Nexus snapped his fingers.
THWOING!
"...uhoh." Myo remarked. Her staff was broken. Everybody's guns and weapons lay shattered on the ground. Darth was holding his head, unseeing eyes wide with horror.
"Oh CRAP, nothing is working but the LIFE SUPPORT." Red whispered, reaching around to feel his PAK.
"I'll deal with this idiot." Gaz snapped, holding up one finger.
POOF.
A small smoke ring flew out from her claw. Gaz blinked a few times, and then a look of pants-pissing fear appeared on her face.
FEAR. And this made Dib blanch with horror. Gaz was never afraid.
"...what was that?" Tak asked.
"That was the sound of every single person on this space station dying in five minutes." Gaz squeaked out.
"Oh big schmuck. Ninja boy, do some shinobi arts." Rasmund asked.
Nyrhtak placed his palms together and made the sign of the Tiger. He took a deep breath...then also blew out a smoke ring.
POOF.
"Like she said. The sound of every single person on this space station dying in five minutes. All of our powers are GONE." Nick whispered. "I...I can't feel anything inside of me."
"My aura's completely drained!" Caim complained.
"I...I got nothing either." White realized. "ME! I'VE got nothing!"
"Indeed." Nexus looked incredibly amused as he put his hands on his hips. " This really is quite enjoyable." He added, the black/red glow continuing to swirl around him. "I find it immensely amusing that you all thought you actually could beat me. Now look at what your efforts have done. I believe that a human, Theodore Roosevelt, said it best. "Speak softly and carry a big stick. I have just BECOME that stick." Nexus said, clenching his right hand into a fist.
"Good lord, he's worse than YOU are! And that's SAYING something!" Dib told Zim.
"HEY!" Zim snapped, shaking his fist.
"Okay, sunshine!" Nexus laughed, rushing forward at Nick and punching him across the chest into Darth. Red and Purple rushed forward to try and stop him, but he backhanded them across the face, his fist glowing brightly. "Let's get busy!"
"You little!!!" Erin yelled, jumping forward. Nexus kicked her away, laughing sadistically as he turned on Red and Purple.
"I honestly can't think of a morning I didn't wake up with the thought of STRANGLING YOU TO DEATH!" Nexus told the two Tallest with obvious glee on his features as the others watched in horror, too weak or too frightened to move.
"We gotta...stop him..." Nick mumbled.
"By all means, TRY!" Nexus laughed as he held his hands up and dark bands of energy swirled around everyone in his sight, pinning them to the ground one at a time. "Nobody here has the power I have!"
"You leave them alone!" Zim roared out, rushing forward through the air. Nexus laughed and snapped his fingers, one band pinning Zim to the wall as Darth felt around, grabbing ahold of a chair and flinging it through the air at Nexus's ranting form. But the chair barely missed, and Nexus turned on Darth.
"You blind freak. You and that human think you're the savior of all Irkenkind. Well..." He sneered. "I think it's time you both died for your sins-"
THA-BWOOOOOOOOM!
Ember had appeared from the rafters above, recently rejuvenated and now digging a plasma sword into Nexus's back. "JANA!" She yelled out, turning to Jana, who had not yet been pinned. "Help me!"
Understanding, Jana leapt forward and dug her own plasma sword into the front of Nexus's chest. The surge of power between the two blades flowed from one to another, a continuous relay that passed through Nexus, who was already blown up like a gigantic balloon, bloated with energy. His body began to shake and rumble, his single eye widening in horror as cracks began to form in his helmet and his wrist gauntlets.
"What the heck? What's going on?" Zim asked.
"It's a relay loop." Nora realized. "He's already like a water balloon about to pop, this is adding even MORE water to him!"
"I don't believe it!" White laughed, grinning broadly. "He's about to erupt into a brilliant column of light that's going to redistribute all the power he's absorbed! And..." He sighed. "And we're gonna be lucky if we have any skin left when it's all over." He added quietly.
"This...this can't be...I'm...I'm NEXUS, dammit!" Nexus whispered. "I...I can't be beaten by THIS!" He pleaded as his body continued to shudder and quake.
"Oh boy." Erin commented.
"This is gonna hurt." Renee sighed.
"Our father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name..." Mir prayed.
"Yep. You're going to be screwed over by the amateur-hour horseshit of absorbing too much power and exploding." Nick remarked.
"It's gonna be all BAAAAAD." GIR murmured.
"...I've always loved you." Purple told Red, who gave him a "Not NOW" look.
"Aw dang." Nick mumbled, pinching the space between his head with his fingers.
Blankness.
...everywhere.
...
...
...
...Nick found himself hovering in the white abyss once again as a cloak-and-hooded form sat on a nearby park bench that was hovering by.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked gently.
"No, I...wait..." Nick blinked a few times as the figure lowered it's hood. "...yeah. I do...I know you VERY well."
"The thing is, Nick...it's just not your time. It's NOBODY'S time. This really screwed things up in the grand scheme of things. But you did so much to try and make things right I'm going to give you a free wish. You're the only one I'd absolutely trust with this." Death insisted, placing a furry, white paw upon Nick's shoulder as he hovered by him.
"...there's a price I have to pay...isn't there?" He asked.
"You're the only one who can pay it." Death added sadly. "You wouldn't mind the cost. You end up getting hurt in so many ways and so often, but you endure it all. You just have that strength of soul, that altruism that makes you the force of good that I admire about you."
"Well in this world, being an altruist is the only thing that makes sense." Nick said, shrugging.
Death laughed happily as he held his furry paw out. "THAT'S what I like! So...one free wish in exchange for you paying a certain "price"? Undergoing a certain trial?"
"Fine by me." Nick said, shaking the rabbit/hamster/gerbil thing's hand.
I have always believed in the potential that people had, a potential that CAN be reached. From another planet I came to Irk, dedicated to doing what was right. I was given a gift that most people don't have, a chance not many would ever get. I'm known as a bleeding-heart fool...but a heroic one all the same.
"My wish is..."
It's been a good life.
...
...
...
... "You're sure you're going to be able to make dinner?" Shojah asked of Vex and Savannah as his wife and children sat across from the cafeteria table.
"Absolutely." Vex informed him, nodding his head as Nixus walked over to their table, holding some wine on her serving platter. "We wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"Hope you enjoy this." Nixus said, putting the wine down on their table. "I picked it out myself."
"So, what time do you get off work?" Nyrhtak asked, appearing nearby and giving her a suggestive look. "How about a night out on the town with the latest and hottest Internet sensation?" He asked, flexing his muscles.
"I'd rather just go out with you." Nixus wisecracked, patting him on the head. "To think, this whole place used to be used for THAT..." She said, shaking her head.
"This space station really does work better as a diner." Nyrhtak agreed.
"No, no, you're looking at this all wrong." Rasmund insisted as he pointed down at a newspaper. "See? Look at the blood splatters. This was clearly a crime of PASSION." He told Lox.
"...yes, yes, I see." Lox nodded. He quickly began writing down in a notebook. "This is going to be one hell of a murder mystery, don't you think?" He asked his writing partner.
"Who should we get to direct the movie, that's what I'd like to know." Rasmund wondered, rubbing his chin as Nixus dropped off their drinks.
At the nearby karaoke section, Regulus was belting out a terrible rendition of "More Than A Feeling" as Trik rolled his eyes, sitting ina nearby booth with his family as he raised a glass up and clinked it with Darth's outstretched glass of water.
"Sure you can't stay, Hierophant?" Trik asked. "You're so good with my kids. They LOVE your religious jokes too."
"I can't, sorry." Darth apologized sadly, shaking his head. "This person named Cheese wants me to exorcise a demon from his hair. He said it's come to life and has been trying to attach to his head and get him to kill people. And THEN I've got this big sermon to give at Vort."
"Make sure you thank Rub'akho for the ride." Trik added, nodding his head.
"I'm just glad it's not Ker San. I like him, and Tak likes him, but between you and me...he smells too much like blasting powder." Darth added nervously, nodding his head to the side slightly.
"C'mon, c'mon!" Mir insisted, jumping up and down nearby. "Let's get going!" She urged Darth. "I want to kick demon ass!" She insisted.
"Good to see you getting into your work." Darth told Mir, smiling with pride in her direction and nodding.
"So explain this again." Lard Nar asked as he sat with Renee in a lounge with the rest of the Resisty, as Kalte played against Loc at the nearby pool table.
"Eight ball. Corner pocket." Loc predicted.
CRACK!
"HA!"
"Dang."
"Pay up, bitch!" Loc crowed.
"Well, you see, according to the "New Math", it's more important to understand what you're doing, rather than to get the right answer." She went on. This got a large laugh from Lard Nar, and she smiled.
"I think your appreciation for other cultures is wonderful." Lard Nar told her kindly, putting one hand on her shoulder.
"YOU'RE wonderful." Renee thought to herself, blushing visibly.
"How goes the research, doctors?" Spring inquired of Dr. Keek as she sat across from the two of them in one of the many lounge areas of the enormous space station diner.
"Plenty of funding, lots of advanced technology, and we can work at our own pace. What's NOT to love?" Dr. Keek stated happily.
"I'm working on a way to create a bloodstream made entirely of RED BULL." Dr. Nimbus said proudly.
"Neat." Spring agreed.
"This is the life." Sadi laughed, picking her teeth with a toothpick. "Where are we going next?" She asked Frequency. "Who's our next target."
"I oughta be worried that you're so good at this assassination stuff." Frequency remarked, shrugging. "But anyhow, here." He put down the mission specs on the table they were at. "This guy's been running a slave ring..."
Sadi licked her lips. Evildoers tasted delicious.
"You look lovely today, Tiara." Zergarikiaka said, walking along side her as they headed for the ladies bathroom. "Is that...perfume I smell on you?"
"I've got a hot date tonight." Tiara informed Zerg. "What about you?"
"Ah, I'm worried about my new roommate. I just don't know how to deal with her. She's...short." Zerg sighed.
"Get her platform shoes." Tiara advised. "But what do you think of this circlet?" She asked, holding out her wrist. "Does it make my butt look big?"
"Um..." Red bit his lip.
"Come on." Erin insisted, showing off her new pair of bright maroon shorts. "I want an honest opinion."
"...maybe...MAYBE two pounds." He told her nervously.
"GAAAUUUHHHD!" She sobbed into Red's arms. "REDDY!!!"
"Honey, you said you wanted me to be honest!" Red begged as Purple ordered a scowling, wearing-a-butler's-outfit Black to park the Massive up next to the Space Station.
"But not BRUTAL!" Erin moaned.
"Ah, I just love happy endings." GIR said as he sat in the booth with Chibi as Myo sat nearby, smiling in approval as Zim nodded at Jana, allowing her to sit next to him and Ember as she joined Dib and Tak.
"Miyuki said that she's just arrived with Spork, Felix and the Tallests. Erin'll be here soon." Jana said, nodding firmly at all the others.
"Looks like life is back to normal, then...or as normal as life gets around here." Dib thought as he looked over to see Gaz kicking Reg in the shins as revenge for his terrible singing, as somebody turned on the jukebox.
BGM: Love Is All Around, by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"...I wonder where Nick is." Zim admitted, looking down at the table. "...WE were all alright. Everything worked out for us. But...I've no idea where he's gone."
"I dunno if you should be worried." Ember insisted, shaking her head.
"Somebody like Nick...you can't get rid of him no matter how you try. He always pops back up again." Jana mused out loud, a smile spreading across her face.
"Yeah...but where DO you think he's gone?" Tak mused as MIMI looked at her master.
White, leaning against the wall nearby, just smiled. HE knew.
...
...
...
...Nick awoke to the sound of an alarm ringing. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, realizing that he'd fallen asleep in a lounge. A familiar lounge. Blinking a few times, he saw Darth sitting next to him, looking in his direction.
"Have a nice nap? Your wife's waiting for you." Darth informed him.
Nick blinked a few times. "...what...what's the date again?" He asked, a sudden realization of what had just happened hitting him hard.
"It's January 18th." Darth told him, raising an invisible eyebrow. "Come, you were going to talk to your wife about the competitors in Blood Sport, remember?"
So THIS was it.
Nick blinked a few times, then grinned. "Yeah...yeah, I was." He said happily, standing up and walking out of the hallway, past Frequency, who noticed his enormous grin.
"What's up with you? You were all worried just ten minutes ago, dude." Frequency spoke up, walking right behind him. "You said you were gonna take a nap cuz ya had butterflies in your stomach about who you might be fightin' and stuff!"
"Yeah...I did. But I think..." Nick clenched his hand into a fist. "Somehow I got the feeling nothin's gonna surprise me."
And with that, he walked off, punching upwards into the air triumphantly, ready to face the new day.
I have always believed in the potential that people had, a potential that CAN be reached. From another planet I came to Irk, dedicated to doing what was right. I was given a gift that most people don't have, a chance not many would ever get. I'm known as a bleeding-heart fool...but a heroic one all the same.
It's gonna be a good, good life.
You're the one most likely to succeed! Just be sure to keep your head...
Cuz girl, you know, that's all you need! Everyone around adores you...
Don't give up, the world is waitin' for you!
Love is all around, no need to waste it!
You can have the town, why don't you take it?
You're gonna make it after all!
Who can turn the world on with a smile?
Who? And suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you girl, and you should know it...
With each glance and every little movement you show it!
Love is all around, no need to waste it!
You can have the town, why don't you take it?
You're gonna make it after all,
You're gonna make it after all!
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I've really enjoyed writing all of this and glad to see so much support has been thrown behind it. I'll also be putting this on my deviantart account for others to enjoy. I'd like to thank a few people for this particular story: Zim's Most Loyal Servant, Shade4716, Fantastic Drone N, ZADRFan29, and, most of all, Erin. Dear, dear Erin...I dedicate this story to you.
I love you, Erin. Thank you for all you've done for me. Also, for those of you who can spot the "Easter Eggs" hidden in this story...I give you a cookie.
Until we meet again!
...
...
...
...Oh, and this reminds me. Bruce Banana Loboto, a person with no stories of their own and a webpage link linking him back to Youtube's main site was kind enough to leave a dirty little flame on his story. I angrily blocked him. To my credit, I wrote to him saying that I'd accept his apology for his nasty review and that I didn't mind him leaving constructive criticism as long as he wasn't being so utterly insulting in what he said.
And he wrote me back.
Actually, no he didn't. He's a troll. He has no favorites of any kind in his account. The whole thing solely seems to exist to blast other people's work on . So I want to just say this. "BBL"...I wish you never WILL "be back later", because you were a jerk and you should still apologize.
Well...as I said...until we meet again, folks!