Copyright in this chapter... Hope you enjoy it!! I did!

Samus and Dark Samus circled across the pen, guns aimed at each other. Their postures were relentless and strong, no signs of wavering on either of them. Their footsteps against the floor were the only sounds in the dead-silent room.

I glanced from them to U-Mos, suffering on the ground. I looked at Dray and Ghor. The girl had transformed into herself again, and was lightly slapping Ghor's cheeks to snap him out of his confused daze. The black on his face was lightening to red gradually, and his fists were clenching and unclenching slowly.

"Dray... could you take care of him while I go to U-Mos?" I asked her quietly.

She looked to me, pursing her lips and giving a forced nod. "Be careful. We don't know if he's good or not, Rundas."

I gave her a thoughtless smile, watching Samus begin her first waves of assault on her foe. She fired many beams of different weapons to Dark Samus, who allowed them to hit her. She counterattacked with Phazon bursts, which Samus chose to dodge, being the skillful warrior she was.

I stepped past them, darting to U-Mos as he writhed and tried to steady the course of his Phazon blood. His jaw was tightened in pain and he strived to suppress his moans. I came to his side, laying my hands on his wet back.

He opened his sapphire eyes at my touch, gaze flicking to me in doubt. "What... are you doing?" he gasped while blue ran down his chin.

I gently took his arm and slung it around my shoulders. Lifting him up, I muttered kindly, "Helping you."

"Why? For all you know, I could still... be... unstable..." He weakly stood with me, right arm dangling towards the floor.

"I won't be a jerk and leave you hurt." I replied, giving him a recollected simper. "It's what friends do."

"..." he couldn't say the next words, they came out in grumbled gags, but he returned the gesture anemically.

"Do you want to come back there with us?" I asked tenderly, meticulously studying his deep-set, exhausted expression.

"Yes please."

"Good. Now come on," I started walking, U-Mos plodding heavily with me. We passed the cage of Phazon sluggishly, but I didn't mind. We could take all the sweet time in the world. But before long, we had crossed the room, and I carefully laid the injured Luminoth on the ground. He went limp, closing his eyes and breathing in and out.

Dray gave me a cautious stare. "Is he... you know... better?"

I motioned to him. "Why don't you ask?"

She glanced at U-Mos, who looked pitiful. Then she parted her lips, saying bluntly, "How are you doing?"

He sighed. "I am... fighting the inner Phazon that controlled me. It does not like being disobeyed. And I... have really, ticked this thing off."

I grinned. Maybe my friend was returning? "How did you suddenly get your old self back, U-Mos?" I wondered.

He swallowed, making a disgusted face. "I... do not know. Perhaps you knocked some sense into me?" he chuckled a few times, but clutched his stomach in ache and abruptly stopped.

Dray folded he arms. "Yeah. We corrupt lackeys almost always learn a lesson once we were thoroughly butt-whooped."

"That's legit," Ghor suddenly said, raising a hand and pointing his index finger skyward. "Completely and totally."


"Legit? Since when do you use the word legit?" I jeered, watching him.

"Don't deride me, Rundas. My systems are chaotic," he replied in an acidic tone, giving me a cold peer. "Once I am repaired I will return to my more normal self."

I looked away from him and the others, observing the duel that played a few meters away. Samus was leaping over a massive beam that Dark Samus had fired, which illuminated the command deck brightly orange. She landed afterward, pumping white blasts of energy at her foe.

Dark Samus grunted, placing her hands to the sides and absorbing the Phazon in the gates. Only a small amount was taken, and they remained sturdy. Then she hurled Phazon-made grenades at Samus's feet.

The huntress rolled into a ball as they exploded, hopping up and spinning forward. A yellow, spiny case formed around her as she collided with Dark Samus in a buzzing sound. The dark twin threw her arms up and smashed her foot into the ground, metal buckling. A Phazon tentacle erupted from the floor and wrapped around Samus's tight sphere, squeezing with audible crunches.

I tensed, crying out, "Samus!!"

She heard me, and boosted herself out of the tendrils grasp. She dashed forward and struck Dark Samus in the gut, both of them flying into the gate. The Varia Suited globe fell away from the dark suit as she was sucked into the Phazon thickness, unraveling herself and holding her gun at the ready. I could see she had suffered a few blows, her body suit damaged.

A heartless laughing came from the barrier, and Dark Samus swiftly flew out of it, hand closed and glowing with Phazon. The huntress barely had enough time to dodge out of the way, and fell to the ground with a clunk. Dark Samus whooshed past her, bouncing off the wall when she hit it.

Immediately, she turned and forced her gun to reform on her arm. With it, the end began to brighten, and she aimed the barrel to Samus. "Any last words?"

Her rival smirked. "This duel isn't finished yet!" Samus swung her leg into the dark hunter's feet, causing her to topple over and land hard on the ground. The light warrior stood quickly, jumping to the other end of the arena and shooting Dark Samus with ice missiles.

She ended up freezing the black gun solid, and no matter how much Phazon was shot at it from inside, nothing would melt the ice. So Dark Samus improvised, swirling her free arm above her head and signaling blue coruscations. They all attacked Samus, and even though they looked harmless, left the huntress sparking and twisting on the ground after a flash of light.

It was Dark Samus's turn for comeback remarks, and she sneered, "Every festivity has to end somehow, Samus. And I know the perfect show stopper!"

She turned her head towards one of the exits, which was open. A low rumbling shook the command deck, and then came screeches as Metroids flowed into the room. Hundreds, thousands of the large creatures that were dripping saliva from their fangs. I could tell they were starved.

"Come, my children... I think you'll enjoy this midnight snack!" Dark Samus pointed to the wounded hunter on the ground. "Snatch whatever you can get your claws on!" And with that, the Phazon barrier dissipated, leaving Samus vulnerable and ready for the taking.

I leaped up, but was held back by a hand on my arm. "Rundas. Don't."

I stared at U-Mos. "What?! Are you insane?! She's going to be eaten!! We've gotta protect her!!" I tried to shake him off, but his grip was strong. "Let me go, U-Mos!!"

Dray and Ghor were stiff, as was I, when the Luminoth slowly got to his feet. He breathed deeply, placing one hand on his temple, and the other towards the Metroid flocks that hovered around Samus hungrily.

"What are you doing?" I gawked as his eyes flickered scarlet.

"Something that should have been done a long time ago," he merely replied, focusing intently.

We all watched in awe at the Metroids, which one by one halted their gradual close to Samus. They all shivered in unison. The dark hunter noticed, staring at them. "What are you waiting for? Destroy her!" she commanded.

U-Mos's gaze flicked to Dark Samus, and a humming sound came from the hordes that crowded the ceiling. They all turned to the boney monster, moving toward her steadily.

"Wait. What are you doing? Stop! Don't get so-" she cut her own shocked sentence off as she screamed shrilly. The Metroids all charged onto her, tears and spurts sounding as they darted in and out, each getting a piece. "Get off- errahh!! Me!! Aah!!! Noo!! No!! No!!! Auuggghh!!!! Aahhh!!" She continued to shout and shriek until U-Mos collapsed, moaning in weariness.

The Metroids were satisfied with their heist, and without a moment to lose, swept away through the door and out of the command deck chamber. I stood, running over to Samus as she sat in horror.

Dark Samus lay on the ground in a pool of blood, her leg missing, a shoulder bitten out, the ribs in her body been torn away, and the rest of her figure mangled. She was jerking and howling after nearly being eaten alive. "Noo!! Aauggh!! It can't end this way!! I will not die!! No!! No!!"

I grabbed Samus and held her close to me as the ripped body began to drag herself to us. "I promise I'll be good, Samus... I promise! Don't let me... Don't... let me..." She reached out with a missing pointer finger, trying to touch Samus's foot.

I pulled her back, spitting, "Go burn."

With misty eyes, Dark Samus beseeched me. "Rundas! You understand this pain! Help me! Please! I don't want to go... This isn't the way...I'm supposed to go..."

I shook my head, stepping a good two feet away from the pleading carcass. "You brought this on yourself."

I realized that Dark Samus was crying, her three eyes dripping tears. She looked past Samus and I and to the others. "U-Mos... please..."

It was then that the floor next to Dark Samus twisted into a black portal, roars echoing. All of us went rigid in shock, watching as something dark and four legged crawled its way out of the pit. Its single, large red eye flitted to Dark Samus, who cowered in terror.

"Master..." a hissed, high and disturbing voice said from the beast.

"The Ing!" U-Mos whispered from afar, gasping. "I was right!"

The Ing reached out and grabbed Dark Samus's foot, pulling her to the writhing hole. "Aaugh!! No!! Let me go! I'll be good! I won't do anything bad anymore!!" She tried to escape its tug, but it lugged her nonetheless.

Another figure escape from the portal, which was armored and heavily mutated. I could only see half of its body. "Come, Mother... Don't you want to see your Son Jake Larsen? I need to tell you how much I love you..." He seized Dark Samus's ankle, trawling her in with the Ing.

She was scraping her nails against the floor, sobbing, "No! No! NO!!" Nobody moved.

And then, as quick as they came, took her into the fathomless black trench. It sealed without a sound, and then the command deck was silent.