Space Pirate Ship, Brig
Samus Aran hated so much of what was happening at that moment. The first proper disgrace was being a manacled prisoner aboard the ship of her dreaded foes, the Space Pirates. Usually mopping them up would be a pain but worth it for the chance to have fewer of them to deal with. But then they took her suit. Or more specifically, her suit left her, which made NO sense at all.
Stranger still was her… cellmate.
A very odd man whose attire seemed to be more ridiculous every time she glanced in his direction. From the long brown hat, weathered coat, and an obscenely long scarf made of many colors adorning his neck. His casual grin that went to both obscure ears made everything so much more problematic. And the worse offense then returned with an irritating grind.
… the man had a harmonica.
"I must say," the man said between long stretches of sound that made Samus wish to strangle the man with his scarf. "These 'Space Pirates', not a lot of imagination in such a name if you ask me, even less in the decorum. No cushions, no phone calls, not even a glass of water. Tell me, my dear, do you think a good song will change their fung shui at all?"
"Why do you persist in bothering me?" Samus growled.
"Well, it's not like you're going anywhere. But if you're going to your anger management counselor, I'd recommend moving up your appointment."
"Keep talking like that and I promise, hands bound or not, I will make you need a doctor long before I do."
"Don't need one, I am one," the man said as he stood with a bow. "The Doctor in fact. None greater."
Samus truly doubted this to be the case but at least the man stopped playing his damn musical instrument. Interesting timing too, since a moment later the electronic chime of the door echoed through the cell. One of the purple armored space pirates came forward. The bounty hunter resented how her foe had changed.
They had become more mechanical in their movements. She came aboard answering a distress call coming from the Pirate's ship. Figuring it was some type of lure to draw in kind-hearted foolish prey, Samus went to make the emergency more legitimate. But no one returned fire. She boarded with ease, her orange-colored Veria Suit primed with all kinds of weapons to make it a bad day for Space Pirates. There was no welcome party of energy blasts or shrieks of panic. Her sensors picked up something smaller, but the movement felt more like some kind of haze on her visor.
Suddenly rounding a corner resulted in seeing a Space Pirate who seemed to be getting… eaten by silver insects. The same ones that swarmed over her suit. It seemed like she couldn't go five-minutes fully equipped into a dangerous place before EVERYTHING went wrong. Small things squirming around, she felt them slither along her body. Chozo symbols flared up and before she could even blink, the Varia suit coughed her up. Now in her blue 'zero-suit', in an unkept ponytail, Samus looked up as the suit glowed with a sickening light.
Cyberium Connection Complete
Before she could pull her stun pistol on the latest monstrosity possessing her suit, the thing clocked her across the face. She awoke imprisoned and with irritating company, claiming to be physician of some kind. Now the Bounty Hunter could better ascertain what these mechanical veins and strange glowing lights meant for her oldest enemy. She had never encountered a mechanical parasite but this one apparently altered the victim completely. Somewhere out there, her suit had joined this 'Cyberium'. A gut feeling told her biological beings weren't better off as the Pirate pulled up a scanner.
Your DNA is similar to the exo-suit, you contaminate the Cyberium with these unknown elements
"Well, if my suit doesn't work for you, I'll gladly take it back." She said with a cold sneer.
The Pirate's other hand, some kind of silver gauntlet that appeared to be growing across the body like some mechanized fungus, reached for her.
"You know I must say," the Doctor suddenly stood, neither Samus nor the Pirate seemed to notice until he was right behind him. It tried a swing that would take off most heads. The stranger ducked with the indifference of bowing under a low doorway. "It rather rude to leave ones' company in such unpleasant circumstances. No refreshments, no books, no sofa; despicable."
The Pirate turned his attention to the stranger. Weapon charging while the Doctor fiddled his harmonica with indifference.
Your musical instrument is disrupting our scans
"Ah, enhanced sonic harmonics, a rather pesky thing. Muddling with frequencies, everything from scanning devices, communication,… even doors."
A sudden burst of sound caused the Pirate to twitch violently. The Doctor's instrument vibrated as he pressed it to the door. It opened as the Pirate struggled to aim his weapon. Samus brought her manacled arms down, hard, before any shots could be made.
"When the Hell were you going to let me in on your escape plan?" Samus huffed.
He tsked and reached into her ponytail before there was chance to lose teeth over the action. In his hand was a small purple disk, one quickly short-circuited with a tap from the harmonica.
"Rule one in escaping, no need to announce it until after the jailbreak, ruins the surprise otherwise."
"You have experience with this kind of thing, are you some kind of thief?"
"I'm whatever I need to be at any given moment, but a Doctor throughout."
"I simply counted on your desire for violence to do the rest once our guard was distracted. You seem familiar with these Space Pirates, how is that?"
"I'm a Bounty Hunter," Samus said, stimulating the unconscious Pirate's blaster to destroy enough of her manacles to both hands. Taking the weapon felt vile, but until she found her gear, it wouldn't help to face these enhanced foes unarmed. "Have you heard of Samus?"
"Ah, so that explains it. You are as tenacious as the stories say," the Doctor looked at her with a sudden coldness that stabbed through her stubbornness. "Then would you say, as an expert, that these Pirates are somewhat skilled with cybernetics."
A cold chill ran through her as she clutched the weapon tighter.
"…Yes…"
"Brilliant, well that explains the Cyberium's interest in this nasty group. The Cybermen are all about acquiring new technology, 'upgrading' organic life. Though they rarely are so open-minded to acquire non-humanoids as their hosts. And if they have your infamous suit, I should fear we are in for troubling times. But we're in luck, we have the best source for searching where they are focusing their upgrades."
"Where?" Samus shifted awkwardly as the Doctor approached her. His fingers tapped at both her temples and she froze, unable to even blink.
"You."
The Bounty Hunters' mind felt like it had been cracked open. This big-nosed stranger with his ridiculous scarf somehow was fiddling with it. The more he acted, the less she understood about the stranger.
"That Pirate had been rather talkative, as most minions get to be, he said your suit shares DNA with you. I do hope that doesn't imply you haven't washed it?" The Doctor grimaced.
What is this? Samus had her thoughts to scream out whatever words couldn't be spoken, she appreciated how the stranger twitched from the 'outburst'.
"Consider it a quick bit of backtracking, if your suit is indeed linked to you, then we can use said connection to find the source of the Cybermen's control on this ship. What do you associate the suit with, in relation to these Pirates?"
Whatever was in this trance, Samus's emotions were unrestrained. Everything came crashing back with knives coming down like rain. The screaming, fires, and that wicked cackle. It also collided into one word.
"Pain."
Samus reentered the Hell of her past.
Her mining planet, K-2L, had been a peaceful one. Until… Ridley and his forces arrived. She had mocked them, and the response… was cruel. Everyone slaughtered while Ridley personally made her watch… her own mother's…
By some cruel fate, she had survived. Among the burning wreckage, a pair of feathered hands pulled her from the ashes. The Chozo, bird-like aliens with advanced technology, had sought out one who would be claimed as a Protector of the Galaxy.
…Being the only one left, they believed Samus to be that chosen soul.
Helping her survive the devastating injuries, by fusing their DNA to hers, Samus grew up to be a warrior. Joining the Galactic Federation and eventually breaking away to pursue a path as a bounty hunter. It helped her destroy Ridley, at least for a time, while battling the parasitic nightmares known as Metroids. No matter the threat, Samus would fight to ensure no one suffers what she endured as a child. With her skills, and the powersuit, no threat would get in her way.
Flexing her right hand, she could almost imagine the blaster and sheen of the green visor.
"Contact!"
The Doctor's shout suddenly helped Samus imagine exactly where her suit was. Surrounded by strange metal men, Pirates being given silver appendages, and….
No….
NO!
The mental scream carried through until Samus was screaming herself. Her tormenter actually appeared somewhat sad. It became easier to breathe once the images faded.
"Are you okay, my dear, that… was not what I expected, my apologies."
Samus was quiet, the Doctor looked worried but she manage a single word.
RIDLEY
No matter how often she struggled to slay the monstrosity, he always came back. Sometimes as a new biological demon or even with metal parts. These 'cybermen', if they were to make Ridley more dangerous, she could see the fires and hear endless screams.
"My suit is right in the heart of these metal devils. How do we get close?"
The Doctor's childlike demeanor faded sharply to a coldly tactical shine in his eyes.
"Cybermen, like all beings seeking to be perfection, are complete morons. Any imperfect, flaw, must be removed."
"What we need, is a mess."
Samus found herself managing to grin along with the madman.
While sneaking through the hallways of the ship, the Doctor seemed to be aware of the ship moving and trying to reach some civilized system to colonize… by licking a finger and holding it in the air. Samus needed the backup but wishing for logic was an impossible thing with the Doctor. At least their planned 'mess' made sense.
"Engine leak," the Doctor explained as they hid from Cybermen as they stomped through the hallways, heartless things with an air of cold death yearning to spread like a virus. "They can't spread the cruelty without engines. Granted, I do fear we will then have many angry guns coming our way."
"Let them," Samus fiddled with the blaster. "We just need the right weapon to come along, then I'll handle the rest."
The Doctor said nothing, simply adjusting his hat and leading them towards the engine room.
Engines followed a simple pattern, no matter the ship they are designed to make fuel that helps some of the most impressive to the most dismal move through stars. Even the Cybermen's engine redesign couldn't change that simplicity. A grey cube with bright circular blue orb at it's core, for once expressing some type of heart where there was one lacking in most of its kind. But it still had a mind.
Identify Yourselves
"Oh, very well, I'm the Doctor, this my assistant, the enemy of all Space Pirates, and today we're your personal monkey wrench."
"What he said," Samus aimed the weapon at maximum power output. "Any last words before the scrap pile?"
Only this; destroy me and you destroy all connected to me
"No more Space Pirates, lucky me." Her finger started to squeeze.
And those beyond
"What?" Samus said.
This ship provided escape pods, they were efficient in sending out several probes to other vessels. Now multiple planets, stations, and ships are connected to the Cyberium. To destroy our source is to annihilate all those connected to it.
Samus's hands shook. A single shot could kill so many, too many. It could easily be a bluff, but something told her Cybermen weren't interested in gambling even with pristine poker faces. The Doctor said nothing, simply watching her as if there were some puzzle to be solved. It wasn't like such decisions had yet to surface, it had been years but she still remembered… Zebes.
Her home, the planet of the Chozo, caught in a self-destruct while destroying the Motherbrain of Metroids. Destruction for all, and she the only survivor. Thanks to a single baby, a Metroid.
Your hesitation proves your imperfection
A Cyberman would have fired
The dig at her ego ironically helped make it much easier to lower her weapon. It seemed curious that the Doctor gave off a sheepish grin. The Cyber-Engine didn't have any emotional attachment.
You are still a threat, one that our basic Cybermen may have difficulty with. However, you have provided the greater weapon for this.
A familiar rolling sound entered her ears. An orange ball two feet in diameter slid inside. The Doctor eyed it curiously, his glance widened when the ball deposited small flashing orbs.
"Move!"
The bombs erupted all around them, but the ball hopped up as if boosted from the destructive force. Samus almost felt impressed, it was interesting to see her main expression fighting a chaotic universe in action.
"What a curious ball, not really safe for children, is it?"
"That's my suit," Samus shouted as she bitterly struck the orb with the butt of her rifle. It spun about, colliding into a nearby wall with a metallic clang.
"Wait, you wear that thing," The Doctor lifted his hat, exchanging glances at the two. "Not to speak poorly of your physique, but it looks rather cramp like that."
She didn't retort, no need, because Samus sensed her suit expand. The exterior shell collapsed, sliding inside faster than any eye could track. Coming up from a crouched position to stand, Samus saw veins of flickering silver latched on to the body like parasites. The overall orange prowess of Varia suit stood tall even with the chilling blue glow the visor.
So, this was the last thing many saw before oblivion
A bead of sweat formed on Samus' brow.
"I'm not fond of the color," the Doctor said as It turned in his direction. "Purple would look nicer on y—"
Samus yanked the Doctor by his scarf as they narrowly avoided a brutal metallic tackle.
"F-Find a way to shut this down," Samus said as she set the weapon to stun. "I'll… keep it distracted."
"Bit of advice," the Doctor as he tapped at his harmonica while eyeing the engine room. "If you're hoping to reassure people you won't die, lie better."
Samus didn't have time to scoff as she dodged a metal kick coming at her face. She knew the movements deeper than bones or soul, the very soul of Chozo combat was symbiotically bound to both hunter and her suit. But she also realized the true limits would always be what the body could unleash on its own. It was no longer slowed down by human weaknesses like pain tolerance or weight.
Swift punches created massive dents in the metal walls. All the hunter's strikes missed or pinged with indifference when they connected. She barely processed the arm cannon charging with ease before ducking a decapitating shot, the rifle split. A steel fist came down, punching through the floor as Samus spun her 'rocket heels' into the helmet. Its stagger was less reassuring when the Suit performed several sudden flips and pinned her to the wall. The full metallic weight pressed in, lung were losing air as bones screamed while Samus gave her dearest tool a death glare It was immune to. Yet despite the emotional disconnect, she could still sense the bond.
No overzealous microwave gets the last piece of family I own
Old Bird, Grey Voice, Virginia Aran, Rodney Aran… my family
Their strength is mine, and this suit is that incarnate
IT IS NOT YOURS TO TAKE
Samus latched both hands onto the helmet. The metal still pressed into her body, definitely felt like something was going to pop if she didn't hurry. Focusing as energy radiated through the armor. Particles burned over her flesh. The effect usually had more warmth, a soul being reborn. Ice replaced the heat, metal spikes stabbing through the bones. Some twisted form of willpower kept her organs from being impaled. These Cybermen attachments clawed into her brain. Nightmarish images burned into Samus's brain of her horrific past but nothing would break the hunter. With a warriors cry, the suit merged with her being.
Breathing hard, the green sheen of her visor never comforted Samus more. Staggering, her boot crunched under a several metal scraps.
"Fascinating," the Doctor said as he stepped forward. "The Cyberium's control has been severed, your bond is exemplary."
The booming march of Cybermen came down the nearby hallway. She also heard an unholy roar mixed with a cybernetic screech. Samus Ara primed her arm cannon for super missiles.
"I can deactivate the Cybermen's hold on this ship and those they've infected; think you can buy me some time?"
"Yes."
That was the only word she said before charging out. An armada of metal awaited with dead eyes and weapons primed to fire. Samus locked the door, it could only be opened from the other side, and fired.
Among a chorus of demands for deletion, the Bounty Hunter weaved through energy rays while blasting at the semi stationary foes. Each new wave stomped indifferently over the next, forcing Samus to move faster but also decreasing the space she had to do so. Their monotonous crawl would consume her soon, she needed to get creative. Noticing a distinct lack of raising their arms, Samus fired a grapple beam and yanked up to the ceiling before condensing into a ball. Using bombs and pure luck, the Hunter bounced about on the shoulders of Cybermen like a pinball.
The physics of her 'ball form' have baffled almost everyone. It's not so much that everything is crunched inside, but instead she becomes a concentrated form of her essence, rolling about with pure willpower. It also gave Samus a greater sense of the environment, like the now unhindered Cybermen preparing to march towards the door. Making moves and counter maneuvers, like chess, would get nowhere. Playing machine games, the machine wins.
Samus needed to act like a human.
She needed to make a mess.
Spinning quickly, the Hunter slipped within the gaps and started planting bombs at their feet. Every boost from the blast, she pulled a screwattack, spinning like a beach ball of death up tearing through threats she rose in a vicious uppercut. The Cybermen stumbled and fell over each other, struggling under their own weight and quick devastation from below. Soon the Cybermen were too tangled to properly stand or move forward. Samus still needed to dodge their fire but at least they were easier to pick off. Then a blur of purple crashed into her.
The leathery wings expanded and crashed Samus into a wall. Damage reports screamed all over, brain shaking all over, and Samus definitely thought something had been broken but too quickly healed thanks to Chozo DNA, but it might have been her leg. She had wondered what kept him, but then again even a cyberized there was a chance her cruelest foe still loved to surprise.
Cyber-Ridley, a skeletal dragon with burning yellow eyes like a sun from Hell. Parts of its metal attachments were given a brighter sheen. This creature, leader of the Pirates, haunted her always. While most didn't even realize Samus was a woman, thanks to the deliberate androgynous design, Ridley seemed to know it was her. No matter how often she slayed him, the creature was cloned, cyberized, or simply revived because even the afterlife didn't reject him.
Ridley always came back.
But nothing he took from her ever did.
He longed to add her to the dead.
Samus would always see him there First.
The two charged, she ducked a piercing stab from his tail, flipping over it as it swung about before cracking her shoulder into his jaw. Ridley hissed, chuckling as Samus stubbornly ignored how the move nearly broke her shoulder. The Cyberization apparently gave him added defense.
Ridley had some more 'upgrades' as well. He opened his jaw and instead of fire, unleashed a massive deletion ray that tore into the walls and through the Cybermen littered around them. Her strikes clanged against the armored flesh as she dodged wicked sweeps from the tail. The Dragon's jaws chomped at her, Samus's managed to knock several teeth away with a quick back kick. Nothing good could come from continuing to fight up close, the hunter decided to use her environment. Low ceiling, so no flying. A semi-cramp hallway implied that they couldn't dodge smoothly, but a direct approach wouldn't be in her favor. Samus needed space.
The Cyber Dragon disagreed. His wings shot out, blocking the hallway behind him. Jaw opened wider then ever, her scans proved the deletion ray would easily annihilate her suit. Worse than that, she realized, the beam would easily tear through the engine room doors. Ridley charged as the beam warmed up for its annihilating blow. The window for countering grew smaller every second.
…Smaller…
It took a split second to look beyond rage to make the devil a puzzle. One with an opening that grew wider to summon death. Samus charged forward to supply her own.
She rolled into a morph ball, the screwattack sent currents of blazing agony tearing down the creature's throat. Within the beast, Samus almost imagined the beast's wicked soul cry in rage as they both knew what followed. Slipping in her largest explosive, a quick combination of reverse-screwattack and smaller bombs popped the hunter out. The suit reformed as she fired a carefully prepped missile.
Every…time she squeezed the trigger on the killing blow…
For the briefest moment.
Samus Aran had her family again.
She complimented the cybermen's shells, they held the explosion inside. Ridley's roasted remains were fully lifeless. Nothing organic left to use, but the Hunter planted a quick dissolving solution on the skull. The chemical ate through metal and whatever hidden things promised a horrific return one day. Samus swore she would find whatever source allowed this nightmare to plague her still, but today was another good day all the same.
A quick chime of the harmonica made the hunter grin.
"Dragon Slayers are hard to come by out among the stars," the Doctor stood alongside Samus. "You perform the role quite well, Miss Aran."
The softer melody from his instrument felt comforting. Even a chilled thought in her mind wasn't jagged enough to tear through the sense of victory.
"The Cybermen…"
"All gone, for now," he said. "These things may be the death of me, again, someday."
"Guess we all have our dragons." Samus disconnected the suit's helmet so she could, for once, have a proper conversation. "Is that why they took you prisoner, because you're a threat to them?"
"Me? No, no, dragons are a bit too aggressive for my liking." The pressed a finger to his nose with a knowing smile. "But, if one chooses to be helpful, it's useful to learn who not to act like and when they're found, disagree with their methods."
The two travelers easily found their ships in a docking bay. Broken tools littered the floor, both vehicles had defenses that helped counter sabotage. Though Samus wondered how exactly the Doctor's… Box… managed to hold out. She also tried to ignore how he whispered reassuringly to it like a sad pet. As he opened the door to what should have been an incredibly tight space (did she hear an echo inside?), the Doctor looked at Samus with disarming seriousness.
"The dragons never stop, my dear, even when the knights do. Every fight carries this tragic truth. Want to know what I've learned that makes it worthwhile?"
Samus shivered, the man's voice felt older than stars. She nodded.
The Doctor smiled.
"Nothing," his face lit up with delight. "Fighting for the sake of it is empty. That's why music is more my interest and dragons my hobby. Songs and stories outlast even the darkest tales with brighter memories. It makes the sorrow and loss of some, and the effort to spare others, more worthwhile if they're remembered. But if someone chose to be a singer, the teller of their own tales, more than a slayer, who knows. They might just stick around after the fighting is done to speak it themselves."
Samus was caught up in the words, looking out at the stars to process this curious idea. His ship was quick, a few groans and Samus hadn't even seen it take off. Hoping inside the one true home she'd known in years, the stranger's words filled her mind, despite the memory of him fading. Planning out a path towards a station for refueling, Samus' hand typed out the names of her four parents. Few records outside of the Federation bothered with Zebes or other planets that no longer existed. As autopilot kicked in, what started as a casual list grew to be recordings of the many lives lost, saves, and connected to one Samus Aran.
Their memories, her story, would be remembered.
And its song will be heard among the stars.
After Samus sings the first few notes herself.