LOOK! ANOTHER CHAPTER! AND THIS ONE ONLY TOOK ME A MONTH TO MAKE INSTEAD OF HALF A YEAR! SEE, I CAN IMPROVE!
"Everyone, get out," Ilena/Irene shouted. This whole place is falling! We'll be crushed!"
Samus raised her cannon up to the ceiling and shot at the pieces raining from on high. The others tried running back towards the stairs, only to find-
"Stairs are gone! Don't suppose any of you can fly?"
"Good thinking," Miria said. She tapped her ear which Samus only now noticed had some kind of communicator in the earlobe.
"Tabitha. We're trapped in the forbidden zone. Can you pick us up?"
While she listened to her partner, the federation soldiers pulled out their guns and also shot at the rubble before they hit the ground.
"Trying to stay useful somehow."
As if to mock him, at that moment an overwhelming swarm of rocks choose to come unlodged form the ceiling at that moment.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Sid cursed. "Everyone, scatter!"
The cause of the sudden avalanche was revealed to be an awakened being falling down from on high. It looked sort of like a creature Samus had once read about that lived on Earth. A Komodo dragon. If it were the size of her ship and had eight legs. It looked at the occupants of the room with glee.
"Such a delightful congregation! Warriors and humans! Such a grand feast you will make! Prepare yourself pitiful mortals, for I am the fearsome- "
The creature never got to finish as another warrior came falling down from the ceiling and swung her sword straight through the monster's neck.
"Nice job, Tabitha. He would have probably looked up if he sensed you, the fact that he didn't shows how far you've come in yoki suppression."
"I… Thank you captain Miria! It means so much to hear that!"
"Sheesh." Sid rolled his eyes at Tabitha's dopey grin. "She should just kiss her."
"Having said that, you've likewise trapped yourself down here with us. Rookie mistake."
"Oh please, captain! I'm no rookie!"
A small ship in that moment managed to descend through the hole made by the awakened being.
"Damn," Sid whistled. "Impressive. We could use a pilot like that."
"No time to get in," Miria commanded. "Everyone grab onto a wing!"
"What!? Seriously. Get real!"
"Come on Sid," Galk insisted as he moved his partner over to one wing of the ship and grabbed on.
"My life these days," Sid wondered aloud. But he could do little else but grit his teeth and grab the wing along with the other fighters as the ship slowly rose into the air.
Looking left and right, it frustrated him to no end to see the women hanging on with no apparent struggle while it took him everything to not let go and plummet.
In no time at all fortunately, the ship hovered above ground and allowed them to set foot on solid ground again. That relief was short lived however when they witnessed the chaos surrounding them.
"Our fortress…" The luminoth said in despair. "All our knowledge. History. Being destroyed…."
Samus and Ilena/Irene looked at each other. They had to take command.
"We need…." Samus took a deep breath. "We need to get this information to the federation. They need to know."
"What information," Sid asked. How do we prove it? We can't bring a hologram!"
"There has to be…. Has to be something…. Something else… To bring back….."
"Samus, are you all right?" Anthony grabbed her shoulders as it looked like she was about to keel over
"I… Yes. Well, no. I just…. I can't believe it…. The Chozo…"
"Listen, princess. You can do what they'd want. You can fix their mistake. It's what they would have wanted."
Samus still seemed out of it, but she nodded. Anthony looked about at the madness around him: The monsters tearing into everything.
"What are they trying to do? Surely this isn't just a mindless rampage?"
"Maybe they hate knowledge," Sid asked. "Makes their head hurt."
"No," Miria said. "They're targeting electrical systems. Ripping out wires. Anything that leads to the main core. They plan to cut the power."
"What do they gain from that?"
"If the power goes out, everything turns off. Transportation. Shields. Stasis."
"Teresa wakes up," Ilena/Irene said with horrible awareness dawning on her face. "We need to stop them now!"
"Right. But how," Sophia asked the obvious. "There are…. Many of them."
"We need Pris and Isley," Samus said rising to her feet. "Someone… Get them…"
"No need. I'm sure they're already aware. I worry more about- "
Screams emanated from the nearby chamber. They ran through and gazed at the battle- No slaughter between several beasts and Alicia's rampaging form.
"Alicia! Be careful, please!"
Nearby stood her sister Beth. Never had the stoic woman showed such emotion. It broke Samus' heart. Especially since it was partially due to her failure with the armor.
"I'm going to the core," she said. "We need to keep them away from it. If they're all going for it, we can form a wall there and keep them out."
"Go," the luminoth agreed. "I must go elsewhere. There may be another way to deal with them if all else fails. A last resort. We must consider it."
"I need to contact the federation," Galk said. "We need all the help we can get."
"You think they can make it in time?"
"There's several bombers in orbit. Stationed up high so they can deploy anywhere quickly."
"Fine. Send for their aid. Don't tell them what we've learned about the organization. That'll take too long to explain, and we haven't the time."
"Right. Well….. Good luck, then."
"Don't say that, please," Sid begged. "Makes me feel like we'll never meet again."
"We will," Samus said looking them all in the eye. "We will live and meet again."
"And get wasted," Noel injected.
The claymores nodded and ran. Anthony took one last look at Samus.
"Princess. I'm glad I got to see you again. I'm… I'm proud of how you've turned out."
"You too Anthony. You were always kind to me. I appreciate it."
They stared for a few more seconds before turning and following their own paths.
If only they knew where those paths would lead.
….
Priscilla gasped and wheezed. Her "partner" the abyssal one did the same. Both may be the undisputed champions of their generations, but even they couldn't fight an entire army without pushing themselves to the near limit.
"Most impressive, my dear. I can see you've earned that number 1 rank."
"Don't compliment me, monster. We are not friends."
"Really? Even after all we've done together recently?"
"All we've done? You mean fight?"
"Of course! Fight together and against each other!"
"You consider that a sign of friendship?"
"Why, sure. A little good-natured roughhousing. Nothing serious."
"Nothing serious? What we did wasn't serious!?"
"Of course! Why do you think I ran so much?"
"For your life!"
"Oh, silly child. You need to recognize good natured play and support."
Priscilla stared mouth agog. She put her finger in her ears just to make sure they weren't clogged.
"You're insane! I can't wait to be rid of you. I can't wait for Samus to be rid of you!"
"If she so chooses to be rid of my company I will oblige. Though I can't truthfully see much likelihood of that happening."
"And why pray tell, would she choose not to leave your savagery behind her? Bury it? Be free of your stench?"
"I must confess something rather unfortunate for you my dear. Our little play date out here- Well everything before these new friends came along that is- has been merely a distraction. To keep you away while our dear hunter learns some harsh truths."
"You mean while you fill her head with poison!?" Priscilla rose to her feet. "You seek to turn her against me? Bring her into your little cult? Take her away from me?"
The air crackled around Priscilla as new energy fills her. New rage.
Isley took a step back. His eyes darted to the incoming swarm of awakened beings. Attracted by the promise of bloody battle with this angry young whipper snapper.
"No one will take her from me….. No one will deny me her smile… Her warmth… Her soul!"
There it was. The rage. The yellow eyes. Certainty of demise for anyone dumb enough to get close.
"She's mine! My hero! My partner! My soul! Not yours! Mine!"
She launched herself at him. Fortunately for him, he was able to dodge and watch her go sailing past at another monster coming up behind him for a sneak attack.
"That's the spirit my dear! Use that second wind won't you? We're going to need it!"
He bit his lip with nervousness at the even larger onslaught of monsters whose attention they'd caught. All between them and the fortress.
"Do we ever need it."
….
"Duck your head down! Don't attack! Just run!"
While technically Galk was higher rank than Sid, he found his orders reasonable and so complied. There were far too many too tackle and one yoma was hard enough for most men.
"This…." Anthony took a deep breath. "This is way too much for us. Good thing we've got princess and her amazon brigade, huh?"
"What are you talking about? They're the ones who made these monsters!"
Oh right. That little bit of unfortunate news. Hard to wrap one's brain around it.
"They didn't though. Their bosses did. You saw their faces. They had no idea."
They paused behind a suit of armor as another group of monsters ran by. They took a look both ways like crossing a street full of cars before continuing to run.
"How do you know that? Are you basing this solely off their reaction? That's not evidence of anything!"
"I base this off what I know about Samus."
"You mean the Samus you haven't seen for years? The Samus who joined this insane cult?"
"Samus is a good woman. No amount of cruel men in black can change that. Change who she is."
"Heads up," Galk interrupted their chat as an awakened being came charging at them. A rather ordinary one by their standards. Ugly head. Butterfly wings. Sharp claws and teeth.
"Shit. You two target the wings. I'll get its- "
Before Galk could even finish his sentence, it was upon them. With one swipe faster than their eyes could comprehend, blood gashed from all of their chests, and they were brought to their knees.
"Fuck…" Anthony…. Sid… Guns…."
The beast wrapped its hands around his throat and leaned in close, cutting off his orders.
"Damn it…. So, this is all I could do….."
A bolt of green energy hit the creature in the side of its face.
"Oh," Yuma winced and took a step back in concern. "That didn't kill it. Just made it mad."
"So then kill it," Sid shouted, raising his gun, and shooting another bolt into the creature's neck.
This just further aggravated it and made it turn its attention to him.
Just enough time for aa surprise attack on both side from Cynthia and Galatea. Both stuck a sword into the creature.
It screeched and let go of Galk's throat to claw at the warriors. With his little remaining strength, he pulled out a knife and drove it into the monster's gut.
That didn't do any noticeable damage at all. It did however further divide its attention.
"Yuma," Cynthia called out while struggling to keep it down. "Shoot it in the mouth!"
"Uh, I don't know. You really think- "
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Sid yelled. "Fucking do it!"
Yuma seemed to gain her bearings after that and ran up to shove her arm cannon into the monster's maw.
It stared into her eyes. She stared back with an apologetic look.
"Sorry," she meekly said before blowing its brains out over the room. And anyone nearby.
"Fuck," Sid coughed out grey matter. "Couldn't you have just pulled its head off or something? Goddess…."
"He grateful lady," Anthony clarified. "We all are. Thanks bunch. You're awesome."
Yuma blushed while the warriors helped their soldiers to their feet.
"We need to get word out to the federation," Galk explained as they ran. There's a bomber in orbit. It can provide support."
"Good idea," Cynthia shouted. "Maybe we can put a patch for help through to the organization- "
"Fuck no," Sid yelled. "Are you kidding? After what we've just learned?"
The three warriors stared with wide eyes. Dum shocked. Confused.
"Sid. They weren't down there, remember?" Anthony smiled at the women.
"Sorry about that. He's just a little on edge. Come on. Let's move."
The girls were not convinced but they moved anyway. They had a few more encounters which the claymores dealt with. This did not help with the men's self-worth.
Eventually they reached one of the ships that had brought them here. It seemed little different from a standard federation ship which made them think It might be a stolen one.
"Looks like the comms still work," Galk said. "Give me a minute."
While he worked to get a message to the bomber in orbit, Anthony and Sid moved to a corner.
"Ok," Sid admitted. "You've got a point. Those men in black may have made the yoma, but we sure as shit can't fight them without their help."
"It's a doozy," Anthony admitted. "No matter which way you look at it." Then he had an epiphany.
"Actually, we don't. The claymores are the ones we need. Not the creepy leaders. If we could convince them- "
"Convince them? How exactly? Doubt they're going to listen to us."
"Samus. Her sisters. They'd listen to them. They'd at least get them to start thinking. Considering."
"And the federation? Think they're going to need a hell of a lot more evidence to turn on the organization."
"That's why it's crucial we preserve this place. There has to be more proof of what they did here besides that hologram."
"Ok it's through," Galk said turning back to his comrades. "It'll take them a little time to get the cannons primed but they should be down here before long. Until then, I think our best option is to aid the other claymores defending the core."
Galatea placed her hand on a chair. She frowned as its unnaturalness. Its lifelessness.
"You could best assist from this ship. IT would also get us there quickest."
"That's what I'm talking about," Anthony cheered. "Get this ship in the air. Hang on princess! We're coming!"
Much to their dismay, they did not get to enact their dramatic rescue. Another group of monsters leaped on the ship and clawed at the engines.
"Fucking shit!" Galk screamed as he worked to steady the ship. "Everyone hang on!"
Anthony could only comply and look back up toward the fortress as they fell away from it towards the city below.
"Sorry princess. Looks like you're on your own."
….
Samus' fingers hurt from how hard she clenched her arm cannon. She let the others manage the sword play while she attacked from the base of the core to get them off guard. Tabitha stood nearby and managed to be helpful with that, surprisingly.
"Shoot the armpit of that one attacking. There's a link to the main nerves there. It should stagger him."
Even her visor couldn't make that out. But she followed her recommendations. Sure enough, the beast staggered, giving Noel time to put her sword through its neck.
"Fucking hell," Samus cursed in a rare- Comparatively rare- moment. "How could you determine that? Even my visor couldn't pinpoint such accuracy."
"It's what I've been trained for. Yoki reading and control. It's why I'm so hard to sense. I'm…. assassin more than anything else. Not proud of it. But we all have to aid in whatever way we can."
Samus fired a missile into another beast's mouth. Its head exploded into gory chunks all over Sophia's face.
She stood there gaping while Noel laughed aloud. That laugh turned to a shriek when another awakened bastard nearly took her head off from behind. Barely saved by Miria once again seemingly warping in from out of nowhere.
"You're single digits? You two? Act like it, please."
Noel and Sophia looked ashamed and dumbfounded as she disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the room. Ilena/Irene raised her eyes even as her sword kept dicing yoma to bits. Tabitha looked like she wanted to- Well, it reminded Samus of how Priscilla sometimes looked at her or vice versa. More than admiration.
"I may be an assassin meant for dishonorable tasks. Disgusting labor. But her? She's amazing. No one like her in all the universe. Beauty, logic, skill, power. All in one package. All the hardships I've endured these last three years- It's all been worth it for her."
Damn, Samus thought. Someone's thirsty. Sadly, that thirstiness distracted them long enough for another to get close.
"Uh…. Girl? Tabitha?"
"Oh, right! Uh.. Give me a second."
They didn't have a second. The beast nearly was upon them. Then it wasn't.
"Captain, I….." Tabitha trailed off with her obvious awe as Miria's attention was already turned to the darkness of the nearby hallway. A chilling aura emanated from within.
"Rigaldo," Tabitha whimpered. "If he gets loose in here." She looked to the massive orb in the center of the room. The core. The only thing keeping Teresa asleep…
"He won't. I'll give him a different outlet for his bloodlust. I'm going to draw him away."
"What? Captain, no!"
"Keep doing what you're doing. Use the hallways to your advantage. Keep herding them in. It should buy time for Isley and Priscilla to get here."
"You can't fight him, captain! Not alone! Please, don't!"
Miria placed a hand on Tabitha's shoulder.
"I will live. We will get through this. I promise. But I must do this. I can't let him haunt me anymore. Can't let him threaten you again."
She pulled Tabitha in for a hug before running off. Alone. Against a number two.
Samus and Tabitha shared a side glance. Samus sighed.
"Ok, fine. Go help her. And do take some pride that your absence is going to make things that much harder."
"Why would that make me proud?"
"Well, if you think you're worthless, you're not. We could really use you. So please kill that bastard as soon as possible."
She nodded before running off to catch up with her girlfri- Captain.
"You did not just let that kid run off," Noel leveled at her disbelievingly. "Is it any wonder you're not a single digit?"
Samus stared at the upcoming swarm preparing to invade.
"No. Makes perfect sense. I'm an idiot."
….
"This is quite an impressive ship," Rimuto admitted. "This could indeed help turn the tide against the hordes of abominations."
Admiral Dane nodded. "Yes. It seems to be the best combination. Our soldiers are more effective at long range while your warriors manage things up close."
"You know, many of my colleagues were initially against the idea of an alliance. Some still are. But I'm proud of how things are progressing. Certainly, your numbers are a huge asset."
"Yes. Our numbers. Millions of soldiers are certainly more than 47. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around that."
"We demand the absolute best. You've seen what yoma are capable of."
"But 47? I mean… You really let the others just die off? That's barbaric!"
"It's life."
"It's also why many of our own likewise argued against this alliance. We value something known as human rights. We strive to give our soldiers the best chance for survival. Hence why we invest in so much long-range warfare capabilities. And offer things like therapy and a decent living wage. Above all, we put our soldier's safety first. You by contrast seem to do the opposite. You treat your warriors like disposable pawns. Deny them their dignity. Their very humanity. And rely on only 47 at a time to keep yoma levels down across the entire galaxy? It's just…. I'm not saying the federations is flawless. Far from it. But what you allow to happen as standard practice… Well, it certainly made jaws drop. Even the most callous corporative executive wouldn't approve of such employee mistreatment."
"Survival of civilians takes priority," Rimuto lied. "Hence why our soldiers are trained to put themselves last. Those ethics you describe are very pretty. But to true monsters, they mean nothing. To catch a beast, you must think like a beast."
"But by sacrificing so many during training, you're not only displaying a moral indecency we sort of need from our allies. But depriving yourself of countless hands that could be used for many other purposes."
"You mean using claymores in on combative positions?"
"Well don't you use some already like that? Defenders or whatever?"
Rimuto snorted.
"Or whatever? Such remarkable vocabulary. And no. It's not that simple. While defenders do provide support, their true purpose is to function as a human shield. Their superior regeneration lets them take the brunt of powerful attacks. In short, defenders are not meant for long lives."
Dane inhaled. Negotiations were never easy. But rarely did they have to argue over something as basic as right to life. He thought that shit had died with the old world for the most part.
"But if you think there is some benefit to a larger yet less skilled labor force, I am open to hearing your arguments. It's why we're here after all."
"Lord Rimuto! I- Apologies for the interruption sir, but something's come up. Something major."
"Excuse me Admiral Dane. Duty calls. I'll be back hopefully soon."
Dane bit his lip and narrowed his eyes.
"Caught between a rock and a bastard. They know how to fight yoma but- At what cost?"
Rimuto meanwhile listened to the intercepted message from the federation. The yoma infested man they'd snuck aboard didn't know the leader of the organization to show much emotion so the beads of sweat running down his face stuck out to him.
"We need to bomb that facility. I don't care how many claymores we have down there."
"Sir," the yoma responded carefully. Fully aware how little Lord Rimuto liked having his plans questioned. "The federation might have issue with that."
Rimuto snorted.
"I have recently been made all too aware of that. Typical humans. How did they ever reach the stars with such cowardice? It boggles the mind."
He pursed his lips in thought. A disturbing smile formed on his withered lips.
"And they say we don't know machines. Such a lovely ship they have here. Why don't we put it to good use?"
….
Miria had no light in the hallways. The lion bastard had knocked them all out. All she had was her yoki sense to pinpoint the bastard's location.
"I thought it would be Isley standing here. I wish it were him. His last stand against the inevitable. I always did want to fight him again. Instead, I get you."
"I can't blame your disappointment. Number two of the first generation killed by me."
"Killed by you? Go away girl. You're just a nuisance.:"
Miria moved to the side and by accident dodged a swarm of tentacles that grazed her shoulder.
She gritted her teeth. She needed to get out of the shadows. But also needed to keep his attention away from the core.
"To you perhaps. To me, you're an obstacle. A monster. One whose death I've sought for some time. Truth be told, the initial reason I joined Isley wasn't because of his… generous offer or my hate for the organization. But my desire to rip your head from your shoulders."
Another pause with only heavy breathing filling the void.
Suddenly he came her way. She only barely managed to dodge.
Thanks to his proximity, she was able to make out his grin just barely. Otherwise hidden by shadow.
He was toying with her.
That was the point though. Keep him playing. Keep him distracted.
"And why would that be? What did I ever do to warrant your anger little- Oh, wait. This is about that girl isn't it? Little bitch who thought- "
Miria sliced the darkness in front of her. With her rage and speed, she nipped him.
Aka got him mad. But then so was she.
"Don't you dare talk about her that way, creature. She was good. Pure. Nothing like you."
He laughed. Amused. A kick hit her right in the stomach. Sent her flying.
"Correct. Nothing like me. Weak. Brittle. Short-lived."
"Beautiful," Miria countered. "Pure. Wise. Empathetic. She was too good for this world. Her light shone too bright for your small mind. And so, you murdered her!"
Another pause as the brute contemplated her words. He clearly didn't take her very seriously to allow such an opening. His mistake.
"What makes you think I killed her? Did you see me do it?"
"She never came back from that mission! I know you were there! It doesn't take a genius to put two together!"
Another pause. Miria ran to slash again. He was quicker though and ready this time.
She screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground holding the left side of her face. Blood oozing from the massive wound.
"I didn't kill her. She wanted me to, but… well, you could say I had a moment of sympathy. I found myself… captivated by her. Her beauty. Her strength. Her sadness. So, I let her go. It seemed a waste- "
"Liar! Shut your damn hole!"
She got mad. Let her anger determine her movement. Exactly the wrong thing to do in a battle. She moved too erratic and found his claws around her throat.
"I don't lie. She was a rare breed. Had a rare fire within her. Something I did not desire to see fade. You on the other hand? I don't see that within you. So, if you could do me a slight favor and die?"
She gasped for air and placed her hands on his arm trying to get away. No avail. It seemed he wished a slow death for her.
His mistake.
A sword ran through his chest. At this close range, Miria could see the shock on his face.
"What…. How….?"
"How was that captain? He didn't sense me at all!"
The arm holding Miria by the throat let her go. She rubbed her throat for a minute before running her sword right through the lion's throat.
"No. He didn't and now he'll never sense anything again.
The lion blinked. Still having a hard time processing what was transpiring.
"No…. This can't be… I must free her…"
The head came off, showering them both in purple blood. Despite the mess, both were smiling. A burden lifted from their shoulders. A monster that had hounded them for so long was no more.
"Captain!" Tabitha rushed to catch her as she struggled to stay on her feet.
"Hilda…. He said Hilda's still alive…"
"Easy captain. Just stay with me. I'm here."
"Here." Miria turned to face her loyal…. Partner? Comrade? It was hard to label the nature of their relationship sometimes. Regardless, she obeyed as Tabitha moved her into a nearby laboratory whose lights Rigaldo had not taken out.
"Why are you here? I told you to stay with the others."
"And a good thing I choose not to listen. Otherwise, you'd be another of that monster's victims! I'm not abandoning you for anything Captain. Not for the world!"
Miria stared.
"Tabitha don't be ridiculous. The mission comes first. Always."
"You're right. Mission for life. That's what you told me to do. Find a mission for life and stick to it."
Tabitha took a deep breath. She decided to do it. Now or never. She placed a hand on either side of Miria's head much to the latter's shock.
"Tabitha…"
"My mission for life is you captain Miria. My reason for living is you."
She leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. She pulled back to look her in the eyes. To gauge her response.
She didn't pull back. Even as Tabitha moved her face in closer.
Their lips touched. At first a light little tap. Then it became a full-on slobber. Their tongues came out of their mouths. Curling around each other. Battling for dominance.
Years of built-in passion and feelings finally came out with a force greater than any warrior. Any army. Tabitha never felt happier. She was alive! She was free! This was the happiest day of her life! Everything she'd endured up to this moment was-
The lights went out. The core had been breached. The power out.
Well, that was short-lived Tabitha thought. Still worth it. She pulled back from Miria and gave her a bleak smile.
"To be continued."
….
Despite their best attempts, the connection wires to the core had been disabled. They stood shrouded in darkness. But not in silence.
The yoma and awakened beings stood still for a moment when the lights died. When the great energy sphere went dark. Then they all bowed. Like knights kneeling before their majesty.
"What's going on," Noel asked. Total seriousness. She moved close to Sophia. Both gripped each other's hand.
Then the beasts raised their heads to the ceiling and roared in unison. Like an orchestra.
Seriously," Noel insisted. "What the fuck are they- "
The ceiling burst. Light flooded in. The choir looked to the surface.
4 angels descended from the sky. Archangels with blue wings. Their beauty and power unsurpassable. Before them, they were nothing.
The beasts continued singing. Raising their hands to the sky. Falling to the ground in worship.
"No," Samus whispered as she to fell to the ground. From terror.
4 pairs of eyes. Once grey. Now blue with poison. 1 pair looked about confused and uncertain. 1 looked at her with sadistic glee. 1 with dreads in her hair looked at the claymores with widening eyes from recognition.
And 1 stared only at her with that subtle smile. The smile she'd seen in her nightmares. And admittedly from time to time, more pleasant dreams.
They touched down upon the ground. Their wings folded back in.
The four former warriors stared at the four current warriors. Silence again enveloped the room for a time as the beats quit their chants. Eager for the first move.
Surprisingly the 1 with the confused uncertain look made it.
"Who…. Who are you? You seem familiar. Somehow."
"Never mind them Cassie," the one with sadistic glee answered. She gripped her uncertain comrade's hand and pulled her closer. "They don't matter. Only we matter. No one else."
"Wait, she's right!" The one with dreads took a step closer. "I remember you. You humiliated me! Made fun of me!"
"Excuse me?" Sophia raised an eyebrow. "You attacked us! We just defended ourselves!"
"Exactly," dreadlocks shouted back. "You lived! You made me look bad! Weak! Stupid! A real number 1 would have killed you! But you survived!"
"What!? That's what you're angry about? You're crazy!"
"And apparently not a real number 1," sadistic glee grinned even more.
Dreadlocks turned to her.
"EXCUSE ME?"
"You said it yourself. A real number 1 would have killed them. You didn't. Hence, you're not a real number 1. Not fit to be in this crowd."
"Why you little- You dare? I mean- Do you not recall how badly a beating I gave them? How much I- "
"I recall giving them quite the beating as well. Even more than you."
"Silence."
The leader's subtle smile had disappeared. Replaced with annoyance. The quarreling stopped. The leader began to turn back towards Samus but stopped midway and whipped around to grab sneaky little Tabitha in midair.
"No! Let her go!"
The yoma who had until this point been watching turned and dog piled Miria before she could attack. The woman holding Tabitha observed her with mild intrigue. Dreadlocks by contrast kneeled besides her, looking her in the eye underneath the pile of yoma.
"What was that trick just now? You disappeared and reappeared out of thin air! The fuck was that about!?"
Miria didn't respond. This made dreadlocks all the angrier. She grabbed her chin and leaned in even closer.
"That was my move wasn't it? You copied my move didn't you, you little shit! Didn't you!?"
Miria at this point actually raised an eyebrow. As if the woman suddenly seemed awfully familiar. If anything, this made the clearly unstable woman even more insane with rage and she began shaking Miria's head back and forth in her hand.
"Admit it! You stole it! Thief! Little thief! Little bitch!"
"Let her go," Tabitha snarled. "I'll kill you, if you hurt her."
Dreadlocks stood up and made to strike the insolent little brat. But Teresa held up her free hand to stop her. Her eyes didn't leave Tabitha.
"You love her, don't you?"
Everyone stared dumbfounded at this seemingly out of the blue utterance. Except Tabitha who looked back with defiance.
"With all my heart. To keep her safe. To be with her, I would overcome any obstacle. Fight anything. Even you."
The woman didn't seem fazed at all. She actually smiled again. A tentacle rose from her back. A blue tentacle.
Samus' eyes widened. She knew what was coming.
"And so, you shall. You shall be with her. For all time. You will dance with her in bliss. You will have her love and she yours. You will be free as I am now. You will be together for eternity."
"No!' Samus yelled. "Take me! It's me you want! Not her! Leave her! Take me!"
The woman (Teresa. Address evil by its name) tilted her head Samus' way.
"I will. Just wait your turn."
And then she plunged her tentacle into Tabitha's chest. The poor girl's eyes widened in pain. She opened her mouth to respond but no sound came out.
"Tabitha!" Miria screamed and tried to force the creatures off her. But nothing. She could do nothing. Except watch her best friend suffer.
Teresa placed her hand on Tabitha's cheek and made shushing noises to calm her. With little success.
"There, there. It'll be over soon. The pain. The loneliness. I will free you from their shackles."
"Do something!" Miria shouted."
As the dreadlocked woman shoved Miria's face into the ground the other two of Teresa's….. Comrades. Slaves. Whatever terminology you prefer stepped in front of Teresa. One with excitement. The other with unease.
"Try it. Please try it. I beg you. I've been dying for round two."
Samus turned to her free friends. What? What could they do?
Then aid came. From a highly ironic source.
"Alicia! Stop!"
A great black hunched over insect fell from the sky. Straight toward Teresa. To nearly all in the room it was a thing of terror. Something from their worst nightmares.
To Teresa? A gnat which she swatted away without turning her head. Fortunately, since she didn't look, she actually knocked her into both the angry dreadlocked woman and the pile of yoma atop Miria, sending them scattering.
Without thinking, Samus fired an ice missile at the arm holding Tabitha aloft. Ilena/Irene with her quicksword.
Before Teresa could even blink, Miria launched forward catching Tabitha in her arms and landing beside Samus and her comrades.
"Tabitha," she whispered urgently. "Stay with us. Tabitha, please…"
Teresa blinked. Clear shock on her face And within.
"My arm…. You took my arm…"
She turned to them.
"No one's gotten me like that since… well, ever."
Alicia rushed at her, but Teresa was prepared and faster than the human eye could process moved a few feet to the side and let the beast pass her by.
"Everyone move!" Noel shouted.
They did just that in the nick of time and the monster ran straight into the wall on the opposite side.
"Alicia!" Beth jumped down from on high and rushed to her sister's side. "Please stay back! You need to calm down!"
"What fire. What spirit. "Teresa fully directed her attention to them. "I think you're all what I've been missing this time. You will make me complete. Make me whole."
"Nothing can make you whole. You are already dead inside."
"Fuck!" Noel jumped at the sudden appearance of the luminoth behind her. "WILL EVERYONE STOP SNEAKING UP ON ME? I'M SICK OF THAT SHIT!"
"A luminoth?" Teresa's eyes widened. "I'd hoped a fortress of this magnitude would be built by Chozo."
"It was. With our cooperation. This is where the first yoma was made. And the first fusion between it and men. Our kind's greatest regret."
Teresa and her three servants stared about in surprise.
"So, this is where the magic began." She stared at the luminoth.
"Then surely you can understand why I do what I do? By destroying the organization and freeing my sisters, I'm cleaning up that regret. What the Chozo would want."
That last bit
"That bit does sound fine. What sounds less good is the enslavement of said sisters. The spreading of the poison. The corruption. That doesn't sound like something the Chozo would support."
"They desired peace. They recognized all life as connected. I too believe such philosophy. I simply believe in a more forceful approach."
"Violence was abhorrent to them."
Teresa actually chuckled.
"You think they were incapable of such atrocities? Look at the metroids. LOOK AT ME! LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO ME!"
She grabbed her forehead and offered an apologetic smile.
"You know the galaxy beyond these walls. You've seen the cruelty. The savagery. It won't accept peace on its own. It must be made to see the light. Just as I have."
"With the light of the great poison?"
Teresa scoffed and opened her mouth to respond but instead had to swat away Alicia who again tried to take her head off.
"Alicia!" Beth screamed.
"Settle down dearie," Teresa said before turning back to the luminoth.
"Poison, you call it? More like cure! Since accepting, I've opened my heart to so many lost souls. Filled them with life. Brought back the dead! And I control them all! No need for futile negotiations! The harmony the Chozo longed for is finally within our reach!"
"So, you can, control them," the luminoth asked with bewilderment. "I've never heard anyone exerting influence over the poison. Such a thing should be impossible."
"So should I," Teresa responded having now ditched her soft smile for a full-on grin with teeth. "Yet here I am. Doing the impossible. I can bridge the gap between people's hearts. I can bring the joyous union the Chozo strove for!"
She took a step closer. Samus instinctively took several back. The beast's eyes shifted to her for a brief moment before returning to the luminoth.
"Centuries ago, your kind made this place for the creation of beings who could end war. End bloodshed. Keep the stars safe. Lifetimes later, here stands the best of said beings. The perfect life form. One who can fulfill that mission. One who makes all the horrors committed here worth it. Behold! The fruits of your labor! Perfection incarnated!"
The Luminoth stared for a few moments as if truly trying to contemplate Teresa's words. That thought process was interrupted by Tabitha groaning and wiggling in pain.
"Tabitha stay with me," Miria urged as she rubbed her forehead.
The luminoth again thought for a moment. Then with a deep sigh of resignation he leaned down and parted Tabitha's jaws to make way for a small blue pill.
"That's what they gave you and Priscilla," Sophia whispered. "It's supposed to slow growth of Phazon."
Apparently Teresa understood what it did too or perhaps could feel the phazon within Tabitha growing fainter as disappointment spread across her face like the great poison across the galaxy.
"I see. You require…. Discipline…."
The tentacle emerged from her back again poised to strike. Alicia struck first again. Forcing a sigh from the blue-eyed goddess. But more importantly, forcing her attention.
"Get them to lab 63," the luminoth ordered. "The last portal is through there. Once through, destroy it. Seal the demons in the darkness."
Miria seemed unsure but nodded in agreement and leaned down to address the woman in her lap.
"Tabitha my… dear. We're going to have to move quickly in a moment. Just lean on me and we'll get through it all right? Whatever happens, I will not let you die. So don't be afraid. Understood?"
"I'm not afraid captain," the girl muttered. "Not when I'm with you."
The luminoth stood back to his full height and turned to Samus.
"Good hunter blessed by the Chozo. Now you've seen the mistakes of both your people and the organization. What you do with this information is up to you. I… I know you will do the right thing."
He raised his arms into the air above his head.
"May the light of Aether shine upon you!"
She heard a ticking sound from his chest. Scans indicated some kind of device strapped to his stomach.
Then he fucking exploded and a dark portal filled the room, consuming them all.
"What the fucking shit," Noel screamed before being consumed.
….
"Priscilla!" Cynthia shouted as she, her sisters and the human soldiers rushed over to the two number ones gasping for breath.
"Incredible," she continued as Priscilla was too tired to talk. "Did you two really hold them all back by yourself! You truly are number 1!"
"Samu….." Priscilla struggled to talk. "Samus….. Where is she… Is she safe….."
"She's still up there! We called for backup and tried to fly this ship to aid, but we got shot down."
"Need to…." Priscilla coughed out blood. "Need to get back up… Up there… Must protect…"
Isley at that split second received a message on his communicator. All it said was:
"Lab 63? Why would Miria- Oh they did not- "
"What's that? Up in the sky? Look!"
Everyone followed Yuma's finger to the strange objects raining down from on high. Anthony narrowed his eyebrows for a moment then widened them in fear.
"what are you looking at," Galatea asked. I can't see anything if you recall."
"Mortars! Take cover now- "
They had no time. The bombardment rained hell down upon the fortress. The resulting blast sent them all flying. Cynthia grabbed Anthony and Galk and pulled them close to her to lessen the impact on them. Meanwhile poor Sid had to grab onto Isley's massive, awakened form.
"What the fucking hell!?"
When they landed upon the ground surrounded by rubble and thousands of yoma corpses, they took a minute or two to recover from the ringing in their ears. When they finally had the bare minimum strength to lift their necks, they wished they hadn't.
"The fortress…. It's destroyed…. Nothing left….."
"Those idiots….. What were they…. Thinking….. I told them to….. send support….. Not bomb…"
Priscilla somehow still had enough strength to let the tears flow.
"Samus…. Please no….. Goddess no….. Samus… Please…"