A TANGLED WEB Part 8: Endgame
Chapter 13
by Charlie Nelson a.k.a. Ordinaryguy2
The main crossovers in this chapter include: Alien (1979); Batman Beyond (1999-2001); Doctor Who (1987-1989); Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985); Earth 2 (1994-1995); Farscape (1999-2003); He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985); Land of the Lost (1974-1976); Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-1975); Star Trek (1966-1969); Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999); Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994); Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001); Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980); The Transformers (1984-1987)
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THE SLEESTAK TUNNELS
They entered the large cavern side by side with Hank the Ranger and Enik the Altrusian in the lead. Hank had his bow drawn and ready to fire at a moment's notice. The other individuals gapped at the sight of the rock formations, some containing glowing crystals along stretches of the ceiling that more or less resembled a starry night. Five Sleestak fighters with crossbows followed in their wake to keep to themselves. In the middle of the space a large body of water reflected some of those lights as if it were a dark mirror.
"Cool!" Bobby said.
"Mewl!" mimicked Uni.
They stopped as a group and stared, absorbing the scene. While there were some areas of weak light, most of the cavern was covered in daunting darkness.
"This takes my breath away," Sheila said as her hand slid into Hank's.
"Yeah," he answered, looking at her.
"I've seen better," Rygel commented absently, staring at the ceiling with his hands on his hips. Noticing their glares, he decided to go over to where Enik was showing Presto a cluster of glowing multi-color crystals embedded in the wall.
Eric took the opportunity to try chatting with Chiana again while Diana hung about just close enough to hear and chuckle to herself as Eric made a fool of himself. Nearby, Uly and True stuck close to Bobby.
"DON'T MOVE!" thundered a voice that echoed throughout the massive underground space.
Eric automatically brought up his shield but waited for the word from Hank before doing anything. Shapes moved in the semi-darkness and appeared to have weapons trained on them. Hank was about to whisper something to Eric when there was another shout.
"Wait! We know one of them!"
"Must be friends of yours," Eric muttered to Enik.
"We are acquainted," admitted Enik. "They have even called me friend on occasion."
Diana raised an eyebrow to Enik. "You like being enigmatic, don't you?" she accused.
Two figures hurried toward them in the gloom and climbing down from a trail along the side of the cavern wall.
"Enik!" cried out Jack Marshall. "What brings you down this way?"
"Hey, Enik!" Will Marshall greeted, a little out of breath, but smiling as he looked at the faces of the teenagers with the Altrusian. He felt a thrill at seeing people near his own age even if he was a little older than them. "Your friends must have come here by way of a costume party."
Enik grasped Jack's arm. Jack didn't flinch at the contact with the powerful clawed limb which was one of the reasons Enik trusted Jack. "Greetings, Jack Marshall. My people have been attacked and these unique people have offered their aid."
"But they are just kids!" Jack answered in surprise,
"Hey!" Eric started to storm forward, but Diana grabbed him by the ear and pulled him back.
Enik shook his head. "These children have abilities beyond your understanding."
Jack frowned. "I don't like this, Enik. What is going on?"
"Invaders have come and are attacking my people. These young ones volunteered to fight off the intruders. If you had seen them do what I have seen, you would not doubt their fighting potential. They truly are my people's best hope."
Enik turned as a tall, white-haired figure walked out of the darkness. "Greetings," said the man. "I am Khan Noonien Singh." He took Enik's arm the way he had seen Jack do. Though most of others in his party disagreed with him, he knew that there could be valuable information gained here if these newcomers trusted him. Some looked like they could fight, as well. Himself and his colleagues numbered seven, including the Marshalls and the seaweed creature they came to eleven, the Professor and his female companion brought them up to thirteen. And if he gained Enik and his five bowmen it would bring them up to eighteen. The monochrome alien female looked like a fighter to Khan and maybe five of the older kids could join in fighting the Borg bringing their fighting force up to twenty-four. Which may mean nothing since they were going against the Borg. But beggars couldn't be choosers, Khan reminded himself.
"I am Enik."
"If your enemy is the Borg, then we have a common enemy," said Khan, suspecting that that was exactly what Enik wanted to hear.
Enik regarded the Human. "I do not know what they call themselves. All I know is that they attack my people, and we are defenseless against them."
"Your enemy is the Borg," said Jack. "I've seen them. And what they have done to those they have captured." He began to explain his experiences while more of Khan's party came down out of the darkness.
To Bobby and Holly's amusement, Uni kept sniffing Sigmund and every time the seaweed creature moved, Uni would jump back startled. Uly held out his hand to Sigmund who extended a tendril to shake with while True looked on, unsure of what to do or believe at this point.
Dukat started up a conversation with Rygel, each trying to learn things from the other without giving anything that they knew. The Professor and Ace began talking to Presto who was more than happy to meet them. Chiana was not as fortunate as she was cornered by the leering Captain Kirk from the Mirror Universe. Sela and Diana eyed each other as they sized each other up, but said nothing.
The Alpha Hirogen, who had been hanging back from interacting in order to watch the darkness, suddenly leapt aside as something black, with spikes and lots of teeth jumped at him. He managed to fire at it, but it disappeared into the darkness. One of the Sleestak bowmen was grabbed from behind and dragged into the darkness before anyone could do anything.
"There's more all around us!" shouted Lore, who fired his phaser into the darkness, hitting something that seemed to explode. Hissing and bubbling sound came from the area that the Xenomorph died.
"How many?" shouted Dukat, who had found himself a position near a large stalagmite.
"I count ten," said Enik, whose species saw better in the dark than the light.
"Eleven," said the female Founder. "There is one approaching under the water."
Holly heard this and shouted to Sigmund, who had been automatically retreating to the large pond in the cavern.
The young seaweed creature had half immersed himself in the cold waters when the water in front of him exploded and a tall, slightly humanoid creature with a dark green exoskeleton stood there. Water dripped off the smooth carapace that surrounded its elongated forehead. Its mouth opened to reveal sharp silvery teeth and it hissed menacingly.
Sigmund froze in fear.
"Sigmund!" called Holly. Her uncle pulled her back as they began to form a protective circle with the weaker members toward the center.
After sniffing the air, the Xenomorph raised one of its hands revealing six webbed digits, two of which were thumbs. With a screech of annoyance, it batted Sigmund away as if the seaweed creature were a beach ball.
Dukat fired at the aquatic Xenomorph, but it dove beneath the dark water and was gone. "These are not the same creatures that attacked us before!" he shouted to his teammates.
"No," answered Kirk, as he tried getting a bead with his phaser on one of the moving shadows. "These… are more… alien."
One of the creatures launched itself at the group and Eric barely got his magic shield up in time. "AHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHH! IT'S GOT TWO HEADS! AHHHHHHH!"
The Xenomorph flailed against his mystic barrier with a savage fury. In appearance it was very similar to its aquatic brethren, except that it had a larger torso in order to carry its two heads, the left one being dark purple and the right head a dark blue. It also had a long, spiny whip-like tail that stabbed repeatedly toward Eric's face.
"What are they?" shouted Will Marshall.
"Something new," answered Enik. The Altrusian reached a clawed hand into one of his pouches and examined the glowing crystals that he withdrew. A red and a yellow crystal were held close together by a small sticky substance. With his clawed limb, Enik forced the two crystals together so that they made contact and then tossed up over Eric's shield where it landed at the feet of the two headed monstrosity.
The explosion knocked everyone back, but the two headed creature was more than split just in half.
"Give some warning next time!" shouted Eric who was more than a little frazzled.
The female Founder seemed to melt as she cried out in pain, fleeing into the shadows. A small part of her form separated and stayed wiggling frantically as it foamed into the floor.
"Arrgh!" The Alpha Hirogen pulled off his chest armor which had a few smoldering spots on it. Those nearby watched as the holes ate through the metal armor.
Ace also screamed as she jumped up hopping and pulled off her shoe. There was a small smoldering hole eating through the rock where she had been standing. The Professor grabbed her foot and examined it briefly before pulling out a salve from one of his pockets and applied some of it to her foot where it had a soothing, neutralizing effect.
"Look!" exclaimed True, pointing to where the Xenomorph had exploded. The area was steaming from the acidic effects of the Xenomorph's blood on the cavern floor.
"It's like a Horta's blood," said Sela. "It's eating right through rock. A few of the drops of blood must have come over the range of the boy's shield."
Lore looked up from his tricorder. "It's a type of molecular acid." He looked up at Eric. "Whatever that shield of yours is, it kept us from being covered in acidic blood."
Eric gulped. "Okaaay. New Rule, everyone: no more blowing those things up without everyone being under cover."
"Let's have a look around," said Hank. He fired a flare arrow in the air illuminating the cavern.
Lore fired as the spiky Xenomorph lunged forward. The spiky monster stumbled back and disappeared. "That one has a tougher shell. Increase yo-"
One of the creatures leapt toward their group from one of the large stalagmites. Diana gripped her magic staff and willed it to grow as she swung it at the macabre-looking beast. Contact with the magic staff knocked the Xenomorph back far enough that the Alpha Hirogen was able to safely shoot it.
The aquatic one could be seen diving amongst the stalagmites and rocks leaving a trail of water behind it as it came closer to them. Suddenly something surrounded it in two-inch-wide bands of a pliable material. Dukat was the first to realize that it was their shape shifter colleague. "Don't shoot! It's the Changeling!"
No one really had an opportunity to act, as an incredibly long spiny tail swung below their guard at knee-level knocking them all collectively off their feet. And then the aliens pounced. And it was over.
Moments later people could be heard scrambling in the dark. Sela lit a flare and propped it on a stone before lighting another one. The Alpha Hirogen stood with his back to hers, a sentinel against the darkness. Eric stood at their side with his shield at full force and ready to deflect Armageddon itself. "Man, now th-that was something," said the teenage boy through chattering teeth.
Sigmund, his face pushed in and torn, was wobbling over from the pond while avoiding the acid scorched sections of rock.
"You've been torn." Uly reached up to touch the sappy stumps of some of the missing tendrils near Sigmund's head.
The seaweed creature pulled back. "Please. Don't touch. They will grow back in a few weeks if they are left alone."
"What did they want?" came Sela's angry tone. She pulled out a tricorder but detected nothing. Nearby, one of the Sleestak honor guards was helping Enik to his feet.
"What they wanted, they took," answered the Alpha Hirogen.
Eric glanced over in confusion to the Alpha Hirogen. "What did they take?" He glanced around. "Hey! Where's Presto?"
Bobby jumped to his feet, prepared to swing his club. A small trickle of blood flowed down over one of his ears. "Where are they? I'll smash 'em! I'll… Where's Sheila? And Uni?"
As others gained their feet, they quickly determined that along with the first Sleestak, six of their comrades were missing, which was Sheila, Presto, Uni, Khan, Holly and Chiana.
"We have to go after them," insisted Hank.
"No." Dukat stepped forward. "Our mission to stop the Borg takes priority."
"Hey," Diana said. "I don't know if you noticed but one of your guys is missing, too!"
"A hunter, as well as a fighter, understands the risks," said the Alpha Hirogen. "I am sorry for your loss. I wish there was time now to hunt them. But we must leave before those creatures return."
Bobby swung his club in the air. "Yeah? Well, let them return! We're ready for them now!"
"This is their terrain," pointed out Lore. "The fight would end the same, and more of us will be taken."
Jack stood up. "We have to do something. We have to try get them back. Soon, before anything bad happens to them."
"Very well," Sela stepped up. Dukat almost told her to sit back down but realized here, just now, he didn't have the authority. She looked at them all. "We'll compromise."
"We'll what?" choked Dukat.
The Romulan glared him down. Cardassians were never good negotiators in her opinion. "I'm suggesting that one of my team goes with you on a rescue mission while one of your team goes with ours to fight the Borg."
Diana cocked her head to the side. "Why that way?"
"Because you need more long-range weapons like ours and we could use an impenetrable shield against the Borg."
"What? Impenetrable shield? That means me! You want me to go with them?" Eric's surprise at the idea outweighed any other feelings he might have on the matter.
"I offer my services as well," said Rygel, eager to put distance between himself and the horrible creatures of the darkness.
"And I volunteer to go with the rescue team," said Sela. Her teammates looked at her, trying to figure out her angle in this, but said nothing.
The female Founder, looking tired and weak, nodded. "It makes sense. An impenetrable shield would be too little to protect against a pack of those creatures coming from every side, while the Borg usually all come from the same side."
"And as much as I don't want to give up Eric and his mystic shield, we could really use another long-range weapon like your light ray weapons against those things," admitted Hank, much to Eric's disbelief.
The Professor nodded. "Then it is agreed. And Ace will go on the rescue."
Ace looked at him in disbelief. "I will?"
"Oh, yes. And you can use one of the extra phaser weapons to fight with."
Sela tossed her an extra phaser. "I'll show you how to use it on the way."
They discussed a few other details but quickly moved off on their different quests.
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McGinnis, having scanned the area, lifted the comm. link to his mouth. "This is Bat-1 to Vulcan-1. No sign of hostiles or anyone else for that matter. But there has been a lot of activity down there recently. I'm guessing a couple dozen people to a hundred or more."
"Very well," came the dry and slightly annoyed voice. "We are coming. Stay on guard."
Terry chuckled to himself. Spock could give Bruce stoic lessons. He climbed up higher on the redwood tree and scanned the area using various visual frequencies before he was satisfied that no one was out there.
After a few moments he saw the others walk into the clearing. Glancing around a second time, he leapt down over sixty feet to join everyone.
He startled everybody. Martok was especially angry. "Give warning before arriving like that! I almost shot your fool head off!"
"So you did miss me!"
Martok growled and stomped past Batman. Ro Laren chuckled and followed after the surly Klingon to secure a perimeter on the far side of the clearing.
Behind them a young blonde woman stumbled, and McGinnis stepped over to help her to her feet. Kes was awake from her coma but very weak. Janeway had been helping her along the path but wasn't doing much better herself and had sat wearily down as soon as they had reached the clearing edge.
Spock, followed by Admiral McCoy, walked past them with his eyes mainly on his tricorder. They walked to near the middle of the clearing where there was an eight-foot-tall, crumpled heap of white painted metal.
"I remember seeing something like this when we were back in the twentieth century." Bones rubbed his chin. "I think it was the time we went back for the whales. Anyway, they called it 'Modern Art' or something ridiculous like that."
Spock ignored the reference and focused on the matter at hand. "This is definitely the location of where the Time Lord known as the Master arrived in this land. It matches the data that we accumulated from 4-LOM."
Bones glanced around. "So where is he now?"
Spock raised an eyebrow. "Logic would indicate that he has gone to engage the Borg."
"Then what are we doing here?" he said, his tone indicating that he was losing his patience.
Spock continued. "We are here to gain useful information such as what direction he went off in as well as what type of forces he has recruited."
"But he has a head start!"
"Interesting."
"Interesting that he has a head start? Are you daft, man?" demanded McCoy.
Spock regarded his long-time friend for a moment. "My tricorder has detected a complex algorithm coming from this twisted mass of metal."
Biting his tongue, McCoy turned away. He was surprised to see Captain Picard intently using a tricorder on a large rectangular box. Captain Janeway was propped up under a tree using her tricorder to scan a nearby pylon. "My God! Spock, you've started a trend!"
The Vulcan ignored his friend's sarcasm. "This is unusual."
"What? Their behavior? Or have you found something?"
"I think something has found us." Spock typed a few things into his tricorder. "The algorithm is downloading itself into my tricorder."
"Can you stop it?"
"Yes, but should I?"
"Well, what will happen to your tricorder? Is it trying to steal data? It could be part of a trap set up by the Master!"
"It's not trying to steal data," he said as he scanned through various files. "Although it is deleting various things to make space for itself."
"Can't you stop it? All that information from that killer android we captured will be lost."
"I could stop it. But the data you are referring to is also on Picard's tricorder."
McCoy sighed. "Do we really have time to deal with an unknown cybernetic entity at this time?"
Spock didn't answer. "It is complete." He addressed the tricorder. "Greetings. I am Ambassador Spock."
Nothing was said for almost a minute, and then: "I – Am – Megatron. Leader – Of – The – Decepticons."
Spock and McCoy glanced at each other. "Can you tell us what has happened here?"
"I – Can – Tell – You – Everything," answered the metallic voice.
As they began to converse, shooting began back the way they had come.
Batman, followed by Picard, hurried over to where Captain Sisko was scanning the trees.
"What was it?" asked Batman.
Keeping his eyes on the trees, Sisko answered. "That armored killer you were wrestling with before. He followed us. Almost got him, but he was too quick."
Out in the trees, Boba Fett ducked behind a massive rotting stump. These people were proving to be a real challenge for him. Behind his mask he smiled to himself. It had been quite a while since he had had a real challenge.
To be Continued!
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Original AuThOr'S NoTeS: 12/14/2007
As you can see, I did not forget about the little Xenomorph outbreak. You may have noticed that some of the Xenomorph (or aliens) have a little different appearance than those in the movies. That is because I'm saying that the Xenomorph s were able to take a few of the genetic attributes of the creatures that hosted them, which was a few of Skeletor's henchmen: Mer-Man, Two-Bad, Whiplash & Spikor. Examples of this can be seen in the Aliens Vs. Predator movie at the very end when the baby Xenomorph burst forth from one of the Predator hunters. It obviously had a few obvious characteristics of the Predator species. Plus, in a DC Comics crossover from a few years back, Batman/Aliens II, a military experiment was performed using Xenomorph embryos and some of the more dangerous Arkham Asylum inmates, including Joker, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Killer Croc. Each resulting Xenomorph resembling the host villain in some way.
Now you are probably asking why I broke up the groups like that. Because I have a plan and I'm not telling you.
I brought back Megatron. I debated about doing that for a while. I even asked a few people about it. I figured he could possible survive being crushed but there would be no way his body could be used again. So I downloaded him into a tricorder and sent him off with the Starfleet team. I think he's going to want revenge against the Master. What do you think?
I was going to write another small segment, but my wife wants me to go watch season 3 of Lost on DVD with her. Hope to hear from everybody.
Updated AuThOr'S NoTeS: 1-24-2022
This chapter was more about mixing elements together and stirring the pot. Basically, I set up things up for bigger events later. Hope you liked it.
ChArAcTeR InDeX FoR ThE ChApTeR:
4-LOM (Chris Parsons) – from the movie Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (mentioned only)
'Ace' / McShane, Dorothy Gale (Sophie Aldred) – from the TV series Doctor Who (1987-1989)
Acrobat / Diana (voiced by Tonia Gayle Smith) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Adair, Ulysses 'Uly' (Joey Zimmerman) – from the TV series Earth 2 (1994-1995)
Alpha Hirogen (Vaughn Armstrong) – from the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Barbarian / Bobby (voiced by Teddy Field III) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Batman / McGinnis, Terry (voiced by Will Friedle) – from the TV series Batman Beyond (1999-2001)
Batman / Wayne, Bruce – from the TV series Batman Beyond (1999-2001) (mentioned only)
Cavalier / Eric (voiced by Don Most) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Chiana (Gigi Edgley) – from the TV series Farscape (1999-2003)
Danziger, True (J. Madison Wright) – from the TV series Earth 2 (1994-1995)
Doctor, The 7th / Professor, The (Sylvester McCoy) – from the TV series Doctor Who (1987-1989)
Dukat, Gul (Marc Alaimo) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Enik (Walker Edmiston) – from the TV series Land of the Lost (1974-1976)
Fett, Boba (Jeremy Bulloch) – from the movie Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Founder / female shapeshifter (Salome Jens) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1994-1999)
Janeway, Capt. Kathryn (Kate Mulgrew) – from the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Kes (Jennifer Lien) – from the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1995-1997)
Kirk, Mirror Universe Capt. James T. (William Shatner) – from the TV series Star Trek (1967)
Laren, Ro (Michelle Forbes) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991-1994)
Lore (Brent Spiner) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988-1993)
Magician / Albert 'Presto'(voiced by Adam Rich) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Marshall, Holly (Kathy Coleman) – from the TV series Land of the Lost (1974-1976)
Marshall, Jack (Ron Harper) – from the TV series Land of the Lost (1976)
Marshall, Will (Wesley Eure) – from the TV series Land of the Lost (1974-1976)
Martok, General (J.G. Hertzler) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995-1999)
The Master – from the TV series Doctor Who(mentioned only)
McCoy, Adm. Leonard 'Bones' (DeForest Kelley) – from the TV series Star Trek (1966-1969)
Megatron (voiced by Frank Welker) – from the cartoon The Transformers (1984-1987), the movie The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Mer-Man (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – from the cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985) (mentioned only)
Ooze, Sigmund (Billy Barty) – from the TV series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-1975)
Picard, Capt. Jean-Luc (Patrick Stewart) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Ranger / Hank (voiced by Willie Aames) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Rygel XVI, Dominar (Jonathan Hardy) – from the TV series Farscape (1999-2003)
Sela, Cdr. (Denise Crosby) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Singh, Khan Noonien (Ricardo Montalban) – from the TV series Star Trek (1967), from the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Sisko, Capt. Benjamin (Avery Brooks) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Sleestak / Altrusians – from the TV series Land of the Lost (1974-1976)
Spikor (voiced by Lou Scheimer) – from the cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1985), She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985) (mentioned only)
Spock, Ambassador (Leonard Nimoy) – from the TV series Star Trek (1966-1969)
Thief / Sheila (voiced by Katie Leigh) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Two-Bad (voiced by Lou Scheimer) – from the cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1985) (mentioned only)
Uni (voiced by Frank Welker) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Whiplash (voiced by John Erwin) – from the cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1984-1985) (mentioned only)
Xenomorphs – from the movie Alien (1979), Aliens(1986), Alien³ (1992), Alien: Resurrection (1997), AVP: Alien Vs. Predator (2004), Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)