Chapter 5: Waylaid In The Water World
"I'm afraid that Zebesians are still the only troops we can use in Norfair, milady. The Varia KiHunters still can't stand the heat, and we haven't found a way to implement G-Level into them yet. And the Evir, of course, are completely out of-"
"DAMN THAT BOUNTY HUNTER!" Mother Brain suddenly shrieked, bringing a sudden halt to Ridley's report. He blinked, completely nonplussed.
"What's wrong, milady?"
"Samus Aran is what's wrong!" She hissed. "Phantoon has fallen as well! She has destroyed him!" Ridley's eyes widened.
"He has? So Phantoon is dead too..." The corners of his mouth twitched upward momentarily as he walked over to a computer and accessed the security camera footage. "Poor Draygon... they were so close. Old friends... and now they've been seperated at last. He must be tremendously infuriated right about now..."
"Infuriated doesn't even BEGIN to describe it, Ridley." Draygon hissed as he crawled in. The Evir's eyes were even more bulging and bloodshot than normal. "There IS no word to describe the incredible rage I am feeling at this moment..."
"You just used words to describe it right there." Ridley pointed out, snickering. Draygon ignored him, too caught up in his fury to respond.
"That accursed human whelp has gone TOO far this time! When I get my claws into her, she will know agony such as she has never felt! I swear upon the spirit of my lost partner Phantoon that she will DIE by my hand before another two days have passed!"
"Actually, from what this camera seems to show, it looks like it was his spirit that got hit hardest. Plus, you don't even have anything remotely resembling a hand." Ridley interrupted again. "And another thing..." Mother Brain glared down at the rambling Drakar, eyes beginning to glow red.
"That is ENOUGH. Ridley. Stop. NOW. I do not need to see the two of you arguing; there is too much going on already without it. Both of you, leave me." Ridley nodded and bowed, while Draygon just walked back the way he came, muttering to himself. The Drakar joined him.
"Hey, don't worry too much, buddy mine." Ridley forced a false smile onto his face as he caught up with the enraged Evir. "Phantoon isn't gone forever, you know. You'll see him again."
"Huh?" Draygon turned to glare at his rival. "What the hell are you going on about?" Ridley shook his head pityingly.
"Poor Draygon... this really must be affecting you more than even I know. You've completely forgotten about the revival technology, haven't you? You know, the process created by Kraid? Who Aran killed as well? We can bring the two of them back to life together! Phantoon will be down on his knees thanking Kraid for inventing it... well, he doesn't have knees, but you know what I mean. Point is, he'll be back at your side before you know it."
"Yes, I suppose I do..." Draygon's mouth curled upward as well in a smile every bit as fake as Ridley's. "That does kind of cheer me up a bit... thanks a lot, my brother Pirate." The two Pirate Lords stood there for several moments with identical fixed grins, neither of them fooled by the other and both knowing the hatred that ran through their minds and was reflected in their eyes. Finally, Draygon looked away, and the smile disappeared. "But I am still going to murder Aran in a VERY painful manner for this... and unlike Phantoon, she won't be coming back."
"Well, I should certainly HOPE not." Ridley laughed. "We can only use that process to revive ourselves, Draygon. We sure as HELL aren't going to bring back our latest enemy. If mom even SUGGESTED it, I'd immediately come to the conclusion that somebody filled her tank with alcohol. Don't be stupid."
"Shut up, you bat-winged blowhard." The Evir's false grin vanished. "I don't give a damn about your snide little comments any more. I have more important things to think about now."
"Such as your great revenge against Samus?" Ridley sneered. "You ignorant lunkhead, do you really think it will be that easy? That bounty hunter may just be the most deadly creature in the galaxy. She's a warrior like none other, Draygon... and you would do wise to be very careful around here. The fact that I'm actually giving YOU helpful advice should tell you how dead serious I am about this."
"I know how dangerous Aran is, Ridley." Draygon rolled his eyes. "But I'm better. She will not survive our encounter... I am sure of this." The Drakar matched him in optic movement.
"No, I don't think you know how dangerous, Draygon. Not really. Samus has killed me, Kraid, MOM, and now Phantoon. And doubtless she's going to try her damn hardest to do the same to you. What honestly makes you think you can succeed where all the rest of us have failed?"
"I have never died before." Draygon pointed out. Ridley sighed.
"That is because you have never FOUGHT Samus before, you lout! Just a short while ago, poor Phantoon could make the same claim as you, and look where he is now! You get my point, hmmm?"
"Don't you talk about him..." Draygon's eyes had a strange light in them. Ridley scoffed.
"Oh, I can't talk about him, can I? He certainly had no problems with talking about Kraid in a bad way after his death. What I'm saying about Phantoon is nothing compared to what that nasty little squid said about Kraid, and you know it. He deserved the beating I gave him... why, I might even go so far as to suggest that he deserved what Aran did to hi-URK!" Screaming with rage, Draygon had launched himself at the Drakar's head and was now pinning it against the ground, digging into it with all his claws.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Draygon shrieked, rearing his head back to spit a blast. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SONOFA-" Four claws grasped his legs, and he was thrown off bodily. Ezer and Garan stood near their boss, glaring at the Evir as both he and Ridley rose. Neither of them spoke; they simply glared at each other, both breathing heavilly. Finally, Ridley straightened up and regained control of his temper.
"Well, then. If you're going to be like that, you're on your own. I'll be waiting for my own match against Aran, which I am fairly sure will happen. Come, boys." Ridley and his thugs walked away, leaving Draygon. Once they were out of earshot, Ezer spoke.
"You handled that surprisingly calmly, boss. He was actually trying to kill you, you know."
"Oh, I know..." Ridley hissed, dropping his mannerisms. "I know, indeed. I'm more than fairly sure that I'll be getting a rematch with Aran, boys. In fact, I can almost guarantee it."
"You mean..." Garan left it hanging with a wide grin. Ridley nodded.
"Yes... it seems that brother Draygon has outlived his tolerance."
***
"YAAAH!" Samus launched herself across the dark hall of blue blocks, jumped over the hidden pitfall she had spotted with her X-Ray Visor, and grabbed her seventh Energy Tank. The downside of this was how her momentum carried her forward past it and into the door with a resounding crash. Prying herself off, she opened it with a Super Missile and grabbed the Tank for the same weaponry inside. Returning back, the bounty hunter crept to the edge of the pitfall and peered down. "Looks pretty safe... no direct life-threatening trap at the bottom, at any rate. Well, nothing ventured..." She jumped off, landed, and looked around, soon spotting a sign above a spike-roofed tunnel. "Hmmmm... 'Prison Hall 2?' This tunnel could be dangerous, but this is definately worth checking out... anybody the Pirates want to keep prisoner would be somebody I'll want to free, most likely." Morph Balling down the tunnel, Samus destroyed a few lurking parasites, then opened the door at the end. It led to a long vertical hall with no means of scaling it; the walls were completely smooth. At first, Samus thought she had found an empty cell... then some motion caught her eye, and three small creatures crawled out hesitantly. They were bipedal, with two arms and two legs, but small; about two feet tall. They were covered in a green-blue fur, and had antennae. Their ears were pointed, and their faces normally curious and playful, although now, they were downcast.
"Hey, little guys." Samus smiled. "I'm here to bust you out." They stared at her, faces blank and uncomprehending. "Are you okay? Don't worry; I'm a friend." One of them stepped forward.
"Fo vydo tiz rvytlob ias ketbp, Pirate. Ti kyzzos fvyz uia bi zi ap, fo pvyjj tiz etpzsarz uia et ias ysz." Samus groaned.
"Mydiene? Great. I don't have a verbal translator built into the suit... wait a second. Pirate? You think I'm..." She laughed. "Look, I'm not a pirate, okay? No. No pirate. No pirate." She shook her head to emphasize it. The creature cocked his head.
"No... Pirate?" The bounty hunter nodded and stepped aside, allowing them to walk by. The apparent leader frowned.
"Ep zvep piko netb ig zsern?" He cautiously walked past, watching for any sign of treachery. Suddenly, Samus spun and fired. Squealing, all three of them ducked and covered their heads... and the Super Missile destroyed the parasite that had been about to latch onto the leader's head. Slowly, he raised it and looked at the remains. "Uia... wapz pydob ku jego?" Samus nodded.
"Yeah. I'm a friend!"
"Friend..." He repeated. The small lifeform ran back to the other two, and they had a quick, huddled conference. When they turned back to her, they were smiling. Taking a few sticks, they drew symbols on the ground, which Samus' suit translated.
"Sa, Ji, Ni?" She said. They nodded enthusiastically. "Those must be your names..." She took a scan and discovered that their species were called Etecoons. Then, she took a stick and, with her the aide of her suit's written translator, wrote her own name in their script.
"Sa...mus?" Sa, the leader, asked. She nodded. "Samus!" The Etecoons looked at each other again, and simultaneously nodded, then lined up. As she watched, Sa leaped forward straight at the wall. As he was about to hit it, though, he pressed one hand and foot against the surface, and pushed himself off and upward. He repeated with his other hand and foot when he hit the opposite wall, and continued upward like this to the top of the cell, where there was a small ledge that he landed on. Ji and Ni followed in the exact same way. Once they were all at the top, the Etecoons dropped back down effortlessly, and motioned towards the wall. Samus blinked.
"Hold on... you want me to try it?" They nodded. "You're joking, right? I can't do that!" They waited patiently. "Fine, I'll show you." She ran forward and slammed into the wall, then slid down. The Etecoons stared at her for a moment, then started laughing uncontrollably. Once they had recovered, Sa scampered over and showed her the flat of his right hand and foot, then pressed them against the wall and pushed. Samus sighed. "Okay... I'll try again." Jumping again, the bounty hunter tried what Sa had showed her, pressing her palm and foot against the wall, then pushed off. To her surprise, instead of falling down, Samus successfully rebounded upward. Recovering quickly, she repeated the act upon hitting the opposite wall and continued upward, back and forth. At the top of the cell, the bounty hunter found a forgotten Power Bomb Tank. Grabbing it, she dropped back down. The Etecoons were jumping up and down excitedly.
"Tif uia ntif zvo porsoz Wall Jump ig zvo Etecoons!" Sa told her. Samus smiled.
"Wall Jump? Well, thanks guys! This'll come in handy. I gotta be going now, and you should probably clear out too." Waving, she exited the cell and returned upward to the main halls of Brinstar. Before long, the bounty hunter returned to a long hall of pink pollen, swarming with enemies. "Hmm... I could just go through and blast them all, or..." Snickering, she backed up a bit, then charged forward, powering up her Speed Booster and smashing through anything in her way. Suddenly, though, Samus felt the floor give way, and she fell down a long pit. About fifteen seconds later, she impacted with the ground. "Ugh..." The bounty hunter muttered, slowly rising. "That was wierd... the floor was sturdy before... huh?" Hearing a noise behind her, Samus turned just in time to be kicked in the face. "OOF!" Her assailant was a tall, ostrich-like bird the same size as her. It had two wings, two legs, and featheres all over its body. The most interesting thing about it was an odd mohawk-like head crest. It glared at her, then suddenly lunged forward with another kick. Samus jumped aside and prepared to fire... when suddenly, Ji and Ni jumped onto her. "Huh?" They pointed to her blaster, then shook their heads. "What? You don't want me to shoot it?" Looking over, she saw Sa talking with the bird in Mydiene.
"Pziq! Zvep ep ti pirate! Ez ep y gseotb, riksybo!" The bird opened its beak.
"Ti pirate? E soriltepo uia Etecoons xaz... zvep... y gseotb?"
"Uop! Ez gsoob ap gsik ias ekqsepitkotz!" Sa nodded emphatically. The bird frowned, then turned to Samus, who scanned it. It was a Dachura, also from the Far Side, as evidenced by its speech.
"Boy, what is with you guys showing up here?" She muttered. The Dachura scratched its name into the pollen; Falar.
"Y gseotb voso, ov..." It muttered. The Etecoons nodded. "Fvyz ep uias tyko?"
"I'm Samus Aran..." The bounty hunter responded, writing her name in the pollen as well. Falar jumped back.
"Samus Aran? Zvo Pirate Nejjos?" It obviously recognized her name. The Dachura thought for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision with itself. "Samus. Gijjif ku yrzeitp... bi yp E bi." It walked to the very back of the long hall, then suddenly dashed forward at amazing speed, blazing past Samus and the Etecoons. Samus stared as Falar reached the same level of prismatic velocity as the top of her Speed Booster's capabilities. At the end of the hall, it suddenly squatted, stopping on a dime, and retaining the energies before blasting straight upwards in an incredible jump. Samus ran over and stared upwards as the Dachura shot up like a rocket, clearing the hole she had fallen in through and landing. Samus could only shake her head in amazement.
"Wow... can I do that too...? Only one way to find out..." Sa, Ji & Ni moved out of her way as the bounty hunter walked to the back of the room, took a moment to steady herself, then launched across. She felt the shift in perception as her speed reached its max, and moments before smashing into the opposite wall, she crouched and skidded to a halt. Samus felt the pent-up energy still raging in her, begging for release, and with a mighty scream, she imitated Falar and exploded upwards. "YES! I did it! I did-" She smashed into the ceiling with a sickening crunch. The Etecoons and Dachura all visibly winced. Slowly, Samus extricated herself and landed next to Falar.
"Toobp y jezzjo fisn..." The Dachura commented wryly. Samus laughed sheepishly, picking up on the meaning.
"Aah, I'll get better." She looked at the Etecoons, who were Wall Jumping their way out. "You fellas should stick together... safety in numbers and all that. See if you can hijack a Pirate ship and get offa here." Falar nodded, apparently understanding her even if it didn't speak her language. It dropped back down and came up with a large, orange sphere. The four aliens walked off, the Etecoons waving (Falar would have done so as well, but wings just aren't suited for that). Samus smiled. "Well, it was good to see some friendly faces, but I need to get back to work." Humming, the bounty hunter resumed her journey.
***
"Allright, you drunken bums! Last call!" Horzat yelled across the bar. Grumbling, the various barflies, truckers and petty crooks congregated, each wanting their drinks refilled one more time before they either left or were forcibly ejected.
"Hey, wait a second... it's only 1!" Gelltor, a small Drakar pickpocket, observed. "You're closing an hour early, Horzat! What's going on?"
"I got a lot to take care of right now." The Zebesian explained. "It's taking up my time. That's why I'm closing an hour early and opening an hour late for a few days."
"Well, I wouldn't know about that second part... I'm usually sleeping when you open up." Gelltor admitted. His eyes narrowed. "A lot to deal with... would this have anything to do with a debacle involving miss Samus Aran?"
"Maybe." Horzat grunted. "Why do you ask?"
"Why do I ask?" The Drakar asked with a look of injured pride. He turned to the other patrons. "What do you think, guys and gals? Does he really not know, or is he insulting me?"
"I hope for his sake it's the first." A human male smirked. The entire galaxy knew what the warrior Drakars did to people who insulted them. Of course, Gelltor was hardly an ideal example of his species, but it didn't pay to take risks with them.
"All right, cut the crap." Horzat barked. "What's the deal?" An Elocto with a large scar across her eye raised a tentacle with scar tissue at the tip.
"It goes sorta like this, Horzat. Aran's a hero to us types, even moreso than the rest of the galaxy. That's because really, she's one of us at heart. There's three types of people in this galaxy. The honest, lawabiding good people, the true scumbags who would sell their own mother, and the people in between, which is us. And you. And Samus, which is why we all look up to her. She don't claim to be perfect, she ain't no stuck-up Federation goon, but she still sticks it to those Pirates right where it hurts the most. That's the kind of gal our types look up to."
"Welhaam pretty much summed it up." Gelltor smiled toothily at Horzat. "She's the closest thing we've got to a champion. So if you know anything about the ruckus on Zebes, we'd appreciate hearing it."
"All right, fine." Horzat growled as he topped off the last mug. "She's taken out Kraid again..." He stopped and waited for the cheering to die down. The former Pirate wasn't the only one on Magani who hated Kraid; the mad scientest's reputation was well-known. "As well as that serial killer, Crocomire. Her next target is Phantoon."
"Good! I hope she wastes him!" Welhaam clasped her tentacles. "That guy's a disgrace to our species! He gives the rest of us Eloctos a bad name!" Gelltor jumped onto the counter, ignoring Horzat's sputtering curses.
"I propose we finish off tonight's drinks with a toast! To Samus Aran and the success of her mission!"
"To Samus Aran!" The patrons raised their mugs. Gelltor nodded solemnly.
"And may all of Ridley's teeth fall out and be used as nails!" The patrons drank deeply, then began walking towards the door, filing out one by one.
"Remember, I don't open until 4 tomorrow!" Horzat yelled. Gelltor turned as he was about to leave.
"Hey, if you talk with her again, tell her she's got our support, willya? That and one hell of a party once she gets back here!" Horzat nodded.
"I will. Now, off with ye, scoundrel!"
"Goin' to the business district?" Welhaam asked. The pickpocket nodded. "Mind if I come along? I got nothin' better to do."
"No problem at all, babe. Let's go." The two left as Horzat began inspecting his bar for patrons who tried to hide and stay in so they could treat themselves to additional drinks once he had gone upstairs. Surprisingly, there were none tonight.
"Thank gar for small favors..." Horzat muttered, sitting in front of his computer and trying a link to Zebes again. "Hey, Samus! You there?"
"Samus Aran is not in at this moment." Her ship's computer responded. "Would you like to leave a message?" The bartender sighed.
"Naah... I'll wait an hour." Humming an old ditty, he started up a computer game. Fifty-nine minutes later, he had exhausted the possibilities of Solitaire and was about ready to give up when he heard a familiar voice from his speakers.
"Hey, crab, you still there?" Samus popped onto his screen, and the old ex-pirate smiled for a moment before covering it with a cranky frown.
"I think the more important question would be if YOU were still around. I'm surprised you haven't gotten yourself demolecularized." Samus laughed.
"Me? Naah! If I did, who would you have to grouch at? Your beer bottles and mugs?"
"The other patrons here." Horzat retorted. "This ain't your personal bar. By the way, they asked me to pass on their support, and the promise of a giant blowout once you finally get back here."
"Now that's something I can look forward to." The bounty hunter grinned. "Too bad Matrix won't be able to attend; he's underage." Horzat waved his claw dismissively.
"Bah! They're never too young to get started!"
"I'd prefer to have him wait until he loses his baby fangs before he starts drinking alcohol." Samus said dryly. "At any rate, tell those guys thanks, and that they can add Phantoon to my 'fragged' list."
"So you finally squished that squid, eh?" The bartender observed. "Welhaam'll be happy... she says the guy's a disgrace, and I can't blame her. That just leaves Draygon as the only one you haven't met, hm?" She nodded.
"You got it. I figure I'll go rectify that, then track Ridley down. That Drakar and I have a lot of things to discuss..." She made a fist. Horzat laughed.
"Yeah, I'll bet you do. I see you got your Gravity Suit back. Looks good. Let's hope you can hold on to it this time, hm?"
"As long as I stay clear of bureaucrats, I should be able to." Samus smirked. "I doubt I'll be able to get another Phazon Suit... shame. Ah well. Oh, there was something I wanted to ask you... what species do the Pirates have in great numbers?" Horzat frowned, thinking.
"Just us Zebesians and Draygon's Evir... although that was just when I left. I believe old Ma Cranium was trying to convince several other species to join up. Did you run across one of them?"
"I think so... they were sentient, and they talked." Samus recollected. "They're bugs... standard size. Two arms, two legs, and wings." Horzat frowned as well.
"That sounds familiar. Do they spit acid?"
"Yup."
"That's them all right. Sounds like the Pirates have hired the KiHunters. You know the Yakuza, right?"
"The arachnoids?" Samus guessed The bartender nodded.
"Yeah. There's another sentient species on their planet called KiHunters, and they're the main diet of the Yakuza. One of the reasons we're on shaky footing with the Yakuza is the Federation doesn't like them munching the guys, but the Yakuza don't wanna stop. Brain was looking into picking up the KiHunters. Looks like the negotiations were successful."
"Seems that way." Samus sighed. "Anything else you can tell me about them?" Horzat thought for a moment.
"They hate heat, and they won't use their acid unless they're grounded. As long as they can fly, they'll stick with their claws." The bounty hunter nodded.
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to catch a nap, then head off to Maridia."
"Maridia, huh... so they've taken that ocean too. Figures Draygon'd be in there. I'll see you around, hopefully." Horzat shut the computer off, then got up, groaning. "I'm gettin' old... better go get my exoskeleton checked, I suppose. I'll do that after this is all over... I got enough to worry about now as it is." Turning out the lights, the old Zebesian locked up, then hobbled upstairs.
***
"160 Missiles, 30 Supers, 35 Power Bombs, 10 Energy Tanks and 3 Reserve Tanks." Samus smiled. "Yeah, this is definately my kind of an artillery supply. Thank you, Kraid and Phantoon, for filling your lands with stufff for me to loot and use to take down your buddies." She looked over towards the Wrecked Ship. "Now, for Maridia. The main entrance is through there... but if I go that way, they'll be all over me. There's gotta be a back way in... I know I've seen one..." The bounty hunter thought for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Now I remember... yes. OH, yes. They won't know what hit them!" Laughing, she set off... not towards the Wrecked Ship, but in the other direction, towards Brinstar. It took her only an hour to cover the ground to the entrance of Kraid's Lair. Samus emerged into the Galdezium tube that connected it to the rest of Brinstar. She looked outside at the water surrounding the tube and nodded. "If this isn't Maridia, I don't know what is. And since this tube's Galdezium... " She set a Power Bomb, and watched as the explosion shattered it. Water rushed in, and she landed on the coral-encrusted ground below. "I'm in... now to find Draygon." Climbing up small coral platforms, she soon emerged into a wide space filled with wildlife, from the crablike Scisors to the Skultera fish. Destroying any that bothered her, Samus made her way up higher, grabbing another Missile Tank as she went. Moving east, Samus suddenly slid down a slope of smooth, slippery rock and down a pit. The good news was she saw a Super Missile Tank embedded in the wall on the way down and grabbed it. The bad news was she landed in a cluster of red-armored Zebesians.
"Samus Aran?! How-?!" One of them choked. Samus didn't bother responding; she simply fired a Super Missile, knowing it was the only thing that could pierce this level of armor. Unfortunately, the water slowed the projectile considerably, and the Pirate easily knocked it aside. With a mild oath, Samus tried her beam. It didn't faze them a bit.
"Come on, guys, she can't even scratch us! Let's get her!" One of them cackled. Samus cursed again.
"Dammit! Looks like I'll have to run for it!" Spotting the nearest door, the bounty hunter blazed through it, noticing the "WARNING! Do not enter!" sign in passing. None of the Pirates followed. "Huh... wonder what's in here that's so dangerous..." The only thing in here were several small, baby turtle-like creatures about the size of her head. They were cute. Then, with an angry roar, what she had taken to be a boulder extended craggy legs and a head, revealing itself as the parent of the babies. And it did not look like a happy tortoise. "Oh... that's why." She recognized it now; it was a Tatori, a giant turtle-beast that was, unfortunately, incredibly territorial. Worse, its armor was nearly impenetrable, even with modern weaponry. With a scream of anger, the adult Tatori pulled itself back into its shell and launched at Samus with surprising speed, plowing over her like a professional linebacker.
"OOF!" Samus winced as she hit the dirt. When she opened her eyes, she was looking up... and at the very top of the tall room she was in, she saw something glinting. The Tatori came at her again, but this time she was ready, and she jumped on TOP of the shell. Enraged, the beast launched itself in the direction of its enemy. Up. Samus held on to the crags on its shell until they reached the top, where she grabbed the Energy Tank and Missile Tank she had seen before they fell back down with a colossal THUMP that didn't even stun the Tatori. Samus frowned. "I need to get out of here before this thing kills me... but those Pirates are gonna be waiting on the other side of the door..." An idea came to her. Snickering, the bounty hunter jumped off the Tatori and stood in front of the door. Predictably, it charged. At the last second, Samus stepped aside and opened the door, and the mad mother bowled over the shocked Zebesians like bowling pins. THEN it hurt them. Ignoring the screams, Samus crept by, unnoticed by any of her enemies.
"I hate to say it, but... it's actually pretty nice down here." Samus observed some time later. Maridia was a dark, gloomy series of watery caverns, yes. But it was also a calm, peaceful underwater environment with colorful plant life and animals that would be an oceanologist's dream, even if they were trying to kill her. The bounty hunter actually groaned with regret when she emerged into a network of purple pipes. "Blast it... and here I had hoped that maybe for once the Pirates could leave something as it is. Foolish of me, I suppose." Climbing up them like a jungle gym, she leaped out of the top into a sandy cavern with seaweed and shellfish. "Much better." She looked around for several moments, enjoying the scenery, before she was brought back to reality by a sharp pain in her foot. Looking down, she saw the spiny-shelled invertebrate responsible tunnel back into the sand. On the plus side, it did unearth a Missile Tank. Samus looked up and realized that the water ended above her! Jumping up, she landed on the shore and killed a Chute Leech before it swooped down on her. Two more Tanks, one for normal Missiles and one for Supers, awaited her. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anything else here, so with reluctance, Samus returned to the purple pipes and crawled deeper in. Before long, she emerged into a much different Maridia; a slimy, moldy place with the stone walls carved instead of just being left naturally. The atmosphere was like a medieval dungeon.
"Now all we need is an iron maiden and a few guillotines." She muttered as she kicked aside a large snail. It looked as if the only way onward was up; fortunately, the channerls were straight and there was a lot of room to run. Using the skills the Dachura had taught her, Samus snagged another Tank each of regular and Super Missiles, then went through a door in the ceiling... and emerged into a nightmare. At first glance, there was nothing to distinguish this room from any other... until she saw the inhabitants. Floating, gelatinous blobs, they looked like horrible alien jellyfish. Instead of tentacles, they had fangs, which could be used to suck the life force out of any living thing. And in the main body... a single red nucleus.
"No..." Samus whispered in horror. "No... this isn't possible... Matrix was the last one... this can't BE..." But it was. The Metroids... had returned. Then, Samus noticed something. Before, all other Metroids moved with an evil, predatory speed and agility. But these ones were clumsy, crashing into walls and each other as they sluggishly swam around. Then she realized; there was only ONE nucleus in them. Metroids had three or four. Whatever these things were... they weren't Metroids. "But then... what are they?" She wondered. Like Metroids... but inferior, stupid, probably weaker... then she remembered Kraid. "Clones! They're clones, like Kraid's! Ridley and Draygon... they must have tried to clone Matrix, and these were the result! But do they have... Matrix's memories?" One of them suddenly spotted her, and with a screech, dived at her, hungry for energy. She blew it away with two beam shots. One to freeze it, and one to finish it off. "Guess not... looks like they ARE weaker, too. This is nothing to be concerned about." Samus methodically destroyed all the clones.
"It appears that the Motchroids were even more than a failure than I thought..." A voice suddenly rang through the chamber. Samus looked around frantically before pinpointing its source; a speaker in one corner of the room.
"So that's what those dumb clones are called. Motchroids."
"You've done your homework." The voice admitted grudgingly. "Yes, they were clones, made by the technology of the late Kraid. I'm sure you remember him."
"Of course." She said calmly. "And you would be Draygon, I believe. Why don't you come out here so we can get this over with right now, hmm?"
"You have no idea how much I want to." Draygon agreed. "But you must prove yourself first. Come to me, my little hunter, and prepare to die... slowly and with excruciating pain." Samus raised an eyebrow.
"Did I do something to offend you? Or are you just a sicko like I've heard?" A moment of silence... then laughter.
"Both, human. But more the former. You killed Phantoon, and for that, I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart. First things first, though... if you want to see me, you're going to have to do me a little favor first and exterminate the Botwoon in the next room. I'll see you soon..." The speaker shut off. Samus blinked.
"What's a Botwoon?" Shrugging, she entered the door in front of her... then frowned. The dead-end room had many large holes in the walls, as if some gigantic rat had made them. Shrugging again, she turned to go, but was hit from behind. Whipping around, the bounty hunter discovered the source of the holes; a huge, brown eel. "So THIS is a Botwoon." Hissing, it disappeared into a hole, then poked its head out another and spat acid at her. "Oh, that's IT." Samus growled. "You are SO dead." She waited for the Botwoon to stick its head out again, then immediately launched a Super Missile into its mug. Screaming, it disappeared, then reappeared again and got the same treatment. Furious, it abandoned the acid-spitting tactic and simply blasted around the room in chaotic patterns at an incredible speed. Too fast for Samus to peg with a Super Missile. Then, the solution came to her; regular Missiles weren't as powerful, but they were faster, and she had a lot of them. With an evil laugh, Samus filled the room with a storm of Missiles, and the Botwoon wasn't able to dodge them all. Finally, with one last pathetic hiss, it slid apart into seperate segments, and the back wall of the room exploded as hidden charges detonated. She had passed Draygon's "test."
"He's trying to play games with me..." Samus muttered. "First the Motchroids, now this. Well, we'll see who's having fun when I catch up to that stinking crustacean."
***
"Well, we'll see who's having fun when I catch up to that stinking crustacean." Samus muttered on the computer monitor, recorded by the hidden camera in the room. Draygon snickered. He had killed two birds with one stone there; that last Botwoon had been a pest for weeks now. Now it was gone... and soon, Samus Aran would be as well. Draygon swam over to his torture area and examined the restraints on the rack once more to make sure they were in perfect condition, then glanced over at his instruments with a vile laugh. Various devices mainly consisting of hooks, sawblades, and sharp points were hung, all crusty with blood and various other substances best left unidentified. The sadistic Evir tested the blade on one particularly nasty tool he called "the filleter" and smiled as he saw it draw a single drop of blood from his claw. Putting it back, he swam away and checked the monitor again to make sure she was still on the right course. She was.
"You surprised me at the start, coming in through Brinstar, miss Aran." Draygon admitted, still watching her without blinking. "I never expected you to do that. Had you come from Crateria, of course, you would have met a complement of my clan that would have escorted you here already, and you'd be on my torture rack by now, screaming for mercy." He chuckled darkly. "This way is more fun, anyways... mental torture first, then physical torture. I'm glad now that Mom shipped those failed Motchroids here. The look on your face when you saw them... you thought they were the real deal! Classic. And the more strain you're under, the easier it will be to break you." He was jolted out of his reverie as he heard the door overhead open. "What? Who dares-?" Swimming up, he saw a pair of red Zebesians, carrying a crate each. "I have given orders not to be disturbed. Tell me why you saw fit to violate those orders in twenty words or less, and maybe I won't use you as a warmup for Aran."
"Mother Brain's orders." The first said laconically. "She's worried about the loss of two Pirate Lords, so we're installing some help for you."
"Help?!" Draygon hissed, outraged. "I need no help!" The other shrugged.
"Sire, we know that, and you know that, but the boss lady doesn't know that. She tells us to put these in, we have to do it. Sorry to disturb you, but..." He lifted his claws helplessly. Draygon growled.
"Has she no confidence in me at all? Argh... fine, then. You get to leave her unscathed, but ONLY if you're gone before Aran gets here! And I'd advise that you hurry; she'll be here soon. No matter what, I will be the only living creature in here when she enters. Clear?" He glared at them, and they both nodded.
"Crystal, sire. We'll get right to work, then." They jumped down and unfolded some ladders from the crates. Draygon irritably swam over and poked one of the boxes with his tail.
"What's in these, anyways? What exactly are you installing?"
"High-power plasma wall cannons." The first Zebesian answered as he removed a screwdriver and began taking out a wall plate. "They're electricity-based; they'll hook right up to the electrical system here with no danger of electrocution, and they fit right into the shape of these standard wall plates. They're very efficient, sire." Draygon rolled his eyes, obviously not caring.
"Whatever. Just get them in and get out." The Zebesians nodded, and the second passed a bulb with wires on the back up to the first, who tossed down the discarded wall plate. Draygon gnawed on a claw, slightly worried. "Are you absolutely sure there's no way this could put out electricity? We ARE under water, after all. If there's something you're not telling me..."
"It's completely safe, sire." The second assured him. "Even if the cannons are blown out, the workings are specially insulated so they can't leak electricity. The only way this could possibly zap us is if there was a direct channel of energy connecting us to a broken cannon." He extended the ladder so that the first went up higher in order to start on the second cannon. Draygon nodded, resigned.
"Very well. I suppose there's no avoiding it. Keep working." Turning away from them, he swam over to a tightly locked cabinet. "I need some of this..." Opening it, the Evir removed a single bright green syringe labeled "Sys-Gro." Locating the place where he had hurt himself earlier on the torture device, Draygon injected himself with the syringe, releasing a deep sigh. At first, nothing happened... and then, with a bulging here and a swelling there, he expanded to five times his normal size! The Zebesians, however, didn't bat an eye as they finished putting in the last cannon.
"We're done now, sire. We'll be leaving." They extended the ladder up to the top of the chamber and climbed out. Draygon nodded perfunctorily and turned back to his screens, groaning as Samus took a wrong turn.
"Come on... hurry up, already!" The Zebesians pulled the ladder up after them and left. They made their way out of Maridia through the front entrance, nodding respectfully to any Evirs they passed; they knew how custom-oriented most of the Evir were. Taking the elevator up to Crateria, they walked through the now-lit up Wrecked Ship, bypassing the work robots. As they exited, a voice called to them from above.
"Well, boys, did it go successfully?" The two Zebesians turned to see Ridley perched above the entrance to the ship. They nodded, smiling.
"Perfectly, boss. He never suspected a thing." Ridley laughed, jumping off and flying around in a circle.
"Excellent! That idiotic Evir has the brains of a rock, you know? He never even bothered checking in with Mom to make sure you were authentic?"
"Never crossed his mind, boss!" Ezer told him. Garan grinned.
"That idiot was too busy watching for Samus, sharpening his torture tools and pumping himself full of steroids to really think about what you were doing, just as you said he would."
"Draygon's pathetically simplistic, boys." Ridley landed in front of them. "With Phantoon dead, he's even more of a mess than normal. Pulling something past him is just too easy." He cocked an eyebrow at them. "You're lucky his eyesight isn't good, though; that body paint's the wrong shade of red. At least it was waterproof; otherwise, this could have been a disaster. You two should get it off soon anyways, though; you just don't look right, you know?"
"Yeah, we will." Ezer agreed. "We want to look our best for when Aran comes back to Norfair after bumping Draygon off."
"And with our little helping hands, there's no way she can lose!" Garan cackled. Ridley nodded.
"That was the general idea, boys. Draygon's dead. Now, let's get back down to Norfair; I need to make sure the surveillance cameras are working right, you guys need to get that stupid paint off, and we're all going to catch pneumonia if we stay out here too much longer. It's ALWAYS raining in Crateria, damn it all. Have I ever mentioned that I hate this place?"
***
"What the hell?" Samus yelled. One moment she had gotten stuck in a quicksand pit, and was fighting her way out of it, the next she had fallen through the ceiling of a different room! Looking up, Samus saw the sand falling down in a continuous stream. "Great... no telling where I am now." A Missile Tank hit her on the head. "OW! Well, that's something, at least." Something else hit her on the head, this time a lot more painfully. It was a spiked ball. "YEOWCH!" Looking around, the bounty hunter saw a pair of Evirs glaring at her. "AHA! Draygon! No, wait..." Neither of them had had the domes on their heads carved into a shape like human skulls. They weren't Draygon; just members of his clan. "All right, you two. Start talking. Where's your chief?"
"We will tell you nothing." One of them sneered. "We are Evir, and we do not forsake our chieftain, even if it means our death."
"Wait, Torn." The other told him. "This is Samus Aran. The Draygon wishes her to come to him so that he may personally avenge the death of his kin-friend, Phantoon." Samus blinked.
"Kin-friend?" The second Evir turned to her.
"It means a friend whom you are so close to that they may as well by kin, a part of your clan." He explained. "But anyways... you have lost your way, bounty hunter. The sand pits can only be used to travel down. It will be troublesome for you to make your way back up. If you do, beware of the Botwoon, a fearsome beast. It is nesting near the Draygon's chambers." Samus shook her head.
"I already killed that thing. Right before I fell down here." The first one actually smiled.
"You did? Most excellent! You are truly a great warrior; the creature had slain several of us. I would extend you the gratitude of our clan, but it is not mine to give, and I do not think the Draygon would approve. However, we shall not attack you any more if you leave now. Our laws permit that much."
"I will, thank you." Samus nodded, then left through a door to her right. The Evirs yelled, but she was already gone. Inside was another Evir, this one very aged. He turned, startled, and grimly readied his spiked ball-and-chain tail. Samus sighed. "Don't. Look, buddy, you're old. I can kill you before you touch me. Your laws have got to have something exempting the elderly." The Evir looked at her, then sighed as well and lowered his tail.
"Actually, we must fight as much as any Evir... but only when our actions will accomplish anything. Quite obviously, my attacking you would not. Greetings to you, Hunter Aran. I am Firk, keeper of the Shaktool and uncle of the Draygon."
"You're Draygon's uncle?" Samus asked, shocked. Firk nodded.
"Yes... and do not think of keeping me as a prisoner. Draygon cares nothing for me, as is shown by how he leaves me alone to this lonely post."
"Prisoner? As in hostage?" Samus growled angrily. "I don't use dirty tricks like that!" The Evir nodded.
"I see... and apologize. The time spent among the Pirates has made me... edgy." He confessed.
"What, you don't like it here?" Samus asked.
"No... I am no Pirate, and neither are many of our clan." Firk looked angry. "Unfortunately, by Evir clan law, the entire clan must hold the same profession as their chief. Under the Barlgon, my brother, we were happy as lawyers... but when my younger nephew became clan-chief..." He fell quiet for a moment. "Now, the youth of our clan are bandits, against their hearts. And I stay here and run the Shaktool."
"What's a Shaktool?" Samus asked. The Evir pointed at a huge robot in the back of the room that looked like a metal spider.
"That. It is a digging device... the Draygon has me use it to search for treasure, such as that." He pointed at a large, round jewel on a shelf. Samus instantly recognized it. It was a Spring Ball, which would let her jump while in Morph Ball mode.
"Firk... that is a Chozo artifact. I hate to ask, but... may I have it?" Firk lowered his eyes.
"I am sorry, Hunter Aran... but no. By our law, you are still an enemy... if you take it, I will have to try to stop you, even if it means my death." Samus shook her head regretfully.
"No... it's okay. You're a good guy, Firk... I don't want the Spring Ball if it means I have to kill you." She turned towards the exit. "I need to be going... but it was nice meeting you." The Evir nodded.
"May we meet again under more pleasant circumstances." Samus emerged back into the room with the first two Evirs.
"Lemme guess. Wrong way." She said sheepishly. They nodded.
"That way." One of them pointed at a door at the other end of the room. "There are more of us there, though... they'll try to stop you." He paused. "Is Firk..."
"He's fine." Samus assured him. "I didn't touch him." They smiled gratefully.
"Once again, we can allow you to go unharmed. I only wish we could offer our thanks."
"It's okay. I understand." She walked past.
"Oh... hold on." One of them chimed up. "In the next room, use a Power Bomb to open the passage back to the Draygon... the normal way isn't it." She waved a hand over her shoulder in acknowledgement, then did as they told her, and went through the door in the ceiling revealed by the explosion. The room she came out in had several doors. The one that caught her attention most, though, was labeled "Plasma Beam Storage." Unfortunately, it was locked. "Dammit!"
"Getting a little overeager, are we?" A speaker crackled. "Just where were you going, little miss Aran? Did you forget about our fight?"
"Hardly." Samus snarled. "I fell in one of YOUR sandtraps. Now, do you mind unlocking this door?"
"Actually, I do." Draygon laughed. "I'm not THAT stupid. However, I'll give you this. The moment you enter my chamber and the door closes behind you, I shall unlock that door. If you win, you get that Plasma Beam, plus another Chozo artifact that I've got here with me. You've never seen anything like it... but I'm sure you'll like it. If you win, that is, which you won't, but hey, gotta keep up appearances, huh? Come on, already!"
"Sold." Samus quipped. "You should have been a used car salesman."
"Shut up." Draygon growled. "Lower door will lead you back here. And hurry up!" Ignoring that last part, Samus walked through the correct door. Before long, she was back in Motchroid territory; fortunately, they were still pathetically weak against her Ice Beam. She cleared them all out fairly quickly.
"Stupid clones..." The bounty hunter muttered. She filled up at a nearby Energy Station, then entered the next room to be confronted by a bed of spikes, nothing more. She frowned, and used her X-Ray visor. Sure enough, the spikes were fake. Holographic. And below them, with a Missile Tank in front of it, was a now-familiar giant eye the size of a door. Samus dropped down, grabbed the Tank and killed the eye, then went in the door that appeared... onto nothing. There was no floor on the other side of the door; at least not at first. She found the floor about twenty feet below. Growling, the bounty hunter got back up and looked around.
"All right, Draygon... where are you?" She was promptly hit by a painful blast. Turning, she saw the source; a plasma cannon built into the wall. There were four of them, and she discovered they were immune to her Beams. Samus was about to try Missiles when movement caught her eye, and she spun at four Evir. "Which one of you's-oh." None of them had skulls on their headcrests. They looked like servants, and swam towards the exit. Samus frowned. "But where is he, then?"
"RIGHT HERE!" Suddenly, she was hit by a force equivalent to that of a speeding Mack truck. Groaning, the bounty hunter got back up and turned to see a HUGE Evir! "Time to die, Samus Aran!" Draygon shrieked, diving towards her again with astonishing speed. Samus was barely able to jump aside and fire a Super Missile... which exploded harmlessly against his armored exoskeletal back.
"Damn Kraid for inventing Sys-Gro anyways!" She yelled, dodging the plasma cannons. Draygon snickered and turned towards her again. With a shudder, Samus realized that his eyes were completely mad.
"Are you... scared, Samus Aran?!" Laughing insanely, he dove at her once more. Samus stood her ground and tried a different target with her Super; his soft underbelly. This time, it hurt him. Screeching, he mowed her down again. The bounty hunter jumped to her feet and winced as another plasma shot found her. Draygon turned around and got another Super to the gut immediately.
"ARGH! Fine, then! Playtime is over!" Hacking, the giant Evir spat a wad of white goo at her. Unprepared, Samus was hit, and discovered to her horror that it was webbing. Grinning, Draygon swooped down and easily picked her up. "Are you having fun now, Samus Aran?" Suddenly, his face changed to a hideous scowl, and he began stabbing her with his spearlike tail. "WELL?! ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME!"
"..." Samus gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing her scream as she worked to get free of the webbing. Finally, it dissolved, and she pumped Supers into the sadistic Evir point blank. Screaming, he dropped her, and the last Super missed, smashing one of the wall plasma cannons instead. It shattered, revealing a sparking mess of wiring. Samus blinked, confused.
"Hold on there... that's electrical! Why aren't we frying?"
"Stupid bounty hunter!" Draygon giggled, slamming her against the wall. "The workings are specially insulated so they can't leak electricity. The only way this could possibly zap us is if there was a direct channel of energy connecting you to a broken cannon!"
"Oh, really?" Samus murmured, suddenly getting an idea. Part of her said it was suicidal... but the other part knew Draygon was weak to electricity. Summoning up all her courage, Samus intentionally let herself get hit by one of the webbing shots. Draygon cackled and grabbed her again.
"You're not getting away this time! You will die, slowly, oh so slowly!" He started to slowly crush her while attacking with his tail again, and Samus knew she had to act now.
"Hey, Draygon... just in case what I'm about to do kills the both of us, here are my last words..." The Evir blinked.
"Last words? Hardly! You'll be saying a lot more before long, little... wait. What did you mean, bot-"
"THIS IS REALLY STUPID!" Screaming, Samus extended her Grappling Beam and plugged it into the destroyed plasma wall cannon. Instantly, millions of volts of electricity blasted down the line, through Samus, and into the stunned Draygon. The pain was excruciating, but Samus held on, keeping the connection even as her Energy Tanks were drained one by one within seconds. As agonizing as the electricity was to Samus, it was a thousand times worse for Draygon. The Evir screamed and writhed, smoke coming from his shell.
"NO! I WILL NOT LET YOU GO!" Insane beyond even survival instincts now, he continued to cling to Samus, trying one last time to kill her. "DIE, SAMUS ARAN!" Samus stiffened as she felt the claws slowly, inexorably close around her... and then, with a sound like a popcorn kernel erupting, she was suddenly freed from Draygon's killer embrace. Finally shutting off the Grapple Beam, Samus slid to the ground. Draygon's corpse lay next to her, completely fried, forever locked in that same stiff pose. The last move he ever made was to close his eyes. Samus shook herself to clear her head, then took a scan and a picture for the bounty. A moment later, the door above her opened.
"Huh?" Looking up, Samus saw the two Evir she had first met, along with the four servants she had found in here. Also accompanying them... was Firk. "Huh? How'd you get down here so fast?"
"..." Firk swam down towards his nephew, followed by the other six Evir in two rows. "After I met you... somehow I knew that the position of Clan-Chief would be passed on this day. I knew that Dray would die."
"Dray?" Samus frowned. Firk nodded.
"It is his true name... with his death, he is no longer Clan-Chief. I lead our clan... I am the Firkgon now. We will wait until the coast is clear, then leave here, and be Pirates no longer." Samus nodded in approval, then looked at Dray, who the other Evirs had lifted onto their shoulders.
"And him?"
"We shall give him a proper burial... even if he was twisted and evil, he was still our Chief." Firk sighed. "That is the way of us Evir. Before we leave... I would like to have you as a friend, Samus Aran." Samus grinned.
"You've already got it."
"Thank you." He smiled back and deposited something in her hand. It was the Spring Ball. "Since we are no longer enemies... please, take this. Also, recently I delivered something else like this to Dray. It should still be here." Samus nodded and began searching. Before long, she found it; a spherical orange jewel with two large points rising from its top like horns. Taking it, she discovered it was called the Space Jump. Wide-eyed, the bounty hunter continued to discover that it would allow her to generate force equivalent to pushing off the ground at the height of a jump. In other words... she could stay in the air indefinately. A huge, happy grin came to her face.
"Draygon spoke the truth about one thing... he was right when he said I'd be interested in this. Watch out, Ridley... you're not the only one who can fly anymore."