Slug and Rirudo hover high above the earth beside the feeding Gete Star.
Rirudo acts first. He races at Slug while raising a fist to strike.
Power expands across Slug's body. His muscles tense beneath his skin. He vanishes as the punch passes through where his head used to be.
Rirudo searches for his opponent. His spine bends hard as a kicking shin crashes against it. His body launches from the swinging limb. He cannot stop himself.
As he hurtles, Slug appears beside him and throws a punch. The knuckles bury themselves in his gut. Whiplash from the sudden stop creases him at the waist. Before he can grab his stomach, Slug clasps his hands together and slams the back of Rirudo's head.
Rirudo crashes to the ground far below without any attempt to slow himself. He lies at the bottom of the crater created by his fall. Pain cripples every muscle. His mangled limbs bend in misshapen directions while various bones protrude from within.
"How can a being of pure flesh possess such power," he says. "I've received numerous upgrades, and yet his strength is far beyond my own."
Agony forces screams out of him as his bones rend themselves back into place with horrible crunching noises. He waits for them to stop squirming beneath his skin and muscles before standing up. His feet leave the ground as he drifts to the top of the crater, electric blue liquid still dripping from his wounds.
Scattered around him are the dismembered pieces of the Sigma Force. He dashes to a pair of blue shins and feet with a lightning bolt prong on the ankles. His hands pick them up and slap them against the sides of his own lower legs.
Slug watches with horrified astonishment as Rirudo's body fuses with the detached limbs. He senses a rise in power from his enemy and charges immediately.
Steam and heat distort the air around Rirudo's legs. He grits his teeth as suppressed screams break from his throat. The melding of skin and metal burn as they merge. The edges of the metal liquify to graft itself to his body.
The fusion finishes, leaving Rirudo with sleek blue shins and feet. The line between himself and fallen comrade is indistinguishable.
Slug charges a ki blast and fires it. Just before it can make contact, his enemy streaks away with blue electric arcs trailing him. Slug sees him pick up the head of the red leader as he continues to chase the enemy down.
Rirudo presses the face of his dead ally into the back of his own head. The sizzling and steam from before return as the fusion takes place once more.
Slug reaches Rirudo as the red helmet with jet fighter fins takes a seamless shape around his head, leaving only his eyes exposed. He lashes out with a ferocious kick. Rirudo drops backward beneath the attack and zooms away. Slug follows.
"With my increased speed, you'll never catch me," says Rirudo.
Slug fires a barrage of ki bolts.
Calculations and projected paths of each sphere based on their speed and trajectory process in Rirudo's mind and appear on the screens of his eyes. He finds the safest escape route and darts out. He laughs as he avoids the attack.
"And with my increased mental computing power, I can predict the outcomes of every move you make instantly. And with this…"
He picks up the giant green torso built like tank armor and presses it to his chest. Slug attempts to interfere, but is again thwarted.
Rirudo picks up the yellow arms of the final Sigma Force member as the chest piece finishes fusing to his torso. He slams the yellow boxing glove gauntlets to the back of his forearms and suffers through the burning sensation for the last time. With his augmentations complete, he smirks and squares up for another bout. Slug grimaces at the amalgamation of parts standing before him.
Rirudo blitzes forth and is on Slug in an instant. He zips around him at astonishing speed. Rirudo dodges every attack Slug throws with calculated efficiency. He counters with high velocity punches and kicks from his enhanced limbs.
The bruises pile up on Slug. A final blow to the head knocks Slug back. He staggers around for balance. Rirudo's laugh beats his ears.
"You're no match for me now. Flesh and blood cannot compete with the Gete Star's technology."
Slug steadies himself. He tightens his fingers into his palms. A smile graces his lips.
"Your new power is impressive. But I'm just beginning to tap into my own. Huryaaah!"
A magnificent aura blossoms around Slug. Brilliant white and gold flames blaze upward. He charges forth breaking the limits of before.
Rirudo's eyes scan the increased speed. Instead of giving him certain predictions of where each strike will land, it gives him probabilities. He blocks the first two hits going with the greater percentages, but a third slips through. A heavy uppercut lifts him from his feet.
With his enemy prone, Slug lifts his knee high and stomps Rirudo in the chest. The strike sends his foe into a whirl of somersaults.
Rirudo bursts across the land until he hits a solid rock formation. His body buries deep inside the structure. The rocks shake and beams of light escape through forming cracks. The whole things explodes with energy leaving Rirudo standing where it once was. He rolls his shoulders in their sockets as Slug arrives above him with his arms crossed.
"Had enough," says Slug.
"Hardly," says Rirudo. "My enhanced endurance has proven more impressive than I could have hoped. Let's go green knight."
"As you wish. Raigeki Ryusei!"
White plasma drips upward from Slug's palm. It forms an oozing sphere with golden electric arcs. He hurls the charged mass at Rirudo.
Warning indications and projections appear in Rirudo's vision. He leaps high avoiding both the ki attack and the resulting explosion. The ground super heats to white hot. It and the air around him crackle with electricity. A bolt of lightning streaks from the ground and tears a jagged scar through the sky. It strikes Rirudo. He spasms with every jolt channeling up his spine as the technique carries him upward. When the brilliant flash subsides, Rirudo floats with eyes rolled back and smoldering burn marks smudging the sheen of his skin.
Rirudo breaks from the induced paralysis and finds Slug charging him. He dashes straight for Slug. The surprise tactic catches Slug off guard. Rirudo slams a knee into his opponent's gut, bending him over it. Rirudo straightens his arm overhead and drops his elbow against the back of Slug's skull.
Slug dives from the impact. He sees Rirudo smiling in triumph as he falls. Slug pulls his arms to his sides before throwing out his hands. His arms snake forth extending several times their length. His fingers clamp on Rirudo's ankles.
Slug halts his fall by using Rirudo as an anchor. As he does, his body swings backward on the tether of his arms. He yanks them down, dragging Rirudo from the sky. His hands release and send the machine mutant reeling. He moves closer and lets his extended arms do the punching from afar.
Rirudo takes an initial hammering before regaining his bearings. He floats between the rain of blows and advances his position a little at a time.
Seeing his flurry having no effect, Slug inhales through his nostrils. Ki boils at the bottom of his lungs and stomach. His mouth opens, and a golden white light shines from the back of his throat. He exhales the huge breath.
A flaming radiant ki bolt launches at Rirudo. He dodges it and ducks a close fist. Another shining orb comes from Slug's mouth. Again Rirudo dodges but gets nicked by a knuckle.
The divine hail increases as does the speed of the fists. Rirudo's advance halts as he is forced backward by the new tactic. His computing brain heats up in his metal skull as the processing power tries to keep up with the heroic effort.
An unnoticed hand grabs Rirudo's forearm. He spares it a moment's glance, but that is all Slug needs.
Slug's other hand grabs Rirudo's opposite calf. Both pull in different directions and stretch Rirudo to the limits of their sockets. The arms retract and bring his victim closer. Slug inhales hard and breathes forth a stream of gold and white flames. They bathe Rirudo's body. Slug lets him go, and the burning carcass drops to the ground.
Slug watches the fire die out as the injured life force inside beats with anger. Rirudo gathers himself and stares upward. He extends his arms to the side. Ghastly green plasma sparks from his palms. An aura of the same material envelops his body while the torches in his hands grow larger.
"You've done well green knight, but this ends now. You will not dodge this attack."
Rirudo claps his hands at full extension of his arms. His fingers peel apart and spread wide. His index fingers and thumbs form a diamond with Slug in the middle.
His whole aura channels to his hands. A beam of plasma pulses from them. The laser fires like a sniper shot.
Slug uses his minimal time to inhale. His chest inflates. It expands like the throat of a frog. The massive pectorals overtake most of his body as the rest of him grows to keep up. His golden and white aura flares.
The green rifle bullet strikes the brilliant fire. A blinding flash and piercing screech shatter the sky. Rirudo waits for his senses to clear.
His eyes finish blinking. A blurry vision comes into focus. A green cloud falls from a painful yellow light.
The gigantic form of Slug drops. His shadow engulfs Rirudo. A black burn off center of his chest festers with charred skin.
Slug roars as his body slams the earth, crushing Rirudo beneath his immense girth.
The landscape shakes. A dust storm billows outward from the crash site. Slug rises to his knees from the attack. He winces and cradles the left side of his chest.
He spies Ridudo's broken body amongst the rubble. It twitches. Slug pinches the mutant's head between two of his fingers. He lifts him to chest level. His other hand cocks his middle finger behind its thumb. It flicks free. The hard nail clinks against the metal skin.
Rirudo torpedoes towards the Gete Star. His body punctures the hull and disappears deep within. Slug's hands drop to the ground. His fingers scrape furrow in the soil as the balls of his feet dig into the ground. He breaks from the spot in a hurdling jog.
His chest flattens against the hull of the Gete Star. His arms spread wide to its base. He struggles to get hold of the ship as his fingers shovel underneath. He leans back and presses from his legs. Despite it being three times his size, the ship squeals as the metal sphere breaks free of its crater and lifts.
"I'm going to blast this forsaken thing into the sun."
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."
Rirudo's digitized voice rings out from the whole Gete Star.
Slug looks up. A giant fist of sparkling white steel knocks his jaw loose. The fleeting image of Rirudo's massive head and right arm emerging from the hull of the ship shakes free of his eyes as they settle in their sockets. The Gete Star falls back to the ground.
Rirudo's bleached torso slides along the surface of the ship as if moving through a liquid. His shimmering white hand secures itself around Slug's throat.
Slug's own hands grab the strangling forearm. His palms wrench up and down on the slick steel, but he cannot break Rirudo's new strength. He stares into the beady red eyes of his foe. They are the only color amongst the bright white of the new form.
Rirudo's other hand pokes free of the Gete Star's metal shell. It points at Slug and fires a plasma beam. The sting rips straight through his body. Purple blood stains his robes. He drops to right knee. His giant body shrinks as the air in his lungs grows old and life pours from his wound.
Rirudo laughs and yanks Slug from the ground as his form diminishes. He retreats inside the Gete Star, bringing Slug with him. A hole swirls open to consume Slug as Rirudo disappears into the dark interior.
Slug starts as he comes too. His hand clenches the wound in his abdomen. Blood gushes up to cover it. He searches his surroundings.
The inside of the Gete Star is white like the exterior but poorly lit. Various colored bulbs blink on and off casting different shades of dimness. Supporting structures that look like webbing or tendons are strewn about the inside to hold the massive outer shell together.
He realizes he lies at the bottom of the ship. He looks up. Held in the epicenter of the Gete Star is a huge sphere. Its crystal clear case is filled with a yellowish green liquid. Inside that liquid floats a giant neuron cell. Flabby tendrils branding from the main body attach to receptors sitting at the edge of the pod. Electric impulses channel from the body to the receptors and flow along huge cables to the rest of the ship.
A powerful tail whips around the chamber. A red nucleus protrudes from the thing's body. An eyeball within the red swivels to focus on Slug.
Rirudo's voice echoes around him.
"It's beautiful isn't it."
Slug searches for a source.
"The Gete Star can assimilate all life forms and reconstruct them as perfect beings."
Slug finds a normal sized head of Rirudo sprouting from the metal floor next to him. He forms a fist and smashes it down. It strikes only metal as the head merges with the floor before contact.
Another head grows from a girder high above him.
"And it has chosen me as its champion. It has accepted me as a part of itself and elevated me to the highest possible status."
"Don't be ridiculous," says Slug, choking on blood. "It didn't choose you. It's just desperate, and you're all it has. Can't you see it's just using you?"
"Of course you don't understand. But I see it clearly now. Together, we will purify the universe. Unite everything under our singular will."
Slug fumbles about as he rises. He stumbles towards the nerve cell swishing back and forth in its pod.
Maybe if I destroy that, he thinks, I can stop this madness.
As he hobbles along, white apparitions emerge from the walls and floor all around him. Ghostly pale clones of Rirudo surround him from every angle.
"You cannot escape us," the clones say. "The Gete Star and I are one and the same now."
The voices form a horrific chorus.
"And soon, you shall be too."
Each member of the Rirudo army stabs a finger at Slug. Plasma lasers zip from their tips, cutting through the air.
Slug pumps ki to reinforce his body and covers his head with his arms. The thin javelins pierce his flesh. Instead of fading, they linger and burn the wounds they make. When the volley ends, Slug's arms slide from their protective embrace and dangle before him as he slumps over. Blood runs from the two dozen wounds decorating his body. The hum of the plasma spears drones in his ears.
"You're still standing," say the clones. "Good, we need a strong commander to take my place."
The duplicates close in around Slug. He huffs for air. A wry smile parts his lips.
"You're not the only one who can duplicate himself," says Slug.
The doppelgangers stop. Slug tightens his arms around his belly. The sensor readings in Rirudo's eyes elevate as Slug's power swells. They raise their fingers once more. Tiny ki marbles form at their tips.
Slug's immense aura erupts forth once more. The plasma spines covering his body dislodge and ride the wave. They impale several of the closest replicas.
Several Slug clones rip themselves free of his body and follow behind the blast. Each of them crashes into the line of remaining Rirudos. They push them back and entangle them in their extending limbs. The original Slug sprints at breakneck speed for the core of the Gete Star.
The giant neuron sways in its pod. Its elastic skin stretches but never breaks from the nodes they connect to. Electric pulses ride along the cables into the dark of the ship.
Something slithers along the floor and trips Slug. He crashes to his face. When he looks up, Rirudo grins down at him as he flows up from the metal surface as though it were a puddle.
"I told you, you cannot win green knight. Now join us."
He points a finger at Slug's head. A glowing green marble forms at its tip. Its aim settles between Slug's eyes. It fires.
The beam sizzles Slug's ear as he rises to a kneeling position and pulls Rirudo's forearm aside with his left hand. The mutant raises the other arm to punch him. Slug catches the fist in his right palm.
"Why do you persist!" says Rirudo. "Resistance is a futile struggle."
A golden and white light outlines Slug's body. Wisps of flame take flight from it. He pulls Rirudo's forearm down.
"With my left arm, I preserve our people's past."
Slug pushes the fist he clenches aside as well.
"And with my right arm, I protect our future."
The arms waver back and forth as they wrestle for dominance. Slug gathers ki in his stomach and lifts one foot from its kneeling position. His mouth drops open. Light radiates from the back of his throat. Rirudo screams.
A concentrated jet of golden flames melt a hole in Rirudo's chest. It expands outward until the torso breaks apart. Slug flings the detached arms aside as the legs fall to the floor. Flaming cinders litter the ground.
He sprints through the burning carnage while charging a golden ki sphere between his palms. He leaps and fires the shot at the eye in the center for the nucleus. It shatters the glass, plunges through the liquid, and hits its mark.
The neuron stretches from its anchor points as the force drives it backward. Several arms snap from their secured positions. The white membrane stretches until it touches the back of its pod. The body slingshots forward and sends the ki attack ricocheting back.
Slug dives out of the way. He lands hard on his shoulder. The burn on his chest and the deep puncture wound of his abdomen radiate pain. Every point of impalement from the plasma beams scream in agony.
He hears the sounds of shattering glass and snapping steel. He watches the neuron cell break the bonds fastening it to the chamber. Its long tail smashes the glass around it. It rips the last leg free and drops to the floor.
It skitters like a spider toward Slug. Its tail probes like a scorpion's stinger. Slug pulls himself to his feet with the help of a support structure. He takes flight to avoid being trampled. He wavers through the tail strikes stabbing at him.
The neuron scales the walls and support beams to keep up an unrelenting chase. Slug gasps for air as he weaves between the stings of the tail. He gathers up the last of his champion's power and prepares for a final push.
The tail lashes once more. He pumps ki to his arms. They triple in size and keep inflating at a rapid pace. The rest of his body lags behind as it grows.
His hands grab the tail before it can hit his chest. The neuron alternates between withdrawing the appendage and striking with it. Slug tightens his grip and tenses his arms as he is tossed around. He cannot afford for the stinger to push into his body or slip from his grasp.
Nausea and vertigo attack his stomach and mind. He clenches his teeth as he waits for full expansion of his body. His eyes close as he visualizes himself holding still to combat the sickening movement.
The neuron smashes him through several beams, breaking his concentration. His eyes flash open. Recognizing he has reached the size of his enemy, he plants his feet on the ground. Firmly set, he curls his left bicep to form a ninety degree angle. His right arm forces the tail around his wrist so it wraps around his forearm. One coil at a time, he reels the monster in.
The neuron's tendril arms scramble to pull itself away from Slug. Each loop is harder than the next to wrap around his forearm. The neuron tightens the coils to cut off circulation to the limb. Slug watches his hand fade to deeper shades of blue.
With his entire forearm strangled by the tail, Slug tugs on the tendril to try and get it under his elbow. It rubs his skin raw in the effort to force the coil around the bend. His fingers feel like they will pop off from how tight they pinch in the coils of the tail.
He exhales and the tail rips free of his hand. The force of it slamming back in line with the rest pulls him off balance. He stumbles after the neuron as it crawls away from him.
Slug leans back and drags his feet. With a hefty heave, his right hand drags the tail upward. The main body follows behind it. With the enemy off the ground, he yanks the tail behind him so the body lands at his feet. When it crashes down, he stomps a foot on the nucleus. The eye rolls to look at him.
The nucleus is squishy but firm. It deforms beneath the weight of his foot. He presses harder. It scrambles and flails to get free.
In his peripherals, Slug sees many shapes seep from the walls and supports. Half-torsos of Rirudo point at him. Their attacks blink on as they prepare their assault.
The plasma spears pin themselves in his skin as they fire. Each one pricks with a fiery heat. They bite his tired muscles.
"You cannot defeat us!" says the many voices of Rirudo. "We are superior."
Slug roars. The veins in his neck bulge.
The clones chorus again.
"Now die with the rest of the pathetic life forms of this universe."
Another wave of shots blink in the hazy darkness.
Slug roars again. He lets the tail go as all of his ki channels to a focal point in his heel. With his whole body devoid of ki to protect himself, the next volley shoots.
Slug stomps his foot to the floor. The nucleus splatters in every direction. The unison of agony from the Rirudo duplicates deafens his ears. The plasma javelins pierce his body from every direction. They pass through the soft tissue with ease as they exit the opposite side they entered.
Riddled with bleeding holes, Slug falls to his back. As his eyes close, the lights of the ship fade to black with him.
###
Slug feels as though he floats in a divine fluid. An elusive dream sequence plays through his mind. He watches his fellow Namekians gather his body from the Gete Star. He hears their concerns of how he will not live. The scene grows murkier as bright light obscures it. The voices echo away into the distance.
A familiar voice penetrates the dampening fog. The sound of Nail weeping and begging for him to be okay compels him to embrace the boy in his arms. He wills for it to be so, but his thoughts cannot find a body to act. Guru's voice assures Nail the very best healers are working as hard as they can. Unable to comfort the youngling, Slug's consciousness drifts back into the fog.
How much time passes in this strange realm he cannot determine. The lucidity of the images and sounds he receives varies. Guru and Nail seem to spend the most time with him while the healers rotate shifts on an endless cycle.
One conversation in particular catches his interest. It seems the elders have been exploring the remains of the Gete Star. One approached Guru with their discoveries. The suggestion is made to study the technology for the purpose of creating their own means of leaving the planet. Guru seems hesitant to condone such preparations. The pain and suffering from the current tragedy weigh heavy on his mind. After what may be several days of deliberation, Guru approves the plan.
Slug cannot remember it happening, but he finds himself in a void of pure darkness.
"So this is life after death," he says.
"He's waking up!"
Nail's words excite his ears. Slug's eyes flutter open. He finds himself in a bed staring at a ceiling. Nail's smiling face bounces up and down beside him. Slug looks into his eyes and smiles back.
"You're alive. You're alive," says Nail. "I knew you were too awesome to leave us."
Tears shimmer in Nail's eyes. Slug looks past him to find Guru. The elder nods at him.
"I'm so happy to see you awake," says Guru.
"It's good to be back Lord Guru. I just wish you had told me the first day on the job would be so rough."
The three of them laugh. Tears stream down Nail's cheeks as he leans in for a hug. Slug wraps him in his tired but strong arms.
Author's Note 5/6/22: Just in case no one told you today, you are awesome! Don't compare yourself to what others are doing. You are doing your own thing and that is what matters most. See you in the next one.