I whipped around, shocked by U-Mos's blood curdling scream. Dray, Samus, and Ghor turned too to see the Luminoth on his feet, shaking like mad. His eyes were running Phazon, and it was pouring from his gasping mouth. It was the worst, however, from his abdomen, which was completely soaked blue from the Phazon that chuted from it. His hands were raking at his stomach, and U-Mos tripped back, hitting the floor and twisting his long body around as he yelled in pain.

We were all glued to our spots, gaping at the macabre that played before us. I didn't think this situation could get any worse as a pool formed around him.

But then it did, and my entire form went as cold as my manipulated ice.

Something shot out from U-Mos's wound, writhing like a giant worm. He screamed harder, and even harder still as four more forced themselves from his abdomen, wiggling at the air in freedom. The Phazon dripped off of them, and I found the things to be transparent and tender looking, glowing brightly. The tentacle tips pushed against the surface of his stomach, pulling something large and jellyfish-like from inside his body. It squeezed itself out of the poor Luminoth, and I noticed the curved, soft head that contained a big organ, maybe a brain. Veins were strung across the elastic shell from within, like a Metroid's. I was stupefied when the parasite that had once been inside of U-Mos opened a pair of red, circular eyes, flecked with spots of orange and yellow.

"No!! I don't believe it!!" Samus cried, running into the table she stood dumbfounded in front of. "The Essence of Metroid Prime... I destroyed you!!"

The thing hovered above its original host, the peculiar orbs that gave it vision studying us. To mine and everyone else's alarm, the creature descended gracefully to the ground, standing on the five tendrils like feet. Then, it grew and shaped itself into a form that resembled Dark Samus's, and once the dark pigments and arm gun formed, I thought knew the malicious being that stood in the same room.

She was see-through, I could fully view her internal structure. Bones that were armored made up her translucent figure, and yellow eye balls that never blinked were on her thighs, hand, forehead, and calves. Her face was just a skull, with three more eyes that remained unblinking. The spiked shoulder pads looked holey, and cores of pure Phazon beamed brightly inside. A ball of red light was within her upper chest, with more little veins that traveled through her clear body.

Dark Samus threw her head back, bending her knees and laughing like a maniac. Her laughter was low and controlled at first, but as the seconds went by, it heightened to a pitchy hysteric that chilled me to the marrow. I took a step away, gripping a countertop for balance.

"Did you really think you had defeated me? I still had an egg in my old body, and transferred it into U-Mos once he landed on me. Ha! I have many forms, as I have told you before, Rundas," she spoke, seeing my shocked face. "You can never---" she paused. "I will not die! I will never lose!! And you, my pretty little Bounty Hunters, will be the first to witness how powerful I truly am!!!" She raised her bony arm cannon, poised for one final battle.

At which, the four of us obliged.

Dark Samus rose above our heads, shooting Phazon in all directions. The blasts covered the walls and floor in blue, leaving no section of metal free. Then she tightened her fist, the eye on the top giving us a ruthless stare. We tensed for the fight, which I sensed would be bloody and terrible.

She returned to the ground and stomped her left foot, a large energy shock wave of intense orange color expanding around the chamber. I ducked behind a slumping desk, as did the other three, and peeked around the glowing edge to U-Mos.

He was still breathing, but it came out in suffering sobs. The Phazon pool was now blending with his fair blood, and he was trying to sit himself up behind Dark Samus's back. Though, from the horrifying thing he had been through, he was struggling, and keeping his grunting silent. His eyes were ablaze with anger and hatred towards the skeletal adversary.

I looked across the aisle to Samus, who was taking glances over the counter to scan her doppleganger. Ghor and Dray were arming their weapons as the dark hunter shouted, "What's the matter, hunters? Too afraid to come out and fight like true warriors?"

Samus shot upright, firing a super missile at the antagonist that chortled insanely. Her twisted joy was cut short as the projectile blew up on her thin chest, and she stumbled back, almost touching U-Mos. He pulled his legs away and scooted himself towards the door.

"Shut up!!" Samus shouted, her glare so burning it could have melted steel. "We have no problem in facing and conquering you, Dark Samus! We've done it once and we'll do it again!"

With that, Dray, Ghor, and I found our courage, getting to our feet and preparing to fight for our lives, whatever the cost. Dray was focusing her purple electricity around her hands, Ghor was cocking his plasma cannon, Samus was pointing her gun to our foe, and I was holding ice spears that were as cold and sharp as could be.

Dark Samus cackled once more, holding her cannon ready to fire. "Don't be so confident! I knocked each of you down on Norion with a single shot, and then the Phazon did the rest of my work for me! You don't stand a chance even now! I will win, Samus Aran. Make no mistake about that!"

"The only mistake here," said a weak, yet somber voice. "Is you choosing to duel with us, Worm."

The dark huntress turned and her three eyes widened at the sight of U-Mos, standing to his full, towering height. Even though he was pale, bleeding, and having trouble standing, he was extremely intimidating. I smiled as he took a step towards her. "You will suffer for your transgressions and evils heavily. May the Light of Aether curse you! May the Ing take you back as their leader, and drag you into the depths of their eternal damnation!!"

The lights flickered, and I got chills.

Dark Samus stood rigid, but acted like she hadn't even been fazed. I could tell she seemed a little uneasy about U-Mos's patriarch remarks, and she went even stiffer still when he concluded, "And may we never see you again!!"

The five us of charged toward her.