This Chapter's a little short. I was really tired when I finished writing this and had to go to bed. Hope you still like it!

P.S. Was that last chapter something or what?! XD

Quiet took us all like the plague. No one moved, or breathed, or even thought of anything else than the horrible nightmare we had all just witnessed. Dark Samus's screams still rang in my ears, and I held Samus as if I would be dragged into you-know-where by the demons themselves. I was shaking from fear, pulse thudding rapidly and my breath quick.

I looked down stiffly to Samus, who's eyes were wide. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, or anything?" I asked, squeezing her softly.

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just... really creeped out."

"Is your suit..." I mumbled, examining her damaged Varia plating.

"It's fine. Nothing a few regeneration sequences from my ship won't cure. Are you all right?"

I smiled at her, making an effort. "If you're safe, then I am."

Dray, Ghor, and U-Mos approached us, each of them blanch, with dumbstruck expressions. Dray's mouth hung open in horror, Ghor was tense, and U-Mos was weak looking.

"She's really gone?" the Luminoth asked, voice faint. He glanced to where the portal had previously been.

"Yes," Samus sighed, shoulders slumping in relief. "That wicked monster is finally dead. And good crap, was it a way to die."

Ghor swallowed. "So what now? Do we assist the Federation?"

I was confused. "Why? Didn't they-"

Dray interrupted me. "Weavel told us that they had been overthrown by the armies from Phaaze II."

My eyes widened. "Are you serious? Then yeah! Let's help the Feds!" I turned with Samus still close to me, heading towards the door.

"Wait."

I looked back at U-Mos, surprised. "What is it?"

"Before we disembark, I must return the favor to you. For saving my life." He held his hand out, palm up. "You need your memories back."

I had forgotten that. "Right now? Even in your present condition?"

He nodded. "I am willing. Even after I fought you, I was shown kindness. I wish to be of service to you as well."

Samus went giddy. "Yes! He'll do it! Go, Rundas! Let him!" She left my arms and pushed me towards him, her smile showing through her visor.

She then realized that she was overreacting, and cleared her throat. Standing with her feet together and her hands behind her back, Samus said more calmly, "Remember your past, Rundas. What are you waiting for? Go on."

Chuckling softly, I stood before U-Mos, staring up at him. "How does this work?"

"Shh. Be silent. This process is very delicate," he ordered humbly, closing his eyes and lifting his three fingers to either one of my temples. I bowed my head, eager to see what would happen. "I must take the memories from deep within your mind, where you cannot reach them..."

I listened to him trail off, and grew worried when he didn't touch me. For a few moments, his fingertips hovered on the sides of my head. I looked up, confused. "U-Mos? Are you-"

He backed away. "I am sorry. I just... can't..." He wrapped both arms around his abdomen, running into the window and trying to hide the pain on his face. He had gone paler, almost white.

"What do you mean?" Samus asked in dolefulness.

We all watched as U-Mos sunk to his knees, eyes wide and Phazon running from between his forearms, dribbling to the floor and his thighs. "The Parasite... is... primed..."

Samus was immediately at his side, parting his limbs quickly. Once they were free of blocking his wound, a spill of watery Phazon rivered onto the ground. It looked like any ordinary blue mutagen, except for the tiny, ivory, wiggling worms that collected in the pool.

We all recoiled. "What's happening to me?!" U-Mos panicked.

Samus scanned him swiftly. "You're growing more unstable by the second. The Parasite is preparing to corrupt. Phazon is building inside you at an alarmingly fast rate..." I could tell she was reading the entry, only replacing certain words to speak directly to the Luminoth. "In five minutes, your body won't be able to withstand the Phazon levels."

"Then what do we do?" U-Mos asked with a strained voice, trying to keep his gaze off the grubs he had just gotten out of his system.

"If you don't expel all that Phazon, you'll most likely explode," she replied, grabbing his hand.

She instantaneously let go, the veins on his palm lighting up bright blue. The luminescence rapidly crept up his arm, eventually crawling over his shoulder and streaming over his chest, to his other arm, and up his face. He glowed brilliantly once he had been fully overwhelmed.

U-Mos started to quiver again, then his hand flew to his stomach, and he slid onto his back, twisting in torment. "It's... not happy... Does...n't... want to be... thrown out..." He made the best attempt he could to speak clearly. But, his sentence was separated and pinched in suffering.

"What do we do now?" Dray asked when we joined Samus next to the radiating creature. "Where do we take him?"

Samus stood quickly. "Grab onto something, guys. He's not going to make it running to my ship."

I seized a bar on the floor, and the other two clenched whatever they could get their hands on. Samus held a computer screen, commanding her fighter to come to the command deck window. I heard a small voice say, "Data received."

Soon enough, her vessel floated into view, cannons aimed at the glass. "Ready?" I tightened my grip, and noticed that U-Mos wasn't clinging to anything.

"Samus! What about U-Mos?!" I said really fast.

"Don't worry about him. He'll be fine. Okay, hold your breaths... GO!" she saluted to her spacecraft.

The starship fired a barrage of missiles at the window, which shattered on first contact. We were all sucked out of the empty sill violently, despite our clutches. The hull parted, revealing the inner cockpit. Samus, Ghor, Dray, U-Mos, and I were whisked into the cramped control room, landing with thumps and muffled, "Oof's!"

The owner of the ship closed the hatch once we were inside, activating the gravity system and piping air into the place. I exhaled heavily, breathing deeply the fresh oxygen that my lungs craved. That was only what... a two second trip into outer space? What was wrong with me?

"Get seated, everybody. There's not telling when U-Mos is going to surfeit." She sat herself in the chair, igniting the engines and without us getting comfortable at all, blasted to some unknown location.