Chapter 3

The Hunter-class gunship pulled into the airlock tunnel, and sank down gently into the magnetic field of a parking place. A flat, but strong track extended to the ship's door like a snake about to devour its prey. The ship's door opened to reveal a tall, muscular, yet petite blonde woman a blue tight fitting jumpsuit with a laser pistol in holster. Her blue slender leather slip-ons met the dark metallic floor of the corridor, as she walked toward the building. Samus had opted to leave her clunky power suit on the ship to go get some food at the diner.

Perhaps after some sap sac tea and a plate of zebbo n' waffles I'll get a handle on things, reasoned Samus somewhat fallaciously. She opened the door to the main building and cheery light invaded the cold metallic hallway. The black and white tile floors supported a long white marble counter with smooth red rotating stools facing an open kitchen. The grills were visible, as was the large sparkly soda fountain and the port-windowed swing door leading to the back rooms of the diner. Several pairs of smooth red booths hugged both the far walls and were separated only by four-person marble tables. Red panel lanterns hung down over each of these tables, bathing them in the same cheery iridescent light. A relic of technology that Samus had heard called a jukebox hugged the wall adjacent to the center of the long marble counter. Various young waiters and waitresses of many different species were hurriedly but cheerfully moving about the place.

A pimply-faced redheaded dragonoid recognized Samus and immediately ushered her to a seat at the counter. Great… Astanyax is working again, thought the bounty hunter with tired disgust. He was so ridiculously enamored with her exploits, and often innocently harassed her about her adventures. But he had memorized her favorite thing on the menu. And he looked exhausted tonight. He probably would not be a bother.

However, Samus spied a rather disturbing duo at a booth over on the far wall. Their wasp-like heads gave them away immediately. A couple of Space Pirates had decided to interrupt her peace by eating at the same diner at the same time. Never mind the fact that they were wearing mere science uniforms. She felt the same distant voice in the back of her mind that had waged a vicious argument with her aboard the ship. One Pirate scientist felt her needlelike glare and acknowledged her with a momentary sneer before turning his attention back to his tablemate. Samus felt the back of her right hand pulse. She looked down at it with surprise: a small triangle positioned right below her middle knuckle. It seemed to burn blackness. With each pulse the desire to crush the two insectoids grew stronger until the hunter was forced to dig her fingers into her forearm to subside it. A little blood surfaced from the wound, which Samus quickly wiped away. Okay, if they ignore me I won't clean this diner with their carcasses.

"Samus, is everything okay?" Astanyax's slightly nasally rasp voiced genuine concern as he set her meal in front of her. "Fine, thanks," sneered the bounty hunter. The dragonoid waiter just nodded and let her be. Samus began pushing chunks of insect meat and waffle into her mouth like she had a grudge against her fork. The first sweet sip of tea brought relaxation.

Samus was just finishing her meal when the pair of Space Pirates walked past her stool toward the exit. "Is it that time of the month again, orphan?" Whispered one with a mocking snicker. That did it. Samus dropped her fork on her plate and very nearly broke it in half. The black triangle was now throbbing on the back of her right hand. An inhuman force raised her out of her seat. The pair of Pirate scientists turned around just in time to react in frozen terror at the muscular woman facing them.

Samus grabbed the first one and threw him over the counter, crashing all sorts of dishes and silverware on the tile floor with him. The second one hissed in panic before she rammed his head into the cash register with enough force to crush his exoskull. Patrons and staff had left their seats and were trying to stay along the perimeter of the building. Some were screaming. Some younger ones were crying. Most were just stunned at the carnage their eyes beheld. The first one had recovered and leapt over the counter to face the furious bounty hunter.

"Ssso, you want to cause problems, eh?" Hissed the Pirate. "We are pretty good at solving problems of wanted criminals." Samus simply charged over to him and broke his jaw with one punch. In fact, the punch very nearly snapped his neck. Sheer surprise from this very fact took all movement from him. Samus seized his body with strength not her own and dragged it to the burgers cooking on the grill. She swiftly swept aside the meat patties as the wretch struggled aimlessly to get free of her unreasonably strong clutch. She then forced his battered head down onto the grill and turned the fire up to full force. He felt his slender cheeks frying on the black iron slab and screamed bloody murder at the pain. Sinister laughter emanated from the woman as the scent of grilling insect filled the air. By the time the scientist managed to wiggle free, his face was cooked beyond recognition.

"Now you see the price of pissing me off, you miserable fecal dwellers. Your whole species will die at my hands. Now get out of here before I decide to launch you out the airlock. I would be doing this universe a favor." Samus' mind immediately reasserted itself and she dropped to her butt in embarrassment and terror at what she had done. The horribly burned Space Pirate scientist tried desperately to see through blistered lenses to find his comatose partner. It was a rather pathetic site to watch him bump into seats and chairs while choking out his partner's name through swelled mandibles. No one else in the place dared move for fear of what she might do to them. She rose up, face a mixture of fear and embarrassment, and she swiftly jogged toward the exit. Before she left, she stopped near the dented register, and typed in a few thousand credits to compensate for the damage while cursing herself under her breath.

Samus quickly got in her ship and left for the remote region of space that held the planet SR388. The ride there was interesting. The last thing she wanted to hear was the voice of Adam Malkovich. But sure enough:

"Lady, I heard commotion from within the diner. What happened?"

Samus just stared in stunned silence at the gunship's view screen. Her mind played the scene on constant loop.

"Lady?"

"Not now, Adam," commanded Samus. The computer recognized her grave tone and did not pursue inquiry.

What the hell did I just do? Not only did I injure a couple of legal civilians in a neutral section of space, but also I can never go back to my favorite diner. I had to spend all my last paycheck for my outburst. And I think I screwed my reputation beyond repair. But what scares me the most is that I enjoyed the senseless violence. It was pure bliss. It was like dropping a blob of aloe vera on terrible sunburn. That settles it. I'm going to take this ship back to Hylia and give the Triforce of Power to Zelda. I can't handle this…

Yes I can. I can. That was just a little accident, that's all. If I just focus more discipline next time; just a little longer. I'll keep it just a little longer. Just until I accomplish my mission…