Hello readers! I know it has been a while. But college is harder than I thought. I'm tying to keep a balance between this and my other fic so, expect delays. Anyways hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2

Samus rested her hand upon her arm cannon as she walked stealthily through the foliage. Jack followed in a quiet, incautious stride. "He's way too carefree." Samus thought. Her eyes prying around every tree, structure or bolder, searching for the slightest indication of danger. Jack looked around as if he was simply there for a nature outing. Samus was about to voice her concerns when her companion spoke up. "This place is very beautiful." Samus looked at him with an expression of slight confusion. "Why aren't you taking this seriously?" Samus asked with annoyance entering her voice. "I'm simply enjoying myself while I can. We only get one life." Jack answered with enthusiasm. Samus sighed to herself. "I still don't understand how he can be so happy all the time." Samus thought as she shook her head in slight amusement. "Whatever, I just met this guy." She muttered to herself. "Hm, what was that?" Jack asked. "... nothing." Samus replied quietly. Jack looked on with a hint of skepticism, but he went back to his own thoughts.

From what Samus had told him, he was on an alien planet in the Lost Sector of the Milky Way Galaxy. That was some name, he kind of wanted to know who named it. But what surprised him the most was that there was an intergalactic republic of some kind called the Galactic Federation. Jack still found it hard to wrap his head around the fact he was in another universe. However, he still had seen stranger, incomprehensible things before. Like the Oni. They were Elder Beasts that went rogue and tried to eradicate humanity. Jack sighed. What was going to do now that he was gone. He was Plaxyem Vanguard, the hero of humanity. Although no one knew that he was the man in the suit. "I better find a way to get the Martyem Suit back online." He thinks to himself. Then he notices Samus raise her fist, signaling him to stop. "What is it?" He asks with thrill seeking eyes. "There is an entrance to some kind of structure." She responds, more to herself than to Jack. "Okay! Are we going to go inside it?" Jack asked. "Yes, it seems that is the only route where we won't run into trouble." Samus replied. However, Samus knew her own words were false. She only said this to try to keep Jack calm, although she thought it probably wouldn't make a dent in his attitude.

"So uh, Miss Aran-" Jack started to say. "Drop the formalities." She said with a wave of her hand. "Ok Samus, since it might be a while, would you like to exchange stories?" Jack asked as they entered the structure. "I don't really want to talk about my past." Samus replied with a quiet voice. "It's that tragic?" Jack asked with a small amount of concern in his tone. "As I said Jack, I've been through a lot." She replied. "Same here." He said. After they entered, a door slammed shut behind them. "No no no!" Samus screamed in her mind. "Jack stay close to me and I'll find a way out of here." She said, trying her best to make the situation seem under control. "What do you mean?" Jack asked as he looked at a map projected above a terminal. "This place only goes deeper into this cliff." He said without any worry about the situation. "Why did I even bother to reassure him?" Samus asked herself. "Hey Samus, why does it seem like you have been expecting all of this?" Jack asked with a very confused smile. "This happens to me a lot." She replied as she tried to focus on her objective at hand. "Wow, I'm glad you're still alive!" Jack said with half a laugh. He stopped when Samus's eyes burned through him. "Sorry, it's a joke." He said, trying to relieve the tension. "Seriously, does she not have a sense of humor?" He thought. "Listen Jack, this situation is serious." She said with a blunt stare.

"I am serious, can't you tell?" He asked her with a grin. "I can't." She replied with a serious expression. "Oh come on, smile a bit!" Jack said in a raised voice. "Keep your voice down!" Samus whispered in an aggravated tone. "I'm just trying to-" Jack began. "Greetings guests." An unknown voice boomed about the room. "Welcome to H-D33, or correctly called as Hevos." It said. "Umm…ok?" Jack responded to the mysterious speaker. "...that's all you have to say?" It asked. "Yep!" Jack replied. "Jack! Let me do the talking." Samus said. "I'm at loss for words right now." Jack replied. "So let me talk to this thing." Samus said. "You should let Miss Aran speak." The voice said. "You know who I am?" Samus asked with some surprise. "Of course I do. After all I did order your parents execution." An anger welled up inside Samus as a pinkish glow enveloped her hand. "What?" Samus asked sternly. "The pirate Ridley. Do you simply think he would raid a small human settlement that had no benefit to him at all?" The voice asked. "What the hell are you saying!?" Samus raised her voice with her brows furrowing. "He only attacked you because I payed him to do it." It said. "Who the hell are you!?" Samus yelled. "Um Samus-" Jack stopped when she gazed at him with a death stare. "Stay out of this." She replied with a somewhat calm tone. "I would recommend that unknown variable. Samus Aran is the last living Metroid." The voice said. "She's a what now?" Jack asked, completely unaware of what a Metroid was. "She is a Metroid, a living biological weapon." It said. Jack shrugged and shook his head in confusion. "You don't know what a Metroid is?" The voice asked. "No, should I?" Jack asked. "Of course you should, the Metroids are the strongest living organism known in the universe." The voice said. "Wait, if they were the strongest thing ever, why is she the last living one?" Jack asked. There was a pause of silence. Then the voice spoke, "no comment." Jack smiled at this. "Jack, I told you to stay out of this." Samus said with a low voice. "What, I outsmarted him." Jack said. "I wanted him to tell me who he was!" She yelled at Jack. "Oh Samus Aran, I am Tenith, leader of the Ultrus. "The what? Come on, Metroid sounds awesome, but Ultrus?" Jack asked in his typical carefree attitude. Samus looked at Jack with a dumbfounded expression. "Jack, I said stay out of this." Samus said. "I'm sorry Samus." Jack said with a hurt smile. "I was just trying to help." He said. "You're not helping!" Samus replied in an angry voice .

Jack looked down with a saddened expression. "Sorry…I just…" Samus realized she had been a little too harsh with Jack. Samus didn't know why she had gotten so angry with him. Yes, this was about her parents, but she had lashed out at someone who was trying to help. Samus then turned to apologize to him. "Jack…?" Samus asked when she couldn't find him in her field of view. "Jack!?" Samus was about to try to find him, but she heard a laugh resonate around her. "Oh Samus, you won't be finding that human anytime soon." Tenith said. "What did you do to him?" Samus asked, her voice concerned but firm. "Nothing, I just set up a small test for you." Tenith replied. "What test?" Samus asked as she observed her surroundings searching for a way out. "If you get to Jack within thirty minutes you will save him. If you take any more time than that, he will be burned alive." Tenith said in a cold voice. "You bastard." Samus said in a tone filled with hatred. "It is quite simple Ms. Aran, you save him or you don't save him." Tenith said. "Listen here, why did you call Jack an 'unknown variable'?" Samus asked. "He did not exist within my calculations." Tenith said. "Will you accept the test or not?" The voice asked. Samus bit her lip and responded without a second thought. "I accept." "Splendid, if you live up to my expectations you will save the human male in those thirty minutes." He said. A door opened behind Samus. "Enter and the test will begin." Tenith stated. She entered and saw multiple enemies that were strewn about the room. "The test shall begin, if you complete five waves of enemies plus an elite enemy within the set amount of time the human will live." Tenith said. Samus felt a gut instinct telling her that she shouldn't trust Tenith's words. "Hang on Jack, I'll save you." Samus said under her breath. She then rushed forward towards the Ultrus soldiers.

Jack looked around in confusion. "Wait, I was just with Samus." Jack thought. "What happened?" He said. If his Martyem suit was active he would be able to get out without a problem. But Jack was helpless right now. Then he heard a laugh in the room he was in. "Listen human, you are the determination for her to complete this test." He said. "Uh, that doesn't really put my mind at ease." Jack said. "Then maybe this will, she will try to save you but will be powerless to do so, she will watch in despair as you burn away." Tenith said with a laugh. "Okay, I don't think she will be in despair, like we met five hours ago." Jack said as he scratched his head. "Wait what?" Tenith asked with great confusion. "Listen bud, as much as I want to be friends with her, we are just new acquaintances." Jack said with a blank look. "How is that possible? Her eyes showed three emotions that an acquaintance would not have." Tenith said. "What do you mean?" Jack asked. "She had concern, a twinkle of happiness and some annoyance." Tenith stated. "Okay? I don't know what to make of that." Jack said with a puzzled expression. "Wait, she has finished the five waves already?" Tenith asked himself. Then Jack looked down to find himself on a levitating platform. The room below him started to fill with lava. Jack swallowed his saliva, "Samus, I might need some help here."

Samus breathed hard as she dispatched her last adversary. "Where is this elite he was talking about?" She asked aloud. "I do believe he means me." A body appeared in front of her that towered above her. "I am Ultras Prime and will be your opponent." (Note: He looks like Warden Eternal, except his glowing color is red not orange. Ultrus soldiers are ranked by Gamma, Beta, Alpha and then Prime. Ultras Prime is the only Prime elite soldier.) Samus stared at the being. "You are going down." Samus said with her teeth gritted. "You will find getting past me far more difficult than your other opponents." Ultras said. "You are the one that will die here." Ultras stated as he raised his blade. "Try me." Samus said. Ultras approached Samus with his blade relaxed by his side. "I will not hold back." He said. A pinkish glow appeared around Samus's hand. "Then neither will I." She muttered as Ultras closed the distance between them. Samus jumped at Ultras as she grabbed him with her left hand. She waited for Ultras to stumble to the ground, but nothing happened. The Prime warrior grabbed Samus by the neck and slung her to the side. Samus hit the wall with a thud. "Was that your trump card? I am artificial, you can not harm me with that attack." Ultras said. Samus furrowed her brows. She was going to run out of time if it was like this. "I'm not done yet." Samus recovered and took a step forward. She pointed her arm cannon at Ultras and fired off multiple missiles. Ultras parried the missiles with his blade. Samus noticed how he slowed his pace to do so. With a quick verification of the action. Samus had made a battle plan. She fired multiple ice missiles at the ground around Ultras's and launched some at his midsection. She then slid in between his legs and used her grapple beam to grab his weak point that Jack had discovered in their first fight. Samus turned around, braced her feet against the ground and pulled on Ultras. His Light Core was torn from his body as what appeared to be a portal of Phazon sucked his body parts in. Samus saw the readings match that of Phazon. "Phazon? Here? But I thought I destroyed Phazon?" Her questions would have to wait because a certain someone was in a bit of a situation.

The molten lava crept ever closer to the small platform Jack stood atop. "This isn't good. How am I getting out of this?" Jack asked himself. "You are not escaping human." Tenith stated coldly. Jack then heard another voice. "Jack!" The voice was from Samus, and she was trying to get to him although all efforts were unsuccessful. "You said I could save him!" Samus shouted. "I said if you got to him in time. Which you clearly haven't." Tenith's voice had a smug laugh mixed into it. "Samus peered at Jack, hoping to find a way into the chamber. She couldn't help. She had lost so much, why did she have to lose her new friend? Before she could think anymore she noticed Jack motioning toward the panel in front of her. Samus complied and touched it. A screen popped up in front of her with an unknown language on it. Jack pointed toward a small button on her left. She pressed it and a hatch opened up inside the room Jack was in. She watched as Jack gave her a thumbs up and, to her horror, jumped off the platform towards the chute. Samus's eyes widened as he dove into the chute and slid down it. "Well, that was unanticipated. I did not know he could read Ulten." Tenith said. Samus began to move into the direction she believed Jack had been headed. "If you try to test me like this again. I will kill you." Samus said with a glare. With that Samus ran through the door and sprinted to her companion.

Jack looked around as he grasped the edge of the pipe he had nearly fallen out of. He saw a large amount of lava below him. "Great, so this was for the lava's disposal." Jack thought. Jack climbed on top of the pipe's narrow edge and observed his surroundings. There was a way out. It was dangerous, but no more dangerous than staying where he was. "Alright, parkour time!" Jack shouted enthusiastically. Jack jumped and grabbed onto a small handhold. He then swung himself upward to reach another handhold. Jack jumped to the side and found himself atop a small ledge. He then began to climb up the scorched walls to reach the top of the area he was in. Once Jack had gotten to the top. He found himself face to face with another jungle. He then found himself walking forward without any hesitation. "Time to find Samus I guess." Jack said as he entered the massive jungle. What Jack didn't know is that this jungle was hidden underground. Jack had no idea that he was entering a controlled environment where something dangerous was being kept.

Chapter End

Hope you enjoyed it. See you in the next chapter! The Elder Sprite Knight.