Part 7 - Let Slip the Ultra-Dogs of War
Ultraman cast an appreciative eye over the telemetry being received from his ultra-dogs, particularly the optic feed from Neutro that depicted the Ultragirl being mauled and unable to defend herself.
He had bred the ultra-dogs to act mainly as probes; their strength and invulnerability were far inferior to his own, but their ultra-sensors were magnificent. And what they lacked in raw power, they easily made up for in savage brutality.
It was almost a shame he had to damage the Ultragirl, as she had always been so beautiful. That was one thing Luthor had going for him: for someone who was so far up himself, his taste in women was incredible.
Ultraman floated away from the sensor nexus connected to his dog pack, past his collection of trophies. He had always loved collecting memento's from his various endeavours; the remains of the White Martian, the first ocean liner he ever sank, the city he bottled as punishment for crossing him.
So many memories.
Finally, he came to rest in front of an empty glass cabinet. Soon, he would have another memento to add to his collection. He ran his hand over the engraved plaque that told who the intended occupant was; Ultragirl. Not only would he have another trophy to enjoy, he would have something far more important as well. He would have…
"MASTER, NEUTRO IS NO LONGER TRANSMITTING SENSOR TELEMETRY."
"What?" Ultraman turned sharply to face the Brainiac drone. The ultra-dogs were wet-wired to transmit all their sensory input back to the Fortress, and the only way to stop that transmission was if they were…
"NEUTRO HAS GONE OFF-LINE."
Luthor could barely believe what had happened. One second Neutro was buzzing over the fallen form of Ultragirl like a demented bee, the next he was on the ground, his skull smashed open.
Another ultra-dog launched itself at Ultragirl, who was already on her feet, seeming to Luthor as if it had teleported the distance between them. Ultragirl brought her elbow down, connecting with the dog in mid-flight and shattering its spine.
Two more dogs attacked, and although Ultragirl plucked one from the air as if it was no more than a butterfly, the other connected. It sank its teeth into her upper thigh, drawing a thick river of blood.
The smell of blood sent the other dogs into a savage frenzy. They swarmed Ultragirl like a pack of hungry sharks, forcing her back to the ground under the weight of their onslaught.
Luthors first reaction was to help her; no one deserved to be torn to shreds like that. But he repressed his nature; instead using the opportunity to collect the remote he had dropped earlier. Like it or not, this was the perfect opportunity for him to shut down the Ultragirl.
He had just reached the remote, when an ultra-dog exploded from the melee in a shower of blood. Its limp body fell to the ground a few feet from where Luthor was standing, and he could see that its jaw had been completely disintegrated.
Another couple of dogs were thrown aside, and Ultragirl once again ascended into the sky. The surviving ultra-dogs regrouped, then rocketed towards Ultragirl, who swatted most of them away with her pk blasts.
She grabbed the two dogs that had evaded her assault and slammed them together. Their crumpled bodies fell silently to the ground below.
"Now, Alexander, where were we?" Ultragirl asked, turning her attention back to her creator. To her horror, he was holding the remote.
"I'm sorry, Template, but I have to do this," he said as he pressed the button.
"No!" Ultragirl screamed, a primal, animal scream that echoed across Midvale.