Chapter 9- The wyrm god.

The little bastards were everywhere! Star was pinning down these small snakes as soon as they slithered out from their hiding spots. "How many of these are here!?" she demanded.

Child Emperor kept on his long, robotic legs. His computer was analyzing the situation but found it hard to determine how many snakes there were. "They keep coming and more are on the way. I wish Genos was here, he could fry them all!"

"Fry?" said Pig God as he was shoving the snakes in by the mouthful.

"Be careful, despite the fact that all these serpents look alike, they all have different venom!" warned Emperor Child.

He didn't need to tell Star twice. She took to higher ground, an abandoned car would do. With that, she got to work. Throwing as many as her shurikens as she could, she managed to hit every serpent in the head, severing it from the body. Yet the more she did that, the more the serpents came out of hiding. It became impossible to hit them, there were too many and not enough shurikens. Stranger still was the snakes began to gather. At first it was nothing more than a ball of them, until their bodies became hands and formed a giant head of a cobra. "I… am the wyrm king!" it said.

"Got anything for that? Something cold perhaps?" Star questioned.

Child Emperor was inspired. "Freeze it! Brilliant! Give me five minutes to make something. Can you two keep it busy?"

Pig God was already trying to eat more of the snakes that slithered out. But the task became too difficult for him. He couldn't quite reach the ground and the snakes learned he cannot grab them if they are too far from his hand. It was up to Star.

She took out a rope and her best shurikens for the job, the rope may not hold it, but it would bide them some time. She was trying to pick her mark, when the wyrm god spoke. "Oooo, I was told of this one… yessss… I was told of this one certainly…."

"Okay, that's a whole different level of creepy!" she said. There wasn't much time, the wyrm god was on the move and heading to Child Emperor. She threw her shurikens and used the flowing water, crushing rock technique to bind the rope around the wyrm god. It worked for all of three seconds. It broke apart and reformed! "Damn it," she growled.

"Emperor, is your plan ready yet?"

"I need more time!"

Pig God would attempt to stall. He stood before the wyrm god's path and grab whatever he could and eat it. But they were slippery and small. Too nimble through his fingers and he was unable to keep hold of it.

Star kept throwing her weapons at it. Aiming for the eyes, nose and mouth in hopes that it would cut it down. But the attacks were nothing. "Emperor…." She said. "We don't have a lot of…." She gasped.

The Wyrm god hid a small legion of snakes when no one was looking. She was bit in both her arms, legs and one managed to strike her side. "Star!" Child Emperor made the frantic call for help. "Pig God, don't eat anymore, I need the snakes for anti venom for Star!"

The wyrm god laughed and began to retreat slightly. The snakes he sent out have since rejoined the mass and hid among the others. "Oh, but which ones boy? Which ones bit her? The wrong snake will give the wrong poison won't it?"

It was about to lunge again, but it was quickly smacked down from a force above. Garou came in time to same Child Emperor. The moment he landed, his focus shifted. "Star!"

"I need the snakes alive, Garou, they all have different venom, I need to figure out which five bit her!"

Garou stared at the mass of serpent, which stared back at him bitterly. "You… were to be our king! You… are one of us, but you fight with them! How…. Disssssappointing." It hissed.

Garou knew what he needed to do, just as Zombieman arrived on the scene. "Zombie, I need you to help me."

Zombieman snorted. "Really? The great hero hunter…"

"Shut the hell up and help me!" snapped Garou. He then turned to Pig God. "I need you to take a seat… over by Star."

He was reluctant too, yet he waddled himself over and sat before her. Zombieman came to his side glaring at him oddly. "What do you want?" he demanded. But then noticed an uncomfortable look come across Garou's face. From the corner of his eye, Zombieman saw Garou's left arm oddly… melting. Or was it extending? He didn't know, the arm continued to grow, but it was gathering behind Pig God, and kept out of view of the wyrm god. Zombieman continue to watch on as Garou's arm went down into the nearest sewer drain.

"Zombieman" Garou whispered. "When I say so, you are going to do something that the others wish they would be able to do." Garou muttered below his breath. "Get your ax ready and make it quick."

Suddenly, a grin came over Zombieman. "Ooo, I am going to enjoy this aren't I?"

"Aren't you Lisssening to me!" roared the wyrm god. "You should be fighting with me, not against me! A single hero has already fallen, and the others will follow. Join me, Garou! It is what you wanted, it is what you dreamed of. We will destroy the heroes!"

"I had a change of plans." Erupting behind the wyrm god was Garou's contorted limb. It broke apart into larger, thicker serpents that quickly wrapped around the wyrm god's body.

"What, no! NO!" it protested. It tried to break apart but the grip was too tight. When Garou gained a firm grasp he turned to Zombie man.

"NOW"

With three quick strikes, he severed Garou's arm.

Garou winced as the limb severed, but it continued to encase the wyrm god. "Alright, now for the snakes!" cheered Child Emperor.

Garou had other plans. He approached the encased wyrm god, his body began to contort and grow. He swelled up, doubling then tripling his original size. None of the heroes spoke as he continued to grow. When he stood taller than the wyrm god, Garou struck! His mouth widened, he quickly ingested his own severed limb and the wyrm god with in. As quickly as he consumed it, he began to decrease in size until he was back to his regular state.

As he did, his left arm reformed, good as new. He took in the whole monster, and every serpent it had. "What did you do that for! Star needs those snakes!" protested Child Emperor.

He didn't answer him. Garou went right to Star, who was having difficulty breathing. He took her off the car and set her on the ground. Her heart was slowing down. There wasn't much time. Coiling his tail around her chest, he started compressions.

"One, two three." He would mutter. He kept her heart beating, just long enough for the wyrm god to digest.

Child Emperor could only watch as the head of Garou's serpent tail shake and shutter. Then with its fangs arched it bit into Star's neck on the left side. He kept up with the compressions in hopes she would breath. Her breaths were getting shallower. "I need someone to do mouth to mouth!"

Child Emperor didn't have the lung capacity. Zombieman didn't have the airflow. Pig God couldn't reach. Garou knew his breath would be too strong, he could burst her lungs "Someone!" he begged.

He came running, as fast as he could, Metal Bat rushed on to the scene. "What do ya need?" he said.

"Star needs air, NOW!"

Metal Bat was quick to get to work. He began mouth to mouth as Garou continued the compressions. They went back and forth between air and compressions, until two minutes passed. She gasped.

Star finally gasped for air on her own and breathed. Child Emperor checked, she wasn't out of the woods yet, worst still, where the serpents bit her, started to become infectious. "We got to get her to a hospital." He said.

"She needs the hero hospital. City H" said Zombieman. "Go, we can handle…"

Garou was already gone with Star in hand.