X: WE'RE BACK!

Raven: My hiatus is OVER! Invader X has returned! I recently got over my short block by writing other stories! Remember… I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter 30

Metamorphosis

Shast was still sleeping. A strange cocoon-like substance had fully covered him. The group was leaving him in peace, as Zim had suggested. A dull glow pulsed out from the chrysalis that let out a soft hum. It seemed to be altering slightly, growing into a hard protective shell.

But Shast wasn't the biggest concern right now. Kish was unconscious, and she had claimed to have an overpowered SIR unit with her. Finding Sable and neutralizing her was imperative for the safety of the crew.

Most of them had been evacuated to Mars, with only Shast's cocoon and two search parties onboard. The first party consisted of Zim, Lard Nar, Tina, Tak, and Skoodge. The second party included Nny, Night, Havel, X and Shadow.

Party one:

"The scanner is indicating a powerful energy signature up ahead." Lard Nar said, reading a small screen. "Which could be Sable, or a trap that she set up for us to walk into."

"Either way we need to check it out, right?" Skoodge asked nervously clutching his small pistol to his chest.

"So we just march in there, possibly to our deaths?" Tak snapped sarcastically.

"Evidently." Zim replied.

"That's stupid."

"Exactly. That was a form of subtle humor known as 'sarcasm' which only can be understood by higher life-forms."

Tak snarled and was about to snap out a reply, but Tina got there first.

"Shut up before I mutilate you both in horrible ways."

Silence.

Party two:

"Has anyone ever actually thought this through?" Nny asked, twirling a dagger.

"Nope." X replied, careful to keep a respectable distance from the maniac.

"At any rate… Night, earlier you said something about my parent's deaths not being accidents. What did you mean."

Night sighed. "Okay…okay… you deserve the truth. Your parents were involved in an attempt at breaking up a gang. The fire was to destroy any evidence of their existence.

"The hit and run was even worse though. That was merely out of cold malicious spite. They hoped to kill you as well, but you weren't with either parent. Your grandparents were almost targets, but they fled and took you with them.

"That made you unstable. The rest you know."

There was a short silence.

Strangely enough, both parties went silent at the exact same time. So they were all able to here the chilling screech from the bridge.

They ran there, weapons at the ready…

Shast was there, standing at his full height. But he was changed. A metallic cord wrapped up the side of his mouth, ending where the corners of his mouth began. Equipped to his back was a small black pair of cords that wound about his shoulders and converged on his chest. His shoulders seemed to fuse with the cord, forming a thin armor about them, and his left arm had a small gun mounted on it.

"Massster Zim." He spoke, voice as cool as ever. "My sssecond form hasss awoke"

"You…Metamorphosed already?" Zim said, vaguely impressed. "I know I designed him to have some cybernetic implants, but that was in greenhouse conditions! I made you better than I thought!"

"Wait, back up there," Havel turned towards Zim. "He's cybernetically enhanced?"

"That's right." Zim nodded. "Shast! Care to give us an update?"

Shast saluted. "Yesss sssir! Upgradesss include three kinetic breath weponsss; a beam, a ssseriesss of sssmall blassstsss, and a huge ssslow moving explosssive shot. Alssso included are homing rocketsss, sssmall drop bombsss and lancer shots. Overall strength increased by fifteen percent, armor increased twenty-five percent.

"Lancer guns?" Nny asked.

"A light blaster used for rapid-fire shots." Explained Tina, as she had helped design the newest kind of lancer guns. "They're useful for taking out large numbers of weakly armored enemies."

"We may get a demonstration," Skoodge said, checking a scanner. "Sable's coming right for us."

"Visssual capabilitiesss have also been enhanced." Shast continued. "I can ssswitch to viewing thermal and X-ray viewsss asss well asss regular visssion."

"HELLO?" Skoodge shouted. "SABLE? COMING THIS WAY?"

"Oh, right." Shast said quickly, tensing into a battle stance. His eyes glittered and flickered to white. X-ray. Swiftly he scanned back and forth until his eyes rested on the path towards the exit.

Slowly, he prowled forward a small amount, before opening his mouth. A series of sparks ran along his long fangs, making a low electrical hum fill the air. Sharply he dropped to all fours and unleashed his beam weapon, frying the unseen SIR unit.

"Bloody cloaking capabilities." Grumbled Lard Nar, focusing on the hazy form that was Sable.

It was difficult to make her out. She was merely a vague outline that slithered about and occasionally crackled with energy. The outline itself was merely a spot in the air where the light seemed to bend, and it was hard on their eyes following it.

It was rather annoying to be shot at from nowhere.

Sharply Zim twisted to evade a blast, before pushing Lard Nar away from another.

"Guh! Where is she?" He snarled, glancing about, before rolling away from another shot.

Shast leapt up and unleashed a small rocket from his back.

"Hey!" Lard Nar moaned as it blew a small crater in the ground. "This ship is brand new!"

"Oh, shut up!" Snapped Shast as he fired a lancer bolt, making contact with Sable.

By 'making contact', I mean 'blowing her torso off of her head.'

Shast made a clicking sound.

"That wasss…"

"Interesting?" Shadow suggested.

"Yesss. Thank you."

"Well, that was easy!" Zim said cheerily.

Tina leered.

"If your creation hadn't just saved us, I would castrate you right now."

Zim shivered.

Havel leaned over and whispered.

"Castrate you? You must have risen in her esteem. Only yesterday she was only kicking you."

AND…We're…done!

I finally got off my ass and wrote another chapter! (Do I get a cookie?)

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