Samus walked over to the cliff edge, crossing her arms as she breathed in the salty air. The wind from the ocean blew in her face and she looked down, smiling at what lay before her.
A mere week after the Pirates had been defeated on Jigrad, it looked like things were just about back to normal for the colony. Samus could see the lower market bustling at full swing, watching the crowds gather amongst the vendors, congregating in the streets. If she looked to the left, she could see the landing zone where the Federation had two main shuttles currently parked where several soldiers were offloading supplies for the colonists. The place was bustling with activity and the fear that had been set upon them prior had been thrown off like a blanket.
It seemed that life had been restored to this place, a definite victory against the Space Pirates. Samus knew that this could be critical for demonstrating their might in the future. Now the Pirates would be more cautious for their next attack as they now knew that they could be beaten.
The temple that the Pirates had made the colonists build sat on top of the tall cliff, unfinished. A few Federation troopers were going through it in the hopes that some Pirate technology could be acquired, but otherwise it sat unchanged. Samus felt that if it wasn't located so close to the colony, she would have ordered a battleship to blow the damned thing up. It was an eyesore, a painful reminder amongst a planet of innocents.
"Ironic, isn't it?" she said out loud.
"Hmm?" Kreatz muttered distractedly as he hefted one of the Pirate detection poles in his arms, most likely trying to determine how much he could sell it for on the black market.
"Think about it," Samus pressed as she gestured to the large building. "The colonists built this thing because the Space Pirates forced them too, and now the Federation is in control of it. I guess it goes to show that nothing in life is ever simple, is it?"
"True," Kreatz shrugged. "But there is also the fact that whomever the Federation hires to dismantle the thing gets to make a profit. So, in the end, who ends up owning what?"
Samus kicked out and snapped the remaining pole like it was a twig. Mauk's eyes widened as the pole rolled away, but Samus didn't change her expression. "It's all about opportunity," she sighed. "We live in a galaxy where circumstances change when you least expect them to."
She scraped her feet in the dirt and continued to look out over the colony. Samus could see some of the kids playing in the ocean nearby and immediately spied the raven-haired Damara amongst the group. As if fate had determined this moment, Damara turned in Samus' direction and also managed to spot the unmistakable shock of blond hair that Samus let trail behind her head. The child managed a tiny wave and Samus waved back, feeling better already. She was growing to like it here.
The three walked down the steps toward the beach, done with their surveillance for the day. Samus walked quickly ahead towards the shuttles while Kreatz and Mauk opted for a more relaxed gait. The surf lapped at their heels, cooling them off. The calls of birds echoed from the forests beyond and suddenly Samus was dimly reminded of the vast wildlife that had covered her home planet, K-2L. She wondered if that entire world was still livable or if the Federation had abandoned it entirely.
They made to stride up the ramp of the lead shuttle, but found Chief Hardy already waiting for them. "There you are!" he shouted from the top, his bushy mustache flapping as he moved his mouth. "I've got a new assignment for all of you. General Malkovich has requested your presence for the interrogation of the prisoner you've provided us with and I told him that you would be here within the hour."
"Why hasn't he done it by now?" Kreatz asked from the foot of the ramp. "It's been a week, chief. Surely the general has had all the time he needed to interrogate the damn guy himself."
"He hasn't, but he's getting on it right now!" Hardy yelled, looking like he was about to jump up and down in agitation. "We're to participate in this event with the general in attendance so get all of your asses up here! This is an important event that has not necessitated joint cooperation but we are being allowed to oversee it due to your…imaginative efforts."
Kreatz smirked, enjoying himself to no end. "You do realize that's a muddling of jurisdiction, chief?" he hollered, not budging up the ramp. "We're the military police, he's the army. You sure we've got the clearance to be handling something like this?"
"Kreatz!" Hardy screamed. "I swear upon my very mother that I will not hesitate to throw you in the brig without rations for your continuous smart-ass attitude! We have the clearance and we are constantly being judged by your stalling! Get up here or I will see to it that you will be thrown back to the academy where the DIs can have all the fun with you that they want after I permanently bust you back down to a private!"
"You think you overdid it that time?" Samus asked as she arched an eyebrow after Hardy had departed.
"Eh," Kreatz shrugged, "If Hardy's reactions weren't so entertaining then I wouldn't bother busting his ass every time I see him."
"You are going to wind up in the brig one of these days," Mauk warned.
"Perhaps, but I'll be having a laugh anyway."
"You can be hopeless sometimes," Samus shook her head as she ascended the ramp. "I, for one, want to see this for myself."
"You want to find out more about the Pirates, Samus?" Mauk asked while Kreatz scratched the back of his neck.
"Why not?" she asked earnestly. "It's the first time we've ever had the chance to interrogate one of them, so why not take the opportunity?"
"I can think of a reason," Kreatz grumbled. "How about, instead of talking to a Pirate, we watch the latest Federation broadcast that's supposed to happen any minute now? They're about to announce our victory live from the capital to the entire congress. I want to hear my name uttered so that I can record it and send the clip to Hardy every hour of every day until he gives me a medal or my 'thank you.'"
"You can always catch a rerun," Samus sighed as she dragged Kreatz up into the shuttle. "Let's go."
Keaton had to admit, this was one of the times that Vogl actually deserved to wear his regal getup. The chambers were fully packed this time, a rarity during Keaton's tenure, and all of the congressmen were eagerly leaning forward as they waited to hear their chairman broadcast the good news.
With his gold and purple robe, Vogl looked like the emperor of a powerful dynasty rather than the leader of a democratically elected Federation. The vidscreens projecting heroic images above him dimly reminded Keaton of a totalitarian rally, one that relied on pure propaganda to drive its forces forward. It was an impressive sight, but Keaton felt that he was the only one who had removed the wool from his eyes, knowing that such grand displays could only get them so far. But, it had been such displays that had gotten them into this mess in the first place, he had to concede.
Vogl opened his large mouth, revealing four pointed canines, and bellowed to the stuffed chambers, "My fellow congressmen! People of the Federation! We have done it!" That bought him a loud roar from the audience, but none from Keaton.
Vogl waved his hands and everyone began to quiet. "Through our preemptive efforts," he announced, "justice has managed to conquer evil at long last!" Now wild applause echoed and even Keaton gave his own, albeit rather stiffly. He looked down from the balcony upon which he stood, noting that he was the only congressman who wasn't in his seat. Was it the claustrophobic notion of cramming himself into the seat that deterred him so or was it the hidden meaning that Vogl obscured behind rhetoric and imagery?
Now, projected on the vidscreen, a green and blue planet sat unblemished, unviolated. The Federation logo appeared behind it, creating more raucous approval. "Jigrad!" Vogl yelled. "This is where the Space Pirates thought they could exert their control over our colonists. They thought that their status as a creature spun from a bedtime story would play to their advantage. But not this time!"
"YES!" the audience screamed, eager for more.
"Through the efforts of our police forces on this planet, we have shown these so-called Space Pirates that they are not beings worthy of our fear! That they cannot run roughshod over the Federation! That, like a cornered animal, we will fight back if threatened, and we will fight back hard!"
Each point bought him louder and louder screams of admiration, and Keaton leaned back against the chamber exit, disgusted.
"Today is a victory for the Federation!" Vogl proclaimed to all the rows in the chamber. "Today we have sent the Space Pirates a message regarding our true strength! They attack our colonies because they are too cowardly to fight us on even ground! They are too scared to face our full might! Now, I say that we keep that momentum going, that we make sure that they never catch us with our guard down again!"
Keaton lifted his head, shocked at what was about to be uttered in this very hall. The entire chamber seemed to be on the edge of their seats, their self-control becoming strained at the seams.
Vogl was feeding off the crowd's energy, becoming more and more animated. "No one would dare stand against the Federation because we refuse to let evil go unconquered. And, to all of you, I proclaim that, in order to attain more victories against this scourge of the galaxy, I am officially enacting a declaration of war! Now the Pirates will reap what they sow and we will push them back to whatever hole they crawled out of! Glory to victory! Glory to the Federation!"
"GLORY! GLORY! GLORY!" the congress members cried, eventually transitioning the chant into, "VOGL! VOGL! VOGL!"
The huge chairman kept his arms raised in the air, an enormous smile upon his face. His fingers grasped the air as if they were plucking the adoration out from it. Meanwhile, Keaton continued to linger on the balcony, horrified as the members of the congress began to rise up and applaud. Keaton, unwilling to see one more second of this farce, shoved his hands into his pockets and shouldered open the nearby door. He quickly walked down the polished hallways, headed towards his quiet office so that he could ponder without being disturbed.
"And thus it begins," he muttered to himself. "But will this mean the destruction of the Pirates, or the Federation itself?"
Zebes
Old Bird huffed as he glanced at his datapad, reading the news that had just come from the galactic capital. So, it seemed that the Federation had chosen to declare a state of war against the Space Pirates. He frowned and his face fell, disappointed at the reaction of that poorly guided body. Well, everything was out of his hands now. It was a good thing that they had prepared for such an eventuality beforehand.
The old Chozo felt something clambering up the back of his leg and he smiled as Pyonchi perched himself on Old Bird's shoulder. He heard a whirring noise and Mother's camera monitor hovered near his head. "The elders have gathered, Old Bird," Mother reported.
"Yes, I know," Old Bird said as he began to scratch Pyonchi's head. He placed both feet on a circular section of the floor and it began to levitate itself upward with him on top. He raised a story and quickly found himself in the presence of nine other Chozo elders who had taken the room above the main Tourian chamber.
"My friends," Old Bird greeted as he stepped off the platform, the lights of the databanks casting an eerie glow upon him. "It brings me great pleasure to see you all again and relief that you have managed to return home safely."
"As it does for us," the eldest member, Platinum Chest, said. "It seems that the galaxy is rapidly becoming a dangerous place, what with the Federation and the Pirates becoming bold in their tactical maneuvers."
The other elders nodded gravely, Old Bird among them. "You may be more right than you know, Platinum Chest. The galaxy has been a dangerous place for a long time now. Long enough that true peace is still only a glimmer on the horizon for us."
"As it has been for centuries," Platinum Chest sighed. "In that time, we have only our age to show our progress."
"And we cannot halt the inevitable any further," Old Bird said. "War is approaching, and our time is nearing its end. All we have done to expand our lives has been a fruitless effort, in all honesty. We had initially thought that the Federation would usher in the peace we so hoped to achieve, but it did not grow to the level that we anticipated, and thus we could not deliver our true message."
Platinum Chest tilted his head in apprehension. "Old Bird…what are you saying?"
"What I am referring to is that our final effort as a species should be to destroy the evil waiting to strike, to seek it out and eliminate it before it engulfs the galaxy. The Federation was blind this whole time while our eyes were open enough to see things clearly."
"And what is it that you are proposing? How can we defeat the Space Pirates, Old Bird?"
Old Bird shook his head slowly. "I am not speaking of the Space Pirates, Platinum Chest. There is actually a force in this galaxy that is capable of far greater cruelty than those misguided savages. An organism with no regard for compassion or fear, but simply hunger. Mother, if you please."
The circular monitor floated towards the middle of the group and pointed its lens upward. A rectangular image soon blared out of thin air and focused on a circular rock, brown and red from the deserts coating the surface. Pyonchi climbed down from Old Bird and sat on his haunches as he too watched the footage.
Old Bird waved a hand at the world on the screen. "I'm sure you all are aware of this planet, SR-388. It is a garden world teeming with life, but it is also home to something that, if it managed to escape the surface, would spell doom for the entire galaxy."
The image shifted and a lush jungle floor was projected on the screen. The ground was teeming with life, plants of all shapes and sizes coated the ground so thickly that the actual soil could not be seen. Sunlight streamed through the humid air, illuminating a morning mist as the interior of the forest gradually became warmer. Dew clung to the leaves of the trees, steadily dripping off as the slightest breath of wind passed over them.
Suddenly, a blur moved past the camera but the focus shifted onto the creature that had disturbed the scene. The animal looked vaguely amphibian at first, twice as big as Pyonchi. It had a purple body and light blue legs. Its back was coated with a rocky substance and its mouth was filled with tiny, pointed teeth. It used its only pair of legs to hop around the jungle, propelling it admirable distances to get where it needed to go.
"This is a hornoad," Old Bird gestured to the creature on the vidscreen. "For our purposes of cataloguing the environment, our initial focus was observing this animal so that we could make a proper accounting of the planet's wildlife. But, what you'll soon see is that we managed to capture something else entirely while filming this particular subject."
On the screen, the hornoad appeared to notice something and sniffed the air in curiosity. Apparently, it did not like what it smelled and quickly made a squeak as it hopped away, faster than before. The hornoad bounded across the mossy ground and quickly found a cave, almost hidden by the wealth of vines draped over the entrance, and hurried into it.
"It was chased…" Platinum Beak mused. "But by what?"
"By that," Old Bird pointed.
Unfortunately for the hornoad, the cave it had selected for refuge was shallower than it had anticipated and it quickly ran into a dead end. Cornered, the creature made many high pitched squeals of panic as a blurry object floated into the cave and zoomed straight for it. The hornoad had nowhere to run and cried out as a gelatinous object collided with it. The creature flew backward in pain, but as quickly as it came, the mysterious object had vanished as soon as it had made contact with its skin. The hornoad fell backward, blinking in panic, trying to lay eyes on its pursuer without realizing that it had disappeared entirely. The Chozo blinked, certain that they had missed something in the footage.
"Old Bird…" Platinum Chest gasped. "What was that?"
"That," Old Bird said somberly as he paused the video, "was a parasite. It was discovered on SR-388 some twenty years ago by our researchers. It appears to be a species native to that planet only, but its natural properties have the capability for great destruction. You see, the parasite managed to penetrate the hornoad's skin at the exact moment of contact, much like any other virus or bacteria, which is why you could no longer see it after it had infiltrated through the epidermis."
"So what exactly is this parasite capable of? And why have we never heard of this mysterious species until now?"
"It was deemed that the danger this parasite presented was not virulent to the point where we felt that a wide notification would be necessary, of which I'll explain later. The species is still confined to its native planet, but we had already begun to make efforts to combat this plague shortly after its initial discovery. As to this parasite's capabilities, just watch."
Old Bird began playing the video again and the Chozo elders could see the effects of the hornoad's absorption of the parasite take effect almost immediately. The creature sunk down, yowling in pain, its eyes glazed over. It looked to be dreadfully sick, as if it had jumped into a fever in only ten seconds. But, very quickly, it appeared that the hornoad's skin was bubbling, distorting like wax. The creature howled as it appeared to boil before the eyes of the Chozo. They all sat, rapt with a combination of fascination and horror as they watched the sight unfold.
And then, something tore itself from the hornoad itself. It looked like its skin had begun to render itself apart and an unidentifiable mass suddenly ripped itself from the main body, a blur of flesh and blood escaping into the air. The hornoad gave one final cry as it looked to be torn to pieces from the invader's departure. Its eyes burst and dribbled down its snout, its bones cracked and crumbled, and its cavity burst apart with a watery pop. The remains sunk down to the ground, a hollow shell now.
But the intruding mass still floated in mid-air, trailing the hornoad's blood. It lingered above the still warm corpse, as if it took pride in its kill. But, it wasted no time in shifting its shape, the yellow glow embedded inside it gradually becoming dimmer. Projected deep in the heart of Zebes, the object with no discernable shape morphed into something different, sprouting two bent legs from itself as the rest of it shrunk to shape a familiar body. From the gelatinous mass, two beady eyes sprouted out and a mouth protruded from the dripping material. The entire process only taking less than a minute, a new hornoad soon sat on the jungle floor in place of the old one, with no trace of the parasite that had come before it to acknowledge its existence.
"It took on its appearance…" Platinum Chest whispered in shock.
"Yes," Old Bird nodded. "But look harder. Notice how this hornoad has sharper teeth, a more angular nose, and more powerful arms for leaping? This parasite not only copied its host, it modified itself almost instantaneously so that it would be evolutionary advanced for one thing: killing."
"How is such a thing possible?"
"We have reason to believe that this parasite," he projected a more clear view of the species itself on the screen, "has the ability to genetically copy a host perfectly. It inserts its virulent strands into the DNA of a host, extracts the necessary information, and replicates it seamlessly. However, the process kills the host, as we just saw in the footage, but it manages to improve the host's appearance and traits, presumably from inserting its own genes into the DNA sequence or by eliminating junk strands that are useless to the parasite. Our best guess is that some form of digestion takes place from this replication in seconds, as this is the only time we have observed the parasite making an effort to consume energy."
The parasite on the screen morphed constantly, like a liquid in zero gravity. It had a golden glow about it and inside its soft surface spiraled tiny strands like miniature comets. The Chozo gazed wearily at the diagram, their feathers wilting.
"Furthermore," Old Bird continued, "additional research performed on this subject revealed a startling discovery. The parasite, taking the form of the hornoad, followed the exact same hunting patterns as its host did. It took the same trails, roosted in the same nest, which leads us to believe that this parasite has the ability to steal the memories of the host. Whether or not the process is simpler or harder for more intelligent lifeforms is another matter entirely but we cannot under-exaggerate the potential danger this parasite brings to the galaxy."
"What are its breeding habits, Old Bird?" Platinum Chest asked.
"Troubling. The parasite produces asexually and there is no distinction whether a smaller unit can incite a less severe reaction than the one we just saw in the footage."
"The galaxy could be completely dominated by this," Platinum Chest mused. "If this parasite could infiltrate a population and mimic it, it might replicate almost indefinitely. It could have the potential to enact a galaxy-wide panic as it could overthrow governments if left unchecked."
"It is the perfect killing machine," Old Bird said. "Its blind hunger and callous disregard for anything except its own survival makes it a far greater danger than the Space Pirates could ever hope to achieve. We have not given it an official designation, but have dubbed it 'X' for the time being."
Platinum Chest shuffled in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. "You are right, Old Bird. This X parasite clearly is a danger, a controlled danger, but a danger nonetheless. Do you think that it would be prudent of us to inform the Federation about this menace? They might be able enact a quarantine on the planet to designate others to stay away."
Old Bird sighed as he held his walking stick close to his chest. He looked down at Pyonchi, who was staring back up at him in worry. He looked over to Mother's monitor, who was still hovering in its place, a cold indifference about it. Finally, he affixed Platinum Chest with a sad stare, his big eyes mournfully drooping downward. "No," he said at last. "It would be best for us not to inform the Federation."
Murmurs erupted around the chamber in concern. "Why not?" Platinum Chest asked genuinely. "You've shown us all what this X parasite represents. Surely you would think it our duty to protect the galaxy by notifying the Federation of this threat?"
Old Bird emphatically shook his head. "Our duty would be best served by staying silent, my friend. If we were to inform the Federation of the X parasite, it would then draw the hidden danger into the public spotlight. Debates would erupt over this parasite and people will panic at the mere existence of a creature more dangerous than the Space Pirates. Also, we would be under scrutiny for suspicion of keeping the existence of X a secret, for which we are very well guilty. Enacting a quarantine would be the worst possible action to take in this case as there would be many in this galaxy, after learning about the parasite's ability to clone, who would undoubtedly use it for evil purposes. If the Space Pirates discover the parasite, they would try to infiltrate the Federation with it by placing X parasite representatives within the soldiers. It doesn't matter if any attempts by them succeed or fail but the mere thought that they could pull it off frightens me to no end. Do you think that is a chance we should be willing to take?"
"No," Platinum Chest mused. "I suppose not." It was clear that he was unhappy about the idea, but he understood what Old Bird meant. The other Chozo were of a similar mind to Platinum Chest and also begrudgingly acknowledged the conundrum working against their favor.
"But fear not, my friends," Old Bird reassured. "For after six years of laborious work, the culmination of our efforts to destroy this parasite has finally come to fruition. You see, our weapon against X has finally been completed!"
"Weapon…?" Platinum Chest gaped. "But…that means…"
"Yes," a voice came from the corner of the chambers. All of the Chozo turned around to spot Gray Voice standing near the exit, but was accompanied by a floating vat that contained an unilluminated object within a bubbling fluid. "Our research has paid off, elders. With extensive help from Mother Brain, Old Bird and I have devised a method that will exterminate the X parasite from SR-388. What I have with me is a sample of that method."
The portable vat floated forward into the light and several of the Chozo visibly recoiled. Inside the container sat a creature slightly bigger than the X parasite that they had just witnessed, but with a more definite shape. Regardless, its thick, gelatinous membrane that covered most of its body immediately hearkened back to the virulent creature and it took a moment for everyone to realize that this was not the same species.
Inside the spherical membrane, instead of a shapeless void, were three bright red nuclei arranged in a tripartite fashion. Veins webbed out from these nuclei which helped give the creature form and shape. Underneath the nuclei were two pairs of mandibles, one that was larger and situated on the outside and a smaller pair that was located interior to the gaping mouth on the underside of the creature.
"Everyone," Gray Voice announced with pride, "I give you…Metroid."
The Chozo elders murmured in surprise and Old Bird swept his arm towards the vat with a flourish. "My friends, Metroid is the product of a lifetime of research and years of extensive trial and error. You see, Metroid has the capability to absorb the energy of their prey, much like a leech draws blood from a host. They are capable of defying gravity due to their propensity to create natural helium and they are also able to reproduce asexually, much like the X."
Pyonchi scurried away from the vat, his eyes wide in terror. Platinum Chest regarded the Metroid thoughtfully. "We were led to believe that the Metroid project was still in its infancy. You believe that Metroid is the only viable weapon against the X parasite, Old Bird?"
"Beyond a doubt. Because Metroid can absorb energy, X will perish simply by coming into contact with it. The parasite will be destroyed and the Metroid will exterminate the galaxy of this threat."
Another elder in the back stepped forward, cautious. "Old Bird, if the Metroids do manage to rid SR-388 of the X parasites, what would stop the Metroids from becoming a threat to the galaxy. It all sounds like you've just created another monstrosity that will simply take the place of X in this case."
"Your concerns are noted," Gray Voice spoke in lieu of Old Bird. "But Mother found a solution around that a long time ago. Yes, we were initially concerned with the ability to control Metroid, but our dear Mother came up with the idea to genetically program them all so that they would not attack a Chozo, or any other sentient being that we would specifically discriminate. If we were to release this one here," he gestured to the Metroid in the tank, "it would be as docile as…Pyonchi, for example." The rabbilis squeaked in concern, which bought it a smile from Old Bird.
"So when do you imagine we will be able to fully maintain a suitable population for Metroid?" the same Chozo asked. "The last few reports have maintained that the last few tests for Metroid proved unsatisfying in terms of their ability to successfully sustain themselves."
"And those problems have since been corrected," Old Bird proclaimed proudly. "You see, we have managed to achieve a stable population on SR-388 two years ago. We brought them there with Mother's latest genetic programming and I can state that a successful colony has been produced. Even now, we are preparing the latest iteration of Metroid, right here in Tourian!"
The Chozo elders looked around the room in concern, something that Gray Voice noticed. "I understand your doubts," he assured, "but Metroid is perfectly safe. The one you see right now is merely an infant, not suitable for it to be unleashed in the wild yet. But, through our care and nurture, we will cultivate our most ingenious weapon so that the X will never see another planet before the sun sets on their final day."
"This is merely the first step toward achieving our final plan," Old Bird announced. "The time of the Chozo is about to end, but we have to make sure that the foundations to securing peace in the galaxy will be laid down before we depart. This means that we must entrust our final will to the hands of Metroid and our other child, Samus."
Mother's monitor hovered back and the elders gave nods of confirmation. "Samus will oversee Metroid in our stead," Old Bird continued. "She will pass on our final wishes when the time comes to relay them to her. My friends, the legacy of the Chozo shall endure!"
Old Bird looked around the chamber at his colleagues' smiling faces for one moment before the entire room rumbled just slightly. Everyone noticed the tiny disturbance, however, and they began to look around in confusion. A tiny crumbling sound was heard as pebbles dislodged from the ceiling hit the polished floor.
"Alert!" Mother rang shrilly. "Proximity warning! Unaffiliated warship closing in on Zebes' atmosphere!"
"Clarify," Old Bird ordered as the monitor raced toward him.
"Electromagnetic profile has detected the signature of a Space Pirate mothership," Mother reported. "Additional gravitational forces detected. Sensor fluctuations currently malfunctioning. This appears to be standard of a micro black hole device aimed at the shield generator. Planetary shield strength at 72% and falling."
"It isn't possible…" Old Bird whispered just seconds before a crash echoed throughout the chamber. A piece of the ceiling shook free and plummeted to the floor. The elders scattered, getting out of the way just moments before it collided with the metal plating, sending shockwaves hurtling through the room.
Old Bird was thrown to the floor, as was everyone else. He hit the ground hard and gasped as his walking stick skidded away. Weakly, he began to sit himself up just in time to witness a light fixture smash down on the corner of the vat that housed the Metroid, shattering the clear bubble in which it was encased. Glass tinkled down and embryonic fluid gurgled onto the floor. There was a hint of antiseptic in the air and it made Old Bird's nose itch.
From the shattered remains of its cage, the Metroid floated upward and remained stagnant, feeling the air on its skin for the first time. But, before anyone could snap out of their paralysis, the Metroid gave a shrill cry, spread its mandibles wide, and zoomed toward the Chozo.
A/N: Some of these chapters in the manga are shorter than the others, which means shorter chapters in the adaptation, but I think I can hit my minimum word limit for these easily.
There really wasn't anything that was changed too dramatically in this chapter. Extended scenes seem to be the norm for me so I don't think it's worth it to describe every single minute line that I implemented into here. That just seems like a waste of time.
LawrenceSnake: I'm assuming you're referring to the gap that occurs within volume 2, not in between volumes (which technically will occur after the next three chapters). To answer your question, I am planning on doing something that at least references what happens between that specific passage of time. It will also include a deliberate decision by me that will change the plot dramatically. Whether or not it can be pulled off is another matter, I'm still toying with the idea but I think that many people will like what I have in mind.
TheBarbarianKing: Yes, the Pirates were performing slavery, but the little conversation between Kreatz and Mauk was intended to inject some levity after being super-serious for the entire chapter. Besides, it was their first time arresting someone so it could be expected that they could forget the proper procedure of how to properly state their rights. (Think "21 Jump Street" in that regard)