"Here we are! Oh, isn't it beautiful!"
Galatea brushed snow out of her hair. "I can't comment on whatever beauty you're referring to. All I know is it's cold."
"I think that adds to the beauty, don't you? It's glorious!"
Samus smiled at her adopted daughter dancing around in the snow. "Yes. It really is beautiful."
She wasn't overstating that. After 2 days of hiking through a hot underground cavern, they finally found an entrance to the surface. And found themselves in a snowy wonderland.
"The Phendrana drifts. The coldest region on this planet. Watch yourselves. All sorts of dangers await us here. Freezing. Avalanches. Frozen lakes. You name it."
"Boy lady. Way to take the fun out of everything."
Priscilla sucked in a deep breath at Ophelia's comment.
"I don't take fun out of anything! I can be fun! I uh..."
"Oh, can you? What can you do that's fun?"
"Uh...I can uh... Ow!"
"Huh. Guess you are fun for something." Ophelia grinned as she tossed another snowball at the number one who cowered from the tiny projectile.
"Little girl, please! Let's not have a fight. I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Oh, come on! Some warrior you are! Show some spine! Put your back into it!"
Wham! A snowball from Clare knocked Ophelia on her face.
"How's that for spine?" Clare giggled, making Ophelia's' face redden.
"You'll pay for that momma's girl."
"I don't know. I mean can you beat a snowball this big?"
"I didn't mean with a snowball brat." Ophelia rushed her with baled fists but got hit in the head with another snowball.
"Interesting. I can tell not only the aura of individual people. But it seems I can also tell who it belongs to. Partially based on emotions. Hence, Ophelia's anger made her stand out."
"Your bruised eye is going to make you stand out!"
"Settle down kiddies. We should probably find camp. Somewhere secluded. We don't know what's out here."
"The hunter speaks wise. We should proceed onward. Get out of the open."
The trepidation of their predicament didn't appear to spread to the children. Not right now anyway. Clare enjoyed the snow too much. Ophelia sulked over her earlier embarrassment. And Galatea was focused on something else.
"There's something else. I feel it."
"Right. So, we should probably keep moving."
"No. I think we should follow it. It's over in that direction."
"No. We should not follow it! God damn it kids! How do they live long enough to be adults?"
Priscilla led them to a cave. She told them to remain still and quickly ran further into the cavern alone.
"I still think we should go back. I swear there was something worth seeing."
"Oh, I reckon it would be interesting. But safe? No."
"Man, and here little Clare was talking about how you were an unparalled badass." Ophelia shook her head. "Have you no sense of adventure?"
"It tends to come out when I don't have 3 kids to look after! I can't guard you and chase after monsters at the same time."
"No, you can't. And therein lies our dilemma."
They turned to Priscilla who stood there observing the discussion blankly.
"Did you already search the whole cavern?"
"Yes. The cavern continues back a way. We'll be safer deeper in."
She tapped her sword against the wall. A light tap, perhaps. But in testament to her strength, it knocked snow on top of the entrance down sealing it from the outside.
"That should make it harder for them to find us. Don't fret. There's another harder to see exit at the other end."
"Won't they just sense our aura?"
Priscilla turned surprised to Galatea.
"They might. But awakened beings tend to rely more on their eyes. They forget what it means to be a warrior."
They followed her deep into the cave to an open chamber. In the corner lay some fresh corpses of bipedal carnivores.
"I take it you killed those sheegoths, Priscilla?"
"Those are sheegoths?" Clare approached in amazement. "I thought they had crystals on their back or something."
"Not the babies. See that ice sheet on their backs? That protects their vulnerable point until they're old enough."
"What the hell is a sheegoth? Some kind of awakened being?"
"No. Just a native predator. I looked it up in Samus' database."
"Then I'm not interested. Unless it's about awakeneds and how to kill them."
Clare and Samus stared worried at the angry girl while Galatea clutched her head in pain.
"I fear you'll get your wish soon enough. I sense things all around. I sense them. So many. Their power. Their hunger."
"Why so many? I know they don't generally congregate in groups."
"The hunter did her homework. Surprising."
"Hey just because I'm not an employee doesn't make me oblivious to the trade. I know this grouping is unprecedented."
"Indeed. This doesn't happen. That's why we're here. To solve this mystery."
"I'm in. Whatever it takes."
"Uh, no Ophelia. You're not. If we get a chance to get you and the other kids off planet, we're taking it."
"Oh, come on! I'm part yoma myself!"
"And a kid. I'm not sending you to fight monsters. Deal with it."
She dealt with it the way Samus expected. Walking off in a huff and cursing. Galatea herself walked around waving her hands about.
"I feel everything. I see everything. I- ow!"
"Clare. Go help her."
"Roger."
The hunter stared at Clare helping up the blind friend who had just walked into a wall. She stared at the number 1 nervously fidgeting and looking between Samus and the ceiling. She stared at the braided girl standing in the corner grumbling and sighed.
We are so fucked, she thought.
...
"What are you doing?"
"Gah! Damn are you silent! Guess that's why you're still alive."
"Meanwhile it's a miracle you're still alive. Are you trying to die?"
"God, the innocent way you say it is so annoying. And don't fret. I don't plan to die. I'm still here in the cave. They can't see me. They'd have to feel me."
"I suppose that's somewhat logical. You're so small and irrelevant. I doubt they would notice your energy."
"Watch it momma's girl. I'm still bigger than you. Shh. There."
Off in the distance large shapes moved through the snow.
"There the bastards go. So many of them. Something big is going down. Let's find out what."
"Hold on. Where do you think you're going?"
"It's payback time. Stay here girlie."
"Wait. You can't go out there. Don't you dare..."
"Get off me! I'm just going to look."
Clare pulled the older girl's arm around her back and pinned her down.
"What the hell? How did you-"
"Benefits of being a momma's girl. Momma teaches you how to fight!"
"Oh really? Well nobody taught me how to fight. I taught myself!"
Clare was about to comment how that didn't inspire respect before Ophelia grabbed a ball full of snow and smeared Clare's face with it. She took advantage of the younger girl's confusion to kick her off. To both their surprise, her kick sent her flying into the wall of the cave.
"Pretty sure I didn't teach myself that. Oh well. I'll take it!"
Clare gripped her chest in pain and slowly tried to pull herself to her feet before rushing after the surprisingly fast angry girl.
"Ophelia, please! This is dangerous!"
"Wah, wah! Go running back to momma! Let the big girl do big girl stuff."
That lead to a silly and highly irresponsible chase through the snow. The two appeared to have forgotten their elders' rule to stay hidden or quiet for that reason.
"Ophelia, please come back! You're going to get in trouble!"
"We're monsters kid! Trouble is what we're all about! Learn to live a little!"
"We won't be living if we get caught! Stop!"
The elder girl continued laughing. Even if she didn't end up finding anything, Clare's reaction was proving worth it.
"Now then. Let's see what's over that hill."
"Ophelia!"
"Well well. What are they hiding up there?"
They stood at the edge of a small frozen lake. A large platform rose from the water, blocking most of their view. But just beyond, they could make out the entrance to a metallic structure.
"So that's the entrance to their little clubhouse. Let's go pay them a visit."
"Really, don't think that's a wise decision. Please come back now."
"Do you want payback or not?"
Clare stared. "What do you mean?"
Ophelia sighed. She had a lot to teach this runt.
"What does it sound like? Payback? Didn't your momma teach you that one?"
"Well, technically the scanner doesn't have a definition-"
"Figures. Look momma's girl. I don't have time for this. Why don't you go running back home if you don't have the nerve?"
"Please don't! We're all too happy to have you here!"
Before they could react, the two found themselves surrounded by a host of yoma and awakened beings. They moved so fast; the girls hadn't even seen them coming.
"Claymores? But you're so young!"
"Yeah, you're not all that well trained, are you? We heard you coming from a mile away. You ought to know snowballs and screaming doesn't do you well out here."
"Ah, don't be too hard on them! They may be monsters, but they're still little girls! They can't help being loud and obnoxious! Good of them to be like that! Prey is so much easier to catch when it's predictable!"
"This isn't prey, you gluttonous dullards." The awakened being put his hands in front of the lesser monsters. "There's only one place child claymores could come from and arrive here. The frigate Orpheon. These two must be future sisters who weren't saved before the ship went to hell. Well let's correct that."
Clare moved behind the older girl; eyes wide with fright. Ophelia didn't seem to share her fear though. She stared at the creatures with anger. Suddenly, her eyes flashed from standard grey to yellow.
"Woah! Looks like our new sister is way ahead of your boss! She's already getting her mojo on!"
"Yeah. I'm getting my mojo! Wanna see it?"
She slammed forward into one of the monsters. Its eyes widened as her hand went through its chest. Everyone else including Clare starred wide eyed at her rip the creature apart.
"What the fuck." Clare muttered stunned.
"Hey! You're supposed to do that to humans! Not us!" Another yoma reached for the girl but she turned and hit him in the cheek before he could grab her.
"Feisty! You'll make a fine monster yet! Let's get you home dearie!" The massive awakened reached his hand out for her.
Ophelia growled. Strong as she felt right now, she didn't think she had what it took to bring this behemoth down.
"Get down girls!"
Clare looked up with joy expecting her hunter and was somewhat let down to see Priscilla leap in and chop the awakened creature to bits.
"Woah! Where'd she come from? I couldn't sense her!"
The normally clumsy girl became an entirely different beast in combat. Her fighting style was an art. The monsters didn't stand a chance.
"Wait! Wait! You don't understand! We're you! We're your siblings!"
The number one scowled angrily and raised her sword before Ophelia charged forward and ripped the creature to pieces.
"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! They'll all bleed! They'll all die! They'll all-"
One hit from Priscilla knocked the girl unconscious. The claymore then turned to Clare who did her best to maintain eye contact.
"Does that displease you?"
"Oh, no. Not really. I just wish you would have let me do it."
...
"Care to talk?"
Ophelia glared at her. Her face effectively saying no.
"Well I'd like to talk anyway. After all you never seem able to shut up around me."
The older girl continued to not respond. Just kept glaring.
"Look I uh... I guess you really can live up to your boasts. At least that's what I saw."
Ophelia remained silent. That encouraged the girl to talk a little more.
"What happened back there? Are you just a little mad? Just a-"
"A little? A little?"
Clare backed off. Her comrade's eyes didn't go yellow, but she felt a surge of energy from her.
"What's going on? Clare, are you ok?"
Samus rushed in and pulled Clare close while Priscilla gripped Ophelia's shoulders.
"Calm yourself! Please calm down! Please?"
Ophelia continued to simmer while Priscilla stared on helplessly. Clearly unable to figure out the correct human response to calm her down.
"Excuse me. Girl? Can you please take a moment? Think of happy things. Things that make you happy. What makes you happy?"
"Blood."
"Ok. Maybe not what I had in mind. Um. How about kittens? Ducks? They make you happy right?"
"They bleed."
"Ok. Bad example. I... err. Hunter!"
Samus at this point chose to intervene and knock the girl over the head. Not the most appropriate way to handle a child. But it did the job.
"What is wrong with you? You horrid abuser! Is this how you raised Clare?"
"No! Samus never hurt me! Never!"
"This isn't Clare. And as fun as it was watching you flail at basic human communication; you were going to let her awaken."
"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't lost her! You completely fail at basic yoki sensing! You strayed away for a few minutes and look what happened!"
"Don't blame Samus! Don't ever blame her!"
"Clare, stay out of this."
"Little girl, I had to leave to scout the area. Given how good you turned out, I presumed the hunter could keep you safe for a few hours. Wrong again."
"It's not all bad! We did find something out there! The entrance to something!"
"I already found that entrance. I was scouting it out before you let these two run out on their own."
Clare was hoping to gain Samus some brownie points. It didn't work. Samus however managed to steer the conversation in a different direction.
"A door? So, some kind of facility. Might be where these bastards are converging. Worth a look?"
"Oh, it's worth much more than a look. But I'm not sure I can trust you to watch my back when you can't even look after three children." Her face took on a look of confusion followed by fear.
"Wait. Where's the third child?"
...
Galatea couldn't get the strange aura out of her head. She had to find it! To see the source. So, when Samus went out to search for the other two children and Priscilla had already left for scouting she couldn't help herself. She had to go look!
"Monsters. Wait here. Wait here. Ok they're going on. Let's keep going. Keep going."
She felt her excitement rising despite the cold and constantly having to hold her hands out and gripping the walls.
"So close. So close. Should be just... In here! Wait."
To her disappointment, a wall of ice blocked her progress. No matter how hard she pushed, she couldn't bust through. So naturally, she did what children do when confronted with such problems. She threw a hissy fit.
"Come on! Open damn you! Move! Move aside! Open sesame! Open sesame!"
"What's this? Dinner?"
She froze. She couldn't see, but she could feel the auras of the creatures.
Damn it, she thought! She had been so focused on the strange miniscule aura that she hadn't kept her eyes open for the surrounding monsters.
"You're a long way from home girlie. Fancy running into your kind out here."
"Oh, just uh... Enjoying the sights."
"The sights? Seems to me you can't see anything. How'd you make your way here? Blind luck. Heh heh. Get it? Blind?"
"Wait. You're putting off yoki." A different monster leaned in close. "A warrior in training?"
"In training? I suppose wandering around this winter land blind counts as training."
"Not the kind of training I meant. Could it mean you aren't an initiate of those bastards in black?"
"Well..." The child struggled to find the right words. How to talk her way out of this? Fortunately, she didn't have to.
"Let her go."
Galatea froze (not literally) and from the silence in the air, she presumed the monsters had paused as well.
"Who's there? Come out nice and quietly and die."
"Err, pal. Don't you mean...?"
"Oh right. Sorry. Come out nice and quietly or die."
No response. Nothing Galatea could hear apart from her own heartbeat.
"Hello? You hear me? Come out now or this little bitch is lunch!"
She felt a large clawed hand grab her shoulder and grip it, hurting her immensely. She tried to pull away, but she was too small and fragile.
"Huh. All talk and no show. Too bad for you kid. Guess we're all you've got. So, guess you'll just have to come with us and-"
She never heard anything beyond and before the hand gripping her shoulder came off. She heard the monster's screams of terror followed by their blood splatting over her face. When the screams stopped, she felt a familiar aura. The one she had been following.
"I found you! I found you! You're real! Oh, this is awesome! So awesome!"
She ran towards the source. Of course, being blind, she didn't see the rock in her way and tripped over it falling face first into the snow. She heard a voice respond in astonishment.
"I should have stayed in bed."
...
"Don't blame yourself Samus. It's not your fault she wandered off."
"Really? Because seems to me she was told to watch a little blind girl and she couldn't do that because she still can't get yoki sensing down! I'd say it's totally her fault!"
"Ophelia, shut up!"
"No, you're right Clare. It's actually both of your fault."
"Yeah, that's the spi- Wait, what?"
"If you two hadn't run out like headless chickens chasing after whatever you could, maybe I wouldn't have lost track of her, hmm? And Priscilla calls me irresponsible."
"Wait, mama. We're sorry. Both of us are. Really. Please don't be angry."
Ophelia rolled her eyes as Clare buried her head in Samus' chest begging for forgiveness.
"God, what a suck up. How do you expect to rise in the ranks with that kind of attitude?"
Samus looked up from her adopted daughter to Ophelia with a frown.
"Rise in the ranks? You mean the Claymore ranks? Why would you want that?"
"Why would I want anything else? What else could I do?"
"Anything else. Really. You don't have to be a warrior."
"Don't I? Even if I wanted something else, would I really want to do it?"
"I certainly hope so! You don't want the lives those women live. Believe me kid."
"Oh sure. I want the life you live. On the run in armor. Never fitting in. I think I'll go with the silver eyed bitches."
"Really? You want to end up like Priscilla? She doesn't strike me as a good role model."
"And you're better? Running around with a little cry baby? Dead bird friends? You think you're the one to tell me how to live life to the fullest?"
Samus gripped Clare's shoulder. The look she gave Ophelia made her seriously question her word decision.
"Careful with your mouth girl. I've done things you really don't want to know. Don't make me show you."
"Samus! Language!"
Both stared at the girl who rubbed the back of her head uncomfortable.
"Too much? I apologize."
"See what I mean? How could a goddamn hunter raise such a goody two shoes little suck up? Where's your pride?"
At that moment, the ceilings vibrated. The ground shook. Inhuman voices echoed around the caverns. Samus pushed Clare away and stood up.
"Stay here. Whatever happens, stay hidden."
"Samus. Wait..."
"I promised to keep you safe. I'll keep that promise. I swear."
Her voice was steady and strong. But her eyes showed fear. Not something Clare was used to seeing in her guardian.
...
"Why is your aura so small?"
Galatea felt the woman shuffle uncomfortably. Though she had saved her life, it didn't feel like she wanted her here.
"Through training. Not much else to do in my years in exile. None have ever detected it before, however. How did a child like you find it?"
"Through training. Not much else to do without eyes."
She expected a chuckle. But no. Typical claymore she'd heard the yoma mutter.
"A blind trainee lost alone on this of all planets. Not something I've ever seen. And I've seen things, believe me."
"Trainee?"
She heard the woman sigh and mutter something to herself. She thought she heard the words children and patience.
"Trainee. Being trained to be a warrior? Ring a bell?"
"Nope! Can't say it does! I was trained to be a yoma!"
The woman's silence suggested to Galatea that she probably shouldn't have said that. But she was a child who had just discovered a fascinating outcast in a frozen wasteland. How was she supposed to react?
"You were trained... to be a yoma? Is that what the organization does these days?"
"The organization? Is that what the yoma call themselves?"
Another long pause.
"Where did you come from?"
"A frigate in orbit around the planet. Or at least it was until it got brought down."
"I see." Another pause. "And what did they do on this frigate?"
"They... Experimented."
"Experimented? Is that where you gained your aura?"
"As far as I can tell. I mean I couldn't sense any of this before. Or maybe I could, and I just didn't realize I could until now."
"This isn't something you're just born with. It's something you're given. Not willingly I find from experience."
"No. Not willingly. I was taken. My parents they..." The girl shuddered. And not from the cold.
"I understand. So, these yoma. They made you this way?"
"Yes? Isn't that how they make us all?"
Another pause.
"In a way. I suppose you could say that. But indirectly. Not directly."
"What do you mean?"
"The yoma do begin our path to inhumanity. But it is by the hands of man that becomes a reality."
"We? You're a claymore."
She imagined the woman may have nodded. But without eyes she couldn't tell.
"I was. But I'm done with that life."
"Is that why you're so hard to read?"
"My aura? I worked hard to keep that hidden. Impressive for a child to read it."
"I had to use my other senses. Hearing. Touching. Eventually in those tubes I could sense something else."
"Energy. Our energy. How did you lose your eyes?"
The girl paused. "One of the yoma got a little...intense."
"Say no more." The woman paused. "You know I've long wondered what it would be like to gain company again. I hadn't really planned for this."
"Yes. I imagine. One could be forgiven for thinking you chose this spot specifically because you didn't want to be found."
She heard the woman chuckle. "Well, not only the Phendrana drifts mind you. I've sort of been all over this planet. You just happened to find me during my travel here."
"And why are you traveling here? Why aren't you with your sisters? Fighting the good fight?"
"There's nothing good about it! Don't you dare think otherwise!"
Galatea thought on how to respond to that when a shout rang out from the nearby clearing.
"Galatea! Run! They're coming!"
"Priscilla! I have to help her!"
"Don't move!"
The woman grabbed her before she could run in the direction of Priscilla's voice. Through the darkness, the girl could hear a strange high-pitched sound.
"Oh shit." The woman muttered in horror. "We need to go. Hang on!"
"Why? I don't sense anything. Wow!"
The woman threw her over her shoulder and ran. Ran away from the chirping of something she couldn't sense.
For once, she was glad she didn't have eyes.
...
Samus did have eyes, however. She wished she didn't when the time came to awaken and use them.
Her arms were bound in unbreakable metal and she lay strapped to a table
"Ugh. My head. Did I drink? No. I haven't drunk in years."
"Nah. Ain't drunk you didn't. You'll probably want alcohol soon though."
She turned her head as best she could to gaze upon the ugliest man she'd ever seen. And she'd seen plenty. He was somewhat obese but strongly built with major muscles throughout. She shivered.
She wasn't having much luck with mastering yoki sensing. She'd been too dependent on her armor it appeared. But she didn't have to try with this man. His aura was massive. Almost as large as the creature Ridley who she'd encountered on Zebes.
"Where's Clare? Where is she!?"
The man's face got even uglier as he scrunched up in confusion.
"What do you mean where is she? You're right here! Duh!"
It suddenly occurred to her that this man might not be terribly bright. Oh well. Better for her.
"Not me you oaf. The girls with me!"
"Girls? You said she! Who're these girls?"
"I... Clare is one of the girls! Where are the girls?"
"Oh... Clare is one of the girls! I get it! Wait. Who are the other girls?"
Samus would slap her hand against her forehead if her hands weren't tied down.
"Will you please just let me go then? I'm rather busy now."
"I'll bet! I'd say you're all tied up at the moment!"
Samus groaned.
"Please just release me."
"Uh uh, little lady! No can do! Boss says I gotta wake you up!"
"Well I'm already awake. So, mission accomplished."
"Nuh uh. You're not awakened yet! Can't let you go till you have!"
"Wait, you mean awaken as in..."
"As in, awaken! Like me! Become stronger! Better! Prettier!"
Samus couldn't keep herself from grinning.
"Hey! Why are you smiling? Are you laughing at me? You better not be laughing at me!"
"I can't help it if you're laughable. I mean really. Prettier?"
The man looked shocked before he once again got mad.
"You insulting my looks? Nobody insults my looks! I got the prettiest girl in the galaxy to love me!"
"She must have poor taste."
She might have pushed him too far, because he took on a murderous grin.
"Keep talking all you want little claymore. I'm gonna make you sing!"
A long rod formed from his arm. He pulled it out and moved closer to the helpless hunter.
"Sure, hope you're strong! Don't want any more failures!" He looked at the corner with a grin.
She followed his eyes to the pile of bodies. Their silver eyes wide awake in terror.
"I should probably get that cleaned up, huh? Hey grunts! Clean up my shit!"
...
"No."
"But we have to!"
"No."
"My friends are up there!"
"Your friends were fools then. Fools to come here."
"They had no choice! It was their job! Your job!"
She heard the woman snort.
"I told you. It hasn't been my job in years. I left that behind me."
"But it's still a part of you! You still have the skills!"
"And look where those skills have gotten me!"
Galatea tilted her head.
"I can't look anywhere."
"Right, sorry. But you know what I mean. I came here to get away from that life. All it brought is pain, and I'm done with it."
"Selfish. You're so selfish!"
"Excuse me?"
"I said you're selfish! You're going to let two brave women and two little girls die so you can have peace!?"
"Girls? There are children with them?"
"Yes. Little girls. The closest I have to sisters anymore."
The woman's pause this time was easily the longest. Her aura also began fluctuating. She was in distress. She eventually sighed.
"I'm too old for this shit."
...
"There you go girlie. You're doing pretty well, I've gotta say."
Samus grimaced. She couldn't speak through the pain. It was taking all she could just to stay conscious.
"Ya know, you don't seem like much. Your aura isn't very big, and you couldn't really swing your sword. Not sure why that strong one kept you with her."
"Pri...Priscilla?"
"Oh, you can speak! That's pretty good! Hey! Is that her name? Pri...Priscilla?"
Samus moaned in pain.
"Well yeah. Pri...Priscilla, is damn tough! She killed everyone! Or most of them! It got so bad, Riful told us to use the metroids!"
Samus' eyes widened. "You... you didn't..."
"Hey, your eyes! You seem shocked. Guess you know that means they're bad, huh?"
He chuckled. "Ya know none of those claymores seemed worried like ya did. Guess you know more than them huh? Is that why Pri...Priscilla brought you along? You smart lady?"
Samus moaned. More from this man's words than her own pain.
"Uh... Lord Dauf?" The awakened being clearly had trouble saying that with a straight face. "The master wants to contact you."
"Riful! Hang on Claymore. I'll be back soon! Until then!" He pulled another pole out from his arm and stabbed it in her chest. She screamed in rage as he walked away.
Keep it together, she thought. Keep it together.
She remembered her training. The Chozo's training. Clear her mind. Maintain balance.
No use. No use at all. She could feel control slipping away. Her human mind overwhelmed...
...
"Do you hear that?"
"Be quiet momma's girl. I'm trying to rest."
"No time for that! Listen!"
"All I'm listening to right now is some annoying brat who won't let me sleep."
"Come on! You wanted to see action!"
"Yes, I did. And I'm not getting any in here. So, could you please shut up until we get some real action please?"
Yoma screams followed by the door opening appeared to answer her prayers. Galatea ran in and gripped Clare in a hug, followed by a one-eyed woman.
"What the hell? Another Claymore? Where'd you find her? And what happened to her eye?"
"Ophelia! Be nice! She's here to help!"
"Wait. She only has one eye?"
"Yes! How do you not know that? You blind or something? Oh right."
Clare slapped Ophelia. Galatea raised her eyebrows.
"Did I just hear you slap Ophelia, Clare? Didn't think you had it in you."
"Enough. I did what you wanted. Now we're leaving."
"Wait, leaving? What about Samus?"
"She only came for us children. I tried, but that's the deal we made."
"No! That's not acceptable! We need to save Samus!"
"Why bother? Just wait for that number 1 to save our asses. She might be unstable, but she sure seems to know how to fight."
Galatea bit her lip.
"Actually, Ophelia. I think she got caught too."
"What? A number 1? How the hell did that happen?"
"Metroids. I don't know for sure if they caught her but-"
"Samus could have helped her. She's dealt with metroids. She'd know how to stop them."
"No. Children are one thing. But that's all I'm risking my life for."
"That's it? You're just going to let them suffer? Maybe awaken?"
"That's the fate of all of us. We all awaken, or we die. You'll learn that in time."
"I can't let her die! I don't care about our fate! You must help her! Isn't there something you could do?"
"There are too many monsters around, and I have no way to tell where your friend is with all this yoki aura about. And as skilled as your young friend here is with tracking aura, I doubt she could do it either."
"What about a security station? This place has cameras, right? So where would we find that?"
"How would I know? I don't have a map of this place. I've been running blind." The warrior shook her head and muttered something about children.
"Please. They're good women. They need your help. Can't you do something for them?"
"I sympathize with their plight. But it's too dangerous with children here. I'm getting you out. That's final."
"Wait. I no longer sense Ophelia's aura. No wait, there it is. Moving away."
The two with eyes turned to see the aggressive child indeed hurrying off by herself.
"What does she think she's doing? Get back here you idiot!"
"Wait for me! Ophelia!"
"No! You stay too! I won't- Oh shit!"
A wall of awakened beings filled the corridor in the opposite direction. The direction they had come from, cutting them off from the exit.
"Hang on, both of you! We're moving!"
The woman grabbed the two girls near her and rushed forward to sweep Ophelia off her feet before taking off down the corridor.
"Hey! Put me down! I wanna fight! I wanna see their blood splatter!"
"Shut up! Shit, more! Here!"
She rushed into a nearby room. Looking about, she found a nearby console. Not thinking, she hit it and it sealed the door.
"Looks like that door's holding. Strange. This place does its job well."
"Hey look! Cameras! We're in the main terminal! Nice going maam!"
"That was not my intention, I assure you. I choose wherever."
Clare was more focused on the images before her though. Two in particular.
"I see Priscilla! They've got her in a tank! Suspended animation!"
"She is quite strong," Galatea mused. "They must be hoping to study her. Gauge the source of her strength."
"And she's in the Metroid section! I guess there's nothing else around here that could take her down."
"If you're so focused on pictures, perhaps you could search for the exit?"
"No, wait! I found Samus! She's being tortured!"
The one-eyed woman looked at the screen. She then looked at the other videos and groaned.
"This friend of yours. Can she fight?"
"Well..."
"No."
"Ophelia! Shut up!"
"What? Doesn't your mommy like honesty? Without her armor, she can't do shit."
"That's not true! She can do all kinds of things! She can make weapons no one else can. She can hack into computers. And she has knowledge about creatures unparalleled by any of you! Even about the metroids!"
The one-eyed woman pursed her lips at that. She looked back at the screen towards Priscilla.
"And her? She can fight?"
"Oh yes. She's number 1!"
The former claymore took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead.
"This is crazy. Oh, what the hell. I'll go help your friends. You stay here." She looked about. "If only there were a way to stay in contact."
"I've got it!" Clare pulled some kind of communicator and handed it to her. "Samus gave me this in case we ever got separated! Let me show you how it works!"
While she did that, Galatea walked over to Ophelia.
"Why did you run off like that?"
"I wanted... I wanted action!"
"Why? Haven't you had enough for one lifetime? You were up there with me on the frigate."
"If you're too scared to do what needs to be done so be it. But me. I'm going to learn from it."
"Believe me. I have learned from it. If I hadn't, I never would have found this woman and she wouldn't be here helping us."
Said woman moved towards one of the ducts on the wall and pulled it open.
"Keep in contact where to go. See if you can open some of these doors."
"What? You're trusting momma's girl to figure this out?"
"Of course. Samus taught me well."
"Hmph. Momma's girl."
"The door should hold out. Get out this way if it doesn't."
As the woman disappeared through the ducts, Galatea looked towards the door.
"There are many of them out there. You sure this door can keep them out?"
Clare and Ophelia stared at each other. Neither was smiling now.
...
"Don't look so upset little claymore. If you survive, you get to be part of the best army in the whole galaxy!"
Samus muttered in pain. The blood pooled down her face.
"Almost there. Of course, you gotta be strong. And your aura, well... Not big."
More moans of agony.
"But you might survive! Who knows? Certainly not like me of course! But you might be strong enough!"
"What... are you doing... here?"
"What... am I doing... here? Why torturing you of course! Heh heh! Such a stupid question!"
"No... Here... On this planet..."
"Oh... Why didn't you say so, stupid? Geez! Claymores! We're looking for the monster! Duh!"
"The... monster! Yeah! You don't know about that?"
"No... Nothing..."
"Huh. Yeah. We got some kind of monster in the mines a couple continents away. Pretty weird, huh?"
"Yeah... Weird... Oh god!"
She felt her stomach begin to churn. She vomited out blood. Some of it getting on the bastard hurting her. He just smiled.
"That's the spirit! It'll get better soon enough. Believe me!"
"I don't believe you."
"Ah that'll change when you- Wow!"
Samus' eyes had seen the warrior approaching from behind. Unfortunately, the bastard (apparently having something of a brain) followed her eyes and managed to dodge in time with surprising speed.
"Who..."
"Samus Aran? The children say hello. Yes, they're safe. Yes, they're quite demanding."
"Where... did you..."
"No time for that. Hang on."
Without a change in expression, she cut Samus free from the table. The hunter fell to the ground. The blood pooled around her.
"Goddess, are you all right?"
"N... No... Who..."?
"Hey! I was busy with that! That makes me mad!"
The man hunched over and began to grow. His eyes turned yellow. His skin a metallic red. The women's eyes lit up with fear.
When he was finished, he was about half the height of the room. The energy put out by him was tremendous.
"Oh well. I guess I get two claymores! She might be weak, but you feel pretty strong one eyes!"
The one-eyed woman didn't feel strong at this time. She'd been in exile. No major combat for decades. This was not the kind of warmup she needed.
"Not bad, huh? You thought I was just another lowlife? No way, girlie! In my time, I was number 3!"
They exchanged gazes. The hunter was not going to be much help. Even if she weren't as bloody as she were.
"Need... to get out..."
"That you do. Here take this."
"I gave this... to Clare... Is she..."?
"She's fine. Well alive anyway. She'll tell you how to find your number 1."
"Pri...Priscilla?"
"Yes. I'm not strong enough to fight this thing alone. I'm going to need help. And given your condition, that only leaves your number 1."
"I... All right... I'll find her."
"I'm counting on it. I'm taking a huge risk for you. Now get your ass moving!"
Samus sprinted as fast as she could. But with the damage she'd sustained, the fastest was a rather fast human trot.
"Hey, get back here!"
The monster shot another rod out of his hand. This one much larger from his increased mass. But the warrior sliced the rod out of the sky before it hit the limping hunter.
"Hey, that wasn't very nice! I'm just trying to do my job you know. Why you gotta be so mean?"
"It's who I am." The woman grimaced and prepared to battle once again.
...
"Samus? Are you there? It's Clare!"
The injured hunter tapped the device in her ear to respond.
"Read you loud and clear you little idiot. What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
"Trying to help you! I can see you on the cameras! Oh my god! Samus! What did they do to you?"
"Bad shit. Really bad shit. I feel like I've been strained through someone's bowels."
"Wow. That's… I mean… Can you go at all? Maybe you need to lie down?"
"Fuck that. Just tell me where I can find Priscilla. None of us are going to last long ourselves without her backing us up."
"Ok, ok. Let's see. Uh… Ok. I've got her location. Let me guide you."
Samus obeyed her commands, doing her best to hold back the pain flowing through her. Each step was like having a sword stab up through her foot, causing more and more blood to soak out.
"Wait. A group of awakened are coming your way. Wait for them to pass."
She obeyed and did her best to try and silence her yoki aura. Although it was already so small, they probably wouldn't notice it anyway.
"Ok. Go! Wait! Wait! More coming! Hang on!"
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
The hunter grimaced but complied. Resisting every urge to collapse to the ground.
"Ok. Go! Wait! There! Ok, now you can go!"
Samus moved onward. Her vision turned blurry. Her despair growing more and more.
Against all odds however, she made it to the chamber where Priscilla. And against all odds, not a single awakened being patrolled the area. But number 1 wasn't the only thing floating in the chambers.
"Metroids…. What are… these crazy bastards thinking?"
She racked her brain for an explanation but then it hit her.
"The cold. Metroid's weakness… is cold. This is… the perfect place to keep them then."
She moved about, looking for the means to free Priscilla from her unwanted sleep. She made her way up to the main control pad for the room. In another time, she might have figured out how to open the tube. But she was dealing with too much pain for that right now.
"I can… blow… it open… I just need. Oh shit!"
"Hold it there!"
She barely regarded the shouts of the awakened beings as she fell on her knees. She couldn't take it anymore. A burst of pleasure rose through her body as she lost control.
"Woah! She's a big one! Look at all that energy!"
The sound was bloating out all others. She was going to lose it any second now.
"Holy shit! Get back!"
Through the chaos, she could hear one other sound. The cracking of glass.
"She's going to set them free! Stop gawking and finish her off!"
She chuckled darkly. Blood pouring down from her mouth.
"Too… late…"
...
"Hey, didja feel that? That was wild! Feels like someone awakened."
"Shit. Guess I'm on my own."
The former claymore was struggling with all her strength. But it just wasn't enough. She'd been out of the game too long, and it showed.
Not that she'd been totally slacking. She'd practiced to be sure. And now and then, she'd take on a yoma or two.
But how long since she'd engaged in a fight against a real opponent? Not since…
No. Couldn't dwell on that. She'd go insane.
Stupid as her opponent might have been, he packed a punch. And his skin was too strong for her sword. There were parts in between where she might be able to leave a wound. But that required skill she no longer possessed.
"Gah! Hold still! You're making me kind of angry!"
He reached out again. She dodged and thrust her sword through his arm. She then pushed herself off into the air and cut him in one of his armor's weak points.
"You bitch! Is this how you repay kindness?"
She pulled the sword out but took too long and got a fist to the face for her lack of speed.
She went flying across the room and collided into the wall. At the speed she went, she left a dent in the metal.
"Heh heh. Ya know, you ain't too bad! A lot better than that loser I tortured earlier! Wonder how strong you'll get when you awaken?"
"Not happening. I won't go that route! You can forget it!"
"Ah, come on. It's not bad! Just a little snip and it's over! I promise!"
"I said no."
"Ah well, I don't need your permission. More fun for me that way! Heh heh!"
She gritted her teeth. So that was it? One act of altruism after years of self-imposed exile and she was about to end up another monster? Damn it all. What would her sister think if she could see her now? Given how she was now, she'd probably laugh. Watching her inferior little sibling get throttled by an oaf.
"Uh, sir Dauf?" A voice came out over the intercom. "We have a slight… problem."
"Hey what gives? I'm having lots of fun! You'd better have something important!"
"Uh the problem sir is… well it seems all the metroids have been released. Sorry."
Her eyes lit up immediately, but this fool's brain took longer to catch up. Soon enough he caught on.
"Wait, what!?"
...
"Hunter? Hunter, can you hear me?"
She could. But barely through the pounding in her ears. The beating of her heart. Her body's transformation.
"I…. I can't go back…. Why?"
Priscilla stared at her with sad but understanding eyes. She placed her head on the hunter's head. It felt comforting given the circumstances.
"Those wounds. They tortured you, didn't they? Forced you to go past your limit."
Samus couldn't respond. Too great was the pain.
"They'll pay for this. I promise you that."
Priscilla's voice was uncharacteristically even. That made it even more terrifying when she drew her sword.
"Pri…Priscilla?"
"There's nothing I can do for you. Nothing but this. It's the way of all warriors. Die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
"Wait! I don't… Priscilla! Wait!"
She tried to move to stand. But the number 1 placed her hand on her head and forced her down.
"I'll make it quick. You needn't suffer."
Damn it all! It was like moving a hundred trucks! No matter how she squirmed, she couldn't get up with the hand keeping her in place. And Priscilla wasn't even trying! She shuddered to imagine her at full strength.
"Clare…. Need… Clare…"
"I'll take care of her. You have my word."
"No! Stop! Maybe you can…. Help…"
Priscilla looked with even more pity at the hunter. If that was even possible.
"My poor hunter. Another sign of your inexperience. There is no help for you now. Don't you know already?"
"Nothing? No… There must be… Clare needs…"
"You'll put her in danger. You'll put everyone in danger. That isn't what you want is it?"
Samus gritted through teeth and pain. She knew in her heart that was true. And a year earlier she would have accepted it. But not anymore. Clare had that effect on her.
"It's the way of things. I'm sorry. There's no alternative."
"No…. Mommy…. Daddy…."
Priscilla stared down with shock. Samus was no longer staring and pleading at her. She was looking away. Her eyes appeared distant.
"What did you say?"
"Mommy…. Daddy… Help…."
Priscilla shook. Her hands clenched. Her eyes grew watery.
"She's lost it. Her awareness has gone."
She breathed in deep. Remember your duty, she told herself.
"Mommy? Please don't go."
Her eyes widened as the delirious hunter wrapped her arms around her waist and held close. Priscilla could only stare in confusion and horror.
"Hold me mommy. Don't leave again mommy."
"Please! Stop! I must kill you! You're a yoma now! A monster! And monsters must die!"
Her resolve steeled she prepared to do her duty.
"Don't kill me daddy. Please don't."
That shattered her will. Her sword dropped.
"I… you can't…. Damn it! This should be easy! Why isn't this easy?"
She gripped her head. No clue what to do. She was a warrior, damn it! The finest warrior of her generation! They looked up to her to do the job. And here she was, unable to do it!
"No! No, you're a monster! I must kill you! I must!"
Samus' only response to that was to curl up even more into her chest.
"Daddy. Don't leave me again."
"I… oh hell. What am I doing?"
She leaned down and gripped Samus' shoulders.
"Hunter! Hunter! Hang in there!"
The hunter seemed to notice her now.
"Daddy?"
"Yes. Daddy. I'm here… uh… sweetie…. Always here."
"I hurt…"
"Just hang on sweetie. Just stay here. Just stay close."
She had no idea what she was doing. But it seemed to work. Right up until a flash of light emitted from the hunter, signaling the transformation.
"Oh no. Hang in sweetie. Just hang on!"
"It hurts…. Hurts…. Daddy…. It hurts…."
"Don't go! Please don't let go! Stay with me!"
...
"Hey! The camera in the Metroid facility just went off! Something took it out!"
"Will you forget about that? The door's barely holding together!"
"I can feel them. So many. They're afraid. So afraid."
"You don't need to feel them blind girl! You can hear them!"
Indeed, the screams of terror from yoma and awakened beings could be well heard from within the control room… Along with the blood curdling shrieks of the Metroids draining them.
"Never mind them! We need to get the cameras back online! I can't tell what happened to Samus!"
"Clare, honey. The camera is destroyed. Unless someone replaces it, you can't see anything."
Clare ignored Galatea and kept trying. The older girl grabbed her hand and guided her away from the screens.
"Maybe we should move. We could get out through the vent. Try to find the other Claymore."
"Like either of you would last long. You can't sense those jellyfish and she's… well her! Our only choice is to stand and fight!"
"With what, may I ask? Your fists of steel?"
"Very funny blind girl. But I was thinking more along the lines of this!" She held up a fearsome looking gun far too big for her. "You won't believe what they left lying around in here! Lazy monsters!"
"I'm going to skip scolding you for keeping that hidden all this time and instead reprimand you for holding a weapon you have no idea how to use."
"Well, excuse me for trying new things your highness! I'm not looking to be a science experiment again! Or Teresa forbid a meal for those jellyfish! You know what they say! Go out with a bang!"
"Pray tell who they are who say this?"
Clare ignored the girl's banter. All she could think about was the image on the screen. Samus lying there in Priscilla's arms. Close to awakening…
...
"I don't believe it."
"Nor can I." Priscilla stared at the hunter in her hands. Still not entirely sure if she should be spared.
Samus Aran lay naked in Priscilla's arms. Bare of all clothing shed from her incident. And bare of all injuries she'd endured under such relenting torture. She just lay there in Priscilla's arms. Staring at her entire body. Unsure if she was dreaming.
"I've never seen… I mean… You should be…."
"A monster? Maybe I am and this is my awakened form."
"If it is, it's the prettiest one I've ever seen."
Priscilla immediately flushed red in embarrassment, but Samus didn't notice. She continued looking at her apparently unawakened body.
"Hunter? Can you hear me? Are you all right?"
"I don't know. I probably shouldn't be. But all things considered I feel… Pretty good."
"Pretty good? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"2. Why? Is this common Claymore protocol?"
"Protocol? None of this is protocol! This shouldn't be happening! You shouldn't be human anymore! I mean… Fuck! What are we doing? Is this real life?"
"Thank you."
Samus placed her hand on Priscilla's cheek who only became even more questioning of her surroundings.
"Ok, now I know this isn't real life. You thanking me? I haven't exactly given you the time of day!"
"You have now. You saved me. I don't know how. But you saved me. Thank you."
They stared in each other's eyes. Though they'd traveled together for close to a month now, it seemed like they were seeing each other for the first time. Of course, that was quickly interrupted by the shrieks of the Metroids on the other side of the door.
"Metroids? Loose? Looks like we'll have to continue this another time."
"Indeed. Your awakening was so powerful it broke the glass of every subject container in the room! I have no experience with Metroids, so I had to pull us in here."
"Yeah. Probably the best thing to do against them. Swords don't work on those things. Only cold."
"Cold? It's plenty cold here and they don't appear to be stopping!" Out of her element and up against an opponent she had no defense against, Priscilla was quickly slipping back to her childish ways. For the time being, Samus was in charge.
"There must be a safety mechanism in case they broke out. That or some kind of cold weapon. I'm going to go find it. I need you to follow the especially large aura to another lab. There's another claymore there fighting an awakened being way out of her league."
"Excuse me? Are you giving orders? I am still number 1 thank you!"
The hunter stared at her with raised eyebrows. Priscilla herself sighed.
"I suppose you know more than me right now. Very well. I shall follow your judgement this time and help our sister."
"When you do that, get her to take you to the children. Bunker down somewhere safe and don't let the metroids get you. I'll find way to subdue them."
"That is incredibly foolish to do alone. I cannot sit by and cower!"
"You're trained to right yoma. Not these things. Besides I'm an outsider, right? Not a real sister."
"Even so, you should not be functioning right now. I can't rely on someone who might awaken any second."
"This someone who might awaken any second is your best shot. The children need you. Better you survive than me."
She didn't really believe that but whatever motivates.
"Very well. I'll trust you for now hunter. Let's hope your logic is better than your swordplay."
"Heh. The old you. Missed you."
...
"Hey! Where do you think you're going? This is just starting to get fun."
"Not for me! Fun is beating up on weak people! But these things don't get beat up!"
The previously immense monster had turned back into his ugly human form and begun to run. Surprisingly fast for a fat bastard. Not that she blamed him. The swords didn't appear to work, and the bastard had barely managed to fend all the little cretins off.
"Bet you wish you'd awakened now, huh? You might have stood a chance! Hey get off me!"
While he ran off down another corridor, the one eyed woman found herself backed up against the wall. Waiting for death.
"Fear not! On my way!"
Out of nowhere, a more properly dressed claymore came barreling in and snatched the desperate woman off her feet.
"It's good to see you! I don't recognize your face. Or your eye! What's your name and rank?"
"Uh… can this wait?"
"Oh right. Metroids! Of course! Tell me where the children are!"
"Take that passage through there and I'll direct you from there!"
"Sounds good! Now since we might not have much time left, can you tell me about that eye?"
"No."
"So forceful! I respect that!"
...
"Samus? You're alive?"
"I think. Maybe? I'm running and talking. That's good enough."
"But how?"
"No time for that. If we get out of here, we can talk and do all the shit I said I wouldn't let you do until you're 18."
"Wait, everything?" Clare's eyes lit up despite the chaos going on around her. "Even…"
"Except that! Not doing that!"
"But Samus…"
"No! I don't care if you were on the verge of awakening! Now, focus! I need directions."
"Uh, ok! Where to?"
"Come on you bitch! Let go!"
"You are not qualified to wield this weapon! Let it go!"
"Tell that to the monsters about to bust in! No one else can do it!"
At this, the door burst open and Priscilla and the one-eyed claymore came rushing in She was bleeding and seemed to have a few bones broken.
"Your aura is off. Are you injured?" Galatea placed her hand worriedly on one eyes' shoulder.
"That doofus put up a pretty good fight. More than I'd expect from an idiot. We need a safer place than this."
"No, we have to stay! I need to stay in contact with Samus!"
"Oh please. If she can't handle herself, what good is she?"
"Ophelia, shut up! She's in danger! There's a large fight between awakened beings and metroids! And it's heading in her direction! Samus! You hear me? Samus?"
"What's wrong Clare? Your aura feels upset."
"You don't need aura sense or whatever to figure that out! Hey! Give me back that gun!"
"I don't think you should be swinging that around." Priscilla confiscated the weapon and turned to Clare.
"Can you talk to her?"
"No! Her communicator isn't working! I need to warn her!"
Priscilla bit her lip.
"Where is she?"
...
She didn't know where she was. Her communication device had chosen the worst time to stop functioning. So here she was running through enemy territory blind and on the run from life sucking monstrosities.
"Shit! Not that way. Damn it all to hell! Where is the fucking thing!?"
At this point, it came down to checking down random halls and having to flee when she encountered opposition. Though she'd had situations like this in the past, it was usually the other way around, with her giving the pursuit.
"Back when I had my damn armor of course. Now all I've got is this stupid sword. How does anyone fight with this?"
Given her luck, she wouldn't be all that surprised if she awakened at any moment. Just this once though, luck gave her a pat on the back.
She found herself in what appeared to be the armaments room. She found a terminal listing the equipment and their locations
"Yes. This looks more like it. Ice cannon! Now what kind of damage can I do?"
Just as she outfitted herself with the device, the lights in the room went out and she found herself standing in near complete darkness. She sighed.
"Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. I forgot to do the later it seems."
That's when she heard the shrieks.
She felt her pulse quicken. Was this her end?
"Let's not wait here to find out. Hope for the best. Hope for the best."
It was hard to hope in this dark environment. She could only rely on sound and her meager yoki sensing to guide her.
"Come on. There must be a central station. How to find it?"
"Hunter! Stay close and follow!"
"I thought I told you to stay with the children!"
"You did! They're fine with the one-eyed claymore! But if we don't fix this outbreak, they'll die! You need me here!"
"There isn't a second ice cannon here, so I doubt you'll be much use against the Metroids."
"No. But against yoma, you won't find anyone better. I can sense them in the dark. Something I believe you still haven't been able to master, hmm?"
"Perhaps. What I could really use is another communicator."
"Communicator? Oh right! Clare had this!"
"I believe it would have been ideal to start out with that. Clare? You there?"
"Samus! Oh, thank the goddesses! Somehow the power went out! Probably due to the metroids."
"I need a way to put them down. Do you see anything in your room that looks like a system shutoff?"
"Hmm. Nothing that I can tell. But maybe… Hold on…"
"How old is she again?"
"8."
"And she can read such technology? You taught her well."
"I think there may be a way. A room containing what you seek. There's a control panel there which I believe activates a cold energy field which should freeze all metroids within the base. It's been made specifically to target their DNA so it shouldn't have any effect on any non-Metroid organisms."
"And how did you learn all this exactly? Surely not from a few cameras!"
"No." The one-eyed claymore spoke in. "To be honest I once snuck in here before you lot by suppressing my aura. It wasn't easy, but I managed to figure a out some more important aspects of the base."
"Well that's convenient. So, where do we go?"
The claymore's instructions led them to a vast chamber composed of several levels of floor. The walls were lined with broken glass walls. Doubtless left by the Metroids who were now scattered around the room feasting on the yoma.
"Looks like the controls are down on the lower level. Find a way to activate the failsafe. I'll handle these creatures."
"What? You need this gun to fend them off. And I don't think you have any experience with it!"
"Oh. True. Well, I suppose you'll have to deal with them then. Do your duty!"
The number 1 leaped off the edge while the hunter targeted the Metroids trying to stop her descent. Not that she was too worried about Priscilla. She was far too fast. She was more concerned about herself.
"Ah, a gun again. How I've missed you."
The gun effectively froze the little bastards, allowing her to shatter them with her sword. But there were so many, the best she could do with most was simply to freeze and retreat.
"This is taking too long. I should have let Priscilla give them a chase and activated the failsafe myself. Does she even know how to do it?"
There were too many now. And not just metroids.
"Hey! I recognize you! You were Dauf's plaything! Didn't you awaken?"
"Maybe. But it doesn't concern you right now."
"Doesn't it? Are you awakened or not? I can't tell!"
"That makes two of us." Samus aimed at another Metroid, sending it to the ground frozen.
"Aw well. Not like we're going to get the chance to find out…"
The monster shrieked as one of the creatures attached itself to his neck and sucked his life out. Given their number, she figured she would soon share his fate.
The goddesses be blessed, however. She didn't share their fate as a rush of cold blasted through the room. The metroids quivered in midair and dropped like flies.
She placed a hand on them. They weren't frozen. But somehow not moving.
"Their temperature is down. Curious. I might like to look at that machine."
Priscilla jumped back up to the same level just in time as Samus sat down against the wall.
"Those computers are hard to figure out! How do you do it?"
"I don't know. How do you do that stuff with the sword?"
"It's who I am. What I do."
Samus sighed and rubbed her bleeding face.
"Just heal me please. I need a fucking nap."