Episode 4: queen of the monsters.
Linus sat calmly in front of the trading table in the chaotic food court, his eyes glancing over the various scans in his collection and his foot rapidly tapping on the ground. A hand on his shoulder quickly got him to glance up, breaking his concentration.
"You doing, okay?" Coley asked him, a look of concern etched into his face.
"I'm fine. Just trying to come up with a strategy for my next match".
"really" Coley stated as he pulled up a chair and sat down next to his friend and placed the drink in his hand on the table. "Because you've been sitting here for three hours straight, you have looked over every single possible line up you could use twice and when a kid tripped and went flying down that set of stairs next to us you didn't even glance up at the commotion".
"Wait, really?" Linus asked to which Coley simply nodded.
"Now, how about you take a break before you drive yourself crazy"
"Did Haley send you to do this?"
"No, I get the feeling she's the type to talk to you directly. Plus, she would pour this drink over your head to snap you out of it, I'm just here to give it to you".
Linus chuckled as he raised the straw to his lips, letting the cool liquid calm his head.
"Better?"
"Much better"
"Good, when is your match anyway?"
"Half two, why do you ask?"
Coley simply groaned in response before holding up his watch to Linus's eyes which went wide with horror.
It read 2:25.
"CRUD!" Linus shouted as he dropped his drink and snatched his scanner, legging it down the stairs to the Battle Dromes.
"Was going to give some battle advice once he'd relaxed" Coley said dryly to himself as he made his way to the main hub. "But I think a clock might be a better gift".
Linus dashed into Battle Drome Hottek in a frenzy before bracing himself on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"Creepshow" the automated voice said, somehow sounding both emotionless and judgemental. "Chaotic protocol requires players to be on time for their matches"
"Sorry, sorry, lost track of time" he said between inhales.
"Indeed, as both players are now both here, please dock your scanners".
Linus promptly did as he was asked, quickly stealing a glance at his opponent while doing so. She looked about his age but noticeably shorter, with straight black hair that went all the way down to her waist and dark coloured eyes that had a pair of thick rimmed glasses placed in front of them. She wore a large baby blue hoody that seemed to swallow her tiny frame, a pair of grey shorts that fit snugly on her and stopped halfway down her calves though the rest of her legs were covered by a pair of black stockings, on her feet were a pair of indigo-coloured trainers.
"hey" he called out, startling her slightly. "Just wanted to say hi and apologise again"
"It is fine" she responded, her voice having a noticeable Japanese accent. "People are sometimes being late"
With Linus only giving a double take at that slightly odd response, they constructed their teams in silence before locking their scanners.
While this was happening, Coley sat by himself in the main hub, a freshly cooked pizza having just been placed next to him.
"Hi Coley" Haley said as she sat down next to him. "Linus's match started yet?"
"It's beginning just now" he replied as grabbed a slice and gestured for her to help herself.
"he's fighting some girl whose screen name is Kaiiju queen" he continued between bites. "I couldn't find much about her other than she's from some town called Susaki, plays Mipedians a lot and has one hell of a win count"
"Due to her opponent's tardiness, Kaiiju queen will be attacking first, please spin the location randomiser"
Nervously, she reached out and brushed her hand against it, the various locations on her screen flicking by rapidly before finally settling.
"The first location will be the Mipedim Valley, please choose and attacking and target creature"
"Uboraan attacks Ghuul".
With a smirk, Linus selected the right creature, a quick swirl of blue code quickly transforming him into it's bizarre, bugged eyed form. all of his confidence though quickly went out of the window when he looked up to the colossal wolf like creature whose eyes were focused right at him.
"What the" was all he was able to choke out before the match began.
With his now bulging eyes scouring the path ahead of him, Linus quickly scuttled across the sand dunes, his shallow breathing doing little to hide the panic and exhaustion that filled his body. Behind him, his opponents massive frame getting closer with every second.
"Flame orb" he shouted while tossing his attack over his shoulder to little effect.
"RAAAAHHH" she bellowed as she returned fire, a massive blast erupting from her mouth. Quickly Linus dived into one of the nearby dunes, his hind legs getting clipped by the blast.
"Augh, you really don't play gentle, do you?"
"RAAAGGHH"
"I'll take that as a yes, torrent of flame"
Quickly, she ducked the attack then released another beam of destructive energy at Linus who once again barely dodged the brunt of it.
"At this rate it's only a matter of time before I slip up and get coded" he thought as he landed after jumping out of the way of yet another blast. "let's see how she handles me going where she can't hit me"
He hastily made his way in-between the legs of his colossal opponent, using the window of opportunity it provided to strike.
"Inferno gust" he declared as w barrage of fire struck his opponent's stomach.
"AAAHHHHHGGHH"
"Bet that stung" he thought as he followed his attack up with a series of slices at each of her four ankles. She howled again, desperately trying to move away but Linus continued to keep pace, his onslaught of attacks draining her energy.
"Just got to keep this up" he panted.
The tell tale tones of mugic began to play in his ears, causing his heart to sink in fear. In an instant a blast sent him flying out from under his opponent. With one last triumphant bellow, she blasted the sand dune he landed on, causing it to collapse and bury Linus alive before he erupted into code.
Linus could only blink in shock as he watched massive form that decimated him revert back to a shy looking girl. The sound of his sister's voice from his scanner snapped him out of this state, causing him to look down at her and Coley's own shocked expressions.
"WHAT WAS THAT!" she cried in shock.
"I don't know, I've never seen a creature like it"
"your like a walking encyclopedia for weird creatures, how could you not know?"
"Guys calm down" Coley interrupted. "we at least know it's a Mepedian, its all this girl uses. Keep battling while I do some digging"
"right" Linus responded, "gotcha".
"Excuse me"
Quickly he looked up to his opponent who immediately glanced away with a blush. "It is your turn to attack"
"Shoot, your right, sorry"
"its is not problem"
"Well, the fact you can crush me is very much my problem" Linus thought to himself as his randomiser span round and settled on Jade pillar. "can't take on the beast but I can at least thin her troops".
"Ragetrod attacks siado"
"Power pulse"
The blasts of green energy flew out of linus's four hands and collided with his opponent, making them crash into the mighty green gems that made up the Jade pillar.
"Wind slash" she yelled back, seconds before Linus ducked to avoid the blades of pure air aimed at his two heads.
"You know" he called out as his lumbering form began to make his way across one of the rope bridges suspended on the pillar. "You don't seem to be playing as aggressive as before, what gives?"
No answer
"Silent treatment, really?"
Quickly his eyes locked on a small pile of debris fall from its perch, his gaze following the dust from it somehow wafting in different directions.
"Or maybe you just didn't want me to figure out where you were. Rock wave!"
With a cry, Linus slammed his four heavy fists onto the ground, spikes of stone and gems launching up towards the dust. His opponent nearly escaping till her tail was caught between two of them.
"don't you hate it when the creature anatomy works against you?" Linus asked sarcastically.
"Thunder Shout" she yelled back as the sound waves rocketed him off the side of the ledge. From there, she broke free of her restraint and tentatively made her way over to peer off and see where her opponent landed.
Unbeknownst to her, Linus had managed to find a perch to grab onto safely and out of sight.
"okay" he muttered to himself, "she's tough, really tough. Time to break out the battle gear"
He quickly scaled the side of the pillar, carefully sticking to obscured and shadowy parts wherever he could.
"Mental note, next time you plan a stealth attack, go with a creature who doesn't move like a gorilla and weigh three times as much".
Eventually, he made it to an open area near the top where he spotted her cautiously moving around, almost too cautiously.
"What gives?" he thought, "last match she was in total control, now it's like I'm fighting someone else entirely. Oh well, whatever helps me win"
From his perch he leaped down at the startled lizard. The gauntlets of might forming on two of his ginormous fists.
"Say your prayers" he cried as he swung a right hook at her face, knocking the wind out of her in an instant.
"Cyclone slam" she stammered out, the attack easily sidestepped by Linus.
"That the best you got"
His cockiness dissipated however as he heard the tell tale sound of something collapsing behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see an avalanche of crystal about to come down on the both of them, an idea forming quickly after that.
"This better work" he yelled as he tackled his opponent off where they were standing, causing them to plummet below.
"lets see if you break my fall"
The seconds quickly ticked by in free fall before they both hit the ground below, the reptilian visage being coded in an instant.
"WHOO HOO" Linus yelled, "I am back in the game".
"I wouldn't be so cocky" Haley muttered to herself as she watched her brother's little victory dance.
"Kaiju queen it is your attack" the drome announced.
With a shaking hand she spun her randomiser, eventually landing on the hunter's perimeter.
"Uboraan attacks Ragetrod".
It felt like Linus had been literally hit with the concept of De Ja Vu, once again he was hiding from whatever the heck that creature was while trying (and failing) to chip her energy away and not getting blasted to kingdom come.
"RAAAAAGGGHH"
Desperately, dived from his hiding spot as a blast of energy incinerated it, quickly combat rolling into a defensive stance.
"Come on, how much energy do you have?"
RAAAAAAGGH"
A bolt of lightning from her mouth was all the response he received as it flung him against a nearby formation of stone.
"This suck's, he managed to groan out before another barrage of attacks destroyed him.
Linus simply sighed in frustration as he watched the massive beast that had managed to obliterate him twice returned to being a nervous looking girl"
"Is something being the matter" she asked tentatively.
"Don't worry about it" Linus replied as he tried to muster some sense of his previous bravado, if for no other reason than to make her feel less concerned. "you've kicked my butt fair and square so far"
"It's not over yet" she replied with a smile.
"It might as well be if I can't figure out how to beat that creature" he thought as he reached for the location randomizer.
"The next location is underworld city, choose and attacking and target creature"
"Quick question" Linus stated as he considered his options. "That mugic you used in our first fight, you used a mugician from that creature in the back row to cast it, right?"
"yes"
"Don't recognize him but something tells me he's more important than just for mugic. Slufurah attacks Bylkian"
Linus watched confused as he pelted his opponent with fire balls as ran for any cover in a panic.
"Okay, now I'm confused" he thought to himself. "This girl was massacring me every time she fought as that giant monster, with anything else she does more running than fighting"
He silently dropped down from his position and made his way to where she had scurried off to, another sphere of flames clutched in his hands. He quickly glanced around the burned-out house he swore he saw her dive into.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are" he said aloud as he made his way to the next building.
Suddenly he heard a snap behind him, just managing to roll out of the way as a pipe nearly connected with his skull.
"Too slow, torrent of flame"
Linus grinned as he watched his opponent was engulfed in fire and was knocked into the house behind them.
"lets finish this, CANNON OF CASUALTY"
Within an instant of the last notes playing, a beam crashed through the roof, code flying out of the windows a moment later.
"Yes, all evened up again" Linus stated with a fist pump.
"Indeed" the dome stated, Kaiiju queen it is your attack, please spin the location randomiser.
"I-I-I" she stuttered.
"you okay" Linus asked, "your not looking so solid.
"I-I'm fine, just need a minute"
"Okay?" Linus responded before getting an alert that Haley was calling.
"what's up Hales, you get any more info"
"the mother load" Haley stated excitedly. "That creature you took out is called a conjurer and without it that giant monster of hers has a massive downside".
"That being?"
"Recklessness of 15"
"You mean-
"she's going to lose that much health with each attack" Coley interjected".
Linus looked up to see his opponent continuing to work her self up.
"oh"
"What do you mean oh, this is a good thing. I know your smart enough to win with that advantage"
"Yeah, thanks sis" he responded before ending the call and looking back up again. "HEY"
She practically flinched upon hearing him call out, "y-es?"
"don't overthink this, this last fight is just like any other, take what you have left and battle smart"
Linus watched her pause for a bit before she nodded and spun the randomiser.
"The next location is the sands of the unseen, chose an attacking and target creature"
"Uboraan attacks Slufurah"
Quietly, Linus trudged through the glistening dunes of sand that made up this strange location, the wind whipping at the unsightly features of the creature he was currently inhabiting.
"Where the heck is she?" he pondered aloud, "these locations so flat, I should be able to see her a mile off"
His confusion quickly shifted to terror as a blast of energy erupted from seemingly nowhere and knocked him to his knees.
"What the-
WHAM! Another blast and then another and another, a barrage of beams came crashing down onto him.
"Okay, that is it. Song of true sight"
Quickly the melody revealed the gigantic beast, its shock at this turn of events buying Linus enough time to ready his last mugic.
"Searing symphony"
Linus Grinned as he watched the mugic cause her knees to buckle and her legs to collapse under the weight of her own giant frame. He walked forward his arms outstretched and the fire that would win him the match already forming in his palms.
"well I think we both know this is the end, you cant use mugic and one more attack and you'll end up taking yourself out before you even hit me so do you have any last words?"
"y-yes" she responded in a voice so deep it sounded fathomless.
"Huh, so you can speak as this creature, well come on spit it out"
"Thanks for the meal" she exclaimed as a sickening smirk formed on her face.
"Wait, what?" was all Linus could say before he felt something wrap around his ankle, quickly he looked down to see the tip of her tail coiled around in a vice like grip before he was suddenly pulled upwards and flung into the air.
"WHHAAAAAH" he screamed as he somersaulted on his descent unable to stay still long enough to make out anything until he caught a glimpse of what was below him, the open maw of his opponent.
"YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDIN-
A split second later, her jaws snapped shut, unleashing a tsunami of code.
"You know, it sort of fits" Haley stated as Linus slumped down at their table.
"What does?"
"That the monster fanatic is the one to get eaten"
"So funny I forgot to laugh" he grumbled as sunk lower into his chair.
"Come on Linus" Coley said as he patted his shoulder. "You win some, you lose some, it happens"
"But I should have seen that coming"
"And you will next time" the Nigerian counter, "right now though, you should come up with a plan to handle what's about to happen"
"Which is"
"Excuse me"
"Linus turned to see his opponent staring at him, her arms nervously folded over her chest.
"I wanted to be thanking you"
"For what"
"For telling me to keep battling, I panic without my war beast or conjurer, you helped me"
"Oh, no problem" Linus responded with a cough.
"would you like to join us?" Coley interjected.
"Yes please" she replied as she sat down at the last seat. "Forgive me but my English is not that good"
"Don't sweat it" Haley stated as she held her hand out. "I'm Haley Fischer, that's Coley and you've met my brother Linus"
"My name is Shiho; it is nice to meet you all".
"So, I'm guessing by your screen name you're a Godzilla fan then" Linus asked.
Shiho nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, it is why I play mipedian"
"Nice, I'm more of a creature feature and Stephen King kind of guy myself, do love Tokyo gore police though"
"YES!" Shiho cheered as she leaned in excitedly. "I adore that film"
"No way, I can never find anyone else who's seen it"
"Might be because it's Japanese and she is too, bro" Haley added as she watched the increasingly animated conversation.
Linus shot her a glare before their new acquaintance got his attention back.
"I must admit I am unfamiliar with Mr. King's work, could you give me some suggestions" she asked with a smile that made Linus's cheeks warm and his heart suddenly beat twice as fast.
"Wait, do I have a thing for her, I just met her. Okay Linus, you've met a cute girl who likes monster movies and actually wants to spend time with you just play it cool and whatever you do, don't let Haley figure out that you have a crush".
Quickly, his eyes darted over to where his sister was sitting, an evil looking and all too familiar smile on her lips.
"crud".