Chapter Eight:
Into The Infested Facility
Within a moment's notice, the Metroids noticed Samus' approach, and they screeched, baring their ferocious teeth, as the energy-sucking alien monsters flew towards the armed bounty hunter. It didn't take less than a minute for her to squeeze the trigger, firing energy blasts at the approaching Metroids, and the aliens exploded in smoke and drops of green goo upon the rocks.
Alex followed Samus, making sure Suzie was still with them, and they treaded slowly up the slope. Debris rolled down the mountainside, and the group carefully approached the compound with Samus opening fire when she saw a glimpse of a Metroid.
Ominous howling alerted her and Alex to the presence of more Xako Wolves, and Suzie yelped when a pair of them emerged from the shadowy halls of the compound, their eyes glinting in the darkness in a menacing manner.
Were a majority of those things somehow created from Metroids using DNA strands that they'd harvested?
Alex opened fire before Samus did, with each and every shot nailing the dangerous beasts in the head, and knocking them out of commission before they could attack the group. Samus and Alex glanced at one another, making sure they were both prepared for whatever awaited inside, and they set foot over the barrier.
Metal footsteps echoed off the walls, and Suzie clung to Samus' arm, glancing up at the ceiling as if she expected to see "more monsters". Lights flickered, and together, Samus' group took a leap of faith into the darkness.
The bounty hunter felt a sense of dread, a hint of dryness in her mouth, and her armored knees wobbled a little with each step. She held Suzie close to herself, allowing the young girl to be emotional support. As long as she protected her, as long as she was safe, they would all be okay.
"I'd say this was a research lab." Alex commented, putting his scanner on standby, "Whatever scientific or medical work was being conducted here, it's lost. Not a single trace."
"WATCH OUT!" Samus shouted as her scanner began beeping rapidly, the bounty hunter raised her arm cannon quickly as a four-legged Metroid monster leaped off a wall towards them, right out of the shadows.
Suzie ducked and screamed, shaking with dread, as the monster let out a shriek. Samus and Alex opened fire, blasting the creature with everything they had, and the Metroid collapsed before the duo finished it off with a single blast. Suzie stood up, shaking and whimpering, and hugged Samus with tears rolling down her face, then she gasped as a growl echoed through the hall.
Alex charged ahead with a yell, and gunshots rang out along with the shrieks of Metroids as well as a few wolf howls. Samus hugged Suzie lightly, then she walked in the soldier's direction with the little girl following, and the bounty hunter primed her blaster.
They caught up with Alex near a set of stairs that led downward, and Samus saw the smoldering, shot-up remnants of the monsters that had just been taken down. Her scanner beeped and blinked again, notifying Samus about the growing energy signatures in the base, and Alex's scanner pinged like mad as the Federation soldier checked the readings.
"Dang, the place is big, there sure is bound to be a lot more." He remarked.
"I see one." Samus quipped, spotting a Metroid floating their way, and she raised her cannon again.
"M-M-Monster..." Suzie whimpered.
PYEW! The bounty hunter dealt with it, blasting the energy-sucking monstrosity into smithereens, and whatever remained of the creature burned on the floor. Samus picked up Suzie, then she and Alex crept down the stairs as the lights flickered again. Both armored fighters remained alert, prepared to protect the trembling little girl from ever-growing danger.
Just then, a Metroid launched itself at Samus from the shadows, and the bounty hunter ducked while covering Suzie in a protective manner. Alex smacked the monster with his gun, then he grabbed the Metroid, and slammed it into a wall. He raised his gun, and repeatedly tapped the trigger, blasting it to bits.
"Oh gosh, oh gosh..." Suzie whimpered.
"Shh, shh, shh..." Samus hugged the frightened girl as comfortingly as possible, "The monster's dead, it won't hurt you."
Alex blew the smoke away from the tip of his gun, and smiled at Samus and Suzie as if he was a father to the latter, then he proceeded through the hall and shot down a multi-legged Metroid with minimal effort. Samus caught up with him, and increased the range of her scanner.
Her display went near-mad, displaying multiple dangerous heat signatures, and many of them appeared in the unmistakable shape of the Metroids. Samus deactivated her scanner, and removed her helmet, revealing her womanly face as she stared into the darkness. Suzie looked at her, worried, and curious.
"I'm going to give you to Alex now, Suzie." Samus told the little girl, and she handed him to a nearly-surprised Alex.
"I got you..." Alex held Suzie gently, "Samus, what's going on?"
Samus looked at him with a serious business sort of look. "I'm going on ahead, to take care of the Metroids." She said, "I've had more experience with those things, and it's about to get dangerous, especially with Suzie around. We can't leave her behind. You look after her, and defend her if any monsters attack. I'll take the Metroids."
Alex was almost taken aback. "Oh..." He remarked, "Well, I'm good with kids."
"I'll be back." Samus gave Suzie a little pat on the shoulder.
"P-People always say that..." Suzie whimpered, "...a-a-and they don't ever come back."
Samus gave her a reassuring smile, and put the helmet back on. "Well, this is going to be different..." She told the little girl, "I will be back, as soon as I've taken care of the monsters. You got Uncle Alex to take care of you." She flashed Suzie one last smile, and then, the bounty hunter headed off into the darkness to confront the Metroid menace...
