Chapter Five

The Orphaned Girl


Hearing the scream again, Samus and Alex ran as fast as they could, climbing around the rocks and the rough terrain. They ran to the top of a peak and surveyed the landscape. The scream perked their ears, and helmets' sensors and both looked down, catching sight of a young girl with messy gold hair in ragged clothes, with what appeared to be a gun in hand, running for her life.

Samus watched the girl, and then, she turned her gaze, spotting the source of the girl's distress; a pair of Xako Wolves and Metroids, all in pursuit of her.

"We better act fast." Alex quipped.

"After you?" Samus offered.

"Together."

"No time to debate, not when a girl has to be saved."

The little girl screamed in the desolate valley, filled with dread. She'd tried to survive on her own for so long she didn't know what else to do. And her only weapon was low on energy. She'd tried to defend herself, but she didn't have the proper survival skills. She was alone, with no one to protect her or support her.

Once more, she turned around, trying to fire the energy gun. But sparks flew; no ammo. The little girl dropped her weapon, facing the horde about to hurt her, and whimpered in fear.

It was over; she wasn't going to make it. It was game over, and she knew it.

Just then, she heard a screech and looked up to see one of the Metroids get hit by an energy blast. She turned, seeing two people in armor rushing down the hill, blasting at the attackers. The girl watched with shock; in the time she'd been trying to survive, she didn't think help would finally come. Who were those people?

"GET OUTTA THERE, YOU DOGS!" Alex shouted, blasting a wolf in the face.

The Xako Wolves howled and lunged at Samus, who shot them in the head, knocking the wild alien wolves out. A Metroid floated her way, its jaws twitching. Samus raised her weapon and shot the Metroid, then she fired at the other Metroids. Alex yelled as a Xako wolf pounced on him. Samus turned sharply and blasted the wolf in the side, knocking it out.

Alex got back up and nodded to Samus again. They turned to face the Metroids and wolves, blasting them until few enemies remained, as the rest of the wolves ran away.

With one battle over, Samus turned her attention to the little girl, who was shaking on the ground. She approached her carefully, especially as the girl looked up at her and Alex. The little girl's eyes were a clear shade of brown, and she looked a little dusty.

"You alright?" Samus asked.

"Th-Thank you..." The little girl squeaked.

"What are you doing out here alone? Where are your parents?" Alex inquired.

And that was when she started to sob. "Th-They're gone, my family... the Metroids... they got them. I-I-I don't know what to do..."

"What's your name?"

"S-Suzie."

"I'm Samus Aran..." Samus introduced, "This is Alex Weston; he's a Galactic Federation soldier. It will be okay, just stick with us and don't wander off. You can trust us. We've had experience with the monsters, some experience."

Just then, a roar echoed across the valley, and Suzie whimpered. Samus' radar went haywire, and then she and Alex turned to see another Metroid Dragon approaching them. How many of these things were there, and when did the Metroids start producing those weird dragon things? Were the Metroid Queens not enough?

"MONSTER!" Suzie screamed.

"We got this!" Alex said confidently.

The dragon flew closer, stretching its menacing claws and staring menacingly at Samus, Alex, and Suzie. Samus and Alex primed their weapons again, ready for another battle, and more Metroids appeared alongside the Metroid Dragon.

Suzie shrieked and hid behind a rock, cowering in fear. Samus and Alex glanced at each other, then they faced their imposing foes. The dragon roared, and the two allies opened fire. Samus shot first, blasting off one of the dragon's claws, and a Metroid swooped down on her. And just when it was seconds from latching onto her, Samus blasted it to bits.

Alex fired everything he had, shooting the swarm of Metroids encircling him. One grabbed his shoulder, and the soldier acted fast, shooting the Metroid before it could start draining his energy. A Metroid exploded next to him, courtesy of Samus shooting it before it could harm Alex.

"Careful not to hit me!" Alex called.

"I have your back!" Samus called back.

"So do I!"

WHAM! The Metroid Dragon swooped down, grabbing Alex in his claws. The soldier fought to break free, trying to pry himself from the beast's grip, only for the claws to tighten around him. Samus shot another Metroid and then faced the dragon. She aimed for the wings and fired, releasing every ounce of weapon energy she could unload.

The dragon howled as the shots tore through its wings, and Samus fired at the head, knocking out one of the beast's eyes. Samus supercharged up her energy cannon, focusing on the Metroid Dragon hard, and then fired a fully-charged shot at the beast's head.

Alex yelled as he dropped from the creature's claws, and the Metroid Dragon fell; its skull smoking. Samus ran to catch the soldier and helped him land safely, then they watched as the Metroid Dragon crumbled to dust and vanished without a trace. They turned their attention back to Suzie, who poked her head out of her hiding spot as a Metroid appeared over her head.

Samus fired at the Metroid, and Suzie yelped as the creature exploded above her. Luckily, she was unharmed. Samus and Alex approached the little girl, inspecting her closely and ensuring she was alright.

Just then, the ground began to rumble...