Bounty Hunter's Buddy 2 - (Metroid, SI)
Samus was... awake. Or that was what she felt like as she got awakened for their arrival to Zebes.
Twenty hours can be a nightmare to try and endure with sleep. She just couldn't imagine what was going to happen once she arrived on Zebes. On the one hand, she was hopeful that the Chozo had been able to either fight the invasion off, or retreat deeper in the tough planet's environment.
She was hopeful, but also cynically aware that things were not that simple. The planet's shield had been broken, the security system had somehow failed- which meant that Mother Brain had been disabled somehow. And, if she was to truly explore the worst scenario.
Then Ridley might be here too.
The thought terrified Samus, the idea of facing the monster that killed and devoured her parents shaking her in a state of desperate hope: they had to be alright, they have to. But for now, Samus was slowly awakening as she remembered sitting by one of the ship's corners, Brian sitting beside her as she unconsciously leaned her head to his shoulder.
He was awake, reading some data from his Enforcer suit. He was also scared, she knew this much from the way he was checking if everything was ready. Because they were going to need everything for this.
"Are we... close?"
Brian blinked, sparing her a calm side eye. "Yes."
Stirring her arms, Samus slowly got off the ground, dusting herself as she walked up to the pilot terminal. Kreatz was humming quietly, Mauk silently slouching on his chair- the Simian was eyeing the approaching planet with a hint of unease. Who could blame him - they were going to face a dangerous mission from the large invasion station currently sinking so many troops into Zebes.
It was almost confusing on how many troops the pirates were expending. Going by what she was familiar through reports, Samus was sure this may as well constitute more than half the known maximum strength of the criminals. But why? Why they were all moving to Zebes.
That question wasn't answered as they landed. Brian took charge, leading the small expedition through what they could find of worth. And it didn't take them too long to find the rests of some Chozos and... Space pirates. It was so difficult to differentiate one from the other, not in the way they were found.
Their bodies looked as if they had been depleted of all life forced, devoured from within and left as wrinkly carcasses to the predators of the planet. Just as they were looking around for more, they were ambushed by the pirates.
The buggy monsters were numerous, and they were exploiting the higher grounds to rain energy blasts on them. Samus took charge and guided the group out of that open spot. The Pirates gave chase, but Samus had reasonably asked her team to pick up the pace and not slow down. The reason for this demand being the Skrees that descended from the ceilings, the monsters known to favor slower preys to fast ones.
As they shifted around, Samus saw something familiar. Pyonchi, her childhood pet, it was waving at her and... it guided her to a cave. Samus followed after the rodent, her team soon walking towards it as they noticed an hologram device beside it.
It was then surprised as Old Bird appeared as an hologram. The elder Chozo that took care of her for so many years, he was delivering her a grave message with his weary voice: the Chozo were doomed, the Metroid, a biological weapon the Chozo had created, had gone rogue, and that someone had betrayed them.
These three news shock Samus to the core, but she needed to find more answers- she had to go to Tourian.
"Y-You three need to leave. I will reach Mother Brain and fix this."
"Samus-" Brian tried to speak, but she couldn't waste any time.
"Pyonchi will lead you to safety. Just... just go. Please!"
Brian tried to reach her, but Samus bolted away. There could be no hesitation, even though she knew he was going to scold her- he was going to yell at her. Either to her or her grave. He would be alive to at least speak to her.
Samus didn't bother looking behind her, holding back the tears as she focused on tearing a way into Tourian as the caves had been dislocated slightly enough to allow an upper entrance to the chamber holding Mother Brain.
As she arrived to destination, she bombed all Pirates in the proximity, thinking that they were keeping Mother Brain and Gray Voice guarded as prisoners but... but then that's where the truth hit her. And it hit her hard.
Mother Brain 'thanked' Samus. Her voice as mechanic as usual, but having an unusual amount of 'emotion' to it. She slowly started to explain what was going on, how she and Gray Voice had 'found a compromise' with the pirates.
They were monsters obeying to a hiveminded-leader, which Mother Brain was to them, and they would work for the Chozo that 'wanted to fix the Galaxy' by removing the corrupt Federation. She couldn't believe it, even more when she was told that the other Elders had been imprisoned, and that she was going to stand by their side- with the pirates. Why? Well, they told her she was a biological weapon.
Samus wanted to rebuke that- to tell them that she wasn't a weapon or a tool, but she remembered things that her mind had shut away from her. Memories of when she first saw the Power Suit, of how it had suddenly reached out for her, wanting her. It recognized part of itself, part of the weapon that was Samus Aran.
And as she recoiled in shock, Samus reacted the best way possible. A blast of her Power Beam bounced off Mother Brain's protective glass, the lack of reaction shocking Samus, but it wasn't the end of it all. No, that honor was reserved to part of the 'deal'.
Ridley was here. Not just in Zebes, not within their proximity- he was in the room with them. And Samus felt genuine horror.
She blasted angrily, her Power Beam unable to do much as the Pirate Lord assaulted her suit as harshly as possible. Her beam could do nothing on Ridley, the resilient Space Dragon cackling at her futile attempts as she was ragdolled with ease.
Her suit was getting damaged fast, and it didn't take long for the single Energy tank to deplete. Samus was soon unarmored, exposed, naked within her true core.
She felt her face flushed, her clothes doing nothing to bring her warmth as the chilling feeling of that day was returned to her. The slaughter, the fire, the smoke, the crunching, the sight of those she cared about dying.
Ridley cackling, mauling and enjoying her victory as Samus sobbed and cried. She felt worthless, she felt nothing... and she called for them. Her mom and dad. But they didn't come to her aid, to her side, to her mind.
Ridley recognized her as he looked closer at her face, remembering that day, remembering verbally that horrible day. But right as Samus felt her world slipping away, a sudden blast tore the usual calm and quiet.
The reinforced door that had been put in the room leading to the interior of Tourian had been blown apart. Gray Voice appeared surprised by this development, while Mother Brain kept oddly quiet as a single figure.
Samus saw him, and she felt... terror.
"B-Brian!"
W-Why is he here?!
Ridley hummed, grinning widely as he heard her speak. "Oh, you know him?"
"Brian Dillon is the name," Her only friend replied flatly, seemingly walking to his death. "And your demise is my game."
"Fancy. But do you know who you are talking to, maggot?"
"The ugliest motherfucker I have ever seen," Brian replied drily. "Do you Space Dragons come with that ugly mug, or were you the least lucky of the rotten bunch?"
Ridley was... amused. And angry. Samus felt her voice failing her- she wanted to tell him to run, to get away, to save himself. But Brian stood his ground as Ridley attacked him. The Dragon hurled the sharp end of his tail at him, but the armored officer slid under the approaching appendage, his armcannon aimed at Ridley as a red-headed projectile rushed out of it and towards Ridley.
The Space Dragon didn't realize what happened until several more Missiles slammed against his torso and face, damaging through his scales and making him scream in agony and anger.
Samus felt her brain hurt for a moment as she remembered the one tool that Brian had provided her- the missiles. She hadn't used those. She didn't see a point as she always saw the Power Beam as enough- today, Samus learned that it wasn't the case.
Ridley tried to lash out, his attacks growing more and more panicked. Brian wasn't relenting, somehow delivering more than the five missilies he said his cannon could employ, as if he had somehow expanded that capacity.
The scene was surreal, and it only escalated into a pleasant bloodthirsty spiral for Ridley. His scales turned red, his screeches turned more panicked as he begged for help. Neither Mother Brain or Gray Voice said or did nothing as Ridley was murdered by a mere human with a ripoff version of the Power Suit.
Ridley collapsed its body burning and sizzling as more Missiles fully detonated the so-called 'Cunning God of Death'. Brian stood over what remained, huffing as he calmly walked up toward her, Samus felt her world shook as he hugged her and lifted her up.
"It's alright. We're getting out of there, dumbass."
His words, the sight, the show... Samus sobbed loudly, but this time it wasn't a child crying- it was someone that felt brought back to reality, and it was a good reality. But their peace was not meant to last.
"Fascinating," Mother Brain commented. "A mere human with a lesser version of the Power Suit, a cheap imitation of such powerful tool- you were able to defeat Ridley. I am impressed... Brian Dillon."
They both turned to the large brain.
"The son of various successful military minds. Protectors of the innocents, rescuers of the needy, but... aren't you tired of being subjected to that eternal cycle?"
Brian stared at the brain and shrugged. "Nope."
"Truly? Do you wish endure that neverending quest? To give this sorrow to your descendants?"
"If they want to go through this job, sure. If they want to be gardeners or what-not, I will support my kids' plans for the future," He flatly replied, his simple retorts stunning Samus and everyone else in the room. "So, beyond trying to convince me that your evil plan is good, is there something else you want before I blast you to AI hell?"
"...Why do you think my plan is evil?"
Brian sighed. "You want to use the Space Pirates as the great horde to purge corruption, restore order, and all of that. The issue is that the Space Pirates are inherently bad. They rape, pillage, kill and cannibalize anything or anyone that moves. You could have picked automats, you could have picked a cleaner species- but you picked the laziest option. Why? Because you're hellbent on getting this one goal done so badly that you would even hurl your creators to their death," The boy paused, then pointed a finger at Gray Voice. "That guy? He may feel he is in control of you, but I know your sort of brand, 'Brain', I know that you have already found a reason to prepare for his rebellion the moment you do something you already planned and that will piss him off somehow."
Gray Voice tensed up and slowly turned to Mother Brain. The AI was silent, quite deadly so.
"You're far... far more unpredictable than I thought."
"Thanks now, if we are done, you can sing your prayers."
Samus was now standing, but she was suddenly shifting to the side right as she saw Mother Brain's eye opening and pouring energy before releasing a pink-purplish blast. It was a sudden attack, one that was done out of desperation as it tore through her protective barrier.
Mother Brain couldn't move as numerous Missiles suddenly slammed into her, wrecking the brain apart and destroying one of the longest experiments in Chozo History. Samus eyed Gray Voice with a mixture of anxiety and hope, she saw him look at her in return as Brian held his armcannon aimed at him.
"I suggest you surrender now and be ready to face trial."
There was a mix of upset and resignation, the latter ultimately winning as Gray Voice got on his knees and bowed his head.
The pirates thus lost their heads, but it was now time to... clean up Zebes. And face what comes after this event.
AN
Next time may involve a Lemon. Or a Lime. Depends on how I feel about how things will go for Samus and SI.