Thorny tendrils lashed out, impaling Destoroyah’s
carapace. But its pain did not end there. After breaching
Destoroyah’s hide, green acidic blood seeped out, melting
the internal organs around it. The painful screams of Destoroyah
reverberated off the valley walls. Pain, it was a custom Destoroyah
rarely knew. The long horn extending out of its forehead pulsated
with an inner glow. Hundreds of yards away, the genetic abomination
known as Biollante bellowed its challenge. It was one of the
most horrible roars ever heard. Even Destoroyah hesitated
in launching its assault. Lavender-hued energies shot out
of Destoroyah’s maw, striking Biollante’s humongous
throat. Destructive energies shredded Biollante’s emerald
flesh. Torrents of acidic blood sprayed out of her wounds.
But within seconds, Biollante regenerated the damage. Though
Biollante could heal her wounds, she could not repair the
pain. Seeing its foe distracted, Destoroyah’s horn transformed
into a sharp energetic blade. With one swipe, Destoroyah chopped
the tendrils in half. The rendered tendrils took refuge beneath
the soil.
Destructive energies departed Destoroyah’s
maw. Once more, Biollante screamed in distress as her neck
exploded in a shower of sparks and blood. Not waiting for
its foe to regenerate, Destoroyah flapped its ghastly wings
and flew to meet its foe head on. Hordes of tentacles sprung
out of the foliage, ambushing the flying juggernaut. Biollante
closed its mammoth jaws, pleased to hear Destoroyah’s
outrage. With the help of gravity, the tendrils pulled Destoroyah
out of the sky and into the forest. Its impact caused columns
of trees and dirt to erupt hundreds of feet into the air.
No matter how hard Destoroyah thrashed, it could not resist
its tethering constraints.
Suddenly, a large shadow appeared over the
fallen crustacean. Biollante charged forward, shaking the
entire valley in the process. Destoroyah was fortunate enough
not to see its enormous foe stop a hundred meters away from
it. Biollante gaped at the downed beast before it. Unlike
her brethren, Biollante harbored both the fury of a giant
and the spirit of a human being. Her animal instincts feared
the vile creature lying before it. But her spirit sensed something
far more sinister. She caught a glimpse of Destoroyah’s
past, horrified by the slaughter it wrought and the mayhem
it savored. Its baptism of carnage could be traced all the
way to its genetic code. It was a living sin, a creature forged
to kill all life. And it loved every second of it.
Destoroyah mocked Biollante with its fiendish
laugh. It somehow knew of Biollante’s probing. Biollante
opened her gargantuan jaws, revealing hundreds of sharp teeth.
Bolts of emerald energy gathered at the base of her reconstructed
throat. Sparkling acid spewed forth, dousing Destoroyah’s
entire upper body. While the tendrils were immune to the burning
sap, Destoroyah was not so fortunate. Smoke sizzled off Destoroyah’s
bubbling carapace. It could not scream in agony because its
vocals were melting. Biollante watched in silence as the demon
before it sunk into a puddle of dissolved flesh. She opened
her jaws, roaring in triumph.
Amber hued beams darted into Biollante’s
backside, creating dozens of explosions. Biollante roared
in anguish. She turned her massive head, surveying the landscape
for her new adversary. Above the enchanted forest, hovered
the robot MOGUERA. Its shimmering eyes powered down. Beyond
thick layers of armor, advanced gadgetry and whirling machines,
three human pilots sat in the cockpit, gaping at the digital
screen in front of them.
In the center sat Major Akira Yuki, a rugged
man who beheld Biollante with boredom. “I’d say
we got its attention,” he muttered.
To his left, Lieutenant Koji Shinjo breathed
with a heavy sigh. He gripped the joysticks, ready for battle.
Unlike Yuki, Shinjo was a complacent soldier, unafraid to
show at least some emotion. On the far right, Lieutenant Kiyoshi
Sato did the opposite. He was younger than his copilots. All
this was to him more like a dream than reality. Every few
seconds, he’d grip the joysticks. Then he’d recheck
the controls to make sure everything was operational. After
that, he’d wipe the sweat from his face. Yuki ignored
him. Shinjo on the other hand kept staring at him, amused.
“How are you holding up?” Shinjo
asked, knowing it was a stupid question.
“Never been better,” Sato gulped.
Shinjo shook his head. “Try not to get
us killed, okay?”
Sato nodded. Yuki magnified the image, zooming
in on Biollante’s hideous features. He was looking for
a weakness. Sensors ran a diagnostic on the glowing core nestling
within Biollante’s stomach. It took a full minute for
the computers to determine its purpose. On Sato’s personal
computer monitor, the information revealed itself.
“It-it would appear the-the glowing sack
serve-serves,” Sato stuttered as he shared the information.
“Sato, stop and take a breather,”
Yuki commanded, “Shinjo.”
Shinjo read the report, revealing Biollante’s
core was in fact a massive organ. It functioned as both the
brain and the heart. It also housed a great deal of energy.
X-rays showed it funneling energy to its mouth, where it energized
the organ it used to spray acid.
“In other words, we’ll stay as
far back as we can,” Yuki simplified.
“You know, this wasn’t the creature
we were sent to fight,” Shinjo revealed.
“Your point being,” Yuki asked.
“What-what he’s saying is, we were
sent here to neutralize the Destroyer creature,” Sato
elaborated.
Yuki sighed. “Our primary objective is
the eradication of all giant monsters. Tell me gentlemen,
am I looking at a giant monster or an endangered plant?”
“Um, both actually,” Sato retorted.
Yuki glared at him, ignoring Shinjo’s
chuckles. “Still, if this creature can defeat Destroyer,
then we should exterminate it.”
“Records show it to be an experiment
of the late Dr. Shiragami,” Shinjo revealed. “I
thought Godzilla destroyed it.” Whenever Godzilla was
brought up, Yuki winced. Today was no exception. “Sorry,”
Shinjo said, knowing one of Yuki’s best friends died
while fighting the monster years before.
“Target Biollante’s core with the
SGM’s,” Yuki ordered, ignoring the past.
MOGUERA’s cone shaped hands opened. Wedged
inside, the metallic bodies of the spiral grenade missiles
waited. Biollante growled, drooling acid. A part of her did
not desire to kill human life. The other half was not as forgiving.
Yet the human half managed to keep a level of constraint.
For minutes, Biollante waited to see what MOGUERA planned
to do. Never before had she seen such a large, magnificent
robot. Though its colors were a dull silver-gray and light
blue, it was an amazing machine. She knew what it lacked in
speed it made up for in firepower.
“Fire,” Yuki instructed.
Two spiral grenade missiles shot out of their
ports and soared to Biollante, eager to baptize her in fire.
Within a split second, they were halfway there. Tendrils bursting
out of the ground swatted the missiles off course. MOGUERA’s
pilots watched as two separate explosions lit up the distant
backdrop. Shadows and fading light danced across Biollante’s
still shape, casting an eerier aura of grimace around her.
MOGUERA’s pilots felt their souls shudder.
“Get us moving Shinjo!” Yuki barked.
Biollante hurled her tendrils at the robot.
Beneath MOGUERA’s feet, treads popped out, and revved
into reverse. MOGUERA moved backwards, blasting the tendrils
to pieces. Ripped and bleeding profusely, Biollante’s
tendrils returned to her. MOGUERA watched from a safe distance,
waiting for her retaliate. Yet the green goliath did not.
Instead, Biollante glowered at her robotic adversary, infuriated
by its intrusion.
“Why isn’t it attacking?”
Sato asked.
Neither Yuki nor Shinjo knew.
Acidic saliva dribbled out of Biollante’s
jaws. It took every fiber of her spirit to shackle the beast
within. In the past, Biollante annihilated humans in moments
of rage. For now, she had control. But that control was fragile.
Should MOGUERA attack her once more, Biollante will be forced
to unleash her wrath.
“Fire all weapons,” Yuki commanded,
losing his patience.
Shinjo and Sato didn’t know why they
hesitated. There was an unexplainable feeling crawling up
their spines, a profound sense of wrong. These feelings, however,
paled in comparison to the sense of dread Yuki confided. Buttons
were pressed, triggers pulled.
Yellowish light illuminated MOGUERA’s
eyes. Its cone shaped arms widened, exposing its spiral grenade
missiles. MOGUERA’s chest compartment opened, making
way for a maser projector. Steam hissed out of Biollante’s
gruesome jaws. Thorny tendrils unraveled the surface, rising
to defend their mother. It was a standoff. MOGUERA was a machine,
devoid of sentience. It showed no emotion whatsoever. So when
its pilots gave the command to fire all weapons, it did so
in a detached manner. MOGUERA’s eyes fired streaks of
golden light. Its chest maser unleashed a controlled blast
of plasma. Biollante recoiled as the energies dug into her
body, vaporizing her flesh and disemboweling her organs. Green
blood spurted out of her ravaged pores. Biollante’s
painful wails reverberated off MOGUERA’s colossal figure.
But its onslaught was not finished. Spiral grenade missiles
jumped out of their ports. Biollante’s tendrils tried
stopping them like before. Before they could, they were shot
down by MOGUERA’s lasers. Helpless, Biollante watched
the spiral grenade missiles bury their spinning heads into
her burnt core. Seconds later, the missiles detonated, engulfing
her in a blinding explosion.
Amidst the blinding inferno, MOGUERA’s
pilots spotted Biollante’s wavering silhouette.
“How could it still be alive? You did
hit its core, right?” Yuki demanded.
“Of course,” Shinjo replied. “Uh,
I mean, yes sir!”
“Damn it, then how do we kill it?”
Yuki asked.
“Dropping a nuke on it, maybe?”
Sato recommended. His response did not merit Yuki’s
cold glare. In fact, it made MOGUERA’s captain actually
consider using a nuclear device. But there were no thermonuclear
weapons onboard. Whilst its weapons could eventually rival
the output of a nuclear weapon, it lacked its immediate potency.
Shinjo peered at the computer screen. “Hold
on,” he said, “sensors show Biollante channeling
energy.”
“Meaning,” Yuki inquired, wanting
an immediate answer.
“Meaning she needs energy to regenerate
like all living creatures,” Shinjo revealed. “Biollante
is harvesting energy from the soil. If we inflict enough damage,
she might not be able to heal her wounds. That is if enough
of her energy is depleted.”
“How much damage needs to be inflicted
to do that?” Sato asked before Yuki could.
Shinjo read the data. With a heavy sigh, he
replied, “A lot.”
“Fire all weapons again,” Yuki
commanded. It’s then Biollante retaliated. Her tendrils
burst forth, entangling MOGUERA’s legs and arms. “Damn
it, looks like we’re no longer out of range!”
MOGUERA’s eyes fired its lasers. A few
tendrils were blown apart, yet many thrived to constrict and
pierce. Two tendrils slithered into MOGUERA’s cone shaped
arms, ripping out the spiral grenade missiles before they
could be used again. One tendril slashed the air, targeting
MOGUERA’s chest maser. The maser retreated behind sliding
armor before the tendril smashed into it. Another wrapped
around MOGUERA’s neck and head to choke it. But the
machine needn’t oxygen. MOGUERA’s nose drill activated,
shredding the tendril, splashing acid over its armor.
Rocket thrusters roared to life, incinerating
the binding tendrils. MOGUERA ascended high into the sky,
bombarding Biollante with its energy weapons. MOGUERA’s
hands closed, radiating an azure glow. If it could not deploy
its spiral grenade missiles, then it will utilize its auto-lasers
instead. Blue lasers seared the air, joining the plasma lasers
in their assault. Biollante howled in rage as explosions shredded
her body.
MOGUERA hovered out of Biollante’s reach.
No matter the firepower at its disposal, MOGUERA could not
destroy its enemy. In retrospect, Biollante lacked the means
of reaching the robot. And even if she could, Biollante’s
spirit lacked the conviction to kill.
“So it’s a stalemate,” Yuki
realized.
“Should we retreat?” Shinjo asked.
Yuki didn’t answer. As of yet, Commando
Aso hasn’t given the order. If they did without his
approval, they’d be chewed out, stripped of their rank,
and dishonorably discharged. And if they’re lucky, it’d
be in that order. Then again, retreating could save more lives.
If they continued fighting, MOGUERA could be lost. If the
robot was destroyed, then Mankind’s efforts in protecting
its people would be futile. Only Kiryu and MechaGodzilla would
be there in Mankind’s time of need.
Decisions, decisions…
“Patch me in to headquarters,”
Yuki instructed.
Shinjo did.
The screen showing Biollante split in two.
One showed the vile monster. The other showed an even viler
monster: Commander Aso. Shinjo and Sato tried not to look
into the Commander’s eyes. It was a sign of respect
and fear. While Commander Aso was not always a grump, his
bulldog tenacity was infamous. Years of fighting Godzilla
and others like him had made Commander Aso a weary, livid
Man. He was a ticking time bomb, one that had the nasty habit
of going off whenever Yuki opened his mouth.
“Commander, permission to retreat,”
Yuki asked.
“What?” Commander Aso barked. At
first, he was sitting behind a desk, surrounded by other military
officials. Then he stood up, frowning.
“No need to blow a fuse,” Yuki
said. “Honestly, the look on your face is enough to
make even King Ghidorah jealous.”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear
your bullshit, Major. We are not cowards! And I especially
do not like being compared to a monster responsible for millions
of deaths! Do you hear?” Commander Aso shouted.
“Commander, retreating doesn’t
make us cowards,” Yuki refuted.
“Oh? Has the Destroyer creature been
defeated yet?” Commander Aso scorned.
“No,” Yuki admitted.
“Then you stay there and finish the job!”
“We’re not fighting Destroyer anymore,
we’re fighting Biollante.”
Commander Aso stared at them, awestruck.
“Biollante you say?”
“Yes.”
“That explains why our satellite transmission
was disrupted,” Commander Aso admitted. “It always
did have the habit of jamming our instruments.”
“Commander, we’ve tried everything.
Biollante cannot be stopped, not like this.”
Commander Aso scowled. “So you attacked
Biollante without my permission and now you want to retreat
with my permission? Who the hell do you think you are? This
is worse than the time you tried killing Godzilla with a bullet!”
Yuki had enough. “Shinjo, terminate the
transmission.”
Shinjo did.
Once more, Biollante filled up the entire screen,
bringing an end to Commander Aso’s tantrum. Though nobody
said anything, all three pilots silently agreed they’d
rather be with the monster than with their Commander. Biollante’s
tendrils flailed around her, waiting for the perfect moment
to strike. It was a menacing sight. Biollante towered above
most kaiju. Only the brave or the insane have ever dared to
fight her. MOGUERA’s pilots pondered if they were both.
To ease the tension, Sato took his eyes off
the leviathan to face Yuki.
“You did try killing Godzilla with a
bullet, didn’t you?” he laughed. “I almost
forgot!”
Yuki wasn’t laughing.
“Shinjo, get us out of here,” Yuki
decided at last. “We’re retreating.”
“Without the Commander’s approval,”
Shinjo warned.
Yuki didn’t say anything more. Nodding,
Shinjo did what he was told. Beyond the cockpit walls, hidden
machines clattered to life, relaying the new commands. MOGUERA’s
thrusters burned up more fuel. But then an alert popped up
on Shinjo’s screen. An erratic energy signal was detected
inside Biollante.
“Wait, something’s happening,”
Shinjo declared.
Smoke seeped out of Biollante’s flesh.
She writhed in agony as destructive energies flayed her body,
destroying her tendrils. Biollante roared, focusing her unearthly
eyes on MOGUERA. In a flash, her benign spirit was usurped
by the beast within. She could not control her fury anymore.
Acid poured out of her mouth, dissolving fields of trees in
an instant. Her efforts were futile. No matter how hard she
sprayed, her acid could not reach MOGUERA.
The robot didn’t retaliate.
“It thinks we’re attacking her,”
Sato noted.
“What is attacking her?” Yuki demanded.
Shinjo didn’t know.
Waters churned beneath Biollante’s bulk.
Crimson bolts surged through her veins, ravaging her insides.
Flashes of light and green energies slithered out of Biollante’s
core, trying to heal the damages done. But her cells were
being attacked on a molecular level. Slowly, Biollante’s
flesh dissolved off its pores. It was disgusting. Her bones
and entrails were exposed now. Sato tried not to vomit. Shinjo
watched in horror as Biollante eroded before his eyes. In
desperation, Biollante initiated her own physical demise.
A cloud of glowing spores obscured her damaged figure. To
escape death, Biollante returned to her primitive state, where
spirit and nature alike thrived. MOGUERA’s watched in
silence as millions of spores ascended to the heavens.
“Is Biollante dead?” Sato asked.
“No,” Shinjo said. “According
to our data, Biollante has done this before. She’ll
settle in Earth’s orbit, feeding off sunlight until
she has enough energy to rejuvenate. We haven’t seen
the last of Biollante.”
“But what did this to her?”
Computer diagnostics answered Sato’s
question. Alarms blared through out the cockpit. Emergency
overrides offered their recommendations. Yuki sat up, glaring
at the bubbling soil, the spot where Biollante once stood.
“Oh my God,” Shinjo exclaimed.
“I’m detecting high-levels of Micro-Oxygen!”
Yuki retained his composure. “Then we’re
not leaving, not yet.”
“MOGUERA’s fighting capacity has
been limited to 45%. There’s a chance we won’t
win,” Sato reported, unable to mask his dread.
“Then see to it that we do.” It
was all Yuki had to say.
A long sharp horn rose out of the churning
soil. Destoroyah’s fearsome face followed. MOGUERA’s
pilots watched in awe as Destoroyah sprouted out of the ground,
its power restored. It had used the water in the soil to corrupt
Biollante’s body. As the byproduct of the Oxygen Destroyer,
the deadliest chemical weapon ever conceived, Destoroyah used
its inheritance to enact vengeance. It knew Biollante still
lived beyond its reach. It would’ve felt regret had
it not known about MOGUERA. Now, it can unleash its rage upon
this insolent robot and its foolhardy crew.
Putrid wings unfolded. Razor sharp claws twitched,
its maw fumed. Its devilish tail swished the air, flattening
scores of trees. It wasn’t its size or its gruesome
head that merited fear. No, it was its insidious eyes. Souls
that have survived Destoroyah’s wrath swore they had
seen the fire pits of Hell in those loathsome orbs. MOGUERA’s
pilots bore witness to their testimony.
Destoroyah shrieked its challenge to the hovering
robot. MOGUERA answered in kind. Streaks of lasers shot out
of its optics, searing Destoroyah’s carapace. Destoroyah
snarled, not out of pain, but in disappointment. It expected
better sport. No matter, if the humans desired death, then
Destoroyah shall grant their wish. Destoroyah opened its jaws,
spraying lavender-hued energies. It grazed one of MOGUERA’s
thrusters, destroying it. Losing altitude, MOGUERA plummeted.
Destoroyah stomped toward the downed robot, its horn energized.
In the cockpit, steam sprayed and sparks flied. Yuki wiped
blood off his brow. He surveyed his crew, hoping they were
in better shape than MOGUERA. Shinjo was motionless. Sato
assessed a damage report, ignoring the burns on his face.
“What’s our condition?” Yuki
asked.
“We’re lucky to be alive!”
Sato screamed back.
“How’s Shinjo?”
Sato reached over, touching his friend’s
pulse. “He’s alive.”
“We may not be for long,” Yuki
whispered. Sato looked up, seeing Destoroyah marching closer.
Without delay, Sato’s hands flew across his keyboard,
issuing numerous commands.
Though it was minus one thruster, MOGUERA’s
others roared to life. It was enough to get it off the ground.
But too soon did its pilots realize it was flying straight
for Destoroyah. Destoroyah caught the massive robot, embedding
its claws into its hull. At point blank, MOGUERA activated
all its available weapons. Plasma lasers fired out of its
eyes. Azure-hued beams seared out of its cone shaped hands.
Its chest maser poured streams of plasma. The humans could
no longer see Destoroyah. It became lost in a sea of blinding
lights. Amidst the lightshow, Destoroyah howled in frustration,
relinquishing its hold. MOGUERA continued firing its onslaught.
Blood sprayed out of Destoroyah’s ruptured chest. But
Destoroyah did not waver. It waded through MOGUERA’s
barrage. At last, it was close enough! Energy enriched its
horn, extending to great lengths. Destoroyah swiped its head
down, aiming to slice the robot. MOGUERA managed to avoid
a mortal blow. Its drill and left arm, however, were not so
fortunate. Destoroyah snarled. It came so close to killing
both of its foes! The damage it sustained was too much to
bear. In seconds, Destoroyah broke down, lost in a cloud of
embers.
Sato blinked in disbelief. “We did it,”
he gasped.
Yuki wasn’t so sure. He’s fought
and defeated these giants many times, but they always returned.
Perhaps luck was finally on their side? Fate disagreed when
the alarms sounded.
“Strange,” Sato mumbled, eyes glued
to the computer monitor.
“What?”
“Uh, Micro-Oxygen has been detected,”
Sato started before going pale.
“Sato, what’s wrong?”
“It’s been detected inside MOGUERA!”
MOGUERA lost power. For a brief second, darkness
was all the humans knew. Then a red luminance flooded the
cockpit. Yuki unbuckled his seatbelts. Sato sat frozen in
fright. Running over to a hidden cabinet, Yuki retrieved an
assault rifle. In seconds, he had it assembled. There was
an eerie silence in the cockpit. It was as if the outside
world didn’t exist. Sato stared at the blank screen,
praying the power would come back. Man had forgotten what
the world was like before science reigned. Here, Sato felt
helpless. Yuki gripped his shoulder, shaking the fear out
of him.
“Get your act together,” Yuki grumbled.
“We need to get to the escape ship!”
Sato nodded. Wiping the sweat out of his eyes,
Sato sprung to action. He grabbed Shinjo, lifting him over
his shoulder. There was only one way in and out of the cockpit
and that was through the metal doors. Yuki typed in a four-digit
code. The metal doors didn’t open all the way. Putting
the assault rifle over his shoulder, Yuki pried the doors
wide enough to fit through. He peaked out, wary of every corner.
Ahead of him was the elevator. It’d take them down to
the escape ship.
“Shit,” Yuki cursed. It was out
of power. They’d have to take the long way.
“What is it?” Sato coughed.
“Elevator doesn’t work. We’ll
need to use the escape shafts.”
Sato gulped. Yuki stepped into the dark hallway,
assault rifle drawn. He moved to the other end to open a door.
It’d lead to a ramp, allowing them to climb down a series
of ladders, before reaching their destination. Now Sato really
didn’t like carrying Shinjo. Answering his prayers,
the backup generators kicked on. The elevator was operational!
“Looks like we’re back in business,
huh?” Sato quipped.
Yuki opened the door. A pair of red glowing
eyes greeted him. Demented they were, soulless. Yuki jumped
back, squeezing the trigger. Hot lead pelted the Destoroyah
Aggregate’s gruesome visage. The gunshots made Sato
jump. Yuki hollered for Sato to get inside the elevator. He
did. Yuki emptied all his bullets into the devilish beast.
It hissed a fiendish laugh, mocking the human. Energy crackled
around the sharp edges of its face. It wanted to show Yuki
the proper way in taking life. Yuki jumped out of the way
as destructive energies discharged out of the Aggregate’s
mandibles, burning a hole into the wall. Yuki ran over to
the elevator, reloading. The Destoroyah Aggregate crawled
into the tight hallway, shrieking.
It was several feet tall. Unlike Destoroyah’s
gigantic state, the Aggregates walked on four crablike legs.
A crimson exoskeleton weaved its monstrous figure. Yuki stared
into those burning orbs once more. For a brief moment, Yuki
thought he was looking into the eyes of the Devil.
“Yuki, come on!” Sato screamed.
Yuki jumped in. Frantic, he pushed the button,
praying the doors would close fast enough. As the doors started
to close, Destoroyah Aggregate peaked around the corner, eyes
flashing. Yuki and Sato didn’t move a muscle. It took
them a full minute to realize the doors had closed and the
elevator was taking them to their destination.
“At least we’re safe—,”
Sato started, until Shinjo’s hand covered his mouth.
Both Sato and Yuki were surprised to see him awake.
“Please, don’t jinx us again,”
Shinjo pleaded in exhaustion.
“Can you walk?” Yuki inquired.
Sato helped Shinjo stand, until he started
tipping over.
“Nope,” Shinjo groaned as Sato
caught him.
Once more, Sato flipped him over his shoulders.
“Damn it,” he whined, “you need to lose
some weight! You weigh more than the monster!”
“We’re here,” Yuki exclaimed.
The elevator came to a stop. When the doors opened, all three
were relieved to see the escape ship. Yuki crept out of the
elevator, assault rifle at the ready. He wanted to make sure
the area was secured. Unable to wait anymore, Sato rushed
out, lugging Shinjo to the escape ship.
Then he froze in terror. On the ship’s
reflective surface, he could see a Destoroyah Aggregate clinging
to the ceiling. Having been spotted, the Aggregate jumped
down, attempting to skewer the humans with its sharp legs.
Sato pulled Shinjo down and rolled under the craft right as
the legs punctured the floor. Yuki pelted the Destoroyah Aggregate
with a barrage of bullets. Even with the gunfire rattling
his ears, Yuki didn’t relent. But the bullets bounced
off the Destoroyah Aggregate’s carapace. Red eyes focused
on Yuki. Knowing what’s going to happen next, Yuki jumped
behind the craft. Lavender-hued energies annihilated the floor
where he once stood. Unsatisfied, the Destoroyah Aggregate
crawled over. Yuki checked to see if his comrades were fine.
He was delighted to see they were.
“Sato, I have a plan,” Yuki whispered.
Crawling over to the craft’s tail, the
Destoroyah Aggregate spotted the assault rifle’s barrel.
It charged, believing it to be held by its prey. But when
it realized the assault rifle had been abandoned.
“Now,” Yuki shouted from his hiding
spot. The Destoroyah Aggregate grabbed Yuki with its tail.
It squeezed him so hard Yuki felt like he was going to be
cut in two. Through clinched teeth, Yuki screamed, “Do
it, Sato!”
At the helm of the ship, Sato activated the
ignition. Flames shot out of the rocket boosters, engulfing
the Destoroyah Aggregate. Above the burning fuel, Yuki panicked.
If he were any lower, he’d be fried! As the Destoroyah
Aggregate turned into charcoal, glowing spores dropped out
of its jaws.
“Shut it off, Sato! Shut it off!”
He demanded. Sato didn’t shut it off all the way. It
was just enough to insure Yuki wouldn’t be barbecued.
He fell into the ash covered floor, disgusted by the smoldering
stench.
“You okay, Yuki?” Sato asked over
a voice speaker.
Yuki was about to say yes, until the glowing
spores started to grow bigger.
“Uh, I think I just discovered how they
reproduce,” he replied.
“Oh, fascinating,” Sato joked.
“How about we stay here until they get bigger? Maybe
we can teach one how to play fetch?”
Yuki entered the ship. “Let’s get
out of here.”
Once again, the rocket boosters flared. The
ship flew out of its holding bay, soaring above fields of
green. Behind them, MOGUERA stood in silence. It’ll
take months for it to be cleansed of the Destoroyah spawn
and even longer for it to be repaired.
“At least we’re alive,” Sato
said in delight.
“Until the Commander finds out what happened,”
Shinjo murmured. “Does a vacation sound good?”
Lighting a cigar, all Yuki could do was chuckle.
“I’d say the timing couldn’t
be better.”
