Tales of the Amalgam'verse: Monster X vs. Ultraman Belial 2- Angels and Demons · 4:37am Oct 2nd, 2017
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Rumbling steps heralded a crash of thunder when Monster X and Belial made contact, thrown fists smashing into each other and rupturing every window for several blocks. Breaking the deadlock, Belial swung his Nizer staff around and swung down whilst making himself look wide open as a feint. He expected this monster, this attack dog the Xillians seemed to have siced on him, to just behave accordingly and not attempt to block and behave like a wild animal. To keep attacking without abandon and lunge when Belial looked vulnerable with an exposed front thus leave itself wide open to the dark Ultra’s blow.
Needless to say, he was more than a bit caught off guard when Monster X chose to instead focus on the staff and grab it by the length, wrenching it aside to avoid getting hit before seizing Belial by the neck. Clawed toes tug in and kicked off the ground, Monster X yanking Belial off his feet and choke-slamming him into the pavement before twisting around to bury his foe into a skyscraper. Not content, the Xilian Vanguard sprinting down the abandoned avenue, dragging Belial face-first through a full block of now shattering pillars of glass, polymer, and metal. Dropping his staff and grabbing hold of a support beam five meters in span, Belial pried himself free of Monster X’s grasp and kicked his foe in the back of the helmet. Stumbled, Monster X quickly recovered as Belial rushed him. With the titanic structures falling down all around in a hail of debris, Ultra and Xilian-Ghidorah pummeled each other in a back and forth flurry of punches, blocks, and kicks.
Eventually, Monster X was thrown free of the hailstorm of glass and twisting metal, seized by his tails and pitched several blocks away. He rolled across the pavement, doubling over several times before managing to swing himself around and drive his hand into the pavement, cutting a trench and slowing himself down enough to right himself. As the skyscraper came completely crashing down, the black blur of a flying Belial shot forth from the dust cloud and barreled at X. Unfettered, Monster X growled and whipped his head up as golden streaks and gleams shot out of his eyes. The graviton flares whipped out from his eyes and eyespots, twisting through the air in a spiral before impacting the oncoming Belial. But while the concussive forces behind the beams did manage to slow the Ultra somewhat, it didn’t impede him. The glowing energy of the beams seemed almost to reflect and dissipate across the dark metallic hues on Belial’s body, dampening and fizzling out the force. Several more flares confirmed an unpleasant realization to X: Ultra are extremely resistant to energy weapons, and against some they were all but immune.
He barely had time to brace before Belial hit him, striking the armored kaijin with a clothesline to the neck that could have crushed his throat had the shoulder armor not gotten in the way. Earth roared and metal screamed as Belial flew down the main street at top speed while dragging his enemy across the pavement and several nearby buildings. Spinning about as his prey tried to struggle free, Belial erupted with a dark chuckle and pitched Monster X skyward. Energy coursed across the dark Ultra’s forearms, leaving trails of black particles and red electricity. Forming an inverted cross shape, the deathcium ray sprung forth. The torrent of dark energy crashed into Monster X and knocked him backward during his fall, earning a scream of agony from Belial’s power surging over him. Belial blasted Monster X into the midsection of a tall spire, engulfing both kaijin and structure in the resulting explosion.
Moments passed and Belial watched on as the spire groaned and collapsed on top of where X had fallen with no signs of the kaijin getting back up. He scoffed, turning back and walking back to the skyscraper he’d thrown Monster X out of, now a mountain of smoke and debris, to retrieve his Nizer staff. As much as he enjoyed a good stretch and exhibition of his greatness, this endeavor had crossed from entertainment to annoyance even before the monster showed up and he was dealing with that infernal woman. Liquid light still leaked from the cut eyepiece where Corona had slashed him.
Belial paused, looking over to where he last remembered Ultrawoman Corona being.
-Best finish a loose end before the main event.-
He took a pause after pacing down another block, finding the debris field he glimpsed Corona being thrown into. The hole in the building above was still there, some glowing liquid on the ground belied Corona’s blood, but there wasn’t a body. Belial sneered while tapping his staff on the ground and glancing skyward.
-If she was fit enough to fly, she could summon help. Meddlesome.-
There was a hiss of air behind him, but Belial was no fool. He whirled around while charging up the Nizer staff. Energy ripped forth out of the far side, forming what looked like a scythe blade made of plasma. He swung hard and struck home. But instead of decapitating or dissipating a wounded Ultra, he instead only managed to lop off the first dozen meters of the four hundred meters long hunk that had once been the spire he’d blasted Monster X into. He quickly snatched out with his arms, grabbing hold and stopping the mammoth projectile though the sheer force and weight force him sliding back and on a knee. Monster X, having just thrown said projectile, charged down the main street with burning eyes. Sporting a massive burn across his chest, spared further injury at the loss of his now-destroyed bone chest plate, he pounced off the ground just as Belial caught the spire. Enhanced by a shove of gravity, he came crashing down into the pile-up and dive kicked Belial through the now exploding spire.
The two smashed into another span of skyscrapers, engulfed in showers of debris and a choking haze of smoke and ash; both too stubborn to quit. Belial was resistant to energy attacks and had a deadly arsenal of his own. Monster X knew this well, as another direct hit to the torso like that last one might be a kill shot with the loss of his armor. Knowing physical impacts were at least having some effect, the goal was to get in close and stay there; not waste time with his eye beams or back up and give Belial and opening to hose him down with projectile fire. Something he had to be extra cautious about given Belial seemed to wise up to this and attempted to fly away. Monster X seized the Ultra by the ankle and tried to force him back to earth, only to have to find himself blocking several staff swings by Belial aimed for his face. His armored forearm was holding up well enough until a roaring Belial charged up the energy scythe. Reinforced Ghidorah bone saved Monster X was possibly losing an arm, but the sheer force tore the bracer off and effectively degloved the upper half of X’s now bleeding forearm.
Monster X grunted in pain and tried to hold on, but was stunned just enough for Belial thrash free. Showered in debris, he landed a short distance away and opened the cannon barrel of the staff as the entirety of the weapon glowed with crackling light. His fanged jaw smirked as the blue energy beam cloaked in golden lightning engulfed Monster X. A muted roar called out from the kaijin as he was bathed in the light and burned all over. He crouched down and struggled, but to the amazement of the Xilians command watching on from a drone and the annoyance of Belial, X took a step forward. Then another, then another. Slowly and in utter defiance of the agony he was going through, Monster X started to slowly close the distance. A golden gleam settled upon his eyes and muscles bulged, something deep inside Monster X refusing to allow defeat.
Belial leered and let his own power flow into the Nizer staff, amplifying the exhaust. Monster X called out again in a cry of rage and pain, starting to slide backward and struggling to advance; but refused to fall.
Another call rang out, a valkyrie’s war cry. The wall behind Belial exploded from an oncoming light that slammed into him and threw his aim off as he staggered forward. Corona tackled Belial and threw caution to the wind, using all of the power her brother had granted to her. She cried out, light emanating from her back in a manner that looked almost like several pairs of wings forged of light as her forearms became engulfed in the same brilliance. The light condensed to form what looked almost like a sword she was quick to use. The sword was swung, clashing against Belial’s staff which still crackled with power from the beam spewing out of it. They struggled, waves of energy shot out from the ‘light wings’ on Corona’s back that shocked and sparked against Belial’s dark hide; but had the opposite effect on the burnt, crouched form on the other side of the chamber. Revitalized red eyes opened and locked onto the quarreling Ultra.
Corona cried out and grabbed Belial’s staff, managing to push it away just enough to cock the sword back and slash it across her enemy’s chest. It didn’t mortally wound the dark Ultra, but it got his attention and gave exactly what Corona wanted to give him; a painful reminder in the form of a deep gash cut across his torso. Belial staggered and thrashed, managing to throw the smaller and exhausted Ultra back and snatch at her with his free hand as the Nizer’s beams dragged across ground and shot out the side of the skyscraper. His clawed hand seized Corona by the face and throat, carving gashes into the biological metal coating it. He crushed down upon her face as the power left her and she gripped his wrist.
Belial roared in agony and smashed Corona into the nearby support pillar, cracking it behind her.
“IMPUDENT WITCH!”
He was just about to cleave her in two by forcing the Nizer staff’s beams across her midsection when Belial noticed two things. Firstly, Corona almost looked like she was smirking even as light trickled out of her eyes and wounds; having noticed the energy waves she sent off to hurt Belial had done the opposite to another. The second was the crushing grip squeezing down on his staff arm. Monster X, smoking all over, bleeding from his mouth, and missing several hunks of armor, roared in a deafening tone and twisted around whilst yanking Belial closer; burying a full powered uppercut into Belial’s sternum directly into his indicator gem just as Corona ejected all of her remaining power in a blinding flash. The energy surge spurred by the blow to Belial’s gem, the Nizer’s out of control energy eruption, and the combined power of the three caused the entirety of the structure to explode. Corona was thrown out the side and both Monster X and Belial were shoved out through the hole in the building she’d smashed through.
Smoking and heaving, Belial rolled to his feet but quickly doubled over, X’s last blow managing to crack half his ribcage and forced him to cough up dark-hued, glowing ichors from his maw. In an instant though, his enemy was on top of him again. Monster X roared and launched at Belial, smashing a backhand into his jaw before spinning around smacking his bladed tails across the spiraling Ultra’s torso and face. Belial tried grab at the kaijin, but X caught him by his fists. They struggled in a brawler’s clash, pavement cracking underfoot; but as Belial fought it became clear who had the upper hand. Corona’s energy emissions, like all those of her kind, had different effects on different minds, different hearts. At the core, Belial was a monster by choice; X was of circumstance; what hurt the former reinvigorated the latter. Monster X pried Belial’s arms aside and down, spurring a sickening crack from the Ultra’s now busted shoulder joints. He lifted Belial up and with a titanic shout, heaved him into the ground.
Monster X heaved and bled, limping forward and picking up what Belial had previously dropped; the Giga Nizer staff. He didn’t know how it worked, the energy bled away from it after Belial had dropped it and now it was nothing but glowing wisps seeping out from the barrel. He had not the slightest idea how to reactivate the weapon of mass destruction. What he did know was how to use a melee weapon. Belial rose and sneered, charging on shuddering ground. Monster X grunted and swung hard, smashing the thick end of the staff into Belial’s face to bury the Ultra into the building beside them. Belial pulled himself free, only to be staggered again by another blow. Again and again, Monster X bashed, jabbed, thrusted, and smacked with the finesse of a trained fighter and brutality unseen. No energy attacks, no fancy twirling maneuvers, or fantastic physics; just brutally beating the invader down with sheer blunt force. Realizing he was being pummeled down, Belial swallowed his bleeding pride and shot off the ground, to get some space and either fight at range or fly away. But not two seconds into his flight and X was upon him again, bounding off the ground and smashing the staff into the back of his head to send the Ultra crashing back down.
Monster X growled as he stomped over, rolling the dazed Belial over and pinning him under his foot. He wasn’t done yet.
Monster X kept swinging until he was too tired to, standing over Belial’s still body as the power that had energized him dissipated. Belial looked dead, the ‘flesh’ parts of his body seeping liquid light and the metallic portions were dented, twisted, or crushed in. The only indicator he wasn’t flat-out dead was the indicator gem on his sternum, cracked as it was, gave off a weak, rapid red blink. The Xilian-Ghidorah hybrid sneered and kicked the limp form over.
Monster X surveyed to make sure Belial wasn’t getting back up, dying or just comatose, as the last command of his Controller rang in memory.
-”Eliminate the Ultra invasion.”-
He leaned down and grabbed Belial’s head, slowly craning his head around to glare burning daggers at beeping pile of rubble a block away that bore the noises of a second indicator gem’s beeping. Monster X growled and stalked closer, golden sparks crackling out of his eyes.
Ultrawoman Corona’s breathing was shallow and weak, the warrior far too spent to move when the sun of this planet was blocked out by a tall shadow. All she could do was lean back against the rubble she was half buried in and see the Xilian attack monster loom over her. A hand reached down and grabbed her by the throat, hoisting her up and free of the rubble to dangle off the ground by several meters. Blood and drool dripped down from black fangs and the grip tightened. The only thing Corona could hear was Monster X’s breathing, coarse, haggard, tired, and very angry. She let her eyes dim, the last sight to greet her being Belial’s body slumped up beside Monster X’s feet. She went limp just as Monster X’s breathing slowed and calmed down, feeling lifted up more.
The sky split open a short time later, multiple towering humanoids racing down from entry and making landfall just on the edge of downtown. The signs of the titanic battle were all too obvious to Corona’s squad. The one leading the squad of Ultra was very similar to their brethren, though sporting more metallic plating and branched horns with only blue accents poking out. Zone Fighter 2, the son of the original who fought Grand King Ghidorah alongside the Ultra King, readied the Gatling-gun-like meteor gauntlets encircling his forearms and advanced to silently lead the team in; all expecting Belial to leap out at any moment. They’d already lost Stratos, and Zone Fighter was determined not to lose another of his team to getting split up; especially since Corona had gone off signal.
The five-member squad closed in through the battlefield, around broken spires, burning skyscrapers, and a circle block with an entire row of collapsed buildings. And when they saw what looked like a black and white demon out of hell crouched over a crater that Corona’s feet were poking out of, they quite nearly opened fire with only a last-minute command by Zone Fighter keeping fingers off the proverbial trigger. The creature paused, not oblivious to their presence. Red eyes slowly turned around and leered at Zone Fighter. Just as the Ultra arrived, the sky became covered in sonic booms and flashes of light. Dozens, hundreds of Xilian fighter craft, bombers, and mass carrier ships pulled out through the clouds and smoke; forming up behind Monster X just as the Ultra did behind Zone Fighter; battle lines were drawn. Monster X reached over and grabbed something, soon lobbing a body at Zone Fighter and his team. To the shock of all, a comatose Ultraman Belial rolled across the ground to them, his fanged mouth leaving a trickle of blood across his face.
Monster X stood up and followed that up with another surprise, turning around to show a limp Corona in his arms. Monster X and Zone Fighter locked gazes and wordlessly, slowly advanced towards each other as Xilian and Ultra stayed in a standoff. They stopped a pace apart, a wind blowing by them. Zone Fighter disarmed his meteor cannons and held his palms up, praying this was what he thought it was and by some miracle, this war beast was acting with reason.
Corona’s indicator gem beeped, emitting a weak light that now stayed on continuously. She limply looked up with reignited eyes, first at what was holding her and then to whom the holder was passing her too.
She faded in and out of consciousness as a voice not belonging to Zone Fighter very clearly growled a single word, “Leave.”
Zone Fighter couldn't tell if it was a threat of attack or a warning for safety. The kaijin pitched his head up and turned slightly to the Xilian flagship as the order was given from the officer aboard.
“By Controller command, return to Gorath.”
Monster X grunted but obeyed. Zone Fighter and Corona stood still and watched on as Monster X turned and limped toward the crater and asteroid Gorath. When he paused to pick up the giga Nizer staff along the way, one of the Ultra spoke up.
“W-Wait, we can’t let them take that staff! Not after-”
He was cut off by Zone Fighter solemnly turning and starting to levitate up to the sky.
“Forget it, not like we could keep it from Belial’s grasp anyways… We’re leaving.”
The last thing Corona would see of that world was Zone Fighter carrying her back to the life-giving stars and her team towing Belial along with them, was a pair of dim red eyes looking at the departing Ultra from inside a hollowed asteroid.
She made a promise.
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Controller 075 groaned as he slumped back in his seat, nursing a throbbing migraine.
“Sixty solar cycles and the incident is still giving me such a headache,” he grumbled while looking to the guild leader assembly before him.
“What have we to report?”
The management guild leader, 0243 stood up from her seat, “My Controller, the rebuilding efforts have been going smoothly. We expect full capacity of the city to return within fifteen solar cycles. In light of the native Alderoci efforts to assist in the rebuilding, a crucial element of the recovery, the social guild has proposed declaring them honorary Xilian and full citizenship.”
The Controller, a pragmatic man, nodded with a bit of reluctance, “Conquest only holds if the locals are content with the new management.Given the original extermination plot failed we must make due. Grant it. I don’t want some civil uprising to drag me back to that damn planet… How is the study of the object Monster X recovered proceeding?”
The science and engineering guild leaders stood up and bowed. They spoke in an almost eerie unison from behind the black visors going over their eyes, “The Giga Nizer Staff was damaged from repeated blunt force impacts on account of Monster X’s use of it in the battle subduing the Ultra, but is still in good shape.”
“Isotope analysis shows the weapon to be a unique alloy, likely of Ultra creation or discovery. Our Nebulan collaborators have already given it a working title.”
The Controller raised a brow, “Which is?”
“Since they have been abbreviating it as “Giga N.”, They have titled it “Gigan” alloy.”
“Leave it to the traders to come up with a product name,” the Controller muttered bemusingly.
The robotic tone of the guild leaders continued, “Just as well, they are requesting our aid in replicating parts of the alloy for a collaborative project. 092, if you will.”
Military Guild Leader 092 rose as called for, “The Nebulans saw the footage of the battle, on account of our alliance and several of their merchant vessels being planetside to assist in the evacuation. They saw Monster X’s admirable performance against the Ultra and are requesting a collaboration to create their own living weapon. Currently, they wish to create a cyborg using the Gigan alloy and teleportation abilities derived from the staff, calling the project “Space Hunter”. Since our facilities are better suited to the metallurgy, they’d requesting our aid in making the cyborg’s mechanical parts while they bioengineer the organic parts.”
“And what would we benefit from this deal?”, the Controller poised.
“A mercenary contract My Controller. The Space Hunter cyborg would be maintained by the Nebulans, but be free to be used by ourselves in joint operations as well as deployment as needed. Monster X is a formidable entity, able to stand toe to toe with one of the most powerful Ultra on even footing without the Nizer weapon involved. However there are more Ultra and many more threats out there, he might need assistance.”
A long pause settled through before the bald commander rose up with his hands crossed behind his back, overlooking the window beyond them that showed the rebuilding city.
“Grant it, and in light of Ultra being beam resistant, tell the Nebulans to plan for blades. A saw sounds effective. And be sure to bring Gorath into the standard operation procedure, let's give Monster X some more exercise.”
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“Why exactly are we sneaking into Xilian space again?”
“Because I was going whether Zone Fighter and Zone Angel liked it or not and you two kids wouldn’t leave, Jeanne.”
The younger Ultra flying alongside her grimaced. She might have come out here on account of wanting to keep an eye on Corona. Despite the massive power gap, Corona's loss of her brother was recent news and familial worry overpowered typical concern for mission parameters.
“Kids?! Come on cousin, we’re trained Garrison cadets! I’m fifty centuries old, I’m practically fully grown-”
Ultrawoman Corona, now sporting a cape for her past bravery, shot the younger Ultra, Jeanne, a red female a head shorter and much less built than her, a stiff glance to shut her up. The third member, a similarly young female blue Ultra by the name of Virgo flew up beside them as the three stealthily streaked through an asteroid belt. Virgo scanned the field with a pair of pulses flowing over her eyes.
“Scan shows a large hollow asteroid dead ahead, about eight hundred meters in span,” Virgo noted tactfully.
Corona steeled herself, “It’s that one. He’s there.”
As they flew towards the giant lithic, Jeanne gulped and saw the large, obviously dented and used blast doors affixed to one side of it.
She chuckled nervously, “Ehehe, why are we jailbreaking a daikaiju again?”
Virgo chimed in with a held-up finger, “Daikaijin, giant humanoid monster, least according to the report. It has hands, bipedalism, humanoid build, martial arts training;”
“And a concept of mercy,” Corona noted as she flew up to the side of Gorath towards the blast doors, “It could have killed me if it wanted. It didn’t. And yet Xilians keep it locked in this prison.”
“Kinda like we do Belial?”, Jeanne quipped, the younger Ultra still wary of both opening those dented doors for whatever was behind them as well as getting caught by a Xilian patrol. She was trying to keep her nerve.
“Wouldn’t that be a big red flag to keep it locked up if the Xilians are scared of it?”
Corona shook her head, “It followed orders, it stays here because they commanded it to. They only turn it free to attack, under orders as well I’d bet. It’s not a prisoner, he’s a slave soldier. Besides, energy pulses from blue Ultra harm evil hearts, not heal them like I managed to do to it so it’s benign on some level.”
At that, all arguments against what was about to happen where shut. Jeanne and Virgo looked to one another, then nodded. They backed up to get the atmosphere bubble ready and let Corona bring up her glowing forearms and form a cross; taking aim at the blast doors. Knocking the doors off their hinges with the locks blown through, Corona effortlessly tore the door open.
Even in the bubble of atmosphere generated by both Gorath’s interior and Jeanne and Virgo’s efforts, it might as well been silent as the vacuum of the space outside. Light trickled into the dark interior in a single beam chiefly coming from the distant stars, barely illuminating half the interior. Corona paused for a moment before floating inside, standing and landing on the edge of the light. The glow coming from her chest gem flickered, revealing a slight outline just outside the extent of the illuminating beam. It shifted, a forked, black tail sheathed in white armor briefly floating over the lit patch before disappearing into the shade. A pair of red eyes gleamed in reflection, rising up and approaching slowly until Monster X stood only a dozen meters away from the slightly shorter Ultra.
“We don’t have much time,” Corona whispered, “I know you can talk, I know you can understand me.”
Monster X was silent, but the fact he wasn’t instantly going on the attack was a good sign. Corona sighed and regarded the young cadets watching cautiously from the edge of the blast doors. She might have a mission on the mind, but the loss of her brother had shifted the once brash Ultra. Now she had to look out for others with everything she had.
“Answer now, I’ll know if you lie. Would you kill any of us?....”
The question lingered in the air for a time, and just before the thought that maybe her memory was wrong and this entity was mute, a low tone answered.
“Only if I was ordered to.”
Jeanne and Virgo crouched down a touch more after hearing that, but Corona stood strong; knowing if everything went south she could at least be the one between X and the youngsters.
“And why didn’t you kill me? I was vulnerable.”
Monster X only grunted in a monotone, “I was ordered to kill invading Ultra, you weren’t invading.”
Corona crossed her arms and studied him, letting her mind drift briefly.
-Obviously the Xilians would have wanted both Belial and I killed, he abused a loophole. Looks like I was right.-
She steeled her nerve and spoke again, “Are there others like you?”
The eyes seemed to look aside, contemplating in what almost seemed a solemn manner. Then the voice spoke again, saying only what was needed like a soldier on report.
“No. I am alone.”
“Always alone?”
“Until I am called for.”
“And after you’re called for?”
“I return here and wait.”
Corona sighed, regarding the dark, almost cramped interior of Gorath. To be exiled to such a space with virtually no light for any span of time seemed ghastly to beings of solid light itself. To never see a star or sun unless you were forced to attack seemed like damnation. And that would not stand.
“You spared me, aided me even if you didn’t mean to by stopping my brother’s murderer. I honor my debts,” she paused and extended her right hand with her palm lifted up to be grasped, “We’ve come to get you out of here, save you from the isolation, the slavery, the imprisonment…. Come with us.”
Monster X’s eyes seemed to regard the hand for a time. Slowly, a dark arm extended from the shadows, tipped in short claws and covered in regenerated bone armor. It was about to touch Corona’s palm, almost cautiously. Jeanne and Virgo breathed a sigh of relief and Corona beamed, knowing she was moments from saving some poor soul.
Only for the dragon to backhand the angel’s hand away.
“I am a soldier, a loyal soldier follows orders of his superior. My superiors told me to stay and await further orders,” Monster X growled as he stepped forward into the light and loomed over Corona with a growling snarl stretched over his maw, “You are trespassing.”
Corona was dumbstruck and now shouting out of stress and confusion, “Wh-What?! Don’t you want to be free?”
“My wants don’t matter.”
“And what does matter?!”
Monster X’s growl was surprisingly monotone and empty, “My loyalty to my superiors. Leave.”
“Your ‘superiors’ enslave and use you, they’ll keep doing that until you fail and then they'll cast you aside when that happens! They look at your loyalty and they abuse it. You're not a soldier to them, you're a weapon they stow away when they have no use of it!...", she held her breath and quieted her tone.
"Please, don’t you see I’m trying to help you?”, Corona snapped with a plea trickling out as she stood up to the stubborn kaijin.
“U-Um, Corona?”, Jeanne muttered, only for her older cousin to ignore her.
“They don’t care about you or your loyalty, not if they trap you in this-... this prison!... Why, why would you choose to stay if you must know that’s true?”
Monster X’s menacing glare and posture wavered for a moment. For a split second, he looked a manner that confirmed Corona’s worry. She saw the gambit run from confusion, to frustration, to sadness, to brokenness; then back to pushing it back behind a stoic exterior.
Monster X shrugged, shaking the weakness off and returning to a menace that made the younger Ultra shudder. The gravity began to suddenly increase inside Gorath, cracking some of the stonework; “It’s all I know to do, nothing else.”
Corona stood frozen, watching someone who had all but given up and yet refused the help she literally held out in the palm of her hand. Jeanne and Virgo called out again in panicked tones aimed not at the scene below, but the scene outside.
“Found us, they definitely found us!”, Jeanne panicked.
Virgo let her studious tone waver, “U-Uuuum Miss Corona? Multiple Xilian warships incoming!”
Corona lowered her head somewhat as she reluctantly levitated off the ground a few meters and held out her hand again, speaking in barely a whisper, “Please…”
Monster X only looked at her, making no movements towards or away, “Leave.”
She couldn’t tell if it was a threat or a warning, didn’t matter. Corona hovered above, bathed in the same light Monster X stepped out of, hanging her head and draping a shadow. She pulled her hand away and started to hover back the way she came in. Monster X paused when her voice chased him down.
“You don’t need to just act on orders.”
He paused, locking eyes with the departing Ultra.
“Make your own choices… Maybe you wouldn't be so alone anymore. I’m sorry.”
Corona flew up to join the others, flying back and out of the asteroid field before the Xilian war craft could catch up; only looking back once to see reflective red eyes still staring out of Asteroid Gorath without making any attempt to leave; shrinking in the distance. Failure stung. Monster X stood in place long after the Ultra departed and the Xilians repaired the blast doors to once again seal him in the darkness of Gorath.
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Later on, upon the construction of the first Space Hunter series cyborg, Monster X would be called in for an exhibition match and military parade host of the joist Xilian-Nebulan forces. As he paced down the main avenue with the odd-looking cyborg walking alongside, familiar words rang in his head from a time he rejected company.
-”Maybe you wouldn't be so alone anymore.”-
“... Hello, you fought well.”
He expected that if it could talk he’d get a serious, professional reply from “Gigan”, as some dubbed the cyborg as his official name was oh so overly complicated. A mature tone matching the seriousness for which the cyborg fought with.
Instead, he got shocked, rapid-fire swearing from the one who’d be his best friend and X quickly had to lurch over and grab him before the surprised kaiju could step on someone.
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Present Day
============
On the edge of a galaxy, in a darkened crevice, a tireless rage strained against bonds. Hatred burned and fury soared for two beings beyond his own kind. A petulant witch he should have killed the instant he had the chance and for the black and white warrior who'd ruined everything when he had tasted freedom. He struggled and kept struggling, even if it took decades to so much as budge one bond a mere millimeter. Belial had been imprisoned before, and he'd gotten out.
The more I read of X's past, the more I hope he has a brighter future.... and the more I despise the post-Ghidora Xillians.
I can understand and even accept their fear, but better loyalty would be gained, long term, by treating their bravest soldier better.
Hee hee hee, even back then Gigan still gets surprised...
The battle was a little shorter than i expected, but i enjoyed it nonetheless. It reminded me of Chapter 24, X's fight with Enjin, and the 2v1 between Cadance/Xenilla vs Sombra.
And what is Gigan's official name?
Also, have you been watching Ultraman Geed?
4684521
Eh, didn't want to drag it. Felt like I got what was needed.
And Gigan's official name is S.H.A.S -1 (Space Hunter Alpha Series 1)
Nope, but I've been meaning too.
That was pretty fun to read, and a little sad as well.
Does Belial have a part to play in the future?
One thing confuses me. Was Monster X a former Xilian?
4684524
Nice reference to the Nebulans... despite them not really showing up in this.
4684599
In this continuity, yes. He is an Xilian soldier who got spliced with Grand King Ghidorah's essence. However, he's since lost those memories even if his personality remained intact.
4684599
The answers lies in the main story. A tragic tale, it's all I will say.
Is the dimensional crack a reference to his lair in Geed or is that just a lucky coincidence?
4684885
Initially latter, but then I double checked and tweaked it to fit the former.
Very awesome fight. And it's good to see someone else once tried to reach out to him, once upon a time. Shows he didn't spend all his time without someone seeing what lies within him for this long.:) Also, an extremely nice way of revealing the source of Gigan's creation AND where his alloy came from. Giga Nizer certainly has a way of being acronym material.:D Also a very ironic story. In the sense that you have Monster X and Belial fight against each other, and i have them as members of the Shadow of Evil, and as Avatars of Darkness. Not that Belial would get along with ANY of his co-workers, being who he is.:)
4684514
The great can fall, hard. This is what happens when the leadership of a species by in large decides close attachments and overt affection are bad.
But, things are looking up for X. He's got a best friend who's a constant confidant, a bouncing little brother figure who'd spend hours keeping morale up, a new friend whom he vicariously took pride in by pulling her out of the pit he'd once been in; and a new, earnest love just as protective of him as he is of her. All thanks to the nudge Corona helped give him.
4684885
What dimensional crack?
Shit don't tell me Belial will appear in this story in the future, cause he's pretty 2nd to King Ghidorah and it will be double the danger if he joins Bagan
4685118
In Ultraman Geed, after Belial destroys the universe with a bomb, King rebuilds it. To avoid getting caught and further his plans, Belial creates a pocket dimension crack in the new universe guarded by tentacle monsters to be his new base of operations. That’s where he’s been spending his time in Geed, so it’s ironic that it is his prison here
I'd always assumed that the tech used in Gigan's creation was built entirely by the Nebulas themselves. Ironic how Belial played an untentional part in the origin of X's first friend.
4685564
Not likely since Tarb has stated that he's sticking to the current roster for simplicity, though all bets are off in a spinoff or sequel.
4685095
I mean, Monster X is currently stuck in Kaiser Ghidorah's prison
Sorry it took so long to comment.
Cool fight. And shows how freaking powerful Belial was, given Monster X is comparable to Junior in power. Being able to nearly kill that is no small feat.
For those wondering what Corona, Jeanne, and Virgo look like:
https://lanceomikron.deviantart.com/art/Ultrawoman-Trio-Ref-748111718
Good story, only plot hole I can see is the whole "Sure, they can have the Battle Nizer, cuz we ain't good at keeping it" thing, you'd think they'd try to get such a powerful artifact back in their possession. But other than that, it's really well done.
5083143
They might have tried later but given how badly wounded Corona was, and a bit of thanks for Monster X rescuing her, Zone Fighter opted to stand down. If they fought now there would be unnecessary bloodshed. Corona might die without medical attention and Monster X, who had proven himself more than a mindless beast and having some virtue, undoubtably would not stand by and let them attack the Xilians to get the weapon back. They would have to kill him and seriously risk her. Given that there probably weren't any monsters loaded in it at the moment, and it just was a powerful weapon, it just wasn't worth the risk. Again, they might have retrieved it later, but by then the Nebulans reverse engineered the metal to make Gigan.
5084914
Makes sense.