Prologue

Game Over

"They'll certainly be down there for awhile!" laughed Bo as he and the N-Team looked at the view screen showing Mother Brain, King Hippo, and Eggplant Wizard running away from an assortment of baseball bats, gloves, and balls.

"Yeahicus! But when they get out it'll just be another battle." Kid Icarus sighed. "I wish we could keep them down there."

"Kid!" cried Lana, looking onward in amazement. "Why didn't we ever think of it? We could keep her down there by closing off the warps! Then they could only be reopened from here and, since no one here would, they'd be stuck in Baseball World forever!"

"How quickly can we get on it?" smiled Kevin. "I'll do it myself."

"There's the last warp mine," said MegaMan to Lana and Kevin as he threw a small, blue ball with a black stripe into a blue portal. "Mega-ready to detonate!"

"Kevin," said Lana, "start the countdown."

Kevin pressed a button, activating a countdown, which started from 00:02:30, on the display in front of them. "There," said Kevin. "In less than three minutes Mother Brain and her cronies will be stuck under Baseball World forever!"

The N-Team watched the time count down.

The final few seconds passed, the N-Team chanting. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

With the shout of a triumphant "Zero!" a shockwave emitted from the portals that led from the Palace of Power to Baseball World's basement. When the near deafening sound that was created stopped, the N-Team smiled.

Lana closed her eyes and looked up happily. "We did it. We've won!"

Part 1

Birth of the Demons

Slowly days turned into weeks and weeks into months as Kevin Keene spent his time with Lana, he and she developing the relationship that they had always wanted to have but never had been able to due to Mother Brain and Dr. Wily.

MegaMan, returned to MegaLand to be with Dr. Right and Roll as well as Rush, had had to deal with Dr. Wily some but soon defeated the new robots that the doctor had created and was spending his time at rest.

Simon returned to CastleVania along with GameBoy in hopes of teaching it to fight well. The Count had settled down for the meantime, so it was a good time for Simon to have a sidekick.

Kid Icarus spent most of his time on time with his family on Mount Olympus, watching the clouds go by peacefully as he rested on the ground or flew through the air.

Duke himself had actually decided to do some of his own adventuring and, as such, spent much of his time on the Bayou with Bayou Billy.

Peace had finally settled over all of the Video Worlds. It was a time of prosperity. It seemed it was to be the beginning of the new Golden Era prophesied near the end of the Ancient Prophesy.

The darkened hallways of Metroid were full of silence when suddenly a piercing monstrous scream filled the dark sanctity of its evil. Soon followed another to join in the chime. Another joined then. Soon nine could be heard. Mother Brain's Children had awoken.

Part 2

The First Strike

A few more weeks passed in relative peace, the N-Team relaxing in their various chosen environments. All that was breaking peace was that of a few disappearances of cattle and other such farm animals from Dragon's Den and Hyrule. These disappearances were nothing large to worry about, though, and all went well besides.

Samus Aran, an old friend of Lana's and a bounty hunter of extraordinary skill and fame, had returned from a deep space stasis that Mother Brain had sent her into years ago.

"I always expected it to be myself that would bring that Brain down, N. I must congratulate you on it."

"Thanks, Samus. I'm just glad it's over with. But it's becoming hard to decide what to do. Videoland doesn't need me anymore, really, and I miss my family. I love Lana very much and I don't want to forget that... but if I go back to see my family I will. I can't decide."

Samus nodded and patted Kevin's back softly as an attempt to comfort him. "I can understand about your missing your family and your loving of Lana... but I must disagree on Videoland not needing Captain N. The Ancient Prophesy ended with your defeating of Mother Brain, but it did not say what to do. I wish it did so it could guide you."

Kevin looked off at the starlit sky that surrounded the field of grass that he was sitting in. "In my world you defeated Mother Brain."

Samus turned her head and looked at the saddened Gamemaster. "Really? Well, I'm glad to hear that it was... N, why did say that?"

Kevin shook his head, not sure. "I don't know. I was just thinking that the game and here had such different endings to how Mother Brain was defeated. She's still alive on Baseball World, I guess."

"Hmm... N, do you think we should try to change that? Strange as it sounds, I'd like to let her go back to Metroid so I could pay her back a bit for what she did to me."

Kevin shrugged. "It would make more sense to, if one was going to do that, to do it on Baseball World since that's where she is."

"Well, N, why not?" Samus smiled and pressed a button on her suit, releasing a small translucent blue egg-like object, which she picked up and threw at the ground, it exploding into a portal of swirling red.

"N, this leads to Baseball World's basement. Let's go!"

She smiled widely and grabbed Kevin, pulling him to his feet and into the portal, it closing behind them.

The two emerged from the red portal that had been created, soon seeing two bodies, one blue and one purple, in front of them.

Kevin ran up to the two bodies, Samus following soon behind.

"Samus, these are King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard! They're Mother Brain's flunkies! They're complete idiots, but she'd never do anything to them."

"But if not them, then who?" Samus looked around as she spoke.

An inhuman cry filled the air. The hair on Kevin's neck stood up.

Kevin's face began to become slightly frightened. "Or what..."

Samus looked down a passage. "N, let's go this way." She moved her head to indicate her intended path and begin to walk slowly.

Soon they reached a small, more open area in the cave, many passageways leading to its circular form.

"Oh my."

"What is it..." Samus trailed off as she saw what was in the middle of the cavern. "Mother Brain?"

The battered creature moaned as it looked at the two before it from the pieces of shattered glass that were surrounding it. "Samus... Captain N..." it moaned. "Welcome to the... resting place of Mother. Children can be so... careless sometimes. Look what they did to me. They broke their mother's vase."

Samus aimed her arm cannon at the Brain. "Prepare to die, creature of evil!"

Mother Brain laughed, pain piercing it. "I will be soon enough. So will you soon enough. Lar-Gen, my dearest, come and do help your mother. Attack them."

A moan came forth and a creature similar to Mother Brain, except with eight tentacles emerging from it's body, the back six being used for movement, and no glass jar to protect it, appeared.

"Lar-Gen. Those two are Samus Aran and Kevin Keene, AKA Captain N. Please dispose of them for me, will you?" Mother Brain smiled as she lowered her face to the ground, her eyes closing.

The creature screamed, more cries joining in with it. Lar-Gen looked at Samus and Kevin and began to charge.

Samus fired her arm cannon at Lar-Gen, stunning it for a moment, and removed another blue egg-like objects, throwing it at the ground behind her and running into the portal it created, Kevin following close behind.

Part 3

Recalling the Troops

The two emerged from the portal, it fortunately closing quickly behind them, and fell to the ground in relief.

Kevin breathed heavily. "I was going be extremely angry at you for taking me down there, Samus, but I'm glad you did." He continued his heavy breathing. "I guess this battle isn't over yet."

Samus turned over onto her back, panting. "I have to agree, N, although I now think I wish it were..."

The two rested to catch their breaths and then returned to the Palace. Kevin couldn't help but wonder about if it was the creature called Lar-Gen that had killed King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard, how Mother Brain's protective glass jar had been broken, and about the other cries that sounded when Lar-Gen had screeched.

"N, Lar-Gen seems much more advanced than Mother Brain physically, although not mentally."

"Definitely more physically advanced. It seems like it underwent millions of years of evolution over just that one generation. Mentally, though, I think we may have to worry on. It's only been a few months and it's already over six feet tall. Its mental strength might grow much more slowly. The thing about its appearance that I find strange, though, is that its 'brain' is used as more of an exoskeleton. The end of the back six tentacles was more of a claw than a tentacle."

Samus nodded as the two stopped, having reached the palace, and responded. "Maybe. I just hope not."

Kevin nodded and opened the palace entrance, the two stepping in. "Well, we best go to Lana about this immediately... call Dr. Right too. This war is not over yet."

The N-Team, Samus, and Dr. Right sat down around the circular table of gold-like metal that composed the planning room. Kevin looked at Samus and held Lana's hand tightly as he decided how to start.

He cleared his throat. "Mother Brain is dead..." Cheers came from around the room. "...but something worse has happened."

Samus continued what Kevin had started. "I manipulated Kevin into going to the basement of Baseball World today. We saw two bodies when we got there."

Kevin closed his eyes and went on. "King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard. We knew that Mother Brain would never kill them and Samus went on into the passages, I following because I didn't want to leave her behind and I had no way out, anyway."

"We found her." Samus frowned. "It was actually sad."

"Her glass jar smashed, shards all around her." Kevin almost seemed ready to cry. "Her brain was starting to cave in. She could barely raise her head to look at us. She moaned and began to speak to us, barely being able to."

Samus nodded and patted Kevin's back, continuing for him. "She called her child. She called it Lar-Gen. It came before she lowered her head, dying. Its entire body was colored like that of the main brain of Mother Brain, but it was shaped much like a huge spider. Its face was like that of Mother Brain except thicker and more solid."

Kevin let out a sigh and began to speak again. "It had eight tentacles. The back six were used for walking and had sharp, talon-like objects at the end of each of them. The front two it had raised and were like the tentacles of Mother Brain."

"I fired a shot at it and we escaped through another portal," Samus went on by saying, "but not before it screamed, others screeching along."

"So what do we mega-do?" MegaMan asked, looking at Kevin.

"I don't know." The Gamemaster responded. "We have to destroy Lar-Gen and whatever other of these of Mother Brain's offspring - these Brainlings - exist."

"But how is what we don't know." Samus sighed. "We need a lot stronger of weaponry to attack these things, and that'll take time to build. Fortunately it would seem that they'll be in Baseball World's basement until then."

"So, Dr. Right, do you think you can get us something that'll help us take out these Brainlings?" smiled Samus.

"I'm sure I can," said the doctor, with a look of thought in his eyes. "I need some time, though. MegaMan's arm cannon I could probably use as a blueprint for some sort of weapon that would be powerful enough for this purpose."

Dr. Right looked at MegaMan. "I need to ask you remove your arm-cannon, MegaMan."

MegaMan nodded and removed his arm-cannon, exposing a white-skinned arm of flesh below it. "Mega-looks like my skin has been a bit underexposed to the sun." He handed his arm-cannon to Dr. Right. "Here you go, Dr. Right."

Dr. Right smiled. "Thank you, MegaMan. I'm sure I can use this design to create something that would be strong against these Brainlings."

"Well then, I guess we just have to wait awhile, then." The Gamemaster smiled slightly and with a forced feel. "Let's hope this works out."

Part 4

Reconnaissance

Lana put another small hovering robotic drone into the small one-way portal that had been opened as a way to enter Baseball World's basement. "Fourteen," Lana sighed as she let go of it and returned to the console that displayed the feedback from the drone. "Fourteen sent. Thirteen destroyed."

Kevin walked in as Lana sat down at the console. "Well, from that we at least know that they're still there."

Lana nodded, frowning. "Yeah, but how many there are is not known." She shook her head and put on two control gloves, which allowed her to move the drone. She had it lift off and slowly move toward the passageway that Samus and Kevin had gone down before.

As she moved the drone she began to see an object ahead of it that was slowly walking toward the drone, which Lana stopped and lowered to the ground.

Soon the object, which, when it got closer, had begun to appear as another spider-like creature, but obviously not Lar-Gen as it was too large and had a face that was much more like that of a human in shape. It looked at the drone, seeming to be slowly pondering what it was.

"Two at least."

Lana nodded. "Mm hmm. Time to try to escape. This isn't Lar-Gen, who I think had been attacking before." Lana pulled back her control gloves and the drone burst into the air, pulling back quickly and shooting down the passageway in reverse. With another quick move Lana spun the drone around and sent it again further away from the new Brainling.

Kevin patted Lana on the back. "Not bad. Is it following?"

Lana turned the drone again when she reached the end of the passage, reentering a large cavern. "Nope and, well, that means that that way's blocked. Next path..." Lana turned the drone to see another passageway, which she soon made it start to dart down. "Here!"

Lana flew the drone down the passage, turning it when she needed to and slowly down as the area got darker, the present level of light emitted by the drone slowly becoming not enough to see properly with it.

Lana sighed again and turned on the auxiliary lights so she could she slightly better. As she began to see what type of area she was in she gasped, seeing the creature that was within.

"Not good!" yelled Lana and Kevin both in response to the creature that was over the entire area of the immense cavern that the drone had entered.

Tentacles slid all over the floor from the Brainling that was nearly forty feet in radius and over twenty feet in height.

"That thing is huge!" yelled Kevin as he saw what was before him on the monitor. "What is it doing there, anyway?"

Lana shook her head and smiled. "Not intelligent, though. Hasn't attacked the drone."

As if to be humorous, a tentacle suddenly shot up into the air and hit the drone, sending it into the cavern walls and destroying it, cutting off the transmission.

"Three." Lana sighed. "Looks like it's time for another drone again." She stood up and began to walk toward the portal.

A few days went by, drones slowly being hidden into the walls of the Baseball World basement. The three Brainlings turned out to be nine, all of which generally varied from each other in look and behavior. Dr. Right had returned MegaMan's modified arm cannon and gave each of the N-Team and Samus small weapon's that fired grenade-like projectiles that exploded into a wave of flames before sending off a wave of super-strong adhesive.

The N-Team, Samus, and Dr. Right once again gathered in the planning room, sitting at its circular table of gold-like metal and thinking of what to do next.

"Obviously we should fight them soon, as we know where they are," said Samus, rubbing her arm cannon.

"Yes, but they're nine of them. There might even be more." Kevin sighed as he said this. "One Mother Brain we might have been able to defeat, but nine of her children we have no chance against."

Lana nodded. "He's right. The Brainlings also seem to work together so that would even lessen our chances of surviving."

Dr. Right thought to himself for a while as the others argued over how to defeat the new threat. While Simon was saying that he wanted to leave this to the others Dr. Right spoke up. "Captain N, N-Team, I think I may have a solution to at least part of our problem."

The others looked at Dr. Right, listening carefully.

"You see, the weapons I made for you could be attached to one of the drones that you have been sending into the basement of Baseball World. These drones could immobilize the Brainlings, allowing us to take them out more easily. If we could even just take out one or two by using the burst of flames and the adhesive it would be much easier to take them out."

Dr. Right ended and the others nodded.

Kevin smiled. "Dr. Right, get to work modifying those drones."

Part 5

The First Showdown

Lana smiled and thanked Dr. Right as he presented her with the modified drones.

"Thank you so much, Doctor," she said as she looked over the drones.

"Seven attack drones," he said, smiling back. "One for each of you. I hope you don't mind that I've created a first-person set of VR goggles for each of you - with the exception of GameBoy as he is unable to plug into this equipment due to his different operating system and unable to wear due to his body shape - with some useful features for controlling each drone and also given each drone a different color pattern."

Lana laughed softly and shook her head as Kevin walked into the room, as he had heard that Dr. Right had come, and put his left hand on Lana's right shoulder.

Kevin asked, "So... what's up?"

Lana kissed Kevin's cheek softly. "Dr. Right was just about to tell me more about the attack drones that he's made for each of us.

Dr. Right nodded, Kevin commenting "Cool," before the doctor could begin.

He cleared his throat.

"Kevin, your attack drone is the red and white one with blue highlights.

"Lana's is similar, with the red being replaced by pink."

"Simon's is the one with the brown upper half, black highlights, and a tan lower half."

"Kid Icarus's is the white drone with gray highlights."

"MegaMan's is the blue drone that has light green highlights."

"Roll has the red and pink drone with white highlights."

"And, finally, Protoman will be navigating the dark red and plain red drone with deep gray highlights."

"I will be communicating with the seven of you from the main console that you was earlier being used for controlling the drones."

Lana and Kevin nodded.

Lana smiled again. "I'll contact the rest of the team. You can brief the rest of us better on controlling the drones and their abilities then, okay, Doctor?"

Dr. Right nodded. "Of course. I'll be waiting here and setting up the equipment."

The N-Team sat down in chairs around the control room, Dr. Right sitting in the chair by the console that he would be using to communicating with the others when they were moving the drones around.

Roll and Protoman suddenly walked in. "We late?" smiled ProtoMan.

"Not at all," Dr. Right replied.

"Good." The two proceeded to the empty chairs that remained for them.

"Well, then, are we ready?"

The others nodded, Simon hesitating slightly before doing so. "Is this safe for my hair?" he asked, worried.

Dr. Right laughed. "Perfectly safe. And, if there is the slightest damage done to your hair I'll have it fixed."

"Th-thanks," he said, not completely convinced of Dr. Right's words.

The seven put on their VR goggles and controller gloves as Dr. Right turned the drones on, sending them into the portal manually as they booted up.

FUNCTIONALITY LEVEL: 97.86%

MAX SPEED: 120 KPH

ACCELERATION: 2 KPH/SEC

ACTIVATING MAPS AND PINPOINTING TARGETS

"Whoa!" shouted Kevin as the drone finished booting and the area around the drone appeared in the VR goggles. "This is awesome!"

The map showed nine red blips in passageways of blue.

Dr. Right suddenly appeared in a small, circular window in the lower left corner of the VR goggles display. "I'm highlighting the Brainling that appears to be the weakest and also, fortunately for us, immobile. It's also quite near." One of the red blips on the map became larger now and had a yellow path lead to it. "Follow the yellow brick road, N-Team and my dear droids. There you will find what ye seek. Make me proud and kick some Brainling behind!"

Kevin and the others laughed at the 'motivating' words of Dr. Right as the followed the yellow pathway on the map and switched their drones to attack mode.

Suddenly a half-dozen bats and eight fastballs were flying at the drones.

Kevin shouted. "Prepare for battle."

Kevin turned his drone onto one of the bats and fired a small beam of plasma at it, dedigitizing it.

"One down, thirteen to go!"

Lana fired her plasma shot at a group of fastballs, hitting one and knocking out three in all with it. "Make that ten."

Protoman and MegaMan double-teamed the five remaining bats, making short work of them with their drones' plasma bullets.

Together they spoke. "Five."

Roll, Simon, and Kid followed the fastballs, taking them down one by one until they were all gone.

"And then there were none," laughed Kevin as he began to continue traveling down the passageway with the others soon coming in behind him.

Soon they were within 30 feet of the enlarged red dot that signified the Brainling that they were after. Simon and Roll's drones prepared to fire each of their two shots at it when a few more fastballs came toward the drones.

Roll fired the shots from her drone, Simon soon following and the two of them both curving upside down and flying back down the passage, the others turning to the side and zooming off with together in an v-like formation.

The shots exploded as they hit the Brainling and waves of fire and adhesive soon engulfed it, making it's screams of agony be heard but muffled.

The group of drones flew to a small crevice and landed, taking out the few fastballs that survived the explosion before doing so.

"Okay, everybody, log out," Kevin said as he took off his VR goggles and controller gloves, the others soon following suit.

Dr. Right turned back from the console's display to look at them. "Congratulations. One down, eight to go."

Part 7

Internal Affairs

Dr. Right looked at the view screen, which was focused on six of the eight remaining Brainlings. Three of the Brainlings were on the left side of the screen, the others on the right.

"Lana," called Dr. Right as he pushed an intercom button. "Captain N, I think you should come see this.

Lana and Kevin soon came into the room and looked at the screen.

Kevin soon asked, "What is it, Dr. Right?"

"I think there are some differences forming between the Brainlings," said Dr. Right slowly, watching the screen carefully. "The three on the right side of the screen, who are more physically advanced and apparently also mentally, are seemingly wanting to leave the basement of Baseball World as they've been searching all over it for the past eighteen hours until now. The other three appear to want to stay where they are for now. There have already been a few minor skirmishes."

"Plus for us then, right?" Kevin smiled. "Maybe they'll take out a few of each other on their own."

"Possible, Captain N," said Dr. Right in reply, "but unlikely. Anyway, it looks like the two groups are moving away from their standoff already."

Dr. Right pointed to the screen in note of the two groups moving in different directions. "I suggest we take out the group that wants to sta-"

Dr. Right stopped as one of the spider-like Brainlings from the more advanced group shot down the passageway towards the three less advanced Brainlings that wished to stay.

Dr. Right quickly pressed a few buttons on the console, changing the camera from which data was being transmitted. The Brainling that had gone to the other three was attacking them viciously, his back six legs squeezing into one Brainling while his front two tentacles batted off the other two Brainlings that opposed him.

The Brainling screamed as it attacked its siblings. "DAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!

The two Brainlings that the one had been hitting with its tentacles soon ran off as fast as they could, the one remaining that it had in it's clutches falling to the ground, lifeless.

"Sibling rivalry..." Kevin gulped.

"Indeed," agreed Dr. Right.

The other two Brainlings from the advanced group gathered around the carcass along with the one that was already there.

What came next stunned those that were listening from the Palace of Power.

In a screechy voice the smaller spider-like Brainling known as Lar-Gen spoke. "Good job, Har-Rool... You have defeated our fellow sibling Jar-Teel."

"Oh bloody mother of Videoland!" shouted Lana.

The Brainling that Lar-Gen referred to as Har-Rool then spoke in a similarly screechy voice. "Thank you, my sibling. Let us go find a way out of here... to freedom!"

Lar-Gen and the others screeched.

"Har-Rool, Dar-Lin," said Lar-Gen. "Come with me! There will be a way out! We will get to Mother's Den!"

Part 8

The New Plan

The N-Team and the others gathered in the planning room, Dr. Right once again briefing them all on the current situation.

"My assumption that the Brainlings would not attack each other has been disproven and, quite in contradiction to my thoughts, one has even been killed by another."

Simon stopped combing his hair for a second. "Why don't we just let them kill each other off, then?"

"The fighting that has occurred, Simon, is between the two different groups of Brainlings that are forming. The more spider-like Brainlings, which I have dubbed, accordingly, Spider Brainlings, are the more advanced of the two groups."

"The other group, which are more brain-like in shape but still have a visible face that extends from their main body, is less advanced and seemingly much less intelligent for the most part. These I call the Cerebral Brainlings There are only two of this group left now as the Spider Brainling known as Har-Rool took out the third of this group."

"There are two more things I wish to note. First, there are three Brainlings that I must put in neither group. They are mostly if not completely sessile and are apparently neutral toward both groups. Secondly, the Spider Brainlings, disturbingly, can speak. Their voices are somewhat screechy, but they speak nonetheless."

"Now," Dr. Right continued, putting his hands on the table in front of him, "I suggest we decide what to do next as the Spider Brainlings are trying to find some way out of the basement, and I believe they will eventually, and go to Metroid... or Mother's Den, as they have called it."

Lana nodded and began to speak. "Then we'll need to try to surveillance equipment up in Metroid. GameBoy, Kid, Simon, this is your job."

Simon nodded. "Yes, your royal cuteness."

"Sureicus," replied Kid Icarus.

"Request received," bleeped GameBoy, "and carried out."

Lana nodded again. "Okay, now we have to decide upon if we're going to attack any of the Brainlings that remain."

Kevin spoke. "We'll have to eventually regardless, but do we attack now or later?"

Duke barked, as if he was trying to say something.

"What is it, boy?" asked Kevin. "Do you think we should attack now?"

Duke barked and wagged his tail in an agreeing manner.

"Well," Kevin smiled. "Duke says now, so I saw we go for it."

Dr. Right smiled, happy to hear enthusiasm. "Battle stations, then. That is except for you three, Simon, Kid, GameBoy. I'll prepare some micro-cameras for you to install in the walls"

Simon, Kid, and GameBoy had warped off to Metroid and the others had gathered around the VR goggles and controller gloves, which they soon donned and soon Dr. Right informed them that he was turning the hardware on.

"Prepare to boot up!" he smiled.

Kevin smiled as the information he saw before booted up.

FUNCTIONALITY LEVEL: 96.74%

MAX SPEED: 120 KPH

ACCELERATION: 2 KPH/SEC

ACTIVATING MAPS AND PINPOINTING TARGETS

"Hmm," he emitted. "Down a percent or so in functionality. Must have been hurt a little."

He lifted his attack drone up and spoke again. "So, is everybody here?"

"Mega-yeah!"

"Roll here."

"Protoman online."

"Lana, ready to fight!"

"Hey, Dr. Right," Kevin began to ask, "could you have Simon and Kid's attack drones use their AI's and follow us?"

Dr. Right's image appeared in the lower left corner of the goggles display again.

"That's an affirmative," he said with a smile.

"God we're having to much fun with this!" laughed Kevin. "Thanks, Doc!"

Lana giggled at Kevin's remark. "Come on, Captain N. Time to kick some cerebellum!"

With that the seven attack drones moved out of the crevice that they had been resting in, out into the passageway, and toward the dot that represented their next Brainling target.

"This one is also a sessile, N-Team," noted Dr. Right. It's the extremely large Brainling that Lana discovered. Follow the yellow line on your maps and convert to attack mode when you're about 100 yards away from the entrance to its chamber. Oh, and beware of it's tentacles, they're fast!"

The group responded in various forms of agreement and continued speeding down the passageway towards the new Brainling target.

"Okay, team, convert to attack mode," said Kevin as he set his attack drone to prepare for battle. The others soon did the same and, all ready to engage the Brainling, prepared themselves for the encroaching battle."

"Lana and I," started Captain N, "will go launch the fire and adhesive bombs at the Brainling. The rest of you, attack the tentacles!"

"Aye aye, Cap'n!" shouted Roll!

The group of attack drones emerged into the Brainling's chamber, five of them attacking the tentacles, which struck back but were fortunately missing their targets, as to distract the creature while Lana and Kevin's attack drones got on opposite sides of it, preparing to fire the bombs.

"When I give the word," said Kevin, "pull out quickly to avoid the bomb's blast."

"Roger that!" Protoman said, a smile on his face.

"Okay..." Kevin said as he and Lana prepared to fire the weapon. "Lana, now!"

The two fired the weapons and began to turn toward the chamber's exit.

"Now!" yelled Kevin as he and reached the other drones and the weapon's hit the Brainling.

As the weapon burst into waves of flame and adhesive the Brainling screamed in agony just as had the one that they had defeated before.

The flames still burning brightly, the screaming stopped and the tentacles stopped flailing, indicating that the Brainling had died.

"Three down, six to go," said Lana frowning as her drone moved away from the chamber. "I hate to say it, but I really do feel a bit sorry for the Brainlings that we have killed. They really can't attack us very well and they don't have a chance. I know we need to destroy them, but..."

Kevin nodded. "You don't want to take away their life."

Lana nodded. "Mm hmm. Yeah."

MegaMan began to speak. "Lana, if we did not kill the Brainlings, they would eventually come to us and kill us instead, along with many more innocents."

"I guess you're right." Lana sighed.

Dr. Right's image suddenly appeared on the VR goggles' displays again. "Watch out! There's another Brainling coming your way! It's Har-Rool!"

"Put the pedal to the metal, team!" shouted Captain N. "We've got to get to that crevice!"

Dr. Right shook his head. "Not enough time. He'll have caught up with you in twenty seconds and it'll take at least twenty-five more to get there!"

Kevin nodded. "Unmanned attack drones, turn back and attack Har-Rool. Distract him long enough to let us get to the crevice!"

The two drones complied and turned around, going back toward the Brainling that was speeding toward them.

The other five attack drones soon reached the crevice. The group removed their VR goggles and controller gloves and returned their reality to the Palace of Power.

Dr. Right frowned. "I wish you hadn't had to waste those two drones, Captain N," he said. "But I'm glad you saved the other five. I admit that they are not equipped properly to attack a Brainling such as Har-Rool."

Dr. Right closed two of the windows on the main display that showed static, which indicated that the attack drones that Kevin had sacrificed were indeed destroyed.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Right."

"Forget about it, Captain N. I'm glad that your mission, overall, was a success. One-third of the Brainlings are now deceased. Congratulations."

The group smiled at Dr. Right's compliment.

"Now let's just hope that Simon, Kid Icarus, and GameBoy are fairing as well."

Part 9

The Metroid Project

Simon yawned as Kid put a micro-camera in the ceiling of the passageway of Metroid that they were currently in.

"Is it going to be much longer?" he asked. "I need my beauty rest."

"Be quieticus, Simon!" yelled Kid Icarus. "We don't want Kraid to find us!"

Simon sighed. "Fine," he said with a frown. "I just hope GameBoy is having as fun of time as we are."

GameBoy bleeped as he swung the baseball bat that his display had produced at another Metroid, hitting it and causing its dedigification. "Four down, one to go."

He swung once more, hitting the fifth Metroid and dedigifying it.

The baseball bat went back into his display and he began to install another micro-camera into the ceiling. He soon finished with it. "Fifty-three down, forty-seven to go."

Meanwhile in the basement of Baseball World the Spider Brainlings were gathered in a semi-circle of sorts. Dar-Lin, who had thinner front tentacles than the other two, was removing parts from the two downed attack drones and putting them into a small device that had burn marks on it.

"Will the parts fix the portal creator?" asked Har-Rool.

"Yes," replied Dar-Lin, slightly annoyed as his larger, stronger, less intelligent sibling had been asking him questions like this for the past hour.

"Har-Rool," started Lar-Gen, "stop asking our sibling questions. Dar-Lin needs concentration to work, and you are breaking that."

Har-Rool apologized. "I am sorry, my sibling. I shall stop."

"Thank you," snarled Dar-Lin.

"But it does not matter," he continued as he closed the casing for the device he had been working on, "for I am finished."

Lar-Gen face produced a look that had the feeling of a smile. "Good. Let us get our fellow sibling, Kar-Reek, and take him through the portal with us. When he becomes fully grown he will be a great asset to us."

The three Brainlings scurried off, Dar-Lin taking the portal creator with him. After they had gone through a multitude of passages they entered a chamber with a fifteen-foot tall, pulsating brain-like creature inside of it.

"Kar-Reek, prepare yourself for the journey back to Mother's Den!" shouted Lar-Gen with joy as he and Har-Rool picked up the creature.

"Dar-Lin," said Lar-Gen, "open a portal to Mother's Den."

Dar-Lin nodded his head and pressed a sequence of buttons on the device. A blue beam soon emitted from the device and opened a portal. The three Brainlings, carrying a fourth with them, entered the portal, it closing behind them.

GameBoy had finished installing the micro-cameras and had gone to meet up with Simon and Kid. He had nearly reached where they were supposed to be when he noticed a blue light, shadows, and sound down the adjoining corridor. He turned, bleeped, and slowly proceeded down the hallway slowly.

As he turned around the corner of the corridor that he had seen the light, shadows, and sound coming from he was suddenly hit to the ground.

The six sharp, talon-like legs of Har-Rool dug into the back of GameBoy's body deeply.

"Danger! Danger! Daaaaaaaannnnnnnn..." GameBoy trailer off as he ceased to function.

Simon and Kid let out a sigh of relief as they finished putting in the last micro-camera that they were assigned to.

"Let's go to the rendezvous point," whined Simon. "I'm really worried about my hair!"

Kid sighed. "Fine, Simon. Let's go."

The two began to slowly travel down the corridors of Metroid toward where they were to meet up with GameBoy.

As they neared the rendezvous point the sound of something scuttling around near them could be heard.

Simon shivered. "Forget GameBoy! Let's get to the warp zone!"

With that Simon began to run away from Kid.

Kid went around the corner to see if he could see what was making the sound. Suddenly there was a scream that terrified Kid. He only had the time to see the broken frame of GameBoy before he turned back and began to fly quickly after Simon toward the warp.

"Simonicus!" he yelled, "Run! They're here! The Brainlings have to be here!"

As Kid caught up with Simon another scream was heard down the corridor that they were in and scuttling from another that they were passing.

Simon stopped as he turned his head and looked down the adjoining corridor. "Kid, it's been nice to know you," was all he said before the creature suddenly burst forth from the corridor and knocked Simon to the ground.

Kid looked on horrified as the Brainling lowered its head to Simon's, screaming loudly.

"Siiiimon..." it hissed. "Prepare yoursssself. Your death will please Lar-Gen."

It brushed Simon's face with one of its front legs. Suddenly it pressed down hard, slashing Simon's face from his eye to his chin while digging into the right arm with his middle left leg.

Simon screamed as another Brainling arrived behind where Kid was watching, horrified.

It reached out its tentacles preparing to grasp Kid Icarus when a plasma shot hit the Brainling, making him scream and fall back slightly.

"Kid," yelled a voice. "Come on!"

"Samus!" yelled Kid as he quickly flew past Simon and the Brainling that was attacking him, another plasma shot being fired as he went by, hitting the first creature, making it fly off of Simon.

"Grab him!" she yelled, Kid obeying and quickly pulling Simon with him toward Samus's apparent location.

She opened a portal with one of her egg-like objects and fired a few more plasma shots as Kid went into the portal, pulling Simon behind him, before she went in herself, the portal closing right behind her.

Part 10

A Certain Type of Death

Lana wept as Simon lay on the operating table, Dr. Right and multiple other doctors working on him all at once. "Dr. Right," she asked, "do you think he's going to be alright."

"He's going to survive, your Highness," replied the doctor. "But he's also going to have scars. His right eye is destroyed. And his right arm is going to have to be amputated and then artificially regenerated with a metal frame to assist it with."

Lana buried her head in her hands and Kevin put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Lana. It's okay..."

The operation eventually ended and Simon was moved into his room at the Palace of Power. There he rested, not waking, with a half-dozen doctors around him at any one time.

"Lana," Dr. Right said to Lana quietly.

"Hmm?" she responded even more quietly.

"I hate to disturb you, but we need to go have a meeting in the planning room."

She nodded and turned, tears rolling down her face.

"I'm sorry, your Highness. If you don't feel up to it you don't have to attend."

"It's okay," she responded. "Let's go."

She wiped her face and began to walk toward the planning room, Dr. Right following her.

Lana sat down in her chair, still weeping slightly with her head lowered.

She raised her head after wiping her face with her hands. "Okay. Let's begin."

Kevin spoke. "Kid, what happened on Metroid?"

Kid nodded. "Simon and I had been working on installing the micro-cameras. When we finished he and I began to go to the rendezvous point that had been set up. We soon nearly reached it when we heard scuttling nearby. Simon ran and I went around the corner to see what it was. I saw GameBoy's frame, holes in it from whatever it was that was making the sound. Suddenly there was a terrifying scream and I began to fly as fast as I could after Simon."

He was beginning to get teary eyed. "I heard one Brainling behind us and another in a corridor that Simon was passing. He looked and stopped suddenly. Said that it had been nice to know me." Kid began to cry. "If it wasn't for Samus we'd both be dead."

MegaMan patted Kid's back. "Don't mega-worry, Kid. We'll get back at them for Simon."

Kid nodded and shivered, curling himself into a small ball. "I'm scared..."

Dr. Right began to speak. "There are still two Brainlings left in Baseball World's basement. I suggest we take them out immediately and, although I dislike the idea, inform the public of the situation and restrict portal travel."

Lana nodded slightly. "I'll go and write an announcement to give."

The princess stood up and slowly walked out of the planning room. As she left the others could hear her crying.

"Dr. Right," said Kevin sternly, "Hook us in. We're taking out those two Brainlings, and then we're going to go to Metroid and take out the rest of the murdering bastards."

Kid shook his head. "I... I can't. I'm too scared. I... I need to go be alone for awhile."

Kid got up and slowly flew out the door and toward his room.

Dr. Right looked at Roll, Protoman, MegaMan, and Kevin. "I will be joining you on this attack."

Part 11

Slightly Annoyed

Dr. Right hooked himself and the others into the equipment for the five remaining attack drones and booted them up.

His face turned cross as the system booted up.

FUNCTIONALITY LEVEL: 94.52%

MAX SPEED: 120 KPH

ACCELERATION: 2 KPH/SEC

ACTIVATING MAPS AND PINPOINTING TARGETS

"Kevin, pick a target. I also wish to say that don't worry if any of us gets our attack drone destroyed. As long as we take them out it doesn't matter."

Kevin's drone began to move and the others followed close behind it.

Soon they reached the target Kevin had picked. The Brainling, which was much like a beetle in basic body shape and configuration, howled and jumped at the five machines, missing them.

Dr. Right fired his drone's weapons as it tried to attack them. It was faster than he had expected, but it was also horrible in terms of aim. It howled again as the others began to attack it.

"Roll, Protoman," spoke Dr. Right. "Fire the bombs on my mark, then pull away quickly down the hallway."

"Yes, father," said Protoman.

"Sure," smiled Roll.

"Mark!" he suddenly yelled. Roll and Protoman fired the bombs and all began to pull off. The weapon hit the Brainling, causing the waves of flames and adhesive to engulf the Brainling. It made one final lurch toward the drones before it fell to the ground, lifeless.

"One more to go down in this darkened world," said Dr. Right angrily.

Kevin nodded. "Yep. Let's go!"

He turned down a passageway, the others following him in a line.

Soon once again they reached another Brainling.

"It seems like this one likes heat," Kevin commented, noting that there was magma around it."

"I would extrapolate your assessment, Kevin," agreed Dr. Right, "but I think we have more pressing matters to deal with. Incoming targets!"

The five took their targets and began firing at the dozens of creatures that looked like the bats, fastballs, and gloves of Baseball World's basement, but were more like that of a Brainling in color.

"What's up with these guys?" asked Kevin as he shot down a few bats and fastballs.

Dr. Right, who had been trying going to engage my bombs at them to explode on impact, hopefully destroying it to get nearer to the Brainling, responded. "I think I know. The Brainling itself is creating them! I'm completely."

"Understood," replied MegaMan. "We'll take out the remaining creatures when you're done."

Dr. Right readied his attack drone and accelerated toward the Brainling. He locked on the course and screamed out. "For Simon and the life of GameBoy, I will destroy you!"

With that the attack drone hit the Brainling and exploded, engulfing it in flames and adhesive.

The few enemies that survived the Dr. Right's rage were quickly defeated.

The four remaining attack drones landed on a flat rock that stuck out high above the magma. They all logged out and removed their equipment.

"Four more left," Dr. Right said to himself and the others. "I'll prepare some stronger weapons to be used on them."

Part 12

Shattered

The doctors had left, Simon had remained unconscious, and his wounds had healed as best they could. His right arm, regenerated, was covered with growth scars as even Dr. Right's best work still left some damage. His right eye, now with a black eye patch over it, would never see again. The deep gash that was on his formerly undamaged face had scarred over in a valley-like shape.

A week had passed since the N-Team defeated the last Brainling in Baseball World's basement, and Dr. Right was still working on the weapons that he had promised. All the others could do was wait.

"We've done all we can until Dr. Right has prepared the weapons," said Kevin to Lana. "We should just try to rest up until then."

Lana nodded and sighed. "I know. I just want to make Videoland safe again. As long as the Brainlings are around, it won't be."

Kevin thought. "Speaking of the Brainlings," he looked at MegaMan, "what have they been doing."

MegaMan, who had been monitoring them, responded. "Nothing much. They seem to be gathering together groups of Metroid's creatures and concentrating them in certain areas, apparently hoping to create a larger difficulty for us to get to them. One of them, Dar-Lin, is also gathering together pieces of metal and electronic equipment from over all parts of Metroid, putting it all in Mother Brain's old chamber. It also works on putting this equipment together now and then. It appears to be building something."

"A weapon?" asked Protoman, shining his arm cannon.

MegaMan shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Then what?" asked Lana.

"That's the mystery. When we go there I suppose that we shall find out."

Lana nodded. "Well, then, I hope Dr. Right finishes soon."

"So do we all," said Kevin with a frown.

Opened eyes and a moan Simon emitted. His body ached and he felt weak.

"All just a nightmare." He smiled and walked over to his mirror."

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of... Ahhhhhhhhhh!" he yelled, seeing his scarred face and right arm, the patch on his eye, and the medical over garment he was wearing.

He stumbled back and fell back on his bed.

The N-Team suddenly ran in, having heard his scream.

"Simon, you're awake!" yelled Lana happily with a smile.

"It wasn't a dream..." he said to himself, staring forward blankly.

"Simon..." started Kevin. "You're lucky to be alive. If it weren't for Samus you wouldn't have even survived the Brainling's attack. Now you're going to live!"

Simon slowly turned his head and screamed. "Living!? I would hardly call this living! My face! My arm! My eye!!"

Kevin and the others stepped back, seeing the anger in his eye.

"Leave me!" he commanded. "I want to be alone."

They left Simon to himself as he asked, the door to his room closing behind them.

Simon looked blankly at the door for a few minutes, before he began to cry.

Simon spent many of the next hours crying before he finally stopped. He slowly walked to his clothes closet and opened it up. Dozens of copies of the outfit that he normally wore - minus the backpack - were suspended on hangers across it's large interior. He looked from one side of it to the other.

"No."

He pushed the clothes forcefully to either side of the closet and began digging in the dusty cardboard boxes that were behind where the clothes had been.

"Grandfather," he said as he opened one cardboard box that seemed to be of importance to him, although just as dusty as the others had been, "you gave these to clothes to my father, just as your father did to you. He never wore them and you rarely did, but your father did. Trevor Belmont, my great-grandfather and your father, is said to have worn these clothes when he defeated Count Dracula. In his memory I now don them, preparing to become like the great vampire hunter that he was."

He pulled the dusty clothes out of the box. "It nearly took my death to make me realize what a waste of my life I have made. I am sorry."

Part 13

The Vampire Hunter

Simon walked out of his room and toward the room where he surmised that the N-Team would be. He assumption correct, he entered the room.

"Simonicus?" asked Kid Icarus, looking at the person that had entered.

Simon was clad in a trench coat of black leather, worn by use and age. He pants and shirt were also black, appearing to be made of a cotton-like material. He had taken away his flight goggles and a pair of black leather gloves he had donned instead. His hair was lying at either side of his head, it being parted in the middle. A stern look was on his face, the scar and the eye patch giving him a menacing look.

"Yes?" he asked in a monotone voice.

"It is you! Simonicus, why are you dressed that way."

"I have not been the vampire hunter that I am supposed to be. I will defeat the Brainlings and then the count. I will not let my family name down. I am Simon Belmont, vampire hunter!"

Kevin whispered into Lana's in. "He's certainly acting different."

"Simon?" asked Kevin, "Are you okay?"

"I am fine."

"Okay," sighed Kevin.

"You sure?" asked Lana.

"Yes, your Highness. I am fine."

"If you say so Simon." She frowned.

"If you need any-" MegaMan started.

"I do not need anything, MegaMan. I wish nothing more than to defeat our enemies."

Three more days had passed, Simon's behavior continued to be changed from its normal vainness.

Dr. Right had just arrived and all gathered in the planning room, sitting at the table.

"Simon," said Dr. Right, smiling, "I'm glad that you're back with us!"

"Please, Dr. Right," he said sternly. "Just give us the briefing. Smalltalk will not help us defeat the Brainlings."

Dr. Right pulled his head back, surprised by what Simon had said. "O-okay then," he stuttered. "MegaMan, I've created an upgrade for your arm cannon. You can charge it up to create plasma bursts that are up to twenty-five times stronger than your present arm cannon's plasma shots."

"For Protoman I have created a similar weapon to MegaMan's new one for you."

"For you, Roll," he smiled, "I have created a weapon that will fit onto your arm, although it is fully removable, and will fire plasma shots that are about five time's stronger than MegaMan's present arm cannon. I would have made it stronger, but it would require a larger energy source, of which I could not install into the device I have made for you without making it considerably larger."

Roll nodded. "Understood and perfectly acceptable!" she replied, smiling.

"For Lana I have created a Zapper, nearly identical to Kevin's except with the orange instead being gray."

"Thank you, Dr. Right."

"For you, Kevin, I have created an energy concentrator that will fit in your Zapper's barrel. When you fire your weapon it will produce a much smaller beam, but that beam will be much more powerful, approximately one-hundred times so."

"Awesome!"

"Kid Icarus, for you I have a much bow that is much easier to load and pull back."

"Thanks."

"Samus, for you I have an enhancement for your arm cannon. It will fit inside of your present arm cannon. Unlike Kevin's Zapper's enhancement, it will make it stronger, but not smaller. Your arm cannon is somehow different from Kevin's Zapper in a way I can't figure out, making this so."

"I appreciate it, Dr. Right."

"And finally, Simon. For you I have a-"

"I already have a weapon." He patted the whip at his side. "My ancestor's whip. I need no weapon from you."

"If that is what you wish Simon."

"I do."

Dr. Right nodded and took out each of the weapons that he had created, helping MegaMan and Protoman switch each of their weapons.

Simon looked at each of them while they looked over each of their new weapons.

He cleared his throat, attempting successfully to get their attention. "Are we ready to defeat those which threaten Videoland?"

Kevin nodded. "I guess it's time." He looked at Lana. "What do you think?"

"I think so," she smiled. "MegaMan."

"Mega-yeah!"

"Sureicus!"

Samus rubbed her arm cannon. "Definitely."

Protoman and Roll nodded, smiling. "Yes."

Kevin smiled. "Well then, Simon. Looks like you're getting what you wanted. Let's go! Metroid ho!"

Part 14

The Enemy's Den

The portal closed as Kevin exited the portal behind the others. Simon stood a few feet in front of the others.

"Let's get moving," he spoke, beginning to walk down the corridors, the others following cautiously.

After a few minutes of walking Simon stopped, holding his whip and listening carefully. The others, sensing that there was something near also, prepared to fight.

As the blue, red-eyed creatures flew towards the N-Team Samus yelled. "Mellows!"

Simon stood his ground, looking at the creatures that were nearing him. Suddenly he leapt forth, bursting into action, cracking his whip at one, then another. Before the group had gone past him he had taken out no less than ten of them. He began to run after them after they had passed, preparing to take out more.

MegaMan and the other were fighting the mellows with their new weapons when the thought occurred to him. "Time to try this thing out!"

MegaMan began charging his arm cannon. It hummed at a high pitch when he had fully charged it and fired up toward the mellows that were circling over him, sometimes striking, although fortunately missing due to MegaMan's quick reflexes.

From his arm cannon fired a huge ball of plasma, hitting the center of the mellows above him, defeating all but one of the others with it. He took out this final one before it had a chance to flee or attack. He looked at the others and began to fire from where he was at the creatures that were attacking.

Kevin fired his Zapper at a mellow and hit it dead on, barely able to see the beam that it emitted. The mellow dedigitized and Kevin chose another target, continuing his fight.

Kid smiled as Roll shot and dedigitized a mellow that had nearly hit him. "Thanks, Roll!"

"No problem, Kid Icarus!" She smiled and shot at a few other of the few mellows that remained.

Simon once again was attacking the mellows with a slash of his whip, hitting one and defeating it. Soon there was only one left. The others watched as Simon leaped into the air and gave a battle cry, striking the last creature with the powerful hit of his whip, causing dedigification.

When the battle was over Kevin went over to Simon. "Pretty impressive, Simon," he said with a smile. "Didn't know you had that in you."

"Later, Captain N," he replied. "Let's get going before more come to distract us from our goal."

Kevin looked at Simon strangely and nodded. "Okay, Simon."

Simon began walking again, the others again following.

"He's certainly changed," Kevin whispered into Lana's ear.

Lana nodded and whispered back. "I kinda miss the old Simon."

Kevin nodded. "Strange to say, isn't it."

"Yep," she laughed softly. "Sure is. I guess we just didn't realize how he was important to us, strange as that is."

Meanwhile, Lar-Gen and the other Brainlings had gathered inside the former chamber of Mother Brain. Lar-Gen spoke.

"Are you sure that this device will let us create new creatures?" he asked with a slight hiss.

Dar-Lin nodded and replied. "Once I work all the bugs out, it will. Then we can recreate Mother."

An alarm went off and Dar-Lin rushed over to check it. "The N-Team is here," he said calmly. "I suggest you send more of Mother's forces after them. They've already destroyed one of our mellow legions."

Lar-Gen gave out a howl. "Har-Rool!" he yelled loudly, "Go to the zebs and skrees and have them attack the N-Team. Then I want the rios, wavers, and zoomers to gather within an area no further than 1000 yards from here."

Har-Rool nodded and left the chamber to obey Lar-Gen's orders

Lar-Gen turned his head to Dar-Lin. "Contact Ripley and Kraid. I wish for them to send their armies after the N-Team, also. After this continue testing the device. I want it finished and functioning!"

"Yes, my sibling," said Dar-Lin, going over to the consoles and pressing buttons, trying to bring up a com-link.

As Lar-Gen slowly left the room Dar-Lin was able to open a com-link to Kraid.

"Kraid here, said the yellow, fat, somewhat crocodile-like creature with a large spikes protruding from it. Its green mane was messy and it scratched its teeth. "Who is and what is you want?"

"This is Dar-Lin, child of Mother," said Dar-Lin to the disgusting creature. "I am here to request your services."

Kraid snorted and scratched his nostril. "And what if I don't?" he said, grinning.

"Then we will send our forces after you."

Kraid thought about this, burping loudly before he spoke. "Child of Mother Brain, ehh?" he grinned. "Well, I think I can help a little. What do you need from me?"

"Your forces."

"How many?"

"Preferably all."

He coughed, nearly choking, and spit out a large piece of flem. "All!? Are you crazy? I need to be protected."

"You will be protected by the children of Mother."

"Not enough, I'm 'fraid."

"It will have to be.

Kraid shook his head. "No. I will send you half of my forces."

Dar-Lin thought for a moment. "That is acceptable. Send them to the following coordinates."

A map of Metroid appeared on Kraid's console's display. On it three points were marked. They suddenly gained labels of 'A', 'B', and 'C'.

Dar-Lin began to speak again. "Send three-fourths of your memus to point A. One-half of your skrees I want you to send to point B. Send one half of your side-hoppers to point C. Send one-twelfth of your geegas to each of the points."

"That's more than-" Kraid stopped himself, realizing that it was probably best to do so. "Yes, sir." Kraid burped again as Dar-Lin closed the transmission.

"What a disgusting creature!" Dar-Lin said to himself as he began to send a transmission to Ridley's lair.

A purplish, somewhat dragon-like creature appeared on the screen. "Ye-yes?" it asked meekly.

"Ridley?" asked Dar-Lin.

"Ye-yes? Who is this?"

"I am Dar-Lin, a child of Mother."

Ridley shuddered. "Pl-please! Don't hurt me."

Dar-Lin gave what was almost a laugh. "Mother's quarrels with you are no longer of matter. What does matter is that you obey what I am about to request of you."

"Wh-what is that?" it asked timidly.

"You have something we want."

"I'm sorry!" screamed Ridley. "I didn't know that it was hers!"

"What is hers, Ridley?" asked Dar-Lin, squinting his eyes.

"Umm... Ne-nevermind."

"Fine. It does not matter, anyway. What I have to request of you only involves your forces."

"Wh-what of them?"

The display of the console of Ridley changed to a map of Metroid showing three points. "We require them. All of them."

"Ye-yes. May I keep some of dessgeegas for protection?"

"Eight."

"Understood."

The points gained letters.

"Send all of your zebbos and holtz to point D. All of your violas and multiviolas are to be sent to point E. Finally, all but eight of your dessgeegas are to be sent to point F."

"Ye-yes, sir. I will not di-disobey a-a child of Mother Brain! I am sorry for any disobedience to her wonderfulness in the past! I am sorry!"

Dar-Lin closed off the transmission. "Not disgusting, but the most cowardly creature I have ever talked to."

He stepped over to another console and pressed a button. A machine near him began to spark and he quickly pressed some more buttons, turning off the machine that was sparking. "Unfortunately still non-functional."

Dar-Lin went over and began to work on the faulty machine, taking its front panel off and tinkering with the wires and chips inside it.

Part 15

The Situation Worsens

The N-Team had been going through the labyrinth that is Metroid for the past four hours. They had only encountered one other group of mellows during their entire time, which worried Samus some.

"No strays, even," she said to herself.

"Hmm?" asked Lana. "What did you say?"

"Oh." She laughed. "Just thinking about how it's strange that we've encountered so few enemies."

Lana nodded. "Don't jinx it for us."

A group of screeches signified the arrival of the reddish creatures known of zebs.

"Too late." Samus said as she fired her arm cannon at the incoming enemies.

MegaMan and Protoman began to charge up their arm cannons and took aim at either side of the swarming zebs.

Simon once again took the front and began whipping at the zebs, dodging them when he had to as they flew by. His whip danced through the air, only once missing its target.

The others fired their weapons, taking out about thirty zebs before they had passed them.

Samus yelled to the others. "They'll be back soon! Prepare yourselves!"

Protoman and MegaMan turned around, their weapons fully charged, and prepared to fire when the zebs came back.

"We'll take the mega-sides," said MegaMan to the others. "You take the center."

Kevin nodded.

Samus turned her head. "We got more coming!"

All but Protoman and MegaMan turned around to see a large group of skrees coming around the corner. They began to spin with their green wings becoming almost like a drill as they began plummeting toward the N-Team and others.

Lana turned back and looked at the zebs, which were just beginning to come back. She took aim and began to fire. "Everybody else, get the skrees! We can take care of these guys!"

Kid, Simon, Kevin, Roll, and Samus nodded, attacking the skrees with all their might.

MegaMan and Protoman fired their charged arm cannons simultaneously, hitting both sides of the zebs and taking over half of the ones that were remaining from the previous attack. They then joined Lana in her attack on the center.

The skrees, however, were putting up much more of a fight.

"Umph!" Kevin yelled as he hit ground after jumping quickly out of the way as a skree. He turned back and fired his Zapper at the creature that had caused him the trouble, hitting it dead on. "Gotcha!"

Having finally dispatched of all the zebs, Lana, MegaMan, and Protoman turned around to see a half-dozen skrees flying towards them.

Lana fired quickly and hit one, falling to the ground to avoid the one behind it.

MegaMan ran to dodge the first that was coming after him, then firing at it with his arm cannon. Another shot brought another down and he turned to fire at the other three.

"Look out, MegaMan!" yelled Roll, firing a shot at a skree that was behind MegaMan.

Her shot hit, fortunately, but it was just slightly to late. MegaMan fell into a kneel and held his sparking left arm.

Roll ran over to him, fighting off the others that were going toward her brother.

"MegaMan!" she yelled. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be mega-fine." He smiled slightly. "I'll just need to be repaired a bit before we go on."

"You better be, MegaMan!"

Simon whipped again at one of the dozen skree that remained, hitting it. "Your master will be defeated, just like all of you!" he yelled, his eyes burning still with anger from when he had been attacked by Har-Rool.

Protoman fired a few more shots, Kid a few more arrows, and Simon a few more swings of his whip. Soon the last of the skrees were gone.

Kevin breathed heavily. "That was a large attack."

Samus nodded. "Mm hmm."

The group gathered around MegaMan, Roll working with some tools that she had changed her arm into after removing her arm cannon.

"You okay, man?" asked Kevin.

"I'll be fine in just a minute, Captain N."

"Glad to hear that." He smiled. "We gotta keep going."

MegaMan nodded.

"Finished!" smiled Roll.

"Great!" Captain N looked at Simon, who had stayed ahead of them. "I hope he's okay, too. He's kinda frightening me with his new behavior. I worry that his anger is going to hurt him."

Lana nodded and looked worriedly at him. "I think we all do."

Simon turned. "I suggest we continue on."

Lana sighed. "Okay, Simon, we'll be right along."

Simon began to walk on, the others starting along a few seconds behind him.

Lar-Gen was moving around through the corridors quickly, checking on the conditions of the groups of creatures that had been assembled. He soon saw Har-Rool and approached him.

"Har-Rool," started Lar-Gen, "What is the condition of our forces?"

"They are fully assembled, my ssssibling," replied Har-Rool.

"Excellent." Lar-Gen looked down another corridor, having heard a sound. "Kar-Reek is hatching! Retrieve Dar-Lin and come to Kar-Reek's hatching chamber!"

Har-Rool scuttled off toward Dar-Lin, Lar-Gen going down the other corridor and toward Kar-Reek's chamber.

The three Brainlings were gathered around casing of Kar-Reek, which had tripled in size since its movement from Baseball World's basement and had gained a transparent look. Inside of it was a creature twice as large as even Har-Rool, although it had the same basic appearance and design.

Lar-Gen gave out a howl and, as if in response, Kar-Reek put his forward left leg to his casing and pressed against it hard, creating a hole. It pushed its leg's pointy end down, creating a large slice through the casing.

"Kar-Reek!" called Lar-Gen, "Come out into the outer world and raise into the greatness!"

Kar-Reek screeched as it opened the casing with its tentacles enough to emerge from its former home.

"Kar-Reek, my fellow sibling and child of Mother," began Lar-Gen, "we are preparing to make a large strike against the N-Team, who are here to attack us. Do you understand what we are to do?"

"We attack!" it screamed. A hole opened up in the middle of it's back and a miniature version of itself, about eight inches tall, came out, crawling over it.

"Yes, my sibling." Lar-Gen looked at Har-Rool. "You, Har-Rool, will join the zoomers and gamets now in the battle against the N-Team!"

"Yes, my sibling. I shall do so."

Har-Rool left the room, going to carry out what Lar-Gen had instructed him to.

Part 16

Strike

The N-Team and the others continued their advance deeper into Metroid, prepared to attack again whenever and if ever necessary.

"Simon," asked Lana, "may I ask you something?"

Simon turned his head to look at her. Turning it back, he said, "Of course, your Highness."

"Then, Simon, why the large and sudden change?"

"I have changed, your Highness, because of that I was not honoring the Belmonts' heritage. I was egotistical, vain, and completely useless to the N-Team. When I was attacked by that Brainling I realized this and vowed that, if I somehow survived, I would change my ways and become the vampire hunter that I should be."

"Okay Simon, thanks." Lana said, trying to understand better what Simon had said.

The group neared an intersection when Simon stopped and took out his whip. "I hear flapping."

Samus went to where Simon was. "He's right. It's coming from either side of this intersection."

The others readied their weapons and went up to where Simon and Samus were, forming a line.

Roll and Samus aimed their weapons.

MegaMan and Protoman charged their arm cannons.

Kid loaded his bow.

Kevin and Lana held their Zappers out in front of them.

Simon prepared his whip.

Suddenly zoomers and gamets began flooding out from either side of the intersecting corridors.

MegaMan and Protoman fired down at the incoming enemies, hitting them and knocking many back, dedigitizing many more.

Kid fired his bow, shooting a firebomb arrow into the center of the intersection. The arrow exploded, causing the gamets and zoomers that had not yet passed the intersection to be unable to get through.

The others began to fire at the dozens of creatures that were crawling and flying towards them.

MegaMan, who had finished recharging, fired another plasma burst at the enemies, knocking about half of them out.

Within a few minutes the remaining creatures had been destroyed and the N-Team smiled. Lana thanked Kid for the firing of his firebomb arrow which had likely saved them from being overcome, looked forward at the flames.

"I don't know," replied Kid. "It depends greatly on the amount of creatures that are trying to get through it."

As if in reply to this a form appeared in the fire, walking slowly through the flames.

"Did you think you could really stop me like that?" It replied, smiling as it exited the flames.

"You!" screamed Simon. "You're the one who attacked me!"

The creature smiled. "Yes, I am that... Simon, I believe it is. As for me, if you didn't know, I'm Har-Rool."

"I know who you are!" yelled the vampire hunter, preparing to rush at the creature.

"Ah, good. Then we need no further introductions." Har-Rool screeched and rushed toward the vampire hunter, who did the same toward Har-Rool.

Simon jumped as he was about to be hit by the large Brainling. He landed on its back and began whipping at its head, the creature screaming as the thorny spikes at the end of the whip hit it.

Har-Rool, although being pained by Simon, continued running toward the others, who fired their weapons at Har-Rool, barely causing him to flinch.

Kevin aimed his Zapper at the Brainling's left legs, firing and hitting the front-most of them.

Har-Rool screamed as the Zapper's beam went through its leg, causing a greenish red substance to begin oozing out from the wound. "Not wise, Captain N!"

As Har-Rool began to charge specifically after Kevin, Simon was hatching a strategy. He swung his whip around a stalactite and, removing a small knife from under the left side of his trench coat, thrust it into the Brainlings, back, holding on tight to his whip.

As Har-Rool neared Captain N he screamed, the agony of the knife, which had opened a hole from the front to the back of his thorax, causing him to fall to the ground.

Simon unwrapped his whip and put the knife away, walking over to Har-Rool and looking into its eyes.

"Good job, vampire hunter," laughed Har-Rool as its greenish red blood poured out of it's gaping wound. "You've defeated me. But there are still those who are behind me and also my siblings. They will be even more dangerous to you than me."

Simon looked at the creature, the anger in his eyes nearly subsiding for a moment as the Brainling closed its eyes and died.

"MegaMan, Protoman," said Simon, turning at them. "Charge your weapons and prepare yourselves to attack the creatures when they begin to come through."

The two robots nodded.

Lana frowned at Simon.

Kevin shook his head.

Soon enough the flames died down enough to let the zoomers and gamets get through and in great mass they flowed towards the N-Team.

"Fire!" yelled Simon to MegaMan and Protoman, who obeyed and knocked out the first five rows of creatures.

The N-Team fought valiantly as the creatures kept advancing toward them.

Simon, his whip flying through the air, attacked fiercely.

Kevin, firing his Zapper with a sure aim, attacked without a second of rest.

Lana fought without stopping either.

MegaMan and Protoman charged their weapons, firing whenever they were fully charged.

Roll and Samus shot their arm cannons.

Kid Icarus fired his arrows.

And, just as the creatures seemed to be about to overcome them, they stopped coming. Within a few more minutes they were gone completely.

The N-Team had won the battle.

Part 16

Nearing the Core

After a few minutes of rest the N-Team began again to walk the corridors of Metroid, slowly nearing their goal and slowly nearing the thousands of creatures that awaited them and, more importantly for the present, one of the six points at which Dar-Lin had specified for Ridley or Kraid to send their troops.

MegaMan was walking ahead with Simon, talking to him, when the creatures appeared from behind a corner. The blue and purple creatures, with green eyes nearly glowing, began running towards them.

"Dessgeegas!" yelled Samus as she fired her arm cannon as the others prepared to fire.

When he was done loading, Kid fired another firebomb arrow, striking one of the creatures square on as it came around the corner, causing the area near it to become a wall of flames

Samus frowned as her arm cannon was taking her far too long, in her mind, to defeat the enemy. She twisted with her arm cannon with her left hand and smiled, firing another shot at one of the dessgeegas. A missile zoomed toward the dessgeegas, destroying it and five more that were also near the explosion.

"And I wanted to save these for a special occasion!" She laughed and fired another.

Simon whipped, Kevin and Lana fired their Zappers, and the robots fired their arm cannons. Kid Icarus fired arrows as he could and Samus blazed on with her missiles.

Soon the battle had been won and, although Samus had caused the most destruction and defeated the most of the dessgeegas while the battle had been raging, the others destroyed about half of the creatures themselves.

Kevin smiled at Samus and spoke. "Samus, why didn't you use the missiles before?"

"Like I said, N, I was saving them for a special occasion."

The Gamemaster shrugged then smiled again. "Well, I'm glad this was one."

"Bah," returned Samus. "I wanted to use them on that one Brainling... Lar-Gen. Now I've used over half of the amount I had!"

Kevin nodded. "Well, thanks anyway." He looked at Simon. "I'll say it for you. Let's get going, guys!"

Simon nodded and began walking, the others, as usual, behind him a few seconds.

Soon they reached an intersection.

"Left, right, or straight on ahead?" asked Kevin to the others.

"Straight," said MegaMan.

"Left," replied Lana.

"Right," said Roll.

"Left," answered Protoman.

Kid thought for a second. "Right is almost always right, right? So right."

Samus pointed straight as her answer.

"Two for each way." Kevin frowned. "Simon, I'm not breaking the tie. Which way do you want to..." Kevin noticed that Simon had started going down the right corridor and sighed. "Right it is then. Come on, let's go."

The corridor, which was long and straight, was without incident for the N-Team, not a single creature visibly inhabiting it to any but Right's creations, who could see small microorganisms in the air and on the walls.

The corridor, like most things, eventually ended in an intersection with another corridor, which went left and right to them.

This time Kevin didn't let the others choose. "Left," he said.

Simon, upon hearing Captain N's command, moved in that direction as the others reached it,

They traveled down this corridor, which waved from side to side now and then, for a few minutes before they reached a corridor that joined on only one side. Simon looked quickly around this door and turned back, telling the others to stay.

He slowly and quietly walked over to the others. "Captain N," he said in a near-whisper, "there are thousands upon thousands of creatures in that room. There's no way we can take them all on."

Kevin frowned and shook his head, but Samus just smiled and nodded.

She took something out of her armor and spoke. "I can."

She ran to the entrance to the room and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Hey, boys, miss me while I was gone?" With that she threw a small translucent red object, quite similar to the blue one, towards the creatures, running away quickly from them.

She smiled as she ran back, hearing a long series of large explosions behind her.

The others looked at her, wondering what the object that she threw had been.

She looked at them, realizing their unstated inquiry. "Oh, just a prototype weapon. It transmutes the biological material of most living creatures into extremely unstable elements, causing a group of explosions."

Kevin looked at her, eyes wide. "Samus, warn us next time you're going to do something like that!"

Samus sighed. "Fine."

As Simon again moved around the corner and quickly took a battle stance, removing his whip and preparing to attack with it.

The others looked at Simon, he turning his head toward them. "It's a Brainling! Prepare yourselves!"

Part 17

Kar-Reek

The N-Team and the others ran over to the corridor. Lana gasped when she and the others saw what the Brainling that had been told to them by Dr. Right to be sessile had turned into.

There the Brainling stood in the center of the area, not more than four feet from reaching the top of the twenty-foot tall room. Its huge stature was not decreased nor put into excess by its thirty-foot width, which was accompanied by a twenty-five foot long body. It motioned with its tentacle for them to come into the room.

"It can't get into the corridor from here," said Samus with a smile. "Why shouldn't we just attack it from here?"

"It is because Kar-Reek will not let you!" yelled the Brainling, who had heard what Samus had said. Small creatures began to come out of the opening in the thorax of Kar-Reek and began scuttling toward the N-Team.

Kevin looked at the creatures. "Ah, great! Just what we need: Mini-Brainlings!"

The smaller versions of Kar-Reek continued going towards the N-Team and the others as they began firing at the creatures.

Samus turned her arm cannon once again to fire missiles and began her assault. "Die, spawn of evil!" she yelled as the first missile hit one of the small Brainlings, causing it to explode in a puddle of blood, and brain-like guts.

"Disgusting little creatures," she said with a smile.

Simon ran forward as MegaMan and Protoman charged up their weapons, Kid Icarus firing paralyzation arrows at the creatures.

As Kevin and Lana fired their Zappers and Samus fired another missile, Simon brought his whip down in a mighty swing onto one of the miniature Brainlings. "Your kind does not deserve life!"

Lana stopped for a second as she heard this then began to fire again.

Soon there were only a few of the smaller Brainlings left and Kar-Reek decided it was time to attack. Running forward, he leaped at Simon, who jumped out of the way and rolled along the floor for a few seconds before leaping to his feet.

Samus fired another missile and destroyed the last of offspring of Kar-Reek, turned her arm cannon's aim to Kar-Reek and fired, hitting the creature's thorax. A hole was created in it, showing an internal chamber that held more of the small Brainlings.

"Noooo!" it screamed in a high-pitched screech as the small creatures came out of it, beginning to gnaw at its wound.

It turned toward Samus, anger unmatched in its eyes, and began charging toward her. As it neared her she tried to fire her arm cannon, but it wouldn't launch, as she looked down to see that she was out of missiles.

"Noooo!" she screamed, quite reminiscent of the screech of the Brainling she was about to be attacked by.

As if by a miracle the Brainling fell and stopped a few feet before her.

"Fire at it, all of you!" Simon yelled, his hands holding hard onto the whip that was around the back right leg of Kar-Reek.

Listening, all but Samus fired at the Brainling, completely annihilating it.

Samus sighed and switched her arm cannon to its normal mode. "Thanks, Simon. I owe you one."

Simon shook his head. "No, now we're even."

Samus looked inside of the destroyed Brainling's thorax. She almost giggled a little as she saw what was inside.

She reached in and pulled out a small translucent white egg. Inside of it moved around a yet unborn version of one of the small Brainlings. She quickly put it in a small side-chamber on her suit and turned back.

Kevin looked at her somewhat strangely. "What was that, Samus?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Just was poking around inside to make sure none of the little Brainlings were still alive in there. None are. Let's go."

Kevin shook his head. "Fine."

As the group began walking again Lana went over to Samus. "We're going to have to have a talk when we get back to the palace, Samus," she said. "I didn't want to bring it up, but the technology you've been using isn't exactly legal, and I saw what you took."

Samus turned her head and gulped. "Okay, your Highness."

Lana walked back over to Kevin and sighed.

"She's still the same old Samus," said Lana to him as they walked. "Still using illegal technology to do her work. Still doing stuff she shouldn't. Still doing things that are dangerous for her." Lana frowned. "I worry about her so much sometimes. I've tried to tell her, but she doesn't realize how much I mean it."

Kevin put his arm around her, trying to give her a little comfort. "Don't worry, Lana, I'm sure she won't do anything to rash or too dangerous. She's a bounty hunter, after all. Danger and risks are a part of who she is."

Lana nodded. "I just wish she wouldn't take so many of them."

Kevin continued. "If you had a way to decrease risk to yourself would you do it if it still got what you needed to get done done?"

Lana shrugged. "Depends on the situation."

Kevin looked at Samus and then at Lana. "That's what Samus decided it was a situation to use such things in."

Lana sighed. "Still..."

"You two talk later," he smiled and kissed the princess's forehead. "For now we have other things to deal with.

Lana smiled and nodded. "Okay.

Part 18

The Core

A circular red door was in front of them.

"I knew I should have saved some missiles!" Samus yelled at herself as she hit it.

"Samus," said Lana, "Don't worry, I'm sure one of our weapons will work."

Samus shook her head and fired at the door with her arm cannon, it not making any change in the door's appearance.

"Well, how about the others?" Lana smiled. "MegaMan, Protoman, charge up and fire on my mark!"

The two nodded and charged their weapons.

"Now!" yelled Princess Lana.

Protoman and MegaMan fired their weapons. The blasts hit the door and caused a small hole to appear in the center of it for a second, but this soon disappeared.

"See?" said Samus pessimistically. "It won't work.

Kid Icarus, who had been searching through his quiver, pulled out an arrow and loaded it into his bow. Pulling the string on it back, he spoke. "Step away. This bomb arrow might just work!" With that he fired at the red door, which opened as the bomb arrow exploded.

"Good job, Kid Icarus!" smiled Lana. "Let's get going."

She began running through, the others following.

Just as Samus came through behind the others the door closed once more, leaving the group with no way out of this part of Metroid but forward.

"Be careful," said Samus. "Tourian's full of Metroids!"

As Samus finished a group of Metroids appeared in their view. She switched her arm cannon to its ice beam setting and fired at the creatures.

"They have to be frozen before they can be destroyed."

As each one of the creatures was hit by Samus's ice beam a few shots followed it, causing the Metroids to shatter.

Although Samus missed a few with her first shot at each of them, she didn't with her second. It didn't take long for the group to take down the Metroids. Soon enough they were walking again towards their goal, which they realized lay very close to them.

A large pneumatically sealed door soon stood in front of them.

"Samus knocked on it with her arm cannon. "Big and heavy," she smiled. "This thing's new since I was last here."

"Five years changes a lot," replied Lana as she went over to a keypad and started putting in a few tries as passwords.

"Lana?" she asked? "Nope."

"Power?"

"Palace?"

"Captain N?"

"Princess?"

"Kevin?"

She thought for a second and put in one final try as a password.

The door slowly began to open.

"Thank you for being the password, Samus."

Samus looked at her friend strangely.

"Don't look at me like that, Samus," laughed Lana.

Samus shook her head and prepared to enter the core of Metroid: Mother Brain's lair.

Part 19

Showdown

The Brainling turned to see the eight people that had been causing he and the other Brainlings so much trouble. He backed away slightly.

"Don't hurt me," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you unless you hurt me."

Kevin took out his Zapper and prepared to raise and fire it at the slighted need. He walked ahead of the others slightly. "Why shouldn't we?"

"Because I'm not your enemy. I do help my sibling, Lar-Gen, but I do not like him. He orders me. He pushes me. I will help you. I will tell you things if you wish me to. Maybe you even let me become a helper of yours."

Kevin eyed the Brainling suspiciously. "First. You're Dar-Lin, right?"

"Correct."

He nodded. "So what else can you tell us?"

"I will tell you about what Lar-Gen has had me do."

The eight foot tall Brainling went over to a machine. "This machine. It makes new creatures from parts of old ones. It is bad."

Dar-Lin went over to another machine. "This one creates portals. Mother left it here. Mother made it."

"A machine that creates portals?" asked Kevin, amazed. "Cool!"

"Yes. It is good. Now... Oh no. No. No!"

The N-Team and the others turned around to see what Dar-Lin was looking at. Behind them stood Lar-Gen. He looked with anger at Dar-Lin and leaped at the Brainling, stabbing it in the head with his front right leg.

"Die, traitor to Mother!" yelled Lar-Gen. "Even if I alone live to serve what she was and still is I will serve her!"

As Dar-Lin fell to the ground with a thump as Lar-Gen removed his leg and turned around to face the N-Team.

Kevin looked at the creature before him with anger. "You monster!" He fired his Zapper at Lar-Gen, who was hit in the neck but barely was phased by the small cut that was the Zapper wound.

Simon next jumped forward and swung his whip toward the creature before him, hitting its left eye.

It screamed and struck Simon back and against a wall with its left tentacle, causing him to call into unconsciousness.

"That was foolish!" it yelled, eyes wide and full of hatred. " You killed six of us!"

Lana stepped forward. "You would have killed millions had we not come here! I wish we didn't need to, but this was the only way we knew would work!"

Kevin stepped forward next. "You would never have stopped trying to carry out Mother Brain's work!"

Lar-Gen screeched. "You are correct! But you didn't even try to! You just attacked us! You never even gave us the chance to make peace! You never offered peace!"

MegaMan stepped forward. "Well, we offer now. Do you accept?"

Lar-Gen screeched again. "Never!"

"Then we have no choice." Lana sighed as she raised her Zapper and began to fire at the creature.

It howled as it was hit by Lana's Zapper shot and hit her with its tentacle, causing her to fly against the wall next to Simon, falling into unconsciousness herself.

Kevin looked at Lana fall to the ground and began shooting quickly at Lar-Gen as MegaMan and Protoman charged their weapons.

Roll and Samus fired their arm cannons.

Kid Icarus fired arrows.

Nothing seemed to hurt Lar-Gen enough to harm him.

MegaMan and Protoman released plasma bursts towards Lar-Gen, hitting his neck and increasing the size of the wound that Kevin had started slightly with his Zapper.

"Kid, fire your arrow at the neck!" yelled Kevin, who was firing at the legs presently himself.

Kid nodded and took aim, firing a cutter arrow at the neck wound. It hit, cutting Lar-Gen's neck severely before it stopped.

Lar-Gen screamed in pain as its blood slowly began to flow from its neck.

"Foolish!" It yelled as it leaped toward Kid Icarus, hitting him to the ground.

"Samus," asked Kevin, "do you have anything left?"

Samus shook her head. "Not really. I have a... I do!" With that she opened a compartment in her suit and removed a small, egg shaped object. She scraped the side of it on a sharp piece of metal that lay near her and threw it at the wound.

Lar-Gen screamed as the newborn Brainling began gnawing at its neck. "No! I am here to serve Mother! I cannot be destroyed! I mustn't..."

Lar-Gen's voice trailed off as its head fell to the ground from its body.

Samus sighed and went over to the small Brainling newborn that she had thrown at Lar-Gen. "I'm sorry, young child. But you're going to not be having a very enjoyable life, I think."

Samus looked up at Kevin. "I can't keep it, can I?"

Kevin shook his head.

"And it will have to be destroyed?"

Kevin nodded as those who had been knocked out starting regaining consciousness.

"Well then, I guess this means goodbye for now. Tell Lana I'll miss her."

Kevin wondered how she expected to escape, and then remembered her teleportation devices.

"Samus, stop!" he yelled as she ran around Lar-Gen, firing a her arm cannon right into it, causing it to explode and covering Kevin with its internal structures.

The Gamemaster, when he got back up, as the explosion had knocked him down, looked for Samus. She had disappeared, though, and Kevin knew that she would not be found again until she wished to be.

As an alarm sounded indicating that Metroid was due to explode.

"Everybody, run!" yelled Kevin.

The N-Team quickly ran as the consoles around them exploded and enemies attacked them. With the firing of Kevin's zapper, whipping of Simon's whip, and blasts from MegaMan's arm cannon, along with the a few arrows from Kid Icarus's quiver, the N-Team soon escaped Metroid and returned to the Palace of Power.

"All ten down!" cried Lana happily. "All of the Brains have been destroyed and Videoland is finally free of their wrath! We're finally free! We've finally won!"