Cucumba stands in his ship overlooking the dark, pale planet far below. In his hand a slick revolver lays with one bullet prepared. A fan swivels overhead, creating a slight swoosh accompanied by sadistic âArt Garfunkel â All I Knowâ music, suicidal music.
The corridor door opens, shedding light into the pale, brown room. Pride steps through, his rough iron tipped boots clack on the iron ground. âYou wanted to see me, Cucumba?â he asks, warily.
âYes..â croaks Cucumba. âI wanted...â he clears his throat, âI wanted to speak to you about Smith.â
âSmith?â Pride spit out, knocking his cigar astray.
âYes, Smith. He's back...â
âHow do you know?â Pride puffs the cigar and blows out an oval ring of smoke.
âBecause he is me. But something is different. He feels different, he's changed, he's ... I don't know how to put it.â Cucumba struggles with his words. âHe's evolved, for lack of a better word. I honestly don't know of anything in our limited vocabulary to describe him, he's changed. I fear that I can no longer keep him in his place.â Cucumba raises his pistol up some, continuing to glare out of the glass and down onto the world below.
âI fear... I fear that my time is done with Smith, I am no longer a match for his cunning and sophistication.â The record reaches a climactic point and Cucumba raises his pistol to his chest. Pride gasps, stepping back slightly. âWhich is why I want you to take care of him for me...â
Cucumba turns around and hands the pistol delicately to Pride. âThe bullet in this weapon is made of a special chemical agent that will completely remove Smith from this plane of existence. Its worth alone is over 10 fold that of this ship. Take care of it, do not waste it, and remove Smith forever... we are depending on you, Pride.â The dramatic record comes to an end and shuts off. Pride stares at Cucumba, trying to formulate words.
âI hope that you can accomplish this, Pride. I believe you can do it, we all do. Can you believe in yourself? That is the question, the question that has alluded us all in one point or another.â Cucumba turns back to the clear glass, overlooking the dead planet once again. âMake haste, he is waiting...â
Pride stands speechless, his mouth hung ajar. He walks out of the room, turning around and glancing back at Cucumba before the iron doors seal shut.
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Shhhhhhhzzzz Chhzzzz
The ship crashes onto the icy cold ground, devoid of all life ever since the end of the rumble. Pride's spike cleats wouldn't even pierce the cold, dead ground at first, instead causing him to sink slowly.
A scream is heard in the mountain's valley, sounding familiar to Pride, yet he still couldn't catch the voice. He continues to wander down towards the abandoned arena.
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The moon light shone down upon the octagonal arena, which was almost an insult to the former glory of the arena and all the fights that had taken place in it. Pride looks down at his mechanical arm, made entirely of nanites and other trace materials. âMemories, memories.â He muffles out through his teeth.
Pride....
A whisper is heard in the center of the ring, followed by the clicks of business boots, size 10 ½. Pride's eyes dart towards the ring; nanites flow into his muscles, causing a boost in strength and endurance.
Mr. Pride...
The whisper continues to originate from the center of the ring, but no one is seen standing. Pride hitches onto the arena, the chains and wire long torn down and destroyed. He notices a dip in the middle of the arena where a puddle of thick dark liquid has centered along with a tattered body, who's mouth is wide open as though the person died screaming in pain. Underneath the broken sunglasses, the eye sockets are empty and the skin is stretched almost to a breaking point.
Over here!
Pride turns around as the sound comes from right behind him, yet he feels only the dry wind on his skin. In the corner of his eye the dead body's hand moves. Again, Pride turns around, almost frightened by this set of events.
Pride...
The body's head lifts from the ground, its hands spasming in pain and from lack of blood. Pride hears the unnatural stretching sounds of the skin and turns around, only to meet the shriveled person head on.
BOO!
The body flings forward onto Pride, shattering and tearing into fragments. âGahh!!â Screams Pride as he jolts backwards and away from the body pieces. Laughter is heard all around the cliffs and from every one of the mountain's crevices.
âWhere are you Smith?!â shouts Pride, who's voice eerily didn't echo once.
From the left:
Do you really want to know, Mr. Pride?
Then from the right:
I can sense you, did you know that?
From behind Pride:
I can sense your fears, I can sense your hates, I can sense your wants, I can sense everything about you...
Then from in front of Pride:
I know everything about you, Mr. Pride.
Pride looks down and watches the dark liquid slowly raise and form into a basic body form, and then into the form of Smith, that of which is smiling a deadly smile. âMr. Pride...â Smith's voice is more evil in nature sounding than ever before, piercing straight through Pride's heart. âI see Cucumba led you straight to me.â Smith laughs through his teeth which continue to stay in a smile lock.
âWhat do you mea-â
âMean?â Smith interrupts, finishing Pride's statement. âHe... I told you that we were of the same code, correct? And... well look at me.â Smith smiles at his perfection. âI'm very cunning. He knew it was only a matter of time before I found out how to ... 'feel him' and then eventually...â The unholy smile reaches an all-time climax, â...to control him.â
âAnd then I suppose this anti-Smith miracle-bullet is fake as well.?â Pride asks.
âNo.â Retorts Smith, his smile fading ever-so slightly. âI feel like giving myself a challenge. I designed that 'miracle-bullet', as you so wonderfully put it, myself. But you do know that bullets are far too slow to catch me.â
Pride remains motionless for a few seconds, which lasts hours in both of the opponent's minds. The retched smile finally subsides and transforms into a picture of hatred.
âI've waited far too long for you, Mr. Pride.â The virii spits out, âYour time has come... your time has passed.â
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On a rusty chain, a run-down bell dangles and rings. It is the signal to one of the greatest battles ever fought on this mortal ground. It dangles by its old damaged handle, barely latched onto to the chain, ready to fall at any moment.
âGo,â whispers Smith, who's face is still curled up in hatred. Pride jumps and leaps forward, getting cleavage on the ground by his cleated boots, he runs forward, pulling his arm back, ready to strike.
POW!!
His fist collides through Smith's chest and out of his back. The virii, Smith, stands motionless, staring down at his wound. Pride, grinning at this winning attack, waiting for his opponent's blood to flow from this fatal blow, through which his arm is still penetrating.
Smith only sighs, his entire body dissolving into a blackish liquid and then morphing into a form where he holds Pride's arm in between his arm and chest. Pride's mouth is hanging open at this new ability that the green virii has acquired.
The virii makes no small talk and slams his elbow into Pride's chest, knocking all the air out of the poor man's lungs. Continuing on this attack, Smith swivels around and tosses Pride into one of the tallest concrete structures, creating a barrage of tumbling rocks.
Pride is quick to react, though, leaping forward and out of the way of the concrete debris. Yet, while trying to escape the barrage of rocks, he jumps right in front of the terrible virii.
THWWWUCK
Pride isn't able to comprehend the amount of pressure behind this punch, he stands completely still, his jaw feeling shattered. He steps back a couple feet, barely able to keep on his feet. The unfeeling virii stands before him, laughing at his opponent's mild attempt to defeat him.
âYou must try harder, Pride... you can't be Cucumba's best.â He continues to mock the young hero as Pride regains his balance from the last hit. As his nanites repair his broken jaw, Pride stands leaning forward, his arm outstretched for another round.
Smith walks forward slowly, smiling, getting ****y. In a swift moment, he collides his fist into Pride's first hand, which grapples to Smith's skin. Pride's one hand doesn't have enough strength left to counter the virii's massive momenta and begins to buckle. Quickly, Pride uses his other hand to help against Smith, yet it also begins to buckle after only a few seconds of use.
Pride's hands fail him and completely fall limp. Smith's fist collides into his chest, sending him reeling back and into the same debris pile he had only just escaped.
As Pride's vision blurs in and out, he hears the clack of Smith's black office-shoes. He could smell Smith and all of his evilness. The virii leans over Pride, sneering. âCan you feel it?â he queries with no emotion.
âFe- -cough- feel what?â cracks Pride, bleeding from the mouth.
âDeath, of course. I know it's near for you... but I wouldn't mind meeting it one day.â Smith jokes, laughing.
âYes, actually. Yes, I can. I can -cough- feel death.â Returns Pride.
Smith smiles, his hand and arm fading to the black liquid and back into a sharp, stabbing form. He looks at Pride once again...
SHHING
He jabs straight through Pride's heart and soul and through the earth. The young hero spasms up from the pain, his eyes shutting and his lungs emptying of air, yet no blood can be seen coming from Smith's attack. Instead, a grayish cloud hazes out and covers the nearby area with a deathly appearance.
Pride's eyes open right as the bell from before rings, but with a different tone. Smith looks at the bell, his arm and hand still stricken through Pride's chest. âCan you feel it?â asks Pride in a completely different voice. âCan you feel death?â
Smith tries to pull away, but Pride grabs him by the arm and cracks him away in the elbow. The virii shrieks as his arm snaps in two, the blade part still embedded within Pride's chest. Pride jolts straight up, barely moving. Smith cowers on the ground, holding his stump arm.
The revived, young hero rips the bladed hand from his chest and holds it in a striking manner. âCan you feel it?!â He shouts at Smith. Before Smith can even respond, Pride whips the bladed arm back and slices it straight through Smith's middle.
SHINNGG
All of Smith's being melts back into the black liquid and drips onto the ground, including the separated arm that Pride was carrying. It again slowly forms back into a standing Smith.
Pride's hands are completely relaxed, his face completely devoid of wrinkles, his body rejuvenated but different. Smith's face wrinkles with hatred as he tramples towards Pride. Smith barely sees the glare of the mysterious blade that Pride holds in front of him. The doom virii collides straight into the blade, sliding up to the hilt and then dissolving into his liquid form. He splashes over Pride and forms back behind him, throwing a punch into Pride's spine, causing Pride's body to jolt slightly and his bones to crack.
CRACK!!
As Pride turns around he drops his weapon and Smith's fist molds into a spiked club. Smith rams his club-fist into the face of Pride, who responds with a narrow jolt to Smith's side and a twist kick. Smith flies to the left into the gray smoke from his attack earlier.
What is this stuff...?
Smith gets up and examines the area for his opponent, whom is no where in sight.
âSmith.â Only one word, a final word before Pride jumps from his rail holding the tip of a pointed concrete column facing down. Smith can't react fast enough and Pride pierces the virii from the head and through the ground with the concrete column. No gashing sounds are made, only splashing as Smith once again turns into his liquid form and washes away from the site.
Pride acts quickly and throws massive amounts of dirt and rock into Smith's liquid self as he gathers himself for reformation.
That's very rude...
Comes the voice that Pride had heard at the very beginning. Smith finishes, but looks chalkier. âWhat have you done?!â shouts Smith, screaming as dust flies out of his mouth.
Pride only looks down at the pale man, thinking only of how to avenge all those who had fallen. Smith screams in anger and throws a clumsy punch at Pride's face. As his hand cracks into Pride's cheek, it shatters into rocky chunks and falls to the ground. Smith looks in shock at what had just happen, staring again at his lumpy arm.
The young hero laughs and swipes his arm at the remains of Smith's arm, which also crumbles and flies away. Pride again jabs at Smith's legs, both crumble and collapse. Pride laughs maniacally, jabbing and hitting and punching, crumbling Smith into pieces and smaller pieces.
Smith's torso and head remain, stained with dust and debris. He has a look of disbelief on his face, thinking of what he could do.
Thump Thump THUMP THUMP
Pride stumbles up to Smith carrying the remains of the column he used before. âGoodbye, Mr. Smith.â He drops the column onto the shocked remains of Smith, which only poof into dust as the colossal concrete slams the ground.
THOOOF
Pride turns around and starts to walk back to the ship just as a light rain drizzle starts. Thunder is heard in the background and the moon light starts to become blocked by the dark clouds...