by Jai Yadav
“How about egg sandwiches?”
“Nice!” Niko exclaimed. The two of them set to work, checking the tracking device every few minutes. Vinny surprisingly didn’t move from where she was.
About ten minutes passed and they had made half a dozen sandwiches, Emmanuel burst open the door with a bag of food in his hand.
“Sandwiches!?” He shouted. “Of all the things you could have made- Sandwiches!?”
“What’s wrong with sandwiches?” Hans asked.
“Nothing… except the fact I bought like ten of them!”
“Oh, gods— we’ve got like thirty sandwiches and three people.”
“And doughnuts and coffee too,” Emmanuel sighed.
“Why did you bring so much stuff?” Niko asked as he facepalmed.
“You said proper breakfast!”
“Proper breakfast doesn’t mean so much stuff that you can’t even fit in your gut!”
“You underestimate my power,” Emmanuel Skywalker said as Hans unpacked everything.
“Okay— Maybe you estimate my power correctly.” Emmanuel gaped at all the food Hans had put on plates. “That’s a lotta stuff.”
“Duh, Sherlock” Hans cursed.
“We can do it! We’ll just keep the rest in the fridge.”
“Fine. Do it quick though, you were the one getting worried about Vinny,”
“Damn— I forgot about her. Got me too distracted, is she ok? Has she moved?”
“It's fine, eat for now. Worry later. Food is important,”
Emmanuel grumbled something under his breath and started inhaling the food in the kitchen. Hans took his plate away and moved it to the table, “Eat here,” he ordered.
Emmanuel grumbled and inhaled again, only a few minutes had passed and he had eaten about five sandwiches, a couple of doughnuts, and of course a glass of coffee.
“What kind of monster are you?” Niko gaped at him. He was only on his second sandwich.
“Gravian, if that counts.” Emmanuel laughed.
Hans and Niko ate as much as they could. “Save some for Vinny,” Emmanuel said while looking at the tracking disk.
They quickly finished up as much as they could and went out the door, determined to get their friend home.
Red-Handed
It had been about half an hour since they had been walking,the sun overhead, the device showing no routes, so bonking into trees was a problem while looking at it. Niko estimated that Vinny was about a kilometre or two away. A few minutes later, they stood by the edge of what seemed like a scanty forest.
A few tangled trees stood in front of them, moss curled into them, and monkeys stared at the trio. Hans looked back and saw they had strayed far away from civilization. Behind him stood green plains for miles as far as he could see.
“You sure you guys wanna go in?” Hans asked, his voice trembled.
Niko said, looking at his device, “We’re close.”
“It’s gonna be fine, I can fend off animals. Let’s go.” Emmanuel walked ahead. “We’re getting Vin back.”
Hans walked behind Niko as he led them. Monkeys screeched at them, snakes came out of holes and hissed as Emmanuel glared at them.
“We’re really close,” Niko’s voice echoed.
The trees were slowly parting, giving way to their destination. Hearts beating fast they all slowly walked ahead, trees formed a circle around the clearing. A blue lake clearer than anything Hans had ever seen stood in between. Silence gripped the world, the ‘pod’ stood there, assembled.
“Where is she?” Niko barely whispered.
“We can only wait,” Hans said.
“The pod, wanna see it?” Emmanuel asked.
“Let’s wait.”
Something swooped down from the sky and landed by the device, its back turned towards the trio. Only after a few seconds did Emmanuel realize it was Vinny, her pale skull stood out in the sunset.
“Vinny!” He called out.
She turned around, her dreadlocks standing up as she glared at them, “What are you doing here?” she spat as she walked towards them.
“We were worried for you.”
“Why did you run away?” Hans said.
“Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, Tennubechian,” she said, turning her back, tinkering with the machine again.
“Tell us what happened,” Niko grabbed her, swinging her around, “Why did you leave in the middle of the night.”
“Touch me again and I’ll cut your arm off, no matter how fast you are.”
“What’s wrong with you?!” Emmanuel shouted.
Silence overtook for a second, the lake rippled in the cruel winter as Vinny whispered, “Go before you do something you regret.”
“Why are you being like this?”
“And why did you tell us you were making a pod when you were making a beacon?” Niko asked as he took a step back.
“Don’t meddle in stuff you don’t know about,” She growled as she turned to the machine again.
“Who are you signalling?” He took another step back.
She swooped towards him as her wings opened up, red shining within the black. Her pale skull-like face shone red against the lights, she bared her teeth and growled, “Remember this: No matter how much you try to run. I’m faster.”
“That’s wrong statistical-” Niko said as Vinny cut off his sentence by grabbing his neck, “I don’t care.” She growled.
“Vinny,” Emmanuel gulped, “What’s wrong? Did those people find you or something?”
“Are you serious?” She burst out laughing, “You believed that?” She kept laughing until she bent over and teared up. “You’re so gullible!” She stood up straight, still giggling.
“Wh—What? What’s so funny?”
“She obviously lied about everything. Stop believing her,” Hans said.
“Exactly!” She laughed, “You don’t know anything. ”
“What are you doing? Why did you do all that?” Niko muttered.
She glared at Niko and backed away as she started flapping her wings, hovering over the middle of the lake. “Did you think I was from Krizman?”
“Why lie to us?” Emmanuel said, his voice cracking up.
“Because I wanted to? And I was required to?” Vinny pointed at the beacon. “This will signal all the Caprians in the galaxy that Earth is ready for harvest.”
“Caprians?” Hans vaguely recognized the name.
“Yes, the people who killed your people? You have a really bad memory dude. We kind of enslave all planets?”
“Your- Your people did it?”
“Well, I was a child then. But yeah,” She was grinning, as if seeing a puppy.
“Let’s go,” Niko said. “Run,”
“Not now,” Emmanuel retorted. “We can change her mind.”
“She’s messed up beyond repair!”
“No one is.”
“Why are the Caprians not here yet?” Hans shouted at her.
“You blubbering buffoon, the machine isn’t set up yet. It needs hydro energy to charge, that’s why it is sitting on the edge of the lake,” Vinny said.
“Listen to me. You will get nothing from this,” Emmanuel started. “Come with us. Start over, come home.”
“We’ll forgive you… Hans will,” Niko said.
Hans wouldn't, Hans thought, he could never forgive her. If he wasn’t terrified as much as he was he would probably be boiling with rage.
Emotions were complex.
“I don’t need anyone’s forgiveness,” she cackled. “I love doing this!”
“I— I won’t let you do this!” Hans shouted as his voice broke again.
“What is slimy little Hans gonna do? Throw goo at me?”
“Vinny,” Emmanuel tried again. “Please. It’s not too late,”
“Does it seem I care?”
“Let’s go away, save our skins,” Niko said again, this time a bit louder.
“Sure.” Vinny smiled. “Go. Yo
u cannot escape the planet, you all will be beneath us soon enough.”
“I won’t le—let you do that,” Hans couldn’t stop stuttering.
“But what will you do?” She mimicked him, “Kill me b-by your as-astonishing p-powers of stuttering?”
Hans rushed forward and Vinny flicked her hands. A gun appeared in her hands. No wait… the gun was her hand, her hand had split open and the silver weapon protruded from it as Hans stopped in his tracks.
“Do you know what this is, my dear friends?” She looked at her hand. “The galaxy’s most powerful portable laser destructor. One-shot, and you’re incinerated.”
“Don’t do anything you might regret, Vin,” Emmanuel tried to calm her down.
“Gravian,” she kept her hand pointed on Hans, “you do not want to test me.”
“Vinny, you won’t succeed, you can’t with us around.” Niko looked up at her.
“Do you know why you’re alive by now?”
She waited for an answer, and then continued, “Manpower, that’s your sole purpose. I could’ve slit your throats instead of running away, but three aliens, especially three species like yours will work more than a thousand humans. As for ‘you won’t succeed’, I’ve done this five times now. That’s five more times than you, that’s the reason you’re looking up to me, not the other way round. That is why, I’ve got the damn gun in my hand, and you don’t. Do anything stupid, and you won’t even get the right to work for me.”
“I won’t let you,” Hans muttered.
“What was that you slog ball?”
Niko flung his wings open and flew up, “Stop. Now. I won’t say it again.”
She pointed her gun at Niko and flew higher, “I don’t want to lose one slave, get down. You need to be removed off your wings, Niko.”
“Guys, let— let’s talk this out. We don’t need to do this,” Emmanuel’s voice was barely audible.
“No.” Niko flew towards her at blinding speeds.
***
Vinny laughed out loud as she pointed her gun at Niko, shooting repeatedly. Niko weaved in and out as he tried to get to her, a beam of energy almost went through his neck as he dived down. Hans decided to take the opportunity to break the beacon.
“Breaking it won’t do anything! I can always repair it! Even if you shatter it in pieces.” Vinny cackled.
She moved as Niko flew up to her again, trying to tackle her down. He flew out and missed, trying to get his grip on her, he hovered in front of her. “Stop this! It's not too late!”
She just laughed and swung her gun around, firing energy beams everywhere in the sky to try and hit Niko. “Do something!” Hans yelled at Emmanuel. He acted as if Hans hadn’t shouted anything or as if a battle among two aerial aliens that threatened the safety of a whole planet wasn’t happening. Hans started to do something he had only thought about, he ditched his disguise and closed his eyes, felt his gut stretch, and his body rise up.
He opened his eyes and saw the battle from above, he was as thin as a string and observed everything over the two of them. Niko rushed towards Vinny again, clawing her hand with his feet this time. She shrieked, her gun bent at an angle. She clicked the trigger but it wouldn’t fire. “IT WAS WORTH MORE THAN YOU! IMBECILE!” she roared, all her sick humour replaced by pure rage. All it took was a kick.
Hans realised not only was he thin as string, but he was also practically invisible right now. His camouflage was working wonders along with his adrenaline. He snaked ahead, trying to get to Vinny. “Gravian! Help me!” Niko screamed down and Emmanuel finally moved.
He stirred and turned into an eagle and Vinny rushed to Niko, punching a hole in his wing as he soared down to the ground. Hans collapsed down into a ball and rushed towards Niko, trying to catch him. Meanwhile, Emmanuel transformed into an eagle and was scratching Vinny, barely hurting her even though he was stronger. Hans spread around and cushioned Niko’s fall.
“He won’t fight her properly,” Niko rasped. He could barely breathe as he got up, cursing as his wing flapped around.
“You won’t be able to fly, will you?” Hans said.
“Not for long,” Niko muttered. “We need to get her down quick,”
“I can’t get up there, and Emmanuel is defending himself more than fighting her. Get her down somehow, she’s got an advantage there. We can’t survive if she continues to fight in the air.”
Niko nodded and opened his wings again, wincing in pain as he swooped up. He flew slowly and falling and crashing around, flapping his wings madly to try to get higher up and join the fight. Emmanuel was the only thing keeping him alive, taking away Vinny’s attention and being a wall for him. She could barely hurt him, he shapeshifted fluidly, being a mosquito one second, a bear the next (yes, a bear in the air). As soon as he started to drop down he would turn into a bird and fly up again.
Emmanuel was in the form of a giant horsefly when Niko finally crept up behind Vinny. He tried to steady himself and flew at her with impossible speeds, his claws in front as he tore through her wing, ripping one apart as she tumbled down screaming. Emmanuel flew down, morphing into an eagle and kicking Vinny away from the land, towards the lake. Hans cursed silently as Emmanuel landed by him. Niko tumbled down and ran towards them, too. Both of them were out of breath. “Did you have to push her in the lake?” Niko asked.
“I believe she can turn around,” Emmanuel persisted
A low growl, which could scare the world’s worst monster emanated from the lake, loud clicking noises, as if a spider was laughing came out as Vinny walked out. Her body shook, body half-fried from the water. She growled again. Her hair stood up, and the small inch-long mandibles clicked around. Her blue metal body was dented and wiring sprouted around from everywhere. She limped forward towards the three. “Do you even know who I am?” She threatened, “Kill me and the Caprians will find you and rip your flesh apart. Stop interfering.”
“Come home,” Emmanuel said. “Please.”
“You guys think you can defeat me? I haven’t even tried yet,”
She shook her head, removing the water, and ran at the three of them like a bull running towards its target. Hans ran towards her, trying to knock her out. She’s injured now, how strong can she be? he thought. Stronger than a bear on steroids, it turned out. As soon as Hans came towards her, she swatted him away and a grenade of pain blew up inside his gut. He flew away in the woods, falling against a tree. It felt as if someone was poking him with a hundred needles. Everything went dark.
Meanwhile, Vinny rushed as if nothing had happened. Niko rushed out of the way after seeing Hans swatted away like a bug. Emmanuel transformed into an African Elephant (the man had seen elephants, but not fishes), Vinny crashed into him and punched him with such force he thrashed around and almost fell, he turned into a vulture and flew away as Vinny almost ripped his wing apart before he managed to escape.
Niko swooped where Emmanuel had hidden behind the trees, he was seething now too. “We’ve got to put an end to this,” he snarled.
“We will, we are slowly,” Emmanuel said.
“Yeah, you aren’t doing anything,” Niko muttered. “Don’t you get it, dude? She’s not who you think she is. Stop being a saint, you can stop her easily, that’s why she’s hell-bent on finding you.”
“I’ll kill all of you!” a distant voice screamed.
“Well- at least she hasn’t found Hans yet,” Niko whispered, his heart threatening to burst out.
“Did he even survive? Vinny knocked him out pretty har—”
“Tennubechians are pretty strong, that was like the equivalent of being slapped for them… We need to put an end to this,” Niko spoke out, his fists curling up.
“Niko…” Em gulped. “What are you doing?”
“Putting an end to this, for once and for all.” He started walking out towards the clearing.
“Wait— No!” Emmanuel started limping after him.
Niko was far too ahead, as he stepped into the clearing. Vinn
y looked towards him and her face contorted into something demonic. Niko curled his fists and Emmanuel stepped out too. “Stop!” he begged, “Please!”
He was ignored as Vinny slowly walked towards Niko, her remaining wing flapping and whirring wildly. Sweat clammed Emmanuel’s hands as he tried to hold Niko back, standing a bit ahead of him.
Vinny held her palm out, taunting Niko, “Scared?”
“You wish,” he retorted.
He raced ahead and in the split second his foot took up, he felt a sickening crunch in his gut. He looked down and saw a hand on his chest, his chest was funny bent inside. He followed the arm and saw it was Emmanuel, a horrified look on his face.
“What happened?” Niko rasped as he fell, darkness shrouding his eyes one last time.
***
For a few moments, everyone was silent, then came the worst part: the laughing.
Vinny laughed loudly, she fell hard on the ground, holding her stomach as she laughed. Emmanuel looked down, his hand still hung mid-air where he tried to stop Niko. He couldn’t feel anything, not even sadness or tears. Just numbing dread.
***
Emmanuel was kneeling on Niko’s body, gooseflesh covered him. He sat in his original form. Vinny stood above him, baring her mandibles and her wing wide.
He looked up and the last thing he ever saw was a pointed, sharp metallic wing coming towards his face.
***
Hans came to, he grunted and tried to take in everything. He was numb but felt as if he had woken up from a long nap. Grumpy yet energetic, he waited for some time. Something was off, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He decided to trudge ahead, try to find Vinny, and help the others fight her.
He compressed himself this time, trying to make sure Vinny won’t see him. His camouflage started working its magic and he slithered ahead, getting to the clearing.
He realized what was wrong. Silence. There was no sound coming from where everyone was fighting, not even a whisper in the dark. Had they already knocked Vinny out? Or something worse?
