Flame

[Samus Aran]

The world seemed to tip on its side and suddenly, Samus was back at the Fountain of Infinity. She fell to her knees at the sudden jolt. The surprise, the shock and the pain compounded her failure. And that anger made itself known through the azure aura that grew more violent around her frame. She felt the phazon rip out through her skin and the suit, wracking the flawless ground with spiderwebs. In that moment she could have reached out and crushed Karl Jak’s throat. Not for justice. But just to see his hateful eyes pop and get a small measure of the pain he’d inflicted on her.

But she calmed herself. Felt the aura fade down and then die out with the flame of her anger. She was done now.

Silence. It had been a long time. The fountain still stood, not-quite never changing. It was black now, the blue waters reminding her of a foe would long since defeated. She knew the obvious connection. Somewhere in her mind, she was thinking about Dark Samus, and the fountain reflected that. Perhaps Omni was up there now watching her and wondering how best he could tug at her memories. It wasn’t going to work. She was not some immature twenty-year-old any more. The hunter had seen far worse than whatever the god could throw at her. She raised her palms to the sky in open invitation.

If you can read my mind, you know I’m not bothered.

She smiled despite herself and scanned the horizon for the gates. What now?

[Samus Aran]

Getting sent back to the Nexus was a problem. Adam was still in the Deep, and now there was no way to get back to him without passing through Costa Del Sol. And last time had been … less than easy.

The thought did arise that perhaps not trying to banish Karl Jak would have been the smarter option. She sent it away with a scowl.

[Samus Aran]

The hero gig is never easy. You can pretend to be a hero — like Dredd or Bradley — and that’s probably a hell of a lot easier. But very few people have the backbone to stand up for what’s really right. Even when it means being vilified, martyred to your cause.

But maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong places.

“Adam, are you reading me?”

“… Yes, Samus.”

“I’m at the Nexus. Had some time to think.”