His limbs went first, shrinking into his body yet thickening at the same time, the excess metal plates joining his growing middle mass until he had eight arms and legs. His nanosuit shifted with him, allowing his body to grow…and grow…and expand, until his head vanished into a mass of even more metal, protecting his body deep within.
He tore through the beast’s tentacles as he continued to shift into a form that was utterly, and completely indestructible. Small and large feelers fell around him like dead weight, torn apart from the pressure, to create a pile of carnage in the pool.
Moss extended his claws and shredded the rest of the tentacles away just as a roar filled his ears. The foundation of the grounds shook, the remaining ceramic of the pool beneath him shattered like ice, and he was finally, completely free.
The giant flower-like beast rose up from the depths before him, having dragged him through the thick foliage of the alien wildlife to face off with him. It’s blue-green and clear petals—perfectly blended in with the scenery around it—expanded and snapped like the jaws of a beast. Poison filled the space on every side of it, seeping into what was left of the azurian blues and filling the muddy brown water to paralyze him.
“You’ll need more than that to beat me,” Moss taunted through his giant metal mouth, pulling back his large lips to bare his pointy teeth. “I’m fucking invincible, motherfucker!”
The flower reared up, its petals sharpening to points before slamming straight down over his entire tardigrade-form to swallow him whole. The last thing he heard was the blast of a missile being fired.
Lucky for him, he was ravenous for plant viscera.
Oh my lord. Oh no. What the hell? Oh god.
Her breaths came out rapid and shallow as her fingers practically clawed at the reinforced windows. She’d had many panic attacks in the past, but she’d never hyperventilated before.
Her eyes widened as the monster rose up from deep within the lagoon to tower over Moss. Moss, who no longer looked like a man, but was some huge, bulbous metal creature possessing several short arms with long claws protruding from each one. Lucy didn’t know what he was but she knew it was him.
I have to help him.
She rushed to open the door but found it locked. “Open it!” she yelled at the house.
“Your safety comes first, mistress.”
“I don’t care. He’s about to be eaten! Open it,” she demanded louder. “That is a direct order.”
“Your parents would not want us to jeopardize your safety, mistress.” The house was patronizing her without knowing it was doing so. She felt her cheeks flush red.
“My parents are dead. I will spend the rest of my life finding out a way to override your ass if you don’t open this door! You know I will,” she threatened, watching the giant, roaring flower’s petals spear into points, all aimed at Moss. Lucy flinched, unable to watch him die despite the creature he’d become midway through the fight. She turned the knob again and the door gave way to her, opening wide.
“Damned house,” she seethed as she scrambled to her rocket launcher. With the help of several androids, she had the weapon locked and loaded within seconds. The flower rammed its head down over Moss as she aimed and fired.
“Please, please, please.” She wasn’t hoping for a death shot, just for a distraction.
The head reared back up, but Moss was gone.
“No!” Lucy dropped the large gun with a scream. “Moss!”
Moss didn’t re-emerge. The monster flailed about, splattering green ooze every which way. She clutched the railing and dropped to her knees, tears beading her eyelashes.
Lucy clenched her fingers over the marble and pushed herself back up to her feet, sucking in her sniffles. The flower rose with her as if watching her from afar. Her eyes narrowed with menace. “You just ate a galactic treasure, you filthy piece of pond scum. You’ll rue the day you took up residence in my pool!”
A sharpsnapfilled her ears. She spun about, searching for the source as it continued to grow louder with each passing second. When she looked back at the monster, it vibrated rapidly from side to side, its petals sharpening and drooping simultaneously.
Lucy braced against the railing, her stomach in her throat.
Time stood still as the snapping continued, and with each rising shredded sound that followed, the beast shook harder. A petal fell off, and then another, and another. The remaining tentacles pulled toward its body to wind around the stem of the creature, tearing at what could only be its neck.
“Please,” she whispered, leaning over the edge slightly, hopeful.
Suddenly, the neck tore in two and a cascade of innards exploded outward. Lucy’s hand shot to her mouth and she gagged as a terrible, sour smell blasted across the grounds and filled her nostrils. She managed to hold the contents of her stomach in.
“Lucy, I told you to stay inside.”
She flinched at the familiar voice and turned her gaze to find Moss, dripping wet, striding toward her through the mess of her ruined oasis. He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever laid her eyes upon.
“You’re alive! Oh my goodness, you’re alive.” She stumbled down the long, ornately sculpted and rounded stairway toward him.
