Chapter 16: Shmooka

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The creature that emerged from the pod had a worm-like body covered with brown slime and patches of red hair. It had bushy whiskers and snapping jaws. It climbed out of the pod onto the floor on four muscular legs and two snapping claws.

 It climbed out of the pod onto the floor on four muscular legs and two snapping claws

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Dark Seegnal spun to face me. "You gave me Shmooka hair," he hollered.

I replied by giving him my nastiest grin.

"That's what I was eating?" Brian cried, then vomited on the floor.

As the Shmooka hissed and squirted slime the soldiers gazed at it as though unsure what to do.

"Don't just stand there, you fools," Grizgee yelled. "Get rid of it!"

The soldiers turned their guns onto the Shmooka, but it let out a horrible screech and swung its powerful worm tail, knocking the soldiers off their feet.

"Idiots," Grizgee screamed.

The Shmooka swung its head toward Grizgee, then wiped a claw at his rocket chair, causing it to spin as Grizgee screamed in terror.

Then the Shmooka began batting Grizgee from one claw to the other. It was like a giant kitten playing with a toy.

"S-Someone d-do something," Grizgee cried.

While this was all going on Dark Seegnal was watching it all in disbelief.

While he was distracted I thought that maybe it was time Zeronia made her appearance, so I began reaching into my dress where my wand was hidden.

Dark Seegnal then noticed me and aimed the gun he took from me.

"Don't even think about it, girly," he warned.

"But you said that gun didn't have any charge in it," I protested.

It was now Dark Seegnal's turn to give me a nasty grin. "Haven't you learn by now not to believe anything I say?"

At that moment the Shmooka flipped Grizgee's rocket chair upside-down, causing Grizgee to tumble out, landing on top of Dark Seegnal with a sickening splat.

We all drew our wands and held them aloft as we yelled in unison, "Zeron crystal, activate!"

Colorful hazes washed over us and we were transformed into the Zeron Warriors.

"Stop the Zeron Warriors," Grizgee hollered as he kicked his stubby legs and began punching the floor, looking like a giant baby throwing a temper tantrum

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"Stop the Zeron Warriors," Grizgee hollered as he kicked his stubby legs and began punching the floor, looking like a giant baby throwing a temper tantrum.

The Shmooka hissed angrily.

"Sir, you must keep your voice down," one of the soldiers told him. "The Shmooka is sensitive to loud noises!"

"You keep your voice down," Grizgee shot back

Dark Seegnal was trying to squirm out from under Grizgee's mountain of flab.

I could see the Quantum Device on the other side of the Shmooka. All I had to do was get to it.

Turning to the others, I said, "I'm going for the Quantum Device. I need you to cover me."

"How are we suppose to cover you?" Brian wanted to know

"I don't care how," I told him.

"Don't worry, we'll cover you," Judy assured me.

I turned to Tak. "I need you to come with me. You may have to use your teleporter to teleport the Quantum Device into space. That way the Cosmic Order can't use it to move the earth."

Tak nodded.

The soldiers got their footings and began shooting their lasers at the Shmooka. The only thing that did was made the Shmooka mad. It lifted Grizgee by one leg. Grizgee let out a cry of terror as he was hoisted upside-down in the air, his fat stomach falling over his head.

The Shmooka then swung Grizgee around like a club, then threw him at the soldiers. Grizgee howled as he sailed over the soldiers' heads and crashed into a wall, then rolled down the wall where he laid motionless on the floor.

As the others went around to the other side of the Shmooka in an attempt to lure it away from the Quantum Device. Tak and I made our move toward the Quantum Device, but the Shmooka's tail was in the way.

The others were yelling and screaming at the Shmooka.

The Shmooka hissed at them but did not budge.

The soldiers looked from them to the Shmooka. They were probably torn between stopping them or letting them deal with the task of ridding themselves of the Shmooka.

Judy morphed her wand into her ruby saber and began slashing at the Shmooka.

The Shmooka hissed furiously and moving toward her as it snapped its jaws.

When it was far enough away from the Quantum Device I grabbed Tak's hand and we raced for it.

As we were nearing the Quantum Device Tak's hand was suddenly pulled from my hand as I heard her let out a scream.

I turned to see Tak laying on the floor with the wind knocked out of her and Dark Seegnal standing there glaring at me.

"Don't do this, Zeronia," he said. "This is my one chance to start a new life. Don't blow it for me!"

I glared back at him. "You made all your own decisions," I told him. "Live with them!"

I spun back around and raced after the Quantum Device. As I got near it I was tackled from behind. I fell forward onto the Quantum Device. I must have hit something because the box began glowing. Dark Seegnal had his arms around my waist, trying to pull me back.

"Let me go," I hollered at him.

"I'm not going to let you ruin this for me," Dark Seegnal snarled.

As the Quantum Device continued to glow swirling green portals began appearing and disappearing all around.

Everyone ran around trying to avoid them. Even the Shmooka got scared and ran into a corner where it curled itself into a ball whimpering.

Using my Zeron Warrior strength I pulled Dark Seegnal arms from around my waist and tossed him through the air just as a wormhole was opening up. He fell into it and disappeared.

Judy, Debra, and Brian came rushing over to me.

"What's happening?" Judy wanted to know.

"I accidentally activated the Quantum Device," I explained.

At that moment Tak was climbing to her feet. She gazed at the chaos that was unfolding all around us. "Oh, Goddess, this place is turning into a lunatic asylum!"

Then Grizgee finally came to. "Destroy the Zeron Warriors before they do any more damage," he yelled. But the soldiers were too busy trying to avoid the wormholes that were popping up everywhere.

"I think we should make a hasty retreat," Brian suggested.

"Good idea," I replied. "But not without this." I lifted up the Quantum Device and we raced for the huge metal door. I just hoped my sword could cut through it.

"Stop them," I heard Grizgee screamed.

We raced for the door just as a huge wormhole appeared in front of us and we ran into it and the next thing I knew we were plummeting through a vortex of swirling green and blue.


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