Inception

Chapter 43: The Scream

Leno's massive suit didn't move, but the wave swept Soshiro off his feet. He just managed to catch onto Leno's metal leg, but his body screamed to reach for the feathered kaiju instead. If it got swept out to sea, weak as it was, it might be impossible to drag it back up. It would drown. Lena—

The sea slid back out. Soshiro grappled his way up Leno and to his feet. Gagging and squawking in one of Leno's metal gauntlets was the nape of the kaiju, it's big eyes squeezed shut against the stinging salt water.

"Ah. I should have expected this."

Soshiro knew that bland, inhuman voice.

He whirled about, swords at the ready, eyes wide upon his new target.

Kaiju No. 9 stood in the disturbed surf, backlit by a quarter moon and bulbous eyes dark. Water dripped off the cap of its mushroom shaped head. Its long arms dragged in the sea.

"But this is good," it said. "This will work."

It raised a hand towards Leno.

Soshiro leapt, exhaustion forgotten. His blades flashed. Kaiju No. 9's hand went flying.

But so did Soshiro, as in a blur No. 9's other arm came out and flung him down the beach.

Soshiro only used that momentum to flip backwards and onto his feet. He shot forward in a spray of sand. He crashed against it's side, blades first, just as No. 9's finger exploded a line just off Leno's shoulder.

Metal flew. Leno stumbled back, the strange feathered kaiju held tight to his chest.

"Oh? Can that suit also tell?" asked No. 9. "I can—"

A purple lit blade slashed up its head. It's entire face went flying, followed by the rest of its head in chunks.

But before Soshiro could deal the final blow deep into the flayed cavity of its chest, a burst of pain and light burst across his hip, pushing him back. Even without a head, it had managed to get a hand up against him and shot off that strange beam. Soshrio's only saving grace had been his reflexes that twisted just in time from having his guts impaled.

He flipped, his suit blaring warnings as it closed over the gash in his side. Dark blood dripped down onto the sand.

The small kaiju writhed in Leno's grasp, back legs clawing at the arms that held him. But it only scratched the metal.

The raw hole where No. 9's head had been bubbled. Soshiro leapt, but even as he did so its ugly head popped into being.

So fast!

He slashed. Bounced. Went through form one. Form two.

No. 9 ducked. Leapt. Dropped its lower jaw in a macabre grin.

"Get her out of here!" he screamed.

The little kaiju wriggled its short neck free. It opened its strange beak-maw.

And screamed.

Knives drove into his ears. His brain froze in agony. His body buckled.

His senses blacked out. 

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Eventually I'll do the pile of dishes taking up my tub space. Eventually...

One day my long-held dream of owning a dishwasher will become a reality and I'll be on top of the world. But, alas, today is not that day.