Ed Mercer vs the Invaders: The Giant Awakening

Chapter Seven: The Chase in San Francisco

The tension in the military transport was thick as General Monger briefed the team. Ed sat awkwardly, his giant frame crammed into a specially designed compartment. His heart pounded in his chest as Monger's voice droned on about the alien probe's destructive rampage through San Francisco. The monsters, now his unlikely allies, were focused—Dr. Cockroach fidgeted excitedly, B.O.B. looked as oblivious as ever, and the Missing Link was stretching, getting ready for the fight ahead.

But Ed? Ed could barely breathe.

They were flying toward San Francisco, the city closest to the alien probe's path of destruction. The sight of the probe, which loomed large even from miles away, made Ed's stomach turn. He had never felt so out of his depth. Fighting an alien probe? How was he supposed to do that?

"Alright, team," General Monger announced as the transport flew over the bay. "This is it. The probe's just on the outskirts of the city, heading straight for the Golden Gate Bridge. We stop it here, or the whole city goes down."

As the transport touched down, the monsters piled out onto the street. Ed stumbled behind them, his towering frame making everything seem so fragile and small. The plan was simple: draw the probe to them and fight it before it could cause more destruction.

But as soon as they landed, the probe's cold, mechanical eye locked onto them.

It spotted Ed first.

The massive alien machine whirred, its ominous red lights narrowing in on him like a predator sizing up its prey. Ed's blood ran cold. The probe's deep mechanical hum grew louder, vibrating through the air as it advanced.

Before Ed could even think, his body reacted. Panic surged through him.

"I—I can't do this!" Ed gasped, hyperventilating. His heart pounded in his ears. Without thinking, he turned and bolted the other way—straight toward the city.

"Ed! Wait!" Link shouted, but it was too late.

Ed was running, faster than he'd ever moved, his gigantic strides sending shockwaves through the streets. The probe, as if sensing its prey, gave chase. Its enormous frame smashed through buildings and sent cars flying as it pursued him. Ed's lungs burned, but fear pushed him onward. He was too terrified to stop.

Desperately, he spotted something ahead—roller skates in a nearby store's window. Thinking only of escape, he grabbed them, ripping the storefront apart, and slipped them on. With a shaky push, he was skating down the steep streets of San Francisco, swerving wildly to avoid pedestrians and obstacles.

Behind him, the probe crashed through the city, relentless in its pursuit.

Ed's fear morphed into full-blown terror as he realized where he was headed—the Golden Gate Bridge. The iconic structure was filled with military evacuations, civilians screaming and running in all directions.

"Oh no, no, no!" Ed panicked, swerving out of control as he hurtled toward the bridge, trying desperately not to crush anything in his path. His heart raced as he dodged cars and people, barely keeping his balance on the skates.

He got to the bridge first, his massive body sending vibrations through the structure. He skidded to a halt, clutching the edge of the bridge to catch his breath, only to hear the terrifying hum of the probe closing in behind him.

In his desperation, Ed tried to grab onto the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge, hoping it would hold him steady. But the structure, already weakened by the army's defensive efforts and the probe's rampage, couldn't take the strain.

With a deafening crack, the section of the bridge Ed clung to broke loose, sending him tumbling forward. His feet slipped from under him as he lost his grip, and for a horrifying moment, he dangled over the edge.

Below him, the probe's chest cavity opened, revealing the horrifying sight of massive, jagged metal teeth. The machine's maw widened, prepared to consume him.

"No, no, no, no!" Ed shouted, panic flooding his veins. His hands scrambled for something, anything to hold onto as the ground beneath him gave way.

He kicked desperately, his heart thudding in his ears. His body plummeted toward the metallic jaws, the grinding sound of the probe's machinery sending shivers through him. Ed's terror surged. His mind raced, filled with the fear of being devoured by this nightmarish creation.

In a last-ditch effort, Ed grabbed a large section of the red steel girders of the bridge, twisting it around the probe's other arm as it reached for him. With all his might, he pulled the probe toward him, using the bridge's own structure like a chain.

The massive probe lurched, its balance thrown off by Ed's strength and the tension from the bridge. Sparks flew as its metallic legs ground against the pavement, its torso tipping dangerously forward.

The weight of the probe and the pressure on the red girders were too much for the bridge to handle. With a thunderous groan, the bridge began to collapse. The probe's head jerked back, the last few cables snapping as the giant machine toppled forward. Ed's heart raced as the massive alien robot fell, crashing toward the bay.

But in its final moment, the probe's head caught in the crisscross of steel cables, which pulled tight—ripping the massive machine's head in two as it fell into the bay below.

The force of the probe's fall took a large section of the bridge with it, the cables and support beams snapping like twigs. The Golden Gate Bridge, once a symbol of strength and resilience, began to crumble into the water, torn apart by the weight of the alien machine.

Ed, watching in horror, realized that the destruction wasn't over yet.

"Link!" he yelled, seeing the Missing Link lying unconscious near the edge of the collapsing bridge.

With everything falling apart around him, Ed sprinted toward Link. The ground beneath him trembled as the last of the cables snapped, the structure falling away beneath their feet.

In a desperate lunge, Ed grabbed Link and slung him over his shoulder. With the bridge collapsing all around him, he skated furiously, narrowly avoiding the falling wreckage.

The bridge cracked, groaning under the immense strain as it crumbled into the bay below. Debris flew in all directions, and the gap between Ed and solid ground grew wider by the second.

Ed's heart raced. The end of the bridge was so close, but the destruction was closing in faster than he could skate. With a final push of his legs, he leapt off the last section of the crumbling structure, the collapsing bridge roaring behind him.

He landed on the other side of the bay, tumbling to the ground but keeping Link safe in his arms. They had made it, just barely.

Breathless and shaking, Ed watched the last of the Golden Gate Bridge fall into the water, the destroyed probe sinking beneath the surface. The fight was over—but at what cost?

For a moment, all was silent.

Ed laid there on the ground, gasping for breath, Link groaning in his arms as he regained consciousness. Behind them, the city stood in shocked silence, the once-majestic bridge now a broken ruin.

They had won. But Galaxhar wasn't done with Earth yet. he still had one more trick up his sleeve, and that...was getting the one thing he needs the most....