Ed Mercer vs the Invaders: The Giant Awakening

chapter twelve: The Name's Ginormica

The ship was in chaos, torn apart by the self-destruct countdown. Klaxons blared, the floor trembled, and the walls were cracking under the strain. Ed Mercer, still panting from his chase, had Gallaxhar by the throat. But no matter how much Ed threatened or demanded, Gallaxhar would not relent. The self-destruct sequence could not be canceled.

"You're finished, Mercer," Gallaxhar sneered, his voice filled with contempt. "There's no escape for you or your pathetic friends."

Ed released him, heart racing and his mind swirling with the weight of the situation. His friends—Gordon, Darulio, Dr. Cockroach, Link, B.O.B.—were all counting on him. But there was nothing he could do... or was there?

Ed's eyes drifted upward to the glowing orb of Quantonium, suspended above the command center. The source of his transformation, the thing Gallaxhar had coveted for so long, pulsed with an eerie green light, bathing the room in a sickly glow.

In that moment, Ed knew what he had to do.

He took a deep breath and, without a second thought, he grabbed a nearby laser rifle from one of the fallen clones. Gallaxhar's triumphant smirk faltered as Ed leveled the weapon at the glowing Quantonium orb high above them.

"No!" Gallaxhar shrieked, scrambling back. "You fool, you'll destroy us all!"

Ed's eyes hardened. He wasn't Ed Mercer anymore. He had transcended the scared man who had once stood at the altar, uncertain of his place in the world. Now, he was something more—something stronger.

His voice, steady and powerful, echoed through the crumbling command center. "The name's Ginormica."

With a final squeeze of the trigger, the laser beam shot from the rifle and struck the Quantonium orb. The alien substance crackled with energy before erupting into a blinding explosion of green light, shattering into pieces and raining down around them.

Ed braced himself, feeling the Quantonium's energy surging through him once more, but this time, it was different. He could feel the power flooding his body, more intense than ever before.

In the hangar bay, Dr. Cockroach, Link, B.O.B., Gordon, and Darulio had resigned themselves to their fate. The ship was collapsing around them, and with the blast door sealed, there was no way out. They exchanged final glances, silent farewells passing between them as the ceiling above cracked and began to give way.

"Guess this is it, fellas," Link muttered, his voice filled with sorrow.

Darulio placed a comforting hand on Gordon's shoulder, his eyes misting with tears. "At least we're going out together."

Just as a massive piece of machinery hurtled toward them, blocking out the red emergency lights and casting them in shadow, there was a sudden rush of air. A flash of green and silver.

"Get down!" a familiar voice boomed.

In the blink of an eye, the monstrous piece of debris was caught mid-air by an impossibly large figure. The group gasped in shock as they looked up to see Ed—no, Ginormica—towering over them, his colossal arms straining to hold the wreckage above their heads.

"Ginormica!" Dr. Cockroach gasped in awe.

B.O.B. wobbled in excitement, his gelatinous form jiggling. "He's back! And bigger than ever!"

With a mighty heave, Ginormica tossed the debris aside, clearing the path. The group stared up at him, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief. He had grown even larger, easily over a hundred feet tall, his body now radiating with raw Quantonium energy.

"You didn't think I'd leave you guys behind, did you?" Ginormica said with a grin, though his voice still held a trace of urgency.

"We need to get out of here!" Dr. Cockroach said, his scientific mind already calculating their dwindling chances. "The ship's self-destruct is almost at its end!"

Ginormica nodded, his eyes scanning the hangar for any remaining escape route. But the ship was crumbling fast, and it seemed like the end was inevitable.

Just then, a low rumble shook the floor beneath them. The ship lurched, causing more debris to fall. Without wasting another second, Ginormica lowered his massive hand, offering it to his friends.

"Get on!" he urged.

One by one, they climbed onto his palm—Dr. Cockroach, Link, B.O.B., Gordon, and Darulio. As soon as they were secured, Ginormica made a mad dash for the nearest open corridor, his enormous strides carrying them swiftly through the collapsing ship.

Behind them, the walls were caving in, and explosions were going off in every direction. But Ginormica was relentless, dodging the falling debris and hurdling over wreckage with incredible speed and agility.

Finally, they reached the edge of the hangar bay, where the massive bay doors had been blown open by one of the earlier explosions. Beyond the wreckage was the vastness of space.

There was only one way out.

"Hold on tight!" Ginormica called out, his voice booming with resolve.

With a mighty leap, he launched himself through the opening, propelling them all into the cold void of space. As the ship behind them erupted into a fiery ball of destruction, Ginormica soared through the air, carrying his friends to safety.

As they floated in space, saved by Ginormica's strength and determination, the team couldn't help but stare at their hero in awe. He had gone from the terrified man who had once run from a rampaging robot to a true leader and protector.

"Ginormica," Link murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're incredible."

Ed—now Ginormica—gave them a soft smile, the weight of everything that had happened settling in. "I couldn't have done it without you guys."

But as the smoldering wreckage of Gallaxhar's ship drifted behind them, Ginormica's eyes narrowed. He knew it wasn't over. Not yet.

Gallaxhar was still out there. And there would be more battles to fight.

But for now, they had survived. Together.