Chapter 50 Parricide...

              _ _ _Goldy Pov_ _ _

"What a shame..." I hummed to myself as I waited for the coming clash. "Looks like my fun will be all over soon..." 

Unfortunately however, someone I didn't particularly like was about to interrupt me. "Avoiding work again I see?"

"Why the hell are you here Shit Stain." I asked, glancing up in irritation.

Soon after a rusted, somewhat brownish, glow began to leak into my realm, without my fucking permission I might add. Of course I made sure to pause time within the trial I was observing so as to not miss anything interesting while I dealt with this abrupt intrusion.

"That nickname "never" gets old." The relaxed and somewhat sarcastic sounding male voice that I knew to belong to one of my fellow Administrators, also known as Bronze, spoke up with a slight yawn.

"Anyway, I just thought that I would come over and give you a heads up little brother." I really did not like being called that, especially by this dickhead of all people, however he didn't give me time to retort. "We've got some reports from the front, reports of movement within the Void."

Now that, that got my attention, in fact I could already feel a headache coming on. "Shit..."

"Yeah, seems dear old Death is preparing for another Eclipse." Bronze hummed while sounding just as relaxed as he always was. "Things are going to be getting rather hectic very soon, so we need you to stop slacking off and start doing your job properly for once."

I was about to just turn around and ignore him, after all I was sure that they could all probably fix this mess without me, sadly that apparently wasn't the case. "It's not a request little brother..." He mused, already knowing that I would more than likely decline to help. "It's an order from Blank "get your shit together or she'll be the next person you see" her words not mine ."

"Elder sister sent you?!"

"Yep, in fact we both know that if she's involved things are going to get rather...hectic to say the least." That was most definitely true, doesn't mean I had to be happy about it though.

"Fine...just let me finish messing with this kid and I'll get to it." 

Bronze didn't respond, he just left without a word not that I really gave much of a damn at all. Still though, I couldn't help but sigh outwardly knowing full well that my peaceful days of messing with stupid yet amusing mortals wouldn't last for much longer. In the end when that slumbering embodiment of nothingness began to stir awake after uncountable millennia of hibernation everyone, and I mean everyone, was forced to pay attention. After all, most aren't stupid enough to underestimate the literal concept of annihilation, extinction and the very manifestation of the end of all things.

"Well fuck...that just put a sour taste in my mouth." I sighed, rather annoyed to be honest.

Shaking my head I turned back to look over at the projection showing the currently frozen battlefield between the two parasitic alien factions. "Couldn't he have at least waited until I was finished with my fun before he decided to barge in like he fucking owned the place..."

"Oh well, let's make this a bit more interesting shall we." I hummed to myself as I tampered with the instincts and aggression of the black Xenomorph Queen just a little bit. "After all, we can't have you cheesing the final climactic battle now can we."

(Let's see if you will struggle and fail at the very end or if you'll move forward and thrive.)

             _ _ _Carmen Pov_ _ _

(Why the hell is she coming towards me all of a sudden?) I asked as I watched my "mother" begin moving in my direction, her head was completely locked on to me as she stormed towards my location.

I really hadn't expected this, the black Queen had almost immediately begun to head in my direction, I guess it kind of made sense she'd target the largest being she could find but I half expected her to just turn and run for it. As for the other Xenomorphs, well, the black ones had started attacking again the moment that their Queen had appeared on the surface. This of course meant that the war was back on, a fact that soon led to violet and black Xenomorphs ripping each other to pieces once more.

[Who cares?] Goldy huffed with an impatient tone in his voice. [Just attack her already!] Why? Why exactly did I have the feeling that this was all somehow his doing?

Not really having time to answer that little internal question, I quickly got things ready. (Alright whatever, let's just put an end to this once and for all.)

[Round one!] Goldy hummed happily as a familiar music from a certain game started playing in my head. [Fight!]

Of course, much to Goldy's annoyance, I didn't just charge forward at her mindlessly, after all I wasn't an idiot. Instead I ordered several of my children to intercept her before she could reach me, I just wasn't expecting them to be dealt with so easily. Sure they wounded her slightly but she killed them with surprising ease to say the least, a fact that took me a little by surprise I'm not gonna lie.

[I don't think that's gonna work.] Goldy chuckled smugly.

(It would have if she wasn't so well protected.) I growled at the fact that her offspring were doing a shockingly good job at keeping mine away from her.

Shaking my head in irritation I began to move forward with a plan in mind, a plan I had thought up after checking something through the hive mind. Unlike the bitch charging towards me in a berserk frenzy however, I moved with much more intention and awareness as I tried to avoid combat for now. I quickly made my way over to the far right side of the battlefield, my "mother" following me the whole way there, sadly for her that was exactly what I wanted her to do.

By the time I arrived at the spot I intended to make my stand she was already on top of me, in fact I barely had enough time to turn before her head slammed into my side with enough blunt force to break a rib or two. Thankfully I was able to remain standing despite this fact, however she wasn't done with just that, not even close, in fact she bit into my arm before I could attack her with it while also slashing at my chest with her claws leaving deep bloody gashes in my biomechanical flesh with every swipe.

She even tried impaling me with her tail at one point when I slashed at her with my free arm, fortunately I was able to dodge out of the way while leaving a shallow cut down her left side. She was of course still biting onto my arm at the time, so when I jerked back hoping to separate the two of us, well, she got a chunk of my arm stuck temporarily in her mouth and I was left with a very painful wound just above my elbow.

Moving quickly I charged forward at her but she once again swung her tail at me. I quickly reacted and ducked under the bladed appendage before it could rip through my form. Taking the chance however, I lunged my head upwards and clamped my teeth into it, a fact that quickly caused her to screech while trying to pull it free. 

Sadly I was unable to cut the fucking thing off, this was mostly because she slammed into me once again a second later, probably realizing what I was planning to do. This time however things went slightly differently compared to the first time she impacted me. I was already a little off balance at that moment, additionally I was also somewhat focused on slicing off said tail as well, two facts that soon came back to bite me in the ass. So, unfortunately, when she smashed into my chest I couldn't remain standing and we were both sent tumbling to the ground while entangled with each other.

Now this was the point I realized something, fighting up close and personal like this was not a strong suit of the Xenomorph Ravager, in fact it was a glaring weakness that I hadn't noticed until just now. After all, it was hard to fight an opponent who was literally laying on top of you when two of your limbs ended in long scythe-like blades. 

Thankfully I still had some ways to retaliate against my opponent in that moment, even if said "ways" were relatively self destructive. And so while she was tearing into me with tooth and claw I did something most would probably consider rather stupid to say the least. I impaled her through the back of her abdomen with my tail. The problem with this plan was rather quickly apparent, because we were so close to each other in that moment my tail also ended up piercing into me as well, not as badly as it did her mind you but still.

To my luck however, this little mishap actually happened to be a good thing in this very particular situation. Right then, as Goldy was laughing at my apparent stupidity, I felt something through the hive mind. 

(About time they fucking got here!) I hissed in both irritation yet also relief.

My Detonators had just arrived, they were rather slow to say the least, and so it took them a bit to actually get here. Thankfully however, my positioning at the start of this little fight of ours had worked rather well all things considered. If you hadn't guessed already, I had purposely moved here mostly because I knew this was the direction they would arrive from. 

In fact, they were currently within firing range, close enough to begin bombarding my location with that explosive hive resin of theirs. And "unfortunately" for mother dearest, well, she was not only on top of me with her back completely exposed and covered in several shallow wounds but she was "regrettably" unable to move because of the bladed tail currently lodged in her gut.

(Mother fucker!) I hissed as I felt the shockwave as well as the burning heat spread across my form, thankfully my dance partner was serving her purpose as a rather excellent meat shield.

[Ooooooo, that has got to hurt.] Goldy muttered as my already wounded arm was torn off in the explosion

(Get...the hell...off of ME!) I roared just as the shelling stopped. 

It honestly wasn't hard to shove her off, after all she was rather shaken and stunned by what had just happened, of course I also took this moment to rip my tail free as well. Once I was back to my feet however, well, I almost immediately noticed the damage caused by my little plan. 

I had been burnt and heavily wounded by the whole experience, I mean I was missing one of my arms after all, thankfully the adrenaline pumping through this body that I was possessing numbed the pain somewhat. As for my mother...to put it simply, well, she had definitely seen better days. Her body was covered in burns and scorch marks, her exoskeleton was cracked all over and acidic blood was leaking out from all of those said cracks without any signs of stopping. Her head crest also had a large chunk missing out of it and her dorsal spines were completely shattered and broken, several of which had just been ripped off completely.

(God damn it...this fucking hurts...) I growled while shaking off the disorientation I felt.

Turning back to my foe however, I tried my best to ignore the agony that pulsed throughout this body in waves. (But it doesn't matter...let's just...let's just end this already.)

My mother's wounded body, her weakened frame, made what came next relatively easy for me. Her offspring did try to step in before I could finish things here and now, however my children were quick to block them from doing just that. 

As I moved towards her, my feet digging into the blood filled dirt and rock below me, I reached out with my mental strings and quickly yet crudely connected to her mind. Just as I was about to reach her I slammed my consciousness into the shield around the bitch's mind with enough force to heavily damage it, after all I wasn't trying to be gentle this time around. This little fact ended up causing the bitch in question to roar out in pure agony while clawing at her own head with a crazed desperation.

Not even a moment later did I smash into her before she had the opportunity to regain her bearings, before she had the opportunity to strike back against me. She hit the ground with a crunch, one of her smaller arms on her torso, one that was now rather twisted and mangled, was snapped and crushed under her own weight, a fact that caused her to screech out in pain. Before she could get up, or even retaliate for that matter, I pinned her down with my foot while also piercing her shoulder with my one remaining arm. 

She, of course, tried to fight back, taking chunks out of my legs with her claws, however I didn't give a damn in the slightest. Maybe it was because of all my bottled up frustrations, maybe it was because I knew I was so close, so damn close to the end of this fucking mess of a Trial..or maybe, just maybe, the reason for my near complete loss of control in that moment was far simpler. Maybe I just wanted to finally give in to the primal instincts that I had been holding back all this time. But in the end...the results were the same no matter the reason.

(Just!) I hissed as I stomp down on her chest once, then twice, then a third time...then again...and again...and again...

(Fucking!) As I continued she screeched in my face, roaring in rage and pain, however it was soon cut short...

After all... (Die!) I had just broken her outer layer of protection and caved in her rib cage.

Her acidic blood melted the ground and stained my lower half, pieces of her exoskeleton were shattered and broken around her form. My foot was currently in her chest, bathing in a mixture of crushed bone, acidic blood, as well as several organs that had been turned into a sloppy semi-solid paste.

And with that, as I breathed and looked down at the mangled and ravaged form of my enemy, well, everything...everything just continued on as if nothing had changed. For a moment afterwards I just stood there in a bizarre daze, I half expected for the bitch to just get back up and attack me again but...but nothing happened.

(Is...is it finally over?) I asked somewhat confused as I glanced around. (Is that it?)

There was still fighting going on all around me, although the black brood had begun to retreat the moment their Queen had died, they were scattering in every direction as my children chased them down. Despite this however, I was still left somewhat perplexed to say the least. In the end I had expected something, to feel something after seemingly passing this bloody Trial but...but there was nothing. 

In all honesty my mother had been the focal point of my frustrations all this time, the one who I had directed malice towards. I couldn't exactly take my anger out on a literal god like being such as Goldy after all, however now that she was dead I...well, I didn't really know what to feel.

I mean seriously, I knew this wasn't the end of this whole mess, I'd figured that out a long time ago, so there was no reason to feel happy there, I'd probably never be able to go back to my original world after all. I just...just hadn't expected it to end so abruptly like this. In the end this entire situation, this battle, this war, it hadn't ended with a bang or a cry of victory, it hadn't ended in a world shaking event or anything remotely close to that, it had ended with a one sided slaughter. It had ended with an abandoned daughter beating her so-called mother to death...

[Marvelous, absolutely marvelous.] The familiar voice of Goldy suddenly echoed in my head. [However, it is time for you to sleep, my little performer.]

(What...what...the hell...are...you...) I tried to say, however all of a sudden a feeling of complete exhaustion washed over me as the world blurred and I was forced back into my true body.

The last thing I saw was several golden coloured screens flash across my vision. {The Trial has been successfully completed.}

{Congratulations on your splendid and amusing performance.}

{Beginning transfer...}