Chapter Text
In a flash of light, the Black Comet had warped into space. Another flash of light and it had burst into pieces. Debris had been flung in all directions. Some had fallen to Earth while others had settled into low orbit.
G.U.N. soldiers surrounded a crater, driving armored trucks down to the large meteor in the center. Chunks had broken on impact and slid off, revealing the green, blue, and purple sheen of a dark pod like those seen on the Black Comet. The clear, glass-like window was visible and revealed the dark form of an alien—in a mix between a squat and the fetal position—suspended in blue liquid with gas bubbles rising from the bottom.
"Easy now," the captain warned. "Open the pod, then get out of the way. Everyone—weapons at the ready."
The soldiers held their weapons as two went down with tools to open the pod. The glass was already cracked and slowly leaking. It took little effort to shatter, spilling the liquid out and down the side. The gas wafted upwards.
The alien was on the smaller side compared to the others and had a slender form with jet black skin and those signature yellow bug-like eyes. It had two horns on its head that curled upwards and ended in dark purple. It had two orange headtails on either side that fell past it's rump and ended in a flame-like pattern. It's hands were the same fiery orange and it's feet ended in dark purple. It also had a spade-tip tail with dark purple down the back. A torn brown poncho with a turtleneck that covered its mouth adorned it and obscured most of its body. Around its neck was a gold chain with a pendant—a purple gem set in gold and surrounded by a swirl of silver.
"Good work!" the captain shouted. "Now regroup and be ready in case that thing's still alive and kicking!"
The alien's body slowly began to twitch then jerked with a start as its vision registered the soldiers before it. Instinctively, it leaped from the pod, then stumbled on its uncoordinated legs and fell on its face. It quickly scurried to its feet and frantically looked side-to-side.
"Easy now," the captain warned. "We don't know what that thing can do."
The alien held a hand to its head as if it was remembering something. It turned and attempted to run.
"Now!"
A cannon went off and a net wrapped around the alien, entangling it. As it struggled, the net sent out a current of electricity. The alien let out a noise halfway between a roar and scream. It writhed and convulsed in pain.
"Settle down now," the captain advised. "If you stop struggling, it'll stop hurting."
The alien forced it's body to be still and the shocks stopped. It let out ragged breaths and twitched.
"Ah, he actually listened; must be a smart one then. Alright, move in and secure the alien," the captain ordered.
Two soldiers approached the netted alien with caution as a truck with a cage backed up to it. With rubber gloves, the soldiers grabbed either side of the net and lifted the alien into the cage. Tears began to fall from the alien's eyes.
"Well, that's new," the captain remarked. "Didn't even know these things had tear ducts."
The soldiers shut the cage door and slid their hands through the bars to work the net off of the alien. Once the net was off, there was a flash of light and the alien was gone. The soldiers looked around bewildered.
"What?" the captain shouted and grumbled. "The stupid alien was a teleporter like those rhino-like ones! Alright, fan out! There's no telling where it's gone!"
The alien reappeared several feet away and sent out a purple crescent-shaped energy wave at one of the trucks.
"The war is over!" the captain shouted, aiming his gun. "Surrender!"
The alien sent another energy attack at another truck, destroying a tire.
"Open fire!" the captain ordered.
The soldiers fired on the alien, who warped away, this time not reappearing. They fanned out in all directions, scanning for the alien to reappear. It never did.
"He's gone..." the captain sighed. "Alright, regroup! See what's salvageable so we can go after that alien!"
Some distance away, the alien materialized in a flash of light. He panted and leaned against a rocky outcrop. He shook and desperately wiped his crying eyes.
"Gone..." he whispered. "They are all gone!"
In his mind, he heard the screams of his brothers. He had heard them through the hive-mind while he was still in his pod like a dream. Like a nightmare.
"Black Doom... is gone." He looked down at his shaking hands. "I am free."
The alien noticed blood flowing down his arm. He pulled back his poncho and found a bullet embedded in just above the elbow. Mucus secreted from the damaged skin to prevent further blood loss.
"And alone."
