Match 155: Black Moth vs. Maguma

Match 155: Black Moth vs. Maguma is the 155th Match of the KWC and is written by Andrew Sudomerski.

## Story

She has been on the hunt for several months. Black Moth soars over the vast ocean, following her intellect and the familiar stench of a traitorous bastard. Implanted with the mind of the Black Shark’s former captain, Kroiga, the memories circulated to her conscious, although foggy. She recalls her awakening, but cannot remember what she did. A savagery inside her awoke, and it sought bloodshed. The only clear memory she had was the image of the “good doctor” and his smug grin. Chaos ensued, and he disappeared with his specially made serum. Even in her muddled state, if there was anything Kroiga knew, it was that Malik was a step ahead of the rest. And after all of these years, she will finally put a stop to it.

On the horizon, her observant eyes picked up the shape. To the outside world, it was merely another desolate island that few organisms would inhabit. She knew better. When one base of operation was decimated and invaded, there was another to take its place. Having known Malik for a time, she knew the basic blueprints to his facilities. But she also knows that for each new base, there were always improvements to protect them from external threats. The specifics, however, were still hazy. Knowing this, she pauses in midflight and descends to the ocean’s surface. With her paw, she splashes the salt water until she finds a disturbance in the air, as the liquid sizzles against the external barrier. Both the aching soul and the mammalian corpse groan, denied of the easy access to revenge against their traitorous creator. Vaguely, she recalled a memory with him of this new device. An electronic barrier that would give any external forces, EDF, G-Force, U.N. or otherwise, a hard time getting in. With the body of Black Moth, Kroiga knew that she could penetrate the electronic barrier. But it would be a painful dilemma. Flapping back, she prepares to charge directly into the barrier—

—and passes right through it. Her eyes widen in both shock and fear. Under her breath, she growls a curse. The electric barrier rematerializes behind her and comes to the realization that he has his eye on her. Between her and the madman’s layer, her moisten reanimated nose senses an unfamiliar presence. Beneath the water’s surface, her sight detects a wavy silhouette soaring right toward her. Like a shark, the beast’s sabertooth tusks and maw open wide and lunges out at her. Barely avoiding the surprise attack, Black Moth ascends as the walrus monster collapses into the water’s embrace. The crashing water burns and sizzles against the electronic perimeter as the winged lion dashes straight toward the island. Kroiga knew that she was in this monster’s home turf and would need to lure the beast inland to stand a fighting chance. She glances behind to see that the waves have quieted and the monster is nowhere in sight. Figuring another surprise attack from beneath, Black Moth ascends to an altitude equal that of the peak of the higher mountains. Yet in either a miscalculation or Malik’s manipulation at work, the aerial monster is electrocuted by the protective border and spirals out of control. She tries in vain to keep stability, but the sea monster leaps from the salty ocean and sinks his teeth on one of her hind legs. Both titans plunge to the oceanic world below and slam against the ocean floor. In thanks to the serum, she is like that of a Kaiju; nigh indestructible, even against various kinds of deadly force. But that does not make her immune to pain. Black Moth howls are silenced by a rush of water down her revived throat as Maguma gnaws on her foot. With only a limited of time available before potentially drowning, Black Moth unsheathes her hind claws in an attempt to free herself. Her free limb slashes against the tough, fatty hide of the brown walrus; her trapped limb, however, does the job better by cutting away inside of Maguma’s mouth. Bleeding from the wounds, the aquatic mammal lets her free as red blood paints the underwater sky. With a quick retreat to the surface, the soaked winged animal hacks and coughs out water to clear her esophagus and lungs. For a brief moment, she sees the water stained with red, making a swift approach. Rising from the ocean, Maguma bloodied mouth gives the impression of a savage beast, thirsty for violence.

It didn’t take a military tactician or a rocket scientist to figure out that the island’s guard-dog is under Malik’s influence. Flapping her soggy wings, Black Moth hisses and prowls; the walrus beast responds in kind, as the two have a standoff. Deep in Kroiga’s consciousness, something woke up; a primal rage that desired the role of a lethal hunter, one who sought bloodshed. She knew this instinct, but was unwilling to give in to the will of savagery. Though her only meaning in this new life is to exact revenge on the traitor, she couldn’t allow this inner monster to take control. But even human willpower can only achieve so much. For a brief moment, Kroiga—no, the beast—lunges forth and unsheathes her claws. The blubbery mammal responds in kind by charging straight at Black Moth. Their bodies collide against one another, tumbling along the shoreline clawing and gnashing of teeth on their flesh. When Maguma took control of their tussle, he bumps and slashes her with his tusks as the winged feline tries its best to hold them off. By way of luck and will, Kroiga’s inner human forcefully repossesses the patch-work body, jabbing the brown walrus and repels him, if only for a brief moment. Not wanting to risk sparring with the goliath, Kroiga retreats further inland, with Maguma in pursuit.

She investigates the terrain around her and laying low in the foggy swampland. Having lost Malik’s scent during her conflict, she cannot directly pinpoint the location of the smug snake. Nevertheless, she will find him. It is just a matter of time. Her body aches with the ravenous savagery, with the wounds to prove it. Only through her human will is she able to persevere. The paws collect dirty mush as she tracks through the territory. Her auditory senses pick up commotion. Not much to her surprise, groups of bat people, genetic hybrids who are slaves to Malik’s will, flock out of the decaying trees and lowland caves. Like parasites, they bury into Black Moth’s fur, feathers and cuts to feast on her flesh and blood, savoring each bite. Snatching one of the fiends with her paw, Black Moth inspects the bat man thoroughly. For every humanoid-rodent created, Malik was always there to guide, brainwash and discipline it in his ways. A final whiff from the panicking mammal and she was able to trace his scent once again, but very faint much to her dismay. Shaking the cretins from her body, Black Moth flaps her wings. They haven’t fully dried yet, so she’s in no condition for flight. Several meters behind, Maguma mows through the trees and swampland. She has no time to rest. First is Malik. Then she will be sure to do something to dispose of her pursuer.

Among the wall of television screens, surveillance cameras monitor activity throughout the island. Most only have his servants performing the mundane tasks he set them to do, but only two of the monitors contain content worth the time to watch. In one, the winged mammal flaps its wet wings, scaling the rugged mountains with bare claws. In the other, his loyal pawn continues the pursuit to extermination. Sitting at his desk, one that only great luxury can buy, he keenly observes what is transpiring.

Finely dressed in his former white Navy uniform, embedded with golden crests to represent his mark as a Captain in the days of old, Dr. Malik found a sense of great satisfaction with the arrival of his pawn/creation. It was inevitable that she would come find him. To slay him. Hidden under his stoic façade, a giddy feeling came with childlike excitement. He knew why, and he loved entertaining the thought of it. Because it has to be done.

Now the countdown begins, he thought. For the last few months, Malik has had some of his bat-men slaves and top engineers under near nonstop work. It would cost him several lives due to malnutrition, dehydration and overbearing exhaustion, but it would be well worth it. His project, unlike any weapon the world has known before, would be one that would make the world bow to his will. In his fantasy, he would take the entire world hostage and paint his face upon every nation: America, Russia, Japan, Rolisica, and Crenion, all under his bidding. The façade broke with slick slime, as he reared back in his recliner and began to cackle like a true madman. There was no audience in the room, but if God or the Devil were listening, they would hear it.

Malik’s greatest plan of all was in motion. And once again, Kroiga was his pawn. But in the aftermath of his laughter, a bitter taste filled his mouth and heart. He also knew what this feeling was...

Loose water and minimal blood drops were the only trail she left in her wake as she scaled the massive body of rock, gravel and dirt. The wounds inflicted upon here have mostly become scabs, with some exceptions, and she was still being pursued. Damn it all, it’s still at it, she would have thought. She would have gone on to planning and strategizing professionally, knowing its objective and purpose. If only she were fully human. Speech and organized thoughts slowly fade from her human consciousness, becoming part of a mixture with the primordial beast. Had this been several months ago, this wouldn’t be an issue. Her will would have controlled this vessel alone. Now there was something else with her. Are they spirits of the original animal hosts for this Frankenstein monster? Or is this a byproduct of the serum Malik had developed? Her thoughts became fuzzy. Trying to preserve, she inhaled the crisp mountain air with her nostrils and began to descend to the island’s heart. She tried to focus on her main goal. The past and the present dissolved ever-so slowly, but the image of Dr. Malik’s smug grin stood strong among the rest of her memories. Her fury, and the fury of the beast, began to swell her mind. Reality has ways of ensuring that it is present, and that came in the form of an echoing howl from the mountain’s peak. The moment she turned around to see her nemesis, he was already closing in.

Although unintentional, the mammoth tooth-walking sea-horse had begun to slide down toward Black Moth. A clumsy stumble during the descent is what brought the momentum. Rolling along the slopes, Maguma’s mass slammed against the lion-beast and they both tumbled down the rest of the mountain. Kaiju bones have great capacity of not being broken easily, much like their skin, almost regardless of how much force is applied. Even when in combat against other monsters, the skeleton can remain resilient against crushing blows. So when the two titan’s ride down came to a halt by leveled ground, it came as no surprise that they raised to their feet without broken bones. Instead, sensory nerves shot with pain and embedded stones in their flesh would have to suffice. On the land they stood, they were barricaded all over: massive mountainous slopes looked as if it would take an eternity to climb out of, a crater of acidic chemical compounds which gave off a haze and what would seem to be a one-story structure, like that of a science research institute. The moment Kroiga’s eyes locked onto the building, she flew into a beastly haste and ignored Maguma. Security cameras and a pair of armed guards with gas masks verify that he is here. As the men dash into the structure, Kroiga strikes with her claws. But it is all for naught, as the forelimb fries upon contact with the electric barrier, much like the one that vanguards the entire island. Only for a moment can she curse under her breath for her and the beast’s hastiness, but Maguma takes full advantage and rams his head into her and pins her against the electric barrier.

Searing and electrocuting her flesh, fur and feathers, Black Moth and Kroiga scream in unison as agony shoots throughout the nervous system. Her wings, limbs and spine begin to grow numb and weary as Maguma ruthlessly presses on. Within minutes, maybe even less than that, Black Moth’s smoldering corpse would be fried and Kroiga’s soul and consciousness would wither into nothingness. But Maguma’s mistake was that he kept pushing. The masses of the Kaiju forced the electro barrier to expand an opening, squeezing both heathens through. While the walrus-beast endured the electronic barrier as they passed through, both creatures slipped through and crashed into the first floor of Malik’s headquarters. The moment Kroiga’s humanity could not hold her own, the beast took over. Blackened with the ashes of its newfound scars and flesh wounds, Black Moth did not hesitate to lunge at the Kaiju mammal. They greeted each other with savage claws, teeth beating wings and tusks, occasionally bumping into the borders that seared their flesh and added insult to injury. Though the pride of the beast was strong, the vessel that carried two essences was soon to expire.

Its consciousness weakly woke up to blurry vision and a dominate spirit taking action. Its willpower could not take back the host of revenge, so it slipped back into a state of unconsciousness. Memories, sound, sight, auditory senses, all of them began to fade into the heart of the beast. Life flashed before its eyes once more, knowing the experience of death. Like a specter, it could merely observe.

The intellect and understanding as an officer—no, as a human being—has mostly faded. Any semblance of human dignity is gone, only left with humankind’s more primitive and instinctual nature. The drone that is now her spirit witnessed the life of a young woman who was assassinated too early. It saw the innocence of infancy torn asunder by violent screams of hatred, burning with the eyes of red dragons. Somehow, it felt the young girl’s pain when she was beaten by her parents and local bullies. In the world of the unconscious, time skipped ahead. Hazy memories indicate that the woman, now out of school, joined the one of the branches of Anti-Kaiju Forces. It did not grasp this part of her memories. But it did recognize a face; one that had the primitive mind bore a vast grudge against. But the woman did not feel that way. He was an older gentleman who served in the forces for over a decade, maybe even more. Out of the blue, a name came to the drone’s mind. Hastings? It sounded vaguely familiar. But it did not know. The woman befriended the man, yet the details remained muddled of their relationship. In the future, the man loved the woman and the woman loved the man. But it did not last long. Soon another man, who bore extreme similarities to her lover, came to her. He did not bear kinship with his brethren of war and violence. The politics, the mistakes of man, all of this urged him to follow on a dream he had as a child. Together, the two began gathering people for their crusade. They would bestow their wills upon various nations and will fight back. But it all came back to why it hated the man. First the bullet to the heart by an unknown force; then awaken as a hideous beast. The essence of the woman hated the man now, much like how it hated the man. He slipped under her paws, escaping death as she had the unfortunate bout of encountering their opponents, who were at one point her allies. He betrayed her, used her as a means to an end. She felt like a fool and insulted on her honor. Now she would have revenge…Or would she? For the last time she and it saw him, there was a twinkle in his eyes; like those of her former lover.

Churning at the bottomless chasm, a white light brilliantly illuminated the darkness. It was consumed by the white light; allowing it and her to become one. Her consciousness began to wake up, staring at the face of a charred and bloodied combatant. By her own willpower and assertion, she took over the vessel that was hers to begin with.

Sentience and humanity struck the gelatinous orbs, pouring crimson streaks from her face. The beast, Black Moth, had been in combat with Maguma for a long time, but growing weary faster than the behemoth. Several layers below them had been destroyed, but not enough to reach Malik’s personal domain. Given her conditions, she knew that there would be no way in hell she could finish off the monster. But she was where she needed to be. Striking down at the ground, claws unsheathe, she began to burrow through the mad doctor’s lair. In spite of the expenses it would cause, the influence of Malik told the great beast to stay put. The electronic shield that acted as the arena’s borders dissipates and Maguma waits...

Mercilessly, Kroiga claws deeper into the realm of Dr. Malik’s home base. He was waiting for her, and she knew it. Once she finds him, his death will be immediate. There will be no monologues to share, no unveiling of some superweapon, no plea for forgiveness, just an act of bloodshed that will end the lives of unredeemable criminals. Many layers of the base have been destroyed, but it feels as if the downward crawl into earth was truly endless. Soon Kroiga and Black Moth would realize that that was not the case. Crippling the last layer of its foundation, the mammalian Kaiju began to fall into a blacken pit of emptiness. The vast chasm of this underground chamber dwarfed any Kaiju known to man, so Kroiga found herself spreading her wings out and flapping to sustain balance. It would seem that there would be no ground to find, but she was wrong. A rough landing caused her to stumble upon impact, but she found her ground and began the hunt for the man who broke her heart.

The core of the entire headquarters was something unorthodox. It’s elaborate, with nigh smooth and rounded walls that have no corners. Reinforced with a composite mixture of steel, iron and the aptly named “Space-Titanium,” all from the black market, the underground lair held its own against the hellish pressures that exerted on the structure. It was like that of a womb; one that bore something worthy of awe and as equally terrifying. The room was draped in darkness, with very little sources of light, to conceal Malik’s grand master project. His plan mattered little to her. Kroiga would kill him, bringing a halt to whatever monstrosity he plans to release.

In front of many monitors, Malik surveys the situation. Black Moth, who harbors Kroiga’s thirst for vengeance, seeks his body to mutilate it. Her ferocity, which at one point excited him, now frightens him. A wave of uncertainty has led to anxiety and stress, now doubting whether he himself will be able to survive.

“Maybe I’m not as much of a magnificent bastard as I made myself out to be,” he muttered to himself out loud. He pulled at his collar of his uniform and took in a quick sample of crisp winds from the air conditioners. He needed to relax; because to perfect his ultimate goal, he needs Kroiga. To obtain Kroiga, he has to be in the front lines of her fury. It was either all or nothing for him. After meditating and debating with his inner self, he cast aside old doubts and began to exit the safety of his quarters.

As he steps out to the womb-room and onto the protruding deck, cloaked in darkness, Malik sees the savage creation he had wrought. She seems so graceful, yet hideous. She snaps her attention directly at him, with scent, and lunges right for him. His heart thrums faster in his chest and pulls out an APCO-25 walkie-talkie and orders “Now!” In an instant, a miniaturized electric sphere forms around Malik’s balcony, allowing the shield to perform its duty. Black Moth repels from the artificial wall, hissing at him with rage and frustration.

“Did you think I wouldn’t anticipate this, dear?” he began, “Of all people, I thought you would have thought twice before taking my life. Then again, the serum should have amplified the primal nature that is inside each one of us.” Malik grins with satisfaction and twirls his mustache, “Tell me, did it work?”

The beast did not speak, but the mind understood. Kroiga did not respond to the man’s question. Indeed, his serum did have that side-effect. But she will not be his pawn. He mockingly responds with “Not going to tell me? Fine.” then speaks into his APCO-25 with orders. “Turn on all the lights.”

The womb lit up with illuminating brightness. Everything became visible to the naked eye; all the facilities, generators, balconies, elevators and stairways that enabled transition between the different areas. But the most frightening of all lay at the core of the chamber: a preserved corpse layered with icicles, pinned with IVs and being injected with the serum. Its mythical presence was otherworldly and majestic; a devil of its time. Eight serpentine heads dangle loosely, as if dead, and its crimson scales coated with pure white frost. Every man, animal and Kaiju of the world would gawk at its presence; Black Moth and Kroiga were of no exception to this. Only then did vengeance and primal fury transmogrify into genuine fear and insignificance. Malik uttered words of mockery and praise, but Kroiga did not hear him over the screams of fear running rampant within her consciousness. For the first time since her human childhood, she began to retreat. The beast within could only comply with Kroiga’s terms, as the winged mammal took flight through the entrance that brought her down here. She had to get the EDF, G-Force, AMF, whatever force that would follow her into the oblivion of Malik’s lair. Or else, the entire world will go to Hell.

Maguma had been in a daze since his last orders. Stay put. Next time you see it, let it fly away. Malik’s plan was to have Black Moth be something of his messenger to the outside world. One that would lure his pursuers to his secret island, so that he may eliminate the forces in one fell swoop, then hold the rest of the world at gunpoint with the majesty of the eight-headed devil. Of course, this was not a plan that Maguma’s primitive mind would understand. Jet Helicopters, borrowed tech from the infamous Dr. Who, flew overhead and began to descend. Full knowing that it would be unable to climb out of the pit, Malik had requested several Jet Helicopters to pick up and relocate the blubbery chocolate-colored animal to the outer ocean.

Scientists in the field of studying Kaiju, kaijuologists, always found one key aspect of the Kaiju puzzling. Whether it would be a more complex or outright alien lifeform such as Hedorah or the simple-minded Ebirah or Kamacuras, all beasts had the capacity of strong wills. In of any instance modern human experiments tried to control and order them around, most of the results faltered. Even for the few that succeeded, it was only temporary. Like a Deus Ex Machina, Kaiju were able to break free of their oppressor’s strings and go about following its instincts, only with the exception of extraterrestrials and people from the future. So when the Jet Helicopters began to drop their claws to lift the colossal sea monster, Maguma snapped from his mind-controlled state and perceived the descending steel grips as a threat. Even with scars and injuries that have weakened him, Maguma still had strength. Gnashing the arms with his bare teeth, he brought down some of the Jet Helicopters by sheer force alone, leading them to their demise on a mountainous slope and in an acidic lake. The others retrieved their hands into the ‘copter’s bodies and radioed Malik of their current situation.

Words came darting through her mind. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! She didn’t realize, and a wave of shame followed. Kroiga was caught up in the moment to exact her vengeance, but only turned out that it was all a part of Malik’s scheme. Not to capture her, but break her. In nightmares past, the child who was tormented by words of hatred always saw a red dragon lurking in their eyes and mouths. That very same beast haunted her in her sleep. How Malik found her embodied fear, she will never know. Now she must retrieve the forces, to stop Malik for good. Pride of spilling his blood didn’t matter anymore. She was now going to save the world from him with a different intention in mind. But fate would have much different plans for both of them.

Black Moth burst forth from the underground chasm and the many layers that led her down there. In the second of her arrival, ready to take flight, Maguma tackled her with his mass. His misty white orbs shot at her with an aggression she had not seen before. Is he freed? Her thought would be confirmed as the walrus impales the feline’s wing with his tusks, moving with an animalistic grace. And this time, she wasn’t going to get away. Though as hard as she could try, her first sign of demise came when Maguma tore the patched wing out of its socket and removing the charred flesh that attached the wings to the body. With a squealing cry of hopeless agony, both the beast and the human mind could only scream. Tossing the feathered wing out of the way, the mammalian Kaiju bit down on the flying mammal’s neck. His dagger-like fangs pierces her hide, with the tusks delivering a painful blow. He kept crushing, even to the point where his tusks went through the other side of Black Moth’s neck. Soon, after a long and excruciating flails and panting, the winged-beast was no more. Instinctively, Maguma turned and placed the wrecked, burnt body within the acidic lake. With her cells decaying and slowing down, it was enough for the acid to eat away at the body, brain and internal organs. A holler of victory bellowed from Maguma, who has inadvertently saved many lives; or at least delayed the inevitable, albeit unintentionally. Sensing the tinges of evil in the air, Maguma peered at the hole his former opponent came out of. Something was sleeping there, with the capacity of great destruction. He followed his gut, and began a long fall into the pit.

Malik felt ruined and his façade broke once again. Alone in his room, looking at the wall of monitors, his heart was hurting. Truth was, he always felt a connection with Kroiga. But he had to do what was necessary for the best of his plans. This would have been easier had Kroiga been obedient to his will, even after he explained to her when she awoke as the monster. With her strong spirit retaining the body, she sought revenge. So he had to use her. But now, it was all for naught. He had considered another method of luring his pursuers to him, until a massive thump echoed throughout the chamber. It doesn’t matter now, he thought. Pulling his APCO-25, he gave the final order: “Release Orochi.”

There was no turning back now. This place would be a no-man’s-land, with the behemoth serpent awakening from his drugged-induced slumber. Before he exited the room to abandon the facility and leave on the Black Shark, the doctor took one last glance as a special picture inside his desk. He drew it out and held it next to him. The picture had that of a man and a woman, both who were considerably younger than they are now. He was a captain at the time, she was a sergeant. Memories flooded back into him, recalling all of their precious times together, even before he changed.

Doctor Malik Hastings kissed the image and sets it down on the flat surface of the mahogany desk, leaving the past behind him forever.