Short chapter tday.
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The soldiers were dug in, heavy weapons trained on the placid surface of the lake.
"They will breach in one hour," Ernst briefed Arnold.
"They will be disoriented, angry, and fast. Hold the line."
Arnold checked his laser cannon.
"Master, these things... are they stronger than Kong?"
"Different," Ernst analyzed.
"Kong is a brawler. These are ambush predators. They are relentless. If Kong is a lion, the Skullcrawler is a viper."
Arnold looked at the lake with a hungry expression.
"Imagine having that speed. That killer instinct."
Ernst looked at his lieutenant.
A thought sparked in his mind—a synthesis of the magic he had learned from Rasputin and the genetics he knew from his own research.
Animagus transformation,
Ernst mused. Wizards can rewrite their biology to become animals.
Wormtail lived as a rat for twelve years.
If I could combine a Trans-Species Potion with the Super Soldier Serum... could I splice Skullcrawler DNA into a human without turning them into a mindless beast?
It was a dangerous idea.
It was the kind of science that created monsters like the Lizard or Man-Bat.
But if perfected...
"Perhaps one day, Arnold," Ernst murmured.
"I need to visit a certain library in Scotland first. Hogwarts has the missing variables."
An hour passed. The jungle went silent.
Then, the water boiled.
ROAAAAR!
A bone-white head erupted from the lake, followed by a serpentine body that seemed to go on forever.
The Alpha Skullcrawler had awoken.
It scanned the shore, its tongue flicking. It smelled the intruders.
It smelled the thieves.
It lunged.
CLICK. BOOM.
The underwater mines Ernst had planted detonated.
Geysers of water and mud exploded around the beast.
The Alpha shrieked, thrashing as the concussive force hammered its sensitive gills.
"Fire!" Arnold roared.
Fifty rockets streaked from the shoreline.
They slammed into the Alpha's hide, engulfing it in fire and smoke.
But the monster didn't fall.
It charged through the flames, its eyes burning with hate.
Behind it, a dozen smaller Skullcrawlers swarmed out of the water, moving like fast-forward lizards.
"They are flanking us!" a soldier shouted.
The smaller monsters hit the defensive line. It was chaos.
Mercenaries were tossed into the air like ragdolls.
The Alpha ignored the soldiers.
It locked eyes on Ernst. It knew who the leader was.
It opened its maw, ready to swallow him whole.
"Now, Arnold!" Ernst commanded.
Arnold stepped forward, leveling the Kryptonian-tech laser cannon.
The barrel glowed red.
ZZEEEOW.
A beam of concentrated plasma slashed through the air.
The Alpha sensed the energy build-up.
It twisted mid-air, a feat of impossible agility for its size.
The beam missed its head but sheared through its right forelimb.
SCREEEE!
The limb fell into the mud, cauterized instantly.
The Alpha crashed to the ground, thrashing in agony.
It looked at the weapon. It looked at its severed arm.
And then, it looked at the dead Skullcrawlers littering the beach.
Intelligence flickered in its eyes.
It realized it couldn't win this fight.
With a hateful hiss, the Alpha turned and slithered back into the deep water, disappearing beneath the blood-stained surface.
The surviving pack followed their king.
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