Monster Mash: Round 1 Fight 5 - Dinocroc vs. Mansquito

...Um, so with that out of the way, back to the show!

Tonight on The Monster Mash 199X, we've got the ultimate tussle of transgenic terrors lined up for you, taking place in the war-ravaged savannahs of once-proud Africa! Not only do our competitors have to worry about defeating each other in this battle of beasts, they'll have to keep an eye out for rowdy wildlife and the soaring temperatures that could bake a potato in the foil! The stakes are high in this one, as victory means advancing to Round 2 of the Monster Mash, whilst defeat means a sorry demotion to the Loser's League for a slim chance at the title! Will the United States of Africa triumph with Jeuri, the law-enforcing Dinocroc, or will Communist Spain take the win with Zancudo, the hideous hybrid Mansquito? Set up your tents, take our your binoculars and get ready to hide from marauding sabre-tooth-lions, because tonight's the night for...

Connor Hardy here, going live to the Serengeti Plains...

-------

The harsh, overgrown scrubland of the war-torn Serengeti is awoken from it's drowsy afternoon siesta by a cacophony of furious bellowing.

Jeuri had arrived to the intended battlefield first, accompanied by a convoy of military soldiers, and was let loose from his private truck to wreak the vengeance of the African People's Congress upon the invaders. The instant he was released into the fenced off area of the former national park, the prehistoric monstrosity stormed straight for the deepest parts of the untamed wilderness, seeking his prey like a bloodhound on the prowl. However, it's not the insectoid challenger that the resurrected reptile has stumbled upon here, but one of the locals - an adult bull Supergator, 40 feet long and in no mood to share his patch with an intruder of any size or age. The two beasts circle each other in the dusty clearing, hissing and snapping, unwilling to give any ground.

Then the Supergator makes a costly error. Pushing himself up onto his back legs, he tries to rise up and bite at Dinocroc's throat, which is higher off the ground than he could reach otherwise. The supersized saurian's patience pays off as his enemy's underbelly is exposed, and the bigger animal ducks underneath the snapping jaws and delivers a savage bite to the soft skin, ripping horrific gouges and spilling blood onto the dust and grass below. With a howl of pain the gigantic gator yanks away, skin tearing in the process, and drops back to his feet before turning and bolting for the nearby river. He knows this is one fight he's not going to win, not when his opponent is capable of exploiting weaknesses like that.

The cruel crocodilian roars in triumph, pursuing his fleeing adversary across the plain until he sees him dive into the waters in a flurry of spray. At the bank of the river, he pauses, snarling threateningly but making no move to pursue - he has other prey to worry about, and there's no point in wasting energy on chasing a beaten enemy when his masters have given him more important orders. Still, Jeuri is nothing if not prone to gloating about his victories, and he continues to growl and stomp in the muddy bank until the cowed Supergator has hauled himself out on the opposite side and vanished into the trees. Only then does he allow himself to calm down, breathing heavily through his nostrils and blinking his yellow eyes.

Then he picks it up again - the scent of his enemy.

Those who thinks insects have no smell haven't tried being a crocodile yet. Those things can smell blood from hundreds of kilometres away, on land as well as underwater, and their senses are keen enough for them to distinguish between wildebeest, zebras and all the hundreds of other creatures that cling to life in the savannah. So it's not too surprising that Dinocroc manages to catch a tang of that familiar odour his masters had ordered him to track - a mixture of stale blood and flesh, punctuated with the same horrid chemical smell that the Triassic terror has grown up with in the walls of his pen. It's a fair distance away from the river, so the enemy is nowhere close to his location, and that means Jeuri is going to have to hunt his target down before flushing it out from wherever it's hiding.

Fortunately, Dinocroc was born to hunt.

A low rumble in it's throat, the massive saurian turns and stalks away from the river, following his nose.

-------


He could barely remember how he got here.

His mind was a whirring chaos of disjointed pictures and fragmented sensations. One moment he was strapped in some kind of chair with a metal thing hooked to his head, the next he was tied down with straps while white-coated shades put something into him that burned horribly, and then after that he was shut up in something cramped and cold and the world was shaking like there was an earthquake...

And now he was here. Hiding in a scratchy tree that did nothing to shade him from the scorching sun up above.

He twitched his wings and shifted slightly, trying to think. He knew that he had been placed here by something else - he had no recollection of coming to such an unpleasant place under his own power - but he couldn’t think of who would want to do that, or why. He knew there were probably reasons, but he simply couldn't figure out what those reasons were - there was just so many bit and pieces of memories and voices rattling around in his head that he couldn't pin any one of them down and get a solid idea forming. Too much had happened since... since... actually, scratch that, he couldn't remember what that was, either.

And, on top of that, there's something else. Something out of place, something-

Zancudo is startled out of his contemplative state by the crashing of wood, and only his own superhuman reflexes save him from an early chomping.  The teeth of Dinocroc close on nothing more than the flimsy acacia branches that his prey was on a second ago, and the mutant menace buzzes high into the air as he watches his tree hideout collapse under the transgenic tyrant's bulk with a noise like thunder. Mansquito has literally no idea what his oppressor is or how it managed to find him up in the tree, but he knows at once that it's spoiling for a fight - no peaceful creature would attempt an ambush from behind like that.

Well, if it's a fight it wants...

With a snarl of frustration, Jeuri staggers back to his feet, spitting acacia needles. His nose had indeed told it where the prey was going to be hiding - not even the musky stench of dead wood could mask such a foul odor - but it didn't give the cruel crocodilian any forewarning of inexplicable reflexes and speed. He had come so close to capturing his intended prey, and now he had completely botched it in a manner that would have put America's Funniest Home Videos look like a drama series by comparison. As the Dinocroc shakes himself down, his keen ears kick up the angry buzzing of his insectoid enemy, and mad yellow eyes swivel around to focus on the shape hovering just above his head.

Jeuri opens his cavernous mouth and bellows his challenge.

Zancudo brandishes his sabre claws and chitters a response.

The battle is on.

Immediately the murderous mosquito dives down towards his reptilian aggressor, moving with a speed Usain Bolt would sell his own body to buy from our top scientists. Snarling, the transgenic tyrant moves to intercept, massive jaws swinging like a pair of toothy rakes towards the incoming bug-thing with every intention of divesting him of his limbs. But the teeth clamp shut on nothing once again - Mansquito rolls out of the way just in time, and as he does so he flicks out one of his wicked forearm talons and slashes at the reptile's side, ripping the flesh open as it passes by. Africa's Enforcer roars in anger as a line of red is scoured from the shoulder all the way down to the hip, and responds by twisting on the spot, tail whistling through the air.

Again the hybrid horror's evasive reflexes kick in, and changing direction in a manner that would snap the bones of any normal human he evades the tail swipe before it even hits. This time looping over Dinocroc's back, Zancudo pirouettes underneath his enemy's belly and lashes out again, carving another deep gouge that immediately starts to seep red, followed by a swipe at the shins that rips skin away and sends blood flying. Another bellow of pain comes from the bewildered reptile as he tries to figure out what's going on, and now satisfied that his opponent is already confused and bewildered by his seemingly random attack patterns, the hybrid horror buzzes out from underneath the thrashing theropod and darts towards the fleshy neck, his sharpened proboscis extending in anticipation of the feast to come.

SLAM

Once again, Zancudo has underestimated his adversaries' keen senses - the savage saurian's hearing has clued him in to where the belligerent bug is coming from, and he has swung his massive head like a hammer in response. With a sick thud that announces the possibility of a crumpled exoskeleton, ruptured organs or both, the top of Jeuri's skull impacts with the mutant menace head on, throwing the startled bug through the air and into the side of another acacia tree in an explosion of bark. Dazed and winded, Mansquito slumps to the dusty ground at the foot of the tree, and through blurry eyes he makes out the dusty brownish-green shape of his foe as it turns to confront him. Now fully aware of where is prey is, and now with a clear shot at it, the cruel crocodilian lunges forward once more, jaws agape.

And once again he barrels face-first into the tree.

The acacia, long since dead and unable to support the ants it relied on in life, topples like a high-class courtesan fainting at some particularly strong language, hitting the ground in a burst of dry branches and spines. Confused and angry beyond belief, Dinocroc hauls himself onto his feet, dust and shards of bark pouring from his hide, and looks around for his target - who has once again escaped his jaws. This entire hunt is going from bad to worse for him - he's used to fighting big lumbering creatures prone to exposing weak spots in their hubris, not small buzzy things that don't stay still long enough to make tasty snacks. Frustration is beginning to seep into the Triassic terror's normally razor-sharp mind, and he bellows and stomps the ground as he scans the area for his foe.

Then he hears the buzzing, and looks up again.

Zancudo is now just above his head, glaring down with his compound eyes. The hybrid horror has finally cottoned on to the fact that he's facing something big and touch, not something he can simply pin down and drain of fluids like all of his previous victims. That last blow cracked something important - the pain is still shooting through him even as we speak - and he knows that another attack like that is going to put him down for good if he allows it. He's going to need to be more clever for this one, and this open area isn't going to give him the advantage he needs to do that.

A flash of green catches the malignant mosquito's mind...

And off he buzzes, just in time to avoid another snap from the enraged Dinocroc. With lightning speed, he darts towards the patch of green, which quickly blooms into the sole natural jungle that exists in this hellhole, and vanishes into the bushes. With a bellow, Jeuri gives chase, crashing through the branches and undergrowth in pursuit, not willing to give up his prey so easily.

-------

The birds and beasts of the jungle, chattering away to each other in the treetops, have some unexpected company.

Moving quickly, Zancudo flies through the trees like a purple missile, expertly ducking and dodging his way through the trees, branches and vines that bar his path like the bars of a prison. He is all too aware of the horrible snarling and crashing behind him, announcing Jeuri's presence as the resurrected reptile smashes through the branches with absolutely no grace whatsoever. The leaves of the canopy form a thick shade from the sweltering heat of the sun, granting the mutant menace a respite in that regard, but now the humidity is leaving him feeling sticky instead, slowing him somewhat. But, as they say, he's had to pick the lesser of two evils, and being damp is preferable to being scratchy.

The mosquito's plan is simple. The plains were too wide open for the sort of ambush tactics he wanted to pull off - no matter where he went, the enemy would always be able to see him, and there was literally nowhere to set an ambush. By taking the fight into the jungle, the hybrid horror could turn the tables to his advantage - with plenty of foliage to hide behind and block the reptile's vision, it would be the perfect place to perform the guerrilla warfare it needed to use in order to win. A combination of lighting fast attacks and crippling strikes from cover would weaken and frustrate the Dinocroc over time, eventually bringing it to the point where the killing blow could be achieved. No sense in a straight-up fight against a bigger opponent, right?

Mansquito quickly looks back to check if the seething saurian is behind him.

And blunders into a whole mass of long, green things.

At first, he's inclined to think it's just some vines hanging from the canopy. But no sooner has he gotten himself mixed up with them then they move with horrific speed, speed almost matching his own. Their triangular tips, coated with thousands of tiny hooks, latch onto his limbs like the tentacles of an angry octopus, and the cords themselves tighten as they attempt to pull him up into the air and out of the clearing. The bug's chitters in a panic as he writhes in midair, struggling to free himself from the binding tendrils as several more begin to latch onto him, and his flailing claws strike the purple blossoms that grow intermittently from the length of each one, sending a rain of petals to the forest floor.

Zancudo cannot know it, but he is caught in the clutches of the Purple Terror, a vicious and bloodthirsty plant first described by Fred M. White in the Strand Magazine. Little did anyone realize that the vampiric vine was, in fact, a horrendous reality, and as the Unification War tore the Serengeti apart like so much wrapping paper, the tree-bound parasites have had time to gorge themselves on those unfortunate animals that have blundered into this section of the jungle. The abundance of food has allowed the orchid to spread from tree to tree in search of more food, until now they dominate at least half of the jungle in a purple mass, devouring all who come near. And Mansquito has blundered right into them.

But the hybrid horror's problems aren't over yet.

Because even as he struggles to free himself, the bushes part and a panting, sweat-soaked Jeuri enters the clearing. He doesn't seem as healthy as he did starting out - not only is he puffed out from pursuing the irritating insect and reeling from heat exhaustion, but his limbs are shaking a little as they keep his body upright, and his yellow eyes are clouded over. In fact, he's starting to show symptoms of infection from the Gilligan virus, most likely as a side-effect of being scratched by Mansquito's claws, and lack of resistance from his prehistoric immune system means the disease has taken hold quite quickly.

 But he's still aware enough to see his enemy in front of him, and also to know he's trapped.

Mansquito's eyes widen as he sees the dreaded dinosaur approach, and increases his desperate struggles to try and free himself from the vines. He makes some headway in this - the cords seem to be thinking that this though, wriggly thing isn't worth the bother - and manages to free one arm and a leg from the trap as rhe vines slink away into the shadows of the canopy. But it's too little too late - with a roar, Dinocroc lunges forward and finally grasps his opponent's free leg in his jaws before wrenching his head sideways. There is a noise like someone ripping a packet of crisps open, and the leg is pulled away from the rest of Zancudo, black ichor spilling onto the jungle undergrowth.

White-hot pain flares through the monstrous mosquito's mind as he is divested of his limb.

And with that pain comes a memory...

-------

"Pass the salt would you, hijo?"

"Yes, papá!"

"Aw, isn't this grand, Damien? Our son is growing up with such good manners!"

"Yes, Conchita, and soon he shall inherit the family business! And I know he'll make a good job of it, won't you, Simon?"

"I shall try my best, papá!"

"Heh heh heh! That's my boy!"

-------

"No, please! My family-!"

"GET THE FUCK ON THE FLOOR, YOU DOUBLE-CROSSING CRIMINAL SCUM!"

"No... no, please!"

"Run, Conchita! I'll hold them of for as-"

BANG

"FATHER!"

-------

"Project Gilligan, Sample 1. Time of test, 5:00pm. Begin injection... now."

"AAAAAAAAAA-"

-------

"Where we taking this thing?"

"Eh, some piece of shit wasteland in the middle of the Serengeti. He's schedule for a fight with that giant lizard Africa's got."

"Dinocroc? Heh, poor bastard's got no chance!"

"You think? Killed at least five of my personnel before we could tie him down. I think he's got a decent chance!"

"Still, you gotta admit he's not exactly there in the head. That's not gonna be of much help."

"Dead parents don't translate into battle skills, Dick. Unless your Batman."

"...so are you saying-?"

"No."

-------

"Samuel, my son...

I believe in you, Samuel...

Good luck..."

-------

The shriek that comes from Zancudo silences the forest and shakes the branches overhead. As if startled by the sudden noise, the coils of the Purple Terror release the mutant menace and retract some distance up into the canopy, and only the madly-buzzing wings keep the  injured creature aloft. Jeuri jumps back several feet, dropping the leg from his mouth in shock, and stares as the hybrid horror lifts himself into the air, compound eyes blazing with a fury far greater than even a thousand burning suns could achieve. Ichor drips from the wound, but the bug pays no heed to his own injury, so great is his own anger and bitterness towards those who have created him and what they have taken from him.

He is Mansquito no longer.

He is Samuel Escardo once again.

And he is pissed.

Everything seems to happen in slow-motion. Realizing the opportunity to win is being taken away from him, Dinocroc lunges forward, looking to rip off the other leg. But his teeth barely get anywhere before a sudden pain in his neck brings him to a screeching halt - the rapier-like proboscis is buried deep in his jugular vein, and the belligerent bug is not just drinking, he's gulping down the blood that poors from the insicion. Roaring with the searing agony, the chimeric carnivore staggers mid-charge, trying to get his opponent off of him and crunch him between his jaws for good - this fight needs to end right now, before the insect can get another foothold.

But then the first vines start to clutch at him.

The Purple Terror has sensed better feeding opportunities, and reacted accordingly, clutching at Jeuri's hide in an attempt to lever him into the air. The dreaded dinosaur resists, roaring and yanking and biting at the tendrils that come down like ravenous snakes to grab him, snapping many in two and gnawing others into complete uselessness. But this is not a struggle he can sustain - panic, heatstroke and sickness are beginning to addle his once-brilliant, patient mind, and more and more tendrils keep coming from the canopy above. If Dinocroc wants even the slightest chance of success, he needs to get out of the clearing, hopefully smashing Mansquito into a tree on the way.

It's a chance he never gets.

With speed bolstered by blind anger over what he has lost and can never have again, the mosquito-man monster darts behind the surprised saurian and drives his needle proboscis deep into the reptilian brain.

Almost immediately, the yellow eyes dim as the jaws flop open in a comical mockery of surprise, as shock and exhaustion finally take it's toll on the transgenic tyrant. Paralyzed from nose to tail by the enraged stabbing, Dinocroc falls limp to the ground as more and more tendrils from the Purple Terror clutch and engulf him, lifting him into the air like some macabre marionette cobbled together for a Punch and Judy show at the last minute. A single rattling gurgle is all that comes from the lizard's throat, a trickle of blood leaking from between the knife-like teeth as he is slowly drained of every drop of his precious fluids, second by agonizing second

Breathless but alive, still wrestling with the guilt and rage inside him, Samuel Escardo yanks his mouthparts free of the saurian's skull, lifts into the air and slowly buzzes away from the scene.

MANSQUITO WINS!

And there you have it, sports fans! The conclusion to one of the greatest fights in the Monster Mash so far! Well, we say "one of" because nothing can top Swamp Devil's impressive victory in the great finale of The Monster Mash 198X  Seriously, you should have been there, it was awesome and a little bit scary.

But next time, we promise we shall try and top that. Without giving too much away, let's just say that it's a showdown that we, as morally-questionable scientists with an extremely loose understanding of how playing God with genetic material works, are looking forward to. In fact, you might say we're quite proud of the last two entrants to this competition, as they represent not only the brightest and best talent we've got here at GaiaCorp, but also represent mankind collectively sticking his middle finger up at natural selection. So brace yourselves, monster maniacs, because the final battle in Round 1 of The Monster Mash 199X  is heading your way, and it's gonna be bigger, badder and radder than you think!