Chapter 100: Regicide of the Emperor

Gollog was a vain and prideful creature.

Before that mass of... unnaturally sapient flesh summoned that abnormally colossal tyrannozor, Gollog thought that simply stepping on that moving wad of gristly growth would stall the zerg swarm and pause their invasion for a short time. However, Gollog was forced into an intense battle with a different opponent, which separated him from his commanders and forcing them to act on their own. Their weaknesses led the commanders to their own doom in each of their own bitter ends.

He couldn't stop Guik from betraying him as she redirected Overmind Kay's apocalyptic blast toward his super combat mech suit body. She was punished for striking at her emperor, via a swift slam of a robotic fist.

He couldn't reprimand Kralluf in time as Kralluf's bloodthirstiness transported him to his doom. He didn't had the time to discover the wormhole appearing beneath his feet that transported him into the maw of a nydus worm.

He couldn't remind Faddoh of his pledge to protect his emperor, and fought Overmind Kay in a blinding rage. Though he was defeated by the spine crawlers and queens that protected their master, Faddoh was placed next to Guik's side.

Ralkan was hesitant to fight for his life and for the immortality of his emperor, knowing that to fight against the zerg swarm is to court death or something worse than death. All the same, Gollog delivered punishment to traitors and cowards in equal measure, even to those that would dare to surrender to the will of the swarm.

Gollog thought he had succeeded against the abnormally colossal tyrannozor when he delivered an uppercut to the beast's jaw with his damaged hand, only to give the final blow with another uppercut with his undamaged hand while it fired an energy blast. What followed was an impressive fountain of burning gore and organs that erupted from the mangled maw of the massive beast, the final attack was devastating enough to rip the monster's belly wide open, tear and break completely through its rib cage, and splits its jaw in half. When the beast fell upon its back and remained still, Gollog had thought victory was his, despite having one of his hand become partially crippled and both legs being completely removed from his giant robot body.

After he had dealt with the commander of the Torus Chain Division, he hoped to use his intact super combat mech suit's last energy blaster to burn away the infestation infesting his Sovereign Crypt. A revived omegazor prevented Gollog from exterminating the zerg infestation in time, as another round of machine and monster combat begun again.

With Overmind Kay eagerly watching.

Alexandriana grappled onto Gollog's arm and violently clamped onto the energy blaster, her strong jaw distorting and rending the weapon hidden underneath the veil of holographic flesh. Gollog flailed his arm in an attempt to dislodge Alexandriana, but proved to be fruitless. Using his other arm, Gollog began punching at the omegazor's snout and clawing at her eyes. The result was more immediate, but it had resulted in tearing a chunk of metal from Gollog's hand. Spines shot out from Alexandriana, further riddling Gollog with another layer of spines, which continued to turn him into a robotic macabre of a pincushion.

Gollog dragged himself away from Alexandriana in a desperate attempt to distance himself from the omegazor, only to realize his last energy blaster was made defunct and ruined. Upon his last fight with the omegazor, Gollog understood that her power is built upon raw strength and various abilities that amplified her defense and offense. To get near her would envelope Gollog in a cloud of noxious acid, to attack her would trigger her spikes to shoot at him, and her floating symbiotic parasite protected her with an ablative shell and shot at Gollog with its own set of weapons, as well as Alexandriana's obnoxious ability to heal her wounds just from damaging Gollog either directly or indirectly.

And at that moment, the only weapon that proved to be very effective against the omegazor was completely disabled.

It dawned upon Gollog that this would be his last battle.

And he couldn't retreat.

He sighed tiredly.

Alexandriana roared and eagerly stampeded towards Gollog. Gollog knuckle-walked across the curving floor and threw ruined fists toward his enemy. Alexandriana caught the incoming fists with her own claws, though the force behind Gollog's punch pushed her back and nearly broke her arms, yet sheared much of her ablative carapace shell from her body. Without legs, Gollog could push Alexandriana further away from him, for he had no way to make himself steadfast, and Alexandriana was able to push Gollog forward using her own raw strength. Gollog understood that being in close proximity to the omegazor was having dangerously affecting his giant robotic avatar. But even so, he knew that he could not fight any longer.

The servos within both of his arms gave out from the spines, spikes and acid damage. The sounds of gears and joints popping from their mechanical sockets gave Alexandriana a new window of attack, and she used that brief opportunity to headbutt Gollog, the force strong enough to rip Gollog's arms from his own body. Once Alexandriana discarded the arms, she pounced upon Gollog's torso and began digging her claws into the belly of the giant robot. Machinery and parts were dragged and pulled out violently, yet Gollog was no longer in a position to fight back anymore. All he could do was sit back up, or roll.

Once Alexandriana pulled out and threw the super combat mech suit's main power engine onto the ever-expanding carpet of creep, the battle was over.

Alexandriana reared her head upwards and roared thunderously, bellowing her victory and triumph.

A small sound of slow clapping could be heard following Alexandriana's roar.

Overmind Kay's eye turned and settled upon a slowly approaching figure that stepped upon the growing creep. Gollog was now at his normal height, which appeared to be around 1.8 meters tall, if somewhat taller than the gilanian average. The queens and drones around Overmind Kay did not attack, nor did the toxic nests Gollog strode near burst defensively. Pursed lips, a narrow gaze, and tired anger greeted Overmind Kay as Gollog approached him. "Well done, KAY. Well. Done." Gollog hissed with dripping contempt. "It may pain me to say this, but... You have done it. You have... You have destroyed my empire."

Overmind Kay's single eye focused on Gollog indifferently. "This war shall end here. With claw against blade, spines against bullets, and acid against flame, my Zerg Swarm has proven its worth and destroyed your empire."

"Of course it has been destroyed. There is no need to remind me of that impossible feat." Gollog groaned disdainfully.

Overmind Kay would have chuckled if he had the lungs. "Though impossible by your opinion, our feats are beyond fathoming. However, the door we seek continues to remain hidden. The purpose of my summoning is yet to complete."

Gollog waved his hands around himself, gesturing everything around himself. "I have said this to you several times already! There is no escaping this prison! Certainly not for any gilanian that hatches within this system!"

"I can tell that you hide the means in your own mind. You have hidden your crypt well, but I shall unveil your final sanctuary and find what I need." The tendrils surrounding Overmind Kay began to extend upwards into the air. They then began to circle around in a spherical fashion, only to reveal a small cold-pod, pulled from an invisible space that was hidden by dream-light hover-bots.

Gollog dropped to his knees as he saw his 'true crypt' being pulled from the center of the spherical room. "... Right. You're somehow a mind reading entity. It now makes sense that you knew where I was hidden after you came into my Sovereign Crypt. You waited until all of my defenses eroded away, and allowed your infestation to root yourself in my most defended of hallowed ground." His eyes darted to Overmind Kay. "... So this is it then. I'm going to die."

"Patience, Gollog. Information must be extracted first. Once I have attained all the data we need, then the fate we have in store will be revealed to you." Overmind Kay's tendril wrenched open the cold-pod's access terminal.

Gollog sighed nervously. "Will... Will this hurt?"

"Your mind shall be kept intact for your awaiting death sentence. You shall feel your will mingling with mine, and your thoughts assimilated into our own. It will take place shortly, and it will be a brief process. Now tell us what we want. What we need. Give us the exit that was denied to you. Give us a path to our freedom..."

Gollog's mind would have felt as though it was suddenly under water. It was prickled with raindrops of pressure and pain as information from his own mind was being extracted. Gollog's dream-light avatar became unsteady as a pained expression was forced onto his face. "GAAAAUUUOOOOOHHHH!"

"Mhmm... Mm... I see... Yes... Ah... Huh? ... Oh... Oh Gollog. You are much more depraved than I would have thought." Once Overmind Kay had poured through Gollog's mind, he found what he needed, and more.

What he found surprised him.

Within Gollog's cold-pod were jars that contained seven severed brains, each one slaved to the information network similarly to how Gollog had slaved his mind to an avatar of dream-light. These brains were still functional and very much alive, but many of them were tortured into insanity and madness. Their mental states degraded over the years as a result of their transplantation into the cold-pod. Though they can still access the information network as they please, they were unable to send messages through it or interact with the information in any way. But these brains weren't mere prisoners. They were seven of the Immortal Ten. They were the previous wardens of the Kiln Prison System, forced into obeying Gollog's will to unleash their commands at his command. It was an ingenious workaround.

And he would have slaved Kragnon's brain in this manner if he had the opportunity to do so.

Gollog collapsed onto the ground, though his mind was becoming clear. "Huah... Hah... Huh... Now that I thought about it, maybe I should have programmed medical micro-machines to store my memories. I should have ordered Pallax to teach me how to do that."

Overmind Kay's tendrils began to move into the jars to sample their memories. Though their knowledge was corrupted by years of painful boredom and the horror of having their minds held hostage, their memories could still contain vital information. Tendrils extracted the jars as the fluids within was slowly infested by slow-acting HEV. Once the brains were extracted, Overmind Kay's eye turned to Gollog. The knowledge of the victim wardens would be savored slowly, while a worse fate awaited Gollog. "The time has come. I shall now summon your executioner."

A vortex of purples manifested above and in front of Gollog's cold-pod, which then delivered an infested gilanian into Gollog's Sovereign Crypt. Once the infested gilanian righted himself up, he looked behind himself to see the manifested will of the Zerg Swarm, only to turn away and walk towards Gollog's cold-pod. Gollog's eyes narrowed upon the infested gilanian. "... My death... will be at the hands... of one of your pawns? I thought your... wrath beast... would be the monster... to kill me. ..."

"I'm not just any ordinary zerg pawn, Gollog." The infested gilanian said as he accessed the cold-pod's terminal.

"That voice..." Gollog said before his dream-light avatar completely dissipated. After the infested gilanian was finished with the cold-pod's hidden control panel, the pod itself hissed open as it revealed a gross mass of flesh within it. The blob of overgrown cancer blinked its eyes open as ragged breathing escaped the pod after centuries of distended hibernation. The blob looked up at the infested gilanian with bleary, bewildered eyes.

Kragnon gazed down upon Gollog's real, true face for the first time. He almost pitied the creature before him. "Hello Gollog."

"Krrrag... nnnonnn... *bleurghk*" Gollog coughed up a wad of phlegm from his throat after centuries of disuse. "I'm... Surprised... That... You're... still alive. ... And in-... infested... by the zerg."

"A small sacrifice. At least I am blessed with retaining my sanity after becoming what you now see me as." Kragnon said in a relaxed demeanor.

"A fate... worse than death..." Gollog gurgled.

"Perhaps not as bad as your affliction if you were somehow spared from your execution." Kragnon said as he gestured to Gollog's person. "I look upon your form and see that it has been affected with a rare illness. It happens in extremely rare occasions, but there is a one-in-a-hundred-billion chance for tumorous growths to gestate within the body while it is hibernating within a cold-pod. While in hyper-stasis, the growths would continue to expand, which has a high chance to kill its host if not treated immediately. But if the sleeper is kept within the cold-pod and remain in hibernation, the growths would slowly continue to expand in size until the available space within the cold-pod is taken up. Since this growth appears to have been growing for centuries, and you would die in just a few days upon leaving your cold-pod. I believe it's called... Ikren's Disease. More commonly known as Ikren's 'Swelling Coldness'."

Gollog chuckled a weak laugh. "Heh heh hah... Hah... So you've... done your homework. ... Good lad." Gollog tried to readjust himself, but his added girth made it impossible to remove himself from his permanent throne. A heavy arm wobbled and shook as he pointed a finger at Kragnon. "But that... That doesn't explain... why you were brought... here. ... Why not just... kill me? With the claws and teeth... of The Zerg?"

Kragnon reached into his person and retrieved a red stiletto knife. "I vowed someone I would kill you by the old traditions of our world."

Gollog squinted at the blade. "... A... ceremonial dagger. ... from... from the province called Big Wall. ... Or Citadel Gargantua, ... if I remember correctly. ... Ah... So Baroness Tak sent you to... assassinate me." A low, slow chuckle rumbled from Gollog. "Funny... and ironic. ... I never thought that... that casting away my old traditions... would end up with the same traditions... being the death of me."

Kragnon pointed Tak's stiletto at Gollog. "You, Gollog, The Immortal Golden Star Emperor, ruler of Ocean's Pearl, have committed countless crimes against your race and this world. You have killed many innocents, enslaved many innocents, profited from many innocents, sold many innocents to slave-masters, created clones of many innocents and the wardens of the Kiln Prison System, took command of the Kiln Keepers without the wardens' consent several times, sent time-traveling assassins to eliminate many of your enemies, and a multitude of other crimes that remain uncounted for the centuries you have lived. You abused your power as an emperor, and it is by the ways of the old traditions that your life shall end by a blade of royal descent. By the wishes of Baroness Tak, The Soothsayer of Rouges, ruler of Citadel Gargantua, this blade she gifted me will plunge through your heart, or continually wound you until you finally die."

Gollog bared his teeth. "You'll... have to get through my cancerous tissue first."

Kragnon readied his knife, centering it upon the ugly breast that shielded Gollog's heart. "You are allowed some final words before punishment is delivered. It is more than you could ever deserve."

"Ehhh... Such a traditionalist. ... Fine. ... I'll humor you." A smirk crawled across Gollog's cancer ridden face. "Thoughtlord Pallax sends his regards."

Kragnon paused for a few seconds before he shook his head and growled. "That sleeper agent trick won't work on me, Gollog. Not now, or ever again."

Kragnon's expression softened as he sighed. "... Well... It was worth a shot. I guess, to you, ... being a zerg monster is better than... being a young clone of a famous warden. But remember this, Kragnon. ... If it wasn't for me, ... then you wouldn't have existed in the first place. I made you! ... That practically makes us family!"

"You gave me life for your own selfish purposes." Kragnon hissed. "You see me only as a tool to expand your empire." Kragnon inched his blade closer to Gollog's naked chest. "And now I, your creation, will destroy you, the creator."

"Know that... you cutting through my cancer doesn't remedy your... graver malady. ... Enjoy the life of a zerg pawn." Gollog then teased with a soft smile. "Aim true, my son."

A sudden plunge with a forceful twist ended the conversation. Gollog's eyes shot wide open as his smile was replaced by a hissing scowl. He looked down to find a stiletto embedded into his being. The blade pierced deeply through swollen flesh as crimson ichor begun to flow freely from the wound. Gollog's arms reached up to his chest to pry the weapon from his person, even when he knew such an injury couldn't be healed in time. He pawed over Kragnon's infested hand, but was too feeble and weak to push the infested gilanian away. However, Kragnon pulled the blade away anyway, allowing Gollog's blood to flow more freely.

"GHH... Gah... Pain... I had... I had... forgotten... how this... how this... this felt!" Gollog said, his breathing becoming harder to manage. "Grah! ... It's... It's been so... long... since I... felt... ... this... ... ... pain. ... ... ... ... How... ... ... ... ... awfully... ... ... ... ... ... poetic. ... ... ... ... ... ... ..."

Gollog's exsanguination took more time than expected, but the deed was done. The centuries of the life that Gollog lived was cut short. His supposed immortality was disproven as his blood coagulated into a slick puddle. The creep absorbed this blood into itself, becoming reddish temporarilly before reverting back to its purplish color once more. The room was deathly quiet.

Emperor Gollog was dead.

After a silent pause had passed, Kragnon turned toward the only gigantic zerg organism with an enormous eyeball that was within the Sovereign Crypt. After a pause of observation, Kragnon finally sighed. "... So... I can sense that you're Kay, but... well... bigger. How did this happen?"

Overmind Kay sighed. "It is a story pertaining to a prison within a prison. Though it took twenty of your years for this prison to finally break, the temporal sepulcher within lengthened the flow of time to countless millennia. However, through forced patience, I was able to achieve this form. To remain hidden from our enemies, I was forced into a personality that served as my avatar, till the avatar and my being merged. This merging occurred through a device created by the conjoined efforts of a protoss templar, the child of an evolution master, and the reluctant assistance of an Era Agency in our alternate timeline."

Kragnon blinked. He then shook his head in disbelief. "Oh... kay? ... I don't know why the era agents would assist us in any way or fashion, but I think I'm done with trying to understand the continuity of our current timeline."

"Fret not, my child." Overmind Kay assured Kragnon. "Our victory is well earned, and I have learned of a way to leave this damning prison. At long last, our escape is now possible!"

Kragnon frowned at Overmind Kay. "Oh."

Overmind Kay could feel Kragnon's apprehension. "You are... hesitant to feel elation over this well earned reward?"

"Elation is a strong word to use." Kragnon pointed out. "On the other hand, I will say that I definitely feel hesitant."

Kay could feel that Kragnon was overwhelmed with several feelings. "Ah. I see now. With Gollog's death, you are left without a purpose to call your own." A tendril crept onto Kragnon's shoulder and gently grasped it. "You are among the rare caste of my kind capable of free will. You are zerg, but you can choose to be independent from my Swarm, you so wish it."

"Kragnon the Lovechief is no more." Kragnon said as he closed his eyes. "The gilanians I knew grew distant once they realized I had turned into something they feared and reviled. I tried to save my loved ones, but all I did was sacrifice my health and traded a family I loved for a family of monstrous arthropods. And now with Gollog dead, I can feel satisfied knowing that I have completed my promise to my Baroness, though it pains me that she might never learn of the feat I accomplished here." A sigh escaped his lips. "I wish to remain on Kiln."

"Why?" Overmind Kay asked.

Kragnon gestured all around himself. "This world is my only memory of a life I had once lived. To abandon it would be like forgetting the love I once shared with my friends and family! So, to honor them, I wish to watch over the gilanians you saved from this underground city." Kragnon paused. "... But even so... I would like to see the stars before you and your swarm leave this world for good."

"Then you shall be the caretaker of what remains of this world's population. No longer are you Kragnon, the Lovechief. As of this moment, you are now Kragnon, Child of The Swarm, and the New Warden of Kiln."

Kragnon looked up at Overmind Kay, paused and nodded with a small smile.

Alexandriana decided to interrupt. "Have we said everything needed to be said? Have found everything we needed to find? This place bores me now, and I wish to leave it." She said with a rumble.

A wormhole was created behind Overmind Kay. "You may take your leave. I shall remain until I find the key that unlocks our path to freedom."

Alexandriana lumbered through the portal, while Kragnon followed her shortly after.

Overmind Kay had one last task to do before he returned himself to normal.

And the task couldn't be any simpler.

Turn off the veil of the Kiln Prison System.

A/N: INVADER ZIM: ENTER THE FLORPUS ASDGHADSFGSDFAHDGHS