Part four of the Neo Skitter simulation.

The Training Montage

Lung had made a terrible mistake.

This was evidenced by the monstrous blow to the side of his face. It had him sliding across the cement floor and crashing into the wall with a loud thump.

It didn't help that the person doling out this epic beat down was a slip of a girl, nor that she had ripped off his arm at the start of the 'spar' and proceeded to beat him with it.

"Stop hitting yourself!" The punk girl that had been introduced as Demencia cackled, "Stop hitting yourself!" She used his limb like a club and was reigning blows down upon him.

He was barely able to defend himself. His power was ramping him up, his muscles bulging, fire licking at the corners of his mouth, the stump had already stopped bleeding. But it wasn't enough.

Demencia was a force of nature.

"Do everything but kill him," Lady Skitter had requested, "He's a regenerator, so it will be slightly harder to break him. And he gets stronger over time, so he's got some level of value, but he is… squishy."

Then this Demencia, with the wild ponytail and odd hoody, started attacking him.

"La-" he was interrupted by a horrid cough full of black arterial blood, "Lady Skitter…"

The girl who had become his boss was across the room working with Doctor Flug and the big blue teddy bear called Five Oh Five. The doctor was apparently showing her how to use a specific device of villainous intent.

"Yes, yes, Lung," she waved him away, "It was a good kick."

"She's not even watching," he grumbled to himself, "Gah!" he screamed when Demencia grabbed his leg and swung him over her shoulder to slam into the floor.

Flug looked at the two before turning back to Skitter, "So, with this device, you are able to release the binds of gravity on everything currently in a room. We, ah, well, we haven't sold very many of these, but I'm sure a sufficiently imaginative villain can use them. As it is in such low demand, the price-" the whole facility shuttered, and he turned to see that Lung had reached a height of twelve feet tall, his skin was covered in metal scales, and he had a long metal tail. Demencia had grabbed that tail and spun him around over her head several times before slinging him at the wall. "Are you sure-?"

"There are two outcomes here, Doctor," Taylor said, holding the anti-gravity device in her hand, "Either Demencia kills him, proving he wasn't good enough to be my minion in the first place, or he survives, learns and thrives," she grinned at the doctor, turning her head to look at the two duking it out, "But I did not pick him at random. He has potential."

Lung's arm had finally grown back. He had tried hitting the woman with fire, but she was able to dodge unerringly. Until his tail snaked around her ankle and held her in place as he punched her as hard as he could in the gut.

The crazy little woman stumbled backwards, holding her stomach. Her cheeks bulged with suppressed vomit until she turned away and let go. The sick, wet splat of her breakfast hitting the floor, only half digested was followed up by a loud belch.

"N'w ooo beh!" the man was hardly able to say as he stomped across the concrete floor towards Demencia. He lashed out with his tail again, wrapping it around her waist and pinning her arms to her sides. He lifted her into the air and took a deep breath, filling his throat with flames.

The villainess was able to loosen his tail just enough that she dropped down just as he let loose with a tidal wave of flame. She slithered up under him, then uppercut his jaw closed. The shockwave from the punch was felt by Skitter and Doctor Flug. With nowhere else to go, the fire exploded inside him.

Lung fell to the ground, knocked out. Smoke and the smell of burnt meat leaked out of his nostrils and mouth. His eyes were still open, but had rolled back to only show the whites.

Demencia giggled as she stood on his back.

"Like I said," Skitter addressed Doctor Flug, "Some potential. I hope that, by the time that your girl is done with him, he'll actually be able to do something useful with his powers. If nothing else, he will learn how to be a proper meat shield."

"Yes, I see what you mean," he looked away from the slowly shrinking cape and cleared his throat, "Now, for an up and coming villainess, like yourself, may I recommend…" The sales pitch went on.

Flug was happy to make a variety of sales to someone who had clear appreciation for his works. Demencia was happy to have found a sparring partner that could come back for more every time she put him down. Black Hat was happy to see his gamble starting to pay off.

Three weeks later, Lung and Skitter were in her lair. The girl was pacing around him and idly spinning a cane. He had certainly grown. His muscles bulged, his height was now a constant seven foot seven, and he was clearly warmer than the air surrounding him. It made it unlivable to be near him on a hot day, but he would be particularly cuddly during the colder months.

"If only I were five years older," Skitter said, biting her bottom lip as she looked at his well sculpted rump.

"Will we be training again, today?" He asked. The villainess tilted her head at him.

"Yes," she said, stopping in front of him, "We will. Demencia should be here shortly."

"I have been thinking," he began.

Skitter opened her mouth to give him his only warning about addressing her properly when he moved.

Popular media would have you believe that a man with huge muscles is slow and clumsy. Nothing creates speed like power. Seven feet, seven inches, four hundred fifty pounds of muscle. Lung was fast.

His hand clamped around her throat and he lifted her far off the ground. He began to squeeze, cutting off her air supply.

"I have learned much from the training with Demencia. I'm beginning to think that I've grown beyond the meager control you seem to feel entitled to," he held out his other hand and it went from being a large human hand, to something more draconic, covered in steel scales with sharp claws. It was coated in fire as well.

The girl didn't glare at him. She didn't struggle to be released of his grip. She just looked him in the eye as her grin widened. She dissolved into her swarm to escape his grasp, and reformed a short distance away.

"You know," she said to him in a low tone, "Maybe it is time that we sparred. In fact, considering what is about to happen here, I'll even overlook your lack of decorum and refusal to address me appropriately." She dropped her cane and it slithered off. Taylor took off her suit jacket leaving her torso covering in a bright pink, sleeveless dress shirt with a red tie. Her clawed fingers flexed as she looked him in the eye.

Lung noticed the glow in her mismatched eyes was gaining intensity. He immediately transformed his other arm and took a low stance.

The girl monster chuckled, "You seem to have forgotten something, boy. Demencia is far more deadly than I am," darkness began to encroach on the room, "She is only second to Lord Black Hat," her voice started to become deeper, more demonic, "But I am not so weak as to appropriate a minion whose strength exceeds my own!" Her words shook the ground. He could feel the vibrations in his bones. His power was ramping him up further and further and she hadn't even taken a single step forward yet.

Still, it felt like she was filling every inch of the warehouse that was the foyer of her lair. Skitter's threat, according to his ability, was so great that he could already feel that he was stronger than he had been when he faced Leviathan.

"Don't worry, boy," she drawled at him, finally moving forward, "This probably won't kill you." One clawed hand reached out in his direction.

Twenty minutes later, Doctor Flug and Demencia appeared from a blue swirling portal.

Skitter was calmly sipping hot tea while sitting on the back of one of her bugs.

"What happened to the squishy dragon?" the crazy haired girl pointed with a thumb at Lung.

"Nothing too serious," Taylor said, taking another sip, "He decided to challenge me for dominance. I advised him of the futility of it."

Flug looked at Lung. He swallowed loudly, trying to keep his gorge down.

"No wonder Lord Black Hat picked her," he whispered to himself, then asked, "Err, will he survive this?"

"One of two outcomes, Doctor. One of two."

"Right," he nodded.

"So, what are we gonna-?"

The wall of her warehouse blasted inward. As the dust cleared, nearly a dozen people stood there.

"This is the girl?" The leader of the group, standing there in full body metal armor, stated, "I find myself… underwhelmed." It was Kaiser, leader of the Empire Eighty Eight. Behind him were his gang of parahumans. Fenja and Menja, Hookwolf, Rune, Cricket, Stormtiger, Othala, and Victor. Behind them were roughly thirty normal humans.

Taylor stood up off her beetle and looked at Flug, "If you or Demencia defeat any of these mongrels, will they still be credited to my bill?"

The scientist considered that for a moment, then shook his head, "No."

"I figured as much. Please wait while I deal with this." She held out her hand and the centipede crawled up her leg, over her hands and turned into her cane.

"What the fuck is that?!" Hookwolf pointed at something.

'That' was the pile of flesh and broken bones that had been Lung. It quivered and shook, blood oozed from many wounds all over it.

"Kill… me…" it gargled and wheezed from its broken, toothless mouth. Rune turned away and lifted up her mask to start vomiting on the boots of one of the unpowered gang members behind her.

"Pay no attention to him," Skitter said, "Lung is just being dramatic after suffering his rightful discipline. Now, I know who you all are, but allow me to introduce myself," she took a graceful bow, removing her mini bowler, then stood up straight, placing it back on, "My name is Skitter. I will be your conqueror today. Some of you may know me by other names, such as 'Her', 'Bug Girl', and my personal favorite, 'Oh God, It Stings, Get Them Off Me!'"

Kaiser slowly dragged his eyes from the thing that had once been Lung to the girl. What the actual fuck happened here? He was just starting to notice how there was barely two square feet of space in this warehouse that wasn't splattered with blood.

He shook off his shock and disgust and opened his mouth, "Get-"

Kaiser blinked and Skitter was standing in front of him, swinging her cane. The man was no stranger to battle, and started to form blades on his arms.

The cane smashed through the metal like it was badly framed glass. Kaiser's arm shattered. His ribs didn't do much better.

The metal user hit the wall, let out a wheezing gasp, and went limp.

"Next?"

Hookwolf leapt to the fore, a roar in his throat. The roar became a confused grunt and his leap halted at the halfway point. That's not to say that he landed before hitting her, so much as he simply started floating through the air as though gravity had no effect on him.

And it wasn't just him. The pile of Parahuman that was Lung, Demencia, Doctor Flug and half of the other Empire capes started drifting through the air.

"Not again," Flug groaned. Demencia just giggled maniacally, pretending to swim through the air like a crocodile.

One of the few not floating away was Skitter. She had a copy of the antigravity device in one hand and her cane was stabbed into the concrete to keep her from floating away.

Fenja and Menja, two of those unaffected by the a-grav field, stormed forward, their bodies growing as they did. Behind them, Rune was using her telekinesis to get Cricket and Hookwolf back into the fight. Stormtiger used his Aerokinesis to pull himself through the air at the girl.

Taylor pressed the button again and everyone affected fell to the ground. Fenja and Menja had to skid to a stop lest they tread on their allies. While they were distracted by that, Skitter whipped out the Shrink Ray. She fired it at the twins, making them barely two feet tall.

"Fore!" She swung her cane and smashed it into Menja. She flew into Fenja, who then flew back past the Empire's capes and into the crowd of humans.

An invisible blade of wind slashed the girl across her face, but instead of blood leaking from the wound, bugs crawled out, sealed her skin together, then melted back into her body. Taylor turned her attention towards Stormtiger.

Just as she did so, Victor came from her left, smashing a fist the size of a coke can into her face. Another hit came from her back. It was a rock thrown at her with telekinesis from Rune. Taylor started to twirl her cane, but an air blade slashed her wrist, causing her to drop it. She dodged the next one, right into a gut punch from Hookwolf.

"You think this is our first fight?!" the wolfman made of blades roared, gouging into her flesh with his every swing. Every time she tried to escape him, another attack from one of the others would hit her.

Suddenly, the fight came to an end when a blade of pure steel surged up from the ground and pierced Skitter, back to front. She was able to turn her head and see that Kaiser had been healed by Othala while she'd been busy with the others. Annoying.

"Neat trick," she started, but then the metal spike in her body sprouted more spikes, which sprouted more spikes. If there was a word that described what was happening to her insides, it probably meant something along the lines of having all of her major organs pierced dozens of times.

"This one talks too much," Kaiser said, watching as the girl was held aloft by his attack.

"Only when it amuses me," she said, apparently feeling no pain from the assault she had withstood. The answer for why was obvious when she became a cloud of insects and reformed, unharmed, on the ground.

Skitter took a deep breath, looking at all of the capes in the room. A buzzing could be heard and insects started to crawl out of every crack and crevice in the surrounding area. At the lead were her three favorites, Pippy, Peppy and Poppy. In order, the wasp, the fire ant and the Giant Hercules beetle.

"Othala," Kaiser said calmly, making sure that none of his nervousness showed, "Make us immortal." The woman nodded, first tagging the leader of the Empire, then heading for her husband Victor. She was stopped by what their enemy said next.

"Oh, please do," Skitter drawled out, her grin widening, "It's been such a pain, holding back. So please, make it easier for me to catch you alive."

"Uh," Othala looked back to Kaiser.

The man frowned, not that anyone could see it from behind his metal mask, and he said, "Ignore her bluff. Do as ordered."

"Oh, Kaiser," Taylor said, sounding almost disappointed, "One thing you'll learn about me? I never bluff. I lie and kill and steal, but I do not bluff. So, I'll tell you what. I'll let your little minion make all of you immortal. Then, when I'm grinding your bones under my heel, and the sweet kiss of death is beyond your reach, you can tell me how effective it was."

Despite her words, the man didn't take his eyes off her. She didn't move, not once as Othala moved around the warehouse and gifted each of the Empire capes with immortality for a limited time.

"Ah, are you done then?" Skitter asked.

"You certainly are," Kaiser told her, lifting a hand to start attacking again.

Earlier, the fight was described as 'over' when Kaiser used a spike of steel from the ground to skewer Taylor. What happened next was not a fight.

Just as the man's hand came up, a blade forming on the ground at her feet, the unpowered neo nazis that had been watching the fight started screaming. It was the bugs. They had been… aggressive, but now they were actually attacking. A living carpet of every kind of stinging and biting insect he had ever heard of, and dozens he hadn't, started crawling over his men. He watched as, in just a scant handful of seconds, his men were taken from thirty strong to nothing more than bones stripped of flesh.

As his people without powers were being slaughtered, Skitter started walking forward with a slow, leisurely gait.

"I've always wondered," she began to say, darkness once more encroaching on the building, "How complete is your immortality? Can I reach down your throat, grasp your heart from inside your stomach, and pull them both out? Will you still be alive after that?" She started moving towards Kaiser first, her bugs attacking his compatriots, "Let's find out."

Lung had mostly recovered. His wounds had stopped bleeding, his skeleton had realigned itself into something resembling human, and he was able to breathe normally once more. Only his legs from the knees down remained as utterly destroyed as the rest of him had been.

So there he sat, dripping with sweat, eyes wide with horror, as he watched Skitter- Lady Skitter, forever more Lady Skitter- destroy the undying capes of the Empire Eighty Eight. The sight was such that the man counted himself lucky that he had already thrown up long ago. Otherwise he might have done so as he watched the girl do unspeakable things to those poor fools.

Not long after that, Lung had the opportunity to watch as the girl he would never defy again used her many insects to put the capes back together. She then walked over to Flug and Demencia.

"I can not guarantee that everyone has their own organs, but here are nine more parahumans for Lord Black Hat," the girl gestured at the mixed and matched former gang members.

Doctor Flug, who had very pointedly turned away and focused on something that wasn't such horrible dismemberment, nodded to her. He opened a portal with a ray gun.

"Thirty one to go, Lady Skitter," he coughed a little to himself, "If you'll excuse me, I have mountains of data that I need to epibrate. Demencia," he looked at the punk girl, gesturing at the thugs on the ground.

The dual haired girl gathered the nine parahumans up by tying their legs together.

As she passed Taylor she grinned at her, saying, "I like your style. You know, I might have a job for you, pretty soon. Keep up the horrifying work, girl!" and gave her a fist bump as she passed.

Shortly thereafter, the portal closed and it left Taylor and Lung alone. She turned her mismatched eyes on him, grinning ever so maliciously.

"Lung," she said his name in a husky tone, "Have we learned our lesson?"

"Yes, Lady Skitter!" he said without hesitation. He almost saluted, if he were to be honest with himself.

"Wonderful!" She clapped hands once then patted his head like he was a dog. And he was, wasn't he? Lung, the Dragon of Kyushu, had become Lady Skitter's loyal dog.

But if it kept him alive, kept him from facing the horrors he had just seen perpetrated against the Empire Eighty Eight? What was wrong with being a dog, then?

He looked at his legs, still twisted and misshapen after he had challenged her authority. He considered himself lucky that she had been holding back.

Lady Skitter whistled. Lung started pulling himself along on his hands to follow her. The girl looked down at him with a half lidded gaze.

"I think it's time we got you a proper uniform."

+- Chapter End.

A/N: I took more than a few liberties with a few things here. Anyone who can spot them all gets a special prize!

What is it? Why, the pride in knowing that you know more than I know of the source material! Congratulations!