AMAMOTM - December

Late until the very end!  It's the usual excuses this time.  December was too busy for me to get this done on time, blah blah blah.  Doesn't matter.  Let's get on with the final instalment of Army Men and Monsters of the Month!

Last time, we left things off with the Pilot at the mercy of the Mega Monster Master.  Let's pick things up right there.

 "Like all those who came before you, you will bow before me!  How does it feel knowing you've come so far only to fall so quickly?" The Master asks.

"Well, you're right" the Pilot says, "I have come a long way.  But I haven't come alone."

Before the Pilot can be crushed, a sudden burst of blaster fire sends the Mega Monster Master crashing to the ground.

"I guess I should have mentioned sooner, my mech seats two".

The Master's bodyguards attack the Pilot's mech...

...But a wave of energy explodes from the mech's body and sends the monsters flying.

"Alright Nurse, take out that Eye Goo!" The Pilot orders.

Sound waves pulse from the mech's chest as the Nurse activates the frequency that disables the Eye Goo bodies.  The Master's Eye Goo was safe hidden away in his lair, but now bombarded with sound, the Eye Goo's gelatinous body ripples and dissolves into a pile of slime.  

The Pilot and the Nurse may now be trapped in the Mega Monster Master's lair, but the Master is trapped as well.

*   *   *

Behind the large stone door that guards the entrance to the island's underground, two monsters react to a rumbling, pounding sound coming from the other side.

Suddenly, the door explodes inwards!  Two large figures step into the darkness. 

The Medic and the Grenadier have finally infiltrated the island's underground.

*   *   *

In the skies high above Mega Monster Island, the Sniper aids his teammates on the ground by offering a cover of blaster fire.

The monsters below are easily picked off by the Sniper's Mega rifle.  

*   *   *

Elsewhere on the island, the Blaster has left his damaged Mega Mech behind and has set out to regroup with his other teammates.  Amidst the battles raging around the island, this lone soldier has gone unnoticed, when a sound from behind stops him in his tracks.

The Blaster turns, activates his Mega weapon, and waits for whatever is following him.

From behind the trees emerges Rook in his monster form!

"Dude!  I almost blasted you!" the Blaster exclaims as he deactivates his Mega weapon.  "A war's not really the best time to sneak up on your allies, ya know?"

"Then I guess I'm lucky you blast with restraint" Rook replies.  "Why are you out here all by yourself?  Where's the rest of your squad"?

"My mech was damaged by one of the Shadow Brothers.  I managed to take him out, but the Medic ordered me to regroup with the others.  You were leading the other squad.  Where are they?"

"I sent them away" Rook says, "when we came across an elite Mega Monster.  They should be back at the beach".

"Then let's round them up.  Things are going to get really hot here, really quickly."

*   *   *

In the Mega Monster Master's lair at the heart of the island, the Nurse uses the Pilot's mech to attack the stunned Master.  The Pilot activates his Mega cutters and engages the Master's second-in-command, the Bloody Watcher.

As the Nurse blocks a strike from the Master, the beast clamps his jaws on the mech's shield and rips it away.

The Master slams his body into the mech, tackling it to the ground before the Nurse can get a shot off with the blaster.  The Pilot corners the Bloody Watcher.

The Master's bodyguards approach the Pilot from behind.  He senses their advance and takes a ready stance between the monsters.

One of the bodyguards makes a move and the Pilot turns to face it.

In the instant the Pilot looks away, the Bloody Watcher fires a powerful optic blast that tears through the Pilot's back.

The Pilot falls...

*   *   *

In the winding tunnels beneath the surface of the island, the Grenadier and the Medic take down all who stand in their way.

From within their lab, Podmus, Nocero, and the Clonefish listen to the skirmishes outside.

In another moment, the two Mega Monster Fighters have entered the lab.  The Master's monster makers are trapped before the blasters of the heroes.

A small squad of Thinmen rush at the intruders...

...But they quickly fall to the firepower of the Mega mechs.

The monster makers are now defenceless against the Mega Monster Fighters.

"Our commander has been taken by an Eye Goo.  Where is he?!" the Medic shouts at the captured monsters.

"*blurb* Your leader has been given an audience with the Mega Monster Master *blurb*.  He's probably already *blub* dead!" The Clonefish says as he smiles a defiant toothy grin.

The Medic's blaster erupts and the Clonefish becomes a smoking corpse; his smile now forever twisted in surprise.

"Take us to your Master.  Now!" The Medic commands.

"You expect us to just lead you straight to our exulted maker?  You must be joking!" Podmus exclaims.

"Does I look like I'm joking?" The Medic asks, coldly.

Podmus hesitates, then relents, "Very well, we will take you to the Master..."

*   *   *

As the Blaster and Rook make their way back towards the beach, they come across the body of a teammate that has been completely crushed.

"Woah." The Blaster says as he examines the body.  "What could flatten a human being like this?"

As if on cue, a giant foot slams down onto the body.  The earthquaking shockwave sends the Mega Monster Fighters crashing to the ground.

Before them stands a Mega Monster larger than anything ever encountered.  Giant muscles bulge all over it's massive body.  It's rock hard skin sparkles like diamonds.  Huge jagged spines line it's back, and it's razor sharp teeth shine like gold.

"Dude, we're screwed!" The Blaster says as he prepares for his final stand.

The beast of beasts steps towards the two monster fighters and emits a roar unlike anything the planet has ever heard.

A small explosion erupts on from the side of the beast's head...

...And the ground trembles as the creature topples at the feet of the stunned heroes.

"Well, that one makes an even fifty for me".  The Sniper says as he lands his mech on the beast's corpse.  He leaves his mech standing there as he exits it.

"How many did you get?"

"I... I don't even have the words..." the Blaster stutters.

"How did you..." Rook starts.

"What?  Oh, him?" the Sniper looks back at the giant monster, "Yeah, he's pretty big.  A headshot's still a headshot though."

Rook and the Blaster stand in silence.

"Where are the others?" the Sniper asks.

"They went underground, after the Mega Monster Master." the Blaster says.

"Alright.  Rook, I saw your squad back at the beach.  Let's regroup with them and wait for the others to  contact us".  The Sniper starts to head off into the jungle on foot.

"Hey, you're just going to leave your mech here?" Rook asks.

"Why are you leaving your mech here?"

"To complete the mission." the Sniper says.

"What are you talking about?"

"Our mechs are armed with MNB's."

"Mega Nuclear Bombs" the Blaster adds.

"What?" Rook exclaims.

"We're going to destroy the island." the Sniper says.  "There are monsters here that can read minds.  We needed to be able to get our mechs to key points around the island without them being the target of every monster here.  If the majority of us don't what our real endgame is, the monsters won't either.  By the time they figure that out, it'll be too late.

"...Okay." Rook says as he quietly returns to his human form.

"Each of the Mega mechs here, and that Cyberbike we brought with us, are ready to detonate at the Pilot's command.  We need to get to the beach and prepare to evacuate.  It won't be long now."

*   *   *

Pinned under the weight of the Mega Monster Master, the Nurse still manages to twist the blaster under his body and fire a shot into his shoulder.

The Pilot's mech as been damaged by the Master and the legs no longer function.  The Nurse exits the mech and activates her Mega knife.

"Your leader has fallen.  The battle is lost.  Why bother resistAAARRGH!" the Bloody Watcher had started to gloat...

...When the Nurse sinks her Mega knife deep within the Watcher's flesh.

The Nurse grabs the Pilot's Mega cutters and turns to face the Master's advancing bodyguards.

Wounded but not yet fully disabled, the Bloody Watcher fires an optic blast into the Nurse.  She drops the Mega cutters and turns to face the Watcher.

The Nurse stares straight into the Bloody Watcher's eye as he fires another optic blast into her.

*   *   *

At the beach where the Mega Monster Fighters first arrived, Rook's team waits.  One of them sees something in the distance.

"Look, there's something coming out of the jungle!"

From out of the trees comes Rook, the Sniper, and the Blaster.

"Prepare to evacuate!" Rook orders.

*   *   *

In the tunnels under the island, Podmus and Nocero take the Medic and the Grenadier to another large stone door.

"Beyond this door is the lair of our glorious Master.  Open it, and you'll find your leader." Podmus says.

"I don't think so" the Medic replies, "There could be anything behind that door.  You open it."

"Very well." Podmus says as he moves to open the door.

"You are clever not to trust your enemy.  But the trap is sprung either way."

"Your commander killed our Master's Eye Goo, trapping them both at the heart of the island.  Eye Goo teleportation is the only way to reach the island's heart, but our Master still lives.  Your plans have failed.  I just thought you should know this before you died.  Shadow Brothers, kill them!"

As the two remaining Shadow Brothers rush towards the Medic, Nocero drives his horn through the chest of the Grenadier's mech.

In a flash, the Shadow Brother's remove the one good arm from the Medic's mech.  They come around for another strike.

Nocero has the Grenadier's mech on the ground.  He stomps on it again and again, his weight beginning to crack the armored shell.

Now the Shadow Brothers have cut the legs off at the knees on the Medic's mech.  Then the head is severed.  Locked away in the torso of his mech, the Medic is helpless.

The Grenadier painfully exists his mech, his side gravely injured from Nocero's horn strike.

"Oooh, this is lovely!" Nocero exclaims, "Is this a dying breath defiance?  We monster makers in the lab never get to hear any of these!  Tell me, what do you have to say before you die?"

"....*cough* Talk is cheap" the Grenadier chokes, "that's why I use grenades..."

Nocero's eyes lock on the large black Mega grenade clutched in the Grenadier's arms.

"Oh no..."

The explosion rocks the lab, and when the dust clears no one is left standing.

One Shadow Brother is killed instantly, his head crushed beneath one of the legs from the Medic's mech, sent flying in the blast.

The chest on the Medic's mech opens, and the injured Mega Monster Fighter crawls out.

Making his way across the floor, he climbs onto the Grenadier's mech and checks the status of the MNB.  Then he attempts to contact the others on the beach.

"Come in.  If there are any survivors out there, come in."

"Sniper here, we hear you Medic."

"Sniper.  The Grenadier is dead.  Our mechs are compromised and the Pilot and Nurse are trapped at the heart of the island.  We can't escape..."

"...Roger that...  Has the Pilot given the command?"

"I... I don't think so.  He could have been killed as well..."

"Sniper..." the Medic says, "you have to get the others off the island...  It's too..."

"Medic, you're breaking up" the Sniper says, "Are you there?  Is there another way to activate the detonation sequence?  Medic!"

*   *   *

Deep in the heart of the island, the Pilot stares upwards.  He feels his strength leaving him.  Beside him the Nurse is already gone.

The Pilot manages to roll onto his side.  He inches towards the Nurse.

"What's this?  Heroics till the end?  Admirable, but it's too late to save her, I assure you." the Bloody Watcher taunts.

"Too late?  Maybe you should take a closer look at the situation!" the Pilot replies.

"YeeeeaaaAAAAARGH!!!" the Bloody Watcher wails as the Pilot drives his Mega cutter's into the monster's eye.

As the Bloody Watcher rolls around the chamber in agony, one of the Master's bodyguards slams into the Pilot and throws him against his mech.

Suddenly, a large clawed hand crunches down onto the Pilot's body.

"Fool!  Did you really believe you could come to my island, my home, and defeat me!?" the Master cries.

"No amount of allies, no amount of weapons, nothing you could ever do would be good enough to stop me!"

"I am the creator of the new age of this world!  The future bends to my will!  Who are you?  A small man in a metal suit.  You sought to defy a god and you have failed!"

The Master stops at the faintest of sounds.  He listens.  They're coming from the man under his foot.  Laughter?

"What is this?  What is so amusing to you!?"

"...*choke*... It's just this whole situation... reminds me of this old joke.  It's...*cough* it's a little after your time... but I think you'll like it..."

"What are you blubbering about!?"

"... Trust me, it's hilarious... A dragon goes into a bar, and he says, 'Leader Mech, initiate sequence 131231.  Password: FIREWORKS.'"

"WHAT!?" the Master bellows.

"Are you ready for the punchline?" the Pilot smiles.

The chamber suddenly fills with a blinding bright light, followed by an explosion that obliterates everything in the room.

Throughout the island, the same blinding light precedes the same massive destruction.

Far off in the distance, heading farther away with every second, some of the people in the escaping aircraft look back at the giant mushroom cloud behind them, and the island that used to be there.

*   *   *

No sacrifice is needless...

No death is in vain...

As long as there are those left alive to remember them.

*   *   *

"What?  After everything that's happened, everything we've overcome together, you're leaving?" Rook asks, shocked.

"Everything we've done together was to fulfil a purpose, and that purpose has been fulfilled." the Sniper says.

"My ancestors once wondered the land, tied to no single place but serving the many.  Many of them died fighting the enemy we just defeated.  I intend to honor them by carrying on the journey they were forced to abandon."

"Fate brought us together before, and it may one day bring us together again.  Until that day comes..."

"Goodbye."

"Well, now what" Chopper asks.  "What do Mega Monster Fighters do when there are no more Mega Monsters".

"We destroyed their island, but it's a big world out there." Rook says.  "We do what we do best."

*   *   *

"Come in!  Anyone!  We are under attack!  A Lamprey Hopper is wiping us out!"

"Mega Monsters HQ.  We hear you soldier, hold tight!".

"Reports are confirmed sir, we have monsters."

"Well then.."

"This is it boys, the day we've been waiting for.  You ready?" Blaster asks.

"Just say the word!" Chopper says.

"What about you rookies, you ready?" Rook asks.

"YES SIR!"

"Then what are we waiting for?  Suit up!"

SPRINTER.  BULLSEYE.  COVER-FIRE.

RAID.

CHOPPER.

BLASTER.

"Alright Rook"

ROOK.

"Lead us out."

And that's it!  AMAMOTM is in the bag!  Sure, things didn't always show up on time, but I finished it!  It's done.  I doubt I'll ever do something like this again either.  It was fun, but it got to the point where I felt like I couldn't do the blog posts I wanted to because I had to finish the next instalment of AMAMOTM.  

Still, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself, and hopefully you enjoyed yourselves too.  What started as a random story I was doing just for the sake of doing it became something I actually put a lot of effort into (even if it doesn't show).  Now I'm looking forward to going back to my regular ol' toy spotlights.

Before I fully close up shop on AMAMOTM though, I want to look at two figures:  With army men toys, you never know what you're going to come across.  They've been around for years and I'm sure they'll be around for years to come.  And out of all the different kinds of lost toys you come across on the ground, little green army men are probably found.  Like this guy.

I found this army man in a parking lot near Walmart, and he's obviously been run over.  A bunch of times.  I knew when I saw him that I'd have to pick him up and use him as some kind of Mega Monster's victim.  He had to wait till the last instalment, but I got him in there.  The other army man next to him shows what he's supposed to look like.

Then there's this guy.  Lots of army men toys can be found with production flaws.  Some are missing parts, others just don't look very detailed.  This guy has this... thing on his head.  But for some reason, I can't bring myself to cut it off.  It's just so weird.  I figured I would use it as part of some strange storyline, but it never happened.  He still made it into AMAMOTM as a guy in the crowd at the memorial near the end, even if you only see his arm.  But he's in there!  He's towards the back.

Alright.  This is by now probably the longest blog post I've ever done.  What else is left to say besides thanks for coming along for the ride that is AMAMOTM!

Everything else up till now:

AMAMOTM - January

AMAMOTM - February

AMAMOTM - March

AMAMOTM - April

AMAMOTM - May

AMAMOTM - June

AMAMOTM - July

AMAMOTM - August

AMAMOTM - September

AMAMOTM - October

AMAMOTM - November