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Description
Sex: Male

Species: Mutated vulture

Location of origin: Mojave Desert

Date encountered: June 9th, 1978

Total height: 17 meters (57ft)

Total Wingspan: 50 meters (164ft)

Total weight: 180 metric tons

Threat level: Medium

Aggression level: Medium

Known mutations:

-Flesh-eating disease transmitted through bite or scratch. Not immediately effective, slowly spreads from the site of infection and causes severe and painful necrosis. Used to weaken stronger prey. Not a single strain of bacteria, but rather a cocktail acquired from feeding on hundreds of corpses.

-Surrounded by a thick cloud of droning flies that act as a shield or smokescreen. Flies make targeting the Lord with homing projectiles or even establishing line of sight difficult. Flies can attack enemies that get too close; though they are unable to cause any serious damage, their presence can blind and irritate attackers. Flies live and grow within the down and feathers on the Lord's body.

-Can dislodge flesh-eating maggots from feathers. Maggots burrow into the flesh of an attacker and eat them alive. Maggots feed on bits of rotting flesh caught on the Lord's body.

-Razor sharp talons typically used for shearing into decaying flesh, but can be used as a potent defensive weapon.

-Total immunity to disease. The Lord's body possesses miraculous immunity to nearly all forms of disease, gained through it's primary diet of putrid flesh. Could provide a wealth of valuable medical research.

-Enhanced muscles allow it to fly faster and longer than most bird species. Can keep up with most civilian aircraft.

History:

Even before mutating into the flying monstrosity it is today, the Lord of Decay was an abnormally large vulture that roamed the vast expanse of the Mojave Desert. It's large size made it dominant among it's kind, often getting first dibs on carcasses to feed upon. However this individual was destined for more than just a petty life of scavenging for scraps, it was destined to walk among giants. Since 1977, the Mojave area had seen an influx of dreadful canine mutants known to humanity as "The Cryptids"; ferocious, bloodthirsty monsters that stalked the night in search of prey.

Ironically, these creatures were actually fleeing from their previous territory due to humans hunting them down after they had caused significant trouble in Arizona where they originated from. A year later, the Cryptids had gotten better at evading human hunters, but one of their kind would still be killed occasionally. The body of the creatures would be left to rot in the blazing desert sun and scavengers of all varieties would come to feast, including the vulture that would become the Lord of Decay. Meal after meal, the bird would take in increasing levels of Nebranium radiation that would begin to quickly alter it's body. Tumors and other cancers would grow on it's body, feathers would fall out, it's skin would stretch and expand to accommodate a rapidly growing skeleton.

Within only a few months, this abnormally large specimen would reach enormous proportions and sought out larger meals. Other mutants spawned either through dump sites scattered throughout the desert or by other means were prime targets. Most of these creatures were much smaller than it and offered little resistance to the bird's predations. The vulture would learn to memorize the locations of Nebranium dump sites to scout out in search of food. Many of these sites would be eventually searched by the US Military for mutant activity, but would be surprised by the lack thereof. These sites were relatively backwater and poorly maintained, and surely would have created several giant monstrosities by now.

Though no live mutants were ever found, plenty of dead ones were located scattered throughout the Mojave desert. Almost all of them had been reduced to bleached bones picked clean of flesh. Over 15 different sets of remains were found, each within a few miles of a dump site. The cause of death in all cases was unknown, and lack of evidence at the sites did little to help solve the mystery. As military activity around the sites increased, so did sightings of a large bird. The animal usually circled the sites at extremely high altitudes, much higher than normal avians. At this altitude, it was likely that this animal was even bigger than it appeared from the ground. Suspecting a mutant, the US Air Force was called in to investigate the situation.

Two F-15s arrived within half an hour and approached the strange creature. Visibility was extremely poor, not because of weather but because the creature was shrouded in some strange dark cloud. Seemingly aware that it was being watched, the creature descended to a lower altitude and the fighter planes followed. The dark cloud seemed to have difficulty keeping up with the creature, allowing the fighter pilots to gain momentary glimpses of the creature. It was indeed gigantic in size, with an estimated wingspan of around 164 feet in length. Confirming that the creature was a mutant, the order was given to open fire. Difficulties immediately arose when the pilots were unable to lock onto the mutant with their missiles due to interference from the strange black cloud surrounding the creature.

The fighters switched to their machine guns and unleashed a torrent of lead at the creature. The projectiles seemed to irritate the mutant but had little other effect as it continued to descend towards the ground. The fighters were in hot pursuit, engines roaring as they chased the abomination. Suddenly the creature opened it's wings like a parachute, instantly reducing it's speed and allowing the fighters to fly past it.....and into the dark cloud that surrounded it. The dark cloud was revealed to be hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions of flies that swarmed the fighter planes. The flies buzzed around the cockpits of the fighters, obscuring vision as well as flying into the engines of the jets. Though many died in this endeavor, many more would join their kin until the engines of the fighters were totally clogged with countless thousands of flies.

Sputtering out and quickly falling to the ground, the pilots ejected from their doomed aircraft and watched as they plummeted to the ground in a fiery explosion. From behind, they heard the beating of enormous wings. With their parachutes deployed, they were easy prey for the colossal avian that was surely coming to finish them off for good. However instead of snatching the helpless humans out of the sky, the mutant simply glided past them; it's milky, dilated pupils examining them as it went by. Uninterested in these tiny creatures, the huge vulture ascended into the skies once more with a heave of it's huge wings.

After the pilots were debriefed on their encounter with the mutant, the US military began planning their next phase to eradicate this new creature despite it's apparent passiveness. The vulture would be lured to a kill-zone using several tons of spoiled meat that they hoped would give off a strong enough odor to attract the vulture to feed. Tanks, infantry and surface-to-air missile emplacements would be employed to kill the vulture once the trap is sprung. At the site of the ambush, a fleet of dump trucks arrived hauling a foul smelling cargo: several dozen tons of spoiled and rotten meat ranging from beef to fish were dumped in a large pile in hopes that the mutant would take the bait.

Two hours passed before radar detected a massive object approaching the ambush site. Turning their attention to the sky, the humans could see the dark cloud of flies in the sky with the vague silhouette of the vulture flickering in and out from within it's living shield. The creature circled above, inspecting the conveniently meal below it as well as the human activity that surrounded this rancid buffet. The vulture gracefully descended from the heavens like a hideous angel of death and gently touched down on the hot desert floor. Cocking it's head left and right, it carefully watched the humans who readied and aimed their weapons at the mutant. The vulture hopped forward on it's muscular legs towards it's quarry, extending out it's lumpy, wrinkled neck as it sunk it's head into the rotten meat pile and began to feed.

However right before the order to open fire could be given, the ground began to tremble with enough intensity to knock soldiers off their feet. About 40 meters from the meat pile, the ground buckled and heaved as something huge broke it's way out from the packed dirt of the desert. Two massive pincers and a small, insectoid head emerged from the ground followed by a segmented body lined with spiny clawed legs. A long, scythe-tipped stinger was the last to emerge from the ground as this new threat revealed itself in it's entirety: a colossal black scorpion of hideous, misshapen proportions had also detected the foul buffet and sought to stake a claim on it. It's malformed, glistening exoskeleton bore white marks all over it's body that resembled a skeleton- even it's small head was vaguely skull shaped, with a large white spot on the face to further accentuate this grim reaper-like appearance.

The vulture paused it's feeding and observed this newcomer, which it immediately perceived as a threat. The vulture adopted an aggressive stance by spreading it's wings and hunching it's neck with it's beak wide open. The arachnid paid no attention to this intimidation display and continued towards it's meal. The vulture hissed and performed a mock lunge at the scorpion while beating it's wings. Only now did the scorpion react, raising it's malformed pincers and bringing it's mighty stinger to bear. The vulture lunged again, this time fully intending to attack this would-be thief. The Scorpion was much faster on the draw and with a lightning fast strike, the arachnid's bladed stinger struck the vulture in the right shoulder and piercing clean through it's flesh.

The vulture shrieked as the scorpion retracted it's stinger before scuttling forward on it's many legs, both pincers ready to strike. Despite it's injury, the vulture was far from defeated as it leapt into the air with it's sharp talons brought to bear before bringing it's weight down on the arachnid's body. The scorpion recoiled from the impact but quickly preformed a counterattack as it felt the vulture's talons sink into it's armored shell. The arachnid's stinger struck again, the bladed end missing the vulture's head by mere inches. Stirring from within the vulture's feathers, a swarm of flies began to surround the bird and attack the scorpion. The flies attacked everywhere they could, biting at the scorpion's compound eyes or gaps in it's armor plates. The vulture bit into a rend in the scorpion's armor with it's sharp beak, pulling away several ribbons of flesh that dripped a pale yellow ichor.

Having seen enough of this battle, the military forces assembled opened fire on both of the creatures with everything they had at their disposal. A guided missile struck the ground inches from the two creatures, sending the vulture sprawling to the ground. Being hollow boned and of a much lighter weight, these powerful explosives had a much more damaging effect on it than the sturdy exoskeleton of the scorpion. Several tank rounds impacted against the ribs of the vulture, leaving painful bruises that made the avian shriek. An armor-piercing, explosive projectile from a Bratton Mk II rifle punched clean through the wound created by the scorpion's stinger earlier and caused even more internal damage. The vulture began to lose focus, it's vision beginning to blur and legs becoming weak as the scorpion's venom began to take effect.

Combined with the pain caused by the human's weapons, the avian's body could go no further, and promptly collapsed to the ground, seemingly dead. The scorpion was faring much better, wading through barrages of tank rounds and missiles thanks to it's thick chitin plates. Only precise hits to gaps in it's armor with a Bratton rifle or a tank caused any noticeable damage to the huge arachnid. A strike from it's bladed stinger literally sheared a missile launcher vehicle cleanly in half. Another impaled a helpless soldier and flung him through the air. Using it's club-like left pincer, the scorpion batted aside tanks and vehicles like they were toys. Unable to stop the rampaging arachnid, the military called for a retreat to Nellis Air Force Base. As the humans fled, the scorpion gave chase, leaving the meat pile and the vulture behind.

A whole day went by as the vulture slowly regained consciousness. The humans and scorpion had long since left the area, and no other threats seemed to be nearby. It's retune of flies had been reduced to but a scant few swarms that buzzed around the rotting meat pile. The avian weakly got back up, keeping it's injured wing outstretched as the wound had already begun to scab over. Weak and hungry from it's lost battle, the avian began to eat it's fill from the would-be trap before resting and healing for the rest of the day. Inevitably it would encounter this foe once again, and it needed to be at full strength to do so. After another day or so, the vulture had the strength to take flight once more, and it flew away from the site of it's greatest defeat.

It's return was quickly noted by the US Air Force as it flew over Nellis AFB, or rather what was left of it. The mutant scorpion had followed the humans back to the base where it attacked again: the entire might of a military base was not enough to bring the armored mutant down. However, survivors noted that the wound the vulture inflicted on the scorpion's back seemed to be gravely infected, indicating that the scorpion may have contracted some kind of disease from the avian, no doubt from the innumerable species of bacteria that it accrued over years of feeding on carrion.

However the massive arachnid was't finished it's rampage yet, the beast was now on a direct path towards Las Vegas, traveling along I-15 and ravaging anything in it's path. With the loss of Nellis, there was little resistance the military or Air Force could muster against the mutant. However the scorpion's rampage was not about to go totally unchallenged- from above, a high pitched shriek filled the air as the resurrected vulture descended from the skies; a fallen angle rejected by death itself. The scorpion took up a defensive stance with it's pincers raised and it's stinger curled to strike. The vulture landed 50 meters away from the scorpion and spread it's wings wide.

The scorpion recognized this intimidation display and attacked immediately, scuttling close enough to be within stinging range before striking with the deadly appendage. The avian immediately took flight to evade the strike and latched onto the stinger with it's clawed feet. Unable to use it's main weapon, the scorpion attempted to use it's pincers to snap at the vulture, but was unable to reach. The vulture lurched forward with a powerful stroke of it's wings, dragging the scorpion across the ground. The arachnid dug it's legs into the concrete and asphalt to try and prevent itself from being dragged any further. Eventually the vulture let go, circling around as to face it's enemy once more. Again, the vulture struck with it's mighty talons, sinking them into the faux eye holes of the arachnid's skull-like head and damaging several of it's compound eyes.

Momentarily blinded, the scorpion backed away from it's attacker as the vulture's diminished shroud of flies emerged from it's feathers to surround their host. The scorpion's festering wound on it's back was beginning to take it's toll: it had contracted a ravaging flesh-eating bacteria that was gradually breaking down all tissue around the site of infection. This debilitating illness was sapping it's strength and greatly weakening it's defenses. Sensing that it's enemy was weak, the vulture pressed it's attack, narrowly evading a stinger strike that punched a hole in a small office building instead of it's intended target. Quickly following up, the scorpion lashed out with it's clubbed left pincer, batting the vulture with enough force to send it flying off course and into a parking lot filled with cars and people.

The impact rattled the fragile flyer, as it struggled to get back up. It's cloud of flies assaulted the scorpion, going for the eyes and the festering wound on it's back. Though they proved to be little more than an irritant, they stalled the arachnid long enough for the vulture to recover and attack. The avian leapt into the air and brought it's talons down into the scorpion's wound, sinking them deep into the necrotizing flesh. With a lunge of it's beak, it seized the scorpion's tail by the base of it's stinger to prevent it from being used. The arachnid flailed it's pincers wildly as it scuttled around trying to dislodge this pest. With It's right pincer that sported forked tarsus, the arachnid grabbed the bird by it's leg and squeezed with enough force to audibly crack bone. The vulture let go with a howl of pain, attempting to take off.

Before the avian could take flight, the scorpion's stinger performed two lightning fast strikes which both speared the bird of prey through the ribs. Blood wept from the wounds as the scorpion struck again and again, each sting shearing through flesh and feathers like a hot knife through butter. Knowing that it was likely going to die, the vulture attempted one final attack to take it's enemy to the grave with it. Mustering it's last ounces of strength, the vulture dug it's talons once again into the open wound of the scorpion. The arachnid hissed in pain as it's enemy's talons dug ever deeper. The scorpion struck again, stabbing the vulture through the armpit with the bladed stinger exiting the other end.

Ignoring the pain, the avian shook it's massive wings like a rattlesnake would with it's tail- Thousands of maggots fell out from between it's feathers like a living, writhing rain and landed inside the grotesquely infected wound of the scorpion. The fly larvae quickly got to work literally eating the scorpion from the inside out as the flesh-eating disease continued to destroy any healthy tissue it came across. Caked in each other's blood and on the verge of death, the two mutants weakly bit and clawed at each other as their life energies faded with each passing second. Bits and pieces of chitin armor sloughed off of the scorpion's body in a slurry of blood and pus as the disease and maggots utterly destroyed it from within. The vulture stumbled from it's broken leg and the oozing stab wounds all over it's body.

The scorpion was the first to finally give in to death's embrace as it's legs gave out and it crashed to the ground. Post-mortem reflexes made the arachnid's tail and legs twitch as it's nervous system received the final transmissions from it's primitive brain. Then at last, the vulture spread it's wings and collapsed onto it's dead rival, it's eyes taking one last look at it's surroundings before glazing over. The cloud of flies that once surrounded the vulture quickly dissipated, abandoning their host and master. The maggots dispensed by the vulture could be seen literally wiggling beneath the soft flesh of the dead scorpion as they continued their feeding frenzy despite their enemy having expired.

The remains of both monsters were eventually removed from the city and disposed of in a secluded location in the Mojave desert. In a sort of twisted irony, buzzards and other scavengers fed on the remains of these two embodiments of death and decay. However where there is death, there is rebirth: within a nest secluded in a rocky outcropping sheltered from the desert sun, several vulture chicks lay bunched together as their mother returns with a large slab of flesh from one of the dead mutants which she drops into the nest for her infants to eat. The chicks gobble up pieces of the contaminated meat with a hungry fervor, unaware that their fates had been sealed the moment they ingested the contaminated meat. The mother and most of the chicks will die from Nebranium poisoning, but those that survive will become the new Lords of Decay...

Description
Sex: Male

Species: Mutated vulture

Location of origin: Mojave Desert

Date encountered: June 9th, 1978

Total height: 17 meters (57ft)

Total Wingspan: 50 meters (164ft)

Total weight: 180 metric tons

Threat level: Medium

Aggression level: Medium

Known mutations:

-Flesh-eating disease transmitted through bite or scratch. Not immediately effective, slowly spreads from the site of infection and causes severe and painful necrosis. Used to weaken stronger prey. Not a single strain of bacteria, but rather a cocktail acquired from feeding on hundreds of corpses.

-Surrounded by a thick cloud of droning flies that act as a shield or smokescreen. Flies make targeting the Lord with homing projectiles or even establishing line of sight difficult. Flies can attack enemies that get too close; though they are unable to cause any serious damage, their presence can blind and irritate attackers. Flies live and grow within the down and feathers on the Lord's body.

-Can dislodge flesh-eating maggots from feathers. Maggots burrow into the flesh of an attacker and eat them alive. Maggots feed on bits of rotting flesh caught on the Lord's body.

-Razor sharp talons typically used for shearing into decaying flesh, but can be used as a potent defensive weapon.

-Total immunity to disease. The Lord's body possesses miraculous immunity to nearly all forms of disease, gained through it's primary diet of putrid flesh. Could provide a wealth of valuable medical research.

-Enhanced muscles allow it to fly faster and longer than most bird species. Can keep up with most civilian aircraft.

History:

Even before mutating into the flying monstrosity it is today, the Lord of Decay was an abnormally large vulture that roamed the vast expanse of the Mojave Desert. It's large size made it dominant among it's kind, often getting first dibs on carcasses to feed upon. However this individual was destined for more than just a petty life of scavenging for scraps, it was destined to walk among giants. Since 1977, the Mojave area had seen an influx of dreadful canine mutants known to humanity as "The Cryptids"; ferocious, bloodthirsty monsters that stalked the night in search of prey.

Ironically, these creatures were actually fleeing from their previous territory due to humans hunting them down after they had caused significant trouble in Arizona where they originated from. A year later, the Cryptids had gotten better at evading human hunters, but one of their kind would still be killed occasionally. The body of the creatures would be left to rot in the blazing desert sun and scavengers of all varieties would come to feast, including the vulture that would become the Lord of Decay. Meal after meal, the bird would take in increasing levels of Nebranium radiation that would begin to quickly alter it's body. Tumors and other cancers would grow on it's body, feathers would fall out, it's skin would stretch and expand to accommodate a rapidly growing skeleton.

Within only a few months, this abnormally large specimen would reach enormous proportions and sought out larger meals. Other mutants spawned either through dump sites scattered throughout the desert or by other means were prime targets. Most of these creatures were much smaller than it and offered little resistance to the bird's predations. The vulture would learn to memorize the locations of Nebranium dump sites to scout out in search of food. Many of these sites would be eventually searched by the US Military for mutant activity, but would be surprised by the lack thereof. These sites were relatively backwater and poorly maintained, and surely would have created several giant monstrosities by now.

Though no live mutants were ever found, plenty of dead ones were located scattered throughout the Mojave desert. Almost all of them had been reduced to bleached bones picked clean of flesh. Over 15 different sets of remains were found, each within a few miles of a dump site. The cause of death in all cases was unknown, and lack of evidence at the sites did little to help solve the mystery. As military activity around the sites increased, so did sightings of a large bird. The animal usually circled the sites at extremely high altitudes, much higher than normal avians. At this altitude, it was likely that this animal was even bigger than it appeared from the ground. Suspecting a mutant, the US Air Force was called in to investigate the situation.

Two F-15s arrived within half an hour and approached the strange creature. Visibility was extremely poor, not because of weather but because the creature was shrouded in some strange dark cloud. Seemingly aware that it was being watched, the creature descended to a lower altitude and the fighter planes followed. The dark cloud seemed to have difficulty keeping up with the creature, allowing the fighter pilots to gain momentary glimpses of the creature. It was indeed gigantic in size, with an estimated wingspan of around 164 feet in length. Confirming that the creature was a mutant, the order was given to open fire. Difficulties immediately arose when the pilots were unable to lock onto the mutant with their missiles due to interference from the strange black cloud surrounding the creature.

The fighters switched to their machine guns and unleashed a torrent of lead at the creature. The projectiles seemed to irritate the mutant but had little other effect as it continued to descend towards the ground. The fighters were in hot pursuit, engines roaring as they chased the abomination. Suddenly the creature opened it's wings like a parachute, instantly reducing it's speed and allowing the fighters to fly past it.....and into the dark cloud that surrounded it. The dark cloud was revealed to be hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions of flies that swarmed the fighter planes. The flies buzzed around the cockpits of the fighters, obscuring vision as well as flying into the engines of the jets. Though many died in this endeavor, many more would join their kin until the engines of the fighters were totally clogged with countless thousands of flies.

Sputtering out and quickly falling to the ground, the pilots ejected from their doomed aircraft and watched as they plummeted to the ground in a fiery explosion. From behind, they heard the beating of enormous wings. With their parachutes deployed, they were easy prey for the colossal avian that was surely coming to finish them off for good. However instead of snatching the helpless humans out of the sky, the mutant simply glided past them; it's milky, dilated pupils examining them as it went by. Uninterested in these tiny creatures, the huge vulture ascended into the skies once more with a heave of it's huge wings.

After the pilots were debriefed on their encounter with the mutant, the US military began planning their next phase to eradicate this new creature despite it's apparent passiveness. The vulture would be lured to a kill-zone using several tons of spoiled meat that they hoped would give off a strong enough odor to attract the vulture to feed. Tanks, infantry and surface-to-air missile emplacements would be employed to kill the vulture once the trap is sprung. At the site of the ambush, a fleet of dump trucks arrived hauling a foul smelling cargo: several dozen tons of spoiled and rotten meat ranging from beef to fish were dumped in a large pile in hopes that the mutant would take the bait.

Two hours passed before radar detected a massive object approaching the ambush site. Turning their attention to the sky, the humans could see the dark cloud of flies in the sky with the vague silhouette of the vulture flickering in and out from within it's living shield. The creature circled above, inspecting the conveniently meal below it as well as the human activity that surrounded this rancid buffet. The vulture gracefully descended from the heavens like a hideous angel of death and gently touched down on the hot desert floor. Cocking it's head left and right, it carefully watched the humans who readied and aimed their weapons at the mutant. The vulture hopped forward on it's muscular legs towards it's quarry, extending out it's lumpy, wrinkled neck as it sunk it's head into the rotten meat pile and began to feed.

However right before the order to open fire could be given, the ground began to tremble with enough intensity to knock soldiers off their feet. About 40 meters from the meat pile, the ground buckled and heaved as something huge broke it's way out from the packed dirt of the desert. Two massive pincers and a small, insectoid head emerged from the ground followed by a segmented body lined with spiny clawed legs. A long, scythe-tipped stinger was the last to emerge from the ground as this new threat revealed itself in it's entirety: a colossal black scorpion of hideous, misshapen proportions had also detected the foul buffet and sought to stake a claim on it. It's malformed, glistening exoskeleton bore white marks all over it's body that resembled a skeleton- even it's small head was vaguely skull shaped, with a large white spot on the face to further accentuate this grim reaper-like appearance.

The vulture paused it's feeding and observed this newcomer, which it immediately perceived as a threat. The vulture adopted an aggressive stance by spreading it's wings and hunching it's neck with it's beak wide open. The arachnid paid no attention to this intimidation display and continued towards it's meal. The vulture hissed and performed a mock lunge at the scorpion while beating it's wings. Only now did the scorpion react, raising it's malformed pincers and bringing it's mighty stinger to bear. The vulture lunged again, this time fully intending to attack this would-be thief. The Scorpion was much faster on the draw and with a lightning fast strike, the arachnid's bladed stinger struck the vulture in the right shoulder and piercing clean through it's flesh.

The vulture shrieked as the scorpion retracted it's stinger before scuttling forward on it's many legs, both pincers ready to strike. Despite it's injury, the vulture was far from defeated as it leapt into the air with it's sharp talons brought to bear before bringing it's weight down on the arachnid's body. The scorpion recoiled from the impact but quickly preformed a counterattack as it felt the vulture's talons sink into it's armored shell. The arachnid's stinger struck again, the bladed end missing the vulture's head by mere inches. Stirring from within the vulture's feathers, a swarm of flies began to surround the bird and attack the scorpion. The flies attacked everywhere they could, biting at the scorpion's compound eyes or gaps in it's armor plates. The vulture bit into a rend in the scorpion's armor with it's sharp beak, pulling away several ribbons of flesh that dripped a pale yellow ichor.

Having seen enough of this battle, the military forces assembled opened fire on both of the creatures with everything they had at their disposal. A guided missile struck the ground inches from the two creatures, sending the vulture sprawling to the ground. Being hollow boned and of a much lighter weight, these powerful explosives had a much more damaging effect on it than the sturdy exoskeleton of the scorpion. Several tank rounds impacted against the ribs of the vulture, leaving painful bruises that made the avian shriek. An armor-piercing, explosive projectile from a Bratton Mk II rifle punched clean through the wound created by the scorpion's stinger earlier and caused even more internal damage. The vulture began to lose focus, it's vision beginning to blur and legs becoming weak as the scorpion's venom began to take effect.

Combined with the pain caused by the human's weapons, the avian's body could go no further, and promptly collapsed to the ground, seemingly dead. The scorpion was faring much better, wading through barrages of tank rounds and missiles thanks to it's thick chitin plates. Only precise hits to gaps in it's armor with a Bratton rifle or a tank caused any noticeable damage to the huge arachnid. A strike from it's bladed stinger literally sheared a missile launcher vehicle cleanly in half. Another impaled a helpless soldier and flung him through the air. Using it's club-like left pincer, the scorpion batted aside tanks and vehicles like they were toys. Unable to stop the rampaging arachnid, the military called for a retreat to Nellis Air Force Base. As the humans fled, the scorpion gave chase, leaving the meat pile and the vulture behind.

A whole day went by as the vulture slowly regained consciousness. The humans and scorpion had long since left the area, and no other threats seemed to be nearby. It's retune of flies had been reduced to but a scant few swarms that buzzed around the rotting meat pile. The avian weakly got back up, keeping it's injured wing outstretched as the wound had already begun to scab over. Weak and hungry from it's lost battle, the avian began to eat it's fill from the would-be trap before resting and healing for the rest of the day. Inevitably it would encounter this foe once again, and it needed to be at full strength to do so. After another day or so, the vulture had the strength to take flight once more, and it flew away from the site of it's greatest defeat.

It's return was quickly noted by the US Air Force as it flew over Nellis AFB, or rather what was left of it. The mutant scorpion had followed the humans back to the base where it attacked again: the entire might of a military base was not enough to bring the armored mutant down. However, survivors noted that the wound the vulture inflicted on the scorpion's back seemed to be gravely infected, indicating that the scorpion may have contracted some kind of disease from the avian, no doubt from the innumerable species of bacteria that it accrued over years of feeding on carrion.

However the massive arachnid was't finished it's rampage yet, the beast was now on a direct path towards Las Vegas, traveling along I-15 and ravaging anything in it's path. With the loss of Nellis, there was little resistance the military or Air Force could muster against the mutant. However the scorpion's rampage was not about to go totally unchallenged- from above, a high pitched shriek filled the air as the resurrected vulture descended from the skies; a fallen angle rejected by death itself. The scorpion took up a defensive stance with it's pincers raised and it's stinger curled to strike. The vulture landed 50 meters away from the scorpion and spread it's wings wide.

The scorpion recognized this intimidation display and attacked immediately, scuttling close enough to be within stinging range before striking with the deadly appendage. The avian immediately took flight to evade the strike and latched onto the stinger with it's clawed feet. Unable to use it's main weapon, the scorpion attempted to use it's pincers to snap at the vulture, but was unable to reach. The vulture lurched forward with a powerful stroke of it's wings, dragging the scorpion across the ground. The arachnid dug it's legs into the concrete and asphalt to try and prevent itself from being dragged any further. Eventually the vulture let go, circling around as to face it's enemy once more. Again, the vulture struck with it's mighty talons, sinking them into the faux eye holes of the arachnid's skull-like head and damaging several of it's compound eyes.

Momentarily blinded, the scorpion backed away from it's attacker as the vulture's diminished shroud of flies emerged from it's feathers to surround their host. The scorpion's festering wound on it's back was beginning to take it's toll: it had contracted a ravaging flesh-eating bacteria that was gradually breaking down all tissue around the site of infection. This debilitating illness was sapping it's strength and greatly weakening it's defenses. Sensing that it's enemy was weak, the vulture pressed it's attack, narrowly evading a stinger strike that punched a hole in a small office building instead of it's intended target. Quickly following up, the scorpion lashed out with it's clubbed left pincer, batting the vulture with enough force to send it flying off course and into a parking lot filled with cars and people.

The impact rattled the fragile flyer, as it struggled to get back up. It's cloud of flies assaulted the scorpion, going for the eyes and the festering wound on it's back. Though they proved to be little more than an irritant, they stalled the arachnid long enough for the vulture to recover and attack. The avian leapt into the air and brought it's talons down into the scorpion's wound, sinking them deep into the necrotizing flesh. With a lunge of it's beak, it seized the scorpion's tail by the base of it's stinger to prevent it from being used. The arachnid flailed it's pincers wildly as it scuttled around trying to dislodge this pest. With It's right pincer that sported forked tarsus, the arachnid grabbed the bird by it's leg and squeezed with enough force to audibly crack bone. The vulture let go with a howl of pain, attempting to take off.

Before the avian could take flight, the scorpion's stinger performed two lightning fast strikes which both speared the bird of prey through the ribs. Blood wept from the wounds as the scorpion struck again and again, each sting shearing through flesh and feathers like a hot knife through butter. Knowing that it was likely going to die, the vulture attempted one final attack to take it's enemy to the grave with it. Mustering it's last ounces of strength, the vulture dug it's talons once again into the open wound of the scorpion. The arachnid hissed in pain as it's enemy's talons dug ever deeper. The scorpion struck again, stabbing the vulture through the armpit with the bladed stinger exiting the other end.

Ignoring the pain, the avian shook it's massive wings like a rattlesnake would with it's tail- Thousands of maggots fell out from between it's feathers like a living, writhing rain and landed inside the grotesquely infected wound of the scorpion. The fly larvae quickly got to work literally eating the scorpion from the inside out as the flesh-eating disease continued to destroy any healthy tissue it came across. Caked in each other's blood and on the verge of death, the two mutants weakly bit and clawed at each other as their life energies faded with each passing second. Bits and pieces of chitin armor sloughed off of the scorpion's body in a slurry of blood and pus as the disease and maggots utterly destroyed it from within. The vulture stumbled from it's broken leg and the oozing stab wounds all over it's body.

The scorpion was the first to finally give in to death's embrace as it's legs gave out and it crashed to the ground. Post-mortem reflexes made the arachnid's tail and legs twitch as it's nervous system received the final transmissions from it's primitive brain. Then at last, the vulture spread it's wings and collapsed onto it's dead rival, it's eyes taking one last look at it's surroundings before glazing over. The cloud of flies that once surrounded the vulture quickly dissipated, abandoning their host and master. The maggots dispensed by the vulture could be seen literally wiggling beneath the soft flesh of the dead scorpion as they continued their feeding frenzy despite their enemy having expired.

The remains of both monsters were eventually removed from the city and disposed of in a secluded location in the Mojave desert. In a sort of twisted irony, buzzards and other scavengers fed on the remains of these two embodiments of death and decay. However where there is death, there is rebirth: within a nest secluded in a rocky outcropping sheltered from the desert sun, several vulture chicks lay bunched together as their mother returns with a large slab of flesh from one of the dead mutants which she drops into the nest for her infants to eat. The chicks gobble up pieces of the contaminated meat with a hungry fervor, unaware that their fates had been sealed the moment they ingested the contaminated meat. The mother and most of the chicks will die from Nebranium poisoning, but those that survive will become the new Lords of Decay...