Sorry. I included the wrong version in the last post. While re-reading,
I noticed the mistake. Should you read that one, you will be very
confused.
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: SMT9.txt
Chapter 9
"Damn me for a fool." Cyanide muttered as he began to run up
stairs for the second time that night. This time the cyborg killing machine
was above him, though. He wasn't sure if running towards it was so much
better. "These friggan girls are gonna get me killed."
The flashing lights of magical combat illuminated the night sky
above him. The crys of anger mixed with the retort of automatic weapons.
The electricity of a Supreme Thunder Dragon went straight through the
metal frame of the building, making Cyanide's hair stand on end.
Cyanide was thankful he was in excellent shape, as he was passing
the eighth floor and hand not yet begun to feel winded.
He stopped abruptly as he came to the ninth floor landing. There
wasn't a floor here, just a short metal platform which offered a quick break
in the stairs and a place to pass others on the climb up or down. It had a
metal mesh around it, there to prevent thrown objects from landing on the
people below.
Cyanide was more interested in the scene which was taking place
above him. There, on a metal floor that was obviously for the convenience
of workmen, was a battle of might and magic. The Senshi were running,
constantly moving, lashing out with polychromatic assaults of fire and
rage. The whole area was densely covered in some form of blue smoke
screen, through which Cyanide could occasionally catch glimpses of sailor
suits or firearm discharge. He returned to the stairs and went up them in a
dead sprint.
Mercury lashed out with another spray of bubbles, again obscuring
the area. She knew that the police should have arrived below and should
be keeping any onlookers away. She spared a moment to reflect on the
difference between this fight, taking place at high noon, as compared to
their usual battles, which frequently occurred at night and in deserted
locations.
Somewhere to her right, she heard gunfire. A long, staccato burst
that seemed oddly muffled. It was instantly answered by a series of
metallic pings, what Mercury assumed were the sounds of the collisions
between the bullets and the frame work.
As she ran to take cover behind a support pillar, she heard heavy,
running footsteps behind her. 'That would be the mystery man,' she
thought. 'I'm amazed he's up and moving.'
The mystery man in question took a few more steps and ran face
first into a metal pole. Hitting the ground, he swore furiously for a
moment before realizing that the T-101 might be able to home in on the
noise. Then he shut up in hurry.
'Yep. Definitely the mystery man. And I really wish he'd stop using
those words.'
Mars crouched behind a shield of bubbles. She hoped that it would
prevent that thing from seeing her. She waited for the sounds of gunfire,
ready to fling a fire attack the second she had a target. Cyanide was still
down below, with those injuries she doubted he would be on his feet for
weeks, so the only one who would be using guns was that monster. And
she intended to hit him with the biggest Fire Soul Bird she had ever
thrown.
She reflected for a moment on her feelings for Cyanide. For some
reason, she didn't know why, he was very important to her. She felt so
very protective of him; she wanted make sure he was safe and warm.
She'd never felt like that before, no for any of the boys she'd been after.
She wondered what it meant.
Moon and Venus were back to back, also waiting for that machine
to emerge from the mist. Their thoughts were almost identical. 'Why are
my attacks so weak? I'm Sailor Moon/Venus! I'm supposed to be one of
the powerful ones!'
Jupiter was thinking something different. 'He's so noble. Not to
mention cute. And strong. And buff. And Mars never said anything about
him being hers. And as long as he's available, he's available. Sure, he's
older than me, but that's not so big a thing. Look at Mamoru and Usagi.
Age means nothing to true love.'
Tuxedo Mask just waited. He didn't know just how they were
going to win, but the second that machine showed its face, he was going to
kick it into the middle of next week.
Cyanide was the first to spot it. Silently he took careful aim at its
neck. He knew that he would not be able to put a bullet through the armor
on its vitals, but perhaps he could take out the wires which control the
movement servos. He fired.
"THERE! Mars Fire Soul Bird!" Gunshots! Mars threw her attack
at the source of the noise. Now that she knew where to look, she could
vaguely make out a shape.
"Jupiter Supreme Thunder Dragon!" Jupiter attack at the same
moment, also releasing her strongest attack The two flew through the air
and crashed into their target, who flew backwards with the impact.
"Oh Shit!" Cyanide roared as he crashed into a metal pillar. He
shook once then lay still.
"No!" Mars and Jupiter screamed as one. Only one person would
make that cry and it sure wasn't the machine.
They both ran forward, but Mars was faster. Besides, Jupiter got
lost in the mist and nearly fell off the edge, which would have just ruined
her whole day.
Crouching by his side, Mars shook him gently. "Please, please,
please, wake up. I'm so sorry. Please don't be dead."
For a heart wrenching moment, she was sure she had lost him, that
her mistake had cost this man his life. Then, like a vision of salvation, he
opened one eye. She instantly crushed him in tight hug, crying with joy
that she didn't have his blood on her hands.
Cyanide, his entire body a flame with pain, held her as she wept in
his shoulder. He eyes showed the confusion that he felt. Here was his most
hated enemy, the woman he had wanted dead for so long, and he did
nothing. "I guess even now I can't truly hate you. Ain't that a bitch," He
said.
Mars pulled back and looked at him. "Why? What did I do that
made you so angry? I've never even met you before."
"It's not something you did. It's something you'll do many years
from now. And I guess I really can't hold that against you." Cyanide
smiled, and reembraced her.
Then his eyes widened in fear. Homing in on their voices, a huge,
bloody figure stepped from the mist. Its entire face was gone, instead a
metal skull looked down with glowing, red eyes. A hand, still clothed in
flesh, reached up, holding the gun that Cyanide realized was going to
signal Mar's death.
Mars face just started to show surprise when he rolled. He swung her body
over his and rolled on top of it. Not even having time to be amazed by the
fact that he had the strength to do so, he tucked his head down and held
her, waiting for the gunshots.
He did not wait long.
To Mars, they made no sound. It was a silent roar, that was so loud
in the silence as all noise, all whispering, everything stopped. She felt his
body jerk, once, twice, again, and again, and again.
Then there was silence, so much silence. Cyanide slumped and
breathed no more.
And the crowd went wild.
In the Room of the Great Scrying Glass, there was a standing
ovation as the Cyanide moved no more. Everyone roared and cheered,
clapping their hands, and patting Sodium on the back. He accepted their
praise with humility and good grace.
Well, kinda. If you consider jumping up and down screaming, "I
did it! I did it!" good grace he did.
While the cheering continued and the mood shifted towards
partying atmosphere, two men broke off and met in a dimly lit back
corner.
"This is not good." Iridium had just mentally calculated the
Senshi's chance of winning and had decided the end result was about
.001%.
"No kidding. Listen, I'm pretty sure that we can prevent Diamond
from sending anyone else back to attack the Senshi, at least until this
robot's dead. Then all we have to do is acquire a couple of T-101's of our
own and when the races begin, we'll end up victorious." Onyx was looking
ahead. All he wanted to do was prevent Sodium from gaining and keeping
favor, the lives of the Senshi were as so many bargaining chips.
"What about Argentium? He seems to be making his own play for
power and he's winning ever roll of the dice," Iridium stated worriedly.
"Relax. If in the end, Argentium is the favorite, we ambush him.
He may be intelligent, but he's not very powerful. We can take him out if
we join forces."
"All right. But still, what are we going to do now?"
"Watch and wait. Our chance will come." Onyx smiled pacifingly
and lead the way back to the main crowd. Iridium watched him for a
moment then followed.
Behind him, the next people in line to plot in a dark corner took
their turn and went into the shadows.
It would be a safe assumption that our heroines were not pleased
by this development. In fact, they were quite unhappy. One could go so far
as to say irate.
Moon, in keeping with the assumption that she was quite irate,
jumped at the machine, intent on wiping that evil, rictus grin from its
metal face. Her booted leg swung and caught the side of its face. The
machine was knocked slightly backwards but stayed on its feet.
Then Venus Crescent Beam Showered it. No one was going to go
around killing cute guys when the Senshi of Love was on patrol!
Jupiter, not to be undone, launched her Supreme Thunder Dragon,
which slammed it in the side. Parts of the metal began to turn red hot,
filling the air with the scent of burning flesh.
Mercury, knowing her Shabon Spray Freezing, wouldn't really
have any effect, did the next best thing. She kicked it in the head. She
pondered the indignity of it all as she did so. Oh well, that's life.
Mars was not irate. She was not vexed. She was in a world of
concentrated pissed. She promptly began chucking Fire Soul Birds like the
end of the world was near and she had nothing better to do. Fiery blast
after fiery blast slammed into the killing machine, burning skin and
clothing, and the pistol it carried began to deform from the heat.
The agent was forced backwards under the concentrated assault. Its
skin had been burned off in great quantities, covering less than half its
body now. The clothing it had worn was now merely ashes, clinging to it
by the spattered blood. But the glowing red eyes still looked around, still
reminding everyone who saw them of the horror and pain they could deal.
Now it stood just a foot from the edge of the platform, shaking as
Venus' most recent series of blasts abated. If it could just get its footing,
then it could come back.
At this point, Tuxedo Mask did the first intelligent thing of his day.
Using his cane, he hit it in the back of the knees as hard as he could.
Time seemed to slow down as the robot tipped backwards, slowly,
ever so slowly, it began to fall. First it was leaning, then its center of mass
went over the edge. Then the it began to tumble in earnest. Slowly, then
faster and faster, now its feet were off the edge, and it was being held up
by nothing. Down, down, down, it fell. Faster and faster, as it plummeted
towards the earth below.
Then, with an earth shattering crash, it hit. It landed straight in the
middle of the small ramen stand set up below. And silence reigned.
For a moment at least.
"Bitch." And Cyanide fired down with the flare gun he had picked
up somewhere.
Since the T-101 had gone straight through the gas stove used to
heat food before selling it, there was quite a bit of propane in the air. This
was now ignited and shortly, everything was illuminated as a five hundred
gallon drum exploded.
The seven people in the Tower looked down at the raging inferno
below, from which they could feel the heat on their faces.
Tuxedo Mask was relieved. His love was safe and all was right
with the world. Now that thing was gone, all would work out right.
Moon was thinking much the same thing. She involuntarily leaned
into Tuxedo Mask, resting against his chest. He put an arm around her and
the two of them just stood for a moment.
Venus and Jupiter stood side by side, letting the heat of the fire
bathe them. They watched the glow and burning gas below.
Mercury idly wondered how much that would cost to repair before
relaxing herself.
Mars leaned sideways into Cyanide, who responded by putting his
own arm around her. They stood, almost mirroring Moon and Tuxedo
Mask, the only difference being they're position had non of the
romanticism. It implied more of trust and concern.
No one moved for several minutes.
Then reality hit everyone present and they all turned to face
Cyanide as one.
"WHAT THE HECK!?" It amazed him that six people could unify
their voices so well.
"I saw you die. I held you as you stopped breathing! Why aren't
you dead?" Mars was happy and confused.
"You're complaining?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow.
"No, but, I mean, huh?" Mars replied.
Cyanide opened the front of his trench coat and parted the jacket
he had on underneath. He grabbed a small fist full of the fabric and held it
out. "Bullet proof vest. Betting shot knocked the wind out of me, and I got
a burning in my lungs, but other than that I'm fine."
And so our intrepid band of heroes made their way down the stairs,
talking and laughing amongst themselves. And one dark haired heroine
did smack repeatedly a black haired hero for scaring her like that. He just
grumbled in reply and said something about pushy Senshi.