This is compilation of several scenes that just popped into my head while I
was stacking boxes at work one day and I've finally gotten around to writing
it. It's weird, insane, and I probably won't continue it, though if someone
out there wants to try, they're more then welcome.
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Keep/5268/Fanfic/fanfic.html
Agreeable Komodo
He who bought it, supplied it.
Just say yes to prophylactics.
And . . .
Never play leapfrog with a Unicorn
*******************
NYC Docks, Pier 12
June 22, 2001,
7:29.30 am
"Thirty seconds April!" At the sound of her name, the woman looked up from
where she was seated next to the open door of the van parked at the docks and
applied one last touch of her makeup before she stood.
She was tall and slender, with short reddish brown hair and a lean, muscled,
if a bit curvaceous, body. Still, if one looked closely, there were a few
imperfections. The entire left side of her face was too even, too perfect, as
though it had been assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Her left eye didn't look
quite right either, though it was difficult to say exactly why. Fortunately,
makeup and the slight distortion of TV hid it extremely well.
As she strode across the dock to where her guest waited in the chair, she
took the clipboard proffered by an aide. As the field reporter for the
top-rated morning show "New York Mornings", and having access to top rated
telecommunications, April could have just glanced at a monitor and gotten all
she needed when she needed it, but April was one of the last of her
generation, the last of the TV reporters who still preferred the old ways and
one of them was memorizing information.
"Fifteen seconds," called the field tech. Nodding absently, April glanced
down at the clipboard. Her interviewee was one Captain Goto Kiichi, head of
special vehicles division, second section. Age, mid-forties, noted for being
particularly clever, responsible for averting a major crisis by having his
team demolish the structure owned by Shinohara Heavy Industries known as the
Ark as a well to foil worldwide disaster from a computer virus hidden within
the new H.O.S. for Labors. Code-named Rampage, the virus had since been
eliminated thanks to M.I.T. and the first production model Type Zero Police
Labors, designed to fully incorporate all the power of the HOS, were now
rolling off the line virus free. Goto and his team were in New York to
demonstrate the capabilities of the Type Zero. Nodding to herself, she
reached down to her belt and flipped on the wireless mike.
"Testing, testing, one two," she said as she took her seat and glanced
through the other information on her clipboard. Kiichi was already sitting in
his seat. He was slightly slouched, legs crossed, fingers interlocked over
his stomach, and looking quite relaxed. The field tech flashed her a thumbs
up and then began the five second countdown as on the monitor, the host wound
up.
"And now our field reporter, April Jones, who is live at Pier Twelve. Over to
you April." The tech's hand flashed down and April smiled at the camera.
"Thanks Mike," April said as she crossed her own legs. "I'm here today with
Captain Goto Kiichi of the Tokyo Police and we're awaiting the arrival of the
new Production Model Type Zeros, which are the first off the line since the
Rampage virus two years ago." She turned to Goto. "Welcome Captain."
"Thank you Ms. Jones," he replied and the talk turned to minor pleasantries
as each one sized the other up.
For Goto's part, he found himself studying her face. There was a inner
strength there, something he had only seen on hardened combat veterans who
had been through far to much. There was also a slight tenseness to her body
language, indicating that at one point, her life must have been very nervous.
Goto filed that information away in his mind in case it might be useful. Goto
was a great believer in information and the power it held.
April wrapped up the small talk as she completed her own observations. Kiichi
was very intelligent, and obviously very self-confident. It showed in the way
he fielded her questions as she began to move into the meat of the
conversation; what had really happened on the Ark.
Goto mentally chuckled. It had been a while since he had had a chance to
verbally spar with someone and he was enjoying himself immensely. Deftly, he
fielded her questions and gave answers without actually answering and he
noticed a faint flicker of relief on her face when the signal came that the
ship was coming in.
"And we're clear!" the tech said and both April and Goto were stood up as the
crew came in to move everything down to where they could get a good shot as
the type zeros were unloaded.
"Captain, can I ask an off the record question?"
"Of course."
"Why bring the Labors over by ship? Wouldn't it be easier to fly them in?"
"Yes, it would, but Labors are tricky. We've found that when taking Labors on
the road, it's best to bring along the people and tools who take care of it.
With that much equipment, we've found ships work best when crossing bodies of
water. Now may I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why are you, or perhaps I should say, your network, interested in these
Labors?"
"You may not realize it Captain, but you and your men are minor celebrities
here in America. Doing what you did took quite an act of courage." 'It's also
a human interest story and that always drives the ratings up,' she added
silently.
"Serve and Protect, Ms. Jones. We'd do it again if we had to. Excuse me."
********************
Mayor's Office, three hours later.
"Captain Goto."
"Mister Mayor," Goto replied as he took a seat in the small conference room.
"I'm going to assume Captain, that you were briefed on why your unit was
asked to come here under the guise of a Labor demonstration?" The director of
Public Works asked.
"Not entirely," Goto replied. "I was simply told that the Labor demonstration
was a cover and that I would be briefed upon arrival. I assume that's why I'm
here."
"Yes," the Mayor said as Goto was handed a file folder. "As you may be aware,
the City has undertaken the construction of a hanging monorail line that
stretches the length of the city. Three days ago, while digging holes for the
foundations where the line will cross the bay enroute to Manhattan,
construction labors broke through to a large tunnel. This tunnel, Captain, is
the size of a small building. We looked as far as we could, but there is a
spot where it slopes sharply and the Ingram Ninety-Eights can't navigate it.
But the Type Zero-"
"-But the Type Zero, which is more agile, could do it," Goto finished. "I
think I understand."
"Good. You'll be cooperating with a S.W.A.T. unit in this investigation. Your
liaison, Luitentant Chancy, will be answering all other questions.
Goto nodded and stood up.
********************
As Goto exited the Mayor's office, the dark haired young man sitting in one
of the seats stood up.
"So what happened?" he asked as he fell into step beside Goto. In response,
the older man handed him the folder.
"Wow," breathed the young man as he flipped through it. "I'd hate to see the
machine that drilled that."
"We just might," Goto replied.
"Sir?"
"They're hiding something Azuma," Goto said as they stopped before the
elevator. I could see it on the their faces."
"Then what do we do?"
"We go in anyways. There's nothing we can do otherwise at this point."
********************
Two hours later,
The office of April Jones.
Station WKTC
April bit into the apple as she worked her way through the stack of papers.
Request forms, letters, notes from her contacts, inter-office memos and she
paused and looked up as her cell phone rang. Setting down the paper she
flipped the phone open and put it to her ear as she leaned back in her chair
and put her feet up.
"April," she said simply by way of greeting. "Oh, hello Mike," she said a
moment later. "The Tokyo Police? What about them?" Mike's reply had her
sitting straight up, the apple forgotten. "They're really here for what?"
********************
Somewhere Under Manhattan
10:00pm.
April sighed as she sat back into the chair and laid her arm on the table
next to it.
"April, I-"
"Save it Donnie, please?" April interrupted. "Just do it, okay?"
"Very well," Donnie replied as he began to swab April's outstretched arm with
a cotton ball. "But I still feel obligated to tell you."
"I know Don, I know," April said quietly. "Each time you inject me with the
serum, some of it stays behind in my system when you give me the antigen.
Sooner or later, enough will be there and I'll permanently mutate into Tal."
She smiled at him. "But tonight I have no choice. It's gonna take the whole
tribe to stop a pair of Type Zeros. That means Tal has to be there."
"Just as long as you're aware," Donnie said quietly as he took up the
syringe. "Ready?" April nodded and gritted her teeth as the needle pierced
her skin. A moment later, she hissed loudly as her arm sprouted reddish-brown
fur.
********************
1000 meters under Manhattan
11:00pm
Azuma looked around as Noa's labor slid down the steep incline and joined
them at the base.
"Okay," he said into the com. "This is as far as the city's labors got. From
here onwards, we're on our own. Everyone ready?" There was a chorus of
affirmatives. "Shinohara to base. We've reached the base of the incline and
are set to go."
"Go," Goto said simply.
"Roger that," Azuma said and then adressed his teammates. Ohta, take point,
Clancy, you and your S.W.A.T. team are with us in the middle."
"Check," Kanuka replied from the other jeep.
"Noa, you're in the rear," Azuma continued. "Ready? Then let's do it." With
that, Ohta set off at a fast walk, setting the pace for everyone.
It perhaps a few minutes later that upon rounding a bend, they found the
burnt-out remains of a van. With the Labors covering them, Kanuka's team
investigated.
"Looks like it used to be an old VW bus," Kanuka reported. "Somebody refitted
it into what looks like some kind of mobile assault platform."
"What happened to it?"
"Looks like the ammunition for the guns went off. What made it explode is
anybody's guess."
"Any signs of the occupants?"
"Nope, looks like they either got out, or were carried away by their friends."
"Okay, let's move on," Azuma said and then radioed base to report their find.
********************
Another hour passed and as the team continued, they began to find more and
more evidence that something had happened. Depleted bullet casings, scraps of
cloth, bits of metal, scorch marks, strange footprints and small craters.
Then they found something really strange.
It was a skeleton, half buried in a charred patch of dirt, and a spiked club
in it's fist. The head however, was not human shaped and boasted what
appeared to be deer antlers.
"Something funny?" Azuma asked when Kanuka let out a snicker of laughter.
"Nothing," she replied. "Just remembering some old urban legends from when I
was a kid." She let out a small giggle. "About ten years or so ago, there was
a bunch of stories about these half-human, half animals running around New
York fighting each other."
"How nice," Azuma said dryly as they continued. Unseen by Azuma, his team, or
Clancy, a few of the older members of the S.W.A.T. team traded looks of worry
and concern.
********************
It was perhaps two hours later that Ohta, scouting ahead, rounded a bend and
stopped dead in his tracks. When the others joined him, they saw why;
Sitting in the middle of a spherical cavern sat a giant, upside down dome on
the remains of giant tank treads. The metal was blackened and charred and
from somewhere inside it, they could hear sounds of something slobbering and
making strange noises that sounded almost like words.
"What. . .is it?" Shinchi asked.
"I'm more worried about what's in it," Kanuka said and then she gasped as
from somewhere inside, a large, pink tentacle rose upwards and waved slightly
before retracting back into the structure.
"Um. . ." Azuma said, shocked into silence. Suddenly, the tentacle whipped
upwards, in an arc seemingly straight at them only to be stopped cold by a
flash of energy, causing the air to be ripped by an animalistic scream of
pain.
"Okay," Azuma said after a few moments. "Let's move in, slowly."
"You can't be serious!" Kanuka gasped.
"Very serious," Azuma replied as he moved the jeep forward at a snail's pace
and then slammed on the brakes as Ohta suddenly whipped his Labor's gun
around and fired a shot.
"Ohta?"
"Saw something moving," Ohta replied.
"Um, Azuma?" Noa asked.
"Put on a silencer Ohta, to many loud noises could bring this cavern down on
our heads."
"Azuma?" Noa asked.
"Azuma, I don't need you to tell me how to shoot."
"Azuma?" Noa asked again, her voice slightly louder.
"I'm not telling you how to shoot Ohta," Azuma said patiently. "I'm just
saying that I don't want to be crushed under all that dirt and rock up there."
"AZUMA!" Noa yelled.
"What is it Noa?"
"Look," she said pointing. Looking in the direction her labor was pointing,
Azuma saw a group of half man, half-animals coming around the tank treads of
the structure. The group paused perhaps fifty yards away and then split into
two groups, revealing a half woman, half cat flanked by two men. One was
wearing workout clothes and a metal hockey mask and carrying a pair of kendo
sticks. The other was just wearing plain street clothes. Behind the trio was
four half men, half turtles, each one wore a mask and was holding Ninja
weapons as if it knew how to use them.
"Okay," Clancy said slowly, "maybe those stories weren't urban legends after
all. . ."