And continuing:

Ryouga wasn't certain what had tipped him off, other than a prickling
at the back of his neck, but he was on his feet in an instant,
shouting, "Aino-san! The chains!

Minako: But I want to only have kinky sex with Mousse.

 Spread people out!"

This time, however the rounded black monstrosities that burst from
the ground did not rend the crowds apart mercilessly. Instead all
three converged upon Ryouga, casually slashing at whatever was in
their path.

More strategy, I see.

Mousse snarled, weaving his chains at the reavers as Minako
frantically shoved people to clumsy safety with her own barrier of
linked hearts. Ryouga stepped backwards quickly, drawing the
advancing reavers away from the refugees... if they wanted to make
it easier for him, he wouldn't complain. From across the street,
using his vantage on the shop's roof, Ray leveled his rifle at one
of the reavers and unleashed a barrage of glowing green fire at it.
It staggered briefly, but quickly resumed the rush towards Ryouga.

I see they've finally adapted to the rifles. Didn't think that would take
long.

He braced himself, having no clue how he would face three reavers at
once

He'll probably face them not all that successfully, I'd wager

The monster's carapace was oddly slippery, despite its jagged hide.
He slipped

I'd use 'slid' since you just used a form of 'slip', or some other similar
word.

The cloth blade claimed one of the reaver's supporting legs, and he
kicked the bulk of the creature away from him before it could fall,
spurting the thick yellow ichor they had for blood as it tumbled.

Glancing quickly to the other reavers, Ryu and Mousse both harried
one, while

not sure if you need that comma

It all seemed so odd... the reavers had been so dangerous last time,
and now they were little more than sitting ducks, barely able to
fight back. Something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

yep. Smells like a trap.

***

Warned only by a yelled,

'yelled' doesn't sound right. shouted or loud might sound better

"Something is wrong here," he said aloud, shooting a glance towards
Ryouga in time to catch his apprehensive nod.

Casting out with his senses, Ranma found what he had expected quickly
-- the reavers weren't simply attacking one place at a time. "Crap!"
he swore, loudly. "Ryouga! I gotta go!"

Oh, so they just spread their forces thin is all.

"They're feeling out our defenses," Ryu surmised. "They want us to
use whatever tricks we still got on them so they knew what we can
do, I bet."

And adapt to them. Better take them out quickly then.

Minako brightened instantly. "I've still got some tricks left!" she
announced.

Makoto: Ones that don't involve having sex?

Minako: Ah, no.

remembered that she had nothing to fight for.

Now, however, she had a lot to fight for, Washuu and Ran-oh-ki
included. Ran-oh-ki perched atop her head, and batted at her to gain
her attention. By reflex, her ear sensors raised, and Ran-oh-ki's
whiskers brushed against one of them, transmitting the information
she needed to hear.

Heh. He's using her as his personal transmitter unit now. :)

The others joined him in short order, though the crowd was reluctant
to part as they had ordered initially.

Shout out 'Another reaver is coming' and I think they'll find the will to
move faster.

But there was no more time for further words, as a trio of the
monstrous black creatures emerged from beneath the ground, all of
them converging on her.

Oh? They sensed the similarities in her power as well?

The motion crawled, losing more and more of its speed, until Cologne
was raising her staff at a snail's pace to deflect a molasses-speed
strike. Mamoru dodged away from a claw slowly -- too slowly -- and
Usagi was eerily aware of all of the minutiae of the effects on the
claw as it failed to pierce his armor, instead flinging him
backwards forcefully. The tails of his cloak lazily snapped in the
breeze of his passage as he sank into the concrete wall awaiting
him, and bounced back, landing face-first and sliding a short distance.

Hmm. New power emrging?

Rei caught a claw with an ofuda moments before it stabbed into her,
launching her over the crowd, blood trailing from her crumpled form

Ouch. Doesn't sound good. Though Usagi might be able to ressurect them, if I
remember correctly.

as she flew beyond the range of Usagi's peripheral vision. And yet,
more prominently than any of those details, which Usagi _knew_
should effect

affect (I think)

 her much more than they had, more strangely apparent

even than Michiru's failing retreat, magical energies flowing
ineffectually from her fingertips to batter against the reavers...
something nagged at a corner of her mind.

Something... there was something there. Hotaru remained, seeming not
to be slowed down in the slightest, and regarded Usagi curiously.

Hmm. Wonderwhy she's the exception,

Eric ejected a battery from his rifle, sliding another into place
before the first struck the ground, yelling something that Usagi
couldn't hear as he fired continuously at the third reaver.

Wait, was he affected by the time slowing down or not? Can't quite be
certain.

Thoughts projected into the flesh-being that carried the token.
Through that token, it could reach her mind, but slowly,
reluctantly. She fought against it, somehow, resisting its attempts.

Still, there were two answers.

Destroy her and devour the crystal, integrate that token into itself
and increase its capacity... yes.

But that's only one of the answers. I'm curious as to what the other was.

Goal decided, it moved into motion again.

***

Rei's vision was nothing more than a black field with dizzied blurs
of color and sparkling motes of white light swimming through it. The
monsters were strong -- monstrously so.

Especially since they were monsters (was the second use of the term
intentional or not?)

Her senses flickered and vanished briefly, and she found herself
sitting, without pain, without clothing, and utterly alone.

Oops. Might be over for her.

"If you can retrieve it, it may be of some small aid to you. Now,
child," Serenity said, frowning gently, and drawing Rei's face
close. "If you wish to live, you must take the power to do so into
yourself, where it will do you the most good."

Rei nodded in understanding, preparing herself to return to the battle.

Rei: It's good to have a low level goddess on your side.

***

Ranma reacted without thinking, simply pitching his body in the path
of the girl that was hurtling down the street. He flung himself
backwards to cushion her landing, and swore loudly when the girl
lolled in his grasp, eyes fluttering weakly, blood trailing from her
lips. The crowd parted easily for him as he drifted downward,
swearing further and already ablaze in the healing blue flame that
Tsunami had gifted him with.

Figured he would use it soon since you gave it to him recently.

A claw pulled back, the sound of air parting around it audible,
ominously loud and slow, the point aimed for her chest, and then the
claw shot towards her viciously, moving at an appreciable speed
despite the slowness of the world about her.

The claw was halted at the last possible instant, the same figure in
the red robes, holding her left hand towards the reavers, right arm
curled supportively about Rei.

Gee, Ranma really has his hands full.

The right hand attracted her attention, though she couldn't discern
why. A gem glinted from the wrist of that arm, and Usagi felt her
hand drawn inexplicably towards it. Yes, a voice assured her from
the depths of her own mind, she needed to touch that gem. That would
set things right.

Oops. That might be a bad thing.

Tears brimming in her eyes, the blonde dropped to her knees. "I no
longer want what I fought for. I was foolish and blinded. What I
fought for is a thing become corrupted by time and powers greater
than I had imagined.

True.

"Welcome home, Amatera Omiki."

Hmm. Name mean anything in particular?

***

Washuu and Setsuna turned in tandem to watch as the barrier rippled,
becoming more stable and shifting forms.

That end part reads awkward to me.

Setsuna obviously didn't

comprehend the change, but Washuu was unable to hold in a gasp at that.

I know what you're saying, but it's awkward. I'd rephrase the latter half of
the sentence.

"Do you know that feeling, where you've planned and worked for
something, and some unknown factor comes in from nowhere and
destroys all of your hard work and planning in a heartbeat?"

Things that take years to build usually end up destroyed in a single second.
Ironic, that.


Setsuna

asked nervously. "I have that feeling that something went dreadfully
wrong."

Snorting, Washuu replied, "I call it 'the Mihoshi factor'."

Heh

***

Needing only a minute of Hotaru's aid, Mamoru grunted sourly,
leveling his own blade the reavers, and attacking one from behind
while they waved their claws at Ranma in agitation. Faster than he
could react, the monster wheeled about, a pair of savagely barbed
claws swinging towards his midsection.

My they are quick.

They were deflected by a faint blue forcefield, and Ranma admonished
him from nearby, "Careful. They're faster than they look."

Mamoru stared at the boy floating at his side, and blinked. "Why did
you help me?" he asked, uncertain.

Why wouldn't Ranma?

In that time, Ranma had already slain another reaver at the cost of a
sizable gash to his shoulder, and the third was destroyed messily
though

through

She shook her head quickly. "The crystal's been destroyed," she
declared. "I don't think we'll ever see it again."

Not if it was destroyed, no.

"I need to get something..." she said, glancing at Usagi, and biting
her lip nervously. "Serenity told me that there was a weapon I we

Think you meant to drop the 'I'

could use on the moon."

Ranma stared at her for a long, silent moment, considering, then
nodded. "You make fire, right? I guess something else might come in
handy. So you just want me to take you there?"

"Er... if it's not too much trouble to fly me to the moon," Rei
mumbled,

"And let me play among the stars," She continued, her features taking on a
pale cast as she began channeling Rei Ayanami.

***

Ranma used the coordinates that his partner had suggested, holding
Rei close and prepared to leap back instantly should anything go
wrong.

Doesn't Rei need a space suit? I don't think there's an oxygen filled "Blue
Area' on the moon, like in the Marvelverse.

He was aware of the proximity of the floor beneath him, though. He
frowned, thinking, and focused for a moment, releasing one hand from
around the girl. She shifted against him slightly, sending waves of
soft noise echoing about, though they could only report the floor,
since there wasn't enough air to convey sound beyond the bubble he
had taken with him.

I see now. Might want to have mentioned that earlier.

Ranma grunted, tapping once against the door to sound it out. It
didn't give when he pushed against it, either

think you can drop the comma

"Kinda," he grumbled, phasing through the door. He only stepped
halfway through it, leery of taking the bubble of air with him, and
leaving the girl alone in the vacuum.

I don't think she'd care for that, no. :)

The scabbard was green, worked through with yellow slashes to denote
something, though what that was, was completely beyond Ranma. The
blade itself was very fine as she drew it, unblemished despite
resting where it had for countless years,

centuries, if not millenia (sp?) might be better.

I guess you handled those reavers okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah," Ryouga grunted, walking over some of the building's rubble to
stand closer to Ranma. "Once you left they

left, they (I think)

The other boy blinked, furrowing his brow in consternation. "Running
away," he spat. "I _hate_ it when they run away."

Ryouga took a half-step back before he could stop himself. "Ranma?"
he asked worriedly.

Ranma shook his head, sighing, "Running away means they're up to
something, Ryouga."

Heh. Now that I think about it, he's right.

"Oh, that's okay," Ryu drawled, "once you're done beating them into
the ground, I'll show you how a real martial artist fights."

Ranma: You mean you'll bleed more slowly than the others?

Ryu: Something like that.

Ranma nodded, reaching towards the blade, his fingers hesitating
centimeters away, as a sudden flurry of writing electricity crawled
across the blade, enveloping it in a crackling envelope of power,
snapping towards the boy's hand hungrily. He drew back his fingers,
raising an eyebrow. "If electricity bothers them, then I guess so,"
he allowed.

Heh

Mamoru frowned, thinking about that. "Funny," he said, scratching his
head. "I don't know how to use a sword, either,

Mamoru: Now if it was a flower or floral arrangement, that would be a
different story.

Deciding that Norris could manage things on his own, he fell silent,
simply thinking and monitoring whatever reavers were nearby. Six...
low underneath the city, moving slowly. Likely trying some new trick
-- perhaps destroying everything beneath the city so it would
collapse.

Heh. They are patient and hungry enough to do that.

Setsuna waited impatiently, a lump of nervous apprehension knotting
itself up tightly deep within her. She tried to distract herself
watching the people that walked past her to their theoretical
safety. Washuu had retrieved the device which she had said wound

would

ensure that the reavers were chasing them, instead of the refugees,
and was waiting for their safety to activate it.

Ryouga's team had arrived, the other boys taking up silent positions
near Ranma wordlessly, while Makoto and Minako set nearer Setsuna,
managing some idle chatter. But that idle chatter was painfully
obviously just that.

Awkward. Maybe 'managing a small conversation. But it was painfully obvious
that it was little more than idle chatter.'

 >

The knot of apprehensive worry tightened further. "What happened, Usagi?"

Heh. This should be amusing.

Groaning, Setsuna shook her head. "Usagi," she explained very slowly,
"we need it in order to establish Crystal Tokyo. If we don't have
the Ginzoshou, then it can never come about!"

Usagi: I'd say it's a little late for that anyway.

She turned to look at him, and frowned. "Of course," she acquiesced.
"But it doesn't hurt to think about things, does it?"

Oh, I think they need ALL of their thoughts on the reaver situation,
actually.

Washuu turned to look at the man, raising an eyebrow as the entirety
of the gleaming expanse of metal folded itself into a single disk,
no more than twenty centimeters across and five thick. "Not long,"
she observed. "It's calibrating it that takes time."

Oh. I'm surprised she bothered to make it easy to move when she first made
it since she was rushed for time.

Washuu sighed deeply. "I blame Noriyasu for this. He was in charge of
things-- Okay. Since I'm in charge, let's get moving as quickly as
we can." Approaching the defenders, Ranma still attending her from a
few centimeters above the ground, she yelled, loudly enough for the
forty-six Marines

Is that all that's remaining, or are there more scattered about?

"You look better than in the movies," Ranma observed.

Yakumo: But I do have this irresistable craving for brains.

Yakumo growled, shaking his head. "No, I mean... okay. See, I was
just fine, until I met this girl, and I would have died if she
hadn't turned me into a... well, you know," Yakumo mumbled. "Not
like I can hold it against her, though."

It was Pai's little birdie that 'killed' him, so I say he could hold it
against her.

"Hey," Yakumo protested, "I summon demons."

There was another extended moment of silence.

"Okay, well, I can't do that," Ranma admitted.

Actually since Ryouko could he might be able to.

"You win that one, too." There was a moment of silence before Yakumo
spoke again, commenting, "I can't die."

And can heal from any wound faster than Ranma could.

"That's true," Usagi admitted. "You should hang onto it then, Mamo-chan."

The man's eyes widened in surprise. "Me?"

Mamoru: You mean I can have a decent power at last?! WAHAHAHAHA!

Wee. Another chapter done and the refugee problem solved at last. Now it's
time for a running battle with alien monsters. Looking forward to getting to
more.

D.B. Sommer




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