Okay, this is where my last chunk of C&C got broken interrupted by a
premature use of the SEND button. Let's take up where we left off,
shall we?
(Oh, and that equation should have been y=1/x^2, not just y=1/x. My bad)
Morgan Hudson wrote:
**********
Minako had to admit, she was impressed with how quickly everything
seemed to be coming together. Mamoru and Motoki may not have been the most
experienced carpenters in Juuban, but with a little help from Yuuchirou
and a lot of yelling from Rei's grandfather, the massive wooden platform
was rapidly taking shape. As an added bonus, the wizened little old man
was so busy keeping his young charges in line that he hadn't had time to
even attempt peeking up Minako's skirt or any of his other usual tricks.
As strange as it was to admit, Rei's grandfather seemed to be legitimately
trying to put on a decent showing for the O-Bon festival.
Uh oh. This is a bad sign, isn't it? Kind of like a quiet morning
in Nerima.
"The whole thing just makes me more suspicious," Luna whispered
into the girl's ear as they casually inspected the work and tried to stay
out of the men's way. Minako had carefully draped the small black cat over
her shoulder specifically so that they could talk without drawing
attention to each other: being the owner of Artemis for so many years had
taught her a number of useful tricks.
Heh. So *that's* why Lunar Cats get treated as Senshi Fashion
Accessories.
"I know what you mean," Minako whispered back as they picked their
way around the construction site. "This may all look innocent enough, but
something tells me there's more going on here than meets the spy. Rei's
grandfather always gets in some kind of trouble when she's not around to
keep her eyes on him, and lions like him can't change their spots!"
<twitch>
"Lions?" Luna merely looked up at the smugly grinning girl, and
felt her head start to spin. Was this what it had been like for Artemis,
having to work with Sailor Venus for so many years? "You're... really not
much like Usagi at all, are you, Minako?"
"Nah," Minako replied, grinning even wider. "Our similarities are
totally different. Hey, look! It's Maya!"
...I'm sorry, I have to stop C&Cing and go have a lie-on -- I mean, a
LIE-DOWN, now. I've exceeded my MinaQuotient.
The worst part is, that actually made SENSE.
Following Minako's eagerly pointing finger, Luna noticed a
familiar looking girl sitting patiently on one of the benches that the
boys had been setting up around the open courtyard in front of the temple.
She was dressed in a white blouse and short grey skirt, with a thin
crimson ribbon tied around her neck like a bow tie. She had been letting
her hair grow out from its former pageboy style, Luna noticed: the
chocolate brown locks hung down to the small of her back, and she had
tied them loosely back with a patterned silk handkerchief. There was a
grey blazer lying on the bench next to her, and a small pile of books.
Kinda... monochrome, isn't she?
"She certainly has grown," Luna commented quietly. "Why, I
remember when she used to be smaller than Usagi! It looks like she had
quite a bit of a growth spurt since the last time we saw her."
No, I'm not supressing any hentai comments. It's too early in the
AM, and I didn't get enough sleep last night.
"Yeah, looks like it was in more than one direction, too," Minako
...okay, darn it, NOW I am. Blame Mina.
added enviously as they approached the other girl. "If I didn't know
better, I would have thought I was looking at Makoto! Why do figures like
that always go to girls who don't need them?"
But if they didn't, then they *would*... er... forget it.
"Minako, be nice," Luna warned. "Maya is an old friend of Rei's,
and if Sailor Mars finds out you said something stupid, she'll be very
upset with both of us."
"MARS BLONDE FLASH-FRY!!!"
"Oh, relax! I'll be good." Minako shushed the cat with a
Why, oh WHY am I suddenly having a "Spaced Invaders" flashback: "But
Dad, they're not *bad,* they're just... stupid."
reassuring pat on its head as she neared Maya and smiled brightly. "Hi,
Maya! I'm Minako - Rei's friend. Remember?"
Maya looked up and smiled politely in return. "I think I remember
you from the coffee shop," she replied. "Still stalking people?"
"Every chance I get!" Minako admitted cheerfully, taking a seat
...Minako, world-class stalkerazzi? It might make her enough money
so maintain her in the style to which she's become accustomed. If she
can just remember to take the lens cap off...
bedside the other girl. "So, what's got your interest, Maya? I'd think a
dedicated taiko drummer like you would be way more interested in all of
this... drum-related... stuff... than some old book!" Tipping over
<whimper>
sideways, Minako tried to sneak a glimpse at the cover of the book as
Maya quickly closed it and gave her an odd look.
"It's just some school work," she quickly explained, as Minako
righted herself. "I've been so busy lately that I fell a little behind
this semester. Ha'na High is a very prestigious school, so I need to catch
up again soon or I might be in trouble on the exams. I'd hate to miss my
chance to attend."
"Why?" Minako asked curiously. She had never heard of Ha'na High
school, and personally she couldn't care less about it if she tried. The
way she saw it, any place that was hard to get into was no place for her.
Except for things like bank vaults, the Dark Kingdom, Mel Gibson's
dressing room...
Besides, she was already doing everything in her power to make it into
Juuban High next year so that she could be in the same school as all of
the other Senshi. That way, when a monster inevitably attacked Usagi in
the middle of class, she would have less running to do in order to get
there. There was nothing more annoying than showing up late for a battle.
If she missed the introductory speeches, it took *forever* to figure out
what was going on.
<sage nod> Ah, so *that's* what the speeches are for.
"It's a very good school," Maya tried to explain. "Most of the
students who get placed there have no problem moving on to the university
of their choice. If I want to get into the Tokyo National University of
T-NUFAM?
Fine Arts and Music, it's the best way to go. I'm not even too worried
about all the rumours they have about the Flirt King - he probably
CONVERGENCE WARNING! CONVERGENCE WARNING!
wouldn't even notice someone like me. I was thinking that maybe Rei might
want to go too, and that way we could have some of the same classes
together...."
"Wait a minute," Minako interjected, "what was that about a Flirt
King? Go back to the part about the Flirt King."
...she didn't hear *any* of the rest of that, did she?
"Oh, that?" Maya laughed and waved one hand as if brushing away
the comment. "That's nothing. Just an urban legend about some guy who's
supposed to be the cutest boy in all Japan, or something like that. They
call him the Flirt King because no girl can resist his seductive charms.
Everyone down there says that once you lay eyes on the Flirt King, nobody
can blame you for losing all control of yourself! Isn't that just
horrible? Rumour has it that he's so picky he'll only date the most
beautiful and glamourous girl in the school, so of course every girl is
just mad to go out with him so they can prove that they're better than
everyone else."
Seiji: "HOW THE HECK DO THESE RUMORS GET STARTED!?!?!"
"Wow, that's pretty shallow," Minako commented. "I could never see
myself chasing after some guy and acting all desperate like that."
The management regrets to inform you that your regularly scheduled
C&Cer is no longer available due to an unfortunate and unexpected
mental collapse. Well-wishes and donations may be sent to his regular
email and PayPal accounts. In the interim, we hope you will be
satisfied with the C&Cing of our Emergency C&C Hologram.
"Is your cat okay?" Maya asked, suddenly concerned. "I think it
might be choking."
Diagnosis: temporary partial tracheal paralysis due to severe
cognitive dissonance shock.
"It *better* be choking," Minako growled menacingly as she gave a
murderous glare to the small black cat that was rolling around at their
feet. It was shaking violently and making noises that sounded suspiciously
like someone trying their hardest not to burst into hysterical laughter.
Revised diagnosis: supressed hysteria. Sedatives recommended.
**********
"I don't like this," Xiang Yao hissed under her breath as she
inched carefully around the orange and black torii gate that stood at
the top of the long staircase and stepped gingerly onto the holy ground.
And smoke started leaking up from between her toes.
"I hate going near shrines, especially Shinto shrines. These damned places
are full of priests, and I have very bad luck with priests...."
"Noted, your concerns have been," her companion said flatly as he
stepped directly through the gate and gave her a disgusted glare. Fei
Lian had done away with his usual coat of scales and conical helmet in the
interests of blending in. Dressed in a sedate grey suit and black silk
shirt with mandarin collar, he looked every bit like a handsome Chinese
gentleman out on business. The look was only spoiled by his pointed goatee
and the dragon tattoo that coiled along his jawbone and perched atop his
right eyebrow. Nothing he had tried had been able to make either flaw go
away, to his eternal frustration.
What, no razors?
Xiang Yao scowled as she watched her companion stride down the
pathway without a care in the world. It was easy for some youma to act
like they had nothing to fear - he hadn't been stuck in a box for eighty
years by some uptight mortal in a bunch of white robes. Xiang Yao had a
very good memory of the last few times she had been at a shrine, and they
all ended with that same damned box. Old man Yudai was a thorn in her
side, and his grandson Touma was only slightly less annoying. There was
no telling when yet another Hashiba was going to leap out of the woodwork
and try to ruin her day. Every time she set foot on consectrated ground,
it felt like everything in the whole place was staring at her.
Rei's watch-ravens ought to be going ballistic.
Well, let them stare. She had nothing to hide. True, she was
currently in human guise, like Fei Lian, but unlike her reluctant comrade,
she bore her flaws proudly. There was a certain exotic beauty in her
crimson eyes, and the delicate snake tattoo that coiled down from her
eyelid to slither across her cheek was a mark of pride. Xiang Yao would
not have hidden that brand even if she were capable of it: she *was* a
criminal, and a killer, and she wanted the whole world to know it.
Radanthus the Unconquered had not freed her from her prison because of
her sultry looks and seductive beauty. She had been freed because he had
needed someone who would murder what he wanted, when he wanted, and not
care about any of the paltry details.
Yabbut, she's probably going to murder who he *doesn't* want, when
it's not convenient for him, and *those* are details *somebody* should
care about.
But still... on holy ground? She didn't like it. She might even
All we need now is for the Highlanders to show up.
have refused, if she hadn't been very certain that Radanthus was willing
to eat her the second she gave him any trouble. Dealing with the dark
priest Badamon had been putting the youma lord in a very sour mood
lately - he was not willing to put up with any more annoyances. It was
all just one more sign that priests were bad news, in Xiang Yao's humble
opinion.
Fei Lian suddenly stopped in his tracks, and Xiang Yao nearly
bumped into him before realising what was going on. There were at least
four or five men dressed in Shino robes, putting together some sort of
giant wooden framework for something. Probably another of those nasty
spirit gates they liked putting up everywhere, she guessed. Some kind of
demon trap, maybe? You could never be too careful, with priests. That was
why she always made it a point to kill as many as possible.
Uh oh. I think we're about to find out if Grandpa is any good at his
trade.
"That girl," Fei Lian said, his voice strained. "Impossible, it
is... how could she have escaped?"
"What? Who?" Xiang Yao took a second glance at the clearing. Fei
Lian's attention was not on the priests, as she had at first assumed, but
on a couple of girls sitting on a bench in the distance. One was blonde,
dressed in a red skirt and a white blouse, and the other had long brown
hair and was dressed in grey. They didn't look particularly special in any
way. Certainly no reason for Fei Lian to look like somebody had shot him
in the gut.
Ohhhhh ho. *Now* the earlier comments about Maya's new figure make
plotilogical sense.
She chuckled slightly. Oh, right - somebody had. She would have to
remember to tease him about that, later.
What's disturbing is that I found that funny.
"The Archer!" Fei Lian spat, as he clawed at the small wooden
puzzle box inside his jacket. "Freed her, he has? Impossible! Unescapable,
it was supposed to be!"
"Woah!" Moving swiftly, Xiang Yao slapped his hands away from his
coat and gripped him firmly by the shoulders. "You just leave that cursed
box right where it is, understand me? You open that thing again and so
help me, I will rip your head off! Now slow down for a second and tell me
what the hell the problem is. What's the big deal about some girl?"
"The Archer!" Fei Lian repeated, as though that somehow explained
"*Unpack,* Fei Lian."
anything. Noticing his comrade's half-lidded glare of imminent violence,
he took a deep breath and tried to explain himself. "His consort, she is!
Within the Castle of Eternal Regret, did I trap her! Rescued her, my foe
must have! Too easy, I always suspected it was...."
"Are you sure it's even the same girl?" Xiang Yao asked, looking
over at the young women sitting on the bench and talking quietly. "Maybe
you just took a few too many knocks on the head during your last fight."
Nah. Though he would have if Touma had just TAKEN THE SHOT!!
"Transformed, she may be, but no magic shall hide from me my
rival!" Fei Lian vowed, and a sudden flare of energy burst from his body.
Now, y'see, *this* is the problem with hiring obsessed monomaniacs to
do your dirty work. Sure, they're easy to manipulate, cheap, and not
much concerned with collateral damage, but they're just too easily
distracted.
A gust of wind ripped through the courtyard, stripping the leaves from
the trees and swirling around his form as the tattoo on his face glowed
and began to move of its own volition. The humans cried out and began to
scatter as their wooden framework creaked and swayed dangerously in the
powerful breeze, and Xiang Yao wisely decided to make herself scarce.
"powerful breeze" is sort of an oxymoron.
**********
"Where is the Archer?" Fei Lian yelled over the howling of the
wind. He rose from the ground, a pair of massive wings with razor-edged
steel feathers sprouting from his back and curling around him to form a
gleaming coat of scale mail that stretched down to his ankles. A gleaming
rack of golden antlers flashed into existence on his head, coiling and
writhing around themselves to form a studded conical helmet with a long
tassel of horsehair fluttering from the spike at its peak, and a pair of
spears appeared in his hands. "Ready, I am! Concealed, he cannot hope to
be! Before me, you shall bring him!"
Well, I think their mission just went down the toilet. Come to think
of it, what *was* their mission?
In the distance, the girls tried to flee, and Fei Lian cackled
in delight as he soared after them. He had known! All this time, it had
seemed too simple, too easy - his victory over Touma Hashiba cheapened
by how little resistance the Archer had put up. Oh, but he had forgotten
just how crafty and resourceful his foe could be! No battle with the
Archer was ever as simple as it appeared: how like his rival, to send the
girl in disguise to spy on his actions! Well, if Touma thought that Fei
Lian would be caught unprepared, then the mistake had been his. Fei Lian
would capture this young Amazon, before she could reveal her true
identity, and he would make her tell him how they had escaped. He would
force her to reveal his enemy's location. He would use her to draw the
Archer out of hiding!
He will soon look like a Complete Idiot.
The blonde girl and her feline darted to the left, disappearing
into the trees, and Fei Lian snorted as he swooped past. Let the other
girl save herself, if she thought she could. She was no interest to him,
anyway - it was the Sailor Senshi he wanted. Gripping his spear eagerly,
Oh, bog, the IRONY.
he veered to the right and flew after the running brunette. She did look
a bit different, but he was all too familiar with magical disguises. No
This coming from a guy who can't *do* one.
magic in the world could conceal those long legs and that statuesque
figure; there was no doubt that she had to be Sailor Jupiter.
Makoto: "I'm... kinda flattered, in a nauseous sort of way."
"Hide from me, you cannot!" he called out to her, as he skimmed
close to the ground and began to close the distance between them. "Running
shall not avail you! Fei Lian will not be denied again!" Any moment now,
he could tell, he would be close enough to reach her. She could not run
forever, no matter how fit she might be. Throwing his arms back, he
redoubled his efforts as she darted around one of the torii and he flew
after her.
He had not been expecting a broom to slam into his face. Flipping
over backwards, the youma landed on his back and skidded across the
courtyard before coming to an abrupt stop against a partially constructed
wooden frame. Rolling over and sitting up, Fei Lian saw his quarry pressed
against the spirit gate, clutching her chest and gasping for breath as two
young men stood protectively in front of her. One had long, dark hair that
hung over his eyes, and was still holding the broom he had used to strike
the youma down. The other stood slightly taller, with a curly mop of sandy
blond hair and a hammer held at the ready.
Hey! It's Thor and Val Hallen!
No, wait, that'd only work if the broom was an axe.
So, we know where Yuuchiro and Motoki are. That leaves Mamoru, and
we know where he's *going* to be...
"I don't know what you're up to, dude," the boy with the broom
said, "but we've had just about enough of your kind around here!"
"Yeah, so if you want to hurt Maya, you'll have to go through the
three of us first!" the other boy added, hefting his hammer and pointing
at the youma with it.
3?
"Three?" Fei Lian asked, as he drfited lazily to his feet. "A
stange way of counting, you Japanese must have. Only two, do I see."
"What?" the boy with the hammer looked around with an air of
desperation. "Hey, where the heck is Mamoru?"
<snerk>
"Forget him, man!" the other boy with the shaggy hair replied
angrily. "We just gotta deal with this creep ourselves! Gramps, you get
Maya somewhere safe - we'll keep the guy in the hat busy!"
If Gramps is close enough to talk too, then wouldn't there *be* three
of them?
"Amusing, this would normally be," Fei Lian admitted with an evil
smile, "but time to deal with you, I do not have." He snapped his fingers,
and a blast of hurricane force wind hurtled towards the hapless boys.
Their eyes wide with panic, the two would-be heroes raised their weapons
in a futile attempt to shield themselves as the gale slammed into them and
threw them, screaming, through the air.
There was a sudden flash of black, and a strange caped figure
seemingly flickered into existence behind them. Easily catching both boys
by the collars of their robes, the man in black tucked them under each
arm and landed in a crouch. His black and red cape pooled around him like
a silken shroud, and a pair of mirrored lenses glinted softly from beneath
the brim of his top hat as he lifted his head to stare at the youma.
Cue: ZZ Top, "Sharp Dressed Man."
"The natural desire of any man to protect and shelter a girl in
danger should never be so callously ignored," he said warningly, as he
rose to his full height and flicked his cape back over one shoulder. "I
am the champion of that desire, the friend of all girls in their hour of
need! One more step, monster, and you will have to face Tuxedo Kamen!"
Sorry, Mamoru. Even coming from you, it's *still* corny. Points for
effort, though.
"Girl" seems a bit to casual, to me. Maybe "Damsel" and/or "woman".
Also want to avoid using it twice.
"So, another seeks to stand in my way?" Fei Lian sneered. "Allies,
it seems, the Archer does not lack. Very well - let your destruction
warn him of his final fate!" Howling angrily, the youma sent yet another
gust of wind plummeting towards the masked man and his two associates. If
he had to, he would just kill them all! Then the Archer would have to
appear!
Tuxedo Kamen stood his ground, spreading his arms wide and bracing
his feet as the wind buffeted his slender frame. His cape ballooned out
as it filled with the powerful breeze, and his feet began to skid back
slightly, his heels digging small trenches in the dirt.
"TUXEDO KAMEN CAPE SHIELD!"
"Yuuchirou! Motoki!" he called out, looking down at the two men
still crouching on either side of him. "Get the girl and get out of here!"
"Whatever you say, masked man!" Yuuchirou agreed, saluting
Cue: "1812 Overture." (That *was* the Lone Ranger's theme music,
wasn't it?)
smartly and then crawling back over to where Maya was leaning against
the spirit gate and staring at the scene before her in stunned amazement.
Motoki quickly scurried over to where Maya was and helped Yuuchirou lift
her. As they began to hurry back towards the temple, he gave Tuxedo Kamen
a suspicious look, then shook his head and ducked indoors with Rei's
grandfather following closely at his heels.
Uh oh. Motoki smells a rat.
As soon as the others were clear Tuxedo Kamen leapt into the
sky, the powerful wind tunnel blasting past beneath him and shattering
the spirit gate into kindling. Fei Lian cursed and hurled one of his
spears at the man as he soared overhead, but with a deft spin of his cane,
the masked man deflected it back towards its owner. Fei Lian hopped back
as the spear dug into the ground at his feet and soared into the air after
his new opponent. They clashed in mid-air and thunder rumbled from the
clear afternoon sky. A thick bank of clouds rolled in from nowhere,
casting the entire temple into darkness.
Hmm. Fei Lian's powers at work? Or something else?
**********
Seiji looked up at the rapidly darkening sky and groaned. Every
time any of them tried to go anywhere....
"Sky gets dark: Evil Attack in Progress. Sun goes down: Evil Attack
in Progress. Surprise Tax Audit: Okay, different kind of evil."
Thunder boomed in the distance, and the young man began to walk
just a little bit faster. Keeping his eyes on the sky, Seiji pushed his
way through the crowded streets with as much decorum as possible. The
clouds looked like they were all gathering directly over that shrine he
had been planning to visit. Clouds did not move that fast, or spiral over
one place. Not normal clouds, at least.
I dunno, I once watched a storm cell spawn a proto-tornado directly
overhead (didn't quite make it, fortunately).
The air around him trembled with evil purpose, and Seiji broke
into a run.
CONVERGENCE IMMINENT! CONVERGENCE IMMINENT!
**********
Some days it really sucked to be a hero. As far as Mamoru Chiba
could tell, this day was rapidly becoming one of them. Whoever this
Fei Lian guy was, he did not seem to be willing to give up and die quite
as quickly as most of the youma that Mamoru normally fought. They were
stuck in a stalemate: every time he tried to throw one of his roses, Fei
Lian would just deflect it back at him with a gust of wind, and so far
Mamoru had been able to use his cane to parry most of the youma's spear
thrusts. Neither of them could land a hit on the other, but it was only
a matter of time before one of them got tired enough to drop his guard.
Huh. Normally, Mamoru's roses slice *through* most magical energies.
FL's winds must be more elemental.
Mamoru was not entirely sure how many roses he had as Tuxedo Kamen: they
just sort of appeared as he needed them. Could he run out? What would
happen if he did? He wasn't sure he trusted his cane enough to want it as
his only weapon.
Isn't there a big rose garden at the Imperial Palace?
"Hey, Boss? The roses are vanishing again -- really fast this time."
"Blast! Hang a "closed for maintenance" sign and break out the
emergency resupply trays!"
Blocking Fei Lian's spear with a twirl of his walking stick,
Mamoru jerked his head out of the way as a second spear hurtled past his
head and grazed his ear. Great; the monster could control his weapons
without needing to touch them. That was a very useful ability that Mamoru
was going to need to pick up, someday. The floating spear spun and
reversed its direction, launching itself back at his head as he ducked
and batted it aside with his cane. Fei Lian struck, and Mamoru barely
weaved out of the way in time to tangle the youma's weapon in his cape.
"Ole`!"
Gripping the cape with his free hand, Mamoru yanked with all his strength
and managed to tear the weapon from his enemy's hands even as the floating
spear flew back to cut a burning line across his chest. He fell back with
a pained hiss and lashed out with his foot in passing, catching the youma
in the head with his toe. He hated to admit it, but he could really use
Sailor Moon right about now. Too bad she was in Yokohama.
"Hey, somebody light up the Senshi Signal!"
What did this guy want with innocent little Maya, anyway? It
wasn't like she was any threat to him. She was just a normal girl. A
prodigy at playing the drums, maybe, but how did that rate a youma attack?
She has Bardic Magic potential? :)
At least last time, she had been targeted b Eudial because of her pure
SP: bY
heart. Was it part of some energy gathering scheme? If so, why hadn't
they attacked when she was doing something energetic, like drumming? It
didn't make sense.
Mamoru hit the ground hard, and rolled as soon as he landed to
avoid Fei Lian's descending foot. The iron-clad boot hit with enough
force to crack the rock, and Fei Lian scowled as Tuxedo Kamen scrambled
to his feet again and flicked another rose at the armoured youma. Glowing
with crimson energy, the flower darted from his fingers like a miniature
bolt of lightning, and Fei Lian quickly leaned aside to let it pass by
before throwing himself forward again. There was a small explosion as the
rose hit one of the temple walls and vaporised, taking a large portion of
the wall with it.
No lightweight, our Tux. His abilities are tilted in favor of
agility, precision, and speed, but he's no pushover.
Unfortunately, this looks like a situation that calls for a little
more plain ol' brute force.
Fei Lian struck with his bare hands, punching and clawing at
Mamoru as the masked man staggered back under the ferocity of his enemy's
assault. It was all he could do to keep his cane moving, blocking and
parrying a flurry of fingers, elbows, and knees that seemed to come from
ten directions at once. Mamoru was left spinning in place, ducking and
weaving as the youma circled around him and struck at any available
opening. A fist found its way to Tuxedo Kamen's ribs, and a foot followed
to his stomach soon after. Mamoru gasped for air and doubled over,
desperately bringing his cane up to block Fei Lian's descending fist.
There was a loud crack as the walking stick met the youma's wrist, and
Fei Lian cursed loudly. Hopping back, the youma gingerly rubbed his arm
and hissed in pain.
Tux is making a good fight of it, but he just doesn't quite have the
firepower. So what's taking his backup so long?
...you know, if Tux could do that stick-extension thing that Goku
used to in the older Dragonball episodes, this would be the *perfect*
time for it.
"Skilled, you are," Fei Lian admitted regretfully. "But delayed in
my course, I shall not be! Destroy you, I must!"
Your ass, for trademark infringement, sue, Yoda will!
"Better creatures than you have said those words," Mamoru replied
confidently. "The last time I checked, none of them were around any more."
Well, I don't know about *better,* exactly. "More dangerous," maybe,
or "deadlier." Definitely "Uglier" and "Evil-er."
Fei Lian responded by crouching low to the ground and growling. A
thick cloud of dark purple mist began to rise from his body, swirling
through the air and funneling into his spears as the weapons lifted into
the air and drifted into place over each of his shoulders. His eyes flared
with power, and the spears began to crackle ominously. Tuxedo Kamen took
a step back and lifted his cane warily. There was something about this
that he definitely did not like.
"Fei Lian: THUNDERSHOCK ATTACK!"
"Perfect Annihilation Technique! Kataki no chuushin ryoushi!"
The spears screeched through the air, spinning wildly and spitting
a meteor-like trail of sparks as they flew towards Tuxedo Kamen. Ducking,
he threw himself to the side and skidded across the ground, tumbling and
rolling to his feet again as they sparkling spears of energy twisted in
their path and homed in on him again. Despite himself, Mamoru flinched
back and covered his eyes as a sudden blast of golden light filled the
darkened shrine with light and sound. He felt the shockwave hurl him
Sug: "shrine grounds." Otherwise, it kinda sounds like they're inside.
back, and bounced twice when he hit the ground. He was dead, he was done
for, there was no way that he could possibly have survived....
Nah, you're in too much pain to be dead.
Except that he was still alive. In fact, the longer he thought
about it, the less hurt he seemed to be. Opening one eye, Mamoru slowly
sat up and stared at a stunned looking Fei Lian. Somewhere between the
two of them lay the shattered remains of the youma's weapons, still
burning feebly where they lay scattered amongst a large scorch mark in
the ground.
Cue: Patty Smyth, "The Warrior."
"What?" Fei Lian managed to stutter, as he slowly came out of the
almost stupefied state that he had been in and began to look around him.
"Who?"
"I am called by many names, monster!" an exuberant female voice
crowed, carried on the breeze like a constant echo. Mamoru frowned in
concentration for a moment, and then smiled broadly. He had been wondering
where she had gotten to.
And he's going to chew her out for leaving him hanging so long.
"What, you stop to do your hair and makeup or something?"
A single light split the darkness, shining directly into their
A SPOTlight, perhaps? That what it sounds like.
faces before dancing about the courtyard and settling on the young girl
standing atop the shattered remains of the torii gate. Her long mane of
golden hair stirred in the breeze like a war banner, and her orange and
white uniform glowed softly in the light that enveloped her until it
seemed as if a ghostly halo was forming around her. A crimson ribbon
held her hair back, and the lenses in her mask glinted softly as she
looked down at both men.
Oh, that's what took her so long. Couldn't decide which
transformation to use.
"One time," she intoned, her voice ringing out across the open
Sug: "At one time"
area as she reached up to touch the mask she wore, "I concealed my lovely
features behind a veil of mystery, but true beauty and justice can never
be hidden for long! I am the soldier of love, the pretty sailor-suited
warrior Salor Venus! The divine archer Shen Yi and his lover Chang O may
<boggle> Say WHA?!? Did Minako hear his ranting about the Archer,
or is something more significant going on?
forgive you for what you have done here, but I won't!" With a flourish,
Sailor Venus tore the mask from her face and leapt from her lofty perch.
If Seiji didn't see this, you're going to have a lot to answer for.
Specifically, why did her Venus transformation have the V mask?
She landed directly in the centre of the large black mark she had
blasted in the ground, and tossed her mask aside with a flourish as the
light on her changed colour to become an angry crimson. "Dark and
cannister man, have at thee!"
"Ano, I think you mean 'sinsiter,' Minako-chan..."
(I've been watching too much Mai-HiME and Mai-Otome lately)
"Sinister!" a voice whispered harshly from the bushes.
<PLOTZ> I *swear,* I did *not* read ahead!
"Dark and *sinister* man, have at thee!" Sailor Venus corrected
herself without missing a beat, as Mamoru quickly ran alongside her and
"Ran alongside"? Ehh... Sug "moved up" or something.
lifted his cane again. He had to admit, that had been a very good
entrance. He would feel even better about it if he could be a little less
certain that she and Luna had not been planning the whole thing out
instead of helping him, earlier.
I'd believe it of Mina, but Luna? I dunno...
"Glad you could make it," he said, nodding to the blonde Senshi
as she winked at him in reply.
"So, any idea what his deal is?" Sailor Venus asked, tilting her
head in the direction of their opponent.
"Not really," Tuxedo Kamen admitted. "He seems a bit cranky. You
go high, I go low?"
"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, and the pair charged forward
It's easy to forget they reall *are* professionals.
in unison. Fei Lian snarled and gestured, summoning another of his
hurricane force winds, but the two warriors dove in opposite directions
and let the gust blow past them as they advanced. Tuxedo Kamen dove
forward, his cane stretching until it was nearly as long as a bo staff,
and he deftly spun it towards the back of Fei Lian's knees as Sailor
Venus vaulted over a piece of rubble and hurled herself at the youma's
face, fist first. They struck at the same time, and Fei Lian was knocked
flying off of his feet. Sailor Venus tucked her feet under her and
kicked, using the airborne youma's stomach as a springboard and
somersaulting back to land next to her partner.
Fei Lian hit the partially constructed yukaba platform like a
missile, cracking through one of the support beams and landing in a heap
beneath the heavy wooden frame. With a weak groan, he flopped over and
tried to sit up.
Tux: "Aw, man! Do you know how much work we put into that thing?
NOW I'm *really* mad!"
"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!" Reaching down to her hip, Sailor Venus cast
her arm out as though throwing something, and a glowing steel chain
unfurled from her fingers. Writhing like a living thing, the gleaming
chain coiled around one of the other support beams and caught fast. The
blonde Senshi gripped her weapon firmly in both hands and leaned back,
pulling as hard as she could. The frame began to creak and sway, badly
weakened by the gales and damage it had suffered through already.
"Argh! Mina, not the--"
Tuxedo Kamen stood behind Sailor Venus, bracing her against his
chest as he grabbed the chain and helped her pull against the weight of
the platform that he had spent all day building. Fei Lian crawled to his
feet, weaving slightly as he clutched his head and gave them a menacing
glare. Noticing what they were doing, the youma quickly followed the chain
to its anchor and looked back at them, his eyes wide with shock. He leapt
forward, and the beam gave with a thunderous crack as the entire platform
collapsed on top of him in a rain of falling lumber. The chain went slack,
and both heroes fell, tumbling to the ground with Sailor Venus landing
on top of Mamoru, who wrapped his arms around her instinctively.
<FLASH!> One for the archives.
"Hey! Watch the hands!" she said with a chuckle. "You're spoken
for, remember?"
"Keep your mind on the mission, Sailor Venus," he admonished her,
as they clambered to their feet. "I don't think that's going to do more
than slow him down for a little bit. This guy's a lot tougher than some
of your other opponents."
"Then I guess I'll just have to kiss him off," the girl replied
Uh oh. I know what that means.
with a twinkle in her eye. "You go left, and I'll go right. He can't block
both of us at once!"
Oh, she just *had* to say it...
Just as Mamoru had feared, the pile of rubble was already starting
to quiver and make ominous rumbling noises as he and Sailor Venus took up
their positions on opposite sides of the collapsed platform. Shielding
Not *directly* opposite sides, I hope -- that's just asking for a
blue-fire incident.
himself with his cape, Mamoru rubbed his fingers together until he felt
the familiar weight of a rose between them. Frowning slightly as a few
planks clattered free of the rest of the pile, he conjured up a second
one, just in case, and held it ready in his teeth. Sailor Venus was
right: Fei Lian couldn't use his wind to stop any of her attacks, and he
couldn't focus on avoiding her and blocking Tuxedo Kamen at the same
time.
The pile exploded in a hail of screeching wind and flying debris,
as Fei Lian rocketed up from his makeshift cairn in a nimbus of
coruscating energy. His eyes were alive with violet fire, and his face
was drawn into a grim rictus of sheer fury. Mamoru hurled his first
rose into the vortex, watching as it spun and tumbled amongst the other
debris, eventually glancing off of the youma's armoured form. Fei Lian
turned to face his attacker, emitting an inhuman screech as the ghostly
image of a winged serpent formed around him. On the other side of the
youma, unnoticed, Sailor Venus gently kissed her gloved fingertips and
waved her arm in a wide arc, golden light trailing behind her hand and
orbiting her waist like a small comet.
Oh, yeah, that's a *kiss.*
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!" The golden aura circling her
shot out, taking the form of a giant glowing heart before smashing into
Fei Lian's side and sending him spinning out of control. Seeing his
chance, Mamoru threw his second rose. The flower streaked from his hand
and slammed into Fei Lian, throwing him into the air in an explosion of
crimson energy. The youma fell to the ground amongst the rest of the
Y'know, if Touma and Makoto had been able to coordinate like this
(and Touma hadn't been rendered nearly nearly combat-ineffective),
that fight would probably looked a lot more like this.
platform as his winds faltered, landing with a heavy thud. After a moment,
the armoured youma shuddered and slowly pushed himself up off the ground.
Reaching his knees, he stretched his hand towards the two heroes and a
breeze stirred weakly around them, fluttering Mamoru's cape and ruffling
Sailor Venus' skirt. The light in Fei Lian's eyes died, and he collapsed
back onto his face, lying motionless in the dirt.
That was almost antilimactic.
"Well, this is a disturbing development," a young Chinese woman
said dryly, as she walked out of the shadows and calmly lit her cigarette.
She was dressed in a slinky black dress that was cut far too high to be
completely decent and had a dark violet trim that went well with her long
Sug: "with a hem far too high". Or maybe "Cut far too high, and far
too low"
purple hair. Her eyes were dark crimson, and her skin was as pale as
alabaster. There was a tattoo of a snake worming its way from the corner
of her mouth to the bottom lid of her right eye, and it seemed to move
Sug: "Lower lid"
as she smiled and raised her eyebrow. "I really thought the old windbag
had it in him, for a second there. He's been having a very bad week, you
know? My name's Xiang Yao, in case you were wondering. I see you've met
Fei Lian already."
"What's going on here?" Venus asked. "Why did you go after Maya?"
"That's really none of my business," Xiang Yao replied lazily, as
she took a long drag from her cigarette and released a cloud of smoke into
the air. "Fei Lian is always flying off the handle about some thing or
another. Me? I'm more of a professional. I wouldn't have interfered, but
I thought I should introduce myself. I'm going to be the person who
murders you in your sleep, Sailor Venus. You, and all the rest of your
little Sailor Senshi friends. It's my job, you see."
Okay, that's a different kind of threat.
Mina: "You can't do that! You have to face us in a direct attack in
the open -- it's in the union rules!"
Yao: "Sorry, honey -- I'm scab labor."
"I'd like to see you try," Sailor Venus said, and Xiang Yao
laughed.
"Well, that's rather the point, isn't it? You won't."
...*definitely* a different type of threat.
"I say we take care of you right now," Tuxedo Kamen suggested,
taking a step forward and reaching to his lapel for another rose. "Why
should we wait and let you come after us whenever you feel like it?"
"Because I'm going to take my partner over there and walk out of
here," Xiang Yao answered, with another drag of her cigarette, "and you,
good sir, will be far too busy to stop me, what with all the choking and
dying that you'll be doing." She smiled, and her fingernails grew into
foot-long talons of bilous green crystal. With a flick of her wrist, she
sent all five nails soaring towards Sailor Venus. Realising her intent,
Tuxedo Kamen leapt in the way and cried out as all five blades sunk into
his chest. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath, as Sailor Venus ran
over to check on him.
The last bit feels like it was written in a bit of a hurry -- the
narration lacks a certain degree of drama. If I may be so bold to
suggest:
"Tuxedo Kamen leapt to interpose himself and staggered with a choked
cry as all five blades drove into his chest. Venus barely had time to
reach him before he fell to his knees, gasping desperately for breath."
"Tuxedo Kamen! Are you okay?" Sailor Venus gently lowered the man
to the ground as his hat toppled from his head and rolled across the
ground. His skin had turned a pale green, and the veins in his neck stood
out a vile midnight blue against the palour. He opened his mouth to speak,
and a thin trickle of dark green liquid was all that came out.
When you start coughing up bodily fluids, that's bad. When you start
coughing up something *else,* that's *worse.*
"Heroes," Xiang Yao sighed. "So predictable. You're all just lucky
you're so delicious, or I'd have no use for any of you whatsoever."
"What did you do to him?" Venus asked, glaring at the youma as
she rose to her feet and clenched her fists.
"Who? Oh, him. I poisoned him, of course." Xiang Yao blinked and
calmly returned to lifting Fei Lian off of the ground. "He should be dead
within about seven minutes, if I haven't lost my touch after all these
years. I suppose it's possible that there *might* be a cure, but somehow
I doubt that you'll find one in time. Somehow I suspect that you would
rather help your friend than waste precious time fighting me, though. Am
I right?"
"Just for that, witch..."
"You'd kill him just to distract me?"
"Why not? Having no reason to kill somebody is no reason not to
kill somebody. Besides, he was starting to get annoying." Xiang Yao
Ouch. The SM crew really isn't accustomed to dealing with
cold-blooded, rational sociopaths.
hefted the fallen youma over her shoulder and smiled cheerfully as she
began to fade out of existence. "Ta-ta for now, dearie! Sweet dreams!"
"Wait! Come back here!" Sailor Venus took a step towards the
disappearing pair of youma, grabbing at them and finding only a handful
of air as her fingers passed through the space where they had been only
seconds before. Stumbling to her knees, she turned and looked back at the
prone form of Tuxedo Kamen. Luna crouched near the masked man's head and
gave the girl a worried glance that made her heart sink in her chest.
"This doesn't look good," Luna said quietly, her ears flattening
against her skull as her tail drooped sorrowfully. "I've never seen a
venom this toxic before."
Seven minutes? I'm pretty sure there are snakes around that are more
toxic than that. Then again, if we assume that the venom has to
overcome his magical defenses and his (manga-canon) healing powers, it
makes more sense...
"I have," a young man in green armour interjected, hopping down
from the branches of a nearby tree. He was clad from head to toe in
a sleek suit of emerald and ivory armour that gleamed coldly in the gloom
of the courtyard. "Sorry I'm late: looks like I missed most of the fun."
SEIJI! WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN!?!?
...wait... that means he didn't see the V/Venus thing. Oh, just great.
"It wasn't fun," Sailor Venus said flatly, as she pressed her
hand on the side of Tuxedo Kamen's neck. His pulse was weakening, beating
againt her fingers like the wings of a hummingbird. "Who are you supposed
to be, now?"
"Korin no Seiji," the boy said, with a simple bow. "A Samurai
Trooper, and friend, if you'll have me. If you can pull those things out
of our comrade, there, I might be able to lend a hand. I've dealt with
things like this before."
Silently, the blonde girl moved to one side and let Seiji crouch
beside her. A set of whiskers inched around his leg, as Luna tried to get
a better view of what was going on. Closing his eyes, Seiji clasped his
hands in front of him and extended his index fingers, humming softly to
himself as a gleaming green emblem burned on his forehead. The clouds
above them began to shift, and a shaft of sunlight fell onto his
shoulders, causing his shaggy mop of blond hair to glow with a nimbus of
His hair? So, he's just in his undergear?
warm light. Slowly, Seiji stretched his hands down to hover over Mamoru's
chest as Sailor Venus snatched out the venomous darts and cast them away.
A golden light drifted down from his open palms and filtered through the
cuts in Tuxedo Kamen's white dress shirt. There was a flash, and when he
moved his hands away the cloth was once again whole and untouched by
blood. Still humming to himself, Seiji placed his fingers against the
sides of Mamoru's head and started to rub in small circles around the
other man's temples. A bilous green mist began to pour from Tuxedo Kamen's
body, dissipating as it swirled towards Seiji and came in contact with his
burning golden halo.
Oh, we have *got* to get him and Sailor Saturn together to compare notes.
Mamoru's eyes snapped open and he took a sudden, ragged breath.
With a spastic jerk, he bolted upright and clutched his chest, his mask
falling from his face as he looked around him. His face was flushed, and
his eyes held the intense clarity of a man who had just awoken from a
long fever, but he was most definitely not dying.
That's a good thing. I shudder to think what Usagi might do if he
died -- somehow I don't think her current power problems would matter
much once she hit the Planet-Busting level of rage...
"Sailor Moon," he said fervently. "We have to get to Yokohama!
That thing is going to go after Sailor Moon!"
How did he know that? Is his Tuxedo Sense tingling?
And if XY is going after SM in Yokohama, why was she here at the
shrine, anyway? She and FL sure didn't accomplish anything.
**********
The sun was sinking low in the sky, casting its shadows across the
vacant courtyard in front of Juuban Secondary School. The trees stirred
in the breeze, their leaves rustling quietly as the steel gates that
barred entry swung on their hinges and clanged softly against each other.
There were no students here to fill the air with their chatter as they
filed to and from their classrooms - summer vacation always left the place
as empty as a tomb. The classes sat empty, their desks lined in perfect
rows and still gleaming softly from the ritual cleaning they had recieved
before vacation.
A single man walked the hallways, his shoes clicking softly on the
polished tile as he strode through the corridors. He had the dark, swarthy
complexion of someone who had spent far too much time in the sun, and his
jet black hair was as carefully cropped as the pencil-thin moustache he
wore. His suit was perfectly pressed, with creases that could cut paper
and a plastic badge clipped to his lapel that marked him as a special
member of the Board of Education. He had merely needed to step into the
local office and they had given him almost all the information he needed.
Juvenile delinquents, he had explained. Causing public disturbances in one
of the nearby wards. No decent descriptions of the children, but they had
been seen in their school uniforms. After that, people had fallen all over
themselves helping him figure out which school in Juuban used that exact
style of uniform so that he could track down the guilty children.
Uh oh.
Jadeite resisted the urge to laugh as he walked down the hall.
Humans were such gullible swine, sometimes. It was hard to believe that he
used to be one. People had been so eager to help him that they had barely
even glanced at him beyond noticing his fancy suit and official-looking
badge. Nobody had asked him to provide any paperwork or proof that there
had even been any attacks like the ones he had described. A quick check
with the local maps later, and he had already followed his prey back to
their usual hunting grounds. Soon he would have even more than that.
Oh, *crap.*
The office was exactly where he had expected it to be, and the
lock on the door gave just as easily as the gates out front had. With
quick and brutal efficiency, Jadeite marched over to where the filing
cabinet sat and crouched in front of it. Easier to start at the bottom and
close all of the drawers when he was finished, he figured: it would save
him precious seconds. The bottom drawer jiggled slightly in his grip and
Jadeite frowned. Locked. He might have guessed that they would be more
careful with the permanent records.
That'll slow him down all of, what, 1.03 seconds?
The swarthy man focused his power, his chestnut eyes flashing with
purple light as a tendril of black energy crept from his fingertips to
encircle the lock on the drawer. It was the same technique that he had
used on the office door, but a little bit trickier. He needed to break the
lock open without harming any of the files inside. That took more fine
control.
Okay, 2.3017 seconds.
The lock clicked, and Jadeite smiled with relief. Luckily, he had
always prided himself on his fine control. Sliding the drawer open, he
quickly rifled through the thick stack of manilla folders within. It
didn't take long; every file came with a photo, and Jadeite knew exactly
which faces he was looking for.
Okay, he's only ever seen Ami, Usagi, and Rei. And Rei goes to
school somewhere else.
He had tried to warn Beryl not to freeze him. He had tried to
explain what he had discovered, but she had paid no attention to him. If
she had been a little more understanding, just a little more willing to
listen to reason, then they could have done this years ago.
But we all know that Beryl made Adolf Hitler look like a paragon of
good, intelligent leadership. Which was a good thing -- if Beryl had
been competent, the Senshi would have been doomed halfway through
Season 1.
The middle drawer was his friend. It yielded its secrets to him
Sug: "turned out to be his new best friend."
like an old lover on a cold and lonely night. Two folders, two photographs
of girls whose faces had burned in his mind's eye all those interminable
ages he had floated in his tomb of ice.
"Hello, Miss Usagi Tsukino," he whispered to the top folder as he
gently caressed the photograph with his fingertips and paged through the
contents. There was no doubt who he was really looking at: he would have
recognised that stupid hairstyle anywhere. This was his darling Rei's
little blonde friend from the airport - Sailor Moon.
Gah! That's right, he already *knows* about Rei!
"Let's see," Jadeite muttered, scanning over the first few pages.
"Age sixteen, five feet, four inches tall... born July 30... Hmmm. Here
we go - next of kin and home address. Thank you very much." Removing the
relevant pages, he checked to make sure that nobody was around and then
stuffed them under his jacket. Before returning the file to its proper
place, he paused and took another disbelieving look at her grade point
average. Really, that was almost enough to make him feel sorry for the
girl.
He picked up enough human culture to be aware of GPAs, but not how to
use a Xerox machine? Heh.
Shaking it off, Jadeite flipped open the next folder and began to
peruse the information on Ami Mizuno. It was a much thinner folder, with
more gold stars in it than the night sky. He was just getting to the good
parts when he heard something very disturbing.
<snicker>
He heard the office door behind him opening.
Jadeite grabbed a fistful of papers from Ami's folder and jammed
them inside his jacket with one hand while he tossed the file back into
the drawer and threw his body against the cabinet to slam all of the
..right. Go ahead, look guilty. Good grief.
drawers at once. Reaching up, he quickly adjusted his wig and tried to
Wig? No disguise pen, then?
look natural as the door swung fully open and a very confused young man
looked up at him in shock. A pair of keys were still held in his hand,
and he was reaching out as if he had been about to insert them into the
lock when the door gave unexpectedly.
"What the hell-"
Jadeite's punch moved too quickly to be seen, sheathed in a
corona of crackling dark energy. There was a flash of black lightning as
fist met jaw, and the man spun like a top before crumpling to the ground
in a senseless heap. With a disgusted sigh, Jadeite peeled off the false
moustache and tossed it down on top of the unconscious man. Kneeling in
the doorway, he gathered up the papers that had fallen from his jacket and
put them away more securely.
"Give me that," he said, yanking a handkerchief out of the fallen
teacher's pocket and using it to scrub off his false tan. There was no
point maintaining the disguise: he never used the same identity twice,
anyway.
A field general, *and* has a decent grasp of intelligence tradecraft.
I'm beginning to think that his time on ice has restored some of his IQ.
Rising to his feet, Jadeite extended one hand and curled his
fingers. At his mental command, a shimmering black portal appeared under
the prone man, swirling and burbling with the formless matter of the space
between spaces. The portal rose, quickly swallowing the man, and then
disappeared with a soft popping sound. Jadeite lowered his hand and
Oy. This actually caught me by surprise. I still have a tendency to
equate "professionalism" with a reluctance to off innocent bystanders.
nodded to himself as he examined the room to make sure there was no sign
of his presence. The last thing he wanted this early in the game was for
any of the Senshi to know he was coming. Especially not when he had all
of their friends and loved ones held so close to his heart.
Oh, crap. So much for being an 'honorable soldier' -- Jed's going
for hostages... or worse.
Killing people was easy. Hurting them? That was an art.
...yeah, he's going for worse. Remember what I said before about
Usagi going PlanetBuster? I have a *bad* feeling.
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