SMSTSS 9: Predator's Moon! – By DS Wynne


Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST, Predators and other related properties belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is a multi-genre story.

Special Note: This is a 1000-plus story.

Author's Note: In celebration of the recently released "Predators" film (directed by Robert Rodriquez, and starring Adrian Brody and Lawrence Fishborne), I decided to do this two-parter. Keep in mind that I am referring to the trailers ONLY. I don't know how the film ends. C&C are welcomed.


Part 1


Somewhere in time and space, a warrior, a cyborg scientist and an android fell through a crack, and somehow reappeared someplace…

Taimu Kyaasaisha opened his eyes, as he realized that he was falling through the skies. He breathes hard, as he kept his bearing straight.

'This has to be a dream!' Taimu said, as he tumbled to the ground. 'This has to be-!'

Suddenly, Taimu heard a beeping sound on his back, as a parachute opens up. This calmed him a bit, as he floated to the Earth.

Or so he thought.

'Wait a minute,' Taimu said, as looked at the sky. 'Since when has there been more than one moon-?'

As the ground catches up to Taimu, he sees two flying figures approaching him.

"Doc?" Taimu said. "Bird girl?"

"It's HAWKGIRL!" Hawkgirl said with a scowl. This latest Hawkgirl was the android version of Akane Tendo, a young Japanese woman who is married to the infamous Ranma Saotome, also known as the superhero "Ronin". The android, called a "life model decoy" (LMD), was set up in order to take the place of the real Akane Tendo, who left Earth for purposes unknown. Whether or not she and her sisters will return, well, no one knew. For now, however, the memory of Akane will be maintained in the form of an android, this time in the role of the super-heroine "Hawkgirl"…

"Well, excuse ME," Taimu said with a smirk. "I'm just trying to alleviate the situation with levity."

"Taimu, we all have problems," Dr. Tempo said, as he used his hover jets, installed in his bionics, to stay in tandem with Taimu's descent.

"Yeah, I know THAT," Taimu said. "We're not on Earth anymore."

"Then, where ARE we?" Hawkgirl said. "Last thing I knew, we were fighting that big headed, green freak."

"Do you think he might have done something to put us out of the way?" Taimu asked.

"I don't think so," Tempo said. "Otherwise, why spend the capital to get us, when he could have just generated the effect without losing his men?"

"Good point. So, what's next?"

"We land," Hawkgirl said, as she sees the ground close up.

"Well, hopefully, we won't fall in some sort of trap," Taimu said, as he swallowed hard.

"What makes you think that?" Taimu asked.

"Just a feeling."

"I think you're being paranoid, Taimu…"

A few minutes later…

"You know, you ought to trust me when my feelings are ringing," Taimu said with a smirk, as Dr. Tempo examines the corpse. The trio had begun their initial trek westward, when they came upon the body. It had been skinned, and was being dried while hanging upside.

"I stand corrected," Dr, Tempo said, as he begins a brief autopsy on the remains. He was careful not to disturb them, out of fear of indicating his and his companion's presence…

"How…how could someone do this?" Hawkgirl shivered. In spite of being an LMD, it still had Akane's personality.

"Obviously, we're dealing with some sort of red-neck serial killer," Taimu said, as he kept an eye out for trouble.

"Actually, that may not be the case," Tempo said, as he stood back. "Considering the fact that there are numerous predatory species in the Universe, and considering the fact that we're in space…"

"So, we're food now?"

"That is the possibility."

"Well, I don't want to put a fine point to all this, but I'm the only one who's truly flesh-and-blood. I don't want to be someone's…happy meal."

"I seriously doubt that you will be someone's 'happy meal'."

"That's right, because I won't let them," Taimu said, as he shows off his guns. "Let's see them try to eat me-"

Suddenly, there was a whining sound, close to Taimu's head. Immediately, Dr. Tempo and Hawkgirl were on guard.

"Someone's behind me, huh?" Taimu said with a sigh.

Just then, a form shimmers out of thin air. It appeared to be a female wear a mesh body suit, which covered her tanned, lean, muscular body, with cloth that covered her "modesty". She wore a hunting mask, and appeared to be equipped with exotic weapons, both ancient and modern. Long, hair, with strands woven into thin, tight braids, fell down her back. Her left, clawed hand clutched an energy weapon, while her right had a knife ready at Taimu's back…

"What are we going to do?" Hawkgirl said. She was ready to pounce on the stranger at a moment's notice…

"Now, we don't want any trouble," Dr. Tempo said, as he kept his weapon system at ready. "We just came here to get our bearings straight."

The stranger turns to look at the three, before backing away. She then sheaths her weapons appropriately.

"Thanks, I guess," Taimu said, as he puts way his guns, while slowly turning around. "I'm surprise anyone could sneak up on me…"

"Who are you?" Hawkgirl demanded. "And where are we?"

As if on cue, the woman removes her helmet, revealing her face.

"You?" Hawkgirl said in surprise, as she steps back in shock.

"I don't understand," Taimu said. "How can you be here?"

Dr. Tempo squint his eyes while trying to discern what was going on…

"The same way you did, I guess," Usagi said, as she brushed her matted hair aside. "I'm concerned that that you seem to know me."

"Of course we do," Hawkgirl said, as she steps up. "You're Sailor Moon! You're the Moon Princess? You're Thordis, Orochimaruko or whoever you're supposed to be, depending upon your whim."

"I'm sorry, but I haven't assumed those guises in years. Besides, I don't know who this…Orochimaruko is supposed to be. I DO know of an Orochimaru, and the last thing I heard was that he had joined the Akasuki."

"If you indulge me, how long have you been here?" Dr. Tempo said.

"Going on ten years. Why?"

"Just bear with me. When you first came here, what year was it?"

"It was…the summer of 2000. When Ranma and I got here, it was shortly before we were scheduled to participate in the launch of Farscape-1 through the International Aeronautical Space Agency with Commander John Crichton."

"But that's impossible," Taimu said. "If you're here, then…who is Usagi Tsukino back at home now?"

Usagi was about to say something, when her ears perked. She then turns towards the three people.

"We better get going," Usagi said, as she moves her weapon to her front. "Someone is coming."

"Who?" Dr. Tempo asked.

Usagi points to the corpse that was hanging.

"Oh."

"Come, and please keep up," Usagi said, as she began to move rapidly through the thick brush.

"Man, she's fast," Taimu said.

"I'm more interested in what happened to…the Ranma that she mentioned," Dr. Tempo said.

"Me, too," Hawkgirl replied, as she took to the air.

Unknown to all, someone did catch their departure…

Later, Usagi was dressed in a simple potato sack. She has just cleaned herself up, using water stored in a wreck spaceship that was stuck under rock and mud.

"Here, dig in," Usagi said, as she gave some sort of meat and vegetable product on a plate.

"I'm fine, thank you," Hawkgirl said.

Usagi cocks her head.

"Oh, that's right, you're a machine."

"How?"

"I can smell another person's aroma. Yours is artificial…fake."

"I see…"

"What is this?" Taimu said, as he ate up his meal. "It's quite tasty."

"Not sure, but what I killed was something of a cross between a dog and a lizard," Usagi said.

Taimu stopped eating for a moment, and then shrugs his shoulders before continuing to eat."

"You mention Ranma's name," Dr. Tempo said. "Is he here?"

Usagi looks away, and then looks back at Dr. Tempo.

"Ranma died a while ago, as far as I know," Usagi said. "He…he used a special technique called the 'Suicide Surprise Attack' to take down as many of his opponents as possible, which numbered in the hundreds."

"Who…who attacked him?" Hawkgirl asked fearfully.

"The people who typically skin their prey for sport: the Yuatja, or simply, 'The Predators'."

Pause.

"Unfortunately, what was left of Ranma, they stole to improve their 'Hish' warriors, or super Predators," Usagi said tearfully.

Pause.

"I chose to remain here, in order to kill those things, so that they won't go to Earth to wreck havoc on the people Ranma loved…"

There was a moment of silence amongst the group.

"But, Usagi, Ranma is alive," Dr. Tempo said.

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked.

"There is another Ranma on Earth, as well as, well, another you. In fact, we were aiding our Ranma in dealing with the Hulk-Scouts-"

"Wait," Usagi said. "'Hulk-Scouts'?"

Dr. Tempo quickly tells Usagi what has been transpiring lately on Earth. When Usagi asked Dr. Tempo if he could recount the events pertaining to herself and Ranma since the year 2000, Dr. Tempo did his best to recount those events…

"Then, it's not too late," Usagi said with a sigh of relief.

"What isn't?" Taimu asked.

Usagi pulls a necklace from underneath that had a locket attached to it.

"What is that?"

"It contains Ranma's essence," Usagi said. "He gave it to me just…in case I managed to finally leave this place."

Pause.

"So, I have a daughter named 'Genko' now?"

"Indeed."

"And…I merged with Oorochimaru?"

"Yes."

"Huh. I didn't know my primary doppelganger would behave in a prolific way."

"What are you saying?" Taimu asked.

"I…I'm the original Usagi Tsukino," Usagi said with a sigh. She then holds up the locket.

"And this…was the original Ranma. But I can bring him back with a new body, once I return to Earth."

Pause.

"If I can…"

Tbc.