Episode #1: A New Female Warrior Arises, Birth of the Blue Geranium Butterfly!
The autumn leaves drift from the nearby trees in swirly vortex as the gust blows through the campus of Jonan Prep High School. It was a peaceful afternoon, some finches gripping tree branches with their bird claw talons began to chirp a harmonious symphony bringing color to the ambient sounds surrounding the campus. School girls and boys in traditional dark blue, black, and white uniform roam the campus walk around the grounds with backpacks and briefcases in tow each going about their everyday lives. It was a typical school life environment.
There was one girl who was in a rush though. The sound of agitated footsteps reverberates on the concrete floor as she runs with ever-quick lightning speed. Her long ponytail dangles in the breeze getting tattered and disheveled. Her lips were luscious pink. A Sailor Moon badge is attached to the bottom front of her skirt with Usagi Tsukino in her characteristic outfit. The girl's face had a complexion that could put the Mona Lisa to shame but that beauty was subdued with the dark pair of glasses adorned on her nose bridge.
She turns the corner for the nearby stairs to which she quickly ascends and makes a sharp left turn. The words Classroom 15E stands emblazoned on the sign it's on. The girl quickly opens the door.
Upon entering the room was the very disappointed look of the male classroom teacher and the quiet gazes of a classroom body of 20 students.
"Igarashi Sensei … I" the girl pants out of breath.
"Iijima-san, this is the third consecutive time you are late to my class. What's your excuse for this occasion?"
"I'm sorry my mother injured her back carrying out our belongings to a new residence. I had to help with the moving and quickly get her to the hospital before her condition got worse."
"As annoying as this repeated behavior of yours is I can't lend some sympathy to your circumstances. Do you have your comparative essay of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep ready with you?"
"Yes I have it, here you are Sensei." I give him the 10-page assignment neatly stapled together.
"Good, sit down with the rest of the students and pay attention before you fall behind."
"Yes sir." The girl walks to the middle of the classroom by the window seat where she sees a hand waving towards her. The hand belonged to a long straight brown haired girl with a bright smile on her face.
"Kiriko come here I saved a seat for you!"
"Thanks Ami."
Kiriko Iijima quickly positioned herself on the seat and proceeded to pay attention to Igarashi Taro begin the class lecture.
"I await to see how each of you has written each of your comparative essays. I shall expect I will be done grading with them by this weekend and you will receive your grades the following Monday. Now let me ask you all a question, which I'm hoping you've answered successfully in your essays. What do you find in common between the first arguably Japanese science fiction folklore narrative dating back to 1592 about the child to adulthood development of Princess Kaguya and the US 1968 written sci-fi novel by Phillip K Dick depicting a post apocalyptic society where animals are nearly extinct from radiation fallout?"
A hand rose from the audience.
"Yes Watanabe-san?"
"Well I believe one can argue there is a sense of estrangement between oneself and society. In the case of the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Princess Kaguya becomes habituated to living as an Earthling in Japan but upon looking too closely at nights when the full moon would show she would wish to return to her native Moon people. One might ask as a question, can she really be considered a Moon denizen given her accustoming to Earth culture? On the other hand you could say otherwise given her minute stature upon being born from the bamboo stalk.
Similarly we have the issue about the coexistence between humans and androids as bounty hunter Rick Deckard discovers in his contract of killing 6 Rogue Nexus Androids. Upon being accused of being a robot himself, Rick Deckard contemplates about what it means to be a human being. He then believes that all people in the new San Francisco society he lives in are robots. Indeed, how can we consider ourselves human if we derive what it means to be human from empathy? Empathy in this universe comes from the purchasing of electrical animals to which one nurtures. We are feeling empathy beyond humans but nonhuman objects as well."
"Well said Watanabe-san. I agree with you completely."
"Tcch! That Watanabe" Ami whispers to me "he always gets the teacher's praises for anything that comes out of his mouth."
"Yeah" Kiriko nervously muttered.
Being a human versus a nonhuman, proper integration within society. Sometimes I wish I could live the idealized happy life and just be normal.
I think back to what transpired in my household two months ago. The dialogue between Igarashi Sensei, Watanabe and the rest of the class faded into obscurity.
"Tendo what are you doing? Downing a third bottle of Asahi beer?"
"Shut up you woman! What else can I do? I lost our final stocks of ownership of our only banks during our last bid. It's over I'm done. There's no way we're going to recover. I can't support the family anymore."
"Yes you can Tendo! No matter how bleak it looks you can rise again from this nightmarish hellhole. Now kindly give me the bottle, there's no need for you to get into a drunken stupor to get over your sadness."
"What do you mean? Of course I need this. Now leave me alone … HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THAT'S MINE GIVE IT BACK TO ME YOU WHORE!"
*Punch*
I recall the very moment I stepped into the house during the quarrel. I saw my father caressing that beer bottle as if it were the only thing that kept him living and I saw my mother with a bloodied bruise on her cheek. Her lips were cracked with red.
"Mom … Dad … what's happening?"
"Fine! If being drunk on your sorry ass is the only thing you can find value in over her your concerned wife, then we are done!" My mother grabbed the wedding ring on her finger and thrust it to the ground where it bounced off before landing at my father's feet.
"Kiriko pack everything that belongs to you in your bags. We're permanently leaving this house for good!"
"But Mom …" tears trickling out of my eyes "Please don't! Not Dad I … We love him."
"Fine! Go do it see if I care!"
"I love him too my sweetie but that person over there is no longer the man I used to know 2 years ago anymore. We're going and that's final."
"No Mom! Please don't! Mom Noooo! ….."
"MISS KIRIKO IIJIMA!"
I awaken from my daydreaming to see Igarashi vehemently eyeballing me.
"Sleeping in class as well. Do I need to send you to detention as well today of all days young lady."
"I'm sorry Igarashi Sensei, I got really distracted by a bad dream. It won't happen in future again. I promise."
"….. (sighs) Fine. I'll take your word to the letter. Alright everyone its just about time the period is over. I wish you all a lovely weekend. Class dismissed."
Kiriko and Ami are walking along the path outside the campus exterior.
"Wow Igarashi sensei really grilled you today didn't he?"
"Couldn't help myself I had memories of my mother and father's quarrel pop up in my mind again. With our recent move I don't know if we can make anymore."
Ami looks at me with sad eyes. "Here, let me give you a hug."
I embrace her warmly. "Mom is hospitalized temporarily for how long one knows and I'm too busy getting ready for applications for college along with you now. Plus my extra gymnastics training. There's nothing I can do to support the family."
"Well your sister is part of Jounan University's official Aikido team right? The club is running on quite an extensive grant and if she keeps winning at those tournaments like she masterfully keeps doing every time we watch her I'm certain she'll provide enough cash from the tournament awards to keep your family doing fine. Now that I mention that isn't she practicing today, we should go over and see her."
"Yeah I suppose we can do that."
"Kiriko nee-san, Ami nee-san!"
We turn around and see a short girl with twin black pigtails running towards us with a smile on her face. This girl is Emiko Yasuhiro a sophomore at Jounan prep high and someone who I helped out from a bit of trouble a while ago.
"Emiko, for the last time why do we have to keep telling you every time. Address us as Kiriko and Ami Senpai not Nee-San." I told her.
"But you guys helped me so much in the past. There's no way I can repay you guys for what you did. You're like family to me."
Emiko was referring to the incident that happened last week. Ami and I were strolling around after having lunch at the cafeteria. We had spare time until the next class started so we decided to head to Harajuku and see if there were things we could buy for spare. Along the way we saw Emiko caught up in the middle of extortion by some Sukeban (Japanese delinquent girls) in a nearby alleyway.
"Oi you little shit you saw us ransack that rundown combinato (convenience store) didn't you!"
"I didn't, I swear. I'm honest I didn't see nothing."
"Well sweet old mama here doesn't believe jack of what you say but its alright even if you did cause I'll make a deal with you. You give me last piece of Yen you've got on you and we'll pretend like nothing happened. Otherwise, you're going to see what several blows to the head with a wooden bat feels like, right girls?"
The other six in this seven gang Sukeban maliciously giggled in assent brandishing their weapons. The leader threatening Emiko was holding a chain ball mace. Ami and I were surveying the situation trying to figure out what to do.
"Kiriko this looks bad we should call the police to stop this before it breaks into a big fight."
" … A .. a .. a…. agreed!" I replied in assent. I remember the times I was bullied back in middle school by both boys and girls alike. The girls would demean and insult me and break me down till I cry while the boys sexually harassed me.
To this day those experiences still haunt me. I was about to follow what Ami suggested and leave right away but then I noticed the face of absolute sadness and despair on Emiko's face. It reminded me of my own face when my father punched my mother without a care in the world in his drunken fit and saw the condescending eyes of the Sukeban leader.
It was then that a feeling I never thought I would feel began to creep up unto me … Anger.
"You creeps back away from her!" I yelled with a knee jerk response. Before I knew what I said the seven-girl crew glared at the two of us.
"Well, well, well, it looks like the ponytailed bitch wants to play girls. Since she asked so nicely."
The sukeban leader tossed her chain ball mace around my left foot and dragged me into the ground towards her where she proceeded to stomp my breast to pin me down.
"Grab the other slut!"
Ami quickly grabbed the lid of a garbage can and backed into a corner as three other girls proceeded to deal bat blows to her prototype shield.
Two other girls began to come to their leader while I was pinned and the other two were taking Emiko hostage.
The Sukeban leader gloated at me and told her two henchgirls: "beat her to a bloody pulp!" I dodged two blows from their bats towards me rolling from side to side before I got a good eye at the leader's face. I spat with all my might at her eye where she recoiled in disgust. That was the opportunity I needed.
I used my leg to wrap the chain on the leg of one girl and then kick the ball aside causing her to fall to the ground and make the leader fall down towards me where I proceeded to kick her in the face. She fell down taking the entire chain ball with her. The remaining minion nearby decided to then clobber the bat over my face but I dodged disarmed the bat off her and proceeded to jab the hand grip end to her stomach before smashing her arm with the bat making her cry out in pain and fall to the ground.
The three remaining Sukeban assaulting Ami noticed my assault against their leader and charged towards me. One swung their bat towards me to which without thinking I jumped into a back handstand grabbing the bat with my legs and throwing it away then kicking her in the face with both of my feet. The girl was sent flying. As I rebounded to stand up the other two smashed their bats toward me from opposite sides. I grabbed both bats with my arms stopping the blows I kick one of the bats breaking it and sending splinters flying into the Sukeban's face making her cry out in pain. One push with my palm to her head sent her down. The other one I just gave a good punch to the face and that knocked her out.
The other two Sukeban witnessing my fighting began to slowly shake at their knees. I gave them a death glare and said: "Leave … NOW!"
"Yes Ma'am!": they dropped their bats and ran away from the alley heading towards to safety. I wipe off the blood from my nose and check on the little girl who was astonished at what I pulled off.
I see that she is fine and so proceed to let myself go. My feet wobbled in anxiety and toppled over where I get sprawled on the ground. Slowly I stood back up again. Looking like a nervous wreck I ask the girl:
"Hey … huff … are you alright?"
"My name is Emiko… Emiko Yasuhiro"
"Emiko is it, well don't you worry about anything my name is Kiriko…. Kiriko Iijima. I hope those gangsters didn't hurt you too badly."
"No they didn't miss." Emiko shook her head.
From far back Ami came walking with feet shaking while carrying the prone trash lid.
"What the hell did you do Kiriko? You were like a ninja. What possessed you to go and do that? I told you we'd be better off with the police. How did you pull it off anyhow?"
I look at my hands and legs still shivering. "I … I … dunno, guess the gymnastics work I do can pay off … as …. self defense at times … I guess."
I look back toward Emiko take a slow deep breath and compose myself. "Don't worry everything's going to be just fine. Tell us where your parents are and we'll take you to them, okay?"
"Okay."
"Kiriko Nee-San was so amazing back then. You acted like a true hero."
At this point I gave up at telling her to call us senpai and just went with it.
"Anyhow Emiko, how are your parents doing?"
"My mom's doing okay but my dad's still been missing. It's been three months now. Dad's a well known biomedical researcher and engineer so I'm certain it must be a business trip he's on but we haven't heard word from him since in awhile. So its kind of worrying us."
"Well I'm sure he's alright wherever he is."
"Hey Kiriko where going to be late to your sister's practice session if this freeloader keeps slowing us down."
"Excuse me Ami Nee-San! I am not a freeloader."
Ami face palms her head. "Well I guess we got no choice we're taking her with us then."
"Yay! I get to go with Kiriko and Ami senpai!"
"At least she called us senpai this time."
We proceeded to walk away from Jounan Prep High and head towards Jounan University. However, unknown to us we were being carefully examined from the bushes as a frill like appendage surfaces from the bushes.
It took twenty minutes by walking to get to Jounan University. We arrived at the specialized gymnasium dojo for martial arts and took our seat at the small grandstands along its side. Since the stage was large there were both male and female matchups going along at the same time for all variety of martial arts. There was karate, aikido, jeet kune do, judo, and kendo among many other competitions. There was one particular girl of note doing well during her spar. That girl was a competitor with jet wavy black hair with blond highlights on the side of her head. She grabbed her opponents striking hand then bent and twisted it by the elbow before uncurling and tossing her aside.
That young woman was my sister Sachiko Iijima. For ten years now she's been the head of Aikido university club. She intends to win the national tournament in a few months and use the prize money to help out our family now that is on the brink of ruin. Her composure is calm but I can see that the stress of the family duty is getting to her.
In spite of that sister has always been an inspiration. When she sets her determination on a goal such as her quest to be a martial artist there was no stopping her. My ex father and my mother both supported her dearly during those times. How I wish things could have gone back to the way they were. I cannot live a normal happy life instead I have to live an atypical one filled with stress, depression, and drama.
"Go Sachiko-senpai!" Emiko cried out at the top of her lungs. Both Ami and I cringe and her gung-ho ness but simply let things be we watched the fight proceedings continue for thirty more minutes. It was then during the next moment a disastrous event would occur that would change all our lives forever.
Suddenly the lights in the room gave out. It fortunately wasn't pitch black but all the lighting we could see at this point was the organic sunrays shining through the top windows of the gymnasium.
"What's going on? A blackout?" someone said.
KEEEEERUUUBIIIIINNNN!
"Whuuh… What's that noise?"
Everyone looked towards a wall on the far side of the gym. It looked like there was a light shining bright behind with the silhouette of something that looked like a giant lizard on the back. Slowly the wall began glowing red hot. Substance that looked like molten magma or lava began to ooze out through the wall's pores until the entire wall melted completely to liquid.
What appeared from the shadows completely defied all human expectations. It was a frilled lizard looking monster but its frills didn't look normal. They were lined with crimson red lines on the upper side and glowing as if it were a heat radiator of some sort. Its hands were covered in a pair of orange gloves with slight claws protruding from the tips of its fingers. The rest of it look like it was wearing a three tone body armor colored in varying shades of red, orange, and yellow. It had orange kneepads and orange boots. A long tail bore out of its behind. However, the most bizarre aspect of the monster was how thermometers were visibly embedded along its arms. We could tell because there were gradient measurement markings along clear white glass. The temperature scale given the F mark near its wrists clearly suggested the Fahrenheit measurement system. Finally adorned around its waist was a belt with an insignia of a snake curled in a triple infinity sign. Its mouth is grasping a bite of the world from the fangs on it.
"What the hell are you?" someone screamed.
"Negashocker's kaijin Fahrenheit Frill Tokage. Participants of the Jounan University martial arts you have all been specially selected to become test subjects for our kaizo ningen remodeling process. Taiji Guerilla domo appear!"
Smoke bomb explosions suddenly puff out all over the gymnasium and from it appeared around 40 men. They were all hooded and wearing bandoliers around their shoulder and torso. On each of their wrists appears to be a pocket slot where a sharp hidden blade appears from it. The most bizarre feature of theirs was their Yin-Yang symbol like mask with the triple infinity symbol running down their masks as if they were two eyes. The same belt adorned their waists as well.
"Capture them all! Kill any that try to escape!"
The Taiji Guerrilla begin throwing ropes and collaring the club fighters. The entire gymnasium surrounded with all exits blocked. Some of the fighters tried to fight back against the henchmen but they were either pinned down (and in some cases after being disarmed) or killed outright with the henchmen's wrist switchblades. Several artists and audience members are tied into a corner and then wrapped into wads of rope.
I quickly turn to Ami.
"Ami take Emiko's hand and get away right now!"
She quickly gave me a nod of assent.
I rushed down from the grandstand and sprinted towards my sister with all the speed that my feet could take me.
My sister was judo flipping several of the henchmen over their bodies and jabbing with critical hit punches to vital parts of their body. However two henchmen got two lucky ropings at her arms and were pinning her to the ground.
I push away at one of the henchmen and look toward Sachiko.
"Sis!"
"Kiriko!?" Another rope strangles her around her neck this time.
I run up to my sister and try to rip apart the ropes around her neck. However, that only brought up my attention to the guards. One of them stabbed with me their blade into my shoulder. I cried out in pain as I tried to shake him off but another came and then kept repeatedly punching me in the stomach over and over again. I doubled over from the beatings and the severe pain I was feeling.
My sister was finally then whipped down by the tail from the frilled lizard monster and sent sprawling onto the floor. With a satisfied look on his face he then eyed me.
"Trying to interfere you little wench? Here are what meddlers like you deserve!"
He kicked me down then began crushing his booted foot on my windpipe slowly increasing the applied pressure.
It took awhile for me to struggle but after what appeared to be five minutes had pass I lost consciousness.
…
…...
…
….
…..
My senses were hazy as I was slowly recovering consciousness. I could still feel the singe of the stab wound on my shoulder festering in pain. I looked around to take account of my surroundings. I was in a jail cell completely with bright purple walls. A giant insignia seen on the belt of the so-called Taiji Guerillas and the monster was painted alongside the wall. Pictures of magenta colored roses also decorated the screen. To my complete surprise I saw Ami and Emiko among the seven captives gathered together in the cell.
"Ami! Emiko! I thought I told the both of you to run away from the gymnasium."
"Sorry friend, there were too many of them. We were bound and tied up before we could resist to do anything otherwise at all."
"Kiriko-Nee San. I'm scared where are we."
"I have no idea. Wait Emiko stay behind I hear footsteps. Back away."
Three guards walked towards our cell. One unlocked the door with a key. A second pointed at the three of us.
"Okay Subjects 9X78, 9X79, and 9X80, up on your feet."
We were forced up and dragged out of the cell into their clutches.
After awhile we finally reached our destination. A giant door with a skull and the electron cloud model of the atom were emblazoned on it. The door opened and we were greeted with an array of surgery tables in the room. To my surprise on one of them I could see my sister Sachiko bounded tightly by chains on her wrists and ankles.
A bunch of the same looking Taiji Guerrillas but with medical cross marks on their eyes were preparing the scene with the frilled lizard kaijin standing on guard. There was another man in a lab-coat surveying what appeared to be a medical operation. This man seemed like a complete stranger but to someone with me he wasn't.
"Father!"
"Emiko … Emiko!"
The man ran up to hug his daughter very tightly.
"Are you alright did they do anything horrible to you?"
Emiko shook her head sideways.
"That's good. That's good indeed …"
"Heihachi Yasuhiro Hakase, your little sentimental moment is over now." The kaijin came and separated the two of them from each other.
"You … What is this. How come my daughter is with us in this base."
"She was just another bystander that happened to be at our latest kidnapping operation. Don't look at us too unkindly Yasuhiro Hakase!"
"How dare you"
"Do you have a death wish Doctor?"
"ENOUGH!"
The voice uttered came from a dark part of the room, which suddenly lighted up revealing a woman with a three horned crown headpiece. Light pink makeup decorated her face with crimson lipstick along with mascara. Her most prominent feature however were her fifteen centimeter razorsharp long nails that look like they could cut through steel. The rest of her body was in a skintight red bodysuit.
"Ah ha! Kamisori Tsume Hime-sama."
"At ease Fahrenheit Frill Tokage. Yasuhiro Hakase if you know what's good for you now I'd like there to be no objections."
"Yes … yes your highness."
"Hakase which one of these candidates will undergo our surgery operation."
Reluctantly the doctor looked at me. "After they were knocked unconscious I had the vitals of all the subjects examined in their cells. The only one who can have a body impervious to withstand the treatment given their gymnastics background is this girl over here."
"I don't know how you came upon that conclusion doctor but I utterly refuse to be a guinea pig for some scientific experiment. Now let go of my sister!" I escaped from the henchmen's grasp and then started running for my sister.
"FUSUTOU SUIGIN KIRI!" (Boiling Mercury Spray)
The thermometer on the left arm of the monster suddenly filled up and sprayed all over my body from the tips of his fingers giving third degree burns all over my body. I collapse to the ground.
"Kiriko-Nee San!" shouts Emiko
"Kiriko!" shouts Sachiko from the other table.
"Hahaha! Now you have no choice but to undergo the operation now if you want to live. Strap on her onto the table."
The woman walks toward a now the lighted insignia of the organization on the wall.
"Oh holy Dai Shuryo! He who has blessed us with eternal resurrection to continue our conquest for world domination anew. I now present to thee two new kaizo ningens that will live to serve us forever. One shall be endowed with the characteristics of a Geranium Argus, the other shall be endowed with that of the Antheraea Yamamai (Japanese Silk Moth) We hope these offerings please your malevolence."
The insignia blinks: "excellent Kamisori Tsume Hime. I look forward to seeing the results. Do not fail me this time like so others have before."
"Yes my master! Start the surgery immediately!"
"Sachiko" I cry one last time as blood gurgles from my mouth before a sleeping gas mask is put over it.
"Kiriko" She cries out as well before they do the same to her. We were put out immediately as the gas entered our lungs.
Yasuhiro Hakase proceeded to get to work. He instructed the scientists to insert IV needles into each of our bodies. Green liquid entered our veins at a rapid pace. Our bodies were then scanned with a giant laser device throughout the entire process. Finally surgical cuts in vital parts of our body were made and insertions of mechanical equipment and gear were placed in. The final piece placed onto our bodies were two metal belts with windmill like turbines inside them.
Kamisori Tsume Hime smiles. "Now all that is left is the brainwashing procedure and soon these subjects will become willing warriors of Negashocker! Yasuhiro Hakase proceed with the operation at once."
"Yes milady."
Heihachi Yasuhiro switched a button and suddenly all went to chaos. Sparks and explosions scattered all over the vicinity. The operating tables went haywire and a malfunction sign was displayed on both counters. Suddenly both Kiriko and Sachiko came to consciousness. The doctor grabbed a nearby surgical knife and stabbed his nearby comrade in the back. He proceeded to cut the bindings around my chest.
"EMERGENCY THIS OPERATION ROOM AND ALL OF THE BASE IS UNSTABLE, SELF DESTRUCTION WILL COMMENCE IN 5 MINUTES."
"Yasuhiro Hakase you dare betray Negashocker now of all times!" screamed Fahrenheit Frill Tokage
I was freed and swiped the surgical draping cloth off my body. My body was suddenly restrained down by two henchmen but somehow with miraculous might I managed to push them off. They were sent crashing into operating table equipment and more sparks sent flying.
"I've let you have me turn countless innocent women, men, and children into monsters for you to manipulate, but no more! Hurry you two escape!"
Sachiko in an instant broke free of her restraints and batted the nearest henchmen away to the side. She began to attack the Taiji Guerrillas from her vantage point then judo flipped some aside.
"Fahrenheit Frill Tokage this is a disaster. Stop them!" yelled Kamisori Tsume Hime.
"KEEERUUBIIINNN! FUSUTOU SUIGIN KIRI!" Again liquid spayed out from his fingertips and scalded Sachiko who started screaming in agony.
"Sis! I yelled at the top of my voice.
She responded, "Go … RUNNNN!"
The sound of her skin melting penetrated the air and the kaijin never stopped his merciless onslaught.
I push a henchman aside and with the doctor in tow quickly went to grab Ami and Emiko from the clutches of the henchmen. I tackled one henchman aside and reflexively punched another that went to stab at Emiko.
The punch sent the Taiji Guerrilla flying straight across to the other side of the room.
"How did I manage to?"
"Papa!"
"Emiko, hurry there's no time the base is going to collapse soon. Follow me this way!"
We rushed to the nearest open exit and dashed out of the room. As we turned the corner I looked back to have one last glimpse at my sister.
She was dying. I could see deep exposed flesh as the mercury cut deep into her skin now. Through all the effort to restrain her she still resisted kicking and punching men back left and forth. I could have sworn she looked at me once last time with a defiant smile on her face. Suddenly she then collapsed and burst into flames.
I couldn't stop the tears that were flooding my eyes now as we were running away with all our might. No one was there to stop us as the planted explosions the doctor set up caused a ruckus all over the facility and killed random men at every moment. As the sirens flooded the place we turned a corridor but ran into a bunch of guards armed with rifles. They instinctively shot at us with indiscriminate fire. Most of the bullets were aiming for little Emiko but the doctor shielded the fire taking all of the bullets to his back.
"Urrrgghhhh" the doctor spat out blood.
"Father!"
More bullets were fired but they were blocked by the roof of the intersection suddenly caving in and collapsing blocking the line of fire of the combatants.
"Father!"
"Emiko. Oh Emiko I'm so sorry. Blagh!" The doctor coughed up blood and was starting to fade from existence. "You two women." He pointed at the far left turn at the end of this tunnel we were in.
"Just past that area is an exit out of this base. Please go, do not mind about me. This is my penance for dealing with the devil. But please, keep my daughter safe!"
With those last words the doctor's pulse faded into nothingness.
Emiko went into a meltdown. She couldn't help contain herself now that her father was dead. I couldn't help but feel despair too. It was just meant to be a regular day at school. Now there was nothing but death that greeted my eyes throughout this entire exodus.
Ami suddenly talked breaking us both out of our stupor: "Guys we cannot stop. The escape way is only a few steps away. Come on, let's go!"
We took Ami's words to heart and took the immediate left turn. Sure enough there was an exit right there in front of us. We opened the door and sure enough we could see the outside. It looked like we were on the outer crop of a rocky mountain. The problem is the way heading downwards the slope was extremely steep. We could hear the explosions of the base slowly edge closer towards us.
"What do we do now," hyperventilated Ami.
I look at the two of them as impending doom approached us and suddenly an insane thought popped up in my mind.
"Guys grab a hold of me we're going to jump from here."
"Jump!? Are you crazy?"
"Does it look like me have much of a choice now at this rate. Hurry and grab me."
Without a second thought the three of us jumped with me holding them in tow, just in time as the final explosion burst through the door we came out of. The backdraft from the shock wave sent dust clouds flying and obscured our vision. I couldn't see them but it felt like I accidentally let go of their hands mid flight. While lost in the dust blizzard I felt the turbines on my belt spinning like crazy. It was then that I felt a strange metamorphosis come upon me. A glowing blue light emanated from my belt and then I vanished.
Several Minutes Later
When I came to I felt my body all bruised and bloodied. The only thought in my mind now was what happened to Kiriko and Ami nee-san. I stood up in a blurry mess trying to find where I was. Although I couldn't see Kiriko nee-san anywhere I saw Ami nee-san unconscious on the ground. I ran up to her side and tried to get her attention.
"Ami nee-san. Ami nee-san. Are you alright?"
"Ugh – I'm fine. Where's Kiriko?"
"I don't know, nee-san wasn't here when I got up …"
"KEEEERUUBIIIINN!"
Suddenly the ground bursted open and from it forth came the lizard kaijin along with ten of his henchmen.
"I thought the explosion would have taken care of all of you but it looks I was right to trust my instincts and double check."
The Taiji Guerrilla came and grabbed the two of us and stood us up.
"What are you going to do with us" I said.
"Your results on the gene pool are useless therefore Kamisori Tsume Hime-sama says your expendable for whatever that's worth. I'm going to take my time melting you for the giggles. Hahahhahahahhaa!"
"Noooo….. Someone please save us!"
"It's too late for prayers now, prepare to die!"
"YAMERO!" a shout resounded throughout the smoky mountainside and left us all in a daze.
We turned to see where the voice came from. What greeted my eyes was something completely insane to behold.
It was a female warrior in dark blue. What was of great notice was the armored ponytail that was poofy the air and descended to the ground in dark blue striped strands. Two gossamer wing fin like protrusions came out from the top of her head along with two curly antennae. Two magenta colored bug eyes garnered the mask of this female warrior. An armored facemask visor was located below the two eyes. Two spherical globes decorated the chest of the warrior, which were clearly armored breasts. Broad shoulders greeted our eyes along with two red gloves and two pink armored boots. However, the most prominent feature was the gossamer cape located underneath the arms of the warrior. In total they seem to give off a butterfly motif to it. Finally a turbine belt was tightened around her waist.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" the kaijin shouted out.
Suddenly the dark blue warrior noticed that her voice sounded weirdly different and then noticed how her body parts were different as well. She touched her face noticing the strange contours throughout her entire mask. The touch was metallic and hard not warm and tender like human skin.
"What … What…." She stutters
"WHAT THE HELL AM I?"