SAILOR SCOUTS visit GOTHAM
a fanfic crossover by Jennifer A. Wand (Sailor Newbie/NetBatMovie Spoiler)
some continuity notes:
This is written with some in-jokes to the Sailor Moon/Power Rangers story I
read about a year ago. In that story, the Power Rangers went on an exchange
to Tokyo and the Sailor Scouts helped them defeat Lord Zedd there. They don't
appear in the story, thank goodness, but they do help set it up.
In Sailor continuity, English names are used but otherwise continuity is as
faithful as I could make it to the original series. It is set during the
Zoycite/Malachite arc, after "A Crystal Clear Destiny." I guess I did keep
some things from the American series, because I know it better than the
original. So don't be too picky with me. :)
Specifics: 1) Zoycite is male, to please the purists and for
the sake
of one line in Part 4!!
2) Mars's scroll attack is "Evil Spirit Begone!"
not "Fireballs Charge!"
In Batman land, the story is in Animated Series continuity (with some fun
in-jokes to comics!)
*********
"O boy o boy o boy o boy! This is so coooooool!" shrieked Serena, so
loud the whole room shook.
Luna looked up warily from her comfortable spot on the bed. "What is
it now?" she groaned, for Luna was used to things being so cooooooool. "No,
let me guess. New guy, new video game, new comic book?"
"Wronnng!" Serena gloated, kneeling to grin knowingly in the gray
cat's face.
"Umm... old video game, new high score?" Luna shrugged.
"Wrong again, Luna!" Serena grabbed her cat and spun her in merry
wheels around the room. Luna meowed in surprise and dizziness. "We are gonna
go to the U. S. of Aaaaay!"
After surviving spinning, shrieking, and squeezing, Luna managed to
pull herself free of the hyperactive teenager. She regained her bearings.
"Now. Serena. Did I hear you right? Now start at the beginning and tell me
what this is all about."
Serena tried to calm her rapid breathing, and sat on the bed. "Well,
ya remember those kids who came here on exchange last year?"
"I certainly do," said Luna seriously. "Those were no ordinary kids."
"You're telling me," breathed Serena, starry-eyed. "Tommy and Rocky
were sooooo cute!"
"You know what I'm talking about," insisted Luna.
"Yeah yeah... they were Power Rangers and all that," droned Serena.
"Who cares. Not like they were any help to us."
"This is true," Luna conceded. "After watching them grunt and flail
their arms, and those horrible clumsy robots of theirs, I swore I'd never
reprimand you again."
"Yep, you're pretty lucky to have me around," Serena said flippantly.
Luna snarled and gritted her teeth. "Don't... push... your luck."
Serena knew she'd better get on with the story. "Anyhow... so since
they came to our school, we were supposed to go to their school, except that
ugly guy we fought went and tore down the place again. So they're rebuilding,
and now some rich guy is letting some high schoolers go to this other city.
Er... Gotham I think is the name. And he said I could go, and so is Lita, and
so is ... er... **Rei***," Serena fumed for a split second.
"Anyhow, I'm psyched!!!" With that, she embarked on a series of hyper shrieks
that could have leveled a china shop.
"I wonder if America can handle this girl," Luna groaned.
*********
Malachite sneered as he approached the throne. "This plan cannot
fail, my queen," he said, offering Queen Beryl a reverent bow.
"It had better not," she replied sharply, waving her hands mystically
over her black crystal ball. "You must stop those Sailor Scouts from
interfering."
"They shall not get in the way this time," Malachite told her.
"His plan is pure genius, Queen Beryl," added Zoycite from a few
inches behind Malachite. He looked up admiringly at his handsome lover.
"Since Lord Zedd attempted to attack Tokyo, thus avoiding the Power
Rangers, I thought we might follow his lead and gather energy from America,
where the Sailor Scouts will not be there to stop us. There are superheroes
in America, but they are too concerned with petty crime and are not familiar
with our schemes."
Queen Beryl pondered. "You plan sounds most promising, Malachite. We
will need energy to seize the Silver Empyrean Crystal from that Sailor Moon,
and I need time to win Prince Darien over to our side. But America is a very
large continent. You must find a location with the most energy available for
your taking."
"I have anticipated your concern, Queen Beryl," Malachite said
confidently. "We have found a place called Gotham City. It is rife with what
humans call seedy bars, strip joints, and crime families."
"And if that's not enough," Zoycite chimed in, "There is an asylum,
filled with maniacs who constantly escape to terrorize the people. The
hysteria and fear they create will provide us with much energy, and dark
energy at that. It will be most effective when applied to releasing the
Negaforce."
"Very good," said Beryl. "Now get to work, you two. And Zoycite--
don't forget this is your last chance to redeem yourself for trying to destroy
Tuxedo Mask. Do NOT disappoint me!" She waved her hands impatiently,
dismissing the pair.
"Your majesty," cried Malachite urgently. "I must tell you of one
possible risk, a crime-fighting duo who..."
"Enough!" snapped Beryl. "I am sick of your worrying. Go, and do not
fail me this time!"
*********
"We are now approaching Gotham International Airport. Please return
your seats to their..." The message repeated itself in Japanese. Serena
blinked sleepily and gave a huge yawn, stretching out her arms and legs in the
cramped airline seat.
"OW! Ser- EE-- na, watch it!" Rei grumbled next to her. "You almost
poked me in the eye!"
"I was STRETCHING!" Serena said defensively.
"Why don't you stretch AFTER the plane lands!" retorted Rei.
"Oh come on, Rei... I've been stuck in this awful seat for practically
a year, next to a total grouch, it's three PM and I think it's three AM, and
I'm about to land in some weird country. So why not just give me a break!?"
Serena ranted, ending her monologue with a familiar flood of tears. "Waaaaa!"
At the window in front of them, Mina looked down with a face full of
wonder. "It's great!" she breathed.
"Isn't it?" Ami echoed effusively. "I just can't wait to see all the
sights! The museums, the historical buildings..."
"...the nightclubs, the arcades, the guys!" finished Lita. Ami was
about to protest that she wasn't going to finish her sentence like THAT, but
from behind them came a yell of pain and a fume of anger, followed by a
defensive "I was just trying to get my bag!!" Luckily, the plane hit the
ground with a loud bump before many sparks were able to fly.
*********
"This way," Mina groaned as her friends scampered through the halls of
Gotham International. Serena was singing an off-key chorus of "I want to be
in a-MER-i-ca" in heavily accented English, and Rei was constantly asking
"Hey, Mina, what does that sign say? What about that one?" Mina was glad
when they reached the luggage claim. Finally, the girls could do something
that didn't need a constant interpreter.
Rei, Lita, and Ami pulled their suitcases off the conveyor belt. When
Mina got hers, Lita suddenly said, "There's something moving in your bag!"
Indeed there was... something wriggling in one of the large extra pockets.
Mina was unsurprised. "Well of course! I wasn't about to leave our
friends behind. Would you?" Lita looked confused, but grinned when Mina
unzipped the pocket and out popped Luna and Artemis!
Luna crawled wretchedly into Ami's arms. "That was, without a doubt,
the most unpleasant eight hours I have ever spent," she moaned.
"What, you didn't like my singing?" Artemis quipped, although he
looked a little green himself. Luna hissed at him. "Seriously," Artemis
said, "we thought we'd help you out with getting around here." He did a tiny
backflip across Mina's shoulders, and five sets of shining gold earrings
appeared in the five girls' hands. "These are translators," he explained.
"They'll help you speak and understand everything you hear. Just a little
bonus from the two of us."
"Wow, thanks!" Serena grinned, putting the earrings on. "They're way
too cool looking too! Look at me, I'm an American now!" She did a little
model-turn, the gold earrings flashing. Suddenly her expression changed.
"Ack! That's my suitcase!"
The scouts laughed as Serena tore after the runaway bag. When she got
hold of it, the weight was too much for her to pull it off. Serena ended up
flying down the conveyor belt, shrieking, attached to the handle of a renegade
suitcase. The wild ride ended when she crashed against a green turtleneck who
picked up her bag and said jokingly, "Should have traveled light, eh, Meatball
Head?"
Her head spinning, Serena looked up and saw a fuzzy dark-haired figure
with a cocky smile. "Darien?" she murmured confusedly. Had he escaped the
Negaverse and come back to her? Her cheeks started to flood with color and
she smiled joyfully.
But as the fuzziness faded and Serena regained her head, she saw that
the figure was not the annoying boy she loved to hate and had learned to love.
"Hi," he said. "My name's Dick. Dick Grayson. Are you okay?"
Serena turned bright pink. "Um, uh, I was just um.. well, yeah..."
She let her voice trail off and just concentrated on staring at the stud. Was
she floating on a cloud? If she didn't know better, she might think he was
Tuxe... but then she remembered something. "Scuse me," she said,
straightening up. "Did you call me... MEATBALL head?"
Dick grinned. "Well, yeah. That is what ya look like, Meatball
Head."
Serena hear a snicker from behind her. Fists flailing and eyes
flaming, she ranted, "I am NOT a meatball head! Am not am not am NOT!" Dick
suddenly wished he had brought an umbrella to escape the shower of tears.
"Chill out," he said hastily. "It was just a joke! What's your
name?"
"I'm.. uh... Serena," she said, struggling to remain sensible in the
face of such studliness. It must have been the goofy look on her face,
because she definitely heard Lita tell the others to pretend they didn't know
her. So Serena said audaciously, "And these are my friends. Ami, Mina,
Lita..."
"And I'm Rei," the dark haired girl said flirtatiously, stepping
forward. She batted her eyelashes while Serena looked on glaringly. "So tell
me, Dick, are you from around here?"
Serena butted in angrily. "And this," she grinned through gritted
teeth, "is my cat Luna. And Mina's cat is Artemis. We've all come on
exchange from Japan!"
"Wow, your English is pretty good!" exclaimed Dick.
Serena fiddled nervously with her earring. "Yeah, well... we've
worked pretty hard at that." She elbowed Rei just in time to knock the snappy
comment out of her.
"If you don't mind me asking, " Dick wondered as he petted Artemis,
"how did you manage to take two cats on an international flight without cages
or...?"
Serena saw her chance and pointed at Rei. "Ask her about that. In
fact, ask her about anything that seems a little suspicious. It's probably
her fault anyway."
Rei was about to answer when Lita cut between the two. Ami and Mina
grabbed the growling girls' hands and led them away while Lita babbled
hurriedly, "Jet lag, you know, they can get kinda cranky, we need to get them
to bed, see ya 'round, BYE!" And she dashed away.
**
The Joker played cat's cradle with an empty piece of air in his cell
at Arkham Asylum. He'd asked for a piece of string, but the guard had
refused, thinking the maniac might strangle the messenger. "Now would I do a
thing like that!?" the Joker chuckled to himself, as his fingers held the
imaginary web... a web to catch a bat maybe? Bat's cradle? "I'd never do
anything like that... I'd do JUST that!" The clown erupted in maniacal
laughter. "Ya ha ha ha ha hee hee hee hee hee ha ha... hunh?" Cautiously, he
turned around, and then exploded in giggles again. "Imagine that. The NERVE
of this place. They won't give me a silly piece of string, but they let
floating swamis in here! Just goes to show ya what's wrong with asylum
management these days..."
"Listen," Zoycite yawned, for he was floating a few feet off the floor
of the Joker's cell, "You're my last stop today, and I want to relax with my
boyfriend tonight, so let's get this over with. My name is-"
"I know!" volunteered the Joker, raising his hand eagerly. "You're...
Neron, and you want me to sell you my immortal soul! Ya ha ha ha ha ha!"
Even Zoycite giggled. "Sounds like a really bad comic book... But
anyhow, no, you're wrong. My name is Zoycite and I'm going to set you and all
your friends free. All I want is for you to wreak a little havoc, and I'll
feed of the energy of your victims. I'll even throw in a little Negapower."
"Hmmm..." the Joker fell backwards off his bench and hung upside down
in thought. "Sounds like too good an offer to pass up... now the real joke
would be if I passed it up anyway!"
Zoycite stared in disbelief as the clown giggled at that absurd idea.
Then he smiled deliberately. "That's your choice, but it would be a shame.
You'd be passing up the chance to play some great jokes on everyone out there.
Especially with the Negaforce to aid you."
"Ya know, yer right." The Joker stood up. "Okay, Mister Chop
Suey-cide..."
"That's Zoycite," he glowered.
"Whatever." The Joker waved the issue away. "All right. I'll take
you up on your little deal. Shake on it?"
**
Andy, walking through the maximum security wing on his daily round,
heard the sound of a joy buzzer and a yell of surprise. But the hefty guard
was barely able to grab his walkie talkie when a piercing "Zoy!" echoed
through the halls, and all hell broke loose.
**
It had been a day and a half, and the still jet-lagged but excited
girls were headed home for the evening. "This is TOO amazing!" cried Serena.
"I mean, can you BELIEVE this place? It's out of this world!"
"I don't know," Lita said, looking around suspiciously. "Maybe it's
just me, but this town gives me the creeps."
"Me too," mused Rei. "Not Negaverse-type vibes thought. More like...
this place is just always scary."
"Oh, you guyyys!" Serena drawled, puckering her face into a
patronizing grin. "It's just a big city, and personally, I think it's cool."
Ami and Mina looked at each other and shrugged. "Whattaya gonna do,"
Mina smiled.
The fivesome turned a corner, and the cold shadow of a brick building
fell on them abruptly. Serena pressed her lips together, and her eyes
glistened nervously. Ami shuddered and wrapped her coat tight around her
small frame.
"Don't you know girls aren't supposed to walk around Gotham alone at
night?"
The voice came from behind them. Everyone whipped around. In the dim
light, they could make out the figures of three punks with leather jackets and
snarling expressions, and in their hands glinted slivers and one cylinder of
silver. "Oh jeez..." stammered Serena. "I wanna go hooommmme..."
Lita glared at the hoods, her adrenaline racing. "What is that
supposed to mean? You must have never met girls like us before!" Her hands
clenched into tight fists. One of the hoods approached her menacingly.
"Please..." Serena tugged on Lita's sleeve. "This isn't Tokyo, we
don't know who they are, let's just go..."
Lita shook her off. "You think you're so tough, big boy?" she
growled impulsively. Ami tried to step forward to tell her this wasn't a good
idea, but found herself knocked flat on her back as the hood charged Lita. He
rammed into her hard, toppling her over, but she rolled to her feet and threw
him to the ground with a defiant "Ha!"
This small victory sent Rei into full warrior mode, and she delivered
a powerful blow to Lita's opponent as he was about to get up and grab the
brown-haired fighter around the legs. Then, Rei let out a small cry and
dropped, when the punk managed to graze her leg with his knife.
Lita gave a gasp as two sets of hands grabbed her arms. The two other
punks held her still, despite her wildcat-like struggles. One raised a gun to
her temple, and she grimaced and squinted sideways at it. "Now," the guy
sneered, "are you girls gonna behave?"
Rei, kneeling on the pavement, clutched her wound. Her eyes blazed.
Serena looked at Ami and Mina, and saw the decisive look in their eyes. No
way were street punks going to take out the Sailor Scouts. Serena looked
ahead determinedly, spread her fingers wide, and began to cry, "Moon Pr..."
A sharp object whizzed by. Serena drew her hand back quickly. The
thing clanged against the punk's gun. As both gadgets dropped to the ground,
Lita found her chance and elbowed her way free. The five girls and the three
flustered punks looked up to see where the strange bat-shaped thing had come
from.
"Ohh," said Serena, her jaw dropping.
On the roof above them sat a mysterious caped figure. His dark cap
and mask reminded Serena of someone back in Japan, but underneath the yellow
lined cloak was a brightly colored red and green costume. The stranger gave a
smile and nodded, his dark hair ruffling. "Don't you know how to treat a
lady?" he said tauntingly to the punks.
They seemed to recognize him, and backed away. "Who IS he?" Serena
mouthed, eyes starry with wonder.
Mina was equally lovestruck. "Bet he's called... the Traffic Light
Knight!"
Serena was about to utter a clueless "Huh?" when a whoooshing sound
whipped through the air. She drew in a ragged gasp. It was hard to tell in
the dim light what happened next, but a huge caped figure swooped down from
behind them, and there were sounds of grunts and punches. Another whoosh, and
the five girls were alone on the sidewalk once more.
"What was that?" Rei gasped.
"Beats me," answered Mina, "but the... uh... Traffic Light Knight is
gone." She looked dejected.
"Guys!" shouted Ami, wild-eyed. "Look!"
Four heads turned. Hanging from a broken streetlight was a pinata of
three wriggling punks. The package was bound tightly in wire and knotted
around a metal device shaped like a bat.
**
Disheveled and exhausted, the girls trudged up the stairs to their
bedroom. "I can't believe that," Rei fumed, as Serena flopped down on the bed
with a loud thud. "I thought they told us this trip was going to be safe! We
should sue them!" Rei ranted on, as Serena groaned and rolled over.
"Stop your yakking," she said sleepily. "At least that rich guy Wayne
or whoever paid for us to stay in a hotel. Maybe he should have found
babysitting for you, though!"
Lita, in the meantime, had turned on the television. A red-haired
newswoman was speaking briskly and looking intensely out from the screen.
"I'm Summer Gleeson, and you're tuned to Channel 6 News at 11. The rash of
strange robberies continues in the wake of the Arkham Asylum breakout. No
casualties so far, supposedly due to the Batman's intervention, but there have
been several injuries. Despite those reports that the Batman has been sighted
at crime scenes, none of the criminals have been apprehended so far.
Witnesses describe unusual abilities in Gotham's all-too-familiar criminals,
from increased strength and weaponry to even the supernatural. These reports
are unsubstantiated, and police assure the public that these descriptions do
not fit with the perpetrators' usual methods. We'll be back in a moment with
a live report."
The screen faded to commercials. "What in the world?" Lita muttered.
"I wonder..."
"Oh, haven't you had enough crazy people for one night?" Serena
yawned. "I wanna go to sleep!"
"No, she's right," Luna said, coming out from underneath one of the
beds. "Something smells fishy about that report."
"You don't think... the Negaverse?" Lita turned on Luna.
"That is precisely what I think," Luna answered.
"And what did they say about that... Batman?" Rei mused, leaning
forward and furrowing her brow.
"He's a crimefighter here," Ami asserted from the other side of the
room. "The Batman, they call him, and his partner Robin. I made sure to
study a little bit about this city before we came here. I thought it might
come in handy."
"Whooo cares?" droned Serena, burying her head in her pillow.
"I do," said Mina suddenly. "Look!"
They rushed to the window. Lighting up the smoggy night and the dim
flicker of streetlamps was a huge circle of light that seemed to envelop the
whole sky. It was only eclipsed in the middle by a dark shadow, all swooping
curves and angles, shaped like a bat.
Serena turned around immediately and dove into her pillow again.
"This is too weird, I wanna go home, I don't like this..."
Ami gasped. "Hey. Doesn't that look like the thing on the end of the
rope before, the one that tied up those muggers?"
"You know, you're right," said Lita, recognition dawning on her face.
"Wonder what it is."
"Bet it has something to do with that Batman."
"Oh Rei, if it has a MAN in it you're desperate to find it."
Sparks and pillows flew. Ami ducked under the crossfire, and dug a
stack of newspapers out of her bag. "I've got it!" she cried, and both
warring parties stopped in mid-throw to stare at her. Mina sat down to
listen, and Lita looked thoughtful. "Rei, you were right. It's called the
Batsignal. They say that when the city's in trouble, or when there's a
dangerous criminal on the loose, the police use that to call him. No one
knows who he is, so they have to shine a light over the entire city to let him
know they need him."
Serena suddenly collapsed in a fit of giggles. "This is too weird!
As IF! You really believe this?"
Rei retorted, "I used to know this crybaby who somehow got
superpowers..."
"All right, all right," Artemis declared, crawling out from under the
bed where he had taken up temporary residence. "Enough of this. Somebody
should check it out."
"Yeah! Let's go!" Mina said, jumping up excitedly, but Artemis shook
his head.
"Nope. Luna and I will take care of it. A few stray cats are a lot
less conspicuous than five girls in sailor suits."
Mina grumbled. "You've got a point." She opened the window as Luna
and Artemis leapt up to the windowsill. The two cats jumped out onto the head
of a gargoyle, tripped across a clothesline, and disappeared into the city
night.
**
Commissioner Gordon drew his coat tighter around him, sucked in a
breath of cold air, and waited. Beside him, the burning Batsignal glowed, but
it didn't help ease the chilly night's bite or the tough old cop's mind. He
had seen plenty of strange things in this town... heck, he was waiting for
one... but he was at a loss for words tonight. Everything familiar and
predictable about these maniacs had disappeared. None of their weak spots
were weak anymore.
"Jim." A deep voice behind him.
With a start, Gordon turned around. "...Oh. It's you. Why I'm not
used to that by now I don't know." He pushed his glasses up on his nose and,
with a grunt, pulled the lever down to extinguish the huge spotlight.
"I assume you have a riddle for me," his companion said.
"You figured out it's Nygma already," Gordon said matter-of-factly. "That I'm
not surprised at. Yes, I suppose I do have a riddle for you." He uncrumpled
the scrap of paper in his hand and cleared his throat.
"On bended knee Matt offered me
and grabbed her hand to hold her
But she kicked him round
And threw me out.
Find me, Batman, if you dare,
Because this pinhead's got news to share."
"A ring," the deep voice stated immediately.
"I know," said Gordon. "But it's hardly enough to go on. He could be robbing
a jewelry store, a circus, heck, even another ring of mobsters. There's got
to be more to it. But-"
"Hang on," the other said urgently. Gordon was about to stutter "What?" when
he heard it too-- the scampering of light footsteps. He made a grab for the
gun at his side, turned around quickly, and then let out a long sigh of
relief. Two cats scampered across the rooftop, one white, one black. They
leapt onto another roof and vanished.
Gordon chuckled. "Well. So will you get back to me about that... Batman?"
He turned back around to face an empty roof. "Yeesh. Don't ask me why I'm
not used to THAT, either."
**
"A ring," said Ami.
"We know. We heard him solve the riddle," answered Luna. "But it's
not much."
"I'll tell you what bugs me," said Rei, her eyes in suspicious slits.
"'News to share.' Reminds me of what they said on the news tonight... about
them being stronger lately."
"I have a baaaad feeling about this," groaned Luna.
Lita, who had been facing the window, suddenly whirled around. "Wait
a minute," she blurted out, "There's another clue hidden in that riddle."
They stared at her blankly.
"Think about it! I was thinking why the guy in the riddle was named
Matt, and then I thought Mat! Listen... knee, mat, grab, hold, kick, throw,
pin, round... they sound like wrestling terms, don't they? What if the ring
is a wrestling ring?"
"Yes!" Ami chimed in. "And there's a wrestling championship going on
right now! I saw it in the paper. Midnight Wrestlefest."
"Wrestling. Oh, GREAT," Serena yawned. "Why can't we just let that
Bat guy handle this? It's his city!"
"Not if the Negaverse is involved," Luna said seriously. "Come on.
Let's get to that contest."
The girls rushed out the door. "Anyone got any Moon Coffee Power?"
**
"Ladies and gey---yentlemen! It's time for the Midnight Wrestlefest!"
The unruly crowd erupted anew in cheers. Curses and styrofoam beer
cups flew in the packed auditorium. A disgusting, classless, brawling
madhouse, and in Gotham there were countless such places.
"In this corner, wearing the red and black... you better confess your
sins because he IS our champion, the Avenging Angel, Azrael!"
The musclebound blond flexed for the roaring crowd, and grabbed the
mike. "I AM the champion!" he snarled. "And that challenger better watch
out, because I got a SYSTEM and I am gonna PUNISH him!"
The ref snagged his mike back. "And in this corner," he said,
crossing the ring, "our challenger, wearing green. You wanna talk about a
mystery challenger, he's the one, the big question mark himself! Ladies and
gentlemen, the Master Maniac of Mystery... the Riddler!"
Boooos broke out as the figure in green shedded his coat. This was
not the short, lanky fellow they saw pictures of in the tabloids. Same
height, maybe, but this one was pumped up, muscular, like a steroid-saturated
version of himself. He advanced on the ref and snatched the mike. "Don't
believe it's me?" he said in his usual calm tone. The crowd booed on, not
bothering to listen. The Riddler lost patience and screamed into the mike,
practically breaking it in his huge, clenched fist. "HEY!"
Feedback flooded the amps and the Riddler's voice resounded. The mob
settled down, and he went on. "Don't believe it's me, eh? Neither do I
sometimes, but I like it! Well, riddle me this, you brainless buffoons. When
does the challenger win before the match begins? When he's stolen all the
prize money beforehand, of course! Sorry, Azzy." He looked at the fuming
wrestler with a face full of melodramatic sympathy. "But don't worry, folks,
you're still going to get a show. You see, I sent a little invitation to a
friend of mine, and he should be showing up pretty soon. Can't wait to try
out these new muscles on Batman!"
The crowd went wild. Frenzied cheering resounded. In the chaos, no
one noticed the strange things happening on the fringes of the madness... two
figures creeping stealthily along the rafters, far above the arena... five
agile girls vaulting over the entrance gates... a small-boned man smiling
wickedly, slitting his eyes and nodding in approval.
The Riddler had begun to tease the audience, calling a singsong
"Riddle me this, Batman, where are you hiding?" But in the meantime, the
wrestler Azrael had gotten up and was growling in the madman's direction.
Just as the Riddler was rambling, "and riddle me this! What kind of person
breaks us out of Arkham and tells us to go cause trouble? He'd sure be the
Bane of Batman's existence..." Azrael slammed the unsuspecting brainiac to
the ground!
"You may have the dough," he said through gritted teeth as the crazy
roaring surged yet again in the audience, "but I'm still the king around here,
bub!"
"Are you, now?" retorted the pinhead coolly, leaping to his feet and
throwing Azrael backwards.
But the seasoned wrestler was up in a flash, and gripped Riddler.
"You lissen to me!" he slurred angrily. "I am Azrael, the avenging angel, da
Champion a' dis ring and da Champion a' justice, and for your sins, Mr.
Riddler, I will PUNISH you!" He snarled and choked his victim harder.
"Hey! That's my line!"
The voice was small, but fierce, and the audience gasped. Two
swirling capes, about to make a downward spiral into the thick of it all,
stopped abruptly.
Five girls leapt into the wrestling ring. Each wore a sailor costume
with a shining gold tiara and a colored skirt. In the front of the group was
a beautiful, young-looking blonde with pigtails that reached practically to
her toes. She grimaced at the stunned pair and raised her arm above her head
dramatically. "I am Sailor Moon!" she cried, making a series of powerful
gestures with her white-gloved arms. "The REAL Champion of Justice! I know
about you and your new powers, and on behalf of the moon... I will punish
you!"
There was a moment of blank silence.
Then, with a flourish, two caped figures swooped down from the
ceiling. Huge winged shadows enveloped the room. The audience drew in a
collective gasp, then broke out into clamorous shouting. "It's Batman!"
Screaming down like a dark lightning bolt, the Batman, a monstrous
tower of strength and intimidation, shot like an arrow down onto the Riddler.
As the maniac hit the mat face first, with a loud "Oof," Batman grimaced and
pinned him down with one navy-booted foot. Almost simultaneously, a streak of
color flew onto the other wrestler. Someone shouted above the din, "It's
Robin! Wow! What a show!"
Robin grabbed the arms of the angry Azrael, restraining him from
attacking any of the eight uninvited guests. At the same time, he turned to
the girls with an angry expression. In a hushed voice, he scolded, "I don't
know who you think you are or what you think you're doing, but you just ruined
a perfectly good plan. Batman and I WERE going to watch for a while and see
just how strong the Riddler had gotten. Now, thanks to you, we're fighting
blind. We haven't got a clue what we're up against. So I hope you're
satisfied with your little hero routine."
Sailor Moon looked like she was on the verge of tears, but Sailor Mars
shoved her way forward and glared in Robin's face. "Listen, Mask Boy, you're
right, you DON'T know who you're up against, and you ARE clueless. We're the
Sailor Scouts!"
"I don't care if you're the Eagle Scouts," Robin fumed.
"Robin!" called a grimacing Batman, struggling with the Riddler on
the wrestling mat. "Don't bother. They're not worth it."
Sailor Mars turned on him. "Oh aren't we?" she began.
Batman gave her a dark look. "Whoever you are, you don't know Gotham.
And nothing is going to help you here, no fancy moves, no Scouts, nothing.
You're dead unless you know this place."
"But..." Sailor Mars interrupted.
She was cut off by a loud *BONK* as a beer bottle flew up and hit
Batman squarely on the back of the head. He lurched forward and shook it off,
but by then the Riddler was up. Batman recovered and lunged at him. The
Riddler could have sidestepped the blow, but instead he grabbed Batman's arm
and held it squarely. Batman struggled. Robin looked concerned, but was
still restraining the other wrestler.
"Never thought I'D do this to you, did you, Batman?" the Riddler said
arrogantly. "I was always the brain, birdbrain, but I could never match you
for strength. All you had to do was grab me, and I was done for. I think you
were just jealous because I was smarter. A 'grass is always greener' type of
thing. Well, I hate to tell you this, but now the joke's on you... har har
har! News flash, ladies and gentlemen!" He turned to the crowd, still
maintaining a firm grip on the frustrated vigilante. "The Riddler is now a
match for Batman brain for brain and brawn for brawn!"
The Riddler next faced the Sailor Scouts. "And you, Sailor Whatever
You Are-s, I can't make heads nor tails of you. But tonight's my night, and
nobody's stealing my thunder!"
Sailor Jupiter drew her hand back and shifted into a fighting stance.
"I am Sailor Jupiter!" she cried confidently, "and I don't want to steal your
thunder... in fact you can have some of mine! I call upon the mighty forces
of Jupiter to cut this weirdo down to size!" The air seemed to darken around
the Sailor Scout, and a gust of wind tangled her hair. From her tiara
extended a small gleaming gold rod.
With a crack, lightning burst in through the roof of the arena, and
gathered in a sparkling staticy haze around Sailor Jupiter. She leapt into
the air and tucked her body into a tight ball, then extended her limbs in a
powerful gesture. "Jupiter Thunder... CRASH!"
Bolts of lightning and thunder shrieked through the air, and the loud
rumbling shook the entire auditorium. The wave hit the Riddler head on, and
he let out a cry. Batman took advantage of the moment to wriggle free, and he
rolled across the mat to a safe corner. Once there, he stared in disbelief at
the triumphant Sailor Jupiter and her victim, who seemed caught in a painful
ball of static electricity. The charge made its way into the ground, however,
and the Riddler was free, but weak and gasping.
"You should have listened to me," Sailor Mars said, smiling smugly.
"You may know Gotham, but WE know why all your criminals have become so
strong. So don't forget us just yet."
"I wonnn't," murmured Robin, looking admiringly at the five teenagers
in their amazingly short skirts. His face broke into a silly grin. The two
blonde Sailors were equally dazzled.
Then, abruptly, Robin's enamored face changed to an even more vapid
expression, as he was knocked senseless by the wrestler he had forgotten to
keep restraining. In anger, Batman leaped to tackle Azrael, but lost control
of his foe. The Riddler scrambled away. "Well it's been a half a laugh,
Batman, but I gotta fly! You know us Arkhamites, always bumbling off to
somewhere or other. Till tomorrow!" He dashed away.
Sailor Moon growled. "Not so fast, fella! Moon Tiara Magic... catch
him!" Gripping her tiara between her thumb and forefinger, the girl hurled it
with an easy motion towards the escaping Riddler. As the ring flew, it began
to sparkle, until it became a lasso of light entrapping him tightly. The
Riddler wriggled, but he couldn't break free of the magical bonds.
"Ha!" Sailor Moon gloated. "We got 'im!"
"Maybe so," muttered the Dark Knight knowingly, "but he's only the
beginning. Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and the Penguin are ALL going
to pull stunts before long."
"Hunh?" the girl warrior said, "How do you know that?"
"He TOLD me so," said the square-jawed hero, slitting his eyes.
Sailor Moon's jaw dropped. "The Riddler hides clues in his every word. His
fancy speeches have hidden meanings, and it's my job to figure them out."
"Enough of that," snapped Robin, who had recovered from his pounding
and had apparently injected Azrael with a sedative (since the wrestler was now
sleeping like a pussycat). He snarled at the girls. "I want to know who you
are and what you know. Now."
The five Scouts looked at each other, and something clicked into place
in each of their minds. They seemed to melt into a dramatic, battle ready
position, and they looked straight at Batman and Robin, but seemed to act as
one. Sailor Moon stood in front, and began: "Our planet is under attack by
an evil empire called the Negaverse."
Sailor Venus went on: "They feed on negative energy, like fear and
confusion and anger."
"We have defeated the generals Jadeite and Neflite," Sailor Mercury
popped in, "but we are still battling Zoycite and Malachite."
"They're here to collect energy for their scheme to capture the
Empyrean Silver Crystal," Sailor Mars declared.
"They are using these criminals to create negative energy," continued
Sailor Jupiter, "but we're not going to let them succeed... because we are..."
"...The Sailor Scouts!" they finished in unison. Five voices tumbled
into each other: "On behalf of the moon... and on behalf of Mercury... on
behalf of Mars... and of Venus... on behalf of Jupiter..."
"...we will right wrongs and triumph over evil!" Sailor Moon cried
triumphantly. Five eager pairs of eyes flashed with a satisfied sense of
completion.
There was a moment of silence.
"Um, wow," said Robin, "Do you guys rehearse that?"
"Naw.... It's just natural, I guess!" Sailor Moon stammered,
giggling. The other Scouts looked at her, peeved. She broke out into a huge,
embarrassed grin, then abruptly swallowed her smile as Batman turned and
advanced toward the group.
His cape swirling, he faced them. "It's obvious you have
supernatural powers that work on this enemy, and you know their tactics well.
But let me warn you: Gotham's maniacs don't care for pretty speeches. They'll
shoot you before the second word comes out of your mouth. So leave this to
us."
"I don't think you get it," retorted Sailor Jupiter. "The Sailor
Scouts EXIST to fight the Negaverse. Our powers are the only way to stop
them."
"There's ALWAYS another way," said Batman shortly. Grabbing a tiny
rectangular mechanism from his side, the Caped Crusader wordlessly shot
several feet of line up into the rafters. It caught on some steel beam, and
the line retracted, carrying him up into the stratosphere. He disappeared
like a black raven flying into the night.
Robin looked briefly up at him, then at the Sailor Scouts. He opened
his mouth to say something, cracked half of a flirtatious smile, then
swallowed it hastily, shutting his jaw tight. He shot his own grapnel up and
flew away.
**
Amidst the crisscross of beams high above the arena, Batman and Robin
were free to talk. "Was that ever weird," Robin said, shaking his head
confusedly. "Their powers are amazing!"
Batman threw a brief, wry smile at his partner. "You're thinking of
their skirts." Robin shrugged and grinned. "Back to business," Batman said
as the twinkle of humor disappeared from his dark eyes, "I get the feeling
they're not going to leave well enough alone. So while I keep up my
surveillance on the Arkham escapees, I want you to watch them. They're bound
to show up when there's trouble. And I know you like looking at them."
"Well, you're kind of cheery tonight!" Robin said, stunned. It
wasn't often Batman smiled twice in a minute. Batman shot him a look, and
Robin shrunk back. He wasn't supposed to say things like that, reminding
Batman that his dark walls might be breaking down. Now, for the rest of the
night, Robin knew he could only talk business. "I..." Robin started
hesitantly. "I wonder if they are who they say they are. The Sailor Scouts.
Hmm."
"I'll run a computer check in the Batcave later," answered Batman,
climbing down through a maze of railings. "But their powers seemed to
restrain the Riddler, and their story checks out so far."
"I'll say!" murmured Robin in surprise, and Batman followed his gaze
down toward the arena. The Scouts were gone, but the wrestling ring was still
crowded with people. In the shock of their meeting, neither the Sailor Scouts
nor the Dynamic Duo had noticed why the audience had gone so suddenly quiet.
But now they could see why. Everyone in the arena was unconscious, heaped on
top of each other, and totally still. They looked as if the energy had been
drained right out of them.
**
a fanfic crossover by Jennifer A. Wand (Sailor Newbie/NetBatMovie Spoiler)
some continuity notes:
This is written with some in-jokes to the Sailor Moon/Power Rangers story I
read about a year ago. In that story, the Power Rangers went on an exchange
to Tokyo and the Sailor Scouts helped them defeat Lord Zedd there. They don't
appear in the story, thank goodness, but they do help set it up.
In Sailor continuity, English names are used but otherwise continuity is as
faithful as I could make it to the original series. It is set during the
Zoycite/Malachite arc, after "A Crystal Clear Destiny." I guess I did keep
some things from the American series, because I know it better than the
original. So don't be too picky with me. :)
Specifics: 1) Zoycite is male, to please the purists and for
the sake
of one line in Part 4!!
2) Mars's scroll attack is "Evil Spirit Begone!"
not "Fireballs Charge!"
In Batman land, the story is in Animated Series continuity (with some fun
in-jokes to comics!)
*********
"O boy o boy o boy o boy! This is so coooooool!" shrieked Serena, so
loud the whole room shook.
Luna looked up warily from her comfortable spot on the bed. "What is
it now?" she groaned, for Luna was used to things being so cooooooool. "No,
let me guess. New guy, new video game, new comic book?"
"Wronnng!" Serena gloated, kneeling to grin knowingly in the gray
cat's face.
"Umm... old video game, new high score?" Luna shrugged.
"Wrong again, Luna!" Serena grabbed her cat and spun her in merry
wheels around the room. Luna meowed in surprise and dizziness. "We are gonna
go to the U. S. of Aaaaay!"
After surviving spinning, shrieking, and squeezing, Luna managed to
pull herself free of the hyperactive teenager. She regained her bearings.
"Now. Serena. Did I hear you right? Now start at the beginning and tell me
what this is all about."
Serena tried to calm her rapid breathing, and sat on the bed. "Well,
ya remember those kids who came here on exchange last year?"
"I certainly do," said Luna seriously. "Those were no ordinary kids."
"You're telling me," breathed Serena, starry-eyed. "Tommy and Rocky
were sooooo cute!"
"You know what I'm talking about," insisted Luna.
"Yeah yeah... they were Power Rangers and all that," droned Serena.
"Who cares. Not like they were any help to us."
"This is true," Luna conceded. "After watching them grunt and flail
their arms, and those horrible clumsy robots of theirs, I swore I'd never
reprimand you again."
"Yep, you're pretty lucky to have me around," Serena said flippantly.
Luna snarled and gritted her teeth. "Don't... push... your luck."
Serena knew she'd better get on with the story. "Anyhow... so since
they came to our school, we were supposed to go to their school, except that
ugly guy we fought went and tore down the place again. So they're rebuilding,
and now some rich guy is letting some high schoolers go to this other city.
Er... Gotham I think is the name. And he said I could go, and so is Lita, and
so is ... er... **Rei***," Serena fumed for a split second.
"Anyhow, I'm psyched!!!" With that, she embarked on a series of hyper shrieks
that could have leveled a china shop.
"I wonder if America can handle this girl," Luna groaned.
*********
Malachite sneered as he approached the throne. "This plan cannot
fail, my queen," he said, offering Queen Beryl a reverent bow.
"It had better not," she replied sharply, waving her hands mystically
over her black crystal ball. "You must stop those Sailor Scouts from
interfering."
"They shall not get in the way this time," Malachite told her.
"His plan is pure genius, Queen Beryl," added Zoycite from a few
inches behind Malachite. He looked up admiringly at his handsome lover.
"Since Lord Zedd attempted to attack Tokyo, thus avoiding the Power
Rangers, I thought we might follow his lead and gather energy from America,
where the Sailor Scouts will not be there to stop us. There are superheroes
in America, but they are too concerned with petty crime and are not familiar
with our schemes."
Queen Beryl pondered. "You plan sounds most promising, Malachite. We
will need energy to seize the Silver Empyrean Crystal from that Sailor Moon,
and I need time to win Prince Darien over to our side. But America is a very
large continent. You must find a location with the most energy available for
your taking."
"I have anticipated your concern, Queen Beryl," Malachite said
confidently. "We have found a place called Gotham City. It is rife with what
humans call seedy bars, strip joints, and crime families."
"And if that's not enough," Zoycite chimed in, "There is an asylum,
filled with maniacs who constantly escape to terrorize the people. The
hysteria and fear they create will provide us with much energy, and dark
energy at that. It will be most effective when applied to releasing the
Negaforce."
"Very good," said Beryl. "Now get to work, you two. And Zoycite--
don't forget this is your last chance to redeem yourself for trying to destroy
Tuxedo Mask. Do NOT disappoint me!" She waved her hands impatiently,
dismissing the pair.
"Your majesty," cried Malachite urgently. "I must tell you of one
possible risk, a crime-fighting duo who..."
"Enough!" snapped Beryl. "I am sick of your worrying. Go, and do not
fail me this time!"
*********
"We are now approaching Gotham International Airport. Please return
your seats to their..." The message repeated itself in Japanese. Serena
blinked sleepily and gave a huge yawn, stretching out her arms and legs in the
cramped airline seat.
"OW! Ser- EE-- na, watch it!" Rei grumbled next to her. "You almost
poked me in the eye!"
"I was STRETCHING!" Serena said defensively.
"Why don't you stretch AFTER the plane lands!" retorted Rei.
"Oh come on, Rei... I've been stuck in this awful seat for practically
a year, next to a total grouch, it's three PM and I think it's three AM, and
I'm about to land in some weird country. So why not just give me a break!?"
Serena ranted, ending her monologue with a familiar flood of tears. "Waaaaa!"
At the window in front of them, Mina looked down with a face full of
wonder. "It's great!" she breathed.
"Isn't it?" Ami echoed effusively. "I just can't wait to see all the
sights! The museums, the historical buildings..."
"...the nightclubs, the arcades, the guys!" finished Lita. Ami was
about to protest that she wasn't going to finish her sentence like THAT, but
from behind them came a yell of pain and a fume of anger, followed by a
defensive "I was just trying to get my bag!!" Luckily, the plane hit the
ground with a loud bump before many sparks were able to fly.
*********
"This way," Mina groaned as her friends scampered through the halls of
Gotham International. Serena was singing an off-key chorus of "I want to be
in a-MER-i-ca" in heavily accented English, and Rei was constantly asking
"Hey, Mina, what does that sign say? What about that one?" Mina was glad
when they reached the luggage claim. Finally, the girls could do something
that didn't need a constant interpreter.
Rei, Lita, and Ami pulled their suitcases off the conveyor belt. When
Mina got hers, Lita suddenly said, "There's something moving in your bag!"
Indeed there was... something wriggling in one of the large extra pockets.
Mina was unsurprised. "Well of course! I wasn't about to leave our
friends behind. Would you?" Lita looked confused, but grinned when Mina
unzipped the pocket and out popped Luna and Artemis!
Luna crawled wretchedly into Ami's arms. "That was, without a doubt,
the most unpleasant eight hours I have ever spent," she moaned.
"What, you didn't like my singing?" Artemis quipped, although he
looked a little green himself. Luna hissed at him. "Seriously," Artemis
said, "we thought we'd help you out with getting around here." He did a tiny
backflip across Mina's shoulders, and five sets of shining gold earrings
appeared in the five girls' hands. "These are translators," he explained.
"They'll help you speak and understand everything you hear. Just a little
bonus from the two of us."
"Wow, thanks!" Serena grinned, putting the earrings on. "They're way
too cool looking too! Look at me, I'm an American now!" She did a little
model-turn, the gold earrings flashing. Suddenly her expression changed.
"Ack! That's my suitcase!"
The scouts laughed as Serena tore after the runaway bag. When she got
hold of it, the weight was too much for her to pull it off. Serena ended up
flying down the conveyor belt, shrieking, attached to the handle of a renegade
suitcase. The wild ride ended when she crashed against a green turtleneck who
picked up her bag and said jokingly, "Should have traveled light, eh, Meatball
Head?"
Her head spinning, Serena looked up and saw a fuzzy dark-haired figure
with a cocky smile. "Darien?" she murmured confusedly. Had he escaped the
Negaverse and come back to her? Her cheeks started to flood with color and
she smiled joyfully.
But as the fuzziness faded and Serena regained her head, she saw that
the figure was not the annoying boy she loved to hate and had learned to love.
"Hi," he said. "My name's Dick. Dick Grayson. Are you okay?"
Serena turned bright pink. "Um, uh, I was just um.. well, yeah..."
She let her voice trail off and just concentrated on staring at the stud. Was
she floating on a cloud? If she didn't know better, she might think he was
Tuxe... but then she remembered something. "Scuse me," she said,
straightening up. "Did you call me... MEATBALL head?"
Dick grinned. "Well, yeah. That is what ya look like, Meatball
Head."
Serena hear a snicker from behind her. Fists flailing and eyes
flaming, she ranted, "I am NOT a meatball head! Am not am not am NOT!" Dick
suddenly wished he had brought an umbrella to escape the shower of tears.
"Chill out," he said hastily. "It was just a joke! What's your
name?"
"I'm.. uh... Serena," she said, struggling to remain sensible in the
face of such studliness. It must have been the goofy look on her face,
because she definitely heard Lita tell the others to pretend they didn't know
her. So Serena said audaciously, "And these are my friends. Ami, Mina,
Lita..."
"And I'm Rei," the dark haired girl said flirtatiously, stepping
forward. She batted her eyelashes while Serena looked on glaringly. "So tell
me, Dick, are you from around here?"
Serena butted in angrily. "And this," she grinned through gritted
teeth, "is my cat Luna. And Mina's cat is Artemis. We've all come on
exchange from Japan!"
"Wow, your English is pretty good!" exclaimed Dick.
Serena fiddled nervously with her earring. "Yeah, well... we've
worked pretty hard at that." She elbowed Rei just in time to knock the snappy
comment out of her.
"If you don't mind me asking, " Dick wondered as he petted Artemis,
"how did you manage to take two cats on an international flight without cages
or...?"
Serena saw her chance and pointed at Rei. "Ask her about that. In
fact, ask her about anything that seems a little suspicious. It's probably
her fault anyway."
Rei was about to answer when Lita cut between the two. Ami and Mina
grabbed the growling girls' hands and led them away while Lita babbled
hurriedly, "Jet lag, you know, they can get kinda cranky, we need to get them
to bed, see ya 'round, BYE!" And she dashed away.
**
The Joker played cat's cradle with an empty piece of air in his cell
at Arkham Asylum. He'd asked for a piece of string, but the guard had
refused, thinking the maniac might strangle the messenger. "Now would I do a
thing like that!?" the Joker chuckled to himself, as his fingers held the
imaginary web... a web to catch a bat maybe? Bat's cradle? "I'd never do
anything like that... I'd do JUST that!" The clown erupted in maniacal
laughter. "Ya ha ha ha ha hee hee hee hee hee ha ha... hunh?" Cautiously, he
turned around, and then exploded in giggles again. "Imagine that. The NERVE
of this place. They won't give me a silly piece of string, but they let
floating swamis in here! Just goes to show ya what's wrong with asylum
management these days..."
"Listen," Zoycite yawned, for he was floating a few feet off the floor
of the Joker's cell, "You're my last stop today, and I want to relax with my
boyfriend tonight, so let's get this over with. My name is-"
"I know!" volunteered the Joker, raising his hand eagerly. "You're...
Neron, and you want me to sell you my immortal soul! Ya ha ha ha ha ha!"
Even Zoycite giggled. "Sounds like a really bad comic book... But
anyhow, no, you're wrong. My name is Zoycite and I'm going to set you and all
your friends free. All I want is for you to wreak a little havoc, and I'll
feed of the energy of your victims. I'll even throw in a little Negapower."
"Hmmm..." the Joker fell backwards off his bench and hung upside down
in thought. "Sounds like too good an offer to pass up... now the real joke
would be if I passed it up anyway!"
Zoycite stared in disbelief as the clown giggled at that absurd idea.
Then he smiled deliberately. "That's your choice, but it would be a shame.
You'd be passing up the chance to play some great jokes on everyone out there.
Especially with the Negaforce to aid you."
"Ya know, yer right." The Joker stood up. "Okay, Mister Chop
Suey-cide..."
"That's Zoycite," he glowered.
"Whatever." The Joker waved the issue away. "All right. I'll take
you up on your little deal. Shake on it?"
**
Andy, walking through the maximum security wing on his daily round,
heard the sound of a joy buzzer and a yell of surprise. But the hefty guard
was barely able to grab his walkie talkie when a piercing "Zoy!" echoed
through the halls, and all hell broke loose.
**
It had been a day and a half, and the still jet-lagged but excited
girls were headed home for the evening. "This is TOO amazing!" cried Serena.
"I mean, can you BELIEVE this place? It's out of this world!"
"I don't know," Lita said, looking around suspiciously. "Maybe it's
just me, but this town gives me the creeps."
"Me too," mused Rei. "Not Negaverse-type vibes thought. More like...
this place is just always scary."
"Oh, you guyyys!" Serena drawled, puckering her face into a
patronizing grin. "It's just a big city, and personally, I think it's cool."
Ami and Mina looked at each other and shrugged. "Whattaya gonna do,"
Mina smiled.
The fivesome turned a corner, and the cold shadow of a brick building
fell on them abruptly. Serena pressed her lips together, and her eyes
glistened nervously. Ami shuddered and wrapped her coat tight around her
small frame.
"Don't you know girls aren't supposed to walk around Gotham alone at
night?"
The voice came from behind them. Everyone whipped around. In the dim
light, they could make out the figures of three punks with leather jackets and
snarling expressions, and in their hands glinted slivers and one cylinder of
silver. "Oh jeez..." stammered Serena. "I wanna go hooommmme..."
Lita glared at the hoods, her adrenaline racing. "What is that
supposed to mean? You must have never met girls like us before!" Her hands
clenched into tight fists. One of the hoods approached her menacingly.
"Please..." Serena tugged on Lita's sleeve. "This isn't Tokyo, we
don't know who they are, let's just go..."
Lita shook her off. "You think you're so tough, big boy?" she
growled impulsively. Ami tried to step forward to tell her this wasn't a good
idea, but found herself knocked flat on her back as the hood charged Lita. He
rammed into her hard, toppling her over, but she rolled to her feet and threw
him to the ground with a defiant "Ha!"
This small victory sent Rei into full warrior mode, and she delivered
a powerful blow to Lita's opponent as he was about to get up and grab the
brown-haired fighter around the legs. Then, Rei let out a small cry and
dropped, when the punk managed to graze her leg with his knife.
Lita gave a gasp as two sets of hands grabbed her arms. The two other
punks held her still, despite her wildcat-like struggles. One raised a gun to
her temple, and she grimaced and squinted sideways at it. "Now," the guy
sneered, "are you girls gonna behave?"
Rei, kneeling on the pavement, clutched her wound. Her eyes blazed.
Serena looked at Ami and Mina, and saw the decisive look in their eyes. No
way were street punks going to take out the Sailor Scouts. Serena looked
ahead determinedly, spread her fingers wide, and began to cry, "Moon Pr..."
A sharp object whizzed by. Serena drew her hand back quickly. The
thing clanged against the punk's gun. As both gadgets dropped to the ground,
Lita found her chance and elbowed her way free. The five girls and the three
flustered punks looked up to see where the strange bat-shaped thing had come
from.
"Ohh," said Serena, her jaw dropping.
On the roof above them sat a mysterious caped figure. His dark cap
and mask reminded Serena of someone back in Japan, but underneath the yellow
lined cloak was a brightly colored red and green costume. The stranger gave a
smile and nodded, his dark hair ruffling. "Don't you know how to treat a
lady?" he said tauntingly to the punks.
They seemed to recognize him, and backed away. "Who IS he?" Serena
mouthed, eyes starry with wonder.
Mina was equally lovestruck. "Bet he's called... the Traffic Light
Knight!"
Serena was about to utter a clueless "Huh?" when a whoooshing sound
whipped through the air. She drew in a ragged gasp. It was hard to tell in
the dim light what happened next, but a huge caped figure swooped down from
behind them, and there were sounds of grunts and punches. Another whoosh, and
the five girls were alone on the sidewalk once more.
"What was that?" Rei gasped.
"Beats me," answered Mina, "but the... uh... Traffic Light Knight is
gone." She looked dejected.
"Guys!" shouted Ami, wild-eyed. "Look!"
Four heads turned. Hanging from a broken streetlight was a pinata of
three wriggling punks. The package was bound tightly in wire and knotted
around a metal device shaped like a bat.
**
Disheveled and exhausted, the girls trudged up the stairs to their
bedroom. "I can't believe that," Rei fumed, as Serena flopped down on the bed
with a loud thud. "I thought they told us this trip was going to be safe! We
should sue them!" Rei ranted on, as Serena groaned and rolled over.
"Stop your yakking," she said sleepily. "At least that rich guy Wayne
or whoever paid for us to stay in a hotel. Maybe he should have found
babysitting for you, though!"
Lita, in the meantime, had turned on the television. A red-haired
newswoman was speaking briskly and looking intensely out from the screen.
"I'm Summer Gleeson, and you're tuned to Channel 6 News at 11. The rash of
strange robberies continues in the wake of the Arkham Asylum breakout. No
casualties so far, supposedly due to the Batman's intervention, but there have
been several injuries. Despite those reports that the Batman has been sighted
at crime scenes, none of the criminals have been apprehended so far.
Witnesses describe unusual abilities in Gotham's all-too-familiar criminals,
from increased strength and weaponry to even the supernatural. These reports
are unsubstantiated, and police assure the public that these descriptions do
not fit with the perpetrators' usual methods. We'll be back in a moment with
a live report."
The screen faded to commercials. "What in the world?" Lita muttered.
"I wonder..."
"Oh, haven't you had enough crazy people for one night?" Serena
yawned. "I wanna go to sleep!"
"No, she's right," Luna said, coming out from underneath one of the
beds. "Something smells fishy about that report."
"You don't think... the Negaverse?" Lita turned on Luna.
"That is precisely what I think," Luna answered.
"And what did they say about that... Batman?" Rei mused, leaning
forward and furrowing her brow.
"He's a crimefighter here," Ami asserted from the other side of the
room. "The Batman, they call him, and his partner Robin. I made sure to
study a little bit about this city before we came here. I thought it might
come in handy."
"Whooo cares?" droned Serena, burying her head in her pillow.
"I do," said Mina suddenly. "Look!"
They rushed to the window. Lighting up the smoggy night and the dim
flicker of streetlamps was a huge circle of light that seemed to envelop the
whole sky. It was only eclipsed in the middle by a dark shadow, all swooping
curves and angles, shaped like a bat.
Serena turned around immediately and dove into her pillow again.
"This is too weird, I wanna go home, I don't like this..."
Ami gasped. "Hey. Doesn't that look like the thing on the end of the
rope before, the one that tied up those muggers?"
"You know, you're right," said Lita, recognition dawning on her face.
"Wonder what it is."
"Bet it has something to do with that Batman."
"Oh Rei, if it has a MAN in it you're desperate to find it."
Sparks and pillows flew. Ami ducked under the crossfire, and dug a
stack of newspapers out of her bag. "I've got it!" she cried, and both
warring parties stopped in mid-throw to stare at her. Mina sat down to
listen, and Lita looked thoughtful. "Rei, you were right. It's called the
Batsignal. They say that when the city's in trouble, or when there's a
dangerous criminal on the loose, the police use that to call him. No one
knows who he is, so they have to shine a light over the entire city to let him
know they need him."
Serena suddenly collapsed in a fit of giggles. "This is too weird!
As IF! You really believe this?"
Rei retorted, "I used to know this crybaby who somehow got
superpowers..."
"All right, all right," Artemis declared, crawling out from under the
bed where he had taken up temporary residence. "Enough of this. Somebody
should check it out."
"Yeah! Let's go!" Mina said, jumping up excitedly, but Artemis shook
his head.
"Nope. Luna and I will take care of it. A few stray cats are a lot
less conspicuous than five girls in sailor suits."
Mina grumbled. "You've got a point." She opened the window as Luna
and Artemis leapt up to the windowsill. The two cats jumped out onto the head
of a gargoyle, tripped across a clothesline, and disappeared into the city
night.
**
Commissioner Gordon drew his coat tighter around him, sucked in a
breath of cold air, and waited. Beside him, the burning Batsignal glowed, but
it didn't help ease the chilly night's bite or the tough old cop's mind. He
had seen plenty of strange things in this town... heck, he was waiting for
one... but he was at a loss for words tonight. Everything familiar and
predictable about these maniacs had disappeared. None of their weak spots
were weak anymore.
"Jim." A deep voice behind him.
With a start, Gordon turned around. "...Oh. It's you. Why I'm not
used to that by now I don't know." He pushed his glasses up on his nose and,
with a grunt, pulled the lever down to extinguish the huge spotlight.
"I assume you have a riddle for me," his companion said.
"You figured out it's Nygma already," Gordon said matter-of-factly. "That I'm
not surprised at. Yes, I suppose I do have a riddle for you." He uncrumpled
the scrap of paper in his hand and cleared his throat.
"On bended knee Matt offered me
and grabbed her hand to hold her
But she kicked him round
And threw me out.
Find me, Batman, if you dare,
Because this pinhead's got news to share."
"A ring," the deep voice stated immediately.
"I know," said Gordon. "But it's hardly enough to go on. He could be robbing
a jewelry store, a circus, heck, even another ring of mobsters. There's got
to be more to it. But-"
"Hang on," the other said urgently. Gordon was about to stutter "What?" when
he heard it too-- the scampering of light footsteps. He made a grab for the
gun at his side, turned around quickly, and then let out a long sigh of
relief. Two cats scampered across the rooftop, one white, one black. They
leapt onto another roof and vanished.
Gordon chuckled. "Well. So will you get back to me about that... Batman?"
He turned back around to face an empty roof. "Yeesh. Don't ask me why I'm
not used to THAT, either."
**
"A ring," said Ami.
"We know. We heard him solve the riddle," answered Luna. "But it's
not much."
"I'll tell you what bugs me," said Rei, her eyes in suspicious slits.
"'News to share.' Reminds me of what they said on the news tonight... about
them being stronger lately."
"I have a baaaad feeling about this," groaned Luna.
Lita, who had been facing the window, suddenly whirled around. "Wait
a minute," she blurted out, "There's another clue hidden in that riddle."
They stared at her blankly.
"Think about it! I was thinking why the guy in the riddle was named
Matt, and then I thought Mat! Listen... knee, mat, grab, hold, kick, throw,
pin, round... they sound like wrestling terms, don't they? What if the ring
is a wrestling ring?"
"Yes!" Ami chimed in. "And there's a wrestling championship going on
right now! I saw it in the paper. Midnight Wrestlefest."
"Wrestling. Oh, GREAT," Serena yawned. "Why can't we just let that
Bat guy handle this? It's his city!"
"Not if the Negaverse is involved," Luna said seriously. "Come on.
Let's get to that contest."
The girls rushed out the door. "Anyone got any Moon Coffee Power?"
**
"Ladies and gey---yentlemen! It's time for the Midnight Wrestlefest!"
The unruly crowd erupted anew in cheers. Curses and styrofoam beer
cups flew in the packed auditorium. A disgusting, classless, brawling
madhouse, and in Gotham there were countless such places.
"In this corner, wearing the red and black... you better confess your
sins because he IS our champion, the Avenging Angel, Azrael!"
The musclebound blond flexed for the roaring crowd, and grabbed the
mike. "I AM the champion!" he snarled. "And that challenger better watch
out, because I got a SYSTEM and I am gonna PUNISH him!"
The ref snagged his mike back. "And in this corner," he said,
crossing the ring, "our challenger, wearing green. You wanna talk about a
mystery challenger, he's the one, the big question mark himself! Ladies and
gentlemen, the Master Maniac of Mystery... the Riddler!"
Boooos broke out as the figure in green shedded his coat. This was
not the short, lanky fellow they saw pictures of in the tabloids. Same
height, maybe, but this one was pumped up, muscular, like a steroid-saturated
version of himself. He advanced on the ref and snatched the mike. "Don't
believe it's me?" he said in his usual calm tone. The crowd booed on, not
bothering to listen. The Riddler lost patience and screamed into the mike,
practically breaking it in his huge, clenched fist. "HEY!"
Feedback flooded the amps and the Riddler's voice resounded. The mob
settled down, and he went on. "Don't believe it's me, eh? Neither do I
sometimes, but I like it! Well, riddle me this, you brainless buffoons. When
does the challenger win before the match begins? When he's stolen all the
prize money beforehand, of course! Sorry, Azzy." He looked at the fuming
wrestler with a face full of melodramatic sympathy. "But don't worry, folks,
you're still going to get a show. You see, I sent a little invitation to a
friend of mine, and he should be showing up pretty soon. Can't wait to try
out these new muscles on Batman!"
The crowd went wild. Frenzied cheering resounded. In the chaos, no
one noticed the strange things happening on the fringes of the madness... two
figures creeping stealthily along the rafters, far above the arena... five
agile girls vaulting over the entrance gates... a small-boned man smiling
wickedly, slitting his eyes and nodding in approval.
The Riddler had begun to tease the audience, calling a singsong
"Riddle me this, Batman, where are you hiding?" But in the meantime, the
wrestler Azrael had gotten up and was growling in the madman's direction.
Just as the Riddler was rambling, "and riddle me this! What kind of person
breaks us out of Arkham and tells us to go cause trouble? He'd sure be the
Bane of Batman's existence..." Azrael slammed the unsuspecting brainiac to
the ground!
"You may have the dough," he said through gritted teeth as the crazy
roaring surged yet again in the audience, "but I'm still the king around here,
bub!"
"Are you, now?" retorted the pinhead coolly, leaping to his feet and
throwing Azrael backwards.
But the seasoned wrestler was up in a flash, and gripped Riddler.
"You lissen to me!" he slurred angrily. "I am Azrael, the avenging angel, da
Champion a' dis ring and da Champion a' justice, and for your sins, Mr.
Riddler, I will PUNISH you!" He snarled and choked his victim harder.
"Hey! That's my line!"
The voice was small, but fierce, and the audience gasped. Two
swirling capes, about to make a downward spiral into the thick of it all,
stopped abruptly.
Five girls leapt into the wrestling ring. Each wore a sailor costume
with a shining gold tiara and a colored skirt. In the front of the group was
a beautiful, young-looking blonde with pigtails that reached practically to
her toes. She grimaced at the stunned pair and raised her arm above her head
dramatically. "I am Sailor Moon!" she cried, making a series of powerful
gestures with her white-gloved arms. "The REAL Champion of Justice! I know
about you and your new powers, and on behalf of the moon... I will punish
you!"
There was a moment of blank silence.
Then, with a flourish, two caped figures swooped down from the
ceiling. Huge winged shadows enveloped the room. The audience drew in a
collective gasp, then broke out into clamorous shouting. "It's Batman!"
Screaming down like a dark lightning bolt, the Batman, a monstrous
tower of strength and intimidation, shot like an arrow down onto the Riddler.
As the maniac hit the mat face first, with a loud "Oof," Batman grimaced and
pinned him down with one navy-booted foot. Almost simultaneously, a streak of
color flew onto the other wrestler. Someone shouted above the din, "It's
Robin! Wow! What a show!"
Robin grabbed the arms of the angry Azrael, restraining him from
attacking any of the eight uninvited guests. At the same time, he turned to
the girls with an angry expression. In a hushed voice, he scolded, "I don't
know who you think you are or what you think you're doing, but you just ruined
a perfectly good plan. Batman and I WERE going to watch for a while and see
just how strong the Riddler had gotten. Now, thanks to you, we're fighting
blind. We haven't got a clue what we're up against. So I hope you're
satisfied with your little hero routine."
Sailor Moon looked like she was on the verge of tears, but Sailor Mars
shoved her way forward and glared in Robin's face. "Listen, Mask Boy, you're
right, you DON'T know who you're up against, and you ARE clueless. We're the
Sailor Scouts!"
"I don't care if you're the Eagle Scouts," Robin fumed.
"Robin!" called a grimacing Batman, struggling with the Riddler on
the wrestling mat. "Don't bother. They're not worth it."
Sailor Mars turned on him. "Oh aren't we?" she began.
Batman gave her a dark look. "Whoever you are, you don't know Gotham.
And nothing is going to help you here, no fancy moves, no Scouts, nothing.
You're dead unless you know this place."
"But..." Sailor Mars interrupted.
She was cut off by a loud *BONK* as a beer bottle flew up and hit
Batman squarely on the back of the head. He lurched forward and shook it off,
but by then the Riddler was up. Batman recovered and lunged at him. The
Riddler could have sidestepped the blow, but instead he grabbed Batman's arm
and held it squarely. Batman struggled. Robin looked concerned, but was
still restraining the other wrestler.
"Never thought I'D do this to you, did you, Batman?" the Riddler said
arrogantly. "I was always the brain, birdbrain, but I could never match you
for strength. All you had to do was grab me, and I was done for. I think you
were just jealous because I was smarter. A 'grass is always greener' type of
thing. Well, I hate to tell you this, but now the joke's on you... har har
har! News flash, ladies and gentlemen!" He turned to the crowd, still
maintaining a firm grip on the frustrated vigilante. "The Riddler is now a
match for Batman brain for brain and brawn for brawn!"
The Riddler next faced the Sailor Scouts. "And you, Sailor Whatever
You Are-s, I can't make heads nor tails of you. But tonight's my night, and
nobody's stealing my thunder!"
Sailor Jupiter drew her hand back and shifted into a fighting stance.
"I am Sailor Jupiter!" she cried confidently, "and I don't want to steal your
thunder... in fact you can have some of mine! I call upon the mighty forces
of Jupiter to cut this weirdo down to size!" The air seemed to darken around
the Sailor Scout, and a gust of wind tangled her hair. From her tiara
extended a small gleaming gold rod.
With a crack, lightning burst in through the roof of the arena, and
gathered in a sparkling staticy haze around Sailor Jupiter. She leapt into
the air and tucked her body into a tight ball, then extended her limbs in a
powerful gesture. "Jupiter Thunder... CRASH!"
Bolts of lightning and thunder shrieked through the air, and the loud
rumbling shook the entire auditorium. The wave hit the Riddler head on, and
he let out a cry. Batman took advantage of the moment to wriggle free, and he
rolled across the mat to a safe corner. Once there, he stared in disbelief at
the triumphant Sailor Jupiter and her victim, who seemed caught in a painful
ball of static electricity. The charge made its way into the ground, however,
and the Riddler was free, but weak and gasping.
"You should have listened to me," Sailor Mars said, smiling smugly.
"You may know Gotham, but WE know why all your criminals have become so
strong. So don't forget us just yet."
"I wonnn't," murmured Robin, looking admiringly at the five teenagers
in their amazingly short skirts. His face broke into a silly grin. The two
blonde Sailors were equally dazzled.
Then, abruptly, Robin's enamored face changed to an even more vapid
expression, as he was knocked senseless by the wrestler he had forgotten to
keep restraining. In anger, Batman leaped to tackle Azrael, but lost control
of his foe. The Riddler scrambled away. "Well it's been a half a laugh,
Batman, but I gotta fly! You know us Arkhamites, always bumbling off to
somewhere or other. Till tomorrow!" He dashed away.
Sailor Moon growled. "Not so fast, fella! Moon Tiara Magic... catch
him!" Gripping her tiara between her thumb and forefinger, the girl hurled it
with an easy motion towards the escaping Riddler. As the ring flew, it began
to sparkle, until it became a lasso of light entrapping him tightly. The
Riddler wriggled, but he couldn't break free of the magical bonds.
"Ha!" Sailor Moon gloated. "We got 'im!"
"Maybe so," muttered the Dark Knight knowingly, "but he's only the
beginning. Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and the Penguin are ALL going
to pull stunts before long."
"Hunh?" the girl warrior said, "How do you know that?"
"He TOLD me so," said the square-jawed hero, slitting his eyes.
Sailor Moon's jaw dropped. "The Riddler hides clues in his every word. His
fancy speeches have hidden meanings, and it's my job to figure them out."
"Enough of that," snapped Robin, who had recovered from his pounding
and had apparently injected Azrael with a sedative (since the wrestler was now
sleeping like a pussycat). He snarled at the girls. "I want to know who you
are and what you know. Now."
The five Scouts looked at each other, and something clicked into place
in each of their minds. They seemed to melt into a dramatic, battle ready
position, and they looked straight at Batman and Robin, but seemed to act as
one. Sailor Moon stood in front, and began: "Our planet is under attack by
an evil empire called the Negaverse."
Sailor Venus went on: "They feed on negative energy, like fear and
confusion and anger."
"We have defeated the generals Jadeite and Neflite," Sailor Mercury
popped in, "but we are still battling Zoycite and Malachite."
"They're here to collect energy for their scheme to capture the
Empyrean Silver Crystal," Sailor Mars declared.
"They are using these criminals to create negative energy," continued
Sailor Jupiter, "but we're not going to let them succeed... because we are..."
"...The Sailor Scouts!" they finished in unison. Five voices tumbled
into each other: "On behalf of the moon... and on behalf of Mercury... on
behalf of Mars... and of Venus... on behalf of Jupiter..."
"...we will right wrongs and triumph over evil!" Sailor Moon cried
triumphantly. Five eager pairs of eyes flashed with a satisfied sense of
completion.
There was a moment of silence.
"Um, wow," said Robin, "Do you guys rehearse that?"
"Naw.... It's just natural, I guess!" Sailor Moon stammered,
giggling. The other Scouts looked at her, peeved. She broke out into a huge,
embarrassed grin, then abruptly swallowed her smile as Batman turned and
advanced toward the group.
His cape swirling, he faced them. "It's obvious you have
supernatural powers that work on this enemy, and you know their tactics well.
But let me warn you: Gotham's maniacs don't care for pretty speeches. They'll
shoot you before the second word comes out of your mouth. So leave this to
us."
"I don't think you get it," retorted Sailor Jupiter. "The Sailor
Scouts EXIST to fight the Negaverse. Our powers are the only way to stop
them."
"There's ALWAYS another way," said Batman shortly. Grabbing a tiny
rectangular mechanism from his side, the Caped Crusader wordlessly shot
several feet of line up into the rafters. It caught on some steel beam, and
the line retracted, carrying him up into the stratosphere. He disappeared
like a black raven flying into the night.
Robin looked briefly up at him, then at the Sailor Scouts. He opened
his mouth to say something, cracked half of a flirtatious smile, then
swallowed it hastily, shutting his jaw tight. He shot his own grapnel up and
flew away.
**
Amidst the crisscross of beams high above the arena, Batman and Robin
were free to talk. "Was that ever weird," Robin said, shaking his head
confusedly. "Their powers are amazing!"
Batman threw a brief, wry smile at his partner. "You're thinking of
their skirts." Robin shrugged and grinned. "Back to business," Batman said
as the twinkle of humor disappeared from his dark eyes, "I get the feeling
they're not going to leave well enough alone. So while I keep up my
surveillance on the Arkham escapees, I want you to watch them. They're bound
to show up when there's trouble. And I know you like looking at them."
"Well, you're kind of cheery tonight!" Robin said, stunned. It
wasn't often Batman smiled twice in a minute. Batman shot him a look, and
Robin shrunk back. He wasn't supposed to say things like that, reminding
Batman that his dark walls might be breaking down. Now, for the rest of the
night, Robin knew he could only talk business. "I..." Robin started
hesitantly. "I wonder if they are who they say they are. The Sailor Scouts.
Hmm."
"I'll run a computer check in the Batcave later," answered Batman,
climbing down through a maze of railings. "But their powers seemed to
restrain the Riddler, and their story checks out so far."
"I'll say!" murmured Robin in surprise, and Batman followed his gaze
down toward the arena. The Scouts were gone, but the wrestling ring was still
crowded with people. In the shock of their meeting, neither the Sailor Scouts
nor the Dynamic Duo had noticed why the audience had gone so suddenly quiet.
But now they could see why. Everyone in the arena was unconscious, heaped on
top of each other, and totally still. They looked as if the energy had been
drained right out of them.
**