LIVING A LIFE FORETOLD
Chapter 10: "March of the Mobile Armor"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Ami was in the hospital elevator headed for the underground parking garage. Alone in the car, she went to engage her wristwatch senshi communicator when a message buzzed in on it.
"This is Ami," she answered.
"This is Rei!" came the voice on the other end. "I just got a gigantic sense of distress from Usagi!"
"I already know about it!" Ami told her. "I'm en route now! I'll call Makoto! You get hold of Minako!"
"Where is she? Do you know?"
"Kujawa Heavy Industries, Plant C, Lab 2!" The elevator car came to the selected floor and opened. Ami raced out. "How badly is she in distress?"
"It's bad!" Rei almost sobbed. Ami swallowed.
"Understood. Ami out." She paused at the door of her car long enough to send a communication to Makoto.
"Sailor Moon is the power source?" Hikaru Ishii gasped.
"Of course," Dr. Nishimoto exhaled, staring up at the gleaming Mobile Armor and the terrified blue eyes staring back at him through the armor's view plate. "Have you ever stopped to gauge the power signature Sailor Moon gives off? What do you think could possibly power this armor suit and make it capable of everything in its specifications? No power source known to humanity could begin to achieve such demands, not even nuclear power. And this is so much safer. There's no spent waste, no radiation, no fuel costs of any kind." He grinned in triumph. "She's perfect."
"Dr. Nishimoto," Ishii said with very precise finality, trying to break through the engineer's euphoria, "do you realize what you've done?" Nishimoto turned to him, scowling. "The litigation tied to this act could bankrupt this corporation. I will not have this company put at risk by your - - delusions of grandeur."
"Delusions?" Nishimoto replied with distaste.
"Disengage this device immediately," Ishii demanded.
"Getting cold feet?" Nishimoto asked. "Or are you terrified of something you can't control?"
"Nishimoto," Ishii began, trying to reassert authority over the situation, "I can appreciate risk. You can't compete in this market without the occasional bold move. I'm not above skirting the law either, if the reward is worth it. That's part of being a visionary. I realize you're a visionary in your chosen field. This armor suit is proof of that. But sales and finance is MY field of expertise. And I'm telling you right now that this will never fly with either the government or the buying public . . ."
Ishii's words were cut off. The Mobile Suit moved suddenly, without any effort on Dr. Nishimoto's behalf. It's right arm shot out, seized Ishii around the throat and hoisted him up effortlessly into the air. The executive dangled three feet off of the pavement, his arms and legs flailing wildly to find some sort of support. He looked down at Nishimoto, praying that the engineer was trying to reign in the seven foot metallic armor suit that was choking the life out of him. But to his horror he found Nishimoto merely looking up at him in silent triumph. It was then he knew that Nishimoto could control the armor mentally and had initiated the action himself.
"I don't care what the government or the buying public want," Nishimoto said, clearly and carefully, as if talking to an imbecile. "This was never about you. I used you to get my armor suit built, just like you were planning to use me to get a new product to sell and then cut me out of it - - just like everyone else has. This armor suit and your facility are now going to produce more suits until I have enough to make sure that the world unfolds the way I want it. Then I'll get the respect due to me. As for you - - I'm terminating our working agreement as of this moment."
The armor suit closed its hand. Hideki Ishii's head burst like a tomato. And inside the armor suit, Usagi began to cry.
A sound caught Haruka's ears. She turned and saw an older model crimson sports car,much like the one she knew Mamoru drove, pull up to the plant gate in a big hurry. Bounding out of the car was Tuxedo Mask. As Tuxedo Mask blew past the guard at the gate and leaped over the fence, Haruka's hand closed around Neptune's wrist.
"Something's going down," Haruka said in a low voice. She pointed Neptune's gaze toward Tuxedo Mask clearing the security fence around Plant C.
"Why is he here?" Neptune wondered.
"I don't know, but I hope he doesn't spoil our stakeout."
Haruka glanced over at Neptune and found her staring into the mirror again. That was Neptune. She didn't like acting unless she knew her actions would accomplish the goal she set out after. The skirmishes of other people were distractions she refused to give in to. They could fight amongst themselves.
"Apparently it's over that craft we spotted," Neptune reported. "It looks like some sort of armor suit. Tuxedo Mask is charging it." Air suddenly hissed in through Neptune's clenched teeth. "Usagi's in that thing!"
That was all Haruka needed to hear. Her henshin stick was out and active. Moments later Sailor Uranus was out of the Fiat and barreling across the street toward the plant. Neptune stayed put long enough to see through her mirror that Usagi wasn't a willing occupant of the armored suit and was out of the car in pursuit.
"Stop there!" shouted the security guard. He stood in front of the gate, directly in the path of the charging Uranus.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY OR GET MOWN DOWN!" Uranus roared.
She didn't waste energy on a second warning. Her hand went up in the air.
"WORLD SHAKING!"
Geo-force collected in her hand until she had enough to act. Then Uranus pitched the ball at the fence. Tearing up asphalt and concrete as it sped along the pavement, the attack rammed the gate and sundered it, broken steel and chain-link rattling away. The guard, who had retreated at the first sign of the attack, watched Uranus storm past him. He dove into his guard house and was on the phone to main security when he saw Sailor Neptune whiz past, desperately trying to catch up with the speedier Uranus.
"Uranus!" Neptune called ahead to her partner. "Usagi's a prisoner in that mobile armor! It's using her energy to power itself!"
Uranus turned a corner, then skidded to a stop. Moments later, Neptune caught up with her. She found the armor holding Tuxedo Mask up in the air as if he were a doll, ready to deliver a blow that would surely injure him. Another body lay limp and unmoving on the ground while a third, a spindly, hawk-like troll of a man turned and glared at them.
"Sailor Senshi!" the man exclaimed, almost anticipating a conflict. "The latest test for my Mobile Armor!"
Seized by the man's unspoken thought, the armor dropped Tuxedo Mask and advanced on Uranus and Neptune.
"Neptune, what do we do?" Uranus whispered. Neptune noted the uncharacteristic anxiety in her partner's voice.
"We disable it," Neptune replied firmly. Uranus glanced at her in disbelief. "It's the only way to get Usagi out of there. Step aside. I'll do it." Her hands raised into the air. "Deep Submerge!"
A cascading wave rose up from nowhere and inundated the armor suit. Neptune hoped to pull the suit off its feet and either short out the electronics or batter it against a wall and damage the circuitry that way - - hopefully without harming Usagi.
But if stopping it meant hurting her, it was an acceptable casualty.
However, the suit burst out of the wave undeterred by Neptune's attack, not even slowed. It bore down on the two senshi until Uranus was finally forced to act.
"World Shaking!" she roared and pitched another force bomb at the oncoming suit.
The attack struck the armor head on. It fell back a pace, momentarily stopped by the huge geo-force energy. Then it resumed its charge, lunging for the pair of senshi. At the last moment, Uranus and Neptune leaped out of the armor's grasp, landing so they bracketed it.
"Uranus!" Neptune called. "See if your Space Sword can carve her out of that thing! Once it's separated from Usagi, it has no power source!"
Uranus nodded and extended her hand into the air. The Space Sword appeared even as the Mobile Armor turned toward Uranus and charged at terrific speed.
"Space Sword Blaster!" Uranus called out. Swinging the sword, Uranus shot deadly energy arcs out at the charging armor. The arcs were angled so that they would shear the armor from Usagi without hurting her - - it was hoped. But the energy arcs glanced off of the metallic hide of the armor and exploded into the asphalt pavement of the testing grounds. Both Uranus and Neptune realized that the armor would be on top of Uranus more quickly than anticipated. Neptune again summoned the mirror.
"Submarine Reflection!" she shouted anxiously.
Pointing the mirror, Neptune guided the deadly energy beam directly at the armor. The force of impact staggered the suit and allowed Uranus to dive away. But though the beam was having an effect on the armor, it wasn't penetrating it.
"That metal alloy is too tough," Neptune thought. "Perhaps if I aim it at the joints - - those have to be weaker areas."
Shifting the beam, Neptune struck at the armor's knee joint. The armor's leg gave way and it tumbled to the pavement on all fours.
"NO!" screamed Tuxedo Mask, still on the ground. He had been in pain before, but now seemed in agony. "You're hurting her!"
That frantic cry led to a moment's indecision on the part of Sailor Neptune. And in that second, the armor clasped its hands and brought them down on the pavement with such force that a shockwave kicked up. Before she could react, Neptune was struck by the shockwave and pitched back. She landed hard and took a moment to recover.
In that time, the Mobile Armor picked up Dr. Nishimoto and sprinted toward Lab 2. Groggy, Neptune heard Uranus use the Space Sword again. Moments later, she felt Uranus hoisting her up to her feet.
"Are you hurt?" Uranus asked. Neptune tried to shake off the cobwebs.
"Stunned me," Neptune replied. "Where did it go?"
"Into that lab," Uranus told her, pointing to Lab 2. "I tried to follow, but it's barricaded in. Has to be the same stuff that armor's made of. What now?"
"I don't know," Neptune admitted. "But we've got to find a way to stop that thing. If it's drawing on Usagi for its energy, then it could have limitless power."
Outside of the plant, police and plant security forces were huddled. Frantic communications were going back and forth between headquarters and the police command post, as well as security and company management. A squad of officers were venturing into the plant with shields and riot gear, while other officers were pouring over the red sports car that had been identified as the one carrying Tuxedo Mask. Three helicopters hovered overhead. One was a police craft, while the other two belonged to television news departments. Satellite trucks were setting up at the perimeter to feed this news to Tokyo and possibly the world.
Without warning a Toyota mid-size pulled up at the perimeter. That attracted attention. What kept everyone's attention was the sight of four Sailor Senshi emerging from the Toyota. The reporter from the nearest truck sprinted toward them.
"Can you tell us what's going on?" the reporter asked.
"Not now," Sailor Venus said, waving the reporter and camera off. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. The others moved toward the plant gate. Several officers moved to intercept them.
"Get out of the way!" Jupiter roared.
"Stop! You can't go in there! This is a police perimeter!" countered the officer in charge.
"I SAID GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Jupiter bellowed angrily. She seized the officer by the top of his flak vest and tossed him aside like a rag doll. Seeing that and the smoldering eyes and hands of Sailor Mars convinced the others to back away.
"Jupiter, was that necessary?" Mercury gently chided her as they passed through the gate at top speed.
"Usagi's in trouble," Jupiter replied curtly, her demeanor grim and focused. "I'll do penance later."
They turned the corner of a building and found the battleground. Mercury spotted the body instantly. Jupiter saw Tuxedo Mask pounding with his walking stick on a metallic barrier erected over a gaping hole in the side of one of the buildings. Each blow did nothing to the gleaming metal, but Tuxedo Mask continued with dogged persistence. Mars ventured up to him, while Venus slid over to Uranus and Neptune as they watched Tuxedo Mask's futile efforts.
"What's the deal here?" Venus asked them. "Where's Usagi?"
"In there," Neptune related, pointing to the building. "She's been captured and placed in some sort of mobile armor suit. The suit is using her as a power source. It's tremendously strong and agile, and made of that metal alloy. It resisted all of our attacks."
"What's it doing in there?" Venus inquired.
"Reproducing," Uranus replied through clenched teeth. That drew a surprised look from Venus.
"I think the more accurate word would be 'replicating itself'," Neptune added. "The suit's controlled by a human. He seems to be one of the employees here. If we can get to that armor suit and somehow separate Usagi from it, the suit will go inert. The problem so far has been separating her from that suit."
Tuxedo Mask felt a hand on his shoulder and halted another swing at the barrier. He turned and found Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars.
"That's not doing any good," Jupiter told him. "How about I give it a shot?"
He didn't want to surrender his place. He didn't want to admit that he couldn't get to her, that he couldn't protect her. But cold reality won out over desire. His shoulders slumped,Tuxedo Mask gave ground and let Jupiter step in.
"Jupiter!" she snapped, her hand splayed at her side. "Oak Evolution!"
The barrier became alive with explosive electrical bursts. The force of the energy sizzled on the surface of the metal and it shook with the concussive force of the bursts. When it dissipated, though, the barrier stood in place. There was singeing on the metal in places, but it stood intact.
"Mars!" Sailor Mars shouted, not waiting for permission. "Flame Sniper!"
The fiery bow formed in her hand and, with a calm detachment at odds with her demeanor moments ago, Mars let loose an arrow of flame at the barrier. The arrow impacted, but flattened out and dissipated without harm to the metal.
"What is this thing made of?" Venus goggled. Mercury had her visor out and was studying it.
"I'm not done yet!" Mars snarled, her eyes ablaze and an eerie determination about her. "MARS SNAKE FIRE!"
Instantly Mars' entire body burst into flame. Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask fell back while gasps of awe rose from those watching. She burned bright red and orange for about fifteen seconds. Then a shape seemed to form from the crackling flames. The fire formed into a giant serpent rising up from Mars. It loomed over the barrier, poised to strike. The serpent opened its mouth, displaying six foot flaming fangs, then struck with the speed of thought.
Like the arrow, though, the serpent flattened out on impact with the barrier, spread, then dissipated. The asphalt in front of the barrier was molten. The cinder blocks that had once formed the wall the barrier hid behind were now ash. There was an ugly black scorch mark on the barrier itself. But it held. Mercury knelt next to Mars, who was on one knee and panting.
"Are you . . .?" Mercury began.
"Just winded," Mars gasped.
"You been holding out on us?" Venus asked.
"Just seemed - - to come to me," Mars related. "Like when my other attacks first appeared. Please tell me it did some good."
"Structural integrity of the barrier is down to seventy-eight percent at the point of impact," Mercury told her.
"Four more of those attacks and we'll be in," quipped Venus. "Got anymore left?"
Mars replied with a grunt of frustration.
"Then we'll have to do the rest," Neptune said. "Mars has dented that thing. Between the rest of us, we should be able to break through."
"That may not be necessary," Mercury announced.
"You got an idea?" Jupiter asked, daring to hope. "Tell me you've got an idea."
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury suddenly said. She coated the impact point with a coat of shimmering ice. "Subjecting metals to extremes of heat and cold in succession weakens the molecular bonding of the metal and makes it brittle. Brittle metal is more susceptible . . ."
"We get it," Venus said, moving to the front. "Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!"
The shockwave slammed against the barrier. The impact shook the area like an earthquake. Yet the barrier still held.
"Merc?" Venus asked.
"My scans show structural integrity is down to thirty-nine percent," Mercury reported.
"Then one more good pop should do it," Venus grinned. "Uranus, how about we give it a double shot?"
"Ready when you are," Uranus nodded.
"Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!"
"World Shaking!"
The geo-force bubble and the shockwave linked up and slammed into the barrier. The resulting explosion shook the area and all the senshi staggered back, with Mars tipping and falling down. When the dust cleared a gaping wound lay in the metal barrier.
"That's our opening!" Venus yelled, bounding forward with Jupiter and Uranus. "Move!"
The senshi sprinted inside. They found a roboticized engineering lab. Dr. Nishimoto and the armor suit were busy constructing another armor suit. Nishimoto was glaring at them with frustrated menace.
"They must not stop us!" roared Nishimoto. "Kill them all!"
The armor suit moved to intercept them. Each senshi could see Usagi's horrified face in the suit's view plate.
Continued in Chapter 11