SMST: My Own Worst Enemy! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/5, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre mini-series.
Special Note: This story takes place before the events of "Blackest Reign and a Dark Night". C&C are welcomed.
Part 25
Twenty-four weeks ago…
With everything that is happening, Usagi decided to invite her fellow wives out for a night on the town…much to the consternation of their husband Ranma Saotome.
"Besides," Usagi said, as she is about to leave her home. "You need to keep an eye out on what our enemies while I have fun with the fellow wives."
"Look, are you going to at least have your transponder with you?" Ranma asked. He was glad that his and Usagi's allies had decided to return to whence they came, albeit temporarily, to deal with the bulk of the forces of "He-Who-Will-Remain-Nameless". In fact, Lady Cassandra, Major Jackie, Miss Donna and the Doctor have been taking on the warlords of "He-Who-Remain-Nameless" with great success.
It must be noted that one of Ranma's doppelganger, Other Ranma, had decided to assume the female guise Lady Cassandra, the fused personality of Ranma and a futuristic socialite, in order to avoid confusing the issue of who has the authority to say what at any given time. Besides, Lady Cassandra, who had been living with the British investigative reporter Ms. Sarah Jane Smith, was needed to provide the Doctor her specialty in magic and "diplomacy"…
"Sure," Usagi replied, as she reveals a small, cylindrical object with a switch on one end, and an LED on another. "Anything else…'DAD'?"
"Actually, I do," Ranma said, as he held his young son Kenma in his arms. "Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT do anything that would break the laws of God and men."
"Awww," Usagi said mockingly. "Out go half the activities I had planned for everyone. Well, at least for Miko and I."
"…"
"I'm KIDDING, dear," Usagi said with a grin.
"Okay," Akane said, as she stepped out of the bedroom. "How do I look?"
"As always, fabulous," Ranma said.
"Oh, really?" Akane asked with suspicion. "You're not just SAYING that, are you?"
"No, I am NOT."
"Good, you better not be using that as a pretense to screw around…and I mean that literally."
"Whatever," Ranma said, as he presents Kenma to his mother. "Say goodbye to your mother, kiddo."
"Give Mommy a kiss," Akane said, as she goes up to her son. "Mwah!"
"Heh!" Kenma said gleefully.
"Alright-y," Usagi said to Akane. "We don't want to be late for our reservations."
"Hold your horses, okay?" Akane said with annoyance. "Not everybody has a schedule for inebriation."
"Hey, I got to be me," Usagi said, as Akane waves at Kenma and Ranma while passing Usagi towards the front door.
"Have fun!" Ranma said to Akane. He then turns to Usagi.
"YOU don't have TOO much fun."
"Hater," Usagi said, as she turns to leave. She then glances back at her shared husband.
"And don't wait up," Usagi said with a smile and wink, before leaving the house.
"I REALLY hope that 'wink' is not what I THINK it is…"
Meanwhile, the army known as "The Twos" gets their final order from their boss, General Two.
"Ladies and gentlemen," General Two said. "As you know, our intelligence has indicated that the Moon Princess will be separated from her husband for a night on the town. However, we do not know the capabilities, if any, of these people. Lights."
The lights in the hall dim, and a screen appears. All of the women on the screen were married to Ranma Saotome.
"You are all already familiar with Sailor Cosmos, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, so I will skip over to these other two. Remember, all five are Ranma Saotome's official wives, and thus would have a special repertoire with the Sun Prince…"
Pause.
"Name: Saotome, Akane," Two began to say. "Occupation: Homemaker, and student at the Nekomi Institute of Technology, where she is majoring in 'Design Arts'. Born to the martial arts practitioner Soun Tendo, and to the Time Lady known as 'The Nurse' of the now-defunct Gallifrey. It must be noted that the Nurse has gone under such names as 'Susan Foreman', 'Susan English', 'Larna', most recently, 'Kimiko Tendo'."
Pause.
"As for Akane Tendo, she has inherited her mother Gallifreyan heritage, and is a Time Lord in her own right. In addition to her competency as a 'Time Lady', as "The Mistress", Akane Tendo is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant. Furthermore, she is a member of the Red Lantern Corps, and the Justice Society of America as the Thanagarian heroine "Hawkgirl", thus making her a formidable opponent. Additional data is available on family composition and outside activities."
CLICK!
"Name: Saotome, Miko. Occupation: Homemaker, and a student at Kyoto's Women University, where she is majoring in the field of Culinary Arts. Miko Saotome is also a shinobi of the Miroku clan, which specializes in 'Inujustus', or 'Sex-Craft'. She is also the heir to the throne of the Shikima, which enables her to summon an army of oni of her own if need be. Lights!"
CLICK!
"We are at a tipping point, men," Two said. "I do not have to remind you what is at stake."
"Maybe there should be a change in leadership?" said a youma. "Maybe THAT is the problem?"
Two's eyes glowed, as he pursed his lips…
BOOM!
The youma explodes.
"Any other questions?" Two asked.
"Um, what is our assignment, sir?" said a nervous youma.
Two's eyes glowed, as he pursed his lips…
BOOM!
"Good question," Two said, dismissively. "We actually we use the resources of one of the Moon Princess' arch-rivals. For now, we will provide material support while said resource is utilized. Other than that, enjoy the evening. Dismissed…"
The nigh wears on as the Saotome Wives enjoyed the night out. Well, some more than others…
"Ya-hoo!" Usagi said, as she clapped her hand, as Miko finishes her karaoke set. The theme at the karaoke bar that night was "Songs of the 1980s". In this capacity, Miko had just sung the Debbie Gibson's "Only in My Dreams" (1987).
"Thanks," Miko said, as she got off the stage. "I haven't sung in years."
"Well, I can always have a back-up singer when I perform at Macross Island in a few months," Minako ("Sailor Venus") Aino.
"Naw, motherhood and school take priority."
"Yeah," Minako said with a sigh. "Why can't Ranma impregnate ME?"
"Because, my dear, your lifestyle precludes that," Rei ("Sailor Mars") Hino said dismissively. "Me, on the other hand, choose not to, due to the fact that I have yet to…conquer my ambitions."
Minako frowns.
"Am I talking to Rei…or AZULA?" Minako asked.
"Does it matter?"
"Okay, Usagi, you're next," Akane said.
"What song are you going to sing?" Minako asked.
"I will sing…Bobby Brown's 'My Prerogative' (1988)," Usagi said, as she gets on the stage. She programs the karaoke machine. As soon as the music began to play, Usagi began to pop-lock her hips to the tune of the beat. And then, she began to sing…
Get Busy!
Everybody's talking all this stuff about me.
Why don't they just let me live?
I don't need commission,
Make my own decisions.
That's my prerogative.
They say I'm crazy.
I really don't care.
That's my prerogative.
They say I'm nasty.
But I don't give a damn.
Getting girls is how I live.
Some messy questions:
Why am I so real?
But they don't understand me.
I really don't know the deal about her brother.
Trying hard to make it right.
Not long ago, before I win this fight, sing-
Chorus:
Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
Tell me why I don't need commission
Make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
It's the way that I wanna live (it's my prerogative)
I can do just what I feel (it's my prerogative)
No one can tell me what to do (it's my prerogative)
'Cause what I'm doing I'm doing for you
Don't get me wrong
I'm really not souped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships really gets me down
I see nothing wrong in spreading myself around
Chorus:
Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
Tell me why I don't need commission
Make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
I can do what I wanna do (it's my prerogative)
I can live my life (it's my prerogative)
And I'm doing it just for you (it's my prerogative)
Tell me, tell me why can't I live my life
Live my life without all of the things
That people say oh
Yo, teddy kick it like this
Oh no no I can do what I wanna do
Me and you together, together, together, together, together
Chorus:
Everybody's talking all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live?
Tell me why I don't need commission
Make my own decisions
That's my prerogative
It's my prerogative (it's my prerogative)
With the end of the set, Usagi twirls into a bow, almost tipping over.
"Ulp!" Usagi said, as she held herself upright. "Sorry about that…"
"WOO-HOO!" Minako yelled in glee, as she clapped her hands.
"Thank you, thank you," Usagi said happily. "I'm here doing karaoke every other Friday night."
"How about just only THIS night?" Rei said with a smirk.
"Hater."
Afterwards, the wives walk back to the Saotome home, singing songs and drinking publicly.
"Hey," Akane said, as she noticed a shadow. "What's that over there?"
Usagi squints her eyes. There was something vaguely familiar about that shadow…
"Hey, I know you!" Usagi said.
"You should," said The Void, as he stepped out into the open. "Remember me?"
"Yeah…Bobby…Bobby…OH! Bobby Reynolds…yeah."
"You know this guy?" Akane asked.
"Yeah, I do," said Usagi. "Bobby drank one of my experimental super-soldier serums that I was synthesizing with a professor who taught at Empire State University. I still don't know why he would do that…"
"Why would you create such a thing?" Minako asked.
"I don't know," Usagi said with a shrug. "Huh."
"Regardless, because of you, I have the power of a god," the Void said. "And, like in myth, the younger gods always slew their forebears."
With that, the Void uses shadow powers to create dark tendrils to impale Usagi…
THWACK!
"What?" the Void said in alarm, as the tendril-spike broke upon impact on Usagi's chest.
"Silly, Bobby," Usagi said, as she tilts her head, as her head immediately clears up. "Why would you think that I wouldn't have taken my own serum?"
As if on cue, Miko summons tentacles from the ground to grab the Void.
GRAB!
"Arrgh!" the Void said, as he was held. He tried to break free, only to find his powers useless.
"My power is based upon the darkness of the human condition, demon," Miko said. "In other words, I am feeding off of your power!"
"No one can contain me!" the Void said, as he summoned a thunderbolt to strike the women. "I am the warlord of 'He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named!'."
THOOM!
However, Rei caught it.
"How quaint," Rei said, as she redirected the attack at the Void, with a spin.
CHOOM!
"Arrrrrgh!" the Void yelled.
"Minako, light this baby up!" Usagi yelled. "Sparkle him!"
"Right," Minako said, as she tapped into her Sailor Scout powers…
"CRESCENT BEAM!"
FWOOSH!
"Ahhhhhhhh!" the Void yelled in pain.
"Ranma, you JERK!" Akane said, as she lowers Mallet-sama on top the Void's head. The impact would be registered as a small earthquake in Japan.
THOOM!
The Void, now unconscious, fades into nothing.
"That's that…for now," Usagi said. She then turns towards Akane.
"What's with the 'Ranma, you JERK', comment?"
"Motivation?" Akane offered.
"Ah."
Tbc.