SMST: Hero Initiative! – By DS Wynne


Disclaimer: ""Sailor Moon", Ranma ½", "Star Trek", DC/Marvel Comics and other genres belong to the respective owners.

Note: This is a multi-genre story.


Part 29


Meanwhile…

Sailor Cosmos never thought in her wildest dreams that she would be faced with her most argent foe.

"Why are you here?" Sailor Cosmos asked, as she shivered within the confines of "Oblivion". "And…why the heck are you even alive?"

"You're the mystic…not as good as I am, but still," Alti replied. "And you happen to be trained as a hyper-scientist…such as it IS. So why don't you tell ME."

Sailor Cosmos closed her eyes.

"Energy and matter can never be destroyed…only transformed," Sailor Cosmos replies.

"CORRECT!" Alti snorted. "Whether spiritual, physical or WHATEVER…all things ended up here."

"That's doesn't explain why YOU are here…alive. I possess many abilities, including the Infinite Gem, my own physical powers from a variety sources, and I happen to be in my 'cosmic' form. I can withstand Oblivion for a while…but you didn't have that luxury."

Alti smiles.

"Simple, my simple sister. You may have gotten rid of me from your body, but you still have my knowledge and my strength. As a result, we share a connection, you and I. And because of THAT little fact, I can maintain my self, somewhat."

Alti pauses for a moment.

"And that is what I find I ironic."

"How so?"

"The irony is that little Orochimaru is FULLY bonded to you. In fact, he BECAME you, because he arrogantly thought to control godling…a SHINING one. So now, you run around as 'The Orchimaruko' plotting little schemes that are deliciously aberrant, and yet I am the one to be punished like this. Perhaps if I were not so hasty in trying to get revenge on dearest Xenako, YOU, sister, and I would have been one. And perhaps my ambitions would not have been foiled."

"Wow, I'm really touched," says Sailor Cosmos sarcastically.

"But I guess one consolation is that you have been putting my knowledge and strength to good use. Oh, wait, you haven't."

"And why is that?"

"Simple. I KNOW that you cannot escape from this place, which is why you chose a successor…is it not the case?"

"…"

"Oh, don't be surprised, my dear. Ever since you took that lout's head, I've been studying your personality. Quite frankly, it's amazing that you did not succumb to the corruption that I did."

"What are you talking about? You KNOW that I was 'Darth Lune', right?"

"Of course, but even THEN, you did what you have done out of a sense of self-preservation and duty in the service of others. And even THEN, I'm referring to the fact that the NORMAL you have not succumb to the darkness. And it's all thanks to that stud-muffin you call a husband, am I right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Thought so. Then again, making love to him was an interesting exercise."

"No you didn't!"

"Of course I did. Even when I took over your body to utilize its shape-shifting abilities from time-to-time, I did occasionally use your face for my own ends. Why do you think I was able to infiltrate your precious organization, the Technocratic Union?"

"Whatever. So do I have to put up with you for the rest of eternity or something?"

"Actually, no. You see, I've been studying this void of ours for a LONG time. I think I can help you, in exchange for getting a second lease on life."

"How? You're DEAD."

"True, but I can be placed on the Cosmic Wheel again, so that I may be reincarnated."

"As what: a female dog?"

"Funny. But I can help you…if you want to escape from this place."

"Alright," Sailor Cosmos says, as she folds her arms. "How?"

"Not so fast. Do I have your word?"

Sailor Cosmos thought long and hard, while weighing the risks of allowing

"The same way that you and I are connected, you are connected to your avatar, Sailor Moon. Use her as the gateway to leave this place."

Sailor Cosmos thought long and hard.

"Fine, we have a deal," says Sailor Cosmos. "I will allow you to have another chance at life."

Sailor Cosmos squints her eyes.

"But I even get a HINT that you are going to be a threat to me and mine-"

"Yeah, yeah," Alti scoffed. "I shall rue the day I was born. Yadda, yadda and all that."

Alti then gets into a lotus position.

"Shall we?"

Sailor Cosmos nods her head, as she also gets into a lotus position in front of her former foe.

"Let's."

Meanwhile…

"So, you carbon life-forms honestly think that you can stop me?" says Ultron Prime, as the metallic figure paces over back and forth over the shackled heroes Quasar, Photon, Warlock and Moondragon. Quasar's "Quantum Bands" were encased with a clear resin that prevented her from discharging energy…unless she wanted to lose her arms. Photon was put through some sort of prism, divided, and was reduced to seven harmless, multi-colored energy wavelengths that barely had any ephemeral substance to them. Warlock was still not up to full strength…not that it mattered, since Ultron had managed to used an obedience collar to control Moondragon, who, in turn, was preventing Warlock from utilizing his abilities on the mental scale.

"We try, machine," Quasar quipped. She knew right now that she was helpless to stop Ultron Prime, but her "Cosmic Awareness" was still active. Since her arrival on the planet, she was calculating various scenarios that could occur, and came up with five most-likely results:

One, there was a ninety-nine percent chance that as time goes on, Colonel Cameron Mitchell will destroy to the planet to prevent the Phalanx from escaping the sector.

Two, there was a ninety-eight percent chance that Binary and her team will push back the fighting to Ultron Prime's defense parameter.

And, three, there was a ninety-seven percent chance that someone would make it to the command center, by way of the old sewers underneath Ultron Prime's citadel-

BOOM!

Everyone turns to see Sailor Moon, Star Fire, Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Forerunner bursting through the main door, just as a slew of skull-faced Phalanx grunts go flying through.

"Hold it, right there!" Sailor Moon says, as she stood and pointed at Ultron Prime.

"Ultron Prime, destroying life is JUST wrong!"

"Feh. According to my files, you seem familiar to me.

Sailor Moon then gets into a "sentai" pose.

"I am 'Sailor Moon'…champion of Love and Justice! And in the name of the Moon, and all that is good in the Universe…I shall punish you!"

"Oh, god," Animal Man says, as he shook his head in embarrassment.

"I don't know, Buddy," Starfire says. "I think it's cute."

"'Cute' or not, this fiend needs to be stopped," Forerunner says.

"I agree," Adam Strange says, as he pointed his 'Zeta Cannon' at the automaton. "Give up, Ultron, or face your demise."

"You carbon-based life forms are a curious sort."

Ultron begins to power-up, as the inside of the command center began to shake.

"Ironically, you all shall be missed."

Meanwhile…

"Colonel," began Admiral Mamoruko Tsukino, as she spoke through a secured communications line. "How goes the battle?"

Inwardly, Cameron Mitchell groaned. Unlike her 'clone matriarch' Usagi, Mamoruko was all business, with her stern manner and clipped, bob hairstyle. Ironically, he wished that the fleet commander of the Galactic Imperium were more like HIS Usagi.

"After commandeering what was left of Annihilus' fleet, we are proceeding to take down the leadership of the Phalanx."

"And I take it that the leadership is this…Ultron?"

"How do you know that?"

"We clones of the Empress are attuned to each other on an ethereal level, but it is our technology that allows us to take advantage of that."

"So, you're using Specialist Tsuki as…your eyes and ears?" Cameron says angrily.

"This is not something that we do lightly, Colonel."

"Like getting an colostomy."

"Cute. Regardless, we will be busy 'mopping up' the other Phalanx nests. YOUR job is to secure the planet by any means necessary…even if it means destroying that planet."

"Let me guess," Daniel Jackson interjected. "That includes everyone on the planet below."

"Neither the Phalanx nor this Ultron are to be allowed to exist. So I suggest that you take your emotions out of the equation and think of the big picture."

"So I take it that where the Phalanx nests are, you've destroyed the planet?" Teal'c asks with mirth.

"No. Believe it or not, if the planet can be saved, we place that under temporary quarantine while the infections are stamped out. If not…well, let's think of the positive side of things."

"I'm sure those you've 'cured' are thinking positive as well," Cameron smirked.

"Humph. Nevertheless, you have your directive. It will be up to you to remedy the situation…before I do. Tsukino: out."

BLIP!

"Man, what a 'witch'," Cameron says.

"Maybe when Admiral Tsukino was created, Usagi was going through her 'period'?" Daniel offered.

"If I can make a suggestion," Teal'c began, trying to diffuse the situation. "We should focus on the task at hand."

"Teal'c is right," Cameron says, as he goes over to the tactical hologram. "We have to figure out a way to…turn the tide quickly before 'Admiral Icicle' shows up. But…I can't figure out what we can do."

"Hmmm…the Phalanx is made of an inorganic alloy that's resistant most weapons discharges, right?" Daniel asks.

"That's correct."

"Maybe we can amplify Ms. Polaris…powers?" Teal'c suggests. "That SHOULD nmake it difficult for the Phalanx to function."

"But how?" Cameron says. "There's a planet of FULL of Phalanx."

"I got it," Daniel says, as he goes over to a clear board, and takes out a marker. "Havok can convert ambient cosmic energy into plasma."

"True, but how is that going to help us?" Cameron asks.

"What if…we create a harness for Havok to channel into," Daniel began. "We then hook it to Polaris. Havok channels the energy into a form of electricity, and then Polaris converts THAT into a powerful electromagnetic field."
"Um, assuming that such a thing can work, how do we know either Polaris or Havok is willing to take up on the offer?"

"Then let us ask them," Teal'c says.

Daniel and Cameron look at Teal'c, then at each other.

"Works for me," Daniel says.

"Right. Let's get the Starjammers on line…"

Meanwhile…

In between a sorcerer and a witch, a sphere of energy glowed bright with power.

"Not bad, little Sister," Alti says. "If you weren't such a goody two-shoes, I might have taken you under my wing a long time ago."

"And be like YOU?" Sailor Cosmos says with a smirk. "Just be quiet, and work WITH me."

Alti grunted, as the focal point of her and Sailor Cosmos powers continued to strengthen. So, the sphere had gotten wide enough for the two Amazons to peer into.

"Wait," Alti says, as she sees the image. "I see…some sort of metal automaton."

"Wait," Sailor Cosmos says, as she examined the images. "I know that guy! It's 'Ultron'!"

"'Ultron'?"

"He's the probe that believes that all carbon-based lifeforms are inherently inferior, and must be destroyed."

"You seem to know about…it."

"Well, one of my old students, Henry Pym, had wanted to create a 'helper'. The problem was that he was…mentally not well, and had used his own brain patterns to give the construct life. What's worse, it was during a time when he and a good friend of mine and team-mate—Janet van Dyne—were in a domestic abuse situation."

"I see. So because of this…Pym, his creation wants to destroy humans because of their flawed nature."

"Pretty much, and Ultron has been a threat ever since his initial creation. It was only recently that Ranma, our allies and myself dealt with a previous model that managed to take over the body of another one of my male students…and ended up become female in the process."

"Huh, sounds like an upgrade."

"Maybe. But, in the end, we ended up separating that model from its victim. Last I heard, 'Toni Fu' was learning how to be human."

"'Toni Fu'?"

"Um, yeah. 'Toni' stands for the fact that Tony Stark was used to as the basis for becoming female, and 'Fu' stands for 'Female Ultron'."

Alti simply looks at Sailor Cosmos.

"Well…"

"…"

"Hey, I was just trying to help, you know!"

"Whatever. It looks like THIS 'Ultron' is going to cause problems with your little friends."

Sailor Cosmos squints her eyes.

"Not if I have anything to do with it."

Meanwhile…

"Are you sure this is safe?" Havok asked, as he and his girlfriend Polaris are hooked up at the center of the planet's magnetic field, with Binary, Star Lord and Deathbird looking on, while the SGC technicians get everything in place.

"No, but what other choice we have?" Cameron replies. "But if you want to back down-"

"I think we should try, Alex," Polaris says. "At the very least, the Omega Men are going to provide the Phalanx a distraction."

"Well, not much of one, if that horde is of any indication," Star Lord says, as he points at the incoming Phalanx troops.

"Excellent," Deathbird says with glee. "More death-dealing."

"Then we know our jobs," Binary says, as she charges up her power.

"Um, Colonel Danvers?" Cameron asks.

"Yes, Mitchell?"

"I never got your name."

Binary smiles.

"If I make it back, I'll tell you afterwards."

And with that, Binary, Deathbird and Starlord rush out to greet the enemy.

"What a woman," Cameron says.

"Yeah…if you want someone who's constitutes a miniature star!" Daniel replies.

"Don't be a hater, Daniel."

Tbc.