SMST: Hero Initiative! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: "SM", "R1/2", "ST" and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 44
Meanwhile…
"Thank you for coming over to this…going away party, Mister Rantsu," says Robert "Rob" Hawkins says, as he nervously glanced over to where his ex-girlfriend had just left the premises. "Getting that promotion with the Mishima Zaibatsu means a lot to me."
Ranma looks over to where Rob was staring, having met the girl of his apparent affections earlier in the evening. According to the gossip he had overheard, Elizabeth "Beth" McIntyre, a swarthy girl who appeared to be of Mediterranean descent, had broken up with Rob because of the opportunities at Mishima. And the thing was that if Rob changed his mind about taking the job, he'd understand that decision.
"Well," Ranma says, as he takes a sip of his beverage. "Mishima can always use new talent-"
"HERE I GO!" says a familiar voice.
Ranma and Rob turn to see Usagi in a middle of a chugging contest.
"Go! Go! Go! Go-!" chanted the crowd.
Ranma rubbed his forehead. It never fails that Usagi would end up in the center of a drinking contest. Even if it were a "dry" party, somehow, someway, alcohol would come to play…
"Ha!" Usagi yells triumphantly, as she downs an entire keg of beer. "Pay up, losers!"
"Ah, man!" says Jason Hawkins, Rob's younger brother, as he continues to collect money from the betters.
Rob, embarrassed, goes to his friend Hudson "Hud" Pratt, who was video-tapping the party.
"Hud, stop filming," Rob says, as he pulls his friend aside.
"What?" Hud says.
"I don't know WHAT is going on, but these are my future employers, you know!"
"Hey, it's not MY fault that Mrs. Rantsu is the talk of the party."
Ranma steps up.
"Then you don't mind if YOU become the piñata," Ranma says, as he cracks knuckles. Party-girl or not, Ranma will always stand up for his mate's honor.
"Um," Hud says, as he begins to sweat-drop. And then-
WHOOOM!
There was a sudden power loss in the building, followed by a rattle.
'Odd,' Ranma thought to himself, as the party guests began to mill about in wonder. He then turns to his host.
"Rob, do you mind if I…make a few phone calls?"
"Um, sure."
"Thanks, and keep an eye on the missus for me."
"Yes, sir."
Ranma finds the bathroom, closes the door, and activates his cell phone, which was more advanced that it appeared to be.
"This is 'Wild Horse'," Ranma began to say over the phone. "Security Code: 14-05-18-09-13-01. Enable."
CHIRP!
"Colonel Saotome!" says Director Maria Hill (dark hair, short). Hill was the present director of SHIELD, which is the pan-security agency within the American government.
"Thank god you're in the area."
"Whoa, calm down," Ranma says. "What's going?"
"I'm feeding you data of the situation."
Ranma looks at the incoming information with disbelief.
"And you're SURE Namor or someone isn't responsible for this?"
"No, the creature is either an evolutionary throw-back, a mutation or an alien."
"Fine," Ranma says. "I have Usagi with me, so we'll take care of it."
"Just…the two of you? You don't need back up-?"
"Usagi…has a special talent that will deal with the creature. We still need the get the citizens out of Manhattan, and THAT should be a priority."
"Right. We'll have everyone ready for action by the time you engage the creature."
"Understood. Saotome: out."
CHIRP!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Ranma sticks his head out, just as he feels the building shake.
"Mister Rantsu!" Rob yells. "We have to evacuate the building!"
"Fine, but where's my wife?"
"My friend Lily has her. But I need to find…Beth-!"
"Okay, I go check on my wife, then we can all find your Beth."
"Right!"
A minute later…
"Usagi, wake up," Ranma says, as he tilts Usagi's head. A dark-skinned girl of Indian extraction was carrying her.
"She just passed out, Mister Rantsu," Lily Ford says.
"Huh, Ranma…?" Usagi managed to say.
"Usagi, I need for you to deal with the monster outside-"
"MONSTER?" the other young men and women yell in unison.
"Yes. Can you do it?"
Usagi yawned.
"Okay, okay," Usagi says, as she manages to stand up. She almost fell down-
"Easy, there," Ranma says.
"Okay, okay!" Usagi yelled. "Just…throw me out the window."
"Right," Ranma says, as he takes his wife, and tosses her out of one of the windows, which were several stories above ground.
This, of course, shocked everyone present
"ARE YOU NUTS?" Jason yells.
"Ah, she'll be fine," says Ranma nonchalantly.
"How could you?" says a dark-haired, curly haired woman.
Ranma looks at the girl.
"Who are you?"
Before anyone can answer…
FLASH!
FWOOOM…
As Usagi fell several stories to the ground, she instinctively reached into pocket space, and pulls out her 'Beta Capsule' rod…and activates it. One flash of light later, Usagi is transformed into…ULTRA SAILOR MOON!
US Moon grows ten times her normal height, surprising everyone who could see her.
"Did…did your wife just changed into some sort of giant robot?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, a female robot…with BOOBS!" Hud chortled, which warranted a smack to the back of the head by Lily.
SMACK!
"Ow!"
"Thanks," Ranma says, as he began to communicate on his wristwatch. "Usagi, can you hear me?"
"I am fine, Ranma," US Moon says. "I am fully operational."
"Identify the creature."
US Moon uses her senses to analyze the menace.
"The creature is a mutation of the 'Kraken', a member of the same genus that is of 'The-Watcher-of-the-Deep'."
"Great…"
"Ranma, I sense parasitic life-forms on its body. You have to evacuate these humans from this area immediately."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine for a while, before the pollution levels force me to revert to normalcy."
"Right. I do what I can, while you handle the not-so-phantom menace."
"Right. And Ranma?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
And with that, US Moon takes off to deal with the creature.
Ranma turns to his companions. They were still speechless.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ranma says. "We got a Beth to find."
"Right!" Rob says, as he and his party head down the stairs.
Tbc.
Author's note: Yes, this is a "Cloverfield" tie-in. Heh.
