Ranma Half Moon 2: Phrase White - Chapter 65 - A Yesterday Never Known - Part 4

Two unmarked black vans park in alleys on either side of a ten story office building downtown. Two men emerge from the vans and the four of them each walk to one of the entrances of the building.

The man walking to the front door sees that the guard looks disinterested. "Hey, buddy!"

"Yes?"

"Are you an insider or an employee?"

"Me? Um, I just started here a month ago."

"Have they been paying you?"

"Not in the last two weeks. They said they had a computer glitch."

The man smiles and shakes his head. "If you want to live, exit the building, turn right and start walking and do not look back. Understood?" The man gives the guard an icy stare.

"Um, okay." The terrified man exits the building and starts walking.

The man walks back to his van. Through his earpiece he hears that the men in the other van were also successful. "Time to start cooking." The man and his partner take some carts out of the back of the van.

...

The controller for Phrase White watches Sumo Wrestling on TV. His phone rings with an emergency ring tone. "Yes?"

"Boss, long distance surveillance tells us that something is going down at the headquarters of Two."

"Are the preparing something?"

"No, it appears their building is under attack."

"Is it bad?"

"Yes."

"Thanks."

The controller hangs up and makes a call. "Emergency scramble. The big wigs of Two might have to use the chopper on top of their building within the next ten minutes. We need it disabled before then."

"It will be tight, but we can do it."

"Go!" The controller hangs up. The controller steadies himself on a chair. After fifteen years, will it be over tonight? Will tonight be a new beginning?

...

Mamoru's phone buzzes discretely in his pocket. He answers the phone in a low voice. "Hello Rei. I'm at the library right now. I can't talk loudly."

"That's okay. I know that you're not going to believe this, but I wrote a song for you to sing with Phrase White."

"Why would I not believe it?"

"Because I promised you that when I first picked you up."

"I would love to hear it."

"I have the lyrics written down and I have a demo of the music of the song."

"Can you drop it off at my apartment?"

"Will that be okay?"

"No one will raise an eyebrow."

"Okay, I'll do it."

"I'm going to be studying late. But I will review it tomorrow morning."

"Thanks."

...

"Blam!" A character on a video game falls over, shot to death.

"We should start over."

Zoiki shakes his head. "You're almost to the final boss! Don't mind me, what's important is winning the game."

Kunochi nods. "Very well, but it will an empty victory without your character by my character's side."

...

Haruka scouts the stairs leading to the third floor. "They have grunts all over those stairs."

Michiru frowns. "We would be too vulnerable that way."

Ranma-ko's Sailor Moon nods. "Hey, the room through that hole in the wall was mostly empty. Maybe we could go through the ceiling like before?"

Michiru shakes her head. "I am out of explosives."

Minako smiles. "Hey, if you want a hole in the ceiling, the Crescent Beam of Sailor Venus will work."

Haruka nods. "Let's do it!"

The four crawl through the hole in the wall.

"Venus Star Power, Make Up!" Minako transforms.

Michiru concentrates. "Okay, there are two enemies in the room up there." Michiru uses gestures to show Sailor Venus where to shoot.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor V quickly uses her attack to cut a large hole in the ceiling. That section of the ceiling falls through and Haruka and Michiru take out the two surprised zombies and take their guns.

They hear pounding on the door to the room that they are in. Ranma-ko's Sailor Moon leaps up to the next floor in one jump. Ranma-ko's Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus both help Haruka and Michiru climb up to the next floor. Sailor Venus follows in a single jump.

Michiru concentrates. "Lots of action past that door to the hallway."

Haruka turns a heavy office table over. "Help me with this."

Ranma-ko's Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus push the upside down table to cover the hole in the floor.

Haruka pats Ranma-ko's Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus on their shoulders. "Do you two have a combination attack?"

"Sure do!"

"Stand by."

Haruka walks over to Michiru who is in deep concentration. "Any more lower bosses?"

"One more, blond, young looking, coming within range."

Haruka turns. "You two, get behind the table and prepare your attack. I will open the door and Michiru and I will start blasting with these two guns. If you see the target, attack immediately, don't let him attack first."

Sailor Venus looks sad. "I don't get to do a battle boast?"

Haruka face plants. "Don't worry about it. Okay, in three. Three, two, one." Haruka opens the door. Haruka and Michiru open fire on the closest guards.

Ranma-ko's Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus both see the predicted boss. "Dual Idol Star Projection!"

The combination attack by Ranma's Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus mortally wounds the lower boss, Suguru.

"You guys didn't introduce yourselves."

Sailor Venus turns up her nose. "See?"

Haruka yells at her. "We're not here to be polite to people!"

"Okay."

"Anyway, grab some guns, we'll try to shoot our way up the stars."

Sailor Venus smiles. "Wait, I think I have something new that can help us get up the stairs."

"Go for it."

The four run out into the hallway and grab fresh guns from the downed zombies. They mow down the next wave of guards and reach the stairs.

Haruka takes a quick peek. "There are about a dozen waiting at the top of the stairs."

Sailor Venus smiles confidently. "I got this. I feel a new power. Venus Love Me Chain!" A chain of heart-shaped light pellets extends from Sailor Venus's right hand. The chain goes around the halfway turn in the stairs and goes up the rest of the stairs and encircles the zombies. Sailor Venus pulls the chain and the dozen guards awkwardly fall down the stairs to the stair landing.

Haruka and Michiru shoot the guards who didn't collapse from the fall.

Michiru looks serious. "Final boss time. I hope you guys are ready!"

...

The controller gets another call. "How did it go?"

"Their helicopter is missing some propellers now."

"Were you seen?"

"No, but as we were leaving, we saw some news vans arriving. We got out of range before they could spot or film us."

"Excellent." The Controller hangs up.

The Controller changes the channel on his TV to a local news channel. He sees images of the building that he knows is the headquarters of Two engulfed in flames. The Controller smiles.

...

"Boom!"

"I failed." Kunochi looks despondent. "I knew we should have started over."

Zoiki weeps a little. "It was a noble effort. I was moved."

Kunochi's phone rings. "Yes? Turn on the TV?" Kunochi switches the input of the TV from game to cable and switches to the channel that the controller suggests.

Zoiki gasps. "Wow! That building is going up like a torch."

"Thanks." Kunochi hangs up. "That building is the headquarters of Two."

"Did the Controller do that?"

"No, controller said that some of the rival crime organizations got mad at them for not paying their bills."

"How harsh."

"Yes, but it's not like the other organizations could sue them to get their money back."

"True. Does this mean that it's over?"

Kunochi shakes his head sadly. "There is a pool full of the tears of the relatives of the people who we helped put to death. Our own organization has no good reason to let us live. I'm afraid that it will never be over. Violence is the father of violence."

"But, we're rich. We could disappear if things get too heavy."

Kunochi forces a smile, realizing that he has scared Zoiki. "Well, it's not like we're weak. I'm sure we'll find some way."

To Be Continued