Even though most of these give you about as much coverage as a g-string on a stripper, I'm going to play it safe and include it anyway...
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all characters contained within this work are the copyright of Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, Kodansya, DiC, and probably lots of other big people I'm forgetting. I am using them without permission, but suing me because of it would be futile as I have nothing. Also Certain characters mentioned in the prologue are the copyrighted property of John De Chance. Any characters that are not copyrighted by other people are my own creation, and therefore copyrighted by myself... which means that if for some REALLY weird reason you decided you wanted to use them, (and why would you decide that?!?!?!?) you need to write me for permission.
Comments, Criticisms, and flames welcome... Starrngr@aol.com However, due to a large amount of spam I have received in the past, I have blocked off mail from some domains. Sorry if your one of them. And don't expect me to reply to mail that's nothing but Flames!
See the Character Bio for information on key people to this Fic....
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The Wanderer: Wandering Moon: Episode 11: Endgame.
On the darkened steps of the Cherry Hill temple four young women, two men, and a pair of cats waited for a late arrival.
"I swear that Odango Atama would be late for her own funeral," grumped Raye as she checked her watch again.
"Is that such a bad thing?" Micheal asked, reaching up to scratch Luna between the ears as she lay draped across the back of his neck. "I know I wouldn't mind having my funeral put off for as long as possible. Preferably by a great many years." This bit of levity earned him a shooting daggers glance from Raye. Fortunately, he was saved from her tart reply by Serena's arrival.
"Sorry I'm Late," she wheezed. "But Sammy almost caught me sneaking out of my window and I had to distract him."
"Not to worry," Artemis replied. "This time we planned your being late into the timetable. Are we ready to do this?"
The four scouts gave Serena a pointed look. "What is it?" she demanded. "Is my blouse on inside out or something???"
Micheal recognized the early warning signs of a fight and stepped in. "It really doesn't matter... we have to do this whether we want to or not. So, we'd best get moving, Right?"
"Right!" the others replied as one.
* * * * * * * * * *
"What a dump." Sailor Venus observed, peeping around the corner at the Nadesco warehouse.
"Don't let the outside fool you," Sailor Mercury replied looking up from her computer. "These readings show a lot of hidden machinery in there."
"Its a trap. Definitely a trap," Star Ranger quipped in a perfect rainman impersonation.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you how annoying that is?" snapped Mars.
"No."
"Well, it is."
Star Ranger didn't reply, instead turning to look at Luna and Artemis. "Ok, you two. You know what to do, right?"
Artemis also gave Star Ranger a dark look. "I don't think anyone will believe we're a pair of harmless strays if we wear these," he complained, indicating his headset and Luna's collar camera.
"Then don't let anyone see you!" Star Ranger replied. This earned him a dirty look from the two cats before they used a stack of crates to leap up to the top of the warehouse and disappeared into the night. He ignored it and turned back to the scouts.
"Show time," he noted, as his wings deployed from his back.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Well, well. The fools actually showed up," Cabelite noted as he looked over Tinkerer's shoulder.
"I told you they would. This is why Evil will inevitably triumph over good if you persevere. The forces of good are idiots," Tinkerer replied. "Come, let us eliminate the only people who stand in our way."
Cabelite nodded. 'And then I will have no further use for YOU,' both thought to themselves.
* * * * * * * * * *
Outside, Five young women and two men stood in the deserted parking lot and waited. "We're here," Star Ranger announced. "We've kept our part of the agreement, now keep yours and let the woman go!"
"Now, Now, Star Ranger," an oily voice noted from hidden speakers. "And give up my ace in the hole? I think not. However, since she apparently means so much to you, why don't you come inside and get her?" A section of the wall slid open revealing a corridor way while a bit of music in English blared over the speakers even as Star Ranger summoned his Star Shield.
/Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. I'm glad you could attend, come inside, come inside./
"What's with the weird music?" Venus asked as they made their way through the doorway.
"It's Tinkerer trying to be cute," Star Ranger replied.
"Gee, I wonder who he learned THAT from," Mars retorted.
"Ok, Maybe it IS irritating... That was sort of the point", Star Ranger admitted.
"Would someone tell me what their talking about?" complained Sailor Moon.
"Trust me, you don't really want to know," Sailor Mercury answered as the door slid shut behind them. The conversation was dropped as the seven instantly went on guard for the inevitable trap.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Well, he was certainly right about them not paying attention to the air ducts," Artemis complained to Luna. "These things are filthy. Mina is going to insist on giving me a bath when we get home."
"We're here to find Haruna-sensei, you silly beast, not worry about needing a bath later. Now be quiet before someone hears you," Luna replied tartly, creeping towards another vent. Looking in, she waved her fellow moon cat over.
"Sweet Tuna," Artemis gasped quietly, before whispering into his headset. "Furball to Four Wheels. Are you copying this?"
"That's an affirmative, Furball," Fred replied over the headset. "I think your looking at the command center. Keep a sharp eye out... I expect them to be holding Patricia somewhere nearby."
"Understood, Four Wheels. Furball out."
* * * * * * * * * *
Several small panels slid open in the ceiling ahead and behind the scouts, and small tubes slid out. "Everyone down!" Tuxedo Mask warned prompted by some sixth sense, as he launched a barrage of roses at the threat behind them. A split second later, laser beams lanced down at the scouts from ahead, but Star Ranger was able to block them with the Star Shield.
"Mercury Bubbles FREEZE!", Mercury commanded, her attack clearing Star Ranger's head by millimeters. The icy blast struck the laser emitters ahead of them, instantly freezing and shattering them.
"All right!" bubbled Sailor Moon. "At this rate, we'll be home in no time!"
"Don't count on it," warned Star Ranger as the seven continued deeper into the building. "I think their just getting warmed up."
* * * * * * * * * *
"There she is!" noted Artemis as he looked through another air vent. "Now we just need to lead the scouts to her and we can get out of here!"
"I think we have something more important to worry about at the moment," replied Luna.
Artemis turned and saw a small spyder moving towards them through the air duct. "Ummm... Meow?" he tried, putting on his best cute and innocent little kitty expression. In response, the spyder revealed a razor sharp pincer where a mouth would be.
"Its not buying it! Run!" Artemis observed as the two cats took off at a run through the air ducts.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Moon Scepter Elimination!" Sailor Moon cried, and the crescent shaped energy blast tore into another youma and reduced it to dust. She leaned up against Tuxedo mask and drew a long breath. "Can't we call a truce?" She complained. "I'm exhausted."
"Courage, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask replied. What ever other words of encouragement he was about to say were lost when suddenly the floor opened up beneath them and plunged the seven down into darkness.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Oh no! Its a Dead END!" Luna wailed as the two cats slid to a stop. They sat in a four way junction, but the other three ducts ended in air vents a few feet from where they stood. Behind them, the spyder entered the only way out and moved slowly closer, its pincer snapping ominously.
"Did ya have to use the word Dead?" moaned Artemis as he turned to face the approaching robot. Luna looked around desperately for a way out, and saw that one of the screens closing up the vent was torn. The hole was too small for the two of them to get through, but just past it was a dangling electrical cable.
"Keep it distracted," Luna ordered as she darted over to the vent and hooked the cable with her claws and began to pull.
"HOW!!!!" Artemis demanded angrily.
"I don't Care! Just keep it distracted!!" She replied, pulling desperately on the cable.
"Riiiight," Artemis groaned, then turned his attention back to the approaching spyder. It lunged at him, and he began backing up slowly. "Look, cant we talk about this? Surely there's something you'd like better than to eat me? A Robot Cockroach maybe? Or a nice refreshing recharge?" The spyder simply maintained its implacable advance. Artemis felt the wire of an air vent behind him, preventing him from backing up any further. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?" He noted, but the only response was the spyder clicking its pincer. "I'm going to miss you, Mina," he sighed, closing his eyes as the spyder got ready to strike. He cringed back just a hair more as suddenly the sound of a loud electrical arc zapped nearby.
He held that pose for a long moment before realizing that he had not been attacked. He opened his eyes and started in fright, because there was a razor sharp pincer on either side of his neck. The spyder was dead in its tracks, its glowing eyes dark, and thin tendrils of smoke whisping from every joint. Behind the spyder, Luna dropped the electrical cable from where she had jammed it up against the spyders body.
"Don't Eat me??" She scolded her fellow moon cat as he extracted himself from the dead spyders grasp. "That's the best distraction you could come up with? Don't Eat me!?!?!"
Artemis shrugged. "It worked didn't it?"
* * * * * * * * * *
"Venus, you need to go on a diet," Sailor Jupiter observed, pushing the blonde scout off from on top of her and standing up.
"Ung," Venus replied groggily, sitting up and shaking her head to try and clear the cobwebs from it. "Did anyone get the license plate of that train?"
"Now where are we?" complained Mars as Jupiter helped her to shaky feet.
"I'm not sure," Mercury answered, her visor down and her computer out, "But I have a very bad feeling about this."
"Sailor Moon, are you ok?" Tuxedo mask asked as he cradled her in his lap.
"But mommy, I don wanna go to school today," Sailor Moon replied woosily, prompting Sailor Mars to roll her eyes with disgust.
"Everyone, look out!" Mercury warned.
"Star Shield SOAR!" Star Ranger shouted at the same time, the star shield becoming a golden streak that intercepted several energy blasts aimed at Sailor Moon that seemed to come from nowhere, while the scouts scattered to avoid the rest.
Six doors had opened around the edge of the large round room the scouts were in, revealing six hideous amalgamations of misshapen flesh and machine. The creatures lunged into the room with an inhuman grace and speed towards the scouts.
<
"Yeow!" Jupiter exclaimed as she barely got out of the way of another attack. "Something's wrong! They can still see us!"
"Cover your ears!" Star Ranger shouted.
>>Play sound byte CHAD-01A. Maximum Amplification and Distortion<<
<
"And here I thought Chad's singing was useless," Sailor Mars observed once the noise stopped, massaging her ears.
"Whatever they are, they are only stunned," Mercury advised. "They seem to be a mix of Youma and machine. Who knows what else they can do."
"I don't know about the machine part, but I know how to handle the Youma part," Jupiter countered. "JUPITER THUNDER DRAGON!!!" The electrical attack arrowed across the room at the one creature who seemed least affected, but struck something unseen about a foot short of its target. A brilliant light show erupted for a moment as the electricity danced and crackled against something protecting the youma before fading away, leaving the youma unharmed, and the scouts in a state of shock.
>>TARGET ANALISIS!!!!<<
<
"They're protected by some kind of force field," Mercury reported, confirming what Star Ranger had already decided for himself. "We're powerless unless we can disable them."
Star Ranger discarded his useless laser weapon and somehow drew a long sword from behind the Star Shield. An eight pointed star similar to the one on his shield adorned the junction of the blade and hilt, also forming the hand guard. "Sound like its time for a little dissection then. Keep the rest busy," he declared, his thrusters flaring and propelling him in an almost flat arc at the nearest Youma.
The last of Mercury's concealing fog slowly dissipated, and the other five creatures charged in to attack, forcing the scouts to dodge wildly. Attack cries and inhuman snarls soon filled the room as the scouts fought desperately for time to find a solution.
The Youma Star ranger selected was inhumanly quick, forcing Star Ranger back onto the defensive, at first barely able to defect its attacks. It wasn't until a chance 'Venus Meteor Shower' knocked another youma into its path causing both to stumble that Star Ranger got his chance.
>>Discharge Pulse generator through Alternate!!<< he commanded, desperately lunging with the Star Sword. Off balance, the youma was unable to dodge the attack and the Star sword pierced into both monsters, catching them in the chest area. The Pulse launcher directed its charge through his arm and down the Star Sword into their bodies. There was an electric crackle, then an explosion which knocked Star Ranger backwards to the ground.
Roaring with pain, the two damaged Youma crouched to leap at Star Ranger. "Evil Spirit BEGONE!" Mars shouted, desperately flinging two Ofuda at the creatures. The prayer strips actually struck the monsters and clung, paralyzing them.
"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask shouted, hurling a barrage of roses to distract one youma while he leapt to block a claw attack at her unprotected back from another.
"Moon Scepter Elimination!" She cried, strain showing on her young face. The Crescent energy blast split into two smaller crescents and struck the two 'Super Youma'. Instead of simply disintegrating, however, the energy englobed the two, creating a sphere of light which pulsed wildly before exploding outward in a rain of ichor and metal fragments. The scouts paused and paled for a moment at this event, and momentum swung yet again, as Venus was knocked back and stunned by a blast from one of the remaining 'super youma'. In the same moment of shock, Mars received a painful gash to the leg, and Tuxedo Mask one to the shoulder as he knocked a stunned Sailor Moon out of the way of an attack.
The fourth remaining monster leapt at Star Ranger, who barely escaped its disemboweling attack by firing his back thrusters. Thinking quickly, Mercury cast an 'Ice Bubbles Freeze' attack not at the monster, but at its projected landing point. The youma landed on the slick ice sheet and slid out of control across the floor until it hit the wall allowing Star Ranger to dive down and drive the Star sword through its chest as well. Again, the pulse launcher drive the EMP charge down the blade of the Star Sword, and another 'super youma' was left defenseless.
Sailor Moon began her finishing attack but suddenly stopped, uncertain. "I'm not sure I can," she wailed. "the results are so Messy!" The wounded Youma got to its feet, only to be knocked back down by a 'Venus Meteor Shower'.
"You must! Its your only hope," Luna's voice drifted faintly down from somewhere above. Still, there was a tear in here eye as she brought the number of opponents down to three.
The tide of battle now was clearly in the scouts favor, as one by one the remaining 'Super Youma' were destroyed.
"What have I done?" Sailor Moon sobbed, throwing herself into Tuxedo Mask's arms. "Those creatures looked like they were in such pain as they died!"
"You did what you had to, My princess," he consoled gently. "like your mother before you when she gave her life to save us all from Beryl."
"It wasn't your fault," Mercury agreed. "They died the way the did because of the machines that Tinkerer put in them. It was probably quite painful for them while they were alive as well. You set them free from that."
"Maybe, but I doubt I will ever feel comfortable about this," Sailor Moon declared softly.
"I never have, and I doubt I ever will," Star Ranger commented, landing softly next to her with a very dirty Luna and Artemis cradled in his arms. "Its that mindset that leads one down the path that Cabelite and Tinkerer have decided to follow. But for now, save the guilty feeling s for tomorrow. We still need to find Patricia and get her out of here." He looked down at Luna and Artemis. "You two CAN lead us to where she is, right?"
"Of course we can," Luna assured him. "Unlike someone else around here, I never forget how to get to someplace I've been." she finished, giving Artemis a pointed look.
* * * * * * * * * *
"NO!!!!" Cabelite howled in inarticulate rage. "This cannot happen! Not here, Not now!!" He grabbed Tinkerer by the lapels of Tinkerer's jumpsuit and hauled the scientist from his chair. "I believed your promises, and I have gotten nothing!!" His eyes began to glow from within, filled with an evil red light. "I will have my revenge, starting with YOU!!"
A series of sharp blows forced Cabelite to drop Tinkerer and forced the negaverse general back a few steps. Tinkerer sneered at him. "You never were anything but a tool to me, and clearly your usefulness is at an end. I shall enjoy this." Tinkerer raised his metal framed arm in front of his face and clenched his fist, causing three razor sharp blades to slide out of their housing in the exoskeleton. "Let's Rock."
* * * * * * * * * *
"This is it," Luna declared. "Haruna-Sensei is right behind this door."
"This is an electronic lock, though," observed Mercury. "It could take quite some time to get it open, and I'm not sue we have it."
"Allow me," Star Ranger interjected, and eight sets of eyes turned to look at him. Drawing back his fist, he drove his metal hand through the keypad of the lock and fumbled around inside for a moment. A loud click was heard, and the door swung open. Star Ranger looked at the skeptical looks everyone was giving him and shrugged. "What, like You've never used brute force to get in somewhere?" He asked.
Patricia Haruna heard the door click open and tried to back further into the corner she was huddled in. When nothing happened after a long moment, she forced herself to look up right into the large blue eyes of Sailor Venus. "Its ok, Ma'am. We're the Sailor Scouts, and were here to get you out of here." A large smile slowly spread across Patricia's face as the reality of being rescued set it. Sailor Venus helped her to her feet and led her out into the hall. Upon seeing Star Ranger, she threw herself into his arms and started sobbing against his wide metal chest.
"You came. You really came!!" she sobbed happily. She looked up at the square head looking down at her, instead seeing the face of the man deep inside. "Thank you." The Sailor scouts watched quietly from the side, tears of happiness trickling from the corners of their eyes.
"Oooooh! This is just so romantic!" gushed Sailor Moon. Even Sailor Mars had no sarcastic comment for the moment. Suddenly the moment was broken by Star Ranger straightening up and cocking his head to one side as if listening intently.
"No," he whispered, almost to himself. "NO!" he repeated in a louder tone. "It won't happen again! I won't let it!"
"What's wrong?" Patricia asked worriedly.
"Tinkerer. He's just done something very stupid, and I have to stop it!" Star Ranger exclaimed.
"What? What did he do?" Patricia asked in confusion.
"No time to explain, I have to stop him!" Star Ranger repeated. "Mercury, I need you to come with me... The rest of you get Patricia out of here!"
"I'm coming with you," Sailor Moon declared firmly. Star Ranger gazed at her for a moment as if to argue, but seeing the steel in her gaze he found himself nodding acceptance.
"All right, but the rest of you get out of here now!" he repeated, as he suddenly took off down the hallway at a run, Sailors Mercury and Moon right behind him.
"This way, Haruna-san," Venus urged gently. "We'll keep you as safe as a mother with a baby in her arms."
* * * * * * * * * *
Star Ranger stopped for a second in an intersection and listened again before heading down another hallway.
"Where are we going?" Sailor Moon asked panting for breath as she and Mercury followed him down the corridor.
"Tinkerer's portal is starting to overload. Only this one is more powerful that the one that blew us across space and time. If it goes who knows what will happen!" Star Ranger explained, skidding to a stop before a heavy metal door.
>>Shockwave Launcher to Maximum power, Override all safety protocols, and FIRE!!<< he commanded, bracing himself against the far wall. His left forearm pod whined briefly before letting out a low boom. An invisible wave of pressure slammed into the door, ringing it like a gong before blowing it off its mountings and into the lab proper. Inside was a scene seemingly straight out of hell. Most of the lights were out, leaving the room dimly light save for red flashing warning lights. Sparks flew from half destroyed pieced of electronic equipment and a caustic smoke clouded the air, carrying the pungent odor of burning insulation. Half a dozen sprinkler heads had activated, adding a thin drizzle and making the floor wet and slick. Near one wall, Cabelite and Tinkerer fought on, oblivious to the damage around them. And over it all, the climbing wail of turbines asked to perform beyond their design limits.
Cabelite lashed out with his dark whip, but Tinkerer blocked the stroke with his right arm. He allowed it to wrap around his arm, but then suddenly grabbed the whip with both hands, catching the general unawares and pulling him from his feet. Another firm pull and Tinkerer was hauling Cabelite up by the front of his uniform.
"You loose," Tinkerer sneered before throwing Cabelite into a panel of sparking electronics. The negaverse general spasmed briefly before collapsing limply to the floor. Tinkerer strode slowly and deliberately towards the unmoving Cabelite, the blades on the back of his hand making a sick ringing sound as they extended from their storage location. "And now you die," he said, raising his hand to deliver a killing blow that never fell.
"It ends here, Tinkerer," Star Ranger said from behind, grasping Tinkerer's wrist and preventing him from delivering the killing blow. "Its all over. Stop this madness!"
"Its NOT over!! IT WILL NEVER BE OVER!!" Tinkerer ranted, spinning to face Star Ranger and twisting his arm free before jumping back out of Star Ranger's reach.
"Cant you hear?? That portal generator is about to blow! Don't get caught in a loop! Change what is happening here," Star Ranger pleaded desperately, but to no avail.
"Then let it happen! It will be worth it to be rid of YOU!" Tinkerer raged insanely. He pointed at Star Ranger, and small components moves lightly on the exoskeleton on his right arm. Then Blast after blast of energy poured out from the exoskeleton arm at Star Ranger, who deflected them away from himself and Sailors Moon and Mercury, who had joined him where he stood over the unconscious Cabelite.
"No! I wont let that happen here!" Star Ranger replied, and a burst of blue ball lightning burst from his right forearm pod. The EMP blast struck Tinkerer, and covered his exoskeleton in blue lightning as every component in it shorted out, leaving him pinned in place by its now immobile weight.
"I've found the circuits you need!" Shouted mercury from behind him, pointing. A second blue ball shot across the room, shorting out other components. The screaming song of the generators changed pitch, but it was to late to totally avert the destruction.
"I'm sorry," Star Ranger said, as the chain reaction explosions began rumbling though the building, growing closer. Sailor Moon smiled gently at him and raised her hands to her locket, which opened, revealing the glittering Imperial Silver Crystal. Her outline shimmered, suddenly taking on the form of Princess Serenity. She closed her eyes, and a soft beam of light lanced from the crystal to the Star Shield. It struck the Star Shield and shimmered, suddenly refracting into a golden globe encapsulating the four people just as the explosions reached them.
* * * * * * * * * *
The others had just reached the safety of the parking lot, when the first explosions began.
"NO!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed, turning to run back into the warehouse only to be restrained by the other scouts.
"No, you can't! you'll be killed!" Jupiter warned, gripping him in a headlock. Then a great explosion tore through the warehouse, knocking everyone to their feet, violently shaking the ground for several long moments. The force of the shockwave threw Patricia and Venus, on whom Patricia had been leaning, in opposite directions.
Patricia looked up from where she lay in time to see the warehouse consumed by a huge explosion that plucked at everyone's clothes. "No... " she whispered to herself in shock and denial, before fainting away.
Once the shaking subsided and they were finally able to get back to heir feet, They looked at the remains of the warehouse in horror. The explosions had completely decimated the building, reducing it to a heap of rubble. Tuxedo Mask dropped wordlessly to his knees in fear, panic showing behind his mask. Just as suddenly he jumped to his feet, and darted into the wreckage, chased by Sailor Jupiter.
Exultation filled Sailor Jupiter's heart as they reached the center of the wreckage, and a heap of the wreckage began moving, shifting, and eventually crumbled away from below to reveal Princess Serenity and the others still encased in that golden globe. Once clear of the wreckage, the bubble of golden light drifted at a stately pace over to where FRED and the others had gathered before settling to the ground and vanishing.
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Well, That's the end of most of this monster. There is still an epilogue, where a few more things get cleared up and resolved, but that won't be out for about a week and a half. (Cause I'm going on vacation for a week. I'll see ya'll on the flip side!)