Chronicles of the Challenge ~ Ch 2
Ok I'm back again with the next installment. This should be fun, finally I get to make all my favorite characters actually DO something (And SOMEONE'S gonna die hahahah)! Yippee! Anyway Thanks again for all your encouraging reviews. It's so nice to feel appreciated!! :) (Last chance to place bets on who's on my hit list!!) Sorry this took so long to finnish, and sorry it's so long, but my proofreader went on strike. Don't worry at the lack of action in the beginning. I have it in order of who has it the easiest, which means that the last two groups are the most action-packed. Enjoy!!
"Copy paste" previous disclaimer blah blah blah:
Now to the fun part.... I don't own Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, Marvel, Dragonball Z, or any of the elements I have taken from the FF8 world in general in the creation of new characters. I don't know who owns most of them but it's not me. Don't sue me or I won't be able to buy your merchandise. Callum and Aria are mine (minus their place of origin etc.), as is this story. If I find it anywhere that I didn't personally put it, heads will roll........
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Group:
Piccolo
Kurt (Nightcrawler)
Gotu
Rini (Mini-Moon)
Rei (Mars)
Callum
Heero
The group traveled quickly through the decaying streets of the city. Weeds grew through the pavement, and cracks showed in the walls. They had been walking since first light, and, after a few rests, it was now mid-afternoon. The slow pace was grating on Heero's nerves. He felt at a distinct disadvantage in this place without his Gundam, and wanted to have its backup as soon as possible.
The pace also seemed to be wearing at Piccolo, but he was to busy explaining the concept of flight to the two irritatingly buoyant children to hurry. Besides, the pace he was capable of would easily let the others behind, and he had promised to keep an eye on Gotu. Until Gotu could keep up, there was no point. He never thought of carrying the lot of them. There were 6 of them and they were trying to keep a low profile. He decided it best to move slowly, and try again to get the two young ones airborne. He quickly decided that they were very slow learners.
A few meters behind them, Callum and Rei were discussing magic. They both had very different views on the subject, but Callum managed to keep the conversation from incurring Rei's temper. Heero was not so lucky. When he suggested for the tenth time in a quarter of an hour that they should "shut up and hurry", Rei exploded. She told him in no uncertain terms exactly what she thought of him, and his opinions, and even his personality in general. Things went down hill from there.
Night-crawler suggested gently that they should calm down or risk drawing unwanted attention, but they ignored him totally. The fight had now escalated into a full-blown shouting match. Heero had never said so many words together in his life, but he couldn't help himself. The girl was just so unbearably irritating, and he found it felt surprisingly good to shout at her. Rei similarly was enjoying herself, even though she was furious at her travelling companion. It was nice to fight someone other than Serena, someone who didn't burst out crying at the slightest hint of criticism.
Callum watched the feud in amusement. He was happy simply enjoying the show until a large vicious creature burst from behind a building in front of them. Since no-one was shouting in recognition, he guessed that it was simply a Demon thingy native to this world. Heero and Rei broke off in mid-argument in shock. Heero immediately pulled out a gun. Meanwhile Piccolo and Gotu took on fighting stances. Rini fell backwards in fright, calling for Darien. It was Rei's battle preparations that took everyone by surprise. Pulling out a little pen shaped object, she swung it in the air, shouting "Mars, Star, Power!" She was suddenly surrounded by fire and light, and when the flames cleared, Sailor Mars was facing the Creature, feeling pretty angry at being dragged away from her argument.
Gotu's clear childlike voice commented on how "cool" she was, just before their attacker launched towards them. It was a long snakelike creature, so long it's body extended far around the corner, and its long fangs were dripping an ominous black liquid. It wasn't very terror inspiring to any of them, who had all faced much worse in their time (although Heero had to admit that a giant snake was a first). However, far from becoming blasé, they treated this new threat with the respect due to an unknown opponent.
The group easily dogged its first attack, and Rini, wishing to win similar praise from Gotu, gathered her courage and quickly transformed to Mini-Moon. Heero's bullets meanwhile bounced off the creatures hide harmlessly, and a brave Gotu lunged at it, and barely missed being swatted into a wall by a massive claw. Rei was the first person whose attack had any visible effect. Her celestial fire attack left large burn marks on its hide, but left her open to be impaled on one of the claws. Luckily Nightcrawler teleported in and pulled her out of harms way. Then Piccolo was ready to attack. Putting his hands together, he yelled something unintelligible and a ball of energy flew towards the creature. The impact was blinding, and when the group could see again, there was no trace of their large assailant.
Rini and Gotu were thrilled, convinced that something so large didn't just disappear, and it must be dead. The older members of the group weren't so certain they had seen the last of it, and they picked up the pace, and quickly vacated the area. Surprisingly Heero and Rei managed to restrain their bickering until they were a safe distance away.
Once things had settled down, they continued on towards the Gundam. Rei and Heero bickered, and Callum watched in amusement. Piccolo continued teaching Rini and Gotu to fly. He had little luck, until Kurt joined him to offer help. His calm reassuring advice contrasted with Piccolo's slight impatience, and finally they had the youngsters airborne (by only a few inches). Unfortunately they couldn't seem to do it alone. For some strange psychologically obscure reason, they could only leave the ground holding hands for reassurance. Finally, Piccolo gave up separating them and walked away, throwing up his hands in disgust. Kurt stayed with them long enough to praise them for their progress, before following Piccolo, asking him if he ever meditated. The children happily practiced their new trick hoping to get higher above the ground the next day.
Rei finally stormed away from Heero and joined the levitating juniors. Callum walked up to Heero and smiled. He got a characteristic scowl in return. Callum figured he had talked himself dry arguing with Rei, and he didn't look like a very talkative guy to begin with. When Heero monosyllabically asked to be left alone, Callum grinned at him, saying "It's OK. I have a brother who's antisocial!" Heero looked at him funnily for a moment before laughing out loud. Callum's off-the-wall remarks had that effect on people. Heero was beginning to worry about himself though. He was acting totally out of character. Perhaps it was something in the air, or maybe that mad doctor in Ireland had done something to him after all. Just to reassure himself that he hadn't really changed that much, he decided to kill on sight the first person to comment on it.
It was beginning to get dark, and the children were on their last legs. Nightcrawler suggested that they find shelter for the night before they collapsed completely. They checked the maps and found an advised resting place nearby. Heading towards it they found a large warehouse. It was inhabited by a nest of what could only be called vampires, but they made short work of them (finding it quite disconcerting when the bodies turned to dust) and went searching for the food. They found a large crate of food in one corner, which looked so out of place they decided that Alron must have left it. After all there were fresh foods in it, and the planet hadn't been a place of human habitation in 100 years. As Callum said, it didn't take a genius to figure out. They set into the food with a vengeance, as they hadn't eaten all day. Gotu happily helped himself to several subsequent helpings.
After eating, things settled down. Rini and Gotu fell asleep in utter exhaustion, Callum, Heero and Rei sat silently, each absorbed in their own private thoughts, and Piccolo and Kurt meditated. Two hours later they were all asleep, having survived their first day.
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Group:
Serena (Moon)
Darien (Prince)
Trowa
Setsuna (Pluto)
Hotaru (Saturn)
Gohan
Warren (Arch-Angel)
"I'm TIRED!" complained Serena again. They had been walking for 3 hours and she was ready to collapse. Hiking had never been her favorite extra curricular activity. With Darien's encouragement however she managed to continue on. Hotaru was also feeling the toll of their rush, always having hated PE, but she remained silent. They were a subdued group, as they all had the distinct feeling that they were being watched.
Gohan lead the little group, with Darien and Serena behind him, followed by Warren and Setsuna who were talking quietly. Trowa and Hotaru brought up the rear. They were getting along pretty well, as neither of them felt the need to fill in silences with useless chatter.
It was mid-afternoon when they stopped for a break. Serena thought her legs would fall off if she walked another step. She sat back and closed her eyes. She opened them again quickly at the shouts of alarm from her companions. The sight that greeted her was surreal. All her companions were dodging a large energy blast which was heading straight for her. She shrieked, but before it had a chance to reduce her to ashes, Darien was at her side, now in the Armor of Prince of Earth, and he pulled her to safety. The shock-wave as the blast hit the ground threw everyone off their feet. As the dust cleared, they crawled to their knees, and were able to make out their attacker. Gohan, who was now hovering in the air surrounded by energy and supporting pointy blond hair, gasped in recognition.
"Freiza!!" he exclaimed. Freiza let out his characteristic evil laugh as the others scrambled to their feet looking at Gohan questioningly. "He's dead!" Gohan exclaimed. "I saw him die. He was defeated by my father, and then killed by Trunks! How is he here?"
"I'm here boy," Freiza smirked, "Because not even death can stop me from extracting my revenge, and there are two glorified MONKEYS on this planet who I will enjoy disposing of." Gohan gasped as he felt Freiza's energy multiply at an incredible rate. Soon it had far surpassed anything he had been capable of before Trunks had finally rid them of him.
Freiza noted his shock and continued. "But don't worry. I recognise you, and I don't think I'll let you live long enough to see them die. You and your companions are history!"
Darien urged Serena to begin her transformation, so she pulled out her locket. Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn were already standing in front of her staring defiantly at their attacker. Arch-Angel was hovering overhead and Trowa was aiming his hand-gun at Freiza. He didn't know why Gohan was so worried about their attacked, but in his experience, a good clean shot killed everything.
Freiza gave them an evil grin filled with contempt, and a pulsing ball of energy began to form between his hands, and expand outwards. Sailor Pluto waved her staff and a sound-wave blasted towards him. However Pluto's Deadly Scream did nothing to faze him and neither did Saturn's subsequent attack. A barrage of razor sharp quills shot by Arch-Angel bounced harmlessly off Freiza's armor, as did Trowa's bullets, much to his amazement. Darien, who leapt at him with his sword, landed on his back on the sidewalk, bleeding profusely.
When Sailor Moon saw him land, she grabbed her scepter furiously, and struck a heroic pose. "I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice. I right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you. You hurt the one I love, and threaten my friends. Prepare to become Moon dust!" While Freiza's energy ball grew, she held her scepter in front of her. "Moon Scepter Elimination!" The strength of her attack forced him a few feet backwards in the air, but left both him and the growing energy ball intact. Sailor Moon fell backwards in shock, and suddenly unsure of herself, she dropped her scepter and stared.
Gohan watched all his friends fail to leave a mark on Freiza, and decided it was up to him alone. He put his hands together at his side. "KaaaaMeeeeee....." he yelled as a small energy ball of his own appeared between his hands. "HaaaaaMeeeee......." It began to grow. "Haaaaaa!" That energy ball blasted towards Freiza and there was an enormous explosion. Everyone was thrown to the floor, and dust and debris from several nearby buildings flew past them. Gohan watched eagerly as the dust settled slowly. A faint light became apparent, and as it grew clearer, a cold feeling gripped his stomach. The light became Freiza's energy ball, and it was now huge. Feiza hovered beneath it, his evil grin now looking positively malicious. "Now if you've all finished, I think it's my turn!"
Gohan's heart fell. The energy levels coming from Freiza's direction ad now reached unheard of proportions. Never one to give up easily however he braced himself for the impact, and began trying to think of ways to defeat the enhanced version of his old enemy. He couldn't help wondering however whether this planet had any Dragonballs. They had certainly needed them last time they had encountered him.
Freiza laughed and suddenly the energy ball came blasting towards Gohan and his companions. Everyone dove for cover, but before it reached them, a powerful authoritative voice rang out from above them. "Stop!" The ball stopped mid air. "Be-gone!" To everyone's amazement the ball began to shrink away to nothing. All eyes turned to the figure standing on a nearby balcony.
A beautiful woman stood there in a flowing blue dress. A cloak of lighter blue waved behind her in the wind. Her hand was stretched out in front of her, and she wore an expression of confidant determination on her face. She gave the group a warm smile and turned her attention back to Freiza.
Freiza was definitely not amused. With lightning speed, several more blasts followed the first one. None reached their target. Most were destroyed, but some were deflected back at their creator. Gohan immediately grabbed the opportunity to add his own Ki-blasts to the counterattack, and Freiza staggered back under the weight of the barrage. Suddenly he let out a yell. "This isn't over Sayjin, I will return, and when I do I will destroy you and every one of your week friends!" With that he was gone.
Their rescuer jumped lightly down form the balcony with a laugh. "Hi. I'm Sharol. Alron sent me to help you. Looks like I came just in time!" Sailor Moon helped up Darien, who had survived his fall and injuries thanks to his armor, and they joined everyone in the circle around the new arrival. Introductions were made all around by a group elated by the retreat of their attacker. Only Gohan remained apart. Several things were bothering him. Firstly of course was the fact hat Freiza had returned, more powerful that ever. Secondly, Sharol's power levels had been negligible while she battled Freiza. Gohan was at a loss to explain how she had survived at all, let alone hold her own in the fight. Thirdly, despite the amazing levels of power being radiated, none of Gohan's friends had arrived to help. This was more easily explained, with the assumption that there was a power at work to dampen the energy's ability to be felt over distances. The last and most worrying question however was why had Frieza left? The powerful warrior Gohan had known would never have admitted defeat and fled. His pride would have forbidden it. And besides, he wasn't really loosing. Considering the amount of energy he displayed, he should have been only slightly fazed by the barrage of ki leveled against him. Why he had abandoned his chance to destroy the son of his enemy was mystery to Gohan, and one which troubled him deeply.
With a shrug, he finally gave up trying to figure it out. He sent a message to his friends with the mini-com, telling them to be careful, as Freiza had returned, acting strangely, and his power levels would probably not be apparent over distances. Then he rejoined his friends and Sharol.
They unanimously agreed that it was getting late and they should seek shelter. A quick glance at the mini-coms showed that there was a shelter nearby, and so they headed for it. As they walked Sailor Pluto fell behind, worrying about something. Warren, noticing her distress, joined her, asking if anything was wrong. She gave him a distracted smile, staring ahead of her at Haruka, who, no longer in the form of Sailor Saturn, was once again walking with Trowa. "It's Haruka." She explained. "She's aging. It's not very apparent yet, but come tomorrow morning, she should have advanced by about 6 years if she continues at this rate."
Warren was unconvinced. "She looks the same to me. Are you sure?" Sailor Pluto pulled her eyes away from her aging friend to look at him with concerned eyes. "I'm the guardian of time, I'm more sensitive to these things. It's not just the aging I'm worried about. She's done this twice before. When Sailor Moon was in mortal danger, she grew up to aid her. The fact that she's growing again may mean that we're all in much, much more danger than we realize."
Warren looked between his companion and her aging friend, her last statement worrying him more than he cared to admit. Pluto decided to wait for a private moment to discuss it with Serena and Darien, and so Archangel and the Guardian of Time walked on behind the group, talking in subdued tones.
They found the shelter with little difficulty. It was a rundown house on a little side-street, whose outer appearance did little to inspire confidence. The inside however, was comfortable. The kitchen was well stocked, and the sitting room was warm enough to drive out the chill caused by a day spent outdoors. Slowly, one by one, the group settled down for the night.
As the group dispersed to find resting places for the night, no-one was surprised when Sharol retreated upstairs alone. No one followed her. Most of them had found sleeping space near the warmth of the sitting room rather than venturing up to the chilly second floor of the building. Apparently Alron's willingness or ability to provide shelter only went so far. No one followed Sharol, and so no one witnessed her actions.
She climbed the stairs quietly, and as she got out of sight of her new companions, her smile faded from her face. Entering one of the upstairs rooms, she bolted the door, and knelt before the window. She raised her hands in supplication, and began to speak in a reverent voice quite unlike the authoritative confidante tone she had adopted earlier. "My Lord Kaerack, it is done, I am accepted into the group. Everything has proceeded as you planned. I have already chosen a victim vulnerable to my powers, and begun my work. Before long, all of these fools will be under my control, and thus under your command. None suspect." A sudden wind blew the shutters open and a gust of wind further chilled the air in the room. Somewhere in the depths of her mind she felt, rather that heard, a malicious laughter, and a feeling of satisfaction. That was all the evidence she received to show that her master was pleased. Forced to be content with that, she rose from her knees and went to the bed. Curling up in the blankets to keep the cold at bay, she slept soundly until morning, knowing that her subtle magic was already at work downstairs.
In another part of the city, Freiza's silent flight came to an end in front of a small building. A tall figure awaited inside. It was Kaerack, and the hostility radiating from his guest did nothing to faze his projection's air of calm. Freiza was angry enough without being ignored, and announced in the demanding voice of one used to instant obedience, "I have fullfilled my part of the bargain. That brat and his companions believe that they have defeated me. Now return to me my full powers and return me to full life. I have an old score to settle and I grow impatient." The figure facing him shook its head. "Not yet."
Freiza's face twisted in anger, but before anything else could be said, The image of Kaerack waved its hand and time stopped around the frustrated warrior. "Not yet" He repeated to the now frozen oblivious form of Freiza. "Everything is not yet in place. But soon, and when I release you, the power you displayed today will be only a fragment of your strength. Soon." With that Kaerack's image dissipated, since with no observers around, maintaining a visible form was pointless. He turned his attention to what was occurring elsewhere, leaving Freiza frozen in Time.
Back in the companion's shelter, Darien was unable to sleep. At first he blamed this on the bruises he had sustained earlier that day, but on closer examination, he discovered that that his minor aches were not at fault. It was the nagging feeling that he didn't belong that was causing his restlessness. Not just feeling out of place in his world, or with the new allies they worked with, but even his friends seemed distant. Across the room, the sleeping form of Haruka, who was already showing signs of the aging Pluto had discreetly warned them about, seemed like a stranger. Pluto herself, in another corner, was talking quietly to her new friend Warren, and to the once Prince of Earth, their whispering seemed sinister. Even Serena, asleep peacefully on his shoulder, seemingly oblivious to his inner turmoil, seemed different, foreign. He tried to shake the feeling, but hour by hour, the feeling that these people around him were not his friends grew stronger.
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Group:
Jubilee
Logan (Wolverine)
Duo
Lita (Jupiter)
Ororo (Storm)
Goku
Krillin
Wolverine and Jubilee watched the battle taking place above them in frustration. Since it all took place in mid air, neither of them were able to join in. This annoyed Wolverine much more than Jubilee, as she was used to feeling useless, and at least she could irritate the enemy by throwing fireworks up towards them. Her random blasts were probably bothering her allies just as much, but at least she was doing something. As was Lita, now in the form of Sailor Jupiter, who, also unable to fly, was flinging impressive Lightning attacks at their five attackers to compliment the lightening being thrown from above by Storm. Krillin and Goku were simply defending themselves, as if biding their time.
And all the time Wolverine had to watch. He wanted to throttle someone, and at the moment, the most tempting option was the only person who was even more useless in this situation than he was. The so-called "Gundam Pilot", who was rolling on the floor in fits of hysterical laughter.
The source of Duo's intense amusement could be traced back to the sudden arrival of five armored aliens. They had appeared before the group a few minutes earlier, simply hovering smugly in mid air while Goku and Krillin gaped at them in astonishment. Everyone else had looked at their expressions in confusion, while Duo held back the laughter that was instinctive to him due to the alien's odd appearances.
"The Ginyu Force!!" Goku exclaimed finally. "But you're all dead!" As if affirming this would make it true, Krillin nodded franticly beside him. Their companions were unconvinced. The 'Ginyu Force' were right in front of them after all.
After a suitably long dramatic pause, one of the aliens, whom the two Z Warriors recognized as Captain Ginyu, began to speak. He gave a lengthy speech about returning for revenge and inflicting pain on his enemies, while his audience watched in confusion. Duo, listening to the hopelessly over-dramatic speech that stank of soap-opera marathons, found it even more difficult to contain his laughter.
Then, at the conclusion of the speech, the five alien warriors struck an evil pose. The sight of this was too much for the Pilot, who had simply fallen over laughing helplessly. His laughter had infuriated the five attackers more than any calculated taunts, and, furious at not being taken seriously, they had attacked immediately and without caution.
From what Wolverine could see, their careless fury was making up for any increase in power they might have had, and his three allies fighting them didn't seem to be having much trouble. Goku and Krillin were holding their own, while Storm tried to reason with their attackers, raising her voice over the electric sound of the lightening emitting from both her and Sailor Jupiter. She wasn't having much luck. She had to try however, as she had a strong distaste for needless bloodshed. While she spoke, Goku and Krillin held off their offensive, blocking not only blasts intended for them, but also those aimed at their giggling friend, who seemed to have effortlessly made the Ginyu Force's hit-list.
However the Z Warriors' patience only lasted so long, after all they had met this Ginyu Force before, and certainly had no fondness for them. While the aliens' strength may have been enhanced, Goku and Krillin had increased in strength also, and so when their patience finally ran out, the two warriors began dispatching enemies with ease. Soon three unconscious bodies landed on the floor before Wolverine, while the Sayjin and his friend faced the fourth, and the fifth began to fall, overcome by the combined power of Jupiter and Storm.
"Well Ginyu, the last time we saw you, you were a lot smaller, and greener than you are now. Didn't life in the pond suit you?" Krillin's taunt was enough to finish driving the leader of the team over the edge, and charging furiously at Goku, he soon joined his friends in a heap on the floor.
They joined Storm, and together they rejoined their companions on the floor. Wolverine was staring at the unmoving aliens before him with satisfaction. As the others landed, he extended his claws, and raised them above the still forms.
"No Logan! They are helpless now!" Storm's warning stopped him just as he was about to bring down his clenched fist with lethal efficiency. His hand paused mid air, and he turned to face her. "We can't leave 'em behind us. I get the feeling that we're gonna bump into a lot of old enemies like this something-force," Krillin helpfully interrupted with the word Ginyu, but fell silent under Wolverines glare, winning a grin from Goku as he whispered "This guy scowls nearly as bad as Vegita!!"
As if there had been no interruption, Wolverine continued. "And the last thing we need is for 'em all to gang up. I say we get rid of this lot now. That's five less to worry about." Storm shook her head, and Goku looked at the pile of bodies. "I don't know. They seemed so week this time. They're not really much of a threat. I think we should just leave 'em. But hey. Those are some really cool weapons you got. Where'd they come from?" he asked with a big carefree smile. Wolverine turned the 'cool weapons' towards Goku along with the full weight of his Vegita-like scowl.
It was decided that the Ginyu force should be left as is, in the probably futile hope that they had learned a lesson. Duo was in control of himself again, and the group was just about to set off again when Lita innocently asked Goku what he had meant by his last comment to Captain Ginyu. Hearing the story of Ginyu's body-swap with a frog sent Duo into fresh hysterics and Lita with him. It was another five minutes before they were in any shape to continue the journey.
They moved on pretty quickly towards where the map showed a Gundam. Goku and Krillin lead the way, talking aimlessly and wondering what their friends were up to. Lita, Duo and Jubilee came next. Every so often Lita would flex her muscles in a bad imitation of the Ginyu Force's posing, and Duo would double over laughing; or she would, if he made some nasty remark about frogs. They had been flirting outrageously all day, while Jubilee vied uselessly for Duo's attention. Lita thought he reminded her of an old boyfriend, and Duo thought she was cute. Jubilee had formed a major crush on the young pilot, but he was obviously oblivious to the fact. Behind them, Ororo and Logan noticed it though, and Logan had definite opinions about it. "If he hurts the kid, I'll make 'im eat his heart." "Logan, Please." Was the only response.
The group passed a pretty uneventful evening, and stopped in a marked shelter that night. To Goku's obvious dismay, its food stores were pretty low, but they made do with what was there. Duo announced that they would probably reach the Gundam at about mid-day the next day, followed by a quiet comment from Logan that at least they'd be rid of him then.
They all decided to take an early night and set out as soon as possible in the morning. Before long they all parted, looking for somewhere warm to sleep.
Just as they separated, Duo called his new friend, and she turned to face him. "By the way," he said with a deceptively casual grin, "You know when we were fighting those frog guys earlier, and you changed into Sailor Jupiter? Well that whole costume changing thing you did; that was really cool!" He laughed happily and turned to find somewhere to sleep. Lita's cheeks were flaming as she turned and did the same.
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Group:
Amy (Mercury)
Hank (Beast)
Quatre
Sam (Cannonball)
Bobby (Iceman)
Mina (Venus)
Goten
Beast watched the youngsters in front of him in fascination. He found it amazing how easily the six, who came from four different dimensions were acting already as if they had known each other for years. The quiet Amy and Quatre were walking together in deep conversation about something scientific, while Goten, Bobby and Sam were vying companionably for Mina's attention, while she happily distributed killer smiles at random. Earlier on, Beast had had time to catch up with his old friend and companion Bobby, but now he was acting the mature adult and keeping watch, as with the others so absorbed in each other, no one else had the slightest intention of it.
It was pushing towards evening and they had fought their fair share of battles over the course of the day. A large variety of what could only be called the Demons of this world had met their doom facing the group of over-enthusiastic teens already. The only one that had not been defeated was a strange ugly creature that had simply absorbed all their attacks and shot them back at them. At the advice of Beast and Quatre, who, unable to really fight themselves had become the strategic advisors of the group, they had decided on a tactical retreat. After all they couldn't fight their own attacks. The strangest of their other opponents had been a battered and bruised group of warriors calling themselves the Ginyu Force and seeking revenge for a beating that Beast and his companions certainly hadn't given them. Goten had recognized their names as warriors his father had fought years ago, and the giddy teenagers had proceeded to freeze, soak, 'love-chain', ki-blast and head-butt with a telekinetic shield, and finally accidentally incinerat them as Goten tried to show off a particularly strong attack. They shrugged, and continued on their journey.
In fact, they encountered no serious threats until about an hour before sundown, when Sam and Goten, who had abandoned Mina to the attentions of Bobby for a few minutes to talk to each other suddenly called out. They were complaining at the restrictions placed on them to keep them inconspicuous which prevented them from flying, when suddenly they announced that they had seen something move up ahead.
Bobby immediately froze (literally) and joined them, scanning the road ahead. Mina and Amy quickly began their transformation while Quatre turned his back. He had been turning his back a lot lately, ever since the two scouts had first changed that morning. At the first glimpse of skin under all the flashing lights and shapes, he had covered his eyes, cheeks flaming. When his companions told him he was safe to turn around again, he had been dismayed to find that the Scout's new scantily clad state was little better. Luckily for him it had been too cold for them to stay in costume, but that did mean that he had to make a point of turning his back every time there was a threat nearby and they changed again. It was clear that Mina found his shyness amusing in a nice way, but Amy had let slip that she thought it was adorable, so he was content to stay that way, even though the other guys teased him unmercifully. The girls gave him the go-ahead and he turned back, studiously avoiding looking at anything other than their faces. There was no sign of any attack yet, so they proceeded slowly, alert to any movement around them.
Almost ten silent minutes passed before Sailor Venus sighed, "You guys must have imagined it, there's nothing here!" A voice from above answered, "Oh yes there is!" and before anyone could even turn around, she was grabbed by a black tentacle and disappeared. Everyone was motionless with shock for a second, before all eyes turned to the tall dark figure which jumped down from a building above them. In the place of one of its arms was a long black tentacle which was wrapped around a struggling Sailor Venus. The first person to react was Goten, who launched at the creature faster than the eye could follow, and stumbled in disorientation when his attack missed as the creature dodged with unbelievable speed. He turned around to regard it with a new respect. It was fast, despite its negligible power level.
Meanwhile Cannonball and Iceman were staring at it in astonishment. Beast spoke quickly to the others. "I believe this is a creature from our world, known as Venom, although what he's doing here I cannot imagine!" He was interrupted by a shriek from Venus. "I Can't Breathe! Help!"
The creature Beast named Venom began to laugh. It was creepy inhuman laugh, as if two voices were being used at once. "We are Venom! We are here to cleanse this world of the evil that infects it! We are faster and stronger than ever! You have all been judged and found guilty. Venom will feed!"
Goten, ignoring this dire threat, suddenly disappeared. He appeared behind their attacker, and launched himself at the tentacle holding his friend, but was forced to jump back at the last minute to avoid being impaled by the barrage of similar red tentacles which were projected from above. There was a voice to accompany the new attacker. "Hello DADDY." It said in a mocking tone, with the same dual quality as Venom. "Starting all the fun without me?" The owner of both voice and tentacles fell from above them to land beside Venom. He looked very similar, except was red rather than black.
With that the attack began in earnest. The two creatures dogged ice and water projected by Mercury and Iceman easily, and seemed to have no problem avoiding any head-on attacks by Beast or Cannonball either. Goten's speed gave them some difficulty, but before long the red creature beside Venom held a struggling Mercury in a long tentacle, and wound a second tentacle threateningly around her neck in warning. Everyone stopped their attacks immediately.
"Two pretty girls! What fun!" laughed the red creature, "Scream for me, pretty girls!" Venus had passed out moments before when Venom accidentally whacked her off a wall, but Mercury, agonized at the pressure around her ribs and neck, gladly complied, gasping for breath.
Her friends clenched their fists in frustration, afraid to go too near now that her life had been threatened by the creature. As they wracked their brains to come up with a way to free their two captive companions, the two creatures looked at one another as if at a prearranged signal. Then they turned and, leaping onto a nearby rooftop, they began to flee the scene, carrying their captives with them.
The remainder of he group were about to pursue their attackers when there was a loud noise from a side street and 5 large robots activated and stepped out of the shadows between them and the fleeing abductors. The laughter of the two Symbionts faded quickly into the distance as the group regarded these newcomers warily. "Mobile Dolls!" exclaimed Quatre. Suddenly the lead robot spoke in a grating metallic voice. "Mutants detected. Mission Destroy!"
"Sentinels!" exclaimed Cannonball and Iceman in unison. They all looked at each other in confusion for a moment, unsure as to why their new friend also recognized their enemy. Again Goten stoke the initiative and attacked the Mobile Doll Sentinels head-on, not really caring what they were. He almost broke his fist on impact. As he yelped in surprise and pain, Quatre shouted that they were probably made of enhanced Gundanium if they were that strong, and that they should fall back and regroup.
"A wise idea my young friend. Discretion is the better part of valor. Let's be away!" agreed Beast, as he was lifted by Cannonball. Goten, still shaking his hand and glaring at the machines, grabbed up Quatre and Iceman grumpily. He would have preferred to stay and destroy the metallic beasts no matter how long it took, but all his companions seemed to recognise them besides him, and his opinion was certainly in the minority. Carrying their friends, Cannonball and Goten fled the scene.
"Detected five mutants. Halt mutants!" Came the order from behind them. "But I'm not a mutant!" protested Quatre. "Me neither," agreed Goten "but try explaining that to them!" The perusing robots slid on a sheet of ice projected by Iceman, giving them long enough to escape. Iceman then demanded to be let go, as he could travel just as fast himself. Goten agreed that of course he could, if he was willing to leave a trail of ice for anyone to follow. Then, as the X-man tried to think of a suitable comeback, Goten asked him to unfreeze, as the hand holding him had gone numb with the cold. Grumbling, Bobby complied.
It wasn't long however before Goten landed, followed by Cannonball. "We shouldn't fly any longer." he announced. "We lost those things, but something worse will find us if I keep broadcasting my power level. So lets get away from here quickly to, and while we go, we can think of a way to find the girls, and you can explain who those ugly things were, what those robots were, and why I didn't even dent them, and why I couldn't stay to try again." His failure to reduce a mere robot to dust was still bugging him, but not as much as the fact that they had let the girls' abductors disappear.
They began to walk quickly away from the last place Goten had projected his energy level, and as the walked, Beast tried to explain what he knew about Venom. "Venom is a creature from our time. From what I've seen on the news, and heard from friends, he is a human, Eddie Brock, bonded with an alien symbiont. That's why he refers to himself as 'we'. He's ruthless and violent, but obsessed with guilt and innocence. If he feels you are innocent, he will protect you, if you are guilty, you are free season to feed the symbiont's hunger. Unfortunately he works on his own versions of innocence, guilt and justice. He must have been told that we are criminals in some way for him to be attacking us. The other one was Carnage. He is the same as Venom, except he and the symbiont have bonded so completely that they refer to themselves as 'I'. He is a completely mad, psychopathic killer. They seemed much faster and stronger than they are on the news, so I can only summarize that they have been enhanced by our enemy. The robots acted like Sentinels, abominations created to hunt and destroy mutants. I suspect by their timely arrival they were protecting the symbionts escape, leading to the deduction that the symbionts are working for or with someone else. As to why the robots were so strong, I have no idea." Finished his long speech, he turned to his young friend Quatre. "But I have a feeling you can make a suggestion?"
Quatre had been strangely distracted while Beast spoke, but he looked up now and nodded. "I don't know what a Sentinel is, but they looked similar in design to the Mobile Dolls we fought during the war. I think they might be built with Gundanium though, since they withstood Goten's strength. Maybe they're built of something even stronger though. Everything we fight seems to be enhanced in some way." Everyone was silent for a moment before Quatre burst out, "I'm going to find the Gundam we've been following. I can't fight like this. I'm useless against the enemies we've been coming up against, but I've fought Mobile Dolls before. I can help if I have a Gundam. Ye go and find the girls. I know ye can do it. I'm going to find a Gundam. It's the only way I can help!" He turned to take a side-street away from them, as they had been drifting away from the signal since the attack.
"I will join you, my impulsive young friend. If this Gundam of yours can fight the Sentinels then you must be reunited with it soon! I seems unwise however for you to go alone." With that Beast followed him, calling back to the others, "Ye must find the girls yourselves, and as soon as possible, before they are hurt! I have every faith in you, but remember. Ye must take shelter when the Sun sets. I believe Alron was not exaggerating when he spoke of the creatures which haunt this place at night. Good luck!" then he was gone.
Bobby, Sam and Goten looked at one another for a moment. Then, Bobby, being the eldest remaining, shrugged at the other two. "So do we have any idea where to start looking? It's nearly sun-set." A long conversation ensued, in which they discovered that they hadn't even the vaguest idea where to start looking. While they spoke, Goten found he had a message on his mini-com from his brother. The good news it told was that his power-levels probably wouldn't be felt by anyone. The bad news was that there was a new improved Freiza loose in the city. Goten figured that there was nothing he could really do about this. The missing girls were a more immediate problem.
The three finally remembered that Amy and Mina's friend, Rei, had been described on the Mini-coms as a 'mystic'. She might be able to help them find their friends. The final plan was to continue searching themselves for the night, heading in the direction the Symbionts had fled towards. If they had no luck by nightfall they would take shelter, and find Rei in the morning. Made confidant by having a plan of action, the set off again, covering a lot of ground with Cannonball and Goten flying. Goten, no longer worrying about being detected, carried Bobby, who was grumpy at again not being allowed travel by himself. He had to admit though that he did leave a big trail.
Deep down, they were all optimists, and were expecting to find some trace of their lost friends before nightfall. Fate was against them however, and as the last rays of light disappeared, they had found no trace. They headed towards the nearest shelter on the map weighed down with disappointment and frustration. Goten was particularly loath to leave the search, feeling that he was a match for anything that could come out at night, but was finally persuaded by his companions to give up for the night, and find some food. They found the shelter, and wordlessly satisfied their hunger with the food they found. Once Goten finally followed his companions example and sat back, full, they silently settled down to rest, preparing for an early start.
Elsewhere Beast and Quatre were also settling down. They had been sneaking towards the Gundam since they left the group, and would have found it already if not for the need for stealth. However Quatre was powerless without his Gundam and Beast didn't want to test himself against some of the things they had seen that day, so they had decided that the best course of action was to remain unnoticed. Therefor when the sun set they were still about an hours walk away from where the mini-coms indicated the Gundam would be. They reluctantly stopped in the nearest shelter, and awaited the morning, when Quatre would gain the ability to fight back.
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Group:
Wu-Fei
Vegeta
Michiru
Hotaru
Rogue
Remy (Gambit)
Aria
Trunks
Vegeta watched his son and the newly discovered Saiyjin laughing together with a feeling of utter disgust. It was clear even to him that the two were quickly becoming more than friends, and the idea of any offspring of his with the daughter of a pacifist traitor was enough to make him want to do something violent, especially since she was only a third-class Saiyjin to begin with. This new Aria person was however one of the few remaining people carrying Saiyjin blood in the universe, and that made her a better partner for Trunks than a week human fool. The thought of her as a daughter-in-law was still sickening though. Vegeta gritted his teeth and looked away.
He had never been famed for his patience, and it was certainly tested a few minutes later when Aria left Trunks to join him. He looked at her with contempt, restraining himself with the thought that if he incinerated her right there Trunks would surely tell his mother when they returned, and Bulma would have the Prince of the Saiyjins sleeping on the couch for a month. Faced with sleeping on the couch, he merely said angrily "Why are you here and what can I do to change that?" She seemed to flinch for a moment, before gathering up her courage and addressing him with what seemed to be a carefully rehearsed speech.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you did. You've given me a bigger gift than you could possibly imagine!" Vegeta looked her with a noticeable lack of comprehension. "What are you talking about. I gave you nothing!" Perhaps madness was hereditary in her family. Her mother had certainly not been certifiably sane, and Goku and his sons always had been a little strange as well. She answered shyly. "You gave me a family. Pointing out your suspicions was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, and now I'm not alone anymore. Thanks to you. I....." She was cut off by a yell from Vegeta as he realized that his attempt at nastiness bask in the hall, when he mocked her mother, and in the process mocked Goku for being related to a pacifist, had in fact been the nicest thing he could have done. "Get out of my sight!" He yelled, almost at a loss for words with self disgust. Him, the Prince of the Saiyins, nice. It was almost too much to bear.
Aria made a hasty escape back to Trunks, who was gasping with the effort of holding back laughter. "That was perfect! I knew he'd flip if he realized what he had actually done. Wait 'till I tell the others about this one!" He looked at Aria happily. "Thanks for going along with that. It's not often a chance like that comes along, and I'd have hated missing it." Aria looked at him, suddenly realizing what she had done. She, the shiest person she knew had just joined in the mocking of the meanest person she had ever met. And it hadn't bothered her! Having a family must have changed her more than she had thought. Or maybe it was just Trunks' influence. Caught up in a sudden exhilaration, she began to laugh along with him. "He looked so funny when he realized what I was talking about! Did you see his face?"
Michiru and Hotaru watched them, Hotaru with disdain, and her partner with tolerant amusement. They hadn't spoken much to any of the others all morning, preferring their own company. Rogue and Gambit had also walked alone, more because the two teenagers were so busy talking to each other and no-one else was approachable than out of any need to keep to themselves. The last member of the party, Wu-Fei, had been walking alone ever since a chance remark about women had incurred Hotaru's wrath and sent him crashing headlong into another wall. He hadn't expected that, not realizing she was a woman, but by the time he had realized his mistake it had been too late. He had to admit, for a girl, she was pretty strong.
They encountered few enemies during the day, and those that they did, whom no-one recognized, were easily dispatched. Trunks and Aria spent the day discussing their battle techniques. Trunks tried to teach Aria some of his and his friend's attacks, which was difficult, since he wasn't supposed to power-up. He ended up just being able to describe how it was done. Unfortunately his explanation barely made sense to himself, let alone his companion. She didn't mind though. She then tried to explain how to draw magic and cast it back at enemies, and due to her long explanations, Trunks managed to draw some fira from her. He had no idea what to do with it once he had drawn it however, and nearly set himself on fire. The two of them found his failure highly amusing.
They continued their mix of joking and seriousness for the rest of the day, becoming more and more comfortable in each others presence. As the day wore on towards evening they had still not encountered any serious threat. Thus when night fell, they saw no real reason to stop their journey, as none of them were very tired yet. The sun set behind them, unnoticed.
Soon after, the atmosphere in the city began to change, taking on an eerie quality. They began to encounter strange creatures, which, while still killable, were much stronger than their day-time counterparts. All went well until they met the mysterious mist. It sprung up as if out of nowhere before them, blocking the road ahead. It was an unpleasant sight, to say the least. It was a thick gray fog, and it seemed to the onlookers as if there were faces materializing and dematerializing on it's surface all the time. Faces wearing agonized horrified expressions.
Vegeta immediately threw a Big Bang Attack at the fog, which made it grow larger. Aria, Gambit and Trunk's projected attacks did the same, as did those of Michiru and Hotaru, who were now Uranus and Neptune. No-one wanted to touch it, remembering the warning last night about mists which sucked out souls. Refusing to surrender to a simple weather pattern however, Vegeta threw another, bigger attack at it. By now it was after doubling in size, seemingly feeding on their attacks. When it started towards them, they backed away. None of them had any experience in fighting things that sucked out souls, and they were beginning to think maybe they should have sheltered for the night after all.
It was only a few meters away when Aria shouted, "Alron said we'd be safe indoors! Get inside quickly!" Remembering Alron's words, the group suddenly broke and ran to the nearest building, Trunks grabbing his father in an effort to convince him that this was not an enemy they wanted to face. Rogue pulled the locked door open with brute strength alone, and flew in, followed by Gambit. Wu-Fei ran in next, muttering about injustice and demonic creatures. Trunks pushed Aria through the door to safety, and followed, with his reluctant father behind him. The two Scouts were last, and the mist, seeing it's prey escape, was moving with amazing speed behind them. As it was almost upon them, Uranus pushed her lover in front of her through the door. Neptune stumbled through, swinging around when she heard an agonized scream behind her. Rogue reached out and pulled the suddenly motionless Uranus in the door, slamming it behind her, but when the body hit the floor, the Scout was already dead, staring at the ceiling through sightless eyes.
Neptune changed back to Michiru, and fell over the body of her friend sobbing uncontrollably. The others watched, but there was nothing they could do. Suddenly the body began to look opaque, and vanished entirely. Michiru was left alone on the floor.
An hour passed. Rogue and Aria had taken the distraught Michiru aside, and tried to comfort her. The rest of the company had silently searched for something to eat, but found nothing, as they weren't in a marked resting place. The easy death of the scout had shocked them. Wu-Fei blamed it off on he weakness of women, but still considered it unjust. Gambit was feeling kind of sorry for the girl's friend, as he had lost someone he loved before also. Vegeta was merely mad that he had followed his son into the building instead of destroying the creature, and Trunks was sorry for the girl, but couldn't help feeling grateful that it wasn't Aria that had been caught by the mist.
Finally Michiru went upstairs alone. She seemed to be in full control of herself, so Rogue and Aria suggested that she be left alone with her grief for a while, since that was what she wanted. The group was subdued, and each of them settled down to sleep or wait for morning silently. Aria wordlessly walked back to Trunks and curled up beside where he sat on the floor to sleep. He sat beside her for awhile, unable to rest himself. Finally, noticing her shivering, he pulled off is jacket and draped it over her, shooting a defiant look at his disgusted father as he did. He then unstrapped his sword and lay on his back, holding the familiar weight of it across his chest. He didn't sleep. Neither did Wu-Fei, who sat up all night staring at his own sword. No-one knew whether Michiru woke or slept upstairs alone. The room was silent as everyone waited for morning.
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Well that's all for now guys! Coming next episode: Who persuades Michiru that suicide is a dumb idea? And what happens Callum when his GF, Diablos, breaks free? Which unfortunate pilot has their Gundam found by Duo? And why does Serena leave her group without telling anyone? Who unexpectedly appears to help Goten and his friends find the captive scouts? And on a lighter note, what's the strange pet Trunks finds for Aria? Just how old IS Haruka come morning? All this plus lots more deaths! (Sorry, there are just too many good guys to manage. Don't worry. There'll be plenty left!) So check it out. I think it'll be the chapter where most of the stuff happens, so it'll be a pretty busy day for our heroes!! Be warned though. A lot of 'mean' things are in store........ =)
Ok, you've probably caught on to all the couples by now. Most of them will just flirt, as I can't go into details about so many different relationships in one story. If there's any particular couple you'd like explored however, just let me know. Similarly with anyone you'd like killed off, left alive, or any enemy you'd like to see. Hell, any suggestions are welcome. I'll try and fit 'em in! Hikari no Tenshi you should see the result of yours in the next episode. It's actually a damn good suggestion, and I've got several ideas for it now.
Thanks a million for all your reviews, but I'm afraid the price has gone UP!!! (insert demonic laughter) If you want to see the next chapter alive, you must pay me.....7 REVIEWS!!! (more demonic laughter) Ahahah!!! My ego hungers.....FEED ME!!!
(Constructive criticism is also welcome but please restrain yourselves from aimless story-bashing. It displays a lack of imagination on your part.)
Ok I'm back again with the next installment. This should be fun, finally I get to make all my favorite characters actually DO something (And SOMEONE'S gonna die hahahah)! Yippee! Anyway Thanks again for all your encouraging reviews. It's so nice to feel appreciated!! :) (Last chance to place bets on who's on my hit list!!) Sorry this took so long to finnish, and sorry it's so long, but my proofreader went on strike. Don't worry at the lack of action in the beginning. I have it in order of who has it the easiest, which means that the last two groups are the most action-packed. Enjoy!!
"Copy paste" previous disclaimer blah blah blah:
Now to the fun part.... I don't own Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, Marvel, Dragonball Z, or any of the elements I have taken from the FF8 world in general in the creation of new characters. I don't know who owns most of them but it's not me. Don't sue me or I won't be able to buy your merchandise. Callum and Aria are mine (minus their place of origin etc.), as is this story. If I find it anywhere that I didn't personally put it, heads will roll........
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Group:
Piccolo
Kurt (Nightcrawler)
Gotu
Rini (Mini-Moon)
Rei (Mars)
Callum
Heero
The group traveled quickly through the decaying streets of the city. Weeds grew through the pavement, and cracks showed in the walls. They had been walking since first light, and, after a few rests, it was now mid-afternoon. The slow pace was grating on Heero's nerves. He felt at a distinct disadvantage in this place without his Gundam, and wanted to have its backup as soon as possible.
The pace also seemed to be wearing at Piccolo, but he was to busy explaining the concept of flight to the two irritatingly buoyant children to hurry. Besides, the pace he was capable of would easily let the others behind, and he had promised to keep an eye on Gotu. Until Gotu could keep up, there was no point. He never thought of carrying the lot of them. There were 6 of them and they were trying to keep a low profile. He decided it best to move slowly, and try again to get the two young ones airborne. He quickly decided that they were very slow learners.
A few meters behind them, Callum and Rei were discussing magic. They both had very different views on the subject, but Callum managed to keep the conversation from incurring Rei's temper. Heero was not so lucky. When he suggested for the tenth time in a quarter of an hour that they should "shut up and hurry", Rei exploded. She told him in no uncertain terms exactly what she thought of him, and his opinions, and even his personality in general. Things went down hill from there.
Night-crawler suggested gently that they should calm down or risk drawing unwanted attention, but they ignored him totally. The fight had now escalated into a full-blown shouting match. Heero had never said so many words together in his life, but he couldn't help himself. The girl was just so unbearably irritating, and he found it felt surprisingly good to shout at her. Rei similarly was enjoying herself, even though she was furious at her travelling companion. It was nice to fight someone other than Serena, someone who didn't burst out crying at the slightest hint of criticism.
Callum watched the feud in amusement. He was happy simply enjoying the show until a large vicious creature burst from behind a building in front of them. Since no-one was shouting in recognition, he guessed that it was simply a Demon thingy native to this world. Heero and Rei broke off in mid-argument in shock. Heero immediately pulled out a gun. Meanwhile Piccolo and Gotu took on fighting stances. Rini fell backwards in fright, calling for Darien. It was Rei's battle preparations that took everyone by surprise. Pulling out a little pen shaped object, she swung it in the air, shouting "Mars, Star, Power!" She was suddenly surrounded by fire and light, and when the flames cleared, Sailor Mars was facing the Creature, feeling pretty angry at being dragged away from her argument.
Gotu's clear childlike voice commented on how "cool" she was, just before their attacker launched towards them. It was a long snakelike creature, so long it's body extended far around the corner, and its long fangs were dripping an ominous black liquid. It wasn't very terror inspiring to any of them, who had all faced much worse in their time (although Heero had to admit that a giant snake was a first). However, far from becoming blasé, they treated this new threat with the respect due to an unknown opponent.
The group easily dogged its first attack, and Rini, wishing to win similar praise from Gotu, gathered her courage and quickly transformed to Mini-Moon. Heero's bullets meanwhile bounced off the creatures hide harmlessly, and a brave Gotu lunged at it, and barely missed being swatted into a wall by a massive claw. Rei was the first person whose attack had any visible effect. Her celestial fire attack left large burn marks on its hide, but left her open to be impaled on one of the claws. Luckily Nightcrawler teleported in and pulled her out of harms way. Then Piccolo was ready to attack. Putting his hands together, he yelled something unintelligible and a ball of energy flew towards the creature. The impact was blinding, and when the group could see again, there was no trace of their large assailant.
Rini and Gotu were thrilled, convinced that something so large didn't just disappear, and it must be dead. The older members of the group weren't so certain they had seen the last of it, and they picked up the pace, and quickly vacated the area. Surprisingly Heero and Rei managed to restrain their bickering until they were a safe distance away.
Once things had settled down, they continued on towards the Gundam. Rei and Heero bickered, and Callum watched in amusement. Piccolo continued teaching Rini and Gotu to fly. He had little luck, until Kurt joined him to offer help. His calm reassuring advice contrasted with Piccolo's slight impatience, and finally they had the youngsters airborne (by only a few inches). Unfortunately they couldn't seem to do it alone. For some strange psychologically obscure reason, they could only leave the ground holding hands for reassurance. Finally, Piccolo gave up separating them and walked away, throwing up his hands in disgust. Kurt stayed with them long enough to praise them for their progress, before following Piccolo, asking him if he ever meditated. The children happily practiced their new trick hoping to get higher above the ground the next day.
Rei finally stormed away from Heero and joined the levitating juniors. Callum walked up to Heero and smiled. He got a characteristic scowl in return. Callum figured he had talked himself dry arguing with Rei, and he didn't look like a very talkative guy to begin with. When Heero monosyllabically asked to be left alone, Callum grinned at him, saying "It's OK. I have a brother who's antisocial!" Heero looked at him funnily for a moment before laughing out loud. Callum's off-the-wall remarks had that effect on people. Heero was beginning to worry about himself though. He was acting totally out of character. Perhaps it was something in the air, or maybe that mad doctor in Ireland had done something to him after all. Just to reassure himself that he hadn't really changed that much, he decided to kill on sight the first person to comment on it.
It was beginning to get dark, and the children were on their last legs. Nightcrawler suggested that they find shelter for the night before they collapsed completely. They checked the maps and found an advised resting place nearby. Heading towards it they found a large warehouse. It was inhabited by a nest of what could only be called vampires, but they made short work of them (finding it quite disconcerting when the bodies turned to dust) and went searching for the food. They found a large crate of food in one corner, which looked so out of place they decided that Alron must have left it. After all there were fresh foods in it, and the planet hadn't been a place of human habitation in 100 years. As Callum said, it didn't take a genius to figure out. They set into the food with a vengeance, as they hadn't eaten all day. Gotu happily helped himself to several subsequent helpings.
After eating, things settled down. Rini and Gotu fell asleep in utter exhaustion, Callum, Heero and Rei sat silently, each absorbed in their own private thoughts, and Piccolo and Kurt meditated. Two hours later they were all asleep, having survived their first day.
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Group:
Serena (Moon)
Darien (Prince)
Trowa
Setsuna (Pluto)
Hotaru (Saturn)
Gohan
Warren (Arch-Angel)
"I'm TIRED!" complained Serena again. They had been walking for 3 hours and she was ready to collapse. Hiking had never been her favorite extra curricular activity. With Darien's encouragement however she managed to continue on. Hotaru was also feeling the toll of their rush, always having hated PE, but she remained silent. They were a subdued group, as they all had the distinct feeling that they were being watched.
Gohan lead the little group, with Darien and Serena behind him, followed by Warren and Setsuna who were talking quietly. Trowa and Hotaru brought up the rear. They were getting along pretty well, as neither of them felt the need to fill in silences with useless chatter.
It was mid-afternoon when they stopped for a break. Serena thought her legs would fall off if she walked another step. She sat back and closed her eyes. She opened them again quickly at the shouts of alarm from her companions. The sight that greeted her was surreal. All her companions were dodging a large energy blast which was heading straight for her. She shrieked, but before it had a chance to reduce her to ashes, Darien was at her side, now in the Armor of Prince of Earth, and he pulled her to safety. The shock-wave as the blast hit the ground threw everyone off their feet. As the dust cleared, they crawled to their knees, and were able to make out their attacker. Gohan, who was now hovering in the air surrounded by energy and supporting pointy blond hair, gasped in recognition.
"Freiza!!" he exclaimed. Freiza let out his characteristic evil laugh as the others scrambled to their feet looking at Gohan questioningly. "He's dead!" Gohan exclaimed. "I saw him die. He was defeated by my father, and then killed by Trunks! How is he here?"
"I'm here boy," Freiza smirked, "Because not even death can stop me from extracting my revenge, and there are two glorified MONKEYS on this planet who I will enjoy disposing of." Gohan gasped as he felt Freiza's energy multiply at an incredible rate. Soon it had far surpassed anything he had been capable of before Trunks had finally rid them of him.
Freiza noted his shock and continued. "But don't worry. I recognise you, and I don't think I'll let you live long enough to see them die. You and your companions are history!"
Darien urged Serena to begin her transformation, so she pulled out her locket. Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn were already standing in front of her staring defiantly at their attacker. Arch-Angel was hovering overhead and Trowa was aiming his hand-gun at Freiza. He didn't know why Gohan was so worried about their attacked, but in his experience, a good clean shot killed everything.
Freiza gave them an evil grin filled with contempt, and a pulsing ball of energy began to form between his hands, and expand outwards. Sailor Pluto waved her staff and a sound-wave blasted towards him. However Pluto's Deadly Scream did nothing to faze him and neither did Saturn's subsequent attack. A barrage of razor sharp quills shot by Arch-Angel bounced harmlessly off Freiza's armor, as did Trowa's bullets, much to his amazement. Darien, who leapt at him with his sword, landed on his back on the sidewalk, bleeding profusely.
When Sailor Moon saw him land, she grabbed her scepter furiously, and struck a heroic pose. "I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice. I right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you. You hurt the one I love, and threaten my friends. Prepare to become Moon dust!" While Freiza's energy ball grew, she held her scepter in front of her. "Moon Scepter Elimination!" The strength of her attack forced him a few feet backwards in the air, but left both him and the growing energy ball intact. Sailor Moon fell backwards in shock, and suddenly unsure of herself, she dropped her scepter and stared.
Gohan watched all his friends fail to leave a mark on Freiza, and decided it was up to him alone. He put his hands together at his side. "KaaaaMeeeeee....." he yelled as a small energy ball of his own appeared between his hands. "HaaaaaMeeeee......." It began to grow. "Haaaaaa!" That energy ball blasted towards Freiza and there was an enormous explosion. Everyone was thrown to the floor, and dust and debris from several nearby buildings flew past them. Gohan watched eagerly as the dust settled slowly. A faint light became apparent, and as it grew clearer, a cold feeling gripped his stomach. The light became Freiza's energy ball, and it was now huge. Feiza hovered beneath it, his evil grin now looking positively malicious. "Now if you've all finished, I think it's my turn!"
Gohan's heart fell. The energy levels coming from Freiza's direction ad now reached unheard of proportions. Never one to give up easily however he braced himself for the impact, and began trying to think of ways to defeat the enhanced version of his old enemy. He couldn't help wondering however whether this planet had any Dragonballs. They had certainly needed them last time they had encountered him.
Freiza laughed and suddenly the energy ball came blasting towards Gohan and his companions. Everyone dove for cover, but before it reached them, a powerful authoritative voice rang out from above them. "Stop!" The ball stopped mid air. "Be-gone!" To everyone's amazement the ball began to shrink away to nothing. All eyes turned to the figure standing on a nearby balcony.
A beautiful woman stood there in a flowing blue dress. A cloak of lighter blue waved behind her in the wind. Her hand was stretched out in front of her, and she wore an expression of confidant determination on her face. She gave the group a warm smile and turned her attention back to Freiza.
Freiza was definitely not amused. With lightning speed, several more blasts followed the first one. None reached their target. Most were destroyed, but some were deflected back at their creator. Gohan immediately grabbed the opportunity to add his own Ki-blasts to the counterattack, and Freiza staggered back under the weight of the barrage. Suddenly he let out a yell. "This isn't over Sayjin, I will return, and when I do I will destroy you and every one of your week friends!" With that he was gone.
Their rescuer jumped lightly down form the balcony with a laugh. "Hi. I'm Sharol. Alron sent me to help you. Looks like I came just in time!" Sailor Moon helped up Darien, who had survived his fall and injuries thanks to his armor, and they joined everyone in the circle around the new arrival. Introductions were made all around by a group elated by the retreat of their attacker. Only Gohan remained apart. Several things were bothering him. Firstly of course was the fact hat Freiza had returned, more powerful that ever. Secondly, Sharol's power levels had been negligible while she battled Freiza. Gohan was at a loss to explain how she had survived at all, let alone hold her own in the fight. Thirdly, despite the amazing levels of power being radiated, none of Gohan's friends had arrived to help. This was more easily explained, with the assumption that there was a power at work to dampen the energy's ability to be felt over distances. The last and most worrying question however was why had Frieza left? The powerful warrior Gohan had known would never have admitted defeat and fled. His pride would have forbidden it. And besides, he wasn't really loosing. Considering the amount of energy he displayed, he should have been only slightly fazed by the barrage of ki leveled against him. Why he had abandoned his chance to destroy the son of his enemy was mystery to Gohan, and one which troubled him deeply.
With a shrug, he finally gave up trying to figure it out. He sent a message to his friends with the mini-com, telling them to be careful, as Freiza had returned, acting strangely, and his power levels would probably not be apparent over distances. Then he rejoined his friends and Sharol.
They unanimously agreed that it was getting late and they should seek shelter. A quick glance at the mini-coms showed that there was a shelter nearby, and so they headed for it. As they walked Sailor Pluto fell behind, worrying about something. Warren, noticing her distress, joined her, asking if anything was wrong. She gave him a distracted smile, staring ahead of her at Haruka, who, no longer in the form of Sailor Saturn, was once again walking with Trowa. "It's Haruka." She explained. "She's aging. It's not very apparent yet, but come tomorrow morning, she should have advanced by about 6 years if she continues at this rate."
Warren was unconvinced. "She looks the same to me. Are you sure?" Sailor Pluto pulled her eyes away from her aging friend to look at him with concerned eyes. "I'm the guardian of time, I'm more sensitive to these things. It's not just the aging I'm worried about. She's done this twice before. When Sailor Moon was in mortal danger, she grew up to aid her. The fact that she's growing again may mean that we're all in much, much more danger than we realize."
Warren looked between his companion and her aging friend, her last statement worrying him more than he cared to admit. Pluto decided to wait for a private moment to discuss it with Serena and Darien, and so Archangel and the Guardian of Time walked on behind the group, talking in subdued tones.
They found the shelter with little difficulty. It was a rundown house on a little side-street, whose outer appearance did little to inspire confidence. The inside however, was comfortable. The kitchen was well stocked, and the sitting room was warm enough to drive out the chill caused by a day spent outdoors. Slowly, one by one, the group settled down for the night.
As the group dispersed to find resting places for the night, no-one was surprised when Sharol retreated upstairs alone. No one followed her. Most of them had found sleeping space near the warmth of the sitting room rather than venturing up to the chilly second floor of the building. Apparently Alron's willingness or ability to provide shelter only went so far. No one followed Sharol, and so no one witnessed her actions.
She climbed the stairs quietly, and as she got out of sight of her new companions, her smile faded from her face. Entering one of the upstairs rooms, she bolted the door, and knelt before the window. She raised her hands in supplication, and began to speak in a reverent voice quite unlike the authoritative confidante tone she had adopted earlier. "My Lord Kaerack, it is done, I am accepted into the group. Everything has proceeded as you planned. I have already chosen a victim vulnerable to my powers, and begun my work. Before long, all of these fools will be under my control, and thus under your command. None suspect." A sudden wind blew the shutters open and a gust of wind further chilled the air in the room. Somewhere in the depths of her mind she felt, rather that heard, a malicious laughter, and a feeling of satisfaction. That was all the evidence she received to show that her master was pleased. Forced to be content with that, she rose from her knees and went to the bed. Curling up in the blankets to keep the cold at bay, she slept soundly until morning, knowing that her subtle magic was already at work downstairs.
In another part of the city, Freiza's silent flight came to an end in front of a small building. A tall figure awaited inside. It was Kaerack, and the hostility radiating from his guest did nothing to faze his projection's air of calm. Freiza was angry enough without being ignored, and announced in the demanding voice of one used to instant obedience, "I have fullfilled my part of the bargain. That brat and his companions believe that they have defeated me. Now return to me my full powers and return me to full life. I have an old score to settle and I grow impatient." The figure facing him shook its head. "Not yet."
Freiza's face twisted in anger, but before anything else could be said, The image of Kaerack waved its hand and time stopped around the frustrated warrior. "Not yet" He repeated to the now frozen oblivious form of Freiza. "Everything is not yet in place. But soon, and when I release you, the power you displayed today will be only a fragment of your strength. Soon." With that Kaerack's image dissipated, since with no observers around, maintaining a visible form was pointless. He turned his attention to what was occurring elsewhere, leaving Freiza frozen in Time.
Back in the companion's shelter, Darien was unable to sleep. At first he blamed this on the bruises he had sustained earlier that day, but on closer examination, he discovered that that his minor aches were not at fault. It was the nagging feeling that he didn't belong that was causing his restlessness. Not just feeling out of place in his world, or with the new allies they worked with, but even his friends seemed distant. Across the room, the sleeping form of Haruka, who was already showing signs of the aging Pluto had discreetly warned them about, seemed like a stranger. Pluto herself, in another corner, was talking quietly to her new friend Warren, and to the once Prince of Earth, their whispering seemed sinister. Even Serena, asleep peacefully on his shoulder, seemingly oblivious to his inner turmoil, seemed different, foreign. He tried to shake the feeling, but hour by hour, the feeling that these people around him were not his friends grew stronger.
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Group:
Jubilee
Logan (Wolverine)
Duo
Lita (Jupiter)
Ororo (Storm)
Goku
Krillin
Wolverine and Jubilee watched the battle taking place above them in frustration. Since it all took place in mid air, neither of them were able to join in. This annoyed Wolverine much more than Jubilee, as she was used to feeling useless, and at least she could irritate the enemy by throwing fireworks up towards them. Her random blasts were probably bothering her allies just as much, but at least she was doing something. As was Lita, now in the form of Sailor Jupiter, who, also unable to fly, was flinging impressive Lightning attacks at their five attackers to compliment the lightening being thrown from above by Storm. Krillin and Goku were simply defending themselves, as if biding their time.
And all the time Wolverine had to watch. He wanted to throttle someone, and at the moment, the most tempting option was the only person who was even more useless in this situation than he was. The so-called "Gundam Pilot", who was rolling on the floor in fits of hysterical laughter.
The source of Duo's intense amusement could be traced back to the sudden arrival of five armored aliens. They had appeared before the group a few minutes earlier, simply hovering smugly in mid air while Goku and Krillin gaped at them in astonishment. Everyone else had looked at their expressions in confusion, while Duo held back the laughter that was instinctive to him due to the alien's odd appearances.
"The Ginyu Force!!" Goku exclaimed finally. "But you're all dead!" As if affirming this would make it true, Krillin nodded franticly beside him. Their companions were unconvinced. The 'Ginyu Force' were right in front of them after all.
After a suitably long dramatic pause, one of the aliens, whom the two Z Warriors recognized as Captain Ginyu, began to speak. He gave a lengthy speech about returning for revenge and inflicting pain on his enemies, while his audience watched in confusion. Duo, listening to the hopelessly over-dramatic speech that stank of soap-opera marathons, found it even more difficult to contain his laughter.
Then, at the conclusion of the speech, the five alien warriors struck an evil pose. The sight of this was too much for the Pilot, who had simply fallen over laughing helplessly. His laughter had infuriated the five attackers more than any calculated taunts, and, furious at not being taken seriously, they had attacked immediately and without caution.
From what Wolverine could see, their careless fury was making up for any increase in power they might have had, and his three allies fighting them didn't seem to be having much trouble. Goku and Krillin were holding their own, while Storm tried to reason with their attackers, raising her voice over the electric sound of the lightening emitting from both her and Sailor Jupiter. She wasn't having much luck. She had to try however, as she had a strong distaste for needless bloodshed. While she spoke, Goku and Krillin held off their offensive, blocking not only blasts intended for them, but also those aimed at their giggling friend, who seemed to have effortlessly made the Ginyu Force's hit-list.
However the Z Warriors' patience only lasted so long, after all they had met this Ginyu Force before, and certainly had no fondness for them. While the aliens' strength may have been enhanced, Goku and Krillin had increased in strength also, and so when their patience finally ran out, the two warriors began dispatching enemies with ease. Soon three unconscious bodies landed on the floor before Wolverine, while the Sayjin and his friend faced the fourth, and the fifth began to fall, overcome by the combined power of Jupiter and Storm.
"Well Ginyu, the last time we saw you, you were a lot smaller, and greener than you are now. Didn't life in the pond suit you?" Krillin's taunt was enough to finish driving the leader of the team over the edge, and charging furiously at Goku, he soon joined his friends in a heap on the floor.
They joined Storm, and together they rejoined their companions on the floor. Wolverine was staring at the unmoving aliens before him with satisfaction. As the others landed, he extended his claws, and raised them above the still forms.
"No Logan! They are helpless now!" Storm's warning stopped him just as he was about to bring down his clenched fist with lethal efficiency. His hand paused mid air, and he turned to face her. "We can't leave 'em behind us. I get the feeling that we're gonna bump into a lot of old enemies like this something-force," Krillin helpfully interrupted with the word Ginyu, but fell silent under Wolverines glare, winning a grin from Goku as he whispered "This guy scowls nearly as bad as Vegita!!"
As if there had been no interruption, Wolverine continued. "And the last thing we need is for 'em all to gang up. I say we get rid of this lot now. That's five less to worry about." Storm shook her head, and Goku looked at the pile of bodies. "I don't know. They seemed so week this time. They're not really much of a threat. I think we should just leave 'em. But hey. Those are some really cool weapons you got. Where'd they come from?" he asked with a big carefree smile. Wolverine turned the 'cool weapons' towards Goku along with the full weight of his Vegita-like scowl.
It was decided that the Ginyu force should be left as is, in the probably futile hope that they had learned a lesson. Duo was in control of himself again, and the group was just about to set off again when Lita innocently asked Goku what he had meant by his last comment to Captain Ginyu. Hearing the story of Ginyu's body-swap with a frog sent Duo into fresh hysterics and Lita with him. It was another five minutes before they were in any shape to continue the journey.
They moved on pretty quickly towards where the map showed a Gundam. Goku and Krillin lead the way, talking aimlessly and wondering what their friends were up to. Lita, Duo and Jubilee came next. Every so often Lita would flex her muscles in a bad imitation of the Ginyu Force's posing, and Duo would double over laughing; or she would, if he made some nasty remark about frogs. They had been flirting outrageously all day, while Jubilee vied uselessly for Duo's attention. Lita thought he reminded her of an old boyfriend, and Duo thought she was cute. Jubilee had formed a major crush on the young pilot, but he was obviously oblivious to the fact. Behind them, Ororo and Logan noticed it though, and Logan had definite opinions about it. "If he hurts the kid, I'll make 'im eat his heart." "Logan, Please." Was the only response.
The group passed a pretty uneventful evening, and stopped in a marked shelter that night. To Goku's obvious dismay, its food stores were pretty low, but they made do with what was there. Duo announced that they would probably reach the Gundam at about mid-day the next day, followed by a quiet comment from Logan that at least they'd be rid of him then.
They all decided to take an early night and set out as soon as possible in the morning. Before long they all parted, looking for somewhere warm to sleep.
Just as they separated, Duo called his new friend, and she turned to face him. "By the way," he said with a deceptively casual grin, "You know when we were fighting those frog guys earlier, and you changed into Sailor Jupiter? Well that whole costume changing thing you did; that was really cool!" He laughed happily and turned to find somewhere to sleep. Lita's cheeks were flaming as she turned and did the same.
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Group:
Amy (Mercury)
Hank (Beast)
Quatre
Sam (Cannonball)
Bobby (Iceman)
Mina (Venus)
Goten
Beast watched the youngsters in front of him in fascination. He found it amazing how easily the six, who came from four different dimensions were acting already as if they had known each other for years. The quiet Amy and Quatre were walking together in deep conversation about something scientific, while Goten, Bobby and Sam were vying companionably for Mina's attention, while she happily distributed killer smiles at random. Earlier on, Beast had had time to catch up with his old friend and companion Bobby, but now he was acting the mature adult and keeping watch, as with the others so absorbed in each other, no one else had the slightest intention of it.
It was pushing towards evening and they had fought their fair share of battles over the course of the day. A large variety of what could only be called the Demons of this world had met their doom facing the group of over-enthusiastic teens already. The only one that had not been defeated was a strange ugly creature that had simply absorbed all their attacks and shot them back at them. At the advice of Beast and Quatre, who, unable to really fight themselves had become the strategic advisors of the group, they had decided on a tactical retreat. After all they couldn't fight their own attacks. The strangest of their other opponents had been a battered and bruised group of warriors calling themselves the Ginyu Force and seeking revenge for a beating that Beast and his companions certainly hadn't given them. Goten had recognized their names as warriors his father had fought years ago, and the giddy teenagers had proceeded to freeze, soak, 'love-chain', ki-blast and head-butt with a telekinetic shield, and finally accidentally incinerat them as Goten tried to show off a particularly strong attack. They shrugged, and continued on their journey.
In fact, they encountered no serious threats until about an hour before sundown, when Sam and Goten, who had abandoned Mina to the attentions of Bobby for a few minutes to talk to each other suddenly called out. They were complaining at the restrictions placed on them to keep them inconspicuous which prevented them from flying, when suddenly they announced that they had seen something move up ahead.
Bobby immediately froze (literally) and joined them, scanning the road ahead. Mina and Amy quickly began their transformation while Quatre turned his back. He had been turning his back a lot lately, ever since the two scouts had first changed that morning. At the first glimpse of skin under all the flashing lights and shapes, he had covered his eyes, cheeks flaming. When his companions told him he was safe to turn around again, he had been dismayed to find that the Scout's new scantily clad state was little better. Luckily for him it had been too cold for them to stay in costume, but that did mean that he had to make a point of turning his back every time there was a threat nearby and they changed again. It was clear that Mina found his shyness amusing in a nice way, but Amy had let slip that she thought it was adorable, so he was content to stay that way, even though the other guys teased him unmercifully. The girls gave him the go-ahead and he turned back, studiously avoiding looking at anything other than their faces. There was no sign of any attack yet, so they proceeded slowly, alert to any movement around them.
Almost ten silent minutes passed before Sailor Venus sighed, "You guys must have imagined it, there's nothing here!" A voice from above answered, "Oh yes there is!" and before anyone could even turn around, she was grabbed by a black tentacle and disappeared. Everyone was motionless with shock for a second, before all eyes turned to the tall dark figure which jumped down from a building above them. In the place of one of its arms was a long black tentacle which was wrapped around a struggling Sailor Venus. The first person to react was Goten, who launched at the creature faster than the eye could follow, and stumbled in disorientation when his attack missed as the creature dodged with unbelievable speed. He turned around to regard it with a new respect. It was fast, despite its negligible power level.
Meanwhile Cannonball and Iceman were staring at it in astonishment. Beast spoke quickly to the others. "I believe this is a creature from our world, known as Venom, although what he's doing here I cannot imagine!" He was interrupted by a shriek from Venus. "I Can't Breathe! Help!"
The creature Beast named Venom began to laugh. It was creepy inhuman laugh, as if two voices were being used at once. "We are Venom! We are here to cleanse this world of the evil that infects it! We are faster and stronger than ever! You have all been judged and found guilty. Venom will feed!"
Goten, ignoring this dire threat, suddenly disappeared. He appeared behind their attacker, and launched himself at the tentacle holding his friend, but was forced to jump back at the last minute to avoid being impaled by the barrage of similar red tentacles which were projected from above. There was a voice to accompany the new attacker. "Hello DADDY." It said in a mocking tone, with the same dual quality as Venom. "Starting all the fun without me?" The owner of both voice and tentacles fell from above them to land beside Venom. He looked very similar, except was red rather than black.
With that the attack began in earnest. The two creatures dogged ice and water projected by Mercury and Iceman easily, and seemed to have no problem avoiding any head-on attacks by Beast or Cannonball either. Goten's speed gave them some difficulty, but before long the red creature beside Venom held a struggling Mercury in a long tentacle, and wound a second tentacle threateningly around her neck in warning. Everyone stopped their attacks immediately.
"Two pretty girls! What fun!" laughed the red creature, "Scream for me, pretty girls!" Venus had passed out moments before when Venom accidentally whacked her off a wall, but Mercury, agonized at the pressure around her ribs and neck, gladly complied, gasping for breath.
Her friends clenched their fists in frustration, afraid to go too near now that her life had been threatened by the creature. As they wracked their brains to come up with a way to free their two captive companions, the two creatures looked at one another as if at a prearranged signal. Then they turned and, leaping onto a nearby rooftop, they began to flee the scene, carrying their captives with them.
The remainder of he group were about to pursue their attackers when there was a loud noise from a side street and 5 large robots activated and stepped out of the shadows between them and the fleeing abductors. The laughter of the two Symbionts faded quickly into the distance as the group regarded these newcomers warily. "Mobile Dolls!" exclaimed Quatre. Suddenly the lead robot spoke in a grating metallic voice. "Mutants detected. Mission Destroy!"
"Sentinels!" exclaimed Cannonball and Iceman in unison. They all looked at each other in confusion for a moment, unsure as to why their new friend also recognized their enemy. Again Goten stoke the initiative and attacked the Mobile Doll Sentinels head-on, not really caring what they were. He almost broke his fist on impact. As he yelped in surprise and pain, Quatre shouted that they were probably made of enhanced Gundanium if they were that strong, and that they should fall back and regroup.
"A wise idea my young friend. Discretion is the better part of valor. Let's be away!" agreed Beast, as he was lifted by Cannonball. Goten, still shaking his hand and glaring at the machines, grabbed up Quatre and Iceman grumpily. He would have preferred to stay and destroy the metallic beasts no matter how long it took, but all his companions seemed to recognise them besides him, and his opinion was certainly in the minority. Carrying their friends, Cannonball and Goten fled the scene.
"Detected five mutants. Halt mutants!" Came the order from behind them. "But I'm not a mutant!" protested Quatre. "Me neither," agreed Goten "but try explaining that to them!" The perusing robots slid on a sheet of ice projected by Iceman, giving them long enough to escape. Iceman then demanded to be let go, as he could travel just as fast himself. Goten agreed that of course he could, if he was willing to leave a trail of ice for anyone to follow. Then, as the X-man tried to think of a suitable comeback, Goten asked him to unfreeze, as the hand holding him had gone numb with the cold. Grumbling, Bobby complied.
It wasn't long however before Goten landed, followed by Cannonball. "We shouldn't fly any longer." he announced. "We lost those things, but something worse will find us if I keep broadcasting my power level. So lets get away from here quickly to, and while we go, we can think of a way to find the girls, and you can explain who those ugly things were, what those robots were, and why I didn't even dent them, and why I couldn't stay to try again." His failure to reduce a mere robot to dust was still bugging him, but not as much as the fact that they had let the girls' abductors disappear.
They began to walk quickly away from the last place Goten had projected his energy level, and as the walked, Beast tried to explain what he knew about Venom. "Venom is a creature from our time. From what I've seen on the news, and heard from friends, he is a human, Eddie Brock, bonded with an alien symbiont. That's why he refers to himself as 'we'. He's ruthless and violent, but obsessed with guilt and innocence. If he feels you are innocent, he will protect you, if you are guilty, you are free season to feed the symbiont's hunger. Unfortunately he works on his own versions of innocence, guilt and justice. He must have been told that we are criminals in some way for him to be attacking us. The other one was Carnage. He is the same as Venom, except he and the symbiont have bonded so completely that they refer to themselves as 'I'. He is a completely mad, psychopathic killer. They seemed much faster and stronger than they are on the news, so I can only summarize that they have been enhanced by our enemy. The robots acted like Sentinels, abominations created to hunt and destroy mutants. I suspect by their timely arrival they were protecting the symbionts escape, leading to the deduction that the symbionts are working for or with someone else. As to why the robots were so strong, I have no idea." Finished his long speech, he turned to his young friend Quatre. "But I have a feeling you can make a suggestion?"
Quatre had been strangely distracted while Beast spoke, but he looked up now and nodded. "I don't know what a Sentinel is, but they looked similar in design to the Mobile Dolls we fought during the war. I think they might be built with Gundanium though, since they withstood Goten's strength. Maybe they're built of something even stronger though. Everything we fight seems to be enhanced in some way." Everyone was silent for a moment before Quatre burst out, "I'm going to find the Gundam we've been following. I can't fight like this. I'm useless against the enemies we've been coming up against, but I've fought Mobile Dolls before. I can help if I have a Gundam. Ye go and find the girls. I know ye can do it. I'm going to find a Gundam. It's the only way I can help!" He turned to take a side-street away from them, as they had been drifting away from the signal since the attack.
"I will join you, my impulsive young friend. If this Gundam of yours can fight the Sentinels then you must be reunited with it soon! I seems unwise however for you to go alone." With that Beast followed him, calling back to the others, "Ye must find the girls yourselves, and as soon as possible, before they are hurt! I have every faith in you, but remember. Ye must take shelter when the Sun sets. I believe Alron was not exaggerating when he spoke of the creatures which haunt this place at night. Good luck!" then he was gone.
Bobby, Sam and Goten looked at one another for a moment. Then, Bobby, being the eldest remaining, shrugged at the other two. "So do we have any idea where to start looking? It's nearly sun-set." A long conversation ensued, in which they discovered that they hadn't even the vaguest idea where to start looking. While they spoke, Goten found he had a message on his mini-com from his brother. The good news it told was that his power-levels probably wouldn't be felt by anyone. The bad news was that there was a new improved Freiza loose in the city. Goten figured that there was nothing he could really do about this. The missing girls were a more immediate problem.
The three finally remembered that Amy and Mina's friend, Rei, had been described on the Mini-coms as a 'mystic'. She might be able to help them find their friends. The final plan was to continue searching themselves for the night, heading in the direction the Symbionts had fled towards. If they had no luck by nightfall they would take shelter, and find Rei in the morning. Made confidant by having a plan of action, the set off again, covering a lot of ground with Cannonball and Goten flying. Goten, no longer worrying about being detected, carried Bobby, who was grumpy at again not being allowed travel by himself. He had to admit though that he did leave a big trail.
Deep down, they were all optimists, and were expecting to find some trace of their lost friends before nightfall. Fate was against them however, and as the last rays of light disappeared, they had found no trace. They headed towards the nearest shelter on the map weighed down with disappointment and frustration. Goten was particularly loath to leave the search, feeling that he was a match for anything that could come out at night, but was finally persuaded by his companions to give up for the night, and find some food. They found the shelter, and wordlessly satisfied their hunger with the food they found. Once Goten finally followed his companions example and sat back, full, they silently settled down to rest, preparing for an early start.
Elsewhere Beast and Quatre were also settling down. They had been sneaking towards the Gundam since they left the group, and would have found it already if not for the need for stealth. However Quatre was powerless without his Gundam and Beast didn't want to test himself against some of the things they had seen that day, so they had decided that the best course of action was to remain unnoticed. Therefor when the sun set they were still about an hours walk away from where the mini-coms indicated the Gundam would be. They reluctantly stopped in the nearest shelter, and awaited the morning, when Quatre would gain the ability to fight back.
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Group:
Wu-Fei
Vegeta
Michiru
Hotaru
Rogue
Remy (Gambit)
Aria
Trunks
Vegeta watched his son and the newly discovered Saiyjin laughing together with a feeling of utter disgust. It was clear even to him that the two were quickly becoming more than friends, and the idea of any offspring of his with the daughter of a pacifist traitor was enough to make him want to do something violent, especially since she was only a third-class Saiyjin to begin with. This new Aria person was however one of the few remaining people carrying Saiyjin blood in the universe, and that made her a better partner for Trunks than a week human fool. The thought of her as a daughter-in-law was still sickening though. Vegeta gritted his teeth and looked away.
He had never been famed for his patience, and it was certainly tested a few minutes later when Aria left Trunks to join him. He looked at her with contempt, restraining himself with the thought that if he incinerated her right there Trunks would surely tell his mother when they returned, and Bulma would have the Prince of the Saiyjins sleeping on the couch for a month. Faced with sleeping on the couch, he merely said angrily "Why are you here and what can I do to change that?" She seemed to flinch for a moment, before gathering up her courage and addressing him with what seemed to be a carefully rehearsed speech.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you did. You've given me a bigger gift than you could possibly imagine!" Vegeta looked her with a noticeable lack of comprehension. "What are you talking about. I gave you nothing!" Perhaps madness was hereditary in her family. Her mother had certainly not been certifiably sane, and Goku and his sons always had been a little strange as well. She answered shyly. "You gave me a family. Pointing out your suspicions was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, and now I'm not alone anymore. Thanks to you. I....." She was cut off by a yell from Vegeta as he realized that his attempt at nastiness bask in the hall, when he mocked her mother, and in the process mocked Goku for being related to a pacifist, had in fact been the nicest thing he could have done. "Get out of my sight!" He yelled, almost at a loss for words with self disgust. Him, the Prince of the Saiyins, nice. It was almost too much to bear.
Aria made a hasty escape back to Trunks, who was gasping with the effort of holding back laughter. "That was perfect! I knew he'd flip if he realized what he had actually done. Wait 'till I tell the others about this one!" He looked at Aria happily. "Thanks for going along with that. It's not often a chance like that comes along, and I'd have hated missing it." Aria looked at him, suddenly realizing what she had done. She, the shiest person she knew had just joined in the mocking of the meanest person she had ever met. And it hadn't bothered her! Having a family must have changed her more than she had thought. Or maybe it was just Trunks' influence. Caught up in a sudden exhilaration, she began to laugh along with him. "He looked so funny when he realized what I was talking about! Did you see his face?"
Michiru and Hotaru watched them, Hotaru with disdain, and her partner with tolerant amusement. They hadn't spoken much to any of the others all morning, preferring their own company. Rogue and Gambit had also walked alone, more because the two teenagers were so busy talking to each other and no-one else was approachable than out of any need to keep to themselves. The last member of the party, Wu-Fei, had been walking alone ever since a chance remark about women had incurred Hotaru's wrath and sent him crashing headlong into another wall. He hadn't expected that, not realizing she was a woman, but by the time he had realized his mistake it had been too late. He had to admit, for a girl, she was pretty strong.
They encountered few enemies during the day, and those that they did, whom no-one recognized, were easily dispatched. Trunks and Aria spent the day discussing their battle techniques. Trunks tried to teach Aria some of his and his friend's attacks, which was difficult, since he wasn't supposed to power-up. He ended up just being able to describe how it was done. Unfortunately his explanation barely made sense to himself, let alone his companion. She didn't mind though. She then tried to explain how to draw magic and cast it back at enemies, and due to her long explanations, Trunks managed to draw some fira from her. He had no idea what to do with it once he had drawn it however, and nearly set himself on fire. The two of them found his failure highly amusing.
They continued their mix of joking and seriousness for the rest of the day, becoming more and more comfortable in each others presence. As the day wore on towards evening they had still not encountered any serious threat. Thus when night fell, they saw no real reason to stop their journey, as none of them were very tired yet. The sun set behind them, unnoticed.
Soon after, the atmosphere in the city began to change, taking on an eerie quality. They began to encounter strange creatures, which, while still killable, were much stronger than their day-time counterparts. All went well until they met the mysterious mist. It sprung up as if out of nowhere before them, blocking the road ahead. It was an unpleasant sight, to say the least. It was a thick gray fog, and it seemed to the onlookers as if there were faces materializing and dematerializing on it's surface all the time. Faces wearing agonized horrified expressions.
Vegeta immediately threw a Big Bang Attack at the fog, which made it grow larger. Aria, Gambit and Trunk's projected attacks did the same, as did those of Michiru and Hotaru, who were now Uranus and Neptune. No-one wanted to touch it, remembering the warning last night about mists which sucked out souls. Refusing to surrender to a simple weather pattern however, Vegeta threw another, bigger attack at it. By now it was after doubling in size, seemingly feeding on their attacks. When it started towards them, they backed away. None of them had any experience in fighting things that sucked out souls, and they were beginning to think maybe they should have sheltered for the night after all.
It was only a few meters away when Aria shouted, "Alron said we'd be safe indoors! Get inside quickly!" Remembering Alron's words, the group suddenly broke and ran to the nearest building, Trunks grabbing his father in an effort to convince him that this was not an enemy they wanted to face. Rogue pulled the locked door open with brute strength alone, and flew in, followed by Gambit. Wu-Fei ran in next, muttering about injustice and demonic creatures. Trunks pushed Aria through the door to safety, and followed, with his reluctant father behind him. The two Scouts were last, and the mist, seeing it's prey escape, was moving with amazing speed behind them. As it was almost upon them, Uranus pushed her lover in front of her through the door. Neptune stumbled through, swinging around when she heard an agonized scream behind her. Rogue reached out and pulled the suddenly motionless Uranus in the door, slamming it behind her, but when the body hit the floor, the Scout was already dead, staring at the ceiling through sightless eyes.
Neptune changed back to Michiru, and fell over the body of her friend sobbing uncontrollably. The others watched, but there was nothing they could do. Suddenly the body began to look opaque, and vanished entirely. Michiru was left alone on the floor.
An hour passed. Rogue and Aria had taken the distraught Michiru aside, and tried to comfort her. The rest of the company had silently searched for something to eat, but found nothing, as they weren't in a marked resting place. The easy death of the scout had shocked them. Wu-Fei blamed it off on he weakness of women, but still considered it unjust. Gambit was feeling kind of sorry for the girl's friend, as he had lost someone he loved before also. Vegeta was merely mad that he had followed his son into the building instead of destroying the creature, and Trunks was sorry for the girl, but couldn't help feeling grateful that it wasn't Aria that had been caught by the mist.
Finally Michiru went upstairs alone. She seemed to be in full control of herself, so Rogue and Aria suggested that she be left alone with her grief for a while, since that was what she wanted. The group was subdued, and each of them settled down to sleep or wait for morning silently. Aria wordlessly walked back to Trunks and curled up beside where he sat on the floor to sleep. He sat beside her for awhile, unable to rest himself. Finally, noticing her shivering, he pulled off is jacket and draped it over her, shooting a defiant look at his disgusted father as he did. He then unstrapped his sword and lay on his back, holding the familiar weight of it across his chest. He didn't sleep. Neither did Wu-Fei, who sat up all night staring at his own sword. No-one knew whether Michiru woke or slept upstairs alone. The room was silent as everyone waited for morning.
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Well that's all for now guys! Coming next episode: Who persuades Michiru that suicide is a dumb idea? And what happens Callum when his GF, Diablos, breaks free? Which unfortunate pilot has their Gundam found by Duo? And why does Serena leave her group without telling anyone? Who unexpectedly appears to help Goten and his friends find the captive scouts? And on a lighter note, what's the strange pet Trunks finds for Aria? Just how old IS Haruka come morning? All this plus lots more deaths! (Sorry, there are just too many good guys to manage. Don't worry. There'll be plenty left!) So check it out. I think it'll be the chapter where most of the stuff happens, so it'll be a pretty busy day for our heroes!! Be warned though. A lot of 'mean' things are in store........ =)
Ok, you've probably caught on to all the couples by now. Most of them will just flirt, as I can't go into details about so many different relationships in one story. If there's any particular couple you'd like explored however, just let me know. Similarly with anyone you'd like killed off, left alive, or any enemy you'd like to see. Hell, any suggestions are welcome. I'll try and fit 'em in! Hikari no Tenshi you should see the result of yours in the next episode. It's actually a damn good suggestion, and I've got several ideas for it now.
Thanks a million for all your reviews, but I'm afraid the price has gone UP!!! (insert demonic laughter) If you want to see the next chapter alive, you must pay me.....7 REVIEWS!!! (more demonic laughter) Ahahah!!! My ego hungers.....FEED ME!!!
(Constructive criticism is also welcome but please restrain yourselves from aimless story-bashing. It displays a lack of imagination on your part.)