Hase no Sainan
By Ada, Mitch, Shaine, and Shatterclaw. Individual rating:
PG-13.
Ada stood outside Genom Tower, waiting for Kohl to arrive. Her eyes flickered toward the lake and the art museum; a group of fifteen were walking across the lawn of the museum. One walked up to a bus, pulling out a machine gun, and shot the passengers.
An exploding car lit up a familiar figure: the woman from Kohl's office. Bunny. Ada's lips pulled back into a grimace.
The figure stood in the middle of the lawn, having stepped away from the destruction, and with an utterly calm expression said very simply: "This will end when you bring me the Steel Ravens." The people milling around forgot about their cars and began stampeding away from the Boomers.
Hearing more explosions, Ada ran to her hotel room to pick up weapons and armor, forgetting about her meeting inside the Tower.
So many innocents dying, just for this...
///
Belladonna lolled in front of the big screen in the rec room, a bowl of sugar-drenched Mage Puffs not too far from her face. Ravencroft's beak poked tentatively at the cereal.
"Nooo, Ravencroft! You'll be sick for a week, and I'm in trouble with Crimson as it is!" The raven's eyes narrowed and it stepped away at the mention of Crimson's displeasure.
Bell took a big bite and hummed happily as she flipped through the channels - then suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened and the spoon fell to the bowl.
"OhmygodohmyGOD! I don't believe it!" The news broadcast cut to a shot of the art museum, and she rushed for the phone.
"Crimson, Belladonna. Channel five NOW, yeah, yeah, I'm on it, yeah, out!" She ran to his office and hit a red button on the desk. Klaxons began to sound throughout the base.
Shaine forced her eyes open. "Huuunh?
"Pleh." She rolled out of bed and ran to get into her suit. Lark and Hugo ran past her door as she walked out; Saki and Jinks were right behind them, and none of them looked very awake.
Sprocket vaulted out of the changing room just as Shaine arrived, still trying to pull on her measuring suit. Belladonna was already waiting in the hardsuit room, fully armored.
"Guys, not to alarm you or anything, but Hase has gone nuts."
Shaine's eyes widened. "Didn't think she knew how to do that."
Bell shot her a look.
"Come on, the Ice Queen?"
"She's Erik's girlfriend, come on..."
"Girlfriend? Damn..."
"Yeah, well, she's tearing up the downtown area, and wants us to come join the party. Fifty-four dead and a hundred wounded so far, with the ADP just getting there."
"Hunh. Sounds like her. But somehow I can't imagine her going down on him...it'd take five Boomers just to get her to crack a smile..."
"Fifteen Boomers," Belladonna continued, "So far as we know, and there may be more."
"Well okay, maybe she's smiling..."
"And she said she's rigged the city with bombs."
"Aw shit!"
"And if we don't show the only thing left standing will be her. Hugo, Crim's gonna meet us there. He said rig a Motoslave with the Crimson Complex."
"Crimson Complex?"
"Yeah, it's a program that makes the slaves act as a leader for up to three more of 'em based off of him and his brain waves or something. He wants two of 'em to go look after Rai and Harris... Oh and he wants all of the Wings to be remote in case of crashes. And ours is to be loaded with bombs... We got ten minutes to get out of here and I've only got the four slaves on board."
Shaine went pale.
"Oh and it gets better...we have no clue as to what kind of Boomers we're dealing with. Sat scans are coming up empty."
"Oh, shit..."
"Well as my friend Poe would say, today is a good day to die." The others were pouring into the room by that time, already in suits.
"Yes, if it's someone else doing it..."
"If we make it, Shaine, I'll let him know."
///
Mitch sat in the ADP break room with a cup of coffee when Lieutenant Jamson walked in wearing flak armor. "Didn't you hear, Wolfstone?"
"What?" He sipped his coffee, still calm.
"There's a hostage situation down at the art museum, with Boomers involved. The Chief asked for every man we've got. They're making demands that the 'Steel Ravens' meet them down there...it's all been on the news. Don't just sit there, man! Let's get moving!"
"No problem. I'll get my flak jacket and meet you there."
"Fine. Hey, and break a leg." Jamson ran off.
When Mitch got to his car, he noticed that the Boomer Jacob wasn't there. Frowning, he dialed Crim's number on his cell phone.
Crimson picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"
"Crim, it's Mitch."
"I take it you got the wake-up call. Are you working?"
"The whole ADP is down at the art museum; I don't see a way to leave without being noticed."
"Do your job there. I'll have your suit ready, and when the Boomers go after the ADP you can break for it and we'll pick you up. Get your men away from the fighting if you can."
"Gotcha."
"It's a personal battle. Hase Kant, one of Erik's people, is calling us out."
"That tin-plated whore!"
"If we don't go the city will be destroyed. ...Yeah, that she is. Duty calls." He hung up.
Jenkins rode shotgun with Mitch on the way to the art museum. "Man, of all the luck...having to deal with this today. These Boomers want us to pull a rabbit out of our hats and give them something that's not even real!"
"Yeah."
"I mean, who are these Titanium Ducks anyway?"
Mitch smiled a little. "I know."
As they approached the museum a gunshot shattered the car's back window. "The big boys are starting trouble, eh...well, they're going to have to clean up the mess."
"Yeah, well, it's our turn to show the big boys this is our city." Jenkins jumped out of the car.
Mitch followed with his revolver out; ahead of them were an overturned ADP truck and a female combat Boomer. The Boomer's right arm had been replaced with a gun and she was firing at anything that moved. Mitch lept for the back seat of the car, grabbing his microwave jammer.
His first shot hit the truck. The second also missed, but hit another Boomer. Finally Mitch nailed the Boomer near the truck and she thrashed about on the ground before exploding. The explosion set off her ammunition and debris flew through the air.
"Do you see any more?" Mitch called to Jenkins.
"What the hell was that? No, no more from here." The rest of the ADP were trying to move from a pinned-down position behind the wreck to something more advantageous. "So what was that you hit her with? A magic wand?"
"It looks like she just exploded." Gunfire rang out, and a Wing flew overhead. "Look!"
"Oh, man, now what? You think those are...what did she call them, Steel Ducks? Steel Terns?"
Jenkins began to stammer. "And heck, they're real..."
///
Hugo flew low toward the center of the park. "I'm not even going to decloak; I suggest you don't either. Just cloak and fight 'til it runs out."
"She's very cold in a fight," Shaine warned, "So don't expect her emotions to get in the way. I don't think she has any."
The back doors of the Wing opened and the Ravens jumped out, followed by four Motoslaves with heavy guns. Moments later, Crimson's arrival was heralded by an exploding Boomer.
"Hey, Freefall," Belladonna said, "What does 'Hase' mean anyway?"
"Um...it's 'rabbit.' Or 'bunny.' "
"Rabbit? Bunny?"
"Um, yeah."
"Fighting evil by moonlight...winning love by daylight...never running from a real fight...she is the one named Sailormoon!"
Hase turned, a faint ghost of an expression upon her face.
"What's the matter, Bunny Rabbit, don't like your namesake? Thought you look more like an evil queen than Usagi!"
///
"Damn!" A Boomer flew over Mitch's head, followed by an uncloaked Raven. The Raven took out the Boomer's head in midair and the body fell on Mitch's car. He ran for cover as the other ADP scattered, then saw a form in black waving to him from an alleyway.
"Motoslave Unit Three reporting, sir. Orders from Crimson are to suit up and give cover fire."
Mitch laughed. "Hey, do you know where I can find someone named Wolverine?"
"Yes, sir, I believe I am looking at him. Code received."
Mitch suited up and the Motoslave closed around him. It was big enough that he could extend his claws without damaging it, and he did so.
"Please, sir, return the laser claws to the retracted position until reaching the combat area."
"No problem." They hissed back into his suit's arms and the Motoslave took to the air. Mitch saw another combat Boomer which had pinned down a small group of frontline officers and was about to fire her heat cannon.
"Grrrrr..." Mitch used the slave's gun; she staggered and then turned to see him.
The Boomer opened its mouth and a deep glow shone from within. The blast from her mouth gun barely missed him, and he fired again. The rail burst hit as she leapt toward him and her shoulder exploded.
Mitch could see the air shimmer around the Boomer as she prepared to fire again. He fired again, aiming for the cannon's reactor, and she exploded. Boomer parts rained down upon the ADP officers.
Another Boomer came at him from behind, wrapping his arms around Mitch. Mitch extended his claws as far as he could but still couldn't reach it while still within the Motoslave.
"Grrrrrr!" Mitch saw a red button flashing on the inside surface of the slave; he pressed it and the suit ejected. The Boomer howled, dropping the empty husk, and Mitch charged toward it.
He first sliced the Boomer's head open, creating a large rent in its armor. One of the Boomer's arms flew out toward him and he dodged to the right. The Boomer missed, and Mitch's claws slid in further. It opened its mouth to reveal a laser cannon and Mitch decapitated it cleanly with a single slice. The Boomer's power feed gave way, and Mitch felt a bit of it even through the suit.
Mitch glanced up from his HUD to see the Boomer feeling around, looking for its head. It gingerly approached a police car, then began fusing with it. He strode up to it, slicing through its chest and revealing the core. He ripped it out with a growl, and what was left of Boomer and car fell over in a heap.
He laughed. Some of the other officers were staring at him; one yelled, "It's a Boomer! Fire!"
Mitch cloaked and flew off through a hail of anti-Boomer bullets.
///
Hase raised her HK and pointed it in the direction of the mocking voice. "Come here and say that again." Her own voice showed signs of strain.
Belladonna ran at her, still cloaked, and hit her combat armor with a resounding ping. "Ohhh, you're going to pay, Bunny-bun-bun... In the name of the Moon and the Raven I will punish you!"
Hase snarled and opened fire.
"Or just make you really annoyed," Belladonna continued, taking out several Boomers with a spray of laser fire. She hit Hase again with a kick to the back. "Hey, Freefall, what do you call a rabbit in a pot?"
Hase whirled around to face Belladonna.
"Aw, Bell...enough with the bad jokes, eh?"
A woman in a red dress approached, carrying what seemed to be a pistol with silencer and firing at Hase.
"Naaaw, I like my new Bunny toy...ain't that right, Bunny?" She hit Hase again.
"Come out where I can see you or the city dies!"
"Shut yer ass, Bast-itch!" Ada Inho snarled. She opened fire again taking out the shoulder of Hase's armor.
Hase saw a large, male Raven decloak in front of her. "You'll never get away with it." She took a step back. "You see? I warned Erik there would always be humans who will take up this fight."
"And she'll die for it."
"Not on my watch." Crimson swept her. "This is my city, Genom lackey. Mine. Call off your Boomers and I'll let you live to see justice."
"No. I've still got a little trophy to collect for the real master of this city. Give me the girl and I'll call them off."
Crimson tried to punch her; she rolled, neatly avoiding both his fist and another round from Ada. She stood again and fired at Crimson as Ada was distracted by another combat Boomer.
Crimson fired his cable daggers, but hesitated, seeing that Lark was in trouble. Hase dodged again, tucking down into a roll to avoid Ada again. The cables hit, sending a mild shock through her body, and she dragged Crimson down on top of her. Ada's bullets washed over the back of Crimson's armor, but it held. He tore himself free and fired his jet verniers, heading for Lark
"Hey, Bunny-bun-bun...what's the matter? Didn't get your lettuce today?"
Hase hissed at Belladonna.
"Bunny-bun-bun..."Ada fired again while she was distracted. "Or should I call you Queen Bunny?" Hase leapt toward Belladonna's voice, avoiding damage through sheer serendipity. Her armored hands found Bell's helmet and clawed at it.
"Bad Bunny!" Belladonna's laser sword extended.
"I swear," Hase gasped, "Erik has the worst taste..."
"Oh, and you're one to talk, bitch!" Shaine grabbed on to Hase from behind, pulling her off of Belladonna. Hase's arms reached back to grab her.
"Yeah, it shows," Ada added. "Didn't he choose you, after all?"
Belladonna's sword slid down toward Hase's damaged shoulder but missed as she continued to struggle with Shaine.
"Hey, Bunny, know what a Raven really eats?" More of Hase's armor exploded as Ada hit again and Belladonna hit her with a knuckle bomber blast to the head. She was dazed, but still able to continue clawing at the helmet seals. Shaine's eye could be seen through her cracked faceplate.
Ada turned again to destroy another Boomer as Shaine began swearing in German. She whipped around, trying to shake Hase loose as the helmet flew to the ground.
"OH, FUCK!"
Hase and Shaine stood wordlessly, facing each other, as Ada shot again. Belladonna tried to kick Hase out of the way, taking Ada's attack herself. She fell, slightly dazed.
"Dammit!"
The ADP began breaking through, and Shaine brought her arms up reflexively to hide her face.
"You guys want the ADP gone?" Ada asked.
"Yes!" Shaine dove toward the remains of her helmet.
Ada grinned. "Good."
"Gee, that would help." Lark said. "Oh, wait - they do the whole 'kill the Boomer' thing..."
Ada used her cyberarm to punch down a nearby tree, sending it into the path of the oncoming ADP, then turned to fire again at Hase, who was almost hit by a Motoslave.
"Stop her! She knows who she is! If she knows, Erik knows!"
Crimson appeared out of nowhere and stepped into Hase's path. "You're not going to leave us, are you, Hase?"
She stared up at him, face entirely impassive.
"This ends now." Two laser swords slid from his arms. She swerved and ran in another direction as a pair of Boomers charged Crimson.
"Damn!" He sliced their heads off, then turned in Hase's direction to see Ada already pursuing her.
"You're not getting away from me, Bast-itch!"
"Hugo, ready the beam cannons. I want to see a Boomer scrap pile." The ground around Ada exploded as Crimson barked out his orders. "All Ravens, stop Hase, first and foremost."
"Ayiiii!" Ada gritted her teeth as fire from a female Boomer set the ground around her on fire. "Dammit!" She rolled away and fired at it.
Only feet away from her transport, Hase looked up to see a black plane which had appeared out of the ether. It fired and the transport exploded. Crimson grabbed her from behind as Ada aimed her smartgun at the Boomer and her stryker gun at Hase.
"When you get to the ghost realm, tell Erik he's next." Hase brought her elbows back, smashing them into Crimson's hardsuit. Her front armor fell to Ada, but Crimson took a step back, winded.
"Kill her!"
"That's my line, thank you," Crimson joked.
Hase whirled around and hit him with doubled fists. Shaine rushed forward, knocking Crimson into the path of Ada's fire. "She's mine!"
Crimson's helmet was gone. "Well, cover his face!" Ada retorted.
"That was a new HUD, bitch!"
Shaine added her own editorial in German, leaping on top of Hase. Hase grabbed her and used her jet verniers to propel them to the roof of the art museum. Ada began swearing in Japanese.
"Oh, really, whore?" Hase drawled.
"Look who's talking, Cyberslut!"
"Ravens, reform. Hugo, roof, now. Motoroids, sound off."
"Unit One, bzzzzzzz..."
"Shit. I liked Unit One." Crimson frowned. "Inho, shut up."
"At least I stay bought!" Hase called down to her.
"I was never paid!"
"And if you're going to help, try not hitting the ones in black." Crimson's wings popped out and he flew to the roof. "Let her go, Hase. She'll only bring you death if you try to use her against us."
"I've tasted death before. Bitter. Doesn't scare me," Hase mused. "And if I take her with me, you'll all die."
Ada started walking away, muttering something in Japanese.
"I'm sure, but we're everywhere." Hase looked around her. "Yes, more Ravens than these."
She radioed for more Boomers; Ada suddenly saw one crawling out of the ground toward her. Hase was beginning to feel a distinctly unpleasant half-numbness in her legs.
"Yeah, right," Ada said, shooting the Boomer in the head. The rest began leaping for the roof.
"You don't want her, Hase."
"Spoken like a Raven! If you had any loyalties at all you'd never say that." Shaine spit out a few more obscenities at this.
"Hase, I'm the one you want. I'll trade my life for the girl's."
Hase stared at him blankly as another Raven flew towards them from the ADP front.
"You know I'm worth more to Erik than she is. In fact, I'm worth more than all of them."
"Don't flatter yourself. To Genom, maybe. Not to him."
"Hase...I made them. Everything you see here is because of me." Crimson grinned as the newcomer barreled toward Hase.
"You want me, little bird?" She extended the laser sword in the undamaged left arm of her suit. "Come on."
"You talk too much!" Mitch slashed at the arm, but she parried and tried to kick him. He managed to rip away a piece of armor over her leg, but then something slammed into his back.
He fell toward the other end of the slated roof but quickly recovered, ripping open the chest of the Boomer which had attacked him. It was fused with an ADP stomach gun, which it fired at his chest. The shot went wide, scratching the side of Mitch's suit.
The Boomer raised its arm to reveal a blade running alongside it. Mitch reached in as it raised the blade, tearing out its core before it could react, and threw the core at Hase. It exploded as it hit the ground before her feet. "Here's your boy!"
The core was soon followed by a rail burst coming from the sky behind her. Something on one end of the burst flared out, forming a roselike shape.
Hase craned her neck around, staring into the sky. "No..."
A massive EMP burst hit the roof, sparing the Ravens but utterly destroying all of the Boomers.
"Fucking children! Why couldn't you stay back in kindergarten?" The sheer rage in her expression was unlike anything she had shown before.
"Niiice," Crimson commented. "Friends of yours, Hase? We're of the same breed, you know."
A black and white, tuxedo-like hardsuit touched down on the roof.
///
Ada sat down on the hood of an ADP squad car and began cleaning her gun. "They need help. The Boomers' ringleader is up there."
Jenkins looked at her. "And who are you?"
"Just get up there. What are you waiting for?"
"The choppers! There's something moving this way and it's huge!"
"No wonder the people want to shut you down," Ada moaned. "You can climb stairs, can't you?"
"Lady, if I had the men to go up there I would. But I've had a really bad day - seems a 90% death rate will do that to you..."
"I'll go with you."
///
"I am Sailormoon! And on behalf of the Moon I will right wrongs and triumph over Genom's evil! And that means you, Chibi-Reject!"
"Chibi-Reject?" the Ravens chorused.
"Damn, why didn't I think of that line?" Bell wailed.
Hase fired at 'Sailormoon' but the hardsuited figure easily dodged. "Where the fuck is that helicopter?" she shouted into her suit radio.
"Twelve are on the way," the reply came.
"Not good enough. Now." A massive Doberman Boomer and many smaller Boomers landed on the roof.
"Ravens, let's go!" Crimson barked.
Right behind them were the nine new hardsuits, most of them modeled after sailor senshi fukus. "We are the Moonlight Knights! And we fight for love and justice!"
"The Nega-forces of Genom cannot stand against us, Meatball Head!" another jeered.
"I hear that!" Belladonna said.
"Bell, fan club later, fight more," Lark called.
"What," Shaine asked, "Did Starbright buy out Cartoon Network or something?"
"Star-what? Never heard of them"
"Whoops...my bad."
"It's over." Crimson stood before Hase solemnly.
'Sailormoon' went to his side. "Who are you?" she asked timidly.
He turned to her. "I'm Birdman." Then he fired a cable dagger at Shaine's legs. The cable wrapped around her and he pulled.
Hase's grip on the Raven failed. "Well, then...enjoy what you have!" There was an inexplicable note of bitterness in her voice. "I can tell you you're not getting any more from me."
"Now, Moon...we finish her."
Before Crimson could attack, the Doberman strode up to Hase and growled. Ada and Jenkins had just gotten to the roof, and both opened fire on it.
"Shaine, saber strike!" The sound of a helicopter could be heard very faintly above the melee. "All Ravens, fire!"
Crimson activated his suit's phone link. "Yeah, it's me. Yes, access code Raven One, love forever..."
A crackle came forth from the sky, setting it on fire. The Doberman was bathed in red light. "Everyone to the other end of the roof. Move, people!"
"I am!" Ada called.
The Doberman let out a cry and exploded. The Wing hovered near the roof and the stunned Ravens and Knights.
Hase was nowhere in sight.
"Everyone in a hardsuit, get in the Wing." Crimson turned to Ada. "You're coming with us too."
"But..."
"No buts. Your life is over; Hase won't rest until she gets her hands on you."
"Damn."
"And after what you did today...I refuse to let her. Get in."
"Look, I'm sorry for shooting you guys? Now may I please go back to my hotel?"
"No. We'll take care of your things and you'll go to a safe house, for now."
"Greeeat."
Crimson turned to face Jenkins. "Nice seeing you, officer."
"B-but you're dead...we saw you die!"
"That's right. I'm just one of the many ghosts of Chicago. That's what a raven is: the spirit of the dead brought back to this world.
"And we have more of your men among us now..." He stepped into the Wing and it vanished from sight.
///
"All riiight!" Mitch stood by the side of the aisle...there weren't enough seats for both the Ravens and their new allies.
"What's your name?" asked the one in the green and pink suit.
"Wolverine. Who are you?"
"I'm Sailorjupiter. Um...nice claw you've got there... Know where you guys are taking us?"
"I'd shake your hand but I'm having a problem with retracting this!"
"I see," she replied nervously.
"We're going to the Nest."
"The Nest? What's that?"
"You were the one with the lightning, right?"
"That's me...you were the one with the Boomer that was firing at me?"
"Yeah, sorry." Mitch grinned sheepishly beneath his helmet. "I get a little crazy in the middle of a battle. That's why they call me Wolverine."
"Nice to see you're on our side!"
Mitch laughed. "Yeah, that lightning was pretty impressive..."
"Thanks. Artemis came up with it. Pretty good at long range."
"Who's Artemis?"
"He's our nerd boy. One on the left, all in white and looks like a cat."
"Ah. We have Jinks for that kind of thing."
"Well, I hope she does a better job than the name implies!"
"It's a joke!" Jinks called from behind Jupiter.
"When she was young..."
"Hey, watch it, fuzzy, or your claw will stay that way."
"Now she is very capable..."
"That's better!"
Jupiter laughed. "Yeah, I can see that!"
The back door of the wing opened. "Well, here we are...welcome to the desert of the real."