Knight Guard - 05

KNIGHT

GUARD

A Ranma ½/Slayers/Sailor Moon Crossover Fanfiction

By Underlord Backlash

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, Slayers, Sailor Moon, or any of their characters. They all belong to their respective owners.

Part 5

"Contact"

Atrocity's blue eyes gazed down at the fifty Hunter-class Strykers before him. Each one of them utterly devoted to whatever commands they were given. Each one completely without emotion. Each one his to use as he wished. "I think I'm going to have some fun with this group of defenders." He smiled, brimming with arrogance. "He said to test them. Fifty Strykers shouldn't be too hard a test, that is if they're even a worthy challenge."

"Our Lord told you not to underestimate them."

Atrocity turned around to see Diacoz. He was dressed in his lab coat and glasses as usual, his hair tied back so it would keep out of his precious experiments. "What do you want, Diacoz?"

"Just to remind you to have them spread out undetected at first. I need some further data on the planet's atmosphere and other environmental factors before I can be assured that the other Generals' abilities, including yours, will function properly."

Atrocity tossed his hair back. "You worry too much, lab rat. By the way, I need a few Avian-class Strykers to gather some… research materials." He smirked.

Diacoz sighed. "Ahh yes, your 'hobby' again." He pulled out a data pad and tapped a few keys. "I'll dispatch them when the Hunters engage the defenders. That should let them work uninterrupted." He glanced up at his fellow General. "By the way, be sure to draw out each of the defenders' signature attacks. I've accessed the planet's 'internet' as they call it, and found a plethora of reported sightings of their battles before; but there are no defenders that match the elemental energy signature, just the planetary magi-force links. The elemental defenders, except one, must not be completely active. The ones active are known as the Sailor Senshi, the one elemental is known as Tuxedo Kamen."

"Save it. I'll be monitoring the battle myself, so I'll find out all I need to know on my own." He tossed his hair off of his shoulder, letting it fall down his back. "I'll be leaving in five minutes, make sure the Strykers are ready."

"Very well, Atrocity."

***

"This is not possible, I refuse to believe this!"

"Is he always this obstinate?" TJ ignored Ranma's continued rantings and turned to Mousse.

"Actually, I assume it because he doesn't know the others that this is a comparatively mild protest of his." Mousse adjusted his glasses as he watched TJ's cousin Usagi and her boyfriend Mamoru try to convince Ranma that he had to go along with all of this.

Ranma swung his arm to point at TJ. "For one thing, even IF I was willing to go along with this, which I'm not; what makes you think I'd fight alongside an upstart gaijin like him?"

TJ blinked and then looked at Ryoga. "I don't think he likes me."

Ryoga grinned and then snickered. "Ranma doesn't like anyone he thinks could beat him in a fight."

TJ thought about that for a moment. 'Hmm, magic duel…definitely. Sword fight... most likely. Straight out martial arts………….maybe in my dreams. I can tell that much at least.' He cleared his throat and stood up. "Ranma, get a grip. I mean, I'm Catholic, so this whole reincarnation thing really isn't sitting right with me; but I've got no reason to not believe Usagi-chan and the others. So if you're refusing to work as one of the Knights just because you don't like me, then you're just havin' a pissy fit like a little girl."

Ranma lunged at TJ. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK, MCCARRON!" He and TJ went through the wall as he planted a kick squarely in the American's chest. He began pursuing TJ around the temple grounds.

As the others rushed outside, Ryoga turned to Mousse. "You think we should tell TJ why that's kind of a sensitive subject with Ranma?"

Mousse shook his head. "As much as I dislike Saotome, that's his business. It's his place to tell TJ about that if he chooses to. We have our own decisions to make about that particular situation."

"Fair enough."

***

Atrocity materialized over the Juuban area. He checked the timer on his communicator. "They've been around long enough to get Diacoz's data for him. Fifteen seconds until I get to put them to some real use…ten…five, four, three, two… Contact." He pressed a red button on the communicator and screams billowed out from the area below. "Diacoz's transporter is as efficient as ever. This should draw out the Defenders." He smiled, and his eyes flashed with green energy.

***

Everyone's head turned as a crowd of screaming people ran past the temple grounds. Even Ranma, who was currently holding TJ up by his collar, and pressing him against a tree. They all rushed over to and down the stairs. The people running by were like a tidal wave. Ranma and Mousse started running on top of the crowd, jumping from head to head. Ryoga, TJ, and Makoto used a spearhead formation to clear a path for the others. They all rushed towards the source of whatever was happening. By now there were explosions coming from the area.

Bast, Luna, and Artemis sat at the top of the temple stairs. Their respective humans had left without them, and there was no way they were going to let themselves get trampled by that crowd. "So, now what, Onee-sama?" Bast looked at Luna.

Luna sighed. "For now, all we can do is hope that the Knights don't get themselves killed in their first battle."

Artemis laughed half-heartedly. "Hey, look on the bright side. The Senshi have a pretty good record for on the job training. So the Knights have those odds on their side."

Luna and Bast sighed.

***

Atrocity sat down at one of the now vacant tables in the food court area of the mall the Strykers had just cleared out. They were instructed not to kill anyone, but to make lots of noise. If any of them even tried to go against their orders, their minds would shut down, and their bodies would return to the test-tube borne ooze they came from. 'How grand to be superior,' he thought to himself. He noticed that someone had left a comic book behind in his or her haste to leave. He picked it up and dusted it off, then rifled through the pages. 'Interesting, this one could be amusing to use.' His thoughts were interrupted by a burst of light from a nearby rooftop. Five women, wearing outfits that seemed to come from his favorite sort of daydreams, stood there. He grimaced as they started the usual 'love and justice' speech that was so typically used by the other female Defenders he had defeated in the past. 'Are all these teenage female Defenders under the same contract or something?' He assumed one or more of them had picked up his rather unique energy signature and assumed he was the cause of the problems. Now they were even trying to order him to send the 'youmas' back, whatever they were, 'or else'. The universal translators he and the others used were good, but there were always a few local specifics they couldn't sort out. He cleared his throat and rolled his eyes as he addressed them. "And if I choose 'or else', then what? You'll put my hair in a style as bad as yours?" The lead Defender, the one called 'Sailor Moon' fell over.

A red and green blur came shooting towards Atrocity from another rooftop. He saw it just barely in time and dodged, mostly. His hand trembling, he fingered the scratch on his face and looked at whatever it was that had been thrown. It was some kind of red flower with thorns, and it had somehow been thrown hard enough to embed itself in the pavement. Now, Atrocity was upset. He looked for the source of the flower and his eyes went to another rooftop. Did all Defenders always have to make the same sort of entrance; highest available ground, and some stupid sort of speech? At least these Defenders seemed a bit more sensible than the female ones. Four of them in armor, one in some sort of formal suit. They were all silent, the armored ones with weapons at the ready, and the formal one was holding a cane and another of those flowers. They seemed completely ready to strike at an instant's notice. 'Hmm, it might actually be fun fighting them; but I won't even bother getting my hands dirty with those bimbos. It's a shame this is a just a research assignment.'

The lead male Defender spoke up. "That's no way to speak to a lady." He angled his wrist to throw the next flower.

Atrocity narrowed his eyes on the flower, as an iridescent green glow washed over his eyes. The flower wilted and turned to dust in the Defender's hand. Atrocity allowed himself a smile as the Defender scowled, an expression he could read even through the mask he was wearing. "And what are you going to do about it? Take the time to fight me, and I imagine my… servants, will have a considerable mess in that time." He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Well, time's running out… Ah well, I'll get things moving myself." He tore a page from the comic he had been reading, and tossed it into the air. The paper became stiff and hung in mid-air. Atrocity pointed his open palm towards the page, and a blast of green energy shot into it. "Arise!"

The energy grew into a humanoid shape. In a blast of light, it became solid. It was a man in his late teens, with black spiky hair, a sword at his hip, a greenish tank top, and baggy white pants. He looked around, and when he saw Atrocity, he went to one knee in front of him.

The lead female Defender blinked and stared at the creation. "Wait a minute, that's…"

Atrocity nodded and sat down as his creation bowed to him. He kicked his feet up onto the table as he pointed at the female Defenders. "Have fun."

A smile of unrestrained glee crossed over the boy's face. His head turned an almost complete 180 degrees and he looked at the Defenders with an open mouthed smile. He stood up and turned the rest of his body around, as a trickle of drool fell from his lips. Suddenly, he jumped a full thirty feet into the air and scrambled onto the rooftop where the female Defenders were. "OH PRETTY GIRLS!!!" He ran towards them like a man possessed. "Would you like to go out on a date with me? Look, I've had all my shots and I smell good, and I'm really nice; so how 'bout it, huh?!"

As he latched onto her, the red-skirted Defender sent him reeling with a thunderous slap to his face. "Get away, you nasty little pervert!" He fell backwards, tumbled down the roof, and managed to catch his foot on the edge of the roof as he clutched his face in pain.

"Rrrrghhgh, that really hurts…. But that's okay, because I still like you anyway!" He hoisted himself back onto the roof and selected a new target, the green skirt this time. "The warm love that oozes from my… heart, shall warm your soul and we'll—URRGGHH!" His words were cut off by a sharp uppercut to his jaw that sent him flying off the roof. "You don't have to play so hard to get! I'm already interested!"

The red-skirted Defender gritted her teeth. "This creep's making fun of us! MARS FLAME…"

The lead female leapt towards her. "No! Wait!"

"SNIPER!" A blast of flame burst forth from her hands and zoomed towards the boy.

As the flames struck his prone form, he regained consciousness. "Oh I can feel it! I'm burning with passion, OH WAIT, I AM BURNING!!"

The lead female brought her hand over her mouth. "This is… not good."

The one with the red skirt crossed her arms in front of her and shot a glare at the leader. "What are you talking about? He was a comic strip with perversions of grandeur, not a real person or anything."

"THAT WAS CARROT GLACE!!"

A thunderous roar split the air as Carrot began to glow. He smiled and began to speak. "I may be weak, and I don't know how to use magic, but that doesn't mean I'm helpless." His body began to bulge and contort. "I'm more dangerous once I've absorbed your magic…" He morphed into a giant monster and began beating his chest.

The leader sweatdropped and stared up at the monster. "This is VERY not good…"

Okaaaaaaay, so after far too long, Part 5 is finished! As you might guess by Atrocity's first act of terror, there's going to be a number of cameos in the future of the story. I haven't decided on them all yet, so if anyone reading this has someone they'd love to see battle the Senshi and/or Knights, e-mail me or tell me in your reviews who. Just remember, nobody from Ranma or Slayers, they're already in the story so that would just be silly wouldn't it? Any manga or US comic that has a Japanese following will do. As a fan myself, I know how wonderful it is to see my ideas used by others, so tell me who you'd like to see!

Ja ne!

Underlord Backlash