Ch. 2: Firefly

"B... Bakuryu? Kenji please, say it isn't so!" Uriko pleaded to her boyfriend, whose eyes seemed consumed in dark flame.

"Oh, it is so, little Kitten. The weakling you knew is buried once more. Bakuryu, assassin of shadow, stalker of the night lives once more," Bakuryu replied in a voice as smooth as velvet, showing full his evil desires.

Well, she thought, at least he got his poetic side back. "But how? Bakuryu was gone!"

"Gone, but not forgotten, little kitty!" Busuzima squealed. "You see, while he was in my service, I planted a nice little post-hypnotic suggestion! Although I wanted to use it..."

Mariko walked over, and close to Bakuryu. "Believe it, baby. Bakuryu's my boy-toy now." Uriko growled at her clone's brazen words. She got to her feet, transformed, and lunged at Mariko. The cloned laugh, caught Uriko's paw mid attack, and delivered a blow to her ribs. The redness of pure pain flashed before Uriko's eyes as she sprawled to the floor. She tried to get up again, but slumped back down, holding her ribs in agony.

"And you," Mariko said shooting a glare at Uranus. "You could have been the best of us, but instead you strive to be as weak and pathetic as the rest of them. It doesn't matter, though, you'll both die here, alone."

Uranus roared and transformed into her massive Chimera form. With speed that belied her massive appearance she lunged forward, grabbing the green-haired scientist and throwing him at Mariko and Bakuryu. Using the distraction, she gently scooped Uriko up and crashed out the nearest wall. She quickly reverted back to her human form and flew away, cradling Uriko.

"Shall I follow them, mistress?"

"No Bakuryu, they are inconsequential. We have bigger priorities on hand."

"Hey! You wait one minute! I created you, and I give the orders here!"

Mariko hissed at Busuzima. She sternly approached, and wrapped her hand around the scientist's throat. She drew back her other hand, extending five long, metallic claws. She thrust them forward, stopping inches from Busuzima's face. "You would, had you not created me. I'm stranger, faster, and smarter than you, so give me one damned good reason I should follow your orders?"

Busuzima said nothing. He couldn't, as Mariko's grip had nearly closed his air passages. He couild only manage a gargle before Mariko finally let him go. She retracted her claws, and bent over. She looked Busuzima in the face with an almost child-like smile. "But I am grateful. That's why I'm not going to kill you. I want you to see the new age I'm going to bring in. Maybe then, if you amuse me, I'll let you live even longer." She stood, and shot a glance to Bakuryu. "Bakuryu darling, come. We have work to do."

"Yes, my mistress," the brainwashed ninja replied, following Mariko out the door.

Busuzima squirmed on the floor, gasping for air. Scant seconds passed until he felt that he was again not alone. He sat up, seeing a familiar figure cloaked in the shadows. "Congratulations Hajime, you've succeeded."

"Suceeded? I can't control that thing! She's freaking psycho!" Busuzima screamed.

"Of course you cannot control her. She is superior to you in every way that I am superior to you. And it is you who serves me, is it not?"

"B... but I did everything you said! I took that kid's DNA, spliced it with yours, and EVERYTHING!"

"Like I said, you've succeeded in crafting the future," he said stepping from the shadows, revealing a tall slender man with long, silver hair. "A pity you are not part of it."

"What? What do you mean?"

He stepped forward again, this time inches from Busuzima. A long, silver blade stuck out from the sleeve of his long, red coat. "I mean that you usefulness to me," he raised the blade above his head, "is OVER!"

"Master... no, please!" Busuzima pleaded. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!" The silver-haired man brought the blade down, cleanly severing Busuzima's head in a spraw of blood. The body slouched over, making a thud that would sicken the heart of any rational man.

"Mariko, the future is now."

---

Uranus placed Uriko gently on her couch. She felt the young woman's chest, and frowned. "A broken rib, maybe two or three."

Just then, Alice walked through the door. "Uranus? What have you done to Uriko?" Alice stormed forward, and grabbed Uranus by the throat. Uranus offered no resistance.

"Nothing. We were attacked by that woman in red, as well as Hajime Busuzima."

"And why should I believe you, you bitch!?"

"She's... telling... truth..." Uriko gasped.

"What?"

"Busuzima... cloned me... Clone... attacked..."

Alice loosened her grip, and rushed to her sister. "You have some cracked ribs... 3... no for... we need to get you to a hospital, you may have punctured..."

"We cannot, Busuzima will find us..." Uranus protested.

"Then what do you suggest we do? These won't heal on their own, and I don't have the supplies or the equipment to..."

Uranus walked to Uriko, and gently moved Alice aside. She raised her hands to her face, as they began to emanate a soft, ethereal glow. She placed on hand on Uriko's forhead, and the other over her chest. She closed her eyes, sighed, and somehow transferred the light to Uriko. Slowly, Uriko's body began to glow, until it reached an intensity that Alice had to avert her eyes. When she was able to look back, Uriko was sitting, as if nothing had happened.

"How... how did you do that?" Uriko asked in shock, feeling her ribs.

"I don't know. It just... felt right..."

"OK, now that that's settled... somehow... care to explain what happened?"

"We were approached by that Kira lady again, she said her employer wanted to talk to us. We didn't have any choice but to go. Turns out, she was hired by Busuzima, who wanted to clone me. It worked, but the clone was stronger somehow..." Uriko explained.

"Like ShenLong was to Long."

"No, this was worse. She floored me, Uranus, and Kenji..." she went misty at the name.

"Kenji? What's wrong with Kenji?"

"Kenji's gone," Uriko said, near tears, "He's become Bakuryu again."

"Oh no... no... We have to tell Yugo!" Alice gasped.

"There is more," Uranus said. "While we were there, I sensed the presence of another. Someone very familiar."

"Who? ShenLong?" Uriko asked.

"No... Xion."

................................................................to be continued!

Next: Mariko is on the loose, and Bakuryu is at her side. What does she have planned, and what is Xion's role in all this?