Running. It seemed as if that was all they had been doing for ages. Usagi was tired of following Renée and her friend, and she ached to go catch those monsters before they did something truly terrible.
"Renée, stop!" she called between breaths, letting her pace drop from a run to a crawl, dragging her feet behind her. At last the girl she was pursuing let up, turning suddenly to answer Usagi's call.
"C'mon, we have to do something about those two. We can go behind that building, through that alleyway. No one will see-"
"But-" Renée tried to interrupt Usagi, but gave up after the word left her mouth. Why was she objecting? She wanted those monsters dead too, so why couldn't she let Usagi and herself go after them?
Lien stood off to the side, tired and alone. All he had done was come to find Renée, and somehow had gotten caught in a paranormal war. He sighed, catching Renée's attention for a moment.
Usagi was just about to use the distraction to dart off into the alley alone, when a loud crack made all their heads turn. It had come from just around the corner, and it was the sound of wood against something just as hard.
The trio rushed to the source, peering around the crowded corner carefully, catching a glimpse through the people of an attack of yet another monster. Shadowolf, a creature they had defeated before, stood there in all her glory with a smirk on her face. Her gleaming purple skin and acid green hair contrasting the dark street made her an even greater presence than she had been the first time.
A young man with all his muscles tensed stood in front of her, preparing to swing the bat in his hand again.
The street had emptied quickly; with a few cries here and there people scrambled to escape the terror. A few had even abandoned their cars on the previously quiet road. There were some brave bystanders that remained at a safe distance, like the group of teens in front of Usagi and her gang, afraid yet curious enough to hang out at the edges of the danger. The man that was in the middle of a showdown with Shadowolf would soon cause the rest to scatter. He swung the bat at Shadowolf again with considerable force, Renée credited him with, but she crushed his dreams of heroism by simply raising her arm and taking the blow with her forearm. The man's eyes grew wide once he registered what had happened, and Renée assumed the last noise they had heard must have been him missing, if he hadn't realized by now he couldn't hurt her. Shadowolf grabbed the baseball bat and in one swift movement, flung it over her head with the man still clamped to the other end. Renée couldn't help but wince as the man's back hit the pavement with a horrible noise.
Usagi had had enough. Before she was even sure that everyone had cleared out, she carelessly transformed then and there.
"Usagi no!" Renée gasped as she heard the transformation phrase leave Usagi's mouth. She followed the princess' rash actions, her mind conjuring thoughts of Usagi being brutalized like the innocent man.
As soon as Sailor Moon was ready to go, she tried to dive into the fight, but Sailor Kitty's staff swung out in front of her face, preventing her from going any farther.
"I've got this one, Sailor Moon," Renée fumed, and she dashed towards Shadowolf before she could do another thing to the unconscious hero.
Shadowolf stood in a strong stance, her back to Sailor Kitty as she bounced her ball. She was busy judging the distance between herself and a couple of boys who were on the run. They were over 100 meters away, easily, but she could nail them. May as well check them for the key before checking the harmless human who lay near her. He wasn't going anywhere.
Suddenly she heard the thudding of boots against pavement, and just in time she turned to witness Sailor Kitty leap forward, her dagger-like staff brandished right at her.
She leaped to the side, tripping over herself in her rush as she heard the clink of Sailor Kitty's dagger being thrust into the cement. Her enemy wasted no time in coming at her again.
Sailor Moon cautiously stepped out onto the battlefield, becoming bolder as she saw Sailor Kitty take her first swing at the purple deformity. She had to get that innocent man out of there, but if Shadowolf saw she'd be endangering both herself and the man.
Lien was soon by her side, understanding her goal without a word. It seemed like it took an eternity to reach him, but once Lien had the man by the shoulders, Usagi picked up the rest of the weight by grabbing his legs and the two returned by the way they came twice as fast. Finally around the corner, Usagi heaved a sigh of relief as she less than carefully let her burden fall back to the ground. However, her worries renewed as soon as they had loosened their grip, for her friend was still caught in battle down the road. She sorely wanted to help, but it was impossible – the battle was too chaotic. If she ran in now, either combatant could hit her; but if she attempted to help from a distance, she may only make things worse. If she didn't hit the monster, she could still draw attention to herself, but that would only give Shadowolf an opportunity to hit Lien. She struggled with what to do next, but all she could come to was to wait.
Sailor Kitty was relentless; even the great Shadowolf was having trouble keeping up. The monster danced this way and that, dodging the deadly touch of Sailor Kitty's staff every time. No matter how far Shadowolf managed to jump or dash away, surprisingly Sailor Kitty was right behind her. The combination of her powers and her determination, Renée assumed, was giving her the strength to do so. The silver-clad soldier managed to chase Shadowolf off far enough down the street that Usagi and Lien were able to drag the stranger to safety. Renée stole a glace at them as they dashed out of sight rounding the corner, giving Shadowolf a split second to send her weapon spinning in her direction.
Sailor Kitty ducked, allowing the ball to pass over her and bounce off the nearest wall to rebound at her. In defence, she swung the heavy end of her staff down into the ball, barely catching it at the end and slamming it into the ground.
A high-pitched hiss escaped from the ball, stopping both warriors in their tracks.
Renée watched as the deadly weapon deflated slowly under her staff; eyebrows arched as the terrifying object sunk into the ground. She had intended to send it away, not kill it.
"AH!" Shadowolf choked in surprise. Dumbfounded, all she could do was watch, wide-eyed as her lifeline flattened before her eyes.
"I didn't know it could be stopped so easily," Renée honestly puzzled as she lifted the sack of leather that was still hooked on one of the sharp talons of her staff. It was surprising to see something that was once used for so much destruction end in such a stupid way.
Shadowolf just screamed her fury as she came to her senses, clenching her fists as she trembled with rage. She lunged blindly at Sailor Kitty, but was too far away. Renée just sidestepped out of harms way, leaving Shadowolf only empty air to stop her head forward plunge.
The creature skilfully somersaulted on the ground, stopping on her toes. On her feet again, she was about to dodge another assault from Sailor Kitty when she spied something useful in the distance. With a hop she was up and running.
"Oh crap," Renée swore in English as she realized too late what the thing had dashed for.
Shadowolf picked up the bat the first fighter had left behind. "Alright freak show," She said without turning around to face Sailor Kitty tensing up a bit before she swung it against the lamppost it had been abandoned near. The metal reverberated a deep tone with the incredible force Shadowolf used. "Now it's fair!"
"Me, freak show?" Sailor Kitty chuckled to hide her fear, and Shadowolf pumped her legs to come at her with terrific speed. Sailor Kitty gracefully leaped to the side, a mile away from where the bat hit. "Look at yourself! You are hardly real!"
Shadowolf only grunted with the next set of blows she tried to deliver. Belittling the creature seemed to work, as she was attacking with all her power and no control. This just may be an easy kill!
Twisting and turning, Sailor Kitty almost wanted to smile as she just swayed out of Shadowolf's reach every time. She only brought her staff up to block a particularly ferocious blow. As they remained locked, Shadowolf pressed harder and harder down on Sailor Kitty's staff, growling in her effort. Sailor Kitty nearly laughed, unsure of what Shadowolf was trying to achieve.
Regrettably, Shadowolf then snapped out of whatever crazed trance she had been in, seeing the glint of joy in Sailor Kitty's eyes. With lightning speed she turned away and shattered the bat against the pavement, sending splinters of wood everywhere and busting it in half. Before Sailor Kitty even had a chance to shield her eyes, Shadowolf stabbed her in the most vulnerable spot she could find, her thigh, with her makeshift sword.
Sailor Kitty could hardly give a grunt of pain before Shadowolf had retracted her arm to bring about a swinging blow to her head. Sailor Kitty ducked, but felt the wood graze her head.
Shadowolf, to everyone's surprised, retreated after that, breathing heavily. She took a few steps back and tossed the bat away with a sneer, throwing her outstretched palm out into Sailor Kitty's direction. The injured soldier looked up, the palm of the violet hand right under Shadowolf's eyes.
"I win," she jeered and blasted Sailor Kitty square in the chest with what appeared to be a burst of black wind. The shadow energy formed a whirlwind that shoved Sailor Kitty hard in the chest, knocking her off her feet and leaving her skidding on her back across the pavement, now far from Shadowolf.
"THAT'S IT!" Sailor Moon shouted, her sceptre pointed right at Shadowolf. The monster simply chuckled at the sound of the angry princess behind her.
"Not this time, princessss", she hissed the last syllable over her shoulder as she conjured more shadow around her right wrist. It obscured the fist she made, and before Usagi had any time to react, she forced her hand into the ground.
A dark line of shadow forced it's way through the cement, shaking the earth so violently that the windows of the surrounding buildings shattered from the tremors.
Sailor Moon braced herself to jump out of its way, but the line broke up and cracked the street into islands, with some sinking lower than others without enough support.
The one Sailor Moon occupied began to crack into so many pieces it looked like the ground was turning to snakeskin before her eyes. She turned to escape to the ground behind her, but a wall of shadow shot up like a barrier of steam before she could escape.
Usagi began to wail in a panic, unable to escape whatever was crawling underneath her. She backed into the last solid corner of cement that lasted and waited for the black rivulets to take it over.
Shadowolf stood tense with concentration distorting her face, but not without a smile. She could barely sense what was happening; she was not as strong with her powers as Windfish was, but if she was correct Sailor Moon would soon face her demise. Her world would give out from under her to a torrent of black energy that'd rip her apart.
What a bloody mess her master would be proud of.
"Oh hell no," a shaky but defiant voice said from behind her in a language she had not been taught to understand.
Shadowolf tried to keep her concentration on her powers, but cocked her head to the side to see the stupid animal behind her from the corner of her eye.
Sailor Kitty stood, her chest heaving from the struggle to breathe against the pain, but stood nonetheless.
"I'm tired of getting knocked out by you guys, I'm not quitting that early this time."
Shadowolf growled, having to stop the attack on Sailor Moon. The street was quiet once again, except for the slight sound of air rushing around the forearms of Shadowolf.
"Alright Kitty, no problem, this time you won't have to wake up," she spat, concentrating everything on the next attack. She was going to make sure the silver soldier wouldn't be able to dodge the next bone-splitting blow.
Although just as she had tensed her muscles again, her head was thrown forward with a loud, hollow crack. Her eyes went wide as she was thrown to her hands and knees in shock, Lien standing behind her with the bat pointed to the ground.
"Alright, Sailor Moon," Lien gave the mark, sidestepping out of the way and an angry cry of "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!" sent a shower of gold and silver into the monster.
Shadowolf howled in pain as soon as the beam bit into her, the light burning at her skin. With one last cry she turned her body to shadow and disappeared into the air, gone in a poof of smoke.
Sailor Kitty's heavy eyed form finally slumped to the ground, like it had been aching to since she had stood up. Lien rushed to her side, as did Sailor Moon, as she sat there hunched over and puffing for air. She didn't really have a plan when she called Shadowolf's attention; she just had to get her off of Sailor Moon. She had been like a deer in the headlights and probably would have been torn in half if it weren't for the two people next to her.
"Well, that was fun," she huffed with a forced smile. She tried to give a chuckle but her heavily bruised body from the two fights in a row wouldn't have it, and she started coughing uncontrollably.
"Renée, I'm so sorry," Usagi fought back tears, hugging her gently around the neck.
"Oh Usagi what do you have to be sorry for? You're the only I've met all night who didn't attack me," she gave a genuine, wider smile this time, but knew better not to laugh.
"I didn't attack you," Lien said as he grabbed her shoulder, as if to help support her own weight. "Surprised you, maybe. Renée we need to get you to a hospital or something," Lien gestured toward her thigh, noting that the blood had begun to drip onto the street. It was a deep gash that Shadowolf had given her, and there were splinters of wood left in the flesh. Sailor Kitty picked at the most notable piece, tugging it out with a soft sucking noise.
"Yeah this is pretty gross isn't it," she sighed, Lien supporting most of her weight now.
"Ok, that's it, we're out of here," Lien stated as he lifted her up off the ground, forcing her to stand but not without help.
"If you can just hang on and wait for my friends, I can call them down and Mamoru could drive her to the hospital really fast-" Sailor Moon rambled as Lien picked her up entirely off the ground and Sailor Kitty degenerated into Renée once again in a soft sliver glow.
"Your friends, as in the other Sailor Soldiers like you?"
"Of course, I can call them on the nearest payphone, I've lost my communicator," Sailor Moon admitted again, as she had when they had first met. However, Lien went pale at the thought.
"They tried to kill us, Sailor Moon!"
"Don't worry I can explain to them-"
"They wouldn't even let Renée explain."
"I don't really need a hospital ya know," Renée did her best to lift her head, the blood that had been rushing to it giving her an even worse headache than before. She tried to struggle from Lien's grasp, to walk on her own, but she was too tired to even fight out of his grip.
"Ugh, please just don't take me to the hospital again," she pleaded, her eyelids fluttering from exhaustion.
Lien shook his head and ended the matter. "Don't worry about us, ok Sailor Moon? Things can only get worse if we stay here any longer. I'll take care of her, but then we're going home."
"Where are you going?" Sailor Moon asked cautiously, but Lien walked past her with another shake of his head as a response. They were to have no more to do with each other.
Shadowolf gasped and gagged as she reappeared from a mass of shadow in her lair. Her home. She regained her breath after a long moment, but her Master scared it out of her again.
"Sir," she spat, "I did not see you there," she meant as an apology for her disrespect as she tried to stand upright. She could not help hunching over a bit, and her arms remained plastered around herself, desperately trying to numb the pain of that last attack.
Urufu nodded in understanding, a dark form in the dim light.
"Unsuccessful, I see," was all he said.
Shadowolf was afraid to say anything more. In respect she remained quiet, only her heavy breathing disturbing the peace.
Urufu stood up gently, walking around his injured creation. "At least you made it back."
Shadowolf felt a pang in her stomach, her eyes becoming rounder in surprise and worry over two creatures she never thought she'd worry about.
"What?" she gasped quietly, realizing what he meant. Slipping into denial, she needed him to clarify if it was really true.
"What do you-" Shadowolf spun around to ask, but with a soft squish noise and blinding pain, a gurgle from her throat cut her off. Urufu had cleanly run her through with the sword that had been hanging around his waist that night, and he had unsheathed it behind her without making a sound.
Shadowolf coughed and looked down, not believing what had just happened. Before she knew it he had it back in the sheath, letting her eventually collapse backwards onto the ground.
Urufu left the room without a word, leaving Shadowolf to bleed to death in a horrible haze of pain. She began to shiver, loosing motor control as she continued the hopeless battle for her life. With a grunt, she turned herself over and began to crawl towards the main control. It was merely feet away, but as she dragged herself along with yelps of effort, leaving a streak of blood behind her, it became harder, and harder…
This was it, her life was over, and the only one she had trusted had betrayed her. Shadowolf gripped the control panel and did her best to pull herself up, her muscles straining under the immense task. With a final wail she at last made it and let her top half crumple over the panel, letting herself rest for the last time.
She was not going to leave this world, tossed away like garbage, without taking something down with her.
She slowly clenched the fist in front of her face, her hand shaking violently now as she channelled her energy into this last act. She raised herself as best she could with the other arm with a growl, rearing the fist back that was now sparking with dark energy. Then, before her body gave way she burst through the control panel, sparks flying as her fist easily broke through the metal. Shadow started to flow like a liquid over the system and slip onto the floor, trying to reach every corner of the lab.
"If they can dispose of us," she hissed triumphantly, "then our work must be useless to them," she smiled, as she knew she would succeed in destroying everything. It'd let the enemy stay a step ahead and out of trouble, and sufficiently screw over the people that had betrayed her and her sisters; a wonderful last act of vengeance.
Electricity sparked just before shadow and shards exploded from the central control, blowing through Shadowolf and starting a chain reaction of chaos. One after the other fragile items burst apart and roaring flames followed to engulf everything, leaving nothing but destruction behind.