***
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.
Note: This is a semi-fusion fan fiction.
***
"This is Miss Setsuna Meioh, Madame," said Lyta the housekeeper.
"Thanks, Lyta," Serena said, as she sat in her office chair. "So, Miss Meioh, what can I do for you?"
Setsuna looked at Serena for a moment.
"Miss?"
"Sorry. For a moment, you reminded me of someone."
"I get that a lot."
"Okay. I need you to find…a cat. Three of them, in fact."
"I see. What's so special about these cats?"
"They are sentient cats that are being held by a subsidiary of Paradigm Corporation."
Great. "And how did you find about this?"
"I'm a consultant of sorts. I came across a file on them while conducting…research."
"I see. So, how long have you been a hacker, Miss Meioh?"
"I did not know that I was that apparent."
"I wouldn't be a good negotiator without knowing both sides, especially when a client is so obvious about it."
"I see. So, will you take the case…Negotiator?"
"I am curious as to how involved Paradigm City is. Very well, I accept."
***
"You get the supplies while I go to 'Moonscapes'."
"Alright," Amy Anderson said, as she took over the wheel of Serena's car. "Besides, I got to run this copy at The Paradigm Times."
"You do that, Amy."
Serena walks down to the bottom floor of The Moonscape. She enters, and noticed the usual clientele: all women.
"Hey, Serena," Alex the bartender says, she finishes serving her barstool clients. "The usual?"
"Yeah."
"One 'Shirley Temple', coming up!"
Serena walks past the throng of people before stopping at one specific table. She sees a person with long, blue-green hair reading a newspaper.
"You know," the person reading the paper said began, "People will get the wrong idea if you keep coming here."
"Hey, with my reputation, what's one more facet?" Serena replied, as she sat down. "How're things, Michelle?"
"Fine," Michelle replied. "So, what's up?"
"I need information on some…special cats."
"Ah, well, according to contacts, Paradigm recently uncovered a rather interesting fine: three perfectly preserved cats, found in an abound complex below. And check this additional fact: they were in stasis pods."
"Humph. And how does this connect to Paradigm?"
"It doesn't, so you don't have to worry about your assignment being connected to Rosewater."
"I see. Thanks for the tip, Michelle."
"Any time."
After Serena leaves, Michelle goes up to the bar.
"So, do you think Usagi bought it?" asked Alex, whose real name was "Heruka".
"I hope so," Michelle replied, whose real name was "Michiru". "I hate keeping up these pretenses."
"You do have to admit that Usagi is a lot more mature this way."
"Yeah. And cuter, too."
"Mi-chan!"
***
From the Journal of Serena Smith, 40th cycle, Month 10, day 26:
For years, the Paradigm Corporation has gone out of its to refurbish many of the old sites outside of the domes. Personally, I believe Darin hopes to refurbish them to make money off the backs of the poor. But that's the revolutionary in me speaking, I guess.
Anyway, according to the data that Amy was able to gather from the 'Net, a team had recovered the cats at an old observatory. So far, there has not been any indication of why these animals were recovered there. Nevertheless, they were taken to a private facility at a secured facility near the excavation site. Most likely, if the citizenry caught wind of this, it would cause problems for Paradigm Corp's already shaken reputation. So, I'll be doing Darien a favor by "investigating" the situation independently, which is why I brought Amy along for the ride.
***
"So, you got an ident?" said the security guard.
"Yeah," Serena said, as she handed her pass to the guard.
"Just hold for a second, while I call this in," the guard said, as he called the front desk.
"You sure the cards will pass muster?" Serena said, as she spoke through her wristwatch.
[It should,] Amy replied. [Anyway, I'm at the site now, so I can't talk…]
"Here you go, Miss," the guard replied. "Drive on through."
"Thanks."
Serena parked her pink Cadillac at a secluded location, got out, straightened her suit and put on her shades. She used her "shades" to scope out the site. She then tapped her telepathic earplug.
[Amy, you got this?]
[Got it,] Amy replied. [Sensors indicate that the heavy electromagnetic field over the research facility is centered over the upper floors.]
[Is it possible that lab is 'detachable'? It doesn't make sense that the heavy shielding would be overhead, not in some underground bunker.]
[Hey, you're the investigator, not me.]
[Great. Keep me informed for further details.]
[Right.]
With that, the communication line was cut.
Serena looked at the building and proceeded towards the entrance. She showed her fake identity pass to the entrance guard, and went inside. As far as anyone was concerned, Serena was a Paradigm Corp courier, as was there to pick up the account sheets for Human Resources.
Of course, she was there to break into the lab to see why her client wanted her to go there.
Serena nodded to the janitor, as she went into the express elevator. Now, at this point, Serena would need to break into the paneling to gain access to the secured labs. Once the elevator doors were closed, she used her special watch to magnetically unlock the access panel. Once done, she then crossed the wires.
"Bingo," Serena said, as she closed the panel. She then pressed the appropriate floor button.
However, instead of proceeding further up, a mist of gas began to fill the elevator.
"Cough!" Serena said. Desperately, she looked up, saw the elevator panel above her, and leaped. She wasn't sure if the panel was secured, but she was not about to take any chances.
FLAK!
Serena grabbed hold of the edges, as she pulled herself up to the top of the elevator. She looked up and aimed her watch to the top of the elevator shaft.
POW! HISSSSSSSSSSSS-!
The cable from her watch snaked upward, until its spear tip made its mark.
FWIP!
Serena could feel that the elevator was about to move. So she used watch to pull herself up the shaft.
A few minutes later, Serena, after making her way through the conduits, landed on her feet on the right floor. With a swipe of hand, Serena dusted herself off.
"Lyta will certainly have her hand full," Serena chuckled.
A few minutes later more, Serena gained access to the laboratory in question.
Serena then used her flash light to rummage though the files. Apparently, there was a recent find that Paradigm City did not want uncovered.
Curious, Serena then went to one of the vaults that held the prized specimen. She wanted to contact Amy, but the electro-magnetic field would negate any communications signal. So, she opened the vault.
Inside a stasis container was a black cat.
Hmmm, Serena thought to herself. Apparently, this cat's alive, if these readings are correct.
Then, she noticed two other containers, each one with a cat. While the first cat was black, the other cats were white and grey respectively.
Serena then decided to take the cats with her, since she could do better back at Amy's place.
She then placed the cats in a large suitcase that was nearby, and began to wheel the cats out of there. Suddenly, there was a problem.
"Hold it!" said a guard, as he raised his handgun…
Casually, Serena took out one of Mina Beck's yo-yo, and flung it…
FRAK!
The magnet within the yo-yo was used to snatch the gun from the guard's hand.
"Thanks," Serena replied, as she pockets the gun. She hated guns, especially when they are used against HER.
And with one smooth motion, Serena knocked the guard out with a crescent kick.
She also knocked the guard out at the front door, too.
[I got the 'prize', Amy!]
[Great,] Amy replied. [You better hurry out of there, 'cuz you just trip Paradigm's security network.]
[Got it.]
As she loaded the cats in the trunk of her car, Serena could hear a low rumble beneath her.
BOOM!
Like a zombie rising from the grave, a giant mechanoid burst through the ground.
"YOU ARE AN INTRUDER," the mechanoid stated. "YOU ARE ORDERED TO STAND DOWN. YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO COMPLY."
"Well, I'll be seeing ya!" Serena said, as she hopped into her car and sped off.
SKREEEEE!
The mechanoid began to chase down Serena's car.
"Amy, is 'the main contender' ready?" Serena asked.
"Yes, 'she' is," Amy replied over the secured line.
"Good. Here goes: BIG SM!"
RUMMMBLE…
Ahead of Serena, a doll-like mechanoid broke through the ground. It was female in appearance, wore a stylized sailor suit and had twin meat balls for hair. When it stopped, Serena backed her car up into the feet of the mechanoid. Serena's automatic seat was launched into the hub of the mechanoid, as the cockpit re-configured itself for Serena.
"Big SM…it's show time!"
On her monitor screen, words scrolled across:
IN THE NAME OF LOVE AND JUSTICE, I WILL PUNISH YOU…
"Okay, my metal friend," Serena smirked. "Let's see how much you matter to ME."
SM charged forward, and punched the mechanoid. Being a heavier model, it was virtually unfazed by the attack.
However, kicking it was a different matter.
POW!
The mechanoid was struck backwards a bit. It then brought out a chain gun out of its chassis.
"My," Serena smirked. "Is that a gun, or are you happy to see me?"
The mechanoid began to fire upon SM, which leaped out of the way.
"I guess not," Serena responded. "Well, I better put you out of your misery…permanently."
With that, SM took off its crown, and spins it into an energy Frisbee.
"Here, catch," Serena said, as she adjusted her controls. "Okay…Moon Prism ATTACK!"
SM throws her attack weapon at the mechanoid, which pierces the machine dead center…
BOOM!
With the machanoid destroyed, Serena took SM back to her home, where she would have Amy take a look at the cats.
From a top of a nearby hill, a lone figure watches the retreating figure. While the figure wore a different outfit, a pink body suit, the figure was recognizable.
"Father, Mother took the samples," Renee said into her wrist watch.
"Good," Darien Chiba, the Paradigm Corp chairman and CEO, responded. "Keep me informed of the developing situation."
And with a sigh, Renee Chiba left her perch. She didn't like it that her parents were not together, but, if her father's plan is successful, then her dream of them getting back together would be a success.
Then why did she feel so horrible?
Tbc.