Sailor Moon ST: Hero Unlimited – DS Wynne
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Ranma ½, Star Trek, Justice League Unlimited and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 10: "X" and "Balancing Act"
CLICK!
Usagi sat in her old chair at the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover's office, in Washington, D.C. Before moving onto "Project: Stargate" full time last year, she would use her position with the "Inspector General's Office" to hand out "special" assignments for the "X-Files Program". It's funny how she has essentially took the place of previous contacts who wanted to "run interference" in the machinations of "The Consortium", a rogue "amalgam" of the Technocratic Union who were in bed with "The Grey Ones" (the classic aliens with the big heads, big black eyes and a penchant for abducting the unsuspecting for use of experiments involving "anal probes"). In fact, there are several "conspiracy" with hidden agendas, both with and without government connections. In fact, Usagi is a member of several of them, much to chagrin of Ranma (her husband). Still, she does maintain her previous contacts as best as possible, since one never knows when one needs "little help from one's friends".
As Usagi contemplate her thoughts, Special Agent Monica Reyes enters the basement office.
"Oh, Usagi, you're here," said the Latin beauty. "Dogget and I wasn't expecting you until next week."
"I know," replied Usagi, as she produced several files, and placed them on the desk. "Something has recently come up regarding 'Cadmus'."
Reyes opens the files, and begins to skim through the pages.
"Why didn't we see this?"
"Turn the page, Monica."
Reyes does just that, and comes across-
"Lex Luthor."
"Exactly," Usagi says. "Someone close to me got hurt obtaining these files, and if Luthor is involved, I want to make SURE that the public becomes aware of Cadmus' involvement in the affairs of the Justice League."
Meanwhile, Ranma was minding his own business, practicing "Tai Chi", near the Vietnam War memorial, when someone familiar to him appears.
"Colonel Saotome?"
Ranma looks towards the source of the sound.
"Rick Flagg?" Ranma replied evenly. "What are you doing here?"
Ranma knew of Colonel Richard ("Rick") Flagg, Jr. (USAF), due to the fact that he had served with his father during the end of "World War II" on a "black operations" mission in the Pacific theater; Flagg (a middle-aged man with a brown "crew-cut") continues to serve in his father's stead. Later, Ranma's wife Usagi would work with the senior Flagg as a member of a branch of "Task Force X" known as "The Suicide Squad" as a "weapons expert". Ranma didn't approve of the fact that Usagi was roped into serving the whims of the United States government, but it was during a time when he and her were in a midst of a marriage separation that would not have ended until the end of the Cold War…so there was nothing that he could have done to stop her actions.
At any rate, the last time Ranma saw Rick, Jr., was when he and Usagi attended Rick, Sr.'s funeral.
"I just wanted to let you know that an operation is going down…that involves the Justice League, even as we speak," Rick says.
Ranma squinted his eyes.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You saved my father's life back during the 'good' War, so I wanted to return the favor."
"Wait a minute. Why would saving Rick, Sr.'s life be that important-?"
Then it dawned on him.
"Usagi."
Flagg nods his head. "Cadmus has targeted your wife for extraction, because she has a desirable 'bloodline'. And this doesn't include the fact that she has been sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."
Ranma sighs.
"Where?"
"The Bureau."
And with that, Ranma takes off to intercept the hit.
Back at the Hoover building, Usagi tugged on her dark, gray overcoat (with briefcase in hand) as she goes to her black sedan. Just as she gets out her keys, she began to become dizzy…
"Ehhh?" Usagi says (dropping her case in the process), as she tried to snap out of her stupor. She hadn't had a drink since a few days ago, so she knew her dizziness was not natural. And that fact became more apparent, when her danger senses alarmed.
"My apologies, Sensei," says a man's voice.
"'Bronze…Tiger-?"
POW!
Man dressed in a brown/tan (tight-fitting) tiger costume delivers solid flying kick to Usagi's head.
SMACK.
Usagi was more annoyed than harm, due to the fact that her head dented her car.
"That's the chick?" said a man dressed in a costume with lightning bolts all over it.
"It is, Electrocutioner," said 'Tiger. "We are here to capture her, not kill her."
"Fine," said the man, as he began to zap Usagi.
ZAAAAAAP!
Usagi sparkled, as her hair stands on end. However, she managed to still stand.
'Tiger turns to see the third partner.
"Vertigo, turn up the 'juice'!"
Count Vertigo (blond European aristocrat dressed in green costume, with cape, that was stylized) grunted.
"I'm trying, but she is fighting the full effects of my power!"
"Then, allow me," said a man wearing a hockey mask, and carrying a large battle-axe. "With this atomic axe, she will be put down!"
At the last minute, the Electrocutioner ceased his attack, allowing the Persuader to swing his axe. It is said that the axe, a product of "future-tech" could cleave atoms, as well as the space-time continuum.
CHOK!
"Aieeeee-!" Usagi screamed, as blood gushed from her side.
"I TOLD you that we are to take her alive-!" 'Tiger began.
ZAAAAP!
'Tiger was struck by the Electrocutioner's attack.
"What-?" Count Vertigo began, as he was about to intervene.
ZAAAAP!
With both 'Tiger and 'Vertigo down…
"Sorry about THAT," the Electrocutioner sneered. "But Persuader and I received addition orders…nullifying YOURS."
Persuader nods his head, as he continued to bring down his axe on Usagi's body.
CHOK!
"Ahhhh-!"
CHOK!
"Ahhhh-!"
Thankfully, Usagi's endurance has grown to point of preventing a clean cut into the bone…even as Persuader was using the sharp end of his axe to her head.
But then-
"USAGI!"
The four villains turn to see Ranma running into the parking garage. Already, he took stock of the situation, and figured out WHO was the true threat.
"Yeah, right!" the Electrocutioner says, as he delivered a powerful stream of lightning.
ZAAAAP-!
Ranma smirked, as he caught the stream, balled it up, increased its potency and sent it back at the villain.
ZAAAAP!
POW!
Although the villain utilized electricity as a weapon, Ranma made sure that his counter would do the equivalent of "shorting" him out.
With the Electrocutioner down, Ranma turned to face the Persuader.
"Get the HELL away from her!" Ranma demanded.
Persuader stopped his attack, and turned to face him.
"You don't look impressive!"
"Then I will have to prove you wrong," Ranma said, as he pulls out his Rune sword "Venus". Made by Norse Dwarves (at the direction of the god Thoth) for the private use of an alien intelligence name Lord Splynncrth (from a race of frightening, sentient "octopi" bent on universal domination or corruption), the sword is, in fact, powered by a fragment of the essence of Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love. Having won it in one of Splynncrth's gladiatorial games, and subsequently bonded to Ranma, Venus is quite sentient. In fact, the sword cares for her "master" quite a bit.
"About time you got me out!" Venus yells.
"Wait, did that thing just talked?" Persuader asks. "Never mind…it's just a toothpick compared to my axe!"
Persuader takes a swing-
CLANG!
"What the hell-?"
"The sword is indestructible," Ranma said. "You act like a bully with that axe of yours, but that doesn't make you skilled in its use."
Using a deft move, Ranma used a simple parry to entangle his weapon, and remove it from Persuader's hands…causing it to get embedded into a nearby support beam.
TWANG!
Powerless, Persuader raises his hands in surrender.
"Okay, hero, you got me. Now you can take me to jail."
Ranma gave out a nasty smirked.
"What makes you think I want to?"
And with that, Ranma threw his sword-
TWANG!
"Ahhhhh!" Persuader yelled, as he was now pinned to the cement wall.
"If she dies, no place in Hell will prevent me from making you suffer," Ranma says, as he rushes to his wife. "Usagi? USAGI!"
"Don't speak so loud, Ranma," Usagi said weakly. "I'm not deaf, you know…"
'Tiger and 'Vertigo stands up.
"We were told that this was supposed to have been an arrest, not an assassination, Sensei," 'Tiger says.
Ranma turns around.
"I know that, because I know your character's well," Ranma said. "You two better leave before the FBI comes down en masse."
'Tiger nods his head, and motions 'Vertigo to leave with him. As soon as they leave, the FBI swarms the parking garage.
"Okay, freeze!" Agent Reyes say, as she and others cover the scene, as Ranma cradles his wife.
It turned out that the attack on Usagi was a decoy for Cadmus' real target: The Annihilator. It was a mystic "power armor", made by the Olympian god of the forge "Vulcan", based upon the designs stolen from the Norse dwarves (who created the power suit known as "The Destroyer", as an attempt to protect Asgard as a last line of defense for the realm. Ares, having liked the concept, had his own version made, as a way of gaining more influence on Earth (by posing as an "arms dealer"). Thanks to Wonder Woman, the brother-duo "Hawk" and "Dove" and, surprisingly, Naru Osaka, who was subbing for Usagi as "Shin Sailor Moon".
It must be noted that the same forces that use Ranma and Usagi as their respective "avatars" also powers the brothers: the chaotic "Wyld" and the ordered "Weaver".
At any rate, the distraction served its purpose: Cadmus now has possession of the armor. They had sent the Suicide Squad to the Justice League satellite to retrieve it, and had done so successfully.
Unfortunately, Usagi suffered from acute radiation sickness from the atomic axe. And with both Washu (who was in space with the Tenchi gang) and the family physician Dr. Bombay (who was on vacation in the Spirit World) unavailable, Ranma took his wife to the island of the Amazons: Paradise Island.
"It's good that you have returned, in spite of the circumstances," Queen Hippolyta says, as the healers tended to Usagi's needs. They were on a smaller island, near the main island, known as the "Isle of Healing".
Ranma, in female form (since there was a prohibition about men being on the island), nods her head. The violet light of the "Purple Ray" was slowly healing Usagi's wounds.
Ranma then turns her head.
"What is this that I hear about your feud with Diana?"
Hippolyta sighs. Leave it up to Diana's father to choose their daughter's side.
"I wanted her here so that she can assume the throne."
A look of concern could be seen on Ranma's face.
"Is there something the matter with you or something?"
"No. I just…want to retire, that's all. I think I've earned."
"You know, you could merely restructure your government, and turn it into a 'Constitutional Monarch', thereby delegate responsibilities. That way, you can focus strictly on the ceremonial stuff."
"…"
"You didn't think this through, huh?"
"Well, I-"
"Your Majesty!" says the ebony-skinned Philipus, who was Captain of the Royal Guard, as she rushed onto the scene. "An automaton has invaded the main island, and is heading towards 'Doom's Doorway'."
"Alright," Hippolyta says, as she turns to leave. "Assemble our forces."
Ranma steps up.
"Let me help-"
"No, Lord Ranma," Hippolyta says. "Stay here and look after Sister Usagi. Besides, I could use the action."
Ranma shrugged her shoulders, and continued to look after her wife.
About an hour later, Ranma was getting worried. This did not go unnoticed.
"Lord Ranma, what do you think is going on?" asked a healer named Nela.
"I'm not sure, but I got to see what's going on-"
Suddenly, Usagi's eyes opened.
They were glowing.
"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!"
"Usagi!" Ranma said, as she tried to comfort her…only to be pushed back by an invisible force. "USAGI!"
Usagi then begins to float above her bed, as her aura began to burn a bright golden hue.
"The Interloper!" Usagi screamed in an ancient tongue. "The Interloper has broken the order of Creation!"
"What is she saying?" Nela asks. "I don't understand that language!"
"You shouldn't, unless you happen to be a mystic," Ranma replied. "The language she just spoke was 'Enochian'…the language of creation."
Nela placed a hand over her mouth.
"She…she's speaking the language of the gods!"
"Precisely, and one who is skilled at speaking such a language can literally 'will' things into existence…as well as will things OUT of existence. And if Usagi is speaking Enochian, then something is amiss."
Soon, Usagi's body fell back to her bed, as her eyes closed…and aura died down.
"What are we going to do?" Nela asks.
"I'm going to do what Hippolyta asked me NOT to do," Ranma said. "Do you have any armor around?"
Nela gave Ranma the location of the emergency armory that was located underneath the hospital. Soon, Ranma was decked in Greecian armor, and looked like a TRUE Amazon warrior. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered, considering her high levels of the endurance, but when dealing with anything "mythic", you don't want ANYTHING touch you. Plus, she typically doesn't keep her modern armor (power or otherwise) on her person. Even if she uses her yellow power ring to armor up, magic has a nasty way of circumventing the ring's defenses.
"Oh, Venus-chan!" Ranma called out, as she pulls out her Rune sword. "It's time to do battle."
"It's about time you use me more often, Ranma!" Venus complained.
"Hey, lighten up, 'V-chan'," Ranma replied, as she placed the sword on her back. "I just don't want to be a bother, that's all. Helios Power TRANSFORM!"
FWOOSH!
Ranma's transformation had an unusual effect on the Amazon armor. The color schemed changed, as well as the design of the armor itself, to reflective of the Silver Millennium's influence (with the added weight of her "Yellow Lantern" role. In effect, Sailor Helios has gotten her armor powered up, and even had a white cloak attached to it.
"I better see what's the problem," Ranma said, as she slipped on her helmet. "Take care of her for me."
And off Ranma flies.
When she arrives at "Doom's Doorway", Ranma notices that the door was forcibly removed, as well as Amazons scattered everywhere. She spots Philipus, who was tended to the injured.
"Philipus!" Ranma called out, as she landed near her old friend. "Where's Hippolyta?"
The Captain of the Guard looks up.
"The automaton had went through our defenses like we were nothing!" Philipus cried.
Ranma had a sneaky suspicion as to what this automaton looked like-
"Father!" cries a voice from above.
Ranma looked up and saw his daughter Diana…known to the world as WONDER WOMAN. With her was HAWKGIRL, a girl with the gift of flight, thanks to her mace.
"Diana," Ranma says. "How-?"
"All the magic-users around the world was spotting Enochian," Diana says, as she and Hawkgirl lands.
"Yeah, it was as if they were acting crazy or something," Hawkgirl says.
"That would explain what happened to Usagi," Ranma replies. So, you know what happened here?"
"Yes," Diana says. "Apparently, whoever stole the Annihilator used it HERE."
Ranma nodded grimly.
"Then…let us be off then."
And the three women went down into…the Underworld.
"Let me out of here!" yelled Pluto, as she struggled from his bounds. His wife Persephone was unconscious, as the two were chained and bound in one of the Underworld's numerous dungeons.
Hippolyta merely scoffed at the ridiculousness of their predicament. And then, the door opens to reveal-
"YOU," Pluto sneers. "You have some gall returning after stealing MY artifact…the Dagger of Ixia!"
"I didn't steal it, Lord Pluto; I earned it," Ranma says. "YOU are the one who try to renege on the terms of that stupid contest you initiated."
"Mother!" Diana said, as she rushed over to her mother. "Thank Hera you are well!"
"I am fine, my daughter," Hippolyta says, as she was being freed.
Ranma folded her arms.
"I want your WORD as the Lord of the Underworld that you will behave yourself…while we are here."
Pluto sneered. However-
"I give you my WORD, mortal."
"Good," Ranma said, as she took out her sword, and broke the bounds holding Pluto.
CLANG!
"Free! Now that mortal will pay-!"
"No, Diana, Hawkgirl and I will deal with the situation," Ranma says. "Just tell me WHO is behind the automaton."
A short time later, the suit of power armor was examining magic in Pluto's library. Books of magic, once though lost, ended here.
"At last!" the armor said. "Soon, I will surpass even Drs. Fate and Strange in the mystic arts…and maybe the Moon Princess as well-!"
"Felix Faust," says a voice from behind. "You have a lot of nerve doing this. I am impressed."
Faust turns around to face Ranma. Faust was a Justice League villain who sought to achieve mystical enlightenment as a means of accruing power. His recent attempts to acquire power destroyed his mortal body, and thanks to an inadvertent ally named Tala (who worked for Cadmus, and was examining the Annihilator at the time), Faust escaped from the Spirit World, and used the Annihilator as its new body.
The rest is history.
And the funny thing is that there were other mystics who were vastly stronger than even Fate, Strange or Usagi. Still, the breach into the Underworld was the equivalent of as psychic backlash for mages. Thankfully, this backlash also affected the diabolic "Nephandi". Otherwise, the Earth would have been swarmed by these "other" mages by now who seek to turn the world into a place where dark magics reign supreme.
And then, Faust thought of something.
"Thanks- Wait! You are knowledgeable in 'Temporal Magic'…how come YOU weren't affected?"
"My curse makes me a creature of chaos magic, and what you did, by causing all this chaos by mucking the order of things, has merely made me STRONGER. Just be glad that the 'Marauders' are too disorganized to do anything drastic. So be a good villain…and surrender."
"No," Faust said, as he blasted Ranma with etheric energies.
Ranma smirked, as she blocked the blast.
Taking the attack as a cue, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl went on the attack.
Wonder Woman delivered a solid punch to the faceplate.
POW!
"Arrgh!' Faust yelled, as he swatted her away.
SWAT!
"HA!" Hawkgirl yelled, as she used her mace to crack the armor of the Annihilator. Made out of the alien "Nth Metal", the mace could nullify most magical defenses. The Annihilator's shell was now "cracked".
"No!" Faust says, as he blasted Hawkgirl away.
FWOOM!
Ranma used the distraction to plant a spike into the crack with her yellow power ring.
TING!
"Now! Strike the spike!" Ranma yelled.
With the strength of the Earth, Wonder Woman rammed the spike in, splitting the armor's torso nearly in half. Now weakened, Hawkgirl lowered her mace straight down on top of the armor.
KRISH!
The armor shattered, allowing Faust' shade to escape-
"Not so fast, little shade," said Pluto, as he caught Faust into a jar. "You and I will have some fun."
Ranma shakes her head. Then again, Faust DID deserve everything he got.
The next day, with the crisis over, everything returned to normal…starting with the sealing of "Doom's Doorway".
DOOOM!
"That's that," Diana said, as she cleaned off her hands. She then turns to her mother.
"Mother, Father told me what you wanted to do…so, if you want, I'll take your place."
Hippolyta hugs her daughter.
"Don't worry about ME, Diana," Hippolyta says. "We of Paradise Island will get through this ourselves. I need you out in Man's World representing Paradise Island."
"Oh."
"Besides, I know that with your father watching you for me, you can't possibly get into too much trouble."
"MO-ther!"
Meanwhile, Usagi was polishing yet another meal; it was her tenth.
"Yum!" Usagi said. "I feel much better."
Ranma sat on Usagi's bedside.
"Well, you better…because I literally had to go to Hell in order to save ya!"
Next time: More from "Sailor Moon ST: Hero Unlimited". See you next time!