Assassin Drones: The original saga
Exposition Arc. De Arimasu!
By Alex Young
The site of a former underground bunker on the outskirts of rural Tokyo. 7:30 am. St Patrick's day weekend, 2002
On the surface, an abandoned air raid watchtower stands proudly over the entrance to what looks to be a vacant bunker. In reality however, the bunker is still a hive of activity. The brothers Streakfur and Ripjaw of the Reaperclan were out exploring the wilderness nearby when they set off an ultrasonic alarm designed to scare wildlife away.
"Dammit, this ain't a safe place for us!" Streakfur hissed. "Yeah, let's gedoudda here!" Ripjaw replied as the two warrior brothers retreated from the not so abandoned bunker post haste. This abandoned watchtower is equipped with only the first iteration of the sentinel A.I. security system. This is the result of the EX.W.A.T.I (EXtraterrestrial Warfare and Advanced Technology Initiative) program founded in September 7, 2000.
That program was reorganized from the cold war era Next Generation Task Force created by the United States back in 1975 in the wake of the Vietnam war. The United Nations security council had unilaterally agreed on this renewed initiative throught the experimental warfare and advanced technology act. A good majority of Next Generation Task Force facilities in the U.S. were revamped so as to meet EX.W.A.T.I.'s more stringent technology standards.
This Japanese bunker had been converted into the science lab known as Sierra Gamma 210. This secret laboratory so happens to be Mikhail "Boris" Krukov's base of operations. Boris was an elderly scientist who wore a golden cap with circuitry wrapping around it and a set of darkened goggles and a white lab coat to match. Boris also had a decently big nose to match his brain and grayish white mustache.
He had also secretly defected to Hokkaido from the Soviet Union back on the Thanksgiving day of 1990. The reason being was that he wanted to apply his vast scientific knowledge and technical know-how outside of the Soviet Union. He had been a member of the U.N.'s EX.W.A.T.I. program ever since Japan formally declared its membership on January 20, 2001. He found his way in through connections established during his tenure with the Mendo conglomerate.
This declaration of membership began with a government sanctioned student soldier program. This began with the St. Alexander's Higher Academy, which was already under construction ever since September 11, 2000. As Boris delved deeper into the bunker turned laboratory, there he turned to inspect upon another threesome of monster trucks. Although this time, they are members of the main cat pack, with Slash Cat as their leader.
Slash cat looked like a tastefully modified 1991 Ford F150, with his compatriots Sand Stinger and Taran-Chewa looking not to be the least bit impressive. "What's the diagnosis, Boris?" Slash Cat inquired. "Heh, oh yes. Perfect. Mmhm. Yes. So far, so good. Everything checks out for you and the rest of your cat pack." Boris replied as he awarded Slash Cat and company with an overall clean bill of health. In addition to researching new technologies to give humanity a razor's edge against any alien invasion, he was also tasked with keeping the main cat pack nice and fighting fit.
"Okay, Slash. Now that the diagnosis is complete, EX.W.A.T.I. high command in Geneva has a mission for your cat pack in Afghanistan. Your mission being to get rid of some terrorist squatters holed up in and around a potential invasion drop zone for the Keronians. Harper, Frankie, Rebecca, Stego-Striker, and the heroic battle birds will provide support for you on your mission." "Mission accepted, doctor. Alright listen up cat pack, we're bound for Afghanistan." Slash Cat ordered as Sand Stinger and Taran-Chewa fell in with their leader. The main cat pack boarded an underground monorail flat car to the secret airstrip known as Charlie Zeta 41 in Okinawa.
Near the edge of the secret airstrip Charlie Zeta 41, 10:30 am
Rip Rat seethed in loathing as his most hated enemies; Slash Cat and company depart for Afghanistan in a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane. The rat pack had been joined by a very aggressive cell dubbed "Cell O" from the international terror group Kamui, which is also funded and armed to the teeth by the very man with whom Rip Rat works. That man goes by the name of Victor Xiu Wong, the proud owner of Xiu Wong Enterprises, headquartered in Hong Kong, China.
He was a very corrupt businessman who would wage war on anyone who even dared to infringe upon his beloved profits. He is also the same man who ordered the kidnapping of the Jusenkyo guide back in Chinese new years. Rip Rat was also joined by Riptile and King Hiss for his surprise attack against the secret airstrip. "Now." Rip Rat hissed to his rat pack before they along with the terror cell O charged into the chain link fence.
Riptile tore an opening through the fence and razor wire with his fearsome jaws, which the terror cell O and King Hiss widened with its suicide bombers and vicious fangs respectively. Toothslayer, Wolveraider, and Rabid Transit awaited this aggressive advance with vigor. "So, the rat's got himself a death wish, eh?" Toothslayer hissed to his comrades.
"Alright, Rat! You've got some nerve trying to catch our asses off guard like that! Well, I say COME AND GET IIIIIIT!" The twin tusked baboon screeched as he and his detachment zoomed into the fray to meet the enemy head on. Toothslayer came well equipped with but one big trick up his sleeve; four fast firing Gatling guns, two on each side, and he certainly didn't hesitate to use them in the heat of battle.
As for Rip Rat? Let's just say that he too has some tricks up his sleeve, and a secret weapon to show off in the coast nearby. That weapon, or at least weapons, came in the form of several Squid Torpedo clones firing their artillery barrage at the Toothslayer detachment. Needless to say, they were plenty pissed about that! "Damn! That Rip Rat never ceases to tick us right off, eh Transit?" Wolveraider queried after having sliced a cell O member in two.
"Yeah, I'm gettin' too old fer diss shit!" He snarled as he unleashed his six M256 tank guns, three on each side jaw on a few enemy technical vehicles. One terrorist unleashed an RPG round on Wolveraider, which was shot out of the air by a .50 caliber bullet from a massive tiltrotor, pave low gunship by the name of Sky Chopper. "Choppa! Where the heck've you been!?" Toothslayer questioned in angst. "Sorry I'm late. I just heard some gunfire during my early morning patrol, and I thought I'd drop by to assess the situation." Sky Chopper replied.
"Pffuh grrah BLAST YOU! RETREEEAT!" A defeated Rip Rat screeched in agony as he and any survivors pulled out of the action. In the adjacent forest, Ranma Saotome stood in the forest floor, and Lance Corporal Dororo watched from the canopy. "Man, that rat sure as hell knows how to get on everybody's nerves." Ranma spat as he lumbered on back home to Nerima. "Oh Buddha, this could be big news. I must warn the sergeant about this, immediately!" Dororo yelled before he jumped from tree to tree back to his A.R.M.P.I.T. base.
EX.W.A.T.I. Forward Operations Base Whiskey Delta 74, Afghanistan, 2:00 pm
Whiskey Delta 74 was the very latest FOB to be established by EX.W.A.T.I. high command. The main cat pack had just arrived on a local airstrip just outside of Kabul. "Hey Slash! The name's Harper." Harper introduced himself to Slash Cat. "Nice to meet you Harper. What's the situation?" Slash Cat replied. "These damned squatters just wouldn't budge because they're all holed up near what they call 'The gateway to Allah.'" Harper elucidated.
"That would be an understandable reason to put up a fight, especially considering that their holy land is being 'tainted by us, infidels!'" Sand Stinger chided. "What are we waitin' for? Frankie! Rebecca! Let's go!" Harper called out to his fellow senior varsity members. "EX.W.A.T.I. also has connections with the big five (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China (for those who don't know)), so expect them to provide fire support for us." Harper called up.
"I'd imagine that they would, Harper." Slash cat replied. The newly formed strike platoon Zulu Lambda 409 (Four Oh Niner) headed out into the gorge, when suddenly. *Ratatatatat!* "Get down!" Harper ordered as the rest of his platoon went prone to avoid machine gun fire coming from the gorge walls. Slash Cat fired off a few missiles from his R.A.M. (Rolling Airframe Missile) turret installed on his truck bed at the machine gun nest, destroying it in the process.
Stego-Striker unleashed his tank guns upon the oncoming ambushers. The three heroic battle birds, Screwdriver, Sky Vice, and Terror-Dactyl would provide air support for the incoming B-52 stratofortress carpet bombers. What the strike force Zulu Lambda 409 didn't know as of yet is that the Garuru platoon had been assigned to guard the Keronian drop zone. Not only that, but the platoon has the "terrorists" under the influence of a mind control device within their forward operating drop zone base.
"Damn, the Pekoponians are on to us." Captian Garuru growled. "No worries, captain. We've got a few more tricks up our froggin sleeves, pupupuu." Recruit Tororo reassured as he unveiled a combat android whom he christened "Mantis." Mantis was a bald, muscular male humanoid in build. He wore nothing but camouflage pants with steel toed combat boots.
He also wore a military style gas mask with a built in transponder. As Tororo activated Mantis, the android had two razor sharp, thigh length blades protrude from his wrists. As Tororo typed in some more commands for the Banken automated defense system, the anti air railguns were the first to emerge upon which they launched super-heated plasma flak at the bombers.
"Damn it! Friggin' anti air!" One of the bomber pilots snarled. "Don't worry bout it. I got em covered." Sky Vice reassured as he dropped some J.D.A.M.s (Joint Direct Attack Munition) on the railguns. The initial success of the attack was dampened by the Garuru platoon's deployment of the magneto shield in and around their drop zone. "I've already sent out an S.O.S. to the Keroro platoon." Chief medical officer Pururu reported. "Good, and they'd better haul their asses to our position." Garuru growled as Tororo unleashed his Mantis android on EX.W.A.T.I. strike force Zulu Lambda 409.
Meanwhile at Keroro's A.R.M.P.I.T. base
"WHAT THE FROG!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN OUR AFGHANISTAN DROP ZONE IS UNDER ATTACK!?" Keroro screamed in a surprised tone into the intercom. "H-H-Hang on. We'll be there in a jiffy." Keroro answered as he hung up on Garuru, who was still under heavy fire from Zulu Lambda 409. This startling new development prompted Keroro to call an emergency meeting with his platoon, along with his "niece" Angol Mois clad in her airline stewardess uniform.
"Here's the situation, team: our drop zone in Afghanistan is under attack from a group of Pekoponians that call themselves EXtraterrestrial Warfare and Advanced Technology Initiative. This means that the Pekoponians aren't entirely oblivious to the fact that their precious Pekopon is being invaded. Therefore they decided to stop our frog invasion dead in its tracks..." Keroro paused with a trace amount of venom.
"...and WE SHOULD NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!" The green frog alien belted out in a crescendo. "Alright, we'll prep the platoon for travel via one of our Quiet Supersonic Cargo Transports in hangar KF type A1." Mois debriefed. With that, the platoon unanimously agreed to head 'em up and move 'em out, with Keroro leading the way. Well, let's just say that the sarge can be rather serious about the invasion of planet Earth under sufficient pressure.
The A.R.M.P.I.T. platoon boarded the QSCT as it prepared for take off at a Gaussian acceleration runway. The runway unveiled itself at the street where the Hinatas live, and the quiet supersonic aircraft just blew its way down the street-for-a-runway. "That damn frogtard is at it again, isn't he?" Natsumi sneered as the craft made its departure for the Afghanistan Keronian invasion drop zone.
At a shopping district in Okinawa. 2:10 pm
Ranma had taken some time off to digest Rip Rat's recent goings on pertaining to the secret airstrip Charlie Zeta 41. When he stepped into a big puddle from a leaking water main nearby. "Ugh, just my luck." Ranko bemoaned as she stepped out of the puddle. She just emerged from the district into the local park to lie down and take a quick nap at a park bench near some rocky outcrops.
"Uhh, excuse me. I was just wondering if you would go out with me on a date or something?" Rip Rat pondered towards Ranko, much to her apparent displeasure. "WAAUGH! Don't scare me like that!" Ranko screeched in response. "Oh, and thanks for dealing for the old freak for me." She added. "My pleasure." Rip Rat replied. "One more thing, I'd say m-myeah. Just this once, ok?"
"I just knew you'd say 'yes.'" With that, Ranko took the opportunity to hone her flirting skills on the monster rat truck, when all of a sudden, the ground started to shake a little. "Oh brother, here we go again." She groaned in anticipation of Ryoga bursting up from the ground below her, which he did. "Prepare to die, Ranma!" Ryoga snarled as he spin kicked into her right hip.
Ranko found herself totally unfazed by this aggressive advance. "Sorry, but ol' lost boy here came a knockin'. Gotta go!" Ranko cried as she dragged Ryoga all the way into the waters near by. "T-They JUMPED!" Rip Rat seethed as he drove over to the cliff there the two Jusenkyo curse victims leapt. "There's no way in hell they would've survived something like that! Jaws! Nite Bite! Fan out and search for their bodies!" He barked at his henchmen. "Yeah, let's go, let's go!" Slaughtersjaws hollered as the main rat pack began their search for Ranko.
As soon as the coast was clear, they emerged out from the water a little scarred, but still very much alive. "Whew! Now that was close." She sighed as she proceeded to hog tie P-chan to her back, underneath her Chinese styled shirt. "C'mon P-chan, we're goin home." Ranko reminded as she swam out to sea with her way less than precious porcine cargo homeward bound.
The airspace above Afghanistan. 2:30 pm
The sleek, Keronian stealth craft cruised above Afghan airspace as the battle for the drop zone raged in the gorge below. In its cargo hold, Tamama was checking out a very svelte tiltrotor gunship; essentially a smaller version of Sky Chopper of the cat pack. "That it so cool, mister sergeant!" Tamama piped up. "Well, I'm glad you like it, private. I mean, it's a present for being such a loyal soldier over the years." Keroro replied as Tamama jumped for joy at the possibility of being able to fly it around.
"Besides, think of this mission as an opportunity to test drive your new toy." The sergeant added maliciously. "Kuuukukukukuuu, the built in A.W.A.C.S. (Airborne Warning And Control System) computer is operating like clockwork." Kululu chuckled as he ran some final preparations for the attack on Zulu Lambda 409. Tamama hopped in to the 2 seater pocket gunship's cockpit, with Giroro taking up the attack seat.
The cargo bay doors slid open at the underside of the craft. The gunship emerged on a docking apparatus built into the cargo craft. The rotor blades spun up to speed, and detached from the mother craft. "What in the hell?" Screwdriver gaped as he couldn't believe his eyes; Keronian reinforcements have arrived! He and his battle birds had to intercept them, and fast.
"B.C., Ripper Gripper, Let's show these frog invaders who's boss!" Screwdriver screeched as he and his battle bird comrades advanced towards the Keronians at force. The pocket gunship opened fire on all 3 of the heroic battle birds, who all evaded. Terror-Dactyl got himself singed on the left wing, but it didn't do anything more than piss him right off about it. Dororo joined in the fight in full ninja armor. "I'll deal with Screwdriver, you guys take the other two." Dororo commanded.
"Okie dokie!" Tamama piped up in cheerful reply. "Alright, you know the drill, Private! We'll keep them busy while the Garuru platoon evacuates this drop zone." Giroro barked. With that, the and Keroro platoon successfully extracted the Garuru platoon and flew on out of dodge, leaving one very nasty surprise behind; Mantis, the half-naked humanoid super android.
At one of an unnamed seaport's drydocks in Tokyo, 3:15 pm
It only took Ranma and P-chan about an hour to get to mainland Japan safely thanks to a local fishing vessel he flagged down as Ranko halfway into their trip. That vessel was named "Ryujin Maru" and was on her way to deposit the day's catch of bluefin tuna destined for the Tsukiji fish market. Ranma had done well not to let her crew know of P-chan's presence on board, and he was very fortunate that P-chan had passed out from slipping into nigh unconsciousness.
"Thanks for the lift, cap'n." Ranma called out. "No problem, kid. Anytime." The friendly captain called right back as Ranma ventured into Tokyo. Some several minutes later found Ranma trekking deeper into the suburban outskirts of Nerima with the hog tied P-chan still in toe. On the way in an alley close to the Tendo family home, he noticed a digging feeling behind his back.
Ranma was rather irritated at that and took off his shirt. There, he found that P-chan was squirming himself free from Ranma's bondage. "Goh, why you conniving little shit. TAKE THAT!" Ranma screamed as he grappled P-chan by the scruff of his neck and flung him into an empty dumpster next to him and poured hot water from his recently purchased thermos all over the black piglet's body. He then slammed the dumpster door shut and placed a cinder block on top of it. Satisfied with his swift retaliation, Ranma walked the rest of his way home, sans P-chan this time.
Through all that, he was thoughtful enough to have left Ryoga's clothes with P-chan. It was only a matter of minutes before Ranma found himself walking just outside of the Tendo residence's gates. "Welcome home, Ranma. How was your trip to Okinawa?" Kasumi inquired. "Well, let's just say that it would have been way better we're it not for Rip Rat and Ryoga jumpin' my ass." Ranma deadpanned.
"Nihao, Ailen. Xian Pu have too too delicious ramen for today, no?" Shampoo chimed in as she made her delivery of ramen free of charge for Ranma, knowing as how the fastest causeway to his heart is though his gut. "Zaijian, Ailen. Take care!" She chirped as she sped off on her delivery bike in her return to the Cat Cafe. "Heh, that was awfully nice of her." Akane commented with a smile. "Yeah, haven't had a bite ta eat all day." Ranma replied as he figured it best to just dig in to his delivered ramen.
Cologne stood on the roof and mused to herself a "Something very ominous this way comes." With that, the old ghoul pogo stick hopped her way to her manuscripts hidden in the cat cafe. "Hey, you can't get your guard down with your ramen, boy!" Genma rasped in his throat as he reached out to grab Ranma's bowl of ramen. Of course, Ranma simply kicked his father into the pond. "Better luck next time, pops." He taunted at the Saotome patriarch turned panda as he resumed his meal, celebrating his father's failed attempt at robbing him of a very good meal of ramen.
At the Tendo residence, 5:45 pm
"Oh, jeez. Can't these guys ever clean up their act?" Nabiki complained as she watched the evening news. "Apparently, the U.S. special forces have learned of a potential nuclear meltdown in a secret, underground power plant that the insurgents used to power their operations..." The reporter began as she covered the story for a potential underground radiation leak, or what looks to be one at least.
Unbeknownst to Nabiki, and to the populace evacuating any nearby villages, this is a fabrication so as to keep the war on invading aliens and the recent skirmish with the Garuru and Keroro platoons a secret. "Is there a problem, Nabiki?" Kasumi queried. "First, there were the droughts, then there was the hunt for the most wanted terrorist, and now this!" Nabiki replied with an unintentional hostility. "Oh my, I must feel for the people back there" Kasumi lamented as she took her leave from the living room.
Back in the alley that's a few klicks near the Tendo residence, a conscious and fully clothed Ryoga burst out from inside the dumpster, all out for blood. The lost boy panted in rage like a winded cheetah after a failed hunt as he tried to figure out where Ranma landed. Ryoga growled as he made a mad dash in the exact opposite direction to where Ranma went home, true to his penchant for getting lost.
Speaking of which, Ranma took it up on himself to check on Ryoga, whom he thinks is still in the dumpster. He found the dumpster 5 minutes later, and opened it up. Lo and behold, Ryoga was missing as indicated by the tell tale hole coming from inside the dumpster. It was right then and there that Ryoga burst forth from the fence right near the dumpster.
"Prepare to die, RanmOUCH!" Ryoga shrieked in reaction to Ranma hitting him right in between the eyes. Ryoga collapsed, doubling over in pain for a few seconds before he got up and tried again. "You think that a cheap shot like that's gonna keep me DAAAAOAOAOAOAOAOOOOooooo..." Ryoga screeched as he was knee launched into the Kuno estate by Ranma. "Oh yeah, P-chan. Try gettin' at Kuno from the rear and see how he likes it!" Ranma snarled in his knee launch.
After a good while's worth of airtime, Ryoga landed in the dead center of the Kuno estate pond. This turned him into P-chan upon contact with the water. Kodachi was already there wearing a white, sleeveless blouse underneath a black, short skirt dress, feeding the koi fish when this happened. Kodachi snatched that sorry carcass of a black piglet out of the pond with her gymnastics ribbon, thereby saving the lost boy turned P-chan any effort trying to get on dry land.
"Oh, brother dear! I'm just going out to give Akane this piglet called 'P-chan' as a token of your affection for her." Kodachi chirped in her usual singsong tone. "Go right ahead, twisted sister. That little black swine's fate doth not be of mine concern." Kuno replied apathetically. With that, Kodachi bounded off towards Akane's room. Upon her arrival on the Tendos' backyard, Kodachi twirled her ribbon very rapidly, and flung P-chan into Akane's bedroom window with pinpoint accuracy.
Akane screamed herself into sitting up as soon as what looked like P-chan came flying in and sending shards of glass scattering throughout the floor. Akane looked out the broken window looking not to be the least bit appreciative of what Kodachi had done. "My dear brother sends his regards, wooohohohohohoho, oh, oh oohohohohoho..." Kodachi rang out as she hopped her way home to the Kuno estate. "oooffhh, honestly. Of all the..." Akane paused as she picked up P-chan while being careful to avoid any of the glass shards and wood splinters strewn about her bedroom floor.
"Well, least P-chan's ok." Akane sighed in relief that P-chan suffered no damage from that entry. Kasumi walked in with a whisk broom and dust pan at the ready. "Oh my." She sighed as she began to sweep up the glass carnage. "Does all this really have to happen on a daily basis?" Kasumi inquired out of concern for her sister. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it all the time." Akane replied quite cheerfully as the inhabitants of Tendo residence went on with whatever they were doing before.
In the evacuated Keronian drop site in Afghanistan, 8:00 am. The very next day
In a cold and very dark room, Mantis had just awakened himself from his stasis mode upon sensing the first five EX.W.A.T.I. soldiers to have entered the area and lashed out at them with his twin blades flying all over the place. It was all but a flash as blood was splattered about staining the floor underneath Mantis. The super combat android relished in the killing of these first human intruders. He prepared to strike down some more intruders, but was swiftly put out of his misery by a precision shot to the head from a 9mm pistol round that was specially designed for one shot head kills.
"All clear!" Jared "Gin" Costello called out as he and his squad gave the go ahead for the EX.W.A.T.I. scientists to move out and do their research in the drop site and retrieve the android's corpse for an extensive autopsy, and a bit of slight reprogramming afterwards. Jared walked up to an ancient mural wall and touched it, resulting in the wall glowing in bright lavender.
The wall split at the center and both halves separated. That wall was no wall, it was a door to a room in which only humans could access. The scientists proceeded deeper into the room to find that it was no ordinary room. This room was very special because it contained a very ancient beacon device. This was one of many beacons with which Earth has to call upon in order to awaken its equally ancient army, and repulse its invaders. Jared would continue on guard duty until the scientists eventually finish their research into this shocking new revelation.
The shores of Southwestern Honshu, Midnight. April fools eve, 2002
It was a very beautiful night out in Southwestern Honshu. The waves were glistening with moonlight seraphs, and Happosai had just washed up on the shoreline, very tired from his near 2 months long journey at sea. The old pervert clutched the wet, salted sand with what little strength he had to call upon. He wasn't the only one out for blood, however, as the main rat pack had just made a successful insertion into Southwestern Honshu.
"Listen up, you two. That girl is mine for the lovin, UNDERSTAND!?" Rip Rat growled loudly Yessir." Slaughtersjaws and Darkclaw replied in unison, albeit somewhat fearfully. "Excellent, heheheeh." Rip Rat chuckled in satisfaction. An even more ominous grin crossed Happosai's face as he hopped his way up to Slaughtersjaws' truck bed as it was a much faster avenue to Nerima, and eventually; to the object of his terrible revenge; Ranma Saotome.