Momoko and Anzu Ryuzaki were working in the laboratory on more experiments with the Gemeloids when Kobayashi snuck inside like a scavenger searching for prey. She tries to be discreet to rummage through the stacks of Gemeloid CDs without making noise, but one fell to the ground. Although it was undamaged, the CD made enough noise to alert the twins.
"Kobayashi, what are you doing?!" Momoko shouted.
"That's our collection you're messing around with!" Anzu yelled out.
"Get your claws out of there this instant!" both of the twins ordered.
Kobayashi growled at them and shown her claws, staring them down like a predator ready to pounce.
"Go right ahead, help yourself," the twins smiled, sweating profusely.
"I need Alpha creatures…true predators…natural born killers!" Kobayashi growled, sniffing around the pile of Gemeloids. Then she digs her claws to pull out 4 black CDs and then she grinned with delight, as if she were a wild beast that finished off a wounded animal.
"I think I've found my pack!" Kobayashi said, purring like a kitten. After collecting her Gemeloids, she ran out of the laboratory faster than a cheetah.
"Please come again," the Ryuzaki twins chimed nervously.
"That was a close call!" Anzu said, shaking like a leaf.
"I thought we were carrion for sure!" Momoko said as she and Anzu huddled together in fear.
"Never stand between a lion and its prey!" the twins sighed, crying over their shoulders.
Outside of the Zodiac Belt headquarters, Kobayashi threw her black CDs into the air, and out came 4 creatures. The first came the droid known as Dogba, who once controlled animals from an animal shelter before the Senshi destroyed her. Next came the cardian Falion, a pink-furred lioness who can still speak like most humans. Third was the youma Regulus that Nephrite once controlled. Finally, one of the 7 Great Youma, Bakene, was recreated to serve the Zodiac Belt as a Gemeloid.
"Listen up and listen good," Kobayashi ordered. "I am the Alpha of this clan! You are here to hunt down the Sailor Senshi and to take them down! Understood?"
"We hear and obey, Alpha!" Falion nodded, kneeling down.
"We will not fail you, master!" Dogba saluted. Bakene and Regulus both growled lowly and kneeled down, acknowledging Kobayashi's orders.
"Remember," Kobayashi warned, "all that matters is the kill. The law of the wild."
"Understood," Dogba and Falion replied.
After having been through the wringer from Ushiyama's wrestling and Kanzaki's military assault, the Senshi decided to relax and take a trip to the local zoo. Usagi and Chibi-Usa were looking around with Mamoru as the other Senshi were walking behind.
"Isn't it great that we don't have to fight those maniacs today?" Usagi said.
"Indeed it is," Chibi-Usa added. "It's about time we had a break from those meanies! Right, Mamo-chan?"
"Yes indeed, girls," Mamoru nodded, but still felt worried for the Senshi's safety.
"It's very unsettling that the Zodiac Belt is somewhere nearby," Rei said.
"Yes," Ami agreed. "We have to be vigilant in order to protect everyone, including Sailor Moon."
"I wonder who that Ophelia sleaze would send out next?" Minako wondered.
"Whoever it is, we'll be ready to take them down!" Makoto proclaimed.
Trailing behind the Senshi are Luna, Artemis and Diana, keeping their eyes on them to make sure nothing goes wrong.
"I have a weird feeling that a major battle is going to take place here," Luna said.
"What makes you think so, Luna?" Artemis asked.
"I seem to recall one of the Zodiac Belt is more animalistic than the others, almost as primal as nature itself!"
"You don't think it's that brute Ushiyama again, don't you?" Artemis wondered.
"I don't think so, Artemis," Luna deduced. "Ushiyama is more about brute strength than natural instincts."
"Well, who's in this Zodiac Belt, mommy?" Diana asked.
"I wish I knew, Diana," Luna said. "If only my memories can recall them…"
The Senshi were walking towards the jungle exhibit and saw one of the zoo staff feed the lions. Unbeknownst to the Senshi, the zookeeper is Kobayashi in disguise. Her red hair is done in a ponytail and is dressed in khakis. She noticed the Senshi close by but she patiently waits for the right moment to strike, like a natural born predator.
"Mommy, those lions look really scary," Chibi-Usa pointed out.
"I don't think they can hurt you, Chibi-Usa," Usagi calmly explained. "They're all in their cages."
"Even in captivity, jungle animals can still attack when you least expect it," Kobayashi explained. "You can take the animal out of the jungle, but you cannot take away its primal instincts."
Hearing that news scared the Moon girls, causing them to hide behind Mamoru. Ami seemed fascinated by Kobayashi's story.
"Excuse me, miss," Ami said to Kobayashi. "You seem to be well-versed in the animal kingdom to know every habitat and every detail of each creature."
"Why, yes I am," Kobayashi bragged to the Senshi. "My name is Shishi Kobayashi, the Alpha in animal behavior!"
"Alpha? You mean like in alphabet?" Minako asked.
"I think she means that she's the top of her field," Ami told Minako.
"Right you are!" Kobayashi replied. "The Alpha is the dominant leader, the ruler of the species. Only the strongest in the pack can become the Alpha!"
"Man, all this animal talk is wearing me out," Makoto sighed in boredom. "Can we go home now?"
"Thank you for an informative lesson, Miss Kobayashi," Ami said, bowing to her. As the Senshi headed off, Chibi-Usa looked a little worried after seeing Kobayashi's weird fascination with animals.
"Doesn't it seem weird to you that we've seen a total animal freak?" Chibi-Usa asked.
"Everyone has a hobby, Chibi-Usa," Mamoru explained. "It's kind of interesting that she mentioned lions. My birthsign is Leo, after all."
"I should've remembered that," Usagi said, shocked. "Lots of things have been going through my mind!"
"Yeah," Rei reminded her, "like the Zodiac Belt! You can bet they're planning something at this moment!"
After the zoo closed down for the day, Kobayashi headed over into the lion's den of the jungle exhibit to see her Gemeloid pack lie in waiting.
"So when do we strike, Alpha?" Falion asked.
"Tomorrow," Kobayashi replied. "We strike at dawn."
"Any specific Senshi we should go after?" Dogba asked.
"We'll target that pink-haired girl, Chibi-Usa," Kobayashi ordered. "The law of nature says the weakest shall fall prey to the slaughter."
"And then we strike hard!" Falion and Dogba growled with delight. Bakene and Regulus simply roared with delight.
"Prepare yourselves, Sailor Senshi," Kobayashi grinned with glee. "THE HUNT IS ON!"
The following morning, Usagi and Chibi-Usa overslept again and had to hurry off to school. The two were in a panicked frenzy and barely had breakfast.
"When will they invent louder alarm clocks?!" Chibi-Usa shouted.
"Beats me! I have trouble getting up even when the clock is at its loudest!" Usagi replied.
Chibi-Usa and Usagi then split up to go to their respective schools. Just as Chibi-Usa was in a few hundred yards to her school, Regulus jumped out in front of her. Before she could run away, Bakene blocked her way.
"What's going on here?!" Chibi-Usa thought. "Why am I being targeted?!"
Then, Falion and Dogba joined in and began to close in on Chibi-Usa.
"All alone and without protection," Dogba boasted. "You're about to become rabbit stew."
"The weakest shall fall prey to the slaughter!" Falion growled. "Prepare for extermination!"
Chibi-Usa got so scared that she gave off light from her forehead, similar to when she first arrived years ago during the Nemesis invasion. Usagi noticed the light as did the other Senshi nearby.
"Chibi-Usa's in trouble!" all the Senshi said in unison, even though they were in different areas.
Usagi ran to where Chibi-Usa was and saw the Gemeloids surround her. Usagi changed into Sailor Moon, dove into the pile and saved Chibi-Usa.
"Are you OK, Chibi-Usa?" Sailor Moon asked.
"I'm alright, mommy, thank you," Chibi-Usa replied.
Then, the two girls heard evil laughing and growling. The monsters stepped aside and out walked Kobayashi with her hair undone and dressed in her tiger print bikini.
"What are you supposed to be, Lum's evil twin?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Foolish Sailor Moon," Kobayashi grinned. "I knew you would show up to rescue your daughter! A mother's natural instinct is to protect her young from harm!"
"You sound like that total animal nutjob from the zoo!" Chibi-Usa pointed out.
"I AM that zookeeper, you ignorant whelp!" Kobayashi growled at her. "I am Shishi Kobayashi of the Zodiac Belt, the greatest predator alive!"
"You even smell like the beasts you tend to!" Sailor Moon quipped. "You could use a bath!"
"If you wish to make jokes at my expense, fine," Kobayashi said, gnashing her teeth. "I'll bathe in your blood after we're through with you!"
Without hesitation, Kobayashi and the rest of her pack of Gemeloids began to pounce on Sailor Moon and Chibi-Usa.
Falion, Regulus and Bakene were gnawing and clawing on both Sailor Moon and Chibi-Usa while Dogba used her leashes on them.
Then, it was Kobayashi's turn to slash away at Sailor Moon with her claws. Things were bad until Mars used her Burning Mandala to stave off the savage onslaught. Kobayashi and her pack jumped out of the way before Mars' attack reached them.
Rather than be disappointed, Kobayashi was grinning like a rabid beast.
"Looks like the rest of the flock has arrived," she purred.
"We are Sailor Senshi, champions of love and justice!" Mercury declared.
"We right wrongs and triumph over evil!" Mars added.
"We're gonna stop this primal rage once and for all!" Jupiter declared.
"And I'll personally send you back to Zoobilee Zoo, you fur-faced freakshow!" Venus points out at Kobayashi.
Sailor Moon smiled barely as she and Chibi-Usa saw that their fellow Senshi have arrived to stop Kobayashi's assault. Luna, Artemis and Diana headed down to help Sailor Moon up to rejoin her fellow Senshi. Then, Luna looked at Bakene strangely.
"I don't believe it!" Luna gasped. "Red Battler's back on the dark side again?!"
"I don't think so, Luna," Sailor Moon barely said. "I sensed nothing in him."
"It must be another carbon copy fakearoo!" Artemis pointed out. "And I'd recognize that awful stench before at the animal shelter!"
"Inquisitive little kittens, aren't you?" Kobayashi said. "I specifically chosen these monsters to release their primal instincts to hunt you down like the lambs to the slaughter that you are!"
"You are completely mad, you know that?!" Luna hissed at Kobayashi. "Animals have feelings as much as humans! How dare you use them as kamikaze weapons?!"
"Watch your tongue, kitten," Kobayashi warned Luna, "or you'll share the same fate as your Alpha will soon face!"
"You callous barbarian!" Luna howled in anger.
Before she could move, Kobayashi shouted out "Primal Call!", rearing her head back and screaming out towards the Senshi. All the Senshi could hear were the ferocious roars and sounds of wild beasts screaming in rage.
"What's that horrible sound?!" Mars groaned.
"The decibels emitting are almost unbearable!" Mercury grunted.
"It's like Wild Kingdom live and in color!" Venus grumbled.
"That's my special move, Primal Call," Kobayashi explained. "Nature can be enjoyable, but it can also be furious! The rage of all wild animals unleashed in a sonic boom that will cripple any prey!"
"You savage heathen…" Luna said weakly, trying to gather her strength.
"Finish them off before they can recuperate!" Kobayashi ordered her Gemeloids.
The Senshi and the Gemeloids began to attack each other as Kobayashi surveys Sailor Moon like a lion on the hunt. Then, Kobayashi seizes her opportunity and pounces towards her, unsheathing her claws.
"I'M GONNA RIP YOU APART!" Kobayashi laughs maniacally. "SAVAGE CLAW!"
A gold-colored tornado sweeps up not only Sailor Moon, but the Senshi and Kobayashi's Gemeloids too. Kobayashi felt as beautiful as nature itself coming down from her most vicious attack.
"What's the big idea?!" Dogba complained. "You got us with your attack, too!"
"I said at the start of this operation that only the kill matters!" Kobayashi argues. "Pack rules! You knew this!"
"It's time we have a NEW Alpha!" Dogba shouted and used her leash on Kobayashi to restrain her.
"What are you doing?!" Falion growled. "You can't go against the Alpha!"
While the Gemeloids were distracted, the Senshi were slowly beginning to heal their wounds. Tuxedo Mask shown up to check up on Sailor Moon and Chibi-Usa and was relieved that they're OK.
"What's going on here?" Jupiter wondered. "Why aren't they fighting us?"
"It seems we have an Alpha vs. Omega battle," Mercury said.
"Wasn't that from that nerd vs. jock movie?" Venus thought.
"Alpha vs. Omega is no joke, Venus," Mercury replied. "The Alpha is the leader of the pack, while one who rebels against the pack is considered an Omega. It's the law of nature, the only law Shishi Kobayashi of the Zodiac Belt obeys!"
In an explosive display of power, multiple gold tornadoes engulf Dogba and disintegrate her back into a black disc. Then, the disc crumbles into dust.
"NOBODY RESTRAINS ME!" Kobayashi howled in victory. Falion bowed her head knowing she lost an ally, but it was the law of the wild. Dogba shouldn't have stepped out of line.
"Destroy the Sailor Senshi," Kobayashi ordered, "or share that Omega's fate!"
"Yes, my Alpha!" Falion nodded and began to growl. Regulus and Bakene growled alongside her, ready to strike.
However, this time, the Senshi were ready. Mercury fired her Mercury Aqua Rhapsody at the remaining Gemeloids while Mars aimed her Mars Flame Sniper to keep Kobayashi occupied. Jupiter and Venus used a combination of Jupiter Oak Evolution and Venus Wink Chain Sword to tame the wild Gemeloids. Chibi-Usa used the time to change into Sailor Mini-Moon and fight alongside her parents.
"Now is the time, Sailor Senshi!" Tuxedo Mask declared. "Tame the primal rage in their hearts!"
"You got it!" Sailors Moon and Mini-Moon agreed.
Both brought out their respective wands and performed their Double Moon Gorgeous Meditation on all the Gemeloids, changing them back into breakable black discs. As soon as the discs fell and became black dust, Kobayashi went on her knees and howled in agony.
"Kobayashi's guard is down!" Mars noticed. "Let's moondust her!"
"No," Mercury interrupted. "Let her be for now."
"Are you kidding?!" Sailor Moon shrieked. "Mars is right! Let's put that cat out of her misery!"
"Remember our day at the zoo?" Mercury reminded the Senshi. "Miss Kobayashi may be a member of the Zodiac Belt, but to her, those monsters were like part of her family! The laws of nature apply to every being, human or animal."
Kobayashi was still shedding tears for her fallen Gemeloids and looked at Sailor Moon.
"For now, Sailor Moon, you are the Alpha," Kobayashi whimpered, "but know that the Zodiac Belt still want you dead! There will be other times!"
After saying her peace, Kobayashi walked away like a wounded animal as the Sailor Senshi recover from a long battle.
Back at Zodiac Belt headquarters, Queen Ophelia was observing Kobayashi's battle with the Senshi and was displeased with the results.
"Why can't anyone put that miserable Sailor Moon away?!" Ophelia shouted. "My reign as the True Queen of the universe is in jeopardy!"
A small hooded figure came in front of Queen Ophelia and bowed to her.
"I'll stomp Sailor Moon and her bratty daughter, too!" the cloaked figure said.
"Very well," Ophelia smiled. "Haruko Mihama, the next mission is yours!"
The small cloaked figure reveals herself to be a small girl about Chibi-Usa's size. Her red hair is done in twintails, she wears a navy blue longsleeve sailor uniform, white socks and red shoes.
"I'll crush all their hopes and dreams and ruin them completely!" the girl now known as Haruko Mihama said, saluting Queen Ophelia.
As the Senshi were relaxing, Luna, Artemis and Diana were walking towards the zoo at night. Luna seemed more puzzled than before.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Diana asked.
"I just can't figure out Shishi Kobayashi," Luna replied. "She seemed so full of primal rage, yet she felt remorse when those monsters were defeated."
"That's puzzling me, too," Artemis said, concerned about Luna. "Normally, bad guys don't care for their own henchmen or monsters."
"It's what Mercury said that got me thinking," Luna added. "I seem to remember Kobayashi's love of nature over everything else."
"I'm sure you'll remember who she is, or was," Artemis said. "And the rest of the Zodiac Belt, too."
"I hope you're right," Luna sighed, as she and Diana headed back to Usagi's house and Artemis back to Minako's house, still planning to unravel the mysteries of the Zodiac Belt and why they've targeted Sailor Moon. For now, the day is won and more battles are heading their way.