47: "Take Back Tokyo! Part Two: Madhouse"
For a moment, in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, there was silence, perhaps in memorial of the god who had passed, or the lives that had been stolen from the city up until then. But soon a quiet thrum was heard, and Sailor Jupiter perked up as she recognized the sound. The next song in her lineup had started, one best befitting their current state of pandemonium:
"Okay, Tokyo, we've got the police on our side! Are you ready to get liberated?! We're storming out to free the rest of you from these freaks! Are you ready? I hope so, because...it's a madhouse, Tokyo! A MADHOUSE!"
As the loud music blared across the streets, she stormed through the city in accompaniment, smashing whatever came underfoot. The star-soldiers that had once held the entire country in their ruthless grasp now scattered before her, and soon not even the heavenly bulls of Nanna dared oppose the Jovial warrior. Even as they retreated, though, she couldn't go two or three blocks without plowing through massive scores of them, for they had infested the city, and had been summoned to this epicenter to do battle, hopeless though it was. Some did not even know if they should fear their own masters more than these apparent imposters (they were awfully powerful for "imposters"), and their indecision cost their lives, as Jupiter and Airavata squashed and stomped over them. Her ultimate goal was the prison where Adad kept many of Tokyo's citizens; culling their numbers along the way was just a bonus.
White coats to bind me, out of control
I live alone inside my mind
World of confusion, air filled with noise
Who says that my life's such a crime?
"Can you make some NOISE, Tokyo?!" she shouted, her voice carrying with the radio waves. Thanks to her daring restoration of communication, the entire city and most of the surrounding area knew what was going on: that the Sailor Senshi had returned and wanted to help their country cast off its oppressive yoke. Anyone that had the means to pick up this broadcast would be hearing it; her words and songs would stretch from Kusatsu to Choshi, from Odawara to Hiyachi, from the harsh Kegon Falls to the ancient hot-springs of Hakone. Every last soul crammed in those hundreds of square kilometers would be screaming for joy now, doing everything they could to support the Sailors and fight the good fight.
Trapped in this nightmare
I wish I'd wake
As my whole life begins to shake
Four walls surround me
An empty gaze
I can't find my way out of this maze
Jupiter reached the city limits without any appreciable opposition, not finding any of the other Senshi in sight. That wasn't much of a concern: even with their new powers enabling them to cover vast distances in a short time, Tokyo was still a large city, and much of it was still being held by the enemy. Massive numbers of star-soldiers might turn tail in the face of a three-story elephant crackling with electrical power, but who knows how they confronted everyone else? In any case, Jupiter wasn't worried: everyone knew where to meet, and were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves in the meantime.
'Cause I don't care
Fall in, fall out
Gone without a doubt, help me!
I can't take the blame
They don't feel the shame
"Come on, Tokyo, scream it with me!" she yelled. "I know you know the words!"
IT'S A MADHOUSE
Or so they claim
IT'S A MADHOUSE
Oh, am I insane?
It felt as through the entire city was behind her in support, but before her was an officer of the gods. Seeing how ineffective their normal foot soldiers were, the remaining gods had summoned stronger reserves to combat the false Sages: massive Titans the likes of which Makoto had only know in evil dreams. Even before she met these, though, there were hundreds of winged monstrosities guarding the city's borders, and they swarmed immediately like locusts, attacking her and her avatar. The skies lit up with searing tendrils, blasting countless numbers away, but seventy and seven times their number seemed to swarm in, until the air was thick with them. Sailor Jupiter could not take on so many on her own, but she was not accustomed to retreat, either. So, she spurred her steed further.
"Crash right through their ranks, Airavata! Let's get to the other side of this mess!" Airavata obeyed and lowered its head, protruding its tusks so as to skewer everything in its path. The charge was brave, and many more hundreds fell or were gored, but their numbers were much too massive even for this suicide run. Jupiter was suddenly grabbed by the flying demons and lifted out of her seat, flown higher and higher until she had surpassed all but the greatest of Japan's skyscrapers.
"Let me go, you ugly freaks of—gaah!" Her stomach hurled to her throat before she could regret those dangerous words. The demons thought it was a delightful idea, though, and eagerly granted her wish. Jupiter could do nothing but plummet helplessly; her stomach abruptly lurched back into place as something looped around her abdomen. She glanced up just in time to see a glittering bird of paradise swoop through the air, severing the demons that had endangered her, and a golden goddess straddled atop, connected to her grateful friend by a shining cord.
"Thanks, Mina!"
"No problemo! I hope you don't mind, but I brought some friends to play with!" Jupiter was about to squirm around and get a better look at who this might be, when the skies lit up in smoke and flame. Countless police helicopters, assault vehicles, cars, and foot soldiers marched down the city streets, fighting off the winged horde. Sailor Moon led the charge atop the Cerynitian stag, thunder in her voice and fire in her eyes.
"We'll break through the barrier together! Come on, everyone!"
"This really is a madhouse," Jupiter exclaimed. Venus winked and saluted.
"Would you have it any other way? Come on, let's get you back to your buddy—unless you wanna hang there!"
"It's a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be," she winced sheepishly. Jupiter was able to pick off a few fliers that had made it past the police barrage; Sailor Venus's precision shot down waves of the hideous monsters, and soon there was space enough to breathe. Jupiter was gently lowered back onto Airavata's back, but the poor creature had suffered tremendously under the main legion's assault. Jupiter caressed its head sorrowfully, then curled her hand into a vengeful fist.
"They'll pay for this," she growled. "Okay, Tokyo, let's get to it! Let's storm the gates of the enemy stronghold and take back our friends and neighbors!"
My fears behind me, what can I do
My dreams haunt my sleep at night
Oh no, won't learn their lesson, white fills my eyes
And only then they see the light
Jupiter mounted the wounded, weary creature, and so inspiring was her righteous rage that Airavata was renewed; fingers of thunder tickled the streets wherever she and her mount went, parcels of power leaping away in their wake. The great Titans sandwiched between the flying hoards and their destination wasted no time in their attack, two of them tackling Airavata while another took to the skies. Sailor Moon galloped around one, cleaving its legs with the golden stag's diamond-hard antlers, while the police launched a relentless salvo on its main body, peppering it with countless bullets and missiles. Although Jupiter and her totem were much more concerned with the first Titan that had smothered them, she spared enough time to launch a lightning orb against the second, hitting it right on its chin and knocking the monster back. Airavata's legs then had its way with the prone monster; Sailor Moon swooped around the first beast, leaving Jupiter free to travel.
"Cut a swath for us, Mako!"
"It's as good as done!"
Trapped in this nightmare
I wish I'd wake
As my whole life begins to shake
Four walls surround me
An empty gaze
I can't find my way out of this maze
As Sailor Moon ran circles around the first Titan, and Venus slashed away at the second, Jupiter led the charge away from the city to the prison. Storm clouds were already building over the horizon; the sky was growing dark, winds were tearing against her hair and clothes; rain pelted mercilessly. Spurned on by the intense music and barbarian fury, Jupiter matched the storm blow for blow, weathering the lashes unflinchingly. The weather and her charge both reached a climactic crescendo as they finally reached the prison, and its warden Adad was kind enough to greet them.
'Cause I don't care
Fall in, fall out
Gone without a doubt, help me!
I can't take the blame
I don't feel the shame
"Stand aside!" she screamed. The god of storms and thunders frowned heavily.
"Dare not give me command, false acolyte! Waste no words upon this encounter, for I shall never parley or relent!"
"Then if it's a fight you want..." She reared up and threw a terrible bolt pulsing with energy; Adad balled his fist, calling the full might of the gale. The two attacks met midway, colliding with such intense force that the prison shook, crackling all its glass windows. Airavata trumpeted, shockwaves rippling down the street as it reared up and slammed to the ground, but a searing wind surged after it, nearly blowing the thundering elephant away. Bolts were furiously hurled from the sky, though nobody could tell who had called them. A blast struck Adad just as another hit Jupiter; she was thrown from her mount, smoldering but unharmed: Adad stood defiantly, a smoking arm raised over his head.
"Do not think us evenly matched. This is but a taste of my power."
"Hey," Jupiter smirked, "that's my line."
IT'S A MADHOUSE
Or so they claim
IT'S A MADHOUSE
I'm insane!
The two attacked each other again, churning the wind and rain, setting the dark skies alight, blinding all those who stared too long. The police knew when they were outmatched and wisely chose to launch an assault on the prison, leaving Jupiter to face the god unhindered. Their part would be no less difficult: many of the surviving star-soldiers had retreated to this safe bastion, and were pouring out to meet their enemy. All of Adad's thunder-spirits were joining them as well, along with some of the scorpion-men, two of the Titans, a number of the floating faces, and even some of the flying creatures. The police were outnumbered very quickly, but they were used to going up against insurmountable odds, and made a defiant stand worthy of song, introducing their own brand of thundering storms.
Adad struck Jupiter hard, sending her bouncing back painfully. With a powerful lifting gesture, he raised her prone body from the ground, twirling her in the air until she was sick, then lowered his arm, calling the winds to slam her. A whirl of leaves surrounded her, cushioning her fall; at the same time, gnarled roots tangled around Adad's arms and legs. The cords did nothing to impede him; he had but to shiver and they were shorn, but many more replaced them, so that for every branch he destroyed, five more took its place. Once Jupiter was settled, she sent the leaves toward her foe, slashing and slapping relentlessly. Huge trees uprooted themselves and surrounded the god, smothering him until he was pinned.
"Still don't think we're evenly matched?" she taunted. The small forest collapsed as Adad summed up all his power, branches and leaves blasting everywhere. Jupiter threw up a barrier, deflecting the debris. Their eyes met across the imperceptible distance.
"Not in the slightest." The skies roiled and churned, turning from gray to black; the wind picked up furiously, so strong that Jupiter was thrown into the air. Airavata caught her in his trunk, but even the mighty steed of Indra found himself unable to resist the gale force. The buildings on the edge of the city buckled and shuddered,their windows breaking, their antennae ripped off. The flying monsters were cast aside; the star-soldiers swept away like dust. The storm was so powerful that all of the rounds fired by the police were being deflected, and soon none save Adad was standing.
"Now do you see the full measure of thy folly?!" he roared. "None may challenge us and live, least of all servants and their false guardians! O pretender of storms, feeble witch, thy very memory shall be blotted from this earth." Adad screamed and threw his hands into the air, calling down a thunderbolt so massive that even nature herself could not have conjured it. It struck Airavata dead center; the elephant barely had time to toss its master away before it disintegrated. As she rolled onto the wet ground, smoldering and soaked, Jupiter struggled for a moment before laying still. Slowly Adad approached her, his hand crackling.
"None to save thee now, Jovain-sailor."
The thunders were let loose, and Jupiter cringed in the pain—but it was momentary, for something caused Adad to scream in pain, and stop. The winds calmed; the rains ceased; the clouds were abating. She felt strong hands pick her up, wincing through weary eyes.
"Sorry we're so late, but it's your fault for being too eager. It's that damned music."
"This coming from someone with the exact same taste?" Jupiter almost fainted from the pain, both from the fight and the loss of her totem, but she had been through far worse, and would not submit. She saw a golden stag, an immense turtle, an infuriated god—and two Senshi. One of them had her hoisted over her shoulder; the other was tending to her wounds. "Jeez, he really messed you up," she sighed.
"Ugh... Y-you can put me down now, Haruka. I'll be...f-fine."
"What, and miss an opportunity to carry you in my arms?"
"Thanks for butting in, by the way. I almost had em'." Sailor Uranus relented and let her go, smirking even though Jupiter could barely stand.
"If you're well enough for bravado, then I guess you don't need me."
"Was it your turtle that calmed the winds?" Uranus nodded.
"It put him out of the fight, but at least we won't be blown away for the foreseeable future."
"And after that?" Uranus crossed her arms, shaking her head.
"Ask the Lone Ranger here. She's the one that wanted to charge ahead and find you." Sailor Moon wasn't paying any attention to their banter; she was squaring off against Adad, though her attention was divided between him and the police. They were slowly recovering from the storm, and with Adad's forces taking longer, they were trying to push ahead. It was clear that Adad was too powerful to confront, even with the three of them, but if they could stall him long enough...
"Looks like my friend here's been giving you some trouble," Moon said, stoic and battle-hardened. "But if you think one Senshi's bad news, try fighting three. We'll have you begging for mercy in no time."
"Three or three-hundred, what is thy fate but doom?" Slowly the skies began to blacken again; the god crackled with unearthly energy. Sailor Moon removed her tiara and began building up for a throw. Uranus drew her sword, muscles tensing. Jupiter took several shaky breaths, gathering her strength for another blast.
Sailor Moon blinked, screamed, threw her energy projectile...
Adad caught it in his sparking hand, smiling haughtily.
Sailor Moon suddenly lifted her arm, calling forth a colossal column of raw power—
Just as Jupiter unleashed her blast and Uranus carved the world apart with her blade. All three attacks assaulted Adad at once, and for good measure, Sailor Moon's tiara exploded. The band returned to her fingers, where she placed it daintily on her forehead before busting out a victory pose.
"Don't mess with the best, or you'll end up like the r—WAAH!" Adad shot out of the smoke, his fingers curled into a claw. They latched onto Sailor Moon's chest and ejected a bolt of searing energy which passed right through her. Jupiter screamed and soared through the air, cracking her heel against the god's face with the force of a wrecking-ball. Uranus immediately followed through, ramming her sword into his body up to the hilt, lifting with all her might, cutting a huge gash. The two Senshi finished by letting loose all their powers at point-blank range, ripping Adad apart from both sides.
This time he did not even wait for the smoke to form; his arms shot out, grabbed the two, and threw them far away. Sailor Moon was lying prone on the ground, while Uranus and Jupiter were bruised harshly by the fall, but their attack had not been completely ineffective: the god lurched around in agony, coughing and retching, clutching the wound Uranus had given him. Having never known pain like this before, he was stunned.
"What hast thou wrought, sailors? How is it thy powers are my equal? What be you that can perform such feats?" Slowly Jupiter and Uranus rose from their craters, bruised but not beaten. Sailor Moon rose as well, blood trickling from her mouth and chest, one eye shut in pain. In the distance, Adad could see more of the Senshi amassing, and knew that, in his condition, he might not survive a prolonged battle.
"And what be I, that entertains scars, and retreats in such a fashion?" He vanished in a blinding blaze of light, and almost at once, the skies over Tokyo cleared, and the storm was silenced.
"Looks like he turned tail," Uranus said. She glanced over at Sailor Moon. "You okay, Usako?"
"My head feels weird... I think I might have gone into cardiac arrest... Just give me a moment."
"What a trooper," Uranus sighed. "Took a lightning bolt to the chest and still standing. So who's gonna lead us to that prison?"
"Just get Rei to do it, I'm tired." Normally this would've been taken as Usagi's way of passing the hard work to other people while she avoided responsibility—but she had every right to it now, and to prove it, she fell to the ground groaning. Mars certainly came and volunteered to lead the charge, but only after Mercury made sure their princess was all right.
"Well, how shall I put this?" she feebly smiled. "If she wasn't Sailor Moon, we'd be short a friend. I think all the trauma she's been through over the past few months has helped build up a resistance, though, so she should be fine. I'll do what I can to help speed things along. Oh, Makoto, do you...?"
"Nah," she winced, clutching what she hoped was nothing more than a fractured rib. "Just let me get my totem back and I'll be storming down those gates in no time. Okay, Tokyo," she said, adding her voice to the music that still blared across the country, "it's time to get real. We're gonna storm the prisons and free everyone who's been locked up. Brace yourselves, people: the insanity's only begun!"
Trapped in this nightmare
I wish I'd wake
As my whole life begins to shake
Four walls surround me
An empty gaze
I can't find my way out of this maze
With Adad out of the picture, and the police having already disposed of most of his forces, the remaining Senshi met with little resistance. There were still countless star-soldiers and thunder-sprites waiting for them, but the Senshi and police were breaking open cells and freeing people every step of the way, bolstering their numbers with raving, cheering, vengeful Japanese. Eventually the tsunami could no longer be contained and the enemy fled, a wondrous sight for those long-suffered under their heel.
'Cause I don't care
Fall in, fall out
Gone without a doubt, help me!
I can't take the blame
I don't feel the shame
IT'S A MADHOUSE
Or so they claim
IT'S A MADHOUSE
I'm insane!
It took much longer to organize the people; they were hungry for more action. While they cheered for their saviors, they were much more eager to strike back at the enemy, and countless suggestions were made as to their next destination. Everyone agreed that the capitol was the most logical choice, as Tokyo needed a centralized and focused government more than anything, but the consensus was that it would be the most heavily-guarded, and hostages would certainly be used to prevent anyone from taking it back. Chief Hari suggested that the ports and oceans be freed next, since international travel and commerce would open up possibilities for outside assistance, and the Senshi agreed. Sailors Moon and Jupiter were taken to Juuban and entrusted to Saeko Mizuno, who had been given temporary command of all medical staff. She and her daughter exchanged a brief, knowing smile before they parted.
"And don't you worry, either, Miss DJ," she said as Jupiter shed herself and became Makoto. "There will always be someone to continue fighting the good fight."
Makoto relaxed a little easier as she heard Minako's voice sound across the radio...
Author's notes:
Whew! Sorry for the long delay there. Between the holidays, getting sick, trying to make ends meet, getting distracted by video games, and generally not being in the mood ("intimidated" by what I had gotten myself into), updating's been difficult. But at last it's here, and hopefully the next chapter will come around sooner. The song is "Madhouse" by Anthrax.
Q and A time!
Q: Are you some kind of metal head? All the songs you've put in here are metal or hard rock.
A: I like many different kinds of music, but I felt that, for the really intense moments, nothing else would suffice.
Q: What other songs can we expect to see?
A: Slayer, Dio, Diamond Head, Motley Crue, Extreme...
Q: So you're a metal head. Okay, here's the big one: where's Mamoru?
A: …
Q: And Artemis and Luna?
A: …
Q: What happened to Marduk?
A: …
Q: Why can't you answer these questions?
A: Because it would ruin the story.
Q: So they're showing up later, right?
A: I can't say yes or no. All I can say is "enjoy the story as it comes, and try not to skip ahead to the end, because I might reveal something good where you least expect it".
Q: How WILL you end this story, anyway?
A: Pretty much like every other Sailor Moon episode, with them beating the bad guys and issuing a cheesy PSA.