Author's Note: Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko and Toei Animation.

The Frankenstein Syndrome
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter One: Tooth And Claw

The dark haired man shuffled aimlessly down the city street at midday, his eyes glassy, nearly oblivious to everything except a nagging, terrible hunger in his belly, a hunger so great, it actually hurt. However, it was a hunger he fought with all his strength to control.

It had been a long time, a very long time since he had eaten. But the food he had been given in the small, cramped places he spent the last two years in wasn't nearly good enough for him. He needed that something special to satisfy his cravings, yet he had to suppress that hunger, for that was what got him into such trouble in the first place. A sharp and sudden pain in his belly almost made him double over as he crossed an intersection. He allowed himself a chuckle as he safely made it to the other side. It wouldn't do, he thought, to get plastered by a truck on an empty stomach, yearning for something he didn't dare indulge in.

He barely remembered being taken from the place he had been locked away in after the last time he let his terrible appetite run wild, then being whisked away to an even stranger place filled with equally strange looking machines where he had poked and prodded for days, if not weeks on end by two odd looking people in white, why, he had no idea. He felt more like a lab rat than a human being, a lowly, insignificant creature to be experimented on, something that made him feel less than human, even less than he already felt. The worst part of it all were the injections, and the light, the blinding, painful light that pierced his body, the bright, greenish light that seared his flesh raw and made him scream from unimaginable agony.

Without any sort of direction, the man continued to walk, not knowing where he was going, understanding his surroundings or, for that matter, where he was. The suburban landscape was totally alien to him. More times than he could count, he had to look to his right instead of his left before crossing a street, totally unlike where he used to live but could no longer fully remember. As far as he was concerned, he might just as well be on another planet. After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped and stared. From across the street, he could see people, happy people, adults and children file through a large ornate entrance. Suddenly, the man could actually smell the flesh of the people who filed through, and the smell to him was incredibly sweet, overpowering and intoxicating. Especially the delicious aroma of females, far and away the sweetest smell of all.

The smells all but drove him insane, reminding him of the hunger he didn't want to give in to but, at the same time, ached to surrender to. He decided he could wait no longer. Something inside his body suddenly turned on like a light switch and he felt power, power like he had never known before coming to this strange place flood his nervous system, doing things to him he came to both love and hate. Despite monstrous pain from expanding joints (the part he hated), he felt himself grow, becoming stronger and stronger (the part he loved) by the second. An instant later, the hunger overwhelmed him and whatever guilt he had vanished. He had to eat, and now he didn't care what sort of trouble he got into. He smiled and licked his lips. Time to eat.

********************

"Oh, wow! This is way cool! Look at the polar bear! He's so cute!" Usagi Tsukino squealed delightedly, her huge, bright blue eyes sparkling as she watched a polar bear frolic in a below ground pool styled like an Antarctic landscape with an oversized beach ball. With a giggle, Usagi tore off a big chunk of cotton candy and devoured it.

Standing beside Usagi, Makoto Kino chuckled. "Usagi, only you could call a polar bear cute! I wouldn't want something like that for a pet." At that moment, a young, redhaired groundskeeper, walking by with a rake in his hand and whistling a happy tune caught Makoto's eye. Staring wistfully at him, she broke out in a wide smile.

Minako Aino, watching Makoto grinned. She had seen that hopelessly lovesick look on the face of her tall, auburn haired friend plenty of times before. "Don't tell me, let me guess. He reminds you of your old boyfriend?"

"Well, yeah! He does!" Makoto replied, her cheeks red from a blush.

"C'mon, guys! I wanna see the lions!" said an excited Rei Hino. "The new Serengetti exhibit is supposed to be awesome!"

"It ought to be. The Zoo spent a great deal to construct it," said Ami Mizuno. Always studying, even in her free time, Ami leafed through a book on the African plains. She was curious to see if the exhibit matched photos of the real thing she looked at.

Usagi frowned at her. "For Pete's sake, Ami! It's Saturday! Can't you get your nose out of a book for one day? C'mon, girlfriend, let your hair down and enjoy yourself!"

Ami looked up at Usagi with a puzzled expression. "But, Usagi, I am enjoying myself."

Rei, Makoto and Minako broke out laughing while Usagi rolled her eyes from exasperation.

"Never mind!" she muttered before eating more cotton candy.

Usagi and her friends, looking for something fun to do on a sunny August afternoon came to the Zoo to spend the day. With no threats from the Negaverse over the last week, the girls decided to take advantage of the unexpected lull and enjoy themselves. No Sailor Senshi business, no risking their lives fighting monsters or other assorted aliens, just the rare and welcome opportunity to be normal teenage girls doing normal things girls do.

"Hey, Usagi! Where's Mamoru?" kidded Makoto, a mischievous grin on her lips. "I haven't seen him around for the last couple of days. Have you got him locked up in your basement so Rei doesn't sink her claws into him?"

"Mamo's out of town on some silly macho lark," grumbled Usagi who tripped on a loose shoelace but was saved from a tumble by Minako. "He and some of his college buddies are rock climbing out in the country! I mean, really! How dumb is that? Goofing off on some icky mountainside when he could be with me instead!"

"And what makes you think I still have any interest in him?" Rei snapped, her short temper flaring. At one time, Rei was infatuated with Mamoru, though she could never bring herself to tell him that. But when it was revealed during the climatic final battle against Queen Beryl and her minions that Usagi and Mamoru were, in reality, the reincarnated Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion of the Moon Kingdom, Rei backed off from pursuing Mamoru for Usagi's sake, albeit reluctantly.

"Perhaps it's that rosy blush on your face!" said a grinning Minako.

Rei, her cheeks warm more from embarrassment than anger shook her raven maned head and fumed. For once, it was hard for her to really get mad at her friends. "Ohhhh! You guys are awful!"

While that lively exchange went on, Luna and Artemis dutifully and silently followed the girls from a couple of feet behind, their expressions drawn and sour. Even though they were familiars from the Moon Kingdom and guardians to Usagi and Minako respectively, they were still cats, members of the animal kingdom, and it annoyed them no end to be in a zoo and watch other animals penned up like criminals to perform for and entertain humans. To even be in such a place made the familiars feel dirty. Suddenly screams erupted from just ahead, shattering the pleasant stillness. Then, people, looks of utter terror on their faces came tearing past the girls, running for their very lives.

"What's going on?" Usagi wondered.

"Let's find out! C'mon!" Luna commanded.

Fearing the worst, the girls ran in the direction of the screams. Rounding a corner, they saw the source of the chaos. What the girls saw were the Zoo's weaponless security guards trying in vain to fight a wolf-like monster who swatted them aside while broken and bleeding people lay motionless at its feet.

"Oh, great! Just great! Another slimeball from the Negaverse!" Rei growled. "So much for our time off from those scumbags!"

"Everyone! Transform!" ordered Artemis.

"Mercury Power...MAKE UP!" Ami's body flowed and shimmered like water and, an instant later stood Sailor Mercury.

"Mars Power...MAKE UP!" Red hot flames erupted and lovingly embraced Rei, changing her into the fiery Sailor Mars.

"Jupiter Power...MAKE UP!" A bolt of lightning and a loud crack of thunder accompanied Makoto's dramatic transformation to Sailor Jupiter.

"Venus Power...MAKE UP!" The brilliant, sparkling light of the stars themselves heralded the arrival of Sailor Venus.

"Moon Prism Power...MAKE UP!" Usagi's body glowed with the silvery brightness of the moon itself, magically altering her clothes into the uniform of the Sailor Senshi leader, Sailor Moon. Her eyes blazed with anger, mainly because her day of fun had been cruelly interrupted. "I don't know what that thing is, and I don't care! Let's put hairy Harry back in its kennel!"

The wolf-creature, it's eyes burning from a terrible, insatiable hunger, glared at a frightened, middle aged woman on the ground at it's feet. Despite having already devored a man, it prepared to attack her. To eat again.

"HOLD IT!" a booming voice ordered. "Get away from her!"

The creature spun around and scowled at seeing the Sailor Senshi standing some ten feet away. It's face tightened from anger at having been interrupted.

"I am Sailor Moon and we are the Sailor Senshi! The champions of justice!" shouted Moon, taking up a defensive stance as did the others. "We right wrongs and triumph over evil! In the name of the Moon-and anyone who hates have a day off ruined-we will punish you!"

The beast stared at the Senshi, young, fresh and vibrant and sensed they would taste far better than the aged morsel before him. With a roar, it sprang at the Senshi with the speed of a bullet.

"Scatter!" yelled Moon, and the girls jumped away from the beast as it attacked, covering prodigious distances with their otherwordly agility. "That was too close! Mercury! We need cover!"

"Coming right up! Mercury Bubbles...BLAST!" yelled the blue suited Scout, summoning an incredibly thick and chilling fog which instantly descended over the area.

"Good work! That should keep it in the dark!" said Moon.

However, it didn't work as the creature sprang at Moon out of the fog with a frightening speed that shocked her.

With a squealing yelp of fear, Moon dived out of the monster's way, it's claws raking the air where the Senshi leader had been standing just an instant before. If it weren't for her superhumanly fast reflexes, the slavering beast would've ripped her wide open.

"Oh, jeez! Oh, jeez! Oh, jeez! I don't like this at all!" a now frightened Moon whined. "Mercury! Your fog didn't slow him down! What happened?"

Standing several feet away, Mercury scowled. She never had this happen before. "The creature must be using it's other senses! It's honed in on us by smell and sound!"

At that moment, the wolf creature leaped at her next. Just like her partner, Mercury quickly dove out of the way, but not before a claw tore her skirt and scored her left thigh. Tumbling to the ground, Mercury grimaced from pain as blood trickled down her leg. Mercury gasped from shock.

"Sailor Mars! Quick! Blast it!" Luna ordered.

Standing on the rooftop of the nearby reptile house, Mars pointed her index fingers at the beast, her brows deeply furrowed as she concentrated on her power.

"Mars Fire...IGNITE!"

At Mars' command, a huge bolt of searing flame shot out from her fingertips, scorching the air as it sped on a direct course with the beast, certain to fry it to a crisp when it hit. But, the fireball never hit it's target as the creature leaped out of the way with an almost disturbing ease.

"Missed! Better try again!" Mars growled. Before she could fire a second time, the Fire Senshi became the next target. The beast leaped straight up at her like it was jet propelled. Mars shrieked, then dove off the roof, but her panicked leap for safety was badly executed and she landed awkwardly. The spiked heel of her right shoe snapped on impact, twisting her ankle which exploded in pain.

OWWWWWW! Dammit! That's what I get for wearing heels with this costume, thought an angry Mars, struggling to get to her feet, but her injured ankle made that simple task nearly impossible.

"Mars! Behind you!" Venus shouted.

Mars whirled around and found herself staring up the beast, standing no more than a four feet away. From a distance, the creature didn't seem all that menacing, but, up close, it was a living, breathing nightmare. Standing seven feet tall, it's fur was a thick, dark brown, its claws were wickedly long while the beast's snout was huge and filled with equally long, razor sharp teeth. The monster's breath was fetid and rank like rotted meat while its eyes, locked on her were large and red and filled with a monstrous, insatiable hunger.

"Oh...my...God," Mars whispered, rooted to the spot from blind terror, her eyes wide as saucers. Growling, the beast lifted a paw in preparation to strike.

"Back off!" roared Jupiter, slamming into the monster like a runaway train with a devastating flying kick that sent it crashing into a brick wall with a loud, bone rattling thud. With the creature too close to Mars to risk a lightning strike that would've fried them both, the brawny Jupiter, with her incredible strength attacked the beast the old fashioned way. "Listen up, furball! Sailor Mars may be a hot tempered pain in the ass, but she's a friend! And nobody shreds my friends while I'm around!"

The beast slowly got to its haunches, but it looked dazed and shaky after hitting the wall at speeds from the force of Jupiter's kick which should have shattered every bone in its body and killed it instantly. Rising to its feet, the creature, it's fury increasing readied itself for another charge, hunger driving it incessantly to kill.

"This will keep you down, furball! Venus Crescent Beam...SMASH!" yelled Venus, her hands surrounded by twin crescents of golden light. Venus then pointed at the beast, and her energy beam struck it in the back just before it leaped at Jupiter. It screamed in pain and crumpled to the ground. For the first time since the Senshi engaged the beast, it was on the ropes. Jupiter, seeing a much needed opening grinned savagely.

"My turn! Jupiter Thunder...CRASH!" At Jupiter's command, an antenna on her tiara popped up and ozone permeated the air as she summoned a huge bolt of lightning from above. The lightning danced around her body for a millisecond before she hurled it at the beast, accompanied by an ear piercing clap of thunder. Once again the beast screamed in mortal agony as the lightning struck it dead center, its cries almost drowning out the thunderclap as it collapsed.

All was quiet. The air was thick with the smell of scorched fur and burned flesh as the Senshi (Mars hobbling along with help from Jupiter) warily approached the beast which was on its back and smouldering, what's left of it's fur black and smoking while it's exposed skin was also blackened and lanced with horrible wounds that oozed dark, brackish blood. The stench made their faces wrinkle from disgust.

"Looks like you've aced it, Jupe," said Moon. While the monstrous stench made her feel ill, she was pleased that the beast was down. But she spoke too soon as the beast growled low in its throat, then slowly got to its knees. It's eyes ablaze with a combination of pain from its injuries and bottomless rage. Then, before their eyes, the beast's wounds began to close and its fur grew back with astonishing speed. The Senshi, slack jawed and stunned backed away, shocked at what they had seen.

********************

Somewhere else...

A moment ago, the balding, lemon faced man, garbed in a starched white lab coat over a turtleneck and slacks was transfixed on a monitor screen, watching a series of erratic lines dance across the screen. Adjusting the glasses on his face, he was pleased with what he saw. Suddenly, the lines went haywire and electricity sparked from the monitor, making him cry out from surprise.

"Doctor! What is it?" asked the man's companion, a thin, aristocratic looking woman who walked up to him, a look of concern on her face. Wearing a similar lab coat over a knee length black dress, her high heels clicked in rapid cadence on the spotless tile floor.

"I'm not sure, Doctor. I was monitoring the subject's progress when a massive surge of electrical energy spiked his entire nervous system," the man explained nervously. "I've never seen anything like that before."

The woman, also wearing glasses, frowned. "Interesting. Could the subject have produced such a discharge?"

"No. It was a definitely an external source." The man checked a machine next to his monitor and his eyes widened at what he saw. "According to these readings, the voltage that struck the subject could have powered our equipment here for a week! If our facility weren't properly shielded, we would have suffered massive damage. Incredible!"

"Astonishing. What could have caused this event?"

The man adjusted his glasses before he spoke. The expression on his face was hard and emotionless. "I do not know, Doctor. But this certainly bears investigating. As soon as the subject deals with whatever its up against."

********************

"No way!" said an astonished Jupiter. "No freaking way!"

The lips of the wolf beast curled into an approximation of a grin, making it look demonic. Now on its feet, it was already looking stronger, not to mention meaner than it did just a moment ago. Growling low in its throat, the creature slowly came closer to the stunned Senshi, eager to attack them, kill them, eat them.

"Sailor Moon! Your tiara!" Luna cried. "Hurry!"

Moon, just as petrified as the others snapped out of her stupor at the sound of Luna's panicked voice. Out of nowhere, she wondered where Tuxedo Mask was and why he hadn't arrived to lend a hand in the battle. He always came to the Senshi's aid in their most desperate moments to help them battle the forces from the Dark Kingdom. Then she remembered that Tuxedo Mask...Mamoru was out of town, so her ebon suited hero, the man she loved with all her heart wouldn't be coming to the rescue today. Still frightened, but realizing it was now all in her hands, Moon removed her tiara and, focusing all her concentration on it willed it into her powerful energy disc.

"Time you were neutered, you Negaverse creep! Moon Tiara...MAGIC!"

Moon hurled the energy disc at the beast with all her strength. The beast didn't even have time to scream as the disc struck it squarely in the throat, neatly and cleanly severing its head which bounced on the ground a couple of times and rolled away while its body fell forward onto it's stomach. It twitched for a few seconds, then was still.

"It...it didn't disintegrate!" said a shocked Venus as Luna and Artemis approached. "What the hell? It should be moondust right now!"

Then, the true nightmare came to pass for the Senshi and the familiars as the headless body began to change. The beast's fur slowly receded, leaving behind pink flesh as the body shrank to more normal proportions, the deadly claws on its paws turned into regular looking hands and feet. In a matter of seconds, the headless body of the wolf-beast was now that of a headless, naked man, the flesh of it's neck neatly cut and cautered from the blistering heat of Moon's tiara.

"Sweet baby Jesus!" a stunned Jupiter whispered.

Moon, wide eyed, silent and shaking as if freezing stared at the headless man for a few seconds, her mind reeling from horrors greater than a fourteen year old girl should have to endure. Then, as the realization of what she had done drove itself home with a vengeance, Moon, hands to her mouth, tears streaming down her face, turned away from the body, staggered a few paces, fell to her knees and vomited. In the distance, sirens could be heard.

"No! This isn't possible!" Mars said, shaking her head, trying to ignore the sounds of Moon's violent retching, if but for no other reason than not to lose control and throw up herself. But, it wasn't easy. It wasn't every day she saw a headless body, and it was making her stomach spin like a centrifuge. "Mercury, what gives? Please tell us this was just another Negaverse monster, and this is some sort of illusion, isn't it? Isn't it?"

Mercury, numb from what she saw, didn't speak. Acting on reflex, she touched the blue stud in her right earlobe with a trembling index finger and her VR visor materialized on her face while she opened her mini-computer. She scanned the corpse with the visor, all the while biting her lower lip from nervousness. After a few moments, the readings appeared on the screen of the computer, Mercury read them, and what she saw made her heart sink while she wanted to cry.

"No, Rei...it's not an illusion. It's physiology is...was...human," she said, her voice filled with terrible sorrow. "Guys, I'm afraid we just killed a man."

Next: Senshi on the Run