"I know who you are, Professor Kyofu. I know you used to work for GIN-SHOCKER."
"Yes, but I left once I REALISED I could do so much BETTER by striking out on my own! They did not RESPECT nor ACKNOWLEDGE my GENIUS! So I MOVED on and created all of THIS!"
"Yes, your 'Brain Trust Society. I admit that it's impressive, but we're not here to talk about your accomplishments. You sent your people to attack my home and murder innocent people all because of some petty grudge you have against Gebok."
"Then are you here to AVENGE them?"
"I'm here to give you one warning. I know about Reiko Serizawa. I know you turned her into a weapon like how Gebok made me into a weapon. I want you to stop whatever it is you're trying to do and this can all end without further issues."
"I see. And WHAT do you THINK I am trying to do here?"
"I haven't figured it out yet but if it involves creating an army of Agitos then it cannot be anything good."
"Then ALLOW me to offer a REBUTTAL: I will NOT stop my plans until I PROVE my work is SUPERIOR to Gebok's!"
Shinichi pressed the stop button on the tape recorder. He was sitting in the conference room with Ryuji as they both listened to the recording together.
"And he had no idea you were recording him?" Ryuji asked.
"He did not even suspect I had a tape recorder," Shinichi answered.
"While this proves that he used to work for GIN-SHOCKER, it still would not be enough to put him away," Ryuji remarked.
"I know but it's a start and soon we'll have everything we need to lock up a very dangerous man."
"Are you sure you're not projecting?" Ryuji questioned, quirking an eyebrow curiously. "If this guy reminds you of Gebok, I get it."
"He does," Shinichi confessed. "But it just shows how petty he is by trying to copy Gebok." He then went quiet.
"What's wrong?" Ryuji asked.
"He panicked when he saw me," said Shinichi slowly. "After that, he became eerily calm, despite knowing who I was and what I could do."
"He probably thinks you were bluffing."
"I guess, but my gut is telling me that Kyofu is hiding something, something dangerous."
"Normal people would call you paranoid but normal people don't have to deal with the kind of shit we do. Whatever Kyofu's got up his sleeve, we'll be ready for it."
After speaking with Ryuji, he went back to his quarters to meditate. The plan was set in motion. Soon, they would have enough evidence to not only ruin Kyofu's reputation but to also put him away for a very long time.
"...You should have killed him," Dreigon criticised. Not this again. "You should have just killed him right then and there instead of lecturing him."
"Trust me, I wanted to," Shinichi admitted. Just being in the same room as that man made him want to end him on the spot. "But then it would have been murder. We need to show the world what kind of person Kyofu is. That is the best way to take him down."
"I don't get why you need things to do something so needlessly complicated. Killing him would have been easy."
"Exactly. Killing him would have been too easy and he doesn't deserve the easy way out. He needs to pay for his crimes."
"Then make him pay with your own claws! Step on him! Grind him in your teeth! Burn him! He harmed what's yours so he must die! Slash him! Cut him to pieces! Die miserable insect! You dare harm what's mine!? I shall pick my teeth with your spine!"
Shinichi did not respond to Dreigon's ranting. The old him would have agreed to kill Kyofu and be done with the whole thing just so he could focus on his upcoming wedding. He could have done it in the blink of an eye and he would not have been caught. But that was not how he did things anymore. Gebok had designed him to be a killer and killing Kyofu would just prove him right.
Shinichi had visited Kyofu to intimidate the man. After being made to look like a liar, the professor would no doubt be working on damage control.
Showa Chronicles: Road to Annihilation
Act IX: All Quiet on the Western Front
"Now, do you remember your job, Sprinkles?" Yokoshima asked.
"I AM TO GUARD THIS TOWER AGAINST INTRUDERS, MASTER," Sprinkles said to Yokoshima. He stood at the entrance of the Hive Tower, guarding the door.
"Good boy, Sprinkles," Yokoshima praised proudly. "You are the best guard dog ever."
"He does know that's not a dog, right?" Satoko asked Rika as they watched Yokoshima praise Sprinkles.
"I doubt he cares," Rika answered. She noticed how anxious her friend looked right now. "Are you OK?"
"I wish I had my powers again," Satoko said, looking at her right hand. She remembered feeling invincible when she fought the Religion of Crime with Riderman's powers but then she felt so helpless when Kyofu's psychics attacked. Now, she was being forced to hide.
"You know why we couldn't keep them," Rika replied. Shinichi wanted them to have a normal life.
"If he had let us keep those powers, everyone wouldn't have died!" Satoko snapped in frustration. "I just...I just hate feeling so powerless, Rika..."
"Trust me, Satoko, I know how you feel," Rika emphasised as she comforted her best friend.
In preparation for Kyofu's next assault, the Hinamizawans were all brought to the Hive Tower for their safety as it could serve as a shelter for emergencies. And right now, this was an emergency. Fortunately, the building had enough space for the entire population of the village. It was also well-fortified and with the addition of Anti-EMP shielding courtesy of Lala, it would hold against the enemy's attack even if they used an EMP. She had also installed EMP shielding in Sprinkles to prevent him from being shut down again.
"OK, everyone," Shogo instructed the gathered villagers. "Please enter in a calm and orderly fashion. And do not be afraid of the robot."
"Are you sure this is all necessary?" an elderly villager asked as she looked at the Hive Tower. They had only ever seen it from afar. Now, standing so close, it was a tall and intimidating sight to behold.
"Yes, it's an emergency and we are taking every precaution, ma'am," Shogo told her calmly. "We're just thinking of your safety."
"How long will we have to stay inside?" another villager in line asked.
"Once the danger has passed," Shogo answered his question.
"Are there enough bathrooms for all of us?"
"What about food?"
"Are you sure you have enough space for all of us?"
Shogo continued to answer questions as they came without missing a beat. If they needed food or drink, Sheila could provide it for them using the replicator in the gift shop.
"You know, in the old days we would be the ones going into action with you," Mion said to Shinichi.
"You've got an important job here too, Mion," Shinichi told her. "You need to help keep the villagers calm while we deal with Kyofu's attack."
"Are you sure it'll happen tonight?" Keiichi asked.
"I am, which is why we need to be ready for when it happens," Shinichi answered. "Now, I need you both to gather the rest of the Club members and come meet me in my quarters. There's something I need to give you all."
"Do you think he'll let us join the mission?" Daiki asked as he, Celine and Alice were headed for Shinichi's quarters.
"Do you doubt me, Daiki?" Alice retorted. "I'm sure if we give him a good reason, he'll understand why we need to be part of this. And if all else fails, I can give him 'the look'."
"Celine, you don't want to join the mission too, right?" Daiki asked.
"No, but Onee-chan asked for my help," Celine chirped.
The three reached Shinichi's quarters and saw the Gaming Club leave. Alice noticed a satisfied and chipper smile on Satoko as she went by. As he was about to leave with them, Shinichi noticed the three kids.
"Guys, I'll catch up with you later," Shinichi said to the Club who then left without him. "Hey, kids. How can I help you?"
"Can we ask you something, Onii-chan?" Alice asked.
"Sure, Alice. What did you want to ask me?"
"We want to join the mission."
"No," Shinichi automatically denied.
"You didn't even think about it," Daiki complained.
"Oh, I did and that's my answer," Shinichi said firmly.
"That's not fair!" Daiki angrily retorted. "We're not weak! We can help!"
"Daiki's right. We're stronger than we look," Alice insisted as she spread her wings. Shinichi studied her wings. Originally, they resembled metallic wings with blades branching off them but now they looked like traditional angel wings. On closer inspection, he could tell that each feather was a metal blade. "And don't forget that we did help you out plenty of times before."
"Only because Alan was there to look out for you," Shinichi rebuked.
"And what about when he was gone?" Alice reminded him. "You let me help out then."
"That is another story, and you weren't exactly yourself," Shinichi retorted. He hated what happened to her after Alan's temporary death. During the war against Savage and the Anti-Life Equation, she had changed and forced herself to grow up, permanently assuming her adult form, her Epsilon Mode. She became cold and vengeful as every trace of the little girl he loved like a sister vanished overnight. It was a relief for everyone when Alan came back and Alice returned to normal.
Alice could see that Shinichi was not budging so she decided to employ her most effective weapon. Clasping her hands together, she looked at him imploringly with wide puppy dog eyes and a trembling bottom lip.
"Please, Onii-chan~?" Alice pleaded. It was 'the look' she gave her father to persuade him to agree with her. It had never failed her before "Pretty, pretty pleaeeeeeeese~?"
"It's weird when you do that in an adult body, Alice," Shinichi deadpanned.
Damn, Shinichi was able to resist. Luckily, Alice had backup.
"Celine," Alice prompted.
"Maaaaaaau~" Celine joined her big sister in giving Shinichi 'the look'. It should work as Celine was just too adorable.
"You both can stop that now. The answer is still no," Shinichi deadpanned. Alice internally gasped as 'the look' failed to sway her big brother. "Have you asked your mothers about this?"
"No, we haven't," Alice answered.
"Good, I'd like to speak to them."
"So, your kids came to me earlier and asked me to let them join the mission," Shinichi spoke to Yami and Conda in the conference room with his arms crossed.
"So what's the problem?" Conda asked. "I've been training Daiki and he's ready to take on the enemy." She was an Amazon and her people were trained in combat since they could stand up and walk. Though Daiki was a boy, he was a powerful Manakyte with limitless potential and she had trained him in the ways of the Amazons.
"I can't believe you'd let your son join even after knowing how dangerous it is," Shinichi said in disbelief.
"It is our way. To face and defeat a powerful opponent is a great honour," Conda defended.
"I'd rather have him survive this than die with honour," Shinichi retorted before he turned to Yami. "What about you, Yami? Are you going to let Alice join the mission?"
"No," Yami answered. She had nearly lost her little girl for good. She would never put her daughter in danger ever again. "After what happened, I cannot allow Alice to join."
"Good, then she can't join the mission and neither can Daiki," Shinichi decided. No sensible mother would want their child to be put in danger. "And I know you come from a warrior race, Conda, but even you wouldn't want to see your child killed. And I don't care if it's 'honourable' for him to die in battle. Just think about his future."
Conda opened her mouth to retort but then she bit her tongue as she pondered his words. Daiki was her son, trained in the ways of the Amazon, and a powerful Manakyte, but he was still just a child. A child with so much ahead of him. As his mother, her duty was to prepare him and not to send him into danger where he could be killed. As much as she believed in her son's capabilities, she also knew that Shinichi meant well. He was a parent as well and was only thinking about the welfare of her son.
"Very well. However, if he is threatened, he will defend himself," Conda compromised.
"As long as he doesn't go looking for trouble, that's fine by me," Shinichi agreed.
Accepting his decision, Yami and Conda left to inform their children. As they exited the conference room, Ryuji entered.
"You made a tough call but it was the right one," Ryuji praised. "Well done."
"Were you eavesdropping?" Shinichi questioned, eyes narrowed.
"I overheard you," Ryuji replied, pointing to his right ear. "Enhanced hearing really comes in handy."
"I just don't want Alice and Daiki to endanger themselves," Shinichi reasoned. "They're just kids. They shouldn't have to fight."
"Considering your history, I'm not surprised in the slightest. And I can see where you're coming from," Ryuji concurred as he took out his smartphone and showed Shinichi a picture of a young girl with Kotonoha's features but Ryuji's hair and eye colour. "This is my little girl Kohana and I would kill anyone who tries to touch her."
"Does that also count any potential boyfriends?" Shinichi questioned jokingly.
"Especially potential boyfriends. I'm not letting her date anyone until she's 18. And even then I have to approve of them," Ryuji stated firmly.
"I doubt your daughter will appreciate that," Shinichi remarked.
"You have little girls of your own too, don't you?" Ryuji retorted. "Trust me, you'll feel the same way soon."
As soon as night fell, Hana, Michiru and Megan got ready for their assignment. Just for the occasion, Michiru decided to use her magic to conjure their uniforms for them. In a flash, pink petals enveloped the girls before transmuting into their stealth suits. They wore matching black catsuits with utility belts to carry their gear. The only difference in their suits was the symbols on their shoulders. On Hana's shoulders were spiders with the number 7 on them, on Michiru's shoulders were praying mantises with the number 11 on them, and finally a red X was stamped on Megan's shoulders.
"Nice," Megan praised as she admired her stealth suit.
"But do they have to be so tight?" Hana asked as she looked herself over. The suit was so tight that it accentuated her curves.
"Hey, you've got a great body, Hana-chan. Flaunt it," Michiru reassured her wife. Hana blushed at the sincere praise.
"But aren't we supposed to dress up like their foot soldiers?" Megan asked.
"Oh, right. I forgot. Got a little too excited about our stealth mission. Hold on." Michiru snapped her fingers and they were now clad in the uniforms of the Psycho Soldiers. She also used her illusion magic to hide the fact that they were female. "OK, show of hands, who thinks these suits are ugly?"
"At least we don't look like Lucha Libre rejects," Megan quipped. With a wave of her hand, Michiru turned them all back to normal.
"We could always go shopping after this," Hana suggested. "I think after this mission, we deserve to treat ourselves a bit."
"Yeah, we should go to the King Terminal's plaza!" Michiru cheered. They could use their ARMOR employee discounts there.
"You girls have been doing this for a long time, right?" Megan asked.
"Yes, but not always by choice," Hana admitted sadly. GIN-SHOCKER had made them into spies and assassins and they had done terrible things whilst under their control.
"But it's better now since we're using our skills for good instead of evil," Michiru added. Hana nodded in agreement. From terrorists to heroes, they had come so far in these past few years.
"So, how do you go on missions together without your feelings getting in the way?" the Martian inquired.
"Teamwork, trust, and a lot of experience," Hana answered.
"So, it helps us to stay focused," Michiru added. "Now, c'mon. Shinichi's waiting for us."
"Jade, are you all in position?" Shinichi asked as he spoke to her through a holographic screen in the war room.
"We are and Amora is ready to work her magic," Jade reported.
"Good," Shinichi nodded. "We're counting on you to make a huge distraction. Shinichi out." The screen turned off. He then opened another screen to speak with Shogo. "Shogo, how are the villagers?"
"Everyone's settled in," Shogo answered. "But I can sense that they are feeling anxious since they are anticipating an attack."
"Just make sure you keep everyone calm," Shinichi advised and turned off the screen. He let out a sigh and leaned over the table, resting his elbows on the surface as he steepled his hands, with a deep look of contemplation on his face. This whole operation was his idea and it needed to go perfectly.
"Shinichi, we're ready to go," Michiru called as she came in with Hana and Megan.
"Oh, hey guys," Shinichi responded as he looked at their appearance. "Nice suits. You've got the schematics Sheila sent you, right?"
"Yes, we do," Hana confirmed as she opened her palm which had a holographic display built into the glove.
"Alright then," Shinichi said to them before he opened a space-time portal. "This portal should take you inside the Brain Trust Society. Good luck."
"We won't let you down, Shin," Michiru swore before they stepped into the portal together.
Meanwhile, the Coyote was on her perch in Osaka, watching the BTS facility through a pair of high-powered binoculars from an opposite building.
"This is Coyote. I have the facility under surveillance," the phantom thief reported.
"Good, keep your eyes on it," her sister responded through her communicator.
"So, I want to know why we're doing this. I mean, everyone took this guy down without interference."
"They didn't go as far as to decimate a village last time, and it was only after Chichi-ue's death that they showed up."
"Lemme guess, the whole Butterfly Effect causing ripples in the timeline," Coyote deadpanned.
"We've been time-jumping and interfering so much that established events are already changing. Hiro and Raheem meeting the younger Zawadi and getting her to agree with prepping our aunts and uncles under the condition that she vents her frustrations on the other witches was what set everything in motion. It's not enough to cause any significant changes to our original timeline. Still, we all knew something like this was going to happen."
"We all knew the risks when we agreed to this plan," Coyote admitted. "So why don't we just annihilate these guys ourselves while we still have the element of surprise?"
"You remember what Alan-ojisan said. This is supposed to be their world to protect but they keep getting outshined by heroes from other worlds. It was a big hit on their morale. That was one of his biggest regrets. They need this win. They need to remember what it's like to beat someone powerful working together like they did before. If we do this, we're one step closer to stopping Chichi-ue from dying."
"So we're here to make sure they get a big win on their own merits," Coyote summarised. "I can respect that. But I think I can do more than just sit here and watch."
"Just stay where you are and keep an eye on that place, Shinobu, and don't do anything else."
"You're no fun, Kaguya," Coyote pouted. While watching a place was part of her job as a phantom thief, it could get boring if she was not there to steal anything. But she was told to stay put. As she resumed her surveillance, she heard a small car horn with the noise of skittering legs and looked to see her Sapphire Spider Viral Core come flying towards her. She opened her hand to catch it. "Welcome back, Kumo-chan. Now, show me what you found."
The Viral Core's headlights flashed before it projected a holographic screen, showing her something very disturbing.
A portal opened inside the Brain Trust Society before Michiru, Hana and Megan stepped out in their disguises. Fortunately, it was an empty hallway that did not have any security cameras to catch their arrival.
"Alright, let's find those files," Michiru instructed.
"They'll be in the archives," Hana said as she opened up a holographic map in her palm. "OK, from here we'll need to go down this hallway, take a right and the archives would be the last door on our left."
"I'll try to make sure those psychics don't find out who we are," Megan offered. With her psychic powers, she could interfere with their telepathy.
"Lead the way, Hana-chan," Michiru said.
They walked down the hallway carefully while trying not to look suspicious. Several Psycho Soldiers walked past them but paid them no mind, seeing them as fellow foot soldiers. The trio found the archives room which was not guarded but entry required an access code.
"OK, how do we break in without setting off the alarm?" Michiru asked. Megan quietly went up to the keypad, made her hand intangible and phased it through. After a moment, the keypad sparked before it went dead and the door unlocked itself. Megan withdrew her hand and smiled. "Wow, neat trick."
"It's all in the wrist," Megan joked, rotating her wrist. "Now get in there and find what you need. I'll be your lookout. "
Hana and Michiru entered the archives and saw rows and rows of filing cabinets.
"OK, this is going to take forever," Michiru complained.
"Then we better start looking," Hana instructed her wife. "Start from 'A' and we'll go from there."
Michiru nodded and went to the first filing cabinet and pulled out the top drawer. Instead of file folders, the drawer contained a set of Betamax video cassettes.
"Hana-chan," Michiru said.
"Yes, I know," Hana sighed as she found cassettes too. Of course, Kyofu would not make this easy for them. "Just grab as many as you can. We don't have time to check them all."
Michiru nodded and used her magic to conjure a sack which she began stuffing with video cassettes. One of the cassettes was marked with the title 'Abby #1'.
All of a sudden, the alarms went off as red lights flashed around them.
"Shit, did we trip the alarm!?" Michiru cried.
"Hurry, keep stuffing!" Hana yelled as she carried an armful of cassettes and began stuffing them into Michiru's sack.
Megan stood outside the archives as Psycho Soldiers ran by. They did not seem to notice her standing by the archives.
"I don't think that was us," Megan said. The Psycho Soldiers continued to ignore her but then she was spotted by a member of Alpha Force.
"What are you doing here, soldier?" Cryska demanded as she approached her.
"I was told to guard the archives, ma'am," Megan answered, changing her voice to sound male. Hopefully, Cryska would be fooled.
"Well, now I'm telling you to come with me. There's an intruder," Cryska ordered but then she heard something inside the archives. "Who's in there?"
"It's nothing, ma'am. I did not hear anything," Megan lied but Cryska saw that the door was ajar.
"Move," Cryska ordered as she pushed Megan aside and kicked the door open. What she found were two Psycho Soldiers with armfuls of cassette tapes.
"What are you idiots doing?" Cryska demanded. "There's an intruder!"
"We were told to organise the archives," Hana answered.
"Sorry, ma'am!" Michiru apologised and saluted, causing her to drop the tapes she was holding.
"Wait," Cryska's eyes narrowed. "You guys are supposed to be clones. So why do you sound like a girl?"
"I don't know what you mean," Michiru denied as she tried but failed to make her voice sound deeper. Hana and Megan facepalmed. Cryska saw the huge sack and the cassette tapes scattered on the floor. Suspicious, her eyes glowed as she stared at the duo.
"She's reading our minds!" Hana cried out. Cryska's eyes widened in alarm but before she could scream and alert the guards, her mouth was covered by Hana's webbing. Cryska tried to rip off the webbing and when she turned to flee, Megan knocked her out with a punch.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Coyote cursed as she ran for her life from the Psycho Soldiers chasing her, carrying a metal helmet of some kind. She had gotten bored from watching the BTS building that she decided to break in to pick up a souvenir. It did not take long for her to find where Kyofu stashed his stuff. Apparently, the man had gotten his hands on some old GS tech that had ended up on the black market. Of course, as she could not help herself, Coyote grabbed the first shiny thing she could find.
According to the sign in front of the helmet, it was called a Psionic Enhancement Helmet. She did not know what it did but it was shiny and she wanted to add it to her collection. As soon as she touched it, the alarms went off. So, she immediately grabbed it and bolted.
"Shinobu, what's going on?"
"Can't talk right now! I'm busy running for my life!"
"Shinobu, did you try to steal something again?"
"I got bored so I broke in to grab a souvenir!"
"Shinobu."
"Hey, back off, Kaguya!"
"We'll talk about this later. Just get out before you get caught."
"What do you think I'm doing!?" She turned down another hallway, only to run into a dead end as her path was blocked by Psycho Soldiers. "Crap, this is not good." She whipped out her Lupin Gunner. "Guess I gotta fight my way out."
The Psycho Soldiers rushed her and Coyote performed a pirouette as she pulled the trigger, shooting at them. Several fell but the ones behind them picked up the slack. She leapt over them, using one as a springboard to soar over the rest. Once she cleared them, she made a run for it but was stopped in her tracks.
"Oh, right. Psychics," she gritted as she felt them dragging her back with their telekinesis. A Psycho Soldier grabbed her in a bearhug and she struggled. But she was not worried. She tapped her heels, causing blades to spring out of the back of her shoes. She then lifted her legs and swung them, driving the blades into his thighs. The Psycho Soldier cried out in pain and he released her. Once her feet hit the ground, she broke into a run.
"Your sister sounds pretty mad at you," Ami's voice came from her communicator.
"Oh, how could you tell?" Coyote said sarcastically, running up a wall to jump over another unit of Psycho Soldiers and sliding down a railing. "She always sounds so flat."
"Did you really have to steal something right in the middle of an important mission?"
"It's kind of my deal, remember?" Coyote responded as she looked over her shoulder and fired at the Psycho Soldiers chasing her. "I'm the Princess of Thieves, after all."
"For your sake, I hope it was worth it."
"Trust me, Ami. It is." Coyote pressed the muzzle of her gun three times and a sparkling wave spread from her, hitting her pursuers before causing them to physically slow down. While their minds were still stuck at normal speed, their bodies were now moving in slow motion. Fortunately, for her, she was not hampered by Heavy Acceleration.
"Adios, losers!" Coyote waved mockingly as she darted down the hallway as echo reflections trailed her. The Heavy Acceleration would prevent the Psycho Soldiers from catching her but it would not last long as it was set on a time limit. So, she needed to get away before it wore off.
Meanwhile, Michiru, Hana, and Megan were suddenly hit by the Heavy Acceleration Wave. They felt their movements becoming slower and heavier while their minds were trying to comprehend the phenomena.
"Girls, what's going on?" Michiru questioned, miraculously unaffected by the Heavy Acceleration. Was this because of her magic?
"Our bodies...feel...heavy..." Megan uttered slowly.
"It's like...Shinichi's...time dilation field..." Hana added.
"Hold on," Michiru held their hands and her eyes glowed. A pink glow spread from her hands to her friends' bodies, allowing them to return to normal speed.
"Yikes," Megan ran her hand through her hair. "That was trippy."
"Yes, my body was moving so slowly but my mind was still moving at normal speed," Hana agreed. "It was not pleasant."
"So, did you manage to find anything?" Megan asked.
"Just a bunch of tapes," Hana frowned, shaking her head as she crossed her arms. "C'mon, we better get out of here before we get caught again."
"Hold on, I'm going to try something," Michiru offered as she held her hands out, her body radiating with pink magic. All the filing cabinets popped open simultaneously and like a black hole, the sack on the floor sucked up all the cassettes into it until all the cabinets were empty. "There, we've got them all."
"What was that?" Hana asked.
"A Bag of Holding spell," Michiru answered as she tied the sack close and slung it over her shoulder. "It's a great way to carry a lot of stuff in a small bag. I'll show you how it works later."
"OK, so what do we do with her then?" Megan asked, pointing at the unconscious Cryska. She did not want to risk reading her mind as it would cause her implanted nanobombs to go off.
"Leave her. She didn't see our faces so we're in the clear," Hana answered.
"Wait," Michiru interjected and snapped her fingers to fill the cabinets with fake cassettes before shutting them all at once. "OK, now we're in the clear."
"Let's go."
The Heavy Acceleration had timed out but Coyote managed to put a lot of space between herself and her pursuers. She was almost at the exit when she was hit right in the jaw by an invisible force. The blow flipped her backwards and she landed roughly on her back. She also dropped the Psionic Enhancement Helmet too.
"Ow, ow, owie..." Coyote groaned as she rubbed her chin, wondering what had hit her. She went to grab her stolen loot but could not move it. That was when a human figure shimmered into view.
She was a dark-skinned Latina in her twenties with platinum blonde hair done in a bob cut. She wore a black skintight catsuit with red gloves and boots. The suit was unzipped to reveal a yellow tube top. Over her ensemble, she wore a white jacket and around her neck was a pearl necklace. She was quite curvy as well, with a utility belt hanging from her waist. She was holding Coyote's Lupin Gunner and had her foot on the Psionic Enhancement Helmet too.
"Very nice," she said as she twirled the pilfered golden firearm, twirling it around her index finger. Coyote swiftly drew another sidearm-a dark blue gun with black, white, and gold highlights- and fired a shot, blasting the Lupin Gunner from the Latina's hand. She shot a wire to catch her Lupin Gunner and pull it back into her hand. "Aren't you a sneaky one?"
"Who are you supposed to be?" Coyote asked as she got up on her feet, pointing both guns at the woman.
"They call me 'Weapon T', little girl."
"Does the 'T' stand for 'thief'?" Coyote snarked.
"Pretty much. It's been my job description for quite some time. And judging by that mask, I wager you're a thief as well," T concluded.
"Phantom Thief Coyote," Coyote introduced herself, giving a mocking bow. "A pleasure."
"A Phantom Thief, interesting," T smirked. "Aren't you a bit young for this line of work?"
"Maybe I am, or maybe I'm older than I look," Coyote answered, returning the sarcastic smirk as she twirled her guns. "You don't know that."
"True, but I do know that you stole this helmet so I can't allow you to leave, sweetheart."
"Try and stop me then!" Coyote challenged and she quickly darted past T.
"Now you see me," Weapon T said as she waved her hand across her face, causing her body to shimmer until she was completely invisible. "Now you don't."
Coyote felt the tail of her coat being snagged again but this time she decided to lose it as she slipped her arms out of the sleeves, letting it fall behind her. She could always get another one later anyway. But then she felt a fist drive into her stomach, stopping her in her tracks. She raised her gun to fire but could not see her target.
"I hate invisible targets," Coyote grumbled. Weapon T was in the hallway with her, watching her, taunting her, waiting to make her move. It caused Coyote to feel a little bit paranoid. Fortunately, she had a way to deal with this.
[Tune: Ruby System!]
"OK, Koumori-chan! Reveal her to me!" Coyote commanded as she pulled the trigger, releasing a sonic wave from her Lupin Gunner. With the Ruby Bat Viral Core, Coyote could locate her target with echolocation as shown on the holographic screen that popped up. "Found ya!" She spun around and fired a shot. Instead of hitting her target, it passed through T's invisible body like she was some kind of ghost. "The heck!?"
"Oh, did I mention my powers make me sort of like a living ghost?" T boasted.
"Showoff -oof!," Coyote was suddenly sent flying into the wall by a kick.
"You can't see me!" T punched Coyote in the face. "You can't hit me!" She landed another punch. "But I can hit you!" She punched Coyote twice more before throwing her to the ground. "Hmph, some Phantom Thief. You need a few more years under your belt before you can stand up to a pro."
Coyote coughed as she felt a bruise forming on her face. True, she could not see T nor hit her but that did not mean she could not hurt her. Her eyes crackled with electricity and she touched the floor, unleashing a blast of electricity across the ground. Weapon T screamed as she was electrocuted, flickering between visibility and invisibility. Coyote got up and, with a shout, delivered a roundhouse kick that slammed her against the wall.
"And you talk too much," Coyote spat.
"That stings," T growled, slumping off the wall.
"And this is gonna sting a lot more, perra!" Coyote shouted, running into a lunging jump. She tucked her legs in and delivered a dropkick straight into T's face, the heels of her shoes digging deeply into her skin, blood bursting from her nose and mouth.
"Damn gringo!"T cursed as she staggered back from the blow. She retaliated with a sweep kick, knocking Coyote onto her back and then raising her leg to drive her heel into the teenage thief's face. Coyote rolled away, causing T to miss. Coyote grabbed her fallen coat and threw it at T's face, momentarily blinding her. T tore the coat off and then noticed what appeared to be dice-like marbles at her feet.
"Ka-blam," Coyote said as she pressed her right index and middle fingers together before she swiped them across, sending an invisible surge of electrical energy that hit the marbles, resulting in a chain reaction that caused them to violently explode. T was sent flying by the miniature explosives, hitting her head on the ceiling before she landed on her back. Gritting her teeth, she went intangible and sunk into the floor.
Coyote tried to locate her opponent when T emerged behind her. She flicked her arms as a pair of mini-pistols slipped from her sleeves and into her hands. She aimed at Coyote and fired a series of quick shots. Coyote spun around and ducked behind a pillar but the shots broke through the marble. Bullets grazed through her hair, but the girl kept moving as she used the pillars as cover to get closer to T. She avoided T's shots with ease as she seemed to glide over the floor like a figure skater across the ice.
T watched her come closer and took aim. There was no way she could avoid her shots at this range but then, all of a sudden, a trio of miniature cars came out of nowhere and flew around her head, distracting her as she tried to swat them away.
"Chance!" Coyote leapt and delivered a hard flying drop kick into T's face, knocking her back. T retaliated as she fired at Coyote but the Phantom Thief avoided the shots as she went behind a pillar, then came out the other side to deliver a flying sidekick into T's abdomen, sending her skidding back before she dropped to one knee.
"You're good, nina," T grunted as she climbed onto her feet as she wiped the blood from her lips. She should have lost her guns after that kick but she was trained to keep a firm on them no matter what. "You've got potential. In a few more years, you might become an actual pro."
"I'm already a pro," Coyote retorted as she got back up. "Try fighting a ladybug that can create anything, a cat that can destroy anything, and a crime syndicate of elitist bastardas then we can talk."
"Oh, but you still have so much to learn," T continued, ignoring Coyote's words. " I could teach you, take you under my wing. We could become quite the team, you and I."
"...Are you serious right now?" Coyote looked at T incredulously. "This coming from someone who is working for a mad scientist."
"It has its perks... and it's not like I had a choice," T shrugged. "Can't argue with the results, though." Kyofu had augmented her abilities, allowing her to do more than just turn invisible. It was thanks to him that she could walk through walls. Made her life as a thief much easier.
"Sorry, the only one who can poke and prod me is gonna be the one I'll eventually call 'Darling'," Coyote retorted.
"Good for you then," T snipped back, reading the innuendo clearly. "So what then? Are you some kind of 'heroic rogue'?"
"Sorry, but I don't exactly do heroics," Coyote answered with a smirk. Honestly, if they weren't enemies, she might have considered befriending her. Maybe in another time and place that might have been possible.
"Of course," T agreed. "Can't expect a thief to be heroic."
The two immediately started running parallel to each other. T fired her guns at Coyote who evaded the shots as she fired back with her Lupin Gunner. The entire hall echoed with gunshots as they tried to take each other down. As Coyote fired a shot that was aimed right between T's eyes, the dark-skinned thief turned intangible and disappeared into the floor.
"Shit!" Coyote cursed as she spun around, expecting T to come up behind her. She did and instead of shooting Coyote, she drove her intangible hand right through her chest. Coyote froze up, a cold chill spreading throughout her body.
"You're good, kid. Too bad you're not good enough," T frowned. "Now, it's best that you surrender. If I solidify right now, it'll be messy."
Coyote gritted her teeth. She knew she could electrocute T right now, but if she did then T would become solid and destroy her heart. However, she did have a backup plan.
"I suppose you do have me in a bind, don't you?" Coyote sighed, "You can try to solidify if you want, but you may want to take a look at your surroundings first."
T frowned as she looked around the area and then she saw small pieces of C4 plastered all around them. They were stuck on the walls, ceiling, floor and columns.
"What did you do!?" T demanded. How did Coyote plant those explosives so quickly and without her noticing?
"Call it an insurance policy. If you kill me now, I'll release an electromagnetic pulse that will detonate all those C4 charges. I bet even you can't phase fast enough."
"Are you so willing to throw your life away?" T asked.
"You know the significance of the coyote in Native American culture?" Coyote questioned rhetorically. "The animal is seen as a spirit of mischief and trickery. And therefore I'm a trickster by trade. I always have backup plans. I personally enjoy living but if there's no way out, I'll drag as many as I can down with me. So, which is it? Do you let me go and we both forget this, or do we both go out with a literal bang?"
T clicked her tongue. This amateur had her. She was ready to commit to mutually assured destruction. Now, they were at a stalemate. Coyote, however, may seem cool and collected but she was actually stalling. She had no intention of dying quite yet but T had forced her to do this.
Suddenly, Coyote let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was hit by a head-splitting headache. T withdrew her hand and watched as the thief collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. That was when T saw a trio of Psycho Soldiers run up to her.
"Took you long enough," T huffed. "Take her to a holding cell. Be careful. She's a tricky one." Two of them grabbed Coyote by her arms. "Oh, and don't forget this." T picked up Coyote's Lupin Gunner and tossed it to the third Psycho Soldier. "And get someone to clean this shit up!" She stretched her arms and then walked away. Along the way, she scooped up the Psionic Enhancement Helmet. But not before she noticed her hands trembling. She was just seconds away from getting blown to bits. She had never been that close to death in her life.
"Crazy chica..." T muttered as she walked away.
The three Psycho Soldiers took Coyote away but were not headed to the holding cells. Instead, they were enveloped by a cloud of flower petals and vanished.
Michiru, Hana and Megan - sans their disguises - all reappeared on the rooftop of another building with Coyote, far from the BTS headquarters. Michiru and Megan gently laid the Phantom Thief down on the floor.
"So who is she?" Megan asked.
"A Phantom Thief Shin encountered a while ago," Michiru answered, recalling his description of her. "Can you wake her?"
"Sure," Megan confirmed. She was the one who knocked her out, after all. Her eyes glowed red as she touched Coyote's forehead and brought her out of unconsciousness. The Phantom Thief twitched a bit as her eyes fluttered open before she sat up, rubbing her head.
"Ow, did you have to give me a headache, Aunt Meg?" Coyote complained. None of them missed what Coyote had called Megan.
"Did you just call her 'Aunt Meg'?" Michiru asked. Coyote gasped as she covered her mouth.
"Who are you?" Hana demanded.
"I'm nobody," Coyote answered.
"Then let's find out 'Miss Nobody'," Megan said as her eyes started to glow. The Phantom Thief jumped to her feet, electricity crackling around her hands.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't you dare go rooting around in my brain!" Coyote warned them. "That's private!"
"We saved your life. You owe us," Hana pointed out.
"And I'm grateful but that doesn't mean you can do a Martian Mind Meld on me," Coyote retorted. She then searched her body and found that she was missing her Lupin Gunner. "Hey, where's my gun?"
"Right here," Hana held the Lupin Gunner, letting it dangle from her hand.
"Ah, thanks a lot. Please give it back," Coyote said monotonously as she reached for it. Hana held it up high and out of her reach.
"Mind telling us what you were doing?" Hana questioned.
"Guess I blew it," Coyote relented. "Well, I might as well tell you since I'm going to need your help anyway." She removed her mask, which caused her hair to change from green to indigo. She then removed her hair ornaments, revealing a familiar pair of horns. Michiru blinked, Hana narrowed her eyes, and Megan's eyes widened slightly.
"Doesn't she look like...?" Michiru started.
"Yes, she looks like Shiori," Hana answered. "And she also has horns like Lum."
"And you called me 'Aunt Meg'," Megan finished. Once she connected all the dots, she smacked her forehead. "Hello, Megan! You're Shinichi and Lum's daughter from the future!"
"Nishishisishi! That's right!" Shinobu giggled and pointed at Megan with finger pistols.
"Wow, Shin is gonna flip when we tell him his daughter's gonna become a thief!" Michiru said.
"Can you not, please?" Shinobu begged. "Anyway, you asked me what I was doing there. You see, I was sent to watch the place and I found something interesting." She took out her Sapphire Spider Viral Core. "Take a look at this."
The Viral Core's headlights lit before it projected a holographic screen that played the footage it had captured. It showed Kyofu in his personal lab with his arms stretched out, shooting bolts of blue electricity from his fingers into D, causing her to scream in agony. Eventually, Kyofu stopped, allowing the poor girl to drop to the floor as she let out a whimper.
"D, do you UNDERSTAND why I am doing this?" Kyofu demanded.
"Because... because I failed my mission," D skittishly answered as she slowly stood back up.
"Yes, you FAILED and then LIED to me."
"I-I did not lie, sir. I reported what I believed to be true."
"And yet BLACK 13 is still ALIVE!" Kyofu screamed at her. "You told me you KILLED him but I believe you neglected to tell me EVERYTHING!"
"BLACK 13...he was able to access his abilities under the effects of the EMP," D answered. "Not only that, but he was also in possession of a device that allowed him to transform into an unknown Rider form."
"SEE, D? This is the sort of thing you need to TELL ME!"
"You only wished to know if I eliminated him..."
"ENOUGH EXCUSES!" Kyofu harshly berated, sending a short jolt to bring D back to her knees. "Because of your FAILURE, my plans are falling apart! By failing to kill BLACK 13, he was able to restore that worthless village and make a FOOL out of me!"
"B-b-but, Professor..." D coughed while her body was smoking from the brutal electrocution.
"No buts," Kyofu coldly cut her off. "I think it is time for me to thoroughly remind you to NEVER fail me again." He slowly approached the fearful Weapon D as his hands crackled with electricity. He put his hands on Weapon D's head, giving her the most intense shock of her life.
"STOP! PLEASE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" D cried through the torture. "PROFESSSSSSOOORRRR!"
Megan, Hana and Michiru could only watch in horror as D was being tortured by Kyofu. It gave the two cyborgs flashbacks of their time in GIN-SHOCKER whilst under their handlers' care. Megan was speechless while Shinobu's expression remained neutral as she had watched it already. D did not deserve this. She may have tried to kill her father but it was not her fault. She was just a tool for a petty man.
"...T-thank you," Megan said shakily once the recording ended. "...We can definitely use this."
"It's yours," Shinobu offered as she handed her Viral Core over.
"How can we be sure you did not doctor this footage?" Hana asked suspiciously. Shinobu may be Shinichi's daughter but that did not automatically make her trustworthy.
"Because I never take anything that is less than 100 percent authentic. That's my personal guarantee," Shinobu claimed. She flicked her wrist, and a steel wire shot from her glove, hooking the Lupin Gunner in Hana's hand and retracting it back to hers.
"Oh wow, you're as resourceful as your dad, huh?" Michiru mused, rubbing her chin in interest.
"It pays to have a few tricks ready at any time," Shinobu winked. "Au revoir, aunties!" She flipped into the air and fell from the building. The older women ran to the edge and watched as a red Lamborghini drove down the road as its roof opened up. Shinobu landed in the driver's seat of the car, driving off as the roof closed.
"Cool exit. She's definitely Shin's daughter," Michiru said as they watched her go.
"What do we do? Do we go after her?" Megan asked.
"No, leave her be for now. I'm sure we'll see her again soon," Hana said as she took the Sapphire Spider Viral Core from Megan, admiring the trinket's spider-like aesthetics. "This is good enough to ruin Kyofu's reputation, but we need more incriminating evidence. Let's fall back for now and wait for the heat to cool off."
Shinobu sped from the scene to rendezvous with her siblings. She turned on her car radio to play some music when a voice came through.
"Your sticky fingers got the better of you again," Kaguya admonished through the car's radio.
"Nice to hear you too, sis," Shinobu responded.
"Do not be flippant with me, Shinobu. Your actions could have ruined months of planning."
"I got the footage and delivered the package. I should at least get a 'thank you' for that."
"Seriously? After that stunt you just pulled? *Sigh* I just don't understand your need to take these risks."
"Well, Miss Space Cop, I got bored so I decided to grab a souvenir for my trouble. We can talk later once I rendezvous with you guys. Adios!"
"Wait-!" Shinobu abruptly cut the call.
"We can talk later once I rendezvous with you guys. Adios!"
"Wait-!" Kaguya tried to warn Shinobu when she abruptly disconnected the call. "She hung up on me."
Kaguya stood in the middle of the Star Vampire nest. She had arrived just in time to see them hatch. Newly hatched Star Vampire larvae had yet to gain the ability to turn invisible, so they resembled pinkish jellyfish as they crawled out of their shells. They would quickly learn to blend in with their surroundings, hunting down small animals to feed on. They had tried to swarm her due to their hunger but she had cut them to pieces with her sword.
Both Kaguya and Shinobu idolised their father. Shinichi was a hero and Kaguya wanted to fight for justice just like he had. Shinobu, on the other hand, focused only on how much he was persecuted and vilified despite his heroic deeds, all because he had been a child soldier working for a terrorist organization.
So, when Kaguya decided to join the Space Sheriffs, Shinobu had gone the opposite route and became a Phantom Thief. It would be scandalous for a Space Sheriff to have a sister on the opposite side of the law, but that was not Kaguya's main concern. She was just worried about her little sister's safety. Unfortunately, all of Kaguya's warnings went in one ear and out the other.
Shinobu even countered that Kaguya joining the Space Sheriff was dangerous as well. Kaguya defended that it was different but her sister argued that death did not care which side of the law they were on.
Shinobu was stubborn, just like her mother. Fortunately, she never went and hurt anybody unless they deserved it. She also had standards as a thief as she only stole from the rich. She was no common thief, as she claimed to be.
Despite being on opposite sides of the law, Kaguya still loved her little sister. She could also see that Shinobu was more heroic than she claimed to be as she used her skills for good. Kaguya was still worried about her little sister's future. If Shinobu continued to chase her high, would she eventually try to become an intergalactic Phantom Thief? That would make her a target for the Space Sheriffs and one day Kaguya would have no choice but to arrest her. Being a princess may not even keep Shinobu out of prison.
They were so close, being the two youngest girls in their family, but it seemed like they were drifting apart. Kaguya needed someone to talk to. Someone blunt and reasonable.
"Hello, Raheem?" Kaguya called.
"What is it, Kaguya?" Raheem responded. "Having trouble with the Star Vampires?"
"Oh, no. They were no trouble. I managed to take care of them. I just wanted to tell you that Shinobu was able to deliver the footage to the NEO-NUMBERS."
"So why do you sound unhappy?"
"I'm worried about her, Raheem," Kaguya answered. "Someday, her little hobby is going to get her into a lot of trouble, trouble that we won't be able to get her out of."
"True, Shinobu can be self-centred and impulsive. She's also reckless and a kleptomaniac."
"None of those words help me worry less." Kaguya's worried frown only deepened.
"But she's quick-witted, smart and resourceful. Not to mention charitable."
"But as a Space Sheriff, my duty is to uphold the law. How can I turn a blind eye to her activities?"
"There's the law and then there's justice. Which side are you on, Kaguya?"
"Justice," Kaguya affirmed.
"And so is Shinobu, only she decided to take a different route. So believe me when I say that she will never walk the path of a ruthless criminal, no matter how much her sticky fingers get a hold of her. She did tell us about the Mizuchi family, who are way worse than she could ever be. And she has a code of honour, which is something few thieves have."
"You're right," Kaguya agreed. Shinobu's code made sure she never harmed the innocent or steal from anyone who did not deserve it. That was just the way she was. "You always know what to say to make me feel better, Raheem. That's why you're my favourite little brother."
"I'm your only little brother. But don't mention it."
"I should go and meet Shinobu at the rendezvous point then."
"Actually, I have another task for you. There's an unidentified fleet of airships heading for Genovia and they seem to have hostile intent."
"Ow..." Cryska groaned as she woke up, rubbing her face. She was in the archives. Why was she...? Wait a minute, where were those imposter Psycho Soldiers!? They were gone! "Dammit."
Kyofu would not be happy once he learned that intruders had broken into the archives but it was probably better that she did not tell him about this breach in security. If he knew how she had failed to stop and capture the intruders, he might do something to her sister. She could never forgive herself if anything happened to her.
But not telling him could make things worse for her. He would find out eventually - he always found out - so maybe it was better that she informed him than wait for him to find out.
Oddly, she remembered the voice of one of those imposters. It was familiar.
END OF ACT 9
DrEx: Mission Start! Looks like the NEO-NUMBERS and their allies have begun their counterattack. Part of their plan involves getting dirt on Kyofu and it looks like the Coyote was able to provide them with some incriminating footage. Let's hope these guys put Kyofu away for good coz he's too dangerous to be free.