Sakura: Knight of the Clow
FLASHBACK: Devil Hunter Yohko/Sakura
Roughly a year or so, ago...
"WHY DOES IT KEEP TRYING TO LEWD YOU!" Sakura yelped, slicing at very penis like tentacles.
"I don't know!" Yohko yelled, her Chinese style uniform ripped, exposing her pert breasts.
"Windy! Become the cutting breeze!" Sakura used a Clow Card, unleashing the wind elemental.
Windy looked almost as disturbed by the monster as the two girls, but swept in and sliced away at the thing.
Sakura drew her sword cane, and charged the thing, stabbing the 'heart' of the creature and ending it, in the process freeing Yohko.
"Thank you," Yohko sighed, "miss...?"
Sakura pulled her hooded cloak up, "Sorry, I can't..."
Yohko accepted that, aware that people had certain circumstances. She said, "Well, Ms Hood, thank you for your help."
Sakura smiled wryly, "Is that it, then?"
"There's usually a leader monster too," Yohko admitted.
"Well, let's track that down too," Sakura said, sheathing her sword. "Windy, return!"
Windy swirled around Sakura, kissed her cheek then returned to card form.
Yohko blinked, "Is she...?"
"LONG story," Sakura sighed.
"Come on," Yohko said, "the leader are USUALLY nearby."
Indeed, the leader of the monsters was at the swiming pool, where he declared they MUST yeild to his EVIL QUEEN and such. Then he sent a water monster after them.
"I'll keep it occupied," Sakura offered, "you get him!"
"Right," Yohko charged the guy.
Yohko fairly quickly knocked the dude out, then he disappeared in a burst of black mist. They then corralled the monster, and Sakura cut the 'core' out with her sword.
"So does this sort of thing happen often?" Sakura asked.
"Yup," Yohko agreed. She added, "They seem to target women, but it depends."
Sakura nodded thoughtfully, "Well, I'm usually hunting certain creatures, and these... card, things. It's complicated."
"I'll keep a eye out," Yohko promised, "and thank you for the help."
"Glad to help," Sakura agreed, then they split up.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Misaki Mei, the albino woman who was head of the agency, blinked at Yohko as she said, "You didn't say you MET her."
Yohko shrugged, "I didn't know she was the woman you're calling The Knight."
Misaki looked at the masked woman and said, "Thank you for coming in, Miss. Can we come up to my offices?"
"Yes, certainly," Sakura agreed.
"We're coming, of course," Tomoyo added briskly, Yukito standing nearby.
Misaki sighed but nodded, "I do want this off the record, there are things I need to discuss with the Knight that are classified."
Tomoyo looked dubious but nodded, "Of course."
They went up the stairs as Misaki noted, "So, Miss Knight, you've been doing this for several years now?"
Sakura looked startled, "How do you know...?"
"Research," Misaki shrugged, "and your friend's coverage, too."
Tomoyo shrugged slightly.
"Welcome!" Yuna Scarborough beamed from where she stood at the office door. "I've readied the conference room, ma'am."
"Thanks," Misaki agreed, leading the way.
"Coffee? Tea?" Yuna asked once everyone sat.
"You are SUCH an Office Lady," Yohko teased the other woman.
"It's polite," Yuna defended herself.
"Take a seat everyone," Misaki said calmly.
"So, you put out the word you need me?" Sakura asked briskly. "Why?"
"Because monster attacks are quickly going to be out of control," Yuna said calmly.
"What do you mean?" Yukito asked.
"We've been studing the history of monster attacks," Misaki took over, "piecing together records plus Miss Yohko's family journals and other sources." She nodded to Tomoyo, "Your paper's reports have been helpful too."
"Thanks," Tomoyo deadpanned.
"Monster attacks have gone from one a year or so, to one every month, and the trend is accelerating," Misaki added.
Sakura paused then admitted, "Actually I think I've been out dealing with SOMETHING about once a week or so, recently."
"Shit," Yuna breathed out.
"That's... well," Misaki sighed. "Based on our information, we could be getting monster attacks almost daily."
"Oh hell," Tomoyo muttered. She looked at Sakura, "Do you think this is the prophesied disaster you talked about?"
"WHAT," Yuna, Misaki and Yohko chorused.
"Long story," Sakura sighed then began to explain.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Sonomi Daidouji nodded to the official, "We have, with our partners, designed a full equipment set for modern monster hunters."
Her aide, a boyish woman in sunglasses and a suit, activated the slides.
"Kevlar derived body armor with polycarbonate plating," Sonomi pointed out, "collapsible spear, bastard sword and modular shield. Not cheap, but we're confident it'll do the job and keep troops alive."
"Why a bastard sword?" one man asked.
"Monsters seem to like underground locations," Sonomi said, "a bastard sword works in confined locations, and can be used one or two handed."
"No guns?" a third asked.
"We've confirmed guns are almost completely ineffective against monsters." Sonomi shrugged. "The only reason to carry a gun is POSSIBLY crowd control."
The officials exchanged a glance at that.
Sonomi just ignored that. "We are geared up for production with our partners, the first 100 sets are already ready," she finished.
"You were that certain we were going to buy?" the leader of the group frowned.
"It's that serious of a situation," Sonomi shrugged, "If you turned us down, I was looking into equipping private forces and hiring them out."
"That would be...," the leader yelped.
"Private security is perfectly legal. And ironically even easier as they wouldn't be carrying guns," Sonomi pointed out.
One they left Sonomi finished up, then headed home to her girlfriend, soon to be wife...
Kaho looked amused, "So your campaign to get the new equipment in use worked?"
Sonomi was sitting with her on the couch, and both had drinks in hand. "Finally," Sonomi agreed, "hopefully we can keep anyone else from getting killed."
"We've been covering it in the paper," Kaho agreed, "cops keep trying guns."
Sonomi sighed, "Yes." She took a drink, "Have we heard back from Sakura and Tomoyo?"
"They called, both escaped the clutches of the Agency," Kaho confirmed.
"I didn't THINK they'd get arrested, but...," Sonomi made a face.
"If they did get arrested, we'd get them out," Kaho reassured her. "By force if needed."
Sonomi smiled grimly.
"Tomoyo kis already working on a story on it," Kaho added, "there's some bad news though."
"Oh?" Sonomi asked.
"They're predicting, based off the trends so far, that monster attacks are going to get worse," Kaho noted.
"That might explain why the officials caved so fast," Sonomi sighed.
Both women exchanged a worried look, then finished their drinks...
To be continued.
