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Tamers
Disclaimer:
Pokemon is a copyright of Nintendo. Pokègirl and Pokèwoman come from the Pokewomon Forum at http://disc.server.com/Indices/169881.html.
"Wild Horses and Pokègirl" is the creation of Metroanime.
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"Yes, and how fortunate you're here to kill her," Kamara said gleefully, "And that I'm inclined to let you try." She grinned at the stunned leader of the S-Goths. "Some of us had plans too, your Majesty."
The S-Goth's would-be queen reeled at the betrayal.
But Kamara wasn't done. "Your brilliant plan has worked," she said calmly, almost spitefully, "But avails us nothing."
Kamara turned away from the S-Goth and spoke to the others, Sanctuarians, and the Kelvin's forces. "All of our forces facing the authors have been butchered - beaten - broken. In only a few months of far-flung fighting, we've lost Mother Jenova, The Sorceress of the East, Councillor Skara, Councillor Lindi Valiant, S-Goth Lawrene Kali, S-Goth Galla Juda, Her Wizardry Cara Lemorn, Her Wizardry Thrup, Her Wizardry Celestre Amarasta, Her Wizardry Genderan, two of the Sublime Tre, the entire Psychic Corp, our hold on the WAPL and even on the Capitol League itself, our only spy-ring in the Sunshine League, our best ring in Vancouver, our best ring in all of Blue, the secret of our Tyrannodames, the very location of Sanctuary itself, the location of the Alpha Site."
Each announcement fell like a blow on the security forces. Even Blossom and Rainbow sought the arms of a Harem-Sister for comfort. Shana reeled back, horrified at the losses they'd suffered.
"Sixty-two percent of our field agents and military forces stationed overseas. And so, Sanctuary ceases to be a World Power . . . that dream is over!" Kamara said then turned back to Lindi, "The once-magnificent terror of the GrimGoths - is no more." The tears streaming down her face were of rage and sorrow. "It has died in the battle against the authors, and it died in vain," she finished quietly, but the silence around her guaranteed it would be heard by all.
"You will - " Lindi growled.
"You will prove you can slay an author with your own skills," Kamara thundered, "Or no one will follow you. You will either kill one of them, in front of witnesses and with protection from both sides against treachery. Or you will die, here, now, and your jihad against Humanity will end. Yes, Humanity. The trait, not the race. As we are, even if we win, the victory will be ugly. I want children to know a world where their drive and character will take them to the limits of their ability. I will not exchange one set of Masters for another."
The S-Goth shook in rage, then saw the Tyrannodames nodding, both the loyal soldiers, and the alien's two turncoats. She mastered herself. "I was born a Slicer, and trained with a blade my whole life," she told the man standing apart from her, "Accept her ridiculous terms. Get me my blade and armor, we'll settle this."
"What are the rules?" the old man asked coldly.
"You, one weapon and any skills you possess enter the field, and when one can no longer leave or stand, the fight ends. If you kill each other, you, sir, shall have the victory."
"Double elimination means I win," he smirked, "I can live with that."
Kamara chucked and gestured for the Tyrannodames to form the ring. The fourteen of them encircled the open area of the deck.
"Aren't you afraid of breakage?" one of the other men asked.
"The machine has done its work, and this tower is not long for this world. Not with five heavy carrier groups approaching," Kamara said, "The events will be decided quickly, and as victor, or vanquished, we'll leave the field to you."
Cheryl was at her Master's side as he debated over the pistol, or the staff.
"I should have brought the B.A.R.," he joked as he selected the staff, "Never bring a pistol to a sword fight."
"They have armor," Shana told him, "That would approximately fit you."
"How much fighting skill would I lose in 'approximately'?" he asked.
"Too much," Angie admitted, "You can't beat a Slicer. I don't know, how much skill does an S-Goth lose on evolution?"
"A lot," Shana said, "That said, she's good."
"Her muscles don't know that," he reminded them, "I never saw Daria so much as wield a knife. An adult expert is going to find herself in a juvenile body that doesn't know what to do. Reflexes are muscle memory."
"She's also a fairly competent mage," Miguelito said as he joined the group, "Let Angie Douglas take her. She's an expert in hand to hand, and I suspect has a few hidden depths."
"No. I've got a few tricks of my own, and I've also got one huge advantage, her arrogance. She'll never take me seriously."
"That won't be as big an advantage as you think," Shana warned, "She might not take you seriously, but she takes becoming first among equals very seriously. She'll squash you like a bug to get that."
His grin was not reassuring.
"What kind of chivalry is this?" the man's Titmouse hissed at Kamara as she stalked the inner line of the circle, "A human against a Pokègirl. Even a school child knows the outcome of that."
The murmuring among the Tyrannodames told her that the other fact was getting out, and where his technical people needed to go look for it.
"He's killed Pokègirls before, with only his own weapons. All he has to do, is do so again," Kamara said, "And I never said you couldn't return to your ship and get other weapons."
The little Titmouse looked absolutely furious, and raced back to the crowd of his admirers. She pulled aside the small man, the mad Megami-Sama, and the GunValkyrie for a frantic conversation. The Jokette wandered over to let her truths be known.
Kamara shook her head. "Either way, we shall win. Either the 'leader of the mad faction' will be eliminated, or will prove and declare herself queen. I can live with either."
"Here!" his Alpha handed him the massive rifle. It looked like his BAR, except for the underslung grenade launcher, the fixed bayonet, and the metal handguard extended nearly to the end of the barrel.
"There's only one grenade," Hazel said, "But it'll be real funny." She grinned. "Just shoot something you can actually hit, like the ceiling between you two."
"If I wanted a nuclear bomb, I would have gimmicked a Pokèball," he told them, as he found the balance of the weapon familiar. "Okay, we drilled with the rifle and bayonet too, so this won't be much worse than the staff."
"The pointy end goes in the villain," Stupid Fuzzbutt added helpfully.
"Yes." He accepted two clips, but no spare grenades were forthcoming.
"What about armor?" the Bunnygirl asked, then shouted at the S-Goth forces, "It's not fair she's got armor and he doesn't!"
"Life isn't fair," he told her, "Sometimes it's just unfair in your direction."
The Bunnygirl grabbed him and wailed. "WAAAAH! That's so profound, it's confusing! WAAAH! I'm so sorry you're going to die! WAAAH!"
"Such vote of confidence," Brian said as he dragged Stupid Fuzzbutt away, "Come on, before he does the 'Friends, Romans, Countryman, lend me your ears' speech, and everybody takes yours instead."
"WAAAH! My ears," she wailed.
"My ears," Janus murmured.
"What were you thinking?" Agent Douglass asked.
"Humor, and making fun of Brian," Janus replied, "If he'd loosen up, he'd realize he's got everything he every wanted."
"Oh, self-portrait?" Seadamar asked.
His answer was cut off by Lindi's screech. "He's got a rifle!" The S-Goth glared at the Warrior Nun, "What possessed you to let him have a weapon like that?!"
"When I knew your sword threw poison darts, and your armor couldn't be penetrated by a rifle round," Kamara replied, "If you want to win this one, Councilor Valiant, you'll have to earn it."
She saw both combatants were ready. Janus buttoned his jacket over his shirt and checked the clips in his pockets, then wiped his hands on his slacks. Against Councilor Valiant's pseudo-hoplite armor and cutlass, he thought as Kamara began to orate.
"This combat is to the death, to leave the circle willingly is to accept death, to leave the circle by force is to be returned at the point of egress immediately. Interference by any outside, save to offer a mercy killing to their Master, will be met with death, of that person."
"What if our weapon is knocked from the circle?" Lindi asked as she stared at the rifle.
"How many friends have you got out there, Councilor?" Kamara asked coldly, as she stepped out of the way.
That's the signal, he thought, and fired the grenade at the ceiling between them. The exploding purple cloud obscured the entire arena of columns and open spaces, with the flash and subsequent smoke. He dashed behind a pillar to let his eyes recover. The armor fits her, he thought, I always thought S-Goths were taller and less curvy, well, most Pokègirls don't make 6 feet, or even break five and a half. So she's closer to her expected body shape and reach. Not good.
The screaming charge of the S-Goth caught his attention, as she slashed through where he'd been.
Too easy, he thought a put a round into the middle of the back of her helmet. The bullet spanged off the helmet and ricocheted around the arena. Aw! Come on! The impact should have broken her neck!
The S-Goth turned slowly and raised her arms. Her hands filled with a nimbus of light, but it ended there. She looked at the glow, and tried to throw it at him, to no avail.
No ranged magic, he thought, Pretty slick Hazel, pretty slick. He charged, knocking the cutlass aside and smashing the rifle butt into her face. He drove her back, but had no other effect. Okay, my only advantage is I'm bigger and heavier that she is. A wave of mortal terror ran through him. He only managed to get the rifle up and the bayonet aimed at the eyeslots of the helmet, forcing the S-Goth to break off her headlong rush. And I've got more reach. For all the good it does me. He fired another round into her face, knocking her down, but she scrambled to her feet. All right, aim for the 'unarmored' sections.
A shot to the upper arm showed the protection covered that too, although she did wince as the arm was flung back.
Crab in a shell, can't break the shell, but I can break the crab inside, he realized as walked backwards, plotting strategy.
"Afraid to fight a little girl?" Lindi teased.
"No. But that is what you are," he replied, "Not a woman, no wonder you don't like men. The only one's you'd attract are pedophiles."
"You will address me as 'Queen Lindi Valiant!'" she thundered, and almost made him say it, while half the crowd were saying it too.
"I already knew you swung that way," he replied, trying to clear his head. He barely got the rifle up to deflect the cutlass, "Is 'please' not in your vocabulary?" He thrust her away, and started circling right. As soon as he stepped out of sight behind a pillar, he leaped left. He landed, braced himself and fired three rounds rapid. The bullets bounced off her, and impacted shields someone had conjured to guard the spectators. As she struggled to her feet, he piled into her. He stepped on her wrist with his full weight, and kicked her elbow as hard as he could.
As she screamed, he moved off to check the effect. Idiot, should have kicked the sword out of her hand, he mentally cursed.
She stood working out the limb. Her blade extended and guarding her.
So the armor protects against short shocks, but not against slower movements, he thought, I always hated the whole 'slow blade penetrates the shield' nonsense, but that's what I have to live with. What's this?!
She'd lowered the blade, and seemed to be looking around. "Master?" she asked, "What's going on? Where's Ronette, where's Shana? Why are we here? Why are we fighting?" Each question had brought her closer.
He fired straight at an eyehole. Sending the S-Goth scrambling. "Give your niece a little more credit," he told her, "She was a strong kid, not a weak bully like you, Lindi."
The Goth vanished, and he dodged aside. "Weak."
Again she vanished, and he rolled aside. "Pathetic." He stripped three shells from one of the spare clips.
As she prepared to vanish this time, he cast his spell, slowing time to a crawl. She keeps appearing so she can stab me in the back, he thought as he turned and left the shells in a pattern to welcome her, Racial conditioning to always backstab or genetic programming? Mix it up, come at the side, open the distance, something. He returned time to normal, and did a tuck and roll.
The scream of pain, and one bullet clattering to the floor told him the score. Valiant staggered as one of the .30-06 shells rolled along the deck. The other two were inside.
Not as good as a gunshot, but - SHIT! He leapt back, but the cutlass still caught him.
"Dammit!" Jen moved forward, only to be pulled back by at least three other, stronger girls.
"You do that, he dies," Hazel told the anguished girl.
"What do you think 'Queen Valiant' will do if she wins?" Jen retorted as she stared at her Master trying to keep the wounded right side away from the S-Goth. Trying to parry the cutlass with his rifle.
"There's another lady not yet heard from," the Jokette said, "I'll let her cast a vote, before I do something that gives away the game."
"I'm not you," Jen snarled.
"No, I'm smart," Hazel replied, "From long experience."
"You're a lot slower, and a good actress," he said as they fenced, "Those bullets didn't hurt you as much as I'd hoped, but they hurt you."
"After you bleed to death, I can be healed. Maybe force one of your Nurse Joys to serve me, in return for her life," the S-Goth said, while her fencing had deteriorated to chopping at the rifle.
"You're ruining your sword," he pointed out helpfully as he kept his right side away from her.
"All I need is to beat you down!" the S-Goth screamed, "And I have won!"
"So it's a race, I bleed to death or your ego consumes you," he said, and grinned, he stumbled, but got the rifle up. Before she could hit it again, he braced on his left shoulder and fired. Both of them screamed in pain.
"That was stupid!" he announced as he picked himself up first. The bolt from her cutlass broke the rifle in half. "That's quite a poison," he told her as he began beating on her with the barrel end, until he could kick the cutlass out of the ring. It slid through where the barrier was, and continued on.
After a short while, Lindi realized however unpleasant, the blows were having no effect. She teleported out of range. "Sword!" she demanded as she appeared near where the blade was, "Give me my blade!" the full force of her Aura of Command hammered the nearest Tyrannodames. She looked in horror as they looked over her, to him.
"You think I'd kick it to anyone else?" he mocked, as he kicked the butt end of the rifle out of the ring. Only to have it tossed right back at his feet. "Annette, I appreciate that but I can't use it and she can," he told them as he kicked it back out of the ring. And swung the barrel portion backwards, hard. The ring of steel on armor told him what he needed.
The S-Goth drew a thin dagger out of her long greave. She sneered as his Alpha cried 'foul'.
" 'Midnight mare and blood-red roan, fight to keep this land your own,'" he quoted as he easily parried thrust after thrust. Weathering the occasional Aura burst. "What, no Aura Barrier? Cower behind it while I pace like a tiger outside?" he asked, "Or . . . I hurt you worse than I thought. And even a human could batter through one-eighth of your hit points now."
She growled as she attacked, forcing him back. She kept trying to circle around, to get at the side he'd kept his arm tight against to protect. She wedged her dagger between the barrel and the gas tube, then twisted with both hands, as their weapons rang on the floor, she charged to his wounded right side.
The haymaker right drove her back against a pillar. "And the Oscar goes to -" He grabbed the edge of her helm and beat her head on a pillar. She teleported, but he held on. He forced her to the ground by a combination of better leverage and greater weight.
"So you'd rape me," she tried to growl, but it had too much whine in it.
His hair stood on end from the force of the Aura attack. He slipped a finger under the rim of the helmet and filled it with CO2. Gasping for clear air, she pressed, her Aura against his. Every small and stupid thing he'd done in his life assaulted him, every dark and shameful memory clawed at his resolve. She nearly threw him off in that moment.
"Not now, not ever!" he shouted as he drove through the memories distracting him, and twisted the helmet, farther, a little farther. Memories of childhood mistakes, slip-ups and hurtful thing he'd done and received in adolescence rained down on him. Failures and paths not taken in adulthood blinded him. But his arms and hands followed their last orders.
I'm not perfect, I tried not to cause pain on purpose, and I suffered as much as any of my victims, he thought as defense, as he felt the first pop, And I torture myself enough for my mistakes. Most have been either forgiven or forgotten, by everyone but me. But I won't let them stop me, he thought as he felt another pop, Not from doing what's right, what must be done!
The last pop he heard, and the memories retreated to their cages, to await a lonely night to attack him again. The girl's head lolled at an angle that seemed to assure her death. He rolled her onto her chest, gripped the helmet and applied force until he spun her head completely around.
If that doesn't kill her, I've lost, he thought as exhaustion closed down on him. His limbs, even his head suddenly felt as it they were filled with lead. Molten lead in some places, he thought as he became aware of other voices, other people.
Sickened by what he'd done, and exhausted to death, he steeled himself and stood to face the woman who'd engineered this.
The man stood, and turned to face Kamara. "If she isn't dead, I suggest someone get in here to give her a coup de grace," he said, his eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anyone in the room, but on something only he could see, "Safe passage from my people, I suspect some will be willing to die, rather than surrender. Eager. Nothing about what would occur if I won was discussed. I trust Shana to take care of that. Someone needs see to . . . " He seemed oddly distracted by something only he heard. " .. . to see to Fred, and Ronette, she's been through quite a lot."
Kamara nodded, and the two NurseJoys headed for the Tomboy.
He paused again, as if undecided what he should do or say next. "The fate of your people, her people, the breed . . . " he said distantly, "Should - should be in the hands of the people. Is that understood?"
"Understood clearly, sir," Kamara said carefully, hiding her smile and her worry at his disconcerting, almost fey behavior.
He nodded, and seemed to be listening to other voices. "Armor," he said, gave a little grin, "Under the shirt, she never touched me. Not with her sword." He collapsed like a felled tree.
"Master?!" she didn't know which one or several shouted, but there was a general stampede.
She felt Shana's arm on her shoulder. "Now we should discuss the disposition of your forces and - "
The blue glow that filled the room felled most of them, but hit the Opharlim and Warrior Nun hardest.
"Sorry, I was willing to let you kill Valiant, but if the death of an author guarantees the crown, I want it," the S-Goth sorceress entered, backed by a large force of Dameosaurs and other soldiers. "The exits are covered, by my troops, and they can fire in from cover."
"We'll win that war," Shana croaked as she tried and barely managed to stand.
"And pay the toll?" the man from another world asked as he stared at the ceiling. He shook his head.
"Fight as one heart, one soul," Kamara said as she accepted Shana's hand to pull her to her feet. They prepared to charge the enemy.
"Drop your weapons!" the man croaked, and the steel deck rang from the impacts.
"I think he meant us," Shana said as she looked at the Tyrannodames discarding their arms with arrogance, "So the Sorceress of the South makes her move? What about the others?"
"A Triumvirate, of course." The S-Goth looked in amazement as the unarmed Tyrannodames detransformed and took up positions near Shana, Kamara and the small knot around the human. Standing as if they had triumphed, instead of having surrendered. "So, Lindi's ultimate weapon, traitors and cowards in the end, like the fool herself."
"We've betrayed no one," one of the turncoats said, "You are the one who has betrayed what could have been, and now will never be." The turncoat bowed and laid down on the floor with the other captives.
" 'Midnight mare, blood-red roan, fight to keep this land your own,'" he quoted. Kamara could see he was grinning like a madman.
"How many of them can you make die?" the Titmouse asked idly.
The Sorceress of the South discovered only a Titan Legendary can ignore the broadside of a heavy cruiser standing off only 300 yards.
The Daisy Mae skittered sideway from the recoil of nearly all her guns. But the crews in the 5" turrets adjusted and continued pouring fire into the gallery near the top of the huge tower. A few of the 20mm mounts swept the area, sending streams of shells into anything not worthy of a 5" AA or AAVT shell. The shock and blast of the guns seemed to be nearly as effective as the shells themselves.
"Main target is up," the Captain told the gun captains in Axe and Claymore as the Sorceress of the South stood.
Ears bleeding, much of her hair burnt off, and her fancy clothing torn to rags, her shields fended off the 20mm and even 5" fire directed at her. Too late she saw the slight adjustments of the forward and aftmost turrets. Two 8" AP shells tore through her defenses, one passed through her before exploding, the other missed and exploded against the far wall. Her shields contained the blast before they and their mistress faded. The two explosions reduced the blood smear that had been the S-Goth's would-be Triumvir to a smoldering mess.
In a moment, it was over. Dozens of shells had stunned the landing party to insensibility. While they reduced the sorceress's loyalists to smears of char and blood.
"Miss Aurora, begin transferring them to the sickbay. Our troops will take care of any enemy survivors," the Captain told the FarFuck'd, "And get someone cogent to explain just what is going on in there."
"Yes ma'am." The FarFuck'd saluted and flew the distance to the tower.
The small group of kits moved away from the encampment. The open, star filled sky worried them a little, having grown up in the bright lights and never-sleeping metropolis that was Sanctuary. The Omega site wasn't even the place they had been taught to retreat to, that too was now under threat by what the council had unleashed on them.
One or two of the older kits had flashlights, but the Sorceress their age set a fireball on the ground amid some collected brush.
"Better by firelight," she said, ignoring the Dameosaurs and even a Tyrannodame who'd trailed and now surrounded them.
"Beyond the darkness," the oldest girl whispered, sending shivers through the youngest, "Beyond all evolution . . . are . . . the Authors." Her gaze swept the other kits. "The godlike tyrants of the world. Exiled to a tiny, alien world. Banished by a race they are avowed to destroy. Tortured and left for dead, they have survived," she whispered menacingly.
"I'll chase them past the Horn, and round Good Hope, and round the Madagascar Maelstrom, and round the fires of Hell before I give up the Hunt!" one of the younger girls interrupted excitedly. She looked around guiltily, then squealed, "I just love Kerrik Wolf, he's so scary!"
The Sorceress chuckled, then gestured and a figure aboard a warship appeared, long hair and wild eyes. "There they are! FIRE!" the tiny figure raged as bright death flowed from his eyes and hands, setting pirate ship after pirate ship ablaze, the fires pursuing the pirates as they and their ships fled from it. Nothing the brave girls did could save themselves or their ships. The man with the mad eyes and vicious smile was there, was everywhere!
The image faded, and the girls shivered and laughed nervously.
One pulled her cloak tight, then picked up the curved horns she'd found earlier. "I've done far worse than . . . kill you," she whispered as she menaced another girl, "I've - hurt - you, and wish to go on . . . hurting you."
They squealed at that and laughed at the terror on their friend's face.
Another covered her eyes with one hand and stretched out the other. In a leaden voice she intoned, "I shall leave you as you left me. Marooned in shadows for all time. Buried in darkness. Buried alive."
The giggled nervously as some squealed terror.
"What would it be like?" one of the older S-Goths asked, "To be caught by one of them?"
"Ewww! You'd want to make one your Pet?! They're all like really old."
"Well I heard Daria actually met one, and she snuck off to become his Pet," a younger girl whispered, then glanced around, "She kept talking about his eyes. His pretty eyes. His menacing eyes."
"An advantage to being Councilor Valiant's own niece."
"I think meeting Kerrik would be fun. As long as I didn't hurt him or his girls, he'd probably just be . . . masterful. They say he sexed Jenova herself so hard, she didn't even wake up when he cut her head off."
Squeals of terror and delight from the other girls punctuated their speculations.
"I think she went to give herself to him, as a bribe."
"Jenova? That worked out good!"
"Daria you dope!"
"If Ronette and Shana went with her, they're probably the bribe," the oldest girl said, "Men like those would want women, not little girls."
"You aren't much older than us!"
"But I look much more mature," she sneered.
"My mom's part of the Intelligence Group, they say Kerrik's got a Chibi, and so does Kelvin, maybe they like little girls too."
"Can you imagine giving yourself to him, and saving Sanctuary?" the Sorceress asked, and sighed, when she felt the glares on her, "I'm not a Goth from You Know Where, he wouldn't just shoot me on sight. I could teach him to understand us." She sighed, not seeing all the eye rolling from the others.
"Now you sound like Usagi, 'Oh the power of Love and Friendship will save us.'"
"You heard, she slipped out of camp a couple days ago. She's determined to find one of them and . . . you know."
"That's disgusting," one of the little ones squalled, "Who'd want a fat, smelly, old guy to squish you underneath him and . . . stick his thing in you?" A few of the younger ones agreed.
"Besides, he said he'd blow up Sanctuary! He killed the First-Mother! He did blow up a whole island! He'd be all icky with that gray hair and his eyes hanging out of their sockets!"
"There's more than one," the Sorceress said, "One didn't do all that. And the teams that captured them did torture them."
"Why shouldn't they have? They made this world. When I do something mean, I get spanked. If they could make this world, they should have made it better!"
"Yeah, what's wrong with making them make the world a better place?" another young S-Goth asked.
"What's wrong with asking them to do it?" the Sorceress asked, "Sure, drag them here and make them look at what it's like. All the poor neglected and abused girls." The others nodded and agreement. "But they tortured them first. It makes us look terrible. I bet if we just showed them how wrong they were, they'd go home and fix things."
The others nodded in agreement.
"That's enough fairy tales for one night." The Tyrannodame stepped into their camp and put out the fire. "The satellite will be making a pass in an hour, and everyone has to be underground and out of sight."
"They already know where Sanctuary is, and they haven't attacked," one of the S-Goth kits complained, "They would have by now."
"Maybe they want the Omega site too," the Tyrannodame warned, "And then they can attack all at once."
The girls grumbled, but were herded back underground by the patient soldiers.
At the three ministers' orders, the Pokègirls marched through the massive tower, exploring every inch for possible threats to their masters. "I never realized the huge difference between Pokègirls and people," Hazel said as she lead Seadamar and Roxanne to what she had found, "We're up and around, and nearly every human is at death's door. None of us was hit by more that shrapnel, and none of them were hit by anything. Except the noise of the guns."
"You sound almost worried," Seadamar said, and stepped back when the furious Blessed Jokette confronted her.
"I love him," she hissed, "Is that so hard to get your mind around? Then just write it as a constant in that computer of yours and live with it."
"I was remarking that you would let us see your concern," Seadamar said levelly, "Not that the concern was there. You Recognized him, our Master explained. It is already part of my memory."
Hazel frowned and continued walking. "How the Hell does he know so much about us anyway?" she grumbled, "And don't tell me the 'Cosmic Awareness' when I became a Jokette, I got a real good look at the universe, or at least this entire planet. And what life really means. The fact that there's a pack of idiots who worship what drove me nuts would be laughable, if it wasn't so terrifying." She paused at a heavy door. Someone or something had opened and hot-wired the keypad. She pushed the door open. "Well, speak of the devil!"
The others saw the thirty or so girls and women in the force field barriers. "Please tell me they are FarFuck'd, or FairyCutes with the giantess template," Seadamar said.
"Ain't the universe a kick in the cunt?" Hazel said, "Ladies, the Celestial Alliance, or at least a bunch of their members."
"Crap," Roxanne said, "Seadamar, you'd better check to make sure that this holding field is in good repair and has enough power to keep working."
"Please, you don't know what it's been like," the cutest and most endearing of their number pleaded.
Seadamar paused.
"You have your orders!" Roxanne barked, sending the tech girl scrambling.
"That explains why you wanted me or Aurora," Roxanne said.
"Yeah, I had to cold cock poor BOOM to get her away from them," Hazel admitted.
"Don't you regret what you did?" one of the older Megami asked.
"Yeah, that it wasn't Stupid Fuzzbutt," Hazel said and shivered, "Like I said out there. Maybe now you see why Jokettes don't like Celestials. I say let me gas the lot of them, and let the devil sort them out."
One of the Megami burst into tears. "How could you be so cruel? To leave us locked up? We can't hurt you." She was comforted by a dozen solicitous girls, who took the chance to throw disapproving looks at the two outside the field.
"No, you'd just spark a riot and get us killed," Roxanne said, "I'd agree, but that's not my decision." She gestured for the Jokette to follow her outside. Once the door was closed, she spoke again. "A guard beats a lock any day, but aside from you, me and Aurora, who could possibly guard them. They almost got Seadamar without even trying."
"Maybe your HyperDoll," Hazel offered, "The others are not hardheaded enough."
"And loyalty to Master could be turned too easily," Roxanne said.
The Jokette nodded. "And if what Blossom and Rainbow found out from the other Tyrannodames is accurate, we're going to need a computer hacker par excellence to get at the real threat."
"Or your Master. Like I said, I got a real good look at the universe, and he was right there, the bastard," Hazel said. She scowled, then looked at the Roxanne and explained, "Oh I'm not going to hurt him. There were worse things than him in there, enough to make him an angel by comparison. Now you know why anyone worshiping the Cosmic Consciousness needs their head examined. They have no idea what they are getting, how it's filtered and what other information they aren't getting, that a more honest broker would provide."
"They couldn't be good Blood Knights of Probity if they actually accepted both sides of the coin," Roxanne agreed, "People who want to murder them in batch lots are justified, or misunderstood. While people who politely disagree, need be burned at the stake while they're being crucified."
"Hmm, and here I was thinking you didn't understand."
"My Master is cynical to the point of being a total curmudgeon. I suspect Stupid Fuzzbutt is a political or religious commentary of some kind."
"What the Hell is he trying to teach people with that worthless pile of fuzz?"
"Me ask him that? What are you completely nuts!?" Roxanne asked.
He screamed as the knife slid up his calf, easily parting the material of his slacks. He heard himself screaming. Why, when she cut through the sleeves of the shirt, she only cut me when I jumped, he thought as his point of view moved around the frame the body was manacled to, More of a deep scratch than a cut, it bled a little.
His Alpha stopped cutting the slack's in seam, and she pulled the pants' leg aside and slashed it loose, leaving the slacks as shorts on one side. Then she started cutting the other side.
And what relevance does this have? he wondered, Torture? Hardly. I was partially flayed as part of the S-Goths' convincing program. Of course I passed out, no point staying conscious if you're just being hurt and can't answer the questions. Still, she doesn't seem to be really hurting me, I guess. He looked at the anguished expression on the face that so closely resembled his own. Is this supposed to be a distillation of my fear of intimacy overlaid by the memories Lindi tried to dredge up as part of her final attack? he thought as his Alpha sliced into his pants and the physical body whimpered and cried for mercy, Good grief, did I really sound that bad. Not a scratch, and I'm crying like a baby. I've felt more pain from a damned crap than she's inflicting.
" 'Why', Master?" Angie said, "Because you're hurting someone I care about very much."
Okay, this is worth listening too, he thought and sighed, Which one did I screw over this time, or fail to screw over. And if this is one of those 'I'm only hurting you because you're only hurting yourself' vignettes, I'm going trepanning with a rusty spoon.
Darkness.
Thought so. 'You're the only person who would get good advice from a psychotic episode.'
The little Handmaid sniffled as Seadamar held her. The data on the now decrypted files spilled out on the screen. The small group watched the data as it scrolled.
"Okay, I'll say it," Jen said, "If they're doing it, it is bad, but just what are they doing?"
"Punch a hole into another reality. They tricked the Goths into punching a hole, and they're going to use it," the Titmouse said, but it was clear she wasn't letting everything out, "We keep this to ourselves until Master or Miguelito can review this data. I . . . I don't really understand what they were hoping to achieve with this, but we're looking at this from the inside out, we need someone who can look at this in isolation, or from the outside in."
"THEY'RE SO MEAN!" the little Pokègirl wailed, with stunning force, before burying her head in Seadamar's chest again.
"That's a stirring endorsement," Jen said, "But I thing Seadamar would shoot me if I suggested that we interrogate her, but she seems to be the only one who can figure out what's going on."
The GunValkyrie nodded and she cuddled the small Pokègirl.
"That ends that," Jen admitted, "But I don't see the point of punching a hole somewhere without traveling through it. Isn't the point of being able to go somewhere, is to go?"
"I think we may have the crew to go, locked up downstairs under guard," Angie said, and yawned, "That explains why we still need humans: being in charge like this is exhausting!"
The others chuckled as the Titmouse yawned hugely.
"What are we going to do with the others?" Roxanne asked, "Having an army is nice, but I'm not sure we'd be enough to hold them off if they discovered the truth."
They nervously looked at Commander Genek as she arrived. "We'll need them for a while. That fleet is still out there. I have no idea what they are waiting for, but if they don't move in a couple of days, we'll have the firepower to simple brush them aside."
"Can't the Daisy Mae transfer the wounded here, and just go out and sink them all?" Jen asked, "Some of us here could assist with the . . . puncturing. Didn't I read somewhere that most sailors can't swim? With water as cold as this, any non-Ice types would die within minutes."
The Commander seemed suddenly uncertain.
Angie grinned. "Not so easy with no humans to act as a sounding board?"
"The pirates don't have humans aboard," the Oni replied sharply.
"And they have been sitting motionless for nearly two days. Would our Master, or any of the Tamers waited that long? Would any human admiral? They would have either blockaded, attacked, retreated or opened negotiations. Those pirates are probably out there discussing what to do," Angie said, "Instead, we get a reprieve to deal with them at our leisure."
"They're here! They're here! They're coming here!" came a voice they had all learned to dread.
Seadamar shut off the screen, before the fuzz-shrouded ball of enthusiasm bounced into the room.
Stupid Fuzzbutt managed to hit her head on the doorjamb, and catch her feet on the threshold. "WAAAH! I'm too tall to fit through doorways!"
The Xerablondi who'd been following her, ducked and tucked, as they Navy had taught them, and surveyed the group. "They started moving," she said, "They simply announced that they want the prisoners, and are coming to get them. For some unknown reason, they tossed every S-Goth and S-Goth soldier overboard, then they transmitted. So three guesses who they're really after."
"Could be a ruse, they could be after out Masters," Angie said.
"I wouldn't bet on it. That would be a losing proposition. They acted as if we might be amenable to the transfer, and 'amenable' has nothing to do with being mean," Bigwig said as she combed her fingers through her dreadlocks, "Our command staff may be intellectually challenged, but they'd gotten us out of bad scrapes before, and they are more than worth the headaches."
"I've got a headache!" the Bunnygirl wailed.
"You are a headache dear," the Xerablondi replied.
"WAAAH! BigWig you're so mean!" Stupid Fuzzbutt cried.
"We send the Daisy Mae out to flank them, and then bring them under fire," the Captain said as she ran the quick council of war, "Shields? Weapons on the station?"
Kamara shook her head. "Minimal, mostly concentrated in that one area. Fortunately, those pirates don't know where they're going. If we mount a strong defense on the approaches, we should be able to trick them into attacking the most strongly defended points."
"I can handle the defense solo," Hazel said, "Just let me rig some booby-traps."
"I'll go with her," Cheryl said, "I'm immune -"
Hazel shook her head, "It's not necessary - "
"It's also not your decision," the captain said, "You're weak against hand-to-hand, she's the best."
"What risk to the humans aboard this ship?" Flower, the MilkTit asked.
"They'd have to get aboard first, and our anti-air systems are extremely formidable," the XO explained, "But that also means we'll need our entire crew."
"I think about 90 Pokègirls plus Kamara's remaining forces should be able to hold off their landing parties," Hazel said, "Especially if they can't teleport."
"That leaves the question of what do we want to seem to be guarding, to draw them in?" Flower asked and looked to Kamara and Shana.
The pair smiled and indicated a couple points on the map.
"This is your definition of 'minimal'?" Acer asked as she stared at the large weapons.
"Four 240mm mortars, five 105mm and twelve 82 mm weapons is minimal, compared to what that fleet is carrying, or what the Daisy Mae can unleash," Kamara said, "Not that it won't do some good. A couple hits would take out their gun crews and topside crewPokès. And fire is the ultimate enemy at sea, even surrounded by water. The big mortars have a few shells with radar-seekers, specifically for antiship use. They'll plunge through the upper deck or two, and explode inside."
"But you only have a few of them," Pool Mouse said, "So we'd better use them first. Give them a bloody nose before they get too close."
"You've got that right," Kamara said.
"It also keeps us weaklings out of the hand-to-hand fighting," Sabrina said.
"Tell me you can stand line-of-battle against a Seraph or Magic Knight, and you're there, otherwise you keeping those ships occupied is going to be worth a lot more than the extra bodies. They can't just take potshots at the tower hoping to knock out the power or shield generators with the threat of these mortar rounds landing on them. Besides, these are modeled after the weapons available during the revenge war. The pirates are using cannons like Nelson or Farragut might have known, you have a huge range advanced."
"We'll use it," Sabrina assured the Warrior Nun.
The warship steaming out of the early morning fog didn't surprise the assembled pirate fleet. They were sailing north in a crescent formation to trap the lone ship and blast it to scrap.
The captains did wonder why the ship hadn't opened fire. It was known to have a tremendous range advantage over the guns, spells and attacks their crews could muster. The individual squadron commanders shook their short columns of ships out, and prepared to form a battleline, or make a general attack.
"Engineer says that's all she can give us," the XO reported from the bridge, over the internal phones, to the captain in the CIC, "All guns loaded, crews dispersed to reload as needed."
"Very good, XO, lift the ship, make our altitude 200 fathoms," the captain ordered and looked to the radar plot. She could feel the confusion, then amusement of the crews of the ships facing her.
A minor power, but one that gives me the advantage at sea, she thought, The crews laugh, 'all their guns are pointed up'. Only the senior mates and captains even suspect the danger.
"Two hundred fathoms, and we're losing speed," the XO reported.
"Rotate the ship. XO, fire one salvo, then fire as the guns come to bear," the Captain ordered.
"Aye, aye." The ship was turning, only the hair of the CIC crew gave any indication.
Now she felt the panic of the crews 'down below', as they realized the guns could bear on them all. The shock of the guns firing was held, and used to propel the ship forward or sideways as required. The five-inchers maintained a steady fire with an occasional shot from the 8" main guns. I hate being down here. I want to see the guns doing their job, she thought, But that's not my job. I fight the ship, the XO fights the guns.
The damage control officer sat, saw the captain staring at her and shrugged. The Captain nodded.
They haven't hit us back, she thought as she watched the radar plot, And no fliers, so they can't touch us. This really is like dropping a Widow into a kindergarten. All we have to do is not run out of shells.
"The force the Daisy Mae spotted has been brought under fire," Angie said from the sensor 'desk' in the command room of the tower, "The second force is closing in, but I'll take sixteen ships over fifty."
"And definitely better than sixty-six," Kamara commented, "Have everyone stand easy at their battle stations. I want us rested, but ready if they try something unexpected."
"Like surrendering?" Fred asked morosely.
"Yes, something like that."
Kamara looked at the plot across the CIC, and did the mental math. "Why didn't they sink the last four ships?"
"Probably to let them pick up survivors," Shana commented, "They may have been willing to slaughter all those pirates up north, but leave them to their own devices, and they'll let the pirates save their colleagues. My question is why aren't they headed back here?"
"Same reason," Fred said as she walked into the CIC, "Reporting for duty, I - I should be doing something. If not for Daria, then maybe for myself."
"More likely to keep the humans out of the battle. I don't think we'd forgive them if our Masters were hurt," Antoinette walked in and took her place at the communications console.
"Welcome aboard," Kamara said, "You do realize that it may come down to hand to hand?"
"I know how to duck," Antoinette said.
"Yeah, I can hold my own," the young Pokègirl said.
Jen walked in, carrying several dozen pistol belts on her outstretched arms. She explained to everyone staring at her, "I thought a little extra firepower might be useful for some of you, so did the Captain. The boss swears by .45s, but it'll take a whole clip to put down a pirate." She handed two belts and a bandolier of clips to Antoinette.
"Getting a ahead of yourself?" Kamara teased, "They won't be here for at least an hour."
"Then have I got a interlude for you," Hazel said as she leaned into the CIC, grinning like she'd just gotten Tamed, "We've got a few things not even The March Hare can figure out, but there's a couple bits you're just gonna LOVE!" She pulled back and headed down the corridor.
Kamara looked at Shana. "A Jokette has something we're gonna love? I think I may just surrender to the pirates. Miss Antoinette, you have the conn."
Kamara looked at the text and sat back in the chair. "What kind of idiot actually records something like that?" she asked as she looked at the others in the computer room.
"Someone who wanted us to find it," Miss MixMaster said, "Now you have to figure out why they want us to know."
"I know the bitches set us up," Fred growled, "The whole thing, bringing the authors, getting us to fight them, the Alliance set the whole thing up. As a goddess-cursed TEST RUN for their real plan!"
"Sanctuary isn't 'us'," Kay reminded Fred, who immediately hid behind Blossom, "It also explains why only certain authors were targeted."
"Who, the most violent and crazy?" Hazel asked, "That makes sense for S-Goths. God-like homicidal maniacs are exactly who I want after me. Why didn't they beat up on Typhonna just to keep their perfect record?"
Miss MixMaster began, "The Alliance probably - "
Hazel sneered, "The Alliance just pointed them at a shiny and - "
"Where is it!?" Stupid Fuzzbutt asked as she looked around.
"I think we all saw that coming," Hazel said, "Point is, Sanctuary doesn't think, they just keep running on rhetoric. The Celestial Alliance just pointed Sanctuary where they wanted them to go and - "
"Where's The March Hare?" Stupid Fuzzbutt asked, "She should be here!"
Shana, among others, shook her head, then looked around. "Crap!" As she realized the blind monkey had found another banana. "You dragged us here," Shana accused as she ran past Hazel, "So she could kill the prisoners."
"Would I do that?" the Jokette shouted at the forces as they ran past.
"Yes," Miss MixMaster said haughtily as she strolled after them.
One of the Megami had been taken outside the containment. None of the others were eager to join her. The March Hare was probing the quivering pieces of flesh as the others stormed in.
"I promised I would not kill them," the Megami-Sama said formally, without looking up from her work, "So, she is not dead, Shana. The description of your Tamer's fate gave me so many ideas. I thought it impossible, but they seem to work beautifully."
"She's . . . still alive?" Jodie asked of the various piles of meat scattered around the floor and tables, before the HyperDoll bolted from the room.
"Yes, and aware of her surroundings," The March Hare said happily, "I can even put her back together. Although I really don't see the point of that."
"We may need to question her," Shana said, trying not to mix something else with the bits occupying part of the floor, "That's - all - of her?"
"Of course. We could question her deceased spirit more easily," The March Hare said quizzically, "I suspect she will be unwilling to answer, no matter what is done to her." The March Hare touched one bit, and all the bits quivered in response. "See, she's just so stubborn. She could easily tell me, but she claims she doesn't know. She uses the Cosmic Consciousness all the time, and she claims she to not know something. She's clearly lying."
Shana glanced around and realized she was alone in the room with The March Hare, although she could hear what was keeping all the other occupied outside. "Why isn't there blood all over?"
The March Hare shook her head, and explained tolerantly, "If I let her bleed, she might die. Besides, I only have one nice dress."
Shana looked at the Megami in the cell, who were all trying to occupy the corner farthest from The March Hare. "So, you can put her back together?"
"I said that," The March Hare explained patiently, then grinned, "Would you like to see?"
"Not at this time," Shana said, "Just don't . . . disassemble any of the others without checking with me or Kamara first."
"No, I answer to my Tamer, or my Alpha."
"I'll go talk to the rabbit," Shana said as she turned and left. She looked at what decorated the floor, and extended her wings to fly over it.
"All personnel to battle stations," Kamara ordered, her voice echoing through the CIC, and its projection through the huge tower. She looked over the small force in the control room. People nodded to her, indicating their sections were ready. "I think our allies would demand this," Kamara said, "Hail them, let's see if we can talk them out of this."
"Are you going to tell them the truth?" Shana asked.
"Are you kidding?! I'm just going to tell them what a shitty position they're in, and that the people they're rushing to rescue sold them out," Kamara said, "Which is the truth."
"Hail them," Kamara ordered, "Maybe we can end this before it begins."
"Sanctuary and their puppets, you will surrender your Celestial captives, and yourselves. We will not be backstabbed by your kind, ever again," the spokes-captain for the Limbec Pirates demanded.
"So much for worrying about them trying to rescue our captive," Shana said, "Would they settle for a public execution?"
"Would you - "
"We heard your Master," the pirate's voice came, "We want you dead as well, and especially any of your other Masters."
"There are no Sanctuary Goths aboard," Kamara said, "And I am disinclined to simply surrender for execution, no matter what crimes you believe we're guilty of."
"Then we will slaughter you."
"I - "
"They stopped transmitting," Antoinette told them, "They may still be receiving."
"Cut the circuit," Kamara ordered, she waited for Antoinette to nod before continuing, "Weapons station, fire the guided weapons as soon as their larger ships come in range."
"They're coming in at 15 knots," Jen reported, "We'll have them all before they can do anything, don't they know that?"
"Captain?" came the question from the idiot rabbit, "My Master always said, 'send in the morn, to soak up the punishment'. Sorry, 'moron, then take what you want.' Would they be doing that here?"
"Invisible ships?" Kamara asked, "Commander, wouldn't the wakes show up?"
"Not if they had this planned," Genek replied, "These sensors aren't showing anything."
"Gun crews, target the ships you can see, but be prepared to lay down a blind pattern for invisible targets," Kamara ordered, "Good thinking."
"I didn't think of it. My Master's a genius!" the Bunnygirl announced proudly.
Kamara decided to let that pass and concentrate on the problem.
"So if they're 40 minutes away, at 15 knots, and the guns can reach 10 kilometers," the Bunnygirl began, her ears straining upward as she thought hard on the problem, "That means . . . "
"That means?" Antoinette asked, knowing she had about 18 minutes to wait.
"I should have studied harder in school!" the Bunnygirl wailed in distress as her ears drooped.
Jen chuckled at the S-Goth soldiers' reaction to the girls antics. "You should have learned by now."
"Just when I Thresholded, I didn't go to school anymore!" Stupid Fuzzbutt protested.
Jen let it drop.
"You'll hear the mortars firing when it's time," Shana said.
"Oh. Thank you!" the Bunnygirl shouted happily.
Cheryl occasionally spared a glare at their captives, and a grin at The March Hare's handiwork. The Megami had been perfectly reassembled, except for one bit that allowed her to access the Cosmic Consciousness. That rested in a jar outside the containment area. Cheryl glanced at it and shivered as it bounced and wobbled around inside the jar. Not like a piece of flesh, but a separate, active organism.
"Makes you think, don't it?" her fellow defender asked.
"Makes me think that your boss is a loon. Access to the Cosmic Consciousness can't be in just one organ, or even one piece of flesh," Cheryl replied as she stared at the jar, to ignore what she was partnered with.
"Maybe," Hazel said, "Maybe you have to be insane to think that. Maybe you'd have to be insane to find it. But I know that The March Hare has all of them convinced. Maybe that's all that's needed." She moved close to the containment. "Ain't that right?"
Cheryl grabbed her ear and pulled her back outside, closing the door behind them. "Don't taunt them."
"Why? Because it isn't nice?!" the Jokette jeered.
"Because of what happened last time you picked on one Megami," Cheryl pointed out.
The Jokette grimaced, then nodded. "You may have a point." She looked around. "So, when do we get attacked."
"Soon now, I promise," Cheryl said as she stalked up behind the Jokette.
The dull thud of the heavy mortars above delayed the reckoning.
Blossom watched as one then another ship exploded. But many smaller rounds hit nothing, dropping to explode under the sea. Why are they chucking mortar rounds - ? She saw the quay buckle and twist, then dozens of pirates jumped out of whatever had caused it, and onto the quay. That's why, Blossom thought as she glanced at the two Tyrannodames who helped her cover this section. As the pirates raced forward, the trio unleashed their Megaflares into the tightly packed formation. If we can hold them on the docks, we've got them.
The quay shuddered again, and several mortar rounds exploded on the invisible deck. The ship became briefly visible, and a trio of Megaflares smashed into the boarding parties waiting on the decks.
Blossom glanced back at Rainbow, who was reporting on the situation. The other stations were following the same tactic, or waiting for action on their fronts.
If it were me, I'd send the cannon-fodder against us, and the fliers against the mortars and the control deck. Our esteemed leaders probably gave their leaders that much of the grand tour.
"Rainbow, tell them to watch out for infiltrators!" Blossom shouted, then returned to keeping her sector clear.
"They've gotten inside the mortar umbrella with a number of ships," Shana reported.
"The Tyrannodames are holding the attack forces, but they're wearing down too. We've begun swapping out the reserve to give those in active sectors a rest," Antoinette added as she listened and noted the reports coming in, "Seadamar and Angie are keeping the fliers away from the mortar crews, but they report that the enemy has gotten some troops inside the tower."
"So much for the 'invulnerable armor'," Kamara said, "Did they ever tell the truth about anything!?" She smirked at Shana. "Antoinette, are all of our people at their stations?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"The anti-personnel systems were installed by us," Kamara said as she armed the system, and activated it.
"Aren't armored girls going to be immune?' Stupid Fuzzbutt asked.
"Even they'll be blinded by that much ultraviolet radiation," Kamara said, "Anything with eyes will be blinded, and anything not properly armored will have it's fur then skin burn off. All without warning, as there's no visible clue. We also used it to sterilize everything if something escaped from the labs."
"Preventing lab escapees from reproducing is a good idea," Jen told them, then glanced at the frowns, "Somebody was going to say it."
"Thank you," Kamara said as she grimaced, then returned her attention to the map of the critical targets. "They are going to run out of troops, before we do. And those heavy carrier groups are steaming in at 25 knots. If they launch their airgroups at maximum combat range, they could be here in under an hour. The pirates would have been smarter to demand the public execution."
"They probably figure that the Navy would keep those Megami alive for interrogation," Genek offered, "Which may be true, if it was from certain Leagues, but the Alliance has been hunted by the SLIS almost as fanatically as the S-Goths," Genek offered from her station, "One of the few perks of a pack of filthy rich, politically-powerful paranoid industrialists. They delegate the ground-level work to their bought experts."
"Who happen to collect every patriotic, mentally-balanced anti-hero they can get their hands on," Shana added, "I've been hunted by them, thanks. Considering who created them, I know better than to ever mess with them. The sensors aren't picking up any more infiltrators, but that could be temporary."
Kamara shut off the system, to allow their troops to move as needed.
"They could crawl up the air vents," the Bunnygirl offered.
"Those are all covered, so are the power conduits, the fresh water pipes, the black water pipes, the solid waste chutes, the communication cable conduits, and . . . what else?"
"Coffee!" the rabbit said.
"They don't have coffee pipes," Shana said, then considered, "Design oversight."
"I'll get some!" the rabbit bounded for the door,"Uh, I won't get fried, will I?"
"You have 5 minutes, it's down one level, and is clearly marked 'Break Room,'" Fred told her.
"Thanks!" She opened the door. "Hello, Ms. Ninja! Yes they're in here. Just joking!" she told the alerted crew, and disappeared before anyone could have a friendly fire accident.
"There's two more on the right," Hazel told Cheryl, as she shot another pirate, "I'd help, but I'm weak against Fighting." She fired a fireball at a group who were trying to slip past the whirling ball of death that was Cheryl in combat.
"Just keep pointing them out," the Megami said as she ducked, to let one pirate stab another, then she kicked the killer in the head.
"Why so serious?" Hazel asked a terrified She-Captain as she brought their lips closer and closer, then she broke the pirate's neck. "Can't you even try to be funny when you kill them? I won't hold it against you."
"I wouldn't want to step on your toes." Cheryl ducked, used a scorpion kick on her main opponent, while she stabbed the Slicer trying to back stab her. "Are you keeping score?"
"It's not that kind of competition," Hazel replied as a PsiDyke telekinetically scattered the banana peel minefield that force the others to jump to get at Cheryl. The PsiDyke gasped and fell twitching and helpless. Cheryl stabbed her through the heart.
"How?" the Megami asked as she paused. No further attackers appeared.
"Psychoreactive contact poison," Hazel explained, "If you use your hands, it's perfectly safe. If you touch it with magic or psychic power, you get your most disturbing nightmares, plural, all at once." She began resetting the banana peels.
"I'll admit it," Cheryl said as she centered herself to prepare for the next assault, "That is funny."
The Bunnygirl ran back into the room. She looked around and burst into tears. "I forgot the coffee!"
"That's okay," Jen said.
"No it isn't! We have to get troops to the waste pumping plant three levels down!"
"That's not where the coffee water is," Shana said.
"No!" Stupid Fuzzbutt shouted as she bounced excitedly, "That's where the pirates are!"
"We'll get the troops," Kamara ordered.
"Aurora's and Forseti's teams are close and moving up," Antoinette reported.
Kamara turned to the BunnyGirl "Why are they there? And how do you know?"
"When I couldn't find the coffee, I remembered my Master said the only thing I could find without my head exploding is trouble. So when Aurora's team wouldn't help me find the coffee, I went looking for the pirates. They were looking for the auxil - aux - power control room. So I told them where it was."
"You told them how to find the auxiliary power control room?!" Kamara shouted, "With -"
"She told them," Antoinette interrupted, "How to find the waste pumping plant, and that it is labeled that way to disguise the auxiliary power control station. A squad is there with two more en route."
"Yeah, I'm not completely stupid!" the bunny said defensively, "So we have to stop them!" Stupid Fuzzbutt ran out.
"I'll keep her out of . . . more trouble," Jen said as she ran after her.
Kamara shook her head. "I studied military theory, scouting, tactics, spend 17 years on the Frontier hunting invading Tamers, and - " Kamara said, "And she just wanders into the middle of the group who could actually do some real damage, sends them off into an ambush, and manages to slip away to warn us. And she can't handle making a pot of coffee."
"Don't think about it," Antoinette explained, "It will just give you a headache. Enemy is engaged. Gwendoline reports they are all down. Do you want them captured?"
"Have her use her discretion, Pokèballs, not handcuffs," Shana told her.
Thirteen vessels rode at anchor, including the Daisy Mae. The pirate ships were offloading some of their rescued sailors to crew a few of the other pirate ships. Most showed a judicious haste, the Navy was now two hours away, and had a 17 knot speed advantage.
The highest ranking survivors of the duel with the Daisy Mae had listened to the briefing on the Alliance's aims, and had stayed well away from the officers of the cruiser who'd also attended the briefing.
"We're content to leave their punishment in your hands," the new commodore said as she looked over her new fleet, "Your terms are most generous."
"I'd stay out of this hemisphere for a while. I have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of activity," Commander Genek told her formally.
The newly evolved She-Captain nodded, and saluted. The Commander did not return it.
As they watched the pirates weigh anchor and move out, they held their tongues on what else they were waiting for.
"Captain, have any of them woken up, and can they be moved?" Kamara asked.
"Yes, they are, and they can," the Megami-Sama replied, "Most are well on their way to a full recovery." She stopped to consider. "The captives. We have facilities available for a mass Level 5 Taming. Ten at a time. You know and I know that it's better to keep what they know out of the hands of any League or group. Forty three of their leaders and/or senior agents disappeared should deal them a sufficient blow. With the Limbecs, Sanctuary, the SLIS, Nuevo Ten, and God Alone who else hunting them, I doubt the Celestial Alliance will be much use. Add that The March Hare supposedly learned how to cut them off from the Cosmic Consciousness. I think they'll be running scared for a while. How did she do that?"
"Placebo effect," Shana said, and grinned, "With some operant conditioning thrown in."
"We need to turn over some of the leaders," Genek said firmly, "Or they'll come after us as sympathizers. I think I picked out the eight the Navy should be satisfied with. The rest can be suicided. Although one should go into the beyond, to spread the word about The March Hare's discovery."
"Agreed," Kamara said.
"Thank you. I . . . we do try to better the world around us," the Captain said.
"It's the refusal to acknowledge that anyone else does," Shana said, "And 'bettering' against a person or nation's will, that gets the Alliance in trouble."
"Pot calling the kettle black? Or forgive us what you yourself are guilty of?" the Captain asked.
"A little of both," Shana replied, "I . . . believed in what Sanctuary said they were doing. What they actually did - I realize now I should never forgive it."
"Very good," the Captain said, "I can leave my officers and the Commander to watch our backs aboard the Daisy Mae. I think the humans need to explain what we found," the Captain said, "Especially one of them."
The room the battle with Lindi had taken place in, was full of the Tamers, Agents, their senior people, and enough of Kamara's forces to deal with any outbursts.
"This doesn't make any sense," Agent Thomas said, "According to this, they brought the authors over, simply to practice punching holes from one universe to another. That's insane."
"Authors?" Brian said, "So you - what? You created all of us, gave us the lives we had?"
"Essentially, yes," Kelvin replied.
"I'm gonna -!"
WHAM
Kelvin knelt down on the chest of the man he'd just thrown to the ground. "I also knew hand-to-hand combat before I ever came here, and just spend a month training with the one-Megami army over there. I'm also the guy who gave you at least two women who adore you and would die for you. Gave you enough hardship to make your life interesting, without it permanently crippling you. And when you can tell me you woke up on a surgical table in pieces, like The March Hare did to that Megami, then you have something to compare to what's happened to me since I've been here. Now, are you done?"
"I'm done, I'm done!" Brian assured him.
Kelvin set Brian back on his feet. "From what I've read in this report," Kelvin continued, "The Alliance decided that the 'Ranma Speech' at Dogpatch hasn't changed the world sufficiently. So they are going back to correct it."
"Go back, it wasn't that long ago," Amanda said.
"You're thinking in your time. I'm talking about the chronology in which the stories were written," Kelvin explained, "They aren't taking out the speech because of the effect it had on your world. They're taking it out because of the effect it had on mine."
"How does that change anything?" Eugene asked, "It really hasn't changed much here, at least not yet."
"When Metroanime wrote that story, he infused it with a certain amount of hope. Otherwise it would have been . . ." Kelvin shrugged. "A rip off of Pokemon, with some Ranma porn spliced in? Mildly interesting, but not interesting enough for other people to want to play in the world he created," Kelvin explained, "That's what fanfiction is, playing in someone else's sandbox. In this case, the world Metroanime created, is that sandbox. It's changed since then, as other authors took up the task of embroidering their bits. Fanfic Fetishist was one of the last of the old guard when I arrived on the scene, the writing scene. Then I became one of the 'old-hands'. For a while, Kerrik Wolf and I had between us, the bulk of the stories written about the world. Others were drawn in to play in the sandbox we'd changed and improved."
"What the Celestial Alliance are going to do, is change the original story, so you won't be interested enough to write about it?" Miguelito asked, "What effect will that have?"
"I don't know what FF saw in the story that kept him attracted enough to form the first group, and the second, then the third. There was enough mass with our stories when the public site went down, that we formed not one but two others. What the Celestial Alliance was trying to do is break that first chain. To make it something someone might read, but not really be interested in continuing. The hopeful ending is important. The idea that the world might be changing for the better. Middle Earth is a lot more popular than Gor for more than the literary quality. Middle Earth moves from darkness to light. Gor stays a crapsack world throughout."
"So what are we gonna do about it?" Brian asked, "Go there and kill all those Megami and save the speech."
"And not get caught doing it," Kelvin agreed, "The problem is, I don't know what other effects will happen. Megami were a breed that existed in the original story, but Sanctuary didn't."
"Sanctuary's been around for decades!" Fred complained.
"It was written later," Hazel clarified, "So, you think if a breed doesn't exist over there, some member of that breed would go . . . poof, if they went there?"
"Essentially, yes," Kelvin said.
"I can't see the Daisy Mae's crew agreeing to become assassins," Agent Wendell said, "But humans were there, right?"
"Are you saying you could find them?" Miss MixMaster asked, "What? Kill every Megami you find? It was Sadie Pokens Day, that would cause a lot of problems. How could you tell the innocent Megami from that story, from the Alliance's Megami from our world? Wait . . . " She held up a hand. "If you scanned their Megami, and gave them a different name, then all our 'dexs would have to scan for the Megami they're programmed for."
"Miguelito?" Kelvin asked.
"It's not that difficult a modification. If the Metroanime Megami are different from modern Megami," the small man admitted, "I could also develop some scanners that would let you see them more clearly."
"That still leaves the kill teams," the 'Old Man' said, "If not Megami, what breeds were there?"
"Tomboys, Bunnygirls . . . " Kelvin began.
"The story is in the siterip we have?" Kay asked, "Right?"
"Yes."
"Let us answer that question," Kay said, "NurseJoys and Officer Jennies are there, I remember that much."
"What happens if we screw up, and can't stop them?" Hazel asked.
"This world may just cease to exist, or in the future it will descend into a Dark Age, until the Celestial Alliance decides it's time to rescue it."
"Sanctuary may also cease," Blossom said, "If our creators never get involved."
"Exactly."
"A-bra, Alaka-wham, Amachamp, Amachoke, Amachop, Amazonchan, Amazonlee, Angel, Arbust, Aupairsex, Bimbo, Boobgong/Mermaid, Bunnygirl, Buttsprouts, Buzzbreast, Buzzqueen, Catgirl, CharAmanda, Charmandi, CharMelon, Cheetaur, Cheshire, Cutiepies, Damsel, Dao, Ditto, Diva, Doll, Domina, Dominatrix, Drow Zee, Dryad, Eelara, Elementist, Elf, Elfgirl, Elfqueen, Enchantress, Espea, Esper, Eva, Flarea, Foxx, Furrite, Garter, Goth, Grandelf, Griffon, Growlie, Gypsy, Gypsy Moth, Harpi, Herochan, Herolee, High Elf, Nightowl/Hooter, Hound, Icemaiden, Ingenue, Jigglyslut, Joltina, Ka-D-Bra, Killer Queen, Kitsune, Kitten, Kunoichi, Lamia, Licktongue, Lupine, Lynx, Magickunt, Maid Yvette, Mantis, Mareen, Matron, Megami, Merrowl, Milk Maid, Milktit, Minotaura, Mongoose, Moonbunny, Mousefly, Mousewife, Mynx, Naga, Naiad, Nurse Joy, Nymph, Officer Jenny, Oni, Onyx, Parismaid, Peekabu, Purrsian, Phaenine, Phoenix, Pidgeota, Pidgette, Pidgy, Pixies, Psidyke, Rhynodame, Rhynowhore, Saijin, Selkie, Coolcat/Shaguar, Shieldmaiden, Shiva, Sidekick, Sideviper, Siren, Skunkies, Snorlass, Snow Queen, Sorceress, Spidera, Spinnertit, Squirtitty, Starboob, Succubus, Sworddancer, Sylph, Tigress, Titacool, Titacruel, Titmouse, Tomboy, Umbrea, Undine, Ursine, Vampira, Vaporita, Vixxen, Warcat , WarHound, Wasp, Widow, Witch, Youma, Yuki-onna, Zeromer," Antoinette sang, "That could be a catchy song, with a little work."
"That leaves the Barbisaur/Boobasaur, Battledancer/AmazonKapoerea, Dove/LoveDove, Dracine/Draco/Dracona, Dragongirl/Dragoness, Drow/Dark Elf, Hag, Hawk, Kappa, Maenad, Magpie, Oriad, QuagQueen, Shagmire, and Titfairy," Hazel said as she checked the list, "What no Trixies, Harlequins or Jokettes? What kind of a hack was this? Manti, Widows, but no Jokettes!? Who paints the walls with their enemy's entrails. Who dresses up as Lady Godiva and dances through the streets while tossing poison candies to all the kiddies. Who gives the Vixxen ranch the case battery operated dildos made of plastic explosives?"
"They don't exist," Kelvin said, "And please turn off that spotlight."
"Party pooper!" Annette said.
"You're just mad because they are going to be slaughtering Megami, and you can't help," Foresti said, "Cheryl, Naomi, Eriko, Erika, Flower, Skull Cap, AILF, Slinky, Shadow, Eclair, Doctor Marilyn, Jean, Stupid Fuzzbutt, Flopsie, Captain Campion, Holly, Jenna and Fred are the only ones on the list who are positively safe."
"I'm going," The March Hare said, "And perhaps only Miss MixMaster could stop me."
"Megami-Sama aren't on the list," Brian said.
The two Megami-Sama smiled. "They no doubt sent some of theirs through, it should be safe," Miss MixMaster offered.
"Then I'm going too," Gwendoline offered, "They mentioned 'genetic experiments', I bet I qualify."
"BOOM too," came the G-Splice's voice.
"No," Kelvin told Maus and Warden, "You two are staying here."
"I can go too," Reverend Kincaid's Succubus walked up, "You are going to need everyone you can get. That includes Commander Genek."
"Wait I . . . " the Navy Oni looked around, "Yes, you're right."
"Then if there's fighting, and we're all bein' noble," Blackberry said, "Love Dove's close enough to 'Dove', that I'll risk it. 'Sides, not like I was gettin' a workout here."
"I think the breed is not as important as you think," Blossom said.
"You're forgetting that Sanctuary didn't even exist at this point," Kelvin pointed out, "You aren't going. Neither are the rest of the forces. Much as I wish I could leave it to you."
"I wish you'd let us prepare some SEAL teams, I'm sure there's a few that are composed exclusively of the acceptable breeds," the Admiral of the relief force said, "Or let us gather a few of the other authors, we know where at least four of them are."
"Their Harems would be as useless as mine," Kelvin said, then turned to the girls, "Sorry. Part of my real power is control over the story, and my assumptions of how things work. I'd be going into the origin myth, and while I have some illusions about the amount of material Kerrik and I have put out, I don't think both of us together can overcome what Metroanime set-up. As for the SEALs, we need assassins, not commandoes."
The Captain walked in to the open area that had been made into an office. Most of the Pokègirls and their Tamers lounged there, exchanging stories and tall tales.
"How will we tell the bad girls from the other Megami?" the Bunnygirl whimpered, "I just want to know."
The stunned expression of the leaders showed they'd neglected that point.
"If the breeds have changed," Miss MixMaster said, "Couldn't we get a reading on a local, and use that to lock down the Pokèdexes, then just search for the ones our 'dexes recognize?"
"And I know where we can find some," Kelvin said, and he turned to face the Bunnygirl, "Thank you, that was a good question."
"MY Master is so brilliant!" she squealed happily, then looked thoughtful, "Wouldn't sticking lightbulbs in your butt hurt? And wouldn't you have to be electric-types to make them glow?" She shrugged and left.
The Captain ignored the confused, and dark, expressions, and walked straight to Kelvin and Miguelito as they worked on the paperwork. "I made a promise, and I need to keep it," she said quietly, "They said that if I could keep The March Hare away from them, they'd tell me the actual numbers of troops they sent through. They also demanded that they be released . . . after what The March Hare did, killing them all painlessly should fulfill the contract. I said I'd try to convince you." She took a deep breath. "If I can get the number of agent, and their breed types for you. Will you please keep The March Hare away from them, and promise them a painless, and quick death? I would like your word of honor, if you agree."
"Since you asked," Kelvin said, "Can you trust the information is accurate, and do they understand I'll send in anyone I choose, to do anything they wish, to gather that intelligence?"
"They cannot lie or evade the whole truth with me around. My connection with the Cosmic Awareness is as strong as theirs. But I have the advantage," the Captain said. She sat down and glanced at the others. All but Hazel took the hint and left, taking those not involved in the conversation with them. The Jokette sat at the table with the Captain and Kelvin. "Most Megami can't think, that is, analyze. That they don't think is a side-effect. They are conduits of the Cosmic Awareness. If they need to know the 5th root of pi, the answer pops into their heads. If they are suddenly faced with cooking a crown roast over a dung fire, if they are attuned to cooking, that answer pops into their heads. It's one reason why Megami can be superb beyond even a Alaka-Wham, with some skills; and worse than a stoned Bunnygirl, with others. They are not using the skill as you would, they are letting the information, technique and power of the Cosmic Awareness flow through them. They are no more than processing a signal, more a receiver than a computer. It's also why they avoid answering questions, because outside of their expertise, they don't know that much. If you get a sudden flash of insight, you'll have to go back and do the ground work for the extensive justification, so you can convince others that your insight was correct and supportable. Most Megami can't, so they fall back on the shy smile and if pressed, burst into tears that you don't trust them. Turning public opinion against you, when you'd demand that level of proof from anyone else, human or Pokègirl They understand human interaction well enough to use that technique very successfully."
"How do you know all this?" he asked, noting that Hazel had been nodding.
"Because every person on board ship, has to learn firefighting and basic seamanship. And teaching Megami a new skill they don't automatically get, is like teaching calculus to a Chicken Little," the Captain explained, "And it's quite enough to drive you mad. And they've used it on me and my officers so often the tears of a frustrated Megami have no effect on us. We also carefully teach all our kits to learn as humans do, so they can pick up new skills they aren't automatically good at, and so they learn that bursting into tears and refusing to explain things is likely to get you a punishment duty. The rest of the world lets Megami get away with whatever they wish."
"Sounds like they also engage only in static analysis," Kelvin said, "They assume if they change something, everything else will remain the same."
"True enough," the Captain said, "Another trouble we have with our kits and new recruits. Most assume only what they've actually touch changes. When in reality, every time you change something, the entire system responds to that change. I've learned that the hard way. Change a gun captain, and the efficiency of the engine room decreases, unrelated? Hardly, the gun captain and chief of the engineering watch were lovers, and changing one duty station disrupted their relationship, and their efficiency."
"Doesn't the Celestial Alliance have more than just Megami and Megami-Sama in it?" Hazel asked.
"Certainly, but most Angels and Seraphs would have nothing to do with the Alliance, or it's goals," the Captain explained, "Because they can think about them."
"Aside from enslaving us," Kelvin said, "What does the Alliance hope to do? I already know they are Lords of Order, much as the worst Officer Jennies are."
"A few years ago, they approached us, to help them with a plan to eliminate all human suffering," the Captain said, was pleased to see the horrified expressions on the other two, "That's right, they never considered how it would be accomplished, nor what the secondary effects would be."
"To not experience suffering, you either couldn't feel it, or couldn't understand it," Hazel said in horror, "So you'd have to be callous, insensate . . . or non-sentient."
"Close, but that's not all of it," Kelvin said, "How do you get around the pain of childbirth? And rearing them?" he asked and grinned.
"Okay, that's darker that even I care to go," Hazel admitted, "Did they realize they were going to exterminate the human race, by first making them nonhuman, then making them quit reproducing?"
"No, because they never considered that possibility," the Captain said, "Which begs the question, if they can only be the conduits of ideas, who puts those ideas in their heads? And why would a clever girl like a Harlequin, exposed to the same, become a menace like a Jokette?"
"I know the answer," Kelvin said, "And if that's the case, we're in more trouble than if I was right, and Nyarlathotep were really running things behind the scenes."
"WAAH!" the Bunnygirl wailed piteously, and loudly, "My Master is going to save the world, and nobody is going to know about it! WAAH!"
"You could stay behind and then you wouldn't know," Miss MixMaster threatened.
The Bunnygirl paled, sniffled, then burst into tears. "WAHH! I wouldn't know what a brave and brilliant Tamer my Master is!"
The Megami-Sama stared at her sister in the purple and green peasant dress. The other Megami-Sama merely shrugged and concentrated on the Captain.
"They have admitted that only nine went through. Three Samas and the rest, regular Megami. They were the scouts, the group we have down below are the assault group," Captain explained, "But assuming that the scouts will sit on their hands . . . they'll probably get orders from the Cosmic Awareness to move as if they were alone."
"That is how they operated," Cheryl added, "The higher levels are more tightly connected, rather than more combat capable, or better leaders."
"So we only have nine to kill," Holly said as she grinned, "I can live with that."
"How do we get back?" Fred asked, and noted that everyone suddenly wasn't looking at anyone else, "Oh."
"It might be possible to get back," Kelvin said, "If we are careful. Leaving should be easy, getting back here will be troublesome, as long as nobody catches us. If we alter anything, I have no guarantees that any of you will survive. Time travel paradigms really don't apply here."
Cameron spoke up, "If were are to die, then let's go and save the world. Coming home is secondary."
"Not exactly the St. Crispian's Day speech, but adequate," Miguelito said darkly.
"We should go," Warden said, "And take our chances."
"No," Kelvin said quietly, "If a large number of you simply evaporate, it will reduce our ability to fight. If you're waiting for us, we have a greater impetus to get home."
"It's at full power," Hazel said as she monitored the equipment that the Sanctuary experts were operating. The fear on the faces of the techs made it clear that they fully understood their fate should any of their number attempt treachery. Then Hazel would step aside, and let the real mayhem begin.
The gateway formed, and the group marched through.
The group materialized and did a quick check for all their appropriate pieces.
"Are we close enough to walk?" Miguelito asked.
"Yes," Kelvin said as he pointed to a young man, and the Megami following him, "Excuse me, the rest of you stay right here." He dashed off towards the pair.
"Excuse me! You are Keiichi Morisato, correct? And you recently won the contest from the Tendo Ranch?"
"Yes," the smaller boy said suspiciously, while Kelvin openly scanned Belldandy.
"I apologize, but the recent Pokèdex update had some glitches. One was the Megami settings," he explained, then waited for the 'dex to ask for a name for this 'unknown' Pokègirl, "Normal," he replied to its query. He watched the machine accept the data, and send the update to the other alien 'dexes the rest of the group had. "We needed a known Megami with a fairly extensive history of scans to verify the bug fix was correct." He looked at Keiichi. "If your 'dex still regards her as a Megami, then you got the update previous to the buggy one. If it doesn't, wait a day or so for the corrected update to patch the errors."
"Do you need anything else?" the young man asked earnestly.
"No, thank you. I apologize for having troubled you. Enjoy your Sadie Pokens," he told them and walked sedately back to the group.
"I can sense nine targets," Miss MixMaster said, "Out to 100 miles. Either they are shielded, or that's all there are. It would seem that we have confirmation, or we'll have to dig up those Megami and defile their corpses."
"Don't bet that's all there are," Oliver said, "Update periodically."
"We need to take them all down," Brian said, "Before they attack the Megami who'll initiate the speech."
"Or Ranma himself," Flopsie added, "He had a few powerful enemies wandering around."
"At this point of the story," Skullcap said, "They'd been neutralized. If they are up and walking around, we already have a more serious problem."
"We have today to move freely," Cameron said, "Tomorrow is Sadie Pokens, and then we'll have to move very carefully, although the rest of our troops can move far more freely."
"How do you all know that?" Fred asked, "We could have arrived a week or a month ahead of schedule."
"Deep mystical powers," Cameron said in eerie tones.
"Connection with dark things unseen," Kelvin added.
"They read the big sign in that window over there." Stupid Fuzzbutt pointed to the 'Sadie Pokens starts Tommorow' sign, "Somebody can't spell."
"Let's hope it's their mages and not ours," Kelvin said, then waited as the Bunnygirl burst out laughing.
Brian stared at Kelvin. "Don't look at me that way! She's your fault!"
"Touche."
"I say we get to it," Angie said, "One of me will go with Cameron, another with Kelvin, the last will stay with the other cops, to deal with the local police."
"Let's go," Cameron said, "We've got a Megami to protect."
Kelvin handed the man the B.A.R. "Good luck." Cameron and his hunter-killer group vanished.
"We can thin their numbers," Flower said, "This group of three together, that's going to be our best chance to really cut them down." The MilkTit grinned and looked at Stupid Fuzzbutt. "And I have an idea."
"Okay, you do that. I'm going to arrange for rooms at the Pokècenter for us. Try and spot the newcomers," Kelvin told them, "All we have are blips on a screen, I'd like to put faces to each one."
"Bullets to faces," BOOM quietly declared.
"If you can manage it without getting caught," Eugene said, "We should try and be done before sundown tomorrow. Or at least make sure the Pokègirls are safely inside, and the Tamers outside."
"Agreed," Agent Thomas said as he colleted Jenna, Fred and Commander Genek.
"Let's go," Oliver said, "No use getting maudlin now. We've got our whole lives ahead of us. Too bad we couldn't bring the others, I'd've loved to see what our little army would have done during the rampage against Giovanni that happens after the speech tomorrow."
"I think we cops had better check in at Dogpatch. If we're already there, then we'll be immediately accepted," Eko said, and got answering nods from Kay, Captain Campion and the SLIS agents.
The groups separated. Angie and Holly following Kelvin to the Pokècenter.
"It's weird, I never wanted them. But now, it's like a missing tooth. I keep tonguing to hole to see that it's still there."
"I think you just hit on the whole point of D-BENS. They become part of you. Separate pieces of a greater whole. Don't worry, I'll get you back to them," Angie told him.
"That would be nice," he said morosely. Only Holly saw his frown.
The trio of Megami ignored the stares of the Tamer, who clearly wished that it was the capture phase of Sadie Pokens. The crowds had grown, and soon would be dense enough for them to move against their targets.
The Bunny that hopped along, singing off-key, received the same attention practically everyone else did: virtually none. It was extremely unwelcome when she hopped over the wrought iron railing to stop at their table.
"Say!" the Bunny squealed happily.
The leader gave her guard a sharp look. The other Megami forced herself to relax.
"Go away child," the Megami-Sama said pleasantly enough for a command.
"Can't," the Bunny replied, "How many Widows does it change to take a - take to change a light bulb?" she squealed happily, and loudly, her vapid and expectant expression endeared her to none of the three.
"I - do - not - care," the Megami-Sama laced her tone with all the disdain she could.
"Oh," the Bunny said as she stepped back. She frowned and fidgeted, occasionally tugging her ears, as if searching for the next thing to do.
The Megami awaited her apology.
"Then, TAG!" The Bunny's haymaker caught the Megami-Sama under the chin, snapping her head back and throwing her back against the table so hard she flipped it over and landed heavily on another table, flipping it over as well.
Blood poured from her mouth where she'd bitten through her tongue.
"You're it!" the Bunny shouted as she sped away, in a hop-run pattern.
"That idiotic bitch!" the guard shouted as she raced off in pursuit of a Bunny-skin rug.
"Wait!" the other shouted, as she watched her colleague with the healing powers race away.
"Let us through!" a commanding voice sent the crowd scurrying, as a local Megami-Sama and several Officer Jennies approached.
"Help us!" the Alliance Megami pled with the newcomer in the green and purple dress.
"Of course, child." The March Hare grabbed the Megami's head and held it firm as the Pokègirl went into convulsions. The SLIS agents and officer Jennies kept the crowd at bay and waited for The March Hare to neutralize their foe.
The local Officer Jennies began arriving. "What's going on here?" their leader demanded as the stretcher bearers picked up the two fallen.
Eko showed the officer her badge. "What's your security clearance?" she asked quietly, while the other girl put 'police' and 'Nurse Joy' together and couldn't make them fit.
"Uh . .. " she managed.
"We took down a Team who dress and act like Megami to hide their activities," Eko told the arriving officers, "I'm sorry, we can't tell you more. We were never here, all that happened was an altercation." She grimaced. "When the Leagues decide to quit playing spies, I'll contact you with the rest."
"So I'll never hear from you again?" the lead Officer Jenny said as she handed Eko her badge back.
"Hell no," Eko said and grinned, "That was for God and Country, I'm gonna drink and eat until I explode, tomorrow."
She turned to follow the team that had already departed after resetting the tables.
Kay had caught up with The March Hare as they took the pair away. Eko hurried to her sister's side.
"What did you do?" Kay asked.
"The equivalent of a Level 5. We'll put her through another once we reach the Pokècenter. The other should be dead by then," The March Hare told them.
Kelvin walked into the Pokècenter, and spotted the desk clerk.
"I was thinking you wouldn't make it," the old woman with the 'Weatherwax' nameplate said, "Thought I'd have to take care of it myself."
Angie stared open-mouthed at the woman.
"You're catching flies deary," the old Witch said irritably, "You got something to say?" she addressed Kelvin.
"How many . . . can you just send messages or can you send them home?" he asked.
"Sorry, messages only, or little things. You'd have to chop'em up rather fine to get them through, and keep'em fresh for a month. It'd be a lot of work."
"Angie, Holly, go stake out some space for us," he told them, then he was alone. He pulled handkerchief from his pocket. He unwrapped the vaguely glowing, crystal sphere contained within the folds. "Can you get this back to Granny, and tell he if we succeed or fail?"
"Yes, la - yes, sir," the old Witch said as he put the rewrapped sphere in her hands.
He left to follow Angie and Holly.
The Megami cursed as the surprisingly elusive Bunnygirl evaded all attempts to magically or physically corral her. Suddenly the Bunnygirl hopped sideway into a narrow alley. The Megami smiled at the idea of catching her prey in the narrow confines. She ran straight in, and ran into the punches of another Megami and a crouching Pokèwoman Angel. The blows drove the breath from her and crushed her skull against the wall.
"No offense," AILF said as they packed up the Megami's remains, "But I thought Megami couldn't do that."
"Megami are either good at something, or bad at it," Cheryl explained as she tied up the parcel, "I'm good at it."
"Killing somebody in cold blood," AILF corrected as she hefted the bag, "And not being seen?"
"That, I'm not too happy about," Cheryl admitted, "But I think we don't have a choice.
"We'll pray together tonight," the Pokèwoman said, as they walked past an Officer Jenny, who paid no mind to the Angel, Megami, and the other one, chatting on religious topics.
Angie the Titmouse spotted the Megami they'd been pursuing, and switched to Battleform. I could take her out with one hit, the WarMech thought, That would also alert every single one of the survivors that they were being hunted. I should have gone with Cameron's group. There I could have used my firepower and no one would have been the wiser. She dismissed the helmet so she could scratch her ears, and consider, Getting drawn into a major battle, even on outskirts of town, is not my first choice. Besides, it would alert all her allies, and my orders were to scout, not launch an assault. Although if I could grab her, et deeper into the woods, and blow us both up . . . if I could use Explosion or Final Strike.
She signaled the rest of the team she had a target for observation, and was awaiting instructions.
The Megami pursuing the Megami he was protecting had bedded down for the night almost an hour ago. Now Cameron waited for proof that she really was asleep and not faking it. He glanced at Jean, just about the only girl from his extensive and well-practiced team who was with them. Other campers dotted the landscape, so he felt no fear of being detected amid the scattered targets.
"Let me do it, Master," the Alaka-Wham asked Jessica, "I can better rationalize the necessity."
"I just don't understand all this," Jessica said as she stared numbly into the tiny campfire, "The ones I knew were good and kind. They wouldn't do something like this."
"If they had a good reason?" Cameron asked, "When someone has a really good reason, they can do the unthinkable without blinking."
"What are you two arguing about?" Jeremy asked, as he shuffled back into camp.
"I think you can guess," Jessica said, "I . . . I just wish there was another way."
"There isn't," Jeremy said as he sat down besides Jean. In the firelight they could see the tears running down his face. "I knew you couldn't . . . so I did. Waited til she was asleep and with my knife I just . . . "
The boy burst into loud sobs as the Alaka-Wham held him. "I wanna go home!" he sobbed, "I just wanted to be a Tamer! I don't wanna do this more!"
Jean touched the boy with her antenna and he fell silent. "He will sleep. With your permission, this will only be a nightmare he will have had."
"Yes," Jessica said quietly, her eyes wide with terror and her face white as a sheet, while Cameron slipped out of camp.
"I have to make sure, and he can think I did it, and he just dreamt it," the old man said as he slipped out of the circle of light.
"Why us?' Jessica asked.
"Because we are here," Jean replied quietly as she cradled the sleeping boy, "Why did they attack peaceful people? Because they could, and because they were there. We should report in."
Miguelito looked over the findings. He worried at how haggard his friend looked. As if the place itself sapped his vitality.
"That's four kills, and we have three more under surveillance," he told the small group that surrounded him, "Shadow, take whomever you need, and get this one. She's the only other Megami-Sama we've spotted, the other must have gone to ground as soon as she felt the first die." He turned to Doctor Kincaid's Succubus. "It's not your fault. This is like Widow hunting, except the Widow doesn't need to kill us to win, just get past us. She probably disappeared the instant she felt her fellow -Sama die."
"Which means she's the most dangerous," the Succubus said, "If Jenna and I had just . . . attacked, the instant we saw her -!"
"Then you'd be in jail or Level 5'd," Agent Thomas said, "She might have been able to drive you two off, and then it would have been two Infernals breaking the peace before Sadie Pokens."
"You'll get your chance," Shadow said, "I want both of you." She stared at the two Succubi. "I have my problems with Infernals, but my mom told me 'Anyone fighting the fire in your burning house is your friend.' They're going to burn us all, and I don't care how we stop them."
"I still don't understand why Angie hesitated," Miguelito said as Thomas accompanied the team Shadow put together.
"She's still a Titmouse at heart, and she's having trouble accepting that these women really will end the world," Kelvin replied quietly. He grinned. "Don't worry, it's taken care of."
Angie looked at the dark turtle shell, but couldn't sense the girl inside it. The occasional highly dispersed fireball hit the WarMech's armor, building the heat for her Gigaflame attack. "I should have gone straight in."
"Nonsense," BOOM said quietly as she hit Angie with another greatly diffused fireball.
"Maybe it would be easy for you," Angie replied as she absorbed the flame.
"No," BOOM said, "Teamplayer."
"Me or you, or both?" Angie asked, "Okay. I think I've got enough, my fur's singed and - "
The white bar of raw power shot out of the turtle shell. It blew through the wall of the small, ramshackle bungalow. The sleeping Megami, and the bed of rags she'd been resting on were completely gone, except for a pair of bare feet lying on the floor. Steam and smoke curled from the severed ankles.
"Proof, no teleport," BOOM told the stunned WarMech Titmouse.
"What do you need me for?" the shocked Titmouse asked.
"Burn it down," the G-Splice told her as she jetted away.
"You don't think somebody's going to notice?" Angie shrugged and reduced the rest of the building and remains to ash.
Miguelito was on the verge of ordering sedation for his friend as Kelvin paced nervously, awaiting word from the teams.
"It because I'm not out there," the other man explained, "I think they'll be able to sense me. It's irritating, but this place is enervating. Like being covered with ants, and unable to sweep them off. Everyone of the rest of you sort of fits here. I don't. It's also proof of what would have happened if we'd've brought the others."
"We'd have a pack of basket cases," Miguelito said.
Kelvin nodded. "So I stay here hidden, and let the rest of you do the job I should be doing."
"OOO! OO! OO!" the Bunnygirl shouted as she hopped up and down. Flopsie tackled her before she hit the ceiling.
"Not now! Not now!" the Bunnygirl shouted as she squirmed loose, "I've got something to make you feel better! One of those dots? It's heading right this way. She's coming here, you won't have to hide!" Stupid Fuzzbutt looked at the shocked faces. "Isn't that good news? No you can't watch me Tamer Flopsie."
"Clear out, set up a perimeter and set it up out of the Pokècenter vicinity! If this place gets leveled, I don't know what will happen!" Kelvin shouted as he grabbed some of their gear and raced out of the room.
"Taming her is not that bad!" the angry Bunnygirl shouted at them.
"Dammit!" Kelvin cursed as the Megami ignored their rather obvious revetment, and raced into the Pokècenter, "Come on. We'll try to lure her outside, but . . . " He gave up as he raced for the building.
"Aren't we supposed to be in front of the squishy ones!?" Flopsie asked, then Holly raced ahead of the man and into the center. "Better," Flopsie said as she mentally lifted him off the ground, so the rest of the force could get ahead of him.
"Can I learn that?" Stupid Fuzzbutt asked.
"As easily as you learn anything else," the PsiDyke told her.
The Megami shot flame blasts randomly around the room, incinerating any of the gear that she saw. "Now you can NEVER return, and we will have all of time to destroy you!" she shouted as she turned her attention to blasting the fixtures, "Come out, come out wherever you are!"
"We're right here," Agent Douglas said as all three of her, Shadow, AILF, and Eclair fired their power bolts, blowing the arrogant Megami into fragments.
Outside the room Miguelito and Kelvin confronted the angry witch who ran this Pokècenter. "We'll pay for the damages," Kelvin said as he handed over a number of credit sticks.
"My EARS are on fire! My EARS are on fire! My EARS are on fire!" shouted the obviously not on fire Bunnygirl who raced past them.
"Next time send her for relative bearing grease!" He coughed. "Or a left-handed smoke shifter," Kelvin shouted at the fire-extinguishing team, "Telling her she's on fire is just cruel."
The heavy assault team of Officer Jennies, and other cops, including all of those they'd brought with them, told the two human leaders that they weren't getting any sleep tonight.
The Megami in the police officer's uniform stared at the two human men, backed by three angels and a Megami. She sighed. "Do you actually expect me to believe one word of that?" she said as she stared at the collection, "And where are the other two Megami?"
"First, of course I don't, and I'd have you committed if you did," Kelvin said, "That's why we gave your officers our cover story. An interdimensional hunter-killer group chasing insane Megami stretches the bounds of credulity, but you did ask for the truth."
"Don't remind me," she muttered.
"Second," Miguelito added, "Our colleagues are hunting down the last two. If they are successful, other than a couple of arson cases, we won't be troubling your peace any longer."
"Please promise me you aren't staying for Sadie Pokens," the put-upon Megami plead.
"We can't promise that," Kelvin said, "But other than drinking themselves stupid, or eating themselves into a food-coma, you'll have no further trouble from us."
"I guess that's the best I can expect." She stared at the pair. "I want your cops and medics on duty with mine, call that your fine for what's going on." She sighed. "Why would any group of Megami want to make this place worse?"
"So they can make another world better," Kelvin said.
"Is it worth it?" she asked.
"Our world is arguably worse than this one, and better, depending on where you are," AILF said, "We do not believe that parasitizing another world, to improve ours, is the good thing to do."
"Why do I feel you're leaving out something that would completely change my opinion?" the police Megami asked.
"Would it make you feel better that our leader is the creator of our world?" Shadow asked.
"Now I definitely need an aspirin," the police Megami said.
Kelvin handed her a small tin. "No, it's not magic, I just try to be prepared."
"Thanks," she said as she took two and washed them down with tea, "Is there anything my officers can do to help, like roust the real chief out of whoever he's with?"
"Are any of your troops trained assassins?" Miguelito asked.
She looked the small man up and down, and shook her head.
"Then let us finish the job quietly, pay for any damages already done," Miguelito said, "And just slip away."
The Megami shook her head. "If I tried to arrest you . . . how many officers would it take?"
"That crazy rabbit, masterminded the no-losses kill of a Mantis, and is the undisputed Alpha of her Harem. The Megami who serves her, once obliterated a Widow, all by herself." He glanced over his shoulder. "Cheryl, our other Megami, is even more formidable," Kelvin said.
The police Megami shook her head ruefully. "Okay, good luck. I almost hope you've figured out how to lie to me. I'd hate living in a world where what you told me is the truth. Especially about members of my breed. I became a cop to help people, humans and Pokègirls."
"There are lighter, unseen truths as well," Kelvin said as he stood to leave, "After all, someone sent us to help you."
Cameron walked into the Pokècenter room. Jessica carried Jeremy. She glanced at the weary group and sighed.
"Why do you look like you lost?" he asked as he found a corner they could lay the boy down in, so he could sleep undisturbed.
"We just found out most of us will be working tomorrow," Holly said, "Any high strategy we leave to the bosses."
"A few hours after sundown, there were two left," Miguelito said, "There's still two left. Either they can detect and avoid us -"
"Or they're just hiding from everybody," Brian added, and yawned.
"In any case," AILF said quietly, as she helped Jessica cover Jeremy with a blanket, "We seem to have hit a stone wall. Miss MixMaster is still out searching. But they may as well have become invisible."
"Wake Jesse - I mean Jeremy. He's the most gifted hunter I've ever seen," Jessica said, and looked sadly at her little brother, "But can you keep him from the 'killer' group?"
"I think that can easily be arranged," Agent Thomas said, "You two look exhausted. I'll take Jenna, one of the Angies, The March Hare, Fred and the commander with me. That should be enough to provide security. You all get some sleep. When we find her, we'll call the rest of you, and we can drop on her with full force."
"Where's our fearless leader?" Cameron asked as he guided Jessica to corner.
"Out with Miss MixMaster," Oliver said, "He figured they already knew what they were facing, so walking the streets would draw her out, rather than drive her underground. Yeah, I know, taking on a crazed Megami-Sama, with only one other Megami or -Sama sounds like suicide to me too."
"We who are about to die salute you," Miguelito said darkly as Jean roused Jeremy for his hunt.
"Have I told you how much I hate cities and towns?" Jeremy asked as they walked along the outskirts of Dogpatch. The sun was a distant promise. "I bet you want this done before the festivities start."
"That's right. I'd like to leave, but I bet the girls will want to hear the speech live. And have fun until then," Oliver said, "Besides, we have security duty, and a commando raid later."
"Yes, but we will follow orders," Jenna said.
"I think a little R & R will be acceptable. We'll deputize a few others, so the Jennies and Joys can swap out and have a couple hours of fun," Thomas said, "After all this craziness. Just remember to be back before dark. I bet you anti-capture gear will work, but I'd rather not test that theory."
"Agreed, Master," the Succubus said, and smiled warmly.
"That's -!" Jeremy pointed at an obvious Megami, and a guy with non-human looking ears. "False alarm," he said as the man hastily replaced his headdress, to hide his ears.
"You aren't the world-destroyer we're looking for," The March Hare told them as she gestured, and while the Megami seemed to accept this, the man looked at her suspiciously. Angie, Thomas and Oliver all flashing their badges at him while they all pulled back, seemed to work better.
"Someone like that would fit right in with the Sunshine League," Oliver said as he looked at the scan he'd gotten of the man and his tech, "In our world he probably showed up in a League that thinks screwing over their citizens is the best course."
"Are you saying the Sunshine League never screws over its citizens?" Cameron asked, eliciting a snicker from Jeremy.
"We try to stomp on bureaucrats who decide to do that as a sport, and come to an accommodation with anyone with wild ideas that actually work," Oliver said, "Enlightened Mutual Self-Interest is the way of the major 'baddies' of the Sunshine League. They'll enslave the golden goose in a gilded cage, but they don't kill it."
"How long do we keep at this?" Angie asked.
"Until we find her, or we fail," Oliver said darkly.
"Think happy thoughts," Angie replied.
"Triangulating on her position shouldn't take this long," Kelvin said as they marched through the predawn gloom.
"Are you saying you don't like my company?" Miss MixMaster teased, "Or that your feet hurt?"
"I'm saying I'd enjoy your company a great deal more without the Sword of Damocles over our heads, and yes I meant 'our'. If they win, we may not be able to get home," he replied testily, "No, my feet don't hurt."
She laughed. "A dozen girls who love you, an army to conquer an empire, a dozen allies you could sway to your cause," she said, and laughed again, "And you still long for home?"
"It's home, this isn't, nor is your world," he replied, "I was happy with my life. It wasn't perfect, but I could do as I wished. My responsibilities weren't too onerous, and maybe I'd be a semi-successful author in my later years. Here, I must be either conqueror, or conquered, and I don't wish to be either."
"Very well, the reason we can't localize her so easily, is she's moving," Miss Mix Master explained, as they walked through the dark streets, "And I was hoping that she'd lead us to her colleague."
"Ah." He considered. "If she does that, we'll need a lot more help."
"I can handle them," Miss MixMaster assured him.
"I'd like to live through the exchange as well," Kelvin replied.
"That's her?" Cameron asked, before anyone else could ask the young hunter.
The boy gave him an exasperated look, then looked back at their quarry, a rather bland Ingenue staring at a small though muscular boy, and an even smaller boy in a baseball cap.
"I thought Ranma was a big guy," Cheryl said, then grinned, "Excuse me."
"What are you doing?!" Oliver hissed.
"Close guard and distraction," she whispered, and dashed towards him.
They watched in horror as Cheryl walked up to the muscular boy, bowed and offered her challenge. The boy practically grinned from ear to ear, although his companions and their Pokègirls instantly looked but upon.
"I think a nice, quiet assassination is in order," Thomas said as he picked Jenna and Naomi, and headed towards their quarry, who seemed as put out by the display as everyone else.
Eko and a couple of Officer Jennies ran up to the apparent altercation, but a few words to Eko from Cheryl soon had them working crowd control as the sparring went on.
"Why hasn't she noticed us, and why hasn't she noticed Cheryl was once Alliance?" Angie asked.
"I'm cloaking us from her notice," Gwendoline said, "And what aristocrat notices the hired help?"
The assassin team moved openly towards the fight. Then darted sideways at the last minute. The Megami squeaked and dropped to the ground when Thomas poked her rather intimately. Naomi picked her up and then exchanged some words with Eko. The Officer Jenny explained to her breed sisters, and the police just waved the group off, and returned to watching the sparring.
Once back with the group, and out of sight, they slit the Megami's throat, right through the backbone. "We'll burn the body and head separately," the other Succubus suggested, "It works on vampires."
"It works on most other things too," another of the Angies suggested. There was a flash, and two piles of fine white ash marked where the decapitated Megami had lain. "Should we scatter it over two separate oceans?"
"That's over kill," the Succubus said as she swept up the ash, and swallowed it, "Sorry, are you sure she wasn't a Jokette? She sure tastes funny."
As they groaned, they walked out to join the crowd watching Cheryl sparring.
"I'm glad the others aren't watching this," Naomi said as the widely-grinning youth continued dominating the fight.
Hazel walked in silence, ahead of the rest of the team of Angies' triple trio of superpowerful girls. As soon as the door opened, she began, "That's the shocking part, is that Megami don't think," she chattered happily, "So you've got a bunch of girl who aren't - let's be polite, aren't know for intellectual rigor, and they encounter the entirety of this thing when they evolve, and they worship it. You get a punch of girls, the Harlequins, who are known for their intelligence, and they see the exact, same, thing, and they become like me, or worse. Makes you think, don't it?"
"Unless you are a Megami, you would," the HyperDolls chorus, then look nervously at each other.
"True," the Neo-Iczels said together.
"Ha," one of the Demon-Goddesses managed, "Carbon copies, all forced into the same mold."
"Except you gave handsigns to your sisters," Hazel said as she examined the life support equipment for the cage, "So they knew not to talk. So you are cleverer than your sisters, but not very different."
The group growled slightly at each other, then decided as one, that the Jokette was a more worthy target.
Hazel's attention was entirely on the Megami and Megami-Sama prisoners. "How does it feel to work for 'order' when the orderly universe wants us all destroyed."
"We will not be drawn into a debate with you," the lead Megami told them.
"So you don't like thinking about it," Hazel said, "I can understand that. The murder of lots of people is supposed to be a fun experience, and you don't know about fun. It's a thing mammals have, because of their brains, high metabolism, and curiosity . . . " She ignored the Megami's withering looks. "Say, since you don't have any of those, does that mean you aren't mammals? Maybe you're reptiles. Skulking around trying to avoid being seen, sunning yourselves on rocks to absorb energy from your environment, because a Megami certainly suck the energy out of any environment she's in. No fun, no playfulness, just 'be polite', 'clean your room', 'eat your greens', 'let's all think about our global impact', and that kinda stuff. And sex, do you just pack it with cement so your Tamer can't get in there, or do you just lie there like a corpse and think of England? Or if you have to fake an orgasm, you think of the Cosmic Awareness. That's something else, why 'the Cosmic Awareness', not the Celestial Awareness, or the Awareness of the Divine? And why the 'Celestial Alliance' and not the Megami Alliance, since you are by and large Megami and Megami-Sama, although I suppose there are a few quislings from other Celestial breeds, except Angels, I've always wondered about that. Angels don't join your group, and they are supposed to be the highest and purest, yet they shy away from you in droves. You mean that never entered into your thinking?" The Jokette began laughing as some of the Megami glowered, and some collapsed in tears.
"Are you through?" the HyperDolls asked and Hazel walked to the side of the life support cabinet and leaned down.
There was a brief sound like a trumpet. All the Megami in the cell collapsed.
"I just had to make sure they all knew why they were there, when they arrived in Hell," Hazel said, "Now we wait about 10 minutes, and get out the chain saws . . . I wonder if you can make Francinesteins out of Megami. We have enough parts to make 40 or so. Just cut along the dotted lines," she said as she raised a crayon over her head.
Cheryl managed to stagger to her feet, and bow to the still grinning boy. The others collected the much bruised and battered Megami as they headed into the city just lit by the dawn.
"Okay, without my powers, he's better than me," she admitted, "But in a real fight, I could take him."
"So could a motivated Titmouse," the WarMech told her, "So that's not saying much. But it only leaves one, and I intend to see that number drop to zero before the festivities get started."
"Agreed," Cheryl said, "But can someone put me in the Pokècenter? I'm not feeling good."
The Megami vanished into her ball.
"Jeremy," the WarMech said, "Will you accompany me? I think you need sleep as much as she does."
"I'm - okay." His yawn punctuated his statement.
"I thought only Hazel could open her mouth that wide," Blackberry said, then glanced around, "And no, I'm not gonna join the Savior of the Pokègirl race, short and boring. I get lots more interesting fights with the bunch I'm with."
"It has nothing to do with all those cats you wouldn't be allowed to beat up," Brian commented.
The Love Dove grimaced as the others laughed.
"Oh good," Miss MixMaster said sarcastically, "She's turned back and is heading towards us."
The scream of rage and explosion of wall bits into the alleyway announced the arrival of their target. She fired a bolt at Miss MixMaster, then threw herself at Kelvin. "I shall destroy you!"she screamed, "You first and foremost shall die!" she shouted as she tried to strangle him and he defended himself.
"Hand-to-hand seem not to be her expertise," Miss MixMaster said as she climbed to her feet. "Oh, it seems insane rage and greater strength overcomes your greater skill," she added as the Megami's hands finally closed on Kelvin.
"You shall be stopped! No one shall be permitted to stand with evil! You will be punished!" the Megami screamed as she slammed his head against the dirt.
"Shoot Megami Moon!" he gasped as he tried to break the hold on his throat.
Her head evaporating completely brought a welcome respite. Kelvin threw the body aside. He looked at where his rescuer now had her blaster aimed. "I was rather hoping you were just tagging along for the novelty, and keeping an eye on your interests," he rasped through his abused throat, "Hild."
"When did you figure it out?" the white-haired Megami asked.
"You look like the Hild from the source material on the Megami," he croaked, "And no Megami would tolerate the implied insult of 'Miss MixMaster', or being manhandled and sexed up." He began coughing.
"So, nobody's perfect," the Legendary said and shrugged, but her aim never wavered, "I am not going to be distracted by pity, or surprised by you."
He stopped coughing, but his voice still rasped, "Nobody's perfect." He glanced around. "You stopped time."
"I certainly did, so you can't. You are too dangerous to be allowed to roam free, or be underestimated. A week, or a season, and you might even be a threat. Given five years, even Typhonna might fall victim to you."
"So all I can hope for is a quick death?" he said, and winced as he tried and failed to sit up, "I think she broke my spine."
"Even if true, I'm not stepping into your reach," Hild said, "But you've served me well. You deserve something. That was the last one. You and your team got all the others, the leadership of the Celestial Alliance, they're dead, and those who come after will be both weaker and plagued with uncertainty. And I promise, of my own free will, that I will see your allies and their Pokègirls safely home. Maybe that will buy me the time I need. Perhaps dying here will send you home."
"That's grasping at straws, and you know it."
"True," Hild admitted as she fired. She stopped only when the body was completely gone.
EPILOGUE
The sound of the sea against the Daisy Mae's hull was the only sound, as the team watched the huge Sanctuary construct turn turtle and sink beneath the waves.
"Do you think he knew we won?" Warden asked as she watched.
"I think he wouldn't have gone down, unless he knew," Isaik said as she hugged Maus, "Killed by a Legendary, who feared he was there to kill her. It fits."
The wake had been a somber affair. The trip home was matching it.
"Any thoughts about our offer?" Agent Thomas asked as he approached the railing.
"Join the SLIS, or join Nuevo Tenochtitlàn," Warden said, "Quite a choice."
"Laa ratz," Maus growled.
"No, I think Granny has a special plan for you, God help you all," Thomas said, "She has a special cadre of agents. I think whichever side you join, you'll end up doing jobs for her."
"Any way you could arrange to have us be spies for both sides?" Isaik asked.
"Never mind her," Warden said angrily.
"It's my nature," she admitted, "But there are things that need to be passed between two groups that hate each other so much."
"I think Granny will have to arrange that," Thomas said.
"Thank you for taking the others," Warden said, "I think they'll fit in well."
"I understand Cheryl is staying on board, and so is Gwendoline," Thomas said, "The others will disperse once they hit the mainland."
"I wonder how the others are doing," Warden asked, "The authors here, the authors there, the lost ones' families."
The Tamers
Eugene Maxwell
Amanda
Taylor
'Old Man' - Cameron Simone
'Wild Thing' - Jessica Ventura
Brian
Miguelito
Kelvin's Choice (Janus)
The Watcher
'Jeremy' - Jesse Ventura
SLIS Agents
Angie Douglas (x3)
Oliver Wendell
Kevin Thomas
Kelvin's Choice (Janus) - Harem
Isaik/Underground - Eidolon (Hild's agent)
Warden - Bust Angel (Hild's opposed agent)
Maus - HeavenKat (Hild's opposed agent)
Seadamar - GunValkyrie
Alba - HandMaid
Aurora/One Medallion/Earth -1 - FarFuck'd
Roxanne/Two Medallions/Earth -2 - FarFuck'd
Blossom - Tyrannodame (Kitten's Harem)
Rainbow - Tyrannodame
Angie - WarMech Titmouse (Angie Douglas's faction)
Sabrina - DildoQueen (Kitten's Harem)
Hatta Mary - Fiendish Cherry
Acerpalmatum - Chikotit
Jen - HyperDoll
Cheryl - Megami
Naomi - Tigress
Allies:
Eriko (Eko) - Officer Jenny
Erika (Kay) - Nurse Joy (SLIS agent)
Hester - Jugguar (Kay's Harem)
Adrian - Heroine (Kay's Harem)
Pool Mouse - Pool Mouse (Eko's Harem)
`Eugene's` Harem
Flower - MilkTit (Alpha)
Downy - Seraph
Skull Cap - Alaka-Wham
Kittypussy - Boobcat
Angel - `AILF`
Tai - Penance
Sam - Penance
`Amanda's` Harem
Slinky - Lamia
BoobyTrap - DigTitTrio
Tableau - PsiLady (Alpha)
Mademoiselle Bouillabaisse 'Mad B' - Sapphron
Shadow - Angel
SkyCaptain - SkyCaptain
Taylor's `Harem`
Muffin - Seraph
Bismarck - Seraph
Biscuit - Seraph
Cookie - Seraph
Baguette - Seraph
Dumpling - Seraph
Kolache - Seraph
Eclair - Angel
'Old Man' &'Wild Thing''s Harem
Red - Tanuki (Squad `Beta`)
Gray - StretchyMaid
Forseti - chibi Chimera
April - Billie head
May - Lioness head
June - Dragoness head
Summer - Snake head
Sally - ArchAngel
Sarah - Unicorn
Karrie - Rapitaur
Jamie - Dryder (Group Alpha)
Toni - Magic Knight (Fire)
Elaine - Magic Knight (Water)
Ariel - Magic Knight (Air)
Jenny Lydia - Dark Kitsune
Simon - MaryAnn Drew
Rolli - Tick-Tock
Magenta - Maggieton
Wilma - Balanced
Betty - Positive
Gladys - Negative
Prima - Charred Fireburst (Squad `Beta`)
Maria - Marowhack (Jessica's Alpha)
Miguelito's
Antoinette - Bardess
Voltaire - Francinestein
Doctor Marilyn - Alaka-Wham
Jeremy's Harem
Deniece - CameraGirl
Denephew - CameraGirl
Sherry - Kung Ewe
Jean - Alaka-Wham
The Harem (known by Brian), (known by Stupid Fuzzbutt)
Stupid Fuzzbutt - Bunnygirl
Flopsie - PsiDyke
Hazel - Blessed Jokette
Bigwig - Xerablondi
The March Hare - Megami-Sama
Captain Campion - Officer Jenny
Holly - Nurse Joy
Mopsie - MaryAnn Drews
Cottontail - MaryAnn Drews
Bugs - Seraph
Thumper - Demon-Goddess
Gennie / General Woundwort - Chibi Wolf Queen
BOOM - G-Splice (effectively Charred Battle Battle Angel {Fire-type})
Blackberry - Tenebrous Love Dove
Easter - Blessed Nidogg
Angie's Harem(x3)
Sam - Neo-Iczel
Happy - Demon-Goddess
Jodie - HyperDoll
Oliver's Harem
Gina - Mary Ann Drews
Annette - Pengal (Alpha)
Kevin's Harem
Jenna - Succubus (Alpha)
Lady Dectus - Dryder