Anime War Crisis By Chris Fogel Email: fogel@plains.nodak.edu "Yet another bizarre death in the string of murders that has been pluguing Mega-City California the last month. The Police are clueless as to the 'Anime Slasher's' identity at this time. It has been uncovered that this victim also an extensive Anime collection in their possesion, and once again nothing seems to have been stolen. More news at eleven." KLICK. "Hey Monty, this is spooky...You have a pretty large Anime collection. I'm scared Monty...."Jolene, a young college student whispered. "Don't worry about me Jolene, I've also got state of the art security men, and a personal arsenal at my disposal. Being one of the top Anime collectors has been good to me over the years. We will be fine." Monty bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Awe, isn't that sweet, comforting your girlfriend like that. Too bad your lying through your teeth.." A tall dark figure slipped out of the shadows of the room into the light. "Huh...what," Monty stood up straight and whirled around to see the figure standing half-way in tthe shadows at the end of the room. "How did you get in here?" Monty asked flustered. "What happened to my security?" "You security is nothing compared to me," the figure laughed slightly. "But on to other matters. You DO have a ticket to Anime Expo correct?" "Security!!!!" Monty yelled. "Monty..." Jolene pleaded. "Where are they? "You did not answer my question Monty, I think that you are being quite rude." The figure pulled out a large .357 Alystyre Special. "Now Monty, that answer please," as the figure straightened his arms and pointed the gun at Monty. "Is that what you want? I have 2 in fact, I will give them to you, please, just let us be..." Monty begins fumbling through his wallet. "No, I don't want them, just making sure!" The figure pulls the trigger and Monty's body goes flying over the couch as a bullet pierces his skull in the left eye. "Haha! Got 'im." He faces the scared girl. "You know, I love being a perfect aim. So now I ask you, where you going to go to Anime Expo also?" "I...I...please...please...Oh Monty..." Jolene started crying. "Why, why are you doing this? Please..." Jolene's sobbing was racking her body so that she could even stand up anymore and she knelt to the ground. "I take that as a yes then. Oh well, even so, two tickets, so two people have to go. Might as well be you." The figure raised the gun at Jolene. When just at the right moment before he pulled the trigger, the door burst open. "Sir...look" One of Monty's bodyguards piled into the room and quickly surveyed the damage and aimed his gun at the figure. As he prepared to fire, he was slammed against the wall as a bullet pierced his left eye. A gun fight erupted as the other bodyguards opened fire at the figure and he at them. Every time the figure fired, one of the bodyguards dropped to the gound. Eventually though he ran out of bullets and more and more bodyguards were pouring into the room into defensive positions as he was getting hit again and again. "Okay! Enough!!" The figure hunched over a little and then burst out of his skin to show his grey bio-metallic true self. "Shit! A buma. Get the buma rifles! Quick!" Some of the bodyguards dashed out of the room as the rest opened up with even more fierocity, hoping that they could at least slow the buma until the buma rifles get back. "Not just buma, but shinma-buma! Hahaha" the buma walked over to the nearest corpse and picked it up. The corpse withered and shriveled and then animated. It began to open fire on it's old companions. Then the buma stood back and searched for his previos target, Jolene. "Aaahhhhh!" The screams of the bodyguards echoed out as one by one their former teamate took them out. When only three were left, three more came back into the room with buma rifles. "Go!" They opened fire at everything in the room. The buma was forced bakc not wanting to be hit too much by their rifle bursts. As he fell back, one of the bodyguards crept over to the sobbing Jolene and picked her up and slipped out one of the broken windows. "My prey!" The buma screamed. "Nobody ascapes from me, I am Saeba, Shinma-Buma!" Saeba's chest opened and a beam of powerful energy leapt forth into the room creamating everything. When the light had died down only his gory, withered servant was standing, nothing left of his body, but still being animated by the dark forces that were forced into it. Saeba then leapt out the same window and sttod outside scanning for his previous prey. "NO! How could they have gotten away from me...Hmmm... At least the night wasn't a total failure," He jumped back into the room and looked over everything. He saw the animated flesh strands still hanging there, and swept his finger at them. "You are dismissed." The pieces of the body fell to the floor. Saeba then open all of his cavities, stood there, and began to chant. Then the room went silent as the stigma of magic beagan to clear, and then he was gone. [Shift to AD Police headquarters, 2 days later] "Come on Jyanken, after more than a month of nothing, we finally get our first break, and you decide to transfer to the AD Police headquarters Special Combat team? We know now that there is a new type of buma in town, and that every single person murdered had a ticket to Anime Expo. We did extensive searches and found a pattern to his killing spree, not only that, but another murder happened last night at the same time, which means that there are at least two of these bastards. You can't ditch now" "PCHammer, you know that this case is the least of my worries, I really want to stay. I have Chun-Li here. But this is a chance of a lifetime. They only accept 2 people every year to go to the Special Training Armored Academy. Please, don't make it any worse..." Jyanken turned around and carried his box out of the room. "I'll give you a call PCHammer, it's not like I am gonna be dead. See ya." "Shit, now I have some good leads, a motive, a pattern, and what happens, I am gonna get a new partner. Hmmm...well, I suppose that I should at least go over this data, and wait to see..." PCHammer sat down at his desk and began typing things into his computer files. [Shift to Shogun's house, that evening] "Hmm...let's see. I am accessing the files on the murder cases now Shogun. Should be just a second." Dnab tapped on the keyboard a few times before, "Ah, here it is. The officers on the case are PCHammer and Jyanken." "Jyanken!" "Calm down Chun-Li," Shogun demanded quietly. "This is important, if we are going to help out, we have to get this info. Keep going Dnab." "Okay, let's see...It seems that there was a survivor of the last attempt. The big Anime Collector Monty Gust was killed along with about two dozen of his bodyguards. But it seems that his girlfriend was saved by one of them. Some of the bodies were totally fried to a crisp and one was shrivelled up and there was nothing left but a few strands even."There was an 'uuugh' in the background. "Anyway it seems that the girlfriends name is Jolene Anderson and she gave the AD Police an account of the night. The attacker seemed human at first, but wanted to know if they had Anime Expo tickets. When Monty said yes, the attacker killed him. Later on it seems that the attacker burst out of his skin into his true buma form and revealed his name to be 'Saeba' and said that he was a Shinma-Buma." "What's a Shinma, and if he is a Shinma-Buma, how could we stop him, I've never heard of that series before." Pomru looked at Dnab. "Is there any specs on this new buma?" "I'm afraid not, I did some more checking and nobody has ever heard of a shinma-buma series...Though officer PCHammer did put a side note in here that says something about a Shinma being a supernatural being, and that there were more than one of them!" "How can you mix a supernatural being with a buma? That's crazy," Chun- Li spoke up. "I don't know...But the craziest part is yet to be told. It seems that all of the victims were on the registration list for Anime Expo, and that all of them had their tickets. The tickets being nowhere to be found yet that was the only stolen item out of all the cases." Dnab sat back from the keyboard and screen. "It seems that we have a personal vendetta that is working against us, and we had best do something about it." Shogun stood up. Tonight they will most assuredly strike again and we will be there to stop them. Dnab, pull up the next two people on the list and pre-program the suits with any information that has been collected about these new bumas. Tonight we save Anime Expo." Shogun walked out of the room. [Later that night, the Sandstrom Mansion] "Don't worry Mr. Sandstrom, we have the best anti-buma technology outside of Japan here. You will be completely safe." PCHammer smiled. 'God, I hope so, if this buma has Shinma powers, we are in trouble.' he thought to himself. "I hope so officer PCHammer. I hope so." Mr. Sandstrom wrung his hands. [Shift to a large shadow filled room, unknown location] "Saeba. Dmitheon. They are waiting for you tonight. Those people who call themselves the AD Police. If you were normal bumas, they would be able to stop you easily, but you are half Shinma, and they will pose no problem to you." A deep, obviously buma voice spoke out in the silent darkness. "Yes, this will be an easy task for a shinma-buma, but be warned, you are not invincible as shinma either. Be on the watch for the Shinma Hunter. She has been hunting me on and off for over 27 years after she was given the mantle of Shinma hunter. And she will have a companion, a shinma himself. Against you, they are nothing, but with the AD Police as allies, should it occur, be wary." A dark whispy voice streched the words out. "As you wish master." Saeba spoke up with zealous intent. "Yes, masters, as you wish." Dmitheon quietly answered. 'For now that is. We are a new form of power. Greater than either of you alone. And when the time comes, we will reign supreme before you. Hehehe' "Off then, to make sure that Anime Expo is a failure. Gather data and life-force for us." The buma voice echoed out. [Shift to a grove of trees near the Sandstrom mansion, very shadowed] "I can feel their presence in this city. They are sending their shinma servants after this mortal. Tonight we will be able to get a lead on the shinma that has eluded us for 27 years. Tonight, we will be sorely needed. These are beyond normal shinma, I can feel them, and they are different from us." A shadow falls across the two figures and then nothing. The trees begin whispering in the wind again. [Shift to a complex across from the Sandstrom mansion, roof of complex] "Okay team, we know that they are going to hit here tonight, now we just play the waiting game." Shogun flexed his suit's muscles. "Tonight, we will have them." [Shift back to the Sandstrom mansion, front gate.] "Man Derk, this guard duty sucks. We're AD Police, not babysitters! I think that we should get payed extra to house sit for this dude." "Don't worry Mark. Our shift will be over in about 1/2 and hour, and then we can hit the bars." Derk replied. "Yeah, I suppose." Derk looked around. "Hey you! Get away from here." Derk yelled at a group of bums that were scrounging in the trash cans at the corner. "Please officer, we need food. Can you help us, we are so hungry." An old grizzled man limped over to the two officers. "Get outta here you jerk, can't you see we're on duty, we don't have time for the likes of you." Derk kicked a rock in the man's direction. "That's just too bad officer, I was looking forward to having some fun this evening" The old man's voice took on a youthful, evil edge to it. "Huh...wha!!!" Derk stepped back as the old man leapt forward and grasped his neck. "Hggggeeeeelll......" Derk choked out. "Shit!" Mark exclaimed as two of the other beggars leapt at him. Mark grabbed for his gun, but before he could even pull it out, his neck had been snapped. "Stupid haughty brats. Teach them to disrespect their elders!" The first beggar stood up straight. "Get ready team, here they come." The old beggar looked as the police forces came to attention at the deaths of their two comrades. Before their eyes, he began to run forward. "Hahahaha, you foolish boys, here we come!" "Get um! Open fire!" Someone shouted as round after round poured into the open area between the beggars and the rest of the police. The five old beggars took many hits and went down. Only to stand back up and burst out of their skin in a hideous fashion. "Ahahahaha...Now, we play by our rules! The lead buma shouted out, as he opened a secret compartment in his forearm and opened fire upon the unprepared police forces. The rest of the bumas followed suit and attacked the police in earnest, all laughing crazily. PCHammer heard the commotion on the front line. "What the hell?!" He pulled his .44 Magnum out of the holster and ran in the direction of the battle. By this time, the AD Police had recovered their senses, and had evened up the battle, but the toll of the bumas had already been taken. "My God. Look at the mess." PCHammer took a stance out in the open, where there was no cover, and aimed at the nearest buma. BLAM BLAM BLAM He hit the buma square in the head, but of course it did no damage. The buma turned towards him and laughed in it's mechanical voice. It then sped off towards another target, leaving the unattended PCHammer to himself. "Shit,I need a bigger gun, and more ammunition. Where is that K-512-640-720-1024-1280-1440-2048- MEGA suit. It has the power I need to fight these bumas." PCHammer ran off towards one of the large holding trucks. Bye now, only two of the bumas were left and the police were slowly backing them up towrds the gate. The gate had been closed, and it appeared that they were trapped and would be destroyed. The police pulled the ring toghter as the bumas were getting quite confused at the new strategy not used to the close fire from the police. The bumas were taking many a decent hit when a voice rang out over the din of battle. "You aren't being very nice to our friends you know. I thought that guests were to be treated nicely. We knew you were waiting for us, but we figured that the AD Police would be much easier prey. I guess we owe you some credit" With that, everyone stopped, even the two bumas. One either side of the gate, stood a man. We recognize the one on the right to be Saeba. The other we may only sumise as to be Dmitheon. "I think that we should exact a suitable price for their indecent behavior towards our friends" Dmitheon smirked. "It is our choice to be indecent hosts. We don't care if we don't get any more customers. In fact, we don't even want you. Go and play somewhere else." PCHammer stepped up in the K-something-something armored suit. "Well oficer...uh" "PCHammer. Leiutenant, AD Police." "Well officer PCHammer," Dmitheon jumped to the ground in front of the bumas. Saeba did likewise. "I think that we enjoy playing in this park. And besides, your men are so much fun to play with. Anything less than the 'AD' Police is just not the same. Saeba, if you please." Dmitheon gestured to his right. "But of course." Saeba puled out his Alystyre Special and aimed it towards his right. "Bang bang, you dead. Fifty bullets..." "Saeba! Please, we are supposed to be doing this executively in fashion." "Oh...Well i n that case." Saeba pulled the trigger. One officer went down. "FIRE! FIRE!" PCHammer screamed as Saeba pulled the trigger again and again. Four officers went down, even before the first round even reached the buma crew. Chunks of psuedo-flesh flew off of Saeba and Dmitheon and ammunition bounced off of the two bumas. Dmitheon covered his face as if in a protective gesture, only to burst out of his skin into his true Shinma-Buma form. He was shiny and yet his appearance was shimmering as if he was only partially there. Saeba also then burst out of his skin. Together they stood shimmering as round after round either fell into the shimmeing light, or bounced off their shiny tough skin. Together they opened fire on the unprepared police officers and began to make their way towards the house. PCHammer just stood there for a second and then as he saw ofiicer after officer go down, he regained his senses. He raised the auto-cannon that was his main weapon, and open up on the closest buma. But the buma was no longer there. "Huh?" PCHammer looked round only to find that Dmitheon was above him, and then on top of him. His auto-cannon fell to the ground and he staggered back from the blow. He squared off against Dmitheon and then they went at it. It was obvious from thestart who would win, and seconds later, Dmitheon did win. PCHammer was lying on the ground, his suit severely damaged. "Good-bye officer PCHammer, nice doing the tango with you" Dmitheon reached down towards PCHammer's body, which was now open to the air. PCHammer started as Dmitheon touched him and he felt his life-force leaving his body. Then, in the nick of time, a blast hit Dmitheon square in the chest reeling him backwards. "Wha...." Dmitheon looked up. There standing on each of four police vehicles was an armored suit, unlike any police suit he had ever seen. "Shogun Sabres SanGUU!!!" Shogun leapt down from his vehicle. The remaining Shogun Sabres leapt into action also. Each picked out a buma for themselves. Shogun matched up against Dmitheon, Chun-Li against Saeba, Dnab and Pomru against the other two bumas. The fighting slowed down as Dnab and Pomru easily took out the two normal bumas. "Hey Shogun, ever see a buma in this shape before?" "Nope!" Shogun continued his battle with Dmitheon. "I wonder if Chun-Li can get into that shape? How about it Chun-Li, wanna show us later?" Dnab over to help Chun-Li with Saeba. "Not NOW Dnab! I've got my hands full here!" Chun-Li dodged a blast from Saeba. "Naw, I'll give you something to fill up your hands!! Hehehe" Dnab smiled inside his suit. "Dnab! That's sick!" Chun-Li threw a punch at Saeba. "Here you go Chun-Li," as Dnab threw here the rail cannon from one of the moto-slaves. "Oooh, It's so BIG! Dnab!" Chun-Li opened fire towards Saeba who retreated in a manner that was obviously not wanting to get hit by the large cannon in Chun-Li's hands. Damn! I missed! What a waste!....Chun-Li says rolling her eyes.. Soon afterwards, the battle turned towards the side of good yet again as the Shogun Sabres pressed the two Shinma-Bumas further and further back. "Dmitheon. We are loosing out. I think we should assume our Shinma forms." Saeba cried out to his brother in conflict. The Shogun Sabres were pushing steadily and Saeba and Dmitheon were taking hits more frequently. "Yes, Saeba. NOW!" Dmitheon's body shimmered more brightly and the projectiles began to flow through him as he became a corporeal substance only half in this world. Saeba followed suit and the two of them stood there haughtily. "Now Shogun Sabres, we will show you why Anime America will prevail and Anime Expo will lose." Dmitheon's body began to change shape as his form melted away from a metallic-like shiny body to a dull crimson-brown, with various spikes and tails and (reverse articulated) cock- eyed legs, sharp claws, and a big ego. Saeba immediately followed suit and the two stood there appearing as the twins of chaos that they were. "Shogun, There's nothing there, my scanners can't pick up anything, only my visuals work, targeting out, weapons ineffictive. Almost as if they were holograms." Pomru relayed his findings as he checked all of his sensory equipment. "Can a hologram do this?" Saeba ran up, and smote Pomru in the head causing him to fly backwards. With that, the rest of the Shogun Sabres joined in the action, but there was nothing they could do to have any effect on the Shinmas. They were untouchable by scientific methods. it didn't take long before Dmitheon and Saeba stood there amidst the carnage. The only two left standing. "Now, to our goal. Mr. Sandstrom is waiting for us to come and collect his tickets." "Hehehehe" A not so girlish yet sharp laughter pealed out in the night as a figure floated into view not 50 feet in front of the two Shinma. And just to her right, another figure floated to the ground. She was pale, and stood out from the dark night, her clothing white and bright, her hair, long and silvery black. Her companion was tall, dark, and had a mask over his what most assume to be a handsome face. "I am Terianne, and this is my partner LordFranz. We are Shinma hunters. We have been searching for your master for 27 years now, and in this form, you have much to fear from us. LordFranz!" Terianne held up her hand, and a bright flame appeared. It floated over to LordFranz's now uplifted hand and set there as he raised it far above his head. "Dmi-the-on...With your name, I bind you back to the darkness whence you came." LordFranz arced his arm and threw the flame towards Dmitheon as lightning ignited towards Dmitheon. "Never Terianne! As I am bound by more than one darkness." Dmitheon's form precipitated towards its previous buma form. The flame and lightning smote Dmitheon and he writhed in agony, still changing. Concrete slabs slammed up to form a wall around him, and his name appeared carved into the walls. Everything began to glow as an opening formed over Dmitheon. Then went quiet. A second passed. Two. The walls burst apart as the Dmitheon- Buma stood tall and shiny in the night, still shimmering. "Now, I bind you to eternal hell!!" Dmitheon vaulted towards the two figures. When he arrived only a split second later, they were not there. They were now hovering over on of the overturned police vehicles. "Hmmm...Saeba?" Saeba scanned the area only to notice that members of the Shogun Sabres were coming around. "Dmitheon. We cannot avail against them both. We must return to our elders." Dmitheon looked around. "Shit. DAMN!, off then!" He fired his rocket boosters and bound into the sky. 'They think they have us they do, but they were only lucky that we were not fully prepared for all that occured tonight. I think even Saeba does not recognize his own potential. If he could only see what I see. It doesn't matter for now, he will learn my ways and our masters also. And the Shogun Sabres and Terianne and LordFranz and PCHammer; they will all fall before me. And Anime Expo. That will fail at my hands as well.' Saeba followed Dmitheon into the sky. Terianne and LordFranz misted away as if never there. The Shogun Sabres picked up quietly and slipped into the night, sulking in their defeat. And PCHammer just looked around at all that was not left and sighed. "And I'll be the one to fill out the paperwork I suppose" [End part 1] [Chapter 2.] "Looks like you guys really took a beating back there. These suits are a mess. It will take me quite a while to get these patched up. I can't believe that it took the four of you just to fight them back as equals and when they use their supernatural powers, they are out of your league." Jiro looked up from where he was poring over Shogun's ramshackled suit. "Really Shogun, I'm suprised that you even made it back here. I will have to go and get some more parts, it could be a day probably before I even get them to a suitable fighting level, and a few more before they are back in top condition." Jiro continued his tinkering with the nearly destroyed suit. "No problem Jiro, just get them as fast as you can. The more we wait, the more AX members that get in dire need of us. Not to mention the bad publicity. If it got out, we could be ruined." Shogun looked around the shop and remembered the fight from the night before. 'There has to be some way to stop them, some weak point.' He turned his words inwards to his thoughts. 'Even if we could stop them, who is their leader? We know that he is affiliatied with AA, but that could be any number of non-important and totally incorrect people. I'll have to talk to Dnab and see what he can pull out of the computer.' "See you later Jiro, I'll be around to check up later." "Okay Shogun," Jiro didn't even glance up as Shogun left the room. "Dnab, did you find out anything about last night?" Shogun entered another room of his subterraniean complex. "Well, not what I wanted to. You know, Chun-Li wasn't very cooperative and I only asked her for..." "Dnab! Please, what did you find out about the bumas?" Shogun started. "You can tell me about that later." "Well, I was going to interview the surviving witness from the previous case, only it was in the police files this morning that she was found on the street, apparently a .357 round had been drilled through her head. Sounds like our man actually, but she was supposed to be hidden and under police protection. Don't know how they could have found here. In any case I do do some research on Shinma, as well as bumas and I went over Pomru's data files from the fight last night." "And?..." Shogun sat down in one of few chairs in the cluttered commputer room. "Well, it seems that Shinma means God + Demon. And there aren't that many left roaming the earth up here supposedly. There is a caretaker Shinma that makes sure that any that do get up here, are sent back to the darkness. Our friendly officer PCHammer seems to know quite a bit about these particular beings. Well, more than I could find anywhere else in the world. He's good at his paperwork. Doesn't miss much. Anyway, taking what we know of both creations, I put together this data sequence." Dnab tapped the keyboard a few times and the screen flickered some data across itself. "Hmmm...what's this Dnab?" Shogun pointed to a spot on the screen. "It is a central AI-emulator. It is an AI chip that is made from organic material as opposed to metal and silicon. Very highly advanced and I've never seen it in any other buma class." Dnab popped his knuckles. "I really don't know what to say yet. We need more info to stop them." "Alright. See what you can do. I have few visits to make." Shogun stood up and walked out. 'Hmmm....wonder if I could get my hands on that AI and make myself a Chun-Li buma. One that would...' Someone yelled. "Hung. Oh well. HOLD ON!" Dnab got up and ran out of the room. [A cluttered room, filled with elecrtonic parts, and many papers] "Now where is my hot glue gun?? How will I ever finish this AI if I can't glue the cover on the AI mechanism. I new I should have bought the model kit with paints and plastic cement that came with it. Aha, here it is." A slightly older man is hunched over a table, with many electronic components. In his hands, he holds a revolutionary new type of AI. One that he knows will change the world. "Ah...Hello doctor." Jiro stepped into the small room. KRUNCH. "Oh no what did I step on? A vital piece of equipment...Oh, I hope not..." "Oh!" The man turned around, "What? Let's see." He gets up, and walks over to Jiro, bends down as Jiro moves his foot. "Oh, worse than that!" "No, what?!?!?!" Jiro was now scared that he destroyed years of work. "No, My Madoka Doll!!! Ohh....How could you Jiro...." the man sits down and pouts. "I'm sorry Kimagure...really I am." Jiro bent over and picked up her arm piece. "Here..." "Well, I suppose since you didn't mean to. And I can hot glue it back together, when I find my hot glue gun. Anyway, what can I do for you Jiro?" "Actually...I need some parts. Here's a list." Jiro pulls a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to Kimagure. "Hmmm...Lets see. One Positronic Cyclinator, one rear gyro-stabilizer, two frontal port jets, one auto-locking targeter, four nudge clips for master integration between links, and two games for the PC Engine: Ys, and SF2. Don't you remember last time you got SF2? You and Pomru got in a fight, and broke the PCE, and to top it off, you weren't speaking for 4 days!!!" "Yeah, well...I'm going to play Shogun this time." Jiro lokked around pretending to be innocent. "Okay, let's see what we have." Kimagure started rummaging through the stacks of paper and equipment. A few minutes later he pulled out some of the equipment and found a box to put it in. I found it all, except a fourth nudge clip. I have it arounf here somewhere." "Well, I can come back later and get it." Jiro picked up the box and walked out of the room. "Thanks Kimagure!" "No problem...Now, let's see, where was I???" Kimagure sat down and picked up the AI chip. "I believe that you were just about to give us that AI chip doctor." "Wha..." Kimagure turned around. "Who are you?" "I am Saeba, and this is Dmitheon. We are prodigies of your previous AI chips. We are quite happy with the life you have given us. But we now ask for that chip." Saeba's frame was outlined by a bright light begind him. "I'm not just going to give it to you because your one of my bumas. This AI is special. It will be the greatest step in buma development. It can give a buma a human soul.It is alive, not just silicon pretending to be alive. I cannot allow you to have this." Kimagure stood up. "Sit down." Saeba pulled out his Alystyre Special. BANG! Dmitheon jumped from befind Saeba, and rushed to Kimagure's falling frame. He grabbed his wrist, and tore it off of the doctor. He opened it and took the as yet un- covered AI chip. "Aha, we got it Saeba. Now we can return to our masters." Dmitheon walked towards the door triumphantly. "Yes, They will be pleased that we got this for them. I cannot wait to meet our new brother, that will receive this." Saeba follows behind Dmitheon. "Nor I brother Saeba, nor I" Dmitheon carefully hid the AI in his jacket and walked into the alley. 'Only dear brother, this AI will be mine, and our new brother can have my old AI. I won't let them give this to an inferior creature. It is the most powerful in the world, and it must be given to that which can use it.' [Shift to a small, yet seemly spacious agency room] "Yes, this is he. Yes, I would be happy to take your case. No problem. I can start tonight. Okay, thank you. Good Bye." A man sat back in a small desk that was in the room. On the desk we see a name plate. It says: Ryo. "Well I suppose I'll take lunch now." Ryo got up, and we notice something about him. He looks a lot like Saeba. He walks out of the office and goes next door to the small Italian buffet. "Oh wow! Look, it's Ryo!!!" A group of extremely good looking ladies that is walking along the street yell. They all come over and start giving Ryo hugs and kisses. "Ryo, your the greatest. Will you be MY bodyguard some day?" One of the girls asks. "Sure baby, but for now, I have to eat." Ryo smiled as the ladies calmed down, and sat around him chattering. "Did you hear, there's a new kind of buma on the streets, and it's going after people. I'm getting kinda scared another lady spoke up. "Yeah, me too. I think the AD Police haven't been doing their jobs, and they have to rely on the Shogun Sabres. Oh, I hope it isn't going to get me," the first lady sopke up again. "Oh, you needn't worry about them, not with me around." Ryo smiled inwardly. 'They don't know that they are talking to Saeba. As long as they aren't going to AX, they will be happy! And with me!' Ryo Saeba looked around the group. "I will protect you all. For no fee even!" "Oh Ryo!" As the ladies started hugging and kissing him again. [Later that night. Middle class housing development] A figure walks in the darker shadows of the street. "Hmmm...3693 Crest Way. This is it." The figure walks into the driveway, and up to the house. As the porch light falls on the figure's face, we notice that it is Dmitheon, with a different, more pompous look about him. KNOCK KNOCK The door is answered by a little girl, who can be no more than seven years old. "Hello? Can I help you?" The little girl opened the door as far as the chain lock would allow. "Could I please speak to your mother or father?" Dmitheon looked at the chain on the door. 'Hehehe, if only they knew that that chain is nothing to me.' "Just a minute." And the door closed. A moment later, the door re-opened and a middle aged woman with Auburn colered shoulder length hair looked out. "May I help you?" She opened the door nearly all the way. "Yes, I am just going around making sure of our participants. You have family tickets to AX do you not?" Dmitheon open his jacket and produced a piece of paper. "Well, yes we did buy the family set, for four people. Why do you ask?" The woman now had a confused look on her face, then it turned to horror as she saw Dmitheon drop the paper and look at her evilly. It was then that she realized that she wouldn't be alive for much longer. "No...." SNAP Dmitheon reached forward and grabbed the woman by the head and killed her instantly. He then chucked the body to the side and it imdented the wall and then slumped over on the floor. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!! Mooooommmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!" The little girl looked at Dmitheon and screamed again. "Daddy!!! Please, help me!" Dmitheon stepped forward at swatted the girl into the wall with such force that her body broke threw the plaster-board walls and out into the living room area. Her fragile, yet now limp form was sprawled out over a broken glass coffee table. Blood was everywhere. A man stepped into the hallway area. "Wha...My God! He saw Dmitheon there and turned around and ran back the way he came. "You can't run from me..." Dmitheon followed in the direction that the man man went. The man ran into his bedroom and rummaged through the closet for a second before producing a laser targeting fully automatic Riot-Destroyer rifle. He then ran back out of the room with the gun ready on full-auto. Dmitheon was nowhere to be seen. "Oh no, he must have gone upstairs. "Chris_M!!!!! Wake Up!!!" the man started upstairs dropping his wallet in the process. He doesn't notice it. but we pan down to look at it and it says :"ILuvMisa, ADPolice- Private": Dmitheon opened the door to the bedroom. It was dark, but he could see easily. "Hmm, nothing here." Dmitheon started for the next bedroom, he heard the man scream "Chris_M, Wake Up!" but just continued to the next door. He opened it, and Chris_M was there, ready for him. Hard-KOR had a gun in his hands. BANG BANG "My dad is AD Police. He taught me how to use this you bastard. Chris_M was all of 16 years old, but he knew how to handle a gun. Of course Dmitheon just stood up tall and shook the bullets off. Chris_M just sat there dumb-founded. Dmitheon stepped forward as Chris_M fired round after round till the gun was empty. "Heh...Boy. Obviously, he didn't teach you well enough you little shit. Of course, I am the greatest form of buma, no, life that exists in this world, so you couldn't stop me with that anyway." Dmitheon reached forward towards Chris_M and grabbed his arm. RIP! "Hehehe. Try to shoot me now." RIP! Now Chris_M had no arms with which to use the gun. SPLOOCH! Dmitheon punched right through Chris_M's head and into the wall. He retracted his arm, and was hit from behind by an armour piercing round in the small of his back, forcing him to the bed. "Who are you? Whay are you doing this to us??" ILuvMisa aimed the rifle at Dmitheon. "I am Dmitheon." Dmitheon began to writhe, and burst out of his flesh into his buma form. "I am the greatest form of life on the planet. And you must die." Dmitheon flexed his bio-spiritual-metallic muscles and started to shimmer and glow. Dmitheon stepped forward. "Not if I can stop you." ILuvMisa opened up on Dmitheon, but to obviously no effect. "Chris_M! What happened?" ILuvMisa was shocked. "I'm afraid your not going anywhere" Dmitheon lunged forward and swept ILuvMisa to the side. "Your little boy called me a bastard. I couldn't take that from him..." Dmitheon grabbed ILuvMisa and threw him across the room into the dresser. Dmitheon then stepped over to ILuvMisa and his body was enveloped by Dmitheon's shimmer. ILuvMisa, now limp and shrivelled as Dmitheon took his life-force. "Hehehe...Do evil deeds to the body of your son." The limp shrivelled body of ILuvMisa now dead, was animated by Dmitheon's evil aura. The body of ILuvMisa stepped over to his former son and picked him up and threw him out the window. THUD! The body lies still and lifeless on the ground outside. The body of ILuvMisa then jumps out after his son. The animation from Dmitheon ends. As the last true breath of life leaves ILuvMisa he thinks. 'I had found Misa, and made her my wife. Why does paradise have to end in tragedy?' THUMP! "Another night's work done well..." Dmitheon faded into the shadows. A cold empty wind rustled the curtains of the broken, open window. [Shift to a small and bare living room of an apartment] "Chun-Li, I'm sorry, but it's the chance of a lifetime. They only accept two people a year. Out of thousands, I was chosen. I really want to stay Chun-Li. I do, but..." Jyanken looked at Chun-Li who was staring at the ground. " "I sat around pondering this for days...I don't want to lose you Chun- Li. It was the toughest decision of my life. But I will come back. The training is only for 2 years. Then I will ask to be assigned back here. I care too much about you to not want to come back to you. Please understand." Jyanken looked her over. 'God, what AM I leaving behind. Only the most beautiful woman and greatest fighter in the world.' He sighed as his thoughts turned downward. "I know this is hard for you, but be strong. Jyanken bent down to kiss her passionately on the lips. "I love you." Jyanken turned around and walked out the door, with a box of his stuff. He turned and blew a kiss and waved as he dissappeared from Chun-Li's sight. Chun-Li slowly walked towards the door and out. She looked down the hall, but Jyanked was already gone. 'Hmmm..probably late for his flight...' She slowly closed and locked the door "Shit!!" Chun-LI chucked the keys down the hall, and fell against the door, sobbing. [End Chapter 2] [Anima War Crisis. Chapter 3.] [Large dark room. Location unknown.] "Now my children, See who is your new brother. Welcome to this world, Ahz. He is a superior Shinma-Buma to both of you. His new AI interacts better with his Shinma background more than both of yours. Only he needs one more piece of equipment to make him complete. There is a new data link that will allow his AI to infuse with his body, so that he will be Shinma-Buma at all times, instead of having to transfer his essence, as in your case. The new link is at Scanner Services Advanced Design Systems. And while your there, you can look and see what their Mystical Resources Department) might have for our cause. Also, take out Mr. Scanner himself, as he has tickets to AX." A deep bio-metallic voice reamed into the darkness. A figure stepped out of the darkness, and as Dmitheon and Seaba looked on, Ahz's body glimmered dimly in the near total black. "Thank you for the welcome brothers. I look forward to fighting along-side you in the future to come. May AX fall before our might." "Yes! Welcome brother," Saeba extended his hand. Ahz accepted it and they clasped for a few seconds. "Hmmm...Yes, welcome brother." Dmitheon pouted towards his new brother, and looked towards his masters. "Master Kai, Master Gunbuster. I believe that I alone could handle this Scanner Industries task. I think Saeba should take Ahz out on another mission to welcome him to the world." "Dmitheon...What better way to introduce Ahz to this world than to have him execute the holder of his soon to be new-found power. The Shogun Sabres will be expecting you, and Terianne will be sure to tag not far behind your activities. You will stand a better chance at obtaining it with him along with you. But while you will be at Scanner Services, Saeba will be going to make an assination. You will be after a goal, but also a diversion, as whom he will assisanate will greatly cripple their cause. " A whispy, yet slithering voice echoed into the room. A shimmer showed for mere second as Kai spoke, and then was again consumed by the black. "I see master. As you command." Dmitheon backed away. "Now, go and prepare," the bio-metallic voice echoed up again. "Tonight will not be easy for you, and you have much to show Ahz." The voice obviously belonging to Gunbuster. "As you wish masters." They all replied. 'But I will get that data link and be the new buma. They don't suspect that Ahz is just ordinary. The data link won't help him at all, but me, it will make me all things. It will make me master. I will be God to all living things, and I will Rule.' Dmitheon posed the thoughts to himself. 'Hehehe' Dmitheon walked out with Ahz and Saeba not far behind. "Kai?" GunBuster opened up. "I know. Do not worry, listen..." Kai whispered, and then, they were both gone. [Open to Shogun's house, It is obviously a few days after their defeat] "Well Shogun, we haven't been able to stop or even get the pattern of the Shinma-Buma's in the last few days, BUT I know where they will hit next. They stole an experimental AI chip from Kimagure the same day that Jiro went over there. But this chip was not finished, so they would need a data link to allow the Shinma part of the new Buma to exist. Now, it seems that the only place right now that makes these are Scanner Services (Computer Department). I figure if we watch that place, then we will have a chance at them. Of course we would have to take them out before they transfer their essence to shinma." This means, we would really need some firepower. I don't even know if the moto-slaves would be enough." Dnab broke the pencil he was fidgeting with. "Well, if you need more firepower, I just might be able to help." Jiro walked in. "After what happened to Kima, I want these guys now, more than ever. I have been working on a new version of the moto-slave, though this version is bigger, more armored, and slower. They are all equipped with special telemmetry and bio-data links. The joint areas contain paring cartridges that allow combination with other cartridges if there is a large enought power supply to keep the data system flowing. It allows up to five of the new moto-slaves to act as one system, to work in total unison. And with the new links, they have superior targetting than alone, and of course they can weild a bigger weapon. Which happens to be made with an anti-ionic corruption field, and uses 432 case energy propelled armor piercing meta synthetic rounds." "What are you trying to say Jiro?" Dnab plucked his broken pencil to the ground. "I watched too much Voltron when I was a kid???!!!" Jiro laughed heartily, as Shogun and Dnab broke out also. "Well Jiro, tell us more about it, and see what we can do, we don't have much time left..." Shogun walked out after Jiro towards the construction area that was setup for the suits, and moto-slaves. Dnab got up. "I'll get the rest of the Sabres, and be right down." [Later that hour, in a small, unadorned room. Lit only by a single candle] CLICK. The door to the small room opened up, and unnatural phos- flourescent light spilled into the barely candle-lit room. "Sir, this just in from the labs at the Computer department. According to the latest info and reports, the assailants next target looks to be you and this lab." "We know, Please leave us." A figure hovering over the center of the floor spoke softly. "Yes Sir...sorry to bother you sir!" The young man turned and closed the door. The room once again fell into psuedo-darkness. The figure at the middle of the room still hovered as though the young man had never disturbed it. "Now. Come to us." The voice was mysterious, yet it had the feel of old knowledge. The room lit as a portal opened into this world from another place, another time. "We ask. Answer." With the figure now lit we see that it, no that he, has long flowing hair, and wears only a simple robe. "Yesssss....They are Ssssshhinma....Thhey are perverted. They use physsssical bodiessss. I would not deem thhhem my kin. They come for you... Thhhheir massster is 'Kai' a full blooded Ssshhhhinma. You are all that is left between their new brother, and domination of Bothhh tthhhisss world, and the Abysssss, our world. If the one attains shhhinma-hood, then he would reign supreme in all. " The raspy voice echoed from the light portal. "So it would seem. Please leave us now." The man looked up for a second, and the portal closed, and the light was gone. "We shall see. We are returned." The figure descended and landed on the floor. We could see it stand up, and leave the room, closing the door behind it. CLICK. It locks. [That night, outside Scanner Services (Design Lab 42)] "There it is brother Ahz. Scanner Services Lab 42. That's where your data link is. shall we go and get it?" Dmitheon Smiled. "Yes. Let's brother." Ahz looked eager to get on. The two Shinma-Bumas headed across the halfway lit lawn towards the building. Never once stopping for anything, yet strangely, nothing was around. They had reached the building and were about to enter when a voice broke their as yet undisturbed trek. "Breaking and entering on Private property is not proper. I ask you to reconsider your propositions to enter." The figure from earlier stepped out from around the corner. He still wore the same simple robe and carried only a small weapon in his left hand. "Mr. Scanner. Nice of you to inform us of our priveledges, but we have to take advantage of your new data link. In fact, if you want to help us out, just tell us how to open the vault the easy way, and that'll save you the money on having to rebuild it." Dmitheon stopped his advance and smirked towards Scanner. "We are afraid that can not be allowed." Scanner raised the weapon in his left hand. "Now. We send you a compliment of Scanner Services." The weapon fired a small-high velocity projectile towards Dmitheon, whom it hit yet did nothing to him. "It seems greater measures need to be taken." "You should know by now that I'm not any ordinary buma, and that even that kind of round won't hurt me. Ahz, now's your chance. Kill your first AX culprit." Dmitheon turned and prepared to enter the building. " I will get the data link for you." "I think that you should stay and help your new friend Dmitheon. He'll have his hands full you know." A voice emanated from not too far off. Four figures stood on the lawn. "Shogun Sabres SanGUU!" "So we meet again, and this time, I needn't swat the AD Pests in order to take you out! And I shan't wait till you shoot me a few times either." Dmitheon burst out of his skin and into buma form. "Ahz, change now. Let's play!!!" Dmitheon leapt towards the Shogun Sabres eager to fight yet again. "Yes!" Ahz burst from his skin, and followed Dmitheon, forgetting all about Scanner, who stepped back, not hiding, but watchful. "By the way Sabres...Nice new mecha...not gonna help though!!!" [Shift to a movie theater. In the main room, with the lights still on.] A man walks out onto a stage which is under the projection screen. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Anime Mystery Showing Theater. Today we are proud to show the premiere of the 'Maisson Ikkoku' series with the first four episodes, done by Screamline Pictures Inc." Near the back of the theater, a couple sits. "Hardsuit!" The female whispers. "You said it would be a good movie...I HATE Screamline. I can't believe you would even take me to this tradegy of Anime. I'm appalled." "I'm sorry, I didn't know..We can leave, and go somewhere else. I'm really sorry. I am...I didn't know." Hardsuit pleaded to his girlfriend. In the background, moans and screams of dejection, dissappointment and hatred can be heard. Until a voice broke out over the calamity. "I can't believe of all the good stuff out there, you had to show a Screamline production. I'm dissappointed!." BANG. Saeba walked out from the sidelines as the body of the announcer fell dead. 'I wonder how Screamline got MI. Man, that sucks. Of all the people. Man, I think we should go and wipe out Screamline instead of AX...hmmm...Oh well...' Saeba walked over to the body on the floor. "Everyone will now be happy to know that they aren't going to show that shit today! Camaraman, you will change it. NOW!!! Put in 'Anime War Crisis, the movie, done by AE." As he talked, people were still fussing around, though now about the dead man than the movie. "And the people in this theater will sit down and shut-up, or I'll have them put the MI back in!" Saeba scanned the audience until he found who he was looking for. He started to walk towards th back of the theater. "Mr. Hardsuit, I believe that you are the Art Director for AX. I hope things are not self sufficient without you, because that would make things much easier for us." "Hardsuit...Hardsuit...no...this is the..the..the super buma that's in the news all the time..Please sir...please....don't" The girl started to get hyper. "We'll do anything....anything, just please don't kill us..." "Anything? Hmm...that's a thought...I know! How's this?" Saeba stroked his chin with his free hand. 'I'm as good as dead, unless I can knock the gun away long enough for us to get out of here. Okay...' "NOW!" Hardsuit jumped at the gun, in an attempt to knock it away. BANG. Hardsuit stopped in mid-flight, and dribbled blood "Doesn't matter, with our GoH, you've lost..." as he fell over the seat in front of him, empty of life. "Anything hmmm? How about you give me a backrub?" Saeba looked at the lady. "I've had a long day." "Will you kill me?" The lady whimpered. 'I can have the chance to get him for what he did to hardsuit' "Your a cruel woman...your boyfriend just died...bitch!" BANG. "Oh well, I guess the backrub'll have to wait till tomorrow when Ryo gets to work" Saeba put his gun away, and walked back down the aisle and out of the theater. [Now, back at Scanner Services, where the battle goes in the Bumas favor] "No good shogun...even the two of them are too good for us." Pomru jumped away from a blast sent by Ahz. "Alright then, we try Indy's new idea. Indy! We need you now!" Shogun pulled back, and activated the sequence. "Shogun Sabres form: Giant Shogun Sabre Bot." Jiro popped out of nowhere in his mecha, that was more of a piece to fit the puzzle than a fighting machine. The other four mecha leapt towards Shogun's and then in the blink of an eye, and three replays of the forming later, there stood the Shogun Sabre Bot. The fighting continued, but the Sabre Bot only evened the odds, instead of turning them. The battle ground on, and a winner was not being found. "Shogun, we only have enough energy left for 3 minutes, after that, we'll have to split apart again. I suggest we try to use the new cannon." Jiro interrupted the beeping of the intercom. "Your right. Time for the big gun." Shogun pulled a few levers and pushed a few buttons. The hands of the Sabre Bot came together as Shogun yelled. "Form! Blazing Big Gun!" As the hands pulled apart, a big gun appeared as if from nowhere. "Man, the designer watched too much Voltron!" Dmitheon saw what was coming and decided to make his move. 'Their power level isn't holding up, my guess is that they can't be that giant robot for long, so...' Dmitheon moved over to Ahz and opened up against the Bot. The now huge gun aimed itself in the direction of Dmitheon and fired. "Afraid not guys!" Dmitheon dropped, rolled back, and kicked Ahz right into the path of the burst. 'Can't have you taking me out when I'm so close to this. How about taking Ahz, he's just another one in my way too, so, here you go. Ahz's body slammed into the ground as now mostly slag. Dmitheon took the opportunity in the wake of the blast to change himself. "Heheheh" Dmitheon's body shimmered and then there he stood in his shinma form. "Now Sabres! We deal the final hand" "He's changed...break apart now, don't get caught together!" Shogun pressed a big button in his cockpit, and the Giant Sabre Bot broke apart. "Shinma. Hold!" The till now forgotten Scanner stepped forward onto the lighted lawn. Dmitheon turned around. Scanner had produced a small scroll with ancient writing on it. "Shinma. We bind you." Scanner started chanting. "You can't bind me Mr. Scanner, You're not the Guardian, and You didn't summon me!" Dmitheon struggled against the restraints that were forming around him. "Uuugh!" Dmitheon finally ripped the bonds and was about to turn his attention once again towards the now disenheartened Shogun Sabres. "But I may." Terianne floated down and LordFranz arrested next to her. Dmitheon jumped back to take in the whole scene. Standing on the lawn were the Shogun Sabres, Terianne(who now had brown hair instead of black) and LordFranz, and Scanner. Terianne formed a mystic flame and handed it to LordFranz. LordFranz cast the flame towards Dmitheon as lightning etched the ground around the Shinma-Buma. 'If only I had that data link. I can't take all of them on, not by myself.' Dmitheon started backing up till he hit the building. "Shit. Your lucky yet again Shogun Sabres." Dmitheon reformed into his buma self, and blasted off past the startled group. "Who are you, that can frighten his shinma form?" Shogun opened up his mecha and leapt out, though he still wore his suit. Scanner stepped forward. "She is Terianne, and he is LordFranz. She is the Guardian of this realm. She returns lost shinma to the Abyss." "I see. Thank you then Terianne for your help, and also you LordFranz. We were quite at a loss when they were in that form." Shogun walked over to where Terianne, LordFranz and Scanner stood. "You're welcome sir." LordFranz spoke up. "CUT...CCCCUUUUUUUTTTTTTT!!!!!!! What the hell do you think you're doing LordFranz?! Haven't you ever seen Vampire Princess Miyu? Better yet! Didn't you rehearse your parts? You aren't supposed to talk!!!!! Shit..Now we have to retake. Places everyone!" The man who yelled sat back down into his chair which had : Director - Heretic written on it. "And...Action." "You're in over your head Shogun Sabres, be wary..." Terianne giggled as LordFranz pulled her closer and they faded into the night. As the ring of Terianne's giggle faded...it darkened once again, and Scanner was nowhere to be seen. "Well, let's go home guys..." Shogun crawled back into his mecha and the group sped home. [End Chapter 3] ANIME WAR CRISIS written by Chris Fogel (early 1993) [Chapter 4: Identity Trouble] [A small cafe, around lunchtime] "Hi PCHammer, how are you today?" Chun-Li walked over to the counter where PCHammer was eating a small lunch. "No donuts huh?" She smiled and sat next to him. "Hi Chun-Li! I haven't seen you in a while. I'm doing fine actually, and today I meet my new partner, so maybe it's good that you saw me before then eh?" He chuckles. "How about you? Are you holding up?" He waves the waitress over. "Can I help you miss?" The waitress pulls out her order pad. "Sure, I'd like a coffee please." Chun-Li then turns back to PCHammer. "I'm doing pretty good. I got a letter from Jyanken the other day, and he has his hands full over there. He also sends his regards to you. He said that he might give you a ring some day. I guess that it's not all donuts and coffee over there!" She smiles. "And I may have found a new partnership to buy my manga series, so things are looking upwards." The waitress sets a cup of coffee in front of Chun-Li. "Thank you." Chun-Li takes a sip. "That's good. Things here are pretty hectic too. With all the rumors going around the city with the AX murders, and the rage of bumas everywhere all of the sudden, it amazing that I even have any free time at all. And worst of all, it seems we now have a copy-cat killer on our hands. Don't know how he got names or address, but that's just another problem to worry about." PCHammer looked over at Chun-Li. 'Hmmm...she's so beautiful, I can't believe Jyanken left....' PCHammer took a bite of his sandwich. "Oh well," he takes a sip of his coffee and stands up, knocking over Chun-Li's cup of hot coffee in the process. It spills all over her hand that was on the counter reaching for some more sugar."Oh damn...I'm sorry, geez I guess I'm kinda out of it maybe. Let me help clean that up..." "No, that's okay, you get back to work, and maybe I'll stop by later, okay!" Chun-Li faked a smile, as secretly, she knew the coffee was burning her hand quite badly. She got some napkins from the waitress, and started cleaning up the mess. "Go on, I got it..." "Uh, yeah, I suppose I really should get back, before I get into trouble. He takes Chun-Li's hands in his. "Take care Chun-Li, I'll see you around okay." He places his money on the counter and walks towards the door. "Okay, I will, you too. And don't be too harsh on your new partner!" Chun-Li waves. "Hah, if he isn't the death of me first, you can be sure that I'll be pretty harsh!" PCHammer starts laughing and walks out the door. [Later that day, city hospital] KNOCK KNOCK "Hello Kimagure, how are you feeling today?" Jiro opened the half closed door and walked in. "Hi Jiro! I am fine, how about you?" Kimagure struggled to sit up in the soft hospital bed. "Things are going pretty good here also, and I brought you some candy, and a gift, and we all hope you get better." Jiro placed a vase of flowers on the small table, and a box of chocolates next to it. He then handed Kimagure a wrapped box. "Well, open it Kima..." Jiro sat down as Kimagure took the box, and slowly tried to open it with his one hand. "Oh!" There was a pause. "Jiro...you...you shouldn't have...I" Kimagure stumbled over the words, as he pulled out the gift that Jiro had given him. We see that he pulls out a very real looking hand and wrist component. "I made it from your own design, in my spare time. I figure that you would like to be normal again, after what happened. I hope you like it." Jiro stood up again, kinda nervously. "Jiro, I don't know how to say this, but...Thank You!" Kimagure put the hand back in the box, and smiled. "Thank you for everything." [Not much later, in an abandoned warehouse somewhere] A shifty bio-metallic voice lifted out of the darkness. "Things are set for this eve. Since Ahz is no longer with us, we must step up our plans in a different direction. There is a GoH coming into town today. That is our plan of attack." [Scene now at ADP headquarters. An office] "Okay, PCHammer, It's been a few days, and some things have gone under restructuring. You are not only getting a new partner, but there is going to be another group assigned to your buma killings cases. That way, there are as many people as can be spared working on this." Gundam sat down at his desk. "Yes Sir!" PCHammer saluted. "Okay, you 3 can come in now." Gundam looked towards the second door in the room. In walked people. All of different ages, and sizes, and looks. "Hello Sir," the first of the three responded. "Hello Radman, HunterD, and Chico-san. This is Lieutenant PCHammer. PCHammer and Radman will be partners, their cameo team will be HunterD, and Chico-san. You guys will be given any special equipment you need. Just get these guys, okay!" Gundam stood up. "Good luck." Gundam shook each of their hands on the way out. As they all walked out of the office, just as Radman was going to speak to PCHammer, Chun-Li waves at him from his desk. "Oh, excuse me guys, a good friend of mine is here. See you in a few Radman." PCHammer leaves the three and moves towards his desk. "Hi Chun-Li, how are you?" He sits on the desk and offers the chair to her. "Oh, I'm just fine, except that I have a mighty wierd burn where you spilled the coffee this morning..." She shows her hand to him. "See?" "Yeah, so it is. Wow, I'm really sorry about that." PCHammer blushed "But! This might help." He pulls a first aid kit from under his desk, and applies some ointment to her burn, and then wraps it in a neat little BGC bandage. "There! This'll help a whole lot more!" He smiled. "Oh! Thank you. Feels much better already. Anyways, I just thought I'd stop bye to say hi, and see how your new partner is doing?" She smiles. 'I hope he's willing to give some more information out. We really need it...' [That night, a studio penthouse complex, downtown] "Goodnight Sensei." The bellboy closed the door behind him. "Ah, goodnight." The man watched the bellboy go, and then sat down on the plush chair. 'I wonder how things are going to fall into place and if I'll even get a chance to go to AX now with all the fuss...' The man was obviously Japanese in origin, and had the look about him, as if he were a great designer of characters. He took a glass of wine off the table , and began to sip slowly. "So, Shogun, when are you going to call? I really would like to know how things are going?" "Yes, so would I Kiku-Sensei. And better yet, how are things going to go after your gone?" A mysterious figure stepped into the room dressed looking like a professional hitman. "You may know me by my name or by what I am, just as everyone knows you for the same reason. But just to make things clear, I'll tell you. I am Dmitheon. I've had a long day at work, and I really don't feel like doing too many killings tonight so I've decided to make a big hit, instead of just lots of little ones." Dmitheon pulled an Alystyre Special out of his trench coat. "Why are you doing this? What have I done to you? What has anyone going to AX done to you?" Kiku-Sensei stood up. "I cannot lie and say that I am not afraid, but the Shogun Sabres will stop you, and AX will continue. Your efforts will be in vain. You will lose." Kiku-Sensei took a sip of his wine, and then flung it at Dmitheon. The glass shattered in mid-air as a ring resounded in the room. Dmitheon's barrel was smoking lightly. "I would have thought you a better man, Kiku-Sensei. Such a futile attempt by one who so many people admire. That is such a sad sight. Maybe this world would be better off without you, ne?" Kiku-Sensei made his move, and dropped below the couch, and Dmitheon just started laughing. "Hah, no matter what you do, you can't escape. Just give up." Dmitheon started walking towards the couch. Then Kiku-Sensei popped up, and had something in his hand. It looked like a detonator. He pressed the button, and lasers from all angles opened up fire on Dmitheon, charring his flesh, and clothes, as well as backing him away from Kiku-Sensei. Kiku-Sensei stepped back, and then a fully fledged armored Shogun Sabre pounced into the room from the now opened doorway. "Wha?" Dmitheon pulled back, and burst out of what was left of his skin. The lasers not doing any real damage to him. "A trap! No matter, I'll still take you all out!" "Afraid not Dmitheon, we have you now." The Shogun Sabre we recognize as Pomru returns, as he opens fire on Dmitheon with a fairly large Rail Cannon. Kiku-Sensei now against the wall hits a panel, and pulls out a good sized Blister cannon. He lifts it up to his eye-sight, and fires a round at Dmitheon. Dmitheon manages to dodge most of the incoming fire, but even he is not ready for what the Blister cannon had in store. As it hit him, Dmitheon reeled back, and waves of Neutrino-Plasma washed over him. His bio-metallic skin melted a little to form small ripples, as well as knocking him backwards towards the balcony. From this point, Pomru renewed his attack with the rail cannon advancing closer with each round fired. As the seconds ticked, Pomru, was silently praying to himself. 'Yes, just please don't change to shinma, just stay a buma, just a few more seconds...come on....' With each step, it seemed that Dmitheon was losing faith in his battle capabilities. The next shot from the Blister Cannon sent Dmitheon flaming over the balcony, towards the pavement below. Pomru jumped over the edge, and flew down towards Dmitheon, still firing the rail cannon so as to keep up the pressure. But even before Pomru could reach the ground, there was a large explosion, as Dmitheon's body could no longer contain the heat, and firepower that was in, and still hitting him. "Ya-ha! We got 'im!" Kiku-Sensei looked over the balcony, and stripped a plastic cosmetic mask off of his face. "Whew, that thing was hot, hope I don't have to wear that again." Under the mask, the dim light from behind reveals Dnab's features. "He had to come early though didn't he....Shit!" 'Just after I had ordered all those girls under Kiku-Sensei's tab! Oh well, maybe I'll just have them forwarded to Shogun's place.' "How do things look on that end Pomru?" [Elsewhere, about the same time, a small dinky harmless looking shack] "Sorry Kiku-Sensei, but until the coast is clear, it would really suit everyone's interests if you here, where we can keep you protected. Things will quiet down soon, and then we'll announce your arrival here in the states." Shogun walked over to the table, and set his hands down. "I have to leave for now, but don't worry, there is someone watching you at all times." Shogun then walked over to the door, "Don't worry, it's only for a short time. In fact, we have a trap set up at this very moment to catch those bumas." "Arigato Shogun-san." Kiku-Sensei just nodded, accepting his place and his temporary fate. Shogun walked out, and down the darkly lit road to a van there, where he met with Chun-Li who was already in her hardsuit. After getting suited up, Shogun just sat there. "Hmmm....now, we wait to see if they show up..." He leaned back, and thought about earlier that day, when he had talked to Arion. {Flashback, to earlier that day, at the AX main office} "So, Arion what do you think?" Shogun leaned back in the plush office chair. "I mean, Kiku-Sensei will be here at 1:00. From there, we will have him moved, and get a decoy to take his place. From there, Kiku-Sensei will be placed under the best possible protection. And a trap will be set at his hotel room. But something still bothers me...there is a leak in our system. I mean how are they getting all the names and addresses of our members? With that, they are always going to be a step or 2 ahead of us...I don't like it." "Well, all we can do is buckle down, and just give info out to certain important people, until it can be solved. That's all we can do, we don't have the money to do any kind of investigation. We're losing money as it is." Arion put a stack of files on the desk. "By the way, here is the latest batch of memberships." "Okay. Oh, another think, before you go for the day...Here is the addresses for the hotel, and the safe-house, set these up with Dnab, and make sure that nobody sees those, and that Dnab understands what he is supposed to do." "Okay, see you later." Arion walked away, and tucked the paper into his pocket. "Have a nice night Shogun!" {Back to the present, near the safe-house} It wasn't long after Shogun sat back, before the sensors set around the house went off. Shogun leaned up. "Shit, there they go. Come on Chun-Li, let's go." Shogun and Chun-Li got out of the van, and sped across the black towards the house. As they got there, they saw a figure walking across the lawn towards the house, obviously fearless of anything. "Okay Chun-Li...NOW!" Suddenly lights appeared from everywhere, lighting up the area as in the daytime. Simultaneaously, Chun-Li and Shogun opened fire on the target moving across the now lit grass. The figure, started by the light, jumped, and then as it regained it's bearing, it turned around just in time to get hit numerous times by both his and hers matching rail cannons carried by Shogun and Chun-Li. 'I'll bet Dnab is jealous that I got the cannon to match Chun's! Oh wait...back to battle' Shogun squeezed off a few more rounds. "Ah, the Shogun Sabres are awaiting! You know, you guys waste more perfectly good flesh this way..." Saeba pulled out his Alystyre special. "Obviously this will do no good now, so off I go!" as he bulged, and ripped out of his skin, all the maneuvering as to dodge the rounds aimed to terminate him. "Heh, it seems that our source was right, Kiku-Sensei IS here otherwise you wouldn't be so determined to press me right off." "He's too fast Chun-Li, use your new Tracers!" Shogun peeled away from her, as a blast upon blast came from Saeba's Arm cannon. Chun-Li on the other hand retreated a few, and two long things flipped out from her back to rest on her shoulders. The casing opened, and several dozen Mini-Tracer Rockets fired towards Saeba. He tried to dodge, or shoot as many as he could, but between those, and the relentless rail cannon shells, he stumbled backwards covering his face as he was racked by the miniature missles. The battle raged on, and with Seaba switching between forms, it seemed as if the battle would continue forever. Even with the arrival of PCHammer, and Radman (both in Combat suits), the struggle to keep Saeba from the house raged on, as the rest of the arriving ADP tried to evacuate Kiku-Sensei. During the course of the battle however, Saeba got unusually close to PCHammer, firing on him at nearly point blank range with some weapon or another. He flew backwards as Saeba aimed at his next target. "Chun-Li, you check on the ADP man that was hit, I'll try to hold off Saeba on my own for a few. Shogun stepped up his attacks, even though he knew that he was going to lose, especially without any kind of spiritual support when Saeba went to shinma mode. Chun-Li carefully retreated and went over the the ADP suit, and opened up the cockpit, which was totalled. As she did so, she saw PCHammer's bloody, yet still quite alive body lying there. 'Oh, PCHammer, My god...' Chun-Li quickly took off her gloves, and pulled some cloth out of her small, concealed first aid kit. She carefully pulled him from the wreckage, and layed him on the ground. "Here, this will help you some," as she tied the bandage to certain parts of his body. PCHammer was in a kind of daze after he was hit, but as he looked up, one of the Shogun Sabres had pulled him from the combat suit. He looked at him with thanking eyes, and watched as she placed the bandages around him. Until he noticed the left hand. 'It's...that's the bandage I gave Chun-Li this morning...No, it couldn't be...could it?' PCHammer stared at her again, and then decided to seek the truth. "Chun-Li...Is that you? You are a Shogun Sabre? How? Why?" PCHammer coughed a little. "Oh no....PCHammer....I....Your're not supposed to find out....This... This isn't good...um, here, you should be okay now, I have to go..." Chun-Li stepped back, and then proceeded again to battle. By this time, the rest of the Shogun Sabres had arrived, and as they collected, Shogun shouted, "Shogun Sabres SanGUU!" "Uh, that's Sanjo!" Pomru peeped up, as he smiled...'It seems that after already three chapters, Shogun still haden't gotten it right!' The ADP were successful by this time in extricating Kiku-Sensei from the house, and were taking him towards the vehicles so as to get him away from the battle. 'Heh, not tonight my friend' Saeba smirked. 'I've been saving this goodie for all night.' Saeba leaned back, and then forward, as a cannon grew from his back to resemble a weird reverse looking phaser. As it fired in the direction of Kiku-Sensei, everything in the way that wasn't in some way armored was vaporized, and those that were, got really hot under the collar. But his point was proved, as Kiku-Sensei was vaporized, as the vehicle he was entering exploded into nothingness. The battle turned for the worse then, and things quickly wrapped up as Saeba retreated away into the night since his deed was done. "Shit!" Shogun swore. "Arion that traitorous bastard. Now we're in a bind...." Meanwhile over in the ADP medical cart, PCHammer was having thoughts of his own. 'Chun-Li, a part of the Shogun Sabres...It's only my duty to bring them in, but yet, without them, we have no chance to solve this. Oh what to do...I need a drink' PCHammer then passed into the comfort of unconsciousness. "Hmmm....g'night PCHammer. Okay guys, get him to the hospital, ASAP!" Radman look over towards the departing Shogun Sabres. "What come next?" [Even later that night, or early morning, in the alleys, after another AX murder, made not of bumas or shinma, but a copy-catter] A smaller figure shuffled down the alley, obviously smug, and not scared about what might lurk there. Nothing else moved, and the night did not even stop this stranger from passing through it. As it reached the corner, and started out on a more lighted street, we see that it is a female figure, and obviously fairly decent looking, and about 20 years old. As she moved on the walk, nobody bothered her. She moved quickly through the street. 'There she is. Wonderful! Ah, and she is even going to cut through this alley here...heh...Guess I'll just have to approach her' Dmitheon jumped down from the rooftop, and into the alley. The girl wasn't long into reaching where Dmitheon was. As she passed nerby him, he noticed that she didn't even register his presence. 'Heh' He stepped into the open area of the alley, startling her. "Hello there, I would like to talk to you for a second." The girl screamed. "No!" She pulled a Grand Pistol out of her coat. "Take a hike asshole." She pulled the trigger four times before she even realized that he was still standing. She then proceeded to empty the clip into his chest. Seeing that it wasn't working, she dropped the gun in shock and just stood there gaping. "Who are you girl?" Dmitheon jsut stood there in a way that showed he could do a lot worse than just take over 9 High velocity AP rounds in the chest. "I am..." she fumbled. "I am Godai." [End of chapter 4.] -- GL_Ran-san: Supreme Controller of the Shogun Sabres Universe. Finally going to Anime Expo. (hehe Yipee!!!) Defending Robotech from all sides. IRC's too much (How many of you can vouch for this ne??) Wants some more projects to further the Anime community. Tales of the Shogun Sabres ANIME WAR CRISIS Chapter 5: Convergence The young man strode nervously through the hallways of the corporate headquarters of Scanner Services, his lab coat flapping behind him. He wrung his hands as his eyes darted about him. He was not particularly happy about the duty he had to perform here, but someone had to tell the Boss. The secretary said he was in an important conference and should not be disturbed. He ignored her; this was more important than she could possibly know. He came to a halt in front of a large metal door labelled "Conference Room 1". Pushing his glasses up his sweaty face, he straightened his lab coat and steeled himself for the worst. He rapped apprehensively on the door. Several seconds passed. To him, it was like an eternity. At last, the door opened. It fairly flew open with a swift, yet smooth, motion, revealing the sunlit interior of the plush conference room. The enormous, dark wood table was surrounded by expectant-looking men in business suits. None of them, however, could compare to the man who stood holding the door, replete in a whiter-than-white suit and tie. Scanner. The lab tech swallowed hard, and quietly attempted to stammer his message. "E-excuse me, sir..." He looked around, then motioned Scanner to come closer. Scanner drew closer to the tech. "I ... I really hate to bother you, but ... I have some bad news. F-from the Data Link project." Scanner raised an eyebrow. "Proceed," he demanded softly, his voice seeming to carry more menace than a primed anti-Buma cannon. The tech took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm himself. "As you know, sir, today we were to put the final casing on the DL prototype. But when we went to perform the task, it was ... gone." Scanner's eyes narrowed. "Gone." "It must have been stolen, sir, and it was the only thing missing. Nothing else was out of order, and there are no signs of any tampering with any of the entries, windows or ducts." Scanner glared at the tech, who could feel himself wilting under his gaze. "We see," Scanner said finally. "Tell the team to halt work on the DL project for the time being." He turned from the relieved tech, addressing the men in the room. "Our apologies, gentlemen, but this meeting is adjourned. You will receive an explanation, and a date and time for the next meeting, by special courier within the next 48 hours. Good day." Scanner whirled to consider the young tech for another moment, then quickly strode past him down the hall. He turned a corner and was gone. "Hello? Anyone here?" Chun-Li walked into the main living room of Shogun's mansion, looking around for a response to her call. Cradled in her right arm was Miscreant, her little cat, who was quietly resigned to his rather pleasant fate. The handles of a shopping-size bag were looped over her left arm as her left hand scratched Miscreant's head. She sighed in the silence that answered her plea. "No one home. Damn." She lowered her head, watching the cat as she stroked his fur. "I was hoping there'd be someone here to take care of you while I was at the meeting with the publisher. I can't just leave you in the car..." She called out one last time. "Hello?" Still no response. "Shit." She turned to leave, convinced the house was deserted. "What, what?" Dnab's voice rang out, and he entered the living room from another doorway. "Wha-- oh, hi, Chun. What are you doing here?" She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, smiling brightly. "Oh, Dnab! I'm so glad to see you!" "You are?" Dnab considered the possibilities. But HOW glad, I wonder? Dnab's face took on an evil smirk, but quickly resumed a charismatic smile. "So, what can I do with-- uh, I mean, FOR you?" he corrected. Same old Dnab, she noted. He'll help me out. He's such a sucker. "I need someone to take care of little Miscreant for me while I have my publisher's meetings today. Here..." She lowered her arm, and the handles of the bag slid into her hand. "Here's his food, and his dish, and his kitty litter, and his litterbox. Some of his toys are here, too." She batted her eyes, giving him a suggestive little smile. "I'd really appreciate it, Dnab." She'd barely completed the sentence when Dnab walked over and grabbed the bag from her. "No problem, Chunners! Consider this cat cared for!" he stated righteously. "Thanks, Dnab. I owe you one." Handing her furry bundle over to him, she blew him a kiss and ran out the door. Dnab heard a car door slam and the scream of tires peeling out of the drive. Dnab slowly stroked the cat's soft fur. "Looks like it's just you and me, Miscreant. What should we do to pass the time?" My, Grandma, what a large collar you've got, he noticed. He snapped his fingers as sudden inspiration struck him. "Let's go to the lab, kitty. I have something for you there that we'll both like! What do you say?" Miscreant looked up at him. "Miyaa," he replied. (What did you expect? He's a cat.) "You're a sport, Miscreant." Grinning from ear to ear, Dnab grabbed the bag and, with the cat still in his arm, rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Down on the riverfront, in an old, run-down warehouse -- exactly the type of place you'd expect a villain to use as a hideout, I should point out -- Dmitheon, in his buma form, sat on a table. He sat as still as he could, illuminated by the light of a single bulb dangling above and behind him. The purpose of this was readily apparent, as a young girl, not quite twenty, was intently operating from behind him. Her face was a picture of intense concentration as she carefully poked around inside a large panel which opened up into his back. He winced slightly every so often as she tightened and adjusted, but remained smiling in anticipation of the power that would soon be at his beck and call. "How's it coming back there, Godai?" he asked, turning his head to steal a glance at her. She was really quite lovely. They'd met almost by chance in a dark alley; she thought he was a mugger, and emptied a full clip of high-velocity rounds ineffectually into his chest. Her spunk was just one of the things he loved about her. After they were ... introduced, he discovered they were more alike than he could have dared hope. She was a copycat killer, picking off AX members for the sheer thrill of doing so. It was so good to have someone as motivated as himself, instead of that honor-bound wuss, Saeba. She also proved to be just as conniving, sneaky, amoral and ruthless as he himself. Whereas he most likely would have had to face the Shogun Sabres and those Shinma hunters again if he'd made a second attempt to steal the data link from Scanner Services, she'd simply walked in during normal business hours, getting by on a wink and a smile, and removed the technological marvel without so much as raising an eyebrow. It's so wonderful to have someone that understands you, he mused. Soon, thanks to her, I will be the greatest life form in all the Universe. I'll find a way for her to join me, and together, we will crush anything that dares to oppose us. "Almost there," she said quietly, careful not to break her own concentration. Her hands moved slowly, and painstaking precision. One final, crucial connection, and the deed will be done... With a final twist of the wrist, she stood back. "There! All set. You can close it up now." The panel on Dmitheon's back closed itself as he brought himself around to face her. He looked toward the ceiling as he ran an internal diagnostic. Results: positive/inactive. Perfect. He may not know how to actually activate the link now, but he would, eventually. His bulky frame shrank down, and he was soon in his human form. He turned to little Godai with a smile. "You've done well, Godai. You're quite a fast learner." She blushed slightly. "Yeah, well, my dad was a scientist, even though he wasn't quite firing on all thrusters. I learned a lot about working with buma technology and stuff from him." "He gave up being a scientist?" "Uh, no ... he was killed in a ... lab accident. Yeah, that's the ticket. Lab accident." Dmitheon's smile grew. We are so much alike. He walked up to her and wrapped himself around her, a gesture which she returned with gusto. "Oh, Dmitheon," she whispered, "this past week has been like some kind of dream! You understand me so well, and you teach me so much ... you're my hero." He gently stroked her hair, then brought a hand under her chin and looked into her eyes. "Let's go celebrate tonight, Godai. I have a new list with more people going to AX, a new 'hardware sites' list, and some new, destructive toys. It'll be such fun!" She beamed up at him. "Just try to keep me away!" A half-hour later, with their arms around each other, Dmitheon and Godai walked out of the warehouse and down the riverfront, off to make their "rounds" for the night. If Dmitheon had bothered to use just a small fraction of his heightened buma senses, he would have easily detected the figure which emerged from their warehouse, standing on its roof and glaring at them with more than just distaste. He was thoroughly distracted by his companion, however, and paid the shadow no mind. Dressed in a ragged black overcoat, with a dark fedora that tried to conceal a head completely wrapped in dirty bandages, the dark man watched the homicidal lovers walk off into the mists of evening. So, child. You burn the one who raised you from birth and leave him for dead. You execute those who have committed no crime. And now you profess your love for a monster. You have no remorse; it is as if you had no conscience. Where will your trail of destruction end? He shook his fist at the night, displaying the tattered glove that contained it. Jingoro will stop you, little one. You have crossed one path too many. The first of your wrongs will be your undoing. The final death will be your own! With a rustle of his overcoat, he concluded his silent overacting and returned to the All-Concealing Shadows (tm). A small, well-kept office building stood on the outskirts of downtown Mega-City. It was surrounded on both sides by fast-food restaurants, and its offices were rented out by various businesses, with everything from a typical insurance agent to PlumCo, an up-and-coming animation studio and creators of the mind-blowingly popular cartoon, "The Ben and Frimpy Show." There was one office on the third floor, however, that had seen the lion's share of clientele in recent weeks. The print on the door was large and clear. "RYO SAEBA - Detective, Bodyguard, All-Around Fun Guy." Within, a nondescript man was speaking with the proprietor, a dashing man who sat calmly behind the desk as the other pled. "Please, Ryo. I've been working with you for some time now. You've already solved two cases for me, and I can't count the times I've hired you as a bodyguard. But this is the most important request I've ever made of you. Please, find the bastard who killed my Cindy!" "Please calm down, Mr. Johnson," Ryo said sympathetically. Mr. Johnson put his hands on the desk and leaned closer to Ryo. "Look, I know things have been crazy lately, with the AX killings and all. But this isn't just another AX case! She was my fiancee, dammit! Please, I'll pay any price! How could anyone do this? How?" "It's all right, it's all right," Ryo said quietly, putting his hands on Mr. Johnson's shaking shoulders, pushing him back down into the seat. "I'll take the case. You're in good hands, now." "Oh, thank you, thank you," Mr. Johnson stammered, beginning to break down. Ryo put the 'Out to Lunch' sign in his window and locked the door after letting Mr. Johnson out. He returned to his desk, weighing the facts he'd managed to cull from his distraught client. It couldn't have been Dmitheon or I ... we don't operate that way. It must have been the copycat killer. He sat down, sighing in frustration. Copycat killer. As if anyone else could actually want this task. How can people do such things to each other? Worse yet, we are their inspiration. How can WE do such things? This is all so wrong... Ryo Saeba closed his eyes. He pondered his loyalty to Kai and Gunbuster ... his deteriorating relationship with Dmitheon (where IS Dmitheon, anyway?) ... his developing sense of kinship with this fragile species called humanity ... his role, his duty, and his place in the world. Shogun opened the lock on the door to his office in the AX Headquarters. Before entering, he turned to look at the staff, just now beginning to filter back in after lunch hour. He particularly noticed a face he hadn't seen for about a week, lazily gliding to his desk. Shogun beckoned to him, and caught his attention before he'd seated himself. "Arion, could you step into my office for a second?" Shogun pushed open the door to his office. "Sure thing, Shogun." Arion draped his coat over the back of his chair and preceded Shogun into the office. Shogun closed the door behind him. Arion leaned against the desk. "So, what's up?" Shogun regarded Arion coldly. "Why, Arion? How much are they paying you? What are you getting from all of this?" Arion gave Shogun a blank stare. "What? What are you talking about? Why what? How much is WHO paying me? What are you babbliNGK--" He didn't finish his question. Shogun jacked him up by his collar, yanked him across the room and slammed him against the wall. "Don't play DUMB-ass with me, DAMN YOU!" Shogun spat, his voice a barely-controlled roar. "I KNOW you're the leak! Only ONE person other than Chun-Li and myself knew about the Kiku-sensei plant! OWN UP!" He pounded him against the wall again for emphasis. "What the HELL were you THINKING? You're an accessory to DOZENS of MURDERS!! How can you LIVE with that?!" Shogun's grip slipped from Arion's collor, and he now had both hands wrapped tightly around his throat. Arion's face turned red as Shogun throttled him. "Dammit, how COULD you?! Innocent PEOPLE are DEAD, people who just wanted to have some FUN...!" Shogun was now beyond words in his rage as his hands continued to tighten. Arion's gasping stopped abruptly as he opened his mouth. "You fool!" he grated, his voice taking on a bio-metallic ring. "Do you really think 'they' offered me anything? I AM one of THEM!" Before Shogun's shocked eyes, Arion's skin turned grey as his human features melted away. Within moments, Shogun found his hands wrapped around the thick throat of an imposing buma. Arion struck him square in the chest with his flat, open hand, and he somersaulted painfully over the desk, the wind knocked out of him by the blow. "Pathetic human germ!" Arion taunted. "Did you truly think you ever stood a chance against us?" Shogun shook his head and reached under his desk, pressing a small, concealed button. "Just because you were here before us doesn't mean you will outlive us. After all, where are the mighty dinosaurs now?" Where you're going to be soon, Shogun thought as he slowly rose to his knee. He silently slid open the lowest drawer in his desk and groped for its contents. Arion had finally completed with his diatribe. "Farewell, Shogun. Since my human disguise has been revealed, you have outlived your usefulness. Any last words?" "Just two," Shogun said, rising to his feet and pointing an Alystyre Anti-Buma Z-107 Special between Arion's eyes. "Goodbye, head!" Arion moved quickly to dodge as Shogun fired. The Alystyre roared its destructive intentions and caught the buma's arm as he tried to evade. "Shit!" Arion hissed. "No room here." Kicking in his thrusters, he retroed backward, crashing through the wall and into the main office area in a hail of glass, wood and drywall. Already, the other staffers were scattering in screaming panic. Arion ignored them, knocking down, injuring and killing several of them as he continued in full reverse, smashing through cubicles, doors, walls and windows until he was outside. Shogun ran after him, still firing, never letting the buma out of his sights. He reached the makeshift exit Arion had created in the building in time to see Arion's arm-cannon charging. Yelping a quick curse, he dove to one side, using an illegally-parked car as cover. Arion's blast demolished the tail end of the car, then continued onward to rip through the structural supports of the AX building. Shogun vaulted over the car's remains and dove behind another one on the other side of the street, still firing. He looked backward in horror as the building burned and began to crumble. Arion laughed openly at the carnage. "Oh, my!" he squealed with a mock twinge of emotion. "More innocent deaths ... oh, who paid me for this? I guess I'm not just an accessory anymore! Poor, foolish me!" He nearly doubled over with evil laughter, then stopped abruptly. Sirens. The ADP were closing in fast. "Ah, you were just stalling me, weren't you, Shogun? Well, no matter. You can't stop us!" "You'll get what's coming to you, Arion! The Shogun Sabres will stop all of you!" Shogun wondered whether Arion would have the intellect to connect his name with the vigilante group. Probably not, he decided; after all, noone else in this story had yet made the obvious deductive leap. Besides, this buma wasn't programmed to be very smart. Arion laughed derisively. "Shyeah, right! And I'm the emperor of Mega-City! Well, not yet, anyway, but soon! As for your precious Shogun Sabres -- tell them that if they want a crack at us, they can come to the Westerland Park tomorrow, at midnight. Otherwise, let them flee before our might, like all true cowards!" Arion looked up at the incoming ADPolice with a contemptuous chuckle. Opening his thrusters once more, he opened fire and led them off on a wild goose chase through the city streets. Shogun rose from his cover as he watched Arion's retreating form, carving an explosive path of destruction through the AD Police ranks. His smug laughter still rang in Shogun's ears. We'll see who has the last laugh, you bastard. He quickly ran back toward the AX building, lending a hand to his surviving friends. The AD Police Auditorium was one of the largest, most impressive buildings still standing in Super-Mega-Tokyo. It had to be; it was the site of many gatherings of the collected masses of the AD Police Advanced Tactics Training Center, as well as the local ADP officers. One such meeting was currently underway. The auditorium was crowded with the Training Center's students, and the din they raised was quite amazing. Large groups of friends were discussing how totally wild the past few weeks had been, and rumors flew about the purpose of the current gathering. A large man stepped up to the podium and expectantly scanned the crowd. The assembled gathering soon silenced itself under his steely gaze. When he was sure he had their full attention, he spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Armored Defense Police Advanced Tactics Training Center. Things have been quite hectic here in Super-Mega-Tokyo for the last few weeks with the buma uprisings, as you well know. We were very hard pressed to maintain order, and closed the training school because we needed all available manpower to suppress the insurrection. Many of you participated in that operation, and on behalf of the Super- Mega-Tokyo ADP, I thank you." He stopped for a moment as the crowd broke into applause. You wouldn't be clapping if you knew what I was about to say, he thought. Soon enough, the applause died down, and he continued. "Now that the situation seems to have calmed down, things are back to normal. Except for the fact that the training center will NOT reopen." The auditorium was filled with startled gasps and murmuring. He looked around, waiting for the stunned response to quiet down before continuing. "All normal operating funds have been diverted to reconstruction of the city. Therefore, all of you will have the option to either stay here and join work crews, or return to your homes and resume your previous ADP posts. We will need your decisions by the end of this week. That is all." The man stepped down from the podium, and the crowd, once again muttering to itself, began filtering out of the auditorium. Jyanken plodded along, letting the crowd set his walking pace. He was soon joined by one of his new buddies, Alphonse. "So, Jyank, what's the verdict?" Alphonse spoke with a thick Australian accent. "Stay, or go?" Jyanken sighed. "I really don't know, Alph. I can do so much here. So much help and good that I can't really do at home..." "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm going to stay here. Well, that's not entirely it, of course. I really have no reason to go back, meself. No girlfriend, or wife, or anything like that. Besides, if things don't work out here, I bet I could head home after a few months." Alphonse stopped, having reached his car. "Well, I'm off ... you have a few days to think about it, though. See ya, Jyank." "Later, Alph." Alphonse drove off as Jyanken's mind turned inward. A few days to decide between doing what he'd enjoy here, helping this city restore order, or going back to Mega-City, and Chun-Li. It's a decision he couldn't make in a lifetime, much less a few days... Jyanken walked on, brooding in silence. PCHammer returned to his home, leaning heavily against the door with his good arm as it closed. He took a deep breath, releasing it as a heavy sigh. It'd been only a week since he'd sustained his injury at the Kiku-sensei incident, and he was already short one partner; HunterD was dead, incinerated when his car was demolished by the buma that had destroyed AX headquarters. The prospects for the future filled him with despair. Everything he could possibly do within the confines of the ADP had been tried, and nothing had worked. They just weren't equipped to deal with anything as powerful as this new buma menace. They were strong, heavily armored and ruthless, and there seemed to be a guiding hand behind them that kept them a step ahead of him at all times. As if that weren't enough, they were able to become ethereal when things got too hot for them, as they did continually whenever the Shogun Sabres showed up. Just thinking about the Sabres weighed even more heavily on him. Immediately after he was blasted by that Shima-buma at point-blank range, he was assaulted by the discovery that one of his good friends, Chun-Li, was one of their members. Personally, he didn't mind at all. He felt that the Sabres were doing a great service to the city; a small, close group, far better equipped and prepared than the ADP could ever dream of being, and they probably didn't have to fill out forms and reports after each encounter. But Chief Gundam had no great love for vigilantes, and there was a standing warrant for their arrest. He let his head fall against the door with a thud. I hate my life. Resigning himself to accept his failure, he stood upright and walked to the kitchen table. Once there, he went through the mail that he'd been holding in his sling-bound hand. Bill. Ed McMahon. American Repress application. Bill. Credit card insurance. Grand opening. Bill. A letter from his little sister, PC-ko. Her frilly handwriting, and the fact that she always put little heart stickers on the envelope, made her correspondence easy to spot. Her childlike demeanor belied the fact that she was actually a lovely young woman, now in her senior year of high school. He smiled, hoping that she'd never have to go through what he did these days. What's this? PCHammer let the rest of the mail drop to the table as he considered the completely unmarked, yellowed envelope he now held in his hands. He turned it over; there was a gold seal on the back, bearing an arcane insignia he didn't recognize. He carefully began to remove the seal. Once he'd started to peel it off, the seal vanished, and the envelope completely unfolded itself into a scroll of parchment. It bore only a few words, written in a beautiful script that glowed with a light of its own. PCHammer - Please open your door and invite me in. We must speak of the Shinma-Buma. He read it again. And a third time. "'Invite me in'?" he muttered. The scroll suddenly disappeared, consumed in a flash of flame. The effect startled PCHammer a good deal, particularly when he realized that his hands were not affected by the fire. He whistled the Twilight Zone theme. After thinking for a moment, he decided to do as the note said. He walked to the door and opened it wide. He poked his head outside, looking around. No one within eyesight. He pulled himself back inside and cleared his throat, standing to one side of the open door. This feels really silly, he thought as he announced, "Please ... come in. I invite you." As he watched, a mist began to form and swirl in front of his doorframe. It became denser and denser, collecting into two shadowy figures. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. The mists ceased collecting, and two people, who hadn't been there only moments ago, stepped into his house. "Thank you, Lieutenant PCHammer," the first said softly. She was a beautiful, delicate-looking young woman with dark, swirling hair elegantly bundled on her head, wearing a simple silver kimono with a golden sash. The second figure just nodded silently. This was a seven-foot giant, wrapped completely in a deep blue robe and hood with a silver mask concealing his (actually, PCHammer couldn't tell what this other one's gender was supposed to be, but assumed it to be male) face. His figure remained dark, even as he entered the lighted dwelling, as if he carried a shadow around himself. "I ... I could hardly refuse your request," the stunned ADP officer stammered. The young woman laughed lightly. "We have startled you." He swallowed. "Y-Yes. I didn't expect..." She smiled. "I understand. My name is Terianne. My companion is named LordFranz." She waved her hand, and the door closed with a gentle click. She then extended the same hand to PCHammer, which he hesitantly accepted. "I'm honored," he said, bowing to her. He released her hand and stood upright, watching her intently. Her eyes never left his as she gestured toward the living room. "Please, come with me and be seated. There is much for you to know, and very little time." Arion fell to one knee, bowing to his supreme masters. "So, the pathetic AX leader, Shogun, finally determined your role in his troubles, did he?" Gunbuster said derisively, almost laughing. His figure, as always, was concealed in shadow; only a silhouette and a pair of glowing red eyes testified to his presence. Arion kept his gaze averted. "Yes, my Masters." "About time," the mega-buma muttered. "And you delivered our challenge to the Shogun Sabres?" Kai added, not quite so confidently as Gunbuster, but still with self-assurance. His misty form hovered beside Gunbuster's shadow-bound frame, warping in a rather nausea-inducive fashion. "Yes, my Masters." "Excellent," the two leaders said in unison. Gunbuster continued alone. "The destruction of AX headquarters was a bit excessive, but will surely underscore our eventual victory." "And once we have dealt with the meddlesome Shogun Sabres, we can easily eliminate the only other opposition to us, the Shinma-hunters," Kai added. "What of the weaklings ... the Armored Defense Police?" Arion asked. "Ah, yes. The 'defenders of the public trust'." Kai snorted. "Imbeciles. They are bumbling fools, unable to comprehend, let alone deal with, what is happening about them." "We will crush them beneath our heel, as a pleasant afterthought," Gunbuster gloated. "You are wise, my Masters," Arion butt-kissed. Kai and Gunbuster enjoyed a megalomaniacal chuckle as Arion retreated from their presence. The moment the door thundered shut behind him, however, they were silent. The silence hung over them like a black drapery until Gunbuster spoke. "Dmitheon's absence disturbs me." Kai nodded, or, at least, appeared to be nodding; it was hard to be certain. "Indeed. And the Data Link has disappeared as well, though our previous attacks were unable to retrieve it." "He can still be contacted with the summons for the confrontation. His treachery will not go unpunished." "For now, though, we shall let him believe it has gone unnoticed. When the hour of retribution arrives, he will suspect nothing." "Will even we be able to stop him, once he has activated it?" Kai was unmoved. "He does not know how to activate it; even if he does, he will not have learned to control the new power. He may very well destroy himself while wielding it." "How poetic." "You have done quite well in learning of the Shinma so far," Terianne began. She and PCHammer were seated on his couch, with LordFranz standing nearby, looking away. PCHammer, for his part, gave her his undivided attention. "But there are more forces at work here than just a band of rogue spirits." "Yes, I've noticed," he replied. "I've read that the Shinma sometimes escape to our realm of reality in large gangs. They usually lash out completely at random, or in a predictable fashion. Now, though there is a great deal of confusion being spread, the chaos has a clear, frustrating method." She nodded. "Very good. As you may have guessed, LordFranz and I are Shinma hunters. We are charged with the task of returning escaped Shinma to our realm. For many years -- not much longer than you have been in this world -- I have been working to capture a ... 'ringleader', I believe you would say. A Shinma master, known as Kai. He seeks to unite the Shinma in this realm to serve his dark ways." PCHammer blinked. She's been doing this since I was born? I guess I shouldn't be surprised; after all, she's not an entirely natural being. Still, she sure doesn't show her age... Terianne continued, oblivious to his surprised expression. "Time and again, he has thwarted our attempts to bind him. Time and again, he has eluded our grasp. Time and again, we have ... failed. And now, all this world may pay the price..." Her gaze fell as she hung her head dejectedly. PCHammer, unsure of what one should do to comfort a downtrodden Shinma, quietly took her hand in both of his. She looked up at him, equally unsure of how to interpret the gesture. "We do what we can, Terianne. It's all we can do," he said quietly. She smiled at his words, bringing her other hand around his. He found himself warmed by her smile. "Now ... what were you saying about the world?" She took a deep breath, releasing it as she continued, their hands still together. "These new creatures, as you have theorized, are a fusion between a Shinma and the machine-creature you call a 'buma'. Their creation marks an unholy alliance between Kai and his newest partner, a 'buma' who calls himself Gunbuster. He is apparently classified as a 'mega-buma', though I know not what that means." Now, it was PCHammer's turn to hang his head. "Oh, frak. I don't believe I did that ... with all the time I've spent researching Shinma, I completely forgot to look into what could be behind the buma side of the menace." He looked back up at her with a weak smile. "Good thing SOMEbody's paying attention here. Please, go on." She nodded to him. "Kai's ultimate goal has always been to usher in an era of Shinma rule in this world. Gunbuster's goals are similar. The two have combined their forces in a way not even I would have dared dream possible. The Shinma-buma, in their physical form, are beyond my power to bind." "And in their spirit form," PCHammer continued, "they're unaffected by physical weapons. But they can't evade both simultaneously, which I've noticed, which hasn't helped, since there's always some degree of mis-coordination between you and us, or the Shogun Sabres. We haven't worked as a team, and it's costing us dearly." "It will cost us far more if we cannot do so soon." He looked at her, surprised that she actually thought things could get worse. She answered his silent question. "One of the Shinma-buma -- the one called Dmitheon -- has come into possession of a new device, stolen from the man named Scanner." But the last reported attempt to steal something there wasn't successful, PCHammer thought. Maybe there's been another robbery which Scanner Services didn't report? That Scanner's a pretty elusive dude, if not downright creepy. (Yeah, right. You're sitting here, holding hands with a cute little demoness, and calling a recluse who refers to himself in first person plural "creepy".) "This device, if used by a Shinma-buma, will grant him power neither you nor I have witnessed in our worst nightmares. And Dmitheon is not ... stable of mind." "So the ultimate super-powered psycho may already be on the loose." "No, not yet. I would be able to sense him if he had activated this new power, and he has not. But it is urgent that he be stopped before he does, or all life may be forfeit." PCHammer sighed. "Terianne ... I wish I could help. But surely you've seen how hopelessly outmatched my AD Police forces have been, even against their physical, buma forms." "I've nowhere else to turn," she replied. "The Shogun Sabres do not make themselves well-known. Unless they can be located..." PCHammer groaned, pulling his hands from hers and burying his head in them. Damn it all, he thought. I have no choice! Terianne looked at him with confusion. "What is it?" PCHammer released a frustrated breath, then stood up. He looked up at LordFranz, who was now facing him, then down at Terianne. "Come with me, both of you. We're going to call on a friend." If I'm lucky, he didn't add, she'll still BE my friend when this is over. Chun-Li lay on her sofa, exhausted. The meeting with the publishers had been a long, hard fight. She wished there were an easier way to sell an idea than to prove that it would draw a profit. She'd thought about taking Pomru up on his offer to have her manga published by NHS, but didn't want to abuse her friendship like that. If it had been Dnab, sure, she would've done it; he was just after her body anyway, and he deserved to be taken for any favor she could wring from him. Speaking of which, she hadn't had time to stop by Shogun's mansion to pick up little Miscreant. That would have to wait for tomorrow. Right now, she didn't even feel like getting up to do her nightly exercises. A pity; she could use something small and furry to cuddle right now. For that matter, it'd be nice to have Jyanken back, for pretty much the same reason. She closed her eyes, and her mind drifted back to more pleasant times. The doorbell, rather abruptly, brought her back to the present. She pushed herself up. "Who the hell could that be?" she grumbled as she walked to the door. Without checking the peephole -- after all, a fighter of her skill had nothing to worry about, right? -- she flung it wide open. With a sharp gasp, she slowly backed away from tall figure standing in her doorway. "Not you..." she whispered. "Hello, Chun," PCHammer said quietly. "Been a while." "p-PC..." He waited a minute for her to respond. "Well ... may I come in?" "Uh ... s-sure." He entered, closing the door behind him. He then released a nervous breath and turned to face her with a stern gaze. "Look, Chun, I won't mince words or waste time with pretense." "You never did," she replied as matter-of-factly as she could manage. "I need to talk to the Shogun Sabres, Chun. Something big, I mean BIG, is going down, and if we can't work together, we all lose." Chun-Li groped for an excuse. Even a group as small as the Shogun Sabres had rules, and keeping the group's identity secret from outsiders was foremost among them. "Well ... um ... you see, they..." "Well?" PCHammer sounded impatient. "...they ... aren't meeting until ... um ... next week. Yeah." "We may not HAVE until next week." She sighed in frustration. "Look, I'm NOT their damned DEN MOTHER! What do you WANT from--" Her cry was cut off as the telephone rang. "...from ... just a second." She approached it apprehensively, picking it up on the third ring. "Hello? ... Yeah, hi Shogun ... What? ... A challenge? ... Tonight? Now? Y-you mean, NOW now? ... Um, sure. ... Yes ... Yes, of course. I-I'll be there. ... What? N-no, I'm fine. Just fine. ... Okay. Bye..." She slumped her shoulders. No use lying any more. "That was Shogun, PC." "Shogun? THE Shogun? Director of AX?" She nodded. "Mm-hm. He's also the leader of the Shogun Sabres." She turned to face him, just in time to see the astonished look on his face. "We're meeting tonight. Now. The buma that demolished AX HQ gave him a challenge for the Sabres, and he's sure it's some kind of trap." "I see," he said, also nodding. It's moving as fast as Terianne said it would be, he noted. "You're going, then." "I have to," she said, grabbing her keys and a jacket. "I'll have to come, too." She didn't look at him. "I won't stop you," she whispered. She moved to rush past him. He put his hand on her shoulder, wanting to thank her. In return, he received an icy glare that told him, under no uncertain terms, that he should remove his hand if he valued his health. Slowly, sadly, he released her. He then sprinted after her as she fairly flew out the door. Jingoro waited in his old, demolished lab, reorganized only in the scattered places where equipment demanded it. The lighting was not entirely adequate; except for the lone worklamp over the table nearest to him, it was downright dismal, which suited him just fine. For the past three hours he had worked. An incredible collection of photographs lined the walls and tables; they were all photographs of Dmitheon, in his human form. A personal computer sat nearby, with a hand-scanner attached. The computer was also interfaced to another device, a machine of his own design. He'd been perfecting it when the ... "accident" occurred. Now, it would be his tool of vengeance. "Once Chun gets here, we'll start with the strategy session," Shogun lectured. "Jiro, I hope you have some new tricks for us to try on these guys. That Blazing Big Gun trick was fine, but I doubt they'll fall for it again." "They didn't fall for it last time," Dnab interjected. He and Miscreant were on the sofa, and Miscreant was enjoying the scratching he was getting behind his ears. "We did manage to waste one of 'em, though." "Only because he was pushed," Pomru commented. Shogun regarded Pomru curiously. "Really? I didn't notice." Pomru shrugged. "You were too busy controlling the composite systems. When that one we'd been working over jumped out of the way, he kicked that other one into the line of fire." Shogun took this new fact into consideration, pacing slowly. "So, they aren't presenting an entirely united front. Interesting. Maybe we could use these internal squabbles to our advantage." "Doesn't help us 'less we know what the deal is," Jiro mumbled. "Oh, come on, try to be positive about it." "Sure. I'm positive it doesn't help us 'less--" "Okay, okay, o-KAY, I get the picture," Shogun interrupted. "Why do I get the feeling I'm the only one who thinks we can actually win this one?" Dnab looked at him. "You don't really want that answered, do you?" "Of course not," Shogun grated. "It was a rhetorical question." "That's what I thought." Shogun was about to respond when the doorbell chimed; it was a custom job that sounded the first few notes from the "Totoro" theme song. "Saved by the bell," Pomru whispered. The entire group went to the door, certain that Chun-Li would be there to greet them. Shogun reached the door first, and opened it wide. As they'd expected, there stood Chun-Li. She was looking uncharacteristcally meek, with her eyes cast downward and her hands folded before her. "Hi, guys," she said quietly. "Great, you're here. Come on, folks, it's time to plan," Shogun began immediately, striding back to the living room. He was ten paces from the door when he realized no one was following him yet. He turned back around to face the crowd. Everyone was looking at Chun-Li, who hadn't moved. "What?" he asked. She chanced a look up, her mouth open as if to speak; she immediately averted her gaze again and remained silent. She forced her eyes back up to look first Shogun, then Pomru in the eye, still faltering in her attempts to say something, anything. Eventually, she turned her head to look to her right. "I can't..." she apologized. Pomru, who was closest to the door, leaned forward to see what Chun had been apologizing to. His eyes went wide. "Hoooooooo buoy," he commented. Chun-Li stepped forward, turning sideways, still facing to the right. Pomru backed a step away from her. Shogun was alarmed. "What is it?" PCHammer stepped into view. Dnab tried to say something clever and witty, but all he could manage was, "Haaaaaa." "Lieutenant," Shogun said darkly. "Good evening, Shogun Sabres," PCHammer announced. His greeting was followed by an uneasy silence. "Chun, what were you thinking?" Jiro asked. "It wasn't her idea," PCHammer responded, not waiting for Chun-Li to answer the accusation. "I asked her to bring me here." "But..." Pomru stammered. "But how did you--" "Purely an accident," he said, anticipating the obvious question. "About the same time I got this." He indicated the sling that held his left arm. "It wasn't her fault." Shogun took his right hand away from the handgun he kept concealed behind his back, folding his arms. That injury had been sustained over a week ago, so he couldn't be here to arrest them, or he'd have done so long ago. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, Lieutenant?" PCHammer stepped through the doorway, now sufficiently convinced that he would survive the experience. "Please, call me Hammer. And pleasure is hardly the purpose of this visit. Do you mind if I invite someone else in, to help with the explanation?" Pomru shrugged. "Sure, why not? One more couldn't possibly hurt." "Thank you." Extending his hand through the door, PCHammer said, "Please, come in. I invite you." To the amazement of everyone there, including PCHammer himself (he still wasn't used to the idea), there was suddenly a dainty hand in his. It faded into the spot, accompanied by the rest of Terianne's being, as well as that of her constant companion, LordFranz. PCHammer gently guided Terianne through the door, giving a nod to LordFranz, who followed close behind. Everyone recognized the new pair immediately. She nodded to the assembled group. "Good evening." "Good evening," Shogun responded on behalf of his dumbfounded comrades. Shifting his gaze to PCHammer, he asked, "Any other surprises?" "Aside from what my friend here will tell you, I hope not." "Well, then, shut the door and come with me. We were just going to start a strategy session, and, thanks to you, I think we finally have someone who's qualified to answer some of the harder questions." With that, he whirled and once again strode toward the living room. This time, everyone followed him. [The author may be getting a little preachy in this next scene. Just a warning.] "...and that is where we stand, as you might say," Terianne concluded. "The one called Dmitheon poses the greatest threat, even greater than my age-old nemesis, Kai. This 'Data Link' assures us of that." The group was scattered throughout the living room, with PCHammer and Terianne sharing the sofa again, and LordFranz standing watch over them. Miscreant had bundled himself up in Chun-Li's lap, and the four Shogun Sabres, plus Jiro, all had found seats for themselves. They all watched Terianne and PCHammer intently, save for Dnab, who would look jealously over at Miscreant every so often. "Do we have any concrete idea what the Data Link will do for a Shinma-buma?" Shogun asked. "Not right now," PCHammer responded. "I'm going to pay Scanner Services a visit tomorrow, to see if anyone over there could offer us any assistance. If they can make a device to enhance this force, maybe they can make one to combat it." He doesn't miss a trick, does he? Shogun asked himself. "I guess the only thing I still don't understand myself," PCHammer continued, "is what Gunbuster has against AX. I mean, it's just a fun little convention, isn't it?" "Not quite so little, I don't think," Shogun retorted with a smirk. This question, at least, he already knew the answer to. "It's the largest all-Anime convention in the entire country. Or at least, it will be, if our guests and patrons survive this crisis." "But still, who could possibly hate a convention this much?" "The petty politics of Anime fandom, as with any other kind of politics, can reach levels you'd never even dream of," Shogun replied. "People get into their little power plays, work to keep control of whatever they can get their hands on ... before long, you practically have a war on your hands. In this case, it started as a rivalry, and a desire to correct some mistakes at the previous AX -- I'll admit, there were some mistakes -- that grew into a second convention: AA. It wasn't this bad at the onset." "I should hope not." "Things only turned really ugly once Gunbuster joined the AA coalition. He's a mega-buma who lives to amass political power wherever he can get it, and just happened to fall into the Anime community first. It took a little work on his part, but he managed to turn a simple clash of egos into all-out bloodshed. I think he may have his sights set even higher, like moving into the global political scene." PCHammer put his head in his hands. "'Today, AX, tomorrow, the world.' Jeez Louise, that is so ... cliche." Pomru cast a sidelong glance at Jiro. "Right. As if nothing else in this story's been cliche." Jiro nodded sadly. Chun-Li, meanwhile, had located her official AWC Cliche Check-off Chart, and was busily making up for lost time by darkening most of the squares. "Miyaa," Miscreant said, placing a paw on the chart. "What?" Chun-Li checked where the cat's paw was. "Wow, you're right, Miscreant! I almost missed that one. Thanks!" She scribbled in the box and gave Miscreant a warm hug as a reward, inciting an envious glare from Dnab. PCHammer turned to face Shogun. "For my part, I'm also going to see if I can get some cooperation from Chief Gundam. I don't know how he'll react, but I hope I can at least get a little extra manpower from him for tomorrow night's showdown." Shogun nodded. "It's too bad that one day isn't enough time to make decent powered suits for them." "You may be wrong there, Shogun." The extra voice startled everyone. All eyes turned to the room's main entrance. "Hi, guys," Kimagure said, smiling. "Kima!" the Sabres (and Jiro) responded in unison. He waved his artificial hand at them. It wasn't obviously artificial at all; on the contrary, it was indistinguishable from the one Dmitheon had so rudely removed from him, except that it was stronger, and steadier. Stepping into the living room proper, he regarded the sofa with curiosity. "I didn't know you were throwing an AX membership drive." Shogun stood and moved beside Kimagure as first PCHammer, then Terianne (graciously accepting PCHammer's offered hand) rose to their feet. "Kima, these are our new allies in the battle to save AX. PCHammer is a lieutenant with the ADP, Terianne is a Shinma hunter, and LordFranz is her companion and assistant." PCHammer and Terianne shook Kimagure's hand with a smile; LordFranz just nodded slightly. "It's nice to know we're not alone in this thing," Kimagure sighed. "Yeah. Now, what was that you were saying about me being wrong?" Kimagure grinned evilly. "What, you think it's not possible?" Shogun returned the grin. "Well..." "Actually, it's something I've been working on with Jiro for a while -- smaller, less powerful hardsuits we can use as backups when our primary suits are damaged beyond usability. They're pretty cheap to make and repair, using modular replacement parts for every component. I could currently assemble at least three dozen of 'em within two hours' time." Shogun's jaw dropped. "Really?!?" "Hey, how else am I supposed to keep my reputation as a miracle worker?" Shogun regained his composure. "Well, Lieu-- Hammer, there's your answer. If you can get the men, we can suit 'em up." PCHammer nodded, smiling. "Great. I just hope the Chief can see this our way. If he doesn't ... I'll do what I can." Shogun addressed the rest of the rabble. "Well, let's go to the lab, folks. I want to see these new cheapo-suits, and I'd like to get Hammer familiar with the equipment." He exited, followed by most of the group. PCHammer, Terianne, LordFranz and Chun-Li lingered. Terianne turned to PCHammer, catching his attention. Of course, she'd never lost it to begin with. "I fear I must leave you, for now." He took her hand, leading her back to the front door. "We'll see you tomorrow night, I hope. You're ... a key player in this." She smiled. "No more so than you, PCHammer. I will see you again." Releasing his hand, she gestured to LordFranz. A hand appeared from somewhere within his cloak; she took it, and, walking through the front door together, they faded into the night. PCHammer returned to the living room. Chun-Li was just now getting to her feet, having finally convinced Miscreant that he should find another kitty-couch. He took a deep breath, releasing it as a sigh. "Chun..." "No, PC. Don't apologize. I'm the one who owes an apology. I should have trusted you from the start ... and trusted Shogun, too. I'm sorry. My life has been so ... I just can't think right." She lowered her head, shaking it slowly. She raised her head again when she felt his hand on her shoulder. This time, her eyes told him his hand was a welcome comfort, and she thanked him with a quick hug and a broad smile. Her smile turned to an apologetic giggle when he winced in response; she'd squeezed his bad arm a little too tight. "Come on," she said, sprinting toward the basement stairs, "they'll start without us if we don't hurry!" PCHammer bounded after her, trying his best to keep up. -- The High Diggy-Hoek of Chihuahua-Wala Land (Martin Rose) - mfrose@ais.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Truth is stranger than Fiction ---------------- Stupid is a boundless concept The Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies: Ann Arbor Division Tales of the Shogun Sabres ANIME WAR CRISIS Chapter 6: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow "NO! PLEASE, STOP! LEAVE US ALONE!" The woman's voice was frantic as her tears flowed freely. She clutched the bloodied, unconscious form of the man who'd been her lover for over a year, shielding his body with her own. The side of his face was torn wide open, the result of a biometal claw ripping across it. He also bore bullet wounds in one shoulder, his belly and through the hip joint. He was still alive, but had blacked out from the intense pain of his injuries. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" she screamed. Her plea only brought a sadistic smile to one of the assailants, a young woman, even younger than herself. The other, an imposing buma, would have smiled as well, if his face were capable of doing so. "What do we want?" the girl mimicked. "Why, your pathetic lives, of course!" the buma answered. The girl raised her gun at the quaking woman lying before her, inciting the desired response; a face full of terror. She fired twice, letting both shots rip painfully through the waist of her target. She laughed at the screams of her victim, lowering her weapon to savor the moment. The injured man began to stir, obviously awakened by the cries of his beloved. Suddenly, two silencer-muffled shots pierced the night. The wounded, forlorn figures immediately ceased their writhing, collapsing into a still, bloody heap with a fresh hole in each one's skull. Godai and Dmitheon became abruptly silent. They looked at each other, confused and angry. "You make me sick, Dmitheon." The sadistic lovers whirled to discover Saeba landing behind them. Dmitheon groaned. "Oh, great. I should have known you'd show up to spoil our fun sooner or later, you candy-assed wimp." "Don't give me your excuses," Saeba hissed. "Playing your stupid little torture games wastes valuable time that could be spent tracking and killing other AX members. I've made three hits in the time it's taken you to do this one." Godai slipped an arm around her buma companion. "Who is this creep, Dmith?" Dmitheon patted her head paternally. "Oh, that's right! You've never been introduced. Godai, this -- much as I am loath to admit it -- is my partner, Saeba. Saeba, this lovely little lady is Godai. We've found we have a lot in common." "So I see," Saeba growled. "She's the copycat killer I've been hearing so much about, then?" "That's me!" she proclaimed proudly. "Dead-Eye Godai, the cutest, worstest nightmare of all AX patrons!" She made a 'gun' with her fingers, aiming it at Saeba's head. "Bang!" I didn't think the Universe was capable of holding another being like him, Saeba brooded. "Anyway, Dmitheon, I'm here on business." "Aren't you always?" "Our Masters have issued a formal challenge to the Shogun Sabres. We are to meet them at Westerland Park tomorrow at midnight." "We're finally gonna rub 'em off the map, eh?" "That's the plan. The Masters h