If you wish to comment on my story, either positively or negatively, please contact me at treetop@voicenet.com. Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. Sailor Sirius is the property of Sharon Williams. Any references to Vulcan are the province of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Adventures of Talia and Tanya:
Volley Into Danger
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter Eight
Rating: PG
Sailor Sirius and Arsenal stared at each other over a distance of just ten feet for what felt like an eternity.
Sirius was horrified at seeing the towering, weapon laden brute who reminded her of Kaliber, the Negaverse agent she and Sailor Vulcan killed back in Tokyo two days ago. The absolute last thing the black Scout expected to see was another menacing youma. As for Arsenal, he was stunned at seeing the unconscious dinosaur in the clearing ahead of him, and the Sailor Scout who seemed to be communing with the beast. In his human guise, the Negaverse agent had read about dinosaurs but never expected to see such a beast which had been extinct for millions of years.
"In the name of Beryl!" he whispered, his eyes wide.
"Good Lord!" Sirius croaked, her eyes equally as wide as she stared up at the menacing creature. Then she remembered Sailor Vulcan, locked in a mind meld with the dinosaur and was totally defenseless.
Tal! I've gotta protect Tal, Sirius thought.
Setting her face into a iron hard mask of determination, Sirius summoned her scepter and hastily pointed it at Arsenal. "Sirius Scepter....ILLUMINATE!"
A blast of searing white light burst forth from the scepter, blinding Arsenal who wasn't prepared from the Star Scout's sudden attack. The Negaverse agent screamed from terrible pain since his eyes, the targeting system for his weapons were super-sensitive and the light had a seriously adverse effect on him.
As Arsenal, still screaming, his eyes covered by his hands staggered backward, Sirius pressed the advantage with a powerful flying kick that lifted the brute off his feet and sent his crashing to the ground. Sirius watched cautiously as Arsenal awkwardly tried to regain his footing.
"Little bitch! You hurt me!" he roared. The brute launched a salvo of lightbeam rockets that missed a scrambling Sirius by a hair, exploding in a clump of trees behind her. Staggering to his feet, his eyes blackened, Arsenal swiveled his head in the direction of Sirius who backpeddled away from him.
"You hurt me! I've never been hurt before!" Arsenal snarled. "I can't see you! But I can hear you! No matter where you go, I'll find you! And I'll kill you!"
"Screw you, creep! You can't hit the broad side of a barn!" yelled Sirius, satisfied that she distracted Arsenal away from the clearing where Vulcan and the creature were. "C'mon, doofus! I'm right here! Too bad you can't see me! No way you're gonna kill me!"
"Don't worry, bitch! I'll kill you!" yelled Arsenal, firing his forearm mounted cannons in the direction of Sirius who barely managed to dodge the white hot fiery rounds as they came uncomfortably close to her. And that left the Star Scout more than a little worried.
Yikes! Even blinded, he's nearly got a bead on me, thought the Star Scout. Gotta keep moving or I'm toast!
At that moment, Vulcan was struggling to keep from drowning in the psyche of the dinosaur she was telepathically linked with. Between the struggle to stay in control and the heat of the creature's burned flesh radiating through the two pairs of gloves she wore, the Vulcan Scout was in considerable pain. Yet she refused to break the meld. The mental images of the creature's mind, taking her back millions of years in the past when creatures of its ilk ruled the planet fascinated her beyond measure.
Remarkable! The creature's mind is a living panorama of Earth's past, thought Vulcan. Her mind reeled from the wonders, the primordial beauty she saw. The lifeforms that roamed this world is unlike anything I had seen before! Not even my own planet's history can compare to this! The things this creature has seen defies imagination!
Pink---animal! What---are---you---doing, the thoughts of the creature bombarded Vulcan's mind. The alien Scout winced from the pain.
I am attempting to communicate. I mean you no harm, Vulcan replied.
You---lie! Pink---animals---hurt---me! Burn---me!
That was unintentional. You are in great danger here. You must return to the water before you are killed.
Killed?
Yes. The....pink animals possess weapons that can hurt you. Even destroy you. You must leave.
NO! Pink---animals---my---food! Need---food---for---young---I---carry!
Even in her trance-like state, Vulcan gasped from all-too human shock, startled to the point where she almost broke the meld. In her pursuit to drive the creature back into the lake and away from the lodge, it never occurred to the alien Scout to speculate about its sex. Discovering that the creature was female....and pregnant was the absolute last thing Vulcan expected.
Back at the lodge, everything was quiet. Inside the main hall, Rainer and Desjardins took turns eyeing the hostages and the woods outside for any sign of either Arsenal or their cohorts. Neither had been seen. For the last several minutes, Rainer tried in vain to contact his men, but got nothing.
"I don't like this, mon ami. I'm afraid our plan has blown up in our faces," Desjardins whispered to Rainer. "It appears we are all that's left. Perhaps we should cut our losses and flee with the Van Buren girl."
Hearing that, Rainer shook his head. "And risk being hunted by Arsenal? You heard what that monster said, how he could track us down."
"Bah! Do you really believe that, Jean-Paul? He was probably bluffing to keep us from leaving."
"But what if he wasn't? You saw what he did to Yves!"
"Don't remind me! But we can't watch over all these people forever! Guns or no guns, the longer we stay, the greater the risk of losing control of this crowd!" Desjardins countered urgently. "What if Arsenal gets himself killed by those Sailor Scouts he ranted about and they come for us? And how long before someone learns the phones are out and calls the police? I say we take our chances and escape with the girl while we can!"
Rainer scowled. He saw the hostages growing agitated, the looks of fear they once wore slowly changing into anger. Even though Rainer and Desjardins were armed, they only had sixty rounds between them as the men, sent to their deaths by Arsenal carried the bulk of the ammunition. And wasting their limited ammo on the hostages would leave them at a disadvantage should they encounter opposition while trying to escape.
The quandary the Frenchmen faced didn't go unnoticed by the crowd, including Maddie, sitting next to Mrs. Slaughter and a sullen Cynthia.
"Looks like the bad guys got their panties in a bunch," Maddie whispered to the elder woman. "A blind man could see they're just as antsy as we are."
"I know. To tell you the truth, I don't know if that's a good thing or not," Mrs. Slaughter replied. "With Arsenal gone, they might just decide to cut and run....after they fill us full of holes."
Cynthia, hearing that felt something unfamiliar tug at her heart. A sharp little pain she recognized as a twinge of conscience. A first for her. For as long as she could remember, the only thing the blond rich girl cared about was herself as the rest of the world was beneath her notice. But now, that had changed. The lives of everyone in the lodge were in danger because of her, and the guilt she felt overpowered her.
Ever since I was young, I've been nothing but a miserable, selfish bitch, Cynthia thought morosely. I only worried about my needs, not anyone else's. All these people here could die because of me! I can't let that happen! It's time I get off my pampered ass and do the right thing!
Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Cynthia set her face and stood up. "Mr. terrorist? Can I talk to you?"
Rainer turned and glared suspiciously at Cynthia. "My name, cherie, is Rainer. What do you want?"
"Look, Mr. Rainer, I'm the one you came here for. If you're planning to run, I'll go with you. Willingly."
The Frenchman was instantly skeptical after the ruthlessness he'd seen Cynthia exhibit earlier. "Really? Why the change of heart?"
"Just that, sir. A change of heart. Whatever you want to do, I'll cooperate fully. No tricks," said Cynthia, stunning Maddie and Mrs. Slaughter, neither of whom expected to see such a different side to the arrogant rich girl. "And when you make your ransom demand to my father, I'll insist he triple it."
The eyes of Rainer suddenly lit up. "Did you say....triple?"
Cynthia nodded. "Yes. Money means nothing to my father. He'll gladly pay your price to secure my release. If you want weapons, a plane to escape in after you get your money, I'll make sure you get it. After all, I'm daddy's little girl, and he never says 'no' to me. But I have a condition for my cooperation."
"What condition?"
"That you don't hurt any of these people. They shouldn't be put in danger because of me. Leave them alone, and I'll do anything you want."
"Cindy! No! You can't!" cried a horrified Maddie.
"Shut up! I'm calling the shots!" an angry Cynthia snapped back. She then turned back to Rainer. "Well, Mr. Rainer, what's it to be?"
Despite himself, Rainer grinned slightly. He considered the prospect of dealing with an uncooperative hostage who would do anything to foil his escape or lead authorities to him as unacceptable. But one look into Cynthia's eyes told the Frenchman that her offer was sincere. Then there were the thoughts of a huge ransom Rainer could get from the rich girl's father. The arrangement was too good for him to resist.
"All right, cherie. We have a deal. Philipe, go get the last car and bring it around. I'll watch the hostages."
"Oui." As Philipe turned towards the front door, he stopped short and he gasped. "Jean-Paul! Look!"
Rainer did, and his eyes widened at seeing Chris, his clothes disheveled and dirty stagger just out of the woods before collapsing to the ground.
"YEEEAARRRGGGHHHH!" screamed Sirius as a glancing lightbeam seared her right side and she crashed hard to the ground in a heap. The Star Scout, knowing Arsenal was not far behind, hastily tried to stand, but her legs refused to cooperate and she fell back.
"I hurt you, didn't I, bitch?" roared Arsenal from twenty yards away as he clumsily bulled his way through the brush. Still blinded, the Negaverse agent depended on sound to find his prey. "I've got a bead on you, Sailor slut! I said I'm going to kill you, and I will!"
Sirius, breathing hoarsely, her entire body on fire from monstrous pain examined her injury. An inch wide swath of her bodysuit, just below her right breast had been completely burned away while the flesh beneath it sizzled and smouldered. Tears poured down Sirius' face and she bit her lower lip until it bled to keep from crying out and giving away her position to Arsenal.
Oh, God! Oh, GOD! The pain! It feels like I've been dipped in lava! And that was only a glancing blow! If he hits me full on....! Time to fight back!
The wounded Scout shakily held up her left arm at Arsenal who shambled towards her. Barely able to block out the pain, Sirius' body glowed a bright red as she concentrated on her power.
"My turn!" she croaked. "Sirius Infrared Laser....DISINTERGRATION!"
At Sirius' command, a massive red beam of energy shot out from her palm and streaked at the lumbering man-beast. But the pain the Star Scout was in threw off her aim, and instead of the beam striking Arsenal in the chest as she intended, it hit his left arm, still, the end result was spectacular in its gruesomeness. Arsenal screamed from agony as, with a loud explosion, his entire arm and most of his shoulder exploded in a grisly shower of bone, skin and brackish black ichor that resembled blood and he crumpled to the ground.
"Music....to my ears," muttered Sirius. Despite her pain, the Star Scout grinned from an almost savage pleasure, delighted to have hurt Arsenal just like he had hurt her. But, she knew that merely injuring the brute would not be nearly enough to satisfy her.
Gotta kill that stinking monster! Send him straight to hell!
Taking long, deep breaths, Sirius concentrated on her healing powers to repair her wounds. Feeling stronger, Sirius slowly stood, a Herculean labor from the pain she was in, yet, she managed to get back on her feet. Panting from the extertion, Sirius looked ahead of her at Arsenal, unmoving on the ground twenty feet away. And that intensified her need to kill him.
Putting one foot ahead of the other, Sirius staggered slowly towards Arsenal. Breathing heavily, the pain now a dull throb, Sirius drew closer to the fallen and still motionless brute. As she did, the Star Scout drew upon her reserves of concentration to summon her powerful gravity blast to finish off Arsenal. And Sirius intended to enjoy the brute's destruction.
When she got to within ten feet of Arsenal, the brute moaned and struggled to sit up. The entire left side of his body above the waist was gone, blown away by Sirius' laser strike, leaving behind nothing but smoking flesh and cartilage. The pain he suffered from was beyond imagining, yet he was still alive. His vision finally clearing, he glared hatefully at the ebon Scout.
"I....don't die....that easily!" he snarled as the rocket launcher on his right shoulder swiveled at Sirius. "Now that I....can see again, I'll finish....what I satrted! I'm still....going....to kill you!"
Sirius saw the launcher pointing at her and dove just before it fired multiple light rockets that pulverized the thick trees behind her, shattering them into kindling. The Star Scout, running as fast as she could, managed to avoid the razor sharp wooden sharpnel that would have cut her to ribbons. Sirius paused only longer enough to counterattack.
"Not on your best day! Sirius Infrared Laser....DISINTERGRATION!"
A second laser blast streaked at Arsenal who just managed to get to his feet. Seeing the ruby red death beam coming at him, he leaped, but not fast enough as the beam struck his shoulder and the rocket launcher, like his left arm, exploded in a miasma of dark blood and bone, causing Arsenal to scream yet again as he dropped to the ground. Sirius' lips curled into a near demonic smile at the sound of the brute's scream.
I could learn to like hearing these scumbags suffer, she thought grimly. These Nega-creeps deserve to die! Each and every one of them!
Arsenal thrashed on the ground in mindboggling pain as Sirius drew closer to him. His moans of anguish were a pitiful thing to hear. Upon seeing the Star Scout, the brute shakily lifted his damaged right forearm and tried to shoot at her. Before he could, Sirius leapt upon him, grabbed his forearm in a grip of steel and, with a powerful tug, pulled the arm completely out of it's socket, eliciting an ear piercing howl of agony. Sirius casually tossed the arm over her shoulder and glared down at the mortally injured alien who cowered before her.
"Still think you're gonna kill me, slimeball?" Sirius snarled.
For the first time in his life, Arsenal experienced true fear as he stared up at the savage, feral look on Sirius' face, and he knew that death was only moments away. "Please....I beg you! Have mercy!" Arsenal croaked.
Sirius, seeing red, responded by viciously kicking Arsenal in the head with all the strength she could muster, shattering his skull. Never in her life had the Star Scout felt such terrible, all-consuming wrath. Nor did she try to control it. If anything, she welcomed it. Embraced it. Enjoyed it.
"Mercy? Don't make me laugh! You murdering, inhuman bastards invaded MY world and slaughtered MY people for your own perverted pleasure!" Sirius roared, indignation fueling her already monstrous anger. "What sort of mercy did you ever show your victims? The helpless innocents you've cruelly butchered? How DARE you grovel when you've got blood on your hands? You make me sick!"
Standing back from Arsenal, Sirius' body erupted in a bright blue aura. The Star Scout she held out her right arm as she concentrated again on her most powerful attack, causing Arsenal to shrink from the sailor suited apparition before him. The fiery rage in Sirius' heart increased her power, roaring inside her like an inferno that screamed to be released. She would not deny it.
"Even though you don't deserve it, the only mercy I'll show you is a quick death!" the Star Scout bellowed. "Sirius Gravity....DEVASTATION!"
With a single spin, a massive blue bolt of electric-like energy burst out from her open palm and enveloped Arsenal. The agent from the Negaverse didn't have time for a final scream as his weight increased well over a thousand-fold from the loudly crackling energy sphere which crushed him to a pulp. Several seconds later, the pulverized remains exploded in a huge, blue burst of light, leaving nothing behind.
Sirius was silent as she stared at a patch of scorched and smoldering earth where Arsenal lay. Coming down from her adrenaline high, Sirius, her strength quickly ebbing away, was numb, her emotions frozen. At that moment, she didn't want to think about the horrifying rage that possessed her, driving her to kill. Most of all, Sirius didn't want to think about the beast that emerged from deep within her heart, and how its release temporarily transformed the Scout of the Stars into an angel of death. Sirius couldn't help but wonder if that beast was back in its cage, or if it would break free again someday.
"Better get back to Tal. She may need me," Sirius muttered wearily, trying to push away those grim thoughts. The Star Scout turned away from the blackened patch but trudged only a few steps before her legs gave out, and she fell face first to the ground.
Vulcan, still locked in the mind meld with the dinosaur reeled from the revelation that the beast was pregnant.
This is not logical. How can you be with child, asked the alien Scout.
Do---not---know! All---I---care---about---is---food! Need---pink---animals---to---feed---on!
Held fast by the creature's psyche, Vulcan was finding it increasingly harder to think, to maintain her own personna as she felt herself slowly drowning in the monster's mind.
As I said before, you cannot stay here. You must return to the water or the humans will destroy both you and your unborn, Vulcan stressed.
Humans? Like---you?
No. Not like me. I am of another race. Humans are inherently violent, dangerous creatures. They instinctively fear whatever they do not understand, and destroy whatever they fear. You would be feared, and the humans will do everything they can to kill you. I do not want that to be your fate.
Why?
Because you are the last of your kind.
Last---of---my---kind? What---do---you---mean?
Your species died out millions of years ago. You survived by means of a freak occurrence.
I---do---not---understand!
I will help you to comprehend. I can sense you reaching out, touching the fringes of my mind. Reach further and I will explain everything.
Vulcan felt the psyche of the dinosaur's mind probing her own mind. The pain of the intrusion was staggering, causing the alien Scout to cry out, yet, she held firm with the meld. As a result, the two beings merged mentally, became one on the psychic plane. From there, Vulcan opened her mind fully to the creature, exposing it to the era of the dinosaurs millions of years in the past, and of the eventual extinction of the creature's kind. The knowledge proved too much for the creature's primitive mind to accept.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the creature screamed, using Vulcan's throat as a conduit for its sorrow. The Scout slumped to her knees as the dinosaur sobbed uncontrollably through her for several long minutes.
You---are---right. I---am---alone, thought the creature after it had composed itself.
I am sorry, Vulcan silently replied. Tears continued to stream down her face as the creature's grief became her own. The sadness Vulcan felt was so powerful, it threatened to destroy her, and it was all she could do to keep from succumbing to the tremendous psychic anguish. That is why you must leave. There is nothing for you here in the surface world but death. For the sake of your young, you have to depart.
How---will---I---will---we---survive?
I....cannot say. This planet's oceans are vast, deep and unexplored by man. I am sure you can survive without ever setting foot on land ever again. You will find a way.
Yes---I---will. For---the---sake---of---my---young---I---must. Why---do---you---help---me?
Because, like you, I am, in a way, alone. A stranger in a strange world, Vulcan replied. Also, you are a living being. I do not want you to die.
There was a lengthy pause before the creature responded. Thank---you.
You are welcome. Live long, and prosper. With a final cry, Vulcan forcefully disengaged the mind meld. Her eyes rolling back in her head, the alien Scout, thoroughly exhausted from the energy she used for her telepathic joining with the dinosaur crumpled unconscious to the ground.
Moments later, the creature awakened. Rising to its feet, the dinosaur stared down at the helpless and unmoving pink animal it had conversed with. Part of its being, the ancient, instinctual part longed to devour Vulcan who it saw as nothing more than food. But the other part, it's primitive consciousness saw that killing this animal would be wrong.
With a low growl, the creature turned and headed towards the lake, back to the only world it knew. It would heed the warning of the pink animal and never return to land where it had been hurt, both by fire, and by knowledge its brain could no longer understand. The creature, and it's young would live in the oceans, together, yet forever apart from its own kind.
At the shore, the creature tilted back its head, the dinosaur expressed its crushing loneliness in a long, sorrowful cry before slipping into the water, never to be seen by the eyes of man again.
Rainer and Desjardins were stunned to see Chris lying prone on the ground, thirty feet from the front door of the lodge. Curious, Cynthia peeked over Rainer's shoulder and gasped from horror at seeing her brother, helpless.
"CHRIS!" she shrieked. Cynthia moved for the door but was stopped short by Rainer.
"Not so fast, cherie," he said in a chiding tone. "I'd rather you stay inside and not run off."
"Judging from his appearance, he must have been hurt," Desjardins speculated. He then turned to Rainer. "What do you want to do?"
"I'll keep Cynthia from bolting. You go out and bring the boy in. Hurry," Rainer replied. With a nod, Desjardins cautiously left the building.
Watching his friend move towards the boy, Rainer started to feel better about the situation. With both Van Buren siblings in his control, he could really turn the screws on their father and extort a king's ransom from him for their safe return. But first, he had to get away from the resort, away from Arsenal. So intent was Rainer on watching what went on outside, he failed to notice Maddie creeping over to where the Uzi Arsenal shattered lay. Gingerly, quietly, Maddie picked up the gun barrel.
Desjardins, holding his weapon in a death grip, nervously looked all around him, fearful of an ambush. Even though everyone in the camp was in the main lodge, he was still apprehensive. Desjardins was a paper pusher, not a soldier, so this was all new to him. And he wasn't comfortable being on the front lines.
Creeping up to the unmoving Chris who lay on his back, Desjardins stared down at the boy, and almost immediately, noticed a considerable inconsistency. Although Chris' clothes were dirtied, ripped and torn, he could see no sign of any bodily injury. That raised the hackles on his neck as he feared something was wrong. At that moment, as if to validate his suspicions, Chris' eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Surprise!" he whispered.
"What on EarthÉ?" the startled Desjardins wondered aloud.
"Police! Freeze!" ordered Aoki, springing out from behind a tree fifteen feet away, the Uzi he held at the ready for firing. Desjardins' eyes widened at seeing the young man and the weapon he carried. So distracted was Desjardins, he failed to notice Chris springing to his feet in a desperate burst of speed and leaping aside as he knew what would happen next and didn't want to be in the way of any gunfire.
"Drop your weapon!" the young officer ordered. Aoki hoped, even prayed the man he faced would be smart and not fire on him. Desjardins, having never been in such a position before reacted from anger at having been fooled. With a snarl on his lips, the Frenchman clumsily brought his weapon up to his shoulder, but he wasn't nearly fast enough as Aoki squeezed off a three round burst that hit Desjardins in the upper body and shoulder. With a shrill cry of pain, the terrorist dropped his weapon and collapsed.
"PHILIPE!" yelled Rainer, horrified to see his longtime friend cut down. Enraged, the Frenchman brought his gun to bear, determined to spray Aoki with bullets. Before Rainer could pull the trigger, Maddie, hefting the barrel of the shattered Uzi like a club leaped at him and brought her makeshift weapon down on the back of his head with all her strength.
The Frenchman cried out from pain as the barrel hit him solidly on his skull. Cynthia, seeing the opening also acted by snap kicking Rainer in his solar plexus, bent over, he was helpless as Maddie whacked his gun hand and the Uzi fell from stiff fingers. The men in the crowd, stunned to have seen two girls take the initiative against their antagonist moved in quickly before Rainer could mount a counterattack, falling on the Frenchman in an angry human wave that pummeled him relentlessly.
In only a minute, it was all over. A dozen males, along with Maddie and Cynthia stood over the fallen Rainer, alive, but beaten to a bloody pulp. No one dared to speak as they glared hatefully at the unconscious terrorist who threatened all their lives.
"Looks like you won't be getting your ransom after all, you asshole," Cynthia snarled at Rainer. The rich girl then turned to Maddie who, still holding the gun barrel and smiled appreciatively at her. "Thanks, Maddie. What you did was....cool."
Maddie returned the smile and gave Cynthia a thumbs up. "The pleasure was all mine, Cindy."
Back outside, Aoki ran up to Desjardins who lay bleeding, but alive on the ground and kicked the gun away from his nearby hand. The young officer's hands shook and his stomach roiled at seeing the blood. Having shot another human being before, Aoki found the experience unsettling. It also made him wonder if he was cut out for being a policeman. He decided to think about that later. "Chris! You okay?"
Chris, emerging from cover behind a tree nodded. He too was shaking from fright and nauseous from seeing the bleeding Desjardins. "I'm fine. But I think I wet my pants. I gotta admit, that was pretty good shooting, Aoki."
Aoki dismissed the compliment with a frown. "Dumb luck. I don't think this guy was a hardcore shooter. If he were, we'd both be dead. We got off easy, my friend."
"You think I don't know that? But right now, I could care less." At that moment, the long, sorrowful roar of the creature could be heard in the distance. The sound sent a chill down Chris' spine and he gasped from shock. "Tanya! Aoki! I gotta find the girls!"
"I'm coming with you! No telling if there's any more goons out there!"
The two men dashed off into the woods as everyone from the lodge poured out of the building.
NEXT: THE EPILOGUE