A nightmare beckons
Something darker squirms
Where democracy is dead
Under a star spangled standard
Using weapons
Of mass distraction
To shroud the slaughter
The deception
They’ve poisoned the well
All fall down
Bathed in shadow
If there is hope
To build a new world
Stand up now
Fight for it
For Every Drop of Bloody Tears
I Weep
May it soon be honey upon my tongue
Not the blood of the innocent
Loki
United States of America
Washington DC
Thousands of drones fired indiscriminately as they cross the west coast of the US and attacked both Washington and Los Angeles. How ironic it was, as these were similar to those unmanned drones used in the Middle East and North Africa that killed mostly women and children and rarely their intended targets, yet, these were far more advanced.
The Arch Youma Queen was targeting the most powerful cities on the North American continent to spread her empire.
-
The escape pod had made a rough landing; it could be repaired later, but for now, they would abandon it within the pile of rubble that had cushioned the impact somewhat; the small matter of saving their butts uppermost in their thoughts for the moment.
From the viewport, children and youths in dirty clothes accompanied by dogs and some cats with strange devices in hand and headphones playing music rummaged through the burnt out shops and piles of debris, the older children had weapons slung over their shoulders, pistols and knives in hand in case of trouble. Every now and then, these young people disappeared into the side streets as the growls of strange beasts drew ever nearer.
-
The droids had fired on them, forcing them back towards the engine room, and the escape pods were their only chance. Now they were stuck with no back up on this benighted planet.
The small craft where the survivors of the coup aboard Diamond’s ship were holed up had found themselves trapped for the moment, staring into a dystopian landscape.
Esmeraude coughed, the smoke making it near impossible to breathe. The bullish man, about to kick the door drew back as it was ripped from its hinges by something that terrified him no end.
Esmeraude knew he didn’t scare so easy but she didn’t blame him in the least on this occasion.
The thing towering over them, part man, part reptile, possessed a hard exoskeleton shell- having an insectoid look about it and was most formidable in that military uniform. The thing was so fast it punched Rubeus off his feet and sent him crashing to the floor and it leered over the terrified woman in the sheer short see-through green shift she loved to wear but not under these conditions.
She was for the first time ever afraid as the monster drooled, and it grinned, lust burning in its vast fish-like eyes and reaching for her. Esmeraude, remembering her advantage, used her fan to destroy it sending several of its friends back into the marble wall a few feet away.
“What the hell were that thing, and its friends, Rubeus?”
“How the hell should I know woman, c’mon we better get out of here and survey the ruins and find better cover.”
“Oh my, look at that, the creatures are running from the cats!” she tilted her head, “Are they Mauans?”
“I don’t know, but they’ve given us a window of opportunity, let’s move!”
-
The massive white marble structure to Esmeraude’s eyes looked like a noble building in a great city, perhaps a government building, it was, The Capital Building.
Chaos ruled and as they attended to each other’s wounds madness flashed in Rubeus’s eyes unsettling the scantily clad siren as she stepped forward into the cold wind, it was snowing.
“Hardly hospitable but let’s find out where we are shall we; it reminds me of Terra’s timeline in Ancient Greece, but these primitive road vehicles belong to their current age so it must be…,” she paused, examining the massive ruin and the burnt out tanks and abandoned streets that seemed so spacious.
She fished inside the vehicle, found a thick woollen jacket, and slipped it on over her shivering body.
“America, the United States thereof, we missed our target but not a problem. Here is a better place to establish a foothold. We can always build more droids, but our treacherous scientist won’t be helping us so we’re on our own!”
“Let’s get cleaned up Rubeus, and see if we can get some help. You can be very persuasive and I have my means too, this is perfect for the taking,” she said, wiggling her hips in a suggestive manner.
“Trust you to desire to mate with these…, humans, each to their own,” Rubeus sighed, eying her long sculpted legs, having had firsthand experience with Esmeraude in bed and enjoying their infrequent sorties into sexual pleasure. “Hmmm, the planet’s largest superpower, a military dictatorship in flames, only room for the Dark Moon Clan not these pathetic humans!”
“Yes, we’ll beat them at their own game and make Terra ours,” she laughed, raising a hand and firing a bolt of bright red plasma at another mutant.
Tokyo Japan
Sakura Jinja
“I got a message from Usagi guys,” Minako gushed, all excited and a little worried though she tried to hide it.
“Spill woman,” Makoto said looking at Minako.
“She’s safe and Mamoru and Ami are okay too, look-see on my netbook screen…”
“We’re getting reports that the war is spreading. Forces unknown have attacked Washington and California. The mainstream media have placed an embargo on the latest developments but Central Control has bypassed that. Seems an enemy taskforce had in the last forty-eight hours left the Middle East we figure it to be a Dar Kingdom incursion.” Artemis said, looking up at the girls. “If we don’t stop this, we’re screwed.”
“The Shitennou have vanished, we believe only Nephrite and possibly Kunzite survived but have no proof concerning the latter,” Luna said looking frustrated and worried.
“I think it is time to set up a strategy here. We can’t get into Iraq now, it would be suicide, even with our powers. We’re still learning to master these let alone deal with creatures that are part youma and something alien with human characteristics,” Rei said, sitting on the arm of a comfortable chair chewing the ends of her long dark hair.
“I’ve spoken to the Japanese government,” a new voice put in, Uranus stepped forward and bowed to the group in the guestroom at the shrine. “Neptune and I were not meant to reveal ourselves but the timeline is disrupted and apparently our reality is one of many, but not the hub. I know it sounds crazy but if you know anything about the Multiple Universe theory, I can tell you it is fact. Ask Umino, he’s the brains trust on all this stuff and Naru, we’re guarding you around the clock.”
“Me? Hey, that’s cool and I am impressed but I’m just a girl with no powers, and I’d get in the way of a real fight and…”
“You’re a target and you know it; all right, bate but there is something about you that draws the Dark Kingdom to you, not saying you are evil, far from it,” Neptune added, as Naru sat back down staring at the new soldiers of justice before them.
“Okay, please explain it to me.”
“You are a senshi.”
“Haha, you almost had me, if I am anything, it is a liability!” she chuckled, thinking it a gag.
“Sorry but I'm not joking Naru, you are a sleeper. We’ve encountered them before in other realities.”
“Pluto has asked for our help to cross the Crystal Nexus on countless occasions so we’re old hands at this kind of stuff. The Nexus in short is where the Ginzuishou and Kinzuishou had originated, and are ever evolving but that is a complex topic for another time; suffice to say you need our help now, Naru,” Uranus said as another senshi entered the room carrying a huge glaive.
“How many of us are there?” Naru gasped, knowing this younger addition to the team held the power of life and death in her small hands.
She had no idea how she knew, but found herself drawn to the young adolescent as if they were once friends or lost siblings, it was so weird.
“Fact is, this is not the first time the Dark Kingdom or some other enemy has tried to subvert the space-time continuum and we’re here to put matters to rights,” she bowed then detransformed “I am Saturn, this is Uranus and Neptune, and you can call me Hotaru.” She sat on the floor between the two cats petting them.
“I am Haruka and my partner, Michiru.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she said, smiling.
Then a flash of red light introduced Pluto who joined the assembly.
“Hello everyone, we have much to discuss.”
“I think a reading from the Sacred Fire might help after we chat and have some refreshments,” Rei put in and all agreed.
Iraq
Desert
Usagi felt the vehicle jump and then sensed imminent danger.
“Stop the convoy guys, please!”
She climbed out behind Jake and he instructed the others to wait.
Kira jumped out with Mamoru and Ami in tow.
“What is it Usagi?” he had gotten used to her aura now glowing around her as she smiled and patted his arm. “Trouble?”
“Sorry, but it is dangerous ahead, let me investigate.”
“No way lady, if you’re shot at by enemy snipers or-“
“No snipers, wait here, you too guys!” she told Kira, Mamoru and Ami.
She ran towards the end of the road that curved around a sheared off hillside and then he heard it, they all had, the explosion and then the flash.
“Usagi!” Mamoru shouted running down the road with Jake, Kira and Ami in hot pursuit.
TBC
