Adventures in Parodyverse - Saving the Future Part 18.1.4

    The hole in the ground that Sharon and Lara found on Shee-Yar was deep, and looking deeper by the minute.  It was getting dark.  Fortunately, Sharon quickly found out that the environmental suit had lights.

    They continued walking for what seemed like hours, as the hole became a tunnel, and went from vertical to horizontal.  The wind still poured in violently behind them.  Eventually they started to see large golden stones embedded into the ground, like an ancient foundation.  The center of the stones looked like they had been blown out with dynamite.

    In the center of that blown-out hole was a giant black rock with symbols carved into it.

    “This is interesting.”  Sharon moved toward the black rock, reaching out with her left hand.

    “No, Sharon, stop!”  Lara called out to her and lunged.  She wouldn’t have made it, except that Sharon heard her and obeyed.

    Sharon lowered her arm and turned around.  “What’s wrong?”  She looked at Lara’s eyes, and her smile disappeared.  “Lara...what’s wrong?”

    Just for a moment, as Sharon’s work lights passed across her face, Lara caught her own reflection in the helmet’s glass.  Her eyes were giving off the flickering glow that meant she was being overwhelmed by radiating energy.  

    “It’s giving something off.”  Lara explained hastily.  “And you’re wearing a metal suit.”

    “Oh.  Right.”  Sharon backed away a few steps.  “You touch it then.”

    “No.”  Lara shook her head slowly.  “No, it’s--”  She was walking backwards slowly, as if she felt the rock would reach for her, especially if she moved too quickly.

    Sharon trusted Lara’s instinct.  She began to back away too.  Then she put it all together.  

    “The wind.”  she said, once they were out of view of the scary black rock.

    “What about it?”  Lara asked.  She was calmer now that she felt she was out of range.

    “It was moving toward the rock, from all directions.”  Sharon noted.  “What do you open to let in the wind?”

    Lara replied with as she swallowed nervously, “A door, or a window.”  

    “Right.”  Sharon replied faintly.  “Let’s get out of here while we still can.  Before we end up somewhere we don’t want to be.”

---

    When Sharon and Lara resurfaced, it was night time.  They had indeed been exploring the tunnel for hours.  Shen Rae’s Glider was still floating patiently above, waiting.  As they emerged, it became visible and floated down to pick them up.

    Shen Rae greeted them as they boarded the craft, and slipped out of the environmental suits.

    “Did you learn anything?”  the Captain asked.

    Sharon folded her arms and looked suspiciously at the Captain.  “You saw the black rock as we did, yes?”  It sounded like an accusation.

    The Captain looked a little sheepish at that point.  “Yes, your suits did send back video,”  she admitted.  “I’m sorry, I should have told you.”

    Lara looked as if her feelings had been hurt.  She thought Shen Rae trusted her.

    “I’m sorry, I don’t know what it is.”  Shen Rae continued.  “I haven’t seen anything like it before.  I will send the video to be analyzed, however.”

    “We know what killed the people of Shee-Yar.”  Sharon reported.  “We’re just not sure how, or who did it.”

    Shen Rae looked suspicious and sullen at first.  But a smile came to her as she realized what the two women were trying to do.  They were protecting Lara’s friends, afraid that the Captain’s Company or government would react violently if they discovered Earth was involved.

    So Shen Rae called them both on it.  “I understand your need to protect Earth.”  she said, watching both of their faces fall.  But then they both looked relieved when the Captain added, “It’s my responsibility as well.  But I must know the truth.”

    Lara and Sharon looked at each other, seeming worried.  Then the blonde relented first.

    “It might be the Carnifex.”  Lara told her quietly.  Then she quickly disclaimed that with, “We don’t have any real proof.  Just that he gives me a creepy vibe, and he’s a hunter, and he’s powerful.”

    Shen Rae crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly.  “That’s hardly strong evidence.”  she said.  “And if he did, somehow...the Shee-Yar were a threat to Earth.  He was protecting it, much as you are trying to do.  You are two of a kind, not enemies.”

    After a pause, Shen Rae added, “But I think you know that.”

    Lara’s weak smile mirrored the Captain’s.  “Yeah.”  she replied.  “Yeah, I guess...though I don’t like his methods, I guess I should thank him.  I mean, at least I’m here, and not fighting a war against the Shee-Yar right now.”

    “You’re going to thank him for genocide?”  Sharon asked, sounding a little outraged.

    The blonde super-hero shrugged.  She didn’t seem all that proud of her idea.  “You ever get a feeling of what kind of awful things a certain person in particular might do if they think people are ungrateful?”

    Sharon knew that Lara was talking about exactly what she just referred to.  She nodded slowly.  “I see.”  she said.  “I suppose that’s the best option, then.  If he ever does think of turning on Earth, he’ll remember you were the one grateful for his services, and perhaps he’ll listen to you.  Very clever.”

    “Yes.”  Lara acknowledged.  “I suppose we can go home now.”  She looked at Shen Rae for confirmation.

    “Do you think Sir Mumphrey is back yet?”  the Captain asked.

    “Only one way to find out.”  Lara replied with a smile.

---

    The Psychic Samurai looked skyward, and toward the coast.  Her promised backup had arrived, so it was time to take off the kid gloves and really take on the city.  She tightened the strap that held her sword onto her back and began walking.

    Her feet were starting to become sore from all of that walking around, even in the comfortable sneakers she wore today.  She was well rested, but over the last day or so she had been pushing her body past its usual endurance limit.  

    Chiaki knew she had to remain visible...but not too visible.  Just enough so the criminal element would think she might be coming around the corner at any moment, but so to attract the attention of any super-powered beings itching to take her out.

    Unfortunately that drew out some crafty individuals from time to time.  Chiaki found herself surrounded suddenly by four men dressed as ninjas.  It was something that couldn’t be avoided, even if she knew it was coming.

    They knew her, however.  Two of them immediately took her sword, thinking it would disarm her.  But her weapon was just an extension of her body.  They discovered that rather quickly.

    In a flash of movement she broke the jaw of the first of the two men who took her sword with a palm to the chin, and hit the second with her boot.  The third collapsed into nearby garbage cans with a steady kick to the ribs.  

    Her prized sword fell to the ground before she could reach it.

    The fourth was far more hearty, however...unnaturally strong, in fact.  He took a kick to the stomach without falling, and ignored a hand to the side of the neck.  He used the pause in Chiaki’s movement to hit her hard on the side of the head to causing her eyesight to black out, and her head to spin.  She stumbled and fell backward.

    Chiaki wasn’t one to lose her temper easily, but being hit by someone with probably super-power enhanced strength and reflexes was enough to cause her to boil over in an instant.  As she sprung to her feet again, she abandoned ancient techniques that her opponent obviously knew too...

    ...and she punched him hard in the face, again and again, with the full force of her small but strong frame.  He just stood there at first, and then eventually wavered a bit as the impacts began to affect his sight and balance.  Once she had him a little confused, she spun around and sweeped out his legs, knocking him to the floor.  At the last second, as he fell, he grabbed her upper legs and slammed her into the concrete, attempting to pin her down with his unusually significant weight for his size.

    Chiaki turned into a picture of animal fury as she punched and kicked him so violently that he tried to pull away as she started to draw blood.  She held his shirt to keep him close, and continued hitting him, as hard as she could muster, and his blood began dripping steadily onto her face and clothing.

    She didn’t even hear the police cars arrive, and didn’t notice their presence, until two officers handcuffed and lifted the man away from her.  With his enhanced strength, he tried to break through the cuffs...but he discovered that he was still vulnerable to twin tasers.

    Another officer then helped Chiaki to her feet.

    “Are you okay?”  he asked her.

    “Yes.”  Chiaki whispered angrily.  She picked up her sword as she stood.

    “Would you like to see a paramedic?”  he asked, as was his duty.  He looked behind him, where paramedics were now looking at the badly bleeding man in the back of his police cruiser, with the door open.

    “No, thank you.”  she replied.  She put her hand on her head, realizing that it was throbbing painfully.  She let that convince her to allow a paramedic standing nearby to check her for concussion.  “I need to locate a friend of mine.” 

    “Maybe I can help.”  the officer suggested.

    “I wish you could.”  Chiaki admitted.  She took an ice pack offered to her by “But she’s a couple thousand feet in the air right now.  She will probably try to locate me soon at this hotel I was staying in.  I should go there.”

    “You’re okay to go.”  the paramedic spoke up mid-conversation.  “If you get any unusually painful headaches, though, you should go to the emergency room.”

    Chiaki bowed slightly to thank the paramedic, who went to work on the other injured thugs.

    “I’m not really supposed to,”  the officer said, “but I can take you there.  The hotel, I mean, not the emergency room.”

    “I’d rather you didn’t get in trouble for me.”  she replied.  It was obvious then that the cop knew who she was, and started to behave a little star struck.  “I’ll take a taxi.”

    “Suit yourself.”  the officer said with a shrug.

    “By the way.”  Chiaki commented as she hailed a cab that slowed down to watch the spectacle, “I’m happy to see a police presence in this neighborhood.”

    The officer was left scratching his head as she got into the cab and left.  He couldn’t tell if she was being honest or sarcastic.

TO BE CONTINUED?

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2008 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 

--    reprinted without permission.  

-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow

--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin

--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin