"They're gone!" That was Kodachi.
"Quick, back to Wallace-Kami!!" Commanded Ranma. Then there was silence.
Silence, that is, except for the sound of quickly approaching footsteps. Completely unafraid of one mere enemy, the chans stood their ground.
Breathing hard, a frazzled figure burst through the doors, knocking the three girls off their feet. "Oh, sorry . . ." Ryoga apologized.
Rai-chan and Sammy-chan got up. Heta was out cold with Caluna licking her face in an effort to wake her.
"S'okay," Rai said indifferently. She was taken aback by Ryoga's intense gaze. Why in the name of Fna was he staring at her like that?
"You have . . ." Ryoga started, then quit. No, stupid, you can't tell her how much you like her eyes. Not yet. He began again. "You have a great team! Can I come with you? I've got nowhere to go anymore, not now . . ." he trailed off.
Sammy broke in. "You're saying you DON'T hate me . . . err, I mean, us?"
Ryoga avoided the question. "I am BATMAN!" He yelled. Sammy and Rai stared, not comprehending. "I am . . . Tuxedo Mask?" He tried.
Suddenly, Caluna's frantic licking paid off. Heta sat up at great speeds, and quoted with her index finger poised, "you are Tuxedo Mask, friend of the Sailor Scouts!" Everyone laughed. Except Heta. "What, what?"
Rai-chan guffawed. "Too much DiC for you, Heta!"
Heta-chan stood up indignantly. "Oh I see, I get it. You're laughing at me, because now you have Ryoga and you don't need me on your stupid team anymore. Fine! If I can't have any REAL friends, then I'll go BUILD myself one!" She ran off before they could say another word.
Caluna scampered after her, transmitting, I'M your friend you blithering idiot! Wait, you don't know what you're doing! You're not going to finish . . . HIM, are you?
Ryoga, Sammy, and Rai all stood staring after her, too stupefied to speak.
Then Sammy smirked, breaking the silence as her lips squeaked over her pearly whites. "She'll be back. Don't worry, guys. Let's walk down Bakerview and see what we can see."
Rai grinned, but her teeth didn't squeak. "Follow the Bakerview road, follow the Bakerview road, follow follow follow follow--,"
"Shut up," said Sammy. Rai, looking miffed, followed her with Ryoga close behind.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Heta-chan raced through town on the tops of various buildings, trying to remember where the lab was. Wait a minute! She didn't need the lab! She had her own lab in her room . . . how long it had been since she had done any experiments, or worked on her pride-and-joy.
Just then, it started to rain. Better teleport, thought Heta.
Damn right, Caluna thought back to her.
I almost forgot about YOU!! Heta was amazed.
Caluna gave the equivalent of a mental shrug. I seem to be an easy thing to forget. Dammit, I never get ANY recognition.
Heta decided that this mental communication was draining her power reserves. "Caluna," she said as she jumped off a bakery and landed on the street, "let me pick you up so I can teleport you with me."
The cabbit obliged, leaping into Heta-chan's arms. She never was one to do exactly what others asked of her.
In a slight rippling of the air, the two were gone.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Heta and Caluna reappeared in Heta's old room. A tear of nostalgia almost escaped Heta-chan's eye as she recalled the room just before she had left for her little operation. She never even said goodbye to everyone . . . her mad karate-chopping father and her gentle karate-chopping stepmother. Not to mention her Pok�mon card-pinching stepbrothers who were in no way wicked.
Somehow Cinderheta didn't sound very impressive . . .
Heta-chan shook herself out of her reverie. Now was not the time for such desolation! She came here for one purpose and one purpose only . . . to finish . . . and activate . . . GADGET BOY!!
She rummaged under her bed for a moment, then pulled out a human form clad in blue armor. He was a bit dusty . . . his short, brown hair tousled from a few months under there. He was also covered in cat hair . . . so, the cats had been sleeping on him, had they? Heta couldn't help but laugh.
Heta pulled open the secret panel in the wall next to her anime shelves. Ahhh, it was still there. The basic personality chip, complete with emotions. Finally, finally, Gadget Boy would be complete! And then, Heta hoped, at least he would be her friend.
She dragged him onto the surface of her bed, which had long before she left been turned into a metal table for scientific purposes.
Dear God! That's your BED you perverse young thing! Caluna prattled.
"It is for SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES. How can science be erotic? I think you just have a sick mind."
In fact, Caluna was busily thinking up ways that science could be erotic and was no longer paying attention to Heta-chan.
Heta sighed and focused on the project at hand. She pushed a button at the base of Gadget Boy's neck, and a panel in his head opened up. At last, she thought as she pressed the chip into its waiting space and closed the section once again.
She flipped a switch on Gadget Boy's arm that was marked 'on.' It broke off in her hand. Whoops, thought Heta.
Caluna giggled mentally, heheh, you turned him on and now you can't turn him back off! HAHAHAHAHA!!
"Shut up! You stupid cat, be quiet and let me think!!"
I'm NOT a cat, I'm a cabbit and if you ever call me that again I'll-
Heta-chan's eyes seemed to glow for a moment. "You'll what?! Scratch me? Heheh, yeah right . . . huh? Caluna, look, he's opening his eyes!" Heta jumped up and down. She'd got the pigment just right . . . that beautiful cerulean pair of optic receivers would make any woman (man?) go wild.
Caluna leapt onto the poor android's face. They ARE rather nice, for a humanoid. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Screamed Gadget Boy, "little black cat bunny!!!" Caluna jumped to the floor.
Heta smiled in pure delight, "she's a cabbit."
Gadget Boy sat up and calmed down a bit. "What is my designation?"
"You are called Gadget Boy, but may I call you Gadget? It's much shorter." Explained Heta-chan.
He stared. "Please state instructions."
Heta sighed. This was going to take some time. "Say yes."
"Yes."
"Very good. Well, then . . . Gadget . . . will you be my friend?"
Gadget Boy looked blank as his mental processes looked up the definition of the word 'friend.' "I feel . . . something . . . fuzzy, warm, nice." He shook his head, "what answer does this feeling indicate?"
"I believe you're feeling happiness . . . so, 'yes'."
He nodded slightly. "Yes."
"Good," Heta-chan clapped her hands together, "now that that's settled, I will give you some instructions."
Gadget pushed the button on his neck and his head opened up again. "Dozo," he said.
"I see my Japanese program has been working well for you. I'm glad."
"Glad?"
Heta explained as she poked at the buttons inside Gadget Boy's head. "Glad is another kind of happiness. It's kind of a feeling of happiness, relief, and gratitude combined."
"I will file this information for later reference."
"Excellent." Heta shut the panel once again. "You now have mastered the arts of Goju Ryu Karate and Kamiya Kasshin Ryu fencing. I hope I programmed them well . . ."
Gadget Boy stood up, jumping off the table. "Hya! Hya!" In two punches, Heta-chan's room was destroyed.
"NNNOOOOOOOOO!!" Heta cried. "You weren't supposed to do that!"
"Oh," Gadget Boy said sheepishly. "I feel something else now . . . I'm sad for doing that."
"It's called regret," Heta said, annoyed.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Meanwhile, our heroines Rai-chan and Sammy-chan were merrily walking along Bakerview Road with Ryoga. Suddenly, there came a very evil laughter.
Ryoga paled. "Who's there??"
A shape appeared in the sky, soon followed by lesser shapes. "It is I, Wallace-Kami, and you are mine at last! Perhaps without the added power of Heta-chan you won't be able to whup me this time!! BWAHAHA, MWAHAHA!"
Sammy glared defiantly at the evil overlord. "Oh yeah? Well, where I come from, he who laughs last dies first!!" She gathered her chi, Rai-chan sparking behind her.
Ryoga brandished his umbrella, but Kodachi floated down from the sky and wrenched it from his grasp. She whacked him soundly over the head with it, and he was soon out cold.
"Hmph. You are too weak for me to bother with. Attack, my minions! AHAHAHA!!"
Kuno flew down from above and brandished his bushido blade at Rai-chan as Ranma took on Sammy-chan. Shampoo marched over to Ryoga and proceeded to smack him across the face with her bonbori-thingys. Kodachi, her work done for a time, floated patiently beside her Lord and Master, Wallace-Kami.
An all-out battle ensued. Sammy-chan and Ranma's chi were competing for dominance, while Rai-chan shocked Kuno over and over again. Not seeming to realize that he was down for the count, Shampoo continued to pound away at Ryoga's poor face.
"My omnipotent powers are WEAKENING!!" Screamed Sammy-chan at Rai.
Rai-chan shrugged. "You ain't seen nothin' yet." With one final shock, Kuno's reign of terror was over. He lay on the ground, smoking, but alive.
As Ranma tumbled to the pavement, Sammy shrugged as well. "Aw, I guess it was just a fluke."
But then, Wallace-Kami became enraged beyond all reason. "You hideous churlish rabbit-suckers!! Prepare to DDDIIIIEEEE!!" A blast of bright purple power flooded Bakerview. Cars crashed into one another in a scene of pure devastation. And Wallace-Kami laughed a horrendous laugh.
As the dust settled and the purpleness cleared, Wallace-Kami saw that Kodachi was laying unconscious on the ground . . . right next to the bodies of Sammy and Rai.
As Ryoga awakened finally and glanced around him, he began screaming like a chicken with it's head cut off. (Which, as we all know, wouldn't be able to scream . . .) "HELP HELP HE GOT THEM HE GOT THEM OH NO NOT THE GIRLS WITH THE PRETTY GREEN EYES HE GOT THEM BOTH!! NOOOOO!! SOMEONE HELP US!!"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
No so far away in Heta's room, Gadget Boy heard a cry for help. "Hark!" He said.
"Ummm . . . Gadget, people don't say that very much anymore."
A puzzled look crossed his face. "Oh. But I hear someone calling for help!"
Heta-chan, brightening at the chance to be of use, exclaimed, "well, what are you waiting for! Let's go!! Caluna, come on!!"
The cabbit jumped onto Heta's shoulder. Heta-chan frantically yelled at Gadget, "what are you waiting for? Use the cool stuff I gave you!!"
He nodded. He appeared to be getting more and more intelligent by the minute. After Heta had taught him about basic emotions and human concepts, he seemed to get it okay. But there would still be bugs and times of awkwardness, of course. "Right. Gadget Jets!!" Gadget Boy's boots started shooting off flame. Lighting Heta's floor neatly ablaze.
As his Gadget jets fired up, he burst out of Heta's house, leaving a Gadget Boy-shaped hole in the wall.
"WAIT!" Called Heta-chan. She sighed. "Hang on tight, Caluna. It's time to fly." The blue super-heroine followed her creation out of the wall.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
As they reached the scene of carnage that lay on the normally peaceful Bakerview Road, the three heroes stopped in mid air. Wallace-Kami floated there laughing his stupid head off. And . . . were those Heta's friends down below?! Oh, she knew that she shouldn't have abandoned them.
Hello! Friends need help = go help friends!! Intoned Caluna.
Heta-chan strengthened her resolve and pointed to the ground. "Gadget, down there!" She commanded. Gadget Boy complied.
As they landed, Wallace-Kami ceased his incessant giggling. "What? One left? Easily taken care of, heheheheh." He held out a black-gloved hand that pulsated with purple power. Forming a small ball, the shiny mass of energy was shot toward Heta-chan.
The ball was a little off and it slammed into her arm. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as she collapsed to the earth, blood dripping down her precious appendage. The pain caused her to black out immediately on impact.
"HAHAHAHAA!! Now just to kill them . . ."
A blue form walked steadfastly in front of the three, sunlight relfecting off the ice-blue armor. "Stop." The man (boy?) looked up at the wicked ruler, anger in his cerulean eyes. "I won't let you. Heta-chan is . . . friend. Friends don't let friends drive drunk!!!" He cried. "No, wait, I meant . . ."
"I don't care what you MEANT, you fool. I'll kill you!! YAAAAA!!" Wallace-Kami was getting ready for another good chi blast.
"Gadget Jets!!" Yelled Gadget Boy, taking to the air. The chi blast hit the ground, not hurting the armored guy but severely damaging all the unconscious people.
"Why you . . ." Wallace-Kami backed off a bit.
"Gadget Flamethrower!!" A small tube made its way out of Gadget Boy's hand. He aimed it at Wallace-Kami before the demi-god could even blink. Soon Wallace-Kami was on the ground with the rest, a crispy critter.
Gadget Boy settled back to the ground and picked up Heta's limp body. "I feel . . . regret." He said.
As the sun began to set on the touching scene, a single tear made its way down Gadget Boy's face, and dripped onto the cracked and broken concrete in the middle of the street.
Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy�
"You have failed me one too many times, Srich. The price of your insolence is DEATH." The words echoed through the grand hall.
Servants stopped to stare at the predicament of their brother, who was now a pile of ashes. With fear in their eyes, they looked up at their ruler. Clad in an iridescent green body suit that clung to her well-developed body, she smirked. Her golden red hair was up in two buns with long flowing tails protruding from each. With long nimble fingers, she stroked a pikachu that sat in her lap. The demonic creature purred as she traced the emerald on its forehead.
A servant came up to her side, bowing before addressing her. "My liege, Wallace-Kami waits outside you throne room. He wishes to have an audience with Your Greatness."
"Escort him in! The rest of you, leave." She commanded, gesturing for them to exit. The servants exited through the side door, scurrying as fast as their legs could carry them.
The room became silent except for the pikachu�s purrs. The huge decorated doors outside the throne opened. A dark figure slipped through, followed by a short plump psyduck. The black-cloaked man was charred from head to toe. He kneeled before her throne, bawling like a small child. "Luna-Megami, it has been a while since I last saw you," he addressed her.
"My little brother, what brings you to my palace? And please, stop your excessive tears. It is pathetic to see one of Fna�s elite crying like a sniveling brat," Luna-Megami stated. The pikachu in her lap began to growl, arching its back in an offensive manner. "Artemis, you shouldn�t feel threatened by that puny psyduck, my pet!" She whispered in a mocking voice.
"Puny?! My psyduck is the most powerful pokemon in the world!" Wallace-Kami motioned towards his pet. The idiotic creature was waddling around in circles before it smashed into the throne room wall. There it rolled around on the floor, still holding its head.
"Most powerful pokemon, huh?" A sinuous grin played across Luna-Megami�s face. "That creature isn�t even fit to be a doorstop."
Wallace-Kami got to his feet, frustration knit in his brow. "Well, at least I didn�t pretend to be babysitting when I was really making out with my boyfriend."
"How dare you bring that up?" She screamed as she stood up, letting Artemis fall to the floor. "You were the one who gave my panties to that guy who liked me for a profit."
"Well, I wasn�t the one wh�" Wallace-Kami was about to retort when a beam cannon attack blazed out of Luna-Megami�s fingers, striking the tile by Wallace-Kami�s feet. The coward jumped away, staring fearfully at the crater in the floor.
"I grow weary of your stupidity, little brother. I doubt you came to see me to bring up ancient history. What is it that you want to ask from me?" She said as she regally sat back down on her throne.
Wallace-Kami hung his head in shame. "I came to ask your assistance in helping me defeat rebels who defy Fna. There power-levels are immense, and I cannot defeat them on my own," he mumbled.
"Fna won�t be pleased to find out that one of its Kamis has been defeated by such inferior beings. It is your responsibility to take care of the inner rim." She grinned evilly. "Fna gave you that position, thinking you were capable� all along you were a weakling. If only you had kept your planets in line, nothing like this could have happened. It�s your own fault, and I�ll let you deal with it."
Wallace-Kami shot his older sister a nasty look, and stormed out of her presence. His pathetic psyduck squacked in pain as the door was slammed on his tail.
Luna-Megami gazed around the room, searching for any unsuspecting guests. "What do you make of it, my love?" She whispered to the darkness next to her.
A dark but handsome figure stepped out from behind a curtain, coming forward to stand beside the throne. "I think your brother�s honor must be badly bruised for him to come ask for your aid. If you defeat these so-called �rebels,� your reputation would spread through the universe and no one would dare threaten your power."
"You may be right, Trunks�" Artemis leapt into Luna-Megami�s lap, nuzzling her hand. She pet her pikachu absently, lost in thought. "I think it�s time we made a visit to Earth."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Gadget Boy shook Heta-chan fiercely, trying to wake her. Heta�s eyes blinked open, and stared confusedly at her wounded arm. It was bandaged neatly. "Did you do this?" She asked.
The android scratched the back of his head. "Yes� I� it�s my first-aid programming."
Heta-chan smiled at him coyly.
Rai-chan sat up in a daze, rubbing her aching head. "Owwhh� What hit me?"
Sammy crawled clumsily to Rai-chan�s side. "I think Wallace-Kami did this to us. But where is he? Why are all his minions unconscious too? Where�s Ryoga?? Are my eyes still green??"
Rai-chan grabbed her head. "So many questions�" She groaned. "�My head hurts!!"
Sammy-chan screamed when she saw the motionless Ryoga sprawled out on a pile of rubble. She scurried to his side, and started slapping him across the face. "Wake up, wake up!! My eyes are still green!!"
He opened his eyes with a start. "Owwww, my face!!"
"Look! I saved you! The beautiful red-haired, GREEN-eyed babe you see before you!" Sammy struck a pose.
Gadget Boy helped Heta-chan to her feet. "I am glad you are all alright."
Rai-chan smote Sammy over the head with a mallet from hammerspace. "At least we know SAM�S just fine�" She grumbled, dragging her friend�s semi-conscious body back into reality.
Little did the chans know that a dark figure was lurking in the shadows, examining their every move. A cacophonous laugh filled the air.
"Ohhh, what was that??" Heta asked shakily.
"It�s unbelievable that humans with such puny power levels could defeat my baby brother�" A green-cloaked figure stepped into the light.
"Who or what are YOU?!" Rai-chan demanded. The heroes dropped into fighting stances.
The new menace dropped her hood. Red ponytails glared in the sun. "My name is Luna-Megami," she purred. "You will never forget, for it will be the last name you ever hear!" She thrust her hand into the empty air, and a whip appeared in her palm. In a movement to quick to see, the whip snapped around Rai-chan�s neck. The girl struggled profusely, but to no avail. Rai was pulled down to her knees.
Heta cried out. "We have to do something!"
Rai-chan grinned sinisterly, despite her predicament. "Don�t worry about me�" Her eyes shut, and sparks flared at her hands. Electricity shot up the length of the whip and engulfed Luna-Megami.
The goddess cackled as the lightning barely singed her. "Is that all you can dish out??" She shouted.
Rai-chan clenched her teeth and thrust more power down the whip. The goddess was still unaffected. Suddenly Rai�s eyes flew open. She gasped sharply, her powers decreasing.
Luna bared her teeth in an evil smile.
There was a sudden snap, and the whip constricting Rai-chan broke in two. A large umbrella was wedged in the concrete, after being thrown at the whip with tremendous force. Luna-Megami started in surprise.
Ryoga calmly stepped up to his umbrella and pulled it out of the sidewalk. Luna-Megami brought her hand up to her face in shock. "His power level is sky-rocketing� impressive for his race�"
With all of his pent-up depression, Ryoga couldn�t hold it in any longer, and used his most powerful attack.
"�SHISHIHOKODAN!!"
"What?!!" Luna screamed as the power engulfed her.
Sammy-chan managed a grin. "How cathartic�" She turned to Heta. "That�s where I learned it."
The dust and chi cleared. Luna-Megami stood panting, looking much worse for the wear. She opened her squeezed-shut eyes, and bared her teeth. "Very impressive," she snarled. "Now let me show you MY trick!" She brought her hands up above her head. "Ka� me� ha�"
Rai-chan stood up, coughing. "What is she doing�?"
"�Me� HA!!!" An energy ball condensed in her hands. She fired the blast at Sammy-chan.
Sammy screamed in surprise and jumped out of the blast�s way. The energy smashed into the cement between her and Heta-chan, causing it to explode into shards that rained down upon the heroes.
Luna-Megami brought her hands up again, another sphere of energy already condensing. "The next one won�t miss."
A dark, purple-haired figure appeared out of thin air. He placed a hand on Luna�s shoulder. "Fna has more pressing matters for us to attend to."
Luna-Megami looked at him, and reluctantly put her hands back down. She nodded in agreement. "All right," she said, and turned toward the rebels. "I have more important things to do than to dirty my hands with Wallace-Kami�s mess." She smiled. "We�ll see you again." Her figure began to distort before it totally disappeared.