Robotech Crossover question

[Arnie100]

Arnie100: "MY PIZZA!!"
taalismn: "My BEER!"
SRoss: "My Minmei Greatest Hits Collection! Oh, Thank God! Its finally GONE!!" (Does happy dance)

[TagsPB]

Arnie100: "MY PIZZA!!"
taalismn: "My BEER!"
SRoss: "My Minmei Greatest Hits Collection! Oh, Thank God! Its finally GONE!!" (Does happy dance)

You sure she didn't just permenantly add her songs to your media devices?

[Arnie100]

Arnie100: "MY PIZZA!!"
taalismn: "My BEER!"
SRoss: "My Minmei Greatest Hits Collection! Oh, Thank God! Its finally GONE!!" (Does happy dance)

You sure she didn't just permenantly add her songs to your media devices?

SRoss: "NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" (Vader-Style)

[taalismn]

taalismn: "My BEER!"

The few times I've been tempted to drink, I'd prefer to go straight to the hard stuff that would totally blitz my brain cells and ideally my short term memory...like absinthe....

[SRoss]

taalismn: "My BEER!"

The few times I've been tempted to drink, I'd prefer to go straight to the hard stuff that would totally blitz my brain cells and ideally my short term memory...like absinthe....

Taalismn: "MY BLUE FAIRY!!!"

[taalismn]

taalismn: "My BEER!"

The few times I've been tempted to drink, I'd prefer to go straight to the hard stuff that would totally blitz my brain cells and ideally my short term memory...like absinthe....

Taalismn: "MY BLUE FAIRY!!!"

Not that I actually ever drank, mind you...I'm a teetotaler...but I've been SERIOUSLY tempted after/during some of my work situations("I'd either like to go into happy alcoholic oblivion in front of you, or set myself on fire with this.")

[SRoss]

"Yeah I've had work shifts where I've come to understand those people who Go Postal.

[Arnie100]

"Yeah I've had work shifts where I've come to understand those people who Go Postal.

"Same Here."

[taalismn]

"Hey, look! It's little mecha guys! Check'em out!"
"Frep, quit finger-flicking the robotech pilots out of their cockpits!"
"Yeah! Listen to what your buddy's saying, you big bully!"
"But, they're, like, Epic-scale! And it's such fun!"(flick)
" Will you quit that?! Need I remind you we represent in-game heavy combat units that are over thirty feet tall!? We can stomp your @$$!!!"
"Doesn't matter; our systems are incompatible. Just us all here proportionate to scale! Woo-hooo!!!"(flick)
"Okay, now you're really ####ing us off! MAC Team, prepare battery fire!!!"
"You hear that, Kren? I'm SOOOO scared!"
"Destroid squad! FIRE!!!"
"Hey, what the--?! Emperor's promethium-powered hemorrhoids!!!! THat HURT!!!! Kren! Harkon! Jack! Get over here! Time to teach these little pretenders a LESSON!!"
"Bring it ON, fattass! We got PLENTY more hurtin' to dish out!!!"


"Okay, who's been messing up my miniatures shelf?"

[Alpha 11]

Here's the end of this arc
***
Princess Serenity knelt in the soft, warm darkness of the Galactic Cauldron, the only light seen was that of the Ginzuishou. She had just dissipated the force know as Chaos enough to where the Cauldron would revive, releasing it's Star Seeds once more. Sailor ChibiChibi had begged her to destroy the Cauldron, to end the merciless existence of Chaos once and for all, but Moon had refused as the destruction of the Cauldron would not only kill her friends, but spell the end for all life in the galaxy.

Just as she knew that she had temporarily defeated Chaos, so too would it gather it's strength and return for her and her descendants.

"So tired," she whispered, bowing her head further as the Ginzuishou's light began to slowly fade. She felt the warmth of the Galactic Cauldron, the birthplace of all of the stars in the galaxy, enveloping her like a soft blanket as her eyes began to close.

Then her eyes snapped open. From behind her sounded a clapping noise. Turning, her eyes opening wider as the Ginzuishou's light rose with her, she saw the most bizarre sight she'd ever seen.

Standing next to a massive, armored foot was a well-muscled western man dressed in Sailor Pluto's short-skirted outfit (for which he absolutely did NOT have the legs to pull off), bearing the Garnet Staff. And slowly clapping.

"Very well done, Princess," he said, walking forward with the Staff in hand. "You defeated Chaos, which even Queen Serenity couldn't have managed. The best she could do was seal away it's underlings."

"I did," Usagi whispered, "but at what cost? It took everything I had to defeat it; I don't know if I can do it again. I don't even know if I have the strength left to find my friends' Star Seeds."

The man knelt next to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You did what you could, Princess. You did everything within your power and more; there is nothing more that anyone could ask of you. From here all that is required of you is to return home."

"B-but," she replied, tears filling her eyes, "I've seen the future! Crystal Tokyo is destined for me to build! All my friends are there in a thousand years!"

"Hmm," the man mused, a slight frown crossing his features. The Garnet Staff glowed slightly, and Usagi stared as his wristband pinged repeatedly at him. "I see. Interesting. The Garnet Orb is telling me that the future you placed Pluto under a geas requiring her to steer history so that Crystal Tokyo would be required. All evil would be wiped from humanity, and all people touched by the light of the Ginzuishou would be functionally immortal. That sounds boring as ****."

Usagi stared at the unexpected profanity. "What?! Why would I do that?!"

"Probably because you live with your future daughter, and traveled to the future to get information on an enemy who travelled from their time to your time. As young as you are, you probably thought that it was destined to be no matter what, so you gave a mystically reinforced order to Setsuna to guarantee that it would all come true. With as twitchy as the Ginzuishou can be, the order forced her to act to truncate any and all events that could possibly have a chance of interfering with a certain outcome. Never mind that that future was doomed to destruction by it's own stupidity because the society banished powerful enemies rather than deal with them permanently."

Usagi blinked as the Ginzuishou flared slightly, returning her to her Eternal Sailor Moon form. The man took her by the hand, helping her to her feet as he said, "I have crossed infinite skies, seen worlds beyong imagining, and faced foes that would do far worse than merely kill a planet. I have learned that nothing is certain, and rigidly determining the future is the best way to fail."

He looked up, then gently turned her around by her shoulders. In the distance, she could see stars beginning to reignite.

""Brand new futures will keep coming into existence, and there will be light and darkness there, war and hope, life and death, and happiness and sadness. I'm sure it will all exist again. Everything that was, is, will be, and could be... that is what this universe is!" he whispered into her ear.

"I think I understand," she whispered, cupping the Ginzuishou in her palms. Holding it out, she made her wish, focussing her lifeforce through it. Within seconds several lights broke away from the growing flickers, shooting upwards out of sight. "It's done," she mumbled, collapsing into the man's arms.

Chuckling, he picked her up and carried her to his massive war machine. Pulling a fob from his pocket, he pressed a button. Instantly the cockpit hatch opened, and the entire chamber descended on a hydraulic ram. He laid her into the rear seat, strapping her in before getting into his own seat. As soon as he butt made contact with the seat, the chamber retracted, seating itself into the socket as the cockpit hatch smoothly closed before them. Instantly screens came to life, telemetry from sensors feeding information to panels as the man tapped several control buttons.

"Hey," Usagi mumbled, groggily sitting up in her seat. "Who are you, anyways?"

"I am Chief Master Sergeant Jeremiah Darkraven, United Earths Government. You and your Senshi accidentally invaded a world of ours in an adjacent dimension a little over a year ago, your time. You all lost, most of you were sent back except for Pluto, who was placed in an asylum. For her, it's been about five years. She's doing pretty well in there; she makes a nice profit customizing straight jackets. And she has a lover named Ranko Saotome.

"The Global Military Police in your world has been policing you all, wiping out the monsters while keeping the pressure off of you and your Senshi. In my opinion, they have been doing too good of a job, since Galaxia's minions wouldn't have been a problem for you if you'd been fighting and improving your skills the way you were supposed to. But nobody asks me; I'm just an Operative."

"It was pretty nice not to have to fight all the time," Usagi spoke up, smiling a little.

"Well, you're not a combatant by temperament," Darkraven noted, activating the anti-gravity systems of the Spartan. "Since Saturn was out of your action against us because she was down with the flu, she didn't get caught up in the protection, and ended up joining the UEsG forces as a medic. She's been with my Aleph squad on and off for a couple of years now. We taught her advanced combat, which was pretty important since she was right there on the front lines with us."

"So why did you come to our rescue? What do you get out of it?"

Darkraven sniffed at that derisively. "One of Aleph Squad's codes is 'No man left behind'. Corpman Tomoe got caught up in your summons, and we never leave one of our own to hang. That's why we came. It wasn't for you, it wasn't for the galaxy. We came because something snatched our little sister away. Helping you out was a happy coincidence."

You... could have put that nicer, you know," Usagi chided, the shock evident in her voice.

"I know," he sighed, even as the Spartan began to rise, the fuku forming around it's armored bulk. "I'm sorry, but in my line of work I rarely need to be diplomatic. There have been a few times when I was supposed to be, and they never ended well. You have my apologies for my bluntness, but not for the explanation."

Usagi considered this as the massive war machine rose from the core of the Galactic Cauldron. Several minutes passed before she asked, "So what happens now?"

"Now? Now you go and live your life, preparing for the next time Chaos comes calling."

"But what about those police guys? Won't they keep us from getting anywhere?"

Darkraven's seat swiveled until he was facing her. Leaning forward, he smirked at her. "See, that's where you're wrong. You are Princess Serenity, vanquisher of Chaos and all of it's minions, wielder of the infinite power of the Ginzuishou, future Neo-Queen Serenity. As far as the powers-that-be are concerned, you could easily make your claim as the true ruler of your solar system, especially with a senshi empowered by each planet's mystical field. That, combined with each senshi's castle in orbit around the planets, as well as the resurrection of the castle of the Moon Kingdom, gives you one hell of a claim as the actual ruler. To quote a very old line, 'The queen is dead. Long live the queen.'"

"But... I don't know if I even want to do that," Usagi replied sadly. I just want to marry Mamoru and live happily ever after."

"Ah, I see," Darkraven mused, leaning back. "To be honest, the only way to get that ending is to make it happen. And unfortunately there are only so many paths that someone in your position can take in order to achieve those goals.

"Please permit me to offer a different option. I can call one of my superiors, and she can meet with you and work out some things. Crystal Tokyo might not be an option, but you could easily get your 'happily ever after' ending."

"But if there's no Crystal Tokyo, there won't be a Chibi-Usa!"

"Really? Says who? You two are getting married, right?" She nodded, tears in her eyes. "So once you're married, you two are going to be getting it on pretty regularly, right?" Usagi nodded, then blushed heavily. "And if you two are getting it on, you're pretty much guaranteed to spawn at least once. Chibi-Usa will be born in time. The timeline will manage itself, and all will be well in the grand view of things, no matter which path you take.

"But bear in mind that the future utopia of Crystal Tokyo is, by your own words, slated to be shattered. Perhaps not fatally, but with evil and mortality driven from humanity, so is driven the drive to strive to be better. Your society will stagnate, and the forces you are supposed to fight will have an easy time crippling all that you've built. I've seen it on a dozen worlds, and the symptoms and results are always the same. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Usagi replied, smiling a little.

Darkraven turned his seat back around. "We're cresting the platform. Telemetry from the boys says that all of the senshi are awake. Weakened, but alive and doing fairly well. Once we get a portal out, I can have proper medical services rendered during their recovery."

Fifteen minutes later, Sailor Moon was amidst her soldiers, smiling and crying. Saturn was standing away, feeling that her place was no longer with the Senshi, even though she was still empowered by Saturn, and could feel her link with Titan Castle.

Of course. a minute later Moon had hugged Saturn, pulling her over to celebrate with the rest of the senshi.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the platform, a marine walked up to Darkraven, who was making final adjustments for the portal back to Earth. "Sir, the men are prepared for evac. We're still not sure how to get the girls out, though."

"I've got that covered corporal. The Garnet Staff will make a bridge in time/space, and drop everyone off in a park just outside of Tokyo. How many armors are intact?"

"Out of twenty armors, four are recoverable, sir. We've already stripped the armors of anything not completely broken and have set the remains for self destruct."

"Excellent. Have the men load all gear into my empty missile bays, then take up portal positions around the senshi. We'll bang out in five."

Eight minutes later, the portal closed in a park just outside of Juuban. Twelve minutes later, GMP vehicles had closed in on the radio call and the ambulances arrived. Thirty minutes later, Aleph squad had vanished, along with Corpsman Tomoe. Four hours after that, Nova satori-Brown was in a meeting with Usagi Tsukino concerning who was *really* in charge of the solar system.

Nice wrap up! Please keep them coming!

Usagi blinked as the Ginzuishou flared slightly, returning her to her Eternal Sailor Moon form. The man took her by the hand, helping her to her feet as he said, "I have crossed infinite skies, seen worlds beyong imagining, and faced foes that would do far worse than merely kill a planet. I have learned that nothing is certain, and rigidly determining the future is the best way to fail.".

"And I've had to endure untold humiliation, great sacrifice, the scorn of my peers, the laughter of my enemies, the cruelty of YouTube..."
".....You're wearing Pluto's panties, aren't you?"
"Oh god, yes, because I don't dare go commando in this outfit."
<<"Brain Bleach Alert! Brain Bleach Alert!">>
"...It begins...."

Darkraven: I didn't really mind the skirt, and the outfit was far less embarassing than the Magical Garment Girl outfit. But that fuku leotard just kept riding into my crack...

Besides, if I went commando in this outfit, the temptation to d***-slap someone would just be too great to resist.

(Down Below...)

Charon: "Well, that's...DAYUM."

(Down Below...)

Charon: "Well, that's...DAYUM."

Darkraven shrugged at that. "After a while, nothing really bugs you. There is no shame, there is no guilt, there is no embarrassment. And it's that exact attitude that REALLY bugs the crap out of other people!"

Dana looked the three Senshi...

"So Nova, explain to me how you, my sister and this woman, (indicating Rook) are now sailor scouts in addition to being UEsG personnel?"

Rook spoke up, "Actually I'm not working for the UEsG, I'm..."

"Yes independent." Interrupted Nova. "Actually Dana, we're more accurately reserve scouts. We're only tapped when things go well and truly pear-shaped." She continued, "Apparently it's all part of Setsuna's plan."

"Yeah! She pulled a Harry Seldon on us!" Maia chimed in.

"Yes." Nova continued, "Even though she's in an asylum, Sailor Pluto still has access to the Door of Space-Time. So she knew from the moment they entered the multiverse, she and the sailor scouts and the UEsG itself, would be facing more and more dangerous foes. ones that individually, they wouldn't be equipped to deal with. Up to now our forces have been bearing the brunt, while the EShemmarians made a, some would say, misguided attempt to train the Scouts. This was a mistake." turning to Darkraven, who was getting ready to return the Garnet Staff. "Setsuna foresaw the business with Galexia, and that the scouts wouldn't be ready and conventional UEsG forces are just not equipped to deal with, that's why she sent Luna to us with the pens."

"My own team barely made a difference in that fight." Darkraven added.

"What about the Fourth Wall Gang?" Dana asked.

"Depending on a team of highly unstable other-dimensional demigods is asking for trouble." Darkraven replied.

Nova looked Dana in the eye, "Setsuna predicted that in all likelyhood, Galexia would have seized their Starseeds if the Fourth Wall Gang had joined the battle."

"So she distracted them..." Rook said.

Another nice write up!

Four hours after that, Nova satori-Brown was in a meeting with Usagi Tsukino concerning who was *really* in charge of the solar system.

In a high security psychiatric facility in another alternity, three women of identical appearance all had a simultaneous reaction as the implications of a certain discussion began to ripple across space/time. Two of the viridian-haired, red-eyed women snorted in pain, threw themselves against the padded walls of their cells, and strained against their restraints, the third sighed in relief as if a great burden had lifted, and she snuggled back deeper in her lover’s arms.
In another universe, aboard a crystalline spacecraft and in a room that had been hastily refitted following a transfer of flag from a previous vessel, a Queen threw a sudden temper tantrum at the thought that somehow, somewhere, she was being denied her just due. Not far away, one of her advisors, a dark-haied woman, looked in dismay as part of the flame-like psychic manifestation she tended guttered out. Neither woman noticed several thin hairline microfractures appear in the hull of the crystal warship.
In yet another universe, a woman identical to the first three(proving that that they were NOT Tirolians) broke into sudden laughter, drawing the confused attention of her coworkers, before she belatedly realized what she had done, and abashedly settled herself, tugging nervously at her uniform, which, after eons of wearing a much different one, still seemed strange and unfamiliar.

Loving these! Keep them coming!

[Alpha 11]

Dana looked the three Senshi...

"So Nova, explain to me how you, my sister and this woman, (indicating Rook) are now sailor scouts in addition to being UEsG personnel?"

Rook spoke up, "Actually I'm not working for the UEsG, I'm..."

"Yes independent." Interrupted Nova. "Actually Dana, we're more accurately reserve scouts. We're only tapped when things go well and truly pear-shaped." She continued, "Apparently it's all part of Setsuna's plan."

"Yeah! She pulled a Harry Seldon on us!" Maia chimed in.

"Yes." Nova continued, "Even though she's in an asylum, Sailor Pluto still has access to the Door of Space-Time. So she knew from the moment they entered the multiverse, she and the sailor scouts and the UEsG itself, would be facing more and more dangerous foes. ones that individually, they wouldn't be equipped to deal with. Up to now our forces have been bearing the brunt, while the EShemmarians made a, some would say, misguided attempt to train the Scouts. This was a mistake." turning to Darkraven, who was getting ready to return the Garnet Staff. "Setsuna foresaw the business with Galexia, and that the scouts wouldn't be ready and conventional UEsG forces are just not equipped to deal with, that's why she sent Luna to us with the pens."

"My own team barely made a difference in that fight." Darkraven added.

"What about the Fourth Wall Gang?" Dana asked.

"Depending on a team of highly unstable other-dimensional demigods is asking for trouble." Darkraven replied.

Nova looked Dana in the eye, "Setsuna predicted that in all likelyhood, Galexia would have seized their Starseeds if the Fourth Wall Gang had joined the battle."

"So she distracted them..." Rook said.

Arnie100: "We were distracted?? How were we distracted?"
SRoss: "I don't know..."
taalismn: "I'm afraid to find out."

Setsuna: "The drugs made my thoughts much more clear and tidy...and I don't have to deal with that odango-head and her victim-of-the-week boyfriend all the time...what some of my other-universe selves see in that yutz, I don't kow...ohhhhh, a little lower, Ran-."

Mamoru Chiba: "I am not a 'victim-of-the-week'! I resent the implications of that statement!"

Angelo Dante: "...tuxedo, top hat, opera mask...roses...kidnapped and brainwashed....don't get me started on your combat record..Do you even HAVE any testosterone? Betting is Sailor Uranus has more than you."

Haruka Tenou: "HEY!...wait....is that a compliment or an insult?"

The machine hummed to life again. Dormant for some time, but the power that gives it life once more flows in it's circuitry. The Chronicler smiled as the thought of bringing back the machine from the brink of death.

Chronicler: "Hello boys, I'm back!"


Brought my computer back to life thanks to new power supply and surge protector. Don't know how or why the motherboard's intact. Probably with the computer already shutdown during that storm might have saved it and only killing my old surge protector and power supply. But now my tablets gone to repairs due to me face-planting into the screen when I tripped. Wanted to show my friends a pdf I found and then next thing I know my face smashed the screen. Pretty big crack but the screen works still, can't say the same for touch use.

First, glad that it is working again, and ouch! Well, at least you didn't start bleeding or anything like that.

Dana looked the three Senshi...

"So Nova, explain to me how you, my sister and this woman, (indicating Rook) are now sailor scouts in addition to being UEsG personnel?"

Rook spoke up, "Actually I'm not working for the UEsG, I'm..."

"Yes independent." Interrupted Nova. "Actually Dana, we're more accurately reserve scouts. We're only tapped when things go well and truly pear-shaped." She continued, "Apparently it's all part of Setsuna's plan."

"Yeah! She pulled a Harry Seldon on us!" Maia chimed in.

"Yes." Nova continued, "Even though she's in an asylum, Sailor Pluto still has access to the Door of Space-Time. So she knew from the moment they entered the multiverse, she and the sailor scouts and the UEsG itself, would be facing more and more dangerous foes. ones that individually, they wouldn't be equipped to deal with. Up to now our forces have been bearing the brunt, while the EShemmarians made a, some would say, misguided attempt to train the Scouts. This was a mistake." turning to Darkraven, who was getting ready to return the Garnet Staff. "Setsuna foresaw the business with Galexia, and that the scouts wouldn't be ready and conventional UEsG forces are just not equipped to deal with, that's why she sent Luna to us with the pens."

"My own team barely made a difference in that fight." Darkraven added.

"What about the Fourth Wall Gang?" Dana asked.

"Depending on a team of highly unstable other-dimensional demigods is asking for trouble." Darkraven replied.

Nova looked Dana in the eye, "Setsuna predicted that in all likelyhood, Galexia would have seized their Starseeds if the Fourth Wall Gang had joined the battle."

"So she distracted them..." Rook said.

Arnie100: "We were distracted?? How were we distracted?"
SRoss: "I don't know..."
taalismn: "I'm afraid to find out."

"I'm not sure how... But she buggered off with all our junk-food and booze again."

Arnie100: "MY PIZZA!!"
taalismn: "My BEER!"
SRoss: "My Minmei Greatest Hits Collection! Oh, Thank God! Its finally GONE!!" (Does happy dance)

Arnie100: "MY PIZZA!!"
taalismn: "My BEER!"
SRoss: "My Minmei Greatest Hits Collection! Oh, Thank God! Its finally GONE!!" (Does happy dance)

You sure she didn't just permenantly add her songs to your media devices?

SRoss: "NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" (Vader-Style)

taalismn: "My BEER!"

The few times I've been tempted to drink, I'd prefer to go straight to the hard stuff that would totally blitz my brain cells and ideally my short term memory...like absinthe....

Wow.

taalismn: "My BEER!"

The few times I've been tempted to drink, I'd prefer to go straight to the hard stuff that would totally blitz my brain cells and ideally my short term memory...like absinthe....

Taalismn: "MY BLUE FAIRY!!!"

taalismn: "My BEER!"

The few times I've been tempted to drink, I'd prefer to go straight to the hard stuff that would totally blitz my brain cells and ideally my short term memory...like absinthe....

Taalismn: "MY BLUE FAIRY!!!"

Not that I actually ever drank, mind you...I'm a teetotaler...but I've been SERIOUSLY tempted after/during some of my work situations("I'd either like to go into happy alcoholic oblivion in front of you, or set myself on fire with this.")

I think I've been there a few times myself.

"Yeah I've had work shifts where I've come to understand those people who Go Postal.

I think we've all been there.

"Hey, look! It's little mecha guys! Check'em out!"
"Frep, quit finger-flicking the robotech pilots out of their cockpits!"
"Yeah! Listen to what your buddy's saying, you big bully!"
"But, they're, like, Epic-scale! And it's such fun!"(flick)
" Will you quit that?! Need I remind you we represent in-game heavy combat units that are over thirty feet tall!? We can stomp your @$$!!!"
"Doesn't matter; our systems are incompatible. Just us all here proportionate to scale! Woo-hooo!!!"(flick)
"Okay, now you're really ####ing us off! MAC Team, prepare battery fire!!!"
"You hear that, Kren? I'm SOOOO scared!"
"Destroid squad! FIRE!!!"
"Hey, what the--?! Emperor's promethium-powered hemorrhoids!!!! THat HURT!!!! Kren! Harkon! Jack! Get over here! Time to teach these little pretenders a LESSON!!"
"Bring it ON, fattass! We got PLENTY more hurtin' to dish out!!!"


"Okay, who's been messing up my miniatures shelf?"

[taalismn]

When you think of it, the Robotech RPG Tactics Zentraedi Infantrymen would be the only ones personally to be to scale with the WH40K Pointy Sticks...but it's disposable clone soldiers with particle bean rifles against biological cyborgs in power armor with bolters.
Yeah, faces are going to be punched off....

[wyrmraker]

Okay, one last bit for this particular arc, then I'm going to work on the next one.
********
"Miss Meiou, you have a visitor."

Setsuna Meiou smirked, getting up from her seat in the lounge of the sanitarium. She was alone there, watching the latest ridiculous reality TV show "Survivor Extreme! Season XXVII", as Ranko was currently with her psychologist.

A few minutes later she was let into an interview room. There stood Jeremiah Darkraven in his proper dress uniform.

"Here you go," he said, handing her the Garnet Staff. "Thanks for letting me use it."

"I'm glad it worked out," she said, smiling as her fingers caressed the Talisman, the dataflows from the Door of Time-Space resuming at their fullest power. "Was there anything unexpected?"

"Well, I wasn't expecting Aleph Squad to be merely a distraction. That was unpleasant, and really presses home my point that the UEsG needs to step up it's capabilities. In all honesty, the only way we'd have made a significant impact was if we'd brought along Commander Shinji with his Unit-01. His God-mode would have turned the tide for us. On the other hand, Aleph did need the reminder that we're not the biggest, nastiest things out there."

"But everything worked out. The timeline is stable, and I no longer have the geas hammering at my mind."

Darkraven shrugged at that. "I don't know about that; more than the rumors and mystical theories are above my clearance level. If it works for you, great. Will you be checking out soon?"

"Maybe," she softly stated, considering the matter. "It will probably be at least three months of testing before they clear me for release."

"I see. And what about your girlfriend? How is her gender dysphoria going?"

Setsuna frowned at that. "I'm not sure if I'd want to go without taking her with me. And I'm unsure how to go about getting her released without unlocking her curse."

Darkraven smiled at that. "That's exactly what I was hoping to hear." Setsuna's eyes flashed up to meet his at that. "A while back, Ranma Hunter asked me to help clear his karma a bit. He couldn't send members of the Razors to his homeworld; they are a vengeful bunch. So instead he sent me. And before you ask, yes, I did tell him that there would be casualties."

"How does this tale affect Ranko?"

"While I was there, I took the liberty of acquiring several items of mystical power. I also brought a few of the refugees that live at my private residence with me. While I was dealing with the Tendos, Saotomes, and Amazons, they were hunting down a few odds and ends for me. For the purpose of this discussion, they managed to dig out this," he said, pulling from weaponspace a battered, weathered, very ornate kettle. "This is the Kaisuifuu, or Pot of Liberation. It was originally lost after Herb and Ranma's mountain-destroying fight, but not before unlocking their cursed forms. Thankfully, my people were able to track it down and unearth it while I was in China dealing with the Amazons."

Setsuna swallowed hard. This was what Ranko was missing. The loss of this item in her world had nearly driven her to suicide and worse. "W-what do you want for it?" she asked, a bit short of breath.

"Nothing," he replied, shrugging. "Well, not for me, anyways. I need you to be sure that Ranko is ready for this. She needs to be fully prepared for this major alteration in her life, otherwise she'll collapse into a shell of her current self. Your care has managed to shore up her self-image, but that female self-image has it's limits. The sudden unlocking to male could easily undo a lot of that. Before and after, you'll need to be there with and for her."

"Of course I'll be there!" Setsuna angrily shot out. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?"

Darkraven shrugged again. "I'm not casting accusations. I'm simply stating the facts, just in case anything was unclear."

"Many apologies," she murmurred. "So, why don't you want anything for it?"

"Because I don't care. I have no need of the kettle, not having a water-based curse. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, you've already paid. Power, once given, is never easily taken away. It's one of the rules of mystical power. Even though it was a temporary loan of your staff, I will always have a slight connection to the Door of Time-Space. In addition to that, my own limited mystical ability combined with my Mother Box allows me to retain a small data connection to the Garnet Orb no matter the distance."

"Interesting. So no matter what, you come out ahead. More allies, more capabilities, more influence. All without actually wanting it."

"Huh. I never really thought of it like that. I guess you're right, in a sense. I've just always wanted to be useful to my adopted world. In a way, I suppose that I am taking the path to power, just more slowly and gradually. So, what happens for you now?"

"I'm unsure. According to the Garnet Staff, the path to Crystal Tokyo is no longer a certainty, Usagi has been meeting with members of your 'Shadow Council' concerning her true legitimacy, and the threats to the throne are mostly dead or defeated. I guess the only thing left for me is to leave here, taking Ranko with me, and resume my duties as Sailor Pluto."

"That stands to reason. Good luck with the rest of your life, Miss Meiou," he said, moving towards the door. Then he paused, hand on the knob. "However, there is something that occurs to me. Before I left your home universe, I cheated a little. Using the Garnet Orb, I managed to enter Charon Castle. I poked around a little, but didn't disturb anything. You might want to do the same. Actually, *all* of the senshi will want to check out their castles. I believe that you will find it most enlightening."

With that, he left, leaving Setsuna to ponder his final words. She would indeed return to Charon Castle once her release was approved; she was actually amazed that after her rebirth during the Pharoah 90 incident that the thought had never occurred to her. The other senshi had had to use the power of their own castles to get to the Galactic Core, but Darkraven hadn't been under such restrictions.

'Something in the castle, eh?' she mused to herself, banishing the Garnet Staff as she picked up the steaming kettle, making her way to the office of the new Couples' Counsellor. Rumor had it that the woman had made quite the name for herself in the fields of sexual and relationship counselling, but Setsuna had yet to meet Doctor Miko Mido.

[taalismn]

Oh...that was stellar...

[wyrmraker]

Oh...that was stellar...

I'm not sure if that was a complement, obscure joke, or both. Either way, I hope it's enjoyed.

[taalismn]

Oh...that was stellar...

I'm not sure if that was a complement, obscure joke, or both. Either way, I hope it's enjoyed.

It is a cosmic vote of "Hell yeah!" because my current computer link does not allow me to paste in a line of appropriate emoticons.

[wyrmraker]

Oh...that was stellar...

I'm not sure if that was a complement, obscure joke, or both. Either way, I hope it's enjoyed.

It is a cosmic vote of "Hell yeah!" because my current computer link does not allow me to paste in a line of appropriate emoticons.

Ah! Well, thanks! I was just wrapping up some loose ends. I'm glad you liked it so much. I just hoped it opens up some options.

[taalismn]

Well, we start getting the original bolluxed Sailor Moon worldline straightened out, and the first Setsuna on a way to a happy recovery(there's still a couple of diehards who may or may not be geas'ed, or may just be maniacs), and sympathetic dimensional resonance may begin eroding one of the worst-case outcome SM'verses). The UEsGF's top guns got some extra close shaving to keep 'em honest.

Meanwhile I should try swinging back to the quest for the missing SDF-3 and what Adopted Hunter Daughter Number One is doing.

Meanwhile, on a certain shelf...
"AIEEE!!! It's a rogue GMU!!! Retreat!!!!! Back to Tirol!!!"
"Run'em down, Jack!"

[SRoss]

When you think of it, the Robotech RPG Tactics Zentraedi Infantrymen would be the only ones personally to be to scale with the WH40K Pointy Sticks...but it's disposable clone soldiers with particle bean rifles against biological cyborgs in power armor with bolters.
Yeah, faces are going to be punched off....

"Don't worry, I got this."

Plops something from his Star Wars[sup]tm[/sup] miniatures on to the middle of the shelf. Imperial Marines scream and start running in all directions.

"Frep! why are you running!?! It's just a Rancor?"

"IT'S MADE FROM LEAD!!!"

[Alpha 11]

When you think of it, the Robotech RPG Tactics Zentraedi Infantrymen would be the only ones personally to be to scale with the WH40K Pointy Sticks...but it's disposable clone soldiers with particle bean rifles against biological cyborgs in power armor with bolters.
Yeah, faces are going to be punched off....

Still sounds like a lot of fun!

Okay, one last bit for this particular arc, then I'm going to work on the next one.
********
"Miss Meiou, you have a visitor."

Setsuna Meiou smirked, getting up from her seat in the lounge of the sanitarium. She was alone there, watching the latest ridiculous reality TV show "Survivor Extreme! Season XXVII", as Ranko was currently with her psychologist.

A few minutes later she was let into an interview room. There stood Jeremiah Darkraven in his proper dress uniform.

"Here you go," he said, handing her the Garnet Staff. "Thanks for letting me use it."

"I'm glad it worked out," she said, smiling as her fingers caressed the Talisman, the dataflows from the Door of Time-Space resuming at their fullest power. "Was there anything unexpected?"

"Well, I wasn't expecting Aleph Squad to be merely a distraction. That was unpleasant, and really presses home my point that the UEsG needs to step up it's capabilities. In all honesty, the only way we'd have made a significant impact was if we'd brought along Commander Shinji with his Unit-01. His God-mode would have turned the tide for us. On the other hand, Aleph did need the reminder that we're not the biggest, nastiest things out there."

"But everything worked out. The timeline is stable, and I no longer have the geas hammering at my mind."

Darkraven shrugged at that. "I don't know about that; more than the rumors and mystical theories are above my clearance level. If it works for you, great. Will you be checking out soon?"

"Maybe," she softly stated, considering the matter. "It will probably be at least three months of testing before they clear me for release."

"I see. And what about your girlfriend? How is her gender dysphoria going?"

Setsuna frowned at that. "I'm not sure if I'd want to go without taking her with me. And I'm unsure how to go about getting her released without unlocking her curse."

Darkraven smiled at that. "That's exactly what I was hoping to hear." Setsuna's eyes flashed up to meet his at that. "A while back, Ranma Hunter asked me to help clear his karma a bit. He couldn't send members of the Razors to his homeworld; they are a vengeful bunch. So instead he sent me. And before you ask, yes, I did tell him that there would be casualties."

"How does this tale affect Ranko?"

"While I was there, I took the liberty of acquiring several items of mystical power. I also brought a few of the refugees that live at my private residence with me. While I was dealing with the Tendos, Saotomes, and Amazons, they were hunting down a few odds and ends for me. For the purpose of this discussion, they managed to dig out this," he said, pulling from weaponspace a battered, weathered, very ornate kettle. "This is the Kaisuifuu, or Pot of Liberation. It was originally lost after Herb and Ranma's mountain-destroying fight, but not before unlocking their cursed forms. Thankfully, my people were able to track it down and unearth it while I was in China dealing with the Amazons."

Setsuna swallowed hard. This was what Ranko was missing. The loss of this item in her world had nearly driven her to suicide and worse. "W-what do you want for it?" she asked, a bit short of breath.

"Nothing," he replied, shrugging. "Well, not for me, anyways. I need you to be sure that Ranko is ready for this. She needs to be fully prepared for this major alteration in her life, otherwise she'll collapse into a shell of her current self. Your care has managed to shore up her self-image, but that female self-image has it's limits. The sudden unlocking to male could easily undo a lot of that. Before and after, you'll need to be there with and for her."

"Of course I'll be there!" Setsuna angrily shot out. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?"

Darkraven shrugged again. "I'm not casting accusations. I'm simply stating the facts, just in case anything was unclear."

"Many apologies," she murmurred. "So, why don't you want anything for it?"

"Because I don't care. I have no need of the kettle, not having a water-based curse. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, you've already paid. Power, once given, is never easily taken away. It's one of the rules of mystical power. Even though it was a temporary loan of your staff, I will always have a slight connection to the Door of Time-Space. In addition to that, my own limited mystical ability combined with my Mother Box allows me to retain a small data connection to the Garnet Orb no matter the distance."

"Interesting. So no matter what, you come out ahead. More allies, more capabilities, more influence. All without actually wanting it."

"Huh. I never really thought of it like that. I guess you're right, in a sense. I've just always wanted to be useful to my adopted world. In a way, I suppose that I am taking the path to power, just more slowly and gradually. So, what happens for you now?"

"I'm unsure. According to the Garnet Staff, the path to Crystal Tokyo is no longer a certainty, Usagi has been meeting with members of your 'Shadow Council' concerning her true legitimacy, and the threats to the throne are mostly dead or defeated. I guess the only thing left for me is to leave here, taking Ranko with me, and resume my duties as Sailor Pluto."

"That stands to reason. Good luck with the rest of your life, Miss Meiou," he said, moving towards the door. Then he paused, hand on the knob. "However, there is something that occurs to me. Before I left your home universe, I cheated a little. Using the Garnet Orb, I managed to enter Charon Castle. I poked around a little, but didn't disturb anything. You might want to do the same. Actually, *all* of the senshi will want to check out their castles. I believe that you will find it most enlightening."

With that, he left, leaving Setsuna to ponder his final words. She would indeed return to Charon Castle once her release was approved; she was actually amazed that after her rebirth during the Pharoah 90 incident that the thought had never occurred to her. The other senshi had had to use the power of their own castles to get to the Galactic Core, but Darkraven hadn't been under such restrictions.

'Something in the castle, eh?' she mused to herself, banishing the Garnet Staff as she picked up the steaming kettle, making her way to the office of the new Couples' Counsellor. Rumor had it that the woman had made quite the name for herself in the fields of sexual and relationship counselling, but Setsuna had yet to meet Doctor Miko Mido.

Glad to see that this Ranma will get to be male again. Then the ending... Anyways, nice wrap up! Great job, though I hope to see what happens to those 2 in the future.

Oh...that was stellar...

I'm not sure if that was a complement, obscure joke, or both. Either way, I hope it's enjoyed.

I sure enjoyed it!

Oh...that was stellar...

I'm not sure if that was a complement, obscure joke, or both. Either way, I hope it's enjoyed.

It is a cosmic vote of "Hell yeah!" because my current computer link does not allow me to paste in a line of appropriate emoticons.

Bummer. And ya, I've had to copy and past those smiles in the view more smiles window for a while now. Don't know what happen, just stop being able to click on the smile one day, and had to, like I said, copy and past them.

Well, we start getting the original bolluxed Sailor Moon worldline straightened out, and the first Setsuna on a way to a happy recovery(there's still a couple of diehards who may or may not be geas'ed, or may just be maniacs), and sympathetic dimensional resonance may begin eroding one of the worst-case outcome SM'verses). The UEsGF's top guns got some extra close shaving to keep 'em honest.

Meanwhile I should try swinging back to the quest for the missing SDF-3 and what Adopted Hunter Daughter Number One is doing.

Meanwhile, on a certain shelf...
"AIEEE!!! It's a rogue GMU!!! Retreat!!!!! Back to Tirol!!!"
"Run'em down, Jack!"

Ya, more stories!!

When you think of it, the Robotech RPG Tactics Zentraedi Infantrymen would be the only ones personally to be to scale with the WH40K Pointy Sticks...but it's disposable clone soldiers with particle bean rifles against biological cyborgs in power armor with bolters.
Yeah, faces are going to be punched off....

"Don't worry, I got this."

Plops something from his Star Wars[sup]tm[/sup] miniatures on to the middle of the shelf. Imperial Marines scream and start running in all directions.

"Frep! why are you running!?! It's just a Rancor?"

"IT'S MADE FROM LEAD!!!"

[taalismn]

"Come on folks, can't we all just get along? I mean, who's the REAL enemy here?"
"THE UNSUPERVISED GAME STORE KID!!!!"
"...I was going to say 'ignorance', but I'll go with that."

[Arnie100]

Unsupervised Game Store Kid: "What does this do? What's this? Can I have that? What's in the crate?"
Store Clerk: "Open it and find out..."
Unsupervised Game Store Kid: "OKAY."

(Suddenly a pair of monstrous-looking arms pulls the kid inside, followed by a terrified scream anf gurgling sound...)

Store Clerk: "Shouldn't have done that."
Store Cuatomers: "YES!!!"

No real Unspervised Game Store Kids were injured during the writing of this scene

[taalismn]

No real Unspervised Game Store Kids were injured during the writing of this scene

Dismembered, devoured, recycled into the ecology, yes, certainly, but not injured.

[Arnie100]

No real Unspervised Game Store Kids were injured during the writing of this scene

Dismembered, devoured, recycled into the ecology, yes, certainly, but not injured.

Of course not...we do try to keep things humane here.

[taalismn]

[
Of course not...we do try to keep things humane here.

Gendo: (Currently being suspended by his toes over a sandworm blow) "I BEG TO DIFFER!!!"

[SRoss]

No real Unspervised Game Store Kids were injured during the writing of this scene

Dismembered, devoured, recycled into the ecology, yes, certainly, but not injured.

That's what you get for looking in Annie's toy chest without permission.

[taalismn]

That's what you get for looking in Annie's toy chest without permission.

That's an automatic failed Sanity check right there.

[Arnie100]

Annie: (Peeking into her "crate"...): "EEWWWWWW...an Unsupervised Game Store Kid...I was hoping for a new cutie (the creatures of the Megaverse shiver in Fear)"

[SRoss]

Haydonite: "Awareness! I found us a great new ally!!!"

Largo: "I look forward to working with you."

[taalismn]

Haydonite: "Awareness! I found us a great new ally!!!"

Largo: "I look forward to working with you."

Largo had to be one of the oiliest smug-bastard-style villains in anime. Anybody who dresses that well and keeps up a perpetual sneer...

Problem is, he'd be too easy to bait; put Sylia Stingry in a negligee in front of a Neutron S missile and he'd never see it until he started tipping over the event horizon.

[SRoss]

Haydonite: "Awareness! I found us a great new ally!!!"

Largo: "I look forward to working with you."

Largo had to be one of the oiliest smug-bastard-style villains in anime. Anybody who dresses that well and keeps up a perpetual sneer...

Problem is, he'd be too easy to bait; put Sylia Stingry in a negligee in front of a Neutron S missile and he'd never see it until he started tipping over the event horizon.

The Fourth Wall Gang arrives in Mega-Tokyo to find Sylia Stingry ... missing!!!

SRoss: "Wait! There's a note!"

You may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.

Salem

[taalismn]

Really, Largo is just plain creepy...for an AI, he seems to have this whole psycho-sexual thing(especially when he comes back from the dead and tries to merge with her) about Sylia that's disturbing.
In that, he's a lot like Cavil-One in that they both apparently have parent issues, only Cavil-One's just tantrum-crazy stupid about killing all his, while Largo wants to V'ger-merge with who's effectively his step-sister(if you buy that the Boomers are the brainchild of Sylia's father, and furthermore that Sylia either got amped or somehow amped herself*)

*There's nothing blatant in the canon to demonstrate that Sylia's 'more than human' in the anime, but it's appeared in the Dark Horse comic series and it's a favorite of fanon spec that both Sylia and Mackie are enhanced humans to one degree or another. in part to explain her insane tech-development skills.

Of course, I've also seen fanon speculation that PRISS, gutter-child of the city, may be a human-amp or even a secret Boomer(loosely interpreting any enhanced human as a 'boomeroid')....

[wyrmraker]

Okay, I got a new arc beginning written. I've been going through some old fanfics, gotten some ideas from them, and am posting it here. If it's too off-kilter (or possibly out of date on the references), let me know and I'll stop it. Even I admit that it could get a bit much.
***
The so-called Shadow Council, the true movers and shakers within the dimensions-spanning government known as the United Earths Government, was meeting once more. They met rarely, lest the officially elected UEsG Council get wind of their true identities, but since one of the charter member had called the meeting, they couldn't simply decline without a really good reason. he ones that could make the emergency summons did, while the others would recieve minutes of the meeting by courier.

At the table sat Admiral Breetai [Earth Expeditionary Force, Earth Core], Field Marshall Anatole Leonard [Army of the Southern Cross, Earth Core], Commander Nova Satori-Brown [Global Military Police, Earth Core], Captain Rei Ayanami-Hunter [UEsG Expeditionary Force, NG-Earth], Commander Ranma Hunter [Not a Council member, UEsG Marines, Earth R-1.2], Director Amanda Waller [Task Force X, Regime Earth], Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 [Not a Council member, Special Detachment], Captain Serin Osman [Office of Naval Intelligence, Earth Bravo-6], and Setsuna Meiou [Sailor Senshi, Earth SM-2].

Breetai rumbled out in his voice full of reverb, "The reason for the emergency is that I recieved a communication from Aleph-7 on our reserve channel. I don't know how he got access to it, but the message itself was quite dire."

"He helped us set it up," Leonard commented. "The communications technology from his home world was centuries in advance of anything we had access to. It makes sense he'd have his own way in."

"At any rate," Breetai continued, "I have already reviewed the message, and found it to be worth our time to pay proper attention to. Cueing video now."

The large viewscreen came to life, showing Jeremiah Darkraven sitting at a console, in armor but minus his helmet. Apparently in some sort of ship's bay, they could see his Ultimax in a sentry position, covering a small hatch in the distance with it's rail gun.

"I know I'm not supposed to be messaging you directly, and I apologize for the urgency, Breetai," he began, clearly rushing in his explanation as he rapidly typed into what sounded like an ancient keyboard. "This transmission is underlayed into my actual report on the planet known as Terra-2, and can only be unlocked by the software that the Shadow Council uses; I installed it, I know it's capabilities.

"To the point, right," he ground out, still typing as he looked at another monitor. "It turns out that we've tripped over some ancient hornet's nest. A couple of groups actively dislike our efforts to spread across the multiverse, and it seems they've been hunting me. They probably thought since I tend to scout solo, I'd be an easy target.

"The groups are known as the Knights of the True Fiancee, and the Keepers of the One Continuum. According to my contact, The Keepers are dedicated to limiting interference in timelines largely by bumping off anyone who develops cross-dimensional capabilities. That definitely includes the UEsG. They're a fairly small group, but both rich and dedicated.

"The Knights of the True Fiancee, however, have hundreds of members. From what I understand, they were in much larger quantities before something know as the Aesir Purges, but many of the members are dedicated, capable, and insane. Much like me, they tend to gather equipment, skills, and abilities at every point that they can in every dimension they touch. Their goal is actually really, stupidly simple: Every Ranma Saotome out there MUST be engaged and eventually married to an Akane Tendo."

Finally, he stopped typing, seeming to lean back momentarily to catch his breath. Then he finally looked directly into the camera lens. "The Keepers are assassination type, while the Knights use terrorist tactics. And yes, they have been known to use graviton bombs to create black holes, vortex simulators to scatter peoples' atoms across time and space. Rumor has it that once they had a ship known as the Sun Crusher that could cause stars to go nova, but apparently they know longer have it; my contact says that their ownership of that was 'removed from canon' whatever *that* means.

"Attached to this sub-message is a set of information files that I've managed to collect on both groups. I'll admit that the information is pretty scarce, but I'm not much of an investagator, so I've already asked Detective First Class Kuramitsu to look into this; she'll be reporting to Nova shortly.

"Now, for the instructions. Sorry folks, but I'm pre-empting the normal chain of command here out of necessity. Ranma, they Knights *will* show up to kidnap, brainwash, and return you to Miss Tendo's 'loving affections'. You are to be on your guard for this. In addition, you'll need to keep Rei safe; they WILL try to bump her off.

"Sierra 117, your assignment has not changed. To that effect, I am granting you unrestricted access to the library in my home." Nova gasped at that, but said nothing. "Tell any of the Sisters of Cleaning there that Aleph Seven has authorized the Gargoyle Protocols. They know what it means.

"Captain Osman, please inform Admiral Parangosky that I have already retrieved the decommissioned destroyer that we agreed on. I'm sure the crafty old bat thought it was funny giving me not only such an ancient vessel, but also one that was officially named 'Yo' Momma'. I have already taken it in and had it extensively reconditioned. And please tell her I've kept the name.

"Those are the only specifics that I have at this time, folks. I wish I had more, but I'm operating on limited data." He paused, looking over at the hatch as a booming sound rang through the bay. "The only thing I'm absolutely sure of is their tenacity."

Turning away from the camera, he jogged over to the Ultimax. Popping open a plate on it's foot, he commented, "Just so you guys know how serious I am, well, I'm about to have to sacrifice my Ultimax to buy myself time. I brought it with me from my home world, and it's been with me for decades. But now I have to sacrifice it," he finished, having popoped the plate back on after making some sort of adjustment.

"For the record," he commented, returning to the camera, "I hate having to run from this fight. But these psychos are far more skilled than me. Last thing. If something bad happens, my Mother Box will return to Waller, ready to all the intel that I'll be collecting. But for now-"

A massive boom rattled the camera, and Darkraven's eyes flickered towards the now buckled hatch. "Damn. They're almost through. Stay vigilant, people!" he wrapped up, tapping his armor's vambrace. Instantly he faded away, even as the hatch caved in, flying across the room to bounce off the Ultimax's armor.

Four individuals entered in a classic room-clearing formation. One had an automatic rifle, and was dressed in what appeared to be a bastardized suit of CVR mixed with classic samurai bits. Another was clearly female, dressed as an anime kunoichi, mesh shirt baring cleavage and all. The third was dressed in long robes, his hands up his sleeves. The last onewas male, wearing what appeared to be light armor and carrying a massive sword that was nearly three meters long over his shoulder like it weighed nothing.

"We missed him!" the kunoichi snarled out, having dashed up and checked the cockpit.

"He couldn't have gotten far," spoke the man with the sword. "We have dimensional jammers set up all outside the ship."

The Ultimax's head jerked up as a deep voice rang through the bay. "Final option available."

All four looked at it as armor plates dropped to the floor. Their eyes got wide as they caught sight of football sized grey bombs with radiation symbols on the sides mounted under all of the armor plates.

"OH FU-!"

The screen went white, and then static.

The video cut off, as Leonard fumed. "Mini nukes. Where did he get that many mini nukes?! There must've been fifty there!"

Nova sighed. "He got them on the same world he got the plans from. The world that had World War Three, the one he recommended we not visit because even the water was contaminated with radioactive fallout. I never asked what he'd collected for himself."

Silence ringed the room briefly. "Well, he's not dead," Waller spoke up. "That Mother Box I traded him hasn't come back to me yet."

"Does anyone know anything about these groups?" Rei asked softly.

"I have heard nothing," Breetai commented. "I suppose we'll have to wait on Detective Kuramitsu's report."

"Kuramitsu, Kuramitsu," Ranma mused aloud. "Where have I heard that name before?"

Setsuna was silent, communing with the Garnet Staff's dataflows. She was still getting used to having her full power back, but at least she and Ranko were out of the asylum. Darkraven's suggestion to hit Charon Castle was genius; resting there on plinths in various hallways were many, many mystical artifacts from the Silver Millenium. None of them were anything near the equal of a henshin rod, but all of them were potent in their own right. Ranko, having essentially accepted her dichotomy of gender, made for an excellent substitute senshi once her training was brought up to par and she'd been equipped with a couple of artifacts.

Nova brought up the files imbedded in the message. The files, while not an intel jackpot, had several historical refences from across the multiverse. The Aesir purges were some sort of turning point, when the Knights had lost much of their membership. There were also many, many references to an organization named Yggdrasil and the work of their agents against both the Keepers and the Knights.

[wyrmraker]

Part 2 of the beginning arc:
***
Meanwhile, deep within a dimensional realm that few mortals would ever want to end up in, a young seeming man passed his hand over an ancient-looking well, causing the image of the UEsG Shadow Council to fade away.

"It is done, the die is cast," he intoned gravely.

"Why do you insist on beaing so dreary and portentios all the time?" a female voice that was seemingly made up of pure, undiluted sex appeal commented from across the chamber.

The man sighed. "Seriously? I'm trying to be properly serious here,a nd you have to go and screw it up."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied.

"So, are you *sure* that this was the right idea?" he asked, looking doubtful. "Getting one of my better mortal agents involved in something like this isn't something I like doing."

"Oh, I'm absolutely certain this was a good idea. The people you keep a personal eye on are some of the best anywhere. The Well of Surtur can track him as easily as the Well of Mimir, and with less distraction. Will any of the old crown interfere?"

"Doubtful. The Phoenix Mage is off learning how to *be* a god now that he is one, the Wandering Penitent is finally getting his well-earned reward, the goddess of J-Pop got her promotion, and that Elder God is off bugging someone else this epoch. And since Darkraven is one of my agents, not yours, Yggdrasil can't get involved under the Mutual Interference provisions of the Midgard Treaty."

"I know," the honeyed voice smiled. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Hmmf," he commented, frowning. "I don't know if he's going to survive this, given the opposition. And he's not one to make a deal with you, so..."

"Oh, don't worry," the sultry voice said, coming out of the shadows to reveal an exquisitely beautiful woman who was richly tanned with white hair and a heaxagram star on her forehead. "I have granted him a couple of abilities that will help him." The man quirked an eyebrow at that. "Relax, Wyrmraker. I didn't hit him with immortality of any sort, unlike you. Instead I gave him the increased learning curve, and the Mother box that I influenced Waller into giving him."

Wyrmraker relaxed marginally. "That's fair, I suppose. A guy like him will go far with that. I still don't like using such a capable operative as bait, Hild."

"It'll be fine," Hild, the Daimakaicho, replied. "I think that our only issue will be that Fourth Wall Gang. You are sort of kin to them. What do you think they'll do?"

"I have no idea. I manipulate the timelines for mild amusement and drama. They tend more towards the cheap laughs, with some seriousness thrown in occasionally. Guessing what they'll do with this development is pointless; too many random factors ."

"Well, at least it'll be interesting," Hild commented, waving her hand over the well once more.

[SRoss]

The Gang considered scene projected before them. Scrying the RIFT wasn't as easy or elegant as say, Pluto's Chamber, but this way they could sometime see what they weren't meant to see...

"We should probably wait and see how this develops, if we're not careful we could bring another Ragnarok."

"We owe Darkraven no favors, but he does a good job controlling the more dangerous incursions."

"Wyrmraker is using the Well of Surtur, the scion of THAT bloodline still lives. We should keep an eye on events at the school, she may find herself drawn into this, weather she likes it or not."

Cut to: Lunch Break ... MCH #69 ...

Erin suddenly sat bolt upright ...

"Sarah!?! Did you ever get the feeling you were being watched?"

[Arnie100]

(Down Below...)

Charon: "You people are DISTURBING."

[Chronicler]

Part 2 of the beginning arc:
***
Meanwhile, deep within a dimensional realm that few mortals would ever want to end up in, a young seeming man passed his hand over an ancient-looking well, causing the image of the UEsG Shadow Council to fade away.

"It is done, the die is cast," he intoned gravely.

"Why do you insist on beaing so dreary and portentios all the time?" a female voice that was seemingly made up of pure, undiluted sex appeal commented from across the chamber.

The man sighed. "Seriously? I'm trying to be properly serious here,a nd you have to go and screw it up."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied.

"So, are you *sure* that this was the right idea?" he asked, looking doubtful. "Getting one of my better mortal agents involved in something like this isn't something I like doing."

"Oh, I'm absolutely certain this was a good idea. The people you keep a personal eye on are some of the best anywhere. The Well of Surtur can track him as easily as the Well of Mimir, and with less distraction. Will any of the old crown interfere?"

"Doubtful. The Phoenix Mage is off learning how to *be* a god now that he is one, the Wandering Penitent is finally getting his well-earned reward, the goddess of J-Pop got her promotion, and that Elder God is off bugging someone else this epoch. And since Darkraven is one of my agents, not yours, Yggdrasil can't get involved under the Mutual Interference provisions of the Midgard Treaty."

"I know," the honeyed voice smiled. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Hmmf," he commented, frowning. "I don't know if he's going to survive this, given the opposition. And he's not one to make a deal with you, so..."

"Oh, don't worry," the sultry voice said, coming out of the shadows to reveal an exquisitely beautiful woman who was richly tanned with white hair and a heaxagram star on her forehead. "I have granted him a couple of abilities that will help him." The man quirked an eyebrow at that. "Relax, Wyrmraker. I didn't hit him with immortality of any sort, unlike you. Instead I gave him the increased learning curve, and the Mother box that I influenced Waller into giving him."

Wyrmraker relaxed marginally. "That's fair, I suppose. A guy like him will go far with that. I still don't like using such a capable operative as bait, Hild."

"It'll be fine," Hild, the Daimakaicho, replied. "I think that our only issue will be that Fourth Wall Gang. You are sort of kin to them. What do you think they'll do?"

"I have no idea. I manipulate the timelines for mild amusement and drama. They tend more towards the cheap laughs, with some seriousness thrown in occasionally. Guessing what they'll do with this development is pointless; too many random factors ."

"Well, at least it'll be interesting," Hild commented, waving her hand over the well once more.

The figure sat cross legged on the cold bronze floor. The hollowed chamber barley illuminated by the floating projection. Blue light bathed The Chronicler as he gazes at scenes unfolded before him. The cool metal didn't bother him, the feel of it was soothing to him. But a chill shocked through his spine as an oh so familiar presence filled the chamber.

"Shadow, what news you bring for me?"

A hollowed voice rang all around. "Darkraven lives... for now."

His presence soon loosen it's grasp on the room. Reforming into as single mass for which radiated darkness. Chronicler stood up as he faced his subordinate as his mass formed the mortal body he no longer posses. Golden yellow eyes looked upon The Chronicler.

"The odds of him living in the next 24 hours are not great." remarked Shadow, his voice now normal. "But he shouldn't even be living this long."

"He lives because he is Wyrmraker's avatar." said Chronicler. "He would do anything to keep Darkraven alive. Even if it means to rig the odds."

"So he spits in the eyes of Gods and Devils." Shadow smiled at the thought. "Where have I seen this before?"

Chronicler waved off Shadows notions. "Who is it to say to not do it? It would be hypocritical of them to say that they don't do it to others themselves."

He soon cast away the the screen, and with a snap of his fingers the chamber lit up in brilliance. Bronze gears turned in silence with only the glass of the walls between him and the shadow. The glass orb which projected the screen float aloft in the air. Chronicler reached out to it as it floated down from its perch and into his grasp. The glass dissolved into nothing as it goes to its rightful place among the others.

"So," Shadow spoke, "What's your next move?"

"These Fanatics pose a threat to our domain, and that of others. They would rather have repetitiveness over progress. Stagnation would doom the chaotic flow or Reality. With chaos replaced with nothing but order would upset the balance." He looked at Shadow. "What happens," he questioned, "When balance is no more?"

Rarely had Shadow felt fear. The mere thought of the outcome was enough to rattle even the darkness. "The Shattering." he whispered.

Chronicler closed his eyes. "The death of all of Reality. All that is and should ever be, shattered by Reality itself in attempt to rectify the unbalance.

"That is why Watchtower is in effect."

With just the word watchtower spilled from his mouth the chamber shattered in a glistening rain. The mechanical sounds crescendo around as machines sprang to life. The bronze platform soon ascended upward to a now opening gate. Light graced them as they crossed through the threshold.

Before them rolling hills of green greeted them, but still they rise above. The ground around them still parting as machinery and plates of iron formed an ever growing tower. Gears grind. Metal clanging. The Watchtower ever rising to the clear sky ahead. Soon it had grown as tall as any skyscraper.

Tho they are up so high, the air was gentle. Chronicler took in everything, but Shadow was in awe and confusion.

"What. The. Hell. What just happened?"

Chronicler smiled. "This is one of many ways to combat those that upset balance. Watchtower is a network on a scale that exceeds all. A Tower in every known dimension. These Towers are my eyes and ears. I use them to chronicle heroes, villains, lives, events, history. One giant "internet" that catalogs "all".

"And that." He smiled. "Is one of many ways to win."

But, he thought, it's not enough to have knowledge. He reached out again like before. A glass orb, black as pitch, came to him. Chroniclers smile faded. He held it in both hands close to him. Knowledge needs to be used. For good or bad.

[SRoss]

Elsewhere ...

Two figures entered the hall from a side entrance and approached the throne. The figure sitting upon it acknowledged their presence.

"Well, traveling the Fae realms to get here. You sure took the long way.", he said by way of greeting.

"Come on uncle, You know better then I that had I summoned the bridge or used the gate, too many would mark it.", Erin replied.

"Indeed," Loki smiled, "If only my brother were as smart."

"Someone is using grandfather's power to spy on the worlds. I felt it!"

"Indeed Erin, One that calls himself Wyrmraker." Loki looked down from his throne at the two women, "The arrogance, to believe he could move about Jotunhiem without my knowledge, or use the Well without those of Surtur's blood sensing it."

Loki continued, "A very dangerous game is being played. The life of the one called Darkraven is key to what is to come. Wyrmraker is on one side, the one called Chronicler is seemingly on the other. But be aware niece, other powers are acting as well."

"And what of the Fourth Wall Gang?", Erin asked.

"They are aware of what's happening, but they are waiting for something."

"Then me and Sarah will search for this Darkraven."

"The others will be watching. It would be safer for you to remain here in Asgard."

"I may be part Jotun, but I also claim the blood of the Danu through my mother's line. By avoiding Bridge and Gate and traveling the low roads, I should stay off their radar for now."

"Then go niece," Loki smiled, "kick over the gaming tables of the gods and turn their plans to ash."

[Arnie100]

(Down Below...)

Charon: (Munching on popcorn) "Let the games begin!"

[wyrmraker]

Wyrmraker studied the patterns that his terminal in the Nidhogg system was displaying to him. Noting the adjustments that his minor influencing of Darkraven had developed, he shut it down, descending back down to the Well of Surtur, located in the very foundation of the Nidhogg, at the center of the edge of the realms Nifleheim and Muspelheim.

"Hild, we have a problem."

"A problem? Or an oppurtunity?"

"Definitely a problem. Giving Darkraven that information made a much larger splash than I intended. We also have other elements whining about my access. You get to deal with them. As agreed, I'll stay here and monitor; if I get too involved, the ones running Yggdrasil will be able to interfere. Not that they would, in this specific case; The Rival Relief Office has always had issue with the Knights, and the Keepers have always run at odds with the sysadmins. But if the other agencies get involved, then we have to make allowances for use of the Ultimate Force."

"Hmmm, tricky," Hild breathed, pondering. "Very well. I will deal with the whiners as they come by. If they're complaining about your access, then they'll have to deal with the Daimakaicho, the supreme ruler of all that is Hel. What about your agent?"

Wyrmraker shrugged. "He's on his own for now. If I get any more involved, Yggdrasil will be allowed to send in their own mortal agents, and the last thing we need is yet another throw-down between near omnipotent jerks like we had seven centuries ago. No, Darkraven has the training, creativity, and will to survive that he needs. Besides, he's an old adventurer; we always find a way."

"Very well. Keep me posted if you find anything else out. I'll be in my office dealing with more paperwork."

[taalismn]

I turn my back for a moment and suddenly you all become powerplayas.....
I wonder if this is how Innortal felt when he saw how the Time Loops had...EXPLODED....

[wyrmraker]

I turn my back for a moment and suddenly you all become powerplayas.....
I wonder if this is how Innortal felt when he saw how the Time Loops had...EXPLODED....

That is indeed a possibility. I was just trying to open up some options; I wasn't expecting all of this. But I'm sticking to anime stuff for a lot of the new material; Hild is from Oh My Goddess. the Knights of the True Fiancee and the Keepers of the Continuum are mostly from the writers Metroanime and Shade.

[taalismn]

And as I recall the KotTF and KotOC were used much like the Fourth Wall Gang and its affiliates here.
Of course, if you're talking metafic universes here, blame Heinlein, whose Number of the Beast is often cited for the multiverse being influenced by literature and vice-versa.

[wyrmraker]

Well, yeah. And I distinctly recall Heinlein's Number of the Beast being referred to (in character) in this thread.

I decided to open up some options, introduce myself as a kind of 4th-Waller, and get Darkraven running outside of the military structure. I honestly and seriously didn't see this kind of reaction coming.

[wyrmraker]

Okay, here's a bit from Darkraven's end. I'll be filling out more bits with the Shadow Council later.
***
Darkraven's Triangulated Teleport spell (enabled through an emitter on his armor's forearm) materialized him flawlessly onto the vessel's hallway. Running fast for the bridge, he couldn't help but smirk a little. While the Knights of the True Fiancee had indeed set up transport jammers, disabling pretty much all dimensional travel outside of a boom tube, the jammers weren't quite set up for the brand of magic he had grown up with.

Sliding under the slowly opening blast door, he shouted, "Urumi! Bring engines from warm to hot and bypass gravitational limiters! We need to go NOW!"

A mechanical 'head' popped down from the ceiling to look at him. The AI tech he'd gleaned from the Galaxy Police had been indispensable. Better than his homeworld's robotic brains, but not quite as capable as the UNSC's near-living AIs, this class of AI was everything he needed it to be. "Are you sure about that?" she asked in a tinny, female voice. "Overriding gravitational limiters could easily tear apart this mining asteroid."

"Yes! It's empty of everything but enemies," he shouted, throwing himself into a seat as monitors sprang to life. Keying several sequences, he cancelled the electrostatic state of the hull plates, releasing the iron-based chunks of asteroids that had been hiding the Yo' Momma even as the FTL engines began spooling up.

His Mother Box pinged at him that the payload of sixty mini-nukes had gone off, and he pushed the drive lever forward. Instantly space tore open as the ship was yanked into a sub-dimension, the cross-purposed, artificial gravity well tearing at the local reality. The ship was gone from it's spot, leaving the long-abandoned asteroid mining center to be crushed by a split-second singularity.

Leaning back, finally relaxing in his chair, he briefly mourned the Ultimax that had been with him for decades. Once that was done, he smiled at his current acquisition. Margaret Parangosky had been a joy to haggle with, once she got over him breaking into her office in order to secretly meet with her on behalf of the UEsG Shadow Council. She had taken quite readily to an equitable trade of technologies and resources, even as the UEsG Council had been meeting with Terrence Hood, the commander of the UNSC Fleet. That she had agreed to offer local (if outdated) ships was fairly easy to accomplish, given that the UEsG was willing to do the same.

This ship, the former Colonial Military Administration warship Yo' Momma, was now his personal ship. True, she had a long-served reputation as a 'death ship'. Records stated that every engagement she'd been in had a nearly 70% loss of crew rate. Insofar as the UNSC Navy was concerned, it was a cursed ship, and yet they kept sending her out against the Covenant. And she kept coming back. Beaten, scorched, limping, and in one case nearly gutted, but she always returned under her own power. With the introduction of the Infinity, Fleet was looking at retiring most of the warships more than thirty years old. The Yo' Momma was on that list, until Parangosky gave her to Darkraven.

Darkraven immediately took the ship for a full refit to a facility in the same solar system as his home world. He then turned the Nerf Warrior and his psi-tek friend loose on it. Their modifications, combined with a number of robot brains, meant that he actually didn't need much in the line of a crew.

Fortunately, the Knights on his trail weren't know to have Slipspace technology, preferring dimension-hopping, teleportation, and stargates. Since he was now in slipspace, he was nearly untrackable by non-Covenant forces (or so the UNSC records stated).

Bringing up a console, he began surveying his options. Returning to any of the UEsG held worlds was clearly out of the question. Which meant that he had to hit some of the theoreticals. Fortunately he knew the dimensional vibration patterns better than most of the UEsG scientists (the diomension knockers were still mostly at the "Found one! Let's poke it and see what's over there!"), and his access to mystical dimension-spanning quite frankly dwarfed the official capabilties of his chosen government.

"Where to go, where to go... What do I need?" he mused alound, cycling the TW Knocker through potentia. "I have gear, I have mobility for now... I have my Spartan in a drop bay, the Ultimax is gone, my new personal power armor is done and on board, got about a thousand robots on board running operations..."

His eyes widened, then squinted in exasperation. "Damn. I need more training. Where can I go where they won't be looking.... There! That'll be perfect. Almost completely a mainline, minor variance in the quantum wobble... Neither faction will look for me there. Well then, I guess I'll get moving. I have a lot to do."

Twenty minutes later, the Yo' Momma had dropped out of slipspace, passing smoothly through a dimensional portal to Darkraven's next option.

[SRoss]

"So", Sarah said, checking her Plasma Rifle for the third time, "Where do we start?"

"Well", Erin replied, as they exited the mound, "We need to do some serious scrying, and while Wyrmraker is there, Gramp's Well is out of the question. Maybe once cousin Hel sorts out Hild ... but for now. we need other help."

"Where."

"Estcarp!", she said pointing at a distant palace on the horizon, "Castle Tregarth to be exact..."

[Arnie100]

(Down Below...)

Charon: "Just don't kill half the galaxy, okay? I don't have a big enough boat."

[wyrmraker]

"So", Sarah said, checking her Plasma Rifle for the third time, "Where do we start?"

"Well", Erin replied, as they exited the mound, "We need to do some serious scrying, and while Wyrmraker is there, Gramp's Well is out of the question. Maybe once cousin Hel sorts out Hild ... but for now. we need other help."

"Where."

"Estcarp!", she said pointing at a distant palace on the horizon, "Castle Tregarth to be exact..."

Hild, from her office in the administrative portion of the underworld, smirked. Clearly the child was unaware of the rotations in the Great Cycle. Hel hadn't been the ruler there in nearly a thousand years, and since the Yggdrasil/Nidhogg reorganization, she had been in command here, while Kami-sama had been in charge in Heaven.

That the child would think that the now-retired goddess Hel could influence Hild in any way was... amusing.

Still, the children *were* entertaining. It could be interesting to see the child darken her drawers in light of the current underworld ruler's full, unbridled aura of power when uninhibited by the power limiters she habitually wore.

At the same time, if the child approached her directly, politely, some sort of... arrangment might be able to be worked out... After all, it simply wouldn't do for lesser creatures to interfere with her plans.

[taalismn]

Oh jeez...Thanatos Gambit Pileup in the making?

[wyrmraker]

Oh jeez...Thanatos Gambit Pileup in the making?

Beats me. I'm just trying to follow the anime material. I actually don't view the movie Marvel timelines as very valid; I am a severe Marvel fan from way back.

Either way, it should prove to be entertaining in one manner or another.