Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ The Enemy Revealed ❯ When Cybers Attack ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Special thanks to SR for looking at this for me.

The Enemy Revealed
Chapter 1: When Cybers Attack

After devouring her breakfast and enduring the insults of her older brother Touya, Sakura raced towards Tomoeda Elementary School on her rollerblades. At the entrance to the school, she nearly ran into Daidouji Tomoyo--literally.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Sakura-chan," the dark-haired girl greeted as she helped Sakura stablize herself.

After getting control, Sakura bent down as she gasped for air. "Ohayo...gozaimasu...Tomoyo-chan," she managed to say between breaths.

They made their way to the classroom. Inside, they found everyone talking. Sakura managed to hear "Tomoeda Yuuen" being repeated with excitement.

"They're still talking about Tomoeda Yuuen?" Sakura whispered to her best friend.

Tomoyo nodded. "The police are still puzzled on what happened there. They won't allow Tomoeda Yuuen to reopen until they come up with an answer."

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Sakura-chan!" closed-eyed Yamazaki Takashi greeted.

"Ohayo, Yamazaki-kun," Sakura replied.

"So you're all still talking about what happened at Tomoeda Yuuen?" Tomoyo asked.

"Hai, Tomoyo-chan," Mihira Chiharu answered.

"I know what happened," Yamazaki said confidently, pointing upward.

"Really?" Sakura said, her voice a little shaky.

"It was gremlins," Yamazaki said.

"Gremlins?" Sakura stared at Yamazaki.

"Not again," Chiharu groaned.

"The gremlins found the park made too much noise during the day," Yamazaki said, going into one of his infamous lies. "They sleep while the sun is still out because if they are hit by sunlight, they'll turn into strawberry jelly. Furthermore..."

Chiharu snarled and took matters into her own hands...literally. She seized her vividly imaginative friend by the throat and proceeded to choke and shake him. "Gremlins? Why do you keep telling lies?" she asked him loudly. Yamazaki replied with a series of gurgles.

"It wasn't true?" Sakura asked. For once, she recognized Yamazaki's tale as a tall one. She knew the truth behind Tomoeda Yuuen's temporary closing.

"I think we should leave them alone," Tomoyo whispered to Sakura. The young Cardmistress nodded in agreement and left Chiharu and Yamazaki to themselves.

Mr. Tereda entered the room. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Tereda-sensei!" all the students greeted.

"Ohayo. Everyone get to their seats," the teacher said. Chiharu released her grip on Yamazaki, who showed his gratefulness by breathing normally.

Sakura and Tomoyo made their way to their seats. "It's been three days now," Sakura whispered as Mr. Tereda got ready for class. "I guess I ruined everyone's chance to enjoy themselves at the park."

"But it was for a good cause," Tomoyo remarked with a smile. "You had to defeat that evil clown."

"True." Sakura's eyes moved to the desk behind her. She sighed as she took in the empty seat.

"You wish he was here?" Tomoyo asked.

"Hai," Sakura answered, her eyes still on the seat.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said. "I'm sure Li-kun is thinking about you right now."

* * * * *

*They tried to kill Sakura,* Syaoran thought as he eyed Hacker. The Cyber stood in front of him, his beam saber at the ready.

"Well, Mr. Li?" Hacker asked. "Shall we begin?"

With a battle cry, Syaoran ran up to Hacker. He swung at the robot, who met his attack and knocked it away. Syaoran was surpirsed the robot's weapon did not cut through his blade's steel.

"If you're wondering, I decreased my beam saber's power," Hacker explained. "It wouldn't be fair to you if I employed my weapon's full power."

Syaoran responded with a series of rapid swings. His thoughts were on his beloved cherry blossom. *I'll defeat them, Sakura! They won't hurt you again!*

"You're very motivated, Mr. Li," Hacker said as he blocked and knocked aside Syaoran's swings.

"You tried to kill Sakura!" Syaoran shouted, continuing to swing.

"Ah, the Cardmistress?" Hacker said, countering Syaoran's attacks and backing off. "Oh yes, according to our data, you are in love with her."

This enraged Syaoran more. "I'll make you pay for what you did!" he declared as he charged Hacker. He leapt as high as he could in the classroom and brough his sword down. Hacker moved his blade in time to block the strike, and they continued to trade blows.

Meanwhile, Cracker charged Meiling with his head down. Meiling leaped off the floor in time, and the robot crashed into the wall. Landing on her feet, she turned around to face her foe, who picked himself up slowly.

"I'll make you pay for that!" Cracker growled, raising his fist at Meiling.

"Yeah, what are you going to do?" Meiling taunted.

Cracker's fist started to glow. "This! Dynamite Punch!" He struck the ground and sent an energy wave at Meiling. The female fighter leapt out of the way in time. Behind her, the wall exploded.

Landing, Meiling eyed the big hole behind her. "Anything else you can do?" she taunted.

Cracker growled and aimed his arm at Meiling. It morphed into a cannon. "Cannonbomb!" the giant robot shouted, firing a bomb. Meiling jumped in time, but the force of the explosion flung her through the hole and into the hallway. She hit the wall hard.

Still fighting Hacker, Syaoran looked back to find out what happened. "Meiling!" he shouted as his cousin slid down the wall unconscious. He lost his focus, and Hacker knocked his sword out of his hand.

"A true warrior always remains focused, Mr. Li," Hacker said sternly.

Syaoran's sword clanged against the wall. Syaoran ran after it, but Hacker leaped in his way. The robot put away his weapon and assumed a battle stance. "Shall we try unarmed combat?"

Syaoran responded with a flying kick which Hacker blocked. The young magician dodged a kick and returned with a series of punches. The attack caught Hacker by surprise, but he recovered and blocked the last few. Both went into a flurry of punches and kicks. Meanwhile, a robot bird swooped down from a shelf and landed next to the sword. It emitted a beam on the weapon and proceeded to scan it.

Cracker advanced slowly on the fallen Meiling. He kept his cannon arm trained on her. "Heh. Too easy," he remarked, ready to fire another Cannonbomb.

While jumping a sweep kick, Syaoran saw his cousin in danger. "Meiling!" he shouted with concern. Unfortunately, Hacker's next strike got him in the chest.

"I warned you," Hacker told his opponent as he staggered back. The bird continued to scan the sword.

Syaoran reached into his uniform and found some ofuda. Eyeing Cracker, he threw a few at the large robot. They hit Cracker's back and ignited. "Aaaaaaaaaa!" The large Cyber felt the heat and started swatting his back to put out the flames. While he did so, Meiling slowly regained consciousness.

"H-hu-huh?" Meiling moaned as she opened her eyes. As Cracker swatted his back, Meiling got back her bearings.

Syaoran threw his remaining ofuda at Hacker, causing a brief flash of fire. Hacker covered his face. Seeing his foe temporarily blinded, Syaoran saw the bird and his sword, then ran for it. The bird finished its scanning and flew up just as Syaoran reached his sword. When Hacker could see, he saw Syaoran reunited with his blade.

"Raitei shourai!" Syaoran shouted, slapping an ofuda on the sword and sending a thunderbolt at the Cyber. The attack knocked Hacker to the ground. Syaoran thought he was down for good, but the Cyber recovered quickly.

"Well, now that we're using projectiles..." Hacker activated his beam saber again. Syaoran noticed that its blade was glowing brighter than before. "Data Slash!" the Cyber cried as he swung his weapon, sending an energy wave at Syaoran.

Syaoran moved out of the way, and the Data Slash exploded behind him, leaving a gaping hole in the wall. Finding more ofuda, he threw them at his opponent, who countered with another Data Slash. Syaoran leaped forward and clashed blades with Hacker.

Getting back on her feet, Meiling eyed the helpless Cracker. "Payback time," she muttered. Before the large robot could make a move, Meiling did a flying kick on his chest, sending him crashing to the floor.

Cracker growled and picked himself up. Without the fire on his back, he focused on Meiling. She moved in time to avoid another Cannonbomb, which destroyed one end of the hallway.

"The headmaster's going to be very upset about this," Meiling observed before she dodged another Cannonbomb.

"Hold still!" Cracker bellowed in frustration as he launched Cannonbomb after Cannonbomb at the agile Meiling. Meiling leapt at the Cyber and kicked him in the chest. Staggering back, Cracker roared and launched more Cannonbombs. Thanks to Meiling's agility, the only victims were the school walls. Frustrated, Cracker lunged at Meiling with a punch. It connected and knocked the young fighter to the ground. She rolled away in time to avoid a foot stomp which cracked the floor.

Syaoran and Hacker continued their sword duel with neither gaining an advantage. The bird shrieked loudly, and then a portal opened. The bird flew into it quickly.

"The Gateway!" Hacker exclaimed as he blocked another swing. "Cracker, we have the data! We can go now!" he shouted to his partner.

"Finally!" After missing Meiling with another Cannonbomb, Cracker broke off from his fight and joined his fellow Cyber. "Guess I'd better bring down the house." He pointed his gun arm upward.

"Cracker, what are you doing?" Hacker demanded angrily.

"Making sure no one follows us," the giant Cyber answered. "Graviton Blaster!"

Syaoran and Meiling watched as Cracker fired a burst of dark energy into the ceiling. The energy spread quickly, and soon they heard a loud creaking from above.

"Huh?" Meiling said, puzzled. She got an answer when a piece of the ceiling fell followed by a desk.

"He's bringing the entire school down on us!" Syaoran realized. Outside the room, pieces of the ceiling and equipment from the upstairs rooms were falling through. The whole building convulsed violently.

"C'mon!" Cracker shouted to Hacker as he ran towards the Gateway. "We gotta get to Japan to take care of the Cardmistress!"

"Cardmistress?" Meiling said as she dodged a falling bookcase.

The word did not escape Syaoran's ears. *No, not Sakura!* he thought as he watched Hacker approach the Gateway. "Stop!" he shouted as he threw two ofuda at the exiting Cyber.

With one blade swipe, Hacker dealt with the paper projectiles. "If you survive, we shall duel again, Mr. Li," he said before entering the Gateway.

Angered, Syaoran continued to throw ofuda at the Gateway, but it closed. As the building shook more, Syaoran and Meiling dodged the falling debris. "Run!" he shouted.

Meiling did not need to be told. The two cousins ran out the hole and did not stop until they were a safe distance from the collapsing school. They watched as the building caved in, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble.

"That was close," Meiling said, noticing they were behind the school.

Both saw what was left of their school, and then they noticed the large crowd of people gathering at the site. They recognized some of their classmates. "Um, I think we should leave," Meiling said. Syaoran nodded and they bolted out of the area while the crowd was too busy.

* * * * *

Ready studied Techno and the large number of Deleters surrounding her and her friends. "We have to get our medallions and Maya's ring back," she said to Brandon.

"Any suggestions?" Brandon asked. "The bird has our magical objects, and all the Guardians are sort of out of action."

"Not all of them," Umbriel stated. A flash of light enveloped the room as he changed into his true form. Dark armor and a cape replaced human clothing. Gloves covered his hands. His ears became elven and longer. His pupils became red and stood out in their dark background. A tall, wide-brimmed hat sat on his head.

"A Darkling? Is that supposed to impress us?" Techno said mockingly.

Umbriel reached at his side and pulled out a sword with a long, curved blade. "Defend yourself!" he shouted.

"Attack!" Techno ordered the Deleters.

The Deleters rushed towards their prey. Some lunged at their targets, their claws stretched out and ready to slash something into pieces. With a battle cry, Umbriel swung his blade and cleaved them in half. Others went for Ready and Brandon.

"Miss Mizuki, Spinel, Nakuru! Get back!" Brandon shouted as he stepped out of the way of a Deleter's claw slash. The three ran past the Deleters and into the kitchen. He grabbed the arm and performed a judo throw. The Deleter fell hard, but was not down for long. It lunged at Brandon only to be sliced in half by Umbriel.

"Better watch yourself, Shadowwalker," the Darkling warned grimly as the Deleter disintegrated.

Brandon was about to offer a snide retort when he saw Ready being attacked by three Deleters. The three robots slashed at the young Starlighter, who managed to dodge them with some ease. The Shadowwalker ran up to one and grabbed it by the waist. "Oh no you don't!" he shouted, trying to pull the mechanical killer from Ready. He got knocked aside for his trouble.

"I believe you still have some magic power left," Umbriel told his charges as he knocked aside the swings of the Deleters. "You did practice with your magical objects before we left the house."

Brandon stopped to think and realized he did have some power left. "I always keep forgetting..." He took aim at the nearest Deleter and blasted it with a dark energy ball. The target shrieked as it faded to nothing.

Ready got the hint and blasted her other two attackers with light energy. She saw a Deleter behind Brandon, its claws ready to strike. "Duck!" she shouted to her friend. Brandon obeyed quickly, and the Deleter received a powerful light blast. Ready ran up to her friend. "Are you all right?"

Brandon blasted another Deleter. "Never felt better," he replied with a grin.

The Deleters ganged up on Umbriel. Feeling overwhelmed, the Darkling swung his sword wildly. Some Deleters were destroyed, but the others backed away and started firing missiles from their chest cavities. Umbriel could not block all of them, and the Darkling fell to the floor.

"Umbriel!" Ready shouted as the Deleters advanced on him. She fired on them and knocked them down. "That wasn't what I wanted," she said, seeing that the robots were still intact.

Brandon blasted a Deleter into the wall. "Um, Ready, I think we're having a power crisis," he remarked upon seeing the Deleter get up quickly without a scratch.

Techno giggled. "You can't keep it up for long. Without these, you'll be running out of power soon!" he declared, pointing to the stolen items.

"I hate to say it, but Igor's right," Brandon said to Ready as he blasted another Deleter down.

"We'd better make it quick," Ready said, dodging a claw slash. "Now I'm starting to feel a little low on power."

"Get them!" Techno shouted. The Deleters formed a wall between the kids and the hunchback robot. Their chest panels opened and revealed ready-to-launch missiles. They were about to fire when they were struck by various objects from the side. "What?" the hunchback exclaimed.

Ready and Brandon watched as Kaho, Nakuru, and Suppi-chan hurled foodstuffs and Tupperware at the Deleters. The Deleters held up their arms to protect themselves from butter and ham. A Tupperware bowl bounced off Techno's head. The bird jumped up just in time to avoid a barrage of eggs. Before the hunchback robot could attack, Ready spread out her hands. "Illumination!" she cried, sending out a flash of light.

"Aaaaargh!" Techno shouted. The bird shrieked and dropped its stolen goods from its beak. The Deleters paused momentarily.

"My turn." Brandon rushed forward and picked up the medallions and ring as Techno and the bird struggled to regain their sight.

"No!" Techno shouted, managing to see Brandon run away with his stolen goods. He eyed the bird. "Scanner, you incompetent...!" The bird only shrieked in response.

Brandon placed the skull medallion around his neck. He placed the ring in Ready's hand and hung the star medallion on her neck without a second thought. Once the medallion was in place, Brandon realized what he did and turned away to hide the red color creeping into his face.

"Thank you, Brandon," Ready said as she pocketed the ring.

"Let's do it," Brandon said, getting his blushing under control.

Ready nodded and held the medallion in her hand. Upon feeling her touch, it started to glow and a brilliant light shone from the young Starlighter. "Powers of light and star, hear my call! Help me to prevent peace's fall! Aid me in preserving this world's light! I, Ready Brighton, command you to come forth, Starlighter Staff!" A beam of light shot out of the medallion and revealed a golden staff topped with an eight-pointed star.

Holding his medallion, Brandon glowed a dark light. "Powers of darkness and shadow, hear my plea! Help me in this reality! Aid me in fighting the terror of the dark! I, Brandon Darque, command you to come forth, Shadowwalker Rod!" he chanted. A beam of darkness shot out of the medallion and revealed a gray metal rod with a skull on top.

Both grabbed their weapons. Once their lights faded, Techno found himself facing an armed Starlighter and a Shadowwalker.

"Now let's kick robot butt!" Brandon declared. With a thought, he made his weapon shoot out a blade of ebony energy.

Ready nodded and assumed a fighting stance with her Staff. Pointing it at Eriol's Guardians, she shouted, "Restoration!"

Light from the Staff covered Nakuru and Suppi-chan. "Hey, I'm feeling stronger!" Nakuru declared happily.

"So am I," Suppi-chan said. "Shall we?"

Nakuru grinned. "Let's."

Both transformed into their true forms. Nakuru was replaced by the butterfly-winged Ruby Moon. Joining her at her side was the butterfly-winged panther Spinel Sun. "Time to repay you for your previous treatment," Spinel said before blasting a nearby Deleter into oblivion. Ruby Moon joined in with a blast of her own, taking out two Deleters.

"Destroy them!" Techno bellowed. The Deleters divided themselves to attack the Guardians and the young magicians. The rejuvinated Guardians dealt with their enemies easily. They blasted Deleters left and right.

The same luck went with Ready and Brandon. Seeing her Guardian in danger, Ready blasted the attacking Deleters off him. Umbriel rose and slashed a Deleter in half. "Thank you, Mistress," he said before disposing of another Deleter.

A Deleter tried to sneak up behind Ready, but she turned around just in time and blocked the slash with her Staff. She swept her weapon at her enemy's legs and knocked it off its feet. She bashed in another's head and blasted more Deleters.

Brandon hacked his way through the Deleters. As more rushed him, he held his weapon up and shouted, "Shadow Dance!" His shadow sprung to life, and the two attacked the charging Deleters. Both Brandon and his shadow dodged slashes and missiles and reduced their enemies to nothing with their blades.

The tide turned. Spinel Sun leaped on a Deleter and took out more with energy blasts. Ruby Moon tossed Cybers all over the place and watched as they disintegrated. Ready defended herself with her Staff and took out her enemies with bolts of light. Umbriel sliced past the charging enemy. Brandon and his shadow destroyed more Deleters with lightning speed.

Techno and the Scanner watched as the Deleters were being terminated. Once they were done with their enemies, the young magicians and Darkling faced the hunchback, their weapons ready to strike. "Give up, Quasimodo?" Brandon asked with a grin, pointing his energy blade at the robot. His shadow copied his move. Behind the hunchback, Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun stood, ready to attack.

Techno snarled as he assessed his situation, then a flash of light appeared behind him. He giggled evilly. "Sorry, but I've got to go. I already have what I need." Still giggling loudly, he leapt into the Gateway with the Scanner. Umbriel ran after him, but the portal closed.

Seeing that the threat was gone, Umbriel, Ruby Moon, and Spinel Sun returned to their false forms. "Damn!" Brandon shouted in frustration as he deactivated his Shadowwalker Rod, then made it disappear along with his shadow.

Ready followed suit with her Starlighter Staff. "What did he mean by already getting what he wanted?" she wondered. Then she realized something. "Maya!" she cried out, and she bolted up the stairs. Everyone else followed her.

The party ran into one of the bedrooms and found a young black girl in pajamas and three stuffed animals lying on the floor along with an opened bag of potato chips and a book. "Maya!" Ready exclaimed, kneeling down next to her best friend.

Maya Torres groaned. "What hit me?" she managed to ask.

The three stuffed animals stirred. "My goodness, what happened?" a small white unicorn with wings asked.

A gray wolf picked herself up. "I believe we were attacked."

"No duh, Lupe," a bear with a spiked shell and shades said. "I can't believe we got way-laid like that."

Ready picked up a nearby pair of glasses. "You okay?" she asked Maya as she handed them to her.

Maya rubbed her face and short hair before putting on her spectacles. "Besides the slight headache, I'm fine."

"What happened?" Ready asked.

Despite her headache, Maya recalled what happened. "I was just reading one of Eriol's books when I heard noises downstairs. I slipped on my ring and went for the door. Suddenly, these robots burst in. One of them looked like a hunchback, and he reached for your medallions on the desk. I tried to get a shot at him, but this bird flew off his shoulder and got in my way. The last thing I remember is being hit by some sort of energy projectile." She looked at her hand. "My ring! Did they...?"

"Nope," Ready said with a smile. She reached into her pocket and gave the ring to her friend. She and Nakuru helped Maya to her feet.

The unicorn spread her wings and flapped to Ready. "Uni!" Ready shouted as the creature landed in her hands. "Are you all right?"

Pegasus Uni looked up at her mistress. "I'm fine, Ready. Just feeling a little disoriented."

Brandon looked down at the bear. "O.G.?"

"I'm cool, I'm cool," the bear replied. "Now where are those tin heads? I'll get medieval all over their metal butts!" he declared as he punched in the air.

"They have left," Umbriel said.

O.G. stopped punching. "Man! If they didn't get me by surprise, I would've taken them on in my real form."

"Then the house would've been more of a wreck thanks to them kicking your big butt around the room," Lupe quipped.

O.G. growled at the wolf. "I didn't see you do nothing!"

Lupe growled back. "Well, at least I wasn't snacking on an entire bag of potato chips when we were ambushed!"

O.G. and Lupe got into each other's faces. "Guys, please!" Ready shouted, trying to end the argument. "We've got bigger problems. Eriol's been kidnapped."

"They took Eriol?" Pegasus Uni said, shocked.

O.G. looked at Nakuru and Suppi-chan. "Weren't you two with him? You're supposed to be his Guardians, right?"

"He was too much for us," Suppi-chan explained. "Eriol tried his best to defend himself, but he overwhelmed him."

"How?" Lupe asked. "Eriol's one of the most powerful magicians in the world."

"I think he's dropped a few places in the 'Most Powerful Magician' list," Brandon commented dryly.

"Who took him?" Maya asked.

"Someone in armor and a cape," Nakuru answered. "Eriol looked shocked when he saw the design. He kept saying 'It can't be' over and over."

Kaho bowed her head. "Eriol..." She fought the urge to cry and her mind went to the plans she had before everything happened. "The groceries. Can someone...?"

"I will," Umbriel said, leaving the room quickly.

Ready walked up to Kaho. "Don't worry, Miss Mizuki. We'll get Eriol back."

Tears started to roll off Kaho's eyes, but she kept herself from breaking down. "I hope so, Ready," she said, sniffling.

Ready noticed the schoolteacher's tears. "Miss Mizuki, are you...?"

"I'll be fine, Ready," Kaho said with a faint smile. "We have to be strong, for Eriol's sake."

Brandon punched the wall, leaving a cracked dent. "Damn it, we need to find him!"

"That will prove to be difficult," Maya said, adjusting her glasses. "We have no idea who took him and we don't know what that symbol stands for."

"Well, there's only one thing to do now," Nakuru said.

"What would that be?" Maya asked.

Nakuru closed her eyes and yawned. "Go to bed. It's really late."

Everyone else in the room crashed to the floor.

"She has a point," Maya said after picking herself up. "It is late, and we need to rest."

"What about Eriol?" Ready asked.

Kaho looked at the Guardians. "I think Spinel and Ruby can find him."

"Yes. We will look for Eriol," Suppi-chan said, motioning to Nakuru.

"You and me?" Nakuru asked, puzzled. "But I want to go to the dress shop tomorrow. They just got a new shipment of..."

"How can you think of dresses when Eriol is in danger?" Suppi-chan said, exasperated. "Once we're well-rested, we can start a search."

"Oh, all right," Nakuru said, resigned.

"We'll come too!" Ready said. Brandon and Maya nodded their agreement.

"No, you won't," Kaho countered. "You three will stay here. The Guardians will find your teacher."

"How?" Brandon asked. "Look in the phone book for 'Evil Robots-'R-Us'?"

Suppi-chan raised a paw. "That's our problem, not yours. I want you all to go to bed. Eriol left you three some magic exercises to do, and I think he'd appreciate it if you did them all. They're basic exercises, but they'll require a lot of energy, so you'll need all the rest you can get."

"But..." Ready began.

"No buts," Kaho said firmly, wiping away a tear and wagging her finger. "You are still Eriol's students, and you still have your studies. Leave this up to us grownups."

"But..."

"The matter is closed. Good night." With that, Suppi-chan flew out of the room with Kaho. Nakuru gave the three kids a look of sympathy as she closed the door behind her.

"Humph," O.G. grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. "You gonna listen to them?" he asked his master.

Brandon turned to Ready. "Well? What are we going to do?" he asked.

"What's going through your mind, Ready?" Maya asked her best friend.

The red-haired girl faced her friends. She wondered if Kaho was releasing her grief in her bedroom. Despite the schoolteacher's strength, Ready felt how much the kidnapping of Eriol affected her. She swore she heard the faint sound of crying. "What do you think?" she said softly yet determined, managing a little grin.

Maya smiled. "I thought so."

Brandon grinned. "Definitely."