Iczer-one Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Earth Child ❯ Troi's Gambit ( Chapter 13 )

The Earthchild

 

(An Iczer/Ranma/Sailor Moon Crossover)

 

Written by

Jim Robert Bader

 

Proofread by

Shiva Barnwell

 

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi,

Naoko Takeuchi, Toshihiro Hirano, & Hitoshi Okuda,

with ideas and suggestions by TH Tiger and Johannes Huber)

 

 

 

 

 

Troi materialized inside the Saotome restaurant and glanced around, confirming within mere instants that her wayward niece was no where in or near the building. This left her slightly flustered as she was running out of places to look, and for some strange reason Rhea had turned off her homing beacon, as if she did not want to be located, which made Troi smile slightly as she had an inkling as to her fellow Iczer's motive for doing this.

 

“Not too bad, Niece,” she murmured with a leer, “You're moving quicker than I gave you credit for, but I've been in this game a lot longer than you and I know how to play it. Once I find your little love nest then I'm checking in to watch…which is what a good little Auntie should do for her favorite Sprite.”

 

Convinced of the logic for this, Troi prepared to teleport out when she paused, glancing around, her sensitive pointed ears detecting the sounds of running water moving through piping.

 

“Oho?” she murmured in a thoughtful manner, “What's this?” and with that she teleported upstairs, completely unaware that a pair of glowing red eyes had just detected her movement…

 

 

 

 

“Damn her,” Sakura growled under her breath, “How can she just…vanish like this…and to me of all people?”

 

It frustrated her to no end that she had been unable to hunt down Muku Dori, her friend and favorite sparring partner, who had taken off with some floozy in a giant robot whom she had only just met a few days earlier. Sakura did not yet fully understand the particulars of what was going on here, but she knew that did not like the direction that events were taking all around her. Muku had found a new friend, this mysterious elf-girl named Rhea, and all at once it was like Sakura had been shunted off to mere sidekick status, as though she had been forcibly excluded from the picture, which she quite naturally resented, wanting to know just why this Rhea mattered so much more to Muku now than Sakura.

 

Her search of the neighborhood and Muku's favorite haunts had proven fruitless. Sakura had returned home hot and sweaty from her searches and decided a nice hot shower would do the trick of calming her down and helping her to relax a little. It turned out not to help in that regard, but it did at least leave her feeling a bit more clear-headed and---at least physically---relaxed. Time enough to take stock of what had happened the past few days, and why exactly she was so angry about things, other than the feeling of being tossed over the rail like yesterday's laundry.

 

She did remember something of what had happened ten years ago, the day she had almost lost her mother and younger brother to a rampaging duel of battling robot and giant monster. She could never quite look at a Toho studios production without feeling a twinge of apprehension, as if expecting a giant foot to come crashing down on her house at any minute. (She often wondered why Tenma seemed to thrive on the bloody things, as if not remembering how near he had come to being paste in such a real-life battle.) She also remembered Aunt Two, who had seemed like a very nice person, for all that she had trouble smiling and was so serious much of the time when she studied the martial arts with Sakura's father. Two had seemed like a very respectable warrior, one you could look up to and admire…not like this Troi character, who was as wild and untamed as a raging tsunami.

 

And then there was Rhea herself, a shy and introverted girl who nonetheless had a fierce streak of battle rage that had come out when she was defending Muku against Gel and that Nova character. The girl was polite, deferential and inhumanly pretty…which naturally made Sakura hate her on the spot. There was something about this girl that was just way too perfect for her tastes, and the way she fawned over Muku…

 

“Who is she?” Sakura hissed, pausing in the act of scrubbing down her body.

 

All at once a pair of hands went around from behind her back and cupped her breasts, causing Sakura to gasp and look down at them in amazement.

 

“You know, they say talking to yourself is a sign that you need to work out your problems,” a now-familiar voice murmured in her ear, “Why don't you let me help to relax you, Cutie?”

 

“WHAT?” Sakura struggled against those hands that were now fondling her, but the strength of those arms was inhuman, and Troi just hugged her all the more tightly.

 

“Calm down, will ya?” Troi urged, “I won't bite…at least…not unless you want me to, that is…”

 

“Let me go!” Sakura insisted, continuing to struggle, only to find Troi released her voluntarily, which caused the brown haired Saotome to slip and stagger at the sudden loss of support. She lost her balance and started to fall when Troi's arms went around her once again, catching her in time and easing he down to the wet floor of the shower.

 

“Easy,” Troi said, “You could hurt yourself doing that.”

 

Sakura's eyes went wide with alarm, for now she could see that the pointy-eared elf-girl was just as naked as she was, having at some time shed her clothing. She also felt the press of the other woman's body down on hers as Troi straddled her and smiled in a pleasantly predatory manner.

 

“Now then,” Troi mused, “What was that you were wanting to know about my niece?”

 

“W-What are you going to do…?” Sakura began to gasp.

 

Troi bent down until their faces were only a few inches away, holding Sakura's arms pinned above her head with no leverage to free herself as the silver-haired girl said, “What would you like me to do with you while you're in this position? I can think of a lot of things that come to mind…and I think you'd even enjoy it.”

 

Sakura tried to remain calm as she said, “I'll scream.”

 

“Well, if you like, go right ahead,” Troi mused, “We can take this into Subspace, where no one will disturb us. Of course I'm not really going to force anything on you, Kid…not while we're under the same roof as your father.”

 

“Why not?” Sakura tried to make her voice sound indifferent.

 

“Well, for one thing, that ain't my style,” Troi replied, “I never have to force anyone to go to bed with me…at least not against their will. Also I have a great deal of respect for your old man, and anybody who could teach Two a thing or two about fighting ain't somebody I want to get down on my case. And three…I'd think I'd have more fun doing this with your mother…she's at least a lot more experienced than you are, not that I have anything against screwing a virgin…”

 

“What are you, some kind of pervert?” Sakura asked with a frown.

 

“I've been called worse than that, and by experts,” Troi chuckled, “The thing is…I just want a chance to talk with you…and to get to know you a little better.”

 

“You call this talking?” Sakura's eyes narrowed, only to go wide again as the other girl brought her pelvis down to lightly brush her bush against Sakura's.

 

“No,” Troi replied, “I call this fucking…something we C'thuwulf do for a living. It's natural for us to do things girl/girl, not like you bisexual humans with your AC-DC choice in the matter. I know ways of making out that would rock your world, little girl…and if you give me a good enough reason, I might even consent to showing you how it's done.”

 

“I thought you said you weren't going to force me?” Sakura asked.

 

“I'm only using enough force right now to keep you where I can keep things civil between us,” Troi replied, “I've seen the way you fight, Kid…you're very good, a real credit to your old man. Of course I like a good scrap as much as the next Iczer, but there are lots more fun things that I can think to do with a pretty girl than try to redecorate her face. Besides…I'd have to be as dense as a brick not to know what's eating you out, and it ain't your friend, Muku, which seems to be your problem.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Sakura said with more alarm in her expression.

 

“You're jealous, Kid, I can see it in the way you snarl when you see my niece making goo-goo eyes at your Honey,” Troi replied, her large golden eyes wise and knowing, “You want her so bad you can almost taste the scent of her pussy, but you can't bring yourself to admit it since that clashes with your tough-girl image and your insistence on making yourself seem feminine even while you insist that you're not that much of a tomboy.”

 

“And what is it to you?” Sakura pouted.

 

“I am a tomboy, and quite proud of the fact, thank you very much,” Troi leered, “I'm what you'd be if you weren't so hung up about trying to pass as normal by the standards of your parents. It matters to me if you've got a beef with my niece because Rhea-chan's a good kid and deserves all the happiness that life can give her. You might screw things up if you try to come between them, or make Muku-chan have to choose between you.”

 

“You think I'm some kind of hentai?” Sakura's nostrils flared, “It doesn't matter to me if those two do screw each other or not…I'm not like that…”

 

“Like what?” Troi asked, “Like me? Tough titties, Kid…I'm gay, but I work around it. Of course some C'thuwulf do try it the bi-way and find that they like it, but there's very few of us who ever go straight hetero…it's like going against the grain of what we are, and nobody knows that more than us Iczers.”

 

“But I'm not into girls,” Sakura insisted, “In fact…I have a boyfriend, a fiancée…”

 

“Yeah, I've seen him, nice kid,” Troi inclined her head in a smile, “Are you afraid of cheating on him? That's so sweet, in a monogamistic kind of way. What say we go visit him right now and the three of us can get it on together. Think he's the kind of guy who'd enjoy a good threesome?”

 

“Say what?” Sakura started.

 

“Mind you, I've got loads more experience in just about every type of sex that either one of you could imagine,” Troi continued, “I can do the Vanilla kind, but my favorite is Tootee-Fruity with a dash of Neapolitan sandwich with a girl in the middle. Of course it's your call…I wouldn't think of dragging you into something that you didn't find a turn on.”

 

“You're insane!” Sakura flared.

 

“I'm single,” Troi countered, “That means I get to do whatever I want, unlike my two henpecked older sisters, who usually wind up doing whatever their mates want to do for an evening, lucky devils. Me, I have to take my jollies where I can find them…”

 

“Well, do it without me!” Sakura sputtered, only to find Troi poised over her, nose-to-nose, which held her fixed to the spot with a look like a deer caught in the headlights.

 

“Are you sure you really mean that?” Troi softly murmured, “It's not as bad as you seem to think it is, and if you'd come to terms with what you're really feeling you'd be a whole lot more happy for it, believe me.”

 

“W-W-Why should I believe anything you say?” Sakura asked, disturbed at finding the other woman's breath on her face, close enough to actually tickle.

 

“Because I'd never lie on a first date,” Troi replied, “A second or third…maybe. And I've never yet had an unsatisfied customer. I may be a `love `em and leave `em' type, but I never leave them disappointed, and you would be no exception.”

 

For the first time Sakura looked actually frightened, but then Troi moved back and let go of her wrists, sitting up in the shower as the spray of warm water played off her magnificently well-endowed and perfectly proportioned body.

 

“You actually think I need to force myself with you?” Troi asked, “Look at you…you're trembling with desire…you're dying of curiosity, to know what it feels like, doing it with another woman. You've got all these teenaged, hormone-driven emotions stewing up inside you and you're hot enough for me to read you like a thermometer. It would be a crime for me to leave you like this, even if the one you're really hot to trot with is somewhere else, probably screwing around with my cute niece.”

 

Sakura became aware that she was breathing deeply and her pulse was indeed racing, but she managed to steady herself when she heard that last part, her mind instantly filling with thoughts of Muku with Rhea, and it hardened her expression into a frown as she growled, “You're disgusting.”

 

“No, I'm honest,” Troi said, then curled up one bare leg to wrap her arms around it and rest her chin on her knee, “I really do like you…you've got fire and spirit and one heck of a great body. I just know I could make you sing like a harp if I went to town with you, and I'm dying to know if your pussy tastes as good as it smells from here. You human girls…you're just like Chinese food…a few minutes after you've had a few bites you get hungry for more…”

 

“What are you?” Sakura asked, “Are you…human?”

 

“I'm a Bioroid,” Troi replied, “I'm mostly human, but I'm artificial in construction. Not that you'd be able to tell, of course, since I taste just like a real girl, and I don't taste at all like plastic. In fact, I have it on the best authority that my cum is a bit lemony flavored with just a twist of sarsaparilla…”

 

“Really?” Sakura blinked, so surprised that she completely forgot about getting angry over the implications.

 

“Well…actually, I am about the sarsaparilla part,” Troi grinned, making no pretense of the way she was eyeing Sakura's body like it was a road map, “But if you want to know for sure, just ask and I'll let you have a sample.”

 

“But…but…” Sakura tried to form coherent thoughts as she sought to make sense of these revelations.

 

Troi unlimbered her knee and stretched out her legs, then curled them up as she leaned with her back against the wall of the shower, placing a hand over her pussy as she began to fondle her breasts with her other hand, closing her eyes slightly as she started to masturbate, which disturbed Sakura to no end, even as she found herself too much amazed to even think of making a protest. It did not take long at all before the silver-haired girl gasped and shuddered slightly, then smiled as she held up a hand, which same she was careful to keep clear of the descending shower water.

 

“Go ahead, have a sniff,” Troi urged as she held her hand out for Sakura's inspection.

 

Sakura naturally flinched at first, but curiosity got the better of her and she finally held still as Troi brought to fingers up under her nose, then placed them on the other girl's lips, smearing them slightly, to which Sakura reflexively used her tongue and began to indeed “have a sample.”

 

Much to her astonishment, the flavor was slightly salty yet very sweet, and it did indeed taste like a mixture of lemon and sarsaparilla, which furthered her amazement.

 

“You see?” Troi asked, “It's not so bad as you were thinking, and it's not disgusting to taste another girl's cum, it's perfectly natural, even for you humans.”

 

Sakura sat upright and regarded the other woman, “But I'm not a lesbian…”

 

“Of course not,” Troi replied, “You're bi…which makes you pretty-much average for your half of the human species. There are very few real lesbians in your world relative to the general population, while among us C'thuwulf it's the majority inclination.”

 

“The C'thuwulf?” Sakura asked, “You're from…another world?”

 

“A world that's long dead and lost to us,” Troi replied, “Of course it was before my time, I've never been there, only seen it in simulation. Earth is now our home and we live here sharing this world with you humans, which is only natural since we share a common ancestor…”

 

“We do?” Sakura asked.

 

“Of course,” Troi replied, “Humans are a lot more common in this galaxy than you might imagine. Long ago there was this star-faring mother race that died out and left us all to drift apart on different worlds, but now there are many planets where humans are the majority population, like the Jurai and the Oni, though genetic drift has tended to make these different branches of humanity into distinctively different sub-species. Of course there are a lot more alien races who think that humans are the gutter-trash of the spaceways, but we never associate with their kind either…the problem is that there's a limited number of inhabitable worlds that would fit our needs as a new home planet, and most of the places we've visited have a no-immigration clause. The only reason your governments let us move here was that we offered you guys access to technology and resources you couldn't get from any other star-faring civilization.”

 

“So you're here…as our allies?” Sakura deduced.

 

“We're here as your friends and sisters among the stars,” Troi smiled back, “And Rhea-chan is one of the first of a new generation who's half C'thuwulf and half-Terran, an Iczer who's destined to help us defend the fate of our planet.”

 

“But…what has Muku to do with all this?” Sakura asked.

 

“Everything,” Troi answered, “And Iczer is only as powerful as the bond she forms with her partner. I'm…kind of unique in that I can bond with multiple partners, share a bit of their emotional and psychic energy to fortify my own natural strength…but the truth is…I'm only half alive without a real full time partner. My older sisters both have life-committed partners who make them powerful and complete, but without a partner I can never be a whole Iczer.”

 

“And Muku…is Rhea's partner?” Sakura slowly put it together.

 

“They're bonded, kid,” Troi replied, “Heart, soul and all the flowers. Muku's the one person on this planet who's a perfect match for my niece's Biorhythms and Psychic resonance. Once the process has begun, there's no stopping it. Rhea's now attached at the hip to your friend Muku, and sooner or later you're gonna have to deal with that whether you like it or not. I'm just telling you this to spare you a lot of heartache and grief later.”

 

Sakura's expression hardened for a moment and her nostrils flared as she quietly said, “What if I don't accept it?”

 

“Aw…is this jealousy I see?” Troi grinned, and all at once she teleported behind Sakura, who was astonished at finding those soft-yet-surprisingly strong arms going around her body once again, and this time Troi wasted no time fondling and playing with her nipples, “You're so sweet…I can see that same stubborn pride your father has showing through you, and I just know you'd want to fight for your Muku-chan like she's some prize in a tournament, but you really shouldn't waste your potential when you have someone like me who's hot for your body. Let me help you out, soothe your nerve, get you more in touch with your feminine side, get you off this uptight kick that's making you so crazy…just relax and put yourself in my arms…your Aunt Troi will show you that being with a woman can be lots more fun than you'd ever imagine.”

 

This time Sakura found she could not resist, nor offer protest as one hand drifted down to caress her flat stomach muscles before sliding down to play with her bush. Sakura arched her back and only gave a half-hearted struggle as those fingers plied open her moist, pink womanhood and began to caress the tiny nub that was her clitoris. All the while Troi nuzzled her earlobe and did something with one of her nipples that caused Sakura to gasp in approval. There was no longer any energy left in Sakura's protests as she allowed herself to be fondled and nuzzled, the muscles in her legs tensing reflexively as sharp pleasurable waves began to course throughout her body.

 

“Eh?” Troi paused in the act of plunging two fingers into the now-moistened slit of Sakura's pussy, and she glanced to the side with a slight frown, which promoted Sakura to gasp in surprised disappointment.

 

“What's wrong?” the other girl wondered, “Why did you stop?”

 

“I…thought I sensed something…” Troi frowned, but the sensation retreated, so she shook it off and resumed her instructive “lessons” in C'thuwulf lovemaking, which before too long had the other girl begging for more, no longer even pretending to be bothered about her seduction.

 

Outside the bathroom the boy named Tenma stood with eyes glowing slightly, hearing the sounds from within the bathroom as his “sister” was lovingly ravished by an all-too-eager Iczer. This new development was most disturbing indeed…it seemed that the Iczers were forming even closer ties to the humans, which could affect the plans of his Master and threaten the eventual program. This was too important not to relate at once to his superiors, and so he vanished from where he was standing, traveling via subspace to the Other Realm to make his report as per his instructions…

 

 

 

 

“Hello, anybody here?” a plaintive voice cried as a young boy named Saotome Tenma stumbled around in the discolored ruins of the semi-unreal place in which he had awakened, “Mom, Pop, Sis? Anybody? HELP!!!”

 

It was no use he already knew by now, everyone had gone and left him behind, abandoned as if forgotten amid the aftermath of a major battle. This made little sense to Tenma, who was certain that his family and friends would never abandon him if they had any choice in the matter, but he could not quite remember what had happened shortly after the building had started to collapse. He had awoken to find himself along amid the ruins of his own house with no sign anywhere of other life, just the twisted ruins of an unreal version of Nerima, which he knew to be patently false, some kind of simulation, like a movie set in 3-D that he was somehow trapped inside. He understood how such things worked, of course, because it was just something out of one of his favorite sci-fi shows, and yet it seemed real, which was in no way a comforting concept.

 

After all, he knew well enough what happened to small boys who got trapped up in alien worlds and pocket dimensions…it was standard fare for Saturday Morning episodes of Kamen Ranger. Even older TV shows from the late 20th century had used this standard plot device in order to provide the hero (or heroes, in some cases) with a challenging playing field in which to have some monstrous encounter with a rubber-suited bad guy.

 

“Great,” he murmured to himself, “And I don't even have my kitchen gear! Wish I could have one of Mom's okonomiyaki right now…I'm starving!”

 

Actually he wasn't really starving, a fact he noted with some surprise since he had been in this weird pocket dimension for at least several hours. By rights he should have been tired and thirsty, but the only hunger pangs he had were the type he brought with him when he had joined the others in the dojo. Now that he had nothing but his practice gi to wear he was not even cold nor sweaty, as though his body was in a naturally preserved state, rather like a dreamscape, only solid enough that it hurt when he tested his fist against a wall sometime back.

 

The actual reason he wanted some okonomiyaki was because it would remind him of his mother, something comforting and familiar to help him stave off a different sort of chill that came from wandering around in such an awful place. To take his mind off of his nervousness (as a Saotome he refused to accept that he was afraid of anything) he tried to imagine a helping dish of his favorite food, piping hot with the crust just right and the cheeses melted at the center with all the ingredients that he liked back, an okonomiyaki to remember, good enough that---as he cupped his hands---he could almost taste and smell it before him…

 

And then---to his utter surprise---an okonomiyaki appeared in his hands as if by magic!

 

“Nani?” Tenma blinked, staring down at the thing in utter amazement. It took a moment for him to sort out the fact that he was indeed holding one of his mother's specials and that he could even smell its aroma...which made him for get all about propriety as he ravenously bit into the thing, eating it up in a flash and confirming that it was not only solid but had an excellent flavor.

 

“Whoah,” he said as he paused, a few minutes after licking off his fingers, “How did I do that?” It took a few moments more of fathoming it out for himself, but---as a true veteran of countless TV and anime programs---he came up with what he thought was a reasonable explanation…that something in this dimension had responded to his thoughts and had summoned up an okonomiyaki.

 

“I wish for a million yen!” he cried out, but nothing happened, which left him faintly disgusted. Then he thought again had occurred when the okonomiyaki appeared and realized that he had been doing more than just think of an okonomiyaki…he had visualized it and willed one to appear. He tried again and---this time---a thousand yen note appeared in his outstretched hand, at which point he exulted, thinking that this was exactly the sum of money he needed to buy that new game cube he'd been after for a month.

 

What else could he summon if he willed it? Well, the next part was easy, and a few seconds later he had his baker's peel in hand, smaller than the one used by his sister but nonetheless a quite formidable weapon, which helped him to feel somewhat more secure about his current situation.

 

“Cool!” he grinned as he tested the balance of his weapon, finding it excellently light yet quite effective for doing katas.

 

All at once he tensed, sensing that he was no longer alone. Tenma slowly turned around, trying not to betray any nervousness as he felt the presence growing nearer. All at once a creature detached itself from the ruins of a building, one of those hideous Venomoids that had attacked him and the others in the dojo, and all at once it formed tentacle-like appendages and started to move threateningly forward.

 

Tenma reacted according to training, his bakers peel whizzing out to sheer through those tendrils as he leaped away to give himself more distance. The creature was hardly deterred and took another swipe at him, but Tenma was faster and more agile than the thing had imagined, and once again the boy managed to keep his distance, recalling that the girl named Troi had warned against letting the thing touch him in any way.

 

Of course he quickly reasoned that his baker's peel had one major disadvantage in that one had to get close to an enemy in order to use it to best effect. Throwing it at the enemy would just mean disarming himself…he needed something with a bit more distance, and throwing spatulas did not seem like the thing that would do the trick.

 

Again a thought came to mind, “What would Kamen Ranger do?” and once more the answer was too obvious to miss: “Get a bigger weapon!”

 

Tenma concentrated as he back-flipped out of the way of another attack, slinging the baker's peel over his back as he tried to imagine and will into being a Photonic Blaster, the kind that needed two hands to wield, and in a flash he gripped one in both hands, holding it up like a weapon at an arcade game as he pointed it and pulled the trigger.

 

Nothing happened, which was where Tenma belatedly realized his error…he had to WILL the gun to work as it would not work all on its own, so he concentrated again as the Venomoid attempted to close on his position, imaging a huge burst of chi erupting from within the weapon.

 

This time it worked…and the Venomoid was caught full-on by a “Photonic Burst” that bathed it in blinding white radiance, and like a flash the creature died, disintegrated so abruptly that it hardly left more than a white outline in passage.

 

Tenma stood where he was, panting for several second, waiting for his heartbeat to die down from the adrenaline-boosted high of a moment ago. Very slowly he straightened out when no further sense of menace loomed near him, then with a huge smile he declared, “And Pop thinks stuff like this could never happen in reach life…”

 

 

 

 

Iczer Two---or “Duella,” as she was reluctantly coming to know herself to be---stared out the window looking down on Tokyo city, almost not being able to recognize her own reflection looking back at her with such a curious expression. The light green ball gown she wore was shoulderless and daring, setting off her floor-length red hair and matching crimson eyes to good effect, even as the emeralds which she wore in her necklace seemed to catch the starlight and sparkle like the lights of the city itself. The human metropolis had such a life to it that she wondered how she could ever have missed the significance of so many humans living so close together…and each of them with their own personal story to be told.

 

She wondered how many of those stories involved romance and true love, the twin joys that she was currently experiencing, then smiled all the more as the thought of so much love in the air made her feel misty-eyed and curiously maudlin for some strange reason.

 

“Sister?” a concerned voice asked, even as Two glanced at the second reflection to appear within the mirror-like surface of the restaurant window, her elder sister, Iczer One (or Unas, as “Duella” thought with some amusement), looking magnificently radiant in a blue dress that played off her blonde hair in a highly aesthetic manner. As with Iczer Two, Iczer One's gown was shoulderless and revealing, for all that the hem-length came near enough to brushing against the floor.

 

“Hai, Oneechan?” Iczer Two responded.

 

“You seem pensive for some reason,” Iczer One noted, “Why aren't you dancing with Sayoko?”

 

“I will…in another minute,” Iczer Two replied, thinking to herself what a marvelous idea it had been to choose a fancy restaurant that allowed ballroom dancing, “I was just…thinking about…”

 

“Nova?” Iczer One inquired, “Or those Bioroids that called themselves the Sisters of the Comet?”

 

“A little of both, really,” Iczer Two responded, “The thought that I could have a daughter…by Nagisa of all people…it is a bit hard to accept…”

 

“Why?” Iczer One smiled, “Do you think that I would be jealous? Don't forget, Imoutochan, I know how much you longed for a partner before you found your Sayoko…”

 

“And I was jealous of the bond that existed between you and Nagisa,” Iczer Two confessed, “And yet now I cannot imagine what life would be like without Sayoko. She is as much a part of me as my own heart, and I wouldn't change a thing about her. Still…I can't ignore the fact that this Nova truly is my daughter…”

 

“The enemy created her from your cellular imprint…and combined yours with Nagisa,” Iczer One marveled, “That makes her partially Nagisa's child, which would mean that Rhea has a sister. In a way that makes her as much my child as yours…does that make any kind of sense to you?”

 

“As close to anything in our world,” Iczer Two remarked, pausing before she could add, “And that conjures up an even more disturbing thought…that the both of us could share a child in common.”

 

“Yes,” Iczer One declared, “That is…rather disturbing…but in a way that I don't find particularly unpleasant. Do you?”

 

“What do you think?” Iczer Two half-smiled without turning around, “Still and all, with all that has gone before, I cannot completely forget that I was created with the purpose to destroy you…a purpose I have long since repented. Now I think of you as my other half, every bit as much a part of me as my Iczer Robo. I cannot imagine a world that does not have you in it, my sister…or Nagisa for that matter. We are…a family…and I find that most satisfying.”

 

Iczer One thought she detected something odd in the reflection of her sister's face and asked, “Sister…are you…crying…?”

 

“Don't be silly,” Iczer Two half-smiled, “A bit of trickle from my ocular sensors…perhaps I got something in my eye on the way here. Still…I must confess to you that I am…happy in a way that I have not been since I can remember.”

 

“Happy?” Iczer One inclined her head and gave her younger sibling a curious expression.

 

“Yes,” Iczer Two replied, “For all that we are about to face another major war against an enemy we both loathe with all of our being, I still cannot help but feel…satisfied with the many turns my life has taken since my creation many years back. I have a life and cause to serve that gives me great pride and satisfaction, I have Sayoko---in whom all of my fondest wishes are realized---and now, somewhere, I have a daughter. True she is a thrall to our enemy, and doubtlessly filled with the sort of lies and hate that once filled my being, entirely of Big Gold's foul creation…but there is a possibility for her…just as there was for me. I have to live in the hope that she can be redeemed…and that I will not have to destroy her. If anything, it means that a child of Sayoko's is possible for us…and that is something to look forward to in the future.”

 

“So…you're planning on becoming a mother,” Iczer One smiled fondly, “Congratulations.”

 

“How could I deny anything to Sayoko…or myself the pleasure that you have found in your little Rhea,” Iczer Two turned around to face her counterpart sibling, “Understand, it has been one of my greatest joys in playing mentor to little Rhea…she has been a most satisfying apprentice, but now that she is growing up and becoming a woman, it is likely that she will have less need for my services, so it is time that I found myself another apprentice…this time one of my own offspring.”

 

“If we can save Nova from Big Gold, Sister,” Iczer One replied, “You have my pledge that all will be done to achieve this.”

 

“Thank you,” Iczer Two replied, pausing to study the way the diamond-studded necklace around Iczer One's neck caught and played with the light and offset the golden radiance of her hair, “You truly are a beautiful woman, my sister…I am…pleased that we are no longer enemies but such good friends.”

 

“That is to my joy as well,” Iczer One replied, “These last ten years of working beside you have been most…enjoyable…and I could ask for no firmer ally. You truly are…my beloved sister.”

 

Iczer Two's mouth trembled slightly in a smile, but then she sighed and leaned her back against the glass pane, turning her profile to the starlight as she murmured, “You were right before…I do pity those four sisters of the Comet. Fools though they were, and hopelessly outmatched by us, they did not deserve such a fate. They are nothing more nor less than what Neos made them, and to toss them aside so callously as that…as though her own children hardly mattered…”

 

“Neos was among the worst spawn Big Gold ever created,” Iczer One agreed, “They never had any choice in what they became, the evil inside them was nothing more than Gold's reflection.”

 

“That is because Big Gold is nothing more than a Virus with pretensions of being an Avatar,” Iczer Two remarked, “In truth she did not create her offspring, rather she copied herself and spread her evil out to the stars, just like any other time of infection, living only to further her own evil. And to think that I once was foolish enough to believe that such a foul being was my true mother…”

 

“You are a child of the Iczerio,” Iczer One replied, “The same as me…though we both had different biological parents.”

 

“And mine was one who perished at your hands,” Iczer Two mused softly, “If anything I should be referring to Cobalt as my mother. It was her death that gave birth to me…all part of Gold's twisted plans for using poor Sepia as a pawn in your destruction. She thought that the part of me that was Cobalt would naturally bond with her as my partner, only I lacked Cobalt's true spirit, and when I showed my true evil it repelled her and turned her against me. Sepia died that time because of my evil…” Iczer Two glanced down, “I am ashamed of myself for having to remember that…and what an irony it was that the one I sought to kill that time was none other than Sayoko…”

 

“But it's all in a past that never was,” Iczer One replied, “Cobalt and Sepia are very much alive now, and living out their lives as the Goddess had intended.”

 

“Because you changed our past to make it as if it never happened,” Iczer Two looked up to regard her counterpart, “But I am from that original timeline, the same as you. Neos drew me from the virtual world of my death and repaired me, using the Iczerio to bring me back to life. Somehow this must mean that the world you voided still exists on some other level of existence, and it is from that evil, doomed timeline that our current enemies must hail. Neos and Gold are a part of that universe, and that means that we have only just begun to scratch the surface of their evil.”

 

“You may be right about that,” Iczer One replied, “That would mean, in some sense, that all of this is my doing…my fault…and all because I wanted Nagisa to live and to have the sort of normal life that she deserved…”

 

“No one will ever blame you for that,” Iczer Two straightened out, “Least of all me. I stand resolved to fight beside you, Sister, and in the coming battle we will triumph over Gold and her evil spawn. No matter what foul constructs they send against us, we will never abandon our quest, and I will fight all the more determined because I know that you are flesh of my flesh and heart of my heart. There is nothing that separates us now, One…not even time itself. Now and forever you are my sister.”

 

“As you are mine,” Iczer One placed a hand on the redhead's exposed shoulder, their eyes gleaming with shared intensity as they smiled at one another while the elder of the two of them said, “My Sister.”

 

Sayoko and Nagisa smiled as they watched their partners from the vantage of their table, then Sayoko leaned closer and said, “See what I mean? Just like I told you.”

 

“You were right as usual,” Nagisa agreed, “Guess that means you win the bet.”

 

“So you've no objections to my plans then?” the other girl smiled in a typically impish manner.

 

“As if I wasn't thinking the same thing a few moments ago,” Nagisa grinned, “We'll never have a better opportunity than the present.”

 

“Right,” Sayoko said, and the two of them stood up together, even as Sayoko left a credit card with the waiter.

 

Iczers One and Two sensed the approach of their significant others just moments before turning to see the near identical expressions on Sayoko and Nagisa's faces. Before either Bioroid could voice the question, Nagisa spoke first and said, “We've decided.”

 

“You two are coming with us,” Sayoko cheerfully noted.

 

“Where are we going now?” Iczer One inquired, hoping privately that their delightful evening was not yet over.

 

“We are going to a hotel,” Nagisa replied, “We've already made a reservation.”

 

“A hotel?” Iczer Two blinked twice, “But…why not just return to our homes in New Gamora?”

 

“Oh no,” Sayoko replied, still grinning, “We're getting as far away from any office work as we can take you while still remaining on the planet.”

 

“No shop talk, no special assignments, no missions and no excuses,” Nagisa agreed, “Just the four of us sharing a room together…with only one bed.”

 

“Only one bed?” it was Iczer One's turn to blink, “But…”

 

“…Which of us will be sleeping on the floor?” Iczer Two finished for her.

 

“Who said anyone was sleeping on the floor?” Sayoko chuckled, “The bed we've rented is Queen sized.”

 

“Queen…”

 

“…Sized?” said the two Iczers.

 

“That's right,” Nagisa chuckled, “One bed, the four of us…you do the math.”

 

“Come along, Darlings,” Sayoko urged, “And no excuses. Time for us to really get bonded like a big, happy family unit.”

 

The two human girls turned away and began sauntering off, walking side-by-side with matching exaggerated hip motions, leaving the two Iczers to stare in amazement as they slowly began to work out the finer points of what their mutual mates were planning.

 

“Two,” Iczer One said after a moment.

 

“Hai?”

 

“Do you think we should start running now?”

 

“I think it is far too late for that.”

 

“That's what I figured,” and then Iczer One smiled at Iczer Two, and the both of them linked hands together, knowing by now that it was impossible to resist fate, let alone refuse the “suggestions” of their partners, who always seemed to win any argument that ever cropped up…and besides…curiosity was not just a human quality these days. They had a lot yet to be discovered and explored about the true nature of their relationship, and what it all meant to be “sisters” of the Iczerio.

 

Unbeknownst to anyone, least of all them, a slender chord that had been attached all the while to the window detached itself just then and was reeled in by its owner, who stood several blocks away on top of another tall building.

 

Fiber retracted her line, having overheard the conversation of the two Iczers. There was a lot to be contemplated, given the many revelations that had been disclosed, but not the least of which were those most disturbing permutations that arose simply from hearing two former enemies converse like the best of friends. It was confusing and bewildering…the thought that those two were as powerful as they were, and yet preferred nothing more than to be domestic pets to their pet humans.

 

Fiber did not understand why anyone would want a partner in the first place, let alone a human. Humans were so…fragile and temporary…and she had killed enough of them in her time to be quite expert on the subject of that frailty. She did not need a partner, had not been designed with one in mind, had always felt sufficient in herself and had never truly wanted for companionship. She was a solitary construct, a Bioroid created to use her webs for the purpose of destruction…and yet next to these two she might as well have been a used up piece of junk…

 

Exactly as her creator had deemed her, which brought a frown to Fiber's beautiful features, knowing that she had been cast off and abandoned by the one who had given her life…

 

Or…so she had believed until that moment. Though she never thought of Neos as a mother, unconsciously she had regarded her that way, which made her former death at the hands of Neos that much more painful on reflection. To be downgraded by her own creator was…disappointing. And yet what other fate could she have expected from Neos, given her appalling failure against Iczer Three…the self-named Troi of the present?

 

But then she thought a moment and realized that there was a flaw in her analysis. In truth she had needed someone…three someones to be precise, her fellow Sisters of the Comet, who had been just as callously turned to scrap by a vengeful Neos. Thinking back on their battle against the Iczers, Fiber could not help but feel that there had been a great injustice…Neos blaming them for the poor design of their Mecha, which had proven vastly inferior to the Iczer Robos. It could not be the fault of the pilots that they were outclassed and overwhelmed…Neos had miscalculated the strength of the opposition, and in doing so had given Fiber and her siblings a false sense of security when laying their ambush…

 

And now that she truly thought on the matter, it seemed clear enough to Fiber that Neos had sent them into battle fully expecting them to lose. How else to explain the ease with which Neos accepted the defeat of her minions but to conclude that their battle had been nothing more than a testing feint. Neos had sent them into that fight in order to learn how strong the enemy was, with no real hope that Fiber and the others would emerge the victors.

 

“You have one chance to redeem yourselves before you can be admitted back into my service,” Neos had declared upon their recent revival, “Defeat Iczers One and Two using your Mecha, and then you will be elevated back into the ranks of my elite forces. You have the means of achieving victory, so do not fail me again or you will be returned to the dust from whence I found you.”

 

Was even that a lie? How had Neos brought them back from the grave when Fiber and her sisters had been complete and effectively destroyed. What power had been used to reconstitute them and restore them to full health? Could it be that even this was the result of borrowed energies stolen from the C'thuwulf by the one whom Neos served, the one she called her mother?

 

Fiber made a fist and smashed it against the side of the building, not even noticing the huge hole she created in so doing. They had been used as pawns from the beginning…they were created as tools of destruction, nothing more, and deployed like Chess Pieces on a board. They were nothing more than clay dolls molded for destruction, and when they had failed in their purpose they were cast aside and trampled under foot with no more thought than one might have in stepping on an insect.

 

Insect…she would appreciate this irony, surly! Fiber found herself remembering her haughty and twisted chitinous-armored sister, the one who called mere bugs her “children” and who delighted so much in battle that even her fellow Comet sisters considered her bloodthirsty.

 

Bigro and her pet…how they mocked at life and scoffed at death, working as a team to destroy anyone and anything that stood against them. There was such haughtiness about her large-eared sibling, the confident way she would go into battle as if assured of victory and the sweet smell of destruction. How devoted she was to her Iota, the great beast whose appetite to kill exceeded even that of its Mistress.

 

And lastly Golem, their leader and a premier engine of destruction in her own right. Golem had the ability to alter any part of herself into a weapon, and who would allow nothing to come between her and whatever she targeted for elimination. Such pride and fierceness housed in a gleaming steel shell of armor, and under their leadership they had ravaged entire star systems with no enemy able to stand against them.

 

And now that they were all dead a most amazing thing occurred to Fiber…she actually missed them. True they had their differences, and they often fought like regular sisters, but…they were like a family, after a fashion…

 

She stopped that line of thought in its tracks…but still she could not help thinking how odd the conversation had been between them. How could two warriors with such formidable records be conversing with such casual ease such critical issues as their personal affairs and the defense of their home base? How could they display such…concern for a vanquished enemy, even pitying her and her sisters as though they were lost comrades? It made no sense to Fiber and ran contrary to everything that she had ever believed…

 

Or was that truly what she thought…or were the ideas in her head the product of Neos's programming? It was all so terribly confusing…and yet what was clear was that Fiber no longer had a place in the war…neither as a minion to Neos nor as an enemy to the C'thuwulf. There was no point in continuing the battle…she was as good as dead if Neos ever set eyes on her again, and with that thought in mind she returned to subspace, vanishing from the spot to nurse her wounds and plan her next course of action…all the better to think over everything that had happened to her of late and decide whether or not she had any purpose in continuing her existence, or any hope of ever again finding meaning to her life as everything in which she had believed was turned to dust all around her

 

And---as she vanished from the spot---yet another unseen figure looked up from their point of concealment, then triggered a communication link and said, “Victor One to Tiger's Lair, the birdie has flown the coop, no further activity detected in this sector.”

 

“Affirmative, Victor One,” came the response that only the agent could hear with her communications gear, “We mark the splash, the birdie has made her exit. Return to Lair.”

 

“Acknowledged, Victor One out,” the agent replied, then nodded to herself as she turned and scanned the distant high rise that contained a certain restaurant, murmuring softly under her breath, “Sleep well, Samurai-ko, for tomorrow we may have yet another battle.”

 

And then the agent touched her homing badge and waited for a minute, vanishing from the spot mere seconds later as she was recalled to base, leaving not even a ripple in the night to mark her passing…

 

 

 

Continued

 

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