Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Utawarerumono Fan Fiction ❯ No Turning Back ❯ Prologue 4: Darwin's Revenge ( Chapter 3 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
No Turning Back
A Pokewomen Universe Story
by Shade
Porn with Plot Warning.
Copyrighted character use warning.
Ignoring what a lot of other people wrote warning.
Warning about warning warning warning.
"Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!"
-George Carlin
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Prologue: Darwin's Revenge
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"I still can't believe it. You tried to fight with Bugspray! Bugspray!!"
"Dude, it was her or me. Only thing is I was kinda in a rush..."
"And what's even worse is you grabbed the wrong cans and sprayed her instead with fucking air fresheners!"
"Hey! Don't knock it, it worked."
"That's the *other* part I can't accept. You knocked her out with Scent-so-fresh 'Flower Delight'!"
"Just get over it already, Greg. How's that trap holding up anyway?"
"Well we're not dead, so it's probably working correctly."
"How did she fit in there anyway?"
"Fuck if I know. I never did pay attention to those damn cartoons with the stupid little electric rats."
"Maybe she's a ghost?"
"Want me to let her out so you can find out?"
"No!"
"Well there you go then. Let's just be get back to our room and lock ourselves in for awhile."
"That's the plan?"
"You got any better ideas? I'm all ears."
"Uh...order out for pizza?"
"Don't make me hurt you."
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The President sat at his desk in the Whitehouse.
It was a big desk, a manly desk. The kind of desk that you could pretend
to be doing something while goofing off.
Damnit, he was supposed to be on vacation! The other stuff could wait!!
That's why a man had political appointees, to deal with this kind of shit.
Where the hell was Dick when he needed him?
"Mr. President! Are you listening? You have to decide!"
He scowled at the thick set black general standing impatiently in front of him.
They'd had to call old Colon Bowell out of retirement thanks to the losses in senior military personnel
they'd suffered so far. More importantly, they'd needed men loyal to the man who held office to keep
certain matters related to the whole mess quiet.
"Fuck it. Just drop the damn nucooler already."
"Are you sure, Mr. President? This is American soil we're talking about here!"
"Fuck em, they didn't vote for me. Dirty Fucking Liberals, let them burn!!"
"But-"
"Hey! Who's the Deciderer here, you or me?"
"You are, Sir."
"Good, now get out of here."
His whole body as rigid as a fireplace poker, the general left to carry out his orders.
The President decided that he needed a good book to take his mind off things.
He pulled the one he always relied on in times of crisis and began to read out loud.
"My Pet Goat..."
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"This is Sunflower One. We are approaching Point Zero. ETA is six minutes."
"Acknowledged, Sunflower. Eagle One Authorization is confirmed. You are
to deliver the package with a bow. I repeat, you are to deliver the package
with a bow."
"Yes Sir. But-"
"Just follow orders, Sunflower. We are at war."
"Yes Sir."
The pilot looked at his co-pilot and switched off the exterior radio.
"May God forgive us for what we are about to do," he whispered hoarsely.
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The State of Illinois had fallen to the advancing hordes.
What few humans remained were those who had hid well and did not attract the attention
of the main force as it had obliterated any signs of organized resistance and cleared out
major population centers in the area.
Now the millions of the creatures infested the city of Chicago, consuming all the stored food supplies
they could find as they prepared for their migration to the next target.
Humanity had learned to its great cost that the invaders were much hardier then any human army,
able to go for weeks or even months at a time without needing to feed, then gorging themselves
on the stockpiles of a captured human city until the time of their next attack began.
Now though, most of the beings that would eventually be labeled as 'Pokewomen' dozed during the
noon heat in the cool shade of the various abandoned buildings.
Few of them noticed the black arrow shape of the stealth bomber as it accelerated overhead.
"The package...is delivered. With a bow on top."
The pilot made the sign of a cross as behind the bomber, a blinding white flash of light erupted
and instantaneously turned into an expanding ball of billowing yellow and gray destruction.
Thousands of Pokewomen died instantly from the blast and heat effects.
Tens of Thousands...did not.
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"Dude, the light is blinking. Is that good or bad?"
"I thought you said your iPod's battery had a full charge?!"
"Oops."
"Don't give me that! This is not an 'oops' moment! How could you fucking forget to charge the stupid battery?!"
"It's starting to shake!"
"Don't change the subject! You asshole, I do my best to keep us alive and you fuck it all up because you couldn't
even check your-"
"Greg, don't look behind you."
"Fuck. She's there, isn't she?"
"Yeah."
"Right, go hide in the closet. No sense in both of us getting killed by your stupidity."
"I'll always remember you, Greg."
"Just shut up before my common sense intervenes and makes me change my mind."
"Going!"
"OKay, now then...Um, we come in peace? Live long and prosper? Baa Weep Granna Weep Ninniban?"
"Bzzzzt."
"Whoa! Hey!! Watch it!! What are you-hey...Uh-Aaaoooowwwhooaa!"
"Greg, what's happening?"
"Keep the fucking door closed!!"
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The helicopter slowly circled the ruins of what had once been one of the largest cities in America.
Although the fires had long since burned themselves out, the portrait of destruction was a sobering
sight to the men and women aboard the craft. Even from this distance it was easy to see where Ground Zero
had been, an enormous crater in the heart of the city's remains.
"Take us down!"
Dr. Honeydew Bunson gestured to the pilot, his motions muffled by the radiation suit
he wore along with the rest of his team of specialists.
Cautiously the Nighthawk came to a landing at the outskirts of the city proper.
A few suited up soldiers were the first out, their weapons at the ready as they scanned the area
for any hostile presence. Although none of the female monsters seemed to be left here after the
main swarm had departed, they were not taking any chances. The white hot memory of the Diablo Massacre
was still fresh in every soldier's mind.
As Bunson's crew stepped out into the pale sunlight, they moved with practiced efficiency to remove and set up
their equipment. One of them was holding up a long rod attached to a readout that he twiddled with intently.
The doctor moved toward his subordinate and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Still no readings, Jackson?"
The man gave little startled jump and then turned carefully towards his boss.
"Not a damn thing, Sir. This geiger counter must be broken, this close to the blast site should definitely
be registering residual radiation."
Bunson shook his head, which being under his suit's hood, wasn't visible to anyone else.
"No, I don't think it's the equipment. All of the other stations had negative readings too. I suspect that
mystery is why they dispatched us here in the first place."
"Lucky us."
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"Greg, you still alive?"
"Define alive."
"I'm gonna open up, okay?"
"Uuuuhh."
"Dude. I mean...dude. Dude!!"
"Shut up, she's sleeping."
"Did you-with her-but how-was it-"
"Yes. Yes. None of your fucking business. Make yourself useful and grab me a soda. I can't move my fucking legs."
"I know I told you to pay more attention to girls, Greg. But I didn't mean like that!"
"It's preferable to dying....I think."
"But it's just like Jesus said on that download! Love your enemy!! I mean this is freaking BIG!!"
"Pipe down, will you?"
"But the war is over!! We can stop this whole thing!! We just need to tell everyone!!"
"Dude, think about it. Do you honestly believe that anyone in charge is going to seriously listen to either of us?
We're from fucking Berkeley! They'll just think we're crazy fucking hippies. And that's if we're lucky. Worst
case is they'll somehow think we're part of this whole terrorist invasion and just shoot us."
"But we gotta do something! We can't just sit back and watch civilization go down in flames!"
"Didn't say that we were."
"You got a plan?"
"Yep."
"...wait a minute, I know that look."
"What look?"
"Oh shit, this is going to be dangerous, isn't it? And I'm going to end up carrying all of the heavy stuff, aren't I?"
"Well since you volunteered so nicely..."
"Fuck!"
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"What are these things?"
Jerry Jackson tapped experimentally at one of the sparkling spherical crystal formations they'd
discovered in greater and greater numbers as they'd made their way deeper into the city.
They were about the size of a grapefruit and chimed softly whenever any kind of pressure was applied to them.
Though there were some minor readings on the radiation meter but they seemed harmless enough,
a person would get more rads thrown at them in a dentist's chair. There seemed to be several
different varieties of them too. So far the team had identified at least eleven distinct types
of the crystalized nodules. Color was the most obvious distinguisher. Some were the red and orange
of fire, while others were the blue of the deep sea and some looked like they had captured the
rising and setting of the sun on the horizon. There didn't seem to be any pattern to their distribution
either. They'd found them scattered both in and out of buildings, under rubble and even a few stuck
inside of broken cars.
"A better question Mr. Jackson would be, where are all the bodies?"
"Dr. Bunson?"
"Even factoring in local weather and scavengers at work there should be remains
of some kind around. At the very least I would still expect to find bones."
The junior man on the team flushed with embarrassement, grateful for his protective gear concealing his features.
"Yet we have seen no sign of any dead creatures at all, not one. Most intriguing."
"Yes, Doctor," Jackson agreed as it seemed the safest thing to do at the time.
"And then there's these things."
Honeydew gestured towards the ebony stone ovoids that had suddenly come into view as the team crossed a
crumbled city block. There were hundreds of them and those were just the ones they could see. Jackson suddenly
knew in his heart that there must be thousands more just like them scattered around the city.
"My God, they're huge."
Too smooth and perfect to have formed naturally, they simply rested there like ancient watchful monoliths.
They creeped Jerry out. It was nothing scientific, just that ancient tingle in the spine inherited from
a thousand generations of small warm animals that had been trying to avoid becoming something else's dinner.
They reminded him of giant...eggs.
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Dawn was coming.
The refugees were still fleeing for the mountains and the light would catch them still out in the open
when the Swarm came. The Self Defense Forces had already pulled back, trying desperately to defend what
they could, even if it meant abandoning thousands of others to their fate.
Two figures sat on an empty street curb near the outskirts of Nerima, quietly smoking.
One was small and shriveled, his body round as an oversized melon left too long in the sun.
He wore a worn and dirty gi and smoked a thin pipe with small quiet puffs of pale white smoke.
The other was a rather heavyset man in a slightly cleaner though no less faded white martial arts gi.
The top of his head was covered in a hankerchief and a pair of slightly crooked thin glasses fell
over his eyes as he puffed on a cheap thin brown cigarette.
Finally, the smaller of them spoke.
"I'm surprised to see you here, would have thought you'd gone off with Soun and that daughter of his."
His companion stiffened slightly.
"I am many things, Master. But there are some things even I will fight for."
"Hmph, at least I trained one of you fools correctly. Having to rely on the generosity
of that Kuno buffoon for safety is below even the likes of me."
"And yet here you are, Master."
The small old man pulled his pipe out of his mouth and tapped it thoughtfully.
"There are a lot of little kids behind us. Some of them used to call me Santa."
"I remember them."
The small figure coughed uncomfortably.
"Plus all those pretty little things with the cute underwear."
The thickset man quickly smothered a grin.
"Of course, Master."
"Besides, there are worse ways to die then upholding the Principles of the Art."
Soft footsteps sounded behind them.
The larger man raised his head slightly, recognizing the rhythm.
"You shouldn't be here, Nodoka."
The kimono clad woman bowed her head slightly. The wrapped bundle over her shoulder rustled softly.
"A wife's place is at her husband's side."
Genma met his wife's eyes squarely for the first time in a very long time.
"I do not deserve it."
She only smiled softly at him.
"I give it to you anyway."
Her hand closed over his and gave it a brief squeeze.
"My wife, I wish-"
A smooth finger over his lips stopped him.
"I know, my husband."
She kissed him tenderly, a bittersweet taste of all that had been lost, all that might have been.
"I have never been prouder of you then at this moment, my love."
The little old man looked away from the pair, actually feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment
at witnessing this private moment. He had never felt his age as much as he did right now.
More footsteps were coming. And the steady sound of a wooden cane bouncing on cement.
"Well Happi, fancy finding you here."
"And what are you doing here? I thought you'd be heading for your village by now."
"One more old woman will not make a difference there."
Happosai snorted rudely.
"Pull the other one, it's got bells on."
"Aid has already been dispatched to them. If anyone can make a difference, they will."
The young man beside her spoke up for the first time. He would have been considered a handsome boy
if not for the many scars on his exposed face and neck and the long white sleeve that hung down
emptily at his left side.
He nodded at Genma respectfully.
"Herb owed him a debt of honor."
The bald man felt wetness building at the corners of his eyes. Yes, the boy would have done
something like that too. If only he could see him one last time....
"Boy, you don't have to be here."
Happosai gestured towards the mountains.
"I can still fight."
The tone was soft, but there was steel underneath there.
"Why? You don't owe anyone here anything. This isn't your home, what do you have to fight for?"
The little old martial artist stated it bluntly, his beady eyes never leaving the boy's scarred face.
"I made a promise. I will not die until I have fullfilled it."
Their gazes met and held for a long moment. Then Happosai broke the contact and turned away.
"Suit yourself, boy."
"I will fight too."
Genma's jaw dropped. This had been the last thing he'd expected.
"Kasumi?! What are you doing here?! You belong with your family!!"
Surprisingly it was Mousse who recovered and shouted first.
"I have no family."
The words were level, precise and empty of all emotion.
"But your father, your sister. Kasumi dear-"
"They are no family of mine. They are Kunos now and Kunos they shall be forever more."
Nodoka had never seen such deeply smoldering rage in those gentle eyes before.
She never wanted to see it again.
"Kasumi Tendo! You-"
She slapped the scarred young man hard across the face.
It barely hurt but the sheer shock of the act struck him speechless.
"And *you* need someone to watch your back."
Cologne muffled her chuckle in the sleeve of her robe. No matter how long you lived,
life still managed to find ways to surprise you.
The sun broke fully over the horizon.
Every head snapped towards the sound of thousands of feet and the buzz of hundreds of wings in motion.
Genma tossed the butt of his cigarette away and Happosai emptied the coal in his pipe.
They were coming.
Genma's heart sank as the true numbers of the enemy finally became apparent.
"Remember who you are. Remember what lies behind us."
Happosai's voice was so cool and composed that he might as well have been commenting on the weather.
Genma closed his eyes, letting the fear rise up and pass through him, leaving him an empty vessel
of calm that awaited only the rhythm of the Art to fill it once again.
He opened his eyes.
'My Son. I will not dishonor your memory. This time, this promise I will keep...'
And then they were upon them.
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She panted for breath. Each gasp of air seared her aching lungs as her body trembled uncontrollably.
Free! She was free at last!
Slowly the woman got to her feet, ignoring the mud and other stains on her dull gray clothing.
She knew she had to keep moving, those *things* were still in the area.
All she had were her clothes, a bloody wrench and her wits.
But that had been enough for Nabiki to escape.
She almost snarled when the window to an abandoned shop gave her a glimpse of her own reflection.
Prison had not been kind to the middle Tendo daughter. For all her scheming and conniving she had been
relatively innocent in at least the technical aspect before her incarceration. Like everything else that
had been a valuable commodity to her, one to be transacted at a lucrative profit. Nabiki had had plans,
grand plans for the future. She had envisioned rising to power as the ruler behind the throne at her husband's
side, enjoying all of the benefits of power while avoiding the tedious responsibilities that came with it.
All of that was gone now. She had learned quickly that girls like her were considered the bottom of the food chain
by both the older, more experienced inmates as well as the guards themselves. It had been a dearly learned lesson.
The face that looked back at her was worn and looked much older then she knew she actually was. There were no scars
visible though, her tormentors had made sure to place those where they were not so easily revealed.
But she was still alive and all of them were either dead or dragged off by those overbalanced insect women that
had attacked the facility. She didn't know what the monsters wanted with them and frankly she could have cared
less, though she did hope it was slow and horrible. They deserved it.
When she found a likely looking place it was almost too simple to break into the small home from the back.
The owners had departed in haste, but left precious little behind. Empty drawers and open closets dashed her
hopes for getting out of her prison garb. But there was still running water in the taps and some food in the pantry.
She could rest here while she planned her next move.
A frantic knocking on the front door made her jump.
"Please! My baby!! Please let us in!!"
The woman's voice was frantic with desperation.
It made a light click on in Nabiki's head.
She unlocked the door and opened it to see a young woman with a softly wailing bundle held protectively in her arms.
"Thank you! Oh thank you!!"
The young mother almost collapsed as soon as she was inside, exhaustion visible in every line on her otherwise pretty face.
Nabiki eyed the woman thoughtfully as she caught her breath. She was close to the Tendo's size
and her features similar enough to pass at a distance. It seemed the gods were smiling on her today.
"What's your name," She asked conversationally.
"Megumi Ikari. Oh thank you, we got seperated from my husband and then those things were everywhere!"
"And the baby?"
"Shoji," she cooed at the fussing baby, "Don't worry dear, everything's all right now. Mommy is here."
"He's a handsome boy."
"Yes, everyone says he looks just like his father. We were supposed to go to the evacuation point
over by the river. I have our passes and everything. I know we'll find each other when we get there."
Megumi was totally engrossed with calming the still whimpering boy. She was bent down with her back
to Nabiki and didn't see the expression that came over the other woman's face.
"I'm sure you won't have to worry about that," Nabiki Tendo said as she slowly reached for the wrench....
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"Sir, I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Nonsense Jackson, how do you expect to learn anything without taking samples?"
Honeydew frowned at the lack of scientific enthusiasm from the young man. Really,
the younger generation these days just lacked the spirit of discovery.
Why look at his assistant Miss Cantaloupe, she was doing a fine job collecting specimens
of those intriguing crystal spheres. The woman was a great asset to the team and a joy
to watch even covered as she was by the bulky mass of the suit which did its best to
mask her undeniably feminine shape.
Dr. Bunson turned back to his own task. He readied the chisel against the large smooth dark ovoid
and swung the hammer back.
One good tap should do it.
Jerry had a sudden horrible premonition of disaster. The sheer wrongness in the air screamed so silently
that all other sound seemed to be sucked into the unnatural quiet as the professor's arm went back.
Jackson's feet, bypassing his brain with an emergency veto, took off and dragged the rest of him with them
in the direction of the chopper.
Suited heads turned in puzzlement towards his strange departure.
Some of them were even getting ready to call out to him when the hammer connected.
It was like striking a temple gong. The vibrations echoed inside their bones
and made more then one person fall to their knees clutching at their ears.
*crack*
The black solid surface began to fracture in a regular geometric pattern around the area where
the doctor's blow had landed. Bits of dark material began to flake off as the whole structure
began to shake like it was experiencing an earthquake.
The cracks grew deeper.
"Fascinating..."
Against all expectations of common sense, Honeydew leaned closer for a better look of the phenomenon.
He was rewarded by a shapely hand bursting through the shell and seizing hold of his faceplate.
With a startled shriek the doctor tried to pull himself away only to find that his efforts were futile.
Dark stony material exploded outward as a figure stepped out of the hollow interior, still holding
the straining scientist by one slender arm without the slightest sign of effort.
She was beyond beautiful, long scarlet hair that shimmered like a living flame, a figure that made
supermodels look like dried up twigs and pouting lips that promised heaven on earth. She radiated
raw sexuality so powerfully that the soldiers that had been training their weapons on her found their
arms going slack as the blood rushed out of their brains and into their pants.
Dr. Bunson found his mind had gone blank. All he could see were those perfect breasts, barely concealed
over the nipples by a thin fabric that molded to her form like a second skin. Her wings were like those
of a bat, dark and sleek, curling up behind her back like a dark living cape.
Her green eyes glowed like precious gems, searing into his bedazzled brain.
Her slim fingers tore off his suit's protective hood like a paper bag.
So entranced was the doctor by the allure of her seductive face that he didn't even notice,
all he realized was that her lips were approaching his and he wanted her so badly
that he could taste it.
He didn't even care about the small wings on her head.
And then she kissed him with a hunger beyond comprehension.
It was glorious.
For all of three seconds.
Then Honeydew's body began to jerk as his skin seemed to wither and age a century in a heartbeat.
The brown hair on his head turned to a dull white and began to fall out. His arms and legs spasmed
in a desperate attempt to escape, but to no avail. The lovely creature held on to his now smoking form
as it writhed and shrank until with a final soft wail the dried up mummy of parchment skin and blackened
bones crumbled into dust.
And as the being stepped over the remains of the late Dr. Bunson,
she laughed with a voice like the first day of summer.
Horrified, the rest of the team finally broke out of their trance and began to move.
*crack* *crack* *crack*
Only to freeze up as all around them the sounds of the other chrysalises
beginning to release their contents chimed through the air.
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"Dude, are you sure about this?"
"Hey, no complaining now. You were the one who wanted to save the world."
"But this shit weighs a fucking ton!"
"It's supposed to."
"Can't she carry any of it?"
"Why don't you go ask her?"
"Buzzz?"
"Uhhhh...."
"Just quit your bitching, it shouldn't be too much farther anyway."
"We're not gonna go to prison for this, are we? I mean, isn't breaking into a building
like this some kind of felony?"
"Nah, not a chance of jail time. For the kind of shit we're about to pull, they just shoot people and get rid of the bodies afterwards."
"You've got to be fucking shitting me! I don't wanna get capped by no CIA spook squad!"
"CIA? Don't be stupid. Those jerkoffs couldn't find their cocks in a fucking chicken farm. This is NSA turf, Section Nine."
"And this is supposed to make me feel better, how exactly?"
"I thought you liked X-files?"
"Liked, yes. Becoming one is another story!
""Keep it down. I think we're close enough now. You can put the stuff down."
"Finally! What the fuck did you put in there anyway? Lead weights?"
"Bitch bitch bitch. Keep an eye out, will ya?"
"The fuck? 'Greg's Kit: For use in case of Alien invasion, WW III or the total collapse of Civilization through Human Stupidity'?
You had something like that stashed under your bed?!"
"Exhibit A, our current situation. I rest my case."
"Well yeah, but..."
"Here, suit up."
"Is that a bulletproof vest?!"
"No, it's a stormtrooper costume designed by somebody who was color blind. Of course it's a fucking vest. Now put it on."
"What the hell does yours say on the back? 'Pacifism only means that I won't kill you....I'm still going to hurt you'...
dude that is seriously fucked up."
"Buzzz?"
"Down girl. Here's another lollipop for you."
"Buzz!!"
"Dude, are those fucking grenades!?"
"Flashbangs. Careful, we do *not* want these babies going off prematurely."
"What the hell? A fire extinguisher? You had me carry a fucking fire extinguisher?!"
"Of course not. You know me better then that. I had you carry two."
"Where the fuck did you get all this shit anyway? Military Industrial Complex surplus?"
"Remember Tracy?"
"You mean that foxy blonde you were tutoring the year before last?"
"That's the one."
"She some kind of survivalist?"
"Nah. French Foreign Intelligence."
"What?!"
"You'd be amazed how many other countries think Berkeley is the place to be for learning about Americans."
"You're kidding me. You mean that cute gal Shirley was..."
"MI-6."
"And that exchange student Jill?"
"KGB."
"Even that quiet bookworm you were dating for a little? What was her name again, Tracy?"
"Yeah, Mossad. Very good at chess too."
"So why did all of them hang around you?"
"I didn't try to get into their pants at every opportunity. I think they were either impressed or confused."
"...."
"Come on. Time to do some law breaking."
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"Please stand back! Women and children will board first!! Please have your passes out and ready!! Do not push!
There are enough boats for everyone!!"
The woman and her infant attracted little attention from the harried officials. She quietly made her way
with the small crying bundle in her arms to the ramp leading to the evacuation transports.
A disheveled police officer merely glanced at the photo on the official documents before waving
her through the barrier blocking many other desperate figures trying to argue and shout their
way past the living line of plastic riot shields and batons.
As the woman stepped on board a frazzled ship's officer came up with a clipboard and collected her pass.
"Name please, Miss. Oh, I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake the baby..."
"Oh that's alright. He just wants his bottle. I was hoping to find one when I got on board."
"There's a place set up for the younger ones, Miss. I just need to get your name down on the passenger list."
She smiled at him.
"Ikari. Nabiki Ikari. And my son...Shinji."
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Jackson frantically twiddled with the receiver on the chopper's communications gear. The Blackhawk had taken off
almost as soon has he'd gotten on board, the pilots having already deduced that staying was not an option conductive
to long term survival as the entire city came alive with the emergence of thousands of females who could only be
described as devilish and dark in both nature and appearence.
The young man spared a brief prayer for the rest of the doomed team that had been left behind.
Those shells, that must be how those things had survived the nuke, but how was that possible?
The blast and radiation released should have wiped out everything. According to all of the laws
of physics those creatures couldn't be there.
And yet...there they were.
He gaped at window by his seat as some of them sprouted wings like a bat or...a demon. No, that was only superstition.
Demons did not exist. But his eyes kept insisting that they were flying, even though the mass/lift ratio for their
wings was-
The chopper rocked as it was hit from below.
Jerry knocked his head on the side, making lights flash in front of his eyes as the hard metal bounced him backwards.
They were shooting fireballs at them.
"-Respond, Dr. Bunson! Repeat, what is that status of your team? We are detecting large amounts of activity in your area-"
Jackson grabbed onto the receiver like drowning man tossed a life preserver.
"They're dead! The whole team is gone!! I'm the only one left!! They're everywhere!!"
"Who is this? Where is Doctor-"
"He's dead! Those things, the nuke didn't kill them! They were in the wreckage....big black balls!!"
"What the hell? Sir, have you been drinking?"
But Jerry wasn't listening. His attention was on the smiling batwinged dark young woman easily keeping pace with
the damaged Blackhawk despite the crew's best efforts to lose it. Her hands were cupped together, a blue green charge
gradually building between them.
And then at last the comprehension of their true nature dawned on him as the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
"....oh my god."
It was so simple. So obvious. Dr. Sukebe was a genius.
"Listen to me!! You have to tell the Pentagon, don't use another nuclear weapon!!"
"Look you-"
"Goddamn it! You have to tell them not to use any more nukes!! These things, they'll-"
"Sir, this is a restricted channel, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to-"
Jackson was almost screaming from the frustration. Didn't they understand?
"Don't use the nukes!! Tell them!! Don't use the nukes!!"
The transmission cut off.
Jerry stared at the equipment in disbelief.
Then, almost against his will, he looked out the window.
The last thing he saw was the flash of blue.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Dude."
"I know. Looks like I had you carry the crowbar for nothing."
"Dude!!"
"Watch the glass. Double paned bullet resistant...damn, looks like whatever hit it didn't even slow down."
"Where's all the security? I thought a place like this would be crawling with guards."
"I think you just stepped on one of them."
"Oh shit!!"
"I think you just stepped in that too."
"What?! Oh man! I'm never going to get the smell out!!"
"Looks like they tried to make a stand here."
"Doesn't look like it did them any good."
"I suppose their training didn't cover what to do when they burst out of the wall behind you."
"Hey, there's a gun over here...awww man, it's busted."
"They're all broken. And the ammo clips are crushed."
"You think anybody survived?"
"From the looks of it, I'd have to say....no."
"Dude, is that guy's legs hanging out of the ceiling?!"
"I'd be more concerned about the ones sticking out of the walls."
"Where's his face?!"
"I think it's stuck on the ceiling....yep, there it is."
"How the hell can you be so calm about this?!"
"What good would it do to panic?"
"But what if whatever did that is still here?"
"We run away."
"That's it?"
"Yep."
"And then what?"
"Keep running until we think of something better to do."
"...."
"Come on, looks like the consoles on this floor are trashed. We'll check
the basement next, we should find what we're looking for there."
"And what exactly is it we're looking for? What is the big plan anyway?
You didn't exactly stop to explain before we came here."
"Ever heard of Operation Predator?"
"No...wait, yeah! That was that old thing where the government was trying to illegally spy on us or something, right?"
"Close enough. Total intergrated data mining on all electronic forms of communication going in or out of the USA."
"But didn't Congress shut that down before they could do it?"
"Since when have the people who always know what's best for us ever listened to anyone else?"
"Dude...but how does that help us?"
"Well the thing is, it works both ways. In order for them to get into all the networks they had to actually attach
their own physical lines into every node point. And being the paranoid bastards that they are, they spliced into
*everything*."
"Which means what exactly?"
"It means that if the equipment here is still intact, we are about to get direct access to just about every major power
player in the world."
"Dude, are you serious?! But...how the hell do you know about all this?"
"Remember Kimberly?"
"That stuck up bitch?! Don't tell me she was-"
"Nah, she was just a political appointee. Her daddy had some pretty big pull with the big boys in charge."
"Dude, she hated your guts. How did you get anything out of her?"
"I didn't."
"But then how?"
"Remember when she lost that laptop?"
"Oh yeah, that was right before she transferred to Siberia on that exchange program.
Didn't she accuse you of stealing it? Wait a minute...you didn't?!"
"Of course not, that neo-conservative airhead just forgot it in the library.
Probably got overwhelmed by her first time among that many books without pictures in them."
"But..."
"By the time I found it, she was already gone and good riddance."
"....that wasn't an exchange program, was it?"
"Nope. I don't think daddy's patronage extended quite far enough to cover
losing a government laptop chock full of interesting goodies."
"But didn't they send anyone to look for it?"
"In Berkeley?"
"Oh, right. But then why didn't you use it as evidence against the assholes in office,
I mean you don't like them any more then I do, dude."
"Berkeley."
"Oh, yeah. Right. But you could have at least told me! Aren't we best buds?"
"And how well can you keep a secret?"
"Dude, now that's just hitting below the belt."
"Buzz? Buzz."
"Oh not you too."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Pyongyang burned.
The Chairman of the National Defence Commission laughed bitterly as he watched the fires
consuming the city outside of his last remaining fortress. Those creatures had crushed
the hated South in record time. But then they had doubled back and hit the Demilitarized
Zone in full force. The defenses had held them off for a time, but there had simply been
too many of them in the end. Now the Fatherland had fallen and all that was left was
to ensure that the rest of the world burned with it.
The missiles were prepping even now, his loyal soldiers preparing for North Korea's finest hour.
He knew the truth. These things were not the creations of some madman, they were Evil American Weapons
built solely to overthrow Dear Leader! But he would have the last laugh over the decadent West
and their unnatural boobies!!
"Launch the warheads!!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Sir! Picking up a hot spot in North Korea!"
"Oh shit. Confirmation?"
"Spy in the sky confirms ballistic missile launch. Contents are glowing white."
"Fuck! That insane asshole!!"
"Sir?"
"You know what to do. Alert the President. Then contact whatever we've got left
in the area and tell them the balloon has just gone up."
"Yes, Sir."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Oh Dear Leader, Eternal President for Life, We will sing of your glory!"
The last leader of North Korea drunkenly toasted the trail of flames climbing the sky.
Then he paused in his singing and squinted upwards as the sounds of
gunfire and mortars firing around the building rattled the windows.
Strange, it didn't seem to be getting smaller anymore...
In fact...no, it was not his imagination, it was getting...bigger?!
He opened his mouth, to swear, to scream or to curse the subcontractors he'd had shot instead of paid off.
And then the warhead detonated.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Once again hundreds of Pokewoman died instantly as they were caught directly in the blast of an unrestrained nuclear reaction.
But they were only a small minority. Thousands of their sisters survived and would soon awaken stronger
and more powerful then before.
As the mushroom cloud billowed into the sky, a small piece of warped and melted plastic spun through the air.
If there been any aeronautical engineers around, they might have been able to identify it as
belonging to a booster rocket. And if someone had been able to look at it close enough they
might even have been able to read the writing on it, "Made in the USA".
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Testing, Testing. One, two, three."
"How's it look?"
Well, they didn't get down here. The equipment is a little dated but still working. And we've got power."
"Think it'll work?"
"Honestly?"
"Yeah. What are the odds?"
"Lousy. But like you said, we have to try."
"Let's do it then."
"Right, just remember to be ready to run away very, very fast."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Mr. President, the phone is ringing."
"So? Get'em on voice maido."
"No Mr. President, it's *that* phone. The special one."
"Whazzat?"
"Sir, have you been drinking?"
"Jus' a bittle."
"Sir, the American people need you!"
"Fuck em!"
"Mr. President!"
"Sall right. I'll listen to Pukein."
"Putin, Sir."
"Whatevah."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Wha' da ya want, Pukein?"
"Dude, is that..."
"Quiet."
"Oh, right."
"No, this is not Putin. Please listen, this information is vital to stopping the violence-"
"Look asshole, where the fuck is Pukein? Put em on!"
"Mr. Presi-"
"I get it, you've covered your ass, now put the fucking Russian shithead on the phone!"
"Look, this is a matter of life and death!"
"You sound like one of those dirty fucking hippies! What are you, some kind of Commie Pinko Queer?"
"Fuck it already. I tried."
"Yeah, yo mama you Red Commie Bastard!"
"Hey Asshole, yeah you fucking cocksucking bastard, my friend was trying to help you save the country, you stuck up son of a bitch!!
You know I never voted for you and I've never been more grateful about that then right now!! You can go and fucking die because you're
a fucking jackass and my only regret is all the other people you got killed won't get a chance to shove it right up your lazy fat white ass!!"
"Why you! I am-"
*click*
"Dude."
"Sorry, Greg, but he just pissed me off. I can't believe that asshole is in charge of anything."
"I told you so."
"Now what? Try somebody else?"
"The only other person on that line is the Russian. You want to try the Truce of the Bear?"
"What about the other guys? The Brits, the Frogs, the Aussies? Hell, I'd even settle for China."
"Already tried that. None of them is picking up. Wouldn't surprise me if they're already moving
to more secure locations due to the attacks."
"Then what can we do?"
"We forget the nice approach and just shove it in whether they want it or not."
"Won't that piss a lot of people off?"
"Probably. Which is why we are going to run away very fast once I set it up on automatic."
"And where are we supposed to run to?"
"Leave that to me."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The President of the United States glared at the old style red phone.
That Liberal Russian Son of a Bitch had hung up on him!
"Mr. President! We have to evacuate immediately, the National Guard has just reported
that the monster is heading in this direction!!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't you rush me. I'm the commander!! I'm the Deciderer!!"
'Yes, Sir. Please hurry, Sir. The limo is already ready to go."
As they hurried towards the garage the abandoned television in the waiting room
continued to blare the emergency news report update on its flashing screen.
'This is Miranda Veracruz de la Jolla Cardenal, reporting to you live here at the outskirts
of the District of Colombia where a giant figure has been seen heading towards the nation's
capital.'
'The military has urged the citizens of the district not to panic and please evacuate in
a calm and orderly fashion. Sources inside the Pentagon assure us that matters are under
control and that this monstrous creation allegedly by the infamous Terrorist Mastermind
Doctor Jim Sukebe will be put down through precision targeting and patriotic determination.'
'Ma'am you can't be here. All civilians must evacuate the area.'
'This is a free press, you can't censor the news!'
'We damn well can, Miss.'
'Ohmygod! Look at the size of those tits!!'
'Cover the camera! Cover the Camera!! Do you want the network to get sued?'
'What's it doing?'
'It's-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH-'
Washington DC had a population of over one million people.
There were no survivors.
-End Prologue Darwin's Revenge
A Pokewomen Universe Story
by Shade
Porn with Plot Warning.
Copyrighted character use warning.
Ignoring what a lot of other people wrote warning.
Warning about warning warning warning.
"Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!"
-George Carlin
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Prologue: Darwin's Revenge
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I still can't believe it. You tried to fight with Bugspray! Bugspray!!"
"Dude, it was her or me. Only thing is I was kinda in a rush..."
"And what's even worse is you grabbed the wrong cans and sprayed her instead with fucking air fresheners!"
"Hey! Don't knock it, it worked."
"That's the *other* part I can't accept. You knocked her out with Scent-so-fresh 'Flower Delight'!"
"Just get over it already, Greg. How's that trap holding up anyway?"
"Well we're not dead, so it's probably working correctly."
"How did she fit in there anyway?"
"Fuck if I know. I never did pay attention to those damn cartoons with the stupid little electric rats."
"Maybe she's a ghost?"
"Want me to let her out so you can find out?"
"No!"
"Well there you go then. Let's just be get back to our room and lock ourselves in for awhile."
"That's the plan?"
"You got any better ideas? I'm all ears."
"Uh...order out for pizza?"
"Don't make me hurt you."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The President sat at his desk in the Whitehouse.
It was a big desk, a manly desk. The kind of desk that you could pretend
to be doing something while goofing off.
Damnit, he was supposed to be on vacation! The other stuff could wait!!
That's why a man had political appointees, to deal with this kind of shit.
Where the hell was Dick when he needed him?
"Mr. President! Are you listening? You have to decide!"
He scowled at the thick set black general standing impatiently in front of him.
They'd had to call old Colon Bowell out of retirement thanks to the losses in senior military personnel
they'd suffered so far. More importantly, they'd needed men loyal to the man who held office to keep
certain matters related to the whole mess quiet.
"Fuck it. Just drop the damn nucooler already."
"Are you sure, Mr. President? This is American soil we're talking about here!"
"Fuck em, they didn't vote for me. Dirty Fucking Liberals, let them burn!!"
"But-"
"Hey! Who's the Deciderer here, you or me?"
"You are, Sir."
"Good, now get out of here."
His whole body as rigid as a fireplace poker, the general left to carry out his orders.
The President decided that he needed a good book to take his mind off things.
He pulled the one he always relied on in times of crisis and began to read out loud.
"My Pet Goat..."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"This is Sunflower One. We are approaching Point Zero. ETA is six minutes."
"Acknowledged, Sunflower. Eagle One Authorization is confirmed. You are
to deliver the package with a bow. I repeat, you are to deliver the package
with a bow."
"Yes Sir. But-"
"Just follow orders, Sunflower. We are at war."
"Yes Sir."
The pilot looked at his co-pilot and switched off the exterior radio.
"May God forgive us for what we are about to do," he whispered hoarsely.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The State of Illinois had fallen to the advancing hordes.
What few humans remained were those who had hid well and did not attract the attention
of the main force as it had obliterated any signs of organized resistance and cleared out
major population centers in the area.
Now the millions of the creatures infested the city of Chicago, consuming all the stored food supplies
they could find as they prepared for their migration to the next target.
Humanity had learned to its great cost that the invaders were much hardier then any human army,
able to go for weeks or even months at a time without needing to feed, then gorging themselves
on the stockpiles of a captured human city until the time of their next attack began.
Now though, most of the beings that would eventually be labeled as 'Pokewomen' dozed during the
noon heat in the cool shade of the various abandoned buildings.
Few of them noticed the black arrow shape of the stealth bomber as it accelerated overhead.
"The package...is delivered. With a bow on top."
The pilot made the sign of a cross as behind the bomber, a blinding white flash of light erupted
and instantaneously turned into an expanding ball of billowing yellow and gray destruction.
Thousands of Pokewomen died instantly from the blast and heat effects.
Tens of Thousands...did not.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Dude, the light is blinking. Is that good or bad?"
"I thought you said your iPod's battery had a full charge?!"
"Oops."
"Don't give me that! This is not an 'oops' moment! How could you fucking forget to charge the stupid battery?!"
"It's starting to shake!"
"Don't change the subject! You asshole, I do my best to keep us alive and you fuck it all up because you couldn't
even check your-"
"Greg, don't look behind you."
"Fuck. She's there, isn't she?"
"Yeah."
"Right, go hide in the closet. No sense in both of us getting killed by your stupidity."
"I'll always remember you, Greg."
"Just shut up before my common sense intervenes and makes me change my mind."
"Going!"
"OKay, now then...Um, we come in peace? Live long and prosper? Baa Weep Granna Weep Ninniban?"
"Bzzzzt."
"Whoa! Hey!! Watch it!! What are you-hey...Uh-Aaaoooowwwhooaa!"
"Greg, what's happening?"
"Keep the fucking door closed!!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The helicopter slowly circled the ruins of what had once been one of the largest cities in America.
Although the fires had long since burned themselves out, the portrait of destruction was a sobering
sight to the men and women aboard the craft. Even from this distance it was easy to see where Ground Zero
had been, an enormous crater in the heart of the city's remains.
"Take us down!"
Dr. Honeydew Bunson gestured to the pilot, his motions muffled by the radiation suit
he wore along with the rest of his team of specialists.
Cautiously the Nighthawk came to a landing at the outskirts of the city proper.
A few suited up soldiers were the first out, their weapons at the ready as they scanned the area
for any hostile presence. Although none of the female monsters seemed to be left here after the
main swarm had departed, they were not taking any chances. The white hot memory of the Diablo Massacre
was still fresh in every soldier's mind.
As Bunson's crew stepped out into the pale sunlight, they moved with practiced efficiency to remove and set up
their equipment. One of them was holding up a long rod attached to a readout that he twiddled with intently.
The doctor moved toward his subordinate and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Still no readings, Jackson?"
The man gave little startled jump and then turned carefully towards his boss.
"Not a damn thing, Sir. This geiger counter must be broken, this close to the blast site should definitely
be registering residual radiation."
Bunson shook his head, which being under his suit's hood, wasn't visible to anyone else.
"No, I don't think it's the equipment. All of the other stations had negative readings too. I suspect that
mystery is why they dispatched us here in the first place."
"Lucky us."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Greg, you still alive?"
"Define alive."
"I'm gonna open up, okay?"
"Uuuuhh."
"Dude. I mean...dude. Dude!!"
"Shut up, she's sleeping."
"Did you-with her-but how-was it-"
"Yes. Yes. None of your fucking business. Make yourself useful and grab me a soda. I can't move my fucking legs."
"I know I told you to pay more attention to girls, Greg. But I didn't mean like that!"
"It's preferable to dying....I think."
"But it's just like Jesus said on that download! Love your enemy!! I mean this is freaking BIG!!"
"Pipe down, will you?"
"But the war is over!! We can stop this whole thing!! We just need to tell everyone!!"
"Dude, think about it. Do you honestly believe that anyone in charge is going to seriously listen to either of us?
We're from fucking Berkeley! They'll just think we're crazy fucking hippies. And that's if we're lucky. Worst
case is they'll somehow think we're part of this whole terrorist invasion and just shoot us."
"But we gotta do something! We can't just sit back and watch civilization go down in flames!"
"Didn't say that we were."
"You got a plan?"
"Yep."
"...wait a minute, I know that look."
"What look?"
"Oh shit, this is going to be dangerous, isn't it? And I'm going to end up carrying all of the heavy stuff, aren't I?"
"Well since you volunteered so nicely..."
"Fuck!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"What are these things?"
Jerry Jackson tapped experimentally at one of the sparkling spherical crystal formations they'd
discovered in greater and greater numbers as they'd made their way deeper into the city.
They were about the size of a grapefruit and chimed softly whenever any kind of pressure was applied to them.
Though there were some minor readings on the radiation meter but they seemed harmless enough,
a person would get more rads thrown at them in a dentist's chair. There seemed to be several
different varieties of them too. So far the team had identified at least eleven distinct types
of the crystalized nodules. Color was the most obvious distinguisher. Some were the red and orange
of fire, while others were the blue of the deep sea and some looked like they had captured the
rising and setting of the sun on the horizon. There didn't seem to be any pattern to their distribution
either. They'd found them scattered both in and out of buildings, under rubble and even a few stuck
inside of broken cars.
"A better question Mr. Jackson would be, where are all the bodies?"
"Dr. Bunson?"
"Even factoring in local weather and scavengers at work there should be remains
of some kind around. At the very least I would still expect to find bones."
The junior man on the team flushed with embarrassement, grateful for his protective gear concealing his features.
"Yet we have seen no sign of any dead creatures at all, not one. Most intriguing."
"Yes, Doctor," Jackson agreed as it seemed the safest thing to do at the time.
"And then there's these things."
Honeydew gestured towards the ebony stone ovoids that had suddenly come into view as the team crossed a
crumbled city block. There were hundreds of them and those were just the ones they could see. Jackson suddenly
knew in his heart that there must be thousands more just like them scattered around the city.
"My God, they're huge."
Too smooth and perfect to have formed naturally, they simply rested there like ancient watchful monoliths.
They creeped Jerry out. It was nothing scientific, just that ancient tingle in the spine inherited from
a thousand generations of small warm animals that had been trying to avoid becoming something else's dinner.
They reminded him of giant...eggs.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Dawn was coming.
The refugees were still fleeing for the mountains and the light would catch them still out in the open
when the Swarm came. The Self Defense Forces had already pulled back, trying desperately to defend what
they could, even if it meant abandoning thousands of others to their fate.
Two figures sat on an empty street curb near the outskirts of Nerima, quietly smoking.
One was small and shriveled, his body round as an oversized melon left too long in the sun.
He wore a worn and dirty gi and smoked a thin pipe with small quiet puffs of pale white smoke.
The other was a rather heavyset man in a slightly cleaner though no less faded white martial arts gi.
The top of his head was covered in a hankerchief and a pair of slightly crooked thin glasses fell
over his eyes as he puffed on a cheap thin brown cigarette.
Finally, the smaller of them spoke.
"I'm surprised to see you here, would have thought you'd gone off with Soun and that daughter of his."
His companion stiffened slightly.
"I am many things, Master. But there are some things even I will fight for."
"Hmph, at least I trained one of you fools correctly. Having to rely on the generosity
of that Kuno buffoon for safety is below even the likes of me."
"And yet here you are, Master."
The small old man pulled his pipe out of his mouth and tapped it thoughtfully.
"There are a lot of little kids behind us. Some of them used to call me Santa."
"I remember them."
The small figure coughed uncomfortably.
"Plus all those pretty little things with the cute underwear."
The thickset man quickly smothered a grin.
"Of course, Master."
"Besides, there are worse ways to die then upholding the Principles of the Art."
Soft footsteps sounded behind them.
The larger man raised his head slightly, recognizing the rhythm.
"You shouldn't be here, Nodoka."
The kimono clad woman bowed her head slightly. The wrapped bundle over her shoulder rustled softly.
"A wife's place is at her husband's side."
Genma met his wife's eyes squarely for the first time in a very long time.
"I do not deserve it."
She only smiled softly at him.
"I give it to you anyway."
Her hand closed over his and gave it a brief squeeze.
"My wife, I wish-"
A smooth finger over his lips stopped him.
"I know, my husband."
She kissed him tenderly, a bittersweet taste of all that had been lost, all that might have been.
"I have never been prouder of you then at this moment, my love."
The little old man looked away from the pair, actually feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment
at witnessing this private moment. He had never felt his age as much as he did right now.
More footsteps were coming. And the steady sound of a wooden cane bouncing on cement.
"Well Happi, fancy finding you here."
"And what are you doing here? I thought you'd be heading for your village by now."
"One more old woman will not make a difference there."
Happosai snorted rudely.
"Pull the other one, it's got bells on."
"Aid has already been dispatched to them. If anyone can make a difference, they will."
The young man beside her spoke up for the first time. He would have been considered a handsome boy
if not for the many scars on his exposed face and neck and the long white sleeve that hung down
emptily at his left side.
He nodded at Genma respectfully.
"Herb owed him a debt of honor."
The bald man felt wetness building at the corners of his eyes. Yes, the boy would have done
something like that too. If only he could see him one last time....
"Boy, you don't have to be here."
Happosai gestured towards the mountains.
"I can still fight."
The tone was soft, but there was steel underneath there.
"Why? You don't owe anyone here anything. This isn't your home, what do you have to fight for?"
The little old martial artist stated it bluntly, his beady eyes never leaving the boy's scarred face.
"I made a promise. I will not die until I have fullfilled it."
Their gazes met and held for a long moment. Then Happosai broke the contact and turned away.
"Suit yourself, boy."
"I will fight too."
Genma's jaw dropped. This had been the last thing he'd expected.
"Kasumi?! What are you doing here?! You belong with your family!!"
Surprisingly it was Mousse who recovered and shouted first.
"I have no family."
The words were level, precise and empty of all emotion.
"But your father, your sister. Kasumi dear-"
"They are no family of mine. They are Kunos now and Kunos they shall be forever more."
Nodoka had never seen such deeply smoldering rage in those gentle eyes before.
She never wanted to see it again.
"Kasumi Tendo! You-"
She slapped the scarred young man hard across the face.
It barely hurt but the sheer shock of the act struck him speechless.
"And *you* need someone to watch your back."
Cologne muffled her chuckle in the sleeve of her robe. No matter how long you lived,
life still managed to find ways to surprise you.
The sun broke fully over the horizon.
Every head snapped towards the sound of thousands of feet and the buzz of hundreds of wings in motion.
Genma tossed the butt of his cigarette away and Happosai emptied the coal in his pipe.
They were coming.
Genma's heart sank as the true numbers of the enemy finally became apparent.
"Remember who you are. Remember what lies behind us."
Happosai's voice was so cool and composed that he might as well have been commenting on the weather.
Genma closed his eyes, letting the fear rise up and pass through him, leaving him an empty vessel
of calm that awaited only the rhythm of the Art to fill it once again.
He opened his eyes.
'My Son. I will not dishonor your memory. This time, this promise I will keep...'
And then they were upon them.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
She panted for breath. Each gasp of air seared her aching lungs as her body trembled uncontrollably.
Free! She was free at last!
Slowly the woman got to her feet, ignoring the mud and other stains on her dull gray clothing.
She knew she had to keep moving, those *things* were still in the area.
All she had were her clothes, a bloody wrench and her wits.
But that had been enough for Nabiki to escape.
She almost snarled when the window to an abandoned shop gave her a glimpse of her own reflection.
Prison had not been kind to the middle Tendo daughter. For all her scheming and conniving she had been
relatively innocent in at least the technical aspect before her incarceration. Like everything else that
had been a valuable commodity to her, one to be transacted at a lucrative profit. Nabiki had had plans,
grand plans for the future. She had envisioned rising to power as the ruler behind the throne at her husband's
side, enjoying all of the benefits of power while avoiding the tedious responsibilities that came with it.
All of that was gone now. She had learned quickly that girls like her were considered the bottom of the food chain
by both the older, more experienced inmates as well as the guards themselves. It had been a dearly learned lesson.
The face that looked back at her was worn and looked much older then she knew she actually was. There were no scars
visible though, her tormentors had made sure to place those where they were not so easily revealed.
But she was still alive and all of them were either dead or dragged off by those overbalanced insect women that
had attacked the facility. She didn't know what the monsters wanted with them and frankly she could have cared
less, though she did hope it was slow and horrible. They deserved it.
When she found a likely looking place it was almost too simple to break into the small home from the back.
The owners had departed in haste, but left precious little behind. Empty drawers and open closets dashed her
hopes for getting out of her prison garb. But there was still running water in the taps and some food in the pantry.
She could rest here while she planned her next move.
A frantic knocking on the front door made her jump.
"Please! My baby!! Please let us in!!"
The woman's voice was frantic with desperation.
It made a light click on in Nabiki's head.
She unlocked the door and opened it to see a young woman with a softly wailing bundle held protectively in her arms.
"Thank you! Oh thank you!!"
The young mother almost collapsed as soon as she was inside, exhaustion visible in every line on her otherwise pretty face.
Nabiki eyed the woman thoughtfully as she caught her breath. She was close to the Tendo's size
and her features similar enough to pass at a distance. It seemed the gods were smiling on her today.
"What's your name," She asked conversationally.
"Megumi Ikari. Oh thank you, we got seperated from my husband and then those things were everywhere!"
"And the baby?"
"Shoji," she cooed at the fussing baby, "Don't worry dear, everything's all right now. Mommy is here."
"He's a handsome boy."
"Yes, everyone says he looks just like his father. We were supposed to go to the evacuation point
over by the river. I have our passes and everything. I know we'll find each other when we get there."
Megumi was totally engrossed with calming the still whimpering boy. She was bent down with her back
to Nabiki and didn't see the expression that came over the other woman's face.
"I'm sure you won't have to worry about that," Nabiki Tendo said as she slowly reached for the wrench....
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Sir, I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Nonsense Jackson, how do you expect to learn anything without taking samples?"
Honeydew frowned at the lack of scientific enthusiasm from the young man. Really,
the younger generation these days just lacked the spirit of discovery.
Why look at his assistant Miss Cantaloupe, she was doing a fine job collecting specimens
of those intriguing crystal spheres. The woman was a great asset to the team and a joy
to watch even covered as she was by the bulky mass of the suit which did its best to
mask her undeniably feminine shape.
Dr. Bunson turned back to his own task. He readied the chisel against the large smooth dark ovoid
and swung the hammer back.
One good tap should do it.
Jerry had a sudden horrible premonition of disaster. The sheer wrongness in the air screamed so silently
that all other sound seemed to be sucked into the unnatural quiet as the professor's arm went back.
Jackson's feet, bypassing his brain with an emergency veto, took off and dragged the rest of him with them
in the direction of the chopper.
Suited heads turned in puzzlement towards his strange departure.
Some of them were even getting ready to call out to him when the hammer connected.
It was like striking a temple gong. The vibrations echoed inside their bones
and made more then one person fall to their knees clutching at their ears.
*crack*
The black solid surface began to fracture in a regular geometric pattern around the area where
the doctor's blow had landed. Bits of dark material began to flake off as the whole structure
began to shake like it was experiencing an earthquake.
The cracks grew deeper.
"Fascinating..."
Against all expectations of common sense, Honeydew leaned closer for a better look of the phenomenon.
He was rewarded by a shapely hand bursting through the shell and seizing hold of his faceplate.
With a startled shriek the doctor tried to pull himself away only to find that his efforts were futile.
Dark stony material exploded outward as a figure stepped out of the hollow interior, still holding
the straining scientist by one slender arm without the slightest sign of effort.
She was beyond beautiful, long scarlet hair that shimmered like a living flame, a figure that made
supermodels look like dried up twigs and pouting lips that promised heaven on earth. She radiated
raw sexuality so powerfully that the soldiers that had been training their weapons on her found their
arms going slack as the blood rushed out of their brains and into their pants.
Dr. Bunson found his mind had gone blank. All he could see were those perfect breasts, barely concealed
over the nipples by a thin fabric that molded to her form like a second skin. Her wings were like those
of a bat, dark and sleek, curling up behind her back like a dark living cape.
Her green eyes glowed like precious gems, searing into his bedazzled brain.
Her slim fingers tore off his suit's protective hood like a paper bag.
So entranced was the doctor by the allure of her seductive face that he didn't even notice,
all he realized was that her lips were approaching his and he wanted her so badly
that he could taste it.
He didn't even care about the small wings on her head.
And then she kissed him with a hunger beyond comprehension.
It was glorious.
For all of three seconds.
Then Honeydew's body began to jerk as his skin seemed to wither and age a century in a heartbeat.
The brown hair on his head turned to a dull white and began to fall out. His arms and legs spasmed
in a desperate attempt to escape, but to no avail. The lovely creature held on to his now smoking form
as it writhed and shrank until with a final soft wail the dried up mummy of parchment skin and blackened
bones crumbled into dust.
And as the being stepped over the remains of the late Dr. Bunson,
she laughed with a voice like the first day of summer.
Horrified, the rest of the team finally broke out of their trance and began to move.
*crack* *crack* *crack*
Only to freeze up as all around them the sounds of the other chrysalises
beginning to release their contents chimed through the air.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Dude, are you sure about this?"
"Hey, no complaining now. You were the one who wanted to save the world."
"But this shit weighs a fucking ton!"
"It's supposed to."
"Can't she carry any of it?"
"Why don't you go ask her?"
"Buzzz?"
"Uhhhh...."
"Just quit your bitching, it shouldn't be too much farther anyway."
"We're not gonna go to prison for this, are we? I mean, isn't breaking into a building
like this some kind of felony?"
"Nah, not a chance of jail time. For the kind of shit we're about to pull, they just shoot people and get rid of the bodies afterwards."
"You've got to be fucking shitting me! I don't wanna get capped by no CIA spook squad!"
"CIA? Don't be stupid. Those jerkoffs couldn't find their cocks in a fucking chicken farm. This is NSA turf, Section Nine."
"And this is supposed to make me feel better, how exactly?"
"I thought you liked X-files?"
"Liked, yes. Becoming one is another story!
""Keep it down. I think we're close enough now. You can put the stuff down."
"Finally! What the fuck did you put in there anyway? Lead weights?"
"Bitch bitch bitch. Keep an eye out, will ya?"
"The fuck? 'Greg's Kit: For use in case of Alien invasion, WW III or the total collapse of Civilization through Human Stupidity'?
You had something like that stashed under your bed?!"
"Exhibit A, our current situation. I rest my case."
"Well yeah, but..."
"Here, suit up."
"Is that a bulletproof vest?!"
"No, it's a stormtrooper costume designed by somebody who was color blind. Of course it's a fucking vest. Now put it on."
"What the hell does yours say on the back? 'Pacifism only means that I won't kill you....I'm still going to hurt you'...
dude that is seriously fucked up."
"Buzzz?"
"Down girl. Here's another lollipop for you."
"Buzz!!"
"Dude, are those fucking grenades!?"
"Flashbangs. Careful, we do *not* want these babies going off prematurely."
"What the hell? A fire extinguisher? You had me carry a fucking fire extinguisher?!"
"Of course not. You know me better then that. I had you carry two."
"Where the fuck did you get all this shit anyway? Military Industrial Complex surplus?"
"Remember Tracy?"
"You mean that foxy blonde you were tutoring the year before last?"
"That's the one."
"She some kind of survivalist?"
"Nah. French Foreign Intelligence."
"What?!"
"You'd be amazed how many other countries think Berkeley is the place to be for learning about Americans."
"You're kidding me. You mean that cute gal Shirley was..."
"MI-6."
"And that exchange student Jill?"
"KGB."
"Even that quiet bookworm you were dating for a little? What was her name again, Tracy?"
"Yeah, Mossad. Very good at chess too."
"So why did all of them hang around you?"
"I didn't try to get into their pants at every opportunity. I think they were either impressed or confused."
"...."
"Come on. Time to do some law breaking."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Please stand back! Women and children will board first!! Please have your passes out and ready!! Do not push!
There are enough boats for everyone!!"
The woman and her infant attracted little attention from the harried officials. She quietly made her way
with the small crying bundle in her arms to the ramp leading to the evacuation transports.
A disheveled police officer merely glanced at the photo on the official documents before waving
her through the barrier blocking many other desperate figures trying to argue and shout their
way past the living line of plastic riot shields and batons.
As the woman stepped on board a frazzled ship's officer came up with a clipboard and collected her pass.
"Name please, Miss. Oh, I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake the baby..."
"Oh that's alright. He just wants his bottle. I was hoping to find one when I got on board."
"There's a place set up for the younger ones, Miss. I just need to get your name down on the passenger list."
She smiled at him.
"Ikari. Nabiki Ikari. And my son...Shinji."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Jackson frantically twiddled with the receiver on the chopper's communications gear. The Blackhawk had taken off
almost as soon has he'd gotten on board, the pilots having already deduced that staying was not an option conductive
to long term survival as the entire city came alive with the emergence of thousands of females who could only be
described as devilish and dark in both nature and appearence.
The young man spared a brief prayer for the rest of the doomed team that had been left behind.
Those shells, that must be how those things had survived the nuke, but how was that possible?
The blast and radiation released should have wiped out everything. According to all of the laws
of physics those creatures couldn't be there.
And yet...there they were.
He gaped at window by his seat as some of them sprouted wings like a bat or...a demon. No, that was only superstition.
Demons did not exist. But his eyes kept insisting that they were flying, even though the mass/lift ratio for their
wings was-
The chopper rocked as it was hit from below.
Jerry knocked his head on the side, making lights flash in front of his eyes as the hard metal bounced him backwards.
They were shooting fireballs at them.
"-Respond, Dr. Bunson! Repeat, what is that status of your team? We are detecting large amounts of activity in your area-"
Jackson grabbed onto the receiver like drowning man tossed a life preserver.
"They're dead! The whole team is gone!! I'm the only one left!! They're everywhere!!"
"Who is this? Where is Doctor-"
"He's dead! Those things, the nuke didn't kill them! They were in the wreckage....big black balls!!"
"What the hell? Sir, have you been drinking?"
But Jerry wasn't listening. His attention was on the smiling batwinged dark young woman easily keeping pace with
the damaged Blackhawk despite the crew's best efforts to lose it. Her hands were cupped together, a blue green charge
gradually building between them.
And then at last the comprehension of their true nature dawned on him as the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
"....oh my god."
It was so simple. So obvious. Dr. Sukebe was a genius.
"Listen to me!! You have to tell the Pentagon, don't use another nuclear weapon!!"
"Look you-"
"Goddamn it! You have to tell them not to use any more nukes!! These things, they'll-"
"Sir, this is a restricted channel, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to-"
Jackson was almost screaming from the frustration. Didn't they understand?
"Don't use the nukes!! Tell them!! Don't use the nukes!!"
The transmission cut off.
Jerry stared at the equipment in disbelief.
Then, almost against his will, he looked out the window.
The last thing he saw was the flash of blue.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Dude."
"I know. Looks like I had you carry the crowbar for nothing."
"Dude!!"
"Watch the glass. Double paned bullet resistant...damn, looks like whatever hit it didn't even slow down."
"Where's all the security? I thought a place like this would be crawling with guards."
"I think you just stepped on one of them."
"Oh shit!!"
"I think you just stepped in that too."
"What?! Oh man! I'm never going to get the smell out!!"
"Looks like they tried to make a stand here."
"Doesn't look like it did them any good."
"I suppose their training didn't cover what to do when they burst out of the wall behind you."
"Hey, there's a gun over here...awww man, it's busted."
"They're all broken. And the ammo clips are crushed."
"You think anybody survived?"
"From the looks of it, I'd have to say....no."
"Dude, is that guy's legs hanging out of the ceiling?!"
"I'd be more concerned about the ones sticking out of the walls."
"Where's his face?!"
"I think it's stuck on the ceiling....yep, there it is."
"How the hell can you be so calm about this?!"
"What good would it do to panic?"
"But what if whatever did that is still here?"
"We run away."
"That's it?"
"Yep."
"And then what?"
"Keep running until we think of something better to do."
"...."
"Come on, looks like the consoles on this floor are trashed. We'll check
the basement next, we should find what we're looking for there."
"And what exactly is it we're looking for? What is the big plan anyway?
You didn't exactly stop to explain before we came here."
"Ever heard of Operation Predator?"
"No...wait, yeah! That was that old thing where the government was trying to illegally spy on us or something, right?"
"Close enough. Total intergrated data mining on all electronic forms of communication going in or out of the USA."
"But didn't Congress shut that down before they could do it?"
"Since when have the people who always know what's best for us ever listened to anyone else?"
"Dude...but how does that help us?"
"Well the thing is, it works both ways. In order for them to get into all the networks they had to actually attach
their own physical lines into every node point. And being the paranoid bastards that they are, they spliced into
*everything*."
"Which means what exactly?"
"It means that if the equipment here is still intact, we are about to get direct access to just about every major power
player in the world."
"Dude, are you serious?! But...how the hell do you know about all this?"
"Remember Kimberly?"
"That stuck up bitch?! Don't tell me she was-"
"Nah, she was just a political appointee. Her daddy had some pretty big pull with the big boys in charge."
"Dude, she hated your guts. How did you get anything out of her?"
"I didn't."
"But then how?"
"Remember when she lost that laptop?"
"Oh yeah, that was right before she transferred to Siberia on that exchange program.
Didn't she accuse you of stealing it? Wait a minute...you didn't?!"
"Of course not, that neo-conservative airhead just forgot it in the library.
Probably got overwhelmed by her first time among that many books without pictures in them."
"But..."
"By the time I found it, she was already gone and good riddance."
"....that wasn't an exchange program, was it?"
"Nope. I don't think daddy's patronage extended quite far enough to cover
losing a government laptop chock full of interesting goodies."
"But didn't they send anyone to look for it?"
"In Berkeley?"
"Oh, right. But then why didn't you use it as evidence against the assholes in office,
I mean you don't like them any more then I do, dude."
"Berkeley."
"Oh, yeah. Right. But you could have at least told me! Aren't we best buds?"
"And how well can you keep a secret?"
"Dude, now that's just hitting below the belt."
"Buzz? Buzz."
"Oh not you too."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Pyongyang burned.
The Chairman of the National Defence Commission laughed bitterly as he watched the fires
consuming the city outside of his last remaining fortress. Those creatures had crushed
the hated South in record time. But then they had doubled back and hit the Demilitarized
Zone in full force. The defenses had held them off for a time, but there had simply been
too many of them in the end. Now the Fatherland had fallen and all that was left was
to ensure that the rest of the world burned with it.
The missiles were prepping even now, his loyal soldiers preparing for North Korea's finest hour.
He knew the truth. These things were not the creations of some madman, they were Evil American Weapons
built solely to overthrow Dear Leader! But he would have the last laugh over the decadent West
and their unnatural boobies!!
"Launch the warheads!!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Sir! Picking up a hot spot in North Korea!"
"Oh shit. Confirmation?"
"Spy in the sky confirms ballistic missile launch. Contents are glowing white."
"Fuck! That insane asshole!!"
"Sir?"
"You know what to do. Alert the President. Then contact whatever we've got left
in the area and tell them the balloon has just gone up."
"Yes, Sir."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Oh Dear Leader, Eternal President for Life, We will sing of your glory!"
The last leader of North Korea drunkenly toasted the trail of flames climbing the sky.
Then he paused in his singing and squinted upwards as the sounds of
gunfire and mortars firing around the building rattled the windows.
Strange, it didn't seem to be getting smaller anymore...
In fact...no, it was not his imagination, it was getting...bigger?!
He opened his mouth, to swear, to scream or to curse the subcontractors he'd had shot instead of paid off.
And then the warhead detonated.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Once again hundreds of Pokewoman died instantly as they were caught directly in the blast of an unrestrained nuclear reaction.
But they were only a small minority. Thousands of their sisters survived and would soon awaken stronger
and more powerful then before.
As the mushroom cloud billowed into the sky, a small piece of warped and melted plastic spun through the air.
If there been any aeronautical engineers around, they might have been able to identify it as
belonging to a booster rocket. And if someone had been able to look at it close enough they
might even have been able to read the writing on it, "Made in the USA".
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Testing, Testing. One, two, three."
"How's it look?"
Well, they didn't get down here. The equipment is a little dated but still working. And we've got power."
"Think it'll work?"
"Honestly?"
"Yeah. What are the odds?"
"Lousy. But like you said, we have to try."
"Let's do it then."
"Right, just remember to be ready to run away very, very fast."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Mr. President, the phone is ringing."
"So? Get'em on voice maido."
"No Mr. President, it's *that* phone. The special one."
"Whazzat?"
"Sir, have you been drinking?"
"Jus' a bittle."
"Sir, the American people need you!"
"Fuck em!"
"Mr. President!"
"Sall right. I'll listen to Pukein."
"Putin, Sir."
"Whatevah."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Wha' da ya want, Pukein?"
"Dude, is that..."
"Quiet."
"Oh, right."
"No, this is not Putin. Please listen, this information is vital to stopping the violence-"
"Look asshole, where the fuck is Pukein? Put em on!"
"Mr. Presi-"
"I get it, you've covered your ass, now put the fucking Russian shithead on the phone!"
"Look, this is a matter of life and death!"
"You sound like one of those dirty fucking hippies! What are you, some kind of Commie Pinko Queer?"
"Fuck it already. I tried."
"Yeah, yo mama you Red Commie Bastard!"
"Hey Asshole, yeah you fucking cocksucking bastard, my friend was trying to help you save the country, you stuck up son of a bitch!!
You know I never voted for you and I've never been more grateful about that then right now!! You can go and fucking die because you're
a fucking jackass and my only regret is all the other people you got killed won't get a chance to shove it right up your lazy fat white ass!!"
"Why you! I am-"
*click*
"Dude."
"Sorry, Greg, but he just pissed me off. I can't believe that asshole is in charge of anything."
"I told you so."
"Now what? Try somebody else?"
"The only other person on that line is the Russian. You want to try the Truce of the Bear?"
"What about the other guys? The Brits, the Frogs, the Aussies? Hell, I'd even settle for China."
"Already tried that. None of them is picking up. Wouldn't surprise me if they're already moving
to more secure locations due to the attacks."
"Then what can we do?"
"We forget the nice approach and just shove it in whether they want it or not."
"Won't that piss a lot of people off?"
"Probably. Which is why we are going to run away very fast once I set it up on automatic."
"And where are we supposed to run to?"
"Leave that to me."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The President of the United States glared at the old style red phone.
That Liberal Russian Son of a Bitch had hung up on him!
"Mr. President! We have to evacuate immediately, the National Guard has just reported
that the monster is heading in this direction!!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't you rush me. I'm the commander!! I'm the Deciderer!!"
'Yes, Sir. Please hurry, Sir. The limo is already ready to go."
As they hurried towards the garage the abandoned television in the waiting room
continued to blare the emergency news report update on its flashing screen.
'This is Miranda Veracruz de la Jolla Cardenal, reporting to you live here at the outskirts
of the District of Colombia where a giant figure has been seen heading towards the nation's
capital.'
'The military has urged the citizens of the district not to panic and please evacuate in
a calm and orderly fashion. Sources inside the Pentagon assure us that matters are under
control and that this monstrous creation allegedly by the infamous Terrorist Mastermind
Doctor Jim Sukebe will be put down through precision targeting and patriotic determination.'
'Ma'am you can't be here. All civilians must evacuate the area.'
'This is a free press, you can't censor the news!'
'We damn well can, Miss.'
'Ohmygod! Look at the size of those tits!!'
'Cover the camera! Cover the Camera!! Do you want the network to get sued?'
'What's it doing?'
'It's-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH-'
Washington DC had a population of over one million people.
There were no survivors.
-End Prologue Darwin's Revenge