Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Moon Princess in Gotham ❯ Crystal Bulldog ( Chapter 11 )

Batman and all related characters are the property of D. C. Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment. I also don't own Sailor Moon-and if you thought I did, you belong in Arkham Asylum with anyone who would invest in United Airlines.

 

Chapter 10: Crystal Bulldog

Queen Beryl knelt down in the dark chamber alone. “Oh Queen Metailia, our great ruler,” she intoned, “it is I, Queen Beryl, come to seek your wisdom.” She placed three glowing spheres-the energy that Nephrite had drained from Superman, the Flash, and Wonder Woman-on the floor in front of her. “As a token, I offer you this energy.”

The light from the spheres drained away, and a red shadow emerged from the darkness in front of Beryl. “It is good,” a deep feminine voice emerged from the shadow, “but I need more than energy if I am to be revived. I need the Imperium Silver Crystal!”

“But I do not know where it is,” Beryl answered. “I have had my general Zoicite searching and she has been unable to find it!”

“That is because it no longer exists in one piece,” the voice answered. “It was in the hands of Prince Enyaw Ecurb, who broke it to defeat the Seven Shadows. Find the pieces and you will recover both them and the Seven Shadows.”

 

“Hooray!” Serena cried with glee at lunchtime. “A slumber party! I've never been to one before!”

“You mean you've never been to a slumber party ever?” Lita asked in amazement.

“Uh uh.” Serena shook her long blonde ponytails. “When you grow up in a circus and everyone lives in trailer campers, you don't have room for one. Plus, since you see the other circus kids everyday, so there's not much point.”

“Yeah, You'll have to tell us some more about it. It must have been a lot of fun, traveling around the country and all.”

“I'd be interested in hearing some of your stories too,” Amy said. “I'm doing a report on traveling lifestyles for my social studies class, and you certainly could provide some insight on what it's like for a young person to move from place to place all the time.”

“I wish I could go,” Molly sighed.

“Gee Molly why not?” Serena asked.

“Uncle Barry's getting married this Saturday and Mom and I are going to the wedding in Central City.” She smiled. “Mom's actually the Best Man.”

“Don't worry Molly.” Amy said. “There will be other slumber parties but your uncle will get married only once. Hopefully.”

“Yes Molly.” Serena put in. “And be sure to tell us all about it when you get back!”

 

Queen Beryl's two remaining Generals stood before her in the throne room. “Zoicite,” Beryl said to her female General, “I have learned why you have been unable to locate the Imperium Silver Crystal. “It seems that that wretched brother of Queen Serenity, Enyaw Ecurb, shattered it when we sent the Seven Shadows after him.”

Zoicite braced at the name. Prince Enyaw Ecurb, the man to whom she would have given her heart to, to whom she had pledged her undying love, who had spurned her for that green haired daughter of the senshi of time! The man whose rejection had caused her to foreswear her loyalty to Prince Endymion and go over to the Dark Kingdom. The cunning leader of the Moon Kingdom's armies who defeated the Dark Kingdom's best warriors time and time again.

Zoicite's anger subsided as she looked over at the man who stepped forward. Malachite was three times the man Enyaw Ecurb was and far more handsome.

“Yes, my Queen,” Malachite said. “And I have learned of the whereabouts of the crystal shards. It seems that when the Seven Shadows had at last cornered and mortally wounded him, the Moon Prince had dashed the crystal against a rock and with his last ounce of strength, had entrapped each of the Seven Shadows inside a shard. The rainbow-colored shards were then sent far into the present day, where the Shadows were reborn as humans who carry the crystals, but have no memory of their former existence.”

“Yes,” Queen Beryl turned back to Zoicite. “Zoicite, I am charging you with locating these people, and retrieving the crystals from them. Once you remove the crystal, the person will turn back into the Shadow Warrior.”

“But earth is vast planet with millions of people,” Zoicite spoke up. “How can I possibly find the right ones?”

“Here.” Queen Beryl waved a hand over her black crystal ball. A crystalline shard emerged from the black object and flew into Zoicite's hand. “This should help you.”

Zoicite looked at the crystal, and then held it up. “Oh black crystal, show who carry's a rainbow crystal!” Dark light emerged from the crystal piece, and showed an overweight middle-aged man dressed slovenly and with poorly shaved jowls.

Beryl smiled evilly. “This one is but the first.”

“Oh, you must be Serena,” Renee Montoya said when she answered the door. She was already dressed in her uniform; she'd be leaving for her night shift early tonight. “It's really nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Serena smiled, and then looked into the living room of the small but well furnished apartment. “Oh Amy, you're here! And Ra-,” Serena stopped, her jaw dropping to the floor. “Who invited Raye?”

“I did,” Amy said. “She hasn't really had a chance to meet Lita yet, and since Molly's not coming here I thought it would be a good time for us to discuss Sailor business.”

“Besides, Grandpa's having a bunch of his old war buddies come over to the shrine tonight and he didn't want me to get in the way of their drinking beer and playing poker.”

“But-but,” Serena stammered. She'd been looking forward to tonight, her first ever slumber party with girls her own age, now this so-called destiny of hers kept creeping into her life. “But I wanted us to tell each other ghost stories and watch videos and do each others' hair! Waaaagh!”

“Relax Serena,” said Lita as she laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. “We'll still do those things. And besides, I've cooked up tons of food for us chow down on!” Serena looked at the counter and saw pizza, hot dogs, nachos, and cakes lying on the counter top, ready to eat.

“Yippee!”

 

A lot of times Renee Montoya wished she hadn't been assigned as Harvey Bullock's partner. Not that he was a bad cop. He'd twice been decorated for valor, had single-handedly brought in some of Gotham's most dangerous creeps, and had been shot five times. No one on the force questioned his courage or his competence.

It was his personal habits that Renee couldn't stand.

“You see anything, Montoya?” the overweight cop said through a mouthful of donut. Renee smelled tobacco on his breath, he smoked his cigar at the same time as he was scarfing down his box. Renee had her own box right next to her; she didn't want to eat from the same batch as a man who didn't even wash his hands.

She swallowed the piece of donut in her mouth before she spoke. “No, I don't.” She looked out the window to the small waterfront store across the warehouse where she and Bullock had set up their stakeout. “Do you think whoever's been pulling these robberies will try this place?”

Bullock looked grim. “If it's who I think it is, he'll definitely strike here. It's close to water, which gives him a good escape route and it's small. This guy just got let out, and he don't try anything really major unless he's got a solid power base.”

Renee Montoya shuddered; she'd really hoped it was someone else doing these robberies. She never was one to shrink from danger, but the stories she'd heard about Waylon Jones….

Hoping to change the subject she asked, “You notice how the Commissioner was acting today? I mean, he's a typical workaholic, but today he didn't even nod hello or make any of the small jokes he usually does on a typical day.”

“Oh that.” Bullock finished the remains of his donut and reach for another. “See, today's the anniversary of the day his ex-wife and son died.”

Ex-wife? Son? Renee knew that Gordon was raising a daughter by himself but assumed he was a widower. And he'd had another child besides Barbara?

“Sad story, really,” Bullock continued; Renee for once didn't mind that he was talking around the donut in his mouth. “Commish and I go way back, and when he and Barbara-his ex, not their girl-separated, it got messy. They decided instead of fighting over custody they'd split the kiddies between them-he got the girl, and she took the boy with her. They went on this trip to Japan, and she was driving a rented car, and all of sudden she drove off a cliff. What was left of her wasn't pretty; the funeral had to be closed casket. And the boy-,” now Bullock's eyes went moist, “the boy's body was never found.”

“What was the boy's name?”

“I think it was Darren or Darien something,” Bullock picked up his binoculars and looked out the window again. “It's him! I'd know that profile anywhere!”

He and Renee got to their feet. Bullock shook his head when Renee pulled out her Browning Hi-Power. “That nine mil won't do any good unless it hits a vital spot at less than ten feet, and even then he might still kill ya.” He picked up a pair of shotguns and tossed one to Renee. “With this guy, it takes a twelve-gauge to be properly armed.”

As she racked the slide and followed Bullock out of the warehouse, she gave a brief prayer of gratitude that her sister didn't have to go through anything like this.

 

“Wow, cool!” Lita said as Amy handed her the utility belt she had made. It was green, with the 4 symbol on the buckle. “I can't wait to try this out!”

“I was able to make some modifications to the grapnel so it would work better,” Amy said. “I found I could make the nylon line stronger if I mixed fishing line in. That way it doesn't have to be as thick, and I could make the cord longer. Plus while I was in the sporting good store I spotted these special hunting arrowheads that expand on impact. They'll penetrate through wood or plaster pretty well, but don't try it on metal or concrete.” She sighed. “It's not as good as Batman's but it's the best I can afford on my allowance.”

“They're still pretty cool. I want to try these out pretty soon!” Lita exclaimed.

“I also was able to devise these special tracking devises.” Amy held up a small metal unit shaped like the Mercury symbol. “They're hooked up to my computer and have a range of about 3,000 yards.”

“I'm tired of all this,” Serena moaned. “I wanna tell ghost stories and talk about boys!”

“Oh very well,” Raye sighed.

“I just remembered something,” Lita said. “I was at this one party where the girl holding it had a little brother who tied to spy on us. We all jumped on him, gave him a makeover and put him in a dress!”

“Really?” asked Serena. She giggled. “It's a shame Dick's not around. I'd love to do that to him.”

“It'd serve the little twerp right, the way he's so mean to you,” agreed Lita.

“You say he's mean for simply stating the obvious?” Raye spoke up. “That you're a clumsy ditz who left the lions' pen unlatched once and they wandered out into the town?”

“Hey, they didn't cause any harm!” She's been talking to Dick again. “Lions are just big cats, and they don't do any harm if you don't scare them!”

“Serena, is this true?” Amy asked, and then mused, “I suppose they would be, if they were used to people. But still, that was pretty irresponsible.”

“Or that she once brought down the main tent after everyone worked for hours to set it up?”

BOPP! Serena's pillow smacked across Raye's face. “My leg got caught up in a rope!”

Raye grabbed another pillow and smacked it at Serena. “So it's true then, Meatball Head!”

Lita looked at Amy. “Do they fight like this all the time?”

“Only when they're in the same room together.”

 

Waylon Jones, known to the Gotham underworld as Killer Croc, smiled his wide reptilian lips as he emptied the store's cash register. With the money from this job, he'd soon have enough that he could start another gang. He'd pay others to do his dirty work, and eat better things than sewer rats, stray pets, and the occasional homeless person.

Anything that looked valuable went into the sack. The black market was booming right now, and the Penguin always paid a good price for stolen goods.

Suddenly Killer Croc's nostrils twitched. A familiar scent was in the air, one he knew all too well.

The door to the store burst open. “Alright Jones!” Harvey Bullock brought up his shotgun. “We know you're the one behind these petty robberies, so come quietly with us and nobody gets-!”

“-nobody gets hurt?” Bullock heard a gravelly voice from behind him. The detective turned and saw the reptilian man behind him, holding Montoya right in him, her shotgun lying on the floor. “Oh somebody will get hurt tonight Bullock, and it won't be me!”

Harvey Bullock hoisted his shotgun. “Let her go, you human luggage case.”

“Drop your scattergun and I will.”

Renee Montoya squirmed in Killer Croc's grasp. “Don't do it Harvey!”

The reptilian man's tongue rolled over his teeth. “Been a long time, since I've had a nice, juicy lady cop.” He opened his mouth wide to bite into her neck-

And suddenly his jaws were snapped shut by a cord of-cherry blossoms?

Killer Croc let go of Montoya and tugged at the blossoms around his jaws. Try as he did he couldn't pull them off. “Zoi!” More cherry blossoms tied around his arms and his ankles and he fell to the ground.

“Huh?” Bullock and Montoya both looked up and saw a young blonde woman in a gray uniform floating above them. “Thanks, whoever you are.”

The woman smiled down at Montoya. “I didn't do it for you. I just wanted him out of the way,” she turned to Bullock, “so I could get what's going to waste inside you!”

Suddenly a black crystal appeared in her hand. “ZOI!” she cried again, and a black light shot out from the crystal straight at Bullock's heart.

Bullock clutched at his chest. What's happening to me? He'd never felt anything like this; it was as if his heart was being pulled right from his body.

“He he he,” Zoicite chuckled. Getting the first rainbow crystal was turning out to be easier than she thought-.

“Hi-yah!” Out of nowhere Zoicite felt a kick to her face. Angrily she turned and saw a small figure clad in red, green and yellow backflip to the ground. “My mother told me to never hit a lady, but Officer Montoya's the only one I see here.”

Zoicite touched the place where Robin had kicked her and felt blood on her fingers. “My face!” she roared, “you cut my beautiful face!”

She sent blasts of cherry blossoms at the Boy Wonder, who dodged them at a speed Zoicite hadn't thought possible in ordinary humans. “Gee, I'd call it an improvement.”

Zoicite sent more blasts in Robin's direction, ignoring Montoya and Bullock until the former pulled out her pistol and fired. “So, you've got some fight in you, do you?” she laughed at the female Dominican police officer as she deflected Montoya's bullets with her force field-then felt what had to be 50,000 volt of electricity coursing through her body. “What the-?” Unable to do anything else, the General opened a portal and disappeared.

Montoya blinked at the sight. “What-who was that?”

“I don't know,” Robin said.

“Neither do I,” said the Batman as he stepped out from the shadows. The cord that had fallen from where Zoicite had been ran into a device in the Dark Knight's right hand.

Robin looked at Batman. “You didn't tell me you would be trying a new toy tonight. I want one!”

“Combination grapnel and high-voltage taser. Packs enough electricity to fry a herd of elephants, or stun Superman.” The Batman gave a small smile. “I'll let you have one as soon as I think you're ready.”

Renee suddenly remembered her partner. “Harvey!” she cried as she ran over to the prostrate detective and lifted him to his feet. “Are you all right?”

“I'll live,” Bullock said, “although I feel almost like I just had a heart attack. Who was that broad anyway?” he asked as he looked in Batman's direction.

But the Dark Knight and his more colorful squire were gone.

“Yeesh, now I know how the Commish feels when that freak leaves him hanging.”

 

Luna was walking along Gotham City's waterfront. She'd just been at the Crown Arcade talking with Central Control and was now heading back to Wayne Manor. I wish I could find some more convenient communications base. Why does Bruce Wayne have to live two miles outside of the city? At times she had thought of setting up a base at the manor, but it was too likely that Bruce would notice.

She heard shouts coming from a store along the dock and ran to check it out. What she saw told her she had to contact the girls.

 

What began as a shouting match devolved into an ordinary slumber party pillow fight. Lita and Amy even joined in, until all of a sudden a lamp got knocked over.

“Gah!” Lita cried as she caught the lamp before it hit the floor. “Whew,” she said as she placed the lamp back on counter. “That lamp was taken here by Mom and Dad when they came over from the Dominican Republic. Renee would never forgive me if anything happened to it.”

BAP BAP BAP! The girls went over to the apartment window and saw Luna batting at the glass. Carefully, Lita opened it and the black cat jumped into the apartment.

“Luna!” Amy cried. “What are you doing here?”

“I was walking back to Wayne Manor when I heard a commotion. I saw one of the enemy attacking two police officers in a waterfront store. Batman and Robin managed to drive her away, but she may be back!”

“Wait a minute,” Lita said. “Did you say she was attacking two police officers? At a waterfront store?” Luna nodded. “Was one of them half a head taller than me, with thick black hair and a little darker complexion?”

“Yes, but the enemy seemed more interested in her partner.”

“Oh great,” Lita muttered. “Renee told me she'd be doing a stakeout at the waterfront tonight. Even if whoever's out there's after Bullock, Renee's in trouble.” She picked up her utility belt, snapped it on, and then held up her pen. “Jupiter Power, Make Up!”

Serena's heart sank. She'd been hoping for a nice slumber party, and now this happened. Glumly she touched the brooch on her shirt. “Moon Prism Power, Make Up!”

 

“You think that woman will be back again?” Renee Montoya asked her partner. They had just come into this small café right after a prison van picked up Killer Croc. They hadn't told their colleagues everything-just that they apprehended Killer Croc and had help from Batman and Robin. They decided to wait until they got with Commissioner Gordon before telling everything.

“Oh that broad's going to show up,” Bullock muttered. “This is Gotham City after all-we've got a guy going around dressed up like a bat beating up on lowlife, a kid following him imitating a songbird, and a bunch of teeny bopping little girls prancing around in sailor suits fighting monsters. This city just attracts freaks.”

A waitress came up to their table. “Excuse me, but may I take you're order please?”

“Just some iced tea please,” Montoya didn't look up.

“I'll have a Philly cheese steak sandwich, a double order of fries, a slice of apple pie and a large-.” Bullock's voice trailed off as he looked up at the waitress. “You!”

Zoicite smiled. “Yes it's me. And I'll have that rainbow crystal from you!

Renee threw herself at Zoicite. “Run Harvey!”

Harvey Bullock was no coward, but he knew better than to try and stand when he was overpowered. He leaped up from his chair and ran out the door.

Zoicite quickly tossed Renee aside. “Darn, I missed him!” Quickly she opened a portal and faded from sight.

 

Most people who looked at Harvey Bullock would have taken him for just another overweight out of shape slob who'd have a heart attack if he tried to exert himself. Like many other cases, appearances were deceiving. He wasn't a Mr. Universe but Harvey Bullock could bench press twice his weight of 250 pounds and if need be could sprint at an astonishing speed. Like he was doing now.

He stopped right inside an alleyway. “I guess I've dodged her for the moment.”

“Not even for the moment, my friend.” Harvey Bullock looked up and saw Zoicite floating above him. “Now, could you just hold still? This won't hurt a bit.”

“What do you want with me?”

“Yes,” a grim voice said from the building above, “what do you want with Bullock?”

Zoicite looked and saw Batman and Robin staring down at her. “Well well,” she said, “if it isn't the mortal who bested Jadeite and Nephrite. You and your pixie caught me by surprise the first time, but now I'm ready!”

“Pixie!” Robin jumped up and leaped at Zoicite.

“Zoi!” Cherry blossoms shot from Zoicite's hand and wrapped around Robin's ankles and arms. Batman leaped from the balcony, grabbed his young partner, and, firing his grapnel, lowered the both of them to the ground.”

Zoicite turned back to Bullock. “Now, my good man,” she cackled, “welcome to the Dark Kingdom!”

 

“That's Harvey Bullock!” Sailor Jupiter cried. She and the other Sailor Senshii had come across the rooftops to the waterfront and were now looking down at the scene below. “He's Renee's partner!”

The light from the black crystal shining onto Bullock's chest and suddenly a yellow jewel emerged. “He must be a Rainbow Crystal carrier!” Luna cried out.

“A what?” Sailor Mercury asked.

The yellow crystal flew into Zoicite's hand and Bullock was engulfed in an orb of light. “What's happening?” Sailor Moon asked Luna. Suddenly the light faded, and in place of Bullock stood what looked like a giant humanoid bulldog with long horns on its head. “What is that?”

“I'll explain later,” Luna said. “Right now-.” Before she could finish, the creature that had been Bullock charged out at the end of the alleyway-where a young woman suddenly appeared.

Sailor Jupiter cried out “Renee!”

 

Renee Montoya had been looking everywhere for her partner. That woman wanted something from Harvey Bullock, and she wondered what it could possibly be.

She'd just come to an alleyway when all of a sudden this, this thing came charging out after her. She was almost gored on it's horns right before she got swept of her feet and lifted the side.

“That Batma-,” she started, but then noticed her rescuer was most definitely not Batman. “Who are you?”

“Sailor Jupiter, si-er, Officer Montoya,” the girl said. She pressed a button on her grapnel that rewound the cord into the device and clipped it back on her belt.

“What is that thing?”

“It was Bullock.” Sailor Jupiter turned to faced the creature.

“What!” Renee Montoya exclaimed.

“I saw that woman turn Bullock into that creature.” An antenna extended from Sailor Jupiter's tiara. “Jupiter Thunder Crash!”

The youma stopped just as the lightning from Sailor Jupiter's hands came within inches of it-and did nothing. “What!”

“Ha ha hah.” Sailor Jupiter looked up and saw Zoicite floating above her and Renee. “As you can see, Manbulldog is well protected against your silly attacks. Now I'll just leave him to handle you and your other Sailor friends!” Amidst a swirl of cherry blossoms, Zoicite disappeared.

 

“Her-her lightning didn't work!” Sailor Moon exclaimed.

“This isn't like the other youma,” Luna explained. “He's one of the Seven Shadows. You'll have to turn him back into a human to stop him.”

“But how will we do that?” asked Sailor Mercury.

Luna did a back flip into the air. “Here, take this Sailor Moon.”

“What's this?” Sailor picked up the object-a pink wand with a large yellow crescent moon on top.

“It's the Crescent Moon Wand,” Luna said. “You have to go up to Manbulldog and say `Moon Healing Activation,' and he'll be human again.

Sailor Moon looked over at the youma, which was beginning to charge Sailor Jupiter and her sister again. “You mean I have to get close to that thing?”

 

As soon as Zoicite disappeared, so did the cherry blossom cords hold tying up Robin. “How does she do that?” he asked.

“Never mind that now,” Batman said. “We have to stop that thing before it causes any more damage.”

Robin scratched his head. “But how?”

 

“Jupiter Thunder Crash!” Sailor Jupiter cried again. Maybe her lightning couldn't stop that creature that had been her sister's partner, but it could stop it from coming forward. “Jupiter Thunder Crash!”

“Hell you!” Manbulldog turned his head and saw Robin standing right behind it. “How about you leave these two ladies alone?”

Manbulldog turned and pawed the ground with his left leg. Robin removed his cape and shook it like a matador's. “Toro, torero!” he cried.

Manbulldog charged. Robin immediately let go of his cape, took a grapnel from his belt and fired up into the building. The silken cord lifted him out of the way just as the youma was about to hit him-and crashed into an abandoned warehouse instead.

Manbulldog pulled his head out from the building, and then dropped to his knees holding his head to his ears and roared as if in pain.

Sailor Jupiter blinked. “What-why is that thing just standing there. Suddenly she saw Batman come out from the shadows and walk up to the creature a silver orb in his hand. “How, how did you-?”

“A sonic emitter.” Batman answered. “I figured this creature would have hearing like a dog's, and this device is capable of giving them the most excruciating headaches.”

“You mean he can't attack?” Batman and Sailor Jupiter turned and saw the other Sailor Senshii had come up behind them. Sailor Mercury turned to Sailor Moon. “Now you can use the Crescent Moon Wand.”

“Right.” Sailor Moon lifted the wand that Luna had given her. “Moon Healing Activation!” Mist emitted from the wand, and the youma blurred faded, leaving only Harvey Bullock lying on the ground.

The slovenly police detective stood up and looked around. “Huh? What just happened?”

Renee Montoya went up to him. “Are you all right Harvey?” she asked.

Harvey Bullock looked around, at Renee, Batman, Robin, and the Sailor Senshii. His eyes settled on Sailor Moon. “Okay, what just happened to me? Was that lady who attacked me one of you?”

“No, she wasn't, she's definitely not one of us!” Sailor Moon stammered out.

“This girl just saved your life Detective Bullock.” Batman said. “You should thank them.” He and Robin turned away and fired their grapnels into the air.

Harvey Bullock started to go after them. “Hey wait, you can't just walk out of here!”

Renee Montoya stepped in front of her partner. “He's right Harv. I saw every thing and these girls-.” She looked, and saw that the Sailor Senshii had also disappeared. She shook her head. “We're going to have something to explaining to Gordon tomorrow.”

End of Chapter 10.

Okay, that's part one of the Rainbow Crystal Saga finished. Who else do you want to see carrying a crystal?

Omake:

“Rini!” Serena looked at her daughter from the future. “What are you doing back here? And who's you're friend?”

Rini smiled. “Mom and Dad sent me back here from the future to train with you and the other Sailor Senshii.” She turned to her companion, a girl who could have been Serena's twin except for her black hair. “And this is my cousin Brandy.”

Dick backed away. “C-cousin? But that can only mean-.”

Brandy smiled at the boy who was-physically at least, almost two years younger than her. “Hello, Dad.”