“A private jet,” Gamer Man muttered. It was his second time riding the Sensational Sword Saint Sailor’s private jet, and it was still unbelievable. The jet smelled like overly sweet strawberries and all the upholstery was a light, creamy pink. Still, the chairs were comfortable, had plenty of legroom, and large windows ran the length of the plane, showing the earth spreading out beneath them.
Gamer Man had a good relationship with his parents, but apparently the combined orphanhood the Sailors shared was gold farming itself. He really should have started a merchandise line. He had to borrow money from the Sailors to repair his equipment, improving his gadgets by installing some in Love. One of the power frame’s hands now had a grapple launcher, and a heavy shield in the other, allowing Gamer Man to focus more on his stun baton and a new model of shock rifle, this one a more compact smg. Truly, an optimized loadout was a satisfying thing.
Right now, Gamer Man, along with Gargoyle, Faery Fire, and the Sailors were out of costume. And Claire was mostly just dressed as Claire.
“So, how exactly are you going to avoid security cameras?” Faery Fire asked Claire.
“Hmm?” Claire asked.
“They’re mechanical eyes,” Gamer Man explained, “That can show what they see to the people operating them. Ever since Exigent Circumstances rolled into King’s Head, they’ve put security cameras on nearly every street corner and-”
“They’re going to scry on me?” Claire snarled.
“Sure,” Faery Fire said, “What are you going to do about it?”
“Ugh, if I was with the rest of my team,” Claire grumbled, “We’d probably run counter-scrying operations before teleporting to whoever’s scrying on us and smash their head in.”
“But since you’ll be by yourself.” Faery Fire gestured for Claire to finish.
“I’ll probably run counter scrying operations by myself,” Claire said, “It’ll be hard to ward against scrying, scry the enemy, and teleport to them all at the same time, and then I’ll- Ugh! I don’t have my stuff! Fighting people who can scry me is going to take forever!”
“I’ve seen you wrap a crowbar around an oni’s head,” Sailor Red said.
“And do you know what you didn’t see me do?” Claire asked, “Spray that demon’s skull down the street like the monster he was!”
“Gross,” Sailor Pink said.
“It’s not gross,” Claire insisted, “It’s glorious!”
“No,” Faery Fire said, “It’s gross.”
“If you insult divine work again-” Claire growled.
“Claire,” Gargoyle said, “I have a mission from Stone Cutter, and I’d like you to join me.”
“Eh,” Claire said, “Will it be violent?”
“According to Stone Cutter’s report,” Gargoyle explained, “There’s a new group of villains, and they seem to be working with Ascension-”
“Who?” Claire asked.
“-And they’re goal is to destabilize already shaky leadership in King’s Head,” Gargoyle continued, “Lethal force is authorized.”
“I’m in,” Claire said, “But I’ll be detecting evil in our enemies before we fight. If I say to stop fighting, you immediately stop fighting.”
“Understood,” Gargoyle said. Everyone already knew that Claire was one of the most stubborn, pig headed people they had ever met. There was no sense arguing with her, it always led nowhere.
“Will the rest of the divine champions be joining?” Claire asked.
“We have a concert circuit,” Sailor Blue said.
“And a search for Sailor Black,” Gamer Man added.
“For the last time, there is no Sailor Black,” Faery Fire said.
“There’s always white and black auxiliary members!” Gamer Man argued, “And the white and black members are stronger than-”
“You got that from a cartoon!” Faery Fire retorted.
“It’s not a cartoon,” Gamer Man huffed, “It’s live action.”
“If there was a Sailor Black, Sailor Celestial would have told us,” Faery Fire said.
Claire laughed. A short snort of a laugh.
“And what do you know about magical girl teams?” Faery Fire demanded.
“Divinities rarely ever openly give crucial information to their champions,” Claire explained, “Not talking to their chosen heroes is one of their favorite things. What’s-her-face-”
“Sailor Celestial,” Blue said.
“-Didn’t tell you about there could be auxiliary members,” Claire continued, “Or even that you would be blessed with additional battle forms after defeating the enemy champion. She didn’t even say that She’s your mother!”
“You think Sailor Celestial is our mom?” Green asked.
“Why?” Yellow added.
“She does have a point,” Gamer Man admitted, “You should keep a lookout for any abandoned ruins, now that you have Ranger costumes you might have giant robots.”
“It’s so that your goddess will seem wise when She reveals additional secrets in your hour of need,” Claire said, “But automatons don’t sound right.”
“They already have new costumes,” Gamer Man said, “What else would it be?”
“New weapons?” Claire guessed.
“They’re called the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors,” Gamer Man said, “I don’t think new weapons fit their theme. Maybe a super form for the weapons they already have?”
“They already have divine armaments,” Claire said, “It’s probably a new technique.”
“Ooh! I know!” Gamer Man said, “They combine!”
“A shiva form?” Claire muttered.
“Moving the topic to something that isn’t your insane ramblings,” Faery Fire said, “I have a hotel reserved for myself and the Sailors. You, Claire, will need to provide your own lodging.”
“I’m not tired,” Claire said.
“Haven’t you been awake for the last four days?” Blue asked.
“Yeah,” Claire admitted, “But I’ve barely been fighting recently, and I still have plenty of miracles ready. If I need to sleep, then I’ve done plenty of camping, I can catch a nap wherever.”
“I really hope you’re not mistaken for a homeless person,” Faery Fire said.
“Gargoyle, can I join you on your mission?” Gamer Man asked.
“No.”
“Why not?” Gamer Man asked.
“Because you’re a vigilante,” Gargoyle said, “And since I work with Stone Cutter, I’m a government worker. If you did come with, I’d have to arrest you.”
“Claire escaped a maximum security prison after a life sentence,” Gamer Man argued.
“And I’m clad in non-descript armor, don’t have unique weapons, and can cover my face,” Claire said, “And Gargoyle can just not look at me.”
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
"You know what, I take it back," Faery Fire said, "I hope you are mistaken as a homeless person. Anyway, like Blue said, the Sailors and I will be busy with concerts and we’re going to be traveling in a week. Claire, it is entirely up to you if you want to travel with us. We’re not going to have time to look for your friends, and I doubt I’ll have time to help Gargoyle with his mission.”
“Unless it’s really bad, I don’t plan on calling you anyway,” Gargoyle said.
“And you,” Faery Fire said, “I know you’re a huge fan of the Sailors, and me-”
“And you as a Sailor,” Gamer Man added, “Honestly, a dream come true.”
“But you’re still a wanted person,” Faery Fire continued, “And you should not be bragging about how you know the Sailors.”
“That was one time,” Gamer Man said.
“And it led to us fighting a monster backstage,” Faery Fire said, “If that fight spilled onto the stage, innocent people could have gotten hurt.”
“I won’t let it happen again,” Gamer Man said, honesty and steel in his voice. It was something Faery Fire had noticed about Gamer Man. The moment you criticized his hero work, Gamer Man took it without bluster or ego. For someone as goofy and playful as Gamer Man of all people, it was an odd snag in an otherwise easy-going personality. Faery Fire wondered if Claire had something to do with it, but dismissed that. Claire’s style was direct confrontation. Maybe Gamer Man was just like that?
Gargoyle and Claire prowled the streets of South King’s Head. Things had gotten bad- no, things had gotten worse while Gargoyle was away.
“Try to stay out of my sightline,” Gargoyle told Claire, sending the cleric scurrying off into the shadows. The roads were cracked and covered in potholes, windows were smashed and boarded up, houses were dilapidated, walls smashed and roofs hanging, and a tense silence hung in the air. Squashed between heavy Exigent Circumstances from the North and the terrors of Castle Gorestrike from the South, nobody wanted to live here.
Gargoyle couldn’t see Claire either, which he guessed was a good thing, if a bit odd. Gargoyle moved from rooftop to rooftop, surveying the streets and working to keep out of the skyline. He spotted his quarry, a group of ladies dressed in-
“Aren’t they Gorestrike’s harem?” Gargoyle said, “I thought we rescued them? Maybe they’re different girls?”
They were moving uptown, probably to a clothing store. They’re harem outfits were hardly subtle, neither were the massive steps they took as they ran. They were augmented, Ascension’s work. And there were a lot of them. Gargoyle decided to call for backup.
“Oh my way to do signatures,” Faery Fire said, “What’s happening?”
“About fifty people moving uptown and closing fast,” Gargoyle reported, “They’re wearing Gorestrike’s colors, and were augmented by Ascension. All female.”
Faery Fire very much didn’t swear at the news. There was a crowd watching her, and she wanted to set a good example for the Sailors.
“I think they’re Gorestrike’s harem,” Gargoyle continued, “No sign of Psychedelika, but I’d be shocked if they didn’t have combat drugs.”
“One moment,” Faery Fire said, pulling aside an event manager and giving him the news, “Alright, the event is being delayed for an hour and a half. Send me the coordinates and I’ll meet you there.”
“Are you bringing the Sailors?” Gargoyle asked, moving down the rooftop.
“No,” Faery Fire said, “They’re doing another performance to kill time, but I’m only an auxiliary member. Even though this is supposed to be my big debut tour.”
Gargoyle and Faery Fire set up a simple pincer strike. Faery Fire would enter her Sailor form, and use her sword to push the women back into Gargoyle and Claire. Faery Fire descended from the sky, radiant with light and her sword flashing through the air
“Halt evil doers!” Faery Fire said, posing as she talked, “You stand before Sensational Sword Saint Sailor White, master of sword and flame and defender of love and justice!” Gargoyle had asked her about the routine Faery Fire had used as she transformed. Faery Fire had said that it was really hard to not do the routine whenever she transformed, especially if there were enemies present. A strange compulsion, but nothing more, Faery Fire assured him.
The harem women bristled at Faery Fire. They had never really trained for combat, and were mostly banking on enhanced speed and strength to carry them. The girls also weren’t expecting to face such heavy resistance as a magical girl on their first outing. Still, they would-
Shouts of alarm came from behind as Gargoyle and Claire charged. Divine power flashed in Claire’s eyes, and she grabbed the nearest harem girl by the collar and screamed “You have go to be-”
“Jane-Claudia V.D. Hunter! What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Gargoyle bellowed.
“Whu?” Jane-Claudia balked, Gargoyle’s faceplate lifting up, “Dad?”
“I swear,” Gargoyle growled, “If Janette knows you’re doing this-”
“She doesn’t!” Jane-Claudia blurted, “I mean- Mom doesn’t know what I’m doing.
And I’m not a minor anymore, I can live on my own!”
Anger rose in Gargoyle’s eyes, his teeth grit, his fists clenched, and he looked far, far past Jane-Claudia. What had Janette done? What hadn’t Janette done? So much of Gargoyle’s training told him to smash Jane-Claudia across the face, then and there, but the thought of harming his only daughter made him furious! He was going to-
Claire shoved herself between Gargoyle and Jane-Claudia.
“Tell me why you’re doing this,” Claire demanded, shoving a finger into Jane Claudia’s face, “Now!”
“Claire, they’re-” Gargoyle said.
“I detected evil in them,” Claire said, “But also good intentions. So, you’re going to tell me what you’re doing. If you don’t, I’ll call divine judgment down upon you and you will all die.”
“We’re-” Rose said.
“Silence!” Claire said, clamping a hand over Rose’s mouth, “You and you only!”
“We’re working with Ser Gorestrike,” Jane-Claudia said, “And the detectives She-Wolf and Lady NightRaven. Gorestrike wants to fight- I don’t really know, some sort of alien conspiracy. The detectives are helping us find them.”
“Stone Cutter gave me a mission to hunt you down and kill you,” Gargoyle said.
“That isn’t possible,” Jane-Claudia said, “The detective brought a report from Stone Cutter with them. Stone Cutter said that if She-Wolf and Lady NightRaven had the report, then he’s dead. It’s how we learned of the shape shifter… things. Here, I have a copy.” Jane-Claudia passed her phone to her dad.
“Hold up, hold up,” Faery Fire said, shouldering through the crowd, “Are we fighting or not?”
“They’re not evil,” Claire said, “So we’re not fighting them.”
“Waste of a transformation,” Faery Fire grumbled, her Sailor costume vanishing in a flash of light, “Anyway, why aren’t we fighting?”
“The mission from Stone Cutter was a fake,” Gargoyle said, watching the recording, “A trap. Whoever’s running Exigent Circumstances doesn’t want this information getting out.”
Jane-Claudia looked from her dad to Faery Fire.
“So, dad,” Jane-Claudia said, “Is she your new?”
A blush crept over Faery Fire as Gargoyle paid more attention to Stone Cutter’s last report than Jane-Claudia’s question.
“Boss? No, a teammate,” Gargoyle said, “I need to get in contact with She-Wolf and Lady NightRaven. We need a plan of attack, and they might be able to uncover the shapeshifter base.”
Gargoyle wandered off, unaware of the glare Faery Fire had on him.
“Men, am I right?” Jane-Claudia said, sidling up to Faery Fire.
“I- ugh,” Faery Fire looked at Jane-Claudia, seeing how deeply Ascension had augmented her.
“So,” Jane-Claudia said, eyeing up Faery Fire, “Ascension has a type, huh. He said he would restrain himself, but I guess he didn’t fully restrain himself with the harem girls.”
“Oh, you think that’s a major change?” Faery Fire said, pulling out a picture of herself in her college days, “I used to look like this.”
“I- You’re such a beanpole!” Jane-Claudia blurted, “What did you eat? Did you eat?”
“I had an extremely fast metabolism,” Faery Fire said, “So, what all did Ascension do to you?”
“He told me I’d never have children,” Jane-Claudia admitted, “Which wasn’t something I had really planned on, but I guess you don’t really know what you have until it’s gone.”
“He told me that too,” Faery Fire said.
“Well, my dad used to tell ‘Jane-Claudia, some things are bigger than just you’,” Jane-Claudia said, “And, well, if we can save the world from- from whatever’s trying to destroy it. I’d say the sacrifice was worth it.”
“Still,” Faery Fire said, “I want to be able to start a family.”
“You can,” Claire said.
“I- you- No,” Faery Fire said, a sneer crossing her face, “Ascension, the man who gave me my augmentations, removed my ability to have children. Claire, you know that. I can’t-”
“I restored your body from complete and total ruin,” Claire said, “Do you really think that divine restoration wouldn’t fully heal you? I find your lack of faith insulting.”
“You can what?” Jane-Claudia mumbled.
Faery Fire’s fingers touched her stomach. Kids. She could have kids. It felt amazing and cheap at the same time. She hadn’t resolved anything with Ascenion, she hadn’t discovered some secret of his work, she hadn’t really done anything! And yet, there was Claire. Healing people who weren’t ready and didn’t ask.
“I haven’t-” Faery Fire said.
“It’s only been three weeks since then, not a whole month,” Claire said, waving off Faery Fire’s comment, “You wouldn’t have. What? I’m unaware of a lot of things, but that’s just basic biology. I’m not stupid.”
“Can I get some?” Jane-Claudia asked.
“Oh yeah,” Claire continued, “I need some money.”
“For what?” Faery Fire asked.
“I need the money to find my team,” Claire said, “And I can’t give you an amount, I don’t know how much money is a lot of money, so just give me a lot of money and I’ll be on my way.”
“Huh? Oh, um, here,” Faery Fire liked to carry cash on her for emergency purchases, and shoved a slim wallet into Claire’s grabbing hands. “Hey, uh, Jane. I need to have a word with your dad.”
Claire looked into the wallet and found to her satisfaction that it was indeed some money. It could have been a lot of money, Claire didn’t know and she didn’t really care. As Claire meandered away, she hurled a bolt of healing towards that other girl, Jane-Claudia.
It had become clear to Claire that she and her team needed to rejoin and fight and kill the shapeshifters. Thankfully, the fighter had set up simple protocols for what the team should do if they were separated and needed to find each other. That evening, Claire was sitting in a dark corner of a tavern, nursing a beer and wondering if she should scry her team. Nah, always ended in violence, and this had worked before. It would work again.