Sailor Plasma- Ch. 1 Pt. 1

Sailor Plasma Episode 1
A Destined Encounter! Decisions of Fate

    "And that is how Sailor Moon brought Galaxia's reign of terror to an end, restoring peace to the entire universe."  Kung Fu Shifu Wei Fong sat cross-legged with his star pupil, April Keawe, as he brought his riveting tale to a close.
    The bronze-skinned girl's purple eyes glistened and threatened to drop tears as they always did after hearing a story about her greatest hero.  "That was truly amazing," she sighed dreamily.  "I guess anything is possible and any obstacle can be overcome by those with a pure heart.  So, what happened after that?"
    "Indeed," replied the wizened old man, "there are many more morals to be taken from it and endless amounts of stories to tell, but now let us get back to your physical training."  April nodded and rose from the floor.  "Assume your horse stance," he instructed.  "Lift your arms as if you were lifting a massive weight.  Good!  Now close your eyes; practice deep breathing."
    The little man left the room, returning a moment later with a stepstool and a 300-pound weight.  With surprising ease, he mounted the stool, dropping the weight into April's unsuspecting hands.  "What happened to if I was lifting something?" she grunted.
    "Always expect the unexpected.  I want you to hold that stance and the weight steadily until the hour is passed."  He then departed for his private room.
    An hour and a half later, Wei returned to a rigid, sweaty April.  "Well done, my student.  You may relax now.  Class is dismissed."
    April swiftly released the weight and exchanged bows with her shifu.  "I suppose," she panted, "that exercise had to do with more than just endurance and strength."
    "Is that so?  Well, keep supposing and perhaps you'll figure it out!" he replied with a twinkle in his eyes.  "In the meantime, would you care to join me for some noddles and tea?"
    "Sorry, I'd love to but I'll have to take a raincheck," said April.  "All I can think about right now is taking a long nap at home.  Once summer break is over, rest will be thing of the past."
    Wei nodded.  "Quite understandable.  It's a shame, though.  Dim sum should be eaten fresh, and you know how small my appetite is these days."
    April stopped in her tracks.  The savory aroma filled her nostrils, making her mouth water.  "On second thought, I guess I'll have a bite."  She'd barely lifted the spoon to her mouth before her phone rang.  "Hello? Oh, hey! I'm...what? Um, sure? I'll be right over."  She hung up and mumbled with her mouth full, "Seems I've gotta rush off after all.  One of my college friends wants to go out with her boyfriend.  Needs me to babysit her dogs."
    "Hmm.  That girl asks you for an awful lots of favors," mused Wei.
    "How do you know who I'm talking about?"
    "It's always the same!  There's three kinds of people at your college: the one friend you have there, the so-called friend who takes advantage of you, and all the rest who pick on your for being different!  I don't see why you put up with..."
    "There's no need to worry," she interrupted calmly.  "I always love to help when I can, even if some people need it more than others."  Wolfing down her food, she dashed out the door.  "Thanks for the snack!"
    "You know, I'm only looking out for you...." he called back.  She was already gone.  Wei shook his head and began cleaning the dishes.  "That's a tough one, all right.  Athletic, smart, and head strong.  I just wish she'd trust instincts other than her own."
~~~

    Back at her grandmother's house, a thoroughly scratched, pawed, dirt-covered April plopped onto her bed.  "What a workout!" she breathed.  "Seems like she has 5 more dogs than last time; it was hard enough to count when there were 10 of them running around!  I'm too tired to take a shower...wait, didn't that big one pee on me?"  She sniffed her pants leg.  "Great.  Time to scrub myself down and do laundry."
    Gran didn't have a dryer, so the clothes had to be hung outside.  After her shower (a cold one since she'd started the washer first), April finished the laundry before finally returning to her room.  She curled up between the covers.  It took a half hour of tossing and turning until she fell asleep.
    BLIP-BLIP-BLIP!  The steady pulse of April's emergency bracelet awakened her.  It felt like she'd dozed for a few minutes, but the sky was now dark.  A quick glance at it showed villains attacking a nearby power plant.  April chuckled with contempt; she knew exactly who they were.  Raising a purple wand high in the air, she shouted, "PLASMA STAR POWER MAKE UP!"
    With these five words, she transformed into Sailor Plasma, guardian of the weak and commander of electricity.  She ran out the back door towards the commotion, all too ready for their little reunion.

~~~

    None of Plasma's teammates were around as she snuck towards the building.  "Guess they had more important things to do," she mumbled.  "Oh well.  I can take them with one hand tied behind my back."
    They came into view as she rounded a corner.  One of them yanked out a huge cluster of wires, and the entire city went dark.  "Hold it right there!" shouted Plasma.
    Six menacing half-human, half-robot cyborgs turned to glare at her.  "Well, if it isn't the Cyborgs Sick," she mocked.  "Finally got over that bug in your programming?  Apparently not.
    "For love and justice!  The Sailor Senshii of electric energy, Sailor Plasma!  In the name of the stars, I'll punish you!"
    Alpha, the biggest of the cyborgs and their leader, gave a sinister laugh.  "For the last time, little firefly, it's the Cyborg Six!  You obviously have short-term memory, considering we almost destroyed you last time!"  His fists clenched as the group circled Plasma.  "Those other pieces of Sailor trash were hanging by a thread until you and that wretched kung fu master showed up!  You humiliated us, brought us great shame, and now you dare to stand before us in that skimpy outfit again?!"
    Plasma stared down at herself before saying, "It's much less disgraceful to die in battle than to run away like you did.  Fortunately, I've come to restore your honor."
    "Oh, please! One not-so-little girl against the most fearsome warriors in Hawaii?  DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!"
    All six leaped at her, but she jumped into the air, backflipped, and landed on both feet.  "This not-so-little girl has some new moves up her skirt.  Of course, I could always sit on you."
    "By all means, give us your best shot," prodded Alpha.  Exchanging knowing glances with the others, he added, "I wouldn't want to die before getting a load of what's up your skirt."
    Plasma summoned her lightning rod and yelled, "LIGHTNING MACHETE!"  A jagged streak of light burst forth, intended to slice them in half.  Without warning, each cyborg released an opposed attack from their hands.  Not only did it absorb Plasma's attack, but it also began to drain her energy.  "Y-you cant learn...to fight fair...c-can you?" she stuttered as she sank to her knees.  "Quit cheating...and fight me l-like...like a man!"
    "Tempting offer," said the ruthless leader, "but I'll pass."  Their blasts were strong, but her determination was stronger.  Plasma staggered up, trying to use one last attack.
    It was futile.
    Her lightning rod faded, along with her sailor uniform.  Now April's secret identity revealed itself to her enemies.  Alpha smiled wretchedly.  "Turns out we conjured a new trick of our own," he crowed with his foot atop her head.  "You can go to your permanent rest knowing that we'll use your so-called pure energy to take over the world.  I'll be sure everyone is aware of that."
    April's consciousness faded quickly, yet before she passed out she witnessed a mystifying sight through her blurry eyes: three glowing bodies falling from the sky.  It startled the cyborg so that he lifted his foot off her head and shouted at them.  Right before her eyes flickered shut, one of the strangers came to her and softly touched her cheek.  She caught a glimpse of something fiery red...

~~~

    "I think I feel a pulse."  Tiger's-Eye knelt beside April, whose clothes were ripped, skin was bruised and pale...whose eyes were empty and lifeless.  Hawk's-Eye and Fish-Eye, the other members of the Amazon Trio, stood vigilantly nearby.
    "Why would they disappear like that?" Hawk's-Eye was saying.  "And how?"
    "Beats me," replied the red-head.  "Well, since the robots left and she might slip away at any moment, is there really anything we can do?"
    Fish-Eye folded her arms in disbelief.  "Sure.  Let's just abandon the poor, defenseless girl and leave some wild animal to clean her up."
    "That settles it then, let's tell Pegasus to beam us back!"
    "You're such a pig!" yelled Fish-Eye, slapping the older Tiger's-Eye.  "We were sent here with a simple mission to save her life, and you can't honor that?!"
    Hawk's-Eye tried to settle the dispute.  "I think all he means is we don't know how to save her, or how to defend ourselves if those machines come back."
    "Now you're taking up for him?  Fine!  Go ahead, run off with your tail tucked between your legs and see if I care!  I'll figure this out alone."  Fish-Eye turned away from them, hovering protectively over April.
    "Whatever."  Tiger's-Eye started to walk away.  "Sit here and wait for something to come screaming, 'Look at me, I'm a solution to all your problems!'"
    Just then, a high-pitched voice off in the distance-and fast approaching-screamed, "Hang on, April!  The solution to your problems is on its way!"
    "Don't even start," mumbled Tiger's-Eye.
    April's friend Phoebe ran up a few moments later, flinging her arms around the older girl's body.  "I'll never forgive myself!" she wailed.  "We should've been here for you!  If I never get the chance to apologize, if I never hear your voice again, I'll...I'll...!"  Suddenly realizing the presence of the strangers, she reared up and threw all her force at Hawk's-Eye.  "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU EVIL ROBOTS! I'M GONNA TAKE YOU ALL OUT IN ONE SWOOP!"
    Hawk's-Eye tried to pry her off without hitting her back.  "We're not-OW!-the robots!! We-OOF-came to help! Guys, back me up!"
    Fish-Eye was indifferent and Tiger's-Eye burst into laughter, but Phoebe calmed down anyway.  "Oh.  Well, you're too good-looking to be a robot anyway, so I'll take your word for it."
    "Um, yes, very good,"  Hawk's-Eye stuttered as she continued to stare at him.  "Could you please get off me?"
    As she helped him from the ground, three more of April's friends showed up.  "Good job, Phoebe!" said Dakota, the youngest.  "You captured the bad guys solo!"
    "Are you daft?" objected Ginger.  "April came charging out here alone and look what happened!  Do you want to get killed too?"
    "KILLED?!" wailed Phoebe.  "I didn't know...!"
    "No, she'll be all right!"  Fish-Eye stepped in.  "And we're not the bad guys; in fact, we scared the cyborgs away!"
    Dakota clenched her fists and took a threatening step forward.  "How dumb do you think we are?  No one's falling for your little innocence act."
    "Maybe we should give it a chance..." started Annaliese, her older sister, quietly.
    "I believe them," said Phoebe with a small frown.
    "No one asked how dumb they think you are.  That should be pretty obvious," Ginger smirked.
    "Oh yeah?!  Well I happen to know the only reason you got an A in chemistry is you were locking tongues with the substitute!!"
    "WHY YOU--I'M GONNA TEAR THAT RIDICULOUS MOP OF A BRAID RIGHT OUT OF YOUR SKULL!"
    "Oh no you won't!"  Before they could strangle each other, Naomi, the sixth member of their group, stepped between them.  "None of this will get us anywhere," she scolded.  "The gang's all here and that's what matters.  Now, who are these three?"
    "I think we've been through this already," yawned Tiger's-Eye.  He'd been looking forward to that cat fight.
    Naomi looked at him quizzically.  Then, her cell phone rang.  "Hello?  Yes, Mister Fong, she was...oh.  Yeah and we were on our way when...really?  Ok, so now we're here and...what?  Yes they are but how do you...no.  Are you sure these are...fine.  We're on our way."  Shaking her head with puzzlement, she explained, "That was Wei.  He wants us to bring April to the school right away, and bring 'the three strangers.'"
    "Come on!" Phoebe urged, rushing to pick up April.  "We can question Mr. Pong's sanity later!"  One by one, each girl lent her strength until all six managed to lift her.
    "Do you even know what the word gentleman means?" prodded Fish-Eye.  "Go help them!"
    Tiger's-Eye shrugged, enjoying the show.  "I would, but I'd hate to ruin their fun..."
    "PHOEBE YOU BLOODY KLUTZ!!" Ginger screamed.  Phoebe had tripped over a rock.  Now they were sprawled over the ground in all directions.
    Sighing deeply, Tiger's-Eye walked up to them.  While Phoebe and Ginger engaged in a war of insults and Naomi mumbled something about 100-calorie snacks, he silently scooped up April.  It was as if she weighed nothing.  "So?  Are we leaving or not?"
    Naomi led the way to the dojo through the darkened streets.  Fish-Eye quickened her pace to keep ahead of the boys' annoying murmurings.  Here they are with a new life and all they're thinking about is chasing skirts, she fumed mentally.  There's no way I'll let them ruin my second chance.  I hope I'm not too late to save my first assignment...