Chapter 164
"Ever been to the U.S. before?" Neptune asked as he and Venus walked along a road, Neo-Neptune walked a few feet ahead.
"Well..I've wanted to visit, but no.." Venus said.
"It can be a crazy place."
"You've been here?"
"Sure...spent a year over here...then when I returned to Japan, I became the person you know me as now."
"Oh..so you're blaming America for all your problems?" Venus asked.
"Seems like a good excuse doesn't it?" Neptune asked.
Venus stopped.
"I sense that in this infinite universe that exists there may be perhaps the one excuse that is so twisted and pathetic that somehow it fits as an adequate explanation of why you are the way you are, but I doubt that it will ever be found...since the universe is always expanding, it's just being pulled further and further out of your reach," Venus muttered.
"Did you have to study for that insult?" Neptune asked.
"I'm proud of it," Venus said.
The two started laughing.
"What do you two have to laugh about," Neo-Neptune said stopping and turning. "You're in a war in the 30th century against a very powerful and dangerous enemy. You may not survive and yet here you are...laughing away like you usually do you imbeciles..I suggest you get focused real fast, or you won't live, and the U.S. stopped existing four hundred years ago. It became the Western Hegemony."
He turned and continued to walk.
"What a jerk," Venus said.
"I'd agree with you if I wasn't that jerk," Neptune said.
"Well you're not...yet..." Venus said.
"Ah Venus, you're just a ray of sunshine on these dreary days," Neptune muttered.
"Hey.at least I try," Venus said.
"Well..I guess that deserves some sort of credit...how would you like a blade of grass," Neptune said and pulled a few pieces off the ground.
"Uh..that's okay," Venus said.
"Oh..well..I'll keep them then...maybe possessing grass from the future could throw the whole space time continuum out of balance."
"And you'd want that?" Venus asked.
"Well I'd like to see what would happen just for kicks," Neptune said.
"Oh," Venus said.
"Come on, we're going to speed up the pace," Neo-Neptune snapped and leapt forward. The other two followed.
They leapt along the road for about another five minutes and then landed. Neo-Neptune stopped.
"Why are we stopping?" Venus asked.
"Because I feel like stopping," Neo-Neptune snapped.
"Just how much longer is it going to take to get to wherever we're going?" Venus said.
"Yeah," Neptune said. "Haven't we walked enough already, why didn't we teleport closer?" Neptune said.
"Listen you two...I'm in charge here! You follow me if you want to get something done and things will work out, now stop complaining," Neo-Neptune said. "Break' over."
He then began to leap again. The other two glanced at each other and soon followed.
After a few minutes Neo-Neptune landed at the entrance to a forest. He pulled out a pad of paper from his uniform and jotted something down covering it with his hand. He ripped it off and walked to the two holding his finger over his mouth.
He showed it to them. It read.
"DO NOT READ THIS OUT LOUD. DO NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS. I AM ABOUT TO HAND YOU SOMETHING. TAKE IT AND HOLD ON TO IT. NOD IF YOU UNDERSTAND."
The two did. Neo-Neptune handed them each a small ruby. He then held on himself and motioned for them to walk forward. Seconds later there was a flash. They noticed they were standing in what looked to be a tunnel made out of rock.
"What happened?" Venus asked.
"That is not for me to say..come on," Neo-Neptune said and began to walk down the tunnel the other two slowly followed.
"Are we underground?" Venus asked.
"Well obviously," Neo-Neptune said.
"What's with all that hocus pocus?" Venus said.
"Listen we have to be careful..we don't know who may be watching and listening, but now it's relatively safe. Even if Nehelenia is tracking us she'd have a hard time figuring out where we are," Neo-Neptune said.
"And why is that?" Venus asked.
"You ask too many questions," Neo-Neptune said. "We'll soon be at the city."
"An underground..city..interesting," Neptune said as the three descended through a network of caves.
"They actually built the city underground?" Venus asked.
"Of course not..." Neo-Neptune said. "They just lowered it."
"Lowered it?" the two asked.
"I'm not a history teacher, figure this stuff out yourselves," Neo-Neptune said.
"Glad to see that I turn out so well," Neptune said.
"Shut up," Neo-Neptune said. They continued to walk down the caves until they saw light.
"Is this it?" Neptune asked.
"Of course," Neo-Neptune said. The three stepped out into the light and despite the fact they were on ground level they could see the buildings rising high into a massive cave.
"This looks like New York.." Neptune said.
"It is New York," Neo-Neptune said.
"All of it?" Venus asked.
"No," Neo-Neptune said. "About half of it..."
"But New York was on the water...there wasn't water for miles," Neptune said.
"Of course not..a lot can change in a thousand years," Neo-Neptune said. "But as I said, figure this out..yourselves..we're here on business. If you two haven't figured it out yet."
"So far there hasn't been a need to be serious," Venus snapped. "I haven't seen anyone and we haven't had to do anything."
"That's not the point," Neo-Neptune said. "You can't just slip in and out of being ready for action."
"We do it all the time," Venus said.
"Yeah..that's what keeps us from turning into you," Neptune said.
Neo-Neptune whirled.
"It also keeps you from being anything close to a warrior," he hissed. Neo-Neptune then turned back around and headed forward. The other two followed.
"Well you know what pal...in my century, we're not supposed to be fighting full time, we've got other lives...you know and so far what we've done is worked, and since you're here, I know I survive, I know Venus survives, I know everyone survives! So we don't need to up the ante any!"
"You imbecile, the future is guided by these events as much as the ones in your century, the time line can be changed, there are beings above time that can throw this future out of whack...you must be prepared!" Neo-Neptune said.
"So that's it, you're afraid that our laxness in the past will cause you not to live in the future!" Venus shouted.
"That has little to do with it, my existence here is not something I really want...no one would want this," Neo-Neptune said.
"No..she's got a point..maybe it's more like you don't want it to get worse," Neptune said. "But it's something like that. And you keep yelling at us, all the time afraid that somehow we'll fail in the past and you'll lose out now."
"No! We don't have the time for this!" Neo-Neptune said and leapt down the street. The other two followed again.
"Just where are we going!" Venus shouted.
"Stop asking stupid questions!" Neo-Neptune said.
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" Venus shouted and hit Neo-Neptune. He fell to the ground. Venus landed beside him.
"Now..listen up! We're a team here! We have a right to know these things and I'm sick of you belittling us!" she shouted. "If you need us so badly, you'll treat us with some respect."
"Need you! I don't need you for anything! I don't want you here! You're only with me because I was ordered to take you," Neo-Neptune said.
"You listen buddy, we may not be your ideal people, but we've got a job to do, one you're not helping by being such a rude bitter....you get the idea! Now if I ask you a question about what we're doing here I want an answer!" Venus shouted.
"Big talk from you Venus, but the less you know the better," Neo-Neptune said.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Venus said.
"Telling you would sort of defeat the purpose of the statement," Neo-Neptune said. He went for his sword and blasted her backwards. Neptune drew his own sword.
"This again," Neo-Neptune said. "Come on..let me show you just how badly you'll get beaten."
"No!" Venus said stepping between them. "We have a mission, at least I think we do..let's get on with it."
Neo-Neptune smirked a bit
"Yeah, that's about right, I always needed you to come to my aid, because I was weak back then," he said. Venus kicked him in the crotch.
"Like I was lying," Neo-Neptune muttered.
"Excuse me do you plan on fighting in the streets of this city all day or actually doing some good?" came a voice. The three all looked to see a man in a suit standing there flanked by some soldiers.
"Ehh..." Neo-Neptune said stiffening up. "Just a small dispute Mayor."
"Well then come with me..." The Mayor said. "We'll take the subway."
"The subway?" Neptune asked. "Uh..say.uh..Mister Mayor sir.how is the subway system anyway?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well.uh..is it clean?"
"Of course it's clean."
"Oh.I was just curious."
"You should pay no attention to him," Neo-Neptune said. "For your own good and everyone elses."
"Oh..I see," The Mayor said.
The group descended a flight of old looking stairs.
"Looks just like I remember it actually,:" Neptune said.
"That's not a good sign is it?" Venus said.
"Well..New York subways could have advanced in a century, I don't know," Neptune said.
They walked onto the platform.
Seconds later a shiny silver train sped up and slowed quickly.
"Now that is different," Neptune said.
"Oh?" Venus asked. "Don't we have one of those in Tokyo?"
"Still it's a difference here..." Neptune said.
They stepped inside the car. The doors closed and there was a sight whirring noise. The doors opened.
"Wha..is there a problem?" Venus asked.
"No..we've arrived," Neo-Neptune said and moved out the door with the Mayor and his bodyguards.
"That is also different," Neptune said in surprise.
"Really? Don't we have one of these in Tokyo?" Venus asked.
"I don't know," Neptune said. They walked up some very nice subway steps and into a room.
"Just where are we?" Venus asked one of the bodyguards.
"City hall,"
"Oh...and how far is that from where we were?" Venus asked.
"A couple of miles," the bodyguard said with a grin sensing her amazement.
"Well that's some train you got there then," Venus said.
"Hard to believe it's five hundred years old ey?" the guard asked.
"What?" Venus said in surprise.
"So we understand you've been having some problems here?" Neo-Neptune asked.
"How do we know that?" Venus whispered to Neptune.
Neptune shrugged.
"Ah..yes..we have.." the Mayor said. "You see there's this golden dragon."
"A what?"Neptune asked.
"Quiet," Neo-Neptune said.
"Uh..yes, it comes out at night, we have no idea where from, I mean..we haven't been able to find it," the Mayor said. "Anyway, it comes out attacks people not buildings and then disappears. We all hide the people in the buildings now..then the dragon just flies around the city looking for anyone."
"That's strange, has it caught anyone?" Neo-Neptune asked.
"When it first showed up it got a lot of people, drained the energy right out of them," the Mayor said. "We tried to stop it, but our weapons don't seem to work."
"Well okay..we'll see what we can do," Neo-Neptune said. "Well observe it first and see what we can learn and go from there."
"I don't get this though, how does the dragon know it's night?" Venus asked.
"What?" the mayor asked.
"We're underground...I mean you can tell time right..but..the dragon?" Venus asked.
"We don't know how it thinks only what it does," the mayor said.
"I don't get it, this doesn't fit Nehelenia's mode of attack one bit," Venus said. "Except for the energy draining of course."
"Well we can't be sure...but we should try and stop it," Neo-Neptune said.
"Just how did you know there were these problems over here?" Neptune asked.
"We have a vast intelligence network," Neo-Neptune said.
"But..even so..I don't get this. Nehelenia uses infantry troops, on the ground the last place you would expect her to be able to attack is here," Venus said.
"Well she's attacking here, so we're investigating it all right?" Neo-Neptune said. "We're here now there's no point in doubting what we should be doing."
"No I guess not," Venus said.
"Geez..you two are annoying soldiers," Neo-Neptune said.
"Is that how you see us..as just soldiers, we don't fight with that kind of discipline....we fight as a team," Venus said.
"Yeah, we don't go ordering people around if we can help it," Neptune said.
"Times are different now," Neo-Neptune said.
"Oh...but we're not," Venus said. "Expecting the same out of us as you would out of the people in this time is unfair. You know what we were like back then, you should be tolerant."
"There's no time for tolerance, we've got a dragon to fight," Neo-Neptune said.
"If you say so," Venus said.
"You know they didn't tell us how big the dragon was..." Neptune said.
"Maybe they think we like surprises," Venus said.
A few hours later the group was standing in front of a window on top of a large skyscraper.
"It usually shows up around now.." the Mayor said.
"Uh..just how large is it?" Neptune asked.
"There it is," Neo-Neptune said. Flying over the city slowly seemingly appearing out of nowhere was a golden dragon, it had large golden wings and a head about the size of yacht.
"Hmm..that's big," Venus said.
"It is Ghidrah!" Neptune shouted.
"Knock it off!" Neo-Neptune said.
They watched as it flew over the rooftops looking for any stray person.
"And it does this all night?" Neo-Neptune asked.
"Yes, though it usually gives up a few hours before sunrise," the Mayor said.
"And it just disappears?" Venus asked.
"As you will see yes," the Mayor said.
"Hmm..well..this is a strange one ain't it?" Neptune asked.
"Of course it is," Neo-Neptune said.
"Uh..have you tried talking to it..just out of curiosity," Venus said.
"It didn't seem to be interested. The first time it attacked everyone," the Mayor said.
"It's out to hurt people and it's a dragon why would it want to be talked to?" Neo-Neptune snapped.
"Sometimes, there are just misunderstandings," Venus said. "I'm just thinking it over that's all."
"So you are.." Neo-Neptune said. "A lot of good it's doing us."
"Well what's your plan then?" Neptune snapped.
"My plan is that we go out there and take care of it," Neo-Neptune said. "Let's go to the roof."
"Glad to see you've thought everything out so clearly," Venus said.
"Shut up!" Neo-Neptune said.
The three soon arrived on the rooftop. The dragon was still flying around another part of the city.
"Hey..maybe it's just here to grant our wish.." Neptune said. "Like an eternal dragon or something."
"What?" Venus asked.
"Neptune...quit talking or I'll make it impossible for you to speak," Neo-Neptune said.
"We have other problems you know," Venus said. "Like the dragon...oh look here it comes."
"Well attack it," Neo-Neptune said.
"Okay.. but just say we manage to knock it down. It'll smash hundreds of buildings, we should plan this more carefully," Venus said.
"Let's just see if we can hurt it," Neo-Neptune said.
"Uh..I don't think I want to unless we plan on finishing the job," Venus said.
"Fine!" Neo-Neptune said and drew his sword. He fired at the approaching dragon. The shot hit it and caused the dragon to stop and look upwards.
"Well it didn't hurt him, it just made him mad," Neptune said.
"Neptune Triton Impale!" Neo-Neptune shouted. The next attack flew out and hit the dragon.
The dragon paused again.
"Well..you're leadership is really getting us somewhere," Neptune said.
"Duck!" Venus said as the dragon flew right up towards the roof. It's head poked over the edge. Neo-Neptune stood up his sword ready The other two hid behind the various vents on top of the roof.
"Come on..dragon! Let's fight.." Neo-Neptune said.
The dragon opened it's mouth and fire flew from it. Neo-Neptune jumped over it and swung his sword at the dragon's head. The dragon flew backward to avoid him as the roof top burned.
"We've got to put this out," Venus said.
"Well then let's figure out how to do it, since Neo-Neptune's a little busy," Neptune said. The two hurried back in the roof door to find some water.
Neo-Neptune stood on the edge. The flames burning behind him, his eyes were narrowed and his sword ready.
"Are you prepared to die dragon?" he asked. "Because I'll kill you, that is certain."
The dragon spit more fire at him. He leapt out of the way of it and swung his sword right at the dragon's eye. He landed on the dragon's head and it let out a roar before swinging it's head around. He jumped off before that could happen and blasted apart a window of the skyscraper seconds before he fell into the room. The dragon kept hovering, it's wings were blowing a wind straight across the building fanning the flames on the roof , Venus, Neptune and some of the Mayor's bodyguards had found a fire hose and were trying to put it out, hoping the dragon would be occupied with Neo-Neptune.
Neo-Neptune walked towards the window his sword at the ready as the dragon still hovered there screeching against the pain in it's eye. Neptune looked over it's body, looking for any weak spots he could find..he knew the eyes..but he didn't know where else. This dragon didn't have scales he noticed, in fact it's body was completely smooth, at least on the bottom. The top had an exoskeleton..which was why he couldn't hit it. He held onto his sword firmly and leapt out the window stabbing his sword into the dragon's stomach..or what he presumed to be the stomach anyway. It dug in and he held on as the sword slid down the dragon and he with it towards the ground. Energy flew out of the dragon as it wailed. He pulled his sword out and dropped twenty feet and hit the ground. The dragon continued to scream and flew back and forth. Seconds later it exploded, shattering the glass of the skyscraper. Some of the energy flew across the city and then there was nothing.
Neo-Neptune put his sword back on his belt and sighed.
The fire was finally put out on the roof and Venus and Neptune emerged covered with ash.
"Well..whoopdie do, you beat the dragon," Venus said.
"Too bad we have no idea where it came from," Neptune said.
"My concern was getting rid of it," Neo-Neptune said.
"And what next huh?" Venus asked.
"We go to wherever we're needed, or at least I'm needed," Neo-Neptune said. "As I was the only one needed."
"Well you also managed to set that building on fire," Venus said.
"A small price to pay," Neo-Neptune said.
"I wish you hadn't had to do so much damage, but at least you got it done," the Mayor said walking out of the building. "Thank you."
"Of course...but I wish I could understand just where it came from Mister Mayor," Neo-Neptune said. :Considering that Nehelenia didn't send it."
"What?" Venus and Neptune said. The mayor paused and his eyes narrowed.
"You are very perceptive," the Mayor said.
"I was never before," Neptune muttered.
"Yes, yes, she didn't send it, we created it..or should I say unleashed it,:" The Mayor said. "You see...when we learned of Nehelenia's arrival, we knew we'd need something to defend us if she ever decided to attack, we wanted something powerful and it just so happened we had one...the dragon of Min Seio."
"What's that?" Venus asked.
"It was a magical item, one of our Chinese residents had found it, but it was hardly their creation, no this was along your lines...it was magical...we conjured it...against my better judgement and it appeared, but you see the dragon exists for a time period which corresponds more or less with night here..."
"Which is more like day in China" Neo-Neptune said.
"Uh huh..we thought we could control it..it was supposed to obey the person that summoned it, only it didn't work and well..this happened, we couldn't get rid of it, so we tried to convince you to stop it," the Mayor said.
"We're very busy Mister Mayor, we will remember this," Neo-Neptune said.
"I expect you too..which is why we are willing to give compensation for your time," the Mayor said.
"Like what?" Neo-Neptune snapped.
"I will show you," The Mayor said.
"You two stay here," Neo-Neptune said. "I don't trust him."
"Which is only natural I understand," the Mayor said. The two descended to a subway station and rode it. They got off and walked to a metal door. The Mayor hit a key code and the door opened.
"Just as we have special means to protect our city from detection like the rubies that allow us to teleport to the tunnels,, we also have this.." The Mayor said.
Behind the door was a dock, and water flowing into what looked like a enlarged sewer tunnel. Floating at the dock was a very advanced looking submarine.
"You see..this is the most advanced submarine ever made..and we have it..or rather you have it.."
"I don't how to use one of these.." Neo-Neptune said.
"But we have people that do," the Mayor said. "Take it as payment for services rendered."
"Well..all right..but Mayor..you ever pull something like this again..and we may not show up."
"I imagine you will..but it will probably not be an enjoyable experience on my part," The Mayor said.
"That I can guarantee," Neo-Neptune growled.
CHAPTER 161 CHAPTER 162 CHAPTER 163 CHAPTER 164
CHAPTER 165 CHAPTER 166 CHAPTER 167 CHAPTER 168
CHAPTER 169 CHAPTER 170 CHAPTER 171 CHAPTER 172
CHAPTER 173 CHAPTER 174 CHAPTER 175 CHAPTER 176
CHAPTER 177 CHAPTER 178 CHAPTER 179 CHAPTER 180