Pluto unconsciously mimiced Hotaru's gasp as they realised that Ranma had been delayed too long before taking down the Core Invader. It had enough time to analyse his attack pattern and devise a counter. At first glance a sea urchin seemed an odd fussion form to choose. Then they saw it move. Urchins were notoriously slow, but the fussion Invader was not. With an armored sherical core surounded by needle-pointed and razor-edged blades, the form became a whirling death.
Even if Ranma was able to find a vulnerable point on the central shell, it seemed certain that he could not dance in close enough to exploit it. It was all he could do to keep out of reach of those rapidly stabbing spikes as the Invader chased him around the college campus.
Then he reached into his utility belt, extracted a cylinder and, twisting it in his hands, telescoped it into a bo-staff. Ranma had been taught that anything goes in a fight against the ever adaptable and inhuman Invaders. With the weapon whirling in his hands, Ranma had the reach and leverage needed to deflect the spikes while probing for a chink in the armor.
Pluto had to watch in slow motion to follow the battle. Without it the two combatants became blurs. Even with it, Ranma was a fluid dancer as he twisted and turned to avoid deadly strikes, strike to disable one of the blades or tap away at the armor plating for a weakness. It was hard for her to believe that Ranma was fighting unenhanced by Gate power, magic or even technology.
And yet the Senshi of Time knew that he was not even using all he had. Only if he could overwhelm an Invader at first contact, and be assured of doing so unobserved, would Ranma unleash his full furry. Otherwise he would hold himself in reserve and constantly develop new techniques to keep the Invaders guessing.
Blades grew back almost as fast as they were broken off and the Invader's spinning prevented any one area to be exposed. Almost as soon as it adapted to Ranma's seemingly random attack pattern, he changed tactics once more. A second twist converted the staff into a javelin and he all but ignored the blades to jap at the apparently seamless core. Chinks in the armor became apparent as cracks appeared in the armor plating.
Then he suddenly cartwheeled away from the Invader. It hesitated to analyse the latest change in tactics.
Focused on Ranma, it had all but forgotten his companion. It was therefore quite surprised, though only briefly, by her attack. Then, of course, it exploded.
There was silence as the scattered quills evaporated leaving rapidly disolving crystals. The silence was shattered by a sharp cry of pain. Clearly one innocent bystander had not gotten out of the way durring the battle.
Pluto watched agast as Ranma and Hotaru rushed to Sestuna's side. Then she realised that this was the moment to contact her other self as the injury was causing her powers to awaken. Even as Hotaru reached out with healing hands, the Gate of Time began to open providing a connection.
(Posted Fri, 11 Apr 2003 13:58)
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