[?] Only Yourselves To Blame (Tanz/JANJAN/Wolfy/Lina/Vivi)

[Orestae]

Had the senshi thought they wouldn't know?

That they wouldn't be watching?

That they wouldn't respond?

The news report had caught Tanzanite by surprise, her temper stoked as she listened to the broad-shouldered anchor spin a tale of the terrorist attacks. Of an individual, dressed suspiciously like the Negaverse agents the city had come to whisper of, and their violence. The way the pretty blonde anchor spoke with such disdain rubbed the Captain's nerves raw. Who was she to judge them? Who the hell was she to call them evil? The officers had been questioned, Lieutenant to General-King, and not a soul had been involved in the events that had put a target on the head of any Negaverse agent who patrolled the streets of Destiny City. Whereas once the senshi had been their greatest threat, they were forced to proceed with even greater caution.

Not even the Negaverse was immune to bullets, after all. That fact had made their attempts to gather energy that much more difficult.

Their vengeance came swiftly, within a few weeks of the provocation, as the citizens of Destiny City tuned in their television sets for the evening news. It had become a ritual of necessity in a city that grew ever more dangerous. Only a week after the disaster that had left the Town Square in ruins, people were still on edge. There was far too much danger in Destiny City to not be aware, and the city listened eagerly for news of violent activity. Some hoped for the capture of those responsible, others simply praying not to hear the name of a loved one in the ever-growing lists of missing people.

The story of the evening was of a war far across the oceans, one fought with guns and bombs and not the far more unusual things some citizens of Destiny City had claimed to witness. It was almost comforting to know that such things still existed, that some people still spilt blood in the old-fashioned way. It was something they knew, something they understood. Fitting, then, that they appeared off-set just as the anchors began to speak of the dilemma. Figures in lace and bows and looking far too much like the sailor senshi the city had come to both love and hate.

“Adrastea Acid Corrosion!” Tanzanite's familiar voice echoed off-set as powder flew from her hands, and only a few feet away from where she stood the cables connecting one of the lighting racks were somehow eaten away. The cord sparked and smoked, the lights overloading and dying with a soft pop.

Citizens would likely not be able to tell the difference, but any senshi watching might easily recognize a few of those infamous faces as the cameras were turned in panic to the goings-on off stage. They were not dressed as they should have been. Their uniforms had been modified to mimic the distinct style of a senshi's fuku, some more easily than others. Still, for those who knew them well enough, a few faces might stand out.

Linarite.

Wolframite.

Uranophane.

Tanzanite.

Among them, only one could claim that supernatural title with any truth. She was an example of their power, a cherished trophy Tanzanite had wanted to stand beside them in that beautiful moment of retaliation.

The corrupted senshi, Vivianite.

“Move, scream, or so much as whimper, and we will kill you,” Tanzanite issued a warning as all eyes turned to the figures that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. With such an entrance, there was no doubt that they were among the crazy, costumed individuals known to run around in short skirts and heels, and that fear was adequate to keep the unarmed news crew standing in silent, terrified shock. Unlike bullets and bombs, this was entirely unfamiliar territory for the average citizen of Destiny City.

“Sailor scout,” she glanced to Wolframite, “Grab the blonde.” The clawed hand, covered in glitter and ribbon from claws to shoulder, gestured to the wide-eyed newscaster who sat behind the booth next to her handsome co-anchor, and her gaze turned to Uranophane, “Can you keep the security guards occupied? We only need a few minutes.” Tanzanite turned to the only General present, and included a cold but respectful nod, far too formal, before she spoke, “I need your help in the broadcasting booth to make sure they don't kill the signal. I will make sure the camera stays on them.”

“Our dear senshi,” Tanzanite smiled at Vivianite, whose name she did not mention out of risk of exposing her to greater danger from any senshi who might be watching, “I would like you on stage. I want them to see you. I want them to see a true senshi, one no longer chained to the will of a long-dead princess. Hold the man until we're ready for him.” She gestured to the wide-eyed male anchor, who sat as still and stiff as the rest of them in front of his blinking teleprompter.

They were a well-oiled machine, swift and precise, with Desitny City tuned in to the catastrophe at hand. They fanned out immediately, taking to their positions like the well-trained army they were. Certainly the police had already been alerted, and time was of the utmost importance. Tanzanite paused, catching Wolframite's attention for a brief moment. Her voice was lowered, nearly inaudible, as she addressed him.

“Are you ready, Wolframite?” Tanzanite smiled as her human hand gently cradled the chin of the Captain she seemed to treat like a favored pet. The other lay limply at her side, the creature agitated and angry as it had spent the past several hours being covered in glitter and glue. She stood beside the front camera, taking a back seat in the evenings events. They needed for than a few faces to strike fear into the heart of the senshi, and Wolframite's assistance in the snow battle had positioned him as the perfect candidate. Her voice was too low to be picked up by the microphones, and so she did not mask his identity.

“This is your moment, Captain. This is your chance to show them the true face of the Negaverse.” Her thumb gently touched on the smooth, black patch that covered what had once been an eye, as though to remind him of what exactly they were fighting for. What they had lost.

What the senshi had taken.

Normally she would have taken it upon herself, but Wolframite had saved her life. If Tanzanite believed in anything at all, she believed in rewarding loyalty to the Negaverse. He deserved this moment more than any officer, and she stood there like some twisted, proud stage mother. Her voice lowered to a whisper as she let her hand drop from his cheek, her gaze switching over to Uranophane, “Let's show them what we can do.”  

[cibarium]

Captain Uranophane had initially thought it would be completely impossible to modify her uniform into anything that remotely resembled a senshi fuku. She was wearing a damned labcoat, for godsakes, and it was a source of silent pride that she was more covered and professional-looking than several of her colleagues. However, Wolframite had proved her wrong. Wolframite was some kind of miracle worker with this sort of thing, it turned out, and she ended up not having to borrow Zinkenite's crystal in order to get the whole ordeal to work.

She had to hand it to them, this was one hell of a plan: a perfect balance crazy and brilliant, and she was eager to make a contribution to it that was equally crazy and brilliant. So over the past few nights, she had been sneaking into the news station after hours, setting up little tricks and traps -- it was a wonder, all the things you could do with a few household cleaners and other common tools that could be found in a storage closet or under the kitchen sink.

And now the apparent senshi had apparent senshi magic. Just to make them a bit more believable, and to ruffle the feathers of the opposition a little bit. 'Adrastea' had already set off one of their tricks, now it was her turn.

"Ouranos Choking Conflagration!" she hoarsely shouted, and with a mid-stride twist the metal tips of her boots scraped into the concrete and kicked up a small shower of sparks. Uranophane ended up having to practice for countless hours elsewhere to get it to work just right -- but she was lucky enough that it caught on the kindling she had hidden, setting a hazardous mixture of cleaners ablaze. Which left the security with not only a barrier of fire to deal with, but also an issuing of smoke that would be dangerous to breathe.

"Coast is clear from this end, Adrastea!" she announced, with a seedy grin. "Let the show go on!"  

[MoonKitsune]

It was careful planning that brought them from the point of Tanzanite's plan to tonight, and there had been plenty of worry and doubt of what could go and might go wrong. Taking over a television station wasn't as easy as it sounded. There were insurances to keep lunatics from upsetting the populace and causing mass panic – and that was exactly what they wanted. Not to destroy their city, but to play back tenfold the obstacles and damages the senshi have given them. Avoiding cops had been one of the most upsetting things for all of them, especially Wolframite. They were protectors of their great planet and city, and to be viewed as the opposite by the citizens they were protecting and officers of justice was not only a kick to morale, but made patrolling very dangerous. Wolframite didn’t like his team to be in danger. He'd seen enough bloodshed on their side already that involving the police was just low.

As Tanzanite elegantly explained, for any senshi to mess with them deserved retaliation, and the Negaverse didn't do things lightly. When they wanted to make an impact, they went full force and with the full intent of having that message stick.

With that in mind and the nervous tension of the Town Square event fresh on the printed page of newspapers and in the minds of a few civilian witnesses (and a few who just claimed to be there for the sake of getting attention), it was the perfect time.

It was with a great surprise that his fellow Captain came to him during their preparations to request that he give the message. From what he had saw of Tanzanite back on that cold day Christmas Eve, she had been a grand speaker and held the power of voice and presence that he lacked. Doubting his own abilities, he was about to suggest she reconsider, but maybe it was a testament of how well she could speak that eventually won him over to the idea in the end.

So, in the mist of figuring out what areas needed to be covered in the television studio, in time-efficient order in regards to importance, Wolframite had worked on a speech. He wasn't a public speaker. In fact, he took pride in avoiding the spotlight. Unlike other Negaversers who soaked up the spotlight and took pride in their performances, Wolframite was only intimidated by the major task he had set before him.

To say he had stage fright was a understatement.

However, like all things, he had a goal. THEY had a goal. Together as a team, as the officers of a great cause and kingdom for Earth, they would strike a blow to the very heart of all senshi over and over again each time a television was turned on and a newspaper was bought. It was as a team that they grew closer, and even closer still on this particular project. In the mist of uniform alterations (which Wolframite did take some pride in – okay, maybe a lot), super powers, and fake names, they found enjoyment on ruining the imagine and bashing fun of the senshi they hoped to destroy. You just couldn't not laugh at some of the things they created. In the end, he felt they were better senshi than most of the ones they met.

On the big day, they were dressed and ready to teleport. In half uniform, half fuku, they nodded, went over the plan once more, and teleported straight in. It helped that they came to check the layout beforehand just so that they wouldn't be confused. Once in, the place was far more populated, but they broke out in their planned directions. Whatever showtime jitters he had before coming in was swept away in the face of duty and the importance of time management.

He went for the stage and as their other teammates went to make sure that they would not be cut off, he went for the stage. Cindy Mickalin, Co-anchor and beloved sweetheart of Channel 10 news was striken at the sight of the terrorists moving in while her handsome coworker stood still, showing not a single muscle of courage. It seemed that they could only bash their good name when they were not present. Typical.

Stepping in, he brushed by Tanzanite, or Sailor Adrastea, and they paused a moment. It was time for what they all planned for, and he would be the one delivering the message. It would be his very face that would be replayed over and over again for the coming weeks and spoken about as the face of terror and fear. His face, imperfect from battle, still young and fresh in his adolescent years, but holding a seriousness in his task past his age. To add an insult to the senshi who would no doubt be watching either live or later on, he wore a circlet, had removed his sleeves and tailored on wings. Glorious white and something he felt was never deserving of the senshi who were far from angelic. His shoulders had the wings and, like others he created, he created a winged bow (a tricky task but he managed it), to his back. In one week, he became the image of Eternal Senshi Canis.

At the small moment he and Tanzanite paused, he nodded. "I'm ready." He whispered back and nodded, turning to the anchor woman who was in his seat. She rose in her seat, looking about between fire and senshi to find a way out, and was about to sputter something in the way of escape, but she only choked on her words. A speechless news woman. Wolframite grinned.

"You spent all this time speaking for us. Seems fitting I should set things straight." He wasted no time for flashy senshi attacks, and quickly seized her. It was strange to see a young, short boy take a fully-grown woman's arm and make her bend down to her knees, wincing at the pain of having her arm gripped so firmly. He doubted he needed to do anything too powerful against her. She didn't see a guy and had yet to assume anything too terrible would come to her. There was also a healthy dose of shock and fear coursing through her right about now that was impairing any fighting instincts.
 

[nessy]

It was impressive. Linarite could sometimes give credit where credit was due and this entire idea was pure brilliance. Of course she absolutely loathed Tanzanite for being so very brilliant and come up with something that should have been her idea but at the same time she was, as always, in awe of the mind that worked behind savage gray eyes. Four women and a man, it was indeed only right that 'Eternal Sailor Canis' take front stage for the real work to be done and being that she had the greatest amount of power, she was damage control. No one would be getting past her into that newsroom even if they managed to extinguish 'Ouranos'' chemical blaze.

If anyone that knew Linarite were watching they would have been wholly shocked. The Negaverse General had abandoned her coat in favor of a white bolero tied at her wrists and neck with incredibly large teal bows. Grey heels had been swapped out for white go-go boots that hit her at mid-thigh and it was easy enough to fasten a long chain around her head with a teardrop pendant of golden glass made to represent the tiara of a senshi. Linarite had chosen the guise of 'Super Sailor Daphne' and her power was to severely kick the a** of anyone who came through those doors while making sure the signal feed was not cut off.

Unable to resist at the cold formality, a bare hand lightly stroked the beribboned, gaudy youma that was Arm before turning away with a swish of her transparent ribbon in what was obviously an exaggerated and playful strut. It was easy to understand why some of the senshi never left being a Super...the ribbon was incredibly pleasing!

A quick pop and Daphne was in the Master Control booth that sat looking down over the studio. It hadn't been hard to do a Google search and learn as much as she could as quickly as possible about the layout of these sorts of places and it made sense that the people behind it all would want a birds-eye view as well as what was going on with the various monitors. Her voice was bright, cheerful, and absolutely terrifying in its ease as Linarite reached her hand into the chest of the most innocent looking creature in the room. "Now boys and girls, we're going to play a little game. It's called 'Operation'. You do exactly what I tell you to, and this sweet little thing lives. Doesn't that sound fun?" Fingers vised down around the depressingly normal star seed in her palm, causing the girl to scream with the pain of having her life handled carelessly.

Several of the women cried out to stop her and Daphne's bare hand raised to silence them all. "If any single one of you tries to cut that feed, she dies. Then you die. I will then slowly, painfully, do you all one at a time until the feed is restored." Another squeeze, another scream, and no one moved. The scene below played out in all of its horror, uninterrupted by even a single word from the sponsors. Golden eyes lingered on the twenty or so monitors playing unadulterated Negaverse glory being laid at the feet of the senshi, the general's face a serene and rapturous tableaux.

"Soon, you'll all understand why you should have had the terrorists driven out long ago." Then they would all die. But no one needed to know that.