Chapter 11

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>Ultra Symphony</B></FONT>     </div> <bR> <div> Chapter 11: Death on Four Wheels</div> <div> <I>*** Ultraman and all respective characters, likenesses and items are copyright © 1966-2002 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. Ultra Theresa is copyright © 2002 Wayne Koizumi, and used with permission This fan fiction is not an official sequel to Ultra Theresa and is not considered to be part of the original Ultra Theresa timeline or universe.Original characters are the property of Chibi Cel-Chan, except where specified, and are not to be used without permission.*** </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>***</I></div> <bR> <div> The words echoed in her ears several seconds after Moroboshi was out of her sight.</div> <bR> <div> "He is one of you." </div> <bR> <div> Masami shook her head. What did he mean by that? One of <I>you?</I> </div> <bR> <div> An Ultra?</div> <bR> <div> "How is that possible?" She frowned, and ran into the control room. She tapped on the wall and the viewscreen popped up. She hit several controls, and locked onto the location where the battle had taken place. </div> <bR> <div> There was indeed a victim, and she winced upon seeing the spiked dagger sticking out of the back of his head, surrounded by blood. It took her a moment to notice that there were several gawkers standing around the body, one of whom was a hysterically sobbing woman. </div> <bR> <div> Masami frowned. She wasn't certain Moroboshi could even be trusted. And getting the victim out of there inconspicuously was no longer an option. "Damn it.." she muttered. Whatever she decided to do, she'd damn well better do it now. The police would be there any time now. </div> <bR> <div> She swallowed, and got up her courage. It wasn't the first time she'd gone incognito to retrieve a dead body, but the first time had admittedly been much easier. For one, Kakei had been with, and there was so much chaos that no one had even seen the two of them. <I>But this, </I>She thought as she donned her sunglasses and long black trenchcoat, <I>Is a hell of a lot different. </I></div> <bR> <div> As she ran down the corridor, she couldn't help but wish she would run into Kakei. She knew well that she did not need his permission to take on a mission like this, he had specifically stated that under circumstances like this, or any sort of threat to Ultra security, she was to use her own judgement.</div> <bR> <div> <I>But then again, no one could have predicted something like Moroboshi.. </I>she lamented.</div> <bR> <div> She damn near ran straight into the Main Vestibule doors, momentarily forgetting that it was nighttime and they wouldn't automatically open upon sensing ultraviolet light. She furiously fished around in her coat pockets for her security card, praying she hadn't left it in her other coat. </div> <bR> <div> Finally, she dug it up, and slid it through, waiting impatiently for it to clear. When she heard the familiar "boop!" of the doors opening, she squeezed through the doors before they were even completely open.</div> <bR> <div> She raced like hell over to the Marilyn, leapt into the strangely plush interior of the compact automobile and stuck her card into the emergency ignition. She lost precious seconds waiting for the doors leading to the road to open, but knew she couldn't take chances with MEU equipment. When the door had elevated to the lowest necessary exit height, Masami sped out of the parking lot and down the road. </div> <bR> <div> She screamed out loud when she realized her error at taking a ground vehicle. MEU was a full 3 kilometers at least from the parking lot where the murder had taken place, and despite the late hour, the traffic was moving slowly, too slowly for her liking.</div> <bR> <div> She bowed her head in silent apology, and began to lay on the horn. Marilyn had a top speed of roughly 200 km/h, and she hoped to god she wouldn't have to use it.</div> <bR> <div> ***</div> <bR> <div> She wasn't sure how long it took, but when she finally arrived at the scene, she was dismayed to see several police cars barracading the entrance and exit to the parking lot. Flashing lights illuminated the entire parking lot, and the red light bounced off the blackened windows of the warehouse and a larger, mirrored building. Masami bit her lip as she pulled up to the entrance. A bored looking, slightly overweight police officer was leaning against the car that had been fishtailed across the road. </div> <bR> <div> Masami hit the button that lowered her window, and waited for the cop to approach her vehicle. </div> <bR> <div> He finally noticed her, and sauntered over. He bowed. "I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Ma'am, there's been a murder."</div> <bR> <div> Ikeda frowned. "I realize that, I need to get in.."</div> <bR> <div> "No one's getting in, not until we've gotten this cleared up."</div> <bR> <div> Ikeda shook her head, pulling out a laminated card. "MEU, sir, the body is evidence of a monster attack on Tokyo."</div> <bR> <div> He squinted at the card, taking it out of her hand. He appeared to be chewing something. </div> <bR> <div> "It's a stabbing, ma'am. I don't think there were any monsters involved."</div> <bR> <div> Masami's eyes widened. "Your speculation really has no place here, sir." Her voice was like ice.</div> <bR> <div> The cop frowned. "Oh yeah? Well, with all due respect, ma'am, I don't think your little agency has any place here, either."</div> <bR> <div> Ikeda stared at him in disbelief. He simply shrugged. "Besides, why are you here all by your lonesome? If this was really a big MEU emergency, wouldn't there be your little fighter planes all over the place?"</div> <bR> <div> "It's the simple act of collecting a body, there's no necessity for 'fighter planes'."</div> <bR> <div> He licked his lips, folding and unfolding her ID card. </div> <bR> <div> "We have to take the body into the coroner's. If you and your Monster fighting pals decide it's still a cause for alarm, you can take it up with the morgue in 48 hours."</div> <bR> <div> Ikeda gritted her teeth. This was no good. If what Moroboshi said WAS true, it was possible that this man didn't have a human anatomy, and there was no way they'd just hand over an alien body to MEU. The government would most likely get involved. </div> <bR> <div> Of course, Moroboshi could have set her up.. but why?</div> <bR> <div> She reached out, snatching her card from the cop. She rolled her window up and set the Marilyn into reverse, turning around and preparing to head back to MEU, when she suddenly saw a figure standing in the middle of the road, teetering slightly. She slowed down, cursing. </div> <bR> <div> "Damned kids.." , she muttered, assuming it was some drunk college student. She flashed her lights a couple times, hoping the idiot would get the message and get out of her path.</div> <bR> <div> Instead, however, it broke into a run, directly toward the Marilyn.</div> <bR> <div> And in the dim light of her headlamps, Ikeda realized it was no drunk college kid. It had long, fanglike teeth and large black wings.</div> <bR> <div> "Shit!," Masami exclaimed, frozen in place.</div> <bR> <div> *** </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 12: Touch the Sky... "><U>Chapter 12</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ultra Symphony"><U>Back</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>