A hot wind blew, across the plain.  Stirring up clouds of dust in the
distance, as the red sun shone over the destroyed city.  Tejina shaded her
eyes with her hand, and looked off into the distance.

    "So...that's it," she said.

    "Yes," Becky replied, walking over to stand beside her.  "The end."

    "I can't believe...they're all gone," Hanaki said, sniffling.  Keiko
gently embraced her.

    "Don't worry," Aki said, putting her hand on Hanaki's shoulder.  "The
world may have ended...the Apocalypse come and gone...but we'll rebuild.
Somehow.  Now...it's up to the six of us.  The six of us...and this vibrating
bed."

    Kireiko, lying on the bed and enjoying the sensation of its hardworking
motor, allowed himself a grin.

    Then the sky seemed to waver and swirl.  Kireiko blinked, and was suddenly
looking up at a bright, normal Tokyo afternoon.  He looked around and was
shocked to realize that the vibrations were due to the fact that he was being
carried along the street by a bunch of guys in black robes.

    "Hey...Hey!"  Kireiko squirmed and found that something was wrapped around
him, restricting his movements.  A chill hit him when he realized that his
demonic strength was absent from his limbs.

    Not only was he captured, he was human.

    "...Hey!  HEY!  Let me out!" Kireiko roared...or he would have, in his
demonic form.  As it was, he just sort of yelled.

    "whAt, awAkE alReADy, moRTaL?"  Something like a punch seemed to go right
through Kireiko's chest, and the world turned black again...

=====


                             DO-GOODERS

                   The Proactive Teen Superhero Team
                  With One X Somewhere In Their Title

                 A FanArt HQ / Spoof Chase ImproFanfic
                   http://pixelscapes.com/improfanfic

                   Episode Forty-se--er, six:
                Darkness!  Excess plot threads must die!

                 by John Evans (jevans@datablast.net)

                  Do-Gooders started by Stefan Gagne


=====

    "Hey."  Yumeki nudged the girl next to her.

    "What?" Yaki asked, scowling.

    "What do you think?"  She indicated the third member of their group,
walking ahead of them, with a slight shake of her head.

    "...What do you mean, what do I think?  She's like she always is."  Yaki
went back to staring at her feet.

    Yumeki looked at Mariko's back for a moment.  "...Do you think she'll snap
out of it...eventually?"

    Yaki snorted, prompting Mariko to turn and glare at them.  They looked
blankly back at her, and she resumed looking ahead, or wherever.  "No," Yaki
said, in a low voice.  "She always obsesses over things.  She's never given up
on anything, as long as I've known her."

    After a moment, Yumeki sighed.  "I was afraid of that."

    "This is stupid," Yaki muttered.

    "Yeah, I think so too," Yumeki said.  "...I'd offer to help her myself,
but..."

    "Oh, by all means, go ahead."  Yaki smirked.  "I'd like to see what she
does to you for even suggesting it."

    "...Hmmm...you sound kind of tense yourself, Yaki..."

    "Don't even THINK about it."

    "What the hell are you two babbling about?" Mariko said, halting to scowl
at them.  Kahi scampered up onto her shoulder to peer at them as well.

    "Obsessions," Yaki replied.

    Mariko blinked.  "What?"

    "Yumeki's obsession with sex," Yaki clarified.

    "Yaki's obsession with avoiding anything fun," Yumeki said, smirking.

    Mariko rolled her eyes.  "Look, I don't want to deal with this today,
okay?"

    "Well, you didn't *have* to listen," Yumeki said, sniffing.

    "Hatred..."  Mariko stepped toward Yumeki, eyes glittering.  Yumeki took a
step back, nervously...but suddenly a strange sound met the Sailors' ears.
It was a sound kind of like that of two dozen people stomping their feet and
slapping bowls of jello with fish, all at the same time.  Needless to say, the
three girls turned toward the source of the sound to see what was going on.

    They saw an everyday street intersection.  The sound was getting louder,
though, and after a moment a group of...beings appeared in the intersection,
running at quite a clip down a street parallel to the one the Sailors were on.
The group seemed to be composed of short guys in long black robes, and
monstrous (but cute) green humanoids, each with a woman's face painted on its
armor.  The monsters had formed a ring around the robed guys, who were
carrying...

    "Kireiko!" Yumeki exclaimed.

    Everyone stared at her.  "Who?" Mariko asked.

    "It's Kireiko!  It's this guy in my class!"

    Yaki snorted.  "A guy named 'Kireiko'?"

    Yumeki threw an annoyed glance at her.  "Shut up, Yaki, he's cool.  We
have to go save him!"

    Mariko frowned.  "We're not going to traipsing off just so you can indulge
your appetities, Hatred."

    "But you--" Yumeki managed to stop herself from bringing up Keiko just in
time, and tried a different tack.  "But you, uh, said we should try and defeat
these monsters so they won't interfere with our plans.  And...well, they look
pretty organized and everything.  So there's more of them."

    Yaki looked back and forth between Yumeki and Mariko, then stepped a bit
closer to the latter.  "It does seem like a good opportunity," she murmured.
"To clean out a whole nest of vermin.  Just presenting itself like this."
Mariko looked down for a moment, then looked back toward the intersection.
Yaki smiled as she noticed a bit of the old fire in her eyes.

    "What do you think, Cecil?" Yumeki knelt down to look at the red-eyed
rabbit.

    Cecil's eyes shifted back and forth quickly.  "Hmmm.  ...Yeah, go for it,
girls.  I got something else to do anyway, I think.  Just remember to pull out
if you're outmatched."  He glared up at Yumeki.  "You're still a rookie, kid,
so watch your ass."

    "Okay!"  Yumeki stood up and beamed.  "So...you coming, Mariko?  Yaki?"

    Mariko looked at the rabbit, then looked back at Yumeki, and sighed.  "Ah,
what the hell.  Lead on."

    The girls ran off.  Cecil looked back toward the intersection with a gleam
in his eye.

    "Any moment now..."

=====

    "Wait...(huff)  Ahh...you guys...wait up..."

    Tejina slowed to a walk and then stopped, looking back at Dragon Childe
with a frown.  "Why did they have to come along anyway?"

    "...Sorry, Tejina," Keiko said, panting and hanging off of Matsuro's arm.
"They always...follow me around, for some reason."  She closed her eyes and
leaned against Matsuro's shoulder.  Matsuro, who did not look the least bit
out of breath, reached over to brush some hair out of her face.

    "You should start a training program," Becky, or maybe BA-3, said.  "At
least an exercise regimen.  Even half an hour each day will greatly improve
cardiovascular performance."

    Koohii finally caught up to the group, and gave Becky a Look between
taking huge breaths.  "Give...hhhh...us a break," she wheezed.  "We're only a
couple weeks old."

    Most everyone gave her a standard 'You're weird' look.  One of those who
did not was Ayame.  "Wai!" Ayame waied.

    Tejina turned and blinked at her.  "Er...Ayame?  You okay?"

    "Yeah!"  Ayame beamed.  "I just feel so...full of energy, somehow!"  She
jumped up and down a couple of times.

    [I guess maybe she's remembering being forty or something,] Tejina said.
[Only now she's 17 or...whatever...darn it, I shouldn't be thinking about this
now.]  She turned to Hanaki, who was standing next to her.  "...Hanaki?  Are
you okay?"

    Hanaki looked up, and Tejina felt her stomach clench a little.  Hanaki's
eyes seemed very large, and were shining.  She looked like she was about to
cry.  Tejina put her arms around her and hugged.  "Don't worry...it'll be
okay, sis.  We'll find him."  She released her sister and looked in her eyes.

    Hanaki smiled, although wanly.  "...Thanks, Tej.  I...thanks."  She wiped
at her eyes.

    Tejina smiled back, then looked around again.  "Uh...so, is everyone ready
to continue?...hm.  Hey, minion?  Minion?  Yo..."  Tejina put her hand in the
line of sight between T-kun and Becky, and snapped her fingers.  "Hey!  You
there?"

    After a moment, the minion blinked, and then looked at her.  Then he
blushed.  "Um...yeah?"

    "Where are the other minions?" Tejina asked, trying hard not to think
about the implications of the look he'd been giving Becky.

    "...Oh!  Uh...well, the Quake Camper, he can't really run that fast."
T-kun rubbed the back of his head.  "You know, his pack and all.  And, well,
the Blank Psychic...he was beaten up by the monsters.  Don't worry, though,"
he said quickly, "he's used to it."

    "...yeah," Tejina said.  "So it's just you, then?"

    "Yeah, I guess so.  But I'll do my best to protect B--...protect Aki!
Yeah."  He blushed some more.  Tejina looked at Aki, who rolled her eyes and
smiled ruefully.  Tejina grinned back.

    "So...I guess that's everyone.  We all rested up now?"  There were nods
and words of assent all around.  "All right then," Tejina said.  "Becky, can
you still see the trail?"

    "Look for yourself, Tejina," Becky said.  Tejina followed her gesture and
noticed a four-meter-wide path of greenish ooze spread along the street.

    Tejina felt a sweatdrop break out on her head.

=====

    Daichi sat with his elbows on his desk, massaging his temples.  There was
a knock at the door.  He sighed.  "Yes...come in."

    Hanko gently opened the door, slipped inside, and closed it behind her.
"Um...Daichi-san?"

    Daichi dropped his arms to the desk and blinked blearily at his fellow
Seal.  "What is it, Hanko?"

    Hanko looked down, and then looked up again.  "Um, well...I was just sort
of wondering, like...what should I be doing now?"

    Daichi rubbed his chin and stared off into space.  "You know...that's a
good question.  And it deserves a good answer."

    Hanko blinked.  "...Huh?"

    Daichi sighed again.  "Well, Seiryuu doesn't seem to want us to do much of
anything.  Yoshimichi's going insane trying to figure out if there were any
*real* prophecies, Hasami's working at the salon as always, and Gary...hell,
I don't know what Gary's doing, and I don't want to either."  He focused on
her again.  "Then there's that kid you found."

    "He works for this, uh, overlord guy or something," Hanko said.

    "Really?  Good for him.  I wish I had a job like that at his age.  Anyway,
as for me..."

    "...Yes?"

    Daichi stood up, reached behind his desk, and pulled up a duffel bag.  He
put his arm on one side of his desk and with one long motion, swept everything
off into the bag.  He then zipped the bag closed and slung it over his
shoulder.

    "I'm going on vacation."

    Hanko blinked.  She blinked again as her fellow Seal walked out the door.
"W...wait!  What should I be doing then?" she called after him.

    "Whatever you want," the answer came back.  "Just be sure to lock up the
office when you leave.  You've got my beeper number if anything important
happens."

    Hanko stood in the office and just sort of stared for a few minutes.

=====

    There was a knock at the door.  Brother Taro sighed, got up from the game
of Go Fish he was playing with the other cultists, and walked over to the
door.

    "Who is it?" he called, idly wondering why they didn't have a peephole.
Then again, having a door in a sewer was something unusual in itself...

    "Avon calling!"

    "Hey, all right."  He unlocked the door.  "I think His Eminence is running
out of moisturizers..."  Taro opened the door and was treated to a very close
view of a fast-moving foot.

    "Intruders!"  The cultists quickly abandoned their card game and rushed
forward to meet Aika's furious attack.

    Yoi Maeda walked through the door, surveying the scene with raised
eyebrows.  "She's quite skilled."

    "Indeed she is," Wataru replied, ducking a thrown cultist.  "Come on."  He
gestured behind, and Maeda fell into step behind him, followed closely by
three tall, black...things.

=====

    The warrior sheathed his sword, then stood for a moment.  He took one
look, a last look around the room...then walked to the door.  As he reached
for the doorknob, a hand suddenly grasped his.  He looked up into her eyes...

    "Wait!  Where are you going?"

    He sighed.  "I'm sorry, my dear...but I have to leave.  I must return to
my own world.  The search for the last fragment of the Stone of Time is yet
incomplete."

    "Then take me with you!"

    The warrior shook his head.  "I cannot.  You belong to this world.  You
have a son, a life--"

    "No I don't.  I'm dead.  And Karen can handle Matsuro's visions."

    He looked deep into her eyes.  "...You would really..."

    "Of course, Elric."  Akemi smiled translucently at him.  "What we've had
means at least that much to me."

    Elric stood gravely for a moment, then inclined his head.  "As you wish,
then.  Come..."

    And they were gone.

=====

    "ahhh!  excellent, excellent!  finally, you did something right, maynard!"


    Kireiko heard some muttering.  He opened his eyes and blinked, trying to
focus his sight.  For a moment he thought he'd gone blind, but then he
realized it was just really dark.  He looked around, wrinkling his nose.

    "Man, what a sewer."

    "ThE morTAl'S awAKE AgAin."

    "doesn't matter at this point.  come, bring him to meet the Master's
bride."

    Kireiko looked around some more, blinking, and was able to make out a few
shapes shuffling toward him.  A few experimental struggles revealed that he
was still bound.  However, as the rippling motions of the probably-not-human
cultists as they carried him had a kind of gentle chiropractic effect on his
spine, he decided to keep quiet and see what would happen.

    After a few moments he was carried into a large and well-lighted room.
Relatively speaking.  "behold!" the slithering creature next to him gurgled.
"the bride of the Master!"  Seated at a table was a pretty middle-aged woman
in surprisingly clean clothes.  She set down a book and looked inquisitvely up
at Kireiko.

    Kireiko gaped.  "Hey...I know you!"

    She smiled.  "Yes, I'm Jodi Foster."

    "Yeah...you were in that movie with the guy, in the mask!  I loved that
one!"

    Jodi Foster rolled her eyes.  "Oh, great.  They always remember the serial
killer..."

    "'I ate his liver, with some chianti.  Thhhhhhp!'"  Kireiko started to
laugh at his own wit.

    Jodi Foster sighed.  "Who is this kid, anyway?"

    "he is to be the host body of Great Cthulhu," His Eminence intoned.

    The actress blinked.  "So...hm.  I'm supposed to marry him?"

    "yes."

    Jodi Foster rubbed her chin.  "This might not be as bad as I thought."

    "Wa, wait," Kireiko said, finally managing to stop laughing.  "Host body?
Marriage?  What are you talking about?"

    "you'll soon find out.  strap him down to the altar."

    "Altar?  What altar?"  Kireiko looked around and saw a large block of
stone further into the room, jutting out of the floor.  It lay almost flat,
and manacles were attached to the sides in suggestive positions.  A long
groove ran down the surface, leading to a hollow in the floor that had been
stained black by...something.

    "...Oh...*that* altar."

=====

    Baron Stagner von Carrlson took a sip from his tea, then set the cup
carefully on the table...and looked across at his companion.

    "Now...just to be sure.  You're certain you know what to do?"

    Spike ran a hand through his hair, and grimaced.  "Yeah, whatever," he
grunted.

    "Good."  The Baron's eyes flashed.  "There have been too many mistakes
already.  My patience is getting...thin."

    Spike shuddered, in spite of himself.

=====

    "Hey...you guys really don't want to sacrifice me," Kireiko said, eyeing
Brother Maynard.

    "ShUt uP," Maynard said, and continued to paint runes on Kireiko's body
with glowing green slime.

    "No, I mean...aren't you supposed to sacrifice, like, a female virgin?" he
continued, struggling.  "I'm neither!"

    "YoU haVe yOuR sToRY WrONg," Maynard supplied.

    "C'mon," Kireiko almost yelped.  "I'm not anybody special, really!"

    His Eminence turned from his conversation with Jodi Foster.  "our Master,
the Great Cthulhu, requires a host body that is both mortal and supernatural,
that his presence may be better felt upon this planet of yours."

    "...oh," Kireiko said after a moment.

    "so you see, you are quite suitable.  almost perfect, one could say."  The
inhuman cultists' chuckling was suddenly cut off by a crash somewhere off in
the distance.

    "wHaT was ThAT?" Maynard demanded, rounding on the doorway.

    "Your Eminence!" Brother Knoll cried, running into the room.  "We're being
attacked!"

    "attacked?  by whom?"

    "There seem to be two groups," Knoll wheezed.  "Two men and a woman are
commanding three black...creatures, like nothing I'd ever seen before.
...Except during that one ritual that went wrong last month, you remember--"

    "IT cAN oNlY Be ShuB-NiGGurAtH!" Maynard roared.  "tHaT tReAChErOUs GoAT!"

    "And the other group," the one human cultist in the room continued, "I
think is a few of those girls that keep giving us trouble."  He gulped for
air.  "It was hard to find out what was going on exactly...but I think there
was one that had this strange multicolored uniform, and one that was all
bright and shining."

    The higher-ups exchanged glances, and Kireiko felt relief wash over him.
The Do-Gooders were here to save him!  ...Not that he ever doubted them, of
course.  And he probably would have broken out without their help, soon...

    "It mUsT be tHE LiGHt of ThE WoRLd!" Maynard said.

    "what?  the light of the world?  where--damn.  all right, all right,
everyone calm down."  His Eminence drew himself to his full five feet and
began to gesture to people.  "knoll, awaken the Hello Cthulhu and give them
the items in the fifth storage room.  you, keep preparing the host for the
ritual.  maynard, tell me when you heard about the light of the world."

    "What should I do?" Jodi Foster asked.

    "don't worry, miss foster, just sit here and we'll protect you.  maynard!
get back here and answer my question!"

    Maynard stopped attempting to sneak out of the room and looked around
shiftily.  "WeLl...I hAd A smAllEr spiRiT SPy on ShuB-NiGGuRAth..."

    Kireiko felt sweat break out on his brow as something in a long black robe
walked over to the altar he was lying on.  He noticed green points of glowing
light shining from under the figure's hood.  He hoped the points of light
weren't eyes, because there were five of them.  "...Uh...hey there," he said.

    The figure found the luminescent paint and continued painting.

    "...uh...say, it's hot in here," Kireiko said.  "Could you loosen my
shirt?"

    The figure continued painting.

    "...Wouldn't do for the host body of Great, uh, Cthulu to be all sweaty,
would it?"

    "Cthulhu," the figure intoned.

    "...yeah, him," Kireiko said weakly.

    The figure continued painting.

    Kireiko looked around frantically.  The other cultists were still talking.
"fool!" His Eminence was saying.  "once the light of the world is doused, the
end times will come immediately!  you should have informed me of this!"

    "...aNd ShuB-NiGGuRatH alReAdY hAs ThoSE dAmNeD ofFICe WomEn," Maynard
muttered.  The two turned to look at Kireiko.

    "exactly.  we cannot let her be destroyed until Great Cthulhu is
incarnated on this planet."

    "VeRY WeLl.  i ShAll mAkE SuRE sHe iS kePT SAfe."  Maynard started to
stride toward the door, but His Eminence leapt into the air and smacked him on
what was probably his head.

    "you'd better watch your ass, maynard."

    Brother Maynard shuffled into the hall, muttering.  His Eminence followed
close behind, leaving Kireiko alone with a few random inhuman cultists, and
Jodi Foster.

    Kireiko cleared his throat.  "Uh...Hi, um, Ms. Foster."  Jodi Foster
smiled at him.  "...I don't suppose you could use your, um...pull, to get me
out of here?"

    "Sorry," the actress replied, "that's not in my contract."

    Kireiko blinked...then lay back and stared at the ceiling.

    Suddenly there was an explosion, and he raised his head hopefully, to
see--

    "Kireiko!"

    Kireiko gaped.  "...uh...Yumeki?"

    "You're safe!"  Yumeki bounced into the room, followed closely by a girl
in a blindingly white magical girl fuku (that had somehow, probably by magic,
managed to stay completely clean even in the sewer).

    "...Yeah, hi," Kireiko said.  His gaze flicked back and forth between the
two girls.  The white one was casting imperious glances over the whole room,
while Yumeki seemed to be looking at the manacles holding him with...[No, I
must have imagined that,] Kireiko thought.  "What...what are you doing here,
Yumeki?" he asked.

    "Oh, I saw you being carried away by those awful monsters, and I just had
to do something!  So I got my friend Sailor Light to help!"  She beamed.

    Kireiko gaped.  "Sailor Light?"

    "Yeah!"  Yumeki leaned over the altar and touched Kireiko's face.  "Are
you all right?"

    [Okay, maybe I didn't...]  "Y-yeah, so far," Kireiko said.

    "Good!  Now let me see if I can..."  She started fiddling with one of the
manacles, but suddenly there was another explosion.

    "there they are!"

    Sailor Light screamed wordlessly, and thrust her hand toward the doorway.
A beam of blinding light blasted out and struck a robed thing, which fell to
the floor with a screech, darkness spewing from it.  The magical girl yelled
again, an insane battle cry, and another bolt of light manifested.  Maynard
dove through the doorway in a strangely nimble roll, passing under the attack,
and it struck His Eminence and split into shards that sizzled against the
walls.

    "foolish mortals!  Ia Cthulhu Fhtagn!"  His Eminence gestured and the
lights in the underground room seemed to dim.  Sailor Light staggered, but
still managed to fend off a charge from Maynard with a vicious axe kick.

    "We've bit off more than we can chew!" the magical girl yelled.  "We have
to get out of here, Ha--Yumeki!"

    "No!  We can't leave him here!" Yumeki cried.

    "We can, we will, we did!"  Sailor Light grabbed Yumeki by the arm and
practically hurled her toward the far door.

    "Sorry Kireiko!" the cry floated back.  Kireiko stared as they went.

    "...well.  that was interesting," His Eminence said.  "these girls seem to
multiply like flies.  no, don't bother, maynard," he said as the cultist was
about to pursue the girls.  "they're not important at the moment.  continue
the ritual."

    "bUt YouR EmINEnCe--"

    "silence!  ...once the ritual is complete, we shall have ample opportunity
to take care of loose ends.  now see to it!  i shall secure the perimeter."
he stalked out of the room.  Maynard, muttering, walked over to Kireiko.
Kireiko couldn't think of anything to say as the cultist drew a curved knife
from somewhere within its robes.

    "...Are you sure this is all really necessary?" Jodi Foster asked.

    "KiSS mY AsS, hUMan."

=====

    Maeda wiped his brow.

    "I think we should leave," he said.

    Wataru turned to him with a raised eyebrow.  "Scared?"

    Maeda glared.  "We're outnumbered and on their home turf, no matter how
powerful the Dark Young are.  We've learned much about their forces, valuable
information for further assaults.  We should leave."

    Wataru looked across the sewer corridor at Aika, who was leaning against a
wall, holding her side and breathing heavily.  Sounds of monstrous conflict
came from further down the hall.

    "Perhaps you're right," he said.  "All right...you tell Aika.  I'll--"

    "About time you got here!" a young feminine voice yelled, somewhere in the
distance.

    Both men turned to look in the other direction.  "...Did you recognize
that voice?" Wataru asked.

    "No."

    "Neither did I.  Hmmm..."  Wataru frowned.  "All right, you check it out
while I round up our...'followers'."

    "No problem," Maeda said, and began to walk toward the intersection the
sound had come from.  He would rather investigate mysterious feminine voices
than interact with Shub-Niggurath's monsters *or* Aika...

    The former Darkverse general got to the intersection, and edged quietly
along the wall...then took a quick glance around the corner.

    And stared.

    Three girls, in white, multicolor, and brown and gray uniforms...

    Maeda quickly slipped back away from the intersection.  After a few deep
breaths, he began to walk back to his companions.

    "...Here," he muttered.  "Those three...who would have thought *they'd*
come back too?"

=====

    "at last.  the preparations are complete."  His Eminence walked toward
Kireiko.  "take your places, my fellow worshippers.  tonight we witness the
rebirth of our god!"

    [Okay,] Kireiko thought.  [This is the part when the heroes always come
rushing in to save their friend...]

    His Eminence began to chant in a low, inhuman voice, words never in any
human language.

    [Yeah, any moment now...]

    The room begin to swirl, and glow.  Kireiko started to feel nauseous.

    [...We are the heroes, right?  I mean, the Do-Gooders are...]

    His Eminence's knife began to bleed green sparks.  The light crawled over
Kireiko's body, making him feel unclean and itchy.

    [...I guess I haven't been 'good' myself...okay...so I am a demon, it's
not my fault...why can't I enjoy it?]

    For some reason the words seemed to be starting to make sense to Kireiko.
It seemed like if he listend just a little closer...Suddenly he jerked and
struggled in his bonds as the itching became unbearable.

    [...No...even if I am the most suitable...I don't want...]

    "iT'S WoRKinG!"

    "JOYFUL CLEANSING LIGHT!"

    White light flared, and the room spun crazily.  Kireiko lay on the slab,
blinking, trying to focus.  Chaotic sounds and images whirled across his
senses.  For some reason it felt like he was floating...or standing...upright?
He realized he *was* standing.  Then his vision focused a little, and his
balance returned...and Kireiko realized he was being held up by Matsuro and
Scotch.  And right in front of him was a wild purple blur...

    "Kireiko!  Kireiko!  Kireiko, come on!  Please answer me!"

    Kireiko blinked a final time, and the world made sense again.  Hanaki was
in front of him, and she was crying...

    "H...hey," Kireiko rasped, and was immediately rewarded with a powerful
tackle-hug.  "...uh...hey, babe," he said weakly, then grimaced at the taste
in his mouth.

    "Kireiko!  I was so worried...are you all right?  What did they do to
you?"  Hanaki released him and held his face in her hands, looking into his
eyes.

    "Um..."  Kireiko swallowed.  "I, uh...there was this big, occult ritual."
Kireiko coughed, and cleared his throat.  "They were doing all these...weird,
evil things.  I guess.  But I, uh, I'm better now."  He smiled, or tried to.
"Or, I will be.  Uh..."  He looked around, and saw Tejina, Becky, Keiko, Aki,
Ayame, Koohii, Mermaid and one of Villyn's minions looking at him with
concern.  "...Gee, I got everyone all worked up.  Wow, I feel special."  He
attemped a grin, and mostly succeeded.

    Tejina sighed, and rolled her eyes.  "Okay, if he can say stuff like that,
he's feeling better."

    "Hey...I appreciate all your help, really."  Kireiko grinned at everyone.
"But I had it all in hand, really."  Matsuro chose that moment to stop
supporting him, and Kireiko fell almost to the ground.  "...urk!...okay, maybe
not.  But I'm okay now."

    The tension seemed to drain away, and Becky even giggled a little.  Keiko
looked around the sewer.  "Well, we should really be getting out of here.  The
Cthulhu people may be coming back."

    "I agree," Aki said.  "And this place is kind of...icky."  She shuddered.

    "Speaking of which," Koohii said, "you've got some rather strange fluids
painted on you there."

    "Kireiko...are you really okay?" Tejina asked.

    Kireiko ran a hand through his hair.  "Just need a bath."  He grinned, and
looked around.  "All right...'let's blow this joint'!"

=====

    Keiko walked up to her door, sighed, and turned around.

    Koohii, Scotch and Mermaid smiled back at her.

    "Are you *sure* you don't have anywhere else you can go?" she asked.

    They shook their heads, still smiling.

    She sighed again.  "All right, come on..."

    None of them noticed the red glowing eyes watching them enter the house.

=====

    Koji watched Becky walk down the street, and sighed.  He idly twirled a
flower in his fingers...then blinked and looked down.  Upon seeing the
dandelion, he frowned, threw it to the side, and turned to stomp off...but
nearly collided with an old man.

    "Oh!  I'm terribly sorry," he said, backing up.

    "No, it's quite all..."  Koji blinked as the man trailed off.  He took a
closer look and saw a pair of bushy eyebrows poking out from under a hat.

    "It's you!" Chiang exclaimed.

    "...What?  Me?  I'm not--"  Suddenly there was a flash, and Koji held his
head...memories...

    "This is incredible!  Here, come with me, lad--"

    "No!"  Koji stumbled backward.  "I don't want..."

    "Please."  Koji blinked and looked up to see Chiang smiling sadly.  "I bet
you have a lot of questions...about what happened all that time ago."  Koji
stared, and Chiang continued.  "It's over with, but it still affects us.  Come
on, and I'll explain."  He took hold of Koji's arm, and led him away...

=====

    "Dammit!  Where is this wire supposed to go?  You'd think a phone would be
simple, people seem to use them all the time..."

=====

    Matsuro closed the door.  "I'm home."

    "Matsuro."  Matsuro walked into the kitchen and found his aunt Itako
sitting at the table.

    "Where's Mom?"

    "She went off...with that white guy."

    "Oh, really?" Matsuro took of his coat and tossed it on a chair.  "On a
date?"

    Itako shook her head.  "On a quest.  They may not be back for a while.  In
fact, I'm pretty sure they won't."

    Matsuro stopped, and stood still.

    He jumped into the air.  He shouted with joy.  He did a layup with Aunt
Itako's head into a hoop which materialized over the sink.

    At least, in his mind he did.

    "How nice," Matsuro said.  "I guess even dead people can have a life."

    Matsuro went into his room and had a hallucination, but didn't mind that
much.

=====

    Aki closed the door.  "I'm home..."  She took off her shoes.  Those
cultists were definitely some of the nastier enemies they faced.  They were
so...slimy.  Her father, the Queen, all their minions...they all had good
hygiene.  Fortunately, her magical uniform seemed to clean itself...

    Aki blinked.  Had she heard...

    After a moment of thought, Aki finished putting on her shoes, making sure
to make some noise doing so.  Then she rummaged in the closet for a minute,
and stomped toward the staircase.

    Then she stuck her head in the living room, and saw her father and the
Queen sitting on the couch, looking just a little dishevelled.  They smiled at
her.  "How was your day, dear?" her father asked.

    "Same old, same old," she said.  "I'm going to take a bath."

    "Go ahead, dear."

    "Okay."  She walked to the stairs, and climbed them.  Then at the top, she
paused for a moment.

    "I know your bedroom has a door you can actually *close*, Daddy," she
called down, and went into her room.

=====

    Kireiko closed the door behind him, and sighed.  "I'm home...huh?  Hm..."
He walked over to the kitchen table and found a note.

    "Dear-
         Going out for a while.  Will be back around 9.  Pizza in fridge.
         Love you.
                                          -Mom and Dad"

    "Huh."  Kireiko took a step toward the fridge, then grimaced and walked to
his room.  Closing the door behind him, he took off his jacket and shirt, and
exhaled.

    Then he looked down and saw the tentacles.

    "Awwww......crAp."

=====

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?

Find out when Steven Scougall writes next week's episode of Do-Gooders.

Author's Note

Well, a short chapter 'cause I was pressed for time, but still a worthy
effort, I think.

I would like to thank Steven Scougall, Jonatan Streith, David Menendez, Philip
Barkow and basically the entire DGML for contributing ideas and discussing
plots.  I couldn't have done it without you, guys.

John Evans
jevans@datablast.net

Beware the Radish