A teaser from chapter two...

[Bob Schroeck]

As Jadeite's face went down, my knee came up, and something that 
didn't belong to me made a nasty crunching sound.  "How's *that* 
for ineffective, asshole?" I snarled as he cried out and fell to 
the gravel surface of the roof.  I dropped into a ready stance as 
he got to his hands and knees, then wiped one of his fancy white 
gloves across his face.  It came back smeared with blood.

"Who... dares...?" he growled around the pain.

I leaned in toward him, careful to stay out of arm's reach and
with my mage senses wide open in case he tried something magical.
"I'm the Loon," I sing-songed at him, "Ready for fun!  I wear a 
smile!"  My voice dropped to a slow rasp.  "Everybody run."
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Black Aeronaut]

.... Have you been watching Heathe Ledger's Joker again, Bob?

[Bob Schroeck]

Heh.  More like Twin Peaks.  Unfortunately for Jadeite, he just triggered Doug's "Papa Wolf" mode by demonstrating a) that he's hostile and b) he can ignore Usagi's sole attack.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[DHBirr]

What he did to Jadeite reminded me of one of the early fight scenes in Shane (the book, not the movie), although I seem to recall that Shane used the flat of his hand (and raking his fingers over the victim's face) rather than his knee.  I believe a witness stated that the fellow's face looked afterward as if a horse had stomped it; that was exaggeration, of course, since he was alive and not permanently crippled, but still....

In a bit of weird free-association, Doug's "I'm the Loon!" triggered in my mind:  "Bird bird bird, bird is the word...."
-----
Big Brother is watching you.  And damn, you are so bloody BORING.

[Star Ranger4]

Hmm.  Having not bothered with twin peaks in either incarnation, I have to admit I though of Heath's joker too.

On the plus side, this gives a multi-culturable base that means all should get the right vibe regardless.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children

[Black Aeronaut]

What I love about this is that the Shitenyo are supposed to be some of the scariest motherfuckers in Sailor Moon cannon.  But Doug is about to prove he's a far scarier person than they can ever hope to be.

Beautiful!  

[Herr Bad Moon]

Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!
---
Jon
"And that must have caused my dad's brain to break in half, replaced by a purely mechanical engine of revenge!"

[Bob Schroeck]

Ha!
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

Leaving me wondering what they were like before Beryl corrupted them ... or did Endymion just have pathetic judgment when it came to picking subordinates for positions of trust?

On reflection, I suspect the backstabbing is a symptom of the corruption.  

In chapter one, Beryl notes that there were four great nations comprising the polity of Earth during the Silver Millennium.  Each of the generals came from one of those nations  -- equal representation.  I imagine that there had been a friendly rivalry between the four which the corruption then turned into something far more serious and malicious.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

At least in Jadeite's case, I'm not entirely sure the reputation is deserved -- as Dungeon Keeper Ami points out, his specialization seems to be mostly illusions.  Admittedly huge, often solid illusions, which I'm going to use to justify various attacks and defenses, but still...  
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

To use video game parlance, Jadeite was the first of the mid-bosses. One would expect him to be the weakest of the four if one is genre savvy.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

In that case, one would wonder why he was assigned to the region with the only active opposition to the Dark Kingdom's plans -- unless none of the other generals wanted to take the blame for any failures caused by Sailor V and shoved the problem position off on him.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

Which is quite possible - canon portrayals certainly made them look like a back-stabbing bunch (the Zoicite and Nephrite relationship excepted).
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[DHBirr]

Which is quite possible - canon portrayals certainly made them look like a back-stabbing bunch (the Zoicite and Nephrite relationship excepted).

Leaving me wondering what they were like before Beryl corrupted them ... or did Endymion just have pathetic judgment when it came to picking subordinates for positions of trust?
-----
Big Brother is watching you.  And damn, you are so bloody BORING.

[robkelk]

Which is quite possible - canon portrayals certainly made them look like a back-stabbing bunch (the Zoicite and Nephrite relationship excepted).

Leaving me wondering what they were like before Beryl corrupted them ... or did Endymion just have pathetic judgment when it came to picking subordinates for positions of trust?

To be fair, ten millennia of confinement probably doesn't do much to develop the finer points of the human psyche. (I'm just guessing here, of course.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Unlike the rank and file, who were honed by pitting them against each other, the Generals probably lost a fair amount of their edge with only each other to bounce off of.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[itsune9tl]

As Jadeite's face went down, my knee came up, and something that 
didn't belong to me made a nasty crunching sound.  "How's *that* 
for ineffective, asshole?" I snarled as he cried out and fell to 
the gravel surface of the roof.  I dropped into a ready stance as 
he got to his hands and knees, then wiped one of his fancy white 
gloves across his face.  It came back smeared with blood.

"Who... dares...?" he growled around the pain.

I leaned in toward him, careful to stay out of arm's reach and
with my mage senses wide open in case he tried something magical.
"I'm the Loon," I sing-songed at him, "Ready for fun!  I wear a 
smile!"  My voice dropped to a slow rasp.  "Everybody run."

I'd say I was sorry, but I'm not.

Any thing I write here may be used for content, unless used for personal gain,
or used against the Grand Duchy of Fenewick.
--
Never trust the Spell Checker, that correctly spelled word may not be the one you aimed for.

[Bob Schroeck]

Heh.  Actually, more like this...



-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Black Aeronaut]

I find it amusing (somewhat darkly so) that the name of the 'parasite' is Bob...

... And here you are, Bob, writing out that line for Doug to speak.  Hah!

[itsune9tl]

Heh.  Actually, more like this...

> /Snip<

I was thinking more of a Volcal trip by Doug's helmet, making every body run faster....Any thing I write here may be used for content, unless used for personal gain,
or used against the Grand Duchy of Fenewick.
--
Never trust the Spell Checker, that correctly spelled word may not be the one you aimed for.

[Bob Schroeck]

Note to self:  Stop posting teaser material within a month of writing it, because you will come up with something that fits that scene better after you parade it in front of everyone.

Yes, that means this little passage has been replaced in the fight from episode 3.  It's not deleted, it's just been dropped into Chapter 3 without a specific location yet.-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Jorlem]

Leaving me wondering what they were like before Beryl corrupted them ... or did Endymion just have pathetic judgment when it came to picking subordinates for positions of trust?

On reflection, I suspect the backstabbing is a symptom of the corruption.  

In chapter one, Beryl notes that there were four great nations comprising the polity of Earth during the Silver Millennium.  Each of the generals came from one of those nations  -- equal representation.  I imagine that there had been a friendly rivalry between the four which the corruption then turned into something far more serious and malicious.

Perhaps he came from the nation that was where Japan is in the modern era, and that's why he was assigned to it?-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia

[Bob Schroeck]

Entirely plausible.  And maybe Nephrite came from what's now North America, which is why he masqueraded as a rich jerk with a fancy car.  <grin>-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.