Episode 8 Synopsis
The Marksman
(Original Airdate: March 19, 2000)
Kuuga hits the ground, still plagued by the swarming sounds and images, as Me Bajis Ba looks down from the top of the tower. He mutters pontifically "cho gu gi gu bas, ko gu za ba," then swoops down on Kuuga to resume his attack. Upon landing, however, he sees that his arm-needle is not yet long enough to fire, and so he decides that Kuuga's demise can wait. He flies off. Kuuga, overwhelmed by the in-rush of information, reverts to Growing Form, and the sounds and images slowly recede. Just then Ichijou arrives on the scene to find Yuusuke sprawled on the pavement.
Opening Credits
Sakurako is leaving a temple when Ichijou calls her on her cell phone. Ichijou apologizes for interrupting, but before he can complete his apology, Yuusuke grabs the phone:
Yuusuke: "Sakurako, I turned green! This time I turned green! I heard all these noises and all kinds of images were flashing in front of me!" Ichijou attempts to wrest the phone from Yuusuke, who is extremely excited. Ichijou confirms Yuusuke's assertions to Sakurako, and asks her if she has any information on a Green Warrior, or a Warrior that can fly. She tells him she hasn’t yet. He pauses for a moment, then asks her if she's outside. She says that she has just learned that Mika has gone missing, and is out looking for her. She excuses herself, and hangs up. Ichijou tells Yuusuke he needs to get checked out to make sure he's all right.
Meanwhile, back in the museum the Grongi's are gathered again. The rose girl (named in the credits as "bara no tatu no onna [the woman with the rose tattoo]") asks how things went. Me Bajis Ba shows her the bracelets, and indicates that Xu Gouma Gu fouled up his efforts. Rose knocks Xu Gouma Gu to the floor, obviously upset with him. She reassigns Me Bajis Ba to get more hits. Me Bajis Ba gladly accepts. He indicates with one bracelet that he'll get one human (the Grongi term is "Lynt"), and with the other he indicates Kuuga.
Tsubaki and Yuusuke are in the laboratory looking at X-rays of Yuusuke. Yuusuke tells Tsubaki about his experiences in Pegasus Form, how he heard and saw everything so intensely. Tsubaki says that as Kuuga, Yuusuke consumed a massive amount of energy,which is why Kuuga switched back to Growing Form after only a short period of time. He says the stone in the belt, as shown in the X-ray, has lost much of its brilliance. Yuusuke’s nerves were taxed to their limit. Tsubaki guesses that if Yuusuke can learn to concentrate in this state, he should be able to see or hear clearly things at a very great distance, but warns him to wait at least two hours between transforming again. Ichijou finishes up his phone conversation, and Yuusuke asks him what's up. Ichijou tells him that Mika is missing. He says that she called the police earlier and told her she believed she would be the next target.
Mika waits on the platform for the Yokosuka line at Shinagawa station, headed south for the shore.
Tsubaki and Ichijou are concerned, but Yuusuke, confident as ever, tells them even though he can't transform yet, they should leave the girl to him. Ichijou reluctantly sends Yuusuke on his way.
At the Porepore, Oya-san (boss) calls Sakurako and asks her if Yuusuke is there. "No," she says. Oya-san: "Where did that rascal get off to now? This is really no good. Do you know someone who might be able to help out here?" he asks, then begins to tell her about his new Fijian menu, but she excuses herself, saying she has work to do. She hangs up, and he seems a little put out. "’Work’, huh. Well, I better get to ‘work’ on the laundry…" He walks off as a customer walks in the door.
Sakurako, Mrs. Natsume, and John are waiting in the office when they hear footsteps coming up the stairs. They are expecting to see Mika, but instead it is Yuusuke who thunders in. Going over to Mrs. Natsume, he ask her if Mika is really considering suicide, then reassures her that he himself will go and find her. He gives her the thumb's-up. Sakurako attempts to ask him a question, but he cuts her off and tells her to keep looking for information on the "Green Warrior" form of Kuuga. "Okay," she says, even though he’s already left. "You came all this way just to ask me that?" she mutters.
Ichijou and Dr. Enokida are discussing the Number 14 situation. Ichijou says that just when they had figured out its attack pattern, it went and changed it. "I wish there was some reliable way to track it," he says. Dr. Enokida has good news. She presents him with a device which she had developed to track Number 3’s high-frequency signals. "That buzzing sound Yuusuke mentioned," says Ichijou. Dr. Enokida cautions Ichijou that Number 14 moves extremely fast so the equipment won’t be entirely accurate. "I just need it to get close," he says. As Ichijou is leaving, she tells him that she’s worked out the smoke problem they encountered with Number 6, and is working on a weapon to take advantage of this.
Mika waits at a bus stop down by the shore (somewhere between Kamakura and Kurihama), looking sad and pensive. A bus pulls up, and she gets on.
Break
Sakurako is working on the breakout for the Green Warrior, while John apologizes to Mrs. Natsume, assuming blame for Mika's actions. Sakurako reassures him that it is not so, and since Yuusuke is on the case, everything will be fine.
Yuusuke heads towards the shore on the Trychaser.
Ichijou has Me Bajis Ba's signal locked, and follows him to a parking lot where a mother and daughter are readying to leave in their van. However, the van won't start, so the mother goes to check under the hood. As she does so, Me Bajis Ba draws closer, preparing his weapon. Just as he is ready to fire Ichijou screeches onto the scene, nearly ramming the woman's van. He jumps out and grabs the two, knocking them to the ground and out of harm's way, and at that same moment Me Bajis Ba's needle blasts into the asphalt where the woman was standing only a moment before. Ichijou asks them if they're alright, and when they say "yes," he grabs them again and takes them under a nearby tree for cover, all the while scanning the sky for the source of the attack. His phone rings, and it's Sakurako on the other end.
"I haven’t found out about a green warrior or a flying warrior, but I have something which I think might be relevant." The line reads: "If the evil can be perceived even from a great distance, the warrior will shoot it down like a whirlwind." "’The warrior will shoot it down…’" ponders Ichijou.
Mika walks up to a set of train tracks just as a local train is preparing to pass. She looks as if she may be making a very serious decision. But the train passes without incident.
Yuusuke hits the beach looking for Mika, but doesn't see her. Meanwhile, high overhead Me Bajis Ba has spotted Kuuga.
Ichijou hits the siren, having tracked Me Bajis Ba to the shoreline. He attempts to contact Yuusuke to let him know, but Yuusuke is away from the bike at that moment, and so he misses the message.
Mika stands on the shore, looking lonely. She flashes back to when she and her father visited the very same beach. She remembers him telling her that long ago people used to make necklaces out of the seashells on the beach, just like the one he made for her. "Does it matter if one person dies?" she wonders. Her vision disappears. "What do I do now, father?" she says. "What will you do?" asks Yuusuke, who has found her and is stand a few feet away. "It’s too cold to go swimming." She’s puzzled at Yuusuke’s presence. "Do you think I can make this skip 7 times" he asks. "That’s impossible," she replies despairingly. Unperturbed, he picks up a stone and throws it. It skips numerous times before sinking. "You can do it, if only you believe in yourself," he says. "I know you have a good future. I’m sure your father is watching you, eager to see what happens."
Overhead, Me Bajis Ba closes in on his next two targets.
Ichijou, still tracking Me Bajis Ba, is concerned for Yuusuke's safety, when he suddenly sees them on the beach. He then realizes that they are next on the hit list. He scrambles from his car and rushes to warn Yuusuke, telling him that he's the next target. Yuusuke calls out the belt and yells "Henshin!" In a rush of wind and sand he transforms into Pegasus form, who holds the power of the wind. Ichijou, remembering Sakurako's words, tosses his gun to Yuusuke. "It's coming," he shouts, grabbing Mika and blocking her body from Me Bajis Ba's attack with his own. Kuuga holds out the weapon, which transforms into an elaborate bowgun. Listening for the sound of his enemy, Kuuga holds the bowgun at the ready. Suddenly he catches the sound he's been listening for, the sound of Me Bajis Ba's wings, and takes aim. At that moment Me Bajis Ba fires, but the speeding needle is caught easily between Kuuga's fingers. He throws it to the ground, twirls, draws the bowgun, and fires. The projectile catches Me Bajis Ba square in the chests. He screams and as his belt shatters, he falls into the water, then promptly explodes in a ball of flame (a nicely done effect).
Afterwards Yuusuke rests against a lifeguard chair. "I’m beat," he says. Ichijou tells Mika he's glad she's okay. She breaks down crying, and apologizes.
End of episode
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