Studio YOGIPIGS presents:
SAILOR MOON AX"
Based on Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon by Takuechi Naoko
Written by Studio YOGIPIGS' "Project Muffinhead"
LEAD WRITER: ROBERT BARBA
CO-WRITER: ELIZABETH THOMAS
SAILOR MOON AX LEGENDS WRITER: AMY ANGEL
SAILOR MOON AX LEGENDS WRITER: EMANUELE BONAMICO
Research by Studio YOGIPIGS' "Odango Labs"
LEAD SAILOR MOON ANALYST (US VERSION): MARVIN PEACE
LEAD SAILOR MOON ANALYST (JAPANESE VERSION): SAKURA EDWARDS
TECHNOLOGICAL ANALYST: JOHN SHEAREN
WEAPONS AND MILITARY ANALYST: DAVID CLARE
PROJECT EDITOR: SAMUEL LAMBSON
CHAPTER SIX: Deck the Malls, Part Two
"This oughta finish you off!" Recoil yelled as he fired several blasts from the top barrel of his OICW. Six 20mm Asoyama-type micromissles blasted from the barrel, homing in on their target and raced off at supersonic speed...
...which, of course, was not as fast as Sailor Mercury. Noting that the missiles were only slightly slower than she, but just as agile, she had to be careful. She could outrun them, but they could turn tighter corners than she could and so that advantage was gone. The truth was, in the heavily-media-induced clutter that was the mind of Amelia Andersen, she'd never taken the time to read up on Asoyama micromissiles. About all she knew was that they were more powerful and faster than their predecessor, the Agayama micromissile, and that a shipment of OICWs and related ammo had been stolen a month ago from the National Guard Armory in Des Moines. At the time, the FBI thought it was simply militia weirdoes that had done it; in fact, a few OICWs had been recovered at Timothy McVeigh's hideout. But not all of them had been recovered.
Well, Sailor Mercury knew where at least one of them was now. And as one crashed into the Mrs. Fields kiosk behind her, turning it into a ball of flame, she knew she didn't have much time to lose. Already she was on the other end of the mall, close to where she'd begun her attack, and that was over two whole seconds ago. Whipping quickly around the hulk of the Washington minitank, three more of the missles slammed into the side of it, caving it in. Still that two more of them on her tail, and not sure of what else to do. In the distance, she could hear the muffled thump of Recoil launching another salvo against her. The other missiles would take about four seconds to get to where they would be a problem. Fortunately that was enough breathing space for her to operate.
As she tried to sort out a plan, she realized what the hell she'd done wrong in the first place. She'd tried to end the fight as quick as possible by throwing a couple of sonic booms at him, but they bounced harmlessly off his body armor--it must have been that new kevlar/ceramics upgrade that the SWAT teams and HLO were using. With that in mind, she moved in closer, relying on her speed and her talent in whatever-the-hell-her-martial-art-style-was to take him down. That proved to be a failure as well, as the armor was tough, and Recoil was no slouch in the fighting department. While she was laying hundreds of punches on him, she was hurting her hands and feet against the strength of the armor, and he was barely feeling the blows--and she was certainly feeling the few blows she couldn't dodge. Finally, she acknowledged that he was better than she at hand to hand, and as she backed up to think of another way to take him out, it gave him the chance to lock and load Shiroyamas, which lead her to this point.
Listening to the soft humming of the Shiroyama antigrav engines as the small bringers of death tried to connect with her, she cursed her own stupidity and her failure to think in tactical means. Mina and Lita always told her that her number one problem was that when she fought, she was the most jovial of the group, the one who tended to treat things as though they were a game. And to some degree, it wasn't entirely her fault: while all the others had learned their martial arts disciplines over the throughout their lives, all Amy had to go by to learn it (until a few years ago) was all the videogames she played. Her detective skills had been learned from _Batman_ and Sherlock Holmes stories. She'd always had a hard time learning things as she grew up due to her extreme short-attention-span-syndrome (a harbinger of her speed abilities); if it hadn't been for her ability to speed read and force herself to memorize things, she would be a straight F student and not the genius that everyone thought her to be.
Yes, it was hard sometimes, to say the least. But she tried her hardest, and Serena and the others had faith in her. Her speed was her talent, but their love for her was her true gift. They were her sisters, her family. And if she tended to be a little media-influenced, well, it *did* make for good press that not all of the Sailors were battle-hardened, and of all the Sailors, she was probably the one who did the most charity events while in Sailor mode (that trans-global race that she'd had with the nation's other superspeed heroes two months ago was still raking in the cash for the Make-A-Wish Foundation).
Still trying to choreograph a plan, she ran up the escalator to the second floor, and headed towards the glossy metal finish over by the Disney Store. As she passed it, she saw her reflection, then as she turned, felt the edge of the shockwave as the missiles plunged into the store fa�ade, turning an extension of the Happiest Place on Earth into a raging fireball. She immediately took her eyes off the explosions as the second group of missiles entered attack range. To avoid them initially, she leapt from the second deck back down to the first, as the projectiles went over her head close enough for the friction to nearly scorch her hair; only her speed field saved her. As the missiles turned in order to reacquire their target, an epiphany flashed through Mercury's mind. But to pull it off, she would have to do some quick research.
And fortunately, there happened to be in front of her, a bookstore. Moving as fast as possible, she raced into the third section of the mall, then immediately made a 180, and hit the deck as the missiles slammed all at once into a store construction site, blowing that fa�ade--and the ones on either side of it--to so much debris. Heading back toward the store, she heard Recoil's scream. "You can't run forever, Mercury, and I have plenty of Shiroyama mags! Give it up while you still can!"
She ignored him. As she heard a third salvo being fired off, she knew she had limited time, and would have to depend on her abilities to the max--not only her speed, but the aura that her body radiated, the one that not only protected her from the effects of high-speed movement, but also the surrounding area.
Bolting into the bookstore like a flash of blue lightning and dropping her speed down to at least 35-mph to conserve her strength, she sorted through the various books in the store. As she raced through the place, the place looked like it had been left mostly untouched; the crooks obviously felt that they weren't going to make a lot of money off a Mom-and-Pop bookstore like this one, even if it was in this mall. Dashing down the aisles, she finally reached the Military section, and grabbed the latest copy of _Jane's Advanced Infantry Weapons_ off the shelf. As she approached the counter, she saw through the store window that the Shiroyamas blazed by, not so much seeking a target as hunting their prey. ((Very sophisticated,)) she thought. ((Very dangerous. Remind me to take the easier bad guy next time.))
Finding the book that she wanted, Mercury quickly tossed a twenty on the cashier's desk, then bolted out of the store at max speed. She then ran in a circle around the carousel, in order to give the now-24 missiles a chance to acquire her once more, and with that, she continued on her way. As she raced on, she heard a voice yell, "There you are, coward!" and felt something sizzle over her right shoulder. As she continued to run, she noted the laser had just missed her by inches. Having to think of what to do, she explored her options: she could call for help, but the others were just as likely involved in serious fighting themselves. She could charge him, but that would be suicide--especially since he was using those damn micromissiles and laser weapons against her. Or, she thought, opening the copy of _Jane's_, she could outsmart the guy. And as she brushed up her knowledge of the Shiroyamas and how they worked, she had the perfect plan. One that a mall would be perfect for.
First stop, Sears. Then, FAO Schwartz, and maybe a third stop, if the place hadn't been destroyed yet.
*"MERCURY! COME OUT AND FACE ME YOU COWARDLY CUNT!"*
Recoil was furious. So far, all he'd done is waste tons of his precious ammo on that perpetually moving woman on amphetamines. He grunted angrily; those Goddamn Shiroyamas cost a small fortune on the black market, and now here he was, using his only available laser core, since the other two were down for repair. Damn that Sailor Mercury. Checking the computer display on his rifle, he noted that the last salvo of Shiroyamas had failed to hit their target. In fact, *all* his Shiroyamas were out of commission. All he had left were the regular ammo clips for the OICW, a couple of clips for his wrist pistols, and the backup derringer he kept in case of emergency. The bulk of his weapons and ammo had went to the rest of his men as they systematically went through the mall, mowing down the security guards and the few CMPD officers who'd gotten into the mall. At the time, he didn't feel that they'd need more ammo than what they'd brought; he should be able to restock from the sporting goods stores or maybe Sears.
That plan went awry when they'd discovered that no stores in the mall sold any weapon stronger than a Swiss Army Knife or a shockstick. Still, it was a minor annoyance, and not really a problem, until the Sailors arrived. Since then, most of the weapons and ammo had been either fully discharged, were rendered useless, or made unavailable by those three meddling idiots. Now, he was using up all his personal stores--and in the case of the Shiroyamas, all of his inventory on hand--to take out the Sailor of Speed.
Now, if she was only stupid enough to try to take him on hand-to-hand again. He'd learned a few things during his time in the Gulf War, and the small generator that supplied additional power to the OICW's laser core was running along fine. She'd managed to get some punches in, and though he'd barely felt them, the speed and repetition of her attacks did a real number on his armor, and one good attack would damage the stuff beyond practical use. Still, it would hold if she tried to hit him from afar with that sonic fireball of hers, and by doing so, she would put herself in range of his gunsights. And oh, what a plan he had for her, he thought with a grim smile as he reached behind him and clicked the OVERCHARGE switch on his generator. At the front of the gun, the muzzle began to glow with a fierce red light as the weapon began to prime.
Moving forward, slowly, and with enough caution that she wouldn't see him, he noticed her sitting on a bench over by the carousel, reading a book, which according to the telescopic lens, was _Jane's_. As she turned the page, calmly reading, Recoil realized that was how she defeated the micromissiles; she must've read about the imaging sensors and used mirrors to take them out. Never mind; she couldn't run faster than light, and since that was the case, she wasn't going to be able to escape what was about to come her way.
He had one chance to pull this off, and as he looked at the diminutive star building at the end of the muzzle, he knew that she would never know what killed her.
Sailor Mercury, indeed would not know what hit her. Recoil stood up, aimed at the figure in white and light blue sitting on the bench, screamed, *"OUTRUN THIS, SPEEDQUEEN!"* and depressed the trigger. The star went from a sphere of energy into a massive beam, and it lanced out and hid Mercury squarely in the body, coring her even as it slammed her back into the carousel. The beam continued on, coring the merry-go-round as well, and the whole contraption exploded, shattering into dozens of fragments, sending fiberglass horse remnants and flaming pieces of metal in ever direction. The small shockwave that accompanied the blast shattered every store window within a 100-foot radius, and plants and fountains were crumpled under its blow. When the dust and electromist settled, all that remained was a semi-molten, scorched, heated metal base, and the carbon scored, blasted area where the amusement ride used to be. There was no sign that anything was left of Mercury, much less that she'd survived.
Recoil tossed the now-useless OCIW to the ground, and disconnecting the small generator from his back. The front of the rifle was a melted mass of plastics and metal, and generators set for overcharge were rendered permanently useless afterwards.
Recoil grinned underneath his mask. He'd beat her. He took off his mask, reached into a pocket, pilled out a cigarette, and lit it, taking the old victory smoke.
Not even a second had passed when there was a blur of black that went past his face, sending him flying through the nearby store fa�ade. And as he clambered back to his feet, it dawned on him that he destruction of Mercury might have been a little too premature. This was confirmed as a series of high-speed punches and kicks pounded fiercely against him, doubling him over. He tried to trigger his wrist pistols but for some reason couldn't use them; if he'd checked, he'd have noticed he was no longer wearing them.
"Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken!" He had no idea what the Sailor of Speed yelled, but whatever it meant, it hurt. As what could be described as a tsunami of fists slammed repeatedly into his armor, he felt it crack and finally shatter, immediately followed by a few of his ribs. It was too much for him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Finally he felt himself being picked up off the floor, and brought face to face with Sailor Mercury. "But...but I killed you."
"Sorry," she sneered. "Venus isn't the only one capable of visual tricks." He looked down and noticed she was wearing the black winter version of her combat suit. There was little difference between the white summer version and its winter counterpart, save for the long sleeve jumper top and the full-length spandex leggings. But why was she wearing the winter gear? Unless the thing on the bench was... "An android mannequin. You used an androi--"
He never completed the sentence as Mercury commented, "Time's up!" and belted him across the face, putting him into final defeat.
***
((I'd like to say that it's time to stop toying with this guy,)) Moon thought to herself, ((but I'm not really sure who's playing with who at this point.)) This thought came as she uppercutted Bauxite through the china display, destroying several Mikasa wedding sets. ((I'm just about sick of this guy, and I've gotta find a way to end this, now!))
Bauxite, apparently had the same plans, and once he landed in the rubble of the china display, leapt back to his feet and pounced on Moon, executing a slice kick that put her deep into the housewares section. They were on the third deck of the department store, and had managed to destroy a good portion of everything within it. Yet they still continued on, ever heedless of the total amount of damage going on around them. Bauxite was simply concerned with stopping this person who seemed to be his eternal foe, while Moon was trying to limit the amount of casualties.
Rising from the destruction of the pots and pans, she decided to use that plan of hers...and it would not be a very comfortable one, either. Tapping the sigil on her left shoulder, she intoned, "Code 0 to all active Sailors. Respond." Without waiting for one, though, she moved forward to meet Bauxite, dodging one of his shockwaves. The blast of energy raced on, until it hit and totally destroyed the display of toaster ovens it connected with.
A voice came over the comm. "This is Code 2, Code 0." Serena mentally breathed a sigh of relief that Mina was okay; she was truly concerned regarding Pyromancer's intent towards her cousin. "Flamer's in cuffs and I'm escorting him to the police."
Moon met her opponent, maneuvering into a roll as he threw his fist at her. Rolling behind him, he turned only to barely dodge Moon's lashing kick towards the traditional male weak spot. Leaping back, he screamed, "No more mercy, Princess Serenity! You'll die, and die now!"
As the mad prophet spoke his doom, a second voice came over the TacNet. "Code 6 here. What the hell was that, Moon?"
Moon seemed to speak to the air. "You're just jealous because I have an admirer and you don't, Saturn."
"Fine, then," the younger girl laughed, "but I'm gonna want a raise in my allowance to keep this from Darien..."
"We'll talk ab--*OOOOF*!" The last was said as a powerful blow was delivered to Moon's face. As Moon hit the ground--more from reflex than from the force of the blow--she noted Baxuite standing in front of her, glowing white as a diamond.
"Moon!" Saturn screamed. "We're on our way!"
*"BELAY THAT!"* Moon roared, as she got back to her feet and gave Bauxite a look that would crumple Imaeum, the strongest material on the planet. *"I have it under control. Gather the others and tell them to clear this section of the mall. NOW!"* Even as she gave her order, she took another swing at Bauxite. It connected--
--and she was thrown back to the floor as a powerful blast of energy hit her. As the haze cleared, and she shook the dizziness, from her mind, she could see dozens of Bauxites, each glowing and laughing at her.
"Aye, Code 0," Mercury's voice came over the line in the interim. "I've got Recoil under wraps, and am heading to the exit. Do you want me to grab Saturn on the way?"
"Negative, Code 1," Saturn replied. "I'll make it out okay. I've got my captive, and though he's huge, I'll get him out of here in time."
Serena was relieved that all the others had checked in. She knew that Lita had yet to respond, but Lita's biofield usually interfered with her comms, and she'd never been injured before. Still, there was always a--
*BOOOOOOOM!*
--Serena felt herself thrown into the nearest wall as two Bauxites synchronized roundhouse kicks to her head. By now, she was really hurting. She could feel a nosebleed coming on, and there was a slight gash on her cheek. Wiping away the blood, she snarled, "You'll have to do better than that, freak!"
"Oh, I can, Sera Muun," the choir of Bauxites replied, a symphony of disdain. "You see, Princess Serenity--"
*"WHO'S Princess Serenity? What the hell are you talking about?"* Moon seethed, her temper at its limit.
"Oh, you can't fool me--I know all about your...." The Bauxites stopped and looked at her. *Really* looked at her. "You're not Sera Muun. You look like her, but there are subtle differences. No, you cannot be Serenity; I was amiss."
"Score a prize for Einstein," Moon coldly remarked. "I have no idea who Princess Serenity or Sarah Mune is." She slid easily into an offensive stance, and commented, "and I could care less about them."
"Pity," the Bauxite commented. "You seemed to be a worthy opponent. I thought that Serenity had finally come of age, but I guess I was wrong. Still, since you now know I exist, I must kill you."
Moon pulled her hands back, and a ball of energy began to coalesce in them. "I really doubt it."
The army of Bauxites smiled. "Then you are mistaken, miss. No one has ever survived combat with the great Bauxite before. There are few who have made it to this point, but no one has withstood my ultimate blow; namely, my Hyperclone Strike." At the end of that phrase, each Bauxite split in half, becoming two Bauxites. The numbers doubled, and redoubled. Finally, when there were a hundred or so around the woman in white, Bauxite finished his statement. "So then, before I am done for--" his words were laced with clear disbelief and patronizing, "--I would have the honor of knowing who did me in."
Moon sighed. "Damn newbies." Giving her opponent, her frostiest glare, she snarled, "I'm the Sailor of Justice, Sailor Moon," she said as he gasped, "and you're under arrest."
*"A THIRD Muun!?!?!?!?"* he gasped. *"That's impossible!"*
Moon didn't reply to his retort. She brought her hands to the front and screamed, *"MOONBOW!"* She spread her hands wider than she normally did, and a *MASSIVE* beam of white energy ripped forward into the throng of Bauxites. At the same time, a sphere of rainbow-hued force blasted away from her body, rippling in every direction, rushing towards the awaiting Bauxites like a school of sharks smelling blood in the water.
***
The resulting explosion obliterated a good portion of South Coast Plaza. The remains of the department store stood smoldering for a second or two before caving in on itself, taking more of the mall with it. The shockwave shattered all the external windows on the outside for most of the radius of the mall's grounds, even as Moon's beam lanced out beyond the remnants of the store, shredding a few cars in its path, and eventually coming to a halt just near the adjacent 405 Freeway, where it caused a serious traffic altercation. The explosion could be felt as far away as the 405-55 cloverleaf, the 405-73 interchange, and John Wayne Airport, and heard for a lot farther. If it weren't for a Sonic Barrier--one of her so-called "Boom Blocks"--being placed by Mercury at the last second, several eardrums in the vicinity of the police would have been severely ruptured.
Everyone watched as the dust settled. It was silent as a tomb, save for a good portion of rescue vehicles moving from the mall's location to the traffic accident behind them on the freeway. The criminals who'd survived--most of them, Clare noted--were being herded into one of the HLO's Prisoner APCs. Because of the sheer number of supervillians involved, Costa Mesa deferred jurisdiction to the HLO.
That didn't matter, though, he noted; the fact was that Sailor Moon was not walking out of that one. At his side were Venus, Saturn, and Saint Dragon (and what was he doing here? His usual beat was in the San Gabriel valley, about twenty miles north of here). Mercury was in the center of it all, still maintaining that barrier of hers against the cacophony; and a paramedic was tending to Jupiter's bullet wound. He turned and noted the looks on their faces. Dragon worked with the Sailors every so often, and in fact had a comm code registered on their Delphi database; he looked sorrowful. Venus, the Sailor's third-in-command, tried to keep a neutral face, but the worry was etched in her eyes. Saturn didn't even hide her worry; the teenaged girl looked fit to cry, and was absently holding Venus' hand.
And still the dust didn't move.
A voice sounded next to him. Samson snapped, "See, Clare? Told Moon to knock that destruction off, and look what it got her."
Before Clare could turn to verbally tear out Samson's throat, someone moved to do it in a more literal fashion. Samson took the blow of a white glove across the face, and as he stared down, he saw Saturn staring at him, in a mood fit to kill. "You callous bastard," the girl snarled. "How dare you..."
Mercury's voice flew, even as she zipped over to the rubble. "Look!"
From the mound of ash, rubble, glass, and metal, a hand punched its way free, followed by another. A few seconds later, a very soot-covered Sailor Moon crawled out of the desolation, her quarry in tow. The first person she saw was Mercury giving her a hand. Sneezing once due to the dust, she cracked as she saw Mercury's attire, "Going for a heatstroke, Mercury?"
Amy smiled. "Oh, this old thing? I needed my whites to outsmart Recoil, and it was either this, or pick up something at Victoria's Secret. Since I'm single again...."
"Don't let Molly hear that," Moon commented. "You know how she is about matchmaking. Give me a hand here with ugly." As both women pulled an unconscious Bauxite free from the mess, Moon felt a pair of arms hugging her from behind. "I'm okay, Saturn," Moon replied, "but not if you're going to cut off my lungs!"
Saturn held on as Clare, Venus, and the rest of them walked up to her, along with a couple of HLO officers. Clare took her hand and shook it vigorously, commenting on how concerned they were for her, and glad she made it out alright. Samson just stared at her with an apologetic look and rubbed his jaw, as though someone had taken a serious whack at it. Handing the handcuffs' magnetic key to Clare, she commented, "S'all yours, Clare. Now if you don't mind, I gotta take a shower and get back to Delphi. There're are a few names that I hafta look up."
As Mercury handed Bauxite over to a uniformed HLO officer, she commented, "Why?"
"I think something wierd's going on; something not connected to this mall caper. This guy took me on, not just 'cause Pyromancer and Recoil paid him to, but because he seemed to know me, though I've never seen him before."
"Now that you mention it, he did act as though you and he had a history," Venus replied. "Could he be from that Yakuza bust you made in Little Tokyo a few weeks back?"
"Don't think so," Saturn commented. "There were no supervillians involved in that."
"No, there weren't," Moon finalized. "Anyway, this guy made some strange comments. First, he jabbered at me in Japanese, as though I was familiar with it, which I'm not. Then, he started to call me 'Princess Serenity' and 'Sarah Mune'. Then when I told him who I was, he said something about a third Sailor Moon."
"That makes no sense," Jupiter said as she walked towards them, followed closely behind by an EMT. Her leg covered in gauze, she was walking with a slight limp, and, as usual, refusing any help. For that matter, Venus was down to her undershirt. For the blood, Serena would want to know what happened to her friend. As for the shirt, well....
((Mina's in their T-shirt, Lita's been hurt and doing her "Iron Woman" routine, and Amy's in her winter gear. What the hell's going on? I don't even want to know,)) Serena silently mused, but then added, ((I'll probably end up finding out anyway.))
"A third Sailor Moon?" Mercury asked. "Other than the Sailors, the closest thing that comes to 'Sailor Moon' is that one superhero in Toronto. Y'know, whatzizname...Moon Shaman, or something like that."
"Lunar Shaman," Venus corrected, "and he was from the early '80s, before we got into the business. His last appearance was five, maybe six years ago. I think he's retired."
"Nevermind him," Moon said. "My interest is with this Princess Serenity and Sarah Mune. If this person he's talking about has been targeted, that could spell trouble for her." Moon's brows furrowed in thought. "Hmm...Princess Serenity. Sarah Mune. Lemme think."
"Well," Dragon commented, "If it helps, there is a Sarah who is a princess of Britain."
"True," Saturn replied, "but her surname was Fergueson, and they called her 'Fergie,' not 'Serenity.'"
"Um, excuse me, er, Ms. Moon?" the EMT spoke up, momentarily turning away from his inspection of Bauxite's injuries.
"Yes?" Moon spoke softly and politely, despite her nagging injuries, exhaustion, and disheveled state. She might have been frustrated by a few things, but it didn't pay to be rude.
"I noted that you said this gentleman spoke to you in Japanese, then mentioned a 'Sarah Mune.' Did he say 'Sarah Mune' or 'Sera Muun'?"
"Second pronunciation's closer," Moon conceded, suddenly interested in what he had to say. ((Could he know something about this?)) "Does it sound familiar to you?"
"Sure it does," he replied. "That's how your name would be said by a Japanese national. I studied Japanese in college, so that sounds about right."
((Hmmm...I'll have to ask Raye on that,)) Moon thought as she thanked the EMT. Looking at the rest of them, their eyes all read the same thing as hers. "Well, it looks like another mystery to me. Time to go, guys," Moon said as she tapped her shoulder sigil. "You know when to get a hold of us, Clare. Enjoy that vacation of yours." And with that--
--they disappeared. No puff of smoke, no shimmering lights, just here one second, and gone the next.
"How the hell does she do that?" Samson asked Clare.
Clare gave his partner a dirty look. "Shut up, Sammy. You're on my bad side right now. Don't push it. As it is, I got an hour and 15 minutes to get home, pick up my bags, get to LAX, and hope I can still catch my flight. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can pull it off." With that, Clare Davids turned his tail and ran for his car.
***
A half-hour later and over by the cars, Amy finished glowing as she changed back into her street clothing. They'd completed their part of the paperwork for the HLO; Bobby, Serena, and Heather had given their statements to the police, and since the mall was going to be shut down for the rest of the month for investigations and repairs (though, by Serena's guess, she'd have to start looking for a new place for her store), there wasn't much more to do than to go home and catch a shower and some rest before tonight. However, to hide her injuries, Lita was going to have to pay a visit to Johnny's house and hope that his magic could heal her, since total, instantaneous healing was a little beyond Amy's medical skills.
"Know what? I'm surprised. Usually there'd be reporters crawling all over that story. And with the _Register_'s offices so close, too." She went to Raye's car to retrieve her purse.
Lita huffed in good-nature, "Hey, Mina's supposed to be the camera hog here!" She turned to Serena and commented, "What do you think, Serena?" She got no answer. "Hey, Serena...Starfleet Command to Serena, come in...."
"Not now, Mina," Serena replied. A second look by Mina indicated that Serena was on her cel phone, talking to someone. "Hey, Molly? It's Serena. Listen, I need someone to pick up my car.... Oh, really? Did Cathy say why? She said, 'talk to Amy', I see.... Well, if Cathy asked for it, there must be a good reason. Oh, I'll also have some stuff for you to research for me; I'll tell you about it tonight at dinner. No, I don't see any harm in bringing Andrew; it's not like it's a group meeting. Okay, see you there. Bye." She hit the OFF switch on the phone, and slid the STARTAC into her back pocket. "Sorry 'bout that, Lita. Wha'd you want?"
"I'm in no condition to drive, so Bobby's going to give me a lift to Johnny's house before we continue on to the party and such. Can you take my car? I'd rather not leave it here." With her good arm, she tossed Serena the car keys, then snuggled against her boyfriend's chest.
Serena caught them easily with a downward swipe. "Done." She then turned to the only male in the group and said, "By the way, Bobby, what were you doing at the mall, and why didn't you even come in and say hi?"
"Well, I actually had to stop to pick up a book for my boss, and I just happened to be in the area because of the dinner. I was actually on the way to swing by your store, when the interruption came." He ran his hands through his short, pale-aqua hair, while he slipped his other arm around Lita. While you guys were making headlines in the mall, I was mostly on the roof, taking out the snipers.
"Okay, since it's a valid enough excuse," she said, winking. She fished out her keys and handed them to Heather. Staring at her charge, Serena instructed, "Put your bike in the back seat, then drive straight home. Do not stop at 7-11, do not stop at an arcade, and do not go back to school. You'll get us *both* in trouble, since you don't have a license, and I'll have to think of another excuse to tell your principle why you had to come home early. Then, I'm going to call Brenda's mother, and have a good long talk with her about this."
Heather took the keys, commenting sarcastically, "Yes, 'mother'."
She was rewarded for that remark with one of Serena's withering glares, which held for a second before softening into a warm smile. "On second thought...." Serena replied, as she pulled a couple of twenties out of her pocket and gave it to Heather, "don't get caught and be home at four, so we can get ready for tonight, 'kay?"
"Radical!" was Heather's response as she gave Serena a hug. "You're the greatest, Serena! See ya tonight, guys!" Heather began to walk back to the mall. Bobby, having parked at Crystal Court, decided to go with the younger girl, and he and Lita also departed as well.
"What was that for?" Mina asked when the trio had departed.
Serena smiled wickedly. "Like you said, cuz, sometimes I act too much like a mother. Besides, Molly or Sam is supposed to be the responsible sibling. I'm the family troublemaker, remember?"
"Or is it because it's a way of apologizing to her for the earlier accusation," Amy added, "as well as letting you know how much you care?"
"Yes," Serena said in a serious tone. "Our teenage years were ruined when we became the Sailors. Amy, you haven't had a steady boyfriend since Greg, back in high school. Same goes for Lita and Freddie, until she hooked up with Bobby; or Raye and Darien. When was the last time we went and did something just as friends, and not teammates?" Neither Amy nor Lita had an answer for that. "I want Heather to have a normal life, as normal as possible. I made that promise five years ago, and I stand by it now. I don't want Heather to become like her parents...or, for that matter, like I was before I realized my talents and responsibility."
Mina placed her hand on Serena's shoulder. "You'll make a good mother someday, Serena. Hell, you already are, in Heather's case."
"Thanks." She then turned to Amy, and asked, "So, Amy: what's so important about your apartment that Cathy had to ask Molly to reposition our surveillance satellite over your place?"
"Um," Amy blushed, as she held her beeper. "Um, I think Raye's message might explain it best." She handed Serena the beeper.
A few minutes later, Serena was on the phone in Lita's car, in a three-way conversation, and having left the other two. "Yes, Principal Rosales, that is exactly why I had Heather come home. I had not expected us to be held at gunpoint by those criminals.... Mrs. McKennitt, Heather has never lied to me. If she said they were Brenda's, they're Brenda's. You should be glad that I'm taking the time to tell you this.... No, thank *you*, Mr. Rosales. I gave you enough headaches when you were my teacher, and I'm just ensuring that it's not being passed on down. Mrs. McKennitt, I suggest you get some help for Brenda. I do know someone who would be willing to intervene for you. Her name's Amelia Andersen, and she works as a volunteer over at Fountain Valley General. Her home number's 310 555 7428, if you're interested. Thank you both for your time. Good day."
With that, she turned on the radio. She had access to Lita's Porsche, and so she might as well enjoy the drive back home. Tonight was going to be interesting, and if Amy's statement about her new roommate was true, she was going to have a field day teasing the hell outta Amy for it.
At least that was what it would appear to be. In truth, Serena was concerned. If she understood the EMT right, there was something that was going on; something that involved an archipelago empire on the other side of the planet. And the stakes had just been upped by the sudden appearance of a Japanese woman that could pass as an identical double for Amy. Granted, it could be a coincidence. But experience had always taught Serena that coincidences usually weren't.
***
Philadelphia:
Daniel Straussbourg stripped free of his flame-colored bodysuit, and took his eye mask off. Another criminal was stopped today, thanks to Philadelphia's fastest superhero, Speed Demon. Hell, the job paid nothing other than a small stipend from the Pennsylvania State Department of Justice, but it helped out his living as a struggling freelance photographer.
He did a high-speed race around his apartment, cleaning it up and prepping dinner for tonight. Tonight was his big dinner with Mallory, and with a little luck, he might be making her breakfast as well. Satisfied that everything was in order, he headed over to the shower, since he had to look his best.
He never saw the strange orange mist that came from behind him, saying, <<YOU AND I HAVE A PURPOSE, DANIEL.>>
***
Ville d' Soleil, Monaco:
At one time, this had been a small hotel resort island off the coast of the tiny European principality. Now, it was a ball of flame, reaching towards the sky, its fires growing more and more. Bodies and body parts were strewn along the beaches, and blood turned the golden sands red.
The one lone survivor of the attack would later tell authorities that the entire city was destroyed by "an Angel of Death"--a woman with huge black wings and curly light green hair. That survivor, a little boy, claimed to have even talked to the angel, who had told her, "You are the lone innocent on this island, the one survivor. And you survived because you are not a Survivor. I'm so sorry. Forgive me."
Authorities claimed that the child was in shock, until the little boy produced a feather approximately a four inches in length, its color black as ink.
Authorities could not determine what type of bird--if, indeed, one had--produced that type of feather.
***
Tokyo:
((All my life, something's felt as though it was missing, as though something's been taken from me. Now I know what it is.))
A person stood, framed by shadow, hidden by the darkness, hiding in the shadows, though the sun would be over the horizon soon. The stranger poked a head out of the shadows, searching for something, seeking it as though it called to the very essence.
The stranger didn't have to wait long. There was a scream, followed by another. Evil was afoot, and in the early hours of this district of Tokyo, no one could help them just yet. The police would never make it on time, and the Senshi were nowhere around. The owner of that scream was doomed, unless someone rushed to that person's aid in time.
The stranger dashed off, in a flash of light.
A daimon stood over its quarry, ready to kill. Blood dripped from its claws, and in its eyes, it had a misunderstood, almost insane look to its eyes. The creature looked like a cross between a bat and a gorilla, with none of the saving graces of either. Under it, a young woman clutched her dying boyfriend to her, his lifeblood pouring out of the gashes left on his chest by the creature's strike. The beast roared once, then struck home, its intent to kill the woman.
Its claws never connected. Instead, there was a spurt of ichor, as its claw was severed by a flash of silver. A second later, the creature's head joined the claw on the ground.
Standing over the helpless woman stood a ninja dressed in silvery gray. Although wearing a mask, she could see the warm blue eyes of a woman; the figure confirmed, as well as the shinobi's voice. "Do not be afraid. I am here to help you." She bent down and tapped the dying man once on his wounds. There was a flash of light, and the man was healed instantly, his breathing regular, though still unconscious.
The young woman stared at the ninja with a look of shock and wonder, tears of joy and fear running down her cheeks. "You've saved him. I am in your debt."
"There is no debt," the ninja replied. "You needed assistance, and it is my duty to provide it." The ninja turned, and began to scale the adjacent building, away from the scene. Within seconds, the mysterious person had vanished just as rapidly as she'd arrived.
The woman called out, "Who do I have to thank for this?"
From out of nowhere came a reply: "I do not require thanks, for it is my duty to defend. But if you must name a savior, I am called the Moonlight Knight." Then, there was no more.
From her vantage point, Setsuna watched. ((And the newest wrinkle sets into the time stream, a side effect of this whole thing. And sooner or later, it will come to a head, and the final battle will commence...and only one timeline will be left standing.)) Knowing that her quarry was somewhere still out there, she moved back into the darkness, slipping back into the timestream. Events were now beginning to move faster than she anticipated, and if she wasn't careful, she would lose control of everything.
