The characters of Sailormoon are the
creation and possession of the brilliant Takeuchi
Naoko. They belong to Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai, Toei
Animation, DIC, and all others associated with rights.
Taiho Shichauzo (You're Under Arrest) created by
Fujishima Kosuke.
Blue Seed, created by Takada Yuzo, licensed in N.A.
by ADVision.
No copyright infringement is intended.
I would like to thank my pre-readers. Without their
tireless efforts and endless patience this fanfiction would not
exist. Angel, first volunteer pre-reader. It is solely due to
her early and frequent encouragement that this story is in it's
final form. B. Na, who has spent a great deal of time
correcting my gaffs. William Dix and St. Suika, the most
recent volunteers. ^_^
As always, any errors or omissions are mine alone.
Warning: This fanfic contains some adult themes.
Sukeban Senshi chapter 7 part 1 of 3
************************************************
Sukeban Senshi Chapter 7
"And just what do you think you're doing?"
Soban paused in the act of pulling her blouse over
her head and turned to the door.
"I thought I was getting dressed." She indicated
skirt and socks folded neatly over the back of her chair. "Of
course I could be wrong."
"Quit looking at me with your evil eye." Eichiro Kei
shuddered theatrically. "It's enough to take the curl right
out."He patted his artfully arranged and newly coloured
platinum locks. "What do you think?"
"I think it looks like you got mugged by a colour
blind hair dresser during an epileptic fit."
"Pay her no mind," Toukou came up behind his
partner and squeezed him around the waist. "she has no
taste."
Kei sniffed with elegant disdain. Moving into the
room he picked up Soban's skirt and held it between thumb
and forefinger as if it were something dead that had been
lying in the sun a very long time.
"You weren't really planning on wearing this . . .this
. . ." words failed him and he produced another joint
loosening shudder, for effect.
The great curling scar which bisected her face stood
out in sudden relief as Soban glowered at her tormentor.
That same look, which had been known to cause yakuza
assassins to find religion, usually in the most distant part of
Tibet possible, left Kei strangely unaffected.
"It's just so . . .so . . ."
"Tacky? Boring?" A huge black man wearing a t-
shirt showing Micky Mouse in samurai armour on the front,
squeezed his way into the room, followed by a small, elderly
woman.
"Not that Jules-san means anything _bad_ by tacky,"
Baba Jun hastened to assure Soban. "but it is rather
_plain_."
When no one burst into flames, or at least had the
decency to void their bowels and run screaming from the
room, Soban turned off her scowl and put it away. "Since
when did what I do or do-not wear become such a matter of
concern," she rubbed her brow hoping the room would
magically empty itself when she opened her eye again. "of
_public_ concern." She stressed, upon finding her small
room still filled to bursting with humanity.
"Since you goin' on date." Jules-san rumbled. "Long
as I been here you neva' been on no date. This one big day I
thinkin'."
"Save the marukomu ekksu for the tourists J-san."
She started to glower, then decided against wasting a
perfectly good scowl on someone who wasn't impressed.
"Your Japanese is better than mine."
"That's not saying much _boss-san_," Jules grinned,
teeth startlingly white against his glossy black skin. "And
I'm trying more for Bobby Brown. Malcolm X is a little too
intellectual for the morning crowd, if you know what I
mean."
"It's So-ban," she stressed the inverted street slang
pronunciation. "And I never thought all those school girls
were panting after you for conversation."
"They sure be gettin' one pow'ful education tho'
boss."
Jules sneered at Kei's awful mimicry, then grinned.
"We mustn't forget why we're here," Baba Jun put
in plaintively. "to help Soban with her problem."
Soban bit back a very naughty word. She'd been
hoping they would all forget why they thought she need
help and go away.
"That's right," Jules reached back and shrugged a
large pack off his shoulder. He dropped it with a very solid
thump on Soban's desk. "We've got to get you ready for
your date."
"I'm _not_ going on a _date_." Soban gritted out.
"It's a _study_ group. S.t.u.d.y. You know, books, papers,
homework."
"I wish I'd had homework like _that_ when I was in
school." Toukou sighed. "It might have made _all_ the
difference."
"Tou-chan!" Kei protested, smacking Toukou on
the head.
"She was adorable," Baba Jun put in. "Such a cute
face. I thought she was very nice."
"It is not a date," Soban repeated very slowly, as if
talking to the mentally impaired. "It's just a study session.
We're getting together to go over our school work. People
do it all the time."
"_You_ never have." Kei put in slyly.
"We?" Jules grinned, his face almost splitting in two.
"We? As in more than one? Now this is interesting. Is 'we'
those girls whose pictures everyone had to memorize?"
Soban felt an uncharacteristic heat creep up her neck
to cover her cheeks. "We're all in the same class. Ami-chan
thought we should----"
"Ami . . ._chan_?" Toukou smirked. "Not Mizuno-
sama? My, my . . .my. And what does Ippin think of this. A
high strung little pony like that often gets very jealous."
Toukou tilted his head to one side, wondering if he were
going to witness spontaneous human combustion.
"Well, never mind that," Baba Jun put in hastily,
unzipping the large bag and pulling out the first garment.
"Oh, now isn't this cute?" She shook out a soft frilly
creation of taffeta and ruffles.
Soban blanched and backed away from the hideous
thing. "I don't do cute."
"Hey, now this is nice . . ." Jules pulled out a
shimmery silken dress, covered with sequins. "It makes a
statement."
"Yeah, It says 'help, I'm being mugged by a disco
ball' " Soban tried to edge toward the door, only to be
blocked by Baba Jun.
"Oh, look . . ." Kei pulled a few wispy bits of fabric
from the bottom of the bag. "Tiger stripes." He reached
over, hooked a couple of fingers in Soban's sensible white
cotton underwear and tugged sharply.
"Aaaaaakk," Soban grabbed for her disappearing
briefs and missed. Almost as rapidly her top vanished.
"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"
"I don't know," Baba Jun ignored her, holding a
blouse and skirt combination in front of Soban's now bare
body. "What do you think?" This question was of course
_not_ directed at Soban.
"I like the gabardine for the skirt," Kei replied. "but
the blouse is all wrong. What about this?" Another garment
appeared from the seemingly bottomless bag.
"Hey . . .is anyone listening----" The world went
dark as a dress was pulled suddenly over her head. "---- to
me?" She gasped as she struggled out the other end.
"No!" Jules shushed her as the small group went
into a huddle.
"Oh . . .well I was just asking." Soban replied
meekly, shuddering as a makeup bag appeared from
nowhere.
************************************************
"What do you mean you _forgot_!" Artemis paced
angrily back and forth in front of an uncharacteristically
chastened Rei. "It was your idea to cut school and follow
her all over town. And _now_ you say you forgot to find
out about _who_ she was talking to on the phone about the
senshi and _why_!?" He was fairly spitting in his anger. "I
waited in that alley for _hours_. Do you know how long it
took me to clean my _fur_!" He stalked toward the fire
priestess. "I still smell like carp crap!"
"He really does." Minako seconded the angry and
odoriferous moon cat. "Mom suggested we shave him
before he clogged the air conditioner filter." She edged
away from the patchy white cat. "He was too fast for us
though."
Artemis spared a moment to snarl at his supposed
partner, then turned back to Rei. "What in the world were
you _doing_ in there all that time?"
"Ooooo, Rei's blushing!" Minako teased. The other
senshi watched fascinated as a fiery red tide crept up Rei's
neck.
"Hey," Bored with Artemis's diatribe Makoto had
been poking around Rei's room. Reaching down she
snagged the bit of shiny black leather that was protruding
from under Rei's bed. "what's this stuff?"
Rei spun away from Artemis to see Mako holding a
complicated tangle of black leather and gold chain topped
by a scarlet feather.
"Eeep."
************************************************
"I still think you should call a cab," Kei fretted as
the group made its way to the underground garage. "Or let
Jules take you. He's a very good driver and----" He hastily
shut up as Soban sent a fulminating look in his direction.
They walked the last few steps in silence. Reaching an
apparently blank section of wall Soban inserted a small key
into a discreetly hidden key-hole.
"I have been poked," she pulled back the sliding
door and stepped into the hidden compartment, "prodded,"
she unlatched the saddlebags and dropped in a pair of shoes
and a hat," painted and punctured." Fingering the small gold
studs in her newly pierced ears she glowered at Toukou
who returned a look of bland innocence. "I just got my bike
back from the shop and I want to try her out." Pulling the
Nomex coverall from its hanger she pulled it over her street
clothes, then snapped the hard protective boots, leg guards
and chest armor in place. Last she tugged on heavy
gauntlets and tucked a helmet under her arm.
Kei looked decidedly unhappy as Soban wheeled
one of her few indulgences from its stall. "Why couldn't you
have gotten one of those cute little Honda's?"
"Because Honda won't put a small block V-8 in
their bike." Soban hopped into the saddle, balancing the
huge machine perfectly, even at rest, as only a complete
expert could do. Pulling the helmet over her head she
locked it into place, then plugged in the intercom and
environmental connections. "Clear!" She twisted her head
to make sure her command had been followed. The big
Chevy engine snarled to life at a touch of the key. Watching
the dials settle into nominal ranges she closed her eyes to
savor the feel of the Sidewinder's newly re-built motor.
Touching a button caused the outside door to glide open on
quiet electric motors. Snapping the gold-tinted visor into
place she gave her tormentors a thumbs up and rumbled
slowly to the exit.
Kei had a brief moment to hope Soban would be
sensible for once. He watched the horrid machine move at a
turtles pace out of the garage. Soban's head turned from
side to side, checking traffic. Her hand touched another
button and Kei's hope vanished in a shrill whine as the
super-charger wound up with an electric-metal roar that
disappeared in the thunder of four hundred horses. The big
Titan reared up and Soban vanished down the street in a
shriek of burning rubber and prayerful curses from shaken
drivers.
The massively modified Titan was really too heavy
and clumsy for Tokyo driving; slow to brake, not agile
enough in the turns for the heavy traffic. Soban was
unaware of these facts. This may have had something to do
with her never having passed her driving test.
A brief opening appeared between two delivery
trucks. Shifting into second Soban slammed power to the
rear wheel, scooting through the rapidly vanishing space----
and directly towards the side of a black Mercedes sedan.
Locking the back wheel she sent power to the front wheel,
pulling the heavy bike sharply to the left in a skidding turn,
missing the sedan by the width of a postage stamp, kicking a
spray of debris into the cars open window. Finding a
clearing to the side Soban twisted the throttle forward
shifting through third gear as the tachometer red-lined. She
snapped through fourth gear, passing one hundred forty
KPH and a police car at the same instant.
***********************************************
"Mother! Father! Are you all right?" The young
driver pulled the heavy sedan sharply to the right and
stopped in the parking lane.
"We're just fine son."
Chiba Mamoru ran a hand shakily through his hair,
combing out a wad of paper. Sourly he watched the
motorcycle vanish in the distance. "What was that idiot
thinking?"
***********************************************
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Miyuki screamed as Natsumi spun
their patrol car one hundred eighty degrees in a bootleggers
turn.
"No need to be scared," Natsumi flipped on the
lights and siren. "I've got everything under control."
"Hothothothothot!" Miyuki whimpered, pulling back
her tea sodden uniform skirt to look at the angry red scald
mark.
"THIS IS THE POLICE! PULL OVER AT ONCE!
YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" Natsumi released the
microphone button, really hoping the law breaker would
_not_ comply. She wanted to try out some of Miyuki's new
modifications.
"It works better if you put the FRIGGIN'
SPEAKER _OUTSIDE_ the car!" Miyuki started to beat
Natsumi over the head with the microphone, realized they
were now going one hundred seventy KPH and
accelerating. She dropped the mike and cinched her seat belt
two sizes smaller than the label on her uniform skirt;
promising herself to kill Natsumi later.
An alert tone brought her attention to the on-board
computer. Punching a function key a street map appeared,
alpha numeric characters scrolling across the bottom of the
screen. "All right, we've got him. There's a massive traffic
jam on the bridge. A truck has overturned, completely
blocking the entrance." Red lights were coming on as
drivers ahead hit the brakes. Natsumi pulled the powerful
4wd police car onto the shoulder to continue pursuit.
"Back-up is converging on all the side streets.
There's no place for him to----" Miyuki's mouth snapped
shut at fleeing driver _jumped_ the big bike onto one of the
bridges suspension cables and zoomed across on the
inspection platform. She was just absorbing this astonishing
fact when----
"Natsumi . . .NO!!!"
The deploying air-bag slammed her back against her
seat.
" . . .don't try to follow." She said weakly, flailing
the deflating bag away from her face. Pushing the bag aside
she could see the bridge support cocked at a crazy angle.
For a moment she thought Natsumi had broken the bridge.
Then she realized it was the Lancia that was twisted, not the
support. Her beautiful . . .expensive . . .Lancia Delta
HF Integrale Editione Finale. The last of the high-end
competition Deltas. With 4wd and a powerful turbocharger
Only two hundred fifty were available in Japan. She looked
at the crumpled metal . . .two hundred forty nine . . .and
wanted to cry . . .she thought of the thousands of hours
she'd spent . . .her own time and money . . .detailing,
putting in the nitro bottle. Rebuilding the injector jets had
taken five hundred hours alone . . .
"Are you all right Natsumi?"
"I almost had him. You know if you would put a
little more work into fixing up the car the bad guy's
wouldn't get away so easy."
Back-up arrived within moments. It took only a little
pepper spray, and a couple of jolts from a stun gun, to get
Miyuki to let go of Natsumi's throat.
************************************************
Throttled back to a sedate ten kph Soban motored
slowly along the street looking for landmarks. She'd gotten
lost twice already and had to retrace her route. A few
minutes ago she'd passed the Jubancho Hospital bus stop so
the next stop should be . . .and there it was; the 'Upper
Sendaizaka' bus stop. And that meant . . .Soban looked
over to her right. There was the stone marker for the
Hikawa Jinja just as Rei had described it. Pulling onto the
grass behind the marker Soban shut off the engine and
locked the stand into place. Stripping off her armor and
coverall she slipped into her new shoes and tugged her
equally new hat into place, pulling the brim to a rakish angle
as Jules had suggested. Grabbing her book bag she froze for
a moment, a leaden feeling in the pit of her stomach. A
study group . . .she'd never been in a study group in her life.
She'd never worn makeup or, she looked at the shoes with a
grimace, heels. Kei assured her they "made" the outfit. And
she'd only have to wear them for a little bit. 'Just from that
_horrid_ machine to the front door.' Kei had insisted.
Taking a deep breath Soban tried to drive away the
butterflies in her stomach. Two more deep breaths and she
at least had them flying in formation.
*You can do this. No problem*. She'd been running
contraband for the yakuza since she was seven. She'd killed
one man, and crippled another, when she was eight. She
could handle a study group.
*dummy. stupid freak* The remembered taunts were
so real she flinched, a sour acid taste in the back of her
throat. She turned and took three steps back the way she
had come before her mind could over-ride her gut. Only
words, memories of words spoken almost a decade earlier.
But words cut sharper than any blade and even the memory
of their wound went deep and bled long. She'd rather have
her knuckles cracked with a hammer than hear those words
again. Especially from----she shook herself like a dog
coming out of a river. A long time ago she'd learned to face
her problems head on.
Another deep breath. Hold it. Let it out slowly.
Repeat. Slowly she walked around the marker from where
she'd parked her motorcycle and started up the . . .steps.
Tilting her head back she saw the long row of stone steps
disappear through the torii and beyond the shrine gate.
Steps.
She looked at the steps.
She looked down at her shoes. Her _new_ shoes.
With heels.
She looked back up at the steps.
She was going to kill Kei.
************************************************
Greedy eyes watched as Soban moved haltingly up
the steps to the Hikawa shrine. Kato Daisuke was part of a
gang known as the Straight Killers. They'd never killed
anyone and rarely even fought. What they did was steal
motorcycles. And this was a beauty. He could only see part
of the rear chrome sticking out from behind the shrubbery,
but it was enough to tell him this was a custom import
. . .two, three million yen profit easy.
Quietly he drove the anonymous looking van onto
the grass and turned to Naoya sitting beside him. Grinning
Naoya held up his cordless drill, for drilling out the ignition
lock, slipped out of the door and walked confidently to the
bike. He had reason to be confident. Cops almost never
patrolled, they couldn't find their way around the narrow
Tokyo streets any better than anybody else. They stuck to
their little boxes by the train stations or if in a car _might_
manage to cover their assigned area once a day.
Closing on the prize he whistled under his breath.
He'd never _seen_ a bike like this, not even in pictures.
There probably wasn't another like it in Japan. And the
_key_ was still in it.
Sniggering at the stupidity . . .this idiot deserved to
get ripped off, Naoya stuck the drill through his belt and
hopped on the bike. Maybe Dai would let him ride it back
to the chop-shop rather than hide it in back of the van. He
reached for the key, sneering at the little white and red
plastic toy on the end of the key-chain. Twisting the key
Naoya felt a sensual thrill at the powerful engine rumbled to
life . . .this was better than sex.
A sudden thought came to him and he twisted the
little toy off the chain. He'd leave the poor bastard
something to remember----
Dai drummed impatiently on the steering wheel.
Naoya should have been finished by now. If the stupid
fucker was playing around again he'd beat him bloody with
his own tool kit. Dai was about to drive off and leave him
when Naoya slid into the seat beside him.
"What the _hell_ took you so long! Where's the
bike? What the fuck were you----"
Teeth chattering Naoya held out a hand trembling as
if palsied. In the palm rested the small figure of a small
rabbit wearing a bright red cap and carrying a straw basket
filled with daisies. Dai frowned down at the small toy, then
back up at Naoya whose mouth opened and closed but
nothing came out.
"What the fuc----" Dai started to flick the thing out
the window. Naoya snatched it back, blanching to paper
white.
"NO! . . n . . no." He swallowed audibly. "It's hers."
He hissed. "It's _hers_ and I broke it." Tears were
streaming down Naoya's cheeks.
"Hers? What are you talkin' about?" And then he
recognized the toy. 'My Melody', the kawaii rabbit friend of
the equally kawaii 'Hello Kitty'. And then he knew who the
bike belonged to.
Motorcycle theft was so common in Japan that the
police didn't bother to investigate and no one would insure
them against theft. If you owned a motorcycle you locked it
in the house at night, slept with it if you could and accepted
the fact that one day it would be stolen.
Unless it was _her_ motorcycle.
Someone _had_ stolen her bike.
Once.
Dai began to cry.
************************************************
"Someone's coming!" Rei shrugged off her teasing
friends and turned toward the door. The feeling she had was
seconded a moment later by the warning cries of her ravens.
"It's probably Soban." Ami looked at her watch.
"She's running a little late. Perhaps she had trouble finding
the shrine?"
Makoto moved to the window and peered through
the curtains. "Kawaii!" She exclaimed involuntarily.
Minako hurried up and shoved her friend aside.
"Wow!" Looking over her shoulder she added, "It's not
Soban."
************************************************
Soban paused to catch her breath. She sneered at the
stone lions guarding the top of the final flight of steps.
"You'd look pretty silly trying to walk in these shoes
too."
A pair of ravens swooped low, laughing at her.
Pursing her lips at the unfairness of life that let the wildlife
make fun of her she straightened her tie and took a
confident step forward. Her confidence took a massive hit
as she saw the shrine proper for the first time. The
elaborately carved Hikawa Jinja was over fifteen hundred
years old and a designated cultural treasure. The worn stone
steps took on a new significance as she felt the presence of
the thousands of souls that had come to this shrine over the
centuries. The spirits, past and present, were a palpable
presence . . .and they didn't like strangers. They didn't like
_her_.
Soban's nostrils flared as she felt a subtle pressure
pushing her away from the sacred precincts. She didn't like
anyone telling her what to do, alive or dead, mortal or kami.
Setting her jaw she stalked straight toward the shrine,
intending to ring the bell until the kami squealed.
************************************************
"Excuse me," Ami politely shoved her two friends
aside. "I can't see any . . ." Her voice trailed off as she got a
good look at their visitor. ". . .thing."
A dove grey fedora was pulled low over one eye,
hiding the face in shadow. The blue pin-stripe suit jacket
pulled snugly over heavy, weight-lifters shoulders. Even
through the tight shut windows Ami could hear the staccato
clack, like gun shots, with each determined stride.
"Oh . . .my . . ."
"What in the world are you looking at?" And what
had Phobos and Demos in such an uproar? Rei thought as
she shoved, much less politely, her way to the window. She
took one look and bolted for the door.
Sprinting around the corner she could see the
stranger headed for the shrine . . ._her_ shrine. "HEY! Hey
YOU! What do you think you're----" The figure turned on
her like a cat, the split skirt swirling open to reveal a flash of
silk covered leg and garter. "----doing?" Rei squeaked.
She recovered and tried again. "What do you think
you are doing _here_?" Rei tensed as the intruder brought
her hands up, then relaxed fractionally as the stranger made
a minute adjustment to her elegant silk tie. Another flick
removed an imaginary piece of lint from the pale pink silk
shirt, before slender hands fell back to rest at the strangers
side.
"The shrine is closed." Behind her she could hear
her friends skid to a stop. "Public hours are . . .are
weekdays from ten o'clock to five." Rei stuttered, feeling a
little silly for over reacting to a lost tourist. She felt a little
flutter in her tummy as the shadowed face watched her,
unnervingly silent. "Ummm, can I help you? Are you lost?"
The figure moved suddenly forward and Rei stepped back
involuntarily.
"I thought we were supposed to have a study group
today?" A long fingered hand pushed back the brim of the
fedora, showing the owners face.
************************************************
Soban felt her stomach clench as everyone gasped.
She should never have let Kei and the others talk her into
"dressing up." She felt hot tears threaten as Rei's jaw
dropped. She could feel the others staring and knew she
would lose it when they started laughing. Biting hard on the
inside of her cheek she used pain and the hot copper taste of
blood to distance herself.
"Since it's a shrine I thought I should dress up a
little." Silence. Even the dammed crows had shut up. "I
thought it was today . . .the study group." It took
everything she had to keep her voice from trembling. "Sorry
if I made a mistake." She turned curtly to leave.
"Wait . . ." Minako recovered her voice first. "It's
today. The study group. Today is right." She shuffled her
feet nervously. "Ummmm, that's a new look for you."
Ooops. Wrong thing to say. Soban looked as if she were
going to bolt.
"You're right on time." Ami put in. "Is that your
book bag?" She asked unnecessarily, pointing to the bag
Soban had left at the top of the steps. With a slight gesture
she sent Makoto to retrieve Soban's books. "Well, let's get
started." With that she grabbed Soban by the arm and pulled
her toward Rei's room. With only a slight hesitation Soban
followed, trailed by Rei, Minako and Makoto with Soban's
book bag.
A moment later Soban was settled into an
overstuffed chair of modernistic design while the rest of the
girls settled around a low table.
Soban tried to suppress a slight grimace at sitting
with her back to a window. Rei noticed the infinitesimal
twitch, but misinterpreted it.
"This will help," she pushed a stool under Soban's
feet. "Not used to wearing heels I bet." Her sympathetic
grin faded under Soban's stony faced silence.
"Time to get to work." Ami's interruption broke the
tension and Rei moved back to her place with a relieved
sigh. Something was making Soban awfully tense.
Soban, for her part, wished everyone would quit
staring at her. It had been years since she'd been really self
conscious of her looks. That just gave people a weapon to
use against you. She should have stuck with her school
uniform. That was safe, familiar. Not this new sophisticated
look Kei assured her was all the rage she thought, absently
fiddling with the unfamiliar neck-tie of cobalt blue silk. She
wished they would just quit staring. Even Ami was darting
quick looks from the corner of her eye when she thought
Soban wasn't looking.
If Soban ever realized Kei had modified chic
sophisticated to adorably seductive he needn't bother going
to Sweden for his gender reorganization surgery. Soban
would reorganize his gender with an electric blender.
"I thought we'd start with classical literature,"Ami
pulled a thick volume from her bag. "Translation and
analysis are very important parts of the entrance exam. I
thought we'd take turns, one person doing the translation
and another the interpretation just like we do in class.
Soban, why don't you read the passage I've marked and
Makoto you do the analysis."
"NO!" Rei's hand shot out, grabbing Ami's arm in a
painful grip. "Uhhhhh . . ." Dropping Ami's arm as quickly
as she'd grabbed it Rei floundered a bit under her friends
amazed look. "That is . . .I mean why don't I start. Soban's
feet probably still hurt."
Ami looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. Rei
wasn't sure she was far wrong.
"How did you know?"
Everyone turned from Rei at Soban's quiet question.
Rei thought about misunderstanding the question, but
somehow she couldn't, as much as she wanted to.
"At the Island . . .when you were reading . . .the
book was upside down."
"Careless of me." Soban said tonelessly. She reached
for her book bag. "I could have done it, you know. No
one's ever guessed before."
"I'm sorry." Rei looked like she was about to cry.
When Soban got to her feet she reached out to stop her. At
Soban's look she let the hand fall helplessly back to her side.
"What's going on?" Minako asked the question
everyone else was thinking. "Where are you going?"
"Home." Soban slung her bag over one shoulder and
headed for the door. "I'm tired of this."
"Now wait a minute." Ami didn't like the note of
finality in Soban's voice. "You can't just leave like this."
She stepped in front of Soban, putting her hand on her chest
to stop her.
"Don't you _ever_ tell me what to do." Soban
grabbed Ami's hand in a joint lock.
Ami winced as Soban twisted her wrist. In a move
she would never have tried before meeting Soban Ami
grabbed _Soban's_ hand in a wrist lock she'd learned from
her water polo friends.
"Now what has gotten in to you." Ami demanded
with uncharacteristic heat. "We went to a lot of trouble to
set up this study group. You can't just walk away without
an explanation."
"I can't read." Soban jerked free and stalked for the
door. She was trying to fumble into her shoes when Ami
caught up with her again.
"Look, there's nothing wrong with being afraid to
read in public. I'm always a little nervous when----"
"I'm not nervous." Soban gave the recalcitrant shoe
a savage kick that sent it skidding out into the yard. "I can't
read." She turned to face Ami. "I. Can. Not. Read." She
punctuated each syllable with a poke to Ami's chest. "I can
not read the words. I'm fucking ILLITERATE!" Soban
growled the last, pushing her face close to Ami's.
"Understand now, genius?"
"That's stupid. How-----" Ami's next words were
choked off as Soban grabbed her by the collar and lifted her
clear of the floor.
"I'm not stupid! Don't you call me stupid. Don't
you ever----"
The world went a little grey as Soban cut off her
oxygen. Faintly she heard a distant buzzing, like a giant hive
of bees. The pressure around her throat released and she
sank to her knees, drawing in great sobbing breaths. As her
vision cleared she saw Soban, teeth bared and growling,
facing a white faced Minako who was in a defensive crouch.
Makoto stood beside her, rubbing her knuckles. Ami
noticed a bruise forming on Soban's cheek.
"I'm alright," Ami struggled off the floor with Rei's
help. Taking a deep breath Ami swallowed hard, feeling her
throat protest. She pushed between Minako and Makoto.
Gently she reached out and brushed Soban's cheek.
"I didn't mean _you_ were stupid. I meant it was
stupid that you couldn't read. I was surprised." She felt
Soban's arm tense as she touched her. "Come and sit back
down. Please?"
"I need to get my shoe." Soban refused to look at
Ami, staring out the door instead.
"Makoto will get it." Makoto looked a little unsure
about leaving, but went after the missing shoe at Ami's
quiet gesture. "Now," Ami started as Soban hunched herself
in the chair, "what seems to be your problem with reading?"
"I can't read." The answer was short, her manner
unforthcoming.
"Do the characters twist all around?" Minako put in
unexpectedly. Soban's head shot up, eyes fixed on Minako.
"The kana are all twisted around, aren't they?" Minako
went on confidently, seeing Soban's look. "And the kanji,
just a mess of lines like a noodle cup."
"How do you know?" Soban whispered.
"Dyslexia." Ami interjected, her tone disgusted.
"Dis whatsia?" Makoto dropped the lost shoe by it's
mate and toed off her own footwear before re-entering the
room.
"I have it." Minako answered simply.
"So do I." Ami put in. "I don't understand why----"
"I can't _read_." Soban whispered in an anguished
voice. "You can read. Why can't _I_ read?"
Ami knelt down by Soban's side. "There are a lot of
different types of learning disorders, and of different
severity." She squeezed Soban's hand. "And I had teachers
who worked with me," she glanced at Minako who nodded
in agreement. "I don't think you did."
Soban took a deep shuddering breath. "Could
you . . .I can pay . . ."
Ami started to object. To say that she wasn't
qualified. There were special teachers, classes for people
like her.
"Of course," she heard a voice say. Her voice. "I'd
be honored to help any way I can. And don't worry about
money----" Soban started to object and Ami went on
quickly. "Just explain to me what this is," she held up a
shiny black and red leather harness, "and how it works."
************************************************
"Alright, that's enough for now." Ami rubbed her
eyes. "You don't want to overdo things."
"No!" Soban snatched for the pad of paper and
brushes she'd been using to practice. "I want to----" She
pressed her hands together, controlling herself with an
effort. "Forgive me. I appreciate what you have done for
me."
Ami winced at the bleakness of Soban's tone. "Wait
a minute, where are you going?" She grabbed Soban's arm
as she rose to leave.
"Home. I don't want to take any more time from
your study group. Thank you for what you've done for me."
Soban started to bow formally, then jerked upright in shock
when Rei whapped her on the head.
"Baka." She didn't notice Ami unconsciously rub
her neck. "It's at least half an hour until the next bus. Or
were you planning to _walk_ home?" She jerked a thumb at
Soban's stylishly impractical shoes sitting by the entrance.
"I rode my bike----"
"You rode a bicycle wearing that?" Makato stared at
Soban's outfit, incredulously.
"Ummmm, motorcycle." Soban corrected. "I , uhhh,
left it behind the shrubbery at the front. I hope you don't
mind?" She looked worriedly at Rei.
"Motorcycle?" Minako squeaked.
"Behind the shrubbery!" Makoto's jaw dropped.
"Are you CRAZY!" Everyone chorused.
Minako and Makoto's exchanged identical looks and
dashed for the door.
"Maybe we----"
"It might still be----"
And they were gone in a tangle of voices and
running hopping steps as they jerked on their shoes while
moving.
"What was that all about?" Soban asked no one in
particular.
"What were you thinking of?" Rei demanded, fists
on hips, looking at Soban as if she were an idiot studying
hard to be a moron . . .and failing.
"That was very unwise." Ami put in severely.
"Motorcycle theft is the most common type of crime. Last
year in Juban there were six homicides, twenty eight
assaults, two hundred automobile thefts and," she paused
for dramatic effect, "Three thousand four hundred and
eighty two motorcycle thefts."
"Eight."
"I beg your pardon?" A little frown creased her
forehead.
"There were eight homicides."
"How do you----" Rei's mouth snapped shut as she
suddenly decided she didn't really want to know _how_
Soban knew this.
"Ahhhh, well," Ami was almost bursting with the
need to ask "how", but took her cue from Rei. "you should
_not_ have left your motorcycle like that. I understand that
there are thieves who use _tools_ to cut through even the
heaviest chains." She looked at Rei who nodded in
agreement.
Soban seemed overtaken by a small fit of coughing.
"R . . .really?"
"Oh yes. I've read that they use cordless drills to
start the motorcycles _without_ using a key." She frowned
a little. "I didn't really understand that part." Looking a
little sheepish she added. "I've never ridden a motorcycle."
"You can ride mine sometime . . .if you like," Soban
shrugged carelessly.
"_IF_ you still have a motorcycle," Rei added
sarcastically. "Why didn't you bring it up the path around
back?"
"I didn't want to intrude."
"You didn't want to _intrude_!" Rei seemed ready
to explode. "You'd rather someone steals your
motorcycle?"
Minako and Makoto returned just then.
"Ummmm, there are two guy sitting in a van . . .
crying."
"Never mind that," Rei interjected. "How's her
motorcycle?"
"It's . . .pink." Makoto said.
"With bunnies." Minako added.
"I like bunnies." Soban said, somewhat defensively,
as everyone turned to stare at her.
"We got the two guys to help us roll it up the path in
back. It's parked outside now." Makoto jerked her thumb
toward the window at Soban's back.
"They were very helpful." Minako added.
"Wouldn't stop crying though." Makoto sounded
puzzled.
"Ummmmm . . .well," Ami was the first to recover
from the brain twisting thought of associating Soban with
both pink and bunnies. "I think we should all take a break
now. Rei, why don't you get the game board."
"Game?" Soban turned away from explaining the
near necessity of having bunnies on ones motorcycle to
Minako.
"Oh yes, we always relax with a role playing game,"
Ami blushed faintly at the lie. "after studying. They are very
good for stimulating logical thinking and ummm . . . .
uhhhh . . ."
"They help you learn teamwork and . . .uhhh
. . .stuff." Makoto put in valiantly. She was saved from
further effort when Rei returned with a box that was scuffed
and worn as if from long and frequent use. Which would
have surprised the shop keeper who had sold it to Rei as a
brand new game two days earlier . . . when Minako had her
brain storm. Since Artemis was so adamant that Soban
could not be trusted with the secret of their identities as
Senshi this was a way to safely feel Soban out about her
true feeling about the Senshi. And perhaps get a fresh
prospective on fighting the Dark Kingdom.
"Sailor Senshi?" Soban looked at a quartet of heroic
young women in brief fuku fighting a hoard of ravening
monsters against the back drop of a burning Tokyo skyline.
Heroism seemed to be in inverse proportion to fuku length,
which made these Senshi _very_ heroic indeed. She looked
from the picture to Rei who blushed faintly.
Soban sighed. "OK . . .OK, the Sailor Senshi are the
greatest thing since cold beer and hot sake. Satisfied?" Rei
blushed even more furiously. Ami made mental note to talk
to Rei later, in private. Soban's explanation about the
fascinating collection of leather and gold had been
somewhat . . .sketchy.
"What do you have against the Sailor Senshi?"
Makoto asked a little belligerently. "They are the pretty
soldiers for love and justice. They fight against evil and
protect us from the Dark Kingdom."
Minako tensed a little. No one except them, and the
Dark Kingdom of course, knew that name. Soban however
didn't seem to notice.
"I don't have anything against the Senshi," Soban
grimaced a little, shifting for a more comfortable position in
her chair. "I just don't like . . ." she searched for the right
words. "I don't like the hero worship they get." She
shrugged, "I don't like the hero worship the Grey Princes
get either."
"Dark Generals." Ami corrected automatically. She
clapped a hand over her mouth in horror when she realized
what she'd done.
"Huh?" Soban glanced quizzically at Ami.
"Uhhhh, that's what we call them for the game." Rei
said hurriedly, setting out the game pieces.
"Yeah well, Dark Generals, Sailor Senshi . . .they're
all the same." Makato opened her mouth to object,
vigorously, but shut up when Minako squeezed her arm
warningly.
"They're all the same," Soban went on. "The
Generals want something, the Senshi don't want them to
have it. Or the Senshi try to get something, the Generals
fight them for it."
"Yeahbut the Senshi are fighting to save----"
"Look, if you get fried by an energy bolt or someone
drops a building on you, you don't care if the person who
does it wears a sailor fuku or a Dark General's uniform.
You're dead either way."
"But, the Sailor Senshi are trying to save everyone."
Ami replied, sounding troubled. "Sometimes innocent
people are hurt but----"
"It's for your own good," Soban said bitterly. "You
have to think about the big picture . . .work for the greater
good." She glared at Ami. "Do I have it right? That's what
the _Emperor_ said during World War Two. Something like
that. And then the army _helped_ a few hundred thousand
men women and children on the point of a bayonet. Of
course they were only Chinese." Ami shivered at the venom
in Soban's voice.
"It's not the same." Minako said quietly. "The
Generals attacked first."
"There's always an excuse!" Soban retorted. Taking
herself in hand she went on more quietly. "I don't know
who's right or who's wrong. It doesn't matter for most
people anyway. They just want to live their lives without
wondering if they're going to end up bombed, burned or
turned into a monster."
Ami looked troubled. Soban broke the strained
silence. "I'm sorry. I'd better go." Minako stopped her.
"No, I'm . . ._we're_ sorry. Just because we like the
senshi doesn't mean you have to." She nibbled her lip a little
nervously. "But we'd still like you to stay . . .you don't have
to play if you don't want to."
Soban collapsed under Minako's lost puppy look.
"Alright, I'll stay." She grimaced. "How do you play this
stupid game anyway?"
Minako produced a thick, dog eared book Ami had
prepared for _their_ version of the popular game. "Well,
first you've got these different generals. They've got these
powers and soldiers that fight for them . . ." Soban slumped
back in her chair as Minako excitedly explained the rules of
the "game".
************************************************
"So, what do you think?" Ami finally broke the
silence that had fallen after Minako finished explaining the
"game".
"I think the Sailor Senshi are screwed." Soban
replied without opening her eyes.
"What!" Makoto leaned forward, hands fisted on her
knees. "What do you mean?"
"Screwed . . . fucked . . .neck deep in fecal matter
and sinking fast." Soban peeked at Makoto from under
lowered lids. "If you're playing the parts of the Senshi?,"
nods all around confirmed what she already knew. "I hope
you like skiing, 'cause the Generals are gonna wax your
ass."
"What!" Rei was incensed. "How can you say that.
We . . .uhhh the Sailor Senshi have done alright. Sure
w . . .uhhh they've lost some battles but-----"
"But nothing." Soban held up a hand to stop Rei,
then, ticking off points on her fingers, continued.
"You, according to the game rules, don't know
where the Generals are based, what their objectives are or
how many of them there are." She looked inquiringly at
Ami.
"Ummm, the game people tried to make it as
realistic as possible." Ami answered, nodding.
"This means, no matter what you do, the Generals
have a safe base to retreat to, to rest, recover and plan.
They have more man power," Minako coughed and Soban
grinned. "or monster power, than the Senshi. _They_ can
lose dozens of "soldiers", the Senshi can't afford a single
loss. You don't know what they're after----"
"Energy," Minako put in. "They want human
energy. According to the game rules." She added hastily.
Soban shrugged. "Why?" At their blank looks she
went on. "What do they want human energy for? For that
matter what _is_ human energy. What _exactly_ are they
doing when they drain people? And what do they do with
the energy?" Soban leaned back and closed her eyes. "Know
your enemy, know yourself and in a thousand battles you
will never lose. Be ignorant of the enemy and know yourself
and you will win half your battles." Her eye snapped open,
spearing them all with a glance. "Ignorant of yourself and
your enemy, you can never win."
"Sun Tzu," Ami recognized the quotation. A
thought came to her. "Ummm, how do you know so much
if----" She stopped suddenly, her cheeks heating. "Sorry,
that's none of my business."
"I listen. And remember." Soban answered. "And
it's amazing what people will do for a few yen . . . Excuse
me," Her voice took on a different timber, more refined.
"I've forgotten my reading glasses. Would you mind reading
this chapter for me?" Soban grinned at their amazed looks.
"There are a million dodges . . .and books-on-tape help a
lot. At any rate, I think the Senshi know themselves pretty
well and work together as a team" Rei started to preen a
little, then caught herself. "but the best they can do is drag
out their dying.
"So," Minako put in. "there's no way the Senshi can
win?"
"Hmmmm," Soban glanced off into space, thinking.
"I guess it all depends on what you mean by winning."
Another moment of thoughtful silence. "Winning this game
means a lot to you?" Vigorous nods all around. "Set up the
pieces and let's see what happens." She thought a minute.
"You be the Dark Generals and I'll be the Sailor Senshi."
She pursed her lips as if tasting something sour. "One of
them anyway."
"Only one senshi?" Rei queried.
"I'll only need one, if I can make it work at all.
Besides," Soban picked out a small figurine. "I'm going to
use the strongest Senshi of all."
"HER?!"
************************************************
The greatest of the Dark generals floated in the air
above his supine enemy. Shadows danced and played in the
eerie light cast by his aura.
"It's been a long battle," he wiped a smear of blood
from his cheek, "But now it's over."
The broken, bleeding senshi looked up from where
she lay dying on the cold stone. "C . . .come closer."
With arrogant ease the General settled beside the
dying warrior, contemptuously brushing his uniform clean as
he did so.
"K . . .kun . . .zite," her voice was no more than a
breathy whisper. "do you believe in god?"
The General's surprise showed. "Do I believe . . .
what are you talking about?"
"Give your soul to god . . .'cause your ass is mine."
A bloody finger stabbed a button on a badly charred
computer. An encrypted signal burst from the computer as a
booted heel came down, crushing hand and machine. It
didn't matter, neither could feel it and both had done their
duty.
Kunzite's head snapped around as his ears detected
a muffled sound . . .like a very heavy book falling from a
desk. It was the sound of sixty eight tons of high explosive
blowing a hole in the ocean floor.
That was just the trigger.
Between one heart beat and the next, sixty five
thousand gallons of cold sea water smashed into the heart of
an active volcano. The super heated steam erupted
upwards. . .seventy three tons per square inch of sea water
pressed down. The enormous pressure took the line of least
resistance, rupturing the natural fault like rotten rice paper,
splitting the sea bed through the mantle. And five cubic
miles of the earth's core blasted through the gaping wound
to the surface at eleven hundred kilometers per hour.
Kunzite didn't even have time to scream.
"That's CHEATING!" The former Dark Kingdom
general screamed in frustration.
"Cheating?" Soban flicked over the Kunzite figurine
and glanced back at Makoto.
"You killed yourself for one thing."
"I was already dying." Soban pointed out
reasonably.
"You blew up the planet!" Makoto was turning an
interesting shade of puce.
"Just a small piece. And you'd already depopulated
it."
"Besides, there's no way you could do it anyway."
Makoto took deep breaths, trying to calm down.
"Ummm," Ami was reading over the game notes. "I
. . .I think there might be." She stared strangely as Soban.
"But how did you . . .I mean how did the senshi know?"
"I told you she was the most powerful."
"HER?" Makoto picked up the small figurine,
dressed all in blue. "Sailor . . .Mercury?"
"It's all a matter of superior intelligence."
Fortunately Soban couldn't see Ami blush bright red.
"I know Am . . .ummmm . . .almost the smartest
senshi is Sailor Mercury," Rei mouthed *good save* at
Minako behind Soban's back while Ami quietly banged her
head against the floor. "but what does that have to do with
beating Kunzite?"
"Not that kind of intelligence. Sailor Mercury could
be dumb as a box of hair." Soban rubbed her nose
thoughtfully. "She's got to be a few dumplings short of a
bento to run around in that stupid fuku making silly
speeches."
Rei clamped a hand over Ami's mouth, stifling the
cry of outrage at the source.
"No, what I'm talking about is _military_
intelligence . . .information and analysis of enemy intentions.
Sailor Mercury," Soban took the game piece from Makoto,
"has these glasses that allow her to gather information and a
super computer to store and analyze data." She dropped the
tiny doll on the table and set it spinning with a flick of her
finger. "With this I could avoid the Dark Generals where
they were strong," she swept a hand to indicate the tokens
that represented the generals and their minions. "attack
where they were weak and," she gifted Makoto with a
_very_ naughty grin. "set up an ambush."
"But you died!" Ami said plaintively.
"The object of this game was to destroy the Dark
Generals." She raised a questioning eyebrow at Ami who
had come back around front of the table. She reluctantly
nodded yes and Soban continued.
"Then I won. Kunzite was the last of the Dark
Generals and he died. No one said anything about surviving
_after_ the last General was dead so Sailor Mercury's death
didn't matter." She thought for a moment. "In a different
game . . .with all the senshi, I might not play it that way.
With her ability to gather and analyze information as well as
coordinate attacks Mercury is the most valuable of the
senshi . . .the rest are just cannon fodder-----are you all
right?"
"Just choked on something." Minako pounded
herself on the chest. "Ummmm, is there anyway to beat the
Dark Kingdom _and_ keep the senshi alive?" She asked
hopefully.
Soban shrugged. "Who knows? Real fights depend
on luck as much as anything. You can do everything right
and slip on a slick spot. Or run into someone who is faster
and smarter than you are that day." She stretched, wincing
as her muscled protested from sitting so long. "For that
matter Kunzite might forget to look both ways crossing the
street and get hit by a bus." She glanced out the window at
the lengthening shadows. "I better head back. Last time I
left the cooks alone when Iron Chef was on, the kitchen
exploded."
***********************************************
"I can't believe you let her get away with that!"
Makoto fumed as Ami and the others waved at Soban's
disappearing tail lights.
"Hmmm, what did you say?" Ami answered
distractedly as she pulled out her computer and punched
several keys.
"I said I can't believe you let Soban get away with
cheating like that. Who ever heard of Senshi using bombs or
any of that other stuff she did?"
"Why are you so upset," Rei put in a little heatedly.
"At least you lasted long enough do some damage. I got
killed in the first couple of minutes."
"That's because you were too busy admiring
Soban's . . .expertise." Minako grinned slyly.
Blushing hotly, Rei opened her mouth to blast
Minako.
"Big . . .trouble . . ." A bedraggled white cat
staggered in the doors. "There's a -----"
"Youma in the shopping district." Ami finished,
closing her mini-computer with a snap. "Let's go."
"Henshin Yo!" Artemis commanded.
Minako stopped with her transformation wand
raised at shoulder level. "Gee, do you really think we
should?"
Before he could muster a retort Minako and the
others triggered their transformation wands. Artemis
ducked his head and squinted his eyes against the strobe
effect as energy bled from sub-space. Moments later the
Pretty Sailor Suited Soldiers for Love and Justice and one
Cranky Kitty for Naps and Tuna When He Can Get Them
sped from the shrine toward downtown Tokyo.
"I am _not_ cranky!"
"Save your breath for running."
************************************************
"We could make better time on the rooftops." Sailor
Jupiter hissed, balancing against the sway of the moving car.
"Not really," Ami replied absently, looking at her
computer. "the Youma seem to be moving through the
Ginza in a straight line, sealing off one or two levels of a
store, draining the customers then moving to the next store.
This is a shoppers-special train straight to the Mitsukoshi-
mae. Unless they change tactics we should beat them to the
store by fifteen or twenty minutes."
"Ummm, are you sure about this Sailor Mercury?"
Artemis gave a tentative smile to an enormously fat
housewife with three children. Blanching, she gathered her
children and backed away from the moon-cat as far as
possible. Artemis sighed, shifting to a slightly more secure
position across Ami's shoulder.
"Everyone's _staring_," Sailor Mars seconded
Artemis.
"Yeah, isn't it _great_!" Venus was busily signing
autographs for a crowd of fan-boys who had shoved their
way to that end of the car.
"Are you crazy!" Jupiter half shrieked. Three salary
men who had been trying find out what Pretty Sailor
Soldiers wore under their fuku jumped up and scurried to
the opposite end of the car.
"I don't think so." Mercury put away her computer
and activated her visor. "This may not even work but . . ."
her voice trailed off as she stared off into the distance.
"What's your idea?" Venus signed one last book
with a flourish, then, favoring the fan-boys with a smile that
turned their brains to jelly, turned to face Mercury.
"Well . . ." Mercury stared into the distance, through
steel and stone of subway car and tunnel. "Did you know
there's new construction right across the street from
Mitsukoshi?" Makoto frowned at the apparent non-sequetor
as Mercury continued.
"I _think_ I'm about to be _very_ bad." She favored
Venus with an impish smile that sent a shiver up the Senshi
of Light's spine.
************************************************
From it's humble beginning in 1673 selling kimono,
Mitsukoshi Department Store had risen to prominence as
the most august store of it's type in Japan. Taking exit A-5
from the store's subway station, the main entrance is right
around the corner, guarded by great stone lions.
Every morning, strictly at 09:45, a forty girl
platoon, neatly attired in the Mitsukoshi Store Uniform,
assembles to receive their instructions. Their (male) section
chief will demonstrate new products, point out new displays
and read messages passed down from the rarefied
atmosphere of the executive floor.
At 09:55 exactly, customers, waiting outside, are
the recipients of announcements about the various
exhibitions, lectures, and demonstrations scheduled for the
day.
Precisely at 09:59 two guides chosen specifically for
their beauty and congeniality assume their posts on either
side of the massive doors, with dark suited section chiefs
just behind them and to one side. To the sound of chimes
and Handelian chords from the organ in the loft over the
central hall, the guides bow to each other and then open the
doors with the precision of a Swiss chronometer so that the
first customers pass under a ten-meter-high statute of
Magokoro, Goddess of Sincerity and Patronness of
Department Stores, at the stroke of 10:00.
This ritual had been carried out without interruption
(other than a slight unpleasantness during the allied
occupation) and only slight variations for over two hundred
years.
Morgue, High Captain of the Dark Kingdom, was
expecting great things because of this. Lots of humans, full
of energy gathered together in neat orderly groups. That
was why she was so surprised to find the main entrance
blocked off with signs saying :
"UNDER CONSTRUCTION" and "Use Other Entrance"
with arrows pointing across the street. Things had been
going exceptionally well thus far. She and her lieutenants
would infiltrate and isolate the top two or three floors of a
store, cutting off the stairs, elevators and phone service. The
humans would be drained of their energy and she and her
hench-women would leave via the roof for their next target.
The human response, when it finally occurred, was
always behind them. Eventually the Sailor Senshi would
appear but they would be playing catch-up. At worst she
would have to retreat, taking with her the energy already
gathered. At best . . . Morgue's lips drew back in a feral
snarl . . .at _best_ she would bring honor to her master.
Along with the heads of the senshi.
Her hand flickered in a subtle signal. From the
shadows a pair of astonishingly handsome and stylishly
dressed women, remarkably both red-heads like their leader,
formed on her flanks as they crossed the street to the
indicated entrance .
Scarcely had her foot hit the top step than the doors
swung open and a pair of pretty girls, one fair haired the
other very dark, bowed low.
"Welcome to Mitsukoshi. We are sorry for your
trouble caused by the construction. The Management offers
you a special discount for your inconvenience. Please enjoy
your visit."
Smilingly they bowed Morgue and her companions
onto an elevator.
"Welcome to Mitsukoshi," the small elevator-girl
bowed, her cap of short blue-black hair gleaming in the
elevators soft neon lighting. "Your destination please?"
"Music," Kyurere nodded fractionally.
"Cosmetics,"Iguara smiled." And jewelry" Morgue could
scarcely contain her lust at the thought of all the humans
they were going to drain.
"Certainly madame," Smiling the elevator-girl
started the car moving smoothly upwards. "Second floor,
household goods and small appliances;" she announced as
numbers flashed indicating each floor as it passed. "third
floor, sporting goods; forth floor, travel and leisure; fifth
floor electronics; sixth floor men's clothing; seventh floor,
exhibition. Today featuring English Landscape painting and
sculpture from Equatorial Africa."
Kyurere tilted her head thoughtfully. Perhaps she
would stop by and pick up something nice on her way out.
There was a nasty stain on her wall . . .her predecessor
actually . . .and a painting would be just the thing to cover
it.
"Tenth floor, Sailor Senshi." The elevator door
opened smoothly and the operator stepped out and turned
to face the startled youma. "Today's special----"
"Burning Mandala!"
"Crescent Beam!"
"SUPREME THUNDER!"
"You don't have to _scream_ it," Mars groused,
rubbing her ear and wincing.
"Oh my!" Sailor Mercury peered over the edge of
the elevator shaft, careful not to touch the still smoking
metal. There was a muffled thud from far below. A few
seconds later she jerked back as a billow of dust and hot air
blew back up the empty shaft. "Thank you for shopping at
Mitsukoshi." She murmured.
Jupiter peered over Mercury's shoulder to look
down the shaft. "Ewwwww." She wrinkled her nose in
disgust. "Well, well we better go move the
'Under Construction' signs and barricades back where they
belong." She tugged at a too-tight blouse. "And return these
uniforms."
"I'm hungry." Mars announced. "Want to stop for
something on the way back?"
"Mitsukoshi has a nice Thai restaurant," Mercury
put in.
"Five star?" Rei asked hopefully.
"You could weld steel with it." Venus said, her
tongue tingling in remembrance. "Personally I prefer food
that doesn't bite back." She turned away from the elevator
shaft and headed for the stairs they'd recently sprinted up.
For some reason she had a sudden craving for . . .
"Okonomiyaki?"
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END Sukeban Senshi Chapter 7 part 1 of 3