Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the Creation of Naoko Takeuchi. The concepts 
of Spider-Man are owned by Marvel Comics. No Money is being made from 
this and no such intent should be inferred.

****

"I don't need a slogan to say who I am. I also know the meaning of 
irony."
- Written on a T-shirt

"...And then we saw you," Usagi finished as she toyed with the handle of 
her glass. 'You kicked their ass and then we bugged out."

Makoto "Flash" Kino stared at her, mouth agape for a few moments before 
she found her voice. "You're crazy."

"Probably," Usagi admitted without turning a hair. "But since it's the 
crazy people who change the world, I figure there's not much to worry 
about." She stared into her glass as though looking for any last drops. 
"What interests me is why you were doing a six way with The Bitch and 
her yes men."

Flash stared at her. "You think I'm going to tell you anything, Tsukino? 
I damn near got my guts ripped out tonight and then I find out that I've 
been dropped into some twisted parody of Pretty Sammy. No fuckin way." 
Usagi held up a camera, the message was clear. "All right," Flash 
snapped. She stared at the table. "I'm...I'm an adrenaline junkie. I 
need thrills, excitement. I have to feel alive, hold back the pain. So 
when Nico suggested a six way with Beryl and the others, I said yes, 
y'know? I had no idea about the knife. Nico set me up, the bastard." Her 
fingers tightened around the glass.

"Actually, he protested," Usagi said. "And he fought the others. 
Interesting, no?" Makoto scowled. "In any case," Usagi continued, "the 
important thing is that the four of us are in this together. You, me, 
and Ami are magical girls and Beryl is our enemy, or rather, works for 
our enemy. I doubt she she could mastermind her way out of the shreds of 
a paper bag with a map, a guide rope and a GPS device."

"Don't misjudge her," Flash said. "She's smart, scary smart."

"Please," Usagi said. "She's a spoiled bimbo who at best can walk and 
chew gum at the same time. She ate paste in preschool, did you know 
that?"

"You ate paste too," Naru said. Usagi ignored that as a nearby waitress 
cleared her throat meaningfully. Usagi nodded and tossed a wad of yen 
bills on the table as she stood up. "I'll cover it. Keep the change as a 
tip," she said to the waitress.

Flash glanced at the bills as she rose. There was at least three times 
the cost of their drinks there. "Damn."
****
When they returned to the Akkona, they found it surrounded by police and 
fire trucks.

"Scuse me," Flash said, elbowing her way through the crowd with Ami, 
Usagi, and Naru close behind. "I live there, ya mind?"

"Makoto!" Ami jerked Usagi and Naru out of the way a giant moving ball 
of rioting colors exploded from the crowd and enveloped Flash. "Oh you 
poor dear, they said they couldn't find you anywhere in the building and 
here you are safe and sound." Now that it had stopped moving, Usagi and 
the others could see that it was actually an tall, enormously fat--the 
minds of the three balked at calling it a woman--thing in a kimono of 
neon bright colors. Its makeup was caked on and its hair was a bright 
blue. Its voice had a deep booming qaulity. "Everyone wants to talk to 
you, even the TV stations." Wrapping an arm around Flash's shoulders in 
a grip that it would take a prybar to remove, the creature pushed Flash 
towards where the lights of the TV cameras waited. Usagi and Naru 
followed them, both wearing amused smiles. Ami walked with them, her 
expression curious.

"Here she is!" The thing boomed. "This is the girl who's apartment was 
trashed. Lives alone most of the time, poor thing. Thank the gods she 
wasn't home tonight."

The reporters began shouting questions and Flash's face took on an 
expression of sheer terror as she began to stammer.

"She's having quite a bad night," Usagi said. "Think we should step in?"

"Maybe," Naru said speculativly. "What do you think it would be worth to 
her?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of a karma thing."

"Oh I supppose. You want to do it? You're better at the whole dealing 
with the public thing."

"Chicken," Usagi said and ran a hand through her hair before clasped her 
hands behind her back and exaggeratedly slipped in front of Flash and 
the thing and held up her hand. The reporters fell silent immeditly.

"Freaky, aint it?" Naru whispered to Ami. "Uncle Kenji does the same 
thing. Its like some kind of weird reporter mind control."

"Miss Kino was in the company of myself, my cousin and one of her 
teammates alll night celebrating a sports victory. Any questions 
regarding the incident should be directed to building management or the 
local koban," Usagi said in one breath. "Thank you." Without batting an 
eye, she somehow freed Flash from the thing's grip and led her back to 
towards the building. Behind them, the reporters began shouting 
questions again.

"Ignore them," Usagi hissed. "Don't look back, don't give any sign that 
you hear them."

"You lied?" Flash asked. "For me?"

"Would you have rather I told them the truth?" Usagi asked. "That you 
did a six way with cultists and would be dead by now had not Sailor Moon 
and Spiderwoman--who just happen to be myself and Ami there--saved your 
ass?"

"Don't take that tone with me, Tsukino. "I'm one these...Senshi too. 
We're teammates. Show me some respect."

"That reminds me," Usagi said. "From now on, you're going to be showing 
Ami a lot of respect. In fact, you're going to be her friend or I'll see 
to it that every student and teacher at Juuban gets a picture of your 
recent bukkake party impression."

"You can't blackmail me."

"I just did." Usagi clapped Flash on the back. "Think of it as good 
karma. Makes it easier to swallow."

****
The Next Day....

Usagi hummed happily to herself as she changed back into her school 
uniform after gym class. She was extremely proud of herself. She had 
ended Ami's suffering, gotten Flash Kino under her thumb, and beaten the 
four minute mile today. "Not bad, Usagi you wacky wabbit," she said to 
her reflection in the door mirror. "Not bad at all." She gave herself an 
ego-boosting grin and went to close the door when the smell of perfume 
reached her nostrils, her good mood vanishing instantly. "Beryl," she 
snarled under her breath.

"Hello, Usagi."

"Hi, Beryl. Go to Hell." Usagi shut the locker door and turned to see 
Beryl sitting on the bench, legs crossed.

"Usagi, please, we're older now. Let us speak of adult things. This fued 
of ours, for instance. I think its time to end it."

"Great. Kill yourself."

Beryl ignored that. "Usagi, do you even remember what this fued is 
about? We've been fighting for so long it's insane. I want there to be 
peace. I want us to join forces. I'm here on Mettalia's behalf and on my 
own to extend the hand of friendship."

"Mettalia can kiss my ass," Usagi shot back. "I don't play well with 
idiots and certainly not anyone who would choose you as an agent. You're 
barely worth my time."

"Don't underestimate my mistress, Tsukino."

"Oh I don't, Beryl. In fact, I'm taking this Mettalia very seriously. 
It's you I could care less about. In fact, go tell Mettalia that I don't 
do bisinuess with lackeys. If she wants to make me an offer, she can 
come and talk to me herself. I'm easy enough to find. Think you can 
remember all that or would you like me to write it down in single 
syllable words?"

"Is this your choice then?" In one move, Beryl was on her feet, towering 
over Usagi by several inches. "We'll break you, Tsukino. That's a 
promise."

Usagi stared up at Beryl and then, without changing expression, spat 
onto Beryl's shirt. "Go ahead and break me then." With that, Usagi left 
the room.

Beryl stared at the doorway to the locker room and then glanced down at 
the wad of spittle on her shirt. It peeled off her shirt and dissapated.

"Shall we gut her for you, Mistress?" whispered a voice in the stillness 
of the locker room.

"No," Beryl said. "No. Usagi's arrogance will be her undoing. For now, 
we wait. Return to the Sanctum until I summon you."

****
He sighed as he tightened the last bolt on his new flying machine. The 
"broomstick" had been a great tool, but the controls were simply far too 
impractical for battle. This new design was much better. Rather then 
hand controls, the craft was now controled by a simple combination of 
movements, weight shifting and synaptic control for the on board 
weapons. It even was shaped to look like a demonic bat, a touch he was 
rather proud of. Carefully cleaning and storing his tools, he began to 
wipe the grease and dirt off his hands and as he did, his eyes fell on 
the copy of the Tokyo Bugle lying draped over the lathe. He'd been 
dubbed the "Green Goblin" and he was honest enough with himself to admit 
that he rather liked the name. Even if if had been coined by that gaijin 
Jameson.

Unfortunutly, Jameson represented the power of the press and that made 
him a force to be reckoned with, gaijin or no. For now though, he 
decided to leave Jameson well enough alone. He might even be useful 
somewhere down the line.

He glanced at the clock and finished cleaning up. From the locker, he 
quickly dressed in the suit and tie and removed the folder of papers for 
the meeting he was almost late for. A cursory glance in the mirror and 
he stepped through the concealed entrance and into the inner portion of 
his office, his private sancturary. He spared a thought for Spiderwoman. 
He'd chosen erronously in Sailor Moon. She was far too much of a 
law-abider, however she dressed. But anyone who would choose a spider 
for their name, well, perhaps there was something there he could use.

Soon, he would rule the Tokyo underworld. Every King needed a queen.

"Good Afternoon, Sir," his assistant said, rising from his desk in the 
outer office. "I've gathered the data you requested. Also, several board 
members have registered their displeasure with the notion of buying out 
a kimono conglomerate. They feel that it takes, rather then adds to our 
cartel's image."

Kenji Tsukino smiled and clapped the young man on the back. "Bisinuess 
must expand or suffocate," he said. "Much like humans. We require growth 
in some fashion. To be otherwise, is death."

****
"You need a new name."

Ami blinked at the chopsticks just an inch from her nose. A single grain 
of rice clung to the end of one of the sticks. At the other end of the 
chopsticks was Usagi, who was staring across the circular table at Ami 
Also at the table was Naru and Flash, an addition Ami still wasn't sure 
she liked. She kept a steady eye on Flash and never let the other girl 
get behind her.

The four were seated at the Mall's food court, having lunch. Shopping 
bags were piled around them and they were barely halfway done.

"I don't understand," Ami said. "I already have a name."

"No, your other name. Spiderwoman doesn't cut it anymore."

"Neither does Sailor Mercury," Naru chimed in.

"Then what?" Ami asked.

"I..." Usagi cocked her head. "Do not...know..."

Flash let out an exasperated breath. "Hey, Tsukino. I got a question for 
ya."

"Shoot."

"Your dad's a bigshot bisinuess guy. So how come you walk around without 
worrying one bit about being kidnapped or something?"

Usagi's face split in a big grin. "Because either A, I have a clan of 
ninjas for bodygaurds. B, All the people I'd have to worry about are 
scared of me. C, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, Usagi 
Tsukino actually attends an exclusive school in England while poor me 
(who has the same name as Usagi thanks to a mistake at the hospital) is 
little more then the poor bastard love child whom Kenji Tsukino feels 
some sort of obligation to raise properly. Besides, I make a great 
decoy. Or D, I'm lying through my teeth for my own amusement at you 
trying to figure out if I'm lying or not." She gathered up a mouthful of 
rice with her chopsticks. "Pick one," she said and ate the rice, her 
face never losing the grin.

Flash stared at her. "I'm going to go with D," she said.

"Bingo, you win the prize," Usagi said airily.

"What surprise?" Flash demanded.

"Pineapple," Naru said with a straight face and then both she and Usagi 
broke into snickers.

Flash glared at them. She had believed the rumors that Usagi was insane, 
but having actually spent time with her, Flash was now more inclined to 
believe that Usagi wasn't so much insane as she simply didn't bother 
with thinking. Her apparent maniacal behavior wasn't insanity so much as 
she simply rolled with whatever her hyperactive brain churned out. 
Furthermore, Usagi wasn't conversant with the phrases consequences of 
actions because she simply had never had to deal with them before. 
Always, the Tsukino family name had shielded her.

Flash's lips twitched into a smile. When the hell had she gotten so 
introspective or whatever the word was? Flash exhaled and returned her 
attention to the world around her. Usagi was simply random is all.

Using straws, Usagi was attempting to make a portrait of Yagu Jubei and 
seemed to be arguing with it as she did.

Then again, maybe Usagi *was* insane....

-Steve "Komodo" T.
http://livejournal.com/users/pandoras_closet
http://aberdawnknights.keenspace.com



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