[FFML] [Fanfic][SM Fusion][1st Draft] MMSS Chapter 5 - Meltdown

[StudioPC]

Disclaimer: Not mine, not making money.

It was on the third mission that the Senshi were revealed to the  
world. This was because it was the first mission that saw all six of  
the Senshi in action at once, the place the mission happened in, and  
it was the first use of the Zords.

Later, Artemis would cynically note that while his worst fears about  
Ami's temper had been proven to be true, there also was no more doubt  
about taking her seriously. From both her teammates, and Beryl.

-------------

The hate pumped through her like blood. Hot and rich. She sat in her  
room and burned.

Stupid. Ugly. Worthless. She'd heard them. Never to her face. They  
were all too afraid of her to say it to her face. Especially the freak.

The hate surged, boiling her in its inferno as she cut into her arm  
with the razor.

She should be the number one student. She who had gotten in because of  
her brains. She who had worked for it. Worked hard.

But then the freak came. With her blue eyes and cute hair and well  
mannered and clear skin to screw her out of her top spot. How dare  
she? How dare anyone?

Nostrils flared, eyes fixed on the wall, teeth bared.

Freaks. They were all freaks. Didn't deserve to be out with the normal  
people. Why couldn't they just die?

Better yet, she oughta just kill them. Kill them all. Yeah. She could  
have killed the freak the other day if that oversized dyke hadn't  
showed up. She hadn't been thinking about it then, but now that she  
did, she just knew that she could have killed the freak and no one  
would have stopped her. Then all the freaks would see what happened  
when you didn't know your place.

She'd show them. Show them all. Kill the freak. Kill all the freaks.

She'd be a hero.

The razor sank deeper and deeper into her flesh and she felt no  
pain . . .

-------------------

Usagi had a gift; She could control minds.

Or at least, that was the only explanation Artemis could come up with  
as to why he was accompanying them on a day out on the town. Ami had  
come too, and she looked around nervously, her arm caught in Usagi's  
death grip since it looked like she might bolt otherwise.

Also in the group was Mamoru, Rei's boyfriend, who looked slightly  
uncomfortable at being surrounded by giggling girls. Well, except for  
Ami, who was white with terror, and Makoto. Makoto did not giggle.  
Makoto was dressed in a sleeveless blouse and well-worn jeans with  
battered sneakers.

"So why did you come along?" Artemis asked her. He had yet to figure  
Makoto out. No one could be that laid back. It just made no sense to  
him.

"Walkin's good exercise," Makoto responded. "Smell the air and feel  
the sun."

While Artemis could share the sentiment of the sun, he wasn't so sure  
about the air. The city of Tokyo had been built on the site of Cear  
Edoton, one of the Imperium's few surface cities, mostly because of  
the spaceport. It had been atomized when Beryl attacked.

For a moment, Artemis was twelve years old again, walking down  
Nebertou Street with his parents. The sunlight glinted off the bronze  
and crystal buildings and the air smelled sweet and clear. There had  
been just as many vehicles in Cear Edoton as there was in Tokyo, but  
Cear Edoton's vehicles used fusion micro-batteries for power, which  
didn't stink up the air as much as the internal combustion engine did.

On the other hand, if it hadn't been for all the fusion micro- 
batteries, Cear Edoton wouldn't had been atomized.

"I suppose so," Artemis replied, jerking himself back to the present  
time.

He wondered if Luna had ever been -- he broke off that thought as a  
car suddenly flipped into the air, heading straight for them.  
Reflexively, he blasted it away with a burst spell and then looked  
around. Nobody seemed to have noticed and Mamoru was already vaulting  
over cars to help.

"Dudes, we got a problem." Makoto pointed to where the car had come  
from as another one flipped into the air. In the middle, of the new  
space was a creature that looked like a cross between a Minotaur, a  
goat, and a cockroach, and was surrounded by rock creatures with  
upside down crescent moons on their chests.

Artemis' communicator chimed. "I see them, my Queen," Artemis replied.  
"We're looking for a place to morph now."

Minako had spied an alleyway and Makoto was clearing a path through  
the crowd.

"Senshi, that thing is, or was, Lord Taras. My father had him  
imprisoned in Zear Oeras for disruption of the peace."

"A high-security prison for the most dangerous prisoners," Artemis  
explained.

"That seems kind of harsh," Minako noted.

"Yes, well, Father abhorred exaggeration," Serenity said dryly. "Taras  
used a mega gigaton antimatter bomb and completely destroyed Aear  
Minos, the only pre-Crisis city. That's why Neptune and Pluto cross  
orbits and Uranus is on its side."

Usagi and Minako giggled.

"So what happened to him?" Rei asked.

"Unknown," Serenity replied. "Though I have some suspicions."

"Mikales?" Artemis asked.

"Or someone who found his records. You should all know that Taras was  
an Elemental High Mage. His powers were sealed at the time of his  
imprisonment, but the seals may have been broken or his mutation could  
have stripped him of them. In case of the former, I want Artemis to  
deal with him. The other Senshi will confront the Golems."

"Understood," Artemis replied.

There was a soft chime, indicating that Serenity had switched to a  
private channel. "Artemis. Taras' elemental speciality was water. If  
he retains any of his powers, he will know Ami for who and what she  
is. Do not allow them to confront each other and no matter what, he is  
not to return to Beryl under any circumstances.""

Artemis keyed his com twice as an acknowledgement as they reached the  
alley and slipped in. "Ready?" He asked. "It's morphin time!"

-----------------

Beryl sat on her throne and watched her mirror as it showed her the  
carnage Taras was wreaking on Tokyo. He was a master craftsman, really  
and Mikales's modifications had only heightened Taras' abilities.

At that moment, a yellow figure leapt into view and cleared a squad of  
Golems with a single beam from her outstretched finger. Instantly,  
Beryl's face contorted with rage.

Senshi? Here? But how--Artemis! That overly clever mage had found and  
recruited new Senshi. But where had he found Imperials? She watched as  
other figures joined the yellow one, including one in black, wielding  
a very familiar staff.

Or had he? Could he have really been so desperate as to recruit  
humans? She almost laughed. He had! This would be too easy.

"Taras," she said into the communicator, "the one in black is Artemis.  
Bring him to me, dead or alive," she paused. "I prefer dead."

----------------------

Artemis gazed up at Taras, grateful that his helmet was hiding his  
face. He'd heard of Taras. The man had been an Elder, one of the High  
Mages who'd backed Warlord Malinkai when he'd begun forging the  
Imperium. He'd re-founded the High Mage Order and had been  
instrumental in reuniting the warring factions on Mars. Artemis prayed  
that the seals were still there on  Taras' powers. This would be hard  
enough as it was.

"Why?" Artemis asked. "Why did you destroy Aear Minos?"

"I see standards have fallen," Taras observed. "In my day, a duel was  
begun properly, with honor and respect, not interrogation."

"I don't bother with honor when it comes to murderers," Artemis  
growled back. "King-Emperor Naron should have had you executed, not  
imprisoned." He brought his staff up into a guard position. "Shall we?"

Taras was suddenly moving, his great claws tearing at the air as  
Artemis blocked with his staff. Such speed! With great difficulty,  
Artemis managed to block all of them

"Impressive," Artemis said as they stepped back and began circling  
each other. "Doctor Mikales, I assume?"

"Indeed. He asked me to be sure that I presented his compliments to  
you before I took your head."

"He remembered. I'm flattered."

"You'd be surprised how many people in Zear Oden remember you,  
Artemis. Oddly enough, they all want you dead."

Artemis' steps faltered for a fraction of a second. Zear Oden? He'd  
locked Beryl and her generals in Zear Oden? Ay Yi Yi Yi! No wonder she  
had a weapons lab. He bit back several curses. He could do nothing  
about that right now.

Shifting stances, he lunged in, hitting Taras in the knee with his  
staff and throwing in a blast spell, but Taras had already moved, and  
Artemis was forced to dodge a kick that would have undoubtedly gutted  
him like a fish.

"Clumsy," Taras noted. "Risky, with insufficient reward. Tell me,  
Artemis, how did you manage to get all those people locked up?"

"I cheated a lot," was the bland reply and then he stamped his foot,  
triggering the spells in the sole of his boot. He had placed them  
there centuries ago, before Beryl and in direct violation of the  
Senate's edicts about unapproved augmentation.

The impact released the seals on the earth elemental and it lunged  
out, impaling Taras as the very street sprouted spikes and then slabs  
rose up, driving the spikes into Taras' body before a snake of rock  
rose up, its head replaced by a point, and then drove in through the  
top.

The binding completed, the elemental fled back into the earth and the  
rock around Taras crumbled. Taras smiled and then his arms and hands  
suddenly sprouted spikes. Large, very sharp looking spikes that  
crackled with lightning.

"I cheat too," Taras said and lunged.

-----------------------------

In the viewing chamber, Beryl's lip curled. The golems were almost  
defeated. If the Senshi joined in, human or not, Taras risked defeat.

"Jadeite," she snapped.

"At your service, Mistress," the general replied instantly.

"There's an access to my father's private armory in the library  
bathroom on the four hundred and twenty-fifth floor. Take Nephrite and  
break in. Bring me lot number six seven oh eight four alpha and be  
quick about it."

"Your will, Mistress." The two men vanished.

Beryl steepled her fingers. For security reasons, the bathroom  
accesses were secured with magnetic locks controlled by a simple  
computer instead of the AI's which governed the main entrances. They  
didn't show up on the surveillance systems and were intended to  
provide backdoor access in the event that the palace was compromised.  
Their secrecy was their main defense.

Fortunately, Beryl knew quite a few secrets.

------------------------------

Cear Meres ruins, Mars

Luna of the Mau, Lord General to Queen Beryl, sniffed the air. Here,  
deep in the subterranean vaults of Cear Meres, she had little need for  
the air mask hanging at her side. The scrubbers had failed eons ago,  
but the hydroponic reactor was still functional. Nonetheless, scents  
still lingered in the air.

She looked at the map unit on her wrist, turned, and then set off in  
the ground-covering lope so characteristic of her people. Done  
properly, and with focus of will and a strong body, a Mau could cover  
huge distances without tiring.

Luna was strong, her focus unwavering, and her will was of iron.

She would have her prey. It was simply a matter of time.

-------------------------------

Jadeite and Nephrite were back within moments. Jadeite held a pair of  
staffs, one topped with a silver Z, the other was black, topped with a  
sun and crescent moon symbol. "Mistress," Jadeite said, holding out  
the staffs as he bowed.

Beryl smiled as she accepted the offering and examined the staffs  
before handing the silver one to Nephrite. "Begin reverse engineering  
and mass production on this at once," she ordered. "I want one for  
each prisoner in Zear Oden. Including Mikales' lab."

"Your will, Mistress," Nephrite said, and vanished.

"I beg your pardon, Mistress," Jadeite said, "but what is the purpose  
of these staffs?"

Beryl smiled. "Are you familiar with High Mage Lord Zederach the Vile?"

Jadeite shook his head. "I recall the name, but little else, Mistress."

"Zederach believed it was possible to change size and mass through the  
use of folded space and dimensional pockets. My father opposed the  
idea, of course, and ordered Zederach's arrest. Zederach was sent to  
Zear Oeras and later was killed in a reactor breach. But he had  
completed two prototypes before his arrest; These two staffs. Between  
them, Mikales, and Zear Oden, I will be unstoppable." She hefted the  
staff in her hand. "You would think Father would destroy these, but he  
was too much the military man to destroy a possible weapon."

With a wave of her hand, she opened a warp portal. "GROW, TARAS," She  
called out. "GROW, AND DESTROY MY ENEMIES!"

She hurled the staff into the warp portal.

-------------------------------

As it turned out, Makoto and Rei could combine their powers into what  
Minako dubbed "The Thunderfire attack". But that was later, and back  
at headquarters. As it was, the shockwave scattered the Senshi and Ami  
suddenly found herself face to face with Taras. Alone.

S-s-surr-surr-surrender," Ami stammered, holding her shield before  
her. Her sword lay on the ground at her feet. "I-I- I d-d-don't wa-wa- 
want t-to h-h-h-hurt you."

"Brave talk from a mere child who shakes like a leaf," Taras snarled,  
stepping closer and then he leaned down to peer at her. "What's this?  
Well well well, where did Artemis find you?" He reached out his hand  
and then drew it back as Usagi seemed to materialize next to Ami,  
slashing at Taras' hand with her sword while Makoto and Artemis pulled  
Ami away.

"Hands off our friend, ugly!" Usagi ordered.

"Your friend," Rei corrected, as Makoto and Artemis placed themselves  
between Ami and Taras.

"Our friend," Usagi repeated.

"I'm almost impressed," Taras said, brandishing his claws. "Now, I  
think I'll keep Artemis and the blue one as presents for Beryl, but  
the rest of you really need to die."

"Fat chance!" Usagi barked and then they all looked up as the sky  
seemed to yawn open.

"That can't be good," Makoto noted.

A staff flew from the hole and struck Taras, who immediately began to  
grow and grow until he was at least fifty feet tall. Probably more.

"My Queen," Artemis said into the com.

"I see it, Artemis. Beryl must have found a backdoor into my Father's  
armory. I told him he should have destroyed Zederach's creations." She  
took a deep breath. "I am sending you the Zords. Artemis, you know  
what to do."

The Zords appeared, nimbly avoiding cars, people and buildings and the  
Senshi got on board.

"Wooohoooo!" Minako cheered. "Okay, so like what now? Flanking  
maneuver? Strategic hit and move? Are we going to make a giant robot?  
Ohpleasesaywe'regonnamakeagiantrobot!Please!"

"Dude, if this giant robot requires us to be in sync or something,  
we're gonna need a major case of plan B," Makoto added.

"Yes, well, there's ways around that," Artemis said. "Although  
technically, this should only be used for training exercises. On your  
belts is a small pouch containing a key. Insert it into your consoles  
and turn it clockwise for half a turn. When the three lights go on,  
counterclockwise for another quarter turn."

"That's right, right?" Minako asked. Rei's Zord reached out and hit  
Minako's with its wing.

"Problems with your yes, man, Rei?" Usagi asked sweetly.

Rei's Zord hit Usagi's.

The three Zords rounded on each other, snarling, as the girls began to  
argue loudly.

"Dudes, news crew in residence," Makoto broke in. "They're makin'  
stuff up to explain what's happening."

Artemis flipped through the spectrum until he found the TV signal and  
then he went to audio.

" . . . and Red Thunderbird continues to discipline the White Lion and  
Yellow Cheetah for their infraction! Oh how glorious a commander to be  
stern with her troops in battle as the Blue Tiger, Great Green Ape and  
the Black Lion eye the giant Bull Beast."

Artemis switched his attention back to Taras. The madman was leaning  
on an office building. He'd picked up a butcher's truck and was  
munching on its cargo as though it was a bag of snacks.

"Oh don't mind me," he assured Artemis, "this is much more  
entertaining then killing you and wiping this miserable city off the  
planet."

"Oh what claminity from the Bull Beast!" The news announcer wailed.  
"Are our deaths as imminent as pronounced? Woe is Tokyo if he cannot  
be stopped!"

"He's kinda got a point, Boss Man," Makoto agreed. "You gotta admit,  
this is pretty entertaining."

"Maybe so, but we have a job to do," Artemis replied. He'd learned the  
hard way that it was often simpler to just go ahead then try to break  
up Rei and Usagi's fights. "Makoto, head west, Ami, east, hit him with  
flanking--" he broke off as Ami's Zord suddenly jumped in between Rei,  
Usagi and Minako and scattered them with swipes.

"The hell?" Rei demanded.

"And Blue Tiger joins the argument," the news announcer cried, "great  
claws flying to remind his teammates of duty! Truly, Red Thunderbird  
is lucky to have--" Artemis switched off the audio as his telemetry  
from Ami's Zord suddenly went wild.

"Shut up!" Ami shrieked. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Arguing! Always  
arguing! I can't take it anymore!" She leapt on Rei, claws slashing at  
her wings. "Nothing but meaningless bickering and I am sick of it!  
SICK!"

Alarms shrieked as the Telemetry numbers hit red zones. Artemis'  
sensors were picking up water pipes bursting under the street and in  
nearby buildings and he began to swear, long and loud.

"Artemis?" Serenity asked. "What is going on? The biofeedback from the  
Blue Tiger Zord has surpassed stress limits and continues to rise! Why  
is Ami attacking Rei?"

"You probably oughta call back later, Boss Lady," Makoto told her,  
"Ami's hit total meltdown mode."

"Oh dear."

"Yup."

Water erupted from buildings and streets alike, turning red and  
boiling as it coated Ami's Zord like a second skin. The eyes of the  
Zord blazed with a white-hot light and the blue was changing to red.

"Never asked for this! Just wanted to do the right thing!" Ami howled.

"Oh, this is delicious," Taras praised, "she'll do all my work for me  
at this rate."

Ami stopped attacking Rei and looked at Taras, a low growl, felt as  
much as heard rolled over the scene. Taras dropped the meat truck,  
fear in his eyes.

"You . . ." Ami said the word as though it was a pronouncement of  
doom. "Arrogant . . . I'll rip out your spine and use it for dental  
floss!" She reared upwards, the Zord going from feline to humanoid as  
parts rearranged themselves.

"Cool!" Minako said. "I didn't know the Zords could do that."

"They can't," Artemis said.

"Oh crap." Minako moaned.

Artemis ignored her. "My Queen, what is going on? These energy  
readings -- this isn't possible!"

"I don't know, Artemis, I've never seen anything like this!"

Artemis went through the options as Ami lunged at Taras, clawing at  
his face, but Makoto elbowed her aside, picking up Taras and throwing  
him towards the sea and away from the city. Ami smashed Makoto aside,  
the Green Gorilla's telemetry shrieking with heavy damage alerts and  
then she gave chase to Taras.

"Makoto!" Usagi called out," you okay?"

"Totally righteous. Zord's gonna need some major downtime though.  
Ami's got a wicked backhand."

On the screen, Ami's energy readings continued to climb.

----------------------

In her throne room, Beryl stared at her mirror, open-mouthed. At the  
edges of her awareness, she was aware of her generals doing the same  
and she cared little. Here on the moon, she could feel the blue one's  
rage. It boiled out from earth in waves, sending delicious shudders  
through her body.

She was so caught up in it, she failed to notice something else  
happening, a flicker of awakening, somewhere in Tokyo.

------------------------

It wanted more. More. This was what it thrived on. Fed on.

Greedily, it feasted as much as it could before the bindings pushed it  
back into sleep.

But a flicker of awareness remained, and that small flicker, a tiny  
ember, went to work.

No matter how long it took, it would be free once more.

----------------------------

"Kill the Zord," Artemis stated flatly. "Serenity," he repeated  
cutting across all protocols, "you have to kill the Zord."

"Artemis, there still might be a chance--"

"Can't we wait till she cools down?" Makoto asked. "I mean, she only  
went meltdown in the mall for a few minutes."

"If it were only that simple," Artemis replied. "Ami has tapped into  
the primal forces of the very universe itself via her Zord. Nothing,  
no one can channel that kind of power. Not for long. We don't break  
that connection, she'll burn up."

"Woah, that would be a major bummer. We oughta do something."

"Believe me, Makoto," Artemis said grimly, "Serenity and I are trying."

"Beginning kill sequence," Serenity said, her tone warning Artemis  
that they would be having words about this later. Artemis couldn't  
blame her. The Zords were something of a lost technology, driven by  
great and powerful animal spirits and sacrifices of the worst kind.  
Sadly, most of the Zords had been lost in the Crisis and while he  
Imperium had perfected a sort of replacement, they weren't quite the  
same.

Out in the bay, Ami was hammering at Taras, ignoring his lightning  
strikes and generally throwing him around like a rag doll. His attacks  
and counters were getting more and more desperate. He'd stopped trying  
to kill Ami and was simply trying to stay alive.

Artemis keyed his com. "Usagi, Minako, you two are the least damaged,  
so form up on me. As soon as Ami's Zord goes down, jump Taras and pin  
him down. I'll handle the rest. Rei, Makoto, return to the Command  
Center and get your Zords into the Restoration Chamber."

Artemis focused his attention on the fight in the water. Ami had Taras  
on his knees, one hand on his throat and she was pounding his head  
with the other. Cracks in his shell were already visible.

Further out, Usagi and Minako were taking up their positions. Without  
being told, they had formed a triangle with Artemis that had Taras and  
Ami at their center.

"We're back at base, Boss man, and major problem inbound." Makoto  
reported.

"Define major problem," Artemis replied, wondering what could possibly  
be worse then this.

"Defense force ships and planes headed your way, and they got an  
American carrier group with them. Guess it was in town for a little  
R&R and they want in on the party."

Artemis swore. Imperial Technology was a good thousand years or more  
ahead of Earth, but that many ships could prove problematic. Plus,  
there was Ami. She'd gone berserk and if she decided to attack the  
humans, the loss of life would be beyond catastrophic. "Serenity, I  
need Ami's Zord put down now!"

"Transmitting final codes," Serenity replied.

Out in the bay, Blue Tiger froze, the great head turning towards  
Artemis, as though accusing him, and then it turned to water and fell,  
Artemis moved forward as Usagi and Minako pounced on Taras and then  
drew backwards as the water erupted upwards, forming a thousand foot  
tall effigy of a woman, eyes glowing red. In the center, he could see  
Amy inside a sphere of energy.

"Holy crap!" Minako swore.

Then the effigy collapsed, and Artemis leapt forward, catching Ami in  
the jaws of his Zord.

"Engaging Emergency Teleport," Serenity said as the first ships came  
into view.

------------------------

After making sure that Taras was secure,  Artemis returned to the  
control room. Ami sat in a chair, hunched over a steaming up of tea.  
Makoto stood next to her, hand on her shoulder while Usagi crouched  
next to the chair, hands on Ami's leg and looking up at her while she  
talked quietly. Rei and Minako stood nearby. Rei had a slightly  
disapproving expression on her face while Minako looked worried.

"Y-y-y-y-you w-wa-want m-m-m-m-m wa-wa-wan-wan-wand," Ami stammered.

"Ami, I have no choice." Artemis cupped her chin with his hand and  
raised her head to look into her eyes. "You went berserk, attacked the  
other Senshi, and almost killed Taras. You nearly killed yourself as  
well. Until we find a way for you to control your temper, you can't be  
the Blue Senshi. It's just too dangerous."

"Then who's gonna replace her?" Rei asked.

"Rei!" Usagi snapped.

"Hey, they said they need five of us. If Mizuno is out, who is gonna  
take her place?"

"Which brings me to the other side," Artemis said, his voice dropping  
to a chill tone. "Your incessant bickering and arguing has to stop.  
We're lucky Taras chose to treat things with amusement since if he had  
attacked, Makoto, Ami and I would likely have been killed."

"Hey!" Usagi snapped, rising from her crouch. "It's not my fault Rei  
is such a bitch!"

"Bitch?" Rei exclaimed, "Usagi, if you acted like an actual grown up  
instead of . . . of . . .  the future Queen of the Moon People or  
something, we'd be a lot better off."

"I like Moon People," Minako murmured.

"Excuse me?" Usagi asked, eyes narrowing. "Excuse me? I do not act  
like Queen of the Moon People and even if I did, that's still better  
than you, the current Empress of Planet Oak Tree Rammed Up Your Ass!"

"Woah there!" Makoto barked as there was the sound of glass  
shattering. Everyone turned. Makoto had Ami pinned to the chair with  
one hand firmly on her shoulder and the other holding her wrist. A  
shattered tea cup lay on the floor and Ami's teeth were bared in a  
furious snarl. "Dudes, I am totally down with the fact that you guys  
are righteously opposed to each other's existence, but can't we just  
peace out while we do the world saving thing?" Ami struggled, but  
Makoto didn't even seem to be exerting any effort to hold Ami in  
place. "'Cause if the world ended while you guys were fighting, that  
would give a lot of people a really major case of the downs. Epic  
level, you know?"

Rei let out another snort. "Aren't you always saying 'everything ends'?"

"Yeah, but the boss lady is right. Stuff oughta end on its own.  
Everything got a time and it really blows when it happens early."

"I-I'm s-s-s-s-sorry," Ami stammered. "Th-th-th-thank y-y-y-you f-f-f- 
or s-s-stopping m-me."

"No worries," Makoto said, "but dude, seriously, we have got to work  
on those anger management issues."

"I-I-I-I ca-ca-can't h-help i-i-it," Ami replied. "M-m-mother d- 
doesn't a-a-a-approve o-o-of ex-extreme e-em-emotion a-a-a-and I-I-I  
tr-tr-try, b-b-but s-s-s-s-sometimes, I-I-I-I jus-just e-e-explode."

"Momma got a point," Makoto said, fetching a fresh cup of tea, "but it  
aint right to be holding it in either."

"As fascinating as this is," Rei broke in, "we still need a Blue  
Senshi."

"Correct," Serenity agreed. "The Blue Senshi is noted for their  
intelligence, strategic skill, and compassion."

"Naru could do it!" Usagi exclaimed. "She's really nice and she helps  
me with my math homework all the time! She's really good at it."

Naru?" Artemis asked.

"My best friend!"

"Aside from the fact that five year old is better at math than Usagi,  
she's overlooking the fact that Naru is a mercenary and a sociopath,"  
Rei pointed out.

"She is not!"

"The underground poker game," Rei shot back, holding up a finger.

"Everyone likes cards."

"Term paper sales."

"Nobody likes writing papers, why work if you don't have to?"

"Cribbing answer sheets and selling them at a profit."

"Nobody likes tests either."

"Extortion! Money Laundering! She likes country music."

"She's not an ex anything, money gets dirty if you drop it on the  
ground . . . and okay, the country music thing is kind of weird, but  
she's not a bad person!"

"Those two are just rumors," Makoto put in.

Artemis would have liked to have sided with Rei, but given his own  
childhood, he and this Naru could probably compare notes. "We'll talk  
to her," he promised, "but first, there's the matter of finding out  
what Taras knows and there's only one thing that might get him to talk."

"Artemis . . ." Serenity warned, "No."

"It's the only way, my Queen, unless you have a better idea."

Serenity glared at him for the longest time and then exhaled noisily.  
"Oh very well! You may invoke Section Six."

Rei blinked. "Section Six?"