Sailor-Serenity14: Thanks for the support! Incidentally, all the stories I did along time ago, this being the last of those. I'm going to start writing stories again soon.
(This takes place three days after the events in the premiere, Return Of An Empire)
Today on Sailor Moon, Hunter sends down Tracker and several lesser Huntsmen to lure Drake into the open. And I learn just how badly Darien was hurt in our last battle with Tracker! Will he have the strength to become Tuxedo Mask again?
All is dark in the castle that was once the forward base of the Dark Kingdom on Earth. On the throne once occupied by Queen Beryl sat Hunter, leader of the Bounty Teams of the Chaos Empire. He sat looking at the monsters assembled before him, each one more powerful than the last, and at his servants, the Huntmasters. Tracker, whose keen tracking skills and ability to transform normal dogs into the inhuman bounty men had led the Bounty Teams to many an adversary. Archeress, otherwise known as Lady Arabel of the Planet Angellus, whose arrows rarely, if ever, missed their mark, and who also had the ability to catch glimpses of the future. Warrior, who was formerly one of the greatest knights of Earth, whose incredible physical strength was matched only by the skill of his blade.
Only one was missing. Assassin, the Bounty Team's living weapon. His skill with the sword, his ability to hide in shadows, his speed, and his ability to manipulate negative energy were easily a match for Hunter's own abilities. But then, two years ago, Assassin declared himself no longer in the service of the Negaverse Empire and fled, branded a traitor. Now, he had at last been found. He had joined with those who were the enemies of the Negaverse Empire since its founder was sealed away. The man who bore the Sword of Shadows, which had been sought by the members of the empire since it was cast out of the heavens.
The man known, as Drake.
o
Jonathon sat down on a rock outside the Stanton Mansion. He had just claimed his old friend's residence for himself, and was now making sure that no one could get in without his permission, and that included teleportation and portals. However, the effort it took to erect the barrier was very draining. Glad that's done. Time to go rest, he thought to himself. Standing, he winced as his body protested painfully from the battle three days ago with Tracker, Archeress, and their monster, Pyrectro. On second thought, Drake, first get aspirin, then get some rest.
o
Serena sat in her chair at the hospital, snoring softly. She had arrived at Crossroads Hospital as soon as the doctors allowed Darien visitors. Sitting in a chair next to the sleeping Darien, she soon fell asleep herself. She awoke as she felt a hand touch her own. Opening her eyes, she saw Darien looking at her gently. "Hey, meatball head," he whispered.
She got up from her chair and knelt next to his bed. "How are you feeling, muffin?"
He smiled slightly. "Like a guerilla decided to get overly familiar," he chuckled. He immediately regretted it as a fiery pain suddenly engulfed his chest. His back arched as he gritted his teeth in pain.
"Darien!?!"
Serena's concerned cries immediately drew the attention of a nurse outside. Seeing the state Darien was in, the nurse immediately called for a doctor. The doctor soon entered.
"Young lady, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he said, shooing Serena out the door.
As the door closed, Serena heard the nurse ask, "Doctor, will he recover?"
"Barbara, if he's not more careful with his body in the future, he'll be lucky if he doesn't spend the rest of his life on a respirator."
Serena could only stare in horror at the now closed door.
o
Meanwhile, at the Cherry Hill Fire Temple…
Mina arrived at Rei's room, where Ami, Lita, and Rei herself already were. As Mina entered, Rei turned toward her, an angry look on her face. "Mina, you wouldn't happen to know where Serena is, would you? She's late again."
"She told me she was going to visit Darien at the Hospital this morning. Knowing those two, she's probably still there."
That seemed to cool Rei's temper right away, as Lita spoke. "How's he doing?"
"I believe that's why Serena went to see Darien," said Ami, still reading her book. With a snap, she closed it. "Seeing as we have no idea when she'll get here, we had best start the meeting."
"I agree," said Artemis, who had walked in behind Mina. The cat jumped up on the bed. "Luna's going to be watching Serena, so I'll take charge." He turned to Rei. "Rei, what did you find out from the fire about Drake?"
"What I got was a bit mixed. He uses a lot of evil energy, but I can sense a core of goodness inside him, continuously fighting the darkness. Still, I don't trust him."
"Are you sure, Rei?" Ami's look of disbelief was plain on her face. "I got the distinct impression he was completely on our side."
A sly look came across Lita's face. "I'm getting a few distinct impressions from you, too."
A confused look crossed Ami's face. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Mina sidled up to her. "Oh, come on, Ami. We saw the way you were acting around Drake last night."
"Yeah," said Rei, "Actually, you looked a little like Serena during our first run ins with Tuxedo Mask."
Ami and Rei thought back to when they had first encountered Tuxedo Mask, Serena's then crush on him. Hearts and/or stars in her eyes, dreaming voice, staring off into space…
Ami and Rei sweat dropped. "On second thought…"
o
"Hunter!" Hunter stood as a hologram of Lord Onus appeared before him and those assembled. "Lord Onus! To what do I owe this honor," asked Hunter respectfully. "Have you found it? Have you found the sword," interrogated Onus. Hunter hesitated slightly. "Yyes. We have, my lord," said Hunter reluctantly. Onus's eyes narrowed slightly. "You were unable to retrieve it, I presume." Hunter's lips tightened as he glared at Archeress and Tracker. Archeress stood staring straight ahead at attention, a large bruise showing on her bare midriff. Tracker stood at attention as well; sweat streaming down his face, his lips dry and cracked, and his face pale. Bandages covered his arms and legs.
Onus did not miss the glare. "Archeress, Tracker, step forward." Tracker blanched, but stepped forward at the same time as a much paler Archeress. The hologram walked around the two Huntmasters. He pointed to Archeress's bruise. "Yours?" Hunter nodded.
Onus proceeded to examine Tracker's wounds. He smiled. "I see that you gave this one to Arachne." Once again, Hunter nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Onus turned to Tracker. "She does have a certain… touch when it comes to showing fools the error of their ways, doesn't she." Tracker flinched at Onus's words, but said nothing.
Onus gestured for the two to resume their places, which they did so gratefully. Turning back toward Hunter, he said, "Hunter, I am going to send two new Huntmasters. They should be arriving soon. In the meantime, send Tracker with a few of the lesser huntsmen to lure Drake or the Sailor Scouts out into the open." "It will be as you wish, Lord General," replied Hunter, bowing. And with that, Onus vanished.
Hunter turned toward Tracker. "Tracker, take a Monster Orb, get a huntsman, and GET ME THAT SWORD," Hunter thundered. Tracker fled.
o
Meanwhile…
Serena walked slowly away from the hospital with her guardian cat, Luna, cradled in her arms, and a look of despair on her face. "Oh cheer up, Serena," admonished Luna. "He'll be just fine, you'll see."
"But what if the doctor's right," worried Serena. "If he gets hurt as Tuxedo Mask again, he could…" Serena's eyes began to fill with tears.
"He knows the risks, Serena," hurried Luna, afraid that Serena would start bawling. "He knew them before he ever regained his memories from the Silver Millennium. It's a risk you should have already realized, for yourself as well as the other scouts."
"Oh, I know that, Luna." The tears vanished as she sighed. "It's just, well, he's always been there for me, keeping me safe. Even back in the Moon Kingdom, he was there, protecting me." She entered a nearby park and sat on one of the benches. "Luna," she said, looking at the black cat, "I don't know what I'd do if he were gone. He's practically my world!"
o
At the same time, at the top of the Tokyo Tower…
"It's about time you mongrels got here!" The five bounty men whimpered at the harsh tone in Tracker's voice. Tracker turned to the huntsman that was brought along as their handler. "And why are you late?"
The huntsman smirked. "Training, which you should have been doing if you planned to take the scouts on again." The huntsman turned his back on the fuming Tracker. "Now, I'm hoping you have some sort of plan?"
Tracker got his face back under control. "What I planned on doing was causing some chaos with the bounty men. That'll bring the Sailor Scouts running. And if Drake has truly thrown in with them, then he'll be right behind them."
o
Jonathon poured himself a cup of juice as the morning news rolled on the TV. He had barely sat down, however, when a breaking news flash occurred. "Just moments ago," the news anchor said, "a group of three dog-like monsters attacked a park near the Tokyo Tower. They vanished shortly afterward. Witnesses report seeing a man clad in furs ordering the monsters around. Police have yet to issue a formal statement…"
There was more, but Jonathon was no longer there to hear it.
o
At another park, not far from the one that was attacked…
Serena sat at the bench, thinking silently as she softly stroked Luna's back. Luna, curled up in Serena's lap, was at a loss. How can I help her,thought Luna helplessly. How can I get her to see that Darien will be fine?
Suddenly, Luna leaped from Serena's lap to the ground, completely alert. "Luna, what's wrong," asked Serena, worriedly.
"Quiet, Serena, I sense something." The both of them stood silently, looking around. Then, Luna saw them. Two pairs of red eyes, gleaming in the bushes. Immediately, the hairs along Luna's back rose as she hissed threateningly at the two monsters that were even now emerging from the bushes.
Serena recognized them as bounty men. "Luna, I really think we should be going," said the frightened girl as she slowly started stepping backwards.
"You've nowhere to run, girl!" Serena and Luna spun around as the huntsman appeared behind them.
"Who are you," Serena asked in fright.
The huntsman smirked. "If you survive, you may find out."
o
Ami, Lita, Mina, and the white guardian cat, Artemis, watched as Rei knelt in front of the fire at the temple. Both Mina and Rei had gotten a feeling of danger from somewhere, and Rei was doing a fire reading to find out what had caused it.
"Do you think it might have something to do with Drake," whispered Mina to Lita.
"I don't think so," Lita whispered back. "I have to agree with Ami, he does seem to be someone we can trust.'
"He has to be," whispered Ami. Lita and Mina looked at her startled. They hadn't realized she was listening.
"Why do you say that," Lita asked.
"Because, with this new group of enemies, and Darien in the hospital, we're going to need all the help we can get."
"OH NO!"
Mina, Lita, and Ami looked at Rei in startlement. "Rei, what's wrong!?!"
Rei shot to her feet. "Come on, Serena's in trouble!"
Artemis leapt to his feet. "Scouts, Transform!"
The three girls took out their transformation wands and raised them into the air.
"Mercury POWER!"
"Mars POWER!"
"Jupiter POWER!"
"Venus POWER!"
In a swirl of elemental energies the girls transformed. Water of Mercury, Fire for Mars, Matter/Energy for Venus, and Electricity/Air for Jupiter, they once again transformed into the Sailor Scouts!
o
Tracker stood silently with three of the bounty men as a globe appeared before him. In the globe, were the huntsman and the other two bounty men. Perfect, Tracker thought to himself. They've managed to corner that girl Drake was protecting! This is sure to bring him! Time to get my trap ready. He and the bounty men ran off across the rooftops toward the park. Unseen by Tracker, a shadow separated itself from the darker shadows around and followed him at a distance.
o
"Luna, gasp… I pant… Do gasp… Not wheeze… Like pant… This!" Serena and Luna were running for their lives from the two bounty men. And Serena, never in the best of shape to begin with, was getting tired fast.
"Serena, I hate to say this, but you're going to have to transform," shouted Luna.
"If you pant… say so pant… Luna," wheezed Serena as she stopped underneath a tree and turned toward the bounty men. Reaching for her locket, she said, "Moon Crystal-"
"Gotcha," shouted the huntsman as he dropped from the tree and wrapped his arms around Serena, preventing her from moving!
"Let me go," Serena shouted, struggling vainly to get free.
"Heh, heh, he. No where to run now, little girl!" The locket caught his eye. "What have we here," he said, reaching for it.
Suddenly, Luna leapt at his face, scratching and clawing! He grabbed Luna, tore her off his face, and hurled to the ground. But to do so, he was forced to let Serena go.
"You and your kitty are gonna pay for that, girly," muttered the huntsman. He pointed to Serena, who had managed to grab Luna and roll away from him. "Get 'em," he ordered the bounty men. But as the two creatures moved to do his bidding…
"Venus Crescent Beam, SMASH!" A beam of energy slammed into one Bounty Man and propelled into the other, signaling the arrival of the Sailor Scouts!
Jupiter, not being one to beat around the bush, prepared to attack. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she said, as the antenna on her tiara raised, "Jupiter Thunder…" Electricity arced around her, the energy actually lifting her of the ground as she lifted her legs. "CRASH," she shouted as she straightened all of her limbs, unleashing a massive thunderbolt.
The huntsman back flipped out of the way of the thunderbolt. While he was distracted, Serena crawled behind some bushes with Luna. "You stay here, Luna," she told the weakened guardian, "I'm going to go help the others."
This time, there would be no interruptions. "Moon Crystal, POWER!!" And in swirl of light, ribbons, and feathers, Serena once again transformed into Sailor Moon!
The huntsman launched a dagger at Mars, forcing her to dodge and disrupting her attack. However, as she dodged, her toe caught on a root of the tree, dumping her to the ground. "Gotcha," he shouted as he let loose with two more daggers, both aimed at Sailor Mars!
The daggers shattered as a spinning disc of energy intercepted them. The disc angled upward into the air, then returned to it's starting point, Sailor Moon's hand! The disc's spinning slowed and it deenergized, revealing itself as Sailor Moon's tiara. Placing it back on her head, she drew her scepter. "You tried to harm innocent people, for no reason what so ever. For that, I shall punish you, in the name of the moon!"
In the meantime, Tracker had arrived, only to find the two bounty men groggily getting up from the ground and that irritating huntsman about to get dusted! "My plans have just been ruined because of this imbecile," Tracker seethed. "Attack them, you idiots," he roared at the three bounty men.
As they charged forward, a black blur suddenly set upon them! That blur, Drake, wheel kicked one in the face, slammed a fist into the gut of the second, then grabbed onto the it's back so he could roll over it and kick the third in the face. He then reached behind him, grabbed the second by the throat, and flipped him into the two bounty men that had just regained their feet.
Mars had by this time regained her feet. She pulled out her anti-evil charms. "I call on the power of Mars! Fireballs, CHARGE!" The charged charms struck the prone bounty men. Streams of black energy shot out of the bodies of the bounty men, reducing them to four dobermen puppies and one rottwheiler puppy.
"You know what they say about the best laid…" Drake stared at Tracker. He'd heard about it, but he never thought you could actually here someone grinding their teeth!
Tracker reached inside his leather vest, pulling out a small black stone. "Try this," he yelled as he threw it down at the huntsman's feet. A black cloud of energy suddenly surrounded the huntsman, filling and transforming him. With a shrug of his now massive shoulders, the cloud dissipated. The huntsman had transformed into a massive half-man, half-crocodile monster! "In case ya' didn't know," roared the monster, "the names Crocker, champion of the Chaos Empire!"
That announcement took the scouts aback. "The Dark Kingdom,"Tracker clarified. "Impossible," yelled Venus. "We already took out Queen Beryl and Empress Metallia!"
"He never said he worked for Metallia," said Drake, never taking his eyes off the monster.
Mars glared at Drake. "You know who he works for, don't you?"
"Yeah, and I'll tell you later! Right now, we've got to deal with the walking handbag!!!" Drake ducked as Crocker's massive tail swept through the area Drake's head was in a moment ago.
Rei spun around, bringing the forefingers of both hands together. "Mars Fire…" A pinwheel of flame appeared where her forefingers met. "IGNITE!!" The pinwheel of fire shot forward, becoming a roaring ball of flame as it rocketed toward Crocker.
The fireball detonated, shaking the ground. Crocker was nowhere to be seen. "Did we get 'em," Jupiter asked.
As if in answer, Crocker exploded out of the ground, fist slamming into Mars's gut with enough force to fold her around his fist like wet tissue paper. She flew through the air and struck the ground, where she lay still.
"No," whispered Serena. She remembered how Darien wound up in the hospital, and what could happen to him should he ever become tuxedo mask again. "I won't lose another friend. I won't," she yelled at Crocker, who seemed surprised at her outburst.
And Drake was fully prepared to take advantage of that surprise! "Sailors, let's tag-team him!"
Venus started it off. Full of rage for her friend Rei, she shouted, "Venus Crescent Meteor…" Just like with the crescent beam, a bolt of energy charged up at her outstretched fore fingertip. "SHOWER!" The bolt shot into the sky, to come down as a multitude of bolts that trapped Crocker.
Once again, Jupiter crossed her arms. "Jupiter Thunder…" But as she released the bolt… "DRAGON!!" The thunderbolt transformed, taking on the shape of a dragon. The dragon slammed into Crocker, causing him to skid back about six feet, though he didn't lose his footing.
Mercury spun and crossed her arms. "Mercury Ice Bubbles…" She leapt into the air and opened her arms wide. "FREEZE!!" A multitude of bubbles issued forth. The bubbles broke, creating an icy mist that obscured everything. The mist immediately slowed the reptilian monster.
As the mist cleared, Crocker saw the scouts in front of him. Except…
"Shadow SLASH!" The sword slashed into Crocker, not going very deep, but striking hard enough to knock him off his feet. "Now, Sailor Moon," Drake shouted.
As Sailor Moon began making the activation passes for her wand in the air, Crocker began to rise back to his feet. "Moon Scepter…"
Crocker's head shot up at those words. "Crock…"
"ELIMINATION," shouted Sailor Moon as a stream of stars and crescent moons issued forth from the wand.
"SHOT," roared Crocker as a beam of brilliant white energy shot from his mouth. The two attacks meet, the Scepter's attack harmlessly dissipating the energy beam, but unable to continue onward.
An image of Rei appeared in her mind, immediately followed by one of Darien. With a grunt of effort, she focused all her will. The scepter felt like it bucked in her hands as it renewed it's assault on the beam with such vigor that it pushed straight through! Crocker didn't even have a chance to scream as the attack struck him in the chest. Within seconds he had been turned into an ash statue that exploded from the residual force of the attack.
Serena sagged to the ground in exhaustion. Another image of Rei, however, sent her scrambling toward her friend. "REI!"
Drake caught hold of Mercury. "Here," he said. He gave her a card. On it was the name Rodriguez Technologies. It had Jonathon Rodriguez's name on it. "This guy owes me. Just tell him that Drake needs his help and he'll make sure Sailor Mars gets the best medical care. Alright?"
Mercury nodded. Despite Rei's predicament, being this close to Drake was giving her a strange euphoric sensation. He turned to go, then hesitated. He turned back, his brown eyes meeting her blue ones. Though it was only for a few seconds, it seemed to them that they held eye contact forever. When they finally broke their gaze, Mercury was blushing ferociously. Drake was, too, but it couldn't be seen through his ninja uniform.
"Goodbye, Mercury," Drake said gruffly. He quickly ran out of the park.
The next day…
Lita and Mina sat in chairs next to Rei's bed at Crossroads Hospital. Serena was back in the recovery wing with Darien, but only for a short visit before she, too, came to take vigil beside Rei. Ami had gone to see this Rodriguez guy, to see if he could help considering that…
Rei was in a coma.