Title: The Man Behind the Mask
Author: Sailor Celeste
Rating: um, G, I guess...
E-mail: LL1940@aol.com
Chapter 1: Injuries and Coincidences
Sailor Moon hung dangerously from the crane tied only by her hands. He had to do something! The only choice was to rescue her and hope that whoever had got her up there was not watching.
"Tuxie," he said to himself, "be careful."
He leaped up and grabbed her just as a peal of thunder seemed to shake the very air itself. He had landed with the precious burden in his arms just as a brilliant bolt of lightning shot down the crane.
"That was close!" He carried the still unconscious scout into the maze of crates and kneeled to see if she was all right. "You're safe now." He felt a little movement and looked down to see a set of twinkling green eyes glowering up at him.
"Don't know that I can say the same for you!" And with an evil (if not totally annoying) laugh she grabbed a blade-like crystal out of the air. With a swift motion she brought the sharp point down, tearing through the black fabric to plunge deep into Tuxedo Masks' back.
~Mean while~
"Let's go!" Serena started to stomp off when a hand held her back.
"Wait!" Lita exclaimed, looking at the prone shape hanging above them with obvious distrust.
"Lita's right! This could be a trap!" Luna stared at the four girls, hoping that they would think before jumping into action. They all nodded, except for Serena who clenched her fists.
"I don't care! I want to find out who this girl thinks she is!" Serena searched for agreement in the faces of her friends.
"Yeah!" They all shouted together.
"Moon Prism Power!"
"Mercury Power!"
"Mars Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
After the dazzling light show Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter positioned themselves on a nearby roof to try to spot the nega-sleeze responsible. On the opposite roof stood a man in a cape. They did not recognize the ice-blue hair, but they did recognize the uniform of the generals from the Negaverse.
"Hey you on the roof top!" The man turned his head to glare at the Sailor now addressing him. "I'm Sailor Moon!" She gave her respective speech, then with the others behind her jumped to the ground.
"Let me tell you how pleased I am to meet you all," stated the general, "for the first, and let me assure you, final time." He outstretched his hands and the sailor scouts prepared for battle. But instead of the barrage they expected a violently swirling stream of black energy flowed form his hands and surrounded them in a force field. The Senshi gasped and shrunk from the electrified blackness.
~Back with Tuxie~
"Come out cape boy!" Zoicite stood atop a tower of crates with a glistening crystal saber ready in her hands. "You can run, but you can't hide!" She dropped down to the pavement and starting slicing.
"How could I be so stupid!?!" Tuxedo Mask clutched his bleeding shoulder as he cowered behind a stack of bags. He mentally reprimanded himself for his carelessness. How could he fall for a fake Sailor Moon? He didn't have time to answer the question because the stack of bags he was hiding behind suddenly toppled. He ran out into open space and looked about desperately. He was in for it now.
"Zoicite," Malachite's voice stopped her in her tracks,"have you succeeded yet?"
"No."
"Well come here. I have a way to make Tuxedo Mask hand over the crystals." Zoicite shook her head and dematerialized.
"We're not finished yet cape boy!"
~Back to the Scouts~
"AAAAAAH!" Sailor Moon's usual wail pierced the air inside the little capsule. "What are we going to do?! Nobody's powers have worked!" Moon stomped her foot and glanced at Mercury. "What about your computer?"
Mercury shook her head and went back to pounding the keys diligently. Everyone hung their heads. "Given up yet girls?"
All four scouts turned to give Malachite glares that would have melted a steel wall. He just laughed maniacally and shrugged. "I guess that Tuxedo Mask is your last hope then," he smirked, "good luck there. I'd say that it is highly unlikely that your mystery man will give up his crystals just to save you."
"Ooh! That creep!" Moon clenched her fist and whirled around to look at the crates and boxes that were now outside their reach. "Tuxedo Mask," she murmured softly to herself, "you will come! I know it!" But, even as she said this, a small glimmer of doubt crept in her heart. He had made clear to her that his objective was the crystals. Would he give them up just to free her and her friends?
"Alright! I'll give you the crystals!" Four very amazed scouts and two very triumphant generals turned to face the hunched over figure that hid in the shadows. He stepped forward, allowing the light to graze his face. Sailor Moon saw a glint of his blue eyes from behind the mask. She could see the expression of pain that glimmered in those cerulean depths. Was he hurt?
"Fine," Zoicite laughed shrilly and held out her hand," then hand them over." But before Tuxedo Mask could make another step forward a shining beam cut across the air, sending blood flying from both generals' hands. They shrieked and clasped the injuries to their chests. The shimmering blackness surrounding the scouts dissipated.
"No need for that!" Everyone looked up to the roof. A dark figure stood there, cloaked by the night. " I am Sailor Venus!" She jumped down to the ground. Her fuku was the same as the other girls, except that it was yellow. She wore a red bow, which held back a multitude of blonde hair, almost the same color as Sailor Moon's.
"Well," Malachite and Zoicite began to fade, "it was nice meeting you Venus, but I'm afraid that we have to go!"
"Till next time Sailor brats!" Zoicite said with an icy grin. And then the Scouts were alone.
Sailor Venus walked up to the other sailor scouts and offered her hand. "Are you guys alright?" She shook everyone's hand, except for Sailor Moon's, who was too excited to do anything but jump around.
After all the introductions had been made, and Venus had told them about Artemis, she bid them a quick farewell and hopped up onto the roof, disappearing from view. The remaining scouts powered down and then proceeded to leave. But Serena hung back, staring questioningly into the shadows.
"Come on Serena!" Raye yelled back to her blonde friend.
"Guys, wasn't Tuxedo Mask here?" Serena could have sworn that she saw him, and that he was hurt. She couldn't forget the expression in those blue eyes. Lita, Amy, Raye, and Luna all turned around.
"Looks like we didn't need him anyway." Lita shrugged and started walking. The others followed quickly, except for Serena, who lingered behind for a moment, before trotting after her friends.
~ The Next Day ~
Serena flounced into the arcade, heading towards the counter where Andrew was working. "Hey Andrew!" She smiled. "Can I have a chocolate soda?"
"Coming right up!" He turned and started to make her soda. She spun her stool around and glanced about the room. No one there she knew. She sighed and was about to turn back to flirt with Andrew when the slight tinkle of the bells on the arcade door caught her attention. She was hoping that it might be Lita. But she was disappointed.
"Meatball Head!" Darien walked over, casually seating himself next to her and greeting Andrew.
"Oh! My name is not Meatball Head! How dense are you?!" Serena fumed. Darien raised and indifferent eyebrow, and shrugged his shoulders. A flash of pain danced fleetingly across his face. "Darien, are you okay?" She reached over and put a hand on his shoulder, but before she could say anything else he brushed her hand off and stood up.
"I'm fine." He smiled casually." Till next time Meatball Head." He walked out, obviously trying to look normal. But Serena had seen that brief pain and knew that something was wrong. She gazed absently down at her hand, thinking. But what she saw there immediately brought her back to reality. Blood. Why should Darien be bleeding? He must have hurt himself.
"Andrew," Serena help up her hand so that Andrew could see the dark red stain, "did Darien explain why his shoulder was bleeding to you?"
"Why, yes." He looked at Serena, trying to guess why she should care about Darien. " He said that he was in a little accident. I don't remember the particulars, but I think that he broke a window in his apartment." She nodded her head and continued to stare absently down at her hand. That explained the blood. But something was still bothering her. She kept seeing his eyes, that expression of pain written in them when he had moved his shoulder. It was so familiar.
"Oh my god!" She started at her own revelation. Darien's eyes had the same expression as
Tuxedo Mask's when he had offered to give the crystals! But, that wasn't possible. Darien and Tuxedo Mask one and the same?! "No way." She murmured to herself. But, one little fact still plagued her. Both Tuxie and Darien had the same shoulder injured.
Author: Sailor Celeste
Rating: um, G, I guess...
E-mail: LL1940@aol.com
Chapter 1: Injuries and Coincidences
Sailor Moon hung dangerously from the crane tied only by her hands. He had to do something! The only choice was to rescue her and hope that whoever had got her up there was not watching.
"Tuxie," he said to himself, "be careful."
He leaped up and grabbed her just as a peal of thunder seemed to shake the very air itself. He had landed with the precious burden in his arms just as a brilliant bolt of lightning shot down the crane.
"That was close!" He carried the still unconscious scout into the maze of crates and kneeled to see if she was all right. "You're safe now." He felt a little movement and looked down to see a set of twinkling green eyes glowering up at him.
"Don't know that I can say the same for you!" And with an evil (if not totally annoying) laugh she grabbed a blade-like crystal out of the air. With a swift motion she brought the sharp point down, tearing through the black fabric to plunge deep into Tuxedo Masks' back.
~Mean while~
"Let's go!" Serena started to stomp off when a hand held her back.
"Wait!" Lita exclaimed, looking at the prone shape hanging above them with obvious distrust.
"Lita's right! This could be a trap!" Luna stared at the four girls, hoping that they would think before jumping into action. They all nodded, except for Serena who clenched her fists.
"I don't care! I want to find out who this girl thinks she is!" Serena searched for agreement in the faces of her friends.
"Yeah!" They all shouted together.
"Moon Prism Power!"
"Mercury Power!"
"Mars Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
After the dazzling light show Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter positioned themselves on a nearby roof to try to spot the nega-sleeze responsible. On the opposite roof stood a man in a cape. They did not recognize the ice-blue hair, but they did recognize the uniform of the generals from the Negaverse.
"Hey you on the roof top!" The man turned his head to glare at the Sailor now addressing him. "I'm Sailor Moon!" She gave her respective speech, then with the others behind her jumped to the ground.
"Let me tell you how pleased I am to meet you all," stated the general, "for the first, and let me assure you, final time." He outstretched his hands and the sailor scouts prepared for battle. But instead of the barrage they expected a violently swirling stream of black energy flowed form his hands and surrounded them in a force field. The Senshi gasped and shrunk from the electrified blackness.
~Back with Tuxie~
"Come out cape boy!" Zoicite stood atop a tower of crates with a glistening crystal saber ready in her hands. "You can run, but you can't hide!" She dropped down to the pavement and starting slicing.
"How could I be so stupid!?!" Tuxedo Mask clutched his bleeding shoulder as he cowered behind a stack of bags. He mentally reprimanded himself for his carelessness. How could he fall for a fake Sailor Moon? He didn't have time to answer the question because the stack of bags he was hiding behind suddenly toppled. He ran out into open space and looked about desperately. He was in for it now.
"Zoicite," Malachite's voice stopped her in her tracks,"have you succeeded yet?"
"No."
"Well come here. I have a way to make Tuxedo Mask hand over the crystals." Zoicite shook her head and dematerialized.
"We're not finished yet cape boy!"
~Back to the Scouts~
"AAAAAAH!" Sailor Moon's usual wail pierced the air inside the little capsule. "What are we going to do?! Nobody's powers have worked!" Moon stomped her foot and glanced at Mercury. "What about your computer?"
Mercury shook her head and went back to pounding the keys diligently. Everyone hung their heads. "Given up yet girls?"
All four scouts turned to give Malachite glares that would have melted a steel wall. He just laughed maniacally and shrugged. "I guess that Tuxedo Mask is your last hope then," he smirked, "good luck there. I'd say that it is highly unlikely that your mystery man will give up his crystals just to save you."
"Ooh! That creep!" Moon clenched her fist and whirled around to look at the crates and boxes that were now outside their reach. "Tuxedo Mask," she murmured softly to herself, "you will come! I know it!" But, even as she said this, a small glimmer of doubt crept in her heart. He had made clear to her that his objective was the crystals. Would he give them up just to free her and her friends?
"Alright! I'll give you the crystals!" Four very amazed scouts and two very triumphant generals turned to face the hunched over figure that hid in the shadows. He stepped forward, allowing the light to graze his face. Sailor Moon saw a glint of his blue eyes from behind the mask. She could see the expression of pain that glimmered in those cerulean depths. Was he hurt?
"Fine," Zoicite laughed shrilly and held out her hand," then hand them over." But before Tuxedo Mask could make another step forward a shining beam cut across the air, sending blood flying from both generals' hands. They shrieked and clasped the injuries to their chests. The shimmering blackness surrounding the scouts dissipated.
"No need for that!" Everyone looked up to the roof. A dark figure stood there, cloaked by the night. " I am Sailor Venus!" She jumped down to the ground. Her fuku was the same as the other girls, except that it was yellow. She wore a red bow, which held back a multitude of blonde hair, almost the same color as Sailor Moon's.
"Well," Malachite and Zoicite began to fade, "it was nice meeting you Venus, but I'm afraid that we have to go!"
"Till next time Sailor brats!" Zoicite said with an icy grin. And then the Scouts were alone.
Sailor Venus walked up to the other sailor scouts and offered her hand. "Are you guys alright?" She shook everyone's hand, except for Sailor Moon's, who was too excited to do anything but jump around.
After all the introductions had been made, and Venus had told them about Artemis, she bid them a quick farewell and hopped up onto the roof, disappearing from view. The remaining scouts powered down and then proceeded to leave. But Serena hung back, staring questioningly into the shadows.
"Come on Serena!" Raye yelled back to her blonde friend.
"Guys, wasn't Tuxedo Mask here?" Serena could have sworn that she saw him, and that he was hurt. She couldn't forget the expression in those blue eyes. Lita, Amy, Raye, and Luna all turned around.
"Looks like we didn't need him anyway." Lita shrugged and started walking. The others followed quickly, except for Serena, who lingered behind for a moment, before trotting after her friends.
~ The Next Day ~
Serena flounced into the arcade, heading towards the counter where Andrew was working. "Hey Andrew!" She smiled. "Can I have a chocolate soda?"
"Coming right up!" He turned and started to make her soda. She spun her stool around and glanced about the room. No one there she knew. She sighed and was about to turn back to flirt with Andrew when the slight tinkle of the bells on the arcade door caught her attention. She was hoping that it might be Lita. But she was disappointed.
"Meatball Head!" Darien walked over, casually seating himself next to her and greeting Andrew.
"Oh! My name is not Meatball Head! How dense are you?!" Serena fumed. Darien raised and indifferent eyebrow, and shrugged his shoulders. A flash of pain danced fleetingly across his face. "Darien, are you okay?" She reached over and put a hand on his shoulder, but before she could say anything else he brushed her hand off and stood up.
"I'm fine." He smiled casually." Till next time Meatball Head." He walked out, obviously trying to look normal. But Serena had seen that brief pain and knew that something was wrong. She gazed absently down at her hand, thinking. But what she saw there immediately brought her back to reality. Blood. Why should Darien be bleeding? He must have hurt himself.
"Andrew," Serena help up her hand so that Andrew could see the dark red stain, "did Darien explain why his shoulder was bleeding to you?"
"Why, yes." He looked at Serena, trying to guess why she should care about Darien. " He said that he was in a little accident. I don't remember the particulars, but I think that he broke a window in his apartment." She nodded her head and continued to stare absently down at her hand. That explained the blood. But something was still bothering her. She kept seeing his eyes, that expression of pain written in them when he had moved his shoulder. It was so familiar.
"Oh my god!" She started at her own revelation. Darien's eyes had the same expression as
Tuxedo Mask's when he had offered to give the crystals! But, that wasn't possible. Darien and Tuxedo Mask one and the same?! "No way." She murmured to herself. But, one little fact still plagued her. Both Tuxie and Darien had the same shoulder injured.