The Return of Sailor V: Chapter Two

by Vchanny

All characters are copyright of the talented Naoko Tacheuchi. I own nothing.

~*~V~*~

I am Minako Aino! I am 19 years old. A beautiful model who travels the world (when there is work)! Right now, not so much, I must admit. But really, I am the guardian of beauty and justice in a sailor suit, Sailor V!

Years and years ago, a little white cat revealed my destiny, and duty to me, and shortly afterward, I found my fellow scouts; my sisters, my family. And together we saved the world on more than one occasion, with the help of some friends. And now the world is safe. It is peaceful. God, it was boring. I never thought I'd think that.
Ever since Artemis showed up, I've longed to be just a normal girl, and now I could finally have that chance; But there was something missing. Some sort of void I needed to fill. And with work pretty much dead right now, and all my friends busy fulfilling their own dreams, I took up my old persona about two months ago (despite protests from my closest friend and guardian, Artemis), and have been rounding up criminals for the police.

They hate it. But I can't help myself.

"Late night?" a male voice called over to the blonde beauty as she dragged herself into the living space of her apartment, looking like she was very much still half-asleep.

A loud yawn, following some mumbled words, and a delicate hand warding him off was his response. She entered the kitchen and popped a K-cup into the automated coffee maker, and leaned back onto the counter as she waited for it to work it's magic.

"I'm not surprised, really," he replied smuggly, standing from his spot in the window sill, stretching his legs and spine. "You're a bit out of practice to be pulling this vigilante gig full time."

"Oh, hush!" The beep behind her signaled that her drink was ready. She then grabbed a donut out of the box she had on the counter and sat down at her tiny table. It was still covered in newspapers and notes that she hadn't bothered putting away last night.

"What is all this?" the cat questioned after a few moments, when his owner seemed to have woken up a little.

"Oh?" she set down the paper she was looking over, and took another sip of coffee. "There have been several jewelry heists this past week. I'm trying to see if there is a pattern." Her voice trailed off as she began studying another paper again.

He chuckled. "So, you are doing more than just trying to upstage the police."

She brought her hand to her chest, faking an insult. "Why, Artemis, I thought you knew me better."

He smiled. This was the first time in a few weeks they'd joked around. She'd been so mad at him when he didn't support her decision to start back up as Sailor V, that she stopped talking to him. She'd even locked the window, and he was forced to stay the evening at the Tsukino's a few nights. So this little back and forth here, was quite the comfort. And now that she wasn't fuming at him, maybe he could help her out, like in the old days. A question broke him from his train of thought.

"So, what do you think of this, Art? Is there a pattern I'm missing, or are all of these totally unrelated?"

Artemis studying the newspaper clippings and notes she had made. Really, it was quite impressive. She never ceased to amaze him when it came to such serious things. "It's hard to say. I don't see much of a pattern, either. They aren't taking anything specific, but they don't seem to be taking every thing, either. There is no predictability of where they will strike. I suppose the good thing is, there are only so many jewelry stores left in the area. We could easily set up a few teams-"

She stopped him there. "I'm not asking the girls for help." She took a sip of her coffee and waved her finger back and forth in front of her. "They are happy and content with their lives as is. They have all expressed this to me." She paused. "Rei even yelled at me when the first news article that Sailor V was back was printed. Mako-chan simply asked I be careful."

"Well," he continued after a few moments, "I can stake out one, and you can stake out the next?" His question took on a more pleading tone than he'd anticipated.

Minako smiled wide and reached over to pick him up. She squeezed him and placed a kiss on his forehead before scratching his chin. "Just like the good old days!"

~*~V~*~

They'd been waiting on their respective rooftops for a few hours now, randomly cracking jokes or telling small stories to pass the time via communicator. Minako had already eaten the few snacks she'd packed and was growing restless. Stake outs were never her favorite. It was just then, as a heavy sigh escaped her lips, that she saw movement inside the store across the street.

"Artemis! I think I've got something!"

"Really?" came the hurried response. "Minako, wait for me. I'll be right there!"

"No way! They might be gone by then! I'll see you when you get here!"

Down below, the robber quickly grabbed a few items and stashed them into his bag. As he closed the clasp and turned to leave, a different kind of gold caught his eye.

"Stop there, thief! I will not stand for petty crooks stealing from hardworking business owners! Pretty guardian in a sailor suit, Sailor V has arrived!"

The thief froze, unsure of what to do. In a panic, he grabbed hold of a large standing case, and pushed it over in her direction. As she tumbled out of the way of the falling glass, he made a run for the back door. Now out in the alley way, he took off, thinking he was in the clear, until... the sound of something caught his attention. A cat.

Artemis launched down from the rooftop, a clear target in his eye. He landed on the man's head, and began scratching furiously. "Aay-yah! Key-yah! Take THAT!"

Back inside, Sailor V managed to get untangled from the shelves that had been thrown at her, cursed under he breath, and took off in the direction she saw the crook go. Maybe Artemis was right? Maybe she was out of practice. That trick never would have phased her back in her hayday. Reaching the backdoor, she heard an odd screeching from outside.

"Get OFF! Get OFF! Aaah-choo! What the fuck! Get off, cat!" She couldn't help but chuckle at the scene before her. The robber flailing, eyes swollen shut, from what she could only assume was a severe allergy to cats.

"Alright, alright, attack cat. I think I got this." She waltzed over to the robber and grabbed him by the collar. The poor guy put his hands up in defense. "So what's going on with all these robberies? What are you up to?"

"Uh, uh..." the grip on his collar tightened. "It's an initiation! Initiation!"

"What?" her tone incredulous. "For what?"

"V," a voice interjected, "Don't you think this is for the police to do?"

She flippantly waved her hand in the cat's direction. "For what?" she repeated.

"New gang. Prospects must rob a particular store and bring only the items requested back with them."

"Where were you going to meet them?" the way she said it sounded less like a question, and more like a demand.

The man shuddered. "Warehouse on the outskirts of town. Building 44913 A."

She grinned. "Thank you, sir."

He dropped to the ground, and fell back onto his arms. "Can I go?"

She laughed haughtily. "Oh no, but I appreciate the info." With that, she tied the man up, left a brief hand written note for the police to find, and ran off in the direction the crook had sent her. Had she been paying any sort of attention, she may have noticed the unmarked van pulling off after her.

~*~V~*~

The building looked as expected. A single light out front, and not a soul in sight. There would probably be someone stationed just inside the door. She'd need to find an access point somewhere around back. And luckily for her, there were a few open windows in the rear. She silently made her way in, and crouched down by a nearby structure so she could scout out the giant room. It was your typical warehouse, lots of storage racks, crates, boxes, a few forklifts. All was dark except for one of the offices near the front of the building. She could make out a few silhouettes through the dingy window.

"Just a few," she thought. "I can take 'em. Well, so long as there aren't any surprises. Artemis will totally chew me out if I just rush in there. Maybe I should get a better look..."

As she began to cross the distance, a few of the men left the room. She hugged her body against the nearest crate, waiting for them to exit. Once they had, she crept to the office's door, hoping to take down the leader of this new gang. Man, would this look good for her. Sailor V saves the city!

With the confident flair that only she possessed, she burst through the door, ready to take down anyone in her way.

But to her surprise, to her absolute surprise, there was but a single person, calmly sitting behind a desk, who greeted her before he let the light hit his face. "Ah, Sailor V. V-chan. Nice to see you again."

~*~V~*~

AN: Chapter one has been reposted, due to some spelling and format errors. One of these days, I'll learn not to post so late and after so much wine. . And here is chapter two! Sooner than expected, I suppose, but here none-the-less. I hope you enjoyed. As always, reviews are welcome!

Flareup4Ratchet – Wish granted! Thank you for the kind review. :)

XsmallLadySerenity13 - Thank you for your review! And yes, I was going for a Sailor V manga vibe. As much as I love BSSM, Codename Sailor V was far more comedic and fun, and really encapsulates who Minako is. And I felt like, before destiny and everything sets in, she would spend her last few years of being "normal" being very much more Minako, and less guardian of the Queen.

Valkyrie Celes – Your review made me happy. I always write V in such serious scenarios. I'm having fun with this. I'm glad you enjoy