Chapter 3: Growing Tensions
"All things truly wicked start from an innocence."
- Ernest Hemingway
"You're listening to the Crystal Radio, station number three! We're here twenty-four/seven to bring you the news from all over the world and report on how we are making the world a better place each and every day! Today we are bringing you an exciting interview with the Norman Osborn, the creator and owner of Oscorp Industries, which is one of the world's leading organizations in technological advancements. We met with Mr. Osborn last week to talk to him about his latest achievement." The disc jockey pauses as he begins the tape of the interview.
"So Mr. Osborn, let me thank you for agreeing to meet with us today. My first question is one that I am sure we all want to know. Before the Great Sleep, Oscorp was probably one of the most financially successful industries in the fields of genetic, biological, and mechanical engineering. Was it difficult to rebuild the company in this new age?" The young radio host inquired.
"Well Dean… everyone had to rebuild, didn't they? It is true that we lost a good amount of our old research and technology, but we didn't lose our lives or our knowledge. This is an age of renewal, a restart I should say, and that's exactly what we did at Oscorp." Norman replied with the typical reassuring tone that was common in many Fortune 500 company owners of the past.
"Excellent answer Mr. Osborn. You're right; everyone was given a second chance. I'm sure that without the pressures of finances and the need for funding, things are a lot easier for you now, huh?" DJ Dean pressed.
"Absolutely. We were never about the money... we are strictly about knowledge and the desire to help and advance our peaceful society." Norman again answered with the calm tone that had come from years of dealing with the public and the media.
"If you don't mind me asking Mr. Osborn, wasn't Oscorp once one of the leading industries in biological and even nuclear warfare research?"DJ Dean asked, not showing any hesitation in asking such a potentially risky question.
"I get that question a lot. Yes we were, but please understand that it was a different time before the Great Sleep. We as a race were not united, but were divided by our different countries' boundaries. However, thanks to this new age and the global unity under Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endyimon, there is no longer a need for that sort of research." Norman replied without missing a beat. He had been anticipating such a question and had come prepared with a politically correct answer.
"Excellent, excellent, Mr. Osborn! Now of course the real reason for this interview wasn't just to ask you about Oscorp, but to ask you about your newest invention. Tell us all about it." Dean said, sensing that it was time to move on in the conversation or he would run the risk of the radio segment becoming stale.
"Ah yes, we have a created a machine that can attach prosthetic limbs or attach 'replacement' organs such as ears, eyes, nose, or skin that have been damaged by accidents or congenital birth defects without any visible scarring or potentially dangerous invasive surgery. This will revolutionize the facial reconstruction—" Norman started to say, hiding his displeasure at this young punk for trying to discredit him in the public eye by reminding them that he had once been in the weapons-making business.
"I apologize to all you listeners out there! I'm sure you would love to hear the rest of our interview with Mr. Osborn, but we just had some breaking news! Sailor Mercury and her team of medical experts in Crystal Tokyo have just created a new treatment for various forms of cancer patients. She and the leading researchers in the field have crafted what they call an Organic Matrix Laser. This laser can be programmed to target and eliminate any cells that are foreign to the body or identified as either being benign or malignant while leaving healthy cells untouched." DJ Dean cut in, interrupting Norman's response as he was handed a piece of paper from his program manager.
"According to Sailor Mercury, it was decided that chemotherapy and other past treatments such as surgery just weren't as effect as she would have liked. So after many months of research, she has finally been able to find a healthier and safer alternative! This looks to be as revolutionary a discovery as any made within—" DJ Dean began to say.
The small solar powered radio shatters against the wall. Small pieces of its wooden frame break apart and fall across the office floor. Norman Osborn mulls this news report over as he watches the sun begin to sink below the buildings that litter the newly built city below. He hates Sailor Mercury, and since his radio interview was cut short by her antics he is even more frustrated towards the blue haired wench. Outside the wall lined with windows, he watches the people walking by as he tries to calm his rage. Even before the nuclear bombs, New York City had been his home. It was always dark and grimy and the crime rate was high, of which Norman had a huge hand in it. Now, it is bright and open and certainly pleasant to look at from the windows of the moderately-sized warehouse. But he is not pleased. He no longer possesses near the power and influence of the old days. That is all going to change though, and not just in the new city that was once known as New York, but across the entire globe.
He silently curses Sailor Mercury, Neo-Queen Serenity, and the other Sailor Warriors. It is their fault that he lost his industrial empire and title…. their fault that the nuclear bombs went off and made the world start anew. This had forced him to rebuild his entire industry from scratch and have to work without the pleasure of financial gain. Ridiculous…
He spins his chair around to face his desk, scattering papers and files aside as he reaches for the intercom. A few buttons are pressed before he can hear his words echo through the building.
"Dr. Octavius, please see me in my office immediately."
After pressing another button to turn off the intercom, he spins the office chair again to face the windows. His elbows sit on the armrests and steeples his fingers. He knows that it will take Dr. Octavius some time to reach the office. The open warehouse, known as the new OsCorp headquarters, is large with Norman's equally large office and board room situated at the very top. Dr. Octavius spends most of his time in the laboratory located far below the office and warehouse floor.
After plenty of time has passed, just before Norman Osborn loses his patience, he hears the office door on the other side of his desk open. A few heavy footsteps signal the arrival of the brilliant man, followed by a slight slam of the door closing behind him.
"Why do you keep disturbing me, Osborn? I am a scientist and thus I have experiments to conduct that require my undivided attention." He stared sternly in Osborn's direction, behind his back.
Osborn wheels the chair around to face Dr. Octavius. It is clear from the expression on his face that the scientist is more than a little irritated to be pulled away from his precious work. Osborn doesn't care in the slightest if he offended Octavius. All he cares about is his master plan.
"You forget your place, Octavius!" He hisses harshly, pausing to compose himself with a few deep breaths. Octavius hears the man mutter a few things under his breath but cannot discern exactly what they are. They sound more like hisses and whispers than actual words. Octavius thinks it wise not to reply and merely stand his ground.
"Without my resources," Norman continues, still trying to calm himself, "and generous funding, you would be nothing…" He trails off as it becomes more apparent that he is keeping his aggression at bay. "… Nothing more than a scientist with nothing to study or to discover, nothing to invent, nothing to make you worthy! Ever since our benevolent Neo-Queen Serenity outlawed anything to do with atomic or nuclear research or its usage; you and your skills have been deemed all but useless. Do you remember?"
"Bah!" Dr. Octavius bites back with his thick German accent showing through. He raises his hands in exasperation. "What does she know? Just because she is of Japanese heritage, she thinks that atomic power is something to be feared." Octavius speaks with a passion that would befit a great orator. "I have proven that I can harness it, tame it, and even enslave it. I am its master! And it is my servant."
"Be that as it may, you have more important things to concern yourself with than these petty semantics," Mr. Osborn replies in his usual calm and cool tone. He takes a moment to reach for a glass on his desk and take a slow sip of the scotch contained within before setting it back on the desk. He lets the warm feeling of the liquid hang in his mouth for a moment before swallowing and returning his gaze to Dr. Octavius. "What is the status report on our operatives?"
"They are ready to go whenever you decide. Their bodies have adjusted to the cross-species genetic splicing and are now stable and battle-ready. I have sent you the latest results on each of them; if you even bothered to look at the files I had that trollop of a secretary place on your desk this morning..." He trails off, suddenly aware that his statement could anger the man sitting across from where he stood. Octavius isn't scared of Osborn at all, but he still needs the man's resources and so, for now, he holds his tongue. He knows that at some point in the near future, he will no longer need Osborn at all, and when that day comes he will show this egotistical tyrant what real power is all about.
"Well then, perhaps you can fill me in, Octavius," Norman sneers, swinging his chair back around to glower out the large window that made up the back wall.
The doctor sighs in exasperation. He truly wants to snap at his employer and at the very least throw the file at his smug face. All the information is right there, and he doesn't see why he should waste any of his precious time going over it. He knows Osborn is extremely educated and can understand the reports in their entirety. Nevertheless, he bites his tongue and thinks better of his actions.
"Clearly during the Great Sleep, each test subject was perfectly preserved and had no lasting damage from the suspended animation. This made the process easier but still required quite a bit of work to be done. I think you will be very pleased with the results." Doctor Octavius starts.
Norman pressed his fingertips together, unseen by Doctor Octavius. His elbows rest on the arms of his chair and he remains silent as he waits for the doctor to continue. He knows about how the test subjects survived the Great Sleep, as did about eighty-five percent of the rest of the world's population. He would forgive the doctor this time but he had better get to the real information quickly.
"Subject A's stature has been vastly improved, which of course took some time and a fair amount of research. He is now able to lift about one hundred tons and has incredible speed and stamina. His exoskeleton's skin makes him extraordinarily durable and we have yet to find anything that can seriously damage him. We believe that the increase of our gamma ray treatments can certainly be thanked for that." Doctor Octavius continued after the brief period of silence.
"Were we able to fix the little problem?" Norman coldly asked, without turning around in his chair.
"I'm afraid not. It still stuns him. Damn thing can burst through walls but can't withstand a few—" Doctor Octavius started to reply.
"Just tell me about the next one." Norman interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest. The tone in his voice made it clear that he was less than displeased at the update.
"Subject B wasn't nearly as difficult as we thought. He was very intelligent despite his age and was able to do most of the work without my help. As you may be aware of, he still has a hard time trusting you after..." Octavius clears his throat and thinks twice before bringing up the events of the past between Osborn and the male subject once known as Adrian Toomes.
"His electromagnetic harness had been imbedded inside him and can no longer be removed without causing death. His feather-like projectiles are of an almost unlimited supply and it is unlikely he will need to restock any time soon. They are razor-sharp and diamond-laced, meaning that they will cut through almost any material known on Earth. The anti-gravity and magnetic pull from the harness grants him additional strength. In fact, he was able to lift seven hundred pounds yesterday, and his flight time now seems infinite." Doctor Octavius finished, hoping to keep this status report moving so he can get back to his experiments.
"Subject C, once fed, was back to normal. He has extreme speed, stamina, excellent agility and reflexes. His regenerative skills have vastly improved and he is able to heal himself faster with the regular supplies of hemoglobin. He is also able to lift two thousand pounds, which is a pretty large improvement over previous testing. His fangs and claws are extremely efficient weapons when paired with his hypnotic and gliding abilities. Need I say anything about Subject D?" Doctor Octavius inquired with a non-playful tone of sarcasm.
"No, no, don't bother. I already know all about it. But do you have the ability to create others for the next phases of our master plan?"
"Of course I do!" The Doctor immediately replied with a tone that made it clear that he was personally insulted at the question.
"Alright, so on to Subjects E and F." Norman stated, not caring that he upset the lowly doctor. Doctor Octavius was a brilliant scientist but next to him, he was merely a grade school teacher.
"Speed, durability, agility, reflexes, regenerative ability, you know the usual suspects. Subject E has his sharp pincers at the end of his arms, which can crush through almost anything. His tail... well, let's just say it's best to stay away from it! It has an indestructible metallic barb that can pierce any form of body armor known in existence. It can spray highly corrosive acid from the end of it. It can also extend and is highly flexible, much like my 'children'.
"Subject F can now telepathically call upon any reptile in about a five mile radius and bend them to his will. Like Subject E, he possesses exceptional speed, durability, reflexes, agility and a regenerative capability due to his beastial heritage. In the simulation tests, his feral nature has made him a most outstanding fighter. So how does that sound, Osborn?"
Norman let a wide smile spread across his face. "Excellent. Everything is going perfectly according to plan!" He allows a cruel laugh to escape his lips, showing his growing excitement and pleasure upon hearing the latest news. Dr. Octavius can't help but join in the laughter. The ominous chorus cannot be heard outside the luxurious office, but it gives some insight to the dark plot the two men have been secretly working on for many months. Things are definitely going according to plan.
Half a world away, Usagi waved goodbye to her mentor, Sailor Mercury as she left the hospital where she had just had a medical class with the blue-haired genius. Under the guidance of her predecessor and mother, the original Sailor Moon, and Sailor Mercury and the original Sailors, she had taken up her mother's old mantle and formed her own band of Sailor Soldiers. Along with Sailors Pallas, Juno, Vesta and Ceres, they had literally been training their entire lives to someday assume the responsibilities of guarding the Milky Way galaxy. Among them is Tera Estmund, the first ever sailor soldier born to be a guardian of the Earth.
As she moved through the streets that were busy with early evening pedestrian traffic, her mind began to wander as she thought about a common topic of discussion among the young group of girls. They all felt that under this period of peace, a paranoid sense of security has been established among their mentors. They have not yet seen the darkness of battle or encountered an enemy. Their days of perceived immortality were simple and filled with happiness. Her best friend, Tera often spent her free time among the meadows, sleeping on the grass and basking in the warm sunlight.
The young pink haired girl smiled as she thought of her friend and her undeniable love for nature and everything about the Earth. She remembers her telling her once that whenever she is alone, she could sense a deep connection to her guardian planet. Being so close to the soil is calming to her and she often loses herself in the smell of the grass and time stands still until the sun sets and it is time to go home.
Usagi shook her head and re-focused her eyes on what was in front of her. She had a moment of confusion as she didn't recognize where she was at first. It took a few more seconds for her to realize that she was passing through Minato Ward, the part of Crystal Tokyo that was named after the section of the old city of Tokyo that her mother and the other original Sailors had grown up in. She tilted her head upwards and stared at the massive Crystal Palace that towered over her. She smiled as she knew that she was almost home.
Within Crystal Tokyo, the Minato section was created for the older Sailor Soldiers and the younger generation in which they could live. Their homes are small, but large enough for each Sailor or Sailors to live comfortably and happily within. This became necessary following the events of Aldrich's invasion and corruption of the red symbiote. Because of Carnage's infiltration of the Crystal Palace and his near assassination of Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, the queen erected magical wards on the palace that prevented anyone and anything that wasn't of the royal bloodline from entering or staying within its interior without permission from either the king or queen. Therefore, Chibiusa is the only member of her team that lived within the palace.
Tera lives with her parents: Hybrid and Sailor Jupiter. When she stands in the kitchen beside her mother, it is hard to tell them apart from behind. They both stand around 5-foot-ten and their curly brown hair is pulled back in a simple pony tail with light blue bobbles tying it up. Even from the front they look very much alike. Tera certainly took after her mother.
The smells of chicken and shiitake mushrooms fill the air as they prepare mizutaki for lunch. Sailor Jupiter accepts a pot of rice from Tera to drain the water. Tera in turn takes a damp rag to begin cleaning up the small mess they made while preparing the meal. Behind them, the small clink of metal can be heard while Hybrid sharpens the fabled sword of Gaia.
This was one of his common pastimes ever since he was made the official guardian of Earth. At the time, it was an incredible and surprising honor when King Endyimon gave him the sword, given the revelation of his symbiote's true nature and the chaos that had ensued immediately following his corruption by Aldrich Reid.
"So Tera, are you and Chibiusa doing anything this afternoon?" The sound of his wife's voice reels him out of the past memories.
"Well, the girls and I are going to go to the Crystal Ice Cream Parlour and then we were going to go and check out the summer collection at Crystal GAP," Tera answers. She lays the rag aside and, taking the broom from the corner, starts to sweep the kitchen floor.
Hybrid glances up from his sword to the open kitchen across the room. "That sounds fine dear," he says, "but don't forget that your mother and I are taking you girls out for some night training once the sun goes down."
"Yes dad, I remember," Tera says as she sweeps the floor a little quicker without looking up at her father. "Though I don't know why you two are so adamant about all this training. It's not like you guys are ever going to really let us fight. And more to the point, if we even need to."
Tera's irritation is blaringly evident, steadily mounting over the past few weeks. She was granted the gift to become a Sailor Warrior when she was just fourteen years old. Since that memorable day, she still had yet to use her powers against any real enemies. While she is grateful for the peace that Crystal Tokyo and the Earth had enjoy since Carnage became Hybrid, she is growing more and more restless to use her powers for something other than training. It is even a topic of contention between herself and the other scouts.
"Tera, we have had this discussion before," her father reminds her as he placed his sword across his legs. "You were the one that wanted to be a Sailor Warrior like your mother. Therefore, you must accept that you will need to keep your skills operating at their peak so that you can deal with any threat that should suddenly arise."
"What threat? There haven't been any real threats since Aldrich Reid was exiled and our ruler, Aunt Serenity, successfully united the people of the world under her peaceful banner." Tera immediately regrets her outburst. It is very unusual for her to lose control over her emotions, another trait that she shared with her mother.
She bites her lip and steps aside as her mother passes her to place bowls of mizutaki on the table. She returns her gaze to the broom in her hands and looks down as she continues to sweep the kitchen floor.
"There will always be a threat, whether you realize it or not," Sailor Jupiter assures calmly before taking her seat at the table beside her husband. "Your father and I may not always be around, so it is important that you, Usagi, and the Quartet are ready to take up our place if something were to happen."
Tera's mind races and while she tries to push the bubbling emotions away, it quickly becomes apparent how futile that is. "Who says we wouldn't be ready? We are ready now! You have been training us for almost three centuries in every possible scenario or situation that you and the others can think of. Besides, you and the others are still stronger than us, so there is no possible risk of any obstacle overcoming you and my aunts in the first place," she mutters the last part under her breath, not realizing that her parents can still hear her.
With that last statement, she sets the broom aside and kneels on the floor to brush the small pile of dirt into the dustpan that sits on the ground beside her feet. She picks it up and tosses the contents into the trash bin before rushing out the door. Hybrid and Jupiter, who remain seated, meet eyes and raise their eyebrows at each other. Their looks clearly suggest identical thinking: 'Well that could have gone better.'
The brisk walk through the Tranquility Gardens that separate the Sailors' section of the city from the general public takes longer than it should have. In reality, Tera is so caught up in her own head that time seems to slow down. She knows there is no reason to get upset at her parents. She also knows that means there is no reason to remain upset either. Yet these two simple facts only seem to fuel the fire burning inside her.
Becoming Sailor Earth was a wonderful gift when she turned fourteen. She can't help but be upset that ever since then, she hasn't had the chance to fully use that gift. She tells herself again and again that, in actuality, this is something to be grateful for. It means that no dangerous or evil forces bother the planet; but it makes her restless nonetheless.
At the same time, there is still a nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach. She will never admit it aloud, but she is afraid of her powers. It is no secret that her father's powers come from an alien symbiote. He often refers to it as his partner, but Tera knows better. When she was younger, she had secretly read the historical public records of the Earth's past and the events leading up to and following the Great Sleep. She paid particular attention to the time period when the last great threat had appeared on Earth. Just before she was born, a man named Aldrich Reid materialized and proceeded to show her father (who was Carnage at the time) and the rest of the world the true nature of the symbiote. It was a soulless evil thing that lived for chaos and destruction, doing all but nearly destroying Crystal Tokyo in the process. This also could have led to the destruction of the planet and thus prevented her existence.
Once that threat was eliminated, her father was unexpectedly made the protector of Earth and King Endymion gifted him with the sword of Gaia which he himself had used millennia ago in his identity of the Prince of Earth. It was also decreed on that day that the hero then known as Carnage would be no more and have to be blessed by the Silver Moon Crystal regularly, along with his wife and yet unborn child to prevent a reoccurrence of the disaster. Some of Tera's earliest memories are of frequent visits to the steps of the royal palace, where the Crystal's bright light would engulf her and her family. When she grew a little older, she no longer saw the need for it but her parents continued to avoid any questions from her regarding why they follow this ritual. From her investigation, she concluded that the only reason that she and her mother had to be regularly purified along with her father was because they had been in close contact with him more than anyone else. She still couldn't see why that should matter though.
On her fifteenth birthday and exactly one year after she became Sailor Earth, she learned the reason why. It was on that day that she discovered that she had inherited symbiotic powers from her father. She arrived home from one of her nature walks to find all of her friends and entire family waiting for her so that they could throw her a surprise party. The sudden shock of mass amounts of people and the unexpectedness of it all caused her to fall into a fit of heightened emotion. It was at that point that a dark green liquid engulfed her entire body like a second skin.
As she looked upon the faces of her friends and family, she saw their expressions change from happiness to horror, concern, and defensiveness. It was only when Chibiusa pointed at her did she realize the physical change that was going on. Looking down at her hands, she saw the green free-flowing "skin" where her white gloves should have been. Before anyone could react, she ran from the room and hid inside her room to get a look at herself in the mirror. When she saw the image displayed before her, she shrieked inhumanly, beholding the monstrous creature she had become. The sharp black needles that filled her mouth and giant white pupil-less eyes presented truly a terrifying picture for any young girl.
It took several days for her to recover from the initial shock. When she was able to face the world again, she first sought out Sailor Mercury and asked her to conduct a series of tests to her so that she could better understand what was inside of her. The results of the tests and Sailor Mercury's acquired knowledge of symbiotic life forms led her to the conclusion that Tera did not possess a full symbiote, but had only been partially affected. It was determined that the alien particles were encoded into her genetic DNA and thus could not be removed by any known medical or scientific means.
Using this new knowledge, she had requested that the blessings from the Silver Moon Crystal would occur more often for her. In the years that followed, her father had tried many times to teach her how to use her symbiotic powers during training. He did everything that he could to try and quell her fears about it, but with little success. She did learn how to use it and discovered that it seemed to grant her with more strength, agility, speed, and power than the other Sailors; but she still feared it regardless. To deal with this, she created a mental safe inside her brain and shoved those thoughts deep inside, pretending that they were not there.
"What's the point of having gifts that you can't or don't want to use?" she thinks aloud.
She finally leaves the Tranquility Garden and heads towards the shopping district to meet up with her friends. The moving crowds that litter the roads are full of smiling faces. More than once, Tera is stopped briefly by a kind face wishing her a "good day" and asking "how are you?" Almost everyone knows who she is and, for the most part, she knows them as well.
As she makes her way to the Crystal Ice Cream Parlour, she continues to fake smiles and give brief but pleasant responses to the kind greetings. It isn't like her to be so upset, and she knows her outburst was childish. Yet at the moment, all that matters to her is getting to her friends. They will understand and, more importantly, they will know how to make her feel better.
"Look who arrived early!" Usagi giggles and shouts when Tera rounds the corner. Her long pink pigtails bounce with excitement.
"You mean, on time," Pallas brightly grins.
The five girls standing in front of the Ice Cream Parlor laugh. Their faces quickly change when they see how their friend looks as she approaches. She lacks her usual smile. Something is troubling her.
"Is everything alright?" Usagi asks as she ventures a step forward to hold out an arm for her friend.
Tera takes it and follows her into the parlor. Sailor Saturn is sitting at a booth in the corner. This is another usual hang out spot for the seven friends in between their training and extracurricular activities. They always sit in the same booth and each of them always orders the same flavor of ice cream. She has been saving the booth while the others waited outside for Tera to arrive. It isn't unusual for Tera to be late for their social gatherings, even if it is at the same place and same time every week.
They assume their seats around the curved booth and wave to the parlor's owner to let him know they are ready for their usual dishes. Tera inhales a deep breath and tries to figure out exactly what to say and how to say it. They have talked about this before, but she never fully expressed her frustration with her parents. She loves her parents dearly and disappointing them is something she never wants to do. She is grateful that she rushed out of the house when she did, because the looks they might have given her would have made her feel even worse. When she notices the concerned eyes of her friends waiting patiently for her to speak, she finally gathers her thoughts and pipes up.
"I just... I kind of went off on my parents about training today."
Her friends' eyes widen as they took in the simple statement.
"I just feel like we're wasting our time sometimes. If we aren't prepared after all of this training, then when will we ever be? And that's also to say we'll ever need to be, assuming a new evil force will rise at all. And if it does, wouldn't the first generation sailors take care of it? I feel like I'm taking all of these extra training credits just so I actually have something to do and some sort of future to look forward to."
There is a long pause before Vesta laughs awkwardly. "So, how did Sailor Jupiter and Hybrid handle that?"
"Other than the speech about being prepared, I didn't really stay to find out," she replies.
"Well, you know I agree with you," Usagi begins, pausing for a moment while they thank the waiter for serving them their bowls of ice cream. When he leaves she continues, "I mean I won't complain about there not being any villains around, but it would be nice to use our Sailor Powers for something other than just training."
"I agree too! Of course I'd love to get a chance to kick some butt!" Vesta supplies before plunging her spoon into her ice cream.
"Me too, I want some action," Juno agrees. Her high green pony tail waves with every nod and the small braids that circled her head bounced in unison.
Vesta and Juno are the more energetic and rambunctious of the group. Aside from their displays of shenanigans during training, they usually get scolded for attacking too quickly and not biding their time, while Pallas and Ceres are more likely to be critiqued for not acting quickly enough. Pallas almost always waits to follow someone else's lead, while Ceres spends her time over-thinking strategies. Out of the six of them, Sailor Moon and Sailor Earth most often receive compliments rather than complaints.
"I don't mean to cause conflict," Sailor Saturn says slowly to catch everyone's attention. Vesta and Juno had since started comparing stories from past training sessions and about their play battle with the wooden sticks, distracting everyone from the topic at hand. When all eyes turn to her, Saturn continues. "But your parents are right. They may not always be around, and you guys do need to be prepared. When it comes to battle, it's not all fun and games. Believe me, I know."
"We know you do," Tera cuts in.
"Then take it from someone who's been at this a bit longer. Maybe you don't remember some of the tales we've told you like the Death Busters or the Shadow Galactica Empire, but it's not about perfectly executed kicks and gathering enough energy for an attack. It's about life and death. If we lose, the people of Earth will suffer greatly. You all have to be prepared when—"
The rest of Saturn's statement was cut off by a shrill scream outside the parlor.
End of Chapter 3