I in NO way own any part of the Sailor Moon Metaseries.
Roy slowly opened his eyes.
'This is getting old.' he thought to himself. Looking around at his surroundings he saw he was in a hospital bed, in a hospital room, with a black haired girl looking at him.
"Your awake!" she said happily, smiling, something Roy hadn't seen her do that often. She leaned forward and hugged him. Roy didn't know what to do at first, then he slowly put his right arm around her. He tried to move his left arm, but it hurt.
"I told her you'd be ok." Roy looked up to see Amara and Michelle standing in the doorway.
"It's good to see your awake though." Michelle said, sitting down next to the bed, as Amara leaned against the wall.
"Uh…yeah," Roy said letting go of the preteen. "So…what happened?" Amara handed him the book he'd taken from the library days before.
"Did you read the entire Astrology section?" she asked knowingly. Roy turned to the chapter, past the inner planets, the outer planets, 'Good to see Pluto's still a planet.' he thought to himself. Then he came to the symbol that had appeared on his forehead, and on his dogtags, the sickle with a cross through it.
"Ceres" Roy said, reading the title aloud. "A dwarf planet located in the Asteroid belt." He looked up to see Amara shutting the door. "So what does this mean?" he asked, "Those words just…came to me," he continued. "It just…felt like something I'd done along time ago." Michelle and Amara both smiled, and Hotaru had a big grin.
"It looks like you're a soldier of love and Justice too." Michelle said.
"Ceres huh?" Roy said, trying to sit up, but he felt pain in his arm again. "Ah…" he said, grabbing below his shoulder where the bullet had entered his body.
"The doctor said you won't be using that arm for a while." Amara said. Roy examined the bandages, then tried flexing a few fingers. "You'll be alright, they got the bullet out ok, but it hit some nerves so you won't really be able to use that arm until they grow back." Roy nodded when his left hand only somewhat responded, then his eyes went wide as he realized something.
"Doctor? Wait, I still don't have an ID, or records, or even a last nam-" The door opened and a man in a white doctors jacket and tan slacks entered.
"Ah, Mr. Tenoh, good to see your awake." he said. Roy glanced at Amara, who gave back a cleaver smile. The doctor noticed the other people in the room. "Is this your family?" he asked. Roy looked at Amara, then Michelle, then Hotaru.
"Yeah," he said, "They are."
~/~/~
Downstairs in the hospitals lobby, a woman approached the front desk.
"Excuse me." She said to the receptionist plainly. The woman behind the desk looked up, taking her in. She looked about 20, with decently tanned skin, and long dark green hair.
"Yes may I help you?" she asked after a moment.
"Is Roy Tenoh being treated here?" she asked. The receptionist looked at her computer and begin typing.
"Let's see…Ah, here we are, yes, they brought him in yesterday. Did you want to see him?" The Green haired woman shook her head.
"No , thank you." She said, "I just wanted to be sure that he was alright." And with that she turned around and left the hospital, leaving the receptionist confused. 'Good' Trista thought to herself outside. 'Everything is right on time.'
~/~/~
"My Lord…" the Capitan began, kneeling before the Coffin. "I regret to inform you that not only has Vladimir met his end," he paused, not wanting to say the next part. "And much of the energy he had collected is gone," he paused again. He really didn't want to say the next part. "And it would seam that…another soldier has appeared." He cringed, awaiting the coffins wrath. Nothing. Silence. 'Didn't he hear me?' the Captain thought. As he opened his mouth to speak, he felt the air around him close in on his neck, tightening like an invisible hand, raising him off the ground.
"ANOTHER!" The coffin screamed in a loud but raspy voice. The Capitan grabbed his neck, trying to relies the unseen grip on his throat. "WHO?" The Coffin Demanded.
"…Ceres…" The Capitan croaked. At the mention of the name, the Coffin released him.
"Ceres?" The Coffin's voice was still raspy, but without the volume as before. "No…no…I personally destroyed him, millennia ago." The Capitan Gasped for air as he tried to stand, finding balance difficult.
"What would you have me do my Lord?" He asked. Silence again. The Capitan rubbed his throat. Finally the Voice returned.
"Nothing. I will think on this. You will continue to gather energy to revive me, but do so quieter, and do not attract any attention as you have done in the past."
"I understand." The Capitan said bowing.
Above in another cargo hold, the possessed crew had made a crude shooting range. Although, right now, only two beings were on the firing line. Both held the only M24 Sniper Rifles from the ships' Armory. The American Weapons had been traded from a US Ship outside Seoul in exchange for the BLUE TIDE moving some special cargo out of the Communist country on the Northern part of the peninsula. But that was old news, years before the Coffin. Now the weapons served a much more sinister purpose than self defense. The first gunman laid in the prone, keeping himself rigid, trying to remain perfectly still. Lining up the target in his scope, he shot. The bullet traveled down the range, striking the target mere inches from the bulls eye. The crowd of crewmen watching turned to the other being on the firing line. This one was from the prison, and still wore his Correctional officer uniform. Laying prone as well, he was fully relaxed as he took his shot. He breathed in, than out. As his last breath left him, he squeezed the trigger. Like his comrades, his bullet traveled down the range and into his target. This shot was, however, dead on. The crew was silent for a moment, then burst into noise. Cheers and shouts and curses as bets were paid among the crew. On a scaffolding above, the Capitan watched Marcus Like stand up and leave the firing line. 'Quieter huh?' he thought watching the possessed guard.
~/~/~
Roy adjusted the straps on his sling. Since he wouldn't be able to move his left arm for some time while the nerves healed, the hospital had given him a sling so his arm wouldn't just hang loosely from his side. He'd been at the hospital for almost a week after the bullet came out to make sure the wound wouldn't get infected. Now, he was sitting in the grandstands at the Tokyo Racetrack as Amara's stock car came around another turn and passed the stands. Standing up, he put his right arm into the air, and cheered along with Michelle and Hotaru, who sat with him. Amara's car sped past in second place, right behind the leader. There was only one lap left, she had to pass him now. She tried moving left, but he moved in front of her. So she tried going right, but he blocked her there as well. 'he's watching me.' she thought. Which, indeed, he was, he was about to win, and wasn't about to lose it now. Coming to another turn, he sped up to prevent her from coming along the inside. Hugging the inside edge as close as he could. Coming out of the turn, he looked behind him to se where his pursuer was. Strangely, she wasn't there. 'Where'd she go?' he thought to himself. Then out of the corner of his right eye he got his answer. She was next to him. He'd hugged the inside of the track, expecting her to try to pass him there, but she'd gone around to his right on the outside, speeding up as well to come out next to him. He cursed himself as he slammed on the gas, putting all the speed he could into the final turn. 'No way she'll be able…to…' his thought fell apart in his head as he watched the blond racer pass him a mere 50 yards from the finish line.
"Number 41, Tenoh, wins the race!" the Announcer called to the stands which broke out in cheers. Amara pulled her car into the pit stop area, and stepped out of the car. She removed her helmet, and smiled at the crowd. The crowd cheered even louder, and Amara walked into the pit's locker room.
"Let's go see her." Michelle said to her daughter and Roy. They both nodded and the group left the stands and began walking through the stadium behind the Grandstands. As they reached the stairs, Hotaru gasped.
"Oh no!" the young teen said, "I left my car at our seats." Roy remembered buying the girl the little toy stock car from a vendor on they're way into the stadium.
"I'll get it." Roy volunteered. Michelle gave a soft smile that said 'thank you.'
"Meet us out by the car then." She said. Roy nodded, and waded back through the crowd back toward where they'd been sitting. He found the toy under Hotaru's seat, sitting next to where someone had dropped they're popcorn. He brushed the popcorn aside, and grabbed the car, placing it in his jacket pocket, he turned around walking toward the exit to the stadium interior. As he walked through the door, he passed a janitor with green hair.
"Your not from here." She said as he passed. Roy stopped, looking back over his shoulder.
"Come again?" he said, not sure he'd heard her right.
"Your not even from this time, are you Roy?" She asked in an almost omniscient way. Now she had his full attention and he turned to face her.
"No…I'm-wait. Who are you?" Roy asked, sizing her up. She looked about 20, with long, dark green hair, and her skin was tanned almost like an Egyptian. Red earrings framed her face. She gave a slight smile.
"I know who you are, and I know why you're here." she stated. "You are the Soldier Ceres. a Soldier, but not a Scout. Your past self died trying to defeat an invasion of your planet during the Silver Millennium." Roy was stunned, his mouth dropped open, but she wasn't done. "And because you failed, Ceres was all but destroyed, it was never a large planet before, but now it's scarcely bigger than an Asteroid." She paused. "And now, the same force invades this planet."
"Wait, do you mean those guys with the X's on there foreheads." She nodded.
"The same, and their attacks at the bank and the Airport had a purpose far worse than you could imagine."
"What?" Roy asked, taking a step towards the woman. She shook her head.
"You had better talk to the others." She said before turning to leave."
'Others?' Roy thought as he watched her walk disappear behind a corner. 'Amara and Michelle.' he realized, turning back towards the exit, running to meet them at the car.
~/~/~
The Capitan analyzed the man standing at attention before him. Marcus Like didn't move, his time in the military showing through his discipline.
"Like, I have something for you." The Capitan said.
"Sir!" Marcus replied. the respect he showed was a big change from Vladimir, who had never really considered the Capitan his superior. The Capitan pulled off the sheet covering something on his desk, reveling one of the M24's, but with some modifications. The barrel was different, white, and the magazine was white as well. A small black crystal had been infused into the stock.
"This," the Capitan said, motioning to the rifle on his desk, "will allow you to take the energy of anyone you shoot. It will all be collected in this crystal." he pointed to the crystal. "After you have collected enough energy, bring the crystal back to me." Marcus approached the weapon, slowly lifting it from the table. "You'll go alone, you'll get the energy, and you'll do so quietly. Do you understand?" Marcus worked the bolt.
"Yes Sir"
~/~/~
Sitting in the upstairs living room, Amara, Michelle and Roy discussed the situation.
"So, what exactly did those guys do to the people at the bank?" Roy asked. Amara sighed.
"They drained their energy." Roy raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to one side so Amara continued. "Every person's body produces energy, it's what keeps you going, and without it, you'd collapse and pass out. It's why you need to sleep every so often."
"But strong emotion also produces energy." Michelle broke in. Amara nodded.
"Right, and It seems that our enemies are trying to collect this energy for some reason." She continued. Roy put his hand up.
"Wait, wait…how do you two know so much about this?" Roy asked. The two women looked at each other.
"Well…" Michelle began, "This isn't the first time that this has happened." Both of Roy's eyebrows went up.
"I see…" He said, biting his lip. "So, if they can take energy, why don't they use it to attack like you two do?" he asked. They both shook their heads.
"We don't know." Amara said. "No one trying to steal energy has ever used regular guns before." Roy frowned and Michelle changed the subject.
"So, this, woman. She told you that this is an invasion?" Michelle asked. Roy nodded.
"That's right." Amara shook her head.
"How do we know we can believe this women?" Amara asked.
"She knew I'm from the future." Roy said. "And she knows more about me being Ceres than I do." Amara was about to say something when Michelle cut her off.
"What color hair did she have?" She asked. Roy thought for a second.
"Dark green." Michelle nodded,
"I see, and did she have a dark, Egyptian like tan?" Roy nodded.
"Yeah, she did. Why, do you know her?" He asked. Amara smiled and shook her head,
"Don't worry about it, so then let's assume that this is an invasion. What would they need the energy for?" Roy and Michelle both shook they're heads.
"I don't know, but I do remember the guy who shot me saying something about a Coffin." The two women nodded.
"Yeah, I remember some of the gunmen talking about a Coffin too." Michelle said.
"Didn't you say you saw a coffin when you first saw us?" Amara asked, remembering back to when they'd met. Roy nodded this time, trying to remember the picture in his mind.
"Yeah, and it had the X that those guys had on they're forehead on it's side."
"So whoever these guys are…" Michelle began.
"…They must have something to do with this Coffin…" Amara continued.
"…And the Coffin has something to do with why they are collecting energy." Roy finished.
~/~/~
At the other end of town, a rather tired man standing behind the front desk of the Guardsman hotel looked at the man standing in front of him. He looked to be in his late 20's. Fit, and of average height. He had a baseball cap on backwards and low covering his forehead, not an odd style, but the way he wore it reminded him of snipers he'd seen in pictures and on TV. He shook the thought from his head and proceeded with his routine.
"Checking in Sir?" he asked the man. At first he said nothing, as though lost in thought, then he blinked and answered.
"Yes, I need a room for one on an upper floor. One with a window."
"Very good sir," The clerk said, typing into his computer, "Will the 4th floor work?" he asked.
"That will be perfect." he said, taking the guitar case he had in his right hand as he signed the paper in front of him, took the key and walked to the elevator.
"Cleaning will be by everyday at 4." The clerk said as he entered the elevator.
"No people in the room, just send up plenty of towels." Marcus said as the elevator's doors closed.
