SAILOR MOON:AMERICAN SENSHI-REBOOTED
By Eugol Dlareg
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon, or any character names or concepts from the original manga or anime. Sailor Moon was originally created by Naoko Takeuchi, and all characters and concepts from the any previously produced versions are owned by someone in Japan, most likely either Ms. Takeuchi or Toei, except for Americanized names, which are owned by either DiC or Cloverway. This story is a reboot of an alternate universe version of Sailor Moon I wrote between 2001 and 2005, and includes characters and concepts created by myself. In a nutshell: if it originated in the original manga and/or anime, it's owned by either Naoko Takeuchi and/or Toei(to the best of my knowledge). If it originated in the English dub, it's owned by either DiC and/or Cloverway. Everything created for this story, it was created by Eugol Dlareg.
CHPATER 6:
ENDYMION
MONDAY, 21 APRIL, 1986, THE BASEMENT OF CAVERN RECORDS, 4:30 P.M.
The past 2 weeks had been good to Jake Slater. The best part was that Corrine, the woman married to his dad (he refused to even consider her his stepmother) had kicked both him and Jake out of the house, and served his dad with divorce papers. While that might not sound like a good thing, Jake and Corrine didn't really get along all that well, and Jake was now living with his aunt Wendy, his mom's twin sister. He thought of his aunt as his second mother, and he knew his aunt loved him like he was her own son. Another of the changes in his life in the past 2 weeks was related to why he was in the basement of Cavern Records.
What was known by, until 2 weeks before, only one other person, as well as his cat, was that Jake Slater was also the superhero known as Gilded Rose. He had fought alongside Sailor Moon and her Sailor Soldiers, not knowing Sailor Moon was really his friend Serena Campbell, nor was one of the Sailor Soldiers (Sailor Mercury, to be precise) was his cousin Amy Anderson. Now that everyone was out in the open about their secret identities, Jake's boss, who, until the previous day, had been the only person (outside of his cat, Artemis) who knew his secret identity, had offered the room for the team (now that he was now open with the Sailor Soldiers about his identity, he was now officially part of the team) to use as a headquarters.
THE NEXT MORNING, IN ANOTHER DIMENSION
Darrien Shields had voluntarily gotten up early for probably the first time in his life. One thing he was not was a "morning person", preferring to sleep in. He especially hated rules, regulations, or discipline. But for some reason, even though what Malachite had put him through was similar to Marine boot camp(but even more intense and brutal), he seemed to enjoy it. He wasn't sure why at first, but realized it was because he relished the idea of truly wreaking fear into the hearts of those who "oppressed" him. Although his training had only lasted 3 weeks, he had learned a lot, in fact, had been progressing at a faster pace than Malachite expected. That, combined with his evil nature, made Malachite confident that Darrien was almost ready for what he was being trained for. Although he had been training for 3 weeks, he had yet to meet Metallia, under whom he would be serving. On this day, he finally met Metallia, and was only slightly flustered to learn that she and her sister Beryl were conjoined twins. She told him what his mission, and duties, would entail. "I sense you have a question for me," Metallia said.
"Something I'm curious about," Darrien said. "If you're this powerful evil sorceress, why didn't you ditch your goody-2-shoes Siamese twin when you had the chance?"
"That "goody-2-shoes Siamese twin" of mine you refer to," Metallia said, "is, to use a vernacular you would be familiar with, my insurance policy. I'm counting on the fact that those Sailor Soldier brats charged to defeat me, as well as the one who calls himself Gilded Rose, are fully aware that if they were to succeed in destroying me, they would also kill Beryl. And before you ask, no, they can't just cut us apart with an ax or a sword before they kill me. The only way to kill one of us without also killing the other is to sever the band of flesh that joins Beryl and myself with the Sword of Light. That was the first spell I cast once I gained my powers."
"What the Hell is the Sword of Light?" Darrien asked.
"A sword with a blade made of light instead of steel," Malachite said. "However, the very existence of such a sword is a myth. The Sword of Light is not known to actually exist, except in theory, or legend."
"Pretty smart move," Darrien said. "Making what could be a weakness into a strength. Anyways, just be thankful the Sailor Soldiers don't have Luke Skywalker on their side."
"Why's that?" Metallia asked.
"And who's this Luke Skywalker person?" Malachite asked.
"I'm assuming I'm the only person here who's seen Star Wars," Darrien said.
"Including myself," Beryl said, "you're probably the only person here who's even heard of Star Wars."
"Star Wars is a movie that came out a few years ago," Darrien said. "It spawned a couple sequels, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. The main hero of the trilogy is Luke Skywalker, who trains and becomes a Jedi knight throughout the trilogy. He uses a weapon called a lightsaber, which is a sword with a blade made of light instead of steel."
"So I should just hope that neither the Sailor Soldiers or Gilded Rose have ever heard of this Star Wars," Metallia said.
"Somehow, I don't see that happening," Darrien said. "You'd have had to spend the last 10 years living under a rock to have never heard of Star Wars. The good news is, even if they figure out the connection, I don't see anyone figuring how to construct a lightsaber any time soon."
DR. SALLY K. RIDE HIGH SCHOOL, 3:00 P.M.
For one of the few times in his life, Jake Slater was genuinely nervous. He'd had a crush on Serena Campbell since beginning high school, but, even though they had been friends for several years, had never had the courage to act on it. He decided that day he was going to take the bull by the horns and ask her out on a date. For some reason, he hadn't had an opportunity to talk to her during the school day, but once school got out, he finally got his chance. He saw her alone by her locker. "Hey Serena," Jake said.
"Hey Jake," Serena said.
"Would you like to go out with me one night?" Jake asked.
"You mean, like on a date?" Serena asked.
"Not like on a date," Jake said. "An actual date."
"Sure," Serena said.
"Great," Jake said. "I have this Friday off, I'll call you later and let you know when I'll pick you up."
"It's a date," Serena said.
CAVERN RECORDS, 25 MINUTES LATER
Jake arrived at work and clocked in 5 minutes early. "Hey Jake," Dianne said as he clocked in, "You got any plans Friday night?"
"I'd love to come in to work," Jake said, "But since I had the night off, I asked Serena on a date."
"Don't worry, I don't need you to come in," Dianne said. "Besides, I'm closing up at 3 anyways, because I have to be in L.A. for a meeting. The reason I was asking is because Yesterday Never Knows is playing at the Icehouse Friday night."
"Yesterday Never Knows?" Jake asked. "I've never heard of them."
"They're a Beatles tribute band," Dianne said. "One of our regular customers is their George Harrison, and he found out you're related to the real George, and he wanted me to let you know you and a friend are on the guest list."
"He knows I'm only 16, doesn't he?" Jake asked.
"It's an all-ages show," Dianne said. "That's one of the advantages of playing at the Icehouse, they do allow minors in there, which is especially seeing as the oldest guy in the band is only 20."
"Would make sense that they would only play in places they can actually get in," Jake said.
SERENA'S BEDROOM
"You seem to be in a particularly good mood today," Luna said, as Serena tossed her backpack on the bed.
"He finally asked me out," Serena said.
"Who asked you out?" Luna asked.
"Jake Slater," Serena said. "I mean, I've only had a crush on him since like the 3rd grade."
"And it's fortunate that he just happens to be fighting the same battle as we are," Luna said.
"Serena," Irene Campbell, Serena's mother, said as she came into the room, "who are you talking to?"
"What makes you think I'm talking to someone?" Serena asked.
"I heard you talking to someone," Irene said. "And don't tell me you were talking to yourself, I distinctly heard an English accent."
"I think it's time we let the cat out of the bag," Luna said. "Both literally as well as figuratively."
"Serena," Irene said, in a frightened tone, "I could swear I just heard our cat speak."
"If it makes you feel any better," Serena said, "I felt the same way as you the first time I heard Luna speak."
"This is no time for games," Irene said.
"I'm not playing," Serena said. "Luna can speak. And if it makes you feel any better, you're taking it a lot better than I did."
"She's right," Luna said. "The first time I spoke to Serena, she started freaking out, as if she was under the influence of drugs."
"Which I can assure the both of you," Serena said, "the strongest thing I have ever ingested in my entire life is Mountain Dew, but that's not the point right now."
"Right," Irene said. "The point is, I'm having a conversation with the cat."
"You are having a conversation with the cat," Serena said. "You're not imagining it, and it's not a flashback from whatever you took during the 60's. But the fact that Luna is capable of human speech isn't the whole story. It has something to do with why we have her in the first place."
"And why is that?" Irene asked.
"I'm sure you've heard of Sailor Moon," Luna said, as Serena went to close her bedroom door.
"I have," Irene said. "But what does Sailor Moon have to do with anything."
"Moon Cosmic Power, Make-Up!" Serena said, transforming into Sailor Moon.
"You could have just said "Mom, I'm Sailor Moon", you know," Irene said.
"I didn't think you'd believe me if I just told you," Sailor Moon said.
"Why not?" Irene asked. "I'm having a conversation with the cat, why wouldn't I believe my daughter is Sailor Moon?"
"This is a lot to take in, isn't it?" Sailor Moon asked.
"I almost wish you just told me that you were pregnant," Irene said. "That's something I can deal with."
"I'm still a virgin," Sailor Moon said. "I'm saving myself for my wedding night."
"That's a relief," Irene said, as Sailor Moon transformed back to Serena. "So does anyone besides myself and Luna know?"
"Just my teammates," Serena said.
"I suppose you're not going to tell me who any of them are," Irene said.
"That's not my secret to tell," Serena said. "Speaking of which, I don't want you telling anyone."
"Not even dad?" Irene asked.
"Maybe dad," Serena said. "But definitely not Sammy."
"What don't you want me to know?" Sammy, Serena's younger brother, asked as he entered the room. "That Serena's really Sailor Moon?"
"You little sneak," Serena said. "How long were you listening there?"
"Just long enough for me to hear Mom say that you're Sailor Moon," Sammy said. "Wait until all the guys hear that I'm Sailor Moon's kid brother."
"And how are they going to find out?" Irene asked.
"Duh," Sammy said. "I'm going to tell them. Of course, for the right price, I can keep a secret. Say, $20?"
"How about this," Irene said. "You even think about telling anyone, we'll ship you off to Brookdale."
"You can't do that to me," Sammy said. "That place is like a prison for boys."
"I can," Irene said, "and I will. Not only will I, but I will personally see to it the experience is especially unpleasant for you."
"Now you see why I don't want Sammy to know," Serena said.
LATER THAT EVENING, THE HOME OF DR. WENDY ANDERSON
When Jake got home from work, he called Serena and told her he would pick her up at 6:30, but didn't give any further details. As he hung up, he heard a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in," he said.
"I hear you got a date on Friday night," his aunt Wendy said.
"Serena Campbell," Jake said. "She's probably the oldest friend I have who I don't share about half my DNA with."
"Who do you share half your DNA with?," Amy asked, coming in the room.
"You," Jake said. Seeing that our mothers are identical twins, that makes us the genetic equivalent of half siblings, so that's how we share half our DNA."
"He's right, you know," Wendy said. "Blythe and I are genetically carbon copies of each other. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about, Jake."
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Jake asked.
"Your date," Wendy said. "We have a little problem. I can't let you go out on a date on your scooter."
"You can't be serious," Jake said. "All I have is my scooter, do you want me to walk on Friday night?"
"I never said anything about walking," Wendy said. "I just said I don't want you taking your scooter."
"So if I can't use my scooter, what can I use?" Jake asked.
"Why don't you take," Wendy said, tossing Jake a key ring with a Union Jack fob, and a single key, which was the key to a 1962 Jaguar E-Type.
"You're letting me borrow your old Jaguar?" Jake asked, excitedly.
"No," Wendy said. "I'm not letting you borrow it, I'm giving it to you."
"You're giving me a Jaguar?" Jake asked.
"Not exactly," Wendy said. "I'm selling it to you."
"I'm kind of short on money right now," Jake said.
"That's okay," Wendy said. "I'm giving the car to you now, but payment in full is due on Thursday, when you get paid."
"I don't think I can pay you in full on what I make in a week," Jake said. "Especially since I do have a date this weekend."
"I'm certain you can afford what I'm charging you," Wendy said.
"How much are you charging me for the car, anyways?" Jake asked.
"One dollar," Wendy said.
"In that case," Jake said, getting his wallet out of his pocket, "we don't have to wait until Thursday." He took a dollar bill out and gave it to his aunt.
"Now that we've taken care of payment," Wendy said, "there are a few conditions. First off, I'm selling you the car, but I'll still pay for insurance, or if you need to take it in for any regular maintenance other than an oil change, if you need anything replaced, or any repairs not covered by insurance. However, if I find out any repairs were necessitated by you driving recklessly, or as a result of you driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you will be responsible for the full cost out of your own pocket."
"You don't have to worry about me driving under the influence," Jake said. "I'm straight edge."
"What does that mean?" Wendy asked.
"It's a punk subculture," Amy said. "It means he doesn't drink alcohol or use drugs. Some people who follow that lifestyle also follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle."
"Seeing as you ate my meatloaf last night," Wendy said, "we can assume you're not a vegetarian or a vegan."
FRIDAY EVENING, 6:25 P.M., SERENA CAMPBELL'S HOUSE
Jake had told Serena he'd pick her up at 6:30, because the show started at 7:00. However, for reasons known only to him, he showed up 5 minutes early. He went up to the door and rang the bell, and Irene answered the door. "Come on in," Irene said. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asked, as Jake came in and sat down on the couch.
"No thanks," Jake said.
"Sammy, go tell your sister her date's here," Irene said.
"Meatball-head!" Sammy yelled in the general direction of Serena's bedroom. "Your date's here!"
"I could have done that myself," Irene said.
"I'll be down in a minute," Serena said. "Just as soon as I put my shoes on."
"You sure I can't get you something to drink?" Irene asked.
"No thanks," Jake said.
"Would you do me a small favor the next time you go on a date with my sister?" Sammy asked Jake.
"What's that?" Jake asked.
"Get a haircut, you damn hippie," Sammy said, as he went to the refrigerator to grab a can of soda, and went upstairs to his bedroom.
"I'd like to think I was more mod than hippie," Jake said.
"I'm ready to go," Serena said, as she came down the stairs. She was wearing a white sweater with an off the shoulder neckline and a black leather belt around her waist, black miniskirt, black pantyhose, and black flats, and she was wearing pale pink fingernail polish.
"You aren't going to stay out too late, are you?" Irene asked.
"I'll have her back by 10:00," Jake said.
"That's fine with me," Irene said. "Serena, I need to have a word with you alone really quick before you leave."
"Jake already knows," Serena said, in a slightly hushed tone.
"Jake already knows what?" Irene asked.
"About Serena being Sailor Moon," Jake said. "And before you ask, I found out about 2 minutes before she found out I'm Gilded Rose."
10 MINUTES LATER, THE ICEHOUSE
"What is this place?" Serena asked, as Jake pulled into a parking space in the back.
"The Icehouse," Jake said, as they walked to the entrance, past a line of people waiting to get in. "Jake Slater," he said to the doorman.
The doorman looked at the clipboard in his hand, stopping about halfway down the first page. "Welcome to the Icehouse," he said. "Hope the two of you enjoy the show."
"Thank you," Jake said, as he and Serena entered.
"You realize we got in without paying," Serena said.
"I might have forgotten to mention that I'm on the guest list," Jake said. "Me and a friend."
"We're on the list?" Serena asked, as she and Jake were escorted to a table near the stage.
"That was my big surprise," Jake said.
"I hope the cops don't bust this place tonight," Serena said.
"Why do you think that?" Jake asked.
"You notice nobody carded us?" Serena said. "Aren't they afraid of losing their liquor license?"
"Not really," a young lady wearing a server's apron said, as she handed Jake and Serena menus. "Considering we don't even have a liquor license to lose in the first place."
"I guess that's why nobody carded us," Serena said.
"The owner wanted the minors of Sunny Hills to have somewhere other than Skate Factory to see bands," the server explained. "The only way the city would let us admit people under 21 was to not serve alcohol, and to serve some food other than peanuts and/or pretzels. So do you know what you want, or do you need a couple minutes to look over the menu?"
"I'll have a double cheeseburger," Jake said. "With seasoned fries, some fry sauce, and a Dr Pepper."
"I'll have a cheddar club melt," Serena said. "With potato chips and a Coke."
As the server left to put in their orders, Jake and Serena sat and talked. They got their food just as the band took to the stage, and finished eating partway through the band's set. As the server came to take their plates and refill their sodas, Serena got up and grabbed Jake's hand. "C'mon," she said, motioning to the dance floor, where a few couples started dancing.
"I think it's only fair to warn you," Jake said. "I'm not all that great a dancer."
"So you're not Fred Astaire," Serena said. "I'm not exactly Ginger Rogers myself, either. I just wanna dance for a bit."
"I didn't say I wouldn't dance," Jake said, as he and Serena went to the dance floor, "I just said I wasn't all that good at it."
After a couple songs, they went back to their table, and watched the rest of the show, which ended around 9:20.
30 MINUTES LATER, SERENA'S HOUSE
"I had a good time," Serena said, as Jake walked her to her front door. As they got to the front porch, Serena took his head in her hands and kissed him. When she kissed him, each of them felt a tingling down their spines.
10 MINUTES LATER, JAKE'S HOUSE
When Jake got home, he parked his car in the garage, next to his aunt's Mercedes. He came in through the garage, and his aunt was on the couch, watching TV while polishing her toenails. "How was your date?" Wendy asked, as Jake came in.
"I'm in love, L-U-V," Jake said.
"You sure about that?" Wendy asked.
"When I took her home, she kissed me," Jake said. "You know that old saying, that when you're in love with someone, and they kiss you, you see fireworks?"
"I've heard that story before," Wendy said.
"When Serena kissed me," Jake said, "imagine being on Fullerton Road on the 4th of July, just below the top, on the La Habra side. Combine that with the fact that at the same time I was watching every fireworks show in Orange County at the same time, it felt like someone had taken a deliberator to my spine, and you get the idea."
"I guess you are in love," Wendy said.
"Serena and I have been friends since kindergarten," Jake said. "I had a crush on her for the last year, and when she kissed me earlier, I realized I was in love."
SERENA'S HOUSE
"So how was the big date with Jake?" Luna asked, when Serena got home.
"He's the one," Serena said.
"He's the one what?" Luna asked.
"You know how everybody has that one special someone?" Serena asked.
"No," Luna said. "I'm a cat, I'm not exactly an expert on how humans operate. I mean, remember the first time I spoke to you, I had this crazy idea that you would be used to having a conversation with a cat."
"Well, I probably know about as much about feline love as you do about human love," Serena said. "But with humans, each human has that one special someone they're destined to spend the rest of their life with, and tonight, I found that Jake is mine."
"And you're absolutely sure of this?" Luna asked.
"As sure as you're a cat," Serena said.
"And how do you know he's the one?" Luna asked.
"I kissed him when he brought me home," Serena said. "When I kissed him, it felt like someone hooked a car battery to my spine. I've kissed a couple guys before, but I never felt that with anyone besides Jake."
"That must be what love is for humans," Luna said.
THE NEXT MORNING, 7:00 A.M.
"Get your ass out of bed and get into character," Artemis said, nudging Jake's head.
"Metallia finally reared her ugly head?" Jake asked.
"She's actually quite attractive, by human standards," Artemis said. "Her and Beryl being Siamese twins notwithstanding."
"So where is the presence of Gilded Rose required?" Jake asked.
"Heritage Park," Artemis said.
"I'll be there in a minute," Jake said. "I just have to do one little thing first."
"What can be more important than your sworn duty to protect Earth from Metallia?" Artemis asked.
"Sailor Mercury's sleeping right down the hall," Jake explained, thankful that his aunt had left an hour earlier.
"Calling in reinforcements does sound like a good idea," Artemis said.
"Amy!" Jake said, entering her bedroom. "Get up and call the girls. Tell them to meet me at Heritage Park, Metallia's sent one of her goons there."
"Roger Wilco," Amy said, grabbing her transformation pen as Jake transformed and left. "Mercury here," she said into the pen. "Meet me and Gilded Rose at Heritage Park now!" she barked into the pen, and held it up. "Mercury Power, Make-Up!"
HERITAGE PARK
Sailor Venus was the first of the Sailor Soldiers to arrive, and found Gilded Rose battling a pair of bird-like humanoids, one male, one female. The male was approximately 6'3", with the build of a professional wrestler, while the female was 6" shorter, with a lean physique. When Sailor Earth arrived, Gilded Rose was in a wrestling lockup with the male, while the female was shooting bolts of energy at him. "I got Big Bird," Gilded Rose said, as Sailor Earth arrived. "Why don't you get his twin sister off my back."
"Right," Sailor Venus said, engaging the female in battle, as the other Sailor Soldiers arrived. A 6 on 1 attack was more than the female could handle, and she was dispatched quickly, leaving only an explosion of feathers behind when she died.
Meanwhile, Gilded Rose grappled with the male, and was able to free himself, and grab his tonfas. As he did, Darrien Shields, wearing a dark blue military uniform with gold piping with the pants tucked into knee high black boots, a dark blue cape with red lining, and black Sam Browne belt, with a sword in a scabbard at his waist. As he arrived, Gilded Rose jabbed the male humanoid in the chest with the end of one of his tonfas, cracking his sternum. "Time to Kentucky fry this chicken," he said, as he used his other tonfa to hook the humanoid's legs, and sweep him off his feet.
"Right," Sailor Moon said, as the humanoid got up. "Moon Tiara, Magic!" she said, throwing her tiara at it, destroying it in an explosion of feathers.
"Now why would you go and do something like that?" the male in military dress asked. "All the Aviaris twins wanted to do was to restore this planet to its rightful ruler."
"That's funny," Gilded Rose said. "Stopping Metallia from taking over Earth is what we're here for."
"And who might you be, anyways?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Me?" the male asked. "You can call me Endymion. And what names will I be carving on your tombstones?"
"Only name being carved onto a tombstone today," Gilded Rose said, "is Endymion. "But while you're still breathing, you can call me Gilded Rose."
"And I'm Sailor Moon," Sailor Moon said.
"And we're the Sailor Soldiers," Sailor Mars said. "They call me Sailor Mars."
"Sailor Venus."
"Sailor Mercury."
"Sailor Earth."
"Sailor Jupiter."
"I always like to know just whose blood I'm spilling," Endymion said, unsheathing his sword, and using it to fire several blasts of energy at the team.
"Nice try," Gilded Rose said, blocking the blasts with his tonfas. He returned them to their holsters on his back, and grabbed for his staff, which he discovered had transformed into a sword. He wielded his sword, and engaged Endymion in combat. They fought with a fury that belied the fact that both combatants were only 16. They were evenly matched with swords, however, Gilded Rose's speed and agility, alongside the fact he had combat experience, gave him a distinct advantage. He pressed the advantage, and eventually managed to disarm his foe. "Gold Rush!" he said, sheathing his sword. He rushed at Endymion, attacking him with such speed, it seemed like he was attacking from all sides at once.
"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars said, conjuring up a bow, which she used to fire a flaming arrow at Endymion.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Sailor Mercury said, raising both hands above her head and dropping them quickly, which caused Endymion to be attacked by a barrage of bubbles.
"Earth Rockslide Barrage!" Sailor Earth said, making "jazz hands" towards Endymion, which caused him to be attacked by a barrage of rocks.
"Venus Love Kiss!" Sailor Venus said, kissing her hand, which left behind a glowing sphere of energy, which she blew at Endymion, staggering him as it hit its mark.
"Flash Blade Attack!" Sailor Jupiter said, throwing a disc of lightning, discus style, at Endymion, staggering him furtherer.
"Time to finish him off," Sailor Moon said.
"Right," Gilded Rose said, bringing his sword down for the killing blow.
"I think not," Endymion said, disappearing just before Gilded Rose's would have hit its mark.
METALLIA'S DIMENSION
"Here comes the big bad warrior," said a college aged man with close cropped hair, in a sarcastic tone.
"Nice to see you too, Jadeite," Endymion said.
"What a failure," Jadeite said. "You can't even take care of a couple little girls."
"Actually, there were 6 girls," Endymion said. "And a ninja."
"That doesn't excuse your failure," Jadeite said. "Nor does it excuse you letting the Aviaris twins get wasted."
"Endymion didn't fail," Malachite said.
"How do you figure that?" Jadeite asked. "He barely got away, and all that's left of the Aviaris twins is some feathers."
"He didn't fail because he did exactly what he was told to do," Malachite said. "I asked him to scout out those who would stand against Metallia, how many there are, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. As for the Aviaris twins, you know as well as I that they are, what would you call them?"
"Cannon fodder," Endymion said. "The Aviaris twins were expendable."
"But they did serve their purpose," Malachite said. "They did give me an idea of what the key to defeating them will be, as did you."
"Gilded Rose is handy with a sword," Endymion said. "And, if you hadn't pulled me back here when you did, I would be a head shorter, courtesy of him. Take Gilded Rose out of the equation, the rest of them should fall like dominoes."
"My thought exactly," Malachite said.
8:58, CAVERN RECORDS BASEMENT
After the battle, and everyone went home, Jake took a quick shower, and met the rest of the team in the basement, which they used as their headquarters. When he arrived, he found that Dianne had made breakfast for the team, with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, biscuits, and gravy. "Endymion has to be Darrien Shields," he said.
"You sure about that?" Dianne asked. "I mean, he's supposed to be in juvie from when you nailed him for shoplifting."
"I wouldn't have put it past Metallia to bust him out," Jake said. "When I nailed him, I got this feeling that somehow, he was connected to Gilded Rose in some way."
"That could be," Luna said. "Back in the Moon Kingdom, Endymion was someone who we thought was on our side, but he betrayed us. He stabbed Jacara, and pledged his allegiance to Metallia."
"No wonder I never liked him," Jake said. "He tried to murder me in a previous life. There was one other development from our battle that could be significant."
"What's that?" Serena asked.
"It was the strangest thing," Jake said. "When I saw Endymion's sword, I thought to myself that I wished I had a sword. And when I went for my staff, it wasn't there, but I was carrying a sword."
"Something I may have forgotten to mention," Artemis said, as Jake poured him a saucer of cream. "Your staff is the personal weapon of the leader of the Order. Along with being able to extend or retract to whatever length you require, the person who wields it can transform it into any weapon they can think of."
"Any weapon?" Jake asked.
"Any weapon," Luna said. "Is there something wrong?"
"Far from it," Jake said. "I just realized something."
"What is that?" Susan asked.
"This could turn into one really cool development," Jake said.
