LEGACY
Chapter 11: "Plan B"
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
The Sao Paulo police had arrived. They had been in pursuit of the psychic giant created by Abrahan Melo that had ravaged the government plaza. What they found was something out of a monster vid. A seemingly abandoned factory filled with electronics, computers and sixty containment cylinders stood before them. Huddled in the room were fifty-six youth, ranging in age from eight to eighteen. They were confused, frightened, and suffered from varying levels of mental retardation. The younger the victim, the more severe the retardation.
Also there was a dark-haired woman and six teens, each dressed in a sailor tunic and short skirt, except for a girl with blue hair. She seemed more like the others. Their first move was to question the only adult in the room. However, Sailor Mars didn't speak Portuguese and her translator had been damaged in the battle. Sailor Juno was quickly brought in as an interpreter and explanations were made.
"Typical cops," scowled Vesta as she hovered protectively around Palla-Palla. "Always there when you don't need them, never there when you do."
"At least it's over," Ceres replied.
She glanced over at Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn. Saturn was looking very morose, as if she felt shamed by the entire incident. Ceres could sympathize - - up to a point. Being a senshi was dangerous, and Ceres always looked upon it as a duty rather than an avocation, unlike Vesta. She accepted the danger, even though she didn't like it. But it made her feel uneasy that Saturn could crack the way she did. Because if someone as powerful as Saturn could crack under the pressure, what did that mean for her?
"Feeling better, Palla-Palla?" Ceres asked.
"Yes, Ceres," Palla-Palla said softly. "But Palla-Palla doesn't understand something. Please forgive her for not being smart."
"What don't you understand?"
"Mister Melo Sir is Palla-Palla's daddy, right? Why did he try to hurt Palla-Palla and all of his other kiddies?" She looked down glumly. "Palla-Palla's mommy and daddy both hate her."
Right there, Ceres felt some of the rage she saw in Vesta's face.
"Palla-Palla," Ceres offered gently, "it's not you. Don't ever think you're the reason for this. It's just - - well, some people in this world - - aren't worthy of the love we give them. They're weak and selfish and sometimes they can't be strong enough to overcome that - - and be a kid's mom and dad. They don't deserve the love they get from their - - kids." Suddenly Ceres realized a tear was trickling down her face.
"Listen to what she's saying," Vesta rumbled, her hands on Palla-Palla's shoulders. "For once she's making sense."
"Palla-Palla believes you," Palla-Palla told Ceres. "And she's sorry she made you cry."
"It's OK," Ceres grinned through her melancholy. "You've got more reason to cry than I do anyway."
"Palla-Palla should tell Maria that, so she doesn't cry," Palla-Palla proclaimed. The teen looked around. "Where did Maria go?"
Alerted, Vesta and Ceres scanned the room. Maria was gone.
"Melo's gone, too," Rei scowled as she walked the six teens back to the hotel. EMS technicians had checked out all the victims. Social Services had taken them in, to work the functional ones back into their societal niche and to institutionalize the ones who couldn't function on their own. The police had finished their questioning. Rei had filled Ami in to ease her and Makoto's minds.
"You suppose she went with him?" Jun asked.
"That would be my bet," Vesta grumbled. "She didn't look like she could do much for herself."
"But Maria is much better than she was," Palla-Palla protested. "She can think now. She talked to Palla-Palla when Palla-Palla was in the tube."
"Then why does she let that guy boss her around?" Cere asked. "Can't she tell what a creep he is?"
"Maria hasn't been able to think for very long," Palla-Palla informed them. "When Miss Saturn-Ma'am touched Maria with her head, she made Maria's head better."
"Hotaru?" Usa asked her friend.
"I remember trying to use my healing ability to undo some of the retardation," Hotaru whispered. "I didn't think it had worked."
"Palla-Palla, are you sure about that?" Rei asked.
"Sure about what?" Palla-Palla replied blankly. Everybody groaned.
"That's our Palla-Palla," chuckled Cere. "Mind like a rusty trap."
"So how do we track this guy down?" Ves inquired.
"We have Palla-Palla and Hotaru back," Rei said. "This is a local matter."
"Aunt Rei!" Usa protested. "We can't just let this guy get away! What if he does it again?"
The others looked at her expectantly - - except Hotaru.
"Well," Rei hesitated. "We're certainly not doing anything now. Most of us have been up almost twenty-four hours and we're all dead tired. And DON'T any of you tell me you're not. We'll go back to the hotel, get some sleep, and decide when we wake up. Who knows, the police may have caught him by that time."
"Yeah, right," muttered Ves.
It was a somber walk back to the hotel. Palla-Palla had lapsed into a troubled silence that matched Hotaru's mood. Usa had made an effort to lift Hotaru's spirits, but the shame the girl felt wouldn't be broken. The others were too tired and too horrified by everything they'd witnessed to even make the effort. By the end of the mile hike, all the senshi were privately ready to concede Rei's assertion that they were exhausted.
"HEY, VANESSA!" everyone heard a stranger bellow. When Ves turned to the shout, Usa and Rei reacted with surprise. They all saw a local girl waving to them from across the street. Ves recognized it was Sancha calling her.
"You guys go on," Ves said, heading across the street. "I got something to do."
"Who is that?" Rei wondered. "Ves-Ves seems to know her."
"Probably one of her hoodlum friends she used to run around with," snorted Cere. "I'm going back to the hotel."
"Vanessa?" Usa repeated as the group moved to join them. "That's a beautiful name. Why does she go by Ves?"
"Ves is a pretty informal person," chuckled Jun. "She always said 'Vanessa' sounded stuck up."
Ves joined Sancha on the other side of the street. The teen seemed happy to see her again.
"Hey, Ves, did you find your sister?" Sancha asked.
"Yeah," Ves nodded happily. Then she darkened. "Found her dad, too. He was that guy we saw watching the hotel."
"No lie? Wow. Was he as wrong as we thought?"
"Even worse." Sancha could see her friend boiling silently. It brought back memories of sitting on walls, eating stolen food and commiserating about their hellish family lives.
"What is it, Ves?" Sancha asked. Ves shot her a curious look. "He did something to her, didn't he?"
Ves made a face laden with disgust. "He's why she's retarded," Ves replied through tight lips. Sancha gaped in surprise. "He's some sort of doctor. He got her mom pregnant, then did something to her to make her retarded."
"No," Sancha gasped.
"And she's not the only one!" Ves added angrily. "When we caught up to him, he had fifty-some kids just like her! He'd done it to all of them!"
"Did you deal with him?" Sancha demanded.
"No. He got away. And he got away with that little girl we saw him with, too."
"He seduced fifty-some women?" Sancha reeled. "He must be the king pimp operator of all time!"
"Well, he's slick, but he's not that slick," Ves said. "No way he gets fifty-some women pregnant. Not in only fifteen years. He said he worked in some clinic or something."
"Ves!" Sancha said suddenly, intently. "I just thought - - you remember Helene Gutierrez?" Ves nodded. "She got pregnant last year. Couldn't go to the government health care because she was using. She saw this backroom doctor. Ves, her baby was born nearly brain dead. The little boy can't think, can't act for himself, nothing! Ves, it destroyed Helene - - and he did it!"
"You don't know that," Ves cautioned. "You said she was using. Maybe that screwed up her baby."
"Ves!" Sancha hissed. "I saw her doctor! It was that guy outside your hotel! I remember now!"
Shock froze Ves in her tracks. Then a cold fury washed over her.
"I'm taking this guy down," Ves proclaimed. "I don't care what Hino-sama says."
"Who's 'Hino-sama'?"
"One of the people in the palace who watch us," Ves explained. "She doesn't like me very much. She's been looking for a reason to bounce me out of there. She said leave this to the police."
"The police aren't going to do anything!"
"I know. But I am. This guy's going down. I don't care if Hino-sama does bounce me out of there." Ves turned to go, but Sancha grabbed her arm.
"Ves," Sancha said. "Don't."
"What do you mean?"
"You made it. Don't risk that. Don't give her a chance to throw you into the street again. Let me talk to Martin. He knows some guys."
"What kind of 'guys'?" Ves asked suspiciously.
"The kind of guys you need to take this porco down," Sancha replied with an iron stare. "The kind of guys you turn to when you know the police won't do anything." Ves started to protest, but Sancha stopped her. "Ves, let me do this. Don't risk your new life. I've got less to lose than you do."
Ves hesitated.
"For Helene's sake," Sancha added. "She was my friend, too."
Expelling a tired breath, Ves relented. "OK. But keep me informed. And if you need help, let me know. I can do a few more things than I used to be able to do."
Sancha smiled confidently and nodded. And then she was gone into the teaming afternoon street crowds.
"Yeah, I'm all right, Mom," Ves heard as she peeked into Usa's hotel room. Rei and Hotaru were gone, probably in bed. The Princess was on the vid-com. Ves could see Queen Serenity on the screen. "Yeah, everything's under control. Yes, Mom." Serenity said something Ves couldn't make out. "MOM!"
Usa caught sight of Ves out of the corner of her eye. She saw the girl grinning at her and made a rude gesture, then returned to enduring her mother. Ves ducked back into the hall and entered her room. The girl smirked again at the sight of Usa bickering with her mother. She wondered if the Princess really understood just how lucky she was to have a mother to bicker with. Jun was in her nightie, but still roaming the room.
"Waiting up for me?" Ves asked wryly.
"Just checking to see if we had bail money," Jun shot back. Ves gave her a grin, then glanced at the bedroom.
"How's Palla-Palla doing?"
"Out like a light. She's had a pretty rough time."
"I know," Ves scowled.
"You think Hino-sama is going to let us go after this guy?"
"Think I care?"
"Yes," Jun sighed, "in spite of the way you act. Look, Ves, don't do anything stupid, OK? I know you want to get this guy. I do, too. Guys like him shouldn't be running loose. But the 'mad bull' strategy hasn't ever worked for you, so maybe you need to retire it."
Ves didn't reply, but Jun thought she'd reached her sister. The girl watched Ves go to the bedroom and stand in the doorway. Looking over her shoulder, Jun saw Cere asleep in one bed and Palla-Palla in the other. For the first time in a while, Palla-Palla seemed untroubled.
"Let's go to sleep," Jun whispered, patting Ves on the shoulder.
Unable to muster the energy to resist, Ves headed for the bath for a quick shower. Coming out, dressed in her usual sleeping gear of a sports bra and panties, Ves silently slid in bed next to Palla-Palla, trying not to disturb the girl. But Palla-Palla shifted in her sleep, cuddling up next to her sister while emitting a few low, childish gurgles. The teen's hand snaked up around Ves's neck.
"Pleasant dreams, Stupid," Ves whispered.
A hand shook Ves-Ves violently. Suddenly dragged from the depths of sleep, the teen's survival instincts took control. She wrenched away from the hand, tossing the sheets in the direction of where the unknown other person was as she rolled over the edge into a defensive crouch. From that position, Ves could either attack or flee at a moment's thought. But the squeal of alarm produced by her actions finally registered and Ves began to realize that she wasn't in any danger.
"WHAT ARE YOU, CRAZY?" Cere-Cere howled. Ves rocked back on her heels. She could see dawn beginning to peek through the windows of the suite.
"You startled me," Ves replied.
"I STARTLED YOU?"
"What do you want?" huffed Ves.
"Do you know where Palla-Palla is?" Cere asked anxiously.
Ves stood up looking around, a sick dread filling her body. "Isn't she here?" The girl pushed past Cere into the outer room.
"No, she's not here!" Cere persisted. "Didn't you know she left? You were sleeping in the same bed with her!"
"I guess you were really out of it last night," Jun said. She was emerging from the kitchenette.
"You don't think that Melo creep has got her again, do you?" Ves exclaimed.
"I don't know what to think," Jun told her. "But that same thought occurred to me, too. I'm going to tell Hino-sama."
"To Hell with Hino-sama! VESTA STAR POWER MAKE UP!" The transformation took hold in moments. "FAUNA ASSIMILATION - - BLOODHOUND!"
The dog raced out the door, her nose pressed to the carpet. Jun glanced over and found Cere had transformed to Sailor Ceres. Ceres shrugged.
"Well, somebody's got to keep her from killing someone!" Ceres said as she left in pursuit of Vesta the bloodhound. "Get the others!"
The first vestiges of the new day were rising blood red in the east. The illumination struck clouds in the sky, highlighting the dark violet of their undercarriages. It would rain today, a not unusual occurrence for Brasilia. The moisture in the air was making the morning muggy. The city of Sao Paulo was quiet. It was a little after six a.m. in Sao Paulo and the only ones up were those headed for work in the service industries, and those ending another nefarious night.
And one other. A teen girl with blue hair, four balls dangling around her like little moons. She was short and though she was developing into a woman, she still carried herself like a little child. Dark slacks and a pastel blouse decorated her body. She maneuvered down the twisting streets and alleys of Sao Paulo, partially from memory and partially from a sense that it was the correct direction to go. She didn't know how, but she knew it was where Maria was. And where Maria was, Abrahan Melo wouldn't be far away.
Her path stopped at the back door of a seedy storefront in a part of Sao Paulo that hadn't benefited from the economic reforms of the government yet. The door was the back door to a shop that sold traditional herbs and liniments, still prized by the poor even in this crystalline age. Unadvertised, for it was illegal, it also held a pediatric clinic in the back room. Women unwilling to go to the public health facilities for various reasons came here for pre-natal care or for illegal abortions in this country still heavy with Catholic traditions. Palla-Palla reached for the sensor to engage the door, but it was locked out. The teen frowned.
"Pallas Star Power Make Up," she said and transformed into Sailor Pallas. Her hand touched the sensor again. "Beautiful Incantation."
Manipulated by her telekinesis, the sensor engaged and the door slid open. Pallas walked in, guided by her telepathic sense. As she walked, she allowed her transformation to fade.
Inside the storefront, in one of the back rooms, she found Abrahan Melo and Maria. Melo was bent over a computer terminal, working feverishly on something. Maria stood vacantly by his side. Palla-Palla stood in the doorway and watched them.
"Palla-Palla?" she felt Maria's mind say to hers. "What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you again, Maria," Palla-Palla replied mentally.
Suddenly Melo sensed her presence and whirled. He stared at the teen with a mixture of fear and anger, fear at being caught unaware and anger at his space being invaded.
"What do you want? Why are . . .?" he demanded. Then he recognized her. "You're one of the test subjects!"
"Palla-Palla is your child," the blue-haired teen replied plaintively. "You're Palla-Palla's daddy. Why did you try to hurt Palla-Palla?"
Melo stared at her as if she were speaking in an alien tongue.
"Don't you like Palla-Palla?" she continued. "Palla-Palla thought that mommies and daddies were supposed to love their little babies. Why don't you like Palla-Palla? Why do you hurt people?"
"You're not capable of understanding," Melo scowled. "I discovered a means to revolutionize society - - to reinvent what humanity is capable of. And I was scorned and rejected at every turn! And why? All I did was take the refuse of human society and convert them so they had some use. What did it matter to society as a whole? They were rejects, forgotten and ignored! But somehow I was being cruel to them!"
"Queen Serenity says it's wrong to be mean to people," Palla-Palla said. "But Palla-Palla forgives you, because Queen Serenity says you should - - and because you're her daddy."
"What do I care about your forgiveness?" Melo sneered. "You're a lab experiment to me. Nothing more! The only connection we have is that my chromosomes helped create you, and that was a matter of simple expediency. I am not your 'daddy' and I have no desire to be."
Palla-Palla's eyes widened and her lip protruded. Melo's eyes, however, narrowed ominously.
"But perhaps it was fortuitous that you tracked me down after all," he mused with a growing smile. "Maria - - possess her."
Concluded in Chapter 12