14: "Four"
"That's a fairly good plan," Sailor Mercury said, as Venus briefly explained things to her. They were trying to talk, search the hospital, fight, and run down long hallways and flights of stairs at the same time—certainly an arduous task. The danger was intensifying as more and more swarms of gruesome fly-monsters waded into the hospital, five sprouting out of Nasu's horde for every one the Senshi destroyed. Venus wanted to evacuate the civilians before any serious damage was done (both to the enemies and to the hospital); Mercury, always considered the brains of the operation despite Venus's leadership, was already planning for the future.
"But what are you going to do once we've cleared everyone out?"
"What do you mean? Fight our way back out, kick that ugly creature's butt, and save the day like always!"
"Just like that?" Anxiety, met with blithe optimism.
"Sure, why not?" And in spite of this violation of logic, Mercury smiled.
Same old Minako. At least she was smart enough to understand her flaw.
"I know, it won't be that easy. But she didn't like it when I used my powers on her minions. Even transforming caused her some pain. I'm thinking Sailor Moon and I can go outside and keep her busy once all the people are gone. You and Mars can stay here and clean out the vermin." She winked and flashed a cheesy thumbs-up. "Purification by fire and water!"
"So we're going to burn and flood the hospital?! Mina, this is where I work! I'm not going to destroy it just to get rid of one enemy! DUCK!" Venus squatted down as a door shattered, spilling out three fly-creatures, their filthy claws grasping blindly. Mercury summoned up her powers for the first time in ten years and found them singing gloriously as a sheet of ice bridged the gap, freezing the monsters in their place. Venus slowly backed off, staring at the monsters in disgust.
"Ugh, I'll never go anywhere without a flyswatter again. I understand how you feel, Ami, but downtown Shibuya's been trashed by all these attacks, and more will follow. We may have to spoil the broth with too many cooks before we can make an omelet."
"There you go getting your maxims wrong again," she sighed, covering her face in exasperation. Her guard was down just long enough for a monster to get the better of her, but Venus had her covered, and fly-goo was sprayed over the hallway in moments. Mercury cringed as she wiped the entrails off her suit. "Ugh, I don't know which is worse: the stench, the spray, or how Machiavellian you're sounding."
Of course, Venus was utterly dumbfounded. "Um…so I sound like a computer?"
"Machiavelli, Mina, not Macintosh! Watch it!" Mercury was becoming upset, both with Sailor Venus and the grim situation. She took her anger out on the beasts that had snuck up behind her former lover, covering the floor in ice with a powerful downward thrust of her arms. The giant bugs slipped helplessly; Venus shot them down with destructive rays of light. Before either could revel in this victory, or continue their argument, the entire building shuddered, throwing them into each others' arms. Venus apologized and let go, but they were both red-faced.
"Ami, do you trust me?"
"Minako, what kind of question—" Sailor Venus stared intently at her former lover, knowing the answer, but still needing to hear. Mercury simply nodded.
"Then you know what you have to do. I'll see you outside." She gave Mercury a kiss, quicker and less intimate than the last, but it left a searing impression on the young woman's cheek. Then she was gone, bursting through a nearby window, calling out for her chain of light, wrapping it around the sill and using it to rappel down to the surface. Mercury took a deep breath—yes, she loved Minako, but she could also be a real handful—and headed for the lower floors. On the way down the stairs, as she plowed her way through the limitless opposition, she activated her Heads-Up Display, uploading a map of the hospital and the location of its water heater. If Venus's plan had any hope of success…
"Sailor Mars, do you hear me? It's me—Sailor Mercury."
God, but it felt good to say that. Rei's surprise was no less pleasant.
"Say WHAT?! Ami, is that really—"
"There's no time! I need you to listen very carefully. Sailor Venus is heading outside to try and fight the leader of these flies, and she wants Sailor Moon to go with her. I need you to go to the basement where the water heater is. Do you understand?"
As she was struggling her way through several corridors, rescuing people here and blasting insect-men there, Sailor Mars swallowed.
"Yeah, got it. Then what?"
"Overload it with your fire! The pipes will burst and the entire hospital will fill with steam."
"Okay…not sure where you're going with this, but I trust you. Anything else?"
" Once you've done that, get out at once! Minako and Usagi will need your help. I'll handle the rest."
"Are you sure?"
Mercury smiled. "Oh, and make sure the place is totally empty before you try that."
"The second floor's almost clear! I have just three more rooms left to check!"
"Good, the third floor seems to be clear as well. I'm going to run a scan of the entire hospital to see who's left."
"You can do that?" Mercury was already on it: her H.U.D. was glittering with tiny white dots scattered across the map, each of them indicating a human. She expanded her map to only include the third floor, and made tracks to the nearest glowing figure. Two members of staff had locked themselves in a medicinal storage room, and were hysterical with fright. Mercury knew the code to open the door but she didn't want to frighten them with her sudden intrusion.
"Hello, is anybody in there? Help has arrived! I'll get you out quickly, but you have to open the door!"
"Who is that? Who's there?" Mercury recognized the strained voices on the other side, but thanks to a strong side-affect of her powers, they wouldn't recognize hers. It was definitely a handy perk, especially in this situation: she didn't want her coworkers to know that their meek newcomer was moonlighting as a superhero.
"Please, just trust me. I can get you out but you have to open the door. I don't want to take you out by force. Please, I can protect you." There was an interminable pause as the frightened staff considered their options—shattered unexpectedly as the fire alarm went off. Mercury gasped.
"No, Mars, not now! There are still people trapped here!"
"What was that?" they called. "Why is the fire alarm going off? What else could go wrong?"
"Listen to me!" she cried, practically throwing herself at the door, "My friends and I have a plan for—"
"Friends? What friends? How many of you are there?"
"Just listen, please! My friends and I have a plan for getting everyone out of here and getting rid of those giant bugs! The only reason that fire alarm's going off is that they must've evacuated everyone else, which means you two are the only ones left! There's no fire—someone just overpowered the heater." Steam violently shot out of all the ducts and nozzles and hoses in the hospital, covering every last square meter in haze. Sailor Mercury begged for her coworkers to open the door, but they were stiff with fear; she was forced to punch in the code after all. They screamed and swung at her with the broken leg of a chair, which she deftly caught.
"Please, I'm not trying to hurt you. We need everyone to get out of here. The police are already on the first floor. Trust me." The couple heaved with fear but slowly calmed down, seeing the gentleness and steely determination behind the mysterious woman's eyes. Their improvised weapon clattered to the floor, and they crept out of the room.
"Is the way down safe?"
"Yes, my friends have already cleared a path. I'll go with you, so stay close." She reached for them; the three linked hands. Mercury found the nearest fire escape, kicking the door open and ushering them out, calling down to the police below. She watched as they clamored down the long stairway into safety, and returned inside, double-checking the entire hospital with her H.U.D. All clear—almost.
"Rei, talk to me," she said, pressing the communicator bud on her ear. All the Senshi had built-in comms decorated as earrings, enabling them to keep in touch when they were split up. Mercury was overjoyed to see the technology still worked after all this time.
"Sorry, Ami, I blew it big time. I got cornered in the basement and felt desperate."
"It's okay, it's just a lot sooner than I expected. Are you hurt?"
"A little. Nothing a good fight can't cure. I'm back up on the first floor; Sailor Moon's here with me. She's really wiped out. We can't get out."
"Are the police there?"
"They're fighting this crazy woman's minions! They've gotten the civilians to safety but there's way too many! We're doing all we can—what's your plan?"
"Get outside, hurry! Confront the leader with everything you have."
"You might wanna accelerate your plan a little there, Ami!" she heard Sailor Moon call. "Those monsters just keep coming! I think she has an endless supply of them!"
"I need everyone outside first! I'm heading to the basement! Tell those police to clear away and blast your way out! The hospital needs to be completely empty!"
"Umm, that might be a little impossible, Mercury."
"Have faith in her, guys," Sailor Venus called. "Mercury's plans have always come through. Besides, you've got the lovely Venus dropping by to lend a hand! Now could you ask for anything better?"
"Thanks, Mina," Ami smiled. She found the staircase that led to the basement, threw a sheet of ice over the rail, leaped atop, and skated her way down, spiraling and whirling dizzily until she reached the bottom. A door separated the stairs from the basement; on the other side was the lobby, a wide-open space where her three friends had gathered to put up a last defense. The lobby was thick with swarms of vermin; Mercury couldn't even see the other side. Flashes of light and flame permeated the darkness but they were becoming dimmer. Sailor Venus quickly threw up a light shield, covering herself, Mars, and Moon in a protective bubble, and together the three of them barreled through the horde. The last thing any of them saw was Sailor Mercury, throwing a large barrier of ice between herself and the only way out of the hospital. Then she disappeared into the basement.
Sailor Mars had enflamed the water heater so well that Mercury couldn't even get close to it. The heat radiating almost singed her hair and suit; she had to use a bit of her powers just to protect herself. But thanks to Mars's efforts, the entire hospital was saturated with fog—and if Sailor Mercury could freeze all of that vapor…
"Let's cool this disgusting rabble off!" She focused her most biting ice-attack on the heater, crystallizing all the water stored inside, and all the water already lingering in the air. Because the heating system covered the entire hospital, all of the pipes and all the water they connected to froze over at once—meaning the steam was one single massive block of frost. All of the insect-men covered by the steam froze solid, leaving Sailor Mercury, immune to her own attacks, the only one standing. She let out a sigh of relief and faced the door that led outside.
"Well, easy part's over."
…
"I gotcha."
Sailor Mars hefted Sailor Moon's arm over her shoulder, supporting her as they finally made their way outside the hospital. Awaiting them was the Shibuya police force, Nasu, and an army of fly-monsters even greater than the quantity they had already defeated. Sailor Moon was covered in bruises and caked blood, and her suit was shredded from claws and torn from digestive fluids. Sailor Mars felt wobbly; she had used a lot of power rescuing her friend from that pit of hell. Sailor Venus was still off fighting the swarm, shooting beams of light and flailing her whip to cover her escape. She looked slightly better, perhaps because she had met a "special someone" inside.
"We're trapped," Mars said, her voice thick as she assessed the situation. "Those bugs in the hospital are behind us, and the main force is straight ahead…"
"We need to get these people out of here," Moon strained, forcing herself out of Mars's clutches. Mars reached for her as she limped away, stumbling, but Sailor Moon was determined to save everyone, and once she set herself to a task, no force in the universe could stop her. "Hey, what are you all still doing here?!" she shouted. "We've gotten everyone out! Get them to safety; we'll handle this!"
"Just who are you?!" Usagi could hear Toha shout. She even heard Hayashida say, "That's Sailor Moon, dummy!", but this was no time for confusion.
"Just do it, okay?" Mars added. "We'll cover you."
"And what makes you think I'll let such a sumptuous banquet slip away from my children?" Nasu cackled gruesomely, gesturing with her deformed arm for her horde to attack. The police opened fire; the civilians screamed and scattered in a brainless panic; Sailor Mars rushed out and used what felt like the last of her power to erect an enormous wall of fire, separating the two forces. A few unfortunate bugs careened right into it, incinerating on the spot; Nasu scowled and shirked away.
"Get out of here already!" Sailor Moon said. Toha still didn't know what was going on, but something in his heart made him trust this mysterious woman, and he quickly organized the rabble. Hayashida wished them good luck before rounding up the stragglers; the wall of fire died down as the last of them vanished, and Mars fell to her knees.
"Okay…that might be it for me. Sorry, Sailor Moon, looks like it's up to you and the others. Typical."
"Come on, Rei, don't talk like that! You're stronger than—wait, others? Don't you mean just me and Venus?" Mars smiled feebly at her partner, assuring her she knew what she had said. Sailor Moon lit up with hope. "You mean…?"
"HEY, WATCH IT!" Sailor Moon had been so preoccupied with Mars that she didn't even see the salvo of acidic bile flinging her way. A huge shield of glittering gold covered the two women as Sailor Venus barreled outside of the hospital, flinging her arms and crying, "Venus Glittering Barrier, activate!" The bile slapped against the shield harmlessly; the flies converged on it, some being repulsed, others splattering apart. The shield was strong but it was quickly deteriorating under the enormous assault.
"Minako!"
"Why are you always late?!" Venus winked and blew a kiss at Mars.
"Fashionably late, darling! So why haven't the two of you made mincemeat outta this freak?"
"It's not the same without all of us here!" Moon exclaimed, standing up thanks to the second wind inspired by her comrades. She clutched Venus's hands and smiled, "Speaking of which…"
"Huh? Oh, uh…" Suddenly, Nasu shrieked, her voice so long and loud and piercing that it nearly shattered the shield. The trio turned around and noticed the hospital had gotten a veneer of frost around it. Venus smiled and pointed. "Yeah, that would be her handiwork. Gee, that went better than I had planned!"
"You mean…" A refreshingly cold wind surged through the air, caressing the shield and amplifying its powers. The golden glow turned crystalline blue and white as millions of snowflakes converged, reinforcing the light with a thick sheet of ice. Venus then pointed to the hospital's roof, where none other than Sailor Mercury stood, poised beautifully in the sunlight.
"It may be the destiny of all matter to die, but in death there is life anew, and without this cycle, nothing could exist! For those who wish to see the destruction of all life and matter, I have but one thing to say: that in the name of Mercury, I shall punish you!"
"No way!" Moon squealed. "Ami!" Sailor Mercury waved shyly at her friends, soaring down with a ceremonious flip. She ran and rejoined her friends, breathless and giddy.
"Sorry I'm late! The emergency power shut down after I froze the pipes, and I had to open the door manually—and, well, for everything else."
Everyone smiled at their favorite meek little bookworm; Sailor Moon hugged her.
"You're here, Sailor Mercury. That's all that matters."
"Thanks, Usagi," she sighed. The moment was torn asunder as the barrier finally caved in, Nasu cackling as her forces surrounded the Senshi.
"Well, little mouse, where's the rebirth in that, eh? Think you could muster up another one? It really doesn't matter what sort of tricks you throw at me: one day even time itself must bend knee to ruination. I am the ultimate authority in the world, my power the only truth! I am destruction, and destruction yields to nothing!"
"Then prepare to be sent into nothingness!" Sailor Moon stood tall, gripping her talisman before her, power surging around her. She slashed the air; her scepter glowed bright; Nasu shirked back, horrified by what she saw. The whole world seemed to flash as a curtain of light fell, scorching the blight and everything surrounding it.
Once everyone could see again, Moon twirled her weapon slyly and sheathed it, a cheesy hero's grin on her face. "And that's how you do it! Jeez, but they're annoying when they monologue."
"Amen to that," Mars sighed. She smiled first at Sailor Moon, basking once more in victory (it never got old), then at Venus, struggling to remove the last of the monster-flesh from her fuku, then at Mercury, bashfully standing off to the side. She took a deep breath, and despite all of the problems she was facing, and would face in the future (whether they were an intern's troubles or a Senshi's), Mars honestly felt happy, and that all would be well. "So—together again."
"Almost," Sailor Moon said, smiling sadly. Everyone knew who she was referring to, and they also knew the slim likelihood of their numbers increasing. But for the moment, this would be all right. Mercury was drawn into their numbers and they all relaxed in the company of their surrogate family. But the happiness was cut short as a low, guttural, gravely laughter rose up from the smoldering ashes of their enemy. The Senshi broke apart and stood back, horrified, as the monstrous form of Nasu rose up from her own destruction, every last shred of beauty peeled away to reveal the awful ugliness of decay. Her laughter boomed louder as she rose into the air, lifted not by flight but by an even greater form, a massive amalgam of festering bodies, wriggling muscle, flailing nerves, and writhing maggots spilling and chewing and festering. The tower of decomposition drew up until it surpassed the hospital, an enormous colossus trembling with the unholy laughter of the damned, insane and drunken with lust for decay. The body burst, oozing out toxic gas, spilling out thousands of small flies as legs, arms, and even a misshapen head formed, with the wilted body of Nasu's original form serving as the ultimate mockery of a nose. Sailor Moon gagged and fought to keep herself from retching with disgust; the earth trembled as the titan approached them, extending long arms teeming with death.
"Oh my god," Mars whispered, pale and sickly with horror. She knelt down, spilling her breakfast; Sailor Venus grabbed her and pulled her away as Nasu's arms stretched, pouring rivulets of fetid matter everywhere. Bodies of hundreds of dead and dying crawled back up the living column as it retracted; the creature's enormous mouth gawked, emitting a foul odor as it drew in breath and spewed a stream of noxious bile. Venus quickly threw up her shield but it deteriorated almost immediately, and she was splashed. Screams of undiluted agony issued; her world went white and hazy; she imagined her leg searing, the flesh melting away, revealing bone…
"Bastard!" Sailor Mars covered her, drawing a flaming bow and arrow, firing directly at the giant's heart. The scorching bolt struck directly, passing right through the rotted flesh, but the hole closed as soon as it opened, with countless bones and maggots covering the gap. Mars helped Venus stand (the wound burned hideously but her Senshi powers kept her flesh from being eaten off—but only just), but neither of them seemed hopeful.
"You okay?"
Venus winced. "Should be fine after a day or two. Anyone know of a good hospital around here?"
"That's right, just keep up the corny jokes. Aw, crap!" Helping Venus walk away slowed Mars down considerably; Nasu's arms lurched out again, two powerful surges of filth and bile bearing down on them with the force of a semi-truck. The two Senshi leaped aside but were still heavily damaged by the splash; they rolled to a stop and lay there. Venus recovered first, rolling around and aiming her fingers right at Nasu's head.
"Okay, you disgusting pile of trash, let's see you heal from this! Venus Crescent Beam, smash!" A thin beam of light pierced through Nasu's skull, exploding a huge chunk of its flesh, but the hole closed just as it did before, with the monster no worse for wear. Venus cursed and slammed her fist to the ground; a second projectile vomit gurgled up from Nasu's throat and was spat right at her. Venus winced and braced herself for destruction; a thick sheet of ice formed in front of her, and a blue-haired goddess plucked her up.
"Are you okay?!"
"Yay, Ami! My hero!" Venus hugged; Mercury dropped her and roared.
"Now is NOT the time, Sailor Venus! Get off, I have an idea!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Venus limped away; Mercury nodded to Moon, who distracted Nasu with another blast of her searing healing light. Sailor Mercury called forth the powers of water, surging a powerful stream into the air and directing it at one of Nasu's gigantic legs. The water encased it in ice, paralyzing the festering creature momentarily. Nasu struggled to move, calling up all its strength to free itself, and finally snapped the ligaments of its leg, severing it in two, leaving one half dangling in the air and the other still encased in ice. Sailor Moon finally lost her lunch and keeled over; even Mercury started looking sick.
"Okay, that's probably the most vile thing I've ever seen in my life."
"Wait, that gives me an idea!" Venus exclaimed. "Ami, is there a large gas tank anywhere near your hospital? You know, filled with flammable liquid?"
"Yes, but—oh, I think I know where you're going with this."
"Exactly! I want you to freeze as much of this creature as you can, while Sailor Moon and I go find that tank. Also, tell Sailor Mars that when I give the signal, I want her to turn up the heat!"
"Got it! Good luck." She desperately wanted to kiss Sailor Venus—a woman who infuriated her to no end, for better and for worse—but romance and relationships were too far removed from her mind right now. Nasu called out in a thick, sickly voice as Venus and Sailor Moon ran away from the fight, lumbering after them, dripping bits of flesh and bone with each step. Sailor Mars, meanwhile, had recovered a little, and kept trying to scorch away the demon's flesh. Yes, it recovered from every blow, but she noticed that the towering mass got slightly smaller with each attack. Believing that their attacks weren't in vain, she continued to pester the creature, wounded and beaten and weary though she was. Mercury found her and secured her away for a private chat.
"I guess it's an all right plan, but how're they going to transport all that gas?"
"Come on, it's Minako we're talking about," Mercury said. "You know how impulsive she is."
"Oh yeah. I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe Usagi can help come up with something. She has been showing improvement."
"I'd say she's due for a moment any time now." Mercury smiled—Usagi really did bring all this friendly ribbing on herself—and indicated she was ready to begin the plan. Mars steadied herself, nodded, and ran straight for her enemy, passing underneath its ghastly legs. She summoned a small cluster of fireballs just as Mercury slammed a sheet of ice onto Nasu's chest; the two converged and exploded, scattering the creature's rotted body. Mercury then pinned the other leg to the ground, adding a block or two to the arm, before aiming a gigantic ice-spike at the head. Mars kept her friend from the monster's ire by assaulting its back with flames, pelting with tiny fire-pellets that cumulated into an excruciating massage.
Meanwhile, Venus found the gas tank and was already straining with the nozzle. Sailor Moon was wondering the same thing Mars had (and got pretty much the same answer); inspiration struck as she remembered seeing a fire hose inside the lobby. Venus had the nozzle opened completely by the time Sailor Moon returned with the hose; they attached the device and turned the gas on full power, aiming it at the towering monstrosity. Nasu paused as this newest attack saturated her body, embalming it in a sickly-smelling fluid. The spray was strong enough to keep it distracted for awhile; when Sailor Moon turned off the pressure, Venus waved.
"Sailor Mars, now!"
"You got it! I'm gonna enjoy this, you ugly freak!" Her hand raised; her fingers snapped; a conflagration was lit, engulfing the entire monster. The greatest and most terrifying wail of them all was released as Nasu flailed around in pain, but even though its entire fetid body was consumed, it was still alive, and still a threat.
"Sailor Venus!" Moon shouted. "Use your Venus Shooting Star—point blank range!"
"I like the way you think, Usagi! One golden shower of death coming right up!"
"My god," Mars grumbled, "does she even listen to herself?" Mercury laughed feebly, choosing to remain silent, as Sailor Venus powered up her newest attack. Nasu was rampaging out of control, though, and no amount of attacking or restraining would keep her from lurching everywhere, setting everything aflame. Sailor Moon raised her tiara on a desperate gamble, throwing it at the monster's body, willing it to expand until it had wrapped itself around. The tiara kept Nasu locked in place just long enough for Venus to fire.
"VENUS…SHOOTING…STA—"
"Oh, would you just throw it already?!" Mars screamed. The sphere of light slipped out of her grasp, and Venus tripped and fell.
"Darn it, Rei, you totally threw me off!"
"Duck, you idiot!" The enormous orb of energy struck Nasu dead center, exploding and fracturing into thousands of beams of light, taking her enormous foul body with it, leaving nothing but a blinding flash and a smoldering black crater on the ground. Gingerly, the Senshi peeked out from their cover, wondering if this was really the end.
They were rewarded with the sweetest silence and the gentlest rain they had known.
They all collapsed with relief, smiles all around.
"Actually," Sailor Moon said, a meek smile on her face, "that is how we do it! Ugh, I need a shower."
"How about a long, hot bath?" Mars groaned. The women all chimed in their sentiments.
"A few days off from work sounds pretty nice, too," Venus grinned. Mars glowered.
"What work? You're unemployed, you bimbo!"
"Am not! Makoto gave me a job! You're now looking at the sexy new addition to the Kino Bistro!"
"Yeah, as a part-time dishwasher!"
"Better than being unemployed! Or a stooge for the government!"
"Why I oughta…" Mars balled up her fist in anger, but rather than striking, she drew Venus in for a grateful embrace, smiling despite her frustration. Minako could always do that to her—or to anybody, really—but it was all part of her charm and appeal. "Thanks, Mina," she whispered, kissing the woman on the forehead. "We couldn't have won without you. And thank you, Ami. Welcome back to the team."
Sailor Mercury found herself embraced by Sailor Moon, overjoyed to finally be back.