Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait, but hey! It's still better than 2 years right? Also sorry because I put dividers in here to make scene transitions easier, but it doesn't transfer over with this document manager. I see why so many authors have such a problem with this website. It really is a pain to upload a story! (But it's free so that is all my complaining you'll see on the subject.) I see the severed finger really got some of you, hehehe...don't worry, It will be okay! I'm sure Makoto won't have to go the rest of her life with a missing finger...maybe. )
With all that said, finally the cliff hanger can be resolved...sort of. At least this cliff hanger isn't as bad...or maybe it is...don't hate me the story is flowing!
Still rated NC-17 for sex and violence. I don't own any moons, sailor or otherwise. ) enjoy!
"What the hell do you mean we aren't going after her?" Nephrite yelled, angrily pacing the meeting room, irritated that they were all calmly sitting there discussing leaving Makoto to die in the Negaverse. "We have a way there! Every minute she is down there is another minute of torture…We need to go NOW!"
"Brother, calm yourself…". Kunzite told him, "We didn't say we were not going to rescue Makoto, we need to plan a strategy. Zoicite still has to put the finishing touches on the Transporter…"
"Fuck strategy!" Nephrite said, "If this was Minako, you wouldn't be sitting here trying to calmly discuss strategy! They cut off her God-damn finger Kunzite!" He said, desperation in his voice.
"Look, we are all worried about Makoto." Usagi said, walking up to Nephrite and putting her arm around his shoulders. "I want to run in guns blazing too, but if we get caught and killed, we are no help to her…Kunzite is right. We need to plan…and then we can attack at dawn."
"Dawn?!" Nephrite said disbelievingly, "She has already been under their mercy for over two hours now and you want to leave her until dawn? What kind of leader are you?" He spat out bitterly, shrugging away from her attempt at comfort.
"Nephrite, putting Usagi down isn't the way." Mamoru said, standing up and placing a comforting hand on Usagi's shoulder and taking his place at her side, "We all love Makoto, we ALL are beside ourselves with worry…"
"But not enough to go and rescue her…". Nephrite interrupted quietly now.
"They aren't going to kill her just yet brother, then they lose their bargaining chip. They gave us 24 hours, I'd wager we have even longer than that. Taking 4 or 5 hours to plan isn't a bad idea." Kunzite told him.
"Well excuse me if I am not willing to gamble with Makoto's life!" Nephrite said darkly.
"Nephrite…". Jadeite began, but had to stop when Nephrite disappeared.
"Let him go, he needs to gather himself. We can fill him in on the plan when he calms down." Kunzite suggested.
"I agree," Mamoru said, "When he gets back and sees that we have a plan in place, he will feel a little better."
—-
Nephrite materialized in Makoto's apartment, he was seething. He was sick with worry…
'If anything happened to her'. Nephrite thought in agony. He never got to resolve things with her, leaving her thinking that she wasn't what he wanted. "God Damn-it! She is what I want!" He said, his voice breaking in fear for her life. Zoicite had the teleportation device and was currently fine tuning it so he couldn't just sneak in while they were meeting and snatch it. He ran his hands through his hair, attempting to think. They used to travel between the Negaverse and this world all the time when they had Metallia's power flowing through them. "If I can somehow tap into my old powers without becoming evil again, I could teleport there and save Makoto…". He said aloud, wondering if he had been good long enough that he wouldn't completely turn. He was the last brother to come to the good side so to speak, and he hadn't truly declared his allegiance. 'I could still have some lingering power…Anything is a better plan than doing nothing.' He thought as he sat down in a meditation pose and attempted to call on his old evil powers.
—-
Hours passed while Nephrite sat on the floor trying to call up a portal. His head was throbbing and his stomach was in knots with worry. More than a few times he saw the beginning swirls of a portal form, only to then disappear. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't Makoto's screams he was hearing in his mind every time it happened, but the increasing fear for her life was zapping his concentration.
"At this rate, It will be morning before I make it to save her…". He said angrily, running his hands through his already messy hair. "Please! Just let me save her!" He nearly yelled, his head falling into his hands in defeat. A flash of light had his head jerking up. He scrambled back and got to his feet as he watched the portal to the Negaverse take form. Nearly sobbing with relief, he grabbed his swords and jumped through the second it was opened.
—
"I think we have it down." Usagi said eagerly. "The teleporting device is ready, we have a solid plan of action…we don't have to wait another two hours. We can go and save her now!"
"We still have to fill Nephrite in on the plans…I thought he would be back by now…." Kunzite said, a little worriedly.
"He's probably still brooding, I will go and get him." Jadeite said, disappearing.
"I don't know," Minako said to Kunzite, "I'm not crazy about you and Nephrite heading off on your own to save Makoto."
"We will be perfectly fine," Kunzite reassured her, "you and the rest of the team will have engage David and Metallia in battle. We will hardly have anything to do until we join you."
"After you send Makoto back through the portal and to safety, where my mother can tend to her." Amy added confidently. "She arrived about 30 minutes ago and is setting up in the med room."
"Oh no…" Rei said with irritation, obviously hearing Jadeite's thoughts, "that son of a bitch!"
"What?" Artemis asked concerned and at attention. He jumped six feet when Jadeite abruptly returned, also cursing.
"What happened?" Minako asked as she attempted to help Artemis pry his claws out from the ceiling. "Where's Nephrite?"
"He's gone. I looked everywhere." Jadeite informed the group, "I think he must have went to the Negaverse without us to save Makoto." He added grimly, "It would be just like him."
"That's impossible, he wouldn't have gotten captured on purpose and the alarms would have picked up any portals opening from or to the Negaverse. If he even managed to get one open, we would have been notified, just like before when Makoto was taken." Mamaru stated. "You sure you looked everywhere?"
"Yeah, he isn't in the building." Jadeite told him. "I know it seems impossible…."
"Not that impossible." Zoisite said, with a guilty look on his face. "I had to disengage the alarms when I was doing the final testing on the portal device…I just thought that an alarm shrilling every few seconds would interrupt the planning process…." He faded off to a chorus of curses, "I'm sorry, I figured we were all safe, I didn't think he would go this far…or that he could even still make a portal."
"He must have tapped into the Negaverse powers." Kunzite said with a frown.
"Can we still do that?" Jadeite asked curiously.
"Maybe…he would need that power boost to open up a portal…it's a risk, but he would have seen it as a calculated and necessary one in order to save Makoto." Kunzite told the group.
"If we can harness that power, shouldn't we all? It may aid us in the battle against David and Metallia." Jadeite said eagerly.
"Absolutely not!" Kunzite told him, "the pull may be too strong and depending how much he opened himself up to the power, we may have to prepare for the very possibility that we will be fighting against Nephrite. Let's hope that I am wrong."
"This still doesn't alter the plan much." Usagi said thinking fast, "Kunzite, you can still go and find Nephrite and Makoto, bring them to the throne room so that we can teleport them, and then help us finish off Metallia." She finished, receiving a head nod in agreement from Kunzite.
"What happens if Nephrite is evil." Minako asked him worriedly. "I don't like it."
"I'll be fine, love," Kunzite assured her, "I can handle my brother, if I need back up, we still have our mind link. I will be able to call for it easily." He kissed the side of her head reassuringly before looking at the others, and then to Mamoru and Usagi. Usagi squared her shoulders, pulling her broach from her subspace pocket.
"It's time to end this, save Makoto, and kick some major butt! Everyone, transform!" She yelled.
—
"Son of a bitch." Nephrite cursed quietly to himself as he carefully stalked the halls of the Negaverse. Had he really forgotten how large this place was? He asked himself as he came up on another set of holding chambers. The books and movies would call them dungeons, but he knew they were much worse than any dungeon ever described in books. He had been down here for over an hour, having checked several torture rooms. He knew the place was evil, but why it needed over 50 different torture chambers he couldn't fathom. 'This has to be it.' He thought as he approached another door, his blades held loosely in his hands, ready to strike.
He inhaled sharply and had to hold back from barging in when he saw Makoto, hanging loosely from chains suspended from the ceiling. He quickly scanned the room for enemies, noticing only one man in the corner sharpening some knives while speaking out loud.
"...I'm just gonna sharpen these up doll face, and then you and I are going to get to know each other a little better. Hell, maybe I'll see what was so great that the old generals left all this power behind. It's too bad the bat broke." He continued, glancing wistfully at some splintered wood near Makoto's feet. "I had that thing for years, its broken many bones...who knew your bones would be the ones to finally break it. I didn't get the nickname 'the Louisville Slugger' for nothin," he said conversationally with a small laugh, "I'll be needing to get another one soon...after." He said, finally turning towards her with a knife in his hand. "Lets just get these clothes out of the way shall we?" He sliced at her clothing, nicking her skin and causing her to cry out. He only made one pass with the knife before he felt the cold steel at his own neck, Nephrite having materialized behind him, fury in his eyes. "What the..." the man started before Nephrite's swords silenced him for good. Nephrite didn't even spare a glance at the dying man before he was in front of Makoto, hands hovering over her obvious injuries, half afraid to touch her.
"Oh baby, what have they done to you?" He questioned, his stomach churning with disgust at the state she was in. Her head hung limp, her body weight having been supported by her wrists, which were steadily bleeding. Dropping his swords, he lifted her to ease the weight from her hands, and unhooked the bolt that held her suspended. She cried out when her hands fell down, finally freed after hours in the same position. Nephrite lowered her to the floor, on his lap unable to stop the tears from falling. "this is all my fault...". He cried, brushing her matted hair from her battered face. "Makoto...". He said softly, hoping she would be alright. Her puffy eyes slowly opened, the small task seeming almost too difficult in her weakened state.
"Neph..." his name came out as a whisper as she shut her eyes again in exhaustion. "Hurts...". She managed to say weakly.
"Shhh...I know baby, I know it hurts, I'm going to get you out of here. You are going to be fine, and you are never leaving my sight again." He told her, feeling helpless that he couldn't ease her pain, and would likely cause her more when he moved her trying to escape. He turned suddenly to a noise, but was met with the butt of a sword to his temple, and his world went dark.
—-
"Wakey wakey," David said as he slapped Nephrite across the face. "You don't want to miss the big show!" He taunted as Nephrite came to suddenly, instantly struggling with his bound hands. He looked up to see them chained above his head in the similar ones Makoto was in previously.
"Makoto!" He said looking around until he spotted her across from him, strung up in the chains once more.
"You almost saved her! I enjoyed watching the hope in your eyes as you thought you could, did you honestly think that it would be that easy? That I would't know you were here? Why, I'm the one that brought you here, Nephrite. I gave you just enough power to teleport you here, it was all part of the plan". David told him conversationally as he circled an unconscious Makoto, running his hand lightly across her torn clothing.
"You son of a bitch!" Nephrite yelled, struggling once more against his restraints. "Don't fucking touch her!"
"Now now, lets not bring my mother into this." David told him smugly, laughter in his eyes. "Although, you did hit the hammer to the nail…she was quite a bitch…but that's neither here nor there." He waved his hand, dismissing the subject.
"Why? Why go through all of this trouble?" Nephrite asked him, his mind racing to think of a way out. "Just to kill me? Killing one Sailor scout and one general doesn't give you that big of an edge. You still have the princess and her silver crystal, not to mention all of the other scouts and my brothers…"
"Your brothers?" David asked with amusement. "How are they going to help when they will be too busy fighting you? You see, I had no intention of killing you…but every intention of you joining us again."
"I'll never join you!" Nephrite spat out, giving his chained hands another yank in another failed attempt at freedom. David continued to circle the room, stopping by his fallen henchman and crouching down.
"Oh I beg to differ," he said conversationally as he picked up the knife the dead convict was holding. "Thank you for killing him by the way, it saved me time…the human inmates were after all, dispensable." He stood back up and began to circle Makoto again. "She doesn't look like she has long. Hey, You'll get to watch her slowly die!"
"Don't." Nephrite pleaded, "please…".
"As much as I love to hear you beg, I don't really have the time for such indulgences. Join me, fully embrace the Negaverse and I will spare her life." David said as he ran the blade teasingly across Makoto's chest.
"You're a liar!" Nephrite said, still desperately trying to break his chains. "You're going to kill her anyway! I will get free and I swear I'll…."
"The only way you could break through those chains is if you had Negaverse power flowing through you….embrace the evil Nephrite! You have already started, didn't it feel good to kill that human over there?" He asked as he got in Nephrite's face. "To feel your swords end his existence, pitiful as it was to begin with? All you have to do is quit blocking it, let the power flow through you." He backed up as Nephrite continued to struggle agains his bonds. "I see you are going to need more incentive." David said conversationally as he walked back to Makoto. "She's quite attractive…." He said, yanking her hair back and causing her to awaken with a scream. "Maybe if I make you watch while I…". He broke off, tilting his head to the side, then smiling evilly. "It looks like I won't get to enjoy her that way after all…it seems we have guests that just arrived. This is going to be so much fun!" He exclaimed, bringing his hands together excitedly, walking back up to Nephrite. "They won't even see you when you sneak up behind them and kill them. They will be so focused on me!"
"I told you I will NEVER join you!" Nephrite spat at him, ignoring the pain from his bleeding wrists as he jerked once more against the chains.
"Oh, I think you will, it's the only way to save your precious Makoto." David informed him nastily. "Oh your friends are here, but even if they make it past me, they will be too late!" With that, he abruptly spun around, shoving the knife into Makoto's side. She cried out in pain as he maliciously twisted the knife.
"NOOOOOO!" Nephrite yelled in horror, watching as Makoto sagged once more against the restraints, the bloody knife clattering to the floor at her feet.
"She doesn't have long now…embrace the evil and free her, or enjoy watching her die. Either way, her death will drive you to the dark side. It's a win win for me." David said happily as he walked towards the door. "I'll see you in battle!" He said cheerfully as he opened the door into a swirling mass of black and was gone.
Nephrite raged against his chains, desperately attempting to get free. Blood was steadily running down Makoto and had already began dripping on the floor. He knew she had only precious minutes left. 'I can't just watch her die…'. He thought frantically. He couldn't risk waiting on his brothers to save them in time. Makoto's breathing hitched, becoming irregular and shallow. 'There is only one way to save her…' He realized, defeated. He had to accept the Negaverse again and use the extra power boost to save them. He knew there was a high chance that he could be corrupted all anew and be unable to remember anything. Love had saved him before, he had to believe it could do so again.
"I'm sorry Makoto, I love you….whatever happens, please know that!" He told her before closing his eyes and opening his mind and body to the power surrounding him. He knew it was working when a sudden influx of dark energy slammed into him, causing him to scream out in pain. He writhed for several minutes as the dark energy consumed him.
"YES! The Power!" Nephrite said finally as the light faded from him, his eyes glowing red. He easily snapped the chains that were restraining his wrists, absently rubbing at them as he spotted his swords in the corner. He walked over and picked them up, his eyes glowing brighter as he thought of using them against the senshi in the battle he could feel going on. He turned to go to the battle, when he spotted a dead girl hanging limply from some chains in the ceiling. 'Wonder who tortured and killed her?' He asked himself as he slowly approached the girl. She looked like a beaten and bloodied doll, a good sized puddle of blood congealing at her feet, which were barely touching the ground. 'Why does she seem familiar?' He thought as he walked closer to her, 'This isn't my torture techniques.' He lifted her chin slowly with his hand to see her face, surprised at the sense of recognition and sadness he felt at the thought of her death. He nearly jumped back when he saw her eyes open. "You're alive!" He said, intrigued as he studied her more closely. "Not long for this world though." He mused, taking in her condition. "Too bad," he murmured, "you are a looker...". 'And you are wasting time with this human.' He told himself, still unable to turn away from her quite yet.
"Please..." came her strangled plea, her eyes open and unfocused. She probably couldn't even see him or much of anything anymore. He was also unsure if she was pleading to be saved, or put out of her misery. She had to be in excruciating pain from her injuries. 'It's the least I could do for this beauty.' He thought as he took a step back and sliced the restraints that were suspending her off of the ground. He watched, only mildly interested now as she crumpled to the ground at his feet.
"What a waste...". He said, shaking his head and turning towards the door. He braced when he saw Kunzite cautiously enter the room, and took up his fighting stance. "Friend or enemy?" He asked, prepared to launch an attack if the man in front of him chose to confront him. He looked familiar to Nephrite, but like the girl dying at his feet, there was a mental block preventing him from remembering. This only angered him more as he looked for possible weaknesses in his new opponent.
"Nephrite," Kunzite began cautiously, not failing to notice the red glow in his brother's eyes. "What have you done? You accepted the Negaverse evil again...why?" He asked before spotting Makoto at his feet. "Oh my God, Makoto!" He said, making a move to rush to her aid. He was stopped by Nephrite's blades at his neck.
"Don't touch her." He told him menacingly, "Let her die in peace. She deserves that much."
"Did you," He swallowed audibly, "do that to her?" He asked, a sick feeling in his gut at the thought.
"NO! I found her this way...I was chained up with her...". He began, now wondering why he was tied up along with the girl. He was so confused, he felt like there was something he was missing. He lowered his blades as he tried to remember. "I can't remember...". He said, grabbing his now aching head.
"You are not bad, brother. This isn't you." Kunzite began. "We can still save her..." He said, gesturing to the girl on the ground. "LOOK at her Nephrite, she belongs to you!" Nephrite turned to look at the unconscious heap at his feet. Odd emotions consuming him as he studied her again. He couldn't think, couldn't get past the block. The Negaverse power was too strong. He should kill both of them and get to the battle, Metallia needed him. Just as he lifted his swords again, a hand touched his leg.
'Nephrite'. He heard a girl's faint voice in his head. The girl at his feet was unmoving, but the voice continued. 'Please, take me home. I don't want to die here...I love you...' She finished weakly, her voice trailing off and her hand falling away from his leg. His swords clattered to the floor as he quickly knelt and scooped up the brunette in his arms.
"Makoto.." He said, as his memory block fell away and he remembered. "Oh God, Kunzite! She's hurt so badly." He said, looking at his brother with an agonizing look on his face before looking back at his bride. "I remember...I couldn't escape and she was dying...she's dying...". He rambled, brushing a kiss to her bloodied temple.
"You need to get her to safety." Kunzite told him quickly. "There is still a chance for her, the Negaverse is draining her energy still, the longer she is down here, the less of a chance she has. If you get her out, get her to safety...she could pull through. The human doctor is back at headquarters, waiting for you to bring Makoto." He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder reassuringly, relieved that he was able to get to him.
"I only accepted the dark energy so I could escape and save her...but I lost my memory...wasted precious time...if she dies...I'll never forgive myself...". He rambled before shaking his head in determination. "I...I still feel some Negaverse energy inside me. I can make a portal home...". He stated even as a portal materialized behind him. He quickly stepped just inside with an unconscious Makoto in his arms. "Are you coming?" He asked his brother.
"I have to help defeat Metallia, take care of her brother. I know you want to fight, but she needs you more." Kunzite told him, picking up his swords and tossing them through the portal at his feet. Nephrite nodded in agreement, looking down worriedly at his wife. "See you on the other side." He told him with a smirk, before turning and running towards the door. Nephrite let the portal fade murmuring,
"Be careful brother." Just before the Negaverse disappeared.