Usagi sat alone in a quiet corner of the warehouse, lost in thought. She saw it every time she closed her eyes. That final Empty…the one they couldn't save. No matter what she tried she just couldn't rid herself of the image. It stared right at me, she thought, and there was nothing I could do to save it. He won again. The Revenant Knight always finds a way to win.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up, startled, to find Rei standing over her. The miko had walked right up to her without Usagi noticing. "I really wish everyone would stop asking me that."

"Maybe so," Rei said lightly, "but that's not an answer, Odango."

Hearing her old nickname brought a faint smile to Usagi's lips. "Alright, alright. I'm feeling…lousy. How's that?"

"It's understandable." Rei's eyes locked on hers. "Want to talk about it?"

"Not really, no."

"Oh, then this is gonna suck for you!" The miko eased herself down beside her. "Because I'm not going anywhere until you do."

Usagi shook her head. "You are so annoying."

"Not nearly as annoying as you," Rei retorted, sticking out her tongue. "Now, come on...it'll help to get it off your chest."

She exhaled slowly. "I guess so."

Rei studied her carefully for several silent seconds. "You know it wasn't your fault, right?"

"Of course it wasn't my fault," Usagi muttered irritably. "Do you really think that's what this is about?"

Rei rolled her violet eyes. "Alright. What is it about, then?"

Usagi considered the question carefully. Why was she so upset? She didn't enjoy killing, but she knew it was sometimes necessary. It hadn't been so long since she'd been forced to destroy Sailor Despair, after all. No, this was different. It wasn't killing the Empty that had made her so angry; it was being forced into that position to begin with.

"Still with me?" Rei asked.

"I'm tired, Rei." The sudden bitterness in her voice surprised even her. "I'm tired of constantly coming in second best. I'm tired of always feeling like I'm one step behind. I'm just so tired of losing to that…"

"Bastard?"

"Yeah." Usagi shrugged; it was as good a word as any to describe their enemy.

"I hear you." Rei leaned back against the wall beside her and sighed. "We've won two rounds against the Revenant Knight now but it doesn't really feel like it, does it?"

"Not at all."

"I mean, we managed to beat Terror...but he's back now," Rei said. "Wrath, Ruin and the Marauders finally went down in the end…but you and I both now how close we came to losing that battle."

Usagi nodded silently. Pride had us cornered...and Crimson was literally seconds away from finishing off Ami and Minako. That was a horrifying thought. If not for Fury's little breakdown we might be two or three Senshi short right now.

"Still," Rei murmured, "I'm not worried. Do you want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I know we're going to win."

"How can you be so sure?" Usagi asked quietly.

"Because we have you on our side." Rei squeezed her shoulder gently. "You never give up, Usagi, even in the face of impossible odds. You're the ultimate optimist...and that's infectious. I feel like I can take on anything with you by my side and I know the others feel exactly the same way."

Usagi couldn't hold back her own smile. "Thanks, Rei. That actually helps a lot."

"Of course it helped, Odango." Rei's stern voice stood in stark contrast to her teasing smirk. "I wouldn't waste my time if I thought otherwise."

"Fair point," she agreed.

"Now, if you're all done moping, a few of us are heading into the city and I think you should come along." Rei stood and stretched carefully, stifling a sudden yawn. "Minako actually had a good idea for a change and suggested a nice little teahouse a few blocks away. Are you in?"

"Sure," Usagi agreed. "Sounds good." She spotted Titus out of the corner of her eye; he seemed to be waiting for her to finish. "I'll be over in a minute, okay?"

Rei winked as she backed away. "Okay…just don't dawdle too long."

The cat inclined his head slightly and, once again, she almost mistook him for Luna. Getting used to his new-old look was going to take a little more time. "Do you have a moment, Usagi?"

"Usagi? You've decided to stop calling me Princess?"

Titus' hesitated just long enough for her to notice. "Old habits do die hard, I admit, but since this is a relatively informal conversation I thought your actual name was appropriate."

She rolled her eyes. "Have you ever just answered a question with a simple yes or no?" His blank stare was all the answer she needed. "Silly question, I know. What's up?"

"I thought you might like an update on the…matter you asked me to look into?"

"Crap, I completely forgot I asked you to do that!" Usagi leaned forward subconsciously, unable to hide her nerves. "Were you able to find them?"

Titus actually smiled. "I was...and your family is safe. They're staying in Tadakoa with your grandparents. I can't guarantee their situation won't change, of course, but I saw no signs of danger."

Relief began to spread throughout her body. "Thanks for checking on them, Titus. I really appreciate it. You have no idea how much that helps my mood!"

"It was no trouble at all. Enjoy yourself at the teahouse…Princess."

Usagi suppressed a shudder as he slunk back into the shadows - his little farewell was downright sinister! She considered mentioning it to Corey but ultimately decided against it. Titus had always been somewhat off in his interactions...and he had proven himself by this point. No, it was probably just her tired, distracted mind reading too much into things. Besides, she thought, it's time for tea!

"You disappoint me, Pride…"

The Sailor Marauder swallowed nervously under her master's withering stare. His voice was unfamiliar – much like his current appearance – but it carried the same deep gravitas she was used to. Japan knew him as Prime Minister Noboru Hayashida but she called him master - or Lord Revenant - and she knew better than to interrupt. It wasn't good for one's health to speak unless he wished it.

He continued to glare at her over tented fingers, somehow managing to look even more intimidating as a middle-aged politician. "I rewarded your loyalty by restoring your body…and you repaid my kindness with failure."

She began to panic. "Lord Revenant, I-"

"I do not want you to speak!" His fingers clenched into a fist. "I want you to listen."

Searing pain exploded in her chest as one of her ribs snapped. Pride shrieked as it began to move, digging into her flesh as it tried to escape her skin once more. "Please-"

"You belong to me, Pride. I created you...and I can just as easily destroy you. Never forget that!"

She fell to one knee. The pain was excruciating! "Of course, Lord Revenant. I promise you…I won't let it happen again!"

"No." He lowered his hand slowly. "I do not expect you will."

Pride fought to regain her breath; she winced painfully as her rib snapped back into place with an audible crack. Oh, how I hate you, my master. Nobody else has ever managed to make me feel as weak and helpless as you!

Hayashida rose to his feet and stepped around his desk; it seemed they were done. "Terror."

The Shadow-Knight appeared in the office in his customary swirl of ash and smoke. "Master."

"Are the Constructs ready?"

Terror bowed deeply. "Yes, Lord Revenant."

"Good." Hayashida turned to the window and stared out at the Tokyo skyline. "Bring Sailor Saturn to me. Alive. Do what you will with the rest of the Senshi…not that I expect you'll actually manage to kill any of them."

Pride watched with some satisfaction as the Shadow-Knight stiffened. Poor Terror. That touched a nerve, did it?

"At once…" He collapsed into a cloud of smoke and rolled across the floor to the window, flying out into the afternoon sky.

Her master didn't even look at her again. "Go, Pride. Do not fail me again."

The redhead bowed and made a hasty retreat; she'd had quite enough of his anger for one day.

Minako took a sip from her steaming cup and sighed contentedly. "Mmm...great tea."

"It really is," Rei agreed. "Good call, Minako."

Artemis sat in her lap, purring happily as she stroked his fur. They were seated at a table in a quiet corner of the teahouse so as not to attract too much attention. Between her and Rei they'd convinced Ami, Usagi, Mamoru and Chibiusa to accompany them. Not too bad of a turn out at all, she thought proudly. Of course, it would be nice if Corey was here too, but he was too busy brooding to tag along. Not that he'd ever admit it. And it's not like I can be too mad, because I understand exactly how he feels. There's no sugar-coating the fact that we failed that woman today.

Usagi let out an annoyed screech as Chibiusa took a sip from her cup. "Hey, that's mine!"

"Don't be so greedy," the girl retorted. "I just wanted to see if your tea tasted the same as mine!"

"Of course it does! It's the same tea!"

"Usako…Chibiusa…" Mamoru's tired pleas were lost on the bickering duo.

Minako just shook her head and smiled. Chibiusa was trying to cheer Usagi up and get her back to her normal self, but Minako wasn't sure it was going to be quite so easy. Usagi was angry; much angrier than Minako had seen her in a long time. This whole situation is changing her, she thought sadly, and I'm not so sure it's for the better.

"In other news, Prime Minister Hayashida today addressed concerns regarding the recent attacks by what some are calling living corpses…"

Minako perked up and craned her neck to stare at the television beside them. "What's Jerkface up to now?"

She could almost see the Revenant Knight behind Hayashida's eyes if she looked hard enough. "I urge everyone to stay calm and go about their everyday lives. Tokyo's police are hard at work containing any reported outbreaks, and Japan's finest scientific minds are already working on a cure for this unknown affliction." His lips curved up in a smile that sent shivers down Minako's spine. "Rest assured…we will persevere."

Usagi slammed her fist down on the table, startling her. "He comforts everyone with one hand, then murders them with the other!"

Rei's response was a little more abrupt. "Smug bastard!"

"Easy, you two," Mamoru said softly. "Don't let yourselves get worked up. We're trying to keep a low profile, remember?"

Luna kept her own voice low. "That's right. Just stay calm."

Minako shrugged as the news cut to commercial…and frowned as a familiar piece of music began to play. But where had she heard it before? It's not that idol track I was listening to the other night...and it's not something I've been practicing. Or is it? Her eyes widened in fear as she finally placed it. Oh, god…that's my tampon jingle! They said it was only for radio! Why the heck is it playing on TV?!

"Hmm?" Artemis' ears pricked up. "Minako, isn't that your-"

She clamped her hand over his mouth and laughed nervously. "Oh, silly Arty! I'm sure it's not!"

"What are you doing to Artemis now?" Rei asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." Minako knew that the illusion of innocence was key. That…and misdirection. "Great tea, huh?"

"We covered that already, you ditz!" Rei's eyes turned slowly to the television. "I'm sure I've heard that voice before…"

"Oh, you, uh…you must have seen this commercial before, right?" Panic was beginning to set in. I'll never live it down if they find out about that jingle! I have to change the subject! "So, Divine Judicial Ordination, huh? Isn't that crazy? Do we even know for sure what it does yet?"

Artemis wriggled free of her grasp. "Mina, you're smothering me!"

"No, I'm not-"

"I've got it!" Rei leapt to her feet and pointed across the table at her. "It's you!"

"What's Minako?" Usagi asked, confused.

"She's singing that commercial!"

"What?!"

Everyone turned to the screen at once as Minako buried her head in her hands. The wig is up! Hold on a sec...that's not right. Is it?

"That's what you didn't want to tell me about?" Artemis demanded. "Minako, that's-"

"Oh, quiet, you!" She gave in to the crazy and smooshed his face. Just a little. It actually helped with her nerves.

"Mmff!"

Luna sighed as she looked up at Usagi. "Have I ever told you how glad I am that I ended up with you and not Minako?"

"Hey!" Minako screeched. "Just what is that supposed to mean, Luna?!"

The cat recoiled. "Nothing! Nothing at all!"

"I'll have you know Sailor V was and still is amazing!"

Ami seemed uncomfortable. "To be fair, Minako, you have shown an occasional lack of maturity when it comes to your powers."

"What?" Minako said, frowning. "I'm very responsible with my powers…most of the time."

"You?" Rei snorted as she laughed.

"I am!" she protested.

"Oh, really?" Usagi asked, leaning across the table. "So explain the time I found you lassoing stray cats with your Love Me Chain?"

"Someone got himself into trouble and I had to come to his rescue." Minako scowled and tapped Artemis on the head. "Go on, you. Tell them!"

"I may have gotten in over my head on that particular occasion," he admitted.

"Alright," Ami said, frowning suspiciously, "but what about the day I spotted you knocking apples out of that tree with your Crescent Beam?"

"Easy!" Minako declared. "That was precision target practice!"

Usagi stared at her in disbelief. "Target practice."

"Yes! What, you think I got to be this amazing overnight? It's a lot of hard work, Usagi!" Minako felt pretty good so far; despite her friends' attempts to trip her up she thought she'd defended herself quite well. That confidence began to falter, however, when she spotted Rei's smug grin.

"That's all well and good, Minako, but let's see you explain the night I caught you using your Love Me Chain as a jump rope!"

"I…er…well, you see…that is…um…" A nervous laugh slipped out as Minako blushed. "I guess I was just a little bored?"

Artemis groaned and banged his head into the table.

Even Mamoru seemed amazed by her response. He slumped in his chair and stared into his cup.

"Never mind all that," Rei retorted. "No more changing the subject! That was you singing, Minako. About tampons!"

Usagi burst out laughing, which seemed to set Ami off too.

Chibiusa was a little lost, thankfully. "I don't get it. Why is everyone laughing?"

"Oh, no!" Mamoru shook his head quickly. "I'm not going near that one!"

"It...it was a paid job!" Minako sputtered. "And a valuable experience!"

Rei finally erupted in hysterical laughter herself. "It sure sounds like an experience, alright!"

"It's definitely a daring career choice, Minako" Ami agreed; her predatory smirk was quite uncharacteristic. "Though it doesn't seem very sanitary..."

Minako just glared at her as the other two laughed. "Even you, Ami?"

"Oh, cheer up, Minako!" Usagi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled brilliantly. "I'm so proud of you! You're still working hard at pursuing your dream after all this time, and this is a huge step forward for you!"

What was she missing? "Um...thank you, Usagi."

Her smile turned sinister in a heartbeat. "Sure thing."

Minako sighed. "You're still going to tease me, aren't you?"

"Of course, silly! I just wanted to make sure you knew how proud I was first!"

She slumped in her chair. "Go ahead."

Usagi coughed into her hand and grinned. "You really inserted a little hygiene into that jingle!"

Minako's head hit the table with an audible thump. "That was awful, Usagi. Just awful!"

Rei frowned. "It really was!"

"Oh, shut it, Pyro," Usagi muttered. "I thought it was funny..."

Artemis brushed against Minako's arm and smiled up at her. "Don't listen to them, Mina. It's a foot in the door-"

Rei burst out laughing all over again. "It's something in something, alright!"

"Oh, god…" That one was so bad it almost hurt! Minako reached back into her subspace pocket, searching for the pick-me-up she desperately needed. It's finally time. I knew I kept these in here for a reason...and today's the day. She produced a small, colourful packet and tore it open.

Chibiusa stared at her across the table. "You keep Skittles in your subspace pocket?"

Minako poured a handful of the little candies into her mouth and nodded glumly. "Uh-huh."

She felt Artemis' fur bristling under her fingers. "Minako, I-"

She swatted him on the nose, cutting him off before he could begin. "Don't even start! I've told you before it's my space pocket and-"

"Subspace pocket," Ami said, correcting her quietly.

Minako shrieked wordlessly in frustration and began banging her head into the table again. "I hate you all so much sometimes…"

Corey had found Makoto alone in a quiet corner of the warehouse, but his next step was proving a little more difficult. He knew he needed to talk to her - clear the air, so to speak – but he had no idea where to begin. For one, he was concerned that he was actually in the wrong here. He'd experienced something of an epiphany after addressing Hotaru's crush - the notion that he may have led her on, however unintentionally. She could have seen his efforts to befriend her as something else entirely…and now Corey was worried he might have done the same thing with Makoto. He'd never really had any girls as friends before, after all - it could happen, as far as he knew.

Still, he told himself, standing here like an idiot isn't helping anyone either. He forced himself to take a step forward and cleared his throat. "Hey."

"Hi." Makoto didn't break from her routine. In fact, she didn't even look at him.

"Tai Chi?" he asked, thrusting his hands into his pockets. He'd never had much of an eye for the Asian martial arts - Dawkins had him take up boxing to complement his training with the sword instead.

"Yeah. It helps me relax and regain my focus."

"Cool." Thirty seconds in and this was already his most awkward conversation in some time; now that was an accomplishment! He wasn't sure what to say next...or what had even made him come over here in the first place, for that matter. He just knew he couldn't leave things the way they were...even if it was only for his sake.

Makoto beat him to the punch. "So...Minako told you how I feel."

"Uh, no. She wouldn't talk to me about it at all, actually."

"Oh." She sounded almost relieved.

"The truth is…Rei and Usagi clued me in back at the diner after Minako dragged you into the bathroom."

"Damn," she muttered. "Was I the only one who didn't know what I was doing?"

"I dunno," Corey said, with a shrug. "If it helps, I'd probably still be in the dark if not for them."

The brunette laughed quietly. "There is that, I guess." She paused awkwardly before continuing her exercises. "Look, I'm sorry if I got you into any trouble with Minako. I know she can be a little…"

"Hyper?" he suggested. "Obsessive? Crazy?" He didn't feel bad for saying any of it because Minako really was all of those things…and he loved her for it.

Makoto's smile faltered just a little. "Yeah."

"Don't worry about that. You were the only target of her little, uh…meltdown."

"Great."

That kicked off another awkward silence, but he had to get his concerns off his chest. "I hope I didn't…I mean, if I made you think…"

"You didn't," she said softly. "At least I don't think you did. And, since we're hoping right now? I hope we can still be friends." Her gaze fell to the floor. "I didn't realise what I was doing at first - or the depth of my feelings. But now that I do? I'll be sure to keep a tighter grip on them."

He replied with a quiet nod. What more could he say?

She finally managed to look him in the eyes. "With that said...I understand if you'd rather take a step back for a while."

Corey shook his head emphatically. "Hell, no. I've got precious few friends as it is - I can't afford to lose any of you." He made sure to consider his next words carefully. "As long as we both know where we stand...I've got no issue being your friend, Mako. None at all."

"I'm glad." She broke eye contact again and turned away. "I, uh...I guess I'll talk to you later, then."

He wasn't so clueless that he didn't realise he was being dismissed. "Sure, Makoto. Later." He reflected on their conversation as he walked away. It had been an awkward little talk, to be sure...but with any luck they were past the worst of it now. He frowned as his stomach lurched uncomfortably. Maybe I should have gone with Minako and the others after all. A little tea would be great for this nausea. His eyes widened a moment later as his brain caught up with the rest of him. The same feeling as before, when Terror attacked my apartment! He summoned Justiciar and cupped his hand around his mouth. "Get ready to fight! We're about to have company!"

Haruka poked her head out of the so-called 'dormitory' and frowned. "What the hell are you shouting about now, McLeod?!"

He snapped his mouth shut and dove aside as the ceiling suddenly exploded above him, showering him with debris and purple flame. A swarm of Constructs began dropping to the floor around him…followed by Terror and Pride.

"Greetings, brother! How wonderful it is to see you again!"

Usagi giggled yet again as Rei made another pun at Minako's expense - they really were getting a lot of mileage out of her jingle. She did feel a little bad about all their teasing, but she was only indulging because she knew her friend could take it.

"Ha, ha, ha." That hadn't prevented Minako from falling into full-blown grumpy mode. "Enjoy yourself now, girls, because I'll have the last laugh when I'm a famous celebrity!"

Usagi frowned as her communicator began to beep. No, scratch that - they were all beeping! Her brow furrowed, showing her concern as Ami flipped her device open.

"It's the emergency alert…and it's coming from the warehouse!"

"Let's go!" The blonde broke into a run immediately – the emergency alert always meant trouble. They hurried down the street and around the final corner before the docks.

"Oh, gods!"

Usagi was forced to agree with Rei's assessment; a thick column of black smoke rose into the sky, centered right over the warehouse. "Everyone transform, quick!"

She found herself in a state of shock as they rushed towards their temporary base. It's just like I said to Rei. No matter what happens, it always feels like we're one step behind; reacting instead of acting. Worry began to gnaw away at her stomach. Please, let everyone be okay!

Moon cleared the fence ahead of her effortlessly – one benefit of being a Sailor Senshi, civilian form or not – and made a beeline for the burning building. Flames tore across the roof and Constructs swarmed around the main entrance, surrounding a familiar man in silver armour.

"Corey!" Venus dashed forward as the Guardian Knight was swallowed by a sea of black and pulled to the ground. "Crescent Beam!"

The bolt of light lanced out from her fingertip, blowing a hole through one shadowy head before continuing on to take down a second. Moon just shook her head in a mix of disbelief and envy. Minako's always been able to make impossible shots like that look easy. I guess shooting apples off trees isn't such a crazy training method after all!

"Venus Love Me Chain!" The blonde Senshi swung her chain around her like a whip, tearing through featureless black bodies with ease. Free of the Constructs' clutches, Justice rolled back to his feet – an act Moon found quite impressive given his armour – and tackled another as it lunged for his girlfriend. He drove it into the ground head first and crushed it flat.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Mars and Mercury unloaded on the remaining Constructs, taking down another three in no time. Moon seized the opportunity to head into the warehouse to survey the scene. Sailor Saturn was engaged in a furious fight with Pride, her Silence Glaive clashing against the redhead's scythe. Uranus was on the floor, lying in a small but growing pool of blood with Neptune and Pluto standing guard over her.

"Dead Scream!" The Guardian of Time fired a violet orb of destruction into a cluster of Constructs, scattering the creatures everywhere.

"Sailor Moon!" Neptune cried. "Look out behind you!"

She turned and froze; a roiling cloud of ash and smoke sped along the floor, expanding rapidly as Terror lunged for her with his halberd. Moon suddenly found herself shoved aside. She hit the floor hard and looked up to see Tuxedo Kamen holding Terror at bay with his cane.

The Shadow-Knight's empty helmet turned towards her. "You weren't invited to this little party, Princess."

She raised her Tiare in response. "Silver Moon Crystal-"

He collapsed into smoke again before she could finish and streamed across the floor, right towards Saturn. She saw him coming and span away from Pride with her Glaive raised.

"Death Reborn Revolution!" A dozen razor-sharp ribbons lashed out towards him...and passed through his smoky form harmlessly.

Pride took full advantage of Terror's distraction and raised her hand at Saturn's unprotected back. "Deadly Vanity Reflection!"

Saturn cried out in pain as countless glass shards tore through her uniform and into her skin. It was a pain Moon knew all too well from her own dealings with the Sailor Marauder.

"Saturn!" Pluto broke away from Uranus and dashed towards the younger girl. Terror had other ideas, though; a mass of Constructs appeared in her path, led by the Shadow-Knight himself.

"The much-vaunted Guardian of Time, Sailor Pluto! I've been looking forward to this!"

Pluto clearly wasn't fooling around. "Chronos Typhoon!"

Terror drifted over her attack and hurled his own in return; Pluto dodged left with surprising quickness, narrowly avoiding the ball of purple flame.

"Hold on, Pluto!" Moon called. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" She obliterated several of the Constructs in her path and rushed towards them. Just a little further!

"Your speed is impressive," Terror admitted. "But let's see you dodge this!" He gestured and Pluto was suddenly surrounded by Constructs. They dove on her, holding her in place as he laughed. "It looks like your time has run out, Senshi!" He hurled his halberd forward like a javelin, the gleaming point heading right for Pluto's heart.

"Pluto!" Moon screamed.

Two of the Constructs holding Pluto burst into flames and the rest scattered as Justice tossed more fireballs at them. Pluto tore free of their grip and dropped to the floor; the halberd nicked her shoulder as it flew overhead and lodged in the concrete behind her.

"Just die, damn you!" Terror thrust his hands forward and unleashed a virtual storm of purple flame, leaving Pluto with nowhere to go. She cried out in pain as his attack washed over her, twitching as she crumpled to the floor.

He didn't have any time to enjoy his victory; Sailor Moon was finally in range. "Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!"

Terror actually managed to avoid her attack…somewhat. The blast of light clipped his shoulder and tore his arm off...but Moon didn't have time to gloat. She spotted Pride; the Marauder was dragging a limp Saturn towards a portal.

"Hotaru!" Moon only managed to take one step forward before she was hit from behind with another blast from a resurgent Terror. The loss of his arm didn't seem bother him in the slightest.

"Don't you understand yet?" he crowed, summoning another ball of purple flame. "I have no body for you to destroy!"

Justice blinked into existence behind him. "Let's try this instead!" He grabbed hold of Terror's pauldron tight. "Judicial Flames!"

Terror screamed as he ignited, suddenly wrapped in flames. He managed to blast the Guardian Knight at point-blank range with another fireball and whirled into the air in a swirling black vortex, disappearing through the hole in the ceiling.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Jupiter put down two more Constructs that were closing in on Moon.

The blonde pointed frantically at Pride. "Get to Saturn!"

"Too late, Senshi!" Pride tossed Saturn's unconscious form through the portal and smirked coldly back at Moon. "You lose again, Princess!" She threw her a mocking little wave and followed Hotaru through.

"Hotaru!" Justice dove for the portal but hit the floor behind it as it vanished before their eyes.

"Deep Submerge!"

"Venus Love Me Chain!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

The last few remaining Constructs fell quickly at the hands of the Senshi, and the warehouse grew quiet. Moon was helped to her feet by Jupiter. How could this happen?!

"I need help over here!" Neptune's frantic cry echoed across the concrete floor as she pressed her hands to Uranus' stomach. "I can't stop the bleeding!"

"Mamo-chan!" Moon cried.

"I'm on it!" He rushed over, followed closely by Mercury.

A furious Mars stomped over and paused to glare up at the hole in the roof. "What the hell happened?"

Jupiter looked over at Uranus, clearly distraught. "They showed up out of nowhere. Justice tried to get us organised…but the Constructs kept us separated and off-balance."

The Guardian Knight remained quiet, unreadable behind his helmet.

Pluto limped over; her uniform was black with soot. "It was definitely a targeted attack. They were after Saturn from the beginning."

Moon stared up at the ceiling herself. "But how did they know where to find us?"

Her answer came from a very unexpected source. "That is simple, Princess Serenity. My newest servant gave me the location."

Her blood ran ice cold as she turned to find him leaning rather casually against a support pillar; Noboru Hayashida, otherwise known as the Revenant Knight.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

He sighed as he slapped their attacks aside with apparent ease. "My, my. Such hostility for your Prime Minister."

"You're not really the Prime Minister!" Mars snapped.

"I would argue your point, Sailor Mars...but I suspect it would be a wasted effort." He sighed dramatically. "Very well, then. Have it your way." Smoke poured out of his nose and ears to form a thick, black cloak around his body. It shifted and stretched, forming a horned helmet and armour, taking on the form they were most familiar with. "Is this more to your liking?"

"How did you really know where we were?" Jupiter demanded, repeating Moon's earlier question. "What servant?"

"Are you sure you really want to know?" he asked in a mocking tone. "The answer may hurt you."

Mars looked like she might actually try to throttle him. "Talk!"

"As you wish." He raised his hand and crooked his finger in a beckoning motion."

Titus stepped forward out of the shadows and bowed his head. "It is an honour to serve, Lord Revenant."

"What?!" Moon couldn't believe her eyes. "Titus?!"

Even Uranus, as pale as she looked, managed a furious glare from her place on the floor. "You two-faced, slimy piece of sh-"

"Why?" Mercury asked quietly. "Why would you-"

She was interrupted by Justice's quiet laughter; it echoed across the warehouse as the Guardian Knight removed his helmet and locked eyes with the Revenant Knight. "Nice try, asshole…but there's no way in hell Titus would ever side with you."

Venus wasn't so certain. "How can you be sure?"

"Because I know him, Venus. Sure, Titus tried to play us against each other early on, but that was motivated by his need for me to reach my potential. He always was a pragmatic little son of a bitch…but siding with the Revenant Knight?" Corey shook his head adamantly. "No way. Titus has been preparing for his arrival for over a thousand years already. There's no way he'd turn his back on all of that."

"Pity," the Revenant Knight said. "It was worth a try." He snapped his fingers and the cat's fur appeared to crack, crumbling away to reveal a featureless black shape beneath before collapsing into dust a few seconds later.

"Titus is...was a Construct?" Chibi Moon asked, confused.

"Fascinating," Mercury murmured, her eyes locked on her computer.

Their adversary chuckled. "Your little spy never returned to this warehouse."

Corey's face remained impassive. "What have you done with him?"

"Have no fear. He lives…for now." His ruby eyes flashed cruelly. "I could not persuade him to talk, however...so I had to tear the knowledge I sought from his mind." His clawed fingers flexed slowly. "I'm sure you remember how that feels...Corey."

Sailor Moon stepped forward beside Justice and raised her Tiare. "Return Hotaru and Titus now, or-"

"Come now, Princess, let us not resort to idle threats. We both know you are in no position to make them." He chuckled again. "They are mine now. My playthings. My…sustenance."

Her stomach lurched at the very idea of him feeding on her friends.

"I will not insult your resolve by asking you for the Silver Crystal; I know you would never surrender it willingly." The Revenant Knight stepped backwards, his eyes flashing again. "Instead, I leave you with an invitation. If you wish to get your friends back...you know where to find me." He vanished in a swirl of smoke and ash...leaving them in silence once more.

Sailor Moon stared blankly at the space he'd just occupied, feeling her fists clench tightly in anger. He wants me to fold. He wants me to get scared, and give up. But that's not who I am anymore. Determination began spreading throughout her body, as if it coursed through her very veins. I refuse to let him win again. We are going to rescue Hotaru and Titus, and punish the Revenant Knight once and for all. No more waiting. No more reacting.

She looked up into Corey's emerald eyes and set her jaw in determination. "We're going to get them back, Corey. And then? We're going to destroy the Revenant Knight!"

AN: A big rewrite this time around; maybe a third of my rough draft made it into the finished product. That's a big reason for the delay, I'm sorry to say, but I think the chapter turned out much stronger for it. I couldn't resist tossing in that red herring about Titus, either, even though it didn't last very long. As soon as I wrote it I knew Corey would never believe it was true...hence the quick destruction of the 'Titus Construct'. The Revenant Knight is in danger of becoming a Bond villain, I know...but my reasoning there is he's a very smart death cloud and he likes to fight on his terms whenever possible...hence his little taunt at the end.

More to come soon. This chapter really started to come together over a couple of days so I'm hoping that marks the end of the mild case of writer's block I've been dealing with. It probably helps that real life is finally settling down a little too! Next chapter - into the PM's office. Thanks for reading as always, everyone.