A/N: Don't really have much to say here honestly. Haha!

Special Notes: Mina's section is heavily built around a musical piece by Kim Planert called Jane's Lament. I listened to it over and over to really get a feel for the sorrow/rage Mina is feeling as well as to provide a sort of background music for what she and Bakura are discussing. Take a listen if you wish. Joey's section is heavily inspired by Heart of Gold by Neil Young. I'd like to think that particular song starts near the end of his section, ending in the last section of the chapter. Take a listen if you'd like.

Warnings: To warn you about it is to spoil it.

Disclaimer: Skipping it.

Chapter 36

The Birth of Rage: Mina's Lament

10:40 a.m.

With my own power I was able to walk away from A.A.'s sadistic den of torture. My intention is to claim revenge with my own power as well, however...

"You expect me to agree to that?" I asked, staring at Bakura coldly.

"Don't speak so rashly," Bakura replied, patting my shoulder with his palm while passing by me. "I know you aren't too keen on trusting anyone right now, least of all someone like me, but considering our mutual goal, taking my offer to assist you would be wise."

The gold of his Millennium Ring caught my eye. "Where are you going?"

"To the inside of A.A.'s jet." He turned away, causing me to lose sight of the golden ring. "I can't kill him, but it won't hurt to make him bleed a little. Respecting the wishes of the dead is not a sentiment I indulge in."

With a shrug I walked over to the vermillion car he had arrived in. "Old habits die hard, I suppose. Do as you wish. I'll think over your offer while you're gone."

Bakura let out a soft chuckle. "Very well. I won't be longer than a minute or two." After saying this, the possessed teen began climbing the ladder to the jet flyer two at a time. His tennis shoes squeaked along each step he took to the point where it was almost comical.

"Am I really supposed to take him seriously?" I wondered, raising an eyebrow at his retreating figure while leaning back against his vehicle. "The spirit of the ring is going to get the good Bakura killed. I shouldn't have let him go in there..."

So why did I?

Drawing a conclusion on the matter would't be a difficult task; nevertheless, pondering over my reasons for any of my actions is something I rather not do right now.

There are more important things to think on.

Bakura once worked with E.E. but apparently the demon betrayed his trust and now he wants revenge, saying that a dismemberment is in order and other such things. I didn't disagree with him. For all the evil that woman has dished out, she deserves all the world's hatred to be cast on her. More than that, she deserves the kind of agony no human being could hope to live through, a kind of torment that lasts for all eternity.

But I don't have the patience or the mental capacity to deliver the punishment because while E.E. deserves the worst of the worst, I don't care for the idea of torturing her. Put simply, I only wish for her existence to be erased.

That wish doesn't come from any desire to save the world or claim justice for all the lives lost thanks to her malicious ambitions.

I want to take her life away from her because she destroyed mine. That's all.

With my own power I was able to walk away from A.A.'s sadistic den of torture. Unfortunately for me, the man is a master at his craft. He set out to make me suffer until I became nothing more than a broken husk too damaged to beg for death. Even though I'm standing here, free from his grasp, my mental bubble finally collapsed as it was pierced over and over with swords. Those swords continued to wound my heart, chopping off pieces of it until there wasn't anything left to wound, but despite that I survived. My hands folded around the hilt of the knife he gave me and I slashed away at my mother's corpse without a thought for how horrendous my actions truly were.

And all the while, I kept thinking, "Why not kill myself? What's even the point in living?"

Staring up at the sky as the grey clouds continue rolling by, the reason becomes clear.

Bakura knows where E.E. is. He told me so himself just minutes ago.

E.E. has my father's paperwork, and to get it back secures my father's life. Even if it costs me my own, I can't give up and allow him to die. I've fought far too hard for far too long to fail now. From the many trials of Duelist Kingdom to this moment, every action I've taken has been for the sake of saving my father from falling victim to the horrible cancer invading his body. Months of risking my life, cheating death, and learning terrible truths about my mother and my biological father, Pegasus, through a new power that someone else implanted in me before I was born led back to Japan where my mother, controlled by E.E., ruined the lives of thousands. My fellow Sailor Scouts weren't around for the beginning of this tumultuous journey, not that I expected them to follow me to Domino City, but I had hoped for their help when I returned home. I received none.

Well, whatever connected to me to this place is gone now. This desolate place isn't the home I left behind. It's nothing but a barren wasteland of oppression. Everything I held close to my heart disappeared, even the people my best friends used to be.

Facing everything alone, I shouldered burdens I shouldn't have and ended up clinging to Joey as if he were the last drop of water in a scorching, hot desert; however, in doing so I put him in the worst kind of danger. The loyalty and devotion he has to all of his friends is one of his strongest qualities, but here in the unforgiving shadow of my homeland, his selflessness nearly brought about his death at the hands of my mother.

Killing her wasn't the only way to save him, but it was the only way to save her from the monster pulling at the strings of her shattered will.

And now, having paid for that sin in some of the worst ways imaginable...the only thing guiding my tattered soul is despair, rage, and regret.

All I have left is the goal to save my father and rid this world of the cursed immortal demon, E.E.

"Well...that venture wasn't as enjoyable as I would have hoped."

The sound of Bakura's squeaking sneakers came back to interrupt my thoughts. Lifting my gaze from the pavement, I carefully studied his sluggish movements down the steps, a feeling of certainty swelling in my chest at the sight of blood on his clothes. While the blood wasn't his own, it was abundantly clear that A.A. had done some damage to the possessed teen. The skin surrounding his right eye was already beginning to show signs of bruising and the discoloration would probably extend down to the jaw in a matter of hours.

On his own, Bakura is incapable of handling E.E. He's very aware of her power. He knows I can't fight her alone either.

I don't trust him, but for the time being...

"So, champion of justice," he began mockingly once he reached the ground. "Are you prepared to walk the path of darkness?"

A small smirk lifts the corners of my mouth as he stretches out a bloodied hand towards me. Despite the beating he'd just taken, he seemed genuinely thrilled at this turn of events. Fortitude like that is something I can appreciate.

With my own stained hand, I grasped his in a firm shake to seal our agreement.

"Bakura, I've been on that path for a while now."

The night of December 17th, 2017 changed many things for many people.

The morning hours of December 20th, 2017, three days after the horrendous attacks instigated by E.E. the immortal demon and her slave, Cecelia May Ashford, only impacted two.

At 10:50 a.m., Minako Aino sat down in the passenger side of Ryou Bakura's car. He drove them away from the jet flyer, away from Juban Airport, and toward a place of Mina's choice.

The deserted lot of the dismantled airport would soon be filled with people, but for nearly ten minutes, the area was eerily silent.

At 10:57 a.m., the door of the jet flyer where A.A. had held Mina captive opened. He walked out steadily despite the copious amount of blood still flowing from the many wounds Ryou Bakura had inflicted using a spell of paralysis and a simple switchblade, not unlike the pocket knife he had placed in Mina's hand, although Bakura did little more than slash away at him while revealing some sensitive secrets about E.E., including but not limited to the truth behind the events of the First Holy Grail War...the war in which his siblings nearly perished, saved only by the Code his beloved Xion died to give.

A.A. did not fight back. Instead he allowed Bakura to mar his skin. The flesh wounds would heal. His scars would fade within days...

But the damage dealt to his soul wouldn't heal as easily...and that's if it healed at all.

Nevertheless, though scarred in ways he never imagined, the immortal cannibal rises again with a heavy heart. The fabric of the navy-blue coat he wears is stained and ripped completely at the right arm; moreover, several scratches still line his neck. Just minutes earlier those same scratches had been one large gash leaking blood onto the moss colored t-shirt underneath his coat. Now the thin article of clothing is little more than a sticky, crimson fabric clinging to his skin like a passionate embrace from a lover.

For the first time in his life, A.A. mentally recoiled from the scent of blood clinging to him, its metallic aroma no longer appealing as he sucked in a deep breath to calm himself. Once somewhat stable in his mind, he took a step forward, scowling in silence when pain shot through his right knee. Bakura had gotten a hold of his gun and capped the knee with a bullet before pounding his torso with more bullets. It certainly wasn't an effective way to kill an immortal, but each bullet had its little agonies attached. With each fired, A.A. saw the face of his mother, E.E., instead of Bakura.

The betrayal of his dear mother wounded more than the bullets ever could.

He takes another step after a few seconds pass, but his left ankle, still repairing itslef from yet another bullet wound, decided to give out. With a yelp he slipped, his damaged knee hitting a stair before the rest of his body tumbled down. He felt small pieces of him breaking with each bump that followed, though none of those breaks were physical.

After the fall, he lies on the cold, dirty pavement. His face is scratched up from the impact. He feels sore all over, and the previous wounds not yet healed sting considerably.

Nevertheless, though scarred and bruised in ways he never imagined, the immortal cannibal rises again with a heavy heart. This time though, he stays near the ground and lifts his gaze to the horizon line far ahead, the patches of snow lingering near the old building of the airport that was functioning less than a year ago, the large planes surrounding him that stand motionless...he notices every miniscule thing about this place, the place where he learned the truth, the place where he first used the power that had been laying dormant within.

He struggles to inhale. Breathing is another agony for him.

It's as A.A. observes the setting around him while fighting for breath that a flash of color makes itself known in the murky hue of winter. It is a bold color, the one he used to find most beautiful in all the world.

Now he shrinks away, detesting it and all it stood for in his life.

The immortal starts to move, hoping to run away from his sin.

It is 11:00 a.m.

"Stay where you are!"

A.A. shifted his gaze from the pavement he was kneeling on, his movements slow and methodical. With a smile he looked toward the grey sky, noting for the first time since stumbling out of his private jet a minute or so earlier that the sun had decided to make an appearance. Of course, he knew the light shining upon this barren land wouldn't last long.

He listened intently as one of the women before him came forward, her heels clacking against the ground with every step she took.

A laugh escaped him. He couldn't get rid of the façade just yet. He needed it to survive right now.

"You think you can stop me?" he questioned, almost hoping he would be destroyed. "You think I'm weak enough to let you get in the way, Sailor Mars?"

For her part in the matter, Rei Hino, having transformed into the senshi of fire, stared at A.A. with a resigned look of pity in her violet eyes. Even with that look of pity though, she aimed a flame sniper directly at him without paying any mind to the wounds he clearly had.

"Where's Mina?"

A.A. just laughed again. "Wouldn't you like to know..."

"Yes, I would," Mars interrupted, adding a hint of ferocity to her voice. "You will tell us where she is now."

Sailor Moon was also poised for an attack. "If you fail to comply, we will punish you in the name of the moon!"

Standing up, A.A. simply shrugged. "She's no longer here. She's gone."

Mars's violet gaze narrowed. "You killed her?"

Once again, the immortal shrugged. "What do you think?"

The guardian of the moon lowered her magic scepter, her eyes filling with tears. "No...Mina."

Rei swallowed her emotions and kept her fearsome gaze on A.A. "You didn't kill her. I can tell from looking at you. You've got wounds all over your body. If anything, Mina is the one who did a number on you, so I will ask you to tell me where she is politely one last time before I set you aflame. It won't be a pleasant experience for you."

"I don't expect it to be," A.A. answered, smiling vindictively. A small part of him wondered how long he could evade capture. He figured Mercury and Jupiter were close by and if the four of them knew of his scheme, it's probable the actual Knight of Seven was called into action as well. He would bring extra reinforcements.

It didn't really matter though. No matter how large the force, A.A. had one last card to play, an insurance policy gifted to him by his beloved sister.

Ami Mizuno, Lita Kino, and Rolo Lamperouge were a minute or so away from Juban Airport. In the skies, Kara Fennete and Suzaku Kururugi lead their flight squadron toward the district. They would arrive at the Juban Airport within twenty minutes.

Haruka Tenoh, Michiru Kaioh, Setsuna Meioh, and Hotaru Tomoe also approached the airport with Black Knights operative Katasa Urabe as their driver. Due to extenuating circumstances, the four outer scouts wouldn't be able to transform into their most powerful selves, but to them it didn't matter. All of them would fight to help their fellow Sailor Scout.

As this was going on, Joey Wheeler was in the backseat of Bruce's car, mulling over a plan.

Sitting in the backseat of Bruce's car, I mull over a plan...

Or at least I would if I actually had one in mind.

"Mr. Wheeler, I am certain this is a horrible idea."

"I don't disagree with you," I thought miserably, paying close attention to my movements as I carefully loaded the gun Bruce gave me with a casing of bullets. "It's not as if I'm an expert with this sort of thing, but going up against a guy who eats people with just a metal pipe isn't going to cut it. Definitely need heavy artillery to subdue him."

Bruce sighed. "Do you even know how to use that?"

"Yeah. I have some experience." I hate lying to the guy, but I don't want to give Bruce any incentive to drive me to the Kaiba Estate or back to the hospital.

At the same time though, I can't deny that there are some big problems with what I'm doing. They're the same problems as when I ran off looking for Mina last time. The only difference is that I know where to look and I'm armed with the most deadly weapon known to man...okay I'm definitely exaggerating here. I mean, it's a handgun not a bazooka. Still, it's at least something.

Maybe if I had been armed before...

I shut the thought down. Having a gun wouldn't have helped me in the situation I was in. Whether to save my own butt or spare Mina from what she's dealing with now, I know I couldn't have brought myself to shoot her mom.

I don't have a good relationship with either of my parents, and while that hurts me a lot...I could never hurt them the way they've hurt me. There are times when I've wanted to, times when I've stood over my dad holding one of his broken beer bottles after knocking him unconscious. Those were the moments when everything inside of me wanted him dead after so many years of abuse, but in the end...it's just not something I can do. Despite his shortcomings and the pain he's caused, I still love my dad.

And I know Mina loved her mom, to the point where she was ready to murder anybody that got in her way, even the people who used to be her best friends...not that I really blamed her for it. Rei pushed her to an extent.

I ended up pushing her the rest of the way by being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sighing, I stare down at the gun in my hands. "Am I really doing the right thing? Isn't this just going to make things worse?"

The car suddenly swerves. "Whoa! Bruce!" I let the gun drop from my hand before throwing my left arm around the passenger seat in front of me to keep myself from tumbling to the other side of the car. Yep, definitely should have put on my seatbelt earlier.

For a minute longer we skidded along the road, both of us screaming like maniacs before the vehicle finally came to a halt on the shoulder of the road. Immediately after the car stopped moving, I glared out the windshield in front of us where another car was just inches away. "Well...some people definitely can't drive."

"Good heavens I thought it was all over," Bruce muttered, leaning back in his seat with one of his hands pressed to his chest. "You kids are going to give me a heart attack." With another shallow breath he turned off the motor. "I'm done. You are on your own from here on, Mr. Wheeler."

Growling I bent over to reach for the gun on the floor. "Fine. Whatever." Once the gun was in my hand, I opened the door next to me and stepped out, nearly slipping on the ice as I did.

"I really need to be more careful," I thought irritably, the sound of another car door slamming shut resonating in my ears. Great. Whoever nearly killed us just now is probably getting out to yell at Bruce for damages done to their car or something like that. I didn't look to see who was coming. I was more focused with trying to figure out how to turn the safety on.

"How do I get this thing to cooperate?" Examining the gun, I looked for anything to give me a clue. I really didn't know how to use it aside from what I'd seen on TV.

"Do you honestly expect to win against an immortal cannibal with a handgun you don't even know how to use? Wow! Can you be any more idiotic, Wheeler?"

An immediate groan escaped me. "Looks like I've been caught."

Bruce was out of the car in an instant. "Miss Kallen. I..."

"Get back in the car Bruce," the red-head interrupted, her feet crunching on the ice as she walked to where I was standing. She was wearing a fur-lined black coat over a red, skin-tight suit that was straight out of a Gundam series. "You'll be driving blondie here back to the Kaiba Estate in just a minute."

"No he won't," I proclaimed sternly, gently pushing the girl aside the second she came to stand in front of me. "You can't stop me, Kallen."

Gripping my shoulder, she turned me around so that I'd be facing her again. "Oh yes, I can. You see, Wheeler, I don't have a whole lot of patience for pushy guys, nor do I have any patience for complete idiots asking for trouble."

"I'm just trying to help my friend," I answered, barely maintaining my cool at this point.

"Yeah, because that worked so well last time," Kallen fired back angrily. "Aren't you the one who said she ended up killing her own mother because of you?"

I tried to go around Kallen again after she said that to keep myself from blowing up, but when I moved she moved, making it impossible to get around her peacefully.

"Look, you're the one who told me where Mina is!" I shouted when she wouldn't comply with my unspoken plea to just move. "What did you expect me to do? If you wanted me to stay put at the hospital, you shouldn't have agreed to help me figure out where she was!"

"You're right," she replied, placing her hands on her hips. "I shouldn't have. There are a lot of things I shouldn't have done in the past, but you know what I do, Joey? I learn from my mistakes! All you're doing is repeating yours."

Her words felt like being hit with a metal pipe. And believe me, I've been hit with those plenty of times before to know how strong the impact is.

Softening her expression, Kallen took a step back from me. "You can't help her, Joey. I'm sorry to have to tell you that, but there's simply nothing you can do about it."

She's right. There's nothing I can do, but...

I know Mina needs me right now. Kallen isn't feeling what I am. Sure, it doesn't make sense. It's not logical. Even I know how stupid chasing after Mina is, but...I can't bring myself to stop without knowing for certain that she's going to be okay. At this point, if I don't find Mina now, it's likely I'll never see her again. Somehow...I just know that's how things are going to end up. In one way or another, Mina will be gone forever.

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least try to do something.

Lifting my gaze, I stare straight at Kallen. "I'm sorry, but I can't abandon her. See, just because you're right doesn't mean you know what's best. It's true that I could make things worse, but given everything Mina has already been through, it can't get much worse than this, and when she hits rock bottom, I'm going to be there to pick her up again no matter what."

"Joey..."

Without waiting for her to finish, I moved around her again. "I've made my choice. Don't try to take that choice away from me..."

"You fool!"

Suddenly Kallen's hand was wrapped around my wrist. As she forcefully pulled me backward, my feet skid along the icy pavement. I got ahold of my footing long enough to not fall flat on my butt, but by that time, Kallen was raising her fists.

"What do you know about suffering?" she asked, her first punch barely missing. "You're nothing but a pompous, spoiled brat!

I started to say that she was talking about Kaiba and not me, but that was when her second punch connected with my jaw. "Gah!" Man! This girl can really pack a punch when she wants to.

She sent another blow to the back of my skull before following up to an elbow to my chin. After that she smacked me across the face and simultaneously sent a flurry of punches to my gut. I didn't stand a chance.

"Furthermore, what makes you think seeing you is what she wants?" Kallen growled ferociously, sweeping my feet from underneath me after yanking the gun out of my hand.

With a yelp I hit the pavement. "Gah! O-okay! Enough with the hitting already."

Glaring down at me, she scoffed haughtily. "Already begging for mercy? Not only are you selfish but you're pathetic too."

"There goes another blow to my pride," I thought, rising into a sitting position. With the back of my sleeve I wiped away the blood leaking from the corner of my mouth.

Kallen watched me for a few seconds, looking somewhat remorseful for the shabby shape she just put me in. I decided to smile for her to alleviate whatever guilt she felt.

"Don't look at me like that. You've beaten me up pretty good, but I've been through plenty worse than this."

The guilt shed itself from her eyes at my words, and I was glad for that. No need to make anyone else feel badly today.

After tapping on the window to let Bruce know we were done talking, Kallen turned on her heel. I thought she'd walk straight to her car, but instead she stopped and simply stood motionless for a minute.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rising shakily to my feet.

My voice must have shaken her out of it because she immediately replied with, "Beating you down a peg just now...that was for Zero."

"Huh?"

I caught a glimpse of her smiling. "Nothing. Get back in the car. I'm going to follow you both back to the Kaiba Estate and then I'll go see about Mina myself. But you know..." she paused for a second, "...I bet she's already saved herself. You really shouldn't worry so much."

"Maybe," I whispered, staring down at my feet. "Still..."

"Still..."

Minako Aino whispers this to herself as she and Bakura arrive outside the door to the apartment she chose for their temporary headquarters. It is a familiar place, one she visited just one week ago. It is also an ironic location housing many of her old memories. Everything about the place reminded her of something from the past.

The weak part of her was still trying to survive it seemed.

It didn't matter, as far as Mina was concerned, for now that part of her was serving a purpose.

"Tomorrow night will be our best chance," Bakura stated as Mina opened the door to reveal the dark interior. He started to walk in, but the girl stopped him.

"What is it?"

"There's an additional part of our deal I need you to deliver on right now," she explained.

Bakura sneered at her, looking a little exasperated. "Oh, is there? And you didn't inform me earlier because..."

His stomach growled before he could finish, thus eliminating whatever method of intimidation he had been about to implement upon the blonde before him. In response to the sound, Mina moaned softly in resignation. "There's no food here. Go get us some."

The evil spirit of the ring almost let out another growl. "Our arrangement doesn't give you permission to order me around."

Walking into the apartment, Mina stretched her arms over her head. "I'm not going out again until tomorrow night. That means it's up to you to supply us with food. Besides that...I would like an hour or two alone here before we draft a plan."

"You've got to be joking."

"I am not," she replied, sounding quite winded. "I need time alone. Please. Go buy or steal some food. I don't care if you have to ransack the other apartments. Just go."

Bakura scoffed. "Fine. Since you're begging me to, I will comply. However, if you take that tone with me again, I will throw you into the Shadow Realm...and there you won't be able to talk your way out of torture."

Mina nodded, barely paying attention. "Duly noted. Oh, and get some candles too. The electricity has been shut off, but the water runs fine."

With that said, Bakura grumpily departed, closing the door softly behind him, although Mina was sure he would have rather slammed it. Fighting a soft laugh, she slipped out of her shoes before walking further into the main area of the apartment. One week ago she stood in this exact spot and gazed lovingly at the old place with tears in her eyes.

She remembered falling to her knees and crying for a good long while. The memory prompted an irritable huff.

Seeing things differently now, Mina unbuttoned the stained Ashford blazer and tossed it on the nearby couch before making her way to the curtains covering the window. With a subdued smile on her face, she pulled them back to allow the light of the outside world to illuminate the space. Once this was done, she made her way to the bathroom in order to wash off the blood covering her skin.

For now, she was alone and in the safety of her old home.

Entering the bathroom clad in a white t-shirt and black slacks, Mina turned on the sink and went about rinsing her face. Thankfully she had left some of her toiletries behind the last time she was there.

Grabbing a face soap bar out of the cabinet and hand towel, she lathered up the soap and once more went about cleaning the blood off her face. It was an easy, silent process. Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat.

She did what she could to avoid looking at her reflection while doing this, only focusing on the dried blood splotches.

However, at the fifth rinse...she caught a glimpse of her own eyes in the mirror.

She dropped the soap in the sink, a silent gasp on her lips as she took a step back.

"My eyes," she wondered silently. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

Mina couldn't place what it was in that moment. She stared for a while, looking for what was wrong, but couldn't really piece it together. After another half a minute of staring, she decided it wasn't important. Turning off the sink, she dried her face.

It wouldn't dawn on her until much later, but Mina had lost something precious.

Once her heart was as pure and valuable as gold. A spirit of vitality shined in her sapphire eyes. When transformed into the senshi of love, she glowed with radiance.

Now that heart is tainted; therefore, it has lost all value. There is nothing beyond those aged sapphire pools. When she transforms once more...she will no longer glow. Instead, she will simply be a soldier with supernatural powers...

And the name of Sailor Venus will be a meaningless masquerade.

When this truth finally dawns on her, Minako Aino will be forced to mine through the coal in order to find her heart of gold again.

A/N: That ends this chapter! Thanks for reading and stay tuned. The next one is one I've been waiting to write for a very long time. It's going to be a fun one. You won't want to miss it. Mina and Bakura are on the hunt for revenge. What will happen? Tune in next time to find out.