REAL-LIFE INTRUSION: Unfortunately, 2020 has not been kind thus far. On 3 January, 3 days before my (and Hotaru Tomoe's) birthday, my younger brother died of heart failure. You can imagine that I wasn't in the mood to write for a long time after that. Since then, I've been pushing through my final semester of classes, and then...coronavirus takes away my spring break trip to South America. Well, life does go on. And writing this story does bring me some happiness! I'm glad that I was able to get back to this after three months! Thanks for your patience and support!

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is property of Naoko Takeuchi, Viz Media, Toei Animation. I'm just a fan.

NAMES: Every main character in this story has a parallel to the characters that you know and love (Olugbeja::Mamorou; Galing::Ami; Wicapiwakan/Wika::Rei; Madeira/Madi::Makoto; Etoiledor/E.B.::Minako) Look up their names in their native languages and you'll see the connection.


Act XII: Mastermind

Guys, I love my smartphone so much! I could play with it all day! Unfortunately, our enemies know that lots of people will do the same thing! Now we have to go to the USA in order to stop the next scheme. Is Rubioro Zaualpite the main man of their operation? If so, I'm glad that we have our own genius in Galing to deal with him! It's a battle of the brains, and the Dark Kingdom knows that we're here to punish them!

Part 1: Rubioro Zaualpite

The thin man leaned back in the comfortable leather chair. Crossing one leg over the other, his light brown eyes surveyed the faces around the long oak table. His gaze fell on a dreadlocked woman to his left. His soft voice gave the command:

"Give me the report."

"Yes, sir," came the reply. She touched the screen in front of her and graphs appeared on everyone's monitors. "As you can see, in the past week our Japan-focused 'Pet Store Perfume' brand has skyrocketed in popularity. This exclusively has to do with the popularity of the Cuddle Buddies app. It started the month barely in the top 500 globally, but since the upgrade, it's the most downloaded phone game on the market!"

The boss nodded. "And the 'upgrade' that you're talking about…"

"Of course, it's the software that you brought to us!" a blonde, bespectacled man flanking the woman interrupted. "Once we reprogrammed it using the...Sha..Sha…"

"Chanela?"

"That's it! Once we started using that software, the game just became...addictive!

The man at the head of the table smiled at the crowd. "Software or not, you are the creative team. It was you guys who came up with Cuddle Buddies in the first place. I just gave it a...little kick."

A young woman with a blue and burgundy pixie cut jumped in. "Sir, that 'little kick' was a virtuoso performance! Setting background light patterns to stimulate the olfactory system? Causing people to sense a sweet smell while playing with their pets? That software is unbelievable! I mean, I worked really hard on the designs to make the fur and the eyes look as real as possible...but to think that people just want to stare at the screen and stroke a virtual pet non-stop? This is...amazing!" She threw up her hands and looked around the table. "I can't believe it! How did we pull this off?"

"Dumb luck?" one programmer offered.

"Right place, right time, baby!" the music mixer countered.

"Filling a niche," the marketing expert concluded. "It's been a while since any type of virtual pet has been popular. The quality of our product, the added mini games, plus the potency of the software, made this the perfect winner. It's killing in Japan and even starting to slowly spread around the globe!" He looked to the man at the head of the table. "Not often that the C.E.O. is also the best software developer and programmer at the company!"

"Yeah!" the game dev chimed in. "Your business card should just read, 'Rubioro Zaualpite: Genius!'"

Rubioro laughed softly and flipped the blonde-dyed rat-to-ponytail extending from his fauxhawk fade. "Such a compliment...that's only fit for a queen."

The gathered team exchanged puzzled looks. "Is...is that a hint to your next 'secret project?'" the dreadlocked woman asked.

"Oh, I'd love to come down to the basement and see what you're working on!" the burgundy-and-blue-haired graphic artist squealed.

"I assure you all," Rubioro said, "when we truly reach the unconquered heights of technology and develop something that will change the world...you will be the first to know!" He uncrossed his legs, stood up, and straightened his black business suit. "Now, let's not slack off just because it's Friday! End the week strong!" He turned to the first woman and flashed a mischievous smile. "And, yes...I do have some secret projects to work on today...five of them if things go as planned!"


Dear readers, we here at the Negaverse have dedicated our time to keeping you safe and informed in the face of numerous threats in the Tokyo area. Today, it is with regret that we must add one more to the list…

Technology.

Technology has become a staple in all of our lives, almost mundane in its ubiquity. But despite its centrality and importance, the fact remains that its presence has made it more difficult to connect with our fellow man. At its worst, it actively draws people away from families and communities...and that is what we are dealing with today.

Our founder, Gurio Umino, has abdicated his responsibilities to the Negaverse. For the past week, he has been unable to tear himself from his cell phone. Forgoing food and hygiene, this one-time seeker of justice has become another drone, chasing electric fantasies.

We here at the Negaverse will continue to do our jobs, keeping you informed of the mysterious underworkings of Tokyo. We ask that you watch over your loved ones and keep them from becoming slaves to the terror of technology.

Galing leaned back in the chair as she finished reading the editorial. Beside her, Luna let out a sigh. "So, Mr. Umino is a victim as well? This scheme is one of their worst yet!"

Galing rubbed the soft cast on her still-sore arm. "I don't mean to challenge your expertise, but I've seen a lot of fads come and go in recent years. Are we sure that this is an energy-stealing scheme?"

Luna shook her head. "The addiction is too intense to compare to some app where you go around and catch little monsters. All over Tokyo there are stories of near-accidents, people missing trains and flights…"

"Not to mention what Madi told us," Artemis butted in from the adjacent control panel. "She's got kids who weren't being picked up, as well as kids who weren't noticing that they weren't being picked up!" He looked over to the Aussie. "And you haven't noticed a change in your kids?"

Galing bit her lip. "Well...I guess that they have been paying a little less attention. But I had just chalked it up to restlessness." She sat up straight. "To tell you the truth, I really wait for you to let us know what the current threats are. Maybe I've lost a little edge."

"Don't beat yourself up," Artemis answered. "Managing these new attack waves while dealing with threats firsthand, plus international travel? It's thrown us all off." He cast his gaze to the comfy couch just recently added to the lair. "Right, E.B.?"

Etoiledor, lost in thought, didn't respond.

"Uhh...E.B.?"

Still no movement.

"Etoiledor, are you alright?" came Luna's concerned voice.

The Parisian snapped to attention. "Oh! Excuse me! What were you saying?"

"We were talking about Madi and her kids? The phones?" Artemis said.

"Oh yeah!" Etoiledor pulled out her phone and came to the latest message. She let out a small laugh. "I think that she may have found a solution: she threatened to break their phones!"

Galing gave her own small giggle before turning back to the white cat. "If what Luna says is true, then you should have some airtight evidence for us, right? If the current pattern holds, this is the work of the Dark Kingdom's final fighter under Queen Beryl."

"Yeah…" Artemis intonated and elongated. "There's an issue with that. See, I've been doing the normal backtracking, but the results are bringing me five different conclusions, none of them related to Z.O.I. Cyber. It makes no sense. I mean, it has to be them! But I can't connect it!"

"Well, to a degree, it doesn't matter," Luna said. "We'll have to go after Z.O.I. eventually, and the sooner the better. That presumption will have to be enough."

Artemis chuckled. "Aye, aye! Looks like it's time for a briefing."

"We'll get everyone gathered," Luna said. "I'll keep trying to reach Usagi. I haven't been able to contact her today."

"Yeah," Etoiledor absently responded. "She's easily distracted."

Etoiledor's words hung in the air for a few moments...until the quartet came to a chilling realization.

"OH SH-"


"STOP IT! Get off of me, Wika!"

"Then stop fighting me!"

"Hey! Watch your hands! I don't swing that way you know!"

"Usagi, give me that goddamn phone!"

Usagi, on the floor of her bedroom, found herself twisting and flipping, trying anything to free herself from the grip of Wicapiwakan. But, most importantly, she was keeping her phone away from the flaming ofuda in the crazed miko's hand. Remembering a trick that Etoiledor had shown her, Usagi hooked Wika's waist with one leg and simultaneously shoved the opposite shoulder. The momentum caused the two to change positions.

"Ha!" Usagi crowed while on top of her friend. "Betcha didn't expe-" Her triumphant boast was cut short as Wika placed her foot on Usagi's midsection and flipped her upside-down against the wall. With the phone-hand in her grasp, she finished the spell:

"Evil spirit…"

"Wika, NOOO!"

"...be exorcised!"

"What the hell is-?"

Usagi and Wika turned their attention to the door. Standing there with a look of aghast astonishment on her face was Naru. A moment later, Naru's eyes were drawn to the bright blue flame now passing over Usagi's phone. The two would-be wrestlers looked at her with nervous silence.

"Ok, there is a LOT wrong with this picture...but a phone on fire?!

"Magic trick," Wika spat out. "I was trying to show Usagi and she can be...uncooperative."

"Mm-hmm." An unconvinced Naru kept her suspicious stare. She was still not comfortable around Wika, and this scene didn't help in the least. "Usagi? Do you concur?"

Still tail-over-teakettle against the wall, Usagi gave a weak smile. "Well, you know...things happen...sometimes…"

Naru rolled her eyes and turned to leave. "Sometimes, you give me a literal headache!" As Naru slammed the door behind her, Wika hopped up and ripped Usagi off of the wall by the leg. "What the hell have you been doing all day?!"

Usagi returned an angry pout. "Jeez! I was playing a game! And then you barge in, ready to slap me upside the head like I'm some kind of enemy!"

The raven-haired Sioux sat down on the bed and facepalmed herself. "How can you defeat them and then turn right around and fall into their plans?"

"What?"

"Have you talked to Luna today?"

"Well...I think she might have texted earlier…"

Wika quickly scrolled through Usagi's notifications. "Let's try three calls and four texts." She tossed the phone back to Usagi. "And two from Mr. Tuxedo on vacation!"

Usagi opened her messages and read the latest from Luna: "PLEASE tell me that you're not playing Cuddle Buddies!"

Usagi grimaced and let out a sheepish groan.


"So, we're all familiar with the app, right?"

Usagi, red-faced, felt all eyes turn to her. "Look Artemis! We know what's going on! Just get to the point!"

Snickering, Artemis pulled up video of the Cuddle Buddies game. "Well, this is not just some Tamagotchi knockoff. Everything about this character design - the silky fur, the rabbit features, the red eyes, the weird way that people can smell the animal - everything is designed to lock the player in, focusing on taking care of the pet at the expense of everything else."

"And as you can imagine," Luna added, "there is indeed evidence of an energy drain from the app. Though, it's not as perceptible as normal."

Madi raised her hand. "So, why is only Tokyo feeling the effects of the app to the point of obsession? If it's draining energy worldwide, shouldn't we be hearing news about it from all over?"

"We still don't know," Artemis answered. "But, if I were to guess, I'd say that the Dark Kingdom wants us to know that it's them."

"That's a change," Galing said thoughtfully. "What's behind this shift?"

"They're not stupid," Wika interjected. "By this time, they know that we're coming for them. This feels like a challenge."

Usagi brightened. "OK! So...where are we going this time?"

Artemis hit the correct buttons and the screen changed. "This is the headquarters of Z.O.I. Cyber in the east suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. As expected from a global leader of technology, security at this campus is tight. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to access any of their internal info. I've had to rely on government records to get the layout of the area."

"No access to info?" Galing queried. "So, how do we get in?"

"Either find a way to sneak in, or try the old-fashioned way: knock on the front door," Luna offered. "Z.O.I. Cyber does allow walk-in tours, but they are guided, always with an employee." She turned to the girls. "You will have to figure out the best strategy once you're on the ground. Neither option is ideal, but all things being equal, the most important thing is to glean whatever intel that you can from inside the building."

"And no one on this team is better at that than E.B.! Right?"

The group looked over to Etoiledor. Her eyes were down as if she didn't even hear Artemis' boasting. Usagi poked her in the arm. "Etoi-"

Startled, Etoiledor wheeled violently towards Usagi, causing the twin-tailed heroine to jump back. Etoiledor looked around at the concerned faces peering back at her. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, everyone."

"What's got you so stressed out?" Madi asked.

"It's...nothing to worry about right now," Etoiledor answered. "Just something that's been on my mind a lot."

Usagi reached over and rubbed her hand. Etoiledor looked up into a pair of caring blue eyes. "You know that you can talk to us whenever, right?"

The Parisian returned a small smile. "I know. Thanks."

Artemis, looking a little shaken, turned back to the screen. "Ladies, unfortunately, due to the time zone differences, you're gonna have to be ready to teleport at 0300 on Saturday morning. That'll put you in Cleveland at 1400 on Friday afternoon."

Madi laughed. "3 am? I guess I can make it an early night!"

"Maybe early for you…" Wika snarked.

"If I may," Galing asked, getting back on subject, "what do we know about the CEO?"

"Ah, yes!" Artemis exclaimed. He typed some commands and the picture popped up. "This is Rubioro Zaualpite. He started Z.O.I. Cyber five years ago in his dorm room. But it wasn't until two years ago that the company really took off and became a force in the software industry. Since then, they've expanded into hardware, phone apps, electronics, even teaming with theme parks on new ways to design rides. Virtually everything that the company produces was at least conceived by Mr. Zaualpite first. He's probably the top tech innovator in the world right now."

"And because of his intellect and connectedness to all of the Dark Kingdom's schemes, we believe that he is the brains behind the operations." Luna gave the ladies a very serious look. "Stopping him may mean stopping all of the Dark Kingdom's plans!"

"Hmph...skinny guy," Madi chortled. "After Nefrit, this guy looks like a pushover!"

"I guess you're forgetting that Jet is a skinny kid too," Wika reminded her.

"C'mon! I don't think this guy has telekinesis or anything!"

As Wika and Madi argued, Galing stared at the screen. The contours of his face, the conspicuous hairstyle, the tone of his skin...why was she fascinated by this?

"Ooh! Someone has a crush!" Galing looked over to see Usagi with a mischievous look on her face. "We're gonna have a bunch of couples after we're done beating the Dark Kingdom!"

"Usagi, please!" Galing pleaded. "This man is our opponent!"

"Yeah, so were the other two!" Usagi giggled.

"Usagi. Focus, please?"

Usagi sighed. "Yes, my short, furry, mother!"

"Okay everyone!" Artemis shouted over the rising din. "You've got a couple of days. Get some rest and we'll see you back here early Saturday morning!"

As the group made its way to the staircase, Luna beckoned Galing over to the control panel.

"Are you alright? Will you be ok to fight?"

Galing looked at her cast. "I'm good. I don't even need to wear it all day."

Luna nodded. "Good to hear. I have a feeling that the group will be leaning on you for this one. I suspect that Rubioro Zaualpite has outwitted us a couple of times already. Be ready to match him: brain-to-brain."

Galing looked back to the screen. An uneasy excitement washed over her. "I'll find out what's going on."


With a now familiar sensation, the quintet found themselves transported from the teleportation room to their target location. Usagi refused to open her eyes. "We're in another graveyard, aren't we?"

"Actually, it's a flower garden! Beautiful arrangements, marble statues!"

Usagi gasped, leapt to her feet and opened her eyes...coming face-to-face with a large headstone.

"WIKA!"

"Shhh!" Galing admonished. "There's a chapel right over there!"

"C'mon, let's go," Etoiledor said. "We've got to walk over to Euclid Ave to call a ride. It's not too far. So let's try to do this quietly."

As the girls picked themselves up and made their way to the main street, Usagi lingered at the gravesite for a moment. Madi noticed. "Usagi? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said as she looked over the large headstone's jukebox design. "I just...got a weird feeling…"

The group made their way out of the cemetery and stood on the street, waiting for their ride. A savory smell caught Usagi's attention. "WOW! What is that?"

Madi looked around and eventually pointed to a small building. "Looks like a restaurant over there. 'Soul Food.'"

Squirming, Usagi began to beg, "Ooooh! Can we-?"

"Usagi! You just ate before you left!" Luna interrupted over the comms. "Honestly! How do you maintain that tiny figure?"

After a few moments, their rideshare arrived and whisked them away towards the east suburbs. On the way, Madi showed Usagi something on her phone: "Hey, that headstone near where we arrived? That guy was pretty famous!" She showed the article to Usagi, who furrowed her brow.

"...'King of the Moondoggers?'"

After about 30 minutes, the ladies found themselves dropped off at the corner of Highland and S.O.M. Center Rd, about a quarter of a mile from the entrance to Z.O.I. Cyber. Although it wasn't the biggest campus, the architecture and auxiliary stations made it obvious that this was a hub for cutting-edge technology. As the girls began to walk and visually scout the area, talk turned to strategies for getting inside.

Galing was looking at public maps on her phone. "Part of the campus is backed up against the interstate. Perhaps we can try over there."

"Well, I think that we should take a look around the perimeter fence first," Wika countered. "We haven't seen this place with our own eyes yet."

"But I'm pretty sure that they'll have cameras all around," Etoiledor said. "Honestly, I think that the direct route may be best."

"And...what if we're...invited?"

The group went silent and turned to Madi after her strange statement. The towering Brazilian pointed. Just inside the corner of the campus was a post with a large HD screen on it. Advertisements for Z.O.I. products and innovations were playing over the majority of it, but a crawl at the bottom was looping a message: "Welcome, guardians!"

The girls stood frozen for a moment before Usagi broke the silence: "What's it say?"

"Girls, what's going on?"

"No need to worry about sneaking around now, Artemis," Etoiledor answered. "We're heading in the front door."

The group walked up to the corner. The scroll changed: "I've had my eye on you all for a while." At that moment, the advertisements switched off. The girls' hearts skipped a collective beat as they were now seeing recorded footage of some of their battles! Osa-P, the demon trains, the Jade House, Never Right Fitness...

"How did they get this?" Etoiledor demanded.

"'All in good time, my little pretty. All in good time.' But right now, I have a message for the doctor:" Everyone turned to look at Galing. Her eyes focused as the screen changed and a new type of message appeared:

Double what's down from Booker T's band
Triple what's down from a stinger
Fill Lake Togo four times
Give me dos yesses in 3 and-a-half breaths
Smooth the antigens
Start the cheer for Io
...who am I?

As the group stood completely dumbfounded, Galing took a picture of the screen. Shortly thereafter, the advertisements returned, as did the scroll: "Please proceed to the front gate."

"What...the...hell...was...that?" Madi asked no one in particular.

Galing began to search on her phone. "I have a feeling that I know where he's going with this...but I need some more info."

Wika had her own assessment of the situation: "This...has to be a trap!"

Etoiledor nodded in agreement. "Everyone...stay sharp," Artemis cautioned over the comms. "We don't know what he's planning."

The five young ladies walked to the main entrance. They were greeted by a security guard who gave them a smile. "Good afternoon! If you're here for a tour, I'm sorry but it's a little too late. No tours on Fridays after…"

"I've got this! I've got this!" a voice came from behind the guard. Running up the sidewalk was a short woman, colorfully dressed, sporting a burgundy-and-blue pixie cut. She opened the gate from the inside and approached the group. "These five have a special scheduled tour!" The guard nodded and stepped to the side. The bubbly worker beamed at the group. "So you're the visitors that the boss was telling me about! You guys must be super special to be getting this treatment!"

"We're something, alright," Wika said under her breath. Madi elbowed her in the side.

The worker pulled out five badges, each with a different color. "He told me that you'd know who got which one," she said. With a knowing dread, the girls each took the badge that corresponded to the primary color of their senshi uniform. The worker looked at Galing and smiled. "And he attached an earpiece to yours! I'm guessing that he wants to talk to you in secret?"

Galing pulled the earpiece off of her badge and looked at it. "Do you have any idea why he would want to do that?"

The worker laughed. "From what I've heard, you guys know more about his secret projects than I do! You tell me!" She gestured towards the gate. "Come on in! Welcome to Z.O.I. Cyber!"

The visitors attached their badges (and earpiece) and followed their hostess. Before moving, Usagi perked up, speaking in her native tongue. "Hey! Are you...Japanese?"

The girl wheeled around and answered in kind. "Yes! My mom is from Kyoto!" She gave a playful bow. "I'm Iguara! Lead graphic artist for the Pet Shop Perfume brand!" Iguara led the girls through the gate and began pointing. "Over by the interstate is our robotics lab, and further back, beyond this parking lot is our hotel-slash-conference center. But your tour is a top-to-bottom sweep of the main building…" She looked back with a glint in her eye. "...and then down to the sub-basement levels!"

As they continued towards the front door the nerves began to build within the girls. They took in the impressive exterior design: sweeping curves of steel and sharp angles of glass made the building look like a 3-D graphing program gone berserk. The walkway, made of asphalt from recycled glass, shimmered as they walked across. A certain pattern in the decor of the walkway caught Galing's attention: "Astroids."

"Yes...that shape holds significant meaning to me."

Galing took a sharp deep breath as the soft voice came through her earpiece. The other four looked back at her. She nodded silently. As the group moved forward, she hung back a few steps behind, splitting her attention between her internet searching and her conversation.

The voice continued: "No doubt you've seen it before. Your observational and analytical skills are quite sharp."

"The same shape was in the logos of the Jade House and Never Right Fitness," she answered softly. "The connection is obvious, Rubioro."

Rubioro laughed. "First-name basis already? Aren't you feeling comfortable?" The group entered the building. The inside was bright and open, having a very collegiate feel. Spiral staircases, awnings, catwalks, and glass facades showed off the bustling energy of the company. The tour entered an elevator, riding to the top floor, where experiments with machine learning were going on. Dozens of programmers typing furiously was boring to most of the girls, but Galing became so interested that she didn't even hear the guide's spiel. "Enjoying this, aren't you?"

Galing shook her head. "I'm...fine, thank you!" She looked at the back of Iguara's head. "And what of your lackey? Will she be attacking us soon?"

"Por favor! She's just a talented artist fresh from design school. I was happy to give her a chance to succeed." As the group transitioned to the fourth floor - application development - Iguara's excitement hit a fever pitch. She spoke passionately about current and upcoming projects while practically dancing through the workspaces. "You see...this is what Z.O.I. Cyber is about, hermosa. Making dreams come true. Reaching new heights. Changing the world."

The group headed down the escalator to the third and second floors, where the bulk of the software development took place. "And, what does this new world look like to you?" Galing asked.

"Oh...much like today's world. But with a newfound respect for those that work to protect it." A light chuckle. "More directly, it's rightful ruler."

"Queen Beryl?!"

The snippy response caused the entire group to look back at her. Iguara looked confused. "Uhh...I've never heard of that company. But...we might be working with them in the future!" She continued with the tour as Etoiledor gave Galing a perturbed look. Galing shrugged her shoulders.

The tour finally made it back to the first floor where most of the office work was done. Rubioro continued: "Do you know why I gave this earpiece to you?"

"I suspect that, like the badges, you're monitoring us...measuring us...and you wanted to 'test' me somehow by talking to me."

"All of our badges measure breathing and heart rate. We're moving into mobile medical technology, after all." His voice changed. "Doesn't that interest you?"

Galing answered cautiously: "What do you mean?"

"Look at those four girls you're with: they each have their strengths - I know, I've seen them - but...can any of them truly appreciate how unique you are? How rare and sublime your mind is?"

"I am very appreciated, thank you!" Galing said through clenched teeth. "And there is more than appreciation here. These are my friends! It'll take more than a few cool projects to break our bonds!"

"Hm...so...with that said...how should I feel about you taking my brothers away from me?" The words were so heavy that Galing failed to realize that the group was ending the main tour. They made their way into a back room to the entrance of a secret elevator. The five visitors stepped inside, trying their best not to show their nervousness to their oblivious tour guide.

"It's been awesome to show you guys around! But now I think that you're going to get to see some totally awesome stuff! Have fun!" She pressed the intercom next to the elevator. "They're all yours boss!" The elevator dinged and the doors slid shut.

Twenty seconds passed...and nothing happened.

"Did he do all that just to stick us in an elevator?" Wika asked.

Etoiledor shook her head. "No...he has something planned."

"Indeed," Rubioro's voice came over the speaker. "I have a lot to show you, but...you can't go anywhere until you give me the password."

"Qwerty!" Usagi shouted out. The girls stared at her. "What?! It's like the most common password!"

Rubioro chucked over the speaker. "That was actually very logical reasoning for a shot in the dark! Not bad for the dullard of the group!"

"HEY! Who are you call-?"

"But I think that Ms...Galing...has the correct answer. Am I right? If so, then tell me: who am I?"

Everyone's attention turned to the curly-haired Aussie. She took a cleansing breath:

"...Zoisite."

Instantaneously the elevator began to move. The floor indicator changed to 'B', then 'SB', then 'SB2', then...after a while...and a while more…'SBZ'.

The doors opened and the girls walked out into a wide open space. It looked like an enormous empty warehouse, but the girls couldn't make out walls on any side. The ceiling was at least 300 feet high, lined with just enough focused light to give their immediate area an eerie glow. "Wow...this would be a good supervillain hideout!" Usagi mused.

"Hey Galing, not that it's really important," Wika started, "but...how did you solve that riddle?"

"Well, the 'who am I?' let me know that he wanted me to figure out his name. The other two gentlemen that we've faced had the names of minerals, so I figured that he'd follow suit. That meant that the given clues were most likely to reveal the chemical composition of the mineral in question. I looked up 'Booker T band' and found the answer was the M.G.'s. One down from magnesium on the periodic table is calcium, which doubled is Ca2. Down from a bee - boron - times three is aluminum, Al3. The Sio river in Togo fills Lake Togo, giving SiO4. A breath gives you oxygen, O2, times 3.5 is O7. Type O blood has no antigens. And the cheer is not for Jupiter's moon Io, it's the last part of a college cheer, the first part being, 'O-H.' Put it together and you get Ca2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH), the chemical composition of zoisite."

While her team stood flabbergasted and impressed, the sound of a golf clap filled the air from seemingly every direction. "Excellent! I knew that I could count on you! You have allowed your team to pass the preliminaries! So...how about we move on to the real game?"

From under their feet, loud mechanical thunks were accompanied by a vibrating ground. Suddenly, the elevator began to move away from them. It was only after a few harrowing moments that they realized that the floor was moving. The girls cried out in terror and began to reach for their transformation devices. "Calm down! You're not in danger!" came Zoisite's voice. The shaking beneath them stopped, but another unbelievable sight revealed itself:

Accompanied by clanking and whirring, a metal wall emerged from the ground directly in front of them. When all sound ceased, the massive structure was at least 100 feet high and stretched laterally into the darkness.

"Imagine: you go to an amusement park and enter a maze, but depending on the path that you take, the maze reconfigures itself!" On cue, the metal wall in front of them split into panels and shifted around, finally creating three openings. "Think of the possibilities for entertainment! Choose your own story, a fully interactive escape adventure, the raid of an ancient temple, a test of intellect…" He paused. "Naturally, that last one is my favorite!" The walls moved again, this time creating a wide slab in front of them. In an instant, the slab became a screen as the man of the hour, Zoisite, appeared. He was wearing the same suit from earlier that day and sitting in a comfortable leather chair. "Welcome to the testbed for our new immersive virtual reality project!" He gave a wicked smile. "I do look forward to your feedback!"

"Girls, be very careful!" Luna pleaded over the comms. "This situation is extremely dangerous!"

"Thank you!" Zoisite exclaimed. "I was close to identifying the wavelength of your communications! Now…" He typed a few keystrokes on the keyboard on his desk. Etoiledor's hand immediately went to her ear. "Artemis? Luna?" There was no response...and none of the girls could hear Etoiledor's voice through their devices either.

"There will be no coaching from the peanut gallery today. At this moment, it's my intellect versus yours!"

Usagi was close to panicking. The fights with Jadeite and Nephrite were scary in their own ways. But this? This felt a lot like their tangle with Queen Beryl. This was his domain, and they were playing by his rules. If he got them in his clutches, they had no backup. How were they gonna win? A strong hand touched her shoulder. "We're gonna get through this!" Madi reassured her.

"So, what do you want us to do, dungeon-master?" Etoiledor asked cheekily.

"First, smart-ass, transform into your alter-egos. Then we'll move to the next step."

The girls pulled out their pins and brooches. They each took a moment to compose themselves, then let loose with their cries:

"Mercury power…"

"Mars power…"

"Jupiter power…"

"Venus power…"

"Moon Prism power…"

"MAKE…UP!"

In a brilliant flash that lit up the entire sub-basement Z level, the sailor senshi revealed themselves. They cast their collective gaze at the screen in front of them...and were greeted with a warm smile. "I was waiting to see that in person! Very impressive!"

"No more talking!" Sailor Venus demanded. "What's next?"

"Patience, patience! We're about to begin. But first, know this: every game has a rule. Break those rules and you will be punished. Oh, and the alloys and polymers that these walls are made of are waterproof, fireproof, reflective, and non-conductive, on top of being strong enough to withstand major impacts. So I wouldn't waste your powers or muscles on trying to escape. Defeat me, using only your brain power, and I will let you walk out."

The senshi glanced at each other. They could all feel it: they were up against a much different beast this time. Without Luna and Artemis' help and with the (supposed) uselessness of their powers, their anxiety was through the roof. However, as always, there was one thing that gave them courage.

"We're in this together!" The other senshi looked back at Sailor Moon. She didn't look confident or comfortable, but she did look like she meant what she said. The others nodded and looked back towards the massive screen.

"Touching," Zoisite said with a smile. "Ladies...you may enter!" The projection disappeared and the wall pulled in two directions, creating an opening. From the newly formed crack, a golden light shone through.

The five warriors, dressed for battle, stepped over the threshold.


Don't go anywhere! (Not like you could anyway…) The Radiant Sailor Moon returns shortly!

[Go to YouTube and search "The Radiant Sailor Moon" for access to Etoiledor's Playlist! Did you catch the lyrical allusion from this chapter's title? (It might be in the next part…)]