Um...hey everyone.

I guess, I should feel a little ashamed because of how long it's been. Pretty sad right? But I figured I'd take 2021 as a time to start back up again. 2020 had a lot of issues for me, and made me go through some trials and tribulations, but I'm glad I could find the time to just come back and write like I use to. I want to get into the grove of uploading a chapter a couple times a month for this, and my other stuff. After all these stories are done, I might just retire from Fanfiction, but who knows.

Anyway, it's been a minute and I've been gone for a while but I'm glad to be back! So let's continue with where we left off (if you guys could remember lol)

REMINDER: For anyone curious about what inspired this story, check out the artist's Tumblr, tiggersmoke and her cute picture of Superman and Sailor Moon.

DISCLIAMER: I OWN NOTHING. Superman and Sailor Moon (and other characters) belong to their respected creators and NOT ME. Please support these characters and their official releases.

Chapter 11: Meteorite

"So now, on to are more pressing topic; Superman."

"Oh, man, I know where this is going."

"For sure. I think the three of us should really discuss whether the big blue Boy Scout should stay in the humble little city of Juban. I mean, let's really think about it here in the round table."

Okay, personally, I think he should stay here. I mean, look at everything that's been happening in this town. Missing people, rumored monsters, the whole damn invasion. Superman saved us from the biggest tragedy we could imagine."

"Yes, but let's also consider that those things only seemed to start happening right after Superman appeared. In fact, ever since Superman came to Juban, things have only escalated to a level beyond our own urban legends like Sailor V, or these rumored other Sailor V-like people."

"So, what, you're saying Superman should just up-in leave for things to get better?"

"Yeah, it's not like him leaving will stop the bad things happening around here."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you both, but think about how his absence will lessen our struggles. These aliens are attracted to Superman like a parasite to a human body. He's the sole reason for that invasion. There was a similar orb that floated over Metropolis that Superman had to fight."

"Okay, I gotta give it to you there, but that doesn't mean that we should kick him outta the city for saving our lives."

"I'm not saying to kick him out for that, I'm only looking out for our own small city. He wants to take on giant aliens, he can do that in his neck of the woods. Leave Juban out of it. "

"But whatever brought him here, of all places, means something is brewing under the surface that gives him a reason to be here."

"That is true."

"Well, whatever the reason, we suffer because of it. Would you feel comfortable telling a grieving family, who just lost their child during this invasion, that Superman should stay?"

"I-I don't—"

"Because, I wasn't. I spoke to a woman who lost her own child at the hands of collateral; caused by Superman fighting that monster in the streets. Not everyone was able to evacuate in time, and some people even lost their lives in the midst of the chaos…including a mother, who watched her child be crushed by falling debris, from Superman and that yellow alien banging fist at each other. The desperation in her tone, those tears…I don't want to have to see that again. Not to another parent."

"Alright, we're gonna cut it for a commercial break. Let us know what you think; Must there be a Superman in Juban? You think he should stay as a hero for our little town, or should he be forced to leave us? And what of the new rumors of Supergirl also coming here? All that n' more when we return."

Ami had heard enough from the podcast. She ripped the headphones from her ears and tried to continue on to school without any more distractions. The sounds of cars driving by as they hit the shopping district of Juban could only do so much to keep herself from getting agitated.

"How bad is it?"

Ami looked up towards the newest member of the Sailor Scouts that had plenty of height over her. Makoto looked just as anxious as Ami did.

"It's certainly not good." Ami confessed. "At this rate, I worry Superman's reputation in Juban will continue to tank. I'm worried for him."

"Don't be. I'm sure he'll manage." Said Luna, who jumped, amazingly, jumped onto Makoto's shoulders from the ground with ease. "Superman is no stranger to people misjudging him. As I recall, that was what he dealt with at the beginning of his career."

"Yeah, I remember that." Makoto recalled with an annoyed tone. "Bunch of morons called him a monster or a god. Anything he did was under a microscope. It was a real mess."

"But now it's all come back full circle." Ami said.

"All we can do now is stop the Dark Kingdom from taking the other Rainbow Crystals." Luna said. "As Nephrite said, they have two already. It's only a matter of time before they acquire the rest."

Ami feared that the most. If what Nephrite said was true, then there were only five crystals left for them to steal. The anxiety of what could happen if they get all of them was too much to bear. She needed to be on her toes for any sign of the Dark Kingdom. Where ever they were, that was where the next Rainbow Crystal was bound to be. She couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Hey! Ami!"

Ami's fear came to light as she suddenly heard her name be called. Before she could say anything in response, she looked up just in time to see something hurtling down towards her. It all happened so fast, that she could've sworn it was a dream. She felt her body tackled by something heavy and throwing her towards the ground. The next thing she heard was something large and metallic slam to the ground with a loud clang that sent the surrounding civilians into a frightened frenzy for a moment.

Ami slowly regained her right mind, only to find that Makoto's arms wrapped around her, lying on the ground.

"M-Makoto-san!" Ami called.

Makoto released her embrace, allowing Ami to sit up and see her friend had been injured in the fall. Makoto slowly got up, clutching her shoulder in pain. Ami was concerned to see Makoto's sleeve was ripped open, revealing a bloody scrape on her shoulder. She happened to peer over towards what fell; a large piece of I-beam.

"I'm alright…" Makoto assured her. "…I've had worse scrapes."

"That was too close." Luna said, joining the two of them. "Ami, what were you thinking walking into the path of an active construction site?"

"I did? I'm sorry, I just…was…"

At that moment, Ami's words divulged into thought. The mention of a construction site suddenly triggered a memory that she almost forgot about. But it was when Luna mentioned the construction site that she recalled what her classmate, Ryo, had said to her; 'watch out for construction sights.' (refer to chapter 7) It all seemed far too coincidental.

"Ami?" Makoto asked.

Ami looked up to find Makoto offer a hand to help her up. She graciously took it and grabbed her bag off the ground, as well as Makoto's.

"O-Oh, thank you, Makoto-san." Ami said. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry."

"Are you sure?" Makoto asked, concerned.

"Yes. Maybe I'm just a little tired." Ami said. "But I'll be alright. I'll probably take it easy once school lets out."

Makoto and Luna were still worried for their fellow scout. Makoto was not too familiar with Ami's personality, and wondered if she really was alright. Still, she figured if Ami did not tell her, then it could not have been that big of a problem.

"Okay…well, me and Luna gotta go this way." Makoto said, referring to the path that led to Rei's shine.

Ami recalled there being a small team meeting of the two newest Sailor Scouts to get them up to speed.

"Of course." Ami waved with a convincing smile. "I hope to see you all later."

Makoto nodded, and the two went their separate ways. Ami may have said her goodbyes in a nonchalant manner, but on the inside, she was deeply concerned over being so easily distracted. That could have costed her life had Makoto not been there to save her. She hated feeling so detached from the moment. It was unbecoming of her as the team's genius to let herself be so heavily troubled. Ami figured it was best to quench some of the thirst for information, one bit at a time. And there was no better place to start than with Ryo and his warning.

Clark, earlier in his career as a hero for the world, had to deal with plenty of controversy. He believed that one day the world would have accepted him as a welcomed member of humanity. How foolish of him to assume such a dream.

Nothing made that any clearer than his daily route to work as a reporter, and happening upon a very gruesome sight to his character.

He, and a crowd of other Juban residents all stopped and stared at the destruction that befell the city. Buildings damaged, cranes needed to fix structures, certain roads being worked on; making their morning commutes a nightmare, and the amount of people who suffered from the battle were in the low 30s with only at least five of them being casualties. Needless to say, the battle shook all of Juban to its core, even a whole three days later.

"My god, this use to be a shop that belonged to that old woman…" One of the civilians muttered to another.

"She owned this place for over a decade, and now look at it…"

"I hear she's in critical care. I feel so bad for her family."

"Where the hell was Superman to save her? So much for being a 'grand hero' n' all."

"Seriously. He should be ashamed of himself for letting all this happen."

Clark had seen and heard enough. He quickly walked away from the scene, and down the road towards Juban Daily Planet; trying his best to make his way to the building as dark clouds began to form above.

Despite him not wanting to hear it, he couldn't deny the words of the civilians of Juban. It was their town, and they had a right to be critical. Their city was relatively quiet before Superman began to appear. There was most likely the occasional robber or commotion that involved the authorities and the occasional Sailor V, but that wasn't the case anymore. Now there were monsters, aliens, and destruction around the corner.

But it didn't stop at that small gathering of people and the podcasts. The reporter could practically hear his recent battle had shook the town's perception of the Man of Steel.

As he turned the corner towards the main shopping district of Juban, he saw the full extent reprehension towards him. He had walked onto a small crowd of people in the middle of the road; yelling and holding up signs that all read of something in his past; hate, negativity, Earth's regret in letting him stay on Earth, God hates aliens, etc. Chants rang through the damaged city and toppled-over cars— "No More Aliens! No More Aliens! Go Home! Go Home! Go Home! Go Home!"

Those hurtful words had forced him to recollect the horrors of man towards him. Those first two years…those dreadful first two years of his career as a hero. People couldn't understand him, nor did they want to. They could not see that he was just a guy trying to do the right thing.

Just then, his phone rang in his pocket. He almost ignored it in the face of the protestors, until he finally relented to answering it.

"Hello?" Clark said, trying his best to put pep in his voice.

"Clark…are you okay, honey?"

"Lois…" Clark said, quickly moving away from the crowd and into an alley. "I'm sorry I made you so worried about me…"

"Hey, that's my job. How're you?"

"I'll be alright. I just wished I could've prevented this from escalating to where it did."

"Well, what were you supposed to do? Let 'em die? Do they not know about the threats that come gunning for Earth every day?"

"It's not about Earth, Lois. It's about them. Their city was attacked by an alien linked directly to me. Because it was one of my messes, I'm the one who has to shoulder the blame…and I can't blame them."

"It's only because they had no idea about that Dark Kingdom bullcrap—"

"Which was led by Brainiac, of all people." Clark reminded.

"O-Okay, yeah, that may have been one from your dance card, but that still doesn't mean you should be lambasted like this. It's all over the internet about how Superman was the reason for Juban's catastrophe. "

"I'm sure the people back home aren't taking that sitting down."

"You better believe it. Metropolitans are calling out Juban for being 'spineless,' that 'they should be so lucky to have the Man of Steel as their personal hero.' They're a little confused but hey, at least they got the spirit."

"But not the spirit I want them to have. The last thing I need is a rivalry between cities. You know how competitive Metropolis people can get."

"Ugh! If I have to hear about the Metropolis Meteors beating the Gotham Knights to the playoffs one more time, I swear I'll—"

BOOM

The sound that startled Clark into fight-or-flight mode. He heard it first with his super hearing as it flew into the Earth's atmosphere. He judged its diameter, along with its wind pressure. He immediately determined three minutes before impact. He looked up just in time to see its tiny speck from high above. No time to get a good look with his supervision. It was time for action.

"I'll call you back, honey. Trouble's brewing. Love you." Clark said quickly before hanging up the phone.

The protesters seemed to have suddenly been in high spirit, as their chants grew louder and louder. It was almost as though they were mocking Clark without him even being there. He knew they had every right to be angry, but that didn't make it any easier for him to ignore. Nevertheless, he had a job to do. Once again, he ran off into the nearest alley, and stripped his civilian clothes for his true uniform underneath.

School had commenced as usual despite the events that unfolded recently. Many of the students contemplated wanting to come out of their homes after the destruction that befell Juban. Half of the students did just that, while the rest were on edge at every turn.

The teachers could barely focus on teaching, as their minds went to the possibilities of another alien attack, much like the students, who could barely focus on a thing.

The same could be said for Usagi, whose mind was on, not just the attack to the city, but also the realization of just how much she felt she let down her team. She was the leader and she allowed her friends to be trapped and almost killed. It was a burden that weighed heavily on her mind. She wanted to talk to Superman about it but couldn't get a hold of him.

She had been so down, that she didn't want to stay home that day, to the surprise of her mother. She opted to go to school and try to distract herself from her thoughts, but was only reminded of her failure by her peers. Students muttering about the destruction of her city, and how Sailor Moon was nowhere to be seen to protect it. That was the blow that hurt the most.

Her attention came in the form of a hand patting her shoulder, as she realized that class had ended a while ago. She looked up to see Naru standing over her with concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay, Usagi?" She asked.

"O-Oh, yeah, I'm alright!" She said with feigned happiness. "I've never been better! Must've been lost in thought for a while." She looked at her wrist watch and was shocked. "Whoa! Look at the time! Lunch is almost over! Can't miss that!"

"But Usagi—"

"Hey, Y''know what, I'll meet you at our usual hangout!" She said in a hurried tone as she got out of her desk. "I'm sure Umino's already waiting, so I'll see ya!"

Without another word for Naru to get out, Usagi practically sprinted out of the classroom and down the hall. Naru didn't need to examine her very close to know something was wrong. Usagi was a very easy person to figure out. She thought it had to do with the invasion from three days ago. There was possible animosity towards either the alien threat or herself for letting it happen.

All questions went away once she felt her phone in her skirt pocket ring. She looked at the screen and immediately went red in the face at the name. She quickly answered it with a; "Hello?"

"Naru, it's me."

"N-Nephrite!" Naru said giddily, before clearing her throat to sound cooler. "Hey, what's going on? I'm just here; in school. Doin' my school thang, n' all, heh, heh…N-Not that I like school, or anything, or maybe you do, in which case I love school, and stuff, heh heh…So, what's up?"

"I could really use your help. I know you have school to—"

"—YES!" She exclaimed so quickly. "Just tell me where, and when!"

"How about right now?"

Naru's eyes went wide when she heard Nephrite's voice not just from the phone, but right behind her. She quickly whirled around to see the towering man stand there with a warm smile on his beautiful face as his long hair seemed to glow in the sun's light outside the window.

Naru's entire face turned a beat red, and didn't even notice the other students starring at this man's sudden appearance in the classroom.

"Y-You're here…" She said, swooning. But then, reality hit her and forced her to look at the other students starring. "Y-You're here! What're you doing? You can't just show up out of nowhere!"

"Naru, you know that hunk?" One of the girls asked.

"Uh, h-he's my, uh, uh—"

"—I'm a friend of her mother's." Nephrite quickly answered.

"Y-Yeah, a friend of my mother's!" Naru ran with. "S-So, um, what do you need?"

"I'm afraid it's urgent." Nephrite said, "I need to speak to someone…and I could use your help."

Ami took time out from P.E. to think about the events from a while ago. Much like Usagi, Ami couldn't shake the anxiety that built up inside of her.

She had almost died. Not just from the falling construction sight, but from the battle with Zoisite.

That was the first time she had ever come so close to death before. It was an unavoidable fact that all humans will one day die, and Ami, being a girl of logic, understood that very well. But at that moment; as her breathing choked and her body felt numb, she truly realized just how close she came to climbing over that hill towards oblivion.

And if that happened, then who knows what worse events could come next that could push her closer towards the drop of that hill. She had begun to have these thoughts upon that accident from earlier that morning. That I-beam could have crushed her had Makoto not been there.

But what stuck out to Ami was just how on-the-nose Ryo's warning had been about construction sights. It was far too coincidental.

"Um…Mizuno-san?"

Ami looked up from her crouched position to see a face from around the corner. Speak of the Devil, as they say.

"Urawa-kun..."

"Are you okay, Mizuno-san?" Ryo asked. "You asked me to meet you here during P.E."

"I did." Ami confirmed. She quickly got onto her feet and confronted Ryo with a stern expression. "There's something we need to discuss."

"Um…o-okay." Ryo said, nervously.

"Three days ago, on the day we suffered the attack on our city, There was something you said that stuck with me. It was; 'watch out for construction sights', right?"

"Uh, yeah, I did." Ryo nodded. "But I just meant the construction site I saw on my way to school that day."

"I see…except there was no construction being done at all that day." Ami recalled. "Only the one that was today."

Ryo was visibly shaken—a nervous statue with sweat glistening down his temple.

"This morning, while walking to school, an I-beam had gotten loose and almost crushed me."

"O-Oh, my god! Mizuno-san, are you alright?" Ryo asked fearfully.

"I'm fine, don't worry. My friend was able to save me at the last second. But that's not what struck me as odd…"

"What do you…?"

Before the boy could finish his sentence, Ami got closer into his face with an eye of suspicion towards the obviously guilty Ryo. The boy himself couldn't hide his cheeks from going completely red, and averted eye contact.

"You warned me to stay away from construction sights out of nowhere. There was nothing that could have prompted you to do so."

"Um, th-that could've just been a strange coincidence!" Ryo sputtered to say.

"Perhaps, but it seemed far too coincidental." Ami deduced. "It would've made more sense to tell me such a cryptid warning the morning of, as oppose to before."

Ryo could back up no further. He could feel the wall press against him, with Ami being so close to him, that he could practically smell the lavender she used in her hair. It made his face go beat red, as he tried to look away.

Ami noticed his behavior, and quickly realized her position. Her face also went a deep shade of red, as she quickly pulled away from him.

"S-Sorry…!" She said nervously. "I-I didn't…! I wasn't trying to—I-I was…sorry…"

"Oh, n-no, it's fine…" Ryo said timidly.

The two were silent to the far-off sounds of the other kids playing, and the small breeze that went through the bush of trees around them. Neither knew what to say to each other after such an awkward interaction. Ryo simply swallowed his pride, and spoke up again.

"Mizuno-san…there's something I—"

Ryo's words were cut off. Neither were prepared for the sudden eruption right under their feet. It was so sudden, that both thought it was an Earthquake. However, just as suddenly as it happened, it slowly ceased into a stillness. Both Ryo and Ami could hear the other school kids scream in a panic.

"What was that?" Ryo wondered.

"I-I'm not sure…!" Ami replied. But deep down, she had a feeling it was something worth finding Usagi and Luna about. "I'm sorry, Urawa-san, but I need to go!"

"Ah! Mizuno-san!" Ryo called out to.

However, he was too late, as watched Ami take off around the building, and towards the school entrance. He hadn't even gotten the chance to explain himself to her. For, he could already see the horrors that would come to pass very soon.

Naru had almost expected Nephrite to surprise her with a little date around town, not sit in the call room of a maximum-security prison. Whatever business he had there must have been important to pull her out of school for. The troubled look on his face as he and she sat in the visiting room, told her that much.

The two waited for a few more minutes before they heard a loud buzz from the other side of the plexiglass window. A door from the far end of the left had opened, and through it walked two police men, and a prisoner in tow; wrist chained and his blond head held down.

His feet trudged over towards them, and he dropped his behind into the chair. Naru was a little put off by the blond-headed man's stillness, with his head still down and not a peep left his mouth.

"Jadeite?" Nephrite called. "It's me, Nephrite."

Naru quickly realized with a gasp as to who the blond now was. She remembered Nephrite speak of him plenty of times before. She also remembered him to be the man responsible for the inferno that almost ingulfed Juban Junior High a while ago.

"Jadeite, can you hear me?"

Nothing. Jadeite had been as still and quiet as a statue, making no attempt to lift his head. The two couldn't tell what he looked like on account of his long, blond hair covering his face.

"Listen, Jadeite, I know you may have some animosity towards me, but I implore—"

"—selfish."

Naru was startled by Jadeite's interruption.

"You…you are so…selfish…" Jadeite said in a tired, low voice. "Believing it's all about you…That I'm supposed to be angry with you…but I'm not…what I hate now…isn't the Scouts, or Superman…"

He finally looked up at the two. Naru coward behind Nephrite, who was shocked to see what had happened to him—the right side of his face had been completely burned, and his eye had been bandaged with a medical eyepatch. Despite the burns, Nephrite focused in the enraged furry behind his furrowed eyes.

"…I hate…Beryl!" He growled. "After my failure, she found me…she visited me in my cell…! In my failure, I received punishment…cruel…cruel punishment…!"

Both Naru and Nephrite could see his right arm begin to twitch, with an expression of seething pain. His head hung down again, as he began to pant harshly.

"When I believed…she would finally take me back…to the Kingdom… to at least…be a bountiful sacrifice for the Great Ruler…she tossed me aside…She threw me away…!"

His shaky panting ceased once he took a deep breath, as if to calm himself.

"That's why I no longer care for that cruel woman…I don't care whether I get out of this prison or not…I just…don't care anymore."

Naru couldn't hide her sympathies for the poor man. It was written all over her face.

She attempted to raise a hand and say something, but Nephrite took hold of that hand. Naru looked up at Nephrite, who simply shook his head, as if to not allow her to show sympathy just yet.

"I see." Nephrite said, "That is unfortunate…and it is exactly what I need from you."

Both Naru and Jadeite looked up at the long-haired man, shocked at what they had just heard.

"W-What…?"

"You want revenge. I know it." Nephrite continued. "Beryl has used us for the sole purpose of reviving the Great Ruler. In essence, we were nothing but throw-away minions to her. What kind of life is that to live?"

He paused to let it marinate into Jadeite just what he was trying to say, before continuing.

"You want to see her kingdom fall, right? Then you're well on your way to being on the same page as us." Nephrite explained. "Superman, the Sailor Scouts, and myself are all working to fight against destiny. You and I are living proof that we can live beyond the shadows of Beryl and her reign. Imagine the freedom we could bask in once she, along with the Great Ruler, are gone."

Jadeite pondered the very thought of being something without the Dark Kingdom. What kind of life would that be? How would he even begin to navigate through it? There were far too many unknowns out there, that he thought his mind would implode if he ever thought of the scope of it all. To live without the Great Ruler, was to live without purpose.

"Jadeite…"

The blond reacted to the soft voice call out his name. It was…strange. Something he had never heard before. He heard his name called; not in a tone of anger or demand…it was sincere. So sincere, that he almost believed someone else was being called out to. He looked up to see it was the girl Nephrite brought along.

"Jadeite, I know your scared of what could come next…" Naru said, "Trust me; so was I when I learned about the Dark Kingdom and the evil monsters…but I had Nephrite to guide me through it, and help me to make sense of it all. Maybe…maybe that's what you need."

What he needed. Jadeite, for the while, didn't know what it was he desired. After Queen Beryl tossed him aside, he was lost. But now was a chance to have a purpose again. It may not have been the one he wanted, but it was the one he was presented. It was up to him whether or not to take it.

"What do you say, Jadeite?" Nephrite asked. "Will you help us?"

Jadeite mulled it over. He weighed his options to two possible conclusions.

If he did help them, Queen Beryl and the other two Dark Kingdom knights would hunt him down.

If he didn't, he would spend his mortal life in a jail cell, and the Great Ruler would destroy everything; including him.

Either option resulted in death. Better to take the lesser of the evils.

"Hmph…you've put me in a position where I can't seem to decline, haven't you?" Jadeite smirked. He raised his head towards the two of them. "So then…what's your plan?"

Nephrite and Naru were relieved to have another ally of the Dark kingdom on their side to turn the tide a bit. For Nephrite, he was fortunate to be able to help a fellow brother-in-arms.

However, this brief moment of solidarity, had suddenly been interrupted. Nephrite and Jadeite felt the unsettled wave of energy, before they and Naru experienced its physical tremor. It shook the entire building so hard that dust began to drizzle from the corners of the ceiling. The lights flickered incessantly; frightening Naru into Nephrite's arms.

"Th-This energy…!" Jadeite said. "This is…!"

"Yes…!" Nephrite said with a troubled look on his face. "Brainiac released it…!"

Kara had always wanted to see a shrine for herself, but never got the time to stop and appreciate them when she was out saving the world. It was such a rich experience for her to indulge in the long history of Japanese culture that was a shrine.

"Um, Ms. Kara! Ms. Kara!"

The blonde alien finally realized she was being called and quickly turned around towards the steps, where Luna beckoned her. She also saw Rei, in her shrine maiden attire, and the two newest members of the Sailor Scouts; Makoto and Minako.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Kara said, running to the three of them. "I got a lil spaced out!"

"You seem to really enjoy your time here in Juban." Rei smiled. "Even your clothes reflect that."

Rei referred to Kara's fashion of trendy Japanese clothing, with her hair in a bun, and glasses.

"Well, I figured since I'm in town, I'd try not to stand out too much. As they say; when in Rome."

"While it's nice that you're soaking in the sights, we still have a pressing matter to discuss." Luna stated.

"Uh, yes! Of course, I know that!" Kara said timidly. "And we will discuss that right now! Because that's what discussions are all about! Discussing! Heh, heh…"

Kara quickly plopped herself onto the steps with the rest of them, trying her hardest not to seem like an amateur around them. However, she was too late in preventing Luna and Rei from comparing her to Usagi. This made Luna visibly sigh, but she commenced with the meeting.

"I'm glad to have you all here today. With Usagi and Ami being in school, and Superman somewhere else, it would serve us well to at least have a good majority here."

"I'm just lucky I had to stay home to help out around the house." Rei said.

"And there was no way I was gonna miss the opportunity to talk with Supergirl!" Minako smiled. "I wonder when she'll be here?"

"Yeeeaah, about that; Supergirl isn't coming." Kara confessed.

The heartbreak in Minako was immeasurable. "What?-! Why?-!"

"Uh, b-because she's got lives to save in other places!" Kara quickly put together. "So, she decided to ask me to jot down everything we talk about. Oh, I haven't formally introduced myself." She smiled with a hand offered to the scouts. "my name is Kara Danvers. I'm a reporter for CatCo."

"CatCo?" Makoto questioned.

"It's a magazine company." Minako answered. "They were the first to give a name to Supergirl and cover her in an article. Shame the original owner left."

"Yes, Miss Grant's departure was a big hit to all of us." Kara said.

"If we're done with pleasantries, it's time we start this meeting."

All eyes went up towards a nearby light post. A small white figure leaped from it, and walked on all fours towards the girls.

"Artemis, where've you been?" Minako asked.

"Forgive me. I had to attend to another matter." Artemis said, "Now then, let us commence with the discussion. I believe our first phase should be introducing one another. Since you two are the newest members."

"Guess I'll get the ball rolling." Rei smiled. "My name is Rei Hino. I'm the co-owner of the Hikawa Shrine."

"Nice to meet'cha. Names Makoto Kino." Makoto nodded.

Hey, 'Hino' 'Kino.' They match." Minako giggled, "My name's Minako Aino. Guess I match right along with you two."

"Yeah…that's kind of weird…" Rei pondered. "Because Usagi and Ami's last names also end with a 'no' as well—Tsukino and Mizuno."

"Strange coincidence, huh?" Kara figured. "Almost like you all are sisters."

"There could be more to it than meets the eye, but that is for another time." Artemis said, changing the subject. "For now, we must discuss about The Dark Kingdom."

"Yes. Right now, we're at a disadvantage." Luna explained, "The Dark Kingdom currently possesses two of the Rainbow Crystals. What's worse is that we don't know where or who the other bearers are. Using the Black Crystal to track them down can only do so much."

"So, these Rainbow Crystal bearers…" Kara started. "…what happens if they collect all of them?"

"As Nephrite explained, they'll combine to form a beacon towards the Silver Crystal." Rei answered. "

"Silver Crystal…" Kara repeated. "I know about that!"

All eyes went towards Kara. Only Luna and Artemis were cautious of Kara almost revealing her secret identity to the three girls. Kara quickly caught herself slipping and tried to remedy the situation to her favor.

"It's…what Supergirl told me once!" She quickly replied with a nervous smile. "She told me all about it! A-After an interview I had with her."

"Really? How does she know about the Silver Crystal." Minako asked.

"It was a story she was told from her great, great grandparents on Krypton." Kara reminisced. "Including the story about the Silver Millennium—a kingdom that was annihilated by the Dark Kingdom, as well as its Queen. The Silver Crystal was lost and hadn't been since. I—S-Supergirl— thought it was nothing but an old fairytale."

"I'm afraid it's very much real." Artemis confirmed. "And now that Crystal lies dormant somewhere on Earth. That's why the Dark Kingdom is here."

"So, what's our next move?" Makoto asked.

"We'll need to cover as much ground as we can." Luna said, "I've asked Nephrite to create copies of the Black Crystal for each of you girls and Superman. I've also requested one for Supergirl. The sooner we can initiate the search, the better."

"Okay, so we still have a fighting chance." Kara said.

"We'll need to add a miracle to that wishful thinking." Rei said with skepticism. "I mean, yeah, we definitely got the strength of five Sailor Scouts, a vigilante with roses, and two Kryptonians, but I just have a bad feeling..."

"Huh? About what—"

Suddenly, Kara stopped mid-question. An odd eruption went through her ears. Her eyes shot up towards the blue, cloudy skies to the sound of something entering into the Earth's atmosphere. She almost assumed it to be a small meteorite that had flown off course. However, she was mistaken once she heard something else…a heartbeat. Whatever had come into the Earth's atmosphere was hurdling right for the city of Juban. No doubt, Kal heard it as well.

"Kara…?"

The blonde woman quickly returned to the conversation with the Sailor Scouts and Luna. All of them stared at her with confused looks on their faces.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, but I just remembered I need to be somewhere!" Kara said, as she frantically scrambled to get back to her feet.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Makoto questioned. "We still need you to relay our plans to Supergirl."

"It's alright! Just text me! Luna knows my number!" Kara quickly said, as she ran off. "Sorry! I really gotta go!"

Without another word, Kara took off down the stairs of Hikawa shrine in a hurry. The rest of the girls watched her seamlessly run down that long flight of stairs like nothing and turn the corner down the sidewalk.

"There she goes…" Rei said.

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Makoto wondered.

"Hey, guys! Look!"

The rest of the girls followed Minako's finger, pointing towards something hurdling through the clouds and straight into the center of Juban City. Whatever it was, it was in the form of a ball of fire that turned the sky as red as its flames.

"It's about to crash into the center of the city!" Luna feared.

"Come!" Artemis said frantically. "We can only hope it's a simple meteorite!"

Beryl had rarely spent her time cooped up in her private quarters. Business was far more important than her own personal affairs. Every minute should be dedicated towards the revival of the Great Ruler, then to absorb her power and become a god herself.

And yet, she could not find it in her to absolve herself of the feelings.

They seemed to overtake her and distract her every thought. Suddenly, the Great Ruler had become second to him. She had believed it impossible. She had believed he was gone from her forever. But there he was—disguised as an ally for the dreadful Sailor Scouts. Such cruel fate to once again experience heartbreak for a second time…but perhaps this time could be different.

Suddenly, her privacy was interrupted by the sound of her door morphing open. Her heart practically sank into the pit of her stomach. She quickly turned around in a panic to see the metallic, green alien, having the audacity to stand within the door frame of her room.

"H-How dare you?-!" Beryl exclaimed. "This is my private quarters. You have no right to be here!"

"Regardless of whatever semblance of self you believe you possess; I have a proposition to offer you in the midst of the two Kryptonians."

"Wait, two?"

"Yes. Superman's cousin, Supergirl."

"And you thought it not wise to inform me of this earlier?"

"What would be the point? It's not as if you would have the means to stop them."

Beryl gritted her teeth in seething anger. Though she despised him and his putrid language and disrespect, she had no other comeback towards his initial comment. Beryl had truly not prepared for two Kryptonians. But now, it would pose an even greater challenge for her and she knew it.

"What do you suggest?"

Brainiac turned on the heel with hands behind his back. "Follow me."

-/-

-/-

Brainiac led Beryl into another part of the Dark Kingdom that she was not at all familiar with. She made it a point to explore what other renovations Brainiac had done to her castle behind her back.

The two strolled through a caved hall, before they entered through an opening. What was revealed was a massively spacious room of green. The green seemed to come from the multiple giant glass containments against the walls on all sides of the room, leading to the entrance. Inside these strange containments of green liquid were giant, muscular beings that were either being decomposed, or slowly coming together into a physical form.

"What is this place?" Beryl asked.

"This is my cryogenic chamber." Brainiac explained. "It is here that I am able to duplicate my conscious into multiple robot minions to fulfill my biding."

"So, this is the location where your army originates. I expected better." She mocked.

"Hardly an affective insult from the woman who could not even dispose of simple grade school girls." Brainiac retorted.

The queen had begun to grow sick of the alien's atrocious indignance.

"Despite my best efforts, I realize that Superman, combined with Supergirl, will be far too powerful for my simple minions to besiege." Brainiac explained, starring at the many chambers. "I believe it is time I proceed with a different approach."

"Such as?"

Brainiac placed his hand up. From the wall in front of him, the chamber he stared at had ripped itself free. It was hung by a vine of organic material meets metal. It slowly came towards Brainiac, until his hand could touch its metal glass frame. Inside, one of the giants that had been in a deep slumber inside, began to move on its own.

"Observe." Brainiac said.

The green-faced humanoid simply snapped his fingers, and from below the canister, a strange light shined under it. The light had grown so bright, that Beryl had to shield her eyes, while Brainiac watched with captivated attentiveness.

When the light finally subsided, Queen Beryl looked back at the chamber, only to discover that the green liquid had changed its color to pure black muck. That was hardly the curious discovery, as she quickly realized that the body that was once inside was not there.

"What happened to the specimen inside?"

Brainiac smirked. "By now, it should be hurtling into Juban as we speak. And when it does, Superman will have his day—the day of his doom."