Chapter Twenty-eight: Approach March
VesVes had tried to chase Tiger's Eye, but her plan hadn't worked. First, she tried to fly, flapping her arms like an idiot to take to the air but only jumping up and down, stepping on Plankton at one point.
"Give up, give up," Plankton said after being crushed for the first time. The wuss. "This is the fourteenth time you've stepped on me. We can find another way down."
Giving up was not an option.
"I, I mean, I have a machine that will help us."
VesVes landed, crushing Plankton once more. She stepped off Plankton, crouched, peeled Plankton upright. Hardy guy, still conscious after being stepped on allegedly fourteen, now fifteen times.
"What machine is this?" VesVes said.
"Maybe my lasers can help us. Yes, I have the genius to give them the ability to fly." Plankton rubbed his hands. "Then we'll save your friend, and then we'll steal the secret formula, and then we'll ride around Bikini Bottom on my flying lasers, vaporizing everyone." He broke into a laugh.
VesVes squeezed him, interrupting his laugh with a gag. "How can such a small thing be so loud?"
"Genius speaks loud."
Was that true? No way was the loud CereCere a genius. But VesVes was loud too; of course VesVes was a genius.
She dropped Plankton onto the sand. "Take me to these lasers."
Plankton faced the chasm. "We have to get past here first." He gazed up at the museum standing at the other end. "And there's no way we're climbing up there without flying. There used to be a path to the museum, but the robots must have destroyed it."
The museum was erect on a platform raised several miles above, overlooking Rock Bottom. VesVes couldn't climb up without dying from exhaustion.
VesVes growled. "Genius speaks loud, but it passed over you." She lifted her foot. "Ready to be crushed for the sixteenth time today?"
Plankton backed away. "Hey, hey, that's not necessary. We can still get past this pit. All we do is find a flying robot to take us." He stroked back his antennae. "I have the suave persuasion skills to make the flying robots help us."
Grabbing Plankton, VesVes readied herself to sprint. "I'll run across these things instead." Metal platforms were suspended in the air, over the chasm in which Tiger's Eye had spiraled. "I could ride these floating things all the way down to Tiger's Eye, rescue him, and then float back up."
Plankton choked. "These platforms are too rickety to run over. You have to tiptoe over them, or they'll fall and destroy you before they float back up." His eyes grew distant. "I saw things down there that I never can unsee." He shivered. "Oh, the humanity."
VesVes wanted to charge forward, save Tiger's Eye as soon as possible, but curiosity overtook her. Her instinct screamed against wasting more time standing around and planning and talking. "What did you see?"
"The darkness was overwhelming." Plankton shut his eyes. "I can never unsee the darkness."
Not only was Plankton an arrogant idiot, but he was also a fearful fool. "Why am I keeping you alive again?"
"Because I'm a lethal combination of adorableness and genius?"
"I think I'm starting to forget. Which means that if you annoy me any more, I don't care if these robots can obey only you, I'll kill you anyway. Got it?"
Plankton squealed like a scared pig. "But your sisters will be mad."
"They'll get over it."
"But they'll be really, really mad."
"Then they'll have to really, really get over it."
"What about our deal? Without me around to make these robots obey me and, by extension, you, you won't be able to destroy those Guardians. And if you can't destroy the Guardians, then you can't find your Golden Crystal. And if you can't find your Golden Crystal, then, well, I'm not sure what'll happen, but it won't be good."
The queen wouldn't be happy. The old hag, Zirconia, wouldn't be happy, either, but who cared about Zirconia's feelings? "True." Maybe Plankton could clue them in to the Golden Crystal's location.
Or… VesVes cracked her whip. Plankton stood at attention. She crouched. "Do you know where the Golden Crystal is?"
"No, Master." An immediate, albeit disappointing, reply.
VesVes scowled, stood. Perhaps it would be better to keep Plankton brainwashed so he stayed quiet and didn't annoy her, but he could tell her some useful tidbits about Bikini Bottom that she'd miss if she kept him brainwashed. VesVes lashed her whip, and Plankton relaxed, sharpness returning to his eyes.
"What a wonderful world…" he sang. "All of these idiotic fish bowing down to I, Plankton, ruler of the universe." A laugh rumbled from his belly.
Plankton's dreams might be helpful to the Dead Moon Circus and, more importantly, the queen. Entering his dreams could reveal where the Golden Crystal was. Despite Plankton's disdain for Bikini Bottom, he knew a great deal about it, so entering his dream, possibly hijacking it into a nightmare for fun, would serve the Dead Moon Circus well.
For now, they had to focus on the chasm ahead.
"I bet those Guardians are on their way," Plankton said. "We could wait for them."
VesVes bared her fang-like teeth. "That's the first good idea you've had all day."
No one else could be lost to the robots. If it happened again, Minako wouldn't blame herself as much as she had the first time, but the situation wouldn't be any more pleasant. After all, she should've learned from what had happened in Goo Lagoon.
A red aura burst around Rei. Sailor Mars threw the fish she was carrying to the surface and then shot into the darkness, after Patrick, leaving Michiru and Minako to save the other fish. Goo Lagoon all over again.
"We'll be here forever if we try to save these fish one-by-one." Minako hadn't used any new moves since powering up into Super Sailor Venus. As a Guardian, protecting was part of her job description. Some defensive moves had to be in her arsenal.
Regardless, this was not the time or place to try new moves. She wrapped her chain around several fish, whisking them to the sand where, upon release, they scurried away. One's pants fell down the hole, and the fish reached after it, moaning for his pants. Minako had never seen anyone become overwhelmed with grief at losing his pants.
"I'm sorry," Minako yelled after the bare-bottomed fish, who waddled toward the hole.
"No," the fish wailed. "I can't be seen without my pants."
"Today you will." Minako aimed her chain, but a water dragon thrice her size roared past. She lost her breath. Like Makoto's dragon, only fashioned from water.
The dragon hissed, a water tongue snaking from its mouth. Not a dragon. A serpent.
The serpent coiled around one group of fish near the edge, including the fish reaching for his pants. The fish cried louder, struggling in the serpent's coiled tail. The serpent broke in half. Its second self lengthened into another serpent, its tail kicking up a second group of fish falling into the hole, and it wrapped its tail around them. The serpents backed to the surface, dumping the fish onto the sand, and then retracted into each of Sailor Neptune's hands.
All was quiet. The fish gathered themselves, standing, some staring over their shoulders at Sailor Neptune as they ran away. The fish who had lost his pants asked another if he could borrow her pants for the rest of his life, and the woman slapped his cheek, whipping his head ninety degrees. Mrs. Puff stared at the Guardians, wide-eyed.
Sailor Neptune stepped to the edge of the sand. "We have to go after her." Her voice had taken on a godlike quality that commanded obedience.
Before Minako could fly down, Sailor Neptune perked, narrowed her eyes. "I feel them."
Minako raised an eyebrow. "Feel who?"
"Our enemies," Michiru said, mouth barely moving. Trying to look as though she and Minako didn't know that their enemies were near. One attack from the strengthened Sailor Neptune could kill the Dead Moon Circus.
Michiru materialized her mirror in her hand, raised it to her head and flipped her hair, smiling at her reflection. Searching for their enemies while pretending to be an airheaded teenager preoccupied by her appearance.
"What is that thing?" Michiru said, winking at her own reflection. She showed Minako the mirror.
"Plankton. He survived, too?" Were the creatures down here made of titanium? Not that she had wanted Plankton to die. An extreme fate for someone like him.
Plankton and VesVes crouched behind a boulder, peeking at the Guardians. What were they doing here, and did they have something to do with Patrick's capture?
Had they teamed up?
Plankton couldn't be much of an asset to the Dead Moon Circus. Despite his stature, he was loud and conspicuous, more of a liability than an asset.
Since he'd persuaded the Dead Moon Circus to work with him, Plankton must be smarter and tougher than he looked. He shouldn't be underestimated.
Nevertheless, Minako and Michiru had to eradicate their enemies before they struck again.
"What do we do?" Minako mouthed.
"Aren't you the leader?"
"Be serious." Who would've thought those words would come out of her mouth?
"I am. You're our leader."
"Doesn't mean I can't get your opinion." Michiru was like Rei on steroids. Regular Rei, Minako could handle. Rei on steroids, Minako could not handle.
Michiru was older, had an aloof maturity and seriousness that distanced she and Minako. They had never talked one-on-one, been alone with each other. And now they were alone with each other in a life-or-death situation, at an impasse that could shape the rest of their journey in Bikini Bottom. Not the best time for Minako and Michiru to be forging a relationship.
VesVes, the beast tamer, accompanied Plankton, could control any fish in Bikini Bottom but hadn't. Why?
"I think we should end them," Minako whispered. Couldn't risk VesVes commanding the fish to give her whatever the Dead Moon Circus was searching for.
"I think we should bide our time," Michiru said. Minako glared. Hadn't she just said that Minako was the leader? She should've obeyed Minako without question.
No, that's not who a leader was. A leader was someone who took criticism from others maturely.
Minako took deep breaths to calm herself. "Why?"
"Let's see what they're doing here. They might accidentally give us some hints about their goal and where the other members of their circus troupe are. Besides, we don't want to walk into any traps."
VesVes smirked at the two. Biding her time, too.
"She's reckless, that VesVes. She'll likely lose her patience and attack first." Thank goodness Michiru was perceptive.
"We can't leave them up here, though."
"Agreed. Let's keep going like we normally would and see what they do. I don't think they can fly, so they wouldn't be able to follow us down where Rei and Patrick are. Rei and Patrick should be fine by themselves." Michiru made her mirror dissipate. "Let's go," she said loudly. Making sure that Plankton and VesVes could hear them. Was her voice higher pitched, too, trying to sound airheaded, like she'd behaved?
Some rickety platforms remained, connecting two cliffs over a chasm that led toward the museum. Plankton and VesVes would be able to follow the Guardians.
"We'll have to move way too slowly over these platforms," Minako said. "We should fly."
Minako and Michiru took to the air and drifted over the platforms, to the solid surface near the museum.
There were plenty of robots around for them to destroy.
Creaking sounded behind them. Minako glanced. Plankton and VesVes snuck across the platforms together, Plankton telling VesVes that she had to tiptoe more slowly or else the platforms would break, VesVes barking at him to be quiet already because she knew and he didn't have to be obvious and loud.
With her chain, Minako lassoed and crushed several robots. Michiru cast weaker versions of Deep Submerge and Submarine Reflection to defeat the robots, the waves small. No need to spend unnecessary energy fighting the little guys when the big guys were behind them.
Minako and Michiru reached the next platform, Plankton and VesVes arguing. How could they think that they were being inconspicuous?
Bubble Buddy awaited them on solid ground ahead.
Michiru looked the bubble up and down. "What is this supposed to be?"
He spread his arms. "I'm a bubble. What else could I be?"
Michiru remained silent, at a loss for words. Suddenly, the Outer Guardians didn't seem like they had answers to everything. Minako knew more about Bikini Bottom than Michiru did. She gained a weird sense of satisfaction. More selfishness, Minako reveling in someone's ignorance.
Minako had never met Bubble Buddy in person, but Usagi and Ami had briefly told Minako and Makoto about the bubble. Rei, Mamoru, and Chibi-Usa had also met the bubble in the downtown area. Apparently, Bubble Buddy was a figment of SpongeBob's imagination. SpongeBob loved bubbles too much.
The bubble waved. "I'm Bubble Buddy. Nice to meet you two."
Minako and Michiru introduced themselves, Michiru examining the bubble, brow creased like he was a puzzle instead of a simple bubble.
Leaning to their right, Bubble Buddy looked past them. Even though he was eyeless, he could see. "Is SpongeBob or Patrick with you? What about Sandy?"
Minako shook her head. "We split up for a little while."
"Smart. Covering more ground." Bubble Buddy lowered his voice, straightening. "Well, I do see a couple of folks behind you. They look like they don't want to be seen, but they're very obvious."
"Yes, we know," Michiru said. "We're trying to find out what their motives are."
"Damn, they're slow," VesVes said. "Again, with the talking. So much talking. Can't they just move?"
"They're very, very obvious," Bubble Buddy said. "And they don't seem bright. Plankton thinks he is, but he isn't. Which is a tragedy in some way."
Minako nodded. Thinking that you were smart when you weren't was a dangerous hole to be in. For a "genius," Plankton didn't have much common sense, a pitfall that many geniuses fell into, though Ami and Setsuna had a lot of common sense.
"Anyhow, I suppose you need help getting through Rock Bottom." Bubble Buddy straightened his hat. "The robots destroyed the pathway leading to the museum. You'll have to find another way around."
"We can fly inside, but there are robots around that need to be destroyed." Minako whispered, "And we need to keep a close watch on our special guests."
"At this rate," Plankton whispered, but not lowly enough, "they'll take us right where we need to be."
"Good luck," Bubble Buddy said. "SpongeBob has a lot of faith in you guys. Since he has faith in you, so do I."
Although he hadn't helped, Minako and Michiru thanked Bubble Buddy and then ran up the road, where a Sleepytime snoozed ahead, a Fodder wheeling around it. Minako lassoed, crushing the Fodder into pieces. She drew back her chain and then whipped it toward the Sleepytime. The chain touched the Sleepytime's light, a blue light shooting from its head and repelling her chain, throwing Minako back. She slammed onto the ground. Stars with eyes cha-cha danced about. The Sleepytime was determined not to let anyone disturb its sleep. Minako could use its security system. Her teacher wouldn't dare wake her in the middle of class again. School was mainly for catching up on sleep between weekends, anyhow.
Michiru launched a weaker version of Deep Submerge, but the blue light shot from the Sleepytime once more, and the wave and light collided with each other. Michiru pulsed energy, widening the wave, but the robot's light broadened in tandem. How could the Sleepytime's defense mechanism stand against Michiru's attack?
The Sleepytime awakened. It lurched upward, its siren booming. Other sirens echoed nearby.
A yelp from behind. Sleepytimes surrounded Plankton and VesVes; had they thought that Plankton and VesVes broke their reverie?
VesVes would look out for only herself. Michiru could take care of herself. Plankton lacked the common sense and power to save himself.
Minako had to at least save Plankton.
She jumped, hovered above the three Sleepytimes surrounding Plankton and VesVes. Plankton's eyes darted between the Sleepytimes, and he pointed at each of them. "I command you to obey me. Obey me now." Like politely commanding them to obey him would work.
VesVes raised her whip.
With Sailor Venus' upgrade into Super Sailor Venus had come a new attack. Now might be a good time to try it. Minako didn't want to kill Plankton, but she didn't mind apprehending or stunning him with her attack.
Her chain morphed into a whip adorned with roses. The name reverberated in her head—the Love Whip. Didn't seem as powerful as her chain, but looks could be deceiving.
She held her whip before her. The words came. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Golden light burst from her whip, piercing two Sleepytimes simultaneously.
She swept the energy to VesVes, and the light clashed against VesVes' whip. The beast tamer fell to her knees, grinding her teeth as she struggled against Sailor Venus' energy. Plankton cowered behind VesVes. A Sleepytime launched its own blue beam onto Plankton's behind, and Plankton shot into the air, yelping. The Sleepytime snatched Plankton, Plankton's eye bulging.
Meanwhile, Michiru's Deep Submerge wobbled against the Sleepytime's beam, although her attack pushed the Sleepytime's beam back.
Tied up with VesVes, Minako couldn't do anything. She drew back her beam, and VesVes collapsed facedown from the release of pressure. The beast tamer lifted her head, sputtering sand and dirt, only for a Sleepytime to zap its blue beam onto her head, incinerating her red hair and leaving her nearly bald, save for a few wisps of hair. VesVes screamed, the noise a combination of horror and anger. She lashed the Sleepytime like it could feel pain. Immature, stupid, and brash.
Sailor Venus took her compact hanging from her hip. "Crescent Boomerang!" She threw the compact. It pierced through one, two, three Sleepytimes, wires popping out, electricity surrounding them. The Sleepytimes hung down, like they had lost power, but the Sleepytime holding Plankton didn't loosen its grip.
Sailor Venus flew to Plankton.
"What are you doing?" Sailor Neptune said. "Leave them alone. Aren't they the enemy?"
Venus didn't falter. Plankton may have caused this mess, but he wasn't the enemy.
Minako continued to fly, the compact whistling toward her. She grabbed it, threw it once more. A Sleepytime's beam snapped the compact in half. Minako grit her teeth. She could de-transform and then transform again to regain her compact, but she didn't have time to do it now.
"You look awfully nice," Plankton choked out, hoarse. Trying to talk with a robot? "Too nice to suffocate a little guy like me. Please, have mercy?" His voice cracked, like he was about to cry. Hoping that his pitiful act would work on an unfeeling robot.
A blue beam fired toward Minako. She flitted sideways, the beam splitting the air.
VesVes climbed onto her feet, lassoed Venus' ankle. She thrust downward, smashing Venus onto the ground, in the middle of the Sleepytimes. VesVes dragged Minako close to her, pressed her head into her face.
"I won't give these robots the pleasure of finishing you." VesVes' hot, rotting breath made Minako's eyes water. "I will."
Minako kicked VesVes' abdomen, blowing the wind out of the beast tamer. VesVes shot backward, through an electricity-covered Sleepytime.
The robot exploded.
Crimson and smoke filled Minako's vision, burned Minako. She reached for Plankton, even though VesVes' whip was still wrapped around her ankle, threatening to take her with the beast tamer. Minako had to at least grip Plankton, not leave him at the robots' mercy.
She forced open her leaking eyes, squinted, battling to keep them open in the smoke. A silhouette wriggled in the smoke. There.
Minako seized the squishy figure just as she bounced upward, through the Sleepytime's remnants. Going where VesVes had ended up. Minako brought the figure close to her eyes to see. Plankton.
She looked forward, bringing Plankton close to her so that nothing could harm him further. He was still breathing; Minako could feel the rise and fall of his body through her hand. The two rocketed through the smoke, toward the museum, the smoke no longer encompassing Minako's line of sight.
VesVes was nowhere to be seen.
Where could she have ended up? VesVes was too determined to destroy the Guardians to leave. Unless the explosion was bigger than Minako had believed and VesVes hadn't been able to hang on to her whip. Perhaps she had wound up deeper in Rock Bottom and was trying to claw her way back to the Guardians.
An explosion below rocked the world. The Sleepytime that Michiru was struggling against had been destroyed, and Michiru chased Minako. Sailor Venus crashed through the museum, rocks and chunks of the wall pelting her. Michiru flew in behind her, beside a bald man holding underwear, where a crane had broken through the middle. A naked Patrick was clinched in the crane's grasp, the crane moving this way and that, like it was confused.
The man looked the two up and down. "What." Normal reaction to seeing two women in miniskirts. He sighed. "First that starfish wearing only underwear, now these two human girls wearing only miniskirts in the ocean. Somehow able to breathe. At least the old coot and I have an excuse."
Minako fell facefirst beside the man, nearly crushing Plankton. She glared at Michiru. "You could've at least used your fancy upgraded water powers to cushion my fall. Hell, you should've caught us, damn it."
A faint smile rushed onto Michiru's face. Did she think this was funny? "I'm sorry. Honestly, I wasn't able to muster up the energy in time. Besides, my attacks are called attacks for a reason. They're not designed to cushion anyone's fall or 'catch' them."
Three veins popped onto Minako's forehead. "At least try to catch me with your own two hands."
"More importantly, where's Rei?"
Minako pushed herself up. Indeed, Rei wasn't in the museum.
No. Rei couldn't have been captured. They had to reach Sailor Mars as soon as possible.
Patrick waved. "Minako, Michiru, Mr. Plankton, hi. You made it." His eyes twinkled. "Is today the day you vaporize me, Mr. Plankton?"
Plankton gawked at Patrick. Gawked at Minako. Gawked at Michiru. Gawked at the underwear-holding bald man. His eyes rolled back, and his head hung down. Unconscious. Another apropos reaction to quite a day. Thing was, this situation wasn't the most bizarre one that Minako had been in.
Things were likely going to become much more bizarre very soon.