Operation: Reality Check
A Sailor Moon/Reality Jumpers FanFic
By Roehl Sybing
Episode 17: Saved a Second Time
Darien continued to hold Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Kim, and Jackie at gun point. "Not a step closer," he says every time he anticipates their moves.
But Sailor Moon is persistent. "C'mon Darien! Don't you remember us? We're your friends!"
Darien's threats and Sailor Moon's persuasive actions soon bored Kim. "Are we getting out of here anytime soon?" she thought out loud.
After ten minutes or so, Queen Beryl appeared in a somewhat ghostly form behind Darien. "Is everything going according to plan?" she asks.
"Yes, Queen Beryl," Darien replied as he turned around. "I have the Sailor Scouts and their friends right where we want them."
"Very good. Make sure it stays that way until I get there." At that Queen Beryl disappeared.
"Well, I guess that's--where'd they go?" Darien turned around, but no one was there.
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The group of five had managed to escape and were running in the opposite direction. "I didn't know it was that easy!" Jackie said while she ran.
Sailor Jupiter added, "Now where are we headed?"
Kim reached into her pocket and picked up her scanner. She turned it on and replied, "Hmm......Jake and Mike are somewhere around here, maybe we'll find them!"
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Sure enough, Jake and Mike were also wandering the ill-lit caverns of the NegaVerse. Jake held Chris' water cannon, while Mike was using a scanner as he closely examined the "blinking dots" that moved all around its' monitor. No doubt it was the group of five that were taken from the FRC building. Mike looked up at Jake and said, "When I get my hands on Queen Beryl, she's gonna pay for taking Mina!"
Jake replied, "And for taking Serena, too. Where are they anyways?"
The two stopped in front of a cave opening as Mike added, "Hmm, they're about twenty feet ahead of--"
Jake and Mike could hear noises coming from the opening in front of them. They could not see in front of them, though, as they got run over by the incoming group. All of them tripped and fell to the ground.
Sailor Jupiter, not realizing who it was, jumped to her feet and shouted, "You're gonna pay for that!"
Mike replied, "Hey guys, it's us!"
Sailor Venus stood up and took a closer look. When she realized it was Mike, she put her arms around him and added, "It IS you!"
Jake smiled and asked, "Well, now that we have that settled, ready to get out of--hey, where's Serena?"
They all realized that Sailor Moon was the missing person from the group. All six of them looked around with a look that said, "Where'd she go?"
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Not very far away, Sailor Moon was being carried away by Darien. "Stop struggling!" he said.
"Let me go, Darien!" Sailor Moon replied. "Why are you doing this, anyways?"
At that moment, Queen Beryl appeared right in front of them. She looked at Darien with a disappointing look and said, "You lost them all!?"
"Yes, but I have Sailor Moon right here!"
"Hmm, well, that's at least better than nothing....kill her right here!"
Darien reached for his gun one more time and pointed it at Sailor Moon. At that moment, he hesitated to pull the trigger. He had hesitated because he was looking at Sailor Moon, who had a sad but determined look on her face.
Sailor Moon said softly, "Please, Darien.....remember!"
And he did; Darien had a vague memory of a girl he had sworn to love, of a girl that fought by his side, of a girl he was destined to be with. He concentrated on that single thought as more unclear yet familiar memories surfaced in his mind.
"Don't listen to her," Queen Beryl said, but already she felt defeat was imminent.
Darien struggled to remember, "Her name.....her name was Serena.....Sailor Moon!" At that moment he pointed his gun away from Sailor Moon and towards Queen Beryl, who he found was his true enemy. He fired two shots at Queen Beryl, causing a great deal of pain.
Queen Beryl fell to the ground and disappeared, but not before saying, "Y-you haven't seen the last of me!"
Sailor Moon smiled as she said, "Welcome back, Darien!" She reached for her locket and added,
"MOON CRYSTAL HEALING....ACTIVATION!"
Pure energy filled the room and went around Darien's body. It only took a few seconds, and the light from the energy disappeared quickly, but Darien was able to say, "T-thank you, Serena..."
"Hold it right there!" Jake shouted from an opening in the room. He and the other five stood beside him, not aware that all was well. He pointed Chris' water cannon towards Darien and fired, causing a great deal of water to shoot out and hit Darien.
Almost simultaneously after that, Sailor Jupiter shouted,
"JUPITER THUNDER....CRASH!"
....while Jackie took her electricity gun and fired in the same direction. The lightning and the thunder joined together to create a highly-powerful force. With the help of the water, it hit and electrocuted Darien so bad it rendered him unconscious even before he hit the ground.
"What're you doing, guys!?" Sailor Moon shouted as she closely examined Darien. "I had already healed him!"
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus had fazed, knowing they have made a tragic mistake, but Mike had asked, "Did we do something wrong?"
Sailor Moon did not respond to that remark, but added, "Oh no, he's not breathing! We have to get him out of here!"
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The three Sailor Scouts and the four Reality Jumpers took Darien to the NYU Medical Center, for the FRC medical facility was not enough to provide special emergency treatment. The group of seven watched the group of doctors tending to Darien who was on a hospital bed in an operating room. For fifteen minutes, the medical staff worked with no major progress; he was dying.
Suddenly, the electrocardiogram that stood next to Darien's bed emitted a steady noise. "We're losing him, get the paddles!" one of the nurses shouted.
The doctor took the "paddles" from one machine and applied it to Darien's body. He said, "Two-hundred...clear!"
The team watched in fear as Darien was given more electrical shock.
"Nothing!" the nurse said.
"Two-fifty...clear!"
More electricity was applied, but the EKG continued to show no signs of progress; the term is called "flatline."
Sailor Moon couldn't help it anymore; she rushed to Darien's side. "Get away from him!" she said towards the medical staff. They did so, knowing they could no longer help Darien.
"C'mon Darien..." Sailor Moon said as she held Darien. "Don't you die on me..."
Everyone in the room stood surprised yet silent when Sailor Moon looked at Darien and gave him a passionate kiss. After that, she looked up at the EKG, which continued to display flatline. She looked down at Darien and started crying on him.
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I'll Stand By You
The Pretenders
Why you look so sad?
The tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
But don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
'Cause I've seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
And you don't know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less
I'll stand by you
I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
So, if you're mad, get mad
Don't hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now
But hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too
But I'm a lot like you
When you're standing by the crossroads
And don't know which path to choose
Let me come along
'Cause even if you're wrong
I'll stand by you...
Take me in into your darkest hours
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
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"Um...doctor..." the nurse mumbled. It was to everyone's surprise when the EKG displayed a pulse. A surprised Sailor Moon looked down at Darien again; she became excited to find Darien was breathing again.
"Darien?" she said happily.
Slowly, Darien opened his eyes and saw Sailor Moon. "Serena....?" he said softly.
Sailor Moon couldn't say a word, but the tears of joy that filled her eyes were enough. The doctors and nurses that stood in the room couldn't believe the medical miracle that they had just witnessed. As for the Sailor Scouts and the Reality Jumpers, they were also overwhelmed and overjoyed in freeing the last of their team from Queen Beryl's grasp. The only noise in the room was the EKG emitting one beep every second, indicating Darien was alive and well once more.
TO BE CONTINUED...
(Author's note: Apologies if necessary to the medical profession; despite
my mom being a nurse and all, I almost had no idea what I was talking about
in the second half of the episode!)