Disclaimer: I own neither Sailor Moon or Mega Man X and am not making any profit out of this whatsoever.
Her eyes opened slowly for the first time in what seemed like days to her. The only thing she saw was unfamiliar ceiling, several smalls tubes running up her arm, and the incessant beeping of a heart monitor.
"Welcome to Earth." the first familiar sound entered her ears.
"I wish I could say I had a great vacation, but its been anything but....." Haruka groaned as she sat up slowly.
"Well at least your alive to complain. If it weren't for Hotaru you would've bled to death long before you got here." Michiru explained to her.
That comment snapped Haruka back to reality and she remembered why she was there in the first place. She slumped back down and dared not to look at what was left of her right arm. Now normally when a person so violently recieves such a life altering handicap they are overcome with grief and/or remorse. But instead the only emotion that came over Haruka's was the complete opposite, it was barely contained rage.
"That goddamned bastard. He'll pay for what he's done to me. Some how, some way I'll find a way to destroy him completely, even if it means losing another arm.........." She was clenching her fist so hard her hand was starting to bleed.
"We'll ALL find a way to beat them, your not going to go out there half-cocked and try to beat them on your own you understand me?" she took her hand in an attempt to calm her down. "You need to rest and recover. We need you at 100% if were going to try and fight these things."
"Yeah I know. But arm or no arm, I will kill the monster that did this to me. He'll pay, I swear it......." she snarled.
"If its revenge you want. I might be of some valuable assistance." a new voice broke into there conversation.
"Who are you! What gives you the right to invade our privacy like this?!" Michiru yelled as she stood up.
"Please, I meant no disrespect. I represent a group that has been watching you for some time now, and we believe we share some mutual interests." he was a blonde haired man in a black business suit, gloves, and sunglasses.
"What are you talking about? Do you know who we really are?" Haruka questioned suspiciously.
"Yes I am aware that you are the so-called Sailor Senshi. I also observed your battle with the Maverick Hunters and I must say you were quite impressive."
"Maverick Hunters? Are you saying those are the things that attacked us?" Michiru asked.
"I am. The group I represent has been at odds with them for years, and if you listen to what I have to say I can fully explain why those villians are here and what there goal is. After which I'm prepared to make you an offer I'm sure you won't refuse."
After a long tense silence Haruka spoke the two words that could very well change the future of the entire planet.
"Were listening....."
When they had returned the temple was in chaos, an earthquake rarely helps to enhance the decor. But cleaniness was the last thing on thee collective minds right now. At the moment they were in the fire room in complete silence, Rei was kneeled in front of Setsuna with her hands on either side of her head. Everyone else looked to be day-dreaming or at least seriously occupied with other thoughts.
"You were right in saying they don't match the usual criteria for youma. They look more mechanical than flesh.........." Ami spoke up suddenly.
"Yeah and there not the wild beserkers that the usual monsters are. They seem awfully skilled for youmas." Usagi added in.
There advancement of telepathy had, needless to say, grown a great deal since Galaxia. At this particular moment for example, Rei was not only reading the memories of Setsuna but at the same time she was acting like a hub of sorts, broadcasting everything she saw to everyone else.
"Yes I know. I'm sure those have something to do with that shockwave that spilled out of the timestream, but I'm not sure how the accomplished it. Another thing that bothers me is that they seemed to be keeping tracking of it somehow. So if they knew the wave would hit, why bother attacking us? The blast would've killed us easily enough. The only reason we survived is because we were in senshi form."
"It doesn't matter who they are or why there here. Were going to find them and destroy them completely." Hotaru had a strange tendency to speak beyond her years. This was one of those moments.
"Something about them feels so familiar............" Rei muttered to herself as she broke off the mind meld.
"What do you mean?" Minako was already next to her.
"I've felt them before. That same coldness and lack of emotion." She said to herself again.
"I don't know. When the red one mentioned something about Haruka being human he seemed pretty shocked. It seemed to me like an emotional response."
"I can't explain it myself. But what I'm feeling from them is same thing I felt earlier today."
"What? Why didn't you say anything then?" Mina asked her.
"I should have I know. But like I said, I can't explain it yet. So it wouldn't have done any good."
"Alright. We aren't going to get any answers by just sitting here and asking questions." Luna finally picked the opportune time to say something. "So far those two haven't made any other moves so we should take this time to regroup and come up with a plan, so when they do return we'll be ready."
"As for the energy I was detecting, I'll try to analyze as much I can. Maybe it will give us a clue as to whats going on." Ami told everyone while at the same time typing on her mini-computer. With that the meeting adjourned with the only two left behind in the temple being Mina and Rei.
"You know you should really tell me when something is bothering you." Mina said whilst leaning against a wall on the opposite side of the fire room.
"I told you already, I couldn't explain it myself. If I did tell you you would just think I'm crazy." Rei told her while tying to focus her thoughts through the fire.
"After everything we've seen you think a little thing like this would make me think you've gone nuts? You need to take me more seriously than that Rei."
"Yeah I know.........I guess I'm just not used to this yet." she sighed. Mina was about to go over to her when the sound of footsteps could be heard coming toward the temple, enhanced hearing helps to give you the heads up on things especially if they were in the middle of senshi business.
"Could you go see who that is?" Rei asked. Mina guessed that that was Rei's cryptic way of saying she needed time to herself, so she didn't protest at all. She went outside expecting to see some love struck school girls wanting good luck charms, as annoying as they were, but instead she got the complete opposite.
"Excuse but would this happen to be the Hikawa Shrine?" The man asking the question looked very familiar to Mina. Black spikey hair with slacks to match and a blue shirt, he definitely rang a bell to her.
"Yes it is. The keeper of the shrine is busy right now, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yes there is. My name is Xavier Cain and I'm new in town, I've heard alot about this place and I was wondering if I could get a tour or something to that degree."
"Yes..........of course. I'll see what I can do." she walked backwards all the while eyeing him suspiciously. Of course this wound up in her bumping into Rei.
"Whoa! Whats the hurry?"
"I'm getting some really strange.........something from that guy........." she said to her while trying to keep her voice low. He was looking directly at them and he seemed as suspicious of them as they were of him. "He said he wanted to check this place over."
"I see. I'll if I can't get any information out of him. Just........don't be too far away." She then approached the man as she would any visitor, with as much sickening hospitality as she could muster. "Hello and welcome to our most humble shrine. I was told you wanted a better look at our establishment?" she said with a smile.
"Yes. If thats no trouble that is."
"Oh no trouble at all! Just follow me."
Little did they know that high in the trees surrounding the shrine, there stood a third-party keeping careful watch over them all.
"Those foolish hunters. Did they honestly think that they would succeed in disrupting this mission?" he hissed. "However, these humans I spy are not like any humans I've seen. This will make for a most interesting encounter." with that a slid back into the trees, completely hidden from the eyes of passers-by.
"This shrine has a very rich history, it dates back in the centuries and not even I have heard all the stories yet." I tried to be as polite as possble as I explained the origins of this place, but that was hard to pull off considering the strange vibes I was getting from him.
"I've heard......that alot of strange things go on around here. Some people have said that this is a gathering point of the occult." the stranger smiled. He was obviously one of those gothic buffs who think everything has a curse on it.
"Yes well, we do get alot of rumors like that about this place. People just don't understand why we still practice the old ways so they make up outlandish reasons like that."
"I see. Well you do seem to know your history, I'm pretty impressed."
"I'm going to inherit this shrine one day so its important I know its past." Thats when something else seemed to get the guys attention. His eyes looked like he was sensing something suspicious but I wasn't getting anything.
"I better be going. I've taken up enough of your time already."
"Oh its no trouble at all."
"I hope we can continue this conversation at another time. Its been a pleasure talking to you." he walked down the steps of the shrine and I couldn't help but feel a little flattered.
"So........did you get any from him." I was more than a little surprised when I suddenly felt Mina's hand on my shoulder. I still haven't gotten used to her doing that.
"No. I just can't figure him out......."
"Humans. Are you so obsessed with understanding thing so far beyond your infantile comprehension?" the voice was carried by the breeze so neither I or Mina could figure out where it was coming from. All I knew is that I felt a chill that I haven't felt in a long time. One of pure evil.
"WHO ARE YOU! WHERE ARE YOU!!!" I heard Mina call out to no one.
"HAHAHAHAHAA! I am a being as far beyond humans as humans are beyond a common insect. I have been keeping a careful eye on you two and I must say you intrigue me. You are not normal humans........"
"You better believe were not normal humans!! Now why don't you come out so I can see your face when I blow it pieces!!!" Mina yelled.
"Impudent female. If you so wish to end your life quickly then I shall gladly grant your death wish......"
"MINA!!!!" I ran as fast as my legs could take me and tackled Mina to the floor. And right where she was standing were three glowing laser-like knives.
"HAHAHA I am marginally impressed. Not many people have ever detected my Chameleon Sting until it is too late. Now allow me to introduce myself.........." I couldn't believe what I was seeing. His voice directed our attention to the top of the tallest tree near our temple. Then the light itself began to bend and warp and slowly a green metallic figure began to come into view. He looked like some kind of armored lizard, complete with a tail and hideously long tongue.
"I am Sting Chameleon. Your executioner!"