Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue, I be happy. ^_^'
`The Machine`
Summary: Sailor Mars and Mercury are sucked into the DBZ world, changing fate, and bringing back one of the deadliest enemies to conquer the Z fighters.
Chapter 11:
Sailor Senshi Anew
*Hotaru -- Sailor Saturn*
It was dark and I could barely see my nose in front of my eyes. My hand was pressed gently on the wall, my other holding my Silence Glaive. I had no idea who was in front of me or who was behind, but I did know that some of us were separated. Michiru, Makoto and Haruka weren't with us anymore, and I wasn't sure about Setsuna. Her energy radiated around this place and made it feel like she was everywhere. The princess I could feel, she was somewhere around here, alert and even a little afraid.
"there's the Guardian. . ."
". . .I thought that was Pluto? . . ."
" . . . no, the Guardian of the Gates of Hell . . ."
" . . . Death, destruction, and rebirth . . . Saturn . . ."
My head snapped up and a low growl escaped my lips. "Who's there?" I asked, stopping from my walking. "Show yourself," I taunted.
Nothing came but the voices continued.
" . . . A new power is born . . . ."
"The time for reform and rebirth has come . . . ."
My vision blurred, my mind clogged, and everything around me vanished into a strange void. As soon as I blinked, the blackness was gone and I was in an endless field of flowers, thousands of colors.
Some were white and small, others black and large. Blood red roses littered the ground, and sun flowers plagued the rolling hills. Others were different colors ranging from orange to gold to silver to teal. In the center of it all was a giant ice fragment literally shooting up from the ground.
Fire surrounded it, burning the flowers and melting the giant pyramid as a figure came into visualization.
Finally, the figure stepped from the ice, but before my eyes caught site of them, fire shot up from the ring and engulfed them. No screams were heard and for a second I thought the person was a goner; dead. Burned alive. To my surprise they just walked through it, not even scarred or burned.
The fire vanished, the ice burg evaporated into a cloud of white smoke before turning into icicles and heading straight for me. Wherever they passed, the flowers either froze or burned.
"Silent Wall!" I shouted and the crystals of ice shattered against my barrier of protection. This person -- whoever it was -- was incredibly strong. I lasted no more than four seconds. After what seemed like thirty icicles had struck my barrier, it gave way and they grazed my skin.
What I thought would be a freezing sting came an icicle that burned my skin worse than fire. Involuntarily I let out a yelp and a black ball thunder crashed into me, throwing me back. I yelled in pain, surprised at its strength and completely unprepared for that attack. No sooner was I on my feet, wobbling and standing unsteadily against a tree. 'Firefly has made me weak.' I thought as gripped my glaive. 'I was better off without my emotions.'
The person appeared in front of me and my scowl dissipated, replaced my utterly confused expression.
In front of me was a Sailor Senshi!
Her skin was unbelievably pale and her eyes were a fiery red, half shrouded with her hair that was long and raven black, streaked with a pale ice blue. Her fuku was somewhat like the rest of ours; a red bow on her front, a blue one on her back. She was wearing ankle-length black boots, two yellow ball earrings and a blue tiara with a red gem in the middle.
What amazed me most were her giant white wings that stretched out, small feathers visible. "Who are you?" I asked warily. I wasn't sure if I could trust her; her fire red eyes bore into my soul almost evilly.
She smirked almost treacherously; her hand moving up and reaching for my face. Just centimeters away, she stopped. Her palm outstretched, black crackling energy started to form. "I am Cooler's servant, the one that destroys everything. I'm the Senshi born from everyone's hate, Sailor Koriaisu. With the power of fire and ice at my command, the aid of my double planets; Mercury and Mars, I am here to kill you."
'What?! That's Rei and Ami! Mixed as one. . .?!' My mind shouted.
The black thunder from her hand shot out and I did the only thing I could do:
Scream.
The thunder ripped into me and stung like millions of knives cutting deeply at my skin. Again and again I was hit, until I could take no more. Suddenly, the pain stopped, as did the attacker. Painfully, I looked up. The sailor senshi was smirking at me, satisfied with her reaction from me. I growled, trying with all my might to pry myself from the ground I was now upon. Limply, I fell. 'Firefly, you've made me incredibly weak with your petty emotions.' I thought darkly, steadying myself with my scythe.
I was on my knees and the senshi was still smirking broadly. "It was not Firefly who made you weak. A person feeds on emotions to help them get stronger. And anger fuels them all. You possess plenty of that, without a doubt. How about you join Cooler and Freeza?"
My brows knitted together, so not only was Sailor Koriaisu strong, but she was able to read minds.
"I take orders from no one but my Princess, and though your offer sounds tempting enough, anger does not fuel one's power alone."
"Oh really, then what does?"
"The fact that you're doing the right thing!" I shouted. I aimed my glaive at the ground and shot a beam that caused the ground to crack and an explosion occurred. "Silence glaive surprise!"
*Setsuna -- Sailor Pluto*
The black path around me seemed to grow as I walked straightly, my hand keeping a tight grasp on my time staff. Next to me, given off only by a pale glow of a white sword, was Haruka, otherwise known as Sailor Uranus.
We had walked for over two hours and it seemed like days. We were getting nowhere fast, and I couldn't tell if we were even remotely close to our destination. Bright lights flashed sometimes in the distance, and both Haruka and I knew they were signs of a battle.
Who was battling was the question. I caught glimpses of two figures once, and none I could recognize from here. A bright red flashed, followed by a pale blue. The colors gave off the impression of spectacular fireworks rather than a bloody war.
"Haruka," I called. The woman turned her head to me but said nothing. She was still blaming herself for not keeping track of Michiru, I supposed.
". . . should we let them? . . ."
" . . . . no, watch them suffer . . ."
". . . shouldn't we want to cause that . . . ?"
"I believe your right . . ."
The voices came again, and both Haruka and I tensed visibly. They had been everywhere, and I was sure the two beings were following everyone else, also. I doubted even Sailor Saturn knew who they were, but I knew those voices all too well. Sailor Star and Sailor Sun guarded this place, granting eternal suffering to all those that entered.
They may have given their lives to protect their queen, but, well and doubt, this place had corrupted the souls of the senshi. Two yellow auras appeared in front of us and I stared sadly, watching two dear friends of mine rematerialize once again.
It had been such a long time since I last saw them, and I had to remind myself that they weren't on the side of good any more. "Star, Sun, let us pass." I demanded.
The first light-caressed figure stepped forward, revealing herself as Sailor Sun. "And why should we?" Sailor Sun asked. She had dark, dark brown curly hair tied up in a ponytail in the back of her head, and her eyes were a very light, and bright neon green. Her sailor uniform skirt was a bright green and her bows were an olive green. The top of her sailor uniform was white, and she had a tiara with a pearl in the middle point. Her face held a frown as she looked at Sailor Uranus and I, who stood before her.
The other girl smiled warily as she stepped from the light, revealing herself as Sailor Star. "Yes, dearest Pluto? Uranus? Care to share your good deed for today?" She said, her words dripping with enough sarcasm to fill an ocean. She had shoulder length midnight purple hair and she wore a sailor uniform just like us outer senshi, only hers was a topaz colored skirt and two orange bows. The top of her uniform (her collar) was dark yellow, and she had a blue tiara with a jasper stone in the center point.
"Whatever your deed may be, you will have to fight us and win." Sailor Sun added with a sly smirk.
"We need to help the princess of Mars and Mercury, as if its any concern to you." Uranus growled.
"My, my. Aren't we hasty?" Sailor Star asked mockingly. "Even after all those times we raced, Haruka? I'm shocked you treat a friend like that."
"You're not a friend! A friend wouldn't want to fight us and block the path to help others, one of which could be the Princess herself."
"And what about you, Setsuna? I kept you so much company in the gates of time." Sailor Sun asked me.
"Haruka is right. In the forms you have become, you are no friends of ours. Both of you are enemies, and to get to the princesses we will fight in the absolute necessity." I answered calmly.
"Well then, we wont hesitate, now will we, sweet sister?" Sailor Star asked Sailor Sun, her gaze fixed on Haruka.
"And we wont hold back either. Shall we Setsuna?" Sailor Sun asked. She intimidated a bow, and the scenery around me changed instantly. What looked like millions of stars, (both bright and big down to dim and small) passed us by and we were in the place I least expected most.
The ruins of the Moon Kingdom.
"You don't let grudges fall, do you Taiyo?" I asked, referring to Sailor Sun's human name. She smiled and a giant pole materialized in her hand. The rod was tall and gold, a black star on its tip. "We don't have to do this, Taiyo. Just let us through, it will save us all the pain; both mental and physical."
"I've had enough mental and physical pain now that I'm immune to it. But you, Setsuna haven't. I will definitely enjoy killing all of you Senshi one by one for what you did to me and my sister!" She spun her rod around and it began to glow. The black star on it's tip crackled with black lightning and it shot out, forming into a gold light. "Sun spot blackout!" She shouted.
I jumped to the side just in time to see the gold light destroy a giant piece of white rubble. "Pluto deadly scream!" I shouted, and my attack headed towards Sailor Star. She used her rod as a shield and my attack barely phased her. She was incredibly strong, that much I knew.
*Denkoshi -- Sailor Star*
"Well, Sailor Uranus, are you planning to attack or are you just going to stand there and wonder where my sister took Setsuna?" I asked.
She growled and I smirked; watching her react the way I wanted her to satisfied my needs. Even when we were friends I managed to get on her nerves, whether it was a good reaction or not. But 'were' was the key word. All that passed now, they had betrayed us long ago, and I wasn't about to forgive them. For trying to protect them, Taiyo and I had paid the ultimate and most unnecessary consequence: death. But I never lied, I did miss the old times. "You haven't changed I see. Time doesn't change a person much, no?"
"It does change a person's pure heart into a dark one, I'll give you that." Uranus said. "Now you wanted a fight, traitor, then fine, I'll give you one!" She pulled out her sword once more but before she had a chance to do anything, I snapped my fingers and the blackness changed.
She was startled and looked around. No longer were we in an endless black tunnel with no absolute end, beginning, or middle. Now we at a giant cliff top, where the cliff edge met the air while the cliff bottom met the ocean. It was a beautiful place indeed, which was why I picked it. "Remember this, Haruka?" I asked.
She growled and turned to look at me again. "You have no right bringing us here! Earth is not meant for the likes of you!"
I bowed. "Which is why I picked it. All the more fitting, don't you think?"
"Denkoshi," She said, "you were a great friend of mine, but for the wrongs you are and have done, I cannot forgive you. And for that, if you don't let us pass, I will fight you in order to."
"Very well," I said with a smirk. "Then let's begin!"
"Space sword blaster!" She shouted. Uranus took out her Space Sword and a beam emits from it. I let the attack hit me, but regret it as soon as I did it. The pain ripped through me; I hadn't realized they had gotten so strong. But no matter, I was stronger.
Roughly I landed on the ground and pushed myself up, enjoying the face expression that Haruka wore. "I just shot my strongest attack! You can't just get up that easily!" She shouted in disbelief.
As I did before with Taiyo, I communicated with my mind:
" . . . I am already dead . . . you cannot hurt me enough to cause a good amount of damage Haruka . . . don't tell me you still rely on Mizuno Ami for your intelligence . . .?"
I placed my hands over my head and a gold katana appeared. I spun it in circles with my fingers and threw it. "Sunbeam Banishment!" Immediately it began to glow a silverish gold and, just before it pierced through Haruka, it exploded and sent her soaring backwards.
"You see, my friend, Haruka," I laughed. "I am stronger than you now. You placed a bet and you lost. For that, you must pay with your life."
Slowly and casually I walked over to my panting friend. Her short hair was matter down with sweat and blood, her arms bore bruises. She was on her knees, near the edge of the cliff and when I stopped in front of her, only then did she look up. "Why are you choosing to fight us? It's pointless." She asked me.
"You say that now because you are losing."
"I say that now because I don't want to fight. I never did with you. Let us save our friends!"
"Friends? They will abandon you soon, and you call them friends?!" I shouted, furious with her. "In the world friends do not exist!"
"You don't honestly believe that do you?"
"Look where my so-called 'friends' got me now! They abandoned me and now Taiyo and I ended up dead." Still not calmed down, I grabbed Haruka by the neck and pulled her up. "Now, you've lost, obviously, and you will die for it."
"Submarine reflection!" I heard someone shout, and a blast hit me in my back. Screaming in pain, I let Haruka go, and she fell to the floor, breathing hard.
~*^*^*~
*Sorry for the extreme shortness of this chapter, but my friend is in the hospital in a coma, and I haven't been writing much. Next chapter out by Monday.
`The Machine`
Summary: Sailor Mars and Mercury are sucked into the DBZ world, changing fate, and bringing back one of the deadliest enemies to conquer the Z fighters.
Chapter 11:
Sailor Senshi Anew
*Hotaru -- Sailor Saturn*
It was dark and I could barely see my nose in front of my eyes. My hand was pressed gently on the wall, my other holding my Silence Glaive. I had no idea who was in front of me or who was behind, but I did know that some of us were separated. Michiru, Makoto and Haruka weren't with us anymore, and I wasn't sure about Setsuna. Her energy radiated around this place and made it feel like she was everywhere. The princess I could feel, she was somewhere around here, alert and even a little afraid.
"there's the Guardian. . ."
". . .I thought that was Pluto? . . ."
" . . . no, the Guardian of the Gates of Hell . . ."
" . . . Death, destruction, and rebirth . . . Saturn . . ."
My head snapped up and a low growl escaped my lips. "Who's there?" I asked, stopping from my walking. "Show yourself," I taunted.
Nothing came but the voices continued.
" . . . A new power is born . . . ."
"The time for reform and rebirth has come . . . ."
My vision blurred, my mind clogged, and everything around me vanished into a strange void. As soon as I blinked, the blackness was gone and I was in an endless field of flowers, thousands of colors.
Some were white and small, others black and large. Blood red roses littered the ground, and sun flowers plagued the rolling hills. Others were different colors ranging from orange to gold to silver to teal. In the center of it all was a giant ice fragment literally shooting up from the ground.
Fire surrounded it, burning the flowers and melting the giant pyramid as a figure came into visualization.
Finally, the figure stepped from the ice, but before my eyes caught site of them, fire shot up from the ring and engulfed them. No screams were heard and for a second I thought the person was a goner; dead. Burned alive. To my surprise they just walked through it, not even scarred or burned.
The fire vanished, the ice burg evaporated into a cloud of white smoke before turning into icicles and heading straight for me. Wherever they passed, the flowers either froze or burned.
"Silent Wall!" I shouted and the crystals of ice shattered against my barrier of protection. This person -- whoever it was -- was incredibly strong. I lasted no more than four seconds. After what seemed like thirty icicles had struck my barrier, it gave way and they grazed my skin.
What I thought would be a freezing sting came an icicle that burned my skin worse than fire. Involuntarily I let out a yelp and a black ball thunder crashed into me, throwing me back. I yelled in pain, surprised at its strength and completely unprepared for that attack. No sooner was I on my feet, wobbling and standing unsteadily against a tree. 'Firefly has made me weak.' I thought as gripped my glaive. 'I was better off without my emotions.'
The person appeared in front of me and my scowl dissipated, replaced my utterly confused expression.
In front of me was a Sailor Senshi!
Her skin was unbelievably pale and her eyes were a fiery red, half shrouded with her hair that was long and raven black, streaked with a pale ice blue. Her fuku was somewhat like the rest of ours; a red bow on her front, a blue one on her back. She was wearing ankle-length black boots, two yellow ball earrings and a blue tiara with a red gem in the middle.
What amazed me most were her giant white wings that stretched out, small feathers visible. "Who are you?" I asked warily. I wasn't sure if I could trust her; her fire red eyes bore into my soul almost evilly.
She smirked almost treacherously; her hand moving up and reaching for my face. Just centimeters away, she stopped. Her palm outstretched, black crackling energy started to form. "I am Cooler's servant, the one that destroys everything. I'm the Senshi born from everyone's hate, Sailor Koriaisu. With the power of fire and ice at my command, the aid of my double planets; Mercury and Mars, I am here to kill you."
'What?! That's Rei and Ami! Mixed as one. . .?!' My mind shouted.
The black thunder from her hand shot out and I did the only thing I could do:
Scream.
The thunder ripped into me and stung like millions of knives cutting deeply at my skin. Again and again I was hit, until I could take no more. Suddenly, the pain stopped, as did the attacker. Painfully, I looked up. The sailor senshi was smirking at me, satisfied with her reaction from me. I growled, trying with all my might to pry myself from the ground I was now upon. Limply, I fell. 'Firefly, you've made me incredibly weak with your petty emotions.' I thought darkly, steadying myself with my scythe.
I was on my knees and the senshi was still smirking broadly. "It was not Firefly who made you weak. A person feeds on emotions to help them get stronger. And anger fuels them all. You possess plenty of that, without a doubt. How about you join Cooler and Freeza?"
My brows knitted together, so not only was Sailor Koriaisu strong, but she was able to read minds.
"I take orders from no one but my Princess, and though your offer sounds tempting enough, anger does not fuel one's power alone."
"Oh really, then what does?"
"The fact that you're doing the right thing!" I shouted. I aimed my glaive at the ground and shot a beam that caused the ground to crack and an explosion occurred. "Silence glaive surprise!"
*Setsuna -- Sailor Pluto*
The black path around me seemed to grow as I walked straightly, my hand keeping a tight grasp on my time staff. Next to me, given off only by a pale glow of a white sword, was Haruka, otherwise known as Sailor Uranus.
We had walked for over two hours and it seemed like days. We were getting nowhere fast, and I couldn't tell if we were even remotely close to our destination. Bright lights flashed sometimes in the distance, and both Haruka and I knew they were signs of a battle.
Who was battling was the question. I caught glimpses of two figures once, and none I could recognize from here. A bright red flashed, followed by a pale blue. The colors gave off the impression of spectacular fireworks rather than a bloody war.
"Haruka," I called. The woman turned her head to me but said nothing. She was still blaming herself for not keeping track of Michiru, I supposed.
". . . should we let them? . . ."
" . . . . no, watch them suffer . . ."
". . . shouldn't we want to cause that . . . ?"
"I believe your right . . ."
The voices came again, and both Haruka and I tensed visibly. They had been everywhere, and I was sure the two beings were following everyone else, also. I doubted even Sailor Saturn knew who they were, but I knew those voices all too well. Sailor Star and Sailor Sun guarded this place, granting eternal suffering to all those that entered.
They may have given their lives to protect their queen, but, well and doubt, this place had corrupted the souls of the senshi. Two yellow auras appeared in front of us and I stared sadly, watching two dear friends of mine rematerialize once again.
It had been such a long time since I last saw them, and I had to remind myself that they weren't on the side of good any more. "Star, Sun, let us pass." I demanded.
The first light-caressed figure stepped forward, revealing herself as Sailor Sun. "And why should we?" Sailor Sun asked. She had dark, dark brown curly hair tied up in a ponytail in the back of her head, and her eyes were a very light, and bright neon green. Her sailor uniform skirt was a bright green and her bows were an olive green. The top of her sailor uniform was white, and she had a tiara with a pearl in the middle point. Her face held a frown as she looked at Sailor Uranus and I, who stood before her.
The other girl smiled warily as she stepped from the light, revealing herself as Sailor Star. "Yes, dearest Pluto? Uranus? Care to share your good deed for today?" She said, her words dripping with enough sarcasm to fill an ocean. She had shoulder length midnight purple hair and she wore a sailor uniform just like us outer senshi, only hers was a topaz colored skirt and two orange bows. The top of her uniform (her collar) was dark yellow, and she had a blue tiara with a jasper stone in the center point.
"Whatever your deed may be, you will have to fight us and win." Sailor Sun added with a sly smirk.
"We need to help the princess of Mars and Mercury, as if its any concern to you." Uranus growled.
"My, my. Aren't we hasty?" Sailor Star asked mockingly. "Even after all those times we raced, Haruka? I'm shocked you treat a friend like that."
"You're not a friend! A friend wouldn't want to fight us and block the path to help others, one of which could be the Princess herself."
"And what about you, Setsuna? I kept you so much company in the gates of time." Sailor Sun asked me.
"Haruka is right. In the forms you have become, you are no friends of ours. Both of you are enemies, and to get to the princesses we will fight in the absolute necessity." I answered calmly.
"Well then, we wont hesitate, now will we, sweet sister?" Sailor Star asked Sailor Sun, her gaze fixed on Haruka.
"And we wont hold back either. Shall we Setsuna?" Sailor Sun asked. She intimidated a bow, and the scenery around me changed instantly. What looked like millions of stars, (both bright and big down to dim and small) passed us by and we were in the place I least expected most.
The ruins of the Moon Kingdom.
"You don't let grudges fall, do you Taiyo?" I asked, referring to Sailor Sun's human name. She smiled and a giant pole materialized in her hand. The rod was tall and gold, a black star on its tip. "We don't have to do this, Taiyo. Just let us through, it will save us all the pain; both mental and physical."
"I've had enough mental and physical pain now that I'm immune to it. But you, Setsuna haven't. I will definitely enjoy killing all of you Senshi one by one for what you did to me and my sister!" She spun her rod around and it began to glow. The black star on it's tip crackled with black lightning and it shot out, forming into a gold light. "Sun spot blackout!" She shouted.
I jumped to the side just in time to see the gold light destroy a giant piece of white rubble. "Pluto deadly scream!" I shouted, and my attack headed towards Sailor Star. She used her rod as a shield and my attack barely phased her. She was incredibly strong, that much I knew.
*Denkoshi -- Sailor Star*
"Well, Sailor Uranus, are you planning to attack or are you just going to stand there and wonder where my sister took Setsuna?" I asked.
She growled and I smirked; watching her react the way I wanted her to satisfied my needs. Even when we were friends I managed to get on her nerves, whether it was a good reaction or not. But 'were' was the key word. All that passed now, they had betrayed us long ago, and I wasn't about to forgive them. For trying to protect them, Taiyo and I had paid the ultimate and most unnecessary consequence: death. But I never lied, I did miss the old times. "You haven't changed I see. Time doesn't change a person much, no?"
"It does change a person's pure heart into a dark one, I'll give you that." Uranus said. "Now you wanted a fight, traitor, then fine, I'll give you one!" She pulled out her sword once more but before she had a chance to do anything, I snapped my fingers and the blackness changed.
She was startled and looked around. No longer were we in an endless black tunnel with no absolute end, beginning, or middle. Now we at a giant cliff top, where the cliff edge met the air while the cliff bottom met the ocean. It was a beautiful place indeed, which was why I picked it. "Remember this, Haruka?" I asked.
She growled and turned to look at me again. "You have no right bringing us here! Earth is not meant for the likes of you!"
I bowed. "Which is why I picked it. All the more fitting, don't you think?"
"Denkoshi," She said, "you were a great friend of mine, but for the wrongs you are and have done, I cannot forgive you. And for that, if you don't let us pass, I will fight you in order to."
"Very well," I said with a smirk. "Then let's begin!"
"Space sword blaster!" She shouted. Uranus took out her Space Sword and a beam emits from it. I let the attack hit me, but regret it as soon as I did it. The pain ripped through me; I hadn't realized they had gotten so strong. But no matter, I was stronger.
Roughly I landed on the ground and pushed myself up, enjoying the face expression that Haruka wore. "I just shot my strongest attack! You can't just get up that easily!" She shouted in disbelief.
As I did before with Taiyo, I communicated with my mind:
" . . . I am already dead . . . you cannot hurt me enough to cause a good amount of damage Haruka . . . don't tell me you still rely on Mizuno Ami for your intelligence . . .?"
I placed my hands over my head and a gold katana appeared. I spun it in circles with my fingers and threw it. "Sunbeam Banishment!" Immediately it began to glow a silverish gold and, just before it pierced through Haruka, it exploded and sent her soaring backwards.
"You see, my friend, Haruka," I laughed. "I am stronger than you now. You placed a bet and you lost. For that, you must pay with your life."
Slowly and casually I walked over to my panting friend. Her short hair was matter down with sweat and blood, her arms bore bruises. She was on her knees, near the edge of the cliff and when I stopped in front of her, only then did she look up. "Why are you choosing to fight us? It's pointless." She asked me.
"You say that now because you are losing."
"I say that now because I don't want to fight. I never did with you. Let us save our friends!"
"Friends? They will abandon you soon, and you call them friends?!" I shouted, furious with her. "In the world friends do not exist!"
"You don't honestly believe that do you?"
"Look where my so-called 'friends' got me now! They abandoned me and now Taiyo and I ended up dead." Still not calmed down, I grabbed Haruka by the neck and pulled her up. "Now, you've lost, obviously, and you will die for it."
"Submarine reflection!" I heard someone shout, and a blast hit me in my back. Screaming in pain, I let Haruka go, and she fell to the floor, breathing hard.
~*^*^*~
*Sorry for the extreme shortness of this chapter, but my friend is in the hospital in a coma, and I haven't been writing much. Next chapter out by Monday.