Chapter 29: More trouble to come
Hey!!! Sorry, I would have had this out sooner, but I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and couldn't get on the computer until, like, six. So, here it is!!
Wufei's P.O.V.
Mars and Wufei didn't part ways until later in the night, as usual, but this night, Mars stayed longer than usual.
"You shouldn't be going in there without at least one of us." Wufei protested, in his typical stubborn manner.
Mars rolled her eyes. "We will be fine. We aren't just some 'weak onnas' remember?" She danced a small fireball in front of his face, as if to remind him.
He brushed her hand away. "I know. I just have an ominous feeling about this mission." He stared into the fire; as if it would give him the answers he wanted.
Mars took his hand and squeezed it. "Stop worrying. We'll be fine. All we have to do is get in, steal the chip and get out without anyone noticing us. Venus ran around there for almost a half an hour and no one noticed her. It can't be that hard. Besides," Mars turned her head to look into Wufei's face. "If we do run into trouble, I would feel much better if we didn't have to protect you."
Wufei looked at her, trying visibly not to glare. "Protect? Me? I don't need-"
"Some onna to protect me." Mars finished. She pulled her arms tighter around his waist. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. Will you stop trying to be such a guy and be reasonable for once?"
"At least I'm not being foolish; running into enemy territory, with no back-up plan, or even reinforcements."
Mars rolled her eyes again. Wufei, if we get in trouble, you have my permission to save us."
Wufei snorted audibly. "As though I would need your permission."
Mars smiled to herself and pulled energy out of the fire, making it die down. "We should get to bed."
"Yes we should." Wufei jerked his head up at the statement he'd just said. And what it implied. "I, mean, I didn't mean we, that we, together, should." He trailed off, looking for words.
Mars sighed and brushed her lips against his cheek. "I know." As she walked towards the door, she turned half around. "But it's not a bad idea."
Wufei's head snapped to her as she quickly stepped out and shut the door. (Did she mean.) The fire suddenly went out, leaving Wufei with his thoughts in the dark.
He felt a tingling along his face where she had left her kiss. A red tinge appeared and Wufei looked at the window. (Dawn comes all to soon.)
In the middle of the next morning, everyone was ready to implement the plan Mercury had come up with the night before. Everyone that is, except Wufei. He still insisted, though quietly, that he had a bad feeling about the whole idea.
Mars glared at him softly as she left the palace. Laytha sighed heavily. "I just don't see why some of us have to stay behind."
Uranus shook her head. "For the last time, our power levels would be too noticeable if we all went in together. And there's no reason for more than one group to go, since Venus is the only one who knows her way around."
Laytha grudgingly agreed and fell silent.
Fifteen minutes later, the Inner Scouts found themselves outside the Dark Crystal, staring up at a large door. "You sure this is it?" Jupiter asked doubtfully.
"Positive." Venus went up to it and pushed it open slowly. Not even a creak emitted from the hinges.
The Scouts stepped inside and the door swung shut noiselessly behind them. Mercury pulled out her hand computer and typed rapidly on it. "Clear." She said after shutting it. "There are a few youma packs running around, but nothing major."
Mars frowned. "You would think they would have more security than this."
Mercury stepped past her and looked around the corner. "They haven't tried a direct attack on the palace; they probably want us to use the same courtesy."
Venus snorted. "They wish. Come on, this way." Fortunately, Venus had a very good memory and knew almost precisely where they were headed. She silently recalled what Diamond had said about her, and what would happen when they conquered the city. (You wish, Sapphire. You. Wish.)
They soon found themselves outside the great room where Venus had seen the dark crystal. Mercury stopped and checked her computer. "Geez, she must be right, there's way too much dark energy in that room for it to be natural." Closing her mini laptop, she stepped up to the door. "Here it goes. You have the energy ball, Venus?"
Venus nodded and held up the small sphere of darkness that would let them into the tile. "Check."
The girls nodded to each other and Venus pushed open the door. The room was completely dark, and Mars shut the door behind her before she and Venus lit balls of light.
The energy was instantly sucked out of the balls and something in the dark suddenly pinned the Scouts to the wall. The lights suddenly glared on, revealing thick, dark green vines holding the Scouts to the wall, and another group of people in the room. Relena, Diamond, Sapphire, a woman with green hair, giggling behind a red feather fan, and another man with deep red hair, standing with his hands across his chest, smirking.
Diamond stepped up to the girls and smiled. "My, my. You came a bit earlier than expected. Hmmm. How rude." He walked along the row and stopped in front of Mars. "You should have listened to Sailor Mars. It is a bit odd we don't have tighter security. Isn't that right, Sapphire?"
Sapphire nodded shortly and sauntered up to Venus. He ran his finger along the vine that held her across the chest. "Sweetness, you didn't really think that a little blast like that would really knock me out, did you?" Venus said nothing, but jerked her face away from his touch. He clasped his fingers around her jaw and pulled her face towards him forcefully. "I would never go down so easily. Actually, I guess it depends on what I'm going down for." He laughed quietly.
"You knew we were coming." Mercury growled.
Relena smirked. "Of course. Sapphire spent time talking to give Venus enough time to power up a little, and seemed to get knocked out to give her the time to escape. I walked down the hall by there, and pretended not to notice her, to give dear Venus the impression I came from the exit." She closed her eyes, seemingly satisfied with her part.
"When you got to the crystal room, I came in." Diamond continued. "I started talking to myself, saying just enough to tell you that the chip is what gives the crystal its energy. Sapphire was a bit late, so I left the first time and came back when I saw him coming."
Sapphire chuckled under his breath. Tracing Venus's neck, he licked his lips. "I told a few tales to make it seem I knew you had gone and that we figured you had made it out by then."
The woman with green hair snapped her fan shut and smiled. "So I guess you girls know what happens now."
"Humor us." Jupiter growled.
"We keep you here long enough to make your little friends anxious." Diamond explained calmly. "They come looking for you, and we ensnare them as well." Diamond glanced at Relena and continued. "The boys, of course, will want to save you. So once they are here, we will take their Gundams, give the Heero boy to Relena and feed the rest to the crystal. Which is what will happen to you as well." Diamond turned to look at the crystal behind him. "Rubius. Emerald." The woman with the fan and the man with red hair snapped to attention. "See to it our.guests are made comfortable."
The two nodded and started to approach the Scouts. Sapphire smiled at how Venus shifted under the heavy vines that trapped her to the wall. "Don't even try, precious. These vines suck up any energy you try to pull, and they feed it directly to the dark crystal. Now, just rest."
Venus opened her mouth to say something, but it turned into a short cry as a row of thorns pierced her arm. Venus suddenly fell limp and the vines moved away to drop her into Sapphire's arms. "Come my sweet." He cooed into her ear. "We have much to do and so little time." He laughed softly and walked from the room. Diamond followed, leaving Emerald, Rubius, and Relena to deal with the other Scouts.
"Come now, Jupiter, we must get you to your room." Relena sneered as the thorns punctured Jupiter's arm and she fell unconscious.
Back at the palace~~~~~~~~
"Do you really think they'll be alright?" Duo asked Heero.
Heero nodded. "It's a simple mission. Infiltrate the enemy's compound, retrieve mechanism, and get out with minimum confrontation. Simple enough."
Quatre sighed. "For us, maybe, but they-"
"But they have been doing battle since before you were born." Uranus interrupted. "One would think they would know what they're doing by now."
"Besides, what's the worst that can happen?" Neptune shrugged her shoulders.
At that moment, Saturn came running down the hall. "Come quick!! Pluto thinks the others are in trouble!!"
Not quite glaring at Neptune, the boys followed her down the hall.
When they got to the lab, Pluto was typing furiously on it. "We lost contact with their energies a few minutes ago." Pluto explained. "I thought it might be a flux, but they still haven't come up again, and now it's starting to worry me."
"I knew something terrible would happen." Wufei said shortly.
Laytha looked at him but spoke to Pluto. "Have they come out of the crystal, or were they just going in?"
"They have been in there for at least fifteen minutes. I was getting a steady signal the whole time." Pluto stopped typing and rubbed at her eyes.
Zechs put his hand on her back. "Is there anything that would have made their signals disappear like that?"
"Only if either something more powerful than this computer is shielding them, or if." Serenity trailed off as she stepped through the doors.
"No." Heero said flatly. "They are stronger than that. It would be difficult for the enemy to destroy them, even if they were in enemy territory."
"He's right." Wufei confirmed. "Wouldn't the computer pick up an energy blast that strong?" He looked at Pluto.
"Yes it would. So they are trapped." Pluto looked back at the computer screen. "But hat doesn't make it any better."
"We have to go after them." Duo said, standing up.
"We are going to." Quatre seconded.
"No you are not." Serenity commanded severely.
"Your Highness, they do have a point." Neptune said smoothly.
"They are our only defense against the mobile suits. What would happen if they were killed?" Serenity almost hissed.
"We would go anyway." Zechs stood up straight and looked at Serenity squarely.
"I promised Mars if she were to get into trouble, I would save her. I cannot break my promise." Wufei breathed easily.
"We will go, with or without your permission, Neo-Queen Serenity." Heero said monotonously.
"If the others are going, I will go as well." Trowa said quietly. Laytha stood next to him and squeezed his hand.
"They are intent to go, Serenity. It's not right we should stand in their way." Saturn whispered.
"Mama, please let them go." Rini said from the corner. "If I were trapped in that crystal, wouldn't you come and rescue me?" Her small voice seemed to echo in the expansive lab.
Serenity looked away. "If you must go."
Less than five minutes later, the boys stood in front of the black crystal, looking up into its dark facets.
"I'm coming, Venus. Don't worry." Duo said quietly.
So.how did you like it? I'm trying to bring the boys back to their original attitudes, (this is a war, after all) so let me know how I'm doing on that. The next chapter may come out as soon as tomorrow, but I can't promise that. Anyway, do you like the 'queenly' attitude Serenity has? I decided to give her a real backbone, for now anyway. Well, review me!!!
Hey!!! Sorry, I would have had this out sooner, but I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and couldn't get on the computer until, like, six. So, here it is!!
Wufei's P.O.V.
Mars and Wufei didn't part ways until later in the night, as usual, but this night, Mars stayed longer than usual.
"You shouldn't be going in there without at least one of us." Wufei protested, in his typical stubborn manner.
Mars rolled her eyes. "We will be fine. We aren't just some 'weak onnas' remember?" She danced a small fireball in front of his face, as if to remind him.
He brushed her hand away. "I know. I just have an ominous feeling about this mission." He stared into the fire; as if it would give him the answers he wanted.
Mars took his hand and squeezed it. "Stop worrying. We'll be fine. All we have to do is get in, steal the chip and get out without anyone noticing us. Venus ran around there for almost a half an hour and no one noticed her. It can't be that hard. Besides," Mars turned her head to look into Wufei's face. "If we do run into trouble, I would feel much better if we didn't have to protect you."
Wufei looked at her, trying visibly not to glare. "Protect? Me? I don't need-"
"Some onna to protect me." Mars finished. She pulled her arms tighter around his waist. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. Will you stop trying to be such a guy and be reasonable for once?"
"At least I'm not being foolish; running into enemy territory, with no back-up plan, or even reinforcements."
Mars rolled her eyes again. Wufei, if we get in trouble, you have my permission to save us."
Wufei snorted audibly. "As though I would need your permission."
Mars smiled to herself and pulled energy out of the fire, making it die down. "We should get to bed."
"Yes we should." Wufei jerked his head up at the statement he'd just said. And what it implied. "I, mean, I didn't mean we, that we, together, should." He trailed off, looking for words.
Mars sighed and brushed her lips against his cheek. "I know." As she walked towards the door, she turned half around. "But it's not a bad idea."
Wufei's head snapped to her as she quickly stepped out and shut the door. (Did she mean.) The fire suddenly went out, leaving Wufei with his thoughts in the dark.
He felt a tingling along his face where she had left her kiss. A red tinge appeared and Wufei looked at the window. (Dawn comes all to soon.)
In the middle of the next morning, everyone was ready to implement the plan Mercury had come up with the night before. Everyone that is, except Wufei. He still insisted, though quietly, that he had a bad feeling about the whole idea.
Mars glared at him softly as she left the palace. Laytha sighed heavily. "I just don't see why some of us have to stay behind."
Uranus shook her head. "For the last time, our power levels would be too noticeable if we all went in together. And there's no reason for more than one group to go, since Venus is the only one who knows her way around."
Laytha grudgingly agreed and fell silent.
Fifteen minutes later, the Inner Scouts found themselves outside the Dark Crystal, staring up at a large door. "You sure this is it?" Jupiter asked doubtfully.
"Positive." Venus went up to it and pushed it open slowly. Not even a creak emitted from the hinges.
The Scouts stepped inside and the door swung shut noiselessly behind them. Mercury pulled out her hand computer and typed rapidly on it. "Clear." She said after shutting it. "There are a few youma packs running around, but nothing major."
Mars frowned. "You would think they would have more security than this."
Mercury stepped past her and looked around the corner. "They haven't tried a direct attack on the palace; they probably want us to use the same courtesy."
Venus snorted. "They wish. Come on, this way." Fortunately, Venus had a very good memory and knew almost precisely where they were headed. She silently recalled what Diamond had said about her, and what would happen when they conquered the city. (You wish, Sapphire. You. Wish.)
They soon found themselves outside the great room where Venus had seen the dark crystal. Mercury stopped and checked her computer. "Geez, she must be right, there's way too much dark energy in that room for it to be natural." Closing her mini laptop, she stepped up to the door. "Here it goes. You have the energy ball, Venus?"
Venus nodded and held up the small sphere of darkness that would let them into the tile. "Check."
The girls nodded to each other and Venus pushed open the door. The room was completely dark, and Mars shut the door behind her before she and Venus lit balls of light.
The energy was instantly sucked out of the balls and something in the dark suddenly pinned the Scouts to the wall. The lights suddenly glared on, revealing thick, dark green vines holding the Scouts to the wall, and another group of people in the room. Relena, Diamond, Sapphire, a woman with green hair, giggling behind a red feather fan, and another man with deep red hair, standing with his hands across his chest, smirking.
Diamond stepped up to the girls and smiled. "My, my. You came a bit earlier than expected. Hmmm. How rude." He walked along the row and stopped in front of Mars. "You should have listened to Sailor Mars. It is a bit odd we don't have tighter security. Isn't that right, Sapphire?"
Sapphire nodded shortly and sauntered up to Venus. He ran his finger along the vine that held her across the chest. "Sweetness, you didn't really think that a little blast like that would really knock me out, did you?" Venus said nothing, but jerked her face away from his touch. He clasped his fingers around her jaw and pulled her face towards him forcefully. "I would never go down so easily. Actually, I guess it depends on what I'm going down for." He laughed quietly.
"You knew we were coming." Mercury growled.
Relena smirked. "Of course. Sapphire spent time talking to give Venus enough time to power up a little, and seemed to get knocked out to give her the time to escape. I walked down the hall by there, and pretended not to notice her, to give dear Venus the impression I came from the exit." She closed her eyes, seemingly satisfied with her part.
"When you got to the crystal room, I came in." Diamond continued. "I started talking to myself, saying just enough to tell you that the chip is what gives the crystal its energy. Sapphire was a bit late, so I left the first time and came back when I saw him coming."
Sapphire chuckled under his breath. Tracing Venus's neck, he licked his lips. "I told a few tales to make it seem I knew you had gone and that we figured you had made it out by then."
The woman with green hair snapped her fan shut and smiled. "So I guess you girls know what happens now."
"Humor us." Jupiter growled.
"We keep you here long enough to make your little friends anxious." Diamond explained calmly. "They come looking for you, and we ensnare them as well." Diamond glanced at Relena and continued. "The boys, of course, will want to save you. So once they are here, we will take their Gundams, give the Heero boy to Relena and feed the rest to the crystal. Which is what will happen to you as well." Diamond turned to look at the crystal behind him. "Rubius. Emerald." The woman with the fan and the man with red hair snapped to attention. "See to it our.guests are made comfortable."
The two nodded and started to approach the Scouts. Sapphire smiled at how Venus shifted under the heavy vines that trapped her to the wall. "Don't even try, precious. These vines suck up any energy you try to pull, and they feed it directly to the dark crystal. Now, just rest."
Venus opened her mouth to say something, but it turned into a short cry as a row of thorns pierced her arm. Venus suddenly fell limp and the vines moved away to drop her into Sapphire's arms. "Come my sweet." He cooed into her ear. "We have much to do and so little time." He laughed softly and walked from the room. Diamond followed, leaving Emerald, Rubius, and Relena to deal with the other Scouts.
"Come now, Jupiter, we must get you to your room." Relena sneered as the thorns punctured Jupiter's arm and she fell unconscious.
Back at the palace~~~~~~~~
"Do you really think they'll be alright?" Duo asked Heero.
Heero nodded. "It's a simple mission. Infiltrate the enemy's compound, retrieve mechanism, and get out with minimum confrontation. Simple enough."
Quatre sighed. "For us, maybe, but they-"
"But they have been doing battle since before you were born." Uranus interrupted. "One would think they would know what they're doing by now."
"Besides, what's the worst that can happen?" Neptune shrugged her shoulders.
At that moment, Saturn came running down the hall. "Come quick!! Pluto thinks the others are in trouble!!"
Not quite glaring at Neptune, the boys followed her down the hall.
When they got to the lab, Pluto was typing furiously on it. "We lost contact with their energies a few minutes ago." Pluto explained. "I thought it might be a flux, but they still haven't come up again, and now it's starting to worry me."
"I knew something terrible would happen." Wufei said shortly.
Laytha looked at him but spoke to Pluto. "Have they come out of the crystal, or were they just going in?"
"They have been in there for at least fifteen minutes. I was getting a steady signal the whole time." Pluto stopped typing and rubbed at her eyes.
Zechs put his hand on her back. "Is there anything that would have made their signals disappear like that?"
"Only if either something more powerful than this computer is shielding them, or if." Serenity trailed off as she stepped through the doors.
"No." Heero said flatly. "They are stronger than that. It would be difficult for the enemy to destroy them, even if they were in enemy territory."
"He's right." Wufei confirmed. "Wouldn't the computer pick up an energy blast that strong?" He looked at Pluto.
"Yes it would. So they are trapped." Pluto looked back at the computer screen. "But hat doesn't make it any better."
"We have to go after them." Duo said, standing up.
"We are going to." Quatre seconded.
"No you are not." Serenity commanded severely.
"Your Highness, they do have a point." Neptune said smoothly.
"They are our only defense against the mobile suits. What would happen if they were killed?" Serenity almost hissed.
"We would go anyway." Zechs stood up straight and looked at Serenity squarely.
"I promised Mars if she were to get into trouble, I would save her. I cannot break my promise." Wufei breathed easily.
"We will go, with or without your permission, Neo-Queen Serenity." Heero said monotonously.
"If the others are going, I will go as well." Trowa said quietly. Laytha stood next to him and squeezed his hand.
"They are intent to go, Serenity. It's not right we should stand in their way." Saturn whispered.
"Mama, please let them go." Rini said from the corner. "If I were trapped in that crystal, wouldn't you come and rescue me?" Her small voice seemed to echo in the expansive lab.
Serenity looked away. "If you must go."
Less than five minutes later, the boys stood in front of the black crystal, looking up into its dark facets.
"I'm coming, Venus. Don't worry." Duo said quietly.
So.how did you like it? I'm trying to bring the boys back to their original attitudes, (this is a war, after all) so let me know how I'm doing on that. The next chapter may come out as soon as tomorrow, but I can't promise that. Anyway, do you like the 'queenly' attitude Serenity has? I decided to give her a real backbone, for now anyway. Well, review me!!!