A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I didn't create Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi did. I just created this particular version of the characters. I don't own anything except for original characters, and my storyline.
CHAPTER 8: HEADQUARTERS
JUNE 14, 1986
AMY ANDERSON'S HOUSE, FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA
3:00 PM
"I think I have something that would be perfect for a headquarters," Amy Anderson said, as she led Jerry Logue into her backyard. She led him to what appeared to be the doors to a storm cellar, similar to the ones houses have where tornadoes are common.
"I didn't think people needed storm cellars out here in California," Jerry said. "I mean, the only tornado I've ever seen was the one from The Wizard of Oz."
"That's because it's not a storm cellar," Amy said. "It's a fallout shelter. My grandpa built it back in the early 60s, he was afraid the Russians were going to nuke us back to Kingdom Come or something like that. I asked my mom, she said we could use it as a headquarters."
"Wait a second," Jerry said. "Your mom's letting us use this as a headquarters?"
"I kind of told her that I'm Sailor Mercury," Amy said. "Anyways, wanna check it out?"
"Sure," Jerry said.
The two of them went down into the cellar, into what was once a fallout shelter, but had been converted into a den. There was a refrigerator and a couple folding chairs in the room. "So what do you think?" Amy asked.
"This is perfect," Jerry said. "Maybe have places for us to sit, we can use the fridge for snacks and drinks, maybe a stereo, a microwave for heating up snacks, this will be a perfect headquarters."
"I was thinking getting some bean bags for chairs," Amy said.
"That would be perfect," Jerry said.
"I was thinking maybe even having the occasional sleepover here," Amy said.
"Count me out," Jerry said. "I'm pretty sure your mom would have a problem with you inviting a boy to a sleepover. Besides, I can't stand the smell of nail polish."
"Nail polish?" Amy asked.
"You know," Jerry said, "when you girls paint each other's toenails."
"What makes you think we're going to paint each other's toenails?" Amy asked.
"Except for that one Brady Bunch episode," Jerry said, "every time I see a girl's sleepover on TV or a movie, they always have at least one girl getting her toenails painted."
"But that doesn't necessarily mean it always happens," Amy said. "But I get where you're coming from. I'm willing to bet the only knowledge you have of girl's sleepovers are what you see on TV or in movies."
"Pretty much," Jerry said.
A couple minutes later, Amy's mom comes down to the shelter, along with Usagi Tsukino. She got upset when she saw Jerry down there. "Amy Ursula Anderson," she said, "Do you remember what I told you about having boys down here?"
"I'm sorry," Jerry said. "Too bad, it would have been fun, but your mom's house, her rules."
"It's not your fault," Amy's mom said. "She must not have told you I don't want her having boys down here."
"I thought you said when I told you I wanted the team to use the dugout as a headquarters, there was a boy on the team."
"You mean Golden Hawk?" Amy's mom asked. "I did say I would make an exception for him."
"Well, I'm Golden Hawk," Jerry said. "My mom actually named me Gerald, but I go by Jerry."
"Anyways," Amy's mom said, "Usagi said you wanted to see her."
"Yeah," Amy said. "I wanted to show her the dugout."
"Okay," Amy's mom said. "And I guess if Jerry's Golden Hawk, he can be down here with you girls."
"Thanks Amy's mom," Jerry said.
"Please, call me Sara," Amy's mom said, as she left.
"Not that I'm going to be spending all that much time down here to begin with," Jerry said. "When I'm not helping you girls take down Morrigan le Fey and Draeven, I'm going to be working on my side gig."
"Side gig?" Amy and Usagi asked in unison.
"Muggers, purse snatchers, armed robbers, jewel thieves, rapists, et cetera," Jerry said. "In other words, the types of common street thug I used to deal with before I threw my lot in with you girls. Besides, it's high time I make another bank robber soil himself."
"How and when did you do that?" Amy asked.
"A couple months before I first crossed paths with Sailor Moon," Jerry said. "Bank of America over by the Brea Mall, a group of guys tried to rob it, end up taking hostages. I managed to teleport in without anyone noticing me, stood in the shadows for a few minutes to ascertain who the leader was. Once I figured out who the leader was, I went up to him, and gave him a bit of the old Rock-A-Bye Baby."
"What's that?" Usagi asked.
"My knockout punch," Jerry said. "I charge my right fist with energy, and then just punch my intended target in the face. Anywho, I prefer to use that method, defuse the situation before shots are fired, especially when there's hostages who could get hit by a stray bullet. Back to my story. I figured out who the leader was, so I charged my fist up with energy, and when I hit him, he went down like he just badmouthed Mike Tyson's mother in front of him. Must have used a bit too much energy, because not only did he go down, but his bowels were released."
"Damn," Usagi said.
"I really don't like violence," Jerry said. "Which is ironic, seeing how much I like watching boxing or pro wrestling. Anyways, when I get in a scrape, I like to end it as quickly and with as little violence as I can. First off, I generally don't like to harm anyone, second, the quicker and cleaner I can end it, the less chance of innocent victims getting hurt. And when I'm dealing with a group of thugs, the easier you take out the leader, the more likely it is the rest will surrender pretty quickly. Anyways, I think this place will be perfect for a headquarters. Don't look like we need a coat of paint."
"My mom had it painted down here last year," Amy said.
"Okay," Jerry said. ""Have everyone meet here tomorrow morning, right after breakfast. Way I see it, some rags, a couple buckets, a bottle of Pine Sol, a can of Lemon Pledge, a broom, a mop, the six of us, and a heaping helping of elbow grease, we'll have this place clean as a whistle by lunchtime."
"I can have my mom pick up some bean bags tonight for seating," Amy said. "We have our old microwave, it's 18 months old, but still works like it's brand new. My mom also has a coffee table and a couple end tables, they're the perfect height for using them with bean bags."
"Just have everyone meet here at 9:00 tomorrow morning," Amy said.
"I'm on it," Usagi said. "I'll call Molly later on."
"I'll call Rae after dinner," Jerry said. "And I can also talk to Mina tonight at home."
"Great," Amy said.
The next morning, everyone met up at Amy's house, she led everyone down into the dugout. "This is it," Jerry said. "Our new headquarters."
"I got some bean bags and end tables back in the house," Amy said. "As well as a used microwave oven that still works pretty good. We're going to bring them down here, but first, I want to give this place a nice cleaning."
"Everyone grab a rag," Jerry said. "I need a couple of you to dust, the rest get the walls. After we finish with the walls and dusting, we'll sweep and mop the floor. If we all work together, we can get this done in nothing flat."
Later on, after they cleaned the walls, dusted, swept and mopped the floor, they went back out to wait for the floor to dry. "I just thought of something," Amy said. "We could use a couple good throw rugs down there."
"Rae, you got your car here?" Jerry asked.
"Sure," Rae said.
"I have a car, too," Molly said.
"We're going to my mom's house," Jerry said. "Rae's been there before, she used to live next door. I actually thought about the throw rugs last night, my mom has a few she wants to get rid of. They've been in a footlocker for a while, they're still pretty clean."
"Floor's not going to take all that long to dry," Amy said. "Once it's dry, we'll bring the tables and bean bags down here."
Jerry and Rae left, to pick up some throw rugs from Jerry's mom's house. "You know we're never going to get rid of him," Usagi said.
"Who said any of want to?" Amy asked. "I haven't known him all that long, but I like him."
""I know I like him," Molly said.
"Me too," Mina said. "He's like one of my best friends."
"He may not be my cousin, but I still like him," Usagi said.
À SUIVRE...