Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of chapter five.
Sleeper
By: Masked Maiden
Chapter Five: New Threats
It was five o'clock in the morning when Chiba Usagi finally accepted
that she could not go back to sleep. The nightmare was permanently
engraved in her mind, adamant to haunt her. Never had she experienced
a more vivid dream… or was it really a premonition? It wasn't a
question that Usagi wanted to dwell one. In fact, she hoped the dream
was just part of the "joys" of pregnancy.
But what in the world was "Sleeper?" She must have asked this question
aloud, for an annoyed Luna replied, "It's probably someone who likes to
sleep, which is something I would like to do…"
Usagi rolled her eyes. It was too early in the morning for sarcasm.
"Well, then," she chided, "ignore me." The young blonde swiftly pushed
the covers aside, causing the black feline to roll off the bed and
surprisingly land on her bottom. (After all, cats were supposed to
land on their feet!) Usagi then climbed out of bed, to the best of her
ability, and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.
"All right, I'm sorry," Luna apologized. After the slight dizziness
and shock faded, she followed Usagi. "Tell me, does this have anything
to do with that terrible dream you had last night?
"How did you know I had a bad dream?" Usagi asked.
The cat smiled, "I've lived with you longer than Mamoru has, and I've
also slept in the same room with you all those years. I know what it
means when I sense someone thrashing under the covers at night." Luna
leaped into Usagi's outstretched hand and settled down on her right
shoulder. "Maybe worrying about Mamoru seeped into your sub-
consciousness last night."
"I don't think so," Usagi shook her head. "Mamo-chan wasn't even in my
dream, but the twins were. I couldn't really see them, but I know
that's who they were. I was holding the twins in my arms and I was
being chased by something called Sleeper."
"Was it a youma?"
"I never saw it, so I couldn't tell you for sure. But for some strange
reason, I don't think it even had a form. When it finally confronted
me, it was like it was everywhere at once. It took the twins, I
screamed, and then I woke up."
Usagi opened the refrigerator and grabbed the carton of milk, and from
the pantry she took out an unopened box of Cheerios. She didn't feel
like cooking, especially when she didn't have anyone to cook for. Her
morning routine usually consisted of preparing breakfast and eating
with her husband, which gave them a few minutes together before they
headed for work. But with Mamoru gone for the entire week, Usagi had
no idea what she was going to do with herself. She wasn't the type of
person who liked being alone.
During this time, Luna was unusually quiet. She mulled over what Usagi
just shared with her, wondering whether she should take the dream
seriously or not. Pregnant women were known to experience some obscure
dreams, and most of them represented the fears and anxieties they felt.
Usagi had every reason to worry; if a new enemy appeared in the next
three or four months, she would not be able to fight or even fit in her
sailor fuku. On top of that, it was the first time Usagi and Mamoru
had been apart since the Galaxia incident. That along was enough to
cause Usagi's fears to rise. As Luna considered all the facts, it was
hard to decipher whether Usagi was more worried than she let on, or
whether the dream was actually a foreboding vision.
"Was there anyone else in your dream?" Luna inquired.
Usagi sat down at the table with her bowl of cereal. Luna hopped onto
the wooden surface and waited for her friend to answer. She was hoping
for something, anything that would give her a clue as to what Usagi's
dream meant.
"No," Usagi answered, "there wasn't anyone else." She ate a spoonful
of Cheerios before she asked Luna, "Do you think I should tell Mamo-
chan?"
Luna twitched her whiskers, partly because Usagi spoke with her mouth
full. "Well if you decide to tell Mamoru, you should also tell him
about the twins. And if you want my opinion, which I highly doubt…
The odango atama dropped her spoon in her bowl and threw her hands in
the air. "Here we go again!"
"You're treating Mamoru unfairly by teasing him," Luna went on,
ignoring Usagi. "You may think it's harmless fun, but I'm certain he
thinks otherwise. Mamoru is not as patient as you think he is. And
besides all that, he was the one in the beginning who wanted to know
the baby's gender, but he respected your decision to wait. Now that
you went and found out behind his back, you owe him the same respect
that he gave you." Luna cocked her head and locked eyes with Usagi.
"Tell me, are you trying to get back at him for wanting to go to
America?"
Usagi did not answer the feline's question. Or more correctly, she did
not answer it verbally. The last thing Luna felt was a bowl hitting
her head, along with milk and soggy Cheerios drenching her fur. She
hissed and crawled out from under the bowl, miserable and angry enough
to lash out at the next person who spoke to her… which was probably why
Usagi decided to go upstairs and take her shower.
"You can run, but you can't hide…" Luna jumped to the floor and
scurried up the staircase. Whether she liked it or not, Usagi was
going to have some company in the shower that morning.
~*~*~
Durham, North Carolina
6:30 PM EST
The wheels of fate were beginning to turn against Stephen. It was bad
enough that he was exhausted from jetlag, that he was already late for
the evening's welcoming banquet, and that he had misplaced his
presentation notes on his pseudo research. (Not that it mattered,
since he knew everything by heart.) Now his life's mission was in
jeopardy and he could not stand listening to the dreaded news…
especially when it came from Bodgar. There was something about him
that made Stephen cautious, and that something was probably Bodgar's
high-tech connections. The teenager could scrounge any information on
anyone he desired by using his hacking abilities. If he wasn't on the
side of justice, then the cautiousness Stephen felt would have been
replaced with stark fear.
"I hope that you're joking," Stephen finally spoke.
The sixteen-year-old Romanian with longish blond hair and piercing blue
eyes looked down at the papers in his hands and said, "I'm not. I
double checked all the data before coming to you. Hu Yen emailed the
missing Sleeper files to a journalist residing in Japan just before Ms.
Hoshino killed him."
It took most of Stephen's self-control to suppress the anger raging
inside of him. "That woman swore her mission was successful…" He no
longer cared that he was late for the banquet; he was going to have a
little talk with Atsuko before he left.
"There's some good news, too," Bodgar continued. "I've been hacking
into that journalist's laptop for the past thirty-six hours through his
modem connection and that's allowed me to track down the times he's
accessed his email. We've been quite fortunate. He's only checked his
email once since Hu Yen sent him the attachment, and it turns out that
he's changed his access numbers."
"What does that mean?"
Bodgar wanted to roll his eyes. How could a man with a doctorate in
microbiology be so computer illiterate? It must be that generation gap
everyone talked about… "It means that this journalist isn't in Japan at
the moment," Bodgar explained. "When someone changes the access
numbers for their Internet provider, it usually means that they've
moved to a different location."
"So where is he now?"
"Well, he's connected to an access number from Raleigh, and the phone
line that he is currently using belongs to the Washington Duke Inn."
It was the first time Bodgar ever saw a surprised look on the leader's
face. Stephen crossed his arms and sat down on his bed, as if he
couldn't take the news standing up. "This time I hope that you're
*not* joking," he said.
"A computer doesn't give you false information unless you're the one
that makes a mistake. I didn't make a mistake, so my computer says
that this Shingo Tsukino is right here in this hotel. Would you like
me to scrounge up anymore information on him?"
Stephen was about to address Bodgar about his attitude when Atsuko
walked into the room. The surrounding atmosphere abruptly changed to
that of a cold and barren battlefield. Atsuko locked eyes with
Stephen, the man she loved, and she knew; her secret was out. And
Stephen was not happy.
"Bodgar, leave," Stephen ordered.
No one had to tell him twice. Bodgar grabbed his papers and walked
out, though not before he teasingly smiled at the older woman and sang
under his breath, "Somebody's in trouble…" He didn't care too much for
Atsuko or for the other Children of Mother Earth -- they were all
blind. If they knew the things he did, he wondered if their loyalty
would continue to be so unwavering.
Bodgar crossed the hallway to the neighboring hotel room and locked the
door behind him. He was thankful that Stephen agreed to let him have
his own room. There was no telling what would happen if he had to
board with the leader, especially with Atsuko in there. Also, it was
whole lot better to be the fly on the wall rather than the spectator in
the midst of the crossfire. Bodgar turned on his laptop and, with a
few strokes, tapped into Stephen's room. It was only an audio feed,
since cameras were more difficult to disguise, but it was enough to
entertain the professional snoop. And out of courtesy, Bodgar plugged
in his earphones so the neighbors didn't have to listen to two
arguments. One was more than enough.
"I swear, Stephen, I thought the mission was successful. I thought
that I made it before Hu Yen could email anyone the missing files. His
computer wasn't even on when I arrived at his house!"
"Is that so?" The sounds of bedsprings squeaking and clothes rustling
indicated that Stephen was moving closer to his prey. "Then why did I
see a – as these Americans like to put it – deer in the headlights look
when you walked in? Surely you are guilty of something, and I have
reason to believe that you lied to me."
"Stephen, please!"
Atsuko cried out as Stephen's mighty hand struck her face. There were
then the sounds of a commotion, and Bodgar could visualize Atsuko
trying to free herself from Stephen's grasp. Something fell and broke,
possibly a lamp or vase. One person tripped and the other raced for
the door, though her way was soon blocked by his body. Atsuko was then
knocked down, or at least that was what Bodgar assumed, and her screams
filled his ears. Her struggle was proven unsuccessful, as her sobs
gave away. Stephen picked her up and started mocking her.
"You are a disgrace to the cause, Ms. Hoshino. Your pitiful mistake
has placed us all in jeopardy. Do you even realize what you have done?
If this journalist reads those documents, then we will be exposed to
the whole world. Years of my hard work will become meaningless and a
joke, because mankind cannot possibly understand the importance of our
mission. We cannot let this happen, now can we? No, we cannot. You
are going to right the wrong that you have committed. And this time,
if you do not succeed, you will join Drs. Li, Krynauw, and Sexwale in
the afterworld. Is that clear, Ms. Hoshino!?"
Bodgar had heard enough. He exited the program, pushed his laptop
aside, and fell back into the pillows. As he stared at the ceiling, he
wondered out loud, "Would I be treated the same way is he didn't
understand how important I am…?
Very few people knew of Bodgar's past. He was the son of a prostitute,
who left her newborn on the front steps of an orphanage. That could
almost be compared to handing a defenseless child to a hungry pack of
wolves, for Romanian orphanages were known for their poor conditions.
Children were neglected and malnourished, and many had no hopes of any
kind of future. Fortunately, Bodgar was adopted by a South African
couple when he was a year and a half old, which made Dr. Stephen
Lehmkuhl his uncle. And when he lost his parents in a fatal car
accident two years ago, it also made Stephen his legal guardian.
So what was it like to live with Uncle Stephen? Bodgar could only
describe it as lonely. If his uncle wasn't working late at the medical
center in Cape Town, he was globetrotting from on research laboratory
to another. When he was at home, it seemed as if they were a thousand
miles away. The two rarely spoke to each other. In fact, C.O.M.E. was
their only connection. If it wasn't for that, then uncle and nephew
probably wouldn't have anything to talk about.
Yet Bodgar knew he was being used. All of the Children of Mother Earth
were being used, like pawns on a massive chessboard, and they would
eventually be led to their graves. Bodgar dreaded that day. He didn't
want to die, especially for something he didn't quite believe in. But
everyone expected him to. Out of the thirteen Children, Bodgar was the
most vital person on the team, perhaps more important than its leader.
He was the computer genius who could scrounge up any information on
anyone, who could hack into any computer, and who could stay one step
ahead of the enemy. As far as the members were concerned, Bodgar was
his uncle's pride and joy.
Bodgar knew better. Stephen only asked him to join C.O.M.E. because of
his computer skills. He needed a mole who could keep track of all the
members, just to make sure no one betrayed. So on a personal level,
Stephen saw Bodgar as an obligation to his dead brother, maybe even a
burden. If he didn't have any use for him, then there was no telling
what kind of boarding school Bodgar would be forced to attend. But on
a professional level, Stephen respected him, and he felt a sense of
trust towards him. He needed Bodgar, more than he wanted to admit. If
it weren't for his nephew, all of the world would have known about
Sleeper by now, and their mission would never be completed.
Bodgar rolled onto his side and stared at his laptop's monitor. A
light flashing in the corner indicated that one of the members had
returned to his or her room. It was ironic: the person who kept
Sleeper a secret was the very same person who had the power to expose
the truth to the world. But it was a lose-lose situation for Bodgar.
If he kept his mouth shut, he died. If he did the right thing, his
uncle would surely kill him. He knew he was a coward, but he just
didn't want to die for anyone.
"I wish I could just fade away…"
"Oh please, that's a terrible wish. Power! Money! Come on, why don't
you wish for those things?"
The Romanian felt a jolt of shock at the sound of a stranger's voice.
He turned his head and sat up, and there before him was a woman cloaked
in black robes. Without hesitation she pushed the hood away from her
face and took off her dark shades. Her complexion was pale, almost the
color of new fallen snow on a winter's morning. Ringlets of marigold
tresses flowed down and touched the floor as topaz eyes locked onto the
boy in front of him. She then waited silently, patiently for him to
speak.
"Who are you?" Bodgar demanded to know.
The woman bowed and cheerfully smiled. "My name is Janus," she
introduced herself. "My lord would like to speak with you."
~*~*~
Shingo knew he was supposed to be working on his feature story, but
that didn't stop him from turning on the television and flipping
through the channels. Whenever he traveled to a foreign country, it
was tradition fro him to watch the commercials. Most of the popular
American shows were being dubbed into Japanese nowadays, so the
commercials were the next best way of seeing the differences in
cultures. Shingo has several favorites, like the ones for Budweiser
and Geico. But this one in particular caught his attention…
A Barbie-gone-bad replica of his older sister appeared on the small
screen as a voice over enthusiastically exclaimed, "I am Sailor Moon!
And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
The journalist fell back onto the bed, laughing his head off. "Woo!
She doesn't have that figure now!" he hollered. Upon saying that,
Shingo was very thankful that his brother-in-law was at the banquet and
not within earshot of the comment. Still, that commercial was now his
most favorite of all time. Nothing could ever top what he just saw.
"And I am Tuxedo Mask!"
He thought too soon. Now on the TV was a horrific doll of Tuxedo
Kamen, wearing a plastic top hat that swallowed his head, not to
mention the painted lips and the *brown* bangs that covered his eyes.
Shingo did his best to calm down, though he barely succeeded. If it
weren't for the beeping noise coming from his laptop, he would have
eventually caused everyone on the third floor to call security.
Once he stopped laughing, Shingo sat down and placed his computer on
his lap. A message on the screen indicated that the mysterious email
attachment had finished downloading. He was about to unzip the
documents when he was surprised by a loud knock at the door. He knew
it couldn't be his brother-in-law, unless the banquet was boring and
Mamoru forgot his key… Shingo sighed and slid off the bed. When he
answered the door, he suddenly realized that he was in for another
surprised…
Like a gun barrel directly in his face, and a bullet with his name on
it.
======
End of chapter five
12.17.2002
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha,
etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy
in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and
Word Publishing. I do not have ownership and I do not make any profits
from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.
Author's Notes:
There's nothing much that I want to say. I do want apologize for this
chapter being three months late, but as I told everyone, college has
taken up a lot of my time. I am grateful for my Christmas break. I
get to spend some time with my family, shop for presents, and catch up
on my writing. I hope you all enjoyed it. May the Lord bless all of
you with a wonderful and safe holiday this year. And from me to you,
Merry Christmas! ^_^
BTW -- I do not own Budweiser or Geico, but I do enjoy their
commercials!
Sleeper
By: Masked Maiden
Chapter Five: New Threats
It was five o'clock in the morning when Chiba Usagi finally accepted
that she could not go back to sleep. The nightmare was permanently
engraved in her mind, adamant to haunt her. Never had she experienced
a more vivid dream… or was it really a premonition? It wasn't a
question that Usagi wanted to dwell one. In fact, she hoped the dream
was just part of the "joys" of pregnancy.
But what in the world was "Sleeper?" She must have asked this question
aloud, for an annoyed Luna replied, "It's probably someone who likes to
sleep, which is something I would like to do…"
Usagi rolled her eyes. It was too early in the morning for sarcasm.
"Well, then," she chided, "ignore me." The young blonde swiftly pushed
the covers aside, causing the black feline to roll off the bed and
surprisingly land on her bottom. (After all, cats were supposed to
land on their feet!) Usagi then climbed out of bed, to the best of her
ability, and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.
"All right, I'm sorry," Luna apologized. After the slight dizziness
and shock faded, she followed Usagi. "Tell me, does this have anything
to do with that terrible dream you had last night?
"How did you know I had a bad dream?" Usagi asked.
The cat smiled, "I've lived with you longer than Mamoru has, and I've
also slept in the same room with you all those years. I know what it
means when I sense someone thrashing under the covers at night." Luna
leaped into Usagi's outstretched hand and settled down on her right
shoulder. "Maybe worrying about Mamoru seeped into your sub-
consciousness last night."
"I don't think so," Usagi shook her head. "Mamo-chan wasn't even in my
dream, but the twins were. I couldn't really see them, but I know
that's who they were. I was holding the twins in my arms and I was
being chased by something called Sleeper."
"Was it a youma?"
"I never saw it, so I couldn't tell you for sure. But for some strange
reason, I don't think it even had a form. When it finally confronted
me, it was like it was everywhere at once. It took the twins, I
screamed, and then I woke up."
Usagi opened the refrigerator and grabbed the carton of milk, and from
the pantry she took out an unopened box of Cheerios. She didn't feel
like cooking, especially when she didn't have anyone to cook for. Her
morning routine usually consisted of preparing breakfast and eating
with her husband, which gave them a few minutes together before they
headed for work. But with Mamoru gone for the entire week, Usagi had
no idea what she was going to do with herself. She wasn't the type of
person who liked being alone.
During this time, Luna was unusually quiet. She mulled over what Usagi
just shared with her, wondering whether she should take the dream
seriously or not. Pregnant women were known to experience some obscure
dreams, and most of them represented the fears and anxieties they felt.
Usagi had every reason to worry; if a new enemy appeared in the next
three or four months, she would not be able to fight or even fit in her
sailor fuku. On top of that, it was the first time Usagi and Mamoru
had been apart since the Galaxia incident. That along was enough to
cause Usagi's fears to rise. As Luna considered all the facts, it was
hard to decipher whether Usagi was more worried than she let on, or
whether the dream was actually a foreboding vision.
"Was there anyone else in your dream?" Luna inquired.
Usagi sat down at the table with her bowl of cereal. Luna hopped onto
the wooden surface and waited for her friend to answer. She was hoping
for something, anything that would give her a clue as to what Usagi's
dream meant.
"No," Usagi answered, "there wasn't anyone else." She ate a spoonful
of Cheerios before she asked Luna, "Do you think I should tell Mamo-
chan?"
Luna twitched her whiskers, partly because Usagi spoke with her mouth
full. "Well if you decide to tell Mamoru, you should also tell him
about the twins. And if you want my opinion, which I highly doubt…
The odango atama dropped her spoon in her bowl and threw her hands in
the air. "Here we go again!"
"You're treating Mamoru unfairly by teasing him," Luna went on,
ignoring Usagi. "You may think it's harmless fun, but I'm certain he
thinks otherwise. Mamoru is not as patient as you think he is. And
besides all that, he was the one in the beginning who wanted to know
the baby's gender, but he respected your decision to wait. Now that
you went and found out behind his back, you owe him the same respect
that he gave you." Luna cocked her head and locked eyes with Usagi.
"Tell me, are you trying to get back at him for wanting to go to
America?"
Usagi did not answer the feline's question. Or more correctly, she did
not answer it verbally. The last thing Luna felt was a bowl hitting
her head, along with milk and soggy Cheerios drenching her fur. She
hissed and crawled out from under the bowl, miserable and angry enough
to lash out at the next person who spoke to her… which was probably why
Usagi decided to go upstairs and take her shower.
"You can run, but you can't hide…" Luna jumped to the floor and
scurried up the staircase. Whether she liked it or not, Usagi was
going to have some company in the shower that morning.
~*~*~
Durham, North Carolina
6:30 PM EST
The wheels of fate were beginning to turn against Stephen. It was bad
enough that he was exhausted from jetlag, that he was already late for
the evening's welcoming banquet, and that he had misplaced his
presentation notes on his pseudo research. (Not that it mattered,
since he knew everything by heart.) Now his life's mission was in
jeopardy and he could not stand listening to the dreaded news…
especially when it came from Bodgar. There was something about him
that made Stephen cautious, and that something was probably Bodgar's
high-tech connections. The teenager could scrounge any information on
anyone he desired by using his hacking abilities. If he wasn't on the
side of justice, then the cautiousness Stephen felt would have been
replaced with stark fear.
"I hope that you're joking," Stephen finally spoke.
The sixteen-year-old Romanian with longish blond hair and piercing blue
eyes looked down at the papers in his hands and said, "I'm not. I
double checked all the data before coming to you. Hu Yen emailed the
missing Sleeper files to a journalist residing in Japan just before Ms.
Hoshino killed him."
It took most of Stephen's self-control to suppress the anger raging
inside of him. "That woman swore her mission was successful…" He no
longer cared that he was late for the banquet; he was going to have a
little talk with Atsuko before he left.
"There's some good news, too," Bodgar continued. "I've been hacking
into that journalist's laptop for the past thirty-six hours through his
modem connection and that's allowed me to track down the times he's
accessed his email. We've been quite fortunate. He's only checked his
email once since Hu Yen sent him the attachment, and it turns out that
he's changed his access numbers."
"What does that mean?"
Bodgar wanted to roll his eyes. How could a man with a doctorate in
microbiology be so computer illiterate? It must be that generation gap
everyone talked about… "It means that this journalist isn't in Japan at
the moment," Bodgar explained. "When someone changes the access
numbers for their Internet provider, it usually means that they've
moved to a different location."
"So where is he now?"
"Well, he's connected to an access number from Raleigh, and the phone
line that he is currently using belongs to the Washington Duke Inn."
It was the first time Bodgar ever saw a surprised look on the leader's
face. Stephen crossed his arms and sat down on his bed, as if he
couldn't take the news standing up. "This time I hope that you're
*not* joking," he said.
"A computer doesn't give you false information unless you're the one
that makes a mistake. I didn't make a mistake, so my computer says
that this Shingo Tsukino is right here in this hotel. Would you like
me to scrounge up anymore information on him?"
Stephen was about to address Bodgar about his attitude when Atsuko
walked into the room. The surrounding atmosphere abruptly changed to
that of a cold and barren battlefield. Atsuko locked eyes with
Stephen, the man she loved, and she knew; her secret was out. And
Stephen was not happy.
"Bodgar, leave," Stephen ordered.
No one had to tell him twice. Bodgar grabbed his papers and walked
out, though not before he teasingly smiled at the older woman and sang
under his breath, "Somebody's in trouble…" He didn't care too much for
Atsuko or for the other Children of Mother Earth -- they were all
blind. If they knew the things he did, he wondered if their loyalty
would continue to be so unwavering.
Bodgar crossed the hallway to the neighboring hotel room and locked the
door behind him. He was thankful that Stephen agreed to let him have
his own room. There was no telling what would happen if he had to
board with the leader, especially with Atsuko in there. Also, it was
whole lot better to be the fly on the wall rather than the spectator in
the midst of the crossfire. Bodgar turned on his laptop and, with a
few strokes, tapped into Stephen's room. It was only an audio feed,
since cameras were more difficult to disguise, but it was enough to
entertain the professional snoop. And out of courtesy, Bodgar plugged
in his earphones so the neighbors didn't have to listen to two
arguments. One was more than enough.
"I swear, Stephen, I thought the mission was successful. I thought
that I made it before Hu Yen could email anyone the missing files. His
computer wasn't even on when I arrived at his house!"
"Is that so?" The sounds of bedsprings squeaking and clothes rustling
indicated that Stephen was moving closer to his prey. "Then why did I
see a – as these Americans like to put it – deer in the headlights look
when you walked in? Surely you are guilty of something, and I have
reason to believe that you lied to me."
"Stephen, please!"
Atsuko cried out as Stephen's mighty hand struck her face. There were
then the sounds of a commotion, and Bodgar could visualize Atsuko
trying to free herself from Stephen's grasp. Something fell and broke,
possibly a lamp or vase. One person tripped and the other raced for
the door, though her way was soon blocked by his body. Atsuko was then
knocked down, or at least that was what Bodgar assumed, and her screams
filled his ears. Her struggle was proven unsuccessful, as her sobs
gave away. Stephen picked her up and started mocking her.
"You are a disgrace to the cause, Ms. Hoshino. Your pitiful mistake
has placed us all in jeopardy. Do you even realize what you have done?
If this journalist reads those documents, then we will be exposed to
the whole world. Years of my hard work will become meaningless and a
joke, because mankind cannot possibly understand the importance of our
mission. We cannot let this happen, now can we? No, we cannot. You
are going to right the wrong that you have committed. And this time,
if you do not succeed, you will join Drs. Li, Krynauw, and Sexwale in
the afterworld. Is that clear, Ms. Hoshino!?"
Bodgar had heard enough. He exited the program, pushed his laptop
aside, and fell back into the pillows. As he stared at the ceiling, he
wondered out loud, "Would I be treated the same way is he didn't
understand how important I am…?
Very few people knew of Bodgar's past. He was the son of a prostitute,
who left her newborn on the front steps of an orphanage. That could
almost be compared to handing a defenseless child to a hungry pack of
wolves, for Romanian orphanages were known for their poor conditions.
Children were neglected and malnourished, and many had no hopes of any
kind of future. Fortunately, Bodgar was adopted by a South African
couple when he was a year and a half old, which made Dr. Stephen
Lehmkuhl his uncle. And when he lost his parents in a fatal car
accident two years ago, it also made Stephen his legal guardian.
So what was it like to live with Uncle Stephen? Bodgar could only
describe it as lonely. If his uncle wasn't working late at the medical
center in Cape Town, he was globetrotting from on research laboratory
to another. When he was at home, it seemed as if they were a thousand
miles away. The two rarely spoke to each other. In fact, C.O.M.E. was
their only connection. If it wasn't for that, then uncle and nephew
probably wouldn't have anything to talk about.
Yet Bodgar knew he was being used. All of the Children of Mother Earth
were being used, like pawns on a massive chessboard, and they would
eventually be led to their graves. Bodgar dreaded that day. He didn't
want to die, especially for something he didn't quite believe in. But
everyone expected him to. Out of the thirteen Children, Bodgar was the
most vital person on the team, perhaps more important than its leader.
He was the computer genius who could scrounge up any information on
anyone, who could hack into any computer, and who could stay one step
ahead of the enemy. As far as the members were concerned, Bodgar was
his uncle's pride and joy.
Bodgar knew better. Stephen only asked him to join C.O.M.E. because of
his computer skills. He needed a mole who could keep track of all the
members, just to make sure no one betrayed. So on a personal level,
Stephen saw Bodgar as an obligation to his dead brother, maybe even a
burden. If he didn't have any use for him, then there was no telling
what kind of boarding school Bodgar would be forced to attend. But on
a professional level, Stephen respected him, and he felt a sense of
trust towards him. He needed Bodgar, more than he wanted to admit. If
it weren't for his nephew, all of the world would have known about
Sleeper by now, and their mission would never be completed.
Bodgar rolled onto his side and stared at his laptop's monitor. A
light flashing in the corner indicated that one of the members had
returned to his or her room. It was ironic: the person who kept
Sleeper a secret was the very same person who had the power to expose
the truth to the world. But it was a lose-lose situation for Bodgar.
If he kept his mouth shut, he died. If he did the right thing, his
uncle would surely kill him. He knew he was a coward, but he just
didn't want to die for anyone.
"I wish I could just fade away…"
"Oh please, that's a terrible wish. Power! Money! Come on, why don't
you wish for those things?"
The Romanian felt a jolt of shock at the sound of a stranger's voice.
He turned his head and sat up, and there before him was a woman cloaked
in black robes. Without hesitation she pushed the hood away from her
face and took off her dark shades. Her complexion was pale, almost the
color of new fallen snow on a winter's morning. Ringlets of marigold
tresses flowed down and touched the floor as topaz eyes locked onto the
boy in front of him. She then waited silently, patiently for him to
speak.
"Who are you?" Bodgar demanded to know.
The woman bowed and cheerfully smiled. "My name is Janus," she
introduced herself. "My lord would like to speak with you."
~*~*~
Shingo knew he was supposed to be working on his feature story, but
that didn't stop him from turning on the television and flipping
through the channels. Whenever he traveled to a foreign country, it
was tradition fro him to watch the commercials. Most of the popular
American shows were being dubbed into Japanese nowadays, so the
commercials were the next best way of seeing the differences in
cultures. Shingo has several favorites, like the ones for Budweiser
and Geico. But this one in particular caught his attention…
A Barbie-gone-bad replica of his older sister appeared on the small
screen as a voice over enthusiastically exclaimed, "I am Sailor Moon!
And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
The journalist fell back onto the bed, laughing his head off. "Woo!
She doesn't have that figure now!" he hollered. Upon saying that,
Shingo was very thankful that his brother-in-law was at the banquet and
not within earshot of the comment. Still, that commercial was now his
most favorite of all time. Nothing could ever top what he just saw.
"And I am Tuxedo Mask!"
He thought too soon. Now on the TV was a horrific doll of Tuxedo
Kamen, wearing a plastic top hat that swallowed his head, not to
mention the painted lips and the *brown* bangs that covered his eyes.
Shingo did his best to calm down, though he barely succeeded. If it
weren't for the beeping noise coming from his laptop, he would have
eventually caused everyone on the third floor to call security.
Once he stopped laughing, Shingo sat down and placed his computer on
his lap. A message on the screen indicated that the mysterious email
attachment had finished downloading. He was about to unzip the
documents when he was surprised by a loud knock at the door. He knew
it couldn't be his brother-in-law, unless the banquet was boring and
Mamoru forgot his key… Shingo sighed and slid off the bed. When he
answered the door, he suddenly realized that he was in for another
surprised…
Like a gun barrel directly in his face, and a bullet with his name on
it.
======
End of chapter five
12.17.2002
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha,
etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy
in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and
Word Publishing. I do not have ownership and I do not make any profits
from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.
Author's Notes:
There's nothing much that I want to say. I do want apologize for this
chapter being three months late, but as I told everyone, college has
taken up a lot of my time. I am grateful for my Christmas break. I
get to spend some time with my family, shop for presents, and catch up
on my writing. I hope you all enjoyed it. May the Lord bless all of
you with a wonderful and safe holiday this year. And from me to you,
Merry Christmas! ^_^
BTW -- I do not own Budweiser or Geico, but I do enjoy their
commercials!