-
Chapter 21
Ami threw her hands up in dismay, "We've completely lost track of him. California, then gone! He could be in Tahiti for all we know."
Michiru grimaced slightly, "I have not been able to pick him up the mirror either. We may have to write him off."
The two other senshi at the table, Rei and Usagi, sighed. It was hopeless. Two weeks and no trace whatsoever.
Mamoru, instead, looked very pensive.
Usagi reached under the table to grab his hand, "What's on your mind, sweetie?"
He lied to her easily, "Trying to reverse engineer this guy. He's a tricky bugger. The only constant we have is that he shows up every time a youma makes a move."
Rei laughed, "So what, we just predict the next time a youma shows up and then we corner him?"
They were still arguing when the other senshi began to trickle in. First, Haruka and Hotaru, then Minako from parts unknown, then Makoto from her job.
Usagi coughed, bringing the room to attention in an instant, "So I've gathered you here today to discuss a very important matter. Graduation. Soon. Party. Then wedding. Bigger party. We have to get planning!"
Haruka muttered in a low voice, "We can tell what's on her mind."
Usagi smiled gloriously, "Of course. I'm not going to let something small like saving the world get in the way of couple of good parties."
The night ended in bantering good humor, with deathly competition over who would be the maid of honor.
Mamoru looked on quietly, his mind on a rendezvous later that night.
Staring at the widescreen TV in the corner, I sipped my beer and resisted the urge to light up. I found that they actually fuzzed up my brain when I was alert. Which told me, I needed to get more drunk.
"This seat taken?" The ever youthful figure of Mamoru Chiba crossed into my field of vision.
"Never for a friend. How are you doing?"
"Not bad. Finals are horrendous, but what can one do?"
I smiled, "I can't believe you chose medical school."
He shrugged, "It's a calling. Primum no nocere."
"Do no harm? I am hoping that oath is somewhat selective in its targets."
Mamoru shrugged, "I will be a doctor, with the requisite duties."
The barkeep sauntered over, "What's your poison?" "Merlot, '57." The bar keep looked at me a little questioningly.
I glared at him, "He means a Heineken." After the tender had left, "You don't hang out in bars all that much do you?"
"Med student remember?"
"And all the girls you hang out with?"
He chuckled, "Those too. So I need a tutorial on this."
I grinned, "Alright. When you go to a bar, you order a beer or a hard drink. Because you're new, we'll stick with beer.
"Next, you affect some sort of pose. You can either slump over and look depressive or you can be laughingly drunk. Or you can stare the screen and cheer for whatever team is on."
"And what about sketchy meetings?"
"Then you do you best to look suspicious. Then there will be pointless speculation and that's always fun. What do you have for me?"
Mamoru sipped at his beer and then stared at it for a moment, "This is pretty good. Anyway, you've hidden your tracks amazingly well. They can't find you."
"My job. I don't want them to find me."
"And they'll be looking out for you at the next youma attack. I would suggest lying low for a while."
I sighed, "You know I can't do that."
He stared at me, "And why not?"
"Look, I can respond faster than all of you. It is essential that I be there."
"Is it worth blowing your cover?"
"If it saves the life of a single innocent, then it is worth it."
Mamoru grimaced, "I can't convince you, can I?" "Not at this point, no. Although I might be inclined to grant your offer for a small favor."
"What might that favor be?"
"What sort of flowers does Rei like? I am told that her graduation is soon and that I am invited."
Mamoru thought for a moment, "Casablanca lilies. She absolutely adores those." He paused for a moment, "What's going on between you two? Everytime I see her, it's 'Ryan said this' or 'Ryan once said.' She's getting rather attached to you."
I raised an eyebrow, "I have no idea what you're talking about. At the most, we're friends. That's okay with me, I try to be friends with all my employees."
He peered at me questioningly, "Just be wary. Rei forms strong attachments. Lemme tell you about the time she had a crush on me."
Gawking, "Wait, what? How did I miss this?"
"Well, you were evil and stupid, so you can be forgiven."
Sarcastically, "Thanks. I appreciate your indiscriminate dispensation of justice."
"Hey, who's royalty here?"
I smirked and took another sip of my drink, "That you are. I trust that someday it will actually mean something."
Mamoru laughed heartily, "Tell me about it. Do you know how hard it is to work for a living?"
"My heart bleeds for you." I stretched out tiredly, "Someday, I'll suppose we'll get used to it."
He laughed again, "Let's hope so. I'll soon have a family to support."
Perking up, "Speaking of royalty, when are you and Lady Serenity getting married?"
"Usagi Tsukino. And soon, probably a month and a half. They're starting to plan already."
I shrugged, "Trust me, they've been planning for months. It'll take a load off your back. Just stand around, looking pretty, and it will all work out."
We chatted about a few other choice topics. As much as we both enjoyed the time together, we knew that it would serve another purpose. It would establish our relationship as two friends who met in a bar thus making it easier for me to interact with him on a regular basis. And though he would dislike it if I said so, it was also a way for me to keep tabs on the vaunted Tuxedo Mask and make sure that he wasn't doing anything particularly stupid.
"Tell me something, Mamoru. It's been bugging me with for a very long time, and I'm wondering if you could give me some satisfaction."
"Yeah?"
I leaned forward, "What's up with the roses?"
He feigned innocence, "What ever could you mean? They're r oses."
"Come on. They aren't just roses. Lest we forget, these roses drive through concrete with relative easy."
Mamoru leaned forward and pulled one out of the air. He swiveled it around to let me see the tip. It sparkled in the half light.
"Metal?"
"Titanium. Don't ask me how or why, because I'm a little confused about it myself. But whatever works, right?"
"Indeed." I fidgeted a little and then sighed in defeat. Pulling out of a cigarette from my pocket, I lit up and inhaled deeply.
The doctor-in-training looked at me sternly, "Those are bad for you."
"And fighting random monsters on a regular basis isn't? Trust me, I have given careful thought to every aspect of my nicotine addiction. Weighed the possible outcomes."
"And?"
"And rejected every reasonable alternative. As you know, smoking is not rational in the slightest, for my dignity, sexual attractiveness, and budget."
"How many are you up to?"
"Maybe a pack a day."
He looked me up an down with an appraising eye, "You don't look it."
I chuckled painfully, "That's because I smoke maybe half a actual cigarette each pack."
"How did-? Ah, Rei?"
"That woman is costing me an arm and a leg."
"And relieving this poor doctor's ulcer. Listen to your secretary, Ryan."
I rose to leave. Dropping a couple of bills on the bar, I smiled ruefully, "As if I had a choice."
The next morning found me in my office. The pendulum clock, a new addition to the spartan workspace, chimed 6:00 AM in the morning. I yawned silently and took a sip of my coffee.
"Late night?"
I stared at my paperwork, then gave up with a sigh, "Early morning."
Dana laughed tiredly, and took a sip of her own drink, brewed coffee with five packets of instant and three teaspoons of sugar. She called it the Randy Savage because of the kick it gave her in the head. "You really ought to sleep more. Those nights in the bar will catch up with you some day."
I decided to take the offensive, "You aren't looking all that chipper either."
"Bah, I'm an old woman."
I raised my eyebrows, "Well, not if you listen to Andy tell it."
She sputtered over her coffee spilling a couple of drops onto my desk. Dana looked at me accusingly, but before she could respond, I launched into another. "So, are you living together yet?"
She picked up a pencil and hurled it at my head, then smiled beautifically, "He's such a great guy. I even met his parents when they came to visit him."
"How did his parents respond to him having a white girlfriend?"
"Surprisingly well, I think. Andy said that they told him afterwards to marry me at any cost. Not your typical Asian parents I might think."
I scanned some more paperwork, "Just remember, I get to godfather the first child."
"No freaking way. I won't have you corrupting my children."
"Me? Corrupt? I am shocked and appalled that you would think that me, your dearest friend, would ever-"
"Try to corrupt a child? Trust me, I would."
I laughed until my belly hurt and continued to scan the reports on my desk. "I'm happy for you Dana. Of course, I have to say, it's about freaking time already."
"You're one to talk! You haven't had a steady girlfriend since college! Although the way things are going with Rei, that might not be the case any longer."
I shook my head with disbelief, "Am I the only sane one here? There's nothing happening, nor will anything ever happen."
Dana returned to her papers, "As they say, proximity makes for excellent relationships."
"Hey, I never dated you."
"That's because I'm too good for you."
I chuckled, "Are you implying that Rei is just good enough?"
"No, she's too good for you too. But she might take pity on you anyway."
It was my turn to toss a writing implement her way. She giggled like a schoolgirl and settled down to finish up her early morning work. I smiled and returned my attention to my own.
The past weeks had been quiet. Nary a youma had appeared and I was tempted to relax my guard a little bit.
But it was an old ruse, one I had used many times myself, not as Beryl's general, but in the employ of one Endymion. The Earth Kingdom had not been the most idyllic place. The feudal system had bred numerous enemies to the crown and it was my job to root them out and destroy them. A black ops guy in the modern parlance.
If they resumed their attacks soon, as I expected hey would, it would speak volumes to the existence of a higher intelligence behind them. Of course, if such a power existed, it would make my life significantly more difficult than it needed to be. Nonetheless, I would do what I needed to, whether that involved fighting, killing, or wholesale assassination.
The clock chimed again, 7:00 AM. Had an hour gone by that quickly? I shook my head and took a sip of the now tepid coffee and signed a couple of papers. I had a conference call in less than an hour and would have to work through another stack of files before being ready.
I had given Rei the week off to study for her final exams, but that was decision was coming back to haunt me. She had become an integral part of my office and now the fact that I had to read over entire summaries was causing me to fall farther and farther behind. Even a cigarette could not solve that problem.
In the middle of my reverie, the lights flickered a couple of times and then went out.
Chapter 21
Ami threw her hands up in dismay, "We've completely lost track of him. California, then gone! He could be in Tahiti for all we know."
Michiru grimaced slightly, "I have not been able to pick him up the mirror either. We may have to write him off."
The two other senshi at the table, Rei and Usagi, sighed. It was hopeless. Two weeks and no trace whatsoever.
Mamoru, instead, looked very pensive.
Usagi reached under the table to grab his hand, "What's on your mind, sweetie?"
He lied to her easily, "Trying to reverse engineer this guy. He's a tricky bugger. The only constant we have is that he shows up every time a youma makes a move."
Rei laughed, "So what, we just predict the next time a youma shows up and then we corner him?"
They were still arguing when the other senshi began to trickle in. First, Haruka and Hotaru, then Minako from parts unknown, then Makoto from her job.
Usagi coughed, bringing the room to attention in an instant, "So I've gathered you here today to discuss a very important matter. Graduation. Soon. Party. Then wedding. Bigger party. We have to get planning!"
Haruka muttered in a low voice, "We can tell what's on her mind."
Usagi smiled gloriously, "Of course. I'm not going to let something small like saving the world get in the way of couple of good parties."
The night ended in bantering good humor, with deathly competition over who would be the maid of honor.
Mamoru looked on quietly, his mind on a rendezvous later that night.
Staring at the widescreen TV in the corner, I sipped my beer and resisted the urge to light up. I found that they actually fuzzed up my brain when I was alert. Which told me, I needed to get more drunk.
"This seat taken?" The ever youthful figure of Mamoru Chiba crossed into my field of vision.
"Never for a friend. How are you doing?"
"Not bad. Finals are horrendous, but what can one do?"
I smiled, "I can't believe you chose medical school."
He shrugged, "It's a calling. Primum no nocere."
"Do no harm? I am hoping that oath is somewhat selective in its targets."
Mamoru shrugged, "I will be a doctor, with the requisite duties."
The barkeep sauntered over, "What's your poison?" "Merlot, '57." The bar keep looked at me a little questioningly.
I glared at him, "He means a Heineken." After the tender had left, "You don't hang out in bars all that much do you?"
"Med student remember?"
"And all the girls you hang out with?"
He chuckled, "Those too. So I need a tutorial on this."
I grinned, "Alright. When you go to a bar, you order a beer or a hard drink. Because you're new, we'll stick with beer.
"Next, you affect some sort of pose. You can either slump over and look depressive or you can be laughingly drunk. Or you can stare the screen and cheer for whatever team is on."
"And what about sketchy meetings?"
"Then you do you best to look suspicious. Then there will be pointless speculation and that's always fun. What do you have for me?"
Mamoru sipped at his beer and then stared at it for a moment, "This is pretty good. Anyway, you've hidden your tracks amazingly well. They can't find you."
"My job. I don't want them to find me."
"And they'll be looking out for you at the next youma attack. I would suggest lying low for a while."
I sighed, "You know I can't do that."
He stared at me, "And why not?"
"Look, I can respond faster than all of you. It is essential that I be there."
"Is it worth blowing your cover?"
"If it saves the life of a single innocent, then it is worth it."
Mamoru grimaced, "I can't convince you, can I?" "Not at this point, no. Although I might be inclined to grant your offer for a small favor."
"What might that favor be?"
"What sort of flowers does Rei like? I am told that her graduation is soon and that I am invited."
Mamoru thought for a moment, "Casablanca lilies. She absolutely adores those." He paused for a moment, "What's going on between you two? Everytime I see her, it's 'Ryan said this' or 'Ryan once said.' She's getting rather attached to you."
I raised an eyebrow, "I have no idea what you're talking about. At the most, we're friends. That's okay with me, I try to be friends with all my employees."
He peered at me questioningly, "Just be wary. Rei forms strong attachments. Lemme tell you about the time she had a crush on me."
Gawking, "Wait, what? How did I miss this?"
"Well, you were evil and stupid, so you can be forgiven."
Sarcastically, "Thanks. I appreciate your indiscriminate dispensation of justice."
"Hey, who's royalty here?"
I smirked and took another sip of my drink, "That you are. I trust that someday it will actually mean something."
Mamoru laughed heartily, "Tell me about it. Do you know how hard it is to work for a living?"
"My heart bleeds for you." I stretched out tiredly, "Someday, I'll suppose we'll get used to it."
He laughed again, "Let's hope so. I'll soon have a family to support."
Perking up, "Speaking of royalty, when are you and Lady Serenity getting married?"
"Usagi Tsukino. And soon, probably a month and a half. They're starting to plan already."
I shrugged, "Trust me, they've been planning for months. It'll take a load off your back. Just stand around, looking pretty, and it will all work out."
We chatted about a few other choice topics. As much as we both enjoyed the time together, we knew that it would serve another purpose. It would establish our relationship as two friends who met in a bar thus making it easier for me to interact with him on a regular basis. And though he would dislike it if I said so, it was also a way for me to keep tabs on the vaunted Tuxedo Mask and make sure that he wasn't doing anything particularly stupid.
"Tell me something, Mamoru. It's been bugging me with for a very long time, and I'm wondering if you could give me some satisfaction."
"Yeah?"
I leaned forward, "What's up with the roses?"
He feigned innocence, "What ever could you mean? They're r oses."
"Come on. They aren't just roses. Lest we forget, these roses drive through concrete with relative easy."
Mamoru leaned forward and pulled one out of the air. He swiveled it around to let me see the tip. It sparkled in the half light.
"Metal?"
"Titanium. Don't ask me how or why, because I'm a little confused about it myself. But whatever works, right?"
"Indeed." I fidgeted a little and then sighed in defeat. Pulling out of a cigarette from my pocket, I lit up and inhaled deeply.
The doctor-in-training looked at me sternly, "Those are bad for you."
"And fighting random monsters on a regular basis isn't? Trust me, I have given careful thought to every aspect of my nicotine addiction. Weighed the possible outcomes."
"And?"
"And rejected every reasonable alternative. As you know, smoking is not rational in the slightest, for my dignity, sexual attractiveness, and budget."
"How many are you up to?"
"Maybe a pack a day."
He looked me up an down with an appraising eye, "You don't look it."
I chuckled painfully, "That's because I smoke maybe half a actual cigarette each pack."
"How did-? Ah, Rei?"
"That woman is costing me an arm and a leg."
"And relieving this poor doctor's ulcer. Listen to your secretary, Ryan."
I rose to leave. Dropping a couple of bills on the bar, I smiled ruefully, "As if I had a choice."
The next morning found me in my office. The pendulum clock, a new addition to the spartan workspace, chimed 6:00 AM in the morning. I yawned silently and took a sip of my coffee.
"Late night?"
I stared at my paperwork, then gave up with a sigh, "Early morning."
Dana laughed tiredly, and took a sip of her own drink, brewed coffee with five packets of instant and three teaspoons of sugar. She called it the Randy Savage because of the kick it gave her in the head. "You really ought to sleep more. Those nights in the bar will catch up with you some day."
I decided to take the offensive, "You aren't looking all that chipper either."
"Bah, I'm an old woman."
I raised my eyebrows, "Well, not if you listen to Andy tell it."
She sputtered over her coffee spilling a couple of drops onto my desk. Dana looked at me accusingly, but before she could respond, I launched into another. "So, are you living together yet?"
She picked up a pencil and hurled it at my head, then smiled beautifically, "He's such a great guy. I even met his parents when they came to visit him."
"How did his parents respond to him having a white girlfriend?"
"Surprisingly well, I think. Andy said that they told him afterwards to marry me at any cost. Not your typical Asian parents I might think."
I scanned some more paperwork, "Just remember, I get to godfather the first child."
"No freaking way. I won't have you corrupting my children."
"Me? Corrupt? I am shocked and appalled that you would think that me, your dearest friend, would ever-"
"Try to corrupt a child? Trust me, I would."
I laughed until my belly hurt and continued to scan the reports on my desk. "I'm happy for you Dana. Of course, I have to say, it's about freaking time already."
"You're one to talk! You haven't had a steady girlfriend since college! Although the way things are going with Rei, that might not be the case any longer."
I shook my head with disbelief, "Am I the only sane one here? There's nothing happening, nor will anything ever happen."
Dana returned to her papers, "As they say, proximity makes for excellent relationships."
"Hey, I never dated you."
"That's because I'm too good for you."
I chuckled, "Are you implying that Rei is just good enough?"
"No, she's too good for you too. But she might take pity on you anyway."
It was my turn to toss a writing implement her way. She giggled like a schoolgirl and settled down to finish up her early morning work. I smiled and returned my attention to my own.
The past weeks had been quiet. Nary a youma had appeared and I was tempted to relax my guard a little bit.
But it was an old ruse, one I had used many times myself, not as Beryl's general, but in the employ of one Endymion. The Earth Kingdom had not been the most idyllic place. The feudal system had bred numerous enemies to the crown and it was my job to root them out and destroy them. A black ops guy in the modern parlance.
If they resumed their attacks soon, as I expected hey would, it would speak volumes to the existence of a higher intelligence behind them. Of course, if such a power existed, it would make my life significantly more difficult than it needed to be. Nonetheless, I would do what I needed to, whether that involved fighting, killing, or wholesale assassination.
The clock chimed again, 7:00 AM. Had an hour gone by that quickly? I shook my head and took a sip of the now tepid coffee and signed a couple of papers. I had a conference call in less than an hour and would have to work through another stack of files before being ready.
I had given Rei the week off to study for her final exams, but that was decision was coming back to haunt me. She had become an integral part of my office and now the fact that I had to read over entire summaries was causing me to fall farther and farther behind. Even a cigarette could not solve that problem.
In the middle of my reverie, the lights flickered a couple of times and then went out.