Chapter 34
She didn't come back that night. Not that I expected her to. I saw the my dessert and hers, cooling on the tabling and I pulled out the plastic wrap to put it into the refrigeration. Tossing the other dishes into the sink, I felt somewhat relieved.
The senshi had not killed me, a funny twist of fate that I would not question. It was probably a capricious choice on their part, but I would not underestimate the influence that Mamoru probably had on the judgement. 'Who else might I be able to count on my side'
I thought I had detected Sailor Jupiter giving me an encouraging nod and Mercury seemed to forgive me for my past. But the rest seemed very wary of me, especially my erstwhile friend Sailor Venus.
But those feelings of relief could not combat the genuine pain that I felt. Rei believe that I had betrayed her, a feeling which I did not share but could sympathize with.
I stared at the bedroom we shared and sighed again. I went in to pull out a couple of blankets and my pillow. I would not be able to sleep there alone.
I set up as comfortably as I could on the couch and let myself drift into aimless sleep.
"Ryan, you look terrible. More so than usual."
"Tell me about it." I cricked my neck and squinted at my daily reports, "I slept on the couch."
"Fight?"
"Something like that."
"I knew she was a sensible one." Dana fiddled with her highlighter and sighed, "What about?"
"Not sure." I fibbed quickly, "All I know is that she's just not talking to me right now."
She pondered that for a moment, "You must have done something."
"I'm sure I have. I just wish I could talk to her."
"You've got to prove yourself worthy of it. Something that can't be bought....you have to get her trust somehow." She mused on that for a moment, then cracked a grin, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Wearily, "I do hope so. I don't think I can live like this anymore."
She did not come back the night after either. Or the night after that. Slowly, I resigned myself to her complete absence from my life. It was numbing, terrible, but something that needed to be done. Life had become a perpetual cycle of work, debriefing and sleep.
Daily, I reported to Minako and Mamoru my findings about Beryl and her new armies, relating personal stories and experiences to give the senshi whatever edge they needed to triumph over her. Mamoru's support had pulled me through the roughest time and I devoted myself to the senshi's cause.
Yet, even that could not gnaw away at the emptiness that had settled in my heart. But as with all my problems, I papered them over with more work, more activities.
As usual, I had come home late, wrecked by the constant demands that I forced upon myself. Before going in, I took the chance to light up slowly and breathed out quietly. More than Rei occupied my mind. Beryl had survived, there was little to dispute that claim. It was most likely her that was summoning the legions of attackers to fight us. She seemed less irascible than before which was bad for us. First hand experience told me that anger makes for mistakes...hurried decisions. Beryl was more susceptible than most. Her cool logic made her a more dangerous opponent.
The good news was that her grasp of tactical matters had not improved much over the years. She truly was helpless without a good team of tacticians and strategists backing her up. Had she not encouraged competition and infighting among us, she might have actually gained victory many years ago.
With Beryl at the helm, I knew that attacks would utilize brute force more than subtlety. She was probably using her old haunt in the Dark Kingdom as a base of operations. I knew most of the old entrances into there and a couple of more low key ones. They would be necessary to take the battle to Beryl herself. I would not involve the senshi in this battle of mine. It was personal, now.
I dropped the cig to the floor and stamped it out with my shoe. There was no salvation to be found in such things. Perhaps I would be able to find it in sleep.
I fumbled with the lock, my key scrapping against the metal several times before I managed to open the door. I doffed my coat, hanging it up on a coat rack near the door. I would transfer it to the room later, I just needed to sit down before I-
My eyes flashed open and my hand dropped to my side, instinctively grasping for a sword that was not there. Calmly, "Show yourself."
Silence answered me. I sighed, "Please don't insult me. I know you are there."
A feminine giggle and the lights flipped on. Beryl lay on the loveseat, wearing a short dress, in a color which I term as hooker red, which complemented her flowing red hair, "You always know how to make me smile."
"I sincerely hope you burn in hell."
She sighed and got up. Beryl examined herself in the mirror, "You know, I could get used to these mortal clothes. I rather like them."
"They suit you rather well." I spoke with no small sense of irony, "What do you want?"
She ignored me and picked up a picture on a table, "Ah, I suspected this place had a woman's touch. IT isn't military enough. Who is she?"
"Give me that." I crossed the room and yanked it away from her, placing it out of her reach.
"She's very pretty, Jadeite. You should be proud."
I glared at her for a moment, then composed myself into a set of icy courtesy, "I am. What do you want?"
"Why the same thing that you want, Jadeite. Power, unrequited power. The ability to hold another life in my hands and crush it."
"To become Providence....for the most sublime thing that one can know in this world is the power to reward and punish." I whispered.
"You never told me that you were a poet." Beryl drew closer to me, "Tell me what you want Jadeite. I want to help you. I can help you get it. Just help me...."
I tried to look away but she grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer to her mesmerizing gaze, "Please, Jadeite....I need you, more than I've ever needed anyone else in my life. Please tell me what you want...." she closed her eyes and then displayed the most generous smile I have ever seen on her face, "Sailor Mars....You want her....I can see it in your eyes.
"I can give her to you. I can make her your slave. She'll be yours forever, to do with whatever you wish. To love, to punish, to hold till the end of time. And all I ask is for one small favor."
Seductively, "Just help me. Lead my armies. Vanquish the senshi from this earth. You shall have everything that you have ever desired."
Even as I entertained visions of Rei in my arms again, I pushed Beryl away from my, hissing softly, "No corrupt bargain you could offer me would ever change my mind. I have chosen my side."
She laughed softly, "Ah my fanatical friend, you are such a waste of talent. I shall enjoy seeing you die...again."
"You will not have the luxury, Beryl. Once upon a time, you were my friend. That friendship has purchased you your safety from this apartment." I felt the cool metal of my sword filling my hand, "Leave before I try to kill you."
Beryl smiled and gracefully walked to the door, "I had a feeling it might end this way. Good bye Jadeite, you old fool. Take care of those you love. Your days are numbered."
And she left and I finally let the trembling work its way to the surface. Still, I feared her and her powers. But with time perhaps, I might be able to overcome that, to win out against it, and to eradicate the last vestiges of the petty Dark General Jadeite.
Three watched from the shadows of a nearby building.
"She left. Who do you think it was? A friend? A lover? A prostitute?"
Mamoru pursed his lips, "Perhaps. But my bet would be that it was a temptation. The red hair, the green eyes.....My guess is Beryl herself."
Minako's eyes widened, "No..."
"Why not? It makes sense. She batters down Jadeite in front of his erstwhile allies and then contacts him with a bribe. To lead an army, to gain revenge on us."
"But why?"
Ami, who had been silent up until then, spoke softly, "Think of it. He's the last of them left. The four generals. He knew our identities....at least mine, and Rei's and Usagi's. From the way that he talks about Beryl, she's not a particularly competent tactical leader. Who better to seek out?"
Mamoru nodded, "Not to mention, she has to know that odds are against her. She saw eight senshi, not the five she remembered. Plus one extremely dangerous rogue general mixing things up.
"She's also had a history of trying to turn us. Remember how she got to me?"
Minako nodded, "You've convinced me. The real question then is whether she was successful."
Ami sighed, "I want to say no...but we can't be certain."
Mamoru shook his head, "There are a couple of ways we can find out. Sailor Moon could hit him with a Moon Healing, Escalation. If he has any darkness in his heart, he'll be instantly vaporized.
"But knowing Jadeite, he's got some loose baggage rattling around there....so even if his intentions are good, he'll be killed instantly. We can always ask Rei to probe him with her fire or hit him with a charm, but with the shape she's in...."
Minako finished the sentence, "She'd just as likely condemn as exonerate him. Those aren't good choices Mamoru."
He sighed, "Ami, can you do anything with your computer?"
"Yeah, probe for weaknesses and whatnot....but I don't know...." she trailed off, "Wait a second. Perhaps I can do something."
Ami turned to her computer and typed furiously. Minako rolled her eyes and Mamoru grinned in spite of himself, "What are you planning to do?"
"I can test his weaknesses pretty easily. But I am going to go one step further, I'm going to try to see detect his power levels. I recorded his power levels many years ago, when we met him face to face. They were off the charts, primarily because of his efforts in draining and gathering life energy. If they are lower than then, I would argue that he isn't feeding off the energy of humans anymore."
"Or he's just hiding it better."
Ami shrugged, "It's a half measure. But I would bet that my computer can burn through most of that stuff and I haven't seen any strange disappearances or mysterious drainings in the news lately."
Her computer beeped a couple of times and she tapped a couple more keys, "Alright, let's run this bad boy." The computer scanned the apartment, and the bright signature of Jadeite popped up.
Ami superimposed it onto Jadeite's old profile, "His emissions are twenty percent of what they were. We may have an answer."
Mamoru tapped his fingers together, "But he's capable of using the same powers as he did before. Does that have anything to do with it?"
Ami shrugged, "It could be that he merely changes his sources of power. The ability to cloak or move quickly are hardly condemning powers. I'm convinced. He's not evil." Mamoru nodded in agreement.
Minako let her eyes narrow, "I'm not quite as trusting as you guys. I think you're letting your personal feelings get in the way of the matter. He took Rei hostage to get away from us. Even if we don't count his past history, he's hardly the most stable person to count on. I just know, I have to be sure....somehow."
She didn't come back that night. Not that I expected her to. I saw the my dessert and hers, cooling on the tabling and I pulled out the plastic wrap to put it into the refrigeration. Tossing the other dishes into the sink, I felt somewhat relieved.
The senshi had not killed me, a funny twist of fate that I would not question. It was probably a capricious choice on their part, but I would not underestimate the influence that Mamoru probably had on the judgement. 'Who else might I be able to count on my side'
I thought I had detected Sailor Jupiter giving me an encouraging nod and Mercury seemed to forgive me for my past. But the rest seemed very wary of me, especially my erstwhile friend Sailor Venus.
But those feelings of relief could not combat the genuine pain that I felt. Rei believe that I had betrayed her, a feeling which I did not share but could sympathize with.
I stared at the bedroom we shared and sighed again. I went in to pull out a couple of blankets and my pillow. I would not be able to sleep there alone.
I set up as comfortably as I could on the couch and let myself drift into aimless sleep.
"Ryan, you look terrible. More so than usual."
"Tell me about it." I cricked my neck and squinted at my daily reports, "I slept on the couch."
"Fight?"
"Something like that."
"I knew she was a sensible one." Dana fiddled with her highlighter and sighed, "What about?"
"Not sure." I fibbed quickly, "All I know is that she's just not talking to me right now."
She pondered that for a moment, "You must have done something."
"I'm sure I have. I just wish I could talk to her."
"You've got to prove yourself worthy of it. Something that can't be bought....you have to get her trust somehow." She mused on that for a moment, then cracked a grin, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Wearily, "I do hope so. I don't think I can live like this anymore."
She did not come back the night after either. Or the night after that. Slowly, I resigned myself to her complete absence from my life. It was numbing, terrible, but something that needed to be done. Life had become a perpetual cycle of work, debriefing and sleep.
Daily, I reported to Minako and Mamoru my findings about Beryl and her new armies, relating personal stories and experiences to give the senshi whatever edge they needed to triumph over her. Mamoru's support had pulled me through the roughest time and I devoted myself to the senshi's cause.
Yet, even that could not gnaw away at the emptiness that had settled in my heart. But as with all my problems, I papered them over with more work, more activities.
As usual, I had come home late, wrecked by the constant demands that I forced upon myself. Before going in, I took the chance to light up slowly and breathed out quietly. More than Rei occupied my mind. Beryl had survived, there was little to dispute that claim. It was most likely her that was summoning the legions of attackers to fight us. She seemed less irascible than before which was bad for us. First hand experience told me that anger makes for mistakes...hurried decisions. Beryl was more susceptible than most. Her cool logic made her a more dangerous opponent.
The good news was that her grasp of tactical matters had not improved much over the years. She truly was helpless without a good team of tacticians and strategists backing her up. Had she not encouraged competition and infighting among us, she might have actually gained victory many years ago.
With Beryl at the helm, I knew that attacks would utilize brute force more than subtlety. She was probably using her old haunt in the Dark Kingdom as a base of operations. I knew most of the old entrances into there and a couple of more low key ones. They would be necessary to take the battle to Beryl herself. I would not involve the senshi in this battle of mine. It was personal, now.
I dropped the cig to the floor and stamped it out with my shoe. There was no salvation to be found in such things. Perhaps I would be able to find it in sleep.
I fumbled with the lock, my key scrapping against the metal several times before I managed to open the door. I doffed my coat, hanging it up on a coat rack near the door. I would transfer it to the room later, I just needed to sit down before I-
My eyes flashed open and my hand dropped to my side, instinctively grasping for a sword that was not there. Calmly, "Show yourself."
Silence answered me. I sighed, "Please don't insult me. I know you are there."
A feminine giggle and the lights flipped on. Beryl lay on the loveseat, wearing a short dress, in a color which I term as hooker red, which complemented her flowing red hair, "You always know how to make me smile."
"I sincerely hope you burn in hell."
She sighed and got up. Beryl examined herself in the mirror, "You know, I could get used to these mortal clothes. I rather like them."
"They suit you rather well." I spoke with no small sense of irony, "What do you want?"
She ignored me and picked up a picture on a table, "Ah, I suspected this place had a woman's touch. IT isn't military enough. Who is she?"
"Give me that." I crossed the room and yanked it away from her, placing it out of her reach.
"She's very pretty, Jadeite. You should be proud."
I glared at her for a moment, then composed myself into a set of icy courtesy, "I am. What do you want?"
"Why the same thing that you want, Jadeite. Power, unrequited power. The ability to hold another life in my hands and crush it."
"To become Providence....for the most sublime thing that one can know in this world is the power to reward and punish." I whispered.
"You never told me that you were a poet." Beryl drew closer to me, "Tell me what you want Jadeite. I want to help you. I can help you get it. Just help me...."
I tried to look away but she grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer to her mesmerizing gaze, "Please, Jadeite....I need you, more than I've ever needed anyone else in my life. Please tell me what you want...." she closed her eyes and then displayed the most generous smile I have ever seen on her face, "Sailor Mars....You want her....I can see it in your eyes.
"I can give her to you. I can make her your slave. She'll be yours forever, to do with whatever you wish. To love, to punish, to hold till the end of time. And all I ask is for one small favor."
Seductively, "Just help me. Lead my armies. Vanquish the senshi from this earth. You shall have everything that you have ever desired."
Even as I entertained visions of Rei in my arms again, I pushed Beryl away from my, hissing softly, "No corrupt bargain you could offer me would ever change my mind. I have chosen my side."
She laughed softly, "Ah my fanatical friend, you are such a waste of talent. I shall enjoy seeing you die...again."
"You will not have the luxury, Beryl. Once upon a time, you were my friend. That friendship has purchased you your safety from this apartment." I felt the cool metal of my sword filling my hand, "Leave before I try to kill you."
Beryl smiled and gracefully walked to the door, "I had a feeling it might end this way. Good bye Jadeite, you old fool. Take care of those you love. Your days are numbered."
And she left and I finally let the trembling work its way to the surface. Still, I feared her and her powers. But with time perhaps, I might be able to overcome that, to win out against it, and to eradicate the last vestiges of the petty Dark General Jadeite.
Three watched from the shadows of a nearby building.
"She left. Who do you think it was? A friend? A lover? A prostitute?"
Mamoru pursed his lips, "Perhaps. But my bet would be that it was a temptation. The red hair, the green eyes.....My guess is Beryl herself."
Minako's eyes widened, "No..."
"Why not? It makes sense. She batters down Jadeite in front of his erstwhile allies and then contacts him with a bribe. To lead an army, to gain revenge on us."
"But why?"
Ami, who had been silent up until then, spoke softly, "Think of it. He's the last of them left. The four generals. He knew our identities....at least mine, and Rei's and Usagi's. From the way that he talks about Beryl, she's not a particularly competent tactical leader. Who better to seek out?"
Mamoru nodded, "Not to mention, she has to know that odds are against her. She saw eight senshi, not the five she remembered. Plus one extremely dangerous rogue general mixing things up.
"She's also had a history of trying to turn us. Remember how she got to me?"
Minako nodded, "You've convinced me. The real question then is whether she was successful."
Ami sighed, "I want to say no...but we can't be certain."
Mamoru shook his head, "There are a couple of ways we can find out. Sailor Moon could hit him with a Moon Healing, Escalation. If he has any darkness in his heart, he'll be instantly vaporized.
"But knowing Jadeite, he's got some loose baggage rattling around there....so even if his intentions are good, he'll be killed instantly. We can always ask Rei to probe him with her fire or hit him with a charm, but with the shape she's in...."
Minako finished the sentence, "She'd just as likely condemn as exonerate him. Those aren't good choices Mamoru."
He sighed, "Ami, can you do anything with your computer?"
"Yeah, probe for weaknesses and whatnot....but I don't know...." she trailed off, "Wait a second. Perhaps I can do something."
Ami turned to her computer and typed furiously. Minako rolled her eyes and Mamoru grinned in spite of himself, "What are you planning to do?"
"I can test his weaknesses pretty easily. But I am going to go one step further, I'm going to try to see detect his power levels. I recorded his power levels many years ago, when we met him face to face. They were off the charts, primarily because of his efforts in draining and gathering life energy. If they are lower than then, I would argue that he isn't feeding off the energy of humans anymore."
"Or he's just hiding it better."
Ami shrugged, "It's a half measure. But I would bet that my computer can burn through most of that stuff and I haven't seen any strange disappearances or mysterious drainings in the news lately."
Her computer beeped a couple of times and she tapped a couple more keys, "Alright, let's run this bad boy." The computer scanned the apartment, and the bright signature of Jadeite popped up.
Ami superimposed it onto Jadeite's old profile, "His emissions are twenty percent of what they were. We may have an answer."
Mamoru tapped his fingers together, "But he's capable of using the same powers as he did before. Does that have anything to do with it?"
Ami shrugged, "It could be that he merely changes his sources of power. The ability to cloak or move quickly are hardly condemning powers. I'm convinced. He's not evil." Mamoru nodded in agreement.
Minako let her eyes narrow, "I'm not quite as trusting as you guys. I think you're letting your personal feelings get in the way of the matter. He took Rei hostage to get away from us. Even if we don't count his past history, he's hardly the most stable person to count on. I just know, I have to be sure....somehow."