A.N.: Well, it's official—my insanity is a product of genetics. One of my brothers—not the snake/cow brother, for once—was studying Pavlov in school, and he liked the idea so much that he went out and bought a whistle. We don't have a dog, though, so he decided to use the baby instead. He's got her convinced she's a dog—she now eats only when her food is placed in bowl on the floor, carries things in her mouth and crawls around on all fours, comes when he whistles, and is barking rather than using the few words she'd already learned. My mom is getting absolutely hysterical about it, and every time I laugh she throws a frying pan at me. I love my family!

Relevant Story Info: Character credit for the detective goes entirely to my beta, Magician. She was the one who came up with his name and his appearance, as well as most of his personality. She also helped me work out the details for the subplots he'll be involved in. Kudos to you, Magician!

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CHAPTER FOUR: So Much For Humanity

In spite of Mina's promise, Setsuna knew her fellow senshi too well to believe the girl would actually get any rest the night before. Though she didn't think Mina would feel even remotely threatened by the enemy she'd locked away in her own home, the former leader of the senshi had spent too many months obsessing over just about everything to relax so easily. She couldn't let go even long enough to sleep properly anymore, though she still did her best to hide that from her partner. She didn't want Setsuna to worry about her, or to know just how often she pushed her body to the point of collapse before she could finally give in to her own exhaustion.

She should have known she couldn't fool Setsuna. They'd been working too closely together these past few months, had known each other for too long before that, and even if they hadn't, Setsuna wasas omniscient as anyone could ever be. She didn't know everything or even nearly everything, but as she stepped through the Gate and into Mina's home the morning after the fight in the alley, she didn't miss the fact that Mina wasn't her typical, unnaturally perky self. Nor, come to that, did she really look all that healthy. Her face was too pale even for her, her features seeming somehow pinched, though of course even that couldn't keep her from looking more beautiful than most women ever did. Mina could be at death's door, Setsuna mused tiredly, and she'd probably still look stunning. How does she do that?

The blonde was leaning against her kitchen counter, absently holding a coffee mug to her lips, staring off into space. She glanced up as Setsuna arrived, inclined her head in a greeting that was a little too cautious, as though she was trying not to move too much. Setsuna peered at the girl, thinking that if she hadn't known that Mina avoided alcohol like the plague, she would have assumed the blonde had a hangover. The gold of Mina's eyes was too muted, her expression too listless, and a hangover would certainly explain the lack of color in her skin. Mina, Setsuna noted, hadn't even bothered to pull her hair away from her face, as she usually did. The blonde locks cascaded loosely over her shoulders, looking odd on this woman who hadn't worn her hair completely down since she was twelve years old. "You…don't look well, Meens."

Mina grimaced, though she only took another sip of her coffee. "I have a migraine, Sets," she snapped. "My head feels like it's going to fall off, and I'm starting to think I might feel better if it did. You should just be grateful that I managed to get dressed today."

Setsuna sighed again, glancing at the white turtleneck and plain, slightly wrinkled slacks Mina wore, wondering how the girl could be so elegant in an outfit that looked as though it hadn't been washed since the last time it had been worn. As preoccupied as Mina was lately, it probably hadn't. "You never went to bed last night, did you?"

Mina shot her friend a glare, wincing slightly as the movement caused her head to ache even more than it already was. "Of course I did," she snapped. Then, before her anger could even reach her eyes, her face softened. "I have nightmares, Sets," she confessed quietly. "Most of my memories aren't exactly pleasant, and since I'm reliving them every night, I'm just not sleeping as well as I used to." She shrugged, though once again the movement was very slight. "Don't worry about it, Setsuna," she added, her words not quite an order but close enough to count as one. "It comes with the territory, I think."

Setsuna didn't really have anything to say to that, though it was obvious that Mina didn't intend to dwell on her nightmares. If she'd wanted Setsuna to know what her dreams were about, the oldest of the senshi reasoned, she would have told her. As it was, Setsuna wisely switched topics. "Is he awake?"

It didn't take a brain surgeon to know what Setsuna was talking about, but Mina only shook her head. If she'd felt any relief in knowing that Setsuna wouldn't press the issue, she didn't show it. "No, but it doesn't matter. Torturing him is no longer a priority." She paused, briefly considered her words, and then pushed on. "I…don't think he'll be of any use to us," she finally said, attempting to explain. "I realize that most of his people are insane, but even they aren't crazy enough to trust their secrets with someone so completely unable to defend himself. I sincerely doubt that he knows anything truly important."

Setsuna arched one dark eyebrow. She wasn't exactly in favor of torture, but she couldn't let Mina make such an oversight. "You may be right, but that doesn't mean he knows nothing at all."

Mina shrugged yet again. "I didn't say I wasn't going to interrogate him, Sets," she retorted, "just that I'm not going to cut off any toes or shove bits of wood beneath his fingernails. I may hit him a few times to get him talking, but that's it." She smiled suddenly. "Actually, I may hit him several times. He made me ruin a perfectly good pair of shoes, and I don't think I can forgive him for that."

Setsuna frowned, thinking that, as always, Mina's joviality was entirely inappropriate. Would the blonde be able to joke around if she'd thought this through and realized how it would have to end? "And after that? You can't keep him here, Mina, and you can't set him loose. What will you do with him?"

Mina shrugged, not seeming even slightly concerned over this. She only stared down into her coffee mug, lips bending in a frown. "I suppose it would be best if I killed him," she muttered, golden eyes still weary but unflinching. There was so little emotion in her voice that she might just as easily have been deciding whether or not to go to the grocery store. "He refuses to eat real food, and without any emotions to feed from, he's just going to starve to death anyway." She caught her bottom lip in her perfect teeth, absently worried at the skin. "I'm not so cruel that I'd make him suffer that way, Sets. Execution would be a mercy."

Setsuna's wine-colored eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. As little as she liked the callous, matter-of-fact way Mina was speaking, she knew the girl's words were true enough. Both Mina and Setsuna had spent too many years learning to distance themselves from their emotions, to bury their feelings so deeply within themselves that not even the mind-leeching Styx could access their pain. And since nobody else ever came out this far, their captive was entirely without a food source. How long could he survive under these conditions? A week? Two? As ugly a death as that would be, Mina's way really was kinder. Still, shouldn't the senshi of love be a little more bothered by the situation than she apparently was? Torturing one man to save others was one thing, but couldn't Mina at least pretend to be reluctant about it?

Mina blinked suddenly, finally meeting Setsuna's gaze, catching the disapproval lingering in her fellow senshi's face. "Don't look at me like that, Sets," she said, though her voice was still unnaturally calm. "You've known me for too long to believe I'd want to kill him. I just don't see any other way."

Setsuna was still frowning, not quite believing her but trying to find an alternative anyway. "What of Nirali? She's one of his kind. Perhaps she can get through to him, keep him from starving himself before we can find something else to do with him."

Mina didn't even take the time to think about that, though, being Mina, perhaps it had already occurred to her. "No," she said. "Nirali is only just getting used to living as a human. If we throw her back into the influence of her own people, she might lose that, and then we might lose her. It's not worth the risk, and not just because she knows too much about us. I won't do that to Mac, or to her." She grunted. "Besides, Nirali is either a traitor or a dead woman, to them. Either way, that man upstairs isn't going to believe a thing she says."

Mina's logic was faultless, though Setsuna took some small comfort in the senshi's determination to protect their former enemy and the human lover she'd chosen over her own people. Mina certainly had no reason to keep Nirali from harm, not when the woman had once tried to kill them both. Setsuna knew Mina had only spared the former assassin because she'd seen the potential for humanity in the woman, and because she'd also wanted to preserve the love Nirali had found in spite of everything. Was this a sign that Mina wasn't quite as emotionally deadened as she often seemed? Perhaps there was hope left, after all…

Mina suddenly set her mug on the kitchen counter, turned back to her friend and instantly dashed the hope that hadn't even fully formed within Setsuna's heart. "There's no sense wasting any more time, Sets. My headache isn't going to go away, and I might as well start the interrogation now, while he's still strong enough to answer." She turned and walked out of the kitchen, pausing only long enough to glance back over her shoulder at her fellow warrior. "Coming?"

Setsuna's features were set in stone as she followed.

How can she be so casual about all of this? So much for Mina's humanity…

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"I'm sorry, but I don't have anything new for you. As far as I can tell, this girl doesn't exist anywhere."

The voice on the other end of the phone was a little too professional and a little too calm, though there was also a hint of compassion in the words. Still, it wasn't what the tall, silver-haired and silver-eyed man holding the receiver wanted to hear. The tall man sighed, hanging his head though he had long since stopped expecting anything else, reaching up to run slender fingers over his handsome, weary face. Three months, he mused tiredly, and except for the oddest dream I've ever had, still no trace of Mina. Where could she be? "Are you certain you've exhausted every possibility? She might have traveled under a different name, or disguised herself in some way."

The detective didn't seem to take offense at the question, though a man less sure of his skills might have. He only grunted, very little irritation or offense creeping into his response. "What kind of detective would I be if I hadn't already thought of that?" he retorted. He also sighed, the sound loud enough that Malachite could hear it quite clearly, even over the phone. "Think about what you're saying, Malachite. If this girl of yours was clever enough to change her name and disguise her appearance, don't you think she'd also be clever enough to pick a disguise so believable that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her? And if that was the case," he added, "it wouldn't matter that I had every airport and bus station in the entire city swarming with my men for weeks on end. They'd never recognize her, either."

He paused, then pushed on, knowing his stoic and taciturn client wouldn't want anything but the truth, no matter how unpleasant or unwelcome it might be. "For that matter," he said, "there are a thousand and one other ways she could have gotten out of the country. If she's even half as resourceful as you and her father think she is, she'd also be more than capable of finding some other form of transportation, one that wouldn't necessarily leave a paper trail for us to follow." He paused again, considering the matter once more. "Of course, that's assuming she actually left Japan. We don't really have any evidence that she did, you know. For all your insistence to the contrary, she might just be holed up somewhere in the city, having a good laugh at our expense."

"She's not in Japan."

The other man didn't miss a beat, though he also didn't miss the certainty in Malachite's voice. "And how would you know that, exactly? You've already admitted that you don't really know the first thing about her, or even why she left. How, then, can you guess where she'd go?"

The silver-eyed man shrugged, though of course the detective couldn't see the gesture. "I just know," he answered quietly, the chill now in his voice meant to discourage any more questioning along this line. He understood Detective Rawlik's skepticism, sometimes even shared it, but he also couldn't shake the certainty that the love of his life was not in the country. Something inside had been telling him for three months that Mina was not anywhere near, and even if he hadn't had too much faith in his own instincts to doubt them, he firmly believed that three months of searching should have been enough to find her if she'd still been in the country.

Detective Rawlik grunted, but Malachite's message had been clear enough, and he didn't push the issue. "Fine," he said. "She's not in Japan. Any other ideas?"

Malachite hesitated, knowing how pointless it would be to search an entire world for one girl, especially when that girl was so determined to stay hidden. "England, maybe. I know she lived there when she was a child." He sighed again, feeling a headache beginning behind his eyes. "I believe she was also in America for a few years, when she was very young. She might have been born there, though I'm not certain. I'll ask her father, the next time I see him."

The detective was quiet for a moment, considering. "You do that. I'll start contacting some of my colleagues in America and in England. It's a place to start, anyway, even if it's a long shot." He grunted yet again, a sound so familiar by now that Malachite was coming to believe it was his favorite form of communication. "In the meantime, you see what else you can dig up in Tokyo. Keep hounding her friends, her neighbors. Somebody has to know where she's gone."

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The prisoner wasn't talking. Mina didn't know if it was because he was stronger than she'd given him credit for, or if he simply didn't know the answers to her questions, but whatever the reason, she'd gotten nothing from him. He hadn't been moved by her demands or her threats or the promises she would actually have kept, hadn't faltered even when she'd finally begun to hit him. He'd only glared up at her, such pure hatred in his eyes that she never doubted, even for a moment, how much he wished for her death. Had their positions been reversed, she knew, she would already be dead.

Mina wasn't exactly intimidated by that, of course, and she met his glare easily enough, thinking only that he was hardly the first to want her death. So many others had tried to kill her, over the years, that she honestly didn't care that one more threat had popped up. Nor did she return the alien's fury, though she had every reason to. There was no anger in her, no fear or irritation or anything else. All of this—his hatred and the circumstances that had led to it, the evil he hadn't even bothered to hide within his eyes—was nothing to her. He was nothing, just one more stumbling block in a path that was turning out to be longer than she'd thought it would be. And as she stepped closer to him, slender fingers curling into a fist that instantly connected with his jaw, she still felt nothing. Even the fact that her actions were more befitting a common thug than an immortal warrior failed to concern her, because as much as she might hate the idea of beating someone for information, it was just something she had to do. Her actions were necessary, in her eyes, and that was the only justification she needed.

Mina sighed, sending another blow to the man's face, silently watching as blood spurted from his split lip and onto her floor. He didn't look well, did her prisoner, though of course that was to be expected. She'd been careful to keep from causing permanent damage, but she hadn't been gentle, and the man's face was a mess. His skin was a rather unpalatable mix of black and purple and mottled green bruises, and one of his eyes was swelling partially shut. She'd broken his nose at some point, and a second stream of crimson was flowing down his chin, splattering onto the floor. He was breathing heavily, long past the point where he could hide his pain, though Mina couldn't bring herself to care about that, either. This creature had long since ceased to be a man at all in her eyes, though technically he hadn't ever been one, and he probably deserved far worse.

Setsuna didn't see it the same way. The other woman was standing off to one side, and while she hadn't yet made a move to stay Mina's hand or even to question the prisoner herself, her expression was very grim. Mina didn't know what she was thinking, though she suspected that Setsuna was peering into the future, trying to find something that would justify Mina's actions. The blonde paused for a moment, turning speculative eyes to the other woman, wondering if Setsuna had found anything but not willing to ask. Part of her simply didn't want to know the answer, because even she, emotionally detached as she had become, would have hated herself if she'd known she was beating a man for nothing. Still, Setsuna would have told her if this wasn't necessary, wouldn't she?

Regardless of whether or not it was, the blonde knew Setsuna didn't approve of what she was doing. The senshi of time could be as brutal as anyone, but while this had essentially been Setsuna's suggestion, it wasn't her kind of thing. Setsuna was meant to watch and remember, to interfere indirectly if at all, and she hadn't been trained for this level of violence, the way Mina had. For Mina, this was just another form of battle, and she couldn't quite understand why Setsuna seemed to think it should be harder for her. True, her opponent couldn't defend himself, and maybe that did make it dishonorable in many ways, but as often as Mina had to kill and injure and maim, she couldn't let herself be limited by such simplistic morals. She was surprised that Setsuna allowed herself that luxury.

Mina sighed again as Setsuna looked up and met her eyes, the frown in that purple gaze so intense that Mina almost cringed. Why couldn't Setsuna understand that compared to what this man had intended for the human race, a beating was nothing at all?

The slender turned back to her captive, noting the way his head seemed to fall onto his chest. Was he unconscious already? She hadn't tried to curb the more-than-human strength in her blows, but he also wasn't human enough to need that. He certainly shouldn't have broken so easily. She cocked her head to one side, fingers still balled into fists, her own expression not changing in the slightest as she waited for some indication of life. The man accommodated her quickly enough, the slightest grimace of pain marring his elongated features through the blood.

Mina's own features still didn't change, though she paused for a moment before lashing out again. She struck him across the nose, hearing the sickening but unmistakable sound of shattered bone being ground down further. The man cried out, at that, and while Mina continued to be unaffected, she immediately pulled her hand back, flicking her wrist to rid herself of the blood now coating her knuckles. She watched, completely dispassionate, as the droplets splattered to the floor, joining the puddle already there. She wondered, absently, if she would ever be able to get the stain out of the wooden floorboards.

The man was practically hyperventilating by now, but Mina didn't hit him again. She only stared at him, weariness seeping once again into her golden eyes. "I don't want to keep hitting you," she told her prisoner, voice frank, "but I don't understand why you won't tell me anything. It's not like I'm asking for much—just a few names, a few facts. Is it worth this much pain to keep that from me?" The man didn't respond, and Mina sighed. "What a waste," she said, and even her lyrical voice was completely flat. "You mean absolutely nothing to them, yet you're still willing to endure all of this just to protect them. Why? What kind of loyalty can you possibly feel for a queen who feels no loyalty in return?"

Mina stared hard at the man, but she hadn't really expected an answer, and she didn't get one…or at least not one she could have prepared herself for, because although the next voice to sound through the room was male, it wasn't the captive's.

"Gods, Mina, what am I going to do with you?"

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Reader Responses:

Daydream24: Why thank you! Your compliments are flattering and very much appreciated! I sincerely hope to hear from you again.

A. Lee: Yes, angst. Do I ever write anything else? You'd be shocked if you actually knew me, though, because I'm probably one of the most cheerful people on the planet. Even I don't know where the angst comes from.

Don't worry about it. Your rambling is far more coherent than most people ever get. You're too intelligent to ever sound like an idiot. Me, on the other hand…

Yes, but Mal thought it was a dream, remember? I don't know about you, but I usually have aliens and green monkeys in my dreams. After a while, it stops meaning anything.

Duly noted! I'll see if I can get another chapter out soon (though soon is such a relative term for me). I can't promise to kill off TPLI soon, though. Everybody knows TPLI is Ace, and I have to give Mina time to get close to him and then Mal a chance or two to get really jealous. He'll be there until the end of the fic, I'm afraid.

Loved hearing from you, as always. You're hilarious and intelligent, and that's reason enough for me to adore you!

Adyen: Yes, though I guess it's not intentional. You're actually a very funny person, and I love that about you.

JadesRose: Well, I suppose I'm to blame for that. I'm just absolutely not willing to cut her a break. I'm so mean…

And, yes, that's the point. I want Mina to the breaking point before Ace shows up and relieves some of her stress and loneliness. I figure that's the only way she'll ever be able to accept him in her life.

And I will read your updated story this weekend. I have too much going on just now, but I'm extremely eager to see what other bits of genius you've come up with.

Koosei: Of course she'll be okay. I don't write stories that don't have happy endings.

Why was Raye there? Can't tell you. It's a very long and complicated explanation that involves too many spoilers to be revealed just yet. I won't be explaining that until nearly the end of the fic, frankly. I apologize if not knowing bugs you!

Keeps reading reviews. Oh, never mind. Somebody else guessed it, so I might as well tell you: Minako and Raye are from the future (as opposed to Minako being Minako-from-the-past), and Raye is there to help Minako get into Mina's head. That may not make a whole lot of sense now, but it will…hopefully.

Loved hearing from you. You're an angel!

Optical Illusions: Nope, no heart at all. Just the way I like her! Seriously, though, I want Mina to be as closed off as possible. That way she'll reach her breaking point sooner, and when she does finally fall apart, Ace will be there to pick up the pieces. The way I see it, it's the only way she'll trust him or accept him in her life. Does that make sense?

Thank you for the compliments, though! It's all the motivation I need!

Animerocksjapanrocks"Heaps" good? That's too funny, though I honestly can't explain why. I'm glad you like my story enough to keep reviewing. That's incredibly flattering!

Minako-chan4: I'm incredibly honored, Minako-chan, that you would take the time to review this. You're one of my favorite authors, and while I wish I didn't sound quite so much like a groupie of yours, that's incredible motivation.

And, yes, I realize that there are about a thousand loose ends. It's intentional, if annoying for all of us. I'll try to rectify that gap soon, though. And he has gone to her friends—I just haven't worked that in yet.

I'm glad that you remember my story well enough, even though I go months between updates, to comment on things like that. Once again, I'm flattered.

Eagle8819: I'm glad it's getting more interesting for you, as opposed to the 'less' I always fear. I have a tendency to ramble, and I'm overjoyed that you haven't lost interest. Thank you!

You know, you're the only one who got that. Yes, Minako and Raye are from the future, and Raye was there helping Minako get into Mina's head. I'm glad you're still in suspense even though you've seen right through me!

Hope to hear from you again. You're reviews are great motivation.