Today on Sailor Moon, the Scouts and I are running for our lives from the Nega-monster, Pyrectro, and Drake is fighting for his life against Tracker and Archeress. Can Drake defeat them and get to us in time to help? Find out in Part three of Return of the Negaverse, Fight for life!

It's a quiet night in Tokyo. The full moon shines over head as five shadowy forms race across a rooftop. Suddenly, the five runners are hurled to their feet by an explosion from behind them! In the light of the explosion are revealed the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars, quickly rise to their feet and look behind them.

There, standing behind them was a monster made of fire and electricity. "So," the monster crackled, "finally caught up to you." "Your gonna be sorry you did," shouted Venus. "Venus Crescent Beam, SMASH!" A beam of energy blasted out of her finger as she pointed at the monster known as Pyrectro. It managed to dodge the beam by splitting itself into two parts! "Why don't you try this one...or should I say two," cried the divided monster. "Jupiter Thunder Dragon! Mars Fire Ignite!" It proceeded to duplicate Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter's attacks!

As the Scouts were fighting for their lives, another battle was taking place several blocks away. Drake, cut, bruised, and bleeding, had barely managed to hold off Tracker and Archeress for the last ten minutes. At the moment he had lost Archeress and Tracker, but he knew that wouldn't be for long.I need to find someplace to hide, he thought, breathing heavily. Finding an open door to a warehouse he recognized, he stumbled inside. Archeress watched from a nearby rooftop as Drake disappeared inside. Tracker, I found him, she 'pathed to him.

Tracker, on the other side of the Warehouse, asked, Where is he? Inside the warehouse, she replied. Tracker found an open window and entered. Inside, boxes and crates piled five to twenty layers high turned the inside of the warehouse into a maze of passages. Looking up, Tracker spotted several catwalks. Archeress, see if you can get to those catwalks. There should be an access from the roof.

Archeress quickly moved to the roof of the warehouse. Finding a boxlike structure which contained a stairwell, she entered the building. Going down she came to a door, which when opened, led into an office. Looking around, she spotted another door that lead to the catwalks and a metal stairwell. She went out onto the catwalk. I'm here, Tracker.

I know, I can see you, 'pathed Tracker as he studied her from behind a pile of crates. Do you see him anywhere? No, I don- She stopped. Hold on, I see him. She saw Drake near a massive cargo container in the center of the Wharehouse. She watched as he slipped into a maintenance door on the container. Head toward the center of the warehouse. I'll join you there.

As she turned around on the catwalk to head back toward the metal stairs, something inside the office caught her eye. With a quick glance back at the container and Tracker, she went inside. Her eyes widened at what she saw. There, hanging on the wall, was a picture of Drake in his civilian form, standing side by side with Maxfield Stanton, better known as Nephlyte!! Tracker, she 'pathed desperately, This warehouse, it belongs to Stanton Industries!!

With a roar, a silvery Nissan Wraith burst out of the container. Tires screeching, it raced down the passage created by crates and pallets of boxes, and burst through the main ware house doors, leaving what was left of the doors hanging on their hinges. Archeress and Tracker looked across the warehouse at each other, with one thought on their minds. Hunter isn't going to like this…

"Catch her!" The Scouts, knocked off the roof by Pyro and Electro's attacks, were in free fall. And Sailor Jupiter was knocked unconscious!! One of Mars's feet landed on the railing of a fire escape, from which she immediately kicked off, sending her into Jupiter and allowing Mars to catch her. The rest of the scouts landed on their feet, Venus, who had been hurt in the attack, immediately falling to her knees.

Sailor Moon turned to Mercury. "Is there some way to beat these creeps?" "Let me check." She activated her visor as Pyro and Electro landed heavily on the street. "If we can get the two of them back together as Pyrectro, I may be able to weaken them both with my Ice Storm Blast." She deactivated her visor.

"Leave that to me," said Venus, anger burning in her eyes. Suddenly, Pyro and Electro attacked! "Mars Fire, IGNITE!" "Jupiter Thunder, CRASH!" The Scouts scattered, but Mars, burdened with Jupiter, did not escape unscathed. That sent Venus's anger into rage!!

"Venus Crescent Meteor, SWARM!!" A beam of energy shot from her finger into the sky, then became a multitude of rays as it rained down on Pyro and Electro, who were forced to join together to escape the attack. "My turn," Mercury said. She leapt into the air and spun. "Mercury Ice Storm, BLAST!!" She suddenly stopped spinning as she unleashed a swarm of bubbles that broke and quickly filled the air with an icy mist.

"Whatt's happppening to mmme," Pyrectro chattered as it's fire side died down. Suddenly, a silver Nissan Wraith turned the corner and barreled down on Pyrectro. Pyrectro spun around, just in time to have himself get sent rolling over the car and high into the air, landing on the ground with a loud crash. Electro rose from where he landed. Electro, not Pyrectro. His fire side was destroyed.

The Wraith, sear marks on the hood, slid to a stop. Drake got out, and turned to face the monster. "Master and Mistress were unable to stop you it seems. No matter, leaves more fun for me!" The monster crackled with power as it shot up into a street light. Street lamps all around them exploded as the monster raced through their wiring, forcing Drake and the Scouts to duck for cover.

The explosions stopped as he shot from one of the lamps to a Mitsubishi Gallant. With the screech of tortured metal, the car changed into an engine of destruction (no pun intended). The bipedal monstrosity stomped forward, bolts of electricity flying at Moon, Mercury, and Venus, who frantically dodged.

Meanwhile, Drake was forcing some sort of potion down the throats of the unconscious Mars and Jupiter. The two Scouts immediately woke up gasping and gagging. "What is that stuff," choked Jupiter. Drake threw the bottle over his shoulder with a shudder. "You don't want to know." The eyes of Mars and Jupiter became huge when they saw the bottle explode in a cloud of smoke on impact with the ground.

"Now, I think we should be helping your friends," he said, turning to face the possessed car. "Right," Mars shouted as she brought forth an Anti-Evil Charm. "I call upon the power of Mars! Fireballs, CHARGE!!" Throwing the charm at Electro, she spun and brought her forefingers together, creating a small pinwheel of flame. "Mars Firebird…" At the same time, the antenna on Sailor Jupiter's tiara had raised. A massive thunderbolt shot down from the suddenly darkened sky and struck the antenna, creating a brilliant nimbus of electricity around her, as she lept upward and crossed her arms. "You've been copying our attacks, let's show you how it's done! Jupiter Thunder…"

"STRIKE," Mars shouted.

"DRAGON," roared Jupiter.

From Mars's fingertips, the pinwheel shot forward, becoming a roaring ball of flame that merged with the charm and once again transformed into the Firebird. At the same time, Jupiter uncrossed her arms, unleashing a massive thunderbolt that quickly formed into a dragon of electricity. The two entities merged to form a winged dragon of flame and lightening. The creature slammed into Electro's car body, causing the eletical parts to short circuit, and every thing to melt. As the car melted, Electro was revealed, writhing in agony from the destruction of his body and unable to draw power from the electricity because of that.

"Sailor Moon," Drake shouted, "let's finish this!!" "Right," she shouted in return as she drew her Scepter. Making the activating motions with the wand, she intoned, "Moon Scepter…"

At the same time, Drake reversed the Shadow Sword. "Shadow…"

"ELIMINATION," shouted Sailor Moon, releasing a spinning crescent of energy.

"SLASH," shouted Drake, shooting forward so fast that afterimages appeared behind him.

Suddenly, Drake lept as his sword caught up with the crescent of energy. The sword glowed brilliantly as it absorbed the energy, propelling Drake even faster and living a solid stream of light and color behind him. The glowing blade slashed straight through the melting car body and Electro's mid-section. Landing in a crouch on the other side of Electro, Drake spun the sword and sheathed the no longer glowing Katana. As if the guard of the blade striking the sheath were a signal, both the remains of the Gallant and Electro exploded!

The scouts flinched away from the blast as pieces of the Gallant flew all around them. Drake, whose back was to the destroyed monster, didn't move an inch until after the violence of the blast subsided. Then he stood up from his crouch and turned.

"Looks like you win this one, Sailor Scouts," a female voice said. The scouts spun as the images of Tracker and Archeress appeared. "But you won't win forever," Archeress continued. She looked at Drake. "We'll be seeing you again, Drake."

"You can bet on it," yelled the enraged Tracker. And with that, both villains vanished.

With quick strides, Drake walked to the Wraith, got in side, and turned on the engine. Rolling down the window he shouted, "Do you gals need a lift?"

Venus, hearing police sirens, yelled back, "No thanks! Better get out of her before the cops come." Drake nodded, and then said, "Then I WILL be seeing you girls later." With that, the Wraith roared off.

"We better get going, too," said Mars. The others nodded, then lept for the rooftops. As they leapt away, Mercury thought to herself, What did he mean by that?

The next day…

"We were very surprised to see you here, Mister Rodriguez," said Ofukawa, the CEO for Stanton Industries. "If we had known, we'd have had you office ready before you arrived." He bowed in apology. Jonathan Rodriguez said nothing for a while, just looking out the window while the janitorial staff cleaned upthe office that had formerly been shared by the two partners of the corporation.

Mr. Ofukawa was curious as to the bandaged cuts and bruises on Jonathan's face, but decided not to ask. Instead he asked, hesitantly, " Sir… Has there been any word from Mr. Stanton?" Jonathan turned to look at Ofukawa, a shadow seeming to flit across his features.

"No," he replied, the shadow vanishing as if it were never there. He turned back to the window. Mr. Ofukawa bowed again. "If you will not be needing me…" He left the rest unsaid, as he turned to leave. Just as he was about to walk out the door…

"Ofukawa." Ofukawa turned. "Yes, Sir?" "Have the cleaning staff at the Mansion clean the place up. I'll be arriving there tomorrow," Jonathan said. Ofukawa bowed again. "As you wish."

Meanwhile, at the Negaverse base in the Northern Latitudes…

"You were defeated." What Bounty Hunter said was a statement, not a question. "Yes, my lord," Archeress replied. Both she and Tracker were on one knee, Tracker sweating profusely. Hunter walked toward them until he was in front of Archeress. "Archeress, stand." Archeress stood, knowing what was to come. Suddenly, Bounty Hunter's fist blurred forward, slamming into Archeress's gut. At the same time he unleashed a force bolt that propelled her twenty yards away, where she landed in a crumpled heap, unconscious.

Tracker suddenly found it hard to breathe as Hunter's hand encircled Tracker's neck. Lifting him upward so that his feet were dangling in the air, Hunter said, "She at least showed some courage. You on the other hand, need to be taught a few lessons on bravery!" He threw Tracker into the arms of two waiting Guardsmen. "Take him to Arachne's chamber. Perhaps she can teach him not to be so cowardly!" With Tracker's screams for mercy falling on deaf ears as he was dragged away, Hunter returned to Beryl's throne. "Sailor Scouts, you may have won this round, but you will pay dearly for helping the traitor. Most dearly." And his dark laughter echoed throughout the throne room.

fini

Sailor Moon Says:

Serena: All right, Sailor Fans. Sailor Moon: Return of the Negaverse may be finished, but Drake and the Sailor Scouts still have many adventures to go. Watch for Sailor Moon: CE, coming soon. And also, watch for Sailor Scouts International, which will be appearing at around the same time. Bye for now!