Ronins Interrupted

By: Ghost of the Dawn

Chapter 7: Drive

There was a sickening sound of glass shattering as the window next to Robyn exploded. A large figure landed in the room as broken shards rained all around the young girl. Before she could react, the figure rushed her and knocked her hard into the wall. Her skull ricocheted off the hard plaster and her small body crumpled to the floor. Robyn struggled to stay conscious, but she was slipping fast. Just before her eyes closed for good, she beheld another figure in the room. One wearing green armor.

In the kitchen, the five girls sitting there were on their feet when they heard the crash. Rushing together into the next room, they froze at the scene that lay before them.

"What's going on here?" Rei demanded.

The two intruders hardly gave their presence any consideration as they stared each other down.

"Robyn!" Serena cried when she noticed the lifeless body on the floor. She ran to help her, but the young red head was already out cold. Serena looked up at the two responsible and frowned.

The closest figure was indeed dressed in green armor. The one wearing it held an ancient sword dangerously and the helmet's face plate was down, hiding the face of its wearer. Facing off the armor clad warrior was none other than Katara--the younger of the two cat sisters.

"Stay back!" Katara warned the girls.

The second her attention was diverted, the green armored figure swung at her with its no-datchi. The feline creature barely managed to dodge the attack as the sword came inches from slicing her again and again. The five scouts watched the whole thing dumbstruck.

"What the heck is going on?" Lita finally found enough voice to demand.

Just as she said that, Katara tripped over some near by furniture in her haste to escape the attacks. With her on the floor, the green armor turned its attention to the group of girls and advanced on them with a menacing gate.

Serena was frozen in horror, the unconscious Robyn still laying in her arms. The other four scouts were stuck where they were; none having enough wits about them to do anything against the ancient sword meant to destroy them.

"NOOO!" Serena and, surprisingly, Katara cried at the same time.

The latter suddenly jumped to her feet and tackled the menacing armor, throwing them both out the window the way they came. The scouts all ran to look out and beheld as the fight continued. Katara seemed bent on leading her attacker further away into the city.

"What was that?" Rei wanted to know.

"Was that one of those guys in the armor?" Mina asked anxiously. "Why was he trying to kill us?"

"I told you guys!" Rei insisted. "Those armors are evil! That's why that one came after us! And that creature saved all of us from being sliced to ribbons just now. We have to help her."

The scouts all looks at each other for any further commentary.

"I dunno you guys," Lita said. "Something just seems funny to me."

"We still should go," Ami added. "We need to get to the bottom of this, right Serena?"

Everyone collectively turned to their blonde leader. But she was staring down at the unconscious redhead.

"Serena?" Rei asked.

She suddenly got a serious expression on her face as she set Robyn gently on the floor and then got to her feet.

"Let's do it, guys," she announced and pulled out her broach.

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"

The others were right behind her.

"MERCURY STAR POWER!"

"JUPITER STAR POWER!"

"VENUS STAR POWER!"

"MARS STAR POWER!"

The rooms was filled with multicolored lights before they released five young girls in colored sailor uniforms.

"Luna, Artemis," Sailor Moon ordered. "Stay here and watch after Robyn."

"Right," the two cats nodded.

"Come on Scouts! Let's go!"

And with a flash, the celestial warriors were off, out the window and disappeared into the dark city beyond.

"Hurry guys, we've got to find them," Sailor Jupiter urged as the group ran from roof top to roof top.

"I can feel a strange energy," Sailor Mars announced. "We're getting closer. This way!"

A blast of energy lit up a section of buildings and the scouts needed no further guidance to tell them where they were going. They arrived just in time to see a cornered Katana, looking burned and bruised, with the hulking green armor standing over her.

"Guys! She's in trouble! We have to help!" Sailor Venus called urgently.

"Let's go!" Sailor Jupiter led the charge as she jumped down to a lower roof top.

Katana saw them coming and called out to them.

"Keep away!" she warned. "Don't let them fool you! Don't let them--"

She was cut off as the green armored figure raised his mighty sword above his head and it began to glow. With one fatal swing of the powerful weapon, a great wave of energy shot forth and completely swallowed the pink haired cat creature. Katana screamed in pain until the sound from the energy blast drowned her out. And when the light had faded, there was no trace of her save for some burnt roof top where she was standing and a bit of smoke.

All the five scouts could do was watch; wide eyed and horrified.

"He killed her," Sailor Mercury rasped.

"That--that monster!" Sailor Jupiter seethed. "Why I'll...I'll..." Her anger prevented her from finishing the sentence as her fists shook with growing rage.

"I told you," Sailor Mars said with finality.

"I don't believe it," Sailor Moon whispered as she shook her head. But then she clenched her fists and approached the armored form. "All right you! I don't know who you think you are, but killing another being like that is unforgivable and we won't just sit by and let you do it. Prepare to be punished in the name of the moon!"

As she reached for her wand, the armor just stood and watched. But before Sailor Moon could start her attack, her foe suddenly vanished from the roof without a trace. Some of the other Scouts ran up to the spot to make sure for themselves that the armor was really gone. It really was. All foes were gone and there was nothing more that could be done now. Sailor Jupiter was the first one to voice that point.

"Come on guys, let's go," she called. "Besides, we've got a mess to clean up back home."

As the others started off, Sailor Mars gazed over at the burnt roof where the young cat girl had stood. Her last words of warning; "Don't let them fool you." Sailor Mars furrown her borws in determination. She wouldn't.

Robyn awoke to a horrible throbbing in her skull. She moaned as she sat up. That mere motion was enough to cause her to feel dizzy and she had to lean back on one hand for support while the other continued to rub her aching head. What had happened to her last night? She didn't remember going to any killer party. In fact, the only thing she could remember from that night was......

"Good morning!" A blonde head popped up happily before her. "And how are we feeling?"

Robyn looked at Serena with an expression that was a cross between "Are you crazy?" and "Help me, I don't know!".

"That good, huh?" Serena mumbled.

Robyn looked around and blinked. She was sitting in her sleeping bag, though for the life of her, she couldn't recall ever having gone to bed that night. She also managed to notice she was still wearing yesterday's clothes which confused her even more.

"Oh hey, you're awake," Lita called pleasantly from the kitchen. "Hope you're hungry. I'm making waffles!"

"Yay!" Mina cheered from where she was watching Saturday morning cartoons. "I love waffles, don't you guys?"

Rei and Ami looked up from their checker game and voiced their agreements.

Robyn continued to blink at them in complete and utter bafflement. They were all acting so completely normal. So why was she finding it so completely off? Artemis, who had been sleeping beside her all night, woke up and jumped into her lap. Even his manners and meows seemed somewhat concerned and anxious. But why?

"Um...." she called out, trying to find the question that would best describe her confusion. "What--what happened last night?"

All normal activity stopped and everyone looked away. Even though she found out she was not wrong in her assumption that something was amiss, that did not make Robyn feel any more comfortable. She kept looking from one girl to another in hopes that someone would step forward and explain.

"Well, you see," Serena started sheepishly. "There was kinda this accident."

"Yeah, remember when you were on the phone last night Robyn?" Lita quickly jumped in with more confidence. "Well, some punks thought they were funny and threw a brick right through that window you were next to. I guess it startled you so much you backed into the wall and hit your head. You were unconscious all night."

Robyn's eyes grew wide. Though she recalled none of this. It was almost like she was hearing this story as someone who wasn't there at the time. Nonetheless, she continued to play her part.

"Did you call the police?" Robyn gasped.

"Yeah, but they didn't find anyone," Rei offered. "They're still looking for the little snots."

"The paramedics came, too," Mina added to the story--perhaps a bit too pleasantly. "They said you weren't bad enough to go to the hospital so we just put you to bed and hoped you'd wake up the next morning. Lucky for us you did," she laughed.

Rei winced at her blonde friend's bubble headed reply. Robyn didn't really seem to be paying attention.

"You didn't call anyone, did you?" she asked with genuine concern this time.

The group collectively looked away in guilt again. Not only had Robyn not given them any type of number to call, but none of them wanted to try to explain to anyone else what happened. Weaving this big thread of deception to one person was bad enough.

"Well actually," Serena said guiltily as she fiddled with her fingers and avoided Robyn's gaze. "We never got around to--I mean, it didn't seem that important--Wait! You are important, but we just thought---"

"Oh good," Robyn breathed a sigh of relief, putting Serena out of her incoherent, mumbling misery. "The guys would flip if they found out what happened."

The scouts secretly looked at each other. As far as they knew, at least one of those guys did know what happened because he was there.

"So, do you remember anything that happened last night?" Mina wondered. It was actually a good question and everyone was waiting on pins and needles to hear the answer.

Robyn rubbed her temples as she tried to think. "Not really," she admitted. "I remember coming here, but not too much after that."

"A concussion," Ami pointed out. "The collision must have bruised your brain a little. It's nothing serious, of course, but I doubt you'll ever regain any recollection of what happened last night."

Robyn reached back and felt the lump at the back of her skull. At least she knew where that throbbing in her head was coming from now. The girls were somewhat relieved with Ami's diagnosis, but they also felt somewhat sorry for it and it showed clearly.

"Well guys," Lita announced, hoping to lighten the mood. "How about we all go have breakfast now?"

Even Robyn had to smile at that. "Sounds great to me!"

But as they all sat around the counter enjoying Lita's delicious breakfast, Robyn's smile began to fade. The waffles were positively delightful, but she enjoyed them less and less as she tried to pull back any kind of memory from the previous night. She remembered the phone call Lita mentioned, but she couldn't recall what it was about or who she had even been talking to. Was it even anyone she knew? He mind fought and clawed at her thoughts, trying to unlock something; an image, a sound, anything. But nothing ever surfaced.

Meanwhile, Mina and Luna both were taking note of how Artemis remained stationed next to Robyn's chair and continued to watch the young girl the entire time. Rei, however, was preoccupied with the fact that Robyn had grown quiet. Obviously bothered by the nights events and her failure to recall any of it. Something had to be done to get her mind off it, just in case she did remember something.

"Hey Robyn," she suddenly spoke up. "How come I've never seen you wear any make-up?"

The redhead looked up, surprised at the question and then shrugged. "I dunno," she said as she went back to staring at her plate. "I don't really own any."

There was a noisy gasp of surprise from Mina.

"You mean you've never really worn any before?" she demanded.

"No, not really."

There was a space of silence that went through the room. During that time, one could feel the excitement growing from it.

"Uh oh, here it comes," Ami said with a small smile.

Serena and Mina looked at each other with bright faces, about to burst with happiness.

"MAKE OVER!" they both exclaimed.

Robyn's eyes bulged until she was resembling that of a deer caught in the headlights of a Peterbuilt. She tried to make a break for it out of the kitchen, but there was no escaping. She was quite outnumbered.

"Aw, are you sure you have to go already?" Mina whined as Robyn hoisted her bag onto her shoulder.

"Yeah, I really should go now," Robyn replied. "I've got things to do at home, plus a major history test to study for." She was all dolled up now, or at least from the neck up she was. Below that she was still dressed in yesterday's wrinkled clothes which she slept in and she was intent on taking a nice, long shower to clean of the girl's work when she got home.

"Well, we're glad you came over Robyn," Lita smiled. "It was fun."

"Yeah, let's do it again sometime," Mina said.

"Preferably without the brick throwing next time," Robyn added with a crooked smile.

Rei managed to smile back. This girl was okay.

"Bye!" Serena called and waved wildly as Robyn started out the door and down the street. "Don't be a stranger now! We'll miss you! If you're ever in Tokyo, look us up, okay?"

Robyn looked back and almost shook her head in wonder. What a strange bunch of girls. But a nice bunch as well. She smiled and waved back before continuing on her way.

"So what do we do now?" Rei wondered. The group still remained on the porch even though Robyn was almost out of site. "I still can't believe we let her go back to them! Should we call her back?"

"And then what?" Serena demanded. "Try to explain to her that we think her friends are a bunch of barbaric monsters who might try to kill her? She'll think we're insane!"

"Perhaps someone should follow her," Artemis suggested.

"Oh great," Luna huffed. "If you like her so much, why don't you just go home with her then?"

"No wait, that's a good idea," Lita insisted.

"Yes, I get it," Ami agreed. "Artemis can follow Robyn home...."

".....and we can find out where she lives," Mina finished excitedly.

"And if we know where she lives, we'll know where those guys live," Rei continued. "And we can keep an eye on them."

"And maybe we'll even find Darien!" Serena put in.

"Go to it Artemis!" Mina ordered.

That was all the white tom cat needed before he was off down the street. Luna watched him go jealously before strutting off back into the house to moodily give her tail a bath.

Robyn continued slowly down the sidewalk, unaware of all the plans that had been concocted about her. Also unaware of her new white furred stalker. Now left alone, her mind was once again churning through the darkness where her memory of last night should have been. The phone call. She kept going back to the phone call. What was it about? She remembered holding it and she remembered talking. But what did she say? Who was she talking to?

Some kids down the street were playing around and shattered a glass bottle. Robyn stopped dead in her tracks as broken glass fell through her blank memory. Her chest hurt like she had been pushed and her head started to throb again. A figure flashed past her mind's eye. A figure that looked just like--

A silver car stopped right next to her and the sensation vanished. She blinked at her reflection in the window before it rolled down and she peered curiously inside.

"Are you on your way home?" Sage asked from behind the wheel. The odds of him being here at this time were too tremendous for Robyn to count. She merely nodded dumbly.

"Hop in, I'll give you a ride."

Robyn pulled back and looked around. The subway station was now only a mere twenty feet away. "But weren't you just there? You would have to drive all the way back around and then--"

Sage gave her his final answer as he stretched over and opened the door.

"Get in."

This time Robyn obliged without further argument. Poor Artemis was about to have a heart attack as he helplessly watched the car pull away. There was no way he could follow that! He was still staring in disbelief over his bad luck when a motorcycle seemed to just appear out of thin air in the alley way next to him. The noisy machine took off after the car before the small cat even knew what it was. But he did manage to catch a look of the person driving the machine.

"I'd better tell the scouts," Artemis told himself as he raced back to his friends. "It looks like Sailor Uranus and Neptune are here as well."

The car ride was a quiet one; which was a normal thing for Sage, but not for his new passenger. He would catch a glimpse at her from time to time, almost in unease at her uncharacteristic silence. But something even more about her seemed really different and he almost laughed at himself when he finally realized what it was.

"What are you wearing?" he asked out of the blue.

Robyn looked at him blankly. When she finally realized he was referring to the make-up she had on she hastily started trying to rub the stuff off with her sleeve.

"Don't," Sage said gently as he caught her hand. Robyn stopped and looked at him questioningly. "It doesn't look so bad."

Robyn furrowed her brows at him. Then her expression softened and she moved her gaze to her lap. Through her confused feelings, she failed to notice Sage's hand still remained on hers. That is--until he suddenly squeezed it as his body went ridged.

"What is it?" Robyn asked as she looked up at him.

His face was set firm as he stared straight ahead.

"We're being followed."

Robyn sat up straight and looked out the side view mirror. Who was following them out of all that traffic? How could Sage tell?

"Is your seatbelt on?"

"Yes, but---"

Robyn was cut off as she was thrown back into her seat. Her expression was one of complete bafflement as she looked up at Sage. His face was drawn in a look of intense concentration as he ordered the car to accelerate past the speeding limits. Robyn was about to voice her concerns about his speed in the city, but all words were scared from her throat as they narrowly missed one vehicle after another as Sage skillfully wove through the traffic.

Sage glanced in his rear view mirror again. That motorcycle was still on his tail. Who was it? Why were they chasing him? The motorcyclist could weave through the cars far easier than he could; but then again, this was Sage behind the wheel. It would be tough, but he could loose them.

Robyn let out a strangled squeak and braced herself against the door as Sage took a sharp left, almost cutting off a few startled motorists along the way. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. Sage had gone crazy! She prayed she would somehow live through this.

Meanwhile, Sage was checking his mirrors to see if his pursuer was stubborn enough to keep after him.

"Damn," he swore when the motorcycle rounded the corner behind him.

If it was possible, Robyn's wild eyes went even wider. That was the first time she had ever heard Sage use any kind of curse. But there was no time for comments as the car sped off again--faster this time as Sage peeled out onto the freeway ramp.

"Sage!" Robyn managed to cry through her hysteric breathing. "Please Sage, I don't want to d--"

"Don't worry, I've got it under control," Sage said calmly as he shifted gears.

He was flying past the freeway traffic as if they were just toy cars. But that stubborn motorcycle was some how keeping up with him. Out running this guy wasn't going to work. Time for another plan. Robyn screamed again as they suddenly swerved over three lanes and down the nearest off ramp. But unfortunately, the turn onto the main street came up a little too fast too soon for the speed they were going.

Sage gritted his teeth and spun the wheel. The high screech of the tires was sickening as the car slid sideways into the street--clear past the dual lanes and over into the opposite flow of traffic. Robyn dug her nails into the dashboard, almost on the verge of tears. She didn't want to die like this. She was too young! There were so many things she hadn't done, places she had never been. So many desserts she never tried!

Her vehicle death prison wasn't about to wait for her to finish her mental cries. It was off like a shot again the second its wheels were righted--right into the opposite flow of traffic!

Robyn had never experienced her life flash before her eyes until then. Now each scene was whizzing past her like the hoards of cars that kept racing in her direction. How they managed to dodge each one was anyone's guess. And to Robyn's further distress, Sage didn't seem in much of a hurry to get back into the correct lane. In fact, he did just the opposite, and moved over into the furthest lane.

"Sage! If you don't stop this car right now I'm going to kill you!!" Robyn screamed. Her fear was rapidly being replaced by a frantic anger.

"Hold on," was the only reply she got. He made it sound like she was a little kid whining for a piece of candy. How could he be so calm? She was going to die with a complete lunatic! It wasn't fair!

"SAGE!" Robyn cried again as a large truck loomed straight in their path.

The blonde young man said nothing. It was obvious he was aware of the hulking truck barreling down on them. But obviously that didn't mean he thought that was cause enough to slow down either. Robyn screamed his name again as they were about to collide; only to almost bang her head on the window as they turned madly down the next street at the last possible second.

Even though they were on the correct side of the road now, Robyn was hardly happy. She still knew she was going to die and no force on Earth could possibly save her. They were heading towards the water front this time--no doubt to finish this joy ride with a nice swan dive into the bay. But it was worse than that when Robyn realized where they were going. The bridge across the river was raising up to let a tall ship pass by. And not only was Sage ignoring the flashing lights telling him to stop, he seemed oblivious to the fact that his path was now no longer passable.

"Oh man! I'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'm gonnadie!" Robyn kept repeating as they raced up the giant ramp.

Her stomach went up in her throat as she experienced the sickening sensation of being weightless in a several thousand pound vehicle. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they sailed over the gap with the water dozens of feet below. The other half of the bridge was coming up. This was going to hurt when they hit ground. Robyn prepared herself as best she could and even heard Sage grunt as they hit the ground on the other side with bone jarring force. The car swerved crazily when it landed, but Sage managed to get it under control and parked it sideways as it came to a stop.

The second the vehicle had halted, Robyn threw off her seatbelt and flew out of the car and onto the solid, wonderfully stationary cement. Sage got out as well; though in a far more calm and dignified manner. He stood straight and gazed out, almost proudly, across the way of the river to see if his tailgater could follow THAT act.

At the other side of the river, Amara was flaming under her helmet. After all that she had gone through just to follow that hot shot and he still out did her. In a luxury car no less! With her pride slightly bruised, Amara was not going to wait around to be scoffed at and drove off on her motorcycle before anyone could see her.

With the threat now gone. Sage peeked over to check on his passenger. Robyn was testing to make sure all her bones were still in the right places as she stood.

"Are you okay?" Sage asked.

"I th-think so," Robyn replied in a small, shaky voice. "Yeah."

"Do you want to do it again?"

"NO!"

Robyn stared at him in utter disbelief. The look in his eyes was reminiscent of a child just handed a large, brightly wrapped package on Christmas morning. What had gotten into him?!

"You almost killed me!" she screamed. "I'm not ever riding with you again!!"

Sage merely gave her a calm smile which only succeeded in making her blood boil.

"Then how else will you get home?" he asked.

"Humph!" Robyn folder her arms and turned her back indignantly. "I'd be surprised if you could find it after driving halfway across the city like that."

That statement actually caused Sage to blink and look around at his surroundings just to make sure he did know where he was.

"Get in," he then said as he got back in the car.

Robyn opened the passenger side door, but she refused to set foot inside.

"Come on," Sage urged gently. "I promise I'll go real slow."

Now partially insulted by his patronizing tone, Robyn plopped herself inside and closed the door indignantly.

"I hope the cops find you and give you a ticket," was her not so witty retort.

Sage just smiled as they put on their seatbelts and started off again. After their encounter, the bearer of Halo was feeling quite light hearted despite what had just happened. Being behind the wheel that way always had a certain affect on him. Unfortunately, Robyn did not reflect the same and was brooding silently while color was still trying to return to her face.

"I wouldn't have let anything happen to you," Sage said through the silence.

Robyn threw him a hard glance, but then her features softened as his statement sunk in.

"So, how do you know how to drive like that anyway?" Robyn then asked.

"Practice. I've been racing ever since I was 14."

Robyn looked over at him, her initial hostility practically gone now. "Really? I didn't know that. How come I've never seen you race?"

"My mother doesn't like me doing it very often. She thinks it's too dangerous. My father and I used to have to sneak out to the tracks at night for practice."

A certain wonder crossed Robyn's face as she watched his profile. She had never seen him brighten over any subject like this. It was like there was suddenly a new light in Sage that had never been there before. The mere transition she saw was enough to awe her into silence.

"Maybe I'll take you sometime," Sage added as an afterthought.

Robyn had to shake her head before she could comprehend what he just said. "Really?" she wondered.

"Sure. It's nothing like what we did earlier. But it's still fun."

Her brows shot up from the fact that Sage was actually inviting her to go somewhere with him. Then they furrowed again as a different thought suddenly shot through her brain.

"Sage?" she wondered. "You were there at Cye's house all night, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"And the others, too?"

"Mmm hmm."

Robyn nodded. She expected that answer, but that same feeling from before that something wasn't right was coming back. She looked up at Sage again.

"You seriously going to take me racing some time?"

Sage shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Cool," Robyn nodded and then smiled. "I'd like that."

Sage glanced over at her and smiled back.

The dark, lean figure sat on her throne in front of a large black crystal that seemed to jut out of nowhere from the blackened floor of her throne room. Next to it, a tall, cat-like figure materialized from the dark haze.

"You summoned me," Katana, the oldest of the two sisters stated. She shook some of her silver hair out of her slanted yellow eyes as she looked up.

The personage she addressed tapped her fingernails on the armrest. "Where is your sister?" she demanded.

Katana narrowed her eyes and looked away.

"Here, my Lady," The thought to be dead Katara announced as she, too, appeared out of the fog. There wasn't a scratch on her as if the earlier battle between her and the mysterious armor never happened.

"What have you two been doing lately?" the evil voice snapped like thunder. "This was not the task I had sent you out to accomplish."

"I'm sorry my Lady," Katara quickly apologized. "But we--"

She was quickly cut off by her older sister.

"I assure you my Lady that what we have done will prove to help us later," Katana spoke with confidence. "Two different groups of warriors could stand in the way of our plans. We have watched them both carefully these past few days. If they were to work together against us our goals my not be achieved. We have been working to make sure that does not happen. If each group does not trust the other then they cannot unite against us. Their mistrust and paranoia might even cause them to fight each other and save us the trouble."

The Lady of the darkness thought this over. The idea had merit. Perhaps it would be useful. Still, there were more important matters to attend to.

"Nevertheless Katana," she ordered. "Our time is growing short. The best opportunity for the Revival is close at hand and all our energies should be spent in preparation for it. We must move swift and wisely if we are to properly condition our guest for the task."

"Yes Lady," the Amazon Duo replied before fading away into the darkness.

Once left alone, the Dark Lady stared at her waiting black crystal. It seemed to radiate a kind of anticipation of what was to come. Yes, soon. Soon the world would see what it could do.