Title : Wipe Out
Fandom : Sailor Moon (anime) Dark Kingdom
Pairing : Kunzite / Zoisite
Rating : a bit of violence and hints of sex
Copyright : Zoisite, Kunzite, Sailor Moon and the rest are the property of Naoko Takeuchi and Toei Animation, if I recall.
Author's notes : we're back in epic mode. Sort of. Kunzite is a bit... irritated.


Chapter 10 : Schemes

My suspicion rises when we arrive near Bandana's street. I can't sense any magical activity around, and it is in itself an anomaly. The previous time I had come around, she had a ward encircling it at a distance.

It might have been triggered or deactivated by something other than a hostile youma, maybe when she let Shiro through the day before. But it is worth getting cautious.

I increase the intensity of my mind search, thinking it is better to be detected and risk an attack now than by surprise later, but there is no reaction and still no sense of spells.

I instruct Shiro to stay hidden in the narrow alley, and teleport into Bandana's flat with all my shields activated, expecting an assault. None comes. All is quiet.

The room is desert and a mess, though, bearing signs of a fight. A sudden teleportation signature nearby alerts me, but by the time I beam back to the alley where I had left Shiro, he's not here anymore.

I jump into the sky, expending my scan as far and as fast as I can, knowing that it's in vain but trying anyway. They are probably already back in the Dark Kingdom, out of reach. I just wish one of them would have stayed behind so I could take my frustration out on her.

Not now. We had so few time left, but the Queens wouldn't even let us have that. The pain is almost physical, and whatever the Youma called me in my back, the Ice King or what not, I feel like all is left of me is a burning rage.

But I have no target for it around, and I can't let Shiro down. Not this time. Not once more.

I can't go back to the Dark Kingdom to get him. It would be suicide. They must be waiting for me, and even if I could take any youma on her own, they would beat me by sheer number and the help of Beryl. I don't have enough energy.

So...

The sun sets then rises again on my work. It's no longer necessary to hide my spells from Beryl - if she wants me, I'm all for an occasion to give her a piece of my mind.

My scheme is ready. People start noticing the ice maze in the square near the Starlight Tower. Unsuspecting, they get into it. At each step they make between the polished walls, their energy is drained from them into their reflection in the ice, and then to me.

Time passes by, making me impatient. People keep getting in, lured by the lights inside, poor naive mortals, and my energy keeps increasing. Soon...

Soon the Sailor Senshi arrive, too. Mercury analyzes the maze, then Jupiter and Mars block the access to the people. They get in, confident in Mercury's computer to find the way to the center.

It would work, if there was a center. As it turns out, the trap fulfilled its purpose. I teleport the five Senshi to me in a building nearby.

"Good night, Senshi. I was waiting for you."

Of course, they get mad at me. I let them rant and accuse me for a while, then when my patience grows too thin, I interrupt them.

"Are you finished? Will you listen to me now?"

"Why would we? You had sworn you wouldn't harm innocents, and you betrayed your word!", comes the fast reply from the princess.

"It was my only way to contact you without alerting Queen Beryl on my projects. I am proposing you an alliance."

They stare at me in distrust.

"We have a common goal. You want to get Tuxedo Kamen back. They kidnapped Zoisite. We can join forces to attack Beryl on two sides. I will show you a way to the Dark Kingdom, and I will be rallying the youma who are faithful to me."

They don't seem convinced. I can't blame them. The ever logical Mercury points out the flaw in my plan.

"Didn't you tell us that if Metallia died, you would die too?"

"And it will happen. But they took Zoisite away. I can't let that insult remain unpunished. If I have to die, I will die fighting."

"Why do you even care?", asks Sailor Mars.

Venus drags her back by the arm, and though still looking defiant to me, she asks for some time to discuss the decision.

I let them walk to the far end of the room. It doesn't matter, because I hear them anyway. Venus, who bears this name for a reason, tells them why Zoisite may matter to me, beyond the mere insult of taking away something that belongs to me. Why it may not be a trap. I would normally deny that it is this obvious, but I don't care if that can convince them to help me.

After some time they come back towards me, and the princess does another of her annoying speeches about justice, defying me to betray them once more, but accepting the proposition anyway.

The only condition she puts to it is my releasing the victims of the maze, safe.

No problem. I have all that I wanted : a bit more energy, and allies. I let the ice melt into the ground, freeing the humans, weakened but in no physical danger.

Then we start discussing the details of our attack.

The cats are my most distrustful interlocutors, but it's as well. They check every detail I give them about the plan. They are not overly surprised that there is a passage to it starting at the Game store : they had apparently located a suspicious energy there.

The Dark Kingdom is well guarded, but there is a flaw in our defenses that has been used against me to trap Zoisite. We can put wards in definite places, but we can't locate people. We can only - for those of us who are trained into it, at least - locate the use of magic.

As such, even though I can't teleport to the Dark Kingdom without being immediately detected, if I can get into the place without using a spell, I should be able to sneak in by surprise.

And I do know a passage that will not be guarded. One that I purposefully created eons ego, when I thought that facing the other Tennous plots, I might one day need a way to escape from the Dark Kingdom, or have Youma going in and out discreetly.

I count on the Senshi to create a diversion while I will explore Metallia's realm.

to be continued...