Chapter 12
Magic and Technology . . . A Deadly Combination
Thursday Evening . . .
When Serena had first came home, she'd told only one person about Bryce and his friends. Reenie had been scared because she remembered all that happened. She also knew what could happen when the others found out, but Serena had assured her that she would keep the peace and the little girl made herself as scarce as she could by planting herself in a corner with Luna Ball and the two cats. Out of the way, but where she could still see and hear everything going on. Reenie cringed when the Sailor Scouts transformed, fully expecting a fight. But then, when she saw Serena stomp to the center of the room, Reenie smiled as she watched her Mommy 'in action'. It never ceased to amaze her how Serena, at times, could be so much like she was in the next century. Loving and caring, but unyielding when necessity demanded it. After the furor died down, the monotonous conversation, much of which went over her head, had lulled Reenie to sleep.
Darien and the girls were still trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Their memories of the Silver Millennium were now intact, Serena, having used the Crystal quite effectively, saw to that. But the girls had to find a way to overcome the bitterness they felt, so they spent the better part of the next two hours asking Bryce and the others questions about their lives, comparing notes on the latest battles, and, all in all, 'trying' to set aside their recent differences. If for no other reason than because Serena would require it of all of them, especially Darien.
For his part, Darien watched Bryce with wary eyes. Remembering the friend he knew long ago and what he had recently done, from Serena's abductions to the fact that he had saved Sailor Moon's life, made Darien unsure of how he was supposed to feel. Of what he was supposed to do next. With mixed emotions, he listened to the conversations around him when he heard Reenie calling his name softly. No one paid him any heed when he walked to the corner. He saw tears streaming down her face, though she was still asleep. At the same time he kneeled in front of her, Hotaru joined him, her face contorted in pain and fear. Darien's eyes widened, but Hotaru shook her head and pointed at Reenie. He gently shook the little girl awake and she clung to him a minute, crying softly.
Then she took a deep breath and asked, "Where's Mommy?"
"In the bedroom, asleep." Darien glanced at Hotaru, she was looking away from him but he saw a small shudder run through her.
"What's wrong, Reenie?" An unexplainable fear began to build in his chest. "Did you have a bad dream?"
She shook her head, climbed out of his arms, and ran to the bedroom door. The group fell silent
as Reenie raced around them, knocking over an end table in her haste. In confusion, they watched her hands tremble as she reached for the door handle. Then she stopped and looked back at everyone. In her mind, it was time for the adults to take over. When Darien neared her, Reenie met his eyes with tears gathering in her own, her words carrying easily in the quiet room, "Mommy's gone again."
Darien gazed at her in shock while behind him, the girls came to their feet with a gasp and the others, stunned, took two steps toward him. The group followed Darien as he took the last step to the door and opened it.
"Oh my God!" Mina cried out from somewhere behind him.
Darien hardly even heard her. He approached the empty bed as if walking to his own hanging. Feeling blood rush to his head, Darien sat down quickly, "Reenie . . . " He whispered. The little girl ran to her father and he hugged her tightly.
The group gathered in the room behind her and now, no one spoke. No one moved. Darien closed his eyes, attempting to still his pounding heart, and concentrated a moment. "I can't feel her any more." His voice broke when he softly spoke words that echoed loudly through everyone's senses, and soft crying could now be heard from some of the girls. "Just a dull emptiness where she, her feelings, should be." Darien shook his head trying to clear it, "Reenie, how did you know?"
She leaned back in his arms and replied easily, "Mommy told me . . . " When his eyes widened a little, she clarified, "In a dream. My Future Mommy told me. She said, 'Small Lady, your Mommy is in grave danger. You must inform the others quickly. Tell them to be very careful'." Reenie moved her hand up to her face, tears she valiantly tried to hold back, shined in her bright eyes, "Then she touched my cheek and said 'Remember'. Then she smiled at me and disappeared."
"Where, Reenie? Where is Serena?" Darien asked with more than a little difficulty, 'grave danger' running through his head with enough force to render him unconscious if he let it.
"I don't know. Mommy didn't tell me."
Hotaru, having sensed the darkness surrounding Serena almost as soon as it began though not soon enough to prevent it, stepped to the center of the overcrowded room, "Serena is not here. Not on Earth."
"What do you mean, 'not on Earth'? Where the hell is she?" Raye demanded, not liking the direction this conversation was going at all.
Before she could answer, Darien nodded, "She's right. I would know it if she were here."
Shaking her head softly, Hotaru's eyes filled with tears. She glanced at Darien, still holding his daughter close as he fought to overcome his devastating loss. She knew that she was not as tightly linked to Serena as he. But she also knew that he was, obviously, unaware of Serena's situation. To Raye, Hotaru answered, "I have no idea where she is. All I can say is what very little I can still feel of her . . . Serena is surrounded by evil. Great evil." Amid startled looks and sharp intakes of breath, she finished in a cracked voice, "And it is consuming her very soul."
Darien set Reenie on the bed and stood up. Walking to Hotaru, he gave her a penetrating look, seeking answers. Finding none, he began to pace in the small area left in the room. "I have to find her," he muttered over and over, shaking his head.
Then everyone started talking at once. It just seemed too impossible to be true.
Over the pandemonium that was growing louder by the minute, Ruark brought Darien out of his withdrawn state. "Where would we start to look for her? Not to mention, how? It's a foregone conclusion that we don't have the same modes of transportation we did in the Past."
"Huh . . . We do!" Lita interjected, speaking for all the Sailor Scouts.
Darien stopped pacing and looked at the people in the room. He knew it was his responsibility to find Serena. Theirs, as well. And, in order to accomplish that, he needed to lead this group of argumentative, distrustful individuals. Half of them, the Sailor Scouts, loved Serena enough to walk to their deaths in her stead and the other half . . . ? Darien shook his head. He knew they cared about Serena. Some of them cared for her deeply. In addition to that, there was one other thing, and he smiled slightly. If memory served him right, he wouldn't be able to go into the next room without one of them close at hand. It was obvious to him that he was the one that would have to bring order to the madness and there was only way to do it. "Bryce?" When Darien spoke, the room quieted. The man turned to look at him, "Your Lab . . . "
Bryce nodded, "I know what you're thinking. We can only try. There are no guarantees . . . "
"What?" Mina asked thoroughly frustrated that they seemed to be the only ones who knew what was going on.
Looking at each other, then her, simultaneously the two answered, "Rubeus."
"If she's surrounded by evil," Darien explained, "Who else could it be?"
Mina frowned in confusion, "But how will finding Rubeus help us find Serena?"
"Remember, Mina, these last several fights . . . , They were after Sailor Moon." Sighing softly, Darien felt as if he should have seen this coming. He blamed himself for her disappearance. "Maybe we were followed here and Rubeus, or one of his associates, somehow, though who knows 'how', got in."
"And if he doesn't have her, then, I'm willing to bet, he can tell us where she is." Jeff put in.
"Precisely."
"That's another thing, too. We can't leave this world unprotected and at the tender mercies of Rubeus." Brandon quietly added to Jeff's remarks. "If we can eliminate him, there should be little danger left here to worry about."
Darien nodded. "Agreed. We can't leave until we're sure we'll have a world to come back to."
"But what can we do to find him?" Amy asked Bryce. "I've tried to locate him on my computer several times but the readings I receive on his whereabouts are never accurate."
Bryce raised an eyebrow at her in amazement, then grinned. It was obvious to him that no one had ever taught this girl to talk on a normal level. It had taken him over a year to break Nathaniel of that same, highly annoying, habit. His grinned widened into a smile, and, he indicated Nat with his hand, "Talk to the resident expert."
"I have an idea," Nat told them, "But we need to get back to the Lab quickly." Then he walked to Amy. Smiling, he said, "Care to escort me home?"
Startled by the request, Amy blushed profusely, then nodded. The two walked out of the room leaving behind a decidedly envious, sighing group of girls.
"I'll send the van when I get there." Nat called over his shoulder.
When they were gone, Bryce motioned to the group to leave. He wanted to talk to Darien alone, before there wasn't any time to do so. Michiru went to the bed to get Reenie and the girls, worriedly glancing back at Darien, preceded the men out.
As they left, Darien had moved to the window and, now, stood, arms crossed over his chest, staring pensively out at the city bathed in twilight.
After a few minutes, Bryce broke the disquiet, "Darien, I . . . " He shook his head and tried again, "I want to apologize . . . For everything."
Darien didn't reply. His eyes, shadowed with pain and loss, met Bryce's. Then, slowly, "Setting aside our history, you've done many things that I should hate you for." Sighing, he turned back to the window. "But I can't. You saved Serena's life and could've lost yours in the process."
Bryce knew Darien well enough to know that the reply he received was about as close to an acceptance as he'd ever get. He joined Darien as he stared out the window and when Bryce seemed about to speak again, the younger man held his hand up.
"No words . . . " Darien said forcefully. More than anything, he didn't want Bryce to do what he did so often in their distant Past. Put words to Darien's feelings.
So Bryce remained with him, a silent companion, until Darien turned to leave the room. When the two came out, Raye walked up to Bryce and looked him over, head to toe. When he raised an eyebrow at her curiously, eyes alight with mischief, Raye quipped, "No bruises. No limp. Not dead." Turning to Darien, she smiled, "Hmm . . . I guess a hanging is out of the question?"
Everyone, except Darien, busted into hysterics.
"Raye, leave it to you . . . I swear, leave it to you!" Darien commented, shaking his head in something akin to disgust, but a small smile graced his somber visage.
Shortly thereafter, Bryce checked his watch. Knowing that the van should be there anytime now, he motioned to the concealed door, "Ladies, shall we?" Brandon took Reenie from Michiru and he led the way out. As she picked up Luna, Setsuna turned to ask Darien a question.
He shook his head and stated, "I'll be along in a minute." Not even waiting for a reply, Darien turned on his heel, and, studiously ignoring the troubled eyes turning his way, slowly walked back toward the bedroom.
Hotaru knew how Serena's disappearance was affecting Darien. She could feel it. While the others were leaving, she lagged behind a little, debating. Coming to a decision, Hotaru moved to where Jeff leaned against the wall seemingly deep in thought. She gently rested her hand on his arm and waited until he met her eyes.
Jeff was a man of few words. His job had always been one that secrecy was of the essence. Confidentiality was absolutely vital in order to protect not only his life, but, more importantly, the lives of the people in his care, whether it be Bryce or someone they'd detained on a mission. He'd never really been afraid of anything in his life. Very few times at any rate. Now, though, Jeff admitted to himself, he was, indeed, afraid. Not for himself, but for a slip of a girl he, not so very long ago, carried out of a temple. He knew her fear that same night, when she looked up at him, terrified, just before dinner. He shook his head slightly. What amazed him the most was the fact that, although they had twice taken Serena against her will, she accepted them easily, readily, when she realized who they were.
Serena,Jeff recalled from long ago, was one of the most open and loving girls he'd ever had the pleasure of talking with. He'd never met her personally during her and Darien's engagement, for reasons known only to Darien and Bryce, (though Jeff now suspected what that reason was) but the Guardians had spoken with her frequently. Serena had tried, time and again, to convince them to come with Darien. They'd always refused. Eventually, they were supposed to meet her. Yes, they were. But Beryl's attack on Earth had drawn a halt to that. A halt to life as they knew it. Jeff remembered well that fateful day of the attack. He, being with Darien and Bryce, watched as his brother and cousins died at the hands of Beryl's minions. It was the hardest thing he'd ever been through. Because of that and to protect Darien, Jeff and Bryce had argued with him for hours to get him to leave. Darien refused. He wouldn't abandon his home, his family, and his friends without a fight. It finally took Jeff, catching him off guard with a solid right hook to the jaw, to get him to what little safety the Moon could offer. Jeff and Bryce returned to Earth and to utter devastation. The two had been taken down just as they reached the Palace. First Jeff, then Bryce. Jeff had taken a blast meant for him, and lay dying as he watched Bryce be cut down by his own sword. Jeff recalled closing his eyes after that, feeling the cold of death overcome him.
Now, according to what they'd learned from Sunstarr, by Queen Serenity's power,Jeff and his family were alive. Alive–and now living a nightmare. Though he'd only seen her twice, Jeff had come to admire and, perhaps, even love the young Princess. He most certainly respected her as he, having long been fascinated by their strength and tenacity, had memorized almost every account of the Sailor Scouts' fights. Jeff found it rather ironic that he was currently, very literally, surrounded by them. The girl that looked up at him now had always been his favorite to talk with. He knew she was powerful, temperamental, and unpredictable. With him, though, she'd been soft spoken and sweet-natured, and it never failed that, after their lengthy conversations, he'd been left with a deep-rooted sense of peace. He'd wondered, since he first saw her, if she'd remembered him as well.
"Jeff, we should stay with him." With her eyes, she indicated Darien where he'd just gone back into the bedroom. "He shouldn't be left alone right now."
He nodded his agreement and met Bryce's eye. He, too, nodded, silent communication still unbroken after many years.
Hotaru smiled softly as the three of them walked to the bedroom door. Oh yes, she remembered Jeff. They'd spent too many hours sharing each others lives, across the miles separating Moon and Earth, not to. But there was so much more to it than that, and she knew it. Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she waited with the two men while Darien roamed the bedroom.
Darien sat down on the empty bed. He gently lifted Serena's pillow, her light perfume filling the air as he rubbed his hand over the indentation where her head had been. For a moment, he felt rather lost without that other part of him he could always reach out and feel, touch. The instincts that guided him for almost a year. Yes, it was her. Serena. The woman that would sacrifice everything, did sacrifice everything, for the world, her friends, and her family. He recalled that her birthday was about a week away. He'd recently asked her what she wanted, and she had shrugged, telling him she just wanted him to take her to the park. Serena wanted to lay on a blanket, hold his hand, and watch the clouds go by, as if they had no cares in the world. Just the two of them. She'd made him promise. Such a simple request, but Darien didn't know if he'd now be able to fulfill that promise. He set the pillow back on the bed and put his head in his hands, surrendering to the despair he felt. It washed over him, through his mind and soul, like a tidal wave. He was left foundering in its wake.
How special she'd become to him . . . Their time on the Moon, though amazing, paled somewhat in comparison to now. The days and nights when he held her when she was sick, when she was the Princess, just Serena, or Mommy to a lost little girl. He loved her. Deeply. She brought light to the darkness that had been his life. She made him whole. Took the broken pieces of his soul and bound them firmly, not with anything physical, but with something stronger. Her gentle hand, her loving embrace. "The ties that bind." Darien whispered.
Anger began to fill the void as he wandered the room that had become so much hers as it was his. He knew he'd go insane if he stayed there any longer because everywhere he looked he saw her. In his bed, his shirts that she'd worn, her suitcases, her clothes strewn about haphazardly when she'd gotten dressed in a hurry, her brushes on the dresser. His fury built to an unbelievable level, and, with one sweep of his arm, he sent everything on the dresser flying. Darien reached out and tightly gripped the edges of the dresser until his knuckles were white and he could no longer feel his fingers. The rage in his soulthreatened to destroy him, and he was helpless to control it any longer. It was then he felt a warm hand on his arm. Startled, thinking he'd been alone, he looked down at the girl beside him. In her eyes, he saw compassion and understanding. Hotaru.
Darien's eyes, darkened to midnight blue by the full force of his wrath, raised to meet those of the two men who knew him, his emotions, and his soul, perhaps as well as he himself did. Bryce. Jeff. At least, they knew him in their Past lives . . . But what about now? Gazing at each, Darien knew they did. And if they didn't, it wouldn't matter anyway, they had a mission to complete. And Darien had a promise to fulfill. Jaw clenched taut, he pulled Hotaru's hand through his arm. Nodding to the others once, he led her out of the apartment and to the elevator, Jeff and Bryce moving to either side of them protectively.
In Nathaniel's lab, Amy had just completed downloading a major portion of the files from her computer to the main terminal. "What's your plan?"
"Watch." He pointed at the computer's wide screen monitor. A city map appeared. While she waited for Nat to finish inputting the data he'd been working on, Amy thought back to her initial reaction on seeing the inside of the Cosmos Lab and then Nathaniel's personal work area . . .
Nat had given her a short tour of the lower labs and she was simply amazed, "I've never seen anything like that . . . Or this." She whispered in awe, walking into, what Nat referred to as, his private 'hole in the wall'. "When I told the others top of the line equipment, I had no idea the devices I found were created by your employees."
"Thank you. Those that you found, though, weren't built in the standard labs downstairs, but here. They were my creations. Only Sailor Mercury could have located something that was as almost undetectable as those taps were." He smiled, remembering his own frustration at what took days to build, she had effectively wiped out in a matter of minutes. Amy's jaw dropped and she shook her head at the amount of incredible talent this man had. Nat laughed at the look on her face, "From you, I take that as a compliment."
Amy's laughter joined his and she replied sweetly, "It is. I assure you."
"I rarely get company in here. I'm left to my own devices, so I tinker." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Sometimes it's good results, other times, disastrous." He frowned, thinking of his last blunder that nearly cost him his lab.
"Does no one help you?" Amy inquired curiously.
"In here? No. I prefer it that way. I like to work alone. The other labs, on the lower floors, are for the conventional employees."
She was quickly brought out of her thoughts by his words, "See what I'm doing is this . . . " Nat typed a minute, then paused. Pinpoint locations that he'd already put in the computer of all the battles against Rubeus appeared in red on various places on the map.
"Yes," Amy was slightly confused. "I've got one similar to that on my computer."
"Uh huh . . . " Nat started typing again, "Now, I'll add your positions to the map." His and her positions were almost on top of each other. Taking the center location for two conflicting sights for the same battle added some semblance of accuracy and coherence on the map.
"It seems to form some sort of pattern . . . " Amy tilted her head, concentrating.
"Yeah, it does . . . " Pushing the keyboard over to her, "Let's see where this pattern leads us . . . "
Excitement bubbled through her as she reached for the keyboard. When Amy noticed him watching her intently, she blushed lightly. "Uh . . . Maybe you should do this."
Nat gestured for her to continue when she tried to give him control once again, "No, by all means."
She turned, with slightly shaky hands, to the task. "You've obviously been tracking the Sailor Scouts' movements. Why?"
"It was Bryce's suspicious nature. After Serena mysteriously disappeared the first . . . " Nat looked at Amy, the regret weighing heavily in his heart, shined through his eyes. He could see a light sheen of tears in hers. "I am so sorry about this entire mess."
Amy choked back her tears, knowing that it wouldn't do the least bit of good to break down now. "It's not your fault." She smiled a little. "At least, not this time."
"I don't know," He wondered, rubbing his chin, "Somehow I, we, feel partly responsible."
"Why?" Amy queried as she reconfigured the rest of the positions on the map. "One minute we were talking, the next . . . " She let the thought go unfinished, not wanting to relive it again.
Nat shook his head and started to reply when he glanced at the map. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He leaned back in his chair, thoughtfully glancing at the wide screen.
"A pentagon?" Amy looked at the map closely. She had joined the points with lines, but, to her, something still wasn't right.
"No, see . . . " He pointed at the screen, "Two of them. A small one inside the larger one." Then he frowned, stood up and began to pace behind her. "That doesn't make sense, though. It gives no centrality to the fights. And we know, by the looks of the map, that the sights were chosen, not random." Muttering, he picked up a second keyboard nearby. Sitting back down, "I'm going to try something, tell me what you think."
Amy watched as he added more lines, changed some of them around, and then changed the map on the screen to three dimensional. She gasped loudly.
Nat looked up quickly, "Holy shit, would you look at that . . . "
They looked at each other and grinned, "A star . . . "
"Did you find something?" Darien asked, striding into the room with Bryce.
Smiling, Nat glanced back at them. "Yeah, but there's one more thing I want to do first. Call a meeting upstairs. I'll send all this up when we're done." Darien nodded and he and Bryce turned to leave. Nat stopped them as they reached the door. "Oh, and Bryce . . . My dear cousin . . . It's been quite sometime since our last meal . . . " Nat smiled, letting the rest go unsaid as he turned back to the computer.
Darien chuckled lightly while Bryce, swearing quite profusely, doubted the sanity of certain members of his family.
Darien made the rounds of the small groups that had picked up in conversation. Reenie walked with him, holding his hand tightly, chattering incessantly. Brandon and Ruark were engaged in quite an animated debate with Raye and Haruka, loudly punctuated every now and then by rather bold threats and downright dares. Darien just shook his head at their way of relieving tension. Cameron and Ashton were talking with Setsuna, Michiru, and Lita. Each was comparing his and her notes on the last battle. They were trying to figure out if something was said or done during the fight to let whomever took Serena know who she was. They came up with no answers, only more questions. Ryan and Mina were flirting shamelessly, with Raye occasionally leaving her argument and walking over to bash Mina in the head (to everyone's amusement) to get her back on track. Darien couldn't blame the two. He would just as soon be able to the same. He knew Mina well enough by now to know that if she wasn't flirting, she'd probably be crying. He much preferred a little laughter out of all of them than to have an outer silence to match the desolate stillness in his soul. Hotaru, Jeff, and Bryce were never far out of his reach. They whispered among themselves but stayed near enough that all Darien had to do was turn around if he needed them. It had been over an hour and Amy and Nat hadn't called from the lab yet. He was getting more and more anxious by the moment. Mirroring his thoughts, the phone on the table rang, having the effect of gun going off. Everyone immediately fell silent as Bryce answered the call, putting it on speaker so the rest of the group could hear.
"We did it. Meet us in the boardroom and open the doors to the wide screen." Nathaniel said hurriedly.
"We're on our way." Bryce replied, turning the speaker off, "Let's go."
"'Bout time." Lita commented dryly.
Bryce gave her a lopsided grin, "Like my brother recently reminded me, 'we're good, but we're not gods'."
As they were walking, Mina commented, "Man, this place is like a maze."
"This is just the penthouse level. Wait'll you see the rest." Bryce sighed and shrugged, "It's mostly for our protection that it's built the way it is. In our line of work, we make a lot of enemies."
"I'll bet you do." Michiru added with a touch of sarcasm.
"What do your investors think of all this?" Darien asked.
"You're looking at him . . . Or I should say, them." Before anyone could do more than gape at him, Bryce continued, "When Sunstarr said he amassed a fortune over the years, he wasn't lying. This building, without the equipment, and because of the design basis, cost overa hundredmillion dollars to finish. Nearly fiftymillion more for all the equipment, furnishings and such. Everything here is state of the art, and then some." There was no boasting in his even tone. He was just stating facts as if reading a newspaper.
Haruka whistled softly. "Bet that cleaned you out pretty damned quick."
"Especially with no one to pay the bill but you." Setsuna added.
Bryce stopped and looked back at them, "You think so?" He smiled slightly. Shaking his head, he started walking again, "Sure, it was expensive to build, but as for 'cleaning me out', it didn't. There's better than twice that left in the bank." Bryce was amused by the collective astonishment on the girls' faces. "When I said wealth, that's precisely what I meant. What Sunstarr accumulated was mostly in gold, making the value much higher on the market. But if you think you're shocked, you should have seen me when we found the money." Bryce laughed as the memory of him almost passing out in the bank flashed through his mind.
Jeff, too, laughed, recalling how he himself fell into a chair in total amazement. "Yeah. We were unbelievably floored and that's an understatement. Even though we were both wealthy in our right, those zeros nearly stopped my heart."
Hotaru smiled and rested her hand on Jeff's arm, seeing in her own mind something that would take, the normally quiet, Jeff and rattle him.
Opening the doors to the boardroom, Bryce made his final comment in a fierce whisper, "Now we'll use all that we have to find Serena."
Darien walked into the room first. He'd been quiet through most of the conversation, but the way Bryce mentioned Serena gave him cause to glance at the other sharply. Darien remembered back to his and Bryce's first and only fight. He had no more time to think about it because Nat and Amy followed the group through the door. Everyone moved to find a seat as Brandon opened the wide screen viewer. Bryce, having led Reenie to Setsuna, directed Darien to the seat at the head of the table and he and Jeff took the seats to Darien's immediate right and left, respectively.
Amy and Nathaniel walked to the end of the table, in front of the screen. Nat smiled at her then went to sit down by the keyboard. The room quieted when Amy began to speak, "We had a lot of comparisons to make and we came up with several very interesting things." Behind her, on the screen, the surface map of Tokyo appeared with red and blue flashing lights. "These are the locations of our battles since Reenie came. As you can see, they form a definite pattern." Nat sat back from the computer and nodded to her. The group watched as, one by one, the red lights were joined by lines.
"A star?" Darien asked.
"Yes, but not an ordinary star." Amy replied. "These points are the strongest points of Positive Energy in Tokyo. Previously, we've fought Dark Energy and Dark Power."
Nat walked over to Amy and picked up the story. "Positive Energy is the opposite of that. Light Energy, if you will."
"True, and if Rubeus took one of those points it would weaken the other ones considerably, making them that much easier to take, right?" Bryce commented thoughtfully.
"And, ultimately, bringing darkness to the world as we know it . . . " Darien clarified Bryce's statement.
"Okay. So that's the reason for the star shape. We protected those points, right?" Lita inquired.
"Yes and quite effectively, but the blue points are another issue altogether." Nat answered.
"These," Amy said, "are the fights since the day Serena got sick."
Again, Nat put in, "There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to them. They're totally out of character."
"Hell, yes, there was a reason for them." Raye asserted.
Darien looked at Bryce and nodded, substantiating Raye's claim, "Sailor Moon . . . They wanted Sailor Moon."
"Consider this, then," Nathaniel drew the group's attention to the points on the star. "The red points were for the purpose of defeat of the world. These blue points were for the purpose of another kind of defeat altogether."
"Of course . . . It all fits." Setsuna remarked as understanding dawned, "If it was somehow found out that Serena, Sailor Moon, and the Queen of Crystal Tokyo were one and the same, what better way to change the outcome of what the Future would be then to . . . " She stopped and her eyes widened, realizing what she was about to say.
Jeff had no qualms about finishing the eerie statement, "Then to remove the problem in advance."
Immediate chaos erupted at the table.
"The other thing we found," Amy had to raise her voice to be heard, "is where Rubeus may be located."Her words commanded instant attention and all heads turned her way.
"You found him?" Darien queried softly, hoping he'd heard right.
Amy went to the keyboard and sat down as Nathaniel tentatively nodded, "We think so, yes." The map behind him changed to a three dimensional. The star remained, and vertical lines were added to the horizontal ones already joining the points. The vertical lines came together at a point directly in the center, the very heart, of the star pattern. But well above it.
"Huh?" Lita asked. "I don't get it."
"A spaceship." Reenie piped in. "That was how they attacked Crystal Tokyo . . . That's how they hurt my Mommy." Tears gathered in her eyes, but, trying to be strong, she blinked them back. "I remember there were so many of them."
"Very good, Small Lady," Amy smiled at her then looked at the others, "That was a confirmation to what Nat and I surmised from the positioning of the points."
"Why not in the center of the star, but here on Earth?" Michiru asked.
"We'd know he was here." Amy said simply.
"This way," Nat elaborated, "He probably felt that the Sailor Scouts, and now us, couldn't get a lock on his position."
"So," Raye questioned, getting straight to the point, "When do we leave?"
"That's the problem," Nat replied slowly, glancing at Amy. They both knew that the Scouts weren't going to like this answer, "We don't."
"WHAT!" Echoed loudly through the room.
"We have to bring him to us." Amy explained patiently.
"Why?" Darien demanded, he was in no mood to play games, not when Serena's life was on the line.
"Mainly because it'll take too much power from the Scouts to Teleport everyone there." The voice of reason answered from the end of the table.
"That's true." Michiru agreed, "We don't have Sailor Moon's power for it. If she were here, it wouldn't be a problem to Teleport as an entire group."
"Then we'll go alone, damn it!" Haruka announced fiercely. "We don't need them," pointing at the men, "to help us this time. We're more then capable of taking on Rubeus alone."
"You can't." Cameron put in softly. All eyes turned to him. "Without Sailor Moon's power, what chance do you have of defeating them alone? And I do mean them because Rubeus will not be alone."
"Besides, if we get him here, on our turf, we have a better chance of taking him down then on his." Ashton added.
"I told you this would happen." Amy muttered to Nathaniel. "The Scouts are stubborn to a fault."
"Yeah, well, we have to calm them down long enough to explain our plan."
"Let them fight it out. Geez, they're acting like a bunch of children arguing over a piece of candy."
Nat smiled at the bitterness in her tone. He was thinking the same as she was. There were seventeen of them. Eight very independent, yet, interdependent Sailor Scouts, looking to Darien as their leader. There were also eight very interdependent men now looking to Darien to lead them. That was the key. He was their center point. He would decide. What happened next rested on his shoulders. Looking at Darien, Nat saw in him the leader he remembered. But what he also saw amused him. All hell was about to break loose and he knew it.
Darien leaned back in his chair and, with a half smile, watched as the arguments around him grew louder. Jeff, Bryce, and Hotaru said nothing, but watched him closely, as if assessing his reaction. Then his hand came down on the table with enough force the glasses on it tipped
over, having the same effect as a judge using his gavel. Immediately all conversation ceased and, slowly, everyone turned to look at him. "I willnot have this." Darien whispered, his voice rising as he spoke. "We haven't the time to fight among ourselves." He glanced at the girls briefly, "Yes, we could go alone. But what proof is there that we'll be able to win? There isn't any. Sailor Moon is the only guarantee we'd have, but she isn't here. Therefore, we need all the help we can get." Darien leaned forward, pointing to punctuate each word, "We fight together or I go alone!" He waited, looking at each person, for their response. When they nodded in acquiescence, Darien, satisfied, sat back in his chair.
Bryce hid a smile behind his hand and motioned to Amy and Nat to continue.
"Come the dawn . . . ," Nat stated, smiling at Amy.
"We bring Rubeus to us . . . " She finished.
Saturday . . . Predawn hours
Darien stood on Bryce's penthouse balcony alone. He glanced out at the moonless sky, knowing it was nearing dawn. Reenie was sleeping in the master bedroom. He had regaled her with bed time stories of Serena's antics when she had first become a Sailor Scout until she had drifted off. Darien knew she was scared. She wanted Serena, needed her. The girls were scattered among the different apartments, within a push button's reach, so to speak. Hours ago, he'd sent them to get what rest they could before sunrise. Sleep. He almost scoffed at the word. Just the thought of lying down without being able to hold Serena appalled him. Maybe tomorrow he could, but not tonight. It was too soon. Besides, there'd be time enough for sleep when the battle was over. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and mused on the plan to bring Rubeus to Earth . . . Amy and Nat had created a device with the power to disable the ship's oxygen sensors. If all went like it was supposed to, the sensor would fail. By combining Bryce's central computer and Mercury's computer, it was possible to change codes to allow them temporary access to an American government satellite. "That should really impress them," Darien commented, irony at the situation making him smile slightly. "Losing control of one of their war machines to defeat
another. Too bad they'll never know it." Five minutes. That's how long they needed it. Nat and Amy swore that the satellite disruption would be completely untraceable, so, at least, they wouldn't have the CIA beating on their back doors. Reconfiguring the satellite and using a direct energy pulse aimed at the center of the star should, without alarm, shut down the oxygen sensor in the ship. Then, the rapid increase in the amount of carbon dioxide would cause Rubeus to flee the ship within minutes. Finally, another short blast, this time using the satellite's laser, directly into the ship's power source would finish it off. They hoped. Then they would deal with Rubeus.
Bryce quietly walked out on the balcony and leaned on the rail. Looking out at the city, he wondered aloud, "It's going to work, right?"
"You don't sound very sure of yourself, or all of us, either." Darien replied.
"It's not the fight I'm worried about."
"Ahh . . . So that's what's bothering you."
He nodded and turned around to face Darien, leaning his elbows on the rail behind him. "I'm afraid we'll be too late . . . "
Darien gripped Bryce by the shirt in anger, looking him eye to eye. "We won't! Do you hear me? We won't!"
As Darien moved away suddenly, Bryce, hating to bring up old ghosts, said, "I hear you. We fought about this once. Do you remember?"
"I do." This was territory Darien had no intention of stepping into tonight.
"You were angry for a long time, Darien."
"I was, but it was a long time ago. Now, if nothing else, we have a common goal."
Letting the subject go, Bryce smiled, "Indeed, we do." Looking at each other for a moment, knowing this might be the last time if things didn't go well today, a rather awkward silence grew between them. Then Bryce, making the first move, put his hand out to Darien. He hesitated only a second, and the two gripped arms as brothers, each giving what little encouragement they could to the other. "Are you ready?" Bryce asked.
"I don't know." Darien answered sheepishly, walking into the living room. When Bryce glanced at him questioningly, he continued, brows furrowing in frustration, "Have you ever tried waking eight teenage girls before dawn? I have, and it's NOT a pleasant experience." Bryce laughed, unable to repress it, despite the dirty look Darien tossed him.
Fifteen minutes later, Darien laid Reenie on a cot in the monitoring room, leaving the double doors between it and the boardroom open so the others could follow if they chose. He moved to the computer to check the status of the position of the satellite they were 'borrowing', "Luna, be ready for the commands to come in. It shouldn't be long."
She nodded, sad eyes following him as he walked back to his daughter. She lay curled up in the sweet innocence of a child's sleep. A soft smile curved her lips. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead, knowing that, if they didn't find Serena, his little girl would cease to exist.
Standing up suddenly, fires of hell burning brightly in his blue eyes, Darien turned to the silent group watching him intently. "Let's do it!"
There was a resounding simultaneous cry:
Venus Star Power!
Mercury Star Power!
Saturn Planet Power!
Uranus Planet Power!
Pluto Planet Power!
Mars Star Power!
Jupiter Star Power!
Neptune Planet Power!
Darien smiled at Bryce, communicating volumes in that second. He closed his eyes, knowing there was only one way to fight this battle. By the time the transformations were complete, the Prince and the Guardians were standing in formation, dressed in full battle armor.
Sailor Venus, more than a little impress by what she saw, sighed dramatically. Being a descendant of the Goddess of Love, she couldn't help but comment, "Men and uniforms . . . Man, there's absolutely nothing better . . . " Amid the giggles that broke out, the men bowed solemnly, then flashed the girls a wicked grin.
Darien, smiling at their antics, stated, "Sailor Mercury, Nathaniel, lead the way . . . "
"Be ready, Luna!" Mercury called out over her shoulder.
Taking a hidden exit out of the building, the seventeen ran down back streets to a carefully chosen spot near the center of the star formation. They wanted to see first hand if the ship would, indeed, explode.
Mercury, computer in hand, worked silently, punctuated every now and then by a command from Nat. "Ok, Luna! Punch it!" She cried into the communicator. They waited, with bated breath,
the precise three minutes, then Mercury demanded, "Now Artemis! Do it now!"
Watching the skies with high-powered binoculars, Darien and Bryce, both sent silent prayers to whatever god protected them. They pulled the binoculars away quickly as the dawning sky suddenly turned excruciatingly bright. The group had to shield their eyes from the burning, mind-numbing light. Sailor Mercury, using her visor for protection and recording, watched in fascination as the pinpoint of light, so high above them, shattered and spread out in concentric circles of light. When the others were able to see again, they looked up and could still see sparkles of light, superheated pieces of metal burning up in the atmosphere, falling toward Earth.
Congratulations and laughter were heard among them, and Venus, putting one hand on her hip and pointing up with the other, could do nothing but add, "Yes, I would have to say that ship is officially SPACE DUSTED!" More laughter, then Mercury's computer whistled loudly.
She handed it to Nathaniel. "We have a lock on Rubeus." He said, sobering the group immediately. "Two clicks due North. Near the docks."
Rubeus was pleasantly surprised that Wise Man had given him the amount of Dark Power he now had, literally, at his fingertips. He could almost feel it coursing through him. Gazing down at Tokyo, he sensed, more than felt, the ship rock slightly. "Something hit me!" He moved to the control panel to see what had impacted the ship. Running some quick analysis, he started coughing. Gasping a little, eyes watering, Rubeus looked at the readings. Coughing again, he attempted to repair the damaged oxygen sensors. The manual override didn't work, so he pulled up a picture of the sensors to assess the problem. They were completely fried. No chance of repair. He had to get out fast, or else he'd die. Disappearing quickly, he sent a mental message to Wise Man to let him know about the problem that needed to be fixed. Rubeus was well aware that on Earth the Sailor Scouts could find him. Reappearing near the harbor, he found a place to hide. Looking up, his breath caught as his ship exploded in a brilliant flash at exactly the same moment he received the simple reply from Wise Man, "Too Late." It would only be a matter of time now until the Sailor Scouts and their friends found him. Dark Power flowing through him, he sat back to wait. "Let them expend the energy to come to me!" There would be no going back now. No hope of redemption, if he didn't succeed. Rubeus knew he might die, but it would please him much if he could take the thorns in the side of the Dark Moon Family with him. If he could kill them all and still survive, that would be even better. "Much better, indeed."
"Well?" Bryce asked his liege.
Darien nodded and looked at the group, "Remember your formations." As one, they turned to leave. It was time. Time for the beginning of the end of the nightmare.
If anyone cared to stop and watch, it was a bizarre sight to behold. Nine men, dressed in ancient battle armor, and eight, very familiar, Sailor Scouts ran through back streets and alleys to their destination. However, no one was curious enough to stop their daily routines and the seventeen members of the tight-knit group never paused in their movements. With grim determination and unwavering purpose they traveled. Not slowing until they reached the waterfront district. Their plan was relatively simple. At the docks, the group would break up and come at Rubeus from all directions, forming a circle around him. They knew Rubeus was powerful, some of them having fought him before. But, by combining the most powerful forces in the Universe, he could be defeated. By using all their powers in a certain, preconceived, formation, they would take him down. At least, theoretically. The plan rested on the belief that Rubeus was unable to bring any droids with him off the ship. This band was not stupid though, there was a contingency plan for just such an occurrence. If any droids appeared, they'd be dealt with instantly. They just hoped they wouldn't have to expend the extra energy.
Reaching the wharf, Darien gave the signal to spread out. In groups of twos and threes and, in Darien's case four, as Jeff, Hotaru, and Bryce stayed with him, the large group closed the circle on the center point of the last vestiges of Dark Power on Earth.
"Sailor Scouts! Protectors of Earth! Oh . . . And you, too, Prince of Earth! Come closer! Don't hesitate to feel my Power!" Rubeus' voice rebounded and echoed through the early morning sea breezes.
The first of the six groups to see him were Ashton and Sailor Jupiter. Unfortunately, discretion was not one of her finer points and she immediately made her presence known, despite Ashton's pleas to the contrary. "I'm going, damn it! Stay here if you want, but that bastard knows where Serena is!" She ran out in the open. Finding no other option available to him, Ashton joined Jupiter to face Rubeus.
Floating about a dozen feet above the ground, the man smiled evilly down at the two. "So? Only two? Where's the rest of your pitiful band? Lurking in the shadows, perhaps?"
Savagely, she cried out, "Feel the bite of the Planet Jupiter!"
Jupiter Thunder Clap . . . Zap!
Ashton waited about a half second before:
Earth's Light . . .
A ball of darkness appeared in his hand, pulling in all light surrounding him. He quickly brought his hands together, palms out:
Blaze!
It set the adjacent area around his target on fire with hundreds of pinpoint beams of light as it joined Jupiter's attack.
Rubeus simply smiled as the attacks bounced off his shield. Though everything around him shattered or was incinerated by the force, he remained unharmed. "Is that all you have?" He said, laughing ruthlessly, as shock registered on their faces. "My turn!" Lifting his left hand, a four feet wide beam of Dark Energy came at them with all the force of a hurricane.
Ashton, being of sound mind and body and preferring to keep it that way, grabbed Jupiter and attempted to pull her to safety. It was an ill-fated move. He wasn't fast enough and they were both knocked flat as the Energy hit them.
"Oh my God!" Jupiter breathed painfully, holding her chest. "He must be a 100-times stronger than when Sailor Moon fought him . . . " She slowly turned her head toward Ashton. He moved to cover and protect her from the next blast that would invariably kill them both.
Rubeus prepared the shot that would eliminate these two pests from his life when Sailor Mercury and Nathaniel called to him. Turning to them, he released the Energy he had built.
Nat, anticipating the move, pulled Mercury behind a shipping crate which immediately splintered around them as Rubeus' blast impacted with it. Pointing to Ash and Jupiter, "See to them." Nat whispered quickly, then rebounded away to draw Rubeus' fire. At the same time he stepped out, Pluto and Uranus hit Rubeus with a joint attack.
Little damaged because of his shield, but startled, Rubeus spun in the direction of the new arrivals. He watched as the two moved aside and another man in battle armor stepped between them.
The two prepared a second assault and Ruark wasted no time in joining them:
Dead Scream!
World Shaking!
Cosmic Night Storm . . .
Palms up, a dense black cloud formed in his hands, raising it above his head:
Blast!
From the cloud, and joining the Scouts attacks, came a solid blue beam that split into four as it approached Rubeus.
The three attacks impacted the shield and Rubeus eyes widened, he couldn't believe it.
"It cracked!" Pluto exclaimed.
Drawing more Power from himself to the shield, Rubeus assailed the small group with wildly random blasts.
Ryan and Venus met up with Brandon and Mars behind an old warehouse. Concern for the seven already fighting Rubeus was riding foremost in their thoughts. "Behind him, it's the best way!"
Brandon told them hurriedly. "Just be careful . . . I've never seen anything like this!" Moving into the shadows, the four dodged flying debris in their efforts to overtake Rubeus. As they secured their positions, the four ran out.
"Ladies? If you will?" Ryan said conversationally.
Mars gave him a dirty look, and, before calling out her attack, retorted, "Don't you think this is the wrong time for chivalry?"
Then:
Mars Celestial Fire . . .
Venus Love Chain . . .
Surround! Encircle!
"Ryan, now!" Mars yelled, rolling to avoid a blast coming her way.
"Never a wrong time, Mars!" He returned loudly, focusing his power:
Cosmic Light Waves . . .
He pulled his arms to his sides. Light, the colors of the rainbow gathered in a circle around him:
Break!
As he raised his arms, the seven colors broke apart and headed toward Rubeus, followed by Brandon pulling on the forces moving the Universe:
Cosmic Wind Comet . . .
A fierce circular wind surrounded his body:
Annihilate!
The wind rushed above his head, came to a point at one end, turned on its side and nailed its target with the force of a spear cracking a cement wall.
The four attacks did much to weaken the shield surrounding Rubeus, however, he was still untouched. He dropped down to the ground because the offensives were getting stronger and he was having to divert Power to his shield. But he knew his shield was giving way. A wall of water slammed into what little was left of it and he turned to the newest threat.
Sailor Neptune smiled grimly as she moved aside for Cameron:
Earth Shards . . .
With the flick of his wrists, a solid quartz staff with razor sharp edges, blazing with white-hot heat, formed in each hand:
Impale!
He threw both staffs with all his might. On contact, Rubeus' shield finally shattered, unable to bear the strain any longer.
Rubeus, completely exposed now, quickly began shooting chaotic blasts of Dark Energy that were well deflected by those he aimed at. He was growing weaker by the minute. Falling to his knees, his Power almost gone, he watched as thirteen Sailor Scouts and Guardians formed a circle around him. However, there was a gap left directly in front of him. No one moved. The only sound that could be heard in the early morning was the water gently lapping the docks. He struggled to a standing position, ready to make a break for the opening. No one made to stop him, so he started walking. Five steps later he froze.
Out of the mists rising from the water and residual smoke from the attacks, four people strode forward. One Sailor Scout carrying her deadly Silence Glaive and three men, tall in stature, dressed in the armor of Royalty from eons passed. With single-minded purpose they stepped to the positions left open.
The Prince stood directly in front of Rubeus and he, trying to quickly put distance between them,
fell back to his knees. Darien looked to his right . . . Bryce, Mars, Ruark, Neptune, Ashton, Venus, and Ryan silently stood waiting his command. To his left . . . Jeff, Saturn, Pluto, Brandon, Uranus, Cameron, Mercury, Nathaniel, and Jupiter, standing close enough to Ryan that she could almost touch him. The circle was now complete . . . Save one. With that thought causing his eyes to blaze with the rage he felt burning within him, Prince Darien walked to the center of the circle.
Rubeus, weakened and almost without Power, watched his approach with eyes filled with hatred and revenge. Revenge that was not forthcoming, nor would ever be. He felt his throat tighten as two hands gripped him painfully. Though seeing stars behind his eyes, Rubeus smiled malevolently.
"Where is she, you son of a bitch? Where is Serena?" He demanded coldly. Darien loosened his grip slightly when Rubeus seemed to try to speak.
He said only six words, and they dripped with sticky sweet sarcasm, "Oh . . . You must mean, my Queen." Rubeus laughed, the pure evil in it and his in words making the girls shudder.
Darien's eyes widened, then narrowed in frustrated fury. "What the hell do you mean? Tell me, damn you!" Tightening his grip, he sought to crush the man's windpipe, to destroy what had taken so much from him.
Sailor Saturn touched his arm softly and Darien shook his head, the near blinding rage that corroded his mind being banished back to wherever it came from. Shoving Rubeus away, he said with disgust, "You're simply not worth the effort." And, taking Saturn's healing hand, turned, leading her away.
With much difficulty, Rubeus climbed back to his feet. Pulling together all the remnants of Dark Energy he had left in his body for one fatal blow on one of his most hated enemies, Rubeus aimed at Darien.
Darien, however, felt the drawing of Power. Before it could be released, his back still to Rubeus, Darien, stepping outside the circle with Saturn, brought both hands together over his head with a ringing clap. The fifteen simultaneous attacks came at Rubeus from all different directions. Darien turned around. At the center of the onslaught, though he had no idea how, Rubeus stood, the familiar malevolent smile on his face. As Darien watched, the smile faded and Rubeus closed his eyes. Darien's widened, "GET DOWN!" He screamed. The group hit the ground and rolled away just as the Dark Energy explosion that was Rubeus, rocked the marina, sending concrete, wood, and debris flying. Darien and Saturn struggled up as the floor beneath them shifted to a precarious angle. The two slowly made their way to the rest of the group.
Sailor Mercury, still on the ground, felt a tugging at the back of her mind, she immediately reached for her computer. "Oh my God!" She shrieked.
Neptune, too, felt the tug, but she didn't need technology. She closed her eyes and concentrated, they snapped opened and she screamed, "The water! The explosion shifted the tides!"
"Wh . . . What's happening!" Mina cried as Ryan steadied her.
Gathering strength, holding onto one another for balance as the dock continually gave way beneath their feet, the group came together.
Saturn pointed, "LOOK!" Not too far off, they could see it.
"Tidal wave at three o'clock, Ladies and Gentlemen." Brandon commented, something akin to horrified humor in his voice.
"We've got to get out of here!" Darien yelled over the increasing cacophony assaulting theirs ears. "There's nothing we can do now!"
The huge ships, tied to their moorings, began rocking perilously as the water was pulled out from under them by the approaching wave. Everyone fell to their knees as the landing shifted one last time and gave a great heave.
"It's sinking!" Venus cried, fascinated.
"No time to admire the scenery changes!" Ryan told her, jumping to his feet. Pulling Venus behind him, he ran for safety from the oncoming water. The others followed quickly on his heels.
"Back to the Lab!" Darien told them. "We'll meet up there!"
Nodding, and, once they regained a steady balance, they took off in the direction he'd commanded. Darien and Bryce were the last ones to leave, making sure the others got away. The Prince turned back one more time to look at, what once was, the battle sight. The water level was low and the dock could be seen, cracked, broken, and in pieces, scattered on the sea floor. He shook his head sadly at the sight.
Coming up behind him, Bryce rested a hand on Darien's shoulder. "Come on. There won't be much left of this place when that wall of water gets here."
"Yeah. I just hope that everyone gets out in time." Darien gestured to the people now running around, screaming in terror.
"They will." Bryce assured him. "There's still time . . . "
The two met up with Jeff and Hotaru who'd stayed behind to wait on them. The four smiled at each other. Somewhat bitter smiles, of a triumph hard won. A partial triumph, that is. All that and they still hadn't found out where Serena is. There had to be another way to locate her . . . And Darien wouldn't stop until he discovered it.
