Chapter 3
By MG
Don't own sm…
The rain drizzled down slowly one evening as Rei and Jadeite raced towards their car beneath the covering of his rain soaked black trench coat. The light from the lampposts lit their way, making it possible for them to avoid puddles, and dips. Rei sighed when she realized that the coat was offering her no great comfort, her hair was still drenched as if they had not been sharing one.
"I can't believe our luck." She whimpered as she licked some of the wetness from her lips.
"Don't complain, at least it's not pouring." the rain poured down on them, as if hearing his words.
"You had to go and open your big mouth didn't you?" She left him standing in the rain, trench coat and all, before sprinting towards the car. He ran quickly behind her, wrapping his books within the protection of his coat while fishing for his keys from his side pocket.
"Hurry up Jed, I'm getting soaked!" She exclaimed from the other side of the car. He shuffled with the keys repeatedly before finally unlocking the door; he threw the books in the back and pressed the button to open the other side. Rei flew inside the car, carelessly throwing the books behind her to join Jadeite's in the back seat. She lay back comfortably in silence as they pulled out of the parking lot, the warm air from the heater relaxing her mind. "What I wouldn't give for a nice warm bubble bath right now." She sighed.
"What I wouldn't give to join you." He smiled sensuously as she pulled back some of the wet tendrils from his face.
"Jeez, I swear, that's all you ever have on your mind!" She laughed.
"And you don't?"
"Well…" The telltale blush on her face, lighting her cheeks to a deep red tint told him all he wanted to know.
"You need say no more woman." He continued as he looked to her darkly before fixing his eyes on the road once more. "Your face is as open as a damn book."
"Speaking of which, we really need to focus on the matter at hand."
"Okay then boss lady...where to?" He questioned as his hands gripped the wheel, turning the car slowly round a corner.
"Well...my guess is as good as yours." She replied back simply.
"Perhaps we should visit our good friends Makoto and Nephrite?"
"Mako and Neph are vampire hunters...how could they help us?"
"Well...they don't just hunt vampires...they also try and seek out anything evil that disturbs the balance." Jadeite said to her. "Perhaps they may know something."
"Perhaps...I know that Neph had a great library on prophecies and stuff at his home anyway...if they can't tell us something, perhaps one of their books will."
"I surly do hope so." He finished.
~*~
"Yes...could you tell Mr. Chiba that I can not make it tonight?" Usagi spun around in her chair to face the glass wall behind her, looking at the rain in discomfort. She had so many important things to take care of this afternoon; she didn't have time to run after playboy clients. She looked solemnly back to the man who was seated patiently in front of her, sweat beading down his face. He was nervous.
"Yes Usagi." Her secretary replied and then cut off the connection.
"Now let's see...where was I...oh yes." She paused with a smile as she looked toward him; she could see the fright in his eyes. "Have you got for me what I wanted?"
"I...I have...we tried to find him...we killed many werewolves last night but we..." He began nervously.
"Your job did not consist of killing werewolves, you were only told to find information on him. I care not of anything else you may have encountered." Usagi interrupted sternly.
"They are loyal to him Ms. Tsukino...they care not even until the death, they would not tell us anyth-"
"You did not find what I have asked of you?" Usagi asked impatiently.
"We killed many werewolves...some tortured but"
"I ask you one thing and that is all that I wish to hear! Did you find what it is that I asked of you?" Usagi interrupted once more, her anger rising.
"N-no…but we..."
"That is all I." Usagi finished, putting up her hand to silence him. "You shall try better next time right?" She asked him with a smile.
"Y-yes." He replied. "You are letting me go?" He stood nervously from the chair that he was sitting in; she walked over to him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Do not be frightened Greg...you tried your best right?" She said sweetly as walked him around the room. "Do not worry...we will catch him." She reassured. "Now...she said softly...we can not go unpunished now can we?" She said to him with a smile. "I know you tried your best...but if I did not do this...no one would learn...you see they have to learn that your best is not good enough unless you accomplish the task at hand." She continued. "But you did not." She said as she ended their walk at a window. The rain had washed away to be replaced by a warm sunshine that now brightened the blinds in which she stood before. "And now you must be punished so that the rest can learn."
"Ms. Tsukino please!" He begged.
"Now, now Greg." She smiled. "You want the others to learn don't you?" She paused. " This will not hurt one bit." She finished as she opened the blind to reveal the sun. His body began to burn and she covered his mouth to mute the screams; she watched with nothing more than indifference as his body combusted into a whirlwind of ashes that settled on the floor. "Shit! My shoes!" She whined as she looked at her feet and the pile of ashes that lay there. She walked over to her desk and pressed a button. "Rachel?"
"Yes Ms. Tsukino?" The secretary asked.
"Could you get the cleaning lady over here?" Usagi said to her. "And cancel my next meeting...I'm going to go get me a new pair of shoes." She finished.
"Yes ma'am."
~*~
"Rei!" Makoto exclaimed cheerfully when she answered the door, her lips slurring the dialect of her Scandinavian tongue. She reached over and gave her a hug, not noticing the man standing next to her.
"I guess I'm just a nobody." Jadeite said to her with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Jadeite!" She screeched as she hugged him. "Neph! Guess who is here?" She yelled into the house to her husband.
~*~
"So...that's the gall of it." Rei finished explaining their situation as she placed down her cup.
"I wish that we could help you." Neph informed as he gave Mako a sideways weary glance. "But we are up to our necks in a mission of our own."
"Really, what's new for you guys?" Jadeite asked.
"Well...we have reason to believe that the queen of the vampires abides in this city now." He told them. "We are certain that she has some kind of goal in mind."
"But perhaps that will make our mission's collide?" Rei informed.
"How so?" Makoto arched her brow.
"Well, according to what we have read so far...the fact that the angel of light lives is what keeps things in balance. So I was thinking...after what you said and all, that perhaps whichever side gets to her first will have total control." Rei finished.
"Hmmm...that would make since...the werewolves and the vampires have been battling for power since they came into existence." Nephrite commented. "Perhaps both the Queen of the Vampires and the Dark Lord of the Werewolves are after her?" He finished.
"That could be yet another possibility." Jadeite replied. "Once again though, I am not making any rash judgments before I read the original book myself."
"That is a good point…I have questioned it's proper translation for many years…they do not make since at times…how goes your work so far?"
"Well, that is where our problems arise..." Rei began. "The book is all the way in London...I don't know if we have that kind of time, after all, according to Setsuna the Dark Lord has already met her...it's only a matter of time."
"Actually..." Makoto began. "It is not in London." Rei and Jadeite looked at her suspiciously.
"Although we do not know why..." Nephrite continued. "A few weeks ago a mysterious package arrived at our door step with no return address of any sort except the word London, and only a note on top that said 'This package does not belong to you, but wait and it's owner will come.'" He paused, a look of uncertainty crossing his face. "But when you told us your story, we began to suspect the contents of it being that book you were talking about, but we were unsure. I mean we know that it is a book...but now we suspect that it has been waiting for you." He finished.
"Well, where is it?" Rei asked excited.
"Wait, I shall go and retrieve it for you." Makoto countered as she got up, went to a dresser drawer and pulled a brown package out. She slowly walked over to Rei and placed it in her hands. "What if it was not meant for you? We could be tampering with something that is greater than us."
"I don't know." Jadeite looked towards Rei silently as she handled it, his hands crossing and uncrossing, as he was deep in thought. "But, there's only one way to find out." He said as he looked at her, nodding his head in approval.
"Very well, do what you must." Rei slowly began to tear the wrapping away with anxiety in her gut. If this had been what she was looking for, then they would be a step ahead of themselves for once. She paused for a moment, her palms sweaty, before tearing that last bit of paper away; beneath the wrapping a small box was revealed with an envelope on top. She picked up the envelope, opened it, and read its contents out loud.
" 'To Rei and Jedite
A little something to help you with your quest. Do not abuse it, and hold it carefully. You have a long rocky road ahead of you, and remember, things are never what they seem.
From, A friend
PS, Trust no one but who hears you read this letter aloud now.' "
"Well...I guess that takes care of that problem." Jadeite brooded the silence that had overcome them all.
"Yes, I guess so...but now what?" Almost as soon as Nephrite ended his sentence, there was a knock on their door.
"That must be her." Makoto said with a smile.
"Her who?" Rei queried with a confused look.
"It is a surprise." Makoto replied. "We invited her over, and we had not been expecting you…but it is just as well, it has been a long time anyways." She walked out of the room, leaving Rei puzzled and returned moments later with a wide grin on her face. "Look who is here!"
"Usagi!" Rei exclaimed.
"Hey guys!" She plopped down into the vacant spot on the chaise next to Rei. "Long time no see ey?" Rei leaned over and hugged her enthusiastically. "I thought I was long due for a visit, but I didn't expect you to be here Rei!"
"I didn't know you were coming either!" She replied. "It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Yes it has…"She replied. "So what's going on, still vampire hunting and catching evil?" She inquired nonchalantly as she lay back into a relaxing position.
"Yeah, you know...same ol' same ol." Jadeite answered. Which is more than you will ever believe. He thought as he gave a sideways glance to Rei.
"So, how is the corporation?" Nephrite asked her. "I know it must have been hard when your mother died; it is a lot of work to be thrown into the finances and politics of business with no previous experience."
"Actually, it's going rather well!" She said with a smile. "Things are as they should be, and I have managed to even acquire a few assets on the side." If you call secretly owning more than 10 companies and several people a few assets that is. "Once in a while though, I have those problems that I have to see to and put in line myself…most of the work is covered by those beneath me. I get more relaxing time than I let on."
"Who would have thought that the popular girl who went to every party and had more dates than women from playboy magazine would become so serious and so looked up to!" Rei laughed.
"Hey Rei, why are you always so mean?" Usagi said with a pout, causing everyone to chuckle lightly.
"Some things never change." Makoto commented as they continued to talk.
"Besides, that was in the past, things are different now…I have priorities and responsibilities." People to screw over…
~*~
"I can't believe it!" Mamoru yelled angrily as he threw the wine bottle against the wall, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. "She turned me down! She fuckin' turned me down!"
"Calm down." Malachite reassured his friend. "That's what...one turn down out of hundreds?"
"That fucking whore!" He continued his tirade.
"So the one woman who wouldn't sleep with you is a whore...but the many who would?"
"Decent bitches." He replied.
"Interesting logic." Malachite laughed as he flipped through the stations on the television in their private den.
"Shit!" He cursed as he slammed his fist against the wall.
"Just charm her and ask her out again...maybe she's in to all that romance." Malachite threw the idea out nonchalantly.
"Perhaps...she did seem like the sentimental type." He sighed as he finally allowed his body to calm down.
"Then send her a vase of roses and be done with it…Women always fall for that...especially when you give it to them for no reason."
"Maybe…"
"I don't see why you're so miffed anyway, I thought you said that your plans entailed taking it slowly…how else will you swindle your way into her life?"
"I know, I know…but there is jut something about her…" He leant back on the mirror and dug his hands into his pants pockets casually.
"Don't tell me you are getting soft on me my friend?"
"No…definitely not…" He argued. "It's weird, but every time I look into her eyes I fall in a trance…not because I feel anything…but something is up…like I have a spell on me or something."
"What are you thinking?" Malachite looked to him puzzlingly.
"Is there some kind of summon in the book of ki that says that if someone has a power, and you eat the source of that power, that you shall absorb it…imagine the power I would have…if I had her eyes."
~*~
"Usagi." Her secretary called out to her as she walked in to her office. "This came in for you today." She finished as she showed her the huge vase filled with roses.
"Oh." Usagi replied simply. "Throw it out with the others." She finished before going back to her work.
"But don't you even want to read the card?" The secretary inquired. Usagi rolled her eyes from her work to look at her secretary. Her romantic sympathies were a tad bit annoying. She had to take a mental note to take care of her. "Oh fine." She sighed reluctantly as she reached her hand out for the card. When she had finished reading through it she handed it back to her secretary whom prodded her even further.
"Well?" She asked in a manner as if trying not to pry.
"Mr. Chiba wants to meet with me for dinner and dancing...but I don't feel like dancing so the answer is no. Please be sure to let him know that." Usagi stated before looking back at her work once more. After five minutes she looked up to see her secretary still standing there. "Is there something that you wanted Cynthia?"
"Well, Ms. Tsukino...Mamoru is like one of the most eligible bachelors in the town...and I have heard other rumors of him as well...but the fact of the matter is that he is said to be a fun person...why don't you give it a try? You are always so pressed for work...you don't have to make going out with him a routine in your life...but it never hurts to relax." Usagi sighed, aside from feeling annoyed at the moment she had to admit...perhaps she did need a day out.
"Hmmm..." She turned slightly in her chair and looked passed the tall buildings towards the horizon. She sighed "Perhaps I do need a day to relax…very well…I think that I will take him up on that offer...call him up and tell him I accept." She finished.