Hey guys!! Okay, fair warning, this is going to start very abruptly, okay?
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"Minako!" Usagi pleaded helplessly to her long time friend, "I was only trying to help! I'm sorry!"
Minako sighed as she sipped back a cup of coffee. It wasn't Usagi's fault. It was just one of those things. Minako turned to her friend.
"Will you please tell me, why you keep setting me up with guys? I swear I go on more dates than I can count." Minako asked.
Usagi bit her bottom lip, "I just don't want you to end up alone. I'm trying to help you. All of us are," she insisted again.
Minako rolled her eyes, "If that's the case, then why exactly do all the guys you set me up with ALL have brown hair?"
Usagi hesitated for a second, obviously taking her time at making something up. Usagi was the worst liar alive.
"er…well you see, I hear brown haired men always…er…make good husbands?" Usagi lied. Minako sighed again.
Usagi frowned, "Listen, how exactly was I suppose to know this guy was married!" she almost snapped, correcting herself at the last moment.
Minako gave her an odd look, "What do you just pick these guys off the street? You didn't even know him?"
Usagi looked away. Minako let out a loud groan, "Oh forget it, I'm going for a walk," she sighed as she picked up her coat and walked out of the apartment.
Usagi sighed loudly.
"Well that didn't work out like planned," came a voice from the shadows.
"It never does. I'm beginning to think Shinigami wasn't even reborn. We're on a wild goose chase," she muttered.
Rei stepped out from the shadows, and at the same time, Makoto and Ami stepped out from behind the door.
"We can't give up," Ami told her reassuringly, "it was Aphrodite's dying wish,"
Makoto looked at the door, "Guys, it's been fifteen seconds." She told them. Everyone grabbed their coats and hurried after Minako.
Minako yawned slightly as she walked along the street. Night had fallen on the city. A small sense of foreboding wrenched through her, but she ignored it. There was no point in worrying, when Minako knew she could take care of herself.
Her friends were so weird sometimes. They were constantly setting her up with new men, all with brown hair. Most of these men, they didn't even know personally. It was like they were trying to get her killed or raped. Minako shuddered. No more blind dates.
Minako pulled her jacket around her closely, protecting her from the cold. God, it was cold out tonight. A nice hot coffee would be more than welcome Minako thought pleasantly as she turned into an alleyway. It was a short cut to the nearest café.
Immediately Minako felt something was wrong. She instincts told her to turn around and get out of the alley, but a scream overrode this. Somewhere out in the dark alleyway, a woman had screamed.
Minako dashed forward, mentally berating herself for wearing heels.
Black figures came into view. It seemed, four of the figures were leaning over another who was doubled over. As she came closer Minako identified the one on the ground as a woman, maybe in her mid forties, surrounded by gangsterish looking men.
One of the men held the woman's purse in his hands as he search through it. The woman cried and pleaded helplessly as she tried to get up. One of the men kicked her back down.
Minako's heart began pounding furiously with the thought of a fight. It only took one step for Minako to come into clear view of the men. Her gaze was level.
The man who had kicked the woman noticed her first. He smacked his friend and pointed to Minako. They laughed brutishly.
"Hey pretty lady, why don't you come a little closer?" one of them laughed roughly. Minako rolled her eyes. Did he honestly think she would walk towards him if she were helpless?
The woman on the ground gave her a look that screamed 'help me'. Minako walked forward, towards the woman. The man with the purse took a step towards her, a smile on his face.
As she reached the woman her voice turned cold, "Give her back her purse," she commanded. Honestly, she didn't expect them to simply give the woman back her purse and walk away nicely.
The man laughed harder, "Right little feisty one this is, more the fun if you ask me,"
His friends also laughed gruffly. Minako eyed the chains and baggy clothes the men wore wearily. Wannabe's probably. Just a bunch of guys who think their tough she muttered to herself mentally.
One man reached forward and grabbed Minako's arm roughly. Minako didn't try to move away at all. They were overconfident. A sure sign of an amateur. In Minako's head, battle plans of war began surging through her brain. She found herself analyzing the situation the way a veteran war commander might.
Minako shook her head slightly. Maybe I was a general in a past life she laughed grimly.
The man suddenly twisted Minako's arm painfully, thinking she had laughed at him. Minako was ready. In mid twist Minako turned her wrist and pulled forcefully. It wasn't easy, but she managed to pull her arm out of his powerful grip. The man stared at her in surprise.
"Hey! Get back here!" he growled as he lunged for Minako again. Minako had had enough. She sidestepped the man, but in doing this, the man stumbled and his large beefy hand caught Minako in the side of the head.
Blotches of white entered her vision and suddenly everything began spinning. Minako tried to clear her vision as she leapt out of the way of another charging man.
Finally everything became clear, and once again Minako found herself drawing up battle plans in her head. Get the victim away, was her first thought. She moved quickly towards the man with the purse.
Suddenly something grabbed her. She was ready for the blow, but nothing happened. Minako turned around in surprise. The man, who had grabbed her, was now laying on the ground with another man standing over him.
The man who had just taken out the other man, was currently working on another. Minako labelled the man an ally and moved on to her target. The man with the purse pulled out a switchblade and flung it at Minako.
All those day's as Sailor V paid off as she caught the knife skilfully and before the man could even move the knife was whistling towards him. His scream shattered the darkness as the knife pierced his hand holding the purse. It worked like a charm. The man dropped the purse and gripped his hand tightly.
The fighting behind her had stopped, she realised. She turned around to see all four men laying on the ground unconscious.
The man who had helped walked forward. Minako took a step back instinctively. The man let out a light chuckle.
"Who are you?" Minako asked uncertainty.
The man stopped in plain view and by now Minako could make out his features perfectly.
"Duo Maxwell, at your service. And who might you be?" he asked.
Minako eyed him wearily. He was handsome, to say the least. His hair was chestnut coloured, and his eye's were a very attractive shade of cobalt. His outfit was black, and very much resembled a modern day priest.
"Minako Aino," she told him with a small smile. She turned to make sure the lady was alright. The woman was standing now, checking the contents of her purse.
Minako saw Duo walk next to her but instead, spoke to the woman, "Are you alright?" she asked kindly.
"F-fine," the woman muttered, obviously shaken, "Thank you for rescuing me,"
"Do you want me to walk you home?" Minako offered. She knew the woman was probably still hurting from the abuse of the men, but the woman brushed it off.
"No need to worry. My house is very near by. I'll be fine," she reassured them, "here, take this for you're troubles" the woman said smiling as she handed Minako and Duo a piece of gum each.
Minako smiled and thanked the woman, as did Duo. The woman waved good-bye and disappeared into the night.
"Well, that was interesting," Duo, yawned slightly as he turned to Minako. Minako grinned.
"May I call you my hero? For saving me?" Minako asked playfully.
Duo let out a throaty laugh, "I doubt you even needed my help. You seemed to be doing fine by yourself. By the way, that was a really nice throw," he admitted.
"Thanks," Was all Minako said before turning to the man on the ground crying. The dagger was still stuck in his hand.
"Oh you baby," Minako said in a motherly tone.
The man whimpered slightly as Minako reached out and gripped the dagger. With a quick yank, the dagger came out smoothly. The man cried out slightly, and it was only then that Minako realised the man looked about nineteen years old.
She heard Duo snort behind her, "You're being way to nice. If I had my way… well lets say he wouldn't dare try robbing innocent people again," he told her.
Minako eyed the man before her slowly. A part of her despised what she saw. Another… oddly enough wanted to protect him. Almost like a mother would a child. But that was ridiculous.
"He's nothing more than a child pretending to be an adult. There's no point in hurting him further," Minako said loudly enough for the rest of the little 'gang' to hear, "but if I ever hear that they've done something like this again, I'll make it so they never see day again,"
The man whimpered again before turning and running. The rest of his friends followed closely behind. Minako sighed. Something's would never change.
"Well then, see you around," Duo said with a forced smile. Minako nodded and turned her own way.
With a yawn Minako decided not to get a coffee. She might as well get home.
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Okay there's the next chapter!!
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