THE EXTERMINATORS

Chapter 7: "A Change of Venue"

By Bill K.

Silently the shadow hopped to the windowsill. Applying pressure to the bottom of the window snapped the latch. As the window eased silently up, Usa finally realized what was happening.

And if things weren't menacing enough, Usa's Luna-P pendant's eyes began to flash.

Instantly Usa crawled over to Usagi's bed and nudged the sleeping four year old.

"Usagi," she hissed, seeing that the android had tracked her movements. "Get up!"

"Mmm, just five more minutes, Mama," the drowsy child groaned.

"Usagi, get up!" Usa barked urgently. She pulled the child from her bed as the android climbed in through the window. This dragged Usagi from her slumber and the girl looked first to Usa and then to the shadowy figure climbing in the window with confusion and mounting alarm.

"Moon Crystal Power Make Up!" Usa said and in an instant transformed into Sailor Moon. "Usagi, go to your brother's room and wait for me!"

"But . . .?" Usagi sputtered.

"It's one of the bad men! I have to deal with him! Go!"

Spurred on by the urgency in Sailor Moon's voice, Usagi ran for the door. Silently Sailor Moon nodded Diana to follow the tot. As the android moved to pursue, Sailor Moon intercepted him and the pair faced each other down. Usagi's last glimpse of Sailor Moon was of her standing in the dark, menacing figure's path like a gleaming beacon of light.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon called out, softly so as not to awaken the other members of the Tsukino household. She let fly with the energy disk and it flew straight and true towards the artificial human.

But to her shock, the android evaded the disk. It calculated the speed and trajectory of the missile, ducking beneath it at the last possible moment. Before the senshi could react, the android was upon her. Hands clamped around her soft throat, trying to crush Sailor Moon's windpipe. The android possessed unusual strength to go with its speed. Her hands came up, trying to push the android's arms away, but to no avail.

Then the intense training Makoto and Minako gave her came into play. Automatically Sailor Moon thrust up with both palms against the elbows of her assailant as hard as she could. The impact stung her hands through her gloves, but she produced enough force to hyper-extend the elbows and drive the android's hands from her throat. Ignoring the pain in her chest and neck, Sailor Moon lashed out with a vicious kick to the android's chest, intent upon shoving him back.

Instead, the android stood its ground. The impact with the immovable object sent a shockwave back through Sailor Moon's leg and threw her off balance. Due to this, she was unable to defend herself against a whip-like backhand blow from the android. Sailor Moon crashed to the floor in a heap near Usagi's bed.

"Come on," she groaned to herself as the senshi struggled to rise. "Get up! Mom needs you!"

In Shingo's room next door, Diana and Usagi anxiously waited. Each noise that emanated from Usagi's room made the pair more and more nervous. Diana could tell Usagi was quite upset and was visibly trembling. Furthermore, she could hear Shingo stirring in his crib. She wanted desperately to go to Sailor Moon and offer any assistance she could. But the gray cat knew her duty and held her ground.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. Usagi reflexively backed away from the door, her hands to her mouth and her eyes wide. Diana could tell by the sound of the steps that it wasn't Sailor Moon approaching. She took a position between Usagi and the door, ready to defend the little blonde girl with her life. Shingo sat up in his crib.

"'nee-chan!" he said, recognizing his sister. The toddler reached through the slats of the crib for her.

Just then, the door opened and the android, swathed in shadows and unearthly in appearance, stepped in. Diana crouched, arched her back and hissed at it as menacingly as she could muster. Terrified by Diana's sudden belligerence, Shingo pulled back and began wailing in fear. The android ignored them both and began advancing on Usagi.

But behind him, bracing herself against the frame of the door, was Sailor Moon. Her moment's glimpse of the senshi told Diana that Sailor Moon had the Luna-P pendant in her hand.

"Luna-P transform!" Sailor Moon choked out with a raspy voice. "Become a - - a magnetic pulse disruption generator!"

The pendant complied and transformed into the two foot by two foot electronic engine at Sailor Moon's feet. The senshi's fist slammed down on the ignition trigger. Instantly all the metallic objects in the room turned toward Sailor Moon and the generator's growing magnetic field. The android stopped its advance toward Usagi and turned to the generator.

The generator pulsed once. It was an action felt by everyone more than seen or heard. The android stiffened like it had been shot, then fell over inert.

Usagi stared down at the fallen android, unable to comprehend what had happened and unwilling to believe that the threat was now over. Shingo continued to wail in terror, more from the sight of Diana than from the android. Shutting both out of her mind, Sailor Moon pulled her tiara from her forehead again.

"Moon Tiara Action," she said softly, invoking the tiara's energy disk phase. In seconds the android disintegrated in the face of the energy disk. Sailor Moon then reverted to Usa, and none too soon. When she turned around, Kenji and Ikuko were peering into the room from the open door, confused and anxious.

"What's going on in here?" Kenji demanded.

"Um," Usa stammered, panting deeply.

"A man came through my window!" sobbed Usagi. Instantly Kenji was across the room and comforting his daughter. Usagi leaned against the safe, solid form of her father and let the tears flow.

"Usa?" Ikuko queried the teen as she picked up Shingo and tried to mollify the toddler.

"Um, yeah," Usa nodded. "This guy climbed in through Usagi's bedroom window - - from the tree outside. I-I think he was a burglar or something. I had Usagi go to Shingo's room while I - - kept him busy."

"A burglar?" Ikuko gasped. Shingo's crying had finally calmed to whimpers.

"Is that what happened, Princess?" Kenji asked Usagi. The man clearly seemed threatened by the entire situation. Usagi nodded tearfully.

"I guess all the commotion scared him off," Usa added before Usagi could say where the burglar went.

Kenji got up, Usagi in his arms, and crossed over to Usa.

"Thank you," he said gratefully. "That was a tremendously brave thing you did for my family."

Usa felt her heart swelling. "You do what you have to do," she shrugged modestly.

"Thank you," Usagi squeaked, "Usa-oneechan."

The pink-haired teen suppressed a giddy shudder. "Anything for you, Usagi-chan."

"Meow?" Diana inquired, rubbing against Ikuko's leg. When she looked down, Shingo imitated her. But once he saw Diana, the boy began crying hysterically again.

"Oh, dear," Ikuko said, protectively pressing the boy's head to her shoulder. "Shingo seems to be frightened of your cat now."

Usa quickly scooped Diana up and held her away from Shingo.

"You don't suppose he associates everything that happened with the cat now, do you," Kenji reasoned.

"I hope not," Ikuko grimaced. She turned timidly to Usa. "Maybe you'd better take your cat into the other room. I'm sorry."

"It's OK," Usa whispered. The teen exited while two parents tried to calm their children.

She retired to Usagi's bedroom and squatted on the mat on the floor. For a few moments all the girl did was stroke Diana's side.

"My Lady?" Diana whispered.

"She called me 'Usa-oneechan'," Usa murmured, grinning. "That's a long way from 'brat'."

"I'm dreadfully sorry, My Lady. I didn't mean to frighten poor Shingo. The android startled me and I hissed at it. It was a reflex."

"I don't blame you, Diana," Usa told her softly.

"I hope he's not going to be frightened of cats from now on," Diana lamented. "We're really quite a gentle species if you give us cause."

"Diana, what are we going to do? We can't just sit here and fight off android attacks for the rest of Mom's life. Those things are beginning to adapt to our attacks. And what if Viluy sends a whole platoon of them? We can't fight them all off!" The teen stiffened. "Or what if she sends one that looks like Kenji-papa or Ikuko-mama?"

"Fortunately you have the pendant to . . ." Diana began, then stopped when she looked up. "My Lady, something seems wrong with Luna-P."

Quickly Usa whipped the pendant off. The pair stared intently at the small black cat's head.

"She looks dead," Usa cried.

"You may have burned the device's circuitry out. Luna-P was created as a child's toy and guardian device. It's possible that the pulse from the magnetic pulse disruption generator magnetically fused its circuitry as it did the android's."

"Ohh," Usa groaned, tearing up. She pressed the inert pendant to her face. "I'm sorry, Luna-P."

"M-My Lady," Diana grimaced.

"She's gone," Usa whispered. "Luna-P was my first friend." A tear trickled down her cheek. "And now we don't have any way to track those androids."

A grim silence surrounded the two fugitives from the future.

"We've got to find Puu," Usa concluded. "There's no other way out of this."

"But where shall we start looking?" Diana asked.

Usa pondered this question.

"The Door of Time," Usa announced. "It leads to every moment that's ever been and ever will be. There has to be a path in there that leads to where Puu is."

"But My Lady," Diana cautioned, "if Sailor Pluto was overcome in the confines of the temporal limbo, there's no possible way the Door of Time could lead to that point. The temporal limbo is outside of the flow of time."

"There's no body in the limbo, right?" Usa countered. "That means Viluy took her somewhere. And that somewhere has to be outside the limbo. I'm going to find out where. If it takes me a thousand years, I'm going to find it." She started to get up.

"Very well," Diana conceded. "But finish resting first."

"Diana, we can't wait."

"Yes we can. How many times must I tell you the Door of Time can transport you to a specific point in time no matter when you leave? You can afford to take a few hours and finish your rest." Usa looked at her skeptically. "Believe me, My Lady. I have dealt with things like this for a few years."

Frustrated, Usa flopped on her back and blew at her bangs. "I don't know how you expect me to sleep now," she grumbled.

"That's one more lesson humans would do well to learn from cats," Diana replied smugly, then curled up next to her.


"This is kind of sudden," Kenji said, looking across the breakfast table at his pink-tressed guest.

"Yeah, well, I called Mom and," Usa said, trying to keep her story straight in her head and dreading that she was failing miserably, "she said that it was OK if I came home now."

She tried to keep eye contact with Kenji and Ikuko to remain convincing. Lying always seemed to be so difficult for her. She remembered Hotaru once said it was because she was too honest to be a good liar. The only one she ever seemed to convince was her mother - - and her mother would believe anything.

"Usa, this doesn't have anything to do with last night, does it?" Ikuko asked. Usa could see the woman wasn't buying her story for a minute. And now she didn't have Luna-P to hypnotize them into believing it.

"No," she replied in a manner that even she didn't believe. "I just - - Mom got her business wrapped up quicker than she expected. And I miss my friends. And I've imposed on your household enough."

"Usa, you are not an imposition," Kenji told her charitably, "and you never have been. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. If you feel you need to leave, though, we wish you good luck and a safe trip." Kenji smiled warmly at her, a smile that in a small way was vaguely reminiscent of the megawatt smile her mother could generate. "Please feel free to visit us again at any time."

"Thanks," Usa swallowed, emotion making her voice hoarse. "I may take you up on that some day."

Then they all noticed Usagi. She was sitting silently at the table, but her big blue eyes were shouting her distress to anyone who might notice.

"Usagi," Ikuko brushed her hand along the girl's blonde hair, "you knew she was only visiting."

"But why does she have to go?" the girl whimpered and the dam broke on her tears. She turned urgently to Usa. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Usa-oneechan!"

"Usagi, you didn't do anything to offend me," Usa smiled. "I just gotta go."

"Why?" the tot pleaded.

"Usagi," her mother replied sternly.

"It's OK," Usa told her. Turning back to Usagi, she reached out and brushed the tears away. "I love being here, Usagi. You've got a great home and a great family." The teen swallowed. "But - - I've got a great home and a great family, too. And I miss them and I want to go back to them. You understand that, don't you?"

The child nodded reluctantly. Usa stroked the girl's cheek with her finger.

Usa helped Ikuko with the dishes while Kenji hurried off to work. Once she was finished, the girl collected Diana and headed for the door. Ikuko and Usagi were waiting for them.

"I left Shingo in his playpen," Ikuko explained. "I was afraid of your cat upsetting him again."

Usa nodded.

"I really enjoyed you staying here," Ikuko continued. "You're a very bright young woman with a very bright future ahead of her. Maybe you should stop worrying about things you've done in the past and enjoy that future."

Usa gaped at her for a second, amazed at the woman's perceptiveness. A timid smile crossed her face.

"Yes, Ikuko-mama," Usa replied. "I really did mean it when I said I enjoyed staying here. It's kind of hard to believe you and my Mom are from the same family. You're completely opposite."

"I don't know whether that's a compliment to me or to Reika," Ikuko smirked. "So I'll just leave it at that."

Sensing she should, Usa knelt down to Usagi. The child was disappointed, but struggled to put up a brave front.

"Good-bye, Usa-oneechan," Usagi murmured.

"Don't be so final, Usagi-chan," Usa smiled. "I promise you, we'll meet again."

Hope seemed to blossom in the young girl's eyes and it made Usa feel ten feet tall. She held Diana out to the girl.

"Say 'good-bye' to Diana," Usa requested.

"Good-bye, Diana!" Usagi beamed, stroking the gray cat's head. "Maybe I'll get to have a pretty kitty like you someday, too!"

"Meow!" Diana replied in her best feline-ese.

Once out of the gate and away from the Tsukino residence, Usa set Diana down and the pair headed for Juuban Park. As they walked, though, Diana could sense the Princess entering another one of her melancholy moods.

"I dare say you made quite the favorable impression on the young queen," Diana ventured, then added slyly, "for a fairy, that is."

"She won't remember," Usa whispered.

"My Lady," Diana sighed. "Must you see the dark side of everything?"

"I show up on their doorstep when she's fourteen, remember?" Usa told her. "She didn't recognize me."

"Well," Diana stammered, "the Queen is noted for being absent-minded. And you did look somewhat different at age four than you do now."

"It's OK. I wouldn't expect her to remember. She's only four now. The older you get, the less you remember from your early years. That's the way humans are wired." The Princess gained a rueful look. "Unless you've got four crazy sisters chasing you, trying to kill you. That's kind of hard to forget. But I know it's nothing personal against me. She can't help but forget about all of this."

The girl uttered an almost undetectable sigh.

"Though it would be nice . . ."

"When we reach the temporal limbo, My Lady," Diana asked, trying to shift her companion's mood away from the depressing, "where do you suggest we start looking?"

"Well, isn't there some way to search time for a specific event? I mean, how else does Puu know where to go when she travels in time?"

"With Sailor Pluto, I believe she uses her own innate ability to see the past and future," Diana related. Her brow furrowed. "But when you or I use a Time Key, the key itself interfaces with the traveler's brain in order to access the desired moment in time."

"Then if I tell it to take me to the moment Puu exists in actual time - - after January 6, 2997, it'll take me there?" Usa asked.

"I suppose it would work that way," Diana admitted. "IF she's in actual time."

"Works for me!" Usa exclaimed and broke into a run toward the park and the lake near the north end. Diana quickly broke into a run after her.

Continued in Chapter 8