THE OUTLAW
Chapter 6: "Violent Storms"
By Bill K.
It was dusk over the beachfront on the outskirts of Crystal Tokyo. All the bathers had gone home, ceding the beach to a few die-hard surfers and the small group of dropouts on the north end of the property. The beach was one of the favorite hangouts for dropouts when they got tired of the arcade. The beach was away from civilization and its rules - - save for Endymion's ever-present observation drones - - it was open enough for air car racing along the beach or over the oceanfront, and big enough to accommodate them and their rides. A dropout could spend the day munching on fish and cheap saki, joking with fellow dropouts, telling lies, impressing girls - - in essence be themselves without having to conform to any rules save the group's.
Quadrel Nakamura had been there since lunchtime. He'd already beaten two challengers in air car races and now reclined across the forward windscreen of his vehicle while several other male dropouts exchanged stories. He wasn't really close to any of them. He just tolerated their presence because it beat being alone - - so long as none of them tried to tell him what to do or intimate that they were superior to him or his vehicle.
"So when you beat Hashimoto, did you hit 300?" one of the group asked Quadrel. The conversation had been about the various races of the day and they were trying to draw Quadrel in to keep the dialogue from dying.
"Uh huh," Quadrel replied casually.
"That's pretty fast," another commented. "Your ride have any structural integrity problems?"
"I've done twice that without any structural problems," Quadrel told him. "My ride is prime."
"It's a cinch Hashimoto didn't know what hit him, the poor bastard," chuckled a third. That drew a round of laughter from the group, including Quadrel. But the subject refused to revive and died out.
"So where's Kaoru?" one of them asked.
"I don't know. I'm not her mother," Quadrel said.
"Well she's usually trying to crawl into your jacket with you," snickered a youth. "I just wondered."
"I've got no claim on Kaoru," Quad shrugged, "and she certainly doesn't have any claim on me." He glanced at the youth. "Why?"
He shrugged. "I just figure - - a girl who looks like Kaoru - - I mean . . ."
"You want to make a play for her?" Quad asked.
The youth froze, unsure whether to respond truthfully.
"Go ahead," Quadrel said. "We're not tied together. In fact, Kaoru's getting too many ideas as it is. She's beginning to cramp me. We could probably both use a change of scenery."
"Man, the way you toss away women," the youth shook his head.
"Don't worry about Quad," chuckled another in the group. "He's already got her replacement lined up." He nudged Quadrel. "So, you do that Brazilia birdee yet?"
"Not yet," Quadrel responded casually. "Mood wasn't right yet."
"She probably said 'no'," snickered one of them.
"That's why women think you're a pestilence, Asashi," Quadrel remarked. "You don't force a birdee. You work them until you make them want it so bad that they'll drop their panties if you give them the right look. It's a skill - - and you don't have it."
Asashi burned as the rest of the group laughed at him.
"You're just scared off because she's a senshi," Asashi snapped. Quadrel glanced at him. "What, don't tell me you didn't know!"
"It never came up," Quadrel shrugged.
"She didn't tell you?"
"We were too busy checking each other's tonsils," Quadrel smirked, "with our tongues." The group roared with hoots and laughter. "So she's a senshi, huh? Cool."
"Not a bad look, either," another commented.
"Yeah, she's got a tight little body," Quadrel smiled. "Real athletic - - not like Kaoru. I think this one could actually keep up with me."
"So which one of you guys is Quadrel?"
The group turned to the sound of a teenage girl's voice. They found a sixteen year old with bright red hair stacked atop her head and held by three gold rings until gravity forced it to bend down her back. She wore a white muscle shirt, no makeup or jewelry, and tight black pants and boots of synthetic fiberglass thread. Her pretty features were pinched in a belligerent scowl and her posture silently communicated her intent in a language the dropouts were all too familiar with.
Calmly Quadrel raised his hand while dismissing her by looking away. To everyone's surprise, Ves-Ves marched right up to the air car, splitting the loitering group in two. She slapped hands on Quadrel's jacket front and violently dragged him off the vehicle, shoving him up against it.
"We need to talk," she said with a low growl. She didn't release his jacket.
"Hey, Bitch!" one of the gathered snapped. Several others loomed menacingly.
"Any of you dropouts are hard to be crippled, just let me know and I'll accommodate you," Ves-Ves snarled, glancing over her shoulder. "But my business is with him at the moment, so piss off!"
The challenge had been thrown down. Several of the youths started to accept it, but a look from Quadrel stopped them.
"So what do you want," Quadrel asked calmly, then added, "girl?"
"Just passing along some advice," Ves-Ves said with low, soft menace. "Jun-Jun is my sister. If you do anything - - ANYTHING - - to hurt her, I will personally stuff you into your vehicle's exhaust burner and hit the ignition. We straight on that?"
"So you're a senshi, too?" Quadrel replied, unconcerned.
"Yeah," Ves-Ves replied, her eyes dancing at the prospect of a challenge. "But don't worry. I can beat on you with my henshin stick tied behind my back."
A small smile crept onto Quadrel's face. Then his hands moved like lightning, fists aimed for Ves-Ves's face. But the senshi warded off both blows, then hopped back a pace. She crouched in a fighting stance, her eyes twinkling and her mouth curving into a smile.
"Not bad," Quadrel nodded, smirking himself. "I may just have to try you some day."
"Anytime, Slick," Ves-Ves responded. "I'm not hard to find." She came out of her stance, then turned to the others. "Any of you monkeys got something to say?"
The assembled kept silent, though several glared angrily at her.
"Remember what I said," Ves-Ves tossed back as she turned and walked away from the group. Other dropouts nearby stared in awe of her as she left.
"You going to let her talk to you like that?" one of the youths demanded of Quadrel.
"Did she say something?" Quadrel asked. Clearly it didn't satisfy his companion. "I'm not worried. If I do something she doesn't like and she comes after me, we'll tangle. She can warn me all she likes. It's a free country." Then he winked at the youth. "Doesn't mean I have to listen"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Security alert!" the front gate attendant barked, a statement picked up by the computer controlling the gate. "Situation at the front gate!"
Instantly monitor drones repositioned themselves to get a multiple angle view of the situation. The situation was being relayed to the royal family and the elder senshi, as well as the palace security attendants.
All that was ignored by Kaoru and Jun-Jun. Kaoru was focused on moving her blade close enough to slit open Jun-Jun's throat, while Jun-Jun had both hands locked awkwardly around Kaoru's wrist, holding it at bay. The thought sparked through the senshi's mind to throw her assailant to the ground with a hip toss. However Kaoru had her free arm hooked under her victim's shoulder, blocking that possibility. Besides a violent hip toss with a sharp blade wavering close to her soft throat might do more to help Kaoru accomplish her deadly mission.
"I'm not trying to steal Quad!" Jun-Jun hissed.
"Don't lie to me, Bitch!" Kaoru spat back.
"We both know Quad! He goes where he chooses! I couldn't say or do anything to lure him away from you - - unless he wasn't yours to begin with!"
"SHUT UP! Quad is MINE! He has to be!"
Jun-Jun could hear her whimpering sadly behind her, all the while trying to pull the dagger across her throat.
"He has to," Kaoru sobbed. "Otherwise - - I don't have anything to live for."
"Kaoru," Jun-Jun began.
"So you're going to DIE!" Kaoru seethed. "Then he won't have any choice! He'll have to love me!"
"Oh my goodness!" they heard a woman gasp. The combatants glanced over to the gate and found Queen Serenity standing there, flanked by Sailor Mars and the gate attendant. Overwhelmed by the violent tableau, Serenity started toward them.
"Serenity, don't get close to them!" barked Mars.
"Hush, Mars," Serenity replied. "Please - - Kaoru, is it? Please don't do this."
"Stay away from me!" Kaoru bellowed, turning them both so Jun-Jun was between her and the Queen.
"Kaoru, why?" Serenity asked, slowly gliding toward the pair as she spoke. "Why would you think of doing something like this? How could you contemplate staining your soul by taking another life?"
"She's trying to steal Quad from me!" Kaoru cried angrily. The girl redoubled her efforts to drive the dagger into Jun-Jun's throat. "I won't let her!"
"You love him, don't you?" Serenity sympathized. "He's everything you want and everything you could ever want. But you're not certain if he loves you."
Kaoru glared angrily at the Queen. The pressure toward Jun-Jun's throat relented a bit.
"I've been in that situation," Serenity said, so earnestly and serenely that a person couldn't help but believe her. "It's very frightening. You spend nights worrying how you're going to keep him interested in you. You're so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and driving him away - - or inspiring contempt in him - - that you're almost afraid to speak. You dread going out because he might see another pretty face and then you'll lose him forever." She reached out to Kaoru with her big, blue, supplicant eyes. "I've been through that. It's a terrible way to exist."
Tears dribbled down Kaoru's cheeks. Her eyes spoke volumes of gratitude for simply understanding.
"But this isn't the way to solve things," Serenity told her and she wanted to believe. "Taking another life can never accomplish anything but sorrow. Please put the knife away."
"All you care about is her!" Kaoru fumed.
"I do care about her," Serenity appealed, "but I care just as much about you. You're moments away from destroying your life and destroying any hope you might have of being with your man forever. Please don't do this to yourself. I beg you."
The Queen was close enough to Jun-Jun and Kaoru to touch them. She didn't. She merely held out her hand, keeping eye-contact with Kaoru. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sailor Mars had her flaming bow up, a fire arrow notched and ready to fire should Kaoru make the wrong choice. There were others crowded in the gateway of the palace, watching what transpired.
"We can solve this," Serenity stated, "without killing. Any problem can be solved without killing. Please don't destroy yourself, Kaoru. You're too important."
"I just want to be with Quad," Kaoru mumbled. "He's everything. If I lose him - - I won't have anything left."
Something in Serenity's eyes nudged Kaoru to a decision. The dagger came away from Jun-Jun's throat. Kaoru hesitated for just a moment - - then placed it in Serenity's hand. Before she could withdraw her own hand, Serenity captured it with her other hand. Kaoru looked up at her, confused and angry, and found forgiveness in the Queen's expression.
"You've done the right thing," Serenity smiled. "Thank you."
Just then Sailor Jupiter seized the teen from behind. Kaoru began to resist, then went limp with defeat. Jupiter held her until Mars and the security team could converge.
"Please take her to Ami," Serenity told them as the security team escorted Kaoru away. "She needs to be helped, not punished."
"How did I know you were going to say that?" Mars muttered. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Serenity said dismissively. She took Jun-Jun's hands. "Are you hurt, Jun-Jun?"
"I'm OK," Jun-Jun scowled, averting her eyes. "I was able to block it before she could cut me."
"So what exactly was this all about?" Jupiter inquired.
Jun-Jun felt incredibly uncomfortable. She didn't want to answer, particularly with the eyes of Sailor Mars boring holes in her. And she didn't want to lie to Queen Serenity. But she knew Sailor Jupiter wouldn't settle for an evasion.
"Kaoru's jealous," Jun-Jun whispered. "She thinks her boyfriend is going to dump her for me."
"Is he?" Jupiter followed up.
Jun-Jun didn't answer right away.
"Let's not be too personal," Serenity said, to Jun-Jun's silent relief. "Jun-Jun, would you like to go up to Ami's office, too? I'm sure this must have been very traumatic for you. Perhaps you can get some rest there."
"I-I don't need a doctor," Jun-Jun replied. "Thank you, Queen Serenity. I guess I will lie down though. Will you excuse me?"
The Queen and her two senshi watched the girl go into the palace. Once she was gone, the trio turned back to each other.
"What did you see, Rei?" Serenity asked.
"A girl going through a lot of angst right now," Mars related. "She's got it bad for this 'Quad' guy, whoever he is."
"Really bad?" Jupiter asked.
"Burning really bad," Mars nodded.
"Well that explains a lot," Minako said, emerging from the shadows where she'd been watching things.
"Then explain it to me!" Serenity demanded. "What kind of boy could inspire such violence and desperation in one human being?"
"A good question," Minako said. "I hope it's not what I'm thinking. That could be really bad."
As Jun-Jun headed for her quarters, she wondered how her life could have spun out of control so quickly. The attack by Kaoru had scared her, not only for how closely the girl had come to hurting her, but also for how truly desperate Kaoru seemed. Her relationship with Quad must be more tenuous than anyone might guess.
Which, Jun-Jun suddenly thought to her horror, was good for her.
"How could I even think of such a thing?" she gasped. "There's no way anything good could come from being with Quad."
And the memory of his burning kisses returned, unbidden, to shout her logic down. Absently Jun-Jun entered her quarters.
"What's wrong, Jun-Jun?" Palla-Palla asked, startling her sister Amazon. The sixteen year old was holding her favorite plush doll to her chest and her forlorn expression meant she sensed the turmoil in Jun-Jun.
"I'm just," Jun-Jun began, then stopped. Was she going to start lying to Palla-Palla, too?
"Are you still having problems with your boyfriend?" Palla-Palla asked and for a moment Jun-Jun wondered just how guileless she really was.
"He's not my boyfriend," Jun-Jun told her.
"Is he being mean to you?"
"I," stammered Jun-Jun, then sighed with frustration. "I don't even think he's interested. Maybe it's for the best."
"But Palla-Palla thought that love was supposed to be a good thing."
Jun-Jun looked at her sister and saw how utterly confused her simple mind was by this complex concept. But was she that much better?
"Well, it's kind of like this," Jun-Jun struggled to explain, to herself as well as her sister. "You really like candy, don't you?"
"Um hmm," nodded Palla-Palla timidly.
"And the more you have, the more you want, right?" Her sister nodded. "But if you have too much, you get fat and your teeth get bad and you get a tummy ache, right?"
"Palla-Palla remembers," frowned the girl.
"Well, Quad is like candy to me," Jun-Jun explained. "And I think I've had too much - - but it's hard to resist, you know."
"Oh," Palla-Palla squeaked. "Maybe you should brush your teeth more."
She patted Palla-Palla on the head. "Yeah. I think I'll go do that. Thanks, Palla-Palla."
Palla-Palla watched her sister disappear into her bedroom. Some inner voice told her that Jun-Jun wasn't going to be brushing her teeth anytime soon. She clutched her doll more tightly to her chest.
Time slipped past unnoticed as Jun-Jun lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. There was no other way around it. She had to stop seeing Quad. She had to stop thinking about him, lusting after him, dreaming about him. He was bad news, nothing but trouble. He was a selfish child who probably didn't have any feelings for her and was just using her interest in him for his own ends. She had to be done with him before he managed to turn anymore of her life upside down. Her sisters were being upset. And now the Queen and the elder senshi knew about it. How much longer until it began to interfere with her duties to the Queen and the Princess? No, it had to stop.
Absently Jun-Jun rubbed her fingertip lightly over her lips. It triggered the memory of his kissing her, the feel of his hand on her body and the drumbeat of her heart in her chest. Did she have the strength?
Her room's communication station sounded. Someone was calling her. Was she being summoned by the Queen and the elders? Was it Cere-Cere or Ves-Ves? Perhaps the Princess had found out and was waiting to rip her. The girl released a heavy sigh.
"This is Jun-Jun," she responded and the room's computer controls relayed the call.
"Hey, birdee," came a male voice on the other end.
"Quad?" she gasped, sitting up in bed.
"Want to have some fun?"
Continued in Chapter 7