Gracie did not want to alarm the others as she had been shocked at the sight of the creature in the woods, but, in her opinion, she handled the situation pretty well. However, she still wondered where John was or what happened to him. Luckily, Joey and Liz are safe and sound at home with their parents, and, more or less, so is she. What's more, her friends learned to use some of their attacks to defend themselves. So, what was the point of worrying everyone when they feel so happy?
One day, the Neo-Sailor Senshi watched TV, and a report came up about a pharmacy making some shady executive decisions. Crystal, learning about medicine, which would help her drive to become a vet, cast a dark look over the report.
"Sometimes, I think video games have fairer healthcare than even this universe does."
"That's why it's called a VIDEO game. You can manipulate ANYTHING in a video." But unfortunately, Christen's inherited ill-tempered attitude from Rei kept popping up at the worst times.
"When I become a vet, I'm going to show those shady pharmacies how a REAL healthcare worker should act!" Crystal declared, and the other girls, including Christen, cheered in agreement.
Late that night, Crystal did not know where this crazy idea came from, but she wanted to see precisely what business practices this pharmacy was doing and decided to break in! Being a Neo-Sailor Senshi did not enter her mind until the weight of her actions fully hit her. Crystal struggled with what she knew was right and an insane notion!
"This might be the last time I use Mercury's power, but I'm going to unleash its full fury before I let this pharmacy hurt others, even if I'm stripped of it afterward!" So crystal thought as her shoulder-length light brown hair billowed around her and her blue eyes set.
She transformed into Neo-Sailor Mercury and dashed toward the pharmacy. Crystal was not scared of the dark as her position as Neo-Sailor Mercury meant she would be fighting and defeating monsters all the time. However, she had to make sure any dark corner she passed was not concealing a person. Thankfully, there is no personnel on duty, but you do not need that when you have state-of-the-art cameras, motion sensors, silent alarms, and magic detection!
"Mist Spray!" Neo-Sailor Mercury blasts bubble from her hands to conceal herself with mist from the cameras! While this could be considered a clever plan in most other situations, it did not work here when you believe the cameras have motion detectors and are not deceived by mere mist. When Neo-Sailor Mercury realized the alarms were silent… "Oh no! Ice Freeze!" Neo-Sailor Mercury pours more bubbles from her hands which freeze and short-circuit the camera when hit!
Hearing a screeching sound, Neo-Sailor Mercury realizes the alarms triggered the gates, which will block the pharmacy from the rest of the store! However, Neo-Sailor Mercury manages to slip under the bars before they lockdown, thanks to her athletic body!
Taking a breather, Neo-Sailor Mercury remembers why she is here and takes out her visor, hooking it up to one of the main computers in the pharmacy area, knowing she would need to review whatever she could scan later. She did not want to use her handheld supercomputer as she worried the cops might be able to find out it was her who had stolen information. As the cops could be on their way, any second, Neo-Sailor Mercury used her visor to access passwords and such other security measures automatically and found a letter she wanted to read now because it looked top secret!
Urgent Internal Memo
Details About the expensive various Medication Distribution Program
PRODUCTION EXCEEDS THE EXACT NUMBER OF RICH PATIENTS
Exceeding supplies have been prepped for disposal. Initial supplies have been prioritized to the selected health care providers, who have favored status to Electrum International. It has also been prioritized for Preferred Status Insurance Companies with direct investment roles associated with Electrum International and its associates. Electrum International believes this targeted distribution approach, using providers, who are associated with us, is the most effective way to ensure the fiscal stability of Electrum International.
In other words, certain pharmacies were preparing to only supply medication to rich doctors for wealthy patients, who used rich Insurance Companies associated with affluent Electrum International. In lamest terms (and from how often I said the word "rich" in the past sentence), it means, "WE'RE SCUMBAGS! GIVE US ALL YOUR MONEY, RICH PEOPLE OR ELSE!"
Neo-Sailor Mercury sighed and thought, "I'm supposed to be dealing with monsters, not greedy corporations…maybe Sailor Moon and the original Sailor Senshi dealt with all the monsters, so now all the evil that's left is greed?"
Suddenly, Neo-Sailor Mercury heard a shifting sound. Sneakily, quietly, and carefully, Neo-Sailor Mercury peeked around the rows of medicine bottles. In the 2nd to the last row, she saw someone stuffing a bag with medicine, probably the exceeding amount ones to be disposed of! Even though her blood is boiling, Neo-Sailor Mercury realizes something else with a stab of horror…She is not alone in this room!
As this person turned around and the moonlight flashed across its face, Neo-Sailor Mercury gasped; this was not a person at all, but a monster: Humanoid, but tall, pale with elongated limbs, claws, glowing eyes, and yellow fangs! No wonder the cops had not shown up. This creature IS security! With her Ice Freeze, Crystal had an easier time keeping the beast from getting close, but it also kept breaking through her ice easier than any other enemy she had faced!
With all her other options exhausted, Neo-Sailor Mercury did the only thing he could think of: Grabbing her supercomputer, she rammed it into the monster's forehead, similar to what her mother did to a Doom and Gloom Girl, temporarily dizzying this mutant and placing a bunch of symbols on paper around her in a circle. Christen had given her these in case something happened where her water/ice had no effect: The symbols on the pieces of paper are known as protection symbols and work wonders in keeping away evil.
Not being a bookworm, Crystal memorized what each of the 12 symbols meant as it is coming in helpful right about now! A bull's eye signifies alertness, a Medicine Man's Eye signifying wisdom, a half-circle shape (land), a sun symbol with the rays pointed inwards (cold), a triangle (fire), a triangle with a line on the bottom (capital), a horizontal line with three small, but equal vertical lines crossing it (difficult danger),
A circle with three small lines on top (ancient lineage), an upside-down stick figure with no legs (modern heritage), a ring with two softly curving lines coming out the side, somehow supposed to be a snake (enemy), an odd positioned number 6 (energy), and a C (spirit.)
While Neo-Sailor Mercury stayed within this circle, she was safe, but she needed to escape. Watching the monster and noting its movements were that of a predator, Neo-Sailor Mercury listened to her inner voice. Then, determined, Neo-Sailor Mercury froze a path from where she was to the drive-through window, and she slid past the bewildered monster and out in seconds!
Once back at the Crystal Palace, Crystal looked over all the information she acquired and figured out which insurance companies and health care providers are associated with Electrum International so she could expose them! She could have used the monster working with them, but she had no proof it existed. So, just like Gracie, Crystal decided not to tell anyone, but she did thank Christen the next day for the use she got out of the Anasazi symbols.
Smug as she often is, Christen acted proud of herself, but that meant she was proud of Crystal too. She would not admit it. In the end, Crystal could not figure out how to expose Electrum International or their associates without revealing she broke into one of the stores and stole the information!