Chapter 15
Ami beamed at Rei as the fiery priestess flicked her hair over her shoulder with an irritated gesture but refrained from prying Usagi off her person. Mars refocused her attention on Jupiter then, assessing the Senshi of Storms' battered state with an expert eye over a bawling Usagi. Rei's hand rested gently on the Moon Princess' head, a protective, comforting gesture as she fixed Makoto with a shrewd gaze.
Ami didn't need telepathy to know Rei had already reached the conclusion that Makoto was out of commission and was building a strategy that would keep the stubborn girl safely out of the heat of battle. That Makoto hadn't even noticed the assessment was telling on its own. Though she was easy going and affable, Jupiter tended to bristle when she thought she was coming up short in someone else's estimation.
Mars' strategy probably involved beaning Jupiter on the head if she didn't stay down and out of the way. After what she'd just experienced treating Makoto, Ami was on board with that plan. Usagi flitted between the three of them with spirit, but it was obvious she was exhausted, and Shuu had divulged that the Moon Princess had passed out at least once from the strain of using her powers.
The Senshi were in a sorry state.
The troopers seemed to have perked up now that most of them were back together. They were slapping each other on the back and trading insults as they hovered around Touma, who refused to let Makoto stand without his support.
Hmm. Maybe Rei wouldn't have to bean anyone on the head?
Ami filed the idea away for later. Frowning, she assessed their assembled team with the eyes of Mercury. She might not have her computer, but she didn't need any help from lunar technology to build a battle strategy that fought smarter rather than harder. They would need to play to the strengths they did have. The Troopers might not have access to their armor, but in hand-to-hand combat, they still excelled above the Senshi.
In general, their bodily strength would likely be greater as well. As Senshi, they each had some superhuman ability, but most of that strength was locked in their transformations. Ami felt very, very human at the moment, and it wasn't a comfortable feeling.
The entire shrine rocked then with an explosion of sound. Ami staggered, colliding with a wall as she tried to get her feet back under her. Ryo was there suddenly, helping her up, even as he was turning at the sound of an angry male yell, his eyes meeting with the other Troopers'.
"Seiji!" They yelled at the same time, their eyes widening in excitement. Ami gasped.
"Then Minako must logically be with him too!" she called out. The other Senshi nodded, their faces carrying various expressions of hope and grim expectation. Ami sent up a small prayer to anyone who might be listening that Minako was ok.
They took off as one, a pack of warriors, running at full speed towards the fray. Shuu and Touma each had an arm of Makoto's slung over their shoulders as they practically carried the girl between them. Thankfully, they didn't have far to go before a wall blew apart into the corridor, Seiji no Korin landing in a heap in the wreckage. They needn't have worried, as, completely in tune with Ami's expectations, Korin sat up, coughing and waving a hand in front of his face even as he tried to get the plaster out of his hair.
"Seiji!" Ryo yelled. The blond Trooper's head snapped up, and he gave them a winning, handsome smile as he took them all in.
"Ryo! Guys!" he called back, his voice full of fierce joy. Ryo darted forward, grabbing the warrior of Korin's arm and hauling him up bodily into a mannish hug, complete with heavy back slapping. Ami shook her head but was unable to stop herself from smiling as the rest of the Troopers save Touma lavished him with similar affection.
"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry, am I interrupting the reunion?" Minako's voice was wry but carried a hopeful, amused undertone as she appeared in the haze of dust and rubble. "Don't mind me, I'll just handle Cthulhu here on my own, 'kay?" she chirped. Seiji winced guiltily and opened his mouth to reply, but a tentacle wrapped itself around Minako's waist and she shrieked in surprise as she was yanked out of view.
Rei moved faster than any of them, ofuda out and ready as she disappeared after Minako, followed quickly by "Akuu Ryoo Taisan!" from out of sight around the corner. There was a thunderous blast and some angry, monstrous roaring, followed by another explosion of orange light.
"Do you mind?!" Minako's angry yell sounded from the next room. "We are trying to have a reunion here!" she snarled. Ami sighed, feeling both exasperated and comforted by how some things never changed.
There was a flash of red flames, and another explosion, followed by an ear-splitting roar. Minako and Rei high-tailed it around the corner just as something huge, angry, and resembling a monster squid Godzilla might be nervous fighting simply blew through the remaining wall, letting out another deafening roar as it faced them all.
Rei and Minako went soaring through the air as it blasted at them, screaming in a graceful arc before they landed in a heap on top of Usagi. To her credit, the petit blonde didn't so much as blink. She put a hand on each of their heads and immediately checked to ensure they were ok.
Ami turned, fixing the monster with an icy stare as the temperature in the hall dropped. Beside her, Ryo shuddered briefly, but Ami knew his discomfort would be temporary as she dug deep and gathered as much of her energy as she could. She hit the monster hard with a barrage of water so cold some of the floor and wall beside it shattered with the impact.
This time there was no roar or movement.
The entire hall fell silent as she stood, panting, her hands still locked in the gesture of release. Ami straightened, as the rest of the group rose, gathering in defensive stances together.
"Now what?" Shuu asked from somewhere behind her. Ami locked eyes briefly with the rest of the Senshi and they all nodded subtly.
"Now we run." Ami said resolutely.
When she didn't get a single argument in return, she felt relief that they were all on the same page. There was no point in trying to stay and fight. It would be a waste of their energy. Energy they needed to save to find and eliminate whatever was causing all this mess to begin with.
As much as it galled any of them to do it, they had to leave this fight unfinished.
Wordlessly, Shuu and Touma supported Makoto as the Troopers and the Senshi gathered themselves together.
And ran.
