"Who are you? Who let you in my room?"
A young woman lies stretched on a hospital bed. The incessant beeping of her monitor quickens when she notices the two strangers in her hospital room. Her famous, bright blue eyes transform from a medicated lull to alarm.
"We want to help you," a melodic voice trills beside me. My-no, his-head turns toward its source.
One of the most infamous templars on the planet. Any assassin worth their salt knows of this woman: Kaiou Michiru. Templar Augur. Keeper of the Shroud. A veritable force to be reckoned with.
"But… Why? Money?" The woman on the hospital bed groans in pain. Little does she know their organization owns this hospital, controls the staff, and made sure to cut off her morphine prior to their arrival so she would be aware enough to have this conversation.
Michiru's patronizing laughter fills the room. "No, my dear. Not your money. In fact, we'd like to sponsor your return to the stage… And make you not only a famous idol in Japan, but an international sensation."
The injured star huffed. "Hate to burst your bubble, but the doctors said I'll never walk again. I can't dance… What kind of idol doesn't dance?"
Her eyes fell into her lap. I can see the disappointment on her face. Hear the sadness in her voice. Aino Minako, Japan's most famous idol, never to dance again.
And these bastards were here to take advantage of her moment of weakness.
"You'll not only dance… But you'll help us transform the world…" The Templar Augur's voice is mesmerizing. Her dark blue eyes are cunning, seductive, and always in control. Kaiou slips a hand inside of her petticoat. It brushes past the red cross necklace dangling between her breasts.
Then she reveals it. The Shroud of Eden: a folded, golden cloth that heals any wounds. Used by the likes of Jesus Christ himself. I'd heard stories of the Shroud, and how imperative it is we wrestle it from the templars, but I've never seen it before now.
My consciousness, along with the body I'm trapped inside, pauses in wonder. It glows with ancient magic beyond our understanding. It is crisply folded in Kaiou's hands. If she were to lay it over Aino's body, the young woman's damning ailments would lift within seconds.
This popstar has no idea what she is getting herself into. Her head tilts, as much as it can considering the neck brace she is wearing. "I don't understand."
"You will, in due time. Join our cause. You'll have your career and your livelihood back. All the while helping the world become a better place," a deep baritone voice finally speaks.
It's not just any voice. It's the voice of the body I'm inhabiting. A blood relative that allows me to use the Animus to experience his memories.
Hino Takashi. The politician. The turncoat.
My father.
Like Kaiou, he reaches into his suit coat and reveals a red, glittering mask. Every teenage girl in Japan would recognize this mask. Aino Minako, revived as Sailor V, is never seen without it. The general public assume it to be part of her new image; the resurrected pop star who defied the odds, conquering paralysis and then the international Billboard charts.
But it isn't just a prop.
Its gleam, its unmistakable power to enrapture those who make the mistake of looking directly into it…
It is a Piece of Eden.
And it's as good as mine.
Rei gasped for breath. Returning to her body after subconsciously traveling through her ancestor's memories would never get any easier. She shook away the dizziness as the Animus opened above her. Its shape was similar to a coffin, except it was created with alloys and hundreds of wires, computer chips, and other technology.
The scientist partnered with her today, who was opening her chamber, looked down at her with concern. Her name was Meiou Setsuna, and she was nothing short of a genius. Historian, genealogist, linguist, physician; there was little out of her realm of understanding. She had long, verdant hair, half of which was contained within a bun on the top of her head. Setsuna lowered the glasses on her face to study the display monitors attached to Rei and the Animus.
It was Setsuna's research and dedication that made today's breakthrough possible.
Setsuna extended a hand to assist Rei with sitting up, but the stubborn assassin refused.
"Did it work?" The scientist's burgundy eyes narrowed with anticipation.
Rei nodded. "Yes. I was there. In his memories."
"Amazing. This is the first time we have been able to access a living relative's memories. This… This is a breakthrough!"
Rei understood her excitement, but her feelings on the matter were too complicated to share in Setsuna's joy. She stared into her lap while her partner ran the diagnostics; ensuring her heart rate, blood pressure, and cognitive functions were operating as normal. Rei's thoughts wandered as she passively allowed the scientist to perform her due diligence.
She was inside of her father's memories. She heard his voice. Felt his heartbeat inside of his chest. Being a local politician, she already knew what he looked like, thanks to the endless news cycles. Templars often masqueraded as influential figures, such as politicians and celebrities. But being inside of him in such an intimate way was jarring, and rubbed salt in wounds Rei thought had healed long ago.
"And what did you see?" Setsuna gently prodded while turning her attention to the Animus. The scientist marked down a list on the clipboard she was holding.
Setsuna was no fool; she knew how personal the entire experience had been for Rei. Her distance and avoidance of eye contact was no accident. Then again, Rei supposed that was one of the reasons she liked Setsuna on a personal level. The older woman kept her distance, and wasn't especially talkative, which suited Rei just fine.
Rei sighed while considering Setsuna's question. She assumed the memory was from about a year ago. Though Rei's day job was that of a Shrine Maiden at Hikawa Shrine, she didn't live under a rock. She remembered every magazine and television station blowing up with headlines regarding the pop star's terrible accident. It made sense for the templars to want one of the most famous and influential idols on their side.
And, if the Piece of Eden disguised as a mask had the powers Rei assumed it did, that had been a smart move on the templar's behalf. So smart, Rei felt like the assassins should have seen it coming.
Rei swung her legs over the side of the Animus. The hidden room inside of Hikawa Shrine where they kept this machine was dark, with scarce lighting. The blue and white glow from the Animus provided most of the light, receiving backup from an old fashioned lamp on Setsuna's work desk. Books lined shelves around the cramped space, but otherwise the secluded office was bare.
Rei stood to her full height and took a deep breath. Her thoughts were still jumbled, having difficulty divorcing herself from her father's memories.
Kaiou Michiru: the stunning and lethal beauty controlling the templars in Japan. Aino Minako, the talented star who let herself get wrapped up in the templar's schemes for a chance to return to her former glory. Rei almost felt bad for the beautiful blonde; the templars had taken advantage of her weakness, and now she would probably die for it.
Most importantly, there was her father, and her thirst for vengeance that consumed her. Now that she had successfully dove into his memories, she could go back even further. Rei could witness her own birth. See how her parents met. How they molded the assassin movement in Japan. How they fell in love…
And most importantly, see what drove him to betrayal.
Rei knew her personal feelings had to go on the backburner for now, difficult as that was. The greater good took precedence above all else.
"Call Tenoh. She'll agree to a meeting when she hears what I have to say."
"Nothing is true; everything is permitted."
Hino Rei and Tenoh Haruka recited the Assassin's motto in sync. The pair faced each other and bowed in traditional Japanese fashion. They wore similar white hoods, pulled up over their heads with the peaks tipped like an eagle's beak.
Haruka was a tall, lanky woman, with teal eyes and a flippant attitude that irritated the serious Shrine Maiden. She was known to be business one second, then flirtatious the next. Rei didn't know of one woman within the sisterhood, save for Setsuna, that Haruka didn't pester with flattering remarks about their looks or personalities. Tenoh was swift and silent, thus earning herself the codename of Whispering Torrent amongst their ranks.
Despite her personal annoyance with Tenoh Haruka, Rei could not deny her power and influence among the assassins. With Rei's parents out of the picture, and being the safekeeper of a Piece of Eden, Haruka was the most respected assassin in the country. As the pair made themselves comfortable on the mat before the fireplace, Rei's violet eyes drifted toward the fire.
"Setsuna tells me you've discovered another Piece of Eden," Haruka initiated the meeting. Unlike Rei, who was sitting cross-legged, Haruka's long legs were sprawled across the mat. She was confident, and didn't care that she was being far too casual on hallowed shrine property.
Rei bit back her remark, reminding herself to be respectful of the deadliest assassin on their continent. "Yes. Sailor V is a templar. Her mask, the Piece of Eden."
"Interesting." Haruka grinned and looked Rei over. Rei couldn't stand that look. It was as if she was undressing her with her eyes, using her imagination and heightened senses to picture Rei's nudity beneath her assassin hood and leather pants. "And?"
Rei sighed. "And I want to go after her."
Haruka chuckled. "The Clairvoyant Crow wants her first mission. Is that it?"
Rei remained stiff.
"You don't need my permission, you know." Haruka sat upright. "You've got skill, I'll give ya that. I saw to your training after your dad bailed, after all. Hell, I bet you could kill this singer blindfolded. But…"
"But?" Rei huffed. She didn't have the patience for this, nor did she appreciate Haruka toying with her because she could.
"But I'm concerned your feelings will cloud your judgment."
Haruka raised her eyebrows, causing Rei to grunt. Everyone knew the story of her father's betrayal. He killed her mother in their bed, right in this very shrine. As the story goes, he would have murdered his own daughter, if he hadn't been interrupted and driven out. He escaped, and was soon discovered to be aligned with the templars.
Given all of this information, Rei couldn't stand it whenever her supposed allies used it as a weapon against her.
"The only feelings I have for my father are those of vengeance. Striking against the templars suits my feelings, and the goal of the assassins, just fine."
Haruka flashed another crooked grin before standing. Rei stood as well. The talkative blonde was staring her down with an amused, ironic air that made Rei more surly than normal. When Haruka still didn't speak, Rei continued.
"I will kill Sailor V, and retrieve her Piece of Eden for the assassins."
"Good. Call me when it's done. And don't fuck this up."
Haruka dug her hands into the front pockets of her hoodie. She stared at the roaring fire for a minute before leaving without another word. Rei watched her leave the room. Haruka was swift and silent. She didn't hear Haruka's footsteps running across the roof above her and leaping into the nearby trees, but Phobos and Deimos' cawing told Rei exactly where Haruka was.
Irritated, but also relieved to know she had Haruka's blessing, Rei turned and gazed at the flickering flames once more. Ever since she could remember, the Shrine Maiden had been drawn to fire. Fire soothed her. Calmed her. Spoke to her.
Rei earned her title of Clairvoyant Crow thanks in part to the scattered scenes she sometimes witnessed in the holy flames that came to pass, and also due to her crow companions that rarely left her sight.
Rei gazed through the flames, seeking their wisdom on the matter. She wasn't chanting or meditating, and thus found herself trying to impart her will upon them; subconsciously looking for a vision of herself successfully assassinating the pop star.
She needed a glimpse. Some sort of reassurance that she would never get from Haruka, Setsuna, or anyone else.
Instead, she saw nothing.
Rei's hand flew to her wrist, where her hidden blade was concealed beneath the sleeve of her shirt. With grim determination, she repeated her mission, as if speaking it would make it so.
"I will kill Sailor V, and retrieve her Piece of Eden for the assassins."