"Kaiou Michiru," Minako breathed the Augur's name. The raw awe and fear, and perhaps some of her adoration, for the indomitable woman disturbed the uncomfortable silence. Every assassin in the room turned to look at her. The odd one out. The templar.
The weight of Rei's punctuating violet eyes bore into her the hardest. To Minako's surprise, Rei laid a hand on her shoulder, providing comforting warmth. "What can you tell us about her?"
How to describe such a woman? No, how to describe such an incredible, complicated, and very intimidating, force?
"Well…" Mina began, "Michiru is charming, intelligent, beautiful, and from what I can tell, clairvoyant. I've only spoken with her a handful of times, but every time it's like she can see through me."
"It isn't her so much as it is her Piece of Eden," Setsuna pointed out. Her dark emerald eyebrows hitched as she studied Minako, who knew she looked guilty for no other reason than her association with the Augur.
"That only responds to her," the tall blonde added. Minako had never met her before, and given the urgency of their meeting, formal introductions went by the wayside. The popstar looked the stranger over; she had a rather androgynous appearance, with a short hair cut and an athletic, lanky build that could suggest either gender. Her manner of dress, men's slacks and a matching blazer, leaned toward a more masculine appearance.
The assassin Minako was studying held her hand out to Setsuna, beckoning for the smartphone. "Let me see that."
Stormy eyes, swirling like the center of a tornado, studied the monitor of Setsuna's phone, dissecting every letter of the electronic correspondence. More silence followed. Minako welcomed it, as it drew the attention away from her.
"Huh. Do either of you guys recognize this spot on the map?" she asked while handing Rei the phone.
Minako leaned against Rei's shoulder. The image immediately below Michiru's signature was captured straight from Google maps. In the second it took their eyes to interpret the grid and the specific location marked, they simultaneously gasped.
"What is it?" Setsuna pressed.
Rei's focus was lasered in on the screen. Minako saw the monitor reflected against her irises, both unblinking. Until this moment, the Shrine Maiden appeared unaffected by her earlier act of patricide. Rei's heightened pulse and glazed eyes told her she was reliving those moments; both her own death and that of her famous father. Belated shock settled in.
Minako cleared her throat. She would have to tell their story. "This is where we met Takashi. After Rei recovered and I went home, he was already waiting for me. He threatened to kill Artemis, so I did everything he asked me to. He restrained me, and while he didn't say much… he muttered a little to himself while writing the bait letter for Rei. The meeting location was significant. But he didn't specify why. It just had to be there. Even when Rei tried finding out why he betrayed the assassins, all he said was—"
"'I needed you here,'" Rei quoted. Her voice and expression were haunted. Hollow. If she hadn't interrupted Minako's speech at precisely the correct time, Mina wouldn't have known she was listening.
"So, for whatever reason, we have to meet at that specific spot with our Pieces of Eden," Makoto summarized.
Rei's head snapped to attention. Her sudden movement caused Minako to jump. "You don't have a Piece of Eden."
That didn't sound like a question, but Makoto treated it as such. "While you were preoccupied, I had a mission of my own. Got myself the Spear of Leonidas! When I wield it, it's like, I can feel power transferring to me. I feel stronger. Faster. More agile. Lightning courses through it and from it."
Rei inclined her eyebrows, but refrained from commenting. That would mean having to explain her recently acquired Piece of Eden, which was a tale neither of them felt like detailing right now.
"We have no proof the email is actually from The Augur. As I said, I've yet to trace the email back to its source."
"It has to be." Minako stood upright. Four assassins set their gazes upon her again. "Michiru, she… she's planning something. I just know it. We're all pawns to her."
"What makes you so sure Michiru is masterminding all of this?"
Michiru. The name pouring from the tall blonde's lips stopped Minako's heart. Her voice was husky, handsome, and… familiar.
Without answering, Minako pulled her mask out from the confines of her back pocket. She donned the red masquerade mask.
Golden light replaced the assassin's body. The blinding aura, coupled with the confirmation that this was the woman Michiru had been with last night, had Minako reeling. She stumbled backwards, tripping over wires connected to the Animus.
Rei's solid hands pressed into the small of her back, steadying her. "Are you okay?"
Michiru's lover was an assassin. A turncoat, just like Takashi. Another victim of Michiru's beguiling nature, given what Minako had witnessed. Michiru's suggestive eyes and alluring voice caused Minako's mind to wander and her skin to prickle on more than one occasion, she was loathe to admit. She couldn't imagine how irresistible Michiru's actual advances must be. She shuddered at the thought.
If Minako's hunch was correct, if this woman was just another means to an end for the Augur, would it be wise to draw attention to it? At best, they might be able to put a wrench in Michiru's master plan. Whatever the hell that was.
At worst, the assassins, except Rei, might gang up on her. Accuse her of sowing discord, trying to drive a wedge in the Sisterhood. It wasn't a risk Minako was willing to take.
Besides. If it weren't for Michiru's plan, she might have died and Rei definitely would still be dead. They needed to see this through to the end.
Minako took her mask off and pocketed it once more. She turned to Rei. Serious, aloof, Rei. Her impossibly dark purple eyes reflected both concern and curiosity. "I'm okay. Was feeling a little woozy. Putting the mask on helps sometimes."
Rei narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but before she could comment on Mina's lie, Makoto spoke. "We prepping for a fight or what?"
To accentuate her point, Makoto drove a fist into her palm.
"I can only surmise that the Augur somehow learned we are in possession of the other two sacred relics. According to my research, when united, they release a devastating power that myths and scholars have written only vague details about," Setsuna mused. "Which doesn't explain why she wants every one of us present. Myself and Haruka would suffice."
"Most of the Pieces are weapons," Makoto took the phone away to look at it herself. "So she must be expecting something dangerous to happen. And knows she needs the manpower."
"Knowing Michiru, it could be any number of things." Minako wished Ami were here. Ami always had the answers. Could she call Ami and ask? Perhaps that wouldn't be wise… she didn't want to put Ami in jeopardy any more than she already had.
"I agree with the three relics theory. But if she is inviting our Eden wielders, then surely she will be bringing her associates as well," Rei surmised. Her attention went to Setsuna, seeking validation for her theory.
Entrancing, unsettling garnet eyes studied Rei before turning to Minako. The scientist stood from her desk, smoothing her ivory lab coat before speaking. "It is safe to assume Kaiou will not be alone. Whether she intends to unite with us or against us when faced with the power of the three sacred relics, it would behoove us to be prepared."
"11:30. We'll meet here then go together. Don't be late," Michiru's secret lover instructed.
Before the demanding blonde could wander off, Minako intercepted her path to the only exit. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"
"Tenoh Haruka," her husky voice answered before brushing her off and sauntering out of Setsuna's office.
Ruka.
A silhouette of gold, pinned down by an aquamarine body. Visions of their entwined bodies and the recent memory of Rei's fingers against the cusp of her climax, turned Minako's cheeks uncomfortably warm. Delightful, distracting yearning blossomed inside her once more. Minako looked to the source of her desire to torment herself with some more daydreams of what Rei could have accomplished if they hadn't been interrupted in the onsen.
Rei's attention was on the Animus. Palm laid flat across its smooth, metallic surface, she stared at it with equal parts dread and anticipation.
"Haruka's acting weird," Makoto commented while watching her leave.
"What do you mean?" Minako tilted her head. She knew nothing of the woman, save the uncomfortable situation she found herself in to steal The Shroud.
"She's always hitting on women. She would've made at least a few inappropriate passes at you during our meeting. Right, Rei?"
The Shrine Maiden didn't respond. Her gaze remained transfixed on the Animus.
"Hey Rei!" Makoto interrupted her reverie with a hard clap to her shoulder. Minako winced at the sound of it; the impact would have knocked her to the floor.
The Shrine Maiden barely reacted. "What?"
"Wasn't Haruka acting strangely?"
Rei shrugged her shoulders half-heartedly. "I guess."
"You know what? You owe me a sparring match. Let's go!" Makoto demanded, acting completely oblivious to the atmosphere in the room. Or perhaps she wasn't. Maybe she was trying to separate Rei from her melancholy the only way she knew how.
"Uh, how about we meet up with you in a couple of hours? I need to spar too, and my weapon's still at my place with some of my other stuff," Minako fumbled for an excuse. Rei clearly wasn't in the mood, and Minako needed to get to the bottom of whatever her problem was if she was going to get in ass-kicking mode before their date with the templars at midnight.
The prospect of sparring with Sailor V herself brightened Makoto's green eyes. "Great! See you then." Her long strides made for the door, but she paused and beset Minako with a soft, congenial smile. "I guess not all templars are bad, huh?"
Minako shrugged. "We're just people, like you."
Maybe not just people. Some, like herself and the others in the room, were something more. While the templars generally rubbed Mina off the wrong way, she didn't think they were inherently bad. True, she had only managed to make friends with one of her templar comrades, but that spoke more to her personality and schedule than the templars.
Ami truly was the only person she counted as a friend amongst them. And, as far as Mina knew, she was just another person. A brilliant, analytical, genius mind who joined the templars for the simple fact that they allowed her to research the Isu and Pieces of Eden with little-to-no interference and cutting edge technology.
Some friend Mina was. She kept Ami in the dark as much as possible. Even worse, when was the last time she asked Ami about her life? Her dreams? Her opinion on this New World Order nonsense?
"Maybe you'll get to meet my friend Ami sometime," Minako pondered while staring at Rei's back.
"We can work stuff out between the assassins and templars. I have faith." Makoto's parting words lodged themselves in Minako's mind, refusing to leave long after their speaker exited the room.
Long minutes of silence passed before Setsuna spoke. "The details you two provided on your encounter with Takashi were… lacking," she began. "What aren't you telling us?"
Damn. Minako thought she was a good liar, but apparently not. Or Setsuna was extraordinarily perceptive. Minako glanced to Rei, hoping for some sort of reassurance, or rather, permission to tell their story.
Still, nothing. With a sigh, Mina responded, "I stole The Shroud from Michiru. It was the only way to save Rei. I had my mask on. Spying on them through the wall, I could see their auras through the wall… Haruka was there."
Setsuna nodded. Calmly and thoughtfully, as if this news didn't faze her at all. Rei's body shuddered back to life. She turned with wide eyes, not doubting Minako's testimony but struggling with the revelation all the same.
"Haruka and the Augur?" Rei whispered with incredulous trepidation.
Minako nodded. "Michiru knew I was there, right outside her window. She purposefully left The Shroud in the room and led Haruka away. And I'm pretty sure she never told Haruka I was there. I think she's being played, too."
"And where is The Shroud now?" Setsuna looked at her phone one more time before burying it inside of her lab coat.
"Well, it's… gone."
"Gone?" Setsuna echoed.
"After healing me, it turned into a bow and quiver with one arrow. I think it's Sharanga," the forlorn expression on Rei's pale face was replaced with that frown Minako knew so well. "Did you know Pieces of Eden could transform?"
"No," Setsuna collected herself. "I did not. I suggest you familiarize yourself with it before tonight."
"Why are none of you concerned about walking into an obvious trap?" Rei snapped. Her fiery disposition returned in an instant, and it made Minako smile.
"Because we need to know what the sacred relics do. And if things escalate, we have numbers and Pieces of Eden on our side." Setsuna motioned to Minako, who nodded.
"As far as I know, the Japanese branch only has Michiru's mirror, Yata no Kagami, since we took The Shroud and I'm here with the mask."
"The Augur must know what will happen; otherwise she wouldn't have demanded we come with our Pieces of Eden."
"And their wielders," Setsuna added.
"And their wielders who are all Isu descendants," Minako chimed in. "That can't be a coincidence. All of us have different color auras, which means we're descendants of different Isu bloodlines. And we all have Pieces of Eden. Michiru, too!"
"As protector of Yasaki no Magatama, I am going. Whether you believe it is worth the risk or not is up to you," Setsuna made her closing statement.
Ironically, Minako wished she were a better templar. If she had kept up with her emails and read those damn reports Ami kept hounding her about, she'd have a better idea of what Michiru was up to. The only way to access that sort of information now would be to enter the Abstergo office, and Minako was definitely not taking that risk.
The assassin scientist began making her way out the door. Minako was more surprised than Setsuna when Rei reached a hand out and grabbed Setsuna's arm in a vice grip. "I need to get back in the Animus."
Oh. So that's what her uncharacteristic mood was about.
"Rei…" Mina tentatively drew closer, standing next to her outstretched arm, putting herself between her lover and Setsuna. "I don't think that's a good idea. You could have died—"
"I killed my own father and I need to know why!"
Rei's shout lacked the righteous anger she was going for. Instead, it was laced with sadness, and dare Minako say, regret? "I know you deserve the truth, but dammit, I'm not losing you again!" the idol matched Rei's volume.
Setsuna gently grabbed Rei's arm and slid it from hers. "I will make sure that doesn't happen. However, we've been down this road before. There's no guarantee the Animus will relinquish the memories you seek."
"It will," Rei demanded with a level of conviction that Minako envied.
—-
Kaiou Michiru is a stunning creature to behold. Sitting in a dingy coffee shop, sipping from a forgettable white teacup. I'm—no, Takashi—is completely absorbed by her aquamarine eyes. Knowing this, she makes a show of taking slow, purposeful sips from her steaming beverage.
Dishes clanging. Idle chatter. His wristwatch beeps, drawing his attention away from her mesmerizing stare. A glance at the electronic display on his watch reveals the time and date.
Mere days before my birth.
"Are you going to tell me why I'm here?" The firmness in his voice unsuccessfully overcompensates for the attraction he feels, yet despises himself, for.
"It would be quicker if I showed you."
Time for business. Michiru's arms disappear on the other side of the table, returning with an intricate hand mirror. Outlining the golden frame with her fingers, she lays it on the table before him.
Visions and details hundreds of times clearer than anything I've ever seen flash across the mirror. Cities crumbling. Mass confusion birthing violence and war. Utter decay of civilization; projected in a multitude of images that increase his heart rate with each flicker.
Nausea. Fear. His pulse is out of control. When the vomit threatens to rise he pushes the mirror away. "What the hell is that!?"
She returns to her drink as answers as casually as ever. "The Second Catastrophe. And the events will come to pass, unless you do everything I say…"
Everything shifts. I feel the heat of the fire. I know this fire, for it is my sacred flame.
"You met with a templar without telling me!? Have you lost your senses!?"
His gaze focuses on her swollen abdomen, looking fit to burst. "Risa, please… just listen!"
"I've heard enough!"
"She said Rei and I are of a fated Isu bloodline! That she needs our cooperation to prevent the Second Catastrophe!"
"Would you listen to yourself?" Mother's words spit fire. "Since when have the templars had humanity's best interest in mind?"
Desperation. His hands fidget. He wants to draw her close, but knows she will push him away. "This one is different! She cares about our future."
Risa rolls her eyes before turning her attention to the fire. "The sacred flames told me she is destined for great things. With the assassins, not the templars. You are not taking our daughter to the templars! They killed my parents! They won't have my daughter, too!"
"But Risa—"
"Get out!"
Risa's visage ebbs and flows like ripples on a pond. I'm teleported to another moment in time, staring at Michiru Kaiou's face once more. Takashi's hands are wrinkled, his body feels heavier and more lethargic, but she remains exactly the same.
There are eight pillars in a semi-circle, stretching endlessly to the unseen roof of a cavernous opening. I can't focus on the etchings carved into them. Takashi bursts with fury; all he sees is red, all he fantasizes is driving his blade through Michiru's throat.
"You lied to me!" His arm cuts the empty space between them. "You said Rei and I would save the world together!"
Michiru is indifferent to his tirade. She saunters across the gleaning metallic floor. Each click of her heels echoes across the infinite chamber. When she eventually pauses in front of a different pillar, her hand rests against the smooth surface. Her entire body resonates aquamarine light.
"As you can see, there is only one monument dedicated to your bloodline, Takashi. And it is not responding to your touch… Why do you think that is?"
He is too angry to think. He wants to kill her, but knows he is no match for her and her supernatural mirror.
"Because you haven't proven you have the resolve, nor the strength to match Serenity's personal guard."
Serenity's personal guard? What does she mean?
Takashi doesn't process her claims. He thinks of the wife he murdered, of the incredible resolve it took. The anguish and torment he endured. The guilt. Everything he has done to help stave off the Second Catastrophe. How dare she accuse him of lacking resolve!
"You or Rei, Takashi? Which one of you will open the gates to the Lost City of Atlantis?"
Takashi blinks, and we're somewhere else.
Gurgling. Choking. Adrenaline pounding in our ears. Everything is black, but when his eyes open, it's like I'm looking in a mirror.
My eyes are sunken. Tired. Grimacing in pain. I'm dying… Dying while my hidden blade is embedded in his neck.
I couldn't hear his last words, then. But now, as I witness this memory inside of his very consciousness, I can hear the words he tried speaking loud and clear.
"You are the essence of Mars…"