Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Eight - Inside the Order of Black

Posted: 11/01/2017

"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends. Make it last forever…"

Sailor Fury - or Faye, as she preferred – was the least threatening psychopath Rinjirou had ever met. Not that he'd met many, of course, but it was still truly remarkable. Her uniform was similar to that of the Sailor Senshi he'd met before, a sleeveless tunic or leotard combined with a ridiculously short skirt. Things took a decidedly menacing twist from there, however, with reinforced shoulder guards, elbow-length gloves, knee-high boots, and a thicker, pleated skirt, all in dark, near-black leather. She was clearly far more focused on combat than the 'traditional' Senshi like Sailor Mars.

And yet, he thought, shaking his head in confusion, she comes across as completely nonthreatening at the same time. The self-professed 'Sailor Marauder' – he was still unclear on how that differed in practice from a regular Sailor Senshi – trailed off into a series of awkward mumbles, clearly flubbing some of her lyrics, but he recognised the song all the same. It was well-ingrained in British pop culture, after all.

"Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really-"

"Hey!" Rinjirou hissed, glaring daggers at her. "We're trying to be stealthy here, remember?"

Fury pressed a hand to the back of her head and giggled. "Sorry. I guess I have this bad habit of singing when I'm bored."

"Well, cut it out." Oh, how she reminded him of another vapid blonde girl back in Tokyo. She had the same knack for pushing his buttons, too. "You'll give away our position!"

"Oh, lighten up, Sourpuss." She shot him an infuriating wink and skipped off ahead. "You only live once. Or twice, I guess, if you're me." That appeared to cause a moment of confusion. "Wait…"

Rinjirou remained in place, fighting the sudden urge to scream. Here we are slinking through the Tube and she's skipping along, singing to herself. How did I wind up this mess? His eyes narrowed as Mamoru strolled by a moment later. Oh, yeah. It's all his fault.

The railway tunnel stretched off into darkness, foreboding in its silence. The track at their feet was both a comfort and a curse. A path to follow, but one that only led deeper into the impenetrable black. It was, he'd decided, an apt metaphor for their mission as a whole.

"We can't trust her," Hino murmured, rubbing his throat unconciously.

Rinjirou's eyes locked on Mamoru's barely-visible outline. "He believes we can, and he's earned my trust if not my respect." It was a surprise to him as well, but true regardless. Attempting to hide his sudden discomfort, he nudged the old man playfully and smirked. "Besides, weren't you the one who wanted me to keep a more open mind? You've been harping on about it for long enough."

"Sure," Hino grumbled, with a quiet harrumph, "Now you decide to start listening to me."

"Well…" There was no avoiding it; the priest would call him on it if he lied. "Maybe I'm beginning to see your point."

"Which is?" the priest asked curiously.

"I tried to kill Rei the first time we met." Rinjirou couldn't help but feel guilty at the memory of their fight. "If you hadn't intervened, Sailor Mars may well be dead right now. By my hand."

Suddenly... "I tried to kill her once."

He whirled about, startled, hands dropping to his tantōs. "Fury?!"

She stood right behind him, that same familiar, cheerful smile plastered across her face. "Yeah. Creepo-Miko, Lame Brain, Mini-Crimson, Moonbeam…"

Rinjirou began assigning faces to each name in turn. Rei, Ami. Mini-Crimson must be Makoto; she's the only one left it fits. Usagi is the only one whose nickname isn't inherently insulting... He ground his teeth without thinking, remembering his previous exchange with Fury. I am not a sourpuss!

"I tried to kill 'em all," she remarked idly, "At least once."

He struggled with answer. "That, er...that's nice?"

Fury carried on like she hadn't heard him at all. "None more than Minako, though, but she's way tougher than she looks. Even force fed me a clump of my own hair one time, and she looked amazing doing it." A sigh followed as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Soooo amazing."

Rinjirou stared at her in a sort of horrified silence, instantly regretting everything he'd just told Hino. What the hell did Mamoru get me into?

She wilted under his gaze with an awkward laugh. "I just wanted to join the conversation, you know?" No sooner had she finished did her focus shift elsewhere. "I love your cute little fatigues," she cooed, reaching for Hino's sleeve. "So fetching!"

The priest pulled away from her impulsive grasp, responding with an impressive glare before finally groaning in disgust and stomping off down the tunnel.

"What's the matter?" Fury skipped after him, apparently confused. "I think you're adorable!"

"Well." Despite his stoic demeanour, Mamoru wore a faint smile. "Looks like they're getting along."

"Really?" Rinjirou began massaging his temples; his headache was growing worse by the minute. "What the hell were you thinking, inviting her along with us? She's mad!"

"I never said she was sane," Mamoru pointed out, maddeningly calm, "But she is good in a fight." He chuckled briefly, starting after the priest and the Marauder. "We're taking on Chaos itself in its own backyard, with who knows how many minions at its command. I think we're all a little mad, don't you?"

It wasn't long before Rinjirou found it; a nondescript metal door flanked by a red lamp on either side. The sign above indicated an electrical access point, but he knew it housed more than simple electronics. "This is it."

Mamoru sidled up close, holding a rose between his thumb and forefinger. "This leads into the Order's catacombs?"

Hino answered for him. "Not exactly."

Rinjirou dropped to one knee, examining the lock closely. It looked like a simple enough mechanism; anything else would seem out of place here. "This is one of many back doors into the main base," he explained, producing a lockpick from the pouch on his belt. "We'll have to enter the catacombs from there."

Disapproval flickered across Mamoru's face. "But I thought-"

"What's the matter?" Rinjirou asked, as the door opened with an understated but triumphant click. "We're all a little mad, right?"

A narrow corridor waited beyond it, bathed in dim red light. He passed by power conduits and exposed cabling, all likely functional. This was still the London Underground, and its maintenance workers would no doubt need access at some point or another. The Order of Black had a long history of using pre-existing construction to 'hide in plain sight'; this maintenance corridor was no exception. Now, he thought, focusing on the task at hand, I just have to find the sigil.

A 'sigil' was a tiny, easy-to-miss marker only Order operatives or highly observant individuals would spot. They typically indicated these so-called 'back doors' into Order facilities, as well as other places of import like arms caches and safe houses. He finally spotted it - after more time than he might have liked had passed - partially obcured behind a piece of copper pipe. An eye inside a shield; the seal of the Order of Black. His fingers brushed across its surface, lingering on the eye itself. A few seconds passed in silence before the wall beeped quietly and a single brick opened to reveal a keypad.

Fury leaned in, eyes wide. "Cool! It's like something out of a Bond movie!"

"You have a code?" Mamoru sounded tense. Suspicious, even.

"Of course I have a code," Rinjirou retorted, before clearing his throat. "If they haven't deleted it yet..."

Hino ran a hand down his face, only partially stifling his groan. "Rinjirou."

Mamoru sounded similarly fatigued. "I imagined something a little more substantial when you said you had a plan."

"Oh ye of little faith." He couldn't help getting a little defensive. It was second nature by now. "The Order's had a rough couple of weeks since I left. They've had far more important things to worry about than deleting my access codes."

"I agree," Fury said, chiming in pleasantly. "Lay off him, Tux. Don't be such a Negative Nancy."

"Negative Nancy...?"

Her smile shifted, becoming decidedly menacing. "Worst case, we can still kick in their fron door and kill anyone who gets in our way."

"Never agree with me again," Rinjirou declared, aghast. "I don't like it."

"Suit yourself, Sourpuss."

He bit back another retort of his own, determined not to let her get under his skin. Instead, he focused on the keypad. Here goes. His access code was a fifteen digit sequence, broken up by a star or hash. That was easy enough to remember, but it was only the first step. After a deep breath, he slipped off his glove and pressed his thumb to the reader below. A moment of agonising silence followed, and finally two brief electronic chirps. The keypad disappeared behind the brick again as the wall to their left split open, revealing a dull, white corridor; the entryway.

Fury poked her head in, wrinkling her nose in mild disdain. "It's so...white."

"Oh, be quiet," Hino muttered, stepping around her. "I never thought I'd see the day when I walked these halls again."

"Life's full of surprises," Rinjirou countered, guiding the old man in behind him. "I'll take point. Let's go."

The entryway itself was fairly short, just a bridge of sorts between the outside world and Order Headquarters proper. Roughly hexagonal in shape, taller than it was wide, it led up at a slight angle until it ended perhaps thirty meters along at another door. This one was far less impressive, mainly for its lack of camoflage, but there was no need for it now. All they needed was one more access code...

"My god..."

Mamoru pressed a hand to his mouth as the door opened, and Rinjirou was forced to agree with the sentiment. Normally a pristine white, the surfaces of Central Corridor B were practically drenched in blood. His boots navigated a maze of bodies and bullet casings, very nearly slipping in blood slicks several times. More viscera lay in either direction, scorch marks from grenades dotting the walls and floor sporadically. It was clear there had been an evacuation, at least an attempt at one...and the survivors had been caught here. A chaotic scene to say the least; one he'd been unprepared for.

"Looks like we missed all the fun," Fury murmured, nudging one mostly whole corpse with her boot.

"Fun?" Rinjirou demanded, turning on her angrily. "This was my home for years, Fury. The bodies on the floor may have been friends!" Rage, guilt, regret, even shame; he felt all of them in that moment. "Perhaps I'd lost faith in the Order itself, but this? I never wanted this."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean..." She appeared genuinely remorseful, if a little flustered. "Well, I suppose I did, but-"

"Just...shut up for a while, will you?" Try as he might, Rinjirou couldn't muster as much vitriol as he might have liked; the brutality around them had left him numb. This level of gore was unfamiliar to him, even after multiple operations. He felt ill. Disconnected, somehow, as if unable to process it all.

"By the ancestors..." Hino had made it in now. He closed his eyes, lips moving ever so slightly in a whispered prayer.

There was no telling how many lay here in actuality. Many weren't even whole, and more still were badly burned. One in particular stood out, a charred mess beyond all efforts of recognition. Only, that wasn't what stood out, was it? No, he realised, gingerly picking his way through the carnage, that's not it at all! A glimmer of hope sprang up in his heart, offsetting the despair somewhat. There was no doubt about it. Blackened and burned it may be, but this corpse wore the armour of a Black Paladin.

"Did you know them?"

He glanced up at Mamoru, shaking his head. "No. At least, I don't think so. It's hard to say, given the burns…but that doesn't matter."

"Then what does?"

"There's still hope, my boy," Hino declared, clapping him on the shoulder. "You may yet save some of them."

Mamoru stared back and forth between them, clearly annoyed. "Pretend for a moment that I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The Black Paladins were corrupted," Rinjirou said, springing back to his feet. "Turned into those monsters we encountered earlier, right?"

"Right...?"

He gestured to the body again. "So why not him? Why wasn't he transformed? Why is he dead?"

"Because..." Recognition finally dawned in Mamoru's eyes. "Because Chaos couldn'tconvert them all. Some resisted the change..."

"And fought back when it showed up to take over!" Oh, yes, his sense of hope was alive and well again. "That means others may have survived as well. If we can find them, we can still save them!"

"Yay!" Fury offered a brief flurry of applause before freezing, eyebrow arched. "Right?"

"Yes, Fury," Rinjirou answered, too excited to be truly annoyed with her. "Yay indeed." Then, Mamoru brought him crashing back to Earth with three simple words.

"What is it?"

"This isn't good." The other man knelt to inspect the corpse for himself, lifting its arm carefully. "The burns are almost certainly the work of Chaos...but I don't remember it ever using bullets."

"Son of a..." Rinjirou knew a gunshot wound when he saw one, and there were several in the dead man's arm and shoulder. Right between the armoured plates. "Shit."

"Perhaps Hunters?" Hino offered, with a nervous glance in each direction.

"No, there's not enough damage. Hunters use a custom-made round designed to punch through our...Paladin armour. One of those wouldn't taken his arm off at the shoulder." Rinjirou slumped a little, reluctantly accepting the facts. "These are regular bullets, fired by regular troops. There were a lot more fired, you can see the impacts against the rest of the armour." A cold ball of rage began to grow in the pit of his stomach. "Chaos has been recruiting, just as we suspected."

"Maybe..." Mamoru stiffened, his voice catching in his throat. "Maybe they didn't have any other choice?"

"I wish I could believe that, Mamoru, I really do." Rinjirou started down the corridor, putting the grisly scene quite literally behind him. "But I don't."

They navigated the facility's empty halls with relative ease. Central Corridor B led to Residential East, which diverged into Maintenance Alpha. Rinjirou led the way from memory, the layout well and truly ingrained in his mind after many years. The destruction was less widespread here, away from any easily accessable escape points, but they still saw the odd body or blackened corridor now and then. Most were Grunts or other support staff, but Rinjirou spotted the occasional Paladin or Cleric in their midst. He regretted the death of anyone who'd served the Order for innocent reasons, but the pragmatic side of him couldn't help focusing on his former comrades. They were the ones most useful against a malevolent creature like Chaos. They passed a burnt-out elevator and used the stairs beside it to descend to the next level.

Mamoru took umbrage with their easy path, clearly unsettled. "We haven't been called out or challenged in any way. In fact, there aren't even any bodies down here. Just a few bullet holes."

"The lower levels are pretty quiet to begin with, even on a regular day." Rinjirou was surprised to find his voice relatively calm, even sedate. "It's mainly power, water, storage; that sort of thing."

"What's down here?"

He scowled as Fury disappeared down an unmarked side passage. Her clueless, impulsive nature was growing annoying. "Hey! Don't wander off!" No response, as expected. I suppose we'll see her again eventually. Unless she gets lost down here forever. That wouldn't be so bad.

Mamoru continued his own line of questioning. "So why build the catacombs down here? To keep them safe?"

Hino chortled quietly. "The Order has been in London for a long time, Mamoru. Quite a long time. Watching, waiting; expanding even as the city was built up around them."

Mamoru paused in his tracks, taking in the minimalist modern walls around them. "Oh. Ohhh."

"The catacombs weren't built to house the dead. They were built by the dead to house the Order." The priest chuckled in his usual manner. "A fitting bit of symmetry, don't you think?"

"Like I said," Rinjirou remarked dryly, "The Order has a long and proud tradition of reusing whatever construction is-"

"Halt!"

He froze, fingers mere inches from his knives. This was his fault. He'd grown complacent, taking the lack of opposition as concrete evidence none existed, and that was foolish. A green recruit wouldn't make such a stupid mistake! His fingers flexed briefly as he calculated his chances. If I can just draw my pistol…

"Don't even think about it!" the apparent leader called, aiming openly at his head. "Put your hands up."

There were five of them, clad in Order of Black uniforms. They carried submachine guns, all currently trained on Rinjirou and his companions. No Paladins, he noted warily. I don't think they're survivors.

The same man turned his head slightly, using the radio on his right shoulder. "Patrol Three to Patrol Actual."

"Patrol Actual. Go ahead."

"Intel was right. We have three intruders on the lower level."

Their examination of the burned Paladin upstairs remained fresh in Rinjirou's mind. Were men like this responsible?

"Patrol Two is en route to your position."

Mamoru shot him a questioning glance, and Rinjirou shook his head in response. They'd be gunned down before getting off any attack of their own. Grunts weren't exactly elite like Paladins, but they still knew how to shoot.

"How did you survive?" the leader called, his tone shifting slightly into the realm of curiosity. He let the barrel of his weapon drift towards Hino, then Mamoru. "And who are these two?"

Not exactly inclined to cooperate after what he'd heard, Rinjirou asked a question of his own. "You aren't hiding. You're not survivors." His anger reignited easily, overcoming any tendency towards caution. "You're working for that thing, aren't you? Why?"

"Ha!" the Grunt scoffed, lowering his weapon slightly, "You obviously weren't here for the purge."

"Just answer the damn question!" Rinjirou snapped, stiffening at the term.

"Well, aren't you all high and mighty? Just like the rest of your kind." The man spat on the floor in clear disgust. "Unbelievable. You Paladins strut around like kings and queens, lording it over the rest of us. Grunts, you call us, like some kind of dirty word. Like we're somehow less than you, unfit to even shine your boots! All because you're compatible with that thing, as you call it. Able to take a sliver of it within your bodies." A few of his fellow soldiers nodded, even smirked, obviously enjoying this reversal in the usual power structure. "Well, Chaos came to collect after all these centuries, and you lot got exactly what was coming to you. Every last one of you. A fitting reward for all your years of arrogance."

Mamoru's features hinted at his own barely contained rage. "Becoming a willing lackey is better?"

"We were offered a choice. Die like the rest, or swear loyalty to her."

Her, Rinjirou repeated, his throat suddenly dry. It's still…

"We'd be rewarded, she said. Power, riches; anything we wanted, as long as we served." For the shortest time, the soldier hesitated…but the smug satisfaction returned to his face quickly. "It wasn't exactly a difficult choice, in the end. Save your own life and take out a few entitled Paladins? Sold."

Rinjirou's fingers curled inwards, digging into his palms. Never mind the Order of Black, these sons of bitches have betrayed their entire world!

"Well, well, well…"

The blood in his veins turned to ice in an instant. He recognised the voice, but it was far colder than he was used to.

Sailor Fury emerged from the same side passage, katana in hand. "You boys have been rather naughty, haven't you?" she cooed, flashing another chilling smile. "Shall I teach you a lesson?"

The shift in the enemy's demeanour was easy to see. Gone was the smug confidence of seconds ago, replaced by obvious unease, even fear. Most Grunts were unlikely to ever go up against a Sailor Senshi, and they knew it. For these men, an unlikely scenario had just become reality…and they were completely and utterly unprepared for it.

"Stay back!" one shouted, stammering through his words.

"What's with her outfit?" another demanded. "That's not what they usually wear!"

"I thought the Paladins took care of them in Japan!"

Fury advanced slowly, the heels of her boots clicking ominously against the floor. Rinjirou, in a brief moment of selfishness, revelled in their fear. He didn't care about morals or righteousness. There, in that moment, his desire for justice, perhaps even vengeance, threatened to overcome all else...until he remembered his promise to Rei. He'd sworn to keep her grandfather alive and, in a round-about fashion, himself. A gunfight in a narrow corridor wasn't exactly conducive to those goals. Breath, he told himself. We'll find another way. Moving carefully, nonthreateningly, he turned to Fury and held up his hand. "Hold up a-"

"Open fire!"

Rinjirou dove for the wall as all hell broke loose. The malevolent bark of gunfire filled the air, their would-be captors unleashing a torrent of bullets. One hit his chestplate, and another his right arm; he hit the floor, drawing his pistol as they advanced. Mamoru took at least one hit shielding Hino and hurled a rose in response. It tore right through a soldier's chestplate, sending him crashing to the floor. The rhythmic pound of boots on hard floor closed in behind them; the second patrol was coming.

Then…Fury moved. A blur of motion, she strafed from side to side, at one point literally running along a wall. Her gloved left hand rose, fingers splayed towards the enemy.

"Furious Reprisal!"

A scattering of red beams erupted from her digits, tearing through three of the Grunts with ease. At least one was dead before he hit the floor, and the other two were in no condition to continue fighting. The Marauder's katana gleamed as she closed on the final man; his screams were terrible but short-lived.

Rinjirou had no time to be horrified; they were in a fight for their lives, and his training took over. He rolled to his back, bringing his pistol around and sighting down the barrel. The first Grunt around the corner took a bullet through his eye and dropped, dead immediately.

Mamoru whirled around, thrusting his open hand towards the new threat. A blast of golden light hit another soldier, his chestplate smoking as he was flung into the far wall. Rinjirou pulled the trigger a second time, but this round struck a reinforced chestplate and lodged there. Bullets raked across the floor before him as he shifted aim and fired again. This time, his target dropped as blood spurted from his neck, gurgling on the floor as he expired.

"Vengeful Caress!"

A vibrant crimson blast tore through the final soldier like tissue paper, scorching the wall behind him in a cloud of red mist. His wide eyes locked on Fury as she advanced, finger trembling as he tried and failed to pull his weapon's trigger. A single sweep of her katana ended any further resistance.

That was it. They'd won, against all odds…or had they? This was certainly a victory in their favour, no doubt, but Rinjirou was already questioning that logic. Were the odds really against us? No, I think the outcome was decided the moment she entered the fray.

"Fury?"

Mamoru's hesitant call seemed to reach her. She turned, back to her familiar smiling self. "Well, that was a little hairy, wasn't it?"

"Hairy?" Rinjirou repeated, aghast. He'd heard the stories, of course, trained to fight Sailor Senshi, but he'd never imagined just how destructive they could truly be. His battle with Mars, if one could call it that by comparison, had been more a duel of agility and will. Fury, however? She'd just straight-up dismantled two squads of professional soldiers without injury or even breaking a sweat. In fact, she was smiling like nothing had happened! Could Rei be this dangerous? Had she been holding back the entire time for fear of killing him? Is this what all Sailor Senshi were capable of against mere mortals?

She nodded, gesturing to a thin red line across her right thigh. "A little closer and I might actually be bleeding. Not that they-" Her face fell abruptly into another expressionless mask. "Oh. I missed one."

The lead soldier – the one who'd bragged of his disdain for Paladins – was still alive. Her initial attack had caught him in the abdomen, and he looked to be bleeding out. Wide, panicked eyes darted back and forth between them as Rinjirou closed in. Hearing the click of Fury's heels behind him, he held a hand up quickly. "Leave him be."

"Oh, fine. Spoilsport."

He ignored her, dropping into a crouch over the fallen Grunt. "Tell me what happened here. Now."

"Just kill me," came the pained response. "You're going to whether I talk or not." He hissed painfully as Fury kicked him in the shin.

"Spill it, Bleedy!"

"Fury?" Rinjirou gestured pointedly and she withdrew, pouting. "I've got this." He was angry again in the lull after combat. This 'man' had likely murdered many of his former comrades, making no bones about his contentment doing so. How many lives had he taken? "Patience has never been my strong suit, traitor. Start talking, or I start putting bullets in body parts."

Hino called out uncertainly behind him. "Perhaps-"

He barely heard the priest in his rage. No, he was focused on the Grunt's fearful eyes…and they were focused on…ah-ha. "So, more scared of her than me, huh? Okay. New plan. Start talking, or she starts taking body parts off."

Fury flashed another cold smile. "Your choice, sweetie."

Words began tumbling from the Grunt's mouth in a panicked flood. "We didn't know it was Chaos at first. We didn't know what was happening! Elder Haim ordered an all-out assault on Tokyo, said this was the time to end the Senshi threat…and that was the last we saw or heard from him. The Paladins took off like they usually do, with a bunch of us in tow as support. Those of us left behind were kept on high alert, in case of a potential counter-strike." He hung his head, wincing in pain. "That's when it happened."

"Chaos," Rinjirou murmured, not actually asking a question.

"The few Paladins left behind started changing. Most of them, anyway, turned into those big beaked things you've probably seen." The Grunt grew less restrained as time went by, caught up in his own story. "That's when she showed up. Chaos, only…it was Paladin Shoto. She wore some kind of mask, like an old European plague doctor, but I recognised her voice."

Megumi. Fresh guilt and pain blossomed in Rinjirou's heart. It's still using her body. Maybe the Paladins still can't contain it for long, even in their new forms?

"She executed a few survivors, tore them apart with some sort of energy…then she made her offer." The Grunt winced again, blood dribbling from the corners of his mouth. "And you know the rest. It's all moot, isn't it? I'm not going to live long enough to regret my decisions."

A dozen conflicting thoughts and emotions flashed through Rinjirou's mind, all at once. Perhaps the Black Paladins could be a little arrogant at times, entitled even, but it had always been that way. Did it excuse what this man had done, and others like him? No...but perhaps it explained it.

"I'd kill him," Fury chirped, wiping her blade clean on a fallen corpse.

"You would," Hino countered, with a reproachful glare.

The man was a traitor. He'd been involved in the death of who knew how many Paladins, whose only crime was defending their world. Worse still, he'd sold out that world, fought for Chaos, and why? A vague promise of power and riches from an entity that lied by its very nature? Why was this decision so difficult to make?

"I don't know about you, but I've seen enough death of late."

Rinjirou turned, staring at Mamoru silently. The other man had definitely taken a hit; he had one hand clasped protectively to his side. A dull, golden light shone out from behind it. Healing magic if he remembered correctly.

His dark blue eyes bored into Rinjirou's own. "We don't have to do this. You don't have to do this."

He'd heard those words before. In a flash, it was Rei standing before him instead, face stained with the Huntress' blood. Just as it had been that night…

"It's over," she called, reaching for him imploringly. "You don't have to do this!"

There was fear in the fallen Grunt's eyes. For all his weary resignation, he didn't want to die.

"You killed them…"

Rei had been shocked by his killing of the Huntress, and even more so by his execution of the Hunter. She couldn't believe he'd gone through with it, how easy it had been for him.

"Did it bother you at all?"

No, he'd answered. It hadn't bothered him in the slightest. Not until she'd brought it up. It was then he'd realised the truth. Slowly but surely, through years of training and 'education', the Order had eroded his sense of guilt and regret at taking lives until it was gone completely. They'd turned him into the perfect killing machine, mechanical and remorseless. But when he thought of Rei now…

"You don't have to do this!"

"Get up." Rinjirou gestured to the distant stairwell. "Go. Get out of here. Before I change my mind." He watched the injured man stagger to his feet and flee, recoiling from Fury as she growled at him like some strange animal. "Fight for that monster again," he called, "And you're dead!"

Mamoru nodded approvingly but said nothing. For that, Rinjirou was immensely grateful.

Hino, however, patted him on the forearm – the highest spot he could reach given their difference in height. "I'm proud of you. Killing is easy. It takes far more effort to spare a life. To forgive."

"Perhaps," he replied absently, staring after the fleeing man. Had he spared him because it was the 'right' thing to do? Because it was what he wanted? Or, he wondered, disliking the question, was it because it's what Rei would have wanted?

It turned out he wasn't the only one with questions. As they carried on, further into the facility's depths, Mamoru fell back beside Fury. "You're turning over a new leaf."

She beamed cheerfully. "Uh-huh!"

"But you killed those men back there," he protested incredulously. "Without hesitation, almost like you were looking forward to it!"

Rinjirou couldn't argue his point. The Marauder seemed to have taken a certain amount of glee in her…dispatching of the enemy.

"They were bad guys," she replied, matter-of-factly.

"Well that's up for-"

For the first time, Rinjirou saw true annoyance on her face. "Oh, stop it. I don't want to hear any of your pretentious, holier-than-thou moralising." She turned, walking backwards as she pointed back the way they'd come. "They chose to side with Chaos, a choice they made willingly. That makes them the bad guys, and bad guys are fair game. The world's a better place without them."

I used to think like that, Rinjirou thought. Maybe, on some level, I still do. It's how I justified executing that Hunter. He was a threat, he'd made his choice, and death was the consequence. It had to be done to save Rei and myself.

"What about you?" Mamoru countered, studying her carefully. "You used to be a bad guy. Were you fair game?"

Fury remained silent a long time, the first such instance he could remember since they'd met. Then, with a nonchalant shrug, she nodded. "The old me was about as bad as they come. She died just like those men did, and the world was better for it." Her brow furrowed quickly. "Then, somehow, I got brought back…which muddies the comparison a little."

"Perhaps the universe thought you deserved a second chance? Perhaps everyone does?"

"I needed to die," she said firmly. "I didn't know I'd come back. I didn't really want to." An almost sad sigh slipped from her lips. "But that's why I chose to team up with the two of you, and Wrinkles over there. I have to make up for all the evil I did when I was…confused." Her follow-up was barely a whisper. "Evil..."

Mamoru launched a final attempt at swaying her. "And killing again does that?"

"They made their choice," she repeated flatly, "And they paid for it. I know evil, Mamoru. It must be stopped by any means necessary."

Stunned, he came to a complete stop even as she continued on. "That's the first time you've called me by my actual name."

"Don't get used to it, Tux."

Rinjirou just carried on following Hino…but he had a newfound respect for Sailor Fury. He still found her incredibly annoying, but she wasn't quite as nuts as he'd thought either.

"Here."

Hino stopped by a rather impressive door, one Rinjirou remembered passing only a handful of times. The catacombs weren't exactly open to everyone, you see. One had to be Elder, a member of the Council, or otherwise authorised by either party to open this door. He'd never been anyone of real importance before all this began. His initial meeting with Haim had come as quite a shock, given his relatively low rank. Of course, he thought acidly, now I know events were manipulated by Chaos from the start. All to nudge me into its service. If I hadn't stopped to listen to Hino-sama that first day in Tokyo…well, I shudder to think what might have happened.

"Now we find out if Solguard is even inside," Mamoru remarked idly, pulling another rose out of his coat. This time, however, it flared with obvious magic. The effect surrounded him, almost blinding, finally coalescing into a refined tuxedo, top hat, and masquerade mask.

"That's still the absolute worst combat attire I've ever seen," Rinjirou observed, shaking his head in a mix of disbelief and scorn. Now he transforms? "No matter how many times I see you do that."

"It works." The other man gave his cane an idle twirl, as if testing its weight.

"Says you," he retorted, snorting derisively. "It's super conspicuous, has no ballistic protection, and don't even get my started on the cape."

"What's wrong with my cape?"

"Everything! The first thing I'd do in a fight is grab it and reel you in. Stab, stab, stab, you're dead."

"Well…" Mamoru cleared his throat awkwardly, his cheeks abruptly red. "The Hunters wear robes. Don't they have the same problem?"

"Sure, they do," Rinjirou agreed, with a smug little smirk, "And the ones we've fought are all dead. Thanks for making my point for me."

"Oh, this great." He glanced at Fury as she giggled, then uttered a contented sigh. "It reminds me of home, with the girls. Between all the murder and general evilness, of course."

Rinjirou had no idea who 'the girls' were, but he had a feeling he didn't want to know. "Let's just move on."

Getting by the door's defences wasn't all that difficult. Hino still knew all the right commands – old magic doors weren't exactly easy to upgrade, it seemed – and, in no time at all, they'd slipped into what was essentially the Order's previous London headquarters. The construction dated back more than a few centuries, that much was clear from what he could see of it in the dark; brick and mortar arranged in a semi-circular tunnel that stretched off into blackness. The air was thick with the smell of decay and damp earth; these halls had not been walked in some time.

"Just a moment." Hino extended his left hand, palm up. His fingers curled inwards and, after a softly spoken incantation, he summoned a glowing ball of blue-tinged light. It drifted just an inch above his skin and seemed content to stay there.

It didn't do as much to help visibility as Rinjirou might have hoped, but it was something. He now saw that the walls held small alcoves at regular intervals, carved much later than the stone itself. His footsteps echoed down the tunnel as he moved towards them, curiosity once again winning out over caution. He reasoned that they really had no idea where Solguard might be…if it was here at all. Could be in one of these little...shelves? Oh.

Mamoru moved in stride with him. "I suppose these really are catacombs."

The alcove before them was perhaps two meters long and less than half that high. Laid out within, decayed but still recognisable, was a skeleton clad in dark, rusted plate; Rinjirou identified it as the armour his compatriots had discarded centuries earlier. It held a rusted broadsword in its hands, clutched tight to its chest. "We get cremated these days. It's considered safer, greener; a win all around."

"Very similar to what the Exalted Knights wore," Mamoru added, running a hand gently across the chestplate. "I'm not sure what I was expecting, really. It makes perfect sense."

Fury let out an exasperated sigh. "Come on, boys. I thought we were in a hurry?" She took several steps forward, but stopped immediately at an ominous click. "Uh…?"

"Don't move," Rinjirou warned her, inspecting the floor around them. Several bricks stood out upon closer examination. It was a wonder nobody else had triggered anything!

The Sailor Marauder failed to listen, of course. She leapt backwards with a panicked shriek, letting the brick under her boot spring back up. A string of high-pitched whistles followed as a flurry of darts burst from the walls and ceiling around her. Fury stumbled awkwardly upon landing and fell flat on her backside. "Ow…"

Mamoru made his way across the conspicuous bricks, recognising the danger after Rinjirou's warning. "Are you alright?"

She managed a brief, nervous laugh. "Of course. Not a scratch!"

"Oh, really?" Rinjirou reached for her sharpened shoulder guard and tugged a dart free with considerable effort. He pointed out another in her skirt, wedged between the thick leather and one of the rivets that held it together. "You're so sure?"

The blonde paled a little as she tugged it free, finally revealing a more vulnerable side. "Oh. Maybe we should, uh...be a little more careful?"

"Nonsense!" Hino declared boisterously. "Please, run off ahead to your heart's content. Set off all the traps!" The priest strolled by almost casually, leading the way further into the crypt. "Don't let us stop you."

"You know," Fury said, stroking her chin thoughtfully, "I'm beginning to get the feeling he's not really all that fond of me."

Rinjirou exchanged a weary glance with Mamoru. "You don't say."

Time seemed to lose all meaning as they explored the sprawling old structure. They encountered an array of other traps and diversions, circling what felt like countless times before finally stumbling on a staircase to the next level down. A crystal set in the wall unleashed several energy blasts before a retaliatory strike from Mamoru destroyed it; an old construction of the Order's now lost to time. As they descended further, the traps seemed to intensify. Surely, they were growing close.

Closer than Rinjirou thought, as it turned out. Rounding a final corner, they encountered a set of iron double doors. They were covered in intricate engravings that detailed numerous points in Order history. One scene in particular resonated particularly strongly with Rinjirou: the fall of the Exalted Knights to an impressively evil-looking Beryl.

"This is it." Hino traced a finger along another panel. "See here? The Oath."

The panel in question depicted several men in armour; Exalted Knights. One stood taller than all the others, conversing with a mass of vaguely-humanoid smoke or ash; Chaos, no doubt. Rinjirou found his mouth inexplicably dry, swallowing painfully as he pressed his own hand to the door. "We found it. The Progenitor's Tomb."

Fury scrunched up her face in confusion. "The Progeni-what?"

"The founder of the Order of Black," Mamoru explained, gesturing to the door. When she continued staring at him blankly, he uttered a sigh and rubbed at his temples. "He has the sword we're looking for. His body, anyway. Probably."

"Ohhh. Why didn't you just say so in the first place?"

Again, Rinjirou barely heard them. For all that he was no longer on good terms with the Order, a part of him couldn't help but look upon all of this with wonder, perhaps even awe. He realised they'd been indoctrinating him for years, essentially conditioning him to treat Elders, Council members, and especially the Progenitor with near-reverence, but even knowing that did little to nullify the effect. This was history before him; how could he not feel a little awestruck?

"Come on," Mamoru said, with a firmer edge to his voice now. "Help me get this door open."

"Not to be a Negative Nancy myself," Fury interjected, "But of all the things in here that are likely to be trapped, don't you think the big, ominous door is most likely of all?"

"Nobody comes this far." Hino looked over its surface slowly, his brow furrowing. "And as strange as it may sound…I believe we are expected."

A chill ran down Rinjirou's spine. "Everyone in here has been dead for centuries."

"Yes," the priest agreed, "And yet everything in my being tells me otherwise." His eyes narrowed as he studied the door with newfound suspicion. "Be on your guard, all of you. We are not alone here."

"Well…" Mamoru swallowed visibly as he pressed his hands against its cold iron surface. "Everyone ready?"

Rinjirou took up position beside him, shoulder against the door. "Ready."

"Me too," Fury agreed, cracking her knuckles.

Hino gathered himself and nodded. "Ready."

"On three, then. One, two…three!"

The door groaned in protest as they pushed, reluctantly swinging open before them. What faint light managed to penetrate the darkness within revealed a mostly empty chamber. A low platform stood in the centre, a dais of sorts, with four brass statues arrayed at its corners; plate-armoured Paladins, swords at the ready. Between them, centred perfectly atop the dais, lay a simple stone sarcophagus.

"I was expecting something a little more…grand," Mamoru admitted, taking a step into the chamber.

With a faint hiss, the sconces along the walls ignited one by one with purple flame. Clearly magical in nature, it cast an ominous hue across the statues, granting the illusion of movement. A much smaller ring of candles around the edge of the dais followed suit, a more mundane orange flame.

"Pretty," Fury cooed, gripping her katana tightly despite her tone of admiration.

Rinjirou moved carefully across the chamber, towards the dais. "I don't like it, but if Solguard's really in here it's probably in the sarcophagus."

"Be careful," Mamoru whispered, cane in hand. "I sense…something. It's cold. Dark. Almost familiar, in a way…"

A second hiss echoed around them, louder than the first. More textured and nuanced, like a sigh...or even a breath. Like someone waking up. Or something, Rinjirou added silently, drawing his tantōs.

"Hey, Sourpuss?" Fury gestured uneasily to the ceiling, backing away. "Is that supposed to happen?"

His eyes darted up, searching the darkness and finally locking on…it. A swirling mass of violet energy drifted across the stonework almost lazily, as if uncertain, finally descending to the sarcophagus. It disappeared within, passing through the stone with ease.

"It's been a long time…" a voice whispered, coming from the very walls themselves, "But I know that voice…"

The great iron doors swung shut behind them with a thunderous clang, sealing them in. The lid of the sarcophagus opened with a low, tentative creak, gauntlet-clad fingers slipping through the crack.

"It can't be." Mamoru's face was almost as white as his mask. "He's been dead for centuries..."

"Who?!" Rinjirou demanded, feeling his own heart pound in his chest.

The sarcophagus' lid flew off, crashing into the chamber's rear wall. Pristine ebony plate glistened in the dim light as an armoured figure rose, stretching slowly to its full, imposing height. Beneath it lay bare, skeletal remains, peeking through the gaps in the armour; the same violet energy now shimmered around the bones themselves. Regarding them from beneath the helmet was a skull, empty eye sockets flashing with a dull ruby light.

"The Progenitor," Hino said faintly, as if in explanation.

The skull's bottom jaw opened, secured somehow despite its advanced decay. A gauntlet-clad finger rose slowly in accusation, pointed right at Mamoru. "It is you, isn't it…Endymion…?"

The Prince's mouth opened and shut over and over again in several aborted attempts at speech. Finally, he managed just one, barely audible word. A name.

"…Smythe…"

AN: Well, creeping in just before my self-imposed one month deadline is Chapter Eight! Woohoo! I spent a LONGGGG time working on this one. I just hope you all enjoyed it. My own satisfaction is fairly high with this one, though there remain one or two doubts.

I did - and still do, I suppose - fear I made Fury look way too strong compared to Mamoru and Rinjirou, but I reasoned that a) Rinjirou's a regular guy, b) Mamoru was shielding Grandpa from harm, and c) she IS effectively a Sailor Senshi. We never really saw the girls take on 'regular' people in the anime but I always felt they'd utterly destroy anyone they went up against if not for the fact they're all good people heart and would never actually try. Sure, I showed them struggling against gunfire in Last Guardian Knight, but I figured they were doing what they could to not hurt anyone. Fury didn't have that problem. She was more than happy to take them apart, and take them apart she did. Maybe that made her look too strong, or too Mary Sue-ish, but I sincerely hope my logic makes sense. A Mary Sue at this stage is the LAST thing I want!

Aside from that was the reveal of the Progenitor's identity. I've hinted fairly heavily in the past, but this is the confirmation that it is good old Paladin Smythe. How is he still 'alive' a thousand years later? What does he have planned for 'Endymion'? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

As for the next chapter, I'm at a bit of an impasse. So, I'm putting up a poll on my profile to let YOU, my wonderful readers, decide. Do I return to Tokyo as has been the pattern and explore what's next for Usagi and the others, or do I stay in London and resolve this cliffhanger? Let me know what you think. Thanks for your continued feedback, some of the last chapter's reviews were incredibly detailed. You're all too kind! :-)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Lisseas