Sailor Moon - The Order of Black

Chapter Six: Isolation

Originally published 20/05/2015

The council chamber was dark, lit only by dim light from above and the candles on the conference table; just the way Lawrence Haim liked it, The head of the Order of Black stared impassively at the only lit screen in the room and the still image of Paladin Rinjirou Payne it displayed. What a disappointment you turned out to be, my boy…just like your mother. She didn't have the stomach to do what was necessary either!

What Rinjirou had failed to realise was his entire trip to Japan was all one elaborate test. He was under observation by the Order's Hunters from the moment he stepped off the plane. All because a lowly archivist had uncovered some of Katsuo Hino's once-deleted personal files and made a strange discovery - a friendship between the former cleric and Sawako Payne…Rinjirou's mother. It confirmed something Haim had long suspected; Hino was the one who'd poisoned Sawako's mind and turned her against the Order sixteen years earlier. That led to questions about Rinjirou and his own loyalties; was he corrupted as well?

Hino always was an outspoken champion for the self-professed 'Loyalists', he thought bitterly. I should have had him taken care of years ago, but he was too well connected. There would have been far too many questions asked. The smarter option was to let him leave…but to steal a Chaos Sliver from the Order? That is unforgivable…and Rinjirou's trial was devised. Unfortunately, it would seem that his mother's questionable loyalty was genetic…as was her squeamishness.

It was a pity, too. A second-generation Paladin who also possessed Shadow Walker was practically unheard of, but such was the point of the trial. It was a calculated risk - if Rinjirou had retrieved the Chaos Sliver and killed Hino then the shadow of doubt would have been lifted, and the Hunters would have gained a valuable new recruit. Instead, he fell victim to the same weak-minded ethical objections his mother had demonstrated before him...and the Hunters were given the order to eliminate him.

A tall, hooded figure glided into the council chamber and came to a stop beside him. Haim didn't need to see him to recognise the presence of High Seeker Thorn; the commander of the Hunters had quite a distinct aura about him. "You bring news of Paladin Payne?"

"My Hunters report they engaged him...but they were forced to withdraw before they could confirm his death."

One of Haim's eyebrows rose slowly. "Forced to withdraw?"

"Another of the Sailor Senshi interfered…along with the Guardian Knight." Thorn's mechanical tone allowed just a hint of anger through. "I suspect Sailor Venus, from initial accounts."

"This is troubling news indeed," Haim murmured. "I'm unaccustomed to such failure from your Hunters, High Seeker...or you."

Thorn revealed no hint of annoyance at the rebuke; his face was hidden beneath his hood and mask as always. Haim would order him to remove it out of simple curiosity but the High Seeker wore the guise of his profession by tradition, even in the council chamber – he couldn't remember ever seeing the man's face.

"Still…" the Elder said, as he finally turned away from the screen, "I suppose it doesn't really matter. The whole purpose of this little charade was isolation. Payne is alone now, removed from his squad and his friends. We can tell them anything we like. Who's to say he wasn't killed by the Senshi?"

"Or…perhaps he joined them?"

The old man ran his fingers over his stubbly chin. "Yes, that could work. After all, the Moon Princess has always been manipulative. She lured Prince Endymion of the Golden Kingdom to her side and turned him into a mindless puppet. Young Rinjirou may be lost to us, but we can still use him as a cautionary tale. For our Paladins to hear of their brother turned to her cause…" He trailed off, a faint smile on his face. "I shall bring it to the council at our next meeting. What of our Tokyo safe-house?"

"It's already operational at its new location," Thorn replied. "My Hunters have withdrawn there and await further orders."

"An unpleasant deception," Haim said, with a heavy sigh, "but one that ultimately proved necessary. He betrayed the Black, and traitors must be punished to ensure they don't inspire future disloyalty in the ranks." He stared at the High Seeker; the hooded man made no move to leave yet. "You had something else?"

"Payne was saved from Inquisitor Reed by a talking cat. It attacked her with some sort of hard-light claws."

"A talking cat…with hard-light claws?" The old man shook his head in disbelief. "What kind of world are we living in?"

"The evidence is clear," Thorn growled. "The cat was an agent of the Moon Princess. She interfered directly to save Payne's life."

"But why meddle in our affairs?" Haim wondered. "Twice, in fact! Before today there was no proof she or her Senshi were even aware of our existence. This is most unexpected."

Just a hint of something ugly crept into the High Seeker's flat voice. "Give the order, Elder. My Hunters are eager for a second chance to prove themselves."

"No. Dead or alive, Payne won't be a problem anymore...and the Order isn't strong enough for open confrontation with the Moon Princess. Not yet. Not without knowing her true strength and abilities. No, we wait as we already done for a thousand years."

"We should crush them while surprise is on our side," Thorn argued. "You are far too cautious!"

"And you forget your place!" Haim snapped. "We have been friends for many years, that is true...but never forget your station. I am Elder, I lead the council…and I speak for the Order of Black!"

"Of course, Elder." The hooded man brought his fist to his chest and bowed deeply. "I am but a humble servant of the Black."

Mamoru placed a final piece of tape over his patient's bandage and stood carefully, feeling his neck crack in the process. "Well, I'm no surgeon…but I've done what I can."

Rinjirou lay unconscious on the bed in the shrine's small guestroom, pale and sweaty. A neat white square covered the hole in his abdomen.

"You're amazing, Mamo-chan," Usagi said. "Watching you work was…um…"

"Nauseating?" he replied, with a soft chuckle. "You had your hands over your eyes for most of it."

The blonde blanched again. "Well, it was gross!"

Mamoru kissed her forehead as he turned to wash his hands in the small bucket Rei's grandfather had provided.

"Is he going to make it?"

He glanced down at the unconscious man again and frowned. "I'm not sure. He's lost a lot of blood. We really need to get him to a hospital-"

"You can't," Grandpa Hino said, as he entered the room. "The people who did this may come after him again, and he'd be defenceless."

"He's defenceless here," Mamoru countered, "And there's a good chance he's going to die without a transfusion! You seem to want him to live, so why are you stacking the odds against him?"

"He's strong," Hino murmured, "Just like his mother. He'll survive this, he just needs rest."

Usagi managed a faint smile. "Speaking of rest, Grandpa, you should get some yourself."

The old man seemed poised to argue, but he eventually settled on a weary sigh. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all."

"I'll check on Rei, too," she assured him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Usagi." The door closed behind him again.

Mamoru finished packing up the med-kit and reached up to rub his tired eyes. "What time is it?"

Usagi glanced at her phone. "Nearly two AM."

"Great. Only four hours until I start my next shift."

"Poor Mamo-chan." She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his chest. "You're amazing. Have I mentioned that lately?"

"Just a little earlier," he said wryly, as he brought his hands up to her shoulders. "But I'm more than happy for you to keep on telling me." She felt good in his arms; their schedules had kept them apart more often than not lately – when she was home from university he was sleeping, or vice versa. "I'm glad I got to see you…despite the situation."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know it's been hard, for me too…but this series of extra lecture ends next week, and those two big papers are almost done-"

"There's no need to apologise, Usako. I'm proud of you for focusing so hard on your studies. We've got the rest of our lives to spend together…I can handle another week without you." He was certain she stiffened in his arms, but he put it down to a chill or something.

"Right…the rest of our lives." Usagi pulled away abruptly and glanced at the door. "I'm gonna go see how Rei's doing. Maybe you should head home and get a few hours of sleep before work."

Did I say something wrong, he wondered, too tired to work out what it was. "I…alright. I'll call you when I finish work, okay?"

"Okay, Mamo-chan." She was already halfway through the door…and that left him very confused.

"I love you too…?"

The cool night air sent a chill down Usagi's spine as she stepped outside. We have the rest of our lives to spend together, she thought furiously. It's like he's trying to upset me! I'm convinced now more than ever that Operation Proposal needs to move forward. I will not just sit idly by and wait for Mamo-chan to act!

"Usagi?"

She glanced up, embarrassed at being caught in her thoughts. Jupiter, Venus and Justice were still in the courtyard, guarding against further threats.

"Is everything alright?" Venus asked.

Usagi nodded quickly. "Oh…yeah." Now's not the time to dwell on Mamoru and I.

Jupiter wandered over slowly. "How's our mysterious guest doing?"

"Still unconscious. Mamo-chan's done what he can, but he's not sure he'll live through the night."

"That may not be such a bad thing," Justice murmured. "He did try to kill Rei this morning."

Usagi frowned at his flippant response. "But he came back to save her and Grandpa."

Venus coughed into her hand. "Perhaps Justice overstated things a little, but I think I see his point. If this guy knew Rei is Sailor Mars…would he have come back at all?"

"He probably would've helped kill her," Justice countered.

The blonde was forced to concede Minako's point. "No. Perhaps not."

Jupiter folded her arms across her chest as she weighed in. "Rei said he made his feelings towards us and the 'Moon Princess' pretty clear when they tangled this morning."

"You can't afford to be so trusting," Justice agreed. "Not with someone who's admitted to being your enemy, and not when Rei's been attacked twice in a day."

"I hear you." Usagi said, with a heavy sigh. She didn't like this at all. "I've always believed everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt and a second chance…but it'd be foolish to trust Rinjirou after everything that's happened."

"Trust is a luxury we can't afford," Venus said, almost reluctantly, "Like those boots I saw on sale last week…"

Jupiter shot her a weird look. "And you were going so well…until you compared this to boots!"

The orange-clad Senshi shrugged. "They were really cute boots."

"They really were…" Usagi added, as she nodded in agreement. Justice cleared his throat loudly and she blushed. "Um, I mean, now is not the time to talk about boots!" She glanced at the main hall over her shoulder. "What about this other attacker? What do we know about him?"

"Not a whole hell of a lot," Justice admitted, "but he was tough."

"Yeah. I hit him with a Crescent Beam at point blank range and he just shrugged it off." Venus coiled a loose strand of hair around her finger as she spoke. "Whatever he was wearing under that robe had to be pretty strong to deflect it."

"Then he hit us with some sort of energy burst," the Guardian Knight muttered. "Shadow Barrage, if I heard it right. Nasty stuff."

"Not Jerkface nasty," Venus said quickly, "but I'm glad I dodged it all the same."

Jupiter's brow furrowed deeply as she looked back and forth between them. "So this new guy works for the same mysterious 'Order' as Rinjirou…but they fought one another anyway. Why?"

"We can answer that."

Usagi jumped involuntarily as two black cats bounded out of the shadows. "Luna, Titus? Where did you two come from?"

"Shadowing Rinjirou," Luna replied, "and another new arrival."

"He was attacked when he returned to his hotel," the other cat explained, "by a masked woman in a hooded robe. Does that sound familiar?"

Venus nodded slowly, joined by Justice. "The guy who attacked the shrine was in the same outfit. A pointy mask, sort of like a snout or a beak?"

"Precisely," Luna agreed. "Could Rei's grandfather know more?"

"I was just going to go check on her," Usagi said, with a quick glance towards her room. "I could ask her, if she's awake? See if she's had a chance to speak with him yet?"

Luna shook her head. "She's had a rough day. Let her rest; it can wait until tomorrow."

"I'll check on her, all the same, but I won't bring it up. I promise." The blonde turned to the rest of her friends and smiled. "You might as well head home and get some rest."

"I'll stay," Justice said firmly. "Just in case."

"Then I'm staying too." Venus flashed a quick V-sign. "It won't the first all-nighter we've pulled at the shrine!"

"How am I supposed to go home now with you two staying?" Jupiter asked, in feigned irritation.

Usagi shook her head but smiled anyway. "Thanks, everyone. I'm sure Rei feels a lot safer knowing you're all out here." As she turned and headed for Rei's door, she heard Jupiter speak up.

"Alright, Venus…tell me more about these boots."

My ceiling has a weird patch that's darker than the rest. I wonder why that is? Rei lay in bed, unable to sleep after the events of the day. Her side ached where the assassin's bullet had grazed her, but the real pain was coming from her head. That hooded bastard really did a number on my skull! If he ever shows that creepy mask of his again, I'm gonna put an arrow through his eye with Flame Sniper!

She shuffled under the blanket irritably, becoming increasingly frustrated by her inability to sleep. All Rei wanted to do was close her eyes and forget about everything, but no matter what she tried sleep continued to elude her. Deep down, she was ashamed by how easily she'd been defeated twice now, and creeped out by what she'd seen.

Her ward had struck Rinjirou instead of the hooded man, and Chaos itself had tried to tear free from his body. The evil she'd sensed in that moment was utterly horrifying. Even without the concussion, I was sure I'd be sick. Whatever that guy's carrying around inside him…it's wrong. She looked over at a quiet knock on the door, and managed a tired smile as Usagi poked her head in. "Hey, Odango."

"You're awake."

The miko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Frustratingly, yes."

Usagi sat on the edge of her bed and looked her over, wincing as her gaze settled on Rei's left eye. "That looks painful."

"It doesn't tickle, I assure you."

"And your side?" the blonde asked.

Rei lowered the blanket and gingerly pulled her tank top up; an angry red line marred the skin just above her hip. "It's already closed up but it hurt like hell at the time."

"Rei…"

"Oh, I'll be fine," she said dismissively. "I mean, I might have to lie low for a few days while this black eye heals…I can't have people thinking I joined some sort of underground fight club."

Usagi managed a weak smile. "I guess not."

Rei sat up with a painful sigh. "I know you're worried about me, Usagi, but I mean it. I'm okay."

"Twice in one day, though, Rei. It's like these guys are out to get you personally!"

"They're not. At least, not me. They've both been after Grandpa so far…which is even worse." She let out another sigh as she shook her head. "Hopefully after tonight they'll get the message."

"Mm."

I think she's more upset about this than I am, Rei thought. Same old Usagi…she cares more than just about anyone. But I care about her too…which is why we're changing the subject. "How's…uh…" She couldn't even bring herself to say his name without feeling ill. "How's he doing?"

"Mamo-chan's removed the bullet fragments and cleaned his wound…but he doesn't seem to think much of his chances without a hospital."

"Grandpa was pretty insistent," Rei said softly. "I don't understand why he's so focused on this guy, but I think he feels responsible for him, somehow; he said he was friends with his mother."

They sat in silence for almost a minute before Usagi spoke again. "We have to figure out what we're going to do next, before things get even more out of hand. You've been attacked twice, Rei - I'm not willing to wait around for a third time." She hesitated briefly as she toyed with her fingers. "Rinjirou. Do you think we can we trust him?"

The miko didn't have to think about it at all. "No."

"Just like that." Despite her phrasing, Usagi wasn't asking a question.

"Just like that," Rei agreed. "I'll admit he saved Grandpa and I tonight, but he also tried to kill Sailor Mars this morning…and that's not even the worst of it."

"There's more?!"

"He's literally carrying around a little piece of Chaos inside him, Usagi!" Rei shivered involuntarily as she remembered the ebony form erupting from his back. "I hit him with a ward accidentally, and I saw it! An aspect of Chaos tried to pull its way out of his body. Knowing that, there's no way I trust him. I can't trust anyone willing to harbour that evil thing willingly!"

"So what do we do with him?" the blonde asked.

"I don't know," Rei admitted, as her eyes returned to that oddly discoloured patch of ceiling. "I just don't know."

…you have betrayed the Order of Black, Paladin Payne…

…oh, my special little man…

…I am their will, their instrument…here to carry out your sentence…

…you sir, have gone too far…and I can't let it slide…

…I live to serve the Black…

Rinjirou's eyes snapped open instantly as he tried to sit up. It was a miserable failure; pain exploded in his stomach and he collapsed back against the bed – he thought – beneath him. Where…am I?

"Peace, Rinjirou. You're alright."

He turned his head and saw a familiar old man sitting beside him. "Hino-sama?" He looked terrible; cuts and scrapes marked his face, along with a deep purple bruise on one cheek.

"I'm here." Hino glanced up at the small window and smiled faintly. "You've been unconscious for some time. It's almost noon."

Rinjirou settled back against the pillow under him, surprised he was still alive. He ran his tongue over his dry lips, grimacing at the taste. "What happened? I remember…Sailor Senshi."

"That's right. They drove off your attacker."

He recalled a tall man in a hooded robe, with a pointed mask beneath."A Hunter…the ones you tried to warn me about."

Hino nodded solemnly. "Yes, that was a Hunter. He very nearly succeeded in killing you."

"There was another one in my hotel room. A cat saved me…a talking cat."

"A talking cat?" The old man raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That must be the blood loss talking."

I saw it, Rinjirou thought. Didn't I? A talking cat…with the same voice from the safe-house. I didn't make it all up. I think. He managed to lift his head enough to look down. He was shirtless, and a large piece of gauze was taped to his stomach.

…the sound was deafening. The miko span and then something tore into his stomach and knocked him to the ground…

"I've never seen a gun like that before." He winced as his fingers traced over the wound. "The bullet punched straight through my armour…"

Hino bowed his head. "The weapons and bullets are made for the Hunters, specially designed to pierce a Black Paladin's armour. It makes their kills quicker…more merciful. In theory."

That's no mercy I want any part of, he thought bitterly, as he let his head slump back onto the pillow beneath him. "You were right. You were right about everything. Elder Haim, the Hunters...even the Order itself. It's all lies." It was a somber realisation, one that threatened to tear his whole world down around him.

"No, Rinjirou," the old man said quietly. "The Order of Black may bear little resemblance to what it once was, but there are still many good people to be found within. In fact, most who serve do so out of a genuine desire to keep the world safe; it's the leadership that has lost its way. Most members are ignorant of the truth, just like you were."

Megumi, he thought, the other members of my squad…they're not evil. They can't be. They're just in the dark like I was, right?

"Perhaps the Order's fall began in the very beginning," Hino continued, "with its founding. The first Elder struck a deal with Chaos itself; can power from such a source ever truly be worth the price?"

"But…it was the only way for the Order to survive, right?" Rinjirou's question was hesitant, especially after learning that so much of what he thought he knew was lies. "They were beaten...virtually destroyed…"

"Perhaps. Those were dark times, Rinjirou. The Golden Kingdom had fallen, and the Moon Kingdom along with it; the Earth was plunged into chaos as a result…and the founder of the Order made a choice. I don't think you or I can say whether it was the right one or not, but I do believe he started out with noble intentions. Over time, however…whether through the nature of its existence or more human reasons, the Order has changed. The Hunters are both a symptom and cause of that change."

The Paladin frowned as he gingerly tried to sit up again. "What do you mean? How-"

The priest pressed his hand to Rinjirou's chest and gently pushed him back to the bed. "There'll be plenty of time for discussion later. For now, you should rest; your body needs time to recover."

Rinjirou resisted at first, but he had no strength to fight back with and in truth, he was beginning to grow weary. "Alright."

"Be at peace, my boy. You'll have answers soon enough, I promise."

He grit his teeth at 'my boy' – Haim was the last person to call him that – but pushed down the brief surge of anger it caused and managed a faint smile. "Thank you, Hino-sama."

"Thank the Sailor Senshi," Hino replied. "They're the ones who saved you…and treated your wound."

The old man closed the door behind him, leaving Rinjirou to his thoughts. There was only one question on his mind as he shuffled under the blanket. Why would they help me?

Makoto stifled yet another yawn as she stared down at a rather fat textbook entitled "Small Business Management in the 21st Century". What the hell was I thinking, she asked herself. Why did I decide to add a business management course to my study load? It wasn't the first time she'd pondered that question, but the answer was a simple one. After her feelings for Garrett – Wrath, his name was Wrath, damn it! – had subsided, she'd found herself the only single girl in the group. Well, except for Rei, but she seems happy enough without any romantic entanglements.

That meant she had a lot more time on her hands. Usagi and Minako were understandably focused on their classes and boyfriends – not necessarily in that order! – and Ami was off studying medicine in Germany. Rei was technically still around, but she'd gradually been throwing herself into more and more work at the shrine…leaving Makoto alone. There was Corey, of course, but things were still a little awkward between them; having to accept you're crushing on one of your best friends' boyfriends wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. That left Mamoru, and they'd never really been friends. They were polite, and civil, but he was just Usagi's boyfriend to her…and her future King. There wasn't much else to say on the matter.

So, she'd re-evaluated her life and decided that Wrath had been honest on at least one point. Your dream is unique. It's your own. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone but you…as long as it makes you happy. Makoto's dream was to open her own restaurant someday…so she decided to really get serious. Culinary school is all well and good, but I know how to cook. What I'm not confident with is actually running a business…so Business Management seemed like a good choice. But now, trying to focus on this gibberish after a sleepless night? I'm beginning to regret my decision!

Her doorbell rang, snapping her out of her thoughts, and she glanced at her phone quickly. Four-oh-eight PM? I guess it could be anyone, but…oh, hell! I forgot he was coming over! Makoto closed her laptop in a hurry and rushed towards the door, pausing by the mirror to check her hair. Oh, what the hell am I doing? He doesn't care about that! She yanked open the door and smiled at Corey. "Hi."

"Hey." He held a bottle of wine and a small paper bag. "Sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it," she said, as she waved him inside. "Come in."

He stepped into her living room and took a brief look around. "Huh."

"What?"

"I think this is the first time I've actually been inside your apartment." Corey walked over to the kitchen and placed the wine and bag down. "Is that weird?"

"Well, sure…I guess it's a little weird." Makoto was suddenly nervous. We haven't been alone like this for a while."But we can't really meet at your place. Not with Minako living there now." And just like that, it's awkward!

"Yeah, that'd make keeping this a secret pretty hard." He suddenly seemed as awkward as she felt. "So, I guess, uh…if you're ready…we should just get straight into it?"

"Just like that?" she asked, surprised. "I was thinking we could talk a little first, or something?"

"Oh. Yeah, of course." The tall American drummed his fingers against the countertop idly before his eyes locked on the textbook on the table. "Oh. How're you finding your business management course?"

Makoto almost rolled her eyes. Corey wasn't a great conversationalist; that was the absolute last thing she wanted to talk about. "You know what? You're right. You're here for a reason, and I think we should just get to it. You open the wine while I wash up."

As she entered the bathroom and stared at her own reflection, she couldn't help but wonder if this was really such a good idea. It could go badly…for both of us...but Corey needs this. A smile tugged at her lips as she opened the tap and water streamed over her hands. I can't lie. Despite how awkward it could get, I think this is going to be a lot of fun.

AN: Another chapter down! Not a big one events-wise, but I tried to work in some character development around the more mundane plot-shifting stuff. One thing I've always loved about the Senshi, especially the Guardian Senshi, is their ability to be completely focused on the task at hand one moment, and then be cracking jokes or off on a tangent a second later. That's what I was going for with the scene in the courtyard - they're definitely worried, but you've got to bleed off the stress somehow, right? We also got a quick look at Usagi and Mamoru and where they're at...as well as Rei and Rinjirou's thought process after the Hunter attack. Not much else to say, really, except that I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to have Chapter Seven up for you within the week. I had a couple of people favourite since Chapter Five went up, so thanks very much to you for your support, and of course to my wonderful reviewers as well!