Sailor Moon - The Order of Black

Chapter Thirteen - The Sanctuary

Originally published 26/06/2015

The world reappeared in another flash of light…but Rinjirou was no longer at the shrine. He wasn't on his back either, despite being certain he'd toppled over just a moment ago. Justice released him and he stumbled forward, barely keeping his footing as his stomach lurched and twisted into knots. "That was awful…"

Rather annoyingly, the Guardian Knight seemed completely unaffected. "You get used to it."

"Indeed." Titus dropped from Justice's shoulders with all the grace one would expect from a cat. He winked in the same odd pattern as before and a purple light visor appeared over his eyes. He began to turn slowly in place, examining the building around them. "Let's get started."

Justice approached a support pillar in the middle of the floor. The exterior concrete shell had been shattered by some kind of explosive, and several smaller cracks surrounded it – likely bullet impacts. "This is the place, alright, but it looks like those Paladins cleaned up after themselves. No blood, no shell casings...they even retrieved the bullets."

"They didn't want to leave any trace of their presence behind," Titus noted. "Any comments, Rinjirou?"

"It's not standard operating procedure," he murmured. "The Order favours secrecy, of course, but I haven't seen this kind of clean up so quickly before. We're warriors, not labourers." He studied the pillar a little more closely; there was something off about the damage. At last, it dawned on him that there were no burn marks or scoring patterns typical of conventional explosives.

A fact not lost on Justice. "This is like no explosive I've ever seen."

"I'll take some readings in a moment," the cat called, focused on a seemingly clean patch of floor.

The Guardian Knight didn't push it any further, and instead headed towards the entrance, his helmet locked on the catwalk above. There were several tell-tale dents in the metal that indicated more gunfire.

Rinjirou spared the pillar one final look. It looks like they were concentrating their fire on this point. Most of the damage was probably done by someone's Chaos Ability. Perhaps one of those Constructs took cover behind it? Or one of the Senshi they encountered...

"They were quite thorough in their cleaning efforts," Titus declared, "but not thorough enough. I've performed a basic analysis and there's more than enough residual blood to follow. It looks like our Paladin was bleeding quite heavily."

Justice rose from a crouch after examining scuff marks on the floor. "This reminds me of the time we tracked that assassin youma through Denver."

"Ah, yes, of course! You were a little rougher around the edges back then, though."

"And you were ginger." There was a clear hint of amusement in the Guardian Knight's voice.

Rinjirou found himself almost envious of their interplay; it reminded him of happier times, back with the Order of Black. I had a team like that once, before Elder Haim sent me to Tokyo and my life went to hell. Here I am working with their enemies – my enemies! - investigating the organisation I called home for nine years. He sighed wearily and turned away...when something caught his eyes. A small piece of ebony stone lodged deep in the wall. "What's that?"

The cat was still focused on his blood trail. "What's what?"

"A piece of black rock, in the wall..." He reached out and grabbed it. As he pried it loose from its hole it flared to life, twisting and shifting its shape around his hand. "What the hell?!"

"Drop it!" Titus cried, as he rushed towards him. "Now!"

Rinjirou managed to shake whatever it was loose and toss it to the floor. His fingers wrapped around his daggers instinctively as he stepped away from it. "What is that thing?!"

The cat approached the 'rock' warily as it settled back into its original shape. "A piece of Construct."

"It must have been cut loose during the battle," Justice said. "Or blown off by the Senshi."

Titus studied Rinjirou curiously. "It sensed something about you it liked. That tiny piece of Chaos you carry, perhaps?"

"What do you know about that?" he demanded. I certainly didn't tell him about my Chaos Sliver!

Justice ignored his question entirely, focused on Titus. "That fits with what we know about Rev."

"Indeed."

"Rev?" Rinjirou was rapidly growing annoyed. "Will someone explain to me what the hell is going on?"

Titus sighed irritably. "Rev refers to the cloud entity that attacked Tokyo six months ago. A nickname provided by..." He trailed off. "That's not important. He proclaimed himself the Revenant Knight and claimed to have consumed an aspect of Chaos that came to tempt him. The Construct's response to you seems to confirm that story."

"A creation of Chaos reacting to another piece of it," Justice agreed, as he prodded it with the point of his sword. "It seems harmless enough now, though."

"They were anything but harmless when we encountered them."

Three women descended from the catwalk above, all wearing the iconic uniform of the Sailor Senshi; a tall, short-haired blonde, another with long aqua hair and a shorter, dark-haired girl - she carried a spear of sorts that was taller than her.

No, Rinjirou realised, as he sank into a defensive stance. That's a glaive. Only one Sailor Senshi was known to carry such a weapon; Sailor Saturn, the Senshi of Ruin. This girl has the power to destroy the entire planet?!

The aqua-haired Senshi spoke first, marking herself as the likely leader. "Titus. Justice." Her tone was cool, almost standoffish.

"Neptune. Uranus." The Guardian Knight's response was just as flat. "Saturn."

Equally cool, Rinjirou noted. Towards the first two, at least. There's clearly little love lost between them. He filed that away for future reference; one could never be sure when such knowledge might become useful.

The tall blonde glared at him with open aggression. "You're working with the enemy now, Titus?"

The cat's reply was as silky smooth as ever. "This is Rinjirou, formerly of the Order of Black. While he remains loyal to their ideals, he abhors their penchant for...heavy-handedness."

"Very diplomatic of you," he muttered. "You've quite the silver tongue, Titus, but I'm more than capable of speaking for myself." He met the Senshi's glare without hesitation. "Our goals are aligned for now, Senshi. That's all. I don't like you any more than you like me."

She snorted derisively. "Oh, well why didn't you say so?"

He already founded her irritating. "The feeling's mutual, I assure you."

Neptune held up a hand, silencing Uranus' response. "You trust someone who changes their loyalties so easily, Titus?"

"We're not here to discuss Rinjirou or his loyalties," the cat said firmly. "We came here to investigate these Constructs you encountered, so I'd appreciate it if we could talk about them instead."

"We told Us-" Neptune coughed abruptly into her hand. "We already reported everything we saw to the Princess. They were just normal Constructs, with a few subtle differences. They appeared sleeker somehow. Sharper and more angular."

"They definitely had no problems cutting through the armour those Paladins were wearing," Uranus said, with a victorious smirk in Rinjirou's direction. "It serves them right for attacking us afterwards!"

Rinjirou ignored her taunt as he fingered the ragged hole in his own armour. That Hunter's bullet had little trouble punching through my armour either. His stomach still ached, even now.

"That's it?" Justice asked dubiously. "They were sleeker?"

"What do you want us to say, Tinman?" the blonde snapped. "They were Constructs!"

"Of course, Uranus," Titus said soothingly. "I'm sure Justice didn't mean anything by it." He returned his attention to Neptune. "What about the Paladins?"

"There were five of them. Two armed with guns, the other three with swords."

"Six if you include the guy in the hood," Uranus added, now glaring at the Guardian Knight instead.

"The Cleric," Saturn murmured, finally breaking her silence. "He was trying to control the Constructs with this strange...sceptre. It's difficult to explain, but it felt like the Revenant Knight was here."

Titus cocked his head to the side. "Curious. It created some sort of artificial aura?"

She nodded. "That's what it felt like."

Rinjirou drifted into his own thoughts. What was the Order thinking, working with these Constructs? They had the Black Paladins. Their numbers were small, but they were entirely capable of battling the Moon Princess and her Senshi to a standstill. What could they possibly need such creatures for?

"Rinjirou?"

He looked up to find everyone staring at him expectantly. "What?"

The cat frowned. "I asked if you had any thoughts on these Paladins and their purpose here."

"Their purpose?" He found that a profoundly stupid question. "What purpose do they need besides protecting innocent people from harm?"

"Protecting the innocent," Uranus scoffed, with a mocking laugh. "That's why you unleashed those things in the first place, right?"

"I did nothing," he snapped, "and I'm getting tired of your insults. If you want a fight so badly, let's just get to it already!" On some level he was aware of his Chaos Sliver fuelling the fire inside him, but he cared little in the moment.

She grinned dangerously. "Oh, I'm more than happy to-"

"Uranus!" Neptune's tone was one of warning. "This isn't helpful!"

"Not at all," Titus agreed, the fur on his back rippling. "Both of you, please, let's focus on the actual threat here." His voice softened again. "What do you think, Rinjirou? Does anything stand out to you about these Paladins?"

I'm a loyal Paladin, he told himself. At least I was. I didn't betray the Order of Black, but...using such creatures as what, weapons? That's not right. Besides...basic squad make-up is hardly going to harm anyone, is it? "It sounds like a standard five-man squad. Definitely not a strike team; they'd all be carrying guns in that case. No, if I had to guess…based on the information you've given me so far…I'd say they were guards, stationed at this Sanctuary you mentioned earlier."

Titus nodded slowly. "A logical assumption."

Neptune folded her arms across her chest. "So? What's our next step?"

"Well, Sailor Neptune, you three and Justice are going to wait here while Rinjirou and I try to locate this Sanctuary."

Justice, largely silent to this point, surged back to life. "I'll come with you."

"That would be quite a sight," the cat retorted. "I'm sorry, Justice, but stealth is required for the next stage of our investigation...and you're hardly suited for that kind of work."

Rinjirou stifled a snort; that was an understatement. A six-and-a-half foot tall brute in plate armour trying to sneak through Brussels. He'd have every Paladin in the northern hemisphere on top of him in minutes!

"But-"

"I'll be fine," Titus assured him. "Wait here with the Senshi. We'll follow the trail and see what we can find. I'll contact you if we run into any trouble." Titus glanced up at Rinjirou and gestured. "Ready?"

He nodded mutely. Does he actually trust me, or is this all a calculated risk? He had the feeling Titus did nothing with crunching the numbers first.

Justice's helmet dipped forward in a reluctant nod. "Be careful, buddy...and watch your back."

Titus was clearly amused. "Don't I always?" He turned to the Paladin and flashed a toothy grin of his own. "Come along, then. Let's see if we can both find some of the answers we seek."

Saturn glanced up at Justice for what felt like the hundredth time. He was on the catwalk above her, looking down on the factory below. His face was hidden behind his helmet, something Saturn found profoundly unfair; she had no way of hiding her own feelings in such a way. Neptune and Uranus hadn't really been any help, either; they were in the middle of a quiet conversation of their own. She shook her head and sighed quietly. Did he miss me while I was gone? Are we still even friends, or does he hate me after all? There were just so many questions on her mind, and she couldn't stay silent anymore.

She jumped up to the catwalk with ease and flipped over the railing to land beside him. "Can we talk?"

His helmet didn't move. "Sure."

Saturn scratched absently at her arm as she considered what to say – it all seemed so inadequate in her head. What did you say to the object of your crush after months of nothing? Why did it feel like it was up to her to start? "Um…how have you been?"

"No complaints." At long last, he turned to meet her gaze. "How about you? How's Europe treating you?"

"It's been…fun. Different, but fun." She was struck with the sudden desire to curl up into a tiny ball and hide until he was gone. After six months to sort out her feelings, she was more embarrassed by her crush than anything. Mortified, even. And I'm stuck here with him until Titus and the Paladin come back.

"Great. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." He wasn't giving her anything to work with at all. Just a lot of meaningless small talk.

Saturn leaned forward on the railing and sighed. "This is really awkward, isn't it?"

"No," he said quickly. "Not at all."

She couldn't see his face through his helmet, but there was a familiar dry humour to his voice now. "Are you just saying that to try and make me feel better?"

"Well, that depends." He turned away for a moment. "Is it working?"

"Well…" She was unable to hold back a faint smile. "A little. I guess."

"A little's better than nothing." Justice's focus turned to the other two Senshi. "How've things been with Stretch and Michiru?"

"I don't think she likes Stretch very much."

He shrugged. "I couldn't care less what she likes."

Despite her earlier reservations, Saturn actually giggled. Somehow, he'd managed to banish most of her nerves. "Things have been good, mostly. Definitely better than they were six months ago. It feels like it used to…before the Revenant Knight came." Her head dipped a little. "Most of the time."

"You okay?"

She nodded gently. "It hasn't been as easy as I thought it would. I thought coming here with them would help us mend our relationship, but…trusting them feels wrong, somehow. Like I'm making a mistake. Will I just end up hurt again?" Her shoulders rose and fell in a quick shrug. "I don't know. Maybe. But this whole situation with the Constructs and the Paladins gives me hope." A wistful smile formed on her lips as she looked up at him again. "It took a little while, but they did listen to me. About this. They called Usagi because I told them to. That's something, right?"

"It's definitely something," he agreed.

"I just have to keep hoping things are getting better. If they slip up again…" Her expression darkened abruptly. "There's something I've never asked you, Cor-" She caught herself in time, and tried again. "Justice. Why did you spare them after they turned on us? After they attacked Rei, and you?"

Another shrug. "I know what it's like to screw up."

"The Silver Millennium," she recalled. "You got distracted. You lost your focus. Because of Mina." Just the mention of Minako's past incarnation threatened to bring a frown to her face. She knew in her heart that she didn't love Corey, and never really had, but it was hard not to blame the bubbly blonde for her part in the whole ordeal. Really! Letting someone else crush on her boyfriend! Who does that?

"It wasn't her fault," he said softly. "I allowed her to distract me. It was all on me." He turned towards her slightly. "Just like it was six months ago."

She remained silent, mulling over his words. He had screwed up his speech about love pretty badly, if she was honest.

Justice sighed quietly. "I watched the Moon Kingdom fall apart around me because I gave up. Faith and Honour's betrayal was my responsibility, Saturn. If I'd had my eyes open, if I'd only been willing to see the truth…maybe I could have prevented what happened somehow."

"Maybe not," she countered gently. "The Moon Kingdom was destined to fall."

"That doesn't matter. I could have done more. I could have done better. I failed in my duty, Saturn, and I failed the Moon Kingdom…but Queen Serenity forgave me. She looked past my mistakes and gave me another chance. She sent me here with the rest of you… so I could try again. So I could do better." He glanced over at Uranus and Neptune as they began climbing the stairs towards them. "Who am I to judge them, really? And how could I do any less for them?"

She frowned again. "But they did try to kill you…"

Justice laughed quietly. "If I recall correctly, you sank your glaive pretty deep into my shoulder when we first met. Should I hold that against you?"

Saturn smiled faintly; his point was well taken. "I'm glad you don't." She felt a lot better after getting some words in. "So we're okay? You don't…well, I know you don't hate me, but-"

"We're better than okay, Hotaru. We're friends."

"Yes," she agreed, glad to hear her name at last. "We are." And I'm very happy for it.

Neptune came to a stop before him, her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. "Why did Titus bring that Paladin here?"

"What do we really know about him?" Uranus added. "How are we supposed to trust him?"

"Titus knows what he's doing," Justice replied, with no hesitation at all. "Nobody schemes like that cat, trust me."

The tall blonde continued to press him. "You've earned our trust, at least. He hasn't."

Neptune folded her arms across her chest. "Do you trust him?"

Again, there was no hesitation on his part. "No. But I trust Titus, and he thinks Rinjirou may be useful."

Even Saturn was curious. "But you aren't happy about it?"

Justice sighed. "Not really, no. I'm willing to give him a chance, for Titus…but as far as I'm concerned he's already proven himself an enemy."

Neptune frowned. "What?"

"The first thing he did when he arrived in Tokyo was attack Mars. He tried to kill her."

Uranus' nostrils flared in anger. "So we're just letting him-"

"I'm watching him, Stretch," the knight said firmly, "and so are the other Senshi. Nobody's blind to the fact that he could be dangerous, believe me, but it's her call." His reference to Usagi was clear. "Right now, she agrees with Titus…so I do too."

Neptune's stare was ice cold. "And if he does prove a threat?"

Justice met her stare with one of his own. "I was willing to kill you two to protect the others. I may not like it…but I'll do what I have to if the situation calls for it."

The aqua-haired Senshi nodded approvingly, only strengthening the chill running down Saturn's spine. "Good."

The blood itself had largely dried up by this point, but there were enough trace elements left over for Titus' visor to follow. The grim trail finally led them to a commercial district and a large, modern office building.

"Hardly the obvious choice," he murmured, "but appearances can be deceiving. Take the door guard for instance; he's no mere rent-a-cop. His demeanor screams military."

"Probably not a Paladin," Rinjirou observed, "but he could be enlisted. That pistol is standard Order issue."

"Mm." Titus was already probing the building's defences. "Cameras, motion sensors, electronic door locks…getting into this Sanctuary isn't going to be easy." He glanced back down at the ground. "They didn't use the front door, either. The trail continues towards the rear."

"Most Order facilities have a camouflaged rear-entrance. It makes sense they'd use that; a squad of Paladins in battle armour would make for quite a sight."

They followed the trail around the perimeter to a storm drain, where it abruptly ended.

"Dead end," Rinjirou muttered. "Unless…" He crouched and examined the concrete structure. "I see no obvious signs of a hidden panel, but I've seen similar entrances in…other facilities."

He caught himself before revealing something unnecessary, Titus realised. He's starting to see me as more of an ally already. He really does want to belong, even worse than I thought. He scanned the drain thoroughly, until a popup appeared indicating faint electrical activity. "I think I might have found your panel." Sure enough, he brushed a paw over the source of the signal and was amused to see the concrete slide away, revealing a keypad. "How quaint."

"Quaint?"

"A hidden keypad. It's just so…Hollywood." The cat zoomed in on the keys, illuminating several clear fingerprints. It was almost too easy…with one rather large exception; the keys were too small for his paws. He couldn't really press them. I suppose I could find a stick, or… "The code is oh-two-oh-six-seven-three. Would you mind entering it for me?"

The Paladin leaned over and punched in the code. The storm drain slid back into the ground, revealing a dimly lit staircase. "I haven't seen that before."

"Very theatrical…and well protected. My visor's detected more cameras and motion trackers, among other defences."

"I can't help you there," Rinjirou said, as he peered into the darkness. "My...ability…only conceals me from living eyes."

"And a cat will be quite conspicuous inside."

"Especially one with a crescent moon on his forehead," he agreed, lapsing into silence.

I could send him in alone, Titus thought, but I don't trust him to report back on everything I want to know. There's also the matter of any further computer-based obstacles; Rinjirou doesn't strike me as a particularly tech-savvy individual.

The solution came from the Paladin himself. "I agreed to aid you, and on my honour I will. Get up on my shoulders."

"What?!" His fur bristled at just the thought of such a thing. He'd snuck into plenty of places just as dangerous as this…but such elaborate security was usually backed up with plenty of guards, and he wasn't invisible. It was indoors, it would be well lit, and he couldn't rely on there being a convenient ventilation shaft to hide in. This isn't the Silver Millennium anymore; technology has progressed.

"My ability will hide you if you're close enough to me. Get on my shoulders, and between the two of us we'll be invisible to everyone and everything inside."

Titus remained wary. He didn't trust Rinjirou in the slightest; this was an alliance of convenience at best, and he had no illusions about the Paladin's motivations. But with that said, there were no other available options. It's a risk I have to take, he decided. This is the Order stronghold I've been looking for, and I'm not going to get another chance anytime soon.

He leapt onto the Paladin's shoulders in a single bound and steadied himself. "…My thanks." There's no need to be rude about it, after all. Breaching the security system itself was a simple task – Moon Kingdom technology was far more advanced than anything the Order of Black had – and they made their way down the stairs and into the Sanctuary.

Rinjirou willed Shadow Walker into effect and felt the familiar tingle as it shrouded them in a cloak of anonymity. It didn't make him truly invisible – cameras could still see him, along with anyone actively trying to find him – but it shifted the attention of those less alert away from him, and that was enough for the moment.

He held no illusions about the cat on his shoulders. He doesn't trust me. His reluctance to accept my offer was clear enough proof of that. This is a risk for him, a calculated risk, and a concession on my part. I don't have anywhere near the same mastery of computers as Titus; I'll need him if I'm going to get into the Order's records.

They reached a second door, which they opened with the same technique as the first. A bright, white corridor awaited them as they stepped through and entered what Rinjirou assumed was the Order's Sanctuary base.

"I'm feeling a little exposed," Titus complained. "Can't you at least stick closer to the walls?"

"Quiet," he shot back. "This isn't my first time doing this, you know." Despite his confident reply, he did what he could to remain out of sight of any cameras; Titus' visor was broadcasting a scramble signal that was supposed to be looping any cameras automatically, but this was his first time infiltrating such an advanced facility. I'm used to dank, squalid holes in the ground, he thought ruefully, filled with blind, stupid criminals or pirates. Not bright shiny labs guarded by other Paladins.

As if on cue, a man and woman in familiar armour rounded the far corner. Rinjirou ducked into one of several alcoves along the corridor – they seemed to be hand washing stations – and took one last deep breath as he gestured for Titus to be silent.

"Those Constructs are fearsome opponents," the woman muttered. "They took out Parker and Yun with ease."

"And just two Sailor Senshi took them down in seconds," her companion agreed bitterly. "How will we combat them when we can't even stop their cannon fodder?" There was a brief pause. "What is it? You seem distracted."

The woman sighed heavily. "I'm to return to London to report to the Council. My flight leaves first thing tomorrow morning."

"I'm sure it's nothing. They probably just want to hear an account of events from someone who was there in person."

"It must be!" she agreed. "Chaos knows we had no choice but to defend ourselves from the Senshi!"

Rinjirou gave them a few more seconds to get clear before moving again. He kept to a cautious pace, careful not to make too much noise or enter any rooms without clearing them first. Another door lay ahead; they passed through it carefully and found the room beyond mercifully empty. A self-opening door is a sure-fire way to arouse suspicion.

"By Selene…" Titus whispered.

Rinjirou wasn't sure who Selene was, but he was forced to agree with the spirit of his statement. The room they found themselves in was more of a corridor with one wall made of glass, running parallel to a large, open space. Two men in robes stood surrounded by a contingent of other people in static suits. "Clerics…"

Several cylindrical tanks occupied the centre of the room, fully-formed Constructs floating within. To see the creatures he'd only heard described so far was quite a chilling sight. They were like shadows given form, human in appearance but for their arms and fingers; they tapered off into long, wicked points. Such a claw wouldn't have much trouble cutting through most things, he thought somberly. Paladin armour included! "I can scarcely believe it," he whispered. "I heard the Senshi, and you of course…but to see them for myself…" His feet moved almost of their own accord, bringing him closer to the glass. "What can the Order really gain from this? They killed two Paladins and a Cleric. Why experiment with these monsters?"

The cat prodded his neck, gently steering him to the left. "There, at the far end of the corridor. I see a vacant office with a computer. I might be able to access their archives from there."

Rinjirou managed to tear himself away from the lab, still stunned after seeing the Constructs with his own eyes, and carefully made his way down the corridor to the office door. It opened without effort and he slipped inside, closing the door again behind him.

Titus dropped off his shoulders, onto the desk. "Guard the door. Warn me if anyone approaches." He was visible now, free of Shadow Walker's effect as he settled in front of the keyboard.

"You can type, too?"

The cat looked up at him with disdain. "After everything else you've seen today, that's what you find the most impressive?" His paws moved over the keys slowly but steadily as he nodded slowly. "Let's see. Yes, that's interesting but not exactly new information."

"You're already through?" Rinjirou asked, surprised by his progress.

"Not entirely," Titus admitted. "There's a higher level of encryption that will take longer to break if we want access to the really good stuff."

"Still…" He was troubled by the relative ease with which the cat had cracked the Order's security.

"This Sanctuary, as they call it, commenced operations just under six months ago…right after the fall of the Revenant Knight. A Cleric Whitehill is in charge, though he reports to someone called 'Thorn'."

"I've never heard of anyone called Thorn," Rinjirou said, as he frowned. "My superior was a Knight-Captain, and the head of the Clerics was Grand Cleric Avaline last time I bothered to check. Thorn is unfamiliar to me."

"Could he be a member of this Council you mentioned?"

He shook his head. "No, I know all their names. He's not a member." His eyes narrowed. "We know there's another branch of the Order, though; those Hunters." The Paladin headed for the computer. "Run a search for Hunter. Or Thorn."

The cat's paws flew over the keys. "No results for either."

"What? How can that be?!"

Titus' eyes narrowed slowly. "Those files may be behind the additional security I haven't breached yet…or they may simply not exist."

"That can't be," he murmured. "I need those files. That's my proof!" It was a gut-punch; the Hunters who'd attacked him didn't exist?! What madness was that?

"I've got access to the personnel files, and there's no-one named Thorn listed. Alive or dead."

Alive or dead, he thought, with a sudden flash of inspiration. "Alright. Search for Sawako Payne."

"Payne?" The cat glanced up at him. "She's a…relative?"

"My mother," Rinjirou said softly. "There may be a reference in her file to the information I seek." Assuming everything Hino-sama told me was correct, that is.

"Here." Titus backed away from the keyboard, allowing Rinjirou to slip in behind it in his place.

"Sawako Payne," he read quietly. "Deceased." That, he knew all too well. "Paladin Payne was given an opportunity to become one of the Watchful Eye…which she declined. She was dispatched for the sake of the Black by order of…High Seeker Thorn."

"That name again…"

"Bring up anything on the Watchful Eye," Rinjirou ordered.

The cat worked the keys for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Nothing. No records found except for this and a few other personnel files. I'll download them for later reference."

The Paladin nodded absently as he returned to his mother's file. She was offered the chance to join this Watchful Eye…and killed when she refused. Is this the true name of these Hunters? And who is High Seeker Thorn? Does he lead them the same way Harcourt leads the Black Paladins? He'd come here to find answers…but so far, all he had were more questions.

"There's an attachment," Titus noted. "Marked 'husband'." His ears flattened slightly. "That would be your father?"

"It would." His father, though he'd not been much of one after his mother's death. When I needed him most, Rinjirou recalled bitterly. He just hauled me off to London and forgot about me. Any of his anger abruptly faded as he began to read, however, replaced with stunned disbelief and grief. Was unable to be swayed…continued his own investigation…stumbled onto the truth…suspect Cleric Hino was complicit… His eyes widened as he reached the end of the file. Warwick Payne was dispatched by the Watchful Eye for the sake of the Black. Local law enforcement believe the wreck an accident.

It was all beginning to make sense. His father's withdrawal after his mother's death, his distance. He thought him grieving at the time, but he was really investigating the Order of Black – looking for the true circumstances of her death. The terrible truth was the Order had killed her after she refused to become one of these Watchful Eyes…and the same group had murdered his father when he uncovered the truth behind her death. The crash that took him from Rinjirou was no accident; this Watchful Eye staged the whole thing. It was written in black and white before his very eyes.

"Rinjirou…" Titus' voice was quiet. "I'm…sorry."

He blinked abruptly and closed the file. "Copy both of those too, please. I'll need to…go over them again later, but…they contain at least some of the proof I need to expose the truth."

"Done."

The Paladin's eyes flicked up to the door; it was slightly ajar. I'm sure I closed it properly before I came over here. He listened carefully but heard nothing. Still, I was caught by surprise once before, in my hotel room. As he focused his attention on the room ahead of him, he caught a faint shimmer in the air by the door and stared right at it. If I focus…

Titus had picked up on his shift in stance. "What is it?"

His fingers dropped slowly to his daggers. "Trouble."

"Impressive." The shimmer became solid - a tall man in a familiar, hooded robe and mask.

"A Hunter," Rinjirou growled, "and he has Shadow Walker too."

The hooded man drew a sword from beneath his robe. "Welcome to the Sanctuary, Paladin Payne. I'm afraid you and your friend won't be leaving here alive."

AN: Yes, I know, it's a cliffhanger. So sue me! Thirteen chapters in and this is only the second one – I'd say I'm doing pretty well!

I was going to cut the chapter earlier but I figured it's been eight days without an update, what harm does another thousand words really do? Plus, this felt like the right place to cut things with Titus and Rinjirou in a little peril to close things out.

The interactions between Rinjirou and Titus were pretty fun to write. There was some banter but not to the same level of say Titus and Corey, and hopefully it's clear that Rinjirou's not quite as under the cat's influence as he thinks. He's using Titus the same way he's using him – though I'm feeling like we have a little mutual respect developing at the same time.

Hopefully it all flowed well enough for everyone's liking. I cut a planned Megumi scene because it felt like it didn't really fit with the rest of the chapter – that will feature in a later chapter instead. And no Inner Senshi for the second time in this story *gasp* I'm always a little nervous when my 'safety nets' aren't present (Usagi and Minako!) Love it or hate it, let me know what you thought, and as always I'll be back with the continuation soon!

Lisseas