Sailor Moon - The Order of Black
Chapter Twenty One: The Fall of Rinjirou Payne Part Two
Originally published 27/07/2015
Rinjirou wandered the city in a daze, unsure how much time had passed. Somehow, he wound up at the docks, staring out into the ocean as he relived the night's events. Megumi is a Hunter, and Rei is a Sailor Senshi. It just kept coming back to those two points in his head. His original goal – ending the Hunters' threat – seemed like a lifetime ago now.
Megumi's defence of the so-called Watchful Eye was devastating. She's bought in completely, he told himself sadly. She always was focused on honour and duty above everything else; it probably made it even easier for them to warp her mind. That same dedication made her other revelation even more surprising. She was in love with him. Or had been, at any rate. She was right. I never so much as looked at her in that light. Maybe if I had seen it…I could have helped her stay on the right path.
Adding to his pain was Rei's reveal as a Sailor Senshi. Mars, going by her attack calls. The one person Rinjirou had gotten even close to friendly with…was his enemy. It was almost inconceivable, but it did explain her incredibly quick arrival at the shrine on that first day; she was already there.
Beyond the emotional turmoil were more pragmatic concerns. His remaining dagger could be more accurately described as a shiv –not a very good one, either – and Megumi's last attack had practically destroyed his armour. It was technically still in one piece, but he could feel the cool night air through its cracks. I'd be lucky if it stood up against a damp rag, he thought sourly.
That left Rinjirou with nothing but his pistol. He slipped it from its holster, inspecting it briefly as he considered that particular problem. If Hunter armour was anywhere near as good as Paladin issue – which seemed like a safe bet – it wouldn't even make a dent. He pulled back the slide to chamber a round, almost automatically. With his luck, the first two Hunters would be coming for him shortly; it would cap off the night's events perfectly.
"Please tell me you're not planning on shooting yourself."
Rei. He hadn't even noticed her approach. If she was a Hunter, I'd be dead. "Just leave me alone, Rei. Please."
"Do you really think I'm going to do that?"
Rinjirou couldn't even bring himself to look at her. "I wish you would."
"Well, tough, because you came to my rescue when I needed you. Now, I'm doing the same for you. Just…a little less dramatically."
"God, you're annoying," he muttered, finally holstering his pistol. "How did you even find me?"
"I followed the nausea," she replied, almost matter-of-factly.
That was an odd thing to say. "What?"
"I'll explain in a sec." Rei's voice was soft, quite reserved compared to her usual tone. "We've got a few more important things to cover first, don't you think?"
Rinjirou nodded wearily; that was an understatement. "You're a Sailor Senshi."
"And you're a Black Paladin. I get it, we're supposed to be enemies."
"I'm no Black Paladin," he said bitterly. "Not anymore." No, he continued silently, Megumi was quite clear on that. "I don't know what I am anymore. Nothing, I guess."
A hint of real concern flickered across Rei's face. "You're not nothing."
They lapsed into an awkward silence. Rinjirou had little interest in pursuing that line of thinking, and Rei seemed unsure of what to say next. Even with what he now knew about her, it was amazing how easy it had been for him to speak to her just now. That led him to a question of his own, though; one he dreaded the answer to.
"Getting to know me, wanting to help me…was it all a lie?"
"No," she said quietly."
Oh, how he wanted to believe that. "So you were just meant to watch me, then? Make sure I stayed out of trouble?"
"It wasn't like that!" she snapped irritably, glaring back at him. "Grandpa offered you a place at the shrine against my wishes."
Rinjirou turned, arms folded across his chest. "So you didn't even want me there in the first place?"
"Well, of course not!" she snapped, her usual fire returning. "In case you didn't notice, I'm the Sailor Senshi you fought that first day at the shrine! You tried to kill me, but…" Her voice softened again as she shook her head. "I meant every word I said to you earlier, Rinjirou. Somehow, I grew to li…to not hate you. Despite that damned thing in your chest making me sick all the time."
He brushed his fingertips over his chest unconsciously. "The Chaos Sliver? It…it makes you sick?"
"Sometimes literally," she agreed, with a faint smile. "Even violently. I followed that feeling to find you."
"So, right now…?"
Something strange happened; she actually managed a quiet laugh. "I'm trying really hard not to hurl on you."
The Sailor Senshi are my enemy. The Sailor Senshi are my enemy. The familiar mantra echoed in his head, but Rinjirou could feel the same warm, safe feeling he had earlier. "I make you sick…but you still spent time with me. You even came after me tonight, because you were worried…"
Rei glanced away, suddenly uncomfortable. "Well, don't make a big deal out of it…but yeah. I did."
They entered into another silence, both appearing to digest what the other had said. Finally, though, the miko spoke.
"What are you going to do, Rinjirou? Are you going to write off our friendship because I'm someone you used to be at odds with…or will you choose a different path?"
The Sailor Senshi are my enemy. The Sailor Senshi are my enemy…but why? The answer was obvious, of course. The Moon Princess and her Sailor Senshi seek to reform the Moon Kingdom here, on Earth. So the Order claims, anyway. There was just one problem with that line of thinking. The Order stood in defence of Earth, of innocent life, but they were the only ones he'd actually seen kill anybody. The Senshi had defended him, a known threat, from the Hunters. Twice.
Rinjirou had spent his entire life following orders. His father. His uncle. Knight-Captain Harcourt, and the rest of his superiors in the Order of Black. Even his mother, unwittingly. I joined the Order in part because I thought it was what she would have wanted, he admitted silently. If he was honest, he had no recollection of ever making a decision for himself. Not without basing it on someone else's opinion. I have no reason to hate the Sailor Senshi, he realised. I may not trust them or their motivations, but it doesn't mean I have to hate them.
"Well?" Rei was hugging her own elbows, shivering slightly in the cool air. "Don't keep me waiting all night! It's freezing out here, and I forgot my jacket. Again."
Maybe I don't have to make a decision right now, he decided. Maybe I can investigate them for myself, and decide later when I have all the facts. It doesn't mean I'm siding with them; I'm just giving them a chance to prove me wrong. Right? Giving Rei a chance.
"Don't even think about lying to me, either," she grumbled, "Because I can always tell when you are."
Perhaps it was all just another mistake, but Rinjirou was tired of running. "I've lost almost everything tonight, and I…" He paused to swallow past the nervous lump in his throat. "I don't want to lose you too. Your friendship, I mean."
"Good," Rei said, with a second smile. Two in one conversation was a rarity for her. "That's not what I want either." She turned and gestured towards the city. "Come on. Let's go."
He followed her back down the pier towards the city…but it wasn't meant to be. A familiar, mocking tone drifted out of the darkness ahead of them.
"How touching."
Rinjirou drew his pistol reflexively, his eyes darting around for any sign of her; the female Hunter he had first encountered in his hotel room. The more enthusiastic of the two, he decided. Her partner's just doing his job, but she gets off on this. It's obvious.
"So…" A black shape dropped from a warehouse roof ahead of them. "The miko is a Sailor Senshi. I never would have guessed."
"Very interesting," her partner agreed, as he faded into view beside her.
Rei's hand slipped behind her back and disappeared into...something…emerging a split-second later holding the same cylindrical object as earlier. "Back off! I'm in no mood for more of this tonight."
"Don't worry," the Hunter assured her, as she drew her sword. "We'll make this brief. For the Black!"
Rinjirou shoved Rei aside and tackled the woman as she lunged, driving her to the floor. He was truly out of his element, striking without the benefit of stealth or weapons, but that didn't seem to matter. There's no way I'm letting them take Rei from me too!
"Jerk!" Rei called, thrusting the strange item in her hands over her head. "Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"
Without the same shock as the first time, he was actually able to make out a glimpse of flaming ribbons – or a ribbon-like material, at least – as they snaked around her, forming her uniform. It didn't last long, though; the Hunter wriggled free beneath him and slammed her armoured forearm into his temple. He rolled off her with a pained groan, shaking his head to clear it as she rolled back to her feet and swung at him with her sword.
"Fire Soul!"
The woman was hit with a fireball, her robe bursting into flames immediately. She whipped it off and tossed it to the ground, revealing standard Paladin armour underneath. That was what made them almost impossible to identify without their masks; they were still Paladins, hiding in plain sight! Rinjirou had little time to absorb that information, forced to duck back out of reach of her sword again.
Sailor Mars shoved him out of the way this time. "Behind you, you idiot!"
Unfortunately, she either underestimated her own strength or overestimated his; her push sent him right into the male Hunter's strike. The sword cut into his already damaged chestpiece and dug into the flesh beneath, prompting a hiss of pain as the familiar warm, sticky sensation of blood began dribbling down his chest.
Mars was horrified. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry!"
"Worry about yourself!" the female Hunter snarled, diving in with a swing of her own. Mars danced around each blow in turn, avoiding them with what was clearly superhuman agility.
Rinjirou had to admire her courage once again. Taking on a sword-wielding opponent unarmed wasn't easy, as he was finding out for himself. There was little point in drawing his remaining dagger, not with most of the blade missing. He focused on avoiding his opponent's strikes instead, just hoping against hope for some kind of opening in his defences.
His heart skipped a beat when Mars cried out in pain. He looked over to see her holding her forearm, blood seeping into her glove. The masked woman circled her like a predator stalking her prey, clearly confident. The former Paladin drew his pistol with hesitation and fired off three rounds that seemed to do little but amuse her.
"A traitor and a Sailor Senshi, both in one night." She was clearly pleased with herself. "What a great honour, my brother."
"Indeed, sister." The male Hunter drew the same, ornate revolver Rinjirou had seen before and aimed it at his chest. "It's a pity you're going out this way, Payne."
Rinjirou glanced back and forth between his opponent and Rei. The other Hunter was closing on her, revolver at the ready. The Senshi was hurt. Bleeding. Threatened. If I don't do something, we're both dead.
It was like a whisper in the back of his mind, the same as the courtyard. You don't have to die…
No, Rinjirou agreed silently. I can't die. I won't let the Order take anyone else from me. They won't!
Use me, it whispered. Take my power. Use it to save her…
His fingers slipped into his back pocket, closing around the cloth parcel he knew was there. He drew it out, unwrapped it, and let the small stone-like object fall into his palm.
There was an ominous click as the Hunter pulled back the revolver's hammer. "I don't recall the last time a Paladin gave me so much trouble."
Take me in. Take my power. Use me. Accept the gift I offer!
Rinjirou set his jaw and raised the Chaos Sliver before him. It was an act born of desperation, but he had no choice. He would not allow them to take anyone else from him. "You're about to get a whole lot more!"
The Hunter's eyes widened behind his mask. "No, you-"
He jammed the sliver into his palm, gritting his teeth as his very veins seemed to catch fire. An intense feeling of incredible power flooded through him as the world itself darkened around him.
"What have you done, you fool?!"
Time itself seemed to slow. Everything was suddenly easy. Simple to read. Impossible to miss. Rinjirou was sure he could accomplish anything. The Hunter fired, a pillar of flame erupting from the barrel of his weapon as the massive bullet tore into the air towards him. He wasn't worried, though. He knew what to do. With a simple thought, he summoned Shadow Walker. It didn't bring the usual feeling of security, though; it brought even more strength. The visible outline of a great beast flashed into being around him, its claws reaching out for the Hunter as the bullet broke apart on impact.
The female Hunter stared at him in disbelief, Mars momentarily forgotten. "What the hell is that thing?!"
Do it, the voice ordered. Kill him! Crush him! GRIND HIS BONES TO DUST!
The shroud around him radiated raw, unfettered power. Rinjirou felt invincible. If this was what two Chaos Slivers could do, why didn't all Paladins have them? He rushed forward as the Hunter fired at him again...and snapped his arm like it was nothing. The man screamed in agony beneath his mask; it was the first time he could recall hearing such a sound.
"You threatened her. You hurt her," he growled, snapping another bone effortlessly as he drove his opponent to his knees. "You're monsters, all of you!"
"Let him go!"
He glanced up to see the female Hunter holding her revolver to Mars' head.
"Let him go now, or I'll kill your miko friend!"
DO NOT SUFFER THESE FOOLS A MOMENT LONGER, the voice roared. DESTROY HER!
He saw the hotel clerk's face, eyes wide in shock as her fireball tore through his chest. I won't let it happen again. I won't let them hurt anyone else. I won't let them take anyone else! Rinjirou snatched the male Hunter's revolver from his limp hand, whipped it around, and blew his partner's head off in one, clean shot. Mars shrieked in fear as she staggered backwards, blood spattering her uniform. The Hunter's headless body teetered on the edge of the pier for a moment, before it toppled into the water.
Somehow, he sensed the other Hunter rising behind him, good hand outstretched. "Shadow Bar-"
Rinjirou fired a second shot that took his hand off at the wrist, the creature around him roaring in approval. He was invincible. He could take the entire Order apart. Anyone who threatened Earth. But first, this one. His hand rose, levelling the revolver at the Hunter's mask as his finger trembled over the trigger.
Yes, the voice said. Do it. Bathe in his blood, Rinjirou. Rise, anointed as my servant. Together, we will cleanse this world of those who would threaten it. JOIN WITH ME!
"Stop!" The impassioned plea came from Mars – Rei – of all people. "It's over, you don't have to do this!"
Ignore her. She's a hindrance. A bother. She doesn't understand the gift I offer you. Kill him. Kill him! KILL HIM!
He wavered again…and glanced at Rei a second time. Her beautiful features were paler than usual, and marred by blood; the Hunter's blood. Had the sudden increase in power made her sick again? Did I make her sick? Did I...hurt her?
"Just stop," she whispered. "Please."
Just like that, the dark tint over his world was lifted. Rinjirou shook his head, clearing out the final protests from the voice as he tore the Chaos Sliver from his palm, wincing as it left his flesh. It was such a tiny, insignificant thing…and yet, now that he was free of its influence, he was terrified. It fell to the ground before him as he struggled to speak. "I…"
The Hunter rose to his knees, clutching futilely at his bleeding stump…and laughed. "In all my years serving the Eye, I've never seen anyone do what you just did, Payne. You either have an incredibly strong will…or you're very, very lucky."
Rinjirou turned to him, his hand throbbing painfully. "Shut up."
"Congratulations. You've won. My sister is dead, and I am no more threat to you." Cold eyes stared right into his soul from behind the mask. "There's just one thing left for you to do. You have to kill me."
"No, you don't," Mars said quickly. "We're safe now, Rinjirou. We can just leave. Together."
"You could do that," the Hunter agreed, "But you know better, don't you, Payne? I know where you are. I know how weak you are. And, most importantly…I know who she really is. I will make it back to the safe house, just as I will report in to my superiors. The Order of Black will know Sailor Mars' identity and, shortly after, her friends' too."
The Sailor Senshi remained silent this time, but Rinjirou could see the panic in her eyes. She's scared, he realised. This is all new to her.
"More of my brethren will come to Tokyo. One by one, the Sailor Senshi will wake to find our blades at their throats...and the Order will be victorious, its millennia-old goal finally accomplished. The Earth will be saved." His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "But we both know that won't happen. Will it, Payne?"
He studied Mars again, saw the fear in her eyes…and shook his head. "No. It won't."
Mars's eyes widened. "Rinjirou-"
He stepped forward calmly, revolver raised, and put a round through the Hunter's chest. As he fell to the ground, Rinjirou fired a second round into his face, just to be sure. The revolver sailed off the pier and into the water, its grim task done.
The Senshi's gaze locked on the Hunter's corpse. "You killed him…"
"Yes."
She finally looked up at him in disbelief. "You killed them both…like it was nothing!"
"I had no choice," Rinjirou said, flat. "They knew your identity."
"There's always a choice!" she retorted. "And you chose to kill him. To murder him!"
"Yes, I did! To keep you safe!"
Her nostrils flared angrily. "Don't even-"
"Weren't you listening?" Rinjirou demanded, jabbing a finger towards the body at his feet. "He knew he was about to die. He knew I had no choice, just like he would have no choice but to report in with what he knew!"
Mars stared back at him stubbornly, her eyes flashing in silent anger.
"So, yes…" He voice finally softened as he stared back at her. "I made a choice. I chose to preserve your life over theirs."
That finally seemed to reach her. "I just…you were so calm. Did it bother you at all?"
Rinjirou wanted nothing more than to say yes, but he remembered her earlier warning; Rei probably could tell when he was lying. For that matter, why was he considering lying in the first place? There was one, simple answer to that question; for the first time in a long time, he was ashamed. He didn't want Rei to think less of him…but it was clear from her tone that she already did.
I don't remember the last time I felt guilty for killing someone, he admitted silently. The Order had managed to turn him into a cold-blooded killer, and he hadn't even noticed. Until now. "No. It didn't. It used to, but…no."
"Well, at least you didn't lie." She sounded so disappointed; he missed her more typical angry tirades.
"That doesn't matter, though." Rinjirou could feel the desperation creeping in now. "You're safe. We both are, and with those Hunters gone, so is Tokyo! We can go back to the shrine. Together. We can-"
"No," she said sadly, shaking her head. "We can't. You…" Her voice actually cracked, the first time he could recall hearing it do so. "I just can't." She turned and walked away without another word.
"Rei…" A terrible pain filled his chest...and his heart. It was happening all over again. His mother, then his father. And now, Megumi…and Rei. The Order of Black had taken everyone and everything he cared about. Again.
AN: Well, that was an endeavour. Lots of writing spurts with this chapter (I split it for size but I really wanted to have it as one, cohesive read) as I smashed the beginning and end in a couple of days, then languished in writing purgatory on and off in between. This concludes Rinjirou's first arc - he's come to Tokyo, he's learned some truths, and he's now lost absolutely everything. From here, my outline is a little less fleshed out...but it's time to start rebuilding him into the person he needs to be moving forward. The Order of Black aren't entirely gone, but they'll probably take a back seat for a little while with the exception of Megumi.
She's turned into an interesting character to write. She provides the 'human' aspect of the Order; while she came across quite...harsh...in this chapter, I hope I communicated her own conflict. It was a little tricky without being able to get into her head and explore her thoughts, but that will come in the next chapter or two. So yeah, it's a little tricky to say where things will go from here. Mamoru's arc will continue, there's also Minako's 'quest for fame' subplot that has turned into a godsend; I can largely stop and start that as required around the main story. Aside from that, though, there isn't a huge amount left...meaning new stories for most of the characters. This is almost like an unofficial 'Act I' coming to a close, but without being split into separate stories.
Anyway, enough rambling from me. As I pass twenty chapters of Order of Black I'd like to thank everyone who's read, reviewed or otherwise provided feedback so far - it's been invaluable and I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story. Back with more soon, as always!
Lisseas