Black Hole nodded as Metallia gave her orders to start carrying out her part of this plan. She'd spend the month attempting to gain the trust of the others- though, Hajime never did come to trust her. At least he didn't tell the others not to though. Mikoto was always finding her and dragging her off to do things- which could be odd sometimes, especially after they found out she really didn't have a form other than that of her Senshi self. But still, Rosemary, Mia, and even Andromeda had started to try and include her in whatever they were doing as often as they could. She discovered the dark colors didn't do her justice. She was too pale and the dark clothes made it far too noticeable. So they would start trying to dress her up in light pastels, deciding that greens looked rather cute on her.
It was the first time she'd experienced anything like it. And it sent a sort of warmth through her that she couldn't quite explain. She still never showed emotions, but every now and then she was aware of an emotion pushing on the edge of her awareness, though she couldn't identify what it was.
The girls were together again, Eliana having asked them together to discuss the lack of attack. As usual Hajime wasn't present.
Black Hole stayed quiet. She was supposed to leave Sailor Sun for later. So how could she do this? She didn't want sailor Sun to interfere... but getting her to leave without arousing suspicion would be difficult.
In the end she found she would just have to hope that what the others said was true. Eliana wasn't allowed to fight. He raised her fist into the air, the others all distracted with talk, and then felt her muscles tighten involuntarily, as if her body was trying to stop her.
Rosemary looked at her and tilted her head an amused smile on her friendly face. "You got a comment Abby?" she asked, thinking she was raising her hand.
'This is your role to play,' Black Hole reminded herself, and opened her hand.
The black hole appeared in the sky again.
Andromeda leaped up, her hand held out. Even in civilian form she was able to control her power. Mia couldn't say the same, but she had the same determined look on her face as she stood. Megan put her hands together, as if in prayer.
"What are you doing Abby?" Andromeda asked, getting ready to freeze her.
Black Hole didn't answer, but she did select her targets and the sensation of being pulled towards the black hole started.
Mikoto had transformed the moment she'd seen the abyss appear overhead. And now she sank her dagger into the ground, vines wrapping around everyone's feet and legs. "Abby!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" she shouted, the vines barely able to hold them. Any attacks that were sent at her ended up getting sucked into the black hole overhead.
Black Hole watched them, her face still void of emotion, but her body was trembling now, and a bizarre sinking feeling trying to overwhelm her. She held fast, doing what she'd been tasked to do. Her vision blurred, and then she felt her cheeks growing wet. She blinked several times, but the wetness just kept coming and her vision would only clear for a second. She'd never cried before, and so the sensation was something she couldn't identify. Her other hand came to her face, touching her cheek, and drew away. She looked at her fingers; they were wet, just as her cheek had been. Slowly an expression came to her face at last. Pain.
"I- I don't understand..." she whispered. "Why... why is the liquid coming from my eyes... are these... am I... crying?" her brows had knitted together as he trembling grew worse. The black hole overhead flickered and began to shrink, its pull weakening.
"As I thought, emotions were the price of her power,' Eliana thought, looking up at the shrinking vortex. She vanished from where she'd been getting held done by the vines, reappearing beside Black Hole and grabbed the wrist of her raised hand.
"It's called sadness. They're your friends after all. Why would you want to hurt them?" she asked softly.
Black Hole turned to look at her quickly, her eyes growing wide. "F-friends..." she repeated. "Yes... I see... friends..." And then she gasped, her knees buckling under her.
Eliana dropped her wrist letting her fall to the ground. Darkness was starting to surround Black Hole now and she quickly jumped back, the black hole in the sky vanishing. "NO! Stay back!" she shouted at the other girls. "Her power is rebounding." She thought quickly. She might be able to stop the rebound in Sanctuary... but it would be a long shot at best. 'Still as one that knows this pain... I can ignore it,' she thought and held out her staff. Light flashed and when it cleared both Sailor Sun and Sailor Black hole were gone.
Andromeda stared in shock at where the two had been. Eliana had that much power? She turned to the others, shaking her head.
"I'm not sure how we will tell Hajime of this..." she started to say, but trailed off, transforming as she saw creatures coming towards them.
In sanctuary Eliana was working to control Black Hole's power. "At the very least I can use my power almost freely in here," she muttered. Of course she could never risk an intrusive force getting into sanctuary. Even this was a huge risk on her part. "Just stay calm Black Hole," she said softly. "If you don't ride out this recoil then your power might kill us both."
Black Hole hugged herself, barely able to breathe through the pain. "I- I don't understand... what's happening?"
"It's called a rebound. With great power there are often harsh boundaries set. My guess, with yours it was emotional blankness. Easy to achieve when you're on your own," she explained. Her staff was hovering before her and the whole room was shining. "If I could I'd reset the condition for you, but I'm afraid even that is beyond my ability. I'm having enough trouble getting the universe to let up on my conditions."
Slowly the darkness faded and Black Hole relaxed from the fetal position on the floor, unconscious. A barrier or light surrounded her, trapping her within it, both to keep her asleep and keep her from being found by Metallia. 'I don't know if that will hold. She might be doomed to destruction for this. A power like hers... I doubt it would ever have come into being had the crystal not been corrupted,' she thought, leaning back against the wall.
"That all of them?" Sailor Aurora asked, panting as she rested her hands on her knees.
"I think so. I don't feel any others in the immediate area."
Apollo doubled back. "Come on Hajime, something's wrong," he said, leading the young man to the park where the girls were gathered. He didn't feel Sailor Sun, but he didn't know if she was in Sanctuary or not. Usually she sent him a message if that was where she was going... but he'd received no such message.
Hajime nodded, jogging on ahead to see that all the girls were in their Senshi fuku, but there were no creatures. And no Eliana or Black Hole. Megan transformed back, and ran over to Hajime.
"Eliana took Black Hole somewhere to try to control the rebound. Black Hole started to attack us, but she somehow started feeling emotion and her power started to rebound," she said. Hajime nodded, feeling instant relief, but then worry.
"Apollo, if she's trying to control another's power, and her own powers are limited, where would she go?" he asked, looking straight at the cat.
Apollo looked tense, more worried by the news than relieved. "She'd go to Sanctuary. It's the only place she can use her power to nearly full strength. But taking ANYONE there is a great person risk for her... She's done it once in the past- allowed Sanctuary to be a safe having for Queen Serenity and her fellow Senshi away from the eyes of Chaos but..." he trailed off. "Sailor Black Hole attacked you- which would indicate an act of betrayal... taking someone like that to Sanctuary... the only think I can think is that she didn't want the rebound to hit any of you. Depending on just HOW a power rebounds it can affect more than the one that holds that power..."
"But..." Mia protested. "Black Hole seemed to be regretting it, and that's why her power rebounded!" Hajime's expression was extremely worried, but also terribly angry. Metallia had gone back on her deal. He would crush her. Astonishment flickered through his eyes as he shook his head. That was not him. That was his other self, the darker self. Hajime would rather not crush anyone. He had a sinking feeling that he would not survive through the next week. Eliana returned the following day. "I don't really know what her condition is. I have her stabilized for now, but there is no way to be sure it will stay that way," she told them. "But if Metallia had instructed her to move we can be sure that she plans to attack us full force from now on. Be ready at all times for a fight."
She sighed, sitting down on the couch as the girls left, leaving just her, Hajime, and Apollo in the room.
Hajime put a hand on Eliana's as they sat there in silence.
"HE said that he would crush her yesterday," Hajime finally said quietly. "I'm worried Eliana..."
She looked at him sharply. "Why would he do that? Has he been making that sort of thoughts pop into your mind often?" she asked, her expression instantly concerned.
"No, this was the first," Hajime said, shaking his head. "And he said that because of Metallia." Other than that obtuse explanation, he said nothing more. "He's becoming more active I think. It's not very conducive for a well slept night..."
"I could sleep with you," she offered, and the blushed. "I- I just mean. Because.. being with me seemed to help keep 'him' calm is all..." she told him.
Ignoring the glare he was currently receiving from Apollo, Hajime nodded.
"I would like that," he said softly, leaning in and gently kissing her. It was as far as they had gotten. They were too scared to go any further. This new suggestion was something new, something further than what they had dared since they had woken together that one day about a month ago. He didn't voice his fears about Metallia, and how she had gone back on their deal. Things would just get even worse from here on in.