Wendy opened her door to find Darien ready for an evening among people that he'd never met before just to help her out after she'd asked him to do her a favor. She saw that he'd scrounged up a more generic looking tuxedo as opposed to the one that she'd seen him wear in the past as Tuxedo Mask.
"Darien, I can't thank you enough for saving me from an embarrassing evening alone."
"Just out of curiosity, who do you usually take to these dinners?"
"Before he and Serena got married, Kyle. Neither one of us ever worried about getting dates so long as we were both expected to go to each of them, anyway," Wendy said with a shrug.
"Going to charity functions with your brother," Darien chuckled. "And here I thought my dating life was pathetic."
"Don't laugh. After all, look at where you are now." Wendy winked as she closed her door behind her. "You are the dope who wound up being the loser's escort for the evening."
"Point taken. Well, how about we see if we can't at least make this evening one to laugh about later on?"
"It's a deal."
Darien walked Wendy over to his car and opened the car door for her. It was too cool still in the year to put the top down in the convertible but even so, the drive was relaxing on the way to the hotel where the charity banquet was being held. Once inside, Darien did his part as Wendy's escort when various people would approach to ask just who had come to the dinner with her. He'd been uncomfortable at first when he'd heard the flash of a camera more than once but one look at Wendy told him that she'd long ago learned to tune out the photographers.
Darien stayed by his date-for-the-evening's side and enjoyed hearing her commentary as each of the other attendees approached for some idle chitchat. He'd listened as she told him which of Japan's elite were all show; those who had gone through their fortunes and were really living on the good graces of their creditors and reputation of their former good names. Wendy also told him of who had shown up at the function without their spouses in favor their so-called assistants. In addition, she even told him of how one of the snooty women had stepped on her own dress just as she was walking away from a server at the last charity dinner after yelling at the poor worker for not having the kind of appetizers that she'd wanted. After stepping on her dress, she'd fallen flat on her face and stood only to learn that she'd ripped her dress clean across the front. She'd left in embarrassment that night, but Wendy pointed out that the woman in question wasn't wearing a dress quite so long tonight.
As the night continued, and the music was played, the two even took to the dance floor for a couple of songs as they waited for the dinner to be served. Shortly afterwards the crowd was herded toward the tables set up for the dinner portion of the evening. As the first course was served, Darien listened as some politician of some kind or another who was assigned to dine at the same table as he and Wendy went on about some agenda that he was trying to push into law. He had to admit, he wasn't nearly as interesting to listen to as Wendy.
As a waiter refilled the water glasses at the table, Darien felt a prickle at the back of his neck. He had the overwhelming sense that something didn't feel right.
"Darien?" Wendy leaned over and whispered when she glanced over and saw that he looked distracted. "Is something wr-"
Before Wendy could finish her question, a skylight was shattered from overhead as giant birds came screeching downward. As screams were heard that announced the strange creatures as they began attacking various men who had been enjoying their meal only a short time ago. Grabbing Wendy's hand, Darien headed toward the nearest exit along with the other charity party goers. Seeing a stairwell, he ducked inside. He knew that he had to head back to the main ballroom just as soon as he transformed into Tuxedo Mask but first, he had to make sure that Wendy was safe.
"We need to get you out of here, then I'll head back."
Wendy carefully followed Darien as quickly as she could down the stairs in her high heels as they both went tumbling down the stairs away from the bird-like creatures who were terrorizing the guests who were still in the main area of the banquet hall.
"Not by yourself. You can't face those things on your own!"
Darien didn't like admitting that he needed help, but he knew that it would be unwise to go back and fight the avian monsters on his own. Especially since he still didn't know what kind of powers they had, nor why they were attacking various men from around the city.
"I'll try to contact the girls just as soon as I get you out of here."
Once at the bottom of the stairs, the two made their way outside by way of the emergency exit that opened up onto the street. Darien pulled out his keys and shoved them into Wendy's hand as he led her toward where his car was parked. "Get in and don't look back."
Knowing that Darien wouldn't leave anyone behind to be attacked by the bird-monsters, even if she asked him to, Wendy nodded her head as she quickly climbed in. As she put the car in gear, Darien headed back toward the stairwell and hurriedly transformed into Tuxedo Mask. He then reached for his communicator only to realize that he must have left it in the car. Without a moment to spare, he headed straight back to where the cries of both the monsters and their victims could be heard.
Back in the ballroom, Tuxedo Mask watched as one of the creatures carved a design into the forehead of one of their victims as well as sliced into the man's wrists with its talons. With the intent to send the monsters away from the civilians, Tuxedo Mask called to his magic only to come up empty. He couldn't feel his powers coursing through him at all. That was new and strange. What was wrong with his magic?
Malachite and the generals each did their best to blend in with the staff of the hospital as they used their magic to use their senses to search for the prince that they now knew had been to hospital recently. Almost as one, the three men looked up as they suddenly sensed the man in question. Quickly, the generals ducked into a utility room at the hospital and teleported to where they found a scene of chaos. Around them, people who appeared to be dressed up for an evening of glitz and glamour were all scattering in a panic. Men and women were screaming as they ran as fast as they could away from large, winged creatures.
Up ahead, the three men saw that there was only one man who hadn't decided to flee with the rest of the party goers. He was wearing a mask but even behind it, the men instinctively knew that he was the prince that they'd been looking for. Their liege whom they'd long ago swore allegiance to.
Tuxedo Mask used his cane to bat one of the monsters away from a downed man, knowing that with his wounds, he would need medical attention soon. In response, the creature let out an energy blast that sent him flying across the room. When he rolled to stumble back onto his feet, he was surprised to see three men who were very familiar to him; though he'd never seen them fight in civilian clothes before. Three of the four generals were standing between him and the Benu and looked ready to fight the monsters.
Nephrite sent out a bolt of energy toward one of the giant birds as Malachite and Jadeite each faced off with one of the Benu as well. The fourth creature seemed to be examining the blood on its talon before sending out a shriek to its comrades. As one, the winged beasts each took flight and sent out a powerful burst of energy and disappeared from sight.
Getting up from where he'd been knocked down by the latest burst of energy, Tuxedo Mask made his way to the closest wounded man to check out his injury. Fortunately, the cuts on his wrists didn't look all that deep. Still, he knew that he needed to be treated soon along with the other men who had been attacked.
"I guess I should thank you," Tuxedo Mask said as he turned his attention to the generals. "Though this is the first time I've ever seen any of you show up without your armor."
"Your Highness?" Jadeite exchanged looks with the other men in response to their prince's remark. "You remember us?"
"What kind of question is that? You came from the other dimension to help fight against the Shadow Scouts not more than a year ago." Tuxedo Mask saw the look of confusion on the faces of each of the other men before he glanced around and heard that now that the attack was over, people were beginning to filter back toward the ballroom. "We shouldn't talk here."
"No, we shouldn't." Malachite glanced around to make sure that no one else was watching before he and the other men placed themselves around their prince before activating their powers and as one teleported back to Nephrite's penthouse apartment.
Upon seeing that the other men had transported him without waiting for his consent, he scowled in disapproval. "Was this really necessary? Where are we, anyway?"
"My apartment," Nephrite said as walked over to the couch and sat down. "As for if it was necessary, you did say that we needed to talk, and I think you'd agree that it would be best away from the general population."
Darien eyed each of the men with suspicion as he asked, "Alright, so what do you want to discuss?"
"Well, for one, we didn't help you fight those Shadow Scouts last year. We didn't even know about the old kingdom or you until a little over a week to two weeks ago," Malachite said on behalf of the other men.
"What are you saying?" To Darien, their declaration didn't make sense at all. Behind him, he then heard a woman join the conversation.
"Allow me to explain, Your Highness." Hatsu stepped out of her room and had been pleased to see that the men's mission to locate the prince had been successful. She knew that he'd be confused by the general's actions, but he didn't seem as surprised by their use of magic as would be expected of one from this time period.
"You!" Before him was the woman that Darien had seen in his visions for the last several weeks standing not more than a dozen feet away.
"If you'd sit down, I'll explain everything that I can." Hatsu waited for the prince to sit before she began to tell her tale of how she had ended up in this time period and why. Not to mention, once she understood the prince's confusion of the men's appearance in relation to those whom he'd always had assumed had been the generals under Queen Beryl's control, Hatsu told of how each had sacrificed themselves before the battle with the evil woman. Thus, the men he'd known as them under Beryl's rule in this lifetime hadn't been them at all. Only demonic imposters posing as them.
Wendy got off of the phone with Lita only moments ago as she pulled into the parking garage attached to her apartment building. She pocketed Darien's keys as she got out of the car and breathed a sigh of frustration. No, she hadn't been called to the attack. Her friend assured her that she and the other Sailor Scouts would go and help Tuxedo Mask so at least she knew that he wasn't facing those creatures alone, any longer.
With nothing else to do, Wendy changed into clothes that would be more comfortable to lounge in while she waited on word of the outcome of the battle with the strange and new enemy that her brother's allies were fighting. When she did hear from Lita, she told her that the fight had been over long before the Scouts had arrived at the banquet hall. There were a few wounded who were taken to the hospital but there had been no sign of Tuxedo Mask by the time they'd gotten there.
Lita assured her that the monsters had likely not found what they were looking for and had decided to leave just as they seemed to do in the previous attacks on men throughout the city. After getting off of the phone Wendy decided that there was nothing left to do but to order some takeout while waiting for Darien to contact her for himself. After all, she never did get to eat her dinner at the banquet.
Darien listened as the woman told him that she'd been the palace oracle back during a life that he remembered very little about. He only knew the bits and pieces that had come to him during his years of being Tuxedo Mask and fighting the various forces of darkness that he'd come across. But now, she was telling him that she had a potion that would allow him to remember everything that his former self knew. It seemed simple enough but the idea of taking it didn't sit well with him. Still, he had to ask one thing.
"If I take the potion, will I know more about the Benu? Will I know how to defeat them?"
"No. You were told very little about the Benu. Primarily due to the fact that they were no longer considered a major threat so long as they didn't dare to attack with the Moon Kingdom as an ally. It was only after it was destroyed that they were emboldened enough to strike."
Darien thought about the fact that during the time of the two kingdoms the one on Earth had benefited from the other planets as well as the moon's protection and agreed that it made sense. Knowing that he'd gain no further knowledge on his new enemies, he was a bit unwilling to take the potion. He said that he'd consider it but for the moment he'd forgo the use of it.
"There's one thing I don't get. If these things came all the way to the future to kill me, why attack all of those other men?"
"They know you are here, but they've never seen you. Not in this incarnation or the last one. It would appear that they are simply targeting men who have links to the old kingdom. Most likely, they are reincarnated citizens who died during the attacks by both Beryl and then the Benu weeks afterwards. By centering in on them, they know that they'll find you eventually."
"But they didn't take their opportunity when they found me tonight."
Malachite then spoke up saying, "That is because they didn't know who you were. They never drew any blood from you. That has to be how they've been trying to track you. Each of the men who have been attacked have been bled. Tonight, after examining the blood that they'd drawn, all of the creatures disappeared."
Darien thought back to how the creatures had indeed studied the blood on their talons as if they'd been looking for something. Malachite was right; it had been as if they had expected to see something in the blood from the other men. But what? "Alright, so just how do we stop these creatures from hurting anyone else? Not to mention, send them back to wherever they came from?"
As the men continued to discuss the problem with the Benu, Hatsu looked at the man in front of her and thought back to who he'd been during the old kingdom. She could tell that so much has happened to him in this life. He was no longer the man-child who thought little past his own desires. He'd begun to change when he'd first learned that the Moon Kingdom was doomed. She could see that the change had only continued during this lifetime. Now he was a man who was a true leader who thought of others before himself. She had been shocked to hear him even speculate whether or not the avian monsters would leave the rest of the men in the city be if he turned himself over to them. Reluctantly, both she and Nephrite agreed to meditate to see if they could determine an answer to his question. Neither liking any option that could be seen as a solution in regards to the Benu at the moment.
At the end of the night Darien decided that he'd best leave to head home. The generals suggested that one of them should go with him just in case the Benu were to return but Darien assured them that he'd be fine. He pointed out that he'd been fighting in this lifetime for far longer than the rest of them so he felt confident that he could take care of himself. Once he was out of the door the other men each agreed that they'd best keep watch on the prince. Even if he didn't think that he needed their help. Malachite took the first watch and vanished to follow Darien from a distance. That left the others to discuss their next step in finding a way to fight against the Benu.