Things aren't much better here in the States than anywhere else on Earth right about now.
We're scattered trying to reach different people to show them the truth.
And times running out, the next seal will happening soon!
That night, April exited the News station, walked over to the subway stairs and descended down them, entering the subway. Once she made it to the bottom, she saw that the subway train was already passing through. It was too late for her to board it. The rest of the train went down the tunnel, leaving her behind.
"Ugh. Great. Just great." April said. She had taken the subway train to work this morning. After being attacked by that gang of kids last night, she decided to play it safe and travel with other people rather than drive herself to work. She let out a sigh of defeat.
"Miss O'Bryan." came a female voice from behind.
April turned to see a young Japanese woman in her 20s dressed in black with red lipstick, wearing a red kanji tattoo on her forehead, with five black-dressed male ninjas standing behind her, wearing red sweatbands with gold kanjis in the center. They also wore black ninja masks that covered their heads, and bug eyes.
"We've been waiting for you. I am Hiroko Ikuru." said the Japanese woman.
"What do you want?" April asked warily.
"Your curiosity will bring you much trouble, Miss O'Bryan. I deliver a message." Hiroko said. There was a moment of silence before she slapped April across the face with her right hand. "Shut up!"
April responded by slapping Hiroko back, followed by the Japanese woman back-handing her.
"Alright! That's it!" April said before using her purse to hit Hiroko.
"Get her!" Hiroko ordered.
The ninjas proceeded to lunge at April.
"Stop!" interrupted a female voice.
Hiroko and the ninjas turned to see the source of the voice.
"Intimidation will not be tolerated while I am here! Neither will threats and assault! I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and for justice!" Sailor Moon said. "I am Sailor Moon!" She said, beginning her pose. "And by the God of Heaven..." She began. "you will be judged!"
"Judge this! Get her, boys!" Hiroko said.
The ninjas charged at Sailor Moon and she went martial arts on them. Growing up in Japan, she had seen some self-defense at a younger age, but not enough to learn it properly. However she had been able to fight off many of her enemies without relying constantly on her weapons. Times were different and she had to learn especially to evade potential opponents.
She dodged her attackers, then punched and kicked the ninjas, sending them flying back and landing at Hiroko's sides.
"Why, you-" Hiroko said as proceeded to storm toward Sailor Moon.
"Ah-ah-ah." Sailor Moon said before the Moon Tiare appeared in her right hand. "I still have this" She then aimed the scepter at Hiroko and the ninjas.
"It's not worth it. Pull back, pull back, pull back!" Hiroko said before she and the ninjas took off running down the subway.
"Criminals. Get on my nerves." Sailor Moon said before the scepter disappeared.
"Thanks for saving me...again." April said.
"Don't mention it. Although you might want to consider taking a cab to and from work." Sailor Moon said.
"That's probably a good idea." April said.
"See you around." Sailor Moon said before vanishing in a flash of pink light.
April stared at the spot where Sailor Moon once stood. Who was this girl? Why had she saved her twice, much less once?
Elsewhere in Seattle, four boys, one 10 and the rest teenagers, dressed for the winter, stood on the sidewalk on the right side of a building, with one of them spraying black paint on the wall, writing a word that spelled 'KIRIN'.
The boy holding the white spray-can was a 13 with fiery red hair and brown eyes.
The 10-year old boy had long neck-length black hair, tan skin and brown eyes.
The third boy was14, black with black hair and brown eyes.
And
the fourth boy was 15, had black spiked-up hair with brown eyes, tan skin and black hair with a yellow dyed streak in the middle.
"Come on, write something." The 13-year old boy with his little boy voice as he turned to face the 10-year old boy known as Marco.
"I don't know if I should." The 10-year old boy said.
"What's the matter?" The 13-year old boy asked as he and the other two boys stepped up to the 10-year old boy.
"You scared?" The 15-year old boy asked.
"You're a dweeb." The 14-year old black boy teased with his little boy voice.
"Do it, chicken! Or else you won't be in the gang!" The 13-year old threatened.
"I don't have to prove anything to you." The 10-year boy said.
"No, you don't!" Came a female voice.
The kids looked to see Sailor Moon walking towards them.
"You don't have to follow the crowd or some bogus trend to make friends." Sailor Moon said as she walked up to the boys. "Listen to your conscience, you know what's right."
"Hey, we're with you." The 15-year old boy said to the 10-year old.
"We were just scared to be left out." The 14-year old said as the 13-year old boy walked away.
"Yeah, but now we're not." said the 13-year old, now standing over by a trash-can, which he dropped the spray-can in before rejoining the other three boys.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"." Said Sailor Moon, quoting half of Romans 12:2. Then she proceeded to share the story of the Messiah with the kids.
Robert drove through Seattle in his police car, patrolling the city once again, with Setsuna in the front passenger-seat. He then brought the vehicle to a stop.
"Well, how about that." Robert said. "It seems we've found ourselves yet another one of those gang delinquents." He said, watching an American teenage-boy standing at the end of the sidewalk, dressed for the winter, with his backpack on. He also had the red kanji tattoo on his right hand. A bus stop sign was also at the end of the sidewalk.
"Looks like it's a mere adolescent waiting for the school bus to me." Setsuna said, noticing the bus stop sign.
"Oh, how is that innocent? The teachers in the school are the ones teaching that gang-life garbage to the kids in the first place." Robert said.
"Excuse me?" Setsuna questioned. The school in this city was teaching the kids about gang-life? The Kirin Empire had recruited the teachers of the educational system? When had that happened?
"Yeah." Robert said. "I'm gonna go have a little talk with our friend." He said before un-buckling his seat-belt, opening the driver door, getting out, closing the door and walking over to the teen-boy standing at the end of the sidewalk. "Nice tattoo you got there."
"I like it." The teenage-boy said.
"I suppose you got school books in that backpack of your's." Robert said.
"Why, yes, I do. I'll be glad to show you." The boy said before proceeding to remove his backpack.
"You're not showing anything, sonny-boy, not without me looking first!" Robert said as he grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt with both hands.
"Man, what are you doin'?! This is outrageous!" The boy protested.
"You just came from a gang party, didn't you, kid?" Robert said.
"I just left my Mom's house." The boy corrected.
"Sir..." Setsuna began as she walked up to Robert from behind. "this boy is standing at the bus stop, he's obviously waiting on the school bus. Right?"
"Yes, sir, today is a school day." The boy said.
"Show us what's in your backpack, please." Setsuna said.
Robert let go of the boy, allowing him to remove his backpack, un-zip it, and show three school books inside.
"A few school books. No illegal substance possession. His story checks out, sir." Setsuna said. "Young man, we're sorry. My partner here is a little suspicious because of what's been going on here with many of the other young ones."
The boy zipped up his backpack, put it back on, then turned and ran off down the street, deciding to walk to school now.
"Well, we can't win 'em all, huh, partner?" Robert said.
"Sir, what's wrong with you?" Setsuna asked.
"What do you mean what's wrong with me?" Robert asked as he turned to Setsuna.
"I mean, you're supposed to stop someone because of what they're doing, not because they have tattoo on them." Setsuna said. She may not have been an actual police officer, but she knew how officers were supposed to conduct themselves, and this was not it.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't lecture me about being a cop." Robert said.
"I'm not trying to lecture you, I'm trying to talk some sense to you. This isn't a backwards country, this is America. A nation of freedom, if I'm not mistaken." Setsuna said.
"Yeah? Then what are these gang delinquents doing here?" Robert asked. The officer then headed back for his car, and Setsuna blew out a white mist of breath before following him. She had to get through to this man...but how?
In the snow-covered suburbs of Seattle, the front door to one of the homes flew open and a 10-year boy was thrown out of the house and landed on the snowy ground on his back, not even dressed for the winter.
The boy had long neck-length orange hair, blue eyes and freckles on his face, he wore a blue/white striped short-sleeved shirt with a blue neck-line, blue pants and black and white sneakers. His name was Darius "Darry" Emmett. "Dad, why? What did I do?"
"Get out of my house! I'm sick of dealing with you! You are not my son anymore! I never wanna see you again!" A drunk Mr. Emmitt yelled, holding a bottle in his left hand while standing in the doorway, his body muscular, his hair black and his eyes brown. "What, are you deaf?! I said get out! Move or I'll make you move!"
"But-but Dad, I...I...I have nowhere else to go." Darry said, tears filling his eyes.
"Well, that sounds like a YOU problem to me! GET OUT! NOW!" Mr. Emmitt shouted.
Darry quickly got to his feet and rushed off, leaving home.
In an alley in Seattle, a 10-year old Korean boy, dressed for the winter, was walking with his hands in his pants pocket, looking for a place to sleep for the night.
Not far away in the alley, a black van was parked, with two black-dressed ninjas in the front seats, with their seat-belts on.
An 11-year old American boy with orange hair, brown eyes and freckles, also dressed for the winter, with the red tattoo on his right hand, stepped out from the van as the Korean boy started to walk past it.
"Miki?" He said, making the Korean boy stop. "Miki Kang-min?"
"Who wants to know?" asked the Korean boy known as Miki.
"You probably don't remember me, I'm Joe Kian. We crossed paths a few times on the street last year?" Said the 11-year old boy known as Joe. "You're running away, aren't you?"
"What would give you that idea?" Miki asked.
"You'd be surprised how many runaway kids are roaming these streets. Do you have anywhere to go?" Joe said.
"If I did, I wouldn't be wondering the streets this late at night, now would i?" Miki said.
"No, I guess not." Joe said. "Listen. I'm in this cool club and I'll bet we could use someone like you on our team. But...you're probably too young to join."
"No. I'm 10-years old, I'm old enough." Miki said.
"Yeah? Excellent." Joe said.
"Sooooo what is this club of your's like? How many kids are in it?" Miki asked.
Joe slid the side-door open. "Come with me and find out."
Miki climbed into the back of the van on his hands and knees, followed by Joe getting inside and sliding the door closed.
The van then drove off with the two boys.
Sailor Moon stood on the edge of the roof of a building in the alley, watching the van drive away. "Oh, no, you don't." She said before flying off after the black van. Nobody was going get away with abducting a child on her watch.
That morning in Seattle, Flame was skate-boarding down the alley, wearing his helmet, a gray hooded zipped up sweat-shirt, black pants and his gray/black sneakers, and he had his backpack on. He made his way up to the back door of the building Renjiro worked in, got off his board, knocked on the door, waited for someone to answer, and Renjiro opened the door.
"There you are, Flame. What took you so long? I was expecting you an our ago." Renjiro said.
"Sorry, Mr. Renjiro." Flame apologized.
"Alright. Hang on." Renjiro said before getting a stack of papers off a stand. "This one's right up your alley." He said. "Skate-boarding competition." He said. "There you go." He said, handing the papers to Flame, revealing them to be posters of the Battle Boarders event. "There's a 2400 bonus for you, Flame."
"Thanks." Flame said before getting back on his board, turning around, and began skate-boarding off.
Renjiro then closed the door, and Flame skate-boarded off back down the alley to begin putting up the posters.
Jupiter stood on top of the edge of a building, watching Flame as he skate-boarded off, having heard everything that was said between him and Renjiro. "Here we go again." She said before she turned and ran off on the roof, following after Flame.
Flame skate-boarded through the hood part of Seattle, and as he did, he heard loud music up ahead, followed by the sound of singing.
La la la la
La lalala la la la la la
I dreamt that I was dreaming
I was wired to a clock
Trickled by the minute hand
Tick tock, tick tick tock
I dream I'm on a train
And it is making music.
Flame then noticed the creepy abandoned club building up ahead, which was where the music was coming from, with the lights changing colors through the windows and graffiti spray-painted all over the building, and he began to skate-board faster as he headed towards it.
Makoto followed after Brenden, careful not to be seen by him. After she followed him into the hood, she'd turned back into her civilian mode and had been following him on the ground ever since, determined not to lose sight of the boy a second time. Seeing the pre-teen skate-board faster toward a creepy building the loud music was coming from, Makoto began running as fast as her legs could go.
Now close enough to make it to the building the rest of the way on foot, Flame stopped, got off his board, picked it up, and ran the rest of the way and rushed up to a winter dressed black man-with braided black hair and brown eyes, standing outside the building, with two light brown-skinned black women, also dressed for the winter, standing at his sides, with all three of them wearing the red kanji tattoo. The man had the kanji on his forehead and the two women had it on their right hands.
"A'ight, Breaker, I'm here. Wassup?" Flame asked in street talk.
"A meet'n, that's wassup. I take it you got the text like everyone else?" The black man known as Breaker said.
"That I did. And it sounds like more of a party than a meet'n." Flame said.
"Go inside." Breaker said as he and the two women stood aside, allowing Flame to walk up to the knobless double-doors, push them open, and enter inside the building.
Makoto watched from afar as Brenden entered the building. "What is this place? And what is Brenden doing here?" She asked herself as she looked at the building up ahead. The Japanese girl then thought about what Pluto had said to her yesterday morning regarding Brenden.
"All I know is that this boy caught up in a really bad situation. I'm not sure what, but I know we need to share the truth with him about what's really happening in the world. And fast." Said the voice of Pluto in Makoto's mind.
"I wonder if what's happening inside there is the bad situation Pluto was talking about." Makoto said. "One way to find out, I guess. But how do I get inside? I suppose I'll just have to sneak in." She said. After all, it wasn't like that man at the double-doors with the two women was going to let her inside the building. Makoto then ran forward.
The black van drove down the streets of the hood of Seattle, with Sailor Moon flying in the dark sky, following it, baring a serious look.
The van soon arrived at an abandoned building where loud music was coming from, with the lights changing colors through the windows, with three people standing at the front of the place, and it drove behind the back of the building.
Sailor Moon then ascended down, landing on the left side of the building. She quietly made her way down the left side and stooped at the back of it and watched as two ninjas got out the front of the van and closed the door. The ninjas on the passenger side went to the side-door, slid it open, and Joe helped a blind-folded Miki out while getting out himself.
"Well...here we are." Joe said before sliding the door closed.
"What's that loud music? Where are we?" Miki asked.
"You'll see." Joe said.
The ninja took Miki by the right hand, and he, Joe and the other ninja heading inside the building through the back door.
Sailor Moon recognized two the two ninjas as members of that group of ninjas she had saved April from in the subway earlier. While they may not have been among those she fought, they were dressed exactly like them, so they had to be members. But what were those kids doing with them? "What in the world?"
Sailor Moon then examined the building. It was old and abandoned, it looked creepy, and it had grifetti spray-painted on it. "What is this place? Could it be some kind of party, maybe?" She asked. "What kind of question is that? Loud music, lights changing colors from inside, of course it's a party. What else could it be?" She thought. "Well...no use standing out here talking to myself. Time for Sailor Moon to join the party. But I can't go in there looking like this. I need a disguise. And I know just how to get it." Sailor Moon opened her wrist-watch communicator and pressed one of the small buttons on the side.
"Moon watch activated." said a female computerized voice, followed by it projecting a round blue holographic screen with multiple weapons. Sailor Moon clicked on a pen with her left index finger. "Disguise Pen selected."
The screen of weapons was then replaced by a pink orb containing the selected pen, and Sailor Moon reached inside and got out of it, the orb disappearing afterwards.
"Okay...here goes nothing." Sailor Moon said. The Disguise Pen had been given to her by Luna back when she was 14 so she could disguise herself in order to accomplish an assignment more easily.
The last time it had been used was by Minako to become a poor look-alike version Sailor Moon to protect Usagi's identity as Sailor Moon from as Sailor Moon from Kaolinite, as well as trick her into returning her brooch. That was there years ago, and it had been given a recent upgrade. She hoped she remembered how this thing worked. "Disguise Power." She said lowly so no one would hear her. "Turn me into a pretty street teenager."
Sailor Moon was then transformed into a pretty street teenager, wearing pink lipstick a red adidas zipped up jacket with a hood, a black short skirt, gray stockings that covered her whole legs, and black mid-calf high heel boots. "It worked." She said lowly as she looked down at her new outfit. "Sweet!" She said excitedly in her low tone.
Now Usagi again, the 18-year old Japanese girl quietly made her way back down to the front side of the building where she looked around the corner. "Huh?" She said. She saw that the three people she had previously seen standing outside in front of the double-doors were now gone. "They must've gone inside." She figured. "Well, that makes it easier for me, I suppose."
Usagi walked around the corner, went up to the double-doors, pushed them open...and went inside the building.
She was instantly greeted by warmth upon entering the building, stopping in her tracks. The warmth was most likely coming from a cordless heater somewhere, as thermostats didn't work when the power was out. But that wasn't why she had stopped. The true reason she had frozen was because of the scene that was playing out before her.
The lights in the room were changing all kinds of colors, and the room was filled with kids from 10 to 19, all boys, and they had red kanji tattoos on them and were dressed like gang members. Some were American, black, Mexican and Korean, but most of them were Japanese.
As Usagi began walking through the room, she saw many kids doing all kinds of things. Some of them were things their parents wouldn't let them do. A pre-teen boy, with a smoking cigar in his mouth, was over by a pool table, shooting a game of pool with some teens, others were playing games on arcade machines, some were skate-boarding on a skate-board ramp, Flame being among them, other kids were dancing to the loud music, a teenage-boy with a mohawk hairstyle was playing a guitar, some were spray-painting graffiti on one of the walls, some were gambling, some were doing drugs, and others were drinking alcohol.
"Check it out, man, anything you guys want, we got." said a 16-year old American boy to another teen-boy and a pre-teen boy while they were all walking down a flight of stairs. Neither of the two boys had the kanji tattoo, so clearly they were new. "Anything you wanna do...do it. Know what I'm sayin'? Anything." He said as he made it to the bottom of the stairs and stopped and turned to face the two boys.
"Got any smokes?" The other teen-boy asked.
The first teen boy got two small boxes off a stack of other white small boxes. "Cigarettes or cigars?" He asked before he turned and walked off, with the other two boys following after him.
A few other kids were sitting at a table, playing poker.
"Read 'em and weep, boys. Full house!" said the voice of a teen-boy.
"Aw, man." said the voice of one of the other boys as he and the others slammed their cards down on the table in defeat.
Setsuna entered in through the front double-doors with Mr. Renjiro and they stopped in their tracks. Her garnet colored eyes went wide with shock and all of the color drained out of her face. For a moment she didn't believe what she was seeing. This couldn't be.
Before her and Renjiro were numbers of kids, all boys, wearing read kanji tattoos. Some were American, black, Mexican, and a variety of Asian ethnicity.
"All of these kids are a part of the gang?" Setsuna asked.
"Every one of them. There's a plan in the works to recruit the girls next. These boys are too smart to snitch. If they do, they'll pay the price." Renjiro explained.
"What is the price?" Setsuna asked.
"Decommission. Memory termination, to be precise." Renjiro answered.
"What do they do once they're in the gang?" Setsuna asked. While she knew the young ones in this gang stole countless things, she didn't know all of what they did.
"You'll see." Renjiro said.
Setsuna quickly regained her natural calm expression and resumed looking around at all the kids as they acted buck-wild. She was here working undercover as Trista to find out what kind of organization was recruiting the children of this community to commit crimes. As she looked around, she noticed the back of one kid that was clearly a girl. A teenage-girl. Setsuna instantly recognized her as Usagi, as her long pony-tails and the buns on top of her head gave her away
. 'Princess? What are you doing here?' She wondered.
"Excuse me for a moment." She said before walking off.
As Usagi looked around at all the kids that were doing destructive things, she wondered where their parents were and what they would think if they saw them acting like this. Smoking cigars and cigarettes, getting high on drugs, as well as getting drunk. Her parents would've never let her do very reason. Of course there was that one time she'd gotten drunk at that dance when she was 15, but that was an accident. What these kids were doing was intentional. Her mind quickly went back to their parents. They had to have been worried sick not knowing where their kids were. Why were these kids even here? Why weren't they at home?
Usagi was brought out of her thoughts when someone bumped into her backwards from behind.
"AHH!" Usagi and the mystery person screamed as they turned to face each other, revealing the mystery person to be Makoto.
"Usagi." Makoto said.
"Mako? What are you doing here?" Usagi asked.
"I could ask you that same question." Makoto said.
"I think the better question is "What are you both doing here"?" said a female voice.
"Huh?" Usagi and Makoto said as they looked and saw Setsuna, with her arms folded.
"Well? I'm waiting." Setsuna said.
"Set-"
Setsuna immediately covered Usagi's mouth, cutting her off. "Do not use my name, not here. You'll give me away and then the situation will be compromised." She whispered.
"What are you even doing here?" Makoto asked.
"I'll explain later. Right now I think you both have some explaining to do about why you're here to begin with." Setsuna said. She had no idea what was going on or why two of the Inner Senshi had just shown up in this place in the hood of Seattle. If she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what was going on, in fear that they would all just get dragged into her assignment.
Oh, what did it matter? The second Usagi and Makoto had entered this building, they were already involved.
Just then, the music stopped, making all of the kids stop what they were doing, then there was a loud gong heard all over the room.
All of the kids then headed for a pair of double-doors. Among them was Flame-his helmet now off, who Makoto spotted.
"Where are they all going?" Usagi asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going with 'em." Makoto said before running after the kids.
"Wait! Makoto!" Usagi said.
"Go with her. I'll be right behind you." Setsuna said.
"Okay." Usagi said before running after Makoto.
"Let's go." said a male voice from behind.
"Huh?" Setsuna said as she turned to face Renjiro, who was standing behind her. "Where are we going?"
"Same place the kids are going. To meet with the boss." Renjiro said.
"The boss?" Setsuna asked, stunned.
"Yes, the boss. I think it's high time you both were properly introduced to one another. After all, if you're going to work with us, you need to know who you are working for." Renjiro said.
"Yes, I suppose I do. Very well then. Lead the way." Setsuna said.
Renjiro walked ahead of Setsuna and she followed him into the open doorway of the double-doors. This was it. After working undercover in this crime ring for 24 days...she was about to meet the mastermind behind this organization that was recruiting and brainwashing these kids into committing crimes.
FINALLY.
It was about time.
In a dim lit room, Usagi, Makoto and Setsuna and many of the kids stood on a floor by a rail, and several other kids stood on a floor by rail on the other side. Among the kids on the other side were the kids who attacked April, and the kids who looted the store.
"Hey." said the first ninja to the second ninja as both of them stepped out of the dark and into view.
"Yes?" The second ninja said as he turned to face the next one.
"The stories from all those kids being stopped from robbing and looting, and several other ninjas being beaten in the subway-all of which were done by two of the moon aliens-it made me so mad, I almost blew my top." The first ninja said.
""I nearly popped a vein!" The second ninja added. "And the boss?"
"Is bound to be the most furious of all." The first ninja said.
"Boss? Wait a second. Could it be?" Usagi thought. Was she, Makoto and Setsuna about to meet the mastermind behind this gang? Wow, that was fast. Usually it would be days, weeks and months of fighting monsters and aliens before the master enemies revealed themselves. Then it suddenly dawned on her where she and the others were. This was no party location. This was the enemy's base. They were in the enemy's base. The villains' lair, to be precise.
Hiroko and a Samurai named Tactio stepped out of the dark and into view. Tactio was the figure who had watched the News cast of April's questioning of chief Stark and sent Hiroko and those ninjas after her to send a message.
"Leader of the gang!" Tactio shouted.
"Please welcome the boss of the Kirin Empire!" Hiroko added.
"Lady Kirin!" Tactio and Hiroko shouted.
A Japan culture-dressed Japanese woman stepped out of the darkness. She had black hair in an ancient style with white jewelry in it and the front of it going past her shoulders, she wore purple lipstick, white ear-rings, long sharp pale purple finger-nails, a purple, pink and black floor-length hanfu dress with wide long sleeves, and purple high heel shoes. This was Lady Kirin. The leader of the Kirin Empire.
All of the kids clapped their hands, including Usagi, Makoto and Setsuna. Not that the Senshi trio wanted to applaud this woman, they were just doing it to avoid suspension.
Lady Kirin looked around the room at all of the kids on the floors, making them cease their clapping.
Renjiro stepped into view and walked up to Lady Kirin. "My Queen." He said before bowing and then stepping aside.
Two of the ninjas rolled out a gold carpet in front of Lady Kirin and she stepped onto it.
Lady Kirin looked around at the children, all of them wearing her red kanji tattoo, the symbol of the Kirin Empire. She then looked the two ninjas, Hiroko, Tactico and Renjiro before looking at the kids again. "What we have here...are five of the hardest working people in the whole city of Seattle. And that's because...they work hard...and they make money...and money...and more money. Because when you work hard...things happen...When you work hard...you can go places. If you work hard...you could be like me."
"My Queen." Said a young male voice.
Lady Kirin turned to the right and saw Flame walk out of the darkness with Joe, Jimmy, Miki, the two boys Usagi had seen following the teenage-boy down the stairs earlier in the party room, and two other pre-teen boys.
The first boy was 11and had a long neck-length bleach blond hair and blue eyes, with the red kanji tattoo on his right arm. His name was Plug.
The second boy was black and 10 with light brown skin, black hair and brown eyes, wearing the red kanji tattoo on his left hand. His name was Bradly.
The next morning in the Command Center located in Okutama, everyone was sound asleep in the children's bedroom with the kids, adults, teens and cats alike. The rest of the night had been rough. Everyone had spent the rest of the night in the children's bedroom with the youngsters, and...somehow they all managed to fall asleep despite the tremendous scare they'd had last night.
Outside the room, Uranus and Neptune lying up against each other on the floor in front of the door of the children's bedroom, their lit lanterns in front of them. The Outer Senshi duo had spent the night at the command-center as a precaution to watch over everyone and keep them all safe. Some watch they were doing, they had fallen asleep on the job.
Uranus awoke. She looked and saw Neptune learned up against her, sound asleep. They had both fallen asleep while on guard. Had anyone else gotten into the command-center since then? She needed to find out. Uranus stood up and looked around the kids hang-out room for any signs of intruders, but there weren't any. But that didn't mean they weren't hiding somewhere else in the center. Her space-sword appeared in her right hand, she got her lantern, and walked over to the stairs, walked up the stairs to the door, opened it and exited the room, closing the door behind her.
She hadn't bothered to wake Neptune. She was going to take care of this herself right away. Uranus walked down the dark hallway, looking around for intruders as she did, but there were none. She soon arrived at the entrance to the command-room and went inside where she looked around for intruders. But there weren't any there either.
"So far so good." Uranus said.
"Uranus?" Said a female voice from behind, making Uranus flinch as she turned to face Neptune, who was standing in the entrance of the command-room, holding her mirror in her right hand and her lantern in her left hand.
"Neptune. It's just you." Uranus said.
"Who else would I be?" Neptune asked.
"Well, after that scare we had last night, I thought that maybe I should check out the center and make sure no one else had stumbled upon the place. How did you even know I was her?" Uranus said.
"I may have been asleep, but I wasn't that asleep. I woke up and saw you leaving out of the kids room with your sword, so I thought I'd follow you and make sure everything was alright." Neptune said as she walked up to Uranus.
"Well...everything appears to check out A-okay. Wanna go wake everyone and say goodbye before heading back to Mr. Steele and the others?" Uranus said.
"Sounds like a great idea." Neptune said.
The Outer Senshi duo then left out of the command-room and headed back down the hall.
Jerusalem Disease Center
Buck drove his car into the parking-lot of the Disease Center, with Ami in the front passenger-seat, and parked in a spot, followed by Ami getting out.
"Thanks for the lift, Buck." Ami said.
"Anytime." Buck said.
Ami closed the door and watched as Buck backed up his car, and drove out of the parking-lot. The teenage-girl then made her way towards the center.
Later, inside, outside the lab, Ami sat in one of the five chairs up against the wall, waiting for Dr. Rosenzweig.
"Miss Mercury, sorry to keep you wai-" Dr. Rosenzweig said as he came out of the lab, only to stop himself when he saw Ami sitting in one of the five chairs. "And you're not Sailor Mercury."
"It's nice to finally meet you, Dr. Rosenzweig. My name is Ami Mizuno." Ami said cordially as she stood up. "I'm filling in for Sailor Mercury."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Mizuno...I think." Dr. Rosenzweig said, not sure what to think about working with a teenager. "Is there anything you'd like to discuss before we get to work?"
"Yes, there is." Ami said as she walked up to Dr. Rosenzweig. "As you probably know, the world leader has decreed that all evacuated children from the infected communities be separated from their parents and escorted to quarantine camps."
"That's right, his excellency believes it will prevent the spread of the virus to other countries." Dr. Rosenzweig said.
"Well, at this point, extracting and quarantining the infected seems pointless and won't stop the spread of the virus, it's likely already here, since the children of Indiana were here for quite some time. And it sends a terrible message to America." Ami said.
"I think the less the public knows what we're doing is protective, it makes them feel safe." Dr. Rosenzweig said reluctantly.
"These are extremely trying times we are living in. And people are gonna resort to desperate measures. Now, all the quarantine is gonna do is make the children feel caged animals." Ami said.
"Well, the children in all those quarantine camps, they're getting food, water, medical attention-"
"With all due respect, you're cutting them off from their humanity, which is the one thing that is gonna get us through this epidemic!" Ami said, cutting off Dr. Rosenzweig.
"Miss Mizuno...I'm afraid you've spent too much time daydreaming about the old world, like so many others. Maybe you're use to people sitting back and accepting their fate. But that's not what we do in the Global Community. What we do is fight...with every weapon in our arson. Now, if that means we have to make some tough choices, so be it. I was chosen by his excellency to make those tough choices." Dr. Rosenzweig said.
"We also have to take care of each other." Ami said earnestly.
"I couldn't agree more. That's EXACTLY what I'm doing." Dr. Rosenzweig said. "I hope you didn't just come here to lecture me."
Knowing that the doctor didn't wish to hear what she had to say, Ami went into the lab with Rosenzweig, with him closing the door afterwards, and they got to work.
Back in the hiding place, in the bunk room, all of the kids and teenagers were sitting on the floor, wrapped in quilts and wearing mittens-with their lit lanterns beside them, and was sitting at the end of the stage.
At that moment, Luna hopped up onto the stage so they could see her.
"Hello, children and teenagers. My name is Luna. And the only reason I say that is because we have two new refugees among us now." she said, referring to Kuri and Yumiko.
"Whoa, check it out!" Kuri gasped.
"The cat is talking!" Yumiko added.
"Yes, yes, I'm a talking cat, you both wanna know how and why, I'll explain that later. Right now I'd like to get down to the true reason for I summoned you all here." Luna said.
"Which is?" Jake asked.
"The reason I called this meeting is because I have something important to share with you all. I came across this video regarding the disappearances and what's happening in the world, and I want to show it to all of you." Luna said.
"More religious end of the world fairytale stories." Jake scoffed.
"Oh, joy." Kuri added sarcastically.
"I can hardly wait." Yumiko said.
"Ahem! Well, you don't have to be a part of this meeting if you don't want to, no one's making you. All I'm asking is that you hear what the man in this video has to say, then I'll speak for a moment about where we are now. Afterwards, you can decide for yourselves if you believe it or not." Luna said.
Jake, Kuri and Yumiko looked at each other for a moment before returning their gaze to Luna. "Fine." They said.
"Alright then. Let's get started." Luna said. "Roll film, Artemis."
"With pleasure." Artemis said on the intercom.
A large round blue holographic screen appeared above the stage, followed by the video coming on, which was that of an American male evangelist standing behind a podium, with the year-date of the recording at the bottom, which was 1972.
"The day is coming when the believers in the Messiah will disappear." The man on-screen warned. "After this mysterious disappearance-better known as the Rapture-the way of the New World Order will be paved. And the people who receive the Messiah during the apocalypse find life to be very difficult."
Jake just looked annoyed, and Kuri and Yumiko didn't appear to be interested either.
"Things that we take for granted today...such as buying food, clothes and shoes, having a job, having a family life...all of these things will be very difficult during the apocalypse." The man explained. "Don't put off receiving the Messiah into your life. You could wake up some morning and find out that the Rapture has taken place."
Jake, Kuri and Yumiko's annoyed and uninterested faces, however, didn't change.
"The prophecy teaches a great deal about the apocalypse. It talks about the seven seals and two sets of seven judgement that will be poured out upon the world. Let's take a few moments to talk about these seven seals that will be opened during the apocalypse." The man said. "The first seal is a rider on a white horse, which is the mystery world leader-better known as the AntiChrist-coming on the scene. The second seal is a rider on a male horse, which represents war, since he removes peace from the Earth, enabling people to kill one another. The third seal is a rider on a black horse, which represents great famine. Even today we can see that there are countries filled with starving people due to lack of food and water. The fourth seal is death itself on a pale horse. And he is given power to destroy a fourth part of the Earth...by hunger...sword...and by beasts. The fifth seal is about believers that are killed during the Tribulation period."
Jake, Kuri and Yumiko looked even more annoyed now.
"These people were killed for keeping God's word. The sixth seal is a global earthquake, with the sun turning black and the moon becoming red like blood. And seventh seal is a moment of silence. Most likely the calm before the storm. "Because after the conclusion of this silence, the seven judgements were poured out upon the world. Well, these are terrible things. And the Bible teaches that these things are actually going to happen." The man said.
Jake, Kuri and Yumiko all looked more annoyed than previously.
"And if you find yourself left behind and going through the apocalypse...it's your fault...not God's." The man said. "For God so loved the world, he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life". The penalty of sin is death...but the gift of God is eternal life through the Messiah."
The round screen then disappeared.
"Any questions?" Luna asked.
Jake raised his right hand.
"Yes, Jake." Luna said.
Jake put his right hand down. "Do you really think we should be taking advice from some TV evangelists about some old ancient legend?"
"A legend that's 2000 years old at that." Kuri added.
"Yeah, and that video made back in the 70s." Yumiko said.
"Maybe, but it still happened. Half of it has anyway." Luna replied.
Johnny raised his right hand.
"Yes, Johnny." Luna said.
Johnny put his hand down. "Why are you showing us this old video about accepting the Messiah and talk about the apocalypse? We all made the decision to believe."
"Yes, but three of you have yet to make that choice." Luna said before looking at Jake, Kuri and Yumiko. "Well...do you three think maybe you'd like to-"
"No." Jake, Kuri and Yumiko said.
"No? You need more time to think?" Luna asked.
"No, as in "NO, thank you". But I will think about it." Jake said.
"No promises from me." Kuri said.
"Or me." Yumiko added.
"Well...I've done my part. I've shared the truth with you. Weather you accept it or not is your choice. I will say this though: If it gets placed on your hearts to receive the Messiah, don't keep putting it off." Luna said, pacing solemnly. "The seven seals have come and gone, and so have the first three trumpet judgements. The first trumpet burned up a third of the trees and all of the grass...the second one turned a third of the sea into blood...the third one poisoned a third of the rivers and springs...and this fourth one we're in right is a global winter."
"Well, when does it end? Does the prophecy say?" Michael asked.
"I'm afraid at the end of this judgement comes another. Something far worse." Luna said, turning her attention to Michael.
"What's worse than freezing our butts off?" Courtland asked.
"According to the prophecy, the fifth trumpet judgement will be an event where the abyss of Hell opens and unleashes a sword of demon locust-like creatures with stingers upon the entire world to torment humanity for five months. During this time, people are going to want to die and will not." Luna explained darkly, a serious expression on her face. She refocused on Jake, Kuri and Yumiko. "We are still in the fourth trumpet judgement. The fifth one is likely not too far off. Can you afford to put off your decision any longer?"
Back in Seattle, crowds of teens and few pre-teens stood outside a building titled in lit-up pink '80s MEGA KIDS CLUB' to get tickets to see Mio and the Mischiefs perform, with the title 'MIO/MISCHIEFS CONCERT' under the building's title. There were even some teachers hear, supervising the kids. The teachers and kids were all here on a school field-trip.
"Hot-dogs! Corn-dogs?!" said a man wearing a hot-dog hawker server.
"How much for a hot-dog?" Darry asked as he stepped up to the man, holding his arms due to the ice-cold winter.
"50s Dollars." The man said.
Knowing he didn't have that kind of money on him, Darry turned and walked off.
"Hot-dog!" The voice of the man shouted.
"Tickets to the Mio/Mischiefs concert, 50 dollars!" Said a man holding up several tickets in his left hand as Darry was walking past him while looking at him. He had black hair and brown eyes. "Hey, get your Mio/Mischiefs tickets here, only 50 dollars!"
A 19-year old boy bumped in the man as he ran past him, making him drop the tickets.
"Hey, ya j***, watch where you're goin'!" The black-haired man shouted. He then turned and saw Darry running towards the entrance with one of the tickets in his right hand. "Hey, you!" He said before bending down and picking up the remaining tickets. "Give me back that ticket!" He said before chasing after the orange-haired boy.
Darry ran through the crowd as the black-haired man chased after him.
The man then stopped in his tracks. "Hey, kid, come back here!" He said before he started running again, resuming his pursuit of the 10-year old boy.
Darry rushed up to the ticket-booth, handed the ticket-man the ticket, and rushed inside the club through the open double-doors.
In the crowd, the black-haired man watched as the boy gave the ticket-man the ticket and ran inside the building. "I'll get you, ya little creep."
Usagi walked through town in search of Bartha, but had no such luck in finding her. After all, Seattle was a large city and trying to find just one person was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But even so, she still had to keep looking until she found her, no matter how long it took.
"Now, where did that CPS lady get to? I hope she hasn't found that missing kid yet and has left town." Usagi said while walking and looking around. "Huh?" She said as she came to a stop, something catching her eye. The Japanese teenage-girl stared at the crowd of kids standing outside the kids club building, seeing the MIO/MISCHIEFS title on the building under it's name. She ran towards the crowd, made her way through, and rushed up to the building, stopping at the ticket-booth. "I'd like to see the concert, please." She said to the ticket-man.
"Ticket or kanji?" The ticket-man asked.
"What?" Usagi asked, confused.
"You can get in one or two ways. With a ticket or with the kanji tattoo. Kids with the kanji get in for free. It's all part of the Gang Woke sensation being taught to the kids in school." The ticket-man said before holding up his right, revealing the red kanji in his palm. "Which do you have?"
Usagi was silent. This man was a member of the Kirin Empire. The children of this city had to be in the empire and have the kanji symbol in order to attend a concert for free? She definitely hadn't seen that coming. And the Kirin Empire had taken over the school as well and it's educators were teaching the kids that gang-life was okay and that they could be gang-bangers? Just how much of the city had this secret crime organization taken over? "Uh, neither. Is it alright if I pay with money?"
"Sure." The ticket-man said.
Usagi reached inside her right pocket, got out a dollar and looked at it, and saw that it was a ten dollar-bill. "Is ten dollars enoug?"
"Of course. After all, this is the New World Order. Anything goes now a-days." The ticket-man said.
"Yeah. Apparently." Usagi said. She gave the money to the ticket-man and then ran inside through the open double-doors. She didn't know why, but she felt like she had to be at this concert. Not for pleasurable reasons, but for investigative ones. Curiosity, to be percise. Anything that involved Mio was never good.
The inside of the club looked like an 80s video arcade and was warm due to a thermostat. The cheering kids, and some teachers, were gathered at a large stage, many wearing the kanji tattoo and others not. Even the teachers had the kanji.
Usagi made her way into the crowd to get a better look.
The kids continued cheering as Mio and the Mischiefs came out on stage, waving at them, with Mio holding a wireless microphone and the Pizzara, Rocky and Storm had guitars that were the colors of their hair.
Usagi made her way through the crowd and stopped when she came across three young girls attempting to look over some of the taller teens to get a good look at Mio and the Mischiefs, to no avail.
The first girl appeared to be 12 and had blond shoulder-length hair and blue eyes.
The second girl was black, with black shoulder-length hair and brown eyes and looked to be about 11.
And the third girl was Asian, with black hair that went past her shoulders and stopped at her upper-back, brown eyes, and seemed to be 8 or 9 years old.
"I can't see a thing." The blond girl said.
"Me either." The Asian girl added.
"Look!" The blond girl said, pointing at something.
The other two girls and Usagi looked where the blond was pointing and saw a pre-teen boy with long orange necklace hair climbing up one of the two metal towers by the stage.
"Up there!" The blond girl said.
"Oh, no!" Usagi gasped, getting the attention of the three girls. "What is that kid doing up there, he could get hurt!"
The three girls then took off in the direction of the tower the boy was climbing.
"Wait!" Usagi said before chasing the girls.
Mio and the Mischiefs kept waving to the cheering kids as Darry continued climbing the tower, followed by stopping, with the three girls climbing from below, soon stopping themselves.
"You can see everything from here!" The blond girl said.
Below the girls, Usagi was climbing the tower.
Rock music started to play, followed by the Mischiefs playing their guitars, and they and Mio started to sing, and the lights began changing colors.
(I-i-i-i am)
Gonna cut you down to size
(I-i-i-i am)
Gonna make you realize
(I-i-i-i am)
Like a comet on the rise
No one can top me
nothing can stop me
I am 20 stories tall
(I-i-i-i am)
(I am a giant)
Towering above it all
(I-i-i-i am)
Strong and defiant
I am a giant.
Pizzara then took over the song.
(I-i-i-i am)
Not the girl who kids around
(I-i-i-i am)
The biggest star in town
(I-i-i-i am)
Like the music and the sound
Ain't here to play, get out of my way, kid
I am 20 stories tall
(I-i-i-i am)
I am a giant
Towering above it all.
Mio then started singing with Pizzara.
(I-i-i-i am)
Strong and defiant
I am a giant
(I-i-i-i am)
I am a giant
(I-i-i-i am)
I am a giant
(I-i-i-i am)
I am a gi-iant
(I am)
The crowd of kids cheered and applauded Mio and the Mischiefs on their performance.
Meanwhile, back up on the tower, the black girl was starting to get uncomfortable at how high up she and the others were.
"Danna...I'm get'n down. It's not safe way up here." The black girl said to the blond girl, addressing her by her name. She then attempted to climb down, but lost her balance. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed as she began to fall.
"China!" Danna shouted, saying the black girl's name.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" China screamed while falling.
"NO!" Usagi screamed.
The hood of China's coat caught on the tower, stopping her from falling.
"Whew. What a relief." Usagi said.
"This way! Over here!" Came a young male voice.
Usagi watched as the boy made his way over to the hanging black girl known as China.
"Give me your hand! Quick!" Darry said, reaching for China with his left hand.
China grabbed the boy's hand and he helped her over to where he was standing on the metal tower.
"You okay?" Darry asked.
"Yeah. Thanks a lot." China said.
"Thank Heaven, that was a close call." Usagi said, getting the attention of China and the boy. "Oh! Don't mind me. I'm just a teenager trying to see a concert."
"Follow me down." Darry said to China before he started climbing down the tower, with China following afterwards.
Later, Usagi and the four kids exited the club together. Even though the concert was still going on, they decided they had had enough excitement for one day and walked out.
"You were terrific." China said to Darry.
"Yeah, nice save." Usagi added.
"Ah, it was nothin'." Darry said before the three girls stopped and turned to face him and Japanese girl, making them both stop in their tracks also.
"I'm Danna. I'm 12 years old."
"I'm China, age-11."
"And my name is Bianh, age-8. I'm Vietnamese." Said the Asian girl.
"Serena. Age-18 and Japanese." Usagi said.
"Darry. Age-10."
"Thanks, Darry. We sure appreciate what you did." Danna said.
"Yes, that was very brave of you." Usagi added.
"Well...guess you gotta be get'n back inside and rejoining your group." Darry said.
"Not us. We've run away from home." Danna said.
"What?!" Usagi gasped. These girls were runaways? Why?
"Danna." China said.
"I'm on my own too." Darry admitted.
"Maybe you all should stick together. It's not safe for four kids to be by themselves, especially now a-days." Usagi suggested. Ever since the Rapture two years ago, no one had been able to watch the News without hearing of murder, r***, abduction or gang violence. The least she could do was offer a way to keep these kids out of danger.
"Yeah. We can-" Before Darry could finish, the man from earlier wrapped his arms around him.
"Gotcha!" The man said.
"Let me go, let me go!" Darry said, struggling.
"No way." The man said.
"Unhand that kid right now!" Usagi ordered, grabbing the man's right arm.
"Get your hands off him!" Danna said, grabbing the man by the left arm.
"Beat it!" The man said, shoving both girls off of him, Usagi see the red kanji tattoo in the on the palm of his right hand. "This is none of your business!"
"Darry's our friend!" China said.
"Well, your FRIEND owes me 50 dollars for that Mio/Mischiefs ticket he stole." The man said.
"I only got a dollar." Darry said.
"Not good enough, i'm afraid." The man said.
"We've got 23 bucks." China said.
"No. I-it's my problem." Darry insisted.
"You're gonna have to earn it for me." The man said.
"I'll pay you back. I promise." Darry said.
"Okay. But don't try running off or I'll put the cops on ya. All of ya." The man said.
"What?!" Usagi gasped. Call the cops on a bunch of kids? Why? They hadn't done anything wrong. Three of them hadn't anyway.
"Yeah, that's right." The man said. "I heard one of your three friends here say they were runaways. They put runaways in jail, ya know."
"In jail?" Darry said, his face going pale with fright.
"Yeah. So if you don't want me to turn ya in, ya better stick close." The man said. "Come on." He said as he seized Darry by the shirt with his left hand and dragged him off.
"Nice tattoo, by the way." Usagi said dryly, making the stop.
"Thanks. I got it 20 days ago." The man said before he resumed walking off, dragging Darry behind him.
Usagi and the other three girls followed after the man and Darry.
Sailor Jupiter ran and hopped from building to building as she secretly followed after Flame, who had been skate-boarding through town, putting up posters below. She then stopped in her tracks.
Flame skate-boarded over to a tree, put his right foot on the ground, and stapled the last poster to a tree, put the staple-gun in his backpack, placed his right foot back on the board, and proceeded to skate off, but stopped and looked back at the poster. He went back over to the tree, removed the poster, stuffed it in his sweat-shirt, and then boarded off.
Jupiter resumed running and hopping from building to building as she followed Flame.
Flame skate-boarded into the alley and skate-boarded up a slope he had made himself, successfully landing on his board on the ground and kept on going.
"Nice landing." Jupiter said. She followed Flame back to his secret hideout and watched as he got off his board, picked it up and...turned to see her.
This, of course, startled Jupiter.
"Hey, Jupiter!" Flame greeted happily.
"Uuuuh...hi!" Jupiter greeted back nervously.
"What are you doing way up there?!" Flame asked.
"Uuuuuh...oh, you know, just...hoppin' around!" Jupiter explained nervously.
"You're crazy!" Flame said before he turned and went inside his hideout through the tin walls.
Later that night, Jupiter stood inside the first-aid station of the pool hideout, eating a red apple while Flame was lying on a sofa with his legs up on the top of it as he showed the Senshi the BATTLE BOARDERS poster. He was now in his blue short-sleeve shirt, black pants, and only wore his white socks, and his helmet was off.
"What's that piece of paper you're holding?" Jupiter asked.
"This is one big championship. If I win this, I get sponsored. Then I can get my own place." Flame explained.
Jupiter stopped eating her apple after hearing that. This boy planned on winning a skate-board competition just so he could get sponsored and get enough money to get a place of his own? Understandable why. After all, these weren't the best living conditions for anyone, much less a 10-year old boy. She wanted to tell him she didn't think that was how it worked. No one was going to let a pre-teen enter a championship event or give them money to get their own house without being accompanied by an adult. That was how it worked. But was in the world before. The New World Order was completely different. This was a world without rules, regulations, limits, boundaries and supervision. A lawless world. Anything goes. Maybe even letting a kid enter a sporting event and giving them loads of cash for their own place without adult presence.
Elsewhere in Seattle, Usagi and the kids were led by the man up to an abandoned 80s school bus.
"Razor, it's me, Marx." Said the man known as Marx.
The man known as Razor opened the door from inside the bus, revealing himself. He had curly black hair, brown eyes, and he wore the red kanji tattoo on his right hand, which Usagi noticed. Another member of the Kirin Empire.
"Go on in." Marx said to Usagi and the others.
Razor backed away from the door and Usagi and the kids entered inside the bus, with Marx following behind them, followed by closing the door.
"There's a pizza and five sodas in the back. Make yourselves at home." Marx said.
Darry and the three girls headed down the aisle of the bus, and Usagi proceeded to follow them, but-
"Hey!" Marx said, grabbing Usagi by the left arm. "I seem to recall letting you and your friends crash at my apartment earlier. What do ya say?" He had taken Usagi and the kids back to his apartment after leaving with them earlier.
"Thank you." Usagi said coldly. "Now let go." She said sternly, her face becoming serious.
Marx let go of Usagi's arm and she went to join the kids.
"What is this, a charity?" Razor asked.
"We'll lose the girls in the mornin'. But the kid's a real sucker. He grabbed one of those tickets I was selling." Marx said.
"You mean those Mio/Mischiefs tickets you ripped off?" Razor asked.
"Shhhhh." Marx said, putting a finger to his lips. "He thinks he owes me 50 bucks for it."
"Genius." Razor said, congratulating Marx on a job well done.
"I don't believe all that stuff about jail, he's just trying to scare you guys." Usagi said, sitting in the back of the bus with the kids, eating pepperoni/ham/mushrooms/black olives pizza with them out of a pizza box resting on a crate.
"Maybe. Anyway, it's better than being on the street." Darry said before looking at the other three girls. "Guess you're home must've been a bad place, huh?"
"Actually, no. We had a big mansion with lots of rooms and a pool. It's really nice." Bianh said.
"Really?" Usagi asked, baffled.
"Well, they must have been pretty mean to you then." Darry said.
"Yeah, that's gotta be it." Usagi added. That had to be why. Kids didn't just run away from home for no reason.
"Oh, actually, they took real good care of us and bought us stuff and took us places and-"
"You ran away from all that?" Usagi asked, cutting Danna off. What of kid would wanna leave that? That was a luxurious lifestyle. It made no sense. But Judd and his family were lived in a big mansion and were very wealthy people. And he still ran away from it all. This situation was no different.
"Boy, I wish I had it that good. You must be three of the dumbest girls I ever met." Darry said.
"Yeah, you can say that again." China said.
At a donut shop that same night, Robert and Setsuna sat in booths at a table with Jezel and Jacks, each eating a donut, with a small open pink donut box, filled with all kinds of donuts, resting on the table. Robert and Setsuna had met up here with the GC duo to discuss work. The four also had four cups of coffee on the table, and Jezel and Jacks had their gloves off due to them eating donuts.
"I wanna tell ya, if Jezel and I hadn't hightailed it out of there when we saw those moon aliens, we wouldn't be here today." Jacks said, telling the story of his and Jezel's encounter with the Senshi on New Island in New Zealand. His donut was covered with chocolate icing.
"I still think we could've taken them." Jezel said before taking a sip of her coffee, her donut covered with pink icing.
"With our guns destroyed?" Jacks asked.
"Hey, hey, hey, come on. Those moon aliens have lethal super abilities. You both did the smart thing. I oughta thank you both and the New Zealand GC for at least trying to teach those alien terrorists a lesson." Robert said, referring to the Senshi, his donut plain.
"We arrested one of the delinquent gang brats in town today during our patrol. Beat him real good." Jacks said.
"We sure did." Jezel added.
"Jezel, Jacks, the police system is a unit against crime, not against children." Setsuna said, her donut a powdered one. She had had just about all she could take with the put down comments towards the kids of this city, and she was done biting her tongue.
"Was he a tattooed member or a non-tattooed member?" Robert asked jokingly, as if he hadn't heard a word Setsuna had said.
"Hahahahaha!" Jezel and Jacks laughed.
Setsuna didn't say anything else. Why bother? It wasn't like these three were listening to what she was saying.
"Alright, now for the really big news." Robert said before picking up his cup of coffee. "Here's to the best team that ever worked at the Seattle GC Police Department."
Setsuna, Jezel and Jacks picked up their cups of coffee and they did a toast with Robert.
"Let's hope you've still got it, you two." Robert said to the GC duo.
"What do you mean still got it?" Setsuna asked.
"Chief Stark called us down here to Seattle to help because of this gang clique that's going on with the kids. So we're gonna be working together, starting tomorrow morning." Jacks answered.
"Oh." Setsuna said. "I thought it would just be the two of us." She said to Robert, looking at him.
"We don't have a choice, Trist. With this gang fiasco with the kids, we're gonna need all the help we can get. Like the old saying goes: "It takes a village to raise a child"." Robert said.
"Alright." Jezel said before holding up her cup again. "May Carpathia be with us."
Robert and Jacks did a toast with Jezel with their cups.
Setsuna, having had enough of this prejudice, snootiness and arrogance, got up from the table with her donut and cup of coffee and walked off, exiting the donut shop.
"What's her deal?" Jacks asked, referring to Setsuna.
"Oh, she's fine." Robert said before taking a sip of his coffee.
In another part of Seattle, inside an abandoned building, Mio was on her ring-phone, which displayed an upper-rectangle-shaped screen that showed Nicolae and Leon, with the Mischiefs gathered around her. The phone-ring was a new technology product provided to her and the rest of society by the New World Order.
"It's been four months since you sent your hired help out to discover who the Sailor Scouts really are, and we still haven't heard back from them. None of your spies have come forward with any information, other than four of them reporting seeing two of the Senshi accompanying several teenagers at the cabin of an old man who lives in the woods of Jerusalem. And that was over four months ago." Leon said to Mio.
"Perhaps we need another approach." Nicolae said.
"Which is?" Mio asked.
"Well, clearly Sailor Moon is just a title name..." Nicolae said. "like your's...Phyllisia." He said to Pizzara, addressing her by her real name.
"With all due respect, sir, don't ever call me that." Pizzara said firmly, trying not to lose her temper for once.
"No, no, of course not...Pizzara." Nicolae said. "Now, if we could only find out who this Sailor Moon really is, we might have a weapon to use against her and the rest of the Senshi."
"Yeah." Pizzara said before snapping her fingers of her right hand.
"But how?" Rocky asked.
Just then, 12 people dressed in long black hooded coats/black gloves/black pants and black boots appeared behind Mio and the Mischiefs in black flashes of light, getting their attention, as well as making the ring-phone screen of Nicolae and Leon turn and face the mysterious group.
"Huh?" Rocky asked.
"Who are they?" Storm asked.
"The Doomsday 13. They're the people I hired to spy on the Sailor Senshi. Also, they're part of the New World Religion." Mio explained.
"The best in the business." Said one of the black coat members in a male voice.
"They've been keeping their eyes on the Senshi wherever they are, and will continue to do so until they uncover their secret identities...starting all over again tomorrow." Mio said. "I take it you all come baring good news?"
"That is correct, Miss Kuroki." Said the male black coat member in the middle.
"Well, lay it on us." Mio said.
"Sailor Moon and two of the other Senshi are here in Seattle...doing...things." The middle member said.
"Things?" Mio asked. "What kind of things?"
Nicolae smirked. "Yes, do tell. We're all ears."
Finally, more information on the Sailor Senshi after four months. This was going to be interesting.
To be continued...