[Scene: Zoi sit on his motorcycle outside Mamoru's apartment complex, behind Mamoru's garage. High above, he spots Mamoru's aunt peeking down at him through the blinds. He blows her a kiss and the blinds close abruptly.]

[Zoi is willing to wait for as long as it takes. For a long time nothing happens. Zoi opens his backpack and starts working on his homework.]

[He's finished his calculus and is working on history when he senses footsteps approaching. He expects that Mamoru's aunt has called the apartment manager on him, but instead he sees the Minako and the rest of her gang glaring at him in their biker schoolgirl outfits. Their expressions have rendered them unrecognizable. The open, friendly smiles are gone. Their eyes are filled with brooding and resentment. They stare at Zoi with undisguised hatred and disgust. There is a darkness that was never there before.]

[The most alarming is Mamoru. He has the thousand-yard stare of a WWI veteran suffering from shell-shock. Zoi stares at him in blank astonishment.]

Minako: What are you doing here?

Zoi: Mamoru?

[He just stares at Zoi. Intense and angry. Minako is giving Zoi a smug look. As if she's waiting for the others drag him off and beat him to a pulp. Zoi leans back on his bike. He's more than a match for a gang of naughty schoolgirls]

Minako: What do you want?

Zoi: I want to talk to Mamoru.

Minako: Go ahead.

Zoi: Without you and the rest of the Vienna Girls Choir hovering over our shoulders.

[Mamoru doesn't say anything. He just stares at Zoi bitterly]

[All eyes go to Minako.]

Minako: He doesn't have anything to say to you.

Zoi: I'd like to hear that from him and not the Lipstick Mafia Hivemind.

Mamoru: [enraged] You want to talk? Lets go talk.

[Mamoru pushes past the girls and catches hold of his arm and marches him toward the woods. His grip is like iron.]

Minako: [cheery] Remember. Don't kill him. Not unless he gives you an excuse.

[Mamoru and Zoi head deep into the woods. Their feet crunch through the leaves and mud. Then Mamoru releases his arm, spinning him to face him.]

Mamoru: Let's get this over with.

[Mamoru looks deep into his eyes, the anger never leaving his face]

Zoi: What is going on with you? Why are letting Minako do all your thinking for you? Why aren't you in school? Why haven't you called your girlfriend?

[Zoi waits]

Zoi: I thought we were friends.

Mamoru: We were.

Zoi: But you don't need friends anymore, do you. You have Minako. What exactly has she done to you?

Mamoru: It's not what you think. It's not what I thought. I was way off.

Zoi: What is it, then?

Mamoru: I can't tell you.

Zoi: Of course not. Minako won't let you. [toys with his hair and gives him a cruel smile] You've always admired her so.

Mamoru: I didn't understand her before.

Zoi: [throws back his ponytail] And now you've seen the light? Hallahluh!

Mamoru: [burning with rage] It wasn't what I thought it was. This isn't Minako's fault. She's helping me as much as she can.

Zoi: She's helping you? Naturally.

[Mamoru is taking short shallow breaths. He looks like he's trying to calm himself enough to keep from hitting Zoi. He's so mad he's so shaking.]

Zoi: Please. Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help.

Mamoru: [his voice breaking] No one can help me now.

Zoi: What did they do to you?

[Zoi reaches out to Mamoru but Mamoru slaps his hand away. Hard.]

Mamoru: Don't touch me!

[Zoi is shocked that Mamoru would strike him, seemingly by reflex.]

Zoi: Has Minako been touching you?

Mamoru: Stop blaming Minako!

Zoi: Then who should I blame?

Mamoru: You don't want to know.

Zoi: The hell I don't! I want to know! I want to know now!

Mamoru: You're wrong.

Zoi: Don't you dare tell me I'm wrong! I'm not the one who has been brainwashed!

Mamoru: If you want to blame someone, why don't you point your finger at yourself! And those filthy, reeking, murdering deviants you love so much!

[Zoi just stands there.]

Mamoru: I told you that you didn't want to hear it.

Zoi: Me? What did I do?

Mamoru: It's not what you've done. It's what you are…Shitennou!

[Zoi shakes his head from side to side. More to clear it than in actual denial. So Mamoru knows what he is. Zoi already had a theory that Mamoru is the reincarnation of the slaveboy Endymion and Mamoru was traumatized by what happened in another lifetime. Was it the same with the rest of Minako's cult? Were they a gang of amateur Shitennou hunters with a thousand year old score to settle?]

[Zoi struggles for something rational to say.]

Zoi: Mamoru. The O'Sama kids went off to college months ago. They're gone. I don't see why you are blaming them for what Minako is doing to you right now.

Mamoru: Minako isn't doing anything to me, Zoi! And I know they are gone! But the damage is done, Zoi! It's too late!

Zoi: What damage? Why is it too late? What are you blaming them for?

[Mamoru grabs Zoi by the throat and snarls in his face like an animal]

Mamoru: We're all going to die! Minako, Rei, Makoto, Ami. We're going to die trying to protect this world and it won't be enough!

[For an instant, Zoi is scared by the hand on his throat, the look on his face, the hissing tone of his voice. Then he remembers he can snap Mamoru like a twig]

Zoi: [giggles and pushes Mamoru's hand away] You're being ridiculous.

[Zoi jumps aside as Mamoru turns and slams his fist into a tree. To Zoi's shock, the tree cracks in half.]

[Mamoru stares from the cracked tree to Zoi and his eyes widen in horror.]

Mamoru: Fine. I won't argue with you. It doesn't matter anyway, the damage is done.

Zoi: For the millionth time, what damage?

[Mamoru seems enraged then it fades to exasperation as he shoves Zoi to the side and turns his back on him.]

Mamoru: Let's head back. I have nothing more to say to you.

Zoi: There is everything more to say. You haven't said anything yet.

[Mamoru keeps walking]

Zoi: Usagi called me, you know.

[Mamoru stops]

Zoi: You remember Usagi, your girlfriend, right? She's terrified.

[Mamoru turns around]

Mamoru: Usagi…

Zoi: She's worried about you, too. In fact, she's pretty freaked out.

[Mamoru has a sad look on his face]

Zoi: She's frightened that she's next.

Mamoru: [staggers] She won't be next. She can't be. It's over now…I have to get back.

Zoi: Back to Minako?

Mamoru: That's one way of looking at it.

Zoi: Wait.

Mamoru: [Spins and glares at him] Go home, Zoi. I can't be around you anymore.

Zoi: Oh, are you breaking up with me? Like you should be breaking up with Usagi?

Mamoru: Hardly. If that were the case, I'd say "Let's be friends." But I can't even say that.

Zoi: Why? Because you're not allowed any friends outside the cult?

Mamoru: I'm sorry, Zoi.

[But he doesn't sound sorry at all]

[As Zoi returns to his bike, he spots Minako smirking at him with a look of smug satisfaction. She sees him looking at her and she smiles, giving him a salute, with her fingers in the shape of the letter V.]