Mercury cried out in pain as an exploding origami crane slammed into her, throwing her against the wall behind her with crushing force. She slid down the wall, dazed and sore.
Serenity dove out of the path of several razor-edged streamers, firing off crescent-shaped blasts of silver energy as she slid across the ground. A paper airplane clipped her in the shoulder, and she landed next to Mercury, clutching her wounded arm with a pained grimace.
The youma, Amami, laughed wickedly as she approached the two Senshi, malice in her eyes, a paper ribbon twirling lazily in her right hand. "You fight well, Senshi, but I'm afraid you—"
Something wrapped around her wrist, crackling with electricity which coursed up her arm, forcing her to drop the ribbon. Snarling, she ripped her hand free of the intrusive attack, rubbing her wrist with a sound like crinkling parchment as she glared into the thinning mist. "Who dares?!"
"You know...you're a real bitch. But you know what? I can be an even bigger bitch."
Serenity and Mercury looked up as a figure landed heavily in front of them. Tall, with long legs and an Amazonesque build, she wore a Senshi uniform with ankle-high green boots, a green collar and skirt, and pink bows at the small of the back and over her impressive chest. Her brown hair was done up in a high ponytail, held with a green beaded ornament, and pink rose-shaped earrings graced her lobes.
Amami hurled a brace of paper shuriken at the interloper, who swatted them away with a long, thorn-studded green vine she held in her right hand. The vine crackled with static electricity, sparks popping and snapping as it slapped down the paper projectiles.
The tall girl's green eyes narrowed, a predatory sneer curling her lips. "I don't think so."
"You insolent little whore!" the youma screeched.
The green-clad Senshi stiffened, tension flooding her posture. Then, she let out an almost inhuman snarl. "Oh, you'll pay for that one, bitch. I don't know who the fuck you are, or what your problem is, but you just pissed off the wrong girl."
Mercury looked over at Serenity. "Is that—?"
The brunette smiled grimly. "Call me Jupiter. Now...let's dance."
Serenity and Mercury could only stare in horrified fascination. Even Luna, a decidedly wild and feral creature of the night, looked mildly taken aback. In just thirty seconds, the newest Senshi had ruthlessly, savagely taken apart the youma.
Literally—writhing shreds of Amami were strewn all over the courtyard.
Now, the tall brunette stood just a few metres away, a twisted, savage grin of triumph marring her pretty features as she held the shrieking, struggling head of the youma aloft in one gloved hand.
"Any last words, bitch?"
The youma snarled several truly foul obscenities.
"Yeah, that's about right." Jupiter smirked. "Just be glad we've got an audience—if this was a private fight, I'd be wiping my ass on what's left of you right now."
Serenity buried her reddening face in her gloved hands. "This isn't happening..."
"She is...very spirited..." Mercury offered, her own cheeks flushed.
"LET GO OF ME, YOU STUPID HUMAN SLUT!" Amami screamed, trying to bite Jupiter's hand, struggling to summon her shredded, flailing remains to her defence. Whatever Jupiter had done to her, it had been incredibly thorough—her control over paper was utterly broken.
Jupiter shrugged. "Yeah, okay." Casually, she tossed the youma's head high into the air. Green eyes tracked its arc as it sailed up, then down...
The newest Senshi dashed forward, aiming a perfect spinning roundhouse kick which sent the shrieking youma flying through the air. The severed head continued to spew profane insults at Jupiter until it was well out of sight; had anyone present been capable of seeing through walls, they'd have been amused at the youma's touchdown point: directly into a recycling bin.
Jupiter dusted off her hands, then looked around at the schoolyard. "Yech, what a mess." She glanced over at the other two Senshi and waved. "Yo, you okay?"
"Aa...hai..." Serenity returned rather weakly.
The tall girl jogged over to them quickly, hauling them to their feet. She grinned at Serenity. "Not sure what the heck you did to me, but...hey, thanks, yeah? I feel better than I've felt in I don't know how long."
"Anou...you're welcome?"
Jupiter glanced down at her hands, flexing them. "So strong...I'm so much stronger now..."
"That's part of the powers of a Senshi," Luna explained. "All of your natural abilities increase sharply, in addition to the powers you gain which are unique to each Senshi."
"Really? That's cool." Jupiter stretched, popping her back, and let out a relieved sigh. "And I'm not even sore anymore. Heh." Suddenly, her happy expression turned rather savage, twisted. "Hey, I gotta run. I've got stuff to do." She cracked her knuckles, and a feral gleam entered her green eyes. "Yeah, there's a couple chumps I really need to have a little chat with..."
Before anyone could think to protest, Jupiter was over the wall and gone.
* * * * *
Mina tapped her pen against her cheek and studied her new acquaintance out of the corner of her eye.
Monday evening, Rei had ridden the bus to the next-to-last stop on the route. She had bade Mina farewell, citing that she would be expected to help around the house before starting her homework, and could not entertain a guest on such short notice. Mina had been a little disappointed, but after all, she had come on a bit strong...
The previous day, and again today, Hino Rei had agreed to eat lunch with her. However, the raven-haired girl was not much of a conversationalist, and seemed almost embarrassed when Mina tried to get her to open up.
Rei had not taken her bus home on Tuesday afternoon, citing the need to run a few errands for her grandfather. Mina hadn't minded in the least; she had plans to meet Timothy.
Today, however, she was determined to try to get the quiet girl to open up a bit, even if it took a pushy, thoroughly "gaijin" hard-sell to crack that damnably reserved Japanese cocoon Hino Rei had hidden herself away in.
*Mum would positively LOVE this girl. Except for the Bible-freak thing, she's a total stereotype.*
* * * * *
"We're attracting attention, Tsu—" Mercury caught herself. "Princess."
"Yeah...probably a good idea to get out of here. I'm just glad we don't look like US in these outfits. That'd be REALLY embarrassing to explain."
"Less talking, more fleeing the scene!" Luna hissed at them, before launching herself over the property wall with a powerful leap. The two Senshi quickly followed suit, though with considerably less grace.
"I would love to know what line of reasoning led to the design of these...costumes," Mercury muttered as they sailed through the air, skirts flaring. "They are completely impractical as battle attire..."
"The material is magical, so what they look like doesn't really matter," Luna explained as she slowed to let the two girls catch up. "The Senshi back in the Silver Millennium didn't look like you two. Their uniforms were more..." She paused. "Well, they looked like a cross between a very short cocktail dress and a garment I believe you call a negligee."
Serenity and Mercury both nearly missed their next jump, thoroughly embarrassed by the mental image conjured from Luna's description.
"So, part of the purpose of the Senshi uniform is hormonal distraction?" Mercury asked.
Luna's ears twitched. "Not really. The magic just shapes itself to conform to whatever the current fashion style is. Since this is Japan, and there's thousands of teenage girls walking around in seifuku..."
Serenity grimaced. "Speaking of which, how are we gonna sneak back into school?"
"Returning would be pointless," Mercury said dismissively. "Classes will not resume today, and the building is likely already cordoned off again." Her jaw tightened at the far-too-raw memories the thought of police cordons dredged up.
Sighing, Serenity touched down on the fire escape of a small apartment mansion and reversed her transformation. "Well, at least our stuff will be safe."
Mercury likewise reverted to her normal self. "Of more immediate concern is what our new ally meant to do when she departed."
Usagi's brown eyes widened in horror. "Masaka...you don't think she's planning to use her powers on people?!"
"That was the impression I was given by her comments," Ami said with a frown, leaning on the railing.
"Then what are we doing wasting time here? We've gotta change back and go after her! MOON—"
"I have no intention of pursuing a renegade Senshi all over Tokyo," Ami said flatly, already making her way toward the fire escape ladder. "I have performed my duties for the day, and the whereabouts and actions of Jupiter are not my concern."
"—but—"
Ami paused. "Tsukino-san, do you have even the slightest clue where she might have gone?"
Usagi faltered. "Well...no..."
"If she causes too much damage, it will not take long to learn where she went—if you truly intend to pursue her after witnessing how dangerous she is. Otherwise, I suggest simply waiting until tomorrow, and speaking to her when we return to school—I am correct, am I not, in assuming that Jupiter is Kino Makoto-san?"
"Hai..."
"Then good day, Tsukino-san."
Usagi watched the short-haired girl descend the fire escape. A soft rumbling at her side drew her attention. "She's right," Luna said quietly. "You'd never find Jupiter in this city, not with the head start she has on us."
"But, Luna...what if she hurts someone...? What if...what if she..."
"If she does, she does. You're better off discussing it with her when she's rational again, after the initial adrenaline rush wears off." The youma paused. "She reminds me far too much of some of my old brood. When they make their first kill, the rush..." She shook her head. "It makes them a little crazy. It'll wear off. There's not much in this city that could actually KILL a Senshi, so the best we can do is, as Mercury suggested, wait."
Usagi was silent for a long moment. Then, she sighed and nodded. "Alright..."
* * * * *
The man with the brown mark through his name in the work ledger of a teenage prostitute now had a matching set of brown marks all over the walls, floor, and ceiling of his one-story home, not to mention several on his face, hands, and clothes.
Jupiter smirked. *He's gonna have fun explaining THAT to his wife.*
Now...who was next? The football players had already left Japan, and much as she would love to make good on her threat against Motoki, it wouldn't be in the best interests of her bank book.
Now, the bastard teacher who ratted her out...that was another matter entirely. And she knew JUST where to find him...
* * * * *
"Tadaima!"
"Usagi? What're you doing home at this hour?"
Usagi slipped off her uwabaki, grimacing as she did so, and stretched. "There was some kind of bomb scare or something. I don't know what exactly happened—I dozed off at the start of lunch, and the next thing I knew everyone was screaming and running out of the building. I got swept up in it all, and..." She shrugged. "Well, when I heard the sirens, I figured school's pretty much out."
Ikuko paled. "That's..." She peered at her daughter intently. "Are you sure you're not making this up?"
"Mama, see me here without my bookbag? That got left behind in the classroom? Notice I don't have my shoes? And I didn't get this dirty in history class."
"It's just that...I mean, so soon after that awful mess with that teacher..."
Usagi grimaced. "Yeah, life at that school is getting a little too interesting lately."
"Maybe we should transfer you..." Ikuko rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
Usagi snorted. "With my grades?" She yawned. "Well, I don't have my books, so I might as well catch a nap..."
"Hold it right there, young lady," Ikuko said sternly, hands on her hips. "Just because your school things are in fact still AT school doesn't mean I'm going to let you lay around when you can do something productive!"
"Like what, Mama?" Usagi half-whined.
"Well..." Ikuko paused, then smiled. "Since you have a free afternoon...we should go shopping for your dress for Saturday night."
The tea-haired girl slumped. "Oh right...THAT."
"You know, you're lucky to have Chiba-kun," Ikuko snapped, scowling. "You'll appreciate what we're doing for you someday."
Usagi rolled her eyes. "Hai, Mama. Can I at least change before we go?"
Eyeing her daughter's rumpled appearance, Ikuko sighed, irritation replaced with motherly concern. "Alright, but be quick about it."
"Haaai..."
* * * * *
Ami locked the door behind her as she entered the flat. She jumped at the sound of a door further inside closing.
"Okaasan? You're home?"
Mizuno Sayoko emerged from the toilet, still wiping her hands on a handkerchief. She raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "Yes, I'm off duty afternoons until next week...more importantly, why are you home?" She frowned; her professional demeanor slid into place. "You're not feeling ill again, are you?"
"Iie. The school was merely closed due to an emergency." She sighed. "And my books are still there."
Sayoko relaxed, then smiled. "Well then, since I'm off work and you can't hide your nose in a book, why don't we just...talk? We never just talk anymore...I feel so distant from you these days..."
Ami sighed tiredly. "Alright, we can...talk."
* * * * *
The bus pulled up to the last stop on the route, one stop past where Hino Rei debarked. Gathering up her bag, Mina stepped off the bus, glancing around to get her bearings.
Rei had been somewhat evasive concerning Mina's offer to come over after school to study. The British girl was beginning to suspect Rei was ashamed of something at home.
Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she decided to do some snooping.
Spotting an oddly vacant kouban nearby and glancing around to make sure nobody was watching, she slipped inside, crouched low so as not to be seen, and quietly whispered, "Moon Power, Transform."
Five seconds later, a blond Senshi was racing back up the street at twice the speed the bus had travelled.
* * * * *
Usagi and her mother were not the only ones taking advantage of the abrupt school dismissal to do some shopping. As it turned out, Osaka Naru and her mother were on a similar expedition, and the four of them encountered each other by chance at a boutique three blocks from Osa-P, the jewelry store Naru's mother owned.
"We're shopping for gowns for a gala ball," Naru told Usagi, a note of importance creeping into the redhead's voice.
"Really?" Ikuko asked, overhearing. "So are we, isn't that funny?"
Naru's mother blinked. "Surely you're not talking about the Yamagoto gala?"
"That's right," Ikuko replied. "Usagi-chan's fiance is taking her."
"Really?" Naru tilted her head, glancing curiously at Usagi. "You didn't tell me about that."
Usagi rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Gomen ne, Naru-chan. I've had so much else on my mind lately, I'd more or less forgotten about Saturday night."
Naru frowned pensively. "Yeah, you have been a little out of it lately. I mean, more than usual..."
The conversation dissolved into rounds of good-natured teasing between the two girls—and less well-natured one-upmanship between the two mothers—as gowns were selected and tried on.
By the end of the afternoon, Usagi felt a bit more cheerful, despite the various problems weighing on her mind.
And, she thought privately, the gorgeous dress she'd gotten would ALMOST make it worth having to date the Chiba jerk.
*Poor Papa,* Usagi mused as she and her mother lugged several large shopping bags onto a bus. *He's gonna FREAK at the charge slips for all this...*
* * * * *
*We may have a problem.*
*Oh? Explain.*
*First, I must report two occurrences. One: there was a youma at the school the Princess and Mercury attend.*
*I knew I sensed a draining field within the city...has the youma been destroyed?*
*Hai.*
*Then the Princess and Mercury are improving in battle.*
*Well...yes, but...*
*But?*
*They did not dispatch the youma. Jupiter did.*
*...Jupiter. When was she Awakened?*
*Today, during the youma incident.*
*Ah. That would be the second occurrence, then.*
*Hai.*
*So the problem then is...? Is she as reluctant to accept her destiny as Mercury?*
*Quite the opposite. Master...I'm afraid Jupiter may have gone rogue.*
*...I beg your pardon?*
*After she destroyed the youma, she took off before anyone could stop her. It sounded as though she planned to use her Senshi powers for...personal issues.*
*That could prove...troublesome.*
*The Princess favoured chasing her down and stopping her, but Mercury pointed out the futility of such a course. We will confront her tomorrow, at school, when she is not as.,,invigorated.*
*I suppose that's the best we can do for now. Keep me advised.*
*Yes, Master.*
Timothy sighed. A rogue Senshi...
"No...we can't have that. We can't have that at all."
* * * * *
Mina crouched in the bough of an ancient tree, watching her new friend, mind whirling.
She had VERY nearly missed seeing Rei emerge from the Shinto temple, dressed in traditional robes and clutching a very old bamboo broom.
"Rei-chan, don't forget to wash down the stones!" an older man's voice called from within the shrine.
"Hai, Jijiue," the raven-haired girl replied.
As Rei swept the steps, a pair of large crows fluttered to land near her, cawing loudly. The shrine maiden smiled and produced a packaged bread roll from her robes. Opening it, she broke it in half, and offered a piece to each bird. They took the offerings eagerly, taking wing to roost in the trees within the courtyard.
Rei watched them eat for a long moment, then returned to her chores.
Mina watched silently for a while. Surely Rei didn't live here, did she? She probably just worked here for pocket money, or...
An extremely shrivelled old man with a large, bald head emerged from the main shrine, busying himself with the omamori kiosk. As he worked, he called out, "So, Rei-chan, how are things at school?"
"School is fine, Jijiue." Rei paused. "Actually...I have a new friend."
The old priest blinked. "A friend? Really? That's great!" Suddenly, his heavy brows drew downward. "A girl, though, right? Not some boy...?"
"Yes, it is a girl," Rei replied, flushing. "She recently transferred from overseas."
"A gaijin, eh?" The short, bald old man frowned.
"She is half-Japanese, and she is very nice...if a bit forward."
Rei's grandfather seemed slightly mollified by that. "She Buddhist?"
"I have...not discussed matters of her personal beliefs with her," Rei replied.
The old priest snorted. "Probably Christian, damn gaijin are always Christian, looking at us like we're fools..."
Rei's grip on her broom tensed. "In any event, she is very nice, and I have enjoyed taking lunch with her, even though I do very little of the talking." A slight smile broke through her strained neutral expression. "She certainly loves to talk."
Rei's grandfather chuckled. "Well, bring her by sometime, okay? I'd love to meet this friend you speak so highly of. Or at all, for that matter."
The raven-haired girl was silent for a long moment. Finally, she sighed. "If she will come."
"Yosh'. Hmm...it's getting late. Go start dinner, I'll finish up out here."
"Hai."
As Rei disappeared into the shrine, Mina watched the open door for a long time. Then, she quietly departed, her enhanced Senshi speed carrying her into the heart of the Juuban district almost as fast as her mind was churning with this new insight into her quiet friend's life.
* * * * *
Kanzou Mitsuhiko was a morally upright, civic-minded citizen and a stern believer in strict discipline. He believed in the virtues of proper, socially acceptable behaviour, and the time-honoured tradition of hammering down nails that dared to stick out.
Ironic, then, that he was about to be hammered down himself. By an incredibly angry girl in a ridiculous costume.
Who was strong enough to lift him over her head. And whose fist was crackling with static electricity.
"Any last words?" the Amazon snarled, drawing back her fist...
...only to have it caught by a tall man who had suddenly appeared behind her. "Alright, that's enough," the newcomer said in a cultured, even-tempered voice.
The improbable girl whirled, eyes narrowed at the interloper. "Who the hell are you, and do you want that hand shoved down your throat or up your ass?"
The new arrival raised an eyebrow. "You're rather crude, has anyone ever told you that?"
"Fuck off," the brunette spat.
The man clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "We'll need to work on that, I see."
"Look, whoever you are," the girl began angrily, "I don't know what your deal is, but I've got unfinished business with this little shitbag. Just go back wherever you came from and let me do what I gotta do, and maybe you won't be the next to get some."
The strange man sighed. "I see my agent understated the situation. You're not just a rogue, you're a sociopath on top of that. No, this will not do at all."
The Amazon's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Alright, you want some? Fine." She snapped a hard glare at Kanzou. "Don't even THINK of going anywhere. I know where you live."
Kanzou gulped nervously. The insane girl dropped him hard on the ground; he stayed where he landed.
"Okay, fancy man, bring it," the costumed girl said, brandishing a long, thorny vine as though it were a whip.
The interloper rolled his eyes. "Children. It's always the same." He snapped his fingers and spoke a strange word that echoed heavily in the air. With a thunderous roar, a miniature green and silver whirlwind erupted around the Amazon. She screamed angrily, sparks blasting through the walls of the vortex to no effect; after a long moment, it faded away, the roar dying down with it.
Kanzou had only a moment to register the shock of what he saw next:
The girl who had very nearly just killed him had somehow disappeared, leaving the delinquent Kino whore in her place.
Makoto stared down at herself, eyes wide with shock. "No...NO!" she shrieked. "What did you DO to me, you—"
"I have nullified your Senshi abilities temporarily," the other man said in calm, even tones. "It would be prudent for you to return home, calm down, and take stock of what you have done this day. This is not the manner in which these powers are meant to be used. You exist to FIGHT evil, not to BECOME it." For the briefest of moments, his eyes glowed with a brilliant silver light. "By sunset tomorrow, you will be able to become Jupiter again. Use the time wisely. Talk to the Princess. She is very anxious to have words with you, after your abrupt departure earlier."
Makoto still looked incredibly angry, but her posture had relaxed slightly. "The...Princess?"
"Go home, Jupiter. I will cover for your misdeeds—this one time only. If you go off on a rampage like this again, however..." He let the threat hang in the air, ominous as a thundercloud.
Makoto stared hard at him for a long, tense moment...then bowed her head. "Alright." She glanced at Kanzou, then, and scowled. "You owe this guy your life, you piece of shit." With that, she stalked off as fast as dignity would allow.
Kanzou swallowed thickly. "Thank...what...who...?"
The second man regarded him with a cold gaze. "Now, as for YOU," he said softly...
Several hours later, police would find Kanzou Mitsuhiko lying naked in a public park, marinated in cheap potato whiskey, babbling incoherently in a strange mixture of French, Russian, and Yiddish.
He was one of the lucky ones.
* * * * *
Makoto buried her face in her hands, choking back a sob as she sat in her living room. *What the hell got into me?*
Her parents had taught her better than that. And she'd sworn to herself to never stoop to the level of the people who...
*But I did. The second I had a little power, I went crazy and turned into some kind of damned bully.*
She stared listlessly at the emerald green bracelet on her wrist.
"I should rip this thing off and throw it away. I don't want..."
*No, that's not right. I DO want the power. I LIKE the power. I just...I need to learn to do what's right with it...*
She sighed, shoulders slumping wearily. "Yeah...tomorrow I'll talk to that Princess, whoever she is. God, I'm such a screw-up..."
Her last thoughts before exhaustion claimed her were of the stranger who had stopped her from making a horrible mistake.
Odd...she'd been mere centimetres away from him, and yet she couldn't quite remember his face. There was a nagging sense that he seemed familiar—something in his voice, perhaps, or his eyes...
His eyes...what colour had they been again?
*I just...can't remember...*
She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, all thoughts of Senshi, monsters, and strange men with blurry faces flowing out of her mind like bathwater down a drain.
* * * * *
"Jadeite."
The blond Shitennou appeared in Beryl's throne room, bowing and saluting.
"I specifically ordered no confrontations with the Senshi."
"Regrettable," Jadeite replied. "The youma assigned to the collection site operated against my orders. I did not authorise the engagement."
"Nevertheless, the Senshi are now aware we have placed agents in the human world."
"It is of no consequence," Jadeite said, smirking triumphantly. "A significant amount of energy was obtained before the site was deactivated. Additionally, I have successfully installed the Mobius Driver at the second site. We can draw human energy much more efficiently, and use less energy to transit from this place to the human world."
Beryl considered this. "Very well. I will ignore the matter of the engagement with the Senshi for now." She fixed Jadeite with a cold glare. "See to it your future minions are kept under tighter rein."
"Hai, Queen Beryl-sama."
Beryl stewed silently upon her throne once the blond man had teleported away. After some minutes had passed in dark contemplation, a sibilant voice intruded upon her musings:
「They cannot be trusssted. You sssee that, don't you?」
The dark queen's eyes narrowed. "You again."
A swirling, etheral mist without defining boundaries or any semblance of proper shape hovered in the air a metre from Beryl's throne. Its only distinct features were a pair of holes inset with twinkling violet star-like sparks, and a long, misshapen break in the mist which looked like a mouth, cracked wide in a mocking leer.
「Thossse traitorsss...
betrayersss...loyalty and honour and integrity?! BAH! What nonsssenssse...better to kill them all now and...」
"They have served me faithfully since the Fall," Beryl said frostily.
「But you do not trussst them.」
"And what concern is that of yours?" Beryl demanded of the misty face.
「Oh, I could care lesssssss...」
The phantasm cackled.
「But yesssss...I sssee why you do not kill them. You need them...no. You do not kill them becaussse you are too weak...」
Beryl scowled darkly.
「Oooooohhh? Have I ssstruck a nerve?」
The cackling rose in pitch.
「Yessssss...too weak to kill four traitorsss...what a pitiful queen you are...」
"GET OUT!!" Beryl roared, black power snapping furiously around her.
「My my...assssss you wissssh, your Majesssty...」
The apparition vanished, its derisive laughter echoing long after its departure.
Beryl remained in a foul mood for several hours.
