Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Saber Marionette Fan Fiction ❯ Terrible Things to Waste ❯ Blame ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Due to the overwhelming response I've received so far for
this story, I thought I'd go ahead and please my many
loyal fans with another stuptapular chapter of Terrible
Things. That or else it's time for my pills again.

Damn dementia...

Also, please feel free to comment and such. The gratification/
abuse is rather flattering. wink

And I'd like to thank Helmut Ott and Knight Writer for their
help. Now let's go!

--------------------------
Terrible Things to Waste

Part 2: Blame
--------------------------

Malance cursed to himself as he weaved his way through
the tall vertical structures of Tokyo. A quick diagnostic of
his mechanized suit had revealed that several of the sensors
weren't responding and the hydraulic system had begun to
leak fluid into the thruster's fuel tank. He glanced at the
reflective surface of the skyscrapers, noting the dented
metallic exoskeleton flaring a multitude of colors. Those
colors advertised the damage he sustained in battle. His
stomach began to churn with anxiety. His anxiety soon gave
way to irritation.

The blue suit zipped along the maze of buildings with
the grace of a wasp.

'Damn that Timelord!' Malance thought. 'Thanks to
that rodent, my armor looks absolutely dismal and I didn't
have time to make any repairs. Why won't he die?'

It never pleased the General when plans had to be
adjusted; however the General would have an answer. The
General always had the answers when things got complicated.

At least by killing the Timelord he could improve his
standing with the General and prevent that blonde bitch from
digging her claws any further into him. Do not permit the
weak to undermine your resolve the General always preached
to him. Somehow, the General had fallen under that blonde's
spell and weakened his resolve. How else could she get
promoted to a position equal to his?

'Ha!' Malance mused, 'a woman equal to me? Who did she
think she was fooling?'

Suddenly, the thrusters roared and Malance blazed
faster even though the hydraulic fluid would damage the
molecular fuel injector. He wasn't about to let a woman
beat him or the General. He would personally rescue General
Halebit from the clutches of the tawdry female. And he
would do anything to save him. It was his duty after all.

------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm waiting here, kid. My stomach's growlin and it
makes my trigger finger all itchy." The foreigner snarled
through his clenched teeth.

A small trickle of blood dribbled down the foreigner's
large vertical scar, carving a path through the brown dust
that covered his face. Meanwhile, a droplet of perspiration
traveled down Greg's forehead, leaving a cool trail on his
skin as it went.

"Um, well, I don't have any money for a hotel, but-"

The foreigner jumped from the pile of bricks and
knocked the brown haired youth to the ground.

"No you stupid bastard! No hotels! Don't you live
somewhere?" The foreigner jabbed his gun in Greg's face.

Greg gulped.

"Well!" The man's long black greasy locks dangled in
the boy's face.

Another bead of sweat dried on Greg's forehead. He had
to find a way to warn Amy and her friends about this new
enemy. But first he had to stay alive.

"WELL?"

Greg sighed. "Alright. I live a few blocks away; I
can give you something to eat. Just please put away your
weapon."

The foreigner smirked and lowered his gun. "Heh, very
good kid. But, if you're even dumb enough to take me to a
police station, I will kick your ass from this dimension to
the next."

"Oookay." Greg drew out.

Without even having a moment to shake the dust from his
jeans, the foreigner gripped Greg's arm.

"Let's go, I don't have much time."

As they walked, Greg collected his thoughts. From the
mysterious blue flashes in one of the alleyways, to that
blue robot and the foreigner spontaneously appearing and
fighting, Greg found the whole sequence of events hard to
swallow.

And to top it all off he hadn't been able to view a
premonition since the stranger's appearance. He couldn't
figure why unless he foresaw his own death.

Greg felt numb. Now, he wanted in the worst way to get
a premonition of something, anything, just to give him the
comfort of knowing the future. Greg shook his head and
smiled. It seemed fitting that all of his life he thought
his abilities as a curse and now he felt naked without them.

Without warning the foreigner stopped. "Which way?"

"Uh, that way." Rubbing his nose, Greg pointed toward
his home. 'He is certainly solid for such a thin
individual.'

As soon as they approached his home, Greg searched the
windows for any lights. He sighed in relief when he could
find none.

Upon reaching the front door, the foreigner yanked on
the handle and stepped aside. "Open it."

Greg quickly obliged, letting the foreigner in. Once
inside, he looked about.

"Where's your kitchen?" He demanded.

"To the right." Greg said.

He rushed to get his shoes off to leave them at the
front door, before the foreigner grabbed him by the collar
and dragged him towards the kitchen. Looking down Greg
noticed to his dismay the dark, greasy footprints his guest
left on his mother's soft white carpeting.

Meanwhile, the foreigner had zeroed in on the
refrigerator.

"So what's good in here?" He asked still holding Greg
by the collar.

"Um, we have some miso soup and maybe some ramen."
Greg stammered.

The foreigner scanned his chilled selections. "Where's
the steaks? I need real food, ya bastard."

"Steaks?" Greg exclaimed. "Do you have idea how
expensive those are?"

"Never mind." The foreigner emerged from the
refrigerator with a bowl filled with a broth mixture of
noodles, eggs, chicken meat, and various vegetables. "I
guess this'll have to do."

Greg's eyes grew wide as the foreigner gulped down the
cold ramen in one swallow.

"Ah." The foreigner belched. "Ya know, kid, you're
not half bad. I guess I won't kill ya."

"Um, thanks."

Satisfied, the foreigner strolled out of the kitchen
with Greg in toe.

"I need some clothing."

"Up the stairs." Greg coughed.

When they reached the top of the stairwell, the
foreigner stopped again.

"Is your father taller than you?"

"I think so." Greg answered before adding. "His room
is behind me."

"Good." The foreigner smirked. "You're catching on."

The foreigner effortlessly threw the boy on the bed and
randomly opened doors.

"Damn it, kid, why is your dad such a big fan of light
colors?"

A moment later, the foreigner set down some dark
colored clothing on the bed along with a black trenchcoat.
Tearing off his belt, the foreigner tossed it on the bed.
Greg turned his head away politely as he changed. As he
looked away Greg noticed the foreigner's arsenal lying
before him, two pistols and the broad sword.

'He's unarmed. Is he testing me?' Greg thought,
gazing at the sword. 'Will he notice if I take the sword?'

Unable to resist, he ran his hand across the blade's
gray crystalline edge.

'Whoever had been able to fashion a crystal into this
shape, this sharp was a master craftsman.'

Tracing his fingertips over the smooth wooden hilt,
Greg admired the ornate carvings. At the bottom, three
jewels stared at him like red irises. As his fingers
touched each red orb, the sword's glow intensified.

"Fascinating." He whispered.

"The pickings were slim but I found something." The
foreigner said, snatching up his belt.

Snapping himself from his trance, Greg stared at the
foreigner's new wardrobe. In place of his tattered black
jumpsuit, the foreigner had changed into a dark velvet dress
shirt and black slacks; both billowing on his frame. Greg
continued to stare, wondering why the man chose that
particular outfit since it looked even more ridiculous than
his old outfit.

"And now the finishing touch." The man slung a
trenchcoat over his shoulders before adding. "Man, you
orientals sure are short."

Greg looked down and noticed that the coat, which
covered his father's heels, only came to the foreigner's
knees. It did have enough length to conceal his sword.

"Why did you change?"

The foreigner paused. "Um, to blend in better, why
else?"

Greg looked up at the towering foreign man and wondered
if he could look any more conspicuous. In fact, he seemed
completely oblivious to the crimson and silvery tinged blood
on his brow.

"Uh, okay."

"What is it?" The foreigner asked. "Do I look
stupid?"

"Oh no. Not at all." Greg replied. "It's how you
carry yourself. If you're going to blend in here, you need
to know the correct way to handle yourself in a public
setting."

The foreign man blinked. "Why in the hell would a
soldier like me need to worry about that?"

"It would give you an advantage against that blue
robot."

The man snickered. "Heh, yeah well you could call that
Society bastard that."

"Society?" Greg raised an eyebrow. "What's the
Society?"

The man turned to a nearby mirror. "Eh, just some
bastards that tried to kill me."

"Kill you?"

"Well I'm alive ain't I?" The foreigner boasted. "And
no thanks to that blonde bitch either."

"Who?"

"It's none of your business." The foreigner turned
around. "We've got to get going."

"Um, where to?" Greg managed before the foreign man
plucked him off the bed.

"Somewhere else." The foreigner slung the boy down the
stairs with him. "Cause if I need to blend in here, then I
suppose beatin' the crap outta your parents isn't going to
help any."

"Um, right." Greg gulped. "And my parents won't be
concerned that I'm gone?"

He could see the Timelord's smirk beneath his curtain
of greasy black curls as he ushered him out the door.

"Nah. You're that quiet type, so I suppose no one's
gonna miss you."

Then the Timelord slammed the door.

-------------------------------------------------------------

'Emotions are the bane of all weakness.' The old man
thought. 'Strength rested on the sturdy foundation of cool
logic, and only then could one achieve total control. And
to be in total control was to be completely invincible.'

Halebit focused on the coolness; he did not desire any
emotions. Emotions only served to stir up ... urges that
assaulted this very foundation and undermine his control.

'I must focus on the darkness. I must empty all
emotions and urges into that infinite void.'

Halebit stared out into the surrounding cavernous space
of the warehouse. 'Yes I could not ask for a more perfect
place to do so.'

Halebit focused harder, emptying the noises of
vehicles, the red glare of neon lights outside, the stiff
cold breeze creeping through rusted holes in the walls, the
prickly legs of the cockroach crawling across his back or
any other distractions into the nothingness around him.

'Few understand the power of control.' Halebit
thought. 'Control turned the floundering Society into the
force feared by the Counsule. Those senile, insipid fools
had grown complacent over the years ruling over the
Community and let things spiral out of control.'

Halebit's hard expression softened slightly. 'I will
make them pay for their greatest mistake of letting the
undisciplined weak lead the strong.'

Images of that fair-haired tart suddenly came to mind,
her cool blue eyes staring at him defiantly.

'Much like Counsule, that woman will soon learn to
properly subjugate herself to me in good time. She will
regret ever tempting me by trying to stir up my... emotions.'

Halebit concentrated further upon the surrounding
darkness bathed in the red glow. A dull throb crept down
his spine and collected in his abdomen.

'Once that contemptuous girl fulfills her
responsibilities, the chain of events will soon fall into
line. I will wrench control of the Community from the
Counsule, for whoever controls the Community controls the
Nexus to all dimensions.'

Ready, Halebit extended his mind and levitated himself
off the platform. He could feel the power flowing through
his veins fading, replaced by a stabbing pain in his lungs.
Despite the excruciating pain, Halebit remained still and
slowly lowered himself back down.

'It would be wise to conserve my power. I will
require the rest of my reserves for the battle to come.'

Halebit perked his ears, as a low rumble in the
distance grew closer. 'He's late.'

A few moments later, Halebit could see from the corner
of his eyes a mechanical suit swooping through one of the
large broken windowpanes. The suit zipped around near the
ceiling before it landed gracefully in front of the old man.

Halebit allowed himself to frown at the dismal shape of
Malance's blue armor. "Where were you, Malance? I asked
you to drop off the girl at her destination and not to
engage Serenity's guards."

Malance stood rigid and reported. "I have done as you
had requested General, sir! But I encountered an unexpected
problem."

Halebit survey the lumps and dents dotted across the
suit. "An unexpected problem?"

"The Timelord is alive."

"I see." Halebit pursed his lips, but otherwise his
face remained still.

Halebit looked into Malance's reflective visor and
peered at the hard lines on his own face. 'The boy's here,
huh, I shouldn't be surprised. He must have used the sword
to get out of my trap, which means he has apparently learned
how to harness its power just as his father did during the
Great War. Oh well, the boy still poses no threat to me.'

Halebit perked his ears again, as a low echo resonated
off the bare walls of the warehouse. Despite the unbearable
pain that gripped his head and neck, Halebit strained to
listen to the barely audible sound. Slowly, the sound
became louder and his heart leapt into his throat when he
realized the echo was laughter.

Halebit closed his eyes. "He will not be a problem,
see to it that he doesn't become a distraction."

"Yes, sir!" Malance jumped to attention.

Without further hesitation, Malance ignited his
thrusters and launched himself into the night sky. Halebit
watched the fiery blue flame disappear out of view and
returned his concentration into the nothingness.

The laughter didn't subside. 'Why didn't Malance even
notice it? Is he humoring me by not acknowledging it? Does
he honestly think that by eagerly following my orders, I
won't notice that he knows about the voice? He's probably
just like the other vultures, circling and waiting for me to
stumble and fall so they can feast upon my rotting corpse.
But they will be disappointed when I crush them and make
them wish they never crossed me! ... Hmmm, perhaps it is time
to re-evaluate the loyalty of my first officer.'

"Halebit..." A voice taunted softly from the surrounding
darkness.

Searching the warehouse from his seated position, the
old man noticed that the laughing went silent.

"Come on Hally, me'boy!" The voice breathed into his
ear. "Did you honestly think you could hold me back
forever? Hehe."

Stumbling to his feet, Halebit scurried over to a
corner of the platform. He could hear the voice laughing
with renewed intensity as he clawed at a thin metal panel.
He tore off the panel and snatched a small hard-shelled case
hidden among the pipes. Wiping off the sludge, Halebit
ripped open the cases. Greedily, Halebit poured the red
powdery contents of a capsule down his throat.

The disembodied voice continued to laugh. "Don't think
your 'medicine' will stop me Halebit. You're running low
and soon you'll run out."

"And when you run out, I will return." The voice began
to fade away into the darkness.

With a jolt, his body absorbed the drug and his mind
exploded with every kind of sensation, from pleasure to
pain. His heart raced and his breath quickened. He fell to
his knees overwhelmed by these sensations and pounded his
fist into the platform. Unable to hold back any more,
Halebit screamed incoherently at the top of his lungs.
Concrete around him cracked and the lose pieces levitated
off the ground.

"I need more crystals! I need them NOW!" He screamed
before he lost consciousness.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Damn it, Michelle. You're beautiful when you eat."
Erica sighed.

Erica studied every delicate detail of her lover's soft
facial contours in the candlelight's iridescence. From her
lover's wavy green mane that engulfed her shoulders in a
crashing crest of hair to the round emerald eyes that
sparkled in the moonlight.

Erica sighed contently. 'It's been hell since we
adopted Victoria, running about taking care of her, but it's
little moments like these that makes it all worth it.'

A smile gently curved the corners of Michelle's mouth.
"Eric, according to you, everything I do is beautiful."

Erica sat up in attention and flashed a wry smile. "Do
you doubt my taste?"

Michelle tilted her head and batted her eyelashes. "Not
at all."

Erica snatched Michelle's hand and gave it a sensual
kiss, making her blush.

'This,' Erica thought, 'is going very well.'

Suddenly, a flash of crimson light blinded the pair.
Through squinted eyes, Erica barely made out two figures in
the glaring light.

She immediately recognized the Time Guardian's key
shaped staff.

Erica furrowed her brow. 'This can't be good.'

As the light dissipated, a blonde woman in a dirty
uniform emerged along side the Time Guardian. The woman
spied her new surroundings with timid curiosity. A feeling
of dread overcame Erica when the woman's eyes grew wide.

"Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, by orders of the
Queen, you are to guard this Traveller until her quest is
completed." The Time Guardian announced.

"Huh?" Erica coughed into her handkerchief.

Upon hearing this, the blonde stranger blinked in awe
and then fluttered across the room towards the dinner table.

"I thought I recognized both of you!" The blonde woman
bubbled unable to withhold her excitement. "You're Haruka
and Michiru, the two most famous lovers ever known across
the dimensions!"

"Who?" Michelle smiled politely.

The blonde Traveller composed herself briefly and spoke
slowly.

"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong people... You are
Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, right?"

Michelle glanced toward the stoic Time Guardian. "Um,
yes."

Erica blinked a few more times. "What's this about
most famous love-"

"Pluto, why does the Queen want us to protect this
woman?"

"The Traveller has convinced the Queen that she needs
protection from her enemies." Pluto stated flatly.

"Waitaminute." Erica put her hands up. "What are these
'Travellers' and why did Neo-Queen Serenity send her from
the future to us in the present?"

The blonde woman smiled and bowed. "A Traveller is an
inter-dimensional time traveler, and actually it wasn't the
Neo-Queen from the future, it was Usa-I mean, Serena who
made the decree." .

"What?" The startled Traveller jumped back.

Pluto took a deep breath. "Since Serena is technically
the Queen, I must obey her orders or risk punishment for
insubordination. However, I will ensure that this Traveller
will cause no folly. This I promise. Now, if you will
excuse me, I must return to the Time Gate."

The Time Guardian brought her staff upright and in a
flash of red, she disappeared. Erica blinked and stared
daggers at the space Sailor Pluto once occupied. 'Another
one of Pluto's "last minute" missions. Great. Oh well, if
there's anything I've learned from the past, there's no use
in fighting my obligations.'

The Traveller tentatively smiled at the two women as
she stood silently before them.

"Um, my name is Xendyte, or Cindy, whichever you
prefer." The blonde woman smiled and bowed deeply.

"Yes, nice to meet you." Michelle bowed in kind. "I'm
Michelle and this is Eric."

The sandy haired woman only nodded in response as she
scrutinized their guest. The glimmer of the bracelet on the
Traveller's wrist immediately drew her eyes. The bracelet
composed of diamond-shaped red rubies connected at the tips,
which the Traveller toyed with as she waited.

'An interesting design,' Erica thought, 'though very
fancy looking jewelry for a woman in only a dirt infested,
weathered gray uniform.'

Erica's face soured when a slight noxious odor reached
her nose. Obviously the woman had been for several days
without a bath. However, as Erica looked more closely,
underneath the worn, dirty clothing, she could see the
gentle curves of a feminine figure.

'Very feminine indeed.' Erica mused.

Catching herself, Erica forced her eyes closed. 'Don't
get distracted, Erica.'

Her study immediately went to the woman's long blond
hair. Xendyte held back her blonde in a ponytail behind her
head leaving a few wisp of hair dangled in front of her
wide, dark blues eyes. In those eyes Erica could sense
something genuine about the Traveller. As she continued to
study Xendyte's eyes, Erica noted that they had the same
pacifying effect on her as Serena's did. Gradually, Erica
felt her subconsciousness being drawn and beginning to swim
in the blue hue.

"Xendyte? An interesting name." Michelle turned to
her dazed partner. "Don't you think so, Eric?"

Michelle's voice made Erica aware of the presence of a
third person in the room.

"Um, yes, it is." Erica stammered.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the three women.
Xendyte, with no other options, kept smiling.

'Oh this is intolerable.' Erica thought.

"So," she coughed, "can you tell us why you need our
help?"

Suddenly, Xendyte's smile vanished. Shifting her feet
she replied. "I'm fighting to free my people from the
suppression of our corrupted rulers, the Counsule. For that
reason, they have sent their Timelords to track me down and
kill me."

"Timelords?" Erica's eyes narrowed.

Xendyte took a deep breath and then cleared her throat.
"They are enhanced soldiers that keep the order of the
Counsule."

"Enhanced?" Erica leaned forward, pressing the woman
further.

"They have these machines incorporated into their
bodies making them nearly indestructable."

Cindy closed her eyes trying to suppress her tears.

"I see." Erica replied intrigued by their guest's
reaction.

Before Erica could ask another question, Michelle
changed the subject. "I'm sure since you know so much about
us that you'd like to share something about yourself with
us."

Upon opening her red lined eyes Cindy shrugged. "I,
um... Where do I begin?"

"How about your home?" Michelle asked pleasantly.

"Huh, home," Cindy laughed, "it's been such a long time
since I've been home that I can hardly remember it now."

"Did you leave any family behind because you joined
this Society?" Erica inquired.

Cindy took another deep breath and smiled. "You could
say that."

Erica felt dubious of their guest's increasing
evasiveness. "What happened to them?"

"They're, um, dead."

Erica's face fell. "Oh."

"I'm very sorry." Michelle made a sideways glance
toward Erica. "You must pardon us, we didn't realize-"

Cindy sniffed and waved her hand. "That's okay, it's
understandable. I mean I am a stranger in your home."

"We can worry about the details tomorrow. In the mean
time get some rest." Michelle guided the woman over the
living room. "Is it okay if you sleep on our couch tonight?"

Cindy nodded. Michelle smiled warmly before turning to
Erica.

"I'm sure that we can provide you with a pillow and
some blankets. Right, Eric?"

"Uh sure." Erica jumped to attention.

'This,' Erica thought, 'is not going very good.'

Striding over to their linen closet, Erica grumbled to
herself. She grabbed the first sheets and pillow she saw
and made her way back to the living room.

'Why is Michelle angry with me? She knows that I don't
like accepting a total stranger into our home without
raising a few questions. This woman maybe easy on the eyes
but I'm not going to let her waltz right in. Insensitive,
probably, but trust is a subject never to be taken lightly.'

Upon entering the room, Erica could see Michelle
getting the couch ready for Xendyte. Without looking at
either woman, Erica dropped the blankets and pillow on the
sofa and turned to go to bed.

Before Erica could make it toward the hallway, Xendyte
raced over to her and bowed deeply.

"Would you please accept my most humble apologies, I
didn't mean to be such a problem. I am very thankful that
the both of you would provide me with a place to sleep and I
promise to make it up to you in the morning."

Erica looked at their guest dumbfounded. She could
feel Michelle pat her on the shoulder. "There is no need to
apologize Ms. Xendyte. You're more than welcome here, if
our Queen trusts you then I don't see why we can't."

Xendyte bowed deeply. "Um, thanks. Thanks for
everything."

-------------------------------------------------------------

'In the absence of hope, Serenity's love would help you
through for her love is unconditional.'

Cindy gazed at the dark silhouettes on the peach
colored ceiling. Her mother had always told her that
whenever she cried. Curling up on Michelle's couch, she
released a long sigh she had been holding the entire
evening.

Cindy repeated her mother's mantra to herself when the
screams of her parents echoed in her nightmares. She had
relived that day over and over again, wondering if she could
have done things differently. She remembered the fruit
she had eaten that morning and packing the book she had been
reading.

Cindy remembered watching the blazing sun slowly creep
over the horizon as she strained forward against a stiff
arid wind. Her mother struggled along side her carrying a
large bundle wadded in a brown cloak. Her mother had
insisted on carrying the child despite Cindy's protests. In
her mother's mind, no child was too old to be carried.

So Cindy decided to hang back with her mother as her
father trudge ahead of them.

"Dad, hold up!" She yelled.

The man stopped and waved them on. "Come on, hurry up!
We've got to keep going!"

Cindy ran towards her father. "Dad, what's going on?"

Her father froze and adjusted his glasses with an
unsteady hand.

"Uh, nothing. Nothing at all. The Counsule just gave
me some extra credits for developing the new AI system. You
know, the one you helped with, and I thought we'd go to one
of those paradise dimensions. So, um, what are we waiting
for?"

Her father tried to bury his face in his hood as a
sudden gust dusted the pair with more sand. Though his
cloak hung off his tall, thin frame like a burlap curtain,
Cindy could see his hands shake and glasses quiver.

He'd only trembled this much when something worried him
and he'd often tried to hide it. However, despite his best
efforts, he never could hide it from her.

"Could someone take Seamus? He's getting heavy." Her
mother shouted above the howling wind.

Turning to her mother, Cindy smiled. "Sure Mom, I'll
take him off your hands."

As the child passed hands, her mother thanked her and
ran towards her father.

"Cindy, are we there yet?" The blond boy rubbed his
eyes.

"I'm not sure, Sam."

"Hey Cindy, what's that?" Her brother asked.

Curious, Cindy gazed into the distance but couldn't see
anything on the hazy desert horizon. Then from a clear sky,
a small band of shimmering light rained down onto the sand
and intensified suddenly. The light slowly faded revealing
three figures in long tan cloaks. The tattered edges of
their tan cloaks billowed out exposing their black uniforms
underneath.

'Timelords?' She thought. 'What would they want with
us?'

Cindy could visibly see her father quivering as the
soldiers raised their weapons. One soldier with long black
hair took a step forward and peered at her father through a
dark visor.

Gusts of wind made it hard to hear what was being said,
however, Cindy surmised the conversation was not pleasant.

Without warning, her mother erupted.

"Society! We don't know anything about a-"

The Timelord responded by punching her in the face.

"Mother!" Cindy dropped Seamus as she raced to her
mother.

The fine sand sucked down her feet deeper with each
step. Stumbling, she looked up just in time to see the
square barrel of a Timelord's gun just as it discharged.
She felt the bullet pass through her abdomen. Her entire
midsection exploded with pain. Grabbing her side, she could
feel the warm blood ooze between her fingers. Her vision
faded leaving her with sounds of violent barks of guns and
screams of agony before everything went black.

She remembered waking sometime later as a young girl
changed her bandage. Cindy remembered gazing at white paint
curling off the walls revealing the rough gray surface.
Streaks of yellow spread from spots on the ceiling and
cascaded down the remaining paint. Soft sun light streamed
in from a small window above her bed.

'Was I rescued or was I taken prisoner?' She wondered.

Suddenly, with great haste, the girl retreated from the
room and a few moments later an old man entered.

"I welcome you to the Society, Miss Animi." He
announced dryly. "I am the general of this operation and I
expect that you treat me respectfully."

"Huh?" Cindy groaned.

The old man pursed his lips. "Miss Animi, we rescued
you from certain death at the hands of the Timelords."

"What about my family?"

The old man narrowed his eyes and continued. "We
expect that you will join our operation in compensation for
saving your life."

"What about my family? Where are they!"

"That's enough, Miss Animi!" The old man flexed his
hand.

Cindy felt something applying pressure to her chest and
limbs, forcing her flat onto the bed.

"As I said earlier, we expect compensation and
disobedience will not be tolerated. Your training will
begin immediately. No excuses." The old man gazed at
Cindy's prone body. "Excuses are for the weak."

Once the old man left the room the invisible vice freed
her. Immediately, she dove off the bed coughing and heaving
like a fish out of water.

She had only a few days to recover before her rigorous
training began. The old man had been unforgiving and
focused on her by singling her out from the rest of the men
during these sessions. Her numerous attempts to hide proved
fruitless, since the old man always seemed to know where to
find her.

Deciding she had lived long enough under his leering
eye, she packed her few belongings and set off to leave.

'I'm not going to let him scare me anymore.' She
resolved.

As she walked down the long aisle of stained and
mangled mattresses, she noticed the old man waiting for her
once again at the exit of the barracks arms crossed.

"Leaving us so soon, Xendyte?"

She licked her dry lips. "Yes."

"And where are you going to go?" The old man
approached her.

"Somewhere else." Cindy tried to step back, but her
feet refused to budge. Tugging with her heels, she couldn't
break loose of the magnetic-like grip. Glancing up, she
detected a subtle look of amusement on the old man's face.

"So you want the Timelords to hunt you down?"

"Yeah, it would save me the trouble of looking for
them." Cindy answered swallowing hard.

"I see," he leisurely clasped his hands behind his
back, "its revenge. How will you know when you've found
him?"

"He had long black hair." She replied.

A deep, raspy chuckle echoed off the bare walls. Cindy
grew unsettled. She had endured the old man's silence and
intense gaze for a while now; however, hearing him chuckle
in the empty barracks had implications that disturbed her.

"Such a naive child. I can lead you to the Timelords
that killed your family and spare you the trouble."

"Ho-how do you know?"

"I make it my business to know, my dear." He cooed,
his breath tickling her ear.

She suppressed a shiver as the old man paced in front
of her about-facing. At that moment, she wanted nothing
more than to wipe that smirk off his face.

"I'll make you an offer Miss Animi. I will lead you to
the Timelord who killed your parents. In return I expect
you to pledge your allegiance to me."

The old man stepped aside and gestured to the barrack
doors.

"Or you may refuse and search in futility on your own.
However I doubt that you'd ever succeed in avenging your
family."

He paused. "Do we have a deal?"

She nodded not realizing it would be a decision she
would soon regret.

Not long afterward, the old man promoted her to second
in command where she shared the post with a soldier whose
devotion to the old man went beyond admiration. Her
responsibilities mainly entailed accompanying the old man
and 'entertaining' the soldiers when he visited the small
battalions stationed in various timestreams.

She remembered the lewd stares of those soldiers when
the old man paraded her naked in front of them. She'd
bravely followed orders to strip and stand at attention
exposing herself for all to see hoping they couldn't see her
shame as the old man spoke. Most of the old man's speeches
would degenerate into rants about the vile wanton
lustfulness of weak women undermining the strong male
authority.

They had a deal, she reasoned, and as soon as she found
that Timelord she'd be done with the Society and that old
man. However, the days dragged into months and then a year.
She grew complacent and found ways to distract herself to
make the time pass faster.

Then one day after downing a bottle or two of wine
before she had to 'entertain' the troops, she noticed a
soldier huddled in a corner like a wounded animal. He had
buried his head into the crevice between his elbow and knees
and shook violently. His shaking brought on sudden
flashbacks of her father's trembling form in the desert.

"Hey there." She could see the perspiration soaking
the collar of his grey uniform.

"Have you come to flog me too?" The soldier sniffed,
wiping his nose on the blood stained sleeve.

"Um, no. Why would I?"

"Because I'm a coward and a traitor!" He shouted.

"How?" Cindy asked awakened from her alcoholic stupor.

The soldier looked at her giving Cindy full view of the
large lumps and bruises that disfigured his face. Blood
laced with silver oozed from the whelps and dripped onto his
knees. Moved, Cindy dropped her bottle and tried to place
her arm around the man, but stopped when he winced.

"Don't bother. I'm not worth your pity." He laid his
head back on his knees. "I abandoned them and left them to
die with the Timelords. I don't know what came over me; I
thought I had practiced enough, trained hard enough. I
thought I had conquered my fear and faults. But I hadn't, I
was only fooling myself. When the time came to prove myself
I was still the coward I had been when I ran away from the
Community."

He sniffed one last time and sobbed loudly, unconcerned
of who heard him. Cindy wished she could do something,
however like in all things she had proven herself useless
once again.

"It doesn't matter now;" he concluded, "I'm doomed just
as I doomed them."

"Hey listen," she said softly, "I'll see what I can do.
You see I'm the second-"

"Animi!" She heard a familiar voice bark. "It's time,
get ready."

Cindy wrapped her cloaked tight around her nude body
and scurried off to the platform. She remembered glancing
back at the soldier, reminding herself to look for him later
that night.

When she approached the stage, the old man had already
started his speech.

"I am pleased with your progress in your fight against
the Counsule. You've been fighting hard, contributing all
you can as I have trained you to do. However, there are
those among your number who offer us nothing in this battle,
but cowardice and weakness. And I want you all to
understand that I will not tolerate weakness."

Moving off stage, Cindy noticed the soldier she had
been talking to earlier being dragged across the stage. The
soldier struggled to hide as the crowd pelted him with empty
and full ration cans. Feelings of powerlessness overwhelmed
Cindy when she saw his pleading expression, quietly begging
for mercy.

"Now I will show you I do not hesitate to eradicate
weakness." He stretched out his hand.

Cindy watched in horror at the old man, 'Surely he
doesn't mean...'

Tensing his fingers, the soldier began to levitate off
the platform. The crowd hushed itself in awe, eagerly
awaiting the outcome. The old man closed his fingers with
deliberate speed. The soldier began to claw at his throat
and struggle for air, until finally the old man clenched his
fist.

A sickening crunch echoed in the hall. The soldier's
limp body fell to the floor, and the crowd cheered. Cindy
raided her stash of whiskey that night but it wouldn't wash
out the memories. It seemed that nothing ever could.

Cindy found herself staring up at the smooth ceiling of
Michelle's apartment once more. Things were different now.
Serenity would soon bring an end to all of her troubles and
soothe her pain. She didn't care what the old man had
ordered her to do - she had had enough.

She yawned and narrowed her eyes.

'Good riddance old man.' Cindy thought drifting off to
sleep.

-End of Part 2-

Thanks for reading. Adios folks.

Disclaimer:
All original characters are owned and copyrighted by Bastion (c) 2004.
And Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi and in America by DIC and
whole load of other companies. Can't think of them all, but they all own it.
Not me thankfully, I don't know if I could handle the responsibility.

Bastion
Bastionatixdotnetcomdotcom

Rev. 10/04