Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Time's Wheel ❯ Ch. 8: Sailor Scouts: Part B ( Chapter 9 )

Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.8: Sailor Scouts Part B

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing, only the characters I create.

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Mina moans as she tries to move from her position on the floor. Pain races through her head where she had hit the ground not too long ago. She reaches out a hand to try and steady herself and encounters metal. Her eyes fly open in surprise at the cold presence beneath her hand and she nearly sends herself back into unconsciousness. Slower this time, she opens her eyes and sits up, unconsciously brushing away a stray piece of golden hair.

For a moment, her vision is blurry and she can only make out a large green shape through the haze of her vision. A warm breeze smelling of rotten eggs drifts over her, causing her to gag. She lifts her head and stares into a pair of black, hollow eyes.

And screams.

She is in a cage shaped like a ball, making her feel very much like some imprisoned canary. The cage is attached to a long chain attached held by what appeared like, for lack of a better word an ogre.

Mina reels back against the far end of the cage, cringing as a big green face nears the bars. Hesitantly it reaches one large claw in between the bars and touches a single golden curl that has fallen over her shoulder. Mina looks at the green hand and the thick trail of slime that it is leaving on her hair.

"Get your hands off me!" she yells.

The monster flinches, appearing to have been taken aback.

Oh you've got to be kidding me.

"That's it, I won't let you get away with this."

Reaching for her transformation pen, she holds it up, ready to become Sailor Venus.

"Venus Crystal Power!"

A bright flash of light streaks out from the wand and dies, leaving Mina flabbergasted. She stares up at her hand as if it has betrayed her and slowly lowers the pen. The monster growls down at her and her mouth twitches in a nervous smile.

Uh oh, not good.

Quatre watches as Sailor Mercury retrieves her wet data computer and opens it, testing to see if anything had been seriously damaged. Touching an earring on her right ear, a blue visor flashes across her eyes and she starts typing furiously. Figures dance rapidly across the screen of the visor, analyzing the area.

"Just what is going on here?" Wufei yells. "Who are you people?"

Jupiter turns and glances at him. "I am sorry Wufei, but this really isn't the time nor the place to discuss this." She looks down at the ground, her face appearing crestfallen. "Now that you, we'll explain later, but right now, we have some friends who are probably in a lot of danger."

Wufei scowls, his hand tightening around his katana. "I don't really care if…"

"She's right, now is not the time," says a soft voice from the shadows.

Two figures move out from the rocks, moving from the cover of the darkness. Both are dressed in sailor outfits, one, the taller of the two, in dark blue and yellow, the other in blue and aqua. The taller one places a hand at her temples, brushing away sandy blond hair, and leans up against a rock ledge. In her other hand, she grips a deadly looking jeweled sword, which she holds at a ready position.

The smaller figure follows more slowly and comes to stand behind Mercury, her aqua hair blending in with the water around her. "Have you found them yet Mercury?"

"Just about Neptune, I've almost got a lock."

"How long have you guys been standing there?" Heero asks, his voice in its usual monotone.

Uranus smiles. "Why should I answer that when you already know the answer? I saw you look over at us when we entered right before Mercury transformed." She looks over at the boy and glances at him from head to toe a look of grudging respect on her face.

Quatre stares at the two scouts and then his eyes widen, understanding lighting them. Neptune sees the look of comprehension and nods, smiling slightly. If Amara and Michelle are Uranus and Neptune, and Lita and Ami are Jupiter and Mercury, then that would make…

His eyes widen in fear, placing the pieces together. He glances at Neptune for conformation, but already knowing the answer. Neptune nods once more and looks away.

"I've found them," Mercury says triumphantly and points down a corridor that lies south of them.

"Well then what are we still standing around here for?" Jupiter takes off at a run toward the corridor that Mercury had pointed to. Mercury throws her data computer skyward where it immediately disappears without a trace and follows her friend.

Quatre feels a slight pressure on his shoulder and is thrown out of his trance. He glances over at Uranus and nods. Uranus removes her hand and smiles reassuringly, and then runs to catch up with the others. Quatre follows, not knowing, but afraid of what he may find at the other end.

Mina grimaces as she is once again slammed up against the edge of her cage. She hears the clink of the chain against the stone floor as the monster prepares to throw her yet again. Mina manages to get to her hands under her and tries to sit up, forcing the spinning to stop. Her stomach clenches as bile rises in her throat and she forcibly chokes it down, nearly gagging in the process. Her hair had long since fallen from the red bow that usually held it up and is now curling wildly around her chest and arms.

I can't take much more of this.

Her feet fly out from under her and a weak cry escapes her lips as her cage hits another wall. A jolt of pain races up her arm where it hits the iron, adding another bruise to her body.

Dimly, in the back of her mind, she hears the fall of footsteps on stone, but her belief in that hope is very dim. The ogre turns around, sniffing the air for something that seems to have entered its domain, and Mina's hopes soar.

"Mina!"

That voice sounds familiar…

Mina tries to lift her head, hoping it will make the sound reach her and begins to look around wildly.

"Mina!!!"

Mina gasps and sighs in relief. "Lita!"

Several figures appear from a corridor beside her, Sailor Jupiter leading the way. Mina's mind registers a bit of shock as she sees all four boys as well as Mercury with her, but she doesn't waste time questioning.

Jupiter reels back in shock upon seeing her friend's predicament and scowls at the beast that is holding her prisoner. "Hang on Mina! I'll get you out! Jupiter Thunder…"

"No, Jupiter wait!" Mercury shouts, running up beside her friend, her energy scanner still over her eyes. "If you attack it now, you might hurt Mina as well."

Jupiter frowns but backs off. "So how do you propose we get her out."

"Hang on a moment I'll think of… Look out!"

Mina's stomach does another flip as her ball-like cage is set in motion. Jupiter and Mercury jump aside as the ball is thrown toward them, barely missing the impact. As soon as Mina feels the ball stop, she is heaved up again and thrown in another direction which she isn't sure of, her vision becoming more and more hazy.

"We can't even get close to that thing without it trying to hit us," Jupiter complains. "We can't use our attacks, it will hurt Mina." She turns to Trowa, who is standing only a few feet away. "Do you think you can hit the jewel on its forehead? If you can, Mina may be able to escape on her own and we can finish it off together."

Trowa jumps as the ball is flung at him again. "I don't know, he's keeping us at a pretty good distance and with him constantly swinging that thing at us…"

Mercury's brow furrows in concentration. "Trowa, if we can get him to stop hurling that thing, will you have a better chance?"

Trowa nods.

"Alright, I don't know how much this will help, but it's worth a try. Mercury Bubbles!"

As soon as Mercury releases her attack, a thick mist covers the area. The monster looks around in confusion, rubbing his eyes and stomping around, trying to see his enemies.

Trowa, meanwhile, has kept his eye on the glittering jewel atop the monster's head and raises his gun. A single shot shatters it to a million pieces, sending streams of light which bounce off the fog, blinding everyone in the area.

Mina's body arches back as Venus's power rushes through her, filling up the empty space that had left a big hole in her soul. Strength comes back to her tired body and for the first time since she had regained consciousness, her vision clears. She gets to her feet within her prison and once again pulls out her transformation pen, knowing full well that it will work this time.

"That's it, I've had it with being thrown around. You're gonna pay for this!"

"Venus Crystal Power!"

Mina feels light wrap around her and she leans into its warmth. A burst of power rushes up from beneath her and lifts her hair and she relaxes into it as her scout uniform appears on her body. Dimly, she hears the bars to her cage shattering into a million pieces. She feels her feet touch ground again and she stands in her finishing pose, ready to fight.

As the mist clears, an angry looking Sailor Venus takes the place of Mina, standing over bent and twisted pieces of iron. Venus steps over the torn metal and towards the ogre, who is still rubbing his stinging eyes. She looks up at him and gives it an evil grin.

"Jupiter, you ready?"

"Of course."

"Good, then let's send this thing back to its maker so that it can torment it for awhile."

Venus calls upon the power of her planet and touches her lips with her fingers, preparing for her strongest attack. She crosses her arm over her chest and brings it back swiftly, causing the light to explode in a huge burst of energy.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

At the same time, Jupiter begins to spin rapidly, electricity racing up her body. Tiny leaves of lightening form, which she sends towards her opponent.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The two attacks combine and cause a powerful explosion that hits the monster head on, sending him into a wall. It stumbles back and then falls to its knees, releasing the empty chain that it had been clutching like a lifeline. It attempts to get back to its feet, but is thrown back down from three crescent beams from Venus. Finally, it crumbles to dust which scatters across the room as if picked up by a gentle breeze.

"Finally!" Jupiter manages to get out between gasps of air. "What was that thing?" She walks over to the pile of dust that is left over and steps on it with the heel of her boot, making a dark smudge on the stone floor.

Trowa comes forward to stand beside her and picks up a small pinch of the black substance between his fingers and begins to rub. "I'd say that it's ash, but I know that's wrong."

"It's dust," Ami abruptly replies.

"Dust, you mean like when…" Jupiter says, trailing off.

"Yes. These monsters we are fighting must be creatures created by Beryl before we defeated her that she never got the chance to awaken. That would explain why they turn to dust when they are defeated."

Jupiter kicks up a large hunk of the powder, sending it sailing through the air. "That would also explain why then are so easy to defeat." She walks toward her friend and leans up against the nearby wall. "But why would Jedite send these after us? He should know that by now we've fought much harder enemies."

"Yes, that is true, but I don't think he ever intended for us to be able to transform, much less find the boys. If we hadn't been able to transform, we wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Ahem!"

Both girls look up to see Neptune standing near the nearest and only exit to the cave. "If you two are finished, there is still one Sailor Scout left who is without her power that might need us at the moment."

"Yes, we'd better find Rei before something happens to her," Quatre says quietly.

The scouts look at him in amazement and Quatre smiles and blushes slightly.

"How did you know…? Venus begins.

Trowa pushes past her and walks over to where Neptune is standing. "It was obvious. After you three transformed, the identity of the others was immediately given away. You girls always hang out together, in fact, I have rarely seen you apart. It's obvious that Rei is a scout." He thrusts his hands into his back pockets and leads the way out of the room, allowing the shadows of the nearby corridor to swallow him.

One by one, the other boys follow, leaving the girls scrambling to catch up.

Rei sits quietly in the corner of the room, toying with the manacles on her wrists that leave her chained to the wall. She had long since given up trying to get them off and she was almost positive that that monkey-like creature had used super glue to get them on in the first place.

Suddenly she stands up and slams her fist into the wall in frustration. "Damn it Jedite, I can't stand it anymore, I need to transform!" For a moment, she stands, glaring at the red jewel on the human-sized monkey's forehead, but then finally drops back to the floor in despair. "This is so unfair."

She still couldn't believe how easy it had been to trap that stupid monkey. Did Jedite think that she was infirm or something? Rei places her head in her lap, allowing her black hair to cover her.

The door in front of her slides open and Rei rises to a fighting stance, despite the manacles that hold her fast to the wall. A pair of red, beady eyes stare at her from the shadows and she feels her back leg buckle, a sudden wave of fear traveling up her spine.

"You're stuck, you're stuck!" Comes a squeaky voice.

A fuzzy head appears, grinning insanely, its eyes glittering with mad delight. The rest of him follows, in all appearances nothing more that a giant monkey. A set of keys dangles from his neck, making a ringing sound as they clink together.

"You're stuck and can't get out!"

Oh, you've got to be kidding me, she thinks, resisting the sudden urge to break down in a fit of laughter. What is he supposed to do exactly, make me go crazy? This must be all Jedite has left. She sighs, trying to drown him out. How did I get the reject?

The monkey begins jumping up and down, spinning in circles as he does so, the whole time, laughing with insane humor. Rei watches in silence, not amused. The monkey comes near her face and blinks, tilting his head side to side, as if studying her.

"What do you want!?"

The monkey places his hand between his face and hers and then waves it, his eyes following it as he does so. After a moment, he stops and grins, and picks up where he left off in his laughing spree.

Rei closes her eyes and grits her teeth, trying to calm herself down, but failing miserably. "Okay, that's it!"

She reaches into her pocket for something that she didn't need to be a scout to use. The monkey stops and stares at her for a moment, perplexed. Rei raises the charm in front of her face and smiles. "I've had just about enough of your antics."

"Fireballs Charge!"

With a quick flash of light, her charm becomes rigid and she throws it directly at the furry creature. It hits it between the eyes and it goes still and silent.

Rei sits back and relaxes, basking in the golden silence. "Well, I'm glad I brought that with me. What a waste of a good charm though."

That had been nearly and hour ago. Now all she could do was sit in her corner and draw little pictures in the dirt, her manacles keeping her too far away to crush the jewel on the monkey's forehead. Rei could do nothing though, except maybe sit back and let the boredom set in.

Venus's breath is coming in short gasps as she and the others run past an endless row of cells. Her footsteps echo down the corridor, nearly drowning out the pounding in her head. The corridor they had run into had never stopped, instead, it had led to a row of cells which reminded her of a creepy medieval dungeon. They had been calling out Rei's name constantly for what seemed like eternity, praying that she would answer.

We have got to find her. She's been alone for way to long with Kamei only knows what. There's no telling what's happened to her.

"Rei! Rei!" Her calls and those of her friends wind down the long hall, bouncing off walls and rebounding. Her voice begins to quiver as her calls grow more frantic. As second in command of the scouts after Sailor Moon, she had rarely panicked before, it was something that for the sake of the team, she tried to avoid doing. The last thing she wanted to do was loose a friend, and she didn't plan to start letting them down now. She will find Rei, or die trying and if something had happened to her, she would be sure that whatever did it to her paid dearly.

"REI!"

A faint shuffling behind one of the doors near her causes her to stop and look in that direction. The others stop ahead of her, and watch as she nears the entrance to the cell. Her hands trembling, she reaches up to the bars of the cell and grabs a hold of the cold iron, which burns like ice beneath her gloves.

"Rei?" she asks questioningly, raising herself up to peer between the bars.

A faint figure moves in the darkness and a pair of familiar black eyes looks into hers with relief. Rei grins, "I'm in here Venus."

A wave of emotions role over her, relief and joy the strongest among them. "Hang on Rei, we'll have you out in a matter of moments."

Venus allows herself to drop down to the floor and she reaches for the latch to the door. She pulls up on it as hard as she can, but it only groans under her effort, holding firm.

"Damn the thing's locked! How are we supposed to…?"

Heero shoves past her, moving her to the side. He kneels down in front of the lock and pulls out a small piece of wire from the side pocket of his jeans. Inserting the wire into the lock, he places his ear near the keyhole and listens as he jiggles the wire back and forth. After a matter of seconds, the sound of the spring loosening can be heard and the door slides open. Heero places his wire back in his pocket and opens the door as if nothing had occurred.

Jupiter ran strait to the room, rushing up to Rei and practically squeezing her to death upon seeing her. Venus follows more slowly, her eyes not leaving Heero Yuy for a moment as she enters the room.

"Are you okay Rei? The rest of us had to defeat some type of monster in order to regain our ability to transform, but I don't see…"

Rei shrugs and points to a monkey-like creature that is frozen in place by one of her spells. "I think I got one of Jedite's rejects, so I really… Wait a minute, all had to defeat a monster!" Rei glances at the boys skeptically, who had stayed outside with Mercury, Neptune, and Uranus. She glances at Jupiter, afraid to ask what she must already know.

"We really didn't have much of a choice Rei, we wouldn't have survived otherwise. We were lucky that they were here," Jupiter says, regret in her voice, but Rei only nods in understanding.

Yes, we were lucky weren't we? Why are they here? And how did they learn to use guns and pick locks and break into a place like this. Who the hell are they? I thought that had really gotten to know them pretty well, especially Quatre, but while we've been hiding our own secrets, I wonder what they've been hiding.

"Venus!"

Venus turns back to Rei and smiles, shaking herself out of her thoughts. The other two scouts look at her with worry, but Venus just shrugs it off, silently telling them that she'd clue them in later.

Rei raises her arms, displaying the shackles that hold her to the wall. Looking slightly embarrassed, she glances at Heero, who is still standing by the door. "Um, could you…"

"Hn." Heero walks over to her and repeats the process he used on the door on the manacles, quickly unlocking the simple locks and allowing them to clash to the floor. With the shackles off, Rei gets to her feet and rubs her wrists, trying to work out some of the soreness. She frowns as she notices the angry red marks that they had left on her skin, but then lets her hands fall to her side, knowing that there is nothing she can do about it.

Instead, she walks up to the monkey in the middle of the room and glances at the frozen mischievous face.

"Well, I guess now I just have to figure out what to do with this thing," she says, wanting to rip off the red jewel.

A sudden cold chill covers the room and the monkey turns to dust, jewel and all. The rooms occupants turn to see Jedite standing against the wall just outside the door, forcing all those not already in the room to back up into it.

"What a useless little devil that thing was, I must say that I'm glad to be rid of it."

Wufei raises his katana, ready to take him down if necessary. "Just who do you think you are? I have had just about enough of you and your games, what the hell is going on?"

Jedite raises a hand and grins evilly. "Pitiful little human, you have no idea what you are getting into. You don't even stand a chance against me." A rush of power bursts forth from his outstretched hand and Wufei is thrown against the far wall, nearly losing consciousness. "Would anyone else like to try?"

"Uranus World Shaking!"

Jedite's eyes widen, surprised at the sudden attack, not actually expecting someone to retaliate. He manages a shield however and Uranus's attack dissipates, leaving no trace of its former might.

The other back away, seeing how little the attack had effected its opponent. Jedite snaps his fingers and the ground beneath them begins to buckle and quake. "Enjoy the rest of your stay here, I guarantee you that it won't be for much longer. See ya!"

Jedite exits, the door closing tightly behind him. The group backs up against the walls as the floor moves under them, opening up a large hole in the ground.

How did he do that? Last I heard, Jedite had been the least powerful of Beryl's generals, how did he get so powerful?

Mercury has her computer out again and data is flickering across the energy scanner over her eyes. Her face is a mask of concentration as she types, trying to figure out what Jedite had done.

Finally, she looks up, a worried expression her normally cheery face. "He's created some kind of vortex and I'm afraid that it looks like we can't escape it. From what I can tell, it's going to take us to some other parts of the base, but I don't know where. We're going to have to try and find our way out from there."

"So we have to let it suck us in?" Venus asks.

"Afraid so."

The others stare at the vortex, watching the swirling wisps of energy that is being sucked in. Suddenly, Heero lets go, and is drawn in, disappearing into the darkness. Wufei sheaths his katana and taking a deep breath, he and Trowa follow. Quatre, a little more hesitant looks at the vortex for a moment longer and then follows his comrades. Venus glances up one last time at Mercury and she nods. Closing her eyes, Venus leaps, leaving the others to follow.

Uranus puts a hand to her head and shakes it slightly, trying to make the pain go away. She looks beneath her and sees the large rock protruding from the ground, suddenly realizing why she has such a headache. "Neptune?" she calls, trying to make her voice as steady as possible.

"Present."

Uranus sighs in relief, seeing her friend beside her. She gets shakily to her feet and extends a hand to Neptune who gladly accepts the help.

"Are any of the others here?" she asks.

"I'm here," Venus replies, answering her question. "Where are we?"

"We appear to be somewhere toward the middle of the base," Quatre says coming from the only doorway in the room.

The girls stare at him as he enters the empty room. Quatre smiles sheepishly at them, looking somewhat abashed. "Sorry I didn't try to wake you, I didn't really know what to do with you and since you didn't seem to badly injured with the exception a few scrapes and bruises…"

"We understand Quatre," Neptune says softly, reassuring him.

"It looks like there's an elevator over here, maybe we can ride it to the surface," Uranus says, getting ready to press the button.

"No wait!" Quatre cries.

The three scouts look at him questioningly.

Quatre reddens again, but quickly explains himself. "There is a flight of stair behind this door. The room we are in now is only some kind of storage room. I think that we should take the stairs since our enemy is probably expecting us to use the elevators. We'll also have more control over the area we are fighting in if we take the stairwell."

The three girls stare at him in bewilderment and Quatre's blush deepens.

Finally, Uranus nods. "He has a point. The stairs it is."

Wufei awakens to a loud banging as his eyes snap open and he sits up, suddenly alert. He rubs his eyes, trying to clear his vision and then rotates his head, trying to get an annoying crick out of his neck. He reaches down for his katana and after finding it still in place, he leans back again, wondering where he is this time.

"Well, it looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake," Rei says from nearby, sneering. "Did you enjoy your nap Wufei?"

Wufei gets to his feet as quickly as he is able, not willing to let her humiliate him further. "Shut up onna, I am in no mood to deal with your antics."

Rei's face twists in anger and her mouth is set back in a scowl, but she refuses to reply, saying something under her breath that is for her ears alone.

"Would both of you please be quiet, I'm trying to figure this out and you are most certainly not helping the proceedings any," Heero mutters, his concentration fixed on the mechanical lock the bound all four of them in the tiny room.

Wufei looks around the small iron room, surrounded by empty shelves. A few empty cans are scattered here and there and an empty bucket is sitting in the corner near where he had been laying. A storage room? Why did I end up here of all places?

Jupiter meanwhile, has been pacing the floor impatiently. Once in a while, she stops and glances over at Heero and the lock on the door, but then sighs and turns back to pacing. Wufei, having nothing better to do, pulls out a whetstone from his pocket and begins to sharpen his katana, taking great care in honing the deadly blade.

He works the blade carefully, making sure not to over sharpen it, for fear that it will become too dull or thin and therefore useless. He brings the edge of the blade to a thin edge, enough to make it deadly, but not enough to make the blade jagged. Unlike a knife or dagger, swords have smooth blades, and Wufei had learned many years ago how to keep it that way. His master had taught him well.

Rei leans over his shoulder, staring at the sharp edge, her face serious now instead of taunting. "You take good care of that blade don't you?"

Wufei stops his movements and glances up at her. What is with this strange onna? First she's ready to bite my head off and then she's as sweet as sugar. And what does she know about swordplay anyway? Wufei, biting off a sharp comment only nods and places the wet stone back in his pocket. He takes a few practice swings with his katana and then lowers it, satisfied with its performance.

Rei looks as if she might say something, her mouth parting slightly, but she quickly clenches her jaw, looking very annoyed at herself. She turns away from Wufei and crosses her arms, determined not to so much as glance in his direction.

"That's it, I can't just stand here anymore!" Jupiter bursts out, turning toward Heero. "Are you going to get us out of here or not?"

Heero turns back toward her and sneers. "It looks as if the power in this area of the building is to old and isn't sufficient enough to allow the locks to work properly. Therefore, everything that was locked when the system was shut down is going to remain locked. That is also explains why there is no light in this room." Heero turns back to the lock and continues working.

Jupiter stares at him for a moment longer and then asks, almost cautiously, "Heero, I have an idea, could you please move out of the way."

Heero hesitates for a moment, but then moves slowly away from the door, keeping his eyes on Jupiter.

Jupiter smiles wickedly and rubs her hands together in anticipation. "Alright! Let's get out of here!" She summons her power and electricity rises from the ground, curling around her legs and ankles.

"Jupiter Thunder Crash!"

She aims her weakest attack at the door, sending pure lightening through the circuitry. Wufei watches as lines of red appear through the metal door, a sure sign that the wires inside had been overloaded. Knowing what would happen next, he raises his hands in front of his face, preparing to block the pieces of debris that are sent toward him as the door shatters into a million pieces.

Once the smoke clears, Jupiter steps away, passing Heero as she does so. "There, it's open, now let's see if we can find the others."

Heero and Jupiter lead the way, leaving Wufei and Rei to take the rear. Rei stares at the burnt edges of the door and smiles before following the others. The foursome race through a corridor in a direction they hope leads to an exit.

The echo of footsteps follows close behind them and Wufei glances over his shoulder quickly and then runs up to Heero. "We've got company. It looks like you were right, the Red Wings are here!"

Heero nods and pulls out his gun and begins firing behind him as a rain of bullets is sent toward them.

Rei moves in beside Wufei and knocks away a soldier that had his gun aimed at Wufei's head. "Who are these guys?"

"Soldiers," are all Wufei says and all he is willing to give as he hacks his way through the waves. Unlike Rei, who is taking great care not to seriously injure anyone, Wufei holds nothing back.

Women are weak! Why does she hold back? They attacked us, it's their own fault if they die. She is so careful with them!

"Look, up ahead!" The other three glance in the direction Jupiter is pointing and see an elevator.

Heero nods once, signaling that they should try for it. Jupiter sends a strand of electricity towards the elevator door and it gives without complaint. Heero runs in and unlatches the door on the roof of the elevator. With inhuman grace, he jumps through it and into the elevator shaft, followed closely by Wufei, Rei, and Jupiter. After she is a few feet up the cable, Jupiter summons another small burst of electricity and snaps the small cable of the elevator, sending it crashing down to the bottom floor of the compound. After making sure that no soldiers had followed them up the cable, they begin their slow, upward climb to the top.

Uranus stares up at the rather tall flight of stairs and grimaces, almost immediately regretting not taking the elevator. Several stories of iron and steel loom above them, stretching up and reaching skyward toward an unseen destination.

Venus lets out a low whistle. "That is a lot of stairs."

"Yes, and we'd better get climbing," Neptune replies and begins jogging up the steps at a steady place.

Uranus follows closely, already feeling the burning in her legs.

***A half an hour later***

"Are we * huff * there yet? * huff *" Venus asks, looking like she has just run a large marathon, sweat pouring down her face.

"No," Uranus replies evenly.

"…There yet?"

"No!"

"Okay…How about now?"

"I said no! Listen, when we're there, I'll tell you!"

Venus lapses into silence for about five minutes. "Hey, you don't suppose this is one of those endless stairways, do you?"

"Venus, I'm sure that it's not endless," Uranus replies, trying to keep some of the annoyance out of her voice.

"Why do they always have to build these things so high?" Venus mumbles under her breath. "Hey! What floor are we on?"

Neptune looks back, her face tired and drawn. "I don't know, I lost count a long time ago."

"Oh…That's it, I'm going back down and taking the elevator, danger or no danger!"

Uranus smirks. "And take just as long going back down as you did coming up? I most certainly hope not, but be my guest."

"…"

Venus stops for a second and then smiles. "Hey guys, I've got an idea!"

"Oh, no!"

"Why don't we just use the Sailor Teleport, we should have enough power to bring the three of us and Quatre up a few flights of steps!"

Neptune stops and turns back to the younger scout. "You know, that isn't a bad idea."

"See, I told you it was a good idea."

Numbers and figures flash by Mercury's eyes as she tries to run and read the data at the same time. The sound of Trowa's gun firing at soldiers behind them fills the narrow corridors of the damp caves. Mercury leads the way, using her computer to navigate the winding corridors beneath the compound.

Suddenly, the data ends, as if their path suddenly stops. Oh, not now! Frantically, she tries to get more information, but nothing comes, and as she is trying to figure it out, she and Trowa are running out of room to run. "Trowa, we have a small problem. It looks as if the path we are on ends soon!"

Trowa reaches over his shoulder and fires another round of bullets, doing little damage to what appears to be a small army of soldiers behind them. He lets an empty cartridge fall from his gun and searches frantically for another, finding one more in his pocket. Frowning, Trowa reloads, placing his last round into his gun. Almost as an afterthought, he reaches down and pulls out a sharp army knife from his boot and grips it in his opposite hand.

"How much longer?" he shouts over a storm of bullets.

Mercury rechecks her data, her eyes following the flickering data carefully. "About two hundred yards!"

Trowa nods, and continues firing, using every bullet wisely. Mercury checks her data again, trying to find a path that might lead away from the dead end, but she finds none. Mercury allows her computer to disappear, knowing that she would no longer need it. If the path up ahead is a dead end, there is noting she can do about it.

The two round the corner and Mercury gasps at the sudden bright light and nearly falls off the edge of the cliff. Contrary to what she had thought, the path had ended, but not in a dead end. Instead, she finds herself staring at the raging waters of Tokyo bay, about three stories below her. A full moon lights up the area, making the black water below bluer. Wind rips through her short hair, sending around her face in tiny tendrils.

Shouts can be heard nearby as the Red Wing soldiers come closer. Mercury glances at Trowa, waiting for conformation on what she already knows must be done. Trowa secures his gun, but keeps his knife on hand and after a moment, nods. Mercury watches quietly as he jumps off the end, a graceful dive sending him into the dark churning waters below.

Taking time to collect her thoughts, Mercury takes a step back. The soldiers' voices are closer now, coming nearer and nearer with every passing second. Finally, after taking a deep breath, Mercury takes a running start and jumps feet first off the cliff to the water several stories below.

The elevator door to the roof of the base is forced open, giving away to the power that it can no longer stand against. With a last burst of strength, Heero opens the two iron doors and jumps out of the elevator shaft onto solid ground. He ignores the pain and soreness in his arms, knowing that he had been through worse; much worse.

He glances around and smiles as his eyes rest on the helicopter pad nearby. Several small helicopters are lined up along the roof, ready and waiting for departure. That was too easy. The helicopters are small, the kind that is only meant for two people. Each is equipped with a basic machine gun that is mounted onto the front.

"Wufei, take Rei and I'll take Jupiter," he says, very much doubting that either girl knows how to fly a helicopter.

Wufei, for once doesn't argue and motions for Rei to follow him. They don't take two steps before they hear the sound of boots on iron coming from the staircase. Wufei glances above them at the various guns and missiles that surround the area. "Damn, by the time we take off, they'll be here already! We'll be sitting ducks even once we're in the air!"

Rei glances toward the door and then back to several stacks of boxes near one of the helicopters. She walks over to the large crates, her fingers delicately tracing the writing on the box. She smiles slightly and pulls out her transformation wand, gripping it tightly in her hand.

"Mars Crystal Power!"

Fire surrounds her body, covering it to form her sailor suit. Flames lick her skin, but refuse to burn her. They run through her glossy black hair like a gentle breeze. When she is finished, it is Sailor Mars who stands before them. Her black eyes focus on the crates and a wicked smile touches her lips.

"Go on, I'll take care of it," she says quietly.

Wufei stares at her, his eyes wide. "What…? But we can't just…"

She turns to them, her face set in a look of utter determination. "Leave, I shall join you in a while. I have an idea, but you'll just have to trust me."

Jupiter looks at her friend and nods. "If you are sure."

"I am."

"Okay." Jupiter turns toward the nearest helicopter and jumps into the passenger seat. Heero takes one last look at Sailor Mars and then joins Jupiter, closing the door behind him, preparing to take off. Wufei moves to the next one and does the same.

It takes only moments for Heero to get the large machine into the air and as he does so, the first barrage of bullets hits the outer hull, causing the helicopter to lurch. He quickly stabilizes it and tries to avoid the next couple of hits, taking them higher into the night sky.

Beside him, Jupiter is doubled over, looking slightly sick. Her eyes are closed tightly and her hands grip the edge of the seat tightly. She turns to Heero, and meets his eyes. She shrugs and smiles slightly offering a weak explanation. "Sorry, I don't really like flying very much. I'll be okay though, so don't worry."

"Hn."

There is nothing they can do now, the soldiers have reached battle positions. Heero lets the autopilot take control while he watches the light show on the ground.

Sailor Mars stares at the boxes in front of her. She once again traces the words carved so clearly onto the wood. "Dynamite," and enough to wipe out most of this section of the base. Tears well up in her eyes, her mind at odds about what she is about to do.

These aren't monsters I'm about to destroy, it's human beings. These people probably have lives somewhere that are very similar to my own normal life. They probably have families; wives and kids. They are fighting for what they believe is right, and who knows, maybe what they believe in is right. Maybe helping these boys is wrong, what are they fighting for?

The smell of smoke fills her lungs and stings her eyes, inhibiting her vision. The heat in the air is getting warmer as the gunfire continues. The sound of the two distant helicopters is dimmer now, but she can still hear them and knows that some of the gunfire has already pierced the hulls of both aircraft. A stray shell lands near her, sending up pieces of debris. A small chip hits her arm and tears open a deep gash, but she ignores the blood running down her arm.

Mars looks up at the two distant aircraft, two searches light focused on them. Jupiter's up there too. If I don't do this…She stares up at the soldiers all dressed in red uniforms, each one holding and firing a weapon, harming her friends, both new and old. My friends? Maybe Heero and Wufei and the others really are friends. They did help us. She turns back to the soldiers. They may be human, but they have for some reason aligned themselves with Beryl. I don't like killing people, but to protect those I care for, I will. It hurts, but it would hurt more if those I cared about died, selfish as it is.

Fire swirls around her, filling up her very soul. Her eyes reflect the inner power that is burning inside her, ready to break out. Mars shifts her focus to the many crates piled one on top of the other.

"Mars Flame Shooter!"

For a moment, there is only deadly silence, the guns seem to stop and the shouting of men is silence. The blast comes as a surprise to all, devouring everything in its path.

"Mars!"

Wufei stares as the ground beneath him is devoured in flame. The force of the explosion had actually lifted the two helicopters higher into the air, sending several yards away from where they were. Several warning lights were going off, trying to tell him that something was wrong, but he simply ignored them. Over the intercom, Jupiter's voice is rising in panic, screaming out her friend's name over and over again, almost like a cadence.

That stupid onna! Why the hell did she do that? We could have gotten out some other way, why did she…

His vision blurs for a moment, the scene on the ground becoming hazy and unclear. Wufei scowls and wipes his eyes, trying to clear them, but fails. Damn it! Why…?

"Look." Heero's empty monotone comes through clearly over the intercom. Wufei stares down at the ruins of the northern side of the base and his eyes widen.

"Mars!" Jupiter's exited voice bursts over the intercom, but Wufei barely hears her.

On the ground beneath them, Mars is standing victoriously, surrounded by the flames that are her element. Her scout uniform is torn to pieces, not looking anything like the uniform he had seen earlier. A large gash streaks down her arm, blood flowing from it freely, but not from a burn. The fire itself seems to have no effect on her, curing about her like a lover. The moon comes out from behind a cloud, illuminating her body further. She raises her head and the light catches her eyes. Not Rei's eyes, kind, or sometimes annoyed, but the confidant, clear eyes of Sailor Mars, the princess of fire, prophecy and war.

The cold icy water shoots through her body, momentarily paralyzing her as her body hits the water. Pain shoots through her, forcing the air in her lungs to escape through her lips, letting lose a silent scream. Mercury pulls the water behind her, struggling to fight through the roaring waves, making her way to the surface. Her head breaks the water and she fills hr lungs with air, new waves of pain washing over her.

A rain of artillery fire hits the water near her, causing Mercury to glance up at the cliff. The soldiers are lined up on the cliff face, firing down on them. Machine guns that are perched on the cliff face itself fire round after round mercilessly, their bullets sending small fountains of water into the air as they strike the water.

A strong force pulls her under again, barely giving her enough time to take a breath of air. Mercury tries to struggle with her captor, but the same force turns her around and she finds herself facing a pair of serious emerald eyes. Trowa's grip on her eases and he points a finger in the opposite direction, towards the shore. Mercury nods and allows Trowa to take the lead.

Strong strokes pull her through the current, away from the torturous of the old military base. The sound of bullets striking water becomes dimmer and the waves above her become larger as they reach the shore. The base is further away now but still in site. Her lungs burn, aching for air, but knowing that she doesn't dare risk going up for a breath, she stays down.

Trowa comes up first, his head emerging from the water, no longer able to hold his breath. Mercury soon follows, not wanting leave him alone. Her eyes widen as she finally realizes the true reason why Trowa had made such an effort to reach shore as soon as possible.

Several soldiers had followed them, moving swiftly through the water, guns in hand. Trowa curses slightly under his breath and attempts to pull Mercury back under the water, but seeing the soldiers makes her hesitate, an idea forming in her head.

"Trowa wait a moment. We're not going to make it to shore, and even if we do somehow manage it, they'll still follow us."

"So what do we do."

Mercury stares off at oncoming soldiers, already beginning to concentrate on the power of her planet. "Just trust me Trowa."

Trowa only stares at her for a moment, but finally nods, removing a restraining hand from her shoulder.

Mercury focuses on her power, praying that her plan will work. The air around her grows colder, the temperature dropping rapidly. A chilling breeze rises, sending water rippling in all directions. The water around them calms, becoming as placid as a lake. Trowa shifts uncomfortably around her, but she doesn't notice, to absorbed in her power to realize what is happening around her. Her body becomes deadly still, completely unmoving in the water. Trowa, worried reaches out a hand to touch her, afraid that something had gone wrong. Upon touching her skin however, he jerks his hand back quickly. He touches his hand to his face, still feeling the deathly cold touch of her skin on his. Mercury reaches out a hand, touching the surface of the water. Tiny ice crystals form around it, freezing the surface of the bay, expanding to cover the area around them, trapping everything, including the soldiers, in its way.

Mercury releases her power, feeling her body becoming lighter as the powerful force leaves her. The world around her swims, her body weakening from the loss of energy. She feels herself falling back, water closing over her head as her eyes close.

Strong warm arms wrap around her, pulling her close and keeping her head above water. The warmth spreads heat into her body, awakening her frozen limps. She feels herself supported, something strong holding onto her. A feeling of safety washes over her, and she lets go, allowing her world to fade to black, knowing that she will awaken.

Mercury opens her eyes slowly, her head cradled on Trowa's chest. His arms are still wrapped around her, holding her close. The two rest in a bed of sand, the waters of Tokyo Bay swirling around them. The light of a full moon casts shadows on Trowa's sleeping face as Mercury leans over him. His face is completely relaxed, sleeping peacefully, is chest rising and falling slowly. Mercury reaches down and brushes a strand of brown hair away from his face. Satisfied, she lies down again, content to stay there till the morning sun awakes them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *

Time Gate

Author: * looks around and spies Pluto working in a corner, bent over a thick book, a pair of spectacles on her nose.* Pluto, have you seen Rena and Demos? I can't seem to find them anywhere.

Pluto: No, and I thank Kamei for small favors. I haven't seen either for several hours and I'm finally getting some work done.

Author: Great! Have you figured out how to fix the gate yet.

Pluto: * grins * Give me a few more chapters, I think I'm almost there.

Author: Good. Well, I'd better go and see if I can find those two, Lord knows what's happening when they can't be found.