Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Bubblegum Crash Fan Fiction ❯ Senshi Sabers ❯ Chapter 6

Part Six

Rei Hino got up from her bed, pushing the messy covers aside as the black haired young woman grumpily greeted the day. "Are you planning on staying in bed all day?" the panty and bra clad woman turned back to the figure who was still laying in the bed.

He sat up, short black hair falling down into his eyes and a slight smile on his face. "I was thinking we could....." Mamoru said.

"I'm busy," Rei shook her head firmly, "and have things to do today."

Mamoru got out of bed reluctantly, giving Rei a thoughtful look. "I was really surprised when you invited me here with you," he said.

"Don't expect it to happen again," Rei answered him crisply, looking out the window at the sunlight streaming between the buildings, "I'm not the settling down type."

"I guess not," Mamoru said with a little frown. He dressed pretty quickly, the black pants and T-shirt tight on the handsome young bartender, and then he walked over to where Rei stood to try and give her a goodbye kiss.

Rei fended him off as she said, "Go get some mouthwash, your breath stinks."

Mamoru's face went ice cold at that comment. "Whatever," he scowled, loudly slamming shut the door to Rei's old trailer as he left. The motorcycle that he rode in on rumbled to life and he drove by her window, his face pinched.

'That's the last time I bring someone home with me on impulse,' Rei thought glumly, stumbling into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She emerged after a quick shower, feeling oddly relieved to have his scent off of her body.

Thump! The newspaper hit her front door and Rei smiled to herself wryly as she opened it up. She could always get the paper off of the computers but she liked holding the sheets in her hands, the scent and texture of the news part of her morning. She unfolded it to get a good look at the front page then froze in shock.

"Head of Infinity Corporation dead," Rei read the shocking headline aloud, "city's noted benefactor dies of natural causes." She shook her head, trying to process the information as she muttered, "What the hell is going on?"

The phone rang out into the silence and Rei swore softly. She set the paper down and picked up the phone to hear a familiar voice say, "Rei, it's Ami."

"You've seen the paper this morning?" Rei asked, trying to decide if she felt happy or sad about the news. A bit of both emotions, including some disapointment that she hadn't been the one to snuff the old man.

"Exactly why I'm calling," Ami answered her smoothly, "we're having a meeting today, as soon as humanly possible."

Rei raised her eyebrows at the tension in the woman's voice. "I thought you'd be happy to see something like this happen," she said.

"There are things about this that haven't been reported in the papers," Ami said, "something I can't talk about over an unsecured line. How fast can you get to the Silky Doll?"

"Thirty minutes if I ignore traffic regs," Rei answered.

"Don't get caught," and with that Ami hung up.

Rei dropped the paper, sheets fluttering around her as she hurried to grab her clothes. She pulled the nearest items she could off of the floor, glad to see they didn't smell too bad. Her jacket was slung over a chair and a moment's looking found her boots over by the TV. Dressed she bolted outside, climbing onto her motorbike and rumbling off down the street.

Rei was well over the speed limit as she ran through the outskirts of megatokyo, eyes wary as she lept an look out for AD Police or any other cops. Once she got into the city itself she used the backroads, dodging traffic and smoothly making her way to the bad part of town, leaving it before eventually pulling up to a tall office building.

The first floor was fully occupied by a business, the Silky Doll. Beautiful young women went in and out, carrying packages containing some very revealing underwear and fine clothing. Rei had to grin, thinking this was the least likely job to find Ami Mizuno involved in.

'Probably why it''s such a good cover,' Rei thought as she parked her bike. She walked in the front door, recognizing the young woman who worked one of the counters from a previous visit. "Hi Catsy," Rei waved.

Catsy grinned, her purple hair making her look like her namesake, "Hey, Rei." She and her four sisters worked here for Ami, handling the day to day operations of the shop. She dropped her voice, "Here to see Ami? She's not in a good mood."

"How bad?" Rei asked curiously.

"She has this ice queen mode," Catsy leaned over to confide, "I think it's actually worse than when she's really pissed off."

"Catsy," Birdie called, her blue hair falling down her back in a braid as she smiled at the three women around her, "I could use some help,"

"Right," Catsy called back. She gave Rei an apologetic look, "You'd better head on up, don't want to keep Ms. Mizuno waiting."

"Got it," Rei smiled. She headed to the rear of the shop, using the key-card to open the door and stepped inside. She swiped the card to access the upper floors and rose quickly, a soft bell anouncing her arrival in the resident level.

"It only took you twenty-five minutes," Ami noted, her short dark blue hair falling into her eyes, "I'm impressed." She stood rigid by the closed window, her back ramrod straight and there was a dangerous look in her eye.

Rei looked at her warily as she pulled her jacket off, "What about this has you so bothered? I thought you'd be happy to see Tomoe dead."

Ami's lips went white as she pressed them together. "The situation is somewhat more complicated that that," she answered.

"What do you mean?" Rei frowned.

Ami shook her head firmly no and said, "I want the others here first so I can explain it all at one time." A sigh, "I hate repeating myself."

"Great," Rei sighed, "I bust my butt to get here fast only to have to wait."

That actually brought a slight smile to Ami's face. "My heart bleeds," she murmured softly. She looked over at Rei and said, "Do you want some coffee or something else to drink?"

"Coffee," Rei rubbed at her eyes as her concert and the night with Mamoru began to catch up with her, "it was a very long night."

"Mercury," Ami looked up, almost as if she was talking to the air, "a pot of coffee and five cups, please."

"Yes ma'am," the warm female voice replied before asking, "Would you like me to make is strong, Miss Hino?"

"Ah, yes please." Rei blinked, looking around in confusion.

"It will be ready in five minutes," Mercury concluded.

"Who was that?" Rei blinked as she looked up at Ami in surprise.

"Mercury is the computer system that helps run my home and the underground facilities we use," Ami explained, "I inherited her, more or less, from my mother."

"Her?" Rei raised an eyebrow.

Ami shrugged, "The voice and persona seem to be female based so…."

A few moments later a motorized cart rolled inside carrying the pot of coffee and Minako and Makoto trailed in right behind it, the two seemingly following the enticing scent of strong coffee. Minako was a bit rumpled looking as if the blonde was wearing the clothes from the day before while Makoto looked crisp and neat.

"What took you so long?" Rei smirked.

"Ami you're timing stinks," Minako complained good naturedly, flopping down in a seat beside Makoto, both of them eagerly pouring coffee.

"We're all here," Rei said impatiently, "start talking."

"Not quite all," Ami nodded to the door that swished open. The taller woman studied them thoughtfully, her greenish black hair flowing down her back in a wave. "Rei, Minako, Makoto I'd like you to meet Setsuna Meiou," Ami introduced her.

"I've heard a lot about you," Setsuna said softly, "and I wish this meeting could be under better circumstances. You see," she took a deep breath, "Prof. Tomoe was murdered by his own creation, the super Bio-boomer called Saturn."

To be continued....