Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Death and Rebirth ❯ Death and Rebirth 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Death and Rebirth

Chapter ten:

Crow's nest:

Karasu punched holes through the walls, kicked columns down and stomped every bit of debris he could find. "How dare they think I would harm an innocent? Harm Hotaru! HOW DARE THEY!?" He picked up a piece of burnt furniture and threw it out the window.

Kashaku ruffled his feathers, "Warrior calm down, anger is not going to help. You must plan other ways to-"

"Shut your beak Kashaku! If I hear your voice in my head again, I'll turn you into a feather duster and eat your entrails raw!" The guardian need not hear that warning twice. He flew out into the night and towards safety.

Kashaku glided slowly over Tokyo, he felt a burden greater than carrying the soul of a war ravaged soldier. He had to do something about the warrior, but what? The best choices were either too dangerous or forbidden by the laws of Coronis. He knew the warrior wouldn't calm down by just destroying the nest. If he decided to go out on his patrol, the result would be a slaughter. And if he were who Kashaku suspected him to be, the results would be even more nefarious. Karasu needed to dispel his anger before it was to late and only one person could do it. The problem was: he didn't know where to find this person, but he did know who would. Time to choose guardian Kashaku. Will you follow rules, or will you follow common sense? He made a decision and steered towards a new destination.

*****

A convoy of black unmarked vans raced through the streets towards Shinagawa. Each carried a group of troopers and several heavy assault weapons.

"Hey Akira-san, are you sure about this job?"

The hit man turned to his companion with an annoyed look on his face, "Ie, I'm not, but I know they're paying good money and I need it." He picked up a rifle and rubbed the barrel affectionately.

"But this is crazy, for many reasons: one, two dozen hit-men for one person; two, armed with state-of-the-art semiautomatic rifles; three, we're sent to a place where no one has lived for a year; and four, they sent us after," he emphasized the last three words "Karasu no shi."

"So we're going after a crazed kabuki vigilante," Akira stated matter-of-factly, "we've dealt with nut-jobs before."

"But not immortal ones."

Akira huffed, "Those stories about him being shot and not dying? They're just old wives' tales, he was probably wearing an armor or something." He put his hand on his companions shoulder and spoke in a friendlier tone, "Those other guys he hunted down, and they were plain criminals. We've got heavy weaponry and the latest in protective gear. Trust me, we can lick this guy." Before another word was spoken between them, the man sitting on the passenger's seat addressed them.

"Attention! We are twenty minutes away from our destination. Is everyone ready?" He spoke both to the troopers behind and the ones on the other vans through the radio.

"Hai, Takata-sama!" everyone chorused.

"Since the days of the samurai, soldiers the like of us have not failed in their missions. Will we fail this one?"

"Ie, Takata-sama!"

Takata nodded in satisfaction as he set down the microphone. Before he met Poe, he was just another mercenary working for peanuts. Now, he practically had an entire army at his disposition and a five-figure salary. He recalled the reasons Poe had listed for him to be chosen for this particular mission. He possessed a strict sense of discipline, military knowledge and was a clever strategist. He puffed his chest with pride.

Poe had neglected to mention a fourth reason for choosing Takata and his team though: expendability.

*****

Hikawa Shrine:

Phobos and Deimos slept soundly in their birdhouse. Rei had built it for them years ago as an art project when she was still in elementary. It wasn't much to look at, but it was comfortable inside and the twins felt proud to call it home. The sound of pecking roused them; they waited a moment and confirmed that something was on their roof.

"Lady Phobos, lady Deimos, awaken!" They squeezed their heads through the opening and saw Kashaku from below, "Follow me." The twins did so and the three landed on the tori.

"Kindly explain your presence here, guardian Kashaku," Phobos requested.

"And be quick about it, we dislike being awakened so rudely," Deimos concluded.

"You know the reasons already," Kashaku responded in an annoyed tone, "Don't deny it, I have felt your presence as you held vigil over us. It's the warrior, his anger is too much and I need help to placate it. I need the girl named Hotaru."

"But why come to us?" Deimos asked, "I don't see any reason for it."

"I haven't spent enough time with her to distinguish the pattern of her soul. Searching her by myself would take too long, but if you-"

"Stop, we've heard enough," Phobos interrupted, "You know that we are forbidden to give you aid."

"But-"

"As a matter of fact," the cerulean sprite added, "you shouldn't have come to us in the first place."

"But-"

"We wish you luck but that is all we can do," the twins chorused, "Good night guardian Kashaku."

Kashaku flapped his wings furiously, "CARLOS NAVARRO IS ONE OF THEM!" The twins stared back at him speechless.

"Guardian Kashaku, that is a very serious statement," Phobos warned, "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Not absolutely, but I have seen enough clues. The three of us know very well what happened to the last one," he stared sternly at them both, "I shall ask you the same question I made to myself: Are you going to take that chance?"

"Ie!" Deimos answered, "Follow me, I'll take you to Hotaru-chan's home."

"Onee-chan!" Phobos was stunned by her sister's eagerness, "You know that we mustn't."

"I don't know about you Phobos-chan, but I can't allow it to happen again. Kashaku, with me." She shifted to her avian form and took off, the male crow following closely.

Phobos stood still for a while, unsure of what to do. She groaned and transformed as well. I just hope the princess can vouch for us.

*****

Karasu dragged his arm over the glass-covered floor. He lifted it and watched as the cuts disappeared. He pounded the floor, he needed to commit some extreme violence and he needed to now. And sure as hell he wasn't going to get the chance here. He went over to pick up his coat and halted, he felt some one, in fact several ones. He rushed to the window, he couldn't see anyone but he knew they were there.

"Twenty, maybe more," Karasu counted as he rubbed his hands, "Just what the doctor ordered."

*****

Outers' Manor:

Usagi and Hotaru sat on the couch amidst conversation. It was mostly one way since Usagi did most of the talking.

"I had to insist so that Ami-chan would try different dresses. She just wanted to pick the first nice one she saw and go home. Setsuna-san and Michiru-san will agree with me on this one: you must search in over a thousand stores to find just one that looks perfect," she lowered her voice, "although Mamo-chan and Haruka-kun will heartedly disagree." Usagi laughed, Hotaru just giggled sadly. The blonde sighed; cheering this girl up was starting to seem like a lost cause. She came closer and held her in a kind embrace, "You're thinking about Carlos-kun, ne? Hotaru-chan, don't worry; I'm sure that you're bound to run into him again tomorrow. Mamo-chan and I used to run into one another constantly."

Hotaru returned the embrace, "Arigato Usagi-san," she pulled away, "It's not Carlos-san I'm thinking about." Not him exactly.

The moon princess blinked, "Karasu no shi? I thought you believed him to be a prick."

"I do, I mean, I did." Hotaru sank into the couch, "I'm worried about what he may be doing right now. You remember what Setsuna-mama said the other day. What if we can't help him and he ends up in…you know." Usagi placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Rei-chan once told me that hope is the last thing to fade away. Don't let your faith go weak Hotaru-chan, everything will work out all right."

The teenager gave back a melancholic smile, "I don't want to be rude but I'd like to be left alone now."

Usagi nodded, she got up and placed a motherly kiss on the girl's forehead, "Just call if you need me." She went to join Mamoru and the others.

Hotaru sunk into her seat. Usagi was right; she shouldn't lose hope so easily. After all, it was Haruka's job to be the fatalist. She chuckled at that thought. Still, she felt useless doing nothing. She wanted to be out there looking for him. Fat chance of that, everyone here's going to make sure you stay put. I might as well get some sleep. Maybe thing will look better in the morning. She stretched herself fully.

"Miss Hotaru!" her eyes went wide open when she heard that voice inside her head, "Don't say a word. Come on outside, quickly."

Hotaru knew she had to answer that call. She glanced around; she was in plain view of everyone. If she tried to sneak out she was sure to be discovered. She could say that she was just going up to her room, but Setsuna-mama had been giving her suspicious stares every once in a while. There was no chance for her getting away…unless.

Hotaru took a deep breath and cleared her mind, she thought only of her objective. She got up and swiftly, but calmly, headed straight for the door. Mamoru didn't even notice as she strode past him.

She shut the door behind her quietly and ran to where she knew Karasu had called her. Once she felt safely away from discovery, she hopped for her little victory. This newfound talent was going to prove useful, maybe even fun.

"I am curious as for the reason of your celebration Miss Hotaru. But there are urgent matters to attend." Hotaru looked up and saw Kashaku and the twin sprites looking down on her. She flushed with embarrassment.

"Gomen," she quickly shifted to concern, "Wait a minute. Where is Karasu?"

"In grave danger and you are his only hopes for salvation," Kashaku responded, "I will explain on the way, let us make haste."

The twins jumped down and grew to full human size.

"Give us your hand Hotaru-chan," Phobos requested, "We will travel faster through teleportation."

"Guardian Kashaku on my shoulder," Deimos called looking up, "We need you to guide us to our destination." Unsure of the meaning of her words, he did as he was told.

"Ready?" the twins asked.

"In a minute," Hotaru closed her eyes and recast her 'silent shadow' over them, "(sigh) Let's go." The trio held hands and vanished.

Back at the manor, Setsuna glimpsed briefly at the couch and didn't even notice Hotaru's absence.

*****

Shinagawa, outside a burnt down house:

Takata barked out orders through his headset, every one of his men was to be in position, on time. He looked at the two in front of him; he could only see their backs but his military training immediately revealed their uneasiness. He grumbled, the infamous Karasu was having a negative influence on his troops and he hated him for that "Attention!"

"Yes sir!" they responded automatically.

"We are entering in two minutes. Is there anything you two would like to comment before that?" both gulped.

"Ie, Takata-sama."

"Very well. On my mark we enter premises," there was an awkward pause, "gather up in the main hall, get into position and do the 'Macarena'."

"Nani?" The pair turned around and saw the dangling corpse of their commander. He was dropped and a face, much more frightening than the way it had been described to them so often, was revealed.

"Although, I prefer traditional Latin-American dances myself."

"HE'S HERE!" one of them screamed into the headset, "EVERYONE-"

Karasu gave a roundhouse kick to the goon's head, his neck twisted 180°. His partner tried to fire but was sliced diagonally from his shoulder to the waist by a black katana. Karasu picked up the headset, "Everyone," he completed in a steely voice, "is going to die."

*****

Hotaru and the rest appeared out of thin air. Kashaku put full attention to the ruined house yonder.

"The warrior has gone silent," he noticed, "He has either calmed down or went out to hunt," he shivered at that thought.

"Let us hope that's not the case," Hotaru said absently. She scanned the area around her; she felt the oddest feeling of déjà vu. "He's upstairs, ne?" Kashaku nodded, the small group entered and made their way upward.

Year old ashes covered the floor and the signs of recent destruction could be seen all around. The house was almost as large as hers, but the palpable emptiness made it seem much larger.

Phobos inched closer to her sister. "A sinister place. It reeks of solitude and sadness, to think these feelings were summoned here by humans," the scarlet one commented.

"Indeed," the blue clad twin replied, "Someone went a trifle overboard calling out our names." Her little joke didn't ease the tension.

Hotaru turned to the crow that was riding on her shoulder, "Kashaku-kun, is Karasu really here? I'm beginning to get doubts."

"He might or might not be," the guardian responded, "He is cloaking his presence now, much like you did moments ago. His reasons are unknown to me though."

"He might be hiding because he wants to be alone," was Deimos opinion, "We should scan the area, just in case." The trio of former messengers closed their eyes and opened them wide almost immediately.

"What's wrong?" Hotaru asked in alarm. A shriek of terror coming from outside answered her question.

"Interlopers! We were so occupied thinking about the warrior that we dismissed them completely," he paused a moment as realization sunk in, "The warrior kept hidden in order to ambush them!"

"Ie," Hotaru whispered, with the current state of emotion was in, he would probably… She rushed down the stairs. Kashaku fell unceremoniously to the floor, "I have to help him!"

"Hold! Bringing you to meet with the warrior was potentially dangerous when he was upset, in midst of battle it will be downright lethal!" Hotaru came to a halt and spun around to face the trio.

"Then I guess I'll have to become lethal myself," she grinned as her henshin rod appeared on her hand, "Saturn crisis power make up!" Kashaku's beak gaped open as he saw Sailor Saturn exit the house. Phobos knelt next to him.

"You mean you didn't figure it out from the fact we're Rei-chan's pet crows?"

"Umm, like I said, I haven't spent much time with her or her friends." He was lucky feathers don't blush.

*****

The gunman fired frantically as the body of his comrade sailed towards him. The force of impact was so strong he was crushed against the tree behind him; he died almost instantly. Karasu had a foot over another body; he counted with his fingers.

"Let's see, I've dispatched three, seven, nine, or is it ten?" he shrugged, "Ah, who's counting? There's still more fun to have." The sound of rifles being cocked caught his attention. Five more troopers were aiming their weapons at him.

"Open fire!" the one leading ordered. Karasu quickly shed off his overcoat and tossed it to the ground. A shower of bullets fell upon his bare torso, but he did little more than flinch. The assault ended as quickly as it had begun when the attackers realized it was futile. Regeneration kicked in, erasing all damage, except for one large scar in the middle of his chest.

"I had to scavenge for hours to find this," the undead warrior pointed at the coat, "No way you're gonna fill it up with holes." He sidestepped and disappeared into some bushes. The troop held up their weapons, ready for almost anything. An eerie moment of silence was felt, followed by cruelly playful singing:

"One little, two little, three little demons,"

Two of the troopers fired to where the voice had seemed to emanate from. More silence.

"Four little, five little, six little demons,"

The remaining three fired in the opposite direction. One more moment of calm

"Seven little, eight little, nine little demons,"

All five huddled into a circle, each facing outwards and fired at everything around them. They continued until their ammo was utterly exhausted. Breathing heavily, they looked and heard at their surroundings, expecting to see or hear Karasu coming out from anywhere. In this formation at least, they would not be surprised.

A playful whistled revealed Karasu's position, from inside the circle. Everyone spun and saw him smiling broadly with his arms crossed as he finished the song:

"You're all going to die." He jumped and made a split in mid-air; delivering a fatal kick to two of them simultaneously, a third had his jaw sunk into his skull by an uppercut. The two remaining tried to flee but were held back, one from his belt, the other from his spinal cord as it was ripped out.

"Going somewhere?" Karasu teased as he pressed his finger on the trooper's crown and walked over to face him. The trooper's eyes widened in disbelief as his brain processed the massacre his eyes had witnessed. The unbelief grew as he took a good look at the Karasu, he was little more than a child, but his actions, words and especially his eyes declared to the four winds that he possessed a heart of pure cruelty. He felt the undead teen's fingers press down on his skull, "Please, I beg you, I have a family."

Karasu's voice became guttural and terrifying, "So did I, they didn't care, so I won't either." The condemned man saw no mercy in those black eyes. He let out all the air in his lungs in an indescribable shriek.

Without effort, Karasu crushed the man's skull like an overripe fruit. He shook the gore off his hand and sensed around, there was only one small group left. He chuckled evilly, once he had taken care of them, he would be able to go out and paint the town red. His bloodlust was nowhere near satisfied.

The six remaining troopers all fled to the parked vans.

"Forget the money! Nothing is worth facing that monster!" Nobody replied but everyone agreed. The group stepped out into a clearing where the vehicles where parked, they headed for the closest one and stopped just a couple of yards away. Sitting cross-legged on top of it was Karasu, dangling one of their rifles by the strap. He gave them a mocking sob of sympathy.

"Oh no, and you were so near too." Everyone scattered except for one who was paralyzed in fear. Karasu jumped down and shot him. The trooper gasped as he felt that scorching sensation in his chest. The warrior walked towards him slowly, pulling the trigger every few steps. The hit man shook violently as each new batch of bullets hit him. The armor he wore was strong enough to stop only a little damage from a weapon of such magnitude. This fact was keeping him alive, and extending his agony.

There was a pause and the hit man fell forward, only to be held up by a gun-barrel against his chin. Karasu sneered and pulled the trigger one last time, it clicked empty.

"Chin!" he complained as he looked at the gun, "just my luck for you to go empty at the moment of a great ending." He dropped corpse and weapon on the ground disgustedly and searched for the rest. They were all inside one of the vans, trying desperately to get the motor running. Karasu looked down and noted that the man he just killed wore hand held explosives around his belt. He picked one up and pulled the pin.

"Five, four, three…" He rolled the bomb towards the van. Just as it was going to go under the vehicle, it bumped into something. It exploded immediately after, but after the blast cleared the van and its occupants were unharmed. Karasu stood there dumbfounded, until he felt someone new approach. He turned to see who it was, "YOU!" He charged towards the lone senshi with a roar of rage.

"Silence wall!" Karasu crashed into the barrier; he tried to go around but crashed again. It didn't take that long for him to realize he was imprisoned.

The van's engine roared to life and hurried away. In less than a second, the two were alone. Saturn approached Karasu, who was trying to tackle his way out. He tired out after a while and looked straight into her icy amethyst eyes.

Saturn took a deep breath, "He who fights monsters might take care, lest he thereby become a monster; Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche."

Karasu snorted, "So you think I'm a monster? Well surprise lady, you're right. That's exactly what I am."

"Ie, you are not a beast, you don't have to be one!" Saturn retorted, "You still have a lot to cherish and I won't let you throw it away!" She approached the barrier, "Carlos-"

"Karasu no shi!" he snapped and pounded the barrier "Carlos Navarro died a year ago!" He drove a fist towards the barrier, Saturn jumped back.

"Somewhere inside of you, Carlos-san is still alive. Look within. Can't you see it?" She breathed heavily while saying this, his blow had weakened the wall and she had to invest more power to hold it up.

"The only thing I see is: you damn scouts have been interfering with me too often. AND I HAVE HAD IT!" He drew out his katana and smashed it into the wall. It shattered away into nothing! Saturn was almost too shocked to raise her glaive in time to block Karasu's attack. The battle was on.

Kashaku, Phobos and Deimos watched the battle among the two. It was not an easy task.

"We can't just stay here. We've got to go there and help princess Saturn!" Deimos told the other two.

"Interfering any more than we already have would mean tempting princess Coronis' wrath," Kashaku warned back, "But you are right lady Deimos, we must stop those two."

"Ie, we stay here." Kashaku and Deimos returned surprised looks to Phobos, her eyes shone redder with determination, "We will stay and observe, as our role demands it." The other two were about to protest but Phobos raised her hand, "We are not fighters, if we go down there Karasu will slay us without effort. Even princess Saturn is a threat to us at this moment," she looked down, "I believe there will be a better outcome if we leave those two alone."

Deimos looked down as well, "Do you really think so onee-chan?"

"I hope so."

*****

"We'll keep you posted Michiru-san, don't worry, we'll find her," Sailor Venus closed the link on her communicator. "So you just turned around and Hotaru-chan was gone? How did she manage that?"

"I don't know," Sailor Pluto answered. The minute they'd noticed Hotaru was gone, Usagi called out all of the senshi and they went out in pairs looking for the young girl. Haruka, Michiru and Rei had stayed behind in case she came back. "Why didn't I see this coming? She's a teenager for crying out loud! I know they do crazy things like these."

"Hai, I remember what that was like. We see a boy we like and do anything to be near him. It doesn't matter whether he's older, foreign or undead."

"Nani?" Pluto's eyes widened and Venus covered her mouth as she realized her faux pas, "You know that Carlos-san is Karasu no shi?"

The blonde senshi sighed in resignation, "Hai, Rei-chan and I found out the other night. Gomen ne Pluto, we were going to tell you but Hotaru-chan swore us to secrecy. We should have known you outers would figure it out."

"Actually, I only found out a few hours ago by something Karasu said. I haven't told the others yet, and I think that's the best choice. I have a pretty good idea how Haruka would react if she knew this." Venus nodded in agreement. "I just hope she's alright. In the state Karasu must be in now, she could be walking into serious trouble."

"Hey, relax. I've seen the effect Hotaru-chan has on Carlos-kun. Bet you they're sitting together having the time of their lives."

*****

Saturn kept up a defensive position, she wanted Carlos to snap out of his rage, and counterattacking wouldn't help. This was becoming harder for her as she felt her own rage building up. She had to get Karasu to his senses before she lost her own. She pushed forward and put her face inches away from her opponent's.

"Karasu listen, I just want to talk!"

"Very well," he countered, "you will talk." He drew one arm back and punched Saturn in the stomach with all of his might. The silent senshi's eyes widened as she felt the acrid taste of blood and bile rush to her mouth. Before she realized it, she was landing several feet back from where she was standing. She got to her feet as fast as she could, magnifying the pain she felt. Saturn looked up and saw Karasu in a strange position. His legs were positioned in a wide stance and his arms held forward. His hands open with the palms pointing outwards, thumbs joined and the rest of his fingers pointing away. Nearly the same way one positions his hands to create the shadow figure of a bird. This however, was no game.

"EBON SHEARS!" Black and curved blades we fired from his hands, heading straight for Saturn! She leapt out of the way in the nick of time. One of the vans was behind her, within seconds, it became shredded metal. Saturn was too busy to be impressed however. She rolled onto her knees and raised her Silence glaive.

"Silence glaive surprise!" One second of quiet and an explosion surrounded Karasu. Once the dust cleared, he was gone. "Ie!" she dropped her glaive and ran a few steps towards the crater. She had let her anger cloud her. She let instinct take control over reason and had destroyed the one she wanted to save. She let out a sad sigh. At least now-wait a minute, he's just-

Saturn turned around just in time to see the sole of a boot slam into her face. It didn't stop there; Karasu kept on kicking and punching her without mercy, drawing her farther away from her weapon. Finally, he hoisted her over his head by the ribbon on her fuku and threw her away.

Saturn rolled on the ground and ended up on her back. She thought fast. Without her weapon she was nearly useless in battle, all she had was the speed and agility to avoid attacks and Karasu was much faster than her. She needed time for a plan and she knew how to get it.

Karasu walked slowly toward the fallen girl, not even trying to hide his chuckles. He paused a bit when he saw her raise a hand. "Another attack? Bring it on muchacha." Then he saw a silvery mist form around him and tiny orbs appear out of nowhere and swirl about. He was standing right in the middle of Saturn's Big bang simulation. The beauty of what surrounded him was breathtaking, had his fury not been blinding him, he would've been fascinated.

"Nice trick," he said facing a half-raised Saturn, "but it does nothing to hide you."

"Really?" she gave a smug smile, "Ever seen a star nova?" A tiny fireball came over to meet Karasu. It exploded with a blinding white flash.

"AARGH!" Since it was an illusion, it did no real damage, but the sudden brightness effectively blinded the warrior. "Perra! Where are you hiding?" He scanned the area to sense her soul but found nothing. Damn! She can cloak herself as well!

"Karasu?" a wary voice came out from somewhere, "Please, you said you would let me talk."

"And you will. Ebon shears!"

"YEARGH!"

Karasu chuckled, that scream indicated that he had estimated Saturn's position accurately. His sight returned and he saw her holding her hands against her side. A large red blotch could be seen under them. He rushed forward and gave her a right hook followed by a left. He clasped his hand around her neck and held her up. "You will give your companions a message. They will not interfere with me ever again," his eyes narrowed, "And in case you haven't figured it out yet, you will deliver it in a posthumous fashion."

Saturn looked into Karasu's eyes and wept for what she saw. It was not the anger what caused her tears, it was something else. In his eyes she saw insanity, madness in its purest form. Carlos Navarro was truly gone, and all she could do now was weep for his loss. Karasu clenched his hand into a fist and Saturn closed her eyes waiting for the battering.

"He is one of them!" Kashaku's tone of voice was a weird mixture of surprise and 'Why me?'

Deimos was starting to get agitated, "Princess Saturn won't be able to take much more punishment. We must do something!"

"Indeed, but the three of us must agree this time so that we may act," he turned to the scarlet sprite, "It is your call lady Phobos."

Phobos trembled with uncertainty. "We wait," she said at last, "Don't ask me to explain but I know they must resolve this alone." Her companions looked at her quietly for a while, and then turned their attention back to the fight.

Saturn received her punishment without so much as a protest. A senshi fought to the end, no matter what assailed her, she would fight, a senshi would keep pushing onward. Fight for justice, friendship and love. As long as there was something or someone to protect, a senshi would fight.

But it was gone, what Saturn, what Tomoe Hotaru had been fighting for was gone. Carlos could no longer be saved. When she realized it, she'd lost her will entirely. Her will to fight, to protect, to live.

Karasu finished his assault and let the silent senshi fall to her knees, it was time to end it. "Any last words?" he asked as he unsheathed his katana.

"Please," she begged through teary eyes, "Please wake up Carlos-san. I know you're still in there. Open your eyes. Answer me!"

Karasu didn't reply, he just raised his sword. A moment of stillness occurred when Saturn saw the gleam on the blade. It was risky but it was all she had left. As the blade swooped down, she placed her hand over her jewel.

Karasu froze; the edge of the sword had stopped just a millimeter away from the girl's neck. He stumbled back as the weapon dropped from his hands. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes trying to dispel his confusion. But there was no mistake, what he saw was reality.

"Hotaru?"

There she was, on her knees, bruises all over her face and body, thin lines of blood ran down her eyes and lips, and a larger stain could be seen at her side. Then he saw her eyes, red from all her crying. They shone with a little hope, but mostly, they spilt fear. He looked at himself. Blood covered his arms, sprinkled his face and his chest. None of it was his though, it belonged to all the men he had killed tonight. Some of it still felt warm and had not dried up, that was Hotaru's. He looked at her again. He had claimed that if she was to become hurt, the world would pay, and it was he who had nearly slain her.

Are you too blind, too stupid? His conscience screamed at him mercilessly. Look around you, look at all you have done, LOOK AT WHAT YOU ALMOST DID! When the devil are you going to open your eyes and realize?

Color returned to his skin and the marks on his face faded away. Tears came out of his eyes, real tears, pure and clear. Carlos fell to his knees.

"Dios mío. What have I become?"

Painfully, Hotaru got up and made her way towards Carlos. The wound on her side bled terribly but she didn't notice, if she did, she wouldn't have cared. All that occupied her mind was, whether Carlos would be all right. Once she got close enough, she knelt and tried to take Carlos' hand. He jerked away the moment he felt her. Their eyes met, she could see the fear in those black eyes. Instead of the warrior demon he had been so much referred as, he looked like a helpless child.

"I won't hurt you Carlos-san," she said softly, "I'm your friend, remember?"

"Friend? After what I've-", Hotaru put her finger on his lips.

"Shush," slowly she put her arms around him. Carlos breathing slowed down, he lowered his head and pressed his ear against Hotaru's heart, it was such a soothing sound. Her face was bruised and bloody, yet she smiled. Tears of happiness ran down her cheeks as she held him closer.

"I will never let you go Carlos-san," she whispered softly. She took a deep breath "Carlos-san…" her voice drifted a way.

Carlos kept quiet; he listened to Hotaru's heartbeat. Since that night when they found each other, it had become one of his favorite sounds. He kept listening as the pace became calmer and quieter, that's when he realized there was something wrong. Her embrace had suddenly gone limp. He looked down and saw that her clothes were drenched in her own blood!

"Demonio! Kashaku, with me!" he picked up the girl and ran to the closest van.

Deimos stomped her foot. "Damn it! Just as we thought things had taken a turn for the better."

"They have taken a turn for the better Lady Deimos," Kashaku responded, "It's just that this event has not concluded yet. Let's go!"

*****

Whirlpool compound:

"That should do it Christopher," Hawkins said as he closed the program, "Do a little testing if you will." Chris flexed his fingers. That exercise went smoothly. Diamond tip talons extended and retracted from his fingers. Finally, he threw some jabs to test his speed.

"Well I am faster," the cyborg commented, "I'll check out how strong I am later." He turned to look at Hawkins, who was continuing on another project. This nerd is always busy. "Hey Einstein. If you already had all these gadgets lying around. Why didn't you use them when you first…augmented me?"

"Quite simple," the scientist replied, "the organic percentage of your body diminishes each time you are upgraded. Surely you wish to maintain your humanity as long as you can afford."

"Yeah, and you specially want to keep that part you're so fond of using," Blaze quipped as he entered the room. He formed a fiery column on the palm of his left hand, "Unless of course, it's already gone," he swiped the column away with a chop.

"Shut up Blaze," Chris replied with a growl.

"I would suggest you don't waste energy in that foolish manner, Mr. Blaze," Hawkins scowled, "Useless as you may be awake, that trait somehow increases when you're asleep."

"Fine, fine, I'll turn the fire down," he adjusted the controls on his bracelets, "There, the pilot light's out. Happy?"

"No," Hawkins' pager started beeping, "Now, if you'll excuse me I have truly meaningful work to do." The doctor left without any more words.

"You should have picked the fire Chris," Blaze began after a while, "It sure needs a lot less maintenance than becoming an android."

"Really? Well I don't have to sleep for like ten hours after using these," he extended his claws, "In fact, I don't even get tired anymore."

"And that doesn't bother you? I thought you enjoyed being in bed. No wait, I'm thinking about Kara. You are into more violent fetishes."

"Possibly new ones," Chris quipped as he scratched the metal table. They both laughed a while, that's how Paul found them when he entered.

"Hey birdman, what's up?"

"Is Hawkins here?" Paul asked anxiously.

"He left a few minutes ago," Chris answered, "Did you change your mind about his offer? I hear Kara's being fitted for a sort of battle-armor."

"I don't wish to sell my soul for such miserable artifacts!" If I still own it that is. "Did you ever stop to think about the consequences of your decisions?"

"It's a bit hard to think when your hands been chopped off and you're given the promise of power," Chris retorted, "I am a bit regretful now though, and I wouldn't be too surprised to find a warhead hidden inside me. But having new ways to kill makes up for it." He got up, "I'm out to make the most of tonight. See ya."

"What's wrong with him?" Paul asked.

"He's still upset because of the scolding the boss gave us because of our antics."

Paul's eyebrows rose a bit in surprise, "I see. And what about you?"

"Me? It did hurt like hell when I got these powers, and I'd like to get even with the boss for that. But I'm glad I got them. I'm no longer a pushover; I no longer have to rely on wisecracks or on Chris to get me out of a tight spot. I can be though by myself and I like it."

"Even at the cost of your freedom? Those bracelets you wear are also your shackles!"

"I'm insane, we all are. Why should we care about concepts like morality and freedom?" Paul didn't say another word. Arguing with Blaze was pointless. He left the room and left the madman alone.

Paul got to his quarters and lay down on the bed. He was too preoccupied he forgot to pet his pigeon hello. Blaze was unreliable, Hawkins was loyal or too terrified of Poe, Kara loved the man and would not betray him and Chris might partially agree but was a potential risk. Paul realized that he had to continue his plans alone. And against a man like Allen Poe, this was a dangerous situation.

*****

Outers' Manor:

Haruka Tenoh was a nervous wreck, and staying put while everyone else was out there looking for Hotaru wasn't helping. She wanted to be out there, but Mamoru had said that someone should stay behind just in case; Michiru had volunteered and Haruka just couldn't leave her.

"Haruka-san, calm down," Rei called out, "you're upsetting me walking around like that."

"Yeah? We'll seeing you two sitting there so calm is upsetting me!" the blonde exploded. Rei was shocked by this reaction, but Michiru gave the taller woman a reprimanding stare. It was more than enough to shame her. "Gomen."

Michiru got up and held her love in an embrace. "We're all worried Haruka, and everyone's doing something to help find Hotaru, even though it doesn't seem that way," she stepped back and looked at her straight in the eye, "There's a reason I told Mamoru-san that we would stay here. Ever since we became senshi, we've always rushed into action. We need to learn that things can get done passively."

Haruka nodded in agreement, "Hai. And I guess that I need that lesson the most," she giggled, "What I don't understand is: Why is Hime-chan suddenly so eager to help out Karasu? Is there something we're overlooking?" She gave Michiru a questioning gaze and then turned it towards Rei. The raven-haired maiden feigned ignorance.

"How am I supposed to know? The last time I saw Karasu was during Chris and Blaze's attack at the café. And I wasn't present when he, umm, assaulted Hotaru-chan at the party." There was a dash of nervousness in her voice, enough to raise a little suspicion. Lucky for her, the phone rang at just that moment. Saved by the bell, "Moshi, moshi…Who is this?…The hospital, what?…By the Kami, we're on our way!" She slammed down the receiver, "That call came from the hospital, Hotaru-chan is there," she gulped before saying the next words, "she's wounded."

Haruka and Michiru wasted no words. In zero seconds flat, the trio was in the car and on their way.

"By the way Rei-chan," Michiru asked, "Who was the one who called?"

"One of the twins," the aqua-haired woman blinked in disbelief, "Don't ask."

*****

Juban Central Hospital:

"That went fairly well," the human Phobos muttered as she hung up the phone. She'd often seen people use payphones during all those flights over Tokyo with her sister, this was the first time she'd used one herself. She bumbled a bit dialing and searching for Michiru's number on the phonebook, but succeeded in giving Rei the news. There was one side effect to her new experience: six people named Kaioh were very annoyed at her.

Phobos turned her gaze to her sister. They wore sleeveless blouses, red and blue accordingly, and white shorts. Deimos' fidgeting revealed that something was bothering her.

"Is everything okay Deimos-chan?" Phobos asked the blue-clad girl as she sat down.

"Hai, I'm all right onee-chan. It's just that, it feels weird sitting around in human form."

"We've been changing into sprite form more often than before. Other than size, this isn't very different."

"It's not being in this shape that bothers me, it's the fact that we're like this in," the blue-eyed girl looked around, "public."

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad. We'll get used to this after a while." A couple of wolf-whistles were sent the twins' way. Phobos frowned, "Although there will be some annoying occasions. Besides, it's not the first time we've been in human form among other people. Remember when we were hatchlings back at Coronis," she leaned back as fond memories reemerged.

Deimos sighed and hugged herself, "Hai, playing in the gardens with the gang. Corbie, Chim-chim, Cheroo, Brim…Lead Crow. I wonder how she's doing now."

"Good question. Perhaps a trip back home is in order, ne?"

"And face princess Coronis after what we've done? No thanks." Deimos looked up, "Hey, there's princess Mars and the others."

"Already?" Phobos asked wide-eyed, "Princess Uranus must really be a fast driver."

Haruka and Michiru went straight towards the reception desk. Rei halted to greet the twins and bombard them with questions.

"What the hell happened? Where's Karasu? Is Hotaru-chan all right?"

"Long story. Rooftop. Stable so far," Deimos responded, "Please calm down Princess-er-Rei-san. Things could've ended up a lot worse."

Rei nodded absently. She looked over her shoulder and saw Mamoru and Usagi enter. "Okay, as soon as everyone's here, you'll tell us the story," she lowered her voice, "Later, you'll give Mina-chan and I the unabridged version."

*****

"He was a beast, Poe-sama," one of the troopers related the incident to Allen, "I saw him from a distance. He didn't ask questions he just slew left and right."

"He didn't pause?" Allen's calmness made total contrast with the troopers' panicky behavior, "Didn't he take a good look at each before dispatching them?"

"Ie! I told you he just acted like an animal!" Allen narrowed his eyes at that outburst, "Gomen nasai sir, it's just that I-"

"No need for apologize, I know that must have been quite an experience. Go on to the next room, Dr. Hawkins will see to it that you receive your reward." As the troopers left, Hawkins approached Allen.

"A strange change of behavior. Wouldn't you say Mr. Poe, sir? All of the previous reports have shown Karasu to be more controlled, still a murderer, but controlled."

"It's not so strange when you know what to expect Hawkins," Allen replied with a mysterious grin, "And this makes my goals a bit easier to accomplish." He got up, "I have things to do. Take these fine young men with you and give them what they deserve."

"Are you sure Mr. Poe, sir?" Hawkins questioned, "They are efficient combatants, it would be a shame not to keep them on the payroll."

"Agreed, it is a shame. But they followed Takata's commands and their style is his. With him dead, they are practically useless."

"Very well sir," Hawkins went to where the others waited.

"Besides," Allen added, "the drones deserve some fresh meat once in a while."

*****

Carlos got out of the van and scanned the area. From the looks of things no one ever came to this place. The van would be safely hidden. He wasn't interested in the vehicle at all; he traveled much faster jumping from rooftop to rooftop. It was the arsenal inside what attracted him, all those rifles and explosives gave him a very pleasant feeling. But it was a very brief pleasure; his thought went back to Hotaru being rushed into the hospital building. He slammed his hand to the door as he recalled some of the words he heard from the medics:

"Too much blood lost. Entering shock. Ready the O.R."

"Hotaru is dying," he said to his reflection on the window, "and it's all because of you." Without noticing his whole body started trembling. His fury arose as the marks on his face began to appear.

"Steel your temper warrior! You don't want to lose control again." Carlos looked up and saw Kashaku perched on the wind spoiler. He closed his eyes and took a deep relaxing breath.

"How's Hotaru?"

"Lady Saturn will survive, although she will be in a weakened state for some time. Ladies Phobos and Deimos did a good administering first aid."

"Oh yeah, the girls in swimsuits. Gotta remember to thank them," The teen gave his guardian a questioning gaze, "There's something that makes them similar to you Kashaku. Care to comment on that?"

"Umm, let us just say that we are related somehow" the bird responded, "So what now? Will you be paying lady Saturn a visit?"

"Do you think it's appropriate to go like this?" Carlos asked in a grave voice. Kashaku checked out his ward's appearance, blood still covered him and he was half naked.

"The blood will clean up easily enough. And as for clothing, I'm sure you will manage to thieve, that is, obtain something decent."

"That's not what I meant," Carlos declared, he poked his finger at his head "Its what's in here what worries me. The hate that I felt towards Chris and his gang was only minimal compared to the rage I was going through earlier. I thought that the senshi's insults had caused it, but now I realize that they only triggered it. The bloodlust is in me, it always has been. It's probably been there since I was human." He stared at his reflection once more, "Little by little, I'm starting to learn what I am Kashaku. And it frightens me."

*****

Author's notes:

Deimos: Someone went a trifle overboard calling out our names.

This comment is related to the translated names of the twin crows. In Greek, Phobos means fear and Deimos is sorrow, although some translate it as panic.