Disclaimer: I do not own the characters I?m using in the story. They belong to who ever invented them or has claims on them. The same goes for any ideas I?m using unintentionally. In this particular case the charaters have been invented by Naoko Takeuchi and belong to the companies who have a rightful claim on them. If this fiction hurts the intentions that the inventor of these characters had planned, I?d like to apologize. Old Foes by Agent Anderson Chapter 3 An unusual trio was walking down the streets of Tokyo. It was a trio of cats. Not that this fact was unusual but the fact that two of them had crescent moon marking on their forehead in gold and those spots were bald. But this would have been easily overlooked the real fact that made this trio unusual was that one cats fur was blue and that they were talking, unnoticed by other pedestials. "So, when?s the wedding?" the dark-skyblue cat asked. The other two stopped and looked flustered at it. Then the black cat shouted scandalized, "Andie!!" "What?!" He replied innocently. "The way you two were hanging onto eachother at the park..." He trailed off, looking smugly at them. "I didn?t know you could be that forward Luna." "It?s not what you are thinking!" Luna snapped defensively at him, blushing furiously at the image of Artemis and her holding onto eachother. "We were just apologizing to eachother." The smug expression never left his face. "Honestly!" "Sure, sure." Dismissed the blue cat the outburst. He walked up to Luna sat down and leaned forward. "If that?s called apologizing, I want to be apologized to." He purred looking directly at Luna. Luna was flustered beyond speech by such forwardness from him. Artemis stepped protectively in front of her and glared at Andie. "Lay off!" He hissed dangerously. "That?s all it was. And it ain?t no buisness of yars. An? ya don?t have ta try an? come onta her." He slipped again a bit into his alleycat slang. He saw him backing away a bit from him with satisfaction. A few steps behind them a man looking into a shop window winced. He had forgotten how protective Artemis was of Luna, even towards him. He had no intentions towards Luna. He kept looking into the window he had stopped, keeping his attention on the two cats and the holographic image of one five feet behind him. He smiled to himself Luna still thinks that he could morph into anything after that time the Princess of Mars scrambled his psychic senses and he unintentionally shapeshifted into the hawk. It was partialy his fault that she thought he could do that after numerous incidents where he had used the holo-cam to fool her and others With this thought he brought his attention back towards the holocat. "Tell me..." He said, "why were you apologizing? ...And in such a... polite manner, too?" Luna blushed at the implication. "It?s not what you think!" She protested. "Artemis got a bit mad and yelled at me. It hurt but it was the truth." Anderson didn?t quite hear the tail end of the sentence, he was more surprised by the first part. "Wait a sec... He yelled at you and you apologized for it?!" That got the two cats of guard for a moment. "Uh..., yeah?" Then the implication sunk in. Artemis thought with despair. Luna didn?t think at all she just reacted. She backhanded him into the closest wall. Literally quivering in anger she walked up to him, but before she could do or say anything Artemis managed to croak out, "I?m sorry Luna." Once he had begun he just kept it going. "I?m sorry Luna, for not apologizing to you right away and for what yesterday happened. I don?t know what had happened yesterday or why but I know that I feel bad about it. Yesterday when the girls were long since overdo I had been worried sick also and then you kept going on and on worrying about them, something that you rarely do out loud. It was riding up my nerves until they were raw." He paused in his babbling for a second looking at Luna?s reaction. She was just sitting there looking a bit less angry. "Something inside reacted to your worried ranting. It was bubbling and boiling inside of me wanting to get out but I tried to keep it bottled up. But in the end it shot out of me. I?m sorry Luna I didn?t mean to lash out at you yesterday." Luna seemed to be mollified by his explanation but it was plainly visible that she didn?t forgive him, yet. She just sniffed once and then walked on without looking at Artemis. Artemis shook the daze the impact left his body in off and stood up racing after Luna. He stopped her with a shout of "Luna!!" She turned her head and something seemed to pass between them as their eyes made contact. Anderson was sure what it was but Artemis? tail wasn?t hanging that low anymore and even the always stoical Luna, as he remembered her, perked up notably. Anderson rejoined the two cats and they were moving along quietly for several minutes. Eventually Luna tried to lift the silence that had fallen upon the trio. "So, Andie. What are you doing here?" She looked at him sideways. "Vacation? On a job? Or do you just need us to keep up all that?s happened after you left?" On the last comment the blue cat looked sceptically at Luna ad if she had really meant that. Luna caught the look and wondered what it was about. Anderson realizing that Luna ididn?t have a clue why he gave a look, smiled a bit. "Well, I know that I?ve been away for sometime and considering all that went on after I had left I could use a refresher." Artemis had bite his tongue to keep from laughing. But when Luna started with, "Hmm, let?s see...after you had left..." he wasn?t able to control himself any longer his old friend had pulled another on Luna. Luna looked angrily over to where Artemis was laughing his butt off, but before Luna could do anything to harm him Anderson stopped her. "Luna, do you remember when I first had introduced myself?" Luna looked at him for a second confused but soon caught what he was hinting at. It was the day he was introduced to Serenity and her parents. He introduced himself as a agent of a organisation that keeps a watchful eye on the correct events of a universe and intervenes against any outward disturbance. And in order to be able to react when neccesary they had to have any information that needed to be known to them. In other words he didn?t need them to get the information he wants. "Well,...uh..." Luna tried to find the right words for her forgetfulness. The blue cat smiled at her warmly. "Don?t worry. It has been a long time since then. No wonder you forgot, after all, you?ve been through a lot." The black cat sighed heartfelt at that. "That?s true. We really have gone through a lot." Artemis brought matters back to Luna?s last question. "So why are you here anyway now." Anderson thought about it before replying, "I tell you when everybody?s present, right?" Luna didn?t find that very satisfying and protested, "But what about me as the advisor to the Princess, I?ll need to know beforehand so I can..." Artemis interjected. "Come on, Luna. Be a li?l bit impulsive." He said grinning. "You want me to become like Usagi?" Luna asked increduluosly. Then her eyes got a mischievious glimmer. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!! You?re so mean to meeeeeeeee!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" She wailed at the top of her voice. Artemis and Anderson ducked instinctively at her wail. The cat image doing the same through the mental link. "Now why didya had to say that?" Anderson muttered acusingly watching the wailing cat. Rei had been waiting for the others to discuss her mysterious encounter today, and of course the arrival of the equally myterious Anderson, from their past. Rei looked up from sweeping the shrine ground at the sound of two voices comming closer. Makoto and Minako were finishing climbing the steps leading up to the shrine. The two were chatting animatedly. "...and then he pulled the trigger four times in rapid succesion; and all four shots were on the mark." Minako just said. "I mean he shot in flight dodging my shot. Even after all the experience I?ve got from my time as Sailor V, I don?t think I?m able to pull that off!" "What?!" Rei exclaimed. "The great Sailor V humbled by a mere mortal!" The sarcasm that dripped from these words pooled at her feet and created a fairly large puddle. Minako looked peeved at the smiling Rei. "Oh, lay off, Rei-chan." She waved at her dismissively. "That smile he gave me was so calculated and cold that he couldn?t have just practiced it in front of a mirror. He must have been in similar situations several times." "Yeah?" Rei looked sceptically at her. "I think Miss Aino is just a sore loser... But anyway, where?s Ami?" Rei asked as she turned to walk into the shrine. An unexpected voice behind her anwered her. "I saw her going shopping with her mother. I don?t know when that trip ended." Rei whirled around wide-eyed, to see Usagi standing at the top of the steps behind Minako and Makoto. "Usagi?!! When... What... How...?!" Rei stammered. Calming herself she addressed her again. "Alright, who are you and where?s Usagi?!" Usagi looked confused. "Huh? What do you mean Rei-chan?" Rei moved closed in. "You can?t be Usagi! The Usagi I know is always late for our meetings." She examined the girl in front her close. "I must say that you do look like her, but..." "Cut it out, Rei." Usagi interrupted her peeved. "Just because I made it here on time you don?t have to get freaked." "You being on time is an event everybody would get freaked out about." Rei said snidily. "Say, how did you managed that feat anyhow? Forgot to set your watch on the right time? Or did your father had to drive you here?" "Hey!" Usagi shouted indigniantly. "It?s not my fault I?m often late... It?s just that... everytime something important comes up that I can?t delay." "Like what?" Rei shot back glaring at Usagi. "Finishing your beauty sleep? Or the ice-cream shop having an ?All you can eat? Special?" Usagi leaned forward and glared back at Rei. "I?m not that bad Rei!" "Sure you are!" Rei shot back. "I?M NOT!" "YOU ARE TOO!" "AM NOT!" "ARE TOO!" "NOT!" "TOO!" "NOT!" "TOO!" "NOT!" "TOO!" Makoto and Minako sighed. They were at it again. Walking to porch of the shrine they sat down and waited for them to calm down. "You know," Makoto mentioned. "I thought it was a good idea to hurry Usagi along so she would be here on time, but..." She trailed off. "But looking at them now," Minako picked up the thought. "Same old, same old." She sadly shook her head. The fact that she got it for once right drowing in the argument. Anderson looked at the weeping cat and had to stiffle his laughter the picture Luna presented imitating her owner was more than hillarious if you kept in mind that she is a cat. He was about to call the joke off when he saw Ami in the corner of his eye, going in the opposite direction. He wondered why. He made a decision. >>Susan!<< He called in his thoughts. He knew she was waiting hear from him. >>Yes, sir?<< Came the answer almost imidiately. >>Get under cloak and keep control of the holo. I?ve got to go investigate.<< He ordered, walking towards Ami already. >>Yes, sir!<< The last thing he heard before he was to far away was the humming as Susan activated her cloak. He waited until he had put enough distance between him and the cats before he closed the distance between him and Ami. Now close up he saw that she was deep in thought and her face showed that something troubled her. he thought. "Hey, Ami." He said startling her out of her refery. "Where are you going?" "Huh?" Ami made as she was jolted out of her thought by a male voice. She didn?t have many male friends. Strike that she corrected herself mentally she did have one(!) male friend. Mamoru. Then who... The question answered itself as she turned to meet the voice. "Andie! What are you doing here?" "I asked you first." He responded, with light chuckle. "Besides... The answer to your question lies in the answer to mine." He said enigmatically. Whuh?" Ami was taken off guard for a moment by that last statement. She mulled over it trying to solve it. "Well, I?m going to the Hirawa Shrine... So I take it that you are heading there too, right?" She thought, the feelings of her Silver Millenium alter ego resurfacing. Ami shook her head, those were thoughts better left uncovered. "Yup!" Anderson nodded. "That?s right, I?m going there too, but that ain?t the reason why I?m here, though." Again Ami was puzzled. "I?m here because the Shrine is..." he turned and pointed with both hands in the opposite direction than Ami was walking previously. "Thataway!" Ami blushed. It wasn?t like her to walk aimlessly along in the streets. Ducking her head in, in embarrassment, she walked past him. With a light chuckle he quickly went to catch up. Having caught up he mused aloud, "What?s bothering Ami Mizuno so that she is too occupied to notice street signs or any other landmarks?" Ami didn?t answer immidiately. She shifted a bit as she tried to find the reason for her unlikely lack of attention. "I think," She eventually began to explain. "I think I was a bit worried about my mother. I agreed to go shopping with her something to forestall her questioning that was about to come. That wasn?t my usual behaviour, especially shopping. I guess it may backfire later. If any thing it will get her more suspicious." She addmitted guiltily. Anderson thought that over, before he reluctantly nodded. "Maybe,... But I don?t think you should worry about the possibility of it now. There?s nothing you could do about it until she confronts you with her suspicions. I?d worry about that then. You will only help her to solve the mystery if you question every word she says." Ami thought about it, she had to agree with him. Her mother would be more suspicious if she saw a double meaning behind her mother?s word everytime they talked. "I guess you?re right. It would do to act as if she knew until she comes forwrad with her suspicions... How come you know the answer to everything. As I remember you were even advising the advisors of the Queen in the Millenium. How do you do it?" Anderson smiled a bit crookedly. "Well, ya don?t get as old as me without learning a thing or four." Ami blushed, more because of his grin than her forgetting his age. She was about to apologize as she noticed that his expression had changed into a concentrated frown. Then slowly it spread into a grin. She knew that grin, having been to often on the wrong side of it. Anderson had a streak for mischief about as wide as the Moon itself. He wasn?t a practical joker per definition, but he had a thing for scaring the hell out of people and for taking orders or comments by the word. He had been chased around the Moon Palace more than once by the guards of the nobilities, from time to time even by the elder Senshi themselves. Her mother had chased him along with the rest of the elder Senshi frequently when he had burst in on a important audience or court meeting. Most times with the excuse of checking the security systems in the Palace, which where the highest developed in the whole kingdom. But nontheless he used that as a excuse. Ami came out of her rememberance as he nudged her. "Ami, you wanna make the trip of your life?" "Huh?" Ami made confused. She didn?t get what he was playing at. "Trust me!" Then he gripped her hand and her surroundings began to fade from view. In the next instant she was standing in front of the steps leading up to the Hirawa Shrine. A brief headache accompanied the arrival. Ami moaned a bit as her brain caught up with her body, she shook her head to clear it from the up comming dizziness. "Andie?! What was that?" She demanded as she turned to confront him. But every thought of investigating the phenomenon evaporated as he did another astonishing feat. Before her eyes he turned into a hawk. With a quiet shriek he beat his wings and took into the sky. Ami follow his ascend with wide eyes. He always seemed to surprise her when she thought he couldn?t do that anymore. With a sigh that spoke for her defeated feeling, she began to walk up the steps to the Shrine. Her previous thought were quickly banned by concerns about the way her friends would regard her if she was late possibly even later than Usagi but that held little possibility. But the fassade of the ever punctual and correct Ami would now be shattered by this event. She paused as she neared the top of the steps collecting her calm as she was sure the time with Andie and the memories he awakens would be visible to any body who knew her. Before she continued up she searched the sky for signs of the hawk. Sure enough there he was stalling before dive-bombing into the temple grounds. Minako and Makoto had been joined by Mamoru at watching Usagi and Rei argue. He had arrived only a few minutes after the two had begun and tried to break them apart. With only a temporary result when Usagi finally managed to recognize him and greeted her Mamo- chan. Which in turn earned her another one of Rei?s sniding comments. Which was why the argument rejoined. "Usako always told me about her and Rei but I couldn?t quite believe it up until now." Mamoru said aside to Makoto. "Yup, that?s what we think everytime." Makoto agreed. "Hard to believe that they consider eachother in secret their respective sister, is it?" "And that?s the only thing that keeps them from eachothers throats," Mamoru added looking fascinated at the two. Artemis and Luna choose that scene to arrive at the Shrine. "What the...?" Artemis shouted shocked as he saw one of the more viscious argument between Usagi and Rei. He usually didn?t always see them because Minako kept him otherwise occupied, like being late herself and he had to scold her for that, by the time he is finished the Usagi-Rei-argument had died down to a occasional stare from Rei. Luna just shook her head at the two quarreling girls. She knew from experience that outside interference wasn?t appreciated by the two. Noting that the rest was sitting on the porch she moved over to meet them and introduce them to Anderson. She hadn?t noticed that the blue cat wasn?t behind them anymore, he had left shortly before thay had entered the Shrine grounds. She nudged Artemis to follow her. As they neared the trio, Luna noticed that the thrid of the trio wasn?t Ami as she suspected but Mamoru. But rather than showing her surprise at him being here she simply accepted his presence. "Hello, Mamoru. Say where?s Ami?" "Hello Luna." Makoto greeted. "We don?t know where she is. Usagi saw her last as she was heading to the mall with her mother. Other than that we have no clue about where she is." "Hmm... that?s strange. Ami usually gives a call if she is going to be later than usual. Simply being late isn?t like her." Luna thought aloud. Anything else she was about to say about it was cut off by the piercing cry of a hawk. Everyone?s head whipped around to find the bird that gave that cry. Everyone?s except those of Rei and Usagi. Artemis was the first who found the rapidly descending hawk. "Oh boy," he said as he recognized it. "What do you mean,?Oh boy??" Luna asked., but as she followed his gaze she knew what he meant and completely agreed with him. "Oh uh!" Minako, Makoto and Mamoru looked at first confused at the odd behaving two cats then followed their gazes into the sky. The divebombing bird of prey would be comming down right between the two hotheads. The two only noticed the danger shortly before the hawk would be in between them. Giving twin shrieks the two girls stumbled backward, falling on their respective butts. The hawk began to flap his wings to brake his descend shortly after they had shrieked. He glided along the the ground until he reached a post to the side of the shrine grounds. He turned on the post to the two disheveled girls on the ground. He cocked his head at each of the two breathless girls who in turn cringed back a bit. Then he spread hi wings making their body pump adrenalin into their systems, but before he could do anything further a voice broke the scene. "Don?t you think you?ve had enough fun?" It sounded disapproving, but it didn?t quite sound right from that voice. Heads whipped to the top of the steps. Only to whip back to the hawk as he cried out and took off. Usagi and Rei scrambled backwards as he passed between them. He flew in a tight circle around the head before landing on the voice?s shoulder. Ami?s shoulder, as they now recognized her. The hawk on her shoulder open his beak and seemed to grin a them. The assembled group looked at her and her new found compagnion. Blushing in embarrassment she smiled weakly. "Um... Hi, sorry I?m late." The words seemed to break them out of their stupor. Rei and Usagi got up brushing the dust of their clothes while the rest walked over to her and the hawk. All with questions on their minds, but before anybody could say anything Ami addressed them. "Anyway, I?d like to introduce to you, the Agent of the DPD, Elmar Anderson. Andie these are my friends." She indicated him and the others respectively. After that everybody let out a collective, "Huh?!" They had expected somehow that the misterious stranger would show up sooner or later but they didn?t expect him to look like a hawk. The cats immidiately came to the conclusion, knowing Anderson, that he convinced Ami to play a joke on everyone. "I thought you said he was, er...human?" Usagi ventured, oblivious to collective groans she raised for her bluntness. "Erm," made Ami. "He is, but he can morph into this hawk. Would please demonstrate?" She asked him. The hawk answer by giving a quiet cry. He took of her shoulder and hovered as good as he could next to her. Then his body streched, seeming filling another form. When the process was finished Anderson stood in front of them. He bowed to them swishing his hand about as if carrying a hat. "Pleased to make your aquaintance M?ladies." As he pulled himself upright again he presented them a winning smile. Unfortunately the smile bounced of the shocked faces without any effect. The four girls were staring at Anderson as their faculties tried to process through the shock induced numbness in their nerves. Finally their widened eyes shrank to slits as anger began to wedge itself through the shock that was holding their faces in its graps. "YOU!!" They shouted with one voice as anger fired through all their synapses. Then they began shouting their accusations at the same time as the others again. The resluting cacophony was undissolvable for anyone, of corse Anderson knew what they were shouting about. In the following silence one could almost her the collective blink from the remaining four. Ami and the two cats had an idea what they were angry about remembering and having lived his jokes, that nobody else but himself understood most times. Mamoru however didn?t have that advantage. "Whoa, girls. One at a time. He at least deserves to hear your accusations clearly before you lynch him." Rei turned to him, trying to keep a tight lid on her temper that already was way beyond its boiling point trying to go plasma. "How do you suppose I should treat someone who seemingly practice some magic. Even the sacred fire does know anything about him?!" She demanded testily. "Just look at him grin! He knows what we are talking about!" Mamoru raised his hands making placating gestures, chuckling nervously. "Ahahah! Er,... sorry. But you tell the rest of us, too? Please?" He pleaded. Since Rei already had explained her agitation she looked at Usagi next to her. "Well, he scared the heck out of me as I bumped into him by accident, and..." Rei interrupted with a snidily side comments. "Isn?t that the way you alway make new aquaintances?" "REEEIII!!" Usagi whined but, astonishingly, quickly got back on topic. "Now, he hinted about me being... Sailor Moon, and I kinda almost told him so too" She had grown quieter with each word as she thought about the implications but she didn?t quieted down quickly enough for Rei not to hear. "YOU WHAT?!" Rei exploded into her face. "YOU STUPID BUBBLE-HEADED DITZ!! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING TELLING SOME STRANGER ABOUT YOUR SECRET IDENTITY?! HAVE YOU GOT CARROTS FOR BRAINS?! YOU... YOU..." Rei quickly thought through her vast material of insults she had collected to use on her Princess but seemingly she couldn?t find anything suitable. "YOU USAGI, YOU!!" "REEEIIII!!!" Usagi began to set off into a round of tears and wails but was cut off. "SHUT UP!!" Rei yelled. The glare she sent in Usagi?s direction alone was enough to make stop her wail. Rei seemed to go on in her tirade but Ami moved forward and restrained her. "Rei don?t be to harsh on Usagi. Firstly it wasn?t her fault and secondly something like that would never happen. Nobody who doesn?t know about us being the Senshi would even suspected that we could possibly be them. If something like that, one of us blabing out our secret identity, should happen they would chalk it up to the excentrics of the youth." Ami explained. "There?s no reason to react in such a fashion. Calm down, Rei. No one would even think about pressuring us about a small slip of tongue. Calm down. It wasn?t her fault." Ami?s soft voice seemed to have an effect on Rei as the wildly plusating venes on her head slowed their pace and began retreating back into her smooth skin. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they watch Rei calm down. "I guess I got out of line a bit," a much calmer Rei then admitted. "But it was so frustrating getting vibes from him and see that the fire doesn?t know anything about it." She turned to Usagi again. "You still shouldn?t have done that, even if we don?t have to worry about being recognized by common people." Usagi nodded trying to stop sniffling. Seeing Usagi nod Rei turned her attention towards Makoto. "So what?s your beef with him Mako-chan?" "Aside from seeing him pestering Usagi," Makoto began, "He pinched me!" she cried out looking accusing at Anderson, whose smiled had widened massively. Rei nodded absently. "What about you Minako?" But before Minako could reply Makoto let out a shout of indignity. "He *pinched* me!" Rei didn't even look back to her, her eyes reamaining on Minako. "We know." She stated flatly. "You wanted to say, Mina-chan?" "He's the guy I told Makoto about. The one from the game, who took me out so easily." Minako explained. "I'm not sore about that but I wanted to know how he could do that with such an ease." The last was directed to Anderson. "Hey, you live as long as me and we'll see how good you are in such things?" He replied. Seeing that most of their concerns about this new guy were unnecessary, they immidiately moved in for a more thorough questioning. More than the others Rei waas bubbling over with questions. Unfortunately for the girls their questions had to wait, as Anderson hold up a hand before they could begin to ask. His face was a concerntrated mask. "Sorry girls, no questions answered just now. We are going to get some uninvited guests it seems." While he said that his eyes began to search the sky for something finally they locked onto something. The girls following his gaze noticed he was looking at a speck in the sky which was growing bigger as they watched. With their usual ease they pulled out their wands, ready for a fight. The shape?s descent was abruptly halted several feets above them. Upon closer inspection the shape showed a roughly humanoid form. The sun was glinting off the plates that encased it, in fact the entire form was made of metal. It had for feet two circular plates. For the forearms it had an arsenal of tools. Some seemingly weapons, some totatly undefineable. Every joint was able to bend in various ways. Most noticeable it had no head. In essecence this disqualified it from being humanoid but it was close enough to make an exception. Then it began to lower itself to ground level. The Senshi were so intently gazing on it that they barely noticed. They finally snapped themselves to attention as it touched ground and shook it quite a bit. Testament to it size. It stood about ten feet tall in front of them. Taking a grim expression each Senshi raised her wand. Showing a smile of anticipation for the inevitable fight Anderson pulled his sword from its sheath on his back. In a low voice, with an underlying tone of enjoyment, he casually said, "Let?s get down to buisness." END OF CHAPTER THREE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER FOUR I hope you?ve enjoyed it. Tell me how much you,... ... liked it. ... hated it. ... cursed about the dumb author for writing such a piece of shit. You can also tell me if you think at a certain point I have left something out. Or if I missed something vital for the Sailor Moon Timeline. Or if you didn?t understood a certain passage or a character?s behaviour. NOTES: Sorry about the delay. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. The fight begin in the next chapter with a few surprises, I hope. COMMENTS/CRITICS/QUESTIONS mail to: Anderson (a.k.a. Armin Eppinger) eppinger@fmi.uni-passau.de I put up a homepage, it?s not much much but I?ll work on it. http://www.fmi.uni-passau.de/~eppinger Thanks for reading. BYE