S.I.U. - The Sailor Investigation Unit by DARK DAY FOR ANIME (Mark A Page) Disclaimer - all characters pertaining to the series Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon are owned by Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai and Kodansya. All other characters were thought up by me. I hope I'm not sued for writing this. I'm not some ripoff merchant, using other people's ideas for personal gain. I'm just a poor little know-nothing fanboy. I leave the ripoffs to professionals like Anya Romanov. ^_^ -------------------------------------------------------------------- In the darkness of a hallway within the Sacred House compound, two enemies who used to be friends were discussing another person who could also be classified as such.... Both almost appeared to be negative images of each other.... Setsuna with her tanned complexion and dark green hair, and Carey with her pale skin and ice-white hair.... "I take it he used your Princess's powers to get through the Security?" Carey sneered at Lysithea's obvious manipulation of Usagi. "What else would he be with her for?" Setsuna ignored the comment. She felt no comfort in having one of her compatriots insulted by someone she knew and trusted not, especially when the insulted party was her Princess.... "Interesting. I wonder why he hasn't thought of doing this before?" Carey put a hand to her chin in mock thought. Setsuna shrugged, inwardly knowing that Carey probably knew. "My guess is he's been biding his time." "For what reason?" Carey looked at Setsuna, archly. "Preparations." Setsuna sniffed with bitchy affectation. With Carey, conversations were always a matter of fighting bitch with bitch. Considering the open coolness between them, she was on her guard in case Carey decided to let rip with a blinder spell.... One Setsuna COULDN'T predict. Only Carey could do that. "Ah. Yes, of course. I forgot about that. It won't do him any good, though." Carey smiled. Setsuna blinked, surprised. "Why? What do you mean?" Carey wagged a finger in Setsuna's face, clicking her tongue condescendingly. "Oh Meiou-san.... Honestly." Carey stepped away, staring into space. "To achieve what he wants to achieve, he needs two of our kind.... One Bestial and one Ethereal." She looked aside at Setsuna, knowingly. "He can only have one, now." "You mean you've...." Setsuna frowned, then shook her head. "I didn't think you'd go through with an elaborate plan of that kind." Carey chuckled, shrugging. "In a few minutes, there won't be a Bestial on the face of the Earth capable of matching his requirements." ----o Arisa continued to chant her spell. Not easy to do when one is standing on top of a water tower, in the middle of a large industrial estate dockyard on a wet and rainy day, with the rapidly fading light making vision problematic. It seemed as if the creature that used to be Sherrie had tired of its meal. Slowly, it started to pace over to where Nobuhiro was standing, transfixed by the scene, from the docking shed that had been pasted with the remains of its victims, the dockyard workers it had caught in its short and vicious hunt. It stomped over the wooden boards, under which Rumiko was lying. Well, thought Arisa, not pausing in the incantation, there was one good aspect to being smashed into an old wooden door.... Then the creature made a deep-throated cackling sound, and made to pounce on the frozen Nobuhiro. Arisa could see its outline crouching. At that moment, she ended her incantation. "RELEASE!" She cried at the top of her voice. The creature looked up at her. Arisa shivered at the hungry glare, but there was something else within those eyes.... A sudden realisation... Of what was going on. There was an explosion of light, and the creature's form came into full view as waves of magical energy struck it from the side. It's part-human, part-feline, part-demon figure flashing with the plasma and bolts that emanated from the figure that stood from the pit of sand. Nobuhiro, stunned by this turn of events, fell onto his rump, wide-eyed with fear. The creature shivered, its bestial growl forming a word.... "Kei....ko...." Yokuro Keiko stood tall, holding her hands before her in a praying stance. "Now, Sherrie..." She said in a voice that echoed across the yards. "I shall release you from this horror...." ----o Part Seventeen Nocturnal Index ----o "In a few moments, Doctor Mizuno, there shall be a couple of officers from the Major Crime department, here to take you to the metropolitan police headquarters. You will go with them." The silky, cultured voice of the shorter of the two young women echoed through the silence of Doctor Mizuno's office. The Doctor closed her eyes, shivering. "Why did Ami do this?" "I dunno. Some twisted sense of family loyalty. You know what they say. Blood runs thicker than water. Touching, really." The rougher brogue of the taller one's voice made the Doctor angry. She looked up at the taller one's sneering face. "What's wrong, Doctor? Have I hit a sore nerve?" "That's enough of that." The shorter one placed a hand around her partner's arm. They looked at each other for a few moments, a silent conversation passing between them through the expressions of their eyes, then the shorter one turned back to the Doctor. "You shall obey our commands, Doctor Mizuno. It would not be wise to upset us." She smiled, then guided her partner to the door, opening it. The Doctor watched them as they stepped from the room and closed the door behind them. Her face became a mask of despair, and she leaned down, placing that mask in her hands. ----o "Ele ele esgepera vegebhera...." Keiko cried out at the top of her voice as the energy that emerged from her form increased exponentially. Arisa leapt from the tower, landing gracefully on the ground as Maria and the leader of Team Three, Araki Mikage, arrived by her side, all dazzled by the display from the Sacred House's prodigal child. Arisa noted that the figure of the creature had lowered itself to the ground, crouching almost in a foetal position. Arisa wondered if some semblance of Sherrie's mind had regained control and she was giving in to the inevitable.... Arisa could feel pain within her soul. Pain from Sherrie, pain from Keiko, and pain from Rumiko, as the dark-haired young woman crawled from underneath the pile of broken wood, obviously injured, but rapidly healing as is her caste's ability.... Rumiko had befriended Sherrie when the girl had first been inducted into the Sacred House. No, that was not technically correct.... Rumiko and Sherrie were.... Well, Arisa could never understand those kind of feelings. The pain she felt from Rumiko right now was exactly what she expected to feel. From Keiko, the emotions were raw and primal, and innocent. Keiko loved Sherrie, because Sherrie was one of very few people who would care for her on a personal level.... For Sherrie to have betrayed them both in this manner, and to allow her bestial side to commit an atrocity the nature of which lay within the docking shed.... There was only ONE way Sherrie could be cleansed for this action.... And then Sherrie's pain dissipated. Arisa searched for the pain, using her witch energies to seek what lay within Sherrie's soul.... She screamed in pure terror at what she saw. Maria and Mikage stared at her as she fell back in faint, Maria catching her just in time. "Arisa-san.... Arisa-san..." Maria fell to her knees, holding Arisa's head in her lap. "Arisa-san, what is it? What did you see?" There was a scream.... A piercing scream that shook everything within a ten mile radius.... The cry of the banshee.... And then the creature leapt, high into the air. They watched in horror as the beast flew towards Keiko, almost as if in slow motion. Its figure, flying through the air in a graceful arc.... It was not nearly fast enough. ----o Hotaru peered through the front gate of the Hikawa shrine. All appeared quiet. No, actually, abandoned was more appropriate for the scene that greeted her eyes. No visitors, no sign of Rei, her Grandfather or even Yuuichirou. She caught her breath, leaning against the gate. She had transformed to gain the energy required to cross the distance needed to get here in as little time as possible. Unfortunately, even with the increased powers, she was still taxing her stamina. She had run a large distance without stopping, except to remark on a trio of flying women, and was bloody well tired. Slowly, she padded through the gateway into the shrine grounds, peering nervously at the surroundings. The fading light had ramped up her paranoia level tenfold. Anyone could be watching the shrine from the surrounding bushes, and dressed, as she was, as Sailorsaturn, made her stand out like a sore thumb. She wasn't all that familiar with either Yuuichirou or Rei's Grandfather, either. They weren't likely to recognise her in this form, but they'd be straining to remember her even if she did wander in as Hotaru. Well, that was her prize for being one of that specious category, known as "Outer" Senshi. She decided it would be a good idea to make for Rei's bedroom. If the girl was back from wherever it was she had found herself, that was one likely place she would hide herself away. Hotaru dashed between buildings, stopping to glance around, in case someone was watching. Eventually, she reached the entrance of the shrine residence. All appeared dark within. Taking a breath, she entered the open passage. ----o From the fingertips of Keiko's outstretched hands, sparkling and crackling beams of energy exploded with a physical force that gave everyone reason to take hold of the nearest support. These beams of energy struck the creature, running through its being with an angry, ripping motion, making the creature scream in agony and terror. Before anyone knew what was happening, it was all over. The energies faded away, and Sherrie's naked body fell to the ground between Keiko and Rumiko, bruised and bloodied. Keiko stared at Sherrie's still form, satisfied with what had been done, then toppled to the ground, unconcious. The first to stand was Rumiko, moving away, with much pain, towards Sherrie's side. "Is it done?" She heard Maria call from beside the tower, where she had been sheltering the recovering Arisa. Rumiko looked at her with tear-splattered annoyance, and turned Sherrie onto her back. Blood ran from the young woman's nose and mouth, yet she was concious, her breathing laboured. Already, Rumiko could hear the encroaching signs of the "death rattles". Maria and Mikage helped Arisa to her feet. They watched as Rumiko put a hand to Sherrie's face, touching her tenderly.... "Are you alright?" Maria whispered into Arisa's ear. "Hai...." Arisa whispered back, then gestured to Mikage. "Mika-chan, secure Watanabe before he decides things are suitable for him to run amok again." The small, short-haired girl nodded and turned around, spotting the four other members of Team Three standing behind the base of the water tower. She beckoned to them and they ran over to Nobuhiro, who was still staring in Sherrie's direction, and surrounded him. There was no need for the show of force. He'd been stunned into submission.... "Look... like I caused you... a spot of bother." Sherrie smiled painfully at Rumiko. Rumiko tried to smile back, but couldn't. "That's because you're a stupid idiot, you know that?" Rumiko shivered. "But hey, it releases me from the House's pair-bonding efforts for a while...." Sherrie chuckled, then coughed, spraying blood. Rumiko gripped Sherrie's hand. "It won't save me, though." Rumiko whispered as Sherrie regained some composure. "Hey.... You make sure they don't foist some retard off on you, okay?" Sherrie smiled and turned away, looking at Keiko's still form. "Will she be alright?" Sherrie turned back to Rumiko. "Hai.... This is what she was partnered with us for.... To cancel your bestial index if the need ever aorse." Rumiko felt a strange dizziness as Sherrie's face went pale. Mist began to rise from the redhead's body. "Look after her for me, Rumiko.... She needs her friends. I just wish I could have been a better one for her...." Rumiko nodded, tears running down her face. Sherrie's eyes glazed over. And they all watched as her body faded into the mist. The last contact Rumiko felt was Sherrie's hand, which evaporated in her own. The mist floated into the rain and dissipated to nothingness. Rumiko wailed. ----o Aoi blinked. She was standing in the middle of her loungeroom. So was Mhaere. Gwen was sitting in a lounge chair nearby, and Ami was lying on the sofa. It annoyed Aoi somewhat that they were all making such a mess on the carpet and the lounge. "Nice trick. Couldn't you have chosen another part of my house, where mud and blood aren't quite as anathema?" "You're never pleased with anything, are you?" Mhaere wandered off into the kitchen. "Do you have a first aid kit in here?" "In the top cupboard." Aoi sighed and dropped her ex mobile phone on the carpet. She reached into her other pocket, finding it surprisingly dry, and pulled out an unsoiled handkerchief. She knelt down beside Ami and held the handkerchief gently across her nose and mouth. "Whoever you've found to heal her better make an appearance soon." She looked down at Ami's pained face, and sighed. Then she frowned and turned. "Umm.... Is there someone in my shower?" "What makes you think that?" She heard Mhaere say as the young woman rifled through the cupboards. "It sounds like the shower is on." "Well, if it's on, it's on." Mhaere sounded disinterested. Aoi rubbed her forehead in frustration. Then the noise of running water stopped and she heard rustling sounds from the bathroom. Slowly, she inched forward, towards the doorway to the hall. The bathroom door was opened and someone was padding their way towards the lounge. Aoi came face to face with Pagan, water still dripping from his hair and upper body. "YOU!" Aoi shouted. "YOU!" He retorted. And then she stared at his naked body. Or, at the very least, a portion of his naked body. For longer than she really intended to. Her face went beetroot red as he glanced down at the part he'd failed to properly cover. "Shit...." He disappeared back into the hallway. Aoi stood there and stared blankly for several moments, only coming to when Mhaere put a hand on her shoulder. "I wonder if his nickname's Clydesdale. Now I know why my sister had such an obsession with him." Mhaere smirked, making Aoi snort. "I'll kill you for this, Sherrie!" They heard him say from the hallway. Mhaere snorted. "Get your Meehans right, Lacey." His head appeared around the doorway, and he squinted at her. With a sigh, he nodded. "Yeah, right." He disappeared back into hall. "Do you think he believes me?" Mhaere looked at Aoi. "I mean, I know Sherrie and I look a lot alike, but still...." "He isn't the person you said would...." "Yep, he's the one who can mend your Sailorsenshi for you." ----o Arisa watched as Nobuhiro was bundled into the rear of a box trailer. He had been sedated, along with Michelle, so the pair would be quiet as they were taken back to the Sacred House Compound. Arisa felt sorry for the both of them.... They were about to suffer the horrors of the Sacred House's "re-education" program.... Something she'd had to endure, once or twice, after making bad a few decisions. Fortunately, it wasn't for very long. She'd decided to send Rumiko and Keiko back with the accompanying convoy. They had to sedate Rumiko, as well. Although it was understandable, the girl had allowed herself to put on a wild display of emotions that were quite unheard of from a Tani.... Arisa stood by the main operations van, overlooking the scene at the docking shed, as members of the Sacred House's clean-up squad prepared to blow the shed up in a manner that was likely to emulate the kind of dismemberment and disembowlment that the dockyard workers had suffered. Meanwhile, other members of the squad were mopping up the "stray" workers. She rubbed her face and leant against the driver's door. "Feeling tired?" Maria stepped from behind the van, approaching Arisa. The smaller girl turned to her partner and nodded. "I'm also a bit concerned about Gwen. We haven't heard anything from her in a while." "Well, you know how she operates. Likes to be mysterious and all that crap." "Yes, I know that. But events are happening so quickly that, if something had happened to her, we've been too distracted to do anything about it." Maria shrugged, even though she shared Arisa's concerns about the third member of Team One. "I'm sure she can look after herself. She's been a lot quieter than this, for longer periods of time, in the past." "I don't know. I just have this feeling...." Maria turned to the shed. "It must be the atmosphere." Arisa followed her gaze. Suddenly, the rain started to fall heavily, and the pair jumped around, putting their arms over their heads. Maria threw open the driver's door of the van and helped Arisa inside, following suit soon after. ----o The door to Rei's room was open, and all within was dark. Hotaru was never fond of these traditional Japanese residences. Their openness she found unguarded, and altogether too breezy. It felt pretty cold, right now, and she began to wonder just where the hell everyone had got to. She leant against the sliding door and peered in. In the dim light, she thought she could see a figure, crouching in the corner. Her heart was in her mouth. It was about the size and shape to be Rei.... But why would the girl be crouching, silently, within a darkened room? That kind of thing just didn't strike Hotaru as being a Rei kind of thing to do. She steeled herself, taking a breath. "Pssssst." She hissed into the room. "Who is that?" Came a reply, soft and tinged with an air of fear. Real fear.... That worried Hotaru a little. "Come on, show yourself. I'm ready for you!" "Is that you, Rei?" There was a pause. The figure seemed to move.... Standing up from the corner. Hotaru could see a hint of red on the figures clothes. "Who is that? I said show yourself!" The sound of the voice was a little louder, but still frightened. "It's me. Hotaru." "Hotaru?" The figure stepped forward, and Hotaru could see that it was, indeed, Rei.... Transformed into Mars. Hotaru stepped away from the door, and was immediately grabbed by Rei and pulled into the room. "Hey.... Take it easy...." "Get out of sight! They're out there." Hotaru blinked. "Who? Who is out there?" "THEY are. They've been watching me.... For a while now." "WHO, Mars. Who is out there?" "The Yakuza. The people we involved ourselves with.... They're out there. I think they've taken Ojisan and Yuuichirou." "What makes you think that?" Rei rubbed her face. Hotaru could see her eyes were red. Either she was stoned or she had been crying herself silly. Considering the number of strange herbs she and her Grandfather used during their ceremonies, Hotaru wasn't counting out either possibility. "Nobody was here when I got home. They didn't tell me that they were going out, today...." "Look, Mars, maybe something came up today.... Something important. It doesn't mean they've been kidnapped." there was a creaking noise from somewhere within the residence, making both girls jump. "You hear that?" Rei looked around, nervously. "They're in here, somewhere." Hotaru wasn't so sure Rei was being paranoid, anymore. It WAS possible that the Yakuza, who they had associated with in their earlier campaign, had decided to turn against them. After all, that had been one of Setsuna's fears. However, not many within that group actually knew their true identities, and then not all of the identities were known. "I think we better check it for ourselves, don't you think?" "No...." "What is wrong with you, Mars? You're a Sailorsenshi. We have sufficient power to deal with them if there are Yakuza heavies out there." "They killed Makoto...." Rei backed away from the open door. "If they can get her, they can get us, too." "Wait a minute.... What do you mean, they killed Makoto?" Rei shivered and rubbed her eyes. "They killed her. Last night, they got her. I was there. I saw it happen. Two guys snatched her from outside her apartment, dragged her away.... I followed them...." Rei began to gag, as if the memory was more than her stomach could take.... Hotaru put an arm around her as she she fell to her knees. "Mars, we need to get this information to the others as soon as possible.... Everyone IS in danger, but it might not be the Yakuza who is to blame." "Then who?" Rei looked up at her. "A group, called the Sacred House, has taken Minako.... They might even have Usagi now, I don't know." "Oh Kami, no no no...." Rei put her hands to her head. "Please, tell me they're alright. Please." "They're alive, as far as I know." "Ohhhh." Rei fell to the floor, her hands over her head. "This is more horrible than...." She got up again. "Where are the others? Setsuna and Ami and Haruka and Michiru, I mean.... And where the hell are those bloody cats?" "Setsuna has gone to try and rescue Usagi. We must join her if she is successful." There was another creaking sound, this time closer. Both girls turned towards the doorway. "There IS someone in here." Rei clutched Hotaru's arm. "That was too soft to be a footstep." "But there is someone, or something, moving through the residence....." Rei was on the edge of panic. "I don't want to end up like Makoto.... Oh KAMI no...." Rei stood and started to back away, her arm held by Hotaru. "No, Mars. If there is someone in here, we must FIGHT them." Something brushed against the door, and they both turned, trembling with fear and anticipation. END OF PART 17 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Chapter - "To One in Paradise" DDFA ayanami@merlin.net.au Chief Propoganda Officer, Keeper of the Tapes and co-founder of the Sai-chan fan club Adelaide Japanese Animation Society http://adelaide.net.au/~nene/ajas.html Version 1.0 - 6th May 1998