Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. Marui Mercia is a character made up by myself also the characters Jesse Devaries and Joseph Cairns. The content of this writing is strictly for entertainment purposes only and I do not intend to inflict the breaking of any copyright infringements by writing this.
The Zodiac Wars
by Ryan Bodle
Chapter Six- Gemini
Rating: PG
The Fortitude...
"Taurus was defeated sir, and there are indications of another power source," an ensign reported.
"Another besides the scouts?"
"Yes sir."
"Tuxedo Mask?"
"No sir, his attack patterns don't leave an energy signature, it's something else," the operations sergeant reported. Curien sat in his chair and brought tow fingers to his chin contemplating.
"Marui Mercia, I'll take my life back from you yet," a wicked grin formed. "Show me those results, and have the chamber prepared. When will the next alignment take place?"
"Gemini will be available in twelve hours at current orbit sir."
"Good, that will give me plenty of time to prepare," Curien left his seat with a hand held pad containing his new reading material.
Tokyo...
"So will you be going to find the other two?" Amy asked walking with Marui through the central park.
"Yes, as I know where Devaries is, I'll look for Cairns first."
"Why? Wouldn't it be sensible to find Jesse and have him come here while you find Cairns?"
"Yes I suppose it would, but Cairns is capable of acting independently better, he was my second in command back then, he has better fighting instinct, its urgent to find him first," Marui looked to Amy as they walked. "At least for me anyway, besides it shouldn't take too long, I can use my telepathic abilities to locate him quicker."
"Well good luck," Amy added. There was some silence as they moved.
"Do you feel like you should be asking me something," Marui mused whilst not looking at her. He tended to avoid eye contact in conversation. Not strange but not normal you could say.
"Well, not really, its just we seem the same," Amy trailed off into silence. Marui smiled whilst keeping head up straight.
"Lady Mercury, because it seems likely, I assure you it isn't. Besides I'd rather wait and find out, not do a foolish thing that could ruin our acquaintanceship."
"Acquaintanceship?"
"I can hardly say friendship, knowing you for a day and leaving again."
"Say friendship," Amy replied.
"I will do, now forget what you might think. I'm sure Greg would be disappointed."
"How do you know about Greg?"
"You think the other four Lady's have not approached me on this subject? It is how I'm somewhat prepared for what was coming. How is he anyway?"
"He's fine, we spoke last night actually. How much do you know about him?"
"I know he was a crystal bearer, that's all." Another conversation ended. They had now reached the other end of the park. A cab was waiting for Marui.
"I have left Luna with a radio phone which I will contact you all with, I will be back soon." Marui climbed in and departed.
"So, Amy. How'd it go?" Serena nosed, inquiring as always.
"The way it would be expected, I never would have said anything or thought about it, if you hadn't thought about it in the first place, I felt really awkward back then, honestly Serena it wasn't your place to be meddling like that," Amy replied bluntly.
"Sor-ree Ames, thought it would be good for you and all, not seeing Greg in a long time must be hard, a guy like Marui could really cheer you up," Serena defended.
"I'm sorry Serena," Amy answered calming down, "I just hated being put up to that, you don't need to worry about me. Really," she answered feeling happier.
"Yes I do," Serena replied. "Because you're my friend, it's my job to worry and nothing you can say will change my mind. Not until I see you smiling every minute you can spare."
"Serena," Amy began to moan.
"Uh-uh, it's final, and not it's time for a shake at the arcade," Amy was snatched by the wrist and pulled down the street by her friend.
Tsukino Residence, three days later...
"Marui's checking in with us huh?" Artemis asked walking casually into Serena's room. The black guardian was sitting on the bed over looking the radio. She nodded.
"Yes, its his first time reporting back here, so don't expect much," she answered.
"Well he isn't the talkative type really huh?"
"No, but he'll say enough," the was a cackle from the radio and an obscene whistling, then silence. Static background and Marui's clear voice came through.
"Marui to Luna, come in over."
"This is Luna, what have you got to report."
"I've nearly located Cairns, seems he drives the entire country earning a dime here and there making it difficult. But that's the least of our worries."
"What do you mean?"
"You haven't heard? There's another zodiac attacking Earth. Locations are at random and almost scan the globe, I've not seen the monster yet but if the pattern continues the way it should, its Gemini which means there'll be two to deal with."
"Roger that Marui, we'll see what we can do here, you call again in three days."
"Copy Luna, see you in three days," the line went dead and Luna switched off the radio.
Marui on the other end of the radio switched his off also. In a dark motel room he had a transistor CB radio. Next to that a computer screen flickered. He shifted a stool to the keyboard. It looked like a grid layout of the Earth in strange colours. He flicked the mouse over a bright red line.
"Atlantic Ocean fault line," he muttered to himself. The screen refreshed itself, he looked again. "Where the hell did that come from?" he seemed to enlarge over a certain area an immense bright red spot at the centre, it had just appeared, he enlarged further and increased the resolution. The dot disappeared leaving the text "Paris."
"Got you, you son of a bitch," he closed the window and started typing furiously at another.
' Crossroads High school internal computer serverÖ..Administrators accessÖ..'
it bleeped. 'Current time 06:37.'
Marui typed again.
'Searching "Amy Anderson"ÖÖ.currently not logged on.'
Marui stood up from the computer and stretched himself. He was willing to wait for a few hours to get in contact about his new finding.
Tokyo, Crossroads High schoolÖ
Amy, early for school once again, but with an even better excuse this time. Having run out of toner for her printer last night, she never had the opportunity to print it out, and so she sat in the computer rooms extracting her history essay from disk. She dragged the mouse pointer to print, the screen froze and blinked. Her eyes crooked slightly with a bit of confusion, nothing further happened so she dismissed it and proceeded with her task, it blinked again. A new window opened in front of her.
'Admin001: Good morning Miss Anderson.' It was a member of staff, but why would they be so curious as to wonder why she was here? She never broke any restriction limits in the school.
'AAnderson: Good Morning.
Admin001: It's rather late here, I'd prefer to make this quick so I can sleep.
AAnderson: What do you mean?
Admin001: I've forged an ID to use these computers so I can talk you.
AAnderson: Who are you?
Admin001: Marui.'
Amy's mouth opened a little, but she was only surprised slightly. It was apparent Marui was capable of such a deed.
'Admin001:I have found a way to trace attacks across the world efficiently.
AAnderson: How?
Admin001: Geothermal scans.
AAnderson: How is that possible?
Admin001: The zodiac druids leave a unique energy trail which is also readable as very hot, satellite geothermal scans can pick up a new attack as soon as it happens. Have the radio I left with Luna on constantly, I'll monitor the satellites 24 hours a day and call Luna when there is an attack. I must leave before somebody traces this conversation.
Admin001 is now offline.'
'Geothermal scanning, of course quite simple, brilliant but simple, I have to tell Luna straight away,' Amy thought to herself, she closed the conversation and printed her homework before rushing from the classroom to Serena's house.
Tsukino residence, 7:30 amÖ
Amy risked being late for school but she wouldn't get another chance to see Luna until after school and could be another attack. She knocked on the door after a rushed walk from the school grounds.
"Hello Amy," Serena's mother beamed. "Come in, Serena's just getting ready for school." She stood to the side and let Amy in.
"Thank you Mrs Tsukino, can I talk to Serena upstairs?"
"Sure you can go right ahead," Amy paced up the stairs to Serena's room. She emerged from the bathroom in a zombie trance, toothbrush hanging loosely from her mouth. Without noticing the visitor, she floated back to her bedroom.
"Honestly Serena, even when you're up and walking you're still asleep, wake up!" Luna shouted followed by a scream from Serena.
"Luna!" Amy stood in the doorway where she was seen by both occupants. "Hey Ames, what brings you hear," Serena asked, still managing to yawn after a scratching.
"I just spoke to Marui," she opened. The two stopped.
"How?"
"He managed to forge an ID on the school computers while I was printing some homework off, he said he found away to trace attacks all over the world, he said to keep the radio on all day and he would tell us when an attack would appear," she explained. Luna just nodded and hopped the to the receiver switching it on, static played out and Luna turned down the volume.
"We can't hear him when it's turned down that low, but Serena's mother will hear it turned up," Luna told them.
"There's usually a little red light that turns n when a signal is received, that's the best you have to do," Amy answered. "If you have Artemis here you can take turns to watch."
"I guess we have a choice, now get to school I'll stay by the radio," Luna pushed them from the room and they went downstairs.
"Serena, don't forget your breakfast," her mother handed her a mug.
"I'm not sure a drink is healthy for breakfast," Amy suggested.
"Relax it's a nutri-shake or something, seeing as I'm always running from the door in the morning their perfect for breakfast," Serena explained. "Mmmm Strawberry."
"We have to be going, Serena, we'll be late," Amy implied.
"Oh alright," Serena moaned grabbing her lunch and satchel.
Marui had a hard time tracking Cairns down, he was sure that Cairns travelled a lot. Using his telepathic abilities, Marui could see through Cairns' eyes and here his thoughts, places turned up now and then and Marui had to race for them. What did Cairns do to travel over one country so much?
Marui sat in a hired car reading a newspaper which he held against the wheel with one hand and sipped coffee with the other. He looked across the road to a tarmac depot. There was a disgusting smell. As if something burned and left decay behind, he looked to the crossword. 'Granite.' He thought and found a pen to write in the answer. He looked up slightly to the deserted landscape the depot lived in. Sunset blazed from behind letting him see the road split green grass apart which longed to be back together, judging by the way the longer strands tried to grow over the limits to touch like hands. Another truck emerged from round the corner, yet another delivery. Marui had no idea why he had come here. Maybe it was besides machines churning to life with mechanic coughs and rock burning leaving disastrous odours that it was quiet here. Quiet to him anyhow, he felt he could ignore it all. What he couldn't ignore was how everybody had the same question which deserved answer.
"You're from outta town huh?" 'No shit,' Marui thought every time. 'Is it the accent?' he always joked and walked away before more question pursued. The truck got closer. Next clue. "Exclamation, (2,3). The truck got real close.
The driver had black hair, arranged in tears in short. It fell over a forehead covered by a headband. A green head band. There were eyes that were thin and untrusting. Brown in colour. Finally the last distinguishing mark, the face hair, it ran from ear to ear in a thin line, otherwise he was clean shaven.
"My God," Marui gasped. "Wait," he turned to the newspaper. 'Exclamation, My God,' he filled it in and carefully placed the contents of his hands down. Another sound disturbed his task, the computer bleeped at another attack occurring. "Perfect timing as always." He typed in a few instructions. "Come on you slow piece of shit, come on." The screen enlarged and over a continent, again he repeated instructions. He looked up to see several trucks starting to leave. "Come on," he looked up trying to find the driver he'd just seen. The computer finished and displayed a location. He was five miles from the town. He looked across the scenery to see nothing at first but it was apparent there was a struggle going on. As cars mysteriously stopped.
"Perfect," Marui said to himself. "I just find the one man I'm looking for, and an attack occurs which takes up my concentration on locating only to find I'm sitting right next to the god damn place." He picked up the radio. "Luna, this is Marui come in Luna." No reply. "I thought I told them to keep it on?" he asked himself driving all the time. "Luna! Pick up damn you!" He threw the radio mic down.
Tsukino residence, TokyoÖ
The LED on the radio flashed on several times as murmurs of Marui's voice trailed into the room. Luna was curled up on Serena's bed where there were still traces of heat to absorb. Silently she craned her head to the desk where and lifted an eyebrow lazily. It was dead. She closed her eyes again.
Meanwhile Marui struggled to see over a huge map unfolded in his car narrowly missing collision when he had drifted into the oncoming lane. "To hell with this!" he shouted, throwing the paper behind him. "How the hell am I to know where I am in this backwards country!" He drove on, stopping several yards from the scene. It was Gemini, but the way Marui expected. A single figure with what seemed a separation down the middle whilst the entire body was intact. Including the two heads it bore. Marui opened his trunk pulling out an overcoat, with that a mask that covered his eyes only and looking more like sun glasses. Reaching for his under pocket he pulled out a hand held bar which extended to lengths of six feet.
"Mind up!" He called glowing blue once again as powers tingled from his veins. He picked himself up with his mind and floated overhead until he was sure he couldn't be seen by the creature. Then he powered down and fell on top. Bringing one knee up and extending one arm whilst the other curled around his front, his staff ready to unleash in a circular motion he let out a war cry when only five feet from the creature, who turned to him. Letting some muscles relax whilst tensing others. His staff flew from one hand and struck the creature across a face whilst the other avoided damage. One cringed while the other grimaced at the attacker. Marui jumped back leaving several feet between them holding his staff in a certain glory.
Concentrating hard the creature spurted another pair of arms meaning there were two hands to a head. Marui inside panicked this made things difficult. He unleashed his staff as a missile. It hurtled towards Gemini. Which to his surprise caught it. With four hands it bent the staff, which bent back to its original shape. Again it succeeded but the staff took its original form again. Some magical property it possessed no doubt. Short tempered, Gemini threw the staff to the floor. Again Marui powered up. Motioning his hands he stared at the approaching threat. His staff raised from the ground and spun like a propeller once more, it raced to Gemini, managing to hit both heads at the back of the neck. They fell forward, still on their feet. Marui standing to one side called his staff again, hitting them in the face this time, the staff doubled back for another strike. It stopped. The reason, Gemini having quickly gathering its senses caught the staff in mid-flight. It span hitting Marui with his own weapon. He flinched as his sides exploded with synapse response. His motion had continued even now the staff was not pushing him through the air. He landed roughly in a collection of trash. He emerged holding his side hurting sincerely. His staff connected again, smashing his back, he fell face to floor unable to do anything. The shadow of Gemini loomed over him, but Marui hurt too much to care. He croaked silently to power up, with that he could regenerate somehow, much to the abilities of the scouts but only when he was powered up. He began to glow again as his moans worked. He tightened his body as he expected another hit from Gemini, it didn't come. In time he could open his eyes and see why.
Gemini was suspended in the air underneath somebody, then it was thrown across the street. The defender cam across to him and checked on without say a word, only to see Marui was regaining his senses. It was Cairns.