Author's Note: Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. All references to Vulcan are the province of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Witches Of Philadelphia
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter Eight: This Magic Moment
Rating: PG-13
The girls and Charlotte McCoy walked east along Lancaster Avenue for a mile, wanting to get as far away from the Witasick home as they could without arousing suspicion. Considering it was not common for an adult black woman and five Caucasian teenage girls to be alone on the streets of an affluent suburban township at two-thirty in the morning, the group considered themselves fortunate to have not been stopped by the police.
When the group approached a local strip mall, McCoy hotwired a Dodge Caravan in the parking and the drove the girls back towards Philadelphia. With Talia having remembered the route McCoy and Raye took to the Witasick home via the reading yesterday, the group was able to make their way back into the city. After ditching the van in a lot several blocks from the headquarters of the Archdiocese, the group wearily returned to the building at a quarter past three a.m. and up to the dormitory Father O'Neill graciously let them use.
Save for Talia giving McCoy directions, no one spoke since they left the Witasick home. A sullen McCoy refused to talk about what had happened to Serena until they were back at the Archdiocese while a dour Amy was uncommunicative. Safe and sound in their rooms at the Archdiocese, McCoy finally revealed the nightmarish events in the Witasick's bedroom. Once the black woman finished her story, the girls, save for Amy were horrified.
"My God. Serena....possessed," said a numbed Raye. Then, to the surprise of no one, she became frustrated, then angry and glared hotly at Talia and McCoy. "Tal! McCoy! You're supposed to be mind readers! How could you have dropped the ball like that?"
"Because we never had it in our grasp to begin with," Talia tersely replied, trying to keep her own anger in check. She had failed Serena and was inwardly furious with herself. "As you well know, Raye, I need to be in physical contact with a person in order for my telepathic powers to be effective."
"And, contrary to what you may think, girlie, I don't read minds 24/7. I'd gone crazy years ago if I did," McCoy snapped. "I only use my powers when I absolutely have to, and never on people I consider friends. Besides, with that....thing having lurked in Serena's subconscious, there was no way even I could have detected it."
"Ease off, Hino! You of all people have no right to be jumping on anyone's case! How come your so-called psychic senses didn't reveal any danger?" Lita asked Raye in a harsh, demanding tone.
Raye, fuming walked up to Lita and glared at her. "Are you doubting my abilities, Monroe?"
Lita shot up with fists clenched and defiantly returned Raye's stare. "Damn straight. Wanna make something of it?"
"Enough, you idiots! We don't need this right now!" Mina shouted angrily, stepping between the two girls before they came to blows. "Stop acting like children! We've got to concentrate on rescuing Serena! Got that?"
Raye and Lita, prideful and stubborn, stared angrily at each other for several moments, then relented and finally mellowed. While the two girls were teammates and would readily fight for each other, Raye and Lita were never considered close. If anything, the girls were more comfortable being acquaintances rather than true friends. "You're right, babe. I should know better. Raye, I'm sorry for what I said."
"Me too." Raye grinned at Lita and held out her hand. "Friends, you brawl happy amazon?"
Lita returned Raye's smile and clasped her hand. "Friends, you whacked out pyro. But, no hugging. We're not that tight."
"I wouldn't dream of it." Raye paused to glance at Mina and giggle mischievously. "Besides, Mina might get jealous."
Mina, embarrassed, blushed red as a fire engine while Lita chuckled.
McCoy shook her head. Then she became serious. "Back to business, ladies. To put it mildly, we got caught with our pants down. Big time. I messed up royally because I failed to anticipate just how sneaky that spook was. And Serena paid the price for my mistake. Words can't describe how sorry I am about that. But the objective hasn't changed. We still have to stop Martin and her gal pals."
"But how? We don't know where they went. And without our Scout powers, we wouldn't last two seconds against them," Lita pointed out.
"Doesn't matter, Lita. We have to try. Especially since Susie's planning to kill half the planet's population," growled McCoy. "Now, what I wanna know is, can she really pull that off, or was she just blowing smoke up our cute asses?"
"No, she wasn't bluffing, Charlie. She can do it," said Amy, speaking for the first time since leaving the Witasick home. "The Imperium Silver Crystal is the most powerful weapon on Earth. Maybe in the universe. The things it can do are limited only by the will of the user. Now that it's in the hands of a madwoman, the potential for destruction is off the scale."
"Yeah, but there's a serious drawback that makes what she's planning extremely difficult, if not impossible," said Raye. She turned to face McCoy. "The crystal draws on the user's lifeforce for it's power. The mental and psychic energy Martin would need to carry out her crazy scheme would destroy Serena's body. Just like at the North Pole."
McCoy was curious. "What happened at the North Pole?"
"We faced a meglomaniac named Queen Beryl who was trying to destroy the Earth by warping the weather," Mina explained. "During the course of our fight with her goon squad....we were killed."
The black woman did a double take. "Killed? But how...?"
"Serena used the crystal to defeat Beryl who gained godlike powers. Then she brought us back to life. But she died after the crystal burned out her body," Lita explained. "However, it managed to bring her back too. The edited version of the Sailor Moon TV show shown here in the States never mentioned that because it would've been too intense for kids to see the heroes having been killed. Worse than killed, we were slaughtered."
"Christ. Just when you think you've heard it all. In any event, Susie's half-baked scheme of creating an all female utopia has a prayer of working," growled McCoy. "We may be in the 21st century, but human biology hasn't changed a lick since the days of Fred and Wilma. All that lunatic's gonna do is fast track mankind, pardon the pun, on the highway to hell."
"What are you talking about?" Raye asked.
"The end of everything. If Martin succeeds in using the crystal to eradicate every male on Earth, including unborns as she boasted, she'll doom us all," said Amy. "Without males to assist in procreation, the human race will die out within a century because females alone are incapable of reproducing."
"Amy is correct," said a grim faced Talia. "Like the dinosaurs, Homo Sapiens are in grave danger of becoming extinct should Martin bring her monstrous plot to its fruition."
"Good God. Isn't she aware of that?" wondered a worried Mina.
"A better question to ask would be: does she care? Frankly speaking, Mina, I'm betting the answer's 'no'," said a scowling McCoy. "I got the distinct impression Susie's all too willing to let mankind go down the toilet so she can get her pound of flesh for what happened to her back in 1692."
"Which brings us back to the question I just asked: how do we stop Martin without our powers?" Lita inquired.
"I do not know. But with this much at stake, we must find a way," Talia said strongly. "Despite being deprived of our powers, we still have attributes that we can draw upon. Amy's intelligence, Raye's psychic abilities, Lita's fighting skills, Mina's athletic prowess, plus my innate telepathic powers. Martin assumes we are helpless because we cannot transform. That is far from accurate. We must see to it that she regrets her arrogant presumption."
"And what about Serena?" Mina asked.
"That's where I come in. I may not know jack about superheroes, but giving evil spirits the boot is my stock and trade," McCoy said boldly. "I've used my powers to perform over a dozen exorcisrns. If Serena's soul is trapped inside the book like Martin said, I can get her out. Provided you still trust me after my screw up an hour ago. I still want to help. If you'll let me."
"Hey, we're in no position to turn down your help right now. Especially since we don't know squat about exorcisms," said Raye. She then placed a hand on McCoy's shoulder. "Losing Serena wasn't your fault, Charlie. Like you said, we were outfoxed. Besides, if it weren't for you, we'd be in jail right now. We'd like you to stay with us."
"Yeah! I second that potion! I think you're cool!" said a grinning Mina.
Lita, Talia and Amy nodded in agreement.
"That's 'notion', you doofus!" said Lita, shaking her head.
McCoy smiled warmly at the girls. "Thanks, guys. That means a lot. In the meantime, we'd better get some shuteye. Whatever Susie's planning, it's gonna go down later in the day. We'll need to be rested and ready for action."
"Yeah, like that 'great gathering' Martin babbled about. What could that be?" Lita wanted to know.
"We'll figure that out after we've gotten some sleep." said Amy, failing to stifle a yawn. Despite everything that had happened over the last day and a half, she couldn't help but think about Samantha. She still had feelings for the Korean girl, even though she vowed to kill her.
If push comes to shove, can I battle a friend, Amy wondered. And what about poor Serena? What sort of godforsaken hell is she trapped in right now?
Inside the Darkhold....
Wow! That old saying is true! Time does fly by when you're having fun, thought a smiling Serena while she washed linen at the bank of a stream near Salem with Susannah. Hard to believe I've been here for three years.
"Thou look to be very happy today, sister," said Susannah.
Serena giggled. She enjoyed being with the older woman whom she had come to think of as a surrogate mother. "I am happy, Susannah. I have a wonderful life here in Salem. Tis a perfect existence, and thou hath made my joy possible by opening thy home, and thy heart to me."
Susannah blushed from the complemented and squeezed Serena's shoulder. In the three years she shared her home with Serena, she had come to think of the young girl, and love her as the daughter she never had. "I am glad to be thy friend, Serena. Thou hath blessed my life as well."
"I am glad. I feel as though I am truly home."
With nowhere to go in the ancient world she found herself stranded in, Serena decided to stay in Salem, a choice that elated Susannah no end as she insisted that Serena stay in her home. Considering what a wonderful cook Susannah was, it didn't take long for the time tossed heroine to readily say yes to the older woman's generous offer.
At every opportunity in private, Serena tried every day for two weeks to summon the Silver Imperium Crystal, convinced that it had the power to return her to 21st century Philadelphia where her friends were. But she had no success, leaving her to wonder if the reason Serena couldn't access the crystal was because it had been left behind in the future.
Serena then decided to wait for her friends to find her, knowing they would move heaven and earth to rescue her. One week passed, then two, then three, then a month. After four months of waiting, a discouraged Serena arrived at a grim conclusion she feared but forced herself to accept: that her friends couldn't find her. That she was stranded here forever.
After resigning herself to her fate, Serena decided to make the best of her situation. Not wanting to be a freeloader, Serena offered to assist Susannah in her duties as a midwife along with delivering supplies to homes throughout the town. Much to her surprise, the populace readily and warmly welcomed the stranger named Serena Shields into their midst.
As the months passed, Serena slowly disassociated herself with her past life. At first, it was difficult at first to get used to life without television, video games, the internet, fast food, and all the other modern conveniences of the future. However, Serena came to appreciate how life was much simpler and, for her, less dangerous since she was no longer a Sailor Scout.
The worst part of her disassociation was leaving behind her parents, Sammy, the girls, her friends at school....and Darien. But Serena knew she would never see home again, and the more she thought about her loved ones, the harder it would be for her to live in the world she was trapped in. It took the better part of a year, but she finally adjusted.
During that time, Serena witnessed the monthly rituals Susannah and her friends performed, secretly honing their skills in witchcraft and writing their spells into the large, black covered book that Susannah kept in her possession. While Serena was welcome to join in the rituals, she always begged off, feeling uncomfortable whenever the group practiced their magic.
Magic. It was what gave me my power as Sailor Moon. And it was what stranded me here in the past, thought Serena on numerous occasions. Magic changed my life. Stole my innocence. Caused me more pain that I want to think about. Personally, I'd just as soon not deal with magic ever again.
On the one year anniversary of her arrival in Salem, Serena severed her final tie to her past when she asked Susannah to cut her hair. With a mound of blond locks on the floor, Serena, now sporting an attractive shoulder length pageboy was pleased with Susannah's work. Now, Serena not only looked like a different person, she felt like a different person.
I'm eighteen. A woman now. With the pain of leaving my past behind over, I can't remember ever being so at peace, thought Serena. Her reverie was suddenly interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind her. The women turned to face a tall, handsome young man with light brown hair who stood nervously ten feet away, his right arm behind his back.
"I apologize for disturbing thy chores, ladies, but I was wondering if I could have a moment with Miss Serena," said the young man in a shaky voice.
Susannah giggled while Serena blushed. Paul Eastwick, nineteen, had moved into Salem with his family eight months ago, and from the moment he met Serena who delivered groceries to his parents' home, he was instantly smitten with her. And while Serena wasn't sure she was ready for romance, she couldn't deny her growing attraction for him.
"Would it be all right, Susannah?" Serena asked.
"Of course. I can finish alone," said a grinning Susannah. "Far be it for me to stand in the way of young man when he comes calling on a young lady."
With a shrug, Serena stood and walked up to Paul and the couple walked into the nearby woods. Serena's heart always beat just a little faster whenever she was with him. God! He is gorgeous! Can't deny that. Am I falling in love? Do I dare risk giving my heart away again after Darien? "Good day, Paul. How fare thee today?"
"Better, now that I have seen thee, Miss Serena. Your smile always brightens my day," Paul replied nervously. He then produced a bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back. "For thee."
Graciously accepting the bouquet, Serena smelled the flowers and smiled at the fresh, sweet fragrance. "I thank thee, Paul. Tis a lovely gift. I am undeserving of it."
"Nonsense. Thou art more lovely and fragrant than all the flowers in the world," Paul replied.
Serena blushed again. "Thou art too kind, Paul."
Paul smiled. "I merely speak the truth as I see it. Miss Serena, I must make a confession to thee. From the first moment I laid eyes upon thee, I was entranced by thy beauty, by thy gentle nature. Thou art in my thoughts from the time I rise in the morn to when I retire at night. Please, do not think me overly forward, but I hath fallen deeply in love with thee."
Serena gasped softly, her eyes widening. She hadn't anticipated that. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't ignore the feelings she had for him. "Paul, I....I do not know what to say."
"I understand. Then, let thy heart speak for thee."
For several moments, Serena was silent, wracked by indecision, not knowing what to do. Remain loyal to a man she would never see again, or start anew with another man who loved her. In the end, Serena gave in to her needs and let her heart decide as she melted into Paul's arms and their lips met in a long and passionate kiss.
In the master bedroom of the Witasick beach house, Sabrina stirred awake. Laying in one bed, the blonde rolled over to where Blair slept in the other bed. Seeing her, Sabrina felt a twinge of regret.
Oh, Blair. If only I'd known how much you'd been hurting all these years, she thought. Maybe if you hadn't been told you were an orphan, you'd been more at peace, wouldn't have turned to drugs, alcohol and now witchcraft to dull your pain. If only I'd known! I could've helped you!
Staring up at the ceiling, the blonde thought about what was to happen later in the day. The great gathering, and the cleansing. Her father, her younger brother, the boys she loved and slept with, all would soon be gone.
Can I bear to live, knowing dad and Tony will be gone? And I'll be partly responsible? And what happens after that? I'm not gay! The thought of rolling in the hay with another girl makes my flesh crawl! How on earth do I get by in a world without men?
With a sigh, Sabrina rolled back over and pulled the sheets over her head. She had no answers for her questions.
Down the hall, Jeannie was already up and working up a sweat doing one arm push-ups. After doing fifty with her left arm, she then did another fifty with her right. The brawny girl hoped that a good workout would take her mind off things she'd rather not think about.
Three hours from now, everything goes straight to hell, she mused. I'm no genius like Sam, but even I know that this world can't last with men in it. I can't believe I'm mixed in this loony scheme that's gonna screw us all over in the end!
Once Jeannie completed her push-ups, she the then started on sit-ups. But her mind was still on the future. Other than her biker gang buddies, the only man she cared for most in life was her father. A bus driver with the city's mass transit company, SEPTA, George Travers single-handedly raised Jeannie after her mother was killed in a hit and run accident when she was only four.
George Travers wasn't a perfect father, but he did his best for his daughter. And while Jeannie rarely appreciated his devotion openly, she loved him for it regardless.
And this is how I'm going to repay dad. By wiping him off the face of the planet. Hmph! Some daughter you turned out to be. You bitch.
In the second spare bedroom, Samantha rolled over and was momentarily disoriented at finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings.
Then she remembered that she wasn't home. Sitting up, she checked her watch and saw it was a little after ten a.m. The Korean girl frowned as she remembered the events of eight hours ago at Blair's house: the murder of the rich girl's stepparents, the set-up of the Scouts and the possession of Sailor Moon by Susannah Martin, the spirit in the Darkhold. In some ways, Samantha still found it all hard to believe.
"It's like being in some cheap horror movie. Only it's real," she muttered.
Getting out of bed, Samantha yawned and stretched, feeling less than rested as she wasn't a morning person by nature. Thinking about the Scouts, sitting in jail right now made her wonder about Amy, the cute, brilliant girl whom she had befriended and immediately grew to like. When Samantha looked into Amy's sad blue eyes, the Korean saw her own life mirrored within them.
A shy and awkward girl who had been made fun of by her peers because of her mind. A hurt and lonely soul who retreated into her books and the world of computers to dull the pain of being an outcast, even among the usually tight knit Korean community. Samantha found it ironic that her closest friends were a fiery Italian, a bigoted Irish-American and a troubled heiress.
But when Samantha met Amy, she thought she met a kindred soul, someone who not only shared her interests, but her pain which the Korean girl saw just beneath the surface. In time, Samantha was sure she could grow to love Amy. But then Amy betrayed her by hiding her secret, that she was Sailor Mercury, one of the enemy she would have to fight. Would have to kill.
"That's what hurts the most. Deceiving me like she did," she muttered. "I hate Amy for that and can never forgive her. Or can I?"
With a shrug, Samantha dressed and trudged downstairs to see what was in the refrigerator, when she descended the stairs, she saw Susannah, garbed in her reddish-black gown doing what she did after the group arrived at the beach house: staring out the window.
"Still fascinated with the ocean, Mistress?" she asked, walking up to the woman. From the moment Susannah returned to life, the Korean girl felt uneasy in the woman's presence.
Susannah turned to the girl and nodded. "Yes. I so enjoy staring at the crashing waves. And the beautiful sight of the sun rising over the horizon a short time ago stirred my very heart." The creature paused as a tear slid down one cheek. Samantha. watching her was stunned. Good Lord! I don't believe it! She's crying!
Susannah wiped her eyes and composed herself. She did not want to show weakness before her charges. "After today's mission has been completed, I shall return here and build a crystal palace on these sands so I can always be close to the ocean."
"A good idea, Mistress. I've always liked the ocean too, but I've never had the chance to see it often," said Samantha. "May I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"By euthanizing an entire gender, you'll automatically render the other half sterile. What's left of the human race will die from old age inside of a century. Are you aware of that?"
There was a pregnant pause before Susannah said, "Of course."
Samantha's eyes widened. "And you still intend to go through with your....cleansing?"
"I do."
"Why?"
The reincarnated sorceress stared hard at Samantha who shrank before that baleful glare. "Because I can. Because I must. The male disease must not be allowed to exist any longer than it absolutely has to. As you young people are so fond of saying, 'do you have a problem with that'?"
"No, Mistress. I don't."
"Good. I would hate to punish you if you did. Now, wake the others. We have much work to do prior to the great gathering."
"Yes, Mistress," said Samantha, suddenly in a hurry to leave Susannah's side. The creature noted Samantha's fear and smiled, finding it satisfying.
"Rise and shine, pussycats!" shouted McCoy as she entered the Archdiocese dormitory, the Sunday Inquirer under her right arm and a box of Dunkin' Donuts in the crook of her left. "Time to roll out and chase bad guys like superheroes should!"
Raye and Talia, both early risers were dressed and sat in front of each other in the Lotus position meditating while Lita and Mina were just waking up. Amy, however was missing.
"For chrissakes, woman! Turn down the freaking volume!" snarled Mina. Notoriously ill tempered when she wakes up, this was the second time she'd been roused from a sound sleep this morning, so her mood was doubly foul. "How can you be so damned cheerful this early in the morning?"
"Early? Babycakes, it's almost noon. For the record, I always feel happy when I wake up. Lets me know God's given me another day to do good in this world," replied McCoy, putting down the paper and donuts to playfully ruffle Mina's hair. "And I'm doubly happy today because we're not cooling our heels in the slammer or toetagged in the morgue. Like Tal said, we're gonna make Susie regret not doing us in when she had the chance. Uh, where's Amy'?"
"Amy left shortly before you arrived," said Talia. "She said that she needed to be alone to, in her words, 'sort things out'."
"Yeah, that business with Samantha really has her upset," said Lita, stretching like a cat.
"And Serena being possessed by that demon on top of that was an awful blow to her," Mina added.
"To all of us," a dour Raye added. Her heart ached relentlessly over her best friend. She silently prayed Serena was well and that she'd hang on until Raye rescued her.
"No kidding. Outside of losing a parent, nothing hurts worse for a girl than losing a friend," said McCoy. The black woman moved for the door.
"Where are you going?" Raye asked.
"To find Amy. Whether she knows it or not, she needs to talk to. Someone who understands the sort of hell she's going through."
Talia cocked an eyebrow. "You speak as if you have had experience at these matters."
McCoy was silent briefly, recalling unpleasant memories of her own turbulent past. Her face clouded from sadness. "I do, Talia. More experience than anyone should ever be burdened with." The parapsychologist then left.
Amy sat on a park bench a block away from the Archdiocese idly watching the sparse traffic along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, her mind weighed down from grief.
Her heart throbbed for the missing Serena, and for Samantha who she still cared about, even though the Korean girl swore to kill her. Tears trickled down Amy's cheeks as she tried in vain to control her emotions. It made her envy Talia for her otherworldly control over her own feelings. Of late, it seemed to Amy that the people she was closest to had suffered horrible fates. Sarah Womack: dead by her own hand. Serena: possessed by a monster. Samantha: corrupted by evil.
God. Sometimes, life hurts so much. And to think I've got another thousand years of this to suffer through, Amy thought sadly, her tears continuing to flow.
"Feel like some company'?" a voice called from behind Amy. She whirled around to see McCoy standing a foot away.
Amy frowned and pulled a sleeve across her eyes. "Not particularly. Please leave, Charlie. I'd like to be alone."
McCoy sat down next to the distraught girl. "Sorry. I've never been any good at following orders. Gave my dad fits when he trained me to be a parapsychologist."
Amy found McCoy's attitude highly annoying, and it showed on her face. "How'd you find me? I thought you said you didn't read the minds of people you called friends."
"Didn't have to. Like Raye, I'm empathic. I could feel your sadness a mile away. Literally. You're drowning in grief, upset over Samantha and Serena. Trust me, hon, I've been where you are."
Amy's temper flared. "Oh, really? What would you know about losing friends?"
McCoy chuckled. There was no mirth in it. "Plenty. Let me tell you a sad little story. My telepathic powers came to life when I was fifteen. Imagine how that can turn your life around, though not for the better. One day, I'm a normal, fun loving L.A. teenager with a boatload of friends and the BMOC for a sweetheart. The next, I'm a raving lunatic who's screaming about voices I'm hearing non-stop in my head.
"Some of those voices I heard were the thoughts of my so-called friends who abandoned me on the spot. Dropped me like a hot rock. I could read the disgust, the suspicion, and the hostility in their minds. It was awful. I begged them for help, but they turned their backs on me like I was diseased. In the span of one day, I went from most popular girl in school to pariah. That worked wonders for my self-esteem."
Amy's eyes widened and she gasped softly. "I....I had no idea. What happened from there?"
"I became an instant outcast. No one would talk to me, people ran from me like I was a leper. I was 'the crazy girl', 'the nutcase', 'the psycho'. One night, I got so damned tired of it all, I slit my wrists, just to end the pain." McCoy paused to roll up her sleeves and Amy's eyes widened at seeing the faint scars that crossed the black woman's wrists. "If it weren't for the support of my family, especially my father who diagnosed me as being a telepath, I wouldn't be here today. It doesn't matter if friends die, or walk on you, the loss still hurts like hell. But you can't let the pain destroy you like it almost did me. Not when we need you. Not when Serena needs you."
In spite of the situation, Amy chuckled. "Ironic. Three months ago, I was in a similar situation. I lost a friend and was wallowing in self-pity. It was Serena who helped me back on my feet. Now she needs my help, and I mean to do just that, no matter who stands in the way! Even Samantha!"
McCoy grinned and gave Amy's shoulder a squeeze. "Now that's the spirit, girlfriend! As long as you've got a positive attitude, there's nothing you can't do!"
Now it was Amy who grinned. "Thanks for talking to me, Charlie. I appreciate your friendship. You would've made a fine psychologist."
The black woman feigned outrage. "Fine? Just fine? Don't insult me!" She and Amy enjoyed a good laugh. Just then, Amy's communicator beeped. With a shrug, she activated it. "Go ahead."
"Raye here. I'm sorry to bother you, Ames, but we need you and Charlie back here pronto. Mina's found something in the paper that we think explains the 'great gathering' Martin babbled about. And if our hunch about it is even half right, it's nothing short of frightening!"
"Understood! We'll be right there!"
McCoy rose from the bench and, with a grin, offered Amy her hand. "Back to work, sugar."
Standing up, Amy returned the black woman's smile as she clasped her hand. Then they headed back to the Archdiocese.
When the couple returned to the dormitory, they found the others gathered around the sports section. "What's up?" McCoy wanted to know. She saw right away that Raye, Lita and Mina looked worried, almost frightened while Talia was deeply concerned.
"Mina's a soccer nut and was checking the sports section for international scores when she stumbled on this," said Lita, pointing at the open paper. "And it's happening an hour from now!"
McCoy quickly scanned what the girls showed her, that being extensive coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the NFL Champion New England Patriots in their season opening game at one o'clock this afternoon. Under an hour from now. The black woman shrugged. "Okay. A football game. Big deal. I'm an NBA fan myself. Are you saying that's Susie's 'great gathering'? Why's that got you guys so spooked?"
"We believe this is the catalyst Martin mentioned. The person who wields the Imperium Silver Crystal can utilize it to draw upon the lifeforce of others in order to grow stronger," Talia explained. "If our adversary uses the crystal to absorb the energy from the thousands of people expected to view that football game this afternoon, she will gain the raw power she needs to carry out her vile plan."
Now it was McCoy who felt nervous. "Can't say I like the sound of that. In fact, I know I don't. Is it possible?"
"I'm afraid so. Sailor Moon occasionally draws on our energy for added strength to destroy an enemy," said Raye. "Imagine Martin drawing on the lifeforce of over 65,000 people! That would amp her power to unlimited levels! She'd literally become a god!"
"A god bent on wiping out every male on this planet!" added Mina. "Voila! Instant apocalypse!"
The room went silent as everyone dwelled on the terrible enormity of the situation. And a collective chill went down their spines.
Inside the Darkhold....
It was an hour later when Serena returned to Susannah's home. But she wasn't alone. Paul was with her.
"Well, Miss Serena? Will thou at least consider what I had asked thee," asked Paul as he held Serena's hand.
Serena felt torn, unsure of what to do or say. It was enough that she had fallen in love with Paul, but this new development was too much for her to handle this soon. Not even Darien had broached such a delicate subject.
"It is all so soon, Paul. I had not anticipated such a thing. I....I need more time before I can make a choice."
Paul nodded. "I understand. There was another, wasn't there? Is that why thou art undecided, despite my feelings for thee?"
Serena nodded. "There was, Paul. I cannot lie to thee. While he is in the past, I still hath feelings for him. As I said, I need time."
"Then I will give thee time, Serena." Paul then took Serena into his arms and kissed her. "I will wait forever for thee. Time holds no meaning when it comes to how much I love thee."
"I thank thee for thy understanding. Good day, Paul."
"Good day, Serena. My love."
When Serena entered the house, she found Susannah knitting by the fire. It took no time at all for the older woman to sense Serena's consternation. "What is it, sister? Thou seem troubled."
"Perhaps I am," said Serena as she sat next to Susannah. "Paul, he....he asked if I would become his bride."
NEXT: Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic