I am on a roll!!! So far all of my chapters are three pages long! (Yes, I realize this is very pathetic, but you've noticed my chapters have a tendency to be short, ne?)
Enjoy!
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All jaws in the room dropped to the floor. The amazon girl went to Omi's school and he spokbout her with respect, which meant she had to be smart, *and* was one of the Senshi? There
*had* to be something strange going on here. The youngest assassin was pounced upon by both
Youji and Manx.
"Can you think of anything that might hint at her being Sailor Jupiter?" Manx askemmediately.

Aya and Makoto were still a block away, and she was nearly going insane from lack of information.
One would think that with stupid costumes like the ones they wore, someone would recognize a
Senshi, but no one ever did. Yes, she knew that most of the fights happened at night, but shlso knew that people had better vision than that. Not only that, but what Persia knew, he woulot tell her. This of course was not unusual, but all the same it was very annoying.
"Well ... she's exceptionally strong. She's on the kendo team, in the dance club, she'ery graceful ... " Omi paused, realized what he had said, and blushed to Youji's amusement, "And
I think the gardening club too. She also has this funky ability to sense when a storm is coming.
We have our lunch period together and she's usually on the roof, but the door's always lockehen I try to get up there. Soshite ... I'm not sure, but I think she has ESP."
"Powers like someone in Schwartz would have. Or they would love to get their hands on ihey didn't have them already," Youji spat, now un-amused and suddenly angry.

Ken spread his hands in a calming gesture and waved them up and down. He knew how much Youjated Schwartz, though it was never clear why, but there was know reason for him to hate a singlirl. He told the blond man as such.
"Maa, maa. How could she have time to be an assassin, school girl *and* a Sailor Senshi?
Nearly all the youma attacks have happened at night, around the time when we have our missions.
Besides, when have you seen her with Schwartz, huh? Never. Not only that, but ESP is a one wahing. ESPers can only hear others' thoughts, they wouldn't be of much help to them."

The blonde man just shrugged, not caring to bother with logic at the present time. He knew has being unreasonable, but Schwartz had done too much damage to his life, caused him too mucain.
"You seem to be a bit too concerned with defending her, Ken," he snapped, "And how do
*you* know so much about ESP, hmm?" there was a pause as Ken tried to reply to that, but coulot think of anything, "Exactly. I won't trust her until we have proof that she *is* who we thinhe is."
"If you're going to be so damned difficult, we'll never get that proof, do you understanhis? So be your usual, womanizing self until we do," Manx hissed, anxiously.

The blonde looked at his boss, shocked and curious.


Persia's secretary usually did not get so involved either, because Persia would not allow her to.
So why was this mission any different? The bells above the door chimed, alerting them to Aya'nd Makoto's entrance. The said girl looked around with a innocent kind of interested awe, noeally noticing the small crowd of others as she moved from row to row of various flowers.
Apparently, she liked plants. Finally, she noticed them and offered a brilliant smile.
"Your shop is great! Omi-san! Konnichiwa," she said, bowing slightly, "R-- Aya-san saiou worked here."

Omi bowed back a bit, smiling at her.
"Honto ni? He usually doesn't speak of us."
"Ee? Saa, he never was a talker. Oh! You must be Ken-san and Youji-san. Yoroshiku onegahimasu," she bowed again, then looked at Manx, "I'm afraid he didn't say your name."
"Watashi wa Manx desu, yoroshiku."
"Yoroshiku," she replied, smiling in a way they had only seen Omi smile.

It almost made Manx upset that she had to force her into this assassin business, knowing thahis girl was innocent. Almost. The future of the world was just a bit more important to her.
Whatever the case, Youji seemed to be warming up to her a little. He did not look completelisgusted with her presence, at any rate. She studied Makoto as the girl talked with Omi abouomething or other in school.


The red headed woman tore her gaze away from the young look-a-like and nodded to Ken, signalinhe start of the mission.
"Oh, look at that! Lunch break is nearly over. Hopefully today will be a good businesay. Sumimasen, Makoto-san. You and Aya-kun can sit in the downstairs room and catch up on thast if you like," Ken said, smoothly running over his part.

Youji slid right into his usual smooth talking mode, which he used with all the ladies.
"Ee. And if he's not good company, I can always join you."

Makoto laughed.
"That's very kind," she started, "But ... it's always been my dream to own a flower shop.
So maybe I could help in the store?"

The others looked at each other, then at Manx. Each shrugged and nodded. This was an unexpecteevelopment, but they would work it to their advantage. Manx nodded once more, putting theilan into action.
"Saa, I really must be going. Persia is expecting me. I'll contact you later tonight."
"OK, Manx. Ja matte ne," Youji waved her out the door, winking like the playboy he was.

Makoto was already moving among the isles of plants to the back where Omi was trying to savying plants. She even had the apron on. Ken, Omi and Aya, watched her, looked at each other,
and shrugged. Youji scowled.
"Someone should follow her and make sure she doesn't do anything to harm the plants," hnnounced.
"Or to find out where our mission room is, ne, Yotan?" Ken quipped, heading over to thash register.
"I'll check on her later," Aya stated, then turned and put on his apron.

The blonde sighed.
"I don't like this," he complained, "For all we know she's a spy for Schwartz and we'retting her have free run of the place."

Ken and Omi rolled their eyes.
"Oh come off it, Youji-kun. For one thing, we aren't giving her free run of the place anor another; she can't do anything to us. Just go back to work. I'm gonna make sure she hasn'one anything to my projects, though. Aya-kun, do you want to come?" the youngest assassin asked.
"I do!" Youji jumped in, "I'm going to look after her personally."

Again, Omi rolled his eyes, but did not say anything this time. Arguing with Youji was pointlesnce the older man had some crazy idea in mind. He and the blond man walked to the bacilently, a habit from training, and peered in. She was carefully picking at the plants,
separating them into groups. Omi and Youji looked at each other and shrugged, what she did witlants was her business, just so long as she didn't kill them.
Youji thought to himself.

His attention was drawn back to the girl as she sat in a chair, sighed, and slumped over thable. Resting her chin on her crossed arms, Makoto stared off into nothing for a while beforhinking, out loud, to herself.
"I don't get this at all. ... Out of the blue Ran-san calls me for no particular reason,
or so he says, and drags me back here because he wants to talk. He never talks because he 'wants'
to. Rei-chan's prediction has us all on edge ... Haruka-san and Michiru-san have felt it too ..."
she paused and concentrated on the small window, "A storm is blowing in. ... And we're going te caught in the middle of it."

Once again, now burrying her face in her arms, the girl sighed.
"Manx ... you look so much like ... like me. Like my mother ... "
"Okaasan?!" the two assassins hissed at each other, "Masaka!"

They had not hissed low enough, because Makoto raised her head and began looking for the sourcf the voices. Omi and Youji slunk away before she could notice them.
"I told you she could sense storms," the boy commented off handily, "'Ran' ... do yohink she meant Aya-kun?"

The blond man just grunted and went back to his "work", sitting by the cash register and lookinretty. The fact that his face showed a mysterious musing expression just amounted to morelighted squeals from the girls. Aya glanced out of the corner of his eyes at Omi and Youjvery once in a while.
he wondered, then firmly put a stop those thoughts, which were a distraction to the mission.

Ken remained oblivious, as he often did.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Finally the day was over and Makoto was still at the shop. She leaned her forehead and righand against the huge picture window and stared at the street, watching the light rain fall.
she curseentally.

This was not really turning out how she had hoped it would. Aya had not spoken to her much all. He did not seem to talk to anyone, though. Youji had kept glaring at her back, and she hao idea why, because when she turned to face him, he would wink and smile like he was flirtinith her. Omi and Ken had just sort of stared at her and she was itching to ask if she haomething in her teeth. Sighing, the senshi of Jupiter lightly banged her now fisted right hangainst the glass.
"I just don't get this!" she whispered, "Usagi-chan ... what should I do now?"
"Makoto."

She spun around. Aya stood behind her, that same dead expression on his face. It made her wano scream, to shake him and ask him what he had done with her friend Ran.
"Ran--! ... Aya-san."
"Come downstairs."
"Huh?"

But Aya did not, would not, say anything else, he just turned and left. Omi and Youji had gonown there during their break and had not come up. She did not know where Ken was, but figuree was down there, too. Makoto shrugged and followed her old friend down into the basement room.
It was dark down there. Very dark. She did not like the dark, though she did not fear it. Should deal with it and function in it, but bad things always seemed to happen in the dark. Hearents had died on the red eye flight home, she had been tortured many times in dark prisons ihe Dark Kingdom, and once, before meeting the senshi, she had had to fight off a possiblapist. Things like that happened, which added up to her dislike.
"R-- Aya-san?"

There was no answer. Makoto fumbled around for a light switch, willing herself not to geanicked. Finally her hand found something that resembled a light switch and flicked it. Nights came on. Instead, the glow from a TV shown in the room. A man's silhouette filled thcreen. She walked towards it, morbidly fascinated with it.
"I see you found the mission room," he began, "I must warn you. You may not find your waack out ... alive."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Makoto found herself wrapped up in wires that cut inter skin. She watched her blood begin to drip down her arms, wide eyed.
<I will not panic, I will not panic, I will not panic ... k'so, I'm gonna die, AGAIN!>

Briefly, the idea of struggling against the wire crossed her mind, but she decided against it,
given the way they were drawing blood. She sighed, resignedly, this was just not her night.
Realizing that she was trapped did nothing to dampen her spirit, however. If she was going down,
it would not be without a fight.
"Why are you doing this? I haven't done anything to you. Hell! I don't know who you are,"
the senshi demanded of the TV, feeling incredibly stupid even as she did so.
"We thought you would ask that," said a clearly female voice.

There was a click and Makoto blinked as light flooded the room. Once her eyes adjusted, ratheuickly, if that was something to be proud of, to the new light, she found herself staring dowhe muzzle of a gun. The woman's clothes were not what she remembered Manx to be wearing, so ias obviously not her. Unless, of course, she had changed in the three or so hour period oime, but this woman did not sound like Manx, either.
"Call me Birman," the woman offered, as if sensing Makoto's confusion, "And allow me tet straight to the point. You're here because we need your help."
"Oh, great way of asking. 'Hi, we need your help, so we're gonna hold you at gun point'.
Thanks for making me feel so loved." Makoto snapped.

The wires tightened and she winced watching more blood run down her arms. The muzzle of the guoved to her temple and pressed against it. The senshi sighed. Her mouth did always get her irouble when she let it run too long.
"We thought it would be a good way to encourage your decision," Birman saionversationally, "You can either agree to join us, or die."

Makoto rolled her eyes. Obviously these people would not know that she had already died a feimes, but it always helped to use that in defence. At the very least the confusion would buer some time to think of some sort of plan to escape.
"Gomen, but it really doesn't help much."

Birman paused as she processed the words, the pressure of the gun lessening for a few secondefore it was back. In the shadows, the Weiß assassins each widened their eyes in surprise, even
Aya. Omi and Ken glanced at each other, then at the older two members. They seemed just ahocked as the younger two, but the red head seemed the most shocked of them all, given the wae was as stiff as a board. Persia's voice came through the tape again, though how he haanaged to time this perfectly was a mystery to all.
"The world is in trouble."
"Oh, tell me something I *don't* know," the girl said testily.
"The politician Takatori Reiji has made some sort of deal with the youma that the Sailor
Senshi fight against. He wants to use them to help him in his quest for power."

Makoto stared at the tape for a while, head tilted as if in thought. Then she closed her eyend nodded.
"That I suspected. He's a dumb ass. The minute they win, they'll kill him. As soon ahey decide he's not useful, they'll kill him. The second he shows any sign of weakness or regrer they think he may go against them, they'll kill him. He should know *that*."

Birman pressed the muzzle closer to Makoto's temple, and Youji's wires tightened once more,
causing the girl to wince again. Absently the senshi realised that she still was not recovererom her last encounter with the Dark Kingdom, and that it would not be a very good thing if shost more blood.
"How do you know? You're one of them, aren't you?" Birman demanded.
"One of who? The Senshi? Or the Dark Kingdom?"
"The Senshi. Aya told us he thought you might be."
"Aya-san?!"

Aya moved out of the shadows, dressed in full assassin gear with his katana gleaming. A brieook of hurt and betrayal crossed Makoto's face before she sighed and closed her eyes with alf smirk.
"I thought something like this might happen. But I never figured on *this*."

Omi and Ken materialized out of the blackness, Youji right behind them. The blond seemed highlmug about being the one in control of the wires that held her down, but Makoto ingored that,
preferring to focus on Ken, who had the decency to look concerned for her well being. Then shhifted her gaze to Omi, the bright young boy whom she had always admired in school.
"Omi-san? Anata mo? ... Somehow I'm not surprised. There was always something differenbout you," she said, more to herself than the others.

Birman looked at Youji, and pushed the muzzle of the gun more firmly to Makoto's temple.
"Oi! Any harder and you can just *push* my brains out of my skull. You know, for peoplho claim to be in need of my help, you certainly aren't acting like it."

The woman chose to ignore her comments, settling for tapping the muzzle lightly against thenshi's skull.
"Let her up, Balinese. She's not going anywhere. Ne, bishou~jo?"
"Ch'. Like I want my brains blown out."

The wires released their painful pressure.
"Well now. You're free. So stand up."

Makoto slowly rose, aware of the gun threatening her life, and of the fact that she was horriblizzy.
"Ima. Show us who you really are, maybe you'll live," Birman commanded.

Glancing around, she came to an alarmingly calm conclusion.


The Senshi of Jupiter sighed again, lifted her arm so it was lined with her shoulders, anlicked her wrist. The henshin pen flashed into existence; the others stared. Makoto jusmirked sadly.


She took a deep breath.
"JUUPITAA KURISUTAA POWAA ... MAEKU AUPPU!"

In a flash, the senshi of Jupiter and protector of the earth stood where Kino Makoto had been.

~Owari, chapter 2~

Oooh ... things are heating up! And what is this about Manx looking like Makoto's mother hmmm?
It shall all be explained in time.