*Theme
song: Dare, by Stan Bush*
Cephiros
grabbed the terrorist by the arm and lifted him up, throwing him into the
air. The terrorist fell back to the
ground and fell unconscious. Cephiros
breathed deeply, trying to get focused again.
Astra:
Are you all right?
Cephiros
activated her communicator.
Cephiros:
Of course I'm not all right! I don't
see how you can be so calm! Reuisu is
dead!
Astra:
PRESUMED dead.
It was
ten hours after Reuisu had gone into the Hell mouth in Jerusalem. Several TV cameras had captured him entering
it, and then the rope he was attached to snap.
The Titans were still working around the world, trying to bring some
order to the chaos that was occurring.
Cephiros:
No one who's entered the Hell mouth has come back. No cameras or probes that go in return intact!
Astra:
Don't you think I know that?! Look,
Reuisu would've wanted us to keep on working.
The disappearances have still caused a lot of chaos, and we need to try
to control it all.
Cephiros:
All right. But I still wouldn't put my
bets on Reuisu having survived the Hell mouth.
Astra:
You're being quite the pessimist today, Lucy.
Cephiros:
Millions around the world have just disappeared, the world is in utter chaos,
and the leader of my team is allegedly dead.
I don't see what I have to be pessimistic about.
Astra
rolled her eyes.
Astra:
Look, I'm sending you over to China.
Rendezvous with Michelle and assist in taking down out of control cars
and rescuing injured.
Cephiros:
Understood.
Astra
activated the sequences on the console within the Void, and Sailor Cephiros
walked through the portal she had created.
Astra sighed and looked at information on the console. She noticed that a time-delayed message from
Reuisu was waiting for her. She
activated it, and an image of Reuisu appeared on the screen.
Reuisu:
Dear Astra, by the time you will have gotten this message, I will have gone
into the Hell mouth, even though it is almost certainly a trap.
Astra
winced.
Reuisu:
I have my suspicions as to the kidnapper of all those people. If I'm right, then we're in for the biggest
battle of our lives.
Astra
raised an eyebrow, and noticed that the communications systems on the console
had begun to activate on their own.
Reuisu:
My computer has instructions to send a homing beacon out into the
Universe. This homing beacon is on a
wave frequency only readable in the brain of a Sailor Soldier. If it is what I suspect it is, we're going
to need more than just the Inner and Outer Soldiers and the Titans. We're going to need a massive, galactic
force of Sailors to stop what is to come.
This call to the Sailors is a summoning for them to come to Earth and
help us fight that which is to come.
Astra
put her hand on the video screen, tears welling up in her eyes.
Reuisu:
Astra, I need you to lead them. Tell
them of me, and tell them of this enemy.
I shall return. I love you,
Astra.
The
image stopped. Astra gritted her teeth
and held back crying. She breathed in deeply
and saw that the signal was already going off.
She activated a secondary channel.
A 3-D image of a face appeared on the screen. It was the face of Oracle.
Oracle:
Astra? What do you need?
Astra:
I need you to track down the Dark Titans.
Man:
WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE, MAN!
Asteroid:
We all die, get over it.
Asteroid
punched the man in the stomach, and then in the face, knocking him to the
ground. He looked around himself and
the pile of people scattered around him.
They were all rioters, destroying everything in their path in Mexico
City. Asteroid activated his
communicator.
Asteroid:
This is Asteroid, Mexico is now clear.
Astra:
Good, that's the last stop of the day for us.
I'll open up a portal for you to return to the Void, and I'll brief you
on what's going to happen next.
Chris:
Reuisu always was the planning type...
Astra:
Reuisu IS the planning type. We don't
know if he's dead yet. I still think
he's alive and well.
Christine:
Don't hold onto blind hopes forever, Astra.
All the news stations saw him go into the Hell mouth, and he never
returned.
Astra:
All that means is that he's not done yet for whatever he's found. Now, the next issue at hand is the
organization of the Sailor gathering.
Sailors from nearby star systems have already arrived and are wondering
what to do now.
Michelle:
We're going to need to know exactly who's here, where they come from, and what
their abilities are. I suggest we
register every Sailor who's coming at Crystal Tower.
Astra
looked at the latest sensor readings on the Void console.
Astra:
Well, we're going to have to get started soon.
Miya:
Why?
Astra:
I'm picking up hundreds of spacecrafts headed towards Earth.
Sailor
Disaphyl tapped her foot impatiently while she waited for the Sailor in front
of her to be finished. Finally, she
moved up in line, where Sailor Uranus waited for her.
Uranus:
Name?
Disaphyl:
I'll have you know that I've been waiting here for-
Uranus:
NAME?
Disaphyl:
Sailor Disaphyl, now what's this all-
Uranus:
Home planet or star system?
Disaphyl:
The planet Disaphyl of the Reguyarin system, now answer my-
Uranus:
Abilities?
Disaphyl
grinded her teeth together. It was
going to be a long day for her.
Watching
from Neo-Queen Serenity's main lookout chamber was Astra. She and the Queen looked out at the hundreds
of Sailor waiting outside of Crystal Tower.
Astra:
Maybe this wasn't a good idea.
Serenity:
Reuisu thought it was necessary.
Whatever this must be, it's big.
Astra:
Yeah, but what could possibly require EVERY Sailor in the universe?
Serenity:
An event of universal proportions. Any
indication of whether Reuisu is alive or not?
Astra:
Nothing that enters the Hell mouth returns unscathed. No humans return, and any probes or equipment sent into it are
either destroyed or heavily damaged.
Serenity:
I'm going to go try to explain the situation to other Sailors. With luck, I can keep down a riot.
Astra
nodded in reply and Neo-Queen Serenity left the chamber. Astra heard the sound of wind, and looked
over at a wall. A figure walked through
it like it was a ghost. Astra was taken
aback for a moment, but then noticed the ghostly figure wore an outfit similar
to that of the Sailors of earth. It was
female, and she did indeed wear an outfit similar to that of the Sailors of
earth. The skirt was a dark green, as
were the bows. She also wore a dark
green cape, and most of her head was hidden behind a cowl.
Specter:
I am Sailor Specter, Astra Koneko.
Astra
blinked.
Astra:
Pleased to meet you. How did you do
that?
Specter:
It is my ability. My other abilities
include seeing premonitions of the future, Astra.
Astra:
Oh?
Specter:
I see something in the near future that endangers everything you hope to
accomplish here.
Astra:
What would that be?
Specter:
A riot started by normal humans whose beliefs differ from your own. They are in this city's town square. That is all I can tell you. Goodbye.
Specter
walked back into the wall from which she came.
Astra activated her communicator.
Astra:
Michelle, meet me at Town Square right away.
Town
Square was filled with activity.
Markets were open, and people were running around, stocking up on
supplies in case it really was the end of the world. The people mostly ignored Astra and Sailor Moonshine.
Moonshine:
Perhaps the information was incorrect.
Astra:
Maybe...
Voice:
Everyone, listen to me!
Everyone
in the square looked up to a platform overlooking the Town Square. There, a man stood in a reverend's
outfit. The crowd all looked at him,
waiting for him to speak.
Reverend:
There is something occurring at Crystal Tower!
It is a gathering of the ones known as Sailor Soldiers! They claim to be our protectors, but this is
a lie! This can only be a form of
demonic invasion!
Surprisingly
enough, the crowd was going along with him, shouting out cries of agreement.
Reverend:
Ever since God has created the great ascension into Heaven, we have begun a
chain of events that will lead to peace on our world! But only if we act quickly and stop this invasion!
Astra:
You do not know that!
The
crowd looked at Astra, as did the Reverend.
Astra:
The Sailors are here for a battle, one that will save our entire world!
Reverend:
We do know of you, Astra Koneko! We
know how you had some form of relationship with the one known as Sailor
Angel! However, from what we can tell,
your Sailor Angel is dead, fallen into the Hell mouth that plagues Jerusalem!
Astra:
We do not know he is dead! We must
unite, as one world, to stop the coming-
Reverend:
SHE MUST BE SILENCED!
Several
members of the crowd approached Astra in an attempt to restrain her, but Sailor
Moonshine moved first, kicking or punching away anyone who got too close!
Reverend:
If you cannot be stopped by human hands, you shall be stopped by human
invention!
The
Reverend pulled out from his shirt a revolver.
He aimed it at Astra, who gasped.
Just as the Reverend was about to pull the trigger, a bright white light
shined down from the sky onto the gun and the Reverend's hand. He screamed in pain as the light burned his
skin a little, and melted the gun away.
The entire crowd looked up to see a glowing Sailor Angel, whose hands
still pulsed with energy from the Hand of Destiny attack. He floated down in front of the crowd.
Angel:
That's enough.
To Be
Continued...