Peter stared forlornly at the back of Isaac's head as the artist pointedly ignored his leader and ex-friend. Peter had tried to speak to Isaac during the plane ride, but Isaac just put on a set of headsets and fell asleep. Peter had attempted to wake him up, but Niki, who was sitting next to him, instructed Peter that it would be a bad idea. She and Mohinder knew about the fight Peter and Isaac had because of Simone.
Peter closed his eyes and waited until the nausea was gone. He couldn't believe that he had let her take advantage of him. Simone was really soft, though. And she had the most amazing pair of lips he had ever kissed.
The nausea rose again and Peter bit his bottom lip to keep himself from throwing up. Why did thinking about that make him feel sick? Was it guilt? Of course guilt played a partial part in the gut feeling, but he was sure that something else, something deeper, was also causing this unsettledness. Maybe it was the fact that he had betrayed someone he was so intimately connected with. Isaac was the first partner he found, the first Sailor Scout that Peter recognized himself. That had to be special. That was special.
Mohinder walked back from the check-in desk. He was holding four card keys. "Peter, you and Niki are going to have room 245. Isaac and I will be in room 247."
Peter made a quick glance to Isaac. He wasn't paying attention and was far enough to not hear. "Can Isaac and I share a room?" Peter asked, looking back at Mohinder.
Mohinder looked at Niki. Niki shrugged. "I have no problem."
Mohinder looked back at Peter. "Are you sure you want to risk that?"
"Risk it?" Peter asked.
Mohinder nodded. "Yes. Risk having Isaac hate you even more than he already does."
Peter felt like it was a kick in the gut. "He doesn't ha--" The two stares that Niki and Mohinder gave him were enough to keep Peter from finishing that sentence. "Okay...so maybe he does not like me a little." The stares continued. "But that doesn't mean that some alone time won't fix things between us."
Niki and Mohinder glanced at each other. They shrugged in unison. If Isaac and Peter could survive whatever stint they had in this city, then maybe they could reconcile completely. At least it was worth a shot. "I'll get Isaac" Niki said. She walked away, carrying one of the sets of card keys.
Mohinder leaned in close to Peter and whispered to him. "Peter, it's imperative that you and Isaac learn to make-up."
Peter sighed and nodded. "I know Mohinder. Geez, I hear it from you all the time, I don't need to hear it from you now."
Mohinder didn't respond. He wasn't going to say anything about how important it was to have everyone together to save the world. No, Mohinder was going to say how important it was to have everyone together to not get killed. Mohinder was going to say that if the enemy saw cracks in the trust the Sailor Scouts had with each other--and there were plenty of cracks--than all they had to do was worm their way into the biggest one they could find and slowly chip away until finally there weren't any more Sailor Scouts left.
(----------)
When Isaac found out he was rooming with Peter, he didn't say anything. He thought that maybe it was a plot Mohinder had to get him and Peter to get along or for Isaac to forgive Peter. But how could Isaac forgive Peter? Peter, who was supposed to be Isaac's friend, had violated a trust that not only risked that friendship they had but even the safety of others. Over and over, Isaac wondered how selfish a person had to be to do that. He had expected more of Peter, but now...now he wasn't so sure.
Niki curled her arm around Isaac's, pulling him along down the sidewalk. Isaac shrugged her off and gave her a look of death. Niki glared at him for a moment before catching up with Mohinder, who was a few steps ahead. Behind Isaac was Peter, who had been a little sulky since leaving the hotel. Mainly because Isaac wouldn't respond to his weak attempts at small talk.
The four of them were taking a trip to a local grocery store because none of them knew how long they were going to be in town and it was just easier to buy and cook one's own food than to go out every single night and waste money on cheap food at unreasonable prices. None of them really knew where they were going or what they were going to be able to find that was on their handy-dandy list, so chances are they were going to be out for a while, which meant Peter and Isaac were going to have more time to snipe at each other.
Niki and Mohinder stopped near a pair of glass doors. "We're at the store. Do you guys want to come with us or..."
Isaac crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Peter gestured to Isaac and smiled. "I'll keep him company."
Niki rasied a hand to the two other boys smiling kindly. "We'll be back soon. If anything bad happens, just call us." Niki followed Mohinder into the grocery store, leaving the two men on the sidewalk.
Next to a busy road, there couldn't be any silence by sense of the dictionary meaning, but between Isaac and Peter there was a sense of tense quiet. After approximately a minute, Peter turned to Isaac and asked, "So, how are you today?"
Isaac grit his teeth. If he had to hear Peter's voice again, he was going to punch him in the face.
Peter didn't know this, of course, so he made Isaac listen to his voice. "Isaac, please talk to me! I can't stand this, it's driving me insane." Peter reached over and grabbed Isaac's arm. "I don't care if you hurl abuse at me, just say something!"
Isaac fisted his hand and knocked Peter over with it. Peter coughed as he looked up at Isaac. There was hatred--unadultered, unmanaged hatred--in Isaac's eyes. "You're not gonna say anything?" Peter asked. Isaac crossed his arms. Peter got onto his feet, using the wall, before hurling himself at Isaac.
Peter felt Isaac pull on his hair as Peter punched him in his side and arms. Isaac pulled on Peter's hair to stop him from biting his arm and giving Isaac rabies or some nasty and infectious diseas that Isaac really did not want. Isaac kneed Peter in what he hoped was the younger man's groin. It must've been, because Peter grunted and he stilled for a moment or two before kicking and biting even harder. And using his considerably-sized nails. Isaac rolled Peter over, now dominating the black-haired man. The painter pulled his fist back and, with as much strength as he could muster, readied to punch Peter in the face.
That's when Isaac felt the hand on his arm.
Isaac turned his heated gaze from the man on the ground to the one behind him. Neither Isaac nor Peter had ever seen this man before and could only assume that he was trying to be a good samaritan and stopping one guy from beating the living hell out of the other. "Get off me, man!" Isaac demanded, trying to pull his arm away. The stranger only held on tighter.
"No! Do you realize that you could get arrested for fighting like this in public?"
Isaac thought for a moment. If it meant finally knocking a few of Peter's teeth out...
Isaac stood up, pulling his arm away. The stranger let the elbow be removed from his hand. Peter sighed and stood up, dusting his butt off. It was when Peter's head was turned in another direction that Isaac was finally given that opportunity to punch Peter. The nurse stumbled back, holding onto his bleeding mouth. He heard Isaac's grunt and a string of Spanish-spoken cuss words and knew that the stranger had done something. When he looked up, Peter saw that the stranger was holding Isaac up against a nearby wall, arms being held tightly behind his back and a knee pressed against his lower back.
"Let me go! I won't punch him anymore!"
The stranger didn't budge.
Peter walked up. "It's okay. I think he's telling the truth." At least he hoped so.
The stranger gave Peter a look, then backed off of Isaac. Isaac pushed himself off of the wall, gave Peter and the stranger an angry look each that visibly held his contempt and desire to cause them both more injury. Instead of fulfilling this desire, luckily, Isaac walked off, leaving Peter bleeding and the stranger giving Isaac's back the evil eye.
Once Isaac was safely out of sight, the stranger turned to Peter. "Are you okay?"
Peter nodded absently, still staring out after Isaac. The stranger looked at Peter, than in the direction Isaac had left in. The stranger looked back at Peter. "What was that about?"
Peter looked ashamed as he said, "He caught me fooling around with his ex."
The stranger almost visibly cringed. "Yikes. I hate situations like that."
Peter looked to the guy. "You've done that?"
The stranger shook his head. "No." He saw the confusion in Peter's look and elaborated. "I'm a cop, so more than I would ever really want to admit I get called in for a domestic disturbance."
"And it's normally one partner fooling around with an ex and the other is getting revenge?"
The stranger nodded. "On occasion. But normally the couple makes up, so I bet you and your boyfriend will make amends soon enough."
Peter felt his stomach drop. "Huh?"
The stranger gestured in the direction of Isaac. "Your boyfriend. The guy that you just had a fight with?"
Peter shook his head vehemently. "No! Isaac's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend!"
The stranger nodded and apologized, but something in the way he did this seemed like he wasn't sincere. Peter wanted to continue arguing, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. Peter slipped a hand into his pocket, the one that always held the Moon Compact, and felt the incredible amount of energy being emmited from it. Peter held onto the compact and looked up at the stranger. He'd tried this trick once or twice with Isaac and Niki, normally without their knowing. He hoped that it would work the same way with someone he'd only first met and who he didn't know was or wasn't a Sailor Scout.
Peter's eys became out of focus and he reached out to the stranger. "My name's Peter Petrelli."
The stranger reached out to take the offered hand. "My name is Matt. Matt Parkman."
Peter saw the faint outline of skirt, tiara, and gloves as Matt touched Peter's hand and celebrated his most recent discovery.
(----------)
Isaac sometimes wondered what exactly got him off of the heroine. It couldn't have been the mild heart attack he recieve in the hospital during his last trip there. He'd suffered worse and still kept on shooting up. It couldn't have been because of Simone. He loved her, of course, and he would have done anything for her, but she just wasn't the most important thing in his life. It definitely wasn't his art because, lets face it, he painted better while high.
Like that painting of the woman holding the light. The one he and Peter discussed at his last art show. He'd done that high and the day after the art show Simone was buzzing with her own sales high because of the people who wanted that particular piece of art.
Anyway, this little piece of unanswerable trivia wasn't constantly at the forefront of his mind. Normally it appeared when he was bored or when he was having a bear or two. Like right at that moment, in the nice little bar he'd discovered while trying to avoid going back to the hotel. Or, more specifically, trying to avoid Peter.
Isaac felt like growling at the thought of his "friend". No doubt, Peter was wandering the streets, calling out for Isaac. Eventually Peter will get lost and end up being easy bait for their enemy and then it'd be bye-bye Peter.
Isaac's heart rate sped up and his gut twisted at the thought of Peter dying. A moment of fear, followed by two or three moments of guilt, drowned by another Bud ended with the apathy and hatred Isaac had entered the bar with.
A quick look to a nearby clock told Isaac that it was going on to five in the afternoon. He didn't want to be there when the work-beaten drunks arrived, so Isaac paid and left.
As Isaac began to walk down the street, his mind traveled down the scary road of his and Simone's history. It wasn't very pleasant; fights, drugs, cheating on both ends, break-ups, make-ups, pregnancy scares, and, although Simone never admitted or denied it, a possible abortion. It wasn't beyond Simone to go out with a guy that Isaac knew to get back at him, it had definitely happened before, but she had singled out Peter. The Sailor Scouts' fearful leader and the one Isaac had more of a connection with. Isaac wondered whether or not Simone was able to pick up on this. She was skillful with understanding relationships.
"Isaac!" Isaac turned around and saw Peter running up to him, hand waving in the air.
Anger bubbled up inside of the painter and so he turned around and walked forward, pretending that he didn't hear Peter. Ducking his head, Isaac walked away, looking for the first crowded street he could find and loosing himself, and Peter, in it.
(----------)
Simone hadn't smoked in a long while, so when she lit up while thinking up a plan, she felt her throat burn from the smoke. The coughing hurt so much that Simone tried to stop herself, which made her cough even more. After the fit was over, she flicked the cigarette away and stepped on it, like the bad girls in old movies did.
Simone peered down the street she was loitering on and noticed that Isaac had ducked into the crowd. Her heart began to speed up from fear of being found and because Isaac was so close to her again. Simoe turned around and pretended to fix her make-up in the window of an abandoned store front. She saw Isaac as he walked by, head down and feet moving fast in the school of strangers he had successfully hidden himself in. Simone turned around and stared at him as he walked away, feeling her loss and anger flare up again.
Simone had been planning something since Eden was given her assignment. She knew what all the other idiots did wrong. They tried to take down the entire team at once. At least Candice did. Eden, Simone hated to admit, was using whatever little intelligence she had and was attempting to kill the team one member at a time at the same time, but that was still a stupid move. And her weak heart didn't do much to her plan.
No, what Simone was going to do was simple, but obvious and brilliant. The method of "divide and conquer" was old as dirt and so very effective whether you were hunting mammoths, fighting the Roman Empire, or getting rid of a pesky group of do-gooders who were ultimately going to bring the end of the world.
Simone looked back up the street. She spotted a man with really stupid and girly black hair and felt a smile spread across her face. She broke into the crowd and caught up with the man, touching his shoulder.
"S-Simone...what are you doing here?" Peter asked when he saw her.
Simore didn't answer, just tugged him out of the crowd and lead him to her hotel.
(----------)
Isaac got back to the hotel right after it had gotten dark, having done nothing but walk around the city. Once he reached his room, he threw off his shoes and fell onto his bed, jet lag knocking him out before he even hit the pillows.
(----------)
Simone punched Peter again, this time getting him right in his ear. Peter groaned and let his head fall limp on his chest, blood seeping from his split lip and broken nose. Simone grabbed a fistfull of Peter's long, black hair and made him look at her. "Are you going to tell me where the Rainbow Crystals are? Or who Sailor Mercury is, if you've even found him that is?"
Peter stared at her, angry and stubborn. He said nothing, bottom lip tight against the top. Simone punched Peter again, making him yelp out. "If only you'd say more than grunts or moans. If you did, I'd spare your life."
Peter glared at her. "No you wouldn't?"
"How do you know I wouldn't?" Simone bent down, pretty face inches from Peter's. "You were a pretty good kisser."
"I know you wouldn't, because you're evil." Peter responded.
"I'm evil?" Simone asked. "What makes me evil?"
"You're helping someone to destroy the world!" Peter exclaimed, unintentionally spitting blood on Simone.
The woman jumped back, wiping her face with a napkin. She scowled at Peter and threw the napkin away. "Well, that's a new one. Last time I checked, you and your rowdy bunch were going to destroy the world."
"What do you mean?" Peter asked.
"What I mean is that with a new Moon Kingdom, there Earth and all life on it is destroyed to make way for the new reign." Simone kneeled down and tipped Peter's head back, making him look her in the eyes. "Now, doesn't that sound like you're going to destroy the world. That you are the more immidiate threat between the two of us?"
"I would never do that" Peter hissed out.
Simone backed away, towards the door that lead out of Peter's make-shift prison. "I say that, but people always seem to end up breaking their promises."
(----------)
Isaac was thrown out of the bed the next morning by a very irate Mohinder. After getting back on his knees, Isaac looked up at Mohinder and asked, "What the hell, man?"
Mohinder, standing straight and with arms crossed, asked in response, "Where's Peter?"
"Huh?"
"Where is Peter?" Mohinder asked. He pointed to Peter's bed. It looked exactly the way it did the day before.
Isaac got up and rubbed his head. "I don't know. It was still early when I went to bed and I hadn't seen him for hours!" Isaac pointed at the bed. "Besides, why would I know where he is?"
"Because you share the same room as him. Because you're more likely to kill him out of the three of us who came here."
Isaac's eyes went wide, then shrunk back down. "You don't think..."
Mohinder caught on. "Possibly. If he was alone and caught unaware."
"You think we should call the police?"
"Why?" Mohinder asked. "They're going to ask why Peter would dissappear and we can't say the truth!"
"So we shouldn't even try?" Isaac asked.
Mohinder sighed and placed his hand against his forehead. "We should but... Ugh... How do we even know if Peter is still--"
"Don't say that!" Isaac shrieked. Mohinder jumped back a little, shocked. Isaac continued. "Peter may not be the smartest person around, but damn it if he doesn't know when to attack a person or call for help or run like hell!" Isaac pointed at Mohinder and repeated, in a threatening tone, "Peter is alive, Mohinder. And we will find him."
Mohinder nodded. Part of him was afraid, while the other part was proud. Proud that even when angry, Isaac still cared and worried about Peter. That was either sprung from the long-ago past, when Mars was still vying to become the top bodyguard, or from a bond that Peter and Isaac had somehow forged in the past two months.
(----------)
Simone was never a superstitious person and she was never very easily frightened, but all during the day after she had kidnapped Peter, Simone felt like she needed to keep an eye over her shoulder. She was sure that none of the Sailor Scouts knew where Peter was; the only one around at the time was Isaac and he wasn't paying attention or was too far away to notice. And if Celeste was aware of Peter's whereabouts, she would've told that Indian guy by now.
So...if someone was following her, than who was it?
(----------)
Matt was very professional when he had to be. And sitting with a pad and a pen, writing down every last thing Mohinder, Isaac, and Niki was telling him, he was very, very professional. Almost to the point of being a pain in the ass to the more impatient of the three.
"So, the last you saw him was...?" Matt asked again, only to a different person.
"I was walking away from him on the street because I really, really didn't want to talk to him." Isaac answered, his foot tapping against the floor. "Can't we just get on and find him already?"
"Not quite" Matt said. "I need as much honest information as I can get before asking for a formal police watch for Peter and before I call his family up and tell him what has happened if you guys haven't already done it." Matt wrote a few more things down on the pad before looking back up, eyes flashing between the three of them. "Is there anyone that would want to do Peter harm?"
Isaac and Niki went tense and silent. This was the question everyone had been dreading. Because there were people that wanted to cause Peter harm, but the truthful reason as to why is way too extraordinary for anyone above a certain age to believe.
Niki opened her mouth to say something, but Mohinder cut her off. "There are a few people who would. We don't know how many, but they would do anything to get rid of Peter."
"Why?" Matt asked.
"Because Peter is trying to foil their plot to destroy the world."
The room went dead-silent.
"Um...what?"
"Peter and the rest of us," Mohinder started, "or at least Isaac and Niki, are members of a group called the Sailor Scouts. Their job is to protect the world from an evil who came to Earth ten thousand years ago and who turned the people of Earth against the dynasty of the Old Moon Kingdom and who now wants to take over the Earth."
Matt was very silent, doing nothing but staring at Mohinder with wide, confused eyes. Matt blinked slowly, still unable to grasp what had been said to him. The policeman looked down at his notepad, then back up at Mohinder. Mohinder was staring back at Matt, expression blank and eyes steady. Isaac and Niki were not looking at anything, embarrassed and afraid of what Matt would do or say.
Suddenly, Niki's head shot up. She looked to Mohinder. "Do you think--"
Mohinder turned to Niki, smiling. "Peter told me. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you two before now but I never really got the chance."
Niki burst into a toothy smile, reaching out to Mohinder and squeezing him tightly. Then she reached out to Matt and hugged him, further confusing the cop. "What's going on?" Matt asked to no one in particular. "Why are you hugging me?"
That's when they heard the sound of glass crashing. Isaac was out into his room before the others could get to their feet. When they entered the other room, Isaac was holding a piece of paper in one hand and a brick in the other. Matt looked out the broken window, trying to find whoever had thrown the brick.
"What is it?" Mohinder asked
Isaac handed the note to Mohinder, eyes not leaving the ground and hand shaking a little. Mohinder took the note, skimmed it, and then said, "Shit."
Niki snatched the note. "What is this?" she asked.
"They've taken him" Isaac said.
"And the only way to get him back is to meet them for a battle at midnight" Mohinder continued.
"Shit is right" Niki murmured. She folded the paper in thirds and handed it back to Mohinder.
Mohinder turned to Matt. "I'm sorry that you have to be drawn into this fight with so little experience, but we really need you right now, Matt."
"Huh?"
Mohinder placed his hand on Matt's shoulder. "Matt, do you believe in destiny?"
"Not at all."
Mohinder nodded. "You will, eventually."
(----------)
Simone pressed down on the needle that was stuck into Peter's arm. This was his second shot of the day, which meant he was already asleep, but Simone wanted to make sure he wouldn't be able to escape between now and midnight, which was only six hours away by now. The sleeping serum Simon was giving Peter only has its potency for around four to five hours, but that was going to be long enough. She didn't need that long a time to kill him.
Simone left the room, smiling. She could imagine the look on the faces of the Sailor Scouts when they arrived and Simone gave them back their "fearless" leader. His throat would be sliced so deeply that it was almost cut through completely, entrails falling out slightly, bones broken posthumously, and a vacant, glazed stare that would tell them everything that they already knew: "It's your fault I'm dead. You let me be killed."
Simone was holding the knife she thought would cause the most damage. It was a pretty little thing that she had swiped from Eden's collection after she had died. The big-eyed woman had boasted about its age and the quality and the silver handle. It was her favorite, and therefore had never been used before on anyone.
She spoiled you,
Simone thought, the flat of the blade resting in her palm. Such a stunning piece need to be used for special occasions at the most.Simone heard glass smash and almost dropped the blade. She stuffed it into a pocket and threw the door open. Her eyes grew huge as she saw that Peter was no longer there.
(----------)
"You need some help, buddy?" the cab driver asked as the man who had waved him over attempted to open the door.
The man got the door open and sidled in, putting the other person he was carrying in the seat beside him. "No thanks."
"What 'bout yo' friend?" the cabbie asked again.
"He's fine. Too much to drink." The man in the backseat leaned forward and said, "I need you to take me to our hotel. He's going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow and it's for his and my sake we get him somewhere he recognizes."
"Ah...I know whatchu mean, bro. My cousin, he the same way. Fell asleep at a friend's house once when drunk, and he threw the biggest fit. Nearly lost a few teeth trying to calm him." The cabbie tapped his smiling, dirty mouth.
The man in the backseat didn't answer.
(----------)
Matt rolled the wand in his hand, staring intently at it, almost as if it would burst into flames in his hand at any moment. Niki had to grab Matt's arm several times as they climbed into the Hollywood hills, where the big sign was, to keep him from running into trees. Mohinder wasn't worried too much about Matt's reaction, only that he'd do what Mohinder told him in time.
"Are we almost there?" Isaac asked.
Mohinder stepped into a little clearing. "Yes."
The rest followed Mohinder into the little meadow. It was extremely dark, too dark even for the lantern that Mohinder had brought.
"So...where's this person we're supposed to fight?" Niki asked.
Mohinder jumped and yelped, dropping the now-broken lantern, cracked by a knife that had been thrown at it. With the little light they had gone now, the group of four looked around wildly, their eyes trying to adjust in the--
Floodlights came to light, illumination the area from the blades of grass on the ground all the way up to the tops of the trees. Across the meadow, on the top of a particularly tall tree, was a woman in a mini-skirt, boustier, and knee-high boots. The color of the outfit was the same as the last two enemies' uniforms. The sudden brightness of the lights, which were almost blinding, made it hard for anyone to see any distinctive features above the tops of her boots.
"Who are you?" Niki stepped out, almost snarling.
"And where's Sailor Moon?" Isaac added.
"Do you really care about that idiot more than you do me?" the woman asked. Isaac felt his blood run cold.
"What are you talking about?" Niki asked.
"Ask Isaac" the woman spat out.
Niki's eyes went wide. "How do you know--"
"Simone," Isaac called out. The others looked to him. "What's going on? Why are you with them?"
Simone jumped down gracefully from the tree, landing like a cat. She stood straight, shoulders pulled back and chin sticking out with pride. "Because I owe my Master everything I have."
"What does that mean?" Isaac insisted.
Simone didn't answer, but she could be seen shaking like if someone had just walked over her grave. Simone and Isaac didn't look away from each other's eyes. Isaac could see in hers hatred, jealousy, and sorrow. Simone saw in Isaac's a protectiveness that had once been directed towards her, but has since moved onto a new recipient. Simone grit her teeth and tempted the tears away from her eyes, but they couldn't hear her and spilled out over her eyelids.
"It means I wasted two years of my life on you" Simone said, pulling out a whip.
Isaac and Niki pulled out their transformation wands.
"Mars Power, Make-up!"
"Jupiter Power, Make-up!"
As fire and lightning showered the two transforming Scouts, Matt fumbled with his own wand before holding the wand up and calling out, "M-Mercury Power Make-up!" Water spouted out from the wand, soaking Matt, swirling around him in a holy aquatic light that reflecting the non-existant moonlight. Matt felt the grace that the water held and was giving him in the new uniform that appeared when the water dissappeared. It was like the other's, except the skirt, the gems on the chest and on the tiara, and the boots were dark blue and the bow on the chest and on the back was an icy blue. And he didn't look as good in it as the others.
Simone bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing at Matt, who was surprised at the appearance of the skirt and was therefore trying to pull it down over his thighs. Niki and Isaac didn't bother to look behind them.
A staring match happened, no one wanting to make the first move. Mohinder looked around, wondering what was going to happen. He saw something, in the distant darkness. Seeing that everyone was busy, Mohinder slowly backed into the forest until he was completely in darkness before making his way towards the golden light.
(----------)
They stood there, waiting.
And waiting...
And waiting...
Until Simone dropped her whip by her foot.
"I'm not going to fight you" Simone said. "I can't fight you." Her eyes didn't leave Isaac's. Isaac straightened himself out of a fighting stance. Niki seemed incredulous, but it didn't matter. Isaac had fallen for it.
Niki leaned towards Isaac. "C'mon, she's surrendering."
"No!" Isaac shouted, frightening Niki, Matt, and several small, furry animals. Niki regained her composure, though, and yelled back.
"What the hell? She's giving in, Isaac!"
"We can't!"
"We have to, Isaac." Niki threw an accusing finger at Simone. "She kidnapped Peter, her friend killed my sister, she's trying to destroy the world! That seems like enough to attack her, I think." Isaac remained silent, staring heatedly at her and remembering why he didn't like Niki. Niki straightened, arms crossing over her chest. "So you're not going to attack your ex for that reason only? Even though alive she will cause more damage than she ever will dead."
"Shut up!" Isaac yelled. Before he could realize it, Isaac had raised a hand and swung it in Niki's face. Whether he had meant to hit her or not no one could tell, but Niki did squeak out, holding a reddening cheek with her hands.
Niki took a few steps back, still holding her cheek, eyes on the ground. Then, she looked up, blue eyes sparkling like firey sapphries. She pressed two of her fingers together. "Don't make me do this Isaac."
"Than don't!" Matt shouted, not knowing what was going on. If this was the team that was going to save the world, than he didn't want to be apart of it!
Niki didn't listen and Isaac didn't do anything. Then, he said, "Make me."
Niki's cheeks reddened. "Fine!" The antenna in her tiara rose. "Supreme Thunder!" The spark of lightning jumped out and attacked Isaac. His eyes went wide and bugged for a moment as he screamed bloody murder to the heavens before falling to the ground. Niki's face blanched. "Oh...crap."
"Did you just kill him?" Matt asked, suddenly frightened for his life.
Niki got on her knees and checked Isaac's pulse. "No. He's still alive. Just knocked out."
Matt stood next to Niki. "How many times have you used that attack."
Niki stood up and smiled innocently. "Uh...I think that was my second time."
The two heard the sound of a whip cracking and knew that they were screwed.
(----------)
Mohinder stopped walking when he saw the person who had been making the golden light. The light dissappeared and the man leaned against the tree. "I thought you'd be responsible for whatever happened to Sailor Moon, Mohinder."
Mohinder felt furious, but tried not to show it. "He was out of my sight."
"I don't like excuses."
The two men were quiet.
"Now that I have all seven Rainbow Crystals together, you'll need to start thinking about revealing yourself."
Sailor Venus blinked at Mohinder, then looked up to the sky. The moon was a tiny sliver, but it was in its waxing time and in a few weeks it'd be a full-grown moon. Venus looked back at Mohinder. "What happens now, Mohinder?"
"We create the Silver Crystal."
"How?"
"On the next full moon."
Venus looked back up to the sky. "So in about a month?"
"Yes, in about a month."
Venus nodded, not looking at Mohinder. He turned his back on the Indian, hand resting on the tree he had just been leaning on. "I'll think about it." Venus made to leave, but stopped. "Sailor Moon is in his hotel room. He's probably going to be a little loopy and will need medical attention soon." Then, Sailor Venus walked away into the dark.
(----------)
Matt jumped out of the way of the whip yet again. Niki was on the other side of the meadow. Though she was currently the center of Simone's attention, the way the villaness swung her whip was still very dangerous and Matt liked being alive. He fell down and looked over to Niki, who was lying on her back, groaning a little. She was trying to get up and get away again, but Simone was rapidly coming upon her.
Damn, I wish there is something I could...wait...
Matt got onto his shaky feet. Mohinder had told him about his special ability. But what was it? What was it? It had to do with whater. It had to because Sailor Mercury controls the phases of water...but what was that attack?
"Matt!" Niki called out, seeing him pounding his head with his fists.
"Don't bother with that lug." Simone stood right in front of Niki, hand held high in ready to whip her as brutally as she could. "He's not going to be able to save--"
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"
Simone felt the force of the water hit her back, actually lifting her off the ground and pounding her into a tree. Pain seared through her as she heard and felt several ribs shatter into tiny jigsaw pieces. No doubt several had pierced her lungs and maybe her heart, but seeing as breathing, though hard, was still an availiable action, Simone knew that the damage couldn't be so bad as to kill her instantly. Niki got away as Simone fell to the ground, running to Matt, who was looking ready to throw up. He, just like anyone in about three miles, heard the horrible breaking of Simone's ribs.
"Are you okay?" Matt asked when she got by his side.
Niki nodded. "What about you? You seem...sick..."
Matt covered his mouth. "I'll be fine. Just give me a minute."
Niki smiled, patting his back. Jessica got sick like this sometimes and rubbing her back always soothed it. The kind action seemed to be eliciting the same response from Matt, who was slowly returning to his original color.
The two heard a moan. They looked up to see Simone attempting to get up. Niki growled. She took a few steps forward and put two of her fingers together. The antenna rose and, with a much larger spark than the one Niki gave Isaac, shouted "Supreme Thunder!" and attacked the woman on the other side of the meadow.
Simone attempted to scream, succeeding only in opening her mouth before her heart burst and her brain turned itself off. Her lifeless body fell down, arms trapped under her torso, mouth and eyes still wide open, and clothes and hair smoking. Niki stared at the new corpse and fell on her bottom. Her stomach twisted sickeningly at the sight and smell and, after hearing Matt toss his cookies, threw up in the first bush she saw.
(----------)
Two days later, on the plane ride back to New York, Mohinder and Niki were on one side of the aisle and the last three boys were on the window side. Matt was out after thirty minutes after take-off and Peter was fading in and out. Once, when Isaac looked up at Peter, seeing the bandages that covered his face and head, he felt an immense amount of guilt fall on his gut. He had to wonder whether or not Simone would have done this or would have been so cruel if he hadn't broken up with her.
Isaac shook Peter's shoulder. Peter looked at him with tired eyes. "Yes?"
"You okay, man?" Isaac asked, the first words he's said to Peter since he caught him with Simone.
Peter smiled pleasantly. His head fell against the headrest as he responded, "Yeah, I guess. Still a little tired." Peter closed his eyes and his breathing slowed to an even, deep rhythm.
Isaac nodded, taking out a sketchpad. "That's good" he said as he drew what he saw next to him.
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content
sleepy
apathetic
confused
enthralled