Highlander Moon by Bill Harris

soton@aol.com





Chapter 4 - The Gauntlet is Thrown

     MacLeod walked rapidly down the hallway, pausing just long enough 

every now and then to check the room numbers.  "This is it," he said to 

Lita, finally stopping in front of one door.  "This is the place the 

Watcher mentioned on that tape."

     "Yeah, but was *he* right?" Lita asked, nervously glancing up and 

down the hallway.  Something about this didn't feel right to her.

     "He was killed for a reason," Duncan answered.  "Since his wallet 

was still with him, I'd guess it was because he followed Kane to this 

room."  Before Lita could say anything else, Duncan moved on to the next 

door over and knocked on it.  When no answer was forthcoming, he removed 

a lock pick from his jacket and started working on the door.

     "What are you doing?!?" Lita asked sharply, struggling to keep her 

voice down.

     "What does it look like?"

     "It looks like you're breaking into the wrong room!" she hissed.  

"What if someone is inside and just not answering the door?"

     "Then we'll apologize and leave," Duncan retorted, irritation 

creeping into his voice.

     "Is that before or after the police arrest us for breaking in?"  

Lita couldn't help but feel anxious.  Charging headlong into battle 

against enemies from the Negaverse was one thing, but breaking and 

entering was not her style.  At least not this kind of breaking and 

entering.  Her own approach was much more direct.  And she heartily 

wished she could indulge in a bit of it right now.

     "We'll leave quickly."  The lock clicked open and he went rapidly 

inside, closing the door right behind Lita.  Before Lita could ask what 

was next, he made his way to the window and threw it wide open.

     "You've got to be kidding," Lita said when she saw him checking out 

the ledge.  "We're going in through the window?!?"

     MacLeod glanced back at her and grinned.  "It should be the last 

thing anyone expects.  "But you might want to transform first... Just in 

case."

     Lita sighed, but did ready her transformation pen.  "Are you sure Kane 

is worth all this effort you're going to?"

     "I owe him," Duncan replied evenly.

     "Just because he saved your life about three hundred fifty years ago..."

     Duncan interrupted her with a sharp glance.  "Who says that as the 

only time he saved my life?"



Northern France - May, 1943

     Two men moved furtively through the French countryside.  "Hurry, my 

friend.  The Nazis must have seen that parachute as well."

     "I'm coming Robert.  But not so fast.  I'm not as young as I used to 

be."

     The Frenchman uttered a short laugh.  "You must be joking, Duncan.  

You don't look a day over thirty."

     'Looks can be deceiving,' MacLeod thought as he followed his 

compatriot in the French Resistance.  It was a bit risky for them to be 

moving about this way, but there was a purpose to their excursion.  They 

had seen an Allied fighter shot down nearby, and were racing to get to the 

pilot before the German ground troops could.  If they managed to get to 

him first, there was a chance they could smuggle him back to England.  If 

the Germans got there first, then the best the pilot could look forward to 

was a quick trip to a POW camp.

     "I'm afraid we may be too late, my friend," Robert said when they 

finally found him several minutes later.  His chute had hung up in a tree, 

and he was hanging limply in the harness only a few feet above the ground.  

The bullet holes in his flight jacket made it obvious why he was still.  

Robert grimaced in rage.  "Those damned Germans must have strafed him as 

he was drifting downward.  Well, let's at least cut him down."

     Duncan stiffened, feeling a familiar sensation ripple through his 

being.  Another Immortal was nearby.  And from the sounds he was hearing, 

it was unlikely that he was bringing friends.  "No time for that.  We have 

to get out of here!"  Robert nodded in agreement, for he heard the sounds 

of German troops approaching as well.  Unfortunately, they only got a few 

dozen feet away when they were surrounded by several troopers.  Duncan's 

heart sank when he saw that they were from the SS.

     A major, evidently the commanding officer of this bunch, approached 

and looked them over carefully.  Duncan instantly recognized him as the 

Immortal he had sensed, having had a brief encounter with him about a 

hundred years ago.  But try as he might, he couldn't place his name.  

"Well, what have we here?  Your papers, if you please."

     "We are just travelers, Herr Major," Robert began while he and 

Duncan produced their falsified identification papers.  "We saw the pilot 

come down nearby, and came here to capture him.  We found him dead, so we 

started to continue on our way."

     The Major looked to one of the soldiers that had just examined the 

pilot.  He nodded, confirming that Robert was telling the truth about the 

pilot.  The Major gave the papers only a half hearted look before he 

addressed them again.  "A valiant effort, but we both know the truth.  

You're both members of the French Resistance."  Ignoring Robert's protests, 

he said to a sergeant, "Take this one in for interrogation.  I'll handle 

the other one," meaning MacLeod, "on my own.  But bind him first."

     The sergeant saluted and rushed to obey.  In seconds, MacLeod's 

hands were securely bound behind his back, leaving no possibility that 

he could get them free.  Then they rushed Robert off, leaving MacLeod and 

the Major alone.  MacLeod glared at him as soon as they were out of 

earshot, "Afraid to face me in single combat?"

     The German officer laughed.  "No, but I'm no fool either, MacLeod."  

Evidently he knew more about MacLeod than vice versa.  "But you have a 

reputation as an excellent fighter.  Why take the chance when I don't 

have to?"  He brandished his sword, waving it idly.  "I'll just have to 

make some false report about you being killed trying to escape.  And who's 

going to notice one more corpse in this war, hmm?"

     Duncan opened his mouth to snap back a retort, but before he could 

he once again felt the sensation through and around his being that 

signified the presence of another Immortal.  From his expression, it was 

evident that the Major felt it too.  Duncan look first to his left and then 

to his right and spotted pilot they had all presumed dead.  The pilot took 

his helmet and goggles off and Duncan instantly recognized him.  "Kane..."

     "I'd notice," Kane told the Major, producing his own weapon for 

emphasis.

     The major leveled his rapier at Kane.  "This is between MacLeod and 

me.  You have no right to interfere."

     "If one goes strictly by the rules, you're absolutely right," Kane 

conceded.  "But afterwards..."  He paused for effect, smiling wickedly.  

"...you're mine."

     MacLeod could see debate on the Major's face.  Yes, he could take 

MacLeod's head, but after the Quickening, he'd be weak and relatively 

helpless... easy meat for Kane.  And there was no guarantee that Kane 

wouldn't go after him if he fled.  That left only one reasonable 

recourse.  With an incoherent cry, he charged Kane.

     The fight was furious but fairly brief.  Kane countered all the 

Major's moves but kept to the defensive at first, evaluating his 

opponent.  Then he countered with his own furious offensive, battering 

down the Major's guard and slashing him on the arm.

     Kane held back his final attack for a moment.  "I recognize some of 

those moves.  I know who your Teacher is."

     The Major barked a short, bitter laugh.  "If you want to know where 

he is, I don't know.  But I wouldn't tell you even if I did!"

     "Your funeral," Kane replied, and he attacked.  Two swift blows from 

his blade put his opponents weapon well out of position and then Kane 

struck one last savage blow, decapitating the Major.  Duncan watched 

silently as the lightning effect of the Quickening played over Kane.

     Kane staggered over to the Highlander once the pyrotechnic display 

was over, and severed his bonds.   "You've got to learn to be more careful, 

MacLeod."

     "Me be more careful?"  MacLeod snorted.  "Like I should take advice 

from a man who just got himself shot up and shot down?"

     "Hey," Kane said defensively, "it was three to one.  I got two."  

Both men laughed a bit at that.  Kane took a swift look about them   

"We'd better get out of here.  That display is bound to attract some 

attention."

     "True," MacLeod replied.  He gestured down the lane where the Nazi 

squad had gone.  "I have to see about getting Robert out of the Nazi's 

hands."

     "Need some help?" Kane asked.  "I believe I'm off duty at the 

moment."

     "Thanks, but you'd better get yourself back to England," he replied.  

He took a moment to look Kane over.  "By the way, when did you become a 

flier, anyway?"

     Kane smiled.  "I started in the last war, and I've been doing it off 

and on ever since.  I've been flying with the RAF since the war started.  

If I get 'killed', I figure I can work my way over to the Pacific and fly 

for the Americans."

     The Highlander snorted.  "I can't imagine an Immortal, especially as 

old as you are, becoming enamored with flight."

     "Ah, I've always been that way, MacLeod.  Besides..."  Kane shrugged, 

"you've got to bend with the times."



Tokyo, present day

     "So he's saved your life twice," Jupiter commented, her 

transformation complete.  "Now I see why your so motivated to help him."

     "It's not just that," MacLeod said as he stepped out onto the ledge.  

"I'm motivated because he's a friend.  How many times he's save my life 

aren't an issue."

     Jupiter followed him out the window.  "You'd go through all this 

just because he's a friend?"

     MacLeod had already started working on opening the window, but now 

he paused and looked evenly at the tall Scout.  "How far would you go for 

a friend?"

     "Point taken," was the only reply she had to that question.  "Now can 

you hurry up with that?"

     MacLeod smiled, but he did return to his task.  "Nervous?"

     Jupiter risked a quick glance at the street below them before she 

answered.  "Hey, running rooftop to rooftop is one thing, but this is 

something altogether different."

     That gave the Highlander pause.  "Rooftop to rooftop?"

     "Just open the window."

     He nodded, and tripped open the last latch.  "Your wish is my 

command," he quipped as he swung it open.

     "Oh, you're a barrels of laughs."  Jupiter followed MacLeod into 

the apartment and looked around.  The room was adequately furnished, if 

a bit on the spartan side.  There wasn't anything that gave it a 

distinctively personal touch however.  It felt more like a hotel room than 

an apartment.  "So what are we looking for?"

     "I wish I knew."  MacLeod glanced into the bedroom, but there 

wasn't anything in there to indicated anybody had used it recently.  "I 

was half hoping we'd find Kane here.  And that we'd be able to figure 

out what's wrong with him."

     "Hey, all we need in to get him into Mercury's range.  She'd have 

it figured out in a few minutes," Jupiter said, her voice full of 

confidence in her friend.  She stepped into the kitchen and scrutinized 

it with a critical eye.  "Geez, what'd they do to furnish this place?  

Order everything from the Sears catalog?"

     MacLeod skimmed quickly through the items on the coffee table.  "I 

hope you're right about Mercury.  Because if she can't figure out, there 

may be only one thing to do."

     Jupiter stepped out of the kitchen.  "What do you mean?"

     "I mean, that if we can't figure out what's wrong with Kane, I may 

have to deal with him.  Permanently."

     Jupiter was stunned. "You mean kill him?  But... Like you said, he's 

your friend!  He's saved your life."

     "I know that!" MacLeod replied tersely.  "But I can't afford to split 

my attention between him and helping you protect Sailor Moon from Mornay.  

When all is said and done, there's only one way to stop an Immortal who's 

gone bad."

     "There's always another way," Jupiter insisted.

     "I hope you're right," MacLeod agreed quietly.  "But I know that Kane 

would want me to do it, if that's what it came down to."

       Jupiter opened her mouth to argue the point further, but in that 

moment she felt a cold tingle run down her spine and the hairs on the back 

of her neck started to stand on end.  "Uh... Duncan?  I think we've got a 

problem."

     "Adding understatement to your list of failings, I see."  Jupiter 

spun around and saw Malachite finish materializing in front of the door.

     Belatedly realizing that this was an elaborate trap, MacLeod 

started for the window but it slammed shut before he could take more than 

a single step.  There was the audible sound of the lock clicking and he 

just knew that there was no way he'd be able to force it again.  "I 

suppose you think you've got us," he told Malachite.

     Malachite smiled thinly.  "I know I've got you.  I was hoping you'd 

bring Sailor Moon here, but I'll settle for eliminating Sailor Jupiter."

     MacLeod smiled.  "Not if we escape first."

     "There is no escape," the Negaverse General insisted.

     "Guess again."  Malachite's eyes widened in surprise when MacLeod, 

heedless of the fact that they were eight stories up, charged at the 

window and hurled himself through the glass.  The glass shattered under 

the impact, and MacLeod sailed over the ledge and out of sight.

     "Duncan!"  Jupiter lingered in the apartment only long enough to 

throw a ball of lightning at Malachite before she followed the Highlander 

out the window and began a her own, albeit more controlled, descent.

     Malachite moved quickly to the window.  Looking down, he saw 

MacLeod's still form in the middle of the street.  Jupiter was just 

getting to ground level and a crowd was starting to gather around them.  

He started to gather his powers to strike them both, the sound of car 

brakes squealing startled him before he could act.  The next thing he 

knew, Jupiter had bundled MacLeod into the back seat and was getting in 

herself even as it was pulling away.  "Damn!"



     Jupiter watched as Dawson drove as rapidly as he could down the 

street.  "How'd you manage to be right there just then?"

     "Dumb luck," Dawson replied.  "I wouldn't have been if MacLeod 

hadn't called me about the Watcher you were supposed to meet.  I had 

just gotten there to check for myself when I saw MacLeod jump through 

the window.  You OK?"

     "Yeah, but I think Duncan is still dead."

     Dawson risked a quick glance of MacLeod in the rear view mirror.  He 

was a mess to put it mildly, but that was to be expected after crashing 

through a window and falling eight floors.  "Trust me, he's been worse."

     Jupiter looked uncertainly at Dawson.  "I'm not sure I want you to 

elaborate on that."  A beeping sound alerted her and she took out her 

communicator.  "Jupiter here.  What's up?"

     Raye's image formed on the viewer.  "Is MacLeod there?"

     "Sort of," Jupiter answered.  She glanced at him, but he still 

wasn't moving.  "He's a little... dead at the moment."

     Raye blinked, but rapidly recovered.  "Well, get him here as soon as 

you can.  Kane's here with me and Serena."

     Out of the corner of her eye, Jupiter saw Dawson react to this 

statement.  She was shocked herself, but she managed to keep from shouting 

her next question.  "What's he want?"

     "MacLeod, for now," Raye answered.  "Just get here ASAP."

     "On my way."  She click the communicator off and leaned forward.  

"Did you hear that?"

     Dawson nodded while making a left turn.  "Yeah, I did.  I'm already 

heading for the Temple."

     "You know how to get there?"

     "I'm a Watcher," came Dawson's confident reply.  "Information is my 

business."



     Amy shook her head.  "I think it's time to call the others."

     "Don't be silly," Mina assured her.  "So far, all we've seen is 

Mornay wandering around town.  I bet he's been looking for us.  Well, I 

or one would like to know where he's operating from."

     "I though our goal was finding him," Artemis tried to remind her.

     "And we did," Mina reminded him.  "Now we're going to find out where 

he's working from.  And maybe we'll get lucky and find Kane, too."  She 

glanced up and felt a small surge of panic.  Mornay had been just down 

the street a second ago, but now he was nowhere to be found.  "Where'd 

he go?!?"

     "Down that alley," Amy replied calmly.

     "I'll check it out," Artemis said immediately.  "Wait here."  Not 

waiting for their reply, the white feline ran ahead of them and paused 

at the alley entrance.  He took a long look down that way, but he saw 

nothing out of the ordinary down there.

     "See anything?"  Artemis nearly jumped out of his skin at the 

question, but he managed to regain some of his composure and return his 

attention to Mina.

     "I thought I told you to wait back there?!?"

     "Oh, you worry too much, Artemis," she assured him.

     "You don't worry enough," he said.

     "Tough," she shot back.  "Did you see anything or not?"

     "I'm afraid not," he admitted.  "It looks like he vanished into 

thin air."  He paused, listening to senses other than sight or sound.  

Finally he whispered, "I'm getting a bad feeling about this..."

     "What do you mean?" Mina asked, but he never got a chance to answer.  

For at that moment, an insistent beeping sound filled the air around 

them.

     Amy was the first to answer it.  "Yes?"

     "We've got a problem," Jupiter answered.  "Kane's at the Temple with 

Raye and Serena."

     "We're on our way," Mina answered without any hesitation.  All 

thoughts of Mornay instantly forgotten, she and Amy were on their way to 

the temple with Artemis in close pursuit.

     The alley entrance was still for a couple of more minute, but then 

a large figure skulked out of it. Mornay glanced up and down the street, 

oblivious to the reaction his lizard-like form drew.  'Odd,' he thought.  

'I was certain I felt one of them following...'



     Kane look idly about the small clearing, one of many around the 

grounds of the Temple.  "I hope MacLeod gets here soon."

     "Is that a threat?" Serena asked.  She and Raye stood together only 

a couple of paces from Kane.  She would have liked to have been further 

away from him, but Kane had been careful to keep them close.  Well 

within reach of his sword should either of them try to transform.

     "Merely an observation," Kane replied, his voice infernally calm.

     "Sounded like a threat to me," Raye countered.  One more time she 

went over the options available to her and Serena, but they were proving 

very few and risky as well.  They could try to split up, but Kane would 

surely be able to get one of them at least... And she wasn't about to 

take a chance with Serena's life.  Especially not now, so soon after 

their failed attempt to snare Malachite in a trap of their own.  No, the 

only viable option she saw was to wait and be ready to transform at a 

moments notice.

     Kane opened his mouth to reply to her, but some movement across 

the clearing caught his eye.  A moment later, MacLeod emerged into the 

clearing, making a motion to whoever was behind him to stay there.

     "What happened to him?" Serena whispered, shocked.  Raye didn't 

answer, but she silently agreed with Serena.  Duncan's hair was 

disheveled, his clothes were torn in several places and there were 

several bloodstains as well.  In short, it looked like he had been 

through a small war.

     Keeping his gaze on Kane, the Highlander took several steps toward 

the trio.  However, his first words were to Serena and Raye.  "You two 

OK?"

     "Oh, yeah.  Never better," Raye replied.  "We're in a good shape 

as you."

     "Glad to hear it," Duncan replied, ignoring the sarcasm laced 

within her reply.  He took a step towards Kane, and stood toe to toe 

with the older Immortal.  "This isn't exactly your style."

     "It was the easiest way to get your attention," he replied.  "We 

need to talk."

     MacLeod nodded.  "What do you say we talk in private?"  He gestured 

to a spot on the far side of the clearing.

     Kane glanced in that direction and then nodded.  "Sounds good to me."

     "Lead on," MacLeod said.  As he started to follow Kane, he glanced 

quickly to Serena and Raye.  "Stay here.  Let me handle this," he 

instructed.

     Raye was instantly fuming and Serena didn't look to happy either.  

But neither said anything while the two Immortals moved away from them.   

Instead they went over to where Duncan had first entered the clearing.  

Hidden among the foliage, Sailor Jupiter waited there and kept watch as 

MacLeod had asked her.  When Serena got closer, she could see that 

Jupiter wasn't alone.  Both Amy and Mina were there as well, evidently 

arriving just after MacLeod had.

     "What happened to Duncan?" Serena asked Jupiter almost immediately, 

her curiosity getting the better of her.  "He looks like he just went 

through a war!"

     "Maybe Lita just showed him a very rough time," Amy said innocently.

     Jupiter immediately flushed a bright red at the insinuation.  "It 

wasn't anything like that!  He just jumped out a window eight stories up."

     Mina blinked.  "Wow.  What'd you do to make him try and get away from 

you like that?"

     "It wasn't me he was running away from!" Jupiter strove desperately 

to keep her voice down, and for the most part succeeded.  She took a deep 

breath before continuing.  "We were checking a place out, but it turned 

out it was a trap set by Malachite.  Duncan crashed through the window to 

open up a way for me to escape."

     "First two Immortals and now Malachite shows up," Serena muttered, 

any notion of teasing Jupiter further forgotten.  "This just gets better 

and better."

     "'Let me handle this', he says," Raye muttered, still fuming.  "Who 

does he think he is?"

     "Same as he always does.  Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod," a 

voice behind her answered.

     Raye had opened her mouth to reply when it suddenly occurred to her 

that the person answering her had a masculine voice.  She whirled about 

and saw a familiar form just behind Mina.  "Dawson!  What are you doing 

here?!?"

     "Could you say that a little louder?" the Watcher asked her.  "I 

don't think they quite heard you in Vladisvostok."

     "He brought Duncan and me here, Raye," Jupiter explained.  "After 

Duncan jumped out the window, he was there in a car and gave us a lift 

out of there."

     "That was awfully convenient," Mina said, eyeing the Watcher.

     "They found a dead Watcher in the area," Dawson said tersely.  "I 

wanted to make sure before I went to tell his wife about it."

     A pallor fell over the conversation.  "Sorry," Mina said heartfeltly.

     "Forget about it," Dawson replied.  "It's not the first time I've 

lost a Watcher.  Just try not to be so suspicious, OK?  I get enough of 

that from him."  He pointed to MacLeod.

     "Do you mind answering a question?" Amy asked.  "The Watchers 

are evidently a large, worldwide organization.  You could have assisted 

Duncan by phone.  Why did you come here?"

     Dawson took a moment before responding.  "Two reasons.  One, I've 

been watching MacLeod for a long time.  And over the years, I've come 

to admire him.  He's the best of the Immortals, everything that one of 

them should be.  And I consider him a friend as well."  He paused and 

looked to each of them.  "And that gives us something in common, I 

think."

     "You got that right," Mina said.  "And your second reason?"

     "Whatever's going on here, it's a lot bigger than the Immortals 

and the Game.  I figured I could help out more on the scene."

     Raye got the feeling that Dawson knew more that he was letting on, 

but she chose to let that pass for the moment.  She returned her 

attention to the two Immortals.  "I wish I knew what they were talking 

about."

     "Who knows?" Dawson said.  "They've got almost three hundred fifty 

years of history to talk about... Plus they haven't seen each other in 

almost fifty."

     "What I can't figure out is why Kane is just talking to Duncan," 

Serena said.  "I figured they'd start fighting as soon as Duncan got 

here.

     Dawson now looked amused.  "Didn't you tell them about the Holy 

Ground rule?" he asked Mina.

     "We haven't had time to go over all the rules of the Game," Luna 

replied tersely.

     Dawson blinked.  He evidently hadn't seen Luna down there, but he 

didn't seem surprised to hear her talk.  "You know about them, too?"

     "He's not the first Immortal I've met," the black cat replied.

     "Will someone please answer my question?" a frustrated Serena said.

     "Immortals don't fight each other on Holy Ground, Serena," Mina 

explained.  "It's the first and most important rule they live by."

     "That, and 'In the end, there can be only one'," Dawson put in.

     "And the rule isn't specific to any one religion, either," Luna 

added.

     "I see, " Amy said.  "Then if it's Holy Ground in any religion, 

then it's forbidden for them to fight there.  It doesn't matter if it's 

here, the Sistine Chapel, the Rock on the Mount, the Wailing Wall..."

     "Wailing Wall?  You mean there's a religious shrine named after 

Serena?" Raye asked.

     "Very funny, Raye," Serena growled out.

     "What happens if someone gets beheaded on Holy Ground?" Luna 

asked, hoping to head off another Raye/Serena clash.  "I never learned 

that."

     "Hard to say for sure.  There's something in the Watcher records, 

but it's more or less a legend now," Dawson said.  "Supposedly there was 

a beheading on Holy Ground once."

     "And?" Mina asked.

     "If the records are accurate, it happened in the year 79.  In a 

Roman city called Pompeii."

     "Oh, my," Amy said.  "You mean...?  Mount Vesuvius?"

     Dawson nodded.  "That's the legend."



     "You still haven't answered my questions, Kane."  MacLeod was 

getting a bit frustrated.  He had been trying to get Kane to tell him 

what was going on, but the older Immortal evaded answering, preferring 

instead to return to why he had come here in the first place.  And it 

was a subject that MacLeod would prefer not to discuss.  Not with a 

friend.  "What's going on?"

     "Why don't you answer me first, MacLeod.  Why are you here?  What 

are they to you?"  He nodded his head in the direction of Serena and Raye. 

He could tell they were talking with others hidden behind the foliage, but 

he didn't care at the moment.

     Duncan didn't hesitate.  "Friends."

     Kane raised and eyebrow.  "I would think they were a little young to 

be your type."  He crossed his arms and his face took on a speculative 

look.  "Now, if we were talking about Fitzcairn I might be able to buy it..."

     "They're just friends," MacLeod reiterated strongly.  "Until now I 

had thought you understood the meaning of the word.  But I'm not so sure 

anymore."

     MacLeod thought he saw a flicker of anger in Kane's eyes, but his 

face remained otherwise impassive.  "Times change MacLeod.  And so do I."

     MacLeod snorted.  "Yeah, right.  Nobody changes this much.  For as 

long as I've known you, you'd die rather than go after a friend.  When we 

last met you put yourself at risk for me... but today you tried to kill me 

the moment you saw me.  I want to know why... Now!"

     "Very well," Kane said.  "Simply put, you're in our way."

     MacLeod wasn't sure he heard right.  "You're working with Mornay?"

     "You could say we have the same employer."

     "Malachite."  The way Duncan said it made it clear it wasn't a 

question.  Kane didn't even try to refute it.  "But why work with 

Mornay?  I've heard about your history with him.  You've been after him 

for centuries."

     "Let's just say Malachite made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Kane 

replied.  "It was originally supposed to be just Mornay going after the 

Scouts, but then you stumbled onto the scene.  So I was given the task 

of dealing with you."

     Duncan shook his head in disbelief.  "I can't believe I'm hearing 

this."

     "Believe it," Kane said flatly.  "I think I've answered your 

questions, Highlander, so now we'll discuss why I... 'arranged' for this 

little meeting.  We have been friends, so I'll give you the chance to 

withdraw from the picture..."

     "I can't do that and you know it."

     "Very well," Kane said.  "Then we shall have to settle this the way 

our kind has always settled matters."

     MacLeod took a moment before he answered.  "You're not going to give 

me a choice, are you?"

     "Of course you have a choice.  It's either that or..."  Kane's 

voiced trailed off and he looked over towards where Serena and Raye 

were standing.

     MacLeod had no trouble deciphering the implied threat.  "All right," 

he said tightly.  "Where and when?"

     "Tonight at midnight.  I'll let you set the place."

     "There's a clock tower in the park across the street.  I'll be 

there."

     Kane raised a warning finger.  "Just make sure you're alone, 

MacLeod.  No Sailor Scouts."

     "Don't worry about me," MacLeod shot back.  "I'll be alone.  Just 

make sure the same applies to you as well."

     "Relax MacLeod," Kane assured him.  "It'll be just you, me... and 

our blades.  Until then."  Kane walked away, leaving a fuming Highlander behind.

     Neither Immortal had noticed the white feline perched in the 

branches above them.



     MacLeod watched as Kane strode off, his thoughts in a turmoil.  

There should have been a way for him to avoid things coming to this, but 

at the moment he couldn't think of any.

     "Are you crazy?"  Duncan turned to his right and found himself 

confronted by a very angry Raye.  He noted that the others, standing 

close behind her, also looked more or less displeased.  "You're just 

letting him walk away?!?"

     "We've said what we had to say to each other."   He looked again 

where Kane had gone.  "You don't have to worry about Kane."

     "Why?  Because he promised to leave us alone?"  Raye didn't bother 

to keep the disbelief out of her voice.

     "Because we agreed to finish this tonight... one way or another."

     That statement got several looks of surprise.  "You're going to 

fight him?" Lita asked.  Although they hadn't been around MacLeod for long, 

it had been time enough for all of them to instantly understand just what 

that meant.

     "That's what I said," he replied, his voice tinged with anger.

     "Duncan, you said he was your friend!" Mina exclaimed.  "He saved 

your life!"

     "Twice!" Lita put in.

     "Don't you think I know that?!?" Duncan asked hotly.  "But he's 

working with Mornay now.  There's no other way.  Unless..."  He looked 

to Amy.  "Unless you managed to find something which would explain this."

     Amy frowned.  "Nothing concrete, I'm afraid.  I did get some odd 

readings but I'm not sure what they mean at the moment."

     "Then that's it," Duncan said with a note finality in his voice.  

"There is no other way."

     Serena shook her head.  "There's always another way.  I don't want 

you to kill a friend for me."

     "There isn't another way, Serena.  Not when Immortals are involved.  

In the end there can be only one," Duncan reiterated.  "I always knew I 

might have to face him one day."

     Dawson chose that moment to speak up.  "It still doesn't have to 

come to that, MacLeod.  Listen to them, maybe they can help sort this 

out."

     "You stay out of this, Dawson," Duncan told him.  "You're not 

supposed to interfere, remember?"

     "Listed on your own card," Mina said at Dawson's grimace.

     He might have been a fan of Sailor V's exploits, but evidently 

Dawson wasn't familiar with Mina's ability to mangle a proverb.  He 

looked at her, his face taking on a look of confusion.  "What?"

     "Maybe he's not supposed to interfere, but that doesn't apply to 

us!" Raye stated, ignoring both Dawson's confusion and Amy correcting 

Mina.

     "Right!" Serena agreed.  "I bet Malachite messed with your friend's 

mind.  A little dose of Moon Healing should clear that right up."

     "Sounds good to me," Lita agreed.  "So where and when's the big 

showdown supposed to be."

     MacLeod shook his head.  "Forget it."

     "What?!?" five voices said at once.  "Are you crazy?" Raye asked 

him again.

     "I agreed to come alone," MacLeod explained.  "And I keep my word."

     "But --" Serena started.

     "Look, it's been a long day for everyone," MacLeod said.  "Why 

don't you get some rest, and then we'll start looking for Mornay in 

the morning."

     "Now wait a minute..." Lita began, but Duncan was already walking 

away.

     Mina watched him depart and frowned.  "You know, he tried to 

something like this in London.  Then he thought it was too dangerous for 

me."

     "That's MacLeod for you," Dawson observed.  "He's always too 

honorable or too gallant for his own good.  It's both his best and most 

annoying trait."

     Raye glowered.  "What good's it gonna do if he gets himself 

killed?"

     "Raye's right," Serena said.  "He should at least know where this 

showdown's going to take place.  If for no other reason so that we can 

watch his back."

     Lita turned to Dawson.  "You're a Watcher.  Can't you put some sort 

of tail on him and see where he goes?"

     Dawson shrugged.  "I could try but it might not do any good. He 

knows about us and a good deal about our methods.  He'll be watching for 

some sort of shadow.  And if I know him, he'd probably let himself be 

followed for a time, then break the tail halfway across town from where 

the action's going to be."

     Artemis walked up beside Dawson.  "You could try the clock tower in 

the park at midnight."

     All eyes turned to the cat. "How do you know that, Artemis?" Mina 

asked.

     "Ah, we guardian cats have our methods," Artemis replied 

enigmatically.

     "You mean you were eavesdropping," Luna snapped.

     Artemis was unrepentant.  "Can I help it if they didn't check to see 

if any cats were listening?"

     Dawson nodded approvingly.  "I couldn't have done better myself.  

We could use someone like you in the Watchers.  You need a job?"

     "err..." Artemis began.

     "OK then," Serena interrupted.  "We'll let Duncan try it his way at 

first.  But if we figure out a way to stop Kane without killing him, or 

if those Negaverse creeps try anything, the Sailor Scout go into action!  

Right?"

     "Right!"



     Entering the apartment Malachite had elected to use as a base of 

operations, Horton paused and surveyed the damage.  "I take it we had 

visitors?" he asked calmly.

     "MacLeod and Sailor Jupiter," Malachite replied tersely.

     "So the trap we baited with that Watcher managed to draw something 

here," Horton observed.  "What happened?"

     "MacLeod jumped through the window," Malachite said.  "After that, 

Jupiter managed to escape on her own."

     "Ah, I see.  MacLeod's gallant streak rears it's head once more," 

Horton said.  He moved to the window and casually glanced outside.  "After 

all, what's an eight story fall to an Immortal?"

     Malachite cast an irritated glare at his ally.  "You seem to be 

taking this rather well."

     "That is because I have other news.  Kane confronted MacLeod earlier 

and challenged him.  I have no doubt that MacLeod will be there as Kane 

instructed... Alone."

     Malachite nodded, digesting this bit of news.  "The Scouts will be 

there," he said after a moment.

     Horton smiled.  "No doubt they will.  But I'm sure that MacLeod has 

drilled them on the rules, and that they will honor his desire to stay out 

of the combat.  But if they show themselves... Well, we'll make sure Mornay 

is there to greet them properly."

     Malachite wasn't so certain.  "What if MacLeod defeats Kane?"

     "Are you always this much a pessimist?" Horton replied.  "In any 

event, the outcome of this duel is moot.  Once it is over, MacLeod will 

be finished.  And if the Sailor Scouts are there, then Mornay will deal 

with them as well."  He paused and smiled thinly.  "Once and for all."



Next time: "There can be only one..."