Version 1.0 - 19th Jul 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------- B I S H O U J O S E N S H I S A I L O R M O O N A C R O S S T H E B O R D E R by DARK DAY FOR ANIME (Mark A Page) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer - This is a story containing characters who were created by anyone but me. That anyone would happen to be Takeuchi Naoko. Handle it. -------------------------------------------------------------------- W H A T H A S G O N E B E F O R E The DEATH SAILORS, TSUKINO USAGI III, HINO REI JNR and PROFESSOR MIZUNO AMI, operatives of PRESIDENT SERENITY and the REPUBLIC OF SURREALISM, have survived what is, for them, a dangerous trek through their capital city, even if a very short one. Enemies lie in wait at every turn, ready to kill them, and their only hope is to reach the prepared safe houses that dot the capital. Surving such an ordeal, they began a debriefing session with their President when the LADY LUNA DE SADE makes an appearance. Luna is to be their guide throughout the region known as NEMESIS GATE, where their next target, the Reality Extremist leader, ADAM JADE, is planning to gather together all the terrorist groups dedicated to the cause of reality. The relationship between Lady Luna and Usagi is exposed to be less than friendly, even though Luna had saved Usagi from death in the past after a terrorist bomb had killed her family. It is obvious that Usagi still feels a sense of shame in not having died with her family, and is taking out that shame on Luna. Meanwhile, overlooking the scene of Jade's gathering are the AMAZONESS QUARTET.... Four rogues within the Republic's operative network. Luna tells the Death Sailors about the Quartet, and they are less than impressed by the thought that they may have to work alongside, or worse, in opposition to the four, in the effort to kill Jade. Luna also intimates that there is something about the Quartet that makes them not quite as human as they appear to be. But before they can discuss the matter further, Realist terrorists, who have been watching the safe house, explode a car bomb outside in the hope of drawing in the local constabulary. Knowing that any search by the constabulary may eventuate with them getting hurt by the safe house's electronic defenses, Lady Luna and the Death Sailors scuttle their sanctuary and make a head on attack on the Realists, escaping into the sewer system. A single Realist soldier, by the name of DETERN, has pursued them into the sewers, and has managed to catch up with them.... -------------------------------------------------------------------- "You must think I'm stupid..." Came Detern's voice, as he leaned against the wall of the tunnel, glancing down at the tripwire mine that Ami had set, lit by his service torch. "A trap that obvious.... Even I could see it coming." "Even I could see it coming." Ami whispered in a mocking tone. "Does he realise he's putting himself down?" "Oh be quiet, you fool...." Usagi hissed back, nervously. Ami shrugged and lifted up the small device she had taken from her overcoat, thumbing the single orange button that sat within its curved black plastic with an almost fetishist attraction. Ignoring her, Usagi swallowed, and jumped out from the depression in the sewer wall she and Ami had been hiding behind, firing a round from her double-barrelled revolver into the opposite wall of the junction, around which Detern was hiding. The shot ricocheted off the wall and missed his head by inches, ricocheting from there, down the older sewer branch. He nervously stared at the mark in the wall where the bullet had struck, swallowing, then turned and watched as the sparks flew from the shot's zigzag journey. Shivering, Detern turned back, his next few words said in a quavering tone. "That didn't work either...." He lifted up his rifle as he heard Usagi duck back behind the corner of the depression. Ami watched as Usagi shivered, clutching onto her revolver as if it were her lifeline. "Jeez, I hate these close fights...." The blond swallowed, closing her eyes, momentarily. She then turned to Ami and grimaced. "You hear him? 'That didn't work either', he says...." Ami shook her head. "This will, though..." She smiled and pressed the button on the device. The mines went off, blowing Detern back along the sewer tunnel for some distance, with shrapnel wounds to his legs. He let out a short shriek of shock and pain, falling dazed onto the bricked floor of the sewer, his torch and rifle clattering to the floor beside him. He only just managed to lift his head in time to see the roof cave in on the junction. Dust filled the passage, making it impossible to see anything, the light cast by the torch smothered, matching the darkness that overcame his senses as shock set in.... As the dust cleared on the other side of the cave in, Usagi looked back at Ami, who was pocketing the small device with a wry smile on her face. "Don't tell me.... The trip wire was a dummy, right?" Usagi replaced her revolver back in her overcoat as the realisation hit her that Ami had been having a lend of her. "Oh come on...." Ami giggled. "You know me better than that." Ami picked up her backpack and started after Rei and Luna, who could still be seen some short distance along the tunnel, her back receiving some very dark looks from Usagi.... ----o Part Five Delicate Dance of Death ----o Jade smiled as he stepped through the foyer of his stronghold, flanked by his personal bodyguard and several senior members of his militia, all smiling and applauding his recent speech with much appreciation. He smiled back and acknowledged the applause with nods, knowing, deep down, that they were doing nothing more than trying to stay in his good books.... Maybe even, hopefully, catch his eye.... Increase the power of their own positions within the militia establishment. He knew all this, and didn't care. The sounds of the cheering multitudes, outside, were enough to drown out the cynicism in his heart. He had crafted his art well, preaching the half-truths and pseudopolitical babble that came with the terrirory of being so high up in an organisation like the Reality Militia. He told then what they wanted to hear.... Or what they THOUGHT they wanted to hear, for they had no minds or will of their own.... He loved the applause he received from them, yet despised them for being so easy to control, to be so deeply unimaginative.... They were tools, he had to keep reminding himself.... It was a bad craftsman who blamed his tools for his unhappiness.... Or something like that. He chuckled as he, once more, entered his office, sighing as he saw Titus, waiting for him. He turned to his bodyguard and nodded to him purposely. The tall, broad shouldered young man looked down at him, coldly, and nodded back, shutting the door on the milling crowd, outside the office and standing guard. Nobody was going to disturb Jade's musings, today. Nobody, that was, except Titus. "I take it you have information for me? Otherwise, you're a lot smarter than to be waiting for me in my office after such a raging success." Jade said, finally, after contemplating the silent woman, clutching her checkboard with a thoughtful expression. "Yes, and it is not good news." She simpered. The voice sent shivers down Jade's spine. There were moments where he really believed she had something for him.... Where her tone and expression would become suggestive. The very thought of someone like her having such expressions of preference.... He took a breath and turned, pacing around his desk and sitting in the large chair, set behind, with an expansive gesture of disconcern. "Go ahead, then. Spoil my day for me." He said that with a smile. Titus raised an eyebrow and grinned. "The Death Sailors have survived the ambush attempt on the safe house in Lockheed Moor." Jade's heart sank, but he kept the smiling mask going. "Really? How disappointing." He swivelled his chair and looked out of the window. "They must be quite determined to kill me, then." "They're Republican operatives, sir.... They're quite dedicated, and anything but stupid." "You sound like you admire them." Titus swallowed. "I admire them? I merely wish we had someone within our soldiers as experienced and as dedicated as they are." She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. The bastard always knew which kind of lines to use to upset her. Why was he always on guard like this? There simply never seemed to be an opportunity to make her play for him.... "I, too, wish there were such people within my army." He chuckled. "I would not be as frightened for my future as I am at this very moment." He turned back to her. "How many days will it take them, on foot, to reach Nemesis Gate?" "They have escaped via the sewers. We have a party pursuing them, right at this very moment." "That's not what I asked you." "Via the sewers, sir.... About two and a half days." Jade clenched his teeth and exclaimed in a manner that suggested he'd just been bitten by someone. "They should have had someone covering those sewers." "Considering the effect the spearhead squad had within the old school building, in which the safe house was placed, I don't think it would have made much difference." "It would have changed the nature of the fight. The sewers would have made the battle arena just a little more level.... Nowhere to hide... Just shoot and run." "There are alcoves within the newer sections, sir. That would have made the situation less equal." "But Lockheed Moor is NOT one of the newer sections, is it? It was anything BUT." Jade spat. "If they'd been pinned down in the old sewers, then we wouldn't be having this conversation, now." "I'm sorry, sir. I'll have the squad leaders replaced with someone more suitable." "That's not the point, now, is it? They've managed to escape into the sewers, and are probably somewhere well along the network of tunnels, making their way here." "If they know the sewers well enough not to get lost." "They wouldn't have scuttled the safe house and run down there if they didn't know where they were going." Silence passed between them for close to a minute as they both made to recover from their verbal stoush. Titus swallowed and clutched onto her workboard with both hands, tightly. "Well, we'll soon know how far they've gone.... The pursuit squad is currently making its way along the sewers." "For your sake, Titus, and theirs, I certainly hope they catch them. I don't like the thought of having to deal with them, myself." Titus swallowed again, saluted, and left the office. ----o The small but heavily armed pursuit squad paced through the old sewer tunnel in as good a tactical manner that could be achieved in a straight stretch without anywhere to hide. Their shoulder- mounted spot torches bobbed within the darkness, making their approach to the cave in look a tad silly. At least, that was what Detern thought as he opened his eyes and wondered why he was still capable of seeing something. "There's someone down there, on the floor." He heard one of them say. Well, duh.... He thought to himself, trying to sit up, marvelling the fact that he still seemed to have some semblance of movement in his legs. "They're moving. Should we shoot them?" He heard another one say. There was a sigh from the squad's leader. "Look at the uniform! It's one of OUR guys, fer chrissakes." "It was only a suggestion." Said the beleaguered soldier. Yes, Detern thought to himself, another fine example of the Reality Militia's intellectuals, that one. He heard their footsteps approaching, showing less caution as they saw the cave in. "Jesus! The whole thing's come down." One of the flank soldiers ran up to the mound of brickwork, cement and soil that blocked their path. The squad leader knelt down beside Detern as he managed to sit up against the wall. "Are you okay?" "No, I am not okay. They got me with a mine." He winced as he felt the first telltale signs that things were going to be painful for a while, forgetting to include the fact that he'd just about walked into their trap.... "I'd say you're lucky to be alive." The squad leader looked down at Detern's legs. "Light shrapnel grenade. Made to go bang with much force than scatter the bits and pieces." "Made to level the roof of the tunnel, more likely." Detern clenched his teeth. "You don't happen to have anything that will make me feel REAL happy for the next few ours on you, do you? This is beginning to hurt." The squad leader nodded, and snapped his fingers at the medic, a small girl who had stood at the rear of the group. As she ran forward to attend to Detern's wounds and desire for happy juice, the squad leader stood and unhitched his transceiver from his belt. "Squad 30 to Youma One, copy?" "Youma One, Squad 30, we copy." Was his crackling reply. It was a good thing radio communications were still working this far underground.... "Youma One, we have found one watch soldier, wounded, within the sewer tunnels. He was apparently caught out by a mine laid by the targets.... The tunnel has been subsequently sealed, over." There were a few silent moments of crackling static as the squad leader watched his subordinates eye the cave in, appreciatively. Eventually, he recived a reply. "Well, he's a silly little man, isn't he? Over." The squad leader sighed.... ----o "There is no doubt about it, Madam President. The safe house has been lost...." Serenity's secretary paced the floor of her office as she leaned her head in her hands, against her desk, thinking deeply. "When did communications with the security system cease?" She asked, her face pale. "About an hour ago. There was, apparently, an almighty blast, virtually eradicating the entire safe house and the automatic gaurd." The secretary put his hands behind his back, sighing. "Then they scuttled the safe house...." Serenity rubbed her face with her hands. "Were the militia really that close to cracking the security?" "More likely they tried to drag the local authorities into their fight. In that kind of situation, it would have been only natural that Lady Luna and the Death Sailors would have chosen to scuttle the safe house and run." "Usagi...." Serenity whispered to herself. Her secretary gave her a quizzical look. "Did you say something, Madam President?" Serenity looked up at him, realising that he must have heard her remark. She put up her hands, smiling nervously. "It is nothing. I was.... merely thinking aloud." "You were thinking of Usagi, weren't you?" His tone softened quite deeply. Serenity swallowed, nodding. "I'm sure she'd alright, Madam President. She's a lot like you used to be when you were her age." "I most certainly hope so." Serenity cast her mind back to the days when she used to be a member of the Republican Resistance... "Although, I must say, I only ever seemed to escape the tighter spots by the skin of my teeth.... That is one thing I hope she inhe...." "Madam President!" Her secretary barked. She looked up at him with surprise. "Need I remind you? The walls have ears." Serenity opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, nodding. "I'm sorry. Get our people to the scene as quickly as possible. I want it confirmed, or not, that Lady Luna and the Death Sailors are alive and well...." "Yes, Madam President." The secretary bowed, and strode from her office. Serenity sat back, crossing her hands in front of her mouth, remembering back to the cold days of the civil war, and the child she bore.... ----o Rei sat on the access ledge as Luna looked down at her wet feet with much disgust. "This sludge is probably full of the worst parasites known to medical science.... We'll be ill for years, if not dead." The noble leaned against the wall on the ledge, now glad to be away from the running stream of the sewer "This is just drainwater, you know. It's not as if every toilet in the city empties into here, or anything." "You're just trying to make me feel better, I can see it in your eyes." Luna sniffed and turned back to the door, set into the wall at the back of the access ledge. "Are we to leave this disgusting place here?" "You're kidding, right? This is Bardon Park.... We're nowhere near Vermion Lock, yet." "Wonderful." Luna turned up her nose. "I should have listened to my mother's advice when she told me never to become involved in politics." "You were one of the aristocracy.... You weren't going to be able to avoid it." Rei leaned against her backpack, which she had removed. "We only stopped here to wait for the others." "If they're still alive." "Oh, I'm quite sure they're still alive. That blast we heard was one of Ami's mines." "She probably blew herself up with it, in which case we should expect the enemy to come rounding the corner any minute now." "Oh ye of little faith." Luna sniffed. "Experience has taught me never to discount any possibility." "Nor has it taught you when it is a good time to voice your personal opinions." Rei snorted. "So what if I like to mouth off? At least you know how I feel about things." "Oh yes.... Rei nodded, dubiously. "I know EXACTLY how you feel about things, right at this very moment." "Trying to kill us off before our time, is she?" Rei and Luna turned to Usagi as the girl peered around the corner of the ledge, half smiling. "So typical for Luna.... She never had any faith in me...." Luna crossed her arms as Usagi and Ami stepped into view and jumped up onto the ledge. "Can you blame me? I know you better than they do." She pointed to Ami and Rei. "I was there when you made the greatest mistakes of your life." "Yeah, having you there at the time was one of them." Usagi snorted as she dumped her backpack next to Rei's, mirroring her by sitting on the ledge. "The tunnel has been blocked off by the mine. We aren't going to get any chasing us from that direction." Usagi nodded back the way they came. Rei looked down into the stream at the base of the ledge. "That probably means they'll try and get to us through accessways like this." She thumbed the doorway behind them. Luna instinctively back from the door. "You're kidding? And we've been sitting here for, what, ten minutes?" Luna swallowed. Rei sighed and shook her head. "They're probably still pouring over the plans of the sewer system. Not having posted any soldiers within the tunnels, it is obvious they never considered this to be a potential escape route, and therefore wouldn't have a blind idea where to go in the process of chasing us." "So it isn't likely they'll have spotted this entrance on the plans, yet." Ami finished, stepping up to the access door and running her hand down it. "Should I fix it for them?" "I think mining it would be, right at this very moment, a bit premature." Rei mumbled. "What if the next person who came through that door was a city maintainance worker? I'm quite sure the President would be happy to compensate his or her family for the loss of their loved one." Luna barked in her own inimitable fashion. Ami cringed. "It was only a suggestion. No need to bite my head off about it." She stepped over to the ledge and sat down, sulking. Luna looked down at her, haughtily. "I think moving on from here, as quickly as possible, would be the best plan of action, don't you think so?" The trio looked at each other for a few moments. "I think she's right, Usagi." Rei said, chuckling, as Usagi grumped. "Very well, then.... Let us move out." Luna took a hold of her backpack, which was sitting at her feet, and started to heave it over her shoulder. Rei looked back at her, grinning. "Of course, you can lead the way, if you wish." "What?" Luna stared at her in disbelief. "Yeah, that's right. If there are any holes or anything in the floor of the sewer, we'll soon know when you disappear into the water's murky depths...." Usagi continued Rei's line, a grin speading across her face. "Uhuh.... Down into the deep, dark sludge, where you can play with your little parasitic friends." Rei snorted. "I don't need the pair of you to patronise me...." Luna huffed and secured her backpack over her shoulders. "Oh my.... You mean it's that dangerous to traverse these sewer tunnels?" Ami rubbed her chin. Rei, Usagi and Luna sweatdropped. Usagi put a hand on Ami's shoulder. "It's okay, Ami.... You can go back to your little dreamworld, now." She and Rei stood up and surveyed the darkness of the tunnel ahead with their torches. "How much further before we reach an accessway like this to Vermion Lock?" Usagi bit her lower lip, thinking to herself. "Uh, guys...." They heard Luna say, quietly, but ignored her. "It's quite a long walk. We'll have to replace the batteries on our torches before then." Rei took a deep breath as Ami stood up beside them. "We could always use the infrared goggles. That'll save on the batteries, and make us a less easy target to find down here." "Uh... Peoples...." Luna continued. "Shh!" Usagi chided her, making a quick glance backwards. She turned to Ami. "Yes, I think that might be the best idea." "Uh, I really think you should turn. I have something of a small problem, here." Luna's voice was rather insistent, so they did turn, and saw something they didn't want to see. Two masked soldiers were standing either side of Luna, holding rifles up to her head, as a third emerged from a ventilation shaft set above the access door, jumping down and holding the trio at bay with his own rifle. As they moved for their own weapons, they heard clicking noises and splashing sounds from the water channel behind them. They turned back to the stream to see another ten or so soldiers, standing in the water, aiming their weapons a the three operatives. "Oh shit bugger damn." Rei muttered. "Yes.... Not the best of positions to be in." Ami swallowed as the three lifted their hands from their weapons, trying to smile and look unthreatening. "Nice people...." Usagi croaked pathetically. "We don't want to mess up your nice, clean sewer, or anything. We'll leave, if you want...." "Who are you?" The figure at the front of those standing within the stream strode forward. The voice was that of a stern young woman. "More to the point...." Usagi swallowed. "Who are you?" The woman paused, lowering her rifle, cautiously. Slowly, she lifted up her free hand and took hold of the top of her mask, removing it. The woman's face was regally attractive, with a soft, round face with high cheekbones, fringed by dark, wavy hair that had small, wavy cowlicks, falling across her forehead. Dark eyes pierced the very souls of the four within the twilight of the tunnel. She lifted her face and stared at them, arrogantly. "I am Angelique Petz, commander of the brave soldiers of the Republic of Darkness. I repeat my question. Who are you?" END OF PART 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ACROSS THE BORDER In the heat of the day Many miles away when the Sun is beating downthe main street. I'll be waiting at the station, I gotta move down the line. They'll be dancing and singin' And doin' their thing And they'll be rockin' and rollin' Until the day is done. You know I've got to Make the deadline- I gotta get that southbound train tonight- If I don't get to the border then I'll write. The Mardis Gras Will be blowing strong And the people dancing All across the city I'm leavin' here tonight I gotta move down the line. I'm gonna catch a ride On the 9.05 I'm gonna ride the rails Until we reach the morning, Maybe three or four Hundred miles. I gotta get that southbound train tonight- If I don't get to the border then I'll write. When the wind is blowing Softly throught the streets of a little town And the music's playin', You're waitin' somewhere Over the horizon. I gotta get that southbound train tonight- If I don't get to the border then I'll write. -Jeff Lynne- "Across the Border" is the 4th track from the Electric Light Orchestra's 1977 double album, "Out of the Blue". -------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Chapter - "The Festival of Ephis" _________ / @ \ DDFA (The Right Dishonourable Mark A Page) / / ^ ^ \ \ ayanami@merlin.net.au /\ Chief Propoganda Officer, Keeper of \/ \/ the Tapes and Co-Founder of the Saitou-chan \___________/ Appreciation Society - Adelaide Japanese /_/ \_\ PU Animation Society --------------------------------------------------------------------