Chapter 139
Darrien had been up late that night.
"Hmm..can't sleep," he muttered. "I wonder.....where are these enemy forces coming from? There's a pattern of randomness...pattern of randomness? What a stupid idea. Still I have to wonder, just what is behind this...what is it that could reach all of us...at least conventionally. Power lines! That must be it! But how can I check. Hmm..it's 2 AM, but one of them might be up."
He gathered up some clothes and raced out the door.
Soon he was riding through the night in his car.
Wouldn't it be concievable for energy travel through the power lines? Of
course it would be. And it could reach everyone. I hope there's some way to
prove it.
And out in front of Amy's house.
"I don't think it's power lines," Amy said.
"I thought for sure," Greg said.
Amy, Greg, and Patterson were standing out staring at the power lines nearest to them. Amy had just finished doing a scan on her computer.
Darrien's car pulled up.
"Good you're all up..isten I've had a theory about how people are getting to people," Darrien said.
"Don't tell me you think it's power lines," Greg said coming up beside Patterson.
"Why?" Darrien asked.
"Because we checked," Greg said.
"Just because there's no sign of energy in this line doesn't mean it wasn't there," Amy said.
"Or that maybe we were hit in different places when we changed," Greg said.
"And Amy, doesn't your computer have limited function?" Darrien asked.
"It works at his range as far as I can tell," Amy said.
"Oh," Darrien said.
"How annoying," Patterson said.
The three looked at him.
"There just aren't any leads," he said.
Later the four were sitting in Amy's living room.
"Amy do you mind if I get a drink?" Greg asked.
"It's your house now Greg, do what you want," Amy said.
"Uh..I know," Greg said and headed out to the kitchen.
"It doesn't seem like there's anyway to figure this out," Amy said.
"We basically need the answer to fall into our laps," Darrien said.
"It could be electricity," Amy said.
Greg returned with a glass of water and took a drink.
He grimaced.
"What is it?" Amy asked.
"Oh..it's just I can't get used to this water..you have at your house," Greg said.
"What? My water's the same as anyone elses," Amy said.
"At my house it had a different taste to it," Greg said.
"Really?" Amy asked.
"May I.." Darrien said and took a drink.
"Seems just like mine is."
"I noticed it was a little bitter," Amy said. " But not that unusual."
"You notice any change Patterson?" Darrien asked.
"I don't drink tap water, only bottled," Patterson said.
"Why?" Greg asked.
"I just do.." Patterson said.
"I wonder..." Darrien said. "What if the water is different?"
"Good point. Everyone drinks water and it stays inside and gets incorporated into the body," Amy said.
"So..if there was negaenergy in it...." Greg asked.
"We need a map," Patterson said. The other three looked at him.
They soon had a map sitting on the table in front of them.
"There's our house," Amy said.
"And the others," Darrien said pointing at a group of red marks.
"It would make sense, Greg didn't turn into a monster until he got into my house," Amy said.
"But no..there's anomalies...some of these houses are closer then others are," Darrien said.
"But maybe the water pipes are arranged in a way that could..make it work differently," Greg said.
"Good point," Darrien said.
"And where would we get that kind of information," Amy said.
"The water department...I guess," Greg said.
"At this time of night?" Darrien asked.
"The Police Department should have it," Patterson said.
"But ...they..wouldn't give it to us.." Greg said.
"They'd give it to the Scouts," Darrien said.
There was a knock on the door.
Amy moved to it and opened it. Mike stood there.
"I was just thinking...power lines!" he said.
"What?" the other four said.
"How'd you think to come here?" Greg asked.
"Oh...I was in the neighborhood," Mike said.
"We have a second idea," Greg said.
"Do tell," Mike said.
"We were just about to go down to Police Headquarters," Darrien said.
"We gonna talk to vinny?" Mike asked.
"What?"
"Nothing," Mike said.
"Wait...what am I thinking?" Patterson stammered. "We can get access to a supercomputer and have the privacy to use it."
"Where?"
The car was soon pulling up to an S.D.F. outside of Tokyo.
The Guard walked up to them.
Patterson flashed his ID badge.
"We'll notify your uncle," The guard said and opened the gate.
Soon the car pulled up to a storage area. Colonel Patterson was leaning against the door.
"Ehh..heck of a time to pull me out of bed," he said.
"We need to use the computers," D.V. said.
"Oh...well we've kept them on top security clearance," Colonel Patterson said.
D.V. walked to the door, and slid a card inside.
"Voice Print?"
"Patterson, D.V."
"Voice match. Retinal scan."
Patterson waited as a scan was completed of his eye.
"Scan complete," the computer said. The door slid open. The group walked in. The door slid closed. Patterson turned on the light.
There sat his computer setup.
"Good as new ey?" his uncle asked.
Patterson sat down at the contol computer and hit the power button.
"Key card?" the computer said.
"More security," Mike muttered.
Patterson went through a similar process, and soon the computer was booting up.
"Say..what kind of operating system does that thing have?" Amy asked.
"Oh...it has the latest Army software, forget Windows, we can't have our computers crashing ever week, it's called the M.O.O.S."
"Moos?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, the Melvin Oglethorpe Operating System, he's our top designer," Patterson said.
"Not the Melvin?" Mike asked.
"No, his father," D.V. said.
"Oh," Mike said. "I thought he was a nuclear physicist?.
"He is," Greg said.
The computer finished booting up.
Up popped a picture of Raye getting stepped on.
"It's still funny," Mike said and started laughing.
"That's my foot isn't it?" Darrien said and started laughing too.
"It's the Raye Hino desktop theme," Colonel Patterson said.
"I had forgot that was there," D.V. muttered and began typing incredibly
quickly. Maps began to appear on the screen. He typed in some commands and soon
all the addresses appeared on the map.
Meanwhile.
Serena awoke with a start.
"What is it Serena?" Luna muttered.
"Power lines!" Serena said.
Oh.."
"Look there, the pipeline curves back on itself," Darrien said.
"Yeah in such a way that it hits Steve's place before Lita's," Amy said.
"Patterson...can you average out the time it takes for this thing to spread based on what we know?" Greg asked.
"It'll take a sec," Patterson said and typed in some data, dates, map points and such.
"Heck of a computer you got there," Mike said. "Can I have one?"
"Maybe when you're older Mike," Colonel Patterson said.
"Heh heh," Mike said.
"The estimated rate of expansion is here," Patterson said.
"That about makes sense," Darrien said.
"D.V...punch up my apartment," Amy said.
Patterson did so.
"You're still outside the range of it," Amy said.
"He doesn't consume water anyway," William Patterson said.
"Patterson, how about my apartment?" Darrien said.
Patterson put it up.
"Uh oh," Darrien said.
"Uh oh," everyone else echoed seeing that Darrien's house had been covered.
"It's not definite that anything will happen," Amy said.
"Yeah, we could be wrong," Greg said.
Patterson typed in something else.
"What is that address?" Mike asked.
"Serena's house," Darrien said.
"She's in the zone too," Amy realized.
"So now that we know how it's caused, what exactly do we do about it?" Colonel Patterson asked.
"We don't know where the center point is," Amy said. "I know Patterson set an arbitrary one as a point of reference, but..."
"We can't triangulate," Darrien said.
"I guess we'll have to follow a pipe until we find something.." Greg said.
"They're could be something in the water under Serena's house right now.." Darrien said.
"We should go," Amy said. "Patterson can you print this all out?"
Patterson nodded.
"Tell you guys what..I'll take my car, I don't want to hurt anyone if I transform midway," Darrien said. "Colonel, can you get them to Serena's place?"
Colonel Patterson nodded.
"I'll go, you get the printout," Darrien said and ran out.
"It'll only take a minute," Patterson said.
"Don't worry, we'll get some manpower out to see if there's energy, it might be dangerous, but that's what the S.D.F does..." Colonel Patterson said and pulled out a cell phone. He dialed a number.
"This is Colonel Patterson, don't bother telling me how late it is, just call
General Nagumo."
Soon the Army and the Police were mobilizing to see if the hypothesis was correct. Colonel Patterson's van was speeding through the streets.
"Oh..hello Serena," Amy said into a cellular phone.
"What is it Amy?" Serena asked.
"We think we've figured out what's causing all this."
"That's'ahh!"
"What is it Serena?" Amy said in fear.
"It's got me Amy..the thing...I'm going evil!"
"Oh no!" Amy shouted.
"Looks like we need more speed," William said.
"We have to transform," Amy said.
"Mercury Planet Power!"
"Saturn Power!"
"Neptune Power!"
"Maverick Power!"
The four transformed.
"Now I've got to call the others," Mercury said.
Minutes later the van came onto a peculiar site.
"That's Darrien's car," Mercury said. Patterson slowed the car down.
"And he bailed quickly," Neptune said.
A rose smashed into the van's tire. Colonel Patterson hit the brakes.
Everyone hurried out of the van. Up on the roof of a house stood Tuxedo Mask.
"I am Tuxedo Mask, are you prepared for combat?"
"Him too," Saturn said.
"But Sailor Moon.." Mercury said.
"You all go to here..she's very powerful and very dangerous," Maverick said. "I've got this one."
"Are you sure Maverick?" Mercury asked.
"Hasn't everyone been wondering whether I could beat him for the past year?" Maverick said.
"Not really," Neptune said. "But now that you mention it..."
"Never mind, just go," Maverick said the scouts leapt off.
"You're going to get yourself hurt again aren't you?" William said.
"Uncle, you've got to keep going and explain things to Nagumo."
"I know..I know..I wonder.." William said and walked over Darrien's car.
"Hey the keys are still in it! Heck yeah!" William said and climbed into the the car and raced off.
"He took my car," Tuxedo Mask said.
"We've all got problems," Maverick said.
"So true," Tuxedo Mask said and jumped down to the ground. "Well..I guess..this is a major event isn't it? The last time we met, you said you held back, well I assure you this time, there will be none of that."
"This time I have different goals," Maverick said. "I want a fight."
"I thought as much. Well..shall we begin?"
Maverick and Tuxedo Mask squared off.
Tuxedo Mask's staff flew at Maverick's head, he sidestepped and fired his main sword. Tuxedo Mask ducked and attacked again. Maverick stepped forward and lashed out with his own attack. Tuxedo Mask lunged forward and swung his staff around hoping to hit Maverick on the back. Maverick swung around and blocked it with his sword and knocked it aside. He lunged forward andmoved to stab. Tuxedo Mask leapt into the air and retracted his staff as he did so.
Maverick took aim and fired. Tuxedo Mask fired a barrage of roses and the two attacks met and exploded in the air.
"Very good," Maverick said as Tuxedo Mask landed.
"Effective," Tuxedo Mask said and unleashed another barraged. Maverick spun his sword around and blocked all the attacks, he pulled his other sword out with his other hand and fired it quickly. Tuxedo Mask hit it with a rose. Maverick sheathed the second sword.
"Smart, but not good enough," Tuxedo Mask said.
"Looks like sparring is the best way," Maverick said.
Tuxedo Mask nodded and drew his staff out the length of Maverick's sword. He charged. Maverick met the sword and the two parried back and forth.
"This your best?" Tuxedo Mask asked.
"Hardly," Maverick said and did a jab. Tuxedo Mask blocked it and tried a counter attack. Mavercik slid under it and swung upward. Tuxedo Mask swung downward. The two met. Maverick rolled backward and leapt back five feet.
"Too hot for you?" Tuxedo Mask said.
Maverick merely readied his sword.
"I thought so," Tuxedo Mask said and leapt into the air and onto the roof of a house. He threw a barrage of roses. Maverick leapt forward and swung the roses away. Tuxedo Mask soon started jumping to each rooftop. Maverick followed.
"Fun huh?" Tuxedo Mask shouted.
"You're enjoying this too much!" Maverick shouted and unleashed a barrage. Tuxedo Mask leapt out of the way of it and dived into a yard.
He know has several options. Maverick thought. Which one will he choose. Maverick leapt onto the rooftop. He slid down the side of it. Thirty roses flew up straight at where he was headed.
"Saw that coming," Maverick said and jumped up over the roses before they could hit him and fired downward. Tuxedo Mask spun his own staff and blocked the sword barrage.
"Didn't think I could do that did ya?" Tuxedo Mask asked as Maverick landed in the yard across from him.
"I didn't really care," Maverick said.
"Hmm..good point," Tuxedo Mask said and leapt upward. Maverick followed. They each threw attacks at each other in mid air and then landed and threw the attacks again.
"This is now a battle of endurance," Tuxedo Mask said and then leapt over a fence and into the night.
Maverick sighed and followed. If could try to use my camera's to find him, but that would be cheating.
Tuxedo Mask leapt out of the bushes towards him. Maverick leapt out of the way and fired downward. Tuxedo Mask avoided the shots and launched his staff. Maverick caught it and held on as he smashed into his opponent. The two fell back down. An army truck raced down the street. The two jumped out of the way quickly.
"Well we seem to be able to hurt ourselves in equal ways," Tuxedo Mask said.
"I never cared much for this kind of dialogue."
"So what? You don't care much about anything," Tuxedo Mask said.
Another Army truck raced by.
"This is becoming a busy street," Tuxedo Mask said.
"I noticed," Maverick growled.
"I know..we'll go to the park," Tuxedo Mask said and jumped into the night.
Maverick's eyes narrowed and he jumped in pursuit.
Tuxedo Mask soon arrived at the park and turned.
"Now..where are ya?" He shouted.
Maverick fired a sword shot which hit Tuxedo Mask in the head and knocked him forward. He spun around and threw roses right into Maverick who was leaping at him from behind.
"You don't have morals do you?" Tuxedo Mask said as Maverick knocked all the roses but one away. The two stopped to catch their breath.
"You'd do the same thing. I believe in fighting on equal terms."
"Well in the end it didn't solve anything anyway, I've got a shot to the head and you've got a rose in your arm."
"Souvenir," Maverick said.
"I bet," Tuxedo Mask said. The two lunged at each other, their weapons hit each other as they frantically swung away trying to get some sort of advantage. They both slid backward and fired.
The attacks both hit the now tired warriors and knocked them back five feet. They both remained standing.
"This could go on all night," Tuxedo Mask said.
"Fine by me," Maverick said.
The two charged at each other and each swung their weapons. Tuxedo Mask's flew under Maverick's and each connected. They both spun around wincing and then faced each other.
"Somehow I think this is going to be the pattern," Tuxedo Mask said.
"Could you just shut up. Let's get the fight over with?"
"You really hate the speeches and stuff don't you? You just want to fight?"
"Haven't you figured that out yet?"
"Ah...well..when the battle needs to be fought I will be there, I am Tuxedo Mask," he said and struck a pose.
"Jerk!" Maverick said and lunged at him. Tuxedo Mask stepped aside and swung his staff into Maverick's gut. Maverick let out a grunt and then stumbled backward only to do a back flip and fire his sword straight at Tuxedo Mask, who was knocked into a bush. The two soon were facing each other again.
"Very nice," Tuxedo Mask said. "Still..I know I can just lure you in with more speeches."
He chucked a rose so that it pointed into the ground at an angle.
"I am Tuxedo Mask, protector of young girls who dream every night of a perfect world.." Tuxedo Mask said.
"Stop that!" Maverick said and leapt forward. Tuxedo Mask swung his staff, Maverick grabbed it and swung around and kicked Tuxedo Mask in the chest, he stumbled back, and pulled on the staff. Maverick let go, but was hit with the tip. He stepped back. Tuxedo Mask sprung up. Maverick dived out of the way. The two then stood facing yet again.
"I think it's time we settled this for good," Maverick said.
"Couldn't agree more. But now you're doing the talking," Tuxedo Mask said.
"It's all right when I do it."
"It is? Why?"
"Never mind..now...you get serious and I continue being serious."
"Far enough."
The two's eyes narrowed and they lunged forward swinging their swords with incredibly rapid speed, each of them was trying to push the other's weapon away for an opening and straining as they did it. Tuxedo Mask went for a rose with his free hand. Maverick grabbed his second sword and knocked it away. The two continued to joust. Tuxedo Mask with a rose in his other hand, Maverick with his second sword. They went back and forth. Tuxedo Mask swung downward, Maverick went back quickly, but then regained the momentum the other way. They kept going at a massive rate and then stopped suddenly. Maverick's second sword was aimed right at Tuxedo Mask's gut. Tuxedo Mask's hand now full of roses was aimed right in front of Maverick's chest. Their primary weapons were both aimed at each other's head. They both looked at each other and then attacked, there was an explosion. Both of them fell back to the ground and lay there unmoving.
Sailor Pluto jumped down to the ground. Sailor Saturn followed.
"Guess we'll never know now," She said with a brief grin.
"Pluto Healing Power!" she shouted and returned Tuxedo Mask to normal form.
"It's is a pity," Saturn said.
"What is?" Pluto asked.
"It is a pity, you can't use that wand on him," she said pointing at Maverick who was beginning to move.
"Oh..I guess.." Sailor Pluto said.
The rest of the scouts meanwhile were arriving to see Sailor Moon standing on the roof of her house.
"I am Sailor Moon, and I am here to destroy everything!" she shouted.
"I know I'm not that experienced, but I know that can't be a good thing," Guardian Neptune said.
"You're putting it mildly," Sailor Venus said walking up.
"What's she been doing?" Sailor Uranus asked.
"Just standing there, I think she's waiting for all of us," Sailor Mars said.
"Well with the exception of Tuxedo Mask, Maverick, Sailor Pluto, and Sailor Saturn, we're all here," Jupiter said.
"Hmm..I think we can begin," Sailor Moon said.
"Begin what?" Guardian Neptune said.
"Simply the destruction of the world that's all," Sailor Moon said.
CHAPTER 119 CHAPTER 120 CHAPTER 121 CHAPTER 122 CHAPTER 123
CHAPTER 124 CHAPTER 125 CHAPTER 126 CHAPTER 127 CHAPTER 128
CHAPTER 129 CHAPTER 130 CHAPTER 131 CHAPTER 132 CHAPTER 133