Chapter 158
"So you have no problem with us going out of town for the weekend Setsuna?" Mina asked.
"Not at the moment. As far as we can tell the enemy's only planning his next move," Setsuna said. "He won't execute it for a little while. In the meantime..it might be good for you all to relax..I'm sure we can handle it."
"That's what we thought," Mina said.
"Have fun..and don't worry..the city will still be standing when you get back..we'll make sure of it," Setsuna said.
"You bet," Mina said and hurried off.
Setsuna watched her go and worried.
"You are worried, despite the fact you told her there was no cause for it," Hotaru observed.
"As it stands right now..I don't think it will be a problem for us," Setsuna said. "We should be able to handle anything. But there can always be the unexpected. I can't ask them not to go just in case something like that would happen though."
"Why not? Would it not be better to achieve victory and then relax?" Hotaru said. "If one chooses to relax at all."
"Ideally, yes," Setsuna said. "But they've had an awful lot to deal with and if they come back relaxed..they'll be better fighters."
"So it is an investment in a way?"
"You could call it that," Setsuna said.
"Hmm..then I guess we shall wait and see."
Setsuna nodded.
Meanwhile at Self Defense Force headquarters.
"Still nothing?" Nagumo asked.
"Yes sir..nothing of interest," an officer reported. "As ordered we erased the tape of the things that had no significance."
Nagumo nodded.
"Well this is precautionary anyway," Nagumo said. "We don't know anything at this point."
Colonel Patterson came in the door.
"Any luck finding Stanton?" Nagumo asked.
"No..but that's to be expected," Patterson said. "If he is involved with this, and I know he is...."
"Yes I guess you're right there."
"There is something though...your daughter's back in town."
"Oh..is she? Didn't bother to stop in to stay hello?"
"Guess not.." Patterson said. "In fact she and Captain Ozaki arrived together..."
"Where from?" Nagumo asked.
"That's the mystery."
"A mystery I hope you'll solve."
"I only have so many people..but I'm on my way to see what I can do."
"Just do your best," Nagumo said. "But be careful."
"I'm trying," Patterson said and headed out.
"Oh..I see you're back," Coral said.
"Yes," Colonel Nagumo said.
"We had a good vacation..but I was surprised to her a lot's been happening while we were gone," Captain Ozaki said.
"Yes..well..you two probably couldn't have helped," Coral said. "There were extenuating circumstances..and human intervention in this little war that's been being fought probably wouldn't help."
"Oh.." the two said.
"But now that you're here I've got some jobs for you.." Coral said and handed them each an envelope.
"Here are your orders..get to it," Coral said. The two nodded and headed out.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Lita said as the five Sailor Scouts and their boyfriends got off a bus in the mountains near the hot springs.
"I guess so.." Steve said.
"Ehh...you don't see the beauty in anything..." Lita said.
"Except you.." Steve said.
Lita blushed.
"Wow..this really is a nice place," Mike said.
"Yes it is," Mina said. "The perfect place for romance."
"Romance huh?" Mike asked. "Oh..is that what's this all about?"
"Wha...what's wrong with that?" Mina asked.
"Nothing," Mike said.
"Say..this is the place with the water demon isn't it?" Rick asked.
"Yes.." Raye muttered. "I wish you wouldn't bring that up."
"Say..Darrien..the egg was really on your face after that one huh.." Mike said.
"Yeah..I'm mister evil..going to make the demon my slave..whoops..." Steve said.
The guys started laughing. Then Darrien did too.
"Well...I was under the influence at the time....I mean...of evil.." Darrien said.
"Yep..we got ya," Mike, Rick, and Steve said sarcastically.
"That demon isn't here anymore is it?" Greg asked
"It shouldn't be," Amy said.
"Just asking.." Greg said.
"Stop talking about the demon," Serena snapped. "That's the last thing I need to think about."
"Yes Ma'am," the others said.
A little later the group had changed into the more traditional outfits expected at the springs.
"Hmm...I hate these things," Mike said.
"You're the carefree one," Steve said.
"Yeah...but..I just don't like them.." Mike said.
"Me neither," Steve said.
"Guys..guys..guys...why would you turn you're back on your heritage?" Rick asked.
"Because we don't like the way our heritage looks.." the two replied.
"Well I think I look even better," Rick said.
"Do you want our opinion?" Mike and Steve muttered.
"No..Raye's the only one that matters."
"Just checking.." the two said.
"We've been here how long and you two have already begun to get annoying," Rick said.
"We try.." the two said.
The group was all sitting in the main room when an old man walked in, the caretaker of the springs.
"I am Ryosuke...that is all you need to know...about my name..." he said gruffly.
"There are few rules..but they are all enforced.." he continued.
"Every place like this has an old guy.." Mike muttered.
"First.." Ryosuke said. "There will be no stereotypical comments!"
"That can't be the first one.." Mike said.
"I rearranged the order!" Ryosuke shouted and swung a kendo stick apparently out of nowhere at Mike who dodged it.
"It wasn't going to hit you anyway," Ryosuke said. "Second...do not cut down any of the trees."
The group all nodded.
"Third...the food here has gotten worse..do not complain," Ryosuke said.
The group nodded again.
"Fourth..if there is a problem solve it yourself.."
"And fifth..no helicopters...."
Ryosuke stood up and left the room.
"Now what are we going to do for fun?" Mike muttered.
"Where did that kendo stick come from?" Steve and Rick asked.
"You wondered that too huh?" the girls asked.
"We couldn't figure it out the first time either," Serena said.
Meanwhile.
"We've got something sir."
"What is it?" Nagumo asked.
"It's Stanton..he's in Coral's office."
"Finally..." Nagumo said.
They piped through the conversation.
"So...Maxfield..it's good to see you again," Coral said.
"Isn't it?" Stanton said. "I'm here to help. I hear you have a negaverse problem."
"He is the negaverse problem," Nagumo muttered.
"Why yes..that's true..I do have a problem," Coral said.
"Well..I believe I know what to do," Stanton said. "We can trap them."
"Trap them? Ourselves."
"I've returned because I believe I have a way."
"And just where are you going to trap them?"
"Oh...well that's a good question..I had some ideas."
"You did..why don't you tell me?"Coral said.
"Of course."
"What is he up to?" Nagumo wondered out loud.
"There is a problem though, you see the cause of all this," Stanton said.
"Yes.."
"It's the Sailor Scouts you know."
"What? You can't mean it," Coral said.
"Oh..it's not their fault..it's because they've been possessed."
"But they've been fighting the evil forces."
"No..you don't understand..that's what they want you to believe."
"Oh.."
"Doesn't seem like Coral's involved does it?" Nagumo said. "But what about the Sailor Scouts."
"Uh sir...you daughter..ahem..Colonel Nagumo is here to see you.."
"She is?" Nagumo asked.
Colonel Nagumo walked in.
"Hello," She said. "I have new orders about the negaverse..they're from the prime minister.." She said.
"Those orders may have just become obsolete..but let me see them," Nagumo said.
Seconds later Colonel Patterson burst in the door and grabbed the paper.
"What is going on?" General Nagumo shouted.
"You don't want to touch that.." Patterson said.
"What is it?"
"Stun bomb," Patterson said and grabbed Colonel Nagumo. "She's been possessed by them.."
"What?" General Nagumo said.
"What do you mean!" Colonel Nagumo shouted.
"Guards.." General Nagumo barked.
"Take her to the brig for now.." General Nagumo said.
"But I haven't done anything.." Colonel Nagumo said.
"Patterson explain this.." Nagumo said.
"Chief Ozaki just got hit with a stun grenade delivered by his daughter..." Patterson said. "I was worried about something like that happening so I got your daughter stuck in traffic until this happened. They were supposed to do it simultaneously."
"I see.."
"Captain Ozaki was knocked out to make it look like an accident or something."
"Are you sure that they're possessed."
"Sir...I don't know..but I do know they both came out of the sewer this morning."
"How do you know that?"
"It's a very complicated story with several lucky breaks..but we know it."
"All right..so what does it mean now?"
"It means the prime minister is in on it.." Patterson said.
"Sir..Coral and Stanton have just set up a plan for the Self Defense Forces and the police to trap the Sailor Scouts."
"But she needed us out of the way because we suspected Stanton," Nagumo said.
"Seems that way sir," Patterson said.
"So what do we do now?" Nagumo asked.
"Good question," Patterson said. "Sir if you don't mind..I have some intelligence to gather.."
"Please.."Nagumo said.
Patterson hurried out and was soon walking out of headquarters and heading towards his car. He did a quick check of it for bombs or trouble.
"Colonel.." came a voice. He whirled. Setsuna Meio stood there.
"Miss Meio..." he said.
"We need your assistance.."
Meanwhile the girls were all lying in the hot springs, wearing only towels.
"This is nice," Serena said leaning against the wall and letting the water float around here.
"It's even better then the last time," Mina said.
"We should have come up here sooner...this really makes you feel better," Lita said.
"Yeah.." was all that Raye could say.
"Actually...the water temperature seems several degrees warmer which may be a result of the fact that the air temperature and humidity is different from when we were last here," Amy said.
The other four glanced at her.
"Please...Amy..no science.." the four said.
"Oh..I guess..we don't need that do we?" Amy said.
"Come to think of it though..what happened with that teacher of yours?" Lita asked.
"Miss Hiryku? From what we can gather..she was taken over by something at the age of seventeen...she then continued to live her life up to this point..when..well you saw what happened. When whatever it was that she turned into was destroyed she returned to the age at which she had been taken over.." Amy said.
"So what happens now?" Mina asked.
"No idea.." Amy said. "It's been taken completely out of my hands."
"But Amy..as Sailor Mercury you'd have some access," Lita said.
"I don't want access.." Amy said. "I don't know whether she really felt she needed to destroy me or whether it was the monster inside of her..but I can't worry about that right now..maybe I'll check later...but for now...I want to relax."
The others nodded.
"I know this is a common question.." Mina asked seven minutes later. "But
where are the guys?"
In the forest below Mike raced along a path. He could see Steve racing parallel to him in behind the trees.
"Come now you cannot run forever," Steve said and leapt out in front of him sliding to a stop and drawing his own kendo sword.
Mike stopped and his eyes narrowed.
"Very well..." Mike said and drew his own sword.
"It is here in the forest that we shall conduct combat," Steve said. "A fitting place..where so many have died before."
"You're getting way to into this," Mike said.
"Silence..dishonorable fool..let us end this." Steve said.
"Ehh.." Mike said.
The two faced off. Steve stood ready. As did Mike.
"Uh..how long is the dramatic pause supposed to last?" Mike asked.
"Don't know," Steve said and flew into action. Mike reacted and the two were soon going at it with the swords.
"Well at least they're not fencing," Greg said watching from another part of the forest.
"They've fenced before?" Darrien asked.
"Yes."
"You're kidding.." Darrien said.
"Sadly no..at least that what Rick says.."
"Well it's nothing to be sad about...you're not them," Darrien said with a grin.
"Waahhhh!" Mike said as he was hit with a blow and went staggering back. He fell to the ground.
"You may have beaten me....but there...are..others," Mike said and closed his eyes.
"If only he were really dead," Steve said with a smile.
"SO! You are looking for a challenge!" came a voice. Steve whirled. Rick stood there.
"Fujimori," he said with mock shock.
"Yes..." Rick said. "It is you who deserve the dishonor..for you sins you shall pay."
"We shall see..." Steve said.
"I guess now it gets interesting," Darrien said.
"Theoretically," Greg said.
Rick and Steve stood across from each other, their eyes narrowed their swords at the ready.
Then as if on cue they both leapt forward and swung. Their swords hit and they both went back and forth.
"There they are.." Raye muttered as the girls appeared over the crest of the hill.
"Hey..Mike's dead.." Mina said and crept up to him and felt a pulse.
"Heh..that tickles," Mike said.
"Dang it!" Mina said.
"Oh...I'd almost get the sense you're not glad to see me," Mike said.
"What gave you that idea."
"Heh..."
"Hey you two stop it!" Raye snapped.
"Wha..." Rick said.
"Hah," Steve said and bonked him on the head.
"I'm supposed to win," Rick muttered.
"Sorry.." Steve said.
"You guys are supposed to be relaxing.." Lita said.
"We are relaxed," The guys said.
"Darrien get out of the forest...you're supposed to give me your undivided attention!" Serena shouted.
"But...then I'll come out of this even worse off then when I started," Darrien said.
"You'll what?" Serena snapped.
Soon afterward the entire group was sitting in the hot springs.
"Now isn't this relaxing," The girls said.
The five guys all seemed a little resentful of the girls actions and said nothing.
"Isn't it?" the girls snapped.
"Yes.." The five moaned.
"I'd kinda like this if it wasn't the principle of the thing," Rick said.
"The sword fight was interesting," Darrien said.
"I would have won eventually," Rick said.
"But you didn't," Steve said. "It's not my fault you were distracted."
"No it wasn't..but you must admit it was a surprise."
"So..surprises happen all the time.." Rick said.
"Will you guys shut up so we can enjoy your company," Raye said.
"Is that a helicopter?" Darrien asked.
"What?" the others said and then the heard it. Over the trees came a chopper.
"I said no helicopters!" Ryosuke said hurrying out of the house with his sword. The helicopter sat down nearby and Colonel Patterson jumped out.
"Yah!" Ryosuke said leaping at him.
"Excuse me.." Patterson dodging and flooring him with one punch.. Colonel Patterson hurried up to them. "I've come to warn you..the negaverse is here."
"What?" everyone asked.
"How do you know this?" Amy asked.
"Long story," Patterson said.
"Look out!" Serena shouted. Colonel Patterson turned. Ryosuke swung at him. Only know Ryosuke's skin was pale white and his sword was made of jagged metal.
"So..you found it out!"he shouted.
Colonel Patterson lunged forward and pushed Ryosuke down the hill.
"Time to transform," Serena said standing up.
"This is a first," Mike said.
The group all went through their transformations. Colonel Patterson was hit with a bolt of energy and thrown to the ground. Ryosuke looked up to see the scouts standing there.
"Aw...geez..." he muttered.
"I'm Sailor Moon, we're the Sailor Scouts, and on behalf of the Moon.."
"Mars.."
"Mercury.."
"Jupiter,"
"Venus."
"Neptune."
"Uranus."
"Pluto."
"Saturn."
Tuxedo Mask just shrugged.
"We'll punish you!" the scouts all shouted.
"And we mean punish," Neptune said and started cackling. The others looked at him.
"Can't we cackle?" he asked.
"YAAHHHHH!" Ryosuke said and charged up the hill.
The Guardian Scouts fired their swords and knocked him back down the hill.
"All right..." they said.
"Do you really think that'll stop me," Ryosuke said and stood up.
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"
"Jupiter Thunder Zap!"
The three attacks knocked him back down the hill.
"All right!" Ryosuke yelled and charged forward again.
Tuxedo Mask threw a barrage of roses. Ryosuke knocked them away.
The scouts hurried to energize their attacks. He leapt over them right at Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon swung her scepter and connected. Ryosuke rolled back down the hill.
"Well..." Sailor Moon said.
"I'll try and heal him," Venus said.
"Venus healing power!"
Ryosuke was covered in light. And then he returned to his normal form.
"What a loser..." Neptune said.
All of them nodded.
Later, the group was all sitting in the hot springs.
"Well..we can just hope the negaverse doesn't have anything else planned," Lita said as the group all relaxed in the springs.
"I scanned the area it doesn't seem there's any negaenergy traces left. It should be all right," Amy said.
The group all nodded.
"I guess we can't even go on vacation without trouble following," Serena said.
"We are having fun though," Mina said.
"Aren't we?" the girls asked the guys.
"Sure..we're having fun.." the guys said.
"You know though.." Mike said. "I just had a childish idea."
The guys all grinned.
Seconds later the girls were drenched with water.
"We should have seen that coming.." they all muttered.
And back in Tokyo.
"They figured it all out!" Nephlite shouted. "How are they this good!"
"I don't know..." Coral said. "They shouldn't have been able to."
"No..this is beyond anything..I've ever encountered..they can't be this lucky!"
"Apparently they are."
"Not anymore...I will see to that!" Nephlite said.
CHAPTER 141 CHAPTER 142 CHAPTER 143 CHAPTER 144 CHAPTER 145
CHAPTER 146 CHAPTER 147 CHAPTER 148 CHAPTER 149 CHAPTER 150
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CHAPTER 156 CHAPTER 157 CHAPTER 158 CHAPTER 159 CHAPTER 160