Chapter 345

New York City was of course the host of the United Nations Headquarters, and the various consulates where the ambassadors there worked. One of these, the British Consulate was situated unobtrusively on the ninetieth floor of one of the larger office buildings in the city, the Infinity Building.

"How annoying," Maverick said staring at the rooftop from a nearby building. "Ninety floors up is it's own defense."

"Considering we can't take out the other 89 floors to get there," Guardian Mercury said.

"Well this is just great," Guardian Jupiter said. "How exactly do you plan to do this?"

"We can teleport can't we?" Sailor Mercury said. "And such a short distance shouldn't drain us too much."

"That's what I was thinking," Guardian Neptune said.

"That's the way to do it, however, we wouldn't want to set any alarms off doing so, so we have to neutralize the alarm system," Guardian Mercury said staring at his watch.

"This is what I always thought it would be. Breaking into buildings," Guardian Jupiter said.

Sailor Neptune grinned.

"This is usually what it ends up being about," she said.

"There we go," Gmerc said staring at a readout on his watch. "This is sophisticated, it seems they are quite prepared for us."

"Does that mean they might have hidden the information we're looking for elsewhere?" Sailor Mercury said.

"It's a possibility," Maverick said.

"We won't know until we go in," Gmerc said.

"This isn't like you," Guardian Jupiter said. "Usually you're better prepared."

"Care to take over Jupiter?" Gmerc said. "I can't wait to see how you lead."

"Oh so now you're the leader?" Jupiter asked.

"Well..I guess I am," Gmerc said in realization. He glanced at the other scouts. They nodded.

"Then do your job," Jupiter said.

"Please, don't fight like this, we have true enemies," Sailor Mercury said.

"Agreed," the two said coldly.

"What we need to do now is get in there and neutralize the alarm system so we can all teleport in," Maverick said. "Then again, that's counterproductive. If someone needs to go in anyway we should try a different course of action."

"Namely split up," Gmerc said.

"Exactly," Maverick said. "We should also check out Churchill's UN office. That should be easier to break into."

"Now we're breaking into the UN building itself?" Guardian Jupiter asked.

"What did you think we were going to be doing over here?" Sailor Neptune said.

Guardian Jupiter merely frowned.

"All right," Maverick said. "Let's do it this way. Gmerc, you break in there, I'll go with Sailor Mercury, Guardian Jupiter and Sailor Saturn over to the UN base and break in there. You take Neptune and Guardian Saturn up that way."

"Hmm..I'll take Jupiter instead of Saturn," Gmerc said. "If I'm going to be climbing 90 flights of stairs he's coming along."

"What?" Jupiter snapped. "Don't let the power go to your head."

"Now it'll give us plenty of time to get to know each other," Gmerc said.

Jupiter sighed.

"Don't worry," Sailor Mercury said. "He has a point."

Jupiter groaned.

Later the small group was climbing up a stairwell.

"We could just take the elevator you know," Guardian Jupiter said.

"And risk a booby trap?" Gmerc asked.

"YES!" Jupiter snapped.

"Are you forgetting just who said you could come along on this mission in the first place," Gmerc said.

"Your sister would have made you take me along if you had refused," Jupiter said.

"In theory maybe," Gmerc said.

"Actually he's got you there Gmerc," Sailor Neptune said.

"Whatever, look Jupiter it's in both of our best interests and especially Mercury's that we don't fight so much," Gmerc said.

"I agree, stop being such a jerk," Jupiter said.

"Oh..you make it too easy Jupiter," Gmerc said.

"Forty more flights of this," Neptune muttered. It's cute though. She thought.

"All right, I'm reading a very standard security system," Sailor Mercury said being fed information from one of the cameras. Maverick looked at it.

"Yep, they didn't protect this as well," she said.

"Then again, it could always be a different sort of trap," Sailor Saturn said.

"But wouldn't they have a hard time setting something up here without it being noticed," Guardian Saturn said. "I mean it is a conspiracy and all."

"True," Sailor Saturn said.

"Then again it's not like this is the only place they could hide things either, it's a big city," Maverick said.

Fifteen minutes later.

"That booby trapped elevator's looking better and better," Jupiter said.

"No it isn't," Gmerc said. "I just did a camera scan, it would not have been a fun trip up."

"Oo..what'd we miss," Sailor Neptune said.

"A cunning variety of concurrent operations to make the trip down much faster than the trip up to, as well as an exceedingly large amounts of operations set up to keep even scouts from getting out in time," Gmerc said.

"Well I'd say that's a bit suspicious then," Sailor Neptune said.

"No, that's standard issue on New York Office Buildings," Gmerc said.

"You two are enjoying this too much," Jupiter said.

"We've earned it," Sailor Neptune said.

"Just a few more floors," Gmerc said.

"You'd think the world's government would be a bit more careful," Maverick said grinning as she peered around a corner at the UN building.

"Then again, what we would have to fear from UN troops anyway," Guardian Saturn said.

The group all let out a small laugh including Sailor Saturn said.

"You got that one Saturn?" Mercury asked in surprise.

"I spent years consumed by an all powerful evil force, but even I learned of UN peacekeeping forces," Sailor Saturn said.

"The way's clear, let's go," Maverick said.

The four hurried down the hallway.

"All right, now there's a security camera outside the door," Gmerc said. "We're going to have to deal with it.

"How exactly?" Guardian Jupiter said.

"Simple," Gmerc said and let his camera float around the interior of the floor. It floated up to the camera and then in a flash lined up with it.

"It'll project the image the camera last saw over and over," Gmerc said.

"More sophisticated then sticking a Polaroid over it ey?" Neptune asked.

The three snuck into the building.

"Now the alarm system should be simple to deactivate once we get inside. However, the first order of business is doing just that," Gmerc said.

"Do you have a key perhaps?" Guardian Jupiter asked.

"Hey, I can handle this one," Sailor Neptune said stepping forward.

"She pulled out a more golden shaped object and stuck it in the lock. The door clicked.

"What is that?" Guardian Jupiter asked.

"Oh they gave you one of those too," Gmerc said.

"It comes in handy," Sailor Neptune said. "It's a magical master key, it morphs to fit any lock it enters."

"I hope you use that for official business only?" Guardian Jupiter asked.

"And to break people out of jail," Neptune said with a smile.

The three opened the door.

"I didn't know you had something like that," Guardian Saturn said.

"We just never needed to use it," Sailor Mercury said sticking her master key in the door to the British office.

"You know I didn't think it would be the British," Maverick said. "I always thought the French would be behind something nefarious."

"They always are," Sailor Saturn muttered.

"All right, we're in," Mercury said slowly opening the door. The group all headed into the office.

"So much for the security system," Gmerc said as the scouts moved into the office.

"Let's split up and check the individual offices," Sailor Neptune said.

"All right," Gmerc said.

"Splitting up only leads to trouble," Guardian Neptune said.

"Oh you learned that rule too," Gmerc said. "Still, if we draw them out now..well..it'll do more good than harm."

The group headed off into the various offices of the consulate looking for evidence.

"Mercury can you hack into the computer here?" Maverick asked.

"I can hack into anything," Mercury said pulling out her computer and preparing to attach it to the computer on Churchill's desk.

"Have you thought about making that a career?"

"And put all the people who work hard to do the same thing out of business, that wouldn't be fair would it?" Mercury asked.

"I guess not," Maverick said. The two smiled.

"Someone is spending too much on dry cleaning," Sailor Saturn said looking through the various papers in a desk another part of the office.

"We can hardly fight them over that," Guardian Saturn said.

"True, but it bears some sort of rebuke, I mean look at this."

"I wouldn't let it get to you," Guardian Saturn said.

"Yes, I guess that really isn't a major problem," Sailor Saturn said. "There is nothing here."

"Yeah, I've come up with zip too."

"Zip?"

"Of course, nothing."

"And that is abbreviated by zip?"

"Well it's another word for nothing."

"Why? Zip seems more appropriate as a verb."

"Yeah well it's that too."

"But this other definition is baffling."

"It just came into existence I guess," Guardian Saturn said.

"But why?" Sailor Saturn asked.

"I wasn't there, I don't know."

"Yes I guess the responsibility is not yours, still, I wonder."

"What?"

"Well where'd it come from. Why did someone at sometime, somewhere, use zip to signify nothing, zip seems to quantify something more."

"Maybe when we're done here we can try and find that out."

"We? You wish to help me?"

"Sure."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Hmmm..I guess I can't argue with that."

"Wouldn't you want me to help you?"

"Well..it's not that at all, your help is always ahem..helpful, but I just didn't want to burden you with this spiritual pursuit."

"Spiritual pursuit?" Greg muttered.

"Hey, guys come here and see this," Maverick said poking her head into the other office.

"What do you think?" Guardian Jupiter asked staring at a computer he had discovered and the information displayed on it's screen. "So now you want my opinion, never mind..anyway..this is obviously fake," Gmerc said.

"How can you be so sure??" Guardian Jupiter said.

"Because it was far too easy to find."

"Maybe they're overconfident."

"I'll download this, but the truth is I'm betting that the real data's hidden somewhere else. Look. This a major conspiracy between humans and some sort of evil force they wouldn't be sloppy like this."

"I agree, but we should maybe pursue this peripherally."

"True, but still, lets see what else they have here," Gmerc said.

"I found something," Sailor Neptune said walking in. "The ambassador's been taking trips to Tokyo practically daily, and he's got more scheduled."

"Looks like he's got people over there still," Guardian Jupiter said.

"Or maybe he is the person over there," Gmerc said. "But that kind of speculation can wait."

"The big question is why try and destabilize Japan so much?" Neptune asked. "I mean what business does the British have with a weakened Japan."

"Probably none," Jupiter said. "But this evil force might."

"Exactly, I doubt Churchill is in this for god, country, and the queen," Gmerc said.

"So destabilize Japan, destabilize the scouts, and then what?" Neptune asked.

"Destroy the scouts of course," Mercury and Jupiter said in unison and glanced at each other.

"But why not just try and do that now? Even if the government collapsed it wouldn't affect us." Neptune said.

"Maybe a distraction maneuver," Jupiter said.

"Or maybe..." Gmerc stopped. "Definitely, we gotta go."

"Why?" Jupiter said.

"Because this place is going to blow!"

"You're kidding," Jupiter said.

Mercury headed for the door.

"Does it look like I'm kidding!"

The three raced out of the consulate office and dashed down the stairwell.

"Now look at this one here," Sailor Mercury said.

"Communicator," Maverick said and pulled it out.

A massive explosion filled their ears from a distance.

"What was that?" the four occupants shouted.

"Maverick, I suggest you get out of there now!" Gmerc said.

"Why?"

"Just to be on the safe side!"

"All right, we're going!" Maverick said. "Come on, this is serious!"

The group was soon hurrying out of the building as fast as they could.

The three scouts hurried down a stairwell of the office building.

"My watch read a power buildup," Gmerc said. "Looks like they're overly prepared."

"But they blew up their own consulate?" Jupiter asked.

"Sure, because now the act of terrorism can distract people from what's really going on," Gmerc said.

"These guys play rough," Neptune said.

"Are we really the people to be involved in this?" Jupiter asked. "How about some secret agents or something?"

"They're after us though," Gmerc said.

"Duck!" Neptune shouted. The three dived do a landing. An energy blast exploded above them.

Gmerc and Jupiter drew their swords.

"Gotta keep moving," Gmerc said. "Looks like enemies above and below us."

"What kind?" Neptune asked.

"Same as that one you all ran into that night," Gmerc said.

"Well then let's take them out," Jupiter said.

The three rushed down the stairwell attacking anything that moved.

"Gmerc come in!" Maverick was saying.

"We're a little busy," Gmerc replied.

"With what?"

"Enemy forces."

"Aw..geez.." Maverick said. "All right, we're coming."

"Don't bother, we're doing fine," Gmerc said.

"Don't get cocky on me," Maverick said.

"No really," Gmerc said. A shout flew through the air. "We've got them. Only thirty more floors to go."

"What?" Maverick said.

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

The watery blast shot down the stairwell sending a cascade of enemy warriors down it.

"They brought out the whole gang tonight didn't they?" she said.

"This is larger then we thought," Guardian Jupiter said.

"These guys are pushovers," Gmerc said.

"But there are hundreds of them," Jupiter said.

"That's where I thrive, meet you at the bottom," Gmerc said and leapt into the melee swatting at things left and right.

"What's going on with him?" Jupiter said.

"Sometimes he get's carried away," Neptune said.

"Oh..and now we learn this?"

Neptune smiled.

"What a mess," Sailor Saturn said as the other four scouts leapt from building to building.

"You said it," Maverick said. "Just what is happening over there anyway?"

"I used the camera I still had left over. Apparently the 90^th floor of the building exploded," Mercury said.

"Oh is that all?" Maverick asked. "I thought something really serious had happened," Maverick said.

"But." Mercury said.

"I'm kidding," Maverick said. "Still what did they go and do over there anyway?"

"Probably nothing," Sailor Saturn said. "You can get punished just as easily for that as anything?"

"That's probably not the issue here,"Mercury said.

"Yes, true," Saturn said. "Still one does wonder sometimes."

"This is no time for philosophy," Maverick said.

"My apologies, however it's best to understand humanity when one is immersed in it," Saturn said.

"Point taken," Maverick said. "Still, this isn't the time."

"Perhaps you're right," Sailor Saturn said.

"Oh thank goodness they're out," Mercury said.

"What the scouts?" Maverick asked.

"Yes," Mercury said.

"Still we'd better hurry, we have no idea what's happening," Maverick said.

Gmerc let out a battle cry and blasted an enemy creature through a window at the front of the building. It vanished into thin air. The three scouts hurried out.

"Glad to see you got a workout?" Jupiter muttered.

Gmerc sighed.

Sirens began to fill the streets.

"Maybe we shouldn't hang around here," Sailor Neptune said.

"Maverick, where are you?" Gmerc asked into his communicator.

"Two blocks from you," Maverick said. "You all right?"

Gmerc gasped for air.

"No, but let's go...out of..here.."

"All right," Maverick said in surprise.

Later at a hotel.

"Well this was a big mess wasn't it?" Jupiter muttered. "What did we gain?"

"We learned that this conspiracy is completely real, and that they have an army of those creatures at their disposal," Sailor Neptune said.

"We learned that the 90^th floor of that building is highly flammable," Sailor Saturn said with all seriousness.

"But we don't know any more about the connections between them," Maverick said. "We were just getting into their database when you called us out. Incidently the building didn't explode."

"Didn't think it would," Gmerc said. "But then again, who knows."

"I agree," Guardian Saturn said. "Still, now it gets complex, our only lead was the offices."

"Not necessarily," Mercury said. "We know Ambassador Churchill's involved.

"Hey, why don't we just kidnap him and beat it out of him," Jupiter suggested.

"That's not beyond consideration," Gmerc said.

"What?" everyone else said.

"Though the scouts would probably prefer not to go down in history as kidnaping foreign diplomats, still.." Gmerc said.

"Whatever works," Maverick said.

"You realize that there's going to be fallout from this," Guardian Saturn said. "I mean a consulate blowing apart is going to be trouble."

"Especially if someone saw us leave," Gmerc said. "And undoubtedly someone did, it won't take long for the British government and their allies to blame the scouts for something, and we will undoubtedly be working in the interests of Japan. However, the good news, is that we don't need to care about such things."

"Still if the U.S. was to try and hunt us down?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"They won't," Sailor Saturn said.

"That's right," Maverick said. "The U.S. is our ally, they've been with us from the start."

"I don't understand," Sailor Mercury said.

"It's complex," Gmerc said. "And while you could understand it Mercury, it's best that you don't fill your mind with it. It's not a pretty picture."

"Well..I guess I it's for the best," Sailor Mercury said.

"So what do we do know?" Guardian Jupiter said.

"Probably find out why Guardian Earth thinks we don't know he's behind the door listening to us," Gmerc said.

"WHAT?" Everyone else said.

Maverick leapt forward and pulled open the door.

"Uh..hi," Guardian Earth said glancing at all of them.

Everyone starred at him.

"Well?" Maverick asked.

"Thought you could use some help," he said.

"And what made you think that?" Guardian Jupiter muttered.

"I don't know, the explosion perhaps, look, I know this country, this city, and what's going on even better than you do Gmerc, besides, I'm a scout right?" Earth asked.

"He's right," Gmerc said.

"You actually agree?" Maverick asked.

"Grudgingly," Gmerc said. "You could have just knocked,"

"Yes, well...I'm not the knocking type," Earth said.

"What does that mean?" Sailor Saturn muttered.

"Uh, never mind, look I'm here okay?" Earth said. "And looks like I've arrived just in time."

The next day.

"Blowing up buildings?" Haruka asked into her communicator.

"Yes, it's great fun," Michiru said.

"I would hardly put it that way."

"You know what I mean, still we're doing fine over here?"

"What makes you think that?"