Chapter 350

"You're telling me she just left you?" Seiya asked.

"That's right," Yaten said. "Typical Mina."

"Then why do you date her?"

"Because ...well.."

"What?"

"I used to know."

"That's not a good sign," Seiya said.

"I know," Yaten muttered. "But Mina is a nice girl, she's been distracted lately by that fool Mike. She seems to really want him badly."

"So let her have him."

"But he's not good enough for her."

"So you're holding on so Mike can't get her, not because you love her?"

"No, it's not that at all," Yaten said. "Well part of it, but I really do like her. I mean when she's normal."

"I've never seen her normal, what's it like?" Seiya asked.

"This is no time to be joking, I'm looking for serious advice."

"I'm not joking," Seiya said.

"Oh..well I can't explain it all, it's just frustrating."

"Still I guess if a former Prime Minister pulls up and asks you to get in a car, I'd listen," Seiya said.

"Yes, but what could be so important, and what could Mina have to do with it?" Yaten asked.

"Who knows what Mina got herself involved in before we arrived?" Seiya asked. "I mean she and the scouts haven't really told us that much."

"Yes, that's true I guess, still, I guess I'm worried a little."

"Why?"

"Well what would a former prime minister want with her?"

"Probably wants some romantic advice or something," Seiya said and started to laugh.

"You're even a less of a help then I had figured," Yaten said.

"So this is what you use to transform is it?" Sylia Coral said staring at Mina's power stick. She glanced over at her captive, sitting bound and gagged in a corner.

"I knew it," she said. "I just knew it. Somehow."

Mina shouted into her gag.

"Oh calm down, I'm not going to hurt you," Coral said. "Now that we have some time alone let me tell you just what this is all about. You ruined me Mina, all of you did."

Mina looked at her wondering just what she meant.

"Sure, you protect this country, and this city, but all the while you go about your business secretly, raising suspicious, this whole mess now was just the end of a long road. I was elected to clean up pollution and make our government great, instead I spent most of my time searching out these villains."

Mina made noise.

"I suppose you're thinking, why did I bother? Well it's my country isn't it? Shouldn't I be concerned? I've got a bunch of teenagers wandering around with massive powers and I shouldn't worry about things? I shouldn't want to understand what is going on? All the while you were covering it up, they all were, the army, the police, Maxfield," she muttered. "Well now, it's all out in the open, I'm going to reveal your secret to the world. And then it'll be over, everything will be all out there, no more secrets."

Mina made more noise.

"Do you want to say something? Fine."

She undid Mina's gag.

"You can't do this Sylia, if the world knows we are, we'll never be able to fight the same. Anyone who wants to fight us will be able to attack us while we're in human form."

"Guess you won't be able to be human form then."

"It doesn't work that way, we can't stay as scouts indefinitely."

"Oh..too bad then," Sylia said. "I don't care, enough people seem to know who you are already!"

"Yes, but..." Mina said.

"I don't care for your flimsy excuses, maybe you haven't noticed all that's happened, the turmoil over you all, and where am I? Well I'm not in charge anymore am I? And not one bit of environmental reform! Pollution controls? Forget it. So much for my promises."

"But that's not our fault."

"Sure it is. You could have made it easier, you could have told me the truth."

"But Sylia, we don't want anyone to know, it's just been hard to keep it a secret."

"But not from me..I'm such a flake aren't I?"

"Sylia..they got to you didn't they?"

"What?"

"The evil forces, you're under their control...."

"Sorry, no, this is all me, just a human being making a choice to be evil!"

"I can't believe that, you were so kind hearted."

"Well getting attacked several times and accomplishing nothing you set out to do can have that effect on you!" Sylia shouted.

"But.."

"But nothing..now..I'm just going to leave you alone, while I make up a convincing story for the police...goodbye for now.."

She stuck the gag back into Mina's mouth and walked out.

What is going on with her? Mina thought. And why am I always the one being kidnaped!

What's worse, Sylia had hidden her communicator and power stick. Now what could she do?

"Haruka?" Chief Ozaki asked sticking his head in a door.

"Yes Chief," Haruka said emerging from behind a file cabinet.

"Ah..yes, I have some work for you," Ozaki said. "Apparently the post office can't seem to keep straight the difference between Shinjuku precinct, and Shinbashi precinct and they're not delivering the mail to the right places. See if you can sort it out with them."

"Uh sure," Haruka said. Weird. She thought.

"CHIEF!" one of the officers said hurrying down the hall.

"What?" Ozaki muttered.

"Sylia Coral's here."

"Why?"

"She says she was attacked."

"By who?"

"She doesn't know."

"Oh..strange.." Ozaki said and headed for the stairs. "You might want to come along on this Haruka."

"Ah..right," Ozaki said.

"I had picked up a friend of mine, Mina Deveraux, we were driving talking about things, then bam, my car goes skidding off the road. I fell unconscious. I woke up, and Mina was gone.." Sylia said.

"You should get those injuries checked," Chief Ozaki said.

"Yes..I know..but..Mina..where is she?"

"I don't know, we'll start looking for her. Where's your car?"

Sylia told him where.

"All right, get everyone we can spare on this," Ozaki said. "Miss Coral you should go to the hospital."

"Uh..right.." Sylia said.

"We'll get your statement then," Ozaki said.

Sylia was helped out by some other officers.

"Sounds like the enemy don't it?" Ozaki said.

"Yes," Haruka said her eyes narrowed. "Chief..can I.."

"Go? If you're going to look into this you can."

Haruka nodded and hurried out.

"Mina's missing?" Serena asked worriedly into her communicator.

"Yes," Sailor Uranus said. "I'm on my way out to the crime scene right now."

"All right, we'll meet you there," Serena said. "Any idea what happened?"

"Not really, but it seems like we've got another enemy running around here."

"Again. This stinks," Serena said. All right, I'm coming."

"Better hurry," Sailor Uranus said. "We have no idea what they want with Mina."

"I know, I've gotta tell the others too," Serena said worriedly. "She could be in deep trouble.why can't they just leave us alone?"

"There's no time to be wondering about things like that, just deal with it," Sailor Uranus said.

"You're right of course," Serena said. "I'll be there as fast as I can."

The SDF and the police were soon investigating the site of the "accident."

"What a mess?" General Patterson said.

"Strange thing is there's no marks on the car," Lieutenant Nelson said.

"Oh? Not like the last time."

"Right," Nelson said. "Nothing."

"Hmm..well this enemy has been known to be cagey."

"Yes, that's right, but why attack like this?"

"Well, Mina was separated from the others, and they do know the scouts in human form," Patterson whispered.

"Still, there are less conspicuous ways to do it," Nelson said.

Sailor Uranus stared at the car.

"Hey, " she said. The two turned. "Have you two noticed how fast this car must have been going?"

"Well they've been getting the info down," Nelson said turning to a few of the officers.

"This car was going ninety at least, the skid marks, you see?" one of the officers replied.

"You're right," Nelson said.

"But why would Sylia go that fast?" Patterson asked.

"Maybe she was a speeder," Nelson said.

"And another thing," Uranus said. "This turn was taken awfully well considering Sylia was knocked unconscious."

"You seem to be operating from the view that she staged this. Why would she do that?" Nelson asked.

"Very suspicious to be looking for these things from the start isn't it?" Patterson asked.

"I examine everything," Uranus said. "I don't know what her motivations are, but this looks staged to me."

"It's hard to tell," Nelson said. "She could have just been going really fast."

"But where?" Patterson wondered.

"Obviously we're going to have to talk to her some more," Nelson said.

Chief Ozaki rolled up as Sailor Moon, Mars, and Jupiter leapt onto the scene.

"So what have you got?" he asked.

"Chief, tell our officers to keep an eye on Coral at the hospital," Lieutenant Nelson said.

"Why?" Ozaki asked.

"We can explain it, but we'd prefer you gave the order first."

"Very strange," Ozaki said. "You suspect her of something?"

"Sort of," Nelson said.

"What happened Uranus?" Sailor Moon asked.

"That we're not sure of yet," Sailor Uranus said. "But I'm having some ideas."

"Like what?" Sailor Moon said.

"That this wasn't an attack?"

"What do you mean?" Jupiter asked.

"I mean that Sylia Coral, either willingly or not, has something to do with Mina's disappearance," Uranus said.

"But, how? Why?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Maybe the enemy got her," Sailor Mars said.

"Strange tactic to take," Sailor Uranus said.

"What happened?" Guardian Venus said running up.

"Yeah, same question," Guardian Neptune said.

"I'll wait for all of you to get here, then I'll explain," Sailor Uranus said.

"Tell me now!" Venus and Neptune shouted.

"Calm down you two," Jupiter said.

"We're in no position to be calm!" the two shouted and then glared at each other.

"On second thought," Sailor Uranus said and pulled out her communicator. "Guardian Uranus, Guardian Pluto, Sailor Pluto, where are you?"

"I'm about two minutes from you," Guardian Uranus said.

"I'm with him," Guardian Pluto said.

"I'm still a ways away," Sailor Pluto said.

"Sailor Pluto, you have to go to General Hospital and keep an eye on Coral, if she runs off you have to follow her."

"I'm on it," Sailor Pluto said.

The other Guardians arrived soon afterward.

"All right now let me explain all of this to you as quickly as I can," Sailor Uranus said.

Sailor Pluto hurried along the city hoping she would be able to keep an eye on Coral. She also was well aware that she was being followed by a minion of the enemy. The first one she had seen in weeks. This made her worry that all this was more than it made out to be, but that was something they had to figure out later, and furthermore how was she going to deal with this new threat.

A second minion leapt at her made it all a moot point. She jumped out of the way and palmed her wrist communicator.

"All of you, we've got bigger problems, send someone else to the hospital, I'm at fourteenth street, between Oak and Katsuragi streets!" she shouted.

"All right Pluto, the enemy?" Sailor Uranus asked.

"The one and only," Pluto said firing a blast from her staff as she avoided another attack.

"We're on the way," Sailor Uranus said.

Sylia Coral dived out of the bathroom window of her hospital room.

"I didn't think they'd figure it out his quickly," She muttered to herself and hurried off heading back into the streets of Tokyo.

Guess I'll just have to speed things up then.

"What do you mean she got away?" Chief Ozaki said. "What's going on?" He shouted into the radio of his car.

"Well she's looking more and more guilty isn't she?" Patterson said.

"Yeah, come on, we've got to find out just what is going on around here," Ozaki said and got into his car. The others followed.

"Pluto Dead Scream!"

A minion blew apart. But now there were seven others.

Strange ambush. Pluto thought. Just what are they after?

The minions charged her. She avoided their attacks again.

They're quite stronger than others. She thought.

"Someone else has to track down Coral," Sailor Mars said.

"I volunteer," Guardian Neptune said.

"I should go," Guardian Venus said.

"Both of you go," Sailor Moon said. "Behave all right?"

The two quickly veered off and leapt toward Tokyo General Hospital.

"I hope they'll be reasonable," Sailor Moon said.

"They just might," Guardian Mars said. "Then again who knows. They really don't like each other."

"Let's just worry about Pluto right now," Sailor Uranus said. "If we fight off these enemies it may give us a clue as to where Mina is."

"I hope so," Sailor Moon said. "I'm sick of my friends being hurt."

"Ah..I'm back," Sylia said.

Mina sighed.

"Unfortunately, they're onto me," Sylia said. "So we're going to have to speed this up."

Sylia pulled a video camera out and placed it on the table.

"Now I'll just tape this, and then..bam.." she said.

Mina made some noises.

"Oh..what?" Sylia muttered and pulled off Mina's gag.

"How are you going to prove anything?" Mina asked.

"Simple I'll just tell them."

"But you kidnaped me, who's going to believe you?"

"They'll understand."

"You're delusional."

"Maybe..." Sylia said. "But I may as well follow through with this. Got nothing left to lose."

"It won't work."

"Hey,they don't know where I am yet, I have plenty of time to get all this evidence."

"Why don't you just let me transform then? That would prove it wouldn't it."

"Oh sure, and let you escape and destroy the evidence? Not a good idea."

"How could you do this Sylia!" Mina shouted. "I was your friend."

"It's too bad you were," Sylia said. "It makes me a little guilty to have to do this."

Sylia replaced the gag.

"Ah..now let's see if this thing's on," she said.

Mina squirmed.

"Stop that, it doesn't help," Sylia said.

"She's gone?" Guardian Neptune said.

"Yeah she slipped out of the bathroom," the officer said.

"Good work boys," Guardian Neptune muttered and hurried for the exit.

"Just where are we going?" Guardian Venus said racing after him.

"To find Mina of course."

"And how are we going to do that?" Venus asked. "We have no idea where Coral went."

"I know that," Neptune said. "But it just takes a little work to find her."

"And what does that mean?"

"Well..look what direction was the car going in when they took off," Neptune said.

"South," Venus said. "But they could have turned, and who knows that was the right direction at all."

"True, but then we find Sylia's car in that same direction. She had to do that in order to fool the police."

"So?"

"So....what?"

"Well? Where are you going with this?"

"I don't know! It's a place to start though."

"You're no help."

"You're not doing much either you know you jerk! Why'd you let her go anyway!" Neptune shouted.

"Well it didn't seem wrong!" Venus snapped.

"Sure it didn't, no instincts then huh?"

"Shut up. You would have done no differently," Venus said.

"You don't know that," Neptune said.

The two stopped.

"Look we've got to work together to find her," Neptune said.

"We don't," Venus said.

"Oh so you want to split up then?"

"Right."

"Fine then," Neptune said. "Good luck."

Venus sneered and the two headed off.

"And you can see here, not just a power stick, but a scout communicator," Sylia Coral said into the camera. "And these all belong to this girl, Mina Deveraux. Would you like her address."

Mina shouted.

Sylia grinned. "It's all over now. I'll just get this tape out and then, end of story."

Mina squirmed some more.

"You're not going to escape, so give it up," Sylia said. "Looks like we're going to be spending some time together, I suggest you get used to it."

"That's the last of them," Sailor Pluto said as a creature vaporized.

"And we're no closer to finding Mina," Sailor Moon said.

"Maybe where you were first attacked had something to do with it," Guardian Uranus said.

"Hey scouts!" General Patterson shouted as he stuck his head out of his car.. They all looked at him.

"What?" Sailor Mars asked.

"There's something you should see," he said.

At the TV Tokyo building.

"What's this now?" a television producer said staring at a videotape. "From Sylia Coral. The true identities of the scouts. It would be the scoop of the century."

"Yeah, if we didn't know you had it," Chief Ozaki said walking in the door.

"Wait a minute what is this?" the producer snapped.

"We'll take that," Lieutenant Nelson said. "Evidence, sorry."

"But.."

"Bye now," Ozaki said.

"Aw..geez.." The producer said.

Soon everyone was huddled around a tv screen starring at Sylia Coral revealing Venus identity.

"If only we could tell where that is?" Patterson muttered.

"Hmm...Mina looks so uncomfortable," Sailor Moon said.

"Hmm..she is making a lot of noise back there," Guardian Mars said.

"Wouldn't you?" Everyone said.

"No..there's something strange about this.." Guardian Neptune said trailing. "Familiar..."

"What do you mean?" Everyone said.

"The way she's moving..almost dancing.."

"What are you talking about you imbecile!" Guardian Venus said. "This is serious."

"I am serious!" Neptune snapped. "Replay the tape and turn down the sound."

The group all sighed. Neptune starred at it. And the group all began to watch him.

He hummed.

The group's eyes widened.

He began to hum in tune with Mina's exact movements.

"AH HAH!" he shouted. "I know where she is probably. Let's go."

The group all collapsed.

"Well come on!" he said.

The group all followed him.

"This is the stupidest case ever," Chief Ozaki said.

"So...won't be long now," Coral said. A yellow bolt whizzed by her head.

She turned. Guardian Neptune tackled her as the police and scouts rushed in.

"How did you?" Coral shouted as she was handcuffed.

The other scouts untied Mina. The blonde stood up and rubbed her wrists.

"Thank goodness you all found me," She said.

"Well Neptune figured it out, whatever you were doing," Sailor Pluto said.

"Oh you did, you're a genius," Mina said hugging him. "You remember it didn't you?"

"Sure did,"Neptune said.

"Mind filling us in?" Everyone asked.

"Sure, across the street from here is the cafe me and Mina used to go when we were on a date," Guardian Neptune said. "But for some reason every time we were there, there was this terrible song playing we couldn't get out of her heads. It was worse than the three lights even."

Guardian Mars and Venus scowled.

"Anyway, Mina was moving to the exact beat of the song, and I thought instantly it, and then bam..here we are," Neptune said. "Neat huh?"

Everyone sighed

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