Chapter 7:
Strike Alpha

T.A Private Academy
2/17/00
        With each passing day, Rei was becoming more and more ancy. “It’s going to happen soon.” she kept telling herself. Some of her friends at the all-girl T.A. wondered what was wrong. Rei was not about to begin to try to explain. Oh, no. She’d be labeled an apocalyptic. They’d say she had Millennium Fever and that would bash her reputation all to hell.

        Still, with each passing moment, she expected to feel the ground tremble and see her clothes burst into flame. She knew what she had seen in the vision and knew there was nothing she could do but wait and hope she survived.

        It was raining heavily outside and the sky was packed with ominous gray clouds on this ugly Thursday. Lightning flashed angrily and often with the roaring crash of thunder to follow. The odd pattern of flashes outside the chemistry lab had Rei hypnotized.

        When she felt sudden pressure on her shoulder, she jumped. “Geezus...”

        “Rei?” her lab partner Katie was equally startled at the girl’s reaction.

        “...Christ!” Rei gasped. She then went red-faced for she realized she had just insulted half the Christian population in the room.

        “What’s wrong with you?” Katie asked.

        “Sorry.” Rei said loud enough for everyone to hear, much to the annoyance of the teacher. “I’m just really nervous.”

        “I’ll say.” the other girl said. “Now come on. We still have to do three titrations and we have only twenty minutes left.”


Crossroads Highschool
        The final bell rang. Amy, Serena, Lita, and Mina met at their usual spot in the school’s courtyard. As it happened, both Lita and Mina had to be somewhere but promised to meet Serena and Amy at the arcade in an hour.

        The rain had stopped but there were puddles that the two girls had to avoid on their way to Amy’s car.

        “So,” Serena loosened the navy blue tie and unbuttoned the uniform collar, “”How’d you do on your math test?”

        “I probably aced it,” Amy smiled with confidence, “But number sixteen gave me some trouble.”

        “Good, Ams.” Serena said, “I wish I were as smart as you are.”

        “It’s all relative.” was Amy’s simple reply. “How’d you do?”

        “I actually think I did okay.” Serena smirked, “But I cheated.”

        “What!?” Amy’s eyes went wide.

        “Yeah,” Serena shrugged, “I went over everything before we took the test.”

        Amy laughed out loud in one of those rare times she was not emotionally reserved. “That’s called studying.”

        “That’s why I feel dirty.” Serena said.

        “Hey, Serena!” the addressed girl looked up to see Darien standing on the curb. He looked normal, but Serena could tell he was in pain. He was also wearing a pair of dark sunglasses to hide the glow in his blue eyes. “Wanna go for a ride?” he asked, jerking a thumb toward his white and green Honda motorcycle.

        “Well,” Serena swallowed, “Amy and I were gonna hang out at her place for a little bit and then hit the arcade.”

        “Oh, go on.” Amy giggled, “I’ll meet you there later.”

        “Are you sure?”

        “Mhm.” Amy nodded, “Go for it. I can get a bit of my homework done before I meet you.”

        “Okay.” Serena ran off into the embrace of her boyfriend. Amy smiled, wishing Greg didn’t go to school half way across town.

        “Hey, muffin!” the blonde said.

        “Hello, my meatball-head.” Darien laughed and offered her a helmet.

        “Uh, muffin, there’s only one problem.” Serena shrugged and tugged at the uniform’s pleated navy skirt, “How am I gonna ride with this on?”

        “Oh, that’s right.” Darien scratched his head. He looked in the parking lot for Amy’s midnight blue BMW and spied it about to turn onto the road. Amy flicked on her blinker, checked to see if she were clear, and turned on to the road.


        Lita and Mina met at the arcade a little late and already expected Amy and Serena to be there. Lita was already a little perturbed that both Serena and Amy were late, but they ordered and sat down to wait.

        “You’d think Amy could keep Serena on time.” the tall brunette grumbled before taking a long sip from her rootbeer float.

        “Maybe Serena’s starting to rub off.” Mina shrugged.

        Lita’s next idea was much more serious. “Maybe they’re in trouble.”

        “Nah,” Mina assured her, “We’d know by now.”

        “How can you be sure?” Lita asked, “What if they’re injured and unable to reach their communicators?”

        “What are you guys talking about?” Amy’s hand landed on Lita’s shoulder.

        “Ah, nothing.” Lita smiled. It was all Mina could do to keep her daiquiri from shooting out her nose in laughter at Lita’s sudden relief. Amy joined them at the table , putting her bookbag down. Andrew was instantly at the table getting her order; a handmixed cherry coke.

        “So where’s Serena?” Mina asked.

        “She and Darien went for a ride on his motorcycle.” Amy said, slurping the newly delivered drink, “I’m sure they’ll be along at any moment.”


        Northbound interstate 405 toward Brentwood Heights was abnormally traffic free today as the green and white motorcycle streaked along at seventy-three miles an hour, well within the ten-mile-an-hour grace speed, but just far enough over the limit to thrill Serena. The wind whipped at her, throwing her pigtails in a dozen directions and threatening to suck her off the bike if she didn’t have Darien to hold on to.

        They had stopped at Serena’s house so she could change into a pair of jeans and jacket before continuing on their journey. Serena’s father had expressed his concern but did not stop her from going. Neither father nor daughter realized it at the moment, but it was the last time Serena would ever see her family alive again.

        The motorcycle was in the center lane of the freeway now, and the right lane was going to have to merge or exit soon. If Darien didn’t act fast, they’d be caught behind two tractor-trailers. One was already signaling a lane change.

        “Hold on.” Darien shouted. Serena held him tighter around the waist as he gunned the engine. As the bike shot out from between the honking semis, Serena tossed her head back and laughed.


        Flute hovered over the city. He was ready at last to use the Pluto Star Crystal for the purpose he had taken it. The month and a half he had spent learning its secrets would pay off in the next few moments.

        The humans expected nothing. The nasty weather was the worst thing they thought would happen today. He laughed at their weakness as he held out the Pluto Star Crystal. Revealed to the evil-infused air, the crystal began to react and glow.

        “Pluto Star Power!” He shouted. The Crystal throbbed with energy. The medium it was in only exacerbated the energy build up and the sky went dark.


        “Whoa, you guys.” Lita looked up from her drink, “This is way weird.”

        “You’re telling me!” Mina said, putting down her daiquiri.”

        “Yes, I definitely think this is it.” Amy stood up. “Let’s go.”


        “I don’t like the look of that!” Darien said. Apparently the other drivers on the interstate agreed. They all began pulling over and getting out of their cars.

        “What are we gonna do?” Serena asked.

        “What we have to.” Darien kicked the bike into a higher gear as he sped up.

        “Stay in your cars!” Serena shouted, warning them to stay away and take cover.


        Amy gasped as the three girls raced outside and into the pitch black night that shouldn’t have been.

        “Okay, Scouts,” Mina shouted, “Transform!” As they pulled out their transformation pens, something happened.

        Flute increased the power flowing from the Pluto Crystal. It began glowing brighter and brighter. Finally, it could hold the energy no more and sent out a great shockwave. But the moment Flute’s surprise ended, the pleasure began.


        Rei had been outside when the sky had darkened. She was sure the moment had arrived. No, she knew it had come. “This is how it was in my vision.” she whispered. Suddenly, a ring of blue-hot energy rippled outward from the sky. The ground began to shake and buildings began to sway.

        Darien could not control the bike any longer. The movement of the ground under the wheels was too much. Suddenly the road rose up before him and before he could do anything, the motorcycle went end over, throwing he and Serena off.

        Darien could take a fall since he was better fit and more experienced. Serena, however, was not so fortunate.

        Instead, she was catapulted off the bike, bouncing hard off her shoulder and then her back before sliding to a stop.

        “Serena!” Darien shouted as he rushed over to her on scraped legs. She was unconscious and pretty banged up but she’d be okay. He tried to pick her up but fell flat again as the Earth shook violently.


        None of the scouts could stand to transform. They had all been knocked on their backsides by the force of the tremors.

        “Look!” Amy pointed toward the downtown area. The city was prone to earthquakes and the more recent buildings had been built using quakeproof technology. However, many of the buildings were not quakeproof and they were crumbling.

        Meanwhile, near the beaches, buildings built on the sandy ground were being sucked under. Elsewhere, a gas main ruptured. The natural gas ignited into a terrible ball of hellfire that instantly vaporized the adjacent buildings. The Pacific Ocean’s water was thrown on the city in a giant tsunami that consumed part of L.A. up to 20th street.

        “Ave Maria.” Amy said in awe and fear. She crossed herself again. Mina was next to her, praying frantically. Lita was simply stunned.

        The skyscrapers were crumpling, bridges were collapsing, people were dying, and none of the three girls could to anything about it.

        Just then, they noticed a crack in the road snake it’s way toward them. It went right between Amy’s legs, who was too stunned to scream. A moment later, the ground underneath them disappeared and they freefell into blackness.


        Rei was much closer to the downtown area. She was clinging on desperately to a street lamp as the world crumbled around her. Her grandfather had told her of Hiroshima after the nuclear blast and Kobe after the earthquake there when he had been visiting friends. She knew that the destruction in both those disasters combined would not measure up to this.

        She kept thinking that if she could only get to her transformation stick she might be able to do something. She reached her hand into her vest and tried to pull it out, but the tremor loosened it from her grip and it clanked on the shattered sidewalk.

        For a confusing moment, the light pole seemed to grow, the Rei heard a creaking noise as it fell toward her. The Japanese girl was too bewildered to run for it and she could only watch as the metal post swooped down throw her to the concrete. The next thing she saw was a brick wall eclipse the sky.


        At Serena’s house, her family had taken shelter in the door frames as one was supposed to do in an earthquake. It wouldn’t save them. The house collapsed inward and the heavy, clay-tiled roof crushed them.


        Amy’s house faired just as bad. being on solid ground but near the beach, it was in the flooding zone and was covered with water ten feet over it’s roof.


        Mina’s house and Lita’s apartment building were near the ruptured gas line. Both were thoroughly cored along with the occupants inside.

        Chad had been sweeping the floor of the shrine. When the ground started shaking, he threw the special cover over the fire and then went to the door frame. Halfway there the far wall collapsed and the roof fell in. Chad was knocked sideways. He hit the near wall hard.

        Stars circled his head for a moment and he shook his head to clear it. There was no room to stand up, so he began to crawl his way to the door. He could see the destruction outside and was appalled at the dark sky and the crumbling buildings.

        There was a loosening noise behind him. He looked back in time to see a broken twelve-by-four support beam rear up and slap him in the face.

        Flute looked down at the burning, flooded, and crushed city. The entire Earth had experienced the same destruction and chaos this one had. Satisfied, he cut off the Pluto Star Crystal’s energy and disappeared as the rain began anew.

Chapter 8: Shaken