The lights flickered and a chilling breeze went down their spine and arms, they shivered and rubbed their arms to dull the sensation of coldness.  Goosebumps appeared on their arms, they felt their whole bodies being frozen cold and stiff, the air-con in this room was way too cold, they thought.
    “Mars Crystal Power Makeup!” Rei’s hand reached up into the air, a warm rush of flames counteracted with the cool air. “Fire Raven Storm!” 

    The attack never reached the being that had spread the mist of cold air, for a moment, the temperature rose, but it quickly fell once again. Their sense quickly returned as they realised that it was the Negaverse’s doing. Throwing their hands into the air, they shouted simultaneously.
    “Crisis Makeup!” 
    “Venus Crystal Power Makeup!”
    “Jupiter Crystal Power Makeup!” 
    Ami hesitated before transforming, but that tiny moment had been too much. The brilliant haze of red, yellow, orange and green cleared as did the smog that had originated from the being. She felt her legs turn into jelly as did all the others, when they saw that in the direction of the coolness and the smog, there was no one else other than Asuka. His eyes were dull, having lost the glimmer of life, the Negaverse had gained control of him. Ami felt like vomiting, through the mysterious means he had once described to her, he was now the slave of the Negaverse.
    He looked at her stupefaction and laughed, “Well, Sailor Mercury, aren’t you going to transform?  It would be more fun if you did.”
    She froze, not knowing what to do, she was scared and didn’t want to hurt him. Yet if she didn’t transform, there would be no way of knowing what was making him have these so called epileptic fits. Her hands moved without her knowing, and pressed her earring which would have usually activated her visor if she was in her senshi form, while her other hand reached into the pocket that would have also been there if she was wearing her fuku.
    Surprisingly, her visor appeared, and her computer emerged from nowhere. She wondered what type of a fashion statement she was making, wearing one of her practice skating dresses in the midst of a forthcoming fight with her visor across her face. Her visor sensors immediately locked onto his head, her fingers flew automatically over the keyboard, entering the instructions. She had little idea about what she was looking for, although her instincts suggested a computer chip implant of some kind. Her computer beeped, the chip had been found, implanted at the base of his medulla, it was sending out message blockers to other parts of the brain and creating its own to control the body.
    Her insides cringed as she realised that there was no way that SailorMoon could heal him, it was a physical problem not a hypnotic one. To relieve him of the control, an actual physical operation had to be performed, but if no one else could see it… “No Asuka, I don’t want harm you, I can’t harm you.”
    Asuka laughed, his voice had changed, it was now deep and menacing. “Hurt me? Ami Mizuno, you are talking out of your depths. Pray tell me how you plan to ‘hurt’ me with your bubbles.”
    Ami grimaced visibly. She didn’t like it when she was criticised for being weak, Deus Mercury had many a times told her that it was quite alright to be weaker if you knew where to strike. Asuka had obviously been studying her attacking skills, in order to win him, she would have to act out of her frame of mind, she would have to work in a way that was irrational and unexpected.
    Three other large creatures appeared behind him. Asuka had told her about them, Animusor, Ossify and Avarice. Judging by their appearances, the one on the left, the muscular one, had to be the one who represented strength, thus Animusor whose name suggested hatred and strength.  Ossify, that meant fossil, coolness would be the one on the right who was so skinny, that it honestly looked like fossils, save the wings would be speed. And then the one in the middle had to be Avarice, his large skull and the extravagant cape and staff, shouted greed and intelligence. If there was anyone that she would have to overcome one on one, it would be him.
    Avarice hit the staff on the surface of the ice creating a loud bang. He bared his teeth showing large, yellow disordered teeth as he tried to smile in pleasure. “Well then, you will just have to die in the hands at your lover if you are not planning to strike.”
    Ami bit her lip, lover? No, he was a friend, and she wasn’t about to see death, not until she had managed to save Asuka from the jaws of the Negaverse. “Chigaimasu! (That is not true) He is only a friend!”
    “In the name of Love, I will punish you! Using the attachment of two people meant for each other for the sake of evil is the greatest wrong of all!”
    Ami felt each word pang on her heart, especially when SailorVenus used the words “meant for each other”, no matter how wonderful the two words had sounded, it wasn’t right.
    “I’m going to show you how love really should be used! Venus love and beauty shock!”  A magnificent lash of gold was released from SailorVenus’ chain of love, she leapt forwards, delivering the attack towards Avarice. As it flew Avarice, the chain disappeared into the mist that they had created. Ami had tried to hold onto SailorVenus, her visor had read a shield that destroyed all attacks towards them, but too late. SailorVenus suddenly found herself rushing full speed at them without an attack in hand.
    “You think that this little attack can cause any damage? You are mistaken pretty one, but I appreciate your fight for love.” He reached out the moment that SailorVenus was about to crash into him, holding her by the neck he flung her away savagely to the arms of Animusor. “Deal with her, I want them all!”
    “Wait! You’re really only looking for me, aren’t you? Let her go, and I’ll go back with you.”
    The others turned to Ami who had stepped out from behind them, now standing about two meters in front.  They shocked at what she was saying, Ami had given up the fight already. “Ami, you can’t!”
    “They have created a shield, attacks can go out, but not in, at least not without the special mark of the Negaverse. We can’t win against them…”
    “What? Not without a fight? What a party-pooper!” Avarice again bared his disgusting teeth at her, in what was considered a ‘grin’.
    “Let her go and I will go with you.”
    Avarice nodded at Animusor. “You realise that I can take all of you at one go. But I’ll indulge you this one time and exchange one for one as an appreciation of your so-called courage. Now lets see how the rest of you can fight without the brains. I suppose that means a deal has been made.”
    Animusor held SailorVenus out towards them by her long blonde hair. Tears streamed down her face as she cried in pain, her hands reached to her scalp.  She was being lifted off the ground by her hair. The creature seemed to enjoy the pain that she was suffering, and began swinging her in a pendulum movement, she screamed out involuntarily, when he let go, SailorVenus was practically thrown towards them from the speed of the pendulum movement, landing just at Ami’s feet.
    SailorVenus had collapsed from the immense pain, the others immediately rushed to help her, but Ami barely reacted to her release.
    SailorMars reached forward to hold Ami’s hand. “You can’t leave us behind, he is right, we can’t fight them without you.”
    Ami ignored her plea, and stepped forward a little more still. “Are you going to strike then?”
    Animusor spoke for the first time, by looking into his eyes and what she had just seen him do with Venus, she knew that he was a sadist. “Oh, we are, don’t you worry about that bit for me. And I know just who should do it too…” he pushed Asuka towards her, “I’m sure your little lover would like to see you on your knees, I know I like my women weak.”
    “Bakemono! (Monster!)” Rei’s anger raged at his sadistic plans, hardly knowing how to help Ami out of this.
    Asuka was still in the breadth of the shield, but even if he wasn’t, she would not have tried to attack him. Ami held her breath, she could feel the others behind her, SailorMoon in hysterics, and the others barring SailorMoon from rushing over. In her brief actions, Ami had sent out a message to all of them, she was going to go through with her deal, she was a woman of her word. She braced herself, ready for what she was to become of her, her fingers lingered at the medal that Asuka had given her, it was still on her neck, she had hoped that it would awake some recognition in his mind. She looked straight into his eyes, no, Asuka did not remember it.
    “Nega Black Ice Magic!” Asuka released a wild storm of ice towards her, aimed solely at her chest. Ami watched as the twirl of black and pale blue surged towards her, there was nothing that she could do but wait. If she moved away, the rest of the senshi would be hit, and there was no counterattack for an attack as strong as this. Not even Mar’s fiery attacks destroy one of this strength, not without knowing the exact point to strike. It not just ice, it was power as well. Time seemed to stall in the brief moment, she could see all too clearly what was going to hit her, her visor was going wild with readings, a seven centimeter pole-liked shape of force,  the weakest point to attack in order to destroy the force, energy was…
    The force hit her straight between her ribcage, below her chest bone, knocking out the air from her. Surprisingly, she felt absolutely nothing other than the pain of the immediate contact, and the coldness on her skin. She hadn’t expected death to be pain-free, especially not from the Negaverse. She felt herself being thrown backwards, the friction on ice was little, she skid and crashed straight into the others, she wanted to apologise for having hurt them in the crash, but what did it matter if you were dead?
 

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