Senshi: the Gathering of Five Part Seventeen
Minako Aino smiled just slightly, a carefully cool smile that maintained a careful distance between them. "Thank you for the offer," she nodded to the young man, "but I'm not dating currently. A bit too busy with my career."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he sighed, the handsome producer pausing a moment. "You know, a show of willingness might help you get that new role, you know," he hinted.
Minako paused, her golden mane of hair flowing around her as she softly murmured, "Oh? I'm not sure I understand what you mean."
He reached out, laying his hand on her shoulder as he stepped a bit closer, "I'm sure someone that's as beautiful as you are..." He didn't even see the punch coming.
KRACK!
He dropped onto his butt, red blood streaming from his nose as he looked up in shock at Minako. She looked different standing there, somehow, like some kind of avenging angel as she glared down at him with a withering contempt. "You piece of slime," she hissed out angrily, "you're lucky that I just bloke your nose."
"You..." he started to say something else, but a single look silenced him, filling him with a surge of sudden fear.
"If I hear that you've tried this with other actresses," Minako's voice was arctic cold, "I swear that you'll regret it." With that she turned from the office and was gone, the secretary outside looking at her in surprise.
"What's going on?" the little redhead said with a confused frown.
Minako smiled just slightly as she said, "You might want to check in on your boss, it seems he's had a little accident."
Almost as soon as Minako left the building the white cat emerged from the bushes, jumping up onto her shoulder. "That was a bit much," Artemis chided her.
"Sorry," Minako didn't sound very apologetic as she continued, "but he annoyed me." The blonde headed for her sportscar, climbing in smoothly and starting it up. "Have you heard anything?" she asked, watching traffic.
"The lady has asked to contact the two of us," Artemis said, sitting on the passenger side and pointedly ignoring Minako's dangerous driving, "though I'm not sure why."
Minako nodded slightly, blue eyes narrowed a bit. "Why just us," she asked as she drove, "why not the whole group?"
"I don't know," Artemis admitted. He looked up at her worriedly, "You don't seriously think she might be considering treachery?"
"I wouldn't go that far," Minako said with a slight shrug of her shoulders, "but she has been known to play both sides of the fence." She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel as she asked, "So when and where?"
"This afternoon," Artemis said, "down on the waterfront."
"Then let's go," Minako said simply, slipping her car through traffic before taking a sideroad. They weaved through a industrial section, eventually emerging into a deserted little part, an oasis of green where the woman stood waiting.
The green haired woman stood looking out at the sea, looking strangely alone as the wind swept around her. She turned as Minako pulled up, waiting as she climbed out of the car and walked towards her. "Welcome Minako Aino," she said warmly, "it's good to see you again."
Minako felt oddly off balance as she said, "We haven't met."
"We did once," the woman said softly. She looked over at the cat riding on Minako's shoulder and smiled, "You are well, Artemis?"
"Yes, Setsuna-sama," Artemis said respectfully.
Minako smiled wryly, wishing she could command such respect from the cat. She looked at Setsuna thoughtfully, "Why did you want to see me?"
Setsuna seemed unsurprised by the abrupt question, even oddly pleased by it. "The Queen has been busy," she said simply, "I thought you and your allies deserved a warning."
Minako's eyes narrowed, "What has she done?"
"The Doom Sisters have been released," Setsuna calmly revealed, "the five greatest warriors of the Youma."
"We've met," Minako said grimly.
"However," Setsuna said, "I also wanted to let you know that you and your allies are not alone against them."
The sea just behind where Setsuna and Minako stood began to churn, the waters rising violently. As Minako prepared her chain for battle the waters subsided, a elegant young woman stepping from the sea onto land.
Hair that was a light green reached her shoulders, her eyes oddly piercing as she gazed over at them. She smiled slightly as she said mildly, "Forgive my enterance, Setsuna has something of a flair for the dramatic. My name is Michiru"
Minako actually smiled back, looping back the length of golden chain. On her shoulder Artemis murmured, "A water elemental."
Thunder boomed, startling Minako more than the others as winds picked up, lightning flashing. Suddenly the storm seemed to touch the ground in front of them, an explosion of light and fire leaving a human figure standing in it's wake.
"Storm god," Artemis whimpered.
"Not exactly," Haruka said, the sandy haired young woman straightening up, her boyish garb hugging her slim but clearly female form. "Haruka," she said, nodding to Minako.
"Friends of yours, I take it?" Minako said, trying to maintain her cool.
Setsuna smiled, clearly amused by Minako's deadpan delivery. "Indeed," she said, "comrades in arms both old and new. You needed to know that there is help available, Sailor V, and I pledge that we will do all that we can to help."
Minako nodded, the expression on her face showing that her thoughts were racing. "You need to meet the others," she nodded to Setsuna, "but you might want to keep your friends a secret."
"Oh?" Michiru raised an eyebrow.
Minako smiled, "Going into battle it's often useful to have resources your enemy doesn't know you have. I take it you've kept yourselves out of Serenity's sight?"
”The dark queen's seers are good," Setsuna said simply, "but I'm better."
"So we'll be a little surprise," Haruka's smile was absolutely wicked, "to spring on the Oni and their allies at the worst possible moment?"
"That's the idea," Minako agreed.
"I like the way you think," Setsuna said simply. Her gown swirled around her as she looked at Haruka and Michiru, "Would either of you object?"
Michiru gave Haruka a distainful look, "While I hate to agree with the windbag, I think it may well be a good idea."
"Water-logged," Haruka muttered.
Setsuna sighed, "I wish you two would try to get along better."
"Interesting pair," Minako murmured, her thoughts dwelling on a memory. A little girl in a cradle, looking up at a dark haired woman who murmured something. Her eyes widened, looking at Setsuna in shock as she said, "We have met, but so long ago...."
Setsuna nodded slightly as Haruka and Michiru quarelled softly in the background. "I needed to see you," she explained, "I needed to be sure."
"What do you mean....?" Minako managed.
"I was the seer that foresaw the Gathering of the Five," Setsuna said, her eyes dark with her own memories, "who saw what I must do."
To be continued....
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