The bar was seedy, in what was clearly in the bad part of town,
the street people's wary gazes turning to see as the car pulled up
front. Ami Mizuno strode down the steps to the club steadily, her manner
supremely confident in her stylish suit. Sunglasses concealed her eyes
even in the darkness, hiding her scanning glance as she entered the
room.
The music from the jukebox was old, dating back nearly twenty
years. The men and women sitting at the tables looked up at her
cautiously, then returned to their drinks and conversation. Ami walked
to the bar, catching the attention of the bartender.
"What'll it be?" he asked gruffly.
"Bourbon, neat," Ami ordered crisply, setting a bill on the
counter. She picked up her drink and moved over to a clear part of the
bar, leaving her change behind.
"Good evening," the woman noted as she sat down beside Ami. Her
long mane of black hair flowed over her shoulders, shining green in the
dim light.
"Setsuna," Ami nodded. She smiled wryly as she took another look
around, "You know, this is almost the stereotype for the sort of place
to hold a secret meeting."
Setsuna Meiou flashed a sudden smile, "I know, that's why I
chose it." More seriously she said, "Did the information I gathered for
you on Rei Hino help?"
"You were right on the money," Ami agreed. She casually slipped
a bundle of cash, setting it down between them so Setsuna could pick it
up. "I'd love to know where a private investigator acquired her
psychological profile," Ami said leadingly.
"Prof. Tomoe, actually," Setsuna's eyes were dark with anger,
"it seems he had profiles done on Rei and her grandfather, before they
moved against them."
Ami nodded, "And how are your two charges?"
"Growing up," Setsuna admitted. She swirled her own drink around
before admitting, "I've pretty much had to give up on keeping them
confined."
Ami nodded, "Just remind them to be discrete, please. I'd like
to ensure that the Infinity Organization doesn't get their hands on
them."
"I'll do my best," Setsuna nodded firmly. She got up from her
seat, "I'd better go, it's not a good idea for you to be seen with a
disreputable private investigator like myself."
"Be careful," Ami reminded her softly.
"You, too," Setsuna said as she strode away.
Ami finished off her drink, giving Setsuna the time to put some
distance between them. It bothered her at times, how little she knew
about her. An acquaintance of her mother's, all those years ago, she had
come back into Ami's life when she had first begun organizing the Senshi
Sabers. Information of many kinds, some that Ami suspected she acquired
illegally, she gave it to Ami as needed. But Setsuna's own motives
remained unclear.
'One of these days I'm going to have to ask her,' Ami thought as
she left the bar, rising up to the street, 'even if I don't like the
answer.' She unlocked her car and slipped behind the wheel, starting it
up and pulling out onto the road before any opportunistic vermin could
act.
Ami tried to focus on the question of Setsuna, but instead
another face materialized before her mind's eye. 'Rei Hino,' she thought
uncomfortably, 'why did I react that way?' Ami prided herself on her
self control, but last night in the changing room she had nearly....
"A momentary lapse," Ami murmured to herself aloud, "nothing
more." Still, she couldn't quite convince herself of that. 'So now we
are four,' she mused, navigating through traffic smoothly. Four agents
seemed to be the best number for a semi-covert group, though she was
prepared to build other suits if needed.
She came around the corner to the Silky Doll and Ami sighed
softly. It really was a unlikely business for her to run, but it was a
nearly perfect cover. Even better it encouraged those who had been
aquatinted with her and her mother to underestimate her. Ami activated
the sliding door to her underground parking and pulled the car in.
Ami got out of the car, pulling her coat off and slinging it
over her shoulder as she walked to the elevator. "Mercury?" she called
out.
"Yes?" the feminine voice answered, "I was just running hardsuit
diagnostics."
"Are there any calls or messages?" Ami asked curiously, riding
the elevator up past the store level to her home.
"Minako called," Mercury reported, "she's setting up a worm to
remove any data on the latest Senshi Sabers activity. Also, it appears
the Infinity Organization is continuing to suppress information on any
Bio- Boomer rogues."
"No messages from Rei Hino?" Ami asked curiously.
"No ma'am," Mercury answered.
Ami frowned to herself thoughtfully as she exited into her
living room, wondering what Rei might be doing right now....
Rei Hino sat back, looking at the library computer with a fierce
frown. She had gone in there that morning with a request in mind, trying
to find any information on the Senshi Sabers. So far, she was tough out
of luck.
"Nothing in the newspapers for the past few months," Rei
muttered to herself softly. Despite her participating in a battle
against a Bio-Boomer just last night, there was absolutely nothing in
the papers. In fact, they didn't even cover the fact Bio-Boomers were
going rogue!
'Is Prof. Tomoe that powerful?' Rei mused as she walked away
from the computer. She gave the librarian a nod as she walked out on the
street, 'I can't believe that even the Infinity Organization could keep
every newspaper and TV station under wraps.'
Then again, the Infinity Organization was the largest employer
in the city Megatokyo, hands down. It really wasn't too surprising that
they would have influence, power of various types. Most politicians knew
which side their bread was buttered on, they knew that angering a prime
campaign supporter would not be a very good idea.
"Spineless bastards," Rei muttered, startling a passerby. She
looked around her curiously, then her eyes widened as she recognized
another landmark.
The AD Police tower rose up towards the sky, the name of the
organization boldly written down the side. One of their tactical
'copters rose from the roof to go out on patrol even as people went in
and out of the building's main entrance. 'If anyone would know,' Rei had
to admit it, 'they would.'
"Hey!" a woman's voice cried out.
Rei turned, feeling a flash of anger. The blonde haired, blue
eyed woman was walking towards Rei, dressed in casual pants and white
shirt, a heavy black jacket over top carrying the AD Police logo. "Yes?"
Rei asked her coolly, wondering who she was.
"You're Rei Hino, the singer," the blonde said, her long hair
falling in twin streams from two buns on the top of her head. She smiled
happily, "I saw you at the Hot Legs show a few nights ago, you were
great!"
Rei felt an odd bit of relief at that. She had tangled with the
police more than once after her grandfather's death, and wondered if
that trouble had caught up with her. "Thank you," Rei murmured as she
started to walk, "and you are?"
"Usagi Tsukino," the blonde said with a grin. She looked at Rei
cautiously, "I was wondering, are you busy? I'd love to take you out for
lunch."
"No thanks," Rei said coolly.
"Aw come on...," Usagi kept up with her, a bounce to her step.
Rei shot her a look, "Maybe you should spend your time chasing
Bio- Boomers, not skirts."
"Ow," Usagi stopped and watched Rei walk away.
A shorter, brown haired young woman walked up to her side,
looking over towards Rei. "Well isn't she butch," Naru muttered, the
officer dressed semi-formally.
"Naru," Usagi frowned. They walked towards their cruiser,
"Still, she was cute."
Rei walked up the steps into AD Police headquarters, looking
around her curiously. 'Wonder how I'd go about asking about the Senshi
Sabers?' she mused. She walked towards the officer at the front desk,
slowing down a bit in surprise.
"It's nice to see you again," Minako Aino beamed at Rei, long
blonde hair flowing down her back like a cape.
"You're... a police officer?" Rei blinked.
"You look confused," Minako said gently. "Let me get my
replacement up here," she spoke into the headset that she wore, "and
we'll talk."
Back to Senshi Sabers Index - Back to Crossovers Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction