No subject

to soften the na=C3=AFve goddess, giving him the opportunity to collect his
bargaining chip, Serenity's daughter.  The whole operation had gone
more smoothly than he had anticipated.  He'd thought that their 'Time
Guardian' would have figured out his strategy by now.  Such a pity
too, he had looked forward to matching wits with her.

Now he waited.  He had been listening carefully for the small signs of
Serenity's arrival; light footsteps on the roof or the loud metallic
moaning of a door or voices from the front.  He had chosen this place
for a reason; every little sound was amplified and drifted back to
this office.  He'd spent his time categorizing every sound and attuned
his ears so that there wasn't a noise he didn't recognize.  There was
no way Serenity and her soldiers would take him by surprise.

Finally, he heard the soft whimper of a rusted window hinge being pulled op=
en.

'Ah, so Serenity has arrived.  I wonder which one she's sent to
destroy me.'  The old man pondered as he tensed his fists.

Without warning, the rusty hinges moaned loudly echoing throughout the
warehouse.  Halebit clenched his teeth; no doubt that Cindy had heard
it as well.

Apparently defeating several powerful beings from all corners of their
universe didn't teach them much in the art of war.  'Such amateurs.
They think that can sneak up on me by making that much noise?'

Listening carefully, Halebit heard heavy footsteps move purposefully
and slowly down the one of the few hallways.  That was strange, he
thought, the hallway went right by the platform where Cindy and
Serenity's daughter were in plain sight.  This assailant had ignored
them, continuing down the hallway.  No guardian of Serenity would pass
up an opportunity to make sure that their queen's daughter was safe.
Then he'd heard the door to the office creak and heavy breathing now
accompanied the heavy footsteps coming his way.  No this person wasn't
looking for the Serenity's daughter and it stood to reason this wasn't
one of Serenity's guards.

"Tracer."  The old man hissed as he exhaled one of his meditative
breathes.  He didn't need to see the gun to know it was pointed at his
temple, he could feel the coldness of the metal barrel leaching the
heat away from his skin.

"Old man."  The Timelord replied, his voice thick with anticipation.

 "You insolent child."  Halebit calm words chilled on his lips.  "So
you're willing to squander your second chance at life?  I would say
I'm surprised, but when dealing with such a simpleton so compelled to
throw his life away, who am I to refuse?"

The boy growled.  Halebit smirk.  He was such a predictable child.
"Shut your fucking mouth, ya old bastard!  I came back here to pay you
back for everything you've done to me!"

Humored, Halebit raised an eyebrow, though he kept his tone icy.
"Done to you?  All I did was train you and it's obvious I did not do a
very good job, I'm ashamed to admit.  You're still wild,
undisciplined, and disrespectful.  You were the worst soldier I ever
had the displeasure teaching.  I'd have an easier time domesticating a
dog."

Tracer's breathing became ragged, and by the wavering coolness of the
barrel, his hands were shaking.  "Then why the hell did you take me
under your wing?  Why did you bother training me?"

Halebit sat silently, reaching out with his mind and curling his
hands.  In a flash, he opened his eyes and his hands snapped shut.

Instantly the barrel of the gun collapsed.  Halebit filled with
nostalgic glee as he witnessed Tracer's initial reaction, a
combination of shock, anger, and panic.  Ah, did that ever bring back
memories.  Not wanting to linger though, Halebit thrust his other
glowing palm out, paralyzing the boy with his invisible grip.

"Because," Halebit stared intently at his victim, his tone stern and
malicious.  "I wanted to relish in your failure.  I wanted to see the
son of the Great General flail about like an idiot as he struggled to
make it through my training only to fall short.  Then, I could prove
once and for all my superiority over Trekker by showing the Community
how much a miserable waste of flesh he'd sired."

Halebit watched, entertained as the Timelord struggled fruitless to
free himself from his telekinetic vice.  The fiery defiant glint in
the boy's eyes, on the other hand, was beginning to annoy him.

'Good luck with that, boy.'  Halebit chuckled softly as he tightened
his fist which in turn tightened the grip around the Timelord.   He
was going to enjoy turning this delinquent into paste.

He'd toy with the child long enough, he felt; Serenity would be here
any moment.  'Good bye, unruly beast.'

Halebit strained his fingers and attempted to curl them closed before
he met some resistance.  He strained harder, but the resistance pushed
back.  A frown wrinkled the old man's taunt leathery skin and tried
again for only more of the same.  Irate, Halebit made a quick sweep of
the Timelord and instantly his sights honed in on the iridescent blade
hanging from his hip.

'That damn sword.'  Halebit thought bitterly.  'Why must that artifact
of his father's always haunt me!?'

'I bet Trekker must laughing at you from beyond the grave, Hally, me
boy.'  The sound of Nihil's voice nearly caused the old man to gag on
his breath.

'Wha-what?  How is this possible?'  The panic hit Halebit with such
ferocity, his spine involuntarily relinquished a shiver.

'Isn't it obvious?  You're no longer in control.'  Nihil's voice
grew
louder, giving it greater gravity.

His forehead felt warm and the telltale signs of perspiration were
forming.  With his free hand, Halebit wiped away the salty liquid
beads, staring at it mortified.  Of course, he'd been focusing too
much of his precious energy on this piece of trash.

'Heh.  You thought you were so clever with your plan to con the Silver
Crystal from *the* Serenity.  You are such a fool, Halebit.'  Nihil
warm breath tickled his ear.  'You will be nothing but dust when she's
done with you.'

Ignoring Nihil strained Halebit's nerves, but through the fog of
distractions, the annoying apparition gave him the moment of clarity
he needed.  'I believe the contrary.'

'What?'

Halebit smirked, caring little whether his former pupil could see.  It
didn't matter anyway; he was going to be dead in a few minutes.
'Perhaps, I should delegate tasks in order to conserve my energy.'

'Hmph.' Halebit's chest swelled with pride and his anger ebbed, it
wasn't often that Nihil sounded so annoyed.  'You're still careening
out of control.'

Through the diminishing red veil of rage Halebit became dimly aware
that his prisoner had nearly freed one of his arms and appeared to be
reaching for his sword.

Snapped out of his trance, Halebit's and Tracer's eyes locked.  For a
moment, neither Halebit nor his old pupil moved, tension filling the
air between them.  Once again Halebit stared at those dark intense
eyes and realized he wasn't dealing with some ordinary man.

Ordinary men, when they've been beaten down enough, break or conform
but not Tracer.  Repeatedly, Halebit had berated, humiliated,
defeated, and belittled him his entire life, but he wouldn't be
broken.  Even now in a situation this dire, Tracer stared at him with
that single-minded promise of destruction blazing in his eyes.
Tracer's sole concern was killing him everything else was secondary,
including his own life.

No.  This was no man.  He was dealing with a beast or a demon, an
agent of Chaos.

Finally, the boy began to shiver, from what, Halebit wasn't certain,
but his loosely hanging hair dangled back and forth across his nose
like a greasy black curtain.

"You're so fucking dead, old man."

'See you are weak, Hally.'  Nihil chuckled.  That chuckle always
raised his hackles in ways that demented voice knew all too well.
'You've given Tracer hope!  Another chance to kill you!  Oh he is so
precocious!  This is precious!   Hahahaha!'

"Believe what you like," Halebit croaked then licked his dried lips.
"BUT I AM THE ONE IN CONTROL HERE!"

With a mighty roar, the old man flung his glowing hands forward,
sending the soldier barreling through the flimsy walls of the office
and out of his sight.

-----------------------------------------------------------

There was no redemption for her.  Cindy had agonized enough about it
and all she could do was await the punishment she had coming to her.
One does not simply betray Serenity and expect salvation.

"If any of the Scouts, especially the Queen, comes to harm because of
the Timelords, you will be held responsible. I will personally ensure
your reciprocation is swift."

The blonde woman shivered at Pluto's words.  She anxiously kicked her
legs as they dangled from the ledge of the platform letting her heels
click against the concrete below.  Neither of them made a sound.
Occasionally Reenie's cage would rattle when she repositioned herself.
 Cindy wanted to apologize in the worst way, but she stared ahead
despondently.  She didn't dare raise her voice unless she wanted to
call Halebit's attention back to her.  And the last thing she wanted
was to be the focus of the creepy lecher.

*Creeek!*

Cindy instinctively clutched her ruby bracelet and twisted around
toward the sound.  She quickly scanned the area around her, briefly
catching Reenie wide eyes.

'This is it.'  The blonde Traveller thought as she carefully crawled
to her feet.

She waited for a moment before a bright flash blinked behind her.
Already tense, Cindy twirled, knees bent, ready to =E2=80=A6 well, she quit=
e
honestly didn't know what she was going to do.  Hell, she didn't know
what she *should* do.  She was no match for them and had no desire at
all to fight them.  They were her childhood heroines for Serenity's
sake!

As the light faded, she could make out four figures.  When she saw the
silhouette of the Time Key and Silence Glaive, a large lump formed in
Cindy's throat.  She glanced at the cage holding the child and then at
the procession walking toward her.  No, it was much too late to
apologize now.  What she had done was unforgivable.

Eventually, Sailor Moon was immersed in the red glow that bathed the
interior of the empty warehouse.  Cindy's sights drifted to the
sparkling Silver Crystal adorning her brooch.  It flickered with a
warm nearly metallic aura.  Once they got a few feet away, the
procession stopped and all parties examined both her and the girl in
the cage next to her.  Cindy studied their reactions and grew anxious
at their open hostility.

"Sailor Moon?"  A slight rattle rang in tune with Reenie's soft voice.

Cindy closed her eyes and released a sigh.  She hoped they would end
her life swiftly.

"Don't worry, Reenie." Serena sounded nervous?  Shouldn't she=20
be
outraged?  "Everything's going to be okay.  Right now, I have to talk
to Cindy, alright?"

"Yea-yeah."  Reenie stuttered apparently feeling just as confused as Cindy.

"Okay," Serena took a deep breath.  "Cindy, listen to me.  You don't
have to do this."

"This isn't what I had planned!" Cindy cringed as the words escaped
her lips.  She must have sounded awfully pitiful.  "W-what I mean is I
never meant for this to happen.  I know I shouldn't have done this,
but you have no idea what that old man put me through.  When he gave
me the opportunity to meet you, I had to take it.  I didn't mean to
deceive you.  I just wanted a way out.  "

Quickly, Cindy lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut.  'There.
I've done it.  Everything is out in the open.  Whether or not she
believes me it doesn't matter.  I've atone for my sins.  I can now die
in peace.'

To Cindy's surprise, she heard Serena sigh and step closer.  As she
spoke, Cindy found the warmth in her voice very soothing.  "I
understand, Cindy.  Please, just let go of Reenie and we can fight
this battle together."

"No!" Cindy snapped and then immediately she looked away, embarrassed
by her outburst.  "I can't=E2=80=A6 I'm ... I'm unforgivable."

"Cindy."  Serena's voice was clear and gentle yet it demanded Cindy's
attention.  "I forgive you."

"You forgive?"  The proclamation left her awestruck and a little
overwhelmed.  "You forgive me?  For what I've done?  But what I had
done was-"

"You did what you felt you needed to do."  Serena interrupted but her
expression remained warm.  "We know what's going on.  But now, you
need to do the right thing, let's get Reenie out of the cage."

"Yes."  The blonde Traveller stood straighter, as if she had flung off
the weight of guilt from her shoulders.  With renewed determination,
Cindy gingerly walked toward the cage.  "It's the right thing to do."

Cindy fiddled with the lock feverishly, her confidence soared.  She
and the Sailor Senshi were going to take on Halebit.  She'd been
praying and wishing and waiting for this day for a long time.

As she fumbled with the cage, Cindy caught Reenie smiling at her.
Cindy smiled back filling with elation.   It felt like an eternity,
but eventually the door to the cage opened up and the child jumped
into her arms.

"I knew you weren't bad, Cindy."  The child whispered into her ear.

"Thanks."  Cindy whispered back returning the hug.

Suddenly, a loud crash broke the silence as a figure smashed through
the rear wall, slamming into the concrete floor between Sailor Moon
and the platform.  In an instant, the warehouse was a flurry of chaos
as Sailor Scouts flew in from every available window.  Cindy
instinctively wrapped herself around the child.  For a moment they all
paused.  Then the figure stirred and groaned.

Cindy protectively pushed Reenie behind her.  Sailor Saturn and Pluto
had their weapons ready as the other Sailor soldiers gathered around
Sailor Moon in various fighting stances.

Then Cindy saw it.  As the figure rose, she could see the tell-tale
greasy black mop hanging over the stranger's face.  The man groaned
once again, stumbling about a little disoriented before he finally
flipped the thick dark locks away his eyes darting one way and then
another.  Finally they settled on her.

Immediately, her breath hitched and her heart pounded in her chest.
It was him.  It was the murderer.  It was-

"YOU!"  Both Travellers shouted, simultaneously pointing at each other.

Without hesitation, Cindy yanked her bracelet from her wrist, snapping
it rigid.  The individual diamond-shaped ringlets expanded sliding
together harmoniously to form the flat blade.  Leaping from the
platform, Cindy threw both her arms behind her head and gripped the
newly assembled sword in her hands.  She envisioned this moment every
time she trained with her sword, his smirking face there for her to
strike, slice, hack, and-

*TING!*

Cindy stood in shock.  The asshole had caught her blade with his claw!
 She caught the smirk on his face and her anger flared.

"Damn you!"

Tracer sneered in reply.  Tightening his hold on the blade, he kicked
her full force into the protruding ledge of the platform.  Falling to
her knees, Cindy tried to shake the lights from her eyes as well as
fight the urge to vomit.  Her lower back ached and her abdomen
throbbed painfully.  However, she was determined she was going to win
this fight.  He wasn't going to get away with killing her family.  But
before she could muster enough energy to make another charge, she
realized to her horror that she didn't have her sword.

In her field of vision, she saw her sword imbed itself next to the
Timelord's feet which were stepping towards her.

"No!"  She heard Serena scream, but she heard nothing more.  Why
weren't they coming to her aid?

As the Timelord stepped closer, a heavy coldness settled deep down
inside her.  Were they abandoning her?  Were they going to stand by
and watch as this monster tore her apart?  If she was doomed, then she
wasn't going out on her knees.

"You Counsule lapdog!"  Cindy jeered spitting the taste of blood and
saliva from her mouth.  "The Counsule has to send you to finish the
job, huh?  Or you're not satisfied just killing them, are you?!"

Suddenly, Tracer pounced upon her and gripped her tightly around her
throat.   She tried to put on a brave face as she raised her head.
His shiny, silvery claw recoiled, was posed to strike while his face
was ferocious and his eyes wild and predatory.

"What the hell are you talkin' about you Society bastard?"

"You-" Cindy attempts to quell her quivering went to no avail.  She
was going to die wasn't she?  She shouldn't be scared.  She'd be with
her family shortly.  She had to be strong for them.  "You killed them.
 Sam, Mom, and Dad."

Saying their names left a bitter taste in her mouth.  "You killed my family=
."

The ferocity drained away and the man lowered his claw.  "What?"

As he loosened his hold, Cindy noticed a smooth wooden hilt hanging
from his hip, just within her reach.  Taking advantage of the
momentary distraction, Cindy grabbed the weapon.

Instantly, her breath was taken away.  A sudden rush of=E2=80=A6 something
washed over her.  She felt more alive, more confident, and more=E2=80=A6
powerful.  Exhilarating didn't begin to describe what was happening to
her.  She took in her surroundings in a new light.  She could not only
see Serenity, but she could sense her too.  It was strange she could
sense everyone in the room, even Tracer.  Not only that, but it seemed
like time had stood still.  No one appeared to be moving; well they
didn't appear to be moving very fast if they were moving at all.

'A Child of Serenity?'  A mysterious voice asked.

'Huh?'  Cindy couldn't see anyone.  Where was the voice coming from?
'Who are you?'

'Are you a Child of Serenity?'  The voice asked again.

Cindy could feel the necklace almost burn against her skin.  How did
it know she was a part of the Children of Serenity order?  'Uh, yes.
Yes, I am.'

'Good.'  The voice sounded pleased at this.  'Use my power.'

'W-what power?'

'Use my power.'  The voice urged.

'I don't understand.'

'Use my power.'  It repeated, a little more urgently.

'Please.'  Cindy's head began to ache.  'What are you talking about?'

'Use my power!'  This time the voice was drumming about inside of her mind.

The pain grew worse as the voice repeated over and over demanding that
she use its 'power' whatever power it was.  She looked at Tracer's
face and realized she was still in his grip.  This was his doing,
wasn't it?  He must have put some kind of spell on his sword to keep
other people from using.  She sneered as she gripped the handle of the
hilt, determined to use it.

Jerking the sword from Tracer's side, she shoved the weapon into the
Timelord's stomach and sawed upwards into his chest.  Years of
seething anger erupted with that stroke, leaving its bloody trademark
evident all over her hands and face.  Cindy kept her eyes fixed on the
stunned expression frozen on the beast's face.  A tingle went up her
spine.  It was over.  It was finally over!

Her satisfaction was short-lived however as the voice suddenly boomed.
 'USE MY POWER!'

The voice was now stabbing into her brain and the room spun.  She was
losing control and she had only one option left to her.  She had to
give in.

As she did, she bellowed the most horrific scream.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"No!"  Serena shouted the savage display was too much for her.  She
lunged forward only to have the Time Staff block her path, the red of
the Garnet Orb staring her in the face.

Serena twisted her head toward the Time Guardian, and whispered
hoarsely.  "Why?"

Sailor Pluto stood motionless, looking straight ahead at the fighting
combatants.  "It's time to make good on our agreement.  I'm doing what
I must.'"

Serena's face soured.  "You can't be serious, Pluto!  You saw for
yourself she was going to give Reenie over to us."  The Time Guardian
remained silent.  "We were going to help each other Pluto!  She's our
ally!  We can't stand here and watch her get slaughtered!"

"Yeah, Pluto, what gives?"  Lita asked indignantly over Serena's shoulder.

Just then, Serena could hear Amy furiously tapping on her compact
computer.  "Uh, guys-"

"This is of no concern to you, Jupiter."  Serena winced; Pluto must be
stressed to lash out like this.  "This is an agreement made between
the Queen and myself.  No one else."

"We're just doing our job, Pluto."  Venus offered, suddenly standing
between Pluto and Lita.

"Guys-"

"Your job is to protect the Queen here and my job is to protect the
timeline that sustains the Queen.  This is my job.  This is my duty!"

"Guys!"

"Oh my God!"  At Raye's exclamation, Serena returned her attention
to
the battle between the Travellers and gasped.

A bloody blade jutted from the back of the Timelord and it appeared to
be making a jagged journey upward.  What was most distressing was the
part of the silvery blade that could be seen was glowing brightly.

"Reenie!"  In a heartbeat, Darien, Erica, and Michelle leapt towards
the platform.

Things had definitely spiraled out of control.  Serena held her hand
to mouth, dismayed and horrified by the scene unfolding in front of
her.  As she did so, her brooch nearly blinded her.

'What's going on?'  Serena felt a mixture of fright and awe at the spectacl=
e.

"I don't believe this."  The blonde turned to Amy who now was staring
awestruck at the translucent computer relay framing her eyes like
goggles.

To see Amy this fascinated by her computer in the heat of a fight made
Serena very weary.  "What is it, Amy?"

"This is telling me-"

Before Amy could finish her sentence, a blood cuddling scream filled
the warehouse and a flash like a bolt of lightning blinded everyone.
Serena and the other girls around her barely stayed on their feet
while the ground shook and a wave of energy struck them.