*Disclaimer: Sephiroth is appearing without the permission of Square
Soft or whatever company it is that owns him. We're just borrowing him
and the characters of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. They will be
returned to their appropriate owners, unharmed. =D At least, we hope
so. *turns to see Kayla running off with Sephiroth* KAY-CHAN YOU
CAN'T KEEP HIM! *runs after Kayla*

Alpha's Omega
Chapter Three
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society
Rating: R
Email: kaylachavi@hotmail.com
	EtrlSlrMn@aol.com
http://www.envy.nu/kaylachavi/index.htm
http://www.wishing-blue.net/kii/

*Alpha Three Enclave*

	Rose sat back on the comfortable seats of the vehicle, her
hands nervously tugging at the rather uncomfortable dress. Most of
her wounds had healed, which left her skin once again flawless.
It contrasted nicely with the deep wine-red of her dress. Kalkia had
chosen it for her. It had a high collar that covered the one bruise
that had not yet fully healed. If it hadn't been for that bruise,
Kalkia would have forced her into something even more revealing. The
dress was tight across her chest with artful black buttons that went
down at an angle. It had been done in an ancient style from Alpha
Ten, the area formerly called China, so the fabric was silk with
black silk embroidery. The skirt was long, going to her ankles, but
had two long slits on either side. Kalkia had pushed for slits to the
hips, but Rose was not that daring. No, she insisted that her slits
only went to her mid-thighs. The difference was minute, but it helped
to soothe her mind to know that there was at least a difference.

	Even then, she felt naked and kept fiddling with the collar.
She looked across at Kalkia, who was relaxed and calm. Then again,
Kalkia had a wonderful body and nothing to be worried about. She
could stand in the middle of a room full of people, naked, and be
calm. Rose, on the other hand, didn't even like her uniform at times.

	"Oh stop that," Kalkia snapped. She pulled Rose hand away
from her collar. "You have a wonderful body and you should show it
more often. That dress looks great and you know it."

	"But--" Rose began to protest.

	Jedeite wriggled his eyebrows and grinned. "She's right,
Rosebud. You look fine so stop messing with the dress." He looked at
both the women and tugged at the lapels of his tuxedo. Some fashions
never died, even after hundreds of years. "I'm going to be the envy
of every man at the occasion, with two luscious women on my arms," he
said, mockingly.

	Kalkia raised an eyebrow and jabbed her elbow roughly into
his ribs. She was sitting next to him and wasn't pleased with his
statement. "Correction, Jed," she said coolly. "You'll have one girl.
Rose is your escort for the evening, you're here to watch her,
remember?" Her eyes became almost silver-fire as her anger grew. She
knew that he didn't want to touch her in the least, so she was going
to punish him for reminding her. "Endymion will be with me until I
find another date. If we cluster then it's easier to kill us. They
don't know what Endymion is, but there are sure a hell of a lot of
people that want to kill you."

	"And you," Jedite pointed out.

	Kalkia laughed, "No one wants to kill me, Jed. Just screw me."

	The blonde clenched his jaw and looked over at Rose. He
ignored Kalkia's barb. "Remember, Rosebud. Don't do anything stupid
tonight. I'd hate to get you in trouble."

	Rose just gave him a wide-eyed surprised look and he
chuckled. Endymion sat there looking more nervous about the tuxedo
then the mission. He kept fussing with his bow tie. Kalkia saw and
shook her head. She quickly moved and helped him get it straight. The
action was almost sisterly.

	Jedeite raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "I can do things
without sex you know," she whispered when she felt his eyes on her.

	Her dress was an extremely dark green that looked almost
black. It shimmered with silver highlights when she moved and made
her already pale skin even more translucent. The dress itself was
strapless and very low cut. It had a medieval type bodice in black
leather that purposely drew attention to her cleavage. The skirt of
the dress was floor-length, slit on both sides. The slits went all
the way up her legs, past her hips and to the bodice. It was obvious
that her underwear was either non-existent or very high cut and a
thong. Kalkia didn't play games when it came to her wardrobe. Around
her throat was a beautiful yet simple obsidian pendant in the shape
of a dragon. Her hair was in such an elaborate fashion, that when
Endymion looked at her he had to remember that all that hair was
hers. There were so many twists and braids that he got lost looking
for where one began and the next ended.

	He looked at her for a long moment and then kissed her hand
like a gentlemen would. "Would Jon hurt me if I asked where your
weapons were?" he teased and she laughed quietly, glad to end the
almost self-pitying atmosphere of earlier.

	"Jon's not here," Kalkia pointed out with a smile. Her eyes
were bright and almost shining. She was excited to be doing something
other than scientific work.

	"Then I can ask?" he gave her a smile that could have passed
for heartmelting. He and Jon had been working hard on his flirting
skills.

	"Go ahead," Kalkia leaned back in the seat. The entire effect
of just sitting there, dressed as she was, made her seem dangerous.
Jedeite caught himself staring for a moment but looked away sharply.

	"Kalkia doesn't need weapons," he muttered.

	"Can I guess?" Endymion asked instead and lifted an eyebrow.
He then delicately looked her over. He found three knives and a small
rod that he knew elongated into a staff that had the ability to cut
off limbs. Even Kunzite was nervous when she had the staff with her.
"Three knives, a gun, and your staff."

	Kalkia smiled, "Good boy," she teased. "I'll have to tell Jon
what a good job he did teaching you." She then looked smug, "But you
missed the gun in my hair."

	Rose laughed at the stunned expression on Endymion's face. He
turned his blue eyes to her, regarding her quietly. Sobering, Rose
cut him off from her mind, not wanting to give him any sort of hint.
He looked at her long hair. Her top layer of hair was pulled back into
a ponytail, the long strands curled into old fashioned spring curls. A
few tendrils were left free and framed her face. The rest of her
midnight tresses lay against her back, straight and free, unusual for
her. He knew that Rose hated having her hair loose, ever since what
had happened.

	"No, nothing in your hair, I believe." Rose nodded and
Endymion continued on his weapons search. "You have a spine sheath
with a sword and a gun strapped to each of your thighs. I think you
have two knives as well, strapped to your shins." Nodding, Rose smiled
at Endymion, pleased.

	Kalkia smiled and idly played with the dragon at her throat.
Endymion watched her for a moment. "I have to know, where's the
staff?" he asked.

	"You guessed!"

	"You always have it with you," he pointed out. Kalkia laughed
and shook her head but she didn't answer him.

	"If we're done with all the games, I believe we're here,"
Jedeite said, annoyed. The door to the vehicle opened and he and
Endymion got out. The blonde general helped Rose out of the car but
ignored Kalkia. However, Endymion anticipated this and waited
politely to help her out.

	The night air was cool and clear for they were near one of the
upper levels of the enclave. Kalkia shivered slightly and Endymion
looked surprised. "I'm always cold," she whispered a little
sorrowfully. Jedeite led them into the museum with Rose on his arm.
The two got through security easily but the guard stopped Kalkia.

	"You can't bring your gun in here. Only Military is allowed."

	Kalkia raised an eyebrow. Endymion released her arm easily and
let her walk up to the guard. Rose stood, just inside the entrance,
looking at Jedeite in confusion. Jedeite obviously wasn't going to
help the redhead. "Are you telling me, you have the balls to not let
me in?" she asked softly. The guard swallowed nervously and nodded
slowly. "Very well."

	"Don't kill the guard," Jedeite warned. "He's just doing his
job."

	"So am I," Kalkia lifted her leg up and rested it against a
nearby chair. Her slits allowed the dress to fall away from her leg as
she did so. She began to unstrap something that had remained hidden
along her inner thigh. 

	The guard's eyes were locked nervously to her leg as she
removed the holster almost painfully slow. She handed him the holster
and he took it with another swallow. He was about to put it away when
Kalkia put a knife to his throat.

	"Who gave you those orders?" she asked softly.

	"G-general K-Kunzite," he stuttered.

	"What were his orders?"

	"Not to let you bring a gun into the party."  The man was
sweating now.

	"Me specifically?"

	"Y-yes."

	"I see." She pushed him back and let him fall to the ground.
"Jedeite, I'm going to leave. Have fun with tonight's escapades
without me," she said simply.

	"You'll stay."

	"Then I get my gun. I'm not going to play shitty games with
Kunzite tonight."

	"You don't need your gun for tonight."

	"That's not the point. I feel naked without one. Even I am
never naked in a room full of people." She looked at him coldly. She
was clearly pissed.

	Jedeite slowly nodded. Endymion took Kalkia's arm again and
they walked in. It amazed him that Alpha was able to function with all
the petty games that the Inner Circle played. He knew that they
probably weren't as bad with other people, and that Alpha was the
entire world and it was not as intimate as it was here. Still, he was
amazed.

	Rose placed a hand on Kalkia's arm, but the woman just
shrugged it off. Shaking her head, Rose knew that Kalkia would
continue to be upset for a while and it would be better if she did not
bother her at the moment. She tossed an annoyed look at Jedeite,
knowing that they had done this on purpose, to hurt Kalkia all the
more. But the general next to her merely shrugged and led Rose into
the ballroom.

	'Why, Jed? Why do you guys continue to be so mean to her?'

	'Because, Rosebud.' Jedeite could feel Rose's irritation
through their link. But he wasn't at all sorry. Kalkia deserved it;
she was pushing them too far lately. Even tonight, she had
deliberately picked a dress for Rose that would remind Jedeite of
painful memories.

	'Oh, I'm sorry, I--'

	He cut her off. 'Don't worry about it, Rosebud. I'm not mad at
you.' He closed the link after sending her a wave of reassurance. He
wasn't mad at her, but he was mad at Kalkia. She knew that Rose
reminded him too much of Rei and that picking a dress in that color
that he had always loved to see Rei in...it was too much.

	Rose shrank on his arm, clearly unhappy. Kalkia was still
stinging from being stopped at the door and Jedeite was sad and hurt
because she reminded him of Rei. Both of her friends were unhappy and
that made her unhappy.

	With Rose unhappy, Endymion was starting to get annoyed once
more. "Smile," Kalkia whispered softly as they were led to the main
ballroom where the showing was being held. "It could be worse."

	"How?"

	"The guard could be dead," she pointed out.

	Endymion smiled in amusement. The doormen, seeing the party
approach, opened the door to the ballroom. Instantly, light engulfed
the four, and the light sound of stringed instruments filled the air.
Beside him, Endymion could hear Rose gasp.

	Jedeite grinned. "Pleased, Rosebud?"

	She nodded, her violet eyes shining with joy. Glancing at
Kalkia, she shared her excitement through their mental link. It was
impossible for Kalkia not to smile at her friend's innocent antics.
Despite everything, Rose still seemed so childlike sometimes. Kalkia
knew that the world was a horrid place. Rose did too, but sometimes
she forgot and that made Kalkia feel an odd urge to protect her.

	Endymion took in the new sight. There were couples on the
ballroom floor, men and women, twirling in an amalgamation of colors
and cloth. To the side were long tables, with heaps of food upon them.
Bright golden light shone, a delightful change from the drab lighting
in the Alpha complexes. Waiters and waitresses flittered from here to
there, carrying trays of appetizers. Through the huge glass wall, he
could see stars twinkling in the night sky. That was an illusion, of
course. The true sky was too polluted, even now, to let much starlight
in. But it was a wonderful illusion, nonetheless.

	Jedeite made his way to a circular table covered with a white
table cloth, Rose still on his arm. Kalkia and Endymion joined them
and all four sat down.

	Endymion glanced at the general. "Why are we sitting here? I
thought that we were supposed to look for Omega."

	Frowning, Jedeite looked at the dark-haired man. "Alpha, most
likely the rebels won't try anything until Crimson Flame is finally
brought out. If we mill around now, we'll only look suspicious. The
goal is to blend in until the unveiling."

	Suddenly, a tall, silver-haired man stepped up to their table.
"Excuse me," his voice deep, "but I wish to ask the beautiful lady
to a dance." His aquamarine eyes glittered with an inner light as they
gazed at Kalkia.

	Kalkia lit up instantly and her entire demeanor changed as she
looked at this man. "General Sephiroth," she murmured quietly, "It's
been a long time."

	"That it has, Kaya." The man she had called Sephiroth smiled
and held out his hand to her. This confused Endymion, for the only
other man that ever called Kalkia by that name was Jonathon. There was
something here that he obviously didn't know. He looked at Rose who
had a mixture of horror and happiness on her face.

	'Who's he?'

	'Better to ask who he isn't.' Rose whispered in his mind as
Sephiroth pulled Kalkia to her feet. The two seemed lost in their own
little world for the moment. Jedeite made a sound of disgust but
didn't say anything as the two walked out onto the dance floor.

	'That's not very forth coming, Rose.'

	She gave a mental sigh. 'Kalkia didn't want to be a scientist.
She wanted to be a Warrior even when we were children. She loved to
fight. She and Sephiroth met while she was in physical training. They
were always attracted to each other and he was her first...well...'
Her voice gave the impression of blushing. 'He was her first intimate
experience before she got the Urge. They were even genetically paired
to produce children.'

	'What happened?'

	'Better to ask what didn't. Jon doesn't like Sephiroth all
that much.'

	'I wonder why?' Endymion said dryly and then looked to where
the two were dancing. Somehow they made their waltz wild, passionate,
and sensual rather then the standard waltz of the other couples.
Jedeite was watching them as well and he was frowning.

	"I thought that Kalkia was told not to have contact with him
anymore." He looked at Rose for the answer.

	She shrugged and tilted her head in contemplation. "You want
to go up to them and tell them that they need to separate?"

	Jedeite glanced back at the couple and frowned. "You know, the
other generals won't be pleased."

	Grabbing his arm, Rose forced Jedeite to look at her. She put
all her feelings into her eyes, letting him see that she was pleading.
"Please, Jed, will you just let this go in secret? They don't need to
know, none of them do. Kalkia is loyal to Alpha, just as Sephiroth is.
He won't pull her away from the project. Besides, Kal has Jon. She
won't leave him for anything, not even Sephiroth. It's harmless, Jed.
Please, just let her have a night of happiness." Her eyes were covered
in a film of tears, threatening to spill over.

	Jedeite looked at Rose, then at Kalkia and Sephiroth, then
back to Rose. Sighing, he cupped her cheek. "Very well, Rosebud. For
you, I'll keep this secret." He stood. "I'm going to get something to
eat. Go dance, you two. We need to seem like we're having a good
time."

	As he left, Endymion looked back at the couple. For a moment,
he was angry and he couldn't figure out why. When he realized why, he
laughed. Rose looked at him a little confused. "What?" she asked.

	"I was getting upset at Kalkia's dancing. It took me a moment
to realize that I'm upset because I was made from Jonathon. He feels
like my brother at times and that makes her my brother's girlfriend.
She's dancing with another man. Jon would be jealous and so, I'm
upset."

	Rose shook her head and laughed quietly before looking back at
Kalkia. There was an almost serene look to her face, almost peaceful.
Not even with Jonathon did she look this content. Shaking her head
ruefully, Rose stood and extended a hand to Endymion. Smiling, he
took her hand and they joined the dancing couples.

	Across the room, a woman that could have passed as Rose's twin
was standing next to a small blonde. The blonde was dressed in a
simple, yet modest cobalt blue dress. Her hair was in two buns that
had wisps of hair falling from them. Among these people she looked
almost innocent as her wide bright blue eyes beheld the scene.

	"This is wonderful," she said simply, her voice filled with
awe.

	Rei smiled at the blonde and her naivet? "It's just a dance,
Serenity. Nothing special."

	Shaking her head, Serenity turned serious blue eyes to her
bodyguard. "Perhaps it's not special to you, Rei, but it's very
special to me." She motioned to the dancing throng of people. "When
have you seen so many happy people all at once?"

	Rei looked at the dance floor and then frowned. "Whatever. We
don't have time for this, anyways. We need to be on alert tonight.
This place is going to be crawling with Alpha soldiers and probably
the Brigade. They'll be looking for any resistance members, so we'll
need to play it cool."

	Nodding, Serenity looked behind Rei, to the approaching
Haruka. The tall woman was in a tuxedo, looking like a very handsome
young man. Haruka had already attracted a few glances and even a few
blunt propositions, which she had all turned down with annoyance.

	It made Serenity giggle. "But I thought you liked women," she
teased. Haruka shot her a very dangerous glare.

	"I like Michiru," she said simply and Serenity left it at
that.

	Serenity looked back at the dance floor and noticed something
curious. "Is that the woman from Demando's pictures?" she asked as she
looked at a short red head who was dancing with a tall silver-haired
man. Rei followed her gaze and nodded.

	"That's her."

	"Then if she's here, Alpha is here," Serenity said quietly as
they made their way over to a table. The young woman suddenly felt
nervous at that thought, but she couldn't understand why. She looked
at Rei who was scanning the room. She nodded in the direction of a
woman that looked surprisingly like herself, albeit a bit taller.

	"That's the other doctor. Rose Nakazaki, I believe."

	"You know," Haruka said idly. "You two could be sisters. I
mean the only difference now is the dress." Rei was wearing a
similarly cut dress, but it wasn't as tight nor did it have the
embroidery and it covered her entire back. It even had sleeves. The
color was that of a rich burgundy, leaning more towards the purple
side then red. Her hair was completely down, however, and it easily
hid her crossbow.

	"Shut up, Haruka."

	Shrugging, Haruka grinned at Serenity, her blue eyes sparkling
with mirth. There was danger tonight, the very real possibility that
they were going to be caught by Alpha. It would take all of her skills
to emerge victorious tonight and Haruka loved a good challenge.

	Frowning, Rei studied Rose and her dancing partner. "Who is
that guy dancing with her? He looks kinda like Jonathan d'Stormui but
he was injured years ago."

	Both Haruka and Serenity turned to look. "I don't know, Rei.
Do you recognize him, Serenity?" There was no reply. Confused, Haruka
and Rei turned to look at their charge.

	She was staring at the dark haired man intently, concentration
etched on her delicate features. Something went through her when she
looked at him closer. She couldn't describe the sensation, only that
it was there. She bit her lower lip and narrowed her eyes. Finally she
shook her head. "There was something for a moment but I can't get into
his mind at all. I can't read either him or the dark-haired woman."

	Haruka made a disappointed noise but looked back at the dance
floor. "We should sit before we start attracting too much attention.
There is a good possibility that one of the Inner Circle is here."

	"Hazzah," Rei muttered dryly as she began to pull Serenity to
a table.

* * *

	Rose grimaced and almost stumbled. Smoothly, Endymion helped
her to regain her balance. 'You felt that too,' he sent.

	Looking around furtively, Rose nodded. 'It was a powerful mind
but very unskilled. Whoever it was has a lot of potential but has not
been trained properly.' She paused. 'Omega.'

	Glancing around as well, Endymion tried to find Jedeite. 'We
don't have time to find out who it was. The unveiling is about to
commence.' Even as he broadcast this though to Rose, the lights in the
ballroom flickered and the musicians stopped playing.

	The dancers cleared the floor and Sephiroth led Kalkia to a
place near where the artifact was going to be shown. The two were
laughing quietly and the silver-haired man was teasingly nuzzling the
area near her ear. Their hands were intertwined and as they stood,
Kalkia gently placed a hand on his chest. They looked almost cozy.

	Jedeite came back to stand near Endymion and Rose. He was
glowering slightly but managed not to say anything impolite as he took
his place beside them. "We have company," he murmured softly in Rose's
ear.

	Nodding, Rose said, "I know." Quickly, she sent him the
feeling that she and Endymion had just experienced, although she of
course edited how the powerful mind had not been able to surpass her
blocks.

	Glowering even more, Jedeite looked at Sephiroth. "General,
you need to alert the men. Our doctor has informed me that we might
have rebels in the building. But make sure they are secretive."

	Sephiroth nodded and let go of Kalkia a little reluctantly.
She laughed quietly, "Seph, I'm going to be fine. I can take care of
myself."

	The silver-haired man just sighed and kissed her forehead
before quickly moving to alert all of his men. Kalkia sighed a little
wistfully and then quickly composed herself. Once more she looked
dangerous and cold. She scanned the room but her mental powers were no
match for a lot of the minds. However, she could tell there was
some seriously uncontrolled power in the room.

	"I think that Omega is here," she said a little unnecessarily.
"I'm going to stand elsewhere so we're not bunched."

	Nodding, Jedeite watched as she left. He looked into the
crowd, a little hesitant. "Rosebud, I'm going to watch the crowd as
well."

	"I'll be fine Jed and no, I won't run off with the Resistance."
She gave him a sad smile. "I know what you guys will do if I do." She
shoved him softly and he took off into the crowd. With a sigh, Rose
grabbed Endymion's hand for support as she doubled the strength of her
mental walls. With an untamed mind as powerful as she sensed running
around, that person could do some serious damage if she didn't
prepare herself. Endymion too was building his defenses.

	"Come on," he said as he gave her hand a small tug. "Let's get
closer to the unveiling."

	Hesitant, Rose let go of his hand. "Go, Endy. You'll need to
find and catch Omega. I'll be right here, looking out for her as well.
If we split up, we'll have a better chance."

	Endymion looked incredibly insecure for a moment, like he was
surprised that she would leave him alone. "Are you sure?" he asked
and Rose nodded firmly.

	"I'm sure. You can do this. Find Omega quickly."

	Across the room, Haruka was moving closer with Serenity, not
daring to leave her alone for an instant. Rei was by herself in
another corner, her sights set on Serenity and on the area that would
soon hold the first artifact. She was so intent on her watching that
she felt the person behind her a second too late.

	Firm hands were placed on her shoulders from behind. "What are
you doing here, Pyre?"

	Whirling around, Rei looked at the blonde general in shock.
Her thoughts were jumbled for what seemed like an eternity before she
finally pulled herself together. "Jedeite," she spat, bitterly.

	Jedeite chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Pyre."

	She jerked away from him, as if burned. "Don't call me that.
That person doesn't exist anymore. You killed her."

	Jedeite froze, his face flashing a sign of pain before he
pulled his expression into a haughty mask. "I'll call you whatever I
want, Pyre. What are you doing here when you're wanted by Alpha?" His
eyes narrowed. "Are you still with that rag tag annoyance group?"

	Her eyes flashed with anger. Steel entered her voice, "The
Resistance is not some little group, General. We are going to defeat
Alpha and bring back freedom for all humanity."

	He looked at her for a moment and then shook his head, "You
are a fool, Rei. How do you expect to bring about this supposed
freedom if you are dead?"

	She clenched her jaw and her violet eyes burned with rage.
"I'll kill you first."

	"That, I seriously doubt," he said. He hadn't released her
shoulders. They stared at each other intently for what seemed like
hours, neither person giving in to the other. "If you try to take the
jewel, I will have to arrest you," he said finally. For a moment he
just looked tired. Tired of everything. Then it was gone.

	"You'll have to catch me first," she declared, reaching for a
weapon. Instantly, Jedeite powered up an energy ball. She fired an
arrow, only to have it crash into Jedeite's shield. Someone screamed.

	Hell broke loose.

	Cursing, Jedeite grimaced as all the people began to run for
the exits. Instantly, the doors were all locked as the Alpha soldiers
secured the exits, preventing anyone from leaving.

	"Everyone freeze!" General Sephiroth shot a few bullets into
the air, causing everyone's attention to turn to him.

	Haruka wanted to pound something. The entire mission was
falling into chaos faster she had ever thought possible. Glancing at
Serenity, she sent, 'Go, obtain the artifact. I'll distract them. If
we don't fight, they'll still kill us in the end so we can't
surrender. It's not an option, understand?' At her affirmative, Haruka
drew her sword.

	"Over here, you Alpha pigs!" Instantly, the soldiers turned to
her position and chaos erupted again.

	Serenity quickly moved towards the artifact and removed the
long sword from its sheath along her back. She held it professionally
and people moved out of her way. When she got there, the man from
before was standing there, his own weapon drawn. She clenched her jaw
firmly.

	"Move."

	"No." Endymion looked at her and then suddenly felt the oddest
sensation he had ever experienced go through him. Heat traveled
through his body and his muscles tightened. The weirdest part of it
was that his groin tightened as well. He blinked and scanned for
Kalkia.  She would know what was wrong.

	She was locked in a battle with Haruka, her silver staff out.
She was absolutely amazing as she fought the other woman who was
wearing men's dress shoes and pants, while she was in the ridiculous
heels.

	Seeing that she was busy, Endymion knew that she couldn't help
him. He looked for Rose but didn't see her. The blonde girl in front
of him attacked and he met it with relative ease.

	'What's wrong, Endy?' Rose asked as she tried to maneuver
through the throng. 'Why are you so confused?' She scanned his mind
and he could feel her embarrassment. 'Oh dear, you've found Omega.'

	'Yes,' he replied as he blocked another swipe of her sword.
'I felt something odd back there. What was it?'

	Rose shoved against the crowd, trying to get to Endymion's
position. She did not want to explain this, especially now. 'Ask
Kalkia later, Endy. You concentrate on the fight.' Closing the link,
she tried to search for Jedeite and found him engaged in battle with a
dark-haired woman. Concentrating so that she would not disturb
Kalkia's concentration, she saw that her friend was fighting against a
tall blonde man...no woman. She hated this. Shoving more people out of
the way, she tried to reach the Crimson Flame, hopefully before Omega
would get her hands on it.

	Jedeite parried a thrust from Rei with his sword. He didn't
want to use his energy attacks because he still wanted to bring Rei in
alive. "Come on, Pyre. Give up!"

	Scowling, Rei attacked him again with her own sword. During
the initial confusion, someone had knocked her crossbow from her hands
and she was forced to go for her sword. How she wished for a gun.
"Forget it, General. I never give up." A passerby ran between them and
Rei took the opportunity to knock Jedeite off his feet. In the
distraction she ran towards Serenity's position.

	Serenity fought Endymion with passion as she searched for the
artifact. Everything that was going to be displayed was very similar
in appearance. The sudden resurgence of her enemy's attacks caused
Serenity to focus back on her fight. He was very handsome, with his
dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Something in her tightened as her
pulse raced, and not because of the fight. Something in the pit of her
stomach shot through her blood. She shook her head. She had no time
for this nonsense. She continued to scan the items before finally
locating the Crimson Flame. Tossing an energy attack at her opponent,
she used his sudden inactivity to grab the red jewel.

	"Oh no you don't, lovely," said Endymion as he regained the
offensive. Serenity suddenly found herself on the defense, only able
to block his attacks as he approached her.

	Damn, Rose hated this. She didn't want to hurt anyone but the
blonde woman that Endymion was fighting had her hands on the artifact.
If they failed in this mission, Metallia might rethink Project Alpha.
She might even want to punish him for his failure, or even all of
them. She couldn't let that happen. A golden flash enveloped her and
she instantly grew colder, more calculating.

	Haruka grimaced, clutching her side. Damn that redhead. She
was a good fighter and actually was able to get a good slice to
Haruka's ribs. Luckily for Haruka, some other resistance members at
the party began to fight the bitch and she was able to get away. She
had to reach Serenity. Omega was her priority. Protect Omega at all
costs.

	Rei finally reached Serenity after scaring a good deal of
people out of her way. "Serenity, give me the artifact," she cried.
Nodding, Serenity tossed the brilliant red jewel towards Rei. "Damn
it," Rei cursed. Some block head had gotten in the way and knocked the
jewel out of the air. She had to search for it now.

	A benefit of being tall was her ability to see over the heads
of the shorter people. Haruka could see Serenity and that dark-haired
man locked in combat. That made her angry. The man was good with his
sword and Haruka was not there to aid Serenity. Jumping onto a table,
Haruka launched herself into the air and landed behind the man.

	Surprised, Endymion began to fight against both blonde women.
They were both very good, although the one he was sure was Omega was
a little faster, a little more skilled than the taller blonde. He was
in serious trouble. And now the black-haired woman that resembled Rose
so much was joining the fray. He was in deep sh--

	He felt a person slam into his back. Turning his head, he
could see that Rose had joined the party.

	'Be careful Endy. Omega is going to be a tough opponent. I'll
handle the other two until the rest get here.'

	'Understood.' Changing his stance, Endymion began to single
out Omega's attacks while Rose tried to contact the others.

	'Jedeite, Kalkia. A little help?'

	'Kinda busy, Rose,' came Kalkia's annoyed reply. She was
dealing with a large man who, while he was genetically enhanced, was
obviously not a staff fighter. Unfortunately he was strong and trying
to pull her arms out of their sockets. She finally rammed her staff
through his midsection and yanked it out hard. Blood spurted on her
dress and she turned to deal with the next opponent, making her way to
her allies.

	Jedeite had gone to attacking Rei, keeping all of his
attention focused on her. He pushed her away from her partner and the
blonde girl that Endymion was fighting. The poor young man was having
a rather difficult time fighting and trying to ignore his distracting
body. Jedeite sighed. He didn't even know where the jewel had
disappeared to, but he need to know quickly so he could retrieve it.

	Serenity narrowed her eyes. It was now an even fight and she
knew that the dark-haired doctor had called for reinforcements. They
needed to get out of here and fast. Summoning an energy ball, she
blasted the man she was fighting. But before her attack could hit, he
created a shield and absorbed her attack. Growling, Serenity looked
for her next target. One of the doctors had her back to her, fighting 
Haruka. Smiling darkly, Serenity sent a blast at the doctor.

	'Rose, watch out!' Endymion was unable to stop his opponent
from unleashing her attack.

	'Huh--' was all Rose could think before she was smashed by a
painful spike of energy. The impact caused her to lose her sword and
sent her straight to the blonde amazon she was fighting.

	Kalkia reached the scene just in time to watch as Haruka
placed her sword against Rose's neck. "I'd suggest that all of you
stop attacking us, or the doctor is going to die," called Haruka.
Kalkia bit back a curse as she watched Rose try to struggle.
Unfortunately, when Rose was enhanced, they did not put much effort
into her physical capabilities and she was unable to break free.

	A sickening crack finally caused all combatants to freeze.
Biting her lip against the pain, Rose had her eyes closed as she
clutched at her now broken arm.

	"Finally." Haruka put more pressure on the blade against her
hostage's throat. "I'd hate to injure the good doctor more than I have
to."

	Kalkia clenched her jaw tightly and looked at Rose. Gripping
her staff tightly, she shot the tall blonde woman a dirty look. The
woman merely gave Rose's broken arm another jerk.

	"Put down your weapons, pigs."

	Jedeite cursed and back away from Rei. She smirked
triumphantly and went to stand next to her partner. "Stop fighting,
all of you."

	'NO! Jed, keep going. Damn it, Metallia will be furious if we
let this opportunity to kill Omega go!'

	He hesitated. She was right.

	'Jedeite, you heartless bastard! You can't let them kill her.'
Kalkia shot him a death glare. 'I'll kill you if you let her die.'

	'Shut up, Kalkia, just shut up and let me think.' He knew that
this might be a rare opportunity to kill Omega. Now that the rebels
knew that they were onto them, they would be more cautious in the
future. It would be his hide if he failed. But then, there was also
the fact that they were threatening to kill Rose. She was his friend,
or at least as close to one as possible given their situations. He
did not want to let her down, even if she wanted to die herself.
Besides, she needed to finish programming Alpha. He glanced at
Endymion and knew that Alpha was not in any shape to save the
situation. His hormones were off the scale and all because that
annoying blonde who was glaring at him.

	Shaking his head, Jedeite said, "Back off, Kalkia, Endymion.
We can't risk it." The two joined him at his side, watching the two
blondes, Rei, and Rose warily. From their point of view, they could
see Rose close her eyes and begin to cry.

	'Damn you, damn you, damn you all...' was the only message
they were getting from her.

	Rei grinned cockily at the stewing Jedeite. "Well, the proud
general finally has some standards. Surprising." She looked at the
hostage that Haruka had taken. "Are you screwing Rose, Jedeite?"
Underneath all her scorn, Serenity could detect a thin undercurrent of
anger and bitterness.

	"Shut up, Rei," spat Jedeite angrily. "What are the conditions
for the release of Rosebud?" He looked directly at Rei when he said
the nickname, aiming to hurt her.

	And it worked. Rei mentally reeled back in pain and glared at
the hostage. But before she could strike her, Serenity grabbed her
arm.

	Shaking her head, Serenity tried to reason with the irate
woman. "Rei, we aren't bullies. We're the good guys and good guys
don't hit hostages." Grumbling, Rei complied and reigned in her anger
and jealousy.

	Looking at the trio of warriors, Serenity spoke. "We want you
to release all of our people, immediately. Allow no one to follow
them."

	Jedeite nodded. "Done." He broadcasted his order to General
Sephiroth and the soldiers and they promptly released all captured
resistance members. As soon as they were free, the rebels all left the
building, much to the irritation of the Alpha soldiers.

	"Good," Serenity said. Turning her attention back on the
Alphas, she began to cautiously back up.

	Endymion and Kalkia both tensed and took a step forward. "Hold
it," growled Haruka, her blade still against Rose's throat.

	"We've agreed with your demands, cowards. Let Rose go." Kalkia
clenched her fists. She hated being helpless. She needed to do
something.

	Shaking her head, Serenity looked straight at Jedeite. "We
need insurance that you won't attack us until we leave." She motioned
for her compatriots to ahead backwards toward the exit. Haruka
suddenly gasped and the sword flew out of her hand and towards Kalkia.
The woman caught it effortlessly before it went past her head. Because
of the abruptness of the motion, there was a thin line of blood on
Rose's neck.

	"I think you're leaving now," Kalkia said calmly. "You have
until the count of ten to get out of the room. So sue me if its
clich?"

	Haruka glared and Rei moved to swing her sword back in Rose's
direction. The sword also left her hand at an astonishing speed. It
clattered to the ground at Endymion's feet.

	"One."

	Serenity began to lead the other women out carefully but she
didn't dare turn her back on the Alphas, especially the man with the
dark hair and entrancing blue eyes. There was something about him
that bothered her, both mentally and physically.

	"Two."

	They were gone by the count of five. Kalkia looked at her
friend angrily. "You aren't supposed to have a death wish," she nearly
screamed and slapped her hard, fearful and angry at the same time. She 
would have slapped Rose again, if Jedeite and Endymion hadn't pulled
her back.

	"What the hell did you do, Kalkia?" Jedeite said once they had
managed to calm her enough not to kill Rose when they had just saved
her.

	"I did nothing," she snapped and pulled away. Along her cheek
was an ugly gash that she touched. She winced painfully and just
simply leaned into Sephiroth's arms when he came up behind her.
"Endymion was the one who forced the sword from the blonde's hand and
stopped your ex-lover." Luckily, Jedeite didn't think to question her, 
even though Endymion had been too preoccupied to do anything useful. 
"This was royally screwed up, Jedeite. Royally."

	Sephiroth did not looked pleased either. "We could have killed
all of them with minimal casualties," he managed to say calmly, but
there was an eerie look in his eyes. "Why did you stop us?"

	"Yes Jed, WHY DID YOU STOP?" Rose's voice was cold,
infuriated, her face still baring Kalkia's handprint. Her eyes blazed
violet fire as she glared at all of her friends. "God, why couldn't
you guys just let me die? Now, we're all doomed. Metallia is going to
destroy us all for this. Omega is gone and the rebels have the Crimson
Flame. And for what? My miserable life!" She fell to the ground,
heedless of her broken arm and bleeding neck.

	"No," Kalkia said firmly and pulled out of Sephiroth's arms.
"We did it for mine. We'll blame this on me. Kunzite will have a hell
of a time killing me and it will make everyone happy."

	No one argued with her. No one dared to argue with her, she
was one of the only people still carrying a weapon. Endymion just
shook his head but didn't say anything. His body was being to relax
and his groin was no long tense. He looked down at himself and
breathed a sigh of relief.

	Shaking his head, Jedeite sighed. "No one is going to die, at
least, not tonight. Kunzite's orders were clear that Rosebud wasn't
to be killed, not until she got Horny over there," he glared at
Endymion, "to complete his mental programming." Disgusted, he picked
up his sword and re-sheathed it. Walking up to Rose, he picked her up
gingerly, careful not to jar her arm. "Let's go. We'll have a lot of
explaining to do."

	Picking their way through the rubble, the quintet left the
ballroom and headed outside. Endymion lagged behind, following
silently. No one said a word. It wasn't until they were in the car
that Endymion stopped and looked at Jedeite, still very perplexed.
"Horny?" He obviously didn't get the insult.

	Sephiroth heaved an exasperated sigh. "Where the hell did this
guy come from? He's a moron!"

	Narrowing her eyes, Rose glared at him. "Leave him alone,
Sephiroth," she said.  Her voice was uncharacteristically cold.

	Kalkia poked Sephiroth in the ribs and shook her head. She knew
that when Rose got into one of her moods, she could be frightening.
Sephiroth looked at the small woman, held in Jedeite's arms and
shuddered at the cold violet eyes. He kept his mouth shut.

	It was Kalkia who spoke next. "Tell me what happened
Endymion," she said as the vehicle door closed and made its way to the
nearest teleportation facility.

	Endymion flushed slightly, "Everything tightened when I looked
at that girl. My temperature raised and I just got.." he made an
exasperated sound. He was having a difficult time explaining this to
everyone. It didn't help that the other two men in the vehicle weren't
being too sympathetic.

	"You got hard," Kalkia said and smiled slightly from her place
next to him. She lightly touched his inner wrist. "You're not calmed
down yet. Are you still thinking about her?"  Endymion nodded and
flushed slightly. "Try to clear her from your mind. I think it's a
safe bet that he was fighting with Omega. I'm a damn good guesser
too."

	Jedeite looked at her sharply, "What do you mean?"

	"I guessed what she would be like from the corrupted files of
Dr. Demando. I guessed her proportions too. I was really close. Maybe
I won't die tonight after all."

	"So this is what you warned me about?" Endymion asked. "This
is the physical response to Omega?"

	Rose shook head, pulling away from Jedeite, who was bandaging
her throat. "It's not just a physical response, Endymion. You're
attracted to her physically, yes, but you also reach out to her with
your mind. She's as attracted to you as you are to her. This was the
only way we could think of so that you could find Omega and get close
enough to her to kill her." Grimacing, she jerked her arm back into
place, grunting when the pain lanced through her nerves. Concealing
her own pain, she opened a link to both Endymion and Kalkia. "We'll
help you calm down."

	Nodding, Kalkia let Endymion access that cool spot in her
mind, just like Rose did. He drew on this inner strength and slowly,
his body returned to its normal state. Opening his eyes, he grinned at
both of them. "Thanks."

	Opening the door of the vehicle, Jedeite gave the group a grim
smile. "You'll need all the help you can get, Alpha, if Metallia and
the rest of the Inner Circle are as angry as I believe they are."
Exiting the car, the group walked through the corridors of Alpha
Three's military complex. There was a brief moment of discomfort as
the uncertainty on how to proceed went through the group.

	Kalkia broke the silence, "I'll meet you back at Alpha
Headquarters tomorrow," she said and slipped her hand into
Sephiroth's. The silver-haired man smiled before pulling her closer.

	"Kalkia, Kunzite will have a fit if you don't come back with
us," Jedeite warned.

	"Let him. I'll be back tomorrow."

	"And if Jonathon demands to know where you are?" Endymion
asked quietly. Again he felt a faint sense of anger at what she was
implying she was going to do.

	"Tell him."

	"Kalkia, this is not wise," Jedeite started but she cut him
off with a shake of her head.

	"Neither was giving me this problem."

	"I'll handle Kunzite, Jed." Rose gave Kalkia a small smile.
"Go have fun, Kal and I'll handle Jonathon for you as well." She shot
Endymion a glare when he tried to protest. "All of us need a break
after what has happened tonight. Besides, if this is my last night
alive, I'd like to have some fun before I die in Metallia's hands."

	Kalkia and Sephiroth turned to leave. "Rose, are you sure?"
Even with the Urge pressing against her mind, Kalkia was still
concerned about the trouble she might cause her friend.

	Bitter laughter filled the silence. "I'm sure, I'm sure." Rose
made a shooing motion with her hand, "Go Kalkia. I'll be fine, like I
always am." After a small pause, Kalkia nodded and the couple left the
group.

	Shaking his head, Jedeite looked at his heart-sister. "You let
her get away with too much, Rosebud." His face softened. "Go, get
yourself fixed up and put Alpha to bed. I'll try to think of a way to
keep Metallia from killing us all."

*Next Morning, Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave*

	The first thing that Endymion noticed about Kalkia when she
walked into the lab, was that she was calmer then he had ever seen
her. Her hair was completely down, falling almost to her knees, and it
was in gentle waves. Her green eyes were bright and lively and she
almost looked happy.

	The second thing he noticed as a large bruise on her cheek. It
ran from eyelevel all the way down to her chin, as if she had been
backhanded viciously. He blinked several times and looked over at
Rose who was pretending not to notice the bruise.

	Kalkia sat at her chair and it was quiet for a few moments.
She finished going through several health scans on him before walking
over to the table. "Looks like everything is still working," she said
with a smile.

	He nodded and briefly touched her cheek with his fingers. She
winced and sharply pulled away. "Who was it?" he finally asked.
"Sephiroth or Kunzite?"

	"I haven't seen Kunzite yet," Kalkia said stiffly.

	"Then it was Sephiroth."

	"No," she walked over to a computer screen and was content to
leave the conversation at that.

	"Who was it?"  Endymion moved to get off of the lab table but
she motioned for him to stay where he was. For a long time it seemed
that she really wouldn't answer him.

	"Jonathon."

	Rose's arm on his shoulder stopped him from speaking next.
"I'll fix that for you." Placing a warm hand on Kalkia's cheek, Rose's
fingertips glowed golden and passed through the damaged area.
Instantly, the bruise disappeared and there were no marks at all on
Kalkia's flawless, pale skin. "No one saw this, right?"

	Nodding, Kalkia looked in the mirror. "Perfect job, as always,
Rose." She grinned.

	Shaking her head, Rose gave her friend a serious look. "Why do
you always insist on baiting Jonathon? Especially when I spend a better
part of the night trying to keep him from chasing after Sephiroth with
an axe?"

	"He's emotionally unstable, Rose, you know that," Kalkia sighed
heavily. "Whatever it was that messed him up, makes him irrationally
angry. It doesn't matter what I do, he's going to always be like that
when it comes to Sephiroth." She went back to the computer and sat
down.

	"What he did was wrong," Endymion said suddenly. "You should
have stopped him."

	"I'm not strong enough to, Endymion," Kalkia said without any
inflection in her voice. She could have been talking about flowers for
all the feeling she put into her words. "Jonathon is just as
physically capable as you are. Besides, he'll apologize to me later
tonight and we'll have glorious make-up sex."

	"And that's worth being hit over?"

	Kalkia laughed at Endymion, making him even more confused.
"You haven't had sex yet Endymion, so you'll just have to trust me.
It's definitely worth it." Suddenly, she stopped, the smile draining
from her face. "Wait a minute...why in the world are you concerned
over right and wrong? Rose, that was not a part of the mental progr--"

	Rose's golden glow immediately soothed over Kalkia's mind. 
Kalkia’s eyes dilated for a moment before she refocused and shook her 
head. "How is the mental programming going, Rose?"

	Shaking her head, Rose looked over her calculations, her
vision slightly blurry from the use of her powers. "It's alright,
Kalkia, but I know that Metallia will want him at one hundred percent
at the meeting today. I can't force him to assimilate all that
information without seriously screwing something up." Tilting her
head in mute contemplation, ignoring the accompanying dizzy sensation,
she looked at Kalkia. "Why don't you go make up with Jonathon, Kalkia?
I can take care of things here until the meeting."

	Kalkia looked at her solidly for a moment. "I'm missing time,"
she said suddenly. "Shit Rose, if you're gonna do me, do me right."
She winced and held her head. She then abruptly changed subjects once
again. "Besides, I'm not going to make up with Jon until tonight. He's
still tearing apart his apartment. Kunzite and Zoicite will be here
soon to debrief us before we talk to Metallia." She paused, "And no
heroics," she said firmly, "I'll take the fall for this if we have to.
Someone else can remake Endymion if he gets killed.  My diagrams are
perfect." She knew that Rose had tampered with her memories, but she 
also knew that her friend did it for a good reason and would not fight 
to break the light seal that Rose used. Rose always used light seals on 
Kalkia’s mind, even though Kalkia knew that Rose was powerful enough to 
make a seal that Kalkia couldn’t break nor sense. This way, Rose 
respected Kalkia while protecting her at the same time.

	Rose tried to argue, but clutched her head in pain. Endymion
and Kalkia didn't even have time to react before she fell to the
ground, moaning. Endymion reached her side first, placing her head in
his lap. Kalkia tried to get a hold of Rose's thrashing limbs.

	"Damn it, grab the muscle relaxer, Endymion." She pointed at a
needle on the table. Nodding, he grabbed the instrument and plunged it
into Rose's arm. Slowly, her tremors began to slow, then disappear.
Worried, Kalkia lightly shook Rose, trying to get her to open her
eyes. "Come on girl...you can't die on me now." Both Endymion and
Kalkia waited anxiously for a reply.

	After what seemed like years, Rose slowly opened her eyes,
her pupils unfocused. "Wh...what happened?" Her voice was thick, as
if stuck in honey.

	Propping her up, Endymion replied, "You collapsed, suddenly.
We don't know the cause."

	Scanning her patient, Kalkia's eyes widened at the results.
"Damn it Rose, I told you to stop pushing your limits like this. Your
readings are off the scale. You're lucky you didn't collapse before
this. We should get Zoicite to come in." Kalkia began to go for the
communication system but Rose's hand stopped her.

	"No, Kalkia." Her hand wearily dropped back to her side. "If
Zoi finds out, he'll know that I've been doing something powerful
lately. There isn't any explanation or reason that they know of and 
they'll get suspicious. I don't have the energy to erase that too."
She smiled, faintly. "Don't worry, I've just been using too much of
my mental abilities recently. I'll be fine."

	Kalkia just nodded and went to get a few more medical toys
before going back over to her. "Clear your mind," she said firmly,
"I'm going to calm your body." Kalkia let off a faint silver aura and
Rose's body relaxed visibly. Kalkia's eyes were open and the silver
threads glowing but it was obvious that it wasn't the Urge.

	She took a deep breath and pulled away. "Feel better?" she
asked with a smile. Rose nodded a little numbly. Endymion looked
between them with a faint look of surprise.

	"What did you do?" he asked.

	"I forced her body to relax and then made it feel as if she
had several pleasurable, yet exhausting orga--experiences. She'll
feel what I feel when the Urge is satisfied for the next few days."

	Rose just made a contented sigh and Kalkia laughed. They got
the dark haired doctor standing before Kunzite and Zoicite came in.
The brunette scientist wasn't looking very happy, and Kunzite looked
downright annoyed. Neither wore their usual expressions of calm or
apatheticness.

	"Who pissed in your milk?" Kalkia asked sweetly.

	Kunzite shot Kalkia a look that clearly said he was not
amused. "Shut your mouth doctor, or I'll shut it for you."

	Kalkia bit off a retort when Rose tugged at her elbow. 'Not
now Kal. We'll need to save our energy for Metallia.'

	'Fine, Rose, but he better lay off.'

	'I'll try.' Rose gave both men a nod. "She'll behave herself,
if you leave her alone. We have a lot of ground to cover before we're
summoned so I suggest that we get on with this." She stepped to the
table, swaying before Endymion reached out and steadied her. She
giggled.

	Zoicite raised a pale eyebrow. "Are you drunk?"

	Rose's answer was another giggle. "You could say that. I
spent all last night sparring with Endymion." She smiled at her
dark-haired shadow. "It was exhilarating to say the least."

	Kalkia couldn't help but laugh quietly behind her hand, but
it got so bad that she had to turn away. Kunzite looked at Endymion
skeptically and almost a little angrily at the implied activities.

	"He's still a virgin," he said bluntly. Jealousy ate at him.
No man had a right to his heart-sister, an odd sentiment for the man
that was Rose’s rapist, but he still felt it.

	"Technically," Kalkia said in a sing-song voice. She was
getting a kick out of baiting Kunzite.

	Kunzite clenched his jaw, "Kalkia," he warned and she
shrugged innocently. "Jedeite told me you stayed behind in Alpha
Three." Might as well attack the more aggravating source first.

	"Did he tell you why?"

	"No, but you're going to."

	Kalkia shrugged again, "What I do with my body is my
business," she said simply. "We have things to discuss that don't
include my hormones for a change."

	"How refreshing," Kunzite muttered.

	"Guys, you're acting like sib--immature." Zoicite went over
to Rose and looked at her closely. "We don't have time for arguments
at the moment. We need to tell them the kind of shit they're in
before they go and piss off Metallia." His green eyes bore into
Rose's violet ones, trying to at least get one person on his side of
sanity.

	Blowing a hair out of her face, Rose smiled and hugged
Zoicite. "I know we're in trouble, Zoi. No need to come here and
spread your cloud of gloom." Releasing the shocked general/doctor,
Rose grabbed Endymion's hand and plopped into a seat at the table.
Endymion sat next to her, an amused smile on his face.

	Scowling, Kunzite strode over to them, taking a seat at the
head of the conference table. "I'm glad to see that you're able to
still smile after the fiasco last night."

	"Laughter is sometimes the only thing you can do in a tough
situation. It helps keep my sanity." She twirled in her chair as
Kalkia and Zoicite joined them at the table. "It helps get rid of the
tension." Stopping her foolish antics, Rose regarded Kunzite with
a puzzled look. Tilting her head, she asked, "Where's Jed? Why isn't
he here?"

	"He's waiting for Nephlite to pick him up," Kunzite said 
briskly.

	"Where is Nephlite?" Kalkia asked. It was easy to see that
both of them were just a little uncomfortable.

	"He's waiting to take care of Jed," Zoicite said quietly, his 
eyes averted. He didn’t like knowing what he did.

	"Damn, you didn't give him to Esmeraude did you?" Her eyes
widened considerably when she got no answer, "You guys really are a
group of bastards."

	A frustrated scream tore through the room. All eyes turned to
Rose. "How could you! He was following orders!" She rose to strike
Kunzite but collapsed. Her body showed fresh wounds, blood blossoming
on her clothing.

	Kunzite kneeled beside her, gripping her wrist. "Cut the link,
Rose. He's getting what he deserves for his failure."

	She didn't reply as another scream ripped through her throat.
"You couldn't kill me so you take it out on Jedeite." Her eyes were
unseeing as she tried her best to take away as much of Jedeite's pain
as possible without giving anything away. Crimson liquid began to
drip from her mouth.

	Kalkia shoved Kunzite to one side and grabbed Rose's hand as
she opened a mental link. Instantly, both of them were bleeding from
identical wounds. "Get Esmeraude to stop, you two. If not, Metallia
is going to lose the project's two head scientists."

	From the corner came a softly angry voice. "And it's pet
project." He too was bleeding, but showed no pain, just mute anger.

	Zoicite was kneeling by all three, scanning them over.
"Kunzite, issue the order."

	He glared at the fair-haired doctor. "Metallia wanted someone
to be punished and Jedeite was in charge of the mission." He did not
want to yield.

	"Damn it, Kunzite, Rose is going to die. After all the shit
you put her through and the events last night, her body can't handle
this as well." He scanned the others, worried. "Rose is getting the 
brunt of this, but Alpha and Kalkia will be sucked down too with
their link with Rose. Metallia is going to be even more pissed when
she finds out that we don't have a way to stop Omega."

	Angry, Kunzite's aura began to pulse. His ice-green eyes
glared at Zoicite, but Zoicite met the general's gaze without
reserve. "It's your fault as much as anyone else's. We've warned to
you stop using Rose but you didn't listen. What is Metallia going to
do when she finds out that little tidbit of news?"

	The sounds of harsh breathing began to fill the room. Kalkia,
Rose and Endymion were all staring at Kunzite, waiting for his
decision. There was no fear in their eyes, only quiet acceptance.
This was the hand fate had dealt them and they were going to make the
best of it.

	Kunzite was able to stand there for an entire five minutes
before he stalked over to the communications terminal. "Esmeraude.
Stop now and let him go."

	"No," came the green-haired woman's voice over the line. It
was soft and husky but filled with pleasure. She was getting off on
whatever she was doing.

	"Now, Esmeraude."

	There was a noise but the woman stopped. "Fine."

	Kunzite looked over at Rose but it was Kalkia who nodded the
affirmative. Kunzite closed the link and looked at the three angrily.
"We can't have you bloody for your interview with Metallia."

	"Suck off, Kunzite," Kalkia hissed and picked Rose up.
Endymion went over to her and grabbed a dermal regenerator out of
Zoicite's hands. The dark haired man began to heal Rose's wounds and
Kalkia just stood there, letting her blood drip on the floor. Finally
she moved towards the door, looking incredibly angry.

	"Where are you going?" Kunzite asked in a dangerous hush.

	"To get Jedeite out of there and in bed safely."

	"You don't care," he accused, "You hate him and would love to
see any of us rot."

	"I hate Esmeraude more." The doors whooshed open and she
looked back at him over her shoulder, "Besides, I'm not doing this
for Jedeite."

	"Then who?"

	"If you don't know the answer to that, Kunzite, then you
never knew me." She left the room.

	Coughing, Rose expelled blood out of her throat. It burned
from the electric probe Esmeraude had shoved down Jedeite's throat.
'Jed, are you alright?'

	'Rosebud?' Jedeite's mental voice was fuzzy, bordering on the
edge of incoherent.

	'Yeah, it's me. Kalkia is going to get you out of Esmeraude's
clutches.  She'll probably read Nephlite the riot act while she's at
it.'

	'That was you earlier, wasn't it?'

	Rose smiled ruefully. 'Yeah.'

	He was frowning at her, but she knew that he was still
relieved. 'You shouldn't have, Rosebud. I could have handled it on my
own.'

	She could feel him coughing great chest heaving coughs as
darkness ate at the edges of his mind. 'Go rest, Jed. You're safe
now.' His silent appreciation was the last thing she heard as he fell
unconscious.

	Kunzite wanted to smash something. "You are lucky Metallia
still has a use for you, doctor." He walked over to her prone form,
he removed his glove and began running fingers over a still bleeding
wound. He had been the tiniest bit frightened to see Rose dying
before his very eyes and wanted her to suffer for making him feel
that way. Lifting his hand, he tasted her blood and smiled when Rose
flinched.

	Glaring, Endymion pushed the smiling silver-haired general
aside and continued to heal the wounds. It was silent in the room for
nearly ten minutes when a mental blast went through both Endymion and
Rose. 'Tell Kunzite that if Esmeraude doesn't get out of my way in
the next five seconds, I'm going to kill her.'

	"Kal says that she's gonna kill the bitch if she doesn’t
move," Rose whispered hoarsely.

	"Tell her if she kills Esmeraude then I'll kill her."

	Rose nodded and it was silent for a moment. She winced when
Endymion placed the cold metal of the regenerator in one of the
larger wounds. "Esmeraude isn't going to be walking anytime soon."

	Zoicite almost laughed but knew it was probably more smart
not to. Endymion had finally allowed him to help Rose. "Is there
anything else we need to know before we go and see Metallia?" he
asked softly. His voice had grown more hard, more dangerous in the
last few days and it pained a part of Rose to see it. Despite what
she wanted, he was turning into the weapon that he was created to be.

	"Nothing really," replied Kunzite as he leaned back in his
chair, casually. "There isn't much you can do to prepare."

	Getting up from the medical bed, Rose stood and let Endymion
take her place. She shooed Zoicite away, knowing that Endymion was
not apt to let the doctor treat him. Huffing, Zoicite went to sit
down, unhappy that he was not allowed to do his job.

	"All of us are to report, are we not," asked Rose as she
healed a small cut on Endymion's brow.

	Kunzite looked uncomfortable. "Yes, you, Alpha and Kalkia.
Jedeite has already given us his report before being punished." He
steepled his fingers. "Metallia might not have to see you if Zoicite
pronounces you too weak to attend, Rose." Somehow, deep down, he was
afraid what Metallia would do to Rose, though he loathed to admit it.

	She didn't look at him when she replied. "I won't run,
Kunzite. You know that." Her voice was hoarse. "I'm the one that got
captured and let the rebels get away with the Crimson Flame. Metallia
is going to want to see me, most of all."

	Kunzite's shoulders sagged. "I know."

	The doors whooshed open and Kalkia came in, hearing the last
few statements. She raised an eyebrow, "So nice that you suddenly
care," she commented and then went to sit down. She had changed her
clothes and at the moment was completely covered, having chosen to
wear a pants uniform. "How deep is the shit?"

	"Up to the eyeballs," Zoicite muttered. "Metallia doesn't
anger easily but she was very..." he searched for an appropriate
word. "Very annoyed."

	"Sounds fun," Kalkia said idly. She leaned back and closed her
eyes as if suddenly tired.

	"How's Jedeite?" Zoicite finally asked.

	"In bed, sleeping. He's drugged at the moment. I left him
with a very willing nurse."

	"Weren't up to nursing him yourself?" Kunzite asked blandly.
Kalkia just smiled at him.  She didn't say anything in reply to his 
barb.

	"Are we ready to go and get this over with?" she asked
instead.

	Rose turned, finished with healing Endymion. "I am," she said
with her raspy voice. She shook her head and used another instrument.
"Endymion," she asked, her voice back to its normal timbre.

	He nodded, standing next to her. "Bring it on." Rose and
Kalkia laughed while Zoicite raised a surprised eyebrow. Kunzite
merely glared at the dark-haired man.

	"Let's go face the music, shall we, ladies?" Endymion offered
an arm each to the doctors and they took them, still smiling. Kunzite
growled and both he and Zoicite led the way out of the medical
facility and to Alpha Headquarters.