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*Disclaimer: ::RS holds tightly onto Kenshin:: MINE MINE!!! MY SEXY
KENSHIN!

Alpha's Omega
Chapter Nine
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/

	Seiya looked like the last person she would ever suspect as an
assassin. First of all, his hair was thin and long, having been pulled
into a loose ponytail. Next, the hermaphodite was wearing these
tasteless blue leather pants that were very tight against his body.
The black leather vest was sadly too big for his slight frame and he
was wearing sandals. Serenity looked at him and simply blinked.

	"Did we make a mistake?" she finally asked Makoto. Her innocent
tone made Seiya smile and he chuckled quietly. Both Rei and Makoto
laughed as well, the brunette shaking her head as she did so. "But I
don't even see a weapon."

	"Trust me," Rei said patting the blonde's shoulder. "He's one of
the few people that can put Minako to shame when it comes to hiding
weapons." They sat down at the bar's table and Seiya ordered them a
round of drinks. He winked at Serenity and she began to look confused.

	"Looks like Demando's pet project still has a level of
innocence. How did the old guy manage that?"

	Rei rolled her eyes, "Seiya, just be glad that I didn't bring
Haruka with us. She would have no problem answering any questions
about Serenity you might have. Now, I believe that we're here for a
reason?" She arched a dark brow and looked at him sternly.

	Nodding, the amusement bled out of Seiya's face, leaving a cold,
battle-hardened warrior behind. "It took quite a few tries, but I was
finally able to get my hands on the codes for the security system that
is guarding the Illusive Sunset. It's state of the art, Makoto. You'll
have your work cut out for you if you screw up. That thing has been
designed by the best. Completely hack-proof."

	Reaching into his vest, Seiya appeared to be scratching an itch.
After he pulled his arm out, he put his arm around Makoto's shoulders.
Using his other arm to pinch her cheek, the arm around her shoulders
gave her a rather inappropriate touch to Makoto's chest. The two
shared a laugh, as if was only a simple case of flirtation. "I just
slipped you the disk with the codes on them. Just insert it into the
keypad at the entrance of the caves. The thing is on a timer, you'll
have only thirty minutes to leave before the doors close behind you.
There isn't a way to open them from the inside unless you have a
master override. Only the Inner Circle general has that. Inside, the
building is a maze. There is no information as to where the artifact
is hidden." He took a swig of his whiskey.

	Makoto nodded, "When is the best time to attempt this?" she
asked as she easily slid out of Seiya's arms. They still sat close
enough to carry on the flirtation if it became necessary. "Any
particular round of guards we want?"

	Seiya grinned boyishly, "Of course. The best time is to go at
midnight, you know that Koto." The brunette rolled her eyes at him and
slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm being perfectly serious of
course."

	"Of course," Rei said seriously, but even she couldn't help but
smile. "Anything we need to be made aware of?" she asked, going back
to the seriousness of before. Seiya was silent for a long moment and
the noise of the bar began to get louder as he stayed silent. "Sei?"
she prompted.

	"I ran into the Guardian of Time," he finally said. "Things are
going badly near the top and might just spin out of control."

	"That's good, isn't it?" Serenity finally pipped up. "Anything
that causes them chaos is good."

	Seiya shook his head, "You're wrong there, Odango--"

	"Odango?" She looked at him surprised. She didn't know him well
enough to warrant a nickname, and she wasn't sure if she liked it.
"Odango means dumpling in Japanese before the institution of Standard
by Alpha. My name is Serenity."

	Rei chuckled, "Seiya just likes to be annoying. Ignore him."

	Seiya grinned and tugged on the stream of hair that fell from
one of the two buns on top of Serenity's head. "Odango," he said
simply and then continued, "We're talking the unraveling of some very
important people. Apparently something happened a few weeks ago and
they're still staggering. If it continues for too much longer, its
possible it will start killing."

	Makoto sighed heavily, "Did she say anything that will allow us
to make sure that we don't start a killing spree?"

	He shook his head, "She's going to do her best to fix it
herself. If not, she'll contact Yaten and have her contact Death.
Death can fix anything, I hear."

	Rei ran a hand through her hair and finished her drink, "We'll
worry about that later. After we pass the info to Minako," slowly she
stood. "It's time to do this and get out of here." Serenity and Makoto
also stood. Seiya remained in his seat and leaned back. He looked up
at them seriously and nodded.

	"Try not to get killed."

*Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave*

	Rose looked out into the distance, seeing the various homes that
were scattered just a few miles away from the laboratory. But those
homes were more like lightyears away than just miles. She was trapped
here, in the shadow of Alpha, for the rest of her life.

	She smiled. Well, if she had anything to say about it, the rest
of her life wouldn't be very long. As soon as they felt she no longer
served a purpose, she would finally end this torture. Ironic that the
very place that she was contemplating these things was the same place
that Kalkia was as well, just yesterday. The end is the beginning, is
the end, she thought.

	The sound of the door to the roof opening brought a smile to her
face. "Hello, Setsuna," Rose said loudly.

	The tall, dark green haired woman paused for a moment before she
made her way to the other woman's side. "How did you know it was me?"

	"I could tell from your steps." Rose looked over the fence, down
at the ground below. Soon, very soon, she'd shut herself down and let
herself fall, fall to her death, her release.

	Glancing down as well, Setsuna could see the emptiness in Rose's
eyes. "That's not an answer, you know."

	"What isn't, doctor?"

	"I think you know," Setsuna's voice was clear and even. Her tone
implied that she thought this woman to be intelligent and bright; it
was also slightly disdainful that she would dare to end her life so
easily.

	"You're right, I do know," Rose finally agreed. "But I don't
agree with you."

	"You never really have," Setsuna had walked so she was standing
next to her. She glanced at Rose briefly but looked straight ahead
into the murky sunset. "However, I thought that you respected my ideas
at some point. Has the student grown so much that she feels she has
nothing left to learn so she must transcend to the next level of
understanding?"

	"We don't believe in God anymore, Setsuna."

	"Is that what you really think, or what you've been told to
think? I thought you were smarter than this, Nakazaki."

	Rose shrugged apathetically and continued to look down. "You
were wrong about me, Setsuna. I've never been smart."

	The green haired woman raised an eyebrow and folded her arms
over her chest. "Then consider this. Will you destroy your friend by
this senseless act? Dr. Skye is suffering from the lack of your link.
She will probably go insane if you kill yourself."  She had finally
come out and said what it was that Rose was contemplating. "You are
not a selfish girl, Nakazaki."

	Rose tilted her head. "You're right about that, Setsuna. I'm not
selfish." She backed away from the fence and looked at the taller
woman. "If I jumped, Kal would probably have to be the one to clean it
up. I'll have to figure out a better way to kill myself." Before
Setsuna could protest, Rose placed a hand on her shoulder. "Guardian
of Time, I always thought that was a great code name."

	The green-haired woman immediately stiffened. After a moment,
she managed to fake confusion. "Guardian of what? What in the world
are you talking about, Nakazaki?"

	Laughing, Rose shook her head. "Oh Setsuna you don't have to
pretend around me. I've known since I met you that you worked for the
Resistance. Let's see," Rose grew pensive. "Your code name is the
result of the fact that you are a part of Project Alpha. Your mission
was to delay the project to the best of your ability so you became the
'guardian' so to speak, of Project Omega's time. So that Omega would
have a head start." Alarmed, Setsuna tried to pull away but Rose
tightened her grip painfully, her fingers digging into Setsuna's skin.

	"Don't leave yet, Setsuna. It's rude to leave a conversation
like that." A dark smile danced across her features. "As I was saying.
You always tried to send messages out to your fellow members, as soon
as you could get permission to go off base. You tried to covertly
sabotage us as often as possible." Her eyes grew unfocused. "I wonder
how many times I let you actually succeed? But, alas, it made no
difference in the end. Alpha has been created, right on the heels of
your own Omega."

	"Why didn't you report me?" Setsuna was too shocked to deny the
facts.

	Rose turned her eyes back to Setsuna and thought for a moment.
"Perhaps I wanted you to succeed in stopping us, deep down inside.
Maybe I prayed that Alpha would never be created. After all, I always
gave you permission to leave the lab. I loved to see your experiences
outside. It was almost as if I was there." She paused, then frowned.
"Kalkia is unstable, Setsuna. She won't reestablish the link. There
isn't anything I can do to stop her. One day soon, she's going to go
overboard and there isn't a soul on this earth that can stop her." She
released the green-haired woman.

	"Go Setsuna. You're no longer needed on Project Alpha. Go tell
Minako that Kalkia is now a threat. If she finally falls into the
abyss...ask Minako to kill her." Rose looked sad for a moment. "Kill
her as gently as possible, please."

	Setsuna looked at the slight woman in front of her. Rose seemed
lost in her own web of pain, something not even the brightest light
could pierce. She worked for the enemy and yet, was a Resistance
member at heart. "We won't forget this, Rose. We'll find some way to
save you."

	Smiling, Rose shook her head and released Setsuna. "Go now and
never return. Live your life."

	When Rose was certain Setsuna had left, Rose sighed. "No one can
save me," she whispered. She had too much blood on her hands. How
could she be saved, a woman who had killed her own soulmate?

	It had been right after the horrible incident with Kunzite. When
Kenshin had found out, he immediately went to confront the man. But
the Inner Circle members had captured him. After a group beating, they
were going to make him into one of them. Kenshin was an excellent
Warrior, especially skilled with a sword. Metallia thought that he
would be an great addition to her Circle. Tied and bleeding, the four
generals left him alone in the room.

	Rose had felt her soulmate's pain, even though he tried to keep
her from finding out. She immediately ran to Jedeite and begged him to
let her see Kenshin. The procedure was scheduled for the next morning
and Kenshin's old personality would disappear. It would be like he
died. Eventually, Jedeite relented, figuring that his heart-sister
should at least have a chance to say goodbye to the man she loved.
Besides, there was no way the pair could escape. He thought it
harmless.

	When she entered the spartan room, she immediately fell to the
floor and gingerly cradled Kenshin's head. His eyes were swollen shut
but he knew it was her. Tears streaming from both their eyes, Rose
whispered her regrets that this was happening against his broken skin
as she began to heal him.

	"I'll try to get Jedeite to stop this. He'll help me. I'm his
heart-sister. He'll listen to me," Rose stammered frantically, trying
to make sense of her upside-down world. Her hands hovered over his
beautiful red hair, trying to figure out where to touch him without
causing him pain.

	Slowly, Kenshin opened his eyes, revealing his beautiful violet
eyes, a perfect match for Rose's own. "Beloved, they're going to turn
me into one of them tomorrow. There isn't anything you can do."

	"No, there has to be something. I'll go to Kunzite if I have to.
I'll promise him anything. But they just can't change you, make you
into one of them."

	He shook his head then groaned from the pain. She immediately
poured more energy into the healing, her golden glow lighting the
room. "Love, you know that I don't want to become like them, to go
back to the way it used to be, when I didn't have you." He placed a
gentle kiss on her palm and cradled it to his cheek.

	"I know, beloved, I know. And I also know what you want me to do
and I want to tell you now that I can't, I just can't." More tears
fell from her closed eyes. This wasn't happening. It just couldn't be.

	"Rose, my beautiful Rose...you must. I'll die if they make me
one of the Inner Circle, I know I will. Please Love, death is a better
fate than that." His eyes searched her face, his face pleading.

	She wished she believe in a god, so that she could pray.
"Kenshin, please..." Seeing his expression, her heart broke. Slowly,
she nodded and Kenshin smiled, wistfully. Sitting up, his wounds
mostly healed, he faced her and gently cupped her face. Drawing her
close, the two shared a gentle, heartfelt kiss.

	When they broke apart, Kenshin placed his forehead against
Rose's, his hands still against her teary cheeks, their eyes closed.
"I'll always love you, no matter what," he whispered.

	Sobbing, Rose placed her hands on top of his and opened that
forbidden power within her. As it gently pulsed within her, she poured
it into her soulmate in a rush of energy. Then, slowly, Kenshin's
soul began to leave him, absorbed into Rose herself. He made no sound
and there was no pain. As gently as possible, Rose slowly drained
every bit of life essence from Kenshin until his heart finally stopped
beating. Biting her lip, she laid his dead body on the ground. He
seemed so peaceful, a small smile on his face. "Until we next meet, my
love," Rose whispered before she placed on last kiss on his lips.
Slowly, she left the room, her heart dead.

	With a sigh, Rose shook off her memories. They had thought he
died because of the injuries from the beating. But she knew the truth,
that she had taken the life of her own soulmate. Looking out into the
distance, she gazed once more at the freedom she so sought. Then, she
spun on her heel and walked back to her room. Not once did she look
back.

***

	"How long are you going to do this to yourself?"

	The room was bright, light filled every crevice of the bedroom.
She was laying on the bed, her eyes open, her body relaxed.  

	"How long are you going to refuse to touch me?"

	"Are you saying that all I have to do is touch you and you'll be
better?"

	Her lips slowly turned upwards in a small smile. She had placed
one of her hands on her bare stomach and now she slowly clenched it
into a fist. "Would you if I said yes?"

	He sighed and the weight on the bed shifted as he sat down.
"Kaya, please. Just reestablish the link with Rose. I know that you'll
be fine if you do. This...this isn't you."

	"Wrong." She turned her head to look up into his face. The harsh
lights were so bright that the only clear feature she could make out
were the blue of his eyes. "This isn't the me that you think I am.
This is who I am, Jonathon. Try to be non-linear for once."

	He placed his hand over hers. "You're going to do awful things
if you don't--"

	"I already have done awful things. I'm beginning to delight in
death and blood and pain." She closed her deep green eyes and tilted
her head to the other side, away from him. "And that doesn't even
bother me. I should be afraid of myself and what I am, but I'm not. I
find it funny."

	"Kaya," he sighed and held her small hand between his two larger
ones. "Talk to Rose. Promise me that tomarrow, you'll talk to her."

	Silence.

	"Promise me...."

* * *

	"Rose?"

	The voice that called into the dim light of the drab room was
soft and nearly gone before it was spoken. It was only one word, but
the tremor was there and only one who knew her would recognize it for
what it was.

	Instantly, Rose's hands stilled. The last note from the grand
piano faded into the air, lost. "I'm in here," she said as she turned
to face the door.

	There was the subdued sound of walking as Kalkia went into the
back room. She stopped at the doorway and if anyone had been looking
carefully enough, they would have seen the painful swallow. "I...I was
just wondering if...if..."

	Slowly, Rose made her way to her couch and motioned for Kalkia
to come closer. Hesitant, Kalkia eventually sat down on the couch,
gingerly as if afraid to do anything too harshly. "What were you
wondering, heart-sister?"

	Kalkia lightly clasped her hands in her lap, "Well...I...with
Endymion gone on this mission and we have nothing to do...I was
thinking that perhaps we could...um...." It was as if she was suddenly
the unsure nine year old girl that Rose had met all those years ago.
Kalkia's self-confidence had really come from the fact that Rose
believed in her. Now that they hardly ever interacted, she was slowly
becoming unsure again.

	Giving Kalkia a small smile, Rose replied, "I don't bite,
Kalkia. And I'm not mad at you, so don't be worried."

	She wrinkled her nose and for a moment she could be described as
cute. "Perhaps we could have lunch together then," she looked up from
her hands and over at her one time best friend.

	Rose smiled happily. "Of course, Kalkia." She grinned impishly.
"Let's go have a picnic like we used to, back in school."

	Kalkia slowly smiled and took her hand tightly, "In the
arboretum?" she asked hopefully. The years melted away and for a short
moment it seemed as if she had never been a slave to the Urge or the
Darkness. The taint was completely gone for those few brief seconds.
The years, the trauma, the sadness, all gone. Her innocence was back,
even if it was only a short span of time before the taint returned.
But for then she was simply Kalkia, Rose's friend.

	Gently, Rose send a small mental probe. 'Friends?' She was
hesistant, afraid of being rejected, but she had to at least try.

	Kalkia set up the uplink in her mind and sent out her own small
probe. "Friends," she said outloud.

	With a grin, Rose began to drag Kalkia towards her kitchen.
"Come on, I think we can whip up something real quick. I might have
some of those cookies that you like so much."

	"Ouuuu," she grinned, "Chocolate?" Giggling, the pair scampered
off towards the kitchen, seeming like the two innocent children they
once were.

*Neptune Enclave, Oceana Two*

	Makoto pulled the codes that Seiya had given her out of her
pocket. Included was an authorization card that she handed to
Serenity. "Don't lose that, we might need it in case of an override."
Omega nodded and held it in her free hand. The other held a small
pistol which she kept free and pointed around her. She didn't want to
have to kill a nondescript solider who was just following orders.
However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't.

	The three travelled quickly to the door that led into the
chambers where the artifact was being kept. It only had the two guards
and those were easiliy taken out by Rei's crossbow. They didn't have
time to even moan as the poison went directly to their heart. The only
person immune to this particular poison was the raven-haired bodyguard
herself. No one else dared to touch her arrows. Makoto went through
the security protocals as Serenity and Rei pulled the bodies to a dark
corner. Silently the three entered the security room and did a quick
sweep of the interior. Makoto was about to give an order when the
doors behind them slammed shut.

	"I thought that wasn't supposed to happen," Rei hissed, her
crossbow still in hand. Serenity continued to look around the room,
all of her improved senses alert and focused.

	"It wasn't," Makoto agreed softly and looked at the door. "It
looks like the authorization card is supposed to help us get out," she
finally said. "We might need to have Serenity absorb the artifact here
and have her break through the doors. We have thirty minutes still,"
she turned away from the closed doors, "and three different routes.
Split up and whoever finds the artifact, take it, contact us and we'll
meet back here." She looked at Serenity. "If you find it, absorb it
immediately."

	Omega nodded, "Understood."

	"Move out."

	With the stealth that had been ingrained into her genetics,
Serenity swiftly moved down the right route, her eyes catching every
nook and cranny of the modified underwater cave even in the complete
dark. Her night vision was uncanny. She saw outcroppings and stepped
carefully over them when most other would have tripped. It made for a
much easier journey.

	Down the central route, Rei's aura flashed, filling her tunnel
with a faint amount of light. It wouldn't do to alert some guard, but
the danger was necessary lest she trip and fall unconscious. Besides,
Seiya had told them that inside was completely guarded by an automatic
system. She shouldn't encounter any soldiers. She just had to make
sure she didn't trip any traps.

	Makoto too was using her aura to light her way down the leftmost
tunnel. She was getting a very odd feeling about this mission. There
was something bothering her. She couldn't quite place the feeling, but
it was there, nagging at her in the back of her mind.

	Unforutnately for the two women, it didn't occur to them to look
for the auras of their past loves. If they had, they would have
noticed that after they had travelled five minutes into the cave, the
door opened once more, letting in three men. Nephlite smiled slightly
as he looked around. "I must say that they're still impressive," he
commented. He shouldered the large rifle he was carrying. "Knowing
Makoto, she had them split up. I suggest we do the same." He looked
over at Jedeite who nodded nearly inperceptually in the dark.

	"Endymion, you should go after Omega. If Kita was right, you
should be able to find her, no problem. Jed and I will take care of
the other two," Nephlite continued. "Preferrably we want Omega alive,
dead is just as good." He looked at Jedeite, "Same for us," he said
quietly.

	"Of course," the blonde nodded and began to go down the tunnel
that Rei had taken. His arua flared briefly, but he kept it dampened
to avoid his ex-lover's detection. "Have fun," he called back to
Nephlite carelessly. However, if his friend had been able to see his
expression, it might have worried Nephlite. Jedeite was anything but
careless at the moment.

	Nephlite nodded at Endymion and took the far left tunnel, using
a short cut that would cut Makoto off. If he had his way, she would
never reach the center of the cavern.

	Starting off without any light, as the lady before him, Endymion
cut quietly through the dark, his mind deep in thought. He knew that
Rose and Kalkia had reestablished their link. It took a great load off
his mind. Without having to worry about the doctors, Endymion could
now concentrate completely on the mission to kill Omega. But could he
do it? Was it the right thing to do? Rose had her doubts that he
shared. Alpha was evil and by default, Omega should be good. Unless
there was a larger good involved, killing someone was wrong.

	He forced himself to place these thoughts into the back of his
mind as he continued to track her. Then a thought suddenly occurred to
him. He didn't even know her name, or even if she had one. He had a
name other than Alpha, so it was probably a logical assumption that
she had a name as well. Perhaps he would ask her before he killed her.
He caught up to her quickly and stopped a foot behind her. He was
absolutely still as she swung around and pointed her weapon at him.
Her blue eyes narrowed and she looked at him almost accusingly.

	"You aren't supposed to be here."

***

	"You aren't supposed to be here." 

	He was sitting atop a boulder that was directly in her path.
His long chestnut hair was pulled back into a ponytail, similar to
hers.  However, his waves were more evident and his now ice-green eyes
were looking at her intently. He had one leg pulled to his chest and
was lounging lazily back on the rock. He had spoken almost jokingly, a
teasing lilt to his voice. She stopped and stood very still. A moment
later she brought her automatic pistol up from her side.

	"Neither are you," Makoto said calmly. "Move away from your
weapon, Nephlite."

	He tilted his head and slowly picked up the rifle that had been
resting against the rock. "You mean this?" He stood and brought it up
to his shoulder. He fired once and her pistol skittered across the
rocky floor. "Perhaps not." He sighed and bent to retrieve her gun.
His eyes didn't leave hers so he managed to avoid the kick to his jaw,
but the movement caused him to stumble backwards. Makoto used her
momentum to follow through with a hard kick to his torso. He doubled
over and clutched his stomach with one arm while grabbing at her with
the other. She was forced to roll away from him and farther away from
the fallen weapons.

	They exchanged a quick series of kicks and punches before Makoto
rolled towards her pistol. By now she had several gashes from the
jagged ground and from her ex-lover. She grabbed her weapon and stood,
pointing it directly at him. In his hands was his rifle, pointed at
her heart. They both stood there, breathing heavily, their fingers on
the trigger and ready to pull. Makoto swallowed as she locked eyes
with him. They had been brown once, the same color of his hair, which
was now out of the tie.

	They stood there, neither saying a word, firmly entrenched in
the silence around them.

***

	With a grunt, Rei let loose with another arrow, only to have the
deadly projectile hit the stone wall, right where Jedeite's head was a
second ago. She growled with frustration. Rei and Jedeite had not met
in a quiet, calm manner like the other two pairs. Instead, there were
no words spoken when Rei suddenly whirled around, after sensing a
presense, and shot out with a deadly kick. Jedeite immediately then
blocked and they began to fight. No words were exchanged, only blows.

	Finally, Jedeite was able to get a grasp on Rei's clothing and
managed to hurl her away from him. Both warriors stood apart, gasping
for breath.

	"How the hell did you find us here?" Rei shot Jedeite a dirty
look.

	With a smirk, Jedeite snapped his fingers, activating the lights
in the tunnel. "Magic, Pyre."

	Rei gave an indelicate snort. "HA! You and that piece of crap
known as Alpha probably had some sneaky cowards spy on us. What's
wrong, Jedeite? Couldn't do the dirty work on your own? Had to get a
bunch of other people to dirty their hands for you?" She scowled. "You
even had your own heart-sister kill Minako, you bastard! Why didn't
you get Rose to kill me?"

	He immediately grew angry. "Leave them out of this. You know, I
should kill you where you stand for what you did to Rosebud. They
almost died because of you. Ah hell," he spat, "Rose is losing her
mind because of what you did and Skye turned into a sociopath. So if
you're looking for someone to blame for the death of Minako, you
better take a good look at yourself."

	He studied her face, preparing in case she attacked him. But
instead of anger, he saw a flash of pain pass across her eyes. "Are
they...ok?" Rei paused, her voice trembling. "Rose tried to reassure
me, but we're hearing some reports, that she's lost her mind. That
Kalkia is just like you..." She shook her head.

	Surprised, Jedeite stared at the woman before him before
narrowing his eyes. "At least they're still alive, no thanks to you!"

	Rei's head jerked up, anger and guilt written in her every
feature. "Don't try to blame me! What about yourself, General? You
forced Kalkia to get the Urge, you forced Rose to stay with Alpha, you
even let Kunzite abuse her!" Her violet eyes were afire. "None of this
would have happened had you stood up for them, protected them!"

	Jedeite clenched his jaw and continued to glare at her, "You can
only protect one person at a time, Pyre," he bit out. For a moment all
of his anger and frustration about the entire situation came out in
his voice. "Besides, Kalkia killed Minako of her own initiative," he
got the control back into his voice and raised his weapon once more.
"And if you would just stay out of the way then I wouldn't have to
kill you."

	Rei blinked at him. "Stay out of the way? How can I stay out of
the way? This is a war, I'm trying to make a new world, a better
place. I'm not going to stop."

	"You're going to get yourself killed!"

	"Why on earth are you even considering it. You told me exactly
what you thought the last time was saw each other!" In a blinding rush
of speed, she jumped into the air and immediately got her gun trained
on Jedeite. They both fired at the same time and both erected energy
shields to block the bullets. The sound of gunfire rattled through the
tunnel until, frustrated, they both threw down their guns. Swords
would just have to do when both warriors were adept at energy usage.
Because of the closer range, as long as the attacker was able to get
close enough to the body with the blade, an energy shield would be
useless to stop them.

	"I'm sorry that one of us is going to die today, Pyre." And
Jedeite was truly sorry. He never wanted things to end up this way.

	Sensing his sincerity, Rei nodded. "So am I, Jed." In a
synchronization that only soulmates could achieve, they both raced
foward, swords raised for the strike.

***

	"You're not supposed to be here," Serenity accused and glared at
Endymion. "Go away."

	Endymion blinked and looked at her for a moment, "Go away?
You're the one that's trespassing in here." Her childish nature
confused him. Go away, indeed, he thought to himself and shook his
head. "Omega--" he didn't get to finish because she shot at him. He
easily dodged the bullet and brought up his own gun and sword.

	"I want you to go away because you're bothering me. I can't
think with my body acting like this," she said simply. "I think you're
probably having the same problem."

	Endymion blinked and then realized what she was looking at. He
clenched his jaw, "I'm fine," he insisted, "I can still fight you."

	Serenity nodded, "Then we should fight." She tilted her head
slightly, "Although, they did mention that it could be foreplay."

	"You're odd," he finally said, "The only people I know that talk
about foreplay that way are Dr. Skye and her lover. However, I cannot
allow you to escape here so we must fight."

	"Okay," she said and unsheathed the sword she had at her back,
holding it along with her firearm. In a rush of movement she attacked
simultaneously with her sword and handgun. She fired at him several
times, forcing him to the ground. Luckily for him it was a smooth
sandstone and allowed him to roll without any injuries. He blocked her
sword and fired at her as well. Serenity broke off and soon all three
of her clips were empty.  

	The fight continued for a considerable length of time and soon
Serenity found that she had no idea how long she had been stuck here.
The fight itself was fast and impressive, had anyone been watching.
Their movements were hardly able to be seen, so quickly did they
occur. Sword met sword in a series of sharp blows, sparks flying from
the swift contact.

	Serenity kicked his legs out from underneath him and kicked his
sword to the other side of the area they were him. She quickly climbed
over him and grabbed his wrists. She straddled his waist and used the
mental exersize she had been taught to keep him pinned to the ground.
Unfortunately she had lost her sword as well and her closest weapon
was at his waist. Serenity swore as she looked down into Endymion's
deep blue eyes.

	He smiled slightly, "Seems we're at an impass."

	"This sucks," she grumbled. "However, I'm sure I'll think of
something."

	"What's your name?" he asked her. The question was abrupt and it
surprised her. Serenity's bright blue eyes looked at him in confusion.

	"What?"

	"Your name, I don't know it."

	She blinked, confused. "Serenity." She eyes him curiously. "Now
that you know mine, what's yours?" Something about him fascinated her.

	He smiled. "Endymion." She was so close to him, he almost felt
faint. On a sudden impulse, he leaned up and kissed her lips.

	The contact was electric. Hot pulses of blood seemed to spread
amongst her entire body. She suddenly found herself pressing her lips
closer to his, instead of backing away as her instincts told her.
Slowly, as the kiss went on, her hands slid from his wrists and toward
his chest. Gently, she caressed his face and ran her fingers through
his hair.

	Once his hands were free, Endymion brought them to her back and
lightly placed them there. As he kissed her, he became very aware of
whatever parts of their body were touching. He was expecting it to be
like the Urge but it was different. The need, the desire to touch her
was still there, but it was nearly consuming every part of him. He
knew he should stop, that he should use this distraction to get free,
but he found that he didn't want to. How could he when his aura was
pulsing on the same wavelength as the blonde woman on top of him.

	He rolled them over, not breaking the kiss as he did so.
Serenity paused when she realized what had happened and for a moment
she thought that he had used the distraction to trick her. However
when she felt his lips move to the side of her face she became more
sure in the desire just to touch. A slash from her sword had opened up
the jacket he had been wearing. Now she touched the skin that was bare
to the air with tentative fingers. His actions were just as soft and a
little naive as he brushed over her skin. It wasn't until she felt his
warm breath on her breasts that she realized that they were both
losing their clothing at an alarming rate.

	She gasped and tried to continue to touch him as his mouth moved
over her skin. A soft whimper escaped her and he stopped abruptly. His
blue eyes looked deep into her own and for a moment he seemed
vulnerable to her. He ran his hand lightly over her cheek and through
her hair. "Serenity, what...what is happening?"

	"Please don't stop," she said just as softly, "Endymion, I
just--"

	She was cut off by his mouth as he sealed her lips in another
passionate kiss. He began to touch her more earnestly now and pulled
her even closer. When they joined, she knew that she had touched
heaven.

***

	"Why did you leave, Nephlite?" Makoto's quiet words seemed like
a shout after the silence that had come between them. Seeing him, so
close after so long, she had to practically tie herself to her spot to
keep from throwing herself into his arms. He looked just as she
remembered him, his soft chestnut hair, his soft, quiet smile that
could quickly turned to a open-mouthed laugh. But his eyes were no
longer the beautiful brown she remembered. Instead, they were an icy
green, softened only because of his expression.

	He paused for a moment. "I was offered a position in Metallia's
Inner Circle. How could I refuse?"

	"Why didn't you say goodbye?" Makoto's emerald eyes wavered a
bit, the sting of tears not far away. "Couldn't you have said at least
goodbye to me?"

	He scoffed, "I didn't have anyone to say goodbye to. There was
no one at the school that I felt the need to say goodbye. After all,
my closest friends were a part of the Inner Circle already and my two
heart-sisters were not far behind." His gaze didn't meet her eyes.

	"Liar," she breathed, her breath short from the blow he had
given her. She clenched her jaw. "You could never lie to me, Nephlite.
I know that you have a reason for leaving without saying a word."

	He finally sighed and shook his head, "The reason exists," he
finally said, "But I cannot tell you so do not ask. Be satisfied to
know that I left because it was the best thing for everyone involved.
Now raise your weapon and fight me, Makoto."

* * *

	"Well at least you haven't lost any of your form," Jedeite
commented as they stood with locked swords. They were both breathing
heavily and he could hear her heart racing. Neither had been able to
gain an advantage in their fight.

	"Just because you've been comfy at the top doesn't mean that
I've been lazy," she snapped.

	"I was trying to compliment you, Rei."

	"Save your breath," she broke away and swung a high arced pass
at him. The sound clanged off the sides of the cavern as the two
strugged against each other.

	"This is getting pointless," Rei snapped as the next few passes
were made. "We're getting nowhere."

	"I agree, unfortantely we'll have to end this sometime. I do
have other priorities."

	"Like Rose?" The words were out before she knew it. She cursed
herself for sounding like a jealous bitch. She really needed to give
up her dream and wish that they would get back together if this was
what happened to her when she was faced with him. She knew that they
weren't sleeping together and yet she still was jealous.

	Jedeite blinked and then managed to knock her sword away. He
grabbed the front of her shirt, "Do you really believe that I could be
with any woman after what I nearly did to you?" he snapped coldly. "I
may be dark and not the ideal man, Pyre, but I do not kill the women I
sleep with." He actually spat in her face, the green of his eyes
flashing in near rage.

	"No, you don't," Rei admitted as she twisted out of his grip.
Her expression changed, sadness dancing in her eyes. "Why do you stay
under that administration of evil, Jedeite?" Her expression was
haunted. "When the accident happened, I was immersed in Rose's mind. I
know the lies that Metallia told you, the pain that you've suffered.
Why do you stay loyal Jedeite." Her face changed, now earnest. "Why
don't you leave, Jedeite, and join the Resistance? With you on our
side and Omega now completed, surely we'll be able to overthrow Alpha
and take back our freedom." With a silent voice, she prayed to
whatever god was watching to make him hear her.

	For a moment, Jedeite paused, his eyes saddened. "I can't, Pyre.
Metallia has a hold on the world is too great. The cause of yours is
futile. Besides, if I were to ever leave Alpha, my genetics have a
built in failsafe that would kill me as soon as I was found out. And
the other generals would be able to track me down and find me wherever
I was." He sighed. "I've made my choice, Pyre. Power over love." His
eyes flickered back to their normal warm blue color before becoming
their now customary ice green.

	"So be it," Rei said, her voice steeled against the pain that
wracked her soul. With a nod from both of them, they recommenced their
battle.

***

	She never imagined that it would be like this, the shear ecstasy
of him inside her and around her. She knew that with every stroke and
push they got closer to the end of it all. He could feel their minds
start to touch just as intimately as their bodies. In the moment of
climax, their minds were as one and she cried out in pleasure.

	A burst of light and sound emmanated from them and shook the
ground.

	They were pulled away from each other and seperated. He felt
lost immediately and tried to hold onto her smaller form. When the
light and sound stopped, she had vanished.

***

	Makoto had started the upswing of her weapon when there was a
blinding flash of light, followed by a sonic boom. Her eardrums
screamed the sound into her mind and the rocky cavern began to drop
new debris on her. She felt the rush of Power go through her and it
pulled at parts of her body she thought she had dampened. She could
see the surprise on Nephlite's face as the light passed through him.
When the darkness swept over them, she ran.

***

	The rush of sound threw Rei into his arms as she lost her
footing on the uneven ground. All she could see through the light were
his eyes. The Power went through her and the next moment she had
kissed him. When he managed to recover his aura, she was gone.

	All three girls ran pell-mell through the corridors as the very
ground shook from an undescribable force. Nearer the entrance, they
met up but spoke not a word. The ceiling was coming down in chunks and
they could see water entering the cracks. If they didn't reach the
dock soon and enter their hidden vessel, they were going to be crushed
by the entire weight of Oceana Two.

	As soon as they reached the door, which they clearly remembered
as having been closed behind them, they saw the huge thick metal door
had practically been pulled off its hinges. It looked like a huge fist
of power smashed it open.

	"Come on," Makoto shouted over the roar of the falling rocks.
"We have to get out of here fast!" She vaulted over the jagged remains
of the door like a hurdler. Rei followed and then came Serenity as she
jerked her shirt back onto her body. Demando had programmed an
appreciation of decency and running around half naked was starting to
bother her, even though she was currently running for her life.

	Instantly, Serenity made the ship reappear, lifting her mental
cloak from it. With a twist of the body, each woman slid through the
hatch, Serenity yanking it close behind her.

	"Engines engaged," called Rei as she pressed the controls as
rapidly as possible.

	"Let's get out of here," called Makoto as she slid into the
other navigator's seat.

	Between the three of them, they drove the sea vessal away from
the partically imploded sea village. In the chaos of emergency
evacuation of the enclave, they were able to get away without anyone
in pursuit. Once they were alone in the seas, Serenity cloaked them
once more. She was still pulling at her clothes, trying to get
everything fastened. However, there was nothing she could do to save
her hair.

	"Okay, what the hell was that?" Makoto finally asked. "Seiya
didn't mention there being a self-destruct in those caverns," she
turned to see Serenity tried to run her fingers through her dirty
sweaty hair. The young girl was still breathing heavily and her face
was flushed. "Serenity?"

	Rei turned around as well and looked at her, concerned, "Did
something happen with you and Alpha?"

	"His name is Endymion," she said softly and looked at her hands
intently. "He has a name." She didn't snap or even say it harshly, but
there was a huge emotional force behind her words. She swallowed
audibly and painfully. Serenity closed her eyes and touched her lips
which were obviously swollen from her earlier activities.

	Makoto eyed Serenity's flushed face and messy clothes. "What
happened, Serenity? Did you destroy him? Was that what we felt, the
power you used to kill him?"

	Blushing, Serenity looked down. "Um...no? Not exactly."

	"What do you mean, not exactly," asked Rei as she punched in the
directions for the nearest Resistance cell. The ship on auto-pilot,
she swiveled in her chair to join the conversation. "How can you not
exactly kill him? Were you unable to sense a pulse or something?"

	Serenity pushed her index fingers together repeatedly. She had
failed in her mission and almost got killed. They were not going to be
very happy with her. "Um, we kind of got distracted...you know that
stuff you were explaining to me?" They looked confused. "You know,
about sex, the pull of soulmates, that stuff?" They nodded as
realization dawned. "Well, um..."

	Rei groaned. "You mean, that brilliant flash of light was
because you two got a happy?" She began to beat her head against a
bulkhead. "Dear lord...we have hormonal teenagers with the most
powerful bodies in the world. We're doomed."

	Makoto began to chuckle softly and turned back to the ship's
console. "Was it good?" she finally asked after her laughter had
subsided.

	Serenity flushed slightly, "There was a sonic boom and lots of
light, what do you think it was, Makoto?" she asked dryly.

	"I think I'm jealous," the brunette muttered, "I never got
light. Some sound, yes, but never light."

	Finally, Rei laughed. "Demando and Minako are going to love to
hear this."

	"Do we have to tell them?" Serenity asked softly. "I mean they
don't need to know."

	Rei and Makoto exchanged a look, "Actually we do," Rei said
gently. "Serenity, when you make love to someone you leave an imprint
of your aura on them and vice versa. Alpha will be able to find you
easier now, and theoretically you should be able to find him easier as
well. Second, sex is more than a joining and good time, its a mixture
of minds and even magic. I know you want this to be private, but we do
need to tell at least Demando and Minako."

	Serenity sighed softly and nodded. "I didn't get the artifact."

	Makoto and Rei shared a look. "You didn't?" Serenity shook her
head.

	Makoto let out a moan of despair. "Oh tell me this isn't
happening. Without all of the artifacts, we can't initiate Omega. Then
all of this work will be for nothing."

	Rei punched the bulkhead. "Damn it, this can't be happening. How
the hell did they keep it from you? Did you see it at all? Do we have
to go back and get it from Alpha?" She clung to hope, because if they
failed, everything she lived for was over.

	"He had already absorbed it by the time we got there." Serenity
frowned. "His power level was greatly increased since the showing of
the first artifact." Her brow furrowed. "It's strange though...after
the," she blushed, "light show, I felt a power boost myself."

	Frowning at this new information, Makoto looked back at the
controls. "We'll have to consult the brain squad on this. So we'll
have to wait until we rejoin the rest of the Resistance."

	Rei scowled. "You can sense the other artifacts though, right?"
Serenity nodded. "Good. Then make sure the damn things are still
around before letting us accompany you on a useless mission." She
turned back to her console, fuming. Seeing Jedeite again had messed
her up emotionally. That, coupled with the fact that the mission might
prove to be a failure as well as the chance that Omega might not even
occur...well, she wasn't a very happy person to be around at the
moment.

	Sensing this, Serenity sat in her chair and the three women
remained quiet for the rest of the trip back.

***

	"Endymion insisted on telling us all at once why the enclave
collasped," Nephlite grumbled after the group assembled. They were
sitting around a conference room table, and the group consisted of the
four generals and two doctors. The Enforcer was getting her kicks
elsewhere.

	Kalkia raised an eyebrow as she looked at Endymion. The young
man had been staring at the table top ever since the beginning of the
debriefing. Rose was watching him curiously; for once he had managed
to block her out as well. "Well?" Zoicite asked expectantly.

	"I ran into Serenity," he finally said.

	"Who?" Kunzite lifted an eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair.

	"Omega," Endymion corrected himself.

	"Oh," Rose gasped. His little error made his shield over the
link buckle a bit and she now knew everything. Face red, she hid her
eyes. This was not something she wanted to know and she apologized
profusely to Endymion over the link.

	Endymion shrugged. It wasn't as if he wasn't going to share
eventually, but it was somewhat disconcerting to share his first
sexual experience with one of the doctors who created him.

	Eyeing the two warily, Kunzite refocused the attention. "What
happened with...Serenity?" The name was odd. "Did you destroy her? And
what the hell force did you unleash that could destroy an entire
enclave?"

	Frowning, Endymion looked at the silver-haired general. "No, I
was unable to destroy her."

	Zoicite frowned. "Then why the blast?"

	Rose spoke up. "The blast was his attempt at using the power of
the crystal for the first time. He was untrained in this field. I have
been unable to train him for this since it is something no one else is
able to experience other than he and Omega. Unfortunately, the wild
nature of the shot was unable to destroy her." Endymion shot her a
grateful look, not exactly eager to share that special moment with the
four unfeeling generals of Alpha.

	"How would you know this?" Jedeite eyed his heart-sister warily,
uncertain that she was telling the truth.

	"They shared it, Jedeite," Kalkia replied simply. "Their link
isn't on trial here, we should continue finding out what happened on
the mission. Like, for example, why we don't have the dead bodies of
Makoto and Rei with us?" She raised an eyebrow, "Care to explain."

	"I told you, Kita, Makoto got away in the blast," Nephlite said
quietly. He was still looking at Endymion intently. He could have
sworn that he had seen him blush at the mention of the blast.

	"I'm sure that you could have stopped her. Why didn't you have
Jedeite go after her?" Kalkia pressed, "He would have had better luck
fighting her. Instead he ended up melding auras with Rei." The blonde
general glared at her. "You should hide that better," she commented.
"Even a four year old can see it."

	"Shut up Dr. Skye."

	Kalkia just shrugged and looked over at Rose. 'Did I think what
happened, really happen?'

	'Yeah, it did, or more accurately, they did.' Rose gently poked
Endymion with a mental rebuke. 'Hide the feelings for now, or else,
they'll find out. I've helped you to start weaving the lies, but you
need to finish it.' She closed the link. There was something she had
sensed, something that was bothering her greatly. But she didn't share
with either Kalkia and Endymion, who shared a look of confusion before
returning back to the debriefing.

	Zoicite shook his head. "So, we have no dead bodies to give to
Metallia. But at least, the Resistance wasn't able to get the artifact
this time. So we should be ok." They all frowned, hoping that they
wouldn't have to be put through another round of punishment.

	Sighing, Kunzite looked wearily at Zoicite. "We might not be
punished, but the truth still remains, that this mission was not
exactly a shining success. Now that they know we had Endymion absorb
the artifact first, they'll be on their guards. We can't use such a
ruse again. So that advantage is lost." He turned to Jedeite and
Nephlite. "Unfortunately, Rei and Makoto are still alive, which means
we have not dealt they blow to the Resistance as we had hoped. The
only thing that is good about this mission is the fact that Alpha has
absorbed one artifact. That fact alone should keep Omega from
occurring and should force the rebels to come to us, if they want to
succeed."

	Kalkia sighed and pushed away from the table. "All of you are
idiots for assuming that you can face the women who made the sky and
the earth move for you," she said coolly. "Hopefully you'll use the
right head next time."

	Endymion raised an eyebrow. Her outburst was certainly
unexpected by the four generals. "Are we finished here?" he finally
asked. "Besides the fact that someone has to report all of this to
Metallia?"

	"Better make them a damn good liar," Kalkia muttered and began
to walk out. "Endymion, when you're through here, come to my office. I
need to make sure that there isn't anything else wrong with your
body."

	Jedeite raised an eyebrow as she left. "She's actually pissed,"
he finally commented.

	Nephlite looked confused as well, "The last time I spoke to her,
she was unemotional."

	Rose just shrugged and smiled sweetly. Kunzite rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. Nephlite, you report to Metallia. You're a lot better at
glossing things over than anyone here." He stood, indicating that the
meeting was over.

	Nephlite continued to contemplate Rose. "Did you two patch
things up? Is that why she's back to her normal, cranky self?" It
would also explain why Rose was wearing her brighter colors again,
instead of black.

	With a giggle and a nod, Rose answered the general. Endymion
stood next to her, offering his arm, as was his custom. He wanted to
get away from the generals to a place where he could discuss things
with the two doctors privately. Before taking his arm, Rose paused,
then pecked the still-worried Nephlite on the cheek. "For luck," she
said seriously before departing.

	Nephlite stood, gaping at the closed door. Zoicite shook his
head in bewilderment while Kunzite stood there, expressionless.
Looking from the door to Nephlite and back again, Jedeite spoke.

	"Those two doctors just keep getting weirder and weirder."
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