Disclaimer: Hay peeps! Glad to hear you guys are enjoying this little story so far! Thinking this is going to be a five parter, though I still need to think up a way for them to destroy the city and make it blue... I swear I dig myself into the biggest holes...LOL Neway the main characters are not my creation but since I am making no profit whatsoever please, pretty please, don't hurt me. *bats eyelashes* I think I'm learning from Ami...hehe Oh and want more stories?, email me at inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com Rated PG-13 for some mild language...promise nothing graphic... Chapter Four I turned absolutely white as the words spilled from his oh so obnoxious mouth. "I double dare you.." I turned from Lita to Nephrite wildly. "Oh Mercury don't tell me you told him... Lita, Nephrite?" Lita met her eyes with a gaze of bewilderment but Nephrite looked away, shamed. "I double dare you to have a contest of sorts with me..." My eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. "What kind of contest?" I asked slowly, haltingly, not able to help myself. Damn curiosity. Zoicite's smirk grew as he regarded with me with eyes I had always thought too frank. Some people at least try to hide their bad traits. He didn't care, vanity, arrogance, hell, even insanity, all laid bare for the world to see. "A contest of wills; a double dare contest. We each double dare the other and each must be grander, better than the last. The first to give up or fail looses and must..." he paused as he thought for a long moment, "must be the other's slave for a week." I shook my head annoyed. "That is so cliché! We're suppose to be the smart ones in this series, can't we think of something a tad more original?" Zoicite chewed his lip, thoughtful before perking up. "It's not totally cliché! It's only over used in Serena/ Darien fics. Not enough people write about us for anything to be cliché." I thought over his reasoning for a moment before finding it reasonably sound. I held out one hand over Lita and Nephrite's glups of fear. "Deal." He shook my hand but stopped. "Wanna spit on it?" I wrinkled my nose. "No." "You sure?" "Yes." * * * I stood in front of the pond glaring daggers at Zoicite. "Its cold," I said darkly as he chuckled evilly and folded arms across his broad chest, his normal smirk shining through in all its terrifying glory. "I doubled dared you... Don't tell me you're backing out now, on bet one?" I pursed my lips and frowned even more as Lita and Nephrite tried to talk reason into us. "Come on guys," Lita said in a pleading voice. "Please just drop this thing, this is insane..." Nephrite picked up where his girl left off. He looked the star lit sky and squinted before turning to us. "I read great consequences. You must leave this terrible path before it is too late." I looked to Zoicite. He raised one eyebrow in silent query and I read all I needed to know in his arrogant, knowing gaze. He didn't believe I would do it. He didn't think I would even try to match him in a contest of guts and wills. He don't know me very well, do he? Without another word I threw off my wretched coat, my shoes, and took off my jewelry before turning and diving into the bitterly cold lake. I tried to ignore the icy water that weighed down my graceful limbs as I used broad, powerful strokes to cut through the small waves in the mostly still waters. It took me several minutes to reach the island in the middle of the lake. I rose, dripping, and sighed before moving to finish my task. I tip toed to the middle of the island, no more than a few yards across, and crouched, ready to spring. With a war cry I launched myself at the sleeping ducks. Yes, I, Ami, am now chasing ducks. It took me several misses before I finally caught one of the dratted creatures. It squacked indignantly and I knew just how it felt. But I had been challenged and had accepted... Trying to ignore the flapping wings that were beating my face purple I staggered the few steps back to the shore and plunged in. Going back took twice as long as the first trip for two reasons, one the duck just wasn't coroperating and two, since ducks float rather well I couldn't swim very well at all because half of me kept sinking and my torso where I held the duck kept bobbing upwards. Two words describe the horrendous experience, Not fun. Actually two other words describe my feelings, Damn Zoicite. I finally made it back to where Lita was shaking her head, Nephrite was trying for all his life not to laugh and Zoicite, Zoicite was literally rolling on the ground, suit and all, as he held his sides helplessly. I frowned severely and tried to put my fists on my hips but I forgot I still held the duck and it screeched and renewed its efforts to throttle me. That did it. It took me all of two seconds to decide my course of action. "Oh Zoicite," I crooned. "Is it not my turn to come up with a double dare." I had to wait several minutes for the laughter to subside before I got an answer. He finally uncurled from his ball of mirth, tears running down his cheeks, still shaking with silent laughter. He held up his arms, chuckling. "Fine Ice Princess. What weak dare are you going to come up to beat that? Huh?" My sweet smile darkened a bit but brightened immediately. "Wellll" I drew out as I poked at the dirt with one dripping toe, biting my lower lip, the perfect picture of a little pure angel, "all I can come up with my poor little mind is that since I caught the duck its only proper for you to kiss it." There was dead silence for all of thirty seconds before Nephrite broke out in a loud braying laughter and Lita snickered. Zoicite's head shot up, eyes wide. "Kiss?" he asked, faltering. "The duck? Kiss?!?" I pouted innocently, oh Mercury I love this girly girl act, held out the horrible, smelly, wet creature, and batted my long dark eyelashes. "But Zoicite," I asked, my voice the perfect tone of bewilderment, "How can you be backing out on your first dare?" I'll give him credit; that's all it took. With his face a mask of distaste he stepped forward and took the thing from me, and holding it as far away as he could closed his eyes, puckered his lips that females the world over sighed at, and smooched the foul fowl right on its beak. It lasted a few heart beats but that was all that it took for me to dive for the camera I had in my purse, flip the cap off, and take a beauty of a picture. As the stunning flash went off Zoicite dropped the duck and turned to me, spluttering with rage. "What did you do?" he screamed as our friends giggled. I put a finger to my lip, adopted another look of complete dimwittedness, and widened my huge blue eyes, darn I'm getting good at this. "You never said that we couldn't take pictures, did you? And I so wanted one to remember this precious, intimate moment." If his gaze was a dagger I would be sliced, diced, and skewered. "Next dare," he growled, eyebrows drawn into a line of stormy fury. * * * I looked at the brightly painted building, decorated with gaudy signs and banners. "No way," I stated flatly. "I am so not going in there." Zoicite took my elbow and steered me steadily towards the entrance, terribly proud of himself. "Oh come on Ami... Just for an hour then it closes." I hissed. "You know how many crazies come to these things?" I asked, voice rising in panic. "And they... they... they just butcher science. Butcher it! They have no ground in reality and I don't wanna!" The last wail actually made him stop and stare at me in amazement. "Did I just hear the Ice Princess whine? Like a baby? The proud queen of maturity herself?!" I flushed and wrenched my elbow away. "I'm going home," I said bitingly. "Lita and Nephrite left an hour ago after I made you go in the Pet Store and pretend you're a parrot. They said they were embarassed to be our friends. If they left so can I." Zoicite looked at me, a triumphant smile twitching at the corner of his lips before saying one word. "Wussie." I stopped dead in my tracks. 'Did he just say?' "What?" I asked, eyes wide in disbelief. He leaned forward until his face was inches from mine. "Wussie," he taunted again. My azure gaze narrowed dangerously. "That's it, let's go." I grabbed his hand and quite literally dragged him into the Sci-Fi/ Fantasy convention. * * * We walked out an hour later, Zoicite grinning from ear to ear and me scowling. My arms were folded across my chest and I had the serious urge to hurt something, or someone. "Come on Ami-chan, it wasn't that bad, was it?" My scowl darkened. It had been worse than bad, it had been a nightmare, and not only had I been forced to go to that... that... that mockery of science my dare for Zoicite had backfired spectacularly. Alien Women from Mercury... How was I suppose to know that they were um... put it this way, they made Baywatch girls look plain. Nuff said. "You really should have gotten in the pictures Ami," he chattered on, not noticing or ignoring my anger. "Those Alien Women of Mercury were the nicest people..." I whirled back to look at him. He stopped and looked up, still grinning happily like a big puppy, his arms overfilling with souvenirs from the Alien Women of Mercury which consisted of a lot of posters of scantily clad women with fake blue wigs and antennas. He held up a picture of him and the 'women' in question with a cheery gesture. I snorted and put my fists on my waist, foot tapping. "Can we get on with this?" I asked, irritated. He looked to the heavens with a shrug before sighing. "All right party pooper, I have just the dare." * * * I was far from happy. After all, who wouldn't be embarassed to be standing in wrinkled, damp clothes that smelled of duck next to a guy that every women in the place was drooling over in the hottest night club in Tokyo? Hypothetical question, I don't wanna know the answer, it'll only depress me. "What are we doing here?" I asked plaintively. Zoicite ignored my question completely and took my hand before dragging me through the lobby and into the main room. "Let's see," he mumbled to himself, "I know they just got here and should have an off night..." Deciding that he was babbling to himself I let myself be pulled along and looked around me. It was hard not to notice the scathing looks I was getting and my ears burned. It was obvious that I wasn't one of the cool people that belonged here and everyone but Zoicite knew it. I wasn't wanted in a place like this. I just reminded everyone here of things that they didn't want to think about until morning like responsibility, hard work, school. "Zoicite can we please go?" I begged in a small voice. A surprised gaze found mine. "One sec," he said absently as he cocked his head, perplexed by my unnerved attitude. "I don't much like this band either but we'll only be here for a minute. Aha!" I frowned and turned to where his eyes had been drawn. "I knew there would be at least one here!" I bit my lip. A sailor? Why on Mercury would he be looking for a sailor? Oh no... "Zoicite I am not doing that!" I said in a panicked voice. His absent gaze fixed on my face again before focusing and chuckling. "I know Ami-chan. I wasn't going to ask you to, at least not with him." His impundent grin shocked me back to the normal mood of irrability that I usually wallowed in when in his presence. "You know, one of these days I'm gonna..." I never got to finish my threat because he had already turned away and started dragging me the rest of the way to the bar where the sailor was having a beer. "Hay buddy!" Zoicite called out when we got within ear shot. "How would you like to do me and my friend a favor..." The young man looked up and studied us before a glint of interest sparked in his gray eyes. "Like what kind of favor?" Content that he had him hooked for whatever twisted scheme he had hatched up Zoicite took the stool next to the sailor and pulled me to stand by his side. "You see me and my friend have this little bet going..." Zoicite explained the situation and with each passing word the man's look of previous suspiscion and curiosity was replaced by a mirth filled one. He stopped Zoicite once to ask to see the pictures and the two men had a good chuckle over them. Finally Zoicite got to the point. "So... I just thought of another bet for Ami-chan here and I need a volunteer of your um caliber." The man, let's call him Bob, leaned forward. "What do I have to do?" he asked eagerly. Zoicite sat back, happier than a cat with catnip. "Nothing, nothing at all. Ami's going to be doing all the work. And the double dare is... drum roll please... make Bob blush!" Now that sounds stupid but think dear readers. This is a sailor. He's heard it all! And me, little innocent sweet me, is suppose to make him blush. No problem. Yeah right. Me, Ami, who can't even make a good come back... unless I'm insulting Zoicite. A wicked gleam crept into my eyes. Oh this was going to be so good... but... I was actually having some fun. Could I really do that still? Did the idea of the man really still infuriate me that much? Unsure I let my azure gaze be drawn back to his. "Come on Ami-chan..." he whined. I shuddered at the annoying tone that absolutely dripped with eagerness for my demise. Oh yes, I could most certainly do this. I pictured his face firmly in my mind, closed my eyes, let all the cruel words he had ever spoken to me surface from the recesses of my memory, took a deep breath, and let it rip. I'm not sure how long I went on before I started to repeat certain words. It felt like a long time and my mouth was really dry. I stuttered over the last insult or two and stopped. Dead silence rung in my ears, even the noise from the rest of the club was gone. Not even the band was playing. I cautiously opened one sapphire eye and found myself the center of attention for every single person there, including a scarlet Bob and gaping Zoicite. The silence lasted another minute before the entire place was filled to the rafters with racous hooting, cat calls, applause, and wild cheering. Bob rubbed the back of his head self conciously. "Thanks," he said with a bit of a grin. "Haven't had a shock like that since the Clinton Project, umm I mean... Wow, where did you learn all those?" It was my turn to blush as I looked down at the ground. "My old school, where I lived before, was a Catholic School. You'd be surprised..." Bob interrupted me, enthuasiatic. "I went to Catholic School too!" I chuckled and turned to the thoroughly upset Zoicite. "How, what, huh?" he managed. I grinned as my eyes flickered to the empty stage; a very, very, very wicked thought crossing my mind. Oh Mercury, dare I? Would he ever forgive me? I thought of the Alien Women from Mercury and abruptly scowled. Even if he never forgave me it would be worth it. "Zoicite," I began as every person in the nightclub leaned eagerly forward to better hear the dare, "I double dare you to," I took a deep breath, "to strip on the stage." There was an instant of shock before the crowd roared with approval. An instant wasn't enough for him to recover though. "Wha, huh, ya mean... mommy." "Its okay Zoicite," I cooed as I patted his arm and smiled becomingly. "Not all the way of course, this is a respectable establishment but well..." A woman in the crowd shouted out the phrase I was searching for. "Hay buddy, we all wanna know, boxers or briefs?" Author's Notes: First off I give a big hats off to the people down at Titan AE headquarters. We think alike... planet Bob, sailor Bob, okay okay everything is named Bob but I still thought it was cool. Also a note, don't worry kiddies, no matter how bad it looks, well it wouldn't look *bad*, just inappropriate...ahem... I mean I'm not actually going to write out a strip scene. This is mild PG-13... *hears gusty sighs and rolls her eyes* Sorry...=) So don't be afraid to read the next chapter, kay? I think that's about it... email please?! I'm getting some great feedback for this story. Keep it up and I might actually, gasp, have another original idea and write another funny. Don't worry though, the epic won't sit gathering dust for long! I'm off! P.S. I probably won't have internet access for about a week so while I promise to get back to you guys it may be longer than normal!