Author's Note: If you wish to comment on my story, either positively or negatively, don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. Sailor Sirius is the property of Sharon Williams. Any references to Vulcan are the province of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Epilogue: Relaxing Girls
Rating: PG-13
One hour later....
Inspector Haneda, carrying four cups of steaming hot coffee on a tray entered the Warden's office where the Sailor Scouts were recuperating from the aftermath of their battle against Professor Okada's monster. While the Scouts no longer looked like they were at death's door, despite their tattered and bloodstained uniforms, the veteran cop could see in their posture that they were exhausted.
"I figured you could use this after helping us round up the prisoners," said the detective, offering the cups to the weary heroines. "I brewed it myself. When you're a cop, coffee is your passion."
Sailor Moon gave Haneda a weak smile as she accepted a cup. "Thanks. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I hope this is strong."
Haneda chuckled. "Don't worry about that, Sailor Moon. My wife complains I make it strong enough to peel paint off a battleship."
"Then it's right down my alley," said Sailor Sirius, taking a cup. The sharp aroma made her smile before she drank.
"Inspector, how many inmates were lost during the conflict?" Sailor Vulcan asked. After accepting a cup, she took a sip and found it pleasurable.
"The staff's still doing a head count. The Warden told me it could take several days to tally the dead, injured and escapees," said Haneda, sitting on the desk with his cup. "If it weren't for you, it would've been a whole lot worse. Especially after that....thing showed up. Do you know what it was?"
"We were discussing that very topic before you came in, sir," said Vulcan. "We suspect the creature was an amalgam of the entities from the seeds that powered Professor Okada's androids. Instead of dissipating, they somehow merged into a single lifeform that was still charged with following Okada's instructions: steal heart crystals."
"Only at the size that thing was, it could've sucked the whole city dry," said Sirius. She shuddered from the thought of her father, Marco and all her friends becoming victims of the monster.
"Speaking of Okada, did that creep get away?" Moon asked.
"No. We don't think he did," said Haneda after taking a long swallow. "A motor home was found burning a half mile from the south gate. After it was put out, firefighters pulled four bodies, three males in lab coats and one female from the wreckage. We're pretty sure the men were Okada and his cronies."
"And the woman?" Vulcan asked.
The inspector shrugged. "No idea. We'll have to check her fingerprints to get an ID. The Fire Chief found the remnant of a triggering switch attached to what was left of the gas tank. That vehicle was rigged to blow, and someone blew it. What's more, Okada, one of his pals and the woman were shot to death, probably before the blast. And one of the 'bimbos in black' was found nearby. She took a bullet between the eyes. Short of holding a seance, we'll never find out what happened."
"Allah preserve me," muttered Sirius, shaking her head. She was heartsick from all the death and violence this day. "Speaking of the bimbo brigade, what about Agent Gold and that witch in black leather who worked me over?"
"They're gone, Sailor Sirius. Long gone," said Officer Shidou, entering the office. She saluted Haneda who nodded back. "I just finished talking to one of the guards who caught those two boosting a car in the parking lot and was coldcocked for his trouble. They could be anywhere by now."
Frowning, Moon stamped a foot on the floor. "Darn it! And I thought we had this all wrapped up!"
Haneda smiled and placed a hand on Moon's shoulder. "Don't let it get you down. I'll have an APB put out on them. Trust me, those two won't be hard to miss in those S & M costumes they had on."
Vulcan cocked an eyebrow from curiosity. "S & M?"
"Girlfriend, you don't wanna know!" said a chuckling Sirius. Moon and Shidou giggled while Haneda grinned.
The Scout of Order shrugged ever so slightly. "As you wish. Inspector, I recommend you arrange for someone to return to Professor Okada's laboratory and make sure any information he might have left behind on the heartsnatchers is destroyed so that menace never plagues us again."
"Already on it, Sailor Vulcan. Shidou and I will personally lead a team back there and raze the place. I never want to face that horror again," said Haneda, popping a stick of gum in his mouth.
Shidou nodded. "I'll second that, sir. It felt like my heart had been pulled out through my nose."
Haneda then snapped his fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot. I got a call from Tokyo General Hospital ten minutes ago. The seven people attacked this afternoon made a full recovery. Looks like their heart crystals were returned."
Moon breathed a sigh of relief. "That's really good to hear, sir."
Haneda nodded. "And then some. Ladies, you've done more than your fair share tonight. Go home. We'll finish up."
The Scouts stood up. Moon held out her hand to Haneda who shook it. "It was a pleasure working with you, Inspector."
Haneda smiled. "Likewise. For a bunch of costumed vigilantes, you're okay in my book."
After sneaking out of the wrecked prison, now a mob scene of SWAT cops, National Guardsmen, scores of firemen with their equipment, television and newspaper reporters and hordes of spectators, the Scouts changed back to human guise and, melting into the huge crowd, headed for the subway station up the block. The girls were bone tired, aching from head to toe, but pleased to have once again beaten back the forces of chaos.
"Guys, I don't know about you, but the sooner I forget this crazy day the better," Serena grumbled. "When I get home, I'm gonna soak in the tub until I wrinikle like a prune, kick Luna out of my room, then sleep straight through until Monday morning."
"Mmm. Sounds like a plan to me, sister. I'm gonna do the same thing," said Tanya. She then turned to Talia. "What about you, stone face?"
"While I look forward to a lengthy period of rest and meditation to recover from this incident, we still have one final task that demands our immediate attention," said Talia.
The girls gasped from shock. "What? You're joking!" cried Tanya.
"A joke....is a short story with a humorous climax. No, Tanya, it is not a joke," a serious looking Talia replied. "Prior to our first encounter with the heartsnatcher android, you promised to buy ice cream for Serena and I. With the crisis having passed, this would be a good time for you to keep your word."
Hearing that, Serena broke out laughing while Tanya's jaw fell open and she stared in wide eyed amazement at her companion. "Are you serious? After everything we've been through today, nearly getting killed a dozen times over, I can't believe you're jonesing for ice cream!"
"If I interpret 'jonesing' to mean an intense desire, you would be correct. I am most eager to indulge in a chocolate fudge sundae."
Looking desperate, Tanya turned to Serena. "Sere! For Pete's sake, will you talk some sense into this pointy eared knucklehead!"
"Well, Ti, you did promise. Come to think of it, a double scoop of vanilla would sure go down good right now," said a giggling Serena. "There's a Baskin-Robbins store near my house that's open late. If we hurry, we can get there before it closes."
Tayna folded her arms and pouted like a child. "Okay! Okay! I know when I'm outvoted! Sheesh! You moochers will do anything for a free lunch!"
"Lunch? Pardon me, but wouldn't dinner be more appropriate, given the hour?" Talia asked.
Scowling fiercely, a furious Tanya glared up at Talia. "Listen, wiseguy! You'll be given my foot up your Vulcan butt if you don't knock it off!"
Talia, once again feeling a perverse sense of amusement from irritating Tanya, turned to Serena with a all too human, and mischevious gleam in her eyes. "A question, Serena. Is Tanya always so....temperamental?"
Grinning like the Chesire Cat, Serena nodded. "Sometimes."
Now it was Tanya who broke out laughing as she threw her arms around Talia's neck and hugged her tight. "Oh, Tal, you're the best! Something tells me this is gonna be the start of a beautiful friendship!"
Talia, a warm smile spreading across her face returned Tanya's embrace. Her heart aglow, it felt extremely good to the Vulcan girl to have a close friend like Tanya to love. "I wholeheartedly agree. A most logical statement."
Four days later....
In the expansive first class lounge of Qantas Airlines at Narita International Airport, passengers waiting for outbound flights idly watched the early evening news on a big screen television.
"There continues to be fallout from the riot at Tokyo's Fuchu Prison four nights ago that severely damaged the facility. Despite repeated inquiries from the press, no explanation has been given by the police regarding the incident which, rumor had it, involved the mysterious Sailor Scouts," a grim faced anchorman intoned. "Among the 316 confirmed casualties was Professor Masaharu Okada, Nobel Prize winning expert on genetic engineering and Dean of Biological Sciences at the University of Tokyo. No reason was given as to why Okada was at the prison, or how he died."
"Another fatality from that night of horror was identified as Evelyn Louise Hunsacker, one of the Fortune 500's ten wealthiest women in the world, and the CEO of a munitions development company in Houston, Texas," said the anchorman's partner, a grim faced woman. "As with Okada, no reason was given for why Hunsacker was at the prison, and officials at her company refused to discuss the matter. Authorites stressed that it could take weeks to complete their investigation into the Fuchu incident, and that some questions about the catastrophe may never be answered."
Among the people watching the broadcast were two women. One had close cropped, platinum blonde hair and wore a short, low cut, yellow spandex dress and matching high heeled pumps. The other woman, with wavy, shoulder length, glossy black hair wore a sleek, black leather shirtdress with a short skirt and spike heeled black leather boots. Their eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, the women took in the report with expressionless faces.
"It looks like there's a God after all," said the blonde in a low voice.
The brunette nodded slightly. "Yes, there certainly is. We've made it. We're free."
"Attention, ladies and gentlemen. Qantas flight 1031, non-stop service to Sydney, Australia will now board at gate 12 for first class passengers," came a female voice over the public address system with an Australian accent. "All first class passengers for flight 1031 please present your boarding passes at the gate for inspection."
The two women, boarding passes in hand rose from their seats. Slinging carry-on bags over their shoulders, they smiled fondly at each other.
"Ready?" Lisa Mitchell asked her lover.
Courtney Hughes nodded and smiled brightly at the brunette. "I am. Our future is waiting for us. Let's go."
Clasping hands, the women walked to the gate for their flight.
THE END
Closing Notes: Over the course of writing "Girls", I had become very fond of Sharon Williams' creation, Tanya Cambridge, a.k.a. Sailor Sirius. I had derived a great deal of enjoyment out of writing about Tanya and the way she interacted with my creation, Talia Kirk. As you read, it took precious little time for the fiery Tanya and the dispassionate Talia to become best friends, the vast differences in their personalities being the driving force that brought the two girls together, transforming perfect strangers into companions. I've become so intrigued by the fast evolving friendship of the girls that I've decided to write a series of stories starring Talia and Tanya, focusing mainly on their everyday lives as ordinary high school girls along with action from their heroic alter egos. I've bounced my ideas off Sharon, and she's given me her approval to use Tanya, saying she's liked the way I've handled her. So, look for "The Adventures of Talia and Tanya", coming your way in 2002.
Meanwhile, Amy, Raye, Lita and Mina return in my next story where the Scouts battle the evil menace of a witches coven during a class trip to America. Look for "The Witches of Philadelphia", coming soon!