1. This is a work of fiction based on characters and situations originally created and copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, and Toei. No infringement of copyright is intended. 2. This work is rated PG-13 because of situations and concepts that may be disturbing or objectionable to some readers. This work is meant to provide a reasonably accurate portrayl of a society which embodies prejudice, hatred, and other attitudes that today are considered taboo. The concepts expressed and views held by some characters are not reflective of the opinions of the original creator and copyright holders mentioned in item 1 above, nor do they represent the views of the author. 3. All characters in this story, save for those specificially identified as historical persons, are fictional. Any resemblance between the characters of this story and any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. With thanks to Sara Erickson, Steffen Kremser, Sailor Skuld, and Helmut Ott. "Matrose Mond" Chapter Eight "Do those fit?!" Wilhelmina yelled through the closed bathroom door to her new roommate. Well, the term roommate' was a exaggeration, Kani thought, when the house was a mansion, the rooms were separate, and were bigger than anything she'd had ever been in before. She finished doing the last button on her borrowed sleepwear. "They're a little long in the legs, but the button-front was a good idea. If I'd needed to raise my arms to pull on a nightgown, I'd've woken everyone here with the screaming." Kani opened the bathroom door and stepped out, clad in a deep-blue pair of silk pyjamas, luxuriating in the feel of the material against her skin. "Oh, don't worry about that. The servants live in separate quarters, Daddy's working late again, and Mother's at some Reichsbund junger Kuenstler meeting or something. It's just you and me," and she grinned mischievously. "I'm starving; how about you?" "Well, I haven't eaten since lunch either, if that's what you mean." Kani delicately eased herself into a robe held for her by Wilhelmina. "Great; pantry raid time. Gustav, bless his heart, always leaves the kitchen well-stocked for late-night nibbles. It's one of the few things I can thank my brothers for." She led the way out of the bedroom, down the long mirrored hall, and to the marble staircase to the ground floor. Kani looked around at the dimly-lit grand foyer. "Are you saying we're the only people here?" "Yup. Not scared, are you?" "I'm kinda used to having no privacy at all. With eleven of us in a house that's about the size of the bedroom I'm using, you get used to people being around. Are you always alone like this?" Wilhelmina nodded. "Most nights." "What do you do with yourself?" "Watch TV, maybe do some homework - but only if there's absolutely nothing on." They'd reached the dining room and cut through the entrance to the kitchen. Wilhelmina pointed: "There's the fridge; open it up and take anything you want. I'll get plates." In a few minutes, all the cares in the world were temporarily displaced by the best food Kani had ever eaten and the best company Wilhelmina had ever had at her table. ***** Rachel had deliberately left the window partially open, so when she heard the soft "meow" outside she was able to get up and lean out without disturbing the sleeping Charlotta. "It's safe to talk," she whispered to Luna. The cat stood in the flower bed, carefully avoiding the rose bushes; with a sudden spring, she leaped up onto the window sill. "I take it practice tonight is out?" Luna asked. "It may be out for a while," and Rachel filled in Luna on the events of that afternoon. "I don't know what that injury's going to do to her if she has to become Matrose Mond, but I think we have to assume she's going to be less than effective for a while." "It's also getting harder for the three of you to stay in touch with one another. Wilhelmina's crack about personal telephones prompted something in me." The cat leaped, did a back-flip in mid-air, and landed delicately back on the sill. A slim pink plastic rectangle appeared in front of Rachel; she held out her hands and caught it. "It's a communicator," explained Luna. "You'll be able to use it to get in touch with the others, once I give them theirs. You'll also be able to contact me." "Good. I don't know how long Charlotta and I will be sharing a room, but until things change we can't practice here." "That might not be a bad thing; I have a suspicion we've been less than discreet. Besides, that Mutter Oberin of yours impresses me as a woman who can see things a little too clearly." "She's like that. I can't get away with anything around her." "And that's bad?" Rachel grinned sheepishly. "True. Give my best to Kani when you see her. BY the way, do you know the way to Wilhelmina's?" "Yes; just follow the smell of money and power. No, actually, I followed Wilhelmina home one night. It's a bit of a walk for a cat, but I'll manage. Good-night, Rachel." "Good-night, Luna." The novice disappeared back inside. Luna sighed and began the trek to the fashionable outskirts of Berlin. ***** Siegfried returned to SS-Headquarters that night in a cheerful mood. Aside from the usual reason, he was looking forward to seeing how his erstwhile ally fared in action. He took the elevator to the sub-basement, quickly passed through the guest suites' section, and stopped in a large storeroom. Nephrite was there, briefing Spieljos. "While I get the Kristall, you deal with any potential opposition," he said to the silver giant. Spieljos nodded mutely in response. "Are you expecting any?" asked the Reichsfuehrer. "While Beryl and the others might think Jadeite had an unusual run of bad luck with the uncanny way the Matrosen-Amazonen kept showing up and thwarting his plans, I am convinced differently. These sorts of events are almost pre-ordained, as if the stars controlled our destiny and not us ourselves. I not only expect the Matrosen-Amazonen, I'm counting on them. The key will be for Spieljos here to keep them busy while I get the Kristall. Unfortunately, I might not have the opportunity to convince the Traeger to willingly consent to the operation." "What will that do to his Shadow?" "Less powerful, but with less individual identity." Nephrite regarded the Reichsfuehrer closely. "Are you coming on this one?" "No," Siegfried demurred. "More work to take care of. Besides, I'd rather the involvement of the SS be kept out of this." "If caught, you will disavow all knowledge of our actions? A little difficult with the corporate logo plastered over Number One's chest here." Nephrite rapped on Spieljos' silver and black breastplate, decorated with the double-lightning bolt insignia of the Schutzstaffel. "Let that be my worry. I'll be in my office." "I'll let you know when we're done." Nephrite walked out, Spieljos following in the general's wake. ***** They'd finally stopped eating. Kani could never recall having had so much food available at one sitting, even at the occasional veterans' picnics her family used to attend before Papa Hans had worn out his welcome there, too. She sighed and pushed the empty plate away. "I am stuffed; any more food and I might pop a few more ribs. You eat like this every night?" "No," Wilhelmina replied innocently, "that was just a snack. You should be here when Gustav is creating. Now there's an experience." "So much;" Kani shook her head, "so much." "Sorry. I didn't divvy it up; I was just born lucky." Kani stood up carefully, picked up her plate in her left hand, and carried it over to the sink. "Wash or dry?" she asked. The look on Wilhelmina's face was pure shock. "What? You mean you're going to wash the dishes?" "Yes, and you're drying." "Huh?" "Don't you clean up after yourself?" "That's what the scullery maid is for. Leave it." Kani's sense of social justice was too strong, however, and Wilhelmina watched in amazement as her friend washed off the dishes they'd used; if only to prevent Kani from aggravating her injury, Wilhelmina clumsily dried and stacked them on the counter. "Why?" Wilhelmina asked. "You get used to cleaning up after yourself when somebody else will need it right after you. Besides, Mama needs as much help as she can get." Kani paused for a moment. "This is really going to hurt her. She needs me to get by, and over the last few months I've been doing less and less. I need to get back home, Wilhelmina. It's incredible here, but I can't stay forever." They left the kitchen and started the long hike back to their rooms. "I don't know what to do, Kani. Your stepfather seemed pretty mad at you. I don't know if you can go home." Wilhelmina paused at the foot of the staircase. "Strange; the dogs are barking at something." She crossed over to a large set of French windows which overlooked a huge terrace. "I can't see them, but they're getting closer. Maybe there's a rabbit on the loose, or AAAUGH!" The last was caused by Wilhelmina being startled by a big black blur leaping up and frantically grasping onto the moulding on the doors right in front of Wilhelmina. She gaped in surprise as the black shape swung a tiny paw and pounded against the glass. "LET-ME-IN!!" screamed Luna. Wilhelmina opened the door and stepped outside. Two madly-barking Dobermans came bounding around the corner in hot pursuit. "Brutus! Caesar! Halt!" the girl commanded. They froze, keeping a wary eye on their intended prey, which was being peeled off the door by a nervous Kani. "Go back!" Wilhelmina ordered the dogs. Slowly, reluctantly, they obeyed. She watched until they were out of sight, then went back in and closed the door. Luna sat in Kani's lap, her fur still on end; she was quivering and breathing heavily. "You - didn't - puff - say - you - gasp - had - dogs!" she managed to say. "Yes, and big dogs with nasty sharp teeth and bad dispositions," Kani added. "Oh, they're all right. They're Daddy's, though. I'm - well, I'm not a pet person." Slowly, Luna began to return to her normal self, but only after much stroking by Kani and another trip to the kitchen. Rested and fed, Luna settled down to reveal the purpose of her visit. "Cool! I like it, but does it come in another colour?" asked Wilhelmina after receiving her communicator; Luna just glared back. "We should test these," Kani suggested. "Great; I'll call Rachel-" started Wilhelmina. "No," cautioned Luna, "you might wake Charlotta and make her suspicious." "Okay, then; you two stay here." Wilhelmina dashed up the stairs. A few moments later, Kani's communicator started to make a soft warbling sound. She pressed the activator button, and the tiny viewscreen filled with Wilhelmina's smiling face and waving hand. "Hi, hi; how do I look?" "Just fine," Kani confirmed. "Looks like we're in business." She was startled as a tiny antique clock on the mantlepiece chimed the hour. "Hey, why don't you stay there and I'll be up in a moment? It's way past my bedtime." "Great." Wilhelmina signed off. Kani turned her attention back to Luna. "Are you staying tonight?" "No; I've other things to do." Kani looked out onto the terrace. "Are you going to have any problems getting out again?" "No; getting out will be easy, especially now that I know to watch for those killing machines. I'll call you if I need to come back in." "Okay. Can you do me a favour?" "What?" "Check up on my place. Make sure Mama and the others are all right. Let me know tonight. Please, Luna?" The cat never hesitated an instant. "Of course. I'll let you know if anything's wrong." Kani smiled in relief. "Thanks, Luna; I appreciate it." She got up and opened the door; Luna took a cautious sniff, then made a bolt for the grounds. Kani closed the door and headed upstairs. ***** He'd gone home long enough to wash and change, then left again. Mama knew where Hans had gone and prayed, not for the first time, that her husband would not make it back up the stairs that night. Then she'd tucked the children in bed. When she came back downstairs, she found Sammi sitting at the kitchen table. "What's going to happen, Mama?" he asked softly. She sat down, wiped her forehead, and took a sip of her watery, cold cup of ersatz coffee. "I don't know. I don't think Kani coming back here would be a good idea." She sighed. "So young, so young. She's not ready to move out yet." "And she does a lot around the house. I'm gonna have to pick up the slack." Mama smiled. "You don't know it, but you have been already. Kani's been doing less the past few months." She leaned forward, closer to her son; the smile disappeared again. "What's happened to her, Sammi? You're the only one she talks to around here; has she told you why she's been so different, so preoccupied, lately?" Sammi shook his head regretfully. "I don't know. It's been ever since those strange events began, especially since Maria started worrying. But Maria's not worried anymore; one of her neighbours is in my class, and she says Maria's been a lot better the last couple of weeks." "I wish I knew," Mama sighed. She finished her coffee, took the cup to the sink, rinsed it, and put it away. She kissed Sammi on the forehead. "Good-night, Sammi; don't stay up too late." She waddled off down the hall to the stairs up to the bedroom. Sammi turned the light out, but instead of retiring opened the back door and sat on the porch, trying to stare up at the stars. He noticed the black cat scampering down the alley but ignored it. His mind was on other things, mostly on hoping he'd have a better coming-of-age celebration than his sister. Besides, it meant he'd never see that friend of hers again; that was the real tragedy of the situation. He sighed and thought longingly of Wilhelmina's long golden hair. ***** "An' I said to the Reichsfu-Reichsfu-Reichsfuehrer, an' I said to him - did you know he called me Hans' an' an honoured war veteran'?" "Yes, I know, Hans; go on." Max was quickly growing tired of hearing the same half of the story over and over again. He tried to lean away from his companion's red and leering face. "He said he knew how hard it was raising a dau-dau-daughter, an' he's got one, did you know that? He's got one jus' like - jus' like, well, they're the same, those two. An' he understood, he said that, to me." Hans paused and took another swig of his beer, only to discover he'd drained the stein some time back. "More beer, mus' get more beer." He tried to rise to his feet, only to lose his balance. Max caught him barely in time. "Come on, Hans, we're the only ones left. They'd like to lock up for the night. You can have more beer tomorrow." "Can' wait for tomorrow. Wan' more beer now." He tried again, this time succeeding in staying upright, but only with the help of the table-top. "Let's go, Hans." Max put his arms in the usual position, made sure his besotted comrade had his cane, and set off. Outside, they turned down the deserted street and began to head home. Max could count the steps; he knew the route by heart. Life was bad enough with Hans Schmidt as your only friend; it was even worse when Hans was full of himself and full of beer. One of these days, Max thought, just one of these days, he'll push me too far, and then truth will out. Usually, Max could console himself with that thought. It was becoming cold comfort these days, however. Cross the street, up on the sidewalk, another four blocks and - - and the route was blocked. "Herr Max Bube, I presume?" Max lifted his eyes, saw the uniform and didn't recognize it. "You have me at a disadvantage, sir." The man smiled. "My name is Nephrite, and I have come to make you an offer." There was a grunt from the soporific Hans. "W'as up? W'as goin' on?" Max turned and leaned his burden against a house wall. Hans smiled faintly and slowly slid down until he was squatting on the ground. Then Max turned back to Nephrite. "What kind of offer?" "Max Bube, amateur boxer, welterweight bronze medal 1968 Olympics, in Wehrmacht 1970-79, distinguished service record but no decorations. After discharge, served on an ad hoc basis as an instructor in boxing for the Wehrmacht until contract not renewed last year. Runs a self-defence class. Unmarried, no children, but once engaged." Nephrite paused after his recitation. "And now, a choice: either remain inside the bottle you've crawled into, or take a chance to make something of a life that once showed such promise." Max sobered up quickly. "You still haven't told me what you want." Unconsciously he shifted into a defensive stance. "What if I told you that, at the cost of a few moments of physical pain, you could unleash your full potential?" Max cocked an eyebrow; his pencil moustache twitched. "I don't believe you." "Then let me provide you with some proof." Nephrite turned and beckoned. "Spieljos!" The Shadow stepped from behind a parked truck. "Yes, Herr General Nephrite; you called?" "Spieljos, tell this man what you were this morning." "Ha! This morning, I was an Untersturmfuehrer in the SS, being pushed around by two snot-noses who think an extra pip gives them the right to be little Reichsfuehrers!" "And now?" Spieljos stretched out an arm and pressed the gauntlet with his other hand. A metal clamp shot out from the gauntlet, grasped a signpost five metres away, and snapped the top clean off. In the blink of an eye, the clamp retracted back into Spieljos' glove. "Now do you understand?" Nephrite asked. "There is that kind of power inside you, too. It will be put into the service of your State." He gestured to the fallen Hans. "Or would you rather spend the rest of your life carrying around this worthless beer-barrel?" Max looked down at Hans: his friend, his skat-and-beer buddy, his only comrade, the man who'd stolen Max's medal and, worst of all, had kept Max alive. He hated Hans. "Yes," he said with feeling. Nephrite smiled and flexed a finger; the Dunkelkristall rose up and turned to face Max. It fired a stream of light, and Max felt the pain begin in his chest. He hoped it was worth it. Then he disappeared from view in a cloud of pink smoke. ***** That had been enough for Luna. She dashed back around the corner and called the Matrosen-Amazonen to action. The threat of the Dark Kingdom had finally returned. ***** Rachel had been sensible enough to keep her communicator under her pillow, and turned off the annunciator before pulling it out and acknowledging Luna's message in hushed whispers. Stealthily she pulled on her robes and slipped out the window. Thirty seconds later, Charlotta got up, threw her dress on, and followed Rachel. If something was up, she didn't intend to miss it. ***** "You'll be okay with your ribs?" "Yes, yes," Kani dismissed Wilhelmina's fears. "Just make sure I don't get into any bear-hugging contests, okay?" They ran out the gates of the Koenig mansion, heading for town. Wilhelmina tried to ignore the grunts she could hear Kani uttering under her breath. ***** The smoke cleared; Max was gone. In his place stood something else: the body of a man in his prime, wearing an old feldgrau uniform, boxing gloves on his hands, and a Pickelhaube on his head. His feet were gleaming talons. Sprouting from his back was a pair of huge golden-feathered wings. The wings flexed, then rose high. That which Max had become raised a fist in the air and trumpeted: "Ich bin Max der Adler!" Nephrite, however, was not so pleased. As the transformation had completed, the orange Kristall that had been inside Max had hurtled past the general and down the street. "Spieljos, get that Kristall!" he ordered. "Jawohl." Spieljos jogged down the lane, turning and looking this way and that. All he could see was a black cat scampering away with an orange gem in its mouth. It took a moment, but he realized what was wrong with that. He held out his right arm and activated the claw. It shot out and made straight for Luna's neck. The cat twisted; the claw struck the Kristall instead, jarring it loose and numbing Luna's jaw. She stumbled and fell, the Kristall sliding off down the alley. Spieljos retracted the claw and walked over to the gem. He bent over to pick it up. "Hold it!" The Shadow looked up. Standing at the end of the alley was Matrose Mars, aiming her fingers towards him in a ready pose. Spieljos started to laugh. "And what are you going to do about it?" "Feuer-Seele!" The gout of fire struck Spieljos in the chest, right in the centre of the twin silver lightning bolts. He was blown back, coming to a stop on his backside. Smoke curled from his breastplate. "Hey, not bad!" Spieljos cracked as he got up. "You know, you've got a great bod. That outfit of yours really shows off a great pair of gams! Why don't you come here, baby, and let me see what's under that tiny little skirt of yours?!" Somehow, he managed to make the metal mask of his face twist into a leer. Mars was aghast. "Don't you even think about it!" Her hands slid to the hem of her skirt, holding it down. Spieljos started again towards the Kristall, his eyes never leaving the Matrose. "Don't do it!" she warned. "Take another deep breath, cutie. You're not wearing a bra under that top, are ya?" "Feuer-Seele!" Again, Spieljos was blown back; again, he rose to his feet. "Aw, c'mon baby, you know you want it!" "Want what, creep?" yelled Matrose Venus. Spieljos whirled around at the sound of the new voice, and had many disgusting thoughts in the following seconds. At one end of the alley was the dark-haired beauty; at the other were a couple of blondes, all dressed to please. "I've died and gone to Valhalla," he said. "A triple-decker sandwich. Okay, cuties, who's next?" Venus stepped forward. "Halbmond-Strahl!" The beam lanced through the air and nailed Spieljos in the chest. "Feuer-Seele!" A third round from Mars caught the Shadow in the back an instant later. Remarkably, he stayed on his feet after they were through, but only for a moment. Smoking from both sides, he toppled over with a crash and lay still. "What the heck is this?" Venus asked, not pleased. Luna came up alongside her and Matrose Mond. "You'd better be careful; he's not alone. There's another creature down the street, and I think there's a new general with it." "Great! Just what we need!" Matrose Mond took control. "Mars: you go that way; we'll cut them off on this side." "Right!" Mars headed off. The alley was deserted, save for Spieljos, still lying on the ground. After a moment, the red glow returned to his eyes. He sat up. "Wow! I think I'm gonna enjoy the next few minutes." Smiling, he rose to his feet and headed off in the direction Matrose Mars had taken. Matrose Mond's plan would have worked if they'd taken the enemy by surprise, as she'd intended. However, she and Venus rounded the corner onto the street, only to find Nephrite and Max waiting for them. "Greetings, Matrose Mond," the general said calmly. The girls took a step back, watching their adversaries carefully. "We know where you're from and what your game is," Matrose Mond shouted defiantly. "We've defeated your kind before and we'll do it again. Im Namen des Mondes werde ich Sie bestrafen!" Nephrite's reply was a throaty laugh. "Oh, you mean you think I'm some pushover, just like the late and unlamented Jadeite? Well, I have a little surprise for you. Max, give them the old one-two, would you?" "With pleasure, Nephrite." The Shadow stepped forward. "My best punch was a left jab. No one ever expected it." His left arm was up, pointing at the Matrosen. One moment his boxing glove was on his hand: the next it was flying towards them. Venus didn't have time to react; she took it right in the mid-section, went flying back, and came to a sudden stop against a wall many metres away. The glove reappeared on Max's hand. "Now it's your turn, I believe," he said to Matrose Mond. Her actions were as swift as her reply. "No way, mister!" She reached up, snatched off her tiara, gritting her teeth at the exertion. She reared back. "Mond-Diadem AktiaaaAAAHHH!!" The tiara spun from her hand, went arcing madly off to the side, struck a building, ricocheted off to the other side of the street, and came to a stop on the street in front of Matrose Mond; she'd collapsed to her knees, holding her right side, biting her lip, trying not to scream from the agony. Nephrite sensed her difficulties. "Now, while she's down!" The Adler reached out. The glove went flying forth. ***** Mars peered cautiously around the corner and looked down the street. The uneven spacing of the streetlamps made it hard for her to see what was going on, but there was no enemy waiting for her; carefully, she stepped out of cover. Still there was no response. She decided to take a few tentative steps. The scream both distracted her and saved her. Responding immediately to Matrose Mond's cry of pain at the other end of the street, she broke into a sprint. Thus, the flying clamp only knocked into her shoulder instead of grabbing her by the throat. Off-balance, she spun around and tumbled to the cobblestones. "Aw, did da poor widdle girlie fall down and go boom? Guess I'll have to kiss it better." Spieljos stepped out into the open; his claw retracted back to his gauntlet. He aimed again. Mars had barely enough time to roll aside; chips of stone flew up from where the clamp struck and blinded her. She froze, trying to blink clear the offending particles. This was a target Spieljos couldn't miss. The claw struck again, finding its mark, seizing the Amazone's ankle. "Ha!" the Shadow crowed in triumph. "Now, let's have a look-see! Upsy-daisy!" He whipped the claw and its arm high in the air. Mars felt herself being lifted by her ankle and reflexively wrapped her arms around her head to protect it from the jolt against the street as she was jerked skyward. Too late, she realized what Spieljos' plan was; her hands hurriedly grabbed the inverted folds of her skirt as she blushed fiercely. "Aw! An all-in-one! What a revoltin' development! Oh, well, now comes the fun bit!" He dropped Mars to the street again, the clamp humming as it retracted. "Let's see if I can get that costume of yours off you without causing too much damage - for now!" He aimed carefully at the fallen Mars. "Leave her alone!" Charlotta, breathing hard, fists clenched, dashed from the shadows and placed herself between Spieljos and his target, giving Mars time to struggle to her knees. "You're a monster and I can't let you hurt or humiliate her anymore!" "Go away! You'll get hurt here!" whispered Mars anxiously. "No, I can't go back," Charlotta replied. "I know." Spieljos was beside himself. "Oh, what a glorious night! First, three hot little things dressed to please, and now my dear, dear Charlotta. I'm so sorry I missed you today, sweet Charlotta, but as you can see, I was too busy to come and bring you that special gift I promised. How about we pick up where we left off?" A spasm of recognition crossed the brunette's face. "Josef? Is that you?" "Oh, you care for me, my delicious one!" "I wouldn't care for you if you were the last man on Earth!" "Okay; have it your way. Howsabout we pop a few buttons on that dress of yours? Them two big talents of yours probably just wanna hang out for a little while." The claw shot forward. In a blur of motion, Charlotta reached out, grabbed the clamp, spun, grasped onto its connecting tube and yanked as hard as she could. Spieljos, caught off-guard, came flying towards her; when he was within reach she grabbed him and hoisted him high over her head. "You'll never hurt anybody again, you creep!" There was a faint glow on Charlotta's forehead, and Mars stared in wonder as a sigil appeared there. Then Charlotta threw Spieljos as far as she could and the glow faded. The Shadow slammed into a wall, bounced hard against the ground, and stayed still, his claw and cable wound around him and spread out over the street. Charlotta turned and pulled Mars to her feet. "So this is what you were sneaking off to. Kinda dangerous, isn't it?" Mars shook her head gravely. "This is the worst it's ever been. Thank you for your help, but I'd better go assist the others. What am I going to do about you?" "I'm coming and you can't stop me." Mars decided argument was futile. "Fine," she answered. The pair headed for the battle at the other end of the block. ***** The glove sped towards the spot where Matrose Mond had been kneeling and passed through the now-empty space. Her tiara still lay where it had landed, but its owner was gone. Nephrite looked up, following her as she was lifted and carried away by Smokingmaske. "Of course. You *have* to wait until the last second; it's more dramatic that way," he sneered at the retreating hero. As much as Matrose Mond appreciated being saved, and as much more as she enjoyed being held in Smokingmaske's arms, she wished he wasn't holding her quite the way he was. Her ribs were hurting enough from the exertion of trying to throw her tiara. Nevertheless, she grit her teeth and bore it. The pair came to a rest perched on the roof of a house. "Now, let's see if we can't even up the odds a little?" Smokingmaske said with a smile. She returned the gesture, allowing herself a personal moment, then became team leader again. "We need to get back down to Matrose Venus and make sure she's okay. We're going to need all the strength we can get to defeat these monsters. They're much more powerful than the last ones." "Ground floor, coming up." He took her in his arms. "Ouch!" She couldn't hold this one back. He was all concern. "You're hurt! Where?" "It's all right, I just hurt myself earlier. It's not life-threatening." "I'll be more careful, then." Gently, he scooped her up; then they made the trip down to where Matrose Venus was struggling to her feet. Venus looked awful; her face was green. "He gut-punched me," she mumbled. Then her hand went to her mouth. "Oh no; I'm gonna be sick." With that, she turned away, knelt down, and did as forecast. "All that good food," whispered Matrose Mond as she leaned over to console her stricken teammate. "Ahem," coughed Smokingmaske politely. "I think, ready or not, here they come." Sure enough, Nephrite and Max were within striking distance. "Go get them, mein Adler!" ordered the general. The Shadow spread his wings, preparing to take flight. "Feuer-Seele!" Mars' burst caught Max in the back. Frantically he flapped his wings, putting out the fire that singed his feathers. "No! No!" he croaked. This action forced Nephrite to one side to avoid being struck in the desperate flapping. Mars and Charlotta took the opportunity to dash around the other side and join the rest of the group. "Sorry, but we've got extra company," Mars apologized, pointing to Charlotta. Nephrite had regained his composure, now that Max's agitated fluttering had ceased, but he was less than pleased with the outcome. "Spieljos!" he barked. "Here, Boss." The first Shadow staggered up to join his counterpart. "Time to go, gentlemen. We don't want to push our luck tonight." "Aw, Nephrite, those lovely ladies are all ready to-" "Spieljos?" "Yeah, Boss?" "Shut up." Nephrite turned back to the assembled heroes. "There will be other opportunities; the stars tell me so. Other opportunities to settle our differences." He smiled, waved his hand, and the trio disappeared in a cloud of stars. "I think life just got a little tougher," Venus remarked drily. Smokingmaske turned around. "Well, it looks like I'm not needed here any longer. Take care of yourselves, won't you?" In a flash, he bounded up to a rooftop and was away. The street was quiet. Matrose Mond looked around. "Where's Luna?" "Here," replied the cat, coming out of a side street. "I was looking for that Kristall, but it's gone. I guess that Spieljos must have found it." "Luna, where did it come from, and why do they want it?" asked Matrose Mond. "She's talking to a cat," mumbled Charlotta. The cat stood still. "I have absolutely no idea." "The cat answered," Charlotta continued. "Maybe you can answer this question, Luna," said Mars. "When Charlotta fought Spieljos, a green symbol appeared on her forehead. Does it mean anything?" Charlotta looked astonished. "Did it look like a stylized number four or like a combination of your sigil and Venus's?" "The number four. That's the astronomical sign for Jupiter, isn't it?" Luna smiled. "Let's find out, shall we?" With that, she leaped into the air, back-flipped, and landed. A green-and-gold Stift with the sigil on top landed beside her. "Pick it up, Charlotta." Too stunned to question, the brunette did so. "Now," continued Luna, "hold it high and shout out Jupitermacht, schminke!'" "Okay. Jupitermacht, schminke!" The trio became a quartet. ***** He didn't know why he hadn't told her about the Kristall. It had sat there in his pocket the entire time and he'd said nothing. He stopped, knew instinctively he was close to where he needed to be, and prepared to let go, to hide again. Then he stopped himself and pulled out the Kristall. The change came and he was oblivious to it. He was Smokingmaske, he was Tristan, he was Smokingmaske and he was Tristan. "I can remember," he whispered to himself. "I can remember now." ***** The Rathaus clock chimed the hour. The girls looked up at it. "Oh, man," moaned Venus, "we're not gonna get much sleep tonight." She moaned and clutched her stomach again, still green and woozy from Max des Adler's sucker punch. "What happened to her?" asked Luna. "Took one in the stomach," Matrose Mond replied. She pointed up the street, where her tiara still lay on the cobblestones. "Could someone pick that up for me? The less bending I do, the better." "Okay, now what happened to you?" Luna enquired. "I tried throwing my tiara; it seems that until my ribs are better I'm going to have to try it left-handed." "Great; just what we needed," groused the cat. It was only now, as Mars returned with the tiara, that the others noticed she looked very unhappy. "What's the matter, Mars? You carried most of the fight for us," said Matrose Mond as she replaced the diadem on her temples. "That-that - the things he said; I - I *hate* this outfit!" Mars replied frantically, tugging uselessly on the hem of her skirt. "Why do I have to look so, so, so *exposed*?!" "Hey!" The newest member of the team finally spoke. "You don't know that louse like I do. He used to come visit the Waisenhaus every week with candies and toys for the youngsters, all smiles for the staff, but if he saw one of the older girls, look out!" She lowered her head, her voice dropped to barely above a whisper: "That's why I ran away; he'd noticed me." Venus looked at Jupiter in shock. "You mean he - he, he just got away with that?" There was bitterness in Jupiter's reply: "You can get away with a lot of things in an SS officer's uniform." That set Venus off. "Hey! There's no reason to be so nasty. Maybe he's a bad apple, but that's no reason to bad-mouth the whole SS. There are some good people there doing an important job." "I never met an SS man I had reason to like." Jupiter's voice was hard and cold. The two girls glared at one another. "All right, all right, back off, the pair of you. We can debate politics another time." Matrose Mond asserted some authority. "We can talk about costumes tomorrow, too, if that's what you want, Mars. However, we have two things that are far more important - one, the new threat; and two, sleep. You can choose which is more important for now." "Threat." "Threat." "Threat, darn it." Venus yawned. "Okay, then, but let's get someplace private." Jupiter looked around. "A deserted street in the middle of the night with only an old drunk sleeping it off against a wall isn't private?" Matrose Mond grit her teeth. "That old drunk' is my stepfather, but don't think you've upset me, too." Jupiter stared closely. "You're right; I didn't recognize him. He looks so calm." "That's only because his anger is asleep, too. C'mon, let's get out of here." They headed off for St. Cyriak's. ***** Siegfried Koenig glanced up an instant before Nephrite materialized in front of his desk. "You're late," the Reichsfuehrer commented. Nephrite's bad mood was evident in his voice and manner. "Not an entirely successful night." "Oh?" Siegfried cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you were prepared for the Matrosen-Amazonen." "That wasn't the problem. Nor was convincing our Traeger to willingly become a Shadow. The blasted Kristall went missing before we could retrieve it." "Do you think the Matrosen-Amazonen have it?" "Probably. No matter; given enough Kristalle, I'll be able to track its whereabouts down. If those girls have it, I'll find a way to make them part with it." "I won't mention this to Beryl." "Good. I'll keep her content with having two Shadows fully restored." Nephrite yawned. "I think I've had enough for one night. The Dunkelkristall needs recharging and so do I." He turned to the door. "Not leaving the way you came?" "My car's downstairs." Nephrite walked out of the office. Siegfried stood up. " My car', he says. He's adapted a little too well to this world." He activated the secret door, revealing a bemused Tristan waiting inside. "Did you hear everything?" asked the Reichsfuehrer. "Jawohl, Herr Reichsfuehrer. The intercom worked properly. But, sir, why did you have me wait in here? Nephrite knows me." "Exactly. He knows you; he doesn't know you're also his dire enemy, Smokingmaske. He also doesn't know you've got the Kristall he managed to misplace. For now, let's just keep both of these things a secret, shall we?" "Why couldn't he sense me or the Kristall?" Siegfried tapped the wall. "Lead-lined. There are a few things in here I'd prefer keeping safely stored." Tristan looked around nervously while his leader walked over to a safe. Siegfried bent down, dialled the combination, and opened the door. "Here, give me the Kristall." Tristan did so; Siegfried held it in his hand, as if trying to see what secrets it held inside. Then he shook his head, put the Kristall in the safe, and closed the door. "One for Beryl; one for us. Useful bargaining chip." "Bargaining for what?" Siegfried tapped the side of his nose. "You never know, my boy, you never know." Together, they left the secret store of arcane paraphernalia. ***** end Chapter Eight. Glossary: Reichsbund junger Kuenstler - a ficticious name, roughly translating to "Reich Young Artists' League" feldgrau - field grey. Pickelhaube - the old Prussian spiked' helmet. Adler - eagle.