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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 16, 2008 15:51:30 GMT -5
Mars lifted one of her dark, finely arched brows as Mamoru glossed over some of the explanation. She gave a nod, "The camera doesn't register it as Usagi, but are you absolutely certain it wasn't her? She's not above using her disguise power for such things." Rei could recall far to well several "unorthodox" episodes from their younger years. In truth, the queen had changed some as she'd grown--but it was still hard for Rei to accept her as anything other than the Usagi she'd met all those years before.
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 16, 2008 16:05:36 GMT -5
Makoto was happy to see Ami enter the chambers shortly after her own arrival, but noticed the crimson hue that covered her face as she avoided eye contact with Mamoru. 'We'll have to deal with that later,' she thought to herself.
Before Mamoru could get a word out, the doors to the chambers burst open and in marched Rei, well Sailor Mars at the moment. Makoto briefly thought perhaps she should have transformed as well, but brushed that aside for now. She chuckled to herself, covering her face with her hand to keep from full out laughing at Sailor Mars' outburst concering their future queen. She was harsh, but she definitely had a point.
Makoto listened as Mamoru briefly explained the details of the security footage and made his request for the senshi to find Usagi and bring her home. Rei was the first to speak up after Mamoru had finished, and Makoto nodded in agreement at what she'd said. Then a thought hit her. It was stupid really, but it needed to be asked.
She raised her hand and began to speak. "Um, I have a question... Has uh... Has anyone tried calling Usagi?" She knew this was bound to cause a negative reaction from the party so she quickly added, "I know it's a dumb thing to ask. But with all this talk about security footage and disguises and whatnot...has anyone thought of at least calling her? She may have left her phone behind, but if she had it I'm sure she'd answer for any one of us." Makoto offered a half-smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, sending the Senshi out into the city is going to raise a HUGE red flag to the public. So I thought, maybe we could just try the old fashioned way of contacting her first?"
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 16, 2008 17:01:10 GMT -5
Ami would let one of the others try to call Usagi, she had the sinking suspicion that Usagi had not escaped the pressures of being queen but that certain gossip had reached her ears.
So she answered Lucan's question, "Yes, it's entirely possible that the disguise could change her biometric readings enough to keep you from realizing that it was her." Ami was not entirely sure that explaining the Luna pen any further than that would do any good for the man's sanity.
Still not looking at Mamoru, she turned to Makoto and Mars, "One of you should call her. I doubt she'd want to talk to me just now." Her voice was soft but even, though she knew that they knew her too well to not catch that something was bothering her. However, she was dealing with it fairly well for the moment being. The guilt could set in once Usagi was safe.
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 16, 2008 17:10:27 GMT -5
Makoto smiled to herself as Lucan started going on and on about cellular devices. She was just about to speak up to correct him when she saw the look of realization spread across his face. It was all she could do to keep from laughing.
She turned her attention to Ami as she began to speak, and nodded when she asked for someone else to contact Usagi. She also caught Ami's comment about Usagi not wanting to talk to her, and saved that to her memory. She would need to talk to her again later. 'I guess our earlier talk wasn't enough,' she thought to herself.
"I'll do it." She reached into her pocket and removed what appeared to be a cell phone. She flipped open the lid, but she did not dial any numbers. She simply pressed the button with the crescent moon symbol and listened to the signal emit a "beep" while it seeked out its target.
Beep...
Beep...
Beep...
Beep...
Makoto closed the lid on the phone with a frown. "Well, it was worth a shot." She sighed, "She's either not answering, or she left her communicator in her quarters."
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Post by Meiou Setsuna on Dec 16, 2008 19:28:05 GMT -5
Even Pluto was caught quite off guard by Lucan. She knew he was intense, but was still caught a bit off her feet.It was obvious that he had a passion for his job, which she admired. He was strong and strict, just what the Queen needed in terms of security. For a moment she got caught in his eyes, just studying his features up close, he was quite handsome. Quickly the time soldier looked away, tucking loose emerald strands behind her ears. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, becoming more composed as the other senshi started to enter.
It seemed like forever since she had seen Makoto, Ami, and Rei. They had all grown so much. But this was not the time for comparisons.
"Actually..." Pluto interjected. "The Luna pen would not change biometrics, it's only cosmetic features... however Usagi's power over her crystal is quite remarkable. That's what probably threw off the biometrics. If there is a way to get out, she would find it.... " Ahh, another reference to their distant past. She wished that the others were as connected with things as her.
Pluto was positive that everything was okay, in fact sometimes it's fun being able to look into the future. But it would be too easy for her to just say it, and life isn't supposed to be easy. However she would throw them a tiny bone. "Has anyone gotten in touch with Minako or her agent?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room, and stopping on Lucan. She shot a 'me and you need to chat.' look at him. She'd wait for the current crisis to be over before formally asking him to sit with her over a cup of tea and discuss things.
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Post by Nathaniel Bernhardt on Dec 16, 2008 22:00:15 GMT -5
(excuse me while I barge in here...)
Nathaniel had encountered, surprisingly, no other security guards as he crept through the white halls of the palace, adding them to the mental map he was constructing of the place. It was odd and made him even edgier as he continued to follow the scent of scorched air and the priestess' very bold energy signature.
It was a talent he had, to sense energy fields, and now he was using to guide himself through this maze of a royal residence, wondering just who had designed it and what they had been smoking at the time.
Ducking into a small side hallway, the model paused to check the signature and make sure he was heading in the right direction. He opened up ever so slightly, just enough to See but not necessarily be detected. Not unless that dark haired wasp was specifically searching for him anyway. What he Saw was entirely unexpected and made his head reel a bit.
There were several other auras present, all different colors and textures, and the proximity and combination of them all together set up the awful throbbing behind his eyes that always came with his visions. He closed himself down completely before it could get any worse, pinching the bridge of his nose as he pushed away from the wall.
His vision swam a bit on his first step, but snapped back after a moment as he rounded the corner that would take him to the doorway of the room where the rainbow of auras was gathered. Relying on the previous lack of security to continue, he crouched outside the door and listened in with great curiosity.
Auburn eyebrows rose at the sheer intensity in the voice of the guy in the official looking suit. Security head, or high ranking at the very least. He spoke with too much tight-assed authority. The women were as varied as their voices, the quiet, shy one with short hair, the one on the phone with the long brown ponytail's carried a lot of laughter, but then there was a slightly deeper, much more melancholy sounding voice.
Wanting to put a face to that voice, and being far too caught up in the conversation as they argued about cellular devices and biometrics, Nathaniel screwed up in a way that he hadn't since he was first on the streets. He leaned too hard on the partially opened door and with a strangled squawk fell halfway into the audience chamber. Curiosity killed the cat Nate. You're supposed to remember that.
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on Dec 16, 2008 22:31:24 GMT -5
Mamoru felt like a bit of an idiot after Makoto first brought up calling Usagi, after all it had never even occurred to him. He of course didn’t actually have a communicator and so he could be excused a bit, but still he really should of thought of that. Luckily he was saved from having to reply by Lucan. Once again he was distracted somewhat by Ami, he just couldn’t understand what was wrong. She was definitely refusing to look at him and now she didn’t even want to call Usagi, there was obviously something wrong and he intended to get to the bottom of it just as soon as he had his soon to be bride safely back home. He waited patiently for Makoto to call her, a frown returning to his features when Usagi didn’t answer. Mamoru was still certain that Usagi was safe enough for the time being, however he intended to have a talk with her about the dangers of running around without some sort of protection. He was just about to respond to what Pluto had said when the newcomer fell through his doorway.
Mamoru rose to his feet about to demand an answer from this stranger, however Lucan was infinitely faster then he was. He had the man tackled and zip tied before Mamoru had barely even acknowledged his presence. He declined to say anything just yet, content to see what this intruder had to say. There was something about this man, something he couldn’t put a finger on quite yet but it was something familiar.
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 16, 2008 22:46:30 GMT -5
Rei was seething. She'd transformed for the pure efficiency of it--it did no one any harm to see Sailor Mars running about the palace, and if Usagi had indeed been kidnapped she would waste no time in calling forth her full power. It was rather inconvenient that none of them had managed to get their powers to work on any fighting-level skill while out of henshin. If Usagi had just skipped out on them without so much as a word, Rei really was going to strangle her. There had been moments through all of these past few years, what with the war and the reformation of the entire world structure, that Rei had actually felt a little sorry for the blonde brat. Indeed, she could even understand and relate to the pressures that Usagi now had to be feeling... but to sneak away without at least informing one of the Senshi?
She had never been one to pace, and so the Priestess put her hands on her hips and looked imposing at the unrepentant floor. Her jaw twitched faintly at Lucen's misunderstanding of their powers; ever since they had met the man, he'd seemed obsessed with finding a rational, scientific approach to their powers and the way that they did things. Through her association with Ami, Rei had learned to appreciate the power and magnitude of science--but something simply weren't meant to be logical! The powers of the spiritual world, which included the Sailor Senshi in Rei's opinion, simply couldn't be measured in "biometrics" or mathematics or any other scientific venue!
Rather than give Lucen a lecture, Rei listened as Makoto stated the obvious and proceeded to follow through on it. But, of course, Usagi was either ignoring them, had purposely left the communicator behind, or else really had been caputred. Just about to wonder aloud if they should risk assuming the worse on this, Ami's soft statement caught Rei off guard.
"Why wouldn't Usagi--" She'd begun to ask and the door swung open. Turning nearly as fast as Lucen had, those dangerous lavender eyes narrowed at the brunnette male which the head of security had 'secured.'
"Why you little," Rei hissed, lips drawn back upon her face into a savage snarl. Fists balled at her side, the Senshi Mars stalked the few steps between herself and the man currently held in Lucen's grasp.
Before any words could be gotten in edge wise, from Lucen or Nathanial, Rei stopped before the pair, glowering, and continued, "What exactly do you think that you are doing here? Obviously you followed me, you conniving little sneak, and I wonder, now, how much help you really expect from me. Should we have Lucen take you in for questioning?"
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 16, 2008 22:56:02 GMT -5
Ami blinked and jumped back in surprise as a man fell into their midst and then was secured by Lucen. Fortunately, that prevented Rei's question and Ami having to explain what was going on, though her face had flushed at even the hint of the question.
"How did he get in here?" Sure most the guards were apparently being punished or searching for Usagi, but Ami was still surprised that someone had managed to slip undetected this far. Perhaps her next day off she should run through the computer systems to make sure that they were functioning at optimal levels.
She frowned slightly though, feeling like something was tickling her mind as she looked at him. That actually caused her to smile a tiny bit. A puzzle! That was something with which she was comfortable.
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Post by Meiou Setsuna on Dec 16, 2008 23:04:24 GMT -5
Pluto had sensed the intruder coming, a strange but highly familiar vibe filled her being. But before her eyes were able to fall upon the stranger, Lucan had taken care of him in what seemed like a flash.
A bad feeling came from the pit of her stomach, and she looked to Mamoru. She knew who it was... but why didn't she sense him coming sooner? Something was amiss, she figured the tampering with the time had something to do with her not being able to for see this. This was once another matter she'd deal with once her queen was back.
Her eyes shifted from the not-so-strange stranger to Rei, and she was shocked that the fiery woman had contact with him. Lucan wasn't the only one who was going to be doing some interrogating, of course she'd have to gain the approval of the King and Queen.
"We have more important things to be concerned with right now than him." Pluto said coldly. "I suppose you have an alibi... for when the Queen vanished?" Her garnet orbs went from him to Rei. "Oh and Lucan, I'd like to request to be present when he is interrogated fully. If that is okay with Mamoru..."
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Post by Kino Makoto on Dec 16, 2008 23:21:14 GMT -5
Makoto was still pondering why Sailor Pluto would be concerned about whether or not they'd contacted Minako when the doors to the chambers swung open. Within seconds, Lucan was on top of the intruder. She had a grip on her henshin wand and was ready to transform when out of the corner of her eye she saw Sailor Mars stalking over towards whoever this person was, and she did NOT look happy. This person had followed her? Where the hell was security?!?!
She moved just slightly so she could get a better look at whoever this was and then froze. This person, this man...she knows him. But from where? Those eyes, that hair... Her head began to pound and she found that she'd been holding her breath. 'Breathe Mako, breathe! What the hell has gotten into you?' she mentally berated herself.
Pluto spoke, and Makoto straightened and refocused on the matter at hand. They needed to find Usagi, and they needed to find her now.
But maybe she'd grab a couple Tylenol before heading out to search.
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Post by Nathaniel Bernhardt on Dec 16, 2008 23:43:03 GMT -5
The noise that came out of Nathaniel as Lucan tackled him was half growl, half groan. The man was stronger than he looked and fast as cat, he had been frisked and zip-tied before he do more than register the impact of another body. Steely eyes bored down into his, and all the model could do was smirk back. This guy was definitely at the top of the food chain and probably had balls the size of watermelons, and Nathaniel immediately had more respect for him than for any other cop he'd ever encountered in his entire life.
He would have answered the man, except everyone chose that moment to want to speak, particularly the fire wielding priestess who stood over him and glared down at him as if she could torch him to a cinder with just a look.
"Why don't you quiet down while I..." Nathaniel's voice trailed off as he felt a pulse of energy in the room and craned his head backwards as far as he could in Lucan's iron grip to see where it had come from. Dark blue eyes locked on Makoto's form. It was her. Something had come from her, but he was in no position to be able to anything at all about it.
So despite the uncomfortable position and the renewed headache, he proceeded to answer the priestess in the sailor uniform's question. "I still need help. I don't appreciate being dismissed like I'm nothing. I figured we'd trade services. I'm good at finding things, you've lost your queen. I help you, you help me. Could you relax your grip a little Iron man? It's hard to talk when I can't breathe."
His eyes had never left from Makoto's shape as he spoke. Something...something was there.
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Post by Hino Rei on Dec 17, 2008 0:16:01 GMT -5
"As would I," Rei glanced at Mamoru, seconding Pluto's request. Not that Mamoru was likely to stop her. Her eyes darted back to Nathanial, then, and she had enough humor to smirk at the fact that he was still making an ass of himself. A rather arrogant one, at that. "You are nothing, so far as I'm concerned," the Senshi retorted sharply. "Nothing more than a barbaric spy, coming to claim of grief and staying to butt his nose into matters in which he doesn't belong."
And yet, she couldn't help but believe that he was innocent in this. Not that Lucan was likely to let him go. She glanced at the man in question and shook her head, "He's a psychic, Lucan, like myself. He came for my council, not to take the Queen. As much as I doubt his intelligence right now, I don't think him at all stupid enough to first arrange her kidnapping and then listen to us as we talk about it. But keep him cuffed, I could be wrong."
The mean little smirk as she said that completely belied the fact that she'd just admitted a window for her own error. With that, the Senshi turned on her dangerously thin heel and looked at her fellow Senshi, "Forget him, we need to find Usagi. I'll assume she's no longer in the building, as it wouldn't be possible for her to be completely missed by the guard sweeping the place over. Which means that we're going to have to find her out in the town. Minako should be in from her tour now, right?"
Rei gave a glance at Ami--she always knew the facts by heart, including their wayward sister's itinerary. "I'll try her communicator and get her help. Haruka and Michiru as well?"
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Post by Chiba Mamoru on Dec 17, 2008 0:35:45 GMT -5
Mamoru’s gaze glinted darkly as he watched the intruder coldly. If this man had dared to lay a hand on his Usako there would be far more to worry about then anything that Lucan, Mars, and Pluto could do to him. He took one step toward the man that Lucan was holding, anger burning in his eyes. However, once again he was saved from doing anything by Mars herself speaking up in defense of the stranger.
He forced himself to calm down somewhat, although he still glared down at Lucan’s prisoner and growled, “Do as Mars has said Lucan, keep him cuffed and of course the three of you may question him.” He glanced over at Lucan and added, “At the very least he shouldn’t have been allowed to wander around the palace unchecked.” Mamoru knew that most of the palace security was off trying to find Usagi, but he was fairly certain that someone should have noticed a stranger lurking around the halls and done something.
He turned his gaze back to the senshi he was trusting to find Usagi and waited for them to contact their sisters, trusting that one of them would be able to find his queen before she came to harm.
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Post by Mizuno Ami on Dec 17, 2008 0:53:13 GMT -5
Ami nodded. "She should be back. I did not hear anything about her flight being delayed. So she should be back in town." She continued to look at the captured man closely. She felt like she should know him, even though that was absolutely ridiculous.
That he was a psychic was also interesting. Perhaps that was how he managed to make it to the royal chambers. She would definitely have to check the computers once she got another free day. Even if he was not a threat, that was a potentially serious breach.
"I'll contact Michiru and Haruka while you call Minako. Though, I'm not sure that we should go out into the city in uniform. If we can make this look like a..." She grimaced slightly, "shopping expedition, we'll still attract a lot of attention, but much less than we will if we go out as the Senshi."
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