PRT 380- “The Victory of Nemesis”
I needed a plan. I couldn’t tell
Rich about this because he didn’t know my real identity and I definitively
couldn’t tell Dot. I could call Serena and the Inners, but I didn’t fully trust
them right now. I still had the threat of Serena attacking me with the
“Michelle? Are you ok?” Mia asked
as she walked over to me.
“Oh I’ve been better.” I said.
“Car trouble?”
“Something like
that.”
“Anything I can do?”
“No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”
“Isn’t this Jon’s car?”
I nodded, “Yeah. He…let me borrow
it.”
“Oh, ok. Where is Jon?”
“Um, home.”
“Are you sure you’re ok?”
“Like I said, I’ve been better.”
“I’ve been meaning to call you
anyway. I got a weird call from Mina the other day.”
“Oh no. What now?”
“She sounded crazy. Something about me being Sailor Nemesis or something. I have
no idea what she was talking about.”
I sighed, “Yeah, she told me the
same thing. I’m sorry Mia. I think Mina’s lost her marbles.”
Mia laughed, “It’s
ok. Just weird.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault
“Yeah,
unfortunately.”
“Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
I gave it some thought. I did need
access to some equipment I didn’t have out here. “Yeah, can you take me to Amara and Michele’s place?”
“Of course. Hop in.”
I locked up Jon’s car and got in
Mia’s.
“Thanks.” I said as we drove.
“Not a problem. What are friends
for?”
“I haven’t seen you in awhile. How
have you been?”
“Oh, busy. You know the life of a
rock star.”
“Yeah, so busy you missed SNL.”
“Hey, I told Jess not to book that
and she did anyway.”
“So you just blew it off? Nice.” I
laughed.
“Well, I warned her.”
“Jess must be going crazy. I knew
I liked you for a reason.”
“I know Jess has a rep for doing
things her way, but that doesn’t fly with me. I’m the artist and she’s going to
do thing my way or I’ll turn it around to make her look like the idiot she is.”
“You’re awesome Mia, simply
awesome.”
“I need to make a quick stop on
the way. Is that ok?”
“Of course.”
We drove out to the middle of
nowhere. It was really dark and I was starting to get a little concerned.
“Um, do you know where you’re
going or are we lost?” I asked.
“I know exactly where I’m going.”
She said.
“OK, where exactly?”
She looked at her cell phone, “No
service. Right here is just fine.”
“What?” I asked as I looked at my
phone, sure enough, no service.
Mia got an evil smirk on her face.
“Mia? What’s going on?” I asked as
I tried to open my door and get out. It wouldn’t budge.
“You should have listened to
Mina.” She said as I saw the sign of Nemesis glow on Mia’s forehead.
“Holy crap! You really are Sailor Nemesis!”
“Very good.”
“But Mia…we’re friends.”
Mia rolled her eyes, “Yeah, right.
Thank god I don’t have to keep up that act anymore.”
My felt my eyes widen, “What do
you want?”
“Simple.” Another voice said. I
saw Kaya climb out of Mia’s bag and jump up on her
shoulder.
“And you have a talking cat too,
perfect.” I sighed.
“And thank god I can finally
talk.” Kaya said.
I sighed, “Perfect. OK, what do
you want?”
“What we wanted all along. The Power Amethyst.” Mia said.
“And you expect me to hand it
over, just like that? As if!”
“Wow, I underestimated you. I
thought you loved Jon.”
I gasped, “Jonny…you’re the one
that sent Harley after him…where is he?”
“Safe, for now. Give me the Amethyst and he lives. Refuse and…well, I
think charred rock star is on the menu.”
“Mia, please don’t do this. I’m
begging you, don’t hurt Jonny.”
“I have no desire to hurt Jon. He
is powerless…except for his power over you. If you comply with my demands then
I have no need for him and he can go.”
“But if I give you the Amethyst I
die.”
“Yeah, ultimate test isn’t it? Your life or his? What means more to you?”
I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
Even if I fought her Harley could still kill Jonny. I had no idea where he even
was and the only way to save him was to sacrifice myself and surrender the
Amethyst. I loved Jonny so much. I couldn’t idly stand by and let him die.
“Tic toc Princess.” Kaya said.
I hung my head, they had me in a
corner and there was only one thing to do. “OK, you win. You can have the
Amethyst.”
“Amazing. Hand it over.” Mia said.
“What? You think I just carry it
around with me? No. I have a controller necklace to access power from it but
the Amethyst itself is at my apartment.”
“Hmm, ok…then we’ll go get it, but
first I want your cell phone and transformation bracelet.”
I sighed, “OK.” I handed her the
phone and bracelet.
“OK, and
the controller necklace.”
“Can’t. Anyone but me touches it and it starts to drain the
Amethyst. I’ll be dead before we get to the apartment.”
“You can take it off. No one else
needs to touch it. Put it in the glove compartment.”
I nodded, “Fine.”
Mia smiled, “Good, now let’s go
get me my new Amethyst.”
Jon
~~~
Harley and I were lying on one
blanket with another over us and I held her as she rested her head on my chest.
“You’re amazing.” She whispered as
she turned her head and kissed the center of my chest.
“You’re pretty amazing too. How
old are you anyway?”
“24.”
“Wow, you don’t look it.”
“Thanks.”
“So, you mentioned you have a
husband and you’re Michelle’s future daughter. That’s all I know about you.
Tell me more.”
Harley smiled, “Well, I have a
daughter of my own.”
“Oh, what’s her name?”
“Samantha…Sammi.
She had a twin sister…Tamra…Tammy…but she was
kidnapped and murdered at birth.”
“Oh wow, I’m so sorry. That must
have been horrible.” I said as I held her tighter.
“It was. Worst day of my life was
losing Tammy.”
“I can’t even imagine the pain of
losing a child. How old is Sammi?”
“She’s 2 and she’s the sweetest
little girl ever.”
“I’m sure she must be a beautiful
little girl as well.”
“On, absolutely. She looks so much like her grandmother.”
“Michelle?”
Harley nodded, “Yeah. She has
Mom’s eyes. But she looks like me and her father as well.”
This was weirder by the second. I
was talking to Michelle’s daughter about Michelle’s granddaughter. The idea of
Michelle as a grandma was incomprehensible to me.
“Wow, Jon, I never had any idea
how amazing you were. You are so sweet and easy to talk to and I love being
with you.”
I smiled. I definitely had a way
with the Morris women. “You’re amazing too Harley. I am really enjoying being
with you…you know, except for my sore ankle.”
“Oh! Right…god…I’m sorry Jon…I want
to take it off but if I do and Nemesis or Black Lady were to come in I’d be in
hot water.”
“I understand, I do…it’s just…we
were moving around a lot and it kinda rubbed my ankle
raw.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Hmm, well I can
at least put some cream on it for you. Let me get some bandages and I’ll be
right back.” She said as she got up and grabbed a blanket. She wrapped the
blanket around herself and went off to get some first aid supplies. Ok, so I
hadn’t managed to get myself free yet, but I knew Harley wouldn’t do anything
to hurt me again. I had her eating out of my hand. I needed to find out why I
was captured. I knew it had something to do with Michelle, but I didn’t know
what yet. When I did finally get out of here I was so letting Michelle have it.
I hated this super heroine thing and this was a good example of why.
Harley came back with a bag of
first aid supplies.
“I’m going to need to chain your
other ankle so I can unlock this one and bandage it.” She said as she sat down.
I nodded, “OK.”
She locked up my free ankle and
freed the chained one, which really was swollen and raw. “Oh wow, I’m so
sorry.” She said as she poured some peroxide on my ankle and cleaned it with a
cotton cloth. I winced in pain.
“It’s ok. Thank you.” I said.
“I’ll put some cream on it and
bandage it before I re-chain it. If there is enough padding between your ankle
and the cuff then you should be ok.” She said.
“Thanks. So, I’m glad things
turned out the way they have because getting to know you has been awesome, but
I still don’t understand why you took me in the first place.” I said.
“Bait for Michelle.”
“Right, but I guess that’s what I
don’t get. What do you want with Michelle?”
“She has the Power Amethyst that
Nemesis wants.”
“Right, that Amethyst…it’s
powerful, right?”
“Yeah, its one of the most
powerful objects in the universe but it’s also Michelle’s life force. Michelle
knows that if she gives it to Nemesis she would die so Nemesis needed to have
something Michelle loves more than her own life. That’s where you came into
it.”
I fought the urge to go off at
this point. If I understood right they were going to make Michelle sacrifice
her own life for mine! “OK, so, Michelle gives up the Amethyst and dies then I
go free?”
“Exactly.”
I had to think fast. “Harley,
you’re Michelle’s daughter, right?”
“Didn’t we establish that?”
“I’m just checking because this
doesn’t make sense to me. If Michelle dies before you’re born then you’re never
born.”
“I’m willing to make that
sacrifice for Nemesis.”
I nodded, “OK…and what about Sammi? If you never are born then neither
is Sammi.”
Harley froze. I seemed to hit on
something. Whatever brainwashing Nemesis had on Harley didn’t trump her
maternal instinct. “Sammi…” she said softly.
“Are you willing to sacrifice your
own daughter for Nemesis? If Nemesis was worth serving would she ask you do
make that kind of sacrifice?”
Harley closed her eyes, “No…I…I’m
confused.”
“No you’re not, Harley, think
about this, you’re not confused.”
She fell back and started glowing
purple.
“Harley?!” I cried.
The glowing stopped and she looked
at me, “Oh my god, what have I done? Mom!”