“You fool, Maladoll!” Jadeite roared, slamming the Youma against a wall of the palace with his telekinetic abilities. “You’ve exposed us to the humans and risked embarrassing our mistress! Give me one reason why I shouldn’t return you to the scrap heap you came from!”

The numerous mouths of the doll-comprised creature flapped quickly in reply, “I have energy, Jadeite, a lot of it!”

“I’m sure you do,” Jadeite replied. “Human children are a valuable source of natural energy, but we don’t target them because of the reaction it would provoke! Our numbers are not what they once were, and the power of this alliance is finite! If the humans and their protectors know of us, they can prepare a response or even attempt to hunt us down before we’re strong enough. It could be our undoing! That is why I told you to work in the shadows.”

“You also said to report any special cases,” Maladoll pleaded. “I found one, and the energy it possessed was far beyond that of the smaller humans.”

“Oh?” Jadeite enquired with interest, relaxing his mental grip, and allowing the creature to slide down the wall. “Let us see if it’s enough to spare your worthless life.”

The monster got to its feet and placed the doll arms that acted as its fingers on a large globe in the center of the room. Thick, plant-like wires attached it to a series of strange machines, including an immense, ceiling-high tank. Almost immediately, the globe began to glow as it absorbed the collected energy stored inside the Youma’s body.

The readings on a nearby screen caused Jadeite to raise his eyebrows in surprise. “Incredible,” he whispered, then placed his hand on the Youma’s shoulder. Using this physical contact, Jadeite accessed the creature’s memories of its attack, and observed them for himself. The source of energy was an attractive young woman.

“It would appear you have stumbled upon just the kind of human I’ve been looking for, Maladoll,” he said. “Fetch the schoolteacher for me when the time is right, and I may forgive your blunder.”

“Of course, Jadeite,” the monstrosity simpered.

“Good. She will make a fine addition to my collection,” Jadeite smiled wickedly, turning to the opposite wall, which was lined with three tiers of mostly empty glass chambers. They were also connected to the machines with cords that twisted like vines. A small number of them, however, contained a single, unconscious human occupant.

***

Makoto headed out that evening with more food containers than usual. Cooking had helped calm her down a little but explaining the events of the day to Luna brought all the bad feelings right back. After making her normal drop-offs, she visited the hospital with food for Rei, and for Mr. Mori and the other victims.

As Makoto approached the correct floor with her bags of food, her nerves took over. How could she show her face to Ren or the children? What use was her cooking to them when she had possessed the power to protect them and been unable to use it. No, that wasn’t right, she had chosen not to. She had put her own feelings before the safety of innocents. What did that make her? A coward? Or something worse?

She was tempted for a moment to leave, but the elevator doors opened with a *ding* and forced her to confront the situation. Makoto walked over to the nurses’ station, noting how many people occupied the waiting area. There were lots of worried-looking, teary-eyed couples—parents, she supposed. A surge of shame rose within her, and her lip began to quiver.

“Excuse me,” she started shakily. “I was hoping you could you tell me the condition of a patient named Ren Mori?”

“Are you family?” the nurse responded accusatorily.

“No. We work together.”

“Patient information is restricted to family, I’m afraid.”

“Well, could you please see that this food is shared with the victims of today’s incident and their families?”

“I’m afraid we can’t accept—”

“Oh, Miss Kino!” Another nurse chimed in. “It’s okay Nurse Haruno, Miss Kino is a regular visitor and volunteer—and a wonderful cook!”

“Oh, Nurse Shizuka,” said Makoto, recognizing the lady from her visits to Rei. “You’re working on this ward now?”

“No, but they’ve been swamped with patients, so I was asked to help out,” she explained as her fellow nurse stalked away disapprovingly. “I’ll see that this is handed out to the families—and I’ll save the containers for you!”

“Thank you,” Makoto said with some relief, grateful that her small act of attrition would be accepted. “Just the families, though?”

“I’m afraid so,” she continued in an undertone. “None of today’s victims have woken up yet.”

“Today’s victims?”

“Oh, yes, like I said, they assigned me here because they’ve been inundated with patients displaying the same symptoms. They all come in unconscious, suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, and take days to come around. We didn’t know what was going on until today’s batch were brought in—one of the police officers told me. Supposedly, they were attacked by a monster!”

“Really?” Makoto asked, feigning disbelief. Evidently, the attack on the school was not the first of its kind. Humans were once again being targeted for their energy. Something sinister was at work.

“Excuse me—I’m sorry to interrupt—did I hear correctly, are you Makoto Kino?” a pretty, young woman with short hair asked.

“That’s right,” Makoto replied. “Are you a relative of one of the children?”

“No, my name is Yui—Yui Mori—I’m Ren Mori’s sister,” she explained.

“Oh,” Makoto replied, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know… How is Mr.—Ren—doing?”

“He’s asleep, but the doctors think he will wake up,” Yui answered optimistically. “You can see him if you like? I know the two of you are close, he’s always talking about you.”

Makoto flushed with embarrassment. Mr. Mori had talked about her with his family? Even though she had barely given him the light of day? “Err, sure. That would be nice,” she responded, a new pang of guilt to recon with.

Makoto followed Yui on to the ward and to the curtained bed where Ren lied. “You should know,” Makoto said, “Ren saved us—the children and me. He was so brave. All he had was one of the school’s tiny kid-size baseball bats, but he wouldn’t give up.”

“I heard,” Yui replied with a giggle. “Just like Ren… I would love to have seen that! I’ll give you two a minute.”

“Oh?” said Makoto, feeling awkward as Yui returned to the waiting area. She sat in the chair beside the bed but found herself unable to look at the man right away. Her guilt was too pronounced, and it didn’t help that she was surrounded by goodness knows how many other curtained victims. She had failed some of them too, but unlike Ren, the children had been completely helpless.

There were more than just today’s targets, though. The ward was at capacity. It was clear that something big was going on in the city. The very idea of things returning to how they used to be rattled Makoto, but as she finally looked at the handsome but bruised face of the unconscious schoolteacher, who had risked his life doing what she could not, her concern quickly changed to irrational anger.

This kind of thing wasn’t supposed to be happening anymore. Sailor V was supposed to be taking care of things. Where was she while Ren and the children were being drained of their energy? Makoto resolved to find out.