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Crashed... (Zodiac x Life on Mars)

Z

Zodiac

Planetoid
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
It had been going on for days now and the senshi were all on edge. Not because of the sheer number of attacks taking place, but the deaths. Never had a mortal ever died on their watch. Their hearts might be stolen, their dream mirrors yanked out and energy sapped, but sailor Moon and her girls were always there to save the day. No harm, no foul. Sort of. This was different. What ever this new enemy was after, it wasn't hearts, dreams or energy. And every scene was more bloody then the next. It didn't matter that most of the victims had been considered really bad guys themselves, but that was no excuse! Even now... Makoto, as Sailor Jupiter, was patrolling the city with Mars, Venus and Mercury in contact every once in a while. The outer senshi didn't seem to be too bothered by this. Whatever. Jupiter's job was to protect the princess and those on Earth. Let the outers take care of the universe. Perched on a high ledge, she peered down into an alley. Something wasn't right. One thing Luna noticed at most of the scenes was a strange, musky scent that was neither human or animal. Like it had it's own origin. Even now, she could scent traces of it here. Breathing deep, she rolled it across her tongue, tasting it with a chef's palate before leaping down into the alley.

Something was here. She could hear some scuffling, a timid plead and... there! Surging forward with all the force she could muster, Jupiter shot down the alley until she came upon a lone police officer. His eyes wide with terror, his lips trembling as he cried. Makoto couldn't see what was causing him so much horror, but she knew better then to let her guard down. Sliding into a fighting stance, hands up, feet apart... her eyes scanned the area.

"What's going on here?", she sounded loudly. "Show yourself, nega-scum!"
 
It had been many years since he had returned to the planet of the soft-meats, the one they called "Earth". Xanthu had only been a recently seasoned warrior during that time, eager and cocky in the hunt. He had learned much during his time there all those years ago, and now that he had returned on the orders of his counsel he saw that not much had changed on this planet.The Humans were still panicky and scared when confronted with his kind and with little defense against the true threat to their species. Frankly, were not for his mission on this planet Xanthu would be getting bored.

That boredom had led to the hunt of one of their Arbitrators, one of the few he had seen carry a weapon. The soft-meat had proved to be of little challenge, simply running into a corner and pleading in his own language. It hadn't been until the arrival of the female that things got interesting.

The air shimmered and curved as he decloaked in front of them revealing his own form. He was used to scaring off the occasional human with his mere presence to get them to leave, and a scan of this female showed that while she was stronger than most in body she carried no weapons and was therefore no threat. He cocked his head to the side, twin blades jutting out from his wristband. "Leave" he growled, in a low guttural voice that sounded like nothing on this Earth.
 
This had to be it! Makoto felt a shiver of fear slice through her senses as the massive figure growled at her to leave. It wasn't like anything the senshi had ever tangled with. Usually their villains were pretty or almost playful looking, but this... this reminded her of something from a sci-fi movie. One that featured aliens with human forms roped with muscle, but something was always deformed about them. No, she couldn't lose her courage here. The poor officer cowering behind him needed help and that's what they were for. If Sailor Jupiter and the others couldn't protect them... then how could they protect their own princess? Sneering, she lowered herself slightly, her legs still spread for balance while it stood there. Blades, muscular body. Thoughts of Uranus came to mind and all Makoto could do was grin. She lost that fight, but she wouldn't lose this one.

"Like that's going to happen any time soon." Laughing, she watched him with a cautious eye. How to distract him. Hrm. Reaching for the lid of a trashcan, she flung it at him before charging forward, her heels digging into the asphalt. Ducking low under his blades, if she could, she aimed to strike at his head and then sprung back, her green eyes baring down into what ever laid beyond that masked face.
 
Her lack of fear took him by surprise. Her body language, heat rate, everything seemed to say that while she was cautious she wasn't truly afraid of him. He hadn't been expecting that, and he certainly hadn't been expecting her to throw a trash can lid as a makeshift weapon. He stood his ground, slicing his wrist blades through the air and cutting the disk in two only to resister at the last second the reddish blur on his visor screen. He eyes widened slightly as her foot connected with his helmet, sending him a step backward as he shrugged off the rattling in his brain.

NOW she had his attention. The officer behind him was nothing more than a footnote now and was using the opportunity to make his own escape. He stared down the the young female, itching for a decent hunt. Her skull would look much better on his mantle than the officers.

With a roar he darted forward, faster than one would expect for such a large thing, his blades glinting in the moonlight as he slashed at his prey, aiming for her midsection and trying to end it in one swipe.
 
He was fast! Almost too fast, Jupiter thought as she sprung away from him, the front of her skin tight suit caressed by the tips of his claws. Thin lines were cut into the material, her skin decorated with crimson scratches that bled a little, but not by much. Makoto nearly took it to the gut, but still managed to pull far enough way to dodge most of the damage. Grinning, she could feel her senses coming to life. Her skin flushed, her mind buzzing. Adrenaline pumping through her limbs as she started moving back from him, grinning. The alley was too small for a proper fight. They needed to get somewhere else.

A thought came to mind and she laughed softly. Holding her stomach almost as though she were wounded worse then it actually was, she started backing off. One step and then another. Breath whistling between dry lips. It was a very warm season this year. Almost too warm. And the evening was only starting to cool off.

"You liked that, huh? Well...", Jupiter almost purred. "Follow me and we'll have some real fun."

With that said, she turned away from him and used all her strength to led him away from the escaping officer. Hell, she even leapt from the street onto a wall, running past confused people and away from the beast. She just hoped that he was following. It would work best if he did. Damn, she should probably stop to look over her shoulder, but she might lose precious time.

Choices, choices...

Damn, she came to a skidding stop and looked over her shoulder, ducking low just in case he was there to swing at her again. No sense in losing her head just yet, right?
 
The young female seemed almost as excited as he was at the prospect of the hunt, seeing her temperature rise and her heart rate increase. For a moment he thought he had finished her with his claws, disappointed she would be taken down by such a flesh wound. Her taunt spurred him on again and when she took off he followed, powerful legs propelling him after her. Instead of following her strait on he took to the rooftops, climbing up a fire escape quickly and taking off after her watching her run through the streets faster than he had ever seen a human.

Reaching towards his side he grabbed another of his weapons, a disk-shaped object about the size of his palm. With one quick throw it flew through the air at his target, cutting though the air with its razor-sharp edge ready to slice her head clean off. His aim was true but she was skilled, ducking her head at the last moment and letting the weapon merely cut a tree in half behind her. He growled in frustration but still, he would have been disappointed with such a quick hunt. Jumping down from the rooftop he landed hard on the ground, reaching up to catch the returning disk and facing his prey.
 
Jupiter would had to admit it, but she was having fun as well. Her heart racing, her blood pumping. This was what she had been missing with all those other battles. They were usually ended as quickly as they began and always left her feeling empty inside. A quick burst of energy here, an attack there and all that remained was a smoldering pile of nega-ash. That was it. Licking her lips, she remained lowered in front of the beast, her chest rising and falling, her eyes watching him with a fever that only true battle could bring. No matter how much Jupiter wished people would view her as more feminine, this was her true self. A warrior, a soldier. Battle was where she belonged. Fighting was what she did best. As he caught the strange disk, Makoto didn't even think about her next move. She suddenly kicked upward with a slender, long leg and tried catching him in the stomach before darting away again. He might have strength, but she could move like an agile beast. Probably not as fast as, oh say, Venus, but that didn't matter.

"Is that all you got, big guy? Come on..." She stood and wiggled her fingers at him, slowly backing up. It seemed that an open street would be their battlefield tonight. It was late and most people were safe in their homes. Somehow, she felt it didn't matter to him. All of his attention was focused on her. Grinning still, she started bringing her white gloved hands together, her head bowing slightly as a little antenna started to extend from her tiara.
 
He took the kick to the chest, surprised that it actually hurt him. She had strength in that body of hers and he was having trouble figuring out why. She looked like she was just another human, but the more his visor scanned her the more...something seemed to come up. He wasn't sure what it was, but some kind of energy seemed to flow within her that his scanner couldn't quite detect.

And now she was egging him on, using words and phrases he has only heard humans used during the act of mating. Something he had...come across...a few times on this planet. She was indeed an odd human, seeming to relish the fight even more than most of his own species. He bared his blades, roaring at her and charging. His sensors suddenly beeped in alarm as she reached for her a metallic band around her forehead, the reading showing sudden spike in electrical levels that should be killing her at that moment. He veered off to the right quickly, making for the trees in case this was some form of attack.
 
It was an attack and one that some wouldn't expect from a girl like her. Not that she was particularly fragile looking. In fact, she heard Luna say that aside from Sailor Moon's Tiara Action... Jupiter's Supreme Thunder was one of the strongest. Drawing her arms close, she crossed them at the wrist and brought them down to her chest, her voice calling down the power of Jupiter, Thunder and Courage to fill her body, eyes drifting upward and suddenly lightening split through the sky in a series of bolts, hitting the girl and filling her with a kind of glow. Her form pulled into itself, crouching low before finally releasing all that energy in his direction. Unfortunately, he wasn't there and her bolts of lightening ended up hitting a tree, splitting in and leaving a smoking hole in it.

Cursing under her breath, she looked around for the creature. Just where had he gone? Then she heard something. The echoes of a roar filling the air right before her attack. Looking up towards the trees, she remained kneeling on the ground, panting softly while watching him with the eye of a predator. Slowly, she moved to her feet, long slender limbs glistening with a sheen of sweat, her hair almost damp.

Makoto wasn't sure how much longer she could last. That one attack took a bit of steam out of her and left her feeling hollow and weak on the inside. Still, she whispered a prayer to her guardian planet and asked for just a little more strength.

"Who are you?", she called out again.
 
Xanthu lay just beneath the smoldering remains of the tree she had utterly destroyed with her attack, the Yajuta at a complete loss for words. Just what WAS that. She had literally called down lighting from the sky and redirected it towards him with her own body. He knew she was flesh and blood, could smell it when he had cut her, so just a feat should have been impossible. Just what was he dealing with?"

He heard her calling out to him, asking for some kind of identification when he could have asked her the same thing. His mandibles clicked the insides of his mask, entering in several different commands before he decided it was time to answer her. Quickly he rolled out from behind the tree, his shoulder-mounted plasma cannon activated and ready. He quickly took several shots in her direction, aiming to at least wound or stun her with the attack.
 
Oh damn! Jupiter had been expecting some mind of laugh or fancy speech. It always went that way, right? They would laugh and boast about their plan before her friends came to the rescue. Except that Makoto had forgotten to call this in and give them directions as to where she was heading. Somehow, during the heat of battle, she had lost her mind. Grinning some, she shifted slightly to one side. And then he fired. Instead of throwing herself to the right where she was leaning towards, she dodged left only to catch one of those shots in her arm. At first, she didn't feel anything. Just grinned while on the ground, panting and tired. Her whole body aching. Then she smelled something strange. It reminded her of burning meat and fat. Turning her head, she gasped softly. He got a shot in, but it was just a flesh wound. Something she could easily take care of later. Still, that didn't make her feel any better.

Stumbling to her feet, holding her hand... she started walking towards the side a bit, watching him quietly. Giving up wasn't an option for her. Only death would keep Jupiter from fighting. That's how it always had been. Fight until the death, put everything of herself in a fight and then Sailor Moon would pull some weird move to bring them back. How could someone fear death if they were almost immune to it.

Then again... that had been from a regular villain. One that used powers just like her. None of them had been like this. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she tried forcing it to the back of her mind.

Another attack like that wouldn't be possible anymore. Not without seriously weakening herself. Instead, she charged at him, grunting softly before trying to land a few blows. A punch there, a kick here. Fast, quick. And if they were blocked, she would just keep going... in a kind of strange dance until her body finally gave up.

At the same time... Jupiter felt so very alive. Her senses humming , her heart hammering. Warmth spilling into her belly and warming her. This was true freedom. A real challenge. And it was waking things up in the young warrior. Things that had little to do with fighting and more to do with...

Disengaging from him, she pulled back a few feet. On the ground and panting, her breasts straining against the sheath of her body suit. Short skirt, ankle boots and gloves. Her uniform was showing signs of wear and tear here and there. A little bit of blood staining her collar and across her stomach. Nothing that would count her out. Just... god, she loved this.
 
THIS was what the hunt was about. Not cowardly soft-meats who ran at every turn, but prey that challenged you, that fought back and gave as much as they took. He could feel that his body would be bruised after this. No human had every gone hand-to-hand with him before, at least never without a weapon. She however used her body itself as a weapon, graceful, elegant, and deadly. Had she been a Yajuta female he would have dedicated all of his hunts to her in order to win her favor. Though human females were not unattractive in and of themselves, he had never been particularly inclined to them. This one however...she had the strength of one of his own behind her.

As she fell back to regroup her self he did the same, taking stock of his injuries. She had taken several hits but kept going, a testament to her strength, and he had as well. He clicked and purred under his mask, pleased with her and deciding to give her one of the ultimate honers. He had not been given a fight like this in some time, not with this much adrenaline, this much excitement...

His mask suddenly beeped as he watched her. His clawed hand reached up to a pair of tubes that had been connected to its side, releasing them and letting out a hiss of steam. Carefully he gripped the sides of the metallic mask, pulling it off of his face so he could face her like a true hunter. Slowly his face was revealed, large forehead ending in dreadlocks,, yellowish eyes that honed in one her own, and sharp mandibles covering a fang-toothed mouth. He let his mask fall to his feet and took his stance, letting out a powerful roar that echoed through the area. The challenge had been made, now to see who would come out on top.
 
Once upon a time there had been a thriving cultivation on Jupiter filled with military minded folks. Even their king and queen were herald as warlords in their own right, but they focused their skills more on defense then offense. Unlike those of Uranus. And because of this... they were entrusted with the safety of the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury and Earth. All the inner planets while Uranus took charge of any outward threat. It had been absolutely perfect. Generations taught to fight until their last breath. Their courage was legendary, their strength awe inspiring and their endurance something to see. Not to mention their beauty. Taller then most of the other courtiers, with the exception of Uranus, they were able to tower over those of the Moon and Mercury with no problem. Mars and Venus were another thing. Venus, although more beautiful then any other people, were also very cunning and almost ruthless. They were a nation of leaders. Mercury had always stood for intelligence and had been the more fragile.

It seemed that Jupiter blood pumped strong and true through Makoto's body. Even while watching her opponent with some interest. Oddly enough, she didn't take advantage of his distraction. She wanted there. Watching, waiting... her breath passing parted lips as she tried to gather the remaining strength in her human body. Then she saw him. Not playful or cute as every villain had been before him. Not even handsome. He was something completely different and yet... she felt strange. Her flesh felt almost too hot, her mind whirling as the monster before her roared it's fury. Those mandibles, those eyes...

Standing before him, she extended a hand to the side, her fingers spread out. What to do, what to do. Calling down the forces of Jupiter a second time would weaken her. Plus, she was enjoying the hand-to-hand combat. It was something that no one else had ever given her. Not even when she used to fight in school. Hissing under her breath, she thought to gather her remaining power into the form of a weapon. No. Instead, she reached up to her rosebud earring and removed it. With the tiny object in hand, she silently charged it with a bit of electricity. It had worked once before. Throwing it had distracted Zoisite so long ago. Why not him? Grinning, she threw the piece of jewelry at him, watching as it sliced through the air straight at his face.

While that happened, she forced one final burst of speed into her legs. Moving back into his space and slamming her palm upward at his jaw in the hopes of catching him off guard while wrapping one of her slender legs around his and jerking. Hopefully both attacks would land and find the hunter on the ground under her.

The downside to this move was leaving herself open to an close quarters attack of his own.
 
For as long as their history stretched back the Yajuta were hunt, bred to stalk, bred to fight, bred to kill. Their entire culture revolved around the hunt, was the center of their very being. They spent their lives hunting down increasingly challenging prey, proving themselves and always improving on their own skills for the honor of mating with females and achieving high ranks amongst the Yajuta elite. Xanthu was a seasoned warrior, one who had hunted on many planets for many different species including humans, but none had given him a thrill quite like this human. She made this enjoyable, exciting, while before he was coming to realize, it had just been something he did.

He saw her flick some kind of object at him and he knew it must have been some kind of diversion. She was intelligent too, something he prized highly. Ducking away from the small things he saw her come in for the attack, letting her in close as she struck his jaw and tried to swipe his legs out form under him.

He growled and swiped at her himself as they both tumbled down and rolled across the hard ground. This was nothing elaborate, nothing graceful, it was a simple brawl at this point. But by gods he was enjoying it.

In the end she had him pinned to the ground, but he had his hand closed around her throat. The Yajuta met her eyes as he squeezed, letting her know how close he was to crushing her windpipe as his claws scratched her flesh.
 
Nothing could have made this beautiful or graceful. It was pure spirit and strength. The need to suppress their prey and come out on top. Makoto might have ended up on top of the hunter, but he had her by the throat. Those dangerous claws pressing into her delicate flesh. In the cool night air, she shivered. Not out of fear or hate, but her body was starting to tire as it had never before. Little by little, she could feel the strength leave her even as her gaze glared hard into his own. With the last of her power, Jupiter could create a kamikaze attacks that might take him out, but it would destroy her too. Laying above him with a knee planted between his thighs, she could feel the corded muscle that constituted as his own thigh pressed against the soft center of her suit. The antenna extended as though in warning, her eyes flashing dangerously down into his.

How could they release each other without killing the other or both. His hand around her throat, her form balanced above him. Would this be considered a stalemate? Suddenly, she felt as though the world were swimming before her eyes. Air was becoming scarce, but not because of it hold. It was the end. Her power was depleted. It took strength of will alone to keep her transformation together. Then suddenly something shot through her. Gasping loudly, her body quivered against his own, her eyes falling back, lips parting as she arched her back. It was leaving her. Jupiter was losing her ability to think and command the forces of Lightening. Damn. She had lost, didn't she? Eyes slid back to his own as her fuka started dissolving into a long blue skirt, white blouse and all the other trappings of a high school student. Without Jupiter fueling her human for, she was lost. Suddenly Makoto slumped against him, out of breath, out of energy. Tired. So very tired... and the world went black.

The girl was nothing more then dead weight laying across him, but she was far from death. Just unconscious. Vulnerable. Giving it her all and fighting for so long had left her weak. The only thing that kept her head up was his hand around her throat.
 
The air around him seemed to be charged with escaping energy, like some great force was leaving the female above him. At first he though it was a weapon, but her expression and body language told him otherwise. His eyes were blinded momentarily as she seemed to flash with a strange light, and then nothing.

That was it, absolutely nothing. She went limp in his arm, her body slack and weak. Her clothing was different too, no longer the strange garment she had fought in. In now looked like the common clothing of her species. He simply lay there, holding her up, feeling how weak and delicate her unconscious form was in his hand.

This could not be it.

He growled and threw her to the side, letting her body tumble to the ground. It could not end this way! After such a fight, such a exhilarating battle that had excited him and made his blood pump like no other had in years? It would not end with this..this...feeling of something unfinished.

On his feet again he walked over to her still form, rage fueling him as he kicked in the stomach hoping to get some kind of response. Yet still nothing. He blades extended from his wrists, ready to slit her throat and be done with it...but no, he couldn't do that either. Swearing in his own language he looked around for any other humans and seeing none, returned to his mask. Soon he was in full armor again and ready with his decision. Approaching her unconscious body he bent down and lifted her skirt, taking out a small tracking device from his belt and attaching it. He didn't pay any attention to her smooth skin or the smell of her that came from her lower body. That would not be proper for a Yajuta, of course.

They would finish this, he swore, before propping her up against a tree out of site of others and taking off. He still had his mission to complete after all. He would hunt her the next day, when she had recovered.
 
Hours later...

Makoto started coming to with a groan, her head throbbing and her stomach aching. Her school uniform was very dusty to say the least and she even suffered from a couple of scrapes on her knees, thighs and elbows. Almost as though someone had thrown her off and then kicked her hard enough to send her limp body rolling. Grunting, she started getting up onto her knees, holding her stomach with one arm. Jeeze. It hurt. Still, she was alive and that was something to be thankful for, right? Gritting her teeth as not to show the pain, she managed to draw herself to her feet. Unsteady and almost limping, she could feel a throbbing headache starting to build between her brows. Damn. What was the number of that truck? She gave a small, pained laugh. It took Makoto a little while longer before she returned to her apartment. With the evening air at her back, she started feeling a little better, but not by much. Once inside, though...

"What the...?" She raised her top to get a look at her stomach in the bathroom mirror. Plain as day there was a print, possibly a shoe, from where he had kicked her. A bruise! He kicked her in the stomach and left a bruise! Gritting her teeth and growling, she removed all of her clothing and turned on the bath. While it slowly started to fill, she showered off most of the dirt and grim. Ignoring her hair for the moment and cleaning up as best she could before slipping into the steaming tub. Ah, that was better. It was like a soothing balm on aching muscles. Closing her eyes, she started to drift off when something started beeping. At first, she just wanted to rest, but it continued nagging at her. With a groan, she slipped over the edge and pulled her shirt close. Inside a pocket, she pulled out one of the communicators and flipped it on.

"Yeah, what's up?", Jupiter peered into the room, her expression much have shown just what kind of shape she was in because next thing she heard was a blaring sound of Usagi's wailing and Ami trying to calm her down. Jeeze. Turning her head for a moment, she wiggled a finger in her ear to ease the ringing before listening to Ami.

"We haven't heard from you in hours, Mako-chan. What happened? Are you alright?" Ami was suddenly shoved down by an overly emotional Usagi who peered in front of the screen, crying and sniffling. "Mako-chaaaaan! You aren't suppose to go off on your own!"

Makoto laughed softly and rested her cheek against the side of the tub. "Don't worry, alright. Just... ah, let's just say I made first contact."

Looking at her bruised legs and stomach, she grinned a bit. "And probably not the last", she murmured under her breath.

"What was that?" Usagi blinked like a young kitten.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just see you guys at school tomorrow, alright? Jupiter out." She flipped it shut before sliding back into her tub. Warmth, smoothing warmth. Closing her eyes, she dozed off for a little while before getting out and drying off. Once in bed, though, all Makoto could dream about was that strange alien and the way he fought. In a way... she found it fascinating. The thrill of battle riding them both. The way he moved. No human male could have done that. Plus, he came her feel almost small. Imagine that. Chuckling softly, she snuggled one of her pillows close. A shame he wasn't human. She could definitely go for that kind of guy. Hrm. Maybe not one that beat up on her, but eh. Someone with that kind spirit. That would have been nice.
 
The cold splash of slimy water around his feet caused Xanthu to cringe, damning his sensors for letting him know exactly what was in the human sewer waters. He would clean himself thoroughly tonight otherwise the smell might never come off. The sewers had never been his first choice as a location to hide his ship, but knowing that humans rarely ventured into their own drainage systems and that the hard-meat found them ideal nesting ares made it a prime spot. Comfort was never an option for this mission.

The long tunnel that exited along the underside of a bride stretched far under the city, meaning it was a little while before he arrived at his ship. It was smaller than most crafts but was suited for this mission and carried all the necessities. Until the mother ship sent for him, the brown, pointed craft was his home. The computer systems registered him as he approached, opening the doors and extending a platform for him to enter and closed just as quickly as soon as he stepped inside.

Trying to push the events from that night from his mind he removed his armor, netting, and weapons, leaving it on his mantle for later use as he stepped into his facilities and into the shower. The hot temperatures felt good, never much caring for Earth's climate. He would have liked to have stayed inside longer if not for the incessant beeping of his console indicating a transmission. Cursing the Elders for their timing he turned off the water and left the room, still drying himself off, and accepted the message. "Xanthu," the audio growled at him in, "how many hard-meat hides have you returned with?"

Xanthu was glad the transmission was audio-only, otherwise the Elder would have seen his expression. "None."

The Elder responded with a series of angered growls and clicks, cutting off the transmission and leaving Xanthu to clench his fists in anger. The Elder had obviously not been pleased. He would need to speed up his hunt, unfortunately meaning he would have to postpone the hunt of that human female. That pushed the Elders transmission out of his mind as he readied for his own sleep.

His body was sore in several places where the female had hit him, something no human had ever accomplished with only their bare hands. As he took to his sleeping quarters his mandibles clicked in excitement as he remembered her coming strait at him with no fear. She had carried a hunters spirit, and thinking back it he began to wonder if she had been hunting him. She had been prepared to fight something at least similar to himself judging from her lack of reaction to his appearance. Just who was she?
 
Two days later...

Makoto was healing nicely, but that was to be expected. There wasn't much that could permanently damage a creature like herself. Part of her thanked Jupiter for watching over her and for a speedy recovery. Although, she was still sore in a few places. Like her stomach. The bruise there was starting to turn into an ugly grey color against her pale flesh. Looked like there wouldn't be any two pieces for her in the near future. Not that Makoto ever dressed in such a manner. Hrm. Although swimming was an exception for her. Still, there was too much going on for her to care about swimming or even having fun. That beast was still in their city. Something that had been nagging at her for a little while now.

"And, and then I said..." Usagi started yammering on about something. Makoto hadn't even been paying attention as she walked quietly behind the inner senshi. Minako seemed to be occupying the Moon Princess for now.

"Hey, Mako-chan, I've been noticing something strange lately." Rei's voice called to her. Tilting her head, she fixed the raven haired beauty with a questioning look. She didn't even need to ask what before Mars launched into her worries. "I've been doing a few readings and they all lead me to the same conclusion. Something is going on, but it has nothing to do with our former enemies. It's not from here. Just... it feels almost primal. Beastly. There's no reason behind it. And every time I get a glimpse of this new enemy... it's always a blur. Sometimes a shiny black, sometimes a silver color. It's been bothering me. And then you came back..."

Frowning, Makoto mulled over those words. She hadn't exactly told her friends everything that happened during the battle. Only that she made contact with something. It fought like nothing had before. And that was about all the information she shared. For some reason, she wanted to keep most of her opponent secret. Not for any particular reason. Just... that fight. She had never felt her blood sing in such a way before. Exciting riding high on the air. Even as he removed his helmet and shrieked at her. It should have frightened Jupiter, but she moved on pure instinct.

Later that day, she found herself leaning against a tree with a box lunch in her lap. Usagi was off trying to bum a little extra off of Ami. Mercury always had a soft spot for the Princess. Jupiter too, but today, she just wanted to be left alone. Her thoughts were a muddle mess. Memories surfacing about the fight. The way he moved, the intent in those small eyes. Such a large beast, but so graceful. A true warrior. It was just a shame he was so alien and an obvious enemy. If they had met on better terms in another life... Jupiter may have asked him to train her.

... but no, he was a threat to this world. Looking down at her lunch, she picked at an eel roll before popping it into her mouth. Chewing slowly while thinking about that day. Maybe, after school, she might go looking for him again. Or maybe he'll find her. The thought brought a fierce smile to her lips.
 
The staff pierced the hard-meat's armor as Xanthu threw all his weight into it, the creature flailing around as it was pinned to the concrete floor of the sewer pipeline and almost completely submerged in water. Xanthu had been skilled enough to remove it's tail before pinning it, something he was thankful for otherwise he would not have wanted to deal with the thrashing appendage at such a close range. The mutilated stub that had once been one of the black creatures main weapons jerked uselessly from its back, the acidic blood oozing from it neutralized as from the filthy water that covered it.

These creatures were supposed to be the height of the Yajuta's prey. The perfect killing machine and the ultimate test of a hunters skills and strength. But as Xanthu looked down at the helpless xenamorth as he bit and clawed in his direction he could only find it...lacking.

The sound of of claws against metal piping signaled Xanthu of the next attack. Pivoting on his foot he raised his net gun as the second hard-meat jumped at him, firing a few feet from himself and throwing the creature back against the wall as the nets edges dug into the stonework and began eating away at the creatures flesh. It shrieked and struggled, it's blood working quickly to dissolve the trap. It made little difference though as Xanthu already had his gauntlet raised and finished his prey off with a single shot from his spear gun. These hard-meat had been weak, something the predator had been severely disappointed at. From what he had seen they had not been born of humans but of some lesser animal, perhaps even a sickly one. They had provided little challenge, nothing like...her.

He growled to himself, trying to push the thought from his mind. Still it pushed through and he could not ignore it. He was itching to finish the hunt of the human female, longed to chase her down and corner her for that last desperate battle between predator and prey. Every other human he had hunted on this planet had been nothing compared to that short exchange two days ago, and against his will he had grown somewhat obsessive over it. He had taken to watching her at night at the end of his mission hunts, waiting to see when she would be fit to be hunted again. He would not be so dishonorable as to take her when she was already wounded.

Tonight, he thought, tonight he would hunt her. He turned back to the still-impaled hard-meat whose thrashing had grown somewhat weaker and expanded his wrist blades. Even as he removed it's head and prepared its skull for his trophy case his thoughts were on that human female who taunted him without fear. Tonight.
 
Kneeling on above of a moon drenched rooftop, Jupiter kept herself open to those around her. Every sound, ever movement. Tonight she would seek out that new threat and face him for the last time. She felt a little guilty of not bringing her friends into this, but Makoto felt that this was how it should be. Besides, she could probably focus more fully on the fight if Usagi wasn't there to worry about. Minako might be able to hold her own and Rei, but Sailor Moon usually caused more trouble then help. Then again... she usually finished things for them. Sighing softly, her head dropped forward. Maybe this was a bad idea.

Then she heard it. A strange silence that descended upon the area surrounding her. Not a bird or dog. Lifting her head, she focused her eyes forward and tried scanning the area around her. Maybe Mercury would have been useful here. What with that little computer of hers. Dropping into a vast, abandoned lot, she stood between buildings and trees, her form striding forward with her head high. Please, please, just don't let me be wrong, she thought. It wasn't the time to doubt herself, but Jupiter felt strange. Like something was watching her. Come to think of it. She had that feeling for a couple of days now.

Marching into the middle of the yard, she tilted her head to look around. A frown lightly touching her pale features. Makoto might be able to hold out for a time, but as Sailor Jupiter, she felt strength pulsing within her.

"You're there, aren't you?" Tilting her head, she turned around slightly to look over her shoulder. Her voice soft.
 
He remained silent as she called out to him, crouched atop a nearby rooftop. He did not understand what she had had said, but knew she was calling him, could feel it. Still he remained silent, watching, studying. She was truly one of the fittest of her species he realized as he studied her body with his eyes as well as his sensors. Her frame, though curvier and smaller than his own, still packed a kind of strength he had not seen yet in a human. He had been looking forward to this.

He finally responded with a low growl, his species signature and feared by those who had heard it. Coming to his full height on the roof above her he disabled his cloak and met her eyes, letting her know he was here for their next fight. He was donned in full armor, but with his cloak no longer needed he proceeded to remove his face plate once more to fight her as a warrior of equal footing. He felt she deserved it at least. The hiss of steam and smell of the Earth atmosphere filled his lungs as he removed the tubes and latches, pulling it away to reveal his jagged, hard face and twitching mandibles. He looked down at her, clicked, and readied himself.

Like a bolt of lighting he was in the air, his wrist blades drawing out of his gauntlet with a "shhnk!" His eyes never left hers as he aimed himself at her, hoping she wouldn't disappoint him.
 
Makoto's ears perked at the familiar sound, her heart began to race in knowledge of what it meant. He was here. Turning around, she saw his massive frame stand against a dark background. The light shimmer of his cloak fading slowly to reveal him in truth. For the moment, he just stood there fiddling with his helmet. It was almost like something deep inside understood the need to help him wrestle that helmet off before engaging him in battle. Standing there, she slipped into a stance that was both familiar and comfortable. Hands out, legs apart. One for defense and another for balance. Watching him, she couldn't believe that he allowed her to live the last time. Obviously, he wanted this fight as much as she. Still, he hadn't killed her when her transformation came to an end. Honorable. So different from the villains they usually fought who kicked you when you were... oh wait. Lightly touching her tender belly, she could feel the soreness there, but ignored it.

Then he was gone. Where was... oh shoot! Looking up, she could see him descending down on top of her. Makoto only had a second to think and dodge, her slender form darting just out of reach, but not without having her collar sliced into. No harm, no foul. Grinning, she flicked her fingers in his direction, almost as thought daring him closer. Then she launched herself at him, charging for him and suddenly twisting her lithe frame to lash out with a back kick to the face. Or so she hoped.
 
He clicked in amusement when she dodged his blades, never expecting them to connect int he first place. That would have been far to easy. He landed soundly on the ground, turning to face her as she challenged him with her body language, a challenge he was eager to accept. He let her come to him, expecting her to use close combat but being caught off guard by her sudden kick to his head. His large head jerked to the side as her attack connected and he hissed at her as he tried to gain his senses again.

He slid his blade up between them, slicing the air to gain some space before going back in for the attack. His blade was poised and ready but he held them back, wondering if she would focus on the weapon and not see his other hand aimed for her own face.
 
She did focus more on his blades and hopped back a step from him only to catch his blow to her face. That knocked her head back with a snap, her jaw exploding in pain while she fell to the ground. Instead of crying or trying to get away, though, Jupiter turned back to him with a fierce grin. Her gloved hand lightly rubbing a red spot where his strike had connected. It would bruise in time, but for now, it throbbed with fresh pain. No slow movements were used here. She pushed herself up off the ground, coming at him again and almost laughing. The thrill of a real fight woke something up in Makoto. Maybe it was akin to insanity. Lord knew that she shouldn't be squaring off with something like him. Still, she couldn't suppress that savage streak that came to life. Growling, her hand shot forward for another headshot, while she brought a knee up. There was no way that Jupiter was going to dishonor him by fighting dirty. Instead of the groin, she aimed for his stomach and if she got that and he doubled over, well, she would try bring both fists down between his shoulder blades for a staggering blow.

Only problem with Jupiter being this close, much as she liked it, it left her open for a lot of attacks at well. Besides, she didn't want to use any electrical attacks. And a weapon for her was out of the question.
 
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