Act 11 "To Enter the Lion's Den"

The first thing Helios could consciously feel was a painful burning sensation on the back of his neck where he had been stung. He winced as his eyes fluttered open. A voice registered in him ears but it took him a few seconds more before he could identify the speaker.

"Helios? Helios, are you alright?" It was Horatio's familiar voice. Helios could make out the blurred outlines of Horatio's figure against the dim interior of a room. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the bed he had been laying on so that he could sit upright.

"I'm fine," he said weakly, his mind beginning to get its bearings. With the return of his sense of coordination so did the last memories he had before falling unconscious.

"Chibi Usa-chan…Ophelia…where are they?" he asked hoarsely. "They were unconscious and I saw them being taken away. Where are they right now?"

Horatio's hand came out and supported Helios who had not fully recovered. "They were taken away by Demetrius' forces. We don't know what condition they're in but we're certain they're being held in the Macedonian's camp."

Helios listened and waited for his mind to clear. But the knowledge and emotions surrounding the girls' abduction were barely kept at bay. The hellish images of the battle, the stab of guilt and powerlessness; Helios knew if he let any one of those feelings loose he would not be able to maintain his composure.

Cognizant once again, Helios looked to Horatio. The red haired young man wasn't wearing his uniform and was dressed in a white shirt and dark pants. The sleeve on his left arm was rolled up to the elbow and a large patch of gauze and bandages covered his forearm. Despite his injury Horatio still wore his weapon by his side, mindful of his duty as Helios' protector and ready for any situation that might arise.

The sight of Horatio's injured arm made Helios' chest ache. The immense feeling of guilt he had been trying to hold back was breaking through to show on his face. Horatio saw the change in Helios' mien and said brightly in an effort to put him at ease, "I had the doctor look at my arm and he said the wound wasn't very deep, just long. It looks uglier than it actually is."

Helios lowered his eyes but his expression didn't change. Horatio switched subject in an effort to distract him and said, "Not long after you left the Macedonian army suddenly retreated. I thought something had happened to you since the man I was fighting said their main objective was to capture you." At this Helios's gaze shifted and looked up into Horatio's violet eyes in surprise. Horatio went on, his mind drifting back to the scene of the battle with Pyrope.

By then the two men had already exchanged blows many dozen times. Sweat was dropping from Horatio's brows as he tried to maintain his position but his stamina was failing due to the strain of combat and the throbbing pain from his arm. Pyrope on the other hand didn't even look short of breath. Inside Horatio was impressed by the man's abilities and Pyrope too, thought well of Horatio for his tenacity and skill despite his young age. But right at that moment no matter what they thought of each other they were enemies with opposing objectives. Despite the encroaching darkness and Horatio's injury the two men clashed again, their weapons screeching against each other before breaking apart. One swung his weapon to be dodged by the other; trusts and parries kept the beat of their deadly dance.

Suddenly from afar the low rumbling sound of a horn sounded. Pyrope broke away from Horatio and looked up at the direction from which the call originated. Horatio couldn't make out the general's expression in the gloom and without a word Pyrope kicked his horse into a galloped and raced away. "Hey!" Horatio shouted indignantly, that his opponent had suddenly retreat. As he looked around him he notice the Macedonian army itself was making a retreat so that as quickly as they had appeared the Macedonians soon disappeared into the night. Baffled by their sudden withdrawal Horatio remembered what Pyrope had said about the goal of his mission and his heart sank into his stomach.

"Helios…Helios!" The Captain cried, reining his horse around and raced off in the direction he believed Helios had gone off to. By now the darkness of night was completely upon them and torches were lit to push it away. With the forest illuminated by patchy dots of light, Horatio searched desperately for his liege. "Helios! Helios!" Horatio continued to shout, waiting anxiously for a response. Then faintly he heard the sound of his name being hailed as a torch signaled to him from not too far away. Horatio turned and after weaving through some bushes found two soldiers kneeling beside an unconscious white figure lying on the grass. Horatio leapt off his horse and rushed to Helios' side and lifted up the pale young man's shoulders in his good right arm. After checking his pulse Horatio was relieved to find that Helios was alive and breathing and there weren't any obvious wounds on his person. Turing to the soldiers who had called out to him, he inquired, "Did you two saw what had happened to His Majesty?"

One of the soldiers shook his head while the other hesitated and said, "I didn't see what happened exactly but as I was running past those trees over there," he motioned with his hand to a clump of trees somewhere in the night, "I saw His Majesty fall to the ground. I tried to rush over and on my way I saw two people being carried off by two gray figures. I couldn't tell who the people being taken away were; I only noticed that one had pink hair and the other had light colored hair."

The soldier's description puzzled Horatio at first. But the answer to his questions were answered when much to his surprise, Saturn appeared from the forest. "Captain Horatio!" Saturn shouted. When she saw the unconscious Helios her attention immediately shifted to him. "Is Helios-kun alright? Has he been injured?"

Horatio shook his head. "As far as I can tell he's only unconscious, though we still need to find a doctor to make sure there aren't any injuries we don't know about. But what are you doing here? I thought you were in Elsinore."

"I came with Chibi Usa-chan. Have you seen her?" Saturn asked urgently, that having being the foremost thing on her mind before she saw Helios.

Just as her question ended, the Sailor Quartet hurried out of the forest in quick succession. "Oh there you are! We got separated from you in that mess!" Ceres exclaimed at the front of the group, but when she saw no sign of Sailor Neo Moon the pink haired Amazoness looked to Saturn, "Where's the princess, isn't she with you?"

Before Saturn could reply Horatio cut in incredulously, "Wait a minute, all of you came?"

Juno nodded affirmatively. "Ophelia-san came too. But we got separated from them and Saturn during the battle."

Suddenly what the soldier had told him before came back with an unsettling revelation in Horatio's mind, "Does that mean…oh no" he whispered.

Seeing his reaction, Saturn pressed him, "What is it? Do you know where they are?"

Horatio looked down at the unconscious Helios in his arm. In the yellow light the torch provided he saw the pained expression on Helios face and could guess what had caused him to feel such anguish. His grip tightened on his friend's shoulder as he looked back at the group of worried senshi. "I think they've got them…"

Horatio ended his narrative to Helios with the closing of that length of memory. Helios remained silent through the entire account but his hands on the bed sheet had tightened into fists.

At long last Horatio asked softly, "What do you plan to do next?"

Helios grimaced. "Where are we right now?" he asked huskily.

"A small village about an hour from where the battle took place. Some of the villagers here have not left yet, including the local doctor, so we've set up camp here for the time being."

"What is the situation with our forces? How many men do we have left and what about the supplies? Also, what information do we have on the enemy's status right now?"

Horatio dutifully recited to Helios the status of the army. The surprise attack by the Macedonian army had taken out a third of their men and nearly half the supplies were lost. The village they were staying in right now had enough food to last the village folks about a week, but with the extra people of the army here as well all told it was not going to last very long. As for the Macedonians, they were camped out near a hill top about three quarters of a mile from the Rhodian encampment, and from the number of tents and the size of the fortification their numbers were at least double the number the Rhodians had at the moment.

While Horatio gave his report Helios began to take in his surroundings. His armor had been removed and set on a pedestal near the end of the bed. Looking up, Helios realized he had been lying inside an unadorned large octagonal-shaped canvas tent with small, unlit lamps hanging from the beams that held up the structure. The entrance was across from his bed, slightly to the left, and from the bright light that seeped in from beyond the flap and the warmth of the air Helios knew it was at least midday outside. It also meant he had been unconscious for more than half a day, and that Chibi Usa and Ophelia had been in the enemy's hand for just as long a time.

Helios closed his eyes hard at the thought and opened them again when Horatio finished his preliminary report.

"Where are the other senshi?"

"Hotaru is helping with tending the wounded since there's a shortage of doctors. Have to say, she really surprised me when she told me she had been trained as a nurse." Horatio smiled, the first time he had done so since the madness of yester evening. "The Quartet girls are doing alright, though they're pretty upset about loosing their princess."

Helios rose from the bed, gently brushing away the arm Horatio lent him for support. Standing again, Helios turned to his friend. "I need to see them."

Hotaru stood up from the injured soldier she'd been helping to bandage. She had put all of her nursing know-how into practice but due to the varying degree of injuries sustained by the soldiers there was a limit to what she could do for them. This man was relatively lucky as he only had minor lacerations and a fractured leg. Others suffered much worse and the sound of painful moans and the shuffling of injured men from the improvised infirmary ward created a depressing backdrop in the once quaint and peaceful hillside village.

Even with her healing power Hotaru knew she couldn't heal everyone, and there had been lives she could not save simply because the wounds were too grievous. The dark haired girl sighed softly as she looked with a frown at the crestfallen Rhodian army. The currently situation didn't look good but Hotaru was also worried about another group of soldiers, four who were much personally connected to her than the men she had been tending.

Walking to the edge of the village where a large tree stood, Hotaru found the Quartet sulking by the base of the tree. Jun-Jun had perched herself high up on one of the branches, her arms folded as she brooded. Cere-Cere stood with her hands behind her back as she leaned against the tree trunk, her usual spunky magenta eyes downcast. Ves-Ves and Palla-Palla sat next to each other; the former had her arms around her knees, her eyes angry, while the latter by comparison looked lost and worried by her sister's side.

"Cere-Cere, Ves-Ves, Palla-Palla, Jun-Jun," Hotaru called as she approached the girls. The Quartet looked up when they heard their names but their eyes soon turned languidly back to the spot in space they had been staring at before.

Hotaru wanted to say something to the girls but Ves-Ves spoke first. "We should've stuck closer to her; then we wouldn't have lost her," she said, her eyebrows knitted in a scowl.

"We all got separated in the middle of that battle. You shouldn't blame just yourselves. I am partly to blame as well," Hotaru said gently.

The Quartet didn't respond and the sullen atmosphere remained like a thick cloud blanketing over the girls.

Jun-Jun was the first to hear footsteps approaching in their direction and turned around in her perch to see who it was. The rest of the girls, including Hotaru, followed and saw Helios with Horatio behind him walking towards them.

"Helios-kun," Hotaru walked up to meet him, "Are you feeling well? You had been unconscious since last night, and nobody was sure when you would wake up."

Helios nodded and made a weary smile at the violet-eyed young woman. "I'm fine now. Thank you, Hotaru. And thank you for taking care of the wounded. We are deeply indebted to you for that."

Hotaru smiled back ruefully. "There's no need to thank me; I only want to do what I can to help."

With another wane smile, Helios acknowledged Hotaru's sincerity. Horatio spoke up for the first time and addressed the girls in general, "We were wondering if you can tell us anything about the enemy that you might've noticed on your way. If we all put our heads together we might find something to use in our advantage."

Hotaru shook her head. "I didn't see much of the enemy at all, save for some soldiers who tried to attack us. And I didn't notice anything special about them either; they all seemed like regular humans to me." She looked at the Quartet for their input.

Jun-Jun jumped off the branch she had been sitting on and joined her sisters' ranks, but none of them had seen anything new to offer.

Helios sighed, disappointed. Hotaru thought for a moment before she asked him, "Helios, you were the last person to see them. Did you see or notice anything peculiar?"

Helios paused as he tried to replay those few seconds of memory in his mind. He had been surprised when he saw Chibi Usa and Ophelia and shocked when they fell unconscious in front of him. But the memories in between those two moments were fuzzy. Focusing hard, he remembered seeing one-no, two-flashes of metallic blur. At this Helios blinked. Those metallic figures, they had been taken away by them, but what were they? Turning his gaze to Hotaru, Helios replied, "When I saw Chibi Usa-chan and Ophelia fall I remember seeing two metallic figures behind them. They were humanoid shaped, but other than that I don't remember much else."

"Humanoid metallic figures?" Hotaru frowned. She recalled the mirror copies the reawakened Nehelenia had sent after her when she was still a baby, but though they were humanoid they were made of glass. What sort of creature could they be? But if they're metallic then maybe… "Do you mean…like an android?" she wondered.

"I'm not sure, but it is possible," Helios grimaced.

"Wait a minute," Horatio suddenly interrupted. With a perplexed expression, he looked questioningly at Hotaru and Helios, "What are you talking about? What's an android? I have never heard of such a thing before."

Hotaru was surprised by his question and explained, "An android is a humanoid robot, a machine really, that can operate on its own with artificial intelligence or through a set of commands from an operator."

Horatio made an even more confused, almost comically so, expression. "A human-like machine…that operates on its own…or through an operator…Uh, that still doesn't quite make sense," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Hotaru was beginning to look equally confused by Horatio's lack of understanding when Helios stepped in and clarified, "Rhodes, and Somnus as a whole, is not as technological advanced as Earth. Magic rather than science is a more present influence here."

"I see…" Hotaru muttered, "But if that's the case then why does Macedonia have technology so advanced that it's unheard of on this planet?"

"The greater problem is what can we do against an enemy that is far superior to us in terms of technology?" said Helios. "From previous accounts of Macedonian firepower, their tools and weapons are highly varied. That is why I did not rule out the possibility of the enemy's use of advance robotics despite the lack of highly developed technology on this planet. The trick used by the man we met on the road, the strange explosives used against Triopas, the skilled and brutally strong general Horatio faced; the enemy has many cards up his sleeve. We also have vague reports about five men called the Sarissa Captains: the top five generals under Demetrius' direct command. What we have seen so far may very well be the doing of those five people."

"That makes a lot of sense," Horatio agreed. "It would also explain the vague reports we've been getting about them. Demetrius certainly doesn't want his military secrets to leak out."

"It also makes it very hard for anyone to beat him," Hotaru added thoughtfully. "With so many different approaches available to him, and not to mention how esoteric some of they are, his opportunities are broad while ours is limited. We are put at a clear disadvantage because of it."

"But that doesn't mean we can't try!" Ves-Ves' angry voice suddenly shook the others from their thoughts. "Even if they throw everything they've got at us we still have to get the Princess and Ophelia-san back!"

"Ves-Ves!" Cere-Cere grabbed her sister's wrist and tried to mollify her, "Nobody said we weren't! But we have to know what we're up against and not jump in blindly again."

Ves-Ves looked away sharply in frustration. Beside her, Jun-Jun said softly, "Cere-Cere has a point. But I also agree that we have to go find her." She looked at Hotaru and after a moment's hesitation, at Helios. "It's not just because we're her guardian senshi and it's our job to protect her, but also because she's our friend. She trusted us, trusted that we've changed. For that alone we can't let her down."

Palla-Palla nodded, "And it's not just Small Lady-sama either, but Ophelia-sama as well. She was really kind to Palla-Palla and her sisters, always smiling and being nice to us."

Helios stared at the Quartet, absorbing what they had said. Then suddenly the loud voice of a herald disturbed the silence surrounding their group.

A soldier ran to Helios, panting, saluted and produced a thin roll of paper in his hand. "We just received this letter from a carrier dove. It's addressed to you, Sire." Helios picked up the tiny scrolled message which had been rolled up so it could be inserted into the carrier tube strapped to the bird's leg. There was a piece of fine black thread tied around the letter and Helios saw that his name was indeed written on the outside of the letter. Carefully he untied the string and his eyes narrowed when he saw that it was a letter from Demetrius. Hotaru, the Quartet, and Horatio have crowded around Helios, who slowly read the letter aloud.

"To Helios of Rhodes,

It has been two days since my last letter reached you. After recent events I wonder if you have come to a decision about the matter I proposed to you previously. If not, I think now would be a good time to consider an answer."

"Bastard, he'd planned this all along then, ever since that first letter!" Horatio cursed silently.

Helios resumed reading, "But perhaps the previous conditions for our meeting were not attractive enough, and that is the reason for your reluctance. I have recently had the honor of inviting two young ladies who will serve as witnesses to our meeting. Perhaps this extra incentive will induce you to consider my offer. The ladies themselves are quite eager to meet you too I might add, and I'm sure they would be gravely disappointed if you do not come.

Should you decide to accept the proposal I will be waiting for you at my camp tomorrow morning. I hope to meet you face to face soon.

Sincerely, Demetrius"

By the end of the letter Horatio could not conceal his disgust with the writer of the letter. Gritting his teeth, Horatio spat, "I knew he was an arrogant bastard when he sent that first letter, but now he's actually using the girls to threaten you!"

"What is this first letter you're talking about?" Hotaru asked Horatio, her voice concerned and solemn.

"That megalomaniac prince sent Helios a letter exactly two days ago," Horatio answered, "He threatened to scourge the country unless Helios agreed to meet and fight him in a one-on-one duel."

"He did all this damage and now wants to settle everything with just one fight? Is this guy serious?" Jun-Jun wondered.

"Apparently he is since he kidnapped the Princess and Ophelia to use as leverage. If you ask me it's because he's either crazy or he's got an ego the size of a black hole," Ves-Ves quipped crossly while Cere-Cere and Palla-Palla nodded emphatically in agreement with their sister's opinion.

Helios didn't seem to have heard any of the chatter. He looked long at the letter before rolling it back to its cylindrical form. "Horatio, please make the necessary preparations. I will go and meet him tomorrow just as he had asked," he said as he pressed the letter into Horatio's hands.

Everyone was stunned into silence for a moment. Horatio's eyes opened wide in disbelief, "You can't be serious! The invitation must be a trap of some sort! Do you really think he's going to fight you fair and square after investing all of his resources to invade us?" Horatio winced as a spasm of pain from his arm interrupted him. "You can't go Helios; we'll figure out some other way to get the Princess and Ophelia back, but walking in there alone is not the way!"

Helios met his friend's eyes evenly and said calmly, "Demetrius' goal is me and me alone. From the methods he has used so far he's been trying to press me into coming to see him. If his goal was simply to kill me he could have easily done so during the battle, but you told me yourself that his goal was to capture me. For whatever reason he abandoned the simple capture plan and decided to pursue the course he had previously offered me.

I think the simple capture plan might've been a last resort, seeing that I did not respond to him. But when he saw he could use the girls as bargaining chips he went back to his original plan. That shows me coming to see him on my own must mean something special to him. Demetrius is brilliant, despite our personal opinion of him, and he wouldn't waste that much resource for something that could be achieved through a more direct method. That's why I do not believe this meeting is a trap."

At this Helios paused before he continued to say "As for the girls…even if they were safe right now I would still go." Images of the refugees he had seen the day before passed through Helios' mind and he continued in a determined voice, "You said I was the hope of this country, Horatio. Hope exists to lift people from misery and darkness. Demetrius threatens to raze this country if I do not go. As the people's hope if I refuse I will be throwing their future and their lives away. If I go to meet him at least we will have a chance at a quick resolution." Helios paused, his eyes heavy with thought. "I admit there is a likelihood that Demetrius will not keep his word and I know my abilities are limited in a fight such as the one he proposed, but I have to at least try."

Horatio said nothing as he shifted his gaze away, his face showing his uncertainty. The Amazoness girls looked to each other and a silent agreement passed between them. "We're going too," Jun-Jun said, "There's no way we're going to miss out on an opportunity to get Chibi Usa back."

Hotaru stepped forward. "I will go with you as well," she said resolutely to Helios. "The five of us can help back you up if there is trouble."

With the others now offering him their support, Helios nodded firmly.

Ophelia opened her eyes groggily. She was laying on something soft and warm but the smell around her was foreign and stuffy. Sitting upright she saw she was lying on a wide cushioned couch lined with silk. The tent she was in was supported by eight beams and decorated with tapestries and vases of fresh flower.

"Where am I?" she looked around her and saw to her surprise Chibi Usa lying next to her, still unconscious. "Chibi Usa-sama! Chibi Usa-sama!" Ophelia rocked Chibi Usa and slowly the other girl began to come to.

"Ophelia?" Chibi Usa propped herself up and gasped when she saw she was no longer in her Neo Moon form. "My broach!" she patted herself over but could not find the star shaped object. Seeing Chibi Usa's reaction Ophelia also noticed for the first time that she was no longer Sailor Somnus. She reached up and touched her hair but could not feel either of the two roses she usually wore.

Panicking wasn't going to do her any good, Chibi Usa swallowed. She had to remain calm, she told herself. She remembered seeing Ophelia being rendered unconscious by a metallic figure but nothing after that. Now they've woken up in a strange place with their transformation items missing. This could only mean they've been taken prisoner by the enemy. Ophelia seem to have come to the same conclusion as the girls met each other's eyes. They have to try to get out of this place, but they mustn't do so blindly.

"I'll go and take a look at the outside," Chibi Usa whispered to Ophelia who nodded back.

Chibi Usa climbed off the couch and carefully stepped over to the tent entrance. She meant to peep outside and see what the situation was, but before her hand could reach the flap of the tent the loud clap of marching feet approached. The Earth princess barely had enough time to recoil her arm before the flap of the tent opened and Demetrius stood at the doorway with two stern-faced body guards behind him.

Chibi Use stared like the proverbial deer in headlights at Demetrius. The handsome youthful face, the light smile, the soft white hair; it was all so similar. "Helios…?" Chibi Usa muttered without thinking, but the thought evaporated when she gazed into Demetrius' eyes. They were not warm and golden, but blue and intelligent: the eyes of a brilliant man, tinged with a chilling ruthlessness that made one shiver.

Demetrius smiled at the princess who finally woke from the magnetism of his eyes when he said, "I'm glad to see you are doing well, Princess Small Lady. I hope you and Ophelia-san had a restful sleep last night?"

Chibi Usa took a step back involuntarily while her face flushed from being caught off guard by this young man's alluring appearance. Demetrius for his part seemed to enjoy the surprise that he had caused for Chibi Usa and continued to smile sweetly at her. Beyond them, Ophelia stood up and fixed Demetrius with her own cool blue eyes and asked, "Since it seems you are aware of whom we are why have you brought us here?"

Walking further into the room, Demetrius met Ophelia's gaze casually. "I wish for you to remain a while as my guests. That is my true and honest intention, I swear to you."

"And that includes confiscating our personal belongings?"

"I cannot extend my hospitalities if my guests decide to leave unexpectedly. Please do not be concerned however, as they will be returned to you, safe and sound," Demetrius replied, being purposely vague on when exactly that would happen.

"Your way of inviting guests was rather rude though, I have to say," Chibi Usa said to him, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"Yes, I admit to that, and I hope you will accept my apologies." Demetrius offered her a repentant smile which only made his boyish face look even more charming. "But you see, it was a last minute decision and I was limited in my options in ways of invitation."

Chibi Usa's wariness towards Demetrius deepened with every minute she spent with him. This man may have reminded her of Helios, but the two were worlds apart in terms of personality and conduct.

Ophelia for her part certainly was very in control of herself and acted calmly as she tried to tease information out of Demetrius. "You have not answered my first question, Lord Demetrius," the elegantly clad young woman said.

With two sets of sharp female eyes on him, Demetrius chuckled lightly to himself. These girls were just as tough as he thought they might be. It wouldn't hurt to divulge a little of his plans right now, and in fact doing so might actually help in confirming some of his own lingering suspicions. He leaned against a small tea table and with a nod of his head at his guards was left alone in the tent with the two young women.

"As I said, I was speaking the truth when I said I wish the two of you could stay here a while as my guests," Demetrius said frankly. "However, I am expecting a visitor soon. I would like you to serve as my witnesses to our meeting when he arrives tomorrow. I hope you will grant me this favor, and in fact I think you will be eager to meet him as well."

At his words, both Chibi Usa and Ophelia felt a sense of foreboding in the Macedonian king's words. "By that, you mean Helios-sama?" Ophelia said slowly. Chibi Usa's eyes grew wide. Unlike Ophelia, who had been told privately about Demetrius' first letter to Helios by her brother, Chibi Usa had no idea Demetrius intended to meet Helios face to face.

"Yes," Demetrius closed his eyes and smiled, as if savoring the thought. When he opened his eyes again there was a light in his eyes, glowing like the fire of obsession. "I have wanted to meet him face to face for a long time. But I suppose I am being somewhat dishonest in that claim. I do want to meet him, but what I really want to see is something that he possesses: an item called the Golden Crystal."

A gasp was heard in the room. Ophelia's eyes shifted to Chibi Usa and saw her suddenly looking pale. Ophelia was bewildered, but Demetrius knew by Chibi Usa's reaction that his bet to reveal this bit of information had been correct. He continued on as before, "I know about its powers, the incredible strength that it bestows upon its possessor and I want to have that power for myself. That, above all, is the reason why I want to meet him."

"You can't!"

Chibi Usa's alarmed cry turned Ophelia's bewilderment into shock. "You can't do that! He…he'd-!" Chibi Usa chocked off the words she wanted to say, realized she might have spoken too much. Demetrius however, seemed to have satisfied whatever he was after and pushed himself away from the table and turned to the door.

"I have answered your question Ophelia-san. Until Helios arrives, I hope you and Princess Small Lady will enjoy your stay here," he said cordially before disappearing behind the flap of the tent. With Demetrius gone, Ophelia rushed up to Chibi Usa and found her trembling.

Despite words of concern from Ophelia, none of it registered then with Chibi Usa. She had never imagined what sort of a threat Demetrius posed to Helios. It wasn't simply Rhodes he was after, she realized: he was also after Helios' life and much, much more.

A/N I probably haven't finished a chapter this quickly in a long time; at least not since high school. (sweat drop) Hope you guys enjoyed it. There's gone be more fighting, more drama, and more revelations in the future chapters so please look forward to it!