Sailor Helga Prequel - Arnold and Helga's Past in the Future [COMPLETED]

Chapter 7

Work was in full-swing in the secret laboratory for Last Haste's ultimate weapon. Phoebe supervised the efforts of the scientists on duty, while Rhonda and Patty watched through the glass of a closed-off room above the laboratory.

"I don't think they'll ever get that suit fully operational," Patty said.

"Oh ye of little faith," chided Rhonda. "Actually, I have the feeling we're on the verge of a breakthrough..."

As she said this, the door leading into the laboratory burst open, and a group of mask-wearing men toting guns stormed the area.

The scientists were taken out instantly by the intruders; Phoebe ducked to the ground and crawled to a relatively safe corner of the lab.

Immediately, Patty grabbed Rhonda and pulled her away from the window; she kicked a table over to use as a shield and ducked behind it, cocking her gun.

"What about Phoebe?!" Rhonda said frantically.

"We're under attack," Patty said with emphasis. "Keeping you safe is my number one priority."

Meanwhile, Bridgette was running full tilt down the corridor leading to the lab, immediately aware that something was awry. She entered through the doors, stealthily; she counted six men with guns walking about on the lower level, rummaging about for valuables left behind by the slain scientists.

"I think that Moonie Doctor was here," said one of the masked men. "Find her, she couldn't have gone far."

It looked bad; there was only one way out of the laboratory, and it looked increasingly unlikely that Bridgette would be able to retrieve Dr. Heyerdahl and make it out in one piece.

That's when she made her decision: she would distract the men long enough to give the doctor and opportunity to escape.

It was suicide, of course; but she needed someone to make it to the palace to warn the others of the rebellion that was already in full swing.

Bridgette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Princess..."

She ran into the lab and leapt over the railing onto the lower levels of lab, skipping the stairs entirely.

"Hey! Over here!" she waved her arms erratically, getting the attention of the men so that they were all looking at her and not at the stairwell.

"Did you hear that?" said Rhonda. "Someone else is here. Maybe to save us!"

"Stay down!" Patty warned, but Rhonda crawled over to the window and peeked to the commotion down below.

"Who is she?" asked one of the men.

"Looks like royal stock," said another.

"Well then...this makes our purge of the castle that much easier," said a third, raising his weapon.

All the guns were pointed at Bridgette, who fully accepted her faith.

Phoebe cautioned a glance from her hiding place, then noticed that the stairway was free.

She had a clear opportunity to get away, and even went a few steps in the direction of freedom. But when her eyes met with Bridgette's she knew she couldn't abandon her.

"Leave her alone!" she cried. "It's me you want!"

The men turned around again.

"No....!" yelled Bridgette.

What happened next, even she couldn't anticipate. During her standoff with the armed men, Bridgette had been standing in front of the case that held the suit. When she called out, the suit began to glow. All eyes were on the case as the suit exploded out of its confinement and adorned itself upon Bridgette's body. She now wore the suit, which comprised of a pink and blue sailor collar a short pink and blue skirt with corresponding pink and blue detailed boots and pink and blue-detailed ¾-length gloves, which flared out at the elbow. The suit was completed by a gold tiara that rested on her forehead.

Bridgette looked at herself in total amazement and shock. "Whoa...what on earth is this get-up...?!"

"She knows magic? Take her out, men!"

All the guns fired at once; Bridgette held out her hand in front of her and a wave of pink, heart-shaped energy shot out, disintegrating the bullets before they could make impact. She looked closely at her hand, then made a fist and smiled.

"Awesome...." she waved her hand in a flourish as millions of tiny pink hearts appeared and slammed the men against the wall and the lab equipment. Knocking them all unconscious.

Phoebe walked over to the newly-suited Bridgette, still too stunned for words. "You...how did...?"

"Dr. Heyerdahl? My name's Bridgette; I'm from the palace," she shook her hand. "I'm taking you back with me – in case you haven't noticed, there's a rebellion going on."

Still too flustered for full sentences, Phoebe merely nodded her head. "As you wish," she finally said.

Bridgette grabbed Phoebe's hand and exited the lab, oblivious the pounding of Rhonda's angry fists against the glass from her hiding place.

"Wait! Come back!" Rhonda cried.

"We've got to get out of here before those men wake up," said Patty. "Then we'll stowaway in the panic room of your house until this all blows over."

"No! No panic room!" insisted Rhonda. "We've got to follow them to the palace!"

"The palace?! Didn't you hear what she just said? We're in the middle of a veritable war zone!"

"I don't care!" yelled Rhonda, going full temper-tantrum mode. "I've spent millions designing this suit and years on R&D trying to get it to work, and suddenly Miss Hero gets it up and running and just runs away with it? Uh-uh! No way! I WILL get a return on my investment or my name isn't Rhonda Wellington Lloyd! Now take me to the palace – that is an order!"

Patty put her gun back in its holster and sighed. "As you wish."