TRAPPED!
By Krysia
Rated: PG-13-ish
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon Not mine
Chapter 18"Give me that communicator, Mamoru-baka. I want to talk." Usagi made a face at the dark-haired man sitting next to her on the futon.
Mamoru winked then responded. "You'll probably break it with a klutz attack, odango."
A slight frown creased the blonde's features. She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted. They may be pretending to argue, but she still didn't like the fact that her favorite hairstyle was absent. "Don't call me that, baka. Especially since I don't have odangos right now." She reached across and tried to snag the communicator from Mamoru. "Guys! I don't need my books, just bring manga."
Mamoru jerked back slightly as he suddenly found his annoyed sprite reaching across him for the communicator he held. Her arm brushed across his bare chest causing his breath to quicken slightly. He needed her to move away. Now. "Hey! Watch it, klutz!"
Usagi continued to grab for the communicator, unaware how she was pressed up against her scantily clad roommate. "You watch it, jerk."
Mamoru, in desperation, went for the shock effect. "Get your hands off me!"
Usagi glanced up to look at Mamoru and began to blush, as their faces were mere inches apart. "Watch what you are doing!" She shoved herself away from him and in the process, knocked the communicator from his hand and sent it flying. It clattered on the hardwood floor, just past the edge of the futon.
Both stared at the piece of equipment in horror for a moment before scrambling awkwardly towards it. Mamoru reached the communicator first. He was about the push the call button when he heard Minako's voice come through. "Usagi-chan! Mamoru-kun!"
Panic melted away to relief when Usagi realized the communicator wasn't broken. Mamoru began to raise the communicator towards his mouth to respond before Usagi lunged across him and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Don't. Let them worry."
Mamoru's eyes widened in surprise. "Usa-chan, where did you get such a devious mind?"
She tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulders with a quick shake of her head and subtly removed her hand from his arm, "I can be quite smart, I'd just rather not waste my abilities on schoolwork." She turned her nose up in the air haughtily, more to keep from staring at Mamoru. She could get used to those smiles, except they made her heart beat fast and she could feel herself getting flustered by the way he addressed her as Usa. It seemed so much more personal as if they were friends or something. She shuffled away slightly to give them some space. This short-term truce was causing her to forget how much they despised one another. How much they really disliked one another. They were enemies, weren't they?
Usagi's gaze became unfocused as her thoughts ran along the same vein. The Dark Kingdom was her enemy. She abhorred Beryl's generals and all the pain and suffering they caused to innocent people. The strong feelings she felt towards them weren't anything like what she felt for Mamoru. So, did that mean she didn't hate Mamoru? If she didn't hate him, then what did she feel for him?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Mamoru rapped his knuckles gently against her forehead disturbing Usagi's thoughts.
"Hello. Anyone home?"
Blue fire flashed through Usagi's eyes and she took a swipe at the hand that was distracting her. Mamoru avoided being struck and looked worriedly at her.
"Are you OK, Usa?
"I'm fine, just thinking," she snapped back. Her cheeks tinted slightly from anger and embarrassment.
Mamoru, in his wisdom, decided not to question what she was thinking about. Usually, Usagi was like an open book, her emotions easy to read as they played across her face. For a moment, her thoughts were unreadable, intense. Instead, he made his way to the kitchen area to begin preparing dinner. Usagi went and tossed herself down on the futon to ponder some more.
The two ate in companionable silence consuming the meal that Mamoru prepared for the two of them. Usagi was concentrating on eating her food slowly, trying to show her roommate that she was not without manners. Mamoru was sitting across from her, but his gaze was directed at the wall somewhere above Usagi's head. He was obviously lost in thought.
Mamoru knew that he needed to focus on what needed to happen later tonight. Chances were that Motoki and the girls would heed his plea for schoolwork and try to sneak it to them tonight without them knowing. But what had Usagi been thinking about earlier. She had been so serious, so unlike her. Again, this bundle of sunshine revealed another facet to her personality that he had been unaware of. He made sure to school his features so that his roommate would not know of his thoughts. His fear was that Motoki's plan was working. By spending time with 'Odango', she was become less annoying and more alluring. He needed to escape soon or he would totally betray his princess. If he hadn't already.
"Mamoru-kun?"
Mamoru blinked and swung his attention to the girl sitting across from him. "Yes?"
She set her silverware upon her clean plate and linked her hands together and placed them in her lap. "Maybe we should talk about our plan if they decide to come tonight." Blue eyes looked at him warily.
He ran a hand through his dark hair before responding. "You're right. Though I'm not really good at advance planning. I'm more of a 'fly-by- the seat of your pants' guy."
Laughter rang out from his companion. "I would expect you to have every moment of your day scheduled right down to the minute." Her eyes filled with mirth as she acknowledged his confession.
He grimaced at her. "I am pretty organized, but organization and plotting someone's demise are totally different. Besides, I'm beginning to think that is a 'girl trait'. Look at the situation we are in thanks to your friends."
Usagi narrowed her eyes slightly before smiling. "I'll be sure to let Motoki know that you think he is girly. After all, he seems to be quite involved in this 'situation'."
"You know that's not what I meant," Mamoru chided.
"What you meant and what you said are two different things Mamoru-kun," sang Usagi. This light-hearted teasing was better than the bickering they normally indulged in.
Her dark-haired companion just shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "So, what do you propose?"
"Well, there really isn't too much we can do except wait for them to come. There are only two entrances into the apartment: the door and the window. They have to unlock the door and shove stuff in OR come in through the window. So, we each camp out next to one and just wait for them. Either way, their hands will be full with our stuff so they should be easy to catch them by surprise." Usagi finished her statement with a triumphant flourish.
Mamoru tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That sounds pretty good. I can't think of anything else that they could do. After all, it's not like they have magic powers at their disposal."
Usagi's smile faltered slightly, but resolutely kept her expression gleeful. 'Oh man. I didn't even think about the possibility of them using their senshi powers. Though, they really can't with Mamoru here.'
Mamoru narrowed his gaze slightly. Usagi was hiding something. "Ok. I'll sit by the door and you guard the window. We'll start watching after dark. Mostly likely they will wait until they think we are asleep."
After the meal was cleaned up and dishes put away, they made light conversation until it fell dark. Thanks to the shortening daylight hours it wasn't very long. Each moved to their respective positions. Mamoru was discreetly observing Usagi, trying to figure out what she had been unwilling to share with him earlier. Usagi was again lost in her thoughts with a pensive expression settled upon her visage.
The senshi's auras were lighting up the evening sky. Venus aimed her arm at the youma before her. "Crescent Beam!" Gold light came out from her gloved hand and hit the youma in the shoulder area. The creature grunted before lumbering towards the blonde senshi.
"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter's attack smashed into its back causing it to pause and look over its shoulder. He was sandwiched between the green and the gold senshi and was confused at which to attack. Mercury and Mars were also trading attacks with their youma. Unfortunately, this left their strategist unable to pull out her computer and analyze the creatures and offer advice on how to defeat them.
Artemis and Luna sat out of site on the fringe of the battlefield. "This is not good Luna. The Dark Kingdom has never sent two youma before. I'm not sure our girls can handle this without Sailor Moon."
Luna continued to face straight ahead not removing her eyes from the senshi. "I know Artemis. Do you even know where Usagi is? I haven't been able to drag anything out of the girls. Even Ami." Her voice was laced with frustration. "I don't even see the point in this. So what if she and Mamoru-san fight? The last thing Usagi needs is a boyfriend. She has a hard enough time focusing on her mission and her schoolwork. She doesn't need any other distractions."
Artemis sighed. He knew Luna's memories were not as complete as his own were. He wasn't totally convinced that this was necessary. But Venus was sure. He remembered that she was the leader of the senshi on the moon, not Sailor Moon. He knew that she was remembering more than the other girls were. He trusted her. The two of them worked and trained so well in England that he learned to trust her instincts. So far, they have never failed them.
Determinedly the senshi continued to strike their opponents, timing their attacks so that the youma were confused who to attack and unable to launch a decent offensive. Eventually, they were able to overcome the monsters, but only at the point of near exhaustion.
They slumped against one another for a moment before Mars raised her head and asked tiredly, "What time is it?"
Matching looks of horror graced their features before Mercury resignedly answered after a quick examination of her watch, "8:55."
Jupiter groaned. "We only have 5 minutes to get to the arcade. And we still need to get Usagi's stuff."
Venus shook her head. "Nope. I have her stuff in my sub space pocket. We'll just dash over to the arcade and remove our transformations there."
Following Venus's lead, the senshi took to the rooftops to make their 9pm appointment with Motoki. They never noticed Zoisite hidden in the shadows listening to them. He had almost attacked after the defeat of the youma with the premise that they would be completely weakened after their battle. But the thought of them possibly leading him to Sailor Moon was enticing enough to cause him to pause and listen.
The doors of the arcade swung open at 9pm on the dot. Motoki was waiting at a booth with a stack of books on the table beside him. The arcade was nearly empty, only a few dedicated soles remained. Minako walked over and plopped a similar stack on the table next to them. "Here is Usagi-chan. I think we are all set. We can take them over tonight."
Motoki rose from his chair and started to pick up the books. "It's dark and getting late. How about I walk with you?"
Makoto rushed over to Motoki and tried removing the books from his arms. "That's ok Motoki-kun. There are four of us. We're fine."
Motoki was about to object when a flurry of pink petals flew about the room. Zoisite appeared in the air before them.
"Where are the sailor senshi? I know they must be here."
Motoki stepped in front of the girls protectively. "The sailor senshi are not here."
Zoisite glared at the young man challenged him. "They came this way. I heard them and followed them from the last battle." He looked speculatively at the four girls huddled together.
"OK, girls. Time for Plane C," yelled Minako. She thrust her henshin wand in the air. "Venus Power!"