Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, or any other anime. There, happy now?
"Commissioner, Your two O'clock has arrived." The Commissioner of the Tokyo police departments looked up at his intercom, thankful for the respite from his paper work.
"Send them in." He stood smiling in greeting as Captain Sariko Makata and Luna Tsukino entered his office. "Ah ladies, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" The commissioner genuinely liked and respected both women. They sat, and he followed their lead waiting patiently.
"I am afraid this is about the Explorers organization you have spearheaded, Commissioner." Luna spoke first, sitting on the edge of the chair in that slightly unnerving manner of hers. For some reason it always reminded him of how a cat considered a mouse. "There is a problem that must be fixed."
"What problem? Every precinct it has been active in has said only good things about the boys. I didn't even think you had any in your house yet Sariko.
"I don't, but I am hoping you will help me change that. The problem isn't with the program, but its scope. As you said, the BOYS are doing quite well."
"I'm not sure I understand..."
"It's the fact that they ARE all boys." Luna jumped in. "What about young women who have an intrest in a police career?"
"But police stations aren't proper places..."
"I hope you aren't going to say young women sir." Captain Makata picked the discussion up again. "After all, I had THOUGHT you were one of my supporters. Besides, several of our best officers are still fairly young women."
"Well okay, that is true." The Commissioner agreed, trying to rally.
Luna continued the tag teaming. "Then I suppose you won't mind signing these two orders. I've already offered to monitor the young people our branch of the Explorers will recruit for the 9th precinct. All that is needed is your stamp of approval." Luna stood, offering the sheets for stamping and signature.
"That is, unless you want me to disappoint several girls by saying you didn't want to give them a chance." The female police captain fired one last shot into the already crumbling wall.
"Okay! You made your point!" He quickly signed both papers. "Happy?"
"Of course not. It means more work for both of us. You probably made the right choice though." Luna said, tucking the sheets under her arm.
"Nurturing the young is important." The Captain agreed. "Even if it means having teens underfoot."
"We'll just give these to your secretary outside." Luna assured the man, then they were gone.
Outside the building, several minutes later, the captain stopped the cat-girl. "What was the second sheet?"
"Oh, just an authorization for Maya Shin to be allowed to test for Sergeant. The promotion board was taking to long."
"Ahh." The other woman nodded. "How about a late lunch, my treat."
"Sounds good."
Moon Cats: Fearful Symmetry
Chapter 8
"Hello Usagi, Hotaru." Hibuki smiled at the two girls. "I know Usagi wanted to be here, but what about you Hotaru?"
"My guardians thought it would be good for me to have some out of school interests. That and Luna urged me to."
"I know she got the other... inners I think you call them?" The girls nodded. "They are in the house across the street, though. Why both of you here?"
Hotaru blushed, looked nervous and stared at the floor. Usagi ended up answering for her. "She can heal people with a touch."
"Really?" Hibuki raised an eyebrow at that. "How well?"
"She's saved my life, and the rest of us. It's exhausting for her though."
Hibuki nodded and considered the nervous, dark haired girl. "And why are you so nervous?"
"Everyone calls me names like freak after they find out. They act like I'm some kind of monster."
'They are fools, then." Hibuki waved a hand, dismissing 'them' out of hand. "Now around here, we have two shape shifting cats, a yakuza princess, a magical prince, a Kappa who comes to visit with lunch from time to time, and a walking paperweight for whom the uniforms are building cat-walks, pun intended, for." Hibuki shook his head. "Heck girl, I doubt they'd notice if you wandered around in your fuku's some days. Your healing ability won't bother anyone." He didn't mention that he was really happy to have THAT little trick in his bullpen.
"Oh. Um. Okay." The pale girl said. She hadn't quite thought of it that way.
"Good. Now as for what you girls will do around here. While on occasion you'll ride along on our 'trouble spot patrols' you're both generally going to be around here playing assistant to whichever of the detectives or staff need one. I do not, however, expect you to spend most of your time around Mamoru, Usagi."
The blond giggled nervously.
"Now, unless absolutely necessary, you won't transform and try to take on monsters while we are dealing with them. We will be able to handle more then you might think and if things do get ugly I will happily accept the help then, but only then."
"Now one last thing, something I want you two used to seeing." Hibuki reached into his desk, and revealed a holstered pistol. "Most of the staff is going to start carrying these soon, and you'll have to get used to seeing them. Myself, Luna and Detective Shimaka are actually scheduled to complete our proficiency training today and you're coming along so we can show you what you have to know if one somehow gets dropped in you're path." He paused. "And no I don't mean using it. I mean unloading and safing it. I don't want uneducated children around guns, I already have interns as it is. You two have a hell of a lot more combat experience and I expect more out of you."
"Yes sir." Both girls replied both eyeing the gun nervously.
"Good, any questions?"
"Where's Reika? We looked for her while you were in your meeting, and couldn't find her anywhere."
"Artemis needed her for something. He didn't say what."
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"You want me to what?" Reika hissed at the white cat in her arms.
"Throw me over the fence. It's electrified so I can't just climb it."
"Why?"
"I got a tip that these guys are playing with something left behind after a Senshi battle. From the sounds of it, the got a Daemon egg intact."
Reika looked at the warning sign, which read [Biogentec Research: Warning, Electric fence.] "You think they are trying to make monsters?"
"I don't know. I just have to get to their computers inside. They keep the research data off Internet accessible computers or I'd have just hacked them. Now come on!"
"And how do we get you back out?"
"Just ask the guard on duty if he'd seen your lost cat in about an hour. I'll meow, he'll hand me over, and all is right with the world. Now throw me please!"
Shrugging, she tossed him up and over the fence, watching as he face planted on the other side. The cat rose, and spit out some grass. "I thought cats landed on their feet." Reika said.
"Usually, when we're given a little warning.
"Hey, you asked!"
"I know, I know. Meet me at the front gate in one hour."
"Okay, just hurry!"
Artemis nodded and ran towards the large, low building of Biogentecs primary research lab. Stealthily the white cat crept around to the back of the building where he got lucky and found an open cargo dock. Slipping in while several workmen and a woman in a lab coat unloaded a box marked 'Neptune Microsystems.' Chuckling softly he noted it down to tell Michiru about later.
Running through the halls Artemis kept close to the walls, ducking behind equipment when ever possible while making sure that no witnesses were around to spot him. He carefully kept track of the rooms he passed the Map he'd downloaded of the facility sharp in his mind. He reached the door he was looking for, the only lab that the project wasn't listed for on the main, Internet vulnerable computer system. Artemis smiled because there were no guards around the doors.
"Maybe I won't have to hack the Intranet here then." He muttered, slipping beside a nearby soda machine. With a flip and a small lightshow the cats disguise pen appeared. "Make me a scientist!"
Soon he was back at the door, opening the shockingly unlocked door. Slipping inside he found... nothing. The lab was not in use, apparently having been converted into an equipment storeroom. "Well great."
Slipping back out, he walked through the halls, this time headed for the central computer servers while he admitted to himself it was quite possible that the information his contact, otherwise known as the internet rumor mill, was wrong. It wasn't in Artemis's nature to just give up, though.
"Watch out! It's loose again!" The yell, from behind Artemis, brought him up short. Spinning he saw nothing for a moment, then a metal... something came around the corner and slammed into the Neko-jin plowing him into a wall. The last thought as he slipped unconscious was 'Reika's gonna kill me.'
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"Okay, Lieutenant, you pass. Now you Ms. Tsukino."
"What?" Usagi, standing next to Hotaru, looked at the SDF sergeant in confusion until Luna patted her shoulder. "He means me, Usagi." She said, stepping up to the firing booth and slipped a clip into the pistol. "I still don't agree that I need to learn how to use these."
"I know Luna, but the brass insists."
"I know. Whenever you are ready, Sergeant."
The SDF non-com sent a paper target down the range. "When ever your ready, ma'am."
Luna calmly brought up the pistol, and squeezed the trigger thirteen nearly mechanical times. Shimaka, still waiting his turn, shook his head. "Luna, you really should take time between shots to aim again." He said, while the sergeant collected the target.
"Another perfect round, Ms. Tsukino. You have to share your secret." The sergeant chuckled, ignoring the mass face-fault behind him.
"Actually Sergeant, I think I could have grouped those a bit tighter. I hit the ring once, see?"
"Still counts as in the ten ring, ma'am. Next you, Mr. Shimaka."
Hibuki, the one CAPPA who'd had an occasion to practice with Luna other then Artemis just chuckled as his old partner stepped up to the firing line. The trill of his cellular phone drew him away from the shooting. "Hibuki here."
"Lieutenant, this is Reika." The young woman's voice came across the phone. "There is a problem sir! Artemis went in to investigate but... He didn't come out!"
AN: Might be a little short and I'm sorry. If your wondering about the gun issue with the girls, I know several cops and all of them are fanatical about people knowing the proper way to handle a gun, so they don't accidentally shoot them. One of them MADE me learn how to work his pistol, even though I wasn't really eager to, 'just in case.' This isn't universal, but it is frankly safer to make sure people know something, then let them run of what they see on TV.