The Prison
Chapter Two
Second Day
Screams

Usagi awoke to screams the next morning. It was difficult to breathe due to the heavy weight on top of her. Her entire body was shielded, covered by Mamoru, who was lying directly over her body, pulling her arms close to her chest and hovering protectively.

For a moment she couldn't hear anything over the sound of screams coming from a few cells down the hallway, until Mamoru spoke directly into her ear. "When I move, get straight up and crawl under the bed. Stay there, no matter what you hear or see, until I tell you otherwise. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" It came out as a gasp as he was pressed firmly on top of her.

"In three, two, one, MOVE!"

As soon as he rolled off her, Usagi scrambled out of the bed and slid underneath it. There was only about two and a half feet of space from one side to the other of the bunk above her, and the bunks were about six feet in length. She estimated less than two feet from the floor to the springs under the bed, and shuddered at the tight space, but she would not disobey Mamoru.

The screams grew louder, and for a moment she wondered if someone was being raped, until she realized the screams were both male and female. She covered her ears, not wanting to hear anymore, but it did little more than lightly muffle the sounds. Tears fell from her eyes as she wondered what new horror this was. Shouts of the guards intermingled with the screams, and she heard someone shout that they wanted the people from another cell as well. She prayed with all her might they didn't enter this one.

She looked out from where she lay and realized all the other women were hiding as well, their men standing in front of each bunk, protecting them. Mamoru himself was standing against the wall between the bunk and the cell door, in the small space where he couldn't be seen. He was holding something in his hand that looked suspiciously like a long lead pipe.

These men were obviously willing to go to great lengths for the five women they now protected, and she was grateful, but concerned. She didn't want them to be injured if those guards chose this cell. It would break her heart if they were killed trying to protect her.

Usagi heard the sound of dragging feet and a loud scuffle, as one of the prisoners being dragged away was obviously fighting back. A small black streak slid through the bars and into their cell, and a moment later Usagi found herself cuddling a tiny black cat who had run into her arms. She held the feline close, stroking the fur on the back of her neck, for it was obviously a female, slightly rocking back and forth, crooning to the creature. It soothed her more than the animal, whose hair stood on end.

More screams were heard as another cell, this one further away, was entered by the guards. She didn't want to look as feet marched past her cell, but instinct made her stare at the large black boots, and the small slippered feet dragged behind them. Her second day in hell was not off to the best start.

Mamoru was thankful he'd been given a warning. It had been Nephrite's shift when the Taking had started. He and Makoto had both been awake and heard the heavy footfalls of the guards in enough time to warn him just before the screams began.

Something had told him if he didn't make sure Usagi understood the danger immediately, she would draw attention to herself. She might have run to the cell doors to see what was happening. Perhaps he had gone overboard, holding her entire body down, but he knew the screams would have frightened her terribly. He'd felt her shaking when the first one woke her.

The moment she was safely under the bed, he was already by the door, holding the pipe Motoki had smuggled in to him. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing, and he would die before he let them take Usagi or the others. He wanted to protect all of them, not just the women. But the other men felt the same way he did, and he was sure the girls did as well.

They had formed a tight bond since he'd taken them all under his wing, and now with Usagi added to the gang, he knew he had to work harder than ever to keep them safe. They had a full cell. That meant work details, but it was also a cause for concern as sometimes they targeted the full cells first. And many of the prisoners in theirs were high profile.

The guards were pulling people from cell 234, just down and across the hall. He knew many of the people in that cell and desperately wished for a way to help them, but he was trapped. He could hear Usagi crying and saw one of the mousers streak through the hallway, racing into their cell through the open bars.

He hefted his pipe closer and lifted it up to his chest as he saw the worst guard of the bunch. A red-haired man with dark green eyes that glittered with malice when he looked at women. He enjoyed being a prison guard far too much and had harmed more women than any of the prisoners combined. For once Mamoru was thankful they didn't keep track of which cells the prisoners went to.

When the cell was empty of people, Mamoru stayed still and silent. He heard the screams of people from another cell. Whatever it was they were doing, they had Taken far more than normal. Sometimes they took only one person at a time, other times an entire cell, but never two full cells at once. There had been one time when they had taken an entire wing, but Mamoru couldn't believe they had needed so many.

He had to get the others out.

It took more than an hour for the screams to die away entirely, and another twenty minutes or so for Mamoru and the others to relax their guard enough to let them come out of their hiding places. When Usagi emerged with the cat in her arms, it was cuddled tightly against her, purring. The girls quickly saw the addition to their group and came to greet the creature, who barely opened her eyes.

Minako noticed a black smudge on the cat's forehead and she and Usagi went into the bathroom to try and wash the inky stuff off her. But though they removed some of it, not all came away, and the cat, unhappy being near the water, hissed and scratched at them until they shut it off, though she did not try to escape Usagi's arms.

"We won't be leaving the cells today," Rei announced when they went back out. "On a Taking day they never let us out." She shuddered in revulsion.

"A Taking day? What's that?"

It was Mamoru who answered, gently pulling her to sit back on the bunk. The others moved to theirs as well, and the mood was somber. "A Taking day happens with no warning. Though you can be pretty certain it won't happen two days in a row, but aside from that no one knows when it will happen, or how many will be taken. Sometimes only three or four prisoners are taken. Sometimes entire cells. Once, an entire wing."

Usagi shuddered and Mamoru put his arm around her. "Where do they take them? How long are they gone?"

"We don't know where they take them." Answered Makoto. "But they never come back." She gave a quiet moan and continued. "Three days after I was put here, back when I was in another cell, with almost all females, I ended up in the infirmary. I'd been stabbed by someone who was trying to take my food. I guess he didn't like that I didn't immediately hand it over. So, I was gone, and I never heard the screams. I wasn't prepared. When I went back to my cell the next morning, everyone was just gone."

"I've been here the longest," said Mamoru quietly. "I got here three weeks after the prison opened. That was nearly four months ago, and since then, I've heard them take people twenty-seven times if you include this morning."

Usagi felt silent tears creeping down her cheeks. "Why?" She sniffled. "Those people sounded so terrified. I really wish we could do something about it."

"Maybe we will, someday," Mamoru muttered. "But for now, I want you to learn to defend yourself. Let's start with some stretches and then we can teach you the basics."

He hated seeing Usagi cry. It tore at him in a way he didn't understand. He wondered if she remembered him. Wondered if she knew that they had met only days before he was thrown into the prison. The man she'd been with must have been her father. He had looked desperate and worried.

Mamoru wondered if he had already been writing the underground news stories, or if that had come later. It was probably the reason he was dead, but it filled Mamoru with hope to know that someone had fought back, even knowing the consequences. If one could fight back, maybe others could as well.

His own little resistance movement wasn't doing very well. Mostly Motoki smuggled news or medicine into the prison, and very rarely he was able to smuggle someone out. It was only possible because no real records were kept. Mamoru was rather certain it was assumed by the guards and everyone else, that if a person entered the prison, they would never leave. It didn't matter if the sentence was a day, a year, or life. They weren't expected to survive.

He turned his focus entirely onto Usagi, making sure her posture was correct, that she had balance and the ability to do what was necessary to protect herself. There might come a time when none of the others were alive to help her. And she had to live. She just had to.

He worked her much harder than he had the other girls when they first arrived, making sure she knew the basics. Before he was done for the morning she had thrown little Ami over her shoulder. He didn't congratulate her. None of them did. It was a tiny thing, and there was far too much to learn to celebrate the first victory.

Usagi was hungry. It was nearing midday, and no one had brought them breakfast. Mamoru had worked her hard all morning, and said he intended for her to train twice a day every day. She hadn't felt this tired in a long time, but after hearing the screams that morning, she hadn't argued once, and she had put every bit of effort into it.

She was afraid, terribly afraid, that at the next Taking the guards would come for the people she was beginning to care for. The cat, one of a dozen or so prison mousers according to Minako, had lain on her pillow while she trained, but immediately after she sat the little one was back on her lap. Usagi really didn't mind. When the cat started purring it made her feel better.

"Ladies, please go into the bathroom for a few minutes." Kunzite's voice was smooth, and didn't sound afraid, but there was a tension in the air. "And take the cat."

Usagi and the others instantly obeyed. There was a curtain in the shower, and they pulled it mostly closed. They could hear footsteps approaching the cell doors.

"Ten now," said a male in a soft voice. "Here's your rations, not much extra." The girls heard a crinkling and rustling and then the clink of a metal tray being set on one of the tables. "Watch for the red-haired guard today. He was the one who booked Usagi. He wants her. Keep her out of sight if you can." There was the sound of cellophane and plopping sound as something else was put on the desk. "Seventeen taken today." Footsteps and squeaky wheels faded into the distance, but none of the men sounded the all-clear.

Shaking, and pulling herself deeper into the corner as she remembered the red-haired guard who had refused to stop touching her as she'd dressed, she let Makoto, the tallest of the girls, lean back against her and her new pet, who was now quivering on her shoulder. "Don't worry," said the girl with cinnamon hair. "We won't let him near you."

Usagi shivered and thanked her in a hoarse whisper. "I'm so scared."

Admitting it didn't seem like a weakness with just the girls in the room. "Ever since they killed my father, I've gotten more and more afraid. And just when I think it's impossible to get any more frightened, something new happens."

"Why did they kill your father?" Ami's voice was full of sorrow, as though she understood the pain of lost loved ones.

"He was a reporter. He ran an underground paper trying to convince people to fight against... HER." Usagi had long learned not to say the name aloud. Her father had drilled it into her head not to call attention to herself in such a way. She'd noticed the others were the same. No one mentioned the name.

"My mother was killed because she wouldn't stop an operation to help some general." Ami shuddered. "I got locked in here for stealing food a few days later. It's been almost two months. I was sentenced to five years."

"My parents were lucky enough. We were all on our way to England, and they were already on the truck when the soldiers came. I was in the bathroom and got caught. I screamed for the driver to go and let them take me. Been here about six weeks." This was from Minako. "I got five years too."

"I've been here a month," Rei said. "I threatened some people who were planning to burn down the Hikawah Shrine, where my grandfather and I live and work because he didn't put up signs that the kami supported HER. I got eight years."

"My parents passed away when I was younger," Makoto admitted. "I got put in here because one of the new leaders wanted me for... well, I fought back, and I've been here three weeks. Ten years for me."

"The guys, except Mamoru have all been here about three months." Ami continued. "SHE wanted them to be her generals or something, but she'd made the mistake of killing their families. They're all cousins. They fought back and ended up here. They were supposed to have been in a Taking, but by then Mamoru had found them and moved them here. They slept in the shower for almost a week before they were forgotten about."

"This is all just so horrible. Someone has to stop this." Usagi's fists clenched. "I saw what was happening to people all over Tokyo. Saw people starving, and after I watched them murder my father, I stole enough money to smuggle my mom and brother out. I'm hoping they reached my aunt and cousin in Kofu."

"Where'd you find the money?" asked Makoto, sounding stunned.

"Took it from one of the Followers who was running OSA-P. They took over after my friend's family disappeared. When I was there I saw all this paperwork on something called the Negaverse and raising a Dark Kingdom in the safe. I think it was that, more than the money, that got me sent here."

The other girls nodded.

"The smugglers are the only ones making any money outside the prisons anymore. Now, it's almost impossible to get out of Tokyo. Fences are going up, and guards walk inside and outside of them day and night. It was nearly impossible to find a smuggler who could manage it so quickly."

Minako sounded impressed. "How long did you get?"

"Fifteen years. But the guard who booked me said that I'd be lucky if I lasted one." She shuddered again, remembering his hands on her. "He kept saying if I wanted protection I should go to him, but he made my skin crawl."

"That's because he's a rapist and, we think, a murderer too," said Mamoru from the bathroom doorway. All of them turned to look at him. "We're going to try and keep you out of his view as much as possible. In order to do that, we need to change your hair."

Usagi only nodded. She let him lead her out of the bathroom and back to their bunk. There was nothing to cut her hair with, so he settled for removing it from the buns and putting it in a long braid down her back. Every time his fingers brushed the nape of her neck Usagi's body reacted, sending shivers through her belly.

"It's not perfect, but it's the best I can do. I'll see if one of the guards will smuggle me something. I might be able to dye it. Not much else to do with my money these days. My friend had it all turned into gold for me before I was put in here, and I've kept it hidden ever since." He swiped his own hair out of his eyes.

"Now, change clothes with Rei." he ordered, and she and Rei went into the shower again and pulled the curtain, so they could change. Rei's outfit was a bit too big on her, making her look ten pounds heavier. Hers was small on Rei the pant legs lifted above her slippers by more than two inches. She ended up calling Ami and getting a spare set from her.

When she left the bathroom, Mamoru nodded in approval and pulled her down to sit next to him, away from the door. "Stay out of sight of the door as much as possible for now," he said.

"Okay." She shuddered again at the thought of the guard. Changing the subject seemed like a good idea. "Why did they put you here?" Usagi asked in a small voice, unsure if she should be asking.

"I wouldn't go along with the new leader. She wanted me to lead with her... and marry her." he said the last part so quietly she almost didn't hear. "I'd never even met her before she had me pulled into her office one day. She kept trying to get me to talk to someone named Metalia, and these guards were trying to grab me and pull me to this door. I fought and ran. I was put in here and left to rot until I die. So were they," he pointed to the other men.

He paused then and smiled down at her. "Do you remember me?" he asked.

A vision played in Usagi's mind. She had been at the government building with her father to deliver paperwork. As they had been going down one of the corridors, the stairwell door had opened and a young man with thick black hair, falling over his eyes, had run right into her father. She had helped him up and pointed toward the lobby, not realizing he was in danger.

After he had run off her father had started pulling her to a side exit and she'd realized the boy was in trouble. She'd wanted to go back but her father insisted she would have done no good. Usagi had been so worried and frightened. She'd asked her father if he would help. It was shortly after that they had all begun working in the resistance. The article about that boy was the first one her father had written. Only now she been thrown into prison with him. That boy had been Mamoru. How strange a place the world was…

"I think I do. I saw you in the government building," she said, her eyes trained on his face.

"That was me."

"Wow."

"From now on," Mamoru said, changing the subject, "if you see a guard, put your face against my chest, or hide behind me or one of the others. We have to keep you out of sight."

"And we also need to work on our strategy for getting that gang to stop trying to push us out." Added Nephrite, looking worriedly at Makoto. "If they go after her again..." He let the threat hang.

"I'd really rather find a way to get the hell out of here and take down... HER." Usagi said quietly. "When I was being booked..." she really didn't want to talk about this. In fact, she'd planned to forget she'd ever seen anything. She took a deep breath.

"They were booking a bunch of us at the same time. Mostly women... and kids. Some of them as young as eight or nine I think. That guard said they would be kept separately, but I want to get them out. What if one of the black-jumpsuit guys or a bad guard gets hold of one of them?"

Mamoru had known about the children. Motoki wouldn't say much, but they had been the main focus when they smuggled someone out, until Motoki and the other guards were told they were no longer necessary in that wing. After that there were only four guards allowed to see them.

It upset Mamoru and Motoki both, but they had shifted their focus to the youngest females brought in to the adult wings. Some of them were fourteen or fifteen. Too young to be with the rest of the population.

With a sigh he urged Usagi to eat. Motoki had obviously done more than he claimed. Each of the bowls were more than half full, a great improvement for a day when they remained in their cells.

He wondered about the former owners of OSA-P. Usagi said they had all gone missing. Had they been brought to the prison or killed? Or, could they have left on their own? He hoped, for Usagi's sake, that it was the third option.

Silence reigned while they ate. There wasn't anything they could say. All of them were trapped with no way out. What help could they offer?

Talk died after Usagi's announcement, and Makoto went to the table holding the food and began to split it up. There were bowls covered in a thin plastic wrap, and rolls, and what looked like energy bars. There was nothing to drink, but Mamoru pointed out a stack of thin plastic disposable cups on one of the shelves. "Don't eat everything at once," he warned. "Save some for your dinner."

Usagi knew that the food situation was going to become a problem for her. She needed more food that most people because of an abnormally high metabolism and an overactive thyroid. She said nothing for now though. She couldn't see herself taking food from anyone else. She was struggling with all the information she'd received that morning, and as the day wore on, she worried over some of it. It seemed that her group had some especially high-priority people in it, which meant they could be specifically targeted.

She licked her thumb and rubbed at the spot on the cat's forehead. It seemed like there was a yellow marking underneath the smudge, and she wanted to see what it was. She was at it for several minutes when she could make out the outline of what appeared to be a crescent moon. Eventually she got most of the inky black stain and held the cat up to inspect her.

"You look so much better now!" she told the cat in a serious voice. "I wish I knew your name."

She cuddled with her and babied her. She missed her family. Her mother and brother were hopefully safely in Kofu, and maybe they and her cousin and aunt could be smuggled out of the country. Her father was gone, murdered because he dared to tell the truth, and her uncle had passed away from cancer. It was hard for her to imagine what life would be like if she ever got out of the prison. She would have no one to turn to.

The sound of heavily thudding footsteps approached, and the girls and cat swiftly ran for the bathroom again, but Usagi fell on the uneven concrete. She picked herself up but was not in time to avoid the gaze of the guard. Suddenly four men were between her and the cell door, and Mamoru, who had taken his position against the bunk-bed near the bars, hid in his small nook and raised the pipe above his head.

There was a shout of harsh laughter. "Do you really think that could stop me if I really wanted her?" asked the red-haired man. "I swear the four of you are trouble. Almost as much as that other fellow. His eyes darted to the side as if he could see Mamoru. "She is rather pretty, but I think I have someone else in mind." Usagi sagged with relief. He hadn't recognized her.

"I've come to tell you, now that you have a full cell, you will be starting a work detail. In the morning instead of going to a day cell you will follow the yellow line and go to the yard behind the prison where you will be given further instructions. If all ten of you don't return, your sleep cell will be the next Taken." He turned and left.

Mamoru sighed with relief and lowered the pipe. He'd wished with all his might that the guard would not recognize the girl. He was coming to care for her greatly and he couldn't bear the thought of that man getting his hands on her.

He hid the pipe under the edge of the top bunk, where it had somehow been missed during every inspection, just like his hidden cache of gold. He wasn't sure what miracle was causing it to be that way, but he was grateful.

He could hear Usagi's stomach growling throughout the evening and offered her his protein bar, but she refused to take it, saying he needed it as much as she did. Frustrated he ran his fingers through his hair, wanting to scream, but he kept his mouth shut. All he wanted was to protect her, to get her out, but she was too noticeable to smuggle into the city.

He needed another miracle.

Usagi's stomach growled furiously, but she still shared a few bites of her food with Luna. Their stretching and training was done for the night, and though Usagi felt tired she was worried she would get no sleep. She sat next to Mamoru, wondering what work they would be doing the next day.

She was concerned that the red-haired guard would see through her disguise eventually. Her mind went back to the children she'd seen being booked the day before. Thoughts of her mother and brother swirled through her head, and she couldn't think straight because Mamoru's thigh was pressed against her own, and his heat was soaking into her, making her want things she didn't understand.

When she was finally laying on her side, facing the wall, Mamoru snaked his hand over her, wrapping around her belly and pulling her tightly against him. He hummed a tune in her ear. For just a moment she thought she should recognize it, but it faded from memory and she was left listening to the soothing deep tones of his voice. She felt him brush his lips over the nape of her neck and shivered, unable to help herself from pressing against him.

She didn't understand how she was coming to care about him so much, so quickly. She'd known him a day, and already she felt right in his arms. He had tried to give her part of his food. She was grateful, but if he was going to protect everyone, he had to be strong.

Feeling safe and cared for she drifted. Sleep came, and with it dreams of dancing with him on the moon.

Holding Usagi in his arms was a dream come true. With Jadeite and Rei taking the first watch, Mamoru closed his eyes and let himself imagine what life might be like with Usagi if they weren't trapped in the prison. She would be in high school and he would be in college. They might have been dating and maybe she would hold on to his arms and drag him around stores like he had seen other girls do with their boyfriends.

A smile spread over his face at the thought. In a perfect world, one day they might marry and have children. A dozen, if he had his way. They would be more than husband and wife. They would be best friends, and lovers and everything to one another.

Sleep took him and he slipped into a dream about dancing with his little Usako on the moon.

Original Chapter 2 Reviews

Sailor Moon-fan chapter 2 . Aug 31, 2018
Well written! Hope Usagi and others come up with a plan that will make it possible to escape.

TropicalRemix chapter 2 . Aug 31, 2018
if luna can talk to them are they going to get powers to get out of there?

haruka-usagi-forever chapter 2 . Aug 31, 2018
This is very well written. I was a bit confused about the field part but everything else made sense to me. Keep up the good work!
Sailor Silver Ladybug - Answer - In answer... I meant like a prison yard... There's a task that needs to be done

SaturnnFoxx chapter 2 . Sep 1, 2018
This fic is so good! It's got me sucked in. I like how immersive the world is without being unnecessarily long winded. Can't wait for the next part!

Sailor MH chapter 2 . Sep 4, 2018
I really like your story!

Isis Aurora Tomoe chapter 2 . Sep 5, 2018
I like this! I can't wait to read more!