Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse
a Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover
Chapter 12: Collision Course
8-26-2017
By Grey-X
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the creation and property of Naoko Takeuchi and Toei Animation. X-Men is the creation and property of Stan Lee, Marvel Comics and Disney.
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After having to wait almost half a day for the Inner Senshi to report back from D-Point, Sailor Chibi-Moon thought nothing could try her patience like that again. However, only an hour had passed after the stakeout of the shipyard began, and Chibi-Moon already felt like she was losing her mind. She was only dimly aware that the sun had disappeared in the west, beyond the buildings, as she kept looking through the scope of her rifle.
It was handy for looking about the shipyard, scanning for anything fishy, especially from her vantage point. Chibi-Moon lay flat on her belly on a crate suspended by a crane. From here, she could see pretty much the whole shipyard. Ami, Rei and Michiru all had ways that could warn them that Eclipse had arrived, so they all had taken position down on the ground somewhere. Up here, Chibi-Moon could not only see just about everything, but would have the perfect shot once the other Senshi made their move. Assuming Eclipse even showed up, and she was sure taking her sweet time. Her and Usagi both.
Thankfully, Chibi-Moon wasn't alone on that crate. Tuxedo Kamen and Luna were up there with her. They both looked uneasy as well, but for entirely different reasons.
Well, not exactly. The thing that had Tuxedo Kamen distracted also served to vex Chibi-Moon further. Trying not to dwell on it, Chibi-Moon kept her focus, just wishing something would happen already. She once heard that some people got addicted to the power being a sniper afforded. Peering at one's target through a scope, deciding precisely when someone died.
Chibi-Moon couldn't help but wonder what the hell was wrong with such people. All she wanted was for Eclipse to show, so she could douse her in Ami's concoction, rein her in, and be done with it.
But that wouldn't be the end, would it? Chibi-Moon realized. There'll still be Sentinels, and Magneto must be up to something. Oh yeah, and let's not forget how those hotheads Haruka and Michiru picked a fight with THE FREAKIN' X-MEN! Why not go to Latveria and take a dump on Victor von Doom's throne for good measure? If those mutants show, things'll get even messier. Of course, part of her wanted the X-Men to show themselves again. Cable owed her some answers.
But as Tuxedo Kamen kept fidgeting with his cane, Chibi-Moon remembered she wasn't the only Senshi with a personal agenda regarding mutants. "Still no sign of that meathead, is there?" Chibi-Moon grumbled.
"No, and it's getting harder and harder to not rush out and find her," said Tuxedo Kamen, a distressed edge to his voice. "I don't like it. She's been transforming, then cancelling it, only to transform again later… What's going on? What's keeping her from helping us stage this ambush!?"
"According to Rei, it's something she refuses to put off any longer." Chibi-Moon snorted. "Whatever it is, Usagi better have a good explanation for us when this is over, if we have to tackle Eclipse without her."
"Believe me, she does," said Luna suddenly. Both Tuxedo Kamen and Chibi-Moon's eyes fell on her, and the cat realized she was just thinking aloud. Her eyes bugged out as she flashed an innocent smile.
"Luna, you… know where Usagi is, and what she's doing?" Tuxedo Kamen demanded.
"Well, er, not exactly," she said quickly, but she was withering under their glares. "But let's just say I can make an educated guess."
"So what is it? What's made her put, oh I dunno, her duty to the Sailor Senshi on the backburner!?" Chibi-Moon snarled.
"Besides maybe finding out all but one Senshi made bets against her?" Luna shot back. Chibi-Moon glowered back at her, but the cat had swiftly regained her nerve.
"Luna, come on. Usagi's still… Usagi, but I'd like to think that she's matured enough to not let something like that get in the way," said Tuxedo Kamen.
"You're righter than you know," said Luna. "Just trust me when I say it's nothing frivolous that has her preoccupied now."
"Preoccupied… It's her obsession with mutants, isn't it?" Chibi-Moon spat. "She's ducking out of the ambush because she can't bring herself to fight mutants anymore?"
"No. There's one particular mutant that she's dwelling on more than Eclipse," said Luna. "And with good reason."
"So I was right. There is someone Usagi knows who's a mutant," said Tuxedo Kamen.
"WHO, Luna!?" Chibi-Moon demanded. "Did you find out who it is!?"
"Keep it down. No one's supposed to know we're up here," Luna hissed. "Anyway, yes, I found out who the mystery mutant is. But I'm not saying. It's not my secret to tell."
Tuxedo Kamen forced himself to steady his breathing. "Luna, please, if this mutant is powerful enough… What if Usagi's in danger?"
"Oh, believe you me, this mutant could give ANY Senshi a run for her money," Luna admitted. "But I don't think she's in any danger. Just trust me when I say Usagi had a good reason to keep it a secret from us, and she expects me to keep it too. I won't stab her in the back like that. Sorry, but you'll have to wait for when Usagi feels the time's right."
Chibi-Moon just kept glowering at Luna. Her future mother could be insanely capricious, but that frustrated Luna as much as it did her. So if Luna was insisting they back off, perhaps they should. "Still, Usagi should hurry up with whatever it is and get over here," said Chibi-Moon.
"Don't worry. If any mutant keeps Usagi from making it here, it won't be that one," said Luna.
"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Tuxedo Kamen.
"Well, er, I might also have, well, let Usagi use the Transformation Pen to sneak into… Erina Kizachi's seminar," Luna said sheepishly.
In a flash, Tuxedo Kamen lunged across the crate and grabbed Luna by the neck. "You let Usagi go in THERE!? What were you thinking, you stupid cat!? Of all the idiotic things you could let her do, why did…"
"Mamo-chan, calm down. Rei reached Usagi long after that seminar should've ended, right?" Chibi-Moon pointed out, and Tuxedo Kamen stopped shaking Luna like mad. "And so what if Usagi keeps going in and out of her transformation? Can you sense any feeling of danger from her?"
Once again, Tuxedo Kamen forced himself to steady his breathing, and thankfully, he let a dizzied Luna drop onto the crate. "No," he said flatly.
"Then Usagi's fine, and both she and Kizachi will be heading here," said Chibi-Moon. She laid down again, peering through her rifle's scope. As she scanned the shipyard again, she noticed a small cargo ship was coming up to dock. At last, something was going to happen. Just get your butt over here before it does, Usagi.
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The light that had exploded within Naru's room finally faded, revealing Sailor Moon standing where Usagi Tsukino had been, in all her resplendent glory. The brilliant white sailor fuku, the shining red boots, the tiara, the golden hair done up in twintails… The heroic figure that came out of nowhere one day, who showed up again and again to turn back threats from an unseen enemy no one really understood. The one Naru once idolized, who led a group Naru desperately wanted to join.
How ironic that, just as a power had awakened within her that would let her fight alongside the Sailor Senshi, disillusionment set in. Still, Naru could only gape long after the light faded. Some of the admiration she once had for Sailor Moon crept back.
For some time now, Naru suspected who Sailor Moon really was. As Usagi came to spend less and less time with her, she gravitated more to these four other girls, all with a particular talent. Insane intelligence, rumored spiritual powers, brute strength… Of course, Makoto's strength now paled compared to hers, but that was beside the point.
As time wore on, Naru kept her mouth shut, despite becoming more certain. Naru felt that the Sailor Senshi were better off not knowing someone deduced their identities. She kept it to herself, even as her resentment grew and grew, feeling left behind by her best friend.
But now, Usagi had willingly thrown away the masquerade. Why would she do that? Naru couldn't focus, still too flabbergasted after seeing her suspicions were right all along
Naru wasn't the only one at a loss for words. Usagi probably came here with the intent to reveal her identity all along. But now that she finally took the plunge, Sailor Moon seemed to be at a loss for what to do next. In fact, what finally got Naru to speak was to point that out. "Uh, Usagi, Sailor Moon… Don't you usually give a little speech or something after you transform?"
Sailor Moon let out a little snort. "That's only when there's a bad guy I have to stop. That's not you. I'm here to make sure that'll never happen."
Naru was plenty weirded out by this already, but that filled her with more confusion and anxiety. "W-W-W-What'll never happen, Usagi? What're you…"
Sailor Moon rushed forward to grab Naru's shoulders. "No one can blame you for being angry with the world right now, and especially with me! I saw it in your eyes, that day we saw that poor girl get hauled off!"
As Sailor Moon blubbered on, Naru looked into her eyes. They really were Usagi's eyes. The same inviting warmth, the same empathy that showed when she shed tears for those close to her.
"There's so much more Sailor Moon can do, and it starts here!" Sailor Moon went on. "That's why I finally had to show you, Naru. I was more or less born this way, too. A reincarnated princess from a long-dead kingdom. I know what it's like to carry around a secret, afraid people might find out…"
"So, your family… They don't know?" Naru asked. Naru found it hard to believe she was the first outside the Sailor Senshi's inner circle that Usagi willingly revealed her secret to.
Sailor Moon shook her head. "I… kinda envy you, Naru. It looks like your mother knows about you. I wouldn't know where to begin, explaining it to my parents. But you… you understand. And you need to understand, Naru, that there're others who get what you're going through."
Now that the shock of Usagi's revelation was wearing off, a bit of Naru's frustration with her crept back. She slapped Sailor Moon's hands away, careful not to use too much force and rip her arms out of her sockets. Thankfully, a Sailor Senshi got enhanced durability when they transformed.
"What do you know about mutants!?" Naru roared. "How can I trust you? You fought the X-Men trying to get to Eclipse! Some friend of mutants you are!"
Sailor Moon's lip quivered. "I-I-I-I didn't want to fight the X-Men, Naru, really!" she pleaded. "The others, they picked a fight, and push came to shove… I begged the other Senshi to not think of the X-Men as our enemies, but too many wouldn't listen! You've GOT to believe me!"
"But you still went after Eclipse, even though it looks like she's just cleaning up the streets of yakuza," Naru went on, ignoring Sailor Moon. "A mutant tries to do some good, and the Sailor Senshi show up to blast her into oblivion. Yeah, you're really looking out for mutants. Don't try to pretend you understand what I'm going through. It's obvious you can turn being Sailor Moon on and off. I can't stop being a mutant, Usagi. I go through every day scared out of my mind I'm going to break someone in half, or accidentally rip something apart and give myself away."
"You didn't look too afraid of breaking Umino in half earlier today," Sailor Moon pointed out delicately.
Naru blushed, despite herself. All those months with Umino, feeling she had to be extra-careful with him, treating him as if he were a delicate antique that would crumble if handled too roughly. Maybe it had been the blood pumping after the workout, but earlier today, knowing that Umino longed to get close as any guy would… "I… Umino's been so patient with me, i-i-i-it just felt right…" Naru got out, flustered.
"And good for you, Naru! You're not letting fear ruin your life," said Sailor Moon. It was as if she refused to let Naru's tongue-lashing get to her. "But when I said there's others… I wasn't talking about me, Naru."
"Then who were you talking about?" Naru demanded.
"I know other mutants, Naru. Ones who've helped a lot of mutants like you, for many, many years," said Sailor Moon. "And one of them's LITERALLY written the book on how to help kids with mutant powers. I would know, I read it. The whole damn thing."
Naru's eyes widened in surprise once more. Usagi Tsukino, reading something as thick as a telephone book of her own free will? She was just dropping shocking secrets left and right today.
Sailor Moon shook her head, going on. "But… I still don't really know what to do for you, Naru. I'm a useless idiot when it comes to this sort of thing, I admit it. We both know it. So we're going to someone who does know. You saved me, Naru, so now I'm taking you to someone who can help you."
Naru was about to scoff and protest, but Sailor Moon grabbed her wrist. She threw open the door and dragged her across her home.
Wait, how's she able to drag ME around like this? Naru wondered, realizing Usagi's sudden revelation rattled her more than she cared to admit. She was so flustered, it was hard to focus, to use her strength to stand her ground. Plus, Naru wasn't much heavier than a normal girl her age.
Once Sailor Moon dragged Naru to the other side of the building, she opened the sliding glass door, which led to a fire escape right above the alley. After taking a peek to make sure the coast was clear, Sailor Moon jumped. Not to the alley below, but to the roof of the adjacent building. After timidly stepping out onto the fire escape, Naru craned her head up after Sailor Moon called down to her. "C'mon, Naru! Jump on up!"
Naru glared back up at Sailor Moon incredulously. "Really, Sailor Moon? Just because I got my own powers doesn't mean I can follow you anywhere."
Sailor Moon sighed and facepalmed. "Naru, I'm trying to help you here, but I'm on a clock. Now, I've been breaking my brain reading up on mutation and superheroes and everything. If the Hulk can leap five kilometers, then you can jump up a couple of stories. Simple math. Besides, it's not like the fall will hurt you or anything."
Naru glowered up at her again, but knowing Usagi, there would be no talking her out of this. She would keep hounding her, and despite her lingering frustration, Naru was in no mood to pick a fight with Sailor Moon tonight. The best way to get Sailor Moon off her back was to play along, for now.
Taking a deep breath, Naru crouched down, then sprung off the fire escape. She could hear the fire escape beneath her almost give way from the force of her jump, but Sailor Moon's prediction was on the money. She soared up to the roof, but her trajectory… Naru yelped as she came down centimeters from the roof's edge, forcing her to lash out and grab hold. Her fingertips dug into the concrete, right before Sailor Moon reached over to pull her up.
"Happy now?" Naru spat as she stood up and dusted herself off.
Sailor Moon kept smiling, unfazed. "Very. But we got a long way to go." With that, Sailor Moon grabbed her wrist again. She dragged Naru toward the next building. "Get ready, we're jumping again!" she cried out. Naru bounded the same time she did, sailing over another alley and landing on another roof.
"Really, Sailor Moon, do we have to go… wherever we're going this way!?" Naru demanded vehemently. At last, she stood her ground, and Sailor Moon had a hard time dragging her along now. "In case you've forgotten, I've been trying to keep a low profile. What if someone sees me doing this parkour routine with Sailor Moon herself?"
That insufferable smile on her old friend's face still didn't fade. "And the other Senshi say I'VE been worrying too much. The Sailor Senshi get around by rooftops all the time and no one ever seems to notice," she pointed out. Sailor Moon had a point, but Naru still scowled at her. Of course, her old friend paid no notice. "Besides, think of this as another way to get used to your powers, without limiting yourself to some abandoned warehouse."
"What do you mean?" Naru asked dubiously.
"Come on, Naru! Lighten up a little!" Sailor Moon pleaded. "Think of it, the feeling of total freedom, the wind in your hair… It always kind of helped clear my head a little, whenever rushing to some place I'd probably get my ass kicked." Sailor Moon's eyes widened a little, as if realizing what she just said. "B-B-B-But we're not charging into anything like that!" she cried, frantically waving her hands. "Yeah, the Senshi are going somewhere tonight, but we're going somewhere else first! I-I-I-I just, well, wanted to share this with you before that. You always wanted to be one of us. Well, now you can at least get around like one!"
The sincerity in Sailor Moon's voice, the look in her eyes… She really meant every word. She truly wished to make amends, despite a lingering fear that it might be too late.
Naru decided to just go along with it. Sailor Moon let go and began running for another bound. Sighing, Naru took off after her. She reached Sailor Moon's side just as they reached the roof's edge, and made the next bound together.
The gap keeping them from the next building was wider than the others, so they had to stay airborne longer. That's when Naru could feel what Sailor Moon was talking about. The wind rushing through her hair, the exhilarating sense of liberation as they soared across rooftops. Despite herself, despite her lingering frustration with Usagi and her mutant powers, Naru couldn't help but smile. At least, in these brief moments, she could forget her troubles. It was almost as if she had her friend back, and things were as they should've always been between them.
Sailor Moon touched down with a perfect three-point landing on the next roof, while Naru had to tuck and roll to a stop. Sailor Moon quickly hoisted Naru back onto her feet, and she followed the Senshi to the next roof.
"Yeah, this is what it should've always been like!" Sailor Moon cried as they made another jump. Evidently, Sailor Moon felt much the same way, and Naru smiled despite herself.
Naru was lost in the thrill of bounding across rooftops, no longer worrying about where Sailor Moon was taking her. She lost track of time and distance, but Naru guessed Sailor Moon must have led her clear across a quarter of the city.
After they landed again, Naru took a moment to look across the rooftop at the city's lights. Sailor Moon was right about boxing herself in, and needing to feel free. She never imagined her strength letting her do something like this. This way, she could rise above the city, above all the people she now feared would turn on her one day. It really did provide a heady sense of freedom, and now Naru craved more.
Naru's thoughts were interrupted when Sailor Moon said, "Luna was right. Why couldn't your mutant powers have surfaced sooner? Right now, jumping from roof to roof like this... It's like you've been one of us all along."
"Luna? Your cat?" Naru asked dubiously.
"Yeah, talking cat. A survivor of the Moon Kingdom, charged with finding me and the other Senshi so we could fight the Dark Kingdom, the group Nephrite was part of," said Sailor Moon.
"OK, now that you've fessed up about being Sailor Moon, you'll have to explain all this stuff about reincarnation and this Moon Kingdom. Not to mention the truth about Sanjoin and, wait a minute… I thought you didn't tell anyone I'm a mutant!?" Naru shouted, rounding on Sailor Moon when her words sank in.
Sailor Moon shrank back, sweating a little. "I didn't, Naru! She found out on her own! She tailed me earlier today, but I made her promise to keep her mouth shut."
"So I'm trusting everything to a cat, now?" Naru quipped with an incredulous sneer.
"Now you kinda know how I felt, always getting dragged into fights with monsters because a talking cat kept nagging me," said Sailor Moon with a laugh.
Naru couldn't help but chuckle too, despite herself. "Yeah, that does sound weird," said Naru. She gazed out at the Tokyo skyline again. "So what did your cat want from me?"
"She said you would've been hired onto the Senshi team in a heartbeat," said Sailor Moon. "Plus, even though I told her you're not interested in the job anymore, she wanted a mutant on our side. Fight fire with fire, I guess."
Naru kept looking at the dazzling lights along the Tokyo skyline, especially those of Tokyo Tower, as if seeing them for the first time. So it once again took a moment for Sailor Moon's words to sink in. "You're talking about Eclipse, aren't you?" she demanded accusingly, turning to face her. "You Senshi are still going after her. That's where you're going tonight."
"And I told Luna that you shouldn't have any part of it," said Sailor Moon. "But Naru, this mutant… You've got to understand, Naru. We think we've figured out who she really is."
Naru's eyes widened. "You did!? Who is she, then!?"
"She's Erina Kizachi, Naru," said Sailor Moon. "And like I told you before, she's the one making new Sentinels."
"The woman who runs Kizachi Technologies? That freaky roboticist?"
"Yeah, her," said Sailor Moon. "Sounds like you know about her, too."
"Umino's mentioned her before, and I might've met her a few times, going with Mama to certain social gatherings," said Naru. "There was something off about her, come to think of it. The way she'd stare at you from behind those dark lenses… But why's she building Sentinels?"
Sailor Moon shrugged her shoulders. "She hates me with a passion. Why, I don't know. But enough to build Sentinels meant to fight the Sailor Senshi. It doesn't sound like she's carrying on for Sanjoin's old boss. In fact, one new source I have hinted that Magneto could be mixed up in all this somehow."
"The mutant terrorist? Involved with Sentinels?" Naru asked incredulously. "Where would you find that out, anyway?"
"From the person I'm taking you to," said Sailor Moon. She looked away, across the Tokyo skyline. "And we've made good time. We're almost there. I can introduce you to him, then meet up with the other Senshi. And make sure those Sentinels never come after you, Naru."
"Who, Usagi!?" Naru demanded. "Who did you drag me across Tokyo, jumping across rooftops, to meet in the middle of the night!?"
Sailor Moon looked unfazed by her outburst this time. "To the person who knows all about helping mutants in need and stopping the bad ones. I'm taking you to Professor Charles Xavier, Naru. I'm taking you to the founder of the X-Men."
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The minutes that had stretched on after the sun disappeared beyond Tokyo's skyline became hours. Sailor Jupiter wondered how Chibi-Moon was doing, perched on that crate. Being the sniper must be mind-numbing, waiting like that.
Jupiter could certainly empathize with her right now. It wasn't often that the Sailor Senshi did stakeouts like this, and Jupiter was quite grateful for it. Usually, the monsters they fought weren't all that stealthy or bright, so Jupiter could count on being able to wail on one in short order whenever their enemies were up to something. Not this time around. Erina Kizachi was cunning and devious, always staying one step ahead.
Until tonight, Jupiter remembered. This time, we'll be ready for you, Kizachi. She cracked her knuckles, then peeked out from behind a stack of cargo containers. It had been some time since that ship had docked. Some shady characters had come out to meet people in the middle of the shipyard.
Probably yakuza, and cracking their skulls could kill some time and soothe her anxiety. But they weren't for her to throttle. They were bait, them and their goods, graciously casting themselves out so that the Senshi could net the big fish.
Sighing, Jupiter ducked back behind the cargo containers. Sailor Mercury was squatting beside her, furiously punching commands into her computer, her visor active.
As Jupiter looked down at her, she noticed just how much their white uniforms stood out in the night, even while in the shadows of this container stack. There was a risk of Eclipse spotting them before she even zeroed in on her yakuza quarry. But given how single-minded Eclipse seemed about dishing out the hurt on any yakuza she could get her tendrils on, she might not be keeping an eye out for Senshi this time, hopefully.
Besides, Mercury's visor and computer weren't the only things scanning for Eclipse. Sailor Mars was reaching out with her spiritual powers, and Sailor Neptune's eyes would be glued to her mirror. And they were all in constant contact. Between the three of them, they had the perfect early warning system. As elusive as Eclipse was, they'd know when she was slithering up, and be ready. This time, Eclipse wouldn't get away.
Still, Jupiter wished Eclipse would show, so she could finally zap her and bash her face in. Jupiter couldn't remember the last time she hated anyone so much. Creeps like the folks in the Dark Kingdom and the Death Busters… You expected them to try their best to give the Senshi and the world their worst.
But Erina Kizachi was something else. Despite being born with mutant powers, she was still human, right? And yet she was lashing out at yakuza without rhyme or reason because of something that had happened to her nephew, and building weapons to hunt her own kind. Once they hunted down the Senshi first. You'd expect that sort of single-minded malevolence and hatred from Beryl or Nehelenia. What drove Erina Kizachi to dive even lower than them?
The Senshi'll get the answers out of her, Jupiter thought acidly. About the Dark Kingdom, about the Sentinels, everything. Turning to Mercury, she said, "Any sign of that bucket of used motor oil yet? I am REALLY itching to zap something into oblivion."
"I'm sure you are, Jupiter, but you'll just have to be patient," said Mercury, not even looking up. "I'm continuously running scans, as are Mars and Neptune. Once one of us gets a whiff of Kizachi, we'll be able to close in when she takes the bait."
"I'm with Jupiter, though. Venus and I are getting tired of waiting, too," came Mars's voice through the computer. "I actually envy you, Jupiter. I've never even seen Eclipse in person, but I'd love to charbroil her all the same."
"Count yourself lucky you haven't faced her, Mars," came Neptune's voice. "It's not fun getting blasted by her dark energy, or getting buried under rubble. I certainly don't mind how Mercury and Jupiter get to soften her up for the rest of us." Jupiter swore she could here Uranus grunt in annoyance on Neptune's end.
"Fighting one of her Sentinels instead isn't any better, believe me Neptune. And technically, Jupiter and I are merely to distract her, so Chibi-Moon can get a clean shot," Mercury reminded them.
"We could still use our fearless leader, though," Mars spat. "What the hell is keeping her!? What could be more important than bagging Eclipse and making sure those Sentinels are scrapped!?"
Jupiter shuddered, remembering how that Sentinel nearly shredded her and Mercury. Well, perhaps not. Neptune later said that she had survived a machine gun barrage courtesy of Eudial. Still, Jupiter didn't want to find out if those Sentinels' miniguns packed more of a punch.
And normally, Jupiter would think Mars's criticisms of their leader went too far, but this time, the hot-tempered priestess had a point. There was a chance to put an end to the Sentinels, here and now. Wouldn't Usagi want that? Just where was she?
Unfortunately, it looked like they'd have to go on without Usagi. "Everyone, I just saw a faint sign of dark power in my mirror," came Neptune's alarmed voice.
"Likewise, I just got a flash of something too," Mars added. "It came and went very quickly, but… A profound feeling of frustration and pent-up rage. It's got to be her."
At last, action. Still, they didn't know exactly where Eclipse would approach from, and she could still mangle those yakuza thugs good. Scum that they were, the Senshi still had a duty to protect people, guilty and innocent alike.
Jupiter peeked out from behind the container again, the antenna of her tiara coming out. "Mercury, any idea where our least-favorite mutant will be coming from?"
"Not quite, Jupiter," said Mercury regretfully. "I'm having the same trouble as before. There are definitely signs of dark power, but for some reason it's impossible to lock down. We may just have to wait until Eclipse strikes, and…"
It turned out they would have no choice, because their elusive enemy wasn't wasting any time. Oily tendrils snaked down from the stack of containers right behind where the men had gathered. In an instant, several of them were ensnared in the black goop. They barely had time to scream before they were slammed against the steel containers, hard enough to break bone from the sound of it.
Looking up, Jupiter saw Eclipse standing on top. Her oil-stained jumpsuit practically let her blend against the night sky. She glared down at her prey. Once again, welding goggles made it impossible to look into her eyes. But despite the goop spreading up over her face, Jupiter could see the way Eclipse's jaw was set, her lips pressed together… Eclipse's stoic veneer was gone. Her bloodlust was bleeding through. Neptune had a point. This had to end, tonight.
Eclipse couldn't put them all down at once. Some ducked out of the way, while others drew their guns and opened fire. Eclipse bounded over to another stack of containers, soaring over a dozen meters with ease.
As she ran across it, Eclipse fired off quick blasts of dark energy down at her quarry, tagging some of them. "She's obviously more mobile when unhampered by close quarters," Mercury noted, still scanning with her visor. "She's still focused on the yakuza and their accomplices. We've got a clean shot."
"Then let's not waste it. No speeches or anything, we just wail on her," Jupiter hissed, clenching her fist. Electricity crackled all around it and her extended antenna. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
The concentrated ball of electrical energy found its mark, taking Eclipse completely by surprise, just as she ran to the container's other end. She toppled over the edge, hitting the concrete hard, and Mercury followed up with an attack her own.
"Shabon Spray!" she roared. Soon enough, icy fog enveloped their part of the shipyard. "Get your people out of here while you can!" Mercury shouted to the others through her cover. "We'll hold her here!" They needed no further prodding, some bolting immediately, some taking the time to carry off the unconscious and wounded.
"Now we got the shipyard to ourselves," Jupiter growled, knowing that the shipyard's security was probably bribed to stay away. But that fog wouldn't stymie Eclipse for long, and besides, it defeated the purpose. Chibi-Moon still needed a clean shot, but they had to wear down Eclipse first. So Jupiter looked to where she remembered seeing Eclipse last and shouted, "Supreme Thunder!" Lightning blasted forth from her antenna, and Jupiter was satisfied to hear a scream from within that fog. Jupiter wasn't overly concerned with being gentle.
Tendrils lashed out just as the last of Mercury's fog faded. It kept the two Senshi at bay for a moment, but that was long enough to buy Eclipse breathing room. She used it to snatch up one of the yakuza's rifles with a tendril. A hail of lead now flew in Mercury's direction while slimy tendrils kept lashing out at them both.
One snagged Jupiter, spreading out over her torso as it lifted her off the ground. The ooze began creeping up, as if to mangle her antenna, then suffocate her. But Mercury was in no more mood to be staring down the barrels of any guns than Jupiter was. As she rolled aside to dodge gunfire and another tendril, a watery harp formed in her hands. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" she shrieked.
A stream of freezing water struck the tendril ensnaring Jupiter. She fell to the ground as it shattered to pieces. The rest shot out toward Eclipse. One struck Eclipse dead center, making her crumple with a scream.
"It's working. We're wearing her down," Jupiter breathed, wiping off some of Eclipse's gunk. This… disgusting filth oozing out of her, so fitting for someone like Erina Kizachi, with a poisoned soul and a twisted heart. But now the Senshi had the chance to use it against her. They just had to keep up the pressure.
So Jupiter charged, just as Eclipse got back on her feet. Dark energy crackled around her as she took aim with the gun. But Jupiter was upon her in a flash, swiping it out of her hands. Jupiter struck Eclipse's face with the rifle's butt as hard as she could, shattering one of her goggles's lenses. She was pleased to hear Eclipse cry out in shock and pain.
"No more hot lead injections, Kizachi!" Jupiter snarled. "And your Sentinels aren't here to stop us this time!" Tossing the gun aside, Jupiter twirled around and delivered a spinning kick to her gut. Eclipse was knocked off her feet, colliding with a container right behind her.
"This is the opportunity we've been waiting for," said Mercury as she walked up to her. The menacing, underlying tone of her voice… Facing the creator of that Sentinel was also sapping what little patience Mercury had left.
"Metal. Water. Electricity. I read you, Mercury. Forget making Eclipse feel any regret or getting her to repent, let's just douse her in water and leave her numb," said Jupiter with a nasty grin. Electricity was already crackling around her antenna again. Eclipse was back on her feet. She really did have the same endurance as one of the Shitennou. But that ooze gave her weaknesses, and it was time to exploit them. "Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter roared.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury chimed in.
And the shipyard echoed with the sound of crackling thunder, rushing icy water, and Eclipse's screams.
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From her vantage point on the crate, Chibi-Moon could see that so far, their plan was playing out perfectly. With Eclipse up against that container, she would be worn down quicker than they hoped. While one blast of icy water hit Eclipse again, the rest splashed onto that container, letting it conduct the electricity from Jupiter's attack.
For a moment, however, Chibi-Moon feared Mercury and Jupiter would overdo it. Mercury already had to be careful with her attacks. If she laid into Eclipse too much, she could wind up freezing too much of her oil slick. They needed most of it intact, for the sedatives to seep in and knock Eclipse out.
Thankfully, Mercury hadn't lost sight of that, but Chibi-Moon could tell from their body language they weren't too concerned about being gentle. Though they wouldn't admit it, that Sentinel attack still had them rattled, and now they had another shot at its maker.
"C'mon you two, back it off, back it off," Chibi-Moon muttered. "I can't get a clean shot until you BACK OFF."
As if they had heard her, the flow of electricity from Jupiter's antenna abated, and she let Eclipse slump to the ground. Steam rose from Eclipse's trembling body, and as Chibi-Moon stared through her scope, she noticed her helmet looked a little melted. It even looked like Eclipse's goggles were half-fused onto her face!
Despite such a massive barrage, it looked like Eclipse was able to tank even that! Only seconds later, she was back on her feet, though her legs were trembling.
"Fine, whatever. You're one tough little bitch, Eclipse," Chibi-Moon sneered. "Doesn't matter, you won't be able to tank this. So c'mon, c'mon… Let's see the oil flow one more time."
Jupiter and Mercury held back, knowing their job was done, but Chibi-Moon could tell they still wanted to unload on her. "All the more reason to end this now," said Chibi-Moon, just as she saw that oil slick spread out over Eclipse's jumpsuit. For the moment, though, she stood in place, watching the two Senshi carefully. There would never be a better opening than right now. So Chibi-Moon got the crosshairs right over Eclipse's torso, and after only another second of hesitation, pulled the trigger.
Chibi-Moon saw Eclipse recoil in shock almost at once. Thanks to her scope, she could see the clear liquid spread out over Eclipse's oil slick, swiftly being absorbed through it. But like Mercury said, they had no idea how efficacious her weapon was, since a field test had been impossible.
So, while Eclipse was still confused and wide open, Chibi-Moon let another shot slide into her rifle's chamber, and fired again. Once again, Eclipse reared back, screaming this time. Swiftly losing her composure, Eclipse lashed out with her black lightning, forcing Mercury and Jupiter to take evasion action. But it seemed like her attacks came a little… slower?
Oily tendrils followed to ensnare and smash the two Senshi, but now Chibi-Moon could see a difference. Those tendrils already looked a little watery, far less cohesive than before. Smiling with relief, Chibi-Moon fired another shot, knocking Eclipse flat on her ass. Her oil slick splattered impotently along the shipyard floor, slowly receding back toward her. It flowed more like water, and less like the viscous gunk from before.
"What do you know, video games ARE educational," Chibi-Moon said with a grin. Three perfect shots, and now that anti-Eclipse weapon was seeping in. This was the first, important step to solving this problem with mutants here in Japan. But then Chibi-Moon frowned again. Usagi should've been here, helping them with that. What was keeping her?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sailor Mars ran out with Sailor Venus to where Chibi-Moon's shots had rendered Eclipse powerless, or so she hoped. As they ran past another stack of cargo containers, Mars could see Jupiter and Mercury were keeping their distance, simply waiting for the weapon to take full effect. Mars looked back to Eclipse, disturbed that even now, with Mercury's weapon neutralizing her powers and dulling her senses, she couldn't really sense anything from the mutant.
Eclipse turned to glare at the new arrivals, not noticing Uranus and Neptune closing in from the opposite end. One of her lenses was shattered, and Mars could see a look of pure, vindictive spite in that eye. Despite how that chemical cocktail was making her oil slick lose its cohesiveness, she still tried to send out smashing tendrils in conjunction with blasts of black lightning. Not that the former did Eclipse any good. One wrapped around Jupiter again, but her strength was more than enough to free herself. Another came at Uranus, but her Space Sword made short work of it.
"You just don't know when you're beaten!" Jupiter roared as she charged. She jumped over a blast of black lightning, then tackled Eclipse to the ground. "It's over, Eclipse! You'll never get the chance to terrorize your own kind, we Senshi will make sure of that!"
Eclipse was back on her feet as she wrestled with Jupiter, but her legs were wobbly. When she finally shoved Jupiter away, Eclipse looked ready to topple over.
Mars decided to help her with that. A fiery bow formed in her hands. "Mars Flame Sniper!" she cried, cutting loose with her blazing arrow. It struck her left shoulder, burning away some of her jumpsuit, but Eclipse merely staggered back.
Mars grit her teeth. Mercury and Jupiter really were the only ones with attacks capable of truly hurting Eclipse. Well, Sailor Moon's tiara was also supposed to work. Just where was that meathead!? If things took an ugly turn, it would be nice if Sailor Moon were here to lob Eclipse's head off. The rest of mutantkind would thank them, if it meant no more Sentinels.
Undaunted, Venus followed up. "Crescent Beam!" she shouted, pointing at Eclipse. Her pulverizing laser blast struck Eclipse's midsection. This time she was knocked off her feet, winding up being smashed against that cargo container again.
Still, Eclipse refused to go down. With one hand against the container for support, she slowly got back up. That ooze was sliding off her face, revealing her scowl and gritted teeth. She glared over at Mars and Venus, raising a clenched fist. It crackled with dark power. Mercury's weapon was rendering her oil slick useless, but the power bequeathed by the Dark Kingdom was another matter.
Uranus and Neptune would have none of it. Mars could already hear energized seawater coalescing. "Deep Submerge!" Neptune roared.
"World Shaking!" Uranus followed up. Both blasts struck Eclipse in unison, making her smash right through the cargo container and come out the stack's other side. Her limp body skipped across concrete until it slammed into another one.
The six Senshi ran around the stack Eclipse had been blasted through. As they closed in on where Eclipse lay still, they were joined by Sailor Chibi-Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Luna and Artemis.
"Is it finally over?" Artemis asked hopefully. "Did that take everything out of her?"
"They certainly blasted her enough times to knock one of the Shitennou silly," Luna replied as they closed ranks around the downed mutant.
"Well, Mercury? Did your weapon finally turn the tide?" Neptune demanded.
"It's… hard to say," Mercury replied as she started to crunch her visor's data. "Eclipse's body is still making scans difficult. The readings I'm getting regarding her vital systems are promising, though some other data coming in…"
As Mercury said that, Eclipse used wobbly arms to prop herself up onto her knees. Through that shattered lens, Mars could see a listless gaze, but the smoldering fires of frustration and rage remained. Even now, Eclipse refused to go down quietly.
With a shriek of unfettered fury, dark power arced all around her, further conducted by the nearby containers. Not only that, more tendrils shot out everywhere, and while they weren't as viscous as normal, nor did they have a watery consistency anymore.
"Mercury, your weapon's effects are wearing off already!?" Uranus cried.
"N-N-N-Not entirely!" Mercury cried back in protest. "The sedatives are doing their job. What scan data I've got shows CNS depression is hitting Eclipse hard! But as for reducing her oil slick's consistency to water… Somehow, it's sequestering my weapon, dulling its effects!" As if to emphasize her point, one tendril shot out dangerously close. "Oh, great. Shabon Spray Freezing!" Her freezing mist made the tendril shatter to pieces, but the cover it afforded was useless, as Eclipse was happy to keep firing blind.
"Maybe it IS like one of those alien symbiotes!" Mars cried as she ducked under another whipping tendril. "It's like some autonomous defense mechanism switched on now that she's nearly sedated, pretty much giving her oil slick a mind of its own!"
It was doing more than that. Mars could see some of Eclipse's oil slick wrapping around her like a cocoon, while some tendrils drove themselves into the concrete, as if to anchor her in place. All the while, dark energy lanced out at the Senshi. One bolt struck Mars dead center, knocking her back a few meters.
Thankfully, she could get back on her feet in short order. Chibi-Moon and Tuxedo Kamen stood over her. "Chibi-Moon, how much more of Ami's weapon is left?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.
"Just one shot left," said Chibi-Moon. She raised her rifle and fired. Unfortunately, a whipping tendril knocked away the last round of their chemical weapon. It sank into the sea as Eclipse's power lashed out without restraint.
"We've got to end this. We tried to take her alive, but…" Tuxedo Kamen fell silent as he readied a handful of roses. "Usa-ko, please forgive me, but to protect everyone here…"
Tuxedo Kamen let his barrage of roses fly, but from out of nowhere, a flurry of pink, glowing… things shot out to intercept them. Once they made contact with the roses, they detonated in midair.
"Now now, Cape Boy," came a taunting voice from above. "From all the reports we read on the Senshi, one would think Tuxedo Kamen was quite the ladies' man. Disappointin' t' see those reports were greatly exaggerated."
Two figures jumped down from the cargo container Eclipse had been slammed into, standing between her and the Sailor Senshi. The one who threw those pink things and taunted Tuxedo Kamen took a few steps forward. He held a staff in one hand and… cards glowing with pink energy in the other? Judging from the pinkish-red irises and glowing black sclera, this had to be the thief who gave Uranus such a headache. But Gambit had ditched the street clothes. He now wore a reddish-black coat, and some sort of uniform. A black leather suit with gold trim, with a gold circular emblem bearing the English letter 'X' on his belt buckle. Pips on the sides of his suit's collar also had that emblem, and his uniform also worked in an X pattern over his chest.
The other guy had a similar uniform, though it was sleeveless, showing his metallic left arm. That, his grizzled appearance, and his flat-top of white hair told Mars this had to be Cable. Mars shuddered, remembering he was supposed to be another mutant telepath. Chibi-Moon, meanwhile, fixed Cable with a steely gaze. If Cable had noticed, he showed no sign, as he was busy using his telekinesis to form barriers forcing back Eclipse's tendrils and dark energy.
"Oh no, oh NO… Not you two again!" Uranus snarled, her voice dripping with venom. Mars turned to see both her and Neptune charging at the two X-Men, talismans at the ready.
The split second before they could unleash their attacks, however, there was a terrifying roar. Something big and blue tackled the Outer Senshi from behind, then chucked them over toward Mars, Chibi-Moon, Tuxedo Kamen and the cats.
"You've got to be… THAT'S Dr. Henry McCoy!?" Luna cried in disbelief. Mars couldn't quite believe it herself. After everything Mercury said about him, Mars would never guess such a brilliant scientist would come off as a monster at first glance. Covered with blue fur, with absurdly big hands and feet, fangs to punctuate the rest of his pointy teeth… His uniform was different, consisting of leather pants with no boots and an open, sleeveless vest, as if to help show off his bestial appearance.
"Well, the name 'Beast' suddenly makes sense," Artemis grumbled.
If Beast was perturbed by talking cats, he showed no sign. He turned to Cable and said, "It appears Ami Mizuno's creation was partially effective, but her teammate's hypothesis regarding an autonomous function being triggered appears quite accurate," he said, scrutinizing Eclipse's anchored form. "Nathan, are you having any luck countering her abilities?"
"I can contain the goop and the dark stuff, but despite how drugged up the lady is, I still can't get inside her head. Not without some considerable effort, that is," Cable grumbled, nearly done forcing back everything Eclipse was throwing out. "This may take some time."
"Time I don't think these ladies'll be givin' us," said Gambit. Cable nodded in agreement, looking over his shoulder while unholstering some sort of pistol. Only it was a gun the likes of which Mars had never seen.
"Finally the thief's right about something," Uranus spat. "World Shaking!"
Uranus's attack quickly bridged the distance between the two teams, though it never reached her target. A fourth X-Man dropped straight down and, to Mars's astonishment, KICKED the attack over across the water!
Everyone else gaped at the new arrival, except Neptune, who glowered at the X-Man. A woman a little taller than Neptune, sporting long, brown hair with a white blotch right over her forehead, and also had a green bandana around it. She had a uniform similar to Gambit's, though instead of a coat, she wore a greenish-black jacket over it.
"Am I t' understand YOU'RE the reason I had t' spend over an hour stitchin' up our favorite thief?" the new arrival demanded hotly, pointing at Uranus.
"And believe you me, Rogue wasn't none too gentle about it," Gambit added with a smile.
"Oh ZIP IT, swamp rat," Rogue barked, though she couldn't quite suppress a grin herself as she glanced back at him. "Would ya rather've had Hank and those big meaty paws o' his do it instead?"
Uranus didn't answer, instead using that moment Rogue looked away to charge. She came at Rogue with a roundhouse kick to the face, but she raised her forearm to block it just in time. Uranus swiftly spun around and came at Rogue with a chop, but Rogue simply caught her wrist.
Mars could only gape as Uranus tried and failed to pull away, then Uranus screamed as Rogue forced her down onto one knee. Rogue smirked down at Uranus while rearing back a fist. She sank it right into Uranus's gut, and she took off like a cannonball. She would've sailed clear across the shipyard if Tuxedo Kamen hadn't jumped up to catch her.
"You better think twice about dipping inta my pot o' gumbo again, honeybunch," Rogue taunted as the other Senshi gathered around Tuxedo Kamen. Uranus was still conscious, but clearly rattled, coughing up a little blood. "Otherwise, next time, ya may just get it with THESE!"
Some of the Senshi turned back to Rogue after hearing a strange noise. A trio of claws made of bone had emerged from between the knuckles of Rogue's clenched fist, blood dribbling down them.
"She's got… BONES coming out of her hands!?" Venus cried, unable to contain her disgust.
"Ewwwww! GROSS!" Chibi-Moon spat.
"On top of them having yet ANOTHER super-strong mutant, yes, that IS ridiculous," Neptune mused, none too pleased. But upon looking down to Uranus, she smiled and said, "Well, I guess there's no need to worry about you being obsessed with getting your hands on the Cajun again." Uranus just glared up at her in annoyance, right before spitting out another wad of blood.
Venus helped Uranus get back on her feet. "Relationship squabbles aside, we're not going to let them push the Senshi around like this, right? We've still got a job to do, and only these X-Men are standing in the way. So I say we rush them and…"
A weird slurping sound made Venus fall silent. She and Mars looked to the source, over at the far left end of the cargo container the X-Men were closing rank around. Mars's eyes widened in shock. Usagi hadn't been lying about someone who could walk through walls! Only, this girl was rising up from the concrete, and brought someone up with her! Her hand was on a man's shoulder, someone barely around her height. He wore a black uniform just like the others, but there was no mistaking who he was, despite the wardrobe change.
"Oh great… Logan!?" Mars shrieked. Logan didn't answer, only scowling over at the Sailor Senshi. He raised his fists, and out popped claws like Rogue's. Only, these were made of metal, and looked razor-sharp! Yet somehow, the girl's glare managed to be just as intimidating as Logan's.
"We are so dead," Venus muttered. "The clawed guy… That's the WOLVERINE. He'll go into a berserker rage with those claws of his. From the reports I've read, he WON'T be stopped and they'll cut through ANYTHING. And the girl with him… I've read about her, during my time in the United Kingdom. She's the SHADOWCAT."
That wasn't it for the X-Men's reinforcements. Something else was coming over that cargo container. Some sort of… platform made of ice!? Once it extended over the container, the guy creating it jumped down. So did the guy with him, and as he dropped down, his skin changed into segmented steel! So THIS was Colossus!
Both men wore sleeveless uniforms, but the guy who made that ice slide somehow changed his skin, perhaps his entire body, into some sort of living ice! Icy spikes rose from his shoulders, and his hair looked rather spiky as well. It was such a bizarre sight, Mars didn't notice the storm clouds that had rolled in until lightning crackled overhead.
"Jupiter, please tell me you're doing that," said Mercury fearfully.
"Uh, nope. Not me," said Jupiter.
"Then we're in BIG trouble now," said Mercury.
Mars wasn't quite sure what Mercury meant. Weren't they in big trouble already? Another thundercrack made her look up. It looked like the funnel of a tornado was forming, coming down toward them! But no, once it was only a few dozen meters overhead, a spinning black shape emerged from under it, lightning crackling around its form.
It levitated down further, and Mars could make out a woman's shape, who sported white hair and dark skin. She also wore one of those black uniforms, but had a cape fastened to her wrists and back, and the emblem of the X-Men was emblazoned over the front of her shoulders instead.
According to Usagi, this has to be Storm, Mars reasoned as Storm hovered above her team. Mars looked into her eyes, hoping to gauge what the opposition's leader was thinking, but they were a solid white. Lightning continued to crackle around Storm, but otherwise neither she nor the other X-Men made a sound.
For the moment, they just stood together. The soul-sucking black of their uniforms were a mocking contrast to the white of the Sailor Senshi's fukus, making them wonder just what the mutants had in store. But all Mars could think was that she really, REALLY wished Usagi would finally haul her butt over here. Because she had a feeling they never needed Sailor Moon more than they did right then.