Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse

by Grey-X

Soon after Usagi learns that Naru is a mutant, anti-mutant hysteria hits Japan hard, thanks in part to a mysterious new enemy with mutant abilities known only as Eclipse. As her country begins to tear itself apart, Usagi will have a bit of help when some of the X-Men travel from the United States looking for new recruits, and she'll learn what it really means to be a superhero.

13. Clash of Superheroes

Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse

a Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover

Chapter 13: Clash of Superheroes

9-18-2017

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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Gritting her teeth, Sailor Uranus shoved Tuxedo Kamen aside. Fire still flared in her belly from Rogue's hit. After spitting out another wad of blood, she glared over at the mutant team standing between the Sailor Senshi and Eclipse. She wanted nothing more than for the Senshi to charge and unleash everything, but even Uranus knew they had to be wary. As the Senshi of Wind, Uranus could sense the raw power Storm could unleash. Plus, one couldn't ignore the lightning crackling around her. Electrical output that equaled what Sailor Jupiter could normally do, at least. It also didn't help that the X-Men outnumbered them, if only by one.

For the moment, Cable was more focused on keeping Eclipse's power contained than screwing with anyone's head. "I can keep her power in check for however long the Senshi's sedatives last," said Cable gruffly. "Shadowcat, Wolverine, see what you can do to cut her loose."

The little clawed man and the girl beside him kept glaring at the Senshi as they stepped backwards, toward where Eclipse had anchored herself. The girl seemed to pass through Cable's telekinetic barrier as if it wasn't even there. Could ANYTHING keep that girl out?

She put her hands on where Eclipse's shoulders probably were and pulled as if to pry her loose, but received a jolt of dark power for her efforts. "That dark energy of hers… It's throwing off my phasing ability."

Then Wolverine gave it a try. Cable lowered the barrier near the base of Eclipse's cocoon, and Wolverine slashed away. Uranus squinted, seeing that the tendrils reformed almost as soon as he sliced through them! One tendril was too viscous for even him to completely cut through, and he also got a jolt, going through his claws.

"Ugh, my adamantium skeleton's conductin' this stuff but good," Wolverine grumbled as he staggered back. "We ain't cuttin' her loose either."

"Colossus, Iceman, you two give it a try," said Storm. Somehow, her words cut deeper than the thunder that still crackled overhead. Everything about the X-Men's leader betrayed how the entire team meant business. Cable promised the X-Men wouldn't hold back next time their teams clashed, and now Uranus realized it was no bluff.

Unfortunately for Colossus, he ran into the same problem Wolverine had. On top of Eclipse's oil slick being too elastic and slippery, his armored form conducted her dark energy as well. "Lenin's Ghost! Tanking one of her blasts is one thing, but having it surge through you, so close to the source…" Colossus stumbled back, forced to relinquish what hold he had.

Meanwhile, Iceman tried freezing the tendrils, but just as with Wolverine's attempt, more formed to reanchor Eclipse. "Putting these tentacles on ice is another no-go, and I'm too afraid that deep freezing the little lady will do permanent damage," said Iceman.

"They… don't seem to know that ice really IS their best bet for getting Eclipse away from us," Luna whispered. "That, or Storm's lightning."

"Perhaps McCoy couldn't analyze what samples they had from when Gambit's cards splattered ooze all over the place," Neptune whispered back. "Either that, or this Beast didn't have enough time."

"Shut up, both of you," Chibi-Moon hissed. "They might hear you, and while you're all at it, clear your heads. If Cable digs up that little nugget, Eclipse is as good as gone."

"Then it's up to you, Cable," said Storm. "Keep Eclipse's power contained. And keep trying to probe her mind, use your telekinesis to pry free what's anchoring her, whatever it takes. One way or another, this chaos with Eclipse ends tonight."

Uranus had finally heard enough. "That's because she'll be dealt with by us Senshi!" Uranus roared. "She's connected to the Sailor Senshi's oldest enemy, and she's been terrorizing citizens of Japan. She's OURS to deal with, and no one's taking her away until we get information and get justice. Not even another superhero team."

Storm's solid white eyes spoke volumes. Unlike Uranus, Storm wasn't exactly spoiling for a fight, but it was clear she would not back down from one. Also, did Storm somehow sense she was another who could command the winds?

Whatever the case, when Storm spoke, she addressed them all. "Please hear me, Sailor Senshi. I am Storm, field commander of the X-Men. We have no wish to harm any of you, but nor can we allow harm to come to another mutant who quite possibly needs help only we can provide. Besides, this situation is potentially more complex than you realize."

"Right back at you, Weather Lady," Venus spat. "Not only is she connected to the people who destroyed the Moon Kingdom, she's also been building new Sentinels!"

"It's true! I didn't want to believe it at first, but everything points to Eclipse being Erina Kizachi!" Mercury cried. "It took four of us Senshi to stop just one of them, so what happens when they get unleashed on their usual targets?"

"Mercury's right. By protecting her, you're giving those Sentinels a chance to come bail her out again. Is that what you want!?" Jupiter demanded.

It appeared fear of Sentinels couldn't dissuade these mutants. Rogue had retracted those claws, and was cracking her knuckles. Gambit still had cards in hand, his glowing eyes letting Uranus know he was charging them. Shadowcat's stance betrayed an eagerness to spring. Even Beast, supposedly the most scholarly of the bunch, showed no willingness to back down.

Uranus's gaze fell on Wolverine. Something told Uranus he'd be the one most eager for a brawl. Yet instead of sharing his fellow mutants' resolve, there was a strange, wide-eyed look on his face.

"We suspected the Senshi turned back a Sentinel," said Storm firmly. "And the X-Men will certainly help your team solve the conspiracy surrounding this new model. But in the meantime…" Storm suddenly stopped, as if caught by surprise by something.

Whatever it was, Neptune saw it as an opening. Uranus could sense her partner's patience ebb to nothing, a split second before she unleashed her attack. "Submarine Reflection!" she roared, aiming her mirror at the line of mutants.

Neptune's aim must have been to sweep up the X-Men with her blast, thinking she had a free shot since Cable had to generate telekinetic barriers elsewhere. Unfortunately, Iceman leapt forward with outstretched hands, releasing an intense blast of icy power. He grit his teeth, his powers put to the test, but Iceman's defense held and stopped Neptune's attack cold.

But the gauntlet was thrown. If there had been any hope of resolving this peacefully, it was gone now. Uranus saw some of the other Senshi readying attacks to blow the X-Men away. That was when Colossus placed a hand around Iceman and Wolverine's waists, and Rogue did the same with Beast and Gambit.

It immediately became apparent why. An instant before the Senshi could unload, a powerful gust roared from across the sea, coming out of nowhere. It was as if a cyclone had appeared, and a surge of water rushed across the shipyard.

The water passed harmlessly through Shadowcat, and Cable must have been anchored with his telekinesis, while Rogue and Colossus held the other X-Men in place. Unfortunately, the storm surge was more than enough to knock the Senshi off their feet. The hurricane-force winds didn't abate, either. Now they roared across the shipyard, blowing the Senshi back further.

"I'm sorry, Sailor Senshi, but there's more going on here than either of us currently understand," said Storm as she rose higher. The lightning around her crackled ever more fiercely. "X-Men, keep the Sailor Senshi away from Eclipse, whatever it takes!"

Uranus steadily rose on her hands and knees, gagging on seawater. H-H-How did… How did the other X-Men know Storm was going to pull that stunt!?

Uranus looked ahead, seeing Storm had blown them all back a good distance, but could still make out Cable still trying to pry Eclipse free of the concrete. Suddenly, it all made sense. Cable couldn't just send messages with his telepathy. Somehow, he could link the X-Men's minds, too. So they all knew what Storm was about to do, and readied themselves for the winds and water that would hammer the Senshi.

Another ridiculous advantage these mutants have over us, Uranus realized, grunting as she stood back up.

Unfortunately, she had other problems to deal with first. The X-Men were already on the move. Uranus grumbled when she saw Gambit run out from behind a container stack. She was more than ready for a rematch with the Cajun, producing her Space Sword. But before Gambit could spot her, Tuxedo Kamen came right at him, cane at the ready.

"You will not keep us from our goal!" Tuxedo Kamen spat, inches from Gambit's face as their weapons clashed. "A deceptive thief such as yourself won't get in the way of justice!"

"'Deceptive thief?'" Gambit echoed in an amused tone, smiling like always. "I dunno, that sounds harsh. And somethin' tells me you got experience stealin' a heart yourself."

Tuxedo Kamen howled in fury, sinking his knee into Gambit's gut. Gambit staggered back a good distance, and Tuxedo Kamen didn't let up. But getting the wind knocked out of him couldn't stop Gambit from parrying his next attack. The two became black blurs against the backdrop of the still-churning sea as they moved back and forth, their staffs clashing.

He's doing it again. Taking everything one of our best fighters can dish out, smiling the whole time, Uranus thought angrily, clenching a fist that collected power. There was no sense being honorable with a thief. Best to return the favor, and blindside him while Tuxedo Kamen kept him occupied.

But right before Uranus could strike, something stayed her hand. Even with Storm manipulating the weather, Uranus could still sense things on the winds, when she allowed herself to stop and listen. And right now, as furious as they were, the winds whispered that she had more worries than one insufferable Cajun. Someone who would be hard to detect otherwise, who knew how to move, and use cover…

"World…" Uranus began, raising her fist. An instant before she would have sent her attack Gambit's way, Uranus whirled around. "SHAKING!" she finished, and her attack slammed into Wolverine, just as he leaped off a stack of containers. It slammed into him hard, smashing him against a container and forcefully pressing him against it for a moment before dissipating. "HA!" Uranus cried triumphantly, watching Wolverine fall to the ground.

Only to see him rise instantly. The shearing winds left gashes across Wolverine's face, and ripped through parts of his uniform along his chest and left shoulder, where Uranus had also inflicted deep wounds.

But, no, it couldn't be, her eyes had to be deceiving her. Wolverine's wounds were already closing! Moments later, it was as if the wounds were never there, some blood that had dribbled out being the only evidence left!

"Colossus wasn't lyin' about you packin' a wallop, babe. And you gotta be good to hear me comin' in the middle of this cyclone Ororo kicked up," Wolverine said, smirking as he steadily advanced. He spread his arms to brandish his claws. "So leave the Cajun and Cape-Boy alone. Let me have the honor of havin' this dance."

Uranus could only stare back for a moment, gritting her teeth. THIS must've been what Venus meant about how Wolverine wouldn't be stopped. He could instantaneously heal from just about anything! And would keep coming until he got you.

Still, Uranus wouldn't back down. With her Space Sword at the ready, she and Wolverine circled each other. Mist sprayed across the shipyard as they watched for telltale signs that the other was about to make a move.

Suddenly, Wolverine howled and lunged forward, but Uranus parried his claws with her sword just in time. His speed, his ferocity… I've never seen anything quite like it! Wolverine twirled around and came at her with his other set of claws. Uranus edged back, the claws coming within centimeters of gutting her, then countered with a roundhouse kick to Wolverine's face. That knocked Wolverine to the ground, though he sprang right back up.

Wolverine came off like a feral animal, yet there was practiced skill and technique behind his strikes. It was all Uranus could do to parry swipes from two sets of claws with one sword, while still keeping an eye out for holes in Wolverine's defense. Just like with Gambit, that last part was no easy feat.

Wolverine made another swipe, and her sword slid in between two claws. When Wolverine slashed at her with his other hand, Uranus caught his wrist. They struggled for a moment, locked together as they were, until Uranus slammed her forehead down against Wolverine's. She felt her tiara slam against something VERY hard. Did he really have his bones laced with that metal!? Still, it was enough to make Wolverine stagger back, and Uranus used that opening to slide her sword into his gut.

He'll probably heal from this too, Uranus realized. Not a second to spare. As Wolverine fell back, Uranus moved in to stab through Wolverine's heart.

Unfortunately, even after being gutted, Wolverine was far from helpless. Wolverine's foot smashed across Uranus's face as he rolled aside. Uranus looked to see Wolverine was back on his feet, the gaping wound in his midsection already vanishing. Howling, Uranus charged, aiming to stab him again while she still had a slight edge. Her sword got caught between his claws again. With a flick of his wrist, the Space Sword flew out of Uranus's hand, and with his other set of claws, he slashed at her side.

"Gaaaah!" Uranus screamed as she stumbled back, one hand instinctively rushing to her side. She immediately felt warm, sticky blood. Risking a horrified glance down, Uranus saw Wolverine's claws, thankfully, hadn't penetrated too deeply through her fuku. Some blood was trickling out of a trio of slash wounds, but nothing life-threatening. Still, the fact that his claws could cut through her fuku AT ALL…

Even worse, Wolverine had disarmed her. Looking back to the X-Man, Uranus saw him smirking at her. Smirking! Though he didn't exude the same infuriating charm as Gambit, it was no less vexing.

"Gotta admit, it's a shame you ain't never gonna swing my way according to the Cajun, 'cause I like you're style," Wolverine beamed. "Anyway, I think we've had enough fun." At first, Uranus figured that meant he had been holding back. Then, to her amazement, Wolverine sheathed his claws.

"You're… disarming yourself!?" Uranus demanded disbelievingly.

"Doesn't seem fair to do otherwise, since I disarmed you," said Wolverine. "I gave it everything I had at first, out of respect. But I didn't come here to carve up Sailor Sushi, 'specially since your boss wanted us to carve up Sentinels instead."

"My 'boss'? What are you…" Then it hit her harder than Colossus ever could. "You mean Sailor Moon!? What have you done with our princess!?"

"Me? Nothin', except tell her I'd happily have her back if she wanted to wreck some Sentinels," said Wolverine. Uranus didn't buy a word of it. "She came to us, askin' for help, and it sounded like the professor was willin' to give it."

Uranus had heard enough. She cut loose with World Shaking again, then shoulder-charged Wolverine when he leapt aside. Whatever the reason for Sailor Moon's absence, these X-Men had a part in it, Uranus was certain. Uranus tackled Wolverine to the ground, who amazingly didn't pop his claws back out, and grabbed his throat.

"Let's see you heal from lack of oxygen!" she roared, clamping down. "We don't need any of you when it comes to these Sentinels! We were just about to take care of that problem!"

"You mean Eclipse?" Wolverine gasped out, right before reaching up to pry Uranus's hands loose. "You got it all backwards, darlin'. That won't solve nothin'. She's…"

With a snarl, Uranus stood and threw Wolverine aside, toward the nearby water. With any luck, those churning seas would drown the vexing little monster.

Unfortunately, he popped one set of claws back out and dug into the concrete with them, halting his momentum. He sheathed them again upon coming to a halt, dashing back toward Uranus. "Fine then. Don't listen to reason," Wolverine spat, tackling Uranus to the ground.

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Usagi had said the X-Men were an experienced, disciplined team, and their opening salvo sure proved it. Their first major push was to confuse and separate them, then have Cable guard Eclipse as they spread out to keep them occupied. There was no time to regroup, or come up with any plan. They just had to hope one of them could evade the X-Men prowling the shipyards, then take Cable out while he was focused on prying Eclipse loose.

And that was just what Jupiter intended to do, despite longing to take out her frustration out on one or two of these mutants. Who asked them to butt in, and why were they so dead-set on protecting the one building new Sentinels?

While it looked like some of the X-Men had intercepted certain Senshi close to the water and the ships, Jupiter had managed to slip back toward the buildings. She was moving alongside one of the buildings as stealthily as she could manage, figuring that she was looping back around to where Eclipse had anchored herself.

Jupiter soon found out she was right, but not in a way that raised her hopes. That woman who almost knocked Uranus to the Hokkaido region, Rogue, was FLYING around. She was arranging cargo containers so they stood up vertically, forming a ring around Cable and Eclipse. Then, Iceman looped around the makeshift barrier on another ice slide, forming an icy barricade around the containers and freezing them together.

"That's… going to complicate things," Jupiter muttered. Rogue and Iceman sped off to track down the Senshi. Thankfully, neither spotted her. Granted, a big enough blast of lightning could plow through all that, but the only hope of getting Cable away from Eclipse was to take him by surprise. Jumping on top of that barricade was hardly a better prospect, as either Rogue or Storm would be flying around, and could spot her easily.

Thunder still rumbled overhead to remind Jupiter the latter was still out there. Jupiter clenched her fist in frustration. Someone else who could command lightning? It was galling in the extreme.

Oh well, if the sparks are going to fly when she shows up, so be it, Jupiter mused. She dashed out from behind cover, heading for the X-Men's makeshift barricade.

She didn't get more than ten meters before something big and blue dropped down in front of her. Ami said his speed and strength could easily match hers. Jupiter didn't know whether that was more galling than Storm also having command over lightning.

"Out of my way, McCoy," Jupiter demanded, assuming a battle-ready stance. "You aren't the only speedy bruiser out there, and your boss isn't the only one who can make sparks fly."

"Why yes, being a former Avenger, I am keenly aware that there are many who can command weaponized electrical phenomenon through borderline supernatural means," said Beast, quite amicably for someone having no compunctions about slugging it out. "Though I had fervently hoped that, unlike Thor, you wouldn't be so eager to engage in such pugnaciousness, not when our objectives otherwise align so unmitigatedly."

For a moment, Jupiter's vexation vanished, replaced by utter bafflement. She didn't get even half of what Beast had just said. "OK, it's like you're speaking Japanese, and… not speaking Japanese."

"Ah, so I take it that I've failed in dissuading you from engaging in further hostilities?" Beast asked delicately.

"Yeah, something like that," said Jupiter right before she charged. This big, blue biochemist was massive, but Jupiter had dropped bigger. She came at Beast as fast and furiously as she could, yet he easily kept up with her. Ami hadn't been exaggerating about his speed!

"I do regret having to strike a woman, but Storm's orders were clear," said Beast regretfully. He blocked a kick coming right for his face, and with a roar, threw a vicious jab. Jupiter effortlessly deflected that, but in a flash, Beast flipped over, planting his other hand against the ground.

He twirled around on it, planting his bare foot against the side of Jupiter's face, sending her flying back a few meters. Beast charged ahead on all fours, roaring, but Jupiter was already back on her feet, despite feeling dizzy and tasting blood. Jupiter grappled him just as he would have bounded onto her, spun around while screaming, and threw him toward a lamppost.

Unfortunately, to Jupiter's astonishment, Beast's feet gripped the lamppost! "Commendable reflexes as well as formidable strength, my dear," said Beast as he whirled around on the lamppost. He grabbed it with his huge hands while flipping around it again, using the momentum built up to launch himself back at Jupiter, curling into a ball!

This time, there was no evading him. Beast slammed into Jupiter like a cannonball. The impact knocked Jupiter back toward the building she had looped around. Jupiter willed the bells ringing in her head to fall silent, and saw Beast coming for her again. Jupiter ducked aside, and Beast's fist smashed through solid brick instead. Jupiter's eyes widened. Ami sure hadn't exaggerated about his strength either!

Beast kept pressing, keeping Jupiter on the defensive. Given how agile he was, it taxed Jupiter's skills to the limit, staying ahead of this speedy blue furball. Jupiter blocked another flurry of punches, then countered with some jabs of her own. One broke through, striking Beast in the face. A punch like that would've floored a normal man, but Beast merely staggered back some. Then he immediately retaliated, doing a somersault backwards, only to bound up towards the wall behind Jupiter. He rebounded off it, aiming to drop kick her with a roar.

But Beast wasn't the only one who could leap like that. Jupiter easily sailed over Beast as he came down. Then, borrowing Beast's trick, she rebounded off the wall, her boot smacking him in the face as she spun in midair. Now that she had him on the defensive, Jupiter pressed her advantage. She came at him with one punch after another. Some got through.

Jupiter smiled wickedly as she sank an uppercut right into Beast's breadbasket. She followed up with a roundhouse kick to his face, but suddenly, those big, meaty hands grabbed her leg. With a snarl, Beast spun around and lobbed Jupiter at a truck parked alongside the wall. Stars exploded in Jupiter's vision as the truck door gave way to her backside.

Any second, Beast would advance and pummel her all over again. His speed, his strength… Mercury wasn't kidding about how her hero's in a whole different weight class. Jupiter pried herself off the truck door. That was when she heard another crack of thunder.

Jupiter's eyes widened, this time in exasperation rather than fear. What was wrong with her? So what if Beast could match her strength and speed? She still had something Beast couldn't possibly counter. And with all the rain falling, plus the storm surge from earlier…

"My dear, that will be quite enough of that," said Beast gruffly as he advanced. "This brawling, while you may find it cathartic, gets neither team anywhere. If you would take a moment to listen to reason, you…"

He stopped, possibly sensing she was up to something. Her tiara's antenna was already out, crackling, making the air reek of ozone. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she cried, lobbing the ball of concentrated power where Beast stood. With a roar, he leapt over her just as it upturned huge chunks of concrete, clinging to the brick wall behind her. Jupiter backflipped away from the truck, then screamed, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" as she spun.

As agile as Beast was, he couldn't dodge so many leaves going every which way. And as tough as he was, a few solid hits were enough to knock him silly, especially while his fur was wet.

Knocked off his perch along the wall, Beast crashed down onto the truck's hood. Flashing a satisfied smile and cracking her knuckles, Jupiter advanced. Now that a few good jolts had taken some fight out of the furball, ending this with her bare hands wouldn't be so hard. And hopefully, the other Senshi were keeping the other X-Men busy enough so that she could smash Rogue and Iceman's barricade.

Beast was already getting back up, so Jupiter knew she had to end this now. She grabbed a handful of Beast's hair so she could force feed him a knuckle sandwich. "What's wrong Doc? No flowery phrases?" she taunted as she reared back a fist.

"How about Queen to C5, kicks Knight's big fat ass!?" came a voice. But it sounded muffled, like… it was coming from the other side of a wall? Jupiter's confusion stayed her hand just long enough for someone to tackle her left side hard, knocking her to the ground. Jupiter picked herself back up, seeing who had blindsided her.

"Kitty Pryde?" Jupiter demanded, wondering just how she had blindsided her. Her left side had been facing the wall.

"It's Shadowcat to you, Ms. Lightning Rod," Shadowcat snarled. "Didn't I say anyone gunning for Dr. McCoy better watch her back!?" Turning to the truck, Shadowcat said, "Get out of here, Hank. I think I can finish this."

"Oh, can you?" Jupiter asked snidely. Beast simply nodded, bounding off the truck's hood and barreling back toward the shipyard on all fours. "No you don't! I'm not finished with you!" Jupiter cried, ignoring Shadowcat, aiming to run past her.

That proved a costly mistake. Shadowcat dashed in front of her, stopping Jupiter cold with a palm strike to the side of her jaw. A flurry of punches and kicks followed, along with chops and jabs targeting sensitive areas. This girl knew exactly where to strike, which nerves to zero in on.

It wasn't long before Shadowcat stood over Jupiter, who had fallen to one knee. If not for the durability and endurance afforded by her transformation, she would be lying on the ground, drooling.

Spitting out some blood, she glared up at Shadowcat. "What was that!? Did the guy who taught you Japanese teach you ninjitsu as well!?" Jupiter demanded.

"Pretty much. Next stupid question," Shadowcat spat back.

Jupiter growled as she rose again. Getting chucked around by that monstrous furball was one thing, but this little girl would NOT best her so easily! She came at Shadowcat fast and hard, who could barely duck around her bone-crushing punches.

At last, one struck, though Shadowcat was able to roll with it. Jupiter threw another jab, but Shadowcat deflected it and launched a hook that made Jupiter stagger back. It wasn't powerful enough to disorient her for long, so when Shadowcat tried a roundhouse kick, Jupiter grabbed her ankle, then hurled her at the building.

Shadowcat slid across the ground, stopping only when she slammed into the brick wall. Even without the benefit of a Senshi's endurance, she was back on her feet in a second, in a ready stance.

"Just what does it take to put you mutants down for the count!?" Jupiter shrieked. She charged, aiming to smash Shadowcat up against the wall.

Instead, Jupiter found herself going right through Shadowcat, and wound up being the one smacking the wall hard!

"W-W-What in… H-H-How did I just…" Jupiter got out, rubbing her aching head. Shadowcat didn't answer. Instead, Jupiter felt Shadowcat grab her by her shoulders. Then she pulled them toward the wall.

Jupiter's eyes widened in astonishment again as Shadowcat went right through the wall, pulling her along! But when Jupiter was halfway through, she felt Shadowcat let go. Then she reappeared, walking back through it, smirking at Jupiter.

Jupiter tried to move, but found herself hopelessly trapped inside the wall. Her forearms, the upper half of her torso and one knee were sticking out of the brick wall, her hands and head pretty much the only things she could move. "Checkmate. Again," was all Shadowcat said, still smirking.

For a moment, Jupiter was utterly speechless. How could she let herself get trapped like THIS!? "Oh COME ON!" she implored. Shadowcat's insufferable grin became even wider, then she ran back toward the shipyard.

Fuming, Jupiter struggled some more, but the solid brick simply wouldn't yield. It took thunder rumbling overhead to once again remind her of the perfect way out. Of course, this time, there would be a tradeoff.

Her antenna extended again. Jupiter grit her teeth, bracing herself for what was to come, and then… "Supreme Thunder!"

Calling down a bolt of lightning from the storm clouds overhead, it zeroed in on the wall, smashing it apart. Unfortunately, Jupiter had to tank a good deal of it. Though she broke free of the wall, she crumpled to the ground, her face and fuku stained black in places with soot.

"Yeah, you better run, little kitty," Jupiter muttered weakly, coughing up smoke.

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Sailor Mercury had made a point of warning the other Senshi that Storm's power was nothing to scoff at. Just like with saying her anti-Eclipse weapon was no guarantee, Mercury hated being right.

Still, Mercury hadn't quite expected Storm to use her powers to catch them all unawares. In the blink of an eye, Storm had the Sailor Senshi separated and confused. Her aim no doubt was no buy Cable time. So far, Mercury had to admit, Storm's ploy was working beautifully. To the point where Rogue and Iceman had set up additional barriers around the two mutants.

After Storm's winds had scattered all of them, Mercury had fallen back across the shipyard. So far, she had been unable to raise any of the other Senshi. Either Storm's constant discharges of lightning were disrupting her equipment, or the X-Men had engaged the other Senshi, or both.

Gritting her teeth, Mercury knelt and peered out from behind a cargo truck, scanning the X-Men's barricade with her visor. The containers Rogue upturned and arranged were bad enough, but Iceman made that ice ridiculously compact and thick. I don't think even I could whip up ice structures that resilient, that fast, Mercury mused, unable to stop a twinge of envy.

Mercury doubted she had enough power to punch through all that. Her only consolation was that her visor was also picking up copious amounts of mental energy being expelled within that barrier. That meant Cable had yet to pry Eclipse free. Perhaps, if she could get atop the barrier, send ice attacks down into it while he was occupied…

The wind howled again, sending fine mist spraying past the truck, as if to warn her, threaten her. Instead, it stiffened Mercury's resolve. There was no time to plan, just take action. Mercury peered out from behind cover again to scan the area. She needed some idea where the rest of the X-Men could be, still dreading the idea of going up against Dr. McCoy.

Erina Kizachi however… I don't think I'll shed any tears if she doesn't live past tonight, Mercury thought vindictively. The terror from being a Sentinel's prey… No one should have to go through that. Why were the X-Men so intent on protecting her!?

Thankfully, while her scans showed Sailor Uranus and Tuxedo Kamen both engaging an X-Man, there was no sign of anyone else. If her friends could keep those mutants occupied, she just might have a clear path herself. Mercury finally rose, ready to bolt.

That was when she found her scans had missed a mutant approaching her flank. All of a sudden, the truck serving as cover was hoisted up. Mercury turned around, eyes widening as she saw a towering man of metal lifting the truck over his head! Colossus! The one who gave Sailor Neptune a serious run for her money!

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury cried, striking Colossus with a column of freezing water. It wouldn't do any permanent damage to someone with metal armor for skin, but it would buy her a little time.

The X-Man was instantly coated with thick ice while still holding the truck overhead. Unable to balance it, it toppled onto and off of him, landing a little ways past her. Smiling to herself, Mercury bolted to run around it.

And stopped cold when she heard her icy prison crack apart. Mercury turned around to see where Colossus went, but her gaze snapped back forward when she heard his heavy footfalls up ahead. An instant later, Colossus planted his hand on the overturned truck, jumping over it to land right before her. Such swiftness despite all that bulk… No wonder Neptune couldn't get around him!

"This foolishness must cease, little one," said Colossus as Mercury backed up fearfully. Her visor was still up, feeding her more data. It wasn't just his skin… His entire body had transmuted into living metal! "The X-Men have no wish to fight the Sailor Senshi, but neither can we permit any harm to come to Eclipse." He advanced slowly, forcing Mercury back to where more trucks were parked. "The other Senshi who commands water… She was unwilling to listen to reason, but I sense it may be different with you."

Colossus was right, up to a point. But if they had the fight to get to Eclipse, Mercury wouldn't back down. So Mercury stood her ground, a watery harp taking shape in her hands.

"Sorry Colossus, but after all she's done, after sending a Sentinel after us…" Colossus lunged forward, again moving with shocking swiftness. Mercury could barely get out, "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Each tendril of icy water slammed into Colossus hard and forced him back, but as Mercury feared, she lacked the raw power to truly damage his armored form.

Grunting, Colossus trudged forward again, now knocking away her blasts of freezing water. In a moment, he would be upon her. "Enough, Sailor Mercury!" Colossus roared as she swatted away another tendril. "No one understands what it's like to face Sentinels time and again like us, but still, you must realize…"

A loud cry from behind Colossus interrupted him. "You got him right where I want him, Mercury! Mars Flame Sniper!"

Colossus turned around to see a flaming arrow coming right for him. It struck him square in the face, and he dropped to one knee, grunting. Mars leapfrogged over him, putting herself between Colossus and Mercury. When Colossus stood back up, Mars brought her hands together and cried, "Fire Soul!"

A continuous stream of roaring flame sprayed from her joined fingertips, and this was enough to keep Colossus at bay. The pulsating heat was so intense, Colossus once again dropped to one knee.

"Like I said, right where we want him!" Mars cried triumphantly. Mercury breathed a sigh of relief. At least SOMETHING could stop this mass of metal muscle cold. "OK Mercury, when I drop my flames, let him have it!"

Relief turned to horror. "W-W-W-What did you say?" stammered Mercury.

"Come on, you're not the only one who pays attention in physics class," said Mars as she kept pumping out flames. "While I've got him white-hot like this, a dousing with freezing water will crack that armor he's conjured around himself."

"Mars, you don't get it!" Mercury cried out on horror. "He's not a Sentinel, and it's not some covering… His entire body becomes some sort of organic steel! If I subject him to thermal shock, I'll probably kill him!"

"Listen to the little lady, hot stuff," came a voice from overhead. Both Senshi looked up to see one of those 'ice slides' coming up over the line of trucks.

Javelins of ice rained down. Mars turned her flames upwards. Fortunately, Colossus was in too much pain to immediately charge. Many of the javelins were vaporized, along with part of the ice slide. Still, enough got through to force Mars and Mercury to jump back.

Meanwhile, Iceman dropped down in between them and Colossus. "Damn Peter, did Sunfire go and start a family without telling us? This girl's definitely enough of a hothead to be his daughter," said Iceman. His body seemed to be radiating a thick mist, almost like her Shabon Spray attack. Mercury wondered what his aim was, but a few moments later, Colossus rose, steam billowing off his armored body. Iceman was cooling Colossus's body off gradually. "The big guy's been through that whole thermal shock thing before. And he sure doesn't need a repeat performance."

"Many thanks, Robert," Colossus said gruffly, staring at the two Senshi. Now, his head and arms only glowed red hot. Soon enough, Iceman would have him sufficiently cooled down. Mercury glared at Iceman, still a little envious of how he could do things with ice she could only dream of. Her scans also confirmed her suspicions. Just as Colossus turned entirely into metal, Iceman became a being purely composed of living ice! Even if Mars turned her flames on him, disintegrated him into vapor, Mercury suspected he could just put himself back together!

"Well, it's two-on-two now," Mars muttered, her bravado from earlier gone. "You got a tactical assessment for us?"

"Yeah. We are royally screwed," Mercury grumbled as Iceman gathered power to strike. Mars used Fire Soul again to force back his icy power, just as Colossus finally charged at Mercury again.

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Venus ran across the top of a cargo container, then jumped over onto another stack. Storm had done a marvelous job separating all of the Senshi. Now they were all scrambling before any of the X-Men found them.

Looking down to her right as she kept running, Venus's hopes of finding anyone to help rush at that barricade faded. Tuxedo Kamen was pinned down by Gambit, using roses to detonate his cards before they could reach him. Over to her left, she saw Sailor Uranus body slam Wolverine to the ground. Strangely, Wolverine didn't have his claws out. Just as well, since it looked like Uranus had lost her sword.

Still, even without those claws out, taking on Wolverine up close and personal was a risky proposition, as he soon proved. He elbowed Uranus in the face just as hewas slammed down against the concrete, hard enough to make her stagger off of him. A boot swinging into the side of her face then had Uranus reeling.

Still, from her vantage point, Venus realized she could pick both Gambit and Wolverine off. Or at least, help Tuxedo Kamen and Uranus get away. Then they all smash through that barricade together. Cable couldn't fight them all off and focus on Eclipse at the same time. Coming to a halt at the container's edge, Venus pointed at Wolverine, praying he'd stay still long enough. "Crescent B…"

A sudden roar of wind, and flaky snow fluttering past, made Venus look back up. The sky all around them was still a pulsating mass of grey and black, clouds swirling as the shipyard was battered with a hurricane's fury. Still, Venus could still make out a particular black shape against the backdrop of those roiling clouds, coming in fast. And then it crackled with lightning…

"Maybe running atop the containers wasn't such a hot idea," Venus grumbled as she turned and ran back. She could feel a blizzard at her back, covering the containers beneath her with rime. Then, finally, a bolt of lightning struck the stack, an instant after Venus bounded off of it.

"Sailor Venus, I don't want to harm you, but you must let us deal with Eclipse!" came Storm's voice over the roar of her winds. "That was a warning shot, Venus. This must end! Things are not as they appear. The Sailor Senshi have it all wrong!"

"What, because we're not mutants, we can't figure it out!?" Venus spat, incensed. She had worked with Interpol. Investigations like this were not foreign territory for her. Did the X-Men think they were dealing with amateurs here!? Venus's fingertips went to her lips. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" she cried, twisting around while running to fire her attack at Storm.

Venus had guessed just where she'd be, and how close she'd get. But Storm deftly flew aside, and her attack sailed over the shipyard. The X-Men certainly weren't amateurs either. Storm was swifter in the air than Venus gave her credit for.

Another flurry rushed across the shipyard, carrying piercing hail with it, forcing Venus to make another jump. She landed on the crate suspended from a crane, the one Chibi-Moon had made her shots from. Another jump carried her up to the tip of the crane.

Venus watched as Storm looped around the crane, lightning still arcing all over her. She really DOES have Ami, Haruka and Makoto's powers all rolled into one. But she doesn't have a Sailor Senshi's durability. All I need to do is clip her once. With that, Venus aimed and cried, "Crescent Beam Shower!"

Multiple beams of light lanced out at Storm, but again, she proved hard to take down while in the air. Years of practice let her ride on the winds with ridiculous ease. Still, with the number of beams coming at her all at once, one managed to graze her thigh.

Storm screamed, faltering, almost going into a tailspin as she fell toward the crane. She quickly corrected herself and rode higher on the winds. That was when there were bursts of light coming from the clouds overhead.

One look into Storm's white eyes told Venus what was coming. "Uh-oh," Venus muttered meekly. Storm spread her arms, and lightning bolts came down from the clouds toward the crane. In desperation, Venus cried, "Crescent Beam!"

Her attack clashed with the lightning bolts, forcing them back for the moment. Still, the sheer power Storm could call down from the heavens… The lightning bolts pushing back against her beam, as if it was a physical thing. Storm really could pump out as much amperage as Jupiter, and then some!

Realizing she couldn't risk a duel of raw power with Storm, Venus racked her brains for another idea. She looked down at the crane she was perched on. All that metal would conduct electricity, but my chain isn't as conductive, Venus mused.

Looking back, seeing how close to the crane Storm was, Venus made her move. Cutting off her beam, she leaped backwards off the crane, letting the lightning bolts fry it.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" she cried, and her conjured chain lashed out and snagged the crane. As she hoped, hardly any electricity traveled down it, and her boosted durability let her withstand what did. She swung under and around the crane. When she came up the other side, Storm was still there. "Gotcha!" Venus cried, slamming into the X-Men's leader and wrapping her legs around her.

Venus veered their trajectory to slam Storm into the crane's side door. Storm's head smacked against the glass so hard, it cracked.

That was no guarantee Storm was out cold. Grabbing a handful of her long, white hair, Venus pulled her head back to slam it into the glass again. An elbow driving itself hard into Venus's nose put that on hold. It came so suddenly, Venus relinquished her hold on Storm's hair, letting her twist around to drive a fist into Venus's gut. Storm followed up with a upward palm strike to her chin, both blows accompanied by a surge of electricity.

Disoriented, Venus lost her balance. She tumbled off the crane, hitting the concrete hard after falling several meters. Storm jumped off, floating down gently on her winds, landing only a few meters away.

"Enough, child," Storm said resolutely, striding a little closer. Venus slowly staggered back up to meet her gaze. Even after all that punishment, it hardly seemed to drain Storm. No wonder she led the X-Men. "I understand your desire to stop these new Sentinels, but this isn't the way to do it. Killing Eclipse will do nothing, because…"

Venus came at her with a jump kick, but Storm crossed her forearms to block it. She came back at Venus with a spinning kick which Venus barely blocked in time, then followed up with a straight chop. Venus felt Storm's hand rush past her head just as she tilted it aside. Hand-to-hand, attacking from a distance… There were just no good options when dealing with Storm.

Venus came back at her, fast and furious, but Storm still managed to keep up. Maybe, if I keep her occupied on the ground, one of the other Sailor Senshi can slip by, Venus reasoned as she pressed on. She risked a glance over at the barricade protecting Cable and Eclipse, hoping at least one Senshi saw the opportunity.

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Chibi-Moon ran from one container stack to another, hoping her small size and use of cover would let her slip by. Luna, Artemis and Luna-P tagged along right behind her. Looking up, Chibi-Moon still saw the storm clouds rushing overhead. The seas still churned, and powerful winds carried mist that sprayed everywhere. But for the moment, it looked like Storm herself wasn't patrolling the skies around the barricade.

That was a relief. She was arguably the most powerful X-Man here. Still, despite studying the X-Men during history lessons, it was beyond belief how their collective power was more than enough to turn back all of the Sailor Senshi. Hadn't the Sailor Senshi faced teams of bad guys much tougher than these mutants? What was going on?

Luna echoed her sentiments. "How can this be happening!? There's eight Senshi, eight X-Men watching over the barricade… Even odds, and none have even gotten close! We're the Sailor Senshi, protectors of this world and its solar system, but we're getting beat back by a bunch of mutants!?"

"If only Sailor Moon was here to turn the tide," said Artemis. "What's keeping her!? Why won't she answer us!?"

"Forget my idiot future mother. It's up to us," Chibi-Moon spat. "And I don't see Storm, or the other lady who flies. I'm going for it." Granted, she couldn't easily smash through the X-Men's barricade, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

If she was even allowed to approach it. Chibi-Moon had her back pressed against a container, peering around the corner. The cats were watching her back, so Chibi-Moon was confident no one could sneak up. But suddenly, the cats shrieked. Whirling back around, Chibi-Moon saw one of the X-Men leaning against the container, arms folded, only a few meters from them!

"R-R-R-Right through the… D-D-Did she just…" Luna spluttered.

"Yes, she did," said Artemis flatly. "Venus and I read about this one, and we saw how she got Wolverine in here. She's called the Shadowcat."

"Hmmm, so Remy and Peter weren't kidding about talking cats. Whatevs," said Shadowcat nonchalantly. "Wow, I thought I was young when I got recruited into the X-Men, but you, kiddo… Seriously, are you a reserve member of Power Pack or something? I mean, there might've been more children who got powers from horses from outer space, after all."

Chibi-Moon stared back at Shadowcat quizzically. "Well, uhhh, for the last few months, I was kinda working with someone from a dream dimension who took the form of a pegasus."

That didn't faze Shadowcat in the least. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "OK then."

"What? You believe me!? And you're not weirded out by talking cats!?" Chibi-Moon demanded incredulously.

"Alternate dimensions, mystical beings… Oh, later on, I bet we'd have all sorts of fun swapping stories," Shadowcat said airily. Then, she stopped leaning against the container and stood up straight. "But for now, I can't let you go any further. You've got to give Cable time to…"

"I don't think so!" Chibi-Moon snarled, whipping out her Crystal Carillon. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" The heart-shaped crystal fixed to the bell glowed, but no attack issued forth.

Shadowcat stared at her weapon dubiously, her expression blank. "Uhhh, is that thing busted?" she asked delicately. Chibi-Moon grimaced in embarrassment. "You know, if it's mechanical, when this is over, I dunno, I could…" Suddenly, a flurry of pink hearts shot out, smacking the X-Man painfully. "Owww! Ouch! Owww! Hey, cut it out!" Shadowcat spat, shielding herself with her arms. "C'mon, enough of that! Seriously!"

"Oh, you like that, huh?" said Chibi-Moon with a smirk. "Well, have some more!" Chibi-Moon sent out another wave of hearts, but this time, they passed RIGHT THROUGH Shadowcat! Chibi-Moon's expression went from cocky to wide-eyed terror. "AHHHHH! YOU'RE A GHOST!" she shrieked.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Shadowcat said dismissively as she advanced. Chibi-Moon kept up her assault, but all her hearts kept going right through Shadowcat.

"That's her mutant power! She can go through solid matter, or let attacks pass through her!" Artemis cried. "You'll have to think of something else!"

It was hard to think straight with a ghost girl in a creepy black bodysuit marching toward you. Chibi-Moon backed up nervously, looking around for something, ANYTHING, that could help. Right beside her, Luna-P was still hovering.

It was her only hope. Grabbing it, she bounced it off the ground and shouted the first thing that popped in her head. "Luna-P, I need a flamethrower!" There was a puff of smoke, and a flamethrower unit just right for Chibi-Moon's size fell into her arms.

Now Shadowcat's eyes widened in shock. "Are you KIDDING ME!?" Ignoring her, Chibi-Moon quickly slung the fuel tank behind her back, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

"Time to turn up the heat, little kitty!" Chibi-Moon shrieked as she sprayed fire all over the place. Storm's rain and misty winds did nothing to douse the fire.

"Yow! Aim for THAT cat, not the cats on your side!" Luna snarled as she and Artemis dove behind Chibi-Moon.

"A flamethrower? SERIOUSLY!?" Artemis added, nursing a slightly singed tail.

"You come up with something better with a ghost-mutant coming at you!" Chibi-Moon shot back. "It worked, didn't it? She backed off."

But just as Chibi-Moon thought she was in the clear, she heard a weird slurping sound behind her. Looking over her shoulder, Chibi-Moon's jaw dropped. Shadowcat was rising up from the shipyard floor!

She whirled around to aim her flamethrower, but Shadowcat spun and launched a kick. Chibi-Moon winced, but Shadowcat's leg passed through her.

"Why did… w-w-w-what…" Chibi-Moon began, but all of a sudden, sparks flew from her flamethrower. An instant later, it reverted back into Luna-P, rolling impotently until it came to a stop against the container, energy arcing over it. "AHHHHH! Luna-P!" Chibi-Moon cried out, reaching for it, but Shadowcat grabbed her from behind. Luna and Artemis dove at Shadowcat, but she momentarily phased both herself and Chibi-Moon, and the cats sailed right through them.

"Playing with fire, kiddo!? Naughty, naughty," Shadowcat sneered in Chibi-Moon's ear. "This has gone on long enough. You Senshi got to realize Eclipse…"

"No, no, NO! Shut up, you creepy S&M ghost lady! Let me go! Let me GO!" Chibi-Moon wailed. She kept crying, writhing in Shadowcat's grip, until something clicked on. Her odango covers, they began amplifying her crying, sending out supersonic waves that made the concrete crack and the cargo containers vibrate, but Shadowcat took the full force of their power.

"What in… AHHHH!" The world span around Shadowcat, no doubt. "It's like Siryn's doing karaoke with death metal!" Right before she slumped down, barely conscious, she slammed Chibi-Moon's face into the side of the container. Both of them limply fell onto the shipyard floor.

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Slowly, gingerly, Luna picked herself up off the shipyard floor, her ears still ringing from Chibi-Moon's amplified outburst. The misty spray did little to further rouse her. Still, she had been luckier than Shadowcat, who had been right at the epicenter. Now that her vision was coming back into focus, Luna saw Shadowcat was barely conscious, groaning in agony. Chibi-Moon didn't look much better, though, leaning against the cargo container with a dazed look in her eyes.

But then, it looked like Shadowcat was about to pick herself back up. They had to strike, before any more harm came to Chibi-Moon

Artemis was alert again as well, and realized the same thing. "C'mon, Luna, let's show her what a real cat's all about!" he snarled, dashing toward the downed X-Man. Luna followed him, eager to sink her claws into Shadowcat's face.

All of a sudden, there was a howl from above. It didn't sound like one of the X-Men. It didn't even sound human. Looking up, Luna saw nothing against the stormy, bleak sky, at least not at first. But then, she noticed a purplish-pink dot, and it was closing fast.

By the time the cats had bridged the distance between them and Shadowcat, that freakish something dropped down right between them. This ugly, scaly, winged thing with two horns jutting from the back of his head and a long snout, about their size. It snarled wordlessly at the cats, snapping its jaws, daring them to come any closer. Luna and Artemis backed up a little, but hissed back, reluctant to retreat. That changed when the hideous little thing breathed fire at them!

"You gotta be… They've got a DRAGON!? The X-Men, a DRAGON!?" Artemis cried incredulously as they ran to avoid getting charbroiled.

"It's bonded to this particular X-Man, evidently," said Luna as she tried to circle around. But that little dragon watched Luna closely, snarling as it stood watch over its mistress.

"They… have a dragon…" Artemis muttered.

"At least it looks like Shadowcat's not exactly ready to renew battle," said Luna. "Unfortunately, Chibi-Moon's not in much better shape."

"You're still missing the point," Artemis spat. "They. Have. AN. EFFING. DRAGON!"

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Sensing impending danger based on how turbulent the seas were, listening to their whispers… Sometimes it steadied Sailor Neptune's nerves, knowing she often had forewarning of danger. Other times it seemed a curse. But at the moment, it was all a mess, thanks to Storm. The swirling seas, churning due to the cyclone she had whipped up, told her nothing, and threatened to muddy her senses. It warned of danger all around her, nothing more, as if that wasn't obvious already.

Neptune wondered if Uranus was having the same problem, given the turbulent winds. Misty spray rushed past Neptune as she ducked around the corner of a small building. From the looks of it, it housed equipment for maintenance workers, but at the moment Neptune failed to see how that helped her.

At the moment, she had to rely more on her talisman. Gazing into her mirror, she still caught occasional flickers of Eclipse's dreadful, dark power. Still situated within the X-Men's improvised barrier. One blast from her mirror could punch through it, but there was still Cable to deal with, not to mention whichever X-Men were sticking close.

Neptune scowled as she caught another flicker indicating Eclipse was still pumping out dark energy. The X-Men had her, the one building new Sentinels that would hunt down their kind! Why were they fighting so hard to keep her alive!? Knowing nothing of the Dark Kingdom's murderous legacy was no excuse. Both their teams were in danger so long as Erina Kizachi was around!

A sudden sense of… wrongness, despite the turbulent seas distracting her, snapped Neptune back to attention. She could still tell whether something not of this world was nearby, and it was coming fast.

Neptune knelt down, hoping the shadows could hide the white of her fuku. Apparently, it worked. Neptune caught a glimpse of Rogue flying overhead, scouting the area, but her gaze slid right over her. Even better, it looked like Storm wasn't in the air keeping watch with her. A quick glance at her mirror told Neptune that the X-Men's leader was nowhere around the barricade. So if she could take down Rogue, the other Senshi would have an easier time plowing through it.

But how!? If she's got strength like Colossus's, that means she's probably as impervious to harm as he is, Neptune realized. Then again, Submarine Reflection hurt Colossus, and Rogue doesn't have steel skin. Hmmm…

She looked at the building she was using for cover, and a possibility came to her. Double-checking to make sure Rogue wasn't too close, Neptune ran around the corner and slammed her shoulder into the front door. The lock instantly gave way, and Neptune ducked inside.

Moments later, Neptune ran back out, sensing Rogue was close again. Indeed, she was circling overhead once more. Wasting no time, she collected conjured seawater. "Deep Submerge!" she roared, hurling her attack up at the flying mutant.

"What in… URRKK!" Rogue cried before the energized water swallowed her voice, reducing it to a pitiful gargle. As expected, it wasn't any more effective on her than on Colossus. Yet, when the attack dissipated, Rogue dropped like a rock. It took a moment for Rogue to pick herself back up, and Neptune allowed her the time. It was all part of her plan.

Looking around, Rogue spotted Neptune standing a good distance away, so that Rogue was in between her and the barricade. "Seriously, sugar?" Rogue spat. "Bad enough your partner keeps gettin' a hate-on for a certain Cajun. You that eager to start a feud o' your own?"

"I am a creature of habit," said Neptune simply. "The Outer Senshi are charged with neutralizing threats from outside this solar system. And there's definitely something about you not of this world. Just what is it?"

"Long story, sugar. And a personal one," said Rogue tersely. "Besides, do forgive my bluntness, but it seems you ain't really the listenin' type."

"Quite right," said Neptune, aiming her mirror. "Submarine Reflection!"

As Neptune expected, Rogue handled this attack quite differently than Colossus had. Whereas Colossus fought smarter, using his surprising speed to evade and confuse her, Rogue matched power with power. Rogue stood her ground, blocking the blast with her hands. She tried to push it back as she slowly trudged forward. It was exactly what Neptune was hoping for.

Go on, waste your energy. Tire yourself out, Neptune thought, flashing a devilish smile. Rogue couldn't see it, but she could probably see her slightly backing up, as if suddenly nervous. Fuel her arrogance further, make Rogue think she was getting the upper hand.

Slowly but surely, Rogue advanced, pushing against Neptune's attack. Seven meters, six… By the time she finally reached her, Rogue would have expended a good deal of energy, but also let her guard down. Whether the latter happened or not, Neptune had a surprise regardless.

When Rogue was within a meter of Neptune, she disengaged her attack and sagged to one knee, acting as if she was exhausted herself.

To Neptune's delight, Rogue fell for her ploy. Rogue grabbed her by the front bow of her fuku and hoisted her off her feet. "Out o' gas already, hun? I was figurin' if you were dead-set on startin' a scrap, you'd a least go the distance."

"You figured right," said Neptune with a smirk. With her free hand, Neptune reached behind her back. There, tucked behind the bow on her back, was a can of spray paint. "Time for my most satisfying painting ever!" Neptune cried as navy blue paint sprayed into Rogue's eyes.

"AAAACK! You little witch!" Rogue shrieked. She dropped Neptune, her hands reflexively flying to her eyes.

"You flatter me," Neptune jeered as she raised her mirror again. "Submarine Reflection!"

This time, there was no letting Rogue counter her blast. She was swept up by it, rocketing right for the barricade. Ice smashed apart, chunks of it flying everywhere, and a cargo container buckled and toppled over.

"Finally!" Neptune cried in triumph as she bolted toward the opening. With any luck, Cable would be too surprised to offer much resistance, and Rogue, now blinded, would be far less dangerous. Neptune jumped over the toppled container, mirror at the ready, aiming to blast Eclipse into oblivion the second she saw her cocoon.

However, at the apex of her jump, Neptune found herself frozen in midair. She looked down to see Cable glaring up at her while kneeling beside the cocoon, his left eye glowing. "Commendable strategy, Michiru. If I wasn't keeping the X-Men linked telepathically, it might have worked. Rogue?"

With a howl, Rogue rose from the barricade's wreckage, then flew right at Neptune, tackling her. Her trajectory carried them back to the building where Neptune had found spray paint, slamming her against the wall. Rogue kept Neptune pinned against it by grabbing her arms, right above her gloves. She looked winded, battered, but far from beaten.

"Alright, I admit it, I underestimated you once," Rogue snarled, close enough for Neptune to smell her breath. "Now I ain't gonna give you another chance to… Huh!?"

Neptune wondered why Rogue was fearful all of a sudden, but then, she felt an odd sensation. She suddenly felt weaker, as if her vitality was being drained away. If Rogue was the reason, she didn't look too pleased about it. In fact, she looked downright terrified.

"AHHH! Your mirror laser thingie ripped open my gloves, and I'm touchin' bare skin! Look what you made me do!" Rogue cried, her shaky voice filled with horror. Whatever was going on, it was getting worse. Energy washed over and into Rogue… Energy from Neptune's own Star Seed, sucked right out of her!

Worse still, Rogue seemed unable to release her hold, her shock and confusion making her freeze up. Rogue threw her head back and screamed, leaving Neptune helpless in her grip as she inadvertently drained her power away, her very life…

So THIS is her power. That's how she got those claws from Wolverine, and how her other powers came from an alien source! Neptune reasoned, even as she felt consciousness slip away. But this power is unlike any Rogue's dealt with before. She has no idea how to handle it!

Eventually, Rogue let go, and Neptune dropped lifelessly to the ground. Rogue stumbled back, clutching her head, and toppled over. She writhed on the shipyard floor, watery energy swirling around her, with no idea how to control power drained from a Star Seed.

As for herself, Neptune found coping with such a power drain wasn't easy. She felt exhausted, more exhausted than she could ever recall. Neptune spotted her mirror lying about a meter away. Neptune tried crawling toward it, reaching out. That was when she saw her glove was disintegrating into swirling, pink ribbons! Rogue had drained so much power, she couldn't even maintain her transformation! Neptune plopped down, exhaustion getting the better of her, surrendering to the inevitable.

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Wolverine stood between Uranus and the barricade in the distance, as fresh as ever for a fight. This was ridiculous! Uranus felt bruised all over, while Wolverine's power ensured he'd feel no lasting effects from their brawl! The only way Uranus figured she could stop Wolverine was to get her Space Sword and lop off his head. Assuming her sword could even cut through the strange metal that covered his bones. And if I killed any of these X-Men, Odango would never forgive me, Uranus realized.

But SOMETHING was telling her that Neptune was in deep, deep trouble. If Neptune was harmed, there would be hell to pay, no matter what their princess wanted. Also, when Uranus looked past Wolverine at the barricade… One of us must've gotten through! she thought with elation. There's a gap! The time to strike was now.

Uranus risked furtive glances around. There, a few meters away, was her bloodied sword. "World Shaking!" she cried, sending her attack Wolverine's way. As expected, he dodged it, but Uranus used that opening to scramble for her sword. She scooped it up, never stopping her run, and spotted Tuxedo Kamen and Gambit, still near the water's edge. "Space Sword Blaster!" shrieked Uranus, still running. Gambit threw cards he already had charged up, intercepting her attack, but Tuxedo Kamen used this opening. His cane extended several more meters, and tripped up Gambit's legs. He toppled over into the drink. "Tuxedo Kamen, the barricade's been breached! We have to move NOW!"

Getting the hint, Tuxedo Kamen nodded, pulling out some roses. Wolverine was hot on Uranus's tail. Uranus looked back to see Wolverine slash apart the thrown roses with his claws, barely slowing down.

"Cut through this… Venus Love-Me Chain!" came Venus's resounding cry. Suddenly, Wolverine was bound up in a golden chain, and toppled with a snarl. "Keep moving! That won't hold him long either, and Storm'll be hot on our tail any second!"

Uranus nodded, and soon Venus caught up with her and Tuxedo Kamen. They ducked and weaved around stacks of containers, all the while glancing back to see if Storm was pursuing yet.

As they came around one stack, Mercury and Mars ran out from the other side, launching attacks back the way they came. "Burning Mandala!" Mars shrieked, sending blazing discs back at enemies Uranus couldn't yet see. When they rounded the corner and joined them, Uranus saw one had knocked Iceman off his slide, while Colossus, swift as he was, couldn't dodge all the ones coming his way. One slammed into him hard, and he toppled over with a howl.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!" Mercury cried, spraying icy mist back the way they came. With any luck, it would serve to buy them a few more seconds. "Hurry, hurry! That cover won't last long with this weather!"

"So, you got to tangle with the tin man this time," Uranus said with a smirk. "I trust he didn't rough you up too much?"

"Not… too much," Mercury repeated uneasily, nursing her side.

"Well, there's five of us now, and five of the X-Men have yet to catch up," Tuxedo Kamen pointed out as they bolted toward the breached barricade. "That may put the odds in our favor, if we move fast."

The odds soon improved again. Chibi-Moon ran up to watch their right flank, the cats hot on her heels. "Keep moving, guys. Let's get away from the ghost girl!"

"Ugh, you tangled with that cocky little kitty too!?" came Jupiter's voice suddenly. Uranus turned to see her running up to cover their left flank. She was covered in soot, looked winded, but her face betrayed a single-minded desire to throw down again.

The barricade was only a few dozen meters away, and they were closing fast. Jupiter would surely get what she wanted soon. Cable was probably still watching over Eclipse, and up to three other X-Men would be standing in their way.

"Well, that's all of us, save for Neptune," Artemis pointed out. "Uranus, got any idea where she might be?"

Artemis's query was soon answered in a most sobering manner. They all heard the cry of, "Deep Submerge!" Yet the voice wasn't Sailor Neptune's! The ball of energized seawater barreled right toward the Senshi, forcing them all to scatter. Uranus had to hit the deck.

When she looked back up, she saw Rogue calmly walking over to stand between them and the barricade's opening. She clutched the Deep Aqua Mirror in one hand, and with her other arm, she held someone slung over her shoulder. Uranus's eyes widened in shock and rage as she stood, seeing who it was.

Michiru was unconscious, held by the X-Man, her transformation undone. Then Uranus noticed something else. Rogue's white blotch of hair… Now it was turquoise, the same color as Michiru's! Somehow, this X-Man could copy the abilities of others, or outright steal them!

All rational thought fled Uranus. It didn't matter if Rogue soundly bested her before, that she now had the powers of Sailor Neptune at her disposal. She would PAY DEARLY for this affront! With a howl of fury, Uranus prepared to charge.

"This has gone on long enough, ladies," said Rogue calmly. Before Uranus or any other Senshi could make a move, Rogue raised Michiru's mirror. "Submarine Reflection!" Rogue angled the blast at the ground, making a sweeping motion with the mirror to coax the Senshi into falling back. This bought time for the other X-Men to catch up.

By the time the dust had cleared, two of them had joined Rogue. Shadowcat was rising next to her, some weird purple animal on her shoulder, and Beast leaped over to her side. "Oh Rogue, you didn't!" Shadowcat cried, a disappointed look on her face.

"Not by choice, Kitty," said Rogue quickly. "And it ain't anything I wanna try again. A Sailor Senshi's power ain't like any magic I've absorbed before."

"As unfortunate as this turn of events may be, is there any chance you've managed to ascertain the Sailor Senshi's true motives?" Beast asked.

"It's like they said. They wanna slam the brakes on this new Sentinel program, and they're convinced Eclipse is connected with their ancient enemy," said Rogue. "But this Senshi was willing to kill Eclipse if things got out of control, and she suspected the other Senshi might follow her lead." Beast nodded, looking over to the Senshi, no hint of reluctance about fighting left in him.

Rogue's power let her see into her victims' minds, their memories!? Uranus's ire rose all over again. The other Senshi didn't sound too happy about this, either. Venus had conjured another chain, holding it taut, and Tuxedo Kamen already had a handful of roses ready.

But before they could seize their seven-on-three advantage, the rest of the X-Men once again closed ranks. Storm had carried Gambit over after fishing him out of the water, and Iceman had let both Wolverine and Colossus tag along on an ice slide.

"Back where we started. But not only are we down another Senshi, Rogue stole her powers," Luna snarled.

"Doesn't matter," Uranus spat. "We end this now!"

The X-Men braced themselves for their onslaught. But just as the Senshi took a few steps, another shriek cut through the howl of Storm's winds.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

A blazing, golden disc shot toward the X-Men. It struck Colossus on the side of his head, and he toppled instantly. Sailor Moon's tiara rebounded off to strike one set of Wolverine's claws. It didn't slice through them, but the energy conducted was enough to make him howl in pain. Then it rebounded to strike Rogue's hand, making her drop the Deep Aqua Mirror, and went on, slicing apart the cards Gambit was charging up. Fortunately for the X-Men, they hadn't been energized to a dangerous degree. So when they detonated in his hand, it hardly hurt them, but the explosion knocked Gambit, Iceman and even Beast flat on their asses.

"Finally, that meathead shows up!" Mars cried in triumph. "Now those mutants will see something!"

"Uhh, maybe not, Mars," said Chibi-Moon delicately.

"What? What do you mean, Chibi-Moon?" Uranus demanded.

"The tiara… Why's it coming back AT US!?" Chibi-Moon cried fearfully, pointing up.

Looking up, Uranus saw the tiara was indeed curving around to zoom right at them. It came at her first, knocking the Space Sword out of her hand, then rebounded to slice apart Tuxedo Kamen's roses, then Venus's chain. After it rushed past them once, it curved back, heading for the ground. It ripped through concrete, carving circles around the Senshi, giving off enough energy to make the ground shake and vibrate, knocking them all down.

"That's enough, from ALL OF YOU!" came Sailor Moon's furious voice, echoing all across the shipyard. Uranus caught a glimpse of her through the debris her attack had kicked up. She caught her tiara as it boomeranged back, never breaking her stride, her body language betraying a rage Uranus would never have expected from their princess. "All of this, this fighting… Just stop, stop, STOP!"

"Indeed, this madness has gone on long enough," came another voice. This one was a man's, and carried an aura of authority. So it was little surprise that the X-Men look disconcerted when they turned to the source. "This fight is OVER, X-Men."

Sailor Uranus turned to the source as well. Striding up alongside Sailor Moon was an old, bald man in a business suit, but… Wolverine must have rattled her brains harder than she thought. Uranus swore the man looked transparent, as if he wasn't really there.

"Professor Xavier!? He's here!?" Mars cried, scrambling to her feet, trembling with terror.

"But… He's supposed to be a paraplegic!" Tuxedo Kamen cried. "How can he be walking!?"

"He's not," said Sailor Moon. "It's just a projected mental image. I'M really here though, and whoever takes another potshot at the X-Men gets a Sailor Moon Kick right to the face." The tone in her voice… Sailor Moon wasn't bluffing, she MEANT it.

Still, some of the other Senshi echoed Uranus's own incredulity. "Sailor Moon, of all the thick-headed…" Jupiter began. "You still think we can trust them!? They were more than happy to try taking us apart!"

"Maybe the fact that both times, the Sailor Senshi showing hostile intent first had something to do with it!?" Shadowcat snapped.

"You were trying to keep Eclipse from us! And now you've almost killed Sailor Neptune, stole her power! Sailor Moon, you expect us to make nice-nice after all this!?" Uranus sneered, glaring back at the X-Men.

Wolverine had his claws back out, lightning arced around Storm again, and Rogue had picked Michiru's mirror back up. However, unlike the other X-Men, who would gladly throw down all over again, there was an odd look in Rogue's eyes. A mix of indecision, and shame. Still, it didn't assuage Uranus's rage one bit. She formed a fist, collecting power, but Sailor Moon dashed in front of her.

"I told you, Uranus… STOP IT!" Sailor Moon snarled.

"Out of my way, Sailor Moon!" Uranus roared. "Rogue has to pay for what she's done. This fight isn't over until…"

Then, to Uranus's astonishment, Sailor Moon grabbed the collar of her sailor fuku and pulled her face down to her level.

"It's over, Uranus… BECAUSE I SAY IT'S OVER!" she screamed with a fury that, for lack of a better word, eclipsed anything Uranus had ever seen from her princess before. Sailor Moon then shoved Uranus to the ground. Some of the other Senshi gaped in astonishment down at Uranus, while she stared back up at their princess, dumbstruck. Even during all their arguments over what to do with Sailor Saturn, she never saw Sailor Moon so angry. What was really going on here?

"So, are we supposed to just trust them too, now?" Iceman cut in. "Like Kitty said, the Sailor Senshi made a move first."

"That is irrelevant now, Robert," said Xavier sternly. "I have reached an agreement with Sailor Moon. This pointless fighting will cease at once."

"Professor, is it wise to lower our guard?" Storm asked. "Sailor Moon apparently may not speak for all the Senshi."

"Sailor Moon is their princess and they feel honor-bound to obey her wishes," said Xavier. "In any case, Sailor Moon came to me in good faith, and we will now return it. She has ordered the Sailor Senshi to stand down. The X-Men WILL do the same."

Uranus got back to her feet, half-expecting the X-Men to defy him. Yet Wolverine sheathed his claws once again, and Iceman's body reverted from solid ice to flesh and blood. Colossus undid his transformation as well, and Storm lowered herself to the ground, the lightning crackling about her fading. Not only that… Uranus wasn't sure yet, but it felt as if the stormy winds were already dying away, though a light rain still fell.

Though, as Uranus's gaze swept over the X-Men, she saw their lingering unease. Despite what both their leaders had demanded, this would be an uneasy cease-fire. However, there was still the matter of what Rogue did to Michiru. Uranus locked her gaze with Rogue again, and saw she still exuded unease and shame.

"What about what Rogue's done!?" Uranus demanded of no one in particular.

"We have equipment on the Blackbird that can hasten your friend's recovery," said Xavier. "But for the moment, we shall hand her over. Rogue?"

Rogue glanced over to her professor, looking more mortified than ever, then took a few tentative steps across the gap that separated the two teams. Some of the other X-Men, particularly Gambit, watched warily, expecting trouble. Out the corner of her eye, Uranus saw Jupiter clench her fists, and Tuxedo Kamen gripped his cane anxiously. But soon enough, Rogue reached Uranus, and gently laid Michiru in her waiting arms, then handed over the Deep Aqua Mirror.

"The power drain is temporarily, usually… People get better in a few hours. Magic, in particular, I don't seem able to hang onto very long." Rogue sounded almost apologetic, as if this sort of thing had happened before, and always tore her up inside. Uranus's face was still stone, not quite moved yet. She was just glad to have Michiru back in her arms, but if Rogue was lying about this power theft being temporary…

"So… that's it?" Jupiter cut in. "After we just tried ripping each other to shreds, and saw one of our own have her power sucked away, we're supposed to pretend nothing happened?"

"Darlin', if we really wanted ta rip you ladies to shreds…" Wolverine popped one set of claws.

"Logan, not helping!" Sailor Moon spat acidly, glaring at him. Amazingly, the gruff mutant said nothing else, going so far as to sheathe his claws again.

"I do hope to earn your trust in time, Sailor Jupiter," said Xavier. "Though I was… indisposed for a short time, I am still responsible for the X-Men, even when they launch an unsanctioned mission." He glared directly at Storm, who seemed to wither a little. "I suppose the X-Men will have the opportunity to rectify what has proven a rocky start, since I intend to honor the agreement I made with your princess."

"Agreement?" Venus repeated dubiously. "What agreement?"

"Sailor Moon fully intended to be here tonight, after concluding some business with me," said Xavier. "Once the Sailor Senshi successfully incapacitated and secured Eclipse, she promised to hand her over to the X-Men."

"She what?" Shadowcat asked softly, echoing the disbelief of all the other X-Men. Even the scholarly Beast looked dumbfounded. They had made a stand against the Sailor Senshi for nothing.

"She WHAT!?" Mars roared, rounding on Sailor Moon, her fear of Xavier forgotten. "Sailor Moon, of all the… After everything Eclipse put us through, you expected us to simply give her up!?"

"And in exchange," Sailor Moon said, not fazed in the least by Mars's vehemence, "some of the X-Men will stay in Japan to help us deal with the Sentinels. And give us all the information we could ever want about the Sentinels, Magneto, the Brotherhood, the Acolytes, everything."

"But Sailor Moon and I discovered things are more convoluted than we first imagined," Xavier added.

"It's time to show them, Professor," said Sailor Moon, turning toward the X-Men. Beast, Wolverine and Shadowcat stood aside to let her pass, bemused looks on their faces. Sailor Moon ignored them and walked on, toward the breach in the barricade. Glancing over her shoulder back at the Senshi, she told them, "Well, come on."

The Sailor Senshi looked to one another anxiously, not really sure what was going on. Sighing, Uranus stepped forward, still cradling Michiru in her arms, and she heard some of the Senshi follow her.

Soon enough, both teams were standing within the X-Men's barricade, where Cable was still containing Eclipse with telekinesis. In fact, he was almost finished, most of the tendrils pulled out and telekinetic barriers keeping her from creating more. "I've still had no luck probing her mind," said Cable, clearly irritated.

"And I recommend you make no further attempts, Nathan," said Xavier. "In the meantime, lower you telekinetic shield, and let Sailor Moon use the Ginzuishou again."

Cable looked over his shoulder, his left eye flashing. "Am I to trust there'll be a different result this time?"

"Definitely, Cable," said Sailor Moon. Uranus wasn't sure, but there was a sadness to her voice now. "Last time, I was just trying to purge something sapping her will, but there wasn't anything like that. Nothing's controlling her. I won't purge her of her powers, mutant or otherwise. But I'll get them under control, shut off this defensive thing that kicks in when she's drugged." With that, her brooch opened to reveal the Ginzuishou. "Moon Healing Escalation!"

Sailor Moon was righter than she knew. Last time, Eclipse had weathered the Ginzuishou's radiant energy just fine. Yet now, almost at once, the ooze receded, her cocoon disappearing. Eclipse slumped lifelessly to the shipyard floor. Uranus saw the slight rising and falling of her chest, so she was fine despite the sedatives still coursing through her.

Eclipse would recover in short order though, given her resilience and how her ooze jumpstarted healing. She was still a danger, regardless of which team took her. "Sailor Moon, you know I'll ultimately abide by your choice to hand Kizachi over to the X-Men, but do you think they can contain her? She's still got powers from the Dark Kingdom, which they have no experience with."

"You'd be surprised what kind of weird, evil, demonic crap we've had to put a lid on before," Iceman scoffed.

"Deal with any demonic crap that'll build killer robots to hunt down your kind!?" Chibi-Moon asked.

"Well, there was Cameron Hodge and his makeover in Genosha, then came the Phalanx…" Iceman replied delicately.

"Whatever, Iceman," Mercury spat. "The point is, we Senshi are a tad bit confused about why the X-Men would go to such lengths to protect a mutant that's turned against her own kind. Building Sentinels that'll hunt US too, don't forget."

"It's just what we do, Sailor Mercury," said Storm. "Just like how the Sailor Senshi claim to fight for love and justice, the X-Men strive to achieve peace between all peoples, humans and mutants alike. While we will fight any mutants who abuse their power, we also seek to help those mutants unable to control their power, or are so confused and angry they're unwilling to try. Even if they conspire to do something as horrible as construct new Sentinels. But that's irrelevant here. Eclipse did no such thing. This woman is not Erina Kizachi."

Uranus's eyes widened, and she heard gasps from her fellow Senshi.. She recalled Wolverine trying to tell her something about Eclipse, claiming there was something they didn't understand.

As if sensing Uranus's confusion, Wolverine said, "It's true, darlin'. Erina Kizachi got up close and personal with your… princess right before she tailed Ororo and Kitty. The scent was fresh when I saw Usagi earlier. Couldn't really get any scent off that gunk Eclipse left the first time our teams tussled, but being so close to her just now, I could tell the scents didn't match. Whoever she is, it ain't her."

"And Cable relayed Wolverine's findings to the rest of us, and we acted accordingly," said Beast. "That's why we could not permit you to spirit Eclipse away, not until we ascertained her identity and her motives."

"We all tried to tell you, but none of you Senshi were willing to listen!" Shadowcat added. That dragon on her shoulder seemed to harumpf in agreement.

Uranus was speechless. Both teams had screwed up tonight, but it was looking more and more like the Sailor Senshi had blundered more.

"Well, the mystery's over," said Sailor Moon. "I know exactly who she is, and my friends, you're not gonna like it."

There were gasps from both the X-Men and the Sailor Senshi. Sailor Moon paid them no mind, staring down at Eclipse's still form. Eventually, Uranus found her voice again, though she still couldn't believe the Senshi could have been so wrong. "But Sailor Moon, the appearance of that Sentinel the other night, the way she knew all about the Senshi, Nephrite's investment… If she's not Kizachi, who the hell is she!?"

Sailor Moon glared back at her, and despite herself, Uranus recoiled. Then, without a word, Sailor Moon knelt beside Eclipse and grabbed hold of her goggles. They were half-melted onto her face, but Sailor Moon could still pull them off. When she yanked back, she also wound up taking off her helmet and… a wig?

"She was wearing a wig?" Mars asked, confused.

"A Sailor Mars cosplay wig, from the looks of it," said Sailor Moon, making Mars shift uneasily. Sailor Moon wiped off what gunk remained on Eclipse's face, which the still-failing rain did nothing to wash away. That face, that shoulder-length brown hair tied up in the back… It looked so familiar to Uranus, but the other Senshi seemed to instantly recognize who she was.

"Oh no no no, it can't be!" Mercury shrieked, falling to her knees. Tears fell behind her visor. "I devised a weapon against HER!? I tried to deep freeze HER!?"

"This is insane… How can SHE be the one!?" Luna demanded.

"Usagi, how can… I-I-I-Is that really… D-D-D-D-Did w-w-we…" Chibi-Moon stammered.

"U-U-Usa-ko…" Tuxedo Kamen breathed. "How can you forgive me for this? I helped make this weapon, even tried to…"

"Oh no no no," Jupiter sniffed, starting to cry. "I didn't really, we didn't…" She turned her head as tears flowed.

"NO! Don't ANY of you dare turn away!" Sailor Moon roared. She reached over to rip apart the fused zipper on Eclipse's jumpsuit. "We have to own this! No one here is blameless, especially not me!"

With that, she pulled back the black, long-sleeved shirt Eclipse had on underneath her jumpsuit. By doing so, she revealed a midsection with defined abs, and a huge, sickly-looking scar from a gash right across it.

More of the Inner Senshi began to bawl, and for once, Uranus couldn't blame them. Even some of the X-Men looked saddened, even that dragon-thing, despite being the ones who kept the Senshi from making a terrible mistake.

Unbearable shame welled up within her as well, now that she could finally put a name to the face. Uranus thought she had fully learned the lessons from the fiasco with Hotaru Tomoe, that such mistakes would never be repeated. But despite the efforts of all the Sailor Senshi, it nearly happened all over again. It would be a long time before she, and the rest of the Senshi, could come to terms what could have happened this night.

That they beat down, and had been willing to kill, Naru Osaka.