Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse
a Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover
Chapter 21: Youth Gone Wild
1-15-2018
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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It was a pounding like no other. Not just smashed by a tree swung by someone with the strength to chuck cars like volleyballs. No, the deed was done by someone Sailor Moon once considered a friend. Yet somehow, despite all that, Sailor Moon wasn't down and out. She stirred in Ikuko's arms, the haze of pain gradually fading.
Ikuko glanced down, seeing Sailor Moon slowly get her bearings, still not quite believing the revered superhero cradled in her arms was also her daughter.
"THAT'S what all this was about!?" Ikuko shrieked, glaring back up at Naru. "You felt Usagi owed you something because of how you CHOSE to do what you did with the monorail?"
"Plus what she DIDN'T do," Naru retorted. "And a couple things she did." Naru lifted up her shirt, revealing the nasty scar Sailor Moon had made with her tiara, eliciting a gasp from Ikuko.
"Too bad she didn't cleave you in half instead, freak!" yelled one of the bystanders. There were still too many around, transfixed by how all this was playing out. Naru glanced his way, but said nothing, then turned back to Sailor Moon's family.
"To think, Ikuko was sorry to see Usagi spending less time with you," Kenji spat. "Those other girls. Rei, Makoto… They're some of the other Sailor Senshi, aren't they!? To think, you had a chance to prove you're just as good as they are. You could've joined the X-Men, right? Instead, you turn on your friend!?" Naru glowered at Kenji, and took a step closer.
Tuxedo Kamen had seen enough. There was no mistaking the sense of danger from Usagi when she had transformed this time. Unfortunately, he was too late, arriving just when Naru had bludgeoned his love with a tree.
Partly because of shock, and partly because he wanted to hear just what had possessed Naru to do such a thing, Tuxedo Kamen held back, hiding in the tree right beside the Tsukinos. Now that Naru was making another move, it was time to act.
With a flick of his wrist, Tuxedo Kamen hurled a rose down at Naru. It tore a gash in her thigh, making her back off. He could have inflicted a deeper wound. However, the memory of how he almost did so, not knowing Naru was actually Eclipse, stayed his hand. Even after seeing what Naru just did, Tuxedo Kamen couldn't do it.
Tuxedo Kamen leaped down from the branches, his cape fluttering, landing between the vengeful mutant and Usagi's family. "I've seen many unforgivable acts in my time, Naru Osaka. But to betray a friend's trust like this, to lash out with such anger… I do not wish to harm you further, but neither can I let you inflict any further pain!" Tuxedo Kamen bellowed.
For a moment, Naru just stared at him. Tuxedo Kamen watched for any telltale signs she would strike. He swore he saw the ooze along her neck and arms bubble and flow a little, making him clutch his cane tightly.
Both Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon were bought time to recover as the two stared each other down. Sailor Moon wriggled out of Ikuko's grip and stood, staring back at Naru with tears in her eyes. Naru averted her gaze for a moment, looking to where the rose had ripped through her skirt. Black goo had already flowed in to seal the wound.
"Looks like we're both recovering nicely from this little run-in," Naru grumbled, looking back to them. "Makes sense. You two are guaranteed to have such a bright future, right?"
"What now, Naru?" Ikuko demanded. She rose and held Sailor Moon close again. "What are you talking about? Bright future… Wait a minute." Tuxedo Kamen could feel Ikuko's eyes on his back. "You… you're this elusive boyfriend of hers, aren't you? And Chibiusa… she's YOUR daughter, isn't she!? Just what did Naru mean by all this!?"
"Oh, I wish I could stay and watch you two try to explain all this to the family," Naru jeered. "But unlike you two, I have no guarantees about my future, no destiny. I need to go safeguard what I have left. Anyway…" Naru reached into her skirt pocket and tossed a set of car keys at Tuxedo Kamen's feet. "Make sure Haruka's car gets back to her, now that I've had my fun."
Naru turned to run, and just like him, Tuxedo Kamen could sense Sailor Moon didn't have the heart to try and stop her. "Naru, no! Just what did you do to Michiru and Haruka!? You've got to stop this, Naru!" she pleaded.
Naru glanced back over her shoulder with a cold glare. All she said before taking off was, "Call me Eclipse."
Sailor Moon could only bawl as she turned and buried her face in Ikuko's shoulder. It was like Naru had stabbed her through the heart with those parting words.
Tuxedo Kamen watched Naru make a huge leap, then use an oily tendril to latch onto the branches of a tall tree, swinging away. With a head start like that, they would have difficulty keeping up, especially with the beating Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon just took.
Unfortunately, Naru had left even bigger problems in her wake. Looking around, Tuxedo Kamen saw just how many people were gathered at this company picnic. And now all of them knew Usagi's secret. Naru wanted the world to learn Sailor Moon's identity like they did hers. Now, she would surely get her wish.
Plus, there came the problem of fessing up to Usagi's family after all this secrecy. That made Tuxedo Kamen shudder a little. Her father didn't exactly approve of him, for one thing. Just how was he supposed to explain their past lives together, and their future in Crystal Tokyo?
Sighing, Tuxedo Kamen turned around, racking his brains for something to placate them. He expected a death glare from Kenji, certainly. Instead, Kenji stared ahead blankly, not moving a muscle. Ikuko and Shingo were the same way.
"What in the…" Tuxedo Kamen began, but was rendered speechless as he took another look around the park. Everyone else he could see had that vacant look. "W-W-What's… Why's everyone like this?" he demanded of no one in particular. Sailor Moon snapped her fingers in front of Ikuko's face, but her mother didn't even blink or flinch.
"Cable. You're at it again," Chibi-Moon scoffed suddenly.
"With a slight assist from me, Sailor Chibi-Moon," barked a voice that resounded in Tuxedo Kamen's head. Sailor Moon and Chibi-Moon must've heard it too, judging by how startled they looked. It had to be Professor Xavier again. Chibi-Moon said Cable's power had taken control of the entire Amazoness Quartet. To do that with scores of people in this park required a far more powerful, experienced telepath.
"The professor and I still can't penetrate Naru's mind, but we can at least keep your secret from getting out like she wanted," came Cable's voice. The three of them turned to see the time-traveling mutant walk up, in full uniform, his bionic eye glowing fiercely. "You're lucky Gambit contacted us on a hunch. Some time after Haruka hung up on him, he asked us to check in on their house via telepathy. Michiru's out cold, but Haruka was conscious and filled us in."
"H-H-H-How bad are they hurt!?" Sailor Moon cried fearfully.
"Nothing they can't recover from in a day or two. No broken bones or anything like that," said Cable. "You can worry about it later, though. I've got to stick around here, purge everyone's memory so your secret identities stay secret. Which means you've got to help with chasing down Naru, and knock some sense into her."
"I tried that already," said Sailor Moon glumly, nursing her aching back. "I kinda got knocked around instead."
"What about the rest of the X-Men? Where are they?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.
"They're scattered all over Tokyo, but we've sent the word out. We've also contacted the rest of the Sailor Senshi," came Xavier's telepathic voice.
"In the meantime, you three better get after her. Keep track of her movements, so the rest of our teams can swiftly close in," said Cable.
It was a sensible plan, but upon turning to Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen could sense her reluctance. And her disbelief, that it had come to this. But then she looked to her family, still in the paralyzing grip of Cable and Xavier's powers. "What about them, Cable? Did you mess with their memories?"
Cable glanced over to them, flummoxed. "No. Not yet."
"Then don't," said Sailor Moon, sighing and hanging her head. "And let go of their minds."
"What!? Sailor Moon, are you insane!?" Tuxedo Kamen cried. "Your family… You think they could handle the totality of what Sailor Moon is all about? The past, the future…"
Sailor Moon silenced him with a sorrowful look. "All this… It's partly because of keeping secrets. I kept it from Naru, even after she figured out most of it. Look where that's gotten us, Mamoru," she said, tearing up again. "If that's what keeping secrets from the people closest to me leads to, I'm done with it."
"Sailor Moon, you're absolutely sure about this?" Cable asked in a disapproving tone.
"For once, Cable and I are on the same page," Chibi-Moon added. "Is this really the best idea?"
"Secrets have a price, Chibiusa, I realize that now," said Sailor Moon, still crying. "We can't pay that price again."
Chibi-Moon still looked dubious, but nodded. Cable sighed, and then his bionic eye briefly flashed again. Suddenly, Sailor Moon's family blinked in surprise. Tuxedo Kamen steeled himself for what would no doubt be the most awkward run-in with Usagi's family yet.
"W-W-What just happened? W-W-Why does my head feel all fuzzy?" Ikuko grumbled, looking around. She gasped as she spotted the new arrival, as did Kenji and Shingo.
"Ahhh! That's the guy Sailor Moon was fighting on TV!" Shingo shrieked, pointing at Cable. "What's goin' on now!?"
"Nice to see you too, kiddo," Cable retorted. "You're welcome for releasing my telepathic grip on you three, and not futzing with your memories, on your sister's insistence."
"Our memories, Usagi didn't want…" Shingo turned to Sailor Moon. Clearly, he still couldn't quite accept that the superhero he admired so much was also his sister.
"Since when could you mess with minds anyway?" Kenji asked.
"Usagi, just what is this all about?" Ikuko demanded. "Naru, the X-Men… You owe us some explanations!"
"Your daughter doesn't have the time for a heart-to-heart," Cable barked. "Naru's still running around, and she's got to be reined in before someone gets hurt or worse."
"I'm sorry, Mama, but Cable's right," said Sailor Moon. "We've got to go after her."
"B-B-But she nearly killed you!" Ikuko cried out in protest. "If she doesn't want anything more to do with you, Usagi, let her be!"
Sailor Moon shook her head, tears still flowing. "Mama, how many times have you told me I need to be more responsible?" she pleaded. "Well, being Sailor Moon IS my responsibility, and I can't skimp out on it now." The words had their intended effect. Ikuko looked quite chastised, forced to recognize the obvious.
"She's right, Ms. Tsukino," said Tuxedo Kamen. "There's more to this than just Usagi and Naru. There's good reason to believe events in Japan were manipulated so that Naru wound up doing something like this. There may well be a domino effect if we don't act swiftly."
"Is… this why you asked about Erina Kizachi, Usagi?" Kenji asked dubiously. He then turned to Tuxedo Kamen. "And all this about Chibiusa being Sailor Moon's daughter from the future… Can I assume you're responsible?" he added sourly. Tuxedo Kamen paled. As if his relationship with Usagi's family wasn't strained enough already.
"So, you're technically my niece?" Shingo asked Chibi-Moon in disbelief, having difficulty wrapping his head around the idea. Chibi-Moon just looked away, nonplussed.
"Look, I promise all of you that once this is over, I'll come clean about everything. But right now, we still have work to do," said Sailor Moon quickly. She bent down to grab the keys Naru had thrown on the ground. "Papa, there should be a Ferrari around here. Take it, get to Haruka Tenoh's place, help her and her friend. Please, if you want to do something, make sure they're OK."
Kenji stared at his daughter for a moment, then took the keys. "Haruka Tenoh, the racer… Is she another Senshi?"
"And Ami… She's another one, isn't she?" Shingo threw in, blushing. Sailor Moon sighed, seeing how quickly the dominoes were falling.
"Look, Usagi just gave you her word she would explain everything later," Cable growled. "In the meantime, all of you have something more useful to do than standing around in this park chatting."
Everyone just glared at Cable for a moment, but he ignored them. Turning back to his daughter, Kenji said, "You'll explain everything, then? The whole story?"
"So long as it doesn't wind up in your magazine tomorrow," said Tuxedo Kamen, earning him a glare from Kenji.
"Yes, Papa! Everything! I'm done with secrets!" Sailor Moon cried.
"Then let's have Ms. Tenoh's address," said Kenji.
With that, the two groups finally parted, albeit awkwardly. As Usagi's family ran out of the park, she, Chibi-Moon and Tuxedo Kamen made a broad leap in the direction Naru had taken off in. Tuxedo Kamen had no idea what he now dreaded more. Confronting Naru again, or how nothing would ever be the same with Usagi and her family.
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It didn't take long for Naru to reach the edge of the park, given how much ground she could swiftly cover. Still, it wasn't quick enough to avoid some bothersome pests. No doubt someone at the company picnic ran off to call the police. Just as Naru jumped over the stone fence lining the park's perimeter, several police cars screeched to a halt once she was spotted.
Police officers clambered out of their cars, guns at the ready. Naru figured she should be flattered. Most were armed with assault rifles, and there were even some RPG launchers. They didn't hesitate to bring out the heavy artillery for Japan's most hated mutant. Not that it would do them much good.
"Bad enough none of the yakuza got the hint," Naru snarled at the police. "Then again, you jackholes turned a blind eye to them, so it's no surprise you're making the same dumb mistakes…"
"Surrender Eclipse, or we open fire!" one of the officers screeched through a megaphone.
Naru smirked evilly. She could easily spirit herself away and avoid a fight altogether. But no, best to show everyone in Japan why no one should ever screw with her again.
"Me first!" she cried, raising a hand to fire off black lightning. It struck the engine of the nearest police car, sending up a plume of flame. Before the officers could get over their shock, Naru sent out tendrils to wrap around the car and yank it towards her. It flipped over, and Naru's hands reached up to dig into its roof. The strobing lights flashed in her eyes for a moment, right before she threw it back at the police.
It slammed into another police car, both skidding across the pavement as shards of glass showered everywhere. This scattered the officers further, but it didn't keep them completely at bay. The ones Naru hadn't distracted and goaded into taking cover opened fire.
Bullets bounced off her skin, but the impacts still stung. Reflexively, Naru crossed her arms in front of her face. That gave them an opening to fire off a grenade. Naru looked up in panic upon hearing the rocket's roar, realizing her blunder too late. She took it right in the face, and the explosion slammed her into the park's stone wall so hard, she nearly smashed through it. It left Naru dizzy, and humiliated. But that was all.
"OK, now I'm pissed. It'd be no surprise if I suddenly turned green…" Naru grumbled as she sat up, brushing off chunks of concrete.
Her ears rang, but she could still hear the footsteps of cops approaching warily. Best to pretend to be hurt far worse than she actually was, lull them into a false sense of security. They drew nearer, guns at the ready, while Naru collected her power…
She let the ooze flow down onto the street. Before the cops knew it, tendrils snaked up around their legs, and then conducted her dark power. Many fell unconscious in an instant, but some weathered the onslaught. It was a simple matter to fling some away with her tendrils. The rest she dealt with up close and personal. She sprang up and effortlessly knocked them away. The last one she knocked aside, Naru was sure she felt his arm snap from the force of her blow.
Unfortunately, that wasn't all of the police officers sent after her. Several had wisely hung back, using what cop cars remained for cover. Even from a distance, Naru could see the fear and the hate in their eyes, raising her ire even more. It was time to finish this, quickly and efficiently.
Now, how did Masato Sanjoin do it that one time? Naru asked herself as she crossed her arms again, collecting power. Granted, her dark power weren't exactly like Nephrite's. Perhaps Queen Metalia's gene for dark energy manipulation manifested itself differently for each person it was spliced into. In any case, her attack mimicked Nephrite's just fine. Upon spreading her arms, bolts of dark power arced up and rained down, pelting the rest of the police cars and forcing the officers to fall back.
"All those dangerous mutants you hear about on TV… I'm the worst one!" Naru taunted as they retreated. They weren't the only ones. Scores of bystanders had either been brave enough or stupid enough to stick around. Slowly but surely, they got the hint, turning to run as they screamed. Some cars were still coming down the road from the other direction, but screeched to a halt. A delivery van stopped right next to her, its driver clambering out to bolt.
"That's right! Run all you stupid, cowardly humans! Get it through your heads that you should NEVER MESS WITH ME AGAIN!" Naru shrieked as she picked up the van. "You wanted my mother dead because of me! You're part of the reason she's gone!"
She hurled the van across the street. Fleeing bystanders ducked out of the way just in time before the van smashed through the windows of a bookstore. For good measure, Naru cut loose with more blasts of black lightning, tearing up the street and bringing down telephone poles.
Naru had worked herself into a frenzy, but let the panicked screams of the fleeing humans soothe her. She had made her point. The people of Japan wanted to see her as an enemy. Now they knew what it meant to have Eclipse as an enemy. She surveyed the damage she left in her wake, smiling. Until she looked down at herself, and her ruined clothes. Her skin was bulletproof, but even these special clothes weren't.
Sighing and shaking her head, Naru looked up to a building several stories high just across the street, then sent out a tendril. It anchored itself deep in its brick wall about halfway up. The tendril pulled her up as she retracted it, and Naru easily climbed the rest of the way, her fingers digging into the bricks. She had had her fun and blown off some steam, but the sun was setting. There was one last thing she had to do, before the X-Men and the rest of the Sailor Senshi could zero in on her.
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Sailor Moon realized she had spent too much time convincing her family, back in the park. She, Chibi-Moon and Tuxedo Kamen jumped up onto the park's stone fence just as, to her horror, Naru cut loose with an attack almost exactly like one of Nephrite's. How could someone like Nephrite see the light, only for a good friend like Naru to slip into the darkness upon receiving his power?
And Naru wasn't done venting her rage. Chucking a van for no reason, tearing apart the street with dark energy… She wasn't aware they had caught up. Sailor Moon knew by blindsiding Naru with a single attack, she could end this insanity.
But she just couldn't. The sight of Naru completely losing it… It just broke her heart all over again. Her first act as Sailor Moon had been to save Naru. Now she had lost her friend in the worst way. When losing Chibiusa and Mamoru to the darkness, they had been brainwashed, manipulated. Sailor Moon could cling to hope that she could get them back.
This was completely different. No such mind games could work on Naru. She was doing all of this of her own free will, making it clear she was done with Sailor Moon and all she stood for.
And then she was gone, using an oily tendril like a grappling hook. Sailor Moon could only watch as Naru scaled the wall and climbed over the roof's edge. No doubt Naru would be hopping from rooftop to rooftop to get to her next target. And I was the one who taught Naru how to do that, Sailor Moon realized.
"Oh boy, I sure hope the rest of the Senshi and X-Men aren't too far away," Chibi-Moon muttered fearfully, surveying the destruction Naru had left in her wake. "We could use the backup."
"Not to mention, Naru has too much of a head start," Tuxedo Kamen added. "By the time we reach the rooftops, she could be anywhere."
"No, not anywhere," said Sailor Moon.
"Meaning… what?" Chibi-Moon demanded.
"You heard Naru, Chibi-Moon," said Sailor Moon. "Naru's going after the only thing left in this world that she cares about…"
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To think, Ami once thought she could always look forward to school. But ever since awakening as a Sailor Senshi, it seemed that once every few weeks, a school would turn into a battleground. More often than not, the one Ami was at. Whether it was her middle school, or some cram school she was attending at night, one of their enemies would hatch a plot that would suck in her and the other Senshi.
Or she would get word from the other Sailor Senshi that there was a monster somewhere else while she was at school, and had to ditch class to go fight it. Needless to say, Ami's perfect attendance record went out the window after becoming a superhero.
Still, even after fighting Mamoru and Chibiusa when they were brainwashed, Ami never imagined being told about Naru going on a rampage. Just when Ami thought she could start attending these college prep classes now that she was admitted to high school, figuring the problem with Eclipse was over, she roared back with a vengeance! Ami could practically sense the apprehension behind Xavier's words when they had rung in her head. He couldn't believe his potential recruit had gone bonkers either!
So Ami ran through the hallways, deciding to duck into the locker room connected to the gym to transform. She was just about to, confident the locker room was empty, when her communicator watch beeped. Sighing, she flipped it on, hearing Sailor Moon's frantic voice babbling.
"Usagi? If this is about Naru, Professor Xavier already let me know," said Ami. "Just tell me where to meet up, and…"
"No! Don't go anywhere!" came Sailor Moon's frantic cry. "Naru will be headed your way, toward that school!"
Ami mulled over her words, a bit dubious. "She's coming here? How can you be so certain, Usagi?"
"Didn't Xavier tell you anything?" Sailor Moon demanded acidly. "Naru didn't go completely bonkers for no reason. She's more jealous of the Sailor Senshi than ever, particularly about me and Mamoru and Crystal Tokyo. So now she's out to protect her own man, no matter what."
Ami blinked in surprise. "So… she's going to grab Umino and keep him close?"
"Exactly!" Sailor Moon cried. "He's going to that same college prep school, right? So transform and get to him! Do it fast! Naru probably knows you're at that school too. She may try taking you out first, since your power is so dangerous to her."
"Maybe you're not as stupid as I thought, Usagi!" came a sneering voice.
Ami whirled around, only to see a blob of ooze coming right for her face. Her screams were muffled by the black goo as it latched onto her head. Ami's legs kicked futilely as she was hoisted off the ground, trying in vain to pry the glop loose. She was flung across the locker room soon after that, going through the curtains of a shower stall. The ooze continued to flow, pinning her wrists, ankles and torso to the tiled wall.
"What's wrong, Ami? Isn't water your element?" Naru jeered as she stepped into the stall.
"N-N-N-Naru, you've got to stop…" Ami muttered as her spine shrieked in agony. "W-W-Why did… H-H-H-How could you do this? The X-Men and the Sailor Senshi wanted to help you…"
"Yeah, that chemical cocktail you cooked up was a real help," Naru spat.
"Naru, I-I-I-I'm so, so s-s-s-sorry about that…" Ami spluttered.
"Oh, I bet you are now," said Naru. Her fingers brushed against Ami's chin. Ami clenched her teeth upon feeling dark power crackle along Naru's fingertips.
"P-P-Please, Naru, j-j-j-just stop," Ami implored. "None of us ever wanted to hurt you. J-J-Just let us make it up to you…"
For a moment, it looked like her words had reached Naru. Her gaze softened for a moment. "Well, since you're supposed to be the smartest Senshi…" Then she grabbed a handful of Ami's hair and leaned close. "Find a way to bring my mother back from the dead," she snarled, her breath washing over Ami. Then she bumped her forehead up against Ami's just hard enough to knock her out cold.
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Haruna Sakurada was soon reminded why she hated doing these extra stints in cram schools at night. Come sundown, her brain just wasn't firing on all cylinders, something once made all too evident whenever she had to administer detention. And when it was Usagi Tsukino stuck in detention… Well, that only exacerbated the problem.
While Haruna continued calling roll, she let her thoughts drift back to the girl that once vexed her to no end. She would never see Tsukino in one of her classes again. Oddly, Haruna still wasn't sure how she felt about that. As much as Tsukino made her want to pull her hair out with her disinterest in learning a thing, Haruna had to admit teaching her had been quite a challenge. A challenge she somewhat succeeded at, given how Tsukino had actually passed her entrance exams. Tsukino was off to high school now, no longer around to keep her on her toes.
Funny how you can miss someone as an enemy more than as a friend, Haruna thought as she continued to take roll. She came up to Umino's name, getting only a surly grunt in reply.
Haruna looked over to the far corner. Umino was just gazing out at the setting sun, barely showing any interest, showing up only because it was expected of him. And having to endure endless taunts and bullying about his 'mutie' girlfriend in the process. It didn't end well. For the bullies. There was more than one story floating around about bloodied noses and black eyes resulting from someone pushing Umino too far.
Haruna could only imagine was he was going through. The way he acted at the monorail stop… Umino clearly KNEW about Naru being Eclipse. If Naru could've trusted anyone with such a secret, it was Umino.
Haruna longed for someone who could love her like that, while Umino was constantly tested for his love and loyalty. Haruna cringed in shame as she finished taking roll. Even she couldn't keep her horror in check upon learning the truth. As much as all this anti-mutant paranoia disgusted her to no end, even she got swept up in the hysteria, letting the furor over Eclipse infect her.
If only there was a way to make up for that, Haruna mused as she moved to the blackboard, ready to begin her lesson. I can't stand it… I stick up for children that are complete strangers. But one of my old students winds up being a mutant? I give in to hysteria like everyone else… "OK, for today's lesson, we're going to look at the play 'The Crucible' written by the American Arthur Miller," she told her class. Given everything that was happening, it seemed fitting.
But Haruna didn't get any farther. There was an odd rumbling in the hallway, followed by the lights dimming for a split second. Panicked screams from the hallways came soon afterward. "Hold on a moment, class," said Haruna quickly, stepping out of the room.
A hallway stretched out right beyond her classroom's door, situated in the middle of a T-shaped intersection. Strolling down the hallway before Haruna was Naru. In contrast to how fearful she looked the other day, now there wasn't a trace of timidity in her. That black ooze dribbled down her arms and flowed up her neck, and some sort of black electricity crackled all over her.
Naru marched forward, with the air of someone on a mission. Other teachers and students got the hint and stayed out of her way, flattening themselves against the wall or ducking into classrooms. Naru ignored them, her gaze focused on Haruna.
As she drew closer, Haruna saw what looked like scorchmarks on her face. Her old school uniform looked to be covered in soot and RIDDLED WITH BULLET HOLES.
"Ms. Osaka, what's happened to you!?" Haruna cried, concern for her old student overshadowing everything else. "Are you alright?"
Naru shook her head, smirking at her. "Never felt better, Ms. Haruna."
The next thing Haruna knew, she was flung back into her classroom, knocking the door off its hinges. Haruna groaned in agony as she slowly picked herself up. Naru had shoved her so hard, she skidded across the floor and hit the wall beyond the door.
By the time Haruna was on her hands and knees, Naru was standing in the middle of the room, glaring at her icily. "Ms. O-O-Osaka, w-w-why… I d-d-don't understand…"
Naru held a hand out, her palm facing up. Ooze shot up from it, a tendril wrapping around a light fixture right above Haruna. It snaked down, wrapping around her neck. Naru pulled down, and her tendril dragged Haruna up onto her feet, the tips of her pumps barely making contact with the floor. Her students looked on, frozen in horror as their teacher gagged and sputtered.
"Even you were afraid," Naru sneered as Haruna futilely clawed at the gunk fixed around her neck like a noose. "I thought one day I could trust you, that you really cared about mutants. But you were just like the other Homo sapiens, letting fear blot out everything else. Well, now you've got good reason to be afraid."
She said those words so coldly, but Haruna was a good enough educator to get a deeper sense behind the words her student spoke. The hurt behind them, the sense of betrayal. Tears that had nothing to do with her fear streamed down Haruna's cheeks.
"Naru, ENOUGH!" Umino cried. He stood and ran up to Naru. "W-W-What're you… Why are you here!?"
"To get you," Naru said simply.
Umino gave her a blank look. "Huh?"
"Look what happened to my mother," said Naru. "Everyone in Japan learns I'm a mutant. Less than a day later, she's dead. If humans will do that to their own kind for giving birth to a mutant, what do you think they'll do to you for aiming to stick your dick in one to make more!?"
Haruna found herself more appalled by Naru's crude language than by how she was dangerously close to hanging her. Even now, her instincts as a teacher wouldn't let her be.
Suddenly, one of her other students spoke up, a boy seated right next to where Umino stood. "Seriously Umino, you expect to hit that and survive?" That immediately earned him a left hook from Umino, knocking him to the floor. His instincts weren't easy to suppress at a time like this, either.
Naru looked at the boy, his nose bleeding profusely, then back to Umino. "I'm touched you still aim to defend my honor," said Naru sweetly. "Now let's just get out of here."
"B-B-But Naru, seriously? Don't you think this is a bit… drastic?" Umino protested.
"No. Not when this sort of thing happened before," said Naru darkly. Haruna had no idea what Naru meant by that, but sUmino seemed to. "You're all I have left Umino. I'm through counting on others to protect those close to me. I've got the power to do it myself, so I will. We've got no place in the world now, so we've got to stick together."
"Uhhh, speaking of 'hanging'…" Umino anxiously pointed over at Haruna, still dangling with her toes barely touching the floor.
Naru looked back over to Haruna. "Oh. Right then." Her ooze slurped back into wherever she kept it, and Haruna dropped to the floor, gagging and clutching her throat. "Anyway, we've got to go. Some of the Senshi and even the X-Men are on their way. You've got to choose, Umino. If you love me, if you want to stay safe, us to stay together… Who do you trust?"
Haruna looked back up to Umino, seeing the war raging within him. Eventually, as she expected, his loyalty to Naru won out. He nodded stiffly to her. Naru pulled him close with one hand while raising the other toward the roof. A blast of that black lightning ripped through it, creating a hole for Naru to leap through, taking Umino with her.
She left a classroom of fearful, confused students behind, along with a teacher who finally gave in to tears. Tsukino, where are you? Haruna wondered. Your friend needs you, more than ever…
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Having Professor Xavier's voice ringing in their heads without warning… That was always bad enough. Sailor Jupiter would never understand how the X-Men got used to that. But as before, it was the dire news Xavier had brought that was far, far worse. Just when Jupiter thought things couldn't get any worse, Naru couldn't bottle in her rage any longer. Rejecting Magneto made no difference in the end. Naru turned against them all regardless.
How often had an evening started like this? The setting sun was still visible on the horizon, albeit barely, casting a red glow over the city. The Sailor Senshi, once again, were called to action as darkness fell. Only it wasn't some monster out to drain people's vitality, or rob them of their pure hearts and dreams. No, it was a good friend who had let her bitterness and grief eat away at her soul.
Sailor Jupiter made another leap, sailing across a street that stretched out several dozen meters below. She glanced over her shoulder after touching down on the next roof. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus were just leaping across. The three of them were the only Senshi who could intercept Naru now. Naru had too much of a head start over Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen and Chibi-Moon, Haruka and Michiru were in no condition to fight, and they couldn't raise Ami on her communicator.
"How much farther to that prep school?" Venus asked as they ran across the rooftop.
"It shouldn't be too much longer," said Mars. Usually, Mars put up this veneer of brusqueness, but Jupiter could detect the disbelief underlying her words. "In fact, once we reach the other end of this roof, we should be able to see it."
Once they reached the roof's edge, Jupiter did indeed see the school Ami just started attending at night. Only to see a blast of dark power shoot through the roof. A second later, they could see Naru leap up through the hole, clinging to someone.
"Oh no, Naru's already got Umino!" Jupiter cried.
"What about Ami?" Venus asked fearfully. "You don't suppose…"
"Naru didn't kill Usagi, so let's assume she's not that far gone," said Mars. "But we've got to put a stop to this. Everyone remember the plan?"
Jupiter and Venus nodded dully. It was a sensible plan, one that would probably safely rein in Naru. But that didn't make the three of them hate it any less.
And so, the tree of them made a leap toward the school's roof. Usagi may have shown Naru how the Sailor Senshi get around, but they had more experience doing this. Before Naru could make it to the edge to make the jump herself, dragging Umino by the hand, Venus caught up with her.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" she shouted. Her golden chain lashed out and ensnared Umino. With a yank, Venus tore him from Naru's grip, and he was flung her way.
"What in…" Naru began, turning around. "YOU!?" she snarled.
Just as Venus caught Umino in her arms, Mars stepped up. "Mars Flame Sniper!" she roared, taking advantage of Naru's momentary surprise. The blazing arrow struck Naru in the torso, and she nearly tumbled backwards to the street below. It was fortunate that she didn't. She could survive the fall, but it was best to keep Naru up here, where no bystanders could get caught in the crossfire.
The flames soon faded, and Naru glared daggers at them all. She circled around the roof, and the Senshi could tell she was gathering power to strike.
"Don't… INTERFERE!" she shrieked, sending out black lightning.
That was when Jupiter stepped in, her antenna already out. "Supreme Thunder!" she roared, calling forth her own lightning bolt.
The two bolts crashed against one another. For a moment, it looked like their power was evenly matched. But then, Jupiter's lightning bolt edged closer. Soon enough, it forced back Naru's dark power entirely, zapping her good and sending her backslide slamming into the pillar of a water tower. She struck it so hard, Jupiter feared the water tower would topple down onto Naru.
Naru was on her hands and knees, coughing and shivering, clearly flabbergasted that her power had failed her. The three Senshi stood a few meters away, reluctant to strike while Naru was down.
"Please just give it up, Naru. You're not as tough as you think," said Venus.
"Yeah, a Senshi's power comes from her Star Seed, from an entire planet," said Mars. "Mutant powers are dependent on your body's physical maturity. That's why the Shitennou had more raw power than you do now."
Rather than convincing her to stand down, that only served to incense Naru further. "So, just another reminder of how I could never be one of you," Naru spat as she rose to her feet, fists clenched. "Rub it in, why don't you?"
"Is that part of this, too? Jealousy?" Jupiter asked. "Hey, don't forget, there are things you can do that we can't…"
"Damn straight!" Naru sneered as she made her move. Tendrils reached up and wrapped around the water tower. The support beams shrieked in protest, and the whole thing came toppling down onto the Senshi.
"Look out!" Venus cried. The three of them leaped aside. The water tower cracked open, water washing over half the roof. Jupiter just hoped Venus got Umino someplace safe, away from the fighting.
Venus and Mars fell back, probably to see to Umino. It was all part of the plan. Naru no doubt thought Jupiter was the only danger, given her vulnerability to electricity and how Jupiter was the only Senshi left that came remotely close to matching her strength. Best to play on that. Draw Naru's attention away from where the true danger lay.
Naru rushed across the roof, hurling a huge chunk of the mangled water tower at Jupiter. Jupiter easily ducked aside as she readied another attack. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she screamed, hurling the collected energy Naru's way. Naru barely hit the deck in time. Good to know the Senshi still held the speed advantage. Jupiter would need it.
Naru leaped toward Jupiter, aiming to stomp her into the school's roof, but she simply backflipped out of the way. "Naru, you've got to stop! Attempted kidnapping, aggravated battery on police officers… That lawyer might've gotten you off before, but not now!"
"Would she really have been any good? None of you Sailor Senshi were! My mother's dead, along with Nephrite!" Naru cried as she closed in. She made some clumsy swings at Jupiter. It was a simple matter to duck and weave around her strikes. And given her training, it was child's play for Jupiter to grapple Naru as she threw another punch, and throw her to the ground hard.
Jupiter jumped back as Naru tried to sweep her legs and snap them in the process. "We're all heartbroken after what happened to Mayumi, Naru!" Jupiter cried. "But if your mother could see you now, SHE'D be heartbroken! Her last words to me before she died… She was PROUD of how you saved those people on the monorail! She was HOPING you would join the X-Men!"
"And then she died on the X-Men's watch. And yours! To think I wanted to be a Sailor Senshi once!" In a blind rage, Naru tried lashing out with tendrils. Jupiter easily dodged them, and kept her antenna out, crackling with power. The sight of that dissuaded Naru from trying that again. She had a wary look in her eyes now, despite all her rage. Just like Jupiter wanted. Distract Naru, confuse her, keep her attention focused solely on her.
"Naru, you think you're the only one who's lost family?" Jupiter dared. "I lost my parents, too! And I know what it's like to be ostracized for being different! I so wanted to help you get through this! All the Sailor Senshi did! You may not be a reincarnated princess, but another opportunity's opened up for you! The X-Men! What better way to honor your mother's final wish than to keep doing good as part of that team!? Keep this up, and that door will be shut forever!"
For a moment, it looked like Jupiter's words had reached Naru. There was a hesitant look in her eyes, and she seemed to tremble. Then she shut them, tears beginning to flow. But yet again, her rage and frustration proved too great.
"Fine by me! I don't need their help! I don't need ANYONE'S help!" Naru spat back.
Naru aimed to keep Jupiter at bay with more bolts of dark power. Once again, Jupiter easily ducked and weaved around the barrage, then followed up with an attack of her own. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" she cried as she spun around, sending out her electrified leaves.
A good number clipped Naru, disorienting her. That gave the other Senshi, who had held back until now, the perfect opening.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" came Venus's cry. Her energized ball struck Naru in the back while she was dazed, forcing her down onto her hands and knees. That was when Mars finally made her move. She darted out from behind a cooling tower, where Jupiter could also see Umino's head sticking out. Mars jumped up, flipping over while in midair, planting an ofuda on Naru's back as she sailed over her.
Naru let out a shriek as she collapsed onto the roof. The three Sailor Senshi gathered around their downed foe, still not quite believing it had come to this. Or that Mars's ofuda would actually be this effective.
"Naru, for my ofuda to hurt you this much… Merely being in possession of dark power shouldn't be enough," said Mars. "It's because you've truly let your heart turn dark. You heard Jupiter. Mayumi hoped you'd choose a different path…"
Naru gargled something unintelligible as she tried to prop herself up with her arms, shaking all over. Then, in one swift motion, Naru slammed her hand down onto the roof, making it quake. The Senshi lost their footing for a moment, giving Naru an opening to force them back with swipes of her tendrils.
Oh great, we miscalculated big time, Jupiter realized as the three of them got flung back. Rei's ofuda turned her dark power against her, but Naru has enough control over her natural mutant powers. She's not entirely defenseless. Good thing there's a backup plan…
Umino had run out from behind cover, rushing to Naru's side. "Naru, what's going on!? Are you OK!?"
"J-J-Just… g-g-get it… off," Naru spluttered. Umino's hand jerked back as dark power kept crackling over Naru's body, but soon enough he yanked the ofuda off. Recovery wasn't instantaneous for Naru. The Sailor Senshi were on their feet well before Naru was. "Well, so much for that idea, Rei," Naru spat. The three of them weren't really listening. Their gazes drifted upward. "Wait, what are you three…" Naru's gaze followed theirs, and she saw the lightning crackling overhead.
Jupiter shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not doing this, Naru. You know who is."
Thunder rumbled over the school as even more weird weather kicked up. Namely, howling winds that carried bitter cold rushed over the roof. It wasn't too long before the water spilled from the water tower froze solid, and the rest of the roof was covered in frost and snow. Naru looked ready to sink to her knees again, shivering from the cold.
Hopefully, between Storm's surprise blizzard and the lingering effects of Mars's ofuda, Naru would be weakened enough to be spirited away without a fuss. This time, Jupiter was happy to let the X-Men do their jobs for them.
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Umino stayed by Naru's side as the blizzard hammered them both, despite his clothes hardly offering much protection. Naru half-collapsed in his arms, the biting cold sapping more and more of her strength. She gazed upwards, spotting Storm hovering a safe distance above the school. Her tendrils would be of little use in Storm's blizzard, and given how the swirling snow clouded her vision, she couldn't aim with her dark power.
With Storm safely out of Naru's reach, that gave the other X-Men the perfect chance to strike. The remaining Sailor Senshi had gone first, in the hopes that a less extreme method would render Naru docile. To Beast's regret, Sailor Mars's ofuda had weakened Naru considerably, but that was all. Still, between that and Storm's blizzard, the probability of the X-Men's stratagem succeeding went up considerably, now that it was their turn.
Thanks to the cover Storm's blizzard afforded, Beast climbed over the roof's edge, barreling toward Naru on all fours. Naru didn't even see him until he was practically on top of her and Umino. He shoved aside Umino as gently as he could, while grabbing Naru and throwing her against the cooling tower with a roar. He threw Naru with such force, the cooling tower was nearly ripped free of the roof.
Beast absentmindedly brushed away some snow clinging to his face as Naru rose to glare at him. "It's regrettable that twice in the span of a week, circumstances force me to strike at the fairer sex," said Beast. "Even worse when it involves a prospective new student. After that day we spent together, I was looking forward to seeing you in my class, Ms. Osaka. I take it you've rejected our offer for enrollment?"
"Wow, you are the smart one," Naru snarled over the blizzard's howl. She cut loose with some bolts of dark power, but with his agility and acrobatics, Beast had no trouble staying one step ahead. Besides, this would wear Naru out further, the whole point of their strategy. Indeed, she was getting noticeably slower. Naru had no chance to react when Beast barreled ahead, sinking his fist into her gut and sending her skidding across frozen water.
Still, Naru had enough fight left to rise again. "That won't do you any good, McCoy! You know I have more than four times your strength!" She charged at him, fist reared back. But Beast simply sidestepped Naru, and her punch clumsily sailed past him.
"One cannot argue with cold, hard numbers, Ms. Osaka. Indubitably, your strength surpasses mine." Naru threw another punch, but Beast ducked aside and grabbed Naru's waist with his bare feet. "Fortunately for everyone's favorite big blue ball of fuzzy goodness, I can fall back on my greater agility, speed and experience."
Beast fell onto his back, spinning on the ice, hopefully making Naru insanely dizzy in the process. When he let go, Beast chucked her at the downed water tower. Naru splatted against it with a loud clang before slumping back down to the roof.
"Wow, Storm's making it so cold, I'm surprised Naru didn't stick to it," said Venus. The Senshi walked up to him, along with Umino.
"Please, Dr. McCoy, let me talk to her," Umino pleaded. "M-M-M-Maybe I can get her to stop…"
"People have been trying all day, Umino," said Mars. "It's only made Naru angrier."
"Give it time, Mr. Umino," said Beast. "Mars's spiritual powers couldn't quite incapacitate Ms. Osaka, but this certainly will. At any rate, my role is concluded. Only Logan and Kitty are needed now."
As if answering to his name, Wolverine suddenly climbed over the roof's edge, near the downed water tower. Just as Naru picked herself up again, Wolverine rushed right up to her. Beast heard Umino and the Sailor Senshi gasp in horror when they saw Wolverine was still brandishing his claws. Naru let out a bloodcurdling shriek as adamantium claws sank into her gut.
"McCoy, w-w-w-what's…" Jupiter began, incredulous. "You X-Men said you could bring Naru in without harming her if we couldn't! What part of GUTTING Naru fits the definition of 'unharmed'!?"
"Let it play out, Sailor Jupiter," Beast urged. He was just as regretful as Naru's friends, but they had no choice but to see it through. "Logan was very careful to avoid severing Ms. Osaka's spine. And don't forget, Ms. Mizuno deduced that her oil slick can seal otherwise fatal wounds almost instantaneously, even with this blizzard weakening its protein matrix. Not as efficacious as Logan's healing factor, but it will ensure there is no lasting harm."
Jupiter muttered something under her breath, but otherwise she seemed placated. Wolverine had pulled his claws out, giving Naru's oil slick a chance to do just that. Still, despite the abuse Naru had taken, she wasn't ready to yield. A burst of black lightning blasted Wolverine toward where Beast, Umino and the Senshi stood. Beast could see Naru's blood was already frozen onto Wolverine's claws, a sight which certainly wouldn't sit well with the others.
"Man, this kid's even tougher than we thought," Wolverine grumbled as he sat up. "Really is a shame we ain't gonna be fittin' her for uniforms from the looks of it."
A quick glance back over at Naru showed Wolverine may have spoken too soon. Having adamantium claws rip into her took more out of her than she was willing to admit. She stumbled as she trudged forward, bombarded by the unrelenting blizzard.
That gave Shadowcat her opening. She rose up through the roof, right behind Naru. Shadowcat grabbed Naru by the shoulder and whirled her around, plunging something else into her gut.
"I-I-I don't get it, McCoy," said Mars. "W-W-What'd Pryde just hit Naru with?" Sailor Mars got her answer when Naru turned around as she stumbled about, gazing in disbelief at the syringe stuck where one of Wolverine's claws had cut into her intestines, the plunger depressed.
"W-W-Wait… You guys stuck her with Ami's chemical cocktail?" Venus demanded. "You X-Men made some more?"
"Rather, Nathan made a point of fishing the final canister of Sailor Mercury's chemical weapon out of the sea," Beast explained. "He insisted that we keep it as a contingency."
"Even I was reluctant to go along with that," said Wolverine. "After spendin' all that time with Osaka, seein' that she was really a sweet kid, I figured we wouldn't need it. Even the ol' Canucklehead makes mistakes."
"At any rate, this more or less solves the problem of her oil slick automatically sequestering a chemical assault, by injecting Ms. Mizuno's concoction in such a direct fashion," Beast added. "Furthermore, it makes the CNS depressing properties of the drugs even more efficacious."
Indeed, Naru was already on her knees again, gazing up with a pleading look at Shadowcat. Shadowcat simply shook her head, her gaze full of disappointment, but also sorrow. Naru tried to bring forth her oil slick after pulling the syringe out, but it bubbled out like any other liquid, and soon froze against her skin. Soon after that, she collapsed onto the roof, drained by the cold and the sedatives in Ami's weapon.
"NARU!? NO!" Umino cried, rushing over to her. By the time he reached Naru, the blizzard abruptly stopped, and Storm touched down onto the roof. The X-Men and Sailor Senshi formed a circle around the two of them, none of them particularly happy about how this had turned out. As for Umino, he sobbed as he cradled Naru in his arms. She barely clung to consciousness, the drugs swiftly taking effect.
"Naru, if you can hear me, please understand that we did not wish to do this," said Storm. "But the X-Men have a duty to protect humans from mutants who refuse to use their power responsibly, and the Sailor Senshi swore to protect this city from dark forces. You left us no choice."
"I still can't believe you did all that, Naru," Shadowcat added. "I thought we got through to you. We had a plan to get you past your legal troubles, and you threw it all away!"
"D-D-Don't worry about me, K-K-Kitty," Naru croaked, her eyes barely open. "Y-Y-You won't be seeing me again…" With her last ounce of strength, she reached up to pull Umino down onto her, clutching him tightly.
"W-W-What in… She's calling upon more dark power!" Mars cried. "What's she up to!? Jupiter, Beast… SOMEONE knock her out before she can do… whatever!"
Mars was cut off when Naru let out a scream, dark power crackling all over her and Umino. Black fire seemed to wash over them as well. And then, in the next instant, they vanished in a flash of that black blaze.
"Oh no, did Naru just…" Venus couldn't finish her thought, didn't dare voice what many of them dreaded.
"Looks more like Naru just teleported the two of them outta here," said Wolverine. "Hey, didn't them Shitennou jokers all have the ability to teleport?"
"B-B-But we never saw Naru teleport herself, or heard of Eclipse doing that!" Mars protested.
"Well, it would explain how Naru suddenly appeared a floor beneath Uranus and Neptune that first night we fought her," said Jupiter. "And maybe it's how Naru got around before Usagi clued her in about jumping across rooftops."
"In addition, I would surmise it's an ability that Ms. Osaka had very little fine control over, and would be reluctant to use it so casually," said Beast. "But given that she had no other way out, she took the plunge."
"And given how Cerebro, telepathy and Rei's spiritual powers were all close to useless for tracking Naru down, we've got our work cut out for us," said Shadowcat. "And now that Naru's got everything she was after, we have no way to predict her next move."