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.

27. Convergence

Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse

a Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover

Chapter 27: Convergence

4-30-2018

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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Night had fallen some time ago, but at least along the streets above, there would be a copious amount of lights to banish the gloom. Not to mention, plenty of open space. Here in the sewer tunnels around the Tokyo Bay area, there was only the feeble glow from the paucity of fluorescent lights. Worse, the tunnels were horribly cramped. Well, perhaps to others, they wouldn't seem so. But to Storm, it was as if the walls were about to close in.

Thankfully, over the years, Storm had learned to keep her claustrophobia in check, though it did take effort. And these efforts did not go unnoticed. Wolverine attached one of Beast's devices to the tunnel wall a few paces away as he puffed on his cigar. Shadowcat was a good distance away doing the same, barely visible thanks to her uniform nearly blending into the shadows. However, Luna stood by her as her teammates worked, staring up at her strangely. "Ororo, what's the matter?" the cat asked.

"Nothing I cannot manage," said Storm quickly. "It's just... I must constantly battle rather severe claustrophobia."

"And you're leading a team through these tunnels!?" Luna cried incredulously. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Good idea or not, I must," said Storm. "Thankfully, my experience with the Morlocks have led to a... familiarity with navigating sewer tunnels. Even if that weren't the case, Xavier supports Sailor Moon's idea to find Naru. I won't let nagging fear keep me from doing my part."

Luna made a strange face and turned away. Storm had a good idea what was on the cat's mind.

"You still do not approve of this endeavor, I take it?"

"I just feel it's a waste of time," said Luna gruffly. "Naru clearly doesn't want to be found, doesn't want to deal with us anymore. I know Usagi feels it'll be a failure if she saves every other mutant in Japan, but can't get through to her. But maybe it's time to face facts: you can't save everyone."

"Yeah, the little lady gets pissed easy and hits hard when she does. I speak from experience," said Wolverine as he walked over. "And you ain't the only one who's been reluctant to let a super-strong mutant back in, Luna. When Petey showed up at the mansion again months after ditchin' us for the Acolytes, askin' for help dealin' with renegade Morlocks... Well, I wasn't exactly in a forgiving mood."

"And before that, when the Professor wished to make Rogue an X-Man, at first I refused to allow it, threatening to quit," said Storm.

"Well, whatever your misgivings, I guess you worked past them," said Luna grudgingly. "You two are quite forgiving at the end of the day, that's for certain."

"Same with Sailor Moon," said Wolverine. "That's why the little bugger's grown on me. She ain't about to give up on anyone, not without giving it her all first."

"Still, there's a big risk, and this will eat up time and manpower," Luna pointed out.

Wolverine regarded Luna for a moment, taking a big drag from his cigar. "Maybe it ain't exactly the most tactically sound plan, fine. But correct me if I'm wrong, Luna... When you first 'awakened' Usagi's power or whatever, it was a chore to get the girl to do anything, correct?"

Luna nodded reluctantly. "I'm amazed that I didn't suffer permanent hearing damage from all her crying..."

"And now she's doing all this of her own volition," said Storm. "No one asked her to do all this on our behalf. But now that she has, I'll do whatever I can in return to help save her friend's soul. In the meantime, Luna, since you admit that Usagi has matured a great deal, perhaps we all can trust in her judgment a little longer?" Luna looked up to Storm again, another odd look in her eyes. But then, at last, she nodded stiffly.

The matter was settled just in time. At that moment, Storm got an incoming transmission. The pips with the X emblem on their unifroms' collars were also their communicators. And now, they were synched with the Sailor Senshi's.

"Storm, this is Uranus," came the Senshi of Wind's voice. "Neptune and I finished setting McCoy's devices and we're doubling back. We'll be there in about two minutes."

Storm pressed her thumb onto one of the pips, allowing her to respond. "Acknowledged. Once you're back, Logan, Luna and I will proceed with you toward where Mercury believes we'll most likely find the old workplace of the Witches 5."

"Unfortunately, our plan to have three different teams converge on their old lair might've hit a snag," came Jupiter's voice. She and Mars emerged from one of the shadowy tunnels.

"Yeah, the maps Mercury dug up are mostly accurate, but the fallout from Mugen Academy going up was more extensive than she thought," added Mars. "The tunnel we thought we could take to rendezvous back with Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen is blocked off."

At that moment, Shadowcat finally finished. She stood back up, a devilish grin on her face. One mirrored by Lockheed, who was perched on her shoulder. "Oh ye of little faith," she said saccharinely as she strode toward them. "The shortest distance between two points, ladies, is a straight line."

With that, she hooked both Senshi around their torsos with an arm, dragging them toward a sewer wall. Mars and Jupiter had horrified looks, and not because Shadowcat dragged them through ankle-deep sewer water. They kept crying out in protest even as Shadowcat phased all of them through the wall.

Storm watched them disappear, unable to keep from giggling softly. She was thankful both teams were meshing this well. Not too long ago, it seemed too much to dare hope.

It was Usagi. She was determined to make this partnership work, Storm told herself. That strength of will may yet help her succeed with reaching enough hearts...

Storm then received another transmission. "Ororo, Cable reporting in," came the gruff voice of the former X-Force commander. "Hank and I have finished setting our gizmos, and we're waiting for Sailor Mercury's group to report back to us so we can move in."

"Acknowledged, Nathan," Storm replied. "Uranus and Neptune will rejoin Logan and I shortly, while Mars, Jupiter and Shadowcat are en route to regroup with Sailor Moon. However, I fear once our three teams move in, what renders psychic probes ineffective will also affect our communications. Each team may be on their own." Not to mention, we'll all be cut off from the Professor. He won't be able to warn us if there's any approaching danger, Storm added silently.

"Understood. Cable out." Then he cut the feed.

Storm, Cable and Xavier had drawn up this plan with the Sailor Senshi. By breaking up their combined forces into three separate teams, they could move more swiftly than if they all stuck together. Not to mention, all three teams had at least two people capable of subduing Naru in case things got ugly. For her team, that meant Wolverine and herself. Storm fervently hoped it wouldn't come to that. Unleashing a blizzard on that girl once before was more than enough.

At last, Uranus and Neptune stepped out of the shadows, talismans at the ready. "Couldn't help but overhear you and Cable," said Uranus. "Sounds like the other two teams are already preparing to close in."

"You sure you two are ready?" Wolverine asked. "I mean, Storm may have claustrophobia, but what we're marchin' into must bring back some bad memories..."

"Bad memories about brutal lessons, regarding how one should defer to Sailor Moon's judgment now and then," Neptune cut in. "Let's not waste any time debating it this time."

"Then it's decided. We move in," said Storm. She took point, trudging forward into the tunnel Mercury believed would lead to the Witches 5's old lair. Even with sounds echoing down in the sewer, Storm could barely hear the movements of the other four behind her. She had a good team assembled to back her up. It made Storm even more determined to keep her claustrophobia in check.

Still, it was a challenge. As they progressed deeper into what was once the heart of some otherworldly evil, Storm found her claustrophobia growing worse. If there was any doubt a vile enemy of Sailor Moon once festered nearby, it was gone now. Still, just as when she led the X-Men into the Morlock tunnels to retrieve Angel, Storm pushed back against the fear. Sailor Moon was counting on her, and Storm wouldn't let her down.

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That antenna on Jupiter's tiara was out, crackling with electricity. She didn't fire at anything, but merely let her power flow. It cast an illuminating glow as their team moved on. Meanwhile, Mars took point, a flaming ofuda in her hands, both for extra light and in case she needed to fling it at Naru on a moment's notice. Lockheed, however, didn't need much light. He periodically flew ahead and looped back. So far, he hadn't found anything amiss, but that could quickly change.

Shadowcat looked from Mars to Jupiter and back, wondering what was going through their heads. From what she read, the Sailor Senshi never saw much of the Death Busters' inner workings before everything went to hell. What preoccupied them more? Fear of learning more about how their old enemies worked their horrors? Or what Naru could be doing, now that she had claimed their base and its technology for herself?

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen brought up the rear. Looking over her shoulder, Shadowcat saw that Tuxedo Kamen already had his cane at the ready. Sailor Moon, meanwhile, stared down at the gauntlet covering her left arm. She still seemed conflicted, both her using tech from Stark Industries and the reason Hank gave it to her. After seeing her bravado at that monorail stop, Shadowcat still found it a little odd, seeing Sailor Moon so unsure of herself.

Or she would have, had she not spent so much time with the girl behind the tiara. Such a bundle of contradictions, a seemingly fickle and capricious girl also capable of ironclad conviction. In the last week, under her leadership, the Sailor Senshi had showed they were willing to go farther for mutants than most of the X-Men's allies back home.

Their team trudged on ahead. The tunnel they were in was coming to an end. Lockheed swooped back into it. Holding out her arm for him, Lockheed perched himself onto it. He gazed up at her and snorted, a strange look in his yellow eyes. "Heads up, Sailor Senshi. Lockheed's getting some bad vibes, and I don't think it's because of Naru."

"Considering the Witches 5 did some of their creepy experiments around here, that's not surprising," said Jupiter as she and Mars stepped out of the tunnel. Her crackling antenna and Mars's ofuda cast light on a rather wide open area, with many different tunnels to choose from. As Shadowcat stepped out with Lockheed, she saw that quite a few yards ahead, there was some railing to guard against falling into a spillway far below.

"No, I've been feeling their lingering evil ever since we came down here," said Mars. "This is... a different sort of malevolence. The Death Busters were cold and calculating. What I'm sensing is... almost gleeful."

As Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen were about to step out of the tunnel, Mars went further ahead, holding up her ofuda. Shadowcat saw her face screwed up in concentration. As Mars tried to focus, looking this way and that, Shadowcat noticed her ofuda was burning brighter. At first, Shadowcat figured Mars was doing that herself, but when the Shinto priestess looked up at it, her expression was one of shock.

It all happened in a flash. The ofuda's once-gentle flames erupted into a fireball. It shot up, casting a blinding light all around them. Then its trajectory curved back down, heading straight for Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.

"Usagi, Mamoru... DUCK!" Shadowcat called out. But it was too late. Or rather, would have been, had it not been for Lockheed. He flew off Shadowcat's arm and right at a wailing Sailor Moon, tackling her in the gut. She collided into Tuxedo Kamen in turn, and the three were knocked back into the tunnel. The fireball smashed into the sewer walls right above the tunnel, causing debris to rain down and block it off.

"Mars, what're you doing!?" Jupiter demanded hotly.

"I-I-I-I didn't do this!" Mars protested. "I-I-I-It's like my flame suddenly had a mind of its own!"

"And I have a bad feeling I know why," Shadowcat grumbled. "For now, I'm phasing through that wreckage to get..."

Shadowcat was cut off as she felt something wrap around her torso, right before she could phase. Something noxious and slimy. She found herself hurled at the remaining two Senshi, and the three collapsed in a tangle of limbs, grunting and yelling at each other.

Once they separated themselves, Shadowcat rose, seeing exactly who she feared. An ugly little man with greasy, tousled hair and a toothy grin that rivaled Loki's in its creepiness. Toad stayed in a crouching position, ready to spring, right beside a blond man in a bright orange-red and yellow mask and costume. His fists were alight with flames.

"Sailor Senshi, may I introduce Pyro and Toad?" Shadowcat growled. Her mood got worse when a third figure stepped out of the shadows, one she was amazed could stay hidden for so long. A grotesquely fat man in a dark-purple costume with yellow trim, also grinning maliciously.

"The Blob, too?" Jupiter grumbled.

"Awww, the little lady's heard of me? I'm flattered, heh heh heh," Blob drawled, putting his hands together. "Wanna dance, darling? I hear you'll give anyone not put off by your size a shot."

Of course, since Blob spoke in English, Jupiter probably didn't understand him. "Oh well, whatever," said Jupiter. "Three-on-three. Seems like a fair fight, so... Wait a second..."

"Think you're hot stuff, huh!?" Mars cried, glaring at Pyro. "Well, try this on for size!" She put her hands together, ready to launch an attack.

"Mars, NO!" Jupiter and Shadowcat cried out in horror.

But it was too late. "Fire Soul!" Mars roared, sending out a volley of flame at the three Brotherhood members.

As Shadowcat feared, Pyro held out an outstretched hand. Mars's blaze took on a life of its own again. What was once one stream of fire formed into a fist and shot back at the three girls. Shadowcat ducked aside and phased, while Jupiter tackled Mars and hit the deck. The fist of fire slammed into the floor, sending out a wave of heat and force that Shadowcat swore she could still feel even while phased.

"Ahh, so the little lady also likes to turn up the heat?" Pyro asked in that annoying Aussie accent. "Wonder how often she gets to be on the receiving end, eh Dukes?"

"What happened!? Why did my attack..." Mars began as Jupiter helped her up.

"Mars, didn't you read the files on the Brotherhood!?" Jupiter spat. "Pyro's mutant power isn't about generating fire. He CONTROLS fire!" Mars's eyes widened, the advantage the Brotherhood had over them sinking in.

"He's weak, though, suffering from the Legacy Virus," said Shadowcat. "I'll deal with him. In fact, we can keep them all occupied here, give Sailor Moon a chance to find another route. Mars, you're fleet of foot enough to handle Toad without any attacks. Watch out for his poisonous spit and tongue, though." Shadowcat ignored Mars's disgusted look. "Jupiter, a little cover fire, please." It was important to take command of this situation and strike back fast. She had fought these clowns enough times to know you couldn't dither around with them.

Thankfully, the other two Sailor Senshi got the hint. "Roger that, Kitty. Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Jupiter cried, spinning in place to send out electrified leaves. Given how Jupiter obviously studied their profiles, she must have known Blob would stand his ground.

Blob did just that, trying to shield his teammates. Those leaves didn't seem to hurt Blob as they tried to drill into all that blubber, but at least he wasn't advancing yet.

With the seconds Jupiter bought them, Shadowcat pressed a thumb to the pip on her collar. "Sailor Moon, if you can hear me, don't bother clearing the rubble! Hank showed you how to use the projector map on that gauntlet. Find another way to Naru! We'll keep the Brotherhood busy!"

Toad wasn't content to remain behind cover. He leaped up at a nearby tunnel wall, then sprang off, launching himself at Mars. Mars jumped up and tackled Toad in midair, just as Blob charged at Jupiter. That was all Shadowcat saw before she sank into the floor. Hopefully, in all the confusion, Pyro would lose track of her.

Indeed, when Shadowcat rose up from where she last saw Pyro, he was focused on controlling his flamethrower blasts, forming more blazing fists. Mars narrowly avoided getting pummeled, annoyance etched in her features from the indignity. Grinning, Shadowcat swiped at Pyro, her phased arm going through his flamethrower unit. As she hoped, it had some electrical components. For the moment, he couldn't generate any new flame. But given how he hung around Magneto, Pyro must've built it in such a way that it wouldn't stay out of commission for long.

Pyro stared down at his hands in confusion, cursing at the sputtering flames. He must've realized what happened, as he spun around, incensed. Shadowcat could see his putrid, infected skin, but didn't waste any time on pity. Pyro blocked an incoming kick with his arm, but it was a feint. Shadowcat then spun around and ducked, launching a punch into his gut.

As Pyro toppled, Shadowcat saw Jupiter duck and roll under Blob's arm as he swiped at her. Then she used Sparkling Wide Pressure, hurling the attack right in Blob's face. He howled in fury, staggering back, his heavy footfalls echoing around them. Clearly, Jupiter knew how to best fight the Blob.

Unfortunately, Blob could probably take all that punishment. Jupiter's back was to that railing in front of the spillway. She tried using Supreme Thunder next, but this time Blob deftly jumped aside. Jupiter looked quite shocked. It was one thing to study Blob's files, but to SEE someone that huge prance about like a ballerina...

"I've got this, Jupiter, now that Pyro's down! Get ready!" Mars cried. Toad was still on the move. He lashed out with his tongue, aiming to whip and ensnare Mars. Mars leaped up and over Toad's tongue, a fiery bow forming in her hands. "Mars Flame Sniper!" she shouted, firing her arrow while in midair.

The arrow struck right underneath where Blob touched down, exploding with the force of a small bomb. Mars was luckier than she realized, as she gave Blob no time to affix himself to the floor. Plus, it was just enough to launch Blob up and forward, right toward Jupiter.

At first, it looked like Jupiter would be flattened under his bulk. Instead, she held Blob up with both arms as he flailed about and cursed. Given how Jupiter was a little hunched over and bit her lip, though, it did take some effort.

"You look like you could use some time to cool off, Dukes," Jupiter sneered. "Here, why not take a swim!?" With that, Jupiter spun around and hurled Blob over the railing. The whole place shook as Blob splashed into the shallow spillway water below.

"Mars, keep Blob busy down there so he can't climb back up!" Shadowcat called out quickly. "Pyro can't affect fire that he can't see!"

"I hear you, I hear you! On it!" Mars grumbled as she swung herself over the railing to drop down. Meanwhile, Pyro was already back on his feet. He agilely leaped over to Toad's side. As Shadowcat feared, his flamethrower was operational again.

"Well, looks like he aims to turn us to toast," said Jupiter with a grin. Her antenna popped out again. "Care if I try first?"

Shadowcat grinned back. "See, we do get each other. Be my guest, Makoto."

Just as Pyro cut loose with another volley of flame, Jupiter shouted, "Supreme Thunder!" His blaze clashed against her lightning, filling the sewer with blinding light and a deafening roar. Weak as he was, Pyro was backing up, already pushed to the limit. Shadowcat shielded her eyes for a moment, then saw Toad motioning for her to bring it.

At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to wipe that grin off Toad's ugly face. But now that Jupiter had bought some time, Shadowcat reached for her communicator instead. "X-Men, Sailor Senshi... Whoever's hearing this, half my team's been cut off and we're under attack by the Brotherhood! Repeat, the Brotherhood and possibly the Acolytes are prowling the tunnels..."

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These last few days had been one big headache for Umino, juggling so many tasks. At the moment, he was still trying to break through the encryption on Kizachi's PDA. Naru seemed certain it contained useful information. Umino wasn't so sure, but tackling its encryption helped him figure out just what made Kizachi's mind tick. Granted, trying to figure out the programming code Kizachi had developed specifically for her Sentinels already gave him plenty of insight.

At least he now had a comfortable place to work. When Naru came to him with her crazy idea to hijack those Sentinels, Umino decided it was high time to get the workplace of this 'Witches 5' running again. It felt creepy, knowing he was getting the headquarters of those had helped sic that 'Daimon' or whatever onto him and Naru in working order. But there was no denying they had left behind state-of-the-art computer equipment. Mastering the subtleties of Kizachi's programming code and breaking into her PDA might not have been possible without it.

Still, even with their main lab fully functional, a perpetual gloom hung over the place. These Death Busters must've preferred it always being dark and foreboding. So it was no surprise that as Umino kept typing away, Naru managed to slink up from the shadows without him noticing until she was hovering over him. Her black leotard, denim shorts and dark leggings certainly helped with that.

"Still no luck breaking through the encryption?" Naru asked, sounding surprisingly patient.

Umino sighed, sliding his fingers up underneath his glasses to rub his eyes. "Actually, I think I'm close. It's radically different from the encryption protecting her Sentinel's data core, but I'm getting there. How are things on your end?"

"Never-ending," Naru said slyly. "It was tedious enough, clearing all the rubble blocking off this place after Mugen Academy went down. I mean, the entire length of one of the tunnels this Eudial used to ferry cars to the surface..."

"You sure it was necessary?" Umino asked. "I mean, you've gotten better with your teleportation power..."

"No, Umino! I won't risk frying your insides again," Naru barked. "It's just good that you were already working on fixing that car Eudial left behind. That's my Umino, working to fix problems before he even knows about them."

Naru knelt a little and slung an arm around him, smiling. His face flushing, Umino tried to focus on the task at hand. "I guess it's for the best. You teleport in first ahead of me, raise some hell before they even know what's hit them, while I drive there and slip in, taking advantage of the confusion."

"And then we'll have our own army of Sentinels," Naru beamed. "Provided, of course, you've cracked Kizachi's programming code." She said it in such a way to show her confidence in his smarts. Yet whether it was intentional or not, there was a hint of danger about not living up to her lofty expectations.

"W-W-Well, like I said, it's a completely unique programming language," said Umino uneasily. "It has similarities to several known languages, but... It forms a hodge-podge, really, taking aspects of so many and blending them in a distinctive way. I suppose this fits Kizachi's modus operandi. A way to keep those seeking to outwit her guessing, using someone's knowledge against them. Plus, like Usagi and Kitty said, she was probably dead-set on avoiding what happened to Trask."

"Sounds like you're close, though," said Naru, slapping a hand down on his shoulder. Umino bit back a yelp. It felt like she nearly shattered a scapula.

"And then what, Naru?" Umino dared. "These Death Busters left behind a pretty big base, but what's left standing is nowhere near big enough to hide all the Sentinels you saw."

Naru smiled wickedly. "Who said we should just keep them here?" That sent a chill down Umino's spine. He understood how much Naru was in pain. The loss of her mother, being ostracized by the people of Japan, her disillusionment with the Sailor Senshi and the X-Men. But there was no way she was so full of bitterness she'd UNLEASH these Sentinels as an act of vengeance! Would she?

A loud, plangent beeping interrupted Umino's troubled thoughts. Grateful for the distraction, Umino wheeled his office chair over to the desk behind his.

It was immediately evident what set off the alarms. Umino got most of the security cameras the Witches 5 had set up around their hidden lair up and running again. One of them caught movement. Umino just stared in disbelief at the feed, while Naru actually gasped.

"Sailor Mars, down here!?" Naru demanded of no one in particular.

"And she's down in some spillway tunnel," Umino said. "That really, REALLY big guy she's fighting... That's the Blob, isn't it? One of Magneto's old cronies?" Naru said nothing, staring at the screen.

Umino watched too, transfixed. Mars was ducking and weaving around Blob's punches and swipes. Big as he was, he was amazingly fast, coming quite close to tagging Mars. Mars jumped back as Blob's meaty fist swung perilously close, brushing past her long hair only to smash through solid brick instead. After backflipping away a good distance, an ofuda in hand, Mars tried using Fire Soul Bird. Her creation rammed Blob in the face. He howled in shock and pain, but stood his ground as the blazing bird clawed and pecked at him.

"What're those two doing here anyway!?" Umino cried. "Of all the places to have a battle, why down here!?"

"Because both the Sailor Senshi and Mystique's Brotherhood figured out we're down here!" Naru spat. "Look at that other screen!" Umino turned to see what Naru was pointing at. The very tunnel Naru said she had just cleared of debris was monitored by this camera. Wolverine and Storm were inspecting it, tailed closely by Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, and even Usagi's cat!

"Urgh, and to think I just cleared a path for them!" Naru howled furiously, hurrying over to yet another desk. Both of them had familiarized themselves with their new home, and thus Naru knew which switches and buttons did what. She quickly hit a few of them, and Umino turned to the screens again. One of them showed a series of steel barriers further down that tunnel sliding shut. "There. Unless Magneto lends a hand, no one's blasting through anytime soon. Hopefully they'll double back and give up."

"Naru, I didn't spend much time with that Logan fellow, but he doesn't strike me as the type who'll give up easily," Umino said delicately. "Also, Kitty might be somewhere else down here. With her power, it's only a matter of time before she finds this place."

Naru's face screwed up in frustration. "You're right. Which means we're out of time. We're making our move tonight."

Umino wanted to yell at Naru, tell her they still weren't quite ready to hit Kizachi's facility. But between fear of upsetting her and fear of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants barging in on them, his tongue was held in check.

Another series of beeps served to distract him once more. This time, it came from the computer he hooked Kizachi's PDA into. Umino wheeled his chair back over to it, and moments later Naru was hovering over his shoulder again. "You've cracked the encryption? Please tell me we've got something useful for tonight."

"I'm not sure. It doesn't look like any pertinent data on her Sentinels," said Umino warily, wading through this potential treasure trove of new information. "It more or less looks like a means for Kizachi to discreetly send messages along." Umino read through them, not quite sure what he would find. But then, he read through one that seemed to hint at... "Forget it, Naru. There's nothing here I can use to seize the Sentinels, not without spending days pouring over it. Let's just focus on..."

But Naru was ever the sharp one. She shoved Umino's chair aside and stared at the screen. Umino's insides froze again as Naru's eyes widened, then hardened, tears of anguish and fury welling up. A loud crunch made Umino look down. Naru's fingers had dug deep into the desk, leaving little more than splinters in her fist. Not only that, black ooze flowed down onto them as well, never a good sign.

"It was her..." she muttered, a cold edge to her soft voice. "Kizachi got that ex-yakuza stooge of hers to make it look like his old clan was targeting my mother, only it went wrong..."

"N-N-Naru, I-I-I..." Umino began, fumbling for words. What was there to say? At least now Naru knew the truth about her mother's death, but he feared what she would do next, armed with this information.

"Then taking her Sentinels isn't enough!" Naru spat coldly. "After we've got them, and after I track down this Gai, I'll do Usagi one last favor. Wring the neck of her newest enemy for her!"

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Moments ago, Storm's team came up across a steel barricade. Wolverine had already tried his adamantium claws, but the barricade was too thick, and none of them had the strength to pull it apart after he clawed swaths in it. It proved infuriatingly resilient against a Sailor Senshi's attacks, as well as Storm's lightning.

Seeing how it would take too much time to get through with brute force, they had no choice but to double back to a small maintenance tunnel several hundred meters back. Uranus lagged behind the others, infuriated by the delay. Worse, Storm said she thought a fellow X-Man was trying to reach them while they attempted to break through, but it was too badly garbled. That probably meant the other teams had run into danger, danger Uranus's team was oblivious to.

Forcing herself to calm down, Uranus tried to focus, to hear whispers on the winds. Of course, down here in these sewer tunnels, with the smothering evil aura left behind by the Death Busters, she could only glean so much. And at the moment, nothing useful.

Uranus picked up her pace, falling in beside Neptune. After a quick glance at her, she simply shook her head, guessing what Uranus wanted to know. Her ability to glean things from the seas was hampered down here as well.

That left only Wolverine and Luna with abilities that could guide them. Yet Uranus feared Wolverine's sense of smell and hearing, not to mention Luna's special senses, would also be hindered.

Still, Uranus deigned to ask. "Logan, that garbled transmission is still bothering me. Any chance you can smell anything in this sewer?"

Wolverine stopped to sniff the air. "It's hard, but doable. Not pickin' up anything funny, though. Yet." Still, Uranus couldn't help but notice Wolverine had yet to sheathe his claws after trying to slice apart that barricade. Clearly, he was just as on edge at her.

It certainly didn't help that their detour took them into what had to be the most mazelike part of these tunnels. Even with Neptune's borderline photographic memory, she was clearly having trouble using the maps Shadowcat and Mercury had dug up.

"Up ahead, I believe there'll be a path branching off to the right," said Neptune suddenly. "That should put us back on track towards our alternate course."

"Let's hope so. I don't know about the two of you, but I'm sensing something funny, and I don't think it has anything to do with the Death Busters," said Luna.

Uranus grumbled under her breath, not believing this cat's senses were working better than her own. As she started to lag behind the others, though, Uranus thought she caught a hint of something amiss on the sewer's stale winds.

It was the only warning she got. All of a sudden, it was as if Tokyo Bay was hit with a quake. Despite her strength, Uranus lost her footing and tumbled back, just as some of the tunnel collapsed right in front of her.

On all fours, coughing, Uranus slowly rose, on guard for an attack. Her Space Sword was out, as she didn't want to risk more of the tunnel coming down on her head with World Shaking. It was difficult to be certain with the pitiful lighting and the kicked-up dirt and dust, but Uranus figured there was no one else around. Friend or foe.

Worse, there was nothing coming in via her communicator. Either that meant they were so close to the Witches 5's lair that they were useless, or her team was buried underneath that rubble. Snarling, Uranus began to frantically dig through the rubble. "Neptune, Storm, anyone! Can anyone hear me!?"

"No need to shout, Uranus," came a calm, familiar voice. Uranus looked up, relieved to see Neptune standing only a few meters away.

"Y-Y-You're OK?" Uranus stammered. "B-B-But you were only just ahead! I-I-I was afraid all of you were..."

"The cave-in wasn't that severe, and I quickly found a tunnel leading back over here," Neptune explained. "However, that wasn't the only spot where rubble came crashing down. I was cut off from Luna and the X-Men, and I'm afraid I'll trigger something else I try blasting through."

"Then we'd better find a way to regroup, and fast," said Uranus. "Something tells me that little cave-in was no accident."

Neptune nodded, then stood aside as Uranus took point. There was a wide open area just ahead, possibly where the others could flee to, assuming they weren't buried alive. Uranus was grateful that her partner was safe, at least, but they still had to find the others. That little man... amazing how someone who rips into you with razor-sharp claws can grow on you. Plus, Ororo is a capable leader, even if she once used those skills against us. Just glad we're on the same side now, so...

Uranus was brought back into focus as she sensed something wrong, VERY wrong. The winds whispered about danger being very close by, a danger that felt eerily familiar. She had felt it once before, but where?

As Uranus racked her brains, she heard a faint click echo right behind her. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. She whirled around and shouted, "Space Sword Blaster!"

Unfortunately, she only succeeded in knocking a pistol out of Neptune's hands and forcing her back some. There wasn't much time to put a lot of power in that blast, and her foe had considerable reflexes.

'Neptune' chuckled evilly as she stared back at the Senshi of Wind, her eyes turning yellow. Then the roots of her shortening turquoise hair turned a crimson red, the color change flowing fast. As did the wave that transformed her skin into a scaly blue in its wake, and her fuku into a leather jacket and silvery-grey dress.

"Nice one, Tenoh. And here I thought only your lover and the little monster could sniff me out," Mystique sneered. Uranus brought up her sword, ready for another blast. Mystique tsk-tsked as she wagged her finger. "You sure you want to risk bringing the rest of the tunnel down?" she taunted.

"So that's what another team was trying to warn us about," Uranus snarled. "You and your Brotherhood are down here. Why? To keep us from Naru? What purpose does that serve?"

"Think you can claw answers out of me without the little bloodhound?" Mystique dared, motioning for Uranus to make a move. "Let's see if you do better than your gal-pal, at least."

With a snarl, Uranus charged, aiming to run Mystique through. The shapeshifter ducked and swerved around her strikes, then clamped onto Uranus's wrist with an enlarged hand. On top of that, her height and muscle mass increased. With her other hand on her throat, Mystique slammed Uranus into the tunnel wall. Mystique dragged her along it length until she stepped out into the open area Uranus had been heading for.

Mystique threw Uranus a good distance, and she landed hard, water splashing around her. Uranus sprang right back up, seeing Mystique FLYING overhead, back to her normal size but sporting fluffy, white wings.

Not the smartest move. Flight only gets you so far without a sky to soar through, Uranus thought with a smirk. Plus, not as big a risk of a cave-in here. Mystique pulled out a rifle and opened fire, but Uranus easily jumped out of the way. "Space Sword Blaster!" she roared, flinging her attack up at Mystique while she was circling the chamber and reloading.

Once again, her attack clipped Mystique, making her drop this weapon, too. She fluttered down in a tailspin, hitting the sewer floor hard. Before she could get up, Uranus hoisted Mystique up by her throat and slammed her against a large pipe. Then, she ran her sword through Mystique's gut.

Mystique's scream echoed throughout the tunnels. Uranus ignored them, pressing her nose up against Mystique's. "I hear your shapeshifting powers can close a wound like that," Uranus hissed through gritted teeth. "But what happens if I make too many?"

Mystique stared back at Uranus coldly, and then, to the surprise of the Senshi of Wind, she suddenly laughed. "What's so funny, damnit!?" Uranus demanded as she twisted her blade a little. "Seriously, how do you expect to get out of this!?"

"You heroes are so amusing," Mystique jeered. "Always thinking you're the only ones who value teamwork..."

"What do you..." Uranus began, stopping when something clamped down on her neck. A roar like a lion's boomed in Uranus's ears before she was flung across the chamber, hitting the adjacent wall hard. When she could stand back up, Uranus saw Mystique was steadily rising, though hunched over as she concentrated on closing her gaping wound. Standing in front of her, and slowly advancing, was Sabretooth once again.

"Are you EVER going to NOT have your back turned to me, honeycakes?" Sabretooth spat.

"Teach her, then, Victor," Mystique gargled. She spit up blood, then added, "Teach her a final lesson."

"Actually, someone already clued me in about you," Uranus shot back. Uranus could see it in Sabretooth's eyes. Even if she hadn't just skewered Mystique, Sabretooth would be all too happy to rip her to shreds. Best to take Gambit's advice, put him down if she saw the chance.

Sabretooth roared and charged as Uranus collected power in her fist. "World Shaking!" she cried out, slamming her fist down. Sabretooth effortlessly leaped over her attack, his longcoat billowing from its winds, and it barreled toward Mystique. She barely ducked aside in time before it took out the pipe behind her.

Water sprayed everywhere as Sabretooth moved in. He was as fast as Wolverine, but while the one dubbed 'gaijin' fought with practiced skill, Sabretooth truly was a wild beast in the guise of a man.

Uranus managed to get in some hits with her sword, but also took quite a few hits herself. Sabretooth didn't hit quite as hard as Rogue, but his strength still overshadowed hers. And while her fuku could resist those claws of his, he left some cuts on her face and arms. Worse, no matter how deeply she cut with her Space Sword, Sabretooth could heal his wounds almost instantaneously. Uranus couldn't.

Sabretooth lunged again, but thankfully, Uranus ducked her head aside at the last second, barely avoiding getting her face ripped off. She tucked and rolled to the side, then sprang up to launch a spinning jump kick into Sabretooth's face. It knocked him back a good distance, giving Uranus the opening she needed. "World Shaking!"

This time her attack hit home, pinning Sabretooth up against the sewer wall. But if Wolverine could recover from such punishment, so could Sabretooth. It was time to move in, do what Gambit wanted.

"A certain Cajun sends his regards!" Uranus snarled as she charged, sword at the ready. Her winds faded and Sabretooth slumped down. Just as it looked like she had a clear shot at Sabretooth's throat, his hand sprang up to snatch her wrist, the tip of the blade centimeters from his neck.

"And here I was, beginnin' to doubt your reputation as one of the more hardcore Sailor Senshi," he growled as he stood up. Much of his clothes had been sheared off, the wounds all along his torso closing. He reared his other arm back, meaning to finally rip Uranus's face off. Just before he struck, something small and purplish-black latched onto his face. "GAH! What're you..." Sabretooth snarled, letting go of Uranus to pry Luna off his face. "Oh, the talking cat," Sabretooth jeered. He leaned his face closer, leering at Luna. "What was this all about, pray tell?"

Luna was unfazed. "Oh, nothing really. Just setting you up."

At first, Uranus figured Luna meant her. But then, a howl of pure rage echoed around them. Uranus turned towards its source, and saw Wolverine lunge himself at Sabretooth, claws bared. He tackled Sabretooth to the ground, sinking those adamantium claws into his chest. Sabretooth effortlessly threw him off.

Uranus thought Sabretooth was a savage beast before, but the mere sight of Wolverine somehow made him even more unhinged. Likewise, Uranus could sense the burning hatred Wolverine had for him, radiating off him like waves. Wolverine screamed again and advanced, but Sabretooth met his charge, their claws digging deep into each other's flesh. Wolverine's explosive savagery... He insisted that before, he came at Uranus with everything he had out of respect. It was clearly a lie. Now, against Sabretooth, he held nothing back.

"Good work keeping them occupied, Uranus," said Luna as she walked up to her.

"L-L-Luna, how did you all get out of that?" Uranus asked. "I was afraid all of you were buried alive."

"Close to it, and the one responsible hasn't been dealt with," said Luna. "Get ready, they'll be here any second!" Luna looked over to the far end of the chamber. Uranus followed her gaze. Storm and Neptune were chasing two men into their midst.

One of them had some strange silver armor and a domed helmet. He seemed to be creating shockwaves that undulated the sewer floor. That explained the cave-in. Neptune leaped out of the wave's path, then used Deep Submerge against the other man. A big guy wearing a brown bandana and sunglasses, with a pale grey complexion, somehow transformed his forearms into multi-barreled blasters. He fired up at Storm, who was flying overhead, but then Neptune's attack struck him.

Instead of doing him in with its crushing pressure, the man seemed to dissolve into a mass of grey goo, only to reform once Neptune's attack faded away. Still, he was hunched over, wide open to another attack. Storm was ready to lash out with lightning, but Mystique had recovered, using her wings to tackle the X-Men's leader in midair.

"Avalanche and Random," said Luna. "One creates seismic waves that can bring down skyscrapers, the other creates these guns out of his arms and can restructure his body to resist any external force."

"Oh does he?" Uranus asked with a smirk. "Let's see about that." She dashed ahead, sword at the ready. Avalanche had failed to entomb them, the odds were now even, and they had room to move in this chamber. Things were looking up, but clearly the Brotherhood was here to distract them. What for?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Storm's prediction had proven all too true. As they neared where Mercury suspected the Witches 5's abandoned base was located, communication with the other two teams proved impossible, either with telepathy or their equipment. Cable found himself admiring Naru, for making Umino repair whatever the Witches 5 had that once kept their operation hidden. In her place, it would be among the first things he'd do.

It made things all the more tragic, how Naru let her grief get the better of her. A new trainee this sharp would be welcome back at the mansion. Cable sure wouldn't have minded talent like that back with X-Force, either.

Of course, that was why the Sailor Senshi and X-Men were traipsing through Tokyo Bay's sewers tonight. Even if they couldn't ultimately recruit her, they could hopefully steer her off this dark path. Cable had flirted too many times with giving into that sort of despair.

Still, as much as Cable empathized with the girl, he had to be prepared for a confrontation. So though he took point, he proceeded slowly, rifle at the ready. Well, he wasn't the only one taking point. Artemis marched on right beside him. He hoped the cat's weird senses weren't as dulled as his telepathy, but judging from his expression, it was an empty hope.

Beast brought up the rear, while Mercury was right in front of him, her visor out. She occasionally typed away at her computer, but again, her expression gave away that she was having little luck. Venus didn't seem all that attentive to her surroundings, even smiling as they trudged through rancid, ankle-deep sewer water.

"I still say we should've brought in some extra help," said Venus suddenly. "I mean, if we need more muscle to hold down Naru, that guy with the yellow bandana and the umbrella... Damn, he has some serious power, didn't he, Mercury? Plus, he was really cute, in a sort of dorky, awkward way..."

"You can ask him on a date later, Venus," said Mercury dismissively. "Just about everyone else agreed this needs to be kept 'in the family', so to speak." Cable could practically hear Venus pouting behind him.

At least Chibiusa realizes this is no game, Cable mused. He swung around, aiming down a corridor to his right. The light from his rifle flooded the tunnel, showing no nasty surprises. Cable spared a glance back at his team, and at Chibi-Moon in particular. She gripped her Crystal Carillon tightly with one hand, and the Luna-P with the other. Chibi-Moon stared down the tunnel too, squinting, as if anticipating danger.

"About three hundred or so meters down this way, then we make another right, according to these maps," said Mercury as she peered down the tunnel. Some of its functions, like thermal imaging, should still be working. His bionic eye detected nothing amiss, either.

"Then let's keep moving. Quietly, in tight formation," said Cable. Cable could feel the annoyed looks from Venus and Chibi-Moon on his back, but paid them no mind. His time with X-Force had taught him to tune stuff like that out.

Still, it was vexing when Venus started whining once they were on the move again. "Must we take this so slowly? Storm or Sailor Moon have probably already reached the Witches 5's old lair by now..."

"As someone who once corresponded with Interpol, Sailor Venus, I would assume you'd appreciate the value of patience and prudence," said Beast. "I, for one, am quite willing to trust in Nathan's wealth of experience. After all, it's helped him survive all those clashes with Apocalypse in the 40th century..."

"Yeah, but hopefully knocking some sense into Naru isn't like fighting this..." Artemis began. "Wait a minute, did you say the 40th century is where he's from!?"

Oh thanks a heap, Hank! Cable looked over to Chibi-Moon. She was frozen in place, staring up at him with tearful eyes that screamed a sense of betrayal. "T-T-Then that means, this Apocalypse everyone talks about... H-H-He rises again AFTER Crystal Tokyo is established!? He's going to bring down Mama's kingdom!?"

Cable knew he had to talk fast. If there was a worse time for this to come out, he couldn't picture it. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I'd like to think there's a good chance I've done enough here in this time to put an end to Apocalypse for good."

Chibi-Moon stared up at him coldly, the tears falling. Her glare cut deeply into Cable's very soul. "You don't really believe that, do you?" she snapped back. "That's why you avoided telling me! After all this, after everything with the Black Moon Clan... My home will never be safe, will it!?"

"Worry about your safety in the present, little girl!" came a cackling voice from further down the tunnel.

Cable whirled around, weapon at the ready. He reacted just in time to see a familiar green extension of energy shoot down the tunnel.

"Great, the Acolytes are here!" Cable spat, calling upon his mutant power. The psionic exoskeleton crashed into his telekinetic barrier. As usual, Unuscione packed a punch, but his defenses held. "That all you got, Unuscioue!?" Cable cried as Unuscione floated into view, suspended by her psionic exoskeleton. " Think you can take all of us? In case you haven't noticed, the X-Men have backup."

"And you think I don't?" Unuscione scoffed. That was when Cable heard something break through the tunnel walls behind him. He risked a glance over his shoulder, seeing that the Kleinstocks and Frenzy had busted through, boxing his team in.

"Just like old times, huh McCoy!?" Frenzy taunted, charging at Beast. She managed to get in a couple good slugs to his face. But when she threw another punch, Beast caught her fist and threw her against the adjacent wall.

"My dear Joanna, though I find your eagerness to dance gratifying, there's a lack of elegance to your steps," Beast said calmly as he charged at Frenzy. Meanwhile, Chibi-Moon and Artemis ducked and weaved around the plasma bursts the Kleinstocks fired down at them. Chibi-Moon retaliated with a flurry of hearts from the Crystal Carillon. She caught the Kleinstocks by surprise, and they lumbered backward clumsily.

Turning his attention back to Unuscione, Cable used his telekinesis to fling the bricks strewn about by the other Acolytes' entrance at her. They pelted her exoskeleton, along with shots from his rifle, forcing Unuscione to duck and weave around Cable in what space the tunnel provided.

"Cyclops should've left you all to burn in that desert!" Cable howled as he tried ramming her with a telekinetic blast. Unuscione's psionic exoskeleton took it, but it rattled her to the core. More importantly, it set Unuscione up for Venus.

"Crescent Beam!" Venus shouted. Even though her defenses held, the blast slammed Unuscione up against the tunnel wall. Meanwhile, Frenzy and Beast continued to slug it out, while Mercury now had the Kleinstocks covered. One hit from Shine Aqua Illusion had the Kleinstocks encased in ice. Unfortunately, it was already cracking from their combined strength and the heat from their plasma.

Now that the Senshi had these Acolytes on the ropes, Cable was ready to put them down. But as if his thoughts were an open book, someone called out to him. "Let the children have their fun, Summers. You've got a little business with me."

His blood freezing, Cable turned to look back down the tunnel. A man with reddish skin, long black hair, and a strange costume with a white cape and curved golden pauldrons calmly walked down it. His eyes, those of a fanatic willing to do anything for his master, glowed with intense power.

"It just gets better and better," Cable grumbled, summoning the full might of his telekinetic power. Against this foe, he would need it. "Sailor Senshi, you and Beast keep those other Acolytes busy! DO NOT engage Exodus! Leave him to me!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The tunnels underneath Tokyo Bay shook again. Sailor Moon could only guess what was going on with her friends. How many more of these Brotherhood psychos and possibly Acolytes were down here with them? With their communicators now rendered useless and telepathic contact with Cable impossible, there was no way to know.

As if sensing what troubled her, Tuxedo Kamen laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Sailor Moon. Shadowcat's dealt with the Brotherhood plenty of times. She'll get Mars and Jupiter through this. After all, she can just phase them out if things get to be too much. And with Storm and Cable leading the other teams... They won't let anything happen to our friends."

Sailor Moon looked up to him, tears in her eyes, forcing a smile as she nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. No one knows those whackos better than the X-Men. Isn't that right, Lockheed?" The dragon was perched on her other shoulder. He smiled and snorted.

"In the meantime, Sailor Moon, are we getting any closer?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

Sailor Moon brought up her left arm. After staring at the thing for a moment, she hit some buttons. "At least I'm finally getting the hang of this thing's other features," Sailor Moon muttered. A holographic display once again appeared, showing their current location and how much farther they had to go. "We're in luck, Tuxedo Kamen. It's not much farther. The entrance to the Witches 5's old base should be right up ahead!"

"Well, now that we're almost there, I guess we'd better decide on just what we're going to say to Naru," said Tuxedo Kamen. "Even if she's been watching TV down here, it'll still take a lot of convincing."

Sailor Moon could only nod. She still wasn't quite sure what she would tell her old friend. But they were so close now. They had to push ahead. "Hopefully she won't be too angry when she sees us. At least give us a chance to..." A strange groaning sound from behind them interrupted Sailor Moon. Not only that, she noticed her holographic display was flickering in and out. "Hold it, what's going on? What's..."

Suddenly, Tuxedo Kamen cried out in surprise, and then something plucked Lockheed off her shoulder. After whirling around, Sailor Moon could only cry out in horror. The pipes lining the tunnel wall had suddenly come alive, ensnaring the both of them to pull them back down the tunnel. Before she could do anything, some unseen force yanked at her left arm, dragging her away from them. Then, the tunnel ceiling in between them came down, cutting her off.

"Oh no, not again!" Sailor Moon cried out as she sprang back up. "Wait a minute, what could cause... Those pipes, my left arm... Oh no. No no no no no..."

"Worry not, Usagi Tsukino," came a deep voice from further down the tunnel. "No harm will come to your lover or Kitty's dragon. In fact, the others currently engaging the Sailor Senshi have been given strict orders to do no serious, lasting harm."

Her insides turning to ice, Sailor Moon slowly turned around. There was shadowy darkness just ahead, but a lone figure stepped out of it. One covered in a distinctive red and purple costume, with a flowing cape and a glistening red helmet. What could've been seen of his face was still shrouded in shadow, but Sailor Moon still knew exactly who this was.

"You see, the Brotherhood and Acolytes are down here to simply delay the X-Men and your friends," he went on. "Among other things, I wanted some time to speak with you, face-to-face. I believe there is much for us to discuss, Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon said nothing, frozen in place. Of all the times to run into HIM, with something metal latched onto her arm no less! But now, to get to Naru, Sailor Moon would have to think fast and act faster. It was one's only hope when suddenly finding yourself face-to-face with Magneto.