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.

28. One Must Fall

Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse

a Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover

Chapter 28: One Must Fall

5-19-2018

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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Sailor Moon stared in disbelief, fighting to keep from trembling with fear. How could everything go south like this? First the Brotherhood came out of nowhere, cutting her off from half her team, only for Magneto to trap the rest. Was it his plan all along, just to get her alone with him? But for what? Just what would he want to chat about? Wouldn't a lot of Magneto's problems be solved if he just skewered her with a pipe and was done with it?

"Come now, nothing to say?" Magneto asked in a friendly tone. Somehow, that terrified Sailor Moon more than if he threatened her outright. "I understand you've been corresponding with my old friend a good deal. Did he not impress upon you the need to try to find ways to reconcile with those you've come to disagree with? Is that not why the X-Men and the rest of the Sailor Senshi are down here with you this night?"

His tone was still friendly, but Magneto was clearly baiting her, taunting her. Sailor Moon couldn't really come up with a retort, still too shocked from running into him. "Y-Y-You're speaking Japanese," Sailor Moon said at length. "I-I-It's not like with some of the X-Men... You learned it without a telepath helping."

Magneto chuckled a little as he stepped closer. Sailor Moon tensed, but all Magneto did was remove his helmet. Now that he had stepped into better light, Sailor Moon could make out the signs of creeping age. His white hair seemed to glisten in the dim fluorescent light. Not as old-looking as she would expect a survivor of World War II to be, but still the look of someone who had been through many ordeals. And those eyes... Sorrowful eyes that betrayed deep pain, and loss. Yet at the same time, a bitterness that chilled Sailor Moon. It wasn't unlike what she she had seen in Naru's eyes that day in the park.

"Yes. Over the last year, I've made an effort to learn your language," said Magneto.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You've been planning to muck things up in my country for at least that long, right?" Sailor Moon sneered.

"I was hoping there wouldn't be such... vehemence. I've realized overtaking missile bases and sinking nuclear subs has yielded precious little. So yes, I have other plans now," said Magneto calmly.

"Yeah, we've noticed. Working with Erina Kizachi to get parts to build Sentinels, all while letting her company and her husband stir up hate against mutants so you can come off as a savior to Japan's. Well, at least the Sailor Senshi put a stop to that!" Sailor Moon spat. "That's all bad enough, but you had to make life hell for Naru! And stop playing innocent, Magneto. Mercury figured out it was you who caused that monorail accident."

"I deny nothing, Sailor Moon. All you say is true," Magneto said without hesitation. "The bombs dropped on your country half a century ago... What started as a trickle of mutants birthed from that atrocity is swiftly becoming a flood. And they must be made to see how there's no place in this world where humanity will accept them. Once it looked like Japan would be different. Not anymore."

"Is it really that bad, Magneto?" Sailor Moon demanded. "Been watching the news lately? Mutants are getting help from thousands of Japanese who don't share a working X-gene, just in this city alone."

"And they're clashing with what, hundreds of thousands who still curse my kind with every angry beat of their hearts? Millions even, backed up by your current government?" Magneto countered.

Sailor Moon withered a little, thinking back to what her mother mentioned right before she pushed past her. And not too long ago, Ikuko made it plain she didn't exactly trust mutants. Would she ever change her heart? How many hearts would she really change once all this was over?

Magneto seemed to know what she was thinking, and asked another piercing question. "And more importantly, at least from your perspective, will this change Naru Osaka's mind? Isn't that what you've come down here to find out?"

Sailor Moon stared blankly up at Magneto for a moment. Suddenly, she figured out Magneto's game. "You're down here for her, too."

"Indeed. So why don't we both make our case to your friend?" Magneto suggested, once again sounding eerily friendly. "Now, if you'll please follow me, I can lead you where she and her boyfriend have set up shop."

With that, Magneto turned around and slowly walked back the way he had come. Sailor Moon stared at his back, befuddled. If Naru was really who Magneto was after, why not bind her up or kill her, then make his case alone? There was something she was missing.

But at the moment, there was no fighting past Magneto. Not down here with all these metal pipes, with part of an Iron Man suit on her person. Worse, there was no way to clear the rubble separating her from Tuxedo Kamen and Lockheed before Magneto could stop her. Sighing, Sailor Moon followed just before Magneto would have faded back into the darkness.

Soon after she had, Sailor Moon saw that a steel barrier had slid down, blocking off the tunnel. With a wave of a hand, it bent to Magneto's will, ripping itself apart. He did the same with others barring their way. Obviously, the Death Busters never planned for someone like Magneto, Sailor Moon mused, stepping through the gaping holes.

The walls soon changed, from brick to steel, and there were more pipes. Sailor Moon half-expected them to come alive and run her through, but Magneto simply kept up his brisk pace, paying her almost no mind. Sailor Moon looked down, flexing the fingers of her left hand. He wasn't doing anything funny to her gauntlet, either.

When Sailor Moon looked back up, she saw that the tunnel in front of them was blocked off by rubble. This had to be the outer edges of the impact crater left behind by Mugen Academy going up. But there was another path, to their left. After they ducked down it, Sailor Moon could see a single door past Magneto. She could just make out the word 'Witches' in English.

"It appears we've arrived," said Magneto simply, reaching out with his hand. Sailor Moon swore she heard circuitry in whatever security device controlling the door being fried to a crisp. Then, the handle turned on its own, and the door swung open.

Why didn't he do the same with the circuits in this Iron Man thingie? What's he planning? Sailor Moon wondered, fidgeting with her armored hand. With no other choice, Sailor Moon followed Magneto into the Witches 5's lair.

"So tell me Tsukino, did you ever see where these Death Busters worked some of their horrors?" Magneto asked suddenly, too cordially for Sailor Moon's tastes. "It's... awfully dark in here, wouldn't you say? I do try to keep Asteroid M well-lit, as claustrophobic as it can be."

Sailor Moon said nothing, taking in just how creepy this place was. Even with the Witches 5 dead and gone, their cold malevolence lingered. The eerie fog that hung over the floor, the pipes everywhere glistening in what little light there was... It was enough to convince Sailor Moon that this had to be the place. Here, among other schemes, they had conspired to make Hotaru into Mistress 9. And now Magneto was here, still aiming to make Naru one of his Acolytes!

"Yeah, they cooked up some weird stuff here. Soul-sucking flowers, weird little killer nanomachines... Not unlike what you've come up with over the years, what with creating your own mutants and building stuff that controls volcanoes," Sailor Moon shot back.

If Sailor Moon didn't know any better, she'd say Magneto shot her a pouty expression. "And here I was told you tried to make friends of everyone, Tsukino, no matter their past sins."

"Even I have my limits, Magneto," said Sailor Moon. "I know what you've been through, but that doesn't excuse what you've been up to in Japan. On top of what's happened to Naru, there's what you did to Uranus and Neptune. And what you've been doing to Professor Xavier all these years! He was your FRIEND, the best one you could ever hope for, and look what you keep putting him through! That's why you're NOT getting Naru, too," she finished, glaring at him. Brave words, Usagi. Too bad there's little chance you can back them up with this gauntlet latched onto you.

Thankfully, Magneto did not lose his cool. For someone so feared, it seemed to take a lot to provoke him. "At the end of the day, I don't think it's your choice, nor mine. Your friend must make her own choice. And as fate would have it, I do believe I hear voices in a chamber over there. It sounds like Naru and her boyfriend are quite busy. I hope we're not interrupting anything..."

Sailor Moon didn't care for the coyness in Magneto's voice. "Bad enough you want Naru as an Acolyte, Magneto. But try to hurt Umino just because he's human..."

"You worry too much, Sailor Moon," said Magneto airily. "Mystique told Osaka that the humans in her life would be safe on Asteroid M, and that offer is still good. I am hardly the monster humans believe me to be, Tsukino."

"Yeah. I'm wondering if you're worse," Sailor Moon muttered under her breath.

It wasn't long before they found a door leading into what looked like some sort of big office area. Magneto and Sailor Moon peeked inside. Sailor Moon could just make out Naru darting around in the darkness, hard enough given that she had one of those fireproof black leotards on. She seemed to be stuffing things into a backpack, weapons perhaps, then shoving it into someone's arms. The glint coming off eyeglasses let Sailor Moon know it was Umino.

"We've got to hurry it up, Umino," came Naru's frantic voice. "X-Men, Sailor Senshi, Brotherhood... No matter who makes it here first, we've got to be out before then. You especially. Magneto's psycho enablers might be in the mood to feast on human flesh for all we know."

"And here I thought Tsukino had a low opinion of me," said Magneto, stepping through the doorway. "I must say, I'm rather hurt, knowing a fellow mutant is ready to believe the worst."

Naru and Umino whirled in his direction. Sailor Moon could barely see them in the lingering darkness, but there was no mistaking their shock and terror.

After staring at Magneto blankly for a moment, Naru suddenly lashed out with an oily tendril. But not at Sailor Moon or Magneto. Rather, Naru aimed for a desk a good distance away. Sailor Moon heard some switches being flipped.

"Umino, GO!" Naru shouted vehemently. "The car's ready, the barricades will be up by the time you're strapped in! GO!" All the while, Sailor Moon could hear dark energy crackling from Naru's clenched fists.

"Wait, Naru... Why aren't you teleporting out?" Umino asked.

"Not until I make sure the guy who wouldn't mind seeing your kind wiped off the face of the Earth doesn't follow you!" Naru spat back. "Just MOVE!"

Umino glanced anxiously over at Magneto, then back to Naru. With a nervous nod, he slung the backpack over his shoulder and darted off into the darkness.

"Have you forgotten, my offer to see to it that no harm comes to that charming young man?" Magneto asked innocently as he and Sailor Moon stepped closer. "Besides, I'm not here for him, Naru Osaka. I'm here for you."

"Yeah, I figured," Naru sneered. "Of all the mutant kids in Japan, I bet I'd be the prize jewel. That's why you made it so that monorail car would go in the drink, so I'd see things your way, right!?"

"I confess, I did so to open your eyes," said Magneto. "Even if I hadn't forced your hand, you must realize something else would've happened, forcing you to reveal your mutant gifts. But now you've seen how humans react. Throwing away everything to save nearly a score of them didn't matter. You were considering becoming an X-Man before, correct? What if you had? Knowing what you know now, could you see that being fulfilling? Would fighting for the X-Men's cause accomplish anything?"

"No! The X-Men have achieved a great deal, Naru!" Sailor Moon cried, shoving aside Magneto a little. "Naru, have you seen what's been going on? There's plenty of humans willing to forgive you! Even Ms. Haruka doesn't care about what happened! She's marching with the rest of them, for all mutants here in Japan! Doesn't that prove what the X-Men are fighting for isn't hopeless!?"

Naru stared at Sailor Moon for a moment. Thanks to how perpetually dark the Witches 5 kept their lair, it was hard to read that stony expression. "Oh, don't worry, Usagi. We've been getting TV down here. Though I admit I missed the news bulletin about Stark Industries joining in," she said insouciantly, glancing at Sailor Moon's left arm. "I'm touched, really. But it's too little, too late. And like Magneto said, I've seen too much now. Seen too much of how humanity acts as a collective whole when my kind is involved."

Sailor Moon's heart sank, then sank even more as she heard the glee in Magneto's voice. "Then you understand at last, my dear," he beamed. "You've seen you have no hope of finding a place in their world. So now, if you come with me, I can..."

"Not so fast, Magneto," Naru cut in brusquely. "Just because I'm not hopelessly naïve like Usagi or your old buddy Xavier, that doesn't mean I'm itching to join up with you. Perhaps I could forgive your antics with the monorail. But there's something else, something I can't ever overlook."

Sailor Moon heard the noxious slurp of a tendril. Suddenly, something small and shiny was flung over into Naru's waiting hand. "Umino and I haven't been idly kicking back down here, Magneto. We've been busy, casing where your pal Kizachi is building her Sentinels." Sailor Moon tensed. Naru also figured out where Kizachi was housing the Sentinels? And she was doing reconnaissance there? What for? "I snatched this PDA right under her nose, and Umino broke through the encryption. Turns out this nephew of hers is the reason my mother is dead, not some random bigoted human trying to get to me."

Sailor Moon gazed at Naru in shock, her heart aching for her all over again. Just how far were these people willing to go to twist Naru's soul to suit their needs? She turned to Magneto, tears in her eyes. "Y-Y-Y-You knew about this, didn't you!?" she demanded.

"I can tell from that icy look of his that the mighty Master of Magnetism was aware on some level," Naru sneered. "The question is, how much? Did you and Kizachi cook up this scheme together? Or did she tell you to wreck the monorail first, but not clue you in what her nephew was going to do next?"

Magneto said nothing at first. What warmth there had been in him was replaced with a slowly rising icy fury. "I wished to ensure your mother was safe, remember? I did not find out about her fate until much later that night, Naru. And I was not happy about it."

"Even if you're telling the truth, Magneto, it doesn't matter," said Naru frostily. "I've seen what your Acolytes are about. There's no place for me among them. No, Umino and I have our own plans..."

"But if you plan on teleporting out to rendezvous with him, Naru, you may find that difficult. The X-Men have deployed inhibitors around this base to block your egress," said Magneto. Naru's eyes widened, as if sensing he was right. "But if you won't be persuaded to join my cause, at least let me help you in yours..." With that, Magneto shut his eyes, as if concentrating. "There. I've shorted out each and every one of McCoy's devices." Sailor Moon's jaw dropped, horrified. He was powerful and precise enough to disable them ALL AT ONCE!? "Your path is clear now, Naru Osaka. Best of luck to you."

Naru glared at him dubiously. "And you're helping me... why? Kizachi's still your partner, right?"

"Not a very good one if she can't keep her nephew from accidentally killing Mayumi Osaka," said Magneto dismissively. "Perhaps this will teach her to be more prudent."

Naru kept staring at him, saying nothing. But she wasn't about to turn down this boon. Sailor Moon could practically sense Naru calling forth dark power, preparing to teleport out. Even in the gloomy lab, one could make out the black flames obscuring Naru. "Naru, WAIT! Whatever you're planning, it'll probably make things worse!"

"In a sense, it will," said Magneto simply. "So you'd best keep an eye on her."

Magneto raised a hand high, and suddenly, Sailor Moon's left hand was hoisted up as well. With a slashing motion, Magneto hurled Sailor Moon at Naru, just as she had called upon enough dark energy.

"WAAAAAAAH!" Sailor Moon cried, colliding with Naru, just before black flames swallowed them both up. Despite the black blaze, it felt oddly cold. An unnatural, soul-sucking cold that seemed to press down on her from all directions. A stark contrast to the boiling heat exploding from her insides.

It was over in an instant, but it seemed to drag on far too long for Sailor Moon. She immediately sank to her hands and knees, shivering and coughing. She hit smooth concrete hard, her head fuzzy. Her vision was blurry as well. "Ugh... I'm sticking with the Sailor Teleport, that's for sure," Sailor Moon muttered weakly.

She stayed there for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Sailor Moon wondered why Naru let her. Looking up, her vision clearing, Sailor Moon saw she was surrounded by crates. As she craned her neck up further, Sailor Moon tensed. She could make out faces of what had to be Kizachi's Sentinels. They stared straight ahead, aimlessly. They were an unsettling thing to behold, but for now, they were dormant.

Hearing movement around the crates, Sailor Moon whirled around. Naru herself was stumbling out, one hand on a crate to steady herself. Teleporting must still be taxing for her, and Magneto slamming her into Naru for the ride must have disoriented her as well.

Still, after shaking her head, Naru looked up and away from Sailor Moon, as if she didn't realize she had tagged along. Without a word, black flames roared around her as she teleported somewhere else.

Sailor Moon looked around frantically. But here among these crates, with that crosswalk overhead, she couldn't spot where Naru teleported to. A scream soon echoed within what was probably an underground chamber. Then, the lights dimmed as a klaxon began blaring, followed by the flashes of emergency lights.

With things spiraling out of control, Sailor Moon hopped atop a crate, then jumped up onto the crosswalk. It took some effort to ignore the blank stares of all those Sentinels. And the terrified scientists and technicians up on the crosswalk ignored both them AND her. They pushed past Sailor Moon in their mad dash to escape.

Looking in the direction they ran from, it was easy to see why. The flames from one of Naru's teleports had just died away. She walked along the crosswalk, still oblivious of Sailor Moon. Naru fired blasts of black lightning down at the ground level, coaxing more of Kizachi's workers to flee, screaming. Then Naru looked ahead, and tensed.

When Sailor Moon looked to the far end of the crosswalk, she saw why. Her white lab coat, combined with flashing lights reflecting off those opaque glasses, made Erina Kizachi stand out. She and Naru simply stared at each other for a moment. Kizachi seemed as calm and collected as ever, while Sailor Moon sensed Naru was ready to explode with fury.

"Well, you've certainly made what was a quiet night with a skeleton crew a lot livelier," Kizachi said conversationally. "Can I assume that whatever you plugged into the facility's control room is locking me out, preventing the Sentinels' activation? Not to mention sealing all the exits, and cutting off all contact with the outside? To what end?"

"That, you'll never know," Naru spat. "I was hoping to track down your nephew first, so I could rip his head off right in front of you. But since you're here... Might as well kill you now and be done with it. This is for my mother, and for all mutants!"

Naru reached back, collecting dark power to hurl at Kizachi. Kizachi simply stared quizzically at Naru, as if oblivious to being in mortal peril.

Sailor Moon couldn't just stand by, however. Kizachi had to be exposed, shown for the manipulative monster she was. Naru would only succeed in making Kizachi a martyr if she went through with cold-blooded murder. Not only that, Sailor Moon refused to let Naru cross that line. Whatever else was going on, she was still here to save Naru's soul.

"Naru, NO!" Sailor Moon cried out. She raised her left hand and concentrated, willing her Iron Man part to draw power from the Ginzuishou. Naru turned just in time to catch a Ginzuishou-fueled repulsor blast with her face.

Naru's blast went wild, striking feebly against a Sentinel faceplate as she toppled over, screaming. Kizachi looked down as Naru landed flat on her back, then over at Sailor Moon. The roboticist said nothing, merely smiling evilly at her.

All of a sudden, Sailor Moon understood. This was Magneto and Kizachi's plan all along. For whatever reason, they wanted the both of them here. So that one of them would tear the other apart.

"Urgh, fine. She can live a minute longer," Naru said. She grabbed the crosswalk's railing to pull herself up. "So that's why I had such a rough teleport. An old friend tagged along..." Naru leered at Sailor Moon, cracking her knuckles as ooze flowed up her face and arms.

"Naru, don't do this," Sailor Moon pleaded softly. "Even after all that's happened, I refuse to believe you're really a murderer. Besides, if you kill her, you'll only make things worse for mutants!"

"Not as bad as Tokyo is going to have it come sunrise!" Naru snarled. She charged, and Sailor Moon cut loose with another repulsor blast. Naru grabbed the railing and flipped herself over it, barely evading the shot. The slurp of Naru's oil slick told Sailor Moon she planned to swing back up.

As Sailor Moon expected, she used her tendril like Spider-Man's web to do just that. Tears in her eyes, Sailor Moon leaped up to meet her, delivering a vicious uppercut with her armored fist to Naru's jaw.

Naru fell back onto the crosswalk hard, looking dizzy. She must have been surprised anyone could hit her that hard. When Sailor Moon touched down, she saw that Kizachi was gone. Of course, at the moment, Kizachi was the least of her worries. Naru sprang back up, letting Sailor Moon have it with tendrils and a volley of black lightning.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon shouted tearfully. Her blazing tiara spun around her, slicing up and forcing back the tendrils whipping at her, while a continuous repulsor blast beat back Naru's dark energy. Just like with Jupiter's lightning, Ginzuishou-powered weaponry was swiftly overpowering Naru. Unfortunately, Naru wasn't about to let herself be blown away like before. Slurping up her oil slick, Naru ducked and rolled under the repulsor blast, springing back up with her fist reared back to clock Sailor Moon.

"I was hoping you'd try that!" Sailor Moon cried, catching Naru's incoming fist. Naru stared at her hand in shock, still not quite believing this gauntlet let Sailor Moon pull all this off. She got another nasty surprise when the gauntlet expanded outward. A series of rings slid down Naru's arm and contracted to latch onto it. A continuous jolt of electricity followed, along with a spray of icy mist. Naru screamed in horror, sinking to her knees. "Come on, come on, come on... Give it up, just give it up!" Sailor Moon pleaded, disgusted with herself.

"N-N-N-Never!" Naru spat through chattering teeth. "T-T-T-These Sentinels... Umino and I are taking them!"

With a snarl, Naru rose and hoisted up Sailor Moon now that they were joined together. Despite the flow of electricity and mist, Naru slammed Sailor Moon down onto the crosswalk over and over.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow," Sailor Moon grumbled, the impacts rattling her to the core. Eventually, she was forced to have the gauntlet relinquish its hold. Naru tried to stomp on her face once they separated, but Sailor Moon rolled aside under the railing, letting herself fall to the ground level.

Painful as all that was, Sailor Moon still found the strength to immediately rise. Just in time, as Naru touched down a few meters away. "Some humans might forgive me, but the rest will still hate me just for being born, Sailor Moon. One of these Sentinels coming after me is proof of that," she spat. "The only way Umino and I will be safe, the only way they'll ever learn, is if we use these Sentinels ourselves! You're NOT getting in our way!"

Dark energy crackled in Naru's clenched fists as she advanced, hate and rage in her eyes. Sailor Moon could only stare back tearfully as she focused more power into her gauntlet, realizing the stakes were now much higher. Magneto and Kizachi couldn't have planned this better. Naru was determined to get control of these Sentinels, and they knew Sailor Moon wouldn't let that happen.

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Sailor Mercury gagged, feeling like the life was being choked out of her. Then again, it essentially was. Unuscione's glowing, green psionic exoskeleton was pressing her up against the tunnel wall, as well as clamping down on her throat. Her vision was getting blurry, but Mercury could still make out Unuscione's murderous glare, hovering in front of her face.

"I don't see what's so special about you Sailor Senshi. Even with this so-called planetary power, you're still weak, worthless Homo sapiens. How nauseating, to think Eclipse ever idolized you lot," Unuscione sneered.

Mercury tuned her out. There was no sense arguing with a fanatic like Unuscione. Besides, the breath she fought for could be put to better use. "M-M-M-Mercury..." she croaked. "A-A-A-Aqua... Rhapsody!" The harp formed in her hands, and the tendrils of freezing water slammed into Unuscione at point-blank range, forcing her back. Her hold on Mercury loosened, and she slumped to the damp ground, gagging.

As tough as she was, Unuscione had limits, and her psionic exoskeleton had taken plenty of beatings. Hopefully, they were wearing all these Acolytes down. The way they fought... Genocidal as they were, they seemed more interested in keeping their team occupied than slaughtering them outright.

Unuscione stood back up on wobbly legs. "So, a little fight left after all," Unuscione spat. "Then let's..." Mercury never heard the rest. Instead, there was a roar like a lion's. Suddenly, Frenzy was hurled at Unuscione, knocking them both further down the tunnel.

Meanwhile, Mercury saw that Venus was ducking and weaving around the Kleinstocks while brandishing her Love-Me Chain. She succeeded in hog-tying the Kleinstocks, and they collapsed onto the tunnel floor. The chain wasn't strong enough to hold them indefinitely, but Chibi-Moon had that covered. She had transformed the Luna-P into a gun and aimed it close to both their faces. "Time for a nap," was all she said, and the gun sprayed out pink gas. Moments later, the Kleinstocks were dozing.

"That's a rather powerful sedative," said Beast. "When this is over, may I trouble you for a sample to study?" Beast lumbered past the Sailor Senshi, glaring at Unuscione and Frenzy. Both were struggling to stand, and beyond them, Exodus and Cable were still battling it out. Now that she wasn't busy fighting for her life, Mercury could sense the incredible power both were radiating.

When her visor reappeared to feed her data, her eyes widened. Exodus's power was on par with some of their worst enemies, like Demande and Kaolinite. Yet Cable kept him at bay, though he showed signs of strain. Just how powerful was this time-traveler? No wonder Chibi-Moon had a hard time trusting him.

Venus, however, was undeterred. "I don't care what Cable said. We're giving him a hand with the Golden Shoulders Boy," she jeered. "Frenzy, Unuscione... Move or we go through you!"

Frenzy and Unuscione glared back at them, blazing hatred in their eyes. But before anyone could strike, a new arrival suddenly appeared. There was a green glow and a plume of similarly-colored smoke. When they faded, another woman in an Acolyte uniform was standing beside Frenzy and Unuscione. She had long, red hair and was striking beautiful, yet there was a sad look in her eyes that belied the bitterness most of the Acolytes exuded.

"I've just received word from Lord Magneto, Exodus. It is done!" the new arrival announced.

Despite still locking horns with Cable, Exodus turned and smiled. "Excellent, Amelia Voght. Transport your fellow Acolytes away from here, then retrieve the Brotherhood. Our work here tonight is done." With that, Exodus suddenly vanished in a bright flash, leaving behind a frustrated and fuming Cable.

Amelia Voght wasted no time. She spread her arms, and that green smoke washed over Unuscione and Frenzy. Some even blew past Mercury, spreading over the slumbering Kleinstocks. Bright, green light flooded the tunnel. Once it faded, the Acolytes were nowhere to be seen.

"Uh, what just happened?" Artemis asked delicately.

"Amelia Voght happened, once a... friend of the Professor," Beast said hesitantly. "She teleported her teammates away, but why?"

"She said something about Magneto," said Venus. "You don't suppose... Was he down here doing something? Is that what the Acolytes were keeping us from?"

"And the Brotherhood, according to Exodus," said Cable. "They must've engaged the other two teams."

"In all likelihood, it had something to do with Naru," said Beast. "But if Magneto has known where she was hiding all along, he could have ordered Voght to teleport Naru to Asteroid M at any time. No, there was some other nefarious scheme afoot here tonight."

"Whatever it is, we won't get any answers standing around here," said Cable. "The Acolytes just booked, so should we. The path to the Witches 5's old lab is clear!" He didn't even bother with ordering them to get back in formation. Cable simply took off down the tunnel, expecting the others to follow.

Mercury fell in behind Cable with the others. All the while, she glanced down at her computer, calling out which direction they should take. It wasn't long before they came across a tunnel that was blocked off. And right next to the rubble was Tuxedo Kamen and Lockheed, pinned to the wall with mangled pipes.

"Oh my stars and garters," Beast grumbled. "Our old friend was indeed here."

"No kidding!" Tuxedo Kamen snapped. Beast got to work prying the pipes off. "Magneto's cronies separated us from the rest of our team. Then, he must've brought part of the tunnel down to trap Sailor Moon in there with him!"

"Oh no... He's got Sailor Moon with him!?" Chibi-Moon cried.

"Don't worry. If Magneto wanted your future mother dead, he would've just impaled her with one of these pipes," Cable pointed out. Chibi-Moon glared at him, her fears not exactly assuaged. Plus, there was the lingering frustration from Cable keeping information from them all. Apocalypse was liable to rise again, possibly in Chibi-Moon's time?

"Besides, I'd... know if something like that happened," said Tuxedo Kamen uneasily as he dropped down from the wall. "I can sense the danger she's in, but it's not as... close as it should be."

"Let's get to the Witches 5 headquarters, then," said Artemis. Lockheed even seemed to snort in agreement.

Cable used his telekinesis to lift up all the debris, just long enough for everyone to slip under it. Their team pressed forward, soon coming across steel barricades that some force ripped in half. "As if we needed any more proof Magneto's been here," Chibi-Moon grumbled as she stepped through. Mercury shivered. Cable barely handled Exodus, and against Magneto, his techno-organic components made him vulnerable. Could the rest of them possibly beat him back?

At last, they came across an open door. They stepped through, the ground shrouded in some perpetual mist, with only the pipes overhead easy to make out in the dim light. "Form up, team. An ambush can come from any direction," Cable hissed. Venus and Chibi-Moon muttered something, but complied, covering Cable's rear. Tuxedo Kamen already had his cane and some roses at the ready. Mercury scanned the area, and she was certain Cable was doing the same with his bionic eye.

Something on the readout jumped out at Mercury. "We've got one infrared signature, in the adjacent chamber."

"Then let's go. Be ready for anything," Cable whispered.

They rushed into the next chamber. Darkness permeated this area just as much. Still, it was easy to make out a figure clad in dark red and purple, wearing a red helmet.

For once, Mercury let raw instinct taking over, a watery harp forming in her hands. No introduction, no fancy speech, just strike while she had the chance. As Magneto slowly turned around, she shouted, "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Streams of freezing water lanced out, as did a volley from Venus's Crescent Beam Shower. Magneto spread his arms. Suddenly, some sort of ethereal bubble appeared around him, crackling with electricity. Their attacks struck forcefully against that bubble, so hard the chamber shook, but his defense held. Even after Cable joined in with raw telekinetic power.

"And I thought Tsukino had been disappointed to see me," Magneto said calmly over the din of their combined onslaught. He spoke perfect Japanese, surprising Mercury a little. He levitated himself off the ground, curiously staring back at them, waiting for their attacks to abate. "No doubt you're all worried about your princess, and her old friend. Unfortunately, you will find neither here."

"What have you done with them, Magneto!?" Beast roared.

"To Naru Osaka, nothing. Except help her, by disabling your little devices that prevented her from teleporting away," said Magneto. Mercury heard Beast growl under his breath. "Tsukino, on the other hand... I punched her a ticket to where Osaka took off to. If you were wondering why you can't sense your love close by, Chiba, there's your answer."

"And just where is that!?" Cable demanded.

Magneto chuckled. "I think it's best to leave those two girls alone, to work out their differences. And there will be another time to settle ours. My work is done, so I shall take my leave." Magneto turned and floated away, using his power to plow right through a wall, leaving them all with their frustration and rage.

"H-H-H-He just ran away!?" Venus cried incredulously, sounding insulted. "You X-Men said he was powerful enough to eat Queen Beryl for breakfast, and have enough room for the Black Moon Clan for dessert!"

"As bitter and vengeful as Magneto is, Venus, he typically does not engage without what he feels is just cause," said Beast.

"Or if he feels there's nothing worthwhile to be gained, like he said," Cable added. "This stunt with making Sailor Moon hitch a ride with Eclipse, that must've been his game all along."

"So Magneto and Kizachi wanted Sailor Moon and Naru to go at it again?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, confused. "I see how that helps Kizachi. Her whole aim has been to break Sailor Moon by manipulating Naru into fighting her. But what does Magneto get out of helping to bring that about?"

"Don't know if this really answers anything," came Artemis's hesitant voice. They all turned to see Artemis walking back from somewhere, Lockheed fluttering close behind. "But Lockheed and I just noticed a Sentinel head in what looks like their garage. Naru must've torn it open, and wires are hooked up to its insides."

Beast and Cable took a moment to ponder this, but the answer came to Mercury almost instantly. "The Sentinels... Thanks to Umino, Naru's also figured out where they are. With direct access to a Sentinel's data core, who knows what else she's had Umino learn about them? Or what he can do with the rest?"

"Wait, you mean Naru wants the Sentinels for herself!?" Venus cried in disbelief. "Make Umino reprogram them!? That's crazy!"

"We've seen many young, troubled mutants try crazier, to feed their desire to lash out at a world that hates and fears them," said Beast somberly.

"Then we've got to regroup and get to her," said Cable. "Unfortunately, whatever the Witches 5 had up that interferes with telepathic probes is still working. And now it seems to interfere with my systems in such a way, I can't bodyslide."

Mercury rushed over to the nearest desk, and plugged her computer into the one there. "Bad news, Nathan. Magneto did a good job frying the bulk of the systems here before he fled. It's going to take some time to figure out how to turn the Witches 5's old defenses off."

"Do whatever it takes, Sailor Mercury," said Cable. "The sooner the X-Men and Sailor Senshi get over there to put a stop to this madness, the better."

Mercury nodded, then looked back down to her computer, typing furiously. She understood Cable's unspoken implication. If they didn't regroup and rush to Sailor Moon's side soon, either she'd be pummeled into a pulp, or be forced to do so to Naru.

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With a furious snarl, Naru picked up the forklift and hurled it Sailor Moon's way. However, Sailor Moon didn't jump out of the way, or even yelp in fear. She held up her left hand and caught the forklift as it came down. It skidded across the facility's ground level, sending up sparks, but soon it came to a halt. With one hand, Sailor Moon picked it back up, twirled around, and threw it right back at Naru.

"Oh come on, at least call out something as you throw it back!" Naru spat as she ducked aside. The forklift sailed right over her, slamming into a support pillar instead. "Like 'Moon Forklift Brilliance' or something..."

"Yeah, well, Iron Man's stuff doesn't exactly work like usual Senshi gear, does it?" Sailor Moon said dismissively.

Naru grit her teeth. She had put Usagi behind her, was determined to forget about her. Now she had to butt into her business at the worst possible time. Worse, somehow she got hold of something from Iron Man's arsenal, letting her counter her powers more easily. There was something quite galling about that. "It's disappointing, really. Here I once thought Sailor Moon was unbeatable. Now you need to use Iron Man's tech as a crutch?"

Sailor Moon raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Whining about someone using technology to counter mutant powers? That's something Magneto or the Acolytes would say. I thought you said you were nothing like them."

"In some ways, I'm getting close," Naru admitted. "Like I said, I'm here for the Sentinels. Once Umino gets over here and jacks in, they'll be ours. Then I'll give the people of Japan a REAL reason to be afraid of me!"

Sailor Moon sighed. A long, sad sigh. "And Luna and some of the others were telling me trying to reason with you one last time was pointless. It looks like they were right."

"You really thought I would go back?" Naru demanded. "You thought that because of this movement you started, I'd forget about all the people who screamed for my mother's head!? Who tormented Umino because he dared to love me!? Sorry Sailor Moon. Keep believing in love and justice if you want. I've seen too much of the ugly side of humanity."

"So you're choosing only to see the ugliness?" Sailor Moon asked, tears in her eyes. "Funny... I remember a friend willing to tank my tiara, because she chose to believe there was good in a Dark Kingdom agent. Because she chose to believe in love's power."

Despite everything, despite being determined to harden her heart, Sailor Moon's words hit home. Naru blinked in surprise, starting to tear up as well.

"And now, all that's left of Nephrite is in you, Naru," Sailor Moon went on. "He was proof that people with even the darkest hearts can change. Do you think he'd want you to use his powers this way? And what about your mother, Naru? Is this what she'd want?"

Naru couldn't stop the tears from flowing now. The mere mention of those she had lost was too much. It was true. Because of her, at least Nephrite was able to remember what it meant to love.

She looked up, at some of the Sentinels. This whole mess started when Masato Sanjoin came to Erina Kizachi, convincing her to make them in secret. In a strange way, things were coming full circle. "Nephrite died to save me, Sailor Moon. But before that, he spurred the creation of these Sentinels," said Naru. Eyes still full of tears, she glared back at Sailor Moon. "Things are coming full circle. I think Nephrite would want me to take them. As for my mother... I think she'd want to still be here! But don't worry. At least I don't blame all humans for that. No, now I know which two humans are responsible."

Sailor Moon shook her head. "I can't let that happen, either. You caused enough of a panic in Japan already. Killing Kizachi will make things even worse for mutants in this country. Remember what the X-Men showed us, what would've happened if Robert Kelly died that day? Think, Naru! Kill her, and you could trigger something worse!"

Naru glowered at Sailor Moon. "I. Don't. Care. Anymore."

Sailor Moon sighed again. "I was afraid you'd say that. I'm sorry, Naru, but I have to end this. One way or another." She raised her left hand and fired off another repulsor blast, but her aim was off.

At first, Naru just thought her aim was terrible, but Sailor Moon had been on target with that repulsor ray before. When she turned around, Naru's eyes widened. Sailor Moon had aimed for the propane tank on that forklift instead, and it blew up in her face.

The explosion flung her toward Sailor Moon. Naru twisted in midair just in time to see Sailor Moon's rearing back her armored fist. Her eyes widened just as Sailor Moon landed a bone-jarring hook to her face, sending her flying back the way she came. Naru smashed right through that support beam, then through a solid concrete wall at the chamber's far end.

Groaning, Naru propped herself up on all fours. Some of the rubble slid off of her. Despite how her ears were ringing, she heard Sailor Moon's footsteps drawing closer. When Naru could finally get up on one knee, she glimpsed Sailor Moon through the gaping hole her body had made. She was only a few meters away. That was when Naru was aware of something very wrong. Casting a venomous sideways glance at Sailor Moon, Naru swished something around in her mouth a little. Then, she spat out some blood, along with one of her back teeth.

Sailor Moon could only stare back in blank shock. Dense as she could be, at least Sailor Moon knew she was REALLY in for it now!

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To think, Erina Kizachi hid her Sentinels so close to where Umino had Naru practice all these months! Apparently, Masato Sanjoin had bought up most of this property and sat on it. Perhaps he had intended it for this very purpose all along. And after his death, Kizachi managed to absorb some of his assets, to continue work on the Sentinels he had commissioned.

Umino slunk through the darkness. If Naru did her job right, this one secret entrance to Kizachi's underground facility would be completely cordoned off and look impassible, incentivizing her workers to look elsewhere for an escape route. That was, assuming Naru had managed to teleport away from Magneto.

Coming face-to-face with the monsters the Sailor Senshi fought hadn't prepared him for the sight of Magneto walking in on them. He was always this specter, this mutant bogeyman everyone learned to fear. And in turn, because of his antics, all mutants were viewed with suspicion and fear, like Naru.

"Not like what we're planning to do tonight will prove anyone wrong," Umino grumbled as he took out a bolt cutter. He made short work of the chain keeping the gate shut. For a moment, he thought he heard footsteps behind him. Instinctively, Umino ducked close to the building, hoping the shadows hid him. All the cops were on edge, thanks to the Sailor Senshi organizing that massive breakout. And who knew if they were in cahoots with Kizachi? He couldn't afford to be seen, not when he was so close.

Long moments passed before Umino was confident it was only his imagination. Sighing, he slipped through the gate and ran around the side of the building. How many times had he and Naru passed it, never guessing what was hidden below? Well, soon enough, those Sentinels would be theirs. Umino didn't care much for the idea of controlling and maintaining what was essentially death with legs and a jet turbine. But Naru insisted they needed them to survive.

He found the door Naru had told him about, and ripped open a nearby electrical box. Whipping up a portable computer of his own from what the Death Busters left behind had been child's play. Within seconds, he was in. The door opened, as did the steel barricades right behind it.

It was dark inside, which suited Umino just fine. Less chance of being seen. The Witches 5 left behind a plethora of weapons waiting to be repaired, but Umino fervently hoped there would be no need to use them.

Thankfully, he came across no one as he snuck down to the lower levels. Soon enough, the distracting flashes of warning lights danced before his eyes. Obviously, Naru gave Magneto the slip, and was waiting for Umino to do his part. Her ploy was working, too. She had secretly mapped out most of Kizachi's facility, and during the entire trek to the control room, Umino still encountered no one.

Well, unless you counted the people stationed there, who were now sprawled out on the floor. No doubt Naru made swift work of them with blasts of dark power, plugged his device into the main computer to seal off the facility, then got to work sweeping for the remainder of the staff.

Umino took a moment to glance down at the people Naru took out. Kizachi wasn't among them. Umino felt a little relieved. He had hoped Naru was just venting after he decrypted the data on Kizachi's PDA. Naru never killed any of the yakuza she targeted, regardless of how much some might have deserved it. Still, Umino found himself feeling for a pulse on her closest victim. Thready, but it was there.

Feeling a bit relieved, Umino pulled out his custom computer again, jacking it into the control room's. Even after taking several days to study Erina Kizachi's unique programming language, this would be delicate work. That code spoke volumes to him, betraying Kizachi's determination to not have her work blow up in her face like Bolivar Trask's did. Wresting away control of her Sentinels would take time.

Umino became so engrossed in his task, he barely noticed the control room trembled from time to time. One particularly forceful jolt made Umino look up, out through the master control room's huge window. From there, he could see the upper torso and heads of all the Sentinels. Nearly thirty of them, all aligned along the right wall. Eerily motionless, staring straight ahead. It was best to take change of them, before Kizachi found a way past his stopgap measure and turned them on.

He was about to look back down and get on with it, but then Umino took another look at those Sentinels. There was something fast, and brightly colored, hopping along that row of Sentinel heads! It was Sailor Moon, looking quite panicked! How did she follow Naru here so quickly!?

Whatever was going on, it looked more like Sailor Moon was desperately trying to GET AWAY from Naru. Naru ran along the crosswalk, firing blasts of black lightning up at her. In stark contrast to how panicked Sailor Moon looked, Naru looked angrier than ever! Considering the blood streaming down her face, maybe she had reason to be.

Sailor Moon swerved atop a Sentinel head to avoid another burst of black lightning, her right hand going to her tiara. Umino couldn't hear her scream out her attack. He glanced down, looking for the switch that would open up the audio channel. It took a few seconds to find it. After he looked back up, Umino breathed a sigh of relief. The tiara didn't slice Naru in half. Sailor Moon had aimed for the crosswalk, making it crumble under Naru's feet.

Unfortunately for Sailor Moon, Naru latched onto a different Sentinel head, and part of the crosswalk that still stood, with her oil slick. She used it to slingshot herself up toward the Sentinel that Sailor Moon stood on.

However, despite all of Naru's practice with her powers, Sailor Moon was still faster, and had far more actual battle experience. She deftly sidestepped as Naru came rocketing toward her, and this time, Umino could hear her cry out.

"Sailor Moon Kick!" she screamed, nailing Naru in the back while she was off-balance. That couldn't hurt Naru, but it knocked her down onto the head. And thus bought Sailor Moon time to reach down and grab a handful of Naru's hair with that weird gauntlet. It almost looked like something off of an Iron Man suit. After seeing Sailor Moon slam Naru's face onto the Sentinel's head hard enough to make a small dent, Umino figured it just might be.

"Don't make me knock out ALL your teeth, Naru! This has to stop!" Sailor Moon pleaded.

It all fell on deaf ears. As Sailor Moon pulled Naru's head back, she elbowed their old friend hard in the gut. That would've pulped the vital organs of just about anyone else. Sailor Moon just staggered back, falling hard on her butt as she nursed her aching tummy. However, she deftly sprang back up when Naru came at her, catching her wrist with an armored fist just as she was about to strike.

As dark energy washed over Sailor Moon, eliciting screams, an electrical discharge and spray of freezing mist from that gauntlet made Naru wince in pain. "T-T-T-This isn't stopping until I go and rip off Erina Kizachi's face, Sailor Moon. Just so I can make it into a wallet, and put it in my back pocket and SIT on it!" Naru hissed over the crackle of electricity. "And by then, Umino will have jacked into these Sentinels, and put them under my control!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaah! J-J-J-Just why are you so determined to take them!?" Sailor Moon demanded.

"Like I told you, Sailor Moon... I'm going to USE them!" Naru snarled. Even after everything that happened between them, Umino was shocked by the venom in Naru's voice. "The government gave Kizachi the go-ahead to send a Sentinel after me!? Fine! I'll use them to raze the National Diet Building and the Prime Minister's residence to the ground! Turn their last hope against them! And so help me Sailor Moon, if I have to go over your broken corpse to do it, I'll..."

Naru was cut off when Sailor Moon's brooch suddenly opened up, unleashing a bright flash of raw power. It blasted Naru off the Sentinel's head, clear across the chamber until her backside collided with the adjacent wall. She limply fell, and Umino heard her smack onto solid concrete below. Despite knowing of her toughness, Umino couldn't help but wince.

Sailor Moon, meanwhile, sank to one knee, trying to catch her breath. After a moment, she hopped onto part of the crosswalk still standing, then down to the ground level. Wherever Naru and Sailor Moon were now, Umino couldn't see them, but heard their battle rage on.

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Naru caught Sailor Moon with another blast of dark energy, slamming her into the front of a semi truck. Sailor Moon doubled over in pain, but she couldn't let this slow her down. Naru was a good distance away, but one teleport could bridge the gap in an instant. However, Naru was running right at her instead. Whether this was because she was being worn down or wasn't practiced enough with teleportation yet, Sailor Moon wasn't sure. She only knew she had precious few seconds to act.

With a wail, Sailor Moon turned and plunged her armored fist through the semi truck's grill. Just as Naru was about to charge into her, Sailor Moon ripped out the truck's entire engine and bludgeoned Naru with it.

This knocked Naru to the floor, and Sailor Moon didn't let up. She kept slamming the engine down onto Naru again and again, tears in her eyes. Each impact made the chamber quake. "Just give it up, just stay down!" she cried. "I can't let you use these Sentinels, Naru! And I can't let you kill in cold blood!"

As Sailor Moon brought the engine back down again, Naru suddenly reached up to grab it. A tendril snaked up and grabbed Sailor Moon's neck from behind, and she was flung away. Naru contemptuously tossed aside the engine as she stepped closer. Then, she reached out with her tendrils, and lifted up the rest of the semi truck with them instead!

Sailor Moon glanced fearfully at what Naru had suspended above her, but then got an idea. Her right hand went to her tiara once again. "Moon Tiara Action!" There was a brief flash of fear in Naru's face, replaced with confusion when she saw the tiara wasn't coming straight for her. The tiara sliced through her tendrils, causing the truck to fall on top of her.

Sailor Moon stood there for a moment, wondering if this was enough to knock her out. Her hopes were rudely dashed when the truck shook slightly, then was flung right at her. With a wail, Sailor Moon leaped aside.

"SERIOUSLY!? Dropping a truck on me like in some American cartoon!?" Naru spat. "Not to mention... UGH! I don't want to think of how much pizza and sushi I'll have to eat to replace all this lost gunk!"

Sailor Moon glanced down at all the black goo splattered around Naru. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "Can't you just suck it all back up?"

Naru's eyes brightened. "Good idea!" she cried, flinging tendrils down at the puddles of severed gunk. They were slurped back up, and Naru leered at Sailor Moon, brandishing her deadly tendrils once more.

Oh, real smart, Usagi! Sailor Moon thought as she ducked and dove around those hammering tendrils. This just wasn't working. She couldn't bear using her tiara at its highest power levels on Naru again, and Beast warned she'd blow her gauntlet's circuits if too much of the Ginzuishou's power was channeled through it. Is it time to try something else? After cartwheeling away from another tendril strike, Sailor Moon produced her Moon Kaleidoscope.

How can I be sure this will work? She wondered fearfully. Without Pegasus lending a hand, will it be too little power, or still way too much? Another tendril was coming at her, fast. She had to make a choice. Rearing her right arm back, she screamed out, "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

She thrust the kaleidoscope forward. Her blast of pure, magical energy shot out, reality itself seemingly fracturing in its wake, and struck Naru dead-center. But not before she managed to strike Sailor Moon with that tendril.

Both their screams echoed as Sailor Moon was flung back, through the hole Naru had made after being punched across the chamber. She landed hard on some of the rubble. Gritting her teeth, her eyes screwed shut, Sailor Moon struggled to sit up as tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt battered and bruised all over, and her heart ached from having to hold less and less back against Naru.

A sardonic voice made Sailor Moon's eyes snap open. "Well, this has been a most intriguing experiment. Goddess against woman, light against darkness, optimism against resignation..." Sitting up, she saw Kizachi standing just beyond the hole in the wall, smiling. "You haven't won yet, though. Your finisher did a number on her, but Naru's proving as resilient as you are."

Sailor Moon sprang back up on wobbly legs. "Y-Y-You planned all of this!" she snarled. "You had your Sentinel throw that fight with Naru, counting on her using its head to find this place..."

"And then have Lehnsherr punch you a ticket for a trip here with her, you got it," Kizachi beamed. "Didn't I tell you, all of your failures would be laid bare? It was too little too late, what you're doing for Naru's kind. The kindling has already been lit, and your new recruits won't be enough to stamp out the blaze now. The war for mutantkind's fate is here to tear our country apart, whether you like it or not. And whatever happens here, you lose something."

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I SHOULD let Naru have ten seconds alone with you..."

Kizachi kept on grinning. "But you won't. You'll hold out hope for your old friend, and the people of Japan, until the very end. And that hope will be your undoing."

Sailor Moon opened her mouth again, but the crackle of dark energy made her look back out into the chamber. Just as Kizachi said, Moon Gorgeous Meditation failed to keep Naru down for long. She was a good distance away, but slowly staggering forward, black lightning arcing over clenched fists. Sailor Moon risked a glance back at Kizachi, but she had vanished again.

Stumbling through the hole to face Naru again, Sailor Moon drew upon the Ginzuishou with her gauntlet while brandishing her Moon Kaleidoscope. Naru kept flaunting her dark power, and now formed some tendrils. Both of them had put each other through the wringer, yet neither was ready to admit defeat.

They glared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Naturally, Sailor Moon found her patience ebbing first. She raised her trembling left arm, her gauntlet humming as it readied a repulsor blast. However, that noise was drowned out by something else. Something else was powering up. Something BIG.

Sailor Moon's gaze slowly drifted up and over to the Sentinels. One of the closer ones... Its sallow eyes glowed, and slowly it loosed itself from its harness. Its gaze swept the chamber's floor, fixing upon the two of them.

"Good game, Sailor Moon, but this is checkmate. I just got myself a whole bunch more chess pieces," Naru beamed at her. "OK, Umino, end this! Take her out!"

Sailor Moon said nothing as she stared up at the Sentinel in disbelief, frozen in place. She hadn't been quick enough. Now, just like Kizachi said, Naru would make sure the fires of war would rise all over Japan. The Sentinel raised its left arm, a missile popping out from its forearm. It aimed, and fired. Sailor Moon shut her eyes, braced for the end.

A deafening boom went off and the chamber shook, but Sailor Moon felt nothing. Confused, Sailor Moon opened her eyes to see that Naru was no longer staring there. She spotted Naru up against the adjacent wall, a shocked look of her own etched on her face. The missile struck HER instead!?

"I'm sorry, Naru, but... I-I-I-I can't do this anymore," came Umino's voice over the base's intercom. "Using these Sentinels to take out government buildings... How many people would get killed in the crossfire, Naru? And even if Erina Kizachi deserves whatever she gets, fighting Sailor Moon to the death? Our friend, despite everything that's happened? I-I-I-I'm sorry, Naru. If you're so full of hate you'd do all this, I-I-I-I guess you're not the girl I fell in love with anymore."

Sailor Moon thought nothing could make her heart twist and ache even more. But now, as she saw Naru leaning against the wall, completely dumbstruck as tears flowed down her face, she realized how wrong she was. Thanks to Umino, Sailor Moon had won. Not only against Naru, but this was something Kizachi probably hadn't counted on. Still, seeing Naru crack like this made her victory taste as bitter as defeat.