Sailor Moon X: Lunar Eclipse
a Sailor Moon/X-Men crossover
Chapter 30: Something Sinister This Way Comes
6-16-2018
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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Those who thought that deserts were always scorching hot obviously never went through one in the dead of night. Even after descending from so high up, the temperature hardly seemed any warmer to Gambit. Then again, growing up in Louisiana's swampland spoiled him. The Cajun thief found himself envying Iceman and Colossus once again. Their transformations let them endure the winds and low temperatures when Rogue flew them across continents. Poor Remy LeBeau had to tough it out.
But tough it out he would. It was upon his insistence that they were high-tailing it back to Japan. The news from the team there had concerned him before. Namely, learning that Sabretooth had showed his ugly mug, prompting that call to Haruka and Michiru. And now, Gambit's instincts were screaming that things were about to go south. All too often, his instincts as a thief were all that let him narrowly escape certain death time and again.
However, the four of them were making a detour. A few hours after leaving the mansion, Emma Frost contacted them via Cerebro. There was an old... friend waiting in a small, sleepy town in northern Mexico who wished to speak with them. And he had been quite insistent.
None of them were too happy about it, but they all agreed to humor him regardless. As the dusty ground came into view, Gambit saw they were in the right place. It was the outskirts of the town, yet it was crawling with armed soldiers. Law enforcement... Something else Gambit instinctively tried to avoid.
Some of the soldiers looked up, raising their weapons. They wisely held their fire. Gambit doubted they even recognized who they were, given how their black uniforms would mesh with the cloudless night sky. No, they were probably ordered to not fire at anything suspicious coming in from above. How courteous of the one who called them.
The soldiers had goggles, making it impossible to see into their eyes. Still, the distrust and anxiety in their body language told Gambit plenty. At least the others couldn't be hurt by bullets if one of them decided these 'muties' couldn't be trusted.
Always the same. Help save the world twenty times over, but the X-Men always be kept at arm's length, Gambit mused as his feet finally touched the ground. His legs still felt horribly numb, along with everything else.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice," came a gruff voice from the shadows. "I trust the flight was a pleasant one, LeBeau?"
Gambit turned to the voice, scowling. A figure stepped out of the darkness, but still managed to blend in with it. His black trench coat and dark skin helped with that. Along with the eyepatch over his left eye.
The flash from a match lighting a cigar briefly illuminated the hard edges of his face. "Care for one?" Nick Fury asked innocently.
"Naw, mon ami. Cigarettes're my poison," said Gambit. He took one out and lit it. After taking a drag, he asked, "So Fury, any special reason you had Emma tell us to make this here detour? We four were headed back to a place with, well, a lot more action goin' on..."
"I'm well aware of all that," said Fury. "That little mess has been on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar as of late, ever since Interpol got in touch with us."
"Let me guess... This happened after a certain Interpol agent, who once worked with a certain someone parading around in a sailor fuku, came to S.H.I.E.L.D. for help," said Iceman.
"Quite perceptive, Icebox," said Fury. "So yeah, scratch S.H.I.E.L.D.'s back, and we'll scratch yours. But as for action, well, the action here has come and gone. But I'm thinkin' you X-Men are gonna want to see what I'm talkin' about..."
Gambit looked to the others. Colossus looked as stoic as ever, and Rogue just shrugged her shoulders. Sighing, Gambit took another drag and said, "Guess it's decided. Lead on, Fury."
Nick Fury smirked, then turned around and walked back into the darkness permeating the little town. Gambit and the other X-Men fell in behind him, flanked by those soldiers. Maybe we shoulda insisted the X-Men don't be needin' babysitters, Gambit thought. He was about to ask just what it was Fury wanted them to see, but Rogue beat him to it.
"What's so important, anyway?" There was a hint of impatience in Rogue's voice. "Even if it's somethin' mutant-related, why does S.H.I.E.L.D. want the X-Men's input all of a sudden?"
"Indeed. If there was activity involving a powerful new mutant in such a tiny town, Cerebro would have alerted Frost of that as well," Colossus added.
Nick Fury sighed. "On the surface, it doesn't look like anything that'd grab the X-Men or S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention. It looks like someone was just hired to bust up some drug runners. But then some folks came to bust up the one doin' the drug busting."
Fury led the X-Men into a two-story building on the edge of town. Soon after stepping inside, they passed some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents standing by a stairwell leading into the basement. Some forensic scientists in lab coats were down there, along with another pair of armed soldiers.
Nick Fury thrust his thumbs toward the stairs. "Take five, people. Me an' the muties need a few minutes alone in here." Gambit was no telepath, but he could practically hear the others bristle from the word 'mutie', even though Fury had said it in jest.
There was some grumbling from the scientists about the crime scene being contaminated, but none spoke up against Fury. The two soldiers simply nodded and left with them.
Gambit paid them no mind and took a look around. Lamplights were set up, showing that this place was indeed part of some drug smuggling ring. Only now, much of the drugs were spilled out on the floor. Bullets had sprayed wildly, their holes peppering the walls. The whole place was a wreck to top it all off, with busted furniture lying everywhere, along with some debris from the ceiling.
"Well, this was some radical redecorating," said Iceman. "Still not seein' any mutant involvement you'd want the X-Men in on."
"Half-right, Drake," Fury admitted. "We suspect one of the ones involved in this little fracas ain't your typical mutant." Fury pulled something out of his pocket. A recovered bullet, possibly dug out from the wall. "A few of these were already pulled from the wall. Only a few rounds of this among the deluge of other bullets sprayed around. Powerful sucker too, a .50 Action Express. And if I may hazard a guess before ballistics are run, it was used with a Desert Eagle."
Gambit still didn't see what Fury was getting at. But then, Rogue lifted some of the wreckage nearby. Her eyes widened as she spotted something just underneath. She knelt down and picked up what looked like a ruined sword, the blade shattered a little beyond the hilt.
"This sword looks familiar," said Rogue. Then her eyes widened again as something dawned on her. "Hold the phone. A katana, a Desert Eagle..."
Iceman seemed to piece something together, too. "Hey, aren't those the weapons favored by..."
"Deadpool," Colossus spat, finishing Iceman's thought.
"So someone paid Deadpool to break up a drug ring?" Rogue asked dismissively. "And obviously met some stiff resistance. How's this any concern o' ours?"
Gambit looked closely at the broken sword in Rogue's hand, then looked at the walls riddled with bullet holes. He suddenly felt sick, cold dread clawing at his heart. Now he understood why Nick Fury wanted them here.
"It wasn't just anything that broke this sword, chere," said Gambit. "Looks like it shattered thanks to some sort o' shockwave."
Rogue finally understood. "Oh no. Since Avalanche is in Japan right now, it had to be Arclight! That would also explain why it looks like the house almost came down! And all the bullet holes... That was probably Scalphunter!"
"Some big bootprints also point to that charming fellow Blockbuster. And given how erratic Deadpool's gunshots were, Vertigo may've been in on the fun too," said Fury. "Then again, with Wade Wilson, 'erratic' is pretty much in the job description, ain't it?"
"So the Marauders were waiting to ambush Deadpool?" Colossus asked thoughtfully. "Do you have any idea why, Fury?"
"Yeah. Deadpool isn't exactly a mutant, like you said," Iceman added. "I can't see what Mr. Sinister would want with him."
"Well, don't his healing factor put that of your lovable little clawed friend to shame?" Fury asked coyly. "Or maybe Sinister wants to closely study the way Wilson's mutation was induced. At any rate, since the X-Men tend to keep our favorite pasty Victorian era biologist in check, I wanted you brought up to speed. People tend to fret more over the likes of Victor von Doom, but there was always somethin' about Essex that creeped me out big time."
"And he should," Gambit said coldly. He needed no reminders of the horrors that Mr. Sinister and his Marauders could unleash. He had been party to it. He was the one who had gathered the Marauders together for Sinister. And the guilt and nightmares would haunt him until the day he died.
"Well, I guess we owe you one, Fury," said Rogue. "This is the first solid lead we've had on Essex and his merry band in months. Hopefully the rest of the X-Men won't be in Japan much longer, so we can go spring Deadpool before Sinister gets what he wants outta him..."
"You've got time yet, Miss Mississippi," said Fury. "You didn't see it coming down, but judging from the trail of blood leading out of here, and complaints we heard about someone's truck gettin' jacked... Well, let's just say we can safely assume the Marauders failed to bag their quarry. I can't imagine Essex bein' too happy about that. In the meantime, if you got anything on Deadpool or Sinister that can help S.H.I.E.L.D. in their own hunt, do share."
There was silence for a moment. Not just because the relationship between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the X-Men was always a rocky one. They had precious little information to share about Mr. Sinister's current schemes to begin with. Gambit did have a suggestion for Nick Fury, but he knew he'd be playing with fire by simply bringing it up.
"Well, once we can pull him away from those girls prancing around in short skirts, maybe we can get Cable to drop you a line," said Gambit. As expected, that earned him a sour look from Fury. "Awww, don't be like that, Nicky. Sinister is the whole reason Cable exists in the first place. Plus, Cable's the only one who can tolerate workin' with that walkin', talkin' tumor. If anyone can help point S.H.I.E.L.D. in the right direction, he be the one."
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Cable only got a few hours of sleep since returning to the Hikawa Shrine. Of course, he was used to carrying on the fight with very little sleep. And despite how they wound up scrapping Kizachi's Sentinels, some instinct told Cable that their troubles were far from over. Not just how Usagi Tsukino had a long road ahead of her in her bid to change the hearts of those in Japan, or finally getting through Naru Osaka's thick skull.
No, Cable knew the worst dangers were not behind them. For one thing, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and Acolytes had assembled and attacked in force. With Amelia Voght still with them, they could show up again at any time. That was why, despite being well into the afternoon, Cable made a point of patrolling the grounds around the shrine.
Of course, it might not be entirely necessary if Magneto's goons didn't know ways to get around mutant telepathy. Erina Kizachi having some means to shield people with sensitive information doesn't help, either, Cable thought as he completed his perimeter check. Thankfully, along with his telepathy, Cable had his bionic eye. So far, it hadn't alerted him to anything unusual. Then again, I'm still too inexperienced with telepathy, so I'd favor securing things the old-fashioned way regardless.
Logan felt the same way, as he was helping him do the rounds around the shrine. "Wolverine, all clear on my end," Cable said to him telepathically. "How about you?"
"Don't hear or smell anythin' funny," was Logan's reply. "Even I'm daring to think we turned a corner. Them Sailor Senshi sure helped us put a hurting on Magneto's lackeys. If they weren't wary about attackin' this shrine before, they may think twice now."
Cable didn't exactly share Logan's optimism, but if Logan figured they were in no immediate danger, that was enough for him. He looped around to the front. Luckily, the shrine had no visitors at the moment, so Cable went in through the front door. He was surprised to see Rei sitting before the hearth, its flames casting a strange glow.
Her mental abilities were vastly different from his. Cable wasn't quite sure what Rei was trying to do. It looked like Rei was simply sitting there, meditating. But he had been around these Senshi long enough to know not to take appearances at face value. All of the X-teams had encountered the supernatural and wielders of magic at some point. Sometimes, that even included people in their own ranks. At first, Cable thought the Sailor Senshi would offer no surprises. He had swiftly learned that wasn't the case.
Whatever trance she was in, Rei still turned upon hearing Cable step inside. Rei didn't exactly look like she let her guard down once she saw it was him. Cable admired that. No wonder these girls had stayed alive this long. "Oh, it's you, Cable. Thanks for making sure none of those thugs sneak up on the shrine."
"If some of them do, you'll have my back," said Cable. "Kitty told me you handled Toad and Blob just fine. Blob's not an easy one to shake once he's got his sights set on you. I speak from experience."
"If you say so," said Rei. "Though Pyro was a different story. It was super-frustrating, how I couldn't dare use my powers around him."
"As someone who wasn't able to flex his proverbial psychic muscles for the longest time, I can understand that." Cable glanced at the flickering flames in the hearth. "Are you just meditating? Or are you trying to pinpoint something? I mean, Kizachi's not like this Queen Beryl or the others you've had to put down. She's got no dark powers to zero in on." Of course, her soul is stained so black, Rei should be able to, Cable added silently.
"No, although that's frustrating too. How one ordinary woman is hitting us where it hurts so hard, so often." The acid bite to Rei's voice took even Cable aback. "No, I'm mostly meditating, but here and there I give it another try, locating Naru now that she can't stay at the Witches 5's base. From what Usagi's told us, maybe she's finally ready to listen to reason."
Cable didn't know how to reply to that. By planning to do something so outrageous with those Sentinels, it made a boy who had stood by his mutant girlfriend turn on her. Would it finally bring Naru to her senses, or make her lash out more? Cable wasn't sure. Young girls were hard to figure out. The ones he had looked after in X-Force could be so... unpredictable.
Cable decided to speak of something else. "Speaking of Usagi, how is she? She didn't look so good after that fight with Naru."
"Couldn't you just read her mind?" Rei asked delicately.
Cable had already fiddled with Usagi's mind once. Though it seemed a sensible ploy at the time, it didn't deal with a worse problem in the offing. "Xavier discourages that sort of thing, remember?"
"Good to know. But as you might expect, she's still smarting. And I blame Kizachi for that more than Naru," Rei spat testily. "She's been manipulating her for so long... Please tell me it'll finally be time to haul that arrogant witch in, once our teams are in top form again."
"It'll be tricky. Hopefully Minako's Interpol friends can help in building a case against her. And maybe She-Hulk can help with that instead, since her intended client is AWOL," said Cable.
Rei stifled a laugh. "Minako found you a bit overbearing, you know? Did you usually handle missions like that in X-Force?"
"I like to maintain strict discipline in combat situations, that's all," said Cable quickly. "And we're getting off-topic. Is Usagi holding up OK?"
"She won't recover overnight, Cable. It took a lot of intervention on our part after the first time Naru had it out for her, remember?" Rei looked back to the hearth. "And now the little movement she's spearheaded hasn't achieved the one thing she wanted most."
Again, Cable was at a loss for what to say. Usagi had looked to the X-Men for hope. But despite helping them bury those Sentinels, the X-Men had achieved little else for them.
"Just let me know if you find anything, Rei. I'll bodyslide over and haul Naru back so we can finish pounding some sense into her." Rei didn't look back to him. Perhaps she was already making another attempt.
Sighing, Cable made his way into that room the Tsukinos were staying in. For whatever reason, they had yet to return. Perhaps Xavier felt they were safer at the Ryuuzaki mansion for the time being.
Sitting down on the bed, he looked over his rifle. There was so much work that still needed to be done. For one thing, he had to go back to the Blackbird and use its systems to calibrate those of his techno-organic components. His bodyslide function was still performing within acceptable parameters after Sailor Moon's attack, but he had to keep a close eye on it.
For the moment, however, Cable contented himself with maintaining his weapon. Piece by piece, he disassembled it. Given his lack of experience with his psychic powers, Cable preferred to have weapons on hand whenever possible. And any soldier understood the necessity of keeping one's weapon properly maintained. He began by cleaning every individual piece. Since he had taken it into a sewer last night, probably a good idea. Once that was done, he'd move on to making sure everything was properly calibrated.
But just as Cable was about to reassemble his rifle, he felt a pair of eyes upon him. That, and his bionic eye detected a thermal signature nearby. There was no mistaking who it was, given its size.
Sighing, Cable finished reassembling his weapon and set it aside. "I'm actually surprised you waited this long," was all he said, looking to the door.
Chibiusa was standing there, arms folded, looking quite cross. "Given what we went through, we all needed time to decompress," she said coolly.
"You handled yourself against the Kleinstocks quite well," said Cable. "Whatever training you've been doing with the other Sailor Senshi, it's working."
Chibiusa rolled her eyes. "Don't try to preemptively change the subject. You know why I'm here."
"And there's no avoiding it this time, that much is certain," said Cable. He had dreaded Chibiusa learning the truth, and now she wouldn't let him brush her aside.
"So just give it to me straight. Why didn't you tell me you come from a time period after mine?" Chibiusa demanded.
Cable looked into the little girl's dark-brown eyes. The hurt and dread in them tore into his soul. Many accused Cable of being a trigger-happy psychopath, but every day was a struggle to not lose sight of certain things. No doubt to the Sailor Senshi, he came off as a no-nonsense, overly pragmatic, grizzled soldier. That belied how he always had to struggle with the knowledge that there were lines he should not cross. And balance that knowledge with his mission to prevent what this girl now feared.
Cable took a deep breath, and said, "I simply felt I had no right to rip away your hope. That's one thing the Sailor Senshi have in abundance, but we X-folk have been lacking as of late."
"Wow, that SO justifies not warning me that your blue-lipped buddy could be gunning for my kingdom back in the 30th century," said Chibiusa. "Damnit Cable, from what I've heard about this guy, and given what the Black Moon Clan espoused... Maybe he already did!"
The little bugger was sharp, and knew how to cut him to the quick. He wouldn't appreciate valuable tactical information being withheld from him either. "You're right about all that. But whenever I looked at you, and saw someone filled with hope... That's not the norm for time-travelers. Like I said, I'm hardly alone. Rachel Summers and Bishop also came from hellish alternate futures."
"ANOTHER Summers from the future?" Chibiusa spat incredulously. "Do I even want to know?"
"From a possible timeline stemming from the events Kitty's future self warned the X-Men about," said Cable. "In fact, she's the one who sent Kitty's mind back in time telepathically. She's the actual future daughter of Jean Grey. As opposed to me being the son of her clone later sent to the future to have this techno-organic virus kept in check."
At first, Chibiusa could only facepalm. "No wonder Plu never talked about you guys. You X-people must've caused her so many migraines..."
"So maybe she didn't want you worrying about En Sabah Nur, either," said Cable.
"Too late for that now," said Chibiusa tersely. "If Magneto and his lackeys can give the Sailor Senshi so much trouble, then I have every right to be worried about a mutant pretty much considered a god."
Cable regarded Chibiusa for a moment. She was so much younger than the New Mutants he had taken under his wing, forming X-Force. That had been another balancing act. Recognizing the need to train up and prepare those young mutants, while taking pains to see they weren't sacrificed needlessly in his war. Naturally, his first instinct had been to spare someone far younger such painful knowledge. Cable now realized he was only protecting himself all this time. This kid had fought beside the X-Men and against them. There was no questioning her courage or potential. But if Apocalypse really was gunning for Crystal Tokyo, the time to start preparing her was now.
"All good points," Cable admitted. Cable scooted to the foot of the bed, letting Chibiusa clamber up and sit beside him. "Listen closely, kiddo. It's true that Apocalypse could be considered a god. But gods can be killed, if you know how to fight them..."
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Erina Kizachi looked down at the Babylonian artifact clutched in both hands. With tears in her eyes, she bent down, her forehead pressing against it. So many memories attached to this artifact, unearthed in happier times. Back when her marriage had yet to become a loveless sham, back when her daughter was still alive. A sprightly young thing, full of hope and dreams, much like Usagi Tsukino must have been growing up. Little surprise that later on, Erika would come to idolize Sailor Moon.
But long before that, on that archaeological expedition their family went on, Erika unearthed this at a dig site. After spending many months analyzing it, the archaeologists let them keep it. It had thrilled Erika to no end. She always said she could sense there was something special about it, though it was little more than a means of carrying water.
Now, for Erina, it did hold a special significance. A reminder of what she had lost, and what was never hers in the first place.
All this, from designing these Sentinels to helping Magneto's cause by surreptitiously stirring up fear of mutants, was done in the memory of the daughter stolen from her. As much as she hated Usagi Tsukino with every fiber of her being, Erina had been truthful when she said it wasn't all about her.
No, her heart had plenty of room left for hate for her entire country. That was why Erina was happy to let Japan become ground zero for Magneto's cause. So many in Japan foolishly looked to her and her Sentinels as their salvation. Erina wondered if she would survive long enough to see that hope turn to horror.
Erina lifted her head back up, taking a good look around her secret office. She was under no delusions about her chances. This would, in all likelihood, be the last time she would look upon it. All of Sailor Moon's previous enemies, people far more powerful than her, had underestimated those girls. All of them paid the price for that fatal mistake. And now the X-Men were their allies, the people most experienced with fighting Sentinels.
"It was a challenge I relished, building a new breed of Sentinel to rectify the failures of past generations," Erina said to herself as she stood up. She still held the artifact close, and still shed tears. "No wonder Nephrite found fertile ground in me for his energy farming. Who knows, maybe my Sentinels will perform better than I dare hope. But as the Shinto priestess said, only a fool bets against Sailor Moon. Thankfully, my Sentinels don't need to beat you, Tsukino. It's simply their deployment that will set off a chain reaction you and your Ginzuishou can't stop..."
Erina walked around her desk, ignoring the screens at her back. Through them, she had observed the entire city over the past year, and thus a good deal of the Sailor Senshi's battles. And with her skills in robotics, she could mount cameras on mobile units. They could always worm their way into the homes of the Sailor Senshi, or their shrine.
It was how she had learned everything about them, eavesdropping on their conversations. It usually served to make her blood boil all over again. That slip of a girl was destined to unite the world as her dead kingdom's new queen? It further fueled Erina's determination to see this through to the end.
But now, there was no further need of such surveillance. Or the idiot-proofed Sentinel interface she had slapped together for Gai. No, there was a far better means to direct the Sentinels elsewhere. It was important to get there as quickly as possible. Once the chaos began, the Senshi and X-Men would probably target this place, and this office would meet the same fate as her expendable Sentinel base. Perhaps they might stiffen their spines and bring her corporate headquarters down well before that.
"So be it. I never had any delusions that I, myself, would leave anything worthwhile behind," Erina said with a tone of finality. She strode past the shelf with the jars that housed writhing plant matter and buzzing nanomachines, all that remained of Telulu and Viluy. She looked at the jars with a smirk. "I'm taking this artifact, but leaving you two here. I'll at least leave the Sailor Senshi the pleasure of finally ending your miserable existences. I do hope there's enough left of your essences to sense terror. Knowing that the end is swiftly approaching for you, as surely as it is for me."
Her bluster directed at what was left of those who literally tore her heart out did little to quell her anxieties. That perplexed Erina. When she first got to work on her plans, she believed that when the time came for the end, there would be a sense of calm. After all, the vote to approve deploying Sentinels went just as she hoped, and Usagi Tsukino was an even bigger emotional wreck after facing Naru Osaka a second time.
Even more curious, Erina found the shamanistic meditation techniques she was forced to learn as a child also accomplished little. They had let Erina shake off the influence of Nephrite's youma, but now failed her as her plans were finally reaching fruition.
Perhaps it was because things had not progressed as smoothly as Erina had hoped. Despite all her cautious planning, things almost went awry more than once. Sailor Moon had forged a truce with the X-Men sooner than anticipated. And she certainly hadn't expected Sailor Moon to appeal to the people of Japan the way she did. Her plans were fluid enough to adapt, and in many ways things were actually proceeding more swiftly than first hoped. Though sometimes, Erina was still amazed she made it this far, so close to victory.
And then there was what left the bitterest taste in her mouth: Mayumi Osaka's death. She certainly hadn't wished to torment her daughter like THAT. Having Gai manipulate his yakuza clan to lean even harder on the Osakas was cruel enough, but necessary. After watching Usagi all this time, Erina understood the only thing that could break the girl was forcing her to fight a friend who was under no spell. Who turned on her of her own free will. Not to mention, it could potentially deliver Magneto a powerful recruit, emphasizing how he was the only hope for Japan's young mutants.
But Naru had rejected Magneto's offer, and Usagi wasn't quite broken yet, making Mayumi's death even more galling to Erina. It was Gai's stupidity that did Naru's mother in, but he had been acting under her orders.
"In other parts of the world, it's believed accepting a certain savior can absolve you of your sins," Erina muttered to herself. "If only that were true in my case. I've been damned ever since I lost my daughter. Nothing will change that. All I have left is to press forward, headlong into oblivion."
So Erina strode over to the ladder leading up and out of her private office. The sun would be setting soon. Dusk would herald the deployment of her Sentinels, and finally, all hell would break loose in Japan. Now was no time for anxiety, for regretting her horrible mistakes. She had to prepare for the ordeal ahead. At long last, it was time to drive that final stake through Usagi Tsukino's heart.
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Usagi sat in silence as Haruka drove on, the sun setting beyond Tokyo's skyline. Ever since escaping Kizachi's crumbling base, Usagi had tried to get some sleep. What sleep she had gotten was horribly broken. Usagi still ached from getting thrashed around by Naru. But her sleep was mostly cut short by reliving the nightmare she had endured hours before. It was bad enough fighting Naru once. But now twice, with the stakes so high? It was as if no matter how hard she and the other Sailor Senshi worked, things kept falling apart. As if fate was determined to stab them in the heart again and again.
How do the X-Men keep at it? Usagi wondered. From everything we've learned about them, it's the same story on their end. No matter how hard they fight, things just seem to get worse.
Maybe that was why she had sought the X-Men out in the first place. Surely they had some idea of what to do next, to make their dream a reality, if they had enough hope to carry on. But when it became clear this wasn't exactly the case, the Sailor Senshi realized they had to try something on their own. And now, it looked like they were faring no better.
Mama's right. Tensions are getting worse in Japan, not better, Usagi realized. Fights are breaking out everywhere. And all for what? Storm was right, too. Naru wasn't impressed at all by what's happening. And Kizachi was right about me not noticing the problem right under my nose, until it was too late...
Doubt and shame ate away at Usagi, close to tears for not the first time that day. Just as Usagi felt like surrendering, she felt a hand over hers.
Usagi turned to see Mamoru through bleary eyes, a look of concern on his face. "Are you sure you're up for this, Usa-ko? If you want to sit things out for a day or two, none of us would think any less of you."
"You may not, Mamo-chan. But all the people out there looking up to Sailor Moon are a different story," Usagi said. "They need to SEE Sailor Moon is still behind them. It might be the only thing keeping them going forward."
"You really have matured since when we first met, Usagi," said Luna, who she held in her lap along with Artemis. "Just... don't push yourself too hard."
"Yeah, Usagi. Being worn down after fighting Naru again is just what Kizachi wants," Artemis added.
"I know, I know," said Usagi quickly. "Still, I can't believe Naru did all this of her own free will. And now I can't help but wonder where she is. If I'm hurting, she must be hurting way worse."
Luna scowled at Usagi. Obviously, the mooncat still wasn't quite ready to forgive Naru. Usagi let it slide. Now wasn't the time for sniping at each other. It was more important than ever that the bonds between them all remained strong.
"I think we can afford to not worry about what Naru will do for a while, Usagi," said Rei, who was riding shotgun. "If Kizachi keeps eluding us, it stands to reason Naru won't be finding her anytime soon and truly crossing the line."
It was as if Rei had read her thoughts. Did Professor X or Cable teach her a new trick? "But any luck with finding Naru?" Usagi asked hopefully. "Before we left, I heard Cable mention you were trying again."
Rei shook her head. "She's as slippery as ever. But I did sense something odd whenever I tried. A strange... resonance. One too far away from the Witches 5's lair to mean she went back. It vaguely reminded me of Naru's dark power, and yet..."
"I wonder if it's coming from the same direction I sensed an ill wind blowing from," said Haruka suddenly. "Once this is done, we should compare notes, Rei."
"I'd rather do it now, but we're already here," Rei pointed out. Usagi looked up to see they were coming up on the block beyond which another march would soon take place. Many had already taken place over the last week or so, each one rumored to have Sailor Moon herself appear. Rumors the Sailor Senshi themselves spread, so as to keep people guessing as to which ones Sailor Moon would actually show up at.
Most importantly, it kept the police guessing. The authorities couldn't always commit their resources to every rumored march. That lowered the risk of those on Usagi's side getting hurt because of her, not to mention made things a little safer for her.
Usagi still wasn't sure how she felt throwing away the Sailor Senshi's good name. She knew Makoto hated how Sailor Jupiter was now viewed with even more suspicion than her normal self. And no doubt her mother was aghast at how Usagi's alter ego was now a wanted criminal.
Tears flowed as she thought about the last time Ikuko spoke with her. Her mother was taking the revelation so hard. Usagi taking it upon herself to do something about this rising anti-mutant paranoia made it worse. It was something Usagi knew she had to do, but it was driving another wedge between them.
Haruka pulled her car into a nearby parking lot, and they all clambered out. The sun had almost set. The march would soon begin. After turning the corner of a nearby building, Usagi saw all the people who had shown up. This was probably the biggest one yet, and other marches had drawn thousands. It helped to raise Usagi's hopes a little, but the aches from last night's battle, both physical and emotional, lingered on.
Usagi, Haruka, Rei and Mamoru waded through the crowd, the cats hot on their heels. Usagi caught glimpses of faces in the crowd. She thought she spotted Hiromi Matsumo and Kazuko Tadashita, the two animators who had worked on that brief Sailor V anime. Just how many people the Senshi helped in the past wound up getting mixed up in this? Usagi wondered.
Then she caught a glimpse of Motoki and Unazaki at the other end of the street. And Unazaki even had motor oil on her face! Usagi remembered how fearful she had been around Dr. McCoy. Was Sailor Moon pleading on television all that was needed for her to see the light?
Usagi was so lost in thought, she wound up bumping into someone. She muttered a quick apology and bowed. However, this man she ran into sounded confused by that.
"Hey, I've been through worse in my time, little lady," said the man. There was a decidedly American accent to his voice. "Besides, if Sailor Moon shows up, I bet she'll make people wanting to shut down this march cough up more than an apology." Then he finished with something in English: "'Nuff said."
Blinking in surprise, Usagi looked up to see that old man Naru rescued from the plummeting monorail car. That woman who rode alongside him was there, too. Both had oil slathered over their faces.
Usagi had no idea why this guy kept showing up, and was too preoccupied to ask. She simply took heart in how someone who had no stake in what happened in Japan had taken it upon himself to do his part.
She looked over the crowd one last time before the group ducked down an alley. Usagi glimpsed a few police officers, and shivered. Would they try to arrest her? But things had progressed too far now, and Sailor Moon's presence was needed. There was no turning back.
They went further down the alley. Mamoru hung back to keep watch, while the cats scouted ahead. "Looks like it's all clear, Usagi. Go ahead," Luna called back.
Usagi leaned her head against the brick wall for a moment. Part of her still felt like this was pointless. All this was done in the hopes she could get Naru to see the light. Those hopes had been crushed last night. All those other times Naru had been caught in the crossfire, Sailor Moon pulled her fat from the fire. But this time, she failed to save Naru's very soul.
Being so wrapped up in self-loathing, Usagi almost didn't hear another voice. "Please, Mamoru, let me talk to her," the voice pleaded.
Blinking back tears, Usagi lifted her head back up, and gasped in astonishment.
Her mother had come down the alley, looking over her anxiously. But what truly surprised Usagi about Ikuko's face was that it also had oil streaked across it! In an X shape, no less!
"Mama! What're you doing here!?" Usagi cried in disbelief. "That oil... YOU'RE going to be in the march!?" Ikuko could only nod meekly. "Why? You tried to keep me from going after Naru last night! Why the change of heart?"
"Well, I figured instead of saying 'I told you so,' I-I-I-I could try something else," said Ikuko. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing, Usagi. I have no idea what to do, things have gotten so crazy. I guess, like you, I finally feel I just need to DO something. S-S-S-So I guess if I can just be here, be a mother standing behind her daughter, I can tell myself I did something in all this..."
For a moment, Usagi could only stare blankly at her mother. This was such a change from the last time they spoke. She had been staying at the Ryuuzaki mansion. Professor X had been there, too. Did he possibly 'change' her mind, instead of scrubbing her memory like he originally intended? No, Xavier wasn't like that. But Usagi suspected Xavier somehow had a hand in this.
Bawling, Usagi rushed over and hugged Ikuko. "Oh Mama, I'm so sorry I pushed you away like that! I-I-I-I'm so happy that you came..." Ikuko said nothing. She merely hugged Usagi back. For now, that was more than enough.
"Ready now, Odango?" Haruka asked.
Usagi finally pulled herself away from Ikuko. Nodding, she pulled out her brooch and screamed, "Moon Crisis Makeup!" When the light faded and she stood before them as Sailor Moon, she couldn't help but see the look on Ikuko's face. Instead of shock like last time, there was resignation. But more importantly, there was a hint of pride.
Sailor Moon nodded to Ikuko and her friends, then began to wall jump up to the roof of the building. Wasting no time, she ran toward the side facing the street and jumped down. With grace any gymnast would envy, her feet touched down on a lamppost. Many in the crowd spotted her instantly. They pointed up and cried in amazement, while others whipped out cameras to snap photos.
For a brief moment, Sailor Moon allowed herself to bask in their adoration. A glimpse of some of the police officers, however, snapped her attention back to the task at hand. They were no doubt weighing if it was worth it to try and arrest Sailor Moon, in the midst of so many of her supporters. Best to not give them that chance, by getting things started.
"Thanks for showing up, everyone!" Sailor Moon cried out to the crowd. "So far, you've made your voices heard, and we've kept people from using Sentinels! If we keep things up, we'll..."
A shrill roar suddenly drowned out Sailor Moon's voice. Looking up, Sailor Moon almost froze up from fear.
Not one, but TWO Sentinels were descending toward the street. They crashed down in the middle of the street, not too far from the front of the crowd prepared to march. Naturally, they all screamed in confusion and panic, but Sailor Moon knew they weren't the Sentinels' target. She was.
The right arms of both Sentinels transformed into chain guns, but they raised their left hands instead, firing powerful stun blasts. Sailor Moon backflipped off the lamppost before it was blown apart.
"Moon Tiara Action!" she screamed before she touched down. Her blazing tiara kept ricocheting off the closer Sentinel's head, curving back to smack it each time it bounced off, chipping away at its armor. Each time, it delivered enough of a jolt to disorient the mechanical monster, forcing it back little by little.
The other one took aim with its chain gun just as she recalled her tiara. Praying that the crowd had fallen back far enough, Sailor Moon slapped it back on, eyeing the moon that was low in the sky.
"Moon Twilight Flash!" she cried, firing her beam of reflected moonlight at the second Sentinel. She was forcing it back, but the first one was now taking aim. Mamoru, Rei, where the hell are all of you!? Sailor Moon thought anxiously. She could hear the chaingun revving up...
Help came just in time, just not from who Sailor Moon expected. A cry like that of a bloodthirsty animal echoed in the street. Something launched itself off the wall of a nearby building. Whoever it was, he threw off a trench coat, letting him blend in with the dusk almost perfectly, until...
Sailor Moon's heart leapt as she saw moonlight glisten on adamantium claws. With another howl, Wolverine sank his claws into the Sentinel's neck. Like a man possessed, he ripped through its weird polymer armor.
That bought the other Senshi enough time to step in after having to find a safe place to transform. Even over the shrill of her attack, Sailor Moon heard the clicking of heels.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Space Sword Blaster!"
Both attacks struck the Sentinel that Sailor Moon was trying to force back in its neck, just as it was taking aim with its chaingun. Going for the vulnerable areas with lighter armor. Meanwhile, the other Sentinel managed to grab Wolverine off its shoulder and hurl him down onto a parked truck. Tuxedo Kamen picked up where Wolverine left off. After chucking a few roses into its faceplate to blind it, he jumped up onto its shoulder and rammed his extended cane into its neck, as if to slit its throat.
Sailor Moon feared for her love, but knew she couldn't stop to help him until the other Sentinel was dealt with. The Sentinel maneuvered to put itself between her and the moon. Even as the power of Sailor Moon's attack dwindled, Mars and Uranus kept pouring it on.
"World Shaking!" Uranus roared. Her concentrated blast of wind managed to make the behemoth tumble backwards.
"Burning Mandala!" Mars shrieked. Each of her blazing rings honed in on a sensitive joint where the armor was weaker. Smoke and sparks shot up from wherever a ring struck. The Sentinel finally toppled, and it didn't stir to rise again.
Turning her attention to the other Sentinel, Sailor Moon cried out upon seeing Tuxedo Kamen get thrown against a wall. But then Wolverine called out to her.
"Sailor Moon! Storm wanted me in the crowd in case somethin' went down!" he called out. "So I could provide backup, and give you back this!" He reached into a duffel back and pulled out something shiny and red.
Wolverine threw it over to Sailor Moon. She caught the piece of the Iron Man suit and immediately slid it over her left arm. It latched on as cables snaked up and around her on their own, reattaching themselves to her brooch, and thus the Ginzuishou.
Sailor Moon clenched her armored fist as the gauntlet hummed to life. Mars and Uranus had been providing cover fire to distract the Sentinel. A volley from its chaingun forced them to scatter, and now it took aim at Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon raised her outstretched hand and fired a repulsor blast into the gaping hole Tuxedo Kamen had made. The Sentinel's head seemed to implode, and it toppled back like the other one.
Sailor Moon took a moment to catch her breath, then rushed over to where she saw Tuxedo Kamen fall. Wolverine was already helping him up, and the cats were coming out from behind cover.
"Oh no, Tuxedo Kamen! Are you alirght!?" Sailor Moon cried.
"I've survived worse, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Kamen muttered, limping a little. He probably would have slumped to his knees if not for Wolverine. "Did w-w-w-we keep them from hurting anyone?"
"For now, Cape-Boy," Wolverine growled. "But I'm gettin' a heads-up from Professor Xavier. These Sentinels are touchin' down everywhere in Tokyo. Lookin' for you Sailor Senshi, lookin' for the mutants you rounded up... Who knows? This ain't the sorta thing you like hearing, Sailor Moon, but you got a full-scale war on your hands now."
Sailor Moon looked down to the cats. Then she looked to see Mars and Uranus stepping forward, also trying to steady their breathing. Well past them, Sailor Moon could see where the crowd had fallen back to. Most of them stared at the Sailor Senshi and Wolverine with awe and apprehension. But then Sailor Moon caught a glimpse of her mother. Ikuko mouthed only one word: "Go."
Turning back to Wolverine, Sailor Moon said, "Still up for that Sentinel-scrapping spree with the Sailor Senshi?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A stiff nighttime breeze blew through Naru's hair and rustled her skirt. She glowered at the yakuza thug she dangled over the edge of the building by his ankle, frustrated by her lack of progress.
She always thought the disguise she threw together before fighting yakuza that first time looked stupid. Now, Naru realized her old Eclipse look at least gave her an air of menace and mystique, thus easily letting her instill fear.
As it stood, when Naru risked teleporting back into the Witches 5's base, she only stayed long enough to grab a fresh set of clothes. Even with her array of mutant powers, even with her face half-covered by her oil slick, it was hard to look intimidating wearing her old school uniform.
Maybe it's no wonder the Sailor Senshi never really went after common criminals, Naru realized. With their fukus, your everyday yakuza thug may not have taken them too seriously, either.
"Well, we gonna hang around here all day, or what?" the thug sneered, daring to smirk at Naru.
"Look, it's been a long day. And now that night's fallen, I'm sure you've got other places to be," Naru said, her voice one of determined calm. There was nothing keeping her from breaking this man in half, now that her secret identity was blown. After what happened the night before, after Umino leaving her, she needed to vent her rage. It was a struggle, patiently waiting until she could find the scum most responsible for her mother's death. "Just tell me where I can find your old buddy Gai Izumi. By now, it should've sunk in that he's been backstabbing your entire clan all this time."
Her prisoner actually had the balls to laugh at her, despite dangling twenty stories above solid concrete. "You know, you actually had everyone in my clan pissing ourselves for weeks. You did a good job spooking us. But now, seeing you're actually just a hurt, confused little girl, I can't believe you're the same one who sent so many of my friends to the hospital."
"And if I don't get answers out of you soon, I may send you to join them," Naru spat back.
"What, a little frustrated that the one guy insane enough to stick with a freakshow like you finally wised up?" the man dared. "Yeah, word on the street is that the little dork you kidnapped dumped your ass."
This was the last thing Naru needed. She offered Umino a future where they could do anything together, unfettered by any rules, and he torpedoed that idea. Literally. She had probably lost Umino for good, and now she was left with nothing. Except tracking down the man who murdered her mother, before she hunted down the one who had been calling the shots to ruin her life.
"Ooooh, strike a nerve, sweetie?" the yakuza thug went on. "Seriously, you think you're gonna shake me down, like those two Sailor Senshi and their gaijin friend did with the other guy? Trust me, you're going about it all wrong. I myself once ratted someone out to the gaijin, years ago. Take it from me, you're no..." He then screamed "GAAAAAAAAIIIIIIJIN!" after Naru let go of his ankle.
Naru took a deep breath, and concentrated. In the blink of an eye, she faded away in a plume of black flame. She reappeared on a balcony, just beyond a sliding glass door, on the second floor. More black ooze flowed down her bare arms. Tendrils attached themselves to the adjacent wall, forming a net of sorts. The screaming goon fell into it, dropping a few meters and probably coming perilously close to the ground before springing back up.
He was still screaming, trembling with fear, as Naru's tendrils detached from the wall to bring him closer. Naru brought his face up to hers, dangling him upside-down with a tendril. "What was that about not being enough like Wolverine?" she asked innocently. "Now then, don't make me ask again..."
"I-I-I-I told you before, you little f-f-f-freak, no one knows where Gai Izumi disappeared to!" the thug spluttered. "N-N-N-No one's seen him in days! My boss w-w-w-w-wants him found even more than you do!"
Naru sighed, realizing this guy was finally too terrified to lie. It made sense. Now that Gai Izumi had done his aunt's dirty work, she was making sure he laid low. It was looking more and more like she would have to find Erina Kizachi first.
As Naru wondered how she could do that, there was a loud rumbling, along with the roar of a jet engine. Both Naru and her yakuza captive turned toward the noise. Naru felt a chill upon seeing a Sentinel charge down a city street. Thankfully, this time it didn't seem to detect her presence. It marched on, oblivious to the mutant quarry so close, as if on the hunt for someone else.
"Oh great, there's more of them!?" Naru cried. "The property she bought up got blown sky-high, so I figured the Sailor Senshi... Lovely, Kizachi must've had more stashed away!"
"Gee, maybe you should be laying low too, kiddo. If those things are finally rounding up you freaks..." Naru had her tendrils slam him down into the back alley below. Not hard enough to break any bones, but it got the punk out of her face, gave her a moment to think.
It was looking like the Sentinel that came after her before was a special case. Kizachi somehow must've known where she was. That meant that whatever threw off things like Cerebro and Rei's spiritual powers was still working.
And that could give her an edge. Kizachi was pushing ahead with her plans, whatever they were, and had no idea Eclipse could still throw a monkey wrench in the works. Naru just had to be patient a little longer, and revenge would be hers.
But then, Naru's stomach rumbled. Fine, first I find a diner still open... And then, REVENGE!